Daily Devotional – April 24, 2020

Faith Baptist Church

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and what 37 to go yeah as expected

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Governor Pritzker couldn't allow himself to be outdone by a Badger or Packers fan so we're here in Illinois restricted to four more days of staying home than our neighbors to the north at least that's the way it is right now and consequently because of that announcement yesterday of stay home thing and restricted limitations and so forth we'll be continuing the online services for church and so forth looks like for five more

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Sundays I realize things can change I understand there's you know movements afoot to try to to shorten that but for our standpoint this this stage of the game this is what we're expecting no actually

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I got a better idea since since it's okay and it's safe for 500 people to congregate at Walmart why don't we just have service

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Sunday morning at 1030 in the sporting goods section how's that does that work

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I mean you know then the the toy department is right nearby so kids you know if they get rowdy they can just kind of go over there and play around in the toy department

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I don't think that's a pretty good idea well I I haven't heard of too many people who are particularly happy about this extension of of the stay -at -home order in fact one of the ladies of the church said she was gonna ask her mama if the offer to slap her into next year was still on the table well

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I certainly understand the sentiment there but it's hard telling what she'd be slapped into I mean after all who would have expected this mess in December 31st 2019 well concerning this mess

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I came across a pretty good quote from Corrie ten Boom and I thought it'd be helpful for these frustrating days she said this she said the wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something and enter

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God's realm where everything is possible he specializes in the impossible nothing is too great for his almighty power nothing is too small for his love that's from Corrie ten

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Boom well the last couple days and focusing on this verse the statement that Jesus made in Luke chapter 12 verse 32 where he told his disciples fear not little flock for as you it is your father's delight to give you the kingdom fear not little flock it is your father's delight to give you the kingdom so as a reminder

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Jesus said this made this statement in the context of that really encouraging passage where he told his followers you don't need to be anxious about the stuff of this life the things of this life now what you're gonna wear or what you're going to eat and so forth it's your father in heaven who clothes the lilies of the field and feeds the sparrows he will take care of you because you're of far more worth than than those so again don't miss how appropriate and timely this passage of scripture is for our particular sort of set of circumstances this pandemic first Jesus tells us don't be anxious about this life stuff then he says fear not little flock it is your father's delight to give you the kingdom so we've been considering how full of rich encouraging truth this statement is this brief statement for the followers of Christ just to review okay we said first of all that by calling us his flock

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Jesus is expressing our privileged dependence upon him as the

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Good Shepherd our Great Shepherd then calling us his little flock expresses our status in this world so we we understand that the believers the followers of Christ the the true

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Christian Church is never going to become the dominant force in the world and the vast majority of people that populate this globe and then thirdly

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Jesus tells us to fear not fear not this expresses the confidence that we can have in this world that is just reeling from a pandemic and then yesterday we zeroed in on God's disposition toward that little flock of Christ he is our heavenly father who delights to give us his kingdom he's not an overlord who's forced to do something he's not a genie that we control but he is our father who delights to give us the kingdom now this morning in these next few minutes

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I just want to focus on that word that's two words over he delights to give he delights to give the significance of this word that Jesus chose to use is seen in the words he didn't use he didn't say that your father delights to reward you with the kingdom as if you are some kind of a spiritual

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Eagle Scout that's you know you've gone through all these steps you've earned all these minor badges and now you've completed the big project and now you're rewarded with this patch this

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Eagle Scout patch of the kingdom and your father delights to reward you for all this hard work that you've done no and he doesn't say your father delights to pay you with the kingdom as if you were you know just a diligent hard -working employee that comes in shows up does your job does it well deserves your pay and at the end of the day end of the week or end of the by week whatever the schedule is he your employer pays you and he delights to pay you because you've been such a good employee it's not what he says and Jesus didn't say your father delights to sell you the kingdom as if you are a customer making a deal striking a bargain in the marketplace somewhere and God is a cosmic merchant selling you the kingdom

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Jesus said your Heavenly Father delights to give you the kingdom remember that story

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I told you yesterday about going to the store and Christmas time and finding that toy

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Air Force Base to purchase and give to my son for Christmas this is not something

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I did because I felt like I had to or anything like it because I wanted to I delighted and and the greatest delight was actually giving it to him on Christmas morning and watching him open up that gift it was a delight to give this watch this is grace this is grace and grace expresses the basis for what we receive we don't earn it we don't deserve it we don't merit it we don't purchase it we receive this kingdom by God's grace he gives it and if you think back on it you realize that your very identity as one of Jesus sheep is due solely to the

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Father's grace you remember what Jesus said earlier he said all that the Father gives me all that the

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Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me

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I will never cast out watch this Jesus tells us that the Father gives the sheep to Jesus and then the

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Father gives to the sheep the kingdom grace Paul explained it like this he said for by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing it is the gift of God not of works so that no one may boast your very identity as one of the sheep of Jesus is due solely to the

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Father's grace but there's more your continuation as one of Jesus sheep is due to the gracious power of your

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Heavenly Father who keeps you he keeps you so that you will receive in full what he delights to give you listen to what

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Peter wrote in 1st Peter chapter 1 verses 3 through 5 he said blessed be the

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God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his great mercy he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable undefiled and unfading kept in heaven for you who listen who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed at the last time so this receiving of the kingdom is a gift it is of God's grace the beginning of the receiving of that kingdom comes by God's grace you're continuing through the life to look forward to the full completion of that and receiving of that kingdom is by God's grace

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God delights to give so if you're a follower of Jesus Christ let me encourage you to take comfort in your privileged dependence upon him in your true status in this world in the confidence that you can have in Christ even in the middle of a global pandemic of your

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Heavenly Father's disposition toward you he delights to give and your father's grace toward you he delights to give

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I hope this is encouragement to you and I hope this this simple little verse this simple short statement of Jesus sticks with you fear not little flock is your father's delight to give you the kingdom well

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I trust you'll have a good weekend rest of your Friday will go well be productive as productive as it can be or needs to be in this particular time and I hope that on the

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Lord's Day Sunday morning at 1030 you'll join with us for our morning

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Sunday morning worship service as we gather together for a little lengthier time in God's Word and in some of the hymns of the faith let's pray and ask

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God's blessing on the remainder of the day so father we do thank you for your delight to give the kingdom thank you for your grace thank you for your gracious disposition toward us and now way may we be encouraged as we go forward through the remainder of this day and these days ahead these challenging days in this world in which we live

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I pray these things in Jesus name amen all right