Mountain Moving Faith Controversy

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Hey everybody, I'm Pastor Jeff Durbin with Apologia Church. I want to thank you all so much for watching the content right here on Apologia Studios channel.

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What you're about to watch is a sermon, a message from Apologia Church's worship service. And again, I want to thank you all so much for watching, for liking, for commenting, for sharing the sermon itself.

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So thank you again so much for watching these and sharing them. God bless you. God bless you.

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God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. And so we are in Matthew chapter 21 right now.

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Matthew chapter 21. We are in verse 18 through 22.

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Hear now the words of the living and the true God. In the morning as He was returning to the city,

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He became hungry, and seeing a fig tree by the wayside, He went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves.

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And he said to it may no fruit ever come from you again and the fig tree withered at once When the disciples saw it they marveled saying how did the fig tree wither at once and Jesus answered them

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Truly I say to you if you have faith and do not doubt You will not only do what has been done to this fig tree to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain

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Be taken up and thrown into the sea it will happen and whatever you ask in prayer

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You will receive if you have faith as far as the reading of God's holy and inspired word

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Let's pray together as a church Lord we come before you Lord with this amazing

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Gift of your word Lord. I am so grateful God. I'm so grateful your word is

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From your mouth breathed out by you Given to us as a gift Lord we recognize the people around the world that have no access to your word this tremendous blessing this grace

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We recognize even the believers those who know you they don't even have a copy of this to hold in their hands and here we Are within in our hands on our phones our devices

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Lord. We're grateful Lord You've given us so many blessings God. Thank you for your word. I pray

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Lord today As I open your word, and I try to unpack it for your people that you'd allow me to be faithful Lord guard my tongue my heart my mind

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Keep me from error and sin I pray that I would decrease Christ would increase let everybody forget me and remember what they've learned from you

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We pray God you help us to understand your word today in the context of your whole beautiful story

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We pray this in Jesus name. Amen So Matthew chapter 21, it is a powerful section of scripture and I want to say

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Hopefully as I read the text many of you already recognize it. How many of you guys have heard a

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Sermon on mountain moving faith. How many guys have heard that? Yeah Popular sermons man.

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They are popular as I was looking around this week just to see maybe some examples I did find some examples of Mountain moving faith sermons.

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There were so many and I went through a couple of them, but I found one in particular I thought well,

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I'll share this with them And since we don't have actually our stuff fully set up because we're all new here today I'm actually gonna play this for you guys through my phone into the microphone.

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So it's it's it's worthwhile So one in particular, I think really it does express the

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Typical mountain moving faith sermon in particular given by those who would call themselves charismatic or word of faith and so here is an

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Example of a mountain moving faith sermon about having mountain moving faith in life

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We all face mountains may be a mountain in your marriage You don't see how you'll stay together a mountain in your finances

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Doesn't look like you'll ever get out of debt or ever accomplish your dreams Maybe it's a mountain in your health.

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The experts have said that you're never going to get well a lot of times We're praying about our mountains.

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God, please help me. God, please make my child straighten up God, please take away this fear.

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And yes, it's good to pray It's good to ask God to help us. But when you face a mountain, it's not enough to just pray

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It's not enough to just believe it's not enough to just think good thoughts. Here's the key.

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You have to speak to your mountains Jesus said in Mark 11 Whoever will say to this mountain be removed and does not doubt in his heart

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He will have whatever he says Some of you today are praying about things.

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You should be speaking to You don't need to pray about that fear anymore you need to say fear

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I command you to leave That's good. So there's a good example

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I wanted to give that so we have some context in terms of how we often Approach this or at least hear it approached in our culture in our day and I want to say it is vitally important for us as Christians to recognize that we do not have the right as Christians to go to the

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Word of God With unbiblical presuppositions or ideas and force those ideas into the text and put those words into Jesus' mouth

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For him it's a dangerous practice There are two words that are very very important for us to understand as Christians and these aren't words to be afraid of There is the word exegesis

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Exegesis means to draw out of the text. What is God saying?

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What is he saying? So you go to the text of the Word of God use proper principles of interpretation

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Letting God do the talking and you want the Word of God to do the speaking Christians believe in something called sola scriptura particularly reformed

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Christians That's a principle that it is the Word of God. That is the ground and pillar of our faith

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It's the Word of God. That is the reference point It is the principia it is the principium is the part that we stand on It is the reference point everything comes from there.

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We let the Word of God be the reference point Not me not my traditions not my emotions.

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None of those things. It is the Word of God. That's the standard It is the sole infallible rule of faith and practice for the church however, during the time of the

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Reformation there was the principle of sola scriptura, but there was also the principle of Tota scriptura and that is that all of Scripture interprets

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Scripture We go to the Word of God and we say what does God say about this symbol?

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What did God say when he gave us this symbol? What does God say throughout the Word of God? What is the context ahead and before who wrote this passage and to whom did they write the passage?

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What was the historical context what was going on around it? What are the words here? What are those words mean?

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What do they mean to the original audience? What were their original words that they received so we want to go to the

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Word of God as the reference point? Amen. Yes, and we want the Word of God to interpret the

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Word of God. There is another word that's important for us to understand and that's I said

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Jesus and Exegesis is drawing out of the text. What does it say?

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Exegesis is where you actually go to the text and you read foreign concepts principles ideas into the text itself

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So we want to avoid that as Christians and check ourselves constantly where we're actually taking human traditions presuppositions that are actually contrary to the

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Word of God or the Principles we find or the words we find and we take those traditions and read them into the text of God's Word One of the things that I've repeated across this pulpit didn't belong to me

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But I repeated it many times is that the person who says they have no traditions is the one who is enslaved

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To the most of them if you don't recognize that you have traditions

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You're enslaved to them. You're not checking for them. You're not looking you're Assuming very pridefully that you wouldn't do that.

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You have no traditions. You don't do that to the Word of God We need to always be on guard with our traditions and ask the question not the traditions are bad.

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But are my traditions actually Consistent with the Word of God nothing wrong with tradition.

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What's wrong is foreign Unbiblical traditions we squeeze into the Word of God and oftentimes on this particular text you see that it is rampant

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Mountain moving faith you need to speak to the mountains in your life Where's your mountains what kind of mountains you have financial mountains health mountains marriage mountains

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What kind of mountains literal mountains behind your home? Where are they right in Arizona that works for us, right?

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And so what Joel and people of his ilk would like to tell us is that all we need to do what Jesus is saying

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Here is we have the power within ourselves to create realities. It's good Maybe to trust in God you catch how he said that's good

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Maybe to pray and ask God but that's not really where it's at where it's at is where you begin to speak to your mountains

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And you say be moved and cast into the sea and that's what Jesus was doing there. You see he was talking to you right 21st century

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Evangelical Christians he's talking to you this passage of Matthew 21 is Jesus speaking directly to you.

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He's talking about your mountains He's telling you what you must do to speak to your mountains to move those mountains in your life

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We have to ask ourselves the question. Is that what Jesus audience his disciples would have understood when they heard him?

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Telling this truth would they have understood it to be about financial mountains marriage

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Mountains health mountains or was there actually a background? Was there actually words here being used by Jesus that they understood precisely what he was saying?

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Was there a context to this particular moment in the ministry of Jesus where he had just departed from Jerusalem Towards Jerusalem.

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He tells his disciples in Matthew 20 starting in verse 17 that he's going now to Jerusalem they're gonna kill him and then he enters into Jerusalem and you have all of these amazing moments of The Hosanna and they're welcoming

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Jesus in and you have the palm branches and you have all this context Is there a context to Jesus entrance into Jerusalem?

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And a discussion about a mountain being cast into the sea that would have been understood by Jesus early disciples the ones who heard

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These words now don't get me wrong. This is very important. I want to say this is a pastor When I say that we need to ask what did the original audience?

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Understand when they heard these words, what did these words mean to them that this wasn't written in these words?

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So I should say this it wasn't spoken to you I'm not saying that the Word of God doesn't have application to us

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This doesn't teach us something for us today But we have to ask ourselves the question if we want to be faithful.

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What did these words mean to them? When Jesus spoke it not first.

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What does it mean to me? What does it mean? What did it mean to them in order to do that?

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I think we have to first Build a foundation stand on a solid foundation. So I hope you have your

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Bibles ready I hope you have your pens ready and paper ready. This is being recorded so you can go back

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I want to apologize ahead of time for blitzing you today with a lot of scripture, but I assure you

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I'm not really sorry The first thing we have to do is build a foundation.

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We have to stand somewhere. This didn't happen in a vacuum we don't have Jesus simply appearing in history and Shocking people like coming in as the

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Savior the Redeemer God come in the flesh walking among us to come and die for our sins and rise from the dead this was not a plan

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B in the Plan of God it says in the scriptures that Jesus was a lamb slain when?

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Before the foundation of the world Jesus ministry isn't a novelty in history in terms of this is something dropped out of nowhere

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They did not understand what's coming There is an entire story to the life and ministry and message of Jesus that these

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Jewish Followers of Jesus would have understood one of the things we try to do as part of our liturgy at church is always bring in the

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Psalms Every service we have the Psalms brought into service We want to do that as a church because we want to give you the same

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Foundation that the early followers of Jesus would have had they would have been singing the

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Psalms in Church, they were singing these Psalms for example at the foot of the cross.

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Remember the scene Jesus our Lord is on that cross dying for our sins as Prophesied as God had planned.

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Here's this moment on the cross where Jesus is enduring this these insults

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They're reviling the Son of God on the tree. He is pierced in his hands and his feet surrounded by dogs

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Barking at him throwing insults at him the amazing thing about that moment

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Jesus saying my God my God Why have you forsaken me if the Jews at the foot of the cross?

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Had merely finished singing the Psalm they would have understood what's happening right in front of them

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I challenge you to go look at that later Psalm 22 that Psalm they would have sung in church

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Was the Psalm taking place right in front of them at that moment that very thing? there was a foundation for these

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Jews the Word of God given to them and the amazing thing about the Jews in the first century is they didn't have the gift that you and I have right in front of us the

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Entire Word of God just placed in your lab. You can just move through pages and circle and highlights

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It was a very difficult process To actually copy down the scriptures and then pass that along an expensive process

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You didn't necessarily have a scroll of Isaiah in your home If you wanted to hear the Word of God you often went to synagogue

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To hear the Word of God and you memorize the Word of God you passed it down It wasn't sitting on your shelf necessarily.

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That would have been a real gift a huge blessing So these early Jews had to take this word into their hearts treasure it up within them

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So they might not sin against God hold it together in their morning and evening prayers They were reciting the

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Word of God Deuteronomy 6 for Shema Now let's do it together ready

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Shema Okay, let's do I'll say Shema and you say Shema.

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Okay. Here we go. Ready Shema Yisrael Yahweh Eloheinu Yahweh Ehud very good

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Okay We're in a new space. It'll take some time. Okay, we'll figure it out

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So they had this in their morning and evening prayers the Word of God Here's the point I'm making these early followers of Jesus understood the symbolism of the

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Old Testament In a way that we often don't today as Christians Very much.

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So the symbolism was meaningful to them. They understood it. They saw it happening in the temple I think one of the tragedies of course of losing the temple though God intended it and it needed to go away is there was so much symbolism around The temple and its services and all of the amazing rituals that the

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Jews were connected to that Symbolism was constantly before them the law of God not only gave them ethical standards in terms of this but not that But the law of God also gave them ceremonial standards ways

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They were supposed to live how they were supposed to dress and be separate from the pagan nations

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Not to engage in syncretism not to adopt the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, but they had

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Ceremonial law they had law that actually kept them distinct They had actually incense going on in the temple that symbolized something prayers going up to God this

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Symbolism in the ritual they were connected to the symbolism and they were connected here It is finally to the story they were connected to the story of the

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Messiah So now put that together in terms of the early Jewish followers of Jesus were not only expecting

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Jesus to arrive at that time, but they were expecting to see certain things about this

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Messiah there were truths about the Messiah laid down in the Old Testament that they expected and this is really important because I want to say this really as an aside the modern

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Jewish Rejection of Jesus you have people like say Ben Shapiro popular guy

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We I've done a radio or TV show with Ben Shapiro talking about the issue of abortion. Love the man

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It's my goal to lead him to Jesus Pray about the possibility of him and I sit down together to discuss this issue

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But one of the issues in the rejection the Jewish rejection of Jesus today is they'll often say well

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The Jewish Messiah was supposed to come and bring a kingdom He was supposed to come and rule on David's throne because that is precisely

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What God promised in the Torah the Tanakh the Old Testament scriptures

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God did promise the Messiah was coming to bring salvation redemption forgiveness of sins

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But also a kingdom a rule in the world He would sit on David's throne and he would rule the most popular verse in the

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New Testament Quoted from the Old Testament is Psalm 110 one the early followers of Jesus Jews quoted from that the most in the

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New Testament and that text of course is The Lord said unto my

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Lord sit at my right hand until I make you are what? Enemies a footstool for your feet.

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Yes, it's true When Jews today talk to Christians who deny that Christ actually brought his kingdom in History that he's ruling and reigning today when

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Christians today say that Jesus is bringing that kingdom later they give

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Reasons to modern Jews to reject Jesus as the Messiah Because the Jews know the

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Old Testament says this Messiah must rule on David's throne He must rule over the world all the nations.

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He has to bring the nations to Yahweh. That was the promise of the Messiah So what

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I want to say is we need to pay attention to what the Old Testament said about Jesus as Messiah What was underneath these

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Jews as they're standing there with Jesus? we have the scene now where he comes into Jerusalem and then we have the cleansing of the temple and all this taking place and now they hear about a

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Fig tree being cursed because there's no fruit. They hear about a mountain going into the sea What else was underneath them and their understanding of the

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Old Testament? We need to talk about one. They understood the rule of the Messiah They understood that he was bringing salvation into the world forgiveness

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But they also understood and this is very very important. Then the Messiah was coming to bring judgment now this

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Listen closely here. This is very very important This is

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I think a very powerful way to point today to Orthodox Jews to show them that Jesus is in fact the promised

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Messiah and it is an often Neglected part of our witness to modern Jews who reject

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Jesus as Messiah Not just that the Messiah would come to rule not just that he would bring salvation, but that he was coming to bring judgment on The Covenant Breakers, I'm gonna point you to those texts so that you know them you can go to refer to them later

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We're in Matthew 21. Now just move back to the first the last book of the Old Testament. So don't go too far

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Just move back past that middle page there and move back to Malachi chapter 3

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Malachi chapter 3 I want to show you this text in terms of the promises of God Concerning the

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Messiah now in a timeline of history, please hear this what you're going to read from here in Malachi Was written long before Jesus came

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So in terms of history, this was written down before Jesus comes in his earthly ministry.

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This was Expectation they were waiting on Messiah and this was word from God about what to expect about the

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Messiah and his ministry Malachi Chapter 3. I'm not going to spend a lot of time today unpacking this passage

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I'm just gonna reference it so you can go and you can dig into it later Malachi 3 behold

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I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me and the Lord Listen closely to that and the

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Lord whom you seek Will suddenly come to his temple

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The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight behold

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He is coming says the Lord of hosts but who can endure the day of his coming and Who can stand when he appears

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For he is like a refiners fire and like fuller soap he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and Silver yes, and they'll bring offerings and righteousness to the

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Lord Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years

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Hey, that sounds wonderful, doesn't it? Isn't that awesome? It says in a timeline here first the messenger comes first And then after that messenger comes the

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Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his Temple.

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So what should you expect before Messiah's come a messenger first To represent the

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Messiah to herald the Messiah and then the Lord whom you seek will come to what?

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his Temple there's going to be a visitation from the Lord you seek to his temple and the glory of this moment is something we always talk about as Christians as followers of Jesus and The glory is

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Refining offerings and righteousness to God There's gonna be something in the Messiah's ministry where now the people of God come and they bring offerings and righteousness to Yahweh It's a new day.

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It's a beautiful thing Messiah's come and there's purification. That's salvation amen

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But there's more and I believe this is what we miss in our witness today to Jews who reject

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Jesus as Messiah We emphasize the salvation and the redemption but we do not often use the important text that show

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God kept his promise in terms of his judgment upon the covenant breakers next part of this text is verse 5 after salvation then

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I will draw near to you for judgment I'll be a swift witness against sorcerers against the sorcerers against the adulterers against those who

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Swear falsely against those who oppress the hired worker and his wages

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The widow and the fatherless against those who thrust aside the sojourner and do not fear me says the

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Lord of hosts So what do you see from this text in particular and believe me? There are more one the

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Messiah's coming brings salvation Next the Messiah's coming brings

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Judgment upon the covenant breakers same language used here

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I challenge you just to go read the first two chapters of Isaiah and you'll see God having the same

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Discussion with the people of God. He tells them learn to do good cease to do evil

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He says correct oppression and he tells them that they're being condemned by him

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Because they do not care for the plight of the widow and the fatherless same language

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God uses to his Covenant people and their covenant breaking. God says there is going to be salvation everyone say salvation and Judgment and judgment now move over a chapter now same book chapter 4 more context about Messiah the coming of Messiah Chapter 4 for behold the day is coming burning like an oven

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When all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble the day that is coming shall set them ablaze

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Says the Lord of hosts so they will leave them neither root nor branch But for you who fear my name the

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Son of Righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall and you shall tread down the wicked for they will be ashes under the soles

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Of your feet on the day when I act as the Lord of hosts Remember the law of my servant

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Moses the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel and here we go behold,

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I'll send you I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the great and awesome day of the

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Lord comes and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to Their fathers lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction

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So, what do we see in terms of the messianic ministry that's coming you were going to have salvation and judgment and the warning is one

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Elijah is going to come and he's going to turn people's hearts back to God. What was the ministry of John the

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Baptist a Call to what Repentance John the

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Baptist first words Matthew chapter 3 you can read it Matthew 3 the very first words recorded from John the

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Baptist in Matthew is repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand

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He was the forerunner Jesus tells us and if you'll receive it He was the

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Elijah who was to come the one who comes like Elijah the ministry of repentance He is the messenger before the

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Lord whom you seek Suddenly comes to his temple, but what do you see behind this?

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Salvation and what Judgment that is the foundation. That's what's underneath them.

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That's what they're expecting another text for you to read later Isaiah chapter 65 go read that there's a lot of beautiful imagery and symbolism there

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But what do you see in Isaiah 65 same message? Isaiah 65 same message

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God is going to judge the covenant breakers and he's going to give his people a new Name, they will go hungry

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His people will eat they will be thirsty his people will drink

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God promised that the mess Messiah's ministry would come with salvation for the people of God and judgment upon the covenant breakers that was the

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Expectation from the Old Testament also point you to Deuteronomy chapter 28

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It's good to understand that passage as you read the next few chapters in Matthew Deuteronomy chapter 28 is the well -known passage

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That talks about the blessings and the curses of the Old Covenant God promises people

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I will bless you if you obey I will bless you if you do this and I will curse you if you disobey as an aside

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Just for your own study later if you read Josephus and his works

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He was somebody that survived the Roman Jewish War and the destruction of Jerusalem when

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God Destroyed the temple and he sent his armies to destroy the city and the sanctuary in the temple

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Josephus was a general in the Jewish army. He was a Pharisee. He survived it He wrote the history of what happened and when you read

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Josephus some parts is like you're reading a commentary on Deuteronomy chapter 28 The curses of the

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Covenant a couple of things in terms of context very important go back to Matthew chapter 21 have a have a finger there a couple of things in terms of context surrounding as you've been going through Matthew the

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Gospel according to Matthew I've been pointing out the whole time as we unpack particular passages that we are moving to a climax

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Peak a pitch a fever pitch where Jesus does throughout the gospel of Matthew According to Matthew.

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He does actually have moments where he's warning about the judgment which is to come

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For example early on in Matthew. We talked about the fact that Jesus told his early disciples

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You will not finish going through the cities of Israel Before the

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Son of Man comes What's that mean comes in judgment? Those those messages are throughout you see those building up Jesus first words as he comes out of the wilderness after being

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Tested after the Holy Spirit drives him into the wilderness and he defeats Satan. He does what

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Adam didn't do He does what Israel didn't do he obeys the father in the wilderness and as he comes out of the wilderness his first words are

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Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and note also in Matthew 4. Jesus is talking about the gospel of the kingdom.

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Oh I wish the Jews today would know that I Wish that Orthodox Jews today would know that when they talk about the

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Messiah He must come and bring a kingdom and rule on David's throne and shepherd God's people and draw the nations to God I want to say to them.

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Don't you see what he's doing. Don't you see that? He's on his throne now Look at this room today

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Filled with different colors and peoples and smells like it's interesting, right? It's all kinds of this is the

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Messiah ruling in the world today Our most of us our ancestors were pagans, right? and if you could hear the message of the

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Messiah the true Messiah the expected Messiah this Messiah is doing what was foretold preaching the good news of the

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Kingdom the kingdom of God But note as you're moving through Matthew getting to this section about a mountain being cast

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Into the sea about a fig tree with no leaves on it being cursed There's more context to this moment.

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For example in Matthew chapter 27 Verse 25

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I'll read it to you. You have the reference, you know this reference by the way when Jesus is now being brought

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To this awful and unjust trial as people are lying about Jesus and they can't get their stories together and as pilot in history as a matter of historic record washes his hands of the death of Jesus as a matter of record saying

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I find no fault in Him that's the judgment in history from a pagan ruler at the trial of Jesus Washes his hands and says on historic record.

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He's not guilty What does he say? he says well then it's on you and They say listen closely to the people of Jesus day his blood be upon us and our

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Children they asked for the judgment of God They asked for the curse of God.

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They asked God Judge us for this wickedness his blood be upon us and our children on the way to the cross

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Luke 20 Luke 23 I want you to go there to see this because this is going to come up later We are going to be opening the book of Revelation today.

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I Will not I'm sorry to disappoint we will not be unpacking the book of Revelation today

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But you will notice some common themes and some I believe fulfillment in Luke 23 verse 28

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Luke 23 verse 28, you know the scene Jesus is doing the death march

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He is now making his way to his death for you and for me for the people of God He's gonna receive in his own body the penalty due to us

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He is on the way to the cross to pour out his life for the people of God and he can't make it

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He's been beaten. He's been bruised He's been crushed crown of thorns into his head his face smashed his beard pulled from his face

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He can't make it. And so of course, we know the story they give the cross to Simon of Cyrene He's carrying the cross now and then there's this moment listen closely to it and remember these words

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But turning to them verse 28 Jesus said daughters of Jerusalem Do not weep for me but weep for yourselves and for your children for behold the days are coming when they will say blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed and Then they will begin to say to the mountains

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Fall on us and to the hills cover us for if they do these things when the wood is green

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What will happen when it is dry and you're seeing a theme here Surrounding the people of Jesus day these covenant breakers those who were turned away from Jesus and persecuting him his blood be upon us

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And our children and I find this moment Fascinating I gotta tell you I always have

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I find this so fascinating Jesus says very few things actually in his trial on the way to the cross on the cross

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There's limited things that our Savior says as he's going to do this for us But this is actually a significant section where Jesus as he's going to be killed for his people

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He stops to talk to the people of Jerusalem and he says this as he's going to die.

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It's powerful Don't weep for me Weep for you and for your children

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You wanted it his blood be upon us and our children weep for you and your children

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Jesus says more context in Luke 21 22

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I know I'm going back and forth but you can record these and go and look at context details later in Luke 21 22

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Jesus says these are the days of Vengeance in order that all that has been written be fulfilled

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These are the days of vengeance Jesus referred to the days He was living in as the days of vengeance.

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They said his blood be upon us and our children Jesus warns the daughters of Jerusalem weep for yourselves and for your children now

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Quick notes. That's the life of Jesus That's his ministry more can be said but do we find that theme in the

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New Testament the Expectation of judgment upon them and their generation.

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Do we find that theme and just quick example? Yes, Hebrews chapter 12 verse 28 so you can see that this is actually being discussed before the destruction of the temple go to Hebrews 12 and verse 28

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This was written before the destruction of Jerusalem The early

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Christians were expecting the temple to fall and to be taken apart one stone not left on another full

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Destruction now if you know the context of the book of Hebrews, it is about how Christ is a better prophet priest king

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He is a mediator. He has a once -for -all sacrifice that priest doing that. He's got to go in every year and do that Jesus sat down After he after he offered himself don't go back to temple.

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Don't go back to that priesthood. Don't go back to those sacrifices Don't go back. Don't go back and the warning in the book of Hebrews is specifically towards Jewish Christians don't go back to that system.

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Why because it's been fulfilled in Jesus It's over. You've got a high priest forever that lives to make intercession for you

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You have a once -for -all sacrifice. This is over and done with and then the warning

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This warning was given to early Christians Hebrews chapter 12 verse 20

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Let's start in verse 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised yet once more

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I will shake not only the earth But also the heavens listen to the explanation from the inspired

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Word of God this phrase yet once more Indicates the removal of things that are shaken that is things that have been made in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain

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Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken and thus let us offer to God Acceptable worship with reverence and all for our

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God is a consuming fire. Here's a warning to the early church

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Don't go back Don't go back to that priesthood. Don't go back to that temple system.

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Don't go back to what now God has made defunct Don't go back. Don't go back God is saying here he is going to shake the heavens and the earth

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The kind of language that God uses often in the Bible to describe Judgment he uses cosmic deconstruction language often in the

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Old Testament to describe his Judgment and here we have a warning.

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God is about to destroy and shake the things that can be removed Since we're receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaking.

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Let's worship God and serve him This stuff's about to be wiped away guys. Don't go back to it.

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It is now defunct It is over. Another example is in Acts chapter 2 go there quickly

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This would be our last point here Acts chapter 2 in terms of the context of the early church

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Not just the gospel according to Matthew, but the context of the early church. You're familiar with this, right?

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What is Acts chapter 2 a record of? Pentecost this is the outpouring of the

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Spirit of God and now they come out rushing wind filled the entire house

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Divided tongues as a fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began

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To speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, by the way, if you read the text here, it's clear

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The tongues they are speaking in the language is in the other languages They came into this amazing moment in Jerusalem It just happens in the province of God that as this

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Moment has happened the people come into Jerusalem from all over the world And now the Holy Spirit is poured out the gospel goes out and they are able to speak in the other languages from around the

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Empire So that day when all these people were saved in Jesus in that moment

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Spirit of God poured out guess what happened? they turned around and they went home and spread the gospel the gospel

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Exploded on this day around the Empire. How you like them apples, right?

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That's some amazing Providence This is what I want you to see in this moment

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Where they're saying what's happening here? What's going on? Peter speaks and this is what he says in verse 14

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But Peter standing with the eleven lifted up his voice and addressed them He says men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem Let this be known to you and give ear to my words for these people are not drunk as you suppose

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Since it's only the third hour of the day, but this is what was uttered through the Prophet Joel close

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Attention to those words from the inspired Apostle He says about Joel's prophecy come with me if you if you're losing it here if you get tired come back

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Okay, because this is big how All of these words of God matter

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He's speaking to people in his day about what they're seeing and as he quotes this prophecy from Joel.

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He says this is What was uttered through the Prophet of Joel what you are seeing right now is what

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Joel told us about and Here's what he says in the last days

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Shall be God declares a poor man spirit and all flesh your sons and your daughters shall prophesy your young men shall see visions

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And your old men shall dream dreams even on my male servants and female servants in those days

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I'll pour out my spirit and they shall prophesy and I will show Wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below.

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Here's that language. I told you about Blood and fire and vapor of smoke the

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Sun shall be turned to darkness the moon to blood before the day of the Lord comes the great and Magnificent day and it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the

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Lord shall be saved Do you notice that language? What are they expecting? Messiah's coming the new covenant is coming.

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God's gonna do something new Salvation and judgments and then Joel says this last days.

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Here's what you're gonna see You're gonna see all these amazing things sons and daughters prophesying male servants female servants pouring on my spirit and they

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Shall prophesy and wonders in the heavens above and then you have the judgment language that cosmic

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Deconstruction language that is so familiar to the Old Testament Judgment language so here they're supposed to know wait a second if God's poured out a spirit upon his people if this is what

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Joel was talking about Then what's at the end of Joel? What's at the end of this passage?

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judgment Judgment is coming. That's the expectation now that's laid down.

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Let's move back to Matthew 21 Context what was happening in Jesus ministry?

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What did they understand before the message of the Messiah the work of the Messiah the ministry of the Messiah? Salvation judgment.

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How did the early Christians after Jesus died and rose again and ascended and was seated? How did they?

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Look towards the future. They thought this is all gonna fall. This is all gonna be destroyed judgment is coming

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But here's what's important to lay down as we move into the fig tree Symbol and the mountain symbol the

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Bible uses a lot of imagery symbolism Metaphor story now, here's watch.

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This is really important. This is so critical for us to get this to do it, right? oftentimes

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Christians are afraid of imagery and symbolism because we have seen

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People distort the Word of God through the imagery and symbolism by making it infinitely malleable

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Right twisting symbol twisting imagery We've seen people abuse the symbolism and imagery in the

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Word of God And so we're fearful of symbolism and imagery Oftentimes what

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I want to say is God uses symbolism and imagery all throughout the Bible It's not something to be feared but it is something to be listen closely respected

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What I mean by that is we don't get We don't have the right as Christians to see a symbol in Scripture and begin inventing things.

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For example Wow locusts Hmm Apache helicopters right

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Things like that. We don't have the right to do that as Christians What I want to say is this if we want to be faithful and safe We need to let

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God's Word do the interpreting for us of the symbolism and imagery

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Amen, and just to show you in terms of all of us understand the symbolism in Scripture. I'll give you this one

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I'll give you a symbol ready lamb What's it mean Lamb of God Okay, there you go good eating

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I guess right but lamb in Scripture, what's the symbolism of lamb? I want you to take this symbol.

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Let it let it set in your mind right now when I say lamb from Scripture What do you get?

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Sacrifice there you go sacrifice Substitutes Jesus, how about another one ready blood washing?

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Atonement what does blood mean? In the Bible life It's the life being poured out

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What's another one? Rainbow. Oh Do you see what happens to you now you got it now you got it

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I say rainbow and if we're standing in the Word of God letting God do the interpreting let

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God do the dictating the Telling of the story when I say rainbow that is a glorious beautiful amazing powerful thing

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Just ask the double rainbow guy. He knows Right, it's awesome, right but the truth is that symbol was made from God.

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He put the rainbow in the sky It's his it's his symbol and he told us what he meant by it

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So as Christians when we see the rainbow we talk about the symbol of the rainbow I don't care what somebody anybody did to distort it and to lie about it

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The truth is is God's the one that gave us a symbol. He tells us that story So when he gave us the rainbow, what did he mean by it?

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It's a promise of what Never to flood the entire world again. It's God's symbol of love.

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Yeah love wins his love His love now that symbol was put there by God and he says this is the story behind this symbol when you see that In the sky, this is me telling you about me

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About my promises and that symbol means something but God tells us what it means

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It means his covenant. How about this one ready another one dry bones? dry bones get resurrected but dry bones symbolize

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Spiritual death. How about this one harlot? Israel Israel was called

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God's unfaithful wife. He actually says to Israel. He says you're different than other harlots

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You're different and here's how you're different. He said I did all these things. I found you where you were. I beautified you

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I made you amazing and then you turn and you played the harlot with all the other nations and he says to them he says

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You're different than other harlots in that they get paid for what they do He says but you lie by the side of the road and you get paid nothing and you invite everybody

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Harlots that was the symbol that's what it meant to them because God used it and he described it another symbol

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Help me with this one ready. You hear it. You see it. What do you get from it sackcloth and ashes? Mourning repentance over sin ready cornerstone

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Jesus right now. Here's the point ready. We do not Determine the meaning of the symbol

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God determines the meaning of the symbol Now here's the danger of symbols when somebody begins to pour their own

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Meaning into the symbol and you know, we already sort of touched on it the rainbow today

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People try to take over the rainbow. They'll say this is the meaning of the rainbow How do you know that because we made it because we decided this is what we'll say this means

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But in Scripture as we look at symbolism in the Bible, we need to say how did God use this symbol?

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What was he trying to tell us? How does he describe it for us and what is he actually intend to communicate by using this symbol here in this text?

51:58

so again the principle of sola scriptura and Tota scriptura, okay back to Matthew 21 and here we go

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Now we vote now where you can start the message Now here we go

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Matthew 21 18 through 22 in the morning.

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He was returning to the city. He became hungry and seeing a fig tree by the wayside He went to it and found nothing on it

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But only leaves and he said to it may no fruit ever come from you again And the fig tree withered at once when the disciples saw they marveled saying how did the fig tree wither at once and Jesus answered them?

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Truly I say to you if you have faith and do not doubt you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree

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But even if you say to this mountain be taken up and thrown into the sea It will happen and whatever you ask in prayer you will receive if you have faith

52:59

Context Jesus is coming now in his ministry capture this in the timeline

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He has his earthly ministry according to Matthew. We know all of what he did because we've been doing this series for 20 years and Now we come

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Matthew 20 17 and as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. He took the 12 disciples aside and on the way

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He said to them see we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the

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Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and Crucified and he'll be raised in the third day first notes is how awesome is

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Jesus? We get jaded to this stuff. We're just indifferent to it Like here's a glorious prophecy about everything that's gonna happen to Jesus and he's doing it out of his pure love for us

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He knows how painful how awful how terrible and he tells his people he says we're going to Jerusalem now

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And this was gonna happen to me. So Jesus has set his face towards Jerusalem. Listen closely and now he's coming to Jerusalem That's the background that's the context

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Remember as Jesus comes to Jerusalem the Old Testament expectation of salvation and what?

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Judgment because you're going to see that unfolding in the next few chapters now Jesus is coming into Jerusalem as priest and Judge Here's the notes.

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Some of you guys were in the last message I delivered on Matthew 21 I want to just give you the quick note to make sure that you have down in your hearts and minds as priest

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Jesus comes looking for corruption and Disease now if you miss the first message, this is a really important thing to note people have oftentimes tried to say the

54:47

Bible contradicts itself and they'll say that stories are mixed up not connected and They'll say that things are out of order

54:55

John has a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus ministry and Only John mentions it.

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That's not the Gospels Matthew Mark and Luke They don't mention that at the beginning of Jesus ministry John does maybe they're just out of order

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There's confusion there of the timeline did Jesus really cleanse the temple at the beginning of the ministry? Or did you do it on the way to Jerusalem when he came to Jerusalem?

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Maybe the Bible contradicts itself Well, you would think that if you didn't understand the

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Old Testament Because in the law of God in Leviticus 14 43 the law of God had a certain ceremony

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For the priest in terms of coming to a house listen to look for corruption and disease

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First he would come the first time then he returns to that house a second time and if he comes to that house a second time

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Leviticus 14 43 says if he comes back to the house a second time and he finds disease

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Here's what's supposed to happen. I'll read it to you You can just write it down and check it out later if the disease breaks out again in the house

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After he has taken out the stones and scraped the house and plastered it Then the priest shall go and look and if the disease has spread in the house

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It is a persistent leprous disease in the house. It is Unclean and he shall break down the house its stones and Timber and all the plaster of the house and he shall carry them out of the city to an unclean place

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So here in the law of God was a ceremony and this is you know, I love I here's an aside

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I love that. God didn't explain to them like here was here's what's gonna happen

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It's gonna be so awesome. Like he never explained. He says do it Like for example, you know this one familiar one.

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Here's a familiar one Exodus Egypt right last plague coming

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Firstborn child right all that and God says here's what you do. Take a lamb

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No spot No blemish and hate don't break its legs and they're like Okay He says and you take the blood of the lamb with no spot.

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No blemish. Don't break its legs. Don't break its bones Don't break its bones and you put the blood over your doorposts.

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Yeah, like, you know put it over and when my wrath comes my judgment comes I will pass over that house on account of the blood of the lamb and Then you'll be freed from your bondage and your slavery to Egypt and you will cross over that Red Sea and you'll go into The promised land of relationship with God that they're just like, okay.

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Yeah, I got it Like there's a story right lamb of God. No spot. No blemish Don't break his bones and passing over judgment and released from my slavery my bondage and then into the land with God Interesting because the whole time they didn't even know

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Jesus the lamb of God no spot. No blemish. No sin and Interestingly on the cross they break the bones of the criminals, but they don't break

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Jesus bones. Oh and Pat. Oh, it was Passover Oh, it happened to be on Passover Interesting and yeah the wrath of God passes over me on account of the blood of the lamb and I am released from my bondage of my

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Slavery to sin to enter into relationship with God Like God doesn't explain he says here's a symbol do it

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Okay Right and then here in the Old Testament is another ceremony Priests go in check the house disease plaster come back a second time if you find disease

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Then you got to take the whole house apart. It is unclean now

58:51

Jesus comes into Jerusalem as priest and he comes for a second cleansing of The temple

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Jesus, you know comes in cleanses the temple We've done that message already

59:05

But this is his second cleansing John has one in John chapter 2 verses 13 through 22

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Matthew has one in 20 in 21 Luke 19 mark 11

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One note in Matthew 23 38 just write that down What Jesus condemns the

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Pharisees and the religious leaders of his day, you know what he says to them After he confronts them and he says woe to you and he comes to condemn them

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For their swearing falsely and all their sins and crimes against God He says behold your house is left to you

59:48

Desolate and that's the moment also where Jesus then departs to the

59:53

Mount of Olives The Mount of Olives and then he says to them there's not gonna be left one stone upon another all these things will fall upon this generation

01:00:05

Okay. Now it is almost six o 'clock Which means that we're actually doing two messages

01:00:12

There's gonna be a part two. However, I Wanted to show you this piece to get you ready for next week as we walk

01:00:19

Through the text some more and explain the burning mountain explain all of this and this is so much fun

01:00:27

Are you ready? So come back Give me a few more minutes go to Matthew chapter 21

01:00:37

Jesus is not merely coming into Jerusalem as priest to look for sickness corruption and disease

01:00:45

Second cleansing of the temple as the priest is supposed to do but Jesus is also coming in as a judge looking for Fruit, he's looking for fruit and this

01:00:58

I think is so glorious start now at the beginning of 21 21 verse 1 and move through this text with me and This is really

01:01:08

I think a powerful thing that Matthew does here now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage which means house of figs

01:01:21

Then Jesus sent two disciples. I'm sorry Bethphage to the

01:01:26

Mount of Olives So what do we have here so far we have? figs and what

01:01:33

Olives then Jesus sent two disciples. He tells him about the cult. He says donkey You know the story the quotation daughter of Zion your king is coming riding lowly mounting humbled on a donkey

01:01:44

Then it says the disciples did what Jesus told him and then it says the crowd as Jesus comes into Jerusalem now

01:01:51

He's coming to die. They're gonna kill Jesus he comes into Jerusalem after leaving the house of figs after the

01:01:58

Mount of Olives and He comes in and they cut branches and they put branches before Jesus.

01:02:05

So what do we have so far? We have figs olives and Branches right and what are they saying is their

01:02:12

King comes into Jerusalem to die for the sins of his people as he comes in They start shouting

01:02:18

Hosanna To the Son of David blessed as he who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest

01:02:25

They are now quoting the Old Testament. They're quoting now from Psalm 116

01:02:33

Hosanna to the Son of David blessed as he who comes into the Lord Hosanna in the highest and then they say who's this and the crowd say this is the prophet

01:02:41

Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee Nazareth means branch

01:02:47

So what do we have? We've got a house of figs. We've got olives. We've got what we've got branch.

01:02:55

We've got trees and leaves being spread out Interesting and then it says in verse 17 and leaving them he went out of the city to Bethany which means house of dates

01:03:11

So what do you have in this one chapter Matthew now's Jesus over here at the figs.

01:03:17

We got figs. We've got olives We've got branches leaves going out and we have dates

01:03:23

It's getting late It's dinnertime Is anybody getting hungry

01:03:30

Yes Well, that's good because so is Jesus in verse 18 in the morning as he was returning to the city

01:03:41

He became hungry figs olives branches leaves dates and Jesus now he's hungry and Then as he comes hungry

01:03:56

He goes to a fig tree by the wayside he went to it and he found Nothing only leaves and He said to it may no fruit ever come from you again and the fig tree withered at once This is clearly a symbol here.

01:04:15

Now is the Lord coming to his temple And what's he see disease?

01:04:23

Corruption a profession of religion they're laying down the branches and they're laying down all these leaves

01:04:30

But what's he coming to find? fruit Where's your fruit?

01:04:36

He finds disease and corruption and what's he fine when he comes to Jerusalem and his people he finds no

01:04:43

Fruit, there's no fruit He's coming as the priest and as a judge

01:04:50

It's an amazing thing, isn't it and Jesus now in a very symbolic and powerful action

01:04:55

He says to the fig tree no fruit from you ever again And it withers up there on the spot

01:05:00

One of those other moments where we just get sort of like indifferent like he withered a tree Because he spoke to it

01:05:07

Or where his disciples tripping out where they used to this by now, right? There's another amazing thing

01:05:13

Jesus did like Right see him raising people from the dead and doing amazing things and knowing what people are thinking and all these things and now he's

01:05:22

Controlling. Oh his own creation He made that tree and he cursed it.

01:05:27

He said no more fruit from you So this is the whole context the climax of the story

01:05:34

Jesus comes as the priest as the judge the messenger came first John the Baptist and then the

01:05:39

Lord whom you seek comes to his Temple salvation and judgment he comes and he finds disease in the temple.

01:05:45

He cleanses that temple He's looking for fruit. He finds a profession of faith

01:05:50

Hosanna Hosanna But what do we have branches and leaves and no fruit and he says no more fruits coming from you again

01:05:59

And it's in that context Jesus answered them truly

01:06:05

I say to you Sorry 20 when the disciples saw it they marveled saying how did the fig tree wither at once and Jesus answered them truly

01:06:13

I say to you if you have faith and do not doubt you will not only do what has been done to this fig tree

01:06:18

But even if you say to this Mountain be taken up and thrown into the sea

01:06:26

It will happen whatever you ask in prayer you'll receive quick question audience

01:06:33

Context last point here audience Context Jesus coming to Jerusalem cleansing

01:06:40

Judging looking for fruit warning the people of that day throughout these chapters

01:06:46

These are the days of vengeance don't weep for me weep for yourselves weep for your children.

01:06:51

Where is Jesus now? He's at Jerusalem When he says here it is, this is it when he says you'll say to this

01:07:00

Mountain which mountain is he referring to? Mount Zion where the temple is sitting so Jesus Actually is telling his people as all this judgment is falling as he's coming in to find fruit

01:07:17

And he finds disease and he's cleansing He says no more fruit from you and he says and if you have faith

01:07:23

Believers here who are following the true Messiah if you have faith people of God who have turned to me

01:07:29

He says if you have faith you can say to this mountain be taken up and cast into the sea.

01:07:34

It'll be done What is that? That's not Jesus telling 21st century evangelical

01:07:39

Christians to speak to their financial mountains That's not

01:07:45

Jesus telling 21st century Christians to speak to their relationship mountains and all that That is actually

01:07:52

Jesus telling the early followers of Jesus That God will hear their in precatory prayers

01:07:59

Their prayers to take this mountain up and to remove it to get it out of the way and cast it into the sea

01:08:09

That's what this text means in its context And so what can we learn from this?

01:08:18

Well next week I'm gonna unpack this a little bit more to show you that God had used this language in the

01:08:24

Old Testament to refer to Babylon Same language

01:08:30

To Babylon a pagan nation and it's the same language you're gonna find in the book of Revelation With the early followers of Jesus being persecuted and martyred.

01:08:38

It's the same language you see as a judgment upon the covenant breakers But in terms of the so what so what?

01:08:48

So what? This is I think a powerful thing for us because it's terrifying when

01:08:54

I was thinking of what to say is the so what I meant To say this to us To me and I was saying this to my wife this week.

01:09:02

This is terrifying It ought to strike godly fear and awe into us as the people of God We serve a

01:09:12

God We serve a God who controls all of history to the degree that he's told us all about what he's gonna do before he's even done it and This providence and power and prophecy all of this taking place and it's right here in our laps

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You see the glory of this Messiah It ought to strike godly fear into all of us to fall down and to worship and serve

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Jesus Because God is showing us his control of history But there's more in terms of what

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God is saying here. God hears the prayers of his people He hears the prayers of his people and here's what's interesting to listen closely

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God is sovereign. Amen He declares the end from the beginning, but we are part of that story

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He uses his people and their prayers and their labors as the means

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To direct the course of history. He has decreed it But we are in that story and he uses the prayers of his people

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Along the way as he brings glory to the Messiah in history our prayers our conversation with God Matters to God he hears us.

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He listens to us We're part of this glorious story that brings glory to Jesus That's a powerful thing.

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It's a glorious thing. And so I wanted to say That as the people of God we should have a godly fear that we serve a king who has given us a new covenants

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Where now is God's law? Is it on stone tablets outside the people of God exerting pressure?

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Where did God now put his law in? Our hearts within us the glory of the new covenant is equal 36.

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God says to the people of God He says I'll sprinkle clean water on you. You'll be clean. I'll cleanse you from all your idols

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He's they'll put my spirit within you and he says and I will cause you to observe my statutes

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He goes to the old covenant people and he finds disease and he finds no fruit and the glory of the new

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Covenant is we have a once -for -all sacrifice that temple is gone Now we have a king who is seated on his throne

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His work is finished and we are indwelt by his spirit empowered by his spirit and we have his law

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Written within us so that now as we live lives as the people of God as saved justified

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Reconcile people through faith through God's work. We live lives in Christ Empowered by God's spirit.

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So we bear fruit now because we've been made alive We bear fruit now because we have a heart of stone removed from us and a heart of flesh put into us

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That's the glory of the new covenants no more old covenant stuff no more of those

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Basic elemental things all that gone now and the glory of a Messiah with a finished sacrifice and work of redemption

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Seated on his throne empowering his people to live for his glory, but here's the one final word the lies

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That we tell as evangelicals the lies that we tell that we have a

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Savior Jesus who's just meek and mild And he just he loves no matter. He just loves do whatever any any and everything and sins really not a problem for him

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Hey, did you pray that prayer when you were a baby? Did you repeat those words after your grandfather on his knee?

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Well, that's fine I mean if as long as you prayed that prayer, you know, you're saved. God is not looking for fruit He's not looking for fruit

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He's not concerned with sin and corruption and disease and then you look at the life and ministry of Jesus Who comes into Jerusalem as a priest and he finds sickness and corruption and he listen annihilates them

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And he comes in looking for fruit and they don't have any and he becomes their judge

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And he kept his promise About the blessings and curses of the covenant and he gave them what they asked for His blood be upon us and our children and within that generation before they all died

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Blood was flowing through the streets of Jerusalem It was set fire and they took that temple apart and there wasn't left one stone upon another it was left to them desolate

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We serve a God who is worthy of our love our obedience and our godly fear

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Let's give him fruit as he comes to look for it Let's pray father.

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Please bless the words that went out today. I Pray you use this message for your glory and I do ask

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God That you'd allow people to forget me Remember your words and what you said today through your word bless us in Jesus name.