The Attributes Of God 'D' for Decree

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Well tonight before I preach full message We have Chris Jensen's gonna come to give us a quick update on the
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Shepherds conference Usually when people come to the Shepherds conference, we like to have them come up give a quick update Dave's was a longer -than -quick update last week.
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Mine was a longer -than -quick update Chris has about 10 minutes to share from the scripture or what happened there and then
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I'll preach a full sermon on D the decree of God so Chris come on up and then
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We will continue Apparently, I don't get the funky mic, huh?
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Okay, I Mean what a mountaintop experience last week was or two weeks ago was at the
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Shepherds conference Being under the preaching of God's Word the encouragement the great role models
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I mean the singing I mean the conversations and just the fellowship with brothers in Christ It was truly magnificent, but I'd really like to thank pastor
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Mike pastor Steve and pastor Dave These are three great men and oh how
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God has just been working in their lives I I like to thank them for their counsel their kindness and their compassion for me
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So we had great talks and great laughs and I heard their stories. They heard mine.
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So thank you three pastors Okay, before I start I have a brief disclaimer.
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I don't believe the pastor should Just copy the sermons of others and call them their own
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And that's why I'm not a pastor I'm not being serious up.
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I'm not pretending to be a mass philic spouse right here Like Rick Holland who led this seminar of which I'm going to speak to you about instead
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I'm I'm not here to call Rick Holland's sermon my own but today I'm just acting as a human tape recorder
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Regurgitating the great truths. I heard two weeks ago if you turn with me to Leviticus chapter 10
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Our passages Leviticus chapter 10 verses 1 to 3 Now Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron took their respective firepans and After putting fire in them placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the
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Lord which he had not commanded them and fire came out from the presence of the
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Lord and consumed them and They died before the Lord Then Moses said to Aaron It is what the
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Lord spoke saying by those who come near me. I Will be treated as holy and before all the people
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I will be honored. So Aaron therefore kept silent Let's pray for a while Heavenly fathers we approach you we remember our lowliness and how high you are
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Father we realize that these your word is only understood through the illumination of the
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Holy Spirit Father we approach you and we tremble at your holiness And God, I pray that you illuminate our hearts by the
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Holy Spirit and God by your Holy Spirit, please Transform us by your word.
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Amen The conference was from a
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Wednesday to Friday. So Saturday morning. I Really had to ask myself
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Did I wake up differently today because of yesterday's preaching? Did I actively seek?
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to change my life based on what I read in God's Word during the week, or did I just listen and Read to accumulate head knowledge
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There's this danger of complacency. I Have to ask myself. Have I become stagnant in my spiritual growth and hit a plateau in my sanctification?
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There's this danger Being around the things of God for a long period of time
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Saturated in truth. It can lead to a familiarity that can be very unhealthy It can lay a trap for us by making us lazy and complacent to the truth
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It is very dangerous to be casually familiar with the things of God for pastors They're surrounded by Christian co -workers.
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They live in a Christian environment. They live in Christian homes They have Christian friends and they have a
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Christian study So amidst all these contacts with the things of God in our lives We are in danger of allowing the trauma of God of being close to God to wear off Rick Holland summed it up by saying going in and out of the throne room of God without ever straightening our collar or fixing our tie
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So so familiar that we become dangerously close to God without realizing the one whom we are reckoning
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In Leviticus 10 1 to 3 we see the presumptuous sin of Nadab and Abihu Who approached
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God with such a lack of reverence? we see the terrible wrath of God poured out on Nadab and Abihu and We see
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Moses's reminder that we must treat God as holy and we see Aaron submitting to the judgment of God and his holiness
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Nadab and Abihu were The two oldest sons of Aaron they were priests
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They assisted Aaron in the offerings of Leviticus 9 and they were recently consecrated to ministry in Leviticus 8
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You don't have to turn there, but I'll read quickly Exodus 24 verses 1 to 3
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God speaking to Moses then he said to Moses Come up to the Lord you
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Aaron Nadab and Abihu and 70 of the elders of Israel and you shall worship at a distance
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Moses alone, however shall come near to the Lord, but they shall not come near nor shall the people come up with him then
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Moses came and recounted to the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances and all the people answered with one voice and said all
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The words which the Lord has spoken we will do God gives Moses three names
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Aaron Nadab and Abihu Nadab and Abihu were singled out by God and in verse 3
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Nadab and Abihu had been given the clear instruction from the Lord about their priestly duties
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They knew what they were to do and how to do it. God left no room for ambiguity God was clear and he meant one thing
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Not like the world which is becoming so relativistic where all things are open to your own interpretation and everything can have an infinite amount of meanings during the shepherds conference we had lunch with dr.
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Thomas a brilliant Bible scholar and a professor at Master's Seminary and Dr. Thomas stated that so many churches had departed from the belief and practice of the principle of single meaning
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That's the principle of single meaning Thank God that he created the worlds with clarity and with certainty and that he gives commands and instruction with unquestionable clarity and certainty
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God is completely clear and coherent in his commands and instruction He tells men like Nadab and Abihu Exactly what to do and exactly how to do it
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In Exodus 28 verse 1. I'll read it to you quickly God says then bring near to yourself
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Aaron your brother and his sons with him From among the sons of Israel to minister as priests to me
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Aaron Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar Aaron's sons
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Nadab and Abihu were personally chosen by God to be priests. They've been honored by God chosen by God into priestly service
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But as we investigate Leviticus 10 1 to 3 we must wonder the difference between those
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Instructions and and what happens here? We must understand that Nadab and Abihu were chosen to be priests and they were told exactly how to do it
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They were educated about their priestly duties So, how did they end up sinning in the manner that they did in Leviticus 10 if I read to you verse 1
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This is now Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron Took their respective firepans and after putting fire in them
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Placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them
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God's Word doesn't explicitly explain the characteristics of the strange fire
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But we are told why it was such an unspeakably heinous sin That God was prompted to consume
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Nadab and Abihu with fire of his own It says They offered strange fire before the
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Lord which he had not commanded them We don't need to know what the strange fire was, but we need to know that it was not commanded them
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They had added and redefined what God requires they had operated outside of biblical instruction
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So what happened between the instruction in Exodus 24 and the reckless presumptuous and disrespectful sin?
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the fire that Nadab and Abihu offered before the Lord in Leviticus 10 a main reason would be that Nadab and Abihu had become complacent and Fallen prey to an attitude of careless familiarity with God There are three dangers of careless familiarity with God for those who are taking notes three dangers of careless familiarity with God number one redefining what
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God requires How do you think Nadab and Abihu were legitimizing and justifying
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The like what they were doing there were probably two words that were flooding their minds number one but number two and I Know God said that but but you don't understand the culture.
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I'm living in you don't understand The people I'm dealing with you don't understand my upbringing. You don't understand my schedule but is the ultimate qualifier and and rationalizers worship the word but And is very simple.
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God says this and we're gonna add to the Word of God So qualifying or adding to the Word of God is not tolerated
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God is not tolerant when he gives us instruction on how to do ministry and then we do it by our own methodology
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They were obviously and blatantly adding to the Word of God Offering strange fire which had not been commanded them
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Don't change or add to what God requires The best way to do this is to know what God requires so we should not operate by our own intuition or by our own
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Ingenuity, but we should study God and know God So What happened to them?
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in verse 2 we see What happens to them and we see the second? Danger of Carol's familiarity with God that's underestimating what
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God can do God said and the word says and fire came out from the presence of the
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Lord and consumed them and they died before the Lord Contrast God's fire in Leviticus 9 24 and 10 to 9 24 reads then fire came out from before the
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Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar and When all the people saw they shouted and fell on their faces one fire showed
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God's acceptance the other one God's rejection made up and of I who were
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Incinerated before they even realized how great a sin they had committed John Calvin said if we reflect how holy a thing
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God's worship is the enormity of this punishment Will by no means offend us Besides it was necessary that their religion should be sanctified at this very commencement
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For if God had permitted the sons of Aaron to transgress with impunity they would have afterwards carelessly neglected
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Neglected the whole law this therefore was the reason for such a great severity that the priests should anxiously watch all profanation
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God's wrath is terrifying may have been ignorant, but they had no excuse
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Just because God isn't a danger to us in hell anymore doesn't mean that God isn't dangerous
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Rick Holland summed up the gospel message he said this is the whole message of the gospel man is a sinner and God is wrathful and God is very very dangerous, and he was most dangerous to his son on the cross the third danger of careless familiarity with God number one was
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Redefining what God requires number two Underestimating what God can do? The third one is ignoring what
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God deserves in verse 3 It reads then Moses said to Aaron it is what the
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Lord spoke saying by those who come near me I will be treated as holy and before all the people
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I will be honored so Aaron therefore kept silent I Mean how do you counsel and love
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Aaron in this time? I mean his boys had just been incinerated at one point Aaron is so proud of his kids because they had become priests
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But the very next moment dead So Moses says this is what the
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Lord spoke. This is what the Lord spoke. Is this what you expect I mean?
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Moses said this is right. This is exactly what should have happened Moses has a greater devotion and a greater loyalty to the honor of God than he does to his relationship to Aaron Is he being cold and inconsiderate?
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No He's being the most loving by those who come near me
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I will be treated as holy and before all the people I will be honored What does
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Aaron say Aaron kept silent because he agreed with Moses's assessment
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Those who come near to God must treat him as holy if God's holiness is neglected or ignored
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And God will display his holiness through his judgment of sin the souls reflects their presence
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Being in the presence of God so one of the most important things in our walk with God is to study the holiness of God and in Isaiah 6
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The angels sing, holy, holy, holy And God's holiness only seems to capture our attention for a few seconds
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But the angels they can't stop praising God for his holiness AW tozer said this
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We cannot grasp the true meaning of divine holiness By thinking about something or someone very pure and then raising the concept to the highest level we're capable of God's holiness is not simply the best.
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We know infinitely better. We know nothing like divine holiness It stands apart unique unapproachable incomprehensible unattainable
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The natural man is blind to it. He may fear God's power and admire his wisdom, but his holiness he cannot imagine
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Jonathan Edwards Said a true love for God must begin with a delight in God's holiness and not with a delight in any other attribute for no
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Attribute is truly loving without God's holiness AW Pink an
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Unspeakably holy God who has the utmost abhorrence of all sin. This God was never invented by any of Adam's fallen descendants
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It's not just that he's holy. It's how holy he is Those of us who draw near to him must be affected by his holiness
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So, how do we know if we are affected by his holiness? It's simple be holy
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For the Lord is holy to see God's holiness is to become holy Nate I'm gonna buy who were priests spiritual leaders and Although spiritual leaders don't have a higher standard.
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They do have a higher accountability to the same standard and Luke 12 verses 4 and 5 reads do not be afraid of those who kill the body
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But fear the one who after he has killed has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you fear him
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Nate I've been a by who went outside of the bounds because they did not treat God as holy So we must make sure that we are affected by our
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Holy God I'd struggled with doubts and unbelief for about four years by the time
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I went to the Shepherds conference two weeks ago. I Had gone through various phases of seeking the
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Lord at one point. I was trying to prove it all to myself Intellectually, I was reasoning with doctrine and systematic theology in an academic manner
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But the things of the Lord are spiritually discerned I would always struggle with the what -ifs.
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How can I know that this is true? How can I be absolutely sure about that? How can I know that I'm not fooling myself with my own biases?
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I Was indeed a victim of postmodernism in high school We had studied existentialist literature and had analyzed everything from a naturalistic point of view
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We would simply ask questions from every angle and through every paradigm with the understanding that we would not be able to establish truth
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Absolutely, these human philosophies and methods of thought and methods of deconstructing concepts were interesting to me once But now
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I hate them all this knowledge that I once held dear. I've counted loss I've studied
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God's Word read it investigated it I'd been exposed to it multiple times over and over coming into contact with the truth of the
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Bible and I don't know what I Was looking for or what I was waiting for to happen It was as if I was waiting for an epiphany for my or for my doubts to mystically disappear
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And I'd really fallen into an attitude where I was approaching God and his word without admiring his greatness
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I'd forgotten his greatness and I was not in reverence of him and his holiness and this repetitious exposure to God and his word out of obligate
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And his word really did breed in me a careless familiarity with God My passion for God diminished and I read his word out of obligation
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And I praise God out of duty and not with joy love and reverence My life became increasingly self -centered as I embraced worldly ways of thinking characterized by ambition the desire of admiration for men and personal success and seeking to make myself valuable
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I Gauge the health of my character by how witty or how quick or how charming
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I could be and not by my devotion to God And his word not to my dependence upon God and not to my hope of future glory and not to the alignment of my character with that of Christ's I was talking to gladman recently and he was counseling me about a
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Decision and he reminded me of my worth my worth isn't depended isn't dependent upon the way the world
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Values people it's based upon what Christ has done for me on the cross The most important lesson
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I learned last week was something that was so simple we are to be God -centered people and We don't live for ourselves anymore, but for Christ our chief end is to glorify
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God and enjoy him forever We should focus on who God is and what he did for us
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Pastor Mike told me that it's all well and good to study hard in school in academia But if I'm doing well in classes and getting an
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F in Bible study or an F in prayer or later one day Maybe an F in marriage, then
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I get an F It doesn't matter what grades men give me compared to the grade that God gives me if God gives me an
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F I get an F So I must humble myself and rely on God. I must deny myself and seek him
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I must seek his glory and seek his kingdom Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you
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And everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted only by the
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Holy Spirit Can I do these things? My pride my ego won't ever be glorifying to God, but God gives grace to the humble.
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So center your life on Christ So let's pray Heavenly Father As we approach you, please help us to know who you are where we understand your holiness and Live in awe and reverence of you father
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May we know that you are so other and different from us and not approach you as our casual pal Father may we
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Contemplate and meditate on your holiness We know nothing of your holiness and greatness.
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So please affect our lives by the work of the Holy Spirit and by your word father in all our contact with your word and And in our prayer may we approach you with sober mindedness and gasp at your holiness and tremble at your holiness
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So God, please help us to love you and delight in you in Jesus name Amen That's a sermon right there, isn't it?
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20 years old What were you doing at 20 years old?
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Thank you. Chris. Just feel like singing now
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Now I'm supposed to preach Memphis Center Joey Dorsey Had on last
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Friday unleashed a press conference trash talk session on the Buckeyes big man
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Greg Greg Odom The ultimate pregame cage rattle that ended any concerns that the occasionally sleepy
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Seven foot freshman might not be awake for the elite eight college hoops
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Dorsey had called Odin overrated. He said Odin had to work on his offensive game
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He promised he'd get 20 rebounds in the end. He described their expected battle as David and Goliath before adding
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I'm Goliath Apparently Dorsey didn't know how that story turned out the writer of Yahoo!
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Sports says Buckeyes 92 Tiger 76 and on to the final four for Ohio State The two -player stat lines were as expected
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Odin going for 17 points nine rebounds and a defensive performance that changed everything
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Memphis thought it might be able to do Dorsey the poor guy ended with no points four rebounds and a rock between the eyes
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The pride of man I've also found some interesting things about the pride of man when it comes to God and his sovereignty
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Clark Pinnock said quote what we detect in this Genesis story is not some dark predestinarian decree
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Operating behind the scenes making sure everything works outright What we do encounter is the freedom of God to respond positively and negatively to man's freedom
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God weaves into his plan for history the significant choices that we make
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History is not a computer printout of program decisions set long before by an all -determining deity
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It is much more like a dialogue between the father and his human respondents
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That true Is that right? Yeah, I've never ceased to be amazed at the lengths that people will go to have the idol of free will stand erect
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Job 42 2 says I know that thou can do all things and that no purpose of thine can be thwarted
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Much different than Bruce Reichenbach's essay on God limits his power
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Quote though God knows all truths including including truths about what free persons choose
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He does not know what free persons would choose were conditions different from what they are are about the choice
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Which would be made by possible but never existing individuals Even God's ultimate purpose that all persons will acknowledge him as Lord seems to be unrealized
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Tonight we're going to look at an attribute of God that sets our pride meter Right side up the attribute that starts with D that I call the decree of God so far
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We've done all -knowing a beautiful be creator C and tonight D decree and you say is that really an attribute?
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Well, if Arthur Pink says it's an attribute We're gonna let it ride as an attribute the person and work of God are realized together
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And so tonight the decree of God I was thinking earlier today that if someone walked into our church this morning and it's election part 8 in the a .m
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And the decree of God at night, they thought for sure we were over bored when it comes to God's Sovereignty, but it is a great doctrine and it's just in God's timing that we have
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D tonight the decree of God How many people have ever heard a sermon on the decree of God? several all right
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Let me give you some definitions first and then we'll look at some passages instead of looking at one passage tonight
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We're going to look at many. I have an old professor named. Dr. Zimmick. I spoke to him on the phone two weeks ago
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And I said dr. Zimmick. I have stolen your slogan about putting Wd -40 on the spines of the
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Bible so you can just turn back and forth look up all kinds of verses and get this Bible Out and get it all lubed up so you can turn to page after page to passage after passage and dr.
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Zimmick said that's fine that you stole that I wanted him to say I have stolen it too, but he did not say that What is a decree?
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What is a decree of God? let me give you several definitions, and you see if you can find a
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Theme that runs through each of these definitions. You'll never be able to write these down in time. So just listen, please
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The decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the counsel of his will
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Whereby for his own glory he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass
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Westminster Confession said God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass
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James Boyce did be a YCE Boyce the decrees of God may be defined as that just wise and holy purpose our plan by which
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Eternally and within himself he determines all things whatsoever that come to pass
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Sounds like a good refrain Arthur Pink said the decree of God is his purpose our
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Determination with respect to future things and from our own statement of faith to 1689 from all eternity
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God decreed all that should happen in time and he did this freely and unalterably
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Consulting only with his own wise and holy will God does whatever he pleases only as he pleases always as he pleases and That is a doctrine of the decree of God Let's turn to Psalm 2 please and we'll see the word decree actually used in the text
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And then we'll look at some other synonyms to help us get a good biblical definition. It's one thing to quote men who have put together systematic theologies and Confessions, but I'd like to know what the
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Bible says of course and we don't Put confessions over the
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Bible although some equate them But Psalm 2 7 we see here this word decree
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This word here translated from the Hebrew word that would mean ordinance or a divinely ordained matter
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It comes from a root word that means to engrave. Have you ever engraved something on a tree and it's permanent
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Are you've engraved something on a personal item? That's the word here
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Psalm 2 7 I will surely tell of the decree are the engraving of the
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Lord He said to me you are my son the father speaking to the son here's an amplification of 2nd
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Samuel 7 14 I will be his father and he will be my son He said to me you are my son today.
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I have begotten you And if you'll notice there the word decree is used for God's purpose
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Let me give you some other Synonyms for the word decree that will help us round out our definition
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Firstly would you turn to Ephesians 3 11 right now? We're just setting everything up and I have to tell you already that we're going to be
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Looking at this next Sunday night as well. Don't forget next Sunday morning. Dr. Fuller a Hebrew scholar
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Extraordinaire will be here preaching in the morning from Southern Seminary. So make sure you're here on Sunday morning And then
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Sunday night will finish up this topic the decree of God Ephesians 3 11 We read of God's eternal purpose
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So we're using the decree of God, but a synonym would be purpose Ephesians 3 11.
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This was an accord in accordance with the eternal purpose Which he carried out in Christ Jesus our
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Lord This is the word for Presentation in the Old Greek and it has come to mean a plan or a scheme something that happens on Purpose, it's not arbitrary.
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It's not accidental If you go backwards to Acts 2, let me give you a second synonym and that is predetermined plan so so far we've got decree purpose and now
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Predetermined planned all used interchangeably of God's sovereign hand Involved in all history
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Acts 2 23. We know this passage well and here it is one Greek word Predetermined plan is to English but one
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Greek word for a resolution a plan a purpose a decision Somebody that decides something men of Israel, you can just hear
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Peter preach Acts 2 22 listen to these words Jesus the Nazarene a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and Signs, which
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God performed through him in your midst just as you yourselves know This man delivered over by the predetermined plan
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There's our synonym again again two words in English, but one in Greek and for knowledge of God You nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death.
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This is a word that means when used of humans Somebody plotting an evil design, but when used of God, it's used of an
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Unchangeable resolve where God makes a decision and it stands final Nothing can be frustrated when
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God makes such a decision Well, there's another good word will let's go back over to Ephesians chapter 1 we've got
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Predetermined plan we've got purpose. We've got decree There are many words and we'll not look at them all but let's look at a couple more the word will
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Ephesians chapter 1 Verse 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will
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According to the kind intention which he purposed in him and down in verse 11 as well in him
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We also we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined According to there it is again his purpose an earlier word who works all things after the counsel of his will
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What his desire is how he desires to make things happen What is willed by God the carrying out of God's total plan?
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and then lastly for synonyms, let's look at Isaiah 46 a stellar
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Passage for the greatness of God if you ever get asked to do scripture reading you don't know what to read read from Isaiah 40 to 46 any place and it just extols
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God and his greatness The word counsel is found in Isaiah 46 10
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So we've got purpose predetermined plan will decree and finally, but not exhaustively
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Counsel Isaiah 46 10 in the New American Standard update Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done saying my purpose
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Will be established and I will accomplish all my good pleasure
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Sadly a purpose is translated purpose there in your New American Standard in King James It says counsel and that's exactly what the
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Greek word is It is used of counselors or those that give advice are a plan and I wish they would have translated that my counsel will be established in summary, we worship are you ready a purpose driven
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God It's true a purpose driven
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God by just these few synonyms even there are many more I could use the word appointment But all these ideas put together add up to what theologians call the decree of God Sometimes people don't like this word decree, but it because it sounds like an edict
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It sounds like it's so forceful. So compulsory so deterministic
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Yet that's exactly what it is And I hate it when I have a good word in the
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Bible and then society doesn't let me use it anymore Pious you're so pious and I like the word decree because it's a biblical word
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God is a hands -on God. God is not a deist God Even though we're in New England and Benjamin Franklin believed that the world was just wound up and you let her go
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No God is hands -on and now we're going to Come to our outline of the decree of God by looking at several words that describe
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God's purpose decree Counsel that will help us and the first one is what
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I mentioned this morning and it is so great words that will help us define and think about God's eternal purpose and decree word number one singular
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Singular Did you notice the verses that we've read so far? Did you see the word purposes?
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Did you see the word wills? Did you see the word predetermined Maybe did say predetermined plans.
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I think it said plan though. Did you see the word decrees? Can you imagine God knows all information now?
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He never learns and he has a single unified solidified plan my counsel my purpose
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Isaiah 46 we just saw will be Established it is one act of the divine mind
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And you say that is too high for me to get around too high to get over don't you like that?
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Even with the election series on Sunday morning. Do we serve a God who is? Infinite and we are finite.
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That is just too high. I can't get it all turn that That that angst almost if I can't figure it all out
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To worship, that's what it should be turned into the worship of God all his knowledge immediate
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Simultaneous and I think this way I have some big decisions in my life to make and and I do little kind of flowcharts
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Don't you if this happens then I do that and if this thing over here happens I need to wait for a little bit of more information because then if I can get that information
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It'll be easier for me to make a decision. Well, that door seems to be closed I still so I still keep going through it that door seems to be open
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Shall I have wisdom and not go through it, etc, etc. But for God, there is no flowchart
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There's no plan a there's no successive thought of purpose and counsel
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That is absolutely amazing to me. No plan B. No plan C. No contingencies.
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No change of mind Is that how you plan your week? Maybe you start in the week planning it that way but by Tuesday it is over and Robert Dabney said most of the errors which have arisen in the doctrine have come from the mistake of imputing to God that apprehension of his purpose in successive parts
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To which the limitations of our minds confine us in conceiving of it How about turning to Romans chapter 8 28, you know the verse maybe by memory you don't have to turn there
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Singular number one act of an infinite mind about all things Not just your little universe not just in 2007 but in all time
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God determines things with one single solitary thought
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And Romans 8 28 Uses the singular there too And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love
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God to those who are called according to his purpose Singular everywhere you go
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Known unto God are all his works the KJV says in Acts 15 verse 18
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God does not do step by step piecemeal by piecemeal if then
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Statements it is just one eternal decree and I wrote down for practical application.
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The first one I wrote two words mind blowing This is so unlike us we are not like this at all
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I mean, I love it that God is is close to me He walks with me and talks with me along my life's narrow way.
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I'm glad that he what did I say? How did I pronounce that? I like it that he's close But he's more than close.
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He is over us. He is transcendent Some of you have red faces. I must have really slipped up Repeat that you can get that rid of get rid of that on the tape
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Andrew He walks with me and he talks with me along life's narrow way. It's good that he's close, but he is over us
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What are you doing to me? It is mind -blowing to think that God has one decree
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How many plans do we have how many how many flowcharts have we made? I have a daytimers and calendars on my outlook and it changes and move this date to that date and what if this person said this and over and Over and over there is one decree of God and he never ever has changed it nor will he ever change his decree
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Singular it is so unlike us it makes the incarnation in my mind more significant that God would cloak himself with humanity and have fellowship with the finite that God the
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Son would add human flesh to himself and then be friends with Mary and Martha and Lazarus That is amazing to me.
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It also gives me confidence for the future Rabbi Kushner said God wants the righteous to live peaceful happy lives, but sometimes even he can't bring that about It is too difficult even for God to keep cruelty and chaos from claiming their innocent victims
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The singular decree of God should Make that false theory
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I used to save newspapers when I was a kid and I used to save newspapers From specially sporting goods,
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I mean sporting events And I had a big huge stack of I know
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I'm gonna get pelted with rocks and garbage now, but stacks of Los Angeles Lakers box scores and newspapers
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Now just take all the newspapers that have ever been published all the facts all the history books and just put them all together go back to some
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Alexandrian library go to the Library of Congress here in Washington Go someplace where there's acquired knowledge and think that all of history in the past today and in the future
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God has counted it as a singular not plural decree every detail one thought of God Forget chance forget blind fate forget all these things.
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I Am so glad that God knows all that It's comforting to me
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Singular number one number two, let's see if I can do better on this one number two wise
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God's decree is number one singular and number two It is wise the wisest ends the wisest means the wisest ends to the wisest means from God's perspective
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Everything happens from his perspective. That is wise Why don't we turn to Job and just let me show you from scriptures again that in fact
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God is wise Sometimes we look at circumstances and they don't seem too wise to us
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But from God's perspective, it is the most wise thing that is happening at that time
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Doesn't mean it's always righteous, but we're going to get to that subject in a while God does everything with great wisdom.
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He in fact is wise. And so everything he does therefore is wise Job 9 for let's just look at three passages
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Job 9 for reminding us all that God is wise matter of fact Paul says in Romans 16.
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He is the only wise God Job 9 for whatever God does he does in a wise fashion wise in heart and mighty in strength
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Who has defied him without harm? Job chapter 12, please verse 13
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God is wise Isaiah says his understanding is inscrutable but Job chapter 12 or 13 says with him our wisdom and might to him belong counsel and understanding and There are many more but for us in Job one more
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Job 36 verse 5 Job 36 verse 5 God's purposes are wise because he is a wise
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God. I should say God's purpose actually with the singular Behold God is mighty
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Job 36 5 but does not despise any he is mighty in strength of Understanding God is perfectly wise.
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He sees as Tozer says the end from the beginning. So there's no need to guess our conjecture
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That's why Daniel chapter 2 says praise be to the name of God forever and ever wisdom and power our gods
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Now here's what we have to do when we look at history, we're gonna look at history and it doesn't seem to match
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The wisdom of God because there's sin in the world Because there are horrible things in the world, but we need to be reminded that God's decree is wise and that We should subject our thoughts of current events to his wisdom
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For instance, I'll give you the worst one the cross from all apparent
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External viewing at that time. Did it seem like that was the most wise thing that could ever happen?
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Certainly the boys the twelve Apostles of minus one the disciples. They didn't think it was so wise.
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Where were they? Well, John was there, but the rest were running away. They didn't think it was so wise
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And I try my best to subject my mind to this truth that God's decrees are
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Wise the decree of God is wise all things and We sometimes can look in the past and see how
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God has worked them out in a way that seems to us as wise But in fact, they are wise at the time even though they don't make resolutions in our resolution in our mind
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Yeah Packer said wisdom in Scripture means choosing the best and noblest end at which to aim
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Along with the most appropriate and effective means to it Don't let the tainted sin of the world lower view your view that God's decree is not wise it is
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Sometimes I'm in a situation and it's a big trial and I say to myself Well, I don't know how to get out of this situation.
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By the way, if you're like me, I just went out When I'm in a trial I went out and I forget in 1st
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Corinthians chapter 10 that the way out is the way what? Through sometimes God just doesn't take me out of the situation and I have to say to myself
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I'm in a situation now. I can't explain it. I don't like it. It's painful. It's taxing
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It hurts the ones I love and I don't understand it at all But I have a couple different option options
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One is to act like an atheist and say, you know, how could this happen or God? How could you or curse
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God and die as Job's wife might say? But then I have to remember what Job said that the
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Lord gives the Lord takes away But no matter what God is to be blessed and God has put me in a situation that matches his decree and this is the
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Most wise thing that could be happening to me at this time. You ever think that way? He could change it.
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He could have deviated it. He could have made something else happen But this is what he chose and everything he does is wise
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My only response is how do I respond? This is the most wise thing that could happen to me
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And you don't look at your situation you begin to look at God and his wisdom
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John Calvin said if Joseph had stopped to dwell upon his brotherly attitude toward them But since he turned his thoughts to the
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Lord Forgetting the injustice he inclined to gentleness and kindness even to the point of comforting his brothers and saying
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It was not you who sold me into Egypt, but I was sent before you by God's will that I might save your life
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Genesis chapter 45 God's decree is one and unified and it is also the most wise number three
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Eternal number one singular number two wise number three eternal God's decree is eternal
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It was made in eternity past all of God's purposes plans procedures if I'm using the plural are
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Initiated in eternity past why don't we turn to Ephesians chapter 3 we've been there, but I want to go back
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It's one of those passages. That's easy to go back to let me show you here with the word purpose an eternal purpose
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This is before time began God Decreed his purposes and so they are eternal
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God is eternal therefore his decrees are eternal And you say this is all way too heady
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That's okay When I used to play basketball with the guys at varsity, I just got better Because I just had to grow up into that you don't have to figure out everything and by the way
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We don't have to ever even having the flowcharts all put together in our mind and tie up the loose ends
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This is just who God claims to be and what he's done Ephesians 3 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose.
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Do you see it which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord? this is the eternal purpose the
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Death of Christ He's the lamb that was slain before the what foundation of the world
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Purposing to have Gentiles into the plan of God not plan B as some hyper dispensation list might say it was
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According to the plan it was the decree and that decree Determined other things as well that the decree that the father would choose the elect the son would die for the elect and the spirit would would have those elect come to faith and It's being executed perfectly because it is done in eternity past God does not look down the quarters of time sees what's going to happen and then decides to do it
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God before time begins decides it and then he makes things happen It's not arbitrary.
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It's not accidental. It's God's plan This is a side note, but I like side notes
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Paul does side note Sometimes if you haven't noticed I meet some of my charismatic friends and I love them and they're always after signs and wonders and miracles and these great things that God is doing and and One thing after another and after another and I think to myself if I could only teach you the providence of God The decree of God you wouldn't have to see amazing leg lengthenings
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It's some healing service to be excited or have somebody slain in the spirit.
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You know what you could see You could see the hand of God working through people and places and knowing that he's working all things together with one purpose
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They miss out on the prosit Providence of God too often. I'd rather have a low view of signs and a high view of Providence Listen to 1st
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Corinthians chapter 2 verse 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom which
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God ordained before the world unto our glory Can you imagine before the world began?
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It was all ordained. It was decided upon it was predestined I never play
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Steve Cooley in chess because I don't like to lose God is
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Eternally coming up with a plan. So how could something in time? Check God's moves
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Could that happen in? Time something that God has decreed before time could stop
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God's plan. It can't be eternal decrees God decided the history of the world and salvation before Satan was made before angels were made before Genesis 1 before the garden before the fall
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Everything God has done from an eternal perspective A .w.
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Pink said to suppose any of them to be made in time is to suppose that some new occasion has occurred
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Some on foreseen event or combination of circumstances has arisen which has induced the most high to form a new resolution this would argue that the knowledge of the deity is limited and That he is growing wiser in the progress of time
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That can't be I like this because it taxes my feeble mind
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God how about this one? This is good God's decree since it is eternal.
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It is like the law of the Medes and Persians Irrevocable It cannot be repealed
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Esther 119 talks about those laws of the Persians and the media medias
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How could life be bearable if I thought somehow God? Was watching everything and then he would have to have a strategy since that's happened
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I didn't know that was gonna happen. So I better do this and that and the other I know he's got the whole world
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In his hands. All right, let's do one more tonight effectual
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Singular wise eternal effectual for those of you dying to know there are seven. So we're only gonna do four tonight effectual
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Everything that God has decree good decreed will come to being let's look at Isaiah 1424 another one of those high view of God statements in Isaiah Isaiah 14
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Isaiah 46 we read earlier that my counsel will stand I shall do all my pleasure. But how about Isaiah 14 24?
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God's decree will happen. Whatever God has decreed will happen I'm I take pleasure in that Isaiah chapter 14 verse 24 the
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Lord of hosts has sworn saying surely just as I have Intended so it has happened and just as I have planned so it will stand
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Whatever God decrees will happen. What about free will what about evangelism?
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What about man's responsibility? We'll get there. But whatever God Wants to have happen will happen.
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That's why it was so horrible this morning when I read you that quote From Norman Geisler who is good in many areas and a dear brother
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But when Norman Geisler's theology of soteriology comes in that God will save everybody
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He possibly can but has to wait for them to respond or however his free will
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Thinking comes about that is not true. If God wants to save 1 billion and 1 people will he save 1 billion and 1?
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Who can thwart his plan? free will is gonna thwart God's plan a God is more powerful
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Be free will is a figment of people's imagination You mean people are free from Satan's will 2nd
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Timothy chapter 2 says that's not true Do you mean to tell me that people are free from sin? Romans 6 says that's true.
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And you mean to tell me that people are free from the eternal all -encompassing effectual decree of God made before they were even born
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That can't be and that's why I take great comfort knowing that if God wants to save somebody
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He's gonna save them Think of the worst person in your life who has done the worst things to you or somebody you think on TV Chris and I were in Los Angeles on the bicycle the life cycle and there was a
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TV program up there and it was confessions of a Serial killer
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And I don't usually get cable. So those kind of shows make my Wow, it's high ratings or what a confessions of a serial killer, you know and I wasn't having to turn around making sure my kids weren't watching because it was so horrible and Then I realized
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Chris was just a kid but a very mature kid I by the way, I said to Chris one day I said you could be my son and I would love to have you as A son and then he said
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I'd love to have you a dad and we had a group hug Just think of the worst and here
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Confessions of a serial killer and guess who was on there It was an old tape of Jeffrey Dahmer now without getting into all the details of Jeffrey Dahmer's life.
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I Believe there were 17 people. He was responsible for killing in grotesque ways that ought not to be repeated from the pulpit the guys interviewing him
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And the guy could not wait to change the subject when Jeffrey Dahmer said I used to believe in evolution
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And if evolution is true, you look you stand accountable to no one and so it's do what you please
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Don't get caught Enjoy life and my lifestyle began to spiral into doing worse things and worse things and worse things
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But who cares because if I'm evolved from goo it matters not So, but I don't believe that anymore
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He said I believe that Jesus Christ made the world I Believe that Jesus Christ is the creator of all things
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Colossians chapter 1 I believe that he's Lord and Savior and one day in my cell I confessed with my mouth
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Jesus as Lord and I believed in my heart that God raised him from the dead and all
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Men will stand before him one day on Judgment Day. And what do you think the newscasters did?
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Time to take a break and time to talk to your dad about some kind of Freudian Darwish darwinistic
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Mamby -pamby stuff about you know, what kind of childhood did he have? now
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Sheriff Cooley would talk to you about how many people believe in God in jail but I will tell you this that if Jeffrey Dahmer truly called upon the name of the
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Lord, we will see him in heaven and Jesus Christ will have been punished by the thrice holy wrath of God and instead of Sending Jeffrey Dahmer to his do
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He gave Jeffrey Dahmer grace It's amazing for me to think about it's amazing to think that was all determined in eternity past.
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There are false professions Yes, Spurgeon's used to say on your deathbed You know out of all the people that made a profession of faith on their deathbed everybody they got better Walked away didn't follow
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Christ Jesus. And so Spurgeon used to say deathbed repentances There's one in the Bible the thief on the cross
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There's only one so you might have hope people get saved on their deathbed, but number two There's only one so you might not be presumptuous
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Well, I'm getting off track But I will say this I am so glad that the person that I sat next to on that Southwest flight
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I said, you know, here's here's the church email I didn't want to give her my home phone number and my business card and call me and here's another lady
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That would be inappropriate. I said if you email my secretary, we'll send you a MacArthur study Bible for free
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Info at BBC Church and you can we'll send you that Bible and by the way that Bible tells the story of redemption
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And so we've got 10 minutes before we land in Burbank Let me just tell you what in 10 minutes the gospel is and I talked about Creator and judge and Savior went right on down the list and she looked at me and she said
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I've never heard anything like that My entire life and I thought you work at a Christian preschool. I Said didn't you have to fill out a form and say, you know, this is what
01:00:06
I believe about Christianity Then the church make you do that and she said no and I thought I need that's all I need to know about that church
01:00:11
It's not a church Call yourself, whatever you want, but don't put church at the end. I didn't close the deal though.
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She didn't pray the prayer She didn't you know Fold down her her little
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You know that tray bow her head receive Jesus into her heart Because I can't save anybody and I know if God has declared them to be his child and eternity past in time that in fact will happen and my only responsibility frankly a privilege is to proclaim the gospel and God has we'll see next
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Sunday night not just ordained the ends But he's also ordained the means and he's ordained human decisions and all kinds of other things that are just absolutely
01:00:59
Amazing to me to study God Nothing is impossible when it comes to salvation Because God's decree will find those people out like one old
01:01:09
Puritan called the Spirit of God the hound of heaven Next time we'll talk about why did
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God decree? Sin in the world in other words Why did God ordain plan and purpose sin in the world boy?
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That'll be spicy. Let's pray a father. We thank you tonight
01:01:39
It is very difficult to try to describe these things that are so above us So beyond us the secret things belong to the
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Lord and yet Lord you have told us there is a decree there is a purpose We do see your will involved and I am just thankful that You'd save people like us and that would be part of your decree the decree could have been there'll be the fall and no salvation
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Yet Lord you were kind and you were good and you gave us mercy and grace when we deserve justice And I just think about how great your salvation is that if you can save Jeffrey Dahmer you could save anyone and even a conversation this morning thinking about someone's ex -husband if That ex -wife could be saved the ex -husband could certainly be saved as well
01:02:22
And you can just save anyone Lord. Give us the privilege this week to preach the gospel to our neighbors Lord I was encouraged this morning when the
01:02:29
Bertrand's brought their next -door neighbors here to church father Give us that kind of relationship with our next -door neighbors that we might preach the gospel and invite them to church
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And then we'll look back in time and notice your good decree being worked out in time