The Gospel of Luke (29): Obedience to Jesus Christ Affirmed 06/18/2023

First Baptist Church Leominster

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The New Testament in our public reading Romans chapter 1 pastor Jason.

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Thank you Romans chapter 1

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Paul a servant of Christ Jesus Called to be an apostle Set apart for the gospel of God which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the

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Holy Scriptures Concerning his son who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the

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Son of God in power According to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead

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Jesus Christ our Lord Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations

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Including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints

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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ First I thank my

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God through Jesus Christ for all of you because your faith is proclaimed in all the world

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For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his son that without ceasing

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I mentioned you always in my prayers asking that somehow by God's will

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I may now at last succeed in coming to you For I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you

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That is that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith both yours and mine.

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I Do not want you to be unaware brothers that I have often intended to come to you But thus far have been prevented in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the

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Gentiles. I Am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians both to the wise and to the foolish

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So I am eager to preach the gospel to you. Also who are in Rome For I am

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NOT ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation To everyone who believes to the

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Jew first and also to the Greek For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written the righteous shall live by faith

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For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth

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For what can be known about God is plain to them because God has shown it to them

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For his invisible attributes Namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made

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So they are without excuse For although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him

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But they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened Claiming to be wise they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal

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God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things

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Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity the to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and Worshipped and served the creature rather than the

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Creator who is blessed forever. Amen For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions for their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature

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And the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error and Since they did not see fit to acknowledge

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God God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done

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They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness evil covetousness malice

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They are full of envy murder strife deceit maliciousness

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They are gossips slanderers haters of God insolent haughty boastful

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Inventors of evil disobedient to parents foolish faithless heartless ruthless

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Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die

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They not only do them but give approval to those who practice them Let's pray

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Father God, we thank you for the gospel We thank you that the gospel is powerful and we thank you that the gospel saves

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We thank you Lord that you've revealed yourselves So clearly to us in the scriptures that we might know the path of salvation that we might know eternal life that we might know

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Jesus Christ and Lord, we rejoice in this truth. We rejoice that Jesus Christ is

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Lord that Jesus Christ is King And we pray Lord that our worship and our lives would reflect this truth that we would bend the knee to King Jesus Lord, we pray that as we open up your word and as can we continue to worship you?

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We pray that you would give Lars wisdom and strength as he proclaims your truth We pray that as the word hits our ears that you would take it immediately to our hearts and that we would be changed

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We pray Lord that you would be honored by our sitting under the word And sitting under its authority.

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Thank you Lord in Jesus name. Amen Well, let's turn in our

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Bibles to Luke chapter 8 Today's what the 29th

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Lord's Day that we've been in Luke's gospel and so we're We finished chapter 8 will be a third of the way through so we might have a hundred

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Sundays in this study I don't know. Let's see Now last week we emphasized

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That in this section of Luke's gospel that we're considering there is emphasis given by the

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Holy Spirit through Luke's pen The importance of obedience to the Lord Jesus and his teaching and so this is what we stated last week

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There is progression of thought in Luke's story, which has led to this point The first portion of our

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Lord's ministry is recorded by Luke was a demonstration of his authority He had been given authority to heal deliver people from evil forces

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Authority over nature and even had authority to forgive sins His authority having been established

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The emphasis change and stress was given to the responsibility of all to hear him

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For Jesus spoke the Word of God with authority Then thirdly we're now in the midst of this emphasis

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The Luke recorded incidents in the life of our Lord and his disciples which stresses obedience to his word

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Jesus Christ has been given authority by his father to bring salvation to his people and so this place is

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Responsibility on all to hear him intently but further it compels all to obey him completely

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We are both to hear and heed his word and so in this section the responsibility of obedience is stressed

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We then addressed our Lord's parable of the sower or perhaps better described as the parable of the soils

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Which was set forth in Luke 8 verses 4 through 15 this parable may be regarded as having established the context for what's before us today beginning with verse 16 and continuing through verse 25

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In these verses there are three separate incidents before us and they seem may seem to be disconnected and unrelated

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But actually they all Convey and confirm this matter of obedience to Jesus Christ in the first section that will address verses 16 through 18 we have a record of our

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Lord teaching about the importance to heed how you hear the Word of God and Then in the second section

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Luke 8 19 through 21 We have a short account of our Lord's mother Mary and his brothers coming to Jesus desired to see him and here

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Jesus spoke of the preeminence of his spiritual family Which is comprised of those who both hear and obey his word?

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And then the third and final section of what we want to cover today Luke 8 22 through 25 is an event on the

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Sea of Galilee in Which the disciples are amazed regarding Jesus for he commands even the winds and water and they obey him

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And what suggested is that all that is in creation is obligated to obey the commands of Jesus Christ And so this theme of obedience

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Permeates this section obedience to Jesus Christ affirmed before us and So before we work through these verses, let's read the passage

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Luke 8 verse 16 no one When he has lit a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed but sets it on a lamp stand

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That those who enter may see the light For nothing is secret that will not be revealed nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light

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Therefore take heed how you hear For whoever has to him more will be given and whoever does not have even

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What he seems to have will be taken from him Then his mother and brothers came to him and could not approach him because of the crowd and It was told him by some who said your mother and your brothers are standing outside Desiring to see you

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But he answered and said to them my mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God and do it

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And now it happened on a certain day that he got into a boat with his disciples he said to them let us cross over to the other side of the lake and they launched out and As they sailed he fell asleep in a windstorm came down on the lake and they were filling with water and were in jeopardy and They came to him and awoke him saying master master.

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We're perishing And he arose rebuked the wind and the raging of the water and they ceased and There was a calm but he said to them, where is your faith and They were afraid and marveled saying to one another who can this be?

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For he commands even the winds and water and they obey him So that once again you see that idea of obedience to Jesus Christ Really linking all three of these little episodes together

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Now we first want to examine the passage itself and its major teachings and Then we'll draw an application of one of our

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Lord's principle commands within this passage And so let's consider our

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Lord's words It's actually a parable first of all He taught about the critical importance of living according to the

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Word of God that we hear or we read before us The editors of the

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Reformation Study Bible call this the parable of the lamp The Lord Jesus asserted to his disciples their great responsibility to show forth the truth.

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They have heard and learned verse 16 No one when he has lit a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed

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But sets it on a lampstand that those who enter may see the light Now there are two different interpretations of this statement

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One interpretation asserts that our Lord was telling his disciples of their responsibility to impart to others what they have learned from the

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Lord Richard Lenski took this position lamps are intended to give light for people and in the same way the disciples are

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Intended to spread the word and so the light he regards as the Word of God that we are to make known

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What you learn you're to make known to others and this was also the position held by Matthew Henry and Because it had to do with the propagation of the

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Word of God. He applied it this very specifically to preachers to ministers

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He wrote needful instructions given to those that are appointed to preach the word and to those also that have heard it

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Those that have received the gift must minister the same Ministers that have the dispensing of the gospel committed to them

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People that have profited by the word and are thereby qualified to profit others must look upon themselves as lighted candles

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Ministers must in solemn authoritative preaching and people in brotherly familiar discourse

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Diffuse their light for a candle must not be covered with a vessel or put under a bed

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Ministers and Christians are to be lights in the world holding forth the word of life Their light must shine before men.

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They must not only be good but do good Second we must expect that what is now done in secret and from unseen springs will shortly be manifested and made known

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What is committed to you in secret should be made manifest by you for your master did not give you talents to be buried but to be traded with Let that which is now hid be made known

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For if it not be manifested by you, it will be manifested against you will be produced in evidence of your treachery and Third the gifts we have we have will either be continued to us or taken from us

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According as we do or do not make use of them for the glory of God and the edification of our brethren brethren

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Whosoever hath to him shall be given He that hath gifts and does good with them shall have more he that buries his talent shall lose it

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From him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath So it is in Mark in Mark's gospel that which he seemeth to have so it is in Luke Knowledge Of God is a trust knowledge of the truth of God's Word is accompanied with the

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Responsibility and accountability for one to pass on to others what the Lord has taught him It would be as incongruent for one to know the will of God and fail to refuse or make it known to others as one who

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Is a lit lamp that he then covers or places under a bed so that no one can see or benefit from the light

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The purpose of a lamp is to provide clarity and perception of those who would otherwise be in darkness

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Now this truth that we've just asserted the truth of the need and our responsibility to make known to the fallen world the knowledge of the

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Word of God that the Lord has given us is certainly a biblical teaching and The emphasis of this responsibility is found in a number of different biblical contexts but the question to ask is this is this the chief idea that our

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Lord was intending here to convey to his disciples through these words and We would suggest that perhaps a second interpretation is preferable to the one that we just asserted

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The idea of a lamp giving forth light may not be suggesting our Responsibility to declare to others the truth that we've received

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But it may be better understood as our Lord's admonition to his disciples that they show forth

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What they have come to learn and believe by living out their faith before others The light they are to shine before others are their lives that are in accordance or in obedience with what they have learned

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JC Ryle may have taken this Position this interpretation of verse 16 when we hear this lesson, let us first think of ourselves

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The gospel which we possess was not given us only to be admired talked of and professed but to be practiced

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It was not meant merely to reside in our intellect and memories and tongues, but to be seen in our lives

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Christianity is a talent. He's talking about a measure of money entrusted to us committed to our charge and one brings with it great

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Responsibility. We're not in darkness like the heathen a glorious light is put before us

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Let us take heed that we use it while we have the light. Let us walk in the light alluding to John 12 35 and So do you see the difference?

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The metaphor of light in this context is not the Word of God itself as The seed was in the parable of the sower.

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The seed is the Word of God Rather it's better understood to be the good works produced in the life through faith and obedience to the word that you've been taught

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This understanding would be congruent with what our Lord taught in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 He said to his disciples.

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You are the light of the world a City that is set on a hill cannot be hidden nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket

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But on a lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the house let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify your

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Father in heaven Here light is not the knowledge that you're passing on It's the good works of your life that testify to what you have been taught and what you believed and so light is a metaphor of the good works that characterize disciples of Christ as they are seen by others and It results in them glorifying

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God One of the regular words I say to our food and clothes closet gathering on the second

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Saturday of the month We hope you appreciate what our church is able to provide for you and food and clothing

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But I hope you realize that we're doing this on behalf of God and That you receive these from his hand and you look to God and thank

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God that he's provided this for you Not just the men and women who are willingly giving themselves to assist you today

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We were to let our light so shine among men that is our lives are to testify as to what we believe

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So that they may see our good works and as a result. Thank God For what we do

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Well, I would argue this second interpretation would be more compatible with the parable of the sower that our

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Lord just presented to his disciples In that parable Jesus spoke of the necessity to bring forth fruit

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Which of course is a life of obedience and conformity to the Word of God The seed had been sown in their hearts the

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Word of God, but they were to bring forth fruit Whereas their fruit was obedience here light is the obedience that is shown forth in your life before others

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I Believe this understanding would also be preferable with the following statement of Jesus in verse 17 of our passage

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Jesus then declared to his disciples For nothing is secret that will not be revealed nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light

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Well, just like verse 16 has two Differing similar but differing interpretations verse 17 also has two different Interpretations Some believe that Jesus here in verse 17 was speaking to his disciples to learn carefully now

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For later after he had departed from them in his death resurrection in ascension

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They would then need to declare what they learned openly and broadly to the world IH Marshall a

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Wonderful commentator on Luke held this understanding for the evangelist and is referring to the gospel writers

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There is a contrast between the secrecy and the humility which characterized the ministry of Jesus Culminating in the cross and the open declaration that Jesus was

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Lord and Christ made in the light of the resurrection If then for the moment

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Jesus teaches the crowd and parables one day he will be openly declared to them through the resurrection and the proclamation of the disciples and So the thing that is secret is during this earthly ministry

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But the thing that will be made known is after the fact during this church age.

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This is what the Apostles were to do Marshall also stated here the context refers to the disciples making known publicly

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What Jesus has told them secretly and the principle appears to be applied to the present secrecy and future manifestation of the message of the kingdom

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However, there's a second interpretation of verse 17, which I prefer Jesus was telling his disciples that they must live according to the truth

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They'd been taught for they would one day give an account to God for how they had lived their lives in this fallen world in other words

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Jesus was alluding to his future second coming when he would execute the final judgment on the world on That day the lives of all people will be examined and judged which will determine their eternal destiny

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Then his disciples also will be examined regarding their obedience to the Word of God that they had been taught in life

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And so it's not what he taught in his ministry and then what they would taught after his ascension but What the people of God are taught according to the

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Word of God and how they live that will be examined on the day of judgment and I think this is the better understanding and In fact, if we turn to Luke chapter 12, we'll see very similar words where the

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Lord Jesus makes it very clear He's talking about the judgment at the second coming of Christ We read there in chapter 12 verses 1 through 4 in the meantime

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When an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together so that they trampled one another he began to say to his disciples first of all

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Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy Hypocrisy is claiming you believe something but your life says something else you believe something else

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For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed or hidden that will be not that will not be known

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There you have covering the lamp. We're putting it under a bed Therefore whatever you've spoken in the dark will be heard in the light what you've spoken in the ear and inner rooms will be proclaimed

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On the housetops. I say to you my friends Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do

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But I will show you whom you should fear fear him who after he is killed has power to cast into hell

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Yes, I say to you fear him And I think verse 17 speaks of that It's important how you live in the light of the word that you've been taught

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Because there's an accountability one day You're gonna have to give an answer to your life It's important to obey not just hear

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But we would argue in addition this second interpretation to verse 17 gives a better understanding of the follow statement of Jesus Which is verse 18

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Jesus therefore said that said therefore take heed how you hear Mark that statement take heed how you hear

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For whoever has to him more will be given and whoever does not have even what he seems to have will be taken from him

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And so Jesus gave the command to his hearers take heed how you hear

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All four persons in the parable of the sower had heard the Word of God the seed had been sown The first hearer did not understand what he had heard

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The second and third hearers of the word the rocky soil the soil with thorn bushes They heard the

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Word of God and had believed the word But it did not bear fruit in their lives It could be said that they had failed to take heed how they heard right

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The Word of God was not heard and embraced so as to be truly transformative and life -shaping

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Had they truly taken heed how they heard the Word of God Only the fourth hearer the seed and good soil was the one who took heed to what he heard

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Only he among the four had taken heed to when he heard the Word of God and hear the

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Lord Jesus is saying take heed how you hear be like that fourth ground prepared to receive the

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Word of God and So Jesus gave the command therefore take heed how you hear He was pressing upon his disciples the importance of ordering their lives and obedience to the

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Word of God That they were hearing and learning from him the

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Lord Jesus also set before his disciples the blessing that they will receive To the degree that they are obedient to the teaching of the

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Word of God The one who hears and obeys the word will be given the opportunity and capability to learn the

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Word of God to a greater degree Our ability to comprehend the

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Word of God is greatly enhanced as we apply what we've learned in our thinking Through the through our attitudes are shaped and actions governed by that word that we've heard

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Understanding the Word of God is not strictly a function of one's intellectual ability and capacity

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The illumination that the Holy Spirit gives to the Christian is a gift of God's grace that he bestows upon his teachable and compliant people

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Some Christians who may not be very educated formally are very informed about the content of the

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Word of God Because they obey it and the Holy Spirit has illuminated them to the truth

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If a person sits to hear the Word of God But has little or no intention to apply what he learns he'll remain in abject ignorance of much spiritual truth

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Jesus would later say to his disciples a little while longer the light is with you walk while you have the light less

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Darkness overtake you he who walks in darkness does not know where he is. He is going

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It's as though the light or understanding of the truth of God is immediately before you and the light is moving away from you and Therefore you have to follow it.

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You have to pursue it. In other words, you have to do it and it will continue to guide you The word is a lamp unto my feet

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That light that understanding of God will leave you behind if you do not obey it You must follow that light as it directs you on the course

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God would have you take but if you do not purpose to do so that light is soon lost to you in Fact what had formerly guided you in the course of your life will be taken from you

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Leaving you in error and ignorance You will forget what you've known and once had affirmed with certainty

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You'll lose what you once had and it's not saying you'll lose your salvation but what you

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Once thought you had what others thought you had dissipates and disappears and as I Wrote of this matter and I speed this matter.

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I'm reminded of a friend a good friend To whom this happened? He'd been a very diligent reader and student of the

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Word of God He was raised in a very difficult family and in downtown, Sacramento.

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He was a thief Immoral converted supposedly

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His Bible was filled with Notations on every page it seemed and the black pages at the beginning and the end of his

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Bible were filled with his own notes of what he learned But he gave himself over to the lust of the flesh

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Over the months he grew indifferent and he neglected the word he was caught up in egregious sin and After several years, he lamented to me.

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He'd lost most everything he had memorized and known It was gone to him He felt totally ignorant and lost

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God in his judgment had withdrawn his blessing from this man and he suffered the consequences of his indifference and neglect and I think what happened to him is

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Described by our Lord here. Even what he seems to have had was taken from him And so our

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Lord presses upon you and me today Take heed how you hear

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Obey it Well now we have our Lord's spiritual family in verses 19 through 21

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Obedience to Jesus Christ is also affirmed through our Lord's response to his mother and his brothers Desired to see him while he was teaching the people the

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Word of God Then his mother and brothers came to him and could not approach him because of the crowd and it was told him by some who

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Said your mother and your brothers are standing outside desiring to see you But he answered and said to them my brother mother and my brothers are

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These who hear the Word of God and do it see again obedience and they do it.

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They'll just hear but they do it So here Jesus spoke of the preeminence of his spiritual family over his physical family as precious and important as that was to him

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There is no diminishment or rejection of his mother or brothers in this account

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But Jesus did elevate the importance of his spiritual family William are not 19th century wrote he wrote in his book on the lesser parables of the

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Lord He had a chapter the two families natural and spiritual Based on these few verses he wrote so the scriptures intimate that two families pervade society both having to a great extent the same persons and as members

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Yet without jealousy or collision getting and giving reciprocal support both families are of God physical family the spiritual family

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He is planned and in and constituted them to him him they owe their origin and from him they receive their laws a

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Place has been assigned to the one in creation the physical family to the other in redemption spiritual family

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The one has been in full operation since the birth of our race Adam and Eve The other was long a secret hidden Institute nor was it completely formed and openly manifested till Christ came into the world

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The members of the first family enter it circled by birth the members of the second by the new birth

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The one is the Grand Institute of Nature the other the Grand Institute of Grace Both Are good each as far as it goes, but the second is deeper longer broader higher than the first The first is a family for time.

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The second is the family for eternity and The way the

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Lord dealt with his mother and his brothers wanting to see him on this occasion He elevates the spiritual family who are my true mothers and my brothers they who hear the

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Word of God and do it That's an amazing statement In this passage, our

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Lord does not discredit or abandon his earthly family, but he does prioritize his spiritual family

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He declared that those who both here do the Word of God are his mother and brothers and so consider the implication of this in the mind of God the mind and heart of God if you're a true

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Christian Who bears the Word of God's who has to learn it and you do the

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Word of God and obeyed it You are of a closer relation to Jesus Christ than was his own mother

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Mary and brothers while on earth Think about that Actually, Jesus had a number of brothers and sisters the brothers include

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James Joseph Judas another Jude and Simon His sisters are not named in the

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Gospels But there must be more at least two or more because they are described as his sisters

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We understand these siblings to have been the sons and daughters of Joseph and Mary after The birth of Mary's oldest son

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Jesus, of course, who was virgin -born Roman Catholics have taught that these were

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Jesus's cousins not as siblings This is necessary for them to perpetuate

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What we would say is their false doctrine of Mary as a perpetual virgin. The Bible does not teach to that They claimed she had never known

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Joseph throughout her entire married life. She was a perpetual virgin Now, of course, it's great error what

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Rome teaches regarding Mary the mother of Jesus we would affirm biblically They teach that Mary was born without original sin

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Bible doesn't teach that This is the doctrine of immaculate conception

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Immaculate conception is not speaking of the virgin birth of Jesus is talking about the sinless birth of Mary She was born without Adam's original sin

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Although a degree of the elevation of Mary's status can be traced to the early early centuries of the

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Christian era It was not until the 19th century The 1800s that Rome officially declared the doctrine of the immaculate conception of Mary That's how recent it is

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As It was written of it was not however until December 8 1854

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That pious the ninth urged by the majority of Catholic bishops throughout the world Solemnly declared in the bull and here's the

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Latin phrase in a fabulous Deus that the doctrine was revealed by God and hence was to be firmly believed as such by all

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Catholics The feast of the immaculate conception is celebrated on December 8th and is usually a holy day of obligation 19th century

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Now Again we would argue we want to be forthright and honest kind but true

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We would argue that this is not the least of Rome's errors respecting Mary the mother of Jesus Who is the means by which the human nature was joined to the eternal second person of the

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Holy Trinity? Roman Catholicism we would say is guilty of crass idolatry in elevating

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Mary to be deserving of worship She's to be esteemed but not worship

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They regard her as having been coronated the Queen of Heaven upon her ascension She's reigning in heaven now on a throne according to Rome The doctrine of Mary's assumption into heaven we would argue is a false doctrine not taught in the

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Bible This is the teaching that Mary in both her soul and body Ascended into heaven and is now reigning there

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As they themselves say at their utter death Mary the mother of Jesus was assumed body and soul into heaven

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This could happen did happen indeed had to happen because Jesus himself is risen from the dead in his human body

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The Eternal Father did not allow his faithful son to undergo corruption this Jesus who was crucified

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God has raised him up exalted him at his right hand in glory. And so it was fitting indeed necessary That the

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Divine Son should be in the first place associate with himself in glory the woman From whom he took his human soul and body as the instruments of our salvation

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Mary the instrument of our salvation no, the Bible doesn't teach that and And of course

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Rome claims in heaven Mary hears and answers the prayers of Christians Many of the prayers of the

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Rosary are prayers to Mary Here are instructions to Catholics taken from Catholic website

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Which it said familiarize yourself and your group with the prayers of the Rosary and there are eight items listed

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You make the sign of the cross second hold the crucifix say the Apostles Creed third on the first bead say our father

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For hail one Mary on each of the next three beads So you're praising

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Mary Say the glory be Six for each of the five decades a decade is a section of the

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Rosary announce the mystery and Then say our father seven while fingering each of the ten beads of the decade next say ten hail

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Mary's while meditating on the mystery and then say a glory be and After finishing the decade some say the following prayer requested by the

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Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima Oh my Jesus forgive us our sins save us from the fires of hell lead all souls to heaven especially those who have most need of your mercy and Then eight after say the five decades say the hail

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Holy Queen Followed by this dialogue and prayer pray for us. Oh Holy Mother of God that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ Let us pray.

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Oh God Who's only begotten Son by his life death resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life grant we beseech thee

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There while meditating on these mysteries of the most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary we may

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Imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through the same

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Christ our Lord. Amen and We would say that is a very unbiblical

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Elevating of Mary to a status never set forth in the Bible These teachings require

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Catholicism to infuse Mary with divine Attributes think about it

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They're deifying Mary Mary must be omniscient that is all -knowing for she can hear and know the needs and hear the prayers of people offered simultaneously all over the world

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They infuse Mary with omnipotence and that she must be all -powerful that she can answer the prayers offered to her and So in elevating

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Mary to divine status that are robbing the true God of his glory. They're deifying her

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Now they would deny that We would argue biblically speaking the

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Word of God That Mary ology is gross idolatry that God condemns frequently and clearly in the

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Bible But here in Luke 8 21

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Jesus subordinates not denigrates He never denigrated his mother. He cared for her at his cross.

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He secured her well -being under John the Apostles care But he subordinates the relationship of his mother and his brothers to the relationship that he has with those who hear the

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Word of God and obey it Isn't that amazing in? His attitude toward his father in heaven and in the practice of his messianic calling a son of God natural kinship had to be relegated to a subordinate place

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Jesus said my mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God and do it. These are true Christians They hear the

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Word of God, but not just hear it. They do it The true

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Christian is not just one who hears the Word of God and believes it He hears the Word of God believes him and does them

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What does it mean to do them Well, I read JC Ryle what he expressed and he said it in a nutshell

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The man who hears the Word of God and does it is the true Christian He hears the call of God to repent and be converted he obeys it

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He ceases to do evil and learns to do well He puts off the old man and puts on the new

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He hears the call of God to believe in Jesus Christ for justification and he obeys it

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He forsakes his own righteousness and confesses his need of a Savior He receives Christ crucified as his only hope and counts all things lost for the knowledge of him

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He hears the call of God to be holy and he obeys it He strives to mortify the deeds of his body and to walk after the

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Spirit He labors to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets him This is true vital

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Christianity all men and women who are of this character are true Christians Consider that standard over against professing

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Christianity And so we see that in this second section of our passage and a consideration

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It also underscores the importance of not just hearing but also obeying the Word of God and then the third section even the winds and seas obey him and This third division of the passage were considering Jesus and his disciples traveled by boat across the

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Sea of Galilee When a major storm arises threatening their lives they were to arrive the next day at Gadara and we'll take this up next week

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Lord willing Where Jesus would encounter a demon -possessed man and deliver him from Satan's bondage.

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I Hoping to drown Jesus and the disciples so they couldn't get over there and begin to vanquish his kingdom

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That's speculation. The scriptures don't indicate that However, we do know the devil has the ability and authority to cause great physical calamities to come upon people

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Through through nature, don't we? Consider the opening chapter of Job the slain of Job's sons and daughters

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Was the devil's work, of course given permission by God So we know

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Satan rules. He's the prince in power of the air, but thankfully we know that God overrules Satan who rules all of his malicious intention and actions

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He seeks to destroy you harm you overthrow you But Jesus prays for you.

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And so everything the devil does actually turns out for your for your well -being Must be to his great frustration.

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The devil must be the most frustrated creature in all of all of creation

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Well here again our Lord Luke's words it happened on a certain day. He got into a boat with his disciples He said to them let us cross over the other side of the lake

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They launched out as they sailed he fell asleep a windstorm came down on the lake.

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They were filling with water We're in jeopardy. They came to him awoke him saying master master were perishing

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He rose rebuked the wind raging of the water they ceased there was calm and he said to them, where is your faith?

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He was not unsettled by anything he was asleep Where's your faith but they were afraid marveled they were afraid because of what he did

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Calming the sea who can this be for he commands even the winds and water and they obey him

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Now there are different lessons for us in these verses. One of them is evident Lord rebuked them for their little faith

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For they should have had confidence in his willingness and intention to preserve them and not allow anything to destroy them and Those Christians that that may lack lack assurance of salvation.

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Maybe that's the problem there You have you're looking at yourself, perhaps

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More than you're looking to the Lord Jesus who has made very definite promises that he's going to keep you

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But one key to the identifying the major emphasis of a narrative episode is to look at the concluding statement

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Which is often a summary or a conclusion drawn by those who observe what happened and it's often put in direct speech within quotation marks

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And here we have in the last statement They were afraid and marveled saying to one another who can this be for he commands even the winds and water and they obey him end of episode

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And so that's the point of emphasis If even the winds and seas obey him should not all things should not all people obey his word and So we see once again that this third section of our passage underscores the importance of not just hearing but also obeying the

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Word of God Obedience to Jesus Christ should be the response of every command to every command that Jesus Christ issues

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Now I want to give a word of application And I first want to acknowledge to you that none of what follows is original with me

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I Came across this the other day. I thought this is wonderful and I thought if it's going to help me or benefit me

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It might benefit you too So I had to greatly edit it to get it down into you know, the few pages we have here

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But I thought it would be good Thomas Boston was a wonderful preacher Scottish Presbyterian pastor of the early 18th century and he expounded on a command of our

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Lord Jesus It's within our passage that we already emphasized And so I thought it would benefit us

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By by setting it forth before us the title of his sermon was how the word is to be read and heard

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How are you to hear the Word of God As typical of Puritan sermons after explaining the meaning of the text which he did

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He then gave a primary doctrine or teaching from the text Boston and considering Luke 8 16 and following drew the doctrine from our

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Lord's words in verse 18 Therefore take heed how you hear that's the main doctrine he says he took from this passage and Then he stated the doctrine as they hearers of the word would profit by it.

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They should take heed how they hear it That's the main point of emphasis Well, then his sermon is basically how do you do this?

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This is an admonition inferred by our Lord from the parable of the sower the preceding part of the chapter in which he had shown

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The very different events of people's hearing the word to some it was effectual To more it is not

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Take heed therefore you how you hear he says Much depends on the right manner of hearing the word and the case is the same as to the reading of it

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For therein we are to hear God speak by his word men may hear what is very good and yet get no good by it

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Unless they hear in the due manner Here I shall consider that one point how we should hear or how the word is to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation

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Answer that the word may become effectual to salvation. We must attend thereunto a diligence preparation and Prayer receive it with faith and love and lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives

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In that one sentence he just described a sermon But then he broke it down He said there are three things necessary to be heeded and practiced if we would so manage these ordinances that is to hear the word of God rightly

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There are some things that we are to do before hearing the word something we should have done before coming to church today and there are some things that go along with it while you're sitting here hearing the word and Then there's some things to follow after hearing the word some things that we ought to do after the close of church

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Let's work through these quickly in the little bit of time we have First some things are to go before hearing namely preparation and prayer

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How many of us gave Much time or effort to preparation and prayer for coming to hear the word of God this morning

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First preparation and this preparation he says lies in five things First getting the heart impressed with an awful sense of the majesty and holiness of that God and to whose presence we are going and Whose word we're about to hear we've used the illustration in the past Suppose we came on Sunday morning walked through the doors and all of a sudden we walked into the throne room of God You know

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Revelation 5 4 and 5 it would we'd be impressed by it, but that's what we're doing spiritually

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Though the voice is on earth the speaker is in heaven God is speaking to us and we should consider it so as to come to hear what

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God says to us And then he gives scripture throughout this and the more this be in our experience.

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We may expect the more good by the word Second banishing out of the heart worldly cares that are lawful at other times perfectly good yesterday

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But Not today on the Lord's Day, perhaps the heart going after the world at such a time renders the word ineffectual

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But a contrary disposition is a token for good to be Christ minded and centered third application of the blood of Christ to the soul for removing guilt and doing away any

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Controversy between God and the soul the laborer stood before the entrance and to the temple that they might wash

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There who were to go in and so spiritually happy they who come thus washed to hear the word

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For they may expect a whole communion with Christ therein So we prepare ourselves to hear for purging the heart of carnal and corrupt lusts and affections

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This is to put off one's shoes when coming on the holy ground Laying by the earthly frame and putting on a heavenly one

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For what good effect can be expected on the heart filled with corrupt lust passions prejudices nourish and not striven against Surely none at all

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It's impossible to profit by the word where the heart is full of vain and carnal thoughts and and and projects

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And some people come to church they haven't given much thought to God all week long They haven't read the word or whatnot.

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And then when they leave, you know, they complain because they weren't blessed Well, you know the fault may lie with us as a church may lie with me as a preacher but it may lie elsewhere also

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Fifth lastly stirred up in the heart spiritual desires As newborn babe desire the sincere milk of the word and this is not for new

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Christians This is all Christians year to be as a newborn baby who craves the mother's milk why so that you may grow thereby

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Longing for communion with God seeded glory in the sanctuary The supply of soul wants or needs and particularly for something suitable to our case

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Lord, I've got this special need please speak to me and therefore a deep consideration of our own case is a necessary part of preparation and If properly attended to would be attended with great blessings

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You come looking anticipating hoping This preparation for the ordinances and he's talking about hearing the

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Word of God preached is necessary considering two things especially the greatness with whom we have to do and Secondly the way to the work.

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We won't go into detail and So preparation, but then he says secondly prayer

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We should be much in prayer before we go to the ordinances before we go to church Family prayer and secret prayer therefore ought not to spend the

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Lord's Day morning. So as not to have time for these If he would have good of the word read or preach pray and pray earnestly before it

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Pray and then he lists a number of things you ought to pray for before you come to church

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Pray for assistance to the minister Amen Hence the

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Apostle Paul wrote brethren pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified

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We ought to pray that every week Pray that the

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Lord himself would come out with him with the minister Directing him instructing him exciting him what to speak and how to speak.

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It is rare to see a lively people under a dead ministry and Therefore people's own interest should engage them in concern for ministers.

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It would be for your benefit, wouldn't it? and then Pray for a meal to yourself

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Psalm 119 18 open down my eyes that I might see wondrous things out of thy law Pray that God would direct the word to your case and send it home on your hearts with his blessing that you may be in light and sanctified strength and humbled raised up by it as your case requires and in order to attain this pray and wrestle earnestly and And third for an outpouring of the

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Spirit in his own ordinances agreeably to the Lord's own promises Proverbs 20 123 this is a wonderful proverb

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Behold, I will pour out my spirit onto you that yourselves and others may be bettered by the word

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We need the Holy Spirit to and to help the word to be beneficial for us

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And then he said now this both this preparation of prayer before and being done be where you don't depend on these these preparations

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Remember that all depends on the Spirit's influences and that he is debtor to none The wind blows this

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Holy Spirit blows where where he wants cry Therefore that the Spirit may render the word effectual you don't depend upon your preparation

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You depend upon God and his mercy and grace Well That's preparation now

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What about while we're hearing the Word of God taught or while we're reading the Word of God some things are to go along with hearing first attending to go along with with With hearing first attend the word diligently and this applies

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Waiting diligently upon the ordinances and even preaching and reading the word publicly and whatnot in church

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So as people make it their business to catch opportunities for the word let none slip which providence will allow them to overtake

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Take every advantage when the word is presented They that are only chance customers to ordinances.

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They only come to church once in a while whose attendance is ruled by their own conveniences Without conscience of duty causes them to take them only now and then as their fancy takes them cannot expect good of them

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Blessed is the man that heareth me watches daily at my gates waiting at the post of my doors

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Second diligent attention to the word Isaiah 55 hearkened diligently unto me listening carefully to it as a matter of the greatest weight

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Keeping the mind off other things in the time. That is why you're listening and bending it wholly unto the word and in this

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There's four things that we can we can more Specifically identify first outward gravity and composure without which attention is marred be focused

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When I was in my church in Munich International Church English -speaking church, we had

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Christians from all over the world Maybe a third British a third American 10 %

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German and then everybody else from all over the world, but we had about a dozen African asylum seekers and These were generally very poor men

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There were a few women when they came into church. They came in silently They would sit and pray with their hands clasped.

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They had sent such a holy Reverence and desire and they're really quite offended at the casual nature of all the

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Europeans and Americans coming in The way they treated one another and one was horrified that a man had his arm around his wife

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That's just unseemly to them The whole point is they were serious minded about that what they were doing and they prepared themselves

01:00:02

There was no lightness whatsoever on their part. There was an outward gravity and composure

01:00:09

Second a fixing and bending of the ear and mind to what is spoken Hence is that counsel of the wise men my son if that will receive my words and hide my commandments with thee

01:00:20

So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding People must take care that they be not wandering in their heart and then and while the

01:00:30

Lord's words sound before them I Have a book at home how to deal with wandering thoughts

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Well under the teaching and preaching of the Word of God a whole book written by it on it

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Third a discerning of what they hear so as distinguished between truth and error the quarrel and chaff

01:00:50

In other words, you don't just embrace what we say you weigh it as the Bereans. Is this is what the scriptures say and Forth an endeavoring to know the mind of God and his word to hear with Understanding this to attend not only to the words, but to the names wrapped up in these words

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You can think a lot faster than I can speak And as you're listening, you know other matters may come to mind

01:01:18

There's a great need of attending on the word with diligence and making serious work of it for first the matter in hand is of the greatest weight

01:01:25

It concerns eternity. It is a treaty of peace betwixt God and our souls it is the proposal of a method to preserve our souls from ruin and And Second because at best we will have much ado to hear as well as we ought we're naturally dull of hearing of God's Word that's that's how we normally are and So we're to be attentive as We listen and lastly if we do that not thus attend we lose and and our loss is great

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Thomas and Again, this man who wrote this is Thomas Boston Another man at that time

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Thomas Brooks. I wonder why they're all named Thomas Thomas Watson they're my favorite Puritans and here he knocks the

01:02:11

Apostle Thomas because he wasn't he wasn't with the other apostles the night of the resurrection

01:02:17

Remember, he wasn't present doubting Thomas They said we saw the Lord I won't believe it's the

01:02:23

Lord till I see the prince in his hand and the and the you know, the his open side Well Thomas was there the next

01:02:29

Sunday night But here he makes reference to Thomas Thomas missed one occasion of meeting with Christ and unbelief got in upon him doubting

01:02:38

Thomas And that word which we miss may be the most suitable in our case Which therefore

01:02:44

Satan watches to carry off from it how often you know, Pastor Jason somebody posed the question, you know

01:02:51

I wish I heard that knew this or knew that well, I addressed it last week, but you weren't here You know, that's common the devil wants to distract us or draw us off from the very place where we can receive most benefit from the word and Then secondly, we need to receive the word rightly and this lies in two things

01:03:11

Receiving it with faith and then with that he adds two more things you affirm it you accept it and then it's a face of Application applying it to ourselves hear it and know thou for it is good

01:03:24

And then secondly not only receiving it with faith, but receiving with love middle of page 10

01:03:31

Faith receives the word is true. Love receives it as good That's it what a wonderful statement faith receives the word as true

01:03:41

All right, but love receives it as good and good for us Good is the word of the

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Lord which thou has spoken said Hezekiah to the prophet And Under this law for the word a love of esteem highly prizing it

01:03:56

Secondly a love of desire after it thirdly a love of complacently in other words satisfaction with it

01:04:03

We owe this love to the word of authors for the author's sake Psalm 119 consider how

01:04:09

I love thy precepts for its intrinsic Excellency, thy very that word is very pure.

01:04:17

Therefore doth my servant love it and Then thirdly you lay it up in your hearts as you're listening to it

01:04:27

Our hearts and memories are to be storehouses for the word and there we were to lay it up as it comes into our hands

01:04:34

Thy word have I hidden mine heart says the psalmist that I might not sit against thee How can those expect good of the word who let it just let it go just as it comes?

01:04:45

But we should catch hold of it and retain it and not forget it One of the best compliments

01:04:52

I received as a preacher, I Followed a very very good preacher in our church in Munich He was there seven years and he was very is a wonderful speaker

01:05:05

But I had a man tell me he said, you know when when Ronnie used to preach

01:05:10

I was really you know Overwhelmed with the truth of it. But with you

01:05:15

I find myself thinking about it on Wednesday and I I'll be satisfied with that Amen We should lay it up as a precious and enriching treasure last page and Then there are a few things that ought to be done after we hear the word after we leave here

01:05:36

Meditation on it in your hearts The psalmist thus describes the good man in his law.

01:05:42

Doth he meditate day and night some want This is the harrowing or the tilling of the seed sown and the means to sink it down in the soul and keep it fast

01:05:53

Jesus said let these sayings sink down into your ears this is the way to guard the word that it may not slip away a sovereign help to a leaky memory

01:06:04

Ensure yourselves to meditation on the word and you'll find your memory surprisingly strengthened one particular will bring on another one truth meditated on will recall another to your remembrance and afford you a vast delight and pleasure and Second conferring of it on your discourse.

01:06:22

No, we're talk about it. And of course he quotes Deuteronomy the words which I command thee this day shall be on thine heart

01:06:29

You should teach him diligently to your children You should talk of them when thou said it's in the house and when thou walkest by the way

01:06:37

Luke 24 Jesus with the two Disciples on the road to Emmaus.

01:06:42

They talked about the scriptures on the way and Thirdly lastly the main thing is practicing it in our lives the main thing

01:06:51

That on the good ground are they which in honest and good heart having heard the word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience

01:06:59

Wiping off your spots adorning yourselves and holiness of life by the glass of the word

01:07:05

Who so looketh into the perfect law of Liberty and continues therein? He being not a forgetful here, but a doer of the word

01:07:12

The word not heard but not practice the hurt the word heard but not practice will sink men deeper in damnation

01:07:19

But heard in practice too will bring them into eternal salvation Then be careful to practice what you hear.

01:07:27

Otherwise, it'll do you no good and then he concludes with two inferences No wonder most of the hearers of the gospel get no good of it

01:07:37

They are at no pains to prepare for hearing it Wrestle not in prayer for the Lord's blessing upon it

01:07:43

Receive it neither with faith nor love are not Solicitous to lay it up in their hearts and as little of practice in their lives

01:07:50

How can they reap benefit by it when they use not these commanded means? good question and Here's a way to get good of the word

01:08:00

However, little good is done by it this day Prepare for hearing it pray earnestly for the blessing of God to accompany it

01:08:07

Receive it with faith and love and lay it up in your hearts and reduce it to practice in your lives.

01:08:16

I Found his words helpful and encouraging and I thought they would be instructive for all of us

01:08:22

God help us To be better hearers of the word and that we might be true doers of the word.

01:08:30

Amen. Let's pray Thank you father our God for and not only for your word

01:08:37

But the servants of your word who have been so diligent and faithful in the past We're so privileged our

01:08:43

God to have readily available to us access to those who have

01:08:49

Displayed your word clearly before us Help us our God to be faithful and true to love your word

01:08:56

Intently our God to be resolved to obey it faithfully we are in need of your great grace to enable us to do so our

01:09:05

God and So fill us with the Holy Spirit not just while we're here listening

01:09:11

But as we go forth that we might live according to your word that you've taught us and that we've learned and will glorify you

01:09:18

Our God for enabling us and thanking you for your kindness and mercy to us in Christ in whose name we pray