Truth in Love... Eph 4:15 (Fear Anxiety Happy Peace)

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Hey, am I live All right, we're having some technical difficulties with our our wireless internet this morning,

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I'm sure you've you've had that before Welcome to truth in love Good morning to you

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Thank you for joining me this morning Ephesians 4 15 it says

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But speaking the truth in love We are to grow up in all aspects Into him who is the head even

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Christ and that's what we want to do is we want to speak in speak truth and love So that we can grow up in in all things into him all things in Scripture I'm not just not just a certain few things, but thank you for joining me

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If I can pray for you type me a low to be able to do that We'll have a time of prayer at the end

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And you can join me in prayer. I'd love to be able to pray for you Thank you for letting me be a part of your your community part of your family

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Thank you for letting me be a part of your time a

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Lot of folks are talking about the the coronavirus now and and so they should

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I have seen a lot of videos a lot of post on How how we as Christians should handle this time of anxiety of fear with with the coronavirus and But I'm not gonna

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I don't want to specifically just talk about the coronavirus this morning. Everybody else is doing that and and I don't want to bombard you or Do an overkill on it because other people have said some wonderful things about How we as Christians should should handle this time mm -hmm with Us in our nation right now and and and I would encourage you to to listen to those folks and listen to your pastor who's reached out to you about about the coronavirus and their church and I've already mentioned a couple things in past videos about how we

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How we as church members? Should Should encourage our pastor one of those things was about giving as church members

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Give give your pastor freedom to speak truth a

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Lot of times our pastors feel constrained to only speak about a few things and if they step across that line

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They they have fear in that church member. Give your pastor freedom to speak those truths whether it's uncomfortable to us

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Or not if it's from scriptures, but if it's if it's the truth give him the freedom to speak that now test all things

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Scripture tells us to test all things make sure they're they're of the truth, but give your pastor freedom to just speak the truth

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In love to you to his congregation Allow him to to shepherd the flock of God among him according to the will of God and the other thing that I said

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Hey, Mike, I remember you for sure Absolutely The other thing that I said about about our pastors are

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Time constraints, I believe I mentioned that last time Our pastors feel like they're they're under such time constraints with their sermons

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And we don't see that example in Scripture. We we see them in Scripture For a long period of time and and our pastors go 20 minutes 30 minutes.

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We start looking at our watch They go past 12 o 'clock and we get angry at our pastor. He goes too long But as Christians as church members, we should desire the pure milk of the word and say pastor

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Give us the word leave your watch at home Give your pastor freedom

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To preach the word to you And no matter how long it takes

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Dive into the word allow him to dive into the word and The other thing that I want to mention this morning.

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I've seen several posts Pastors and other folks have have noticed that there have been some

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Complaining maybe condemnation For for decisions churches are making in wisdom for their church in consideration of the coronavirus

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Give some leniency to your your pastors your elders and the leadership of your church

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As they try to make prayerful wise decisions Give them that freedom and give them some grace and leniency as you would want others to give to you

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They they love their congregation. They want to make the best decision for their congregation So so allow them to have that and trust in them

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Trust in the ones God has appointed to shepherd over you as they're making prayerful wise decisions

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So I hope I hope you will be encouraged to think about those three things three things concerning your pastor this morning

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If I could pray for you, I'd love to be able to do that If you have any questions I'd love to be able to chat with you talk about the

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Bible talk about church If you just want to say hi, I'd love for you to do that. So say hi

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But I wanted to talk about fear anxiety happy and peace Not just because of the coronavirus so many others are speaking well about that and how as Christians we should handle that but We just don't experience fear and anxiety

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During a pandemic, right If your experience is is anything like mine you felt fear anxiety

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When there's no pandemic going on, right? and you've also felt happiness and Peace at times in your life.

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I hope We we've been in both directions. We've we felt both emotions

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The fear anxiety depression, we felt happiness peace contentment

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And so that happens all the time. It's not just it's not just during pandemics

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And so we need encouragement from Scripture because we deal with these things all the time

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Not just during a pandemic. So I hope these things that we say this morning will encourage you

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If you have any questions or want to make any comments or corrections Please feel free to type in or message me and let's let's work on this together

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Um So I've got

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I've got two columns over here The column and one column says fear anxiety depressed unhappy downcast upset weak gloomy sad and desolate

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Now the other column says happy cheerful carefree glowing blessed elated blissful ecstatic and peace

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I'm sure if you're anything like me, you've you've looked at your own life, or you've looked at someone else's life and You've seen them

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Doing something they love or you see them in a good mood And you say about yourself or about someone else you say boy there they are living it up right, they're living it up or They they are in seventh heaven

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Have you ever heard anybody say that or you've thought that through to yourself boy, they're living it up That's when you see people in this column over here.

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Happy cheerful carefree growing glowing blessed. They're living it up. They're living life and That's such a wonderful place to be but then

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You're in this other column where you see folks in this other column of fear anxiety depression unhappy downcast upset and And what do we say about ourselves or maybe other folks when we see them in in these caught in this column we say

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Good morning, James Karen We say boy they they are really going through it

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Sometimes we say if we're going through a situation that has us in this column we say this is going to be the death of me, right

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Or sometimes we say about someone else or about ourselves boy, they they are going through hell or I just went through hell and That's when we are in this column fear anxiety depression unhappiness downcast upset we gloomy sad and desolate

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So I see a pattern I see biblical language In in the phrases that we use to describe these two different columns that we're in Living it up where they're living their life or this is going to be the death of me

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You hear some biblical language in that and be describing these two different columns, but I want to share something with you

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These words that describe our emotions when we're in those two different columns where we're we're living life or we're

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This is going to be the death of me These are just symptoms they're just symptoms of That are produced by something else going on inside of us kind of like This stuff right here.

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This is headache relief and This stuff works for me doesn't work for everybody

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But this stuff works for me usually when I have a headache I take some headache relief

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But the problem is with these pills that we take they

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Work on the symptoms They do not get down and solve the actual internal problem.

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They just dull the symptoms and so often when we're in one of these two columns if we're in the

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Living life column we want to stay there, right? So what do we do? We? We we spend money to try to stay there

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Whatever it is that has has triggered us to be in that column We continue to do that.

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Good morning, Dawn If we continue to do that so that we stay in that column

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Whatever it is We do it to try to stay in that column and then when we're in the fear anxiety depression column

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We try to do things to to dull the pain of being in that column Alcohol to dull the pain

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We we delve into things Is Popular thing that we used to say it was folks used to like the love

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So proper novels the love novels that we get into that unreality world non -reality world

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But now we get into binge watching television shows we get into reality TV and we

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We live There because it's not reality. Our mind can get away from reality and get into those shows

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Because it's not reality and it dulls the pain or it helps us to forget that we're in this column of This is going to be the death of me fear anxiety depression and unhappiness so we treat the symptoms so that we can we can dull the pain get out of it or Either stay in this column, but the problem is that doesn't last those things that just treat the system.

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They don't last and Have you ever noticed speaking as a

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Christian? If you're a Christian, have you ever noticed that a lot of times you spend time in the middle, right because Good morning,

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Micah We spend time in the middle as Christians because as a

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Christian the Holy Spirit has given us a desire to be in that column So that's where our desire is to be in that column

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But we also have something pulling us To this other column of death the

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Holy Spirit has it gives us the desire to be in that column of life Of good emotion, but we have something pulling us

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Towards the other column and we oftentimes find ourselves in the middle Kind of teetering back and forth because of that tug -of -war our desire against that pull towards fear and anxiety and depression and That's not the place we want to be either we we don't want to be here.

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We don't want to be in the middle We want to be over here, but we don't want to treat the symptoms because that doesn't last

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We want something that is eternal something that's gonna last So, where do we go?

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Of course, we go to Scripture the places I wanted to go to that I had to go to To talk about this is

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Romans chapter 8 Mm -hmm. So if you're with me if you if you have your

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Bible and you want to to join me Look at Romans chapter 8

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And we'll talk about an eternal perspective on this issue of fear anxiety happy and peace and And how we handle that.

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Hey Lacey Hope everybody's doing well. Good morning to you We're talking about fear

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Anxiety peace and happiness from a Christian perspective So If you'll look at Romans chapter 8 with me, we want to walk through that As quickly as possible to give us an eternal perspective about not just treating the symptom but focusing on the internal Which will have an effect on these symptoms

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So start at the beginning Romans chapter 8 verse 1 It says there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus That's where we have to start

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There's no condemnation. No more wrath. No more punishment.

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No more guilt. No more shame It's over for those who were in Christ Jesus.

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You have to start there None of this works none of this is is of any benefit to us if we don't start here

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We have to be in Christ first and foremost and and how does that happen?

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Well James chapter 1 verse 10 says if we've kept the whole law and yet stumble at one point.

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We're guilty of it all Scripture is clear that we are all lawbreakers. We have all sinned against the

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Holy God We've all missed the mark and we all deserve hell An eternal place of punishment, that's what we deserve

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But the good news of the gospel Says that God sent his one and only son and he lived a sinless life.

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He did what we could not do He died on the cross in our place

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To take the punishment that we deserved Was buried raised from the dead in victory

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Ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God interceding for us and so If we turn from our sins repent and apologize for our sins turn from our sins and turn towards Christ trusting in him

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He will give us his righteousness. He will take away our sin our guilt and our shame and our punishment and He will give us his righteousness that way we can be his children.

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We can be saved we can be born again And we can live eternally

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With him and be free from this as we'll look at so you have to start there You have to be in Christ repent of your sins and trust in Christ That's what we must do and then once once the

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Holy Spirit is with us once we're born again and we're in Christ Then this stuff can be a benefit to us

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So let's start here the introduction to this verse 2 for the law of the

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Spirit of In Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death

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So that's where that language comes in the law of the Spirit of life In Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death right so So the the context is is of course talking about eternal life

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We have the eternal life given to us because of the victory Jesus wanted and on the cross

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We have eternal life But in eternal life there's ripple effects and these ripple effects are the symptoms and these these are the symptoms that we can feel

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As part of our emotions our emotions don't direct our knowledge of scripture But our knowledge of scripture our our salvation our eternity

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Has an effect on On how we feel so Sorry, I'm listening to Kelly in the background.

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So so it does have an effect On our life

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So we we live I apologize got something going on in the background

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All right, so we we're born again and it has has effect life eternal

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But then life on this earth and and this is the symptom of that that good eternal life that we have on the inside And it and the life in Christ has set us free from this.

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That's where we start as Christians So, so what's the first thing

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I've got I've written out four things from Romans chapter 8 Once more here we were born

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God has saved us and we we have life in Christ and we've been set free from death

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What what are the things that Romans chapter 8? Is is pointing us to and I've written down four things focus follow hope and rest

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Focus follow hope and rest. So let's let's look at focus as something that as Christians We can be we can be doing to to keep us over here on this side

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Verse 5 says for those who are according to the flesh Set their minds on the things of the flesh

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But those who are according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit for the mind

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Set on the flesh is death But the mind set on the

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Spirit is life and what it says peace So the first thing that we've got to do as Christians as is orient orient our thinking

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Focus set our mind on on the Spirit on the things of God I think you think about Think about him think about his ways

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And reorient your Your Towards the Spirit about his ways his ways of doing things

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About the life that he's given you. So that's the first thing that we do is is Focus set our mind reorient our thinking towards the

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Spirit and then the second thing follow Verse 14 and 15 for all who are being led by the

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Spirit of God These are the sons of God For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again

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But you have received a spirit of adoption of sons by which we cry out Abba So when we have the

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Spirit of God, we are to be led by him We are to follow the one who is leading the

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Spirit of God is leading us and it made me think about made me think about somebody leading a horse where you put the harness on the horse and And you stand beside of him and you hold the harness and and you you lead him to where you want him to go

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And so the Holy Spirit is leading us where he wants us to go and as a follower of the

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Spirit We don't we don't pull away and and give tension to go back to these

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These things that that give us fear anxiety and depression We don't give into that we

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We follow the leading of the Spirit who will lead us into the these things over here happiness

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Cheerfulness carefree glowing blessed elated blissful that's the column that we want to be in and that's the emotions that we will will feel if Internally, we are following the leadership of the

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Spirit We are led by him and we don't give him tension and pull away from him So we want to focus

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Reorient our thinking set our minds on on the Spirit on the things of God We want to follow the

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Spirit's leading and not give him tension the third thing is verse 24 and 25 for in hope

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We have been saved But hope that is seen is not hope for why does one also hope for what he sees?

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But if we hope for what we do not see we with perseverance we wait eagerly for it the verses just previously to this talk about the the earth and How it's because of the curse it it longs

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It's this redemption of the earth this fulfillment, but here it talks about our our hope in that it says if you

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You something that you can see that's not hope at all because you can see it but but hope is in something that you cannot see and what we cannot see we did not see with our eyes the victory that Jesus went on the cross and we cannot see the the work and the victory in Christ that will come in the fulfillment of Time when when all things are redeemed and we become glorified and so the third thing that the scripture wants us to do in this section is

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Hope in him and not just hope in him, but it's a with perseverance an endurance through through this life wait eagerly

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It's it's it's like a passion and a zeal and a and a laser like focus on the victory of Christ That we know that he won that we know that will take place at the end

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Eagerly awaited. We have a passion and a zeal and a laser like focus set on him so that we can persevere and Make it through this life and our hope rest in him that will get us out of this column and And into this column when our

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When internally our our hope is said and rested on him

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So we want to focus on The spirit set our mind on him We want to follow his leadership.

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He is leading us. So let's follow him. Don't give don't give him tension Don't pull away from where he he's leading you where he wants you to go and and have hope in the victory of Christ what he did on the cross and Where he is where he is taking us where he is leading us.

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And now the last section of Of Romans chapter 8 we find the rest

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Listen to these next verses in in verse 26 and in the same way

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Just talking about hope and waiting eagerly in the same way. The spirit also helps our weakness

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So we have we have a weakness We have a hard time. We have a hard time following.

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We have a hard time hoping and We're weak when it comes to getting over here to this column that we're where we want to be

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So we have a weakness the spirit helps us in our weakness For we do not know how to pray and this is this is an example of how he the spirit helps us in our weakness

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We do not know how to pray as we should but the spirit himself Intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

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So it's not our groanings. It's not talking about speaking in tongues, but it's it's the spirits groanings

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That we don't understand but When we don't know how to pray when we don't know what to pray for when we're at a loss when we're our

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Hands are empty. Our hands are up in the air and we don't know what to do in our weakness the

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Holy Spirit Intercedes for us. So what can we do eternally?

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Rest in him because he is interceding for us and then

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Probably the most popular verse in this chapter 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 Internally, we can rest in that Knowing that all things will work together for good to those who love

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God those who are called according to his purpose Because God is working them all together for his purposes

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So we can rest in that We can get out of this column of fear and anxiety

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With resting in his promises verse 30 and Whom he has predestined

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These he also called and whom he called these he also justified and whom he justified

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These he also glorified God is sovereign.

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God did it and if God did it nobody can take it away It it wasn't up to us

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It's up to God and he is powerful enough to save us and keep us and it is done

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It is settled and we can rest in his work of salvation in us

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We can move out of that column because we are in God because of God and It can't be taken away from us verse 31

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What shall we say to these things if God is for us who is against us now?

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We're gaining confidence We're we're setting our mind on the things of the

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Spirit. We're focused on him We are following the leadership of the Holy Spirit We're hoping in his victory in the on the cross and in the future

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And we're resting in him And when we're doing those four things We can have confidence.

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We can speak with confidence if God is for us who is against us verse 32

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He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all

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How will he not also with him freely give us all things? in verse 33

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Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies

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So what can we say there? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? Can we say?

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Coronavirus You can't come against me. You can't condemn me

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In the context we can say that in the context. We can't we can't twist scripture and say that We have a bubble around us and the coronavirus can't get to us.

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That's Twisting scripture, but the coronavirus cannot condemn us. And what do

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I mean by that? That sounds funny to say but what do I mean by that a lot of times?

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People think or we think that If I get the coronavirus if I get the flu if If someone in my family gets sick if someone in my family or if I get diagnosed with something that God is punishing me

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Verse 33 is saying who will bring a charge against God elect Coronavirus, you can't do it cancer.

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You can't do it flu. You can't do it death. You can't do it You can't bring a charge against God's elect

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Why because Jesus was punished for our sins on the cross if you are born again if you are in him

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Jesus Received the punishment for our sins, so the coronavirus the cancer the death the flu the

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The things that cause us to be in fear anxiety and depression are not Punishments against you because Jesus received that on the cross

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So do not let the the coronavirus that can't whatever it is to bring a charge against you if you are in him

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Because Jesus took it on the cross. We are not being punished Jesus took care of that.

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God is the one who justifies verse 34. Who is the one? Who condemns

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I think that is a rhetorical question Here's it Here's that confidence when we're focused when we set our mind on things of spirit when we're following him when we have our hope in Him when we rest in him

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We hold up our hands and we say Who is the one who condemns and you look around and there there's nobody

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Nobody That's the confidence that we can have and confidence brings us out of this column into this column confidence in Christ And you look around and there's nobody looking back.

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Nobody pointing a finger who can condemn us nobody Christ Jesus is he who died?

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Yes, rather who was raised who is at the right hand of God who? also intercedes for us

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So we don't just have good morning, Amanda We don't just have the Holy Spirit interceding for us, but we have

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Jesus interceding for us two persons of the Godhead Interceding for us on our behalf

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In our weakness And we can rest in that Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

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Here's that confidence again Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?

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Just that is as it is written So he's got this confidence But yet he's going through these trials listen to this just that is as it is written for thy sake

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They are being put to death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered

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They're going through this awfulness Through the in the life that they're living

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But on the other hand, they are able to say who can separate us from the love of Christ in the verse 37

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But in all things we are overwhelmingly calm we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us now

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This verse is oftentimes taken out of context, but what does it mean when it says but in all things we overwhelmingly conquer?

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We are more than conquerors through him who loved us go back to our example here You know that force that seems to pull us that wants us into this column of fear and anxiety

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It is pulling us so hard to get we desire to be over there But we have this pull to Go back over here into this column of fear and anxiety and and it wants us to stay there and to live with it

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Christ has cut that rope and Through him we overwhelmingly conquer because it can't take us over here it can't keep us over here and We have the victory because no one can take us away from life

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No one can take life away from us. So we can we can live life

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We can we can live it up in confidence in Christ and nothing can take us back over here

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Keep us over here. We have victory in Christ. Christ has cut that rope and no matter how hard you feel that tug

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No matter how much you're tempted to be here We have victory in Christ that we will remain over here and nothing can take us and keep us over here in this column

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That's how we're overwhelming. That's how we overwhelmingly conquer through him Christ has cut that rope for I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things

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Present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creative things shall be able to separate us from the love

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Of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord morning, Robert And nothing can separate us from the love of Christ so to wrap it up We've got to become a

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Christian for this to be any benefit to us so If you are if you are not born again if God has not saved you repent of your sins turn from your sins and trust in Christ and Then follow these steps

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Set your mind on things above set your mind on the things of the Spirit focus on him

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Follow the Spirit's leadership. He is leading us. So follow him. Don't don't give him tension and pull back

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Hope in him hope in the victory that has already been won and hope in the victory that is to come and Then rest rest in him that the

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Spirit intercedes for us Jesus intercedes for us that all things will work together for good to those who love

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God and are called according to his purpose rest in his promises and then we can have confidence and know that Christ has cut that rope and Nothing can take us or keep us in this column of fear and anxiety

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Because nothing can separate us from the love of Christ so we can live life in this column

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We can be happy. We can be cheerful. We can be blessed. We can have peace

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Because of what Christ did on the cross. I hope that was helpful helpful for you

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I hope it encouraged you and if if you would like to share anything or chat with me ask questions

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Or or correct anything that was said Please don't hesitate to do that If you would like prayer we're gonna have a prayer time love to be able to pray for you and Thank you for letting me join you this morning if you watch this video later and you would like prayer

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I want you to know that somebody's out there that will pray for you that it that is here Just just type me and I will see it during the week and I will pray for you when

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I see that you've you've posted so Won't remember Mike this morning and Anyone else that that pops up We want to pray for them, too.

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So If you will join me and we will we'll pray together

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Father we we thank you for this time that you've given us I pray for our country and all the countries around the world that are facing sickness on a wide scale

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I pray that you would Help us to understand and learn from it what you are teaching us.

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I Pray for wisdom for those who are in charge that you would allow healing to come to our land

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I pray for Pastors and leaders and the elders and churches that you would give them the wisdom

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To help them to to figure out what is best for their congregation and I pray for the members of their churches that they would

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They would react to behave in such a way that it would give their leadership their elders and their leaders peace in the decisions that they make

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Father well, I pray for also for church members that you would help us to to Behave in such a way that we give our pastors peace and and lack of fear

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So that they can preach the truth so that they can So they don't feel under time constraint when they preach

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But they have a freedom to share your truth and your love from Scripture Father help us as we are pulled as we are

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Tempted to Fall into fear and anxiety And father help us to not try to Manage the symptoms help us to Get to the root of the problem which is which is sin

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Father I pray for those who do not know you that someone would Who would repent of their sins and trust in you that you would save someone today for your glory

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And then you would help us to to focus on you help us to Follow you help us to hope in you and father help us to rest in you and help us to live with Confidence in that column of life help us to live life in that confidence for your glory

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Father we pray for Mike that you would help him as he recovers After the the medical issues that he's been going through father

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I pray for him and This the struggles that he faced decision decisions that he makes give him wisdom.

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I see you will bless him father those who have watched the video Pray that you will bless them help them and encourage them in all things

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Thank you again for this time that you've given us to look at your word together in Jesus name. Amen All right, thank you for watching

40:51

I enjoy spending time with you and I say to you Live in victory.