Faith and Works (John 13:12-20 Jeff Kliewer)

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Sermon Notes: notes.cornerstonesj.org Faith and Works

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Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming to Cornerstone Church. I want to just rally everyone together.
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Thank you for fellowshipping together and enjoying each other's company. That's what we're called to do is to fellowship with each other, encouraging each other, praying for one another.
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It's great to see little pockets of conversations and prayer, things that are going on in each other's lives.
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It's great to hear and great to see. I wanted to draw your attention to a Connect card that we have.
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The Connect card is available in the back on our offering box on the back table.
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I can also have ushers run around and give you one if you need one. If you've been here once or twice, maybe you've never seen this, you can fill this out.
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This just gives us the ability to contact you, to say thank you for coming. We want to welcome you this morning the best way we can.
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If you need one, just slip up your hand, someone will get one to you. We also have pens available if you need one.
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If you just fill that out, you can put it in the offering box in the back. That's on the back wall, black box on the back.
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Or you can give it to anyone that you see up here. They'll get it to the right person and we'll send you a thank you note.
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Also, for those who would like to know, on the back of that card you can put some prayer requests. So if you want to put a prayer request in, just fill that out, slip it in the box there and we'll make sure we're praying for you.
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You can also do that on the church center app. The church center app has a section where you can go and put in your prayer request.
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You can also have the ability to check off if you want it to be private or not. So we can keep it internal with the leadership or something that you might want other people to pray for during prayer meeting and things like that.
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So if you use those, great. Put them in the offering box in the back.
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I think that's all I have. John, you have a sub -announcement for us? It's awesome to be together in fellowship this morning.
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We're going to be considering God's truth. That's always an important thing.
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The world is obviously out there going after you and if you read in the book of Proverbs, it's very ripe with the dichotomy of the world's folly of truth as it's available, only available through God.
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Proverbs 2 .9, speaking about those who are instructed by God, then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity and every good path.
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After the world teaches as hard as they can what they want you to know, what they want you to accept, go to the
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Lord because he is the one, he is the source of all truth. He is the foundation for how we would perceive righteousness, justice and really equity.
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We have some announcements for you tonight. We have every alternating week we get together on Wednesday evening for fellowship.
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This week is going to be a movie night and I've been told that there's this coin. It's a coin that will help you remember the reality of truth and I guess if you come,
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I've been told if you come Wednesday night, you'll be given one of these coins. They're actually kind of nice and having something like this just to remember the truth of the true message.
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So just an encouragement to come out Wednesday. We are continuing to be in prayer for our building.
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We had our 24 hour prayer and fast, but the seeking after God for his direction is something that is so, so very, very important.
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Be in prayer, be in prayer that the church leaders will receive God's direction and that we as a congregation will be unified as we move forward.
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So be in prayer for that. We're going to be having a congregational meeting.
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I don't know when this will be brought up as to where we stand, but it's the first announcement for that congregational meeting.
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Also in June on the 11th, that's about three weeks from now, is our baptism service. It will be out there.
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If you are preparing for baptism, we've had classes. I think the second one is going on today.
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If you desire baptism, haven't gone through the classes, it's not too late. Contact myself,
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Jeff, somebody up here, one of the elders, and we will work with you if you have the desire for baptism.
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And if this time doesn't work for you, you want baptism, don't be dismayed. In September, we'll be going back out to LBI and do an open water baptism out there also.
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We want to encourage you in that way. The evangelism classes are continuing. If you've been coming to them and you've been hearing the expression about what it means to be prepared, what it means to be responsive when it's there.
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I know that over the last couple of weeks for me, doors have opened that I didn't expect to be open.
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And the opportunity just to talk. I was with my barber, she was cutting my hair, and we had a 15 -minute discussion on scripture.
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It's be ready, be prepared, in season and out of season. Join in with the evangelism classes.
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We have a prayer meeting as normal tonight at 6 o 'clock, so please come for that.
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The VBS is coming up and it's going to be at the end of July and into August. Some quick announcements about that.
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There is a flyer available in the foyer for you to pick up, for you to hand out to friends, neighbors, family, those who might be interested.
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So please take those. There's going to be a meeting for anybody who is involved in the
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VBS June 3rd. That's in two weeks following second service.
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There is a need for people to help out in different functions. They're looking for somebody who could coordinate snacks, somebody who perhaps could coordinate games if you have a leading calling for that.
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It would be a great way to serve. You can register your children online on the flyer.
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There's a QR code that you can use to open up an app and register. I think you can also go to our website and register the children that will be coming.
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So please take advantage of that. The dates of the VBS are going to be July 31st through the 4th.
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They'll be in the evening from 6 to 8 in the evening. Let's turn to prayer. Then you will understand righteousness, judgment, and equity in every good path.
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Lord, we pray for understanding of your truth. We pray that through the
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Holy Spirit, through the power of your word, we would have discernment. Lord, that we could recognize true righteousness as opposed to the world's preferences.
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Lord, that we would understand true justice as opposed to the world's definition of what is fair.
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And that we would understand from your perspective equity as opposed to the world's definition of what is owed.
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Lead us, we pray, Lord, down your path of truth. As the proverb declares, when we seek, we will receive wisdom and truth from God.
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And then we can follow this path down your sovereign will. Guide us, we pray,
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O Lord. Lord, by your grace and through your Holy Spirit, teach us even this morning.
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Let your truth instruct and mold us into your children. Be with those, we pray,
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Lord, those that are in need. We need to hear your word, we pray, Lord, that our hearts would be opened.
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And so be with our pastor as he brings the word to us this morning in Jesus' name.
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Amen. Can we stand together? Give thanks to the
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Lord, our God and King. His love endures forever.
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For he is good, he is above all things. His love endures forever.
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Sing praise, sing praise.
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At an outstretched arm, his love endures forever. For the life that's been reborn, his love endures forever.
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Sing praise, sing praise.
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Sing praise, sing praise.
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Forever God is faithful, forever.
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Rising to the setting sun, his love endures forever.
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And by the grace of God, we will carry on, his love endures forever.
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Sing praise, sing praise.
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Sing praise, sing praise.
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Forever God is faithful, forever, forever.
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Psalm 145 says, I will exalt you, my God and my King. I will bless your name forever and ever.
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Let's sing together, how great is our God. I'll bless your name, oh
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God, each day that I'm away. From dawn to setting sun, your greatness
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I'll proclaim. Your glory far exceeds all human thought.
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So with each breath I'll bless your name, oh
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God. Your name will be revered by children yet to come.
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As generations sing of the wonders you have done.
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Your strong and mighty deeds are always near.
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Oh God, most high, your name will be revered.
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How great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.
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How greatly to be praised.
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When we call out to you, you hear our cry.
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Oh, why we need to be praised.
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Forever without end, creation will rejoice.
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When works of wicked man you finally destroy.
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Your power will proclaim. When Christ is said, and you will reign forever without end.
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How great is the Lord and greatly to be praised.
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How great is the Lord our God. How greatly to be praised.
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So that we may grow, prayer this morning.
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Speak, oh Lord, as we come to you.
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To receive the food of your holy word.
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Take your truth, plant it deep in us.
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Shape and fashion us in your likeness.
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That the light of Christ might be seen today.
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In your acts of love and our deeds of faith.
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Speak, oh Lord, and fulfill in us.
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All your purposes for your glory.
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Teach us, Lord, of obedience.
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Holy reverence, true guilty.
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Test our thoughts and our attitudes.
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In the radiance of your purity.
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Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see.
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Your majestic love and authority.
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Swords of power that can never fail.
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Let the truth prevail over all unbelief.
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Speak, oh Lord, and renew our minds.
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Help us crash the heights of your praise,
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Lord. Choose a change from the dawn of time.
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That will echo down through eternity.
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And by grace we'll win the cross.
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And by faith we'll walk the path to glory.
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Speak, oh Lord, till your church is built.
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And the earth is filled with your glory.
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I hope that's your prayer this morning. We have 32 of our teenagers at Black Rock Retreat in Pennsylvania right now.
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So they'll be getting on a bus to come home. So let's open in prayer for them, for their safe travels.
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And also for us now as we get into the word, that we would hear his word. Gracious Heavenly Father, we do pray for the teens that are coming back from Black Rock Retreat.
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We pray that you would give them travel mercies, that everything would go well with the bus. We also pray in Jesus' name that they would come back with fire in their hearts that doesn't burn out.
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Lord, that they would come back fully devoted disciples of the King of Kings. Lord, we pray the same thing for ourselves, that we would be humble in your sight,
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Lord. We pray first of all, Lord, that you would cleanse us. We confess our sin before you.
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Cleanse us with hyssop that we may be clean. Wash us and we will be whiter than snow. We pray that by the opening of your word this morning and hearing what you say, that we would be changed from the inside out, that you would make us more like Christ.
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Teach us to wash the feet of the saints. And help us in your word this morning as we study, in Jesus' name, amen.
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Mark 16, 15 says, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
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Every creature. Now that refers to human creatures, not to physical animals.
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In first service, we had a little church mouse visit us. I've never seen this happen in all my years, but a little baby mouse came running up here.
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People were, feet were popping up and he came right up to the altar to get saved.
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And instead, we kicked him out the church. It was quite an eventful experience.
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But when Jesus says, preach the gospel to every creature, he's referring to humans, not to washed little feet.
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It was an interesting thing that happened, but I'll tell you a true story of what happened in the 1970s.
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You're familiar with the hippies. Well, the hippies were considered the most loathsome of all creatures to many conservative people.
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I mean, they were Marxists in their thinking. And those who understood the word of God realized that if we adopted these hippie values of Marxism, then we'll end up like Venezuela, or the old
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Soviet Union, or Mao's China. It always ends up the same way, and it's not a good place.
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They were against the natural family in many ways, preferring communes and rejecting the nuclear family.
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They were hedonistic. The hippies believed in pursuing pleasure, not in hard work.
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In fact, if anybody would carry on the nine to five, you know what they'd call them? Squares.
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That's a square. And they believed in, instead, pursuing pleasure. And they even believed in psychedelic drugs.
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And by these drugs, they would have some mind -blowing experience, and they would think that from that experience, they were encountering the deeper things of God.
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And the revelation that they took away from this was that God is in everything, everything is
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God, and essentially, they themselves are divine. So those who believed in the
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Bible often were frustrated by the hippies. One day,
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Chuck Smith, a pastor of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, Arizona, was none too pleased when his own daughter brought home a hippie.
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And Chuck was kind of looking down his nose at this young man, but was surprised to find that he had put his faith in Jesus Christ.
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And his heart began to warm to this man, and this man came to Costa Mesa, to the church.
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And Chuck welcomed him, and a small group of his friends, these hippies, began to come to Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa.
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Now, imagine the conservative Christians who rightly rejected the hippie values, how they viewed these hippies coming into Calvary Chapel.
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They were looking down their noses at the hippies. And the church had just invested money in brand new carpeting.
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Now, this introduced a problem because the hippies had yet another value, and that was what is called the
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Nellipot value. To be a Nellipot is one who goes about barefoot. And so they would come in with their dirty feet and walk around in the church, and it was getting the carpet dirty and greasy, and it was annoying many of the people.
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So now you had all this drama inside the church. What was the pastor to do?
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Well, on a Sunday morning, as the people came into the building, and a group of hippies approached, there you found
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Chuck Smith. With a basin of water, and some towels, and some chairs.
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And as the hippies came into the church building, he had them sit down, and he himself got down on his knees, and he asked them to put their feet in the water basin, and wash their feet, and he washed their feet with his own hands, and then dried them with the towel, and welcomed them into the church.
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This physical act of service, this foot washing, resulted in the salvation of that small group of hippies, which then turned into dozens, and then hundreds, and then thousands of hippies coming to know the
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Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, surely there were some that didn't come to a full saving knowledge, they didn't actually get saved, or maybe there were still some other issues involved with that.
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But the fruit of what Chuck Smith did, by welcoming them, by himself serving them, and lowering himself to bend down and wash their feet, was a massive revival that swept this country.
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When you go to Calvary Chapel, Philadelphia, and you listen to Joe Foge preaching, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, through the
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Bible, for these 40 or so years, realize that Joe was one of those hippies.
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I don't know if he's one of the ones that Joe washed his feet, but he was there from the very beginning. And Damian Kyle, and Greg Laurie, and these men who have been preaching the gospel for all of these years, how many
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Calvary chapels are there in Pennsylvania and New Jersey? The fruit of the washing of feet.
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He humbled himself, and God honored that with a supernatural outpouring of power, and a demonstration of grace.
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There's a lesson to be learned from this. Church, if we are the redeemed children of God, we need to be willing to wash the feet of the saints.
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To lower ourselves, to serve, to get to work doing the work of the
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Lord. Let's turn to this story, this famous and important story in John chapter 13. And today we'll pick up in verse 12, and continue on through verse 20.
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Before we read it, we have to be reminded of where we were last week, and the first part of the story.
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You'll recall that Jesus, right before he was betrayed, the night before he was betrayed, met with the disciples in the upper room.
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This so -called Maundy Thursday. When he would give the commandment, the mandate to love one another.
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It began with the washing of feet. Jesus, the King of Kings, the
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Lord of Lords, the Lord of Glory, humbled himself and took off his robe, and wrapped a towel around himself, and went from disciple to disciple, washing their feet.
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And he came to Peter. Peter didn't understand. And Jesus had told him, right now you do not understand, but later you will.
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And Peter said, do you wash my feet? And Jesus had told him, you don't understand now, but later you will.
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So what did Peter say? Never, Lord, you will not wash my feet.
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And Jesus answered, if I do not wash you, you have no share with me. My hands and my head as well.
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He wanted a share with the Lord. But mysteriously, Jesus said, the one who has had a bath needs only to have his feet washed.
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But is completely clean. Peter didn't understand what that meant.
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And it is a bit confusing, isn't it? Well, as we discussed last week, in this washing, there is a revelation of the gospel of Jesus Christ that the one who believes in Christ coming in faith to him is washed completely clean.
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Your sins will never be counted against you. You are fully justified and clean in his sight.
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You have moved from unclean to clean. And you will never again be regarded as unclean.
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You are justified by faith alone. And through that faith in the
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Savior, Jesus Christ, you are forever redeemed. In the water of washing of renewal by the
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Holy Spirit, regeneration, the new birth, you have come alive. Now, so why then do you need your feet washed?
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Because we continue to progress through this dirty world. And we're walking these dirty streets.
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And there are times when we step in the mud. Each of us will sin in this
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Christian walk. And so we must keep coming back to him confessing our sin, asking for forgiveness.
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And each time he washes our feet. We've never become unclean.
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We're always justified. You don't lose your salvation. But you must keep coming to him for the course of your life because you will be soiled by sin.
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And that is the point. We understand that by the full testimony as we read the Bible backwards, right?
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As we see the later revelation shining light on these things that Peter didn't understand at the time.
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We understand the washing of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, which is the new covenant,
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Ezekiel 36. So then let us continue on. Verses 12 to 20 now takes us beyond that teaching to the example that Christ set for us to emulate.
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The ones who are justified by faith are now to go out and do as Christ has done for us.
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When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, do you understand what
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I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord and you are right for so I am.
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If I then your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
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For I have given you an example that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly,
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I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
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If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you.
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I know who I have chosen, but the scripture will be fulfilled. He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.
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I am telling you this now before it takes place, that when it does take place, you may believe that I am he.
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Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
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Believing that Jesus is Lord comes before we can do any good work acceptable in his sight.
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Until we've been washed, until we have this understanding, the knowledge of salvation, the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ, even our best works are like filthy rags before God.
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For by grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works so that no one may boast.
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Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. Look at John 12 verses 12 and 13. When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, do you understand?
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In verse 7, this question of understanding is something that will be later revealed.
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Here in the text, Peter does not fully understand. Verse 7 tells us that.
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But we in the new covenant looking back on this event do have understanding and the understanding that we have of this washing is the difference between life and death, heaven and hell.
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It is the most important thing to understand. It is the understanding of salvation itself.
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That no one will be justified in the sight of God by works. But that we must be washed.
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We must be clean. We must be forgiven through faith. Salvation is by believing.
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Look at verse 13. You call me teacher and Lord and you are right for so I am.
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Salvation is by believing in Christ. But the understanding in this text is the helplessness of man.
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Peter could not wash himself. There is a kind of cleansing that comes from God in him alone.
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Prior to this revelation of justification by faith in Christ people are constantly trying to justify themselves to remove their guilt by doing good works.
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Probably the most famous example of this is the one who founded the
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Protestant Reformation. A man named Martin Luther. In his early years he was a monk and he would spend four hours a day in confession.
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His heart tormented because he was aware of this one thing and that is that no matter how righteous he could be outwardly in his heart he still had covetousness and sin and layers of guilt that he could not remove and the weight of guilt was heavy on his shoulders.
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He was commissioned by his order in Germany to travel to Rome to bring a question to the
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Magisterium to the Pope and his workers and as Martin Luther approached
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Rome he saw the glory of the city of Rome and from the outside it was shining with splendor and his heart leapt inside of him because this was the holy city but when he got closer and began to walk the streets of Rome his heart sank because what he saw was unrestrained the priest said nothing and did nothing to restrain the wickedness of the people and so Martin Luther this is the year 1510 he comes to the great steps of Rome now the tradition of the
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Roman Catholic Church is that these were the very steps upon which Jesus was tried when he was before Pontius Pilate they believe that as relics these stones of the steps were brought to Rome and now there were these 28 steps ascending and the pilgrims would come and climb those steps to have their sins forgiven indulgences given for that pilgrimage and as Martin began to climb the steps in Rome a voice the voice of the
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Holy Spirit through his word if anybody says they've heard the voice of the
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Lord ask them what chapter and verse this was Romans 1 17 and as he began to ascend the steps of the
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Lord the just shall live by faith began to echo in his mind he didn't understand it at the time but when he got to the top step he looked back down behind him and he said to himself who knows if these things be true the seed of doubt was planted in his mind he returned from Rome and he began a deep study of the book of Romans and of Galatians and one day by a supernatural revelation without this revelation no one will see
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God he was reading Romans 1 16 and 1 17 the gospel is the power of God unto salvation unto those who believe to the
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Jew first and to the Greek for in the gospel a righteousness of God is revealed from faith and for faith as it is written listen the just shall live by faith and that was the gospel that opened his mind he realized that no flesh will be justified in the sight of God no one can climb a stair to heaven no one can perform a penance or by an indulgence against the selling of indulgences to spring souls out of purgatory and later the church would understand that there is no purgatory at all the gospel is the finished work of Christ that he shed his blood on the cross once and for all and accomplished redemption for those who have faith in him leaving no work for the sinner to do but that Christ has done that work on our behalf and he clothes us in the robe of his righteousness and that robe of righteousness is seamless and perfect and we are clean that's what
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Peter didn't understand in John 13 verse 12 but would later preach you cannot piece together a tattered garment of your own righteousness by performing penances by purchasing indulgences or taking pilgrimages or even the sacraments the so -called sacraments of the
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Roman Catholic Church none of these things can make you righteous in God's sight these are a tattered robe patched together by man but it does not make a man right before God we must start here look again at verse 12 do you understand what
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I have done for you the washing of the feet is only a picture of the washing of his blood the one who has put faith in Christ is completely clean in the words of the text your sin washed away and never to be credited to you again because the righteousness of Christ a perfect righteousness is clothing you and counting you crediting you as righteous this is
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Romans 4 -5 to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly his faith is credited as righteousness it's the gospel now church all of us who have come to believe this gospel of sola fide faith alone all of us have come under the blood we are completely clean and that must be the starting point without this you are still like a hamster running in the hamster wheel you're trying to get somewhere but you're going nowhere when you come with empty hands before God and you say have mercy on me
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I bring nothing he takes you by the hand he rescues you and he is the stairway to heaven he brings you where you cannot go justification is by faith alone not by any works that you contribute now we understand this we have been in the church some of us for a long time and this is really kind of Christianity 101 but as you read on in the text there was more to the meaning of verses 14 and 15 and that is that the one who has been justified is now to follow this example you call me teacher and Lord we've said and you are right for so I am if I then your
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Lord and teacher have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another's feet picture
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Chuck Smith bending down lowering himself to wash the feet of my tippies he physically and literally fulfilled what
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Jesus called him to do for I have given you an example now if you try to follow the example to earn righteousness you boast and you do nothing but for the one who has come and been washed and been clean now we have an example to follow that you also should do just as I have done for you guys you think that this is to be obeyed literally or figuratively
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Ambrose in Milan who was the preacher that helped Augustine come to saving faith he actually would practice public foot washing and Augustine agreed with him and commended it as a good and right practice of the church so I wouldn't condemn
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Christians who for centuries have done this but as you continue reading through the New Testament unlike baptism and communion which are ordinances of the church you never see a command toward foot washing because I think it's very clear that this was a stark example as he says here of what kind of heart and service we should give if you wanted to serve me the last thing that I would want you to do for me is wash my feet that would be no service to me because we wear shoes and socks in our culture and I would have to clip my toenails and it would just be annoying it would be no service to me
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I'm sure you would agree the only other mention of foot washing is in 1
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Timothy 5 with the widows and a widow is a widow indeed who's worthy of the church's support if she's offered hospitality washed the feet of the saints and done these other services to the beloved that had nothing to do with ordinances she wasn't washing ceremony no this means when people would come to her home she would wash their feet because in that culture at that time you went about in sandals and your feet would pick up dirt and mud and it was a service when you came into the house to wash the feet of the saints but what does that look like in our culture it looks like being willing to come and serve in the sparkle and shine team and clean the toilets or evidently there's a church mouse so if we've seen one there's probably more to make sure that we never see another church mouse in this house again serving being willing to do whatever it is that God calls you to do so why would you do that you're already born again you already have heaven you're already completely clean let's read on the third point first of all justification is by faith not by serving secondly though that we do have an example we should do like Christ not necessarily physically washing feet but being willing to lower ourselves and serve the church the third point is that there are blessings rewards to those who serve verse 16 truly truly whenever you get that verily verily that amen amen you should perk up listen
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I say to you a servant is not greater than his master nor a messenger greater than the one who sent him if you know these things blessed are you if you do them that word blessed means happy joyful it speaks of a reward to the one who does this many of us would imagine that the happiest place that you would have your happy place is down the shore or enjoying a weekend getaway where you can summon the waiter to bring you a drink and you watch the water and relax but according to our text this morning happy is the one who serves you want to know joy in your life be the servant who's given over to the work of the
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Lord be the one who is serving the saints who is teaching the creation
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Bible school or sparkle and shine or doing whatever it is that you can not to get a reward on earth but aware of this promise now listen this is very important look at verse 17 it says if you know these things blessed are you if you do them does it really make a difference how we live our lives in this world if all of us justified by faith are already going to heaven?
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Does it really matter? According to verse 17, blessed are you if you do them.
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There is a blessing. There are rewards associated with what we do for the
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Lord. And what matters here, the joy, the blessing that comes, is in this life, but also in the life to come.
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It may be that your life does not get better as you serve, but in fact, things get more difficult.
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And it could be easy, if you don't know the promise, to begin to lose heart and say, well, why is it even worth it?
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I don't seem to be getting anything out of this. But if you know the promise, then you're aware that you are storing up treasure in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.
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There are rewards. Time and again in the New Testament, we learn about rewards in heaven. Those rewards are based on what we do while we're here as Christians.
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But it's not just the outward obedience. It also has to do with the motivations of our heart.
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In verse 16, it says, a servant is not greater than his master. If the master bent down and washed our feet, how much more should we who are servants be willing to serve?
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The parable that Jesus tells is of a servant being commended, and he says, that's just my duty.
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That's just what I do. I'm a servant. And that's the attitude that we should have when we serve.
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In 1 Corinthians 3, verses 10 and following, we are told that there are many people who will get to heaven and discover that their rewards have vanished.
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Because even though they were doing what they were told to do, their heart was not right.
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If anyone builds on the foundation, and there's no other foundation but Christ, if anybody builds with gold, silver, and precious stones, his reward will enter into heaven before him.
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But if anybody builds with wood, hay, and stubble, the fire will reveal it to be worthless in that day.
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And that person will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved as through the fire.
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Now, of course, the Roman Catholic Church will teach that this refers to purgatory, but that's nonsense because both people are entering into heaven, but one of them has lost something.
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What has been destroyed? How has this person suffered loss? It is the loss of rewards.
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Their work was shown by the fire as the Lord tests not just the outward appearance, but the heart, the motivation, the intentions.
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When you serve with a pure heart, it is like building the church with gold, silver, and precious stone.
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But the Lord will test the quality of each one's work. And when we go into glory, you yourself will be saved as through the fire.
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There will be levels of reward in heaven, and some will lose reward because of how they live their life on earth.
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The attitude of a Christian should be to pour oneself out to the
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King of Kings, knowing that the Lord will then bless, as we're told here, will put a crown on your head, a reward on your head, and your vision of that comes from Revelation, that you take that reward and you cast it right back down at his feet.
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I'm just a humble servant. You have done everything for me. You washed me. You cleaned me.
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I've only done my duty. Why are you rewarding me? And you give all the glory back to God, expecting nothing.
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You lay your work at the feet of the Savior and entrust it to him. And if that's how we'll be in heaven, we must be that way on earth.
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A servant heart works in the church without expectation of reward.
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Perhaps never to see the reward on earth. When you serve that way, the
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Lord will bless you with happiness, because it's the person with a victim mentality who thinks,
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I deserve to be honored. I deserve to be rewarded for the things that I do, who will go through life miserable, constantly miserable, because constantly feeling owed something, whereas the servant heart, who understands what
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Christ has done for us, will realize that anything you ever give is nothing compared to what he's done for us.
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He's the master. We're the servant. I am not a victim. No matter what happens to my work, if I never see the reward of it,
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I'm offering it from my heart unto Christ, and I'm trusting it to him against that day.
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This is the meaning of the text this morning. Verse 16, consider yourself a servant, not greater than your master.
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Be aware there is a blessing, and I'll tell you the flip side of this. The person who gets this lesson, the lesson of the foot washing, will be the happiest people on earth.
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It's what it says, blessed, happy. Verse 17, you will be joyful, because when your starting point is justification by faith, the washing of blood, everything you're given beyond that is just icing on the cake.
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You're already saved, and so it really comes down to that justification. If you're saved, there's somebody here,
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I'm sure, who doesn't yet believe. You're saying, well then how can
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I believe? We close with this in verses 18 to 20. I am not speaking of all of you.
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Not all of you will be blessed, he says. Not all of you are saved, not all of you are justified. I am not speaking of all of you.
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I know whom I have chosen. Now before you jump to the conclusion here, as Calvin did, that this is referring to predestination of election.
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Other places do teach that doctrine. This is not referring to that in the context. The ones he has chosen refers to the 12.
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Turn back a couple of pages to John 6, verse 70. Again, speaking of Judas Iscariot, and how not all of them truly belong.
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John 6, 70, Jesus answered them, did I not choose you, the 12, and yet one of you is a devil.
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The chosen, turn back to John 13, verse 18. I know whom
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I have chosen. It's referring to the choosing of the 11 unto salvation, yes, but it also includes here the choosing of Judas, who's about to be the worst traitor in the history of the world.
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And the point that we cannot miss can be summarized by Genesis 50, 20.
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What they meant for evil, God meant for good. That in Judas' betrayal, meant for evil, and coming from his own heart and his own will,
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God had intended and planned this for good from before the foundation of the world. His plan was not thwarted.
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It was written. In fact, he wrote it ahead of time. Look what it says in verse 18. But the scripture will be fulfilled.
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He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me. It's quoting from Psalm 49.
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I'm sorry, 41, verse 9. He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.
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It was written and foretold, prophesied, that Judas would betray
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Jesus. If anyone lacks faith, this morning you don't believe that Jesus is the
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Christ. You don't know your need for his cleansing blood. You're not sure that he rose from the dead. How do you know that this is true?
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The ground of faith given us in this passage is the prophecies that were written ahead of time that are fulfilled in the life of Christ.
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Look at 19. I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place, you may believe that I am he.
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Where does faith come from? If you're sitting here this morning saying, well, how can I believe? If all of it comes down to whether I believe that Jesus is the
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Christ, that I am he, as the text says, how may I believe? Romans 10, 17 says, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.
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Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send, that's the preacher of the gospel, the one bearing the word of God, proclaiming thus says the
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Lord and quoting the scripture, the messenger. To do this is to receive
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Christ. And whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
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Church, you know that one of my favorite subjects is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in the life of Christ.
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This is the ground of our belief. This is how we know what we know. It's how our heart becomes awakened to faith that we would trust
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Christ with our entire lives. Nobody is willing to bend down and wash the hippie's feet unless they first fully believe that Jesus is the
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Christ. No missionary leaves the comforts of the richest country in the history of the world to go overseas and preach the gospel unless they believe.
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You know, I saw an image that cracked me up. It was a young lady at a
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Starbucks working on a MacBook computer that had to have cost three or four thousand dollars.
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It was like the Mac Daddy of MacBooks. And on her... the back of her computer screen it said,
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End Capitalism. And I thought, you really do not understand where that MacBook came from.
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We live in the wealthiest society and the most prosperous, most comfortable society precisely because of freedom of exchange.
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And the doctrines of capitalism coming out of the scriptures. Who leaves the
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United States of America to go live in the bush of Erie and Jaya? Like my friends who mentored me in Tampa.
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Gary and Johanna Fowler who left everything behind to go bring the gospel to a tribe.
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Who does that? Who washes feet that way? The one who truly believes and who knows that their reward will be in heaven.
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Church, let me just briefly say this because we're running out of time. Even in the betrayal of Jesus by Judas you have the fulfillment of at least four amazing prophecies in the
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Old Testament. It's said in Psalm 41 verse 9
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He who dipped the bread with me has lifted his heel against me. Jesus will dip bread and give it to Judas as Judas goes out to lift his heel like a death wound to stomp him in the head.
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Genesis 3 .15 Using his heel against the Son of God. And Jesus in fact will be dealt that death wound the very next day.
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Psalm 41 .9 Again in Psalm 55 verses 12 and 20.
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His own companion, his trusted friend I could have endured if it had been an enemy but it was my own companion, my trusted friend who has betrayed me.
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The prophet is foreseeing the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. A third example in Zechariah chapter 11 verses 12 and 13.
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Zechariah is a prophet but the people are rejecting the prophet and he said fine then give me my wages.
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The handsome price at which you valued me. And so they parceled out to him 30 pieces of silver.
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And by the prophetic word he took that and threw it in the house of God to the potter.
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In the life of Jesus he was valued at that very same price.
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The handsome price at which you valued me. What am I worth to you? How do you value me?
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Judas said I'll betray you for 30 pieces of silver. The very same price that the prophet
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Zechariah was priced at. And in fulfillment of that prophecy
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Judas then was overcome with guilt and he came back to the priest to turn it back in and undo the deal but the priest said no, you keep it deal done.
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And he took the 30 pieces of silver and threw it into the house of God on the temple floor fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah.
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And they picked up the money but they said we can't put it into the treasury because it's blood money.
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This is what we paid for Jesus' life. His life was worth 30 pieces of silver.
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And so what did they do with the money? They bought the potter's field. Give it to the potter.
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Zechariah chapter 11 verse 13. Everything is coming to pass exactly as prophesied.
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The fourth example is Ahithophel. Ahithophel was a trusted counselor.
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The most trusted counselor in all of Israel. David would listen to whatever he had to say.
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But there came a time when David's own son rose up in rebellion against him.
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And David had to run for his life and here comes Ahithophel the trusted friend, the companion of David the advisor to David.
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And he tells Absalom how to kill King David. You track him down right now you strike while the iron's hot you chase him down and you kill him before he has a chance to regather.
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And had Absalom listened to Ahithophel he would have tracked down David to kill him.
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That's how 2 Samuel 16 relates it. 1 Samuel 16. But he instead listens to Hushai a friend of David who says no, no, don't chase him down.
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First bring the whole army gather the troops and then go look for him. And meanwhile
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Hushai sent advisors to David secret friends to let him know what Absalom was doing and David was able to escape.
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So you know what Ahithophel does? The betrayer, the Judas Iscariot the
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Benedict Arnold having betrayed David he goes into his house and hangs himself.
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A picture of Judas hanging from a tree. You see the prophetic image there?
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Because Jesus is the son of David the king of Israel and the son of David was betrayed the same way
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David was by his trusted advisor. And after that betrayal Ahithophel hung himself and Judas hung himself.
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How do you know that the Bible is true? What John is saying here in John 13, 18 -20 is that faith comes by hearing the
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Scripture. When you hear these stories when you see how God wrote it all ahead of time and then fulfilled it your faith comes by hearing.
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And we need to be able to share these things when we're out witnessing in the world. And so when it does take place you may believe that I am he.
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So an application in closing do nothing church, do nothing for God until you've settled this question in your heart.
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Until you've put your faith you've come empty before Christ and thrown yourself at his mercy.
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Have mercy on me the sinner. Do nothing until you're born again.
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Every penance you offer every stair you climb every coin you throw into the coffer or prayer you say for the dead or prayer you offer for your own soul is meaningless and worthless until you come under the blood of Jesus Christ.
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It's the only cleansing. There's no other fountain no other way to be clean. You must come to an end of yourself and you will be justified by faith alone.
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Romans 3, 21 There is no other way to come. But now listen.
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That's the starting point. If you've come begin to wash the feet of the saints.
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Realize that you are a servant. If the teacher would wash your feet this way now you must go wash the feet of the saints.
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You must be willing to do whatever it is that's asked of you. And you must be willing to do it with the heart of pure motive and pure intention as gratitude as if you're owed nothing.
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You just bring the best that you have time, talent, treasure bring it all to the king and you throw it at his feet.
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And I'm going to tell you what he's going to do. He's going to reward you with joy in this life and everlasting pleasures at his right hand that you cannot even think of at this moment.
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And on that day you're going to take those crowns of reward and you're going to cast them right back at his feet in worship and your joy and his glory will be the same thing.
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You will have ever increasing joy in heaven. Rewards that far surpass anything that you give up in this life.
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And even in this life you will walk with joy. Paul writes Philippians from jail and mentions joy 27 times.
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It's the letter of joy, he's the apostle of joy and yet he suffers more than anybody on earth.
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Where does joy come from? Serving the Lord? Being poured out in service to him with the right heart?
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You'll be blessed for that. And so believe the good news. If anybody's listening to this message maybe online or here in the room and you haven't done that continue to hear the word of the
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Lord. Read the prophecies, read the gospel of John again and again and again until faith comes by the word of God.
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Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for your word to us this morning.
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We're here with empty hands. You owe us nothing but wrath.
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We deserve nothing but death and eternal separation from you. But thank you
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God that you sent your one and only son to atone for our sin. Thank you for the blood of the lamb.
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Thank you for washing us clean. Completely clean. Forever clean.
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You say in Hebrews 7 .25 therefore he is able to save to the uttermost. Jesus, you have saved us to the uttermost.
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Thank you for that salvation. Now help us to serve you with pure hearts to bring our best before you to pour out our lives like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from the saints.
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Accept our little gifts so small, nothing compared to what you have done for us.
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Help us to always have that heart of service. I pray that every person in this room would be willing to wash the feet of any hippie that would ever come in.
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Any person in need. Those dying. Those in pain from divorce.
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Suffering the ravages of sin in the world, in the flesh, in the devil. God, we pray that we would be those who wash the feet of the saints.
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You've done it for us. Now help us to follow your example with joyful heart. We look forward to the day of reward.
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In Jesus' name, amen. I once was lost in darkness night
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Yet thought I knew the way
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The sin that promised joy in life Had led me to the grave
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I had no hope that you would own
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A rabble to your will And if you had not loved me first I would refuse you still
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But as I ran my hell -bound ways
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Indifferent to the cost
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You looked upon my helpless state
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And led me to the cross And I beheld its love display
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You suffered in my place
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You bore the wrath reserved for me Now all
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I know is grace
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Hallelujah! Yes, he's my
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Lord How Lord, I would be yours alone
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And live so all might see The strength to follow your call
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Could never come I won't bother using my ransom life
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In any way you choose And let my song forever be
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My only voice is you
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Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
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If you're free, don't forget to come back
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Wednesday at 7 o 'clock for a movie night. Michael tonight has made up these amazing pins to give out to police officers and they're beautiful, they're amazing and they're gonna invite lots of police officers because it's a movie about the police a
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Christian movie made by the Kendrick Brothers I think Michael will let you know, yes? Okay, so guys
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Wednesday night come on out, it should be a really exciting time Let's close with the benediction
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I am 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 for faith as it is written the righteous shall live by faith