The Gospel of Luke (#81) Jesus’ Third Prediction of His Passion October 20, 2024

First Baptist Church Leominster

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and please be seated. Pastor Jason will come and read for us our

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New Testament passage today of James 3 which lays out for us probably one of the hardest things that you and I have to deal with in the

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Christian life, taming your tongue, James chapter 3. James 3, let not many of you become teachers my brethren knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment for we all stumble in many ways.

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If anyone does not stumble in what he says he is a perfect man able to bridle the whole body as well.

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Now if we put the bits into the horse's mouths so that they will obey us we direct their entire body as well.

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Look at the ships also they have though they are so great and are driven by strong winds are directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires.

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So also the tongue is a small part of the body and yet it boasts of great things.

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See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire and the tongue is a fire the very world of iniquity.

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The tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body and sets on fire the course of our life and is set on fire by hell.

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For every species of beasts and birds of reptiles and creatures of the sea is tamed and has been tamed by the human race but no one can tame the tongue.

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It is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our

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Lord and Father and with it we curse men who have been made in the likeness of God.

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From the same mouth comes both blessing and cursing. My brethren these things ought not to be this way.

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Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree my brethren produce olives or a vine produce figs?

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Nor can salt water produce fresh. Who among you is wise and understanding?

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Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart do not be arrogant arrogant and so lie against the truth.

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This wisdom is not that which comes down from above but is earthly natural demonic.

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For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there is disorder and every evil thing.

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But the wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable gentle reasonable full of mercy and good fruits unwavering without hypocrisy.

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And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

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Let's pray. Our Father as we reflect on this passage

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Lord each one of us is guilty. Our tongues are indeed a deadly poison and with them we we curse others and we bless you.

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Lord forgive us for our hypocrisy. Help us Lord to be true in our words. Help our speech to be the truth in our communication with others but especially

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Lord in our worship of you. We pray that you would guide us and direct us in all these things.

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And Lord as we continue our worship through the preaching of your word we pray that we would hear these words and the

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Spirit would teach them to us so that we might apply them. We pray Lord that we would leave here with a greater understanding of your majesty a greater ever understanding of our own sin and what we need to do in order to best walk in the manner to which we've been called.

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We thank you Lord for your great grace and your patience in Jesus name amen. So this coming

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Friday is our Bolton conference down in Whitensville Friday and Saturday. A week from tomorrow

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Mary and I will be leaving for two weeks driving to Abilene Texas. We've gone two weekends

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Lord willing. Our son -in -law Darren is retiring from the Air Force after 26 years.

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His retirement ceremony is on Friday the first so we hope to be down there to pray for us who are traveling.

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Also for Rosemary who's leaving for Ireland again on Friday. She'll be gone a few weeks

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I suspect and so may the Lord watch over us and pray for us as we're away and return.

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We're driving I think it's 1 ,900 miles but we'll be staying hopefully with Jason's parents in Ohio the first night,

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Mary's sister in St. Louis the second night, Abilene the third night Lord willing. So let's turn in our

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Bibles to Luke 18 verse 28 and following. This is where we left off last

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Lord's Day. The Lord had just interacted you recall with a rich young man who loved his wealth supremely and who would not depart from his wealth to give to the poor in order to become a disciple of Jesus and so this young man thereby forfeited true eternal riches, eternal life for the uncertain even fleeting wealth of this world.

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What a foolish act and he's living in eternity with regret even on to this day.

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Jesus taught those who had witnessed the interchange of him and the rich man that it was impossible for rich men to enter the kingdom of God.

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It was assumed by his disciples that if it was an impossibility for a rich man to inherit the kingdom of God it would be impossible for anybody.

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The Jewish people assumed rich people were blessed of God, they had ability to give alms and whatnot, merit their favor with God.

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If he can't be saved who can be saved? Well it was a right conclusion it's impossible for anyone to be saved in and of themselves.

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It's impossible for anyone to become and live as a disciple of Jesus Christ apart from the grace of God to enable him to do so to be so.

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Salvation of a rich man of all people is due to the sovereign grace of God.

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So thankfully Jesus assured those before him that with God all things are possible even getting rich men within the gates of heaven bestowing on them his salvation.

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The disciples responded that they had given up everything to follow him. He assured them that they would see great benefit in this life for having done so and in the age to come they would inherit eternal life.

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And then Jesus pulled his twelve apostles aside and instructed them about his impending suffering and death.

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In this way he was showing them that although eternal life is promised the path to it is by way of the suffering of Jesus.

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Here is Luke 18 28 through 34 and Peter said see we have left all and followed you.

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So he said to them assuredly I say to you there is no one who's left house or parents or brothers or wife or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who shall not receive many times more in this present time and in the age to come eternal life.

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And then he took the twelve aside and said to them behold we are going up to Jerusalem and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the

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Son of Man will be accomplished for he will be delivered to the Gentiles will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.

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They will scourge him and kill him. And the third day he will rise again.

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But they understood none of these things the saying was hidden from them and they did not know the things which were spoken.

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Now this is the third occasion in which our Lord makes reference of his passion to his disciples.

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Jesus had earlier taught on two occasions these words Luke 9 the

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Son of Man must suffer many things be rejected by the elders chief priests and scribes to be killed and be raised the third day.

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And not long after that he said to his disciples let these words sink down into your ears attentively carefully for the

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Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. But on those occasions as well as this one in Luke 18 the disciples did not understand the nature or the implications of Jesus for telling his suffering and death.

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Luke asserted this regarding the disciples on one of these earlier occasions but they did not understand this saying and it was hidden from them so they did not perceive it and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

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Luke 9 44. But now that they are nearing

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Jerusalem and the foretold events would soon come to pass Jesus gave further details of what lay before him.

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So here we see for the first time Jesus will be given over to Gentiles to suffer at their hands that's new information.

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And here reference to the prophecy of Scripture is given respecting his sufferings. The Old Testament testified of the

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Messiah's sufferings although they didn't understand that none of the Jews perceived it but if you think about it every sacrifice in the

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Old Testament foretold the sufferings of Christ who would come. And so here is a reference to the prophecy of Scripture given respecting his sufferings.

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This was his destiny to suffer rejection to suffer pain and death and then be raised the third day.

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He would not fail in his calling he would be obedient to his father and to all that was written of him even unto death.

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This was true of his experience from the beginning of his ministry. You recall in the wilderness the devil offered him an easier course to journey to glory one which would entail no pain no suffering of rejection.

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Fall down and worship me and I'll give you all these nations. But our Lord in effect said no

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I'll not take the easy way out and compromise obedience or fidelity to the father for the sake of comfort popularity or self -exaltation.

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I would choose rather to suffer and die than to be unfaithful. It should be so with us.

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Oftentimes alternatives are set before us. One is the way of the Lord which is the path of righteousness but it entails difficulty and suffering.

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The other is a path that glory is the world counts it wealth and honor and worldly happiness and it has fewer obstacles it's the easier more pleasant way humanly speaking.

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But we're to choose the right the good the true the noble way rather than the easy the pleasurable the wrong the evil way.

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The end of one way leads to eternal life the end of the other way of life results in eternal damnation and forfeiture of eternal life.

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Jesus spoke of these two ways in the Sermon on the Mount verses which we would hope that we could all recite from heart.

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Jesus said enter by the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many who go by who go in by it because narrow is the gate and difficult difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.

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Two ways of living two destinies the classic allegory

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Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan presents his way unto eternal life so clearly and in very graphic ways.

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Christian the protagonist of the story in order to arrive at the celestial city must leave his home in the city of destruction go through the slew of despondency depression as it were enter the narrow wicket gate struggle up the hill difficulty past doubting castle and giant despair through the valley of humiliation fighting withstanding

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Apollyon the devil and then onward through the valley of the shadow of death survive temptations and trials of the city of vanity fair and finally pass through the river death the river sticks as it's set forth in classical literature before finally arriving at the gate of the celestial city and so the

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Christian life is a path of faith it's a way of obedience but it's a course of life which is beset with difficulty and disappointment.

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Yes there are occasions of refreshment and encouragement but it would seem in measure only to provide sufficient grace to get us through our next trial that's just before us and this was of course the same path our

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Lord traveled and it's the path his people are to follow the same way Jesus said if anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me this is how the

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Christian is to live but it would seem that an alternative brand of Christianity is always present and commonly offered to the

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Lord's people there are those who promise to present the ideal Christian life to consist of not encountering and enduring suffering and difficulty there are those who say that you can have life to the fullest now and avoid these kinds of things that you can believe on the

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Lord respecting essential matters but then you can order your life in a manner which is not in accord with what you say you believe nevertheless you're going to come out okay

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I once read an excellent little book years ago dining with the devil the mega church movement flirts with modernity written by Oz Guinness the last chapter of the book is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne the classical writer of New England here in the early 19th century known for his story of course the

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Scarlet Letter but many others and this short story in Oz Guinness's book written by Nathaniel Hawthorne is entitled the

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Celestial Railroad it tells of an improved means of travel from the city of destruction to the celestial city as recorded in Pilgrim's Progress a railroad was constructed which carries pilgrims to heaven by bypassing all the difficulty and suffering which

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Christian had to endure a conductor named mr. smooth it away escorted many passengers on their journey the railroad cars were filled with people this railroad was the latest thing which assured the ease of all pilgrims and so a bridge was built over the slough of despond a tunnel was constructed through hill difficulty and what are the burden of sins which

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Christian had to carry on his back they were all thrown in the baggage cart and what of Apollyon that hideous fiend that Christian had to fight with with his armor and sword

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Apollyon was employed as the engineer of the train and of course the train made a long rest stop at the township of Vanity Fair the

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Celestial Railroad here's a brief one paragraph from Hawthorne's chapter the passengers being all comfortably seated we now rattled away merrily accomplishing a greater distance in ten minutes and Christian probably trudged over in a day it was laughable while we glanced along as it were at the tail of a

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Thunderbolt to observe two dusty fellow travelers they're looking down at the path in the old pilgrim guides with cockle shell and staff their mystic rolls of parchment in their hands and their intolerable burdens on their backs the preposterous obstinacy of these honest people in persisting to groan and stumble along the difficult pathway rather than take advantage of modern improvements excited great mer among our wiser brotherhood we greeted the two pilgrims with many pleasant jibes and a roar of laughter whereupon they gazed at us with such woeful and absurdly compassionate visages that our merriment grew tenfold more obstreperous

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Apollyon also entered heartily into the fun and contrived to flirt the smoke and flame of the engine or of his own breath into their faces and enveloped them in an atmosphere of scalding steam these little practical jokes amused us mightily and doubtless afforded the pilgrims the gratification of considering themselves martyrs of course the end of these travelers in this new way to travel to the

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Celestial City the way of ease was the damnation of their souls having been deceived by the devil who had been their disguised escort on this journey mr.

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smooth it away beware of that kind of Christianity that promises heaven without trial or trouble without suffering and difficulty that's not the biblical gospel the

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Apostle wrote we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God and Peter warned his

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Christian readers beloved do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you it's our common lot but rather rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's offerings and when his glory is revealed you may also be glad with exceeding joy and so let's work through our passage first we read that Jesus reaffirmed to his disciples of their destiny in this life and their future heavenly inheritance but then secondly we'll consider the destiny of Jesus the

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Messiah in Jerusalem after he had pulled his twelve aside and informed them more particularly of what awaited him and so first Jesus reaffirmed to his disciples their promised heavenly inheritance after the rich young ruler had refused to become a disciple of Jesus by denying himself and ordering his life in faith and obedience to Jesus's instruction his disciples spoke up Peter was their spokesman and Peter said see we have left all and followed you what was his concern or motivation for making this statement to Jesus Luke does not record it for us perhaps after the

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Lord had declared the impossibility of this rich man to enter the kingdom of God that is to enter to obtain salvation they're two of the same entering the kingdom and obtaining salvation eternal life

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Peter and the disciples were concerned regarding their own standing and relative hopefulness of entering the kingdom one commentator suggested this motivation of Peter Peter always impulsive acted as mouthpiece of the disciples as he frequently did and pointed out to the

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Savior that he and the other disciples had in fact left all and were following him after Jesus's severe pronouncement of the impossibility of salvation for anyone apart from the power and grace of God the disciples probably felt anxious as to whether they themselves might not perhaps also be excluded from the kingdom of God this then was the reason

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Peter spoke thus and we would just add a parenthesis maybe maybe that was his motivation probably it does not seem that Peter had expressed their sacrifice to commit to follow

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Jesus in a proud or boastful manner not in any way at all but Matthew Henry drew a lesson for this might be applicable to some there is an aptness in us to speak too much of what we have left and lost and what we've done and suffered for Christ this appears in Peter lo we have left all and followed they when it came in his way he could not forbear magnifying his own and his brother's affection in Christ in quitting all to follow him but this we should be so far from boasting of that we should rather acknowledge it not worth taking notice of and be ashamed of ourselves that there should be should have been any regret or difficulty in the doing of it and any hankerings towards those things afterwards this may not have been

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Peters attitude or reason for voicing their sacrifice but it does seem that he was setting before the

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Lord the fact that they had turned from much that had advantaged them in order to follow

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Jesus his disciples had done what the rich man had refused to do that's clear however we might contrast the spirit with that of the

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Apostle Paul and his attitude to the things that he had lost supposedly when becoming a follower and promoter of Christ Paul did not boast of what he had lost or given up in order to follow

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Christ but he lamented he had ever lived in neglected defiance of Christ Paul viewed all that had formerly exalted himself in his own eyes and in the estimation of others was worse than worthless it was damnable for as a

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Christian he could see that those things had kept him unconcerned ignorant and in error respecting the person of Jesus Christ he thought with regret and remorse everything he was and he did and thought and believed before that Damascus Road encounter with Christ and Paul had written a warning to the

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Church of Philippi in which he needed to he felt the need to speak of his own past error beware of dogs he's talking about false teachers beware of evil workers beware of the mutilation that's a derogatory term referring to Jewish people who are teaching another way of salvation legalism for we are the circumcision

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Paul was writing to a chiefly Gentile church he includes himself with those Gentile Christians we're the true

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Israel we're the true circumcision not a physical circumcision of the flesh but a spiritual circumcision of the heart we are the true

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Israel is what Paul is saying who worship God and the Spirit rejoicing Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh though I also might have confidence in the flesh we're gonna we're gonna address those terms and think in those terms well

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I could boast more than anyone if anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh I more so circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel the tribe of Benjamin Hebrew the

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Hebrews concerning the law a Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church concerning the righteousness which is in the law blameless outwardly he kept the law of God but then he declared his attitude toward these things but what things were gained to me these

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I've counted loss for Christ yet indeed I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my

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Lord for whom I've suffered the loss of all things did he think about them with regret or remorse no count them as rubbish that I may gain

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Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is from the law but that which is through faith in Christ the gift of righteousness the righteousness which is from God by faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings underscore that we'll talk about it fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death if by any means

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I may attain to the resurrection from the dead so his whole life was lived out in faith anticipating the day of judgment when he would stand in the righteousness of Christ however it appears that Peter was concerned in a measure about his and other disciples standing before God when he expressed the fact that they had left all to follow

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Jesus John Calvin gave Peter a measure of credit in speaking to Jesus in this manner

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Peter tacitly compares himself and the other disciples to the rich man whom the world had turned aside from Christ as they had led a poor and wandering life which was not a kind of unaccompanied by disgrace or by annoyances and has no better condition for the future presented itself he properly inquires if it be to no purpose that they have left all their property and devoted themselves to Christ for it would be unreasonable if after having been stripped of their property by the

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Lord they should not be restored to a better condition so I take Peter's words as sincere all right we know what's going to happen to this rich young ruler he forfeited eternal life but what about us we attempted to do to obey your command which he refused and Jesus would not disappoint them but assure them of the greatest blessing for having done whatever they had done in order to follow him and faithful in obedience and so we read in verses 29 and 30 so he

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Jesus said to them assuredly barely barely I say to you assuredly

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I say to you there's no one who's left house their parents or brothers or wife or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who shall not receive many times more in this present time interesting and in the age to come eternal life the

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Lord assured his disciples that all who have forfeited house parents wife or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will not be a loser for having done so rather he will be richly compensated both in this life and the age to come now the

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Lord does not ask every one of his disciples to walk away from those relationships and possessions and coming to him in faith but every disciple must be willing to do so if the

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Lord called him to do so Jesus was asserting the kingdom of God entailed putting him foremost in one's heart and life above all others

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Jesus must be Lord of all or he will not be Lord at all as has been said for centuries self -denial is the condition of blessing that's of course a manifestation of saving faith as one commentator rightly expressed whoever to inherit eternal life everlastingly must be inwardly free from the power of all possessions as well as from all faith in his own deserts or what he does it thinks he deserves and must be willingly and it must a willingly obey the command of Jesus if he commands us to give up certain things because they hamper our spiritual life we must do so unhesitatingly in each case he acts according to special needs and circumstances of the person concerned he does not call upon everyone to sell his belongings or to leave his family but he calls upon all to surrender to him unconditionally the first place in their hearts and lives that's what true

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Christians do and the grace of God of course enables them to do so isn't the desire to do so and the power to do so by the

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Holy Spirit alone Jesus promised blessing for his disciples both in this life in the age to come becoming a

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Christian and living even in this fallen world is the best possible life one can live in this present time and in the world to come age to come

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Matthew Henry wrote whatever we have left or laid out for Christ it shall without fail be abundantly made up to us in this world and that to come notwithstanding our weaknesses and infirmities no man has left the comfort of his estate or relations for the kingdom of God's sake rather they should hinder rather than they should hinder either his services to that kingdom or his enjoyments of it who shall not receive manifold more in this present time in the graces and comforts of God's Spirit in the pleasures of communion with God and of a good conscience advantages which to those who know how to value and improve them will abundantly countervail all their losses amen to become a

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Christian and to follow Christ with other followers of Christ is a blessed existence we come to be with true brothers and sisters in Christ a spiritual family that is often much closer enjoyable and rewarding than our own genetic generic genetic families we walk with the best of people with the best desires and goals of life we live for the best of causes and we share the best life that can be experienced and enjoyed in this fallen world it's clear that this promise is for all true followers of the

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Lord not just for the twelve or for the larger circle of believers living at the time of Jesus sojourn on earth it's for all who have chosen

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Christ above all else even above their dearest relatives choices earthly possessions they made the sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom of God or as Mark reproduces the thought of Jesus for my sake in the gospel sake these loyal disciples of the

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Lord are promised that they will reimbursed be reimbursed many times over even in the present time that is before the great day of judgment these followers receive blessings do they even now possess the peace that surpasses all understanding joy unspeakable and full of glory the light of the knowledge of the glory of God and the face of Christ and the love of God poured out into our hearts through the

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Holy Spirit who would ever exchange those things and choose the course of the rich young ruler we read for example of the blessed experience of true believers in Jesus Christ in the

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Old Testament better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with trouble better is a little with righteousness than vast revenues without justice and of course

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Paul wrote to Timothy now godliness with contentment is great gain we have the most wonderful possible life in this fallen world that God makes available to people the true believer in Christ would not trade his present life with anything he had before or anything that the world might offer him but although the

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Christian life is the best possible life in this fallen world it is but a foretaste of the greater blessing that awaits the disciple of Jesus Christ again the

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Lord declared assuredly I say to you there's no one who's left house or parents or brothers or wife or children for the sake of the kingdom of God who should not receive many times more in this present time and in the age to come eternal life the

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New Testament speaks of two ages this is important getting in the matter of eschatology how is this world in the last things

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New Testament piece of two ages this age in the age to come Jesus declared in Matthew 12 anyone who speaks a word against the

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Son of Man it will be forgiven him who but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit it will not be forgiven him no it is two ages in this age or in the age to come two ages in Mark's rendering of our passage we read our

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Lord's words assuredly I say to you there's no one who's left house brothers sisters fathers mother wife or children or Lance for my sake in the

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Gospels who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time this age houses brothers sisters mothers children lands with persecution and in the age to come eternal life and then the writer the

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Hebrew Christian spoke of the coming age it's impossible for those who are once enlightened have tasted the heavenly gift and become partakers of the

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Holy Spirit have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come there's the age to come that's speaking of eternity and so with the coming of Christ the

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Bible speaks of two ages the present time in the age to come again which is eternity it does not speak of three ages as some teach a third as being a future thousand -year earthly millennium that's not taught there is but this age in the age to come which is the eternal state and here in Luke 1831

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Jesus declared in the age to come his disciples will be granted eternal life take note that here eternal life is set forth as a future inheritance and the synoptic

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Gospels as well as in the Pauline epistles eternal life is set forth as life with and before God for eternity which will commence after we pass this present age into the presence of God it's a future certainty a future prospect for example

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Romans 622 but now having been set free from sin having become slaves of God you have your faith to holiness and the end everlasting life see how it's set forth as a future prospect

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Galatians 6 8 for he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption he who sows to the

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Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life see at the end of our life of faith we reap everlasting life we'll reap everlasting life after a lifetime of sowing to the

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Spirit that is living by the power of the Holy Spirit but when we read eternal life in the

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Gospel of John in the Johannine epistles eternal life is set forth as a present possession not a future prospect but a present possession

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John 336 he who believes in the Son has present possession has everlasting life he who does not believe the

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Son shall not leave see life but the wrath of God abides on him and Jesus declared and again in in John most assuredly

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I say to you he who hears my word believes in him who sent me has present possession everlasting life shall not come into judgment but has passed from death unto life in John 624 it's recorded

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Jesus saying most assuredly I say to you he who believes in me has everlasting life present possession and so whereas in the synoptics and Paul's epistles everlasting life is set forth as a future inheritance

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John's Gospel and his epistles set forth eternal life as a quality of life presently possessed and enjoyed by the true

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Christian and so it's a different perspective with a different emphasis but here in Luke 1830 everlasting life is set forth as an inheritance that is most definitely assured to the disciples of Jesus Christ it's not a matter of doubt or a hope so but it's yet future can a person be assured of his inheritance of course and here the

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Lord was assured his disciples that their inheritance was assured followers of Jesus may be assured of eternal life no doubt about it are you following Jesus then be assured you have his word on it you will inherit eternal life on the other hand here's a good test as well people say

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I'm saved I've trusted Jesus as my Savior perhaps a good response might be well that's good are you following him are you his disciple if the answer is no you may on the authority of the

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Word of God tell them they will not inherit eternal life regardless of what they claim to believe to believe on the

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Lord Jesus involves trusting him for forgiveness and for following him ordering your life according to his teachings do it as will to them the

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Lord has promised that they will inherit eternal life and that's what the disciples had done we left all to follow you

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Lord you're gonna be blessed in this life and in the age to come eternal life is yours well then secondly we see how

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Jesus taught his twelve apostles regarding his impending suffering and death after Jesus spoke openly the words of verses 30 and 31

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Jesus separated himself and his apostles took them aside and taught them directly of his suffering and death in Jerusalem because they were almost there they were about ready to enter the city of Jericho which was in the

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Jordan River Valley after through Jericho they would travel up through the mountains up to Jerusalem they were just just a day or two away maybe hours away

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Jesus separated himself and his apostles who again teach them directly about his suffering and death at Jerusalem and of his rising from the dead on the third day here again verses 31 through 34 then he took the twelve and said to them behold we're going up to Jerusalem and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the

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Son of Man will be accomplished for he will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon it will scourge him and kill him and the third day he will rise again fascinating verse 34 but they understood none of these things is saying was hidden from them they did not know the things which were spoken amazing as we look over these few verses we can suggest this outline we have the mission of the

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Messiah verse 31 the sufferings in the Messiah verses 32 and 33 and then lastly the ignorance of the disciples verse 34 the mission of the

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Messiah the long journey to Jerusalem from Galilee was nearly completed it would seem that the closer they came to the city the more resolute the

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Lord became in Mark's account we read of the Lord leading the way the disciples astonished while those who followed were afraid through an intensification of what awaited them all were aware a crisis was imminent that great events were about to transpire they were all impressed with his courage and resoluteness to face the challenge squarely

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Isaiah the Prophet says he set his face like a flint describing his journey to Jerusalem from Luke 9 51 and following we read in the first part of verse 31 that the

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Lord took his twelve apostles aside spoke to them the Lord spoke to the twelve privately and directly of what would transpire and I believe in the

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NIV that twelve is capitalized T is specific title for the twelve here we see another instance of Jesus training the twelve that is a prominent theme in the synoptic

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Gospels very famous biblical studies book called the training of the twelve by a

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B Bruce not FF Bruce a B Bruce written in the middle of the 19th century is a classic is a good one why did

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Jesus do this for them these twelve and only twelve well the fact that there were twelve in number is significant for they were a special call a group of men these twelve apostles were special emissaries of Jesus to the world these twelve men would soon become the

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Lord's leaders of the people of God they would be judges of true Israel the

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Israel of God the nation of Israel had been for centuries under the failed and corrupt

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Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and when Jesus established the kingdom of God over Israel and fulfillment of the prophets he deposed the

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Jewish leadership in Jerusalem and entrusted the leadership of his people to those twelve followers the twelve apostles twelve tribes twelve apostles the vineyard of God would be taken from those who had failed to render unto the vineyards owner

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God his rightful due God would entrust his vineyard to new leaders new shepherds who would lead his people faithfully and so these men would render unto

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God his fruit from his vineyard Israel the Bible teaches that the

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New Testament Church is the Israel of God under a new covenant reconstituted comprised not only a remnant of Jews but elect

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Gentiles also who have equal standing in Christ and so the twelve were to be the future leaders of the

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Israel of God they were twelve tribes of Israel there were twelve apostles and Jesus would later twelve declared to these twelve men but you are those who have continued with me in my trials

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I bestow upon you a kingdom just as my father bestowed one upon me that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel judging in the sense of leading them not sitting as a criminal judge court over a criminal case but they were like judges in the

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Old Testament who led the people of Israel in periods of difficulty and even now

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Israel those who are in Christ are being led by these twelve apostles and we have the record of their witness in the

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New Testament they are currently judging the house of Israel and Jesus declared that and so upon them the apostles the entire future work of God would be built the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and their testimony all declared in Ephesians 2 20 and so these twelve men were with Jesus for a purpose they were to be witnesses of what they were about to see unfold in Jerusalem respecting

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Jesus it was fitting that he informed them ahead of time of what would occur and after his resurrection

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Jesus appeared and spoke with them and commissioned them to be his witnesses Jesus would say to them then you shall receive power when the

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Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to be in Jerusalem and in all

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Judea and Samaria to the end of the earth and it's clear from the book of Acts that these apostles were faithful to this task let's consider secondly the not only the mission of the

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Messiah but the sufferings of the Messiah verse 32 what would be the testimony of these twelve witnesses they would testify to the people of Israel even the people of the world of the suffering of Christ of dying

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Christ of the risen Christ who became Lord of all things and of Christ who had one day judged the world but also thankfully of Christ who has the authority to forgive sins and transform lives and so we read in verses 32 33 for he will be delivered to the

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Gentiles we've been mocked insulted and spit upon they will scourge him and kill him and the third day he will rise again and they were eyewitnesses of this but Jesus was not only informing these men to instruct them but he was establishing with them a basis for their fellowship with him and this is an important lesson for us that I'd like us to draw today it is only those with whom we feel or want to be closest that we open our hearts and inform them of our trials and the

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Lord was close to these twelve and opened up to them would lie before him in his sufferings they could be closest to him only a few days later he would ask three of the twelve to come aside with him and pray in the garden with him he desired their fellowship and so here we see a measure of that fellowship with the twelve

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Jesus conveyed sharing his sufferings with them we may conclude several things regarding our fellowship with the

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Lord and with one another from this first our fellowship with Christ is found in suffering

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Jesus said we're going up to Jerusalem there is a unique quality to a fellowship which is born in suffering some of the people who feel closest to me are those with whom

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I've been with when in times they were experiencing suffering I perform numbers of funerals over the years

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Dave two weeks ago was number 115 since I arrived here in Leominster in 1998 but there seems to be a bonding which takes place with those who stand with us in our trials and most of those funerals probably a hundred of them were with probably unconverted people but even now and then

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I will run into one of them one of the family or whatnot and they'll come and speak to me in in a friendly manner because I was with them in their suffering the

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Apostle Paul spoke of a fellowship of the Lord's sufferings Philippians 310 that I may know him we read this earlier and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death by if by any means

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I might attain to the resurrection of the dead and so this type and level of fellowship with Christ is experienced when we suffer and we sense either that we are encountering what he encountered hence a sense of camaraderie with our

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Lord or that he's standing with us in our sufferings and so if you would know

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Jesus thoroughly you will have to encounter this kind of fellowship through suffering those with whom our

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Lord desires to have closest fellowship will encounter in life experiences it in ways parallel his own sufferings these sufferings might include those close to us who misunderstand us reject us or abuse us came unto his own his own received him not when we're suffering as Christians we should ask our

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Lord to reveal to us in what ways our experience is like what Jesus experienced

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I believe the Lord wants to take his people to experiences that parallel his own that we can more readily relate to him and understand what he went through on our behalf and to all and also understand and realize he's with us in our trials he had to do it alone you don't as a

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Christian this will encourage you and strengthen you and enduring your suffering and faith not despairing of hope and peace this is what our

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Lord taught us in Hebrews 12 for consider him who endured with such hostility from sinners against himself lest you become weary discouraged in your souls if you're in your suffering you don't reflect upon Jesus in his sufferings

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I guarantee you your way will become weary and you will become discouraged depressed you will run out of steam motivation desire to continue onward and the answer to that depression on the part of the suffering

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Christian is to reflect upon Jesus in his sufferings and see how similar what you're going through the

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Lord is sovereign and taking us through these things besides the Hebrew says you know right the

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Hebrew says you had it hadn't been as bad as it could be you've not yet resisted the blood striving against sin and you forgot the exhortation you forgot this is the way the

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Lord deals with his people my son do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged when you're rebuked by him for whom the

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Lord loves he chastens and whom he and discourages every son whom he receives if you endure chastening if you continue of faith through it all

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God deals with you as sons as daughters for what son is there whom a father does not chasten none and so first we can conclude that fellowship with Christ is found in suffering if you're not suffering you're never gonna know the kind of fellowship with Christ that others enjoy and experience we may also conclude secondly that fellowship with Christ is found in the scriptures

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Jesus said to the twelve behold we're going up to Jerusalem and all things that are written of the prophets concerning the

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Son of Man will be accomplished if you desire to have fellowship with Jesus you will find him in the scriptures later after his resurrection

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Jesus appeared to two of his followers on the road to Emmaus they were not numbered among this twelve without revealing to them his identity we read beginning with Moses and all the prophets

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Jesus explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself they didn't know it was

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Jesus talking to them but later on even after they knew as Jesus what was it that really stirred their hearts were not our hearts burning within us while he walked talked with us on the road and opened the scriptures to us the lesson one of the lessons of Luke 24 is that even though Jesus died resurrected has gone to heaven you can still enjoy his presence and power through the scriptures and in your fellowship with one another to talking with Jesus about this is sufferings it's a parallel to what we have here the point is that you have fellowship with Christ in the scriptures do not say you're having fellowship with him if you're not in the scriptures your fellowship is of a weak imperfect kind because God speaks to his children through his written word the

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Bible Bible reading is not merely a dutiful exercise we expend without out of out of obligation we meet

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Christ and he meets us in the pages of Scripture the

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Bible is God's Word which gives us a Christ guided tour through history revealing the plan and mind of God which caused the hearts of the disciples to burn within them and the

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Lord says to us as he said to his disciples sit down here open the book and let me show you wondrous things about myself that you know not you look for Christ in the scriptures some only look for ethnic

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Israel in the Old Testament scriptures no you look for Jesus on every page

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Paul declared in 2nd Corinthians 3 that you're you've got a veil over your mind you cannot understand the

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Old Testament scriptures until you see Jesus and then the veil is removed Jesus on every page we interpret the

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Old Testament lot not literally that sounds good on the surface we interpret the Old Testament Christologically everything points to Christ and thirdly we may conclude also fellowship with Christ is found when we contemplate the sufferings and glories of our

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Messiah Jesus said of himself for he will be delivered to the Gentiles will be mocked insulted and spit upon they'll scourge him and kill him so on this occasion the

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Lord gave details of his death which had not been previously revealed he'd be mocked insulted spat upon flogged and killed our

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Lord was forecasting his death in mournful details as one wrote can we imagine endure this kind of treatment it would be hard for us to do so it'd be a whole lot harder if you knew exactly in advance what details were going to fall upon you but the

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Lord Jesus knew he knew a detail what he would experience upon their arrival to Jerusalem but he was resolutely fixed to go there what new details to Jesus revealed to his 12 on this occasion he'd be handed over to the

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Gentiles the Romans it's a new detail which had not been known earlier to a disciple that speaks of his betrayal and rejection of his own people he'd be handed over to the

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Gentiles he was disowned by them he came to his own his own received him not they desired nothing of him but they did desire to put him to death secondly that Jesus would suffer indignity

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Jesus said in Jerusalem he would be mocked insulted and spit upon he was deserving of all honor and adoration as public degraded by these brute animals can you imagine them standing before Jesus on the day of judgment thirdly

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Jesus would suffer abuse and be murdered they'll scourge him and kill him the author of life would be put to death and they would desire a taker of life

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Barabbas the murderer rather than the giver of life Jesus he who had one day judged the world and righteousness would suffer gross injustice and this itself is somewhat of an understatement for the details of the death of the cross are really passed over here but thankfully

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Jesus declared fourthly that on the third day he'll rise again he would be raised the briefest detail is given he'd be raised and then the benefits of his agonies his death his resurrection his ascension his enthronement would be administered to his people but again little detail is given here the reference here to his being raised probably speaks of his vindication everybody the world rejected him even his apostles thought

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God must have forsaken him as he hung on that cross Jesus himself you know why hast thou forsaken me the resurrection was the

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God the father vindicating his son he was righteous not guilty they cruelly put him to death but he was raised triumphantly by the way this is a passive voice of the verb and for and so it speaks of the father's action he would he'll rise again on the third day he was raised from the dead by the father again of the father a sense of the father vindicating his son yet in spite of all this inside information of what awaited him we read of the ignorance of the disciples in verse 33

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I didn't understand verse 34 but they understood none of these things just say it was hidden from them they did not know the things which were spoken amazing we see the disciples were in ignorance despite the clear forthright statements of their master why was this so well the primary reason it was hid from their eyes again we have a passive verb that means

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God hid it from their eyes it was hid to them we can only speculate as to why perhaps it was

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God's purpose to show them and us the need for divine assistance in understanding spiritual things maybe when the scriptures are understood in a way so that the heart apprehends them it's the work of the

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Spirit things we've said today I know for some has absolutely no influence no impact no relevance for others it does okay this is the

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Spirit at work this is why prayer is so essential in understanding the will of God this is why every

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Sunday morning we have in our bulletin prayer for illumination that we might comprehend not just the details these disciples had the details but the implications the relevance of everything we hear and perhaps the reason for this is that the

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Lord himself would have to deal with these matter alone with no one to assist him in his trial the

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Lord once spoke to his prophet I've trodden the winepress alone from the people's no one was with me this would explain perhaps why it was hidden from these disciples and the

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Lord alone will be exalted in that day so the scene concludes with the sense of Christ being alone to face his destiny what he would have to do he'd have to do alone entirely his sufferings on our behalf could not be born by any others or he or he could not even be assisted by others they would be born by him alone so they went on from there onward up to Jerusalem salvation is in Christ alone because of what the scriptures say regarding God us and our sin we see our need for a

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Savior that Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ who can alone bring his people to glory we have and do trust

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God to receive us based on his merit alone we're confident that the Father has and will give to us our eternal inheritance because he said so he promised so Christ obtained this inheritance for us having through his passive obedience and obedient even to the cross buried our sin our penalty and through his active obedience to the law of God throughout his entire life he worked out a righteousness you not only need to be forgiven on the

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Day of Judgment you need to be found righteous and that's only through the gift of Christ righteousness that is credited to you through faith in Christ alone we rest in this and we exalt in the glory that one day will be revealed in us may

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God be praised for his unspeakable gift in Christ amen let's pray thank you father for these little portions of your word that suggest to us and reveal so much to us help us our

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God to take these matters to heart and rejoice in all that you have promised and not just promised but secured for us through your son

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Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior help your people our God we know that some of us some of our people are going through great difficulty in life they're they're suffering we pray that you would encourage them open to their minds and hearts our

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God their fellowship in the sufferings of Christ and help them our God to see that it's temporary and it will one day give way to great glory now