Acts 3 - Vernon Blair

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So our reading this morning from Psalms 149 is kind of a lead into what we're going to be sharing this morning out of Acts chapter 3 in that I Always I just always look at you know
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Christians and I always look at those that are you know sons and daughters of our Lord and how how we don't be
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Joyful in our lives and how we ought to be the most joyous of all people and unfortunately
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Most most people that I know that are Christians don't have that joy that they express they don't have that happiness
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They don't that bounce in their step And yet we read you know that let us praise his name and dancing and make it melody to him with timbrel and leer for The Lord takes pleasure in his people he adorns the humble with victory
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And let the faithful exalt in glory And we ought to do and we ought to live our lives like that when we come into God's presence our lives ought to be
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Like that we ought to be dancing. We ought to be leaping with joy So let's over in prayer and we'll get started in Acts chapter 3.
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Heavenly father. We thank you so much We're just bringing us together this morning that Lord that we can We can come here to worship you and to give you praise and honor all that is due to you and Lord We just thank you for your word as it strengthens us gives us gives us joy
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Lord and builds our faith It just draws us closer to you or as we open your word this morning
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We just ask that that your Holy Spirit would be present guiding and directing us as he's already put this together this morning that Lord We are here assembled as a body
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Jesus your name we pray. Amen so Acts chapter 3 is where we will
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Ultimately end up being but little prelude to that as we as we you know
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Go into the book of action only and we see all you know Jesus is his 50 days, you know have come to an end and it's time for him to be ascended into heaven
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And he and he draws his disciples in Acts chapter 1 and he'll draw his disciples to him
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And as he talks to them and he assures them of this in verse 8 of chapter 1
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But you shall receive the power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all of Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth
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And Jesus is now departing his disciples and he's ascending into heaven and he says he's just he's just just be patient Because the
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Holy Spirit is going to come upon you and when he comes upon you you will have this power
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And you will want to go out and be my witnesses in all all of this area all all of Jerusalem All of Judea all of Samaria and into the end of the earth and that's what that's what we as Christians Need to be about that we need to be about being his witness as he draws us there and we ought to be
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You know joyful in doing that and then it you know And then they go and they go into this upper room and the disciples are all together and it's apostles are all together
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And everything's coming to this to the end and and all of a sudden, you know, and there's one thing
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I really truly believe is that there are no Coincidences with God, you know The Passover was the time that Jesus would take and be to go to the cross and now we're 50 days later and people have now
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It's sending again in multitudes back into Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost that day of another celebration of their of their feasts and They're all back into Jerusalem once again and in this upper room all of a sudden the
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Holy Spirit Comes upon the Apostles and comes upon the disciples and he's tongues of fire on there.
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You could just imagine Just Imagine the heartfelt that they have going on in this room as they as as the
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Holy Spirit is filling their lives and all of a sudden they have the boldness to be able to go out and the boldness to be able to go out and to share
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God's Word and it says and they shared it in all the different languages of The people that were so we can just imagine all these people that have assembled into Jerusalem And now come into into the temple and they're hearing the gospel being preached to them in their own language for a first time
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And how exciting that must have been for the Apostles just all of a sudden you're just speaking out in boldness speaking out and and what
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God has given to them the excitement and all that all that is climax and we go through you know, we go through chapter 2 and Chapter 2 is that mighty
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Pentecostal sermon that Peter will give and And he just gets up in boldness to the people and sharing that sharing that testimony of what has happened
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What you know look at you know We talk about we need to recognize their sinfulness before we can come to the grace of the throne
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Look at what he is what Peter is proclaiming to these people Look at what you did
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You took you took and you hung him Jesus our Savior on the cross you did that and It just burning in their hearts when we recognize our sinfulness
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It just burns in our hearts and it burns in their hearts and they say to him What would we what what what do we need to do?
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What do we need to do about this? And Jesus's answer is really simple repent
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Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ real simple Real simple we make it really complicated
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But it's really simple and God just says that's what we need to be able to proclaim and these people all of a sudden we see 3 ,000 people are saved in this one setting and it says in the church starts to grow and it starts to flourish and they're all of one accord and they're sharing and they're
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Breaking into the bread and I really I have really come and they'll and it just brought the last couple of months to really understand there's breaking of bread together and what that really truly means to be in Fellowship with one another and the one accord that we can join together and share in the goodnesses of God So that takes us up to Acts chapter 3 and things have been going on and the church has been going on now for for a little
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While not a long time but a little while and things are going on and Peter and John are on their way to the temple and We're gonna it won't take and read this but they're on their way to the temple is their custom twice a day to be in prayer
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And that prayer is not just a simple, you know, howdy -doody God. I'm the sinner and I'm on my way
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No, they spent hours there in prayer twice a day and they were and those their thing was they were heading there so chapter 3 verse 1 and now
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Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer the ninth hour and A man lame from birth was being carried and whom he they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called beautiful to ask alms of those who entered the temple and seeing
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Peter and John about to go into the temple he asked them for alms and Peter directed his gaze at him and John also emperors and And Said look at us and he fixed his attention upon them expecting to receive something from them, but Peter said
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I have no silver and gold But I give you what I have in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk and he took him by the right hand and raised him up and immediately his feet and his ankles were made strong and Leaping up he stood and walked and entered into the temple with them walking and leaping and praising
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God and all the people saw him walking and praising God and recognized him as the one who sat for alms at the beautiful gate of the temple and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened
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So Peter and John are entering into the temple You know and I really like to do you know that Visually in my mind of what that must have been like and they're walking into the temple and here's this man sitting at the gate
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Asking for alms this man is and we and we and we saw in chapter in chapter 4.
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This man was 40 years old He's 40 years old. He's been sitting there asking for alms his whole life outside of the temple outside and Asking for alms.
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He's looking for that. You know our you know, what we do is as Sinful man, we're always looking for our own needs
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You're taking care of you know that day -to -day living taking care of ourselves. I'm not
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I'm not looking for anything else I can't get into the temple because they weren't allowed because he was a cripple. He wasn't allowed in the temple
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He had to remain outside of the temple. So all he was caring about was what do
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I need to survive here? Not about God not about you know with him All I armed just give me some alms so I could take care of my my personal needs my daily needs
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That's what he was asking for Peter says I I don't have those things
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But I got one thing else that's better. I got something that's better for you And he reached out his hand.
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He says take my hand take my hand and walk The man's been crippled for 40 years
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Can you imagine just what it was kind of going through his mind at the time all of a sudden these man's reaching down Gazing at him.
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I mean he gave him his attention. Do we do that when somebody comes to us? Do we really give them our attention when somebody says how's it going?
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Do you really want to know? most of the time you Don't want to give him the time you don't want to look at him in the eyes
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You don't want to give him that that that look well Peter and John gives them that look and says take my hand
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Take man it and walk And it says and immediately his ankles and his feet were healed
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Immediately he was able to leap up from the ground leap up and walk and where was he gonna go?
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What was the first place he was going to go when he was healed? into the temple
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Into the presence of God we go into the presence of God healed this man is healed from his affirmative
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He is healed and he walks into the temple. Not only does he walk in it says he's leaping with joy and dancing and praising
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God We could only imagine what that whole that whole
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Assembly look like all of a sudden. Here's this guy for 40 years. He's been sitting outside Well, I don't know if he was sitting outside when he's little but for 40 years
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He's been crippled and these men have been walking past him and Peter and John probably had walked past him too in those few days
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But all of a sudden he is healed brought in the temple brought into the presence of God praising
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God. I can walk I've been healed from my affirmatives and I have nothing but great joy to do but to praise
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God for that And it says the entire assembly sees that sees him walking and dancing and all the people saw him walking and praising
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God and Recognized him as the one so they knew who that was it was when when
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Jesus He heals the blind man sitting outside of the temple and he was blind from birth and Jesus heals him
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It's the same reaction. He gets up. He can see he goes in he follows Jesus and this man's following Jesus I mean following disciples, but he's following Jesus and he is praising
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God and people recognize him as the one who sat outside Blind was this man blind his whole life?
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Was he not blind from his birth? What does this man not? crippled from his birth Yet now he is able to walk and he is able to leave and he is able to dance and joy just like one
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Soft 149 says we ought to be doing in the presence of God He was able to do that when he was in the presence of God when he finally entered into the temple
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When he finally got into the temple into the presence of the Lord where the Lord has come to him and he's given glory unto him
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And then in verse 11 and while he clung on to why he followed Peter and John all the people ran together
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Due to them in the protocol called Solomon's astounded and when Peter saw he addressed the people men of Israel Why do you wonder at this or why do you stare at us as though by our own power or pity?
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We have made him walk the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob the
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God of our fathers glorified his Servant Jesus whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he had decided to release him
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But you demanded the whole you demanded a pilot when he denied to release him but you denied the
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Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you and Killed the author of life whom
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God raised from the dead to this We are witnesses and his name by faith in his name has made this man strong whom you see and know of the faith
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Which is through Jesus and has given the man his perfect health in the presence of you
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Nothing to do with us You're thinking that it was us you thinking that we have this special power where you're thinking that he said no
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No, it wasn't us It was the God that you it was the
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God that you hung on the cross It was the God that you demanded his life. It was him that has granted us that power
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We do not have that power It is only the power through him that this man walks that this man is healed that we are healed
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It is through his power. It's not about it's not about another person you're presenting. It's not It's about the power of the
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Holy Spirit And he says and that man is healed because of that and that only and that's what and that's what we need to take
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From this little glimpse of what's going on is that Peter and John recognizes as John the
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Baptist said Behold the Lamb of God who's coming that I might Decrease that he must increase we need to understand that we need to step aside because it is about him
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Not about us and Peter and John recognizes that they realize it's not about them it's about the testimony and testifying of who
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God is and of his greatness and his glory and his riches upon us because it was him that gave this man the power to be healed and In verse 17 and now brethren,
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I know that you acted in ignorance as did your rulers But God foretold of the mouth of the prophets that his
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Christ should suffer He thus fulfilled repent therefore and turn again that your sins may be blotted out
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At times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that you may send the
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Christ appointed for you Jesus whom heaven must receive until the time of establishing all that God spoke of by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old and Moses said the
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Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren as he raised Mia He will he shall listen to him whatever he tells you and it shall be that every soul that does not
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Listen to the prophets shall be destroyed from the people and all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel and those who came afterwards
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Also proclaimed these days You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant in which
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God gave to your fathers saying to Abraham and in your Posterity shall all the families of the earth be blessed and God having raised up his servant
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Sent him to be first to bless you and turning every one of you from your wickedness
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Do you remember though when Jesus is walking on the road to Emmaus and he's and he's talking to the two guys
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And he and he proclaims to those two guys He says he says all that was written of him
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All that was written of him in the Old Testament Jesus proclaims to them on this road and that's what now all of a sudden
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Peter is doing to them They're saying listen up This is what you you know, these things, you know these writings
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You know these scriptures because you've been taught them from a young age
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Now you need to believe them now it's time for you to believe them and churn from your wickedness churn from your sinfulness and Receive him unto yourself that you might be saved
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Because that's why he came He came to share that good news. He came he came that you might be saved
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We need to be like Like that guy on the gates.
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We need to be like Peter and and John we need to reach out We need to let
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God guide and direct us and reach out to those that need to be healed Not just healed of their infirmities but healed of their sins and that's now what
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Peter is proclaiming to them You need to be healed inside It's time The prophets have written it these things of them fulfilled it's time for you to be healed and it says in Chapter 4 but many of those who heard the words believed and the number of men came to about 5 ,000 so now they're estimating that the new church in these early days in these very beginning days is now up to approximately probably 10 ,000 people
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We started off on the first day with 3 ,000 it has grown now to almost 10 ,000 and what is it growing from it's growing from the proclamation of the word
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When Peter shared at the Pentecostal sermon, it was the gospel of the word when Peter's sharing with these men
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It's the gospel of the word. It's through the power of the word that these men are being enlightened
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It's through the power of the word that their eyes are being open And we too need we too need to be able to share that word in boldness and enjoy an excitement in our lives
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So we have that balance in our stuff. So when people come they see a difference in us I don't know if you've ever been around somebody.
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I remember years ago and I I said to my wife we had this This youth event and and I said
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I said did you not feel the continence of the Lord with this guy? That was up there sharing and and his presence when he was up there singing.
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I said didn't he just glow It was like he was glowing and we just feel the presence of God when people are glowing
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We're excited about who we are what Christ has made us and we ought to be the most joyful of all creation
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We ought to be the most joyful of all not that God has given us riches and not that he's given us
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Silver or gold but that he's given himself for us That we ought to be joyful And we ought to be singing and dancing in his presence so that all might see what
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God has done for you Amen so X chapter 4 verse 12
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And there is no salvation and no one else where there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved
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And in that, you know, we come to that, you know the the Passover where Christ is down his disciples
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It's time. It's time that we go and celebrate the Passover Go get the rooming and get it prepared and he goes in with them for that time
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And we're gonna have that opportunity to share in that here in the next Moment that share in that what
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God has given to us that we share in his in the Lord's suffering Communion with one another that that we recognize what
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God has done for us that we have a need for repentance That we need to come to God and be repentant of what we've done for what he has done for us if we can't recognize
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What what we what we have done in our simple is we we can't recognize that it's hard to recognize what he's done for us
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We need to recognize what we've done. We need to be Repentant of what we've done.
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We need to make sure that we are repenting of what we've done That we can recognize the great things that he is going to do for us
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That your holy the Holy Spirit has been poured out upon each one of us as we have received Christ into our lives
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That the Holy Spirit has come and he is anointed us with his power. But in that We need to recognize who we are and that's a simple man
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That we need to repent of that. Let's pray Heavenly Father. We thank you so much for just this time word
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Lord of who you are the great love that you have Then we come into your presence this morning
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Lord and recognizing that and we ask for forgiveness of our sins that we might Be holy for none or none is righteous
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We have all sinned and fallen short of you The Lord that you came you came here for one great thing and that was to save us
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The Lord you would lay your life on on that cross knowing that's why you came We just praise you for that the great things that you have done for us just more