Great Christian Biographies with John Piper: Jonathan Edwards 3

Covenant Reformed Baptist Church

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So Edwards left the church this legacy that conversion is a real thing and The church members should be converted people and he not only taught this but as I've told you he suffered for it

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He could have gone on living comfortably all his days at Northampton if he hadn't been faithful to the truth professor of Princeton some years ago said

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Jonathan Edwards changed what I may call the center of thought in American theological thinking

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No one but a man of genius could have made this change of Emphasis so potent a fact in American church history and what was the change?

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more than to any other man To Edwards is due the importance which in American Christianity is attributed to the conscious experience of the penitent sinner

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As he passes into the membership of the Invisible Church Doctrinal conversion was brought back into the center

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And if I can put my hand on it, I wanted to give you a little quotation Here it is

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It's from last week's newspaper in in Northampton, Massachusetts October the third and sad to say it's by the minister of the

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Edwards Church in Northampton And he said

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Talking about commemorating Edwards that this was the thing that disturbed him and worried him the tendency by Edwards followers to divide people into categories of saved and unsaved

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Can't think in terms of categories of saved. Well, that is the issue and Edwards Edwards Has passed down that legacy to us

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Second legacy briefly is this Edwards has given us a framework in which to understand history and the future

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When Winston Churchill was dying some 50 years ago He said I am bewildered by the world.

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The confusion is terrible And that confusion today is even in our churches you know various schools of prophecy have arisen and then declined passed away and There are

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Christians today who really doubt whether God is in control of history. I say Edwards gives us a framework

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Now, I'm not arguing that all Edwards views on unfulfilled prophecy are to be followed

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Personally, I think he was mistaken in the way. He handled the book of Revelation He handled it as a sequence of history that we can find a sort of time chart and we find where we are in it

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But but this is a big thing As Edwards looked at the whole

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Word of God and the promises of God He had this irresistible conviction that God had great and glorious things to do and he believed that because the scriptures say he

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Jesus shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth

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The father says to the son ask of me And I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession

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Then he read in Romans chapter 11 would not have you to be ignorant brethren blindness in part has happened unto

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Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles shall come in and then Now the passages passages in Scripture that don't lead us to wring our hands in despair

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But to believe that God is leading forward his work and that the nations of the earth are going to be blessed

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Edwards says the veil now cast over the greater part of the world Will be taken away and it may be hoped that many of the

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Negroes and Indians will be divines And excellent books will be published in Africa and in Ethiopia in Turkey and in other now barbarous countries

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Brighter days are going to come and how are they going to come? Not by social and political work not by education

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Not by scholarship Preeminently by the outpouring of the

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Spirit of God and prayer What Edwards had seen of God's power with the preaching of the word

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He believed the world would yet see in a more extensive way than they had ever seen

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Now I have to throw in something here terrible to miss this out When he still lived at Northampton on May the 28th 1747 a young man of 29 years of age arrived in the yard on his horse

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He had come from four years missionary work amongst the Indians Often living with little food with no shelter

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Only once in four years did any white person make a journey to visit him

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Sometimes he traveled up to 4 ,000 miles in a year amongst Indian people for over two years

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He had met solid indifference until in August of 1745 two years earlier at cross week song in New Jersey There had been a remarkable movement of the

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Spirit of God among Indian people Who he describes as previously worshipping devils and dumb idols

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The power of God seemed to descend he says upon and in a short time an

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Indian camp Became he said an assembly of Christians where there is so much of the presence of God and a brotherly love

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His name of course was David Brainard two years later He rode back

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To New England his own parents were dead and he was dying of tuberculosis

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He arrived at the parsonage in Northampton as perhaps you know parsonages in those days

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Acted as motels and as hospitals and all kinds of things There was already one minister in the parsonage who was ill

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Sarah gladly welcomes this Young man, David Brainard.

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He lived just to the October of that year and died in Northampton This is a remarkable thing

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When he came on his horse, he had next to nothing with him. But what he did have was

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Amazingly important he had his journals and his diary and Before he died he committed these to Jonathan Edwards and as Edwards read them he was persuaded that he was material that the world had to read and So in 1749 two years later

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Edwards published the first full Missionary biography ever published the life of the late reverend.

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Mr. David Brainard and that book showed people that the gospel could go into any stronghold of Satan and by the anointing of the

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Holy Spirit Strongholds would be cast down. It was read far and wide

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William Carey read it Henry Martin read it. It was carried to India and to China and around the world there's a direct link between Edwards in this difficult time in Northampton and the beginning of the great missionary movement of the 1790s

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So I want to Throw in the point that reading

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Edwards doesn't make men academics or scholastics to read

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Edwards is really To gain a missionary spirit to gain an evangelistic burden

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That is why this conference is being held in these days. Now another thought quickly here.

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I Mustn't give you the impression that Edwards was taken up with unfulfilled prophecy

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He did think it was important, but not the most important thing. He knew that Whether he lived to see another revival or not

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Eternity was at hand when he preached his last Sermon as he was dismissed in Northampton.

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It was on the text in 2 Corinthians 1 14 as You have acknowledged us in part that we are you're rejoicing even are ye also ours in the day of the

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Lord Jesus Christ, that's what he preached about didn't condemn them for dismissing him didn't criticize him

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Pointed them to the day when we'll we'll be gathered at the footstool of Christ Eternity is the great thing

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You know, if you take eternity out of Edwards life, you could read it as a story of Little success a lot of disappointment

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It said when he died Most of the American papers only gave him one sentence

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Many of his books weren't read He left a great church for a tiny church in a corner of New England Was it a failure?

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No, Edward says I acted against all influence of worldly interest

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Because I greatly feared to offend God in other words. He was living for eternity

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The last legacy briefly is this it's already been spoken of and will be spoken of further

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Edwards has left us a call to cease from looking to men and To look to God if you ask

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Jonathan Edwards, what is the greatest danger for the Evangelical Church? He would say it is the danger of pride

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It was pride that brought the Northampton Church down It was pride that led the 18th century to think that they had reached what they called the

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Enlightenment Pride is the greatest of all temptations and the most subtle Scholarship is good

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Orthodoxy is good Large congregations are good, but you know pride can ruin all these things ministers can idolize congregations

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Congregations can idolize ministers pride in any form Destroys Mars the work of God a scripture says cease from man

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Our Lord said beware of men Bible says what is man and the answer it gives is this

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I give it you in Edwards words he says man is a leaf a leaf driven by the wind poor dust a shadow and Nothing and of himself he says he was an empty helpless creature of small account and needing

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God's help in everything So there's one text above all others that summarizes

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Edwards life Whatsoever ye do whether ye to a drink whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God Everything that God gives us all that we are all that we ever can be all grace all redemption all revival is all given that we might be humbled and that God would be all in all and So my friends whatever you and I or our churches face in the future whether Brighter days or it may be harder days.

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There is one thing absolutely certain and that is God has to be glorified and we have to say not unto us not unto us

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But unto thy name give glory and the more we do that the closer We'll come to that great multitude in heaven

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Who we read say blessing and honor and glory and power

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Thanksgiving and might be unto him that sitteth on the throne and unto the

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Lamb forever and ever Amen, shall we pray our gracious God and our

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Heavenly Father? We thank thee that we can draw near in the name of thy son

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That by his stripes we are healed all we like sheep have gone astray Now it's laid upon him the iniquity of us all

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Lord help us today To seek thee may we not in all the business of these hours.

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We are enjoying together May we not fail first to seek thee and to honor thee and help us

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Oh God But we may so know thee that we will see how utterly needy and poor we are

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Help us to grow in grace. Help us to love thee Continue with us.

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We pray today in all our meetings and conversations together. We thank thee for this conference

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We thank thee for those into whose hearts that is put this vision We pray Lord that great good will be done in our individual lives in our churches in thy kingdom

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Far and wide we ask with the pardon of our sins giving. Thanks to thee for all things in Jesus name

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Amen Let's pray Jesus you said

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I am the door Whoever enters by me Will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture

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And so that's where I find myself now saved and going in and out and In right now to this pulpit

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To enjoy pasture as you feed me and I pray that we would feast on you together

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So give us pasture Lord. Give us still waters and and green pastures and satisfy our souls on yourself

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I Ask this in Jesus name. Amen 72 times in the book of Ezekiel God says that he does everything he does

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That you may know that I am the Lord Ten more times.

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He simply says I am the Lord whether it's terrible punishments or Thrilling salvation

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The aim is the same that you may know that I am the Lord Ezekiel 33 29 they will know that I am the

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Lord when I have made the land a desolation because of all their abominations

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Ezekiel 20 verse 44 you shall know that I am the Lord When I deal with you for my name's sake

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Not according to your evil ways Oh House of Israel So 72 times plus 10

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That you may know that I am the Lord that you may know that I am the Lord that you may know that I am the

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Lord Why? Now we need to reflect on the word

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Lord for just a moment to get the real force of this You know that when the word

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Lord occurs in your Old Testament in all caps

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It's not Referring to a title King governor Monarch it's referring to a proper name

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Yahweh or the Old King James Jehovah It's not a title.

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It's a name like Mike Mary and Most people have names in the

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Bible that have meaning like you would name your daughter Charity because you hope she grows up to be a compassionate and kind young woman and God gave himself a name

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Not a title a name with a meaning and I'm gonna read you the paragraph where he gives the meaning of his name so that every time in the

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Bible that you may know that I am the capital LOR D It's like that.

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You may know that I am James Which doesn't make any sense at all except that James would have a meaning

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Yahweh has a meaning. So here's the meaning This is if you've got a

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Bible, but you don't I'm sure this is a lecture I suppose But some of you are reaching that's great.

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You all have phones This is

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Exodus chapter 3 Verses 13 to 15

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Then Moses said to God if I come to the people of Israel and say to them

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The God of your fathers has sent me to you and they asked me What is his name?

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What shall I say to them? God said to Moses I am who

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I am and he said Say this to the people of Israel.

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I am Has sent me to you God also said to Moses say this to the people of Israel Yahweh The God of your fathers the

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God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob has sent me to you This is my name forever

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And thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations

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So the name Yahweh is built on the name the verb

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I am I am Who I am?

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has sent You Tell them that's my name

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Yahweh therefore when Ezekiel 72 times plus 10 says

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God is doing everything that you may know that he is Yahweh He is reminding us over and over and over again

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Never never never forget you're dealing with the God who absolutely is

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He is who he is He does what he does He wills what he wills

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He has mercy on whom he will have mercy. He hardens whom he will harden

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He is not Owing to anybody for anything.

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He's not becoming he's not what he is because something went before he's not striving to be

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Something nothing outside himself is shaping him into what he is.

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He just is he's absolutely there forever 72 times don't forget this.

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It's why I do everything I do you must know no, no, no No, no 72 times no this

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But you must know Ezekiel Wanted us to know that the ultimate absolute all -important primary reality in the universe

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That should dominate our consciousness all day long every day is the

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God who is Yahweh, I am who I am and do what

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I Do when you look at your watch You should be aware

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This watch is dependent on God and God is not dependent

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When you look at the starry skies at night, you should think God flung them out with his little finger and they are utterly totally every millisecond dependent on his willing them to be and He is not the least dependent on this universe to be

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When you look at each other your family You should think

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That person is absolutely totally dependent for being on God and God is not the least shaped by them we are

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Dependent on God sustained by God designed by God governed by God and he is not dependent or sustained or designed or governed by us at all and Ezekiel says 72 times.

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Don't you forget that? That's my name That's my name and you should know it know it know it know it

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The point of Ezekiel saying over and over and over again, you should know that I'm Yahweh You shall know that I'm Yahweh.

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You shall know that I'm Yahweh 79 plus 72 plus 10 is that God is absolutely the point of Every thing

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He is the supreme reality in the universe in America in Texas in your family in your bedroom in your kitchen

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In your heart Yahweh is his name. He absolutely is

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He is more important more pervasive more relevant more glorious more beautiful more satisfying than anything the reason

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Jonathan Edwards Has a dominant place in my life is because outside the

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Bible No one in the last 50 years Has helped me

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More than Edwards to live in the light of Ezekiel's God entranced vision of life

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Nobody Nobody that I've ever read Nobody that I've ever met who is living is more

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God besotted Than Jonathan Edwards nobody that I know nobody that I've ever heard of is more

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God entranced as he looks at the world then Jonathan Edwards was and No one has helped me more than Edwards to see and experience the relationship between the supremacy of God and the satisfaction of the soul like Edwards In other words, nobody outside the

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Bible has shaped my Christian hedonism more than Jonathan Edwards the most important one -sentence commentary or description definition of Christian hedonism

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That carries all the radical implications of the pursuit of joy

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If you think it through is this one God is most glorified in us

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When we are most satisfied in him in other words the fulfillment of Ezekiel's mandate to live constantly in and under and for the supreme importance and centrality and glory of God's absolute being fulfillment of that vision by Ezekiel will not happen in the life of anyone who is half -hearted about the pursuit of your joy in God Few people if any have made this clearer

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Than Edwards. Here's the key quote. I would rank this in the top three quotes that have impacted me from Edwards God glorifies himself toward the creature in two ways one by appearing to their understanding to in communicating himself to their hearts and in their rejoicing in and delighting in and enjoying the manifestation which he makes of himself

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God is glorified not only by his joy his glory being seen

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But by its being rejoiced in When those that see it

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Delight in it God is more glorified than if they only see it

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His glory is then received by the whole soul both by the understanding of And the heart that's the seed and the summary of Christian hedonism

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Here's the key sentence God is glorified not only by his glories being seen so when you read your

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Bible or you look at the stars and you see the radiance of God's beauty

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And you write a poem or a sentence or a theological treatise about it, that's good and to some degree reflects

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God's glory and if you feel little

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About what you just wrote you rob him You dishonor him

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He gets half his glory your head half It's not a saving half by the way, because the devil can do that.

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He can't do the other half Once you plant this seed, all

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I do is make it rhyme God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in God once once you plant that in that seed in your mind and Water it with a little reflection the implications for your life

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They spring up and grow in every direction like branches laden with delicious fruit for example

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Here's Edwards Persons need not and Ought not that word ought there is right at the heart of the meaning of Christian hedonism

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Persons need not and ought not set any bounds to their spiritual and gracious appetites

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Rather they ought to be endeavoring by all possible ways to inflame their desires

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And to obtain more spiritual pleasures

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Endeavor to promote spiritual appetites by laying yourself in the way of allurement

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That needs a lecture Take that phrase home tonight

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Lay yourself in the way of allurement There is no such thing as excess in our taking of the spiritual food

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There is no such virtue as temperance in spiritual feasting

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It's not a virtue to have limited appetite spiritually

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This is the disease of our churches Appetites for Jesus are so constricted.