Birth As a Symbol (10/15/2023)

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Bro. Ben Mitchell

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Good morning, everybody It's always an honor to get to do this.
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It's even better when it's a nice small forgiving crowd So I am grateful for that and for everybody that's here
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Yeah, well we'll see about the forgiving part Pop -up is here. So I guess I should have thought that he's gonna
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You're gonna let me have it later. Well the last time I was up here. I was actually
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Letting you guys all know that we were expecting A son and today
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I get to actually introduce him. He's back there. He's sleeping hard right now, but Under a cape, but this is
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Jack's first Sunday. So that is very special and Looking forward to many more with him with us here
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Let's see here my My topic for today is pretty specific
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We'll get to that in a second, but I would be a little bit remiss if I didn't share a couple of thoughts with you guys just about a
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Lot of what's transpired over the last well a little more than a week at this point Of course, it was a week ago yesterday that That that invasion of Israel took place and it's been really something
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To track nothing like this has happened in my lifetime I guess since 9 -11, of course,
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I was like six years old when that happened And so aside from the memory of getting out of my mom's bathtub and going into my dad's
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Study and seeing it on the TV. I remember that really well I don't remember a lot of what it was actually like to you know, be around for a tragedy on that scale
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And so this is somewhat new to me personally again just in terms of the actual scale of the thing and It's been pretty devastating to watch.
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I'm not going to comment on it a lot because I don't I don't know.
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I would be inadequate to do so. I will leave a lot of the commentary on what's happening to dad when he gets back, but You know one really odd Aspect of all this for me and this may seem a little bit out of left field but it has been eye -opening to me in regard to just how much your view of the end times
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Alters your worldview and how you perceive world events and your reaction to it
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We don't we haven't talked about this particular Subject a whole lot in this church mainly because of where we are in the
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Bible Belt And because of the fact that it hasn't been Necessarily a very pervasive thing
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I would say even across the board in the United States for many decades But I actually mentioned it not that long ago in Sunday school and that is this kind of resurgence of the post millennial
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Eschatology or view of the end times which is very different from the view that we hold at this church
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And the reason I bring it up is because one thing I've realized and again going back to what I just said a second ago
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Your your view of the end times drastically alters the way you view the world. You're literally your your worldview and One of You know a feature that is baked in to the the post millennial view is a
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Kind of a form of apathy being apathetic toward things that happen
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Around the world to other countries and it doesn't exclude it. Yeah, that does not exclude even
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Israel which You know is a little bit hard for us to relate to but it has been made abundantly clear over this past week tracking a lot of Commentary on the app formerly known as Twitter There's been some really interesting things across the board whether it be in the evangelical realm or the political realm
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Whether it be the very conservative side of that evangelical realm or the progressive side
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And you know, I have seen some really crazy things from the post millennial view people that subscribe to the post millennial view in regard to what they think about what's happening right now and Again, it's a very apathetic approach at best.
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I can't even really think of how I would word The other side of it,
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I think there are some very prideful Kind of underlying feelings to their view of what's happening to Israel right now and it's really really something else
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Again, it's something we can't necessarily relate to because with the end times view that we hold We know that God has a tremendous plan for ethnic
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Israel, you know I was actually praying about it quite a bit the past couple of days It would be kind of fun to take a look at Romans 11 today.
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Dave actually referenced it coincidentally in Sunday school Because it speaks to this exact thing
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That is the natural branches being broken off the wild branches being grafted in that is the
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Gentiles. It's the church But there's a warning to the to the wild branches and that is to not boast that they have been grafted in That's exactly what comes out of the post -millennial view the
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Christian nationalist view and it's really really been disheartening To see that and the only reason
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I mention it here is because I want us to realize again how important We talk about the end times a lot in this church.
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We have for many years my lifetime and sometimes it can seem really a
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Bit of a grind, you know to talk about that subject to go through the the books that speak to it especially especially the
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Old Testament prophets, but it's really important and In fleshing it out and coming to you know, the most biblical
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Eschatology that we can is going to drastically change our worldview and again, that is something brand new to me that has been a big realization this past week and seeing a lot of the commentary from that particular side of the
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Evangelical world again, and I thought I would note that of course the other side of it is the very progressive stance which
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Would would be expected I suppose but it's disheartening You know nonetheless whether it be memorial equivalences,
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I've seen a lot of A lot of commentary in regard to you know, why this is happening from that side
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You know, it's simply blood for blood the these people have been under persecution and under quote -unquote occupation for 75 years and they're just They're just trying to level the playing field
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Well It's not blood for blood by any means first of all
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There's the entire Geneva Convention that has been breached Grave breaches of the
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Geneva Convention. In fact as we speak the terrorist group is launching rockets from densely populated areas of civilians, which is a breach of the
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Fourth Geneva Convention into Intentionally into densely populated areas with civilians in regard to their target
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Which is a second breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention So all of the travesty aside that took place a week ago yesterday.
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They are actively as we speak Committing war crimes. It's not blood for blood, you know read any of the
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Quranic literature the Moodle water Hadith the that Muslims Subscribe to and teach on a weekly basis, you know
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Muslims in the West are Very different how they approach it, but it's it's universally accepted nonetheless
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And the Muslims in the East view it very differently than those in the West They look to that and they they act it out
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And what that means is the kinds of things that we saw a week ago yesterday It has nothing to do with retribution of any sort of quote -unquote occupied land
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And you again you can go read it for yourself and it is simply them living out the teachings that are right there baked into What they believe is what's going to get them into paradise and what they believe will usher in What we would call the day of the
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Lord and so That kind of stuff drives me nuts.
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It's it's gross ignorance of really what's happening and I mean aside from that alone
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Where where was the where was the retribution of quote -unquote occupation?
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prior to the reestablishment of Israel When when the Nazis committed genocide then where was the occupation that they were, you know
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Just acting out again in retribution leveling the playing field or had about 50 years before that It is a spiritual battle.
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It's principalities and powers It's a specific people that God still has unbelievable plans for That the devil is targeting and will always target
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It has nothing to do with territory And if it's not blatantly obvious then again it best it is a gross level of ignorance at worst.
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It is anti -semitism But regardless it is what it is go to Deuteronomy chapter 6 for a second.
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This is not our topic just yet This is just something I wanted to look at in regard to everything that's transpiring we of course still need to be praying for Israel as a nation all the people there all of the reservists that have been called in I saw an unbelievable video yesterday of dozens and dozens of American firefighters and EMTs Medical Other medical personnel that volunteered to fly into Israel and to pick up the slack in the areas of fighting fires and Helping out those that are injured because all of the
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Israeli firefighters and medics have been called to combat on the front lines And so we certainly need to keep praying for them
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Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4 Is an amazing verse and to this day it is something that's recited by the
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Jewish people Every morning as a prayer and as a reminder for who they are and what their identity is
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It says here. Oh Israel the Lord our God is one Lord One way you could read that and the way it actually is recited by them
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Another way it could have been the translation could have been structured based on the Hebrew is hero Israel The Lord is our
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God the Lord is one Now that's something that we can resonate with because we believe the same thing and we worship that same singular
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God But what's really cool about it if you want to turn one more time with me to 1st
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Corinthians chapter 8 we're gonna be We're gonna be turning a lot anyway today, so I'm just getting y 'all warmed up Let's see here 1st
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Corinthians chapter 8 if I can get there myself Here we go
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The Apostle Paul expanded this very prayer this very verse
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That again is recited to this day by Jewish people around the world the
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Apostle Paul knowing it. Well not only recited it for us in the
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New Testament, but expanded it and Within the age of the church within the age of grace
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After Jesus is ascension and he says in verse 6 but to us one
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God the Father of Whom are all things and we in him and one
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Lord Jesus Christ You can see how he expanded it further by whom are all things and we by him so we have if you want to call it our version the the
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Christian version of that same prayer and the prayer is called the shema and This is our version of it and we get to have the honor of reciting the same thing in regard to our position with our one
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God our one Lord Jesus Christ Finally go to Jeremiah chapter 23 and then after I read this we'll jump into the topic for today and I will
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Share with you guys why I wanted to recite those things both the shema from Deuteronomy 6 for that the
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Jewish people recite and Paul's expanded version of that in 1st Corinthians Jeremiah 23 and again, this is
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When you read this and then you hear a lot of what comes out of the post -millennial framework one of the major tenants being something called supersessionism or Replacement theology is what we would call it where they believe that Israel is
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Cursed and God has nothing to do with him anymore and that the church is Israel now
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Again, this comes back to Romans 11 do not boast, you know wild branches
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Just because the natural branches were cut off and you were grafted in I'm paraphrasing but we have a commandment not to boast about it
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And there's a reason why Jeremiah chapter 23 says woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture
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Sayeth the Lord Therefore thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel Against the pastors that feed my people ye have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not visited them
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Behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings sayeth the Lord And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries.
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This is the part I want you to pay attention to I will gather all of the flock out of all of the countries whether I have driven them and will bring them again to their folds and they shall be fruitful and increase and I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them and They shall fear no more nor me dismayed neither shall they
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Yeah, neither shall they be lacking sayeth the Lord behold the days come sayeth the
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Lord that I will rise unto David raise unto David a righteous branch
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Of course we know who that is That is Jesus himself and a king also
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Jesus shall reign and prosper and shall execute Judgment and justice in the earth in his days
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Judah shall be saved in Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby he shall be called the
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Lord our righteousness Therefore behold the days come sayeth the
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Lord that they shall no more say The Lord liveth which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt Listen to this.
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This is amazing Let me repeat that last part and think about what's being said here When those days come they shall no more say
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They shall no more say the Lord liveth which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt but the
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Lord liveth which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country and From all countries whether I have driven them and they shall dwell in their own land as We know the
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Old Testament is just packed full of references to the Lord with a strong arm of bringing his people out of the land
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Of Egypt, but at this time and this of course is talking about the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom When Jesus comes back and restores the
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Davidic throne and sits upon it himself Brings all of his people back that are scattered across the whole world at that time.
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They're not going to say anymore This is the Lord that brought us out of Egypt. No at that time
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They will say this is the Lord that brought us back a scattered people all across the world From the north and from all other areas that he scattered them
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Back to their own land and at that time he will rule over them himself And so that is what the the current nation of Israel has to look forward to They have a lot of nasty battles ahead of them
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Many more to come no doubt this is the beginning of A long long war in and of itself and I suspect one of many more to come in the future and of course the world will never be the same after this this again, this is a
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Earth shattering event. I believe unlike any other since 9 -eleven In regard to terrorist attacks and and how things need to be restructured and rethought about Their goal is to 100 % wipe out this
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Terrorist government of Hamas that is within the Gaza Strip when they do that That will create a vacuum and the government will need to be replaced
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So there's a lot a lot of stuff around the corner. We need to be praying for them
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But someday this is what they have to look forward to and when that time comes and they entered this particular state that Jeremiah 23 is talking about at that time.
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They will be reciting Paul's version of the Shema One God our
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Father in one Lord Jesus Christ, they'll be they'll be saying that with us
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Alrighty, let's go to John chapter 3 and we will actually begin our topic.
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All right Now I had a different lesson prepared
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I've had a lesson prepared for months at this point just for the next time that dad needs to call in the fourth string and I need to come up here and That particular topic.
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I am excited to share with you guys. Eventually. It's just kind of a personal study that I had been doing myself
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Mainly related to kind of surviving the current culture We find ourselves in you got some of you may recall the series
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I did last year While dad was out on peace and tribulation and it's in some way an expansion of that though.
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It does hit some different areas but regardless of that again, I want I do want to get to that someday, but for today
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As you can imagine I've had some other things on my mind Since the arrival of our newest little one back there
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Jack Fisher In fact, I've had quite a few things on my mind since the moments prior to his arrival
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And I want to share with you guys today, but some of those thoughts were and What is the kind of basis behind this topic?
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We're covering today now. I'll just say right off the bat initially the the the title for today's lesson is birth as a symbol and A lot of you guys may be thinking, you know, what are we gonna get?
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What am I gonna get out of a Lesson on birth. Well, hopefully by the end of it you guys will be edified by it and we'll find some application
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I believe there will be some but nonetheless I wanted to share this And share some of the thoughts
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I had recently because they were pretty impactful for me Birth as a symbol.
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It's kind of a boring title. I originally wanted to call it the birth of life But then I realized that was a little redundant
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Essentially saying the beginning of life of life, so I decided to Change it up a little bit.
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But this is more practical in regard to the ideas that we're going to be fleshing out today and that is the things that birth symbolizes and so Before we actually look at our first passage
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I Want to just tell you guys briefly about a little bit of my experience because this will set the context and I apologize in advance
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If we go a little bit long today but I Want to get it all out there.
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So first of all, obviously we have five kids now unbelievable blessing People ask us all the time.
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I think people started asking us after number three after firm was born Are you done? And of course that is always a tough question to answer because it's really ultimately in the
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Lord's hands but and then of course that question is It came up again with number four came up has come up again with baby number five
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I will say if it's up to me. The answer is no, we're not done. But again, it's not Necessarily in our hands.
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It is in the Lord's hands So we'll see what he has in store for us in the future But five babies in and we have racked up quite the bit of experience in regard to births
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Gemma Was our first obviously and she was a very conventional a very conventional birth
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We had her actually in the same hospital that I was born in which was kind of a neat experience But there were plenty of negatives to that experience as well.
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We had a wonderful doctor, but he wasn't there He was on an anniversary trip or something like that.
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So, you know that kind of set the tone on off the bat We had a number of nurses that were not so Lovable, I'll just put it that way.
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We had some good ones We did have some good ones, but we had some bad ones as well that certainly make the experience interesting
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But we had her in the hospital and of course everything went great Especially in hindsight, you know all things considered
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And that was that with Parker we wanted to change it up a little bit But I was still a little bit on the fence you know a lot of you guys may have heard of the concept of birth centers and that has been a pretty popular thing going
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Back for a while at this point, but I was a little bit on the fence about it for a while and so what we decided to do is we're gonna have
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Parker in a hospital, but with midwives rather than a doctor and so we actually went and and You know to the hospital for all of our prenatal things and it was for it was with certified nurse midwives
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That's what they're called. So they actually deliver in the hospital. It's you're still in the hospital room. You still have the nurses It's the same thing except rather than doctor.
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It's midwives. So we did that with Parker and it went well it wasn't all that different honestly, but it was it certainly the prenatal aspect of it was nice and we learned some things and You know glad we did it when it came time to Fern For Fern to come along.
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I was like, okay Why don't we go ahead actually, of course Ashton did her due diligence found a couple of options for a birth center nearby
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Birth centers and we decided we'd go look at one. I'm like, alright, we'll take a look at it We'll see what we think but in my mind, of course, we're still we're hospital all the way through well the moment we walked in my life changed and I was like This is the place for sure.
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And of course since then our midwives Jocelyn and Bethany They they are the ones that delivered
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Fern and then Ada and now Jack and they are Our you know absolute heroes.
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They always will be at this point But we did the birth center with Fern and it was absolutely wonderful Absolute game -changer.
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It was just fantastic with the same thing with Ada for Jack We moved, you know, we recently moved into our new house and we decided this is something
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Ashton Ashton has wanted to do for a good while Again, I was on the fence But this time for healthy births great experiences at the birth center with our last two
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With the same midwives would be using I have a point to all this by the way I'm not just rambling on about our birth experiences.
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Jack comes along. We said we're gonna have this baby at home We're gonna have a home birth and that's exactly what we did and the reason
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I'm sharing it with you guys is because It it was such a surreal experience for me on the outside Yeah, you know looking in being the one to support
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Ashton as she is, you know doing all the hard work In bringing Jack into this world
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I Would you know in my mind? I'm sitting there helping her through contractions and we labored all but 12 minutes by ourselves
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Our midwife showed up 12 minutes before Jack was born, which was rather exciting. It's better than if we were on the road and he'd been 12 minutes away, but anyway, the large majority of the time it flew by but it was a good couple hours or more of laboring and It was just the two of us and I was sitting there thinking man,
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I know I this is a silly comparison I know it's a silly comparison But is this kind of what the patriarchs felt like in the
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Bible? Like, you know when a picture Abraham in a tent, you know with Isaac on the way the the promised son or even
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Jacob With all of his sons And you know anyone at that point in time, they were all home births
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You know, they this is what they experienced. It was very intimate. They were right there and in many cases
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I'm sure were the very ones that Just did the whole thing. I'm sure they had some midwives or some maidens or whatever that were there helping out but just sitting there
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I couldn't help but think this is just amazing because there's no distractions and When you're in the comfort of your own home, you can if this is
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I'm talking obviously from personal experience. I'm not saying That no one else could experience something like this in any other context
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It's just for me. This is what did it like this is this is when these particular thoughts hit and I was you know
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There's no distractions. I was able to just really hone in on the moment. Of course. It was just really really special and so It got me thinking about a lot of things right then at that moment
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But in in the weeks after as well, so the significance of birth in General it has certainly been on my mind and the many important things that it represents has as well
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So today we're going to begin in John 3 I suppose you guys have already turned there and let's take a look at the passage
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That's going to set the tone for the rest of the afternoon and we'll go from there. We'll start in verse 1
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There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews The same came to Jesus by night and said unto him rabbi
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We know that thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him
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Jesus answered and said in him verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born
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Again, he cannot see the kingdom of God now Nicodemus saith unto him
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How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born
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Jesus answered verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of water and of the
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Spirit He cannot enter into the kingdom of God that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit
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Is spirit Marvel not that I said unto thee You must be born again
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The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof But canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth.
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So is everyone that is born of the Spirit I'll go ahead and end it there.
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I was gonna go ahead and read all the way through verse 21 Of course, it's an unbelievably beautiful passage. John 3 16 is right around the corner
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But for the sake of time because I've already eaten up far more than I intended to I'm gonna move forward from there but those opening eight verses of John chapter 3
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Are gonna kind of set the foundation for today's topic now obviously for Jesus to compare our very salvation
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With physical birth. There's something special there I mean we can get that and you know
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We could be done at this point and just take that for for what it is and understand that it is a perfect Analogy that Jesus uses of what it is like for our salvation experience and As if that analogy wasn't packed with meaning already
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What I want to do today is spend some time this morning fleshing out as much meaning as we can
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From what is already such a miracle and that is being that is, you know physical birth And in what it means physically as well as already what we've gathered spiritually.
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So I have a couple of sections here and I want to go through a few different sections in discussing the significance of labor of birth of what comes after the baby is born but in order to get some context for this particular topic as biblically as possible we have to start where the
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Bible starts, of course and That is birth is a consequence of sin
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The consequences of Eve's sin We're gonna be going much deeper than that.
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But again, we have to start where the Bible starts. So You can turn here if you want Genesis chapter 3 verse 14 again
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We're gonna be turning to a number of places. So feel free to turn as much as you would like Genesis chapter 3 verse 14 says in the
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Lord God said unto the serpent Because thou has done this thou art cursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field upon thy belly
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Shalt thou go in dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life This is right on the other side of Adam and Eve playing the blame game
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Adam blames Eve Eve blames the serpent. The serpent is now cursed but then look at verse 15 and I will put enmity between thee
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Talking about the serpent and the woman and between thy seed and her seed
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It shall bruise the thy head and now shalt bruise his heel Now, of course, this is the first revelation that we receive in regard to plans
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I'm sorry God's plan of redemptive history Right there in verse 15, but it continues in verse 16.
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It says unto the woman. He said I will greatly multiply by sorrow and thy conception in sorrow
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Thou shalt bring forth children and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee
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So when we think about childbirth right off the bat In the pain and the travail
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Associated with it. This may be what comes to mind first in regard to what the Bible has to say about it
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This particular passage. It is the the first mention of birth. It's the first time it's talked about It obviously is very significant in regard to the way
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It is first mentioned, you know brought into God's Revelation as I said And while Eve was to be the mother of all living
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That's what her name means. She was also to bring forth that life Through multiplied sorrow as a consequence of her sin
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And that is certainly an important piece to all this However, the Lord did not limit childbirth to be nothing more than a consequence
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So that's the part that I want us to hone in on quite a bit because yes, this is where the Bible starts
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But it's not where God Ended it. It's not where he left off this particular physical thing and what it and what it represents
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It's nothing it's he didn't limit it to a consequence that may seem obvious given how important being fruitful and multiplying is to God and we know that Procreation and childbirth.
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It's a necessary piece to that commandment But the depth of what God ordained for childbirth to picture or to symbolize which again is really what our topic is about today is the main focus of what we're going to be covering and How much deeper he goes beyond the consequence?
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for starters Eve was not going to be the only one who bore this sorrow is a consequence of sin and the
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Sorrow that's pictured in childbirth. So let's turn one more time over to Romans chapter 8 for just a second and In Romans chapter 8 we learned something pretty spectacular again, this is still in the realm of This being a consequence of the the sin that Adam and Eve You know partook in and it's wrapped closely with Eve's consequence of sorrow and childbirth but again, it goes beyond just that look at verse 14 of Chapter 8 here.
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It says for as many as are led by the Spirit of God They are the sons of God for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear
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But ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit
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That we are the children of God and if children then heirs heirs of God in joint heirs with Christ if so Oh if so be that we suffer with him that we may also be glorified together
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Notice how this is obviously a wonderful passage in regard to opening up our minds to the reality
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Of our sonship in Christ getting to be heirs with him being able to cry
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Abba Father ourselves but suffering is baked in there it's it's a it's a
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Necessary reality to our sonship in him. Of course as we know is because of the suffering that he went through but Look at where it goes in verse 18 for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
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Which shall be revealed in us now just think about that for a second. So a little bit off topic but think about The wonderful reality that that is we're going to suffer.
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It's guaranteed. It is a necessary reality in regard to our
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Position in Christ and again and you think about the suffering that the nation of Israel is experiencing right now knowing that someday
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All of Israel will be saved Right now they're suffering. However For us that are in Christ as we speak right this second
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That suffering Paul says is to not be compared with the glory which will be revealed in us
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It's going to be so much better. The glory is going to Just to it's going to eclipse the
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Suffering to such a degree that it's incomprehensible to us in this life someday. We'll know though verse 19 says for the earnest
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Expectation of the creation the KJV renders it creature here, but I'm just gonna read the literal
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Term for the earnest expectation of the creation Waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God for the creation
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The creation itself was made subject to vanity not willingly
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But by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption
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Into the glorious liberty of the children of God for we know that the whole creation groaneth in travaileth in pain together until now those words travaileth groaneth the pain it is in the realm of Childbirth the creation itself that was cursed and it was put in in any form of disorder after the fall of man
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It groans in travails in pain Waiting for the future glory that is to come
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For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now and not only they but ourselves
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Also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit even we ourselves Groan within ourselves
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Waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body for we are saved by hope
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But hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth Why doth yet he hope for?
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But if we hope for that which we see not then do we with patience wait for it so much that we can unpack there
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Absolutely beautiful picture But the point being is that the creation itself and even we ourselves Due to the nature of the fall the corruption that came with it.
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There is a there's a groaning There's a travailing as if a woman a woman in childbirth or in labor preparing for childbirth
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That is the state of the creation right now waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God and for that glory to come that phrase in verse
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Was it 22 I believe yeah in verse 22 the phrase travaileth in pain together
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That's the Greek. It's a single Greek word all of those that whole phrase travaileth in pain together is one
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Greek word Sunodino and it is used as a metaphor Meaning to undergo agony along with like a woman in childbirth.
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So the very creation is in that state Now not only us but again the very creation groans in travails while we await the return of the
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Creator Who will at that time remove the corruption that is currently part of the very essence of that creation
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So there is a consequence of sin Childbirth oddly enough is a part of that more specifically
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I think is the sorrow and the multiplied conception of that childbirth That's a whole nother topic of whether or not
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Eve would have ever had kids had the fall not happened It's kind of a silly hypothetical in my opinion because it was going to happen.
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It could not have not happened, but All that aside the specific consequence was the sorrow
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That comes with it. But now let's move into a different section and that is childbirth is a picture of great suffering and fury
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Again using it as an analogy as a symbol as a picture for something beyond physical childbirth itself
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Not surprisingly due to this factor of childbirth being a painful result of sin
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It's used frequently as a metaphor for great suffering in this life as long as we are in this life
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Again as a carryover as a consequence of that sin if the suffering will be there as long as we're here
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Jeremiah in an unparalleled fashion across all of the prophets of the Old Testament Uses the travail of childbirth as a metaphor for great suffering
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I'm just going to read a bunch of passages really quick sing single verses all throughout the book of Jeremiah Where he likens the suffering that's happening regardless of who he's talking about.
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The context is different in each case Sometimes it's his people sometimes the Babylonian sometimes it's Nebuchadnezzar himself
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But regardless of the suffering that these people are dealing with it is compared to the suffering of childbirth
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Jeremiah 6 24 says we have heard the fame thereof our hands wax feeble Anguish hath taken hold of us in pain as of a woman in travail again
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This this whole idea here is kind of a piggyback off of the idea of sin as a consequence This is an aspect of it the pain that's there but While you keep that fresh on your mind
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I want you to just put a pin in it at the same time because it leads to in picture something
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So much greater We'll get to it eventually Jeremiah 13 21 says what wilt thou say when he shall punish thee for thou has taught
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Them thou hast taught them to be captains and as chief over thee shall not sorrows take thee as a woman in travail
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Jeremiah 22 23 says Oh inhabitant of Lebanon that makest thy nest in the cedars
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How gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee the pain is of a woman in travail
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Jeremiah 49 24 says Damascus is wax feeble and turneth herself to flee in fear hath seized on her
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Anguish and sorrows have taken her as a woman in travail Jeremiah 50 43 the king of Babylon Hath heard the report of them in his hands wax feeble
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Anguish took hold of him the most powerful man on the planet at that time in pangs as of a woman in travail
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Now the prophets don't use childbirth as a metaphor for suffering exclusively.
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That was all Jeremiah other prophets use it as a metaphor for that as well, but Isaiah also used it as a picture of God's fury as the fury is a picture of the fury of Yahweh himself in Isaiah 42 14.
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It says this is God talking. I have a long time hold in my peace I have been still and I have refrained myself
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Now will I cry like a woman? I'm sorry like a travailing woman.
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I will Devour I will destroy and devour it once God Yahweh himself uses the travailing of a woman is a picture of his cry of fury after Decades centuries of his long -suffering spirit
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Putting up with his people that time and time again leave him commit spiritual adultery
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Idolatry so on and so forth So even God himself likens his fury to the travail of a woman in childbirth
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Now we move on though and look at childbirth as a picture. Well, it's not just a picture It is literally the beginning of life now
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We can't go without also focusing on of course the beautiful aspect of this particular topic we had to begin with it as a consequence of sin with it as a picture of suffering and as we can see even of God's fury, but It's not where it is.
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That's not where it's left There are so many beautiful aspects of it as well And it's the first glimpse that we have in the passages that we're about to look at today which start to shed light on God's loving purpose and In ordaining childbirth the way in which he ordained it.
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That's the key Obviously childbirth was ordained. But why was it ordained to be so painful?
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Was it merely a consequence of sin? That was a part of it, but I would argue it was not Exclusively as a consequence of sin.
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It was all along the pain and the sorrow of Childbirth was all along meant to picture something far greater than a mere consequence of sin or a mere picture of Troublesome times or fury or whatever it may be first We see that while the woman has been ordained to carry life within her
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It is God that is the ultimate source of that life in Job chapter 12
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I'll read a few verses here Job chapter 12 verse 9
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Says who know this is just the context is it's Job kind of letting his friends have it and he just goes through a number of things that are
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Obviously in God's hands and no one and no one's no one else's hands And he continues with this in verse 9 of Job chapter 12 who knoweth not in all these things
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That the hand of the Lord hath wrought this It's of the hand of the
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Lord but verse 10 says in whose hand is the soul or the
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Hebrew could also be translated the life of every living thing in the breath of all mankind so Job actually reminds us of a
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Of a positive reality of God's power because in the previous verses he's talking about it's it's
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God's prerogative It is every right to bring evil upon whoever whomever he wants to bring evil upon And in the preceding chapters, it's all about that as well but Job reminds us here that he is sovereign not only of All of that but of over the most beautiful things that we can ever comprehend or can ever
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Experience in whose hand is the soul of every living thing in the breath of all mankind
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Death not the ear try words in the mouth taste his meat With the ancient is wisdom and in length of days understanding
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So that's a beautiful thing while the woman was ordained to carry the life within her.
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It was God himself That is the source of that life now secondly we're given a picture of how intimately the
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Lord knows us and loves us as a reminder that that love transcends every ounce of our understanding because it was there long before We could ever be aware of it ourselves turn to Psalm 139 and we will be there for a good bit.
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So Feel free to turn there with me Psalm 139
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It will start at the top we won't read the whole psalm, but we will read a good portion of it
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What's the point here the point is the intimate knowledge that God has had of us
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Long before we could be aware of it and it is packed into that picture of What childbirth represents or a better way to put it because this we're literally talking about physical
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Knitting together in the womb of a mother here childbirth the beauty that yes
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It is a consequence of sin, but the beauty that is also within what happens when a child is conceived carried by the mother
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Delivered by the mother. It's all right here. Psalm 39 1. I'm sorry 139 verse 1 says
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O Lord thou hast searched me in known me Now knowest my down -sitting in mine uprising thou understandest
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Understandest my thought afar off thou compass my path in my laying down and art acquainted with all my ways for there is not a
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Word in my tongue, but O Lord thou knowest it altogether Thou hast beset me behind and before and laid thine hand upon me such knowledge is too wonderful for me
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It is high. I cannot attain it Dad, if y 'all go look in our archives He did a whole sermon on that verse way back in the early 2000s such knowledge is too wonderful for me verse 7 says whither shall
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I go from my spirit or whither shall I flee from my presence if I Ascend up into heaven thou art there if I make my bed in hell
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Behold thou art there if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea
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Even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me if I say surely the darkness shall cover me
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Even the night shall the light be about me gave the darkness hideth not from me
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But the night shineth is the day the darkness and the light are both alike to thee For thou has possessed my reins thou has covered me in thy
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I'm sorry in my Mother's womb I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made
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Marvelous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well my substance was not hid from me when
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I was made in secret and Curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth thine eyes did see my substance yet being
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Unperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them so unbelievably
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Explicit picture of that intimate loving knowledge that God has of us long before we could come anywhere close
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To understanding it ourselves of comprehending it much like the state that little Jack is still currently in he has no idea in won't for quite some time of The the love from God that went into his making and yet it's there
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It's just as real as it is to us that have some grasp of it through God's revelation here
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And of course, we'll have even more understanding someday when we get to ask
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Jesus more about it He knows us lovingly. He knows us fully even from the earliest forms of our existence
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So even here if we stopped if we stopped the study here We can see that there is something far beyond a mere consequence of sin
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There is pain involved as we've said number a number of times here in the labor in childbirth
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For all of human history that pain will be a reminder of what happened in the garden and it should be
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But God himself had plans from the foundation of the earth that would go beyond again a mere consequence
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He would use it not only to bring new life into his world through his created image bearers
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He actually uses us he works through us to bring each and every generation Into the world, but he would use it to picture something even greater than the miracle of childbirth itself as if that wasn't already amazing as If that wasn't already a place where you could stop and just you know be in awe of the way in which
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God works things out Before we look at what I believe is the ultimate truth that childbirth pictures so beautifully
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I want us to look at one more passage here one other passage which kind of Pointedly uses childbirth as a relatable
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Metaphor turn to Galatians chapter 4 for a second and let me give you the context for the couple of verses
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We're gonna read the context is Paul. I Mean when you think of the book of Galatians which is the first thing you think about you think about the legalists right and you think about Paul telling the story of having to stand
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Peter face to face and Asking the Galatians who bewitched you and all of these things they were in a really bad spot and it was breaking
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Paul's heart the context of these particular verses here is Paul is having to undo the damage of false teachers that had
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Infiltrated the Galatian Church and remind his converts of the gospel all over again in Order to solidify their faith here and in this chapter.
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He's pointing them back to their sonship in Christ So he's having to point them back to the key doctrines that he had already taught them and that they lost sight of and now he's
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Doing it all over again and in that context. He says this in Galatians 4 verse 19 my little children whom
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I Travail in birth again Until Christ to be formed in you
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I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice for I stand in doubt of you
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Now again that Greek word the phrase for I travail in birth. It's all one
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Greek word and it is Odin Odino, which is a derivative of that last
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Greek word we looked at Odino more specifically and it means literally to feel the pains of childbirth so think about Think about Paul's choice in words here in describing the way that he feels about his converts the church a church that he started and that he discipled and that he gave the gospel to reverting to Legalism it was breaking his heart
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No doubt, but he also used the phrase Odino that is to feel the pains of childbirth in What's crazy about it is he uses the word again
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Which gives us even more light into what his ministry was like to him. We learn a couple of amazing things here number one
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And we can take a lot from this by the way This is this is kind of an aside of the overall topic but listen closely to this for a second because what we can learn from this is a couple of things the reality number one of Sharing the gospel, but not just sharing the gospel afterward
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Discipling those who come to the Lord it is a very painful thing
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Oftentimes it is a very painful thing Think about the concern that we have for the very souls of the people that we're talking to Think about the energy that we put into teaching them and raising them up in Sound doctrine and then of course witnessing the sanctification process that can be a pretty ugly thing to watch sometimes
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Because every believer starts at ground zero for lack of a better term and you know, thankfully he has nowhere to go but up but You start pretty low in many cases
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And so think about whether it be Paul or yourself being the one to not only share the gospel
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But then to disciple to that person the concern for their soul First and foremost, which is what sharing the gospel the thrust of sharing the gospel comes from But then again
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The energy that we put into that discipleship afterward sharing with them the sound doctrine witnessing their sanctification process as they mature from quote -unquote baby
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Christians and to learning what those doctrines are
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Growing in the biblical doctrine much like by the way the very doctrines that Paul is now having to readdress
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To this church in this particular letter It's all compared to travailing in birth
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So the next time that you feel led by the Spirit to share the gospel with someone and you do so just be prepared
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For the possibility of it being a very painful thing Paul likened it to travailing in birth
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Which is about as of an explicit image as you could give as strong of a wording as you could give to the feeling that He was experiencing and I would argue the feeling that we could experience ourselves in a similar context
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But there's another thing that we learn here from these couple of verses. We learned that Paul is Having to do this for a second time for these people
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It's a picture of a mother experiencing birth pains experiencing labor experiencing delivery again for the same child
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That is what Paul was experiencing here with the Galatian Church and it really puts a lot of perspective into His tone in this particular letter.
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It is a pretty feisty letter as you go through it And you can imagine why he was having to experience labor and delivery all over again
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For the same child is the picture that he's giving us in the wording that he uses here
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This is why this is somewhat of a sad picture that we're given Because we can see that the trials that we ourselves
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May go through when we share the gospel With those that we love and want to see come to repentance in saving faith in our
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Lord. That could be what we experience ourselves but as we near close here even with this as amazing as this particular picture is even with as amazing as God's design and childbirth is and With as explicit as some of the pictures some of the symbols that we've looked at here are
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We have even still To see the ultimate truth that is represented in the travail of a mother and the birth of a child
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Think about it for just a second birth is one of the most prevalent realities of the human experience of I mean if you think you can probably name a number of things right off the bat as far as Pervasive things that you see everywhere
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That are a fundamental aspect of again the human experience birth is one of them
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We're literally surrounded by it everywhere in some sense Of course, it makes perfect sense that that is the case for a lot of reasons
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But especially with it being God's mechanism for bringing his image bearers into this world
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Obviously, we're gonna see a lot of childbirth around us. That's how God planned it out but Consider it as a picture of Jesus himself for just a moment.
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That is the travail of childbirth There are a lot of vivid types or pictures of Jesus's sacrifice for us all throughout the
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Bible Abraham preparing to offer his only son the bloody animal sacrifices of the
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Old Testament the scapegoat that runs into the dark wilderness the serpent that is lifted into the air and Many more examples that we could look at some of them beautiful some of them horrifying
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The Old Testament sacrifices weren't bloody for nothing. They pictured something and they pictured something very important The Levitical priests were not butchers because it was a fun thing to do
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It was meant to picture something greater There's one picture in particular
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That I want us to think about we began with John chapter 3 if you guys would go back We're gonna finish with John chapter 3 one thing that I've been thinking a lot about since Jack's birth and That is this last symbol that we will look at here.
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Well one of two last symbols that kind of go hand in hand Go back to John chapter 3 will begin in verse 2 the same came to Jesus by night and said unto him rabbi
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We know that thou art a teacher from God. This is Nicodemus talking For no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him.
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Isn't it funny? that is what Nicodemus says it's like he's heard about these great things that Jesus has done and He comes and is like rabbi, you know, we know that you are of God for no man can do these miracles
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That you do except God be with him in Jesus's immediate response is except a man be born again
01:00:00
He cannot see the kingdom of God. Isn't that an odd just out of nowhere? phrase that of course carries the utmost implications
01:00:09
But think about how taken aback and Nicodemus must have been as he received that response from this guy
01:00:16
Who he's most likely at this point kind of trying to flatter a little bit Maybe who knows what's in the Nicodemus his mind at that point
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Jesus answered him in response to that verily verily a saying to you except a man be born again
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He cannot see the kingdom of God Nicodemus saith unto him. How can a man be born when he is old?
01:00:35
Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered barely barely a saying to thee except a man be born of water and of the
01:00:44
Spirit He cannot enter into the kingdom of God that which is born of the flesh is flesh that which is born of the
01:00:51
Spirit is Spirit marvel not that I said unto thee that ye must be born
01:00:58
Again, the wind bloweth where it listeth and now here's the sound thereof But can't not tell when it wince it cometh and whither it goeth.
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So is everyone that is born of the Spirit Now that last verse right there
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Verse 8 carries so many doctrinal truths within it It would take a whole series of lessons to discuss all of that.
01:01:20
But one thing is abundantly clear is when our spiritual birth takes place that is when
01:01:26
Our new man if you want to think about it in these terms takes its first breath, so to speak
01:01:33
When that happens, it's of the Spirit that last phrase of the verse So is everyone that is born of the
01:01:40
Spirit that is how our spiritual birth takes place Now if you want to think about our salvation and I'm promise
01:01:46
I'm almost over here so bear with me for just a little bit longer if you want to think about our salvation in Trinitarian terms for a second
01:01:57
You get because we know that salvation is an act of God. It's the same God that is in Deuteronomy 6 for Yahweh is our
01:02:06
God Yahweh is one but if you want to think about it in terms of the
01:02:12
Trinity, which of course we have the unbelievable blessing of having as born -again believers and Being able to have some form of comprehension of such a wonderful reality.
01:02:23
You could think about it this way the father Did the quote -unquote family planning?
01:02:31
He is the one that that knew us before the foundation of the world
01:02:38
Specifically, I mean, I mean you can look at it in terms of the Godhead Obviously, but it we have specific verses that indicate that the father is the one that did
01:02:48
If you want to put it in these terms the family planning John 6 37 and 44 are a great example of that when
01:02:56
Jesus is telling us that all that the father has given to me None shall be cast out.
01:03:01
I will lose lose nothing, of course So the father does the quote -unquote family planning the
01:03:07
Holy Spirit did the actual birthing? Which we learn right here in this passage
01:03:13
Where it says everyone that is is born of the Spirit. So the Spirit is the one that does the birthing in Galatians 4 29
01:03:24
Puts it in similar phrases as well But Now we might ask who did the travailing?
01:03:32
That led to the birth The father did the family planning We already know based on verse 8 of John chapter 3 that the
01:03:40
Spirit and other places as well that the Spirit does the birthing Who did the travailing? So that the birth could happen
01:03:50
Who experienced the pangs of this birth that Jesus is talking about who experienced the labor?
01:03:58
Of that birth who experienced the pain of that birth? When I was going through this
01:04:04
I was reminded of the echo principle Which states that a spiritual truth can only be symbolized by a genuine physical truth from the physical universe so think about the implications there if that is true and then
01:04:20
Jesus goes and says that in Order to inherit the kingdom of God you must be born again
01:04:27
As soon as he uses that analogy the echo principle comes into play and we have to realize what he just said
01:04:33
Is he likened our spiritual birth to a genuine physical truth within the physical universe?
01:04:42
Which means every part of that is a part of the picture that symbolizes our salvation experience
01:04:50
Through God If it's true that the birth can be used if it's true that birth in general can be used by Jesus himself as a true genuine symbol of our spiritual birth then that entails someone had to experience the pain of That birth when we consider the sheer volumes of birds that take place every day remember
01:05:14
It's one of the most pervasive prevalent Realities of human experience people are having babies all the time as we speak babies are being born all across all across the world
01:05:27
Babies are being born literally left and right and When we consider the sheer volumes of that when we hear about the birth of someone whether maybe it's in just our general circle of People that we know maybe it's the birth of someone in our own family.
01:05:40
It could even be the birth of your own child With each and every one of those birds that we see or that we hear about we are seeing a picture of Christ's suffering and Travailing so that we can be so that we could be reborn the labor the pain the sacrifice
01:06:01
That was made by Jesus for our rebirth is pictured in every single physical birth that we see or hear about Every second of every day and so think about it for a second.
01:06:13
He ordained Yes, the sorrow and the travailing of childbirth is a consequence of sin
01:06:19
But even before the sin took place he ordained That that travailing and that sorrow that the mother would experience each and every time would symbolize what he did for us
01:06:30
So that our rebirth Could happen so that our rebirth would happen
01:06:36
You know when a woman gives birth her physiology
01:06:42
Literally changes forever. It's never the same again When she brings life into the world her physiology literally changes and likewise
01:06:53
The markings of our crucified Messiah are a part of him to this very day
01:07:00
Revelation 5 6 Says and behold and lo in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts and in the midst of the elders stood a
01:07:13
Lamb as it had been slain Having horns
01:07:19
Having the seven horns the seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent forth from all the earth But think about that mental picture for just a second
01:07:26
There stood a lamb as if it had been slain you don't often think about a bloodied sacrificed animal is standing up Usually they're sit there having bled out
01:07:38
In in the most pitiful condition that you could ever imagine That is normally the picture of a sacrificed animal and yet this lamb is standing but with the same marks as if slain that is the
01:07:54
Physical Reality of Jesus as we speak He still bears those marks just as a mother bears the marks of her sacrifice to carry and to live to deliver the child
01:08:07
Whether that be the scars of a cesarean section or the stretch marks from one or more of her pregnancies
01:08:14
The one who labored for our spiritual birth still carries likewise
01:08:19
Just like that mother does he still carries his scars as a perpetual reminder of his sacrifice for us
01:08:26
Just as a mother will forever carry her scars as a perpetual Reminder to her children of the sacrifice that she made to bring them into this earth
01:08:35
You know, they say that a man will never experience anything close to the pain of childbirth
01:08:44
You know, I'm inclined to believe it certainly no man Knows the specific pain of the travail of childbirth
01:08:52
It's really interesting because if you think about the worst conditions of a man of any human if you think about You know, perhaps a person going through something terrible just terrible injuries
01:09:06
You name it any context the Lord has program in our bodies all these things like adrenaline and shock that can that can take hold
01:09:13
Of the person and actually get them through such a devastating thing so even when we see Visually some of the things that you think that has to be the most awful thing on the planet in it and it is
01:09:24
Perhaps not trying to take away from what that person might be experiencing
01:09:30
All over the world people all over the world experiencing, but my point is that the Lord has things Ingrained in the way our body works again with adrenaline going in shock
01:09:39
They can actually get a person through that that doesn't happen to a mother when she's in labor. She doesn't go into shock and Just sits there while it happens and then the baby is born she feels every ounce of the pain that that labor and that that travail brings and no, man in all of human history
01:10:00
Has ever experienced anything like that? but with one exception Now to close
01:10:07
I want to point our attention to one last passage It's perhaps the most important for us to be looking at especially in light of everything that's going on around us today labor travail
01:10:19
Childbirth, it's not only a picture of Jesus's suffering, but it's also used by Jesus himself
01:10:25
He was the one that used it as a picture in John chapter 3. He also uses it as a picture of his absence
01:10:31
From us until we get to see him again You already in John chapter 3 flip over a few chapters to John chapter 16.
01:10:39
And this is where we'll end today. I promise John chapter 16 starting in verse 16 it says a little while and you shall not see me and Again, a little while and you shall see me because I go to the father
01:10:56
Then said some of his disciples among themselves. What is this that he said to us a little while?
01:11:03
That you shall not see me and again a little while and you shall see me and because I go to the father
01:11:09
They said therefore what is this that he saith a little while we cannot tell what he means here
01:11:15
Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him and said unto them Do ye inquire among yourselves of what
01:11:22
I said a little while? And yet you shall see me and again a little while and you shall
01:11:29
I'm sorry The first time he says a little while and you shall not see me and a little while and you shall see me
01:11:37
Verily verily I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament but the world shall rejoice and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy a
01:11:50
Woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come But as soon as she is delivered of the child
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She remembereth no more the anguish for the joy that a man is born into the world one of the strangest
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Realities of that same human experience is the fact that a mom would go through that ever again after experiencing at one time from our perspective is the dad helping them through the contractions and Watching what happens to bring a child into the earth.
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We're like I certainly would never do that again and yet a mother Quickly forgets her anguish quickly forgets the sorrow when she sees that a man is born into the world and Ye now know verse 22 therefore
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I'm sorry verse 22 and ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again in your heart
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Shall rejoice in your joy. No man can take from you and in that day ye shall ask me nothing
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You will not question me In that day, it will be pure joy. So He's talking to his disciples, but this can absolutely be extrapolated to each and every believer throughout all of church history
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We may have sorrow now But the moment that we see him like a mother seeing her child for the first time will forget every sorrow and all of our anguish
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And that is the picture that Jesus gives of his absence, but also of his return
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He uses childbirth as a very Explicit vivid picture of the travail of the pain that he sacrificed so that we could be born again but he also uses the same picture as a symbol for The sorrow that we feel collectively until we see him again, and then the sorrow will be no more and we'll forget the anguish
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Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for this wonderful day Thank you for allowing us to come together and to speak your word to talk about your word to pray together to fellowship
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We are just so thankful continually for this wonderful group Of believers this church family the relationship that we have the unity that we have
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Is a blessing that we hope to never take for granted And we again are just thankful for it each and every time that we get to come together on the
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Lord's Day We ask that if it be your will we have many more opportunities like this in the foreseeable future and For the next generation of our little ones that we are raising in this church that they will get to experience that same thing
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Just as we do now Someday we ask you to be with us for the remainder of today continue to be with the nation of Israel as they are up against an enemy like no other an enemy of principalities and powers an enemy that is implacable and That doesn't have a care in the world for their soul at this point
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Reprobate minds just as you describe in such detail in Romans chapter 1
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Lord that is the enemy they're up against and they are there not to just merely
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Bring retribution and avenge the blood of their people but to fight for their own existence
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Lord we ask you to continue to be with them as that plays out and we know
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Lord that on every side The common denominator is the ultimate depravity of man and that is the reason why any of this is happening in the first place
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We know that someday it will all be delivered That you will deliver all of it from the hands of your people and rule on this earth but until then we just ask that as you are long -suffering that you give us that same attribute and that you allow us to just stay the course and to remain even through the tough times to remain faithful ultimately as we know that's the that's the ultimate test in any kind of Tribulation that we may go through that any of your people would go through help us remain faithful and stay the course and We ask all these things in your name and of course for you to be with us the remainder of today and with all