Jeff Miller

May 14, 2017

The Unstoppable Church

Unstoppable Fellowship.

Jeff Miller

May 14, 2017

The Unstoppable Church

Intro / Review:

Because we are ALL a Work in Progress:

Accept others' convictions. (Acts 18:18-23)

Assist those who need to grow. (Acts 18:24-26)

Three Myths About Confrontation

I must confront everything
Confrontation is not loving
Confrontation equals judging

Three Tips for Confronting

Do it informed
Do it privately
Do it biblicly

Always be teachable. (Acts 18:27-28)

Are You Teachable? (Mark YES or NO for each statement below)

I am aware of my weaknesses
I am not afraid to seek help
I try to learn from criticism
I admit when I am wrong
I am aware I don't know everything
I am always looking to learn new things
I invite others to give me feedback

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

01:04-01:06
So let's turn to God's Word together today.
01:07-01:08
Acts chapter 18.
01:10-01:11
Acts chapter 18.
01:11-01:12
We're going through a series.
01:12-01:14
Unstoppable church.
01:15-01:17
The church of Jesus Christ.
01:18-01:24
The church that He promised to build is unstoppable.
01:24-01:26
Jesus said the gates of hell won't prevail against it.
01:26-01:26
Amen?
01:29-02:21
The church is unstoppable, but I'll be honest with you, that there's times that I don't I don't I don't feel that personally and I guess there's times I feel more like if you're from this area if you can think back a few years ago there was a there was a building in between Butler and Gibsonia right on route 8 it was on like the east side of route 8 there was a building that was obviously going to be used for commercial space and it was looking fantastic and it got halfway built and construction stopped and some of you guys know what I'm talking about but some smart aleck came along with their commentary on this halfway done building project and spray-painted a word on the side of this half building and the word that they spray-painted on the side was fail.
02:24-02:32
I don't know the whole story behind that, but I will tell you this, there's a lot of times in my life I feel like that building.
02:34-02:35
Don't you sometimes?
02:36-02:52
You feel like I had a good strong start, I've had some good days, but let's be honest, there's times that I blow it, and I'm like, "How could I have been so stupid?" There's times that I see an immature attitude welling up in my own heart.
02:52-02:55
And I think to myself, "Jeff, you're 41 years old now.
02:56-03:09
You should have been done with those stupid attitudes 20 years ago." Sometimes I feel like somebody should just come along with a can of spray paint and just spray it across my head.
03:09-03:10
Fail!
03:11-03:11
Fail!
03:14-03:17
There's a verse in God's Word that I remind myself of often.
03:19-03:47
Philippians 1.6, the apostle Paul, who we're going to be talking about today, he said, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Paul says, "God always finishes what He starts." Really?
03:48-04:05
He says, "And I am sure of this." So instead of spray painting the word "fail" for that building which since that time has been completed, and I think more accurately portrays the Christian life.
04:07-04:20
Instead of spray painting the word fail at the time, if we could go back, maybe on that building, maybe on your life right now, if you're feeling like a failure, maybe there's something different that should be spray painted on you.
04:20-04:21
And that's what we're gonna talk about today.
04:21-04:25
What should be spray painted on you is this, work in progress.
04:26-04:33
How many people here this morning would say, "Pastor Jeff, I think my life qualifies right now "as being a work in progress." Anybody else?
04:34-04:36
Fantastic, because that's me, all right?
04:36-04:42
And if you're like done, complete, then you're a bit delusional, okay?
04:43-04:48
But for the rest of us that have a more biblical reality of who we are, we're a work in progress.
04:50-04:55
And there's good news for us because God always finishes what He starts, right?
04:55-04:56
Remember creation week?
04:57-05:02
God didn't start creation week as like, separate water from waters and create dry land.
05:05-05:06
I'll get to it later.
05:08-05:09
He finished what he started.
05:09-05:12
We saw this through the Bible 101 series with Abraham.
05:12-05:20
God promised Abraham he was gonna be this mighty nation with countless descendants in this special land, a blessing for the whole world.
05:20-05:27
And God saw that through to completion, despite all of the human obstacles that didn't bother God.
05:27-05:29
He finished what he started.
05:31-05:33
We saw it with the mission of Jesus Christ, amen.
05:34-05:41
"Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising and shamed Jesus, went through with the mission." He finished what He started.
05:43-05:51
And the absolute certainty of God's Word for you and for me is God is not finished with you.
05:52-05:54
You are a work in progress.
05:55-05:57
I am a work in progress.
05:58-06:02
At Harvest Bible Chapel, we talk about discipleship.
06:03-06:04
What does it mean to be a disciple?
06:04-06:11
We believe a disciple is somebody who worships Jesus Christ, who walks with Jesus Christ, and who works for Jesus Christ.
06:12-06:17
And talking about walking with Christ, that concept is used so many times in the New Testament.
06:18-06:20
Your Christian life is a walk.
06:21-06:22
You know what walk means?
06:22-06:24
Well, first of all, walk means intentional, right?
06:25-06:26
It doesn't happen by accident.
06:28-06:34
If you're going to walk somewhere, you have to consciously make the decision, "I'm going to get up and get my legs moving.
06:36-06:38
But what I want you to see, especially for today, is walking.
06:40-06:45
The reason the Bible uses that word to describe the Christian life, walking denotes progress, right?
06:46-06:52
If you're going for a walk, you're able to say, "You know, I was there.
06:55-07:01
And over some time, now I'm here." It's progress.
07:03-07:08
Your walk with Jesus Christ was an event and it is a process.
07:08-07:09
What do you mean by that?
07:09-07:11
You are saved, that's done.
07:11-07:13
Christ accomplished that.
07:13-07:19
So you were saved and you are being sanctified.
07:20-07:24
In other words, you were born again and now you are growing in Christ.
07:26-07:29
So I can readily admit that I'm a work in progress.
07:30-07:34
And when I asked you if you're a work in progress, you were very eager to put your hands, I'm a work in progress, yeah, yeah, yeah, I am too, I am too.
07:35-07:36
Okay, but here's the hard thing, church.
07:37-07:37
Here's the hard thing.
07:38-07:42
Can you acknowledge that other people are a work in progress?
07:44-08:00
It is so much easier to acknowledge that I am, than it is for me to look at your failures and remember that you are also a work in progress.
08:02-08:07
If I refuse to acknowledge that I'm a work in progress, I'm going to stagnate my own growth.
08:08-08:12
But if I refuse to acknowledge that other people are a work in progress, I'm going to be judgmental.
08:13-08:18
So as we get to Acts 18, we're going to follow Paul on his missionary journey.
08:20-08:25
I just want you to see from the text today, Three attitudes that you must embrace.
08:28-08:33
Knowing all of Christ's people are a work in progress.
08:33-08:35
We're talking about Christ's people here.
08:35-08:42
If you're here today and you're not a born-again follower, born-again believer in Jesus Christ, this isn't going to apply to you.
08:44-08:46
You're still dead in your sin.
08:48-08:49
But today can be the day.
08:50-08:54
Today can be the day that you say, I'm done trying to do things my way.
08:54-08:55
I'm done trying to figure things out my own way.
08:55-08:57
My sin isn't getting me anywhere.
08:58-08:59
I want to turn from my sin.
08:59-09:01
I want to receive Jesus Christ by faith.
09:01-09:03
I want Him to be my Lord and my Savior.
09:03-09:04
You can do that right now.
09:07-09:13
And the glorious reality for you too will be God will finish what He starts in you.
09:15-09:18
So in your outline today, I want you to jot a couple things down.
09:19-09:23
because we are all a work in progress.
09:25-09:31
Number one, accept others' convictions.
09:32-09:34
Look at verses 18-23 with me.
09:36-09:54
It says, "After this," the events we talked about last week, sermon available online, "After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers "Set sail for Syria." And with him, Priscilla and Aquila.
09:54-09:55
We met them last week.
09:57-10:05
At Sancreia, he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.
10:06-10:09
And they came to Ephesus and he left them there.
10:11-10:14
But he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
10:16-10:18
and they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined.
10:19-10:27
But on taking leave of them, he said, "I will return to you if God wills." And he set sail from Ephesus.
10:29-10:35
When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.
10:36-10:50
After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
10:51-10:52
Stop there for a second.
10:52-10:57
Because we're a work in progress, number one, first of all, you have to accept other people's convictions.
10:59-11:05
Now verse 18, you saw it, it says that Paul was under a vow.
11:07-11:12
And he cut his hair because he was under a vow.
11:12-11:14
What in the world is the Bible talking about?
11:14-11:19
Well, this is probably a Nazirite vow from Numbers chapter six.
11:20-11:25
You know any famous Nazirite vow takers?
11:27-11:30
One that comes first to mind is Samson.
11:31-11:32
Remember Samson?
11:32-11:33
He took the Nazirite vow.
11:34-11:35
John the Baptist took a Nazirite vow.
11:35-11:39
Now those guys, they took the lifelong version, okay?
11:39-11:39
You could do it.
11:40-11:43
So I'm going to be a Nazirite for the rest of my entire life.
11:43-11:49
But did you know that you could also take the vow for a month?
11:49-11:50
It could be a 30-day vow.
11:53-11:54
That's probably what Paul did.
11:55-11:58
The Nazirite vow, you can read about this in Numbers chapter 6.
11:58-12:01
It was a vow of separation unto the Lord and there were some things that went with it.
12:01-12:04
You remember the top three things, especially from Samson's life.
12:04-12:06
You weren't allowed to cut your hair.
12:06-12:10
You weren't allowed to drink alcohol and you weren't allowed to touch dead things.
12:13-12:19
So Paul, again apparently taking a temporary vow, he would have cut his hair to finish the vow.
12:21-12:40
And according to what I studied this past week, it seems like an unusual custom to us, but in this case, when you were completing the vow by cutting your hair, you had to go to Jerusalem to present your hair at the temple within 30 days of cutting it.
12:41-12:45
And that explains why Paul was in such a hurry to get to Jerusalem.
12:45-12:55
Did you see in verse 22, it says when he landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church and then went down.
12:55-12:58
Very specifically, it says he went up and down.
12:58-12:59
What does that mean?
12:59-13:00
Jerusalem.
13:02-13:07
Jerusalem was built on a high place called Mount Zion, right?
13:07-13:12
So the language is saying that he went up to Jerusalem and he went down from Jerusalem.
13:13-13:17
So apparently, kind of putting the pieces together in the text, he was trying to fulfill this vow.
13:18-13:20
Like, okay, so what is your point?
13:21-13:26
Well, while you do what you do all week, I do a lot of reading and studying.
13:27-13:30
And I get to this verse and I'm just like, what's going on here?
13:31-13:33
Okay, he takes a vow, cuts his hair, he's on the run.
13:38-13:47
Interestingly, commentators that I've read this past week are on two extreme sides of Paul taking this vow.
13:48-13:52
There are some guys that were like, how dedicated.
13:53-13:55
Look at Paul, so dedicated.
13:57-14:01
He just warms our hearts with his dedication to his mission.
14:02-14:03
Look how dedicated.
14:04-14:09
Then you had other people that were like, "He's sinning!
14:10-14:34
How dare he, who has divorced himself from the ritualistic and legalistic aspects of of Judaism, immersed himself again into Judaism by taking a Jewish vow. How dare he? This was sinful, this was wrong, and both sides of the spectrum.
14:37-14:50
But here's the problem with that. Does anybody have anything in your Bible that says one way or the other whether this was the right thing for him to do.
14:50-14:58
Does your Bible say that, does anybody have a Bible that says, you know, "And the Lord was greatly pleased at what Paul did"?
14:58-14:59
Does your Bible say that?
15:00-15:06
Or does your, does anybody have a Bible that says, "And the Lord's anger was kindled because of Paul taking this vow"?
15:06-15:07
Does your Bible say that?
15:10-15:11
Mine doesn't either.
15:13-15:19
So obviously, my only conclusion when I read this, is just simply this.
15:20-15:26
Paul obviously was under some kind of a conviction at this point in his ministry, and he was just living it out, right?
15:28-15:30
I mean, are we safe to say that?
15:31-15:34
That Paul was obviously living out some kind of a conviction that he had.
15:34-15:35
Are we safe to say that?
15:37-15:42
So, I mean, he wasn't denying Christ.
15:42-15:45
He wasn't sinning. The text doesn't say he was wrong.
15:45-15:48
And here's the truth I want you to see, work in progress people.
15:51-15:58
That some people, whether you agree with it or not, are still going to hold on to some convictions.
15:59-16:03
This guy was Jewish. He was Jewish for his entire life.
16:04-16:06
And he took a Jewish custom.
16:09-16:15
So why do we feel like we have this need to jump in and judge this?
16:17-16:18
When God's Word doesn't even do it.
16:18-16:20
God's Word just says this is what happened.
16:22-16:24
But commentators don't treat it like that.
16:25-16:29
They treat it like this is something awesome that we should all do today.
16:29-16:31
Alright, everybody, let's go to the barbershop.
16:31-16:32
Right after church, we're going to line up.
16:32-16:34
We're all going to cut our hairs and fulfill our vow.
16:34-16:39
And there were some people that were like this was a horrible low point in Paul's life and he committed a grievous sin.
16:40-16:41
I just don't see it from the text.
16:42-16:42
Either way.
16:44-16:52
Here's what I do see from the text, and even up to today, some people whether you agree with it or not still hold on to some convictions.
16:54-16:56
They might not be your convictions.
16:59-17:02
And you need to learn to say, that's okay.
17:04-17:07
Like for example, some people say, "You know, I'm a vegetarian.
17:07-17:08
and think we should eat meat.
17:09-17:10
That's not my conviction.
17:12-17:15
But if that's yours, that's okay.
17:17-17:28
Some people say, "I think drinking alcohol is a sin, and you should never, ever, ever, ever drink alcohol." And some people say, "I think it's okay.
17:30-17:36
As long as you don't get drunk, I think it's okay to have a drink once in a while." You have to seek the Lord and come up with your own convictions.
17:36-17:44
But why in the world should I stand on the sidelines and tell you that your personal convictions and your walk with the Lord is wrong when it's clearly not a sin issue?
17:46-17:49
We could go on for some people, homeschooling versus public school.
17:51-17:54
You gotta come up with your own convictions on what you're gonna do with your kids.
17:55-18:04
Some people, it's what kind of movies we're allowed to see, not allowed to see, politics, Democrat versus Republican.
18:05-18:10
You know, somebody very close to me, he has a conviction, he will not shoot guns on Sunday.
18:10-18:14
As an avid hunter, avid sportsman, he will not shoot guns on Sunday.
18:15-18:17
That is certainly not my conviction.
18:19-18:23
But who am I to step in and tell him that he should not hold this conviction?
18:26-18:30
Why do we feel like it's our civil duty to jump in with commentary on everything?
18:31-18:32
You know what I think it is?
18:32-18:33
You know what I really think it is?
18:35-18:36
I think it's social media.
18:37-18:43
Social media has given us a platform that we think our opinion matters about everything.
18:43-18:44
Now, your opinion does matter.
18:46-18:47
But about everything?
18:49-18:54
Anytime anything happens in the news, is we gotta get on here and get to the commentary section.
18:54-18:56
And really?
18:58-19:07
We somehow feel empowered by social media that I have this voice and people need to know exactly what I think about every single thing.
19:07-19:11
No, people don't really need to know what you think about everything.
19:13-19:16
Like, but Pastor Jeff, their convictions are so immature.
19:18-19:21
I hear what you're saying, but sometimes people hold very immature convictions.
19:22-19:22
You know why?
19:25-19:26
Because they're a work in progress.
19:28-19:28
Like me.
19:30-19:31
They're a work in progress.
19:32-19:37
And as they grow, the Lord's going to work out some of this stuff in their lives.
19:38-19:50
Meanwhile, God says, Romans 14, one, "As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions." And I'm not gonna read the whole passage.
19:50-19:52
You gotta go home and read Romans 14.
19:52-19:53
That's what Paul talks about the whole chapter.
19:53-19:55
Not to quarrel over opinions.
19:55-19:56
Sin issue? Yes.
19:57-19:58
Doctrine issue? Yes.
19:59-20:02
Matters of opinion? No. No.
20:04-20:05
You seek the Lord and do your thing.
20:06-20:07
I'll seek the Lord and do my thing.
20:08-20:08
All right?
20:09-20:14
Not to quarrel over opinions.
20:15-20:21
Like, okay, I hear what you're saying, but is there ever a time that we should confront somebody?
20:22-20:22
Actually, there is.
20:23-20:24
Let's look on in the text.
20:25-20:27
Number two, jot this down.
20:29-20:31
Because we are all a work in progress, you accept others' convictions.
20:33-20:35
Number two, assist those who need to grow.
20:37-20:38
Assist those who need to grow.
20:38-20:40
Meanwhile, in Ephesus, look at verse 24.
20:41-20:48
"Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus.
20:48-20:56
He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures." Okay, Alexandria, that was in Egypt.
20:56-20:59
And this is where Paulus was from, giving you a little bit of his background.
20:59-21:06
Look at verse 25, it says, "He had been instructed in the way of the Lord." What does that mean?
21:08-21:09
That was sort of an Old Testament term.
21:11-21:15
That means living a moral life as God prescribes.
21:17-21:22
You know, he really understood Old Testament theology.
21:24-21:55
and Old Testament morality, the law, and all of those things. Look on verse 25, "And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus." Okay, so he knew about Jesus, but look at this next phrase, "Though he knew only the baptism of John." What does that mean? What that means is he understood Jesus to a point, but he didn't understand the coming of the Holy Spirit.
21:55-21:56
That's what he's saying.
21:56-21:58
He knew about John's baptism.
21:58-22:01
Jesus said, "I'm going to baptize you with what?
22:02-22:06
The Holy Spirit, right?" So he knew about the whole, you get dunked in water, sign of repentance, right?
22:06-22:08
We still do that as a church.
22:08-22:11
He didn't know about the coming of the Holy Spirit.
22:11-22:12
Why?
22:13-22:17
This was the day before the internet and before CNN.
22:17-22:22
And it took some time during this first century for news to travel about what happened.
22:23-22:27
And apparently, Apollos was busy doing his thing and he didn't get the memo, right?
22:29-22:31
So he was teaching accurately, it just wasn't complete.
22:32-22:33
He didn't really know the rest of the story.
22:35-22:48
Look at verse 26, it says, "He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him," remember them, the tent makers that we met last week, became really good friends with Paul.
22:48-22:58
It says, "But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, "they took him and explained to him "the way of God more accurately.
22:59-23:06
"They took him aside and they taught him." That is Aquila and Priscilla didn't publicly rebuke him.
23:07-23:12
They didn't storm in pointing a finger in Apollos' face.
23:13-23:15
You are wrong, heretic!
23:15-23:20
"You need to repent of your blasphemies." They didn't do that.
23:22-23:25
They didn't do the passive aggressive thing that we do in our day.
23:25-23:27
I don't agree with that, so I'm going to write a little blog about that.
23:29-23:31
I'm going to tweet about that.
23:31-23:36
I have 140 characters or whatever to express my dismay at Apollos' teaching.
23:37-23:38
They didn't gossip about Apollos.
23:39-23:40
They didn't ostracize him.
23:40-23:41
What did they do?
23:41-23:43
They did the loving thing.
23:43-23:44
They pulled him aside.
23:44-23:55
They're like, "Hey, hey, you are such a good speaker, but did you know there's more to the story?" They pulled him aside and they taught him.
23:55-24:04
And in cases like this, the loving thing to do is to confront someone.
24:06-24:08
So let's talk about confronting someone.
24:09-24:14
Because when I say confronting, you're going to be in one of two camps.
24:15-24:18
Some of you are gonna go, "Ah, confronting, no, no, no, no.
24:18-24:19
I don't like to confront.
24:19-24:20
I hate confrontation.
24:20-24:21
I'm a middle child.
24:21-24:37
I don't confront, not my thing." Then there's going to be some of you that are like, "Yeah, yeah, tell us Pastor Jeff, how we can get people's faces." And both of those are wrong, okay?
24:38-24:40
I read a book many years ago.
24:41-24:43
This is going to sound a little cheesy, but the word always stuck with me.
24:43-24:48
But the author of the book says, instead of calling it confronting, we should call it care-fronting.
24:49-24:53
Let's change the word because it better reflects the attitude with which we're going after this.
24:54-24:55
We're doing this because we care.
24:57-24:57
We're care-fronting.
24:59-25:00
All right?
25:01-25:03
The loving thing to do is confront.
25:03-25:09
I'm going to give you a couple of myths about confrontation, and I'm going to give you a couple of tips straight from the text here.
25:10-25:12
First of all, the myths about confrontation.
25:12-25:14
Quickly, these are myths.
25:14-25:20
I feel like I'm going to share these things to give us a whole balanced meal here.
25:21-25:22
Myths about confrontation.
25:24-25:28
First myth about confrontation, I must confront everything I don't like.
25:29-25:30
That is a myth, all right?
25:30-25:31
That is a myth.
25:31-25:34
You do not have to confront everything you don't like.
25:34-25:43
Only when there are sin issues, like 1 Corinthians 5, or there's false or incomplete teaching in the church like we see here.
25:45-25:48
Be careful not to be the preference police.
25:51-26:01
Some people think it's their job, they've been duly deputized by the Lord, the police style of worship, dress, the font in the bulletin.
26:02-26:04
I'm going to set these people straight.
26:04-26:07
You don't need to confront everything that's not your preference, okay?
26:09-26:10
That's a myth.
26:11-26:13
Second myth is confrontation is not loving.
26:15-26:23
You know, I would say something to him, but I really like him, and I just feel like it's harsh to like, that's a myth.
26:25-26:27
The most loving thing you can do is watch somebody's back.
26:29-26:34
It's unloving to not confront when confronting is appropriate.
26:34-26:39
It's unloving to care more about the person walking in tune with you than that person walking in tune with God.
26:40-26:40
Okay?
26:43-26:46
Thirdly, here's a myth, confrontation equals judging.
26:47-26:49
You know that's coming, right?
26:49-26:51
If you confront somebody like, "Hey, look, you know what?
26:51-26:52
"I gotta talk to you about this.
26:52-26:59
"This is just something I see in your life "and I just wanna talk to you about it." People like to play a couple of cards here.
26:59-27:02
First of all is the Matthew 7 judgment card.
27:02-27:03
You're judging me.
27:03-27:04
You're judging me.
27:05-27:06
Bible says don't judge and you're judging.
27:06-27:07
You are sinning.
27:08-27:09
Somebody should confront you.
27:11-27:13
Or they pull out another card, the John 8 card.
27:14-27:17
He who is without sin, he who is without sin.
27:18-27:19
They cast the first stone.
27:21-27:25
And look, we talk about judging when the Bible talks about judging.
27:27-27:29
Jesus said not to judge hypocritically.
27:30-27:35
Now judging has to do with a person's character, not a person's conduct.
27:36-27:37
Two different things.
27:39-27:44
If I'm pointing out that something you are doing is sinful, that is not judging you.
27:44-27:47
That is saying the thing that you're doing is sinful.
27:49-27:54
Judging you is saying something like this, you're a horrible person because you think that way.
27:55-27:56
Now I'm judging you.
27:57-28:00
But if I say, hey, you shouldn't think that way, Those types of thoughts are sinful.
28:01-28:04
I'm not judging you, I'm saying your thoughts are sinful.
28:04-28:04
Do you see the difference?
28:05-28:07
Okay, so I don't wanna hear the whole you're judging me.
28:07-28:09
No, I'm not judging you.
28:09-28:14
Sin is sin, we point out sin, we point out conduct without condemning the person.
28:15-28:16
That's the difference.
28:17-28:20
But confrontation is not judging.
28:20-28:23
Some people play that card because that way nobody can say anything to them.
28:24-28:26
Don't say anything to him, he'll think you're judging him.
28:28-28:29
We watch each other's backs.
28:30-28:33
So tips for confronting, very quickly, right from the text here.
28:33-28:35
First of all, do it informed.
28:36-28:37
Write these down, tips for confronting.
28:37-28:39
First of all, do it informed, informed.
28:44-28:51
There's a rumor I think I might have heard that, you know, if you're gonna confront somebody, get your facts straight first, right?
28:52-28:53
Secondly, do it privately.
28:55-28:57
Jesus talked about that in Matthew 18.
28:57-28:58
we see it put in practice here.
28:59-29:01
Do it privately. They pulled him aside.
29:02-29:08
"Hey, we've got to talk to you about something." So do it informed, do it privately, thirdly, do it biblically.
29:09-29:12
Meaning, have the truth in hand.
29:13-29:23
I'm sure that's what Aquila and Priscilla did, to say, "Look, you're teaching some things about Jesus, but let me tell you the rest of the story." But they did it according to the truth of God's Word.
29:23-29:23
Do it biblically.
29:25-29:40
In these situations like Apollos, somebody that's from a sincere heart trying to seek the Lord, listen church, you can either destroy someone or you can empower someone by the way you come alongside that person.
29:42-29:47
Hypothetically, what do you think would happen to Apollos if Aquila and Priscilla pulled him aside and just like trashed him?
29:48-29:50
Or even publicly just trashed him?
29:50-29:51
You don't know what you're talking about.
29:51-29:53
You should shut your mouth until you learn the Bible.
29:54-29:57
Apollos might have been like, I don't know if I'm ever gonna be qualified.
29:57-30:04
Or he might, I don't know, it didn't happen hypothetically, but it happens in the church a lot.
30:05-30:07
Church is the only army that shoots their own wounded.
30:09-30:21
You can have somebody from a sincere heart trying to serve the Lord, needing some assistance in growth, and you can come along and just stamp them into the dirt by the way that you confront them.
30:22-30:27
Or, like in this case, you can empower someone.
30:28-30:29
You can empower someone.
30:31-30:36
One of the main ways that God works is through people, through you.
30:38-30:39
Be someone who helps people grow.
30:40-30:42
Like, well, how do we know it took?
30:43-30:44
How do we know it took for Apollos?
30:44-30:46
Well, look at verse 27.
30:48-30:49
Last point.
30:49-31:00
Verse 27 says, "And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him.
31:02-31:17
When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the scriptures that the Christ was Jesus." So apparently it's stuck, right?
31:17-31:26
Because he was encouraged, They wrote a letter of recommendation for him, and he went, it says in your Bible, he went to Achaia.
31:26-31:29
The capital is a place you're more familiar with, it's Corinth.
31:30-31:32
He went to Corinth, okay?
31:34-31:36
Which was the capital of Achaia.
31:37-31:43
And when you get to 1 Corinthians in your Bible, you find that Apollos became a major church leader.
31:45-31:47
So here's the third point.
31:48-31:53
Because we're a work in progress, you're going to accept others' convictions, you're going to assist those who need to grow.
31:54-31:55
The third point is for you.
31:57-31:57
Always be teachable.
31:59-31:59
Always be teachable.
32:02-32:05
We saw previously that Apollos had a pretty big rep.
32:07-32:10
Remember it said Apollos was an eloquent man.
32:12-32:13
It's a very rare word.
32:13-32:16
I think this is the only time it's used in the New Testament actually.
32:16-32:24
and the best understanding of what the original meaning of this word is means that he was a man of words, or he was a man of ideas.
32:25-32:27
He was an eloquent man.
32:29-32:34
And here I think the translation is a little toned down, but it says he was competent in the Scriptures.
32:35-32:45
Actually, that word "competent" in the Greek is "adunimous," which is where we get the English word "dynamite." It means explosive and powerful.
32:46-32:48
He was powerful in the Scriptures.
32:50-32:53
So here's this eloquent man, this man of ideas.
32:53-32:56
Here's this man who was dynamite in Scriptures.
32:58-33:03
But here's the best thing that was said about Apollos, that could be said about Apollos.
33:03-33:04
He was teachable.
33:06-33:20
Because a couple of tent makers, a couple of tent makers pulled him aside "and said, 'Man, good, but let's do better.'" That's teachable.
33:21-33:21
That's teachable.
33:22-33:26
It would have been very easy for somebody like Apollos to say, "Who are you to tell me?
33:26-33:27
"Do you know who I am?
33:28-33:30
"I got a reputation here.
33:30-33:31
"People know me.
33:31-33:33
"I'm the greatest speaker in the area.
33:33-33:34
"And what do you two guys make?
33:35-33:36
"You two guys make tents, really?
33:37-33:38
"Like who camps, really?
33:38-33:43
"And you're making tents?" He was teachable.
33:44-33:53
And it doesn't matter how skilled you are or what you've accomplished, if you aren't teachable, if your heart isn't open to learn, you're going to hinder your own walk with Christ.
33:54-33:54
You're going to hinder it.
33:57-34:07
A huge danger sign for you is when you get to the point that you come to church to critique, not to learn.
34:08-34:14
And I'm not saying you shouldn't always evaluate things under the filter of the Word of God is what I'm saying true?
34:15-34:16
Does it line up with God's Word?
34:17-34:18
I'm not saying that at all.
34:19-34:36
But when you graduate yourself to the point that you haven't learned anything in church in the last six months, but let me tell you several things that I've noticed wrong about church, that's a huge danger sign because you're determining that you're unteachable.
34:37-34:38
I'm unteachable.
34:38-34:39
I've learned it all.
34:39-34:40
I know it all.
34:41-34:45
I don't come to church to learn, I come to church to set them straight.
34:46-34:46
That's a problem.
34:48-34:49
So are you teachable?
34:49-34:50
I'm going to give you a quick test here.
34:50-34:52
These are yes or no questions, one through seven.
34:52-34:53
Yes or no?
34:55-34:58
Jot down your answers, one through seven, yes or no.
34:58-34:59
Are you teachable?
35:01-35:05
Number one, I am aware of my weaknesses.
35:07-35:08
I am aware of my weaknesses.
35:08-35:37
true statement for you, yes or no? I'm aware of my weaknesses. Number two, I am not afraid to seek help. Number three, I try to learn from criticism. Somebody criticizes you, the first thing you should do is ask, is what they're saying true? That's the first thing you should ask. Instead of getting defensive, and who do you think you are? Why are you saying that to me? First thing you should say to See yourself, is that true?
35:37-35:38
Is there some truth in what he's saying?
35:40-35:45
Number four, I admit when I am wrong and I take responsibility when I fail.
35:47-35:48
Is that you, yes or no?
35:49-35:53
Number five, I am aware I don't know everything.
35:55-35:56
I am aware I don't know everything.
35:59-36:01
Number six, I am always looking to learn new things.
36:03-36:04
I'm always looking to learn new things.
36:07-36:10
Number seven, I invite others to give me feedback.
36:11-36:11
That's a big one.
36:11-36:14
I invite others to give me feedback.
36:15-36:16
Hey, what'd you think about that?
36:16-36:17
How could I have done that better?
36:19-36:20
Yes or no for those questions.
36:21-36:25
Now, if you have a lot of nos on the list, that's a very bad sign, honestly.
36:26-36:33
But if you have a lot of yeses on your list, and you are Apollo's like, all right?
36:34-36:35
That's a good thing.
36:37-36:39
As I close the worship team, they make their way up.
36:39-36:47
I just wanna ask us, imagine church as we talk about the fellowship in the body.
36:47-36:52
Imagine what kind of a church we would be, Harvest Bible Chapel, Pittsburgh North.
36:52-37:07
What kind of a church we would be If you have a heart to accept other people's convictions, even if it's not yours.
37:09-37:09
Let's say, you know what?
37:09-37:12
I don't agree with them on that, but that's okay.
37:12-37:12
Not a sin issue.
37:13-37:15
Not a sin issue, not a doctrine issue.
37:15-37:17
We're just gonna have to agree to disagree on that.
37:19-37:27
What kind of church would we be if we had a heart to accept other people's convictions and trust that the Lord was going to grow them as a work in progress as He's growing me.
37:28-37:36
What kind of church would we be, Harvest Bible Chapel, if we have a heart to help those who need to grow?
37:37-37:42
If we see people like Apollos in our midst and say, "Wow, that guy's got such a sincere heart.
37:42-38:00
Wow, that lady, she really has a heart to work and she can do better and I want to try to help her get to the next level." What kind of church would we be if we had a heart to help those who need to grow, what kind of church would we be?
38:01-38:06
Harvest Bible Chapel, if we have a heart to learn from others.
38:07-38:10
Everybody in here has something to teach me.
38:11-38:15
What would this church be if we came in here saying, I have a heart open to learn?
38:17-38:19
I'll tell you what kind of church we would be.
38:20-38:22
We'd be an unstoppable fellowship.
38:23-38:23
Let's pray.
38:24-38:31
Father in heaven, I thank You for the truth of Your Word.
38:31-38:42
And I pray, Father, as this passage really talks about some of the relational things that happen in the church, the horizontal relationships that happen here, Father, I pray for this church.
38:44-38:49
And Father, I see many of the things that we've been talking about today, I see them being lived out.
38:51-38:57
But of course, Father, every single one of us and as a church collectively, we have room to grow because we are a work in progress.
38:58-39:03
So I pray, Father, that our hearts are open to the kind of work that you wanna do in our lives.
39:06-39:21
Father, we are as a church want to today embrace the glorious truth that you began a good work in us in Jesus Christ and you have promised that you're going to finish it.
39:23-39:31
Let that be a grace that we embrace for ourselves, and let that be a grace that we embrace for others.
39:33-39:37
We pray these things in the mighty and strong name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
39:39-39:39
Amen.

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Acts 18:18-28

Was Paul right or wrong to take a vow (Acts 18:18), in your opinion? Do you think it's appropriate for Christians to take vows today?
What is the right approach to handling someone teaching error (Acts 18:26)?
Do you think Apollos was saved before his encounter with Priscilla and Aquila? Support your answer.
What does this passage teach about when it is appropriate to confront someone?

Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.

Jeff Miller

May 7, 2017

The Unstoppable Church

Unstoppable Over Burnout.

Jeff Miller

May 7, 2017

The Unstoppable Church

Review / Intro:

What is burnout?

What causes the stress?

What are the signs?

Why does it happen to some people and not others?

How can I keep it from happening to me?

1 Corinthians 2:3 - And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling...

  
  Am I Preventing Burnout in My Own Life?

Am I nurturing the Relationships God has brought into my life? (Acts 18:1-6)

Am I recognizing how God is Working in my life? (Acts 18:7-8)

Am I personally Seeking God? (Acts 18:9-11)

Am I Trusting God with what I can't control? (Acts 18:12-17)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

00:51-00:55
Open your Bibles with me please to the book of Acts, and chapter 18.
00:57-01:01
And this church sits on four pillars.
01:02-01:06
The first one is proclaiming the authority of God's Word without apology.
01:07-01:10
The second one is lifting high the name of Jesus in worship.
01:11-01:13
The third one is believing firmly in the power of prayer.
01:14-01:18
The fourth one is sharing the good news of Jesus with boldness.
01:19-01:22
And let's get into God's Word together.
01:23-01:29
And if you're visiting with us, we've been going through the book of Acts over the past year and a half or so.
01:29-01:46
And our theme this year is "The Unstoppable Church." And the title of today's message is "Unstoppable Over Burnouts." So this morning, we're going to talk about burnout.
01:47-01:54
And I know there's somebody here right now that's like, this is a subject I can really get into.
01:54-01:56
One time we barred my cousin's Camaro.
01:59-02:02
We were doing burnouts all over Zillianopole.
02:03-02:05
We're not talking about that kind of burnout.
02:07-02:12
We're talking about physical burnouts.
02:14-02:21
How many people here would say, by show of hands, and this is a place where we can be honest and transparent, right?
02:22-02:22
Right?
02:23-02:24
Right?
02:24-02:25
OK.
02:25-02:26
Just checking.
02:26-02:38
How many people here would say, at some point in my life-- maybe it's now-- at some point in my life, I have felt either burnout or close to being burnout?
02:38-02:39
How many people here?
02:39-02:40
Raise your hands.
02:41-02:43
That's almost everybody.
02:45-02:54
It's in the introduction of the sermon that the pastor is supposed to sell you on why you need to listen to what I'm about to say, but I don't think I need to sell you.
02:55-03:02
Because you've either experienced it, or maybe you're experiencing it right now.
03:04-03:12
Somehow, with all the technology that we have to make life easier, We're busier and we are more stressed than ever.
03:14-03:18
The truth about burnout is we are all susceptible.
03:18-03:28
It can sneak up on you before you know it, before you realize it, and it can wreck your life.
03:29-03:37
So what is burnout for the person here that's like, "Wait, wait, wait, you lost me when you said "it's not borrowing your cousin's Camaro." What is burnout?
03:39-04:06
this down for definition. Very simple. Burnout is physical and/or mental collapse caused by excessive and prolonged stress resulting in exhaustion and detachment. I'm going to Say that again.
04:08-04:08
What is burnout?
04:09-04:23
Burnout is physical and or mental collapse caused by excessive and prolonged stress resulting in exhaustion and detachment.
04:26-04:31
Okay, so burnout is, it's a physical thing and it's a mental thing.
04:33-04:38
And it comes about when the stress is heavy and prolonged.
04:39-04:41
You've had a lot of stress for a long time.
04:42-04:44
And the result is you are exhausted.
04:45-04:47
And I also included the word detachment.
04:48-04:49
You're just, you're done.
04:50-04:52
Like, look, look, man, I've crashed.
04:52-04:54
I am fried.
04:54-04:56
I am completely fried.
04:56-04:58
And my tank is empty.
05:00-05:01
My tank is empty.
05:01-05:03
Well, what causes the stress?
05:05-05:06
What causes the stress?
05:06-05:14
Well, a lot of times it's the pressure of having too much to do and not enough time to do it.
05:15-05:20
The stress can be caused by the weight of expectations that are put on you by others.
05:21-05:25
What I found more often is the weight of the expectations that you put on yourself.
05:27-05:31
You reach a point where you can't do anymore.
05:33-05:38
More specifically, and here's the thing with burnout, you reach the point where you don't want to do anymore, right?
05:40-05:43
Not only do you feel physically worn out, you're mentally worn out.
05:43-05:44
Whether you're like, you know, I'm done.
05:44-05:45
I'm done.
05:45-05:46
I can't do anymore.
05:46-05:47
I'm done.
05:47-05:48
I've had enough.
05:49-06:03
You know, I've been pushing, and I've been pushing, and I've been working, and I'm Alright, I'm done, and I don't care who it bothers, I don't care who's upset about it, I'm done!
06:05-06:09
Not my problem anymore, I'm done, I can't do anymore!
06:10-06:11
So what are the signs?
06:11-06:12
What are the signs of burnout?
06:13-06:17
Well, here's where it gets a little tricky, because it's not just one thing.
06:18-06:28
You realize, church, that we are body, mind, and spirit, And each one of those things affects the other two.
06:28-06:29
True or false?
06:30-06:30
True.
06:31-06:33
You are body minus spirit.
06:33-06:36
When your body is worn out, does that affect your mind and your spirit?
06:37-06:37
All the time.
06:38-06:43
Or when you're spiritually in a bad place, does that affect your mind and your body?
06:44-06:45
Absolutely.
06:47-06:52
So these things are all interconnected, and you see signs of burnouts in all three.
06:52-06:54
for example, physical, your body.
06:55-06:58
You know you're burning out when you experience a lot of fatigue.
07:00-07:02
Or insomnia.
07:05-07:15
Or an increased appetite or a decreased appetite, or to just put it under a couple of headings.
07:15-07:21
When you find that your sleep and your eating are off, That can be a sign.
07:23-07:23
Mental.
07:24-07:27
Mental signs of burnout. Impaired concentration.
07:28-07:29
You're angry. You're irritable.
07:30-07:35
You don't seem to be enjoying anything in life.
07:37-07:39
You feel alone and you feel sort of detached.
07:41-07:43
Those are mental signs. There are spiritual signs too.
07:45-07:47
Spiritual signs. Anxiety.
07:48-07:55
Depression. No passion for church. Disinterest in personal time with God.
07:57-08:12
The funny thing about burnout is it's not a sudden thing. It's not like you're going along one day and everything's great in the neighborhood and boom the balloon pops. You're like, "Oh I'm done!" See it happens over time.
08:13-08:46
It's like the slow leak in the balloon, not the pop of the balloon. And that is slowly sucking the life out of you, sucking the life out of you, to the point that the balloon's flat, and you're just like, "I'm done. How did I get here?" "I was so optimistic when I started this job." "I was so happy when I started this marriage." "I was so overjoyed when I joined this church." "Now I'm not really into any of it anymore." The air has come out of the balloon.
08:48-08:51
It results in exhaustion and cynicism.
08:52-08:53
Again, detachments.
08:56-08:59
Being burnt out, you feel helpless and hopeless.
09:01-09:01
I'm done.
09:02-09:03
I can't do anymore.
09:03-09:04
I can't go anymore.
09:05-09:06
And I don't care.
09:07-09:08
It's destructive.
09:10-09:13
People get burnt out on their marriage and just walk out.
09:14-09:15
I just walk out.
09:15-09:17
I know I made a commitment to the Lord.
09:17-09:18
I don't care.
09:19-09:21
I don't care!
09:22-09:23
I am super not with you!
09:25-09:25
I'm done.
09:27-09:28
People walk out on their job.
09:29-09:30
What are you going to do for a paycheck?
09:31-09:31
I don't care.
09:32-09:33
But I'll tell you one thing I'm not doing.
09:34-09:36
That job, I'm done.
09:38-09:44
And sadly, I've seen this a lot over the 20 plus years I've been in ministry, People walk out on their ministry.
09:45-09:54
People that have been serving the Lord, serving the Lord, serving the Lord, making disciples, teaching the Word, loving people, serving people, all of a sudden they're like, "I'm done.
09:55-09:58
I don't want anything to do with church, period.
09:59-10:13
Not just this church, any church. I'm done." Another question I had walking through this stuff this week, thinking through, Why does burnout happen to some people and not to others?
10:15-10:16
That's food for thought.
10:17-10:19
But here's the question that we're going to answer this morning.
10:20-10:22
How can I keep it from happening to me?
10:23-10:24
Look at Acts chapter 18.
10:25-10:30
In Acts chapter 18, Paul is continuing his missionary journey that we've been studying.
10:32-10:48
In Acts 18 it says, "After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth." And at this point, I can tell you confidently that Paul is approaching burnout at this point in his ministry.
10:48-10:53
You're like, "Well, how in the world did you come up with that?" Well, there's a couple clues.
10:54-10:57
I'm going to sort of give you this backdrop, and you're going to see it as we go through the text.
10:58-10:59
Here's the first clue.
10:59-11:02
Corinthians 2, verse 3 says this.
11:03-11:14
Paul said, "And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling." He's telling the Corinthians, this is the state that I was in when I first met you.
11:14-11:16
You can go back and read the whole context.
11:16-11:18
But notice how he describes himself.
11:19-11:21
I think we think of Paul as a super preacher, right?
11:21-11:27
He just took on all these naysayers in Athens and we think he just walks through town with his chest out.
11:28-12:12
I'm here to tell you about Jesus and you're gonna listen and we just we think well, that's Paul That's that's just a day in the life of Paul. He said I was with you said a weakness and In fear and much trembling. Can you see that you see this broken-down man walking into town just Burn out burn out. Here's another clue We're going to see in this passage here in just a few minutes in a verse 9 Acts chapter 18 verse 9 Look at what God says to Paul. This is the Lord speaking to Paul Verse 9 the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision Do not be afraid but go on speaking and do not be silent. Now, why would God say that?
12:13-12:17
There's only one reason God would say that is because Paul was considering what?
12:19-13:00
He's considering quitting Right if Paul was going strong and the Lord shows up again Paul I want you to keep preaching and I was like yeah, I kind of am Paul don't be silent Not no intention Obviously, that's not the case. God wouldn't have said that unless Comparing notes with first Corinthians 2 3 and x 89 I think it's pretty obvious Paul was Afraid I'm done. I am so done with this.
13:02-13:04
How did he get there?
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Well, when you look at what we've been studying this year in Acts, just this year, we saw in Thessalonica the jealous Jews who incited a mob to a riot and pawn company go to Berea.
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But the troublemakers from Thessalonica chased them down, right?
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and they chased Paul out. Paul's escorted alone all the way to Athens.
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As we said, that's where he preached to the pagans.
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A passionate servant, one of my favorites in the Bible, and they were mostly like, "Eh, interesting." Some believed, praise the Lord, but a lot of them were like, "Eh, maybe we'll hear you again on this." Paul was going full speed for too long, and in this chapter in Acts, it was by himself.
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It's obvious he's a prime candidate for burnout.
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Good news.
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Good news today.
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That's why we're here.
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Good news.
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Burnout can be prevented.
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We're going to see in this passage what prevented Paul from crashing and what's going to prevent you from crashing.
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So in your outline, I want you to jot some things down.
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Am I preventing burnout in my own life?
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Okay. This is one of those you have to give yourself a test, right?
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2 Corinthians 13.5 says examine yourself.
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Okay? I don't examine you, you examine you, I examine me, right?
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So self-test, self-test.
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Am I preventing burnout in my own life?
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I'm going to give you a hint on this test.
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We're not supposed to do this, but I'm going to give you a hint on the front end.
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If you answer negatively to these questions, then you're heading for burnout.
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Okay? I'm telling you that right now.
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Honest look at yourself, but if you're saying no to these questions, you're heading for a burnout in your own life.
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First question, number one, am I nurturing the relationships God has brought into my life?
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Am I nurturing the relationships God has brought into my life?
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Pick up again, after this, Paul left Athens, Acts 18, and went to Corinth.
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And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla.
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Because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome, and he went to see them.
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Because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tent makers by trade.
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And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath in trying to persuade Jews and Greeks." So it says that Paul ended up in Corinth.
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A lot can be said about Corinth, but I just want to give you an overview.
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was an extremely sinful city, known for its huge temple to the pagan goddess Aphrodite, whose priestesses were prostitutes.
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In fact, in this day, Corinth was such a sinful city, it was actually an insult to call somebody by that name.
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Like, you're nothing but a Corinthian.
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That was, as we said in Isaiah, them's fighting words. Right?
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That tells you what kind of a place this was that Paul was walking into.
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It was a cesspool of sin.
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And in this place he meets Aquila and Priscilla, a husband and wife who become very close friends of Paul's.
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Look at verse 5.
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It says, "When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the Word." to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
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When they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, "What's going on here?" He shakes out his garments.
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Maybe you're familiar with the passage in the Bible where Jesus talks about shaking the dust off your shoes.
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This is the same thing.
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It was just this idea of, "You know what? I'm leaving, I don't want any of your germs or cooties on me because you have rejected Jesus Christ." That's the problem here.
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He says, "I've showed you from the Bible that the Christ, the promised Messiah, is Jesus of Nazareth.
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You want nothing to do?
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You want to mock? You want to insult?
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I'm shaking?
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Whatever particles of you are on me as I walk out of here." Look at what he says.
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"Your blood be on your own heads.
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I'm innocent.
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From now on, I will go to the Gentiles." Paul's like, "You know what?
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I've been preaching to you Jews every time I roll into town.
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I'm going to the Gentiles.
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I'm going to find somebody that wants to hear this message." But notice in this passage, not only did he meet Aquila and Priscilla, but finally, Silas and Timothy catch up.
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I think we're seeing here in God's Word this is exactly what Paul needed, He's been on a long stretch of being alone.
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And the Lord surrounded him with friends.
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Some new ones and some old ones.
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But the Lord surrounded him with people.
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In churches, this is absolutely true, people that are heading to burnouts.
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They isolate themselves.
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They're alone.
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I can do it myself.
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I don't need anyone's help.
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You know people like that?
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Are you like that?
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I don't need help.
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You don't work these done, and I can't count on anybody.
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I'm going to take care of it.
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Just put it all on my back, man.
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I'm going to take it." You're going to burn yourself out because you were never meant to do it alone.
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Remember the passage that Mark just read up here talking about how in the church, we all have different gifts?
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Why is that?
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We're to use them to serve one another.
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We are here to take care of each other.
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The idea of, "Well, I love Jesus, but not the church, and I don't need to be part of a church body," that is completely foreign to the New Testament.
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We are called to be a part of a body.
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Part of that is so we can bear one another's burdens and share the load together.
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The idea of being detached from other people, we sort of wear it as a badge of pride, don't we?
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"I don't need anybody.
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I can do it all myself." That's why over and over at Harvest Bible Chapel, we stress small group involvement.
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It's not a fad. It's not a gimmick.
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In fact, it could be a lifesaver.
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In small groups, you encounter mutual encouragement.
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In small groups, you have mutual prayer.
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In small groups, you have mutual accountability.
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In small groups, you have a focus on the Lord.
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on other people. In small groups you share the load. You realize that none of those things that I just mentioned can be done by yourself. You can't do any of those things by yourself.
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That's why we encourage you, if you're not part of a small group, get to be part of one.
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How do I do that? Smallgroups@harvestpittsburgnorth.org. Send that Ryan up here that was giving the announcements, he coordinates our small group ministry, say, "Hey, I want to be part of I love our small group.
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And the more I talk to people that are involved in small groups in this church, the more I see how the Lord is using people.
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The question you have to ask yourself, "Am I nurturing the relationships God has brought into my life?" Imagine if Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla, "I don't need anybody.
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It's just me and the Lord." And Silas and Timothy show up, "I don't need you guys now.
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I've been doing fine without you.
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We're going to see in just a few verses that he wouldn't have made it.
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He would not have made it.
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And you're no apostle, Paul, and neither am I.
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We're not going to make it without people.
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So I'm not asking you, do you have relationships in your life?
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I'm asking you, are you nurturing them?
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Are you intentionally spending time with fellow believers?
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If you're not, you're heading for a bad place.
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Second question, am I recognizing how God is working in my life?
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Am I recognizing how God is working in my life?
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Quickly, look at verses 7 and 8.
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It says, "And he left there and went to the house of a man named Tidius Justice." Can we just pause for a second and acknowledge what an awesome name that is?
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Can we?
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"How did I not read this before naming my children?" He went to the house of a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God.
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His house was next door to the synagogue.
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Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians, hearing Paul, believed and were baptized.
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Boom.
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The question here, am I recognizing God is working in my life.
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See, this question, church, this is a matter of focus.
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All could have lamented all that's happened before.
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Every time I preach to the Jews, every time I'm rebutted, I'm insulted, I'm harassed, I've been stoned, I've been beaten, I've been imprisoned.
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Every time I roll into town, I want to tell somebody about Jesus and they chase me out.
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It's so easy to focus on the negative, and Paul had much negative in his life from our perspective.
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But you see how the focus in this passage turns to the good things that God was doing.
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Not focusing on the hardships that he was experiencing.
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That's going to be a key to keep you from burning out.
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Because let's be honest, it's easy to do.
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It's easy to do.
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I want you to think of your workplace home right now, okay? Like, I don't do that on Sunday. Come on, do it. Think of your workplace in your home, if you work in the home, okay? Or if you work outside the home, I want you to think of your workplace. I want you to think about your workplace, and let's say in a week's time, you've received a hundred compliments for the job that you've done.
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Great work. I appreciate you. You're doing a great job. Thank you. But also, during the over the course of that week, you get one complaint.
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I don't think you know what you're doing here.
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Let me ask you.
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Which sticks with you?
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The 100 compliments?
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Or the one complaint?
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Which one? Go ahead, shout it out.
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The complaint. So it's not just me.
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It's not just me.
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Over the course of ministry, I get people - Pastor Jeff, the Lord really used that sermon.
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Pastor Jeff, thank you so much for being at the hospital.
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whatever it is, and I appreciate that, that's encouraging, but I'll tell you what, that person that sends the insult, like, I don't know, I don't even know if you have a relationship with God or some like obvious insulting thing, and Aaron can be like, "Well, you know that that person doesn't know you, and that person has no idea what you're doing, and that's the thing that'll bother me. I don't even know this guy and he's... But we have a tendency to focus on the negative and I just want to encourage you and in turn encourage myself that is going to burn us out when we work so hard and so long and feeling so ineffective because we're only focusing on the negative. I encourage you look around what is happening in your life right now that are obvious signs that God is at work.
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Just keep a little list.
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What's happening in your life right now that you're saying, "I see where God's at work.
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I see where God's at work in my kids.
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I see where God's at work.
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I've been witnessing to this guy at work, and I see how God's sort of opening the door for that.
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And I can see, you know, this illness I've been praying for, whether myself or somebody else, I see how God's been bringing healing in a way He's been revealing Himself through this." Focus on the things you see that God is doing.
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we're reminded right here, even amidst all the garbage that Paul had to deal with, I have this verse underlined in red in my Bible.
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Many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed were baptized.
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Focus on the good, all right?
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Look at what God's doing in your life.
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Take time to celebrate that stuff.
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Third question.
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This is huge.
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Again, intentional wording here, but the third question is, am I personally seeking God?
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I don't mean that I do my daily devotions, which certainly you should do.
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I'm talking about personally seeking God.
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I don't mean just punching the clock.
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OK, I read my three Bible chapters today.
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I said my God bless grandma prayers.
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I mean, you are personally seeking the Lord with your whole heart.
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Am I personally seeking God?
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Because nothing, church, listen to me, nothing can replace your personal walk with Christ.
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Not trying harder.
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Not medicine.
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Not therapy.
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All of those things have their place.
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But none can replace your walk with Christ.
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I'm going to say that again.
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Not trying harder, not medicine, not therapy.
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These things have their place, but they can't replace your walk with Christ.
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If you have a physical problem, see a doctor.
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Absolutely.
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Anybody that comes to me for counseling, it's one of the first questions I ask them.
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Have you been to a doctor lately?
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Because we are body, mind, and spirit, and we're all tied together.
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But let's look at the other end of that, shall we?
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If you're having a spiritual problem, your PCP's not gonna be able to handle that.
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Only Jesus Christ can handle that.
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If you have a headache, take an aspirin.
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If you're having a spiritual problem, you need to go to Christ for that.
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Is everybody with me on that?
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You're like, "Seek the Lord, can you be more specific?" Well, certainly.
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Look at verses 9 and 10.
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I want you to see how the Lord met Paul.
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And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you." "For I have many in this city who are My people." You see how the Lord met Paul.
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Two things.
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With commands and promises.
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Did you see it?
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Verse 9 is commands.
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Three of them.
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Three commands.
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One, "Do not be afraid." Paul, I know you're scared right now, but listen, I'm telling you right now, don't be afraid.
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Command number one.
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What's the second command?
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Shout it out if you saw it.
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Go on speaking. Go on speaking.
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The third command is what? "Shout it out." "Do not be silent." Okay? "Keep preaching the gospel." Basically, he was saying, "Don't quit. Don't quit, Paul." Those are the commands.
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And then, okay, so look at the next verse.
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We see three promises.
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What's the first one? Verse 10. What's the first promise?
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Shout it out, come on.
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Is there a more beautiful promise that anybody can be given than for God to say, "Hey, I'm with you." You're going through some rough stuff right now, but listen.
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I'm with you.
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Those words change everything, don't they? I'm with you.
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To know that the God of the universe is with you, what a beautiful promise.
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Look at the next one. Do you see it?
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Verse 10, shout it out.
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Yeah, no one will harm you.
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I put in my notes, the promise here is I will protect you.
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Right? God says I'll protect you.
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But God, there's like all these people asking me.
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I'm with you, and I'm going to protect you, man.
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I'm going to protect you.
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Okay, what's the last one? Verse 10.
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I have many in this city who are my people.
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What's the promise?
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The promise is you're not alone.
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You're not alone.
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Because Paul was obviously feeling that at this point.
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Like all burnout people do.
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Nobody understands.
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I just feel so alone.
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No, no, no, you're not alone.
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You're not alone.
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Commands and promises.
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Listen, when we're at our lowest, those are the things that the Lord's going to use to comfort you.
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Commands and promises.
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Right now you're reading this with me, and you're like, "Pastor Jeff, I hear what you're saying, but Paul, man...
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Paul had God give him specific commands and promises.
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I wish...
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Oh, I wish I had commands and promises from God." Is there somebody here saying that?
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I just wish that God gave me some commands and promises.
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And some of you have a knowing smile right now.
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Did God give you commands and promises?
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Did God give you commands?
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Okay, if you have commands and promises from God, hold them up.
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Hold them up.
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Do you have?
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Oh, okay.
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Okay, so we do.
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We do have commands and promises from God.
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He wrote them down in here.
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We have a whole book of them.
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So, do what God calls and empowers you to do, because there's a promise attached to it.
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See, God says to love others, even my enemies.
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That's the command.
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Why?
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Because it makes me like Him.
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Makes me more like God.
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Here's a command, God says to share the gospel.
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Why?
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Because He takes care of the results.
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Here's a command, God says to give cheerfully.
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Why?
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Here's the promise, because He gives back to me.
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Here's a command God says to persevere.
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Why?
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Because there's a crown at the finish line.
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See?
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I could go on.
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All through God's Word, commands and promises, commands and promises.
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And for the person that says, "I don't like God's commands." Well, I've got to tell you, you're not in good biblical company, because the psalmist said, I love the commandments and the statutes of the Lord.
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Not seeing them as burdensome or restricted, but saying, "I love the communication that God has given.
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I love the fact that there's a God who cares so much about me that He's giving me instruction for my life." "Well, Pastor Jeff, keeping God's commandments doesn't save you." I know, but that doesn't mean that we don't love the commands of God.
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Because through the commands of God, He's revealed His heart.
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He's attached a promise to them. Right?
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Does that make sense?
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I can start over.
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This encounter was refreshing. Look at verse 11.
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"He stayed a year and six months teaching the Word of God among them." Apparently it had some effect because Paul kept going.
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The total time there was a year and a half.
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And you're going to find, like Paul, when you let the Lord be your strength, when you let the Lord be your strength, you can't be stopped.
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You cannot be stopped.
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I promise you, based on the authority of God's Word, if you're trusting in your own strength, you're going to burn out.
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But if you're leaning on the strength only God can give you.
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You cannot be stopped.
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Am I personally seeking God?
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Last question.
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Last question.
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Am I trusting God with what I can't control?
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Look at verses 12 and 13.
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It's a familiar scene.
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But when Galileo was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul He was brought in before the tribunal.
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It was the court.
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It was in the marketplace on a big stone pavement.
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It was like this open public courthouse thing.
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He was the authority.
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Like the mayor, the judge, all of it rolled into one.
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The official title was pro-counsel.
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And the Jews attacked Paul, dragged him to court, so to speak.
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Verse 13, saying, "This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law." We've seen this so many times, right?
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So Paul's dragged into court, and he's accused.
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But there's not a familiar outcome.
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Even though the scene's familiar, the outcome is really different this time around.
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Look at verse 14.
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So when Paul was about to open his mouth, Galio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint.
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But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves.
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I refuse to be a judge of these things.
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And he drove them from the tribunal.
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I'll be honest with you, I wasn't expecting that.
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Not how these cases typically end up in the Bible.
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Verse 17, "And they all see Sostenes, the ruler of the synagogue." Like, wait, I thought Christmas was.
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Christmas came to Christ.
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He and his household, and he had to be replaced, right?
36:25-36:28
So the replacement was a man named Sostenes.
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They all see Sostenes, ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal.
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What?
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Anybody else with me on that?
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What's going on there?
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They dragged Paul to court.
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We don't like what he's doing, and the judge says, "I don't care." grab their leader and they kick his teeth in like out in the marketplace like Galeo paid no attention to any of this he's like guess what I still don't care his attitude was look no real harm is being done it's not my business I don't care um why was Sostenese beaten I don't know I don't know why but eventually The same man came to Christ because in 1 Corinthians 1, verse 1, he's mentioned specifically.
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And I have to wonder, I don't know, but I have to wonder, was it because of this?
37:30-37:35
Was it because of what he saw from Paul and what he was seeing from his own people?
37:36-37:36
I don't know.
37:38-37:44
The burnout people often carry this sense of, "I'm trying so hard, why isn't it working?
37:44-37:47
Why aren't people on board? Why is there so much opposition?
37:48-38:02
If you are banking on your control of things, on your control of things, if you're banking on your control of people, you're heading for burnout.
38:04-38:09
I want you to take a hard inventory right now. The hard inventory right now of the things that are stressing you.
38:10-38:14
Okay. This is a little test within a test.
38:16-38:20
The thing stressing you right now, I'm going to ask you some questions, and these are yes or no questions.
38:22-38:30
How much of these things that are stressing you are actually outside of your control in the first place?
38:31-38:36
So, I'm going to ask you a question, and you're going to write down yes or no answering this.
38:36-38:37
Is it in my control?
38:39-38:39
Is it in my control?
38:42-38:42
You ready?
38:43-38:44
Doing my job.
38:45-38:45
Is that in your control?
38:46-38:46
Yes or no?
38:46-38:47
Write it down, doing your job.
38:49-38:50
Yes or no, is that in your control?
38:52-38:53
Alright, let's check our answers.
38:53-38:54
What did you put?
38:55-38:57
Yes, yes that's in your control.
38:59-39:00
Keeping a good attitude.
39:02-39:04
Is that in your control, yes or no?
39:04-39:06
Go ahead. Yes.
39:06-39:08
Good. All right.
39:09-39:10
Other people's attitudes.
39:11-39:11
Is that in your control?
39:12-39:12
Yes or no?
39:13-39:17
No. And we're stressing about that again.
39:17-39:19
Why? Other people complaining.
39:20-39:21
Is that in your control?
39:23-39:28
No. Other people criticizing the work that you're doing.
39:29-39:30
Is that in your control?
39:31-39:38
Now, I just want to encourage you, the things that you can't control, easy prayer.
39:38-39:40
God, I'm trusting you to deal with them.
39:42-39:48
Paul, he was once again thrust into a situation beyond his control, thrust into court.
39:49-39:54
But God in His sovereignty, you know God's not just sovereign over the church, He's also sovereign over the secular realm.
39:54-39:58
And God in His sovereignty took care of Paul.
40:00-40:02
God and His sovereignty is going to take care of you too.
40:04-40:09
Do what God has called you to do, but trust Him for what you can't control.
40:09-40:10
Okay?
40:12-40:13
Now look at your answers on your outline.
40:15-40:16
Look at your answers.
40:17-40:19
Am I nurturing the relationship God has brought into my life?
40:19-40:21
Am I recognizing how God is working in my life?
40:22-40:24
Am I personally seeking God and am I trusting God for what I can't control?
40:25-40:26
Look at your answers.
40:27-40:36
If you answered "no" to these questions, to any of these questions, you are heading for a devastating burnout.
40:39-40:44
Because it means you've isolated yourself, number one.
40:46-40:48
It means you're focusing on the negative, number two.
40:49-40:52
It means, number three, you're not spending time with God.
40:54-40:55
Number four, it means you're trying to control everything.
40:57-40:59
You're stressing about the things that you can't.
41:00-41:01
You're heading for a bad place.
41:04-41:17
But I want to encourage you, by God's grace, if you've answered yes to these questions, or if you will seek the Lord on turning the no's into yes's, you are going to cross the finish line strong.
41:20-41:46
If you will nurture your relationships, if you will focus on what God is accomplishing in your life, if you will be diligent to spend time alone with the Lord, obedient to His calling and claiming His promises, through it all trusting God for things that you can't control, there's going to be at least another 30,000 miles on your tires.
41:47-41:48
Let's pray.
41:50-41:57
We are all susceptible, like Paul, to burning out.
41:59-42:01
God, I pray for my brothers and sisters here.
42:02-42:04
We saw the hands up earlier.
42:04-42:08
They've either experienced it, and there might be some experiencing it right now.
42:10-42:17
God, we try to wage fleshly and mental and spiritual wars all in the flesh.
42:18-42:20
We want to try harder.
42:22-42:25
We want to spend longer hours.
42:26-42:28
There's certainly nothing wrong with hard work.
42:29-42:38
There is certainly something wrong when the hard work replaces the spiritual work that only you are able to accomplish.
42:39-42:44
Father, I pray that today is a self-checkpoint for all of us.
42:46-42:55
that if we see ourselves heading in the wrong direction, and we're heading towards burnout, I pray that your Holy Spirit would empower a U-turn today.
42:57-42:59
We don't want to be people who quit on our jobs.
43:01-43:04
Much more, we don't want to be people who quit on our ministry.
43:04-43:07
And so much more, we don't want to be people who quit on our families.
43:09-43:13
By your grace, Lift these people up to you today, Father.
43:16-43:20
Let us wait upon the Lord.
43:22-43:26
Be renewed in the strength that you've promised.
43:28-43:30
Pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Acts 18:1-17

Have you ever felt burnout, or felt like you were close? Describe how that felt. What did you do?
How do we know Paul was experiencing burnout in this part of his ministry? (Hint: Acts 18:9)
How do healthy relationships prevent burnout?
How do God's commands and promises bring encouragement? (See Psalm 119:35)

Breakout Questions:

Go around the group (or breakout group), take turns answering the 4 sermon point questions with a YES or NO.

Am I Nurturing the Relationships God Has Brought Into My Life? (Acts 18:1-6)
Am I Recognizing How God is Working in My Life? (Acts 18:7-8)
Am I Personally Seeking God? (Acts 18:9-11)
Am I Trusting God with What I Can’t Control? (Acts 18:12-17)

Do you feel on the way to burnout? How can you use these principles to prevent burnout in your own life?

Jeff Miller

April 30, 2017

Bible 101

Heaven

Jeff Miller

April 30, 2017

Bible 101

The Eternal State

Review

When do believers go there? Immediately! (Philippians 1:23 | 2 Corinthians 5:8)

What’s so great about heaven? Everything! (Revelation 21:1-8)

Everything is New. (Rev 21:1-2,5)

Everything is in God's perfect Presence. (Rev 21:3,7)

Everything that Hurts is gone. (Rev 21:4)

Everything Satisfies. (Rev 21:6)

What's the Alternative? (Rev 21:8)

Matthew 25:46 | Luke 16:24

How do we Get there? (John 14:1-6)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

00:41-00:44
This is our last week in Bible 101.
00:45-00:48
I'd like to remind you all of the messages are available on our website.
00:50-00:58
The title of today's message is "Bible 101 - Heaven." The eternal state we've gone through over these past 10 weeks.
00:59-01:00
God's Word.
01:00-01:02
What is the overview?
01:02-01:03
What's the story?
01:05-01:14
Today we're going to answer what goes beyond history recorded in this book.
01:15-01:16
We're talking about heaven.
01:18-01:20
Heaven is the place of our hope.
01:21-01:24
Jesus said that he goes to prepare a place for us.
01:26-01:30
And some people think of heaven as sort of like the finish line, but I've been thinking about that this week.
01:31-01:34
Dying and getting to heaven isn't really the finish line, is it?
01:36-01:43
Because we're only on the earth for a few years, but we are in heaven So it doesn't really seem like a finish line when you think about it that way.
01:45-01:52
But if we are going to be spending eternity in heaven, wouldn't you like to know what it's like?
01:53-01:54
I mean, think about it.
01:54-01:57
Imagine if I came to you and said, "Hey, you've been working hard.
01:59-02:01
You need some time off, so here's what I did.
02:01-02:08
I booked you a two-week vacation." The first question you would ask is, where is it?
02:09-02:10
And my answer is this.
02:10-02:11
I'm not going to tell you.
02:12-02:13
But trust me, you're going to like it.
02:14-02:16
Now, how many people would be comfortable with that?
02:18-02:18
One, OK.
02:19-02:19
Maybe two.
02:20-02:22
To say, I don't know where I'm going.
02:22-02:23
I don't know what it's like.
02:23-02:24
But OK.
02:24-02:27
Most of us, myself included, I would be very uncomfortable with that.
02:28-02:29
No, no, tell me what it's like.
02:29-02:31
You know, where is it?
02:31-02:33
And what are we going to be doing there?
02:33-02:35
And what kind of fun things are there?
02:35-02:38
I'm not a beach person. I'm not. I do not like the beach.
02:38-02:40
So if...
02:40-02:43
You know, I wouldn't be happy with that. If you like the beach, that's your thing, that's cool.
02:43-02:44
I'm just not a beach person, alright?
02:46-02:50
But wouldn't you want to know where you're going to be spending two weeks?
02:51-02:53
What's it going to be like there? Where is it?
02:54-02:56
We're staring down eternity.
02:57-03:00
A concept that we can barely wrap our brains around.
03:01-03:11
And the Bible says that we are going to be spending Wouldn't you want to know what that place is like?
03:14-03:20
Interestingly, there is a lot of confusion about this place.
03:20-03:24
And people say and believe the craziest things about heaven.
03:26-03:29
Cartoons and jokes haven't helped.
03:30-03:32
You know the classic cartoons, right?
03:32-03:33
How is heaven depicted?
03:34-03:35
You're wearing a robe and you're sitting in a chair.
03:35-03:36
You're sitting on a cloud and you're what?
03:37-03:38
You're playing the harp, right?
03:40-03:49
I remember one cartoon in particular, I think it was a Farsight cartoon, where there was a guy in his robe, sitting on a cloud, holding his harp, and he has a thought balloon that says, I wish I'd brought a magazine.
03:50-03:58
But that's somebody's idea of heaven, is you just kind of sit on a cloud for all of eternity.
03:58-04:04
And that sounds like that would get old pretty quick, but I don't think that that's biblically accurate.
04:05-04:06
You know, I don't know all the jokes.
04:07-04:15
I mean, how many jokes are there that, you know, you know, these three guys die and they go to heaven and how's the rest of the joke go?
04:16-04:20
They show up at the pearly gates and who's standing at the pearly gates?
04:21-04:26
St. Peter, and there's always some, you know, here's where the plot device comes in.
04:26-04:34
Peter's going to ask you some question concerning, you know, how you lived your life, or the means by which you expired.
04:36-04:38
And that's not biblically accurate either.
04:40-04:41
Aaron and I were talking about this this week.
04:43-04:44
What some people say about heaven.
04:45-04:48
Some people very foolishly say, I've heard this so many times.
04:50-04:55
You know, when I get to heaven, there's a few things I'm going to straighten out what the Lord is about.
04:55-04:56
Have you ever heard somebody say that?
04:56-04:59
I'm going to sit God down and I'm going to straighten some things out.
04:59-05:00
I'm gonna answer some questions for you.
05:00-05:02
How many people have heard somebody say that?
05:02-05:03
I've heard that a lot.
05:03-05:11
People are like, "I'm gonna, when I get to heaven, "I'm gonna talk to God, I'm gonna fight." I'm like, you are clueless is what you are.
05:12-05:16
When you stand before the awesome holiness of God, you will be on your face.
05:16-05:18
You're gonna tell him anything, all right?
05:19-05:20
So get that stupid idea out of your head.
05:21-05:22
You're gonna set God straight.
05:24-05:25
Hardly.
05:26-05:31
People say that in their arrogance, like, "What are you?" You're a handful of dirt in a little bit of water.
05:34-05:34
You are.
05:36-05:37
You're going to straighten God out.
05:39-05:39
Foolishness.
05:40-05:40
It's foolishness.
05:42-05:43
It is absolute foolishness.
05:44-06:01
Well, music hasn't helped me personally because my first, I guess my first real exposure to to the concept of heaven came from the popular music that I listened to growing up.
06:01-06:09
And quite frankly, when you put all these pieces together about what all these bands and artists and singers are saying about heaven, it confused me.
06:11-06:15
For example, Queen sang of heaven for everyone.
06:17-06:19
Like, well, that sounds great, how do I get there?
06:20-06:21
It's obvious how you get there, right?
06:21-06:22
Led Zeppelin told us.
06:23-06:25
There's a stairway to heaven.
06:25-06:26
Okay, you guys are catching on.
06:26-06:27
There's a stairway to heaven.
06:28-06:37
And then when you get up the stairway to heaven, Bob Dylan and eventually Guns N' Roses taught us, I guess how you enter, which is, well, how?
06:39-06:41
Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door, right?
06:43-06:44
So where is heaven?
06:45-06:50
Well, according to the banned warrants, heaven isn't too far away.
06:52-06:56
But Belinda Carlyle told us what?
06:58-06:58
Yeah.
06:58-07:07
♪ Ooh, heaven is a place on earth ♪ Sorry, I am really sorry about that.
07:08-07:09
I was having a moment there.
07:11-07:13
Alice in Change, you remember that?
07:13-07:15
I loved Alice in Change back in the early 90s.
07:15-07:18
They said that heaven's beside you and hell's within.
07:21-07:22
You guys know how much we love Tom Petty.
07:24-07:26
First line in the song "The Waiting," right?
07:28-07:32
(SINGING) Oh, baby, don't it feel like heaven right now?
07:34-07:48
Well, Eric Clapton made us cry when he sang "Tears in Heaven." But "Heaven" was actually a pickup line for the band InXS when they sang "Heaven Sent." They said, that's what I call you.
07:48-07:52
♪ Heaven sent, that's what I call you ♪ Anybody else know that song?
07:52-07:53
Just me?
07:53-07:54
All right, Matt, thank you.
07:57-08:13
Cheap Trick, one of my all-time favorite bands, asked, "Would you like to go to heaven tonight?" I thought about that and I said, "No, I wouldn't." Because Phil Collins said, "Something happened on the way to heaven." Well, what?
08:14-08:18
I'm not sure, but kiss, saying that heaven's on fire.
08:19-08:34
Okay, so I get all these things about heaven, and then you show up at church, and they say, "When you die, you're gonna go to heaven." And I'm like, "I don't even know what that means." Because there's so many crazy ideas.
08:36-08:39
Here's the biggest lie about heaven.
08:40-08:42
This is by far the biggest, top of the list, without a question.
08:43-08:47
The biggest lie about heaven is you go there by being a good person.
08:49-08:52
That lie pervades...
08:52-09:01
I did a funeral several months ago, and we were having eulogy time, which was before the sermon, interestingly.
09:02-09:12
But the one man stood up and he said, concerning big Duke who passed away, They said, "They say if you're good, you go to heaven.
09:13-09:22
And Duke was a good man, so I'm sure he's in heaven." I didn't correct him on the spot, but certainly corrected that idea through the sermon that came a few minutes later.
09:22-09:57
But his statement is one that if you grab Average Joe off the street or down at Ross Park Mall or whatever, I promise you, grab Average Joe and say, "What do you have to do to get to heaven?" Most of the time, you're going to hear an answer that says something like, "You've got to be a good person. And that is a lie. It is not going to get you there. Then you come to church and honestly many Christians aren't even sure what what the deal is with heaven. So we're going to clear the air today by getting the information from someone who lives there. So grab your Bible, grab your outline.
09:58-10:04
Number one, this is the first question. I get asked this all the time. Let's just Let's get this out of the way.
10:04-10:06
When do believers go to heaven?
10:08-10:10
And the answer is immediately.
10:11-10:11
Immediately!
10:12-10:18
There's no such thing as purgatory or limbo or soul sleep or anything like that, according to the Bible.
10:19-10:35
Philippians 1:23, the Apostle Paul says, "My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." Paul says when the time of his death came, is going to be when he is with Christ.
10:35-10:42
He didn't say eventually or after soul sleep or purgatory or whatever.
10:43-10:44
Same thing, 2 Corinthians 5:8.
10:45-10:51
Paul says, "We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." You see, there's two options once again.
10:52-11:00
You're either here on the earth in your body or you're at home with the Lord.
11:00-11:03
So when do believers go there? Immediately.
11:04-11:06
Second question, what's so great about heaven?
11:08-11:10
This is what I've been so excited to share with you.
11:11-11:15
What's so great about heaven? The answer is everything.
11:16-11:18
I want you to turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 21.
11:20-11:22
Revelation chapter 21, we talked about this last week.
11:22-11:29
In the book of Revelation, the apostle John was sort of transported through time.
11:29-11:33
and was shown how the end of the world is going to look.
11:33-11:44
We talked about the second coming of Jesus Christ, and at the end of John's writing in Revelation, and the end of God's book, the Bible, he describes what heaven is like.
11:46-11:47
Revelation chapter 21.
11:49-11:50
We're going to be looking at the first eight verses.
11:52-11:54
We're going to take just a few verses at a time here.
11:54-11:56
But what's so great about heaven? Everything.
11:57-12:53
down first of all everything is new what's so great about having everything like what well here's the first thing everything is new look at verses I wanted to and then jump down to verse 5 John says then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. To understand the day is coming that there's going to be a new heaven and a new earth. God is making, Jesus Christ is building right now, this very minute, Jesus Christ is preparing this place. And someday this heaven and earth are going to be burn up. God's going to create a brand new one. That's Look at verse 2.
12:55-13:06
John says, "And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven." This New Jerusalem is the place Jesus is preparing.
13:06-13:10
It's a city made of transparent gold.
13:12-13:13
Coming down out of heaven.
13:14-13:17
It's going to be the headquarters of everything.
13:19-13:21
Coming down out of heaven from God.
13:21-13:22
Look at this next phrase, I love this.
13:23-13:31
"Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." This is something I have a lot of experience in, doing weddings, done a ton of weddings.
13:32-13:53
And every wedding I've done, without exception, that bride has put so much time and effort and thoughts and energy and money into making herself look absolutely perfect for this day.
13:55-14:06
I have never done a wedding where the bride shows up wearing sweatpants and some like University of Kentucky hoodie and her hair's up in one of those pony knot things, like ready for the wedding.
14:06-14:07
No, no, no, no.
14:08-14:12
She's preparing for months for this event, right?
14:13-14:23
Everything from the top of her head to her feet, She is preparing everything because when she comes into the chapel, she wants to look perfect.
14:24-14:31
And this is the kind of image that John is using to describe how Jesus is preparing heaven for you.
14:32-14:37
Jesus isn't throwing some chicken coop together for us.
14:38-14:46
This thing, this place is going to be perfect in every single way.
14:48-14:51
Like a bride adoring for her husband.
14:51-15:21
Look down in verse 5, Jesus speaking up, it says verse 5, "And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also, he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." In heaven, everything is new.
15:22-15:24
We can sort of resonate with that already, can't we?
15:25-15:27
Because there's nothing like getting something new, right?
15:29-15:31
Right? Like getting a new car?
15:32-15:37
I mean, think about that. How excited were you when you got your new car?
15:38-15:41
Or getting a new computer? Ladies?
15:42-15:45
Getting a new dress? Or getting a new pair of shoes?
15:45-15:49
Or men? Getting a new tool or a new fishing rod?
15:49-16:05
Kids? Getting a new video game system or getting a new cell phone? There's nothing like getting something The Bible says in heaven, everything, everything is new.
16:06-16:09
That excitement isn't going to wear off.
16:10-16:12
See, time doesn't pass in heaven like it does in the earth.
16:13-16:23
It's not like you're going to be 10,000 years into heaven, like, "Yeah, this is getting kind of stale." No. 10,000 years into heaven, you're going to be like, "This is awesome! This is all new!
16:24-16:28
It was new yesterday, and it's new today." and what's on the docket for tomorrow?
16:28-16:29
Everything's gonna be new!
16:30-16:31
And it's going to be awesome!
16:33-16:33
Every day.
16:34-16:35
Everything new.
16:37-16:38
That's what's great about heaven.
16:38-16:40
What else? Oh, it gets better.
16:42-16:44
Write this down. Everything is in God's perfect presence.
16:46-16:48
Everything is in God's perfect presence.
16:49-16:50
Look at verse 3.
16:50-16:56
"Then I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God God is with man.
16:57-16:58
He will dwell with them.
16:58-16:59
And they will be His people.
16:59-17:03
And God Himself will be with them as their God.
17:04-17:06
Jump down to verse 7.
17:07-17:09
The one who conquers will have this heritage.
17:10-17:11
And I will be His God.
17:12-17:14
He will be my Son.
17:17-17:19
Everything is in God's perfect presence.
17:20-17:44
How many times on earth - let's be honest, church - God is far away. He's not. Can we be honest? Aren't there times in your walk, there's times in mine, aren't there times in your walk that you feel like God's far away? And what you need, like God I need your, I need your presence, I need to know that you're near and He is, but sometimes it just doesn't feel like it.
17:47-17:57
How many times in my own life, through church planning and kids with some some developmental issues as you know, some personal struggles that I've had.
17:58-17:59
I felt, God, where are You?
18:01-18:06
How many times have we wished that we felt near to God?
18:06-18:10
I was talking to a dear sister in our church this past week.
18:12-18:16
I wrote down what she said as she said it because it really just resonated.
18:17-18:18
How can I pray for you?
18:18-18:57
She said, "I want to know God deeper." in heaven those days are done because you are going to be in his perfect presence you're not going to be in heaven like man I just wished it I just wish I was closer to God you won't be able to get any closer to God that longing for that that nearness of God that you have now is going to be ancient history because you are going to experience that every moment of every The times we spend now on our face, praying to our Father who is in secret, as Jesus said.
18:59-19:04
This prayer is someday going to be a face-to-face conversation with our Heavenly Father.
19:06-19:11
We're never going to long for His presence. We're going to revel in His presence.
19:12-19:16
What's so great about heaven? Well, everything's new. Everything's in God's perfect presence.
19:17-19:21
Next, everything that hurts is gone.
19:22-19:23
Look at verse 4.
19:25-19:30
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.
19:33-19:45
Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.
19:47-19:48
No more tears.
19:50-19:51
No more death.
19:52-19:54
No more goodbyes.
19:54-19:55
No more mourning.
19:57-20:04
No more oxygen tanks or wheelchairs or canes or oncology appointments.
20:05-20:07
No dentist appointments.
20:08-20:09
Amen?
20:10-20:11
But I like my dentist.
20:12-20:14
Yeah, you're not going to have dentist appointments in heaven.
20:16-20:23
But think, everything and anything that has or can hurt you is ancient history.
20:26-20:36
Never to experience another second of pain, whether it's physical pain, whether it's emotional pain, whether it's mental pain, nothing is going to be able to hurt you.
20:37-20:40
to any degree in heaven.
20:42-20:50
Because God says, "The former things have passed away." Everything is new.
20:50-20:52
Everything is in God's perfect presence.
20:52-20:53
Everything that hurts is gone.
20:54-21:00
And then in letter D, "Everything satisfies." Everything satisfies.
21:00-21:01
Look at verse 6.
21:01-21:03
"And he said to me, 'It is done.
21:04-21:08
I am the Alpha and the Omega.
21:09-21:20
From the beginning and the end, to the thirsty, I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment." Everything satisfies.
21:21-21:22
Notice he talks about water.
21:24-21:25
You study water in the Bible.
21:25-21:29
Water is a symbol of fulfillment in the Bible.
21:29-21:33
It's a symbol of spiritual fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
21:35-21:37
Remember Jesus and the woman at the well.
21:38-21:39
Jesus said, "I have water for you.
21:40-21:47
The water that I give, it'll be a spring of water that comes up from your heart." That's what Jesus was talking about.
21:47-21:52
The satisfaction that this woman was looking for is ultimately found in knowing Him.
21:52-21:58
And here in heaven, it's perfect satisfaction, always.
22:01-22:04
In hell, you are never fulfilled.
22:06-22:11
But in heaven, you are always fulfilled.
22:12-22:39
Again, there's not going to be anybody walking around heaven going, "Not bad." But maybe if we had some lattice work, or, you know, God, I was thinking over here, you know, this place would be so much better, God, if you thought about putting a pinball machine, there's not going to be any of this, it could be better if.
22:40-22:45
And I told you the story of when one time I came home and my younger son, Cade, was upset.
22:47-22:51
And Aaron said, "You gotta talk to Cade." What's going on, buddy?
22:51-22:52
Remember Cade?
22:52-23:01
He said, "I don't know if my action figures "are gonna be in heaven." And all of a sudden I panicked, 'cause I'm like, I better read the Bible because I'm not sure either.
23:02-23:04
And that was a big deal.
23:07-23:15
The question is, what it boils down to, is heaven going to have everything that I'm going to need to make me happy?
23:16-23:19
And the answer is, abundantly yes.
23:21-23:22
Abundantly yes.
23:25-23:27
You are going to lack nothing in heaven.
23:29-23:29
Nothing.
23:31-23:34
Think of your happiest day here on the earth.
23:35-23:39
Every day in heaven, you're going to be so far beyond that.
23:40-23:41
And what's so great about heaven?
23:43-23:43
Everything.
23:45-23:46
It's in the text.
23:48-23:50
And it would do us well to spend a couple minutes talking about this.
23:50-23:52
Number three on your outline.
23:52-23:53
What's the alternative?
23:55-23:55
What's the alternative?
23:57-23:58
Look at verse eight.
24:00-24:20
"As for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.
24:22-24:29
You see, John has to include this because it would be real easy for people to be reading this and getting excited about a heaven that they'll never see.
24:31-24:33
Because here's the reality, folks, not everybody's going there.
24:35-24:37
Everyone is not going to heaven.
24:38-24:43
The alternative is a lake that burns with fire and sulfur.
24:43-24:44
And who goes there?
24:44-24:48
Well, he gives a list, and we can categorize under one heading.
24:48-24:54
Sinners. Those who have not received forgiveness in Jesus Christ.
24:55-24:57
Sin will keep you out of heaven.
24:59-25:03
This lake that burns with fire and salt, for we call it hell.
25:04-25:07
It's a conscious, eternal judgment from God.
25:08-25:13
In a place of misery and punishment, as described in the Bible as outer darkness.
25:14-25:29
I've had some knuckleheads, you know, sharing the gospel with them, and they're like, "Well, I don't care if I'm going to hell because all my buddies are going to be there." And I'm like, "Well, you're not going to see them, because it's a place of darkness." Let's dispel this notion that hell is a frat party.
25:31-25:34
Jesus said that hell is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
25:36-25:43
It's a place where the residents are constantly in anguish, constantly crying out.
25:45-25:49
Jesus described it as a place where the worm dieth not.
25:49-25:51
Oh, you want the relief to come.
25:53-25:54
You want the relief to come, but it won't.
25:57-27:00
Every so often you get people that are trying - I don't know if they're trying to be edgy or get some 15 minutes of fame or whatever, but somebody always comes along with some radical new doctrine there's nothing new under the Sun but I saw a wave of this a few years ago with this idea that hell is a temporary place did you hear about that all these theologians they were like hell's just temporary you don't go there forever it's just temporary you're there and you suffer for a while and then you cease to exist I want you to hear me church I wish that was true. I wish that was true. But it's not. Because I want you to look at one verse in particular. We could spend the whole thing on this. But Matthew 25 verse 46. Do we have that verse? Matthew 25 verse 46. Jesus is talking about the separation. Some going to heaven, some going to hell. Jesus said, "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
27:00-27:04
Jesus described hell as lasting as long as heaven.
27:05-27:11
I haven't heard of any trendy liberal theologian putting a new spin on heaven, saying that heaven's a temporary place.
27:11-27:12
I haven't heard that one.
27:13-27:15
You go to heaven for a while, then it ceases to exist.
27:15-27:16
Never heard that.
27:17-27:24
I want you to see that Jesus said hell lasts as long as heaven lasts, because it's the same word, eternal.
27:27-27:32
Here's another, since we're dispelling myths, sit up and listen to this.
27:34-27:46
I used to think, I used to think that people in hell were crying out in torment because they wanted to be in heaven.
27:46-27:48
How many other people have thought that at some point?
27:49-27:53
I thought that, I thought, they're in hell and they're like, I wanna be in heaven.
27:54-28:06
And they're crying out, this place is horrible and I made a horrible decision, and if I had it all to do over again, God, I would make a different decision, and I would be in Heaven right now, and I thought that's what made hell so bad.
28:06-28:07
They're like, wanting to be in Heaven.
28:08-28:10
That's what made hell so bad, is they want to be in Heaven so bad.
28:12-28:13
But that's not true.
28:15-28:26
After some years of studying God's Word, I'm not convinced at all the people in hell want to be in heaven.
28:28-28:29
What do you mean by that?
28:29-28:35
Well, like Luke chapter 16, Jesus tells of the rich man and Lazarus.
28:37-28:46
And the rich man went to hell, the place of suffering, and Lazarus went to heaven. He was beside Abraham.
28:47-28:56
But if you notice in that passage, the rich man asked for water, but he didn't ask for heaven.
28:58-29:22
Luke 16.24, "And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.'" CS Lewis said it this way, "The gates to hell are locked on the inside." I'm convinced that people in hell don't want to be in heaven.
29:23-29:24
Yes, it's a place of torments.
29:27-29:31
Yes, it's a suffering the likes of which we can't even compare it.
29:33-29:37
But here's the reality as I've spent a lot of time thinking about this.
29:38-29:47
People that don't love the things of God are going to be absolutely miserable in heaven.
29:48-29:49
I want you to think about that.
29:51-29:54
So you have a guy who spends his entire life on the earth.
29:55-29:57
He wants nothing to do with God's Word.
29:58-30:02
He wants nothing to do with any kind of communion with God, with prayer.
30:02-30:04
He wants nothing to do with God's people.
30:05-30:07
So it's nothing to do with worship.
30:09-30:10
And what happens in heaven?
30:12-30:16
God's truth, God's presence, God's people, worship.
30:16-30:19
Does that sound like the kind of place that this guy wants to spend eternity?
30:20-30:26
He's rejected this his whole life, and now all of a sudden, he's going to have this passion for God because he's dead?
30:27-30:27
No.
30:29-30:30
Such a person would be miserable.
30:32-30:36
So there's a real sense in which hell grace because God gives people what they want.
30:38-30:41
Jesus Christ warned about the horrors of hell more than anyone.
30:43-30:50
And it is a terrifying and absolutely unspeakable existence.
30:51-30:58
But it is one that you choose by choosing to live a life without God now.
30:59-31:00
Here's the bottom line.
31:01-31:02
This applies to you.
31:03-31:04
You don't want God now?
31:06-31:07
You're not going to want Him for eternity either.
31:08-31:08
Okay?
31:10-31:12
So hell should not be a surprise for you.
31:14-31:15
God's going to give you exactly what you want.
31:16-31:17
God free existence.
31:18-31:19
I don't want God meddling in my affairs.
31:21-31:22
Worship seems stupid.
31:23-31:23
Okay.
31:25-31:26
God will give you exactly what you want.
31:28-31:30
So you better check yourself if that's really what you want.
31:32-31:33
That's the alternative.
31:34-31:37
And finally, how do we get there?
31:38-31:39
I want you to turn back.
31:39-31:40
How do we get there? John 14.
31:41-31:42
Very familiar passage.
31:43-31:43
One of my favorites.
31:45-31:47
John 14 tells us how to get there.
31:49-31:52
Jesus said, John 14, "Let not your hearts be troubled.
31:53-32:03
Believe in God, believe also in Me." Look at this, "In My Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you I go to prepare a place for you.
32:04-32:12
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am, you may be also.
32:14-32:16
And look at this next statement, I love this.
32:16-32:19
Jesus says, and you know the way where I am going.
32:20-32:31
And I imagine at that point, some of the disciples were like, I don't, but if you give me the address, I'll put it in my Google Maps And we'll GPS this thing right now.
32:33-32:35
Thomas speaks of, he goes, "Lord, we do not know where you're going.
32:35-32:41
"How can we know the way?" This all sounds well and good that you're going to make a place for us, but how do we get there?
32:42-32:48
Jesus said in verse six, Jesus said to him, "I am the way, "and the truth and the light.
32:49-32:55
"No one comes to the Father except through me." How do we get there?
32:55-33:05
It's not through good works or being a nice person, or keeping a religious checklist of rules, is through Jesus Christ Himself.
33:06-33:07
He is the way.
33:09-33:17
You're like, wait a minute, if sinners don't go to heaven, as you pointed out from Revelation 21:8, if sinners don't go to heaven, then we're all doomed!
33:18-33:19
The truth is that's right.
33:19-33:20
We all deserve punishment.
33:21-33:22
We all deserve hell.
33:24-33:32
And the only way that we could go to heaven is if someone took that punishment on our behalf.
33:34-33:43
And that's exactly what Jesus Christ did on the cross, bearing the wrath of God for everyone who would believe in Him.
33:45-33:51
Like I said, once in a while you talk to a guy - whether it's arrogance or ignorance, I don't know.
33:51-33:52
Maybe both.
33:53-33:59
Most of the while you talk to the guy that says, "Well, I know I'm going to hell and I don't care." You better check yourself on that.
34:01-34:03
But here's a more frequent occurrence.
34:04-34:07
Almost everybody that I speak with is planning on going to heaven.
34:08-34:09
That's their plan.
34:11-34:12
The question is, are you going?
34:14-34:20
The thing that you are trusting to get you to heaven, is it going to get you there?
34:21-34:24
According to Jesus Christ, He is the only way.
34:26-34:30
Because He's the only one that can take your sin away.
34:32-34:32
How do we get there?
34:34-34:34
It's through Jesus.
34:37-34:38
Alright, so let's review.
34:38-34:39
Can we put our bookshelf up?
34:41-34:41
Let's review.
34:41-34:43
We spent the last 10 weeks talking about the Bible.
34:44-34:45
And here it is.
34:46-34:50
The Bible that's in your hand is actually a library.
34:51-34:57
And we've spent these last 10 weeks understanding these books on our shelf.
34:59-35:00
We started in Genesis.
35:00-35:04
We saw that God created, and man rebelled.
35:06-35:13
Sin came into the world, and things got so bad, like the video said, things got so bad, God says, "I'm going to blot them off the face of the earth." And He sent a flood.
35:14-35:23
After the flood, remember we talked Chapter 11, God says, "Spread out." Man says, "Nah, we're good. We'll settle here." God confused their languages.
35:24-35:26
That was at the Tower of Babel.
35:28-35:31
Then we saw in Genesis 12, God had this plan.
35:32-35:35
Through this one man, Abraham, He says, "You're going to have a special land.
35:35-35:40
You're going to have descendants, and you're going to have a blessing that's going to be for the whole earth." Ultimately, that's the nation of Israel.
35:41-35:53
The same nation that was enslaved by Egypt Moses let out through the books Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and through Moses, God gave the Old Testament law.
35:53-35:54
Do you remember the purpose of the law?
35:55-35:57
The purpose of the law was to teach us that we're sinners.
35:58-36:03
That none of us are good enough in God's eyes to be counted righteous on our own.
36:03-36:06
It was to show us our need for grace and ultimately our need for Jesus Christ.
36:07-36:09
So the rest of the Old Testament, we have books of history.
36:10-36:13
These books are history of the nation of Israel.
36:14-36:16
We talked about the books of poetry and wisdom.
36:16-36:19
These were written by Israel for Israel.
36:20-36:23
Then the major and minor prophets - those were the preachers of the day.
36:25-36:28
They got up and said to the nation, "You need to repent. You need to stop sinning.
36:28-36:37
You need to turn your hearts back to the Lord both before the exile and after the exile." Then we get to the New Testament.
36:37-36:39
The Gospels - those are the biographies of Jesus.
36:40-36:43
Here is the Christ - the One that was promised in the Old Testament.
36:43-36:44
What is He and what has He accomplished?
36:46-36:46
Acts.
36:48-36:49
Acts is the fulfillment of the promise.
36:49-36:52
Jesus said, "I will build My church." And He was going to use His people.
36:52-36:54
And that promise continues to this day.
36:55-36:58
But the book of Acts tells us how that all started.
36:59-37:00
Then the rest of the New Testament.
37:00-37:01
Paul's letters, general letters.
37:02-37:08
These are letters written to churches and to individuals that are basically commentaries on the person and work of Jesus Christ.
37:09-37:37
Because this is who Jesus is, because this is what He did, Revelation lays that out and ultimately tells us what the eternal state is going to be like, which we covered today.
37:38-37:51
So, until the day that we are going to be in the kingdom of God, until the day that we are going to be Until the day that you are in God's presence in heaven, there's only one way that you are going to know Him.
37:53-37:54
And it's this.
37:56-37:56
Read it.
37:58-37:58
Alright?
38:00-38:00
Let's pray.
38:01-38:04
Father in heaven, we thank you for your Word.
38:07-38:19
We spent the last 10 weeks just trying to boil it down and we can have a firm grip on what it's about, so that we would have confidence in reading.
38:21-38:25
God, we believe there's a transforming power that comes from Your Word.
38:25-38:30
Your Word actually tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ.
38:30-38:33
That there's something supernatural that happens.
38:35-38:44
There's a transforming that takes place when we will open our hearts up Open our minds up and get into Your Word.
38:45-38:47
You change us.
38:48-38:54
Father, I pray that we're able to take these things that we've learned and become even better Bible students than we are now.
38:54-38:58
I know there are some people here, Father, that have Bibles that are tattered.
38:59-39:03
And we have people here that are just opening a Bible for the first time.
39:03-39:08
And whatever the case, I pray that as a result of this series, wherever we are.
39:10-39:11
We are now better Bible students.
39:12-39:17
We thank you for the way you've revealed yourself to us, Father, so clear, so clear.
39:18-39:27
Make us diligent, not just in knowing the words, but in knowing the God who wrote the words.
39:28-39:29
We pray in Jesus' name.
39:31-39:31
Amen.

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Revelation 21:1-8

Prior to this study, what was your idea of heaven? What have you learned? Why are there so many weird ideas about heaven?
Some people have said, "Heaven sounds boring." Agree or disagree? How would you respond to this statement?
C.S. Lewis said "The gates to hell are locked on the inside." What does that mean? Agree or disagree?
What are you looking forward to the most about heaven?

Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.

Jeff Miller

April 23, 2017

Bible 101

2nd Advent

Jeff Miller

April 23, 2017

Bible 101

The King is Coming!

Review

What's Next on God's calendar?

Revelation 2-3

Revelation 3:10

The Return of Jesus Christ is Promised (Acts 1:11)

The Return of Jesus Christ is Imminent (Luke 12:40 | 1 Thessalonians 5:2 | Revelation 16:15)

What happens when Jesus Returns? (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17)

Jesus will come with the saints in heaven. (1 Thes 4:14-15)

Jesus will gather His church. (1 Thes 4:16-17)

John 14:2-3 | Philippians 3:20-21

Jesus will judge the world. (Revelation 6-20)

What do we Do with the truth that Christ is returning? (Matthew 24:36-49)

Word to the Wise: Work and Watch! (Matt 24:46-47)

Word to the Wicked: Be Warned! (Matt 24:48-50)

Matthew 26:29 - I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

00:52-00:56
But we are people that live from event to event.
00:58-01:03
And today we're going to be talking about the next big event on God's calendar.
01:04-01:05
Can we get our bookshelf up there please?
01:07-01:17
Just as a way of review, this library represents the Bible that you're holding in your hands.
01:17-01:21
Okay, so in the series we spent some time talking about the book as a whole.
01:23-01:29
And why I believe 105%, 110% that God wrote this book.
01:30-01:32
I am thoroughly convinced of that.
01:33-01:37
This could not have been put together by human beings.
01:38-01:40
Holy Spirit wrote this book through people.
01:41-01:49
So we spent some time talking about creation and how Adam and Eve, The first people that God created brought sin and death into the world.
01:50-01:51
That's in the book of Genesis.
01:53-02:00
Things got so bad, as we saw in the video, as we studied a few weeks ago, God blotted out everything with a flood.
02:02-02:11
And shortly after that flood, man decided that we were all going to get together, we were going to exalt ourselves and build this tower, this idolatrous tower.
02:12-02:16
God says, "Spread out, fill the earth." and mankind said, "No, we're good.
02:16-02:24
We're going to stay right here." And God says, "No, that's not going to work for me." And remember, he confused their languages and they spread out.
02:25-02:27
We spread out as a human race.
02:27-02:29
And then we saw Abraham.
02:30-02:32
This man called from a pagan culture.
02:32-02:33
God says, "I got big plans for you.
02:34-02:36
A whole nation is going to come from you.
02:36-02:39
A special chunk of land is going to be for you.
02:40-02:45
And there's going to be a blessing that's going to come through you It's going to be for the whole earth.
02:47-02:55
Then when we get to the book of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, these books mainly centered around Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
02:55-02:58
And through Moses, God gave the Old Testament law.
02:58-03:04
And remember, we saw the purpose of the law wasn't the rules that you keep to get saved.
03:05-03:08
The purpose of the law was to show us that none of us are good enough.
03:09-03:12
That we desperately need grace.
03:13-03:14
the purpose of the law.
03:15-03:22
And when you go through the rest of the Old Testament, the books of history, these are books about the history of Israel in the Old Testament.
03:24-03:35
Entering into the promised land and conquering the people that were there and the rise of the monarchy.
03:36-03:41
Books of poetry, these were also called books of poetry and wisdom.
03:42-03:43
Psalms in particular.
03:43-03:44
That was Israel's hymn book.
03:45-03:48
And these were written by Israel for Israel.
03:50-03:51
And then the major and minor prophets.
03:52-03:53
These were the preachers.
03:53-03:58
Some during the time that Israel was living in the land.
03:59-04:04
And some of these preachers came while Israel was returning to the land after exile.
04:04-04:06
But these were preachers telling Israel to repent.
04:07-04:10
And these preachers were also saying that the Messiah was coming.
04:11-04:13
We spent some time talking about that last week, didn't we?
04:14-04:19
So when you get to the New Testament, really, Jesus said all of this is about Him.
04:20-04:30
And when you get to the New Testament, the four Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - these are biographies about Jesus Christ written from four different perspectives.
04:32-04:37
The book of Acts - this is the story of how the church started.
04:37-04:39
Jesus promised that He would build His church.
04:39-04:50
And then the book of Acts, as we're going through here at Harvest Bible Chapel, where are we? Acts 18 I think is where we're at now when we get back to the series.
04:51-04:55
Acts talks about how Jesus' church is built and advancing.
04:56-04:59
And then we get to the rest of the New Testament.
04:59-05:01
There's letters to churches and to individuals.
05:02-05:03
These are from the Apostle Paul.
05:03-05:05
These were from some other authors.
05:05-05:11
But these letters were written again to churches, to pastors, to individuals.
05:13-05:19
And these letters are really all commentaries on what Jesus Christ did in the Gospels.
05:20-05:23
Who He is and what He did and what that means to us.
05:24-05:26
What does that mean to me as a person and in a family?
05:26-05:28
And what does that mean as a church?
05:28-05:32
These are just all commentaries on the life of Jesus.
05:33-06:11
And the book of Revelation is where we're going to be spending some time next week. In the book of Revelation, we read of the promise being ultimately fulfilled of the very thing that we're talking about today. So on your outline, number one, what's next on God's calendar? What's next on God's calendar? Well, the Lord has a day on His calendar, circled in red, that says, "I am the Lord, and I will be with you." And then The return of Jesus Christ.
06:13-06:23
The Bible says the next big event is that Jesus Christ, who lived about 2,000 years ago, He's coming back.
06:25-06:36
And the second time He arrives, it's going to be a lot different, and for a much different purpose than the first time that He came.
06:37-06:39
So when is Jesus coming back?
06:39-06:44
Well, we know that He's coming back before the Great Tribulation.
06:45-06:46
What's the Great Tribulation?
06:46-06:54
If you study the book of Revelation, Revelation talks about seven years of God's judgment on the earth.
06:56-07:08
I believe that Jesus will come and He will remove His church from the earth before the seven year period of tribulation.
07:10-07:19
Now I know when we talk about end times, the school of study here is called eschatology, that whole branch of theology, you know, talking about end times.
07:20-07:21
You can research this.
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I know some of you have.
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There are a lot of different timelines and graphs and flowcharts that say what's going to happen.
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And I personally believe that Jesus is going to come and take His church out of the world before the seven-year tribulation, the events outlined in Revelation, and you're like, "Okay, well, you sound very serious about that.
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I am serious about that. Thanks for noticing." How can I come up to that conclusion?
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I'm going to give you two reasons.
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And if you disagree with me, you are still my brother.
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You're wrong, but you're still my brother.
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Now, I promised myself I wouldn't say it.
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That's a joke, okay?
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There's different views. I get that.
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different views. It's okay. I can only preach about what I believe, right? I believe that the rapture takes place before the tribulation. Why? Why? Well, when you read the book of Revelation - not now - but when you read the book of Revelation, in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, it's the church, the church, the church. Jesus has messages to all these churches.
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The church, the church, the church, the church. Church in Laodicea, the church in Philadelphia, you know, church and Thyatira.
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Jesus has these messages for the church, but did you know that after Revelation 3, when the events of the end times are laid out, the judgments are laid out, you don't see anything about the church in the book of Revelation.
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You see a lot about the world, about sinful, lost, rebellious people, and you see a lot about Israel.
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But there's not one mention, not one, not one passing mention, not a verse, not even the word church.
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in the events outlined in Revelation.
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So that tells me that the church isn't there.
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Why would Jesus be making such a big deal of communicating these truths to the church in Revelation 2 and 3, and then not mention them at all?
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Not mention the church at all during the events of Revelation?
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Another reason I believe the rapture takes place before the tribulation because of Revelation 3.
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In verse 10, Jesus said to the church in Philadelphia, "Because you have kept My word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell on the earth." You see, Jesus promised the church that He was going to keep the church, remove the church - literally is what that means - remove you to protect you.
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I will keep you." And he says, "From the hour," meaning it's a specified time, the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world.
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There has never been an hour of trial on the whole world.
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It's never happened.
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He's talking about something that's yet to come, obviously.
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And I believe that his keeping from that hour of trial, I believe that's manifested through the rapture, that he's going to come, He's going to take His church out of the world.
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We'll talk about that in more detail in just a moment.
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So like I said, there's a lot of timelines.
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A lot of interpretations of the timelines, a lot of schools of thought.
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But there are two things that we can all agree on.
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These two things we can all agree on.
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The first one is this, the return of Jesus Christ is promised.
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No matter when you think, the rapture, tribulation, how all that timeline shakes out.
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Something that we have to agree on is the return of Jesus Christ is promised.
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Acts 1.11, we studied this about a year and a half ago now.
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"Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?" Remember, this is an angel speaking to the apostles.
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"Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?
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This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.
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Remember that story?
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You know, Jesus gives the final marching orders, you'll receive power, you'll be my witnesses.
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And Jesus flies up and disappears into the clouds and the apostles are just like standing there.
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Like any of us would be like, what in the world is going on?
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He just flew away.
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And then an angel shows up and, what are you guys looking at?
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And he says, "He's coming back the same way." Meaning what?
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Gloriously through the clouds, He's coming back.
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The return of Jesus Christ, not only is it promised, it's also imminent.
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Luke 12, 40, Jesus said, "You also must be ready.
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"For the Son of Man is coming in an hour you do not expect." Nobody knows when that is, okay?
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Nobody knows.
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And there are these, I was going to say theologians, but that's not the right word.
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There are these, we'll say preachers, that's a safe word.
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There are these preachers that say, "Well, we know exactly when Jesus is coming." Remember Harold Camping?
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They get their 15 minutes of fame because, "We have your ear, and this is exactly when Jesus is returning." What was the thing a few years ago about the Aztec calendar or something?
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It only goes to 2012, so the world's going to end in 2012.
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Do you remember the hysteria around that?
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And Jesus said that nobody knows.
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He said, "It's going to come in an hour you do not expect." In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5.2, Revelation 16.15, Jesus describes His second coming like a thief in the night.
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You've heard that phrase before.
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Like a thief in the night.
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A thief doesn't announce His coming.
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He just shows up when nobody's expecting Him.
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The return of Jesus Christ is promised.
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The return of Jesus Christ is imminent.
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Number two on your outline.
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Let's get into a little more detail.
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What happens when Jesus returns?
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So we have done that he's coming and we It could be any time do you realize that it could happen before our service is over today wouldn't that be awesome You're like, yeah, especially if it cuts the sermon short I'm kidding the service not going to be short. But when Jesus When Jesus returns what what's like what's like what's going to happen? I want you to turn to your Bibles the first Thessalonians chapter 4 1 Thessalonians 4.
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We're just going to look at a few verses here.
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I want you to jot some things down.
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This is a whole school of study that we're trying to reduce into one sermon.
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Our purpose is Bible 101, right?
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We want to get a strong overview of what God's story is all about to equip us to study these things deeper.
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What happens when Jesus returns?
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1 Thessalonians 4 verses 14-17.
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He says, "For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so through Jesus God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep." That's a euphemism for death.
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"For this we declare to you by word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
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For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.
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And the dead in Christ will rise first.
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Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
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And so, we will always be with the Lord.
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So what happens when Jesus returns?
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Very quickly, three things here I want to point out in this passage, the verse is this, "Jesus will come with the saints in heaven." Did you see that?
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Verse 14, "Through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep." When Jesus returns, He's going to be leading an army of believers who are in heaven right now.
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That's the first thing that happens when Jesus returns.
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Second thing we see, Jesus will gather His church.
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Verses 16 and 17.
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It says, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command." That word "cry" in the Greek is actually a military word.
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It's a military command.
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Okay?
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So when Jesus comes back, rather, He's going to cry out a military command.
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"Hey guys, I'm back." Ten hut!
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He's going to have everybody's attention.
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Caught up. See that in verse 17? Caught up. Some people say, "Well, I don't believe in a rapture because the word rapture is not in the Bible." The word grandpa isn't in the Bible either, but the concept is certainly there, right?
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Right? Okay, thank you.
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Caught up. Rapture.
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That's just a word that's been attached to this concept.
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Verse 17, do you see the concept in your Bible?
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"We who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds." That's what we call the rapture, the catching away of the church.
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Jesus talked about this in John chapter 14 when He said, "In my Father's house are many rooms." If it were not so, would I have told you that I'd go to prepare a place for you?
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Just stop there for a second.
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Can we just take a moment to soak in the awesomeness that is that verse?
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That right now, do you know what Jesus is doing right now?
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He's doing a lot of things. He's interceding for us.
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He's watching over His church. The Bible says that He's very active right now.
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Do you know one of the things Jesus is doing right this second?
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He says right here what He's doing.
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He is preparing a place for you.
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Wrap your brain around that.
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That when you leave the earth, it's not going to be, "Well, your guest room isn't quite finished, you're going to have to give us some more time." Right now, the master carpenter is preparing a place for you in heaven right now.
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What do you think that's like?
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He goes on, he says, "If I go and prepare a place for you," look at this, "I will come again and will take you to myself." It's the rapture.
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I'm going to come and get you.
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In the last phrase, he says that where I am there, you may be also.
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Jesus is going to return with the spirits of the people who have gone before us.
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The Bible teaches that Jesus, at that time of his return, Jesus is going to resurrect their bodies into glorified bodies.
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The saints who are coming with Him, their bodies are going to come out of the grave, and Jesus is going to give them glorified bodies.
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And the living, upon Jesus' return, are going to be gathered, and immediately are going to receive glorified bodies.
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1 Corinthians 15 verses 23 verses 51 through 52.
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Someday, Jesus Christ is going to give you a brand new body.
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How many people could use that right about now?
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I totally could.
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Think of that. A body that...
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No more pain.
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No more disease.
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No allergies, no asthma, no cancer.
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A perfect, indestructible body.
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What's that like?
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Philippians 3.20-21 says, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Look at this last phrase, "Who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body." We are going to have a glorified body that's similar to the glorified body that Jesus Christ had when He rose from the dead.
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If you read your Bible, what kinds of things did that body do?
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Remember, He could walk through walls.
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How about He ascended into heaven.
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Do I think that you're going to be able to fly in your glorified body?
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Yes, absolutely.
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It is going to be awesome.
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You're going to have this perfect, glorified, indestructible, ageless body you have for eternity.
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That's what happens when Jesus returns.
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He's going to bring the saints.
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He's going to gather His church.
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Letter C, thirdly, underneath point two.
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What happens when Jesus returns?
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It's not going to be good news for everybody.
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Because the Bible teaches that Jesus will judge the world.
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Revelation 6-20.
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I alluded to this earlier, but Revelation 6-20 talks about a seven-year tribulation.
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The Bible also calls that the day of the Lord.
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It's a manifestation of the judgments of God.
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If you read the book of Revelation, John describes this vision that he has, and I personally believe that John, John who wrote Revelation through the Holy Spirit, writing through him rather.
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I believe that John was transported to the future.
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I believe that John somehow, in God's indescribable ways, he let John watch this future event take place.
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What John saw were judgments.
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There are seven seal judgments.
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There are seven trumpet judgments.
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There are seven bowl judgments.
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All of these judgments are manifestations of God's judgment.
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Ecological disaster and demonic attacks.
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That's in Revelation 6-18.
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Revelation 19 says that Jesus Christ is going to return to slaughter His enemies.
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You know, we used to sing that song, it had that one line in it, "He wears a robe that's dipped in blood." And when we would sing that, I would think, "Oh, that refers to His own blood of the crucifixion." And that doesn't mean that at all.
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The whole concept of the robe dipped in blood that you see in Revelation 19 actually comes from a prophecy in the book of Isaiah.
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And if you read that whole prophecy, that robe wasn't dipped in His own blood.
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That robe was covered with the blood of His enemies.
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The Bible says Jesus Christ is going to come back, and with a sharp sword from His mouth, He's going to cut down everyone that exalts themselves against Him.
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Revelation 19.
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Then you get to Revelation chapter 20.
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You see that Jesus Christ is going to establish a thousand year reign on earth.
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A literal thousand years Jesus Christ is going to personally be here and reign over this millennial kingdom with His people.
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The final judgment comes after that.
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After the millennial kingdom, the Bible says that all enemies, all enemies of God, including Satan are thrown into the lake of fire.
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that takes us into the eternal state.
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The Bible talks about a new Jerusalem.
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That's the place that Jesus is preparing right now.
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A new Jerusalem will descend down from heaven.
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There's going to be a new heaven and a new earth.
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That's the subject matter next week.
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I'm not going to get into that now.
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But I want you to see when Christ returns, He's going to come with His saints.
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He's going to gather His church, giving us glorified bodies.
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And also, according to the book of Revelation, according to John 5, according to so many verses in your Bible, He's going to come and He's going to judge the world.
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So what's next on God's calendar?
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The return of Christ.
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What happens when Jesus returns?
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We covered number three as we close.
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What do we do?
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What do we do with the truth that Christ is returning?
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See, we have to do something with this.
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I wouldn't expect you to walk in here and say, "Hey, by the way, guaranteed the Lord Himself is going to come back, and He's going to grab some people from the earth, and eventually He's going to slaughter those who rejected Him.
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Have a nice day." What do we do with the truth that Christ is teaching?
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And there are so many passages that answer that very question, but one in particular I want you to turn to, and you're going to see why I picked this one.
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Turn to Matthew 24.
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Matthew 24.
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Are you there?
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Matthew 24.
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What do we do with the truth that Christ is returning?
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Pick up in verse 36.
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Jesus is talking about His return.
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"Concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
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For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
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For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark.
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And they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away.
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So it will be the coming of the Son of Man.
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We spent some time talking about Noah and the flood.
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And you have to see there's a direct connection between that event and an event that is yet to come.
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Jesus said His return is going to be just like Noah's day.
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What was happening in Noah's day?
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It was business as usual.
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People were eating and drinking, people were getting married, and it was just life as usual, when all of a sudden, God gave the warning, right?
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We talked about that.
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Noah preached.
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Like 120 years he preached, and only his family got on the ark.
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The ark would have held every single person that would have chosen to believe.
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They thought Noah was foolish.
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building a boat in the middle of the land because God's going to judge the world really? You really think God's gonna judge the world? How stupid are you? You really think that? Noah was right. Jesus said regarding his second coming it's going to be just like that. If you believe that Jesus Christ is going to return as his word says, people are going to think you're stupid too.
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Really? Really you're getting ready for the return of Jesus and people are They go about their lives, business as usual.
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Remember we talked about this when we went through the story with Noah and the flood.
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Think of the difference between being on the ark and being in the water.
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It can be just like that when Christ returns.
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Jump down to verse 44.
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"Therefore you also must be ready for the Son of Man is coming in an hour.
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"I do not expect." There it is again.
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That was the point.
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I'm coming.
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You're not going to know when, but I'm coming.
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Verse 45 says, "Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has sent over his household to give them their food at the proper time?" In verse 45, here's the question.
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Who here is faithful and wise?
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Faithful and wise.
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Jesus makes a contrast on your outline.
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First of all, He gives a word to the wise.
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A word to the wise.
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He says, "Work and watch." Look at verses 46 and 47.
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"Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
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Truly I say to you, He will set Him over all His possessions.
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There are so many passages in your Bible where Jesus talks about the second coming.
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He tells of this in parables and these word pictures.
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Every single time Jesus was teaching about His second coming, He always had the same application.
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Always the same application.
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Be faithful.
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and watch. Let me ask you, what would you want Jesus to be finding you doing upon His return? What do you want Jesus to be finding you doing when He returns?
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Because here's the alternative, look at verses 48 through 50. He says, "But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow "Follow servants and eat some drinks with drunkards.
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The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect Him, and at an hour he does not know." Here's verse 51.
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Jesus is saying this, by the way.
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"And will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites.
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In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." There's a word to the wise.
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and watch, but there's a word to the wicked.
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He says be warned.
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Be warned.
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So if you're sitting here today, if you're listening to this on the podcast, and you haven't received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, by God's grace, I want to give you a warning.
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Things are not going to be as they have been forever.
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I have this idea that things are just going to keep going on, that history is a cycle.
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And you know what?
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In another 5,000 years, people are still going to be eating and drinking, marrying and be giving in marriage, and life is just going to go on.
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Life is going to go on.
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That isn't true.
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The Bible says history isn't some cycle that keeps going on.
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According to the Bible, human history is like a book.
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It's like a movie.
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was a beginning, and we are sort of in the middle of it now, but it is going to have an end.
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There's going to come a day that this is all over.
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And for the person that thinks Christ isn't coming back, mocking, ignoring in the context of this, just living in wickedness.
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Too busy partying, too busy drinking, busy sleeping around because things are just always going to be the way they are. This is a warning for you. You better wake up because He is coming and that's why this message has such urgency. You see, I'm not motivated to be doing good because I want Jesus to catch me in a good moment.
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How does that old joke go, you know, "Jesus is coming, look busy"?
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Some people have that mentality, right?
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The reason for the urgency is He could be coming today.
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There's not much time.
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It could be tomorrow.
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The Word to the wise.
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Let's be faithful.
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Let's work.
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Watch.
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A word to the wicked.
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Be warned.
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The day will come, as we said, the robe dipped in blood, covered with the blood of His enemies.
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That's coming.
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In this passage, Jesus said, "That Master," that's Him, "will cut the wicked into pieces, put them with the hypocrites, and that place will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." associated with hell. Christ is returning. He's returning. Are you ready for that?
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Are you ready for that? Every day that goes by, I am more and more ready for that. Every day that goes by, I find myself getting less and less attached for the things of the earth.
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And more and more longing for the way things are going to be when Christ returns and makes all things new.
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That's what we do with the truth that Christ is returning.
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If our ushers would come forward, we're going to receive the Lord's Supper together.
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When we receive the Lord's Supper, Did you know there is a past, a present, and a future aspect of the Lord's Supper?
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Did you know that?
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The past aspect.
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Jesus said that we do this in remembrance of Him.
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So the past aspect, we do look back.
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When we take these elements, we think, "This is the body.
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This represents the body of Jesus Christ.
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This represents the blood of Jesus Christ." We look back, this is the price that was paid for my sin.
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That's the past aspect of it.
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There's a present aspect of it because the Bible says that when we do this as a church, we should examine ourselves.
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I think most of us are familiar with that.
35:01-35:03
Yeah, we kind of look to the past, we kind of look to the present.
35:04-35:09
But did you know, concerning the Lord's Supper, there's a future aspect?
35:11-35:37
Matthew 26, verse 29, "When Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper," look at what He said, "I tell you, I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day, when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." So yeah, we look back.
35:39-35:46
We look inwardly now, but today, as we receive the Lord's Supper, I want you to think of that day.
35:48-35:55
I want you to think of that day when Jesus Christ said, "I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 and Matthew 24:36-49

From this message, what new information did you learn about the return of Christ?
How often do you think about the return of Jesus Christ? How does knowing Christ will return affect you?
What aspects of Christ's return do you believe every Christian should agree upon? Why? What aspects do you think we don’t need to agree on? Why?
What Biblical evidence is there for the rapture to take place before the Tribulation?

Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.

Jeff Miller

April 16, 2017

Bible 101

Christ

Jeff Miller

April 16, 2017

Bible 101

The Fulfillment of the Law.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Who is Jesus?

Jesus is the Christ.

Seed of woman that would crush Satan (Genesis 3:15)

King and priest like Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:15 / Psalm 110:4 / Genesis 14:18-20)

Prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15)

Descendent of David on the throne forever (2 Samuel 7)

Suffering servant (Isaiah 53)

John 5:39 - You search the Scriptures bc you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.

Jesus is God.

Review: John 1:1 | Zechariah 12:10 | Acts 20:28

What did Jesus do for me?

Review: Leviticus 16

What should I do about Jesus?

Admit you are a sinner.

Believe Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead for you.

Confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Daily follow Jesus Christ.

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

01:04-01:15
So the story goes, there was this Indian tribe where some things were turning up missing.
01:17-01:20
And they went to the Indian chief and they said, "You've got to do something about this.
01:20-01:24
There are things that are being stolen.
01:24-01:46
Somebody in our tribe is stealing." So, the Indian chief said, "When we find out who is stealing, you're going to get five lashes from the whipmaster." Well, some time went on and some more stuff was stolen.
01:48-01:52
The Indian chief, whose word was law, said, "Ten lashes.
01:53-01:57
And we find who stole 10 lashes from the whipmaster.
01:59-02:03
Well some more time went on and more things were stolen.
02:05-02:05
15!
02:06-02:08
15 lashes from the whipmaster!
02:10-02:13
And then shortly thereafter they found the thief.
02:15-02:17
It was the Indian chief's mother.
02:19-02:21
So what do you do in that situation?
02:22-02:58
you're the chief. When your word is law, and you have people following you because your word is law, but at the same time you can't bear the thoughts of your mother taking such a horrible beating. So as the story goes, the day came where they took the Indian chief's her hands around this hole and they stripped the clothes off of her back.
03:01-03:08
The whipmaster was ready to administer the beating when the Indian chief said stop.
03:10-03:20
And he went up behind his mother and put his arms around her so that his back was now exposed.
03:21-03:36
And he said, "You may not proceed in administering the punishment." And he stood there and he took all 15 for his mother, whom he loved.
03:38-03:44
See here was a man who couldn't violate his own law, but at the same time he wanted to be merciful.
03:45-03:47
And he found a way to make that happen.
03:49-03:54
And in a much greater sense, that's what we're here to celebrate today.
03:56-04:03
We have a holy and perfect God who cannot and will not violate His own law.
04:06-04:12
But at the same time is loving and merciful and gracious and wishes that none would perish.
04:13-04:25
So what would such a God do who gave us a law that we repeatedly broke and break, but He wants to be merciful.
04:25-04:26
He found a way.
04:28-04:34
The way was through the cross and the empty tomb of Jesus Christ.
04:36-04:59
We're going to continue Bible 101 today and the sermon title is "Christ, the Fulfillment of the law. And you're like, "Well, Pastor Jeff, that worked out well that you're going through this series and you're speaking about Jesus on Easter. That worked out pretty well." Amazing timing on that, isn't it? Because it would have been, let's be honest, it would have been awkward if it was Easter and we were talking about the Tower of Babel today.
04:59-05:10
That would have been really weird. We've been through this series looking at the Bible from from a fresh perspective with new eyes.
05:11-05:14
We've talked about the Bible being the Word of God.
05:14-05:22
We've seen creation where God created everything in six 24-hour days, and then man violated the one rule - you had one job!
05:23-05:26
And it was to not eat off of this particular tree.
05:26-05:39
Sin came into the world and things got so bad that God blotted out every living thing except those on the ark.
05:40-05:50
We did have a message on the Tower of Babel, and shortly after that time, we saw Abraham, through whom God created the nation of Israel.
05:50-05:53
And last week we talked about God's law.
05:53-05:56
That to the Israelites, God gave this law.
05:56-05:57
God says, "Here's my standard.
05:58-06:08
You must always do this, and you shall never do this." The violation of this law makes you a sinner.
06:11-06:23
So as we continue in this series, I want you to understand that yes, God made a covenant with Israel, but even in the Old Testament, God promised a new covenant was going to replace the old.
06:25-06:34
Jeremiah 31, verses 31-34 says, "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord." Look at this one.
06:34-06:40
I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
06:40-06:47
Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
06:48-06:54
My covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord.
06:56-07:02
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord.
07:04-07:19
"I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts." See, previously the law was written on stone tablets by the finger of God.
07:19-07:29
And God says, "No, I'm going to write the law again, but this time I'm going to write it on their hearts." It's going to be something that's internal, not something that's external.
07:31-07:34
He goes on, "I will be their God and they shall be my people.
07:34-07:50
And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord.' For they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,' declares the Lord." This is one of my most favorite verses in the whole Bible.
07:50-07:52
Part of the New Covenant, look what God promises.
07:54-08:02
"I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
08:03-08:05
Can you wrap your brain around that?
08:06-08:07
I can't.
08:10-08:17
I think many of us have struggled with shame and regret, and we remember our sin a lot.
08:17-08:18
We stare at it.
08:19-08:20
We think about it.
08:22-08:31
When the Lord says, "I'm going to forget." I'm going to choose not to remember your sin.
08:33-08:35
How in the world could that happen?
08:35-08:38
Because I'm the worst.
08:40-08:41
And I've been the worst.
08:44-08:58
How could God take somebody like me who has done so many selfish and irresponsible and stupid things and say, "I'm going to make a way that I'm not even going to remember your sin.
08:58-09:05
This new covenant is in Jesus Christ." So this is Bible 101.
09:07-09:11
And I'm going to be, as I was preparing this message, here's the mindset.
09:12-09:18
What would I tell somebody about Jesus that doesn't know anything about Jesus?
09:20-09:27
He says, "I've heard the name, but I don't know anything about Him." Well, here it is.
09:29-09:31
Who is Jesus, number one? Who is Jesus?
09:32-09:42
This is a great question, because every Christmas and Easter, have you noticed this? It drives me insane.
09:42-09:48
I read a blog from another pastor that it bothers him too, and I'm like, "Hey, I feel like I'm in good company." But it drives me insane.
09:49-09:51
Every Christmas and Easter, it doesn't fail.
09:51-10:05
You can go to the supermarket or wherever they sell magazines, and Time Magazine or Newsweek Magazine or some magazine, some of you nod your heads because you know where I'm going with this, you've seen it, they always come out with some new spin on Jesus, right?
10:06-10:20
And the headline on the front of the magazine always says something like, "Who was the real Jesus? Who was the historical Jesus? Who was Jesus really?" And there'll be TV specials on like a National Geographic and the History Channel.
10:20-10:28
"Who is the real Jesus?" And of course nobody wants like the biblical version because that story's been told countless times over the past 2,000 years.
10:29-10:34
So we're going to roll out some controversial new take so that people will tune in.
10:34-10:36
Things like, "Well, Jesus was married.
10:36-10:37
Have you heard that one?
10:37-10:37
He was married.
10:38-10:39
Jesus had kids.
10:39-10:41
He didn't really resurrect.
10:44-10:46
he thought he was dead, but he actually wasn't.
10:46-10:51
He sort of snuck off with Mary Magdalene and got married and had all these kids.
10:51-10:53
And like, where do you guys come up with this stuff?
10:54-10:55
Well, there's some writings.
10:55-11:11
These people wrote in like the, you know, the 300s and hundreds of years after Jesus lived, some historian decided they were gonna write a biography about Jesus and included the stuff that apparently the people that lived with Jesus didn't know about.
11:13-11:22
Who is more qualified if somebody had a lot of extra time on their hands, they were going to write a biography about me, who is more qualified to write that biography?
11:22-11:25
Somebody sitting here or somebody that's going to live 300 years from now?
11:27-11:27
No-brainer, right?
11:29-11:42
But that's what happens, they find, you know, the gospel of Douglas or whatever, and all of a sudden, Here we found out some interesting things about Jesus that aren't true.
11:45-11:53
But it's Satan's oldest ploy. I mean, it gets on my nerves, but I'm not surprised, because we saw this when we went through the account and sin in Genesis chapter 3, right?
11:53-11:54
What's Satan's ploy?
11:55-11:59
You doubt the Word of God, right? Did God really say that?
12:00-12:02
That's what he did to Adam and Eve. Did God really say that?
12:03-12:12
And then you deny the Word of God. "No, no, no, no, God didn't." Remember Satan? "You won't die?" This is Oldest Ploy.
12:12-12:13
Who is Jesus?
12:14-12:15
Here's two things you need to know about Jesus.
12:15-12:17
Number one is Jesus is the Christ.
12:18-12:19
He is the Christ.
12:20-12:24
This might be news to some of you, but Christ is not Jesus' last name.
12:24-12:27
I've talked to people that were shocked to find that out.
12:28-12:30
The Christ is actually a title.
12:31-12:41
In the Old Testament, it's the Messiah, the anointed one, the one who was promised to Israel all through the Old Testament.
12:41-12:48
And I don't have time if I spent the next month to talk about all of these things.
12:48-12:49
I just want to give you a few.
12:50-13:02
The Messiah promised throughout the Old Testament, the first mention is in Genesis 3, verse 15, when God says the seed of the woman, Eve, would eventually crush Satan.
13:03-13:06
That's pointing to a Messiah who was to come.
13:07-13:12
The Bible says that the Messiah was going to be a king and priest like Melchizedek.
13:13-13:16
Melchizedek is an interesting character you meet in Genesis chapter 14.
13:16-13:18
He's mentioned in Psalm 110 verse 4.
13:19-13:21
And the Hebrew writer spends a lot of time talking about Melchizedek.
13:22-13:24
What's the significance? Well, here's the significance.
13:24-13:29
In the nation of Israel, if you were a Levite, you were a priest.
13:29-13:30
You met the qualifications.
13:31-13:38
But you can't be a Levite priest and a king at the same time under Mosaic law.
13:38-13:39
That could not happen.
13:40-13:44
You couldn't be a priest and a king simultaneously.
13:45-13:48
And the Bible says that the Messiah, He will be.
13:48-13:57
He's not only going to be the priest that intercedes on our behalf before God, but He is also going to be a king at the same time.
13:58-14:04
a priest like the Levites, but a priest and king like Melchizedek.
14:05-14:09
The Bible says in the Old Testament that the Messiah who was coming is going to be a prophet like Moses.
14:10-14:17
Moses promised that in Deuteronomy 18.15, "God is going to raise up from among you a prophet like me." Somebody far greater.
14:19-14:27
2 Samuel 7, the Messiah was going to be a descendant of David who was going to reign on the throne forever.
14:29-14:33
Isaiah 53 says that the Messiah was going to be the suffering servant.
14:33-14:40
He was going to come and suffer on behalf of His people because of their, because of our sin.
14:42-14:45
In fact, Jesus said all of the Old Testament is about Him.
14:45-14:45
Did you know that?
14:46-14:55
John 5.39, Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them You have eternal life.
14:56-14:59
And it is they that bear witness about Me.
15:01-15:13
See, unlike the Indian chief story, you have to see that with all of these prophecies in the Old Testament, Jesus was not an afterthought.
15:15-15:24
You see, it wasn't like the earth was around for a few thousand years, and God was sitting around some conference table with His angels, He's like, "You know what, guys?
15:26-15:29
This whole Testament law thing, it's just not working.
15:31-15:39
In fact, they don't keep any of the commandments. Do you notice that?" The angels are like, "You're right. You're right. They don't." I mean, it's like a game to them.
15:39-15:41
How many of these can we break every day?
15:42-15:43
It's just not working. What should we do?
15:43-15:47
And then they bat around some ideas, and God's like, "Oh, I got this idea.
15:48-15:52
What if I came down there myself and I took care of it?" It wasn't an afterthought.
15:53-15:54
Nor was it a desperation move.
15:55-15:58
Where God was like, "Damage control?
15:58-15:59
What are we going to do?
16:00-16:02
Earth is really out of control here.
16:02-16:08
Maybe I'll just have to go down there and see if I can fix it." This was God's plan from the very beginning.
16:09-16:18
In fact, it was God's plan from before the beginning because the Bible says that Jesus Christ is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
16:20-16:22
Don't ask me to explain that.
16:22-16:31
But even before there were people created to sin, the plan of Jesus was already laid out by God.
16:33-16:35
Jesus is the Christ.
16:35-16:39
That's what we see in the Old Testament, was God had this.
16:39-16:40
He knew this.
16:41-16:42
He was prepared for this.
16:43-16:46
Second thing you need to know about Jesus, there's a lot of things.
16:46-16:48
I'm just trying to boil it down here for the sake of time.
16:48-16:49
Jesus is God.
16:51-16:52
Jesus is God.
16:53-17:01
In the New Testament, John 1, verse 1, it says, "In the beginning was the Word, "the Word was with God, and the Word was God." That sentence makes no human sense whatsoever.
17:02-17:03
I'll admit that.
17:04-17:10
If I said to you last night, "I was with my friend Nathaniel, "and I was my friend Nathaniel," you'd be like, "What are you talking about?
17:12-17:18
"It doesn't make any sense." It doesn't, because we're people that live in time and space.
17:18-17:20
We don't know an existence outside of time and space.
17:21-17:24
But the Bible says that in the beginning was the Word.
17:24-17:27
We find out He's talking about Jesus in just a few verses later.
17:28-17:31
The Word was with God. Jesus is with God.
17:31-17:34
But Jesus also at the same time is God.
17:36-17:42
Again, I don't have time to go through the New Testament to show you all of the verses in the New Testament that say Jesus is God.
17:44-17:46
But I do want to share a couple with you, interestingly.
17:47-17:51
I want to share a couple of verses with you that say that God is Jesus.
17:52-17:53
You know the Bible says that?
17:54-17:54
God is Jesus.
17:55-17:57
Zechariah 12, verse 10.
17:57-17:58
This is in the Old Testament.
17:58-18:08
It says, "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that when they look on Me..." Look at this.
18:08-18:46
"...on Him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and weeps bitterly over Him weeps over a firstborn." Who does that sound like He's talking about? "They will look upon me whom they have pierced." Who does that sound like? Anybody? Go ahead, shout it out. Jesus, right? This is in the Old Testament there. This was before the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, but God was prophesying ahead of time. Notice in the passage, God didn't say, "They will look on my Messiah whom they have pierced." God says, "They will look on me whom they have pierced." God's saying that He He is going to be the Messiah personally.
18:48-18:50
Spoiler alert, write Quran Acts chapter 20.
18:50-18:51
We're going to get there.
18:51-19:07
Acts chapter 20, Paul says to the Ephesian elders, "Pay careful attention to yourselves and all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God." Look at this last phrase, "Which He obtained with His own blood." Who bought the church with His own blood?
19:08-19:09
Jesus did, right?
19:12-19:12
Right.
19:13-19:28
Notice in this verse, Paul very specifically says, "God bought the church with his own blood." So not only does the Bible say that Jesus, the Messiah, is God in the flesh, God himself says that he is the Messiah.
19:31-19:38
In fact, in the book of Hebrews 1, verse eight, I believe, God the Father refers to God the Son as God.
19:38-19:39
You're like, "Who's God's God?
19:40-19:40
God has a God.
19:41-19:42
God says his son is his God.
19:45-19:47
You're like, okay, pastor Jeff, stop right there.
19:47-19:49
You're gonna have to explain the Trinity and I can't.
19:50-19:53
You know, and I've heard some attempts at that.
19:54-19:56
You know, God is like a boom box.
19:57-20:03
I'm gonna explain this to younger people, but you know, boom box, where do I even start explaining this?
20:04-20:09
It was before we played our music on these little credit card size things.
20:09-20:19
We had these giant boxes, and they played the radio, and they would play cassette tapes, and they would play CDs.
20:21-20:29
And you're like, "Well, a boombox, it's three things, but it's one thing." That analogy breaks down a bit.
20:30-20:41
Some people say, "Well, God's like H2O, because H2O, It's like the same element. It can be ice, it can be water, it can be steam.
20:42-20:46
And that's true, but it's not those things at the exact same time.
20:48-20:51
But God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at the same time.
20:51-20:54
He's one God, but He has manifested Himself as three persons.
20:56-20:56
Here's what I know.
20:58-21:03
I know that Jesus is fully God and fully man at the same time.
21:04-21:08
In other words, Jesus is God's perfect man.
21:10-21:13
And Jesus is man's perfect God.
21:14-21:15
So what you need to know about Jesus.
21:15-21:16
Who is Jesus?
21:17-21:20
Jesus is the Christ and Jesus is God.
21:22-21:25
Here's the real thing I'm excited to share with you today is this.
21:25-21:26
What did Jesus do for me?
21:27-21:28
This is what you need to know.
21:28-21:29
What did Jesus do for me?
21:30-21:40
Jesus willingly subjected Himself to crucifixion, being nailed to a cross.
21:42-21:45
It was the Roman form of execution.
21:46-21:50
And then three days later, Jesus rose from the dead.
21:51-21:52
Why did He do that?
21:54-21:57
Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin.
21:57-21:59
That should have been me on the cross.
21:59-22:00
That should have been me.
22:01-22:02
I was the one who messed up.
22:03-22:04
I was the one who rebelled.
22:07-22:14
But Jesus said, "No, I'll take your place." And understand, when Jesus was on the cross, He was bearing the wrath of God on my behalf.
22:15-22:27
Jesus was, in a sense, like that Indian chief with his arms around his mother, saying, "I'll take the blows so that she doesn't have to." That was Jesus on the cross.
22:29-22:33
But that's not the end of the story, because the Bible says in three days Jesus rose from the dead.
22:34-22:46
Not only did it validate who he was and what he said, but that was the means by which the eternal life that we forfeited in the Garden of Eden has been restored.
22:47-22:51
So understand, through Jesus Christ, eternal life isn't something you get someday.
22:52-22:54
Eternal life is something you possess now.
22:55-22:57
when you receive Him, and we'll talk about that in a moment.
23:00-23:08
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was not some random event that God just kind of came along in rubber stamps.
23:10-23:25
But when you look at the message and you say, "Okay, well, there was a man who said he was God, and he died on a cross." The truth is, crucifixion wasn't really that unique.
23:27-23:34
Because somebody could argue and say, "Well, there have been lots of people that have been crucified under Roman rule.
23:34-23:40
What makes Jesus... what makes Him so different? What makes Him so special?
23:42-24:01
What makes His death so significant?" When you see the cross, the resurrection, it was the culmination and fulfillment of what was pictured and promised throughout the history of the Old Testament.
24:03-24:19
This might be a first for you, but I want you to look at the story of the crucifixion and resurrection And what I'm going to guess is the last book of the Bible you would have guessed.
24:20-24:21
We're going to be looking at this account today.
24:23-24:27
But you're going to see something that you're not going to be able to unsee.
24:27-24:33
And it is going to forever change the way you look at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
24:33-24:40
You ready? Grab your Bible, and I want you to open up to the book of Leviticus, chapter 16.
24:41-24:44
This is absolutely mind-blowing to me.
24:45-25:01
But Leviticus, you're like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, I thought we were talking about Jesus and what He did." Well, in the Old Testament, as we talked about last week, God had this whole system set up on how to offer sacrifices, and none of it was arbitrary.
25:02-25:08
God wasn't like, "Just offer whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want, with whoever you want." God was very specific.
25:09-25:11
Here is exactly how you do it.
25:11-25:13
Why was God so specific?
25:14-25:21
Because He was painting a picture that would ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
25:22-25:23
Leviticus 16.
25:23-25:29
Also remember in the Old Testament, there was a building called the tabernacle.
25:29-25:32
That was the portable version of the temple.
25:33-25:43
In the temple there was this little room that was called the "Holy of Holies." And this room was behind a veil.
25:45-25:47
And in this room was the Ark of the Covenant.
25:49-26:02
And understand that nobody went in this room, because this was the room where the Lord resided, so to speak, where His glory dwelt.
26:04-26:08
So you didn't just walk in there, with one exception.
26:10-26:26
One time a year, the high priest, and only the high priest, would go into this room to offer a special sacrifice on behalf of the nation of Israel.
26:29-26:32
was one of the most important days, if not the most important day for the Israelites.
26:33-26:35
It was called the Day of Atonement.
26:36-26:39
And we're not going to read all this, but I want you to look at some of these verses with me.
26:39-26:46
First of all, verses 3 and 4 tells us that the high priest would have to make sacrifice for his own sin because he was a sinner.
26:47-26:55
But then the high priest would take off the elaborate robes that he wore, if you recall.
26:56-27:03
The high priest actually had these really lavish garments, including this breastplate that had stones for each of the tribes of Israel.
27:04-27:07
And for the Day of Atonement, though, he would have to take those off.
27:07-27:11
And he would have to just put on a plain linen robe.
27:11-27:14
It was a regular old thing.
27:14-27:21
He would actually look no different than any of the other priests, even though he was the high priest.
27:22-27:24
He's just dressed like a regular guy.
27:26-27:27
Look at verse 7.
27:29-27:37
It says, "Then he, the high priest, shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting." That's the tabernacle.
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"And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats." Casting lots was like rolling dice.
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It was something that the Lord used in Old Testament times all the way up until the coming of the Holy Spirit.
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I talked about that earlier in Acts.
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One lot for the Lord, and the other lot for Azazel.
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You're like, well, who's that?
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That was the name of a place in the wilderness, some scholars think, that was about 12 miles east of Jerusalem.
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But the name of the place isn't what's important.
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You see, Azazel referred to the scapegoats.
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There's two goats.
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is going to be killed and one, the scapegoat, Azazel, is going to be released.
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Verse 9, "And Aaron shall present the goat on which the law fell for the Lord and use it as a sin offering." He was going to be killed.
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Verse 10, "But the goat on which the law fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before for the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel." Alright? So there were two goats.
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Again, one killed, and then the priest would lay hands on the other goat to symbolize putting Israel's sin on the animal.
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It was a symbol.
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And then that goat would be released, to be heard from again and it was a picture to the Israelites of sin being removed from the camp. Okay, you with me? Look at verse 15, jump down there with me. "Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.
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Okay, the bull, that's referring to the sacrifice he made for himself.
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The mercy seat was the top of the Ark of the Covenant.
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Thus he shall make atonement for the holy place because of the uncleanness of the people of Israel, because of their transgressions, all their sins.
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And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleanness.
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He went down to verse 20.
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"And when he has made an end of atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat.
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And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over all the iniquities of the people of Israel and all their transgressions, all their sins, and he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.
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The goat shall bear all their iniquities and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.
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Continuing on, "Then Aaron shall come into the tent of beating," look at this, "and shall take off the linen garments that he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there.
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He shall bathe his body in water in a holy place and put on his garments," those are the high priest robes, the breastplate, the stones, the whole nine.
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And come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people and make atonement for himself and for the people.
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Stop there.
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Just to recap, the high priest takes off his elaborate robes and he dresses like a regular guy.
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And then he offers a blood sacrifice behind the veil.
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By the way, as the high priest, he's the only one that can do it.
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And after he's done, he puts his ornate robes back on.
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Does any of that sound familiar?
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Because you see, God was painting this picture.
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What did Jesus Christ do?
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In the same way, The high priest took off those elaborate, glorious robes.
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Jesus took off His glory.
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He humbled Himself by taking off that glorious divinity that He shared with His Father.
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And I'm not saying Jesus became less than God.
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I'm not saying that at all.
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But Jesus did fully become a regular human being.
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What I mean by regular is this.
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there was nothing about Jesus that made him stand out in a crowd.
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Nothing.
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How do you know that?
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Because when Judas betrayed Jesus, he had to go kiss Jesus so that the guards would know which was the right guy, because Jesus looked just like all of the other Jewish men.
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And the Bible says there's nothing about Jesus' appearance that would have drawn people to him.
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He just looked like a regular guy.
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So in that sense, holy God still, yes, but in that sense, Jesus took off the robes of the glory, become a regular flesh and blood man, then made a blood sacrifice, Then, took our sin away, and after resurrecting, what did Jesus do?
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He went back to heaven, and he put his robes back on.
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Jesus didn't just go behind the veil like the high priest did.
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You recall, the Bible says that when Jesus died, that veil was torn.
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He didn't just go behind it, He ripped it down.
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Meaning that now you and I have full access to God.
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God isn't behind the veil any longer because of Jesus Christ.
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We can approach God.
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So you see in this picture in Leviticus, Jesus is the High Priest.
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And Jesus is the sacrifice.
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Jesus is a Zazel. He's the scapegoat. He's the one who takes the sin away.
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The one who stripped glory, became regular, put the glory back on.
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And if that's not mind-blowing enough, these events, the crucifixion, the resurrection, happened during a very special holiday for the Israelites.
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That was Passover.
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It was funny, my wife Erin was telling me this morning, she said, "Yeah, I saw in the news that this news reporter was like totally fascinated, like, 'Wow, wasn't this interesting?
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Christians have Easter and Jews have Passover, and it's like around the same time.'" Wow, does that happen every year?
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But Jesus offered the sacrifice on Passover, and why was that significant?
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Well, Passover was a holiday, a remembrance, where Israel celebrated the exodus out of Egypt.
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And the Lord had the Israelites in Egypt cover their door frames in the blood of a spotless lamb, so that when the Lord came through the camp, if you were covered under the blood of a spotless lamb, you would be saved from death.
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Does that sound familiar at all?
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If you're covered under the blood of the lamb, the spotless Lamb, you will be saved from death.
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So you see, Jesus' death and resurrection were really not like something out of left field.
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It was something that was planned and pictured in the Old Testament, in the Passover and in the Day of Atonement.
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God's holiness demanded bloodshed and death for sin.
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God's love, let Jesus take our place.
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That's why when I see the cross, I think of that cross very literally, graphically, I think of that cross like an intersection where God's holiness and His love intersect.
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Because in Jesus, God's wrath was satisfied.
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God's not mad at you for your sin anymore.
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When you received Jesus Christ, His wrath was satisfied.
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And also that intersection is love.
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It was love that motivated God to take our place on the cross.
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So as we close, here's the big question.
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What should I do about Jesus?
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We said, "What did Jesus do for me?" Here's a question, what should I do about Jesus?
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The message of the cross, the message of the empty tomb, the message of He is alive.
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This isn't just FYI.
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You see, you don't come here like, "Jesus died and rose from the dead.
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"Just thought you should know, enjoy your ham." Like what?
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You have to do something with the message because according to Jesus, He's the only way of salvation.
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Jesus said in John 14, 6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.
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No one comes to the Father except through Me." Why is that?
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Because no one else paid the penalty for your sin.
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No one else can put life back in you.
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No one can do that.
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Not Joseph Smith, not Charles Taze Russell, not the Buddha, not Muhammad.
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Nobody is able to do that except Jesus Christ, the God-man, the High Priest and the Sacrifice.
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He's the only one.
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You have to do something with it.
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What should I do?
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Here it is, A, B, C, D. Drop these down.
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A, B, C, D.
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Letter A, first of all, you've got to get to this place.
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Admit you are a sinner.
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You have to get there.
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Admit you are a sinner.
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That's what we talked about last week, isn't it?
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That was the purpose of the law.
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The law was to break us.
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The law wasn't to give us a pep talk, where God's like, "You're not that bad." The law was to show us we are horrible people.
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We are rebellious against the Holy God.
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You have to start there.
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You have to start there to say, "You know what?
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"I really am.
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"I am a self-centered, wicked person." Admit you are a sinner.
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Let it be believed Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead for you.
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You have to personalize the message, because God did.
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This wasn't some event from some Jewish guy across the pond 2,000 years ago that's sort of detached historically and geographically from where we are.
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He did that for me.
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You have to say that, he did that for me.
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Believe Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead for you.
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letter C, confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. In other words, personally receive the gifts. You do that through prayer. I'm going to lead you in a prayer here in just a moment. One of the ways we respond to that is through baptism. Now baptism doesn't save you. Baptism is an outward demonstration of what God has done in here.
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Baptism, just like Leviticus 16, the picture day of atonement of the ministry of the Messiah, baptism also is a picture.
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You're saying, "I'm dead.
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I'm dead." Coming up out of the water is like coming out of your liquid tomb.
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You're saying, "I'm alive in Christ.
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Jesus Christ has risen me from the dead." You do have to confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
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In letter D, daily follow Jesus Christ.
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There's not a list of rules.
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Do this, don't do that.
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It's about a love relationship.
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You want to follow.
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You want to humble yourself before this God who loved you so much.
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Jesus didn't just die to be your Savior.
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The song goes, "He lives to be my King." If you truly receive Him, truly receive Him, He will transform you and His Holy Spirit will come and reside in you.
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And that is the law written on your heart that God promised.
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I want you to bow your heads with me.
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Bow your heads.
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While you do, I just want to ask, Is there someone here today who maybe is understanding this for the first time?
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Is there someone here today who heard and knew the message to some degree, but has never really taken the step to make it their own?
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My question for you this morning is this, can you just walk away from so gracious a gift?
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Can you ignore the love that God has demonstrated in His Son?
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Or can today be a new day for you?
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I am done with sin.
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I am done trying to figure out life on my own.
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I am done carrying guilt and regrets.
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I'm done.
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Jesus Christ died to take away my sin, so that God would remember my sin no more.
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I'm done dealing with the shame of it.
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If that's you, I'm going to lead you in a prayer.
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A prayer that you need to personalize.
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to accept Jesus Christ, which you never have before.
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If you haven't done it, I would encourage you to pray something like this.
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To pray, "Father, I realize that I'm a sinner, and I might have fooled other people, and I might fool myself sometimes, but I know deep down, I am seriously flawed.
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Deep down, I am seriously self-centered.
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Father, I believe the truth of your Word, that you love me.
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And you sent your Son, Jesus Christ, you came here personally to die on that cross and to raise from the dead.
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To forgive me of all the wrong things that I've done.
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You put it all on Jesus.
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And You've restored eternal life into me, Father.
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And today, Father, I want to confess Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord.
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I'm done playing games.
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I'm done just thinking about it, or putting it off another week, or another month, or until I'm worn out with this particular sin, or whatever.
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Today, I want to confess Christ as my Savior and Lord.
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Father, I know that your Word says your Holy Spirit is going to empower me to follow you, to be the person that you've called me to be, to be the person that you want me to be in your Son, to conform me into the image of your Son.
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You'll give me the power to do that.
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And I want that to be a daily decision.
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And I'm going to seek your face.
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I'm not gonna ask you to raise your hand, or to stand up or walk down front, anything like that.
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'Cause here's the thing, this is between you and God.
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And if you've prayed a prayer like that today, in your own words, that you've personalized this, And it was a genuine and true prayer from your heart that you are a born again child of God.
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And Father, as I pray on behalf of this congregation here, there are many people here who know you.
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And there are some who don't.
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But I pray for all of us, Father.
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When we take a fresh look at the significance of this event, some of us will spend hours preparing for a picnic.
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When you spent thousands of years of history preparing the world through the nation of Israel for this event, the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, You've pictured it throughout Your Word.
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You've prepared us through things like the Passover, through things like the Day of Atonement, all of the prophecies concerning the Messiah.
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You've prepared us globally through the Israelites.
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The event has come, and it has happened exactly as You said.
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And I pray, Father, today, like those first century disciples. I pray that it continues in this church, in every other church in the Pittsburgh area, in every church in the Harvest Bible Fellowship. I pray that the impact is as fresh and world-shaking today as it was back then. By your power, Let it be.
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In the glorious name of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Jeremiah 31:31-34

What does "Christ" mean? Why is this word associated with Jesus?
Read Jeremiah 31:31-34. What are the differences between the Old Covenant and the
New Covenant?
List a few examples of Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. Why are the OT
prophecies important?
Why was it necessary for Christ to suffer, die, and resurrect for my sins? Why didn't He
just say, "I forgive you."?

Breakout Questions:

Have you understood Who Jesus is and what He calls us to? Have you been an active, growing follower of Jesus? Do you feel equipped to be able to tell someone else about Jesus?

Unstoppable Fellowship.

Because we are ALL a Work in Progress:

Unstoppable Over Burnout.

Am I Preventing Burnout in My Own Life?

Heaven

The Eternal State

2nd Advent

The King is Coming!

Christ

The Fulfillment of the Law.

Upcoming Small Group Questions CLICK HERE

How much of the Bible have we covered since 2011?

Because we are ALL a Work in Progress:

Audio Transcript

Am I Preventing Burnout in My Own Life?

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The Eternal State

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The King is Coming!

Audio Transcript

The Fulfillment of the Law.

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