Speaker#1:
00:00:04.9 – 00:00:05.579
Much

Speaker#1:
00:00:09.829 – 00:00:10.71
You’re right

Speaker#1:
00:00:11.84 – 00:00:16.1
Lord we just come before you and we just we’re hungry to meet Jesus

Speaker#1:
00:00:16.78 – 00:00:34.779
and Lord you reveal yourself in your word But Lord with if you don’t lift that veil in Christ Lord God then we won’t see you So we pray that you would lift every veil this morning Open up our eyes open up our hearts Lord we want to see Jesus and we as we see you we want to become like you

Speaker#1:
00:00:35.389 – 00:00:36.009
amen

Speaker#1:
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The title of today’s message is the darkness is passing away in the light

Speaker#1:
00:00:45.11 – 00:00:51.2
And this this title actually comes from one of the scriptures that we’ll be reading at some point in the message

Speaker#1:
00:00:52.83 – 00:01:04.79
I have a deep conviction in my soul that there is far more from the for the church of Jesus Christ regarding its potential to transform the world than what we’re seeing today

Speaker#1:
00:01:06.449 – 00:01:22.519
It’s easy to say that but it it is actually a burden that rests in my heart constantly because I am so convinced that God has put so much potential hidden in his people to change everything

Speaker#1:
00:01:23.91 – 00:01:27.04
And this the logic behind it is not hard to grasp

Speaker#1:
00:01:28.36 – 00:01:31.19
Jesus Christ is Lord

Speaker#1:
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he is king he is sovereign he is ruler over all he came and became man

Speaker#1:
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to to reconcile all things back to God

Speaker#1:
00:01:43.37 – 00:01:47.779
And when we think about everything that’s wrong in the world and we just got done with an election

Speaker#1:
00:01:49.33 – 00:01:54.86
And so many people look to government to be the savior

Speaker#1:
00:01:55.68 – 00:02:07.43
right There’s so many places that we look for with hope to make things better because there’s often this deep crying in our soul things are not the way things are meant to be

Speaker#1:
00:02:08.05 – 00:02:09.61
Where do we look

Speaker#1:
00:02:10.16 – 00:02:12.589
to see things turn around and get better

Speaker#1:
00:02:14.639 – 00:02:21.35
And I believe the answer is so simple Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

Speaker#1:
00:02:21.919 – 00:02:27.46
The ax is being put to the root of the problem and the root of the problem is sin

Speaker#1:
00:02:28.429 – 00:02:32.83
The root of the problem is sin And Jesus dealt with it at the cross

Speaker#1:
00:02:34.539 – 00:02:38.199
but the potential then becomes

Speaker#1:
00:02:38.72 – 00:02:40.389
to change the world

Speaker#1:
00:02:41.63 – 00:02:43.089
The world needs Jesus

Speaker#1:
00:02:44.07 – 00:02:49.22
and as shocking and surprising as this may sound he’s revealed to his people

Speaker#1:
00:02:50.059 – 00:02:51.929
He’s revealed through his church

Speaker#1:
00:02:52.509 – 00:02:58.8
There’s so much potential I believe in the church of Jesus Christ that is being untapped today

Speaker#1:
00:02:59.529 – 00:03:03.0
And if the Lord would just open it up

Speaker#1:
00:03:03.699 – 00:03:06.57
I believe that we could see incredible things happen

Speaker#1:
00:03:07.57 – 00:03:31.46
But when I think about what I am seeing in the church and I do have the privilege of um rubbing a lot of shoulders with a lot of different Christians from a lot of different backgrounds And especially here in Texas it’s actually a little different than let’s say when I lived in some other places in the United States that there are a lot of people here that really love Jesus Christ and are very unashamed about it

Speaker#1:
00:03:34.009 – 00:03:52.169
There’s a lot of people who go to church and they’re not just going to church superficially And when you talk to them a lot of the people who have had an encounter with Jesus Christ I just spoke to somebody that goes to Crestview Baptist Church last week who has a family member who was a meth addict

Speaker#1:
00:03:53.27 – 00:04:09.119
and said that as they were laying there just you you know they’re in the ho they had found themselves in the hospital and they were going through a detox um mandatory detox that wasn’t you know willful

Speaker#1:
00:04:10.35 – 00:04:24.369
And as they were laying there and going through all the pain they cried out upon the called upon the name of Jesus Christ and said I felt something from the top of my head like this warmth that just started going through my whole body

Speaker#1:
00:04:25.92 – 00:04:28.579
And when it did my whole body was at peace

Speaker#1:
00:04:29.19 – 00:04:46.399
it was completely cleansed of it and didn’t have to go through all the detox That’s just their testimony Well the testimony of their family member who was telling me that and she told me that they’ve been living for Jesus for you know I think it’s been nine years non stop since that happened

Speaker#1:
00:04:47.059 – 00:04:56.459
That’s an awesome testimony isn’t it But there’s one testimony after another after another of lives transformed through Jesus Christ

Speaker#1:
00:04:57.25 – 00:05:09.97
It’s absolutely amazing So I think that there’s a lot of authentic Christianity a lot of people who love Jesus Christ but we are not hearing these men have turned the world upside down anymore

Speaker#1:
00:05:10.649 – 00:05:19.679
You see the difference I’m not saying that we don’t have some wonderful Christianity We do People are having legitimate encounters with Jesus Christ

Speaker#1:
00:05:21.619 – 00:05:37.929
But I think that there’s so much more and and and I think in a series of messages I want to offer some ideas of what some of these things may be I think some of them come from simple ideas that are are just maybe overlooked

Speaker#1:
00:05:38.5 – 00:05:41.67
But what what is going to be the goal The first is that

Speaker#1:
00:05:43.19 – 00:06:04.0
we want to be part of the Kingdom of God It’s not the kingdom of the church It’s the Kingdom of God God reconciling all things to himself Setting at liberty The cap is bringing light to those who are in darkness Uh The simplest way I can say it is Jesus taught us to pray Let your kingdom come let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Speaker#1:
00:06:05.04 – 00:06:13.07
Lord let your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven He wouldn’t have us pray that if he didn’t mean to answer it

Speaker#1:
00:06:14.14 – 00:06:27.57
There’s so many places in scripture that really kind of address these ideas of Paul talking about We’ve received grace and apostleship to bring the nations into the obedience of Christ It’s about loving people

Speaker#1:
00:06:28.39 – 00:06:37.41
God designed us a certain way And when we live according to God’s design we experience the fullness of life possible this side of the grave

Speaker#1:
00:06:38.29 – 00:06:45.779
And when people are living in ways contrary to God’s design they see their lives fall apart

Speaker#1:
00:06:46.5 – 00:07:08.13
that they find themselves deeply dissatisfied and people hurt one another greatly But God has given us ways through his word not just to build the church but to bless people to really touch people’s lives and let them have a foretaste of God’s gracious government in eternity

Speaker#1:
00:07:09.19 – 00:07:33.91
He I really believe that the way God works the the goodness of God leads to repentance that Jesus went around healing people not to get them to believe he’s sovereign almighty God But because He simply loved people and that love is reproductive And that when people see good parents moms and dads loving their kids the kids grow up and say I see what I have an idea what God’s like

Speaker#1:
00:07:34.16 – 00:07:51.29
because I can see it reflected in my parents I think when business owners um run their businesses in such a way like it’s a household to take care of the people that God has trusted with them as a responsibility that it’s like the workers bless them

Speaker#1:
00:07:51.579 – 00:08:09.85
and they get a taste of the goodness of God and start to say I can trust him because he is good I believe God has created all kinds of ways that we can demonstrate to the world who Christ is who his who are who the father is Jesus said do you not know the father He has seen me has seen him

Speaker#1:
00:08:10.63 – 00:08:15.239
and we are Christ’s body on earth So I think that there’s a lot of things at stake

Speaker#1:
00:08:15.899 – 00:08:17.98
I think there’s a lot of potential

Speaker#1:
00:08:18.66 – 00:08:28.329
and we want to explore different things I can’t say that the Lord has spoken clearly This is the epicenter of the problem But we want to start praying God

Speaker#1:
00:08:29.19 – 00:08:31.17
release the full potential of

Speaker#2:
00:08:31.179 – 00:08:32.02
your church in this

Speaker#1:
00:08:32.03 – 00:08:52.2
hour release the full implications of the cross of Jesus Christ in the blood of Jesus Lord there’s a whole world out there broken and hurting and lost and in darkness And the only way out is Jesus Christ So Lord use us move in our hearts move in our lives move in our church move in our nation

Speaker#1:
00:08:52.96 – 00:08:54.88
and reconcile all things

Speaker#1:
00:08:56.03 – 00:08:58.679
But I did want to say talk a little bit about

Speaker#1:
00:08:59.609 – 00:09:09.69
religion for three second I have become fully convinced that everything on earth reflects the religion

Speaker#1:
00:09:10.659 – 00:09:11.659
of the people

Speaker#1:
00:09:13.77 – 00:09:43.369
I really think it’s that simple because Romans talks about it You either worship and serve the creator or you worship and serve the creature Kind of seems like a very simplistic you know dichotomy doesn’t it You tell me that all the religions in the world can be broken down to either worshiping and serving the creator or the creature Yes that’s the argument of Romans Well what do you mean What about all these other you know monotheistic religions like Islam

Speaker#1:
00:09:43.869 – 00:09:44.989
or Mormonism

Speaker#1:
00:09:45.7 – 00:09:54.049
They are the work they are out of the imagination of a creature in their part of creation

Speaker#2:
00:09:54.799 – 00:09:55.82
rather than

Speaker#1:
00:09:55.94 – 00:09:58.809
the self revelation of God himself

Speaker#1:
00:09:59.869 – 00:10:16.239
The creator God isn’t that interesting And the Bible says when we worship and serve the creature ultimately serving man serving our own pleasure serving our own lust serving me I am my own God My will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Speaker#1:
00:10:16.909 – 00:10:24.229
We get handed over to a depraved mind to do things that are not fitting and we seriously begin hurting one another

Speaker#1:
00:10:25.15 – 00:10:38.059
And the only way out is to begin to worship and serve the true God once again So my life if I’m living for myself it causes great pain and suffering My life reflects the God that I worship

Speaker#1:
00:10:38.89 – 00:10:45.88
And if I bend the knee and worship Jesus Christ my life transforms radically to become a blessing

Speaker#1:
00:10:47.419 – 00:10:49.299
But the same thing with our families

Speaker#1:
00:10:49.95 – 00:10:56.25
what are we living for What is it that we are seeking Who is what is the God that we as a family

Speaker#1:
00:10:56.909 – 00:11:05.02
are worshiping If we’re living for money or wealth or fame or whatever pleasure or whatever it is everything falls apart

Speaker#1:
00:11:05.78 – 00:11:21.299
But if we’re living for Jesus Christ then we learn to love one another forgive one another build one another up not tear one another down So even our families that we experience all of us from being Children or parents or whatever

Speaker#1:
00:11:21.82 – 00:11:23.469
reflect the religion

Speaker#1:
00:11:24.239 – 00:11:26.219
that we are a part of

Speaker#1:
00:11:27.39 – 00:11:29.26
And the same thing with nations

Speaker#1:
00:11:30.299 – 00:11:35.45
the very structures of society the very experiences of life

Speaker#1:
00:11:36.229 – 00:11:38.359
are governed by our religion

Speaker#1:
00:11:40.08 – 00:11:48.34
When we believe that the chief purpose of man is to follow Jesus Christ and worship him and be like him

Speaker#1:
00:11:49.38 – 00:11:55.64
It changes everything But we believe the chief end of man is to be wealthy or powerful or influential

Speaker#2:
00:11:55.65 – 00:11:56.65
or famous

Speaker#1:
00:11:57.52 – 00:11:59.65
It changes everything in another way

Speaker#1:
00:12:00.659 – 00:12:03.46
and we keep looking to change the world

Speaker#1:
00:12:04.09 – 00:12:08.109
without restoring ourselves to the fear of the

Speaker#2:
00:12:08.119 – 00:12:08.71
Lord

Speaker#2:
00:12:09.25 – 00:12:10.229
There’s no way to do

Speaker#1:
00:12:10.239 – 00:12:10.619
it

Speaker#1:
00:12:11.26 – 00:12:24.789
Interesting ideas aren’t they But ideas that we really want to we really want to explore But I’ll start with this idea that I believe is true Repentance precedes revival which precedes transformation

Speaker#1:
00:12:25.909 – 00:12:37.53
I think a lot of times in the church there’s a lot of talk about we just need revival and what is revival It means the lights will never go off in the church and we’ll be here 24 7 because it’s all about building the church

Speaker#1:
00:12:39.219 – 00:12:41.7
Well yes and no

Speaker#1:
00:12:43.419 – 00:12:51.359
Because in the British way of thinking revival ne necessarily leads to a cultural transformation

Speaker#1:
00:12:51.96 – 00:13:03.15
So like when they had this I mean it’s really neat Belfast City Hall right in the city records we were expecting a revolution Instead God sent a revival by so and so I forgot the name of the minister

Speaker#1:
00:13:03.809 – 00:13:18.609
They had a giant revival in Belfast and they were a bunch of dock workers and they had to build whole warehouses to store all the goods that people had stolen And now in the revival they’re coming and bringing it back

Speaker#1:
00:13:19.409 – 00:13:43.695
Isn’t that interesting It changes the moral climate and culture of a nation or of a city or of a family or of a person It doesn’t matter A true revival changes the way we live it changes the whole world It’s not just about being in the church and experiencing worship I I think that this is one of the problems that we face today

Speaker#1:
00:13:43.705 – 00:14:08.0
and and it’s it’s a strange thing because when you experience God’s presence it is one of the greatest most pleasurable most wonderful experiences of your life When you start to experience God speaking to you personally I it’s deeply satisfying It’s the truth When you hear the word of God spoken to you not necessarily from preaching however it comes to you

Speaker#1:
00:14:08.369 – 00:14:18.5
in a dream through a friend sharing with you through just a revelation your heart it doesn’t matter But when you see Jesus it’s such a wonderful experience

Speaker#1:
00:14:19.049 – 00:14:30.53
that we don’t ever want to devalue it But the goal is not about our happiness The goal is not about how good do we feel The goal isn’t it’s not about us

Speaker#1:
00:14:31.849 – 00:14:33.08
It’s about him

Speaker#2:
00:14:34.13 – 00:14:34.95
and it’s about our

Speaker#1:
00:14:34.96 – 00:14:40.619
lives reflecting his glory It is about us being conformed into his image

Speaker#1:
00:14:41.69 – 00:15:03.429
But repentance precedes revival that precedes transformation Repentance means to change one’s mind or to change one’s direction or both Because usually you change your mind before you change the direction If I’m going this way I don’t change their direction and go that way unless I first changed my mind for a reason Why does that make sense

Speaker#1:
00:15:04.25 – 00:15:09.65
And and so to give an example of this I was at an educational conference last Friday

Speaker#1:
00:15:10.419 – 00:15:13.619
like not just last Friday but a week ago Friday

Speaker#1:
00:15:14.469 – 00:15:20.369
and what the person who was talking he asked a very poignant question

Speaker#1:
00:15:21.119 – 00:15:29.409
What was it that gave Daniel Shadrack me and a Bendigo the the the the faith and the character to stand

Speaker#1:
00:15:30.049 – 00:15:39.51
the way they did in life to conduct themselves in life when they had become educated in all of the education of the Babylonians

Speaker#1:
00:15:40.539 – 00:15:47.57
What gave them the strength not to corrupt themselves What gave them the strength not to forsake the Lord

Speaker#1:
00:15:48.219 – 00:16:02.349
What gave Shadrack me and a Bendigo that strength that when the command came all have to worship the image of and they play the music and the whole world is down on their face and there’s three guys standing there

Speaker#1:
00:16:03.909 – 00:16:23.21
and the burning fiery furnace in front of them and they don’t know whether they’re going to live or die But they say my God can deliver me from the burning fiery furnace But even if he doesn’t we will not bow down and worship another God Where did that kind of character and faith that kind of boldness come from

Speaker#1:
00:16:25.71 – 00:16:28.15
Well there’s an interesting story

Speaker#1:
00:16:29.69 – 00:16:30.4
where

Speaker#1:
00:16:30.909 – 00:16:38.76
Josiah is having the temple restored and while that temple is being restored they find the law of God

Speaker#1:
00:16:39.809 – 00:16:58.32
and and it was kind of like they believed that everything was going the way it should go Like we are the Jews we have the right worship We have the temple blah blah blah blah blah everything is good But then they find the law in the temple and actually read it and realize oh my gosh we’ve gotten so far off

Speaker#1:
00:16:59.169 – 00:17:05.828
of our full potential in Christ That’s the connection that I’m trying to make with these ideas

Speaker#1:
00:17:06.52 – 00:17:16.39
that they were still Israel They had the temple they had the worship and they thought that everything was good But then they read the word and had a change of mind

Speaker#1:
00:17:16.969 – 00:17:19.16
And there was a giant revival

Speaker#1:
00:17:21.43 – 00:17:25.619
and Shadrack me and Bendigo and Daniel would have been kids at that time

Speaker#1:
00:17:27.4 – 00:17:36.64
and that revival changed everything They probably started to hear the word live out the word and experience

Speaker#1:
00:17:37.319 – 00:17:41.359
true religion in a manner that had made such an impression on those

Speaker#2:
00:17:41.369 – 00:17:42.66
young boys

Speaker#2:
00:17:43.42 – 00:17:46.42
that by the time they were shipped off into captivity

Speaker#2:
00:17:47.069 – 00:17:50.069
they’ve already developed their identity

Speaker#2:
00:17:50.959 – 00:17:52.56
in their convictions

Speaker#2:
00:17:53.229 – 00:17:57.359
and their faith and their strength of character

Speaker#1:
00:17:58.189 – 00:18:01.229
because they lived under the revivals of Josiah

Speaker#2:
00:18:02.329 – 00:18:05.18
And under those revivals of Josiah they caught a

Speaker#1:
00:18:05.189 – 00:18:06.329
vision of what it meant

Speaker#2:
00:18:06.339 – 00:18:07.479
to walk with God

Speaker#2:
00:18:08.01 – 00:18:09.119
in those revivals

Speaker#1:
00:18:09.13 – 00:18:14.119
of Messiah they caught a dream of what the world could be like under the rule and reign of Messiah

Speaker#2:
00:18:15.63 – 00:18:17.54
Under those revivals they

Speaker#1:
00:18:17.55 – 00:18:20.209
saw the beauty of holiness

Speaker#2:
00:18:20.8 – 00:18:22.42
and the wretchedness of sin

Speaker#2:
00:18:23.92 – 00:18:25.53
It’s beautiful isn’t it

Speaker#2:
00:18:26.3 – 00:18:29.229
And it’s kind of like God knew that from all these years

Speaker#1:
00:18:29.239 – 00:18:38.8
of rebellion the in all of the systems that have become corrupt and all the things that were all out of order the only way to clean cleanse it all

Speaker#1:
00:18:39.359 – 00:18:41.719
was to let it go into the ground and die

Speaker#2:
00:18:43.67 – 00:18:45.25
and then be born again

Speaker#2:
00:18:46.479 – 00:18:47.8
Isn’t that wild

Speaker#1:
00:18:48.78 – 00:18:51.839
And so it was like God knew what was coming for Israel

Speaker#1:
00:18:53.01 – 00:19:02.67
And he said I’m gonna I’m going to cause a great revival under Josiah and I’m going to put into the next generation

Speaker#1:
00:19:03.969 – 00:19:06.29
the very seed that they need

Speaker#1:
00:19:08.53 – 00:19:09.66
to be a light

Speaker#2:
00:19:09.67 – 00:19:10.969
in the darkness

Speaker#1:
00:19:11.68 – 00:19:13.4
and eventually to come home

Speaker#1:
00:19:14.939 – 00:19:16.239
Isn’t that beautiful

Speaker#1:
00:19:17.27 – 00:19:34.13
So those are some of the ideas that I’m I’ve been I’m wrestling with as I’m thinking about you know where what what are the things that we really want to talk about And and and there’s a lot of ideas of things that I’d like to just kind of present to you guys for your consideration

Speaker#1:
00:19:34.66 – 00:19:50.819
But today I want to consider a point that Paul made when strengthening the church in the Book of Acts Acts 14 21 through 22 was after they left Derby And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciple made many disciples

Speaker#1:
00:19:51.76 – 00:19:58.38
Gosh this just really every time I look at scripture it moves me everywhere they went They made many

Speaker#2:
00:19:58.39 – 00:20:03.02
disciples There’s so much potential for the church of Jesus Christ when we go

Speaker#1:
00:20:03.91 – 00:20:15.13
But after they had done that they returned to lira icon and Antioch strengthening the souls of disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith

Speaker#1:
00:20:16.229 – 00:20:28.069
No word of scripture is accidental Exhorting them to continue in the faith Obviously there’s all kinds of trials and tribulations and pressures to forsake the faith

Speaker#1:
00:20:30.03 – 00:20:36.349
saying we must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God

Speaker#2:
00:20:42.06 – 00:20:43.119
It might seem like such

Speaker#1:
00:20:43.13 – 00:20:49.979
a small thing but let the weight of that sink in We want to go around and visit all the churches and strengthen them

Speaker#1:
00:20:50.699 – 00:21:07.989
so that they will stay faithful to Jesus Christ that they will run a good race that they will win the prize We want to strengthen them we want to encourage them we want to build them up How are you going to build them up We’re gonna tell them through many tribulations You must enter the kingdom of God

Speaker#1:
00:21:09.66 – 00:21:19.81
Does that sound like the kind of message you want to get give to bring people to Jesus or to strengthen their walk with God to say something that bold up front

Speaker#1:
00:21:21.469 – 00:21:26.5
How can we strengthen the church of Jesus Christ through many tribulations You will enter the Kingdom

Speaker#2:
00:21:26.51 – 00:21:27.119
of God

Speaker#2:
00:21:28.67 – 00:21:29.609
But that’s the truth

Speaker#1:
00:21:29.619 – 00:21:31.17
for every believer period

Speaker#1:
00:21:32.0 – 00:21:33.099
That’s been the truth

Speaker#2:
00:21:33.109 – 00:21:35.329
for all time period

Speaker#1:
00:21:36.64 – 00:21:40.5
What we what I think we’re wrestling with is a cross Christianity

Speaker#1:
00:21:41.64 – 00:22:01.51
We avoid the cross of Jesus Christ We we we we don’t we you know what Maybe we become conformed to this world Doctor Spock you know or whatever his name was you know this whole idea only good self esteem There are no losers only winners right We don’t want anybody to ever feel bad

Speaker#1:
00:22:02.54 – 00:22:03.28
right

Speaker#1:
00:22:05.449 – 00:22:13.31
But we have a generation that because of the results of an election need crying rooms and coloring books

Speaker#1:
00:22:15.01 – 00:22:18.38
We’re not raising men we’re raising mice

Speaker#1:
00:22:19.479 – 00:22:28.54
We are not giving strength to people We’re robbing them of strength We are afraid to speak the truth unless they can’t handle the truth

Speaker#2:
00:22:28.699 – 00:22:29.449
We only want to

Speaker#1:
00:22:29.459 – 00:22:32.569
talk to them about pink unicorns and rainbows

Speaker#1:
00:22:34.29 – 00:22:36.369
And here Paul goes around saying through many

Speaker#2:
00:22:36.38 – 00:22:38.199
tribulations you will enter the kingdom of

Speaker#1:
00:22:38.209 – 00:22:41.089
God setting an expectation

Speaker#1:
00:22:42.78 – 00:22:43.67
of what it means to

Speaker#2:
00:22:43.68 – 00:22:45.969
walk with God So you’re prepared

Speaker#2:
00:22:48.78 – 00:22:49.829
Very important stuff

Speaker#1:
00:22:49.839 – 00:23:09.719
isn’t it I mean these are very challenging ideas in a day when we want to see people come to Christ and I and I’m we’re gonna explore some of these ideas later but like how did Jesus do it Did he dumb down the message and he dumb down the requirements of being a disciple so that he could attract many or when he was attracting many Did he preach the word in

Speaker#2:
00:23:09.729 – 00:23:10.64
such a way that he

Speaker#1:
00:23:10.65 – 00:23:11.729
lost Many

Speaker#1:
00:23:14.359 – 00:23:17.219
Are we challenged by

Speaker#2:
00:23:17.229 – 00:23:18.63
how Jesus did it

Speaker#1:
00:23:19.65 – 00:23:26.829
What did he go for I see what I want to create I wanna create sons and daughters of God

Speaker#1:
00:23:27.51 – 00:23:28.569
mighty men

Speaker#2:
00:23:28.64 – 00:23:30.069
and women of faith

Speaker#2:
00:23:30.589 – 00:23:31.93
People with renown

Speaker#2:
00:23:32.439 – 00:23:38.199
people who can stand in the day of testing a people who will be light in the darkness of people

Speaker#2:
00:23:39.489 – 00:23:41.54
who can storm the gates of hell

Speaker#2:
00:23:44.719 – 00:23:54.16
I think maybe part of the problem is that we don’t believe in the grace of God enough nor do we believe in the people of God enough

Speaker#2:
00:23:56.579 – 00:23:58.77
to share the whole council of God with him

Speaker#2:
00:23:59.869 – 00:24:02.91
and to present a sober picture of reality

Speaker#2:
00:24:03.52 – 00:24:12.55
couldn’t we I mean hey if we were to just bring out a bunch of kegs here and put it up at the front every Sunday and get a whole bunch of piles of marijuana maybe we could pack the church

Speaker#2:
00:24:15.29 – 00:24:16.989
Would that be a good idea

Speaker#2:
00:24:18.28 – 00:24:23.079
Do you see what I’m where I’m going with that I mean I’m being a little facetious there

Speaker#2:
00:24:25.13 – 00:24:30.28
but Paul warned that there is coming a time where people will have itching ears to heap up teachers

Speaker#2:
00:24:31.42 – 00:24:32.729
Do you see what I’m saying

Speaker#2:
00:24:33.939 – 00:24:36.75
Rather than raising up heroes of faith

Speaker#2:
00:24:37.569 – 00:24:38.42
So some

Speaker#1:
00:24:38.43 – 00:24:41.599
cross forms of Christianity that I’m thinking of but you

Speaker#2:
00:24:41.609 – 00:24:43.52
guys could probably fill out this list more and we’re not

Speaker#1:
00:24:43.53 – 00:24:51.03
gonna talk about them but the Prosperity Gospel is one of them It has been a great curse on our culture for decades

Speaker#1:
00:24:51.76 – 00:24:59.369
Instead of preaching the cross and self sacrifice we pander to the basis natures of human sin

Speaker#1:
00:25:00.0 – 00:25:02.01
to try to win people to christ

Speaker#1:
00:25:03.42 – 00:25:07.199
Another one that I kind of referred to a little bit the self esteem love

Speaker#2:
00:25:07.209 – 00:25:08.03
gospel

Speaker#1:
00:25:09.199 – 00:25:19.26
making Why the way of salvation the way that leads to life and narrow the way that leads to destruction right Not wanting anybody to feel bad

Speaker#2:
00:25:19.76 – 00:25:20.3
ever

Speaker#1:
00:25:20.31 – 00:25:24.329
And I don’t believe in I I really do believe the goodness of God

Speaker#2:
00:25:24.339 – 00:25:29.26
leads to repentance But when we are walking in the flesh and when we’re doing wrong

Speaker#1:
00:25:29.27 – 00:25:30.209
it’s it’s actually

Speaker#2:
00:25:30.219 – 00:25:31.599
healthy to feel bad

Speaker#1:
00:25:32.04 – 00:25:36.239
just like I think it’s healthy to feel grief at a funeral

Speaker#1:
00:25:36.92 – 00:25:39.0
There’s something right and proper

Speaker#2:
00:25:39.01 – 00:25:43.829
about feeling grief because that’s not the way something we’re meant to experience Right

Speaker#1:
00:25:44.38 – 00:25:58.449
Another one I call it the hell in a hand basket Gossip But don’t worry we are saved out of here Gospel The world is going to hell in a hand basket But don’t worry we are going to be raptured out of here before it ever goes to hell in a hand

Speaker#2:
00:25:58.459 – 00:25:59.069
basket

Speaker#1:
00:26:00.0 – 00:26:17.06
I’m not talking about eschatology I’m talking about this attitude that’s often in the hearts of people that does not identify and want to be in the midst of what what the world is going through It’s kind of like this attitude You guys made a whole mess of the world by rejecting

Speaker#2:
00:26:17.069 – 00:26:19.869
Jesus and through your for your sin You made this

Speaker#1:
00:26:19.88 – 00:26:22.069
bed you’re gonna have to lie in it and we’re

Speaker#2:
00:26:22.079 – 00:26:23.459
gonna be out of here

Speaker#1:
00:26:25.479 – 00:26:35.579
The problem is that the character of Jesus Christ is that we had made such a mess of our lives and of the world because of sin that he came and died for us

Speaker#1:
00:26:36.319 – 00:26:48.579
Do you see the difference Does that idea represent the God that we serve Does that idea reproduce the life of Christ who takes responsibility for our mess

Speaker#1:
00:26:50.04 – 00:26:55.06
Not talking about what is true or wrong Eschatology Every everything can be twisted in

Speaker#2:
00:26:55.069 – 00:26:56.76
a way that has dangerous Does that make

Speaker#1:
00:26:56.77 – 00:27:04.06
sense But it’s very dangerous to take an attitude where you you made a mess This is your bed You’re

Speaker#2:
00:27:04.069 – 00:27:09.369
going to have to lie in it instead of friend I love you and we’re gonna walk this thing out together

Speaker#2:
00:27:11.04 – 00:27:12.52
Do you see the difference

Speaker#1:
00:27:14.42 – 00:27:30.51
It it really these are challenging ideas but it’s a cross this form of Christianity It almost takes no responsibility Maybe part of the problem is that we have failed to pray we have failed to preach we have failed to The list goes on and on Right

Speaker#1:
00:27:31.109 – 00:27:32.04
It’s a cross

Speaker#2:
00:27:32.05 – 00:27:35.92
this form of Christianity that’s not willing to take responsibility

Speaker#2:
00:27:38.329 – 00:27:43.06
to paint the picture On the other side of it is the greatest hero

Speaker#2:
00:27:43.569 – 00:27:46.579
in the greatest moment of heroism in human history

Speaker#2:
00:27:47.52 – 00:27:52.739
I mean it’s a no brainer We’re in church So yes yes we can ask questions And the right answer is Jesus

Speaker#2:
00:27:53.26 – 00:27:57.099
who’s the greatest hero in history It is Jesus Christ

Speaker#2:
00:27:57.689 – 00:28:00.0
for the greatest act of heroism

Speaker#2:
00:28:00.68 – 00:28:05.01
was that day at Con Calvary when he died on the cross for our sins

Speaker#2:
00:28:05.91 – 00:28:10.439
no greater love is there than this than a man to lay down his life for his friends

Speaker#2:
00:28:11.469 – 00:28:26.589
This is true heroism This is true greatness This is the character and nature and heart of God Do we want to reproduce it or do we want to run from it Do we want to become like him or do we want to say he did it I want no part of it

Speaker#2:
00:28:30.449 – 00:28:33.78
I would say the light shines brightest in the darkness

Speaker#2:
00:28:34.43 – 00:28:37.28
the light shines brightest in the darkness And when

Speaker#1:
00:28:37.29 – 00:28:38.65
everything is dark

Speaker#2:
00:28:38.66 – 00:28:48.76
when we’re in the midst of trials and tribulations and we love and we forgive and we see self sacrifice That’s when light shines the brightest

Speaker#2:
00:28:49.359 – 00:28:56.569
in the middle of the darkest And the darkest day in human history was that day when Jesus died on that cross

Speaker#2:
00:29:01.239 – 00:29:02.91
you see what’s at stake

Speaker#2:
00:29:03.81 – 00:29:05.66
The kind of Christianity

Speaker#2:
00:29:07.29 – 00:29:20.109
that show brings light to a world in darkness The early church went through 10 great persecutions and these Christians were martyred and the world saw the grace of God that was with them and they turned to Christ

Speaker#1:
00:29:21.68 – 00:29:22.3
They just

Speaker#2:
00:29:22.39 – 00:29:26.81
radical conversions were happening because they saw

Speaker#2:
00:29:27.469 – 00:29:36.4
it’s like the burning Moses and the burning bush Why is that bush burning and not consumed How is this possible I’m seeing things that defy all human

Speaker#1:
00:29:36.42 – 00:29:41.239
reason and logic These people have something that we do not have and they have a

Speaker#2:
00:29:41.25 – 00:29:43.53
peace and they have a joy and they have a grace

Speaker#1:
00:29:43.54 – 00:29:46.489
and they have a love and they forgive and they’re not bitter

Speaker#1:
00:29:47.119 – 00:29:48.25
but they’re loving those

Speaker#2:
00:29:48.26 – 00:29:52.05
who hate them blessing those who curse them doing good to those who do them

Speaker#1:
00:29:52.06 – 00:29:55.93
evil And the world is looking on and saying what is this that I’m seeing

Speaker#2:
00:29:56.449 – 00:29:58.05
They’re going through trials and

Speaker#1:
00:29:58.06 – 00:30:01.099
tribulations and hardships and they’re full of

Speaker#2:
00:30:01.109 – 00:30:04.27
praises unto God Like that song we sing

Speaker#2:
00:30:05.959 – 00:30:10.449
and they see in the midst of the darkness the light shines the brightest

Speaker#2:
00:30:12.39 – 00:30:14.589
I wanna explore two passages

Speaker#2:
00:30:15.4 – 00:30:20.959
to look into this a little more One in Second Corinthians and the other in Romans that ties us all together

Speaker#2:
00:30:24.339 – 00:30:25.43
A title This section

Speaker#1:
00:30:25.439 – 00:30:30.089
transforming the world by transforming Lives through the gospel of

Speaker#2:
00:30:30.099 – 00:30:31.42
Jesus Christ

Speaker#1:
00:30:32.51 – 00:30:39.569
And really what we’re looking is at Second Corinthians four but it’s preceded by this And you’re gonna I’m I’m hoping that

Speaker#2:
00:30:39.579 – 00:30:41.369
I can connect these dots Well

Speaker#1:
00:30:41.38 – 00:30:57.319
maybe we will maybe we won’t because scripture is always in the context of scripture and you can never exhaust the context of scripture on a Sunday morning So second Corinthians chapter four is in this context of Paul talking about the new covenant

Speaker#1:
00:30:57.939 – 00:31:21.569
And there’s no way that we can express how important the new covenant is As a matter of fact Paul was a pharisee of Pharisees totally committed to the law and keeping the law But he found something in this new covenant that changed his life forever and gripped his heart and made him the super apostles what I would call him

Speaker#1:
00:31:23.28 – 00:31:32.819
And so a lot of what you read in his writings is him explaining the implications of the new covenant for believers today

Speaker#1:
00:31:33.41 – 00:31:51.199
And so when he’s talking about the new covenant we talked about it several weeks ago He said that Moses has preached in the synagogues every every week but there’s this veil that lies over their eyes and they don’t see Jesus He says but that veil is lifted in Christ

Speaker#1:
00:31:51.88 – 00:32:20.68
see when people are trying to do it by works of the law trying to be good enough And they’re not seeing the truth of the gospel There’s a veil there’s no revelation of the glory of God on earth The world has fallen into darkness But he said that veil is lifted in Christ and then he goes on and talks about we have access to see him And as we see Him we become like him going from faith to faith and glory to glory

Speaker#1:
00:32:21.199 – 00:32:35.15
through revelation of Jesus Christ Because we can see Him we can come into the holy of Holies We can experience Him We can know Him all because he shed his blood at Calvary and is torn down that wall of

Speaker#2:
00:32:35.16 – 00:32:36.069
separation

Speaker#1:
00:32:36.719 – 00:32:38.04
Isn’t that awesome

Speaker#1:
00:32:38.78 – 00:32:56.209
And then going on from there in uh verse chapter four verse six for it is the God who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ

Speaker#2:
00:32:57.599 – 00:33:01.479
I know it’s hard to catch scripture when we read it in church

Speaker#2:
00:33:02.359 – 00:33:04.859
So I’m gonna read it one more time maybe a little slower

Speaker#1:
00:33:05.459 – 00:33:08.569
for it is the God who commanded light to

Speaker#2:
00:33:08.579 – 00:33:10.67
shine out of the darkness

Speaker#1:
00:33:11.54 – 00:33:16.579
who has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the

Speaker#2:
00:33:16.589 – 00:33:23.199
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And that word face and scripture also means presence

Speaker#2:
00:33:23.859 – 00:33:30.39
because a lot of us can say that man I have like well sometimes we have some once in a while see the face of Jesus

Speaker#2:
00:33:31.069 – 00:33:38.13
but it doesn’t happen every day It doesn’t happen every year It’s a rare occurrence that we get that kind of revelation right

Speaker#2:
00:33:39.3 – 00:33:41.54
But the presence of Jesus

Speaker#2:
00:33:42.3 – 00:33:44.089
we can experience that daily

Speaker#2:
00:33:44.89 – 00:33:48.199
the presence of the Lord we can experience daily

Speaker#2:
00:33:48.939 – 00:33:56.119
And it says to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God And the presence of Jesus Christ is that

Speaker#2:
00:33:56.739 – 00:34:00.839
to give that knowledge to us or to give it to the world

Speaker#2:
00:34:01.829 – 00:34:09.04
when he used the picture of moses’ face was shining and the people had to hide their face from the glory of the brightness of his shining

Speaker#2:
00:34:09.719 – 00:34:12.939
And really I think that the answer to that question is both

Speaker#2:
00:34:13.628 – 00:34:21.239
in his presence We see Him we experience him and become like him And as we become like Him the world sees him as well

Speaker#2:
00:34:21.928 – 00:34:24.979
see this incredible pattern And there’s

Speaker#1:
00:34:24.989 – 00:34:25.819
this idea that the

Speaker#2:
00:34:25.829 – 00:34:30.749
new covenant is about the power to experience God for yourself to

Speaker#1:
00:34:30.759 – 00:34:33.83
experience His presence to know Him

Speaker#1:
00:34:34.37 – 00:34:39.469
And as you experience Him and worship him and adore him and encounter

Speaker#2:
00:34:39.479 – 00:34:40.01
Him

Speaker#2:
00:34:41.81 – 00:34:43.199
you become light

Speaker#2:
00:34:44.84 – 00:34:49.959
that causes the darkness to flee and gives a revelation of Jesus to the world

Speaker#2:
00:34:51.678 – 00:34:54.62
going on 47 through 12

Speaker#2:
00:34:55.54 – 00:34:57.679
Because obviously I’m trying to make the connection

Speaker#1:
00:34:57.689 – 00:34:58.439
new covenant the

Speaker#2:
00:34:58.449 – 00:35:06.169
incredible power to be conformed into the image of Christ It’s about power it’s about revelation it’s about relationship it’s real it’s

Speaker#1:
00:35:06.179 – 00:35:08.479
experiential And then he says but we

Speaker#2:
00:35:08.489 – 00:35:10.08
have this treasure in earth and

Speaker#1:
00:35:10.09 – 00:35:14.53
vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of

Speaker#2:
00:35:14.54 – 00:35:15.06
us

Speaker#1:
00:35:15.81 – 00:35:20.719
And so so far we’ve heard all these great things that sound really good like nobody’s gonna say yeah that’s a

Speaker#2:
00:35:20.729 – 00:35:22.709
crummy gospel That’s not enticing

Speaker#1:
00:35:22.86 – 00:35:25.29
That doesn’t sound good at all Sign me up

Speaker#1:
00:35:26.0 – 00:35:27.949
Wait let me give you the fine print It’s

Speaker#2:
00:35:27.959 – 00:35:30.08
like you know you see all the you

Speaker#1:
00:35:30.09 – 00:35:31.629
know medicines on TV being

Speaker#2:
00:35:31.639 – 00:35:35.909
advertised This will solve this problem But here’s the fine print

Speaker#1:
00:35:36.489 – 00:35:41.37
here’s the fine print We are hard pressed on every side yet not crushed

Speaker#1:
00:35:42.129 – 00:35:53.169
We are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroyed Always caring about in the body the

Speaker#2:
00:35:53.179 – 00:35:59.149
dying of the Lord Jesus That the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body

Speaker#2:
00:35:59.35 – 00:36:02.459
This is no cross Christianity You want

Speaker#1:
00:36:02.469 – 00:36:03.11
Christ to be

Speaker#2:
00:36:03.12 – 00:36:05.179
manifested in you The light shines

Speaker#1:
00:36:05.189 – 00:36:07.399
greatest in the darkness Why

Speaker#2:
00:36:07.409 – 00:36:10.439
are you persecuted and and and

Speaker#1:
00:36:10.469 – 00:36:11.439
hard pressed

Speaker#2:
00:36:11.449 – 00:36:14.919
on every side and yet not crushed or in despair

Speaker#2:
00:36:16.02 – 00:36:17.709
because of I know him

Speaker#2:
00:36:18.469 – 00:36:39.11
I know the one in whom I believe I have tasted and seen The Lord is good His spirit dwells in me and I know righteousness peace and joy in the holy ghost in the midst of the grossest trials and tribulation this world has to offer and I’m not afraid and I’m not ashamed because Christ has done such a mighty work in us

Speaker#2:
00:36:40.36 – 00:36:41.229
And he says for

Speaker#1:
00:36:41.239 – 00:36:44.159
we who live are always delivered to

Speaker#2:
00:36:44.169 – 00:36:46.639
death for Jesus sake

Speaker#2:
00:36:47.29 – 00:36:51.02
This is not just the the scriptures are true

Speaker#2:
00:36:51.55 – 00:36:52.459
period

Speaker#2:
00:36:53.57 – 00:36:55.59
and the more you want to live for the Lord

Speaker#1:
00:36:55.6 – 00:36:57.5
the more you want to serve him the more you want to

Speaker#2:
00:36:57.51 – 00:37:02.379
become like him Don’t be surprised when all hell breaks loose in your life

Speaker#2:
00:37:05.32 – 00:37:18.58
that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh So then death is working in us But life in you the light shines brightest in the darkness Every trial every tribulation

Speaker#1:
00:37:18.59 – 00:37:21.25
every difficult thing we go through

Speaker#2:
00:37:21.429 – 00:37:28.219
is an opportunity to draw closer to Jesus and to shine like a light in the world

Speaker#2:
00:37:29.139 – 00:37:35.81
I remember going through things with Stephanie as a family We said if God loves us so much why are we going through this

Speaker#2:
00:37:36.32 – 00:37:41.33
And I said because God knows that what we need to become more like Him

Speaker#2:
00:37:41.959 – 00:37:44.26
is to go through this and go through it Well

Speaker#2:
00:37:45.25 – 00:38:08.01
to go through trials and tribulations and difficulties and hardships and still say Lord you are worthy you are worthy you are worthy of my praise You are worthy of my worship You are worthy of my song You are worthy of my life I can’t tell you how many times I’ve faced situations where it looked like things could go really really bad

Speaker#2:
00:38:09.34 – 00:38:15.81
And I said Lord if this is what it takes to bring you glory and honor blessed be the name of the Lord

Speaker#2:
00:38:16.54 – 00:38:20.59
And a lot of times the breakthrough came on the back end of that surrender

Speaker#2:
00:38:20.77 – 00:38:49.489
many many times when I surrendered all to him I said Lord and one day I was like Lord I don’t know if this will ever be revealed on this side of eternity but I surrender it all to you And the next day everything came out in the light I mean we’re talking again and again I’ve experienced this and it really makes me think of but I’ve experienced both sometimes radical deliverance and radical turning around of a situation when there is total surrender And then other times it’s all the way through the cross

Speaker#2:
00:38:50.479 – 00:38:53.29
It’s like those 33 Hebrew men

Speaker#2:
00:38:53.879 – 00:39:15.1
God can deliver me from the burning fiery furnace But I don’t know that He will Sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn’t But I’ll tell you he is there in the midst of the fire He is there with you in the darkest and most trying and difficult times if you turn to him and not away from him when you run to him and not from him

Speaker#2:
00:39:15.29 – 00:39:36.0
it is the greatest opportunities for growth in your life the trials and tribulations when people are gossiping and slandering and criticizing and you turn around and show love and mercy and grace and forgiveness You’re shining like a light in this world and growing in the love and grace of God Isn’t that awesome

Speaker#2:
00:39:37.429 – 00:39:41.929
That’s what he said When death is at work in us it’s bringing life to the world

Speaker#2:
00:39:42.459 – 00:39:45.669
when we can sing that song in the midst of

Speaker#2:
00:39:47.659 – 00:39:52.28
second Corinthians 4 16 to 18 Therefore we do not lose heart

Speaker#2:
00:39:53.86 – 00:39:58.969
even though our outward man is perishing the inward man is being renewed day by day

Speaker#2:
00:40:00.0 – 00:40:01.709
for our light affliction

Speaker#2:
00:40:03.409 – 00:40:08.75
from Paul to say that word light affliction It is an oxymoron

Speaker#2:
00:40:09.26 – 00:40:13.85
for but it’s not an oxymoron because the presence of God

Speaker#2:
00:40:14.669 – 00:40:19.229
His grace makes the worst of a fixed flis light

Speaker#2:
00:40:19.83 – 00:40:23.169
Our light affliction which is for but a moment

Speaker#2:
00:40:24.459 – 00:40:28.639
is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory

Speaker#2:
00:40:30.08 – 00:40:42.01
While we do not look at the things which are seen primarily the trials and tribulations But at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal

Speaker#2:
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his love his grace his mercy his promises his covenant

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and eternal life

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When people know the goodness of God

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that they can walk out their faith in such a way that they can take the worst of afflictions and say these light momentary affliction

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We have heroes in the earth

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We have a type of Christianity that overcomes everything that this world will throw at it

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We’ve got people who are not cowards people who are not weak

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of people who

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I like Jesus

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Do you see how the Christian is life life is described and what we just read in the expectations set everything It’s always

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hard to

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get it when we read scripture So I’ll say Paul radical new covenant encounter with the Holy Spirit and the new creation transform lives is so good It’s so wonderful It’s worth everything It’s the treasure hidden in a field And the more

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I want to dig

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into it deeper the more persecution trial and tribulation and hardship I will get

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because a sinful wicked evil world and the devil and the flesh hate it

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and want to destroy the light

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And so a lot of people are like I want Christianity but I only want it halfway

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I want the I want Christianity without the cross

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I want the way of escape not the way of the cross

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And so the all of the persecutions trials and tribulations are always in the context of knowing him

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and finding his grace and finding his presence It’s really balanced it’s really beautiful

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and it causes the light to shine in the darkness

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So the second passages number of passages is from Romans and and the title of this section I put the world delivered from the bondage of corruption through the revelation of God’s Sons And from the end of Romans chapter seven through chapter eight Paul is really just giving this incredible exposition of the

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power of the new covenant the old covenant we could be forgiven

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but the old covenant was still the good I want to do I don’t do

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He called that the law of sin and death He said now the spirit of life the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death So if that law of sin and death is defined as the good I want to do I don’t do

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then the law of the spirit and life in Christ Jesus is the good I want to do I’m able to do

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by the power of his Holy Spirit in me And he’s so excited It’s the power to love one another It’s the power to have his law written on our hearts and the power to cause us to walk in our in his ways And Paul here we are another place in the epistles He’s going powerfully about how the new covenant is in the world

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And he always paints these pictures The one was the revelation of Jesus Christ that we experience that we become like him and and reflect that glory in the world and then persecutions come here He talks about the whole world will be delivered from the bondage of corruption through the revelation of God’s Sons

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So what what he was talking about in Corinthians when it happens in real life it will transform the whole world is what it’s saying in Romans Isn’t that interesting

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So again it’s the power of the new covenant but I’m picking out these I’m trying to get a little bit around these passages that also give us that sober through many tribulations We will enter the kingdom of Goddess encouragement So Romans

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8 28

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29 I mean again I love how these things are all painted What do they call it The sandwich technique Good bad good You know that’s what we

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get and we know that all things work together for good for those who love God to those who are called according to his purpose

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man who doesn’t like hearing that Right Yes And it’s

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true But why do you But you know

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it’s like you know where’s the hairy eyeball Uh Why do you think you need to tell me that Paul Uh because it might not feel like everything’s working together for good right You would need that

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encouragement if

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everything was all rose petals right

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And and then the context of the of this encouragement is this for whom he for knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son so that he might be the first born among many

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brethren

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So the more we become like Jesus the more we need to know all things are going to work together for good because the more we become like Jesus the more we are going to have to hear that encouragement

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So going down 8 31

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every time every once in a while skip a verse for time’s sake He says what then shall we say to these things If God is for us who can be against us Oh great Another hallelujah Praise the Lord passage right

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And then he puts it it really he tells us why But at the same time he’s also giving us a clue

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because he just talked about us being conformed into the image of his son So I’ll start again what shall we

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say then to these things

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If God is for us who can be against

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us he did not

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spare his own son but delivered him up for us all How shall he not all not with him also freely give us all things Oh Yeah Yeah When it’s

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all self self gospel Yeah Yeah that’s awesome And that is all true and it’s all good news He has freely given

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us all things I mean he gave us the life of Jesus

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but he just told us that we’re being conformed into that image too

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And so now Romans 8 35

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who shall separate us from the love

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of Christ shall tribulation or distress

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Oh wait you snuck it in here Paul Now what do you know all of a sudden Now you’re talking about tribulation distress persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword

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36 as it is written for

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your sake We are killed all the day long We are counted

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as sheep for the slaughter

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Here’s Paul preaching that same gospel again isn’t he

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yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels

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nor Principalities

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or powers nor things present nor

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things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us

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from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord

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It’s great encouragement

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But he’s also warning

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through many tribulations you will enter the Kingdom of God

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I mean it’s everywhere

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The whole world

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of darkness is being overcome by Jesus Christ And we are his body being conformed into his image

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And he wants to raise up a church that can be heroes

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because we pick up our cross and follow him

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So the darkness is passing away in the light that is in the world

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You know we already talked about

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the darkness is the greatest opportunity to shine like a light in the world

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We talked about the the

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the three Hebrew slaves I mean you can almost picture that scene total darkness

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and the little light is those three boys standing up in the midst of total darkness I mean it’s wild isn’t it

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But I think but but I want to read some scriptures to prepare us to shine

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like a light in the darkness Second Timothy 3 12

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which really just I believe summarizes what we’ve been getting at

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Yes and all who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution

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So we might as well just preach it

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right We might as well already prepare it all who seek to live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution

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Let let me slaughter that translation For a second

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Yes And all those who don’t desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will avoid suffering and persecution

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All who are no trouble to the devil and no trouble to the kingdom of darkness All who compromise with the world will be loved by the world

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And then we make broad the way

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or we try to make broad the way that leads to life and narrow the way that doesn’t

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But then we become false Representatives of Jesus Christ

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First John 28 Again a new commandment I write to you which thing is true in him and in you because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining

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First John 28 I’ll read it again because I wanted to connect this thought a new commandment I write to you which thing is true in him and in you because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining That idea that the darkness of this world is passing away

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That’s what scripture says

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We look at what God’s word says not what it looks like in the world

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but the way the darkness passes away in this world is when you turn on the light

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and the way you turn on the light is being conformed into the image of Christ

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And here he connects we don’t have time to get into it today But how that happens is

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a new commandment I give you love one another as I have loved you No greater love is there than this than a man shall lay down his life For his friends

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take up your cross and follow me

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Love those who hate you bless those who curse you do good to those who do you evil and show yourself to be sons and daughters of God This is how we shine as light in the world though he’s still amy yet I will trust in Him

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You are worthy of my praise

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You are worthy of my song in the good times and the bad and the breaking and in the blessing You are worthy of my song That’s how we shine like a light in this world

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00:51:35.36 – 00:51:36.06
Just

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share that one the one couple of things I do want to say when you when you say these hard messages because it’s really hard But we’ve got to prepare people for reality

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Number one we have his presence

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00:51:51.939 – 00:52:05.929
the whole cause of it In the first in the Corinthians passage was we see him and become like him We encounter him we experience him So the one thing that you know Paul said all forsook me but the Lord stood by my

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side

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all forsook me But the Lord stood by my side I have his presence in those dark times I have the light of the world with me in my darkest times There he is If I don’t turn my way and put him in the dog house but run to him rather than from him

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Then I have his presence and his presence deeply satisfies He satisfies the soul It is that treasure hidden in the field It is that pearl of great price that is promised that the water that I give you to drink whoever drinks it will never thirst again

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His presence in the midst of the fire His presence in the darkest of nights his presence in the trials and tribulations Those three men when they went into that fire there was another like the Son of God in the midst with them

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We’re not just it’s not just a word of tribulations and persecutions and difficulties It’s a world of you will possess Him whom if you possess you possess everything

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00:53:17.669 – 00:53:22.33
the one that satisfies the soul the fairest of 10,000

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you will know what it means to truly be alive and to truly flourish as a human being because you are connected to the very source of life Jesus Christ

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I close it with just reading Galatians 6 14 to 15 Because really what we’re talking about is preaching the cross of Jesus Christ

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I mean this is Paul this man who seems so obsessed with this new covenant and new creation and seeing the darkness pass away and storming the gates of hell And the list goes on

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He says but God forbid that I should boast

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except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ

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by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world

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00:54:15.6 – 00:54:21.12
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor un circumcision avails anything

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00:54:22.82 – 00:54:24.199
but a new creation

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00:54:26.709 – 00:54:35.409
He sees past the trials past the tribulations who for the hope that before him endured the cross and spur to shame

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00:54:36.429 – 00:54:50.81
because I see a new creation I see a world reconciled to God I see sons and daughters of God arising in the earth liberating this world being conformed into the image of Christ and the whole world is in birth pains

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00:54:51.34 – 00:54:52.149
Why

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00:54:52.86 – 00:54:55.29
Because I heard the voice of Jose

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00:54:55.81 – 00:54:57.37
come follow me

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00:54:58.1 – 00:55:01.11
take up your cross and follow me

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00:55:01.86 – 00:55:02.53
Amen