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Lord, we bow our hearts before 
you. 

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We thank you that these songs 
that we sing are not just ideas,

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they are realities for us 
because of what Christ has done.

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Lord, we pray you give us the 
grace necessary to receive from 

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you in this final evening of 
this conference. 

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We bless you, we honor you, and 
we worship you. 

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In Christ's name we pray. 
Amen. 

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Hey, before you're seated, just 
welcome somebody and celebrate 

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the fact that this is our final 
evening together. 

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If you can, before you get 
comfortable, if there's any seat

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by you, if you could just please
squeeze in because we have a few

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people that are standing in the 
back that would love to be able 

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to find a place to sit. 
And if you do have a seat beside

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you, can you lift your hand so 
that the ushers can see? 

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Look at that. 
There's so many seats, always 

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the front row always open. 
So ushers, if you see anybody 

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that needs a chair, wonderful, 
wonderful, wonderful. 

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Well, welcome. 
This is our final evening of 

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this conference. 
Amazing how time has just flown.

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Every year there's something 
special about meeting together 

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and maybe it's the same thing, 
but it just intensifies. 

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But the love that people have 
for each other this year has 

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been on full display. 
And I, I pray that if this was 

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your first time here at 
Maranatha Conference that you 

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would have been overwhelmed by 
the, the love and the kindness 

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and just the French of a people 
who love Jesus and serve him. 

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So God bless you for for making 
this an even more experiential 

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and wonderful time together. 
My time this evening at least, I

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plan to not be too long with 
you, but that might change. 

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But I do want to get to this 
message right away. 

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I don't want to waste any time. 
If you are a follower of Jesus 

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Christ here, I I hope you 
believe that as crucial and as 

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essential as the gospel may be, 
it is not the complete plan that

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God has for us in our 
redemption. 

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It's not the end goal. 
If you truly understand the 

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gospel, it is the starting point
of the Christian journey. 

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And So what happens at 
justification is that we are 

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instantaneously saved and 
following that is a day by day 

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progress known as sanctification
until we enter into a permanent 

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state of perfection identified 
as glorification. 

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And so sanctification, if you're
in Christ, that is what you're 

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experiencing. 
That is the part of redemption 

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that you are enjoying day by 
day, every moment, every second,

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whether you're conscious of it 
or not. 

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And we should grow in our 
awareness of that because that 

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is why you exist as a Christian.
Every relationship, every event,

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every resource that you own in 
this life serves a supporting 

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role in that goal being 
realized. 

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Your transformation into the 
image of Christ is the goal of 

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why you are here and will be the
goal until you meet your Savior 

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face to face. 
And So what is sanctification? 

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It's really simple. 
It's the moment, my moment 

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process in which God 
increasingly frees us from 

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inward and frees us from outward
sin and molds us into the image 

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of Jesus Christ. 
This is God's desire for us, and

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he is committed to this desire 
for us being accomplished. 

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But have you ever wondered to 
what degree does the Lord want 

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to transform each of us? 
What? 

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What is really the full vision 
that the Lord has in our 

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transformation? 
And we don't have to guess 

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because Paul tells us exactly 
what it is. 

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And I invite you to see this 
with your eyes in our first 

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passage today in First 
Thessalonians chapter 5. 

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And look at me here at verse 23.
This is how far God aims to go 

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as he enrolls us in this 
lifelong process, Paul writes. 

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Now may the God of peace himself
sanctify you completely and may 

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your whole spirit and soul and 
body be kept blameless at the 

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coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In this one verse, you have two 

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glorious truths regarding our 
sanctification that we can't 

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afford to miss. 
The first thing is the purpose 

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of your sanctification, and the 
2nd is the power of your 

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sanctification. 
So Paul identifies the purpose 

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in saying that the Lord the God 
of peace, and really as he's 

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writing this, he's actually 
praying this. 

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Now may the God of peace to 
sanctify us completely, 

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Completely in the Greek 
completely is only used here in 

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all of the New Testament. 
It means to be complete in all 

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respects. 
Now some come to this verse as a

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means of debate, and this is 
what you will debate about if 

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you go to seminary. 
Is man tripartite being or 

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bipartite being? 
In other words, is man composed 

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of body, soul, and spirit? 
Or is soul and spirit 

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synonymous? 
Can I tell you something? 

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Paul didn't write this verse to 
cause a debate. 

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I don't think he intended for 
people to take the time to try 

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to figure that out. 
It's not wrong to have that 

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conversation, but that's not 
what he is trying to convey. 

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What Paul is trying to 
communicate by the Spirit is 

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that the Lord wants to change 
every single part of your being.

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That's what he is trying to say.
And when you consider that, you 

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have to realize that this is 
something the Lord will 

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accomplish in us, though it may 
be a bumpy ride. 

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And what I love about it is that
Paul invites us to relish not, 

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not to be fearful, not to be 
overwhelmed, but to relish in 

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the thought that God wants to 
transform your motivations, your

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ambitions, your meditations, 
your attitude, your appetites, 

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and every intricate detail in 
between. 

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And if you feel like that's a 
little scary, consider the 

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second point of Paul's verse 
here. 

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And that is the power of your 
sanctification. 

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What does he say? 
Now may the God of peace himself

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sanctify you completely. 
Who is the one who performs this

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deep cleansing in US? 
God himself. 

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God himself and the same one who
alone can save you is the same 

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one who alone can change you to 
this degree at least. 

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And so Paul and pointing to 
every part of your being also 

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wants to point your eyes to the 
one who's able to do it. 

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And I love how he adds the God 
of peace himself. 

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He could have just said the God 
of peace, but he wants to really

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emphasize that God himself, he 
did not delegate this 

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responsibility to another. 
He himself took it upon himself 

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to be committed to each of us, 
to seeing that realized more and

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more. 
That's how much it means to him.

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And so when you see it that way,
we should rejoice. 

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But I'm afraid that if we read 
in isolation, we might think 

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that God will generate this 
change apart from our 

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participation, and that might 
encourage a dangerous passivity 

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in our pursuit of being more 
like Christ. 

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See again, you can't just take a
verse out of context and just 

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make application out of it. 
You have to understand what he 

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says before and after. 
So I want us to consider that. 

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What did Paul say before praying
for the God of peace to sanctify

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us completely? 
We'll scroll back with me at 

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verse 15 to verse 15 of the same
chapter or verse 12. 

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Actually, he says here, we ask 
you, brothers, respect those who

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labor among you and are over you
in the Lord, and admonish you, 

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and to esteem them very highly 
in love because of their work. 

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Be at peace among yourselves. 
And we urge you, brothers, 

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admonish the idol, encourage the
faint hearted, help the weak, be

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patient with them all. 
See that no one repays anyone 

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evil for evil, but always seek 
to do good to one another and to

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everyone. 
Rejoice always, pray without 

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ceasing. 
Give thanks in all 

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circumstances, for this is the 
will of God in Christ Jesus. 

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For you do not quench the 
Spirit. 

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Do not despise prophecies, but 
test everything. 

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Hold fast what is good, abstain 
from every form of evil. 

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Now may the God of peace himself
sanctify you completely. 

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And he goes on and on. 
So Paul makes this prayer. 

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In that prayer there is really a
promise after providing a string

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of commands and instructions for
each of us as Christians. 

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And what's meant to be explained
here is that after learning of 

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all the things that God desires 
from us, he then ends by showing

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us that God is going to help us 
accomplish it. 

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He will help you get to that 
point. 

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He will help you maintain that 
way of life. 

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Can you imagine that it is 
possible for a Christian, for 

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example, to rejoice always, to 
pray without ceasing, to give 

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thanks to God in all 
circumstances? 

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And that's just one little 
snippet out of a large catalogue

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of glorious things that we can 
walk in. 

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And so this is what he is 
essentially saying. 

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Not that God is going to do it 
while you remain robotic and 

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mindless. 
No, But as you walk in, as you 

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realize what the Lord desires 
for me and you chase it, the 

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Lord is right there to to blow 
wind into your sails. 

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But there needs to be a hoisted 
sail for that wind to blow in. 

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So we need to understand what 
God desires from us and posture 

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ourselves in order to pursue it 
and then receive the power to 

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walk in it. 
And if we ever feel disappointed

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at the amount of work that needs
to be done, because that can 

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happen very, very quickly as you
examine your own life, or if 

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you're agitated because you're 
not seeing the results that you 

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would like to the time that you 
would like to see it, then 

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there's an added dosage of 
promise in verse 24. 

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Look what he says here in verse 
24. 

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He who calls you is faithful. 
He will surely do it. 

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He will. 
He's not talking about heaven 

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here. 
He's talking about your life 

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now, He's talking about your 
tomorrow's, He's talking about 

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you in a few months, you in a 
few years. 

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And interestingly, out of all 
the titles that Paul could have 

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given to the Corinthians 
concerning God, out of all the 

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attributes, out of all the 
things that God can do, what 

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does he say about God in verse 
23, the God of peace? 

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Why does Paul mention the God of
peace connected to our 

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sanctification or complete 
sanctification? 

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Well, I think when we look back 
and realize the last place where

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Paul mentions peace and makes a 
little bit more sense. 

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Look at where he mentions peace 
back here at the end of verse 

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14. 
And we urge you brothers and 

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monitor the idol, encourage the 
faint hearted, help the week, be

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patient with them all. 
And before that he speaks about 

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here and to steam the very 
highly those who are over you 

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and to have this sense of 
patience and peace together as a

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whole understanding of 
relationships with one another. 

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And So what we have to see here 
is that there is a glorious 

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explanation concerning God of 
peace in terms of the most 

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difficult part of our 
sanctification. 

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It's easy to be holy when you 
live alone. 

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Holiness is much more 
accomplishable if you are in an 

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island and you're not 
interacting with anybody. 

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When is holiness hard? 
When you rub shoulders with 

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others and we have to face with 
other people who are also being 

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worked on, that's where it's 
difficult. 

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And it's as though what Paul is 
trying to say when he gives all 

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these commands concerning 
relationships with each other, 

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that the most difficult part 
about it, harmony with one 

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another is possible because of 
the God of peace. 

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In other words, there is no 
change that is too difficult for

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God to bring you to even in how 
you deal with others in this 

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life. 
And that's found throughout 

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Thessalonians about love and 
sacrifice and being patient and 

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00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:02,520
honoring that. 
It's found throughout this 

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00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:03,720
epistle. 
And what Paul wants to say at 

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the end of it is that God can 
provide peace in your own heart 

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and in your marriage and in your
church community and all the 

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relations that you have. 
Even that can be known because 

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of the God of peace. 
But this message isn't about 

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unity. 
What I'm trying to convey to 

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you, what I want to try to bring
your attention to, is an aspect 

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of our sanctification that is 
often overlooked. 

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That's really the point of this 
conference, because I want to 

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see things that perhaps we might
not consider important, and I 

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00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,720
want you to consider an aspect 
of what God wants to change in 

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you that perhaps you've not 
thought about. 

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Have you ever considered God 
sanctifying your affections, 

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your feelings, your emotions, 
your sentiments, what you're 

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passionate about, what gets your
heart going? 

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You might be thinking, is that 
really important? 

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Well, it is when you understand 
that God wants to sanctify us 

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completely. 
And I believe it is important 

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00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:08,200
because when we consider the 
life of Paul, we not only see 

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rich theology and important 
doctrine, you see a man who 

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unashamedly pours out his heart 
and reveals his holy and 

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sanctified affections. 
This Bible could have been very 

227
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stale. 
It could have just been a 

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systematic list of things of 
do's and don'ts. 

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But what we have here in Paul at
least, is a man who ties truth 

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with a throbbing heart. 
Do you think that's just random?

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Do you think that's just for you
to see that there's personality 

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behind Paul, or is there 
something about Paul's 

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affections that we are to 
imitate? 

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And I am absolutely convinced 
that there is something about 

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this man's heart posture that we
are called to reflect because 

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it's found throughout, 
throughout his writings. 

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We see it through and through. 
And I want to see, I want you to

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see one example. 
Come with me to Philippians 1 

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and look here at verse 8, 
because I don't want you to 

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dismiss this by saying, what 
does Paul's personality have to 

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do with my sanctification? 
It's beyond his personality. 

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00:15:17,420 --> 00:15:22,320
Look what he says here. 
For God is my witness, how I 

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yearn for you all with the 
affection of Christ Jesus. 

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Do you understand what Paul is 
saying to this group of 

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believers? 
That what he feels about them 

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transcends human feelings? 
He he, he says with absolute 

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00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:44,440
confidence and transparency. 
What I feel about you believers 

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is supernatural. 
Imagine a man daring to say what

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Jesus feels about you. 
How Jesus feels about you is how

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00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:56,880
I feel about you. 
Now you can look at that again 

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from a this is an applaud Paul. 
What an amazing guy. 

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I'm glad he's one of ours. 
But instead I see an invitation.

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If the affections of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, the same Christ 

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who left heaven, came to earth, 
walked this world for for 30 

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years, 33 years after his death,
ascended into heaven after 

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conquering death. 
If the affections of that God, 

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the true God, can beat in a man,
then Lord, let it beat in me. 

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If it's possible for Paul to 
feel this way, what would it be 

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like for my heart to know these 
things as well? 

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00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,600
I want that. 
You should want that because God

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wants you to have that because 
he is determined to sanctify you

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completely. 
And notice what he says in 

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Philippians, he says for God is 
my witness. 

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So he calls God to witness that 
this is true. 

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How I yearn for you. 
Did he say some how I yearn for 

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you all. 
There's a lot of colorful people

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in church. 
Would you agree a lot, some a 

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00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:02,720
little bit more difficult to 
relate to, to tolerate, some 

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more enjoyable and easygoing. 
Paul didn't discriminate. 

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00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,319
He said what I feel about each 
of you with your unique 

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00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:12,160
personalities, weaknesses and 
strengths, I have Jesus heart 

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00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,440
for you. 
That's mind blowing. 

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I mean, we can just end it here 
and say, Lord, give it to me and

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that would be a wonderful end to
this evening. 

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But I want to convince you, 
persuade you even more. 

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And if you think for yourself, 
if you're still like, I don't 

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know, you're touching a a part 
of my life now that's a little 

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00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:30,720
bit uncomfortable. 
I'm not a I'm not a sentimental 

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00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:32,040
person. 
I'm not emotional. 

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This is not reserved for Paul 
because I believe he calls us to

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this as well. 
And if you look at what he says 

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to Timothy in Second Timothy 
310, he actually praises Timothy

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00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,240
for imitating him in this way in
Second Timothy 310. 

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00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,400
Listen to what he says. 
You, however, have followed my 

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00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:50,920
teaching. 
I don't mind following Paul's 

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00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:52,440
teaching. 
It's truth. 

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00:17:53,360 --> 00:17:55,040
Not just my teaching. 
My conduct. 

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00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,120
OK, we've covered that the past 
couple of sessions. 

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00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,560
My aim and life, yes. 
My faith, sure. 

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00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:04,520
My patience, OK. 
Now we're getting on dangerous 

291
00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:11,520
territory, my love. 
So Timothy didn't just hear what

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00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,800
Paul had to preach. 
He saw how this man loved. 

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00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:17,000
And he says, I want to imitate 
that. 

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00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:22,080
And Paul intended for his love 
to be replicated because he had 

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the affection of Christ Jesus. 
And Timothy caught it. 

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00:18:26,360 --> 00:18:28,040
And he says, you're doing the 
right thing with your love 

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00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:31,560
there, Timothy. 
So instead of resisting this by 

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00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:33,280
trying to explain it away, seek 
for it. 

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00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,320
What would it look like for us 
to have the affection of Christ 

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00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:44,680
Jesus for our spouses? 
Not just your attractions, but 

301
00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:47,920
the affections of Christ for 
your wife, for your husband. 

302
00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:50,360
What would it look like to have 
it for your children? 

303
00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:54,360
Not just the motherly instincts,
but Christ's love as a father 

304
00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:56,920
for your sons, even the 
difficult ones. 

305
00:18:57,960 --> 00:18:59,720
What would it look like to have 
it for our elders? 

306
00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:01,800
What would it look like to have 
it for our common members? 

307
00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:03,720
What it look like to have it for
the lost? 

308
00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,320
What would it look like for 
Christ's love to intensify in us

309
00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:09,720
as God is sanctifying us even in
our affections? 

310
00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:13,400
Affections reveal a lot about 
us. 

311
00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:17,120
You know what John said in first
John to do not love the world 

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nor the things of this world. 
Then he goes on to say that if 

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00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:24,080
you love the world and the 
things of this world, the love 

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00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:28,680
of the Father is not in you. 
Now he's not talking about the 

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00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,240
cosmos, he's not talking about 
the beautiful earth that we are 

316
00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:32,360
in. 
He's not talking about even 

317
00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:33,800
humanity. 
He's talking about the evil 

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00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,880
system, the Antichrist system. 
The sinful ways of humanity do 

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00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:38,960
not love the world or the things
of the world. 

320
00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:42,160
And if your affections are on 
that, then there's a problem 

321
00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:46,080
because the love of the Father 
cancels out the things that the 

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00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:50,680
Father hates. 
People always ask me how do I 

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00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:52,560
know if I'm born again? 
Very important questions. 

324
00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:55,720
And I think one of the go to 
answers is what happened to your

325
00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:59,640
heart after you heard the gospel
and accepted it. 

326
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,200
Have your affections changed? 
Have your desires changed? 

327
00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,000
Because that's what it means to 
be born again. 

328
00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:10,360
That what you once hated or were
indifferent about or careless 

329
00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:13,200
about now becomes your priority 
and your passion and your 

330
00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:14,640
pursuit. 
That is one of the greatest 

331
00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:19,000
marks that God has changed you, 
not necessarily about instant 

332
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,160
perfection, but change of heart 
direction. 

333
00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:27,600
So this is not, this is not the 
secondary thing, it's not 

334
00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:29,520
peripheral, this is not just 
optional. 

335
00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:32,080
This is vitally important. 
And once those affections are 

336
00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:35,880
renewed, God wants to now 
sanctify even more and 

337
00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,480
strengthen it and mature. 
And Paul was a wonderful model 

338
00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:40,640
of that. 
Imagine saying that the 

339
00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:43,840
affections of Christ Jesus I 
have here for you, and that's 

340
00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:45,320
something that you and I are 
invited to. 

341
00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:49,080
And I believe Paul provides us 
glimpses of what happens when 

342
00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,840
this supernatural set of 
affections takes over, and it's 

343
00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,480
worth examining so that we can 
year for it in our own lives. 

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00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:58,520
Let's turn to our main text in 
First Thessalonians chapter 2, 

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00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:12,040
beginning in verse 17. 
Notice, I just want you to see 

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00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:16,400
how this man, yes, an apostle, 
but he was also a pastor. 

347
00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:22,880
Look at how this pastor spoke 
about and to his people, he 

348
00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:25,680
says. 
But since we were torn away from

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00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:31,760
you, brothers, for a short time 
in person, not in heart, we 

350
00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:35,640
endeavoured the more eagerly and
with great desire to see you 

351
00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:41,040
face to face, because we wanted 
to come to you, I Paul, again 

352
00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,880
and again. 
But Satan hindered us. 

353
00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:49,480
For what is our hope or joy or 
crown of boasting before our 

354
00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,760
Lord Jesus at His coming? 
Is it not you? 

355
00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:58,560
For you are our glory and joy, 
that that's controversial. 

356
00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:03,920
You are our glory and joy. 
Oh, we have to hold on before we

357
00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:05,480
get there. 
But let's consider and dissect 

358
00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,040
this a bit by bit. 
First, Paul tells these 

359
00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:12,120
believers, whom he calls 
brothers, brothers, brother 

360
00:22:12,120 --> 00:22:14,360
Saul, remember? 
And I told him that was the 

361
00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:17,960
first words he heard from a 
Christian after he experienced 

362
00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,480
Christ. 
He he explains that although 

363
00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:25,240
he's separated from them in 
person, he is not separated from

364
00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:29,360
them in his heart. 
The believers that Paul knew 

365
00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:34,720
lived in his heart. 
They were not just faces that 

366
00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:39,120
they saw once a week where we 
just greeted from a distance. 

367
00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:41,400
And that was the extent of his 
relationship with Christians. 

368
00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:50,040
No, they abided in his bosom. 
And he says here that there the 

369
00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,880
pain of separate was like being 
torn away. 

370
00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:56,240
And the word there is actually 
as though somebody was made an 

371
00:22:56,240 --> 00:23:01,000
orphan, like a mother or father,
taken from the lives of their 

372
00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,360
children. 
That's the kind of level of 

373
00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:06,280
excruciating agony he 
experienced when he said, out of

374
00:23:06,280 --> 00:23:09,000
circumstances beyond his 
control, he was removed from 

375
00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,760
these believers prematurely. 
And he says, since we were torn 

376
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,560
away from you, I want to let you
know that you're still in my 

377
00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,280
heart. 
And listen, when the affections 

378
00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:22,760
of Jesus live in you, Christians
will live in it as well. 

379
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,040
And if Christians live in your 
heart, you know where else 

380
00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:29,400
they're going to be found in 
your supplications, in your 

381
00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:31,960
Thanksgiving to God. 
Can I ask you something? 

382
00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:35,640
When was the last time you spent
a segment of your time in prayer

383
00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:41,640
thanking God for the Christians?
You know, Paul did it all the 

384
00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:44,440
time. 
Paul even did it by name, not 

385
00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:46,520
because he's like, only that's 
the checklist on my prayer. 

386
00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:48,680
No, no, no. 
It was because the affections of

387
00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:53,200
Christ compelled him, because 
these believers lived in his 

388
00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:59,040
heart. 
And it says here that because 

389
00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:01,480
they were in his heart, they 
were not colleagues merely they 

390
00:24:01,480 --> 00:24:04,200
were his delight. 
Christians were his delight. 

391
00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:07,680
By the work of the Spirit you 
begin to genuinely, genuinely 

392
00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,800
enjoy Christians, and you begin 
to cherish them and think about 

393
00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:12,840
them. 
And so strong are these 

394
00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:16,240
affections that they don't even 
require physical interactions to

395
00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,000
be realized. 
This love is alive and well even

396
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,240
though you do not see them on 
those days of the week where you

397
00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:23,960
are not in the presence of other
Christians. 

398
00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:29,160
Paul shows us here that there is
this desire for them and there's

399
00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:33,320
passion for them. 
Can you put your fingers on the 

400
00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:36,160
pulse of your relationship with 
other believers and agree with 

401
00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,000
Paul here? 
Or is this is this kind of 

402
00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,800
alien? 
Is this kind of awkward to you 

403
00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,120
because believers abide in your 
heart? 

404
00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:49,160
Again, they will find a 
prominent place in those ways 

405
00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,040
where you communicate with God 
about them. 

406
00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:54,400
It was so embedded in them that 
it pained them to be removed 

407
00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:57,000
from these Christians. 
But look what he says here. 

408
00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:01,520
We endeavored the more eagerly 
and with great desire to see you

409
00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:06,320
face to face when the affections
of Christ Jesus live in you. 

410
00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:09,400
Christian community becomes a 
priority. 

411
00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,040
And I don't know if that's true 
for all believers. 

412
00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,400
You begin to be pleased with the
idea of being with Christians. 

413
00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:20,680
And I love to to see this at 
NBC. 

414
00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:22,480
When people walk through those 
doors, whether that be on a 

415
00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,800
Wednesday or Friday or Sunday, 
faces light up. 

416
00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,360
I hope that's true in your 
church, that all it takes is the

417
00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:34,120
presence of believers that, you 
know, love Christ to change your

418
00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:39,240
mood. 
And Paul was just daydreaming 

419
00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:43,440
about trying to see these 
believers face to face. 

420
00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:47,640
And you know why this is true 
for those who have the 

421
00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:50,280
affections of Christ Jesus, 
because let me remind you what 

422
00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,000
Jesus prayed to the Father when 
He was ready to go to the cross 

423
00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:56,960
in John 1724. 
He prayed this. 

424
00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:02,000
This is what Jesus prayed. 
Father, I desire that they also 

425
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:08,160
whom you have given me, may be 
with me where I am. 

426
00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:16,680
So the affections of Christ is 
not just saving some and then 

427
00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:20,800
kind of having an arm's length 
relationship with them? 

428
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:22,840
No, it went beyond that. 
He saved them. 

429
00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:28,080
He saved us with the goal of 
being with us without filter, 

430
00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:29,560
without hindrance, for all of 
eternity. 

431
00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:35,720
If Jesus desires so much so that
he prayed to the Father to be 

432
00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,800
with Christians, shouldn't that 
be true of you, Christian? 

433
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,960
It should. 
If the affections of Christ live

434
00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:45,760
in you, you long to do life with
other believers. 

435
00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:49,920
If that's missing in you, then 
you need your affection 

436
00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:56,240
sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 
If that doesn't stir you, then 

437
00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:59,680
this thought perhaps will. 
The treasure of us coming 

438
00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,320
together and advancing God's 
purposes as a unit is so dynamic

439
00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:08,120
that Satan fights against it. 
What did he say here? 

440
00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:10,720
He says here, I long to see a 
great desire to see you. 

441
00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:16,480
But what Satan? 
Satan tried to stop us again and

442
00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:17,560
again. 
That's what he's mentioning 

443
00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:20,000
here. 
Again and again, Satan tried to 

444
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,840
stop us. 
What does it take for you to not

445
00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:30,440
be with Christians? 
Does it come down to Satan 

446
00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:32,960
trying to stop you to meet with 
other believers on a regular 

447
00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:34,240
basis? 
Because that's what it took for 

448
00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:37,720
Paul. 
Paul had no other excuse not to 

449
00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,120
be with other Christians in a 
living, dynamic, relational, 

450
00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:43,880
habitual way. 
Except for the devil himself 

451
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:48,240
trying to stop him. 
For some people, all it takes is

452
00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:53,080
an early Sunday service. 
Other than stop Paul, it had to 

453
00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:57,640
take the devil himself to change
his schedule to stop Paul from 

454
00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:01,680
getting to the Thessalonians. 
That's how much Satan believes 

455
00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:05,000
in the power of when Christians 
come together. 

456
00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,200
I'm not sure if Christians are 
convinced of the same. 

457
00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:12,840
And so Paul says here, I, I I'm 
telling you, Thessalonians, I 

458
00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:16,520
really tried to get to you, but 
the enemy of our souls hindered 

459
00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,040
me greatly. 
But what did we hear about this 

460
00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:20,400
morning? 
And tell me that P word. 

461
00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:22,600
Good. 
We're all awake still. 

462
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:24,200
Yeah, I get it. 
Bear with me. 

463
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,320
We're almost there. 
Providence. 

464
00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,880
And Providence is at work here. 
Scholars believe that First 

465
00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:32,680
Thessalonians is the first 
epistle that Paul ever wrote. 

466
00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,960
So let me put it this way. 
Satan thought that he can stop 

467
00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,360
Paul in his ministry from 
getting to the Thessalonians. 

468
00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:43,640
But what Satan didn't realize 
that he started another 

469
00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:45,360
ministry. 
That was Paul's writing ministry

470
00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:48,560
because it began with First 
Thessalonians. 

471
00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,800
Like he just keeps losing if you
haven't got the picture. 

472
00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,760
And so we see here that Paul 
says, I genuinely try to come to

473
00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,360
you. 
And this is the most astounding 

474
00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:04,480
part about Paul spilling his 
affections for these believers. 

475
00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:07,160
And it's not just here he says 
something, as I mentioned 

476
00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:11,200
earlier, that would almost be 
controversial to the unfamiliar 

477
00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,040
reader. 
Look how he ends this in verse 

478
00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:16,440
19. 
For what is our hope? 

479
00:29:16,440 --> 00:29:21,360
He's speaking rhetorically here.
For what is our hope or joy or 

480
00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:25,320
crown of boasting before our 
Lord Jesus at his coming pause? 

481
00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:29,480
You would think that he would 
answer with what Jesus? 

482
00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,640
What's our boast? 
What's our hope, our joy or 

483
00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:36,120
crown? 
When Christ comes? 

484
00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:38,400
You think he would say what 
Christ? 

485
00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:41,800
But what does he say instead? 
Is it not you? 

486
00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:49,040
He goes on to say, for you are 
our glory and joy. 

487
00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:56,040
So take a deep breath and step 
back and brace yourself for this

488
00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:58,800
answer because we have to 
understand this. 

489
00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:02,640
Unless we get into some heresy, 
the way we make sense of this is

490
00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,440
that Paul, in explaining about 
the return of Christ and when 

491
00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:09,320
Christ comes, obviously that's 
going to be a joyous occasion. 

492
00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:12,720
But in essence, what Paul is 
communicating is that Christ 

493
00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,280
coming and establishing his 
Kingdom, bringing us to Himself,

494
00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:20,160
is not the only joyful thing 
that I am looking forward to. 

495
00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:24,840
It is the primary thing. 
Paul mentions that in other 

496
00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:27,920
places, but what he's also 
saying is that when Jesus comes 

497
00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:31,680
back, one of the things that I 
am rejoicing at the thought of 

498
00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,120
is the eternal presence of other
believers. 

499
00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:37,360
That's what he's saying. 
So this man's affections for 

500
00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:41,120
other Christians was so strong 
that what got his heart stirring

501
00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:43,680
was the thought of being with 
other Christians forever. 

502
00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:50,960
This is one of the strongest 
proof text of how you and I, 

503
00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:55,120
when we get to heaven, we'll 
recognize one another and we'll 

504
00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:59,520
recognize other Saints. 
Paul says, I can't wait to come 

505
00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:02,960
to that point where we see your 
sanctification turn to 

506
00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:07,760
glorification and we'll rejoice 
together before the presence of 

507
00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,760
the Lord Jesus. 
So Christ is our ultimate object

508
00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:12,640
of praise and adoration in 
heaven. 

509
00:31:12,640 --> 00:31:15,200
But Paul is not ashamed. 
The Holy Spirit inspired us say 

510
00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:17,800
is not just going to be about 
Christ, It's also going to be 

511
00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:20,560
about Christians. 
It's gonna be about Christians. 

512
00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:24,120
Like do you, do you see the 
heightened affection that this 

513
00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:26,160
man has? 
We're not even talking about 

514
00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,560
Paul's affections for God. 
We're not even talking about 

515
00:31:28,560 --> 00:31:30,840
Paul's affections for others who
are lost. 

516
00:31:30,920 --> 00:31:33,160
We're just dealing with Paul's 
affections for the church. 

517
00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:38,360
And it's supposed to stand as a 
mirror to reflect on our own 

518
00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:39,960
affections and see if this is 
true. 

519
00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,960
So this is one of the strongest 
verses that promise us that 

520
00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:44,560
we're going to enjoy one 
another. 

521
00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:47,840
And it's been set here in the 
Bibles for us to enjoy at the 

522
00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:49,840
just thought of it. 
The thought of it alone should 

523
00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:54,920
cause us to rejoice. 
So this, the Saints were not 

524
00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:57,520
just a source of Paul's joy in 
this life, but in the life to 

525
00:31:57,520 --> 00:31:59,680
come. 
And that was one of his greatest

526
00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:01,920
anticipations. 
I wonder if that's true for you.

527
00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:06,640
I wonder if that's true for you.
I wonder if you look at other 

528
00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:10,120
Christians and from time to time
realize I'm going to live with 

529
00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:14,240
these people forever. 
The Holy Spirit wants you to 

530
00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:19,800
feel that and when you feel that
it's a lot more difficult to 

531
00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:25,640
bicker and to bite right with 
gossip, not physically. 

532
00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:31,880
I hope that would be concerning 
and and harm and hurt and bruise

533
00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:38,320
and demean and gossip and these 
affections stifle those things. 

534
00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:42,880
They put out fires that can 
destroy what God wants to 

535
00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:48,360
maintain and make beautiful Time
does not permit to talk about 

536
00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:52,240
pause affections in other areas.
But what I do want to say is 

537
00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:56,920
that this is something that we 
should pursue. 

538
00:32:56,920 --> 00:33:00,440
Don't write it off because your 
wiring is different. 

539
00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:05,160
Don't allow yourself to justify 
the awkwardness that you sense 

540
00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:09,320
in the language that Paul uses 
to keep you from saying this is 

541
00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:11,240
something that I perhaps should 
reconsider. 

542
00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:14,520
Embrace it. 
In fact, if you are still 

543
00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:17,440
hesitant in believing that this 
is something that we should all 

544
00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:21,920
share, these affections that are
polished by the power of God, 

545
00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:26,800
then realize Paul actually asked
Christians for them to feel what

546
00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:28,200
he felt. 
Do you know that Paul did that 

547
00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:32,080
before? 
And who do you think Paul asked 

548
00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:35,560
to feel certain things for him 
as he did for them? 

549
00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:41,200
Oh, it was the Corinthians, the 
troublesome Corinthians. 

550
00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:42,960
Look what he says. 
I mean, again, these are verses 

551
00:33:42,960 --> 00:33:45,120
that we kind of brush over, but 
look what he says in Second 

552
00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:46,280
Corinthians. 
Let's turn there because we're 

553
00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:47,680
almost done. 
Believe it or not. 

554
00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:56,480
Look what he says in 2nd 
Corinthians 6 verse 11. 

555
00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:06,600
Paul says we have spoken freely 
to you, Corinthians. 

556
00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:13,440
Our heart is wide open. 
You are not restricted by us, 

557
00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:16,880
but you are restricted in your 
own affections. 

558
00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:20,719
So what's Paul saying? 
Paul's criticism about these 

559
00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:23,800
believers is, can I simplify? 
Can I interpret it, translate it

560
00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:25,520
in modern language? 
You're cold. 

561
00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:30,960
You're cold towards us. 
We haven't been cold towards 

562
00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:32,520
you. 
We've given our hearts to you. 

563
00:34:32,639 --> 00:34:35,639
We've widened our hearts to you.
Would you not give us the same? 

564
00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:41,040
And so this tells me that, 
listen, Christians, by the power

565
00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:44,840
of God's work in us, should be 
the most approachable, warm, 

566
00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:48,719
loving individuals on the face 
of the earth. 

567
00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:54,000
Paul didn't allow the 
Corinthians to remain stoic, 

568
00:34:54,280 --> 00:35:00,360
indifferent, careless, shallow 
in their affections for him and 

569
00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:02,000
other Christians. 
You're cold. 

570
00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:07,400
And So what he says here as he 
speaks to them, he doesn't give 

571
00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:10,880
them any excuse because he 
realizes that the God of peace 

572
00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:14,560
wants to sanctify us completely.
And look what he says here in 

573
00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:19,120
verse 11 of the same chapter, 
second Corinthians 611 to 13, we

574
00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:22,880
read here in 13. 
In return, I speak as to 

575
00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:29,880
children. 
Widen your hearts also wide in 

576
00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:32,440
your heart so he puts the 
responsibility on them. 

577
00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:37,800
Open your hearts even more and 
make room for Christ feelings to

578
00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:44,240
live and breathe and move in you
as I'm telling you as I as I 

579
00:35:44,240 --> 00:35:47,200
open this conference with 
studying Paul's been a 

580
00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:52,200
beautifully painful experience 
because he he doesn't he doesn't

581
00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:54,080
want you by the spirit. 
He doesn't want you to be 

582
00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:56,720
content with little change in 
your walk with the Lord. 

583
00:35:56,960 --> 00:35:59,440
He doesn't want you to even 
think that sanctification is 

584
00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:03,440
merely about your external and 
observable patterns in life. 

585
00:36:03,720 --> 00:36:05,880
Now he wants to get to the the 
soul. 

586
00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:08,920
He wants to get to the deepest 
parts of who you are, the things

587
00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:14,040
that you even feel. 
Paul says God is after that, God

588
00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:19,680
is after that, and God can widen
your heart in every direction. 

589
00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,200
He can widen your heart for your
fellow believers, all of them. 

590
00:36:23,200 --> 00:36:26,080
As he told the Philippians, he 
can widen your heart towards 

591
00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:29,520
him. 
Do you struggle expressing your 

592
00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:34,800
affections for God? 
Do you struggle even, can I say 

593
00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:37,320
this? 
Do you struggle to sing to God? 

594
00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:41,880
I've met Christians who love the
Lord by their own admission, but

595
00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:46,480
they say I Can't Sing to him, 
though I can't express my that's

596
00:36:46,480 --> 00:36:50,040
just not who I am. 
You know what Paul would say? 

597
00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:54,560
I believe he would say this, 
widen your hearts, give that 

598
00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:57,120
heart that is restricted in your
affections and place it before 

599
00:36:57,120 --> 00:36:58,720
the throne and say, Lord, do 
something with this. 

600
00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:02,720
Listen to what the psalmist said
in Psalm 51150. 

601
00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:05,080
Lord, he didn't say widen my 
heart. 

602
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:08,520
He said open my lips because out
of the abundance of your heart, 

603
00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:10,640
the mouth speaks. 
So he says, oh Lord, in Psalm 

604
00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:14,840
5115, open my lips. 
Why open my lips and my mouth 

605
00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:18,040
will declare your praise. 
I guess what? 

606
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:19,560
There's no excuse, my fellow 
Christian. 

607
00:37:20,040 --> 00:37:23,360
Whether it's this mouth or your 
affections or your actions, 

608
00:37:23,640 --> 00:37:26,560
whatever part of you is 
restricted, it is not conforming

609
00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:28,920
to Christ's likeness. 
You can bring that before the 

610
00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:31,440
God of peace and He can sanctify
it. 

611
00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:36,280
He can sanctify it. 
I'm going to end in a different 

612
00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:39,440
way. 
I'm going to end in preaching 

613
00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:42,960
the gospel. 
I want to, I want to just simply

614
00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:46,040
come to this point and just 
highlight to you how the Bible 

615
00:37:46,240 --> 00:37:49,280
wants to deal with the deepest 
parts of who you are and to just

616
00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:53,240
come before the Lord sweetly and
say, Lord, come after my 

617
00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:55,960
affections. 
But I want to make sure that 

618
00:37:55,960 --> 00:37:59,160
every person here at least hears
the gospel because everything 

619
00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:00,960
that you've heard, please pay 
attention to this. 

620
00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:03,360
I know it's been a long day, a 
long weekend, but this is the 

621
00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:06,560
most important message you'll 
hear, not just this weekend for 

622
00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:10,720
the rest of your life. 
Everything that you heard means 

623
00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:16,000
absolutely 0. 
Nothing if you first have not 

624
00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:19,720
grasped the gospel of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

625
00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:24,360
Everything that you've heard you
can put aside if you have not 

626
00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:28,480
first confirmed your 
understanding and your decision 

627
00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:32,160
about the person and the work of
Jesus Christ. 

628
00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:38,400
The most important question in 
this life is who is Jesus 

629
00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:44,360
Christ? 
And the next one is who is he to

630
00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:48,920
you? 
Who is Jesus Christ and who is 

631
00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:52,120
he to you? 
Or do you know him? 

632
00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:55,800
Do you know Him? 
So let me remind you that you 

633
00:38:55,800 --> 00:39:00,880
are not a bag of skin stuffed 
with meat. 

634
00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:04,960
You're not the result of some 
combustion in the universe. 

635
00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:09,480
And all this order just happened
by chance and now you live to 

636
00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:12,160
just make enough money so that 
you can go on two or three 

637
00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:17,320
vacations a year, try not to get
sick and to live the longest and

638
00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:23,520
embrace death with a 70 year 
resume of pleasure and joy and 

639
00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:25,120
memories. 
That's not the reason why you're

640
00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:27,040
here. 
You are created in the image of 

641
00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:29,520
God. 
You have been created by God, 

642
00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:33,240
and you've been created to walk 
with God and know your God, 

643
00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:36,560
fellowship with your God. 
But something happened in the 

644
00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:39,920
early phases of creation. 
The very first ones who were 

645
00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:44,080
created had a choice to either 
obey God and remain in that 

646
00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:47,880
relationship with Him, or 
disobey God and fracture that 

647
00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:50,000
relationship, and they chose the
latter. 

648
00:39:52,160 --> 00:39:56,000
They chose to sin, and in 
sinning they created a problem 

649
00:39:56,080 --> 00:39:59,360
for the rest of humanity, a 
problem that you and I are very 

650
00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:04,120
familiar with. 
Why is it that we do evil? 

651
00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:05,840
Why is it that we hurt each 
other? 

652
00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:09,560
Why is it that we are attracted 
to perversions and selfishness 

653
00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:13,320
and lying and immorality? 
Where did that come from? 

654
00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:17,600
Why is there not one part of the
world, one culture, that is not 

655
00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:22,920
infected with this issue? 
It's because we have all been 

656
00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:27,800
tainted by sin. 
We all have a disposition to 

657
00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:30,840
rebel. 
And if it's not for the common 

658
00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:34,440
grace of God that provides 
restrictions in this life, 

659
00:40:34,440 --> 00:40:37,920
including your conscience that 
says this is good and this is 

660
00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:39,360
bad, by the way, where did that 
come from? 

661
00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:44,360
Goo in the universe? 
Apparently if we didn't have a 

662
00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:49,040
government that exercises the 
sword, we didn't have families 

663
00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:53,720
that are meant to train us, this
world would go wild. 

664
00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:57,160
And one day it will in the great
tribulation. 

665
00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:02,720
So we are all sinful beings. 
And because of that, in light of

666
00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:05,720
the holiness of God, we all 
deserve the wrath of God. 

667
00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:07,840
We all deserve to be judged by 
God. 

668
00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:11,480
We all deserve to be swept into 
eternal wrath. 

669
00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:15,120
You say, well, I'm not that bad 
of a person, perhaps in 

670
00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:18,480
comparison to your neighbor, but
in light of the holiness of God,

671
00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:21,760
you and I are filthy. 
Filthy. 

672
00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:28,920
Somebody gave this wonderful 
illustration of driving by and 

673
00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:34,080
her daily routine to work. 
She was in a rural area and she 

674
00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:36,600
would always see these sheep, 
these fluffy clouds with little 

675
00:41:36,600 --> 00:41:39,240
black legs, right? 
And they seem to stand out in 

676
00:41:39,240 --> 00:41:43,040
those grassy hills. 
They seem to just be a little, 

677
00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:46,760
you know, bots of white and they
would always get her attention 

678
00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:48,640
as she would drive by. 
But when it came to the winter 

679
00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:52,120
time, those see same sheep that 
seemed to stand out to see so 

680
00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:55,520
clean and pure because of the 
whiteness of the snow, they 

681
00:41:55,520 --> 00:41:59,000
didn't seem so white anymore. 
She saw the imperfections and 

682
00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:03,040
the blotchiness and and the 
insects even that's just a 

683
00:42:03,040 --> 00:42:06,440
simple illustration of us and 
our righteousness. 

684
00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:07,920
Yeah. 
Compared to each other, we may 

685
00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:10,880
seem good, but once you stand in
the backroom of God's holiness, 

686
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:14,480
we stand out. 
We stand out. 

687
00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:16,040
So don't compare yourself to 
your neighbor. 

688
00:42:16,240 --> 00:42:18,920
Don't compare yourself to the 
criminals on the nightly news. 

689
00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:22,760
Compare yourself to God and 
things will change in yourself 

690
00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:25,320
estimation. 
So what does that mean? 

691
00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:27,400
That's the bad news. 
The bad news is that God is 

692
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:31,720
good. 
That's bad because in His 

693
00:42:31,720 --> 00:42:35,240
goodness and His Holiness, He 
will not allow sin to run 

694
00:42:35,240 --> 00:42:38,280
rampant without it colliding 
with His justice. 

695
00:42:39,120 --> 00:42:41,720
So people say, oh, well, if God 
is good, why doesn't He deal 

696
00:42:41,720 --> 00:42:44,000
with all this evil in the world?
Do you understand the 

697
00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:47,200
implications of that? 
If God is good, which He is 

698
00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:49,480
good, and you wanted to deal 
with the evil in this world, 

699
00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:51,640
guess who he has to deal with? 
You. 

700
00:42:51,640 --> 00:42:55,680
What do you think evil comes 
from the thin air? 

701
00:42:55,680 --> 00:42:57,920
No, no, no, no, no. 
According to the Bible, it comes

702
00:42:57,920 --> 00:42:59,960
from the sewage of your heart 
and mind. 

703
00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:02,720
That's where it comes from. 
That's the source of it. 

704
00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:06,520
God is good, which is a 
terrifying thing if we think 

705
00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:08,640
about his justice. 
But God is good in that he is 

706
00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:12,720
also love. 
And so though this world is a 

707
00:43:12,720 --> 00:43:19,640
cesspool of evil and iniquity 
and hatred, the Lord, the Lord 

708
00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:23,120
of hosts, looks down in this 
creation, looks down on those 

709
00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:25,520
that are created in his image 
that says I want them. 

710
00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:29,960
I want to restore my 
relationship with them. 

711
00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:34,680
I want to redeem them. 
I want to take them and not just

712
00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:38,000
justify them, but sanctify them 
and one day glorify them. 

713
00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:43,680
I God wanted to us in his love 
so greatly that not only does he

714
00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:46,600
save your soul, your spirit, He 
actually is going to redeem your

715
00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:48,040
body. 
Do you understand that? 

716
00:43:48,400 --> 00:43:52,960
This same body that did horrible
things that hurt so many people,

717
00:43:53,040 --> 00:43:56,960
that's hurt even myself, even 
this body that was once tainted,

718
00:43:57,160 --> 00:43:58,760
God says I'm going to even 
redeem that. 

719
00:43:59,840 --> 00:44:02,240
That's why your body will be 
resurrected as a testament of 

720
00:44:02,240 --> 00:44:04,360
the God's glory and wanting to 
save all of you. 

721
00:44:04,960 --> 00:44:07,600
How did he do it? 
Did he sweep your sin underneath

722
00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:09,040
the rug? 
Did he say, you know what, let's

723
00:44:09,040 --> 00:44:11,440
just forget about all this and 
let's just move on together? 

724
00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:15,320
No, He's too holy for that. 
God in his great love takes on 

725
00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:21,080
human flesh, enters into this 
world in the person of Jesus 

726
00:44:21,080 --> 00:44:27,840
Christ, and he walks a perfect 
life, free from sin, free from 

727
00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:30,160
from anything. 
Even his imaginations were holy.

728
00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:37,200
No deceit found on his tongue. 
Not a hint of wrong was found in

729
00:44:37,200 --> 00:44:40,760
him. 
And that was necessary because 

730
00:44:40,760 --> 00:44:45,680
this perfect one would die. 
How could a perfect one die? 

731
00:44:47,080 --> 00:44:51,240
He died voluntarily. 
He died in your place. 

732
00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:55,120
You know, it's amazing. 
I I used to go evangelizing on 

733
00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:57,280
the streets and one of my go to 
things was to find people who 

734
00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:00,360
had crossed necklaces or cross 
tattoos. 

735
00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:03,440
And I would go up there and be 
like, I love your necklace and 

736
00:45:03,440 --> 00:45:04,720
say, oh, thanks. 
Yeah. 

737
00:45:05,080 --> 00:45:06,680
Was it a gift? 
Yeah. 

738
00:45:06,720 --> 00:45:08,960
Yeah, it was a gift, You know, 
So, you know, my girlfriend gave

739
00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:10,160
it to me something like 
wonderful. 

740
00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:15,360
I said when were you born again?
And you should see their faces. 

741
00:45:17,160 --> 00:45:19,720
You know, the cross has become 
fashion these days. 

742
00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:25,400
It's been romanticized. 
Do you understand what it means 

743
00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:27,800
for Jesus Christ to have died on
a cross? 

744
00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:32,080
Have you ever thought about 
that? 

745
00:45:32,920 --> 00:45:35,000
Or do you just put it on your 
skin and put it on a shirt 

746
00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:39,480
because it looks cool? 
He died on the cross, laying his

747
00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:41,200
own life. 
Because you deserve to be on 

748
00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:44,160
that cross. 
And more than just a cross, you 

749
00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:47,200
deserve to experience the 
eternal judgement of God. 

750
00:45:48,320 --> 00:45:52,000
And instead of you experiencing 
that, Christ, the Son of God 

751
00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:58,040
gets on that cross and drinks 
every drop of judgment that was 

752
00:45:58,040 --> 00:46:02,960
aimed for you. 
And as he hung there, suspended 

753
00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:07,360
between heaven and earth, 
because of his person, because 

754
00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:11,440
of who he is, he satisfied the 
righteous demands of God. 

755
00:46:13,240 --> 00:46:14,840
But he didn't remain on that 
cross. 

756
00:46:14,840 --> 00:46:16,760
He was buried. 
And he didn't remain buried, He 

757
00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:19,000
rose again. 
Do you realize what it means for

758
00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:20,880
Jesus Christ to rise from the 
dead? 

759
00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:27,520
Jesus Christ rose from the dead 
as a signal of God the Father's 

760
00:46:27,720 --> 00:46:33,600
Amen for His sacrifice. 
I approve that this sacrifice 

761
00:46:33,720 --> 00:46:38,600
satisfies my wrath, and Christ 
ascends into heaven in victory. 

762
00:46:38,720 --> 00:46:42,080
He is today seated at the right 
hand of God, and one day He is 

763
00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:45,440
coming back. 
Are you ready to meet Him? 

764
00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:51,840
How Are you ready to meet Him? 
Here's the gospel than realizing

765
00:46:51,840 --> 00:46:56,400
what Christ has done for your 
sin, you humbly realize that you

766
00:46:56,400 --> 00:46:59,120
are the Sinner, that your sin 
place them on the cross. 

767
00:46:59,240 --> 00:47:01,600
But you also recognize that he 
made a payment for you. 

768
00:47:01,800 --> 00:47:05,560
And so you say, if this is what 
my sin has done, I repent from 

769
00:47:05,560 --> 00:47:07,640
it. 
And if he has purchased my 

770
00:47:07,640 --> 00:47:12,560
forgiveness, I receive it. 
So you receive a gift. 

771
00:47:12,680 --> 00:47:16,800
You embrace this gift. 
And now upon that confession, 

772
00:47:17,080 --> 00:47:21,360
the Bible tells us that you are 
in that moment justified in the 

773
00:47:21,360 --> 00:47:25,360
sight of God, made perfect in 
the sight of God, becoming a 

774
00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:30,680
child of God, not just a 
forgiven fugitive, but a friend,

775
00:47:33,480 --> 00:47:38,560
become a son, a daughter. 
And this Jesus who died for you 

776
00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:44,120
now can claim you. 
And after you confess that after

777
00:47:44,120 --> 00:47:45,400
you. 
If you're sitting here today and

778
00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:47,880
you've never made that 
confession, listen to me very 

779
00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:50,040
carefully. 
If you make that confession and 

780
00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:54,280
say I'm a Sinner and I repent 
and I believe that this Jesus 

781
00:47:54,280 --> 00:47:58,440
Christ of Nazareth is indeed God
who came in his love to rescue 

782
00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:01,000
me from my sin. 
In my judgment, the moment you 

783
00:48:01,000 --> 00:48:04,360
make that confession, you will 
know something of a supernatural

784
00:48:04,360 --> 00:48:07,200
transaction where there's a 
burden that's rolled off your 

785
00:48:07,200 --> 00:48:10,920
shoulder and your heart now is 
changed and there is a deposit 

786
00:48:10,920 --> 00:48:15,920
of new affections. 
And then now the same God who 

787
00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:20,880
saves you indwells you by His 
Spirit, and he walks with you 

788
00:48:20,880 --> 00:48:26,520
day by day on this journey of 
transforming you and chiseling 

789
00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:30,080
you and convicting you and 
comforting you so that you can 

790
00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:33,320
look more and more like Him. 
Until the day he calls you home 

791
00:48:33,600 --> 00:48:35,720
and he says the journey is now 
done. 

792
00:48:35,920 --> 00:48:41,040
Let's make you like me forever. 
Have you made a conscious 

793
00:48:41,040 --> 00:48:45,520
decision where you have bend the
knee and accepted this Jesus 

794
00:48:45,520 --> 00:48:50,080
Christ as your Lord and Savior? 
If you have not, give me the 

795
00:48:50,080 --> 00:48:53,880
reason why. 
Like persuade me why you think 

796
00:48:53,880 --> 00:48:57,360
this is not good. 
Tell me what's better than 

797
00:48:57,360 --> 00:49:00,120
knowing that the God who made 
you, who could have easily 

798
00:49:00,120 --> 00:49:03,320
judged you and been totally 
justified in doing so, instead 

799
00:49:03,560 --> 00:49:08,160
wants you, and so he pays a high
price to save you? 

800
00:49:10,240 --> 00:49:12,560
You're going to tell me today 
that you're going to swat away 

801
00:49:12,560 --> 00:49:16,960
that invitation. 
That's remarkable to me. 

802
00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:21,440
So today I want to give you the 
invitation, an invitation unlike

803
00:49:21,440 --> 00:49:24,520
any other invitation that if you
accept, it doesn't matter what 

804
00:49:24,520 --> 00:49:26,360
else you experience in this 
life, you have reached the 

805
00:49:26,360 --> 00:49:29,600
treasure of all treasures. 
You've reached the joy of all 

806
00:49:29,600 --> 00:49:35,040
joys. 
Repent and belief in this moment

807
00:49:35,040 --> 00:49:37,400
right now. 
In God's Providence, he allowed 

808
00:49:37,400 --> 00:49:41,280
you to come to this conference 
this year, on this night, more 

809
00:49:41,280 --> 00:49:46,080
importantly, to hear the gospel 
and for you to be saved. 

810
00:49:47,080 --> 00:49:50,840
I'm making an invitation for you
to give your life to Jesus 

811
00:49:50,840 --> 00:49:52,400
Christ. 
So what does it take? 

812
00:49:52,680 --> 00:49:54,720
What does it take for me? 
Here's what I'm telling you. 

813
00:49:54,720 --> 00:49:57,800
You acknowledge your sin and you
give that sin over in 

814
00:49:57,800 --> 00:49:59,680
repentance. 
And you say, Lord, now forgive 

815
00:49:59,680 --> 00:50:03,080
me, please forgive me and he 
will forgive you. 

816
00:50:03,840 --> 00:50:05,520
You don't need to jump through 
any other hoop. 

817
00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:08,840
You need to memorize a certain 
decree or or creed. 

818
00:50:09,120 --> 00:50:10,840
It's just you hearing this 
truth. 

819
00:50:11,040 --> 00:50:13,280
I understand that comes from 
this book and then you 

820
00:50:13,280 --> 00:50:15,680
responding to it and listen to 
this. 

821
00:50:15,680 --> 00:50:18,480
I'm ending it here. 
If you refuse to respond to it 

822
00:50:18,840 --> 00:50:21,760
and remain neutral in your own 
mind, you've already responded 

823
00:50:21,760 --> 00:50:23,640
to it. 
You've rejected it. 

824
00:50:24,400 --> 00:50:26,960
I have nothing personally to 
gain for you to say yes to 

825
00:50:26,960 --> 00:50:28,960
Christ. 
You have everything to gain and 

826
00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:30,440
everything to lose. 
I don't. 

827
00:50:30,440 --> 00:50:34,040
I like like we don't keep a 
scorecard at our church. 

828
00:50:35,240 --> 00:50:37,760
We don't go and figure out who 
made a superficial answer. 

829
00:50:38,000 --> 00:50:39,960
In fact, many times when people 
come to Christ, we don't ever 

830
00:50:39,960 --> 00:50:41,800
realize that until months or 
years later. 

831
00:50:42,720 --> 00:50:45,280
What's mattering more is your 
name being written in the Lamb's

832
00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:47,480
book of life. 
That's what matters more than 

833
00:50:47,480 --> 00:50:50,160
anything else. 
This is listen, this is between 

834
00:50:50,160 --> 00:50:52,440
you and God. 
This is not between you and 

835
00:50:52,440 --> 00:50:56,400
Maranatha Conference and Jesus. 
It's you and Jesus Christ, 

836
00:50:56,880 --> 00:50:59,040
believer, I'm going to make this
invitation as I make an 

837
00:50:59,040 --> 00:51:00,920
invitation for people who are 
lost to be saved. 

838
00:51:01,120 --> 00:51:03,840
Would you take those little 
snippets of Paul's affection to 

839
00:51:03,840 --> 00:51:08,440
say, Lord, widen my heart. 
Let me leave Maranatha 2024 with

840
00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:12,080
a greater set of affections for 
you, your people, and everything

841
00:51:12,080 --> 00:51:13,640
in between. 
Let's bow our heads and thank 

842
00:51:13,640 --> 00:51:21,150
the Lord. 
Lord, we thank you for this 

843
00:51:21,150 --> 00:51:23,750
evening. 
We thank you that you've allowed

844
00:51:23,750 --> 00:51:26,870
us to come, not just to receive 
from your word, instruction and 

845
00:51:26,870 --> 00:51:29,520
guidance and insight, but Lord, 
you've allowed us to be 

846
00:51:29,520 --> 00:51:33,280
refreshed by the gospel itself. 
And so we just pray even now 

847
00:51:33,280 --> 00:51:36,320
that for the person here who has
maybe heard this 100 times or 

848
00:51:36,320 --> 00:51:40,080
maybe for the first time, we ask
that they would not ignore the 

849
00:51:40,080 --> 00:51:41,960
conviction that may be in their 
hearts. 

850
00:51:42,360 --> 00:51:44,840
Instead, Lord, we pray that this
would be the moment that they 

851
00:51:44,840 --> 00:51:47,320
would give their lives over to 
the one who gave them life to 

852
00:51:47,320 --> 00:51:49,640
begin with. 
We pray, Lord, for every other 

853
00:51:49,640 --> 00:51:52,240
believer here, understanding 
that we might be weary in the 

854
00:51:52,240 --> 00:51:56,240
flesh, but give us enough energy
now to simply speak to you and 

855
00:51:56,240 --> 00:51:58,920
say, Lord, sanctify me 
completely. 

856
00:51:59,080 --> 00:52:01,840
There's any corner of my life 
that needs to be conformed to 

857
00:52:01,840 --> 00:52:04,160
you. 
Please, Lord, if I love the 

858
00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:07,400
world in a degree, in a way that
is not right and befitting of 

859
00:52:07,400 --> 00:52:10,840
me, Lord, change that love for a
love for you and the things of 

860
00:52:10,840 --> 00:52:13,160
God. 
I cannot do what you've called 

861
00:52:13,160 --> 00:52:15,040
me to do unless you change my 
desires. 

862
00:52:15,200 --> 00:52:18,720
So, Lord, I come to you, the God
of peace, and I ask that you 

863
00:52:18,720 --> 00:52:21,680
sanctify me completely. 
We ask these things in the 

864
00:52:21,680 --> 00:52:26,600
mighty, glorious living name of 
Jesus Christ, Amen and Amen. 

865
00:52:27,160 --> 00:52:34,800
If you need to give your life to
Jesus Christ, I will be standing

866
00:52:34,800 --> 00:52:36,360
there. 
If you want to do that on your 

867
00:52:36,360 --> 00:52:38,080
own, good. 
You don't have to go through any

868
00:52:38,080 --> 00:52:40,080
person. 
You can go directly to him, but 

869
00:52:40,080 --> 00:52:44,000
if you need questions answered, 
if you need prayer for specific 

870
00:52:44,000 --> 00:52:47,440
things, whatever it may be to 
help assist you to come closer 

871
00:52:47,440 --> 00:52:49,880
to him. 
It would be my great privilege 

872
00:52:49,880 --> 00:52:52,800
and honor to help you come a 
little closer to the Savior. 

873
00:52:53,120 --> 00:52:56,360
I'll be standing right there and
the praise team will be singing.

874
00:52:56,560 --> 00:53:01,080
Believers sing, pray, seek the 
Lord, thank him, and God will be

875
00:53:01,080 --> 00:53:02,240
glorified. 
Let's do it. 

876
00:53:02,240 --> 00:53:32,700
Thank you, praise team. 
Amazing Grace, how sweet the 

877
00:53:32,740 --> 00:53:44,400
sound. 
I save the Reds like we I was 

878
00:53:44,440 --> 00:53:56,560
was lost but I was fine. 
But now I see Twas grace. 

879
00:53:58,120 --> 00:54:09,160
Twas grace that taught my heart 
fear and raise my fears. 

880
00:54:09,320 --> 00:54:23,320
Really I should say that I grace
to fear me. 

881
00:54:23,440 --> 00:54:29,160
I I first feel me. 
My chains are gone, my chains 

882
00:54:29,800 --> 00:54:33,080
are gone. 
I've been saved. 

883
00:54:35,760 --> 00:54:48,920
My God, my Savior has where I 
saw me and light up his mercy 

884
00:54:49,560 --> 00:54:58,000
reigns my landing hands. 
Amazing race 

885
00:55:11,160 --> 00:55:15,960
the world has come it is good to
me. 

886
00:55:18,760 --> 00:55:32,160
Here's where my home secures 
here and am my sheep and person 

887
00:55:34,320 --> 00:55:49,000
as long as life is my chains are
gone, I've been to every night. 

888
00:55:49,240 --> 00:55:59,440
God my Savior has ransomed me 
and I come on. 

889
00:55:59,800 --> 00:56:09,240
His mercy reigns on everything. 
Amazing Grace. 

890
00:56:09,360 --> 00:56:18,080
My chains are gone, my chains 
are gone, I've been set free. 

891
00:56:18,600 --> 00:56:30,720
My God, my save gone has rest on
me, and my God the His mercy 

892
00:56:32,320 --> 00:56:38,240
makes unending love amazing 
ways. 

893
00:56:43,680 --> 00:56:52,200
The earth shall soon the earth 
shall soon dissolve like snow, 

894
00:56:52,360 --> 00:57:12,080
the sun for bear to shine by. 
God, who called will be forever 

895
00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:24,200
will you will be forever. 
You are mine. 

896
00:57:25,680 --> 00:57:39,480
You are forever. 
Do you remember when you were 

897
00:57:39,480 --> 00:57:41,000
born again? 
Do you remember when you were 

898
00:57:41,000 --> 00:57:42,000
born again? 
Yeah, I remember. 

899
00:57:42,080 --> 00:57:43,320
Do you remember when you were 
born again? 

900
00:57:43,720 --> 00:57:45,760
Do you remember? 
I remember when I was born 

901
00:57:45,760 --> 00:57:48,080
again? 
Yeah, I remember. 

902
00:57:48,080 --> 00:57:51,560
I was 20 years old, a college 
student studying creative 

903
00:57:51,560 --> 00:57:56,200
advertising in Toronto, ON. 
And what led me to Christ was 

904
00:57:56,200 --> 00:58:00,360
the misery of my sin. 
Unhinged. 

905
00:58:00,360 --> 00:58:02,600
No parental supervision. 
My parents are here, but they 

906
00:58:02,600 --> 00:58:06,360
know the story already. 
Unhinged. 

907
00:58:06,840 --> 00:58:10,600
And I thought, this is what I've
been missing out on. 

908
00:58:11,400 --> 00:58:15,840
And so I splurged in the flesh. 
But I praise God that I didn't 

909
00:58:15,840 --> 00:58:20,960
have to wait until my 40s or 50s
to have a midlife crisis. 

910
00:58:21,560 --> 00:58:26,480
I experienced it at 20 when I 
realized very early on the world

911
00:58:26,480 --> 00:58:31,960
lied to me. 
It lied to me and I just saw the

912
00:58:31,960 --> 00:58:35,440
rat race I was in and I saw how 
the chains were only getting 

913
00:58:35,440 --> 00:58:39,480
stronger and tighter around me. 
This world that promised me 

914
00:58:39,480 --> 00:58:44,680
freedom and liberty and joy 
deceived me because I'm more 

915
00:58:44,680 --> 00:58:48,600
bound than ever. 
I'm more empty than ever. 

916
00:58:48,600 --> 00:58:53,520
I'm more confused than ever and 
praise God because of my 

917
00:58:53,520 --> 00:58:56,520
upbringing. 
In that dark place, I saw a 

918
00:58:56,640 --> 00:59:00,280
flickering light. 
It was the name of Jesus. 

919
00:59:01,480 --> 00:59:05,440
And I told myself, you know 
what, let's see if what I 

920
00:59:05,440 --> 00:59:08,360
thought was actually lying to me
all my life growing up in the 

921
00:59:08,360 --> 00:59:13,560
church is actually true. 
And so I began to read my Bible 

922
00:59:13,560 --> 00:59:16,320
in the year of 2012 as a New 
Year's resolution. 

923
00:59:17,000 --> 00:59:19,240
And as I was reading it, mind 
you, I didn't know how to read 

924
00:59:19,240 --> 00:59:20,280
it. 
I don't know where to read it. 

925
00:59:20,280 --> 00:59:24,320
So I googled it, how to read the
Bible, and I still have the Word

926
00:59:24,320 --> 00:59:27,240
document told me to go to the 
Gospel of Mark. 

927
00:59:27,480 --> 00:59:31,200
So I read Mark and I remember my
advertising journal that our 

928
00:59:31,200 --> 00:59:34,400
teachers told us to always carry
In case you have any spontaneous

929
00:59:34,400 --> 00:59:37,400
ideas for a brand that you're 
working with, you need to jot it

930
00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:39,480
down. 
Your brain might forget, but 

931
00:59:39,480 --> 00:59:42,160
paper doesn't forget. 
And so all these little 

932
00:59:42,360 --> 00:59:45,000
caricatures and all these 
different ideas and slogans 

933
00:59:45,000 --> 00:59:48,680
began to be replaced with verses
from Mark saying, that's me. 

934
00:59:50,040 --> 00:59:52,480
And one of the ones that struck 
me, one of the ones that shot 

935
00:59:52,480 --> 00:59:55,280
out of that page like an arrow 
right into my soul, was when 

936
00:59:55,360 --> 00:59:57,920
Jesus looked at the Pharisees 
and he says, you honor me with 

937
00:59:57,920 --> 01:00:00,280
your lips, but your hearts are 
far from me. 

938
01:00:01,600 --> 01:00:05,080
And so that's me. 
And I had such a difficulty 

939
01:00:05,080 --> 01:00:10,040
grasping how a guy like me 
claiming to be a Christian can 

940
01:00:10,040 --> 01:00:13,320
actually converse me, even pray.
I couldn't even pray because I 

941
01:00:13,320 --> 01:00:15,720
was like, I've been 
misrepresenting you for so many 

942
01:00:15,720 --> 01:00:18,160
years. 
Do you actually want to deal 

943
01:00:18,160 --> 01:00:21,240
with me? 
And so I remember one of the 

944
01:00:21,240 --> 01:00:24,080
verses that I put on a post note
and I put it above my laptop. 

945
01:00:24,080 --> 01:00:26,440
This is still on my journey 
discovering who Christ is. 

946
01:00:26,560 --> 01:00:28,560
We're in Romans 8 when we're 
told that therefore there is now

947
01:00:28,560 --> 01:00:31,360
no condemnation for those who 
are in Christ Jesus and men that

948
01:00:31,360 --> 01:00:34,280
I rehearse that when doubts try 
to creep it, I would just look 

949
01:00:34,280 --> 01:00:38,520
up and read that verse. 
And so finally the love of Jesus

950
01:00:38,520 --> 01:00:41,120
Christ was persuading me and 
wooing me. 

951
01:00:41,120 --> 01:00:43,800
And then there was one 
particular long weekend where I 

952
01:00:43,800 --> 01:00:46,800
sensed it in my heart. 
There was no audible voice. 

953
01:00:46,800 --> 01:00:48,720
There was no manifestation of 
any kind. 

954
01:00:48,920 --> 01:00:52,000
It was just the crevice of my 
soul, the conscience that God 

955
01:00:52,000 --> 01:00:54,560
has given us. 
Where I heard this thought, you 

956
01:00:54,560 --> 01:00:59,720
cannot merely appreciate me, you
must follow me. 

957
01:01:00,200 --> 01:01:04,000
You cannot merely admire me, You
must make a decision to 

958
01:01:04,000 --> 01:01:06,920
surrender to me. 
And in that particular long 

959
01:01:06,920 --> 01:01:10,120
weekend, my, my roommate was not
there in that apartment and I 

960
01:01:10,120 --> 01:01:13,080
made a decision. 
Lord, I've tried the world. 

961
01:01:13,080 --> 01:01:16,160
It has failed me. 
I tried to do the, the worldly 

962
01:01:16,160 --> 01:01:17,760
Christianity. 
You know, we have a little bit 

963
01:01:17,760 --> 01:01:20,080
of this and from time to time 
you get a little bit of that. 

964
01:01:20,640 --> 01:01:23,080
I'm I'm sold. 
And if you're willing to forgive

965
01:01:23,080 --> 01:01:24,440
me, then I receive that 
forgiveness. 

966
01:01:24,440 --> 01:01:25,680
I don't just want forgiveness, 
though. 

967
01:01:25,680 --> 01:01:28,560
I want your Lordship take over 
my life. 

968
01:01:29,160 --> 01:01:31,960
It was a lot less sophisticated 
than how I explained it just 

969
01:01:31,960 --> 01:01:34,680
now. 
It is more snotty. 

970
01:01:37,360 --> 01:01:41,360
Can I tell you something? 
No altar call, no beautiful 

971
01:01:41,360 --> 01:01:47,320
music, no speaker. 
Just an apartment in January, 

972
01:01:47,320 --> 01:01:51,760
beginning of February, with a 
Bible and IKEA desk, with a 

973
01:01:51,760 --> 01:01:58,960
cheap lamp and a leather chair. 
But the presence of God flooding

974
01:01:58,960 --> 01:02:04,160
that room, I was born again. 
How are you born again? 

975
01:02:04,160 --> 01:02:08,760
Can I tell you how? 
When I woke up everything was 

976
01:02:08,760 --> 01:02:10,600
different. 
I mean everything. 

977
01:02:10,600 --> 01:02:13,160
I mean everything. 
Like the snow looked different, 

978
01:02:13,760 --> 01:02:18,880
the air smelt different. 
More importantly, sin looked 

979
01:02:18,880 --> 01:02:21,200
different. 
That's how I knew that was it. 

980
01:02:21,200 --> 01:02:23,160
That's how I knew. 
So the thing that I try to 

981
01:02:23,160 --> 01:02:26,680
justify and argue and enjoy now,
it was repulsive to me. 

982
01:02:26,840 --> 01:02:29,680
I don't want this. 
I don't want this. 

983
01:02:29,920 --> 01:02:32,720
I want him. 
I want to be holy. 

984
01:02:32,880 --> 01:02:35,040
If he saved me, then I want to 
live for him. 

985
01:02:37,240 --> 01:02:39,280
So nobody needed to tell me, 
read your Bible. 

986
01:02:39,840 --> 01:02:43,560
I wanted to read my Bible. 
Nobody told me you need to pray.

987
01:02:44,080 --> 01:02:46,400
I wanted to pray. 
Nobody told me. 

988
01:02:46,400 --> 01:02:48,640
Delete the junk on your 
playlist. 

989
01:02:48,840 --> 01:02:50,880
I wanted to delete the junk and 
what I was watching and 

990
01:02:50,880 --> 01:02:52,320
listening to. 
Why? 

991
01:02:52,680 --> 01:02:55,520
Because when He saves you, he 
changes your affections. 

992
01:02:56,000 --> 01:02:58,080
He changes your. 
It's supernatural, man. 

993
01:02:58,280 --> 01:03:01,080
This is not you signing up to go
to church every Sunday. 

994
01:03:01,520 --> 01:03:05,320
This is you dying and then 
coming to life in Christ. 

995
01:03:07,040 --> 01:03:11,040
How do I know if I'm born again?
You'll know, you'll know. 

996
01:03:11,160 --> 01:03:13,920
And if you don't know if you're 
born again, I would not waste a 

997
01:03:13,920 --> 01:03:18,560
moment questioning it. 
I would try to figure it out as 

998
01:03:18,560 --> 01:03:21,640
soon as possible. 
And one way you know you're born

999
01:03:21,640 --> 01:03:24,400
again is not only do you have a 
new relationship with Christ, 

1000
01:03:24,400 --> 01:03:26,280
you have a new relationship with
sin. 

1001
01:03:28,200 --> 01:03:31,080
So I want to pray in closing 
that for all the born again 

1002
01:03:31,080 --> 01:03:34,240
people in this place who have 
their own stories, that the Lord

1003
01:03:34,240 --> 01:03:38,960
would rekindle your affections 
and grow those affections for 

1004
01:03:38,960 --> 01:03:40,480
the person who is not born 
again. 

1005
01:03:40,800 --> 01:03:43,560
I'm going to pray that the Lord 
and his goodness would haunt you

1006
01:03:44,560 --> 01:03:47,920
with conviction. 
Well, I remember I prayed that 

1007
01:03:47,920 --> 01:03:49,440
for a guy. 
We were out evangelizing. 

1008
01:03:49,760 --> 01:03:52,520
There was a group of guy and he 
was a little intoxicated. 

1009
01:03:53,080 --> 01:03:55,320
And so I prayed and I said, 
Lord, I never said those words 

1010
01:03:55,320 --> 01:03:56,760
before. 
I said, Lord, I pray that you 

1011
01:03:56,760 --> 01:03:59,960
haunt him with conviction. 
And he stopped me, says, why 

1012
01:03:59,960 --> 01:04:04,240
would you pray for God to haunt 
me with conviction, man? 

1013
01:04:04,240 --> 01:04:05,600
I said, it's a good thing. 
Don't worry. 

1014
01:04:07,520 --> 01:04:09,520
I'm going to pray sincerely. 
I don't want to be too 

1015
01:04:09,520 --> 01:04:12,480
lighthearted about this. 
I'm going to pray that God in 

1016
01:04:12,480 --> 01:04:15,440
his power and that I pray, we 
all pray this, that if there's 

1017
01:04:15,440 --> 01:04:17,960
anybody in here who's not saved,
that it would be very difficult 

1018
01:04:17,960 --> 01:04:20,160
for them to remain unsaved. 
Amen. 

1019
01:04:20,280 --> 01:04:21,520
Can we pray, rejoice, let's 
pray. 

1020
01:04:21,760 --> 01:04:25,320
Lord, we thank you for reminding
us that when you saved us, 

1021
01:04:25,320 --> 01:04:27,560
you're not done with us. 
You want to change us over and 

1022
01:04:27,560 --> 01:04:30,400
over. 
So Lord, we pray that we would 

1023
01:04:30,400 --> 01:04:34,720
have this passion to see our 
lives conform to Christ even in 

1024
01:04:34,720 --> 01:04:36,640
the parts that we didn't think 
you cared about. 

1025
01:04:37,000 --> 01:04:38,640
But Lord, we also pray for the 
person here. 

1026
01:04:38,640 --> 01:04:42,080
We as believers come together 
and we pray for the soul of the 

1027
01:04:42,080 --> 01:04:43,840
one or the ones who don't know 
you. 

1028
01:04:43,840 --> 01:04:47,880
Lord, we pray that you do 
something miraculous in them and

1029
01:04:47,880 --> 01:04:50,000
that Lord, they would not leave 
this campground, they would not 

1030
01:04:50,000 --> 01:04:53,280
leave this state, they would not
go back home the same. 

1031
01:04:53,280 --> 01:04:56,760
We've done our part, we've sang,
we've prayed, we've preached. 

1032
01:04:56,760 --> 01:04:59,600
But Lord, we commit the 
supernatural to you, and we ask 

1033
01:04:59,600 --> 01:05:01,560
that you would do it. 
And whether we hear it on this 

1034
01:05:01,560 --> 01:05:05,000
side of heaven or not, we pray 
that these souls would be met in

1035
01:05:05,000 --> 01:05:07,960
heaven and that we would be able
to recognize that from Maranatha

1036
01:05:07,960 --> 01:05:11,720
2024 you did a work that 
glorified you. 

1037
01:05:12,720 --> 01:05:14,440
So we love you and we thank you 
for this evening. 

1038
01:05:14,440 --> 01:05:17,840
We bless your name in Jesus 
name, Amen, and Amen and Amen. 

1039
01:05:17,960 --> 01:05:20,200
You may be seated for a moment 
as you receive some instructions

1040
01:05:20,200 --> 01:05:21,920
for the rest of this evening.