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Well, welcome. 
Welcome to Maranatha Conference,

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Shabiba, all that you want to 
call it Year #25. 

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Yes, Amen. 
My first time here was in 2014, 

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and I have to, I have to be 
honest from the beginning that I

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don't remember a more awake, 
passionate, excited opening 

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service than this one tonight. 
Yeah, man, yeah, that's that's 

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how my person. 
You might disagree, but that's 

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what I sensed. 
So I'm excited, and I also want 

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to let you know from the 
beginning that because you chose

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to come here and I I pray and 
trust that you came here for the

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Lord primarily, the Lord will 
reward you, because when we do 

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seek Him, He does bless us. 
And so you're you're not wasting

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your time. 
This weekend you didn't 

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sacrifice much, I'm sure. 
Maybe in the natural feels that 

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way. 
But the Lord will reward us for 

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seeking him in this way. 
And so I'm eager to see how He 

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will bless us as we seek his 
face. 

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You might have noticed these 
tshirts, the tshirt that I'm 

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wearing, tshirt that the priest 
he was wearing, some other 

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people sprinkled around. 
You might have noticed what is 

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said on the back. 
And if you don't know what's 

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said on the back, I won't turn 
around. 

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But I'll tell you, something 
greater is here, something 

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greater is here. 
Now that's not a phrase that we 

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came up with. 
That is a statement that Jesus 

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Christ himself made. 
And I want to show you in the 

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Bible very quickly where Jesus 
said it and how many times he 

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said it in the same context for 
you to see what he was trying to

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declare about himself. 
So turn with me briefly to 

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Matthew chapter 12. 
And I want you to see here 

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beginning in verse 6, Matthew 
12, Jesus was going through 

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grain fields on the Sabbath with
his disciples. 

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They were hungry. 
They began to pluck heads of 

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grain and they ate. 
And the Pharisees were there to 

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spy on Jesus. 
Try to find something wrong with

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Jesus and his followers. 
And they thought they got him 

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somewhere in these fields. 
And Jesus corrects their 

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understanding of the Sabbath, 
and he proclaims his authority 

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in this way. 
Verse six, he says to them, I 

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tell you, something greater than
the temple is here, something 

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greater than the temple is here.
That's Jesus's first statement. 

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But then you continue and you 
see in the same context as he 

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engages with the religious 
leaders. 

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In verse 41 of the same chapter,
he says the men of Nineveh will 

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rise up at the judgment with 
this generation and condemn it. 

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For they repented at the 
preaching of Jonah, and behold, 

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something greater than Jonah is 
here number two. 

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And immediately right after, in 
verse 42, Jesus gives his third 

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and final reference concerning 
himself and his superiority. 

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Where he says, the Queen of the 
South will rise up at the 

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judgment with this generation 
and condemn it. 

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For she came from the ends of 
the earth to hear the wisdom of 

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Solomon. 
And behold, something greater 

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than Solomon is here, Something 
greater than the Temple is here,

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Something greater than Jonah is 
here, something greater than 

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Solomon is here. 
Now, out of all the things that 

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Christ could have referred 
himself to, out of all the 

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things that Christ could have 
referenced, why these three 

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identities? 
Why these three realms, so to 

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speak? 
Well, for one, the Jew would 

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have understood very well what 
Jesus was trying to communicate 

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by contrasting himself more than
contrasting, towering over these

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things that were highly prized 
and treasured by the people of 

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Israel. 
More specifically, what Christ 

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is trying to say is that he is 
the fulfillment of the three 

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great offices that were in 
operation during the Old 

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Covenant. 
And so by saying that he was 

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greater than the temple, he's 
actually declaring that his 

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priesthood is more significant 
and more effective that his 

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offering as a High priest 
pleases. 

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God satisfies his justice, 
satisfies his demands, and makes

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a one time offering that never 
has to be repeated and seals 

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your salvation forever. 
Something greater than the 

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temple is here a greater priest,
and that priest is also the 

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sacrifice. 
Something greater than Jonah is 

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here. 
Here's Christ expressing that he

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occupies the office of the 
prophet. 

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And not only was he sent by the 
Father to proclaim the word of 

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God, he is the perfect 
expression and the fullest 

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revelation of God. 
He is the radiance of the glory 

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of God, and he's the exact 
imprint of his nature. 

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Something greater than Jonah is 
here. 

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Yes, we understand the immediate
context is because he's going to

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perform a miracle that was 
foretold by Jonah. 

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But more than that, the office 
itself. 

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I'm the prophet of prophets. 
I am the. 

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Word of God. 
And lastly, he says something 

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greater than Solomon is here. 
Now we're talking about what? 

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What do you think it is his role
as what? 

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King. 
King. 

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And so he is declaring that he 
is king. 

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Not just king, but king of 
kings, governing not just one 

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nation, one people, but 
governing the world, the 

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universe who knows how to 
display and demonstrate perfect 

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righteousness and execute true 
justice. 

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And he also knowing how to rule 
and oversee the hearts of men 

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perfectly, perfectly, as he is 
the king of the Kingdom now and 

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will usher in that Kingdom here 
on earth, forever and ever and 

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ever. 
And so you have Jesus saying, I 

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am greater than the temple 
because I am a greater priest, 

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and I have a greater sacrifice. 
I'm I'm greater than Jonah 

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because I am the fullest 
expression. 

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Of the word of God, the nature 
of God, the character of God. 

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And I am the king of kings, the 
long-awaited son of. 

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David, who will occupy the 
throne for eternity? 

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Now, that's more than just a 
clever, crafty way of 

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interpreting Jesus's words. 
Why is it significant for us to 

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understand Jesus declaring 
himself to be superior in these 

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areas? 
Because how you view Christ will

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determine how you honor Christ. 
You see, Jesus said these things

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to his immediate audience 
because they refused to 

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acknowledge his authority. 
They reserved their repentance 

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and they would not give him the 
awe that he deserved as king. 

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None of a repented when a man 
much more inferior to Jesus gave

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a very brief sermon. 
And here's Christ who was giving

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the words of spirit and life, 
and these men hardened their 

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hearts even more. 
Solomon, as fabulous as he was, 

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was flawed in many ways. 
And here is the king who 

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beautifies wisdom, who perfects 
it, who has not one thing wrong 

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with him, and they wouldn't bow 
the knee. 

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Here's the one who did not sin, 
and they try to find sin in him,

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and he declares that he is 
greater than the temple and they

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would not acknowledge his 
position. 

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How you view Jesus Christ is the
most important thing about your 

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life. 
It's the most important thing. 

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Not your job, not your 
hairstyle, not what you do in 

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your retirement, what you study.
The most important thing about 

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your brief mist of life is how 
you perceive the. 

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Person of Jesus Christ, Jesus 
says unless you believe that I 

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am He, you will die in your sins
if you have a wrong view of 

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Christ that will determine your 
eternal destination. 

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This is not a matter of opinion.
This is not a subjective 

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sparring that we can do. 
No, it's a matter of eternal 

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life. 
How you view Christ will 

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ultimately determine where you 
spend eternity. 

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And if you if you are a person 
who says, I see him as the high 

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priest, I see him as the Word of
God Incarnate, I see him as the 

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King of Kings. 
How you view Christ will also 

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determine the depth of your 
sanctification doesn't just stop

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at you expressing your belief in
him. 

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It's ultimately you, something 
that you continue to discover 

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about him, how great he is more 
and more and more do you see and

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perceive it. 
And that has an impact and how 

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you're conformed to the very 
same image of his greatness, of 

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his moral greatness especially. 
And so how you view Christ and 

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the goal here today is we would 
need so many meetings to touch 

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on each of those components of 
his nature and of his work. 

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And so we're going to stick with
Solomon for this weekend. 

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Why Solomon personally? 
Because in reading about Solomon

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and 1st Kings a few months back,
I saw the great detail that the 

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Holy Spirit gave concerning him 
as king and his accomplishments 

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and what he was able to do and 
his abilities. 

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And what was ringing in my mind 
as I was scaling through First 

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Kings chapter 2-3 all the way up
to 10 and 11 all through that, 

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as as you were just you're just 
reading this blueprint of this 

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man's amazing capacity. 
Jesus is greater. 

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Jesus is greater. 
Jesus said I'm greater than even

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him. 
So I thought to endeavor to say,

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Okay, Lord, I know you're 
greater. 

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That's my theology, right? 
It's wrong to say that Jesus is 

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not greater. 
But show me how you're greater. 

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Let me see it. 
Let me behold it. 

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And I hope that you would behold
it with me and that you would 

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see it for yourself. 
Here's where I'll end in this 

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brief introduction. 
When we get, when we get 

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together, when this is organized
year after year, our desire is 

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many things. 
One that people who don't know 

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Christ would come to know 
Christ. 

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That happens, I believe, every 
year it's happened. 

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Or at least one person has given
their life to Christ, which is 

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amazing, right? 
To organize all that for that 

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goal is, is, is something that 
God would approve of. 

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Obviously for Saints to be 
encouraged to be built up, to 

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meet one another, to be 
refreshed in a very dark and 

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deprived world, absolutely. 
But there is a specific goal in 

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this, in this conference, at 
least in my prayers, and that is

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this, that every single person 
here. 

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Would leave with a ferocious 
desire to master. 

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The word of God, if there's 
anything that we're hoping for 

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and praying for, is that you 
would leave here with this new 

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ambition to devour the Bible for
yourself. 

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To not be content with looking 
at just some things, but to. 

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But to ask God to open your eyes
to see all that he wants to show

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you in his written word. 
And one way of being able to 

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hopefully stimulate that is to 
see how one verse can take up a 

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conference is to see how one 
statement that Jesus makes 

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Behold, something greater than 
than Solomon is here, would 

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cause you to say this word is 
inexhaustible. 

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Where does this well end? 
And I'll give you a hint it 

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doesn't. 
And that you would for the rest 

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of your days draw from this 
well, as we take Matthew 1242 

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and try to ring out as much as 
we can from it, which we won't 

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for you to say, if that's what 
can happen with one verse. 

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Lord, I want to know all that 
you have to say to me, and I 

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want to show you what's at cost.
Just one example. 

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What's at cost if you and I as 
believers do not value? 

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The word of God. 
Do not seek to know all that God

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has said. 
At least familiarize yourself 

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with it. 
Let me give you an example. 

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Turn with me to Luke 24, Luke 24
and go to verse 13 says here in 

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Luke 2413 that very day. 
Two of them. 

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We're going to a village named 
Emmaus, about 7 miles from 

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Jerusalem, and they were talking
with each other about all these 

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things that had happened. 
While they were talking and 

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discussing together, Jesus 
himself drew near and went with 

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them, but their eyes were kept 
from recognizing him. 

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And he said to them, what is 
this conversation that you were 

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holding with each other as you 
walk? 

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And they stood still, looking 
sad. 

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And one of them, named Cleopas, 
answered him. 

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Are you the only visitor to 
Jerusalem who does not know the 

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things that have happened there 
in these days? 

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And he said them want things. 
And they set them concerning 

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Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was
a prophet, mighty indeed, and 

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word before God and all the 
people, and how our chief 

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priests and rulers delivered him
up to be condemned to death and 

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crucified him. 
But we had hoped that he was the

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one to redeem Israel. 
Yes. 

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And besides all this, it is now 
the third day since these things

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happened. 
We have two sad disciples 

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walking towards Emmaus. 
Jesus camouflages himself. 

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Does it make himself known? 
How true is it that as you're 

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walking, Christ doesn't 
necessarily show himself all the

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time He camouflages himself and 
he. 

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He wants to hear. 
He already knew their 

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conversation, but he wanted them
to open up and see what was the 

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reason for their sadness. 
And they do they they open up 

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and they say are you? 
Did you just walk in here? 

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Did you not hear the news is 
everybody knows what just 

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happened. 
This mighty prophet that we were

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hoping was a fulfillment of the 
prophets. 

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He disappointed us. 
They killed them and our hopes 

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are dashed. 
Now here's Jesus inquiring the 

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source of their sorrow. 
Now, what would what would you 

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do if if you were a pastor? 
You probably put your arm around

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these these disciples, say it's 
okay, and try to comfort them 

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and try to give some kind of 
assistance to their heavy 

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hearts. 
Here's what Jesus does verse 25.

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And he said to them, Oh, foolish
ones. 

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That seems kind of insensitive, 
doesn't it? 

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Oh, foolish ones. 
I have a feeling that you're not

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going to get that inseminary for
your counseling course, but this

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is Jesus. 
His ways are perfect, he said to

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them. 
Oh, foolish ones, Let me say it 

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one more time. 
Rebuke is necessary sometimes in

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the Christian walk, oh foolish 
ones, and slow of heart, to 

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believe all that the prophets 
have spoken. 

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Was it not necessary that the 
Christ should suffer these 

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things and enter into his glory?
What is Christ getting at here? 

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He's diagnosing the real source 
of their problems. 

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The source of the problems is 
not that they believed the right

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things and what they believed 
did not come to pass. 

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It was that they did not believe
everything. 

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They were ignorant of all that 
the prophets had spoken. 

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Either they were willfully and 
selectively interpreting the 

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word of God, or they were 
negligent, and that is their 

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responsibility. 
Nonetheless, look what Jesus 

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says carefully, oh foolish ones,
slow of heart, to believe all 

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all that the prophets have 
spoken. 

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You believed some you're 
familiar with a fraction. 

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Your heart was drawn to the 
political Messiah, the Redeemer 

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of the oppression from foreign 
nations, the prosperity that was

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once known under Solomon's 
reign. 

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Perhaps this is what you were 
drawing, and that was a that was

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a common problem for all the 
Jews. 

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Some people are sympathetic 
towards the Pharisees because 

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they thought, well, maybe maybe 
the word of God was a little bit

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complicated, and that's why they
didn't understand all that Jesus

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said. 
That's not true. 

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And that's that's that's what we
see here with Christ. 

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He blames them. 
The scriptures were clear. 

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You just chose to turn your eyes
away from all that God had to 

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say. 
About myself and I think the 

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problem for the Jews is the 
problem of many Christians 

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today. 
Let me put it this way. 

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There is much confusion, 
frustration, depression, dare I 

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say, and all these spiritual 
maladies based on one main 

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thing, a bad spiritual diet 
with. 

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The word of God. 
What's the reason why they were 

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sad? 
Jesus made it clear you didn't 

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take in all that God said. 
Just some, not all. 

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And we look across the lens and 
we see perhaps very weak 

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Christians. 
We see people who are 

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frustrated, people who are 
roller coaster with their 

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devotion. 
And I would say that the main 

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cause is the very same reason 
what Jesus brings up here. 

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A lack of willingness to embrace
all that God has to say, a lack 

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of willingness to investigate 
all that God has to say. 

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And because of that, there is 
weakness where there doesn't 

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need to be weakness. 
And there was sadness where 

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there doesn't need to be 
sadness, and there's brokenness 

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where there doesn't need to be 
brokenness, and there's fear 

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where there doesn't need to be 
fear. 

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The word of God is the answer. 
Say prove it. 

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Look what Jesus does. 
How does he solve this? 

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How does he treat this wound? 
Verse 27 This is what Pastor 

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Jesus does. 
And beginning with Moses and all

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the prophets, he interpreted to 
them and all the scriptures the 

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things concerning himself. 
How does the Lord treat their 

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00:18:23,430 --> 00:18:26,350
sadness? 
He opens the scriptures to them 

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because he knew that the reason 
why they were sad is because 

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00:18:30,310 --> 00:18:33,710
they didn't open up all the 
scriptures for themselves. 

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And so let us save ourselves 
from unnecessary pain and seek 

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00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,280
to know all that God has to say.
That's my prayer. 

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00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:45,880
That's my desire. 
And I hope that's your desire 

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00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:48,960
for yourself as well, that you 
would leave this place excited 

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00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:53,280
to know that God speaks through 
this and that something happens.

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00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:57,360
The more you discover, the more 
you inherit, the more that you 

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glean something happens to you. 
Let me prove it to you. 

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This is my last verse. 
And James, this is one of my 

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00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:05,760
favorite verses concerning the 
power. 

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Of the word of God. 
I quoted often, so forgive me if

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you're hearing it again in such 
a short span of time. 

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00:19:11,500 --> 00:19:14,180
Look at these words from James 
and James, Chapter One. 

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00:19:17,820 --> 00:19:20,540
And this was where we will sign 
off for this introduction. 

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00:19:20,900 --> 00:19:25,540
James one and look here with me 
in verse verse 21. 

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00:19:27,940 --> 00:19:32,180
James 121 therefore put away all
filthiness and rampant 

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00:19:32,180 --> 00:19:36,500
wickedness and receive with 
meekness the implanted word 

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which is able to save your 
souls. 

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00:19:41,860 --> 00:19:45,500
What is significant charge? 
Receive the implanted world. 

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00:19:45,540 --> 00:19:47,660
If it's implanted, it's already 
received, isn't it? 

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What are you asking me to do, 
James? 

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00:19:50,940 --> 00:19:53,860
Continue to receive that which 
you received initially in 

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00:19:53,860 --> 00:19:57,780
salvation. 
Continue to open up your heart 

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00:19:57,780 --> 00:20:03,060
to indulge and accept and 
explore what the word of God has

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00:20:03,060 --> 00:20:06,420
to say, and notice what he says 
which is able to save your 

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00:20:06,420 --> 00:20:08,340
souls. 
He's talking to Christians. 

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00:20:08,340 --> 00:20:11,060
What do you mean, save your 
souls? 

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00:20:11,180 --> 00:20:13,580
You're already saved. 
Yeah, but there's another saving

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00:20:13,580 --> 00:20:16,740
that needs to take place. 
A continual saving, a perpetual 

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00:20:16,740 --> 00:20:19,620
delivering in your life. 
You know it, right? 

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00:20:19,820 --> 00:20:21,940
You know that when you get 
saved, you're not instantly made

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00:20:21,940 --> 00:20:24,980
perfect. 
Join a local church and you'll 

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00:20:24,980 --> 00:20:26,580
figure that out within a few 
months. 

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00:20:28,660 --> 00:20:33,300
Nobody is. 
And yet there is a promise. 

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00:20:33,300 --> 00:20:37,180
There is a guarantee that to the
degree that you expose yourself 

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00:20:37,180 --> 00:20:42,060
and receive the word of God, you
will know as saving in your own 

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00:20:42,060 --> 00:20:45,820
soul. 
From trauma, from 

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00:20:45,820 --> 00:20:50,550
disappointment, from sin, from 
wrong world views, from 

340
00:20:50,550 --> 00:20:53,990
temptation, from bondage, from 
strongholds. 

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00:20:54,190 --> 00:20:58,390
It's the word of God that saves 
and cleanses and washes and 

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00:20:58,790 --> 00:21:02,350
uproots all the things that 
perhaps you've had from the 

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00:21:02,350 --> 00:21:05,550
earliest memories of your life. 
That's the word, and that's what

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00:21:05,550 --> 00:21:07,630
it can do. 
So here's one thing that we can 

345
00:21:07,630 --> 00:21:08,670
guarantee. 
Here's one thing that you can 

346
00:21:08,670 --> 00:21:11,500
guarantee every single time you 
go to the word of God for 

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00:21:11,500 --> 00:21:13,340
yourself that you sit under the 
preach word. 

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00:21:13,460 --> 00:21:15,060
And This is why this weekend is 
excited. 

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00:21:15,060 --> 00:21:17,420
Because we have a condensed time
where you're just going to 

350
00:21:17,700 --> 00:21:20,540
receive the word of God as those
coming from a fire hydrant. 

351
00:21:22,820 --> 00:21:26,700
People are going to be saved. 
If it's received with meekness, 

352
00:21:26,860 --> 00:21:29,900
we will know it's saving. 
I'm not talking about salvation,

353
00:21:30,580 --> 00:21:32,140
I'm talking about a renewing of 
the mind. 

354
00:21:32,700 --> 00:21:34,980
I'm talking about a redirecting 
in your affections. 

355
00:21:34,980 --> 00:21:38,460
I'm talking about an empowerment
that will make you leave this 

356
00:21:38,460 --> 00:21:42,590
place stronger than you came in.
That's what the Word of God can 

357
00:21:42,590 --> 00:21:44,110
do. 
And we're going to see it 

358
00:21:44,110 --> 00:21:50,110
through Jesus saying something 
greater than Solomon is here. 

359
00:21:50,390 --> 00:21:52,830
What does that mean, Lord? 
We're going to figure it out 

360
00:21:52,830 --> 00:22:02,570
together. 
Let's pray, Father, we give you 

361
00:22:02,570 --> 00:22:05,490
glory even from the opening 
night. 

362
00:22:06,170 --> 00:22:08,290
Thank you for the joy in this 
place. 

363
00:22:08,850 --> 00:22:11,730
Thank you for the openness in 
the hearts of every soul in this

364
00:22:11,730 --> 00:22:14,210
House. 
Thank you, Lord, for people who 

365
00:22:14,210 --> 00:22:17,050
decided to take up this weekend.
Though it might be a difficult 

366
00:22:17,050 --> 00:22:22,090
weekend in the year to dedicate 
few days to be with God's people

367
00:22:22,450 --> 00:22:25,050
and to seek the God of these 
people. 

368
00:22:25,810 --> 00:22:28,730
We asked, Lord, that we would 
know the very saving that you 

369
00:22:28,730 --> 00:22:32,650
promised in James that we would 
know a new ambition to have a 

370
00:22:32,650 --> 00:22:37,410
complete grasp, a growing grasp 
with the word of God, so that we

371
00:22:37,410 --> 00:22:41,450
would be rescued from 
unnecessary sorrows. 

372
00:22:42,360 --> 00:22:45,040
And, Lord, we asked from the 
beginning that by the power of 

373
00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:50,080
your Holy Spirit you would open 
our eyes to behold how Christ, 

374
00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:53,160
your Son, is greater than that 
great man's Solomon. 

375
00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,880
It may cause us to give him the 
worship and the honor and the 

376
00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,720
praise that the King of Kings 
rightly deserves. 

377
00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:04,200
Lord, bless our hearts, our 
minds, protect us from head to 

378
00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:05,800
toe. 
Let everything about this 

379
00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:08,400
weekend, from the messages to 
the singing, to the activities 

380
00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,240
to the eating. 
May it all be led by your 

381
00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:13,650
spirit. 
May we sense your presence 

382
00:23:13,890 --> 00:23:17,010
wherever we go, for we are here 
for you above all else. 

383
00:23:17,210 --> 00:23:19,290
In Jesus name we pray. 
Amen. 

384
00:23:19,370 --> 00:23:20,450
Amen. 
Amen.