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Take your Bible, if you would, 
to the 1st or the 5th chapter of

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First Thessalonians. 
This is our 39th message in the 

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book of First Thessalonians. 
We have quite a few yet to go, 

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and so we want you to be able to
master and understand the book 

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of First Thessalonians. 
It surely revolves around 

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modeling the way. 
If you haven't been with us or 

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you have forgotten, chapter 1 is
all about the model church and 

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what the model church truly 
looks like and acts like. 

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That's in chapter 1. 
When you embark on chapter 2, 

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you begin with the model leader 
in that church. 

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And what does a model leader 
look like? 

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How does a model leader impact 
the church? 

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That was in verses 1 to 12 of 
chapter 2, and then we moved on 

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to the model follower that's in 
verse 13 of chapter 2 to the end

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of that chapter. 
What does the model follower 

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look like? 
You know as well as I do, you 

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can't be an effective leader 
unless you're an effective 

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follower. 
Great followers make great 

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leaders. 
And So what does the model 

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follower look like? 
That's at the end of Chapter 2. 

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When you come to Chapter 3, you 
embark on what we called the 

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model friend. 
What is a true friend, what they

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look like? 
That's what Chapter 3 is all 

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about. 
And then you come to Chapter 4 

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and Chapter 5. 
Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 is all 

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about the model life. 
In order to be a model friend, a

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model follower, a a model 
leader, a model church, you must

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be the kind of person that 
models the life of Christ. 

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And So what does the model life 
look like In all of chapter 4 

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and chapter 5 deal with what the
life of the believer actually 

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lives out. 
And so you begin in chapter 4 

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verse #1 with the model life 
being the life of abstinence. 

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You abstain from sexual 
immorality. 

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We spent several weeks there 
because the Lord wants us to be 

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a pure model, a holy model. 
And that's where it all begins, 

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right? 
You're instead of pardon to God 

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for his purposes. 
And so he wants a holy church. 

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And the holy church is filled 
with people who are committed to

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abstaining from sexual 
immorality and living a holy 

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life. 
So the model life is 1 of 

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abstinence. 
And then we moved on to verse #9

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of chapter 4. 
The model life is 1 of 

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aspiration, that is to to love 
abundantly and to live 

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appropriately. 
Then we moved on to verse #13 of

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chapter 4. 
And the model life was one of 

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anticipation, 1 of anticipating 
the return of Christ for His 

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church. 
And then you come to chapter 5. 

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In chapter 5, you have the model
life, which centers around the 

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word alertness. 
The model life is awake, 

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vigilant, alert, sober minded, 
clear thinking. 

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That is the model life. 
And we've spent nine weeks on 

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the 1st 3 verses of First 
Thessalonians, chapter 5. 

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We will move on to verse #4 and 
following this morning. 

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But Christ was concerned about 
this alertness among His people.

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In fact, He said in Mark's 
Gospel, the 13th chapter, these 

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words in verse 33, take heed, 
keep on the alert, for you do 

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not know when the appointed time
will come. 

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It's like a man away in a 
journey who, upon leaving his 

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house and putting his slaves in 
charge, assigning to each one 

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his task, also commanded the 
doorkeeper to stay on the alert.

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Therefore be on the alert, for 
you do not know when the master 

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of the house is coming, whether 
in the evening, at midnight or 

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when the rooster crows, or in 
the morning, in case he should 

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come suddenly and find you 
asleep. 

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But what I say to you, I say to 
all be on the alert. 

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There's something about the 
model life that screams 

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vigilance, awakeness, alertness,
and therefore Paul addresses 

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that in verses 1 to 12 of 
chapter 5. 

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Peter was saying something 
similar when he said in first 

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Peter chapter one verse #13 
Therefore prepare your minds for

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action, Keep sober in spirit, be
alert, be awake, be conscious, 

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be vigilant, fix your hope 
completely on the grace to be 

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brought to you at the revelation
of Jesus Christ. 

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Peter said the same thing in 
chapter 3 of the second Epistle 

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of Peter. 
Peter says it this way, but the 

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day of the Lord will come like a
thief, in which the heavens will

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pass away with a roar, and the 
elements will be destroyed with 

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intense heat, and the earth and 
its works will be burned up. 

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Since all these things are to be
destroyed in this way, what sort

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of people ought you to be in 
holy conduct and godliness, 

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looking for and hastening or 
looking for with a vigilant 

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spirit alert to the coming day 
of God? 

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And so Peter jumps from the day 
of the Lord to the day of God, 

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which is all very, very 
important, because we made it 

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very clear to you that when you 
look at the return of Christ, 

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you must see it from a 
broadview, a broad perspective. 

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You must look at the return of 
Christ by looking at the day of 

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Christ, the day of the Lord and 
the day of God. 

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All three are unique and 
distinct. 

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If you confuse them then you 
mess up your eschatology. 

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So you must uniquely distinguish
them one from the other. 

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The Day of Christ is about the 
rapture of the Church and the 

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reward of the Christian. 
That's First Thessalonians 

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4/13/18, living in anticipation 
of that. 

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The day of the Lord when you 
come to 1st Thessalonians 5 is 

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about the retribution of sinners
and the redemption of Israel. 

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And then when you come to the 
day of God, which is as Peter 

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says at the end of his epistle, 
and Second Peter chapter 3, the 

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day of eternity, the day of God 
and the day of eternity are one 

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of the same. 
The day of God deals with the 

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the righteous rule of the king 
for all eternity because man's 

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day is over and now it's God's 
day. 

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It's called the Day of God. 
So you must distinguish it in 

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those three things to understand
the broad scope of the return of

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the King. 
So as you go to 1st 

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Thessalonians chapter 5, he says
you need to be on the alerts 

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because it models the kind of 
life that Christ wants you to 

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have. 
And so we say that there are 

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four unique aspects to that. 
In chapter 5, verses 1 to 11 #1 

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you need to be reminded #2 need 
to be responsible #3 need to be 

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refreshed, and #4 you need to be
reliable. 

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We've covered the first one. 
Being responsible. 

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Being responsible to what? 
First of all, the times and 

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seasons and epics #2 to be 
reminded of the term, the day of

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the Lord, what it means #3 be 
reminded of the thief that comes

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in the night #4 to be reminded 
of the terror that's going to 

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come suddenly upon those and 
destroy them. 

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And then #5 to remember the 
thrill of that. 

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Because you, he says in verse #4
but you brethren, are not in 

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that darkness. 
We spent nine weeks or excuse 

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me, 8 weeks covering that 
aspect. 

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In the first three weeks, if you
weren't with us, you can go 

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back. 
You can download it from, from 

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our website. 
Listen to those sermons because 

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it's very important to know 
this. 

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Why is it important to know 
this? 

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Because you remember Paul was in
Thessalonica for three Sabbaths 

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and maybe a little bit beyond 
that before he was chased out of

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Thessalonica. 
So it wasn't there long, but 

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it's but but why he was there. 
A church was born and there were

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a few numbers of of believers 
and what he taught them 

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primarily was about the second 
coming of the Messiah. 

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That's what chapter 4 and 
chapter 5 deal with primarily. 

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And that's why every chapter 
ends with something about the 

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coming of the Christ. 
Why? 

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Because all new believers must 
understand primarily the second 

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coming of the Messiah. 
Outside of soteriology, 

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eschatology is the greatest 
doctrine to be taught, learned 

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and known. 
Because everything about today 

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resides in the blessed hope of 
the coming, the Messiah. 

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Every cure to your your mental 
issues focuses in on one thing, 

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the blessed hope, the coming, 
the Messiah. 

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Everything about your emotional 
issues is, is squelched when you

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understand the second coming, 
the Messiah. 

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Everything about your relational
issues is squelched when you 

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understand the second coming, 
the Messiah. 

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Every issue that you have in 
your physical life, in your 

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mental life, in your emotional 
life, is all seen in proper 

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perspective when you understand 
the return of the King. 

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That's everything. 
It is our blessed hope, it's 

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what we anticipate, it's what we
are alert to as model citizens 

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in God's Kingdom. 
And that's what keeps us going 

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from day-to-day, knowing that 
Jesus is coming again. 

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And so he says, be reminded, be 
reminded as to the times and 

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epics, be reminded as to the day
of the Lord. 

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In fact, he says, I don't have 
much to say to you because I've 

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already taught you this. 
Knowing that in those three 

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weeks or three weeks plus that 
he was there, that he taught 

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them about the second coming. 
He taught them about the day of 

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the Lord. 
He taught them about the return 

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of the King. 
So they would understand those 

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aspects because it would take 
them through the tribulation and

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persecution that they would 
face. 

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Read the epistles, read the 
apostle Paul. 

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What was his hope amidst all his
heart? 

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I miss all of his pain. 
I miss his shipwrecks, his snake

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bites, his imprisonments. 
It was what the blessed hope of 

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the coming of the Messiah, that 
is the answer to every one of 

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your issues. 
That is the answer. 

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Now, you might not believe that.
You might not get that. 

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I'm just telling you, the 
emphasis the Bible puts on it, 

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it is so crucial and so clear 
and so important that you can't 

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afford to neglect it. 
Why? 

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It keeps you looking above and 
not below. 

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It keeps you living in 
anticipation, and it keeps you 

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always, always focused on the 
one thing that matters, Jesus 

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Christ our Lord. 
And the reason we have the 

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issues we do is because we're 
focused on who yourself. 

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You're focused on me, my 
disappointments, my heartaches, 

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my problems, my pains. 
And so we so we become so 

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inwardly focused that we can't 
begin to even look up and see 

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Jesus is coming again. 
Whether we like it or not, we 

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are living the life of 
Ecclesiastes. 

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We're living Solomon's life. 
We're living below the sun. 

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We're not living beyond the sun.
We're living below the sun. 

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And Solomon's whole book of 
Ecclesiastes about what happens 

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to you mentally and emotionally,
physically and spiritually, when

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you live life below the sun. 
But when you live life beyond 

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the sun, everything about 
Solomon's life was different. 

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It was changed. 
That's where we need to be 

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living our lives. 
So let's move on. 

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And our outline to point #2 it's
taking us 8 weeks to get here. 

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It won't take us 8 weeks to 
finish, I promise. 

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But we want to move on to the 
point #2 not only are you to be 

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reminded of what it means to be 
alert, but you need to be 

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responsible when it comes to 
being alert. 

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And that responsibility falls 
into three key phrases. 1A 

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witness, 2A watchman, and 3A 
warrior. 

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Every person who is alert is a 
witness, a watchman, and a 

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warrior. 
Look what it says. 

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First Thessalonians 5 verse #4 
But you, brethren, are not in 

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darkness, that the day would 
overtake you like a thief, for 

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you are all sons of light and 
sons of day. 

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We are not of the night, nor of 
darkness. 

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So then let us not sleep as 
others do, but let us be alert, 

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awake, and sober. 
For those who sleep do their 

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sleeping at night, and those who
get drunk get drunk at night. 

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But since we are of the day, let
us be sober. 

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Wow, so important. 
What is he doing? 

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He is telling them about the 
responsibility be a witness, a 

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watchman and a warrior. 
He begins by telling them that 

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they are a witness. 
He says you are children of the 

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day. 
You are not children of the 

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night. 
Children of the Night Live in 

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darkness. 
Children of the day live in the 

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light. 
Children of the night who live 

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in darkness are drunk and sleep,
but children of the day who live

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in the light are alert, awake 
and sober. 

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So important. 
So he says, you, because you are

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sons of light and sons of the 
day. 

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This is who you are. 
Live this way because the alert 

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life lives responsibly because 
you're a witness. 

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Turn back to me, if you would, 
to the first chapter of the book

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of Acts. 
Let me show you how Jesus said 

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this Acts chapter one verse 6. 
So when they had come together, 

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they were asking him saying Lord
is that this time you are 

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restoring the Kingdom to Israel.
Why would they ask that 

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00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:15,920
question? 
Because he spent 40 days talking

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to them about things pertaining 
to the Kingdom. 

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You read about that earlier in 
chapter 1. 

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00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,720
So by by nature they would ask, 
well, if you're talking to us 

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about the Kingdom, when are you 
going to restore the Kingdom? 

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00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:31,400
Is now the time that you're 
going to do that? 

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00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,840
That would be the natural 
progression of thought. 

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00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:41,320
He said to them, verse 7, It's 
not for you to know the times or

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epics which the Father has fixed
by His own authority. 

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00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:48,480
In other words, it's a fixed 
time. 

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00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:52,240
The Kingdom is a fixed time, and
God by His own authority, God 

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the Father by His own authority 
has determined that fixed time. 

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00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:02,080
Now listen to what He says next.
He says, But you will receive 

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00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:07,040
power when the Holy Spirit has 
come upon you, and you shall be 

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my witnesses. 
You shall be my witnesses. 

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00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:20,400
There's something about 
Christianity and the Spirit of 

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00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:26,560
God residing within you that 
makes you into something, that 

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00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:32,160
you become something that you 
were not before you were saved. 

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00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:36,600
Yes, you are a new creation, but
you are now a witness. 

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00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:42,080
You really can't be a You can't 
go out witnessing unless you are

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a witness. 
You can't go out serving unless 

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00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:51,520
you are a servant. 
You can't go out and live 

250
00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:57,400
Christ's life unless Christ 
lives in you. 

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00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,680
You see, to be is always more 
important than to do. 

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00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:06,360
We forget that we think doing is
more important than being. 

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00:18:06,360 --> 00:18:12,080
No, no, being leads to doing. 
Who you are is the most 

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00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,840
important aspect of your life, 
and who you are is defined by 

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00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,600
the fact that you are a witness,
you are a testimony, you are a 

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00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:22,880
living light to the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

257
00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,720
So he says, when the Holy Spirit
comes upon you, listen, don't be

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00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:32,000
concerned or consumed with 
revealing me or ruling an 

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00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,560
eternity as much as you should 
be concerned about revealing me 

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00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,120
to humanity. 
That's what Jesus is saying. 

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00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:44,440
Until I come reveal me to 
humanity, you are going to be my

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00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:47,880
witnesses. 
So now Paul says in First 

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00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:52,760
Thessalonians chapter 5, you are
not of the night, you are not of

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00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,760
the darkness, you are of the 
light. 

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00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:03,640
Therefore shine bright as 
children of the light, because 

266
00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:05,400
the people in darkness need to 
know the way. 

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00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,760
So when he speaks about 
darkness, he's speaking about 

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00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:15,480
mental darkness and moral 
darkness. 

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00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:20,520
He's speaking about those who 
are ignorant of the truth and 

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00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,800
those who are not just 
indifferent to the truth, but 

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00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:28,600
immoral to the truth. 
Those are the ones in darkness. 

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00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:31,720
Now to understand this, turn 
back with me if you would, to 

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00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:37,840
John's Gospel, the 1st chapter, 
John chapter 1, John chapter one

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00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:41,640
verse #4 says in Him was life, 
and the life was the light of 

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00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,280
men. 
The light shines in the 

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00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:48,720
darkness, and the darkness did 
not comprehend it. 

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00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:56,040
Christ is the light of life, but
those in the darkness did not 

278
00:19:56,040 --> 00:20:00,760
comprehend it. 
Go to chapter 3, verse #19 This 

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00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,800
is the judgment that light is 
coming to the world, and men 

280
00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:06,640
love the darkness rather than 
light, for their deeds were 

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00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,400
evil. 
For everyone who does evil hates

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00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:15,120
the light, and does not come to 
the light for fear that his 

283
00:20:15,120 --> 00:20:19,720
deeds will be exposed. 
You ever wonder why the friend 

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00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:23,720
of yours, the family member of 
yours, the person you're sharing

285
00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,600
Christ with, does not embrace 
Christianity? 

286
00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:30,000
It's because they love the 
darkness. 

287
00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:35,760
They love their sin. 
They do not love the light and 

288
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,880
they love the sin so much is 
because they don't want to have 

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00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:45,720
their sin exposed to the light, 
so they don't come to the light.

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00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:54,960
And then over in chapter chapter
8, he says these words I am the 

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00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:58,040
light of the world. 
Verse 12 He who follows me will 

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00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:05,560
not walk in the darkness, but 
will have the light of life. 

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00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:10,480
He who follows me will not be in
the darkness, but will be in the

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00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:13,320
light. 
This is how John says it over in

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00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:18,200
first John. 
First John chapter 1 He says 

296
00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,800
these words. 
Verse 5 This is the message we 

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00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,760
have heard from him and 
announced to you, that God is 

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00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,480
light, and in Him there is no 
darkness at all. 

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00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,120
If we say that we have 
fellowship with Him and yet walk

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00:21:31,120 --> 00:21:36,040
in the darkness, we lie and do 
not practice the truth. 

301
00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:41,360
But if we walk in the light as 
He Himself is in the light, we 

302
00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:44,720
have fellowship with one 
another, and the blood of Jesus 

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00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:47,800
his Son cleanses us from all 
sin. 

304
00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:54,080
Look what it says over in first 
John chapter 2 verse #9 The one 

305
00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:59,960
who says he is in the light and 
yet hates his brother is in the 

306
00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:01,120
darkness. 
Until now. 

307
00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:06,800
The one who loves his brother 
abides in the light and there is

308
00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:11,000
no cause for stumbling in him. 
But the one who hates his 

309
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:18,000
brother is in the darkness and 
walks in the darkness and does 

310
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:23,400
not know where he is going 
because the darkness has blinded

311
00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:28,400
his eyes. 
So John makes it very clear. 

312
00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:32,720
Paul makes it very clear that 
you are not children of 

313
00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:38,880
darkness, but children of light,
and you need to be responsible 

314
00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:44,360
as a witness to shine forth that
light. 

315
00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:50,960
So important. 
As you recall, everything about 

316
00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:55,400
the Old Testament pointed to the
arrival of the Messiah, and the 

317
00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:57,240
Messiah was described as a 
light. 

318
00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,560
All you got to do is go back to 
the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 

319
00:23:00,560 --> 00:23:06,840
Chapter 9, Isaiah chapter 
4140240649, 60, chapter 60. 

320
00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,280
It's all about this arrival of 
the light of the Messiah. 

321
00:23:12,360 --> 00:23:14,800
Why? 
Because earlier on in the book 

322
00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:19,480
of Numbers chapter 24 verse #17 
it says that a star shall rise 

323
00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:23,280
out of Jacob or a light shall 
shine out of Jacob with a 

324
00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:27,800
scepter in his hands. 
And that that became the the key

325
00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:32,040
verse to describe the arrival of
the Messiah as as a light. 

326
00:23:33,360 --> 00:23:37,120
Malachi would say that when the 
sun SUN of Righteousness 

327
00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:42,400
appears, then you will receive 
the healing that you need 

328
00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:45,680
spiritually to live 
appropriately. 

329
00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,400
It was all about the coming 
light. 

330
00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:57,480
So in Luke's Gospel, in the 2nd 
chapter of of Luke's Gospel, 

331
00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,680
Simeon says this when he holds 
the Christ child in his hands. 

332
00:24:02,360 --> 00:24:05,600
For my eyes have seen your 
salvation, which you have 

333
00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:10,760
prepared in the presence of all 
peoples, a light of revelation 

334
00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:16,600
to the Gentiles and the glory of
your people Israel. 

335
00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:22,040
Earlier Zechariah the priest, 
the father of John the Baptist, 

336
00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:27,760
said in verse 78 of chapter 1 of
Luke, because of the tender 

337
00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:32,200
mercy of God, with which the 
sunrise from on high will visit 

338
00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,080
us. 
He quotes from the book of 

339
00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:38,760
Isaiah then and says to shine 
upon those who sit in darkness 

340
00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:46,040
and the shadow of death to guide
our feet into the way of peace. 

341
00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:51,320
Peter called the Messiah the day
star in the Book of Revelation 

342
00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:57,160
chapter 2 and chapter 22 he is 
called the bright morning star. 

343
00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:01,280
So everything was about light 
and the brightness of the 

344
00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,880
Messiah that that's why it talks
about in Psalm. 

345
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,160
I think it's Psalm 50 or or 
Psalm 51. 

346
00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:09,800
My memory is not clear on that 
just yet. 

347
00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:13,880
But it's all about Zion. 
And the meaning of Zion means 

348
00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:20,480
sunny that that that the Lord 
will shine forth from Zion. 

349
00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:22,400
Why? 
Because that's where the glory 

350
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:24,680
of the Lord dwells. 
That's what the Prince of God 

351
00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:28,160
is. 
And so Zion is equated, which is

352
00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:32,520
Jerusalem, which is Mount Zion, 
which is Mount Moriah is a 

353
00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:35,400
testimony to the shining 4th of 
the Messiah. 

354
00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:38,760
And so when when the Messiah 
came, the glory of the Lord 

355
00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:42,200
would shine all around, which is
the the Prince of God manifested

356
00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:44,280
in brilliant light. 
Everything is about light, 

357
00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:47,040
everything is about brightness, 
everything is about the shining 

358
00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:51,080
4th of the Messiah. 
And so now because we are 

359
00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:56,840
Christians, we are children of 
the light, we are sons of the 

360
00:25:56,840 --> 00:25:59,440
day. 
We are sons of the light. 

361
00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:03,040
We're not sons of the night, 
we're sons of the day. 

362
00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:08,400
So he says, listen, you need to 
be responsible in your witness 

363
00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:13,280
to shine forth the light of the 
glorious gospel of Christ, 

364
00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,600
because Christ reigns within 
you. 

365
00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:22,280
Remember over in Ephesians 
chapter 4, Ephesians chapter 4, 

366
00:26:23,120 --> 00:26:27,840
Paul says this in verse #17 So 
this I say and affirm together 

367
00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:29,680
with the Lord that you walk no 
longer. 

368
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,800
Just as the Gentiles also walk 
in the futility of their mind 

369
00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:38,360
being darkened, in their 
understanding excluded from the 

370
00:26:38,360 --> 00:26:41,800
life of God because of the 
ignorance that is in them, 

371
00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,000
because of the hardness of their
heart. 

372
00:26:44,600 --> 00:26:48,800
And they having become callous, 
have given themselves over to 

373
00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:53,200
sensuality for the practice of 
every kind of impurity with 

374
00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:58,400
greediness. 
But he says you did not learn 

375
00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:04,760
Christ in this manner. 
And then over in chapter 5 verse

376
00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:14,080
#8 Paul says these words for you
were formerly darkness, but now 

377
00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:25,160
you are light in the Lord. 
Walk as children of light, walk 

378
00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:29,440
as children of light. 
Remember what Jesus said in in 

379
00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:36,200
in John chapter 12 when he gave 
this invitation, John's Gospel, 

380
00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,520
the 12th chapter, the 46th 
verse. 

381
00:27:39,360 --> 00:27:43,200
I have come as light into the 
world so that everyone who 

382
00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:49,440
believes in me will not remain 
in darkness. 

383
00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:54,680
So listen, everybody in the 
world falls into two categories.

384
00:27:55,240 --> 00:28:05,800
One of the other light or 
darkness, night or day, drunk or

385
00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:13,400
sober, alert unto Christ or 
sleep from Christ. 

386
00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:16,280
But everybody falls into one or 
two categories. 

387
00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:21,920
Either a children, a child of 
the darkness, or you're a child 

388
00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:25,200
of the light. 
And those who come to the light 

389
00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:31,280
don't walk in darkness anymore 
because they follow the light of

390
00:28:31,280 --> 00:28:33,760
life. 
That, that, that is just so 

391
00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,640
important to understand this, 
that that's why the Bible says 

392
00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:39,080
in Matthew chapter 5, you are 
the salt of the earth. 

393
00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:43,320
You are the light of the world. 
It's part of your identity. 

394
00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:48,680
Why as salt of the earth do you 
retard corruption? 

395
00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,120
Because you are the light to the
world. 

396
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:58,160
Therefore you retard corruption 
by revealing Christ. 

397
00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:02,240
That's how it happens. 
And so therefore Christ says you

398
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:08,320
are the light of the world, so 
important and those he says, he 

399
00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:13,240
says you are the sons of light. 
You are the sons of day. 

400
00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:19,080
You need to understand that term
because it's a Hebrew idiom and 

401
00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:23,240
it begins to to help you 
understand what it means to be a

402
00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:25,880
a son of the day or a son of the
night. 

403
00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:31,200
Because to say something or 
someone was the son of something

404
00:29:31,360 --> 00:29:35,720
would say that you are equal in 
nature to that aspect. 

405
00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:39,480
It is the dominant influence of 
your life. 

406
00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:46,240
So in Judges chapter, Judges 
chapter 19, it says that the 

407
00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:51,320
wicked people were the sons of 
the devil or the sons of Belial.

408
00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:58,320
That means that their nature was
equal and equivalent to that of 

409
00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:00,240
the devil. 
All their wickedness 

410
00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:04,280
characterized their lives. 
That's why the Bible says in 

411
00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,680
Mark's Gospel, the 3rd chapter 
that James and John were called 

412
00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:12,720
the sons of Thunder. 
It doesn't mean that James and 

413
00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,720
John had a mother and father 
name Mr. and Misses Thunder and 

414
00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:18,720
that they were the sons of Mr. 
and Mrs. Thunder. 

415
00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:23,080
No, they they were equal in 
nature to equivalent to a 

416
00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:26,320
thunderous, violent, aggressive 
act. 

417
00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:28,720
And all you got to do is read 
the book of or the Gospels and 

418
00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:31,560
realize that they were a 
thundering crew. 

419
00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:36,320
In chapter 4 of the book of 
Acts, Barnabas was called the 

420
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,240
son of encouragement. 
It doesn't mean his father and 

421
00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:40,720
mother or Mr. and Mrs. 
Encouragement. 

422
00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:44,920
It means that he is a son 
characterized by encouragement. 

423
00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:47,080
That's his life. 
His life was characterized by 

424
00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:49,560
being and encouraging 
individual. 

425
00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:57,440
The Bible says in John 17 that 
Judas was the son of perdition. 

426
00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,520
But what does that mean? 
That means that his nature was 

427
00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:04,840
one of destruction. 
His nature was one of perdition.

428
00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:09,480
His nature was one of damnation.
That was His nature, and He 

429
00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:15,920
acted in accordance with that. 
Ephesians 2 verse 2 says that 

430
00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:20,640
before we were saved, we were 
the sons of disobedience. 

431
00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:27,360
That is, our lives were by 
nature disobedient to the things

432
00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:30,840
of God. 
Over in Matthew chapter 15, or 

433
00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:35,600
excuse me, 13 verse #38 the 
tares, the unbelievers are 

434
00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:38,160
called the sons of the wicked 
one. 

435
00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:43,920
That is, they have a nature 
that's equivalent in kind to the

436
00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:51,200
DNA of Satan himself. 
So here Paul comes along and 

437
00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:56,080
says, the reason you're going to
escape the day of the Lord, the 

438
00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:58,720
reason why that destruction is 
not going to come up on you is 

439
00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:05,040
because you're not in darkness. 
You're in daylight because 

440
00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:11,120
you're sons of the light. 
You're not sons of darkness, you

441
00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:14,720
are sons of the day. 
In other words, your nature is 

442
00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:21,040
equivalent and like that of our 
Lord who is light, it's speaking

443
00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:24,960
to the nature of the Christian 
You are sons of light. 

444
00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:29,160
You are sons of day. 
Therefore, be responsible as a 

445
00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:33,840
witness to live out the nature 
of your calling, simply because 

446
00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:38,440
this is where Christ has placed 
you as a citizen in His Kingdom.

447
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:46,400
Be responsible to live as a 
child of the light, child of the

448
00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:56,560
day, so incredibly important. 
In verse 6 He says so then let 

449
00:32:56,560 --> 00:33:01,280
us not sleep as others do, but 
let us be alert, awake, 

450
00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:08,440
vigilant, sober minded. 
Let us not sleep. 

451
00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:12,360
In other words, let's not be 
insensitive or in a coma, 

452
00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:17,720
spiritually speaking. 
Let's not be insensible nor let 

453
00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:21,240
us be drunk. 
You ever seen a drunk person? 

454
00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:23,920
They, they, they, they wander 
aimlessly around because they 

455
00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,440
have no direction. 
That's the unbeliever. 

456
00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:28,960
But the believer is sober 
minded. 

457
00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:32,880
He's in his right mind, he is 
alert, he is awake. 

458
00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:35,680
He is vigilant because he's not 
drunk. 

459
00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:39,440
But the unbeliever is described 
in a drunken stupor. 

460
00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:46,240
So Paul is just basically saying
this, listen, be, be responsible

461
00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:51,320
as a as a witness, because 
that's who you are. 

462
00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:54,080
You're sons of light, you're 
sons of the day. 

463
00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:57,480
That's why you escape the coming
wrath of God, the day of the 

464
00:33:57,480 --> 00:33:59,480
Lord. 
That's why you have to worry 

465
00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:02,480
about those things that that's 
set aside for the children of 

466
00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:04,640
the darkness. 
That's set aside for the for the

467
00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:07,360
unbelieving person. 
It's not set aside for the 

468
00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:14,320
believing person. 
Oh no, only for the unbeliever. 

469
00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:21,000
And over in the book of Romans, 
Paul says something very 

470
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:29,159
similar. 
Romans chapter 13 he says verse 

471
00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:35,639
11 do this, do this knowing the 
time that is already the hour 

472
00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:38,199
for for you to awaken from 
sleep. 

473
00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:44,080
For now salvation is nearer to 
us than when we believed. 

474
00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:53,159
So the same thing be alert, be a
vigilant, don't be asleep, be on

475
00:34:53,159 --> 00:34:55,400
the watch. 
You're a watchman. 

476
00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:59,800
You're awake, you're alert. 
Why? 

477
00:35:00,240 --> 00:35:03,120
Because your salvation is nearer
than it's ever been before. 

478
00:35:03,120 --> 00:35:04,880
What does that mean? 
I'm already saved. 

479
00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:09,120
It means that yes, you are saved
And, and, and judicially, 

480
00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:11,840
you're, you're born again. 
You're justified before Christ. 

481
00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:15,720
You're sanctified in Christ, but
you're yet to be glorified. 

482
00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:21,080
That's going to happen when you 
see him face to face, you'll 

483
00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:23,960
have this glorified body. 
You'll have this perfect body. 

484
00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:27,400
So your salvation, the 
completion of your salvation is 

485
00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:29,480
yet future. 
It will one day happen. 

486
00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:32,400
And when it does remember this, 
it's soon going to happen 

487
00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:34,640
because it's closer than it's 
ever been before. 

488
00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:40,120
It's soon coming, Paul says, and
he says just 2000 years ago. 

489
00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:45,240
So if it was close 2000 years 
ago, how close must it be today?

490
00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:50,240
And so he says, awake from your 
sleep because your salvation is 

491
00:35:50,240 --> 00:35:51,520
nearer than it's ever been 
before. 

492
00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:56,040
The night is almost gone, verse 
12 and the day is near. 

493
00:35:56,120 --> 00:36:01,000
Therefore let us lay aside the 
deeds of darkness and put on the

494
00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:07,320
armor of light. 
Paul knows that we have this 

495
00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:10,720
tendency to slip back into the 
night. 

496
00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:17,160
We have this tendency to to slip
back into, into the darkness. 

497
00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:25,600
We had this tendency to, to not 
live as a witness to the light 

498
00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:30,760
as we should. 
That will always be a struggle 

499
00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:33,280
until we receive our glorified 
body. 

500
00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:39,080
That's why we sin and that's why
we confess our sins, right? 

501
00:36:39,720 --> 00:36:44,240
So Paul knows this. 
So Paul is just reminding those 

502
00:36:44,240 --> 00:36:47,320
in Rome about what it is that 
should be happening in their 

503
00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:52,480
lives. 
Awake from your sleep, awake 

504
00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:57,560
from the stupor you are in. 
Be vigilant, be on your guard, 

505
00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:00,320
be a witness. 
Put on the armor of light. 

506
00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:01,720
What's the, what's the armor of 
light? 

507
00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:05,880
Christ is light. 
Christ is your armor. 

508
00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:09,440
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. 
That's what he's saying. 

509
00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:13,040
In fact, he says it later. 
He says this, he says verse 13. 

510
00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:16,240
Let us behave properly as in the
day, not in carousing and 

511
00:37:16,240 --> 00:37:19,840
drunkenness, not in sexual 
promiscuity and sensuality, not 

512
00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:24,280
in strife and jealousy, but put 
on the Lord Jesus Christ and 

513
00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:29,880
make no provision for the flesh 
in regard to its lusts. 

514
00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:33,000
See put it on the armor. 
Light is put in the Lord Jesus 

515
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:36,520
Christ. 
It's walking in obedience to to 

516
00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:40,160
the light of the world because 
that's who we are. 

517
00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:43,640
See, we can do that because 
that's in our spiritual DNA. 

518
00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:48,120
We are children of the light, 
not children of the night, 

519
00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:52,040
children of the day, not 
children of darkness. 

520
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:54,000
And so we can put those things 
on. 

521
00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:57,320
We can, we can live that way 
simply because of what God 

522
00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:06,560
himself has done in our lives. 
Your conduct, your conduct must 

523
00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:12,040
demonstrate of the condition of 
your character. 

524
00:38:13,880 --> 00:38:19,160
And that's Paul's exhortation to
be responsible because the day 

525
00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:20,640
of the Lord's not going to come 
upon you. 

526
00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:23,920
You're going to escape that. 
You're going to escape that 

527
00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:25,360
time. 
You're going to escape that 

528
00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:28,440
terror, you're going to escape 
that thief, you're going to 

529
00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:32,960
escape all of that. 
So therefore, act responsibly, 

530
00:38:34,200 --> 00:38:40,520
act responsibly, be alert, be 
awake, be vigilant, be the 

531
00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:45,480
witness you were called to be, 
be the watchman you need to be, 

532
00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:51,800
and make sure you're the warrior
you should be. 

533
00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:55,760
And he goes on and says these 
words in First Thessalonians 

534
00:38:55,760 --> 00:39:00,120
chapter 5. 
He says, But since we are of the

535
00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:07,120
day, let us be sober or alert or
vigilant, having put on the 

536
00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:14,040
breastplate of faith and love as
a helmet, the hope of salvation 

537
00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:19,120
for God has not destined us for 
wrath, but for obtaining 

538
00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:24,000
salvation through our Lord Jesus
Christ. 

539
00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:30,840
He says you're a warrior, you're
a warrior in God's army and you 

540
00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:35,720
need the helmet of hope, which 
is your salvation. 

541
00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:43,560
You need the breastplate of 
faith and and love because 

542
00:39:43,560 --> 00:39:49,880
you're in a battle and you war 
every single day and you must be

543
00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:53,480
responsible as a believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ. 

544
00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:59,480
So Paul's call is this, the day 
of the Lord is coming. 

545
00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:04,760
And I told you about this, but 
the thrill of this is that 

546
00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:09,000
you'll escape that. 
You're going to miss it because 

547
00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:16,160
who you are by nature, child of 
the day, the child of the light.

548
00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:22,640
And, and my, my plea to you 
today is, do you know that 

549
00:40:22,640 --> 00:40:28,400
you're a child of the light that
you walk in the light as he is 

550
00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:35,880
in the light that, that, that 
your nature demonstrates the 

551
00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:40,440
Christ that you are. 
You are the brightest light in 

552
00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:44,360
your workplace because light 
exposes sin, does it not? 

553
00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:49,880
The brighter you shine, the more
sin you'll expose. 

554
00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:55,000
You know that, right? 
Just try looking in the corners 

555
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:57,280
of your house and shining light 
underneath the furniture. 

556
00:40:58,200 --> 00:41:00,000
You'll expose all the dirt 
that's there. 

557
00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:03,240
Turn the light off. 
It's like it doesn't exist. 

558
00:41:03,240 --> 00:41:05,600
Oh, but it's there. 
Turn the light on. 

559
00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:07,760
Oh wow, look how dirty it is 
there. 

560
00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:13,400
And the brighter you shine for 
Christ, the more sin is exposed 

561
00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:17,480
all around you. 
And people don't like that. 

562
00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:22,040
That's why they hate Christ. 
Can you imagine Christ walking 

563
00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:27,000
into your church, Christ walking
into your house, and he's the 

564
00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:29,520
light of the world. 
He'll expose everything that's 

565
00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:36,000
evil in there just by simply His
presence, because He dwells in 

566
00:41:36,240 --> 00:41:39,200
unapproachable light. 
And He is. 

567
00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:44,600
In him is no darkness at all. 
And so whenever he walked into 

568
00:41:44,600 --> 00:41:47,800
the temple, whenever he walked 
with his men, wherever he walked

569
00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:53,360
into a room, the light would 
shine bright because He is the 

570
00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:58,280
light of the world. 
How about you? 

571
00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:02,920
Have you embraced the light? 
Have you come to the saving 

572
00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:08,000
grace of the light? 
Are you still wandering around 

573
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:12,600
in darkness, groping around in 
the night, trying to find your 

574
00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:16,800
way through life, trying to find
your way to heaven, trying to 

575
00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:20,360
find your way out of the muck in
the mire you find yourself in? 

576
00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:25,720
Or if you embrace the light of 
the world, Jesus Christ Himself,

577
00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:31,360
and giving your life to Him that
He might guide, direct and lead 

578
00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:35,320
you from this day forward. 
I would trust that that's the 

579
00:42:35,320 --> 00:42:36,360
case. 
Let's pray together. 

580
00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:41,760
Father, we thank you for today. 
It is a great day. 

581
00:42:43,560 --> 00:42:45,560
It's a great day, Lord, because 
you gave it to us. 

582
00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:50,800
That's number one. 
You gave us this day and we are 

583
00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:54,040
grateful. 
And not only did you give us 

584
00:42:54,040 --> 00:42:56,600
this day, you give it gave us 
this day for a purpose. 

585
00:42:58,240 --> 00:43:02,400
And today's purpose was was to 
worship, worship the King of 

586
00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:07,440
kings and Lord of Lords. 
And in our worship, understand 

587
00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:09,720
what your word says to each and 
every one of us. 

588
00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:13,880
That meant we might respond in a
way that brings glory to you and

589
00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:17,400
your Kingdom. 
We want to do that, Lord. 

590
00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:22,480
What a great day. 
What a great day to walk as 

591
00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:27,440
children of the light. 
Children of the day to be alert,

592
00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:36,400
sober minded, awake, vigilant. 
This is the coming day of the 

593
00:43:36,400 --> 00:43:39,560
Lord. 
We thank you Father, that you've

594
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:42,480
saved us. 
If there be one among us that 

595
00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:47,200
has never embraced the light, 
may today be that day. 

596
00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:52,200
May you go before us, Lord, in a
great and mighty way for the 

597
00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:56,520
glory of your Kingdom. 
And may this week be one that 

598
00:43:56,520 --> 00:44:01,120
Lord, we are able to shine 
brighter and brighter until the 

599
00:44:01,120 --> 00:44:03,360
coming day You take us home to 
be with you. 

600
00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:09,480
Then at home with our family, 
the light shines bright. 

601
00:44:10,880 --> 00:44:18,000
That at a workplace or vacation 
or school, the light just shines

602
00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:22,520
brighter and brighter. 
And that, Lord, you use us as a 

603
00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:25,720
witness for the glory of Your 
great Kingdom. 

604
00:44:25,720 --> 00:44:32,160
To you come again, as you most 
surely will, in Jesus name, 

605
00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:32,360
Amen.