1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:11,780 Alright, turn to Matthew Chapter 11 if you want a title for this 2 00:00:11,780 --> 00:00:15,220 one. For my note takers, woe to the 3 00:00:15,220 --> 00:00:25,580 unrepentant. We're gonna read in Chapter 11, 4 00:00:25,580 --> 00:00:32,080 verses 20 through 24. Then he began to denounce the 5 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:36,040 cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because 6 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:40,080 they did not repent. Woe to you, Chosen. 7 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:44,560 Woe to you, Peseta. For if the mighty works done in 8 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,920 you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented 9 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:53,440 long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more 10 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,880 bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 11 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:01,320 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven. 12 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,160 You will be brought down to Hades. 13 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,520 For if the mighty works done and you had been, had been done in 14 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:10,360 Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 15 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:13,760 But I tell you that you, it will be more tolerable on the day of 16 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,400 judgement for the land of Sodom than for you. 17 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:22,360 God, again we ask for light, we ask for revelation, we ask for 18 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:26,200 humility. God, unpack the deep truths that 19 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,400 you have for us, not just as a church, not just as a nation. 20 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,320 Help us to not listen to this word for our neighbor or for 21 00:01:32,320 --> 00:01:35,200 that person who we have in mind, but help us to take it all to 22 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:39,160 heart to receive it as a a legitimate son who is loved, who 23 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,120 receives the the needed correction because he's so cared 24 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,080 for. We thank you for it in Jesus 25 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:49,240 name, Amen. You know, we go to to doctors 26 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,600 because even though sometimes they may inflict pain, right? 27 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:54,600 Anyone ever had a doctor inflict pain? 28 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:56,720 But their motive is not to inflict pain. 29 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,360 Their motive is to heal. Their motive is to bless. 30 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,680 And the scalpel of the Lord sometimes hurts the scalpel of 31 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,560 the Lord, and sometimes has to go in and cut out a cancerous 32 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:07,320 thing. And we say, well, that saved my 33 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:10,440 life, so I'll take it. I want the bones set the proper 34 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:11,880 way. I don't want to just go with it, 35 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,480 although it's going to hurt. Although it's going to sting. 36 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:18,360 Although a father's discipline may hurt and it may sting, like 37 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:20,240 we already read in Hebrews this morning. 38 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,480 It's the discipline of the Lord that He brings because of His 39 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,360 love. I remind my boys of that. 40 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:27,680 Do you see me disciplining all the children of the world? 41 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,320 No, you don't, because I don't love all the children of the 42 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:31,880 world. To the degree that I love you. 43 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,480 I do love all the children of the world and all the children 44 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:37,200 of Salt Church especially, but I'm not all their daddy. 45 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,200 But if God is your Father, then He will discipline you. 46 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,400 If God is your Father, then He will correct you. 47 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,360 If God is your Father, then He will train you and that is a 48 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,960 show and a sign of his love. So this morning, even though 49 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,600 we're dealing with a very stern, a very firm word from the Lord 50 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:54,400 Jesus, it's not anything to be rejected. 51 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,360 It's something to be embraced because it's who Jesus is. 52 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:01,440 It still reveals his motive. It still reveals his heart of 53 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,880 love because love doesn't just look like sweet sayings and 54 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,000 gentle talk. Love also looks like fierce 55 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,480 correction. So this is a, a biblical truth. 56 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:12,800 It's not a worldly thing that we're familiar with, but it's a 57 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,040 very biblical truth that we want to receive with great wisdom and 58 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,720 humility from the Lord. So the context of the verse that 59 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,400 we've just read, you know, we want to look at the previous 60 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,400 verses to see this connection because Matthew, remember 61 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,160 Matthew, the Jewish writer of this gospel is writing it to 62 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,520 Jews and he deliberately includes this rebuke. 63 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,240 It's an embarrassing thing for Jews because Jesus does this 64 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,680 thing multiple times throughout the Gospels and we're going to 65 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:39,520 dig into it. We'll see what he's doing here, 66 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,200 how he's already bringing correction to the Jews, but he 67 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:44,960 even does it and compares them to their enemies, to the people 68 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:46,920 that they hated, and to the people that they thought they 69 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:50,280 were so much better than. So he, he's humbling them in 70 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,200 multiple ways. But the context here is in 71 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:58,640 verses 18 and 19 where Jesus says for John, remember John the 72 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:00,960 Baptist, how Jesus was defending him and promoting him. 73 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,360 John comes with questions and with doubt. 74 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:07,440 Jesus reassures John. John sent his disciples because 75 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:10,120 John's in prison. But then he also says, hey, and 76 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,080 don't, don't everybody think that John is weak? 77 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:13,840 Don't everybody think that John is soft? 78 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,079 And then he promotes John and, and holds up John as a standard 79 00:04:17,079 --> 00:04:19,880 of righteousness. But then he's rebuking everybody 80 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:23,080 who rejected John and he's rebuking everybody who rejected 81 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,560 him. He says, for look at these 82 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:26,760 people. What, what? 83 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,520 What are you like? Nothing, nothing satisfies you. 84 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,280 John came, he wasn't eating or drinking. 85 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,280 And they say, look, he has a demon, he says, but I come. 86 00:04:35,280 --> 00:04:37,480 The Son of man came eating and drinking, drinking. 87 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,960 And they say, look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax 88 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,760 collectors and sinners. Yet wisdom is justified by her 89 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,680 deeds. Jesus saying there's no pleasing 90 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,200 you people, you're hypocrites. Your hearts are hard. 91 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:52,160 And that's why nothing that the righteous do two, the greatest 92 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:54,080 prophet, whoever lived Jesus said was John. 93 00:04:54,280 --> 00:04:56,800 Of course, Jesus not even including himself because he's 94 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,080 in a class of his own far superior above everything, the 95 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,800 name above every name, so that we take that for granted. 96 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,680 But Jesus saying they reject John because, oh, he's he, he 97 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:08,600 doesn't eat or drink. So here's his problem. 98 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:10,800 You know, he's he's fasting. He doesn't drink wine. 99 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,120 Jesus drinks wine. They go, oh, look, a glutton and 100 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:17,400 a how, how could we win here? So you're dealing with a person 101 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:18,320 who's unreasonable. Why? 102 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:21,720 Because they're hard heartedness and Jesus saying this is the 103 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:23,520 problem with you. So this is how he now 104 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:27,600 transitions into the more direct rebuke that we just read. 105 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,280 And then verse 20. Then he began to denounce the 106 00:05:31,280 --> 00:05:33,040 city. So you can see him transitioning 107 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:34,400 there. You're going, they're not happy 108 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,400 with John because he does this. So I don't do those things not 109 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,480 to not that his motive was to contrast John who goes, I don't 110 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:42,160 do what John does. They reject me for the thing 111 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:43,920 that they said that they would have been pleased by. 112 00:05:44,280 --> 00:05:47,160 And now he continues his rebuke. Then he began to denounce the 113 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,320 cities where most of his mighty works had been done. 114 00:05:50,320 --> 00:05:53,800 What does denounce mean? Denounce means to heap insults 115 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:58,480 upon, to find fault, to rebuke, to revile. 116 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:03,520 Strong, strong, strong words. He is heaping insults upon these 117 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:05,600 people, upon these cities, upon these towns. 118 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:09,800 He is finding fault in them, He is rebuking them, He is reviling 119 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:10,840 them. Why? 120 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:13,280 Because he's a really mean guy and he's in a bad mood. 121 00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:16,440 No, the Scripture specifically tells us in the same verse, 122 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:23,240 because they did not repent. And what does a woe mean? 123 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:27,840 Because now Jesus goes into woe to you and woe to you and woe to 124 00:06:27,840 --> 00:06:32,160 you to pronounce. Woe means how dreadful, how 125 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:36,680 dreadful it will be for you, what calamity will come upon 126 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,800 you. Woe to you because of what 127 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:43,320 you've done. Dread, catastrophe and calamity. 128 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,600 It is going to be dreadful and terrible for you. 129 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,360 That's the, that's the prophecy that Jesus is making over the 130 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,880 people of these cities. That's the rebuke that Jesus is 131 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,680 bringing. I always have to point this out. 132 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,440 I always have to emphasize this, not because I want to 133 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,280 overemphasize it, but because I want to bring us to a place of 134 00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:02,360 balance. So if it seems like pastor 135 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:05,640 always emphasizes when Jesus is being fierce, it's because we 136 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:07,080 have always had the other emphasis. 137 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,000 I don't intend to bring you into another ditch and not have the 138 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:11,680 full picture. I intend to bring you to the 139 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:15,080 middle of the road to tell that sees the whole truth, not to go. 140 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:17,680 Yeah, Jesus only cracked a whip over people. 141 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:22,480 No, no, that's not all he did. He did do that multiple times 142 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,280 actually. So that's a thing that we can't 143 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,160 escape. So that's true. 144 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:29,040 And it's also true that he washed the feet of his 145 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,720 disciples, but it's not one or the other, it's both. 146 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:36,000 And Jesus is the right thing at the right time. 147 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,480 He's the whole thing. He's perfect. 148 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:41,680 He's the alpha and Omega. He's the beginning and the end. 149 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:43,240 Well, what's Jesus going to be to me? 150 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:45,920 You determine what Jesus is going to be to you with your 151 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,760 repentance, just like the people of these cities did. 152 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,760 So do you want the merciful and kind Jesus? 153 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:54,200 Well, that's, that's what he wants to be to you. 154 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:57,920 And with your repentance, that is what you, you will receive. 155 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,920 But how dreadful to those who don't repent, what calamity, 156 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,760 what catastrophe is coming to those who don't repent. 157 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,320 So we we see here the obvious fact, just some really surface 158 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,640 level things, just like in other places in Scripture, that there 159 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:16,680 will be a day of judgement. Jesus refers to on a future day 160 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:18,880 that's still yet to come. We haven't experienced it yet. 161 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:21,000 There's a lot of things in the Bible that have already happened 162 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,360 and been prophesied. And yet there's still plenty of 163 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:24,920 things in the Bible that have not yet come. 164 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,040 We talk about the end times. There's debates within the body 165 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:29,600 of Christ. How is the world going to end? 166 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,640 Some would say that there's going to be this rapture. 167 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:34,679 Some would say that we're going to continue to make disciples 168 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:38,520 until the Kingdom fully comes. There's all kinds of mature and 169 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,240 faithful loving believers who study the Scriptures and come to 170 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:44,039 different conclusions on there. I don't encourage you to spend 171 00:08:44,039 --> 00:08:45,800 all of your time arguing on those things. 172 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:47,560 If you want to come to conclusions on it, that's just 173 00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:49,880 fine. And yet the most important thing 174 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:51,920 is that you would love the Lord your God with all your heart, 175 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,200 soul, mind, and strength, that you would love your neighbor as 176 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,040 yourself. And then that that would what 177 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,840 compel you into the mission of God to make disciples for his 178 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,040 glory. Because if he comes today, you 179 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,360 want to be ready. And if he comes in 2000 years 180 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:05,800 from now, you want to be faithfully secure in his 181 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,720 Kingdom. So we want to keep First things 182 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:13,000 first, but Jesus says there is a day coming, a judgement day 183 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,360 where Jesus is going to sift, where Jesus is going to sort. 184 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:18,400 Remember what we learned in the Apostles Creed. 185 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,560 The Apostles Creed is just teaching we got from Scripture. 186 00:09:21,560 --> 00:09:24,040 But he is coming to judge the living and the dead. 187 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:27,040 Jesus is coming to judge the living and the dead. 188 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:28,680 Why? Because he's the perfect judge. 189 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,160 He was the sacrifice for the living and the dead. 190 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:33,360 It's only perfect and appropriate now that he would 191 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,800 then say I will judge. I will sort out the sheep from 192 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,280 the goats, and I will even. Another thing we can see and we 193 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:43,320 can deduce here, there will be degrees of punishment. 194 00:09:44,560 --> 00:09:46,520 There are clearly going to be degrees of punishment. 195 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:47,960 How's that look? How's that work? 196 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,760 I don't know and neither do you and neither does your favorite 197 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,560 theologian or preacher. But we can see clearly in 198 00:09:53,560 --> 00:09:56,240 Scripture multiple places. There's enough implication to 199 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:58,640 see there are going to be degrees of punishment. 200 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,200 Jesus refers to that in other places as well. 201 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,560 That's not our purpose here, but we just wanted to point that 202 00:10:03,560 --> 00:10:05,840 out. A day of judgment is coming and 203 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:08,720 on that day Jesus will judge everyone and then it will be 204 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:10,880 worse for some than it will be for others. 205 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:13,200 But the punishment is still going to be eternal separation 206 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,360 from God. Jesus gives an example. 207 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,920 He says there's going to be a beating when he's, he's telling 208 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:22,560 a parable, I think it's in Luke, he's, he's telling a parable 209 00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:26,240 about the master who comes and he says, look, everyone who does 210 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:27,840 wrong is going to going to get a beating. 211 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,720 But those who did wrong in ignorance will receive a less 212 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,960 severe beating compared to those who did wrong with knowledge 213 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:35,920 they had knowledge and understanding. 214 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:37,600 They will receive a more severe beating. 215 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,320 So I don't want a beating. I don't want a beating at all. 216 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:43,640 And of course, the, the reference there is not for the 217 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:45,400 righteous, it's for the unrighteous, it's for the 218 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,840 unsaved. So don't, don't be confused, 219 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:49,680 don't be unclear. The discipline of the Lord is 220 00:10:49,680 --> 00:10:51,800 for his children. That's a different thing. 221 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:54,280 The discipline of a father for his children is different from 222 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:58,000 the wrath of God. So you know, the, the discipline 223 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,000 that I bring my sons is not a rejection from my presence 224 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,000 compared to if someone wanted to enter my home and harm my family 225 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,080 at 2:00 AM. They, they receive a different 226 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:08,840 kind of interaction with me entirely. 227 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:11,480 They don't receive a, a light discipline, they receive a 228 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:22,690 complete rejection. So why is Jesus so emphatic in 229 00:11:22,690 --> 00:11:25,960 his judgement on these people? That's the obvious question that 230 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,520 you have when you come across this verse, man, what is going 231 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:30,840 on here? Why is he so emphatic? 232 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,640 Why is he so fierce with his judgment? 233 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,080 It's because they have been shown the greatest mercy. 234 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,600 It's because these people in particular have been shown the 235 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:45,280 greatest grace that anyone in the world had ever received up 236 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,760 to that point. All of the prophets, all of the 237 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,640 Old Testament Saints looked forward to the day when the 238 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,680 Messiah would finally come. And these people in particular, 239 00:11:55,680 --> 00:11:59,440 just the nation of Israel, but in particular, literally these 240 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,800 towns and villages. Jesus walked on your Rd. 241 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:07,280 He walked past your front door. He stood and preached in the 242 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:10,400 town square. He raised Gyrus's daughter from 243 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,000 the dead. All these things that you knew 244 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:14,680 happened in your town, in your villages. 245 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:17,680 And not only that, He did His greatest works in front of you. 246 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,040 You already received the mercy of the Scripture being preached 247 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:23,200 to you, which by the way is a great mercy. 248 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:28,440 Just to have preaching hit your ears is a great gift and a 249 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:30,560 kindness from God to show that He loves you. 250 00:12:31,280 --> 00:12:34,800 That's it. So the street preacher, he is 251 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:39,800 bringing a great kindness to whoever would pass by wherever 252 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,760 he may go, just saying, hey, repent, for the Kingdom of 253 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,200 heaven is at hand. He has just brought a mercy of 254 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:48,440 God to the people who walk by. Whether they dismiss him or 255 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,600 whether they receive, they are now going to their, their 256 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:53,800 judgment now will increase if they reject that. 257 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:55,000 Why? Because they've received more 258 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,720 light, they have received more knowledge. 259 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,600 Our God is perfectly fair. Our God is perfectly just. 260 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:05,400 And Jesus is saying that to whom much is given, much is required. 261 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:09,520 That wasn't, you know, to the kids who think like, is that a 262 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:13,080 Spider Man quote? And then it's also attributed to 263 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:15,240 Abraham Lincoln often, isn't it? No, just Spider Man. 264 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:18,120 I feel like Abraham. There's like an Abraham Lincoln 265 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:19,120 quote, too. Like, there. 266 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:21,320 That's the house divided against itself. 267 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:23,000 Oh, that's the one. A house divided against itself 268 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,040 cannot stand Abraham Lincoln. I'm like you people. 269 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,240 Abraham Lincoln. Really. 270 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:31,320 I wonder if he got that from somewhere. 271 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:34,040 Yeah. He also killed vampires. 272 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,360 Abraham Lincoln did it all. That was George Washington. 273 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:42,280 I think so. He's so emphatic because so much 274 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,280 has been given to whom much is given. 275 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:48,240 Jesus said much more is required and that was the point of his 276 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:49,880 parable. Like I said, I think in Luke 277 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,720 where he's saying if you've received much more than your 278 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:56,560 beating will be much more severe if you disobey in it. 279 00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:59,600 And this is the point of his judgement. 280 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,560 This is the point. Because the Lord of glory lived 281 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:06,240 and walked among these people and they refused to repent and 282 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,680 they refused to believe in Him. He did some of his greatest 283 00:14:09,680 --> 00:14:11,800 miracles among them and they refused to repent. 284 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:13,640 Repent. Let's clarify that. 285 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:17,040 Define that again. Repent means to change any or 286 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:20,920 all of the elements composing one's life, attitude, thoughts 287 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,240 and behaviours concerning the demands of God for right living. 288 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:25,760 Well, that sounds like everything. 289 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,600 Yeah, that is. I'll read it again. 290 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:32,640 Repent means to change any or all of the elements composing 291 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:36,920 one's life, my attitude, my thoughts, my behaviors 292 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,960 concerning the demands of God for right living. 293 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:41,440 So God says, here's the standard. 294 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:43,160 Joe Michael doesn't meet the standard. 295 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:46,160 God won't lower it. God says repent. 296 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,040 That means you change Joe Michael, you make the 297 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:51,720 adjustment. Man, there's so much. 298 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,080 And the Lord goes, I know. So walk with me. 299 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,040 Walk with me. We're going to get there next 300 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,080 week for those who are overwhelmed, and it's all in the 301 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,680 same context. We're going to get there next 302 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:03,720 week. If you want to cheat ahead, come 303 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,360 to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden. 304 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:10,000 So right after these, woe to you and woe to you and woe to you. 305 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:11,800 Somebody might go, I'm from Capernaum. 306 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:15,160 Oh no. And he goes, if you're humble, 307 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:17,680 come to me and I'll give you rest. 308 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,800 But if you're not, it'll be worse for you than it was for 309 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,880 Sodom and Gomorrah, who I blew up with fire, by the way. 310 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:28,400 It'll be worse for you. The wrath I'll have for you is 311 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:31,880 worse than what I did for them. And my wrath for them was so bad 312 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:33,640 it couldn't even wait until Judgment Day. 313 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:37,720 I judged them early because they did receive grace, because they 314 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:39,720 did receive mercy. How do you know that, pastor? 315 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,800 Because I know the nature and character of our God, that he's 316 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:45,680 faithful and kind, and he loves people way more than you and I 317 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:47,400 do. He loves people more than they 318 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:52,160 love themselves. So repentance is required. 319 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:57,720 Jesus is looking for repentance. They received the most amazing 320 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:00,240 gift ever. Christ Himself, the Messiah, 321 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:04,560 walked and lived among them. And like I said, not only that, 322 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,120 but just the reception of the preaching of the truth is a 323 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:08,920 great mercy. The word of God delivered to 324 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:12,720 anyone as a gift. So even an intense rebuke can be 325 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:15,680 a mercy. But these people had been shown 326 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:17,240 things that no one had ever received. 327 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:20,760 So where are these places that Jesus is referring to? 328 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,920 Tyre and Sidon and Sodom? So these the, these are the bad 329 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:26,400 guy cities that are listed here, right? 330 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,840 And notice what he does. Woe to you Cherism. 331 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:35,880 Woe to you Bethsaida. For if the mighty works done in 332 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:39,000 you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented 333 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:43,480 long ago. So he just combined Cherism and 334 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:47,280 Bethsaida with Tyre and Sidon. So he grouped those two together 335 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:50,360 and then you're going to notice he does something different with 336 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:53,240 Capernaum. Capernaum gets compared with 337 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,080 Sodom. It's easy to read this and lump 338 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:57,640 them all together and go like, yeah, he threw them all in the 339 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:59,000 same box, but he he actually didn't. 340 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:01,240 Capernaum has even a higher standard. 341 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:03,320 Why? Because Jesus lived in 342 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,200 Capernaum. So he says this city. 343 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,079 I spent a lot of time in this city. 344 00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:10,079 I spent a lot of time in Capernaum. 345 00:17:10,079 --> 00:17:12,960 You you're even, you're you received even more. 346 00:17:13,119 --> 00:17:17,400 I lived in you. You got, I laid down my head in 347 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:21,440 the houses in that city. I spent time in those villages 348 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:28,160 with those people. So Tyre, Sidon and Sodom were 349 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,840 Pagan cities that the Jews looked down on. 350 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:33,720 These are gentiles. This is where the Gentile people 351 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:35,080 live. You and I are Gentiles by the 352 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,000 way. So this is where they lived and 353 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:40,840 this is where all the non Jews are judging these people and 354 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:42,680 they go, they're not like us, they're not like us, they're not 355 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:45,000 like us. So Jesus does hear what he does 356 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,040 with the story of the Good Samaritan, and he throws it into 357 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,440 the face of the Jews and condemns them with it because 358 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:53,240 he's telling the story of the Good Samaritan. 359 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:56,480 And he says a man was on a trip and instantly they're thinking a 360 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,200 Jewish man, that's who they pictured because that's who he's 361 00:17:59,200 --> 00:17:59,960 talking about. They're. 362 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,800 So they're going a Jewish man and he's going, yeah, fine. 363 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,680 A Jewish man is on a trip and then he gets robbed and he gets 364 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:11,920 beaten and he gets attacked and they're going, OK, yeah, that's 365 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:13,040 sad. Bad guys got him. 366 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:14,640 I bet it was Samaritans who did it. 367 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:17,560 But anyway, go on, Lord, I'm, I'm sure that's who it was. 368 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,920 He says, And then a priest comes and he passes by on the other 369 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:23,440 side of the road and goes, I don't want anything to do with 370 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:26,360 that guy. And then a Levite comes, another 371 00:18:26,360 --> 00:18:28,680 holy man, and he goes, I don't want anything to do with that 372 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,000 guy. And they're going, yeah, yeah, I 373 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:32,840 guess I could see that. And he says, then a Samaritan 374 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,680 comes and they're going, this guy's probably going to finish 375 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:37,800 him off. Poor Jew lying on the side of 376 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:40,040 the road, this murderous Samaritan's going to get him. 377 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:44,040 And Jesus says, and the Samaritan took care of him, He 378 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:45,680 loved him. He bandaged up his wounds. 379 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:48,760 He put him on his own donkey. He took him to essentially a 380 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:52,440 hotel to be cared for. And he told the innkeeper, I'll 381 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:55,120 pay you now and I'll come back and I'll pay for any other 382 00:18:55,120 --> 00:18:57,760 expense that you have. And all the Jews are sitting 383 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:00,880 here going, I hate this story. This is the worst movie I've 384 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,040 ever seen. This is not the plot twist I 385 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:05,760 wanted. He throws it into their faces. 386 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:07,960 And he says, which one is a good neighbor? 387 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:10,000 And they said the one who shows love. 388 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:13,560 And he says, go and do likewise. I got to go and act like the 389 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:17,920 Samaritan. Go and show the love of God. 390 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,440 That's the point. So here he's doing the same 391 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:22,200 thing. These wicked cities, they're 392 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:23,480 going, oh, those are wicked cities. 393 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:25,800 He's going, it'll be better for them than it is for you. 394 00:19:26,840 --> 00:19:29,080 What Messiah? You're supposed to be on our 395 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:30,840 team. You're our guy. 396 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:36,000 And he goes, no, I'm my guy. I stand up for it's for my 397 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:40,080 name's sake. Remember Psalm 23, He does all 398 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:43,960 of his goodness and his mercy and his kindness for his name's 399 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:47,600 sake, for who He is, for His nature, for his character. 400 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:49,960 Well, doesn't that include love and kindness towards me? 401 00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,960 You better believe it does. And also he does it for his 402 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,320 name's sake. And that's what Jesus is 403 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:57,000 communicating. He's saying I'm doing what I'm 404 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:01,400 doing for me and for my glory and for my name's sake. 405 00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:07,920 So he points the He points to the Gentiles and says they'll 406 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:12,000 have it better. And just like Cherezin, just 407 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,480 like Bethsaida and Capernaum, you and I are given chances to 408 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:18,480 repent. This is the point. 409 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:20,120 We're not just here to condemn these cities. 410 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:22,120 That's the the judge is in position to do that. 411 00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:25,120 You and I aren't. So we're observing what Jesus 412 00:20:25,120 --> 00:20:27,400 did with these cities. And you and I this morning want 413 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:28,840 to make sure that we're not these cities. 414 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:31,600 We want to make sure that we're not the people of these towns. 415 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,600 And that's the temptation because it's the people closest 416 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:38,000 to the fire who sometimes can be deceived and be convinced. 417 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,040 How much more light have you received? 418 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:43,440 How much more revelation have you received? 419 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:46,800 Even in those towns? How much more insight do you and 420 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:50,600 I have on this side of the cross, looking back with 2020 421 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:54,600 vision, 'cause you could argue for them and go, well, he didn't 422 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:56,800 quite do it the way they thought he was going to and they 423 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:59,360 expected a Messiah like this. You could argue none of it's 424 00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:02,040 satisfactory to the Lord, but you could try. 425 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,640 You and I, how much more revelation do you and I have, 426 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:09,680 how much more clarity do we have about who Jesus is and what he's 427 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:13,600 done for us? I'm so close. 428 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:18,600 Are you, are you in the crowd or are you really with the Master? 429 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:20,280 Cause lots of people are in the crowd. 430 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,400 I live in the same city as Jesus, right? 431 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:25,160 Americans have done that for a long time. 432 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:28,480 This is a Christian nation. What does that mean? 433 00:21:29,360 --> 00:21:31,200 Is, is America going to be saved? 434 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:36,200 Jesus died for people. Jesus died for sinners like me. 435 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:41,280 He didn't die for a geographical or a or a constitution or a 436 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:44,800 political landscape. He died for individuals. 437 00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:48,600 Well, can't nations be blessed? Of course they can. 438 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,760 But righteous individuals doing righteous things in those 439 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:57,640 nations. So just like these cities, we're 440 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:01,240 given chances to repent. And if we do not take them, we 441 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:04,920 too will run out of time, and we too will be judged. 442 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:09,280 God is merciful to give us time. God is merciful to give us 443 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:11,080 space. God is merciful to give us 444 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:13,880 opportunities to repent. Look at what God has done for 445 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:15,880 you. Look at what God does for us. 446 00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:18,720 He answers your prayers. He blesses you. 447 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:22,640 He's patient. But we foolishly can see his 448 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:27,160 actions and his patience and his kindness as a winking and a 449 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:32,520 nodding at our sin, a minimization of it. 450 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:35,480 Because he's kind, because I'm not getting the Sodom and 451 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,960 Gomorrah treatment, I go, well, I guess I'm good, right? 452 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:44,400 No, no, you're confusing God's patience and God's kindness with 453 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:52,040 God's with, with his approval. We can be tempted to be like the 454 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,680 people of Israel and Jeremiah too, who are being rebuked by 455 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,160 the Lord. They took His patience as a sign 456 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,440 of His approval. They said I'm innocent. 457 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:04,480 He is not angry with me not recognizing that. 458 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:07,000 That's just His mercy. That's His kindness. 459 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:09,680 That's His kindness. And really, if I continue in 460 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,760 that, all I'm doing is stacking up judgement for myself. 461 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:17,200 Like we already read in Hebrews, New Testament stuff here in 462 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:19,240 Hebrews that I'm stacking up for myself. 463 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:23,720 On the day of judgement, we can squander His grace and think 464 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:27,320 that we're safe, but the more the Lord does for you, the more 465 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:30,640 he'll hold you responsible for like we said, Jesus said to whom 466 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:35,080 much is given, much is required. And you can even see this how he 467 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:39,720 lists Capernaum separated and he compares Capernaum specifically 468 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:41,720 to Sodom. Why? 469 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:46,040 Because he lived in Capernaum. So you other villages, Tyran, 470 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:48,640 Tyran, Sidon, these are other, these are other cities that were 471 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,120 still functioning at this time. And they're like, oh, there's 472 00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:56,400 Gentile cities and he goes Capernaum, you'll have it even 473 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:59,640 worse than Sodom. Sodom would still be here. 474 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,480 And Sodom, like, come on, how does it get any worse than 475 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:04,160 Sodom? Like that's what we refer to all 476 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,000 the time. We don't refer to Capernaum. 477 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,440 Maybe we should. We go, it's going to be worse 478 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:14,200 than Capernaum because Jesus plainly says he's not using 479 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:16,560 hyperbole. He's plainly saying it's going 480 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:17,600 to be worse for you. Why? 481 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:20,120 Because you got greater light. You got revelation. 482 00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:23,840 You had me walking and living among you, more grace than ever 483 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:26,600 shown to anyone. Once you go to Hebrews chapter 484 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:31,680 10. We read from Hebrews 12 earlier, 485 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:33,560 but now we're Hebrews chapter 10. 486 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:35,920 I'm going to read to you verses 26 through 31. 487 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:50,760 Hebrews 10/26. For if we go on sinning 488 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:55,640 deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no 489 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:58,120 longer remains a sacrifice for sins. 490 00:25:03,390 --> 00:25:06,350 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the 491 00:25:06,350 --> 00:25:09,870 knowledge of truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for 492 00:25:09,870 --> 00:25:12,710 sins. If that wasn't in the Bible, you 493 00:25:12,710 --> 00:25:14,670 would think a preacher was a false teacher saying something 494 00:25:14,670 --> 00:25:17,830 like that. Yeah, uh huh. 495 00:25:17,990 --> 00:25:22,030 You feel like whoa, heretic, pipe down. 496 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:25,000 Let's keep reading, though there's more context for if we 497 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:28,600 go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the 498 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,600 truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a 499 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:37,320 fearful expectation of judgement and a fury of fire that will 500 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:41,520 consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law 501 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:46,560 of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three 502 00:25:46,560 --> 00:25:48,960 witnesses. How much worse punishment do you 503 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:52,680 think will be deserved by the one who has trampled under foot 504 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,840 the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by 505 00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:00,880 which he was sanctified, and has outraged the spirit of grace? 506 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:06,120 For we know him who said, vengeance is mine, I will repay, 507 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:10,040 and again the Lord will judge his people. 508 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:13,920 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living 509 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,480 God. So the context here, he's 510 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:20,080 talking about believers who have now turned and they have 511 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:23,080 rejected the faith. These people were in the faith 512 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:25,360 and now they are out of the faith. 513 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:27,520 So we want to clarify some context here. 514 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:29,600 But still, I don't want to be that. 515 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:31,880 I don't want to be shipwrecked in my faith. 516 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,120 I don't want to eventually be a castaway. 517 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,000 And also, I'll bring some quick clarification here. 518 00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:41,920 Does this mean after I become a Christian, if I sin after I 519 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,160 became a Christian, I'm immediately going to hell for 520 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:45,720 that. That's not what's being taught 521 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:50,160 here, but what is being revealed here is that as I continually 522 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:54,960 choose deliberately sin, verse 26 for if we go on sinning 523 00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:57,760 deliberately, that's the difference. 524 00:26:58,120 --> 00:27:02,040 That's the distinction. Oh, I'm in Christ now and, and 525 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:05,120 maybe you are legitimately and maybe you are for a decade and 526 00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:07,680 maybe you are for longer and praise God for it. 527 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:11,720 But there could still come a day where you could say, but sin is 528 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:15,720 tempting and sin is enticing and the enemy deceives and my flesh 529 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:18,720 is weak and I continue to build. I continue to feed. 530 00:27:19,120 --> 00:27:23,400 I can reach, I can come to a place where I have actually 531 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:27,200 rejected and I have trampled the Son of God under foot and I 532 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:28,720 have. Are you saying, Pastor Michael, 533 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:31,360 you can lose your salvation? I've never used that language 534 00:27:31,360 --> 00:27:32,880 and I still won't use that language. 535 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:34,840 But for the sake of your question, yes. 536 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:40,120 And yet my point is the way you get saved is the way that you 537 00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:42,240 stay saved. That's the way I teach it. 538 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:43,920 That's the way I articulate it with my life. 539 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:49,320 The way you get saved. What by grace through faith is 540 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:52,200 the way you stay saved? It's by God's grace through 541 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:54,880 faith. So what are you saying? 542 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:56,440 I'm saying walk with the Lord. Amen. 543 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:01,040 Walk with the Lord. Faithful and sincere believers 544 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:03,400 would argue that point. And they have till they're blue 545 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:06,200 in the face. And again, another one of our 546 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,920 simple conclusions here at Saul. Wake up and follow Jesus and 547 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:14,240 walk with the Lord and stay far from any sort of boundary line. 548 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,640 But if we go on sinning deliberately, the scriptures are 549 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:20,400 are still true. After receiving the knowledge of 550 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,840 truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins, but a 551 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:27,880 fearful expectation of judgement and a fury of fire that will 552 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:31,520 consume the adversaries. So this is what these cities are 553 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,920 experiencing now. Jesus is saying I have made my 554 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:36,760 judgement. You'll notice here he's not 555 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:39,080 warning them, He's actually denouncing them. 556 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:42,520 It's not a warning, it's saying I'm judging. 557 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:47,680 It's clear you have rejected and now it's done. 558 00:28:54,850 --> 00:28:58,290 God intervened in their situation, in his goodness, and 559 00:28:58,290 --> 00:29:01,290 God has intervened in your life and in my life with his 560 00:29:01,290 --> 00:29:03,530 goodness. Where the car on the Interstate 561 00:29:03,530 --> 00:29:08,650 going 80 miles an hour towards a Cliff and Jesus steps in the way 562 00:29:08,650 --> 00:29:11,370 to say, hey, hey, stop right here. 563 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,520 I'll save you. I'll turn you around and I'll 564 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:19,880 take you into eternal life. But if you drive over Jesus, you 565 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:23,800 smash through him with your car, you run him over under both 566 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:27,800 wheels. What else is there to stop you 567 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:31,320 from going over the Cliff? There is no longer anything 568 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:33,600 else. There's no sacrifice coming. 569 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:36,680 He's the only barrier between you and your eternal 570 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:39,400 destination. He's the only thing standing in 571 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:41,840 the way. There's no other mercy. 572 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,840 There's no other grace. And he sacrifices himself to do 573 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:47,960 it. He goes, hey, stop, stop. 574 00:29:48,080 --> 00:29:50,160 You can see him. It's not an accident. 575 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:51,360 He doesn't jump out in front of you. 576 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:54,160 Suddenly, I didn't have time. He goes, stop, stop, stop, stop, 577 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:56,560 stop, stop, stop, stop. Let me tell you. 578 00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:01,520 And we plow ahead. If you do that, there no longer 579 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:03,760 remains after him. There's nothing else. 580 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:06,160 There's no other guardrail. There's not any. 581 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:10,720 There's not a traffic light, there's not a there's not a a 582 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,280 speed bump. Christ is all there is. 583 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:17,840 So if you trample Christ under foot, what hope is there for 584 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:19,200 you? How could there be? 585 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:22,400 If you trample the blood of Christ and you go, well, someday 586 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:24,120 I'm going to. There's nothing else coming. 587 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:27,120 There's no other protection. You're doomed. 588 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:30,280 You're doomed. I don't want to be doomed. 589 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:33,480 Then hold up the blood of Jesus and cover yourself in it. 590 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:36,320 Well, I don't want then you're doomed. 591 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:38,760 The rest is just a matter of time. 592 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:41,920 It's irrelevant. You're you're just walking out. 593 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:45,160 You're death. Maybe it's today, maybe it's in 594 00:30:45,160 --> 00:30:48,480 40 years, but you're dead and you're doomed forever. 595 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:50,960 Why? Because you trample Christ. 596 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:53,320 Well, I'm sorry. That's repentance, and that 597 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:55,880 changes everything. Humble yourself under the blood 598 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:58,320 of Jesus. But for those who trample Christ 599 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:00,720 and run him over with their car and go, whatever, I'll deal with 600 00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:03,280 that later. No, you won't, because that hard 601 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:06,760 heart isn't humble. It doesn't love him and it only 602 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:11,360 loves yourself. And Jesus will still be kind. 603 00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:16,320 But the Father sees his Son in the road and the Father sees 604 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,640 that it was you who did it and it was me who did it. 605 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:21,840 And the Father doesn't like that. 606 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:29,040 And there is coming a judgement, a fearful expectation of 607 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:29,920 judgement. Why? 608 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:32,840 Because we trampled him under foot. 609 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:36,400 How much worse punishment? Verse verse 9, he's saying under 610 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:40,080 the law of Moses, two or three witnesses come, hey, we saw Bob 611 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:42,120 doing the thing. Hey, do we have a confirmation 612 00:31:42,120 --> 00:31:43,960 this has really happened? Yep, Bob did the bad thing. 613 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:46,560 All right, we're going to put Bob to death because he violated 614 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:49,120 the law of God. Verse 29, how much worse 615 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,840 punishment do you think will be deserved by the one who has 616 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,600 trampled under foot the Son of God and profaned the blood of 617 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:58,000 the covenant by which he was sanctified? 618 00:31:58,400 --> 00:31:59,800 You were sanctified by this blood. 619 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:01,480 So again, he's talking to those who were Saints. 620 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:05,720 They were sanctified, it happened, they were sanctified, 621 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:09,000 they were saved, but now they've trampled it under foot. 622 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:12,640 That's even more terrifying that this could be St. and then later 623 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:17,320 not and has outraged the Spirit of grace. 624 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:20,160 Did you know you could outrage the Holy Spirit? 625 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:24,320 He's not quick timbered, quick tempered, thankfully. 626 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,120 He's slow to anger and yet he can be outraged. 627 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:31,440 And Jesus plainly is outraged. So much so to say it'll be 628 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:33,080 better for Sodom than for Eucapartium. 629 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:40,560 Sodom the city who wants to? I won't explain. 630 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:44,000 Most of you know what happened in Sodom. 631 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:49,840 A graphic disgusting description is given to you in the 632 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:51,520 scriptures of what took place there. 633 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:54,320 But it'll be worse for certain places. 634 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:56,240 Why? Because of more light, more 635 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:59,000 revelation, more knowledge. This is why for the one who has 636 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,480 walked with Christ and been changed by Christ to then 637 00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:06,520 trample under foot Christ, who could there be a heavier 638 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:09,640 punishment for anyone. You walked with him, you talked 639 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:13,120 with him, you loved him. Imagine Judas's punishment. 640 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,280 It's worse. Imagine the one who walked with 641 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:21,080 the Lord and tasted it all and then says, Nah, you've had the 642 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:24,040 full experience, you've had the fullness of Christ, you've had 643 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:27,120 the goodness of God. How much have you and I tasted 644 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:30,880 and seen? And we go, he's an option. 645 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,840 Maybe tomorrow. I'm busy. 646 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:38,760 I enjoy this sin. But if I go in deliberately 647 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:42,440 sinning, deliberately sinning, not a humble heart going, Oh 648 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:43,760 Lord, I hate my sin. Help me. 649 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:47,240 And I'm truly vulnerable. Are you really vulnerable with 650 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:50,120 the Lord? Are you really vulnerable with 651 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:52,440 the Lord? For those of you who are really 652 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:54,320 vulnerable with the Lord, you've already answered this. 653 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:56,360 You go yes, and you're and you're good. 654 00:33:56,640 --> 00:33:59,520 For those of you who go, I don't know, you know, go, then become 655 00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:02,160 so, then become so. And you know what will happen 656 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:04,800 when you're truly vulnerable with the Lord, Here's a hint. 657 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:10,719 You'll be truly vulnerable with others that will lead to that. 658 00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,239 To truly be vulnerable with the Lord will not create walls 659 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:16,639 around your life around other people. 660 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:20,600 If you're truly vulnerable with the Lord, you won't always just 661 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:22,120 have a facade. This is, this doesn't mean you 662 00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:25,000 tell everybody everything, but you ought to tell somebody 663 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,239 something. And if you never tell nobody 664 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:29,400 nothing, then that's an indication. 665 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,360 And that should be a check engine light to say the least. 666 00:34:32,679 --> 00:34:35,800 What we will call a red flag, a bit of a warning light to go. 667 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:37,960 I don't open up anything with anybody. 668 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:41,040 Then I would start doing that. I would take things to the Lord 669 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:43,239 first of all, but I would take things to others. 670 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:45,719 Brother, would you pray for me? Sister, would you pray for me? 671 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:48,360 Here's how I sinned. I repented to the Lord. 672 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:51,040 I want to confess my sin to you that I may be healed. 673 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:53,360 Oh my goodness, let me encourage you in the word. 674 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:58,360 Let me encourage you in the Lord God is merciful. 675 00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:02,160 He gives us time, He gives us space, He steps in front of us 676 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:03,880 to stop us. But if we run Him over, if we 677 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:07,000 trample him, there is no one else to save us, and we will 678 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,480 receive the wrath that we already deserved. 679 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:14,320 These cities, these people, they made their choice and it looks 680 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:17,200 like Jesus is pronouncing wrath on them, but that is not the 681 00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:19,160 case. Remember, God doesn't bring 682 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:23,280 wrath to us in the future. We have wrath on us already, 683 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:28,280 according to Ephesians 2, verse 3, among whom you all once 684 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:31,840 lived, talking about sinners, among whom you all once lived 685 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:34,520 according to the passions of your flesh, carrying out the 686 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:38,080 desires of the body and the mind, and you were by nature 687 00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:40,440 children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 688 00:35:40,720 --> 00:35:43,880 That was our default setting. It's not like we're good people 689 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:45,440 and we're going to enter into wrath one day. 690 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:47,200 No, we're already under the wrath of God. 691 00:35:47,600 --> 00:35:51,400 And then by the grace of God, we exit that wrath and we enjoy 692 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:54,360 sonship. But then the punishment becomes 693 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:56,440 greater if we reject it from that point forward. 694 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:04,640 Take Jesus at his word, Amen. Next week we'll see him speak 695 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:06,480 with more tenderness, all in the same context. 696 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:07,960 And we're going to make sure we connect it all. 697 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:10,960 Because he knows it's heavy. He knows it brings a big weight. 698 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:15,120 And then he goes, My yoke is easy, my burden is light. 699 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:18,800 So if you're humble, walk with me. 700 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:22,040 I won't extinguish you if your if your flame is barely 701 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:23,960 flickering, I'm not going to blow it out. 702 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:26,960 If you're a Reed that's bruised, I'm not going to go ahead and 703 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:32,160 break you off, but come to me. Come to me. 704 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:34,560 All you who are weary and heavy laden. 705 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:36,600 I'm weary and heavy laden with my sin. 706 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:39,720 Come to me. I'm weary and heavy laden with 707 00:36:39,720 --> 00:36:44,440 fear. Come to me, come to me. 708 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:47,320 This is what Jesus's command and expectation. 709 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:50,840 But that's the only relief. I ran him over with the car. 710 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:55,280 Turn around, come to him. The wounded Savior will heal 711 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:59,160 you. Take him at His word. 712 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:01,920 We'll see him speak with more tenderness next week, but this 713 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:03,760 week he speaks fiercely. And guess what? 714 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:07,240 It's the same Jesus. Want to avoid wrath? 715 00:37:07,240 --> 00:37:10,640 Stay humble and tender and repentant and vulnerable with 716 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:14,800 him and with the Holy Spirit. You can fake it with me and I 717 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:17,600 can fake it with you. And the more you spend time 718 00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:19,800 around Christians, the easier that gets because you learn the 719 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:22,440 language. I know how to even look humble 720 00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:25,440 without actually being humble. That's really scary. 721 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:28,960 And I truly have that ability. I wasn't, I'm not being speaking 722 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:30,480 with hyperbole. I know how to do that. 723 00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:33,520 I can make you think I'm humble, but the Lord knows. 724 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:37,920 The Lord sees, Oh, that's like an extra level of pride. 725 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:40,120 It's one thing to be prideful and everybody sees it to go, 726 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:42,960 that's kind of gross. But to be prideful and to know 727 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:45,720 how to hide that in front of others a bit and still have it 728 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:49,320 in my heart and the Lord's going, that ain't good. 729 00:37:49,720 --> 00:37:53,080 You ought to let me cut that cancer out and go, Nah, too 730 00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:55,880 prideful for that. That's the problem with pride. 731 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:59,320 It's this spiral and the whole time you're being flushed down 732 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:05,560 the toilet and you want it. Stay humble, stay repentant, 733 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:07,960 stay vulnerable with the Lord, stay vulnerable with the Holy 734 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:13,520 Spirit. Sounding good is not the same 735 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:17,880 thing as having good fruit, and Jesus is interested in fruit. 736 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:23,880 In John 15-8 Jesus says by this my Father is glorified that you 737 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:27,520 bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 738 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:33,800 By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so 739 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:36,480 prove to be my disciples. You need to know what fruit is 740 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:41,160 and what fruit isn't. What is fruit? 741 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:44,800 It depends. It really depends on the 742 00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:47,560 circumstance. It depends on the situation, 743 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:50,360 depends on the person, depends on the motive. 744 00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:54,040 Fruit doesn't look the same for everybody at every season, at 745 00:38:54,040 --> 00:39:00,120 every stage. Fruit looks like results. 746 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:03,760 Fruit looks like humility. Fruit looks like love. 747 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:08,560 God wants to be believed, and when He's believed, people will 748 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:14,320 truly be transformed. Transformed people look like 749 00:39:14,320 --> 00:39:17,560 transformed people. They don't look perfect, but it 750 00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:19,920 looks like something. It can't look like nothing. 751 00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:26,440 Romans 2 and we're closing Romans 2, verses four and five 752 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:30,520 tell us that God's kindness is intended to lead us to 753 00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:33,560 repentance. That's the purpose of His 754 00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:36,080 kindness. That's the purpose of Jesus 755 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:37,120 stepping out in front of the car. 756 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:39,480 Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Stop the car. 757 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:43,760 Stop the car, stop the car. I got good news, I got good 758 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:44,880 news. I'm saving you. 759 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:48,560 I'm turning it all around. That kindness, that sacrifice, 760 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:53,080 that risk that he takes. Romans 2, four and five says, Do 761 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:56,960 you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and His 762 00:39:56,960 --> 00:40:00,880 patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to 763 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:05,480 repentance, but because of your hard and impenitent heart, you 764 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:08,000 are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, 765 00:40:08,240 --> 00:40:10,480 when God's righteous judgment will be revealed? 766 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:15,480 What he's saying, are you just, are you just trampling over 767 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:19,920 again the, the kindness of God? Because I haven't been blown up 768 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:22,240 like Sodom. I guess I'm all right. 769 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:25,720 No, no, no. It's called kindness. 770 00:40:25,720 --> 00:40:28,120 It's called mercy. And actually, the more that you 771 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:30,000 receive, the more you'll be accountable for. 772 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:32,520 Actually, the deeper the wrath will become, the deeper the 773 00:40:32,520 --> 00:40:34,600 punishment will become, the more you go. 774 00:40:34,960 --> 00:40:36,200 Man, look at all that I've been given. 775 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:38,440 Just like the parable of the talents. 776 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:41,000 If you've been given much, you have much to be faithful with 777 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:45,840 and you've been given much 'cause you receive the Word of 778 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:48,600 God, you receive the Scriptures preached. 779 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:51,400 Do you know how many people don't receive the scriptures 780 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:53,040 preached to them? Do you know how many people 781 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:56,040 don't own a Bible? Do you have people who don't 782 00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,600 have 15 Bibles laying around their house? 783 00:40:58,600 --> 00:41:02,240 And you know how many people have given their lives for the, 784 00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:06,040 for the five sentences that was smuggled into the prison that 785 00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:09,840 they're in? How much light and revelation 786 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:11,960 and hope and help have I received? 787 00:41:14,080 --> 00:41:17,800 How much do we have? Do you presume on the riches of 788 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:24,200 His kindness and His forbearance and His patience, not knowing 789 00:41:24,200 --> 00:41:26,360 that His kindness was meant to lead you to repentance? 790 00:41:27,520 --> 00:41:28,760 You were just taking that for granted. 791 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:32,760 But because of your hard and impenitent heart, you're storing 792 00:41:32,760 --> 00:41:36,240 up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath, when God's righteous 793 00:41:36,240 --> 00:41:40,120 judgment will be revealed. Paul wrote that letter to 794 00:41:40,120 --> 00:41:43,520 Christians. It didn't apply to everyone in 795 00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:44,880 the church, but it applied to who? 796 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:49,160 It applied to you and I, Saints, and this is your walk away. 797 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:51,840 You and I have received even more kindness than Tyre and 798 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:55,280 Sidon or Capernaum have. Why? 799 00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:58,680 Because you and I received. When you and I get to look back 800 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:03,560 and see the thorns, we see the whip, we see the nails, we can 801 00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:05,960 see the cross and we can see the blood. 802 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:09,440 He didn't just show us a miracle from somebody else. 803 00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:12,160 Oh wow. He raised Gyrus's daughter from 804 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:14,600 the dead. He did a miracle for you. 805 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:18,400 He raised you from the dead. He did it for me. 806 00:42:18,800 --> 00:42:22,680 We have all the benefit of 2000 years of church history to look 807 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:25,880 back on what the Savior did. We have more even revelation 808 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:28,280 than they did. We have more clarity than they 809 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:30,760 did. We got access to the best 810 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:32,640 preachers in the world on a podcast. 811 00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:36,960 We got study tools that can help us understand the scriptures and 812 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:39,960 gain revelation. We have the freedom to worship, 813 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:44,040 count your blessings. They are many. 814 00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:48,560 And also recognize this is the kindness of God to you. 815 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:50,160 This is the goodness of God to you. 816 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:52,720 This is the grace of God to you. This is the mercy of God to you. 817 00:42:52,960 --> 00:42:56,200 And if you run it over with a car, there's nothing else after 818 00:42:56,200 --> 00:42:58,160 that. There's nothing else after this 819 00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:01,840 kindness, the blood of Jesus to rescue you or to pull you back. 820 00:43:02,280 --> 00:43:04,400 There's no bungee cord that's going to yank you back. 821 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:09,600 That is the mercy of God. We are already doomed for His 822 00:43:09,600 --> 00:43:12,920 wrath, and yet we've been saved by His grace. 823 00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:17,960 So what do we do with that now? We pursue Him and we come to 824 00:43:17,960 --> 00:43:22,040 Him, which is exactly what He's going to tell us as we go into 825 00:43:22,040 --> 00:43:26,000 next week. He's going to say, come to me. 826 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:31,560 Keep coming to Jesus. Don't let your physical 827 00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:35,840 proximity deceive you. Don't let man, I got a good 828 00:43:35,840 --> 00:43:38,600 preacher, man, I got a good church, man, I've got good 829 00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:40,360 friends, man, my Bible study is good. 830 00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:42,360 Those are good things. Those are blessings and 831 00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:45,240 kindnesses, but don't let those deceive you in your inner life 832 00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:47,080 and your inner walk with the Lord. 833 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:49,320 Where is that? Oh man, I'm surrounded by 834 00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:52,440 brothers who are faithful to the Lord, and that's a good thing. 835 00:43:53,240 --> 00:43:55,960 And that's also like having Jesus live in your village. 836 00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:59,440 What are you doing with that? And I got these sisters who 837 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:02,320 surround me and encourage me and, and they and they're super 838 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:04,600 faithful. That's great that Jesus lives in 839 00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:09,520 your village, Capernaum. So what about you and the Lord? 840 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:13,320 What about you? What are you bringing to the 841 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:16,000 Lord, to the feet of Jesus? What is your vulnerability and 842 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:18,440 your prayer life look like with the Holy Spirit? 843 00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:20,840 I'm glad he lives in your village. 844 00:44:20,840 --> 00:44:23,720 That's amazing. Please tell me you're sitting at 845 00:44:23,720 --> 00:44:26,360 his feet every day. I I assume you're waiting 846 00:44:26,360 --> 00:44:28,760 outside of his house every morning for him to come outside 847 00:44:29,040 --> 00:44:32,120 and you and you hang around like his shadow all day long, Right? 848 00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:34,600 Right. Isn't that what you would do if 849 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:36,480 we could go back right now and be in Capernaum? 850 00:44:37,080 --> 00:44:38,720 That's literally what I think you would do. 851 00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:40,440 I literally think I would do that. 852 00:44:40,440 --> 00:44:43,600 Like he would go in the house and then I'd be like, can I come 853 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:47,200 in? He'd be like, of course, because 854 00:44:47,200 --> 00:44:49,760 that's what he said. He's going to invite us in. 855 00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:53,800 He already does give that invitation. 856 00:44:54,360 --> 00:44:56,160 Oh, if I lived in Capernaum, I would have done that. 857 00:44:56,200 --> 00:45:00,760 OK, well today's a great day. Today's a great day. 858 00:45:00,840 --> 00:45:03,120 And he stands at the door and knocks for us. 859 00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:05,880 He's going, can I come in? Can I come in? 860 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:09,720 Can he come in? Heavenly Father, we thank you so 861 00:45:09,720 --> 00:45:12,800 much that you love us and discipline us as sons. 862 00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:15,680 Lord, we pray that you will protect us. 863 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:19,840 Even preaching a message like this. 864 00:45:20,520 --> 00:45:22,880 I wish I could have been in the Pew as as the receiver. 865 00:45:27,720 --> 00:45:30,920 God, keep us from pride, keep us from ignorance, keep us from 866 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:36,120 arrogance, keep us from the the falseness of familiarity, 867 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:39,840 thinking that just because you live in our village that that 868 00:45:39,840 --> 00:45:44,160 has impacted our heart. There's so many ways that you 869 00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:46,440 live in our village. There's so many ways that you 870 00:45:46,440 --> 00:45:49,480 live in this city. There's so many ways where we're 871 00:45:49,480 --> 00:45:53,840 blessed, all the churches in our community and in this country, 872 00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:59,440 the sermons, there's preachers on our television preaching the 873 00:45:59,440 --> 00:46:03,240 gospel of the Kingdom everywhere we go. 874 00:46:03,240 --> 00:46:06,360 We can have more light and revelation and more fellowship. 875 00:46:06,560 --> 00:46:09,080 Just be even being pressed upon us from the outside. 876 00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:11,760 But are we really seeking it from the inside? 877 00:46:18,610 --> 00:46:20,250 Keep us close and keep us humble. 878 00:46:20,850 --> 00:46:25,210 Draw us near to You, Lord. You correct us because you love 879 00:46:25,210 --> 00:46:27,170 us and you want to be close to us. 880 00:46:27,730 --> 00:46:31,640 You have stepped in the way of that Cliff that we were speeding 881 00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:35,000 towards. God help us in the name of Jesus 882 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:42,080 to slam on the brakes and to say this car is yours, this life is 883 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:45,080 yours, everything I have is yours. 884 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:47,360 Jesus, what would you have me do? 885 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:52,760 I submit to you. I love you, I want you, I want 886 00:46:55,240 --> 00:46:58,080 to be closer to you, I want to please you. 887 00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:03,760 Don't let me go on deliberately sinning. 888 00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:09,360 I thank you for your correction and your mercy and your kindness 889 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:12,440 as you did it. That's why a father disciplines 890 00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:14,120 his children. A good father disciplines his 891 00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:17,600 children not because he's fed up, but because of his great 892 00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:23,720 love for his children. Reveal your love to us, God. 893 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:29,920 Reveal your great care, your great kindness, and draw us 894 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:33,560 deeper into repentance. Change everything about us until 895 00:47:33,560 --> 00:47:34,680 it looks how you want it to look. 896 00:47:39,720 --> 00:47:43,000 Sanctify, protect, secure and seal. 897 00:47:48,220 --> 00:47:50,340 And now the Lord bless you and keep you. 898 00:47:51,540 --> 00:47:55,180 The Lord make His face shine down upon you and be gracious to 899 00:47:55,180 --> 00:47:57,820 you. The Lord lift up His countenance 900 00:47:57,820 --> 00:48:02,840 upon you and give you great peace in Jesus name, Amen.