back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 3.7.2021
00:15:20.340 |
I wanted to go ahead and read a passage in Psalm 92, 00:15:29.920 |
Psalm 92, one says, "It is good to give thanks to the Lord 00:15:33.760 |
"and to sing praises to your name, O Most High, 00:15:37.140 |
"to declare your loving kindness in the morning 00:15:49.060 |
"For you, O Lord, have made me glad by what you have done. 00:15:54.060 |
"I will sing for joy at the works of your hands." 00:16:39.980 |
♪ Oh, it is good to worship and praise the Lord ♪ 00:17:24.980 |
♪ Oh, it is good to worship and praise the Lord ♪ 00:17:45.980 |
♪ Oh, it is good to worship and praise the Lord ♪ 00:18:10.980 |
♪ Oh, it is good to worship and praise the Lord ♪ 00:18:21.140 |
- Good morning, let me get to a few announcements 00:18:39.580 |
for the membership class that's been taking place. 00:18:43.060 |
So a new session is gonna be starting in April. 00:18:46.540 |
So if you know of someone who needs to be taking that class, 00:18:53.620 |
So please contact either Pastor Nate or Pastor Mark, 00:18:56.220 |
and they'll give you more information about that coming up. 00:18:59.300 |
This week, we're gonna pick back up on our Bible study. 00:19:01.380 |
So whether it's a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 00:19:07.960 |
And also our leadership is going on a leadership retreat 00:19:11.860 |
that's starting today and we'll be back on Wednesday. 00:19:13.940 |
So if anybody is thinking of coming to church before that, 00:19:20.280 |
But we ask that you would keep us in your prayers. 00:19:22.780 |
We're not going far, but it is a leadership retreat 00:19:25.500 |
so to take some time to discuss certain things. 00:19:28.600 |
And so if you guys can keep us in your prayer for that. 00:19:30.660 |
Okay, let's take some time to pray for the offering 00:19:37.240 |
Heavenly Father, we thank you for the privilege 00:19:45.960 |
Help us, Lord, to give you worship that you truly deserve. 00:19:57.060 |
that we may be transformed from one form of glory 00:20:01.220 |
We ask, Lord, that your grace would be sufficient 00:20:03.660 |
and that our love for you may continue to increase 00:20:23.260 |
We thank you, Lord, in Jesus' name we pray, amen. 00:21:38.900 |
♪ He chosen, he chosen seed of Israel's race ♪ 00:22:13.540 |
♪ Every kindred, every tribe on this terrestrial ball ♪ 00:24:24.080 |
♪ His strength will help me scale these walls ♪ 00:25:26.680 |
♪ When winter fades, I know spring will come ♪ 00:25:42.560 |
♪ The waiting times, the waiting times of me ♪ 00:28:48.120 |
All right, if you can turn your Bibles with me 00:29:04.080 |
So we're going much faster, two verses today. 00:29:10.320 |
Okay, chapter 30, chapter 11, verse 30 and 31. 00:29:20.920 |
after they had been encircled for seven days. 00:29:32.360 |
Heavenly Father, we pray for greater insight, 00:29:39.140 |
greater knowledge of Christ and what he has done, 00:29:44.720 |
that all that we do may simply be a reasonable response 00:29:51.480 |
Lord, as we continue to study your redemptive history 00:29:57.680 |
help us, Lord God, not to simply take it as knowledge, 00:30:01.100 |
but the source of strength for application in our lives, 00:30:05.000 |
to put our confidence and trust in you and you alone. 00:30:07.960 |
So we pray for your grace and your Holy Spirit 00:30:20.640 |
40 years have gone by since they've come out of Egypt, 00:30:24.720 |
and so we're skipping literally from Exodus 14, 15, 00:30:34.160 |
and then now we're at the event that takes place in Joshua. 00:30:46.000 |
so that we can understand this in the proper context, okay? 00:30:49.220 |
So if you remember, the whole book of Hebrews 00:31:09.600 |
but at some point, maybe after 10, 20, 30 years, 00:31:16.680 |
and so many of them started drifting back to their old life, 00:31:23.740 |
is to remind them of the supremacy of Christ. 00:31:33.740 |
He's better than the angels, better than Moses, 00:31:35.420 |
better than the prophets, better than the priests, 00:31:42.180 |
to demonstrate to them that this great salvation 00:31:49.140 |
how much more deserving of judgment would we have? 00:31:52.100 |
So we had 11 chapters, or 10 chapters of Christology. 00:32:07.380 |
over everything else, then this is how we ought to live. 00:32:13.340 |
there's a lot of imperatives teaching us instructions 00:32:18.720 |
where he's transitioning from the indicatives 00:32:24.460 |
this is who Jesus is, and if he truly is supreme 00:32:38.100 |
So everything that we've been talking about in chapter 11, 00:32:40.420 |
that if you believe this, chapter one through 10, 00:32:47.500 |
who by faith have done this, by faith have done that. 00:32:54.100 |
that I think every one of us have a tendency. 00:33:10.560 |
So we kinda leave our theology at a kinda superficial 00:33:14.860 |
or at a basic level, and then we wanna get to work. 00:33:18.900 |
Or we may have a tendency to be on the other end, 00:33:21.460 |
where we're so into, like, we wanna know biblical theology, 00:33:26.140 |
we wanna know exegesis, and then when it comes 00:33:28.140 |
to the application, we don't pay as much attention to that. 00:33:31.900 |
Well, chapter 11 really is the core of our Christian faith, 00:33:45.220 |
Jesus loves you, died for you, was resurrected, 00:33:49.240 |
By faith reminds us that everything that he says 00:33:52.260 |
in 11 chapters, 10 chapters, is just as crucial 00:33:55.340 |
as what we do, because that's the foundation, 00:34:16.020 |
So again, I wanted to revisit that before we jump into this, 00:34:30.860 |
and through the ups and downs of Israel's history, 00:34:33.800 |
that God remains faithful throughout the whole thing. 00:34:37.600 |
There's two questions that we wanna answer here. 00:34:47.100 |
"after they had been encircled for seven days," 00:34:49.800 |
how come Joshua's name is not mentioned here? 00:34:53.000 |
I mean, he's the central figure in what's going on here. 00:35:00.940 |
by faith, you know, by faith Abraham did this, 00:35:04.540 |
by faith Jacob did this, by faith Isaac did this, 00:35:09.140 |
But when we come to the falling of the wall of Jericho, 00:35:32.580 |
This great event that takes place through Joshua, 00:35:37.140 |
this man of faith, and his name is not mentioned, 00:35:42.800 |
in the conquering of Jericho is Rahab the harlot, right? 00:35:54.740 |
And again, whenever we do inductive Bible study, 00:35:57.060 |
it's very important to ask a lot of questions, 00:36:02.240 |
you won't know when you get the answer, okay? 00:36:11.220 |
it just means even when something profound comes up, 00:36:24.260 |
what we're saying about Joshua's name and Rahab's name 00:36:26.380 |
is not the central thing that we're gonna be talking about, 00:36:35.460 |
I think we need to understand the background context behind, 00:36:39.060 |
before they go into Jericho, what exactly happened, right? 00:36:49.580 |
Remember, they got the law, they built the tabernacle, 00:36:52.520 |
spies went and they came back and they were afraid, 00:36:55.100 |
and as a result, they wandered in the desert for 40 years. 00:36:58.340 |
And so Moses was a leader during those 40 years, right? 00:37:08.800 |
their biggest challenge, up to now, for 40 years, 00:37:12.340 |
all they had to do was when God said to move, you move. 00:37:19.060 |
God says, don't touch it, you don't touch it. 00:37:33.940 |
The first time they needed to go against a fortified city, 00:37:42.900 |
and he puts this inexperienced leader, Joshua, 00:37:56.660 |
like, again, to this day, I'm not exactly sure 00:38:04.820 |
I've heard sermons, read through commentaries, 00:38:26.220 |
he didn't present God the way God wanted to be presented. 00:38:39.380 |
like, please, look at that land filled with milk and honey. 00:38:45.300 |
but here's the payoff, but he couldn't get in. 00:38:54.180 |
and Moses to disciple him and raise him up as a leader. 00:39:14.540 |
to the nation of Israel who they're up against. 00:39:18.340 |
"Hear, O Israel, you are crossing over the Jordan today 00:39:25.940 |
They're all greater and mightier than you, right? 00:39:38.100 |
whom you know and of whom you have heard it said, 00:39:44.340 |
I mean, I don't think God even needed to remind them. 00:39:49.280 |
but God made it sure that they understood, right? 00:40:08.380 |
and you have to remember the experienced adults 00:40:19.840 |
So not only do they have a young commanding leader 00:40:24.040 |
anybody who's older and more mature already died out. 00:40:37.920 |
You know, and they've been wandering out in the desert. 00:40:57.800 |
So it's kind of like getting a bunch of soldiers 00:41:07.620 |
By the way, they have better weapons than you." 00:41:14.700 |
They've destroyed everybody else before you, right? 00:41:19.260 |
Well, he says in verse three, Deuteronomy 9, three, 00:41:22.020 |
"Know therefore today that it is the Lord your God 00:41:24.620 |
who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire." 00:41:36.540 |
And that's why I want to let you know it is not you. 00:41:44.800 |
"The Lord your God who is crossing over before you 00:41:52.500 |
so that you may drive them out and destroy them quickly, 00:41:57.580 |
And then he goes on even further in verse four. 00:42:02.140 |
And I want you to see how many times he says to them, 00:42:05.660 |
"Remember that it is not because of your righteousness 00:42:11.420 |
when the Lord your God has driven them out before you 00:42:15.380 |
the Lord has brought me to possess this land. 00:42:18.260 |
But it is because of the weakness of the nations 00:42:28.040 |
But it is because of the weakness of these nations, 00:42:30.500 |
the Lord your God is driving them out before you 00:42:38.060 |
Know then it is not because of your righteousness 00:42:40.660 |
that the Lord your God giving you this good land to possess 00:42:45.700 |
You kind of get the idea that maybe God was concerned 00:43:06.640 |
You know, "It must have been something," he said. 00:43:23.780 |
was when they were completely dependent upon God, right? 00:43:28.660 |
that they came out of Egypt by their own strength? 00:43:34.860 |
The water and the food that they ate was miraculous food. 00:43:38.660 |
Normal people would have just died within months 00:43:47.640 |
I'm not sending you into this city to conquer them 00:44:08.020 |
they're stronger than you, they're mightier than you. 00:44:11.900 |
that you realize I'm going over and you follow me. 00:44:25.580 |
"Remember, do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God 00:44:36.820 |
He says, if you have any confidence thinking like, 00:44:44.780 |
He said, "You forgot already what the 40 years was like?" 00:44:52.260 |
right before they even crossed the Red Sea, right? 00:45:04.100 |
"You brought us out here where there's no water?" 00:45:11.140 |
It's like, "Oh my gosh, you brought us out here 00:45:17.540 |
and it's like, "Oh my gosh, you brought us out here 00:45:23.180 |
So God gives them quail and they eat the quail. 00:45:24.900 |
It's like, "Oh my gosh, the same thing over and over again?" 00:45:31.580 |
remember how many times you provoked the Lord. 00:45:50.020 |
He said, "Because the promise I made to your forefathers." 00:45:56.820 |
The covenant that he has made, he is keeping it. 00:46:07.300 |
nor chose you, because you were more in number 00:46:14.020 |
but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath 00:46:24.380 |
Know therefore that the Lord your God, he is God, 00:46:30.020 |
and his loving kindness to the thousands generation 00:46:41.100 |
isn't that somehow God has seen a diamond in the rough. 00:46:46.100 |
Every once in a while I hear somebody saying that. 00:46:55.740 |
The diamond in the rough, and he polished us, 00:47:03.820 |
because there was something special about us. 00:47:11.420 |
The fundamental question is that he just chose to love us. 00:47:15.460 |
In fact, if you're honest with yourself, right? 00:47:21.860 |
we're not even talking about before you became a Christian. 00:47:24.260 |
We're talking about after you became a Christian. 00:47:26.700 |
Do you really think you've lived up to the calling 00:47:33.100 |
Don't answer that 'cause I don't wanna refute you, right? 00:47:49.980 |
look back on those 30, 40, 50 years of our Christian life 00:47:55.860 |
"I know I was an unfaithful person, you know, 00:48:05.540 |
"Majority of my thoughts, my human relationships, 00:48:10.820 |
"I lived up to the gospel that the Bible talks. 00:48:14.520 |
"I've loved up to the calling that God has given me." 00:48:42.680 |
The fundamental questions of the gospel isn't, 00:49:02.600 |
If somebody irritates you, do you not punish them? 00:49:06.380 |
Somebody slaps you, do you not slap them back, 00:49:11.920 |
So we know why rebellious people get punished. 00:49:17.120 |
So when Jesus comes, I don't think the first question 00:49:21.840 |
that we should be asking is, "Why did you create hell? 00:49:25.600 |
"Why is there so much suffering in the world?" 00:49:27.740 |
The answer is clear, because mankind, all have sinned 00:49:34.440 |
and I'm not sure exactly if it's gonna make sense 00:49:53.000 |
and he's being faithful to his covenant promise. 00:49:56.700 |
See, he wanted Israel to make sure that they believe, 00:50:07.700 |
and that's the difference between a good Christian 00:50:09.860 |
and a bad Christian, or somebody who bears fruit, 00:50:29.060 |
after I preach to others that I may be disqualified? 00:50:37.700 |
but the fundamental place where the gospel brings us, 00:50:45.940 |
'Cause our battle is not against flesh and blood. 00:51:11.220 |
There's a church that really was battling each other 00:51:19.900 |
in order to be really righteous and right with God, 00:51:32.220 |
the division is coming because of your spiritual pride. 00:51:34.980 |
That somehow, some of you think you're more righteous 00:51:50.820 |
"that there were not many wise according to the flesh." 00:51:54.380 |
I want you to think about what he's saying here, okay? 00:52:09.480 |
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world, 00:52:14.940 |
And God has chosen the weak things of the world, 00:52:26.020 |
And despised, God has chosen the things that are not, 00:52:45.940 |
Satan wanted to get the glory and worship that God had. 00:52:54.780 |
because they wanted to get to God by their own strength. 00:52:57.500 |
And God deliberately destroys them and scatters them. 00:53:04.540 |
is he wants to elevate himself near to God or above God. 00:53:08.460 |
God says he comes, and the gospel message is, 00:53:26.660 |
And he's deliberately chosen the weak things, 00:53:34.340 |
and that's what he was trying to tell the disciples. 00:53:44.800 |
And that's why he deliberately got on his knees, 00:53:51.440 |
And to do the most menial task of washing their feet. 00:54:03.120 |
and he was flipping the table over this sinful world, 00:54:08.600 |
And that's why our salvation is described by, 00:54:11.760 |
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, 00:54:13.900 |
"that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, 00:54:16.680 |
"not as a result of us, so that no one may boast." 00:54:29.800 |
A Christian who is boasting, doesn't know the gospel. 00:54:38.320 |
He thinks somehow he worked harder than other people. 00:54:40.800 |
He thinks somehow he achieved greater things. 00:54:50.720 |
This wall's gonna fall, but it has nothing to do with you. 00:54:59.600 |
If this promise that God made was a conditional promise 00:55:09.480 |
You guys would've never made it out of Egypt. 00:55:12.480 |
You would've never made it through the Red Sea. 00:55:15.280 |
You would've never crossed the Jordan River, if it was you. 00:55:19.100 |
That was the point that he was trying to make. 00:55:22.200 |
He's trying to be faithful to his own covenant. 00:55:38.160 |
Because ever since we were born, we're taught to mature. 00:55:43.400 |
To be independent, to take care of yourself, right? 00:55:46.840 |
I remember when that thought really gripped me. 00:55:51.400 |
I think I was a freshman or a sophomore in college, 00:56:12.240 |
to be really sick that day, and there was nobody 00:56:20.660 |
and I was a cashier, and I was feeling so bad, 00:56:28.920 |
But there's no break, 'cause no one could take my place, 00:56:31.040 |
and the boss who was there, he needed me to do my job, 00:56:36.920 |
So I remember feeling so bad, and it got so bad 00:56:39.300 |
in the middle, I went into the closet, and I threw up. 00:56:51.100 |
probably about three, four hours, just sweating, 00:57:05.480 |
Your mom is not around, you're not a kid anymore. 00:57:14.680 |
So that's been my theme of life since, suck it up. 00:57:19.480 |
Right, there's certain things that you can't change. 00:57:24.960 |
Sometimes you're sick and you have to go to work. 00:57:29.740 |
So that's kind of like, I pride myself being, 00:57:32.760 |
you know, suck it up, but it needs to get done, 00:57:38.220 |
and then I met my wife, and she's really the suck it up king. 00:57:44.780 |
But the reason why this is so hard is because 00:57:51.820 |
We talk about how many of our immigrant parents 00:58:11.840 |
So everything that we do since we're children, 00:58:15.280 |
we're taught to work hard, to move ahead, to get ahead. 00:58:19.320 |
Even as Christians, work hard to be disciplined, 00:58:27.060 |
Again, none of these things in and of itself, 00:58:46.280 |
is to come before God and recognize how helpless we are, 00:58:59.620 |
Repentance that leads to salvation is recognizing 00:59:14.580 |
I repent not only of what I did, I repent of who I am. 00:59:18.140 |
And you completely surrender everything to God, 00:59:27.220 |
But at some point in our sanctification, we pick back up. 00:59:37.560 |
And then when things don't turn out the way it does, 01:00:07.420 |
And that's the point that he's trying to tell us. 01:00:15.240 |
The zealots were people who were willing to die 01:00:26.300 |
they're gonna knife somebody and create a revolution. 01:00:29.660 |
So these guys, in their own way, were picking up the cross. 01:00:37.780 |
Jesus didn't come to them and say, "Good job. 01:00:49.140 |
through having a great relationship with the Romans, 01:00:51.460 |
and they use their intellect and their influence 01:00:56.500 |
So they were politically trying to preserve the nation. 01:00:59.540 |
Jesus didn't show up to the Sadducees and say, "Good job. 01:01:03.820 |
"and because of you, Israel is being preserved." 01:01:20.300 |
they were more disciplined than anybody else. 01:01:22.260 |
And he didn't say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant, 01:01:25.260 |
"because you tried harder than anybody else." 01:01:28.500 |
He said, "You pray, but you pray for other people to see. 01:01:33.440 |
"You study the Bible so that you can show off. 01:01:36.060 |
"You're proselytizing, and you proselytize and convert them 01:01:40.420 |
"twice as much the son of the devil than you. 01:01:56.300 |
Whenever you see the term, "Jesus was amazed," 01:02:11.540 |
What disappointment, when he was disappointed, 01:02:32.860 |
Whatever faith that they had is what connected them 01:02:35.340 |
to this holy God that caused them to be fruitful. 01:02:39.300 |
That's why he said, "If you wanna be fruitful, 01:02:46.580 |
"If you wanna be fruitful," he said, "Abide." 01:02:56.060 |
So our primary call as Christians is to abide in Christ, 01:03:27.220 |
That's why the only instruction that God gives Joshua 01:03:36.020 |
"For you shall give this people possession of the land 01:03:48.080 |
"so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it, 01:03:55.380 |
"Be strong and courageous, do exactly as I tell you." 01:03:59.260 |
Don't turn from it to the left or to the right. 01:04:01.380 |
Whether it makes sense or doesn't make sense. 01:04:04.460 |
And remember, the instruction God gave them was, 01:04:07.900 |
when you get in there, remember that Ark of the Covenant, 01:04:12.540 |
Get seven priests to walk ahead of the rest of you, 01:04:25.460 |
If you're going into battle, that's the worst thing to do. 01:04:35.520 |
they're muslim, these guys are descendants of grumblers. 01:04:51.340 |
And this is what they did for six days, right? 01:04:58.880 |
My guess is there was some grumbling in there, right? 01:05:26.920 |
Don't turn from it to the left or to the right. 01:05:39.440 |
and then I'll be the command when I blow the trumpet, 01:05:54.360 |
that the Lord is gonna give you this, not you. 01:06:01.240 |
Can you imagine how tired they were after seven? 01:06:05.240 |
but seven times around the city carrying this box. 01:06:31.040 |
was whenever they forgot that and they became proud, 01:06:34.960 |
and that's when sin started coming into their camp. 01:06:38.440 |
So the same lesson that God's been trying to teach them 01:06:50.000 |
Your power, your fruit, it doesn't come from you. 01:06:52.840 |
Abide in me, abide in me, abide in me, abide in me. 01:06:57.780 |
Do not boast, do not boast, do not boast, do not boast. 01:07:03.820 |
It's like Joshua, when he was ready in Joshua 3, 5, 01:07:10.340 |
"for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." 01:07:21.700 |
Whether his name was mentioned or it wasn't mentioned, 01:07:30.780 |
we're not gonna spend a lot of time on this one, 01:07:37.780 |
At some point in history, Rahab was a harlot. 01:07:42.220 |
But because her name is written in the Bible, 01:07:44.700 |
she will forever be known as Rahab the harlot. 01:07:48.420 |
Because that's how it was mentioned to us in Joshua, 01:07:54.100 |
Why is the fact that she was a harlot described here? 01:07:56.940 |
David is not described as David the murderer. 01:08:01.820 |
David is not described to us as David the adulterer, 01:08:08.540 |
But why is Rahab's name even on this list of, 01:08:13.060 |
I mean, think about who's on this list, right? 01:08:41.700 |
Why is her name here when Joshua's name is not? 01:08:54.320 |
Well, only thing that we know is Joshua 2, 8 through 11, 01:09:08.220 |
she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, 01:09:33.620 |
Remember when that happened 40 years ago, right? 01:09:37.180 |
"Dried up the water of the Red Sea before you 01:09:41.340 |
I said, wow, the Egyptians couldn't find them. 01:09:48.580 |
And what you did to the two kings of Amorites 01:10:23.100 |
Did not perish along with the other disobedient. 01:10:28.620 |
That's why she's on this list of people, right? 01:10:37.680 |
"along with the others who were disobedient." 01:10:45.100 |
'cause she heard that here's this nation coming. 01:10:53.300 |
"But there's something supernatural going on." 01:11:16.040 |
There's nothing necessarily noble about what she did 01:11:22.740 |
and she was trying to save her family, that's it. 01:11:37.020 |
more than whatever it is that she was holding on to. 01:11:49.940 |
start with by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith. 01:12:07.280 |
There's going to be a lot of people in heaven, 01:12:13.680 |
I believe, that we're gonna be surprised to see. 01:12:35.300 |
that I think many of us are gonna be surprised. 01:12:38.500 |
And then there's gonna be some people up there 01:12:51.060 |
What did they achieve, what did they not achieve? 01:12:54.860 |
What did they do, how much did they sacrifice? 01:13:15.180 |
In fact, eventually she ends up marrying an Israelite. 01:13:19.900 |
She becomes a great, great, great, great grandfather 01:13:24.940 |
a great, great, great, great, great grandfather of Jesus. 01:13:32.340 |
I don't know about you, but our God is amazing. 01:13:37.500 |
I mean, it humbles us and lifts us up at the same time. 01:14:03.040 |
He destroys our pride because only when our pride 01:14:14.540 |
Remember the story of Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman. 01:14:19.540 |
And those two stories are really meant to be read together 01:14:26.320 |
and Nicodemus comes out because he's considered 01:14:28.520 |
the most righteous man because he's on the Sanhedrin 01:14:35.220 |
So he comes, and remember, he's afraid of his reputation. 01:14:38.920 |
He comes at night so that his friends wouldn't see. 01:14:54.000 |
So he tells this man who had a reputation of being holy, 01:14:56.840 |
who's already made it to the top of the heap, 01:14:59.280 |
all of that's not gonna help you at all, right? 01:15:04.960 |
The very next chapter, he meets a Samaritan woman. 01:15:13.660 |
By the Jews, who's considered half-breeds, right? 01:15:32.420 |
the water that I give you will give you eternal life, 01:15:39.140 |
and she becomes the first evangelist to the Samaritans. 01:15:42.560 |
The Samaritans come to Christ as a result of her. 01:15:49.920 |
who's top of righteousness, according to Israel. 01:15:53.480 |
He humbles him and says, you must be born again. 01:15:56.380 |
And then he chases after this woman who was living in sin, 01:16:01.040 |
to tell them that the gospel brings the mountains low 01:16:07.360 |
and the entrance into the kingdom is the same door. 01:16:12.480 |
Whether you are high, whether you are significant, 01:16:14.880 |
whether you are educated, whether you are talented, 01:16:29.520 |
So the point of chapter 11 is by faith, by faith, 01:16:40.280 |
It is not, it is not because of my faithfulness 01:16:54.120 |
of a few of the leaders that our church got here. 01:17:02.640 |
'cause I know myself better than you know me. 01:17:08.320 |
And God knows me much better than even I know myself. 01:17:11.200 |
Whatever fruit that we are allowed to experience, 01:17:21.980 |
If there's anything that I have to work toward, 01:17:25.000 |
it's to make sure that we don't touch that glory. 01:17:32.240 |
if we have the right smart people, disciplined people, 01:17:35.360 |
trained people, good people, that we'll see good things. 01:17:39.820 |
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 01:17:46.800 |
we can be more patient with people who are struggling. 01:17:50.240 |
We can be more patient with people who are not up to par. 01:18:09.820 |
So whether you are Rahab, whether you are Joshua, 01:18:14.320 |
by faith and by faith alone, we're gonna make it to heaven. 01:18:23.560 |
keeps pounding over and over and over and over again 01:18:36.780 |
Because what God has called us to show the world 01:18:46.020 |
In the world, you work hard, you make a lot of money, 01:18:50.860 |
you become something successful, you become influential, 01:18:55.860 |
then you become honored, then people follow you, 01:19:02.160 |
But the kingdom of God is completely different. 01:19:04.680 |
The kingdom of God challenges the principles of this world 01:19:18.740 |
and yet this community glorifies and magnifies Christ. 01:19:31.920 |
Again, as we ask the, pray seem to come back up. 01:20:05.100 |
because all of our eyes are focused on ourselves. 01:20:10.160 |
And that's the whole point, is to take our eyes off 01:20:15.080 |
Because if your hope is on yourself, look at God. 01:20:20.220 |
You will lose all confidence, you will lose all hope. 01:20:34.460 |
And to thank God that it is by faith and by faith alone. 01:20:39.660 |
Let's take some time to pray as our worship people lead us. 01:22:09.940 |
Let's go ahead and rise together for a closing praise. 01:24:44.140 |
♪ Your faithfulness, my refuge in the night ♪ 01:25:20.300 |
♪ My guilt and cross laid on your shoulders ♪ 01:25:35.340 |
♪ You rose, the grave and death are conquered ♪ 01:25:48.340 |
♪ You rose, you rose, the grave and death are conquered ♪ 01:26:28.660 |
Heavenly Father, we thank you for our salvation. 01:26:35.420 |
Help us, Lord God, not to take for granted how we got here. 01:26:41.140 |
That it is only by your grace, only by your love, 01:26:47.060 |
help us, Lord God, to take our eyes off of ourselves, 01:26:51.060 |
our tendency, Lord, to look for man for comfort and refuge. 01:27:06.700 |
but that you would become more and more real to us each day, 01:27:09.980 |
that our greatest longing is to see you face to face, 01:27:13.980 |
to worship you, Father God, not from a distance, 01:27:18.940 |
that our longing would be for your second coming. 01:27:21.580 |
And so we pray, Father God, that you would cause us, 01:27:26.880 |
whether we have small faith or whether we have great faith, 01:27:32.400 |
that we may have a greater vision of who you are. 01:27:35.660 |
Open our eyes this week, Lord God, to your word. 01:27:42.340 |
Open our eyes, Lord God, to see the greatness 01:27:47.260 |
that our hearts may be filled with thankfulness, Lord God, 01:27:53.340 |
for something to be fixed in our surrounding, 01:28:00.740 |
So we pray, Father God, that as we celebrate your name, 01:28:07.380 |
that the world may see that we are your followers, 01:28:20.940 |
that we would be the aroma of Christ this week.