back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 7.3.2022
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We come before a God who's magnificent and great, 00:09:27.920 |
and we wanna reflect that in the songs that we sing. 00:12:20.320 |
As you guys saw when you were coming on campus 00:12:40.040 |
So we ask that you guys stay out of that area 00:12:49.800 |
There will continually be things that are going on, 00:12:52.560 |
and then eventually there's gonna be some construction 00:12:57.320 |
and if you see any yellow tape or kind of blocking off, 00:13:10.760 |
so if you are planning to take the membership class, 00:13:13.460 |
that's gonna be starting next Sunday at 9 a.m., 00:13:16.360 |
and eventually we're gonna be moving it to our new building, 00:13:35.320 |
Seasoned fellowship, so if you are 50 and over, 00:13:56.920 |
and so please go there right after and then sign up, 00:14:07.280 |
On July 23rd, there's gonna be a men's prayer breakfast/lunch 00:14:19.120 |
and so this is specifically targeted for men, 00:14:25.000 |
just pertaining to men, so please sign up for that. 00:14:29.400 |
Light breakfast, and then lunch is going to be provided, 00:14:34.160 |
so there's no fee, at least for the first one, 00:14:41.120 |
Second Peter Bible study sign-up is happening now, 00:14:49.680 |
and I will be leading the study in Second Peter, 00:15:02.920 |
and so we need you to sign up as soon as possible, 00:15:08.100 |
so please go and sign up for that as soon as you can. 00:15:15.360 |
so he's gonna come give the announcement now. 00:15:23.960 |
The first one pertains to the family retreat, 00:15:26.960 |
which is gonna be Friday, August 12th to the 14th. 00:15:59.120 |
VBS will be running starting next Monday, July 11th. 00:16:05.040 |
and we're gonna try to keep our time pretty set, 00:16:10.040 |
so please do drop off your child before five if you can. 00:16:22.320 |
We wanna make sure that it is covered and bathed in prayer, 00:16:27.160 |
and so for July 11th, Monday, and July 15th, Friday, 00:16:32.440 |
we're gonna have a prayer time for the parents at 5.30 00:16:35.840 |
to just to pray for the children in attendance of our VBS 00:16:46.200 |
- All right, so before I pray for our offering, 00:16:55.920 |
and give her testimony and be baptized this morning, 00:16:59.560 |
we'll give you a minute to give your electronic offering. 00:17:03.640 |
and you are planning to give a physical offering, 00:17:06.240 |
there is an offering basket underneath that big clock 00:17:11.000 |
- Heavenly Father, we pray for your blessing. 00:17:16.680 |
that all the distractions that we brought into this room 00:17:24.560 |
help us to have a greater and greater vision of who he is 00:17:27.800 |
and what you have been doing in history, Father God, 00:17:33.520 |
of us seeing a greater glimpse of your glory. 00:25:47.100 |
and I've been attending Berean since this past October, 00:26:18.340 |
I felt that the supposed truth that I heard at church 00:26:21.580 |
conflicted so much with the world and circumstances 00:26:37.500 |
illness that would cause her heart and kidneys to fail. 00:26:48.500 |
for my achievements and most devastated by my failures. 00:26:51.480 |
I was aimlessly striving for some sort of control and peace, 00:26:57.880 |
Sometimes when I needed God, I would run to him, 00:27:03.080 |
but my flesh was unwilling to fully surrender 00:27:18.560 |
It wasn't that life was just hard and painful 00:27:40.040 |
that I not only saw in myself, but in my family as well. 00:27:46.080 |
that my soul needed saving and that my hope and salvation 00:27:55.360 |
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, 00:27:58.400 |
"we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:28:01.360 |
"Through him we have also obtained access by faith 00:28:06.760 |
"and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." 00:28:10.380 |
Don't get me wrong, doubt can still be intrusive. 00:28:16.680 |
I am tempted to see their sickness and suffering 00:28:32.120 |
that God's character is impeccably consistent 00:28:37.680 |
So good that the holy God did the unfathomable thing 00:28:51.760 |
is held together beautifully in the palm of his hand. 00:28:54.460 |
The old journal entries show that I once was ensnared 00:28:58.340 |
by worries, discontentment, anger, blame, and doubt. 00:29:01.480 |
Page after page exposes failure after failure, 00:29:04.680 |
feeling inadequate as a sister, daughter, and friend. 00:29:08.520 |
And even though these feelings still come by, 00:29:11.160 |
they are always overcome with the hope and joy 00:29:19.820 |
that all things are from him and through him, 00:29:24.120 |
that my entire life be of worship to him and to him alone. 00:29:27.720 |
I would like to conclude with two meaningful verses 00:29:37.120 |
Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, 00:29:47.180 |
be the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace 00:29:50.040 |
in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit 00:30:40.440 |
- All right, thank you, Judy, for that great testimony. 00:30:48.580 |
If you can turn your Bibles with me to Luke chapter one. 00:31:03.740 |
I wanted to encourage you, on Saturday nights, 00:31:08.300 |
usually I put up a post on our Facebook page, 00:31:20.660 |
what are some of the issues that I'm gonna be talking about 00:31:28.500 |
you know, we're only going through a few verses at a time, 00:31:39.980 |
and so it would be beneficial to take some time 00:31:43.140 |
to at least read and know what's in the context 00:31:54.540 |
And you'll know what I'm talking about this morning, okay? 00:32:00.440 |
versus those of you who are just hearing it fresh, 00:32:23.580 |
where you have one theme, that Jesus loves you, 00:32:26.780 |
and here's five different ways that he shows example 00:32:33.960 |
This is one of those texts where Zechariah's prophecy, 00:32:47.300 |
And so therefore, if you don't really make an effort 00:33:00.560 |
it's pretty, you know, like an overview of you, 00:33:06.080 |
that what we're gonna be talking about this morning 00:33:08.920 |
is going to help you put on a particular paradigm lens 00:33:18.180 |
So I can't emphasize enough how important this is, 00:33:22.400 |
where you're just kind of like, okay, feed me, right? 00:33:27.280 |
and I'm already predicting there's gonna be a percentage 00:33:33.680 |
and listen to this to kind of really dig through 00:33:35.980 |
what I mean by that, and even if you did understand, 00:33:51.320 |
you need to pay attention, especially this morning, okay? 00:33:53.640 |
So let me read this text, and then we'll jump 00:33:57.540 |
Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, 00:34:03.980 |
that the Lord had displayed his great mercy toward her, 00:34:11.900 |
and they were going to call him Zacharias after his father. 00:34:19.020 |
And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives 00:34:21.860 |
"who is called by that name," and they made signs 00:34:24.260 |
to his father as to what he wanted him called. 00:34:26.780 |
And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, 00:34:30.380 |
"His name is John," and they were all astonished. 00:34:33.260 |
And at once, his mouth was opened and his tongue loose, 00:34:42.320 |
and all these matters were being talked about 00:34:46.740 |
All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, 00:34:50.900 |
"For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him." 00:34:53.460 |
Starting from verse 67, "And his father, Zacharias, 00:34:57.080 |
"was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, 00:35:01.120 |
"for he has visited us and accomplished redemption 00:35:03.460 |
"for his people, and has raised up a horn of salvation 00:35:09.560 |
"As he spoke by his mouth of his holy prophets 00:35:21.500 |
"the oath which he swore to Abraham, our father, 00:35:36.420 |
we pray for your grace, we pray for deeper understanding, 00:35:40.420 |
that we may see a greater and greater glimpse of your glory 00:35:44.020 |
and what you are doing in redemptive history. 00:35:49.220 |
to not only understand but to illuminate our hearts, 00:36:02.220 |
the text that we're looking at starting from 57, 00:36:12.600 |
And as you guys know, the circumcision for the Jews 00:36:17.480 |
were God's chosen people and it was a covenant symbol 00:36:20.940 |
And so as tradition goes, as on the eighth day, 00:36:23.300 |
they came to circumcise him and they fully expected 00:36:28.320 |
because of his father, because that was the tradition. 00:36:31.160 |
Either you were named as a father or a grandfather 00:36:34.380 |
or somebody in that family in order to keep that name going. 00:36:37.940 |
Instead, John's birth obviously is not like any other Jew 00:36:42.940 |
because he was specifically given to an old couple 00:36:48.660 |
And so instead of giving him the name Zacharias, 00:36:56.300 |
God had anointed this, so this was not up to the parents 00:37:16.540 |
that through this man that God was going to appear 00:37:20.500 |
in redemptive history at that particular time 00:37:39.480 |
really the text that we're looking at from 67 to 74, 00:38:03.580 |
So when we ask, like when Thanksgiving comes around, 00:38:08.380 |
In other words, how has God been gracious to you? 00:38:11.380 |
We kind of think through, scan through the year, 00:38:18.220 |
Or maybe I was sick and then God answered my prayer, 00:38:22.140 |
Maybe there's some things that we were praying for, 00:38:28.540 |
So our typical thinking of how we see the grace of God 00:38:44.420 |
"and accomplished redemption for his people." 00:39:05.460 |
Our natural inclination, as it says in Romans chapter one, 00:39:33.480 |
and how you could see it from outside the earth, 00:39:36.120 |
and it took so many years to build this structure, 00:39:41.700 |
And I remember the years of going in and out of China, 00:39:47.960 |
And each time I went, it became less and less great, 00:39:58.540 |
the achievement of man, and how much time we spend 00:40:01.780 |
being awed by the pile of stones that people put together, 00:40:07.580 |
and then never recognize the mountain that it sits on. 00:40:10.800 |
And if you think about that, how much is written about it, 00:40:17.380 |
from all over the world to walk on this wall, 00:40:20.980 |
and then not recognize the mountain that it sits on, 00:40:25.540 |
so that they could put it together, the sky above. 00:40:32.580 |
the creation of man and say, wow, isn't that awesome? 00:40:39.340 |
we typically think about grace as it pertains to me, 00:40:49.560 |
See, this prophecy that Zacharias breaks out, right, 00:41:07.060 |
is that God is gracious by remembering his covenant. 00:41:11.900 |
God's grace is revealed through remembering his covenant. 00:41:17.780 |
In verse 72, it says, "To show mercy toward our fathers, 00:41:22.440 |
"the oath which he swore to Abraham, our father." 00:41:26.340 |
He says, the covenant that God made with Abraham 00:41:30.820 |
was 2,000 years before the showing up of John. 00:41:53.660 |
that this prophecy is happening at John's circumcision, 00:42:01.780 |
reminding them of the covenant that he gave to Israel 00:42:07.540 |
So every time a Jewish child is being circumcised, 00:42:10.660 |
they most likely recited that covenant over and over again, 00:42:19.300 |
the promise that God made in Genesis chapter 12. 00:42:29.640 |
If you've ever read through the Old Testament 00:42:31.300 |
and you came across Genesis chapter 12, one, two, three, 00:42:35.060 |
oh, God has made these awesome promises to Abraham, 00:42:50.140 |
So how you understand that and how this is being fulfilled, 00:42:54.780 |
why Book of Jonah, and why David, and why Micah, 00:43:01.000 |
it is a fulfillment of God's faithfulness to his covenant. 00:43:20.700 |
You're gonna hear the story of David and say, 00:43:29.580 |
because he became an expert in throwing the stones, 00:43:32.020 |
so don't trivialize the gift that God has given you 00:43:36.500 |
And so you end up looking at all of Scripture 00:43:43.280 |
so that we can become better people and be successful. 00:43:59.760 |
why does the Old Testament end the way it does, 00:44:04.400 |
All of it is connected to this promise, Abrahamic promise. 00:44:12.500 |
So is it important for us to understand what he promised? 00:44:22.240 |
In Genesis chapter 12, one, two, three, he promised land. 00:44:24.860 |
Second, he promised numerous offspring, right? 00:44:29.000 |
These descendants are going to be so numerous 00:44:31.760 |
Third, he promised a blessing upon them to the world, right? 00:44:54.800 |
but if you don't have a land, you're not a nation. 00:45:00.360 |
through your descendants, I'm gonna create a nation. 00:45:03.100 |
A nation of Israel is gonna come out of that. 00:45:05.180 |
But it's not gonna be any just ordinary nation. 00:45:08.380 |
Your descendants are going to outnumber even the stars, 00:45:12.940 |
Today, when we consider who the superpowers are, 00:45:18.620 |
it's probably the most powerful nation in the world. 00:45:25.380 |
China is, and then after that is India, right? 00:45:35.500 |
We measure it by influence, economy, the military, right? 00:45:40.500 |
But back then, to be numerous basically meant 00:45:47.340 |
your nation is not gonna be any other nation. 00:45:56.800 |
that if they bless you, they're gonna be blessed. 00:46:11.940 |
It's a promise of nation, it's promise of power, 00:46:20.340 |
After he makes this promise, again, all right, 00:46:25.340 |
so if I'm losing any of you, pinch each other, okay? 00:46:34.700 |
Again, but I can't emphasize enough how important this is. 00:46:48.900 |
You know, today, when people get married, right? 00:46:52.460 |
People typically sit, you have the bride's party 00:46:57.020 |
on the other side, and why do we do that, right? 00:47:00.140 |
Is it so that they don't get in a fight, right? 00:47:04.800 |
No, it's a reflection of a biblical covenant, 00:47:07.660 |
because in the time of Christ and prior to Christ, 00:47:19.420 |
and the people who are entering this covenant 00:47:22.940 |
between these animals that have been split in half, 00:47:26.940 |
You can imagine the blood dripping everywhere, 00:47:30.920 |
if two people who are walking down this covenant, 00:47:39.020 |
That's how serious this covenant, it was a blood covenant, 00:47:43.540 |
and breaks a covenant, let him be like this animal. 00:47:46.140 |
That's how covenants were ratified at that time, 00:47:48.480 |
but in Genesis chapter 15, when God ratifies this covenant 00:47:59.420 |
He falls asleep, and then in verse 18, it says, 00:48:01.720 |
"On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram, 00:48:03.560 |
"saying, 'To your descendants, I have given this land 00:48:05.800 |
"'from the river of Egypt, as far as the great river, 00:48:09.980 |
"God shows up in a pillar of smoke, a flaming torch, 00:48:21.580 |
This was not a conditional covenant based upon Abraham, 00:48:30.860 |
There was no part that Abraham was gonna play. 00:48:34.240 |
Abraham is just going to be a recipient of God's plan. 00:48:40.240 |
Now, keep that in mind, why this is so significant. 00:48:45.540 |
Because this covenant that he makes with Abraham, 00:49:01.020 |
is God saving the world through the nation of Israel. 00:49:13.740 |
Or again, you're making David a moral champion, 00:49:24.200 |
but you don't really understand why that story is there. 00:49:45.640 |
It takes a thousand years of Israel wandering 00:49:52.920 |
in the desert, going through places in almost periods 00:49:58.480 |
where they feel like they're gonna disappear, 00:50:11.480 |
A thousand years pass by between Abraham and David. 00:50:24.300 |
and then he clarifies how he was going to fulfill 00:50:27.240 |
this Abrahamic covenant in 2 Samuel 7, verse 12 to 13. 00:50:43.640 |
"and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." 00:50:48.360 |
he promises a great nation, but then here he says 00:50:52.200 |
the way that's gonna happen is through a king. 00:50:55.160 |
He doesn't say your descendants, but your descendant, 00:51:00.920 |
Going back to the text that we're looking at, 00:51:07.920 |
he mentions how he raised up a horn of salvation for us 00:51:13.040 |
In other words, Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophecy. 00:51:17.020 |
Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophecy that he made. 00:51:23.600 |
how long did it take for Jesus to even show up? 00:51:38.440 |
that the Bible mentions this covenant 40 separate times. 00:51:45.620 |
is because every period of darkness in Israel's history, 00:51:50.000 |
they would recite this covenant to remind each other, 00:51:53.500 |
we still have hope, because God made this covenant 00:52:03.520 |
So can you imagine the people during the time of Christ? 00:52:09.120 |
since the covenant that he made with Abraham, 00:52:17.880 |
and he's going to visit us for the purpose of redemption, 00:52:29.040 |
and he's going to prepare the way for that king to come. 00:52:31.840 |
You can imagine that during the time of Christ, 00:52:40.600 |
When's the last time somebody made you a promise 00:52:44.800 |
and you're just like, ah, forget it, don't trust that guy. 00:52:47.680 |
How long would you wait before you cling on to this hope? 00:53:00.200 |
Some of them have just completely walked away 00:53:02.820 |
but the few faithful, like Zacharias and Elizabeth 00:53:13.680 |
and that's why they, can you imagine the excitement? 00:53:17.080 |
But I can understand why so many people walked away, 00:53:24.800 |
you would think like, oh, Messiah's going to come, 00:53:28.720 |
and we're going to be an influence to the world 00:53:30.400 |
that we're going to take over the superpower. 00:53:32.360 |
Instead, right after God makes that promise to David, 00:53:46.480 |
God says that the kingdom's going to be divided. 00:53:55.600 |
with all the wisdom and knowledge that God gave him, 00:54:01.360 |
and all his life, and only at the tail end of his life, 00:54:04.760 |
he's like, oh, man, I pursued all these things 00:54:07.080 |
in empty, empty, vanity, vanity, all is vanity, 00:54:19.160 |
and every single one of those kings after that 00:54:23.080 |
Only two nations, two tribes remained faithful, 00:54:32.320 |
with the exception of maybe about three or four of them, 00:54:46.480 |
ends up committing a sin, becomes a murderer. 00:54:54.520 |
is corrupt and leading them to worship idols, 00:55:16.400 |
if you do not repent, you're going to be taken away. 00:55:25.840 |
are going to be forced into slavery if you do not repent, 00:55:36.060 |
What has happened to you was not by accident. 00:55:41.880 |
so if you do not repent, there is no restoration, 00:56:02.560 |
prophet after prophet after prophet appealing to Israel. 00:56:51.440 |
But again, remember, the promise of a nation, 00:56:56.120 |
promise of their power, promise of their influence, right? 00:57:06.080 |
Nation of Israel was never a superpower, ever. 00:57:09.400 |
Even when they got back, there was a remnant. 00:57:17.320 |
God says that Israel, God's gonna be faithful 00:57:20.160 |
to the Abrahamic covenant, to the Davidic covenant, 00:57:22.120 |
the king is going to come, he's gonna squash the enemies, 00:57:25.000 |
and they're gonna be to worship God without fear 00:57:34.360 |
In fact, they enter into the darkest period of their history. 00:57:39.360 |
In AD 70, they are wiped out, completely, gone. 00:57:45.600 |
You would think that after Zachariah makes his prophecy 00:57:58.440 |
that all the promise they've been waiting for 2,000 years 00:58:01.740 |
Instead, they go into the darkest period of their history. 00:58:18.460 |
they only had one solution, the Messiah's coming. 00:58:24.420 |
He promised us that we're gonna overthrow kingdoms, 00:58:40.420 |
he's going to Jerusalem, he's going to be beaten, 00:58:45.020 |
Remember what the disciples were fighting over? 00:58:52.180 |
Jesus says, "Well, I'm gonna die and be crucified. 00:58:56.220 |
Well, who's gonna sit on your left and to the right? 00:59:09.780 |
it's fulfilled, man, we're his disciples, right? 00:59:24.340 |
How is he gonna conquer their enemies if he dies? 00:59:27.460 |
So they heard him, but they didn't understand him. 00:59:31.940 |
because they felt like they're gonna get rebuked. 00:59:51.580 |
They don't understand, so he dies and he resurrects. 00:59:58.980 |
Even if they kill him, we saw what he did to him. 01:00:09.440 |
On the third day, he comes back in his glorified body. 01:00:14.060 |
So can you imagine the hope that was dashed before the cross 01:00:29.140 |
this is what happens, Acts chapter one, three. 01:00:40.500 |
He spent that whole time after the resurrection 01:00:45.040 |
because he knows that the Israelites are fixated on this. 01:00:48.300 |
He knows that his disciples are fixated on this 01:00:50.440 |
because this is what they've been waiting for 01:00:55.660 |
that some things that you're thinking may not be correct. 01:01:00.440 |
but the whole time, this is, when he says kingdom of God, 01:01:10.940 |
So when they, the disciples, had come together, 01:01:22.060 |
He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epics 01:01:25.460 |
"which the Father has fixed by his own authority." 01:01:33.460 |
of Abrahamic, Davidic covenant to Israel, right? 01:01:37.500 |
Now this is the part where you guys are kind of like, 01:01:44.440 |
File it away because when I first heard it in seminary, 01:01:49.140 |
It took me a while and it started sinking in. 01:01:54.420 |
This is not one of those things you're kind of like, 01:01:59.420 |
This is the lens in which you see all of scripture. 01:02:02.980 |
So if you have a superficial understanding of this 01:02:06.580 |
and how this is connected to everything that God is doing, 01:02:15.940 |
that you're not gonna be able to connect the dots, right? 01:02:18.780 |
But I guarantee you, once you are able to start 01:02:21.780 |
to connect the dots, the Bible is going to make 01:02:29.340 |
and you see why we make a big deal about baptism 01:02:37.780 |
The disciples ask, they've never given up on hope on this. 01:02:48.220 |
If you're the fulfillment of the covenant and you die, 01:02:57.540 |
And Jesus says, "You do not know the time or the hour." 01:03:03.260 |
'cause some people say, "Well, the church fulfilled that." 01:03:06.380 |
Then Jesus knows exactly when this is gonna happen 01:03:08.660 |
because the Pentecost is gonna happen in the next chapter. 01:03:19.440 |
He doesn't say, "Oh, it's gonna happen," right? 01:03:23.720 |
He says, "No, you do not know the time or the hour. 01:03:31.360 |
"and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, 01:03:43.360 |
until that happens, you go preach the gospel. 01:03:47.320 |
You establish the church in Jerusalem, Judea, 01:03:51.360 |
and outside of Jerusalem to bring the Gentiles in. 01:04:07.080 |
Fathers, this is something that you might have to go back 01:04:12.520 |
The Jews are concerned, the disciples are concerned. 01:04:19.120 |
but it's gonna happen, but now you go preach the gospel. 01:04:37.160 |
that God has something much bigger in mind than the Jews, 01:04:39.740 |
but he's going to do it through the Jews, right? 01:04:42.920 |
So in Romans chapter 11, the whole chapter 11, 01:04:49.480 |
If all have sinned, fall short of the glory of God, 01:04:59.120 |
that everyone needs to be forgiven by the blood of Christ. 01:05:02.960 |
If that's the case, what's the benefit of being a Jew? 01:05:07.160 |
Does that mean that God has nullified his promise 01:05:11.480 |
Or does that mean that God has somehow fulfilled it 01:05:17.040 |
Some people will argue and say, Israel's gone. 01:05:22.900 |
so God transferred what he was trying to do to the church. 01:05:27.900 |
That everything that God promised the nation of Israel, 01:05:31.920 |
when he said Israel, he didn't really mean Israel, 01:05:41.020 |
even though that's how the Jews understand it. 01:05:55.640 |
and yet now you say that the gospel's going to the Gentiles? 01:05:58.800 |
And that's the question that he answers in Romans 11. 01:06:03.000 |
I say that God has not rejected his people, has he? 01:06:06.160 |
In other words, this covenant that God made with Israel, 01:06:16.220 |
a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 01:06:19.300 |
God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. 01:06:23.540 |
he's talking about the Israelites whom he foreknew. 01:06:26.740 |
He had a personal, intimate knowledge and love for them. 01:06:37.340 |
I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? 01:06:40.080 |
Meaning, did they have their chance and then they blew it, 01:06:47.320 |
salvation has come to the Gentiles to make them jealous. 01:07:03.640 |
Exactly the opposite of what it seems like is gonna happen. 01:07:11.900 |
The Messiah that you've been waiting for is gonna come, 01:07:13.980 |
and he's gonna fulfill the promise that he made with David. 01:07:47.420 |
and then 2,000 years, nation of Israel disappears, 01:08:11.320 |
"how much more will these who are the natural branches 01:08:21.280 |
"so that you will not be wise in your own estimation, 01:08:24.020 |
"that a partial hardening has happened to Israel 01:08:26.900 |
"until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." 01:08:37.680 |
In other words, the nation of Israel will be reestablished, 01:08:55.280 |
they are beloved for the sake of the fathers, 01:08:59.880 |
"For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." 01:09:14.220 |
from one set of glory to a greater set of glory. 01:09:21.840 |
as we study the scriptures and as we interact with God, 01:09:27.540 |
So sanctification isn't just adding more stuff 01:09:32.000 |
it's understanding and recognizing his glory. 01:09:41.760 |
he says that's when maturity and sanctification happens. 01:09:56.280 |
He says, "If the fall of the nation of Israel 01:10:00.040 |
has opened the door, God's own people that he loved, 01:10:03.720 |
because of their fall, we're experiencing his glory." 01:10:09.140 |
He says, "How much more glory will you experience 01:10:11.900 |
and know when Israel is restored to that glory, 01:10:19.380 |
through his faithfulness to the nation of Israel?" 01:10:30.720 |
All of that is fulfilled during the period of the millennium. 01:10:51.560 |
And some of you guys who may have been here for a while, 01:10:52.960 |
it's just like, "Well, how am I gonna apply this today?" 01:10:57.100 |
"How do I be a good father, mother, brother, sister? 01:11:14.540 |
okay, a lot of it may have gone over your head, 01:11:26.660 |
that you don't just become hearers of the Word. 01:11:31.520 |
You just hear it, and you just teach me, feed me, 01:11:33.360 |
that you become Bereans where you're actually digging. 01:11:40.400 |
that this will cause you to study, ask questions. 01:11:45.160 |
'Cause what I gave you was just a ClipTalk version. 01:11:47.640 |
But let me give you three reasons why this is important. 01:11:58.040 |
Everything God is doing is somehow connected to this. 01:12:11.480 |
that you and I are allowed to take and to add. 01:12:18.920 |
where deconstructing our faith has become popular. 01:12:24.820 |
The new age people who really are in the cutting edge, 01:12:29.100 |
we're gonna challenge everything that we know, 01:12:30.980 |
and say, oh, this part, I think God said this part, 01:12:40.140 |
We judge God and say, oh, I don't know if a God that I know 01:12:59.700 |
you and I don't get to sit there and judge him 01:13:18.940 |
we just kind of say, you know what, this part, 01:13:22.780 |
You are no longer following the God of the Bible. 01:13:25.180 |
So one, it's important for us to dig and study 01:13:29.580 |
and ask questions because it's in the Bible, all of it. 01:13:32.260 |
Leviticus, book of Numbers, Revelation, Ezekiel, 01:13:35.460 |
all of it, God has written for us for a reason. 01:13:38.220 |
So if we're in a habit just doing quiet time through John, 01:13:48.620 |
then there's huge chunks of why God said what he said 01:13:53.180 |
Two, the Bible warns us not to be caught off guard. 01:14:14.120 |
So when we're not paying attention, we're not digging, 01:14:25.220 |
So that's why if you're not eagerly waiting and seeking 01:14:28.300 |
to see what God is doing, we end up pursuing whatever, 01:14:37.980 |
and none of this stuff in and of itself is wrong. 01:14:45.260 |
I guarantee you, you're not eagerly waiting for the Lord. 01:14:56.420 |
your first reaction may be, not yet, not yet. 01:15:00.720 |
Because your heart is not filled with him coming. 01:15:09.860 |
Wait a little bit, 'cause I have this trip planned. 01:15:16.220 |
I'm gonna be able to retire and do whatever I want. 01:15:17.940 |
And so when you say, Jesus is coming tomorrow, 01:15:19.900 |
your first reaction is, not yet, give me some more time. 01:15:39.420 |
to get him to submit to our plans and our will, 01:15:43.820 |
but to see what God's doing, so that everything that we do 01:15:48.780 |
But third and finally, why this is important, 01:15:55.600 |
This reveals God, that even after 1,000 years, 01:16:05.460 |
Even after 2,000 years, the promise he made to Abraham, 01:16:11.340 |
Even after all the trouble, all the chaos, all the rebellion, 01:16:16.160 |
even after all of that, he says, for my glory, 01:16:34.080 |
If God's gonna be faithful, he's be faithful today, 01:16:36.920 |
tomorrow, or next year, or God's not faithful. 01:16:43.600 |
You and I cannot possibly begin to imagine how big God is 01:16:58.900 |
there isn't a single tittle that will disappear 01:17:08.860 |
It may not happen the way that you and I are imagining, 01:17:17.120 |
You and I may not ever see that in our lifetime, 01:17:30.400 |
Like many of the Israelites, after so many years have passed, 01:17:40.960 |
That passionate pursuit of Christ was years ago, 01:17:49.800 |
and discipled and disciplined and evangelized and sacrificed 01:17:53.180 |
that you thought certain things were gonna happen, 01:18:03.500 |
they just kind of gone and started to salvage what they had. 01:18:11.480 |
The Sadducees decided to use their political influence 01:18:19.160 |
go into the cave and I don't care what's happening 01:18:21.080 |
over there, we're just gonna do our own thing. 01:18:25.200 |
We're gonna bear arms and we're gonna fight this 01:18:40.940 |
so many people in the church are simply salvaging 01:19:07.320 |
God is just as concerned about this lost world 01:19:22.760 |
that this would be the conclusion and application 01:19:39.680 |
Or has he spoken and will he not make it good? 01:19:44.560 |
This is the God that we serve, the God of the covenant. 01:19:59.940 |
Gracious Father, we pray that you would give us 01:20:03.740 |
Help us, Lord God, to dig deep into your word 01:20:08.500 |
that we may see a greater and greater glimpse of your glory. 01:20:13.740 |
We thank you, Father God, for your faithfulness 01:20:17.860 |
to your covenant, to this nation of Israel, Lord God, 01:20:35.740 |
align our lives, our hope upon the unwavering hope 01:20:56.220 |
♪ Father of kindness, you have poured out grace ♪ 01:21:16.760 |
♪ Giver of mercy, you're my help in time of need ♪ 01:22:18.440 |
♪ Beautiful Savior, you have brought me near ♪ 01:22:31.440 |
♪ Blessed Redeemer, you have set this captive free ♪ 01:25:42.440 |
anchored to the hope, Lord God, that is unwavering. 01:25:54.440 |
that all things come today and gone tomorrow. 01:26:07.440 |
upon the unwavering promise of Christ and Christ alone.