1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,695 Speaker: Uh, there have been some massive mistakes made in, in history, in, in fact, 2 00:00:03,695 --> 00:00:05,164 maybe you've heard of the Wicked Bible. 3 00:00:05,855 --> 00:00:07,355 Uh, maybe you haven't heard of the Wicked Bible. 4 00:00:07,895 --> 00:00:12,005 Uh, the Wicked Bible was published in 1631 as an update to the King James version. 5 00:00:12,395 --> 00:00:16,174 The problem is the editor of the Wicked Bible at the time, using 6 00:00:16,174 --> 00:00:17,165 the printing press and all that. 7 00:00:17,225 --> 00:00:21,214 He left out one word, three letter word. 8 00:00:21,814 --> 00:00:23,465 You might think, oh, he left out the word God. 9 00:00:23,705 --> 00:00:24,725 That would make it a wicked Bible. 10 00:00:25,205 --> 00:00:27,515 It would make it a wicked Bible if he left out the word God. 11 00:00:27,905 --> 00:00:29,045 He didn't leave out the word God. 12 00:00:29,045 --> 00:00:31,985 He left out the word not, not NOT. 13 00:00:32,314 --> 00:00:35,345 And you think really that was, and, and this led to the 14 00:00:35,345 --> 00:00:36,545 shutdown of the whole process. 15 00:00:36,575 --> 00:00:39,785 It was scrapped, the wicked Bible was shelved and it's, 16 00:00:39,815 --> 00:00:40,930 it's never to be seen again. 17 00:00:42,019 --> 00:00:45,500 What was the big deal about living, leaving out the word not well, 18 00:00:45,980 --> 00:00:47,480 context is everything, right? 19 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:53,355 So the verse that the word not was left out of was Exodus, chapter 20, verse 14. 20 00:00:54,350 --> 00:00:57,830 If you're familiar with Exodus chapter 20, we're in the The 10 Commandments. 21 00:00:57,860 --> 00:00:58,220 Okay? 22 00:00:58,580 --> 00:01:01,639 In the 10 Commandments, there's a lot of thou shalt nots, aren't there? 23 00:01:02,180 --> 00:01:05,570 Well, one of those thou shalt nots became a thou shalt, and it happened 24 00:01:05,570 --> 00:01:08,029 to be thou shalt commit adultery. 25 00:01:09,799 --> 00:01:12,889 You can see why we wouldn't want that Bible circulating into the 26 00:01:12,889 --> 00:01:16,520 hands of, of people going, oh, well, God is okay with this. 27 00:01:17,134 --> 00:01:18,755 That's a big mistake to publish. 28 00:01:18,755 --> 00:01:22,804 Thou shalt commit adultery, uh, but sometimes big mistakes are also 29 00:01:22,835 --> 00:01:24,995 connected to grave miscalculations. 30 00:01:25,655 --> 00:01:29,675 For example, de seven, December 7th, 1941, the date that will live in infamy. 31 00:01:30,469 --> 00:01:34,820 The miscalculation that was also a, a huge mistake was when Japan decided to 32 00:01:34,820 --> 00:01:38,269 wake the sleeping giant of the United States by attacking Pearl Harbor. 33 00:01:38,989 --> 00:01:41,539 They thought they would be able to catch the United States unaware and 34 00:01:41,539 --> 00:01:45,289 cripple our naval forces so much so that we wouldn't be able to respond. 35 00:01:45,289 --> 00:01:48,589 Little did they know what they were going to do is, again, cause the sleeping 36 00:01:48,589 --> 00:01:52,699 giant to awake and join the war, which would ultimately lead to the defeat 37 00:01:52,699 --> 00:01:54,859 of the Axis Forces in World War ii. 38 00:01:55,219 --> 00:01:57,769 A grave mistake that was also a horrible miscalculation. 39 00:01:59,164 --> 00:02:01,625 Well, this morning I want us to talk about the greatest mistake, which 40 00:02:01,625 --> 00:02:04,625 was also the greatest miscalculation that the devil ever made. 41 00:02:05,584 --> 00:02:07,745 Now we understand the sovereignty of God and the sovereignty of 42 00:02:07,745 --> 00:02:11,225 God is really ultimately behind the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 43 00:02:11,795 --> 00:02:15,245 At the same time, you could say, well, the, the Romans were behind 44 00:02:15,245 --> 00:02:16,864 the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 45 00:02:16,864 --> 00:02:18,875 At the same time, you could say that the Jews were behind the 46 00:02:18,875 --> 00:02:20,075 crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 47 00:02:20,795 --> 00:02:23,885 Still at the same time, even more, you could say that Satan was behind 48 00:02:23,885 --> 00:02:25,265 the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. 49 00:02:25,265 --> 00:02:28,055 In fact, the Bible says that Satan entered into the heart of Judas 50 00:02:28,115 --> 00:02:31,025 when Judas went to betray Jesus into the hands of the Roman authorities. 51 00:02:31,085 --> 00:02:32,075 In the Jewish authorities. 52 00:02:32,885 --> 00:02:39,245 You see Satan at the cross as Jesus hung, there was rejoicing thinking, I've won. 53 00:02:39,395 --> 00:02:39,875 I've done it. 54 00:02:40,655 --> 00:02:41,645 I've conquered the one. 55 00:02:42,334 --> 00:02:45,334 There's no hope anymore because I'm executing the sun. 56 00:02:45,364 --> 00:02:49,535 I'm killing the, the one that everybody was looking to to be the Messiah. 57 00:02:49,595 --> 00:02:50,734 Here's your Messiah. 58 00:02:50,945 --> 00:02:54,605 And as as Jesus breathed his last Satan thought he would want. 59 00:02:56,135 --> 00:02:59,405 But as we're gonna see this morning, that proved to be Satan's greatest mistake and 60 00:02:59,405 --> 00:03:03,665 his greatest miscalculation because in the death of Christ and his subsequent 61 00:03:03,665 --> 00:03:07,445 resurrection and then his exaltation, what we find is the greatest hope the 62 00:03:07,445 --> 00:03:09,035 suffering saint could ever possess. 63 00:03:09,815 --> 00:03:13,595 Knowing that we will one day not be here any longer, but that one 64 00:03:13,595 --> 00:03:15,695 day we will go to be with God. 65 00:03:15,935 --> 00:03:20,405 And in seeing Jesus put on the cross, Satan, open the door and pave the way 66 00:03:20,405 --> 00:03:23,825 for you and I to have a relationship with God and to be brought to God. 67 00:03:24,695 --> 00:03:28,865 And so take your Bibles, if you will, and open up to one Peter, chapter three. 68 00:03:29,555 --> 00:03:31,025 One Peter chapter three, 69 00:03:33,725 --> 00:03:34,895 verses 17 through 18. 70 00:03:37,475 --> 00:03:41,075 Peter says, for it's better to suffer for doing good, if that should be 71 00:03:41,075 --> 00:03:42,785 God's will than for doing evil. 72 00:03:42,785 --> 00:03:45,335 This is where we were last week, and I just want to draw the connection 73 00:03:45,335 --> 00:03:46,505 point, get us a running start. 74 00:03:47,885 --> 00:03:51,575 'cause the author Peter goes on to say, for Christ also suffered once 75 00:03:51,575 --> 00:03:55,895 for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us 76 00:03:55,895 --> 00:04:00,665 to God, that Christ might bring us to the Father, being put to death in the 77 00:04:00,665 --> 00:04:02,345 flesh, but made alive in the spirit. 78 00:04:02,959 --> 00:04:06,170 What I want us to do here is, is to see, and this is why I started with 79 00:04:06,170 --> 00:04:09,829 verse 17, this is really not just verse 17, but everything we've been talking 80 00:04:09,829 --> 00:04:11,450 about in the Suffering Saint Series. 81 00:04:11,660 --> 00:04:15,139 The hope that we have is connected to the gospel and the gospel is what 82 00:04:15,139 --> 00:04:19,399 we're gonna see in our passage verses 18 through 22, the Death of Christ. 83 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,210 The resurrection of Christ and the exaltation of Christ, 84 00:04:22,210 --> 00:04:23,410 the ascension of Christ. 85 00:04:23,770 --> 00:04:27,100 And so when Satan thought he won, what was really happening is God was sovereignty, 86 00:04:27,190 --> 00:04:30,790 sovereignly, working out his plan so that you and I would have hope as we 87 00:04:30,790 --> 00:04:35,590 suffer the opposition of this world and we begin here with a focus on his death 88 00:04:36,130 --> 00:04:39,760 for Christ, also suffered once for sins. 89 00:04:40,210 --> 00:04:43,750 The word once there is the word in the Greek ha hapo or ha hapo. 90 00:04:43,750 --> 00:04:48,490 And it's a, a word that means one time only, period end, there's no additional. 91 00:04:49,220 --> 00:04:50,390 And so this is fitting. 92 00:04:50,390 --> 00:04:53,960 It keeps with Hebrews, for example, in Hebrews 9 28, when the writer 93 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:57,890 says, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many will 94 00:04:57,890 --> 00:05:00,650 appear a second time or Hebrews 10 12. 95 00:05:00,980 --> 00:05:05,090 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat 96 00:05:05,090 --> 00:05:06,200 down at the right hand of the Father. 97 00:05:06,980 --> 00:05:11,600 And so Jesus came and Jesus suffered once for sins and he qualifies this, 98 00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:15,110 the righteous for the unrighteous. 99 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:17,300 The righteous for the unrighteous. 100 00:05:17,300 --> 00:05:20,360 In, in the Greek, the, the contrast is even more strong because that negative 101 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:24,770 prefect of a in the Greek is, is attached to the word righteousness there. 102 00:05:24,860 --> 00:05:27,290 And so he is drawing out the difference here, the righteous 103 00:05:27,290 --> 00:05:29,030 one for the unrighteous. 104 00:05:29,030 --> 00:05:30,380 That is for us. 105 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,800 This is in keeping with Second Corinthians chapter five, verse 21, 106 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:38,450 where Paul said, for our sake, he, the father made him the son to be sin 107 00:05:38,450 --> 00:05:42,830 who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 108 00:05:42,830 --> 00:05:44,300 It's known as the great exchange. 109 00:05:45,275 --> 00:05:50,045 That we took his righteousness and he took our sin. 110 00:05:51,095 --> 00:05:52,385 He suffered once for sin. 111 00:05:52,385 --> 00:05:54,605 The, the righteous for the unrighteous. 112 00:05:54,965 --> 00:05:57,635 See, what Peter's saying here is, is that Christ was our substitute. 113 00:05:58,115 --> 00:05:59,945 Christ was the spotless lamb. 114 00:06:00,395 --> 00:06:02,045 Christ was the ram in the thicket. 115 00:06:02,045 --> 00:06:06,275 When Isaac was being offered on the altar, Christ was the one, 116 00:06:06,365 --> 00:06:08,075 the righteous for the unrighteous. 117 00:06:08,075 --> 00:06:09,725 Who takes our our place. 118 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:13,040 If we're gonna have hope of being with God, which is really our hope 119 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:14,030 in the midst of suffering, right? 120 00:06:14,540 --> 00:06:17,180 That this world is not all there is, but that we get to go be with God. 121 00:06:17,210 --> 00:06:20,030 If we're gonna have that hope, we have to begin with that hope being 122 00:06:20,030 --> 00:06:24,530 connected to the death of Jesus, which is really an odd thing to say, isn't it? 123 00:06:25,850 --> 00:06:28,970 If, if you listen to the world and, and the people that the world admire 124 00:06:28,970 --> 00:06:31,370 the most, they're the people that have suffered and come through on the 125 00:06:31,370 --> 00:06:33,020 other, other side of it unscathed. 126 00:06:34,070 --> 00:06:36,245 They're the people that, that suffer and they, they don't die. 127 00:06:37,770 --> 00:06:40,145 And, and yet the message of Christianity is hope and the 128 00:06:40,145 --> 00:06:41,375 one that suffered and died. 129 00:06:42,485 --> 00:06:44,975 This is why the, the world doesn't understand. 130 00:06:45,845 --> 00:06:48,305 This is why the Apostle Paul said this in one Corinthians chapter 131 00:06:48,305 --> 00:06:53,705 one, verses 22 through 23, Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom. 132 00:06:54,815 --> 00:06:59,705 But Paul says, but we preach Christ crucified folly to the Jew, to the, to the 133 00:06:59,705 --> 00:07:04,895 Greeks, that they stumble a, a stumbling block to the Jews in in folly foolishness. 134 00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:09,620 To those that seek for wisdom, why would you worship a savior who dies? 135 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:11,330 Saviors don't die. 136 00:07:12,290 --> 00:07:13,070 They win. 137 00:07:14,060 --> 00:07:17,330 And yet, in Christianity, that's exactly what happened when Jesus died. 138 00:07:18,830 --> 00:07:22,040 See, the, the, the death of Jesus is necessary for what else? 139 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:25,670 Peter says here, that he suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, 140 00:07:26,150 --> 00:07:31,100 for this reason that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh. 141 00:07:32,180 --> 00:07:35,270 The, the death of Jesus without the death of Jesus. 142 00:07:35,390 --> 00:07:36,680 If Jesus doesn't die. 143 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,330 In other words, we don't live. 144 00:07:39,350 --> 00:07:42,830 If Jesus doesn't take our place on the cross as our substitute 145 00:07:42,830 --> 00:07:46,340 and suffer once for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous. 146 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:48,800 We aren't forgiven and we have no hope. 147 00:07:50,180 --> 00:07:52,505 No one is good enough to be accepted by God on merit. 148 00:07:54,350 --> 00:07:56,810 We have to have our sins paid for. 149 00:07:56,810 --> 00:08:00,620 If Jesus doesn't die, then we should buy into the world's message and just 150 00:08:00,620 --> 00:08:04,520 eat, drink, and be merry for, for none of us have any hope beyond this life. 151 00:08:05,690 --> 00:08:08,780 Our hope begins with the death of Jesus because he suffered and died in 152 00:08:08,780 --> 00:08:13,430 the flesh that he might bring us to God, that he might bring us to God. 153 00:08:13,910 --> 00:08:16,490 This is in keeping with with Second Corinthians chapter five. 154 00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:20,210 Verses 17 through 19 where the Apostle Paul there talks about the 155 00:08:20,210 --> 00:08:24,140 fact that we have been reconciled, that God reconciled us to himself. 156 00:08:24,140 --> 00:08:28,400 The word to reconcile means to bring us to himself, to bring us from a position 157 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:34,010 of being far off, near to be reconciled, though sin had to be dealt with. 158 00:08:34,850 --> 00:08:37,549 If you've been tracking with our daily Bible reading, we've been reading a 159 00:08:37,549 --> 00:08:40,070 lot in the Old Testament about the Old Testament sacrificial system. 160 00:08:40,669 --> 00:08:42,950 In fact, I think even today we're reading about all of the different 161 00:08:42,950 --> 00:08:45,140 animals that were brought of the dedication of the tabernacle. 162 00:08:46,055 --> 00:08:50,075 You think about all of these animals and the, the consistent sin offerings and the 163 00:08:50,075 --> 00:08:54,485 death of these animals and the blood that was shed over and over and over again, 164 00:08:54,485 --> 00:08:57,605 such that the writer of Hebrew says, man, that, that, that blood was really 165 00:08:57,785 --> 00:08:59,225 in and of itself, the blood of the bowl. 166 00:08:59,225 --> 00:09:03,275 The blood of the goat was powerless because if it was really 167 00:09:03,275 --> 00:09:06,905 powerful, then they would've stopped offering 'em after once. 168 00:09:07,955 --> 00:09:10,475 But rather what those, the blood of those animals was meant to 169 00:09:10,475 --> 00:09:12,605 do was point us to the blood of another one that was going to come. 170 00:09:13,145 --> 00:09:15,365 And that other one that was going to come is this one. 171 00:09:15,815 --> 00:09:19,385 It's the one that was going to suffer for us once for sins, the 172 00:09:19,385 --> 00:09:24,005 righteous for the unrighteous, in order that he might bring us to God 173 00:09:24,005 --> 00:09:26,585 because the death had to be paid. 174 00:09:28,115 --> 00:09:30,305 Paul says in Romans, the wages of sin is death. 175 00:09:31,205 --> 00:09:32,225 Death has to be paid. 176 00:09:32,855 --> 00:09:35,885 So for you and I to be brought near to God, that for you and I to be 177 00:09:35,885 --> 00:09:40,160 brought to God, first it has to start with the fact that Jesus dies for us. 178 00:09:41,285 --> 00:09:44,075 As we're looking for hope as suffering saints in this world, as we're looking 179 00:09:44,075 --> 00:09:47,225 for hope that we will one day go to be with God and leave this place, we 180 00:09:47,225 --> 00:09:50,765 have to start with the death of Jesus because it's in the death of Jesus 181 00:09:50,765 --> 00:09:53,225 that our sin, which is the greatest obstacle that we have to being with 182 00:09:53,225 --> 00:09:55,475 God, is first and foremost dealt with. 183 00:09:55,715 --> 00:09:57,275 Point number one this week is this, take heart. 184 00:09:57,275 --> 00:09:58,625 Your sin is fully forgiven. 185 00:09:59,915 --> 00:10:00,245 Take heart. 186 00:10:00,245 --> 00:10:03,485 Your sin is fully forgiven if you are in Christ. 187 00:10:03,485 --> 00:10:05,915 If you have repented from your sin and put your trust in Jesus, 188 00:10:06,185 --> 00:10:08,015 your sin has been forgiven. 189 00:10:08,615 --> 00:10:10,955 Because Jesus was your substitute. 190 00:10:12,575 --> 00:10:16,415 Honestly, if, if, if Jesus doesn't die for us, the, the suffering that you face in 191 00:10:16,415 --> 00:10:18,005 this world is the least of your worries. 192 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:22,025 If, if Jesus doesn't die for your sins, the opposition that you 193 00:10:22,025 --> 00:10:25,085 face from a hostile world is the least concern you should have. 194 00:10:26,675 --> 00:10:28,835 The greatest concern that you should have is the concern that you would 195 00:10:28,835 --> 00:10:32,975 be a sinner standing before a holy God, and that would mean your end, 196 00:10:33,575 --> 00:10:37,655 your destruction because none of us. 197 00:10:38,420 --> 00:10:41,210 Our own merit of our own accord, with our own righteousness can 198 00:10:41,210 --> 00:10:42,500 stand in the presence of a holy God. 199 00:10:43,910 --> 00:10:46,670 This is why Isaiah the prophet when he was brought in before the throne of God, 200 00:10:46,670 --> 00:10:48,710 and Isaiah chapter six says, woe is me. 201 00:10:48,710 --> 00:10:55,790 I am undone because he realizes his sinfulness in God's holiness and, and 202 00:10:55,790 --> 00:10:58,100 that's us Christian without Jesus' death. 203 00:10:59,255 --> 00:11:01,265 And so we have to have this confidence of being with God. 204 00:11:01,265 --> 00:11:03,125 And if we're gonna have confidence of being with God, the only way 205 00:11:03,125 --> 00:11:05,555 that we can have that confidence is if our sins have been dealt with. 206 00:11:05,885 --> 00:11:07,655 Because the reality is the Bible teaches us this. 207 00:11:07,655 --> 00:11:09,335 All of us are born with a sin, nature. 208 00:11:10,324 --> 00:11:13,865 All of us are and, and no one is, is born neutral. 209 00:11:13,865 --> 00:11:17,074 And the problem with that is what it's done to our relationship with God is it's 210 00:11:17,314 --> 00:11:20,975 separated us with this infinite chasm between us and God that's insurmountable. 211 00:11:22,550 --> 00:11:25,520 Paul describes this chasm in Romans chapter five. 212 00:11:25,610 --> 00:11:30,590 He says, if one man's trespass, because of one man's death, trespass death reigned. 213 00:11:30,590 --> 00:11:35,960 So death was brought through the sin of Adam, which was trans transferred to us. 214 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:39,590 Verse 18, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men. 215 00:11:39,590 --> 00:11:39,980 So now. 216 00:11:40,310 --> 00:11:43,790 All of us are under condemnation because of our union with Adam, and 217 00:11:43,790 --> 00:11:48,020 for by as one man's disobedience, verse 19, the many were made sinners. 218 00:11:49,490 --> 00:11:53,240 Paul's saying, all of us are are connected to that fall of mankind. 219 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,360 In Adam, it's known as the federal headship of Adam, that 220 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,490 when Adam sinned, we all sinned. 221 00:11:59,630 --> 00:12:00,590 I know we don't like that. 222 00:12:01,370 --> 00:12:05,750 It doesn't seem fair, but the contrast to that, the counterpart 223 00:12:05,750 --> 00:12:08,960 to that is that when Jesus died, if you're in Christ, you died too. 224 00:12:10,580 --> 00:12:14,030 So I know it doesn't seem fair that you get Adam's guilt, but it's also not fair 225 00:12:14,030 --> 00:12:17,570 that we would get Christ's righteousness, and yet that's God's design. 226 00:12:18,770 --> 00:12:21,320 God's love for us was such that he didn't leave us. 227 00:12:22,070 --> 00:12:25,820 Separated for him, but made us a way to be able to be reconciled 228 00:12:25,820 --> 00:12:28,520 for, for Christ to bring us to him. 229 00:12:28,610 --> 00:12:33,950 And so while we sit here and we say, no one is is born neutral, but all of us are 230 00:12:33,950 --> 00:12:36,380 born with a predisposition towards sin. 231 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:40,130 The the problem that we face is that is an obstacle that none 232 00:12:40,130 --> 00:12:41,540 of us in our flesh can overcome. 233 00:12:42,980 --> 00:12:45,950 In fact, in Ephesians chapter two, Paul says this, you were 234 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:48,890 dead in your trespasses and sins. 235 00:12:50,105 --> 00:12:52,985 That spiritually apart from Christ, we are dead. 236 00:12:53,405 --> 00:12:57,455 Now, if you were to go to the, the graveyard that's right across the street 237 00:12:57,455 --> 00:12:59,645 from the church here, and you were to walk into the graveyard and you were to 238 00:12:59,645 --> 00:13:03,005 stand in front of all the, the graves there, and you were to say, I'm giving 239 00:13:03,005 --> 00:13:07,295 you an invitation to come up out of the grave, so if you want to come up out 240 00:13:07,295 --> 00:13:09,005 of the grave, here's your invitation. 241 00:13:09,005 --> 00:13:11,945 Come up out of the grave, what's gonna happen? 242 00:13:13,655 --> 00:13:14,195 Nothing. 243 00:13:16,850 --> 00:13:17,810 Let me ask you a question. 244 00:13:17,810 --> 00:13:20,870 Did, did Paul know what death is when he said you were dead 245 00:13:20,870 --> 00:13:22,160 in your trespasses and sins? 246 00:13:23,030 --> 00:13:23,330 Yeah. 247 00:13:24,110 --> 00:13:28,370 Paul was probably a lot more familiar with death than you and I are because it was 248 00:13:28,370 --> 00:13:31,400 more prevalent and it was more evident during his day than it is in our day. 249 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:32,420 We've sanitized death. 250 00:13:32,420 --> 00:13:35,030 Death happens, but then we try to clean it up as quickly as we can. 251 00:13:36,950 --> 00:13:41,270 And so when Paul describes you and me as dead in our trespasses and sins, 252 00:13:42,410 --> 00:13:43,490 could he have used a different word? 253 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:48,380 Sure he could, could he, could he have said we are, are mortally 254 00:13:48,380 --> 00:13:49,790 wounded but not dead yet? 255 00:13:51,439 --> 00:13:52,010 Yes. 256 00:13:53,060 --> 00:13:54,350 Could he have said we are maimed? 257 00:13:55,370 --> 00:13:58,580 Could, could Paul have portrayed us like the, the man in the parable 258 00:13:58,580 --> 00:14:00,710 of the Good Samaritan beaten and bloodied on the side of the road. 259 00:14:00,710 --> 00:14:01,100 But you know what? 260 00:14:01,100 --> 00:14:02,480 We still got some life in us. 261 00:14:03,110 --> 00:14:05,360 Sure he didn't. 262 00:14:06,410 --> 00:14:07,250 Paul said we were dead. 263 00:14:08,420 --> 00:14:11,090 And what can a dead body do physically? 264 00:14:11,090 --> 00:14:12,170 What can a dead body do? 265 00:14:12,650 --> 00:14:13,100 Nothing. 266 00:14:13,835 --> 00:14:16,055 Spiritually, what can a dead person do? 267 00:14:16,865 --> 00:14:17,285 Nothing. 268 00:14:19,805 --> 00:14:25,625 It's a grave picture, no pun intended, of our inability to overcome our 269 00:14:25,625 --> 00:14:27,980 sin apart from the work of God. 270 00:14:28,835 --> 00:14:33,005 Apart from Jesus, apart from the hope that we find here where it says, for Christ 271 00:14:33,005 --> 00:14:36,455 suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us 272 00:14:36,455 --> 00:14:38,885 to God being put to death in the flesh. 273 00:14:38,885 --> 00:14:41,915 See that death was necessary because without it, we're still 274 00:14:41,915 --> 00:14:43,535 alienated and separated from God. 275 00:14:44,735 --> 00:14:46,575 But with it, we have hope that one day we will be with him. 276 00:14:48,035 --> 00:14:50,585 There, there's a process that fascinates me, and it's this, this 277 00:14:50,585 --> 00:14:55,655 process of restoring corroded and rusted cast iron pots and pans. 278 00:14:56,285 --> 00:14:58,655 And I love to watch it because what they'll do is they'll take the, the, 279 00:14:58,655 --> 00:15:02,015 the pan that needs to be restored, that's good for nothing because 280 00:15:02,015 --> 00:15:03,515 it's so rusty and so corroded. 281 00:15:03,695 --> 00:15:05,555 And they'll take it and they'll suspend it, and they'll dip it 282 00:15:05,555 --> 00:15:07,235 into this electrolysis bath. 283 00:15:08,105 --> 00:15:11,285 And then what they'll do is, is they'll hook up a, a one end of 284 00:15:11,285 --> 00:15:12,455 an electrical current to that. 285 00:15:12,695 --> 00:15:15,305 Well, the other end of the electrical current goes on something 286 00:15:15,305 --> 00:15:16,655 called the sacrificial steel. 287 00:15:17,525 --> 00:15:20,945 And the sacrificial steel is a clean piece of steel that is then lowered 288 00:15:20,945 --> 00:15:25,865 down into that same electrolysis bath with the corroded pot, and you take the 289 00:15:25,865 --> 00:15:29,885 other end of the electrode and, and you connect it to that sacrificial steel. 290 00:15:29,975 --> 00:15:32,345 And then you send the current in through the bath. 291 00:15:32,345 --> 00:15:36,815 And what happens in this process is all of the rust and the corrosion in the decay 292 00:15:37,220 --> 00:15:42,335 in, in the corruption leaves the cast iron pan that's being restored and it clings 293 00:15:42,335 --> 00:15:44,045 to the to, to the sacrificial steel. 294 00:15:44,944 --> 00:15:48,214 Such that then you bring the, the cast iron pot out of that electrolysis 295 00:15:48,214 --> 00:15:51,694 bath and it is restored and it's good to be useful again to someone. 296 00:15:53,015 --> 00:15:56,405 You bring the sacrificial steel out of that electrolysis bath and it now 297 00:15:56,405 --> 00:15:58,055 wears the rust and the corrosion. 298 00:15:58,594 --> 00:16:01,175 That was once on the cast irons pan. 299 00:16:03,035 --> 00:16:06,574 That's a sliver of what happens when the righteous dies for the unrighteous. 300 00:16:07,324 --> 00:16:10,625 When Jesus went to the cross for you and for me, he took the 301 00:16:10,625 --> 00:16:12,305 corruption and the corrosion. 302 00:16:13,715 --> 00:16:15,215 And the sin from us. 303 00:16:15,275 --> 00:16:19,865 When Paul says he made him to be sin, not just sin generically, he made 304 00:16:19,865 --> 00:16:26,435 him to be your sin in my sin, and he took that from us and he put it on 305 00:16:26,435 --> 00:16:31,235 Christ and he took the righteousness of Jesus and he put it on us. 306 00:16:32,885 --> 00:16:36,310 And thereby we can have hope that we might be brought to God. 307 00:16:37,580 --> 00:16:39,890 Without this death, without what we're talking about here, which is really 308 00:16:39,890 --> 00:16:41,330 known as substitutionary atonement. 309 00:16:41,330 --> 00:16:42,590 Penal substitutionary atonement. 310 00:16:42,830 --> 00:16:47,750 Without this, we have no hope of ever being brought to God because of our sin. 311 00:16:47,780 --> 00:16:50,720 Our sin had to be dealt with, and the hope that we have as suffering saints, and 312 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:54,740 what Peter's pointing us to is that our sins have been fully forgiven in Christ. 313 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:58,010 But Peter continues on because we're not here this morning worship 314 00:16:58,010 --> 00:16:59,090 being a dead savior, are we? 315 00:16:59,824 --> 00:17:00,455 No, we sang it. 316 00:17:00,455 --> 00:17:01,955 Christ the Lord has risen today, right? 317 00:17:02,495 --> 00:17:05,733 Peter goes on, he says this in verse 18, in the second part, he was put 318 00:17:05,733 --> 00:17:10,534 to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, and then he went and 319 00:17:10,534 --> 00:17:12,544 proclaimed to the spirits in prison. 320 00:17:12,544 --> 00:17:15,425 Alright, let's have some fun now with, with this part. 321 00:17:15,993 --> 00:17:18,723 This is where we get to do a little bit of what is he talking about here? 322 00:17:19,565 --> 00:17:21,605 He's made alive in the spirit. 323 00:17:21,694 --> 00:17:22,865 Okay, let's start there. 324 00:17:23,464 --> 00:17:26,733 Some have have said that he's made alive by the spirit, and, and that's 325 00:17:26,733 --> 00:17:29,915 a possible interpretation of this, but I, I think rather this is talking about 326 00:17:30,245 --> 00:17:32,195 in the sphere of the spiritual realm. 327 00:17:32,495 --> 00:17:35,195 So just as in the sphere of the flesh, the flesh, he was put to 328 00:17:35,195 --> 00:17:37,325 death in the sphere of the spirit. 329 00:17:37,325 --> 00:17:39,275 He's been resurrected, he's been made alive. 330 00:17:39,665 --> 00:17:43,625 So even today, as Christ exists presently, he is resurrected in his 331 00:17:43,625 --> 00:17:45,785 glorified state, in the heavenly places. 332 00:17:45,785 --> 00:17:48,095 He's in the spiritual realm at the right hand of the father. 333 00:17:48,814 --> 00:17:50,435 And so Jesus has been resurrected. 334 00:17:50,435 --> 00:17:52,084 He's made alive in the spirit. 335 00:17:52,084 --> 00:17:55,385 I'm not denying that he still has his glorified body, but he's been 336 00:17:55,385 --> 00:17:58,594 raised to life in the spirit and exists in the spiritual realm. 337 00:17:58,955 --> 00:18:03,094 Now we have to deal with this next part in which, in that spiritual realm, he went 338 00:18:03,094 --> 00:18:05,524 and proclaimed to the spirits in prison. 339 00:18:06,334 --> 00:18:09,365 Now we have to find out, okay, where did he go? 340 00:18:10,054 --> 00:18:11,165 Who are the spirits? 341 00:18:11,794 --> 00:18:13,685 What does it mean that they're in prison? 342 00:18:14,165 --> 00:18:16,385 What did he proclaim and when did this happen? 343 00:18:17,915 --> 00:18:24,245 And there are umpteen thousand different views on those answers. 344 00:18:24,965 --> 00:18:27,905 But I think there's a general tenet here that's at work that we're 345 00:18:27,905 --> 00:18:30,335 really gonna emphasize no matter what position you take on this. 346 00:18:30,575 --> 00:18:32,945 Lemme just give you the, the two primary answers to this. 347 00:18:34,445 --> 00:18:36,875 Some will, with regards to the spirits, there's an argument 348 00:18:36,875 --> 00:18:37,955 that these are human spirits. 349 00:18:37,985 --> 00:18:40,024 That that is, that the are, these are the spirits of those 350 00:18:40,024 --> 00:18:41,435 that have died in our, our. 351 00:18:41,959 --> 00:18:45,260 No longer living, and that view would say that the Christ 352 00:18:45,260 --> 00:18:46,580 went and proclaimed to them. 353 00:18:46,580 --> 00:18:49,340 The word for proclaim is the word in the Greek Caruso, which 354 00:18:49,340 --> 00:18:51,139 can mean to proclaim the gospel. 355 00:18:51,649 --> 00:18:54,110 So some believe that this is Christ going and preaching the gospel to 356 00:18:54,110 --> 00:18:57,050 the spirits of those that departed, possibly the Old Testament saints, 357 00:18:57,110 --> 00:19:00,679 and giving them that chance to believe in Jesus in the, the full gospel. 358 00:19:02,030 --> 00:19:05,870 My, my problem with that is I don't see that taught anywhere else in in scripture. 359 00:19:06,514 --> 00:19:09,335 That there's a, a second chance or that there's an intermediate 360 00:19:09,335 --> 00:19:10,805 state where they're not yet saved. 361 00:19:10,805 --> 00:19:12,995 Instead, what I see in the Old Testament is God saying, I'm the 362 00:19:12,995 --> 00:19:14,645 God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 363 00:19:14,645 --> 00:19:16,085 I'm the God of the living, not the dead. 364 00:19:16,985 --> 00:19:18,665 So I believe the Old Testament Saints, when they died, they 365 00:19:18,665 --> 00:19:19,565 went to be with the Lord. 366 00:19:20,014 --> 00:19:23,405 I don't think they were waiting for this intermediate state to hear the 367 00:19:23,405 --> 00:19:25,024 gospel, to then go and be saved. 368 00:19:26,689 --> 00:19:29,720 The second view would say, no, these aren't the spirits of the 369 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,330 departed Old Testament saints, but these are actually evil spirits. 370 00:19:32,330 --> 00:19:33,830 These are the, the demons. 371 00:19:33,830 --> 00:19:37,399 And Christ is proclaiming or announcing something to them. 372 00:19:37,399 --> 00:19:40,850 Now, Christ is not preaching the gospel to the demons for obvious reasons. 373 00:19:41,419 --> 00:19:43,189 What is he proclaiming to the demons? 374 00:19:43,189 --> 00:19:46,429 Well, I, I think part of it is understanding who are the demons that 375 00:19:46,429 --> 00:19:49,790 we're talking about, and this is where it's helpful to look on in verse 20. 376 00:19:50,735 --> 00:19:56,584 Peter says because they, these spirits did not formally obey or formally did not obey 377 00:19:56,584 --> 00:20:01,745 when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the arc was being prepared, 378 00:20:01,745 --> 00:20:05,465 in which a few that is eight persons were brought safely through the water. 379 00:20:05,794 --> 00:20:09,844 So these spirits did not obey when God's patience waited In the days of Noah. 380 00:20:11,659 --> 00:20:15,679 We have to go back to Genesis six to really wrap our minds around what's 381 00:20:15,679 --> 00:20:18,259 taking place here in Genesis six. 382 00:20:18,259 --> 00:20:21,979 In the beginning, it says this in verse one, when man began to multiply on the 383 00:20:21,979 --> 00:20:25,399 face of the land, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God, which 384 00:20:25,399 --> 00:20:29,570 is a, a, a phrase or a term that can mean angelic beings, angelic spirits. 385 00:20:30,139 --> 00:20:32,629 When the sons of God saw that the daughters of man, so human. 386 00:20:32,929 --> 00:20:34,639 Human women were attractive. 387 00:20:34,879 --> 00:20:37,399 They took as their wives any they chose. 388 00:20:37,489 --> 00:20:40,669 Then the Lord said, my spirit shall not abide in man forever for he's 389 00:20:40,669 --> 00:20:42,949 flesh and the day shall be 120 years. 390 00:20:43,129 --> 00:20:46,879 The Nene were on the earth in those days, and also afterward when the sons of God 391 00:20:46,879 --> 00:20:51,199 came into the daughters of man and bore children to them, these were the mighty 392 00:20:51,199 --> 00:20:53,120 men who were of old in the men of re noun. 393 00:20:53,719 --> 00:20:57,769 Right after this, we get into the indictment on humanity being so bad 394 00:20:57,769 --> 00:20:58,909 that God says, I'm done with it. 395 00:20:58,969 --> 00:21:00,499 Noah, I'm starting over with you. 396 00:21:01,145 --> 00:21:05,585 Okay, so these demonic spirits that are present here during the days of 397 00:21:05,585 --> 00:21:09,335 Noah, I, I believe, are those that went into the Daughters of Man. 398 00:21:09,335 --> 00:21:12,425 These are those that were responsible for a lot of the corruption that's 399 00:21:12,425 --> 00:21:14,075 taking place during the days of Noah. 400 00:21:15,545 --> 00:21:18,155 The Bible refers to Satan as the God of this world, as the 401 00:21:18,155 --> 00:21:18,930 prince of the power of the air. 402 00:21:20,104 --> 00:21:23,554 And so as we see this time back in human history, and I believe that the 403 00:21:23,554 --> 00:21:27,725 reason why Peter is singling out Noah is because this was one of the pinnacles 404 00:21:27,725 --> 00:21:31,955 of depravity in all of human history, such that God wiped out all of creation 405 00:21:31,955 --> 00:21:33,304 and started over again with Noah. 406 00:21:33,754 --> 00:21:36,695 So God's going back to these demonic spirits and singling 407 00:21:36,695 --> 00:21:39,665 them out as representative of the whole of the demonic realm. 408 00:21:40,340 --> 00:21:42,379 Saying When Christ was raised from the dead. 409 00:21:42,379 --> 00:21:45,350 Remember, Satan thought he won when Jesus breathed his last. 410 00:21:45,739 --> 00:21:49,549 But when Jesus was resurrected from the grave, one of the things that he did 411 00:21:49,759 --> 00:21:51,514 is he went to these spirits in prison. 412 00:21:52,745 --> 00:21:55,264 And he declared to them, I won. 413 00:21:55,415 --> 00:21:56,495 You lost. 414 00:21:57,185 --> 00:22:01,115 See these spirits according to second Peter and Jude both refer back to these 415 00:22:01,115 --> 00:22:05,314 spirits from Genesis six as those that are kept in chains of gloomy darkness. 416 00:22:05,855 --> 00:22:10,264 These spirits were so heinously, evil and wicked that God bound 417 00:22:10,264 --> 00:22:13,774 them and prohibited them from any activity until the day of judgment 418 00:22:13,774 --> 00:22:14,824 that's coming in the future for them. 419 00:22:15,364 --> 00:22:19,024 And so these spirits are representative of the wicked, of the wicked of the 420 00:22:19,024 --> 00:22:22,804 demonic realm, perhaps because their, their activity in the corruption of 421 00:22:22,804 --> 00:22:27,635 mankind, or perhaps even as it says, while the arc was being prepared, right? 422 00:22:27,784 --> 00:22:29,975 In which, what was Noah doing besides building a boat? 423 00:22:30,769 --> 00:22:31,850 He was preaching the gospel. 424 00:22:31,850 --> 00:22:32,600 How do you know that? 425 00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:35,929 Because second Peter calls Noah a herd of righteousness. 426 00:22:36,439 --> 00:22:39,739 So it's possible that even as Noah's preparing the, the arc, one of the reasons 427 00:22:39,739 --> 00:22:43,729 why more people didn't repent for their sins is because these were the demonic 428 00:22:43,729 --> 00:22:47,779 spirits, blinding the eyes and keeping them from seeing the light of the hope 429 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:49,639 and Noah saying, repent and be delivered. 430 00:22:50,959 --> 00:22:53,899 And so God punished them specifically. 431 00:22:54,529 --> 00:22:56,959 In fact, it's this group of demons that we probably know more about 432 00:22:56,959 --> 00:22:58,159 than any other group in the Bible. 433 00:22:59,090 --> 00:23:00,649 And they're kept in these chains. 434 00:23:00,649 --> 00:23:01,669 They're kept in prison. 435 00:23:01,669 --> 00:23:05,509 And when Jesus Christ rose from the dead, the, the, the beginning of 436 00:23:05,509 --> 00:23:09,709 the end for the demonic realm, he went to them and he announced I win. 437 00:23:10,070 --> 00:23:10,969 And you lose. 438 00:23:12,229 --> 00:23:15,499 Do you see how this might be an encouragement to the suffering saints 439 00:23:15,499 --> 00:23:19,129 of Peter's day as they're facing the attacks of the world coming at them 440 00:23:19,699 --> 00:23:23,719 as they're facing persecution, as as people are coming at them for their 441 00:23:23,719 --> 00:23:25,424 stance for being a follower of Jesus? 442 00:23:27,530 --> 00:23:29,419 They're up against spiritual warfare, right? 443 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:30,379 What does Paul say? 444 00:23:30,379 --> 00:23:31,790 Our battle's not against flesh and blood. 445 00:23:32,990 --> 00:23:36,110 So even as Nero takes the throne and takes Christians and dips them in tar and 446 00:23:36,110 --> 00:23:39,590 lights them on fire in his gardens, our battle is not against Nero, the person 447 00:23:39,590 --> 00:23:43,970 our battle is against the principles, the, the, the, the rulers, the authorities, the 448 00:23:43,970 --> 00:23:48,169 demon, the demonic realm, the spiritual forces outwork in this present darkness. 449 00:23:49,550 --> 00:23:54,080 So Peter's writing to these believers, these elect exiles of the dispersion. 450 00:23:54,514 --> 00:23:55,535 And he's writing to us. 451 00:23:55,535 --> 00:24:00,395 Whatever you're facing this morning, as, as we walk in this earth, still facing 452 00:24:00,395 --> 00:24:03,754 spiritual warfare ourselves, he's saying take heart because the battle's been won. 453 00:24:05,014 --> 00:24:06,695 Our second point this morning is this, take heart. 454 00:24:06,695 --> 00:24:08,014 Your enemy has been defeated. 455 00:24:09,155 --> 00:24:09,605 Take heart. 456 00:24:09,605 --> 00:24:11,315 Your enemy has been defeated. 457 00:24:18,185 --> 00:24:20,315 The spirit's in this passage are in prison, right? 458 00:24:20,315 --> 00:24:22,535 But that doesn't mean all demonic spirits are in prison. 459 00:24:23,764 --> 00:24:24,874 Uh, again, I just referenced it. 460 00:24:24,874 --> 00:24:27,754 That's why Paul says in Ephesians chapter six, verse 12, we do not wrestle 461 00:24:27,754 --> 00:24:30,694 against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and against the authorities, 462 00:24:30,814 --> 00:24:32,074 and against the cosmic powers. 463 00:24:32,074 --> 00:24:34,774 Over this present darkness and against the spiritual forces of 464 00:24:34,774 --> 00:24:41,794 evil in the heavenly places, you are going to face spiritual warfare. 465 00:24:41,824 --> 00:24:45,604 That's why Paul instructs us to take up the armor of God daily, that we might 466 00:24:45,694 --> 00:24:48,754 withstand, that we might stand firm, that we might extinguish the flaming 467 00:24:48,754 --> 00:24:50,194 darts of the enemy, the evil one. 468 00:24:51,245 --> 00:24:54,605 And so we have a, an enemy that that is still resisting. 469 00:24:54,905 --> 00:24:57,755 The war's over Jesus declared it's over. 470 00:24:57,755 --> 00:25:00,455 We won, but the battles are still raging. 471 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:08,315 It, it, it's like this D-Day was arguably the decisive blow in the 472 00:25:08,315 --> 00:25:09,695 Allied victory in World War ii. 473 00:25:10,655 --> 00:25:13,505 After D-Day, there was still going to be resistance from the access forces. 474 00:25:14,825 --> 00:25:18,485 Everybody didn't immediately surrender, but as we look back on it now, we see 475 00:25:18,485 --> 00:25:21,755 that D-Day was the blow that really began to set in motion the beginning 476 00:25:21,755 --> 00:25:23,165 of the end for the access forces. 477 00:25:24,545 --> 00:25:27,635 And yet there was a time between D-Day and VE Day wasn't there, 478 00:25:28,625 --> 00:25:30,185 where the battles still raged. 479 00:25:31,685 --> 00:25:36,035 You and I Christian are living between D-Day, which was the cross 480 00:25:36,035 --> 00:25:38,975 and the resurrection and VH Day. 481 00:25:38,975 --> 00:25:43,325 Victory Heaven Day when we one day go to be with the Lord forever and ever. 482 00:25:44,824 --> 00:25:50,104 The enemy's been defeated, the war's over, but the battles are still fighting, 483 00:25:51,154 --> 00:25:54,094 and you and I are still having to engage in those battles, just like the 484 00:25:54,094 --> 00:25:57,544 Allied Forces still had to engage in battles to continue to move the ball 485 00:25:57,544 --> 00:25:59,164 forward towards the end of World War ii. 486 00:25:59,434 --> 00:26:01,324 That's you and I today as well. 487 00:26:05,370 --> 00:26:07,354 This again goes back to the reason we should continue to 488 00:26:07,354 --> 00:26:08,495 expect suffering in this world. 489 00:26:10,519 --> 00:26:11,419 Satan's defeated. 490 00:26:11,685 --> 00:26:15,139 I, I had a conversation with my son recently and, and he said, dad, if, if 491 00:26:15,139 --> 00:26:16,790 Satan's defeated, why is he still trying? 492 00:26:17,449 --> 00:26:19,310 Well, you have to remember, Satan's not omniscient is he? 493 00:26:21,514 --> 00:26:25,519 And, and so Satan is, is not necessarily aware fully that, that 494 00:26:25,519 --> 00:26:28,519 his end is and his fate is sealed and, and his end is, is sure. 495 00:26:28,915 --> 00:26:33,139 And so I think he's still fighting because in, in his deranged state, 496 00:26:33,139 --> 00:26:34,074 he thinks that he still has a shot. 497 00:26:35,254 --> 00:26:38,765 We as Christians know he doesn't, but let's even say that he does 498 00:26:38,765 --> 00:26:39,754 know that his end is shore. 499 00:26:41,465 --> 00:26:44,075 He's a foe that hates our savior so much that he's not 500 00:26:44,075 --> 00:26:45,004 gonna go down without a fight. 501 00:26:46,565 --> 00:26:47,435 It's over. 502 00:26:47,615 --> 00:26:50,495 But he's gonna take out as many people as he possibly can on the way down. 503 00:26:50,790 --> 00:26:54,095 And so we need to be ready for that. 504 00:26:55,639 --> 00:26:58,790 And this is probably one of the more anemic aspects of our theology in churches 505 00:26:58,790 --> 00:27:02,240 like ours, is that I, uh, that theology, that awareness that we have a very real 506 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:05,149 enemy that that prowls around like a roaring line as we're gonna get to in 507 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,100 one Peter, seeking someone to devour. 508 00:27:08,210 --> 00:27:11,149 And Satan may not be targeting you because he's not omnipresent either. 509 00:27:11,149 --> 00:27:14,210 He can only be one place at one time, but he's got allegiance of 510 00:27:14,210 --> 00:27:17,030 demons that are at his disposal, and they might be targeting you. 511 00:27:18,874 --> 00:27:20,434 And so as Christians, we should be aware. 512 00:27:20,434 --> 00:27:24,094 In fact, Martin Luther said this, whenever one desires to have a, to 513 00:27:24,094 --> 00:27:26,194 have God's word, that is the scripture. 514 00:27:26,824 --> 00:27:31,294 He said, not only will Anis and Caiaphas happen to be there to throw tantrums, 515 00:27:31,564 --> 00:27:33,514 but also a Judas among the apostles. 516 00:27:33,934 --> 00:27:36,364 And then he said this, and Satan, among the children of God. 517 00:27:37,205 --> 00:27:39,844 In other words, what Luther is saying is if, if you want the word, if you want to 518 00:27:39,844 --> 00:27:42,754 grow as a Christian, you should expect that, that the enemy's not gonna want 519 00:27:42,754 --> 00:27:45,304 that, that Satan's not gonna like that. 520 00:27:47,435 --> 00:27:51,125 And so don't be surprised if you find yourself up against 521 00:27:51,125 --> 00:27:52,085 opposition from this world. 522 00:27:52,595 --> 00:27:54,065 Don't be surprised if you suffer. 523 00:27:54,065 --> 00:27:57,215 Don't be surprised if you feel yourself encountering spiritual warfare. 524 00:27:57,514 --> 00:27:59,524 What should you do in response? 525 00:28:01,895 --> 00:28:02,735 Spiritual warfare. 526 00:28:02,735 --> 00:28:05,555 That the, the battleground is so often a battleground for truth. 527 00:28:05,555 --> 00:28:08,435 And so the first thing I would suggest to you is flee to the truth of God's word. 528 00:28:10,324 --> 00:28:13,475 When you're battling and you're facing the spiritual oppression, maybe 529 00:28:13,475 --> 00:28:19,084 it's, it's depression, maybe it's anxiety, maybe it's doubt, whatever 530 00:28:19,084 --> 00:28:20,554 that is, and you just feel it. 531 00:28:20,554 --> 00:28:22,745 Or maybe you're just in the presence of, of something that you feel, 532 00:28:22,745 --> 00:28:24,455 this is an evil presence in my life. 533 00:28:24,455 --> 00:28:24,695 Here. 534 00:28:25,804 --> 00:28:27,635 You need to flee to the truth of God's word. 535 00:28:28,534 --> 00:28:32,379 The sword of the spirit is more powerful than any weapon the enemy has against you. 536 00:28:35,149 --> 00:28:37,759 Second thing is, I would encourage you, and this is gonna sound weird, 537 00:28:37,759 --> 00:28:39,199 but sing the truths of the gospel. 538 00:28:40,580 --> 00:28:42,110 God has made us all musical people. 539 00:28:42,110 --> 00:28:46,459 Whether you can sing a note or not, I, I would venture a guess is to say, 540 00:28:46,459 --> 00:28:49,009 everybody in this room knows what it is to have a song stuck in your head. 541 00:28:50,899 --> 00:28:54,620 Sometimes it can be a grace of God when the song stuck in your head is rehearsing 542 00:28:54,620 --> 00:28:57,679 the truths of God's word, the truths of who he is, the truths of the gospel. 543 00:28:59,149 --> 00:29:01,879 So when you feel yourself discouraged, sing the truths of the gospel. 544 00:29:03,379 --> 00:29:06,889 Third, discipline, the mind discipline, what you're thinking about. 545 00:29:07,579 --> 00:29:11,089 This is part of the, the Battle of Philippians, chapter four and 546 00:29:11,089 --> 00:29:12,139 Philippians chapter four, verse eight. 547 00:29:12,139 --> 00:29:13,939 Paul says, we need to think on these things. 548 00:29:13,939 --> 00:29:16,069 And then he lists a lot of things that we should be thinking on. 549 00:29:16,759 --> 00:29:20,209 He says, dwell on these things, and so discipline your mind 550 00:29:20,209 --> 00:29:21,350 to think about those things. 551 00:29:21,769 --> 00:29:24,229 And then finally, remind yourself of the devil's ultimate end. 552 00:29:25,610 --> 00:29:27,259 Remind yourself of the devil's ultimate end. 553 00:29:28,715 --> 00:29:29,915 You know, the outcome. 554 00:29:30,425 --> 00:29:33,155 It's like watching the series, the, uh, band of Brothers. 555 00:29:34,535 --> 00:29:37,655 It, it, it's intense and I can't say I would recommend it for all the audiences 556 00:29:37,655 --> 00:29:40,595 in the room, but you, you, you watch that series and, and especially the, 557 00:29:40,655 --> 00:29:43,265 for example, the Battle of the Bulge, the scene, when they're dug out into 558 00:29:43,265 --> 00:29:46,325 the, their, their holes that they've got in the den forest there, and 559 00:29:46,325 --> 00:29:47,645 they're, they're facing the opposition. 560 00:29:47,645 --> 00:29:50,615 You just see it and, and you get so wrapped up in the scene, you're like, 561 00:29:50,615 --> 00:29:53,525 what's gonna happen until you zoom out for a second and you remember, wait a 562 00:29:53,525 --> 00:29:55,835 minute, I, I actually, I know the end. 563 00:29:57,125 --> 00:30:00,905 So though the battle is fiercely raging, there's a confidence that you have 564 00:30:00,905 --> 00:30:03,095 knowing the outcome to the battle. 565 00:30:03,845 --> 00:30:07,505 And so you can remind yourself, good wins, evil loses. 566 00:30:08,825 --> 00:30:11,525 And when we're up against it, when we're facing the opposition of the 567 00:30:11,525 --> 00:30:14,195 world, we need to remind ourself the enemy has been defeated. 568 00:30:15,155 --> 00:30:17,195 The war's over the battles may still rage. 569 00:30:17,435 --> 00:30:20,465 We've still got pockets of resistance here, but the war is over. 570 00:30:23,014 --> 00:30:26,375 It's not just that Jesus died and he rose. 571 00:30:27,125 --> 00:30:30,754 It's also that Jesus has ascended, and that's where we go next. 572 00:30:30,754 --> 00:30:32,135 Look at verses 21 through 22. 573 00:30:33,245 --> 00:30:36,485 Peter says, baptism which corresponds to this now saves you not as a removal 574 00:30:36,485 --> 00:30:40,055 of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through 575 00:30:40,055 --> 00:30:44,495 the resurrection of Jesus Christ who has gone into heaven and is at the right 576 00:30:44,495 --> 00:30:49,264 hand of God with angels and authorities and powers having been subjected to him. 577 00:30:50,585 --> 00:30:53,345 Okay, I've got 10 minutes to deal with baptism. 578 00:30:53,345 --> 00:30:55,835 Now saves you and the rest of the verse. 579 00:30:55,835 --> 00:30:57,965 Here's the thing, baptism now saves you. 580 00:30:57,965 --> 00:31:00,125 Some people are gonna point to that and say you have to 581 00:31:00,125 --> 00:31:01,685 be water baptized to be saved. 582 00:31:01,685 --> 00:31:02,045 Okay? 583 00:31:02,405 --> 00:31:03,905 Read on though. 584 00:31:04,145 --> 00:31:05,765 Baptism now saves you, what does he say? 585 00:31:05,765 --> 00:31:06,755 What's the qualifier? 586 00:31:07,055 --> 00:31:09,035 Not as a removal of dirt from the body. 587 00:31:09,845 --> 00:31:12,995 So Peter is saying there, and he is qualifying, he's anticipating 588 00:31:12,995 --> 00:31:15,305 the fact that somebody might say, oh man, baptism saves me. 589 00:31:15,305 --> 00:31:17,975 I have to be water baptized to actually be fully saved. 590 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:19,730 And yet Peter's saying, no, no, no. 591 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,040 It's not the removal of dirt from the body. 592 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:24,230 It's not the water act that I'm talking about here. 593 00:31:24,350 --> 00:31:26,600 He's connecting baptism to Noah. 594 00:31:26,930 --> 00:31:31,220 Noah was placed into the ark along with his family, and the ark was the 595 00:31:31,220 --> 00:31:33,230 vessel that delivered them to safety. 596 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:37,730 The baptism that Peter's talking about, the word baptizo means to be placed. 597 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:43,430 And so the baptism in view here is that you and I, when we come to faith in Jesus 598 00:31:43,430 --> 00:31:48,260 Christ, have been placed into Christ, and now Christ is the one who will deliver us 599 00:31:48,260 --> 00:31:49,830 into the security of the presence of God. 600 00:31:50,870 --> 00:31:53,330 Jesus is our arc, in other words. 601 00:31:53,419 --> 00:31:57,590 And so when you are saved, you are placed into Christ and you are 602 00:31:57,590 --> 00:31:59,539 going to be delivered to the safety. 603 00:31:59,539 --> 00:32:02,810 Just as Noah and his family were delivered from the safety of the floodwaters 604 00:32:02,810 --> 00:32:06,679 of God, the wrath of God will not touch you because you are in Christ. 605 00:32:06,709 --> 00:32:10,189 And so Peter's saying, we have been baptized into Christ. 606 00:32:10,249 --> 00:32:13,219 And he says, not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an 607 00:32:13,219 --> 00:32:15,350 appeal to God for a good conscience. 608 00:32:15,649 --> 00:32:17,209 Where does a good conscience come from? 609 00:32:18,110 --> 00:32:21,259 It doesn't come from an act of being dipped in water and brought back up. 610 00:32:21,259 --> 00:32:22,939 We can get unbelievers wet all day. 611 00:32:22,939 --> 00:32:24,889 Doesn't matter if they don't. 612 00:32:24,889 --> 00:32:27,949 What if they don't repent from their sins and trust Jesus? 613 00:32:28,100 --> 00:32:30,350 Otherwise, y'all we're going sprinkling church and I'm gonna 614 00:32:30,350 --> 00:32:32,629 give you all squirt guns and we're just gonna go save everybody. 615 00:32:33,709 --> 00:32:34,909 Just squirt 'em three times. 616 00:32:34,909 --> 00:32:36,019 Father, son, holy spirit. 617 00:32:36,199 --> 00:32:36,499 Boom. 618 00:32:36,499 --> 00:32:38,269 You're saved whether you wanna be or not. 619 00:32:39,889 --> 00:32:40,070 No. 620 00:32:40,070 --> 00:32:42,800 The the, the appeal to God for a good conscience is what's necessary. 621 00:32:43,039 --> 00:32:44,419 Where does our good conscience come from? 622 00:32:44,959 --> 00:32:46,639 Trust in Jesus Christ and our Lord and Savior. 623 00:32:47,165 --> 00:32:50,165 So the baptism here, all that to say, this is not saying 624 00:32:50,165 --> 00:32:52,294 water, baptism saves us spirit. 625 00:32:52,294 --> 00:32:55,895 Baptism saves us when are we baptized by the spirit at the moment of conversion, 626 00:32:56,284 --> 00:33:00,425 when you are placed into Christ by the spirit of God, and you are gonna be 627 00:33:00,425 --> 00:33:02,554 delivered into the presence of God. 628 00:33:03,814 --> 00:33:06,635 But I don't think that Peter's point here was for us to argue the merits of baptism. 629 00:33:07,595 --> 00:33:10,655 I think Peter's emphasis for his audience who were suffering at this time was to 630 00:33:10,655 --> 00:33:12,544 remind us of where Jesus is right now. 631 00:33:13,669 --> 00:33:18,979 Because he goes on and he says this, who has gone into heaven and is at the right 632 00:33:18,979 --> 00:33:23,449 hand of God with angels and authorities and powers having been subjected to him. 633 00:33:25,100 --> 00:33:27,770 And this is so good because he's, he's gone into heaven and he's 634 00:33:27,770 --> 00:33:29,270 at the right hand of the Father. 635 00:33:29,389 --> 00:33:32,300 The right hand of God is the place of highest exaltation possible. 636 00:33:32,899 --> 00:33:34,070 It was the place of honor. 637 00:33:34,490 --> 00:33:39,409 And so now the son who died and rose again, has ascended and is 638 00:33:39,469 --> 00:33:40,729 at the right hand of the father. 639 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:43,939 And the question that should be begged is, what's he doing there? 640 00:33:44,990 --> 00:33:45,740 What's he doing there? 641 00:33:46,370 --> 00:33:48,530 And the good news is we don't have to look very far to find 642 00:33:48,530 --> 00:33:49,550 the answer to that question. 643 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:52,340 Paul answers it for us in Romans 8 34. 644 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:54,830 Romans 8 34, who is to condemn? 645 00:33:55,384 --> 00:33:58,624 Christ Jesus is the one who died and more than that, who was raised, 646 00:33:58,685 --> 00:34:04,804 who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 647 00:34:05,824 --> 00:34:07,534 He's praying for us right now. 648 00:34:08,315 --> 00:34:11,870 He's pleading his righteousness before the Father on your behalf right now. 649 00:34:12,949 --> 00:34:14,659 In fact, the writer of Hebrews says this. 650 00:34:14,659 --> 00:34:17,208 He says in verse 25 of Hebrews chapter seven. 651 00:34:17,389 --> 00:34:21,049 Consequently, Jesus is able to save to the uttermost, those who 652 00:34:21,049 --> 00:34:22,639 draw near to God through him. 653 00:34:22,819 --> 00:34:27,259 Since he always lives to make intercession for them, he always 654 00:34:27,259 --> 00:34:28,998 lives to make intercession for them. 655 00:34:29,208 --> 00:34:30,620 So what has Jesus done? 656 00:34:30,620 --> 00:34:32,929 Well, he's risen, and if you are in Christ. 657 00:34:33,475 --> 00:34:36,864 You have been placed into Christ, you're gonna be delivered to be with him someday. 658 00:34:37,045 --> 00:34:38,545 But in the meantime, where is he? 659 00:34:38,574 --> 00:34:41,665 He's at the right hand of the Father, far above all rulers and 660 00:34:41,665 --> 00:34:44,844 authorities, and, and, and demonic beings and spiritual beings. 661 00:34:45,054 --> 00:34:47,725 There's no power in all creation that can trump the power of Christ. 662 00:34:47,725 --> 00:34:52,525 He's at the right hand of the Father and he's praying for you again. 663 00:34:52,525 --> 00:34:56,695 What an encouragement that would be to the suffering saint to 664 00:34:56,695 --> 00:34:59,665 know I've got my savior, who's interceding for me right now. 665 00:35:00,365 --> 00:35:03,065 No matter what comes my way, no matter what the opposition is, 666 00:35:03,335 --> 00:35:04,655 I know I'm secure in Christ. 667 00:35:04,655 --> 00:35:06,185 Our final point this morning is this, take heart. 668 00:35:06,185 --> 00:35:08,225 Your savior is for you forever. 669 00:35:09,515 --> 00:35:11,615 Your savior is for you forever. 670 00:35:13,265 --> 00:35:16,505 Ah, this is so huge, the, the confidence that this gives you 671 00:35:16,505 --> 00:35:19,475 as a Christian, because sometimes when we suffer, we can often doubt 672 00:35:19,475 --> 00:35:20,980 our security in Christ, can't we? 673 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:25,475 I, I, my wife and I, my family and I, we, we watched Alex Honnold climb 674 00:35:25,475 --> 00:35:26,920 that building in, in, in Taipei. 675 00:35:27,980 --> 00:35:29,390 Because we're cluttons for punishment. 676 00:35:29,390 --> 00:35:29,629 Right? 677 00:35:30,770 --> 00:35:33,350 And, and I remember watching this and there were multiple times that 678 00:35:33,500 --> 00:35:36,740 watching it, my hands started sweating, my palms started hurting, and I was 679 00:35:36,740 --> 00:35:38,899 just, he took the hardest way up too. 680 00:35:38,899 --> 00:35:43,580 And he's climbing out and off the building and so many times while watching it, I had 681 00:35:43,580 --> 00:35:48,350 to, to, to take my eyes off the TV screen and put them on the couch and, and remind 682 00:35:48,350 --> 00:35:50,089 myself, I'm not clinging to a building. 683 00:35:51,049 --> 00:35:52,399 I'm, I'm on my couch. 684 00:35:52,399 --> 00:35:53,750 My couch is not going anywhere. 685 00:35:54,529 --> 00:35:55,370 I'm, I'm here. 686 00:35:55,399 --> 00:35:56,060 I'm secure. 687 00:35:56,060 --> 00:35:56,660 I'm safe. 688 00:35:57,995 --> 00:36:00,545 But I had to do that multiple times because I would get sucked back 689 00:36:00,545 --> 00:36:04,505 into watching and I'd watch his going, man, the only thing between 690 00:36:04,505 --> 00:36:05,884 him and death is his grip strength. 691 00:36:07,370 --> 00:36:12,035 And, and I'm sitting there going, I, I, man, I, I would fall and I'm feeling 692 00:36:12,035 --> 00:36:15,275 the danger and I'm, I'm scared of heights while I'm sitting on the ground. 693 00:36:17,915 --> 00:36:21,755 And so I had to remind myself, I'm on the couch, I'm at home, I'm here. 694 00:36:21,935 --> 00:36:25,569 I'm safe, I'm secure as you suffer Christian. 695 00:36:26,690 --> 00:36:29,390 There are gonna be times the enemy wants you to feel like you're holding onto 696 00:36:29,390 --> 00:36:33,319 God and he's gonna try to make you feel like your grip strength is failing. 697 00:36:34,970 --> 00:36:37,009 But the reality is he's holding onto you. 698 00:36:39,770 --> 00:36:41,360 Jesus is interceding for you. 699 00:36:41,810 --> 00:36:43,130 Jesus is praying for you. 700 00:36:44,420 --> 00:36:46,460 Jesus is before the father saying He's mine. 701 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:47,150 She's mine. 702 00:36:47,540 --> 00:36:48,440 I died for her. 703 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:49,250 I died for him, 704 00:36:52,580 --> 00:36:53,325 and he's never gonna fail. 705 00:36:54,620 --> 00:36:57,020 Which is why the writer of Hebrew says he always lives to 706 00:36:57,020 --> 00:36:57,919 make it intercession for us. 707 00:36:57,919 --> 00:36:59,689 He's able to save us to the uttermost. 708 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:05,779 Your hope in making it to heaven, in other words, is not in your grip 709 00:37:05,779 --> 00:37:07,370 strength on God, but on His, on you. 710 00:37:08,870 --> 00:37:13,069 And he's got you because Jesus is at the right hand of the 711 00:37:13,069 --> 00:37:16,189 Father doing what he's doing. 712 00:37:17,779 --> 00:37:19,004 I hope that encourages you this morning. 713 00:37:21,799 --> 00:37:24,799 I'm encouraged by this message because it's, it's all about the 714 00:37:24,799 --> 00:37:29,120 gospel, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, and how all three 715 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:32,089 of those components give us hope as we face suffering in this world. 716 00:37:35,539 --> 00:37:37,129 The enemy thought he won in the garden. 717 00:37:37,129 --> 00:37:41,779 When Eve took the fruit and gave some to Adam, the enemy thought he won. 718 00:37:41,779 --> 00:37:44,269 When God cursed the world afterwards and all of a sudden now we've got 719 00:37:44,269 --> 00:37:45,979 natural disasters and cancer and death. 720 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:49,174 The enemy thought he won. 721 00:37:49,805 --> 00:37:54,995 When David fell into sin with Bathsheba, the enemy thought he won. 722 00:37:54,995 --> 00:37:59,944 When the kingdom was divided after King Solomon, the enemy thought he won. 723 00:37:59,944 --> 00:38:05,045 When the Northern Kingdom fell to the Assyrians, the enemy thought he won. 724 00:38:05,075 --> 00:38:07,955 When the Southern Kingdom eventually fell to the Babylonians and the the 725 00:38:07,955 --> 00:38:12,365 people of God were taken into exile for 70 years, and the temple was destroyed. 726 00:38:14,509 --> 00:38:15,230 Enemy thought he won. 727 00:38:15,230 --> 00:38:17,120 During 400 years of silence, 728 00:38:19,940 --> 00:38:20,839 the enemy thought he won. 729 00:38:20,839 --> 00:38:24,500 When Herod decreed that all the children two years and younger, 730 00:38:24,500 --> 00:38:26,450 all the male children two years and younger should be killed. 731 00:38:28,670 --> 00:38:29,569 The enemy thought he won. 732 00:38:29,569 --> 00:38:33,319 When the religious leaders of the Jews opposed Jesus at every 733 00:38:33,319 --> 00:38:36,560 turn, the enemy thought he won. 734 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:41,149 When Judas availed himself to be used. 735 00:38:42,500 --> 00:38:46,280 For evil and agreed to betray Jesus into the hands of the 736 00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:47,390 Pharisees and the Sadducees. 737 00:38:47,390 --> 00:38:51,230 For 30 pieces of silver, the enemy thought he won in the garden. 738 00:38:51,230 --> 00:38:55,220 When Jesus was handed over to the Roman authorities and the Jewish 739 00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:58,130 leaders, the enemy thought he won. 740 00:38:58,670 --> 00:39:01,730 When Jesus was in the courtyard and and being tried by by 741 00:39:01,730 --> 00:39:03,230 Caiaphas, the enemy thought he won. 742 00:39:03,230 --> 00:39:06,830 When Jesus was standing before Pilate and Pilate said, do you want this man 743 00:39:06,830 --> 00:39:08,150 or Barabis the enemy thought he won. 744 00:39:08,150 --> 00:39:10,550 When the crowd said, give us Barabis and crucify him. 745 00:39:12,050 --> 00:39:12,770 The enemy thought he won. 746 00:39:12,770 --> 00:39:16,430 When Pilate turned him over to be mocked and flogged and crucified, 747 00:39:17,570 --> 00:39:18,410 the enemy thought he won. 748 00:39:18,410 --> 00:39:20,630 When he took his cross to glg, Gotha, the enemy thought he won. 749 00:39:20,630 --> 00:39:23,750 When he was laid down on the cross beam, the enemy thought he won. 750 00:39:23,750 --> 00:39:26,270 When the nails were being driven into the wrists and into the feet 751 00:39:26,270 --> 00:39:27,590 of Christ, the enemy thought he won. 752 00:39:27,590 --> 00:39:32,720 When the, the cross was raised up and and dropped into place, that enemy thought 753 00:39:32,720 --> 00:39:38,000 he won, as he heard the gasping words of Jesus struggling to breathe on the cross. 754 00:39:39,665 --> 00:39:44,465 And the enemy for sure thought he won when he heard Jesus say it is 755 00:39:44,465 --> 00:39:45,905 finished and breathed this last. 756 00:39:48,575 --> 00:39:53,405 All of that turned out to be the greatest mistake the enemy ever made because it's 757 00:39:53,405 --> 00:40:01,595 in his death, it's in his resurrection, and it's in his ascension that we have 758 00:40:01,595 --> 00:40:05,645 hope that no matter what happens in this world to us as suffering saints. 759 00:40:07,295 --> 00:40:08,765 That we're gonna be brought to God. 760 00:40:11,645 --> 00:40:12,365 He lost. 761 00:40:12,515 --> 00:40:13,205 Jesus won. 762 00:40:15,095 --> 00:40:16,985 And I hope that's a great encouragement to you this morning. 763 00:40:16,985 --> 00:40:19,924 No matter what you face, whether you're suffering right now or 764 00:40:19,924 --> 00:40:23,225 you've got suffering in front of you, you're securing Christ. 765 00:40:24,395 --> 00:40:25,085 He's got you. 766 00:40:25,295 --> 00:40:26,285 He's never gonna let go. 767 00:40:27,665 --> 00:40:28,055 Let's pray. 768 00:40:29,915 --> 00:40:32,405 Lord God, we are so thankful for that reality. 769 00:40:32,825 --> 00:40:34,775 It's such a, a, a great truth. 770 00:40:34,805 --> 00:40:36,995 That is grace. 771 00:40:37,295 --> 00:40:37,895 Unmerited. 772 00:40:37,895 --> 00:40:39,695 Favor, mercy. 773 00:40:40,205 --> 00:40:42,185 That doesn't give us what we deserve. 774 00:40:43,670 --> 00:40:45,440 But we are so thankful for Christ. 775 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:46,790 We're so thankful for the cross. 776 00:40:46,790 --> 00:40:51,080 We're so thankful that the message of hope is not, try harder, be better, do 777 00:40:51,649 --> 00:40:53,660 something different this next time around. 778 00:40:53,660 --> 00:40:58,129 And or even that, that the message of hope is not based on how we feel 779 00:40:58,129 --> 00:41:00,859 when we wake up in the morning, but it's anchored to the truth of your 780 00:41:00,859 --> 00:41:02,375 word and what you have done for us. 781 00:41:03,250 --> 00:41:05,650 The accomplished work of Jesus. 782 00:41:05,650 --> 00:41:08,260 When he said it is finished, he wasn't declaring Satan. 783 00:41:08,260 --> 00:41:10,420 One, he was declaring it is finished. 784 00:41:10,420 --> 00:41:14,230 Your wrath has been satisfied, the the atonement has been made, and now as a 785 00:41:14,230 --> 00:41:18,850 result, you have given us the opportunity to come to you, to be reconciled to you. 786 00:41:20,140 --> 00:41:22,690 If we will repent from our sins and believe in Jesus as our Lord and the 787 00:41:22,690 --> 00:41:24,940 Savior God, what a glorious reality. 788 00:41:24,940 --> 00:41:29,020 The gospel is the death of Christ, his resurrection in his ascension. 789 00:41:29,540 --> 00:41:32,210 It gives us great hope to be able to face whatever comes our way this week. 790 00:41:32,210 --> 00:41:35,779 And I pray that you enable us to, to live confident in that hope. 791 00:41:36,080 --> 00:41:36,470 Come what? 792 00:41:36,470 --> 00:41:37,880 May we pray this in Jesus' name. 793 00:41:38,240 --> 00:41:38,720 Amen.