1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,210 Speaker: I am change. 2 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:02,070 I thought that was a campaign promise. 3 00:00:02,070 --> 00:00:04,950 I thought that was supposed to be taken care of at this point, but 4 00:00:04,950 --> 00:00:06,360 apparently the nation is divided. 5 00:00:06,810 --> 00:00:07,380 I don't care. 6 00:00:07,380 --> 00:00:09,600 Just leave the clock where it is and we're good. 7 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:12,240 You can have whichever side of it you want, just leave it where it is. 8 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:13,590 I, I'm good with that. 9 00:00:14,460 --> 00:00:14,875 Um, that. 10 00:00:15,915 --> 00:00:16,995 To do with the sermon at all. 11 00:00:16,995 --> 00:00:19,125 I'm getting a little bit of ringing though, uh, up here. 12 00:00:19,125 --> 00:00:20,145 If we could adjust that. 13 00:00:20,145 --> 00:00:23,565 I'm gonna move this 'cause I, I'm not saying I'm gonna get super animated 14 00:00:23,565 --> 00:00:26,294 and excited today, but this looks expensive and I don't wanna break that. 15 00:00:26,294 --> 00:00:30,765 But, um, hey, there are perks that come with being what we call 16 00:00:30,765 --> 00:00:33,645 a pk, uh, a pk, a pastor's kid. 17 00:00:34,185 --> 00:00:36,945 Uh, and some of those perks are perks. 18 00:00:36,945 --> 00:00:38,985 Like my kids experience back at our sending church, they knew 19 00:00:38,985 --> 00:00:40,395 where the staff snacks were. 20 00:00:40,395 --> 00:00:41,145 They could go into the. 21 00:00:41,474 --> 00:00:44,445 The offices and they could get up to dad's office and then go find the, the 22 00:00:44,445 --> 00:00:48,345 kitchen and, and get staff snacks where we kept those, or they had the, the ping 23 00:00:48,345 --> 00:00:50,114 pong table in our break room up there. 24 00:00:50,114 --> 00:00:52,545 And, uh, they, they had the, the different perks. 25 00:00:52,545 --> 00:00:55,275 They got to go to some retreats and some camps that otherwise maybe they 26 00:00:55,275 --> 00:00:56,295 wouldn't have been able to go on. 27 00:00:56,835 --> 00:00:59,415 There were, there were perks that came with being a pk and my wife and 28 00:00:59,415 --> 00:01:02,475 I were always trying to be mindful to, to teach them to be thankful. 29 00:01:02,475 --> 00:01:03,330 Grateful for those things. 30 00:01:03,330 --> 00:01:04,680 To be grateful for those things. 31 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:09,420 Not to be entitled, but to, to return a, a Thanksgiving to the Lord. 32 00:01:09,420 --> 00:01:12,480 Ultimately for the, the blessings of being a pk. 33 00:01:13,950 --> 00:01:17,730 I realize that not everybody in the room this morning fits that category, 34 00:01:17,730 --> 00:01:20,460 but we all are in this room, gks. 35 00:01:20,955 --> 00:01:22,425 We all are God's kids. 36 00:01:22,605 --> 00:01:26,175 That is if you are here and you are in Christ and, and just like 37 00:01:26,175 --> 00:01:27,945 there's blessings to being a pk. 38 00:01:28,185 --> 00:01:32,745 In fact, even more so, there's far greater blessings in being a a gk. 39 00:01:32,745 --> 00:01:32,775 I. 40 00:01:33,195 --> 00:01:36,675 And these blessings are blessings that we're gonna find, some of them, 41 00:01:36,675 --> 00:01:38,325 at least in our text this morning. 42 00:01:38,655 --> 00:01:42,375 And they're blessings that I think as, as believers, as followers of Jesus, we 43 00:01:42,375 --> 00:01:46,755 have a, a, a responsibility to be aware of these blessings and not just to let 44 00:01:46,755 --> 00:01:49,785 them become white noise in the background of what it means to be a Christian. 45 00:01:50,025 --> 00:01:53,295 Because these blessings are opportunities for us to worship God. 46 00:01:54,015 --> 00:01:58,455 And when we fail to feel the weight of these blessings, there's 47 00:01:58,455 --> 00:02:01,755 a degree to which we are robbing God of worship, that he is due. 48 00:02:02,415 --> 00:02:04,965 Uh, because he's given us these blessings in Christ. 49 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,505 If, if you're here this morning and you're a gk, I hope to show you this 50 00:02:08,505 --> 00:02:11,625 morning through our text that there are at least three main reasons that you 51 00:02:11,625 --> 00:02:16,245 can be worshiping God this week for the blessings of being one of his children. 52 00:02:16,665 --> 00:02:21,225 Take your Bibles to John 17 as we continue the high priestly prayer. 53 00:02:21,255 --> 00:02:25,635 This is Jesus, the Son of God, praying to the Father, the second 54 00:02:25,635 --> 00:02:27,885 member of the Trinity, praying to the first member of the Trinity, and 55 00:02:27,885 --> 00:02:30,015 we get to eavesdrop on this prayer. 56 00:02:31,109 --> 00:02:33,809 And we're picking up in this second section here, at 57 00:02:33,809 --> 00:02:35,279 least as we've divided it. 58 00:02:35,279 --> 00:02:38,909 As we looked at last week, Jesus was praying that the Father would be 59 00:02:38,909 --> 00:02:41,759 glorified through the glorification of the son, that he was consumed 60 00:02:41,759 --> 00:02:45,959 with the glory of the Father, and now he's going to turn to, uh, make some 61 00:02:46,019 --> 00:02:48,269 direct requests about his followers. 62 00:02:49,230 --> 00:02:52,439 He says in verse six, he says, I have manifested your name to the 63 00:02:52,439 --> 00:02:54,449 people you gave me out of the world. 64 00:02:54,820 --> 00:02:55,269 Yours. 65 00:02:55,269 --> 00:02:58,899 They were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 66 00:02:59,439 --> 00:03:00,579 Uh, the word manifested. 67 00:03:00,579 --> 00:03:04,089 We need to unpack that a little bit and, and unhitch some cultural 68 00:03:04,089 --> 00:03:07,540 baggage from that word that is, uh, had been added of late. 69 00:03:07,869 --> 00:03:09,939 Uh, we are not a church that believes in manifestation. 70 00:03:09,939 --> 00:03:13,059 That that is, that you can believe something enough and have enough 71 00:03:13,059 --> 00:03:16,059 positive thoughts, and somehow that's gonna happen in your life. 72 00:03:16,059 --> 00:03:17,859 We don't find that in the Bible. 73 00:03:18,494 --> 00:03:22,005 Uh, when Jesus says, I have manifested your name to those that you gave me. 74 00:03:22,154 --> 00:03:25,695 It's the old school, not new age version of the word manifest. 75 00:03:25,695 --> 00:03:27,135 It's the word that means to reveal. 76 00:03:27,584 --> 00:03:31,184 He says, I've, I've shown who you are, and that's what it means with 77 00:03:31,184 --> 00:03:33,374 his name, uh, the father's name. 78 00:03:33,374 --> 00:03:37,094 It's not that he told the disciples, Hey, uh, your name is, is the, 79 00:03:37,094 --> 00:03:38,114 the father's name is Father. 80 00:03:38,114 --> 00:03:38,954 That's his name. 81 00:03:38,984 --> 00:03:39,494 Job done. 82 00:03:39,494 --> 00:03:40,394 Check the box. 83 00:03:40,695 --> 00:03:40,844 No. 84 00:03:40,844 --> 00:03:43,814 What Jesus is saying here is through my teaching, through my ministry. 85 00:03:44,369 --> 00:03:47,310 Through my time with them over these last three years, I've revealed 86 00:03:47,310 --> 00:03:49,380 you, Lord, I have exegeted you. 87 00:03:49,380 --> 00:03:54,209 In fact, he's basically saying of John one 18 mission accomplished. 88 00:03:54,540 --> 00:03:57,329 John one 18, John wrote There, no one has ever seen God. 89 00:03:58,140 --> 00:04:01,709 The only God who is at the father's side, Jesus. 90 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:07,260 He has made him known and so as Jesus is right about to go to 91 00:04:07,260 --> 00:04:09,480 the cross, he's praying and he's saying, father, I've done that. 92 00:04:09,494 --> 00:04:11,444 It, I have manifested your name. 93 00:04:11,444 --> 00:04:12,554 I've revealed who you are. 94 00:04:12,554 --> 00:04:17,385 I've, I've taught the people whom you gave me out of the world, yours. 95 00:04:17,385 --> 00:04:23,895 They were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word, yours. 96 00:04:23,895 --> 00:04:24,915 They were. 97 00:04:25,410 --> 00:04:25,770 Yours. 98 00:04:25,770 --> 00:04:28,650 They were, the, the, the tense of that verb there were is, 99 00:04:28,650 --> 00:04:29,880 is in the imperfect tense. 100 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:34,320 It, it suggests a, a, a state of ongoing being in the past. 101 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,340 And so we have to ask the question, in what sense were the disciples, 102 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,520 uh, the father's possession before they belonged to the son? 103 00:04:42,450 --> 00:04:45,930 'cause here, contextually, he's talking about the 11 and he's saying 104 00:04:45,930 --> 00:04:49,110 to the father, he's saying yours, they were, they belong to you. 105 00:04:49,290 --> 00:04:51,570 And then you gave them to me. 106 00:04:52,695 --> 00:04:56,415 Well, in addressing the 11 specifically, this is what he's already addressed. 107 00:04:56,415 --> 00:04:58,215 Back in John 1519. 108 00:04:58,845 --> 00:05:03,045 John 1519, Jesus said, if you are of the world speaking to the 11 the 109 00:05:03,045 --> 00:05:06,375 disciples, if you are of the world, the world would love you as its own, 110 00:05:06,405 --> 00:05:11,055 but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world. 111 00:05:11,235 --> 00:05:12,315 Therefore, the world hates you. 112 00:05:13,035 --> 00:05:16,635 And so therein, Jesus is talking about the fact that he called these 11 113 00:05:16,635 --> 00:05:17,955 specifically to come and follow him. 114 00:05:18,585 --> 00:05:21,975 To enter into a relationship of discipleship with him, come with me 115 00:05:21,975 --> 00:05:26,325 and I will make you fishers of men and, and so Jesus is saying yours, father, 116 00:05:26,325 --> 00:05:29,145 they were until you gave them to me. 117 00:05:29,835 --> 00:05:33,585 I would say that even these disciples were part of God's decree and God's plan 118 00:05:33,585 --> 00:05:37,275 to give to Jesus to fulfill the mission that Jesus had for them to fulfill. 119 00:05:37,995 --> 00:05:42,255 But even on a broader scale, this applies to us as well, John 6 37. 120 00:05:42,945 --> 00:05:46,545 John 6 37 says, all that the father gives me will come to me and whoever 121 00:05:46,545 --> 00:05:47,775 comes to me, I will never cast out. 122 00:05:47,775 --> 00:05:50,205 I just want you to see there the connection of the father giving. 123 00:05:50,775 --> 00:05:52,815 All that the father gives me will come to me. 124 00:05:53,055 --> 00:05:56,475 And so Jesus, there is again saying what He's praying here to the Father, 125 00:05:56,715 --> 00:06:01,605 yours, they were, they belong to you first and then you gave them to me. 126 00:06:02,445 --> 00:06:05,175 I think that's what the Bible teaches about us as followers of 127 00:06:05,175 --> 00:06:08,625 Christ, that we first were the fathers before we became the sons. 128 00:06:09,390 --> 00:06:13,170 Maybe to explain this a little bit more, I can go to Ephesians chapter one with us. 129 00:06:13,260 --> 00:06:16,350 Ephesians chapter one, verses four through six. 130 00:06:16,620 --> 00:06:23,040 Paul writes there even as he, the Father chose us followers of Jesus in Him that 131 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:26,940 is in Christ before the foundation of the world, in order that we should be 132 00:06:26,940 --> 00:06:29,340 holy and blameless before Him in love. 133 00:06:29,430 --> 00:06:32,370 He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons. 134 00:06:32,730 --> 00:06:34,110 Through Jesus Christ. 135 00:06:34,170 --> 00:06:38,100 And so all I want us to see here is that we belong to the Father before we belong 136 00:06:38,100 --> 00:06:42,900 to the Son, that it was the father's good pleasure and goodwill as Paul continues 137 00:06:42,900 --> 00:06:45,630 on here, uh, to give us to the son. 138 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:50,370 And so Jesus is praying specifically about the 12 or about the 11 rather 139 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:55,230 minus Judas here, and he's saying of them, the Father gave them to me. 140 00:06:55,230 --> 00:06:58,170 But I think the broader point here can be made to us that the Father, if 141 00:06:58,170 --> 00:07:01,140 you are in Christ this morning, there was a time that you belong to the 142 00:07:01,140 --> 00:07:03,090 Father before you belong to Christ. 143 00:07:03,510 --> 00:07:06,780 That is that you were already written in the Lamb's book of life, that the father 144 00:07:06,780 --> 00:07:11,160 knew what would happen in your life, and yet the the father had not officially 145 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:14,880 given you to Christ through that act of faith and repentance to follow. 146 00:07:15,225 --> 00:07:16,395 Jesus. 147 00:07:17,055 --> 00:07:18,585 And so here he is talking to the disciples. 148 00:07:18,645 --> 00:07:21,015 He's saying to the, to the father, rather yours. 149 00:07:21,015 --> 00:07:21,285 They were. 150 00:07:21,285 --> 00:07:22,335 And you gave them to me. 151 00:07:22,350 --> 00:07:25,965 And, and then he says this, and they have kept your word again. 152 00:07:25,965 --> 00:07:27,435 We're zooming back in on the 11. 153 00:07:27,855 --> 00:07:29,985 They've kept your word, they've followed you. 154 00:07:29,985 --> 00:07:30,855 They've persevered. 155 00:07:30,855 --> 00:07:31,785 They've endured. 156 00:07:32,295 --> 00:07:36,165 Contrast this with what had just happened in the upper room with Judas. 157 00:07:36,705 --> 00:07:39,435 Uh, Judas revealed that the father had not given him to the son. 158 00:07:39,525 --> 00:07:40,245 In what sense? 159 00:07:40,590 --> 00:07:41,670 He did not persevere. 160 00:07:41,670 --> 00:07:42,930 He did not endure to the end. 161 00:07:42,930 --> 00:07:46,289 He went out from them for he was not of them. 162 00:07:47,250 --> 00:07:47,909 Think about Judas. 163 00:07:47,909 --> 00:07:51,330 Think about the rich young ruler, the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and 164 00:07:51,330 --> 00:07:53,640 said, teacher, what must I do to be saved? 165 00:07:54,420 --> 00:07:56,099 And Jesus said, well, you know the commandments. 166 00:07:56,099 --> 00:07:57,270 And he said, I've done them all. 167 00:07:57,570 --> 00:08:00,630 Jesus said One thing you lack, go and sell all that you have and come and follow me. 168 00:08:01,380 --> 00:08:03,930 And that was the one thing he was unwilling to give up to follow Jesus. 169 00:08:03,930 --> 00:08:05,190 And so he went away sad. 170 00:08:05,190 --> 00:08:08,969 It said in the text there, that's somebody that the father had not given to the son. 171 00:08:09,615 --> 00:08:13,845 Or think about John chapter six when Jesus had been teaching about 172 00:08:13,845 --> 00:08:16,455 eating the, the flesh of the Son of God and drinking his blood. 173 00:08:16,455 --> 00:08:18,645 And so many of the people were like, we can't handle this. 174 00:08:18,645 --> 00:08:19,605 And, and we're leaving. 175 00:08:19,605 --> 00:08:22,155 And Jesus looked at the disciples and said, do you wanna go away too? 176 00:08:23,115 --> 00:08:25,545 And the only thing that kept the disciples there, the only thing that 177 00:08:25,545 --> 00:08:28,485 kept Peter there saying, Lord, to whom we sh should we go, you have the 178 00:08:28,485 --> 00:08:31,065 words of life and we've come to know that you are the holy one of God. 179 00:08:31,725 --> 00:08:35,294 The only thing that that differentiated Peter from, you know, the, the other 180 00:08:35,294 --> 00:08:37,215 guys that, that walked away from Jesus. 181 00:08:37,470 --> 00:08:39,630 Is the fact that the father had given Peter to the son. 182 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:41,490 And that's what we're seeing here. 183 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,240 The evidence of our being given to Christ is our persistence, our 184 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:49,710 endurance, our continued following of Jesus, our continued discipleship. 185 00:08:50,910 --> 00:08:54,240 Still this is dealing with the 11 I want us to to zoom out and think 186 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:57,120 about us 'cause it does apply to us. 187 00:08:57,420 --> 00:08:59,430 The Father has given you to the son. 188 00:09:00,270 --> 00:09:01,770 We're talking about being God's kids. 189 00:09:01,770 --> 00:09:02,790 Gks, right? 190 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:06,150 One of the main blessings of being a GK is that as a GK 191 00:09:06,150 --> 00:09:07,380 you have been given to Christ. 192 00:09:07,380 --> 00:09:09,900 You have been put into Jesus, if I can put it that way. 193 00:09:10,740 --> 00:09:12,690 In fact, that's a term that we use a lot. 194 00:09:12,750 --> 00:09:16,980 That's a term we read a lot in the Bible, a phrase being in Christ. 195 00:09:17,370 --> 00:09:21,810 It's all over the Pauline epistles being in Christ, and, and my fear is 196 00:09:21,810 --> 00:09:23,340 that it becomes white noise to us. 197 00:09:23,850 --> 00:09:28,110 It becomes a, a doctrine and, and it doesn't produce devotion. 198 00:09:28,665 --> 00:09:31,395 It becomes this thing that we're like, man, yeah, I'm in Christ. 199 00:09:31,395 --> 00:09:32,175 How great is that? 200 00:09:32,175 --> 00:09:32,475 Great. 201 00:09:32,535 --> 00:09:33,435 What's next? 202 00:09:34,485 --> 00:09:37,454 But I think it's good and wise for us as we're considering the blessings 203 00:09:37,454 --> 00:09:42,194 of being God's kids, of belonging to Christ, of being those that He has given 204 00:09:42,194 --> 00:09:46,365 to Jesus, that we stop and we feel the immense blessing and privilege that it 205 00:09:46,365 --> 00:09:48,555 is to be those that are given to Jesus. 206 00:09:48,555 --> 00:09:50,115 Those that are in Christ. 207 00:09:50,115 --> 00:09:53,595 Point number one this morning is this, recall the blessings of being in Christ. 208 00:09:54,915 --> 00:09:56,355 Recall the blessings. 209 00:09:57,255 --> 00:10:05,175 Of being in Christ, things that we just take for granted so often, 210 00:10:07,305 --> 00:10:10,545 I think if I can, without being sacrilegious, compare this to, 211 00:10:10,545 --> 00:10:12,795 there's blessings to being part of the United States of America. 212 00:10:12,795 --> 00:10:13,245 Yes. 213 00:10:15,105 --> 00:10:18,165 I ask Danny Mayer for permission to use this picture before I used 214 00:10:18,165 --> 00:10:22,485 it, so if it offends you, you can write to danny@compassntx.org. 215 00:10:23,505 --> 00:10:25,935 Again, that's danny@compassntx.org. 216 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:29,850 I was trying to find the most patriotic image that I could find. 217 00:10:30,060 --> 00:10:30,540 This is it. 218 00:10:30,540 --> 00:10:31,260 He said it's okay. 219 00:10:31,290 --> 00:10:32,490 'cause his finger's not on the trigger. 220 00:10:35,580 --> 00:10:37,740 Yeah, but there's privileges to be American, right? 221 00:10:37,740 --> 00:10:39,330 Like free drink refills. 222 00:10:39,570 --> 00:10:40,320 Yes. 223 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:40,830 Apparently. 224 00:10:40,830 --> 00:10:43,410 You don't, you go international, you don't just get free drink 225 00:10:43,410 --> 00:10:47,430 refills ice in your drink when they, they bring you your drink. 226 00:10:47,430 --> 00:10:49,980 That's something that's a, a unique blessing of being an American 227 00:10:49,980 --> 00:10:51,330 that we don't think of that often. 228 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,750 I've got more, my wife said, were you hungry when you thought of these? 229 00:10:54,750 --> 00:10:55,320 I may have been. 230 00:10:56,130 --> 00:10:56,160 I. 231 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,035 Um, barbecue. 232 00:10:58,815 --> 00:11:00,225 That's a blessing of being American. 233 00:11:00,855 --> 00:11:01,215 Right? 234 00:11:01,635 --> 00:11:03,555 I know there's other countries that claim to have barbecue. 235 00:11:04,275 --> 00:11:04,935 It's ours. 236 00:11:04,995 --> 00:11:05,355 Okay. 237 00:11:05,415 --> 00:11:08,415 It's, it's actually a blessing of being a Texan, first and foremost, 238 00:11:08,985 --> 00:11:10,155 and then of being an American. 239 00:11:11,475 --> 00:11:11,745 Yeah. 240 00:11:12,045 --> 00:11:13,485 Uh, 4th of July fireworks. 241 00:11:13,965 --> 00:11:15,165 That's a blessing of being an American. 242 00:11:15,585 --> 00:11:16,995 You're not gonna find that if you go to England. 243 00:11:16,995 --> 00:11:19,545 They're not, they're not celebrating 4th of July strange thing. 244 00:11:19,545 --> 00:11:21,255 I know, but they're not shooting off fireworks on the 245 00:11:21,255 --> 00:11:23,235 4th of July, Amazon Prime. 246 00:11:24,495 --> 00:11:25,935 It's a blessing of being American, isn't it? 247 00:11:26,265 --> 00:11:27,194 Overnight shipping. 248 00:11:27,285 --> 00:11:30,015 The fact that we live in a culture where you can be inconvenienced, that you're 249 00:11:30,015 --> 00:11:31,845 not gonna get it for 48 hours now. 250 00:11:32,564 --> 00:11:36,405 It's a blessing of being an American, uh, the state fair of Texas. 251 00:11:37,230 --> 00:11:40,560 That's a blessing of being an American again, of being a Texan primarily, 252 00:11:40,590 --> 00:11:42,030 but of of also being an American. 253 00:11:42,030 --> 00:11:45,900 Going there and eating good fried food and having a good time and seeing big Texs 254 00:11:45,900 --> 00:11:48,390 and just enjoying the state Fair of Texas. 255 00:11:48,630 --> 00:11:53,460 Seven 11 Day exists where you can go get a free Slurpee just because the day happened 256 00:11:53,850 --> 00:11:55,830 and there's a a, a chain called seven 11. 257 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:57,660 That's a blessing of being an American. 258 00:11:57,990 --> 00:12:00,540 And then last, but certainly not least, all of garden's never 259 00:12:00,540 --> 00:12:01,590 ending breadsticks and salad. 260 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,550 That's a blessing that comes with being an American. 261 00:12:07,860 --> 00:12:10,650 These are things that probably you don't often think about as 262 00:12:10,650 --> 00:12:13,170 blessings of being an American, but that's the point that I wanna make. 263 00:12:14,700 --> 00:12:19,500 The danger is in a much greater danger than ignoring never ending breadsticks 264 00:12:19,500 --> 00:12:23,160 from Olive Garden, is that we don't often enough think about the blessings 265 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:24,330 that we have of being in Christ. 266 00:12:25,830 --> 00:12:26,970 We don't feel the weight of that. 267 00:12:28,410 --> 00:12:28,650 Sure. 268 00:12:28,650 --> 00:12:30,510 Maybe when we're brand new Christians. 269 00:12:31,215 --> 00:12:33,555 And we're being overwhelmed by all of these new thoughts and new 270 00:12:33,555 --> 00:12:35,055 concept and new ideas coming in. 271 00:12:35,265 --> 00:12:36,555 We're like, yes, this is so good. 272 00:12:36,555 --> 00:12:37,275 I can't believe that. 273 00:12:38,564 --> 00:12:40,365 But a year goes by how long? 274 00:12:40,365 --> 00:12:40,905 Five years. 275 00:12:40,905 --> 00:12:42,314 10 years, 20 years. 276 00:12:42,704 --> 00:12:45,704 And you sit there as a seasoned believer or an aged saint, and you think to 277 00:12:45,704 --> 00:12:47,595 yourself, yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm in Christ. 278 00:12:49,875 --> 00:12:50,535 I'm in Christ. 279 00:12:51,525 --> 00:12:53,595 And I'm just saying, let's stop and let's think about the 280 00:12:53,595 --> 00:12:55,665 blessings of being in Christ. 281 00:12:55,814 --> 00:12:59,115 Some of these, how about Romans eight, one, there's therefore now what? 282 00:13:00,615 --> 00:13:01,275 Come on. 283 00:13:02,145 --> 00:13:06,704 No condemnation for those that are what in Christ. 284 00:13:07,605 --> 00:13:11,235 That means that when you die and you stand before the Lord, you don't have 285 00:13:11,235 --> 00:13:13,425 to fear him saying, depart from me. 286 00:13:13,425 --> 00:13:14,085 I never knew you. 287 00:13:15,194 --> 00:13:18,435 You don't have to fear him saying you didn't measure up. 288 00:13:18,765 --> 00:13:21,465 You don't have to fear him saying you are guilty. 289 00:13:22,365 --> 00:13:22,725 Why? 290 00:13:22,725 --> 00:13:26,564 Because you have been given by the father to the son as a gk, he's put 291 00:13:26,564 --> 00:13:29,895 you in Christ and that means there's no condemnation for you in Christ. 292 00:13:30,135 --> 00:13:31,005 Or how about next? 293 00:13:31,005 --> 00:13:33,225 In the next verse in Paul, I'm not gonna walk through all of Romans 294 00:13:33,225 --> 00:13:34,665 eight, I promise though we could. 295 00:13:34,935 --> 00:13:38,505 Romans eight, two, for the law of the spirit of life has 296 00:13:38,745 --> 00:13:41,084 here set you free in Christ. 297 00:13:41,115 --> 00:13:44,265 In Christ you are free from the law of sin and death. 298 00:13:44,475 --> 00:13:47,865 That's why there's no condemnation for you in Christ because being 299 00:13:47,865 --> 00:13:51,495 placed into Christ, you've been set free from the law of sin and death. 300 00:13:51,990 --> 00:13:54,750 That means you don't have to try to be good enough for God 301 00:13:54,750 --> 00:13:56,010 to welcome you into eternity. 302 00:13:56,189 --> 00:13:57,330 In fact, you can't. 303 00:13:57,630 --> 00:14:00,420 You don't have to continue to go back to the law, only for the law to show 304 00:14:00,420 --> 00:14:02,280 you that you don't measure up anymore. 305 00:14:02,939 --> 00:14:03,450 Because why? 306 00:14:03,450 --> 00:14:06,810 Because you've realized the end of the law, who's Jesus, the fulfillment of the 307 00:14:06,810 --> 00:14:10,800 law that the law's meant to drive you to him to say, he's my righteousness. 308 00:14:11,895 --> 00:14:13,545 That's a blessing of being in Christ. 309 00:14:13,545 --> 00:14:14,415 How about Romans 12? 310 00:14:14,415 --> 00:14:14,895 Five. 311 00:14:15,435 --> 00:14:21,915 So we though many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 312 00:14:22,155 --> 00:14:27,105 This place, this room, your brothers and sisters in Christ in this room, that's 313 00:14:27,105 --> 00:14:31,875 a blessing of being in Christ, that you have a unity, you have a bond, you have 314 00:14:31,875 --> 00:14:35,385 relationships that you are building right now that are gonna last for eternity. 315 00:14:35,595 --> 00:14:39,705 There's not a single other institution or organization on the face of 316 00:14:39,705 --> 00:14:40,995 the planet that can claim that. 317 00:14:42,645 --> 00:14:44,535 And that's because you are in Christ. 318 00:14:46,395 --> 00:14:50,115 One Corinthians one, two, Paul begins the letter to the church of 319 00:14:50,115 --> 00:14:55,515 God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, that 320 00:14:55,515 --> 00:14:57,585 you are sanctified in Christ Jesus. 321 00:14:58,485 --> 00:15:00,314 Let's talk about sanctification for a minute. 322 00:15:00,314 --> 00:15:00,885 What does it mean? 323 00:15:00,885 --> 00:15:04,095 It means to be made like Jesus to be made holy, and its 324 00:15:04,095 --> 00:15:05,745 actual root of the word there. 325 00:15:06,314 --> 00:15:08,385 And there's three different ways that happens and all of 326 00:15:08,385 --> 00:15:10,454 them are re, re related to. 327 00:15:11,025 --> 00:15:14,415 They're all in connection to are being in Christ because the Father 328 00:15:14,415 --> 00:15:17,925 has given us as gks to Jesus. 329 00:15:18,405 --> 00:15:20,925 First is progress or positional, sanctification. 330 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:22,620 Positional sanctification. 331 00:15:22,770 --> 00:15:24,570 That is that I was over here. 332 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:28,410 I was dead in my transgressions and sins, and then positionally. 333 00:15:28,500 --> 00:15:31,590 When I am saved, positionally, I am set apart. 334 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:35,940 I'm sanctified as holy in the sight of God to be used by him. 335 00:15:37,020 --> 00:15:39,780 Positional sanctification is ours in Christ. 336 00:15:40,020 --> 00:15:42,390 This is connected to the concept of our justification. 337 00:15:42,390 --> 00:15:46,620 That is that we are declared righteous, not just not guilty, but innocent 338 00:15:46,650 --> 00:15:48,300 based on the righteousness of Christ. 339 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:51,540 With that comes the fact that we are positionally once for 340 00:15:51,540 --> 00:15:53,760 all set apart as holy unto God. 341 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:54,270 Okay. 342 00:15:55,095 --> 00:15:58,095 There's another type of sanctification though, and that's the second P. 343 00:15:58,245 --> 00:16:02,025 It's progressive sanctification, and that's what's happening right 344 00:16:02,025 --> 00:16:04,725 now in the life of every single follower of Jesus in this room. 345 00:16:05,085 --> 00:16:08,805 That is that your life is a progression of you being made more 346 00:16:08,805 --> 00:16:12,195 like Jesus day by day by day, from one degree of glory to another. 347 00:16:12,740 --> 00:16:15,705 And, and, and so that's where you may start over here. 348 00:16:15,795 --> 00:16:19,095 And this is the moment of your conversion and the moment of your death is over 349 00:16:19,095 --> 00:16:24,135 here, and, and your life is, you are growing more and more like Christ. 350 00:16:24,135 --> 00:16:27,105 The closer you get to the moment that you are called home to be with him, 351 00:16:27,765 --> 00:16:29,385 that's progressive sanctification. 352 00:16:30,015 --> 00:16:32,835 That's why being involved in a community group is so helpful. 353 00:16:32,835 --> 00:16:34,995 That's why being in the word every single day is so helpful. 354 00:16:35,565 --> 00:16:38,805 That's why prayer is so good, because we need to be 355 00:16:38,805 --> 00:16:40,395 progressively made more like Jesus. 356 00:16:40,935 --> 00:16:42,105 This is Romans 8 28. 357 00:16:42,105 --> 00:16:44,745 God's working all things together for your good, that you would be 358 00:16:44,745 --> 00:16:46,875 conformed to the image of Jesus. 359 00:16:47,205 --> 00:16:47,355 Okay? 360 00:16:47,355 --> 00:16:48,405 Progressive sanctification. 361 00:16:48,405 --> 00:16:49,845 That's a perk of being in Christ. 362 00:16:49,965 --> 00:16:52,545 And then the final P is perfect sanctification. 363 00:16:53,325 --> 00:16:54,285 Perfect sanctification. 364 00:16:54,465 --> 00:16:56,235 That is when you are fully made holy. 365 00:16:56,985 --> 00:16:58,875 And so that's not over here anymore. 366 00:16:59,085 --> 00:17:00,315 That's now over here. 367 00:17:00,615 --> 00:17:04,125 You have finished your course, you fought the fight, you've, you've finished the 368 00:17:04,125 --> 00:17:07,845 race, and now you are in the presence of God and sin is no more in your life. 369 00:17:08,954 --> 00:17:10,244 That's perfect sanctification. 370 00:17:10,244 --> 00:17:10,305 I. 371 00:17:10,770 --> 00:17:17,250 And that also is yours because God has given you to Christ again, blessings 372 00:17:17,250 --> 00:17:18,419 that come with being in Christ. 373 00:17:18,628 --> 00:17:21,659 One Corinthians one, four, Paul says, I give thanks to my God always 374 00:17:21,659 --> 00:17:26,159 for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus. 375 00:17:26,878 --> 00:17:29,760 How about the blessing of being in Christ, meaning that we get to experience 376 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:34,560 the grace of God, unmerited favor getting that which we don't deserve. 377 00:17:35,250 --> 00:17:38,760 We only know the grace of God because we are in Christ. 378 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:45,465 One Corinthians 15 22, 1 Corinthians 1522, Paul writes, for as in Adam, all die. 379 00:17:45,735 --> 00:17:51,345 So also in Christ shall all be made alive because of your relationship with 380 00:17:51,345 --> 00:17:55,275 Christ, because God the Father has given you to Christ, placed you into Christ. 381 00:17:55,455 --> 00:17:57,315 Listen, the grave's not the end for you. 382 00:17:58,785 --> 00:18:02,325 As we sing in the song, death is just a doorway into everlasting life. 383 00:18:02,565 --> 00:18:02,985 Why? 384 00:18:03,585 --> 00:18:05,115 Because the Father has put you in Christ. 385 00:18:05,820 --> 00:18:07,260 Because you are united to Christ. 386 00:18:07,260 --> 00:18:11,280 You have been given to Christ, and so you will overcome the grave. 387 00:18:11,610 --> 00:18:15,480 Two Corinthians two 14, Paul says, but thanks be to God, who in 388 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:19,980 Christ always leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads 389 00:18:19,980 --> 00:18:23,070 the knowledge of the fragrance, of the knowledge of Him everywhere. 390 00:18:23,790 --> 00:18:27,840 This hearkens back to the old Roman generals when they would return home from 391 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:29,910 a, a war that they had won a victory. 392 00:18:30,090 --> 00:18:34,530 They would parade behind them their captives as trophies of their victory. 393 00:18:35,205 --> 00:18:38,475 You and I, Christians are trophies of the victory that 394 00:18:38,475 --> 00:18:40,245 Christ won for us at the cross. 395 00:18:41,145 --> 00:18:44,235 And so we are being paraded by Christ because we are in Christ. 396 00:18:44,535 --> 00:18:46,335 We are trophies of his grace. 397 00:18:46,995 --> 00:18:49,425 And so being in Christ means that we get to do that. 398 00:18:49,425 --> 00:18:53,355 We get to be those that testify to the victory that Christ won on our behalf. 399 00:18:54,165 --> 00:18:57,825 And so that we are now his two Corinthians five 17. 400 00:18:58,515 --> 00:18:59,535 You know this one, I'm sure. 401 00:18:59,595 --> 00:19:03,075 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. 402 00:19:04,500 --> 00:19:06,090 Regeneration being born again. 403 00:19:06,449 --> 00:19:08,250 The old has passed away and the new has come. 404 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:12,959 I was dead in my transgressions, but I've been made alive together with him. 405 00:19:12,959 --> 00:19:14,310 That is with Jesus. 406 00:19:14,580 --> 00:19:16,919 So in Christ, you are a new creation. 407 00:19:17,939 --> 00:19:18,480 It's a blessing. 408 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:18,959 That's a perk. 409 00:19:18,959 --> 00:19:21,750 That's a, an immense, massive blessing of being in Christ. 410 00:19:22,515 --> 00:19:25,665 If we went around the room and gave a microphone and did just story time, if 411 00:19:25,665 --> 00:19:28,545 you stood up and, and we went one by one, those of you that are saved, and you 412 00:19:28,545 --> 00:19:33,495 said, this is who I was before Christ, and this is who I am now in Christ. 413 00:19:33,495 --> 00:19:35,655 In fact, you're gonna hear five of those testimonies next weekend. 414 00:19:36,765 --> 00:19:41,115 That's, that's what we're talking about in Christ, that change, that transformation. 415 00:19:41,115 --> 00:19:43,815 The, the newness is because you are in Christ because the 416 00:19:43,815 --> 00:19:44,895 Father gave you to the son. 417 00:19:46,455 --> 00:19:47,415 Two Corinthians five 19. 418 00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:49,620 Paul says that is in Christ. 419 00:19:49,620 --> 00:19:53,640 God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses 420 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:57,480 against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation that in 421 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:02,490 Christ, God made a way for us who were aliens and strangers, far off exiles 422 00:20:02,490 --> 00:20:05,760 to be brought near to him, reconciled. 423 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:07,770 That's what that word reconciled means, that in Christ, you have 424 00:20:07,770 --> 00:20:10,530 been reconciled to the father. 425 00:20:11,475 --> 00:20:12,795 Galatians two 16. 426 00:20:13,275 --> 00:20:16,485 Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law, 427 00:20:16,485 --> 00:20:19,455 but through faith in Jesus Christ. 428 00:20:19,965 --> 00:20:23,175 So now we're seeing our standing with God, which comes down to our 429 00:20:23,175 --> 00:20:26,955 justification in our faith is the agent there from our perspective. 430 00:20:27,495 --> 00:20:32,925 So our faith in Christ results in are being justified, declared a righteous 431 00:20:33,405 --> 00:20:36,705 again, not just not guilty, it's not that you've just been acquitted. 432 00:20:37,485 --> 00:20:41,385 You've been declared innocence of all charges with the righteousness of Christ. 433 00:20:41,385 --> 00:20:47,805 That's justification that comes from being in Christ, Galatians three 14, so that in 434 00:20:47,805 --> 00:20:51,105 Christ Jesus, there it is In Christ Jesus. 435 00:20:51,105 --> 00:20:55,725 The blessings of Abraham might come to the Gentiles and that's great news for us. 436 00:20:56,140 --> 00:20:59,805 'cause most of us in this room are Gentiles, not Jews. 437 00:21:00,105 --> 00:21:04,185 And so in Christ, the blessings of being a part of God's spiritual family. 438 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:08,400 Are extended to us because of Christ in Christ. 439 00:21:08,940 --> 00:21:11,070 Galatians 3 26, I've only got two more. 440 00:21:11,460 --> 00:21:12,900 For in Christ. 441 00:21:13,050 --> 00:21:14,850 You are all sons of God through faith. 442 00:21:14,850 --> 00:21:16,800 This is in keeping with the theme of our message this morning. 443 00:21:17,370 --> 00:21:18,629 You are all God's kids. 444 00:21:18,690 --> 00:21:20,610 You're gks in Christ. 445 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:24,540 You've been adopted by the Father in Christ. 446 00:21:24,900 --> 00:21:27,840 And then finally last but certainly not least, and and, and we could 447 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:28,710 keep going and going and going. 448 00:21:28,710 --> 00:21:29,879 I just, I had to stop somewhere. 449 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:33,450 Blessed to be the gout and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 450 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:37,140 Ephesians one, three, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual 451 00:21:37,140 --> 00:21:38,610 blessing in the heavenly places. 452 00:21:39,540 --> 00:21:42,900 I mean, unpack that in Christ. 453 00:21:42,900 --> 00:21:45,660 You've been given every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places 454 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:48,270 Church. 455 00:21:48,270 --> 00:21:52,470 I just want us to see and be reminded of what it means to be in Christ. 456 00:21:53,340 --> 00:21:57,330 It's not just a doctrine, it is that, but it's so much more than that. 457 00:21:58,290 --> 00:22:00,300 It, it, it's not just this belief that we have. 458 00:22:00,419 --> 00:22:00,750 Sure. 459 00:22:00,780 --> 00:22:01,470 We're in Christ. 460 00:22:01,470 --> 00:22:02,460 Paul says it a lot. 461 00:22:03,510 --> 00:22:04,199 Hopefully that's clear. 462 00:22:04,199 --> 00:22:06,210 All these references have just been Pauline epistles that 463 00:22:06,210 --> 00:22:07,230 I've, I've referenced so far. 464 00:22:08,460 --> 00:22:11,280 Being in Christ means all of these blessings are ours. 465 00:22:11,790 --> 00:22:15,540 And again, it's an opportunity for us to think about that, to feel 466 00:22:15,540 --> 00:22:19,050 that and to worship God, to make sure that we're not robbing him of 467 00:22:19,050 --> 00:22:20,580 the worship that he's due from us. 468 00:22:20,939 --> 00:22:23,460 By being grateful people for the blessings that we have by being 469 00:22:23,460 --> 00:22:26,699 placed into Christ by being, being given by the Father to the son. 470 00:22:27,900 --> 00:22:29,280 Recall the blessings of being in Christ. 471 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:29,820 Verse seven. 472 00:22:30,270 --> 00:22:33,390 Verse seven, he says this, now they know that everything that 473 00:22:33,390 --> 00:22:35,160 you have given me is from you. 474 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:36,360 Again, he's, he's zooming back in. 475 00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:37,350 He's talking about the 11. 476 00:22:37,860 --> 00:22:42,420 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you, verse eight. 477 00:22:42,450 --> 00:22:45,000 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they've 478 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,420 received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you and 479 00:22:48,420 --> 00:22:50,580 they have believed that you sent me. 480 00:22:51,345 --> 00:22:51,555 Okay. 481 00:22:52,335 --> 00:22:54,645 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you. 482 00:22:54,855 --> 00:22:57,585 This is something that Jesus has been trying to convey 483 00:22:57,975 --> 00:22:59,595 multiple times in John's gospel. 484 00:22:59,925 --> 00:23:01,845 John chapter five, verse 19. 485 00:23:01,845 --> 00:23:04,695 He said, the son can do nothing of his own accord, but only that 486 00:23:04,695 --> 00:23:05,985 which he sees the Father doing. 487 00:23:06,495 --> 00:23:10,515 John chapter 12, verse 49, Jesus says, I've not spoken on my own 488 00:23:10,515 --> 00:23:13,425 authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commitment, 489 00:23:13,425 --> 00:23:15,435 what to say and what to speak. 490 00:23:15,899 --> 00:23:19,050 And so this is something that, that Jesus has been driving home and Jesus 491 00:23:19,050 --> 00:23:22,919 has been teaching them, and yet now it is that they're coming to understand this. 492 00:23:22,919 --> 00:23:25,950 He's saying they, they, they now know that everything you 493 00:23:25,950 --> 00:23:27,480 have given me is, is from you. 494 00:23:27,510 --> 00:23:29,909 They're, they're progressing in their understanding here. 495 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:32,879 And then he says in verse eight, for I have given them the words. 496 00:23:32,879 --> 00:23:36,480 Now, this is not the word Lagos, but it's a different Greek word here that suggests 497 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:41,100 the actual content, the, the, the words that he has spoken, the actual words I've 498 00:23:41,100 --> 00:23:42,899 given them, the words that you gave me. 499 00:23:43,620 --> 00:23:47,340 In other words, I've taught them the things that I've said. 500 00:23:47,610 --> 00:23:51,780 The content of my message is what you wanted me to convey to them and 501 00:23:51,780 --> 00:23:55,530 notice their response, and they have received them and they've come to 502 00:23:55,530 --> 00:23:59,910 knowing truth that I came from you and they have believed that you sent me. 503 00:24:00,825 --> 00:24:02,565 So I want you to notice the progression here. 504 00:24:03,135 --> 00:24:07,034 Uh, the disciples, as they're being taught the words, the ramada, the, the 505 00:24:07,034 --> 00:24:11,534 Greek, the, the content of the message of Jesus here, they have received them. 506 00:24:11,715 --> 00:24:13,095 Meaning they didn't reject them outright. 507 00:24:13,784 --> 00:24:16,215 They, they weren't like those that were the seed that was thrown 508 00:24:16,215 --> 00:24:19,665 on the path that was snatched up right away by the birds, right? 509 00:24:20,415 --> 00:24:21,405 They, they didn't do that. 510 00:24:21,405 --> 00:24:22,215 They received them. 511 00:24:22,215 --> 00:24:24,794 They heard them, they accepted them, and, and then he says, 512 00:24:24,794 --> 00:24:26,175 and they've come to know. 513 00:24:26,805 --> 00:24:28,995 So now it's, it's an understanding. 514 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:32,490 So now it's just, it's a reception and their processing and their 515 00:24:32,490 --> 00:24:36,870 understanding, they've come to know in truth that I came from you. 516 00:24:37,050 --> 00:24:40,320 And so again, he's talking about the, the specific message that 517 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:41,760 he has been sent from the father. 518 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:43,770 They've received that message now. 519 00:24:43,770 --> 00:24:45,930 They've understood that message, they've known it. 520 00:24:45,930 --> 00:24:47,190 And then finally, what have they done? 521 00:24:47,340 --> 00:24:49,500 They've believed that you sent me. 522 00:24:50,820 --> 00:24:53,610 This is something that has taken a while for the disciples. 523 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:55,050 It wasn't right away. 524 00:24:55,665 --> 00:24:57,075 It, it wasn't an immediate thing. 525 00:24:57,195 --> 00:24:59,445 It wasn't when Jesus said, come with me and I'll make you fishers 526 00:24:59,445 --> 00:25:02,595 of men instead of fishers of fish, that they got all this. 527 00:25:02,745 --> 00:25:05,865 But, but rather over time as God was disclosing more and more of 528 00:25:05,865 --> 00:25:08,175 himself to them, they began to learn. 529 00:25:08,410 --> 00:25:11,535 They, they began to receive, they began to know or understand, and 530 00:25:11,535 --> 00:25:15,975 then they, they ultimately, it, it bore fruit in their belief in who 531 00:25:15,975 --> 00:25:17,565 Jesus was and what he had to say. 532 00:25:18,750 --> 00:25:19,800 This progression. 533 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:23,970 I think we see an example of it here in Matthew, here in Matthew 534 00:25:24,090 --> 00:25:26,610 chapter 16, verses 16 and 17. 535 00:25:27,060 --> 00:25:29,250 Uh, Jesus is with his disciples and they're away 536 00:25:29,250 --> 00:25:30,360 from the crowds at this point. 537 00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:34,230 And he asks, uh, his disciples, Hey, who does, who do the crowds say that I am? 538 00:25:35,399 --> 00:25:37,919 And they say, well, some say John the Baptist, and others say, Elijah, 539 00:25:37,919 --> 00:25:40,710 and some say, and and he says, yeah, but who do you say that I am? 540 00:25:41,655 --> 00:25:43,755 In Simon Peter in a statement, very similar to what we find 541 00:25:43,755 --> 00:25:45,675 at the end of John six, when he says, Lord, where should we go? 542 00:25:45,675 --> 00:25:48,315 You have the words of life, and we've come to know that you are the holy one of God. 543 00:25:48,975 --> 00:25:52,335 Simon Peter says this in response to him, he says, you are the 544 00:25:52,335 --> 00:25:55,155 Christ, the Son of the living God. 545 00:25:55,725 --> 00:25:56,835 You are the Messiah. 546 00:25:57,465 --> 00:25:59,115 The Son of the living God is what he says there. 547 00:25:59,625 --> 00:26:01,515 And then notice Jesus' response. 548 00:26:01,755 --> 00:26:02,745 Jesus answered him. 549 00:26:02,745 --> 00:26:07,095 Blessed are you, Simon Barona for flesh and blood has not revealed this to 550 00:26:07,095 --> 00:26:10,695 you, but my father, who is in heaven. 551 00:26:11,985 --> 00:26:16,814 This is part of the ongoing disclosure of the father to the disciples, his 552 00:26:16,814 --> 00:26:21,314 ongoing revelation of himself to them, and it works that way for them. 553 00:26:21,314 --> 00:26:22,485 It works that way for us. 554 00:26:23,115 --> 00:26:25,935 Listen, this doesn't mean that the disciples were perfect at this point, 555 00:26:26,324 --> 00:26:28,514 and in fact, we know that they weren't. 556 00:26:29,115 --> 00:26:29,955 We know that they weren't. 557 00:26:29,955 --> 00:26:34,455 Because what's about to happen in John 18 with Peter, the one that says, you're 558 00:26:34,455 --> 00:26:35,564 the Christ, the son of the living God. 559 00:26:35,564 --> 00:26:36,824 Where's Peter gonna go? 560 00:26:37,125 --> 00:26:39,014 He's gonna go deny Jesus three times. 561 00:26:40,379 --> 00:26:42,210 And, and, and then what about the rest of the 11? 562 00:26:42,300 --> 00:26:44,040 They're gonna run for their lives except for John. 563 00:26:45,044 --> 00:26:47,520 And, and so this doesn't mean that they're fully baked, uh, but I 564 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,639 just want you to think about, think about the disciples understanding 565 00:26:50,639 --> 00:26:52,710 of the father before they met Jesus. 566 00:26:53,879 --> 00:26:56,760 Think about what they knew about, who they would've called Adam. 567 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:03,389 I, at that time, even fearful to say the name Yahweh, for fear of pronouncing it 568 00:27:03,389 --> 00:27:05,250 or saying it in a, in an unworthy manner. 569 00:27:06,389 --> 00:27:10,590 Uh, think about the, the, the Jewish concept of God before Jesus 570 00:27:10,649 --> 00:27:14,910 shows up, before Jesus shows up to reveal the Father to them. 571 00:27:15,780 --> 00:27:20,070 And, and then think about it as this is three years that they've spent with Jesus. 572 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:23,250 And so over the course of three years, they're learning more and more through 573 00:27:23,250 --> 00:27:26,370 Jesus and through his teaching and through his revelation of the Father. 574 00:27:26,730 --> 00:27:29,430 They're learning more and more about God than they ever could have hoped to 575 00:27:29,430 --> 00:27:31,440 imagine before they knew who Jesus was. 576 00:27:32,790 --> 00:27:33,870 It worked that way for them. 577 00:27:33,870 --> 00:27:35,760 It works that way for us. 578 00:27:36,810 --> 00:27:39,480 What you know about God today as a follower of Jesus is different 579 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:42,090 than what you knew about God when you first came to faith in Jesus. 580 00:27:42,510 --> 00:27:44,250 That's another blessing of being a gk. 581 00:27:44,730 --> 00:27:49,170 That as a GK who's been given to Jesus, God is progressively revealing more and 582 00:27:49,170 --> 00:27:53,280 more of himself to you Through your study of the scriptures and your growth and your 583 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:55,140 knowledge and understanding of the faith. 584 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:56,940 Point number two this morning, along those lines, is this. 585 00:27:56,940 --> 00:27:57,750 Be thankful for that. 586 00:27:58,845 --> 00:28:02,445 Be thankful for God's continued disclosure of himself. 587 00:28:03,945 --> 00:28:07,065 Be thankful for God's continued disclosure of himself. 588 00:28:11,385 --> 00:28:14,835 Those of you who have been parents at any stage, how much did you 589 00:28:14,835 --> 00:28:16,125 know about parenting on day one? 590 00:28:18,050 --> 00:28:18,950 Not a lot, huh? 591 00:28:19,340 --> 00:28:23,895 Even if you read what to expect when you're expecting, you didn't expect 592 00:28:23,895 --> 00:28:25,995 what to expect when it happened. 593 00:28:26,775 --> 00:28:27,765 I remember well. 594 00:28:28,139 --> 00:28:32,460 When my son Joshua, who is turning 16 this week, which is hard to believe, when 595 00:28:32,460 --> 00:28:34,920 we brought him home from the hospital and we had family around there, it was 596 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,740 like, great, there's grownups here to help us take care of this, this baby. 597 00:28:39,210 --> 00:28:40,320 And then they left. 598 00:28:40,470 --> 00:28:41,490 They left us. 599 00:28:41,910 --> 00:28:42,780 They went away. 600 00:28:43,020 --> 00:28:44,250 They went home to California. 601 00:28:45,300 --> 00:28:49,139 And I remember, I remember sitting on the couch with, with my wife 602 00:28:49,379 --> 00:28:53,340 holding this baby, looking at her going, we have to keep him alive. 603 00:28:55,020 --> 00:28:56,490 We don't know anything about doing this. 604 00:28:58,635 --> 00:29:00,675 And then by the time we had the twins, I was literally stacking 605 00:29:00,675 --> 00:29:02,835 one on top of the other as I was carrying them around the house. 606 00:29:04,185 --> 00:29:07,514 Your understanding of what it is to be a parent, it, it 607 00:29:07,514 --> 00:29:08,745 progresses over time, doesn't it? 608 00:29:09,195 --> 00:29:10,185 It changes you. 609 00:29:10,189 --> 00:29:11,235 You understand it more deeply. 610 00:29:11,235 --> 00:29:13,004 You, you don't panic about the same things. 611 00:29:13,004 --> 00:29:13,845 You don't fear the same things. 612 00:29:13,845 --> 00:29:14,895 You have a greater understanding. 613 00:29:14,895 --> 00:29:16,935 You know what to do in different situations. 614 00:29:17,655 --> 00:29:22,544 Or think about day one in calculus or for me last day in calculus. 615 00:29:22,605 --> 00:29:23,115 Same thing. 616 00:29:24,930 --> 00:29:27,990 You're looking at these formulas and you're hearing about an AP 617 00:29:27,990 --> 00:29:30,840 exam, can you imagine taking the AP exam day one in calculus? 618 00:29:31,830 --> 00:29:34,950 You wouldn't have any clue why, because you weren't yet ready for it. 619 00:29:35,430 --> 00:29:37,890 You hadn't been brought along in your knowledge and understanding to the place 620 00:29:37,890 --> 00:29:39,510 where you could be able to do that. 621 00:29:41,910 --> 00:29:43,200 Christianity is not calculus. 622 00:29:43,290 --> 00:29:44,310 Thank the Lord. 623 00:29:46,020 --> 00:29:49,620 But listen, you and I are not expected to know all there is to know about what it 624 00:29:49,620 --> 00:29:53,070 is to follow Jesus on day one or day 100. 625 00:29:54,120 --> 00:29:57,300 Or day 10,000 of following Jesus. 626 00:29:58,170 --> 00:30:02,370 There is a progressive disclosure of who God is that we get to know 627 00:30:02,370 --> 00:30:05,490 more and more and more of as we continue to grow as believers. 628 00:30:05,730 --> 00:30:08,760 Case in point, it's not a good idea to share the gospel with someone 629 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:11,550 for the first time and then to follow that up and say, and now 630 00:30:11,580 --> 00:30:13,350 let's talk about the end times. 631 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:19,920 Or, now let me talk to you about free will and, and, and God's sovereignty, or, now 632 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:21,480 let me talk to you about spiritual gifts. 633 00:30:22,980 --> 00:30:26,879 Those are important things, but those are things that we understand 634 00:30:26,879 --> 00:30:30,060 that a person matures in their faith before they're ready to, to begin 635 00:30:30,060 --> 00:30:31,350 to tackle some of those things. 636 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:34,950 As a new believer, you're gonna treat a new believer as a new believer, and 637 00:30:34,950 --> 00:30:38,100 you're gonna help them grow and listen, this is backed up in, in scripture, right? 638 00:30:38,700 --> 00:30:42,750 This idea of us growing as God's kids, that we're gonna grow in our knowledge 639 00:30:42,750 --> 00:30:46,470 of him because he is gonna disclose more and more of himself to us as we grow. 640 00:30:46,965 --> 00:30:47,955 Not new revelation. 641 00:30:47,955 --> 00:30:49,875 Revelation is contained fully in the word of God. 642 00:30:49,875 --> 00:30:50,715 I'm not implying that. 643 00:30:50,895 --> 00:30:55,155 I'm just suggesting we learn this and understand more of it ourselves as 644 00:30:55,155 --> 00:30:57,045 we continue to progress in our faith. 645 00:30:57,585 --> 00:31:01,605 Peter says, like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk. 646 00:31:01,605 --> 00:31:04,935 He's talking about the, the word of God there, that by it you may 647 00:31:04,935 --> 00:31:06,825 notice, grow up into salvation. 648 00:31:06,870 --> 00:31:12,060 And that implies that there is a, a maturing as a believer that implies 649 00:31:12,060 --> 00:31:15,360 that it's not a, a static thing that implies that you're not walking 650 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:16,620 in day one knowing everything. 651 00:31:17,250 --> 00:31:20,190 But rather as we give ourselves over to the word of God and God discloses 652 00:31:20,190 --> 00:31:25,620 more of himself to us, and we receive his word and we come to understand 653 00:31:25,620 --> 00:31:29,190 his word, and then we believe his word like the disciples did with Jesus, 654 00:31:29,790 --> 00:31:31,320 we're gonna grow up into salvation. 655 00:31:31,890 --> 00:31:33,570 Or how about Second Timothy chapter three. 656 00:31:34,470 --> 00:31:35,190 Verse 16. 657 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:37,290 Uh, you, you're probably familiar with this passage. 658 00:31:37,290 --> 00:31:42,960 All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching and reproof and 659 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,150 correction and training in righteousness. 660 00:31:45,150 --> 00:31:48,870 And then verse 17, that the man of God may be complete and 661 00:31:48,870 --> 00:31:50,040 equipped for every good work. 662 00:31:50,970 --> 00:31:54,060 But notice what's baked into this and implied here is a, a progression 663 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,450 that you are going to be trained. 664 00:31:57,450 --> 00:32:01,050 It's not that you are, are competent and equipped from day one. 665 00:32:01,860 --> 00:32:04,920 But it's that the more and more you give yourself over to the word of God 666 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:07,770 and the study of the word of God, the more and more equipped and competent 667 00:32:07,770 --> 00:32:11,640 you will be as time progresses, because that's the purpose of God's word. 668 00:32:12,090 --> 00:32:14,070 It's got a training purpose in our life. 669 00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:15,990 Titus talks about that too. 670 00:32:16,170 --> 00:32:17,070 How about Romans 12? 671 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:22,230 Romans 12, two, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the 672 00:32:22,230 --> 00:32:26,280 renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what 673 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:30,360 is good and acceptable and perfect Again, that's not a one and done situation. 674 00:32:31,260 --> 00:32:35,220 You are not transformed in your thinking right away, but this 675 00:32:35,220 --> 00:32:37,680 is part of that progressive sanctification that I talked about. 676 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:41,760 Back in point number one, you are going to see a, a progress, 677 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:43,080 a growth in your thinking. 678 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:48,120 You are going to be being transformed by the renewal of your mind as 679 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:50,340 you give yourself over again to the word of God, to the people of 680 00:32:50,340 --> 00:32:51,450 God and the study of God's word. 681 00:32:52,290 --> 00:32:54,150 That's a progressive thing that's gonna be taking place. 682 00:32:54,150 --> 00:32:55,860 Or one more for Corinthians 1420. 683 00:32:56,670 --> 00:32:59,340 Paul Wright's brothers, do not be children in your thinking. 684 00:32:59,610 --> 00:33:02,880 Be infants and evil, but in your thinking, be mature. 685 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:06,720 And so Paul, again, is calling for a growth in our understanding of 686 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:11,400 who God is and God will en enable that in us as He brings us along. 687 00:33:11,430 --> 00:33:11,700 Right? 688 00:33:11,940 --> 00:33:15,421 There is a maturing that takes place through the disclosure of 689 00:33:15,565 --> 00:33:18,840 who he is, as we receive it, as we know it, as we believe it. 690 00:33:20,580 --> 00:33:22,950 Here's what this means, y'all, that as Christians, we don't 691 00:33:22,950 --> 00:33:24,000 know everything there is to know. 692 00:33:25,170 --> 00:33:29,790 And, and no matter how long you've been a believer here, maybe there are some 693 00:33:29,790 --> 00:33:33,930 things that you think you understand this morning, that five, 10 years 694 00:33:33,930 --> 00:33:36,480 from now you may have a different outlook on, a different perspective on. 695 00:33:37,260 --> 00:33:42,090 Now there's different grip strengths on things when it comes to what I'm talking 696 00:33:42,090 --> 00:33:43,770 about here, lemme give you an example. 697 00:33:43,980 --> 00:33:46,560 The deity of Christ, that's not evolving, okay? 698 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:48,330 That's that's a deal breaker. 699 00:33:48,389 --> 00:33:50,879 You deny the deity of Christ, you're outside the body of Christ. 700 00:33:51,465 --> 00:33:51,764 Period. 701 00:33:51,764 --> 00:33:52,754 End of story there. 702 00:33:52,754 --> 00:33:56,115 There's no growth in our understanding of the, the nuances there. 703 00:33:56,625 --> 00:34:00,225 Yes, we may come to appreciate it more, but we're, we're not gonna go from 704 00:34:00,225 --> 00:34:02,025 thinking, well, maybe Jesus is God. 705 00:34:02,025 --> 00:34:02,745 Maybe he's not God. 706 00:34:02,745 --> 00:34:03,975 To being convinced that he is God. 707 00:34:04,755 --> 00:34:07,665 At least not as Christians, as Christians, the deed of Christ. 708 00:34:07,725 --> 00:34:08,505 That's a firm grip. 709 00:34:08,505 --> 00:34:10,065 You're holding onto that with a white knuckle. 710 00:34:10,065 --> 00:34:10,995 You're not letting that go. 711 00:34:11,594 --> 00:34:13,905 Same thing in errand, seeing authority of scripture, holding 712 00:34:13,905 --> 00:34:15,165 onto that with a white knuckle grip. 713 00:34:15,165 --> 00:34:16,005 You're not letting that go. 714 00:34:16,005 --> 00:34:17,475 The Bible is our authority. 715 00:34:17,475 --> 00:34:17,804 Period. 716 00:34:17,804 --> 00:34:18,255 End of story. 717 00:34:19,275 --> 00:34:21,344 An example of something that might evolve over time. 718 00:34:22,065 --> 00:34:24,495 That, and I'm not talking macro evolution, I'm talking micro 719 00:34:24,495 --> 00:34:27,645 evolution, but that might be tweaked over time, is your understanding, 720 00:34:27,645 --> 00:34:28,514 I already brought it up earlier. 721 00:34:28,905 --> 00:34:31,635 Your understanding of the idea of God's sovereignty and man's free will. 722 00:34:32,804 --> 00:34:35,745 If a Calvinist leads you to faith in Jesus, your first a hundred days, 723 00:34:35,745 --> 00:34:38,355 you may be that cage stage Calvinist that wants to burn at the stake. 724 00:34:38,355 --> 00:34:41,145 Anyone who says free will ever, right. 725 00:34:42,165 --> 00:34:43,844 Hopefully over time you soften on that. 726 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:49,020 Right, and, and, and God's been been working in, in my life on that too. 727 00:34:49,230 --> 00:34:51,630 Just this idea that man, the Bible I think teaches that God is a 728 00:34:51,630 --> 00:34:53,820 hundred percent sovereign and we are a hundred percent responsible. 729 00:34:55,380 --> 00:34:57,330 And, and those two things are both taught in the scriptures, 730 00:34:57,330 --> 00:34:59,490 and we have to hold those things in equal tension with each other. 731 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:02,460 But that's gonna be something that I'm gonna continue to 732 00:35:02,460 --> 00:35:03,360 grow in my understanding of. 733 00:35:03,885 --> 00:35:06,015 Spiritual gifts, you're gonna groan your understanding of that. 734 00:35:06,345 --> 00:35:09,375 See, there are things, there are doctrines that we may think that we 735 00:35:09,375 --> 00:35:13,965 have a firm grasp on only to, to realize as we grow and mature in the faith 736 00:35:13,965 --> 00:35:15,345 that, that, that evolves over time. 737 00:35:15,345 --> 00:35:16,635 And our thinking changes on that. 738 00:35:17,955 --> 00:35:21,165 And, and as long as they're not those first tier issues, that to 739 00:35:21,435 --> 00:35:26,565 compromise would, would be to, uh, be an apostate, then there's room 740 00:35:26,565 --> 00:35:28,125 for that within the body of Christ. 741 00:35:28,425 --> 00:35:29,025 There's room for that. 742 00:35:30,530 --> 00:35:33,015 I, I want you to think of your understanding of God, like a good brisket. 743 00:35:34,110 --> 00:35:34,890 Right before lunch. 744 00:35:34,890 --> 00:35:36,180 You guys enjoying that one? 745 00:35:37,260 --> 00:35:37,410 Yeah. 746 00:35:37,410 --> 00:35:38,790 Like a good brisket, right? 747 00:35:39,120 --> 00:35:40,650 This one's actually straight from Hutchins. 748 00:35:40,650 --> 00:35:42,600 This is a picture from Hutchins Barbecue right here. 749 00:35:43,830 --> 00:35:46,830 No one is gonna take a brisket and nuke it in the microwave. 750 00:35:47,970 --> 00:35:48,990 At least you better not. 751 00:35:50,430 --> 00:35:51,600 We will send you away. 752 00:35:51,990 --> 00:35:54,360 You will go out from us because you are not of us. 753 00:35:56,970 --> 00:35:59,340 Nobody takes a brisket and cooks it in the microwave. 754 00:36:00,030 --> 00:36:00,870 What do you do with a brisket? 755 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:03,810 You put it on the smoker and cook it low and slow. 756 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:06,810 At least that's the way God intended it to be cooked. 757 00:36:07,770 --> 00:36:10,590 And then when you pull it off and you slice it and you get the juices and you 758 00:36:10,590 --> 00:36:13,950 get the bark and you get the smoke ring and it just falls apart in your mouth. 759 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:16,740 If anybody wants to go to Hutchins afterwards, I'm in. 760 00:36:16,830 --> 00:36:17,250 Let's go. 761 00:36:18,930 --> 00:36:23,490 I want you to think of your relationship with God That way you become a, 762 00:36:23,495 --> 00:36:27,990 a Christian and it's like you're put on the smoker, so to speak. 763 00:36:28,110 --> 00:36:29,160 This is weird, but it's okay. 764 00:36:29,160 --> 00:36:29,760 Just track with me. 765 00:36:31,125 --> 00:36:35,415 And, and it's gonna be low and slow with you as God continues to get you 766 00:36:35,415 --> 00:36:36,435 to the place that he wants you to get. 767 00:36:37,515 --> 00:36:38,865 And, and he's patient to do that. 768 00:36:38,865 --> 00:36:40,785 And that's a blessing that we have as being God's kids who 769 00:36:40,785 --> 00:36:42,615 are given to Christ, right? 770 00:36:43,785 --> 00:36:45,135 And so we can be thankful there. 771 00:36:45,135 --> 00:36:47,025 There's a full smorgasbord plate right there. 772 00:36:47,025 --> 00:36:48,345 If, if, if you were looking for it. 773 00:36:48,735 --> 00:36:51,285 We can be thankful for the how, the way that God does this, the way that 774 00:36:51,285 --> 00:36:54,075 God reveals things to us of himself. 775 00:36:54,075 --> 00:36:57,735 Be thankful for God's continued disclosure of himself. 776 00:36:58,275 --> 00:36:58,815 Verse nine. 777 00:36:59,234 --> 00:37:00,705 Jesus says, I'm praying for them. 778 00:37:01,035 --> 00:37:03,165 I'm not praying for the world, but for those whom you have 779 00:37:03,165 --> 00:37:05,475 given me for, they are yours. 780 00:37:05,685 --> 00:37:07,754 All mine are yours and yours are mine. 781 00:37:07,754 --> 00:37:09,645 And I am glorified in them. 782 00:37:10,455 --> 00:37:13,275 And so Jesus distinguishes the, the disciples. 783 00:37:13,275 --> 00:37:14,565 He sets them apart again. 784 00:37:14,805 --> 00:37:16,305 He says, I'm praying for them. 785 00:37:16,305 --> 00:37:19,575 I'm not praying for the world, but for those whom you have 786 00:37:19,575 --> 00:37:21,915 given me for, they are yours. 787 00:37:22,305 --> 00:37:23,775 And before we get. 788 00:37:24,750 --> 00:37:26,520 Been outta shape about this. 789 00:37:26,910 --> 00:37:29,190 Jesus is not this text. 790 00:37:29,190 --> 00:37:31,710 Nowhere says I, Jesus said, I hate the world. 791 00:37:32,730 --> 00:37:35,160 He just said, I'm not praying for the world the way I'm praying for you. 792 00:37:35,759 --> 00:37:36,600 I'm praying for you. 793 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:40,980 And, and that bears into that, that has to do with what he was praying for. 794 00:37:42,210 --> 00:37:44,759 And, and we're gonna get into that as, as John 17 continues, 795 00:37:44,850 --> 00:37:46,080 and as our study of it continues. 796 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:48,180 And I don't wanna preach my legs out from under me this morning. 797 00:37:48,540 --> 00:37:50,610 Uh, we're gonna get into the content of what he prays in 798 00:37:50,610 --> 00:37:51,509 the coming two weeks here. 799 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:54,510 Some of that though, he's, he's gonna pray for endurance. 800 00:37:54,810 --> 00:37:56,160 He's gonna pray for perseverance. 801 00:37:56,190 --> 00:37:57,690 He's gonna pray for our protection. 802 00:37:58,380 --> 00:38:03,120 He's gonna pray for the sanctification of us as we, uh, give 803 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:04,320 ourselves over to the word of God. 804 00:38:05,130 --> 00:38:08,580 He's gonna pray that we would be on mission and accomplish the work that, 805 00:38:08,580 --> 00:38:10,350 that the father has for us to accomplish. 806 00:38:10,770 --> 00:38:15,180 These are things that the sun is going to pray for us and I want 807 00:38:15,180 --> 00:38:16,830 us to know he's praying that Why? 808 00:38:16,830 --> 00:38:19,770 Because all mine are yours and yours are mine. 809 00:38:20,415 --> 00:38:24,944 And I'm glorified in them, the ownership that the, that Christ has 810 00:38:24,944 --> 00:38:26,924 over us and the father has for us. 811 00:38:27,314 --> 00:38:32,174 There's a, a, a root underlying motivation there that's, that's 812 00:38:32,174 --> 00:38:34,274 driving Jesus to pray this, I think. 813 00:38:34,305 --> 00:38:40,395 And that's the fact that he loves us as his, he loves us as those that the 814 00:38:40,395 --> 00:38:44,415 father has given to him and that love for us is gonna lead him to pray that 815 00:38:44,415 --> 00:38:47,174 we would endure tho, that we would be sanctified, that we would persevere, 816 00:38:47,174 --> 00:38:49,725 that we would know what it is to be in the world, but not of the world. 817 00:38:50,250 --> 00:38:52,290 And so Jesus prays for these 11. 818 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:56,009 But here's the thing, church, he's praying for you right now this morning too. 819 00:38:56,730 --> 00:39:00,180 The writer of Hebrews says, he's right now living to make intercession for you. 820 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:02,549 And that's why he's able to save you to the uttermost. 821 00:39:02,970 --> 00:39:06,839 And he's doing that church because he loves you, because you 822 00:39:06,839 --> 00:39:08,190 have a place in his affections. 823 00:39:08,190 --> 00:39:11,730 And that's our third and final point this morning, is that I want you to 824 00:39:11,730 --> 00:39:16,589 be thankful or to realize rather your place in the affections of your savior. 825 00:39:17,745 --> 00:39:21,975 Realize your place in the affections of your savior. 826 00:39:25,305 --> 00:39:30,254 One of the first songs that any child learns raised in a Christian 827 00:39:30,254 --> 00:39:33,375 home is the song Jesus Loves Me. 828 00:39:34,274 --> 00:39:37,995 What This I Know for the Bible tells me. 829 00:39:37,995 --> 00:39:42,075 So that was actually first before it became a children's song that was a hymn. 830 00:39:42,314 --> 00:39:44,055 It was published in a, a hymnal in fact. 831 00:39:44,835 --> 00:39:49,035 In fact, it was taught to the cadets of West Point during the 18 hundreds. 832 00:39:50,325 --> 00:39:53,595 And the reason being is the authors of that song were actually two 833 00:39:53,595 --> 00:39:55,965 sisters, Susan and Anna Warner. 834 00:39:57,015 --> 00:40:00,495 And Susan and Anna Warner hold the distinguished honor of still today 835 00:40:00,495 --> 00:40:05,685 being the only civilians buried at West Point Cemetery, the only civilians 836 00:40:05,685 --> 00:40:06,705 buried at West Point Cemetery. 837 00:40:06,735 --> 00:40:08,955 And, and the reason is, is their house happened to be on 838 00:40:08,955 --> 00:40:12,165 the land there that became West Point Military, uh, institution. 839 00:40:12,870 --> 00:40:17,880 And, and they spent time with the cadets and they spent time praying for the 840 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:19,860 cadets and, and, and serving the cadets. 841 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:23,549 And, and they were both poets and they ended up writing this 842 00:40:23,549 --> 00:40:26,730 song, Jesus Loves Me This, I Know, before The Bible tells me so. 843 00:40:27,569 --> 00:40:29,430 And it became a song that encouraged the cadets. 844 00:40:29,435 --> 00:40:32,250 It it became a song that they would sing together while they 845 00:40:32,250 --> 00:40:34,740 were going through their training and their preparation for war. 846 00:40:36,195 --> 00:40:37,065 Jesus loves me. 847 00:40:37,065 --> 00:40:41,865 This I know for the Bible tells me so it, it, it just like we talked about in 0.1, 848 00:40:41,865 --> 00:40:43,035 being in Christ 849 00:40:46,365 --> 00:40:53,745 Jesus loves me is such a simple concept and yet so incredibly profound. 850 00:40:56,024 --> 00:40:56,955 Jesus loves me. 851 00:40:56,955 --> 00:40:58,154 This I know for the Bible tells me. 852 00:40:58,154 --> 00:41:01,875 So listen, I I, I realize a final point here this morning 853 00:41:01,875 --> 00:41:05,865 of, hey, understand Jesus loves you can be a, that's nice point, 854 00:41:08,145 --> 00:41:10,935 but I, I want it to be more than that for us this morning. 855 00:41:11,924 --> 00:41:16,305 'cause I want us to feel the profundity of that, of the blessing, of the fact that 856 00:41:16,305 --> 00:41:20,475 because we're God's kids, we have a savior praying for us because we're God's kids. 857 00:41:20,475 --> 00:41:23,294 We have a savior interceding for you this morning because he loves you. 858 00:41:24,524 --> 00:41:26,145 Why does he love you all? 859 00:41:26,145 --> 00:41:28,064 Mine are yours and yours and mine because the father gave them 860 00:41:28,064 --> 00:41:30,464 to you, gave you to him rather. 861 00:41:31,544 --> 00:41:32,714 That's why he loves you. 862 00:41:32,714 --> 00:41:35,774 And, and that's more than just a, a platitude. 863 00:41:35,984 --> 00:41:36,765 Jesus loves me. 864 00:41:36,765 --> 00:41:37,964 This I know for the Bible tells me. 865 00:41:37,964 --> 00:41:38,145 So 866 00:41:40,845 --> 00:41:41,745 what should we do with that? 867 00:41:41,745 --> 00:41:42,345 A couple of thoughts here. 868 00:41:42,345 --> 00:41:43,696 Number one, respond in gratitude attitude. 869 00:41:45,524 --> 00:41:48,975 Be thankful for the love that the Savior has for you, such 870 00:41:48,975 --> 00:41:49,785 that he's praying for you. 871 00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:53,100 Jesus loves me. 872 00:41:53,100 --> 00:41:56,610 This I know because Jesus is praying for me right now before the Father 873 00:41:59,070 --> 00:42:00,360 respond in humility. 874 00:42:01,860 --> 00:42:04,620 To think that the second member of the Godhead is interceding for you 875 00:42:04,650 --> 00:42:07,140 this morning because he loves you. 876 00:42:09,210 --> 00:42:13,380 Respond in confidence he will hold me fast. 877 00:42:13,380 --> 00:42:15,390 We sang that he will hold me fast. 878 00:42:15,390 --> 00:42:18,420 He will hold me fast for my Savior loves me so. 879 00:42:19,380 --> 00:42:20,340 He will hold me fast. 880 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:24,540 You're not going anywhere in your walk with Christ this morning because 881 00:42:24,540 --> 00:42:26,910 Jesus is interceding for you, because he loves you, because he prays for 882 00:42:26,910 --> 00:42:29,820 you, because he cares about you, because you have his affections. 883 00:42:30,810 --> 00:42:34,770 And finally, respond in kind this morning, respond in kind 884 00:42:36,990 --> 00:42:41,820 to know that the Savior loved us, needs to cause us to want to love others, to 885 00:42:41,820 --> 00:42:45,419 follow his lead in that George Washington. 886 00:42:46,575 --> 00:42:50,655 I remember growing up, I grew up first six years of my life in, in 887 00:42:50,655 --> 00:42:54,345 Philadelphia, and, and then I got saved in Texas, so I'll leave you to 888 00:42:54,345 --> 00:42:55,755 draw your own conclusions about that. 889 00:42:57,255 --> 00:42:59,205 But I grew up for the first six years of my life in Philadelphia, 890 00:42:59,205 --> 00:43:04,485 and I remember going to, to Valley Forge with my, my parents. 891 00:43:04,485 --> 00:43:07,815 I remember walking the, the, the cabins in Valley Forge. 892 00:43:07,815 --> 00:43:10,455 And I just remember thinking as a 5-year-old, 6-year-old, how cool this is. 893 00:43:10,455 --> 00:43:12,855 Is to be able to walk in these cabins. 894 00:43:12,855 --> 00:43:16,335 And this is where George Washington and the troops were, were camped out. 895 00:43:17,025 --> 00:43:20,505 And then this last summer, uh, my wife and I and our kids took a vacation 896 00:43:20,505 --> 00:43:24,165 to Washington DC and we went to Mount Vernon while we were there, and we 897 00:43:24,165 --> 00:43:25,785 walked the grounds of Mount Vernon. 898 00:43:26,145 --> 00:43:29,265 Uh, there is a stark contrast between Mount Vernon and Valley Forge. 899 00:43:30,105 --> 00:43:33,795 Valley Forge was one of the worst winters that our military's ever experienced. 900 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:35,700 They were starving. 901 00:43:35,730 --> 00:43:37,080 They didn't have enough food supplies. 902 00:43:37,080 --> 00:43:38,850 They didn't have, some men didn't have shoes. 903 00:43:38,850 --> 00:43:40,740 There weren't enough blankets for the soldiers. 904 00:43:40,740 --> 00:43:43,290 And so a lot of them were just piling up straw that they could find and 905 00:43:43,290 --> 00:43:46,500 hay that they could find in the surrounding fields to try to stay warm. 906 00:43:47,310 --> 00:43:51,180 And here you had the commander in chief, the the general of the Army, George 907 00:43:51,180 --> 00:43:56,670 Washington, who had Mount Vernon that he could have gone back to for the winter. 908 00:43:57,330 --> 00:43:58,260 He could have thought, you know what? 909 00:43:59,145 --> 00:44:00,345 Nobody's attacking right now. 910 00:44:00,345 --> 00:44:03,795 The conditions are, are, are not such that there's gonna be any battles. 911 00:44:04,095 --> 00:44:06,225 I'm gonna go be comfortable for right now. 912 00:44:07,455 --> 00:44:11,775 But out of a love for his men, out of a concern for his troops, 913 00:44:11,955 --> 00:44:14,715 Washington spent the winter there in Valley Forge with his troops. 914 00:44:15,915 --> 00:44:20,175 How do you think that endeared him to them when he then called on them to go 915 00:44:20,175 --> 00:44:25,635 into war, to go into battle, to fight, knowing how much he had cared about them. 916 00:44:25,755 --> 00:44:30,165 It probably did a lot for them to say, I'll follow you wherever you want to go. 917 00:44:33,285 --> 00:44:33,525 Yeah. 918 00:44:33,525 --> 00:44:38,535 Jesus has done way more for us than George Washington did for those men, his love 919 00:44:38,535 --> 00:44:42,375 for us, through praying for us, through his intercession for us, and ultimately 920 00:44:42,375 --> 00:44:48,225 through the cross, such that we should want to respond in kind a new commandment. 921 00:44:48,225 --> 00:44:51,945 I give to you that you love one another just as I have loved you. 922 00:44:51,945 --> 00:44:53,775 You also are to love one another. 923 00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:57,810 We respond in kind. 924 00:44:58,710 --> 00:45:02,820 If your savior loves you enough to pray for you, pray for one another. 925 00:45:05,130 --> 00:45:07,830 If your Savior loves you enough to a, sacrifice his life for 926 00:45:07,830 --> 00:45:11,250 you, sacrifice for one another. 927 00:45:12,840 --> 00:45:18,029 If your Savior loves you enough to care for your sanctification, your holiness 928 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:21,540 care about the holiness and sanctification of your brothers and sisters in Christ. 929 00:45:23,805 --> 00:45:27,315 If your sanctification or if your your savior rather loves you enough to 930 00:45:27,315 --> 00:45:32,835 patiently instruct you in your faith walk, then patiently disciple one another. 931 00:45:34,905 --> 00:45:39,675 If your savior loved the least of these, you love the least of these. 932 00:45:40,965 --> 00:45:47,265 If your savior loves you at your worst love others at their worst. 933 00:45:48,885 --> 00:45:51,105 If your savior loved you enough to graciously forgive you. 934 00:45:52,830 --> 00:45:54,870 Then forgive one another. 935 00:45:56,370 --> 00:46:00,930 That's what it is to respond in kind to feel the weight of the reality. 936 00:46:00,930 --> 00:46:02,880 That we have a place in the affections of our savior. 937 00:46:04,050 --> 00:46:05,490 It's not just a simple platitude. 938 00:46:05,490 --> 00:46:06,780 Jesus loves me, this I know, 939 00:46:08,910 --> 00:46:11,310 but it should drive transformation in us. 940 00:46:11,730 --> 00:46:15,240 It should cause us to say, that's overwhelmingly amazing. 941 00:46:16,050 --> 00:46:17,915 It should cause us to worship the father because. 942 00:46:19,110 --> 00:46:19,890 Jesus loves me. 943 00:46:19,890 --> 00:46:23,730 This I know for John 17 tells me that the father gave me to the son. 944 00:46:27,870 --> 00:46:32,640 We're not all pks, but we are all, if you are in Christ 945 00:46:32,640 --> 00:46:34,920 this morning, gks God's kids. 946 00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:36,810 And there's blessings that come with that. 947 00:46:37,980 --> 00:46:41,009 And what I want us to think about this morning, and even this week as we go 948 00:46:41,009 --> 00:46:45,630 from here, is just this reality that as believers, we have an obligation to 949 00:46:45,630 --> 00:46:46,980 render God the worship that he's due. 950 00:46:48,570 --> 00:46:51,120 And when all of these blessings that we've talked about simply become 951 00:46:51,120 --> 00:46:54,180 white noise in the background of our Christianity, then we're robbing God of 952 00:46:54,180 --> 00:46:58,380 worship that he would otherwise receive from us as we ponder the magnitude of 953 00:46:58,380 --> 00:47:00,029 what it means for us to be God's kids. 954 00:47:01,020 --> 00:47:02,130 We stand with me as I pray.