Sermon
Romans 15:7-13
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Good morning to everyone. Join me in your copy of God's Word in the book of Romans.
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We're getting closer and closer to finishing this wonderful book we've been working through
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! Today we'll be in Romans chapter 15, starting in verse 7.
Romans 15 chapter mention
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But as I usually like to do a really quick recap.
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But throughout most of Paul's letter, he's been establishing the strong biblical and doctrinal
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foundations of our salvation and our redemption in Christ.
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And very important, like if you ever want like a legal argument for our salvation, it is the book of Romans.
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That's like what you want to take in your heart and in your soul to God's court one day.
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It is a wonderful, wonderful arguments for our salvation all from the Word of God.
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And so in these latter chapters, chapter 12 all the way up to chapter 15 here,
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Paul is working out the practical gospel implications of everyday living.
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Like what does saving grace look like in the life of believers in light of all that God has done for us?
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Namely, what he's written about up until this point.
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All these wonderful things about salvation, redemption, justification, reconciliation,
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all these wonderful things that Christ has brought to us.
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Therefore, live this way.
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And in fact, what I would argue is these are just as important chapters as the ones who have gone before.
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They're linked because your ability to and desire to live out these things kind of display what you actually believe about the first few chapters.
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So in light of these things, we live a certain way to glorify God.
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And last week we talked about verses chapter 15, 1 through 6,
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which Paul calls the strong believers, the mature believers,
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those who are further along in their relationship with Christ,
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to bear with the failings of the weak believers.
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We talked about that at length last week.
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To seek to please your brethren as Christ did.
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And with the help of God, the scripture, be patient so that you will with one mind and mouth glorify God.
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That was sort of where we were last week.
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And where we're going today in verses 18 through 13,
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Paul gives us more reasons for accepting one another
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by showing mutual acceptance, not just between the strong and the weak, but Jew and Gentile.
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I know it may feel like Paul has beaten this to death in Romans,
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but he continues to, and there's a reason why he does.
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To show mutual acceptance between Jews and Gentiles
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is an essential outworking of God's great plan of salvation throughout history.
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One commentator wrote,
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Paul sets the local conflict in Rome against the panorama of salvation and history
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in order to stimulate them to obedience.
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So Paul is holding up these Jews and Gentiles in Rome
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who are in danger of falling out of fellowship with one another because of differences.
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And he brings them together, pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has accomplished.
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So let's read our text today.
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Romans 15, starting in verse 7.
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Connecting it to last week.
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Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God.
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For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised
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to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs
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in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.
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As it is written,
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Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing to your name.
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And again, it said,
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Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.
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And again, praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let the peoples extol him.
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And again, it says,
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The root of Jesse will come,
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even one who arises to rule the Gentiles.
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In him would the Gentiles hope.
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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
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so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
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Let's pray with me.
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Lord, so much in your word for us to treasure.
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I pray that your word would be applied to my heart and the hearts of all who are here,
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that you would have your desired effect,
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that your word would pierce,
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your word would convict and challenge and encourage and build up,
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exhort,
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that you would just have your way during this time.
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In Christ's name, amen.
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So we're going to walk through this with four points.
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Didn't have five for you.
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Just four.
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So point number one,
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how we can walk through this text together,
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is receive one another in Christ.
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It's verse 7.
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Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you for the glory of God.
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And Paul understands,
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just like we see today,
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that division in the church is a stain on the gospel.
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Like true division in the church,
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fighting among true believers.
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And so this verse is the summary verse of the ones that he just talked about before.
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So welcome means to accept,
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to receive with the utmost special concern.
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It's used in Acts 28 when Paul was shipwrecked off the coast of Malta.
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And it says that the native people showed us unusual,
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extraordinary kindness,
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for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all,
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because it had begun to rain and was cold.
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So show one another this extraordinary,
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unusual kindness that goes beyond what normally is expected.
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Paul calling all believers to live in unity with not just the strong,
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the weak,
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the immature,
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the mature,
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the Jew,
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the Gentile.
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He's calling all of them to love and welcome,
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to receive one another with the utmost concern.
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So why are we to do this?
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It's far easier,
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even as believers sometimes,
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just to ignore those people that get on our nerves,
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or ignore people that we have minor differences with,
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just to disassociate from believers that we have those disagreements with.
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But why are we to have the utmost concern for our fellow believers?
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Paul gives us the answer,
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because of all that God has done for us in Christ.
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So, a question for us.
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What does your willingness to accept and be patient with other true Christians
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reveal about your own faith in Christ,
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and your understanding of the Gospel?
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What does your willingness to accept and love one another reveal
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about your understanding of the Gospel,
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or lack thereof?
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We have to be reminded of this.
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Paul constantly is reminding us,
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don't forget where you once were,
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and where Christ has brought you from.
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I have just one place for you to turn today,
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outside of our main text,
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but keep your hand in Romans,
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and look at Titus chapter 3.
Titus 3 chapter mention
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Titus chapter 3.
Titus 3 chapter mention
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One of those great Gospel passages.
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Titus chapter 3, verse 3.
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Paul wrote,
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So, do not forget that.
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That's where we all once were.
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Even if you quote,
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were a good person before you became a Christian.
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The book of Romans has thoroughly proven that no one is good.
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We all lived this way.
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This is once who we were.
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Separator from God.
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And then verse 4.
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That great word.
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But, when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
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He saved us,
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not because of works done by us in righteousness,
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but according to His own mercy,
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by the washing of regeneration, renewal of the Holy Spirit.
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So, never forget where you come from,
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that we all have our common origin in sin.
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That's what brings us together in one way.
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And the other way is to remember that we have been brought out of that together
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by the mercy of God.
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His mercy alone.
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We're never to let that grow old in our minds.
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So, we're to welcome one another,
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to accept,
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to show the utmost concern for our fellow believers.
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Your willingness and mind to accept others in the body
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correlates directly to your understanding and faith
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of how God has graciously accepted you in Christ.
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Do you see that?
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It's connected.
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If you aren't able and unwilling to love and accept others,
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especially the ones that are hard to deal with sometimes,
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Christ says it's easy to love those who love you.
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So, that idea,
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if you fail to do that,
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that shows you,
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it reveals that your understanding of the Gospel is weak.
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Right?
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That's what this reveals.
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So, welcome one another in Christ.
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Spurgeon wrote about this passage,
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Christ did not receive us because we were perfect,
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or because He could see no fault in us,
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or because He hoped to gain something from us,
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not at all.
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But, in loving condescension,
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He covered our faults and sought our good.
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He welcomed us into relationship with Him.
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So, in the same way,
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and with the same purpose,
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we as Christians must receive one another.
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So, does your willingness to love and receive others in the church
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reflect the faith of the One who has welcomed us unto Himself?
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That's what is important to remember.
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So, failure to accept or welcome one another in love and compassion
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is an affront to the Savior who has welcomed us.
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I hope you can see that.
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At the very least, this indicates our immaturity,
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if we're unwilling to do that.
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Maybe we're the weak that Paul just spoke of.
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And at the very most,
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it might lead us to question our own standing with God
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if we have no regard for our fellow believers.
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So, in conclusion,
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the strong, the weak,
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the Jew, the Gentile,
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are exhorted to accept one another,
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for they have been graciously accepted by God in Christ.
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Even though we were sinners,
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even though we were separated,
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He's welcomed us.
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And such mutual acceptance brings,
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look at the end of that verse,
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great glory to God.
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Look, nothing else matters, alright?
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Nothing else matters.
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Like, if you fail to grasp the concept of God's glory,
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then you're lost.
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You are lost.
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You will never understand the Word of God
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and what the purpose of history is.
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My glory fades.
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Yours fades.
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And a few generations will probably all be forgotten.
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There's many people, being a history guy,
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I can name a whole list of names,
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and most of you would have no idea who they are.
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Most people.
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And they did great things in their time.
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Our glory is fading like the flower of the field.
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And this life is brief,
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but the glory of God remains forever.
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Nothing else matters.
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And so he's saying,
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your unity,
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your ability to love and accept one another,
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is one of these ways that brings great glory to God.
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point number two.
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Point two.
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Christ has fulfilled God's promises to save the nations.
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Christ has fulfilled God's promises to save the nations.
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Verse eight.
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It goes on.
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For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised
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to show God's truthfulness
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in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs.
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So there's one of those startling phrases.
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A phrase that confused many people in his own time.
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Christ came as a servant.
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He was the suffering servant that Isaiah spoke of
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700 years before Christ came on the scene.
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He was the servant who would act wisely and be exalted.
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Jesus,
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when he was with his disciples,
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he said,
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even the son of man came not to be served,
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but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
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Mark 10,
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45.
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So who did he come to serve?
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In one regard,
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all of us.
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Yes.
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But what is Paul referring to in this instance?
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To whom?
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Christ came to serve,
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came as a Jew to serve the circumcised.
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And he's just referring to the Jewish people there.
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Thus demonstrating God's truthfulness.
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That word means faithfulness,
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trustworthiness.
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He's demonstrating that
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and keeping his promises of redemption
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that he had made to the patriarchs,
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to Abraham,
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to Isaac,
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to Jacob.
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He had promised them.
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And in displaying this immense faith
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by showing his willingness to obey God,
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even to the point of sacrificing his own son, Isaac,
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after that happened,
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God said to Abraham in Genesis 22,
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it's one of those verses you've got to like,
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it's one of those verses that you use
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to read the rest of the Scripture a lot of the time.
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You see like God fulfilling this promise.
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Genesis 22,
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verse 17,
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God said to Abraham,
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I will surely bless you
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and I will surely multiply your offspring
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as the stars of heaven
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and as the sand that is on the seashore.
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Your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies.
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And in your offspring
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shall all the nations of the earth be blessed
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because you have obeyed my voice.
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So this promise was reiterated multiple times.
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It continued to Isaac in Genesis 26
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and it continued to his son Jacob in Genesis 28.
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So in fulfilling God's saving promises to them,
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God's truthfulness,
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His faithfulness has been upheld.
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It's been established for all time.
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God's track record in keeping His Word is flawless.
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And I hope that comforts you in our troubling days.
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He is a perfect promise keeper.
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It may not seem like it comes when you want it to,
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or when we think it should come.
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It comes when it's supposed to,
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in God's perfect ordained time.
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And so, in fulfillment of God's promise,
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many, many Jews,
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not all, but many,
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would come to repent of the sin,
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believe in Christ as the Messiah,
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and as the days go by,
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eventually even more and more will do that.
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But this was a reminder for the Gentiles
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to be humbly reminded
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that even their faith
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came in a way through the Jewish people.
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And so they are to welcome
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their Jewish believers in Rome,
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where they are.
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So it was a reminder to them.
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So, it came through the patriarchs.
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God fulfilled His Word.
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Point number three.
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Christ brought praise and glory to God
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for His mercy.
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Verses 9-12.
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Christ brought praise and glory to God
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for His mercy.
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Look at verse 9.
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In an order,
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so that, right,
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in order,
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that the Gentiles might glorify God
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for His mercy.
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As it is written,
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therefore, I will praise you
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among the Gentiles
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and sing to your name.
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And again, it is said,
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rejoice, O Gentiles,
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with His people again and again.
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Praise the Lord,
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all you Gentiles,
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and let all the peoples extol Him.
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And again, Isaiah says,
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the root of Jesse will come,
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even he who arises
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to rule the Gentiles,
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and Him will the Gentiles hope.
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So, furthermore, right,
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Christ came as a servant
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to the Jews,
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but furthermore,
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for the purpose of bringing
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blessing and salvation
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to the Gentiles.
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what Paul described in chapter 11,
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verse 11.
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As Jewish Christians in Rome heard this,
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they were being reminded
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to remember this,
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to accept and fully welcome
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their Gentile brothers and sisters
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who were in Rome,
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which might be hard for them.
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Think about that,
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them,
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and subdued them.
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Now,
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they're in Rome,
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and they're being told,
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hey,
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don't look on Him
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as that person.
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Look at Him
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as a brother
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in Christ.
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Look at them
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with love
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and compassion,
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like you belong
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to the same family
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now.
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And it was foretold
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of old,
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as you see here,
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the Gentiles
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might glorify God
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for His mercy.
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So,
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great words
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spoken by,
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you know,
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the ancient prophet.
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Even those words
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that ring true
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even for us today
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who are sitting here.
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1 Peter 2, 10.
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Once you were not a people,
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but now you are God's people.
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Once you had not received mercy,
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but now you have received mercy.
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If you're a Gentile today,
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which I'm just going to assume
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is most of us,
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the majority of us,
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if you recognize
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that God's showing you mercy
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was for the purpose
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of being glorified,
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to bring glory
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to His great name,
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to live for Him daily,
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and to make everyday choices
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that reflect
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His greatness.
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And so,
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as usual,
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this is testified
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in the Scripture,
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and man,
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this is one of those times
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where Paul just like
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lays it on thick.
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I remember
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I like
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killed a baby copperhead
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with a huge load
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of my shotgun.
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It wasn't there anymore
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once I shot it.
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It was just gone.
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This is kind of what
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Paul desires to do here.
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He's like,
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in case you have any doubt,
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I'm going to lay it on thick
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to prove to you
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that this is what God
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was doing all along.
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And I'm going to give you four,
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not just one,
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but four Old Testament passages.
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And how about this?
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How about one from each part
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of the writings too?
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Like each section
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of the Old Testament.
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Taking one quotation
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from each of his part
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and just lay it on thick.
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Like,
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here's one of your
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Bible study tools.
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Look at this.
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As it is written,
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and then you go a little further,
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he says,
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and again.
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And then he says it again.
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And again.
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And again.
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That's how he begins
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like each verse.
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He's like,
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alright,
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I'm going to lay it on thick.
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Don't miss this.
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So look how many times
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he's saying that God foretold.
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This has always been his plan.
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That the Gentiles
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would glorify him
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and praise him
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for his great salvation
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over and over and over again.
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That's what Paul
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is trying to say.
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This should be no surprise to you.
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And this should make you marvel.
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In verse 9,
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he takes one from
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the former prophets,
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the older prophets.
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From 2 Samuel 22.50.
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Therefore,
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I will praise you
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among the Gentiles
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and sing to your name.
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So God's great salvation
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would lead the Gentiles
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to nations
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singing songs
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of deliverance
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and great praise to God.
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Describe the greatness
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due his name.
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Right?
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Verse 10.
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Now he takes one
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from the law.
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The Torah.
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He's like,
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well, okay,
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how about this part
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of our scripture?
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And he goes to
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Deuteronomy 32.43.
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Rejoice,
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O Gentiles,
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and don't miss this,
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with his people.
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So,
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such a great redemption
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from sin,
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darkness,
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and hell
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leads to
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the Gentiles
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rejoicing
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and celebrating
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on behalf
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of God's saving mercy.
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And then it says,
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with
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his people.
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So do this
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with the Jews.
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You see that?
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Like he's adding this in,
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like,
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with the salvation
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that the Jews
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can already have,
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the Gentiles
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will come alongside
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them as one people.
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One united people
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redeemed.
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And that
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they will
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rejoice.
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Great celebration
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over God's
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saving mercy
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along with those
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who are Jews.
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Verse 11.
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He takes this
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from
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the poetry,
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the writings.
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Psalm 117,
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which I found out
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interestingly
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is supposed to be
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like the very middle
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verse of your entire
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Bible.
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That's kind of
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interesting.
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I don't think Paul
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was thinking about that,
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but,
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like,
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that's the middle
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of the whole Bible.
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This is one verse.
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If you,
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like,
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cut it all up
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and all that.
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But Psalm 117,
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it says,
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Praise the Lord,
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all you Gentiles,
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and let the peoples
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extol Him.
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So all the nations,
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everybody together now,
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bless the Lord,
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bless His grace,
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extol Him,
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give Him law,
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right?
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And then,
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like,
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in the Old Testament.
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So,
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like,
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in case you've lost this,
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like,
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I'm going to,
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like,
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pick one right out
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of Isaiah for you,
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right?
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And he says,
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this is from Isaiah 11,
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verse 10,
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The root of Jesse
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will come,
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even he who arises
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to rule the Gentiles,
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and him will the Gentiles
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hope.
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And,
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right before that,
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just by way of reminder,
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in verse 9,
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previously,
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he says,
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For the earth shall be full
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of the knowledge of the Lord
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as the waters cover the sea.
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That's what Isaiah foretold.
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So that promise,
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the root of Jesse,
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Jesse was David's father,
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through David,
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right?
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Would be the one
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to whom all the nations
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would gather,
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and He would rule them
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in strength,
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in justice,
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in faithfulness,
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in love,
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in truth.
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The Messiah's resting place
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will be glorious.
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And all Gentiles,
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as Paul's addressing this,
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should humbly be reminded
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that their own salvation
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stems from that Jewish root.
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That's 1118.
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These are the right
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and proper responses
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to what God has done
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by redeeming us
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and saving us.
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But do you realize,
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you have to think about this daily.
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I try to and fail to,
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but there was a time
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that you were cut off
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from God,
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separated
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because of your sin.
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Think about Romans 5.
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Do you see that you once
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were on the outside
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of that saving knowledge
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that Israel possessed?
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That doesn't mean
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all Israel was saved,
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but it means that Israel
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possessed
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at least the ability
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and the knowledge
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to know God
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because God had manifested
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Himself to them.
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Think of Jesus speaking
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to the Samaritan woman
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at the well.
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He said,
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you Samaritans worship
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whom you do not know.
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We Jews worship
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who we do know
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because salvation
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is from the Jews.
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That's what he's trying to say.
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Like,
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God showed us
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who He was
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and we were to be a witness
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to the rest of the world.
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Like,
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He's reminding
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these Gentiles
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that they are connected
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to them.
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And so,
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we once were not a people.
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We were cut off
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of that knowledge,
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but now,
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do you realize
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that salvation
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has come to the nations?
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What does that do
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to your soul
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this morning?
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Ephesians 2
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reads this.
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Paul is reminding them,
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remember that you once
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at one time
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were separated
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from Christ.
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Like,
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there's only darkness
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and death
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and agony
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away from Christ.
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And he says,
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alienated
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or estranged
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from the commonwealth
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of Israel.
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You see that?
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The connections here?
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And the strangers
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to the covenants
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of the promise,
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having no hope
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and without God
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in the world.
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But now,
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in Christ Jesus,
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you who are once
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far off
-
have been brought near
-
by the blood
-
of Christ.
-
So rejoice.
-
If you are a Gentile,
-
you should never forget
-
that God has chosen
-
by His mercy
-
to include us
-
in His great salvation.
-
And this would result
-
in the praise
-
of His great name.
-
So in summary,
-
these passages
-
prove that the whole
-
of Scripture
-
testifies to the inclusion
-
of the Gentiles
-
into God's
-
uniting,
-
saving purposes
-
to bring one nation
-
under Him.
-
Every kind of person,
-
every kind of nation
-
and tongue
-
under His sovereign rule
-
for the purpose
-
of bringing great glory
-
to His name.
-
So if the believers
-
in Rome,
-
or if even we
-
today truly understand this,
-
what God is doing
-
throughout redemptive history,
-
this will make
-
those little minor,
-
puny,
-
pathetic disagreements
-
we have in the church
-
just pale in comparison.
-
We have so much
-
more in common.
-
If you truly are
-
in Christ,
-
you have more
-
in common
-
with anybody.
-
Even if they might
-
share a different
-
political view,
-
if they share
-
a different skin color,
-
this is what
-
unites us all.
-
That Scripture
-
right out of Galatians 3,
-
28 is what Paul
-
is trying to say.
-
Look,
-
there's neither Jew
-
or Greek.
-
There's neither slave
-
nor free.
-
There is no male
-
and female,
-
for you are all one
-
in Christ Jesus.
-
Galatians 3,
-
28.
-
It's that you have
-
all things in common
-
if you are in Christ
-
with your fellow believer.
-
And you should dwell
-
on those things.
-
Recognize what God
-
is trying to do here.
-
Look at what Jews
-
and Gentiles
-
hated each other.
-
Do you understand that?
-
Like the animosity
-
was there?
-
Like you think
-
that we have
-
differences today?
-
Not much in comparison
-
to how they felt
-
back then.
-
But God's desire
-
is to reach
-
the nations
-
for His glory.
-
And recently,
-
I was just
-
reading some
-
from Voice of the Martyrs
-
and ran across
-
this story
-
from a man
-
named Waleed.
-
And he's from India.
-
and he grew up
-
in the Muslim part
-
of India
-
and was recognized
-
very early
-
as this guy's smart,
-
this guy's gifted.
-
We're going to
-
get him to be
-
an Islamic scholar.
-
So they sent him
-
away to Mecca
-
to study the Quran.
-
He became just
-
a great teacher.
-
He was there
-
for four years,
-
fully paid for,
-
and he became
-
a sheikh.
-
He was an Islamic
-
teacher that taught
-
at one of the mosques.
-
And he wore
-
the white robe
-
and had great dignity
-
and respect
-
of the culture.
-
He said,
-
at that time,
-
I was very proud
-
and I thought
-
that I was just
-
like the best person
-
ever.
-
And here's
-
what's interesting.
-
Because he was
-
a scholar,
-
he was reading
-
the Quran
-
and he got to
-
the part of the Quran
-
that talks about
-
Jesus.
-
And he recognized
-
there was just
-
something tremendously
-
different about
-
Jesus that just
-
struck him,
-
the details.
-
It talks about
-
how the man
-
who does these
-
things that Jesus
-
is being spoken of,
-
he is incomparable.
-
This is from the Quran.
-
He is incomparable
-
because no other
-
prophet written
-
about in the Quran
-
is doing those
-
things.
-
So he was just
-
mind blown by
-
Surah 19.33.
-
You can look that up.
-
But he dealt
-
deeper into the Quran
-
and just trying to
-
figure out
-
who Jesus was.
-
And he started
-
asking his fellow
-
sheiks like,
-
we should probably
-
pay more attention
-
to this.
-
What does this
-
actually mean
-
about Jesus?
-
As someone who
-
does the things
-
that he does
-
is supposed
-
to be incomparable.
-
Like,
-
what about him?
-
So they began
-
kind of blowing
-
off his questions
-
and eventually
-
got to be
-
kind of hostile
-
towards him.
-
They didn't have
-
any good answers
-
and eventually
-
they started
-
turning away
-
from him
-
and he said,
-
they started
-
to hate me
-
and at one
-
point they
-
ambushed him
-
and attacked him
-
and threw stones
-
at him
-
and the shrieper
-
just inquiring
-
more about
-
Jesus.
-
But he says,
-
this served
-
only to drive
-
me closer
-
to Christ.
-
After the attack,
-
I prayed
-
to Jesus
-
for the first
-
time.
-
His prayer
-
was just simply,
-
Jesus,
-
if you are above
-
and you see
-
how I am,
-
please help me.
-
And eventually
-
he was kicked
-
out and rejected
-
and he kind of
-
fled his community
-
and he sought
-
Christians.
-
He's like,
-
I've got to find
-
Christians to tell
-
me about Jesus
-
and oddly enough
-
he fled to
-
Ethiopia
-
and wasn't able
-
to find many
-
people even there
-
to tell him
-
who Jesus was
-
and answer
-
the questions
-
he had.
-
But eventually
-
he began to
-
read the Bible
-
and he says
-
that the Bible
-
greatly increased
-
his knowledge
-
of salvation
-
and he kind of
-
wrote something
-
he said,
-
I know everything
-
on earth
-
shall pass away
-
but God's word
-
will never
-
pass away.
-
I am learning
-
more and I
-
love to learn.
-
And as he
-
became a believer
-
and he got
-
connected to
-
the church
-
and began to
-
see where he
-
had come from,
-
he says,
-
when I came
-
to Christ,
-
I lost my
-
position,
-
my health,
-
my job,
-
my community
-
and my family
-
but God
-
gave me
-
double now
-
I am so
-
blessed.
-
So meaning
-
it sounds like
-
what Jesus
-
told his
-
disciples
-
like when
-
they're like
-
we've sacrificed
-
so much
-
to follow you
-
and he goes
-
no one
-
has sacrificed
-
to follow me
-
they will not
-
be repaid
-
right?
-
And so
-
now
-
he has shifted
-
his focus
-
to reaching
-
young Muslims
-
with the gospel
-
and this is
-
what he said
-
and this ties
-
into what
-
we're reading
-
about in
-
Romans
-
I believe
-
I have a
-
responsibility
-
I remember
-
the reason
-
I am saved
-
is to be
-
his witness
-
I live
-
for his
-
glory
-
to witness
-
his glory
-
to the
-
unreached
-
people
-
that's what
-
he said
-
so even
-
today
-
this is being
-
carried out
-
and I hope
-
that that
-
challenges
-
you
-
in
-
the busy
-
but often
-
comfortable
-
and easy
-
life
-
that we
-
can have
-
he says
-
I'm here
-
I'm saved
-
to be a
-
witness
-
to bear
-
witness
-
to the
-
glory
-
of God
-
especially
-
to the
-
unreached
-
peoples
-
in conclusion
-
our last
-
and fourth
-
point
-
Paul gives
-
us a
-
benedictory
-
prayer of
-
intercession
-
in verse
-
13
-
he goes
-
back to
-
prayer
-
and he
-
says
-
may
-
the God
-
of hope
-
fill you
-
with all
-
joy and
-
peace
-
and believing
-
so that
-
by the
-
power of
-
the Holy
-
Spirit
-
you may
-
abound
-
in love
-
and so
-
back to
-
prayer
-
he's praying
-
to the
-
God
-
of hope
-
so
-
hope
-
here
-
is the
-
link
-
word
-
to verse
-
12
-
if you
-
can see
-
that
-
in the
-
passage
-
as we
-
just saw
-
that before
-
Christ
-
he says
-
remembered
-
that you
-
were
-
separated
-
alienated
-
we just
-
read that
-
in Ephesians
-
having no
-
hope in
-
the world
-
and without
-
God
-
that's what
-
we just
-
read in
-
Ephesians
-
2
-
but praise
-
the Lord
-
he is
-
both
-
the
-
source
-
of
-
hope
-
right
-
and the
-
supplier
-
of hope
-
it comes
-
from him
-
Paul is
-
trying to
-
say
-
something
-
about
-
the
-
character
-
of
-
God
-
not
-
just
-
that
-
God
-
has
-
some
-
hope
-
in
-
his
-
pocket
-
like
-
money
-
and
-
he
-
just
-
goes
-
like
-
that
-
he's
-
saying
-
that
-
he
-
really
-
is
-
he
-
in
-
himself
-
is
-
hope
-
and
-
then
-
if
-
we
-
flee
-
to
-
him
-
we
-
will
-
have
-
that
-
hope
-
biblical
-
hope
-
is
-
this
-
joyful
-
confident
-
expectation
-
!
-
God
-
will
-
bring
-
about
-
it's
-
not
-
wishful
-
thinking
-
and
-
just
-
hoping
-
that
-
things
-
turn
-
out
-
well
-
it
-
is
-
a
-
grounded
-
act
-
of
-
faith
-
for us
-
to
-
hope
-
in
-
God
-
so
-
then
-
he
-
asks
-
because
-
we're
-
weak
-
Paul
-
asks
-
you
-
look
-
at
-
the
-
verse
-
the
-
power
-
of
-
the
-
Holy
-
Spirit
-
to
-
pour
-
out
-
to
-
graciously
-
feel
-
right
-
his
-
people
-
with
-
this
-
divine
-
hope
-
joy
-
and
-
peace
-
he
-
expresses
-
his
-
deep
-
desire
-
for
-
all
-
believers
-
to
-
have
-
complete
-
satisfaction
-
in
-
our
-
beloved
-
savior
-
who
-
makes
-
us
-
all
-
one
-
people
-
so
-
in
-
conclusion
-
we
-
are
-
to
-
welcome
-
to
-
accept
-
to
-
show
-
the
-
utmost
-
special
-
concern
-
for
-
our
-
fellow
-
believers
-
that
-
stands
-
out
-
from
-
a
-
world
-
of
-
sin
-
and
-
selfishness
-
and
-
in
-
light
-
of
-
that
-
magnificent
-
providential
-
plan
-
of
-
God
-
Jews
-
can
-
have
-
no
-
grudge
-
against
-
Gentiles
-
because
-
their
-
calling
-
was
-
to
-
reach
-
the
-
Gentiles
-
for
-
the
-
salvation
-
and
-
glory
-
of
-
the
-
Lord
-
and
-
on
-
the
-
other
-
hand
-
Gentiles
-
can
-
have
-
no
-
grudge
-
against
-
Jews
-
because
-
again
-
it
-
was
-
through
-
the
-
Jews
-
that
-
God
-
had
-
brought
-
that
-
salvation
-
so he
-
concludes
-
right
-
going back
-
to where
-
he
-
began
-
therefore
-
welcome
-
one
-
another
-
as
-
Christ
-
is
-
welcome
-
to
-
you
-
for
-
the
-
glory
-
of
-
God
-
so I
-
want
-
you
-
to
-
think
-
about
-
how
-
this
-
has
-
a
-
bearing
-
on
-
your
-
soul
-
this
-
reflects
-
what
-
you
-
truly
-
believe
-
about
-
the
-
gospel
-
if
-
we
-
very
-
least
-
is
-
just
-
very
-
weak
-
our
-
understanding
-
of what
-
Christ
-
has
-
done
-
is
-
weak
-
so I
-
pray
-
this
-
morning
-
that
-
we
-
will
-
grow
-
in our
-
understanding
-
and knowledge
-
of what
-
Christ
-
has done
-
for us
-
like man
-
he has
-
given
-
us
-
everything
-
I
-
pray
-
that
-
would
-
fuel
-
you
-
and
-
give
-
me
-
the
-
strength
-
to
-
love
-
those
-
who
-
are
-
around
-
us
-
particularly
-
those
-
who
-
are
-
difficult
-
like
-
myself
-
to
-
love
-
sometimes
-
so
-
let's
-
pray
-
!