0:00
Speaker 2Hey. Good morning. So,
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Speaker 1this morning, we have we've got on your bulletins, you know, they have the songs that we've sang. We did we did change up just a little bit but we changed over. We're going to sing hymn number 506 to begin today. Five zero six. Scott, would you come on up?
0:22
I'd rather have Jesus and this service if if you're here and you've been in this valley for a long time, you've probably heard the news of the passing of Mark Upton. And if you are not from here and you didn't know Mark, then you may be aware of the story of the two hunters that were up in the park, one guide and one hunter. And the guide that was killed was Mark Upton. And Mark was one of the elders at this church. And so it's changed the mood in this room quite a bit this morning.
0:57
Mark was a beloved elder and friend, really close friend and absolute, total, confident believer in Jesus with an absolute incorruptible hope in heaven that he is right now enjoying. Praise God. There's no doubt in anybody's mind that knew him at all but it is leaving. He has left behind a wife, Sarah, and five children, four girls, and a boy and we were with them all day and the family does send their love and thanks to all of you for everything that you have done. I know that there is probably when you hear that kind of news, you you long to, I believe as believers, we long to do something about it and if you would like to do something about it, some of you already have.
1:40
Some of you were at at the trailhead and helping to search for him yesterday and there were some that went down to the house and helped but over the next few weeks and months, I'd I'd like for us as the body of Christ that knows that another part of our body is suffering to help out and so I just wanted to let you know about that if you haven't heard but would you stand and we will sing. We're going to carry on forward. I did not change the scripture or the sermon or the passage but it will definitely change the reception of it, the mode of our hearts but I believe it's important to just keep on going forward but we did change in my heart there rings a melody because quite honestly, this morning, it's more of a dirge for most of us but in, I'd rather have Jesus as entirely appropriate. So, would you sing out and sing like you mean it, okay? Our bags.
2:36
Speaker 2Jesus
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Speaker 1Lord God, I thank you for your providence and I thank you that we can. We can. We can choose to listen. Lord, we can choose to bow the knee. We can choose.
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We'd rather have Jesus. Lord, that choice, that decision to follow after your plan is what makes all the difference in the whole world. Your plan, lord, is great and it's good. I thank you for giving us that and I thank you lord that Mark knew you and knew you intimately and well and he was constantly making course corrections to fall into line with your will. So, lord, I thank you from those moments, the moment that you come into our heart and for that you're continuing and abiding presence of your spirit that stays with us lord and leads and guides and directs and whispers still and small the direction in which we should go.
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In Jesus name, I thank you for your spirit. Amen. Would you join with us now and we'll sing since Jesus came into my heart.
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Speaker 2What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart I have lied in my soul for which long I had sought since Jesus came into my heart since Jesus came since Jesus came into my heart I have ceased from my wandering and going astray since Jesus came into my heart and my sins which were many are all washed away since Jesus came into my heart since came my Since Jesus came into my heart heart. Floods of joy o'er my soul like the sea below Since Jesus came into my heart. I shall go there to dwell in that city I know since Jesus came into my heart. And I'm happy so happy as onward I go since Jesus came into my heart since came my heart since Jesus came into my heart floods of joy o'er my soul like the sea billows Jesus came into my heart
9:09
Speaker 1Amen. Y'all can have a seat. I cancelled announcements this morning. There are lots of important good things that are happening and they're all written down in your bulletin. So, if you didn't grab one of these on your way in, you can grab one on your way out but I did want to talk for just a minute.
9:23
So, that is a picture of Mark Upton. You know him and this is not his memorial service. It's not a a funeral but this beloved guy, I was very very active in this community and in this church. He taught chess at the classical school. He was constantly helping out every organization that needed help that had a godly purpose behind it.
9:49
He was the head of the he was the head of Redite to Life. He was the president and the chief guy with that for a long time for many years. He was an outfitter and working with Dan Martin up above Turpin Meadows. And from the details that I have heard, I I see him as having laid down his life for the life of the hunter he was guiding. They were attacked by two bears yesterday, I mean, Friday, and we did not know from Friday night about 09:30 when they called off the search.
10:23
We did not know whether he was alive or dead until after lunch yesterday when his body found deceased. And the other hunter did make it to safety and was able to call in or at agency dispatch, and they rescued him with a helicopter, brought him to Jackson. His wounds were treated and he was released and he left yesterday back to head back home to Florida. But Mark's family, Sarah and the kids, Isabelle and Brianna and Kirsten and Ben and Morgan are at the house today. We were with them most of the day yesterday.
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And they are mourning. Obviously, we all are grieving and mourning together. But I feel like this is where we gather and this is where we help one another get through this. I'll I'll go into it a bit in the sermon but it eclipses everything else. The the bulletin has the announcements that need to be announced in it but would y'all pray with me?
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Lord, would you bind us together with cords that just can't be broken? I pray lord that the sorrow that we are feeling this morning and the grief and the loss and the the mourning that we are in the midst of lord would turn our hearts, our minds, and our eyes toward you. I pray that we'd be attentive with our spiritual ears to what it is that you're still small voices saying and directing within each of us as to how we may be of assistance to this family, not just this family but each other in a very difficult time. I pray that you would take us deeper into your word and then to your good news in this situation that is definitely bad news. God, I pray that we in the way that we deal with this would be a light for this community.
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Lord Jesus, help us as we go through. In Jesus name, lord, we do pray and amen. I'm going give you a chance. Usually, at the end of announcements, I say, gather up and find somebody you don't know and all that. I'm going give you a chance.
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Stan, please. Do and gather with one another. Take an extended time this morning if you need to visit and just do that. We'll bring you back together with a song but take the time to get together and love one another here.
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Speaker 2You are my strength when I am weak you are the treasure that I seek you are my all seeking you as a precious your when I fall down you pick me up when I am dry you fill my cup you are my Jesus
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Speaker 1is lord of all. It's comforting to be reminded of God's sovereignty in difficult time. Jesus is the Lord of all.
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Speaker 2Is lord I've quit my struggles contentment at last Jesus is Lord Jesus is lord my conflicts my thoughts Jesus is lord his love wins the battles I could not have fought Jesus is lord my longings and all my dreams Jesus is lord of all my failures is power redeems Jesus is lord of all king of kings Jesus is lord all my possessions and all my life Jesus is lord
17:51
Speaker 1Can I have the frontline team come forward? And I I will say when they're coming forward that we're going to pray right now for the offering and this is the normal weekly offering for this church for the general fund but this morning, our treasurer, I I I made a call for action during the first sermon and our treasurer listened and believed me and came forward and said, I'm starting a fun tomorrow for the family of Mark Upton, for Sarah, and for the kids and so we're going to take up a second offering at the end of the service today for the family but this one is for the general fund. We're not passing the plates twice because you did not put enough in, okay? So, just so you know. God, thank you for all that you have given us for life and breath.
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I read every line of every song this morning. It's reminding me of the precious nature of this land in between the already having been saved and then not yet seeing our incorruptible hope in Christ and lord, as I see it that way, I think of so many others that do not know you. So, God, as a church, I want to be actively pursuing like you do. God, actively pursuing those who do not yet know you, who've not trusted in Jesus. Lord, let us as a church be doing that.
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Would you use marks on timely, sudden, death, lord. Would you use that in this community among those outsiders to bring others to Jesus? We know he had a hope in you and he lived that out every day. I pray that that would permeate us and call us lord to action, to live out our faith but I pray specifically that these funds given to this church lord will be used for the advance of your gospel in this community and in the state, region, country, and to the uttermost parts. I pray particularly for the missionaries that you have given us, those couples and singles that are all over the world proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
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So, in Jesus name, I ask you to bless this offering, multiply it to do your kingdom's work and lord, I pray that you'd bless each giver. Amen. So, I know our hearts are heavy. Thank you, Jude. This morning, I'm I am going to go to first Peter which is this we've been going in a chronological study of the New Testament.
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I'm going to first Peter but this verse struck me. It was the benediction two weeks ago and it's the closing blessing as you go out the door but I feel like it's more appropriate this morning than it even was then. It's always appropriate but this is the message for the day. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another. Brothers and sisters in Christ, right?
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May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another. In accord with Christ Jesus that together, you may, with one voice, glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This morning before the first service, CBC Community Bible Church folks showed up here and they brought all those red roses that were out there. They handed out to each family coming in and had a some of em for this service too and Mark touched the community bibleship of Community Bible Church Fellowship and then River Crossing had several people that came over to bring greetings. I got Emails and text and encouragement from Eric Davis at Cornerstone for Brian Hunter at Tribe and everybody in this valley that knew Mark is kind of unified right now and we've been coming closer and closer and we're all friends and we love one another but it's great to see the whole body of Christ that when people rejoice, we rejoice with them.
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When they mourn, we mourn with them. Went from the house yesterday with the family, came back in yesterday afternoon and did a quinceanera to celebrate a 15 year old Mexican girls coming into maturity, womanhood, and then, immediately after that, we went right back down into it and this job, this fellowship offers the highs and lows. There's always rejoicing going on. There's always morning going on. We're up to this this morning and I I feel like scripture is what's going to endure and remain.
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We all will pass. All of us will pass. Every single one of us but scripture will remain. First Peter two is where we're going but I'm going start in one. Just a few just to ramp up.
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These are from the last three sermons. So, since you have an obedience to the truth, that means you've accepted the gospel, you are a believing Christian. Since and you have an obedience to the truth, purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, the brothers and sisters in Christ and fervently love one another from the heart. Fervently love one another. That's the command.
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For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable. That is through the living and enduring word of God. Word, Jesus Christ, word, the Bible, the living, and enduring word of God and then, it's a reminder of our fragile life and our finitude, our finiteness, all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers. So, whether you grow old and begin to wither or the flower flower falls off because that just happens.
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Suddenly, sometimes, as we see in Mark's case, 25 says, but the word of the Lord endures forever and this is the word that was preached to you. He said, since you've already accepted it, you're a part of this family of God and the continuing body of Christ. Therefore, putting aside all malice. There are rifts within the body of Christ and there are rifts between people within the body of Christ that God wants to heal. He wants for us to get along.
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He wants for us to be unified as he is unified within himself, father, son, Holy Spirit and that's what Jesus prayed in the garden and so, if you are holding any malice in your heart towards anybody within the body or even outside of the body, all malice. Peter says, put it aside because you've been bought with impair with with not that which is excuse me. Not it's perishable not but imperishable. The blood of Christ. Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit.
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Deceit will come up later in the sermon today but he's saying, don't lie to yourself and don't lie to anybody else. Be completely straightforward and honest. I think that includes when you love someone, tell em you love em. When you're upset and you need to get over something, when you need forgiveness, ask for it. If you're a follower of Christ and somebody ask for it, give it to em.
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Always. Give it to em. Put aside all malice. Put aside all deceit. Put aside hypocrisy, and play acting where we put on a face that says, we're right and good and holy but then, inside is dead man's bones.
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Ugliness. Don't be whitewashed sepulchres as Jesus called the Pharisees. Pharisees. Rid yourself. Put it aside all hypocrisy.
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Christ has paid the penalty and will allow for that. He will sanctify you in that way. Put aside all envy. That's jealousy. Putting other people down, wanting what they have, wanting them not to have what they do have because you don't have.
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Put aside all slander, any evil speak, any speech. This one hit hard three weeks ago. Like newborn babies though, what's the cure for this? Long for or crave, crave the pure milk of the word so that by it, you may grow in respect to your salvation. Yes, you're saved but how you going to grow?
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You're going to grow by diving in deeper and deeper into God's word and it's at times like this when we are looking for answers that we dig deeper into what the word says. Thessalonians says, we are not to grieve as those who have no hope. We have hope and so there is joy that goes along with this sorrow. We are going to miss Mark. His family is going to miss him.
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The kids growing up without him will be, it will be difficult. But he has hope and we can have that same hope. Like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word so that by it, you may grow in respect to salvation and then the last thing he says in that little section is, if you have tasted. So, if you are a believer, like I say that you are, since in obedience, you've obeyed the truth. If you have tasted the kindness of the Lord, put all those things aside and then, come into him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men.
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Do you know that our society rejects Christ? As a society, it's not just first century Pharisees and Romans that did that. We still as a society on the whole, they're still rejecting Christ day by day or saying, one path, there are lots of paths. No, that's rejection. He is the one mediator that's been given between God and man, Jesus Christ.
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Coming to him as a living stone which has been rejected by men but it is choice and precious in the sight of God. I cannot hear precious in the sight of God right now without thinking and precious in the sight of God is the death of his saints. Christ as a living stone rejected by man, choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, said Peter, the rock, right? Petros, You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Christ Jesus. It was through Jesus Christ that makes anything that we do acceptable to God.
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Paul says that if we lift up our good works to God, they are like filthy rags but through Christ Jesus, they're actually do mean something and actually can go forward and does carry hope forward. That verb right there, the you also are being built up. Oiko the me stay. The passive form of it is the way it's translated in the New American Standard are being built up. It means that.
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You are being built up even through difficult times. God is building us up as a fellowship, as a wider body of Christ, okay? Not just this church, small C but the capital C church. He is building us up even through incredibly difficult circumstances but that also is a middle verb. You are building yourselves up.
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I'm I'm asking of us right now that we would gather around the family and that we gather around sisters, brothers in law, and dad, and mom, and others that knew Mark well that we would gather around them and that would be a true support. That we'd help in the ways that we can. We'd be assets and not liabilities. Silence and presence are both good. Okay?
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Just being there for we are building ourselves up in this time. Sometimes, it feels like we have to we have to kind of do it. Right now, while we're questioning God, even though we do have hope, while we're questioning God, we just band together as the continuing body of Christ. For once we were not a people but now, we're the people of God. A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession so that we may proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into the marvelous light.
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For once, you were not a people but now you are the people of God. You had not received mercy but now, you have received mercy. So, this is from last week's message. It was near the end of the message and then I flashed up this slide right here. This is hopscotch pumpkin pie, okay?
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And I saw y'all's eyes examining this slide and y'all cannot figure out how that is a rabbit. He is hopscotch pumpkin pie. That's a little more context. So that's Pascal's hand and that's Pascal's face and this is the furry little ball that we call hopscotch pumpkin pie. Still doesn't look like a rabbit.
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He's a lion faced bunny with a mane like a lion all around him and he's got little floppy ears but you can't see him because he has an afro. So, it's hopscotch pumpkin pie, okay? And he was not my bunny but now, he is my bunny and I take care of him and Tanya takes care and Paschal takes care and we take care of this bunny who is not ours. What not responsibility? But when he became ours, we've taken care of him.
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He's looked at us this whole time. Just like we were once not a people but now we are the people of God. We've been called out from every tribe, tongue, and nation, every language, every people group are being called out and into into the Ecclesia, the called out ones, the church, capital C church. Now, we're up to first Peter. This is the beginning of the message.
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Start the time now, okay? First Peter, first Peter two thirteen through 25. Starts off like this. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake and that's a very operative phrase right there because it makes no sense otherwise. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution.
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Now, there are governing authorities. He mentions that whether to a king as the one who is in authority or to governors under the king's authority. Governors who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do right. This gives us God's definition. Why are there authority structures and it is for the praise of those who do right and for the punishment of those who do wrong.
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That's what governments were instituted for. I mean, I know for these reasons, governments are instituted among men. We've got all our American documents but the Bible says it right here. This is why we have it. It is for the praise of those who do right, to encourage the good, and to punish evildoers.
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It is to discourage the bad. And for that very reason, he says, submit yourselves for the Lord's sake. God is the one who judges rightly and God is the one who sets things out forth rightly. He's given us propositional truth in the form of his written word, Old and New Testaments. Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution.
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Now, are they always right? No, but they are always the authority. So, right now, in our society, whether it's this administration that you're hating and frustrated with or whether it was the last administration that you're hating or we're frustrated with because that pretty much covers everybody, right? Not a whole lot of middle ground here but for either one of those guys, they were the in the position of authority and authority is important to God and these first two verses, what it really says is honor authority. That's the governmental authority for one thing.
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That's what he specifically mentions but there's authority setups for the church, the elders of the church are an authority in the church. They do so under the direction of God and by his word, that cannot be taken away. They just don't have absolute power. They have rubrics and they have the Bible to to go on but authority is to be honored and why would you say, why? Why should I?
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That's the American way, isn't it? Cast off that tyrant, King George and since then, we've all been questioning authority. I actually, y'all might not remember this song but in my head, when I hear the word authority, especially in this context, I always think, I find authority, authority always wins. John Mellencamp, y'all know the song when he was John Cougar. It's I find authority, authority always wins.
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No? Nobody? Nothing? Yeah. Yeah.
36:33
Few of you. That's right. Alright. Why should I honor authority? Well, he gives us the answer for such as the will of God.
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It is God's will. How often do people come to me and say, would you pray for me? I'm trying to discern God's will. Usually, that mean, I'm trying to decide whether I should date this person, marry this person, take this job, not take this job, quit this job, okay? But when they're looking for the will of God, it's a very specific thing usually but the Bible is very general about the will of God.
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It this is the will of God concerning you. Your sanctification. That's one of em. That's general and it's broad but it's good, right? This is the will of God concerning you that you would honor the authority for the Lord's sake because if you do that for the Lord's sake, you're right, you are rightly motivated.
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And that by doing right, you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Thank you, Frank. It's warm up here. I might take this jacket off. I will take this jacket off.
37:35
For such is the will of God that by doing right, you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Think about it. It is God's will to honor authority. Now, praise God. We live in the good old US Of A and the way that our founding fathers recognized the total depravity of man.
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When they set up the constitution, they made for, made allowances for human frailty and they made allowances for human frailty of those in leadership and they made allowances for us to civil disobedience. We can be civil and fight what we believe to be wrong under God's law that finds its way into our law. We still have to honor the authority and we can do that. Peaceable protest, we can do that. I love peaceable protest.
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I love civil disobedience when it's done in accordance with God's will and the law of the land. I've quoted from letter from a Birmingham jail. I don't know how many times and I'll continue to do that. It is the will of God that by doing right, you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. The ark of the moral universe bends towards justice, right?
38:46
It's this. For such is the will of God that by doing right, even in the face of opposition, you may silence the ignorance of foolish man. Act therefore as free men. So, use your actions as free people and do not let your freedom be or as a covering for evil. So, many of us have grown up in the church in a legalistic interpretation of scriptures and we know what the legalistic answer is but then again, there are those of us who have grown up in the ditch of license where you can do whatever you want to.
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And just satisfy self but God is calling us out of both of those ditches. I don't know how many times I've said this. He's calling us into the good old gospel way right here in between where we do have absolute freedom from the law. An absolute freedom to do as God directs but do not use the freedom that God gives as an excuse to go wild. Act as free men and don't use your freedom as a covering for evil but use it Your freedom to be a bond slave of God.
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By choice, I choose to be a servant of God. He has set me free and because I'm thankful, I am going to serve him for the rest of my days. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. All those things magnify what you are and then it says, a people for God's own possession. Owned by God, slaves of the master.
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So that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. As bond slaves and here are four quick things that we are to do. Honor all people. Okay? Honor all people.
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Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. So, honor all people. Does it really mean all people?
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It really means all people. Some of em are unlovable. Yes, they are. Christ died for them anyway and Christ is our example. We'll see that in just a minute.
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Honor all people. All. Does it but just not just people who agree with me? No, everyone. Honor all people.
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You don't have to give credence to everything everybody believes because we know there's tons of wackadoo nonsense out there. But you do have to honor the person. They're created in the image of God. They're bearers of his image and they deserve to be honored. Love the brotherhood.
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So, he's already said, love one another fervently. Love the brethren fervently. So, for those of us who are believers in Jesus, we are to be loving each other and we are called to unity. We are called to love one another fervently. Love the brotherhood.
41:29
We're honoring everyone. We're gathering around and showing our love to the brotherhood in the fear of God. If you were to think about the people that Jesus defended like the woman caught in adultery, let's say. He honored her as a person. Did he agree with what she did?
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No, he said go and sin no more. But he honored her. Fear God. God is always looking out for the underdog. He's always looking out for the least likely candidate.
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So, in the fear of God, should we not be honoring all people? Don't cut anybody off from the possibility that God might flow his grace and his mercy and his love through you into their life. Don't cut that possibility off. Revere God and honor the king. I know that that's hard.
42:21
I know it's hard for some of you right now. I know it was hard for some of you for eight years before that but honor the guy who's in charge. Dude, it's the office. It's authority. It's what's set up ahead of us and then, he goes on and this is part of the household code and we've seen that in Paul multiple times.
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We saw it. The household code, how we are to live. He'll get into. Peter will get into chapter three, wives and husbands. He starts off.
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Usually, Paul goes, wives, husbands, slaves, masters, if he includes all. Peter starting off with servants. Same word, doulos is slaves, servants, or bond servants depending on context. This says, servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect. I do not think that it's too much of a leap for me to say employees.
43:08
Be submissive to your bosses with all respect because that is the sense. You've undergone a contract. You're working with them for an agreement and servants be submissive to your masters with all respect. Not only to those who are good in general. Now, there, how many of y'all have had good and general bosses?
43:25
I don't want you to raise your hands. Some of the bosses are here, okay? You had good and general bosses but almost everybody can say but we've also had those who are unreasonable, right? Don't matter which it is. He's saying, just at the beginning of our talk today, he said, for the Lord's sake, submit to authority.
43:42
So, if you're in a servant role, then you are to submit to the authority of the master. Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good in general but also to those who are unreasonable for this. Again, finds favor with God. This is the will of God that you would live by the authority structures that have been instituted and implemented and they are over you. Romans 13, by the way, goes into this that we are to honor and respect governmental authority.
44:10
For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God, a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. It finds favor when everything governmentally is against you and you suffer for it because of conscience for God, that finds favor with God because you're suffering unjustly. Do you get that? Okay, God's the only one who judges righteously and rightly and everything else, the winds of culture, the winds of society, sway the laws of the land and move things around but if we trust in God and we keep on going forward, trusting God. We will suffer unjustly and that will find favor with God when we bear up under sorrow.
45:02
For what credit is there if when you sin, you're harshly treated and you endure it with patience. Yeah, you did the crime. You do the time, right? There's no, there's nothing, there's nothing necessarily godly about that. If you sin and you're punished, that's what governments were set up to do.
45:19
You sin, you're punished, you suffer the consequence of your actions. Cares if you endure it with patience or if you grit your teeth the whole time, makes no difference whatsoever. You're not suffering unjustly. You're suffering justly but he says, but if when you do what is right and you suffer for it, you patiently endure it. This finds favor with God.
45:38
That's why I come back to that letter from that Birmingham jail so often. It's because he was suffering unjustly for something that was the right cause and he was moving the gospel forward. He called out other pastors from the jail, right? If when you do what is right, you suffer for it and you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. All of the details of this weekend's tragic death lead me to believe that Mark was doing the right thing for the hunter that was with him.
46:10
I believe that he laid down his life for that other man. And that is suffering unjustly unto death. There's no greater love than this but that a man would lay down his life for another. If when you do what is right, you suffer for it, you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. I already knew he found favor with God.
46:30
I already knew that because he loved Jesus. If you went to the Virginian at 06:00 in the morning, 06:15, you would see Mark sitting there with a group of guys. If you went to Bubba's in the afternoon, you'd see him sitting with a different group of guys. He was always calling guys into a greater and deeper relationship with Jesus. He's calling people who didn't know him into an introductory relationship with him.
46:56
Sorry to divert from the text. Last year, when, I mean, last week, when I showed the bunny picture, somebody said I went down a bunny trail. I don't mean to do that but my attention is drawn away this morning. For you have been called for this very purpose since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps. So, Christ is our example.
47:17
Honor authority is the first point. Christ is our example is the second point. Look at this, as far as honoring authority and Christ being our example from John 19, therefore, when Pilate heard this statement, somebody had just said, he says, he's the king. Therefore, when Pilate heard the statement, he was even more afraid and he entered into the praetorium again and he said to Jesus, where are you from? And Jesus gave him no answer.
47:44
So, Pilate said to him, you don't speak to me? Now, he's the authority and Jesus gave him no answer. You don't speak to me? Speak to me and then Jesus response, he was an authority. Do you not know that I have authority to release you and I have authority to crucify you and Jesus answered, you would have no authority over me unless it had been given you from above.
48:04
That's extreme honor of authority right there. He honored God and God's position. The man in the position. He honored him because God had given it to him. You would have no authority over me unless it had been given you from above and for this reason, he who delivered me to you has the greater sin.
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Now, think about that for a minute. Who was it that delivered him? Was it Judas? Yeah, kind of. Was it Jews?
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Yeah, Sanhedrin, kind of. Was it me? Yes. Was it you? Yes.
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Everyone of us who has sinned and that's everyone of us. Deliver Jesus over for the scourging. By his stripes, we're healed, delivers him over for the crucifixion. For this reason, he who delivered me to you has the greater sin. As a result of this, Pilate made efforts to release him.
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He had the authority to do so but the Jews cried out saying, if you release this man, you're no friend of Caesar. They used the political scheme to hold him to keeping Jesus captive. Everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar and so Pilate had his hands sort of tied. He did wash his hands of it but he still did the politically expedient thing. He judged wrongly.
49:19
No surprise but he was an authority. So, our authority, why should I? Because Christ is our example and he did. He continually did. I think that the gentle Jesus making mild sometimes is overplayed but then again, I think we hold on to Jesus flipping those tables over every time we get upset with anybody, right?
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So, Christ is our example. He's he committed no sin. Our sinless savior died because our sinless savior died. My sinful soul is counted free. He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
50:00
Paul says, Jesus did not sin. He who committed no sin, who nor was any deceit found in his mouth. Like I said just a minute ago, he tells us, come into the living stone, act as living stones, and remove all deceit from our mouths. Christ is our example. No deceit was found in his mouth.
50:20
He told the truth. He did so in love. While being reviled, he did not revile in return. Now, this is from Mark 15. The story is also told in Luke but Mark says in chapter 15, they crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left and the scripture was fulfilled which says, he was numbered with transgressors.
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He was not a transgressor of the law but he was numbered with them and crucified alongside. Those passing by were hurling abuse at him, mocking him, reviling him. They were wagging their heads and that was a form of abuse in that day and saying, you who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross in the same way. The chief priest also with the scribes, they were mocking him among themselves and saying, he saved others but he can't save himself. Let this Christ, king of Israel, come down now from the cross so that we may see and believe and those who were crucified with him were also insulting him and Mark, he says, those who, that was plural, those two guys, one on his right, one on the left were mocking him but Luke says that there was something that changed in one of those guys.
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When he saw Jesus's righteous good response, when he said, father, forgive them for they know not what they do. One of the guys was convicted of his own sin of mocking Jesus and he said, remember me when you come in your kingdom. Was that guy baptized? No. Did he go through confirmation class?
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No. Did he do any religious ritual whatsoever? No. He turned to Christ. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
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He turned to him and he said, remember me when you come into your kingdom. I was mocking you a minute ago but I believe that you are the king that you say that you are. Just remember me when you come into your kingdom and Jesus said, surely today, you'll be with me in paradise. Praise God that there's an open offer and an open invitation right there. Christ is our example.
52:13
While being reviled, he did not revile in return. He started it. That's what we want to say. Revile back. Nope.
52:20
Christ did not revile in return. While suffering, he uttered no threats. Isaiah from about nine hundred years or so before. He was oppressed and he was afflicted Yet, he did not open his mouth. That's in his own defense, right?
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He didn't open his mouth. The like a lamb that is led to the slaughter and like a sheep that is silent before his shearers. So, he did not open his mouth. That story is retold again in Acts and it's interesting that this is where right after Pentecost, Philip, the evangelist, Philip is is running alongside a chariot. There's an Ethiopian eunuch in the chariot and now, the passage of scripture where that eunuch was reading was this, he was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb before its sheer as silence.
53:02
So, he does not open his mouth and that eunuch answered Philip and said, please tell me of whom does this prophet say this of himself or of someone else? And Philip opened his mouth and began. From this scripture, he preached Jesus to him. He started right there. Every opportunity is a good opportunity.
53:20
This guy was looking, was reading, was paying attention, and Philip preached Jesus to him from right where he started. This closing point, this is the last. Maybe it's not the last. Never mind. Got two more verses.
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He uttered no threats but he kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. That kept entrusting is an interesting verb form. It means that progressive action in the past, he kept on entrusting. He did it. We see from the womb.
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He was filled with the Holy Spirit and he continually kept entrusting himself unto God for his entire life and he kept entrusting him and Jesus crying out from the cross. Luke twenty three forty six. Jesus crying out with a loud voice said, father, it's into your hands I commit my spirit. He kept entrusting until the very end of his earthly days. Having said this, he breathed his last to tell us that it is finished.
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Christ had done all the work that he need to do and his perfect exemplary life where he was as our example. Christ is our, yeah? And he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. This is a not so subtle call to holiness. He's saying, live rightly.
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Live rightly because your gracious savior died on your behalf. Everyone of your sins, past, present, future has been paid for. Now, live as a freed man, righteously and rightly following after Christ's example. For by his wounds, you were healed, for you were continually straying like sheep. That continually straying progressive action in the past too.
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You were continually straying like sheep but now, you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. There is a flock that God has called us from out of every tribe, tongue, and nation. He's called us into this flock and we don't always do everything right and church authority doesn't do everything right and governmental authority doesn't do everything right but God calls us to live under and submit to that authority as Christ did under our under his example. We've returned to the shepherd and to the guardian, the one who can keep our souls. Lord God, I pray that we would know how we are kept by the power of God.
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I pray that we would not be straying like sheep or wandering off like sheep but I thank you that you're the kind of God who leaves the ninety and nine and goes and gets the one airing one and brings them back in. Lord, I pray that you would be building us up and I pray also that we would be building ourselves up under your authority. In Jesus name, lord. I want to, for me and for everyone else, I want for us to associate with the suffering of the man of sorrows, the one who was acquainted with grief but lord, I want you to turn that sorrow and grief into action that we would act, lord, that we would get feet with our prayers and that we would listen to your still small voice. We would act on.
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In Jesus name, lord, I pray. Amen. So, I've asked Carl, would you come on forward? And I've asked Florine. They they they serve on the band in the first service.
56:35
Usually, we play this. This might be a song that many of y'all have not heard before. It's called Man of Sorrows and I'm going to ask the frontline team if you would come forward, grab the plates from back there somewhere and we are going to take up a second offering. This is for Sarah Upton and their kids and for the family of Mark and for all the expenses incurred this weekend. Whatever we can do to help.
56:58
So, we're going to pass the plates again but if you would, we'll have the words on the screen. If you want to sing, you can. If you don't know the song, you don't have to. Would you just be contemplative and pay attention to what these words are saying?
1:01:56
Speaker 2Amen.
1:02:13
Speaker 1So, in times that are difficult like this, I I remember a very early memory verse and it's from John 11. John eleven thirty five says, Jesus wept. Jesus wept. There's full humanity and full divinity in Christ and where he did that, if you pay attention to context, was in the context of having lost a dear, dear friend and being there and seeing that dear friend's sisters. It's heartbreaking and Jesus wept.
1:02:45
But he also said this to that sister, Jesus told her, I'm the resurrection and the life and anyone who believes in me will live even after dying and then he asked her a question and I'm going to ask you the same question. Do you believe that? Amen. Do you believe that? I'm the resurrection of the life.
1:03:02
Anybody who believes in me will live though he has died. Jesus wept. As we weep and we mourn this week, I pray that God would let us know who we are in the family of God and that we would serve in exactly that capacity. I thank, I'm thankful for everyone of you and I pray that we would be the body of Christ and that we've come around this blessed family. In Jesus name, lord, would you bless us and let us live that resurrection life.
1:03:30
Amen.
