2019-05-12-LIVE OAKS - Dear Church, Love Jesus - Part 3

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we A little weak. But okay just go with it. Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers in our midst. We really do praise God for you. We do Adam. Name the Eve because she was going to be the mother of all living. We just got named after dirt. I mean men what are name means you get any mother of living we could be dirt. That's great Mother's Day. Maybe there should be like a day to celebrate Father's.

Never work. Where in Revelation continuing our series of revelation of what Jesus did say to the seven congregations in the ancient world and what might Jesus be saying to us today? We started out in Ephesus in again. Just recapping in like a sentence. Jesus said to the church in Ephesus you love being right about me. But have you forgotten to love me? And it was a stinging rebuke to me personally because I do love learning what is right and what is true about Christ but sometimes in the middle of that I can forget to actually love him. And so it was a very loving stinging rebuke and it should be for us as well. Then last week. We were in Smyrna and basically

Testing does come to Christians. There's no such thing as a Believer who will not go through tests and trials and what we learned was that we have to think of a test a time of testing differently than we do. We usually think that a test is denoted like find out if we're going to pass or fail and this contact testing means to put on display what God has placed in us to like refine us and prepare us and make us stronger. It's a beautiful thing to go through a time of trial. It's like knowing that God is Sovereign. Okay, so he's in control Sovereign in control of all things if you're going through a time of trial it means that he's doing this on purpose and because we know that God is loving if he is going to put you through a time of trial that's going to be very difficult and trying he's also loving that that means he is doing this for a reason he is preparing you he's making you stronger. And the only reason that God would want to make you stronger. It says he has something awesome to do through you. So hard in that time but take it as a compliment take it as a as a as an encouragement when you go through times of trial cuz it means God is preparing you to be used by him and this week. We're starting in Revelation 2 verse 12 in the church in pergamum. So let's pray. Let's pray before you jump in God. We thank you for what you would have to say to these churches in those words are recorded. Thank you. Holy spirit. Thank you Jesus for reviewing these things to John and I praise you that they were written that we could read them and we can be instructing we can be guided we can be challenged and reviewed encouraged. Thank you. Thank you for your written word. It's it's your written word that stands up here in front of your church is your truth that needs to be put on display this morning not anything from me, but but through me if possible around me. If you have to Holy Spirit, please speak that we would have ears to hear as well. Myself included that we would hear what your word would have to say. You're very in this case spoken word. Jesus to your church not just in pergamum, but but here at Live Oaks speak to us. It's in your name. We do pray. I'm in it's a Revelation Chapter 2 starting in verse 12 to the church in pergamum and to the angel of the church in pergamum write the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell where Satan's Throne is that you hold fast my name and you did not deny my face even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness who was killed them on you where Satan dwells, but I have a few things against you. You know, it's like an emphasis it was like I have this against you in Smyrna. He didn't actually receiver if you prefer gomovies.

I have a few things against you you have some here who hold the teaching of Balaam who taught balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches to the one who conquers. I will give some of the Hidden Manna and I will give him a white stone with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. So some some facts about pergamum. It's about 30 miles away from Smyrna and in Ephesus, they're all kind of tightly clustered there in what is now turkey. They were a very rich city, but they were also very rich in demonic activity and demonic worship. They had a lot of gold and the worshipped it and they they worship Satan whether they knew they were or not. I'm not sure the dead altars and temples to gosh. Let's hear The Divine Augustus. So this was a town that's like every city in the in the known world at this time in Rome. They worship the Emperor as God so that temples the Divine Augustus and the goddess Roma. So they literally they worship the state and they worship The Head of the State they had a temple to asklepios. Sure. He's the serpent God of healing want to make sure that you looked up some prayers to him for sure a sklepy owes the serpent God of healing and for good measure. They also had an altar to Zeus. So all of their demonic false god worship things that they had lockdown they were on point pretty much there in pergamum. And so it's in this context that Jesus writes to his church now, what's amazing about these kind of Cultures that we look at in the Bible, we very easily like look down on them as being like ridiculous. You had a temple to do the serpent God of healing like not for like a theme park ride queue line, but like for real, you're worshipping a serpent God and when we look down on them as being simple-minded we're just as evil, but just slightly more sophisticated about it our idolatry. Our worship of false gods is in a temples of a bit of a different shape hold something a bit different when you go outside of this culture and I've had a few short experiences in in Haiti is the one that stands out so dramatically you like can see the Demonic activity there. It's like bold-faced. Africa is it bold-faced or bald-faced? If someone tells you it's a bold-faced lie or bald-faced lie both regardless, it's right there. It's not hidden. I mean the first night I was in Haiti with my I should just call him my brother Tim, you know, we're laying there in the tent and we're hearing this is drumming off in the distance and heard a goat and their broccoli did not hear the goat. And to never ask each other. We are going to go home from this, right? We're both like I don't see what God wants. I mean, it's just elsewhere. Spiritual worship I mean spiritual warfare is bit more underground. We just become a lot more sophisticated about him. It doesn't mean that we don't have our temples in our worship of false gods.

And I would say you look at historically episis in pergamum. We think preaching the gospel in a hostile culture here in America is difficult. We have no idea. We have nothing to complain about. Jesus speaks to them. Back in verse 12 going to go to this little be a little piece at a time do the Angels Church in pergamum write the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. So this of course is Jesus interesting that he practices his words by reminding us of the fact that what comes from his mouth is a sharp two-edged sword to tell Revelation describes Jesus himself in Hebrews for we have this passage about the the written word of God and Hebrews 4 starting and verse 12. We read this for the word of God. Is living and active sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the division of Soul and Spirit of joints and Marrow and Discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart and I mean go in and verse 13 and no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed the eyes of him too much. We must give an account. To hear Jesus in the writer of Hebrews to describe that the the proclamations of God as being a a sharp sword K on we don't like words that are sharp. We like words that are soft and rather win some soothing right like even if it like, I mean, I don't know if you've ever been a teacher or maybe in like, you know training in your work I had to communicate through, you know about the you know that the sandwich or if you have to tell someone that their terrible waste of space at the company and if they don't leave, you know, then fire is going to burn down the whole place in Saugeen be their fault. So you start off with saying something good about them. You know, it's saying Hey, listen, we love your enthusiasm. It's really great to its 1 and you know in oh my goodness like you're well I can do I say what I say. Oh Suzy azzam and Passion that's going to be a synonym. Let's just do one thing so start off with something positive and didn't say, you know what you're terrible and you should stop that or you're going to have to find a new place to work. By the way your your sweater look great. Like we we I mean, even if Our intention is to correct rebuke we have to like surrounded in in in bubble wrap. Right. Jesus is saying my words are a sword. Rights, and if they can cut through anything and if you've ever received a report from Jesus, maybe that was the time of your conversion your repentance. Maybe that was a time where you did bow your knee and and you realized that's what Jesus can do his words can cut through anything that we put in his way any excuse any way that we try to to do it to repackage our own depravity. He can cut right through it. He can see right through it in and that is his preface to his words to the church in pergamum the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. I know where you dwell where Satan's Throne is that you hold fast to my name and you did not deny my face that's got to be like a relief like I here comes the sword and Jesus says look, I know you lived. Can you practically live on the throne touche? I mean like that's where you are. I know where you live. I know how challenging this is. I know how difficult this is. I know that the Winds of your culture are blowing against you and against the gospel. I know it. I see it be encouraged and be like, okay. I thought that was going to be right even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness. And if you're a Christian at this time, you know Antipas the faithful witness. Here's what church history tells us about Antipas. He would not stop preaching the gospel. So they put him in a Copper Kettle in the shape of one of their false gods. And then put the heat under it. He was braised to death. To get him to account to recant. Breeze 2 death mini roasted to death in this Copper Kettle to get him to deny the name of Jesus and he did not. so again Christians in America Are we in a Copper Kettle being roasted to death?

Are are the winds of our culture blowing against the gospel. Absolutely. Absolutely, but but take heart God knows Jesus knows exactly where we are at exactly what time he knows what forces are arrayed against the proclamation of the Gospel.

But again, the reminder Jesus has the sword his word comes from his mouth. He is the God we serve who should we fear?

I mean think about the powerful words of Jesus. Let there be light. That was a good one. And what happened light? Did you just said it? The proclamation from Christ mouth it just happens. What what do you say to the Sea? be still it was the Lazarus rise up and walk Lazarus was dead. come forth stop being dead. And Lazarus had no choice but to obey. the proclaimed word of Jesus that Jesus did not say but could have don't you think that I could call to my father and he would send 12 Legions of angels to stop this right now.

And again just like this time of trial trust in the sovereignty of God. Jesus can call 12 Legions of angels to take you out of that time to take you out of that Copper Kettle. He could but he's not but who do we trust?

We trust him. Creation bins to the words of Jesus because it was created by them. Peter said yeah, Jesus your words are really difficult. But where else are we going to go? You have the words of life? What do we understand them immediately or whether we're where we whether we bristle at them or whether we wanted no matter what what we do know is that they are the words of life where else can we go?

So that time of great persecution and trial and Trouble the Christians in pergamum were remaining faithful. They were abiding with Jesus. Even the days of Antipas my faithful witness of check this out to take away to Jesus that's with his own words. That's how Jesus was referred. Jesus was referred in Revelation 1:5. If you just going to rise over the left there in Revelation, 1:5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful Witness. The Bible describes Jesus as the faith wasn't at Jesus's Antipas my faithful witness cuz guess what end of this was in Christ. History record said he was in a Copper Kettle. Guess where Antipas knew. He was in Christ as a faithful Witness. Is a faithful Witness? Who was killed among you were Satan dwells back in Revelation to Soaring in 14? But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam who taught balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. I do a really big deep dive down into numbers and everything to understand what's really going on here. This is a history that the children of Israel would know quite well. Let me try to just sum it up really quickly. So there's this dude balak and he wanted Balaam to curse Israel that you may remember Balaam, you know, what the donkey that whole Escapade of Balaam and the donkey kept running into the wall, and he was mad and beaten with stick that whole deal. So that was so balum was known as a dude that could curse and bless he was just known he was kind of famous even that whole region as a dude who could curse and blessing whoever he would curse because we were too blessed bus. So balac one and Balaam to do that. To Israel hate these people. They're just really annoying. Could you please curse them and so he was going to but then the Lord stopped them so balum realize that other guy can't curse these people. Okay can't curse him, but you know what she did. He told balak how to convince Israel to bring a curse upon themselves. He's like, okay, so he's going to curse is Yannis like that and it just for some reason I can't curse him to check this out make the Israelites do this till curse themselves. That's rather nefarious in Numbers chapter 25, just 5 versus let me let me read these bright and Shiny Happy Mother's Day words numbers 25 starting a verse 1 Well Israel lived in shittim, which should have maybe they should have just live somewhere else. I should have been their first clue. The people began to horror with the daughters of Moab these invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods and to the people and the people ate and bow down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of peor and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and the Lord said to Moses take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord that the fierce anger of the Lord made turn away from Israel and Moses said that the judges of Israel each of you kill those of his men who have yolks themselves to Baal of peor. So that's the reference that Jesus is making.

it's like okay, most of you all are staying faithful, but some of you all. Write instead of being Salt and Light. The opposite is happening. You are being led astray by the culture. I mean, you know the expression of being in the world, but not of it right as Christians be song like we're going to be in the world but not of it here. Here's the only analogy that I've ever come on another probably a better one. But how does one do that? How do you be in something but not of it you be in a culture and not be swallowed up by it if you want to swim under the water. Look at the sharks and fishes in the beautiful coral and whatnot. What are you real? What do you what do you what I mean? Can you you're in the water? But if you breathe the water you would die. So what do you do if you have to be in the water, but not of the water if you bring oxygen with you you have it you have scuba gear the other tank that you take with you. So you're in it, but you're not out of it. That's what we do in a hostile culture. Right. We have the breadth of Christ in us, and we remain in him we abide with him like Jesus is commending many of the Christians and program for doing your abiding in me your remaining and even though you're even though you're in the Copper Kettle. You're not of it. You have me you're in me you're biting with me, but there's some There's some that are falling into the same trap that you are great. Great great stidd. in the desert following false worship of false gods and bail is the one that stands out. I thought that's where Baal worship came from by adopting the false gods of the moabites and Baal worship was rather vile detestable. It's not really mentionable here in this setting with this diverse crowd, but it would it would be worshipped through orgies and pleasure and mutilating of the body. And search power and pleasure. That's not relevant to us. Today is it?

Now we're just far more sophisticated now with it the Nicolaitans back there in into. 14 or into 15. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. And the Nicolaitans were Christians that wanted to bring in the practices of Baal worship into the church under the banner of the grace of God.

Tempting to baptize things that are important to God and cover them in the gray said that's not relevant to us either. We're so much more. We no way we would do that. It wouldn't fall into that mistake. Again. That's not relevant. Let's move on. 416 therefore repent

what does repent mean?

We described a lot of times. It's like changing course turning around and that the literal interpretation of repentance change your mind. Change your mind about this therefore repent in 216. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them that the Nicolaitans do the people in their midst that were bringing in worship of abhorrent faults Gods into the body there for repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against him with that sword from my mouth.

Therefore repent repent from what repent from apostates face and apostate preachers apostates the big fancy Church you Bible word for rebellious Lee wrong like rebelliously faults. No, I've said many times. I reserve the right to be wrong. I'm wrong all the time. I am I'm wrong all the time. I'll even go back to preach a sermon set up reach out while I hope nobody heard that part was true. Like you're not apostate if you happen to say something wrong or get something wrong. Gobble lovingly rebuke you lovingly reshape you lovingly change your understanding of something. That's not what he's talking about. He's not talking about being accidentally wrong being a prostate means being rebelliously faults, you know your faults and you don't care.

You're enjoying the deception. You're enjoying just your own life that you're living in think you're fooling everybody else. Are you actually perversely enjoying leading other people astray? He's psych repent you have to repent.

You're being rebelliously faults and you're you're refusing to be corrected. You're embracing rebelliously faults Fades from rebelliously false preachers.

What it means when you can either do that or be okay with that happening whether you yourself would would choose to be rebellious or false or you would allow other false preachers to remain rebelliously faulting and not try to correct them not try to refute them. But just tolerate them maybe even in the name of Grace what what that could prove is that you just don't have the eyes to see

Jesus said whoever has ears to hear eyes to see it will just prove. Be gone by since she said this these Nicolaitans these big Lathan Christians. I have to use that are quote because they're not actually they're proving that their faults. There's no proving that their rebellious. Not just you know making a mistake it I mean they're proving that they are false. They are not regenerate. They're not born again. What does Jesus say You must be born again?

You must be giving new eyes to see new ears to hear. False teaching you can follow a false teaching without being regenerative. You can preach a false teaching without being regenerated without being born again false prophets preach that you can embrace all of the goods, you know, not just not the good stuff like the goods right and the reason not to say good just because it rhymes with shoulds and you can embrace all the good to protect all the shades. I guess I just thought I was clever. A false gospel can say you can have all of this stuff that you desire. All the Commandments and Grace you can have everything you want. What you're proving either by responding to that? Or proclaiming it is that you are not actually born again. Ultimately, That's God's job to judge that I'm not saying. This is how you can successfully judge people. I'm saying understand the rebuke here is not that they're just, you know, kind of gotten a few facts wrong. But they are rebellious leefolt and they need to change their minds. They need to repent turn around and go back the other way another way to put change your mind is change your desire and what we have to understand is that we always work out of our desires.

Righteousness or for wickedness. We work out of our desires matter fact, you've never done anything you did not desire to do I use this example with my middle school Bible students all the time and they always argue with me and they always lose and I love it. I get them to challenge me on this. I say tell me one instance that you've ever done anything you didn't desired it to do and they'll say my room. I hate cleaning my room. Okay. Alright, I think you got me good one. You got me you hate cleaner in but you did anyway, why that's ridiculous. And she will like, you know, if you don't you'll get in trouble. Yeah. Oh so you decided to not get in trouble. But yeah, so you worked out of your desire then. You decide to not get in trouble. So you did what you did want to do. So working out of your desires. Every decision that we make is out of our desire. We do what we desire to do you don't do anything that you do not desire to do. So only the regenerated only the born-again can desire true worship. And the unregenerate can only desire idolatry.

The only way that we would desire Christ is if we were given the ice to see him. Given the ears to hear him unless we were born again. There's it's just not possible. So that actually that should temper us and that that should actually fill us with compassion for those who don't know Christ rebelling against God. They're just doing what seems right to them. Then I should fill us with love and compassion that should also fuel our prayers which in fuel our prayers for lost people. Is it like anger that don't get them? Lovingly get them. Take their heart away from them. Stop them in their tracks. Like they were running into traffic reach out God and stop them and pull them back. Got their blind open their eyes.

They're deaf unclog their ears God. We only have two choices worship or idolatry. And we are commanded to repent by Art of our idolatry and to worship the Creator rather than the creation. This is difficult because it seems like God is commanding us to do something that we can't do. How does God do that or how is it right that God should do that Augustine said Lord command what you will and will what you command? To our prayers for those that don't know Jesus is simply father. Give them the eyes to see you to my own children. Father show them who you are Jesus reveal yourself to them open their eyes. Give them the new heart that will beat for you. Cuz I like the one thing that we want for our lost loved ones is the one thing that we cannot do for them.

We want them to to no repentance. We want them to repent of their sin and turn to Jesus. We can't mandate it. We can't require it. We can't make it happen. His repentance is not just deciding to live a life of white-knuckled obedience. It's just tiring to live a life of obedience. But God is not impressed. He's not moved by our white-knuckle obedience and what I mean by that is doing what we know we should do but we really want to do. Yeah, you might save your life from a little heartache. You might save yourself from

Folly destruction disease I mean all things are in God's hands but by you no avoiding. ridiculously dangerous habits and patterns you might be able to to have your life filled with a little less worry and anxiety and in fear, I don't know but you You can't Grant yourself life nor can you give life to someone else that comes from us repenting and fouling Arnie to Jesus? It's Desiring Kim. and that's how we're really hopeless without them because without him we are slaves slaves to sin and in John chapter 8

we read this John chapter 8 starting a verse 34 truly truly. I say to you everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin that the problem that was the picture that we have in our minds of slavery. It's it's not the right one week we might have it in mind. Okay, if someone's a slave to sin, it means that they they said they're probably calling out Jesus help me. I don't want to send but I'm in Chains. I don't want to send but I've been enslaved here and I've been changed and Jesus. I don't want to please help me to be a slave of sin. It means I love sin. Yes, I'm miserable. But I love my sin and no I'm not going to change. They that are most enslaved are they that do not know that they are. Isn't that real slavery? You don't even realize that you're locked in prison?

In a heart should be broken to those. Two were locked in a prison of sin. We don't respond in Anger. We don't spit on the ground. You don't know. They should do better. We weep for them cuz they don't know how deeply enslave they are. Romans 6:16

Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey either of sin, which leads to death or of obedience, which leads to righteousness is again our pictures of slave. You're probably wrong. Being set free by Christ doesn't mean and you drop your change and you will run off in whatever Direction you want because you've been set free.

When Jesus releases are chains, we just bow at his feet. And we follow him.

We take up our cross and we follow him. And we are free and this is how the freedomworks we're free because of the renewal of our mind of the changing of our mind. We desire him we desire righteousness and we're set for you to pursue it where otherwise beforehand and slavery we could not now we can now we're able to pursue righteousness were able to pursue him. We have been set free.

We are free indeed true repentance leads to True freedom. True repentance is at the heart of the miracle of God's Amazing Grace. We don't talk about repentance much. What is at the heart of this miracle that we call the grace and loving forgiveness of Christ repentance? Can't be removed from that. We are commanded to repent but we outside of him will not we cannot because our very desires are falling. Just make sense. We can't choose Christ because we won't. Because we can't we eat. We don't desire him cuz we don't see him. We don't want a basically. We don't want to and that's what the Holy Spirit does in our hearts. He causes us to want to True repentance is a changing of our minds. It's a changing of our desires. Repentance is a miracle. And you know, you can't conjure a miracle cuz you've wanted to and you've tried. Someone you love is sick or dying injured. Someone is without your without your sick and you pray you try to make it happen and it doesn't. Miracles are not conjured Miracles are performed by God for his glory and for our joy. So repentance itself is amazing Miracle. It's it's the first one that we see you can go to. Acts chapter 11

and Acts chapter 11 starting in verse 15

and I should begin to speak. So this is Peter talking about his in his amazing experience. I've seen that the holy spirit being poured out on Gentiles is a dollar in the Lord's doing something with Gentiles his craziness, new thing. I think he's calling in the second string. I'm not sure.

And I and I remembered what it were my 15 as I began to speak the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us in the beginning Peter talking about the the the the Gentiles and I remembered the word of the Lord how he said John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Who was I that I could stand in God's way when they heard these things they fell silent and they glorified God saying then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life. God granted repentance miraculously freely graciously. He granted repentance real quick back to Acts chapter 5 starting verse 29

Acts 5:29 but Peter and the apostles answered we must obey God rather than men the god of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging them on a tree. Exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. our turn to acts 13 starting in verse 44 acts 13 44

next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord, but when the Jews saw the crowds that were filled with jealousy and begin to contradict what was spoken by Paul or violin him and Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly saying it was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you since you've trusted aside and judge yourselves Unworthy of eternal life to hold. We are turning to the Gentiles for so the Lord has commanded us saying I have made you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring Salvation to the ends of the Earth. And when the Gentiles heard this it began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord and as many, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed God granted them repentance, which led to eternal life a miraculous change of mind a relaxed on the miraculous change of heart of a miraculous change of Desire.

It's a miracle. And again, I want you to imagine that person that you desperately want to know Christ as Savior, imagine them picture them and know and feel that what would they need us what we cannot give them? They need open eyes. They need open ears. They need a need a new heart. They need new desires.

and we are praying to the only one who could accomplish that we're praying to God who is the only one that can change your heart change your mind open an ear and open and I In order to do anything, we need three things. We need desire ability and the right to do anything. We have to have the desire the ability and the right and a lot of things you can imagine. We we have like one of the three or maybe even two of the three, but we will not always have all three we are not sovereign. Whether you want to or not, or do you can be not sure if you want to what do you want to when you can but you don't have the right. We're always blocked God is not he is the one that has the desire has the ability has the right. God can do anything.

like it like it if if if Christians heard that saw was coming on the Damascus Road to put people in prison, maybe we would gather gather, you know western-style right saddle up a little Posse go meet him on the road and say saw you may want to persecute Christians in Damascus, but we got a bunch of Steel and Lead says, you're not gonna

We we even force a change of behavior, but can we change our heart? No instead Jesus appeared to Saul on the road and said saw.

He said yes and his entire life was different. Saul repented

It was beautiful and it was a glorious. We need to be praying. The God would Grant repentance to those who desperately need him. That's what we should be praying for. The one thing we cannot do. Back in Revelation 2 and verse 17 he who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the churches to the one who conquers. I will give some of the Hidden Manna and it will give him a white stone with a new name written on that stone that no one knows except the one who receives it what's going on here.

Whitestone strike, anybody else is strange. In ancient Greece white stones were given for two reasons. 1 Is that how that that's how a jury would vote? To acquit someone who is guilty. You'll be given a white stone in that white stone would represent your innocence. your freedom White stones were also given to Victor's and tournaments in combat and you would be given a white stone in that white stone would be your entrance to the banquet.

That is what Jesus offers us. a white stone with a new name a new heart a new desire desire not the slop from the world's trobs, but the Feast of righteousness at the king's table. And like rice is giving us games us entrance to that feast. a new heart

new desire a new appetite

we celebrate mom's this morning. I mean everyone had a mother invite everyone. We were given Life by the the love and pain. Have our mothers. given eternal life through Christ through repentance if you have not repented of your sin.

But there's a strange stirring. Where now you desire to. Don't walk away from that. Coming and speak to us come forward and share. What is on your heart? It may be that today. God is granting you repentance new eyes and I knew heartless prey.

By the way, the picture our loved ones in our minds and I'm asking God that you would give us Clarity in that show us who took for whom we are to pray. Put those faces in our hearts and our minds allow us to see them allow our hearts to break for them.

Repentance is what they need. God repentance is what they need, and I can't get I can't I can't grant that.

I can't give them repentance. I can't. but you can John asking that you would you have

you have the right.

You have the ability. But I'm praying that you would desire took to Grant him grant them repentance today.

Thank you. God that you give us a new heart.

Thank you for our new life. Thank you for a new birth. I pray that we would abide in you Christ. No matter what our culture decides no matter where you might Place us, whether whether you pick us up and ship us off to the mission field or e or you caused our culture to become the mission field, whatever wherever you place us. Help us to be faithful to you in abide in you Christ abide in you Jesus in and be faithful to what you have called us. That was a live lives of repentance every day. Playing our hearts down before you're feeding. Continue to walk in a desire to know you and love you and serve you alone and not turn away to idols. Thank you Lord, Jesus for this morning and this time. Your precious. Holy name we pray I'm in. We'll go and be blessed and walk in Repentance and life in Christ.

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