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first Thessalonians

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41-12 finally then Brothers we ask and

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urge you in the Lord Jesus that as you

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received from us how you ought to walk

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and to please God just as you are doing

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that you do so more and more for you

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know what instructions we gave you

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through the Lord Jesus for this is the

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will of God your

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sanctification that you abstain from

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sexual immorality that each one of you

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know how to control his own body and

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Holiness and honor not in the passion of

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lust like the Gentiles who do not know

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God that no one transgress and wrong his

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brother in this matter because the Lord

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is an Avenger in all these things as we

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told you beforehand and solemnly warned

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you for God has not called us for

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impurity but in holiness therefore

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whoever disregards this disregards not

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man but God who gives his holy spirit to

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you now concerning brotherly love you

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have no need for anyone to write to you

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for you yourselves have been taught by

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God to love one another for that indeed

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is what you are doing to all the

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brothers throughout Macedonia but we

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urge you Brothers to do this more and

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more and to aspire to live quietly and

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to mind your own affairs

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and to work with your hands as we

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instructed you so that you may walk

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properly before Outsiders and be

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dependent on no

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one hey everybody Welcome to Christ

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Community Chapel I am uh I'm really glad

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you're here so thanks for coming uh

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before I get started I I just want to

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tell you that I feel like uh God is uh

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doing something uh special right now

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here at CCC and I I tell you that

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because uh I don't want you to to miss

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it you know the the Bible is full of

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examples of where God uh shows up in a

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special way at a particular time in a

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particular place and I really feel like

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uh that could be happening uh right here

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right now and I just want to just

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encourage you don't miss it whatever

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that means uh don't miss the opportunity

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means that if you're on the fringes take

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a step deeper in wherever you are uh

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lean into all that's going on here so

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that you don't uh Miss what God's doing

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in the church or what God may want to do

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inside of you all

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right okay uh let's get into the message

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today we are in our 10we Series where

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we're looking at first and 2

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Thessalonians those are two letters that

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the Apostle Paul uh wrote to a church uh

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in a city called

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thessalonica the church was doing

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extraordinarily well and that uh Paul is

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encouraging them uh about how well

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they're doing and so we are calling this

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series the church God calls good the

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church God calls good and we want to be

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that kind of church we want to be a

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church that God calls good so we're

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trying to learn all that we can from the

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Thessalonians

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uh Christianity swept across the Roman

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Empire and it swept across the Roman

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Empire not just because of what

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Christians believed but how they lived

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their lives the way Christians lived was

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completely different than the way the

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people around them thought and lived I

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mean if you uh lived in a neighborhood

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in thessalonica and you had a couple of

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Christians in your neighborhood you knew

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it uh they stood out

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they could not blend in it was such a

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contrast there was like a contrast

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between light and darkness Jesus came

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saying that he was light and life and

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that life and light was shining out of

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the Thessalonians and of course the

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darker someplace is the more the

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stronger the contrast is when light

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comes to that

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darkness and what I'm saying to all of

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us is as our world gets darker as our

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nation gets darker it's on us as

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Christians to shine bright it's on us as

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a

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church to shine bright the question of

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course is how how do we do that the

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Thessalonians did it by connecting the

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gospel to their everyday lives they

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connected the gospel to their everyday

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lives there were actually four areas

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where they were radically different than

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the previl culture four ways that people

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had never seen other people a group of

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people approach these four areas the way

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Christians did and the four areas are

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these sex money work and

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death sex money work and death no one

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had ever seen

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anyone who uh approached sex the way

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Christians approached sex

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no one had ever talked to

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anyone who handled their money the way a

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Christian handled their money no one had

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ever seen anyone talk about work the way

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Christians talked about work and no one

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had ever seen anyone approach death the

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way a Christian approach death now I

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don't want to steal Zach's Thunder Zach

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preaches next week and he's going to

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preach on the the passage that covers

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how Christians approach death but I I

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will tell you this I mean it was pretty

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astounding uh and Christians got this

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reputation of how they approach death

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with with a peace and a joy that people

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had didn't really understand there's a

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quote attributed to a centurion uh whose

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Duty was in the Coliseum he was one of

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the ones that led Christians into the

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center of the Coliseum where they would

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be eaten by lions or attacked by other

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animals and after a couple of months of

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doing that this is the quote that was

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attributed to this Centurion he said

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behold these Christians die well behold

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these Christians thy well Christians

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were known to sing hymns when they

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approached death and we still do I've

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been privileged to be in hospital rooms

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or hospice rooms where

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a a group of Christians are gathered

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around a family member who's also a

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Christian and they're holding hands and

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singing as their loved one passes into

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the presence of

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Jesus it's astounding it's moving it

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reminds me of uh there's a story in the

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book of Acts where Paul and Silas have

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been thrown in jail after being beaten

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and it says that they were singing hymns

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and then it says that all the other

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prisoners were listening

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and I wrote in the margin of my Bible no

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kidding of course they were listening

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because no one had ever encountered

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anyone who'd been beaten unjustly thrown

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into prison and responded by singing

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right but I'll leave that to Zach that's

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all the Thunder I'm going to steal from

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him uh I want to concentrate on the

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other three

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areas because the way Christians

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approached these three things sex money

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and work uh created an an

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alternative that was so attractive to

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people that it actually changed the

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world for these Christians children and

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grandchildren and great-grandchildren

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and that's what we want to do all right

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so let's take a look if you have your

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Bibles go ahead and turn to first

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Thessalonians chapter

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4 we're looking at verses 1-2 if you're

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going to use one of our Bibles in the

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Hughes or if you're over in East Hall in

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the back of East Hall those Bibles it's

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on page

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928 page 928 or you can just wait for

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the verses to come up on the screen all

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right let's start with sex this is uh

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let me read the first three verses he

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says F finally then Brothers we ask and

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urge you in the Lord Jesus that as you

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receive from us how you ought to walk

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and to please God just as you are doing

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that you do so more and more for you

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know what instructions we gave you

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through the Lord Jesus for this is the

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will of God your sanctification that you

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abstain from sexual immorality let me

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stop

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there uh he's talking he's about to talk

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about how they're going to live and he's

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saying you need to keep living the way

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you're living in a way that is pleasing

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to God and then he he talks about the

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result of that the purpose of that is

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your sanctification that's the word he

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uses that's a great word

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sanctification it means the you you have

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always wanted to be the you that you

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were created to be and I know I use

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those two phrases a lot uh but I want

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you to know that I'm not talking about

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the you you want to be like you you want

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to be a little thinner or a little bit

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nicer or a little bit Kinder that's not

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it uh it is to be radically different

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than you the way you were created to be

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you you and I aren't even close to what

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we were created to be I still remember a

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professor in college saying that if if

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Adam and Eve walked into the room we

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would have to fight the urge to fall

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down and worship them and what my

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professor was saying was that Adam and

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Eve were created in the image of God and

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before sin entered the world they

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reflected that image very

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clearly that Adam and Eve that you were

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created to be radiant to be glorious to

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be joyful to be

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beautiful I mean you you were created to

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be

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stunning right and that's what Adam and

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Eve were and what what sin does and and

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Adam and Eve were like a mirror that

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reflected the image of God in a very

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clear way I think uh I am more like one

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of those Funhouse mirrors that you go in

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and and your head's really big or you're

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super wide or you're super but you're

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all distorted see I I used to think that

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I was like a mirror that had dirt and

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smudges on it and that that's not it's

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deeper than that I mean there's dirt

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smudges and all that but there's a

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distortion that goes on and so we do not

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reflect the image of God the way we're

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intended what Paul says is what when God

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gives us

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instructions about sex and money and

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work and any any of those instructions

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is for our sanctification it's the it's

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to help pound out those

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distortions in your soul

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so that you reflect his

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image because you were made to be

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radiant to be glorious to be joyful to

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be

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beautiful so that's the first thing all

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right then he says uh verses

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3-8 he says for this is the will of God

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your

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sanctification that you abstain from

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sexual

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immorality that each one of you know how

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to control his own body and holiness and

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honor not in the passion of lust like

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the Gentiles who do not know God that no

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one transgress and wrong his brother in

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this manner because the Lord is an Aven

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Avenger of all these things as we told

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you beforehand and solemnly warned you

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for God has not called us for impurity

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but in

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Holiness therefore whoever disregards

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this disregards not man but God who

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gives his holy spirit to you all right

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for me to talk about this first point of

275
00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:10,000
how Christians were different in regards

276
00:13:07,279 --> 00:13:13,639
to sex it's probably easiest for me to

277
00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:16,360
break it into three sub points like how

278
00:13:13,639 --> 00:13:18,600
the Greeks viewed sex how Christians

279
00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:22,880
viewed sex and then kind of the

280
00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:23,959
difference that it made first how Greeks

281
00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:29,000
viewed

282
00:13:23,959 --> 00:13:32,560
sex uh Greeks were very casual with sex

283
00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:36,040
uh uh the average uh Greek man uh was

284
00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:38,639
expected to have uh three relationships

285
00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:42,600
with three different women the average

286
00:13:38,639 --> 00:13:45,480
Greek man uh had a wife and the wife uh

287
00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:47,639
usually brought money and Status into

288
00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:50,399
the relationship so you'd marry for

289
00:13:47,639 --> 00:13:53,440
status then uh your wife kind of managed

290
00:13:50,399 --> 00:13:56,920
your Affairs and was responsible to Bear

291
00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:59,680
your legitimate children and heirs

292
00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:01,279
that's the wife's responsibility

293
00:13:59,680 --> 00:14:03,920
then the average Greek man had a

294
00:14:01,279 --> 00:14:05,720
mistress uh and the mistress was this is

295
00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:09,279
interesting the mistress was his

296
00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:10,320
intellectual equal and uh that would be

297
00:14:09,279 --> 00:14:14,199
the woman that he would have

298
00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:16,800
conversations with that he would uh have

299
00:14:14,199 --> 00:14:18,920
Recreation with and that he would also

300
00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:21,800
have sex with right that was his

301
00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:25,600
mistress and then the average uh Greek

302
00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:27,639
man also had what was called a pacus

303
00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:31,800
which was like a concubine usually a

304
00:14:27,639 --> 00:14:36,199
female slave or servant and she was only

305
00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:38,800
for sex so that's the average Greek man

306
00:14:36,199 --> 00:14:41,399
now Paul comes along and he says oh no

307
00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:46,040
listen for Christians it's different God

308
00:14:41,399 --> 00:14:47,519
has given the gift of sex to be enjoyed

309
00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:50,680
in the midst and this is what's

310
00:14:47,519 --> 00:14:53,279
interesting in in the midst of a single

311
00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:56,279
relationship between a husband and a

312
00:14:53,279 --> 00:15:00,720
wife a committed relationship called

313
00:14:56,279 --> 00:15:03,880
marriage inside of that sex can work for

314
00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:08,279
your sanctification can work to help you

315
00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:11,240
get less distorted more clearly image

316
00:15:08,279 --> 00:15:13,240
God inside outside of it Christianity is

317
00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:17,759
very very simple when it comes to sex

318
00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:23,079
inside of that yes outside in no matter

319
00:15:17,759 --> 00:15:26,040
in any way outside of that Covenant no

320
00:15:23,079 --> 00:15:29,839
it will distort you further it will do

321
00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:32,519
more damage to you and here In this

322
00:15:29,839 --> 00:15:35,240
passage and also in other passages what

323
00:15:32,519 --> 00:15:37,880
what Paul especially in Ephesians 5 Paul

324
00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:40,560
ends up saying to husbands husbands to a

325
00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:43,759
Christian husband love your wife as

326
00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:48,160
Christ loved the church and gave himself

327
00:15:43,759 --> 00:15:51,680
for it and what Christian husbands would

328
00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:53,360
do is that they would wrap all three of

329
00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:56,240
those women into

330
00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:59,319
one and that one would be their their

331
00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:01,279
wife was their friend their conversation

332
00:15:59,319 --> 00:16:03,360
partner the one they recreated with

333
00:16:01,279 --> 00:16:04,480
their lover all of that into one now I

334
00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:06,639
want you to

335
00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:09,600
imagine what it would be

336
00:16:06,639 --> 00:16:12,319
like to be a Greek woman in a

337
00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:14,160
neighborhood and meet a Christian woman

338
00:16:12,319 --> 00:16:17,319
in that neighborhood and begin to talk

339
00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:18,839
about your husbands and the Greek woman

340
00:16:17,319 --> 00:16:20,720
finds out from the Christian woman the

341
00:16:18,839 --> 00:16:22,639
Christian woman says oh no my my husband

342
00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:24,880
doesn't have a pacus my husband doesn't

343
00:16:22,639 --> 00:16:28,600
have a mistress I am all those things

344
00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:30,199
for my husband he he loves being with me

345
00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,240
he loves loves me and the Greek woman

346
00:16:30,199 --> 00:16:33,880
was just going are you kidding me one of

347
00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:37,560
the reasons that Christianity swept

348
00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:40,639
across the Roman Empire is because women

349
00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:42,199
because the way Christian husbands

350
00:16:40,639 --> 00:16:47,199
treated their

351
00:16:42,199 --> 00:16:50,839
wives it should still be like that for

352
00:16:47,199 --> 00:16:53,240
us the word that Paul uses for immoral

353
00:16:50,839 --> 00:16:56,000
sexual immorality is the word

354
00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:57,720
pornea which is where we get the word

355
00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,680
pornography one of the reasons that

356
00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:03,079
pornography is so

357
00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:04,439
destructive is because of the flow of

358
00:17:03,079 --> 00:17:08,079
the human

359
00:17:04,439 --> 00:17:10,720
heart the way a Greek man approached

360
00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:13,039
women is he used different women for

361
00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:15,640
different things he used his wife to

362
00:17:13,039 --> 00:17:18,400
bear his legitimate Hees he used his

363
00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:23,760
mistress for conversation and sex and he

364
00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:25,760
used his pacus for sex he used women for

365
00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:29,039
himself Jesus comes along and says no no

366
00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:31,520
no no no that's not the way I created

367
00:17:29,039 --> 00:17:34,559
human being to work I didn't create a

368
00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:36,280
human being to use people I created a

369
00:17:34,559 --> 00:17:40,080
human being to love people because I

370
00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:42,480
created you in my image and I came not

371
00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:45,600
to be served but to serve and to give my

372
00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:48,480
life a ransom for many what happened was

373
00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:50,960
that Jesus gave birth to a group of

374
00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:54,480
people where their the flow of their

375
00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:57,880
lives became From the Inside Out In Love

376
00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:59,960
that's why Paul says husbands love your

377
00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:02,840
wives

378
00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:06,400
what Paul is saying what God is saying

379
00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:09,960
is you are much more in my image when

380
00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:13,120
you love somebody and not when you use

381
00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:16,400
somebody with pornography it changes

382
00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:19,600
that every time you look at an image you

383
00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:22,159
are using somebody you are changing the

384
00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:24,400
flow you know I know that Zach if you

385
00:18:22,159 --> 00:18:27,120
were here last week Zack talked about

386
00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:29,799
rewire and I was thinking about that

387
00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:31,960
like if uh if one of them man who is now

388
00:18:29,799 --> 00:18:35,440
going to rewire is out mowing his lawn

389
00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:38,200
in a rewire shirt and a neighbor comes

390
00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:40,720
over to that wife and says what what is

391
00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:43,280
rewire and the wife goes oh yeah that's

392
00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,000
my husband's commitment to stay away

393
00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,720
from

394
00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:47,960
pornography it's

395
00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:50,240
amazing and that woman that neighbor

396
00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:52,880
would go are you kidding me I know my

397
00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:57,080
husband's into porn he we just you talk

398
00:18:52,880 --> 00:19:00,200
about that we still have the opportunity

399
00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:03,520
to be so different in a

400
00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:05,919
neighborhood that we cannot hide that

401
00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,799
everybody in that neighborhood knows

402
00:19:05,919 --> 00:19:10,440
oh they're

403
00:19:07,799 --> 00:19:14,120
Christian and that's one of the ways we

404
00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:17,120
know the way the husband treats his wife

405
00:19:14,120 --> 00:19:20,320
the way the wife treats her husband and

406
00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:24,840
the way they treat the gift of sex that

407
00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:27,799
God has given okay that's one way uh the

408
00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:30,799
second way is uh the way they handled

409
00:19:27,799 --> 00:19:31,520
money uh this is what he says verse 99

410
00:19:30,799 --> 00:19:34,840
and

411
00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:37,080
10 now concerning brotherly love you

412
00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,960
have no need for anyone to write to you

413
00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:41,679
for you yourselves have been taught by

414
00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:43,840
God to love one another for that indeed

415
00:19:41,679 --> 00:19:46,039
is what you're doing to all the brothers

416
00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:49,440
throughout Macedonia but we urge you

417
00:19:46,039 --> 00:19:52,039
Brothers to do this more and

418
00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:54,480
more one of the things that Christians

419
00:19:52,039 --> 00:19:57,840
were known for from the very beginning

420
00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:59,400
was they were very quick to share uh

421
00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:01,880
anything they had

422
00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:04,440
with other people very

423
00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:07,000
open-handed uh and that started right at

424
00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:09,080
the beginning in Acts chapter 2 Peter

425
00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:12,360
preaches the very first sermon after the

426
00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:14,760
resurrection 5,000 people uh become

427
00:20:12,360 --> 00:20:17,200
Believers in Jesus and then it says and

428
00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:20,480
they had all things in common and no

429
00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:23,679
everyone who had a need had that need

430
00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:25,559
met right it was astounding what one of

431
00:20:23,679 --> 00:20:28,280
the things that's uh interesting is

432
00:20:25,559 --> 00:20:29,280
there are three uh archaeological

433
00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:32,760
discovery

434
00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:36,159
uh that kind of give an Insight uh into

435
00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:39,520
the way Christians handled money uh the

436
00:20:36,159 --> 00:20:43,200
first is a letter uh from a man named

437
00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:47,280
diones diones was a Christian and uh he

438
00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:51,360
wrote this he said uh we share our table

439
00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:53,880
with all but not our bed with all we

440
00:20:51,360 --> 00:20:57,600
share our table with

441
00:20:53,880 --> 00:21:01,480
anyone but we don't share our bed with

442
00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:04,280
anyone that was the exact opposite of

443
00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:07,320
the way the Greeks lived the Greeks were

444
00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:09,679
very casual about sex they were very

445
00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:13,440
casual with their bed anyone in their

446
00:21:09,679 --> 00:21:16,080
bed but their money was sacred they were

447
00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:18,159
very very careful with their money

448
00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:22,760
Christians come along and go oh no no

449
00:21:18,159 --> 00:21:27,720
we're stingy with sex because that is

450
00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:29,039
sacred but we let anyone have our money

451
00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:31,559
all right

452
00:21:29,039 --> 00:21:34,679
the second uh archaeological Discovery

453
00:21:31,559 --> 00:21:36,840
is a letter uh from a guy uh an emperor

454
00:21:34,679 --> 00:21:40,400
named Julian who's actually called

455
00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:42,720
Julian the apostate but Julian hated

456
00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:46,039
Christians and he was afraid that

457
00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:50,360
Christians were gaining more and more

458
00:21:46,039 --> 00:21:53,799
kind of uh momentum and he was writing

459
00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:57,679
some Pagan priests and he was saying

460
00:21:53,799 --> 00:22:00,320
listen these Christians they uh care for

461
00:21:57,679 --> 00:22:02,960
strangers they take care of their own

462
00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:05,960
poor they even take care of our poor

463
00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:09,279
those blasted Christians he's really mad

464
00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:11,279
and then he says to them you need to

465
00:22:09,279 --> 00:22:14,640
teach to the Pagan priest you need to

466
00:22:11,279 --> 00:22:16,120
teach people to imitate Christians or

467
00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:20,200
they're going to take over the

468
00:22:16,120 --> 00:22:23,440
world right and that's what ends up

469
00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:25,320
happening right the last letter uh I

470
00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:28,760
really like because it seems like the

471
00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:32,600
last letter that was discovered was from

472
00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:35,440
a con man uh who was just giving a tip

473
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:39,159
and he was saying listen if you want an

474
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:41,320
easy Mark go to Christians all you have

475
00:22:39,159 --> 00:22:45,039
to do is present any need and they give

476
00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:46,799
to you right which is a crackup I think

477
00:22:45,039 --> 00:22:49,039
uh which is good because Christians have

478
00:22:46,799 --> 00:22:52,360
always been easy to take advantage of I

479
00:22:49,039 --> 00:22:54,760
was actually rebuked one time in India

480
00:22:52,360 --> 00:22:57,799
uh I was on a mission trip to India and

481
00:22:54,760 --> 00:23:00,080
had a team there uh we were in the city

482
00:22:57,799 --> 00:23:02,880
and every time we would get out of our

483
00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:06,559
vans uh in the city you know Beggars

484
00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:08,679
would come and flock to us and uh there

485
00:23:06,559 --> 00:23:13,000
was one woman and she had an obviously

486
00:23:08,679 --> 00:23:15,840
deformed uh baby and so uh a lot of

487
00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:17,799
people a lot of our team gave her money

488
00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:21,159
and we went someplace else and uh

489
00:23:17,799 --> 00:23:23,960
somehow she uh found out where we were

490
00:23:21,159 --> 00:23:25,600
and she showed up again and then we went

491
00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:28,240
to a third PL and got more money and

492
00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:30,240
then we went to a third place and I saw

493
00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:32,559
her again and I saw her walking up to

494
00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:35,240
one of our team members and I said I

495
00:23:32,559 --> 00:23:37,440
stepped in and I said hey hey she's had

496
00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:39,360
she's gotten enough and this guy looked

497
00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:43,679
at me and he goes she's about to get

498
00:23:39,360 --> 00:23:46,720
more right I thought good an you yeah

499
00:23:43,679 --> 00:23:51,760
who am I to say oh we have been generous

500
00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:54,039
enough to her right that that's not what

501
00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:56,679
Jesus would want that's

502
00:23:54,039 --> 00:23:58,440
crazy you know one of the things you

503
00:23:56,679 --> 00:24:02,000
need to know if you if you struggle

504
00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:04,720
strle with giving if you struggle with

505
00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:09,200
generosity generosity is one of those

506
00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:12,320
things the the the act of giving is one

507
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:14,320
of those things that will actually help

508
00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:17,799
uh remove some of the

509
00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:20,840
Distortion in your soul it will make

510
00:24:17,799 --> 00:24:27,360
them you able to reflect the image of

511
00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:29,760
God better because God is a giver God is

512
00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:31,480
generous the the generosity of

513
00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:34,480
Christians can hardly be

514
00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:38,039
overstated because as the Roman Empire

515
00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:42,279
declined economically and the need grew

516
00:24:38,039 --> 00:24:44,840
greater Christians filled that need and

517
00:24:42,279 --> 00:24:47,120
that's what happened if you were in need

518
00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:49,679
in the Roman Empire and somebody reached

519
00:24:47,120 --> 00:24:51,480
out to help you in that need they were

520
00:24:49,679 --> 00:24:53,600
almost

521
00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:57,559
undoubtedly a

522
00:24:53,600 --> 00:25:01,600
Christian and no one had ever seen

523
00:24:57,559 --> 00:25:05,360
people hand Le money quite like

524
00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:08,880
Christians did and the final area is

525
00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:12,000
work this is what it

526
00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:15,720
says let me uh well I'll read verses 11

527
00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:18,880
and 12 he says and to aspire to live

528
00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:21,679
quietly and to mind your own Affairs and

529
00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:24,480
to work with your hands as we instructed

530
00:25:21,679 --> 00:25:28,640
you so you may walk properly before

531
00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:30,520
Outsiders and be dependent on no one uh

532
00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:33,279
that sounds like a really a kind of

533
00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:35,399
churchy thing to say to me it's like uh

534
00:25:33,279 --> 00:25:38,840
mind your own business work keep your

535
00:25:35,399 --> 00:25:41,880
head down work be quiet right uh

536
00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:43,080
actually Paul is saying quite a bit here

537
00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,399
about

538
00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:50,760
work uh the way the Greeks approached

539
00:25:46,399 --> 00:25:53,279
work was um they worked as little as

540
00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:58,840
possible made to make as much as

541
00:25:53,279 --> 00:25:58,840
possible to retire as early as possible

542
00:25:59,399 --> 00:26:03,760
which kind of sounds like our

543
00:26:01,399 --> 00:26:05,880
culture they wanted to work as little as

544
00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:08,960
possible to make as much as possible to

545
00:26:05,880 --> 00:26:11,559
retire as early as

546
00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:15,200
possible but Christians came with a

547
00:26:11,559 --> 00:26:17,640
different attitude toward work what Paul

548
00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:21,039
says here he he actually says three

549
00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:24,640
things about work here that became uh

550
00:26:21,039 --> 00:26:28,679
what Christians were known for one is he

551
00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:32,080
connects work uh to love like it's

552
00:26:28,679 --> 00:26:34,000
really a runon sentence when Paul says

553
00:26:32,080 --> 00:26:35,520
for that indeed is what you're doing to

554
00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,880
all the brothers throughout Macedonia

555
00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:39,399
but we urge you Brothers to do this more

556
00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:41,679
and more and he's talking about loving

557
00:26:39,399 --> 00:26:43,039
them and to aspire to live quietly and

558
00:26:41,679 --> 00:26:45,120
to mind your own Affairs and to work

559
00:26:43,039 --> 00:26:48,200
with your own hands as we instructed

560
00:26:45,120 --> 00:26:50,640
you work for a Christian was a way to

561
00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:54,200
serve people to show your your love for

562
00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:59,000
people there was something Noble about

563
00:26:54,200 --> 00:27:01,520
work um not all work serves people

564
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:03,559
but a lot of work does now when I say

565
00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:06,200
serve people with work I don't want you

566
00:27:03,559 --> 00:27:08,559
to confuse that and think that the way

567
00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:10,080
to serve people if you're if you want to

568
00:27:08,559 --> 00:27:12,159
work and you want to really serve people

569
00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:14,679
you got to move to the inner city and uh

570
00:27:12,159 --> 00:27:18,720
and build homes or uh be go into

571
00:27:14,679 --> 00:27:21,360
ministry that's not it serving others or

572
00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:23,720
doing any kind of work for the benefit

573
00:27:21,360 --> 00:27:25,799
of someone else was something that was

574
00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:28,640
esteemed and that's what Christians

575
00:27:25,799 --> 00:27:32,159
thought it was a way to love people you

576
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:35,799
know I I drove here today in a car I did

577
00:27:32,159 --> 00:27:37,880
not make I could not begin to make any

578
00:27:35,799 --> 00:27:41,159
part of a car you know I'm not handy to

579
00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:45,039
begin with I I drove on roads that I

580
00:27:41,159 --> 00:27:49,200
have no idea uh how to do I'm in a

581
00:27:45,039 --> 00:27:52,159
building where I couldn't fix a thing

582
00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:55,600
I'm enjoying air conditioning that I

583
00:27:52,159 --> 00:28:00,559
don't even understand how it works right

584
00:27:55,600 --> 00:28:03,320
all those things are serving me

585
00:28:00,559 --> 00:28:06,440
Christians looked at their work like

586
00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:08,640
that and thought this is why I'm doing

587
00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:11,720
it I'm not doing this just for a

588
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:15,559
paycheck I'm doing this because it makes

589
00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:18,720
the world better because it makes life

590
00:28:15,559 --> 00:28:22,360
easier because it's a way to serve

591
00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:25,279
someone else always they were thinking

592
00:28:22,360 --> 00:28:29,080
that so one of the things that you have

593
00:28:25,279 --> 00:28:31,720
to know is that if you're working a job

594
00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:35,240
just for money that's not the way a

595
00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:37,919
Christian approached work and if you're

596
00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:41,960
working a job that does not benefit

597
00:28:37,919 --> 00:28:44,600
people or does not help them then that's

598
00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:46,760
not the way Christians worked right that

599
00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:48,519
was one way one thing that Paul was

600
00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:51,080
teaching is that the way Christians

601
00:28:48,519 --> 00:28:53,480
approach work was it was a way to love

602
00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:54,960
people the second thing is he says work

603
00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:58,480
with your own hands which was

604
00:28:54,960 --> 00:29:01,320
interesting in that culture because uh

605
00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:03,559
for Greeks they look down on any kind of

606
00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:06,000
manual labor they were there were

607
00:29:03,559 --> 00:29:08,039
prestigious jobs just like there are now

608
00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,960
but but Christians looked at Manuel

609
00:29:08,039 --> 00:29:13,640
labor differently you know

610
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:16,120
why because Jesus worked with his

611
00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:18,919
hands because Jesus was a

612
00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:21,559
carpenter you know I think if Jesus

613
00:29:18,919 --> 00:29:23,600
lived today might be an iron worker

614
00:29:21,559 --> 00:29:26,159
might be a Plummer I just think it'd be

615
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:30,360
funny I mean it' be it'd be interesting

616
00:29:26,159 --> 00:29:32,360
uh how we would esteem PL plers if if we

617
00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:35,799
said Jesus was a

618
00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:38,640
plumber but Christians never look down

619
00:29:35,799 --> 00:29:40,600
on manual labor or any kind of Labor

620
00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:44,159
like that because if you were working

621
00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:46,480
with your hands you were in very very

622
00:29:44,159 --> 00:29:50,880
good company

623
00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:55,200
right Christians looked at work so

624
00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:56,600
completely different than anyone else

625
00:29:55,200 --> 00:30:00,080
because for a

626
00:29:56,600 --> 00:30:04,200
Christian working meant something else

627
00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:06,840
working was an act of love working was a

628
00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:10,440
way you were to work with your hands and

629
00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:13,120
then finally he says uh work quietly

630
00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:15,960
that's it was commentators struggle with

631
00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:18,720
what Paul meant by that but one

632
00:30:15,960 --> 00:30:21,679
commentator I read said that what Paul

633
00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:26,279
was saying was do work that quiets

634
00:30:21,679 --> 00:30:29,360
you that do work you are wired a certain

635
00:30:26,279 --> 00:30:32,200
way find work that aligns with your

636
00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:34,519
talents don't work a job that makes you

637
00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:38,200
a lot of money but puts you in terrible

638
00:30:34,519 --> 00:30:40,159
turmoil every night that what Christians

639
00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:43,279
did they looked for jobs where they

640
00:30:40,159 --> 00:30:46,480
could where it quieted their soul and

641
00:30:43,279 --> 00:30:50,799
didn't always rile them

642
00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:54,559
up one of the things that as we read uh

643
00:30:50,799 --> 00:30:57,159
Thessalonians this church that God calls

644
00:30:54,559 --> 00:30:59,200
good we' got to realize that

645
00:30:57,159 --> 00:31:01,679
Christianity swe swept across the Roman

646
00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:04,039
Empire not just because of what

647
00:31:01,679 --> 00:31:07,240
Christians believed but because of how

648
00:31:04,039 --> 00:31:11,840
they lived and how the gospel connected

649
00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:15,679
with their everyday lives no one knew

650
00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:18,200
anyone that looked at sex the way a

651
00:31:15,679 --> 00:31:22,320
Christian looked at sex that's true now

652
00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:24,080
that's true now no one knew anyone that

653
00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:25,760
was more free with their money more

654
00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:29,159
generous with their money than

655
00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:32,080
Christians were that should be true

656
00:31:29,159 --> 00:31:35,440
now and no one knew

657
00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:38,440
anyone who approached work the way a

658
00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:38,440
Christian approached

659
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:45,039
work my hope thing I've been praying

660
00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:47,080
since I started kind of working on this

661
00:31:45,039 --> 00:31:49,279
message was I've been praying every

662
00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:52,760
morning God

663
00:31:49,279 --> 00:31:55,279
today make me just a little less

664
00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:59,720
distorted just a little

665
00:31:55,279 --> 00:32:04,639
bit rub off a smudge on my soul let me

666
00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:07,320
reflect you a little bit better do not

667
00:32:04,639 --> 00:32:11,279
forget if you forget everything else do

668
00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:13,519
not forget you were created to be

669
00:32:11,279 --> 00:32:18,279
radiant to be

670
00:32:13,519 --> 00:32:21,559
glorious to be full of joy to be

671
00:32:18,279 --> 00:32:26,000
beautiful and every time God calls you

672
00:32:21,559 --> 00:32:28,880
to obey him he is calling you to be

673
00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:32,880
that what you always always really

674
00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:35,399
wanted to be what you were created to be

675
00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:39,440
let's do that together and be the church

676
00:32:35,399 --> 00:32:42,519
God calls good would you pray with

677
00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:45,399
me Father in Heaven thank you for uh

678
00:32:42,519 --> 00:32:47,039
your uh love for

679
00:32:45,399 --> 00:32:50,720
us

680
00:32:47,039 --> 00:32:54,120
uh it's amazing you know I and I have uh

681
00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:57,039
looked I've read uh your word for years

682
00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:59,519
and years and so many times I read

683
00:32:57,039 --> 00:33:01,960
things and I think think that it's a uh

684
00:32:59,519 --> 00:33:05,039
it's a demand it's hard to do whatever

685
00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:07,559
but I I don't know right now I just feel

686
00:33:05,039 --> 00:33:08,360
like whatever you tell me to do I want

687
00:33:07,559 --> 00:33:12,080
to

688
00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:15,480
do because I know you created me to be

689
00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:17,720
better than what I am right now I pray

690
00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:21,559
for all of us that you would give us a a

691
00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:24,720
deep desire to obey you I pray that you

692
00:33:21,559 --> 00:33:27,000
would make us through our obedience uh

693
00:33:24,720 --> 00:33:30,440
to be radiant and glorious to be

694
00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:33,360
beautiful and joyful and I pray that we

695
00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:36,639
will be able to stand in start contrast

696
00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:38,919
to the the culture around us and create

697
00:33:36,639 --> 00:33:41,039
an alternative that is so

698
00:33:38,919 --> 00:33:43,840
attractive that we can actually change

699
00:33:41,039 --> 00:33:48,960
the world starting with Northeast Ohio

700
00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:48,960
we pray this in Jesus name amen