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to begin.

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Open your Bibles, if you will, to 1 Peter.

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We're right at the end of chapter 4.

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Let's begin with a word of prayer.

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Our gracious Father in heaven, we bow before your throne, grateful for the day that you've
granted to us, for the life that you have blessed us with.

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We ask that you will be with us as we go through this time of study.

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We pray that we will be focused on your word and your will, that we might be ready and
diligent to apply these things to our lives.

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We pray for those who are struggling because of illness, especially those who uh have
ongoing diseases or chronic illness.

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We pray that you give them strength to overcome the difficult days and endurance for the

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things that they cannot overcome.

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Lord, we pray that you be with those who may be traveling, allow them to reach their
destination safely and return home as well.

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Lord, we pray for the nations throughout the world.

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pray that there is peace and pray that wisdom reigns in the positions of leadership within
nations and countries, especially our own.

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Lord, we pray and ask that you forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory.

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All this we pray in Jesus'

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Amen.

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uh

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Peter writes, verse 18, now if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly
and the sinner appear?

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Where does that come from?

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Anybody have a footnote that tells you where that's a quotation from?

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That's right, Proverbs chapter 11.

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Let's go back over to Proverbs for just a moment.

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Proverbs chapter 11, beginning in verse 27.

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The fear of the Lord prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.

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As you get into this text, the Proverbs writer is saying, when you fear God, you're going
to live a longer life.

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For the wicked are cut off as a result of their actions.

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Their years are shortened.

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The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

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The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, but destruction will come to the workers
of iniquity.

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Now,

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You'll notice as you go through this, it's position, contrast, position, contrast,
position, contrast.

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Then notice verse 30, the righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will inhabit the
earth.

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I'm in Proverbs 10.

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We should go over and read Proverbs 11.

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That's gonna work better.

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You know what?

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Proverbs 10 really has application to this too.

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I'm going to make the rest of my points on Proverbs 10.

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All right.

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We're still gonna begin in verse 27.

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All right.

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He who earnestly seeks good finds favor, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil.

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By the way.

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This section of Proverbs, you're still finding the contrast point to point.

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This is what the Proverbs writer is doing.

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uh

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recompense or will be recompense on the earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner.

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Now notice the way that the Proverbs writer words this in the original language in the
Hebrew translated forward and then the way Peter brings it out.

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He says, if the righteous will be rewarded or recompensed.

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on the earth.

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How much more the ungodly and the sinner?

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What do you think the reward is under consideration?

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If you take it in view of what Peter says about it, what's the reward?

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Because when Peter brings that forward, he says, they're scarcely saved.

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Thoughts?

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could be an idea that I'd be right.

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in Corinthians 5, 10, which says, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
and each one may receive things done in the body according to what he has done, whether

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good or bad.

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Okay, so when this life is over, 1 Corinthians 5 points out that we are going to give an
account, and we are going to receive the results of what we do in this body.

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when you step back and consider a righteous person, is a righteous person always perfectly
righteous?

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Is there ever a time where the things that they do could cause themselves harm or cause
themselves to suffer because they made wrong choices and took wrong actions?

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Yes, absolutely.

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Now.

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If the righteous person is recompensed for their actions, but their actions are not always
perfectly righteous, then in view of that, here's the wicked person over there.

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They're in complete opposition to God.

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If God's going that way, they're going that way.

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They are.

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Absolutely in opposition to everything he stands for.

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And here you have the righteous person who's striving diligently to do what's right.

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The Proverbs writer is drawing out that the righteous person will be recompensed, will be
rewarded on the earth.

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The text as given in Proverbs mentions where the reward is.

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Where's the reward?

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on the earth.

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So when you step over, let me tie one other passage into this for us, Matthew chapter 5.

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Matthew chapter 5 and verse 5.

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Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit what?

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The earth.

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When you're looking at Proverbs, first thing to understand is there are some Proverbs that
are statements of...

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uh guarantee, they are 100 % accurate all of the time.

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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and
instruction.

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And there are some Proverbs that are general truths.

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In other words, they're not going to always be true in every individual situation, but
they're going to be generally true across a wide view of things, across a trend of

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humanity, and you're going to see that lived out, though there may be exceptions.

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to the rule.

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Does every righteous person live an abundant blessed physical possession perspective life?

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No.

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But does that not mean that God, does that mean that God doesn't bless his righteous
people with possessions?

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No, it doesn't mean that at all.

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All right.

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Now, if you understand that the Proverbs writer is giving us a statement that says,
listen,

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The righteous person is going to receive the reward of his actions.

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True or false?

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We're all going to receive the rewards of our actions.

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True.

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Now here's the righteous person.

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He has some actions that are bad, some actions that are indifferent, and some actions that
are good.

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Is there anybody who doesn't?

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No, even the worst of people are nice to someone outside of people who have mental
disorders that uh they don't tend to last very long in society.

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But in general, the people who are murderers have someone that they love.

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They have someone that they take care of, someone that they provide for, even though
they're a murderer.

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So there are actions that they take that are

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good in the sense of good towards someone, indifferent, like they get up and they maybe
brush their teeth in the morning, that's indifferent, and then evil.

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But their direction, their life is evil.

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Here's the good person, their life is righteous, their life is towards justice and
goodness and mercy and obedience towards God.

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But they make some actions, participate in some actions that are wrong.

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Here's the person, his actions are wrong and evil and unjust and sometimes he does
something purely out of his own selfish motives that is good.

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The Proverbs writer is helping us to understand that we're going to receive a reward on
this earth for how we live.

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oh

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and the righteous person is going to receive a reward and the wicked person is going to
receive a reward.

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if you fill your life with wickedness, what is the likely recompense that you get back for
the evil that you do?

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good or bad, unhealthy, encouraging long life or shortening it.

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despise wisdom and instruction.

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Because stupid shortens life.

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Because foolishness and believing that you are the most wise thing and therefore you ought
to direct your life is not going to trend you toward success.

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True or false, rich people die early sometimes.

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True.

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True or false, righteous people die early sometimes.

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True.

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True or false, wicked people who persist in wicked actions tend to die early in a greater
number.

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Well, if you look at um the numbers for heart disease, alcoholism, and actions that tend
towards sexually transmitted diseases, and all of these things that are actions that are

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byproducts of living a sinful life, those people trend towards death faster, okay?

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Now, as you're examining this,

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Peter is trying to help someone frame, if we go back to 1 Peter chapter 5, or chapter 4.

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the judgment is coming and the judgment that he has under discussion is not looking all
the way down to the end judgment but rather a judgment that is immediate, is at hand, and

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is beginning with God's people first.

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Now we discussed is that

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God's people, national Israel, uh the blood of Abraham, or is that God's people, the
Christians, who would go through this judgment and the difficulties of it, but would come

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out

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on the other side becoming and being more pure, more holy, more righteous, better
Christians on the other side than they were on this side of experiencing this judgment

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that was coming in an earthly perspective.

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Okay?

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So, that's the context.

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The context is something was going to happen in Peter's day, in the day of the people who
lived and read the epistle from Peter, where they were going to say, we are suffering a

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judgment from God.

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We discussed the potential that could be, especially since it's a Jewish audience, the
fall of national Israel.

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That could be the persecution that was going to persist from that point forward until the
fall of national Israel from both the Jews and the Romans.

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And if it's the Christians that are being talked to in this discussion, I think that's
what we're looking at.

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Peter's telling them and has been telling them since chapter one, you're headed into
suffering.

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you're going to be persecuted.

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The Gentiles are going to persecute you.

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The Jews are going to persecute you.

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And if you suffer as a Christian, you're not suffering because God doesn't love you.

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You're sharing in His glory.

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Now as he draws this statement in, if the righteous one is scarcely saved,

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Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?

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He's looking at this judgment that's A judgment of God, not the day of judgment.

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He's looking at a judgment of God and he understands something.

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The promise from Habakkuk 2, it gets reiterated in Romans, it gets reiterated elsewhere
throughout the New Testament, and it's the promise from the days of the Babylonian

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destruction of Jerusalem.

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as Habakkuk was being told, I'm going to bring the Chaldeans against Judah.

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I'm going to destroy this people.

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I'm going to carry them off into captivity, and they are going to languish in Babylonian
captivity for 70 years.

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Does that sound like a judgment from God?

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And Habakkuk is receiving that and said, I don't know how you're going to use a people
that are more wicked than your own people to judge your people.

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That doesn't make any sense to me.

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How can that be right?

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And Habakkuk basically says right there at beginning of chapter 2, but I know that you're
right and I'm wrong, so I'm going to stand here and wait until you tell me why I'm wrong.

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Essentially just step back and wait for the Lord to tell me how I misunderstand this.

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And the answer that God returns to Habakkuk in Habakkuk 2 verse 4 is the just shall live
by faith.

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God's point to Habakkuk, God's point through Peter, God's point in Romans is that God's
people are provided for and taken care of through the judgments that come on this earth.

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And you see the biblical examples of that.

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You see Israel come out of Egypt.

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You see...

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the righteous ones of Israel go into Babylonian captivity and flourish and return.

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You see the remnant come out of those experiences and all the time in the Old Testament
prophets you keep seeing this remnant of God's people.

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Somehow they go into a judgment, they go through a judgment, they come out of the
judgment, and they come out better than they were before they went in.

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What's that?

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That's the righteous being rewarded on the earth.

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That's them living through a judgment from God and instead of it being a judgment that
destroys them, it's a judgment that rewards them.

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But he says, if the righteous are scarcely saved, if they get through this judgment by the
skin of their teeth.

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What's going happen to the wicked?

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Now, as you look at national Israel, as you look at God's people from an Old Testament
perspective,

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they were told the same thing that the Christians were.

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Over in Matthew chapter 24, Jesus told Israel, those who would hear Him and those who
wouldn't, about the fall of Jerusalem.

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Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem.

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The Church told those who would listen and those who wouldn't time and time and time again
about the fact that God was going to judge them for their wickedness.

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And Jesus even gave the signs to the early Church through Matthew 24 and other passages
saying, when you see this happen, you know what's coming.

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And he tells them when you see it, you get down if you're in the field, you don't go back
in the house, you leave.

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You're in the house top, you don't go down into the house to get stuff, you just go out
and you leave.

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This is your warning, when you see these signs, you leave.

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What's he doing?

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He's providing for the reward for the righteous on the earth through this judgment.

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He's telling them exactly what to do.

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and for all those who will be obedient to God and listen to the warning.

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they escape the judgment.

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They're rewarded on the earth for hearing God.

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And then you have all those who say, don't believe in that Jesus guy.

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Not only are we going to endure through the difficulty of the Roman siege of Jerusalem,
we're going to be victorious because there's a Messiah coming and he's going to reign on

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David's throne in literal Jerusalem for a thousand years.

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So I'm not leaving Jerusalem.

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Hey look, the Roman army's gone.

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See, I told you.

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And what do they do?

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Stay put.

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And about 18 months later, the Roman army comes back.

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And that time, they don't stop until every stone of the temple is not left upon another.

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Now that is a prime example of on the earth, if the righteous are scarcely saved,

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what will happen to the wicked.

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Because here are the righteous, they're living out, they're adhering to the commands, the
judgments, the warnings, the wisdom of God.

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Which means they have insight into things the wicked don't have insight into.

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They don't have to have miraculous insight into it.

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You put a person who's going to listen to God up against a person with the same amount of
knowledge who only listens to himself, and I know which one's wiser.

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because one of them listens to God.

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Now, he says, therefore, verse 19, let those who suffer according to the will of God, wait
a minute, suffer according to what?

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The will of God.

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Those who suffer according to the will of God, He's dealing with going through an earthly
judgment.

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Was it God's will that that judgment come?

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Yes.

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And yet, are God's people suffering through it?

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Yes.

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So he says, therefore, let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their
souls to Him in doing good as to a faithful Creator.

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Peters, as you're going through this suffering.

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Don't let it shake you.

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Don't let it turn the direction of your life.

215
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Rather, stop trying to be in control.

216
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and commit yourself and your soul to God's hands.

217
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Did famine come on the land in Abraham's day where Abraham lived?

218
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Yes.

219
00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:47,541
Did God see him through it?

220
00:24:49,064 --> 00:24:56,474
Did he come out greater and stronger and with more possessions, more riches after it than
before it?

221
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Every time.

222
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So as Peter is speaking to these first century Christians, writing to them, he's telling
them, trust God.

223
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Do what he says.

224
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Commit your soul to him in doing good.

225
00:25:26,128 --> 00:25:38,286
Don't allow the circumstances that you will go through in this life, the suffering that
you will go through in this life, cause you to become jaded to the good that you can do in

226
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this life.

227
00:25:45,889 --> 00:25:46,795
Mm-hmm.

228
00:25:49,501 --> 00:25:50,622
Absolutely.

229
00:25:50,622 --> 00:25:53,783
So, Paul's a great example of this.

230
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One that most of us gratefully will never have to go through the same extent of suffering
that he did.

231
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But, to be clear, God told him day one, you're going to suffer for my name.

232
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But you're also going to be an instrument to save the Gentiles.

233
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So Paul.

234
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m

235
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goes to Jerusalem.

236
00:26:25,076 --> 00:26:30,581
Before Paul is arrested in Jerusalem, why was he traveling to Jerusalem?

237
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What had he been doing on that third missionary journey as he prepared to come back to
Jerusalem?

238
00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:42,980
Mm-hmm.

239
00:26:42,980 --> 00:26:46,077
1 Corinthians chapter 16 verse 2.

240
00:26:46,377 --> 00:26:53,744
On the first day of the week, lay by in stores you've been prospered, that there be no
collection when I come.

241
00:26:53,744 --> 00:26:55,465
The I there is not the Lord.

242
00:26:55,465 --> 00:26:56,705
It was Paul.

243
00:26:57,461 --> 00:27:11,085
They had committed, we read about in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and chapter 9, they had
committed to collecting funds for the poor Jews and Christians in Jerusalem and in Judea

244
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who were going through famine and difficulties as a result of things that were not under
their control.

245
00:27:19,167 --> 00:27:24,717
And yet these individuals in Judea are sending out missionaries to help.

246
00:27:24,717 --> 00:27:34,577
the Gentiles hear the gospel and Paul says, if they're sending you the gospel, couldn't
you send back money to help them?

247
00:27:34,797 --> 00:27:45,797
So Paul is taking this third missionary journey, he's collecting these funds and then he's
going back to Jerusalem with alms to help the poor.

248
00:27:49,099 --> 00:27:52,386
What does he get in recompense from his own nation?

249
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He gets arrested.

250
00:27:57,789 --> 00:27:59,418
He gets thrown in prison.

251
00:28:01,461 --> 00:28:03,656
He nearly gets beaten to death by the Romans.

252
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Until they find out he's a Roman.

253
00:28:10,335 --> 00:28:16,728
And then, not only is he in prison, he's in prison for years.

254
00:28:17,589 --> 00:28:20,490
And then he finally gets shipped off to Rome.

255
00:28:21,390 --> 00:28:23,691
And on the way he's shipwrecked.

256
00:28:24,212 --> 00:28:26,993
And then he gets to Rome and he's put in prison again.

257
00:28:28,947 --> 00:28:31,759
All of that because he was doing what?

258
00:28:33,340 --> 00:28:36,662
Doing good for his own nation.

259
00:28:37,123 --> 00:28:47,169
Now would it have been easy for Paul sitting in prison to say, know what, this doing good
thing just doesn't work out.

260
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I think I'm gonna try a different way in life.

261
00:28:50,812 --> 00:28:52,493
I'm gonna live for myself.

262
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When you look at Demas, what is it that Paul wrote about Demas in 2 Timothy?

263
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That he has forsaken me, having loved this present world.

264
00:29:12,865 --> 00:29:29,840
Peter is writing to these Christians and saying, don't you let the judgment you will live
through change your perspective on eternity and change your motivation and your commitment

265
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to doing good.

266
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He says, do these things rather to a faithful creator.

267
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How can you be faithful?

268
00:29:42,298 --> 00:29:44,652
Look at all the things I'm suffering.

269
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because he's never departed.

270
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You're not suffering by yourself.

271
00:29:51,948 --> 00:29:57,630
And furthermore, look at what he sent his son to suffer for you.

272
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All the things we suffer, all the things we'll go through in this life, all the things we
may endure, does any of it compare to the suffering of Christ?

273
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No.

274
00:30:15,701 --> 00:30:17,415
I only get till 7.31.

275
00:30:19,085 --> 00:30:21,285
You're about 10 minutes early.

276
00:30:22,425 --> 00:30:24,185
All right.

277
00:30:25,165 --> 00:30:28,385
The teachers in the classes are going to go, what?

278
00:30:28,385 --> 00:30:29,785
What's going on?

279
00:30:29,785 --> 00:30:30,825
All right.

280
00:30:30,825 --> 00:30:35,925
The elders who are among you, there's a shift in thought here, chapter five, verse one.

281
00:30:35,925 --> 00:30:39,105
The elders who are among you I exhort.

282
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I who am a fellow elder.

283
00:30:42,445 --> 00:30:45,785
What do we know about Peter if he's a fellow elder?

284
00:30:47,615 --> 00:30:49,308
that he's an elder, number one.

285
00:30:49,308 --> 00:30:50,810
What else do we know?

286
00:30:51,573 --> 00:30:53,134
That he's married.

287
00:30:53,196 --> 00:30:54,547
How do we know that?

288
00:30:59,981 --> 00:31:09,021
All right, he had a mother-in-law that was healed by Jesus, so that's another passage that
confirms it, but what was one of the qualifications for being an elder?

289
00:31:09,761 --> 00:31:11,321
Puzzle of one wife.

290
00:31:12,061 --> 00:31:21,621
There's also the text that tells us that Peter went about and his wife traveled with him
as he journeyed, and he was supported by the church.

291
00:31:21,621 --> 00:31:24,361
The elders who are among you I exhort.

292
00:31:24,361 --> 00:31:29,281
He writes a special exhortation to these elders.

293
00:31:29,599 --> 00:31:44,476
those who are present and with the congregations, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of
the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed, shepherd

294
00:31:44,476 --> 00:31:56,421
the flock of God which is among you." Now, we've talked about there's a slight shift in
what he's saying and how he's writing it, but bear in mind

295
00:31:57,911 --> 00:32:08,629
There's not a general shift of his theme because he just said, I am a witness of the what
of Christ.

296
00:32:10,559 --> 00:32:17,962
the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory.

297
00:32:17,962 --> 00:32:28,857
Now, he's already said that glory is attached to suffering, which means he has also
suffered, okay?

298
00:32:29,897 --> 00:32:38,431
But as he writes to these elders, as he exhorts these elders, he is exhorting them because
they're

299
00:32:38,431 --> 00:32:43,968
congregations, their flocks are headed into suffering.

300
00:32:46,485 --> 00:32:54,609
When a group of people, we'll use Israel coming out of Egypt as an example.

301
00:32:54,609 --> 00:33:11,098
When a group of people are following someone and the scenario they keep finding themselves
in is worse than the scenario they left, at least in their mind.

302
00:33:11,839 --> 00:33:16,521
What tends to happen to the leaders that they're following?

303
00:33:19,223 --> 00:33:20,233
Say again?

304
00:33:20,575 --> 00:33:21,816
They get replaced.

305
00:33:21,816 --> 00:33:30,133
ah Hey, we were following you, but everywhere we go, it's worse than where we were.

306
00:33:31,047 --> 00:33:33,409
Maybe we should replace you.

307
00:33:35,893 --> 00:33:38,554
Now, sometimes it's just perspective, right?

308
00:33:39,474 --> 00:33:50,707
When they were standing there at the edge of the promised land and God tells them to go in
and they start grumbling and moaning and complaining and crying all night long in their

309
00:33:50,707 --> 00:33:58,219
tents because they hear there's giants in the land, was their situation actually worse
than it was in Egypt?

310
00:33:59,379 --> 00:34:00,539
No.

311
00:34:01,340 --> 00:34:04,020
But did they perceive it to be worse?

312
00:34:04,941 --> 00:34:05,941
Yes.

313
00:34:08,063 --> 00:34:14,496
And they determine, you know, what would be best is if we just kill Moses and go back to
Egypt.

314
00:34:16,757 --> 00:34:18,717
Why don't we just get rid of this guy?

315
00:34:19,598 --> 00:34:22,018
Not the first time they've thought that, by the way.

316
00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:26,080
Not the first time they've considered getting rid of Moses and returning to Egypt.

317
00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:38,304
But as they're there in a better situation than they were when they were in Egypt, but in
a position where they looked at it and thought it was worse than when they were in Egypt,

318
00:34:38,304 --> 00:34:43,565
they considered displacing leadership and turning the other direction.

319
00:34:46,027 --> 00:34:52,908
So Peter's just spent four chapters telling them, you're going into suffering, you're
going into suffering, you're going into suffering, you're going into suffering.

320
00:34:52,908 --> 00:34:58,556
Now he's writing to the elders who are shepherding them through the suffering.

321
00:35:01,547 --> 00:35:08,265
because these shepherds are going to have to watch their flock suffer.

322
00:35:09,908 --> 00:35:20,400
One of the things about leadership, one of the things about guiding a group of people or a
congregation in this scenario.

323
00:35:22,657 --> 00:35:25,090
is you'll have to watch them suffer.

324
00:35:27,199 --> 00:35:30,700
and have the vision to see what the other side looks like.

325
00:35:33,141 --> 00:35:36,568
and you'll have to help them through the suffering without losing heart.

326
00:35:39,637 --> 00:35:47,205
because otherwise, what will the sheep do in the midst of suffering?

327
00:35:48,807 --> 00:35:50,709
Scatter and turn back.

328
00:35:52,031 --> 00:36:01,611
The only way the sheep get through the suffering to the reward is if they follow the
shepherd.

329
00:36:04,105 --> 00:36:06,707
So Peter's writing to the shepherds.

330
00:36:07,789 --> 00:36:17,067
He says, the shepherd, the elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and
a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory, that will be

331
00:36:17,067 --> 00:36:18,018
revealed.

332
00:36:18,018 --> 00:36:21,201
Shepherd the flock.

333
00:36:24,289 --> 00:36:30,691
Do not allow the flock to guide itself.

334
00:36:32,011 --> 00:36:37,033
Do not leave it to the flock to protect itself.

335
00:36:38,394 --> 00:36:43,255
Do not leave it to the flock to direct itself.

336
00:36:44,656 --> 00:36:48,617
Do not leave it to the flock to feed itself.

337
00:36:51,467 --> 00:36:53,017
You're the shepherd.

338
00:36:53,398 --> 00:36:55,358
You shepherd the flock.

339
00:36:55,759 --> 00:37:10,165
He says, shepherd the flock of God, which is among you, serving as overseers, not by
compulsion, but willingly, not for dishonest gain, but eagerly.

340
00:37:12,663 --> 00:37:14,575
Flock goes into suffering.

341
00:37:15,357 --> 00:37:17,378
Persecutions arise.

342
00:37:18,741 --> 00:37:32,267
And someone decided they would accept the position of being an elder because, well, there
was some pay involved.

343
00:37:33,909 --> 00:37:38,237
And they needed the money, so they accepted the position.

344
00:37:39,642 --> 00:37:41,324
Suffering comes.

345
00:37:41,646 --> 00:37:43,408
Hardship comes.

346
00:37:45,271 --> 00:37:47,101
Does that elder stick around?

347
00:37:48,202 --> 00:37:49,202
No.

348
00:37:49,883 --> 00:37:51,523
Why did he take it?

349
00:37:52,663 --> 00:37:54,244
Because of the money.

350
00:37:55,704 --> 00:37:58,705
When the suffering starts, you think the pay stays?

351
00:37:59,666 --> 00:38:00,866
Doubtful.

352
00:38:02,247 --> 00:38:04,107
Not if the suffering's real.

353
00:38:05,648 --> 00:38:08,648
So when the pay's gone, where's the elder?

354
00:38:08,929 --> 00:38:10,029
Gone too.

355
00:38:11,807 --> 00:38:14,519
Now is it wrong therefore to pay elders?

356
00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:17,061
No, not at all.

357
00:38:18,262 --> 00:38:21,585
Well, there better not be an elder that says yes because of the pay.

358
00:38:23,393 --> 00:38:28,015
There better not be an elder that says yes because the church is willing to support them.

359
00:38:28,876 --> 00:38:38,261
There better be an elder who does so not by compulsion, but willingly, not for dishonest
gain, but eagerly.

360
00:38:40,577 --> 00:38:51,366
Peter's addressing the historical problem which we've talked about in our Sunday class
dealing with elders about the shepherds in Israel in Ezekiel's day.

361
00:38:52,767 --> 00:38:57,751
They were shepherds because of what they could consume off of the sheep.

362
00:38:58,873 --> 00:39:03,156
What they could get out of the sheep, not because they cared for the sheep.

363
00:39:04,057 --> 00:39:09,001
And God says, do that to my flock and I will recompense you.

364
00:39:10,709 --> 00:39:21,221
So Peter says, rather, shepherd willingly, serving as overseers.

365
00:39:21,221 --> 00:39:23,384
Notice that serving part.

366
00:39:23,384 --> 00:39:27,388
That serving means there's service going on.

367
00:39:28,130 --> 00:39:30,872
But he says, serving as overseers.

368
00:39:31,054 --> 00:39:42,275
not by compulsion, but willingly, not for dishonest gain, but eagerly, nor as being lords
over those entrusted to you.

369
00:39:46,697 --> 00:39:57,252
These are not your whipping boys that you call at your beck and call that you do or you
demand and they do.

370
00:39:59,925 --> 00:40:03,568
These are sheep and you're their shepherd.

371
00:40:04,810 --> 00:40:10,696
You're their servant and yet you're their protector.

372
00:40:11,597 --> 00:40:19,525
He says, not as lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

373
00:40:21,874 --> 00:40:27,532
elders are to be the picture of what the Christians ought to be.

374
00:40:27,532 --> 00:40:28,293
uh

375
00:40:30,047 --> 00:40:39,057
And in most congregations, the elders are the picture of what the congregation is.

376
00:40:42,065 --> 00:40:53,353
and maybe some advanced level of what they should be to either the congregation's benefit
or detriment.

377
00:40:55,169 --> 00:41:06,224
You have a congregation with elders that run an eldership like a board of directors of a
corporation and they meet and they make decisions and they pass down decisions to the

378
00:41:06,224 --> 00:41:09,709
employees and they tell the people this is what we're in for.

379
00:41:09,709 --> 00:41:12,112
We're going to make sure that we're profitable.

380
00:41:15,351 --> 00:41:17,970
you're going to have a congregation that acts that way.

381
00:41:20,297 --> 00:41:35,156
You have a congregation with elders that serve the congregation and serve the work and
serve the ministry and consider their actions to be the example that they set for the

382
00:41:35,156 --> 00:41:36,157
flock.

383
00:41:38,443 --> 00:41:42,288
you're going to see that lived out in the lives of the Christians that followed.

384
00:41:44,439 --> 00:41:56,480
Peter says, and when the chief shepherd appears, sorry, appears, you will receive the
crown of glory that does not fade away.

385
00:41:58,042 --> 00:42:05,329
Is there a reward for elders that is not available to others?

386
00:42:11,923 --> 00:42:12,996
Interesting question.

387
00:42:12,996 --> 00:42:15,033
Turn to Hebrews chapter 13.

388
00:42:27,999 --> 00:42:29,913
Hebrews chapter 13.

389
00:42:31,693 --> 00:42:42,813
Verse 17, obey those who rule over you and be submissive, for they watch out for your
souls as those who must give account.

390
00:42:43,033 --> 00:42:50,293
Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

391
00:42:50,293 --> 00:42:52,573
Maybe I'll ask it another way.

392
00:42:53,433 --> 00:42:58,673
Is there accountability that elders have that others don't have?

393
00:42:59,133 --> 00:43:00,353
Yes.

394
00:43:01,887 --> 00:43:11,997
then is there a reward for faithful service for a higher level of accountability that
elders have that others don't have?

395
00:43:14,737 --> 00:43:25,657
Yes, because if we go back to the passage from Corinthians, we will all receive according
to what we have done in this life.

396
00:43:26,457 --> 00:43:29,597
say, Aaron, how is that reward manifested in eternity?

397
00:43:29,597 --> 00:43:33,037
I have no idea.

398
00:43:33,457 --> 00:43:35,657
Do they get extra square footage in their mansion?

399
00:43:35,657 --> 00:43:37,137
Don't know.

400
00:43:37,137 --> 00:43:38,977
Are they on the nicer street?

401
00:43:38,977 --> 00:43:42,637
They're all gold, but what, you know, don't know.

402
00:43:42,717 --> 00:43:43,685
All right.

403
00:43:43,841 --> 00:43:45,472
Thank you for your attention.