Episode Transcript
WEBVTT
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Please remain standing, if you're able, and turn your attention to Mica,
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Chapter Five. I'm going to read
verse Versus Five Through Fifteen. Those humble
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our hearts before the Lord and his
word, Mica Five, verses five through
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fifteen, and he shall be their
peace. When the Assyrian comes into our
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land and treads in our palaces,
then we will raise against him seven shepherds
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and eight princes of men. They
shall shepherd the land of Assyria with the
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sword and the land of Nimrod at
its entrances, and he shall deliver us
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from the Assyrian. When he comes
into our land and treads within our border,
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then the remnant of Jacob shall be
in the midst of many peoples,
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like do from the Lord, like
showers on the grass, which delay not
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for a man, nor wait for
the children of Man. And the remnant
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of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples,
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like a lion among the beasts of
the forest, like a young lion among
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the flocks of sheep which, when
it goes through, treads down and tears
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and pieces and there is none to
deliver. Your hand shall be lifted up
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over your adversaries and all your enemies
shall be cut off and in that day,
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declares the Lord, I will cut
off your horses from among you and
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will destroy your chariots, and I
will cut off the cities of your land,
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I and throw down all your strongholds. I will cut off sorceries from
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your hand and you shall have no
more tellers of fortunes, and I will
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cut off your carved images and your
pillars from among you and you shall bow
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down no more to the work of
your hands. And I will root out
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your Ashura images from among you and
destroy your cities. And in anger and
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wrath, I will execute vengeance on
the nations that did not obey. Since
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the reading of God's word, you
may be seated. At the beginning of
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Mike a five, God promises through
His prophet that there would be born in
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Bethlehem a king, a shepherd,
a new shepherd to guide and watch over
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his people. and to night we
consider the kind of kingdom that this king
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brings. What kind of shepherd is
he and what what effect does his rule
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have on the people of God and
on even the whole world? So we
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will look tonight at Mica Five,
versus five through fifteen, and consider this
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what is what do we learn here
about the Kingdom of Christ? What does
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God do when he comes into the
world and establishes himself as the king of
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kings and to redeem his people and
Save the world? There's two things I
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want to point out this evening.
The second one has a couple parts.
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The first thing is that we learn
from this passage is that this kingdom,
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this work that the shepherd will do, will be broad. It will be
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throughout the whole world. It will
not be restrained to just this place,
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the land of Canaan and Israel,
but it is to be very broad,
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very, very spread. We read
in verse five that he shall be their
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peace when the Assyrians come into the
land, but when we get to verse
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seven we read this of the vision
of this kingdom is much more expansive.
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Notice what he says in verse seven. Then the remnants of Jacob shall be
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in the midst of many people's the
same the same language comes up again in
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verse eight. The remnant of Jacob
shall be among the nations, in the
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midst of many peoples. So the
first point is that it is broad.
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The broadness of it is described through
these words about missed nations, but he
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also uses this beautiful image with a
with a theological point as well as the
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image is that the people will be
like do from the Lord, showers on
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the grass. If it weren't for
the fact that I was raised in Phoenix
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and not to sometime may not know
what this means. In Phoenix we have
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lands, and perhaps unnecessarily so.
Nevertheless, there they are and sometimes there
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is do in the mornings. Do
Wetness on the grass, and it's it's
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not just on a little portion of
the grass, but it's everywhere. It
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covers everything. Every inch is covered
in such a way it would be difficult
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even even to measure. I'm like
showers on the grass, this life giving
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image, and will return to that
in a moment. This is how the
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God's people will be in the world, spread out over everything. The theological
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point is at the end of verse
seven, which says which delay not for
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a man, nor wait for the
children of Man. This is the do
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that appears on the morning grass.
Is a lot different than you going out
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and spraying your own down your yard
in the evening. Even the effect of
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it happens, you could never really
with a guard and who is replicate the
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way that the do appears on the
grass. You might get this section whet
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or that section where, but it's
never the same. This is not an
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under the control of man and it
happens when God chooses and when God pleases.
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One of the central points, perhaps
these central point of this passage,
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is to trust in the Lord,
to not trust in our power, to
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not trust in our strength, in
our governments and even in spiritual powers,
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but to trust in God and in
God alone. And this is what when
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he comes, when the Messiah comes, when Christ comes, he is going
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to establish his people throughout the world, in the midst of the nation's that's
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the first thing that we know,
that this Kingdom of peace, what it
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will be like. The second thing
we note that this Kingdom of peace to
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which Christ will be and indeed is
now, as we reflect on his having
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come, as we see that there
is a sort of double mission in the
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peace that he brings. On the
one hand, there is peace, he
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says he and he will be their
peace, and we have this life giving
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image in verse seven of the Dow
Coming, these gentle showers on the grass,
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this way in which water and life
are are connected, gentleness, goodness.
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But we also have an image,
that is in Verse Eight, where
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we are reminded that there is great
power in this piece. We read of
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it before in regard to the Assyrians. But here, notice what the image
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the point is the same, or
the beginning is the same. The remnants
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of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many people's but
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notice this image in verse eight,
is is not so gentle, like a
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lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks
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of sheep which, when it goes
through, treads down and tears to pieces
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and there is none to deliver it. So these are very different images,
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right, one of do on the
grass, being in the midst of everything,
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and the other of a young lion
in the midst of the sheep,
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destroying, tearing apart, ripping the
shreds. How do these things go together?
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How is it that Christ and his
kingdom are both of these? Are
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both of these things? Well,
they are not at odd, they are
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not opposed to one another. They
relate to one another in a particular way,
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and that's because what is overthrown,
what is torn apart, what is
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ripped to shreads, is an obstacle
to life it's not another life, it's
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not a possible life. What is
torn apart, what is ripped, what
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is destroyed, even with the strength
of a lion among sheep, is something
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that is deaf to people. That
image is, of course, not in
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the sheep itself. We get that
from later on. The point is not
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some kind of injustice that's happening in
verse eight. The point is that God
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is powerful, as powerful and his
kingdom is as strong as a lion,
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a young lion, in this situation. But what God is doing when he
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acts in this way? What what
his what comes about in his kingdom?
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What is being overthrown? Are Not
innocent little sheep, but what we read
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in verses ten through fifteen, the
horses in the chariots, the cities and
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the strongholds, the sorcerers, the
tellers of fortune, the carved images,
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the pillars, the Astra images,
on these things, God is going to
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act like a lion these things.
He will tear them apart and he will
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destroy them. Why? To bring
about peace? Because these things are the
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obstacles to life. These are the
things that bring death, these are the
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things that bring destruction to God's people, destruction to the world and so this
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is what he promises. He promises
to overthrow the powers of this world that
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are that believe themselves to be self
sufficient and Self Glorious and worthy of worship
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even and also the powers of spiritual
darkness that fight and a rebel against God.
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This, by the way, just
as a just to be very clear,
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is a reminder to us that fortune
telling and sorceries and horoscopes and things
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like this are inappropriate, to say
the least, for Christians. Christians should
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not be turning to spiritual darkness for
power, for knowledge, for safety,
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for security, we turn to God
and to God alone. To turn aside
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to these things is to turn away
from God. Some people get very caught
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up in these things, as did
Israel. Some people become very attached to
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what is spiritual darkness, hoping to
find a way to control theirselves and their
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future and their circumstances. This is
not the way to do it. This
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is exactly the wrong way to do
it. The way we live our lives
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is not by trying to control either
this world or the spiritual world, but
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by trusting in the Lord who controls
everything. You don't need to control these
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things. He's got it all.
Just for you. He does it for
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your good. So this is the
Kingdom of the king. This is what
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our good shepherd does for us.
I want to finish by asking this question.
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Then, has this happened? How
have we seen these things come to
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pass, given that Christ has been
born in Bethlehem and he has even died
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and risen? Well, in part, we are waiting for the completion of
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these things. We are waiting for
the completion of these things. There are
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ways in which there are still rebellious
people in this world, nations which and
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people's all over the world which do
not bow to the son of God,
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which do not give themselves over to
him, but instead seek worship and glory
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and honor for themselves. This is
self evident, I think. On the
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other hand, though, we wait
for the subjection of all of these things,
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we do see that the work that
God promises to do has begun and
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even continues to spread, that work
of destroying the forces of spiritual darkness,
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to open the eyes of the blind
with the so that the god of this
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world might no longer have power over
people, is very evident in the way
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that we see the Kingdom of God
spread throughout the world like do over the
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grass. What do I mean?
Simply this that God has his people everywhere,
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everywhere, not just in Canaan,
not just a small group of of
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disciples and other followers, but so
many places. The International Conference of reformed
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churches is by no means the whole
of God's people. Nevertheless, just this
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small group of of Reformed Christians and
International Group of reformed churches to which our
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denomination belongs, speaks, even just
this little part speaks to the the extent
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of God's kingdom. Over thirty four
denominations across the world represented in this body.
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In addition to our own country,
there are churches established in Kenya and
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Canada, Indonesia, Ireland, reformed
churches in South Africa, Korea, Brazil,
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Sudan and more. And this Gospel
continues to spread. God uses even
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our tiny little denomination to serve people, to spread the Gospel. And Quebec
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and Haiti, Uruguay and Ukraine,
are Tria and Ethiopia, Uganda and China,
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and we, as those who have
been brought out of slavery, who
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belong to this mission airy movement,
who have been who have heard the gospel
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so many thousands of miles away,
from where it was first preached. Participate
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in this partly by our simply existing, simply by being here and worshiping together
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as part of the body of Christ, confessing our faith, praying to the
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Lord, proclaiming and hearing his word
and supporting that word going out. Each
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and every Sunday. We see this
kingdom expressed each week. We also see
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it expressed when we pray for our
missionaries and when we host them, intent
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when they come into town and when
we serve and send people on short term
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trips and assignments to serve with alongside
our missionaries, as we've done throughout the
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years. We also support our missionaries
financially and regularly do so, including through
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our annual thank offering in November.
These are all the different ways in which
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we are a part of this and
ways in which we see these prophecies in
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Mica happening in concrete, real ways. People that we know, churches that
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we pray for, missionaries that we
have visited and served alongside with. We
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see the Gospel going out. We
see the peace of the Lord being spread
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throughout the world closer to home,
this happens whenever we, whenever you invite
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someone to church or church event,
when you make a newcomer feel welcome,
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when you spread to them that word
of Christ and our emissary, if even
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for a moment, if even for
one conversation about the Kingdom of God,
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this is the work of God in
and through us. This is the prophecies
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of Mica, a five of being
fulfilled, an amazing thing and amazing privilege
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to participate in that. What about
the governments and the economic powers of this
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world? We do not yet see
them fully in subject subject to Christ,
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and we won't until he returns.
But we do see that their power is
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limited and minimized and though it can
be very terrible for Christians from time to
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time, including and many of these
places that I've mentioned, ultimately it can
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do us no harm, because Christ
is King and Christ is with US whereover.
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We live in an area of in
an era of grace, where all
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men everywhere are invited to die in
the Cross of Christ rather than by his
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sword. We are in an era
where the Gospel if grace is going out
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even to our enemies, so that
they, like us, might not die
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in God's Wrath on the Day of
judgment, but might already have judgment passed
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in Christ. The wrath of God
comes, judgment comes for sin one way
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or another. The invitation that God's
extends now into the world is is to
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let Christ take on that wrath for
you instead of instead of having it come
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upon you yourself when he returns.
And so, in this era of grace,
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God calls us, as the Gospel
is going out the nation's as God
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is calling in his elect he tells
us to live in as subjects of those
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who are under the governments of this
world, as far as it is possible
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and in the name of the Lord, to live at peace, as far
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as it is possible, with our
neighbors and with those around us, to
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not seek vengeance and to not return
an eye for an eye or a tooth
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for a tooth, but to turn
the other cheek, to pray for our
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enemies. Why? Because we are
in this era of grace, because we
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have a responsibility as Christians to to
be emissaries and to declare this kingdom.
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All of this is not a sign
of God's weakness, it is a sign
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of his graciousness. Vengeance belongs to
him. He will repay and we can
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trust him for that. But we
can also thank him that there is an
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opportunity where we can come to him
and we can go even to those who
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might try to murder us for our
beliefs and say and to pray for them
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and to call them to Christ as
well. With these things in mind,
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let me read to you from revelation, Chapter Fourteen. You can turn here
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as well if you like, or
just listen revelation fourteen, versus sixth twelve.
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Here we are reminded of the work
that God is doing now, John
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wrights fourteen, verse six. Then
I saw another angel flying directly overhead with
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in Eternal Gospel to proclaim to those
who dwell on the earth, to every
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nation and tribe and language and people, this is the work of the Kingdom
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of God, as his Angel Goes
Out and proclaims the Gospel, and he
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said with a loud voice, this
is the message of the Gospel. Fear
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God and give him glory because the
hour of his judgment has come, and
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worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.
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This is the message of the Gospel. It is a reminder of the
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peace that Mica promises, that God
promises through his servant, Mica, the
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opportunity that we have to come in
him, to not fear the spiritual powers
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of darkness or or the economies or
the governments of this world, but to
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fear God and give him glory,
because the hour has come. Let us
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worship him in Christ. There's also
the same, a similar warning that we
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find in my con Verse Eight.
Another Angel, a second followed saying fall
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and fallen is Babylon, the great
she who made all nations drink the wine
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of the passion of her sexual immorality, and another angel, a third,
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followed them, saying with a loud
voice, if anyone worships the beast and
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its image and receives a mark on
his forehead or on his hand, he
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also will drink the wine of God's
wrath, poured full strength into the cup
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of his anger, and he will
be tormented with fire and sulfur in the
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presence of the Holy Angels and in
the presence of the lamb, and the
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smoke of their torment goes up forever
and ever and they have no rest,
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day or night, these worshipers of
the beast and its image and whoever receives
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the mark of its name. Application
Verse Twelve, here is a call for
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the endurance of the saints, those
who keep the commandments of God and their
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faith in Jesus. That's the application. When we live in this time in
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which the hour of judgment as at
hand, two things happen. On one
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hand, the gospel of peace goes
out and people are brought in and saved,
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but we are also reminded that Babylon
and the the the cities and empires
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and strengths of this world that is
represented in that name that calls people to
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itself and says, worship me,
this great city of Man, we're worship
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me, serve me, live to, according to your passions and your pleasures,
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have delight in this kingdom, to
constantly remind the world that it is
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fall and fall and fallen, and
that the Lord will come on the Day
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of judgment and there will be no
fleeing the smoke of their torment, their
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everlasting torment rising up between before the
presence of the holy angels and the lamb.
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This is the period in which we
live. The king has come,
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though, the land has been sacrificed
and raised, and this is why there
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is an urgency to missions. This
is why there is an urgency and a
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call, as John writes, to
remainstead fast, to continue in this the
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to continue in what we have been
given. We are people who are called
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to consider these things, to consider
this perspective and to endure, knowing that
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the shepherd has already come and we
are very, very close to the end.
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We must keep the commandments of God. We must keep our faith in
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Jesus, the Great Shepherd who has
been born in Bethlehem and who will come
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again. Let us pray
