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Matthew 10 and verse 2, now the names

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of the 12 Apostles are these.

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The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and

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Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedee,

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and John his brother.

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Over in Mark's Gospel, please, chapter 3.

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Mark 3, verse 14, it mentions, and he

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ordained 12, that they should be with him.

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Verse 16, and Simon he surnamed Peter, and

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James the son of Zebedee, and John the

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brother of James.

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And he surnamed them Boanerges, if that's correct,

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which is the sons of thunder.

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Now, we're going to read some other portions,

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but what I want to just introduce to

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you from what we've looked at here, is

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a subject which, ideally, I hope, will be

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a help to us, whatever generation we're a

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part of, particularly those that are younger, I

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think it will maybe be applicable, but those

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of us that are along the way a

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little bit further still need to hear this

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at times.

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What we're going to be looking at is

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the sovereignty of God, the responsibility of man.

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We hear that constantly, relative particularly to the

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Gospel, but now in service for Christ as

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well.

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Sovereignty of God, responsibility of man, and the

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distinction of persons and the results that come

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from that.

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These two portions, Matthew and Mark, that we

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have looked at here just introduced to us

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four of the disciples.

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So I've purposely not read the rest of

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them, and perhaps then you notice that what

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we have read of is the fact that

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there were two pairs of brothers.

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Now, as I look at the audience here,

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there are some literal, I shouldn't say just

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literal, there are some physical brothers here.

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I refrain from saying literal because when we're

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in Christ, we're as much brothers, and actually

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we've heard about the displacement of the physical

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family of the Lord Jesus, was it Brother

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Lavey was just mentioning this, he looked at

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that home full of people and said, my

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mother and my brother.

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So be that as it may, if we're

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in Christ, we're literal brothers as much.

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So I do see some physical brothers here

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today.

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These were physical brothers.

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I have two older brothers, I'm the youngest

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of the three boys.

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Terrible potential for competition between brothers in a

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home.

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Fortunate, misfortunate, whichever way you look at it,

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my two older brothers were very close in

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age, and I'm a fair bit younger than

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the middle one, so I was more like

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an afterthought, and I said at other times

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I was their football to my two older

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brothers.

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So there wasn't a whole lot of competition

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between myself and my brothers.

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But what we have here is the sovereignty

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of Christ in calling twelve, but there are

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two pairs of brothers then, and the interesting

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thing is when you notice in both of

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these lists, Simon's listed first, and we've read

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how the Lord Jesus surnamed him, gave him

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a change of name to Peter.

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Don't read about other names of the disciples

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besides the two who are also going to

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notice a name being given to them.

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And you begin to think, maybe you're one

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of the other eight.

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Why do they get name changes and I

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didn't?

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Remember that Andrew was the brother, as we

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have noted, of Peter, and he followed the

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Lord before Peter was ever a disciple.

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In fact, he was responsible for bringing Peter

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to Christ.

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You'd wonder about preference.

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Then you get James and John, and a

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name is given to them, Sons of Thunder.

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For whatever reason they got that name.

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I mean, John is sort of perceived in

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my mind as being a fairly gentle fellow

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near to Christ, but be that as it

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may, a name was given to him.

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The other eight, no mention particularly of name

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changes.

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Christ called his disciples.

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He had particular purposes through and for those

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disciples.

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How did things unfold in the future?

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You will remember then that James, he was

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martyred, Acts 12.

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That's John's brother.

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What about Andrew?

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Not a whole lot said about Andrew, is

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there?

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But look at Peter, how prominent Peter becomes.

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In fact, his name would be first in

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the list that we've looked at.

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So you have this sovereignty, but you have

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responsibility.

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Now, I want to take you back to

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Matthew 17, and we see one of those

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occasions when the Lord Jesus, who was it

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that was speaking of threes, and mentioned, was

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it Brother McCandless, mentioned the three disciples that

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the Lord particularly kept close.

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The last verse of Matthew 16 says, Verily

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I say unto you, there be some standing

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here which shall not taste of death till

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they see the Son of Man coming in

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his kingdom.

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Chapter 17 verse 1, After six days Jesus

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takes Peter, James, and John, his brother, and

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brings them up into a high mountain apart,

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and was transfigured before them.

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Most of us should be familiar with how

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this occasion unfolds.

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Verse 8, And when they had lifted up

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their eyes, they saw no man save Jesus

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only.

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And as they came down from the mountain,

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Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to

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no man until the Son of Man be

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risen again from the dead.

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So in a sense, again, we see the

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sovereignty.

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He chose those three particular disciples.

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He took them up this mountain with them,

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with him rather, and they saw this tremendous

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vision, the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus.

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On the way down from the mountain, he

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gives them this charge, Don't tell anybody what

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you've seen until after the Son of Man

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is risen from the dead.

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Now, just let your imagination, as Mr. Maxwell

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used to say, take that sanctified imagination and

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put yourself in the shoes of those three

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disciples.

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I think I would have been biting my

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tongue an awful lot.

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I think you've had a privilege to go

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somewhere that the others couldn't go, but you

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have seen something that is beyond human experience.

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And what they have seen, as we would

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appreciate it, is a preview, if you would

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use that term, of the kingdom of Christ.

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And as they're coming down the mountain, I

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can imagine they'd just be itching.

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You can see, humanly speaking, how they would

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drift into the company of the other eight

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and say, you should have seen, well the

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other nine, you should have seen what we

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saw.

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And just start, you know, spilling it out

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and maybe they would be inclined then to

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want to elaborate and tell the story over

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and over again.

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And you know how our stories grow as

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we use them and our illustrations take on,

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well, we don't read a thing of either

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one of these three disciples being sad about

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this event.

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They obeyed the Lord.

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Tremendous privilege, but great responsibility.

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And they obey the Lord in sovereignty.

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He chooses the twelve that he wants, but

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he takes particular notice of four, or three

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rather, with name changes.

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And those two pairs of brothers are there

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in the picture, but there are things that

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are going to be taking place.

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And there's a tremendous potential for, as you

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say, competition, jealousy, and the friction.

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And how does it unfold?

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James is faithful.

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James is martyred.

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He's out of the picture.

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Andrew, no reason to question his faithfulness.

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Probably what's consistent all along, we read no

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record of Andrew stumbling in any way.

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Kind of just drifts out of the picture.

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Takes us down to two different men, John

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and Peter.

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Sovereignty, the Lord chose them.

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Responsibility, he commands them.

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They obey.

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I just want to relate to you in

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a few minutes what I think something then

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is the result of this.

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I'm persuaded, and we'll look at it for

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a bit, that John chapter 1, John writes

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about what he saw.

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Second Peter chapter 1, Peter definitely writes about

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what he saw, what he experienced.

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But there's tremendous distinction between the record that

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these two men record, what they write about

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this event.

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And that's something that at times we need

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to be reminded of.

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And when we're younger, we need to get

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a sense of a grip on ourselves that

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there is distinction among God's people.

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He calls, he saves, and he uses us,

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yes, ultimately to a common purpose, his honor.

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But he uses people in distinct ways and

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according to their distinction of persons.

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Don't let what others are doing become an

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irritation or a frustration to you.

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But wait on God.

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We've been hearing about learning through the trials

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of life and grow with God and be

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used as he wants to use you.

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The sovereignty of Christ, the responsibility of men,

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the distinction of persons, it's a tremendous thing

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to see, really.

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We need to accept it.

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And the results, well, they just can't be

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compared.

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John chapter 1, please.

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We're just going to read verse 14.

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And I would suggest to you that this

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is John's brief record of that day on

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the mount.

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And the word was made flesh and dwelt

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among us, and we beheld his glory, the

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glory as of the only begotten of the

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Father, full of grace and truth.

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We beheld his glory, the glory as of

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the only begotten of the Father.

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And we didn't read it, but in the

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record, particularly in Matthew's gospel, is that Luke

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as well, as they were on that mount,

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they heard that voice from heaven.

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And this is what was said.

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This is my beloved son.

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He stands in absolute distinction from the two

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Old Testament worthies that were there and seen

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with him as well.

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This is my beloved son.

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Hear ye him.

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And so what does John take away from

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that tremendous experience?

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In his obedience of restraining his voice, we

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don't really read whether John audibly communicated this

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message of the mountain.

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Once the Lord was raised from the dead,

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and there may not be a particular record

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of it, but he's certainly writing about it,

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declaring this one.

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John, who lost a brother, writes with an

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emphasis about the family of God, and in

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so doing communicates the only begotten son like

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none of the other writers do.

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John, who lost a brother, emphasizes the deity

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of the man that was seen in all

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his uniqueness and the wonder of that scene

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on the mountain that day.

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We beheld his glory.

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And you know how the scene unfolds.

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The Lord's face shines like nothing that's ever

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been seen before, and then this voice is

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heard.

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This is my beloved son.

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They saw his glory, they saw the vision,

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and they heard the voice.

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And so John says, we beheld his glory.

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The glory of who?

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00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:53,960
You know, it amazes me that John hasn't

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used any names here other than the word.

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He's introduced in verse 1, the subject of

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his gospel, in the beginning was the word.

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He puts that label, if you would, on

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the person of the Lord Jesus.

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He hasn't used the term son.

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He hasn't used any names, Jesus Christ, or

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00:14:08,900 --> 00:14:09,880
anything of that nature.

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He just says, and the word was made

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flesh and dwelt among us.

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00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:16,320
Who was the word?

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00:14:16,620 --> 00:14:18,920
The word was the one that was at

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00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:22,680
the beginning when things happened in creation, the

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00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:23,760
word already was.

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00:14:24,380 --> 00:14:24,960
He's eternal.

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00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:27,880
And John then, as he saw that vision

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00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,320
on the mountain that day, was overwhelmed with

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00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,040
the nature of the man that they're associated

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00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:34,420
with.

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He's God's unique son from eternity.

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And this is the core of his message.

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We beheld his glory.

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00:14:41,060 --> 00:14:41,500
What glory?

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00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,020
The glory is of the only begotten of

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00:14:44,020 --> 00:14:44,460
the Father.

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00:14:44,460 --> 00:14:45,960
It doesn't say the only begotten son, the

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00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:46,940
only begotten of the Father.

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00:14:47,060 --> 00:14:48,440
This is my beloved son.

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00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,660
The Father turning in the focus of these

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00:14:51,660 --> 00:14:53,180
disciples on this man.

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00:14:53,380 --> 00:14:54,960
I'm not going to jettison what those Old

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00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:56,840
Testament worthies had written and what they had

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00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:57,420
spoken.

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00:14:57,720 --> 00:14:58,640
I'm not doing that.

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00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:00,000
But he's elevating him.

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00:15:00,060 --> 00:15:02,780
He says, hear him, hear him.

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00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,260
And John, if I can just put those

316
00:15:06,260 --> 00:15:08,060
things together, John just loves to put the

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00:15:08,060 --> 00:15:09,380
label on him, the word.

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00:15:10,260 --> 00:15:12,020
This is my son, hear him.

319
00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:13,520
He is the communication.

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00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:17,000
He is the full unveiling of the eternal

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00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:17,560
God.

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00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:18,580
Hear him.

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00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:21,940
The only begotten of the Father.

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00:15:23,380 --> 00:15:25,460
And right, really, when you see that the

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00:15:25,460 --> 00:15:28,620
name word goes back to verse 1, and

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00:15:28,620 --> 00:15:30,740
he's the only begotten of the Father, you

327
00:15:30,740 --> 00:15:34,780
have the eternal son established in just these

328
00:15:34,780 --> 00:15:36,660
early verses of John.

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00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,160
That's what John saw in brief comments.

330
00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:42,240
That's how he responded.

331
00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:46,380
So John, who lost a brother, writes about

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00:15:46,380 --> 00:15:47,300
this family.

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00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:54,840
But the relationship that he first conveys, communicates,

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00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:57,180
is the only begotten of the Father.

335
00:15:57,860 --> 00:16:01,080
And he is God, the son, the word

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00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:05,700
who communicates anything and everything you'll ever know

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00:16:05,700 --> 00:16:06,580
of God.

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00:16:07,420 --> 00:16:08,520
Hear him.

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00:16:08,780 --> 00:16:11,600
Let's go to 2 Peter.

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00:16:13,100 --> 00:16:25,100
2 Peter, just

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00:16:25,100 --> 00:16:31,300
to pick up from verse 11 of chapter

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00:16:31,300 --> 00:16:33,960
1, it says, For so an entrance shall

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00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:38,060
be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting

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00:16:38,060 --> 00:16:41,960
kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

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00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:46,020
And so I would suggest to you that

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00:16:46,020 --> 00:16:49,040
as Peter is beginning this, particularly this 2nd

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00:16:49,040 --> 00:16:54,140
epistle, his emphasis is the certainty of the

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00:16:54,140 --> 00:16:54,420
kingdom.

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00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,420
And you remember how chapter 16 of Matthew

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00:16:58,420 --> 00:16:59,020
concluded.

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00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,400
The Lord said to the audience, the disciples

352
00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:04,619
at large that day, there's some standing here

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00:17:04,619 --> 00:17:06,300
and they won't taste of death until they

354
00:17:06,300 --> 00:17:07,619
have seen the kingdom.

355
00:17:08,540 --> 00:17:09,319
And what did they say?

356
00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:11,520
The kingdom is the person.

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00:17:14,260 --> 00:17:14,819
Ultimately.

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00:17:14,819 --> 00:17:17,000
Yes, there's going to be dimensions to it

359
00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:19,160
and experiences and material things in this world.

360
00:17:19,319 --> 00:17:21,319
But the kingdom is the person.

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00:17:21,900 --> 00:17:25,839
And they saw the Lord Jesus, his deity,

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00:17:26,140 --> 00:17:28,680
the glory of his person shining that day.

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00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:30,540
And this is what Peter will emphasize.

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00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:32,860
John, he was taken up with the tremendous

365
00:17:32,860 --> 00:17:35,200
truth, eternal son of the Father.

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00:17:35,940 --> 00:17:37,380
Peter, what's he taken up with?

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00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,720
The certainty of the kingdom.

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00:17:41,660 --> 00:17:46,080
He's writing to suffering saints, people that were

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00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:50,180
bearing great reproach, persecution because of their faithfulness

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00:17:50,180 --> 00:17:50,920
to the Lord Jesus.

371
00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,060
And they were seemingly beginning to wonder, you

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00:17:55,060 --> 00:17:58,320
know, as the expression goes, we've been sold

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00:17:58,320 --> 00:17:58,900
a bill of goods.

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00:18:00,100 --> 00:18:01,040
Something's missing here.

375
00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:05,320
Peter says, no, the kingdom is sure.

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00:18:06,260 --> 00:18:08,980
How's Peter so sure about this kingdom?

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00:18:10,180 --> 00:18:12,060
Verse 15, moreover, I will endeavor that you

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00:18:12,060 --> 00:18:13,760
may be able after my decease.

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00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:16,080
Interestingly, that's the same word that was used

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00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:17,680
of the Lord Jesus on the Mount is

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00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:18,180
Exodus.

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00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:19,940
Curious thing, isn't it?

383
00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:21,520
That Peter uses that expression.

384
00:18:23,340 --> 00:18:25,340
After my decease to have these things always

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00:18:25,340 --> 00:18:27,940
in remembrance for we have not followed cunningly

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00:18:27,940 --> 00:18:30,060
devised fables when we made known unto you

387
00:18:30,060 --> 00:18:31,580
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus

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00:18:31,580 --> 00:18:32,040
Christ.

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00:18:32,780 --> 00:18:35,860
But we're eyewitnesses of his majesty.

390
00:18:38,380 --> 00:18:40,900
Seems to me then that Peter, though he

391
00:18:40,900 --> 00:18:43,640
obeyed, he waited till the post resurrection.

392
00:18:44,100 --> 00:18:45,900
He's been verbally communicating.

393
00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:47,480
He says, we made known to you.

394
00:18:47,860 --> 00:18:49,480
We made known to you the power and

395
00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:50,760
coming of the Lord Jesus.

396
00:18:51,620 --> 00:18:52,860
He said, but how am I so certain

397
00:18:52,860 --> 00:18:53,420
about this?

398
00:18:53,940 --> 00:18:55,600
Now I know that I might part ways

399
00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:56,080
with some.

400
00:18:58,100 --> 00:19:01,440
Verse 19, some would suggest, no, I won't

401
00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:01,860
go down there.

402
00:19:01,980 --> 00:19:02,900
I'll just tell you what my wife keeps

403
00:19:02,900 --> 00:19:03,200
telling me.

404
00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:05,360
She says, don't tell everybody two or three

405
00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:06,740
different things and then tell them what you

406
00:19:06,740 --> 00:19:07,060
prefer.

407
00:19:07,300 --> 00:19:09,100
Tell them what you're convinced of.

408
00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:11,140
I obey my wife today.

409
00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:17,380
I am persuaded that Peter will communicate to

410
00:19:17,380 --> 00:19:19,760
us in these portions, in these few verses,

411
00:19:20,500 --> 00:19:22,740
that the experience of the Mount was a

412
00:19:22,740 --> 00:19:25,860
confirmation of what the prophets of old had

413
00:19:25,860 --> 00:19:26,660
foretold.

414
00:19:28,300 --> 00:19:33,120
If we suggest that Peter will tell us

415
00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:35,880
in verse 19 that what was written before

416
00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:37,920
was far more certain than what he had

417
00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:41,140
seen and communicated to them, we dismiss the

418
00:19:41,140 --> 00:19:44,220
testimony, the witness of New Testament apostles.

419
00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,060
Not just Christians, apostles.

420
00:19:47,820 --> 00:19:50,540
And it was their word that was communicated

421
00:19:50,540 --> 00:19:51,640
post resurrection.

422
00:19:53,340 --> 00:19:54,520
This is a little bit of a side

423
00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:54,680
note.

424
00:19:55,180 --> 00:19:57,820
I am finding today, and it might be

425
00:19:57,820 --> 00:20:00,360
because of some association, but I am finding

426
00:20:00,360 --> 00:20:02,320
today and somewhat, I think this is running

427
00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:06,020
through the evangelical world, that what is recorded

428
00:20:06,020 --> 00:20:08,100
of the words of Christ in the Gospels

429
00:20:09,060 --> 00:20:11,220
is something, okay, we'll buy that.

430
00:20:11,780 --> 00:20:14,500
But what was spoken by his apostles and

431
00:20:14,500 --> 00:20:17,380
recorded in New Testament following letters is taking

432
00:20:17,380 --> 00:20:18,080
second place.

433
00:20:18,820 --> 00:20:22,800
And there's no basis to even consider that.

434
00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,440
When the apostles spoke, they spoke the words

435
00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:27,140
of Christ.

436
00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,580
Nonetheless, of the things that were spoken by

437
00:20:29,580 --> 00:20:31,380
him in the world and recorded in the

438
00:20:31,380 --> 00:20:32,440
four Gospel records.

439
00:20:33,140 --> 00:20:35,340
Let's stand with that and be convinced of

440
00:20:35,340 --> 00:20:37,060
that because we'll lose a lot of things

441
00:20:37,060 --> 00:20:39,380
that are precious to our God in heaven.

442
00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:41,440
So be that as it may, I take

443
00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:42,860
it that Peter is going to tell us

444
00:20:42,860 --> 00:20:44,160
that we saw something.

445
00:20:44,740 --> 00:20:45,980
We saw a vision.

446
00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:47,120
We heard a voice.

447
00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:49,400
It was God from heaven.

448
00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,340
And it was every bit as much of

449
00:20:52,340 --> 00:20:54,820
a man, a holy man of old carried

450
00:20:54,820 --> 00:20:57,060
by the Spirit of God speaking in Old

451
00:20:57,060 --> 00:20:57,860
Testament times.

452
00:20:58,140 --> 00:20:59,580
And he says the things are totally in

453
00:20:59,580 --> 00:20:59,920
harmony.

454
00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:03,740
The kingdom he's telling us is certain.

455
00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:12,180
The reproach, the suffering, the family that dismisses

456
00:21:12,180 --> 00:21:15,800
the member that takes Christ for and to

457
00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:17,200
their upbringing or whatever.

458
00:21:17,740 --> 00:21:21,380
The workmates, the classmates that may sneer at

459
00:21:21,380 --> 00:21:23,120
your position in this present world.

460
00:21:23,460 --> 00:21:27,600
That doesn't diminish our certain future.

461
00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:34,260
He says there could be an abundant entrance.

462
00:21:35,740 --> 00:21:37,660
My understanding is that our dear brother Peter

463
00:21:37,660 --> 00:21:41,160
Orsak was exhorting Christians to be careful how

464
00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:46,100
they prayed in his later days as he

465
00:21:46,100 --> 00:21:48,040
was suffering and it was looking like there

466
00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,460
wasn't going to be a turn that time

467
00:21:50,460 --> 00:21:50,900
for Peter.

468
00:21:51,580 --> 00:21:53,960
He says, I hope you're not praying for

469
00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:55,600
an abundant entrance into the kingdom.

470
00:21:56,500 --> 00:21:57,620
He says, I'd like to hang around a

471
00:21:57,620 --> 00:21:58,140
little longer.

472
00:21:58,980 --> 00:22:01,520
But of course, you know, there is reward.

473
00:22:03,460 --> 00:22:05,440
This world is becoming more and more hostile.

474
00:22:07,420 --> 00:22:11,580
That doesn't change one fact of what lays

475
00:22:11,580 --> 00:22:11,980
before.

476
00:22:12,900 --> 00:22:16,680
Peter says we heard it, we saw, and

477
00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:21,060
we are sure that this kingdom is worth

478
00:22:21,060 --> 00:22:22,540
suffering for.

479
00:22:23,500 --> 00:22:25,820
So there is the sovereignty of Christ.

480
00:22:25,940 --> 00:22:26,820
He calls, he chooses.

481
00:22:28,420 --> 00:22:30,580
There's a responsibility of us to carry out

482
00:22:30,580 --> 00:22:34,560
what we've been fitted for, whatever our situation.

483
00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:36,740
There's distinction of persons.

484
00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:39,800
Let us never think everybody has to be

485
00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:41,020
the exact same person.

486
00:22:42,120 --> 00:22:46,300
And when there's distinction, the result, if Peter

487
00:22:46,300 --> 00:22:47,480
and John had tried to be the same,

488
00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,480
boy, we wouldn't have got these two portions

489
00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:50,980
of the scriptures.

490
00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:53,180
We wouldn't have got two different perspectives of

491
00:22:53,180 --> 00:22:55,260
what God has intended for us.

492
00:22:55,420 --> 00:22:57,240
The son that puts us in the family

493
00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,920
and secures us and the same one who

494
00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:02,780
keeps us and preserves us for a kingdom,

495
00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:04,300
which is yet to be realized.

496
00:23:04,940 --> 00:23:07,300
These things are what we are called for.