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Spiritual Surgery (Romans 2:17-29) | Louis Azuma
01:35 Real Christianity: A Matter of the Heart
03:05 Understanding the Structure of Romans
06:00 Paul's Argument Against Outward Religion
10:45 Outward Signs vs. True Faith
17:52 True Trust in Jesus
22:31 Circumcision and Baptism: Outward Signs
27:26 Depend on God for Heart Transformation
32:14 Dependence on God for Growth
34:27 Concluding Prayer and Reflection
Transcript
Romans two is where we're going.
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:We're finishing Romans two tonight.
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:We're gonna look at the last,
I think, 12 or 13 verses.
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:But while you're turning there, I, um,
I need to tell you about something.
5
:It's the holiday season is coming up and
so people like getting, you know, these
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:like fancy chocolate boxes, you know,
those like, they're like the gourmet
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:chocolates and stuff and all that stuff.
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:And they've got, they look really cool.
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:They look, they look super delicious.
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:They, you, and they tell you what
they are on the bottom of the box.
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:So I hate these to be honest.
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:If, if you wanted to get
me this for Christmas.
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:Sorry, like, just get me a
Hershey bar or something.
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:Like, I, I hate these.
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:And the reason, the reason I
hate these is because it's not
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:really like chocolate, right?
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:Inside of all of this stuff.
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:There's gonna be all these weird,
there's gonna be like strawberry, there's
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:gonna be nuts, there's gonna be all
this weird, it's not chocolate, right?
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:It looks great.
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:It looks like this delicious, awesome
chocolate stuff on the outside.
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:But on the inside it's usually
like, or some of it's like white
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:chocolate and I don't know.
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:Anyway.
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:It's, I, I hate these things.
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:They're, they're, they're so,
like, they're such a big letdown.
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:I had a guy in my community group at my
last church in Kansas City who worked
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:for one of these companies and he'd
like, bring stuff to community group.
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:And I felt so bad 'cause it looks so good.
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:And I'm like, actually, I know
I've, I've learned, I know better.
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:This is not like chocolate.
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:This is a bunch of other stuff
that they shove into a chocolate
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:and make it look really good.
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:Anyway, I, I really don't like
these things because on the
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:outside they look great, but on
the inside they let you down.
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:Right?
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:They're not the real.
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:Thing.
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:And see in our passage tonight, the
Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans
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:is gonna turn his attention to some people
who on the outside look really good.
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:They look like they're
part of God's people.
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:They look like someone that,
that you think that person
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:knows what they're doing.
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:That person knows Jesus.
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:That person loves God.
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:But really on the
inside, they're terrible.
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:They, they don't love God.
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:They're selfish.
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:And I'm, I want you to be
thinking maybe that's me.
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:It's easy to grow up in the church, to,
to know all these things, to be associated
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:with all the right things, to, to maybe
do all the right things on the outside,
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:but on the inside you might not, you might
not have a genuine relationship with God.
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:You can do all the outward things, right?
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:You can, you can do all the,
the church things right and
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:not have a real relationship.
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:With Jesus.
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:See, real Christianity is about
what's on the inside, not the way
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:it's presented on the outside.
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:So our main point tonight is that real
Christianity comes from a new heart.
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:Real Christianity.
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:What, what it really
means to follow Jesus.
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:What it really means to
be part of God's people.
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:It comes from a new heart.
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:It comes from what's on the inside.
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:Something has to happen to
who you are on the inside.
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:Right who you are as a person, what you
love, what, what's most important to you.
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:That's where real Christianity comes from.
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:So.
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:We're gonna look at
that in, in Romans two.
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:Before we, we get there, I just wanna
remind you where we're at in Romans.
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:Okay?
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:Something that's might be really helpful
for you when you read the Bible is that,
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:especially when you read a letter, right?
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:Like a letter to the Romans, or
letter to the Colossians, something
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:like that, the author is making
an, like an argument, right?
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:He's not like arguing in the
sense of like, he's mad at you
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:and trying to prove you wrong.
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:He's, he's connecting his thoughts
in like a, a structure and a flow.
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:What he's, what he's saying is building
the Bible's, not just a bunch of random
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:stuff for you to be like, oh, that's cool.
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:I like that.
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:That's encouraging.
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:It's not like a pantry of, of things
that you pull off the shelf and you
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:like, the Bible is a connected, like
string of arguments and so, so far
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:this is what we we're kind of at.
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:We talked about our thesis state.
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:Remember we talked about how when
you're writing a paper and your
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:teacher says, or you write essays,
not papers, college people write
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:papers, you write essays and you're
writing an essay and you're, you're.
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:Teacher says something like, oh, you
need your thesis statement, right?
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:This is kind of, that
was our thesis statement.
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:The gospel shows God's righteousness.
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:Remember that we talked about
that when we first started?
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:Romans, the gospel shows that
God is doing the right thing.
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:It shows who God is.
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:The first section of Romans
that we're in right now shows us
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:that God's wrath is righteous.
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:God's punishment of sin and
sinners is the right thing to do.
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:It's a good thing.
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:That's what this whole first section
of Romans is about, and that's probably
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:why all of these sermons feel like
I'm beating you up all the time,
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:because that's what we're in right now.
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:We're talking about how God's
wrath is, is the right thing.
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:Paul wants you to start here so
you know something about yourself
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:before he moves on to other things.
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:So we talked about in chapter one, right?
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:God's wrath is righteous
'cause everyone rejects him.
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:We started talking about how
people have no excuse 'cause.
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:'cause God, his existence,
the fact that he's God.
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:It's clear it's been made
evidence to everyone in creation.
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:We talked about that.
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:We talked about how God's
wrath is righteous regardless
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:of religious background.
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:That's what we're covering these past
couple weeks, and that's what we're gonna
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:be talking about tonight, is no matter
where you're from, how you grew up.
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:Everyone deserves God's wrath.
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:And then to bring it back in two
weeks, we'll be talking about
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:how God's wrath is righteous.
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:'cause none of us are good enough.
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:None of us are, are deserving
of anything good from God.
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:And then where we're going, just
to give you a picture of that is
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:then once you realize this, once
you realize, oh, you know what?
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:God shouldn't let me into heaven,
then your question should be, well,
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:why would God let anyone into heaven?
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:Why would God save anyone?
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:God if, if God should show his wrath
to people, why would he forgive anyone?
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:And how can you do that?
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:And just be like, oh yeah, you sinned.
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:Well, that's fine.
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:I'll forgive you that actually,
God's forgiveness shouldn't make
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:sense to you, not God's wrath.
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:So that's where Paul's going.
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:Okay, so tonight we are right here.
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:We are talking about how God's
wrath is the right thing to do.
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:His, his anger towards sin, his punishment
towards sin is the right thing to do,
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:even if you are a religious person.
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:Okay, that's where we're at.
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:So chapter two, verse 17.
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:Why don't you read along with me?
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:Okay.
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:Chapter two, verse 17.
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:So Paul, he's, he's
talking to this imaginary.
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:This imaginary person and he, he's
assuming that they are Jewish.
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:They're one of God's chosen people
from the Old Testament, right?
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:God made these promises to Israel,
and so he's saying, okay, let's say
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:you say you're one of those people.
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:I'm a descendant of Abraham.
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:I'm a Jew, verse 17, but if
you call yourself a Jew and
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:you rely on the law, right?
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:The Jews had God's law.
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:They had.
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:Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers,
Deuteronomy, and you boast in God.
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:You say, oh, I know God, right?
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:He's, he's my God, he's
the God of Abraham.
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:He's the God of my people.
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:Verse 18, and you know his Will you
approve what is excellent, right?
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:You know what God wants you to do.
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:You know the kind of things that
that God loves because you are
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:instructed from the law verse 19.
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:And if you are sure
that you yourself are a.
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:Guide to the Blind, a light to those in
darkness, an instructor of the foolish,
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:a teacher of children having in the law,
the embodiment of knowledge and truth.
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:So Paul, what he's doing here in these
first few verses is he's telling the Jews
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:all the things that they love to hear.
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:He's telling the Jews, Hey,
you guys are, are so awesome.
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:Right?
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:You have all of these
religious advantages, right?
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:You, you have God's promises.
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:You have God's law.
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:You have a A, you're a people
who God said, I'm their God.
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:Right.
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:You know what God wants you to do?
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:You know your Bibles really well.
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:You know what God says?
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:You know what sin and what's not.
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:You know how to have a relationship
with God through the temple.
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:You know what?
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:That, that what other
people doing maybe is wrong.
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:You can teach people how to
live wisely from God's word.
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:He says all these great things about
about the Jews, and then look what
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:he says in the next few verses.
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:Then you who teach others,
do you not teach yourself?
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:So you guys have all of this
religious knowledge, all of this,
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:all these religious advantages.
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:Do you not teach yourself while
you preach against stealing?
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:Do you not steal.
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:You who say that one
must not commit adultery.
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:Do you commit adultery?
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:You who?
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:Ab whore.
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:That means hate idols.
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:Do you rob temples?
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:Verse 23.
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:You who boast in the law
dishonor God by breaking the law.
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:The very thing that you think
is, is making you special to God.
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:The very thing that you think, oh, this
must make me one of God's chosen people.
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:This must make me right with God.
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:This must mean I'm good.
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:This must mean I'm going to heaven.
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:That's what the Jews are thinking.
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:I'm God's chosen people.
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:I'm part of the the right group.
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:I'm in the right crowd.
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:I have the right things.
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:I have a right relationship with God
because of all the things I have.
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:He's saying, but you still
are breaking the law.
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:You great.
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:You have the law.
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:You know what God wants
you to do, but guess what?
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:You're still breaking the law.
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:And then.
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:He ups it here in verse 24.
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:For as it is written, the name
of God is blasphemed among
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:the Gentiles because of you.
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:That word blasphemy, that's like when
you take God and you put him down,
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:you treat him like he's not God.
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:And remember we talked about in
chapter one, that's what makes sin sin.
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:What makes sin sinful.
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:What makes it evil is what
it says about God, right?
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:What sin says about God is
that God isn't that important.
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:God, isn't that awesome?
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:That God isn't worth following, that God
isn't good for you, that God isn't wise?
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:That's what sin says because
you say, I don't want that.
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:I wanna do my thing.
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:That's what makes something
evil, is you're saying, uh,
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:well, God's not that important.
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:That's what blasphemy is.
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:And so the Jews are actually causing
the Gentiles to think God's not
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:a big deal because of their sin.
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:They're, they're saying, oh, look at us.
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:We're so great.
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:We're God's people.
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:We have all these, these great things.
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:And then they live.
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:Hypocritically, and actually, isn't that
what a lot of people say about the church?
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:Isn't that what a lot of
people say about Christians?
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:Well, oh, all the Christians are
hypocrites, so I don't wanna really go to
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:church, or I don't really, I, I, I just,
me and God, we kind of do our thing, but,
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:you know, I don't, I don't wanna really be
part of church because all the Christians
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:there, they just, they're hypocrites.
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:They don't, they don't actually
do the things they say.
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:That's, that's a really
common thing you might hear.
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:But what Paul is saying is all of these
religious advantages you have, all the
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:things you know about God, all the,
the ways that you think make you right
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:with God, those things actually show
that, that you're breaking the law too.
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:None of that helps you, none of the
outward signs of your religion help you
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:if you are still breaking God's law.
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:So our first point tonight.
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:Is to, don't rely on outward
signs of religion, don't rely
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:on outward signs of religion.
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:Right?
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:That's what the Jews were doing.
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:They were saying, look
at all the stuff we have.
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:We have the temple, we have the law.
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:We know our Bibles.
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:We've memorized books of the Bible.
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:We go to the right places.
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:We, we don't worship those idols.
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:We don't eat those foods, right?
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:We're not like those people over there.
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:So there are outward signs of, of
Jewishness, of, of religion were what they
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:relied on to make them right with God.
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:They said, we are gonna go
to heaven because look at all
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:the stuff that we do, right.
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:We're we're right with God because
of all the stuff that we do and all,
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:all these different outward things.
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:So the outward signs really
convince them, right?
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:That, oh, I must be right with God
because I have this and I have this right.
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:Maybe for you it's, I go to church, I
have Christian parents I serve at church.
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:I know a lot about the Bible.
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:I know the gospel.
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:I memorize Bible verses.
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:Maybe for you, because of all
those outward signs of religion,
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:you've convinced yourself,
oh, I must be a Christian.
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:And this happens a lot, right?
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:If you talk to maybe a lot of
the kids in our kids' ministry.
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:They just assume, oh, I'm a Christian
because my parents are Christians.
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:I'm a Christian because I go to church.
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:Right?
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:If you talk to your friends at
school, they might say the same thing.
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:How do you know you're a Christian?
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:Well, I go to church.
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:I've always been a Christian.
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:The outward signs of their, of
their parents' faith really have
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:just, they've assumed that, oh,
that must mean I'm part of this too.
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:And what we're gonna learn
is that that's not true.
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:The outward signs of Christianity
don't make you necessarily a Christian.
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:What makes someone a Christian we
talked about was a new heart, not
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:outward signs of Christianity.
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:It's kind of like, so I, I watched
this YouTube channel about animals.
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:That sounds really weird.
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:He pretends like life is like a
video game and he rates animals
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:as like playable characters.
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:He'll go, he'll like do like S tier
all the way down to like F tier.
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:Anyway, so I was watching this video
about snakes and he showed me this.
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:He showed this thing and I thought
it was, it was really cool.
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:There's these, there's
two kinds of snakes.
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:One of them is venomous,
the other one is not.
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:But this non venomous snake tries
to look like the venomous snake
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:to scare all the predators away.
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:See, this is what they are.
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:Oh yeah.
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:You ever heard of this before?
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:Yes.
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:So one of these is a coral snake.
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:That is venomous.
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:One of them is a king snake.
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:They look really similar.
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:It's trying really hard to look
like a coral snake, but it's not.
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:It's not venomous.
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:It's just a constrictor.
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:It doesn't have any poison
that it can inject into you.
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:So one of them is poisonous,
one of 'em is not.
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:But the whole point is, even
though they're different snakes on
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:the outside, they look the same.
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:Right?
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:They're trying to look the same, but one
of them is the real thing and one of them.
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:Is not.
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:Now, I showed this to, um, our admin, Mrs.
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:Smith, to Kelly, and she lived
in Florida and this is actually
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:something they have to deal with.
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:And so she knew, oh, that one's,
that one's the real one and that
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:one's the not poisonous one.
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:And so she knew that this is the coral
snake, this poisonous venomous rather.
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:And this one is Kings snake.
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:That one is not See.
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:But if you're just walking, right, if
you're, if you're, you know, living
328
:in Florida trying to run away from the
alligators and you see one of these
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:on the ground, I love when I looked
up, how do you distinguish them?
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:The first thing was look
closer, and I was like, what?
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:I'm not gonna be like, I wonder
if this snake is venomous.
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:Let me see.
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:Like, no, that's not what I wanna do.
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:Not helpful Google.
335
:Anyway, so
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:the whole point of this,
right, is that this king snake.
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:Is trying to look like this
snake on the outside, but really
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:it's a totally different snake.
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:And I think a lot of people who
grew up in church do the same thing.
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:They have the same
outward appearance, right?
341
:You might serve in the same places, you
might say the same things, you might
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:know the same verses you might have.
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:Your parents have similar beliefs, right?
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:You, you might have similar beliefs.
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:You, you believe that
God created the world.
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:You believe that the Bible's true, but
on the inside, you're totally different.
347
:One of you loves God and one of
you thinks God is kind of lame,
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:so don't let the outward signs of
your Christian religion trick you into
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:thinking that you're actually a Christian.
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:Just because you might look
like a Christian on the outside
351
:doesn't mean you really are.
352
:That's Paul's point here.
353
:Here's some outward signs of
religion that you might rely on.
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:These are things that are good.
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:But they might not.
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:They don't necessarily mean
that you're a Christian, right?
357
:Just because that snake has the
same colors as the other snake
358
:doesn't mean it's the same snake.
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:Same thing here.
360
:Maybe it's your Christian parents.
361
:Maybe you think, oh, well my parents
are Christian, so I must be a Christian.
362
:It's a great thing to
have Christian parents.
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:It's awesome, but it doesn't
necessarily mean that you're a
364
:Christian, or maybe you grew up going
to church, or maybe you're involved
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:in church, or you serve at church.
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:Maybe you read the Bible every day.
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:Maybe you are just known as the Christian
kid, maybe at school or in your family.
368
:You're the good kid, right?
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:You're, you're that you're the
good kid, you're the Christian kid.
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:People know you as that person.
371
:Again, that just 'cause they know
you, that on the outside doesn't mean
372
:that you are necessarily a Christian.
373
:Maybe someone told you you
were a Christian, right?
374
:Maybe your parents told you you
were a Christian, or your leaders
375
:told you you were a Christian.
376
:Does it matter whether I think
you're a Christian or not?
377
:Ultimately, no.
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:Does it matter if I tell you
you're a Christian or not?
379
:Does that make you a Christian?
380
:No.
381
:No.
382
:Right?
383
:What matters is what God says, what
his word says about you, right?
384
:So maybe you're relying on that.
385
:You're saying, well, I know I'm a
Christian because my parents told me this.
386
:Or I know I'm a Christian because
everyone at school thinks I'm
387
:a Christian, or I know I'm a
Christian because, uh, my parents.
388
:Are Christians or I know the Bible,
or maybe you think, oh, I know I'm a
389
:Christian 'cause I feel bad about my sin.
390
:We talked about this last week, right?
391
:Feeling bad about your sin does not
necessarily mean you're a Christian.
392
:It's good that you feel bad about your
sin, but there's a lot of people who
393
:feel bad about their sin and never do
anything about it and end up in hell.
394
:There's a lot of things that are
maybe good, but don't necessarily
395
:mean that you're saved, that you
have a real relationship with God.
396
:You don't wanna rely on those outward
things to say that you're a Christian.
397
:'cause those things might just,
might just be there, right?
398
:They might just be the, the
signs of, of religion and, and
399
:churchianity, as one pastor called it.
400
:But maybe you have no real
relationship with Jesus, right?
401
:What, what you should really rely
on to know if you're a Christian
402
:or not is do I trust Jesus?
403
:The whole point of, of, of trust
is that that's, that's what
404
:what you're relying on, right?
405
:If, if someone asks you,
why are you a Christian?
406
:And you say, well, because I did fill in
the blank, that's not a good start, right?
407
:Because what are you trusting
in something you did?
408
:Right?
409
:And that's not what Christians do, right?
410
:Christians trust in Jesus.
411
:We trust in what Jesus did.
412
:So what you should rely on is, oh well.
413
:Jesus paid for my sin on the cross.
414
:I am not good enough to go to heaven.
415
:There's nothing about me
that makes me good enough.
416
:There's nothing about me that that
means that God should forgive me.
417
:The only reason that I should
go to heaven is because of
418
:Jesus, something that he did.
419
:That's what I rely on.
420
:I rely on him to take away my sin,
and I rely on His righteousness
421
:to make me good enough.
422
:You trust that, and I rely
that he rose from the dead.
423
:That's why I know I'm gonna
live forever with God and not
424
:just die and then not exist.
425
:So the problem with relying on these
outward signs is it's your resume, right?
426
:You're saying, look at
all the things that I did.
427
:You're not admitting that,
oh, I'm not good enough.
428
:I don't measure up to
God's standard, right?
429
:I'm a sinner.
430
:Because what you're doing, when
you rely on these outward signs,
431
:you're pointing to look at, look at
all the things that I've done, God.
432
:I memorized the books of the Bible.
433
:I went to church.
434
:I love this person.
435
:I shared the gospel.
436
:I go to Bible study, I do this, and
that's your resume, not Jesus' resume.
437
:What you should be pointing to
is, look what Jesus did for me
438
:and I trust him, and that's why I
think you should forgive me God.
439
:Not because of meme, but because of Jesus.
440
:But also sometimes Christians, we can
start to rely on these outward signs too.
441
:Maybe not for salvation, but
maybe we get really prideful.
442
:We start boasting in these things like,
oh, well look at all the things that I do.
443
:Like, yeah, I know God saved me,
but since then, look at me and we
444
:start looking down at other people.
445
:Maybe we look down on newer Christians
who don't know as much or haven't grown
446
:as much, or maybe we look down on, on
people who aren't Christians because,
447
:oh, I can't believe they do that.
448
:Can you believe that they said this?
449
:Can you believe that they talked
about this thing, or they watched
450
:this video, or they watched that show?
451
:They like that thing on Instagram.
452
:We can easily, or they
play that game, right?
453
:We can, we can easily start looking
down on other people for things
454
:that God did in our life, right?
455
:Sanctification is God's work in you.
456
:It's, it's a fruit of the spirit, right?
457
:Not fruit of your really hard work, not
fruit of you being really awesome, right?
458
:Those things are fruit of the spirit.
459
:They're, they're from the Holy Spirit.
460
:They're not from you being
such an awesome person.
461
:Sometimes it's easy for us to
get really prideful and, and
462
:say, oh, well I must be so great.
463
:No wonder God saved me.
464
:And that's not what we
wanna do either, right?
465
:Because then we're, we're taking
our, our really, our our repentance,
466
:our, our gift from God that he's
done in us, that his work through us.
467
:And we're saying we're
taking credit for it.
468
:We're saying that, oh yeah, the evidence
of God's work in my life, that's all me.
469
:That's what we're doing.
470
:So it's really easy for Christians
to do something similar.
471
:And also you probably noticed in verse
24, it talked about the name of God
472
:can be blasphemed before other people
because of you, if you claim to be a
473
:Christian, you are representing God.
474
:People are forming an opinion about who
God is, who Jesus is, what he's like,
475
:what church is about because of you.
476
:Even if you're not a Christian and you go
around saying you're a Christian, people
477
:are forming an opinion of church of Jesus.
478
:Because of you, you have an opportunity
to make God look really bad, right?
479
:Someone could say, oh, I don't
want to, I don't wanna be a
480
:part of that, that religion.
481
:I don't wanna be, I don't want to have
if, if you're God's like that, no thanks.
482
:Right?
483
:Or you can do the opposite.
484
:You can be the reason someone
says, you know what the, I
485
:don't, I don't know anyone else
who's as joyful as that person.
486
:I want what they have.
487
:I don't know anyone else who's
patient like that person.
488
:I don't know anyone else
who's kind like that person.
489
:I want what they have.
490
:If you have an opportunity to make
God look really, really good, 'cause
491
:hopefully in that moment you're
not gonna be like, yep, I know.
492
:I don't know anyone as
patient as me either, right?
493
:Hopefully you're gonna say, you
know, that's God's work in me.
494
:You're not gonna take credit for it.
495
:You're gonna say, this is God's work.
496
:God's grace, God's spirit.
497
:So you have an opportunity to make
Jesus look great to other people.
498
:Now, Paul's gonna go on to talk about
the, the outward sign of religion
499
:that the Jews were most proud of.
500
:They were they that was like,
this is like, this is their thing.
501
:This is what makes us God's people.
502
:Okay?
503
:And that thing you'll see here in verse
25, okay, so read along with me, verse
504
:25, Paul's gonna talk about circumcision.
505
:Now, circumcision was an outward sign that
the Jews were part of God's people, right?
506
:It was this sign that God gave
Abraham to say, these are my people.
507
:I've chosen you.
508
:If you don't know what it
is, go ask your parents.
509
:So circumcision.
510
:Indeed your, your covenant marker, right?
511
:The sign that you are part
of God's people, right?
512
:In, in our, in our day and
age, this is baptism, right?
513
:This is, this is the, the
outward sign that someone is a
514
:Christian is they get baptized.
515
:That's what they do.
516
:That's the outward sign.
517
:So this is almost like saying,
well, I got baptized, so I
518
:must be part of God's people.
519
:That's what these users are saying.
520
:They're saying, I have this
marker, so that means I'm.
521
:Part of God's people, right?
522
:So for circumcision, indeed is
a value if you obey the law.
523
:But if you break the law, your
circumcision becomes uncircumcision.
524
:So it's, it's like it never happened.
525
:It's, it's almost like
you don't even have it.
526
:Verse 26.
527
:So, if a man who is uncircumcised
keeps the precepts of the law,
528
:will not his uncircumcision
be regarded as circumcision?
529
:So verse 26 is saying the opposite, right?
530
:Who if someone who has never been
marked as part of God's people.
531
:Keeps the law and they start doing
the things that God says and they
532
:start living from a, a heart that
that shows that, oh, maybe they
533
:really are part of God's people.
534
:That's the person that shows more evidence
of being part of God's people, not the
535
:person who has the outward sign, but
the person who actually lives like it.
536
:Then verse 27.
537
:Then he who is physically uncircumcised
but keeps the law will condemn
538
:you who have the written code and
circumcision, but break the law.
539
:So just because you have the Bible,
just because you have this sign that
540
:you're God's people, if you're still
breaking the law, if you're still living
541
:like you're not part of God's people,
these people who maybe aren't, you
542
:know, aren't Jewish in a sense, right?
543
:They're gonna, they're
gonna put you to shame.
544
:It's like the person who grows up
in church and then they, they end
545
:up living this, this horrible life.
546
:He's saying that it's actually, it'd
be better if you were a drug addict
547
:and you went to prison and then you
got saved at 25 and came back to, and
548
:started coming to church and got saved.
549
:That person's putting you to shame if
you grew up in the church and you just
550
:have dead faith the whole time, even
though you're sitting front row and
551
:listening to the sermons, if there's
no spiritual heartbeat in your life.
552
:That person's putting you shame 'cause
they actually have the real thing.
553
:And that is exactly
where Paul goes here for.
554
:No one is a Jew who is merely
one out, uh, outwardly nor is
555
:circumcision outward and physical.
556
:But a Jew is one inwardly and
circumcision is a matter of the heart
557
:by the spirit, not by the letter.
558
:So what Paul is saying here is that
a, a true Jew right, want someone
559
:who's really part of God's people.
560
:Is not ethnically a Jew.
561
:They are spiritually a Jew.
562
:So a true Jew is the person
who has a heart, right?
563
:A heart that's been changed
by God, by his spirit.
564
:And this is what the Old Testament talks
about, the Old Testament, when it talks
565
:about who's really part of God's people.
566
:It talks a lot about how the,
it's not the people who visibly
567
:maybe have this marker from God.
568
:It's the people who have a changed heart.
569
:Those are the people who are
really part of God's people, right?
570
:Real Christians have a new heart.
571
:That's what we talked about.
572
:So the heart is what matters,
not your external religion.
573
:Right?
574
:So this this true Jew idea.
575
:You got me thinking about, um, you guys
ever see this thing at like school?
576
:Yes.
577
:So I made this just for fun.
578
:Um.
579
:I'm really proud of this.
580
:Um, there you go.
581
:See, and it's, it's really, it's got
bible verse on it, not about the label.
582
:You get that?
583
:'cause it's like a milk
carton, not about appearances.
584
:Genuine faith flows from the inside.
585
:Anyway, sorry.
586
:I thought that was really good.
587
:I had fun with that.
588
:I so be, be a true Jew.
589
:Not, anyway.
590
:There you go.
591
:So what Paul's point is who,
who's really part of God's people.
592
:Right, are the people who are really
part of God's people, the people who
593
:maybe look like it on the outside
or the people who have a new heart
594
:by God's spirit, those are the
people who are really God's people.
595
:God's people are those
who have a changed heart.
596
:So our second point tonight depend on
God for heart transformation, depend
597
:on God for heart transformation.
598
:So outward change doesn't
make you part of God's people.
599
:That's Paul's point.
600
:Outward change doesn't make
you part of God's people.
601
:What makes you part of God's people is
actually when God does something for you,
602
:God does something to you, and that's
what makes you part of God's people,
603
:not something that you do for yourself.
604
:That's why it's depend on God, right?
605
:You can't do this to yourself.
606
:God has to do this to you.
607
:The only way that you can become a
Christian is if God does a miracle to you.
608
:The only way that someone can get saved
and become a part of God's people is
609
:if God intervenes miraculously and
fundamentally changes who you are.
610
:Maybe you've never thought
about it that way before.
611
:That's how someone becomes a Christian.
612
:You can't become a
Christian apart from God.
613
:God has to do it to you.
614
:Kind of like how a couple weeks ago
we talked about how my car was broken
615
:and I needed a new engine, right?
616
:I couldn't just fix the old engine.
617
:I couldn't just add some
things on and say, oh, great.
618
:Now, now my car's good.
619
:I needed an entirely new engine.
620
:I needed a different engine.
621
:And hopefully that's what you, you're
gonna see from all of these sermons
622
:about how much of a sinner we are.
623
:Is that we're so sinful.
624
:We don't just need some fixing, right?
625
:We don't just need to, to start changing
some habits and maybe start doing
626
:things a little better or maybe start
believing some, some more right things
627
:and maybe, oh, I, once I start doing
those like church things, then great.
628
:Now I'm right with God.
629
:You need a, you need a
heart transplant, right?
630
:You, you need to, you need God to
do something to you to get saved.
631
:That's how sinful we are our hearts.
632
:Are so messed up, no matter how much we
try to make them look nice on the outside,
633
:that we need God to do a miracle to us, to
save us the defining mark of God's people.
634
:In the Old Testament, it was circumcision,
but now, and it really has always
635
:been the Holy Spirit, creating a
transformed heart, that's the defining
636
:mark of God's people is a new heart.
637
:By God's spirit.
638
:So you don't become a
Christian any other way.
639
:That's the only way you can do this.
640
:God has to do it to you.
641
:And so that's why when we talk about,
oh, if you're not sure if you're
642
:a Christian, what should you do?
643
:Right?
644
:We, we don't wanna say, well, just some.
645
:'cause some of you, you, you've done all
the right church things your whole life.
646
:So some of you, you become a Christian,
it doesn't look that different on
647
:the outside necessarily because maybe
you already did read your Bible,
648
:you already did memorize verses.
649
:You already did know the gospel.
650
:Your heart changed, and you should know
that it should be obvious to you, right?
651
:The, the, the metaphors that the
Bible uses for getting saved, being
652
:raised from the dead, getting a new
heart, those aren't like, oh, maybe
653
:that did happen to me 10 years ago
and I just haven't really noticed it.
654
:Right?
655
:Like, it should be fairly obvious,
at least over, maybe, at least
656
:over a couple years, right?
657
:If you're saying, oh, I got saved at.
658
:At 10 years old and, and I've
been the same ever since.
659
:And even, and maybe you should think
about that and say, okay, well if God gave
660
:me a new heart, what did, what changed?
661
:What happened?
662
:And so you wanna look at things
like your desires, right?
663
:What did what I like changed?
664
:Did what I want changed?
665
:You wanna look at things
like your motives.
666
:Why did I do the things I do?
667
:Maybe you already did serve.
668
:At church and you get saved, and now the
reason you serve is totally different.
669
:Maybe you used to serve because you
wanted to fit in, or you wanted to be
670
:good enough, or you wanted to impress
people, and now maybe you serve
671
:because you love God, you love his
people, you want to do good for them.
672
:You wanna look for change
in your attitude, right?
673
:Maybe you always did your chores
because you get in trouble if you
674
:didn't, but you became a Christian
and then suddenly, oh, now it's, I do
675
:my chores because I love my parents.
676
:I wanna honor them.
677
:I love God.
678
:God calls me to, to do all things
for his glory, and I'm gonna
679
:do the dishes for his glory.
680
:That's the kind of thing we're looking
for when, when we're talking about
681
:getting a new heart, because you
might do a lot of the same things.
682
:Maybe instead of reading your Bible
just because you had to, now you read
683
:your Bible because it's, it's God.
684
:It's God's word.
685
:I wanna know him.
686
:I love him.
687
:That's the kind of thing that you should
look for when you have a new heart.
688
:And I think also right for Christians.
689
:Sometimes we can forget that God
is the one who does the heavy
690
:lifting in our growth, right?
691
:God is the one who,
who changes our hearts.
692
:The only way that a Christian
grows is by the Holy Spirit, right?
693
:Jesus says that if you abide in me,
then you'll grow and bear much fruit.
694
:He doesn't say, try really hard
and then come to me when you,
695
:when you've, when you've done
enough, and then I'll help you.
696
:He says, no, you have
to stay connected to me.
697
:And that's how you grow, right?
698
:You as a Christian, you grow with God.
699
:You stay connected to God,
and that's how you grow.
700
:You can't grow apart from God.
701
:You also can't grow apart from the
means that God gives you to grow, right?
702
:God gives you pathways to grow.
703
:He gives you places where you can,
you can access his changing power.
704
:So if you're, if you're saying, oh,
I'm a Christian, but I don't want to
705
:go to church, the church is a place
that God uses to grow Christians.
706
:So you're cutting yourself off from
God's God's lifeline to help you grow.
707
:Right?
708
:Or, uh, well, I, I love God, but I
don't wanna read the Bible, right?
709
:You're cutting yourself off from
God's lifeline for your growth.
710
:So.
711
:Even as a Christian, we need to
depend on God for transformation,
712
:for real growth, for real change.
713
:We don't just wanna stick things on
and say, okay, now I did this better.
714
:Now I did this better.
715
:Right?
716
:Like, think about this.
717
:If you were a tree, if you're a, if
you're a lemon tree, the way you grow
718
:lemons is not my getting other lemons
and sticking them onto your tree, right?
719
:If you want the lemon tree to
grow lemons, real lemons, you
720
:focus on the roots and the soil.
721
:All that and the health of the tree,
and then the, the fruit happens.
722
:You don't just stick fruit
on it and say, oh, great.
723
:Look, look at my tree.
724
:It's so, it's so healthy.
725
:It's so awesome, right?
726
:So if we don't change from outside
in, we change from inside out.
727
:So none of this spiritual
growth will save you.
728
:It comes from being safe, right?
729
:It comes from a heart transformation.
730
:Let's pray and we'll go to small groups.
731
:God, thank you that you change us.
732
:We are so sinful.
733
:We are the worst.
734
:We deserve your wrath.
735
:But because of Jesus, we can be forgiven
because he took our punishment and
736
:because he gives us righteousness.
737
:If we trust him and we turn
from our sin, we can be saved.
738
:And so I pray for students here
who haven't done that, that they
739
:would recognize that they are lost,
helpless, wicked evil, and that.
740
:They would turn from their sin
and trust Jesus for forgiveness.
741
:I pray for those of us who are
saved, that we would remember
742
:that we are still in our flesh.
743
:Even though we are not slaves to sin, we
are still not very good at following you.
744
:And so I pray that you help us have the
humility to depend on you for growth.
745
:That we wouldn't try to impress
you by doing stuff on our
746
:own, but we would come to you.
747
:Connect ourselves to you through your
word, through other Christians, through
748
:prayer, and that we would learn to
love you more through those things.
749
:Help us to grow a lot from small groups.
750
:Help us to talk about
good things and be honest.
751
:We pray all this in Jesus name.
752
:Amen.
753
:Alright, have a good small group.
