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Episode One
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We should never despise little faith.
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Any faith, however small, is a gift for which we should be thankful.
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And Jesus makes it very clear, as we saw last time,
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that even little faith can accomplish remarkable things.
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But no believer should ever be content with little faith.
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Welcome to Open the Bible with pastor Colin Smith.
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I’m David Pick. I’m glad you could be with us today.
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And Colin, why do you think that no believer should be comfortable with just small faith?
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Well, because the challenge of the Christian life is so very great.
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The story that we’re looking at today, the disciples are left reeling
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from what Jesus calls them to do in regards to forgiveness.
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And then they’re confronted by a challenge that they’re simply not able to meet,
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and it leads them to say, Lord, increase our faith.
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Well, these experiences will be ours as well,
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and so the prayer of the disciples needs to be ours as well.
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So we’ll continue to look at that prayer and what it means to have growing faith
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as we turn to Luke 17 and begin Growing Faith. Here’s Colin.
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Now, last week we looked at five occasions in Matthew’s Gospel
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where Jesus spoke about little faith,
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and on each of the occasions Jesus was speaking to His own disciples.
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It’s almost as if He used little faith
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as if it was a kind of middle name.
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Oh, you of little faith.
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And from these five stories
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we saw five reasons for growing in faith.
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First, because little faith is ineffective against anxiety.
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Second, because little faith underestimates the ability of Jesus.
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Third, because little faith is easily distracted.
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Fourth, because little faith forgets what Jesus has done.
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And fifth, because little faith gives up too soon.
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Now, we should never despise little faith.
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Any faith however small is a gift for which we should be thankful.
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And Jesus makes it very clear, as we saw last time
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that even little faith can accomplish remarkable things.
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But no believer should ever be content with little faith.
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And we saw from the occasions that Jesus spoke about little faith,
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five strategies for us today to grow in our faith.
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We saw last time, that faith grows as we seek God’s kingdom.
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That faith grows as we get to know Jesus.
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That faith grows as we worship.
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That faith grows as we are nourished by the word of God,
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and that faith grows as we persevere.
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Now, someone might reasonably ask at this point,
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now, are you really saying that if I learn to worship,
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and if I immerse myself in the Word of God,
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and if I persevere in serving the Lord and walk with Jesus,
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that I will be less anxious?
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And the answer to that question is yes.
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Absolutely!
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You’ll not overcome anxiety completely.
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We live this life in the weakness of the flesh,
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and that means that we always battle against fears
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and against temptations.
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But the more you grow in faith,
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the more you will prevail over anxiety.
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Grow in faith and you will overcome stubborn sins,
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you will break through dark strongholds.
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Grow in faith and you will be more focused
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and you’ll be much less distracted.
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Grow in faith and you will persevere.
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That’s what we’ve learned, as we started out
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on this four-week journey of growing in faith.
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Today we’re turning to Luke and chapter 17
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where the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith,
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and here then we come to a sixth strategy
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for growing in faith, and it’s very obvious
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that faith grows as we ask of Jesus.
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The apostles said to the Lord,
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increase our faith.
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Now notice that Luke says, that it was the apostles
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who asked this of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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They had left everything to follow Jesus.
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They were in what we would call today vocational ministry.
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These are men who had been sent out
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on what we would call cross cultural mission.
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They had preached the gospel, they had healed the sick,
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they had cast out demons.
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And yet here these men are, the apostles,
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saying to the Lord, increase our faith.
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Well, if the apostles asked Jesus
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to increase their faith, how much more should we
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be asking of the Lord Jesus that he would increase ours?
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Here’s the question that gives us the trajectory for the message today.
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What was it that caused the disciples to ask Jesus
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to increase their faith?
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What was it that convinced them?
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We really do need to grow in faith.
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What was it that led to them making this request of Jesus?
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And what will lead to us making this request of Jesus, too?
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Well, I want us to see four things from the context today.
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And the first is that we should ask Jesus
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to increase our faith because we will be tempted.
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That’s the first thing.
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Look at verse 1 that shows us what led to this request
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of the apostles being made to the Lord Jesus.
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Jesus said to his disciples,
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Temptations to sin are sure to come
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But woe to the one through whom they come!
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Now, the word that is translated temptations here
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is the word scandala,
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from which, of course, we get our word scandal.
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In other words, Jesus is saying here to his disciples,
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Scandals are sure to come.
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Now, a scandal, of course, is something
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that causes offence to another person
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and causes that person to stumble.
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And Jesus warns the disciples very clearly
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that it is an inevitable
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and an unavoidable part of life in this fallen world
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that scandals will come.
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They’re sure to come. That’s what Jesus says.
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Now, it may be that some scandal,
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a behaviour that has hurt and wounded you,
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has caused you to stumble
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and has hindered you in your own walk of faith.
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That’s exactly what the Lord Jesus is talking about here.
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Perhaps someone who professed to be a believer.
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Someone perhaps even who had been appointed
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to a position of leadership in a church,
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and then they behaved in a wretched way.
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And it led you to say,
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well, I don’t think I can believe
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if this is what faith looks like.
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Now, Christians will always be grieved
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where there are scandals.
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They will break our hearts.
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But we should never be surprised
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because Jesus says, scandals are sure to come.
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You are going to have to face this.
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There will be stumbling blocks that you need to get over.
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That’s what Jesus is telling the disciples here.
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And of course, throughout the history of the church
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this has proved to be true.
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Now, does that mean, then,
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that we should simply shrug our shoulders
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and say, well, dreadful things happen
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and that’s just how it is?
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Well, not according to Jesus.
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Look at what he says.
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Temptations to sin are sure to come,
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but woe!
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Woe to the one through whom they come.
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Jesus says it would be better for him
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if a millstone were hung around his neck
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and he were cast into the sea
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than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.
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Now you could hardly have more grave
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or serious words of warning than these.
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The natural meaning of little ones,
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of course, would be children,
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and it is certainly true
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that those who abuse children,
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those who traffic children,
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face a fearsome judgment
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and an awful condemnation.
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But Jesus spoke about
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those who believe as being little ones.
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And it seems likely
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that Jesus was referring here
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to the sin of causing
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someone to stumble in his or her faith.
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Matthew Henry, in his helpful commentary,
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identifies three kinds of people
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who fall under this terrible condemnation.
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First, he says persecutors,
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that is those who offer any injury
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to the least of Christ’s little ones,
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those who persecute
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believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Then he says secondly,
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seducers
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who corrupt the truths of Jesus Christ
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and so trouble the minds of disciples.
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In other words, people who insidiously
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move those who believe away from the truth
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and corrupt their minds and their hearts.
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Persecutors,
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seducers who take people away from the truth.
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And then thirdly he says, and I quote,
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those who, under the profession of a Christian name,
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live scandulously
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and thereby weaken the bands and sadden the hearts
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of God’s people.
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Weaken the bands simply means cause disunity.
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Sadden the hearts, bring grief to God’s people.
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Oh, says Matthew Henry,
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those who live under the profession of a Christian name,
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but live scandulously.
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They bring division to the people of God
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and they bring grief and sorrow to their hearts,
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Woe to them!
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Jesus says.
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God will deal with all who harm his own children,
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those who lead them away from the truth,
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those who hurt them,
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those who cause his children to stumble.
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Scandals are sure to come, says Jesus,
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but woe to the one through whom they come.
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Now, Jesus is clearly issuing a stern warning here.
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And he gives this warning to who? To us.
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Pay attention to yourselves, he says in the very next verse.
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In other words, don’t think that I’m talking about other people here.
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I am giving a warning to you.
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You are my disciples.
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You are the ones who bear my name in the world.
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And with your calling,
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there comes a great responsibility.
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And when the disciples heard this, what did they say?
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They said, Lord, increase our faith.
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Give us, in other words, the strength that we need
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to stand against the temptations that we know we will face.
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Increase our faith so that we will not be the ones
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who cause others to stumble.
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Now, here then is something that every Christian leader needs to hear.
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Here is something that every believer needs to hear
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because we all bear the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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God cares about his children.
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So pay attention to yourself
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and be very careful
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that you do not lead one of God’s little ones into sin.
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We’ve got to pause our message there but we’ll be back in just a moment.
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The message is called Growing Faith
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and you’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith.
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The series that Growing Faith comes from is called Growing in Faith, Hope and Love
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and if you ever miss one of the series
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or if you want to go back and listen again
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you can do that by coming online to our website
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openthebible.org.uk
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There you can hear any of the messages
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which have already gone out on air.
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You can also find us as a podcast
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and those podcasts are available on all the regular podcasting sites
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You can find them either by following the link from our website
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Subscribe to the podcast if you want to receive regular updates.
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Back to the message now
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Here in Luke chapter 17, here is Colin
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Ask the Lord to increase your faith
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ask Him because you yourself will be tempted
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And here’s a second reason
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Ask the Lord to increase your faith
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because you are called to a holy life
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Now I want you to notice what Jesus says here
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about the life to which we are called as believers
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Verse 3, if your brother sins rebuke Him
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and if he repents, forgive him
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And if he sins against you
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seven times in a day
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And turns to you seven times, saying, I repent
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You must forgive him
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Now notice that Jesus challenges
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the Disciples here
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with a double responsibility
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The first is if your brother sins
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Rebuke him
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Now, these words of Jesus are very similar
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to the words that he spoke
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recorded in Matthew Chapter 18
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and verse 15
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If your brother sins against you
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go and tell him his fault
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Now, does this mean
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That there is an obligation
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to confront every sin
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that you see
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in every other believer
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Answer?
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Absolutely not
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There are other scriptures
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to consider
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and to weigh
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before you go charging off
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to rebuke your brother
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for some Sin or other
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that you may have seen
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in his or her life
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for example
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First Peter chapter 4 and verse 8
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Love covers
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a multitude of sins
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Or, Romance chapter 12 and verse 18
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If possible, as far as it depends on you
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live peaceably with all
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Or Matthew chapter 7 verses 1-3
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Judge not that you be not judged
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For with the judgment you use, you yourself will be judged
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And with the measure you use, it will be measured to you
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Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye
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But do not see the log that is in your own eye?
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But when all of this is said
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Clearly, this Scripture is pointing us to the fact
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That there will be times
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When love requires you to confront
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A brother or a sister who has wronged you
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When should you consider doing that?
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Well, several translations of these words
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Include the words, against you
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Bible translations such as the NIV
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Translates this, if your brother sins against you
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And that clearly is the meaning here
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And it’s stated clearly in Matthew 18 verse 15
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And it is stated clearly in verse 4 where Jesus says
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If he sins against you seven times in a day
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So, Jesus is not talking about sin in general
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He’s speaking specifically here about a
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Wrong that has been done against you
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That has affected you, that has hurt you directly
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And in a personal way
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Again, the context here is important
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Jesus says, pay attention to yourselves
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In other words, when a brother or sister sins against you
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You need to be very, very careful
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That you yourself are not drawn into sin
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Now, the principle here, is especially clear
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In the Old Testament, Leviticus 9, verse 17
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Let me draw your attention to this important scripture
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God says, you shall not hate your brother in your heart
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But you shall reason frankly with your neighbour
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Lest you incur sin because of him
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Now, what is this saying?
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Well, when a brother or a sister wrongs you
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You will often find that you are simply able to pass over it
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And to move on
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And if that is the case, thank God for that
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But sometimes, if the wound is deep
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You may find in your own heart
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That you’re beginning to struggle with resentment
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Towards the person who has hurt you
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Now notice the logic of this verse that speaks to that situation
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God says, you shall not hate your brother in your heart
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You must not allow your heart to go there
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That’s not an option that is open for you as a believer
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So, if you find resentment towards a brother rising in your heart
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What should you do?
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Well, you should go and you should reason with him or with her frankly
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Why?
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Lest you incur sin because of him or her
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In other words, lest the wrong he or she has done leads you to the sin of hating them
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Now, that’s when you’re to do this
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How are you to do this?
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Well, notice what God says
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You shall reason frankly with your neighbor
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Isn’t that a beautiful expression?
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Reason frankly with your neighbor
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Dale Ralph Davis, in his commentary on Luke’s gospel, catches the spirit of this
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He says, rebuke does not mean telling him off
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It does not mean reaming him out
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But simply disclosing the wrong that he has done
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And of course, reason frankly also means
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That you must hear the person who has offended you
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What does he or she have to say?
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And you know when you hear them, you might learn something
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That would give you a different perspective, a fuller picture of what has happened
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Now the aim then of this honest conversation, this confrontation that takes place here
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Is that help will come both to the person who has caused the offense
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And to the person who has been offended
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And again Dale Ralph Davis points out that the clear implication
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Of this very striking verse in Leviticus chapter 19 and verse 17
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Is that expressing rebuke tends to dissipate inward resentment
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And that surely is why Jesus tells us that this is something that in these circumstances we should do
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If your brother sins, rebuke him
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That is our first duty but the second one is much harder and we’ll hear about that next time
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So I hope you’ll join us for that
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Our message today was called, Growing Faith
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and it’s part of our series, growing in faith, hope and love
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And if you’ve missed any of the series so far or if you miss any in the future
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you can always catch up or go back and listen again by coming online to our website
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openthebible.org.uk
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There you can hear any of the messages which have already gone out on air
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00:22:26,619 –> 00:22:31,160
you can also find those messages as a podcast if that’s a better way for you to catch
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Pastor Colin’s teaching
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and those are available either by following a link from our website
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00:22:36,140 –> 00:22:40,280
or by going directly to the major podcasting sites themselves
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00:22:40,280 –> 00:22:44,160
and searching for Open the Bible UK
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00:22:44,160 –> 00:22:47,640
Also available as a podcast and on our website you can find
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00:22:47,640 –> 00:22:51,859
a daily reflection series, with a new one posted every day
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00:22:51,880 –> 00:22:53,780
and that’s called Open the Bible Daily
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00:22:53,780 –> 00:22:56,900
It’s based on Pastor Collins Smith’s teaching
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00:22:56,900 –> 00:23:00,060
and read in the UK by Sue McLeish
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00:23:00,060 –> 00:23:03,300
Many Christians find it’s a great way for starting the day
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00:23:04,040 –> 00:23:07,160
Open the Bible is supported entirely by our listeners
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00:23:07,160 –> 00:23:10,699
that’s people just like you, and if that’s something you’re considering
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00:23:10,699 –> 00:23:11,739
doing
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00:23:11,739 –> 00:23:14,739
this month we have an offer for you
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00:23:14,739 –> 00:23:18,579
if you’re able to set up a new donation to the work about Open the Bible
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00:23:18,579 –> 00:23:21,699
in the amount of five pounds per month or more
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00:23:21,739 –> 00:23:25,219
we’d love to thank you by sending you a copy of Kevin de Young’s book
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00:23:25,819 –> 00:23:30,640
Impossible Christianity. Colin, what would you hope that someone reading this book
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00:23:30,640 –> 00:23:32,280
will take away from it?
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00:23:32,280 –> 00:23:35,939
Well, Kevin de Young does a brilliant job
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00:23:35,939 –> 00:23:40,020
of distinguishing between the life that God calls us to lead
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00:23:40,020 –> 00:23:43,099
and the sometimes impossible burdens
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00:23:43,099 –> 00:23:47,300
that we place on ourselves and that’s why it’s such a helpful and such
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00:23:47,300 –> 00:23:51,640
a liberating book for example when he talks about prayer he talks about the
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00:23:51,640 –> 00:23:53,079
importance of prayer
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00:23:53,079 –> 00:23:57,400
and anyone who really walks with the Lord knows that. We often feel that we
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00:23:57,400 –> 00:24:00,219
need to pray more. We can live under a burden of saying
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00:24:00,219 –> 00:24:05,260
have I ever prayed enough and have I ever prayed as sincerely and deeply as
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00:24:05,260 –> 00:24:05,959
I ought.
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00:24:05,959 –> 00:24:09,000
And we end up putting burdens on ourselves
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00:24:09,000 –> 00:24:13,959
that can easily make following Christ feel like a joyless experience.
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00:24:13,959 –> 00:24:17,319
And so I find Impossible Christianity
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00:24:17,699 –> 00:24:19,079
to be really helpful
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00:24:19,079 –> 00:24:22,719
in just restoring a sense of perspective a sense of
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00:24:22,719 –> 00:24:27,280
peace to the soul and its right out of the scripture’s. It’s faithful to what
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00:24:27,280 –> 00:24:28,339
God says
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00:24:28,339 –> 00:24:31,719
but it brings to us a sense of a life
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00:24:31,719 –> 00:24:36,439
that is made possible by the grace of God as we follow hard after the Lord
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00:24:36,439 –> 00:24:37,400
Jesus Christ.
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00:24:37,400 –> 00:24:40,680
Well we’d love to send you a copy of Kevin de Young’s book
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00:24:40,680 –> 00:24:44,099
to say thank you for setting up a new donation to the work of
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00:24:44,119 –> 00:24:45,000
Open the Bible
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00:24:45,000 –> 00:24:50,579
in the amount to five pounds per month or more. Full details of this offer on our
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00:24:50,579 –> 00:24:51,239
website
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00:24:51,239 –> 00:24:57,119
openthebible.org.uk. For Open the Bible and pastor Colin Smith
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00:24:57,119 –> 00:25:04,119
I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll be able to join us again next time
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00:25:07,380 –> 00:25:10,739
The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith
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00:25:10,739 –> 00:25:16,380
What led them to ask for that? Find out next time on Open the Bible
