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We Can Still Become More in '24 (North OC)
In this Sunday sermon, Marcel Hall addresses the congregation on the topic of spiritual growth and transformation as we reach the midpoint of the year. He emphasizes the importance of reflecting on our faith journeys and striving to become more like Christ. Marcel revisits the church's focus for the year, 'Become More in 24,' examining the steps of transformation outlined in 2 Peter chapter 1. Through the example of Peter's spiritual journey, Marcel encourages believers to make every effort to grow in their faith, participate in God's divine nature, and continue striving towards spiritual maturity despite the ups and downs. The sermon concludes with a call to action for everyone to follow Jesus more closely, resume their spiritual efforts, and bring others along on their faith journey.
00:00 Introduction: Embracing the Heat and Mid-Year Reflections
00:09 Mid-Year Spiritual Check-In: Becoming More in 24
00:34 The Call to Transformation: God's Vision for Us
07:51 Stages of Obedience: From Willful to Transformed
10:59 Peter's Journey: A Case Study in Transformation
28:44 Practical Steps: Making Every Effort to Grow
32:24 Communion and Closing Prayer
Transcript
It's hot outside, isn't it?
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:Aren't you grateful for AC?
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:Now, you're clapping again.
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:You find out about volleyball and AC.
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:Amen.
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:I appreciate that.
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:It's also the midpoint of the year.
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:We're in June.
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:It's getting hot.
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:Summer is here.
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:It's exciting.
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:We have camps, a lot going
on, but it's interesting.
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:We're at the midpoint of the year.
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:It's good to do some reflection.
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:At this point because a lot of
us have maybe made some decisions
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:at the beginning of the year And
this is a good point to realize.
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:Okay.
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:Am I still going along that path?
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:How are things going in my life?
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:How are things going in my faith and
and even spiritually we started the year
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:With the focus and we call it become
more in 24 And which we were going to
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:focus as a church about becoming more.
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:We did a sermon series where we thoroughly
walked through the ladder of faith.
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:Or the, uh, steps of transformation
that's laid out in 2 Peter chapter 1.
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:And we looked and dissected how God calls
us to be, not just change a little bit.
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:Not just have behavior modification.
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:But for us to be
transformed into His people.
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:And so now here we are we're in
June and let me ask you how's it
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:going and becoming more in 24,
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:how's it becoming?
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:How's it going and becoming more in?
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:24 for some of us maybe
it's going really well.
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:We're like man.
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:I've grown so much I'm continuing to
grow in my knowledge of my depth and
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:in my faith some of us we may be Maybe
we're we're Maybe a little stuck right
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:now and maybe we weren't growing.
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:Maybe we started off.
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:We were growing.
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:We're soaring But now maybe we're
starting to tailor off and maybe we're
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:in cruise control or maybe some of us
We're maybe regressed in our faith.
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:Maybe we're you know, the old school
term We're backsliding a little bit
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:or we've been really struggling in
our faith But I want to say to you
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:today that there's hope No matter
where you are, whether you're on fire,
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:you've been soaring like never before.
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:You're in a place where you're maybe,
uh, in the middle, or you've really
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:hit the dumps here lately spiritually.
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:There is hope for you and me today.
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:And so the title of the sermon is,
We Can Still Become More in 24.
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:All right, we can still become more in 24.
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:Maybe you started soaring again
and you're not at that point.
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:Maybe you're at a lower place or
maybe again you're there, but God
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:still calls you to become more in 24.
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:Amen.
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:Let's go ahead.
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:Let's go to God in prayer.
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:God, I'm excited about what
you've been teaching me.
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:God, what you have, uh, been
molding me to, uh, to be and what
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:you have reminded me of recently.
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:God, and I pray that your word right
now will be communicated in the way
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:in which every soul will take away the
one thing you want them to take away.
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:Father, we pray that
your word communicates.
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:Father, your heart, father,
that we can receive it.
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:We can let it grow.
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:We can let it, uh, not just
marinate, but take root in the very.
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:Soul and father that it can therefore
produce the fruit that you want.
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:We pray in the name of Jesus.
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:Amen So I want to remind us here of
a couple of things God wants you and
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:me to become more like him God wants
you to become more like him And this
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:is so vital for us in our faith and
in our understanding, because if we
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:don't understand this, then we're not
going to become what God wants us to
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:be, and we're not going to interpret
life's experiences in a way in which
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:we should, because we don't have
this truth embedded in our brains.
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:And so we have to understand that
God wants to, again, transform.
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:Your heart and your character.
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:He wants to transform your nature, who you
are, the way you view things, the way you
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:process what you desire, what you dislike.
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:He wants that to be transformed
into his likeness and image.
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:And in Peter, actually in second
Peter, he constantly says, I
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:want to remind you of things.
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:He says, until the day I die,
this is Marcel's version, until
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:the day I die, I'm going to keep
reminding you of these things.
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:And so there are going to
be some things here that we
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:mentioned in which are reminders.
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:But Peter says we have
to keep being reminded.
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:And so we're going to remind
you of a couple of things
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:here throughout the scripture.
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:So let's go into it.
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:One.
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:Romans 8, 29 says for those God for a
new, he also predestined to be conformed
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:to the image of his son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brothers
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:and sisters, second Corinthians chapter
three, verse 18, and we all who with
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:unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's
glory are being transformed into his
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:image with an ever increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is God.
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:The spirit and then second
Peter one, which we studied
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:out the beginning of the year.
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:His divine power has given us Everything
we need for a godly life through our
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:knowledge of him who called us by his
own glory and goodness Through these he
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:has given us his very great and precious
promises so that through them you may
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:participate in the divine Nature having
escaped the corruption in the world caused
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:by evil desires And so this helps us to
see this idea and this heart and desire
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:and plan and vision that God has for us to
be transformed back into the image of Him.
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:God created us in His image, however,
sin gets in the way and when Jesus
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:came and died upon the cross and rose
again, that allows us to be reconciled,
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:but the work doesn't stop there.
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:There's this redemption work
of us being transformed.
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:And redeemed back into the
image in our original intent.
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:And so we talked about this,
I think, a couple years ago,
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:but I'm bringing it back here.
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:And this idea of theosis, or, uh,
theosis is more kind of the Eastern,
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:uh, Christian, uh, terminology.
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:The Western Christian, uh,
terminology is more sanctification.
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:But it's this idea that, hey,
God wants us to become like Him.
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:And so He's sanctifying us.
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:He, He's, He's purifying us.
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:He's redeeming us.
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:To have the nature and character of his
and so if you think about this it makes
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:sense because Why after we get saved
don't we just go straight to paradise,
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:right?
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:Like if everything's just about being
in paradise, which ultimately it is is
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:about an eternal relationship with God
But God keeps us here after the day we
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:repent, come to faith and get baptized.
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:Well, why?
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:Well, I think there's two
main reasons here again.
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:Yes is to grow in our relationship.
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:Everything's in that context, but it's
this It's for formation and mission.
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:For us to be spiritually formed into
the image of Christ And then for
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:us to join him in his mission work.
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:To see his will be done so that
others Can get right and have an
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:eternal relationship with him and
join it with God in his redemptive
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:work and becoming more like him.
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:The ancient Christian writers
had, uh, really this, they
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:identified stages of maturity.
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:And so, I want us to look at
this real quickly here because
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:I do, uh, I subscribe to this.
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:I believe this is a hundred percent true.
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:That there's stages of our transformation.
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:Church, are you still with me here?
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:There are stages to our transformation,
to our growth, and to our maturity.
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:And the first one is this
stage of willful obedience.
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:Meaning this is a stage in which
we, we follow God and we obey, but
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:it's really more out of like really
a holy fear and respect for God.
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:You get what I'm saying?
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:A lot of us, this is maybe why we even
made a choice to become a Christian.
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:We're like, Whoa, man, I
don't want to suffer hell.
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:So let me, let me go ahead
and get right with God.
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:So that is willful obedience
because there's maybe a fear of, of.
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:You know, somehow disappointing God or
fear of judgment or anything like that.
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:But this is really the stage
where there's a lot of self denial
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:because man, I want to do something.
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:But because I love and I fear and
I respect God and his word and his
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:will, I'm going to deny those things
and try my best to do what's right.
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:You guys get what I'm saying.
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:So this is willful obedience.
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:Then there's the next stage
of relational obedience.
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:Where we follow God and we
obey out of love and gratitude
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:for our relationship with God.
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:Man, God, I'm so in love with you.
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:Thank you so much for what
you've done in my life.
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:Thank you that I get to have an
eternal relationship with you.
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:Therefore, I want to obey you
because I wouldn't want to hurt you.
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:I wouldn't want to go against your will.
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:We have this relationship.
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:You guys get what i'm saying back in
the day You know when I was dating
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:kareena there there was some times of
some willful stuff like okay Uh, let me
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:do this because I don't want to get in
trouble or I don't want us to have any
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:problems And then it came a point where
I was falling in love with her, right?
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:And it's like man because I love you.
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:I wouldn't want to harm you.
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:I'd want to do good by you
You guys get what i'm saying?
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:Then the third and maybe the highest stage
is this This is transformed obedience.
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:This is where we follow and obey
because we become more like God in
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:our character and in our hearts.
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:This is the stage in which, yes, I have
a relationship with God, but I am truly
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:satisfied in His good will and desires.
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:What God desires is
actually what I desire.
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:I don't want to do these
sinful things because, you know
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:what, I view them that way.
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:And I view what's good
because God views it that way.
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:Because I'm thinking and I'm like and
I'm viewing things like my father.
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:I'm becoming more like him.
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:I obey because my heart
desires what God desires.
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:And so, yes, there's going
to be times in which we're
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:always, we have a sinful nature.
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:So there's always going to
be some willful obedience.
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:And it's good, it's always in the context
of a relationship, but when we become
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:more like God, we think like God, we feel
like God, therefore we behave like God.
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:So you see this progression in
our faith and transformation.
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:And so again, we're reminded that
God wants us to become more like Him.
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:And we can still become more like Him.
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:And we started off the year looking at
2nd Peter and I want us to do a little
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:case study here looking at the life
of Peter, really Peter's spiritual
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:journey because Peter talks about this
transformed faith and I believe he's
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:the great, uh, witness of this and the
perfect person who can write about this
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:because he experienced this transformation
in his own faith and journey.
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:So we're going to quickly go
ahead and look at Peter and see
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:some of the parallels between
his journey and our journey.
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:Church, are you still with me here?
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:Amen.
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:Let's go ahead.
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:Let's get into it.
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:Alright, so first off here, we're
going to go in Matthew chapter 14,
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:or excuse me, chapter 4 and 18.
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:It says, As Jesus was walking beside
the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
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:Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.
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:They were casting a net into the
lake, for they were fishermen.
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:Alright, Come follow me.
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:Jesus said and I will send you out
to fish for people and once they left
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:their nets and followed him we see
here the calling of Simon who would
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:later be called Peter and Jesus calls
him and he calls him to follow me So
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:there's a call to relationship and then
he says what I'm gonna make you go out
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:and fish for people He wants them to
become more than what he is currently.
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:Hey, you're a fisher.
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:Men, but I want you to be a fisher of men.
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:And so I always believed
Jesus was the first rapper.
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:You know what I'm saying?
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:Yo, you a fisher of men, but I'm
gonna make you a fisher of men.
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:You know what I'm saying?
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:Like, Jesus was doing this, right?
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:And so he's called him to become more.
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:He has a plan and a vision.
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:And you know, that's the same for us.
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:When we, when we come to know God,
we come to understand his will and
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:desire, we realize, well, Jesus is
calling me to more than what I am
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:or what I was thinking for my life.
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:He's called me to a relationship and then
we realize wait He's called me to join in
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:his mission Matthew 28 in Redeeming the
world to have an eternal relationship with
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:him, you know in John chapter 1 We won't
look at it, but Jesus gives Peter a new
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:name He was he was Simon as we see here,
but Jesus is like hey, you know what man?
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:We don't call you Peter from now
on which is also Cephas which means
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:the rock and you know for us When
we became Christians, when we became
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:disciples of Jesus, God gave us a
new name and new identity, didn't he?
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:He gave us a new identity.
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:We were no longer the sinner.
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:No, we were children of the Most High God.
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:We were disciples of the
Lord Jesus, the Messiah.
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:We were citizens in God's
kingdom, etc., etc., etc.
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:We gained a new name and a new identity.
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:When we came to follow Jesus, then
we continue in Matthew chapter
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:10 verse and you know some in 14
We see Jesus appoints Peter to be
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:an apostle and there's training.
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:There's relationship going
on There's miracles that take
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:place Peter walks on water.
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:He takes a little dip, but he walks
on water You know, there's all these
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:great things taking place And when
we become Christians, we see God
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:do some great things in our lives.
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:We see his power We're seeing miracles
take place in our lives and maybe
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:restoring relationships or even using us
to participate and seeing others in the
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:miracles that God does in their lives.
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:And then we go on over to Matthew 16.
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:I want to read this here.
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:It says in verse 13, When Jesus
came to the region of Caesarea
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:Philippi, He asked the disciples,
Who do people say the Son of Man is?
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:He's saying, Hey, who do people say I am?
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:What's, what's, what's the latest?
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:What are they saying on
X and Instagram about me?
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:They replied, some say John the
Baptist, others say Elijah, and still
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:others, Jeremiah, one of the prophets.
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:But what about you, he
asked, who do you say I am?
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:Simon Peter answered, you are the
Messiah, the son of the living God.
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:Jesus replied, Blessed are you,
Simon, son of Jonah, for this was
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:not revealed to you by flesh and
blood, but by my Father in heaven.
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:And I tell you that you are Peter, and
on this rock I will build my church, and
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:the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
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:I will give you the keys
of the kingdom of heaven.
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:Whatever you bind on earth will be
bound in heaven, and whatever you loose
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:on earth will be loosed in heaven.
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:We'll stop right there.
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:Peter has this shining moment.
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:We'll He gets the right answer,
and Jesus says, Hey, you know what?
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:This was revealed by my father in heaven.
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:And he says, I'm going to give you
the keys of the Kingdom of heaven.
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:I was talking to Alan earlier, he
says, Marcel, and he shows me his
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:new keys to his, his, his new car.
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:He just got a new car.
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:It's not a brand new car,
but it's a new car for him.
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:Now.
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:Everybody's like, man, I wanna
see your new whip, Ellen.
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:All right?
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:So he shows me these keys and I'm
like, man, that's really cool,
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:but man, I wanna see what those
keys of the kingdom are like.
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:You know what I mean?
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:Adam's got some keys, but those keys can't
compare to Peter's keys of the kingdom.
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:But we see Peter's growing
in his relationship.
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:He's growing in his discipleship.
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:He's growing in his faith.
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:You see him growing to
have more of God's desires.
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:And more of God's desires and plans
are revealed to Peter as he's growing.
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:Now Peter hasn't arrived,
but he's growing.
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:And he's becoming a king.
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:Transformed because check
this out right after this.
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:This is what happens from that time on
Jesus began to explain to his disciples
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:that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer
many things at the hands of the elders,
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:the chief priests and the teachers of
the law, and that he must be killed on
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:the third day and be raised to life.
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:Peter took him aside
and began to rebuke him.
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:Never.
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:Lord, he said, this shall
never happen to you.
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:Jesus turned and said to
Peter, get behind me, Satan.
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:You are a stumbling block to me.
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:You do not have in mind the concerns
of God, but merely human concern.
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:Whoo!
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:Boy, that was, that was a
conversation right there, huh?
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:You go, wait, the last time
we heard about Peter, man, you
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:got the keys of the kingdom.
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:Now what do we see?
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:Boy, you are Satan.
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:That's some strong language.
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:I don't know about you, I've
been called a lot of stuff, but
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:nobody's called me Satan yet.
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:Now, again, is Jesus being mean?
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:No.
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:What he's trying to help him, he's
rebuking him, he's loving him.
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:See, hey, look, you're thinking worldly.
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:You have some stinking thinking.
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:And what you're talking about,
that's what the devil would want.
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:He wouldn't want me to go to the cross.
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:Because that means there's no
redemption for everybody else.
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:So you can see why he's trying
to really get this point.
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:And he wants everybody
else to get this point.
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:But Jesus, here, has some strong legs.
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:And you know, this is a pretty
humbling experience, wouldn't you say?
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:You know, like if we had somebody else,
and, and we got on the mic, and it was
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:like, yo, Sonia, you are a Satan, right?
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:In front of everybody,
people are like, whoa.
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:Let's give her a pat on the
back, let's encourage her.
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:So you can imagine this.
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:But check this out.
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:Here's what it says.
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:This is the next thing we read.
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:After six days, Jesus took with him Peter,
James and John, the brothers of James, and
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:led them up a high mountain by themselves.
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:This is where they had this
momentous experience where the
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:transfiguration takes place.
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:Six days later, who's the
first name that's listed to go?
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:Peter.
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:So he's riding this high he's getting
fired up about these keys and maybe that's
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:what got him in trouble He's like man.
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:I got the keys to the kingdom.
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:I could say whatever I wanted.
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:He's like, no you can't He has this
humbling moment, but right back.
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:He's right back.
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:Hey, you're still in the inner
circle You're still with me.
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:And in fact, I'm gonna reveal
myself in a powerful way like
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:never before And so Jesus still
loves him still believed in him.
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:It was really cool.
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:Peter didn't get bitter Did you
notice that Peter didn't I'm out?
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:I'm out leaving this church
I can't believe he would say
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:something like this to me.
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:No, Peter got it spiritually.
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:And Jesus was willing to speak
some truth, but still loved him.
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:Did nothing to change in the relationship.
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:But some truth had to be revealed.
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:That's a different sermon
for another day here.
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:Alright?
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:And so we go ahead and now we get over and
see the witness of the transfiguration.
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:But Matthew 26, this is when Jesus
goes through, uh, the Last Supper and
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:then to his, his death upon the cross.
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:And we see extreme highs
faithfulness of Peter.
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:He starts off with the other guys
in the room and they're like,
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:Hey, Jesus will die for you.
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:And then they go outside, some
people come, Peter pulls out a
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:knife and cuts a dude's ear off.
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:He was bout it, you know what I'm saying?
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:Peter was there, he was with it, okay?
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:And so he, he's actually falling
through, I'll, I'll, I'll die
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:with you, and he cuts the ear off.
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:Jesus is like, what are you doing?
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:Man, put this ear back on,
man, man, put that knife away.
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:And then right after that, then Jesus
allows himself to get arrested and Peter,
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:with all the other ones, run for safety.
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:But then Peter decides let me go back.
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:He goes back and there's this
kind of mock trial for Jesus.
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:And then we get to this point here
in which Jesus then and this is maybe
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:the lowest point in Peter's faith He
fails because he denies that he even
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:knows Jesus three times in public.
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:Yes, you can imagine how he felt.
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:However, the story doesn't end.
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:We go into John 21.
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:Jesus reinstates Peter.
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:Gives him a chance and he says,
Hey, you're back and no, you're
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:still going to be that rock that
I told you you were going to be.
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:To be, and then we continue in Acts
chapter two, we see when the church for
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:it starts on a day of Pentecost, Peter
preaches the very first gospel message.
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:He preaches and thousands come to faith.
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:Thousands get saved and get baptized.
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:Then in Acts 10, we see Peter using
those keys to open up the doors
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:for all the Jews to understand.
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:Hey, this salvation is for
all nations, all people.
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:As we see in Acts chapter
10 with Cornelius there.
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:And so Peter's being used and
you go, man, that's awesome.
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:But the story doesn't stop there.
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:Peter is still, he has still not arrived.
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:He's still being transformed.
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:Because in Galatians chapter 2, he
has a time with Paul the apostle.
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:And Paul calls out Peter for his
fear that led to hypocrisy, that
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:even led to the treatment of the
non Jews in a prejudicial way.
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:Now hallelujah, Peter repents.
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:Peter gets back on it and then
here's what he says again.
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:This is the last recorded words
that we have from the Apostle Peter.
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:We go back and here's what he says again
in 2nd Peter in verse 3 in chapter 1.
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:His divine power is giving us
everything we need for a godly life.
402
:Through our knowledge of him who
has called us by his own glory and
403
:goodness through these he has given
us his very great and precious
404
:promises so that through them you
may participate in the divine nature.
405
:Now think about this again.
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:We've seen his journey.
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:We've seen the highs and the lows.
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:We've seen the miracles.
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:We've seen the failures.
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:We've seen the roughneck Peter to
this man at this point in which he
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:says, you know what it's all about.
412
:God wants to transform you.
413
:My spiritual journey has taught me this.
414
:God wants you and me to
become more like him.
415
:To participate in the divine nature.
416
:And Peter does die for his faith.
417
:Do you think that Peter
ever became just like Jesus?
418
:Probably not.
419
:But he became the best version of
Peter that was the most like Jesus.
420
:And I believe that Peter did
reach that point of the third
421
:stage of transformed obedience.
422
:And that's where he got to that point
where he desired what God desired.
423
:So therefore he was the perfect
candidate to write 2 Peter and to
424
:write these things for you and I.
425
:Because of his journey in his
faith and where he got to.
426
:And now he resides in paradise
with a transformed body.
427
:That's what Philippians 3 tells us.
428
:And he's with the Lord.
429
:Again.
430
:This serves as a model for you and
me and our faith and our journeys.
431
:You know, God calls us to become more
like him and to join in his good work.
432
:And we have many highs and we have some
lows in our faith and in our journey.
433
:There's growth and there's regression.
434
:But in the end, we should be
looking a lot more like Jesus
435
:than we did at the beginning.
436
:In the end, we should have more depth.
437
:Of a relationship more knowledge of
god in his will and we should have
438
:more wisdom than we did When we started
and we should reach that point of
439
:the third stage of transformation
In which yes, it's relational.
440
:Yes.
441
:There's times where I have to
deny my sinful flesh but I start
442
:to look and resemble and take
on the image and likeness and
443
:character of my father in heaven
444
:And we are transformed.
445
:And so here's the encouraging
thing again for us today.
446
:Whether you're growing, you're stale,
you're stuck, or you've regressed.
447
:There's hope for you today.
448
:And there's also a call for you today.
449
:There's a hope that we have.
450
:We can still become more.
451
:And there's a call to
continue to become more.
452
:Like I want to read this passage man
that this this hit me a couple weeks
453
:ago Or just it hit me this week, but I
heard it a while ago I've read it many
454
:times, but it just resonated check this
out here It says being confident of this
455
:that he who began a good work and you
will carry it on to completion until
456
:the day of Christ Jesus Boy, that's,
there's hope, there's confidence, there's
457
:assurance in that passage right there.
458
:That God who began a good work in you
will make sure to see it to completion
459
:until the day that Jesus comes back.
460
:There's some hope and
there's some confidence.
461
:There's hope that we,
God's not done with us.
462
:No matter where we are,
God is not done with us.
463
:And then there's the confidence that, hey,
if I persevere, if I keep trying, if I
464
:don't quit, I put my foot forward, I keep
taking steps, that God's gonna make sure I
465
:continue to grow and become like Him, and
He'll do it until the day Jesus returns.
466
:And then I'll reach that third
stage, but I'll reach God's intended
467
:destination for me, and that's for me
to take on his character and nature
468
:and be like him in likeness and image.
469
:So there is hope and there is confidence.
470
:We are going that direction and
God is making sure we get there.
471
:So hopefully, whether Jesus comes
back tomorrow or we die before
472
:the day the Lord's come back, we
have hope and confidence that we
473
:can and will be more like him.
474
:What's our response though?
475
:Again, we have a role in this
476
:and we'll remind you from
what we saw earlier in the
477
:year is to make every effort.
478
:2 Peter 1, look what Peter says here.
479
:He also, he says it three
times in this letter.
480
:He says again, as he talks about
escaping the corruption in the world,
481
:uh, evil that I says, for this reason,
make every effort to add to your faith.
482
:And we studied that out.
483
:Verse 10.
484
:He says, therefore, my brothers
and sisters make every effort.
485
:To confirm your calling and election
for if you do these things you will
486
:never stumble and you will receive a
witch Rich welcome into the eternal
487
:kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ chapter 3 verse 14 So then dear
488
:friends since you are looking forward
to this make every effort To be found
489
:spotless blameless and at peace with him.
490
:What's Peter's points?
491
:Make every effort make every effort.
492
:We are not earning this No, that's not
what he's saying But because God has
493
:equipped this and given us everything
we need we need to make every effort to
494
:put it into practice And so again, we're
reminded of this reality and truth that
495
:the intersection of God's Empowerment with
our human efforts when those things meet
496
:transformation takes place Transformation
doesn't take place by me just gritting
497
:through it and me just trying on my own.
498
:No.
499
:Many of us have tried
that and it didn't work.
500
:But transformation doesn't take
place by just sitting back and
501
:saying, God, you got all this right?
502
:You're going to do it.
503
:I don't have to do a thing.
504
:No, God says we're going
to do this together.
505
:I'm going to empower you, but
you need to make every effort.
506
:And when we do this, we become
more and more and more like Christ.
507
:Amen.
508
:In our nature and in our character.
509
:So let's get real practical here.
510
:Church, are you still with me here?
511
:Action steps this week here.
512
:For, for some of us here, uh, maybe we
have not made a decision to follow Jesus.
513
:So we're not able to fully relate to
the things that I'm mentioning here.
514
:And so here's the, uh,
action step for you.
515
:And that's to take the
next step toward God.
516
:To take the next step toward God.
517
:You know, some of us, we have this
idea that, Hey, I can't get right
518
:with God until I get myself right.
519
:Some of us have even had that thinking.
520
:But that's actually backwards.
521
:And even we see it
through the life of Peter.
522
:No, we take a step, we get right with
God, and then He transforms us from there.
523
:So it's not, let me get myself
together, then I'll go after you.
524
:No, no, no, no, no, because you'll
never have yourself fully together.
525
:No, it's come to me and I'm
going to make you more like me.
526
:And so I want to encourage you here
today or you're online here with us.
527
:Take the next step toward God.
528
:And some of us, we have
a fear of messing up.
529
:Oh no, but if I do this, then
what if I mess up or I fail?
530
:Well, look at Peter.
531
:He was given the keys of the kingdom.
532
:Did he fail?
533
:Many times.
534
:And that's just the recorded times.
535
:There's a whole lot more because
if Peter's like you and me, which
536
:I'm sure he is, there's probably
a mess up every single day.
537
:But God says we'll get back
up and let's keep going.
538
:For some of us, the action step
is to resume making every effort.
539
:And so maybe you haven't been making
effort, but like Peter, let's get back
540
:up and let's start making every effort.
541
:To add to our faith, to live a
life in honor of Jesus Christ.
542
:Who died for our sins, but
raised again so that we can die
543
:to our sins and live for Him.
544
:Cause there's no excuse not to.
545
:We see a great example
in Peter, he failed.
546
:Man, if anything, especially after
denial, he could have just quit and left.
547
:But Jesus is like, no, no,
no, you're still with me.
548
:And you're still that rock.
549
:And you're still gonna be
that person that has the keys.
550
:And I'm still gonna use you.
551
:And you're gonna be like me,
and guess what, you're gonna
552
:write some of my words down.
553
:And it's gonna have a profound
effect upon people for thousands
554
:and thousands of years.
555
:And so we need to resume it.
556
:Because we can, because God's given
us His Spirit and we have every tool
557
:needed to apply it to our lives.
558
:And for some of us, we've been on top
of it, we've been growing, well then
559
:let's bring others along with you.
560
:Let's go ahead again, nobody has arrived.
561
:Peter never really fully arrived.
562
:You and I would never be the
exact replica of Jesus by the
563
:time he comes back or we die.
564
:But again, we could be soaring, we could
be growing, but it's not just about us.
565
:We are called to bring
others along with us.
566
:So that's those in our fellowship,
those in our family groups.
567
:Hey man, let's keep going,
let's make every effort.
568
:That's reaching out to
our neighbors and friends.
569
:Hey, there's a God who wants to transform
your life and wants you to be like Him.
570
:Let's bring others along, whether they're
disciples or non disciples of Jesus.
571
:Let's bring others along, cause this
isn't a solo ride, this is a team effort.
572
:And we are called to be relational.
573
:We start off the year saying,
let's become more in 24.
574
:Today we're reminded we
still can become more in 24.
575
:God desires and is working to
transform us into the image of Christ.
576
:And like Peter, our journey is
going to have ups and downs,
577
:but we need to keep going.
578
:And so let's make every effort.
579
:Right now we're going to take communion
and this is where we take the emblems
580
:that represent Jesus's body and
blood that was sacrificed for the
581
:opportunity for us to have salvation.
582
:And we're reminded again that everything
that we have, this opportunity,
583
:this likeness, this call, this
redemption, this opportunity to join
584
:in the work is all through Jesus.
585
:There's no way outside of him.
586
:And so we praise God.
587
:We thank God for Jesus coming.
588
:And for the gospel message, we
close out in Philippians 3 verse 20.
589
:I referenced this earlier and says,
but our citizenship is in heaven
590
:and we eagerly await a savior from
there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who
591
:by the power that enables him to
bring everything under his control.
592
:Check this out.
593
:We'll transform our lowly bodies so
that we will be like his glorious body.
594
:Let's pray.
595
:Father, we thank you so much for Jesus.
596
:We thank you for the call and
the opportunity, the hope and
597
:the assurance that we have of you
completing your good work in us.
598
:We know that comes through your son Jesus.
599
:We realize these things because of
your son Jesus and him being the
600
:full embodiment of you, the father.
601
:And we thank you for your spirit
that strengthens and enables and
602
:empowers us to put your word into
practice and to be transformed.
603
:And God, we thank you that we have not
only a longing for our character and our
604
:nature to be transformed in this life.
605
:But God, it says in the scripture
that you will transform us
606
:into the resurrected body.
607
:And that we will somehow, some way,
take on the resurrected body of Christ.
608
:For all eternity.
609
:We thank you for your plan, for
your vision for us, for your
610
:faithfulness, for your perseverance,
for your love that is enduring.
611
:And we thank you for Christ's
endurance on the cross and most
612
:of all for his resurrection.
613
:It's in his name.
614
:Amen.
