0:07 For those of you who live in Loveland, you might know that there's a train that goes every night or so in the middle of the night. For those of you in Loveland, how many of you have heard that train? Okay, there's a couple of you [laughter] 0:23 and I've I've been here for a number of years, more about 12 years here now. Even though that train goes every night about 3 to 4 4 in the morning, I've only heard it a couple of times. Usually, if I'm awake at that time, for 0:41 some reason, I may hear that train go by. But in all of these 12 years, most of the times I've not heard it. It's a very loud horn which it plays as it goes through, but I haven't I haven't 0:59 heard it. And as I think about things like that, very loud things that I I I can't even hear it even though it's so loud. It can be the same way with God's word 1:17 as well. Week after week we hear it and God maybe wants to say something to us and just like that train going by every night and I don't know that it even went there like that week after week God's 1:36 word when it's spoken to us can go by pass by. Do you know what one of the ways God describes his word is found in Jeremiah chapter 23? If you turn with me to Jeremiah 23, 1:53 it speaks of how God describes his word. Jeremiah 23 verse 29. Is not my word like fire? Declares the Lord. And like a hammer 2:12 which shatters a rock. Isn't it like fire and a hammer? And I'm not into construction. I don't use the hammer much. But I know that if you hit yourself with this hammer, it's going to sting. It's going to something that you'll remember. 2:32 Usually for me, I I hit my foot against the table and then my toe hurts. But it's something that stings, something that I don't forget that easily. When John heard God's word speak to him in Revelation, it sounded like a 2:52 like thunder. That train sounds like a a thunder as it's going around at in the middle of the night. Right? I can completely be immune to it. People who take immunizations, they won't get the disease that they're 3:09 immune to because they're immune to it. And like that, after hearing God's word over and over again, there's a great danger for us to become immune to it. So that even if it comes out like a hammer 3:28 and so I think about it for for me I've heard God's word for many years and as I think about what is the greatest dangers for me for us one of it is that we can become immune to what God is speaking to us. We've 3:48 heard it. We've heard it and we heard it and it doesn't even disturb us. So, I want to invite each one of us as we're even listening today and every time we listen to God's word, Lord, I don't want it to pass me by. Something 4:06 you're trying to say to me this morning, I want to hear it. It's not for my neighbor. It's not for my relative. Lord, there is something you want to speak to me today and let me hear it. 4:25 And so, as I was thinking about one of those things, the dangers for us, especially if we've been attending church for many years now, is that God's word will not have that same conviction that it did when we first heard it. And so, 4:44 we say, "Lord, I want to fight against it. Lord, I want your word to speak to me. I want it to cut to my heart, convict me so that there's something that changes in my life. It's not the same week after week. And the second 4:58 danger I see is what I want to share on this morning. The danger of pretending to be righteous. A lot of us have been here, and I can speak for myself. I've been here for a long time in through many churches 5:16 and I see the great dangers to be someone on Sunday totally different from the way I am the rest of the week. On Sunday, oh yes, wonderful brother. Somebody were to come in during the week, what would they see? Would they 5:35 see the same brother they saw on Sunday? The same sister they saw on Sunday? the same young person they saw on Sunday. It's a great danger that we all face. And Jesus spoke probably the most strongest words relating to this 5:53 because he also saw the danger in people who came to meetings regularly, read their Bibles regularly and saw this danger. If you were to turn with me to Matthew, Matthew chapter 23. And Jesus is talking 6:11 to the Pharisees here. Probably one of the most strongest words. Matthew chapter 23 verse 27. The word hypocrite usually we don't know 6:31 that word because we don't use it except when we say oh yeah where are the hypocrites they're in church but apart from that usually we don't use that word hypocrite the word hypocrite means actor or someone who pretends and so today I want 6:48 to use the word actor or pretender as I share because I want that to make something that we realize something that we are familiar with. And so here it says Matthew 23 27, "Woe to you or how sad for you scribes and Pharisees, 7:07 hypocrites or pretenders. You're pretending. You're acting for you are like whitewashed tombs." So if you go and and we have a lot of graveyards, it's interesting that church has a more tree on this side and a graveyard on the north. It's almost like 7:24 we're like in between both a morttery and a graveyard. And so we most of us I think may have to pass by one as we come to church. A constant reminder of these wonderful tombstones on the outside. But it says this Jesus used this 7:41 illustration for you are like a you're like a whitewashed tomb which is on the outside appearing beautiful on a Sunday on a Wednesday. But inside are full of dead men's bones 7:58 and all uncleanness. And so this is what Jesus says to a people who went to the synagogue as a religious meeting of the day knew their Bibles were very prompt in praying and all of these things. To these people Jesus said, 8:18 "You're acting. You're pretending. But I know what your life is like the rest of the week. For them, it was on a Saturday that they pretended. For us, it would be on a Sunday we we may pretend. And he said that there you're you're 8:37 you're look really nice on the outside, but in the inside there's death. There's dead man's bones inside, but on the outside you look so beautiful. Verse 28. So you two outwardly appear 8:57 righteous to men, but inside you're full of pretending and acting. When when you're in front of people, you pretend. And lawlessness, sin. 9:17 The other day, uh, some of us were, uh, you know, we were talking about how some people when they preach, they have a different voice than they speak when they're speaking normally. So when they speak normally, they have a certain 9:31 voice, but when they're on the pulpit, they have a different voice. And then when they pray, until they pray, they have a different voice. And then when they pray, they have a a different accent and a different voice when they pray. 9:44 And I say, Lord, I don't want to be like that, Lord. I want to be the same everywhere I am. Whether I'm at work, whether I'm at the church, wherever I am, I don't want my I don't want to pretend, Lord. I want to be the same 9:57 person I am all the time. The people who pretend have this great difficulty like they have to where am I now? Okay, now I have to pretend to be this person now because I'm here. And then if they accidentally forget, then 10:12 they're like, "Oh, oh, I forgot to pretend now I'm really who I am." But the person who who is who they are all the time doesn't have to worry about that because they're just who they are all the time. And God is calling us 10:28 to be those who don't pretend. We are who we are all the time. and progressively as God shows us light on areas that we are uncristlike that God can help us to grow in Christlikkeness. But Jesus spoke all these hard words. 10:46 But I think Lord, why did you speak such hard words about pretending? And because you spoke hard words, so many people were offended and angry with you. They wanted to crucify you because you spoke these hard words. If you just avoided saying these hard 11:05 words to them, they would have treated you so well. But why did Jesus speak those hard words? And I believe that in the midst of all those people who were hearing, many of them were angry with Jesus for speaking those words. But in the midst of it, 11:24 there would be one Nicodemus sitting there who God would touch who was a Pharisee also who repented of that pretending. In the midst of it, there would be a Joseph of Arythea that we repent and turn to the Lord and be his disciple. 11:43 So why does God speak to us too? because his hope is that in the midst of it that there will be I I don't want a few I I want all of us that we would repent and say Lord I don't want to pretend I 11:59 want to be who I am all the time and I wanted to speak about one person in particular who I believe had an opportunity 12:16 to hear everything that Jesus taught firsthand. And I don't believe that the movies and the cartoons have portrayed this person accurately. Usually they portray this person as with a different color robe and a different 12:35 type of look and the way he acts as someone who's always suspicious as someone who's evil from the beginning. But I don't believe so. I believe that he was such a wholehearted disciple that among all the 70 others that wanted 12:54 to be probably one of the 12, he was picked out. Do you know who I'm talking about? Judas's Scariot. I believe he was a tremendously wholehearted 13:11 brother disciple of Jesus when he started off Jesus gave him authority to do miracles to preach his word and among all the disciples among all 12 13:28 of them he was the only one who had a ministry in that fellowship of taking care of the offering. But as he among the 12 was there wholehearted I believe 13:46 there was something that happened somewhere down the line where he started pretending he also heard Matthew 23. He heard about the whitewashed tombs and the bones inside. Yet even after hearing it, even after 14:04 that hammer went, he missed out. He heard about it, but he started pretending. It says there in John chapter 12, if you turn with me to John chapter 12 14:34 verse 3, John 12:3 Mary took then took a pound of costly perfume of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the fragrance of perfume. Verse four, but Judas a scariot, this 14:49 disciple who walked with Jesus for three and a half years, one of his disciples who was intending to betray him, said, "Why was this perfume not sold for 300 dinar and given to the poor people?" Verse six. Now he said this not because 15:07 he was concerned about the poor people but because he was a thief and as he had the money box he used to piller what was put into it. Pilfering is not taking a big amount of money and saying I'm going to take it. That's stealing closer to 15:23 stealing when you take everything or a large portion. Pilfering is you take it where you hope that nobody else will notice it. Oh, I took a few coins from here. I took a few coins from there in the intent that nobody finds out. 15:41 Pretending that he's not doing something when he's actually doing something and getting up this reputation that he cared for the poor. But deep down it says here, "Not because he was concerned about the poor." 16:00 But what was his reputation? What was his testimony in front of everybody else? Judas's chariot. He has the money box and he cares for the poor. He's so large-hearted. For each one of us, brothers and sisters and young people, we have a reputation 16:19 in this church. They come to the church meetings. They're regular in coming to the meetings on Sunday. They read their Bibles. They pray for the church. Reputation. Reputation. Reputation. But how is it really? 16:38 He gave to the poor on the outside but didn't care for them in the inside. He was had the whitewashed tomb on the outside, dead man's bones in the inside. And I see that a person who walked with Jesus having given up everything being 16:55 his disciple was tempted to pretend, tempted to have a life externally after hearing such teaching from Jesus himself. How much more for each one of us to have that same temptation to pretend that we're something that we're not. 17:13 I say, Lord, help me. Lord, shine light on areas where I have a different reputation, a perception or I want to have a reputation or perception in front of others which is not true. 17:37 And the reason I feel that Judas had such a good reputation and that he preserved that reputation so well even though he had such evil going on in the inside betraying the Lord, spilering, all of these things was happening in the inside. All these dead 17:57 men bones. Why did he fool everybody else? All the other 12 disciples. How? It says here on the last supper, if you 18:12 turn with me to John 13 12 21, John 13:21, when Jesus had said this, he became troubled in spirit and testified, said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." 18:29 And then verse 25 leading back on Jesus said to him,"Lord, who is it?" Jesus then answered. So this was a direct question. This was not a a you know a trick answer, a trick question. It was a direct question. The 18:47 disciples asked him, the disciple John asked him, "Who is going to betray you?" And Jesus said, "What does he say? This is the one whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him. So when he took and 19:05 dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas. Who is he going to do it? The one I dipped the morsel to. Okay, I take the bread. Here's the morsel. I put it in his mouth. And then he says the next thing he says and after the morsel enter verse 27 19:25 after the morsel Satan then entered him therefore Jesus said to him what you're going to do do quickly. Verse 28 now no one of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose he had said this to him. Did Jesus answer that corre that that 19:44 question very directly? Yes. And they're saying for some were supposing it says that for what purpose he had said this to him. They didn't know. All these 11 disciples, Jesus answered their question and they're like, I don't 20:04 know why he's going out. Perhaps because he has the money box. Jesus is saying, "Buy something that you're in need of for the feast, or else that he should give something to the poor." Why? 20:21 They had seen Judas's scariot always go and give to the poor. He had built up this reputation that they couldn't see what was happening in the inside. He had covered it up so well. But how did this happen? 20:44 And I this is my personal opinion about what Judas's ministry and everything. I believe that all these apostles saw Judas and the I believe he was probably one of the most gifted apostles. I believe that when he preached, 21:01 many came to know the Lord. I believe that he possibly could have done some of the most tremendous miracles. It's not written here, but based on what the disciples not having a hint, even when Jesus said, "This is the one who's 21:15 betraying. Oh, I wonder why he's going and maybe he's going to give something to the poor." How could you think that unless he had built up such a reputation? They saw his ministry. They saw him with the money giving to the 21:27 poor. His preaching that when Jesus himself said he's going to betray me, they're like, "How could this man who's done so much, preached so much, did so many miracles, how could this man be connected with such thing 21:44 such such evil?" And I see this is a danger, a great danger. If you turn with me to Matthew 26 22:05 again, why was it so difficult to see this deception in this man? Verse 21, Matthew 26:1. As they were eating, he said, "Truly I say to you, one of you is going to betray me." Being deeply 22:24 grieved, each one of them began to say, "Surely not I, Lord. Surely not I, Lord." All 11 of them say that. And then it ends up with Judas. Verse 25. And Judas who was betraying him said, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi." 22:45 He also wanted to join the crowd and say, "Oh, he knew he was going to betray. He got the 30 pieces of silver. He knows that he's betraying the the Lord. Why did he say that? He tried to imitate and pretend like he was everybody else. 23:01 And the other disciples there looking around. Oh, everybody said, "Is it not I?" Who is it? And you can see there's a subtle difference. Everybody else said, "Is it I not Lord?" He said, "Is it I not rabbi?" You can see that lack of respect 23:18 for the Lord that has come. So when there is a sin inside, it also manifests in a lack of respect for God and any authority subtly. And the sad thing is 23:40 when Jesus corrects him saying, "Leave her alone. She has done this for my burial. Immediately, what does Judas Escariat do? He goes to the high priest and say, "What do you want to for me to betray 23:58 Jesus to you?" He gets offended right away. I'm talking about the dangers that I face, we face as those who a man who had been with Jesus. What was the things that he was tempted with? I I say that 24:18 Lord, those are the temptations I need to be careful because I seek to walk with you. I can pretend like I am like everyone else when there's something wrong on the inside. And I think about when Judas got corrected 24:39 and he got offended, what did the devil what would have the devil put in his mind? Remember Jesus when he went up to the mount of transfiguration? He took Peter, James, and John. What about you, 24:55 Judas? Why didn't he take you? Oh, yeah. I remember that. Yeah. Jesus missed me out. He He didn't take me. All of these things. See how he corrected you in front of all all this? Yeah. He corrected me in front 25:13 of everybody else. And this is the danger, brother, sister, young person, when we get corrected. What is our reaction to that correction? Judas was concerned because his reputation, he had built up so much of a reputation. Now, this is a wonderful 25:31 brother, wonderful sister, wonderful young person. Uh-oh, they're going to see what I'm really like. And he got offended. But think about the things that he did not remember. He probably remembered the things that where Jesus didn't take him 25:49 to the mount of transfiguration. But think about the things he didn't remember. What about the time when Jesus among all the 70 people apostles disciples who longed to be his disciple, Judas was one of the one who's picked? 26:03 He forgot that. What about the time when Jesus fed the 5,000 and at the end he got a full basket full of bread? What about that time? What about that time in Mark 6:31 where he says, "I know you've been working really 26:22 hard. Why don't we come get on the boat? We'll go to a secluded place to be by ourselves." There's a beautiful verse in John 3. Judas, what about this time? John 3:22. 26:42 John 3:22. After these things, Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea. And there he was spending time with them and baptizing. He was spending time, Judas. Remember that time when Jesus spent time with you? 27:01 All of that. Forgot all that. How many times Jesus went back and privately explained the parables to Judas? All these things that Jesus did for him, everything out the door and the one thing he remembers is what? That one 27:20 word of correction. Brother, sister, we also live in such a flesh as I say, Lord, I have to be careful. This man also when all those people in John chap John chapter 6 left him because 27:40 they were stumbling and they were offended. Guess what? Judas was not one of them. He stayed back and he said, "Where shall we go?" Peter said on behalf of them, "Where shall we go for you have the words of eternal life?" 27:54 Didn't get offended there. And in Matthew 19, if you turn with me to Matthew 19, and this is why I know that Jesus had hope for Judas, hope for Judas. Verse 27, 28:13 what will there be for us? Verse 28, Jesus said to them, Matthew 19:28, I say to you that who you who have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you shall sit upon how many thrones? 12 28:30 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. He didn't say 11 thrones and Judas, you're not going to get his throne. No, he had 12 thrones because he believed that there was still hope for Judas even till then. There's a throne for you, Judas. 28:48 Just repent. Just turn. Jesus said, "Your whitewashed tombs, but what's inside?" Dead men's bones. There's bones inside. 29:07 And there's one bone here that I I have here. Can you read it out? stealing one bone. I don't know if any of you struggle with that stealing, but I believe Judas did. He had that money bag really close to him and anytime he 29:25 had some desire for something, he said, "Okay, you know what? I have this money bag." How do you think he felt the first time when he stole he pilered from that money bag? How do you think he felt the first time? The very first time he did it, 29:43 I believe he would have been very very convicted that first time. The second time, guess what? A little easier, right? To go and take it. And I think also, you remember what that man in Luke 7 29:59 said, if this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman this woman is who's touching Jesus. That's in Luke chapter 7. And think of it. Jesus is knowing about this, but he doesn't say anything. And 30:17 Judas is scared is getting he's getting away with it the first time, the second time. And he's probably thinking to Jesus's Messiah. He should surely be able to catch this that I'm pilfering. If you turn with me to Ecclesiastics, 30:31 Ecclesiastes verse 8 verse 11. Ecclesiastes chapter 8 vers 11 because of this sentence against the evil deed is not executed quickly. That means soon as he stole the first time he didn't get 30:49 caught. The hearts of the son of man are fully given to evil. Why do they do it boldly? Hey, I didn't get caught the first time. I didn't get caught the second time. Perhaps I'm not going to get caught. Let me do it again. Let me do it again. 31:07 Numbers 32:23. Your sin will always find you out. In Timothy, it says, it says, for some people, their sins go ahead of them to the judgment seat of Christ. For others, guess what? It follows them. And I can imagine going to the judgment 31:27 seat of Christ and they're like going through all their sins and they're like, "Hey, special parcel for you." What? and comes here and hey, there's a couple of sins that you didn't settle right here. It's come back here. Oh, I thought I 31:41 didn't I thought I got away with it. No, no, it's here. Special special delivery. That's in first Timothy. Some people's sins come ahead of them. Some people you can't escape. Either you get it here and judge yourself here and set it right 31:59 here or else it's going to follow us there. I don't know. But it was a small sin. A small bone that was there on the outside looked beautiful but in the inside had this bone. This is a true story of a young 32:18 boy. He was about 10 years old. Grew up and went to the store one day and looked at a toy. He wanted the toy. And if he wanted that toy, what should he have done? 32:35 Probably asked his parents for the toy. But he saw it. He wanted it. He didn't ask for his parents' permission for it. And he decided to do something. Do you know what he decided to do? He decided to steal it. So he took it 32:51 and stole it. Went back home. I'm sure his conscience and his everything was bothering him the first time he did it. looking around here, seeing if anybody saw him. Went back home. Okay, go back again sometime later. Go 33:10 to the store. Guess what he did? Found another toy. Got that. Looked around and put it in his pocket. Went back home. Time after time goes on. Not caught. Not caught. 33:30 One day he's sitting in his room playing with his toys. His mom comes in. His mom comes and sees all these toys in in his room. Asks him, "Son, what are these toys? Where did you get these toys from?" 33:46 What should he have said? I stole it from the store. Guess what he did say? Guess what he said? I went to the I went to the playground and I found them in the playground. What about that toy? 34:06 That too in the playground. What was he telling the truth? No, he's lying. And usually when you start with one lie, guess what happens? In order to cover up that lie, you have to say a another lie. Do you think his mom believed it? 34:29 Said, "What happened?" Son confessed and said, "You know what? I got this. I stole it from the store. Had to take all those toys, go back to the store, apologize to the store clerk, apologize to his parents." Do you think it was easy? 34:50 No. Do you think that young boy ever forgot it? No, that boy didn't know about Jesus. But later on, fortunately, he came to know Jesus. And so, no, not not only did he set the matter right with his with the store, 35:08 with his parents, but also with God as well. He's he set the matter right with God as well. One day, young people, I don't know. I don't know. Older people, I don't know. in the workplace, taking something that doesn't belong to you. Maybe that pillfering, it 35:27 starts off with something small. Oh, yeah. Oh, I went to the store. They gave me this extra. Don't go back to go and say, "Oh, I'm sorry. You gave me this extra. I didn't pay for it. Here's the money." It starts off usually with 35:38 something small. Our conscience may bother us the first time, but if we keep on overriding our conscience, one day we can do something worse and our conscience would not bother us at all. The first time is the time it'll bother 35:54 us. Young people, if there's something in your life that you need to set right, some bone that's there that you need to set right, do it today, young person. God's speaking to you about something that you've stolen. Maybe you borrowed 36:11 something from somebody and you never gave it back. Set the matter right. That's what Judas didn't do. And for us adults, it may not be openly going and stealing. It might be something else we're doing in secret. We 36:30 know that God doesn't approve of it. We know that we're doing it. We know that we're just like stealing is not done when everybody's here. Nobody goes and steals when everybody's looking. They do something which they know they shouldn't 36:43 be doing when nobody's looking. And if you're doing something which you wouldn't do when everybody's looking, you probably know it's something you shouldn't do. And if there is something like that in your life, one of these bones that's there, 37:02 choose to set that matter right today. Set it right. Don't go the way Judas went. I believe God had so much hope for him. Judas, I have so much hope for you. 37:18 Repent. Repent. Turn. So, what does Jesus want to do for us today? I believe he wants us, you know, he said, "Don't hide these dead men's bones behind a beautiful tombstone." 37:38 And there was a beautiful tombstone. I don't know if it was beautiful, but there was a tombstone in front of Ze Z Lazarus, I'm sorry. Lazarus's tomb. If you turn with me to John chapter 11, John chapter 11. What does God want to do for us today? 37:56 Does he want us to go back and have all these dead men's bones covered with a tombstone? I believe this is what the Lord wants for every single one of us. Every single one of us. 38:13 It says that in John chap 11 verse 38. So Jesus again John 11:38. So Jesus again being deeply moved within came to the tomb. Now, it was a cave and 38:31 the stone was lying against it. And Jesus said, "Remove the stone. Remove the stone." Why? Because I don't want you to be hiding in there, these dead men's bones. I want Lazarus, I want you to come out. I don't want that stone to be there. I 38:49 don't want that tombstone to be there. Come out. What did Martha say? Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to him, 'Lord, by this time there will be such a stench, for he's been dead, what's preventing us from opening the 39:06 stone? Lord, there it's going to in the King James it says he he stinkketh. And I say, Lord, what is preventing me from opening this the tombstone and bringing out these dead men's bones and 39:25 setting the matters right coming into this life? Jesus wants he's calling me. He's asking, "Come out. Don't stay there behind that tombstone. Come out. Remove the stone." But Lord, it's going to stink. It's all of this thing that all of this filth is 39:41 going to come out. Is that preventing you, brother, sister, young person? the stench of what you have to deal with to come out. It's worth it. When Jesus says, "Open the stone. Remove the stone and come 39:59 out." We come out. And it says here, verse 40, Jesus said to you, "Did I not say that you will that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" all these dead men bones. Forget about that. See, you're not going to see the 40:18 stench. You're not going to see that. That's preventing you from coming out. Oh, it's going to stink. Oh, no. What's going to happen? What's other people going to say? What's my reputation going to be if I set these matters right? 40:33 If you believe, you'll see the glory. And that's what happened to Lazarus. He didn't come out with stench. That wasn't the message of his life. The message of the life, he was dead and he's now alive. Lazarus's come forth. Verse 43. 40:48 And it says here, verse 44, Jesus said to him, "Unbind him and let him go. Set him free. He's been bound by these dead men's bones. He's been bound in there. Finally, today, he can be set free." 41:07 Jesus wants to remove that stone for us to come out, for him to give us new life. And if we turn to Ezekiel 37, what can God do with dry bones which decide to come out? If you turn with me to Ezekiel, Ezekiel 41:28 chapter 37, I think this is a probably the most beautiful promises for dry bones. And he looks at this valley in in Ezekiel 37, a valley full of dry bones. And he says verse 3, 41:48 Ezekiel 37:3, God said to Ezekiel, "Can these bones live? Can these dry bones, these bones hidden between behind these tombstones, can they live?" And he answers, "Oh Lord God, you know. I don't know, but you do." 42:06 And he says, if you turn with me to verse four again, he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones and say to them, oh dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones, behold, I will call the breath to 42:25 enter you that you may come to life." What a beautiful message for dry bones. If we decide that we're going to open up that tombstone, bring out the dry bones out, God will breathe his spirit and 42:41 bring life just like he did to Lazarus. And it goes on to say verse 9, then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man, say to the breath, thus says the Lord God, come from the four winds, oh breath, and 42:59 breathe on these slain, and they will come to life. Verse 13. Then you will know that I am the Lord when you have opened up your your graves and caused you to come out out of the graves, my people, just like 43:19 he did with Lazarus. when we come out of the graves. Verse 14, this wonderful promise for each one of us. I will put my spirit within you and you will come to life and I will place on your own land. Then you will know I the Lord have spoken and 43:37 done it, declares the Lord. Even today, brother, sister, and young person, I believe this is what he wants for every single one of us. He says that those dry bones became a mighty army. The Lord has called us as a church 43:54 to take down the gates of hell. He's building us into a mighty army. But it starts off with what? Getting the dry bones to come out of the grave. Stop hiding behind that tombstone. When 44:11 Jesus is calling you to say, "Come out. I say Lord, let each one of us, everyone who hears the voice of the son of man will come out of the grave grave, the wicked to the resurrection of the 44:29 wicked, judgment, but the resurrection of the righteous. May we all be found in the resurrection of the righteous. every single one of us. I remember with Peter how different it 44:48 was. Judas got a small correction but Peter get behind me Satan in front of all the disciples. Then few few days later he goes to the trans mount of transfiguration. He says let's build three tents. And the father 45:08 now says, "Listen to my son." Again, a second correction. First correction from Jesus. Few days later, correction from the father. And then a couple of years later from a younger brother named Paul corrects him in front of the 45:25 Galatian church says, "Why are you being a hypocrite, Peter?" You might say, "Oh, I feel sorry for Peter." He constantly gets corrected. He got corrected from Jesus. He got corrected from Paul. He got corrected from the father. 45:43 Do you pity Peter? It might seem difficult for Peter to constantly get corrected. Three of the disciples were falling asleep. Guess who Jesus corrects? He's he says, "Peter, why were you sleeping?" Peter could have said, "Hey, what about 46:00 the other two? They were also sleeping. Why did Jesus correct Peter and not Judas? He found a man that he knew that if he corrected Peter that he would receive it. He won't talk back. He won't justify it. He won't give 46:17 an excuse. He would accept it quietly and repent of it. So I don't feel sorry for Peter that he got corrected. Sometimes it's really hard when you get correction. It's hard. But I see that the reason he endured till the end was because he was able to 46:35 receive correction till the very end. Judas wasn't able to he got corrected many times earlier even till John 6 but somewhere down the line he wasn't able to take it anymore. He couldn't receive correction anymore. 46:54 And for each one of us, young and old, God disciplines those who he loves. And it's a tremendous privilege if we get corrected. And we can receive that correction in humility and say, you know what, let me go back and think about this godly man 47:13 who's correcting me. Let me think about the church and how they've blessed me all these years. This godly man, how he's encouraged me so many times in my walk. Let me not just isolate to that one correction that I receive and get 47:28 forget every all the good the church did, all the good this godly man did and just remember that one correction which was actually for my good. May each one of us hear the words of the Lord. Remove that stone and come forth out of 47:44 that grave today. Young people, please each one of you doesn't matter how it's been till today. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to set matters right, to come out of the grave. Come to the Lord. 48:01 The Lord wants us to give us life to fill us with his holy spirit to change our lives. God's intention is always for our good. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I pray Lord for each one of us. Lord, the temptation to pretend in front of 48:20 others Lord. I pray Lord that you who see our lives Lord. We want to come out just like you called out Lazarus to come out from that grave. We don't want to have a life in front of others that looks good but inside dead men's bones. 48:32 Lord, we want to set matters right. Lord, we want to care for your opinion of our life that you see in secret. Lord, one day all of you're going to call us out, Lord, from the grave. Lord, I pray, Lord, it'll be to the resurrection of the righteous, Lord, 48:46 where we've set matters right. Lord, I pray even today, Lord, that your word will come like a hammer. Your Holy Spirit will convict us, Lord, that we will not be the same anymore. Lord, do what you've done in the past, Lord, in 48:59 bringing repentance us. Bless us with the gift of repentance, Lord, even today. Holy Spirit, convict us, Lord. Let us not go another day, Lord, being immune to your words, Lord, which are speaking to us to bring life. I pray 49:14 for every single one. Fill us, Lord. Fill us, Lord. can't do this life without you Lord only you can breathe the the from the four winds and bring life into our mortal bodies Lord please Lord do this miracle in each of our 49:26 lives in Jesus name amen >> [music]
