Podcasts about 'the kingdom of god

In their 500th episode, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb celebrate a decade of The Reformed Brotherhood by diving into one of Scripture's most overlooked parables — the Parable of the Growing Seed in Mark 4:26–29. Exclusive to Mark's Gospel, this four-verse passage packs a theological punch that is, as Tony and Jesse argue, unmistakably Reformed in its emphasis. The man scatters seed, goes about his life, and the earth produces — by itself — without his understanding or intervention. From this, the hosts draw out rich implications for evangelism, sanctification, ecclesiology, and eschatology. They argue that the kingdom of God advances by divine power alone, hidden from human sight, moving toward a certain consummation. The episode pairs deep theological reflection with the hosts' characteristic warmth, humor, and 10 years' worth of shared history. Key Takeaways Monergism is embedded in the parable itself. The growth of the seed is entirely God's doing. The man scatters and rests; the earth produces by itself — a picture of divine sovereignty that requires no human management or comprehension. The evangelist's only obligation is to scatter. This parable relieves believers of the anxious burden of producing spiritual fruit. Faithfulness in proclamation is the call; growth belongs to God. Sanctification is gradual, hidden, and God's work. The progression — blade, ear, full grain — mirrors the believer's sanctification, which proceeds by degrees imperceptible to the individual yet certain in God's design. The Kingdom of God is not dependent on any individual. Whether it's a ministry leader, a financial contributor, or a worship musician, no single human agent is load-bearing for the advance of God's kingdom. Primary and secondary causation work together without contradiction. God uses means — the farmer still sows, the earth still functions — but the means are instrumental, not efficient causes. God's providence encompasses and exceeds them. The harvest belongs to God, not the evangelist. Just as the man did not direct the growth, he is not the agent ultimately putting in the sickle. The consummation of the kingdom occurs in God's time and by God's initiative. This parable resists reduction. It cannot be flattened into a simple evangelism lesson or a single eschatological statement. It holds together personal sanctification, corporate ecclesiology, and cosmic eschatology within four verses. Key Concepts The Earth Produces By Itself: Monergism in the Parable The theological center of this parable is the Greek word automate — the earth produces "by itself," without external compulsion or human assistance. Tony and Jesse argue this is not incidental language but the thesis of the entire passage. The farmer is genuinely active — he scatters the seed — but his agency recedes almost immediately from view. He doesn't monitor the soil, apply nutrients, or trace the growth. He simply lives his life. This picture coheres precisely with the Reformed doctrine of monergism: that in regeneration and kingdom growth alike, the decisive cause lies entirely outside human capacity. As Jesse puts it, the mechanism of growth "belongs to God alone." The farmer's ignorance is not a failure — it is the point. We are not meant to understand the how; we are meant to trust the Who. Scatter, Then Rest: A Theology of Evangelism Without Anxiety One of the episode's most practically rich applications concerns the posture believers are called to adopt in evangelism. Tony observes that this parable is rarely preached as an encouragement to evangelists, yet that is precisely what it is. The sower's only active verb is scattering. After that, he sleeps and rises — the rhythms of ordinary life — while God does the work that no human strategy, method, or persistence can accomplish. This directly addresses what Tony calls the "anxiety around trying to ensure some sort of production." The Reformed vision of evangelism is not passive indifference but liberated faithfulness: scatter the seed of the gospel without bearing the impossible weight of manufactured outcomes. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:6–7, "Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." Blade, Then Ear, Then Grain: The Patience of Providence The threefold progression Jesus describes — blade, then ear, then full grain — is not decorative agricultural detail. It is a theological statement about the character of God's work in the world and in the soul. Growth is gradual, ordered, and unhurried. Jesse draws the direct application to sanctification: the believer cannot fully trace the work of grace in his own heart, yet it is real and it is God's doing. This ought to produce, as Jesse summarizes, "patient confidence rather than human striving or anxiety." The church, too, matures through stages. Neither impatience with slowness nor despair at imperceptibility is warranted — both misread the nature of divine providence. God is not behind schedule. He is, as always, working through means, in His time, toward a consummation He has already appointed. Memorable Quotes The earth produces by itself — we might even say the kingdom of God produces by itself. It's not dependent on anything except God's sovereign will and his sovereignty to execute all that he desires. - Tony Arsenal The mechanism of growth is strangely hidden from the human agent, and it belongs to God alone. - Jesse Schwamb The kingdom of God advances by God's own hidden power toward a certain appointed consummation — and this ought to produce patient confidence rather than human striving or anxiety. - Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to the 10th Pentacost episode of the [00:01:00] Reformed Brotherhood. It's number 500. I'm Jesse Tony Arsenal: and I'm Tony, and this is the podcast that's been going for 10 years. Hey, brother.  Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. A happy 500th episode to you.  Tony Arsenal: I know, man. It's kinda crazy. It's kinda crazy, and we're not gonna do anything special 'cause we don't do that, but it is crazy that this is the 500th episode. That's a lot of podcasting.  Jesse Schwamb: It's absolutely wild.  Podcast Memories And Mishaps Jesse Schwamb: And as with any milestone, as I was thinking about this one occurring, it did draw my mind to all the crazy things that have happened on this podcast, some known, some unknown. Of course, there is the very infamous time that I spilled a whole bottle of kombucha on the desk while we were recording, but everybody knows about that. But I was, I was also thinking about the, the lesser-known ones, like the time you and I sat in the downstairs church, like so close to each other on the same side of the table- Yeah ... to record a episode, or the time [00:02:00] that a tow truck showed up while we were recording and I had to go run out and direct the tow truck 'cause I'd called it for the car. Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Jesse Schwamb: And you paused the episode so that we could go do that, or the time that we had our favorite Lutherans on the podcast in what I think was, like, the hottest environment, and I just remember the sweat trickling down Chad Bird's beard. Like, like, like air being- Like the oil gloss ... mixed with oil. Yeah. It was so hot. So those are the ones that come to my mind. I don't know if there are any ones that come to you. We- we've had some great episodes, and by the way, they all live out for free in the world on reformedbrotherhood.com. So don't take our word for it. You can go all the way back to the beginning if you really want to, and you can hear this incredible journey that God has had us on these some 10 years. So I'm curious, like, do any episodes, topics, conversations, weird things come to your mind after all this time?  Tony Arsenal: Uh, the one I remember is when we recorded with Dad and we were waiting for the snow, the [00:03:00]snowplow- ... and we had to, like, wrap the episode up real quick because the snowplow was there and we had to go move cars. That's right. So there's been a fair amount of episodes where it's like something has interrupted us and we need to just get it over with real quick. That's right. Um, hopefully the listener doesn't hear that too much.  Patreon Support Check In Tony Arsenal: The other thing I was thinking about, you know, just as we're kinda thinking about the back catalog, we're not great at this. Uh, we tend to do our, what, what's they call the call to action. The experts call it the call to action. We do it at the very end of our podcast episodes, which is the worst place to do it. Uh, but we're gonna try to land it in the beginning here. So we, we've been supported by a number of, of people, uh, for basically the entire podcast. I don't remember exactly how early on it was that we started doing Patreon, but it's, it's been a long time. And what I noticed the other day, I went in to, to check on a couple things and make sure everything was working the way it's supposed to. There was some, like, account merge I had to do, and I've noticed that several people who've been supporting us, um, pretty much since the beginning- have their accounts listed in a declined status. [00:04:00] And what that means is that their, probably their credit card that they use, uh, has expired, and so now they're not, no longer supporting the show even though they think they are. So if you are a person who believes you're supporting the show, particularly if you've been supporting the show for a long time, and you wanna continue to support the show, uh, we would really appreciate if you took a minute to go into your Patreon account, double-check that the, you know, that you've been, um, contributing for the last couple months. Uh, double-check that the credit card you have on file is not, uh, expired or suspended or anything like that. Um, again, if you've made a decision that it's time to stop, uh, stop the show, or if this is the point where you realize, "I don't care enough to re-support to the show," um, that's fine. We love you. We've appreciated your support. We hope you keep listening. Uh, but if you do wanna continue to contribute, please do check that. And if you've never taken a chance to think through whether or not you want to support the show, uh, Jesse and I are so thankful for all the support we have.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  Tony Arsenal: Uh, but things are getting more expensive, and, um, you know, that's, that's [00:05:00] just a reality for all of us, and that includes things like podcasting hosting fees. Um, the cost of our, our editing software that we use has gone up. That's a subscription. Uh, the cost of hosting space has gone up. Um, all of that, uh, all of that has gone up, and so even though we've had steady supporters, it's kinda like we have lost supporters, um, financially because the money doesn't go quite as far. So if you've ever thought, "Maybe I should, uh, maybe I should contribute to the podcast," please do think about it. Even if just, uh, half of our audience went in and contributed $1 a month, um, that would be a substantial amount. That would really help us to keep the podcast going. And there's actually a number of projects and things Jesse have I, and I have wanted to do, um, that we would love to be able to, you know, to take a step on. Uh, we just don't have funding to do it, uh- Right ... because the funding we have is enough to keep the podcast going but not enough to stretch to something else. So I don't wanna, like, preload that too much, 'cause who knows if it's gonna happen, but there's some things that we wanna do [00:06:00] that would involve a little bit of upfront capital that we would need- Right to get some contrib- contributions on. So please do consider that. We appreciate you so much if you've been a supporter. We appreciate you so much if you've even considered it. Uh, and we appreciate you so much just for listening, uh, especially- Yes ... if you've been with us, you know, this is episode 500. That's a lot of podcasting- Yeah, it is ... directly in your ear hole. So thank you so much for that.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, we're so grateful.  Why We Keep Doing This Jesse Schwamb: It's fun just to think how many episodes we recorded, but also how many interesting conversations and topics, all the inside jokes. It really is a community. That's in part why we started this, is to sit down together and to bring other brothers and sisters into the fray, as it were, or maybe to bring us into your fray a little bit and to encourage and edify the church, the brothers and sisters, the saints around the world. And it is an around the world kinda podcast, which is remarkable too. So- Yes ... we're just gonna keep being here. As long as the Lord tarries and He allows us to do this, we'll just keep doing it. And again, we've recorded in closets, in cars on the way to things. We've done it at [00:07:00] the beach, and we've done it in cold environs, and we've done it in hot environs. And you're right, you reminded me of that time where we were desperately waiting as we were getting snowed in for the plow to come. And then it was all hands on deck, and we just dropped the recording equipment and said, "We gotta get out of here." And more often than not, the p- joy of this podcast is it just kinda finds its way into our normal rhythm of life. But it- Yeah ... comes out of our life, and out of a life that's been transformed by Christ. And so that's really what we come back to.  Mark Only Parable Preview Jesse Schwamb: In fact, that's the whole thing that we're in right now. We're going through all these parables. And this episode, we can't stop, won't stop. We're gonna continue to hit you with the content that we love, which is talking about Jesus. And so we're in one of the few... Well, it's a Markan parable that only appears in Mark. That's why I called it Markan, I guess. So extra bonus points to you, that's both extra and bonus, if you know which one it is before I say it. But there's a lot for us to talk about- ... because we're getting into this really, really short little story, but it's really chock-full, of course, as Jesus likes to do with all [00:08:00] kinds of spiritual truth. It's about a farmer chucking a seed on the ground, and then he goes about his business. He eats, he sleeps, he binge-watches the Jane equivalent of Netflix. He sleeps again, he wakes up. And while he does this, the seed is doing entirely its own thing without his help or understanding. He didn't make it grow. He can't explain how it grows. He just shows up at the end with a sickle to collect what God has already finished. Man, if there isn't a Reformed theological parable, I don't know what one is. Yeah. So we're gonna get to all of that on this 500th episode. I mean, it's something to be saying that even the US is only 250 years old, and- we've already recorded twice as many podcasts as there are years of experience in the US. But besides all of that, it wouldn't be- It's like- ... Reformed Brotherhood-  Tony Arsenal: I don't know if you've seen this. That reminds me of those things online where it's like, like, "Elon Musk is a billi- is a trillionaire. That means he could give every person on earth $1 billion- Oh, yeah and still would be a multi-billionaire." And you're like, "That's, that's not mathematically true." 'Cause when [00:09:00]you said that, I was like, "You mean the podcast is older than the country?"  Jesse Schwamb: Oh, math. I have a feeling we're gonna come back to that. Oh, math.  Tony Arsenal: Oh, math.  Affirm Or Deny Segment Jesse Schwamb: Now, of course, if you listen for any length of time, you know it wouldn't be an episode if we didn't have a time of affirming with or denying against. Of course, that is that time where we pick something that we like, we think everybody should be a part of, that we wanna recommend, and we affirm with it. Or on the opposite, instead we say, "We deny against this thing because it's just no good." So Tony, on this 500th episode, I'm just gonna keep saying it over and over again, so lest the listeners forget, what are you affirming with or denying against? Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Scammer Payback Recommendation Tony Arsenal: I'm affirming, um, a little YouTube channel that I found. Uh, it takes a little bit of setup to explain it, but the, the channel is called Scammer Payback. Ooh. Um, and it's, it's a... I think most people have probably seen, like, the Gene Fieith- Gene Veith, um, like, where he, he gets a, some sort of scammer on the phone, and he sorta just, like, [00:10:00] trolls them and makes, kinda makes them sound dumb and, you know, pretends to play along just to see how long he can keep them on the phone. Those are really funny. These are funny, but they're on a whole different level of seriousness, which is a weird sentence. Um, basically what this is is a group of professional hackers, um, and there's, this is a serious kinda sting operation they have going. They don't use their real names on the channel. Um, there's one, there's one, um, where they interview, like, a social, um, a social engineer whose job is to... Her- she is a person who basically, uh, does social hacking, and she helps companies who, who their security people think, like, their executives are, um, susceptible to social engineering, social hacking. She'll actually call and, like, mess around with the CEOs and socially hack them. Um, they interviewed her, and the first thing she said when she sat down was the person she was talking to's first name, and the guy was just stunned. He's like, "I- we- we've never used my first name on the channel before." So they're very serious, and what they do is they identify [00:11:00] a scam or a g- usually a group of scammers, and they'll actually hack into and infiltrate the computer systems that they're using. And so they show you everything that they're doing. Um, they're, they're explaining the scam and how it's run. Um, and a lot of times they're actually actively intervening in, uh, in a scam, trying to stop a scam that's in progress because somebody is about to lose a lot of money. I mean, I think one of the things that's important about this is our audience, you know, mostly, mostly guys probably, like, age, I don't know, late 20s, early 30s, maybe early 40s, we kind of grew up and lived, lived in a world most of our adult lives or all of our adult lives where, like, fishing schemes and other kinds of, like, um, data s- data theft, like, that was just in the air. It was just normal. So we're... It's not like we're immune to it, but we're used to it, and we're ready for it, and we're looking for it. That means that most of us have parents that are in a generation who are particularly susceptible to this. [00:12:00] So I think it would be worth, worth people's time to take a look at this, uh, just as a educational piece, and then, yes, share it with your family members who are in this era. People get taken for a ton of money. Yeah. The reason that these older generation sort of bu- builder Boomer generations are targeted is not just because they're somewhat soft targets, but they also have the money. Um, most of, most of the wealth in our country is possessed by people in that generation. It's just an economic fact in a lot of places and a lot of areas, and so that's why they're targeted. So take a little bit of time, watch the show. It's... And it's entertaining. It's really well produced. It's funny. These are non-Christians, you know, who are, are being non-Christian, so there's a fair amount of salty language, especially when they're interacting directly with the scammers that they absolutely hate. Um, but it's, it's worth watching. And, and it... I think it'll... I think it's entertaining. Most of the time it's like a 15-minute video, so it's not too much of your time. Pop that on two times [00:13:00] speed on YouTube and, and you're all set.  Jesse Schwamb: And when you say salty you're not talking about Salty the Singing Songbook, right? Tony Arsenal: Correct. Yeah. Not P-S-A-L-T-Y. S-A-L-T-Y.  Jesse Schwamb: Just in case. I wouldn't want any of the loved ones to go and just be waiting for Salty to show up, like, in the mid- Which would be kind of epic in the midst of this, like, scamming shutdown, the sting operation. Like, Salty s- pops up and starts singing about restorative justice and- Yeah what it means that God restores all things. I mean, that would have a good place in this, but I just want that just to be clear. We don't, we don't want anybody to, to at us on that.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, for sure. Well, Jesse, what are you affirming or denying tonight?  Jesse Loves Algebra Jesse Schwamb: I'm going to return to that beautiful intro you gave about mathematics and the whole Elon Musk thing. And so my affirmation is simply, like, just do... Just enjoy all the math you can. Use all the math that you know. So my wife and I were watching some kind of program on YouTube, and it was a program in which there are a couple [00:14:00]people competing in this kind of escape room situation, and as escape rooms are want to do, there came some kind of small math problem. And it goes something like this, is the best I can remember it. It was what number between one and nine when it is tripled and five is added to it is the same as that number being doubled and having one added to it? Now, as soon as that problem was read, we were watching intently, and I turned to my wife and I said, "Why do they need to say it's between, like, one and nine?" And she goes, "Well, how else would they know what the number was?" And I was like, "Well, like, this is a beautiful little algebra thing, like se- series of equations. Like, you have two equations here." And she's like... Just gave me a blank look. So I was like, "Oh, man." So she's like, "Okay. Do it then. Do it." So I was like, "Give me a piece of paper." So I, I was just like, this is gonna be such a beautiful thing. So I was like, "All this is, is, like, it's basically 3x minus five equals 2x plus one. You're solving for whatever this missing number is, and they've given you this beautiful setup, [00:15:00] which you rarely get in real life, but this beautiful setup is a system of equations. We have two things you know are gonna turn out to be the same. They've just been said in different ways, and that allows you enough space to figure out how to solve for them using a little bit of algebra." So I realized then this is why they said between one and nine, because the contestants then proceeded just to iteratively pick numbers until they found the answer, which is not a bad way. Like, that's a way to use, like, all the math you have. Certainly, that's a way. But I showed her how it was like, this is the answer, six, and you don't even need to know where to start because you don't need to start anywhere. You can actually figure this out. Still not really impressed. And then she said something to me that just, like, kind of rocked my world. I said, like, "Well, I'm sure this is familiar to, with, to you." And she's like, "Oh, yeah. Like, I learned algebra." And she goes, "Yeah, I, I know algebra. I just don't do it anymore. I just don't use it anymore." And I was like What, what I heard was, like, basically her saying to me, "I used to brush my teeth, but I just don't do it [00:16:00] anymore." 'Cause I was like, "This is such a beautiful thing." So then I got it in my head, well, well here's the problem. It's just a matter of seeing the results. So I was like, "Well, here's the amazing thing is yes, these are abstract concepts. Yes, it's like each of those is a function. It's, it's a representation of what he just said in the problem. But," and this is my grave mistake, Tony. But I was like, "Really, Descartes showed us that we can think about these not as abstractions, but we can plot them geometrically as lines on a Cartesian plane." And so I was like, "Really we can show that these are two lines and they have a relationship together." And then I was like, "Guess where they intersect? Guess where they intersect?" And she's like, "I w- that's impossible to even know. I have no idea where they intersect." I was like, "No, no. Just, just based on what we're saying, the beauty of this is they have a relationship. They're gonna come together at some point, like you and I in life. They're gonna, they're gonna come together. Guess where that would be?" And she's like, "That would be impossible to know." And I was like, "It's not, actually." So I showed her that, you know, left and right, up and down, X and Y, however you wanna speak [00:17:00] about it, those two lines are gonna intersect, at least on the X. The X spot is gonna be the number six. It's the same thing. Still nothing. So after all of that, I just appreciate my wife is such a brilliant lady, that she just doesn't need algebra. She goes through life just, like, crushing problems without... Like, because she'd like to do it, I think, just the, the more challenging, difficult, iterative way. And, uh, she doesn't use algebra anymore. Just no need for it. So in many ways I respect that. In other ways, again, the affirmation is like, use all the math you have available to you because it's a beautiful thing. I think basically at the end of that I ended up in, like, a very supreme place of doxology, and my wife was like, "Can we just go back to watching TV now?" So but I, I have to say, like, and I, I know you, you share my appreciation for math and stuff like this. Like, it's not even just puzzles. It's just the beauty that, like, we can do this, and that there's such a created order, like a supremely created order, that these rules of ma- mathematics aren't just impounded. They're like the fabric in which God has, [00:18:00] has basically woven all of reality such that we can do this kind of thing, and that even a simple problem in escape room can lead us to appreciate how intensely ordered and beautiful the world is, that we can go after knowledge and solve for explicit things that seem abstract beyond our comprehension and reason to begin with, but have been brought to a place we might understand them. That is, like, an insanely glorious thing to me. So algebra is great, loved ones. I've recommended before, but the side affirmation is go to Khan Academy if you wanna brush up on your algebra skills. I think algebra is, like, some of the most beautiful and intensely practical math ever. I love calculus, but calculus you don't get a lot of, like, use. You can use algebra to solve all kinds of things, whether it's like tips or... Like, it's gonna save you so much time. If you're ever in escape room, I'm just telling you, do not do this iteratively. Just get the, your system of equations down, and you will be, like, tearing out of that room, and then you'll look like a hero. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  Math In Everyday Life Tony Arsenal: I mean, I think, like, even the f- even the, the... How do I wanna say this delicately? Uh, [00:19:00] even the idea that we, quote, "don't use algebra" means people don't actually understand that we're using algebra all the  Jesse Schwamb: time.  Tony Arsenal: Exactly. Right. Like, I could buy I don't use calculus or I don't use trigonometry- Right or even I don't use geometry. Um, but to say I don't use algebra, like just basic. I mean, I know like basic equations are, I guess, technically arithmetic, but like how many times does someone have to, have to go, "All right, the tip, the, the bill is X number of dollars. The bill is-" Right ..."$100, and I wanna give a 15% tip, so what's the outcome?" Like, that's an algebraic equation, right? That's right. Um, or a more, I think a more common one would be like, "All right, the bill is this amount. I want my, uh, my final amount that I give billed to me to be an even number."  Jesse Schwamb: Right. " Tony Arsenal: And I also want to give at least 15%, 20%, whatever percent, so what's the number I need to use in order to get to a bill that is, or a [00:20:00] tip that is both 15% or higher and results..." Like, all of those things are algebraic equations.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  Tony Arsenal: So I think, yeah. I mean, even like, "I need to get to work by such and such a time. What time do I need to leave?" Right. "I know it takes-" Exactly. "... a certain amount of time." Right. So I think we, we all use algebra a lot more than we, we probably realize, and I think you're right. Like, when people say, "Well, I don't use my math anymore," what they're saying is like, "I don't use, I don't use the stuff that I had to show my work on anymore." Right. "I don't use the stuff that I have to do on paper anymore." But, um, it's funny, we had a, a conversation, by the way, Reformed Tele- Reformed Brotherhood Telegram chat is a thing. Uh, we had a conversation in the Reformed Brotherhood Telegram chat a little while ago. One of our members was trying to figure out some sort of, like- And it was a problem having to do with like a, an air conditioning throttle or whatever it's called. Some sort of like programming in an air conditioner. And we went through it, we figured out that one of the like relatively complex parts of the equation that he was trying to figure out actually no matter what values you [00:21:00] put in, uh, equated to one. And then the other one was like it was ti- and then it was times one. So it was like whatever you put in ended up to that times one was the rest of the equation. It was like a huge, or like a relatively large equation that resolved down to one. So it was like you're trying to figure out all this complicated math and really like that entire, uh, that entire complicated equation was doing nothing in the rest of the equation. Nice. It was doing absolutely nothing. Um, so we were able to sort of like figure out, all right, well now all we need to do is figure out what, what this relationship does. Right. Um, and even something like in that particular situation, there were some values that the equation couldn't possibly balance. Which again, you could plot that on a graph and see like there's a spot... I don't, I'm, I'm making this up, but I think this is probably not wrong. There's a spot where it's like this is a parabolic equation, and so at some point the parable, or the par- parable, I didn't even mean to do that. There we go. At some point the [00:22:00] parabola goes back up, and so like there is no point- Right ... when it reaches this number. So values that would be in that, in that zone or in that range- Right ... they, they don't work in the equation. So yeah, I think math, uh, algebra is, uh, you know, basic arithmetic obviously is, is relatively straightforward. Algebra's probably the most simple, uh, form of math that your average person uses on a regular basis.  Jesse Schwamb: For sure.  Trigonometry And Design Tony Arsenal: But it's funny, I remember the first time, um, the very first time that I realized trigonometry was not just some abstract thing that we would never use. And it's so funny, 'cause it's like the nerdiest, the nerdiest example. I was playing a tabletop RPG with my friends, we were in high school, and we were, we were learning trigonometry at the time. I was playing a tabletop RPG, and we were trying to figure out- Um, it was a, it was like a futuristic tabletop RPG, so we were using like, like laser guns or something like that that have a certain range. And we were trying to figure out if the thing that was flying in the air from us was within range or not.  Jesse Schwamb: Nice.  Tony Arsenal: And what we realized [00:23:00] is that's just a quadratic equation, right? Right, it is. I just need to calculate. I know how far away it is from me in a straight line, I know how high in the air it is, so I need to just- Right now I need to... Or not, not the quadratic. That's Pythagoras' theorem, right? Yep. I need to calculate the Pythag- or the, um, the hypotenuse.  Jesse Schwamb: I'm with you. I  Tony Arsenal: knew where you were going. Yeah. So, like, I remember distinctly, I, I mean, I remember where I was sitting in my friend's basement going, "Oh, my goodness, trigonometry actually has a practical application here." Um, you know, whether that's figuring out how much rope I need to be able to, to attach to a tree and still be able... Like, all of these different things ultimately are math, and, or as the, the Brits say, are maths. And, uh, the, it, it's just a beautiful thing. And I think you're right, like, this is evidence that the universe has a structure- And a designer because- Right you can describe the universe using this- Nice ... sort of universal numerical language that, um, in, for the most part, describes everything we can [00:24:00] see. I mean, obviously, like, they're still learning things. They're still figuring things out. But what we can see with our senses, we can also describe with math on some level. Even something like the colors that we see can be reduced to a, a number, a frequency, a wavelength. So yeah, I'm with you. Use your algebra. Find ways to use it.  Jesse Schwamb: Use it. It's the... I like what you said, that we're using it. We just don't realize it. There's a spiritual lesson in there, I think, as well, that it's, it's present all around us, and it's... I like what you said. It's, like, the, the most, like, grabbable. It's the thing that's pretty easy to grasp, yet has, like, some beautiful outworkings that are super complex. All the time I love to, like, mess with people, even people who are, like, say, like, "Oh, I'm not into math." I'm like, "That's okay." Like, it's... You're, you're living in a mathematical world, and you're certainly using it, but that, that's okay.  Imaginary Numbers Wonder Jesse Schwamb: But like, sometimes I'll just say to somebody, like, "How do you know, like actually know that, like a negative number times a negative number is a positive number?" Like, who came up with that, and how do you know? And why are we just trusting him? Why can't somebody just say, "You know what? For me, it's not. I'm gonna make that a [00:25:00] negative number"? And w- the reason is because algebra provides... There's a lot of proofs, but algebra provides the most simple, beautiful proof. And then once you, once you basically contravene that law, like, everything falls apart. I- it's... And the question we should be asking is why does everything fall apart if we contravene one simple law, wh- which is two negative numbers multiplied, the product of them has to be, must be, is always a positive number. And that's, like, not even getting into, like, the more crazy things. Like, everybody should go look up, like, what imaginary numbers are. That will kind of mess with your mind, but then we found ways to use imaginary numbers, which are exactly what they sound like- Yeah ... to solve, like, incredible problems. Where does that come from? It comes from the Lord. It comes from God's, like, creative ability that He's placed in mankind to go after and to take a dominion over the knowledge and the creative order in such a complex and creative way. It mimics and mirrors the creativity of our Heavenly Father, and it is altogether beautiful. So on this- Yeah ... 500 episode that has a lot of numbers associated with it, I [00:26:00] say go love the numbers. Go enjoy them. Wherever you are in life, whatever your enjoyment of math is, big or small, go try to find some way to enjoy it today. Tony Arsenal: Can I, can I throw in a, a weird relevant sub-affirmation to your affirmation? I  Jesse Schwamb: mean, please.  Tony Arsenal: This is our show, so I'll do what I want to. You can do what you want. First, when you say we live in a mathematical world, all I could think of was some Perry song of Material Girl. Material  Jesse Schwamb: World?  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Odd Squad Math Tony Arsenal: I am a mathematical boy, and I live in a ma- Anyway, um, there is a show that I watch with August, my son, who is almost five. Uh, he'll be five in March. And, um, it's called Odd Squad. And what Odd Squad is, is it's a sort of a s- like a spy-themed kids show with a touch of like, uh, almost like Twilight Zone. Like, there's so- It's they manage odd. Like, they're the Odd Squad because they, they respond to odd emergencies, so it's a lot of like weird monsters and aliens and like time travel paradoxes and strange stuff. But the answer [00:27:00] to the problem is always related somehow to a math principle. So they will talk about how like multiplication is just addition like many times over.  Jesse Schwamb: Sure.  Tony Arsenal: And that's actually why multiplying a negative number times a negative number is a positive number or, you know, like, or multiplying by a negative number is a negative number, right? And that's because like really what you're doing if you multiply two, uh, two times negative three is you're subjecting, you're subtracting two from two from two, which gives you, you know- Right ... a negative number. So it's, it's not, uh, it, it's for kids, but I actually have realized that I understand math better- because of watching the show.  Jesse Schwamb: I  Tony Arsenal: love it. And it's because they break it down in, you know, the, the audience- Yes ... the target audience is a little bit older than August. I think the target audience is probably like six to seven, maybe eight years old. Um, and so they're talking about math principles geared towards those groups. But they'll talk about things like [00:28:00] using a number line to be able to understand math, and so like visualizing it. Or they'll talk about how multiplication is really just groups of things. So yeah, check it out.  Why Math Matters Tony Arsenal: And again- Algebra is probably the most, uh, easy to grab of the disciplines, but that's because that's the one we are using every day all the time. Tony Arsenal: And we don't realize it. But again, like, calculus is a beautiful, a beautiful thing. Um, and there are some amazing things that exist in the world that can really only be understood and described in a certain sense by something like calculus or trigonometry. Um, my favorite, I, I wish I had, like, kept it up, but one of my favorites is geometry 'cause I think a lot of it is, that's, like, the closest to puzzles. Yes. Um, uh, so, like, I, I used to love doing proofs and axioms and stuff. So, and then of course logic is technically related to math. It's a related discipline to math- It is ... in that it, it's, it's actually, like, the language that underlies a lot of the mathematics is [00:29:00] logical formulas. So it's all relevant. It's all beautiful. It all describes God's creation, and it all redounds to His glory.  Jesse Schwamb: You got that right.  Mark Growing Seed Jesse Schwamb: And speaking of both His creation and His glory, and Jesus teaching of both of those things, we are, as we promised, hanging out in the Book of Mark, and we've got just four sentences. And what I love about this parable that we're about to read is it fits in so perfectly with something I think you and I have been saying from the very beginning, which is it's tempting when we think about the parables to consider, like, a single element or to distill them down to, like, a single word and say, "We hear the kingdom of God is this thing, this noun, this object, this person." But instead, the case we've been making is it's actually generally a series of verbs, or in this case, it's the whole four verses that Jesus is gonna give to us here. So let me just read Mark 4:26-29. That's all it is, loved ones. And it's a good thing because we're already knee-deep into this 500th episode. So this goes by various names. I've heard it called, [00:30:00] like, the Parable of the Growing Seed, or sometimes people call it, like, the Parable of the, The Secret Seed. I'm not sure that's really secret, but I suppose the increase is secret in a way, and that's really what Jesus is communicating to us in these verses. So Mark 4:26: "And Jesus was saying, 'The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil, and he sleeps and he rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, how he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself, first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle because the harvest has come.'" Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, this is, um, an interesting parable, and I'll be the first to admit, like, when you said, "Well, why don't we do the king- the parable of the growth next?" I was like, "I don't actually know what Jesse's talking about." So if you're in the same boat as I am and [00:31:00] you, uh, you are like, "Wait, there's the... This is a parable? Like, this exists in the Bible?" Um, you're not alone, and I think part of the reason is that, one, it's so short, but it also sort of, like, connects into the next parable thematically. I don't know necessarily- Hmm ... about the content and the meaning, but thematically it sort of blends into the next parable, which is the parab- Mark's version of, um, of the parable of the mustard seed. So it's, it's hard to delineate unless you're really thinking about it, but I'm glad that we're talking about it because I think this is probably one of those parables that doesn't get a lot of attention because it's so short and because it is, um, it is sort of thematically in a spot where I think it does sort of, I don't know, like seep into the next- Right parable.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, there's a tendency because you're right, it's sandwiched between the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Mustard Seed, both of which we've talked about from Matthew's perspective, that it seems like maybe the theme is redundant, but [00:32:00] it is altogether different with the emphasis. Uh, there, it's true I guess that all three of these parables are addressing that same underlying question the disciples in the early church were asking, which is, if Jesus truly inaugurates the Kingdom of God, then why does it seem so impressive? Why is it so slow or hidden in contrast to all the expectations that the Jews had for what they thought would be this dramatic, immediately visible rain? And so I like that there is a lot said within four verses. And again, from our perspective, this thing seems so distinctly reformed in its under- Yeah of course the whole Bible is that way, but maybe nothing more so than this, especially because we'll get to it, but the center of this parable being, and there's various translations, that this guy doesn't even know. He doesn't understand. He's totally ignorant to what is going on, and isn't that... I, I mean, I can only speak for my own test- that's the story of my life, uh, spiritually and otherwise. That again, if you wanna talk about God doing all the verbs, I guess Mark had it first. I thought maybe I coined that, but [00:33:00] turns out that Mark, well, actually Jesus, the Son of God himself, says it best here. So let, let's get into this because the beautiful thing is you and I can handle theoretically in the time allotted here, like three or four verses. That, that's theoretically possible for us to do, but we, we're only gonna h- see how far it goes. Um-  Tony Arsenal: Yeah ...  Hidden Kingdom Growth Jesse Schwamb: I think the first thing to say here is that we get that beautiful characteristic, like formula, like the controlling paradigm. It's that Kingdom of God again. And a- as I kinda set up, it's the Kingdom of God, though, launched into a bunch of, uh, verbs. Uh, this idea of like him casting, and then him sleeping, and then him waiting, and then him getting up, and then the growth happens, and then he comes again at the end, this character, this farmer, into kind of the consummation of that kingdom. And I think there's a lot here that's maybe to explain that tension. The kingdom is real and active. It's irresistibly moving towards some kind of fixed end, but it does not appear in its final glory, and that is something you kind of get with the other two parables. [00:34:00] But here it's just like so lovely. It's right in front of you. That, that's like the whole emphasis and thrust of what Jesus seems to be saying in this. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and I think this one's interesting because, you know, generally in the parables, at least in, in... I, I would have to do a little bit more study to know if this is, like, distinctly Markan or whatnot. But in the, the, um, Matthew's parables, um, or Christ's parables reported in Matthew, um, primarily the main figure of the parable is, uh, is generally is God or, or more specifically is often Jesus himself. Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Right? But in this parable, it wouldn't make sense for us to say that somehow g- you know, God or Jesus scatters seed, and then He doesn't know that it sprouts. Right. Right? So, so the, the parable implies that the one scattering seed, and again, we don't wanna over-interpret parables. Generally speaking, parables are teaching kind of a principle of some sort, a comparison of some sort, not, it's not an allegory. [00:35:00] In, in most cases it's not an allegory where each element has a direct representation of some sort. But it wouldn't make sense for this to be talking about God's perspective on scattering or Christ's perspective on scattering, 'cause obviously God and Jesus, even, even if we're talking about Jesus according to His humanity, um, has some sort of awareness of the workings of the Kingdom of God that is not the ignorance that the parable here seems- Right to present of the one scattering.  Scatter Then Rest Tony Arsenal: So I, I really do think this parable has more to say to us about- Our own perspectives on evangelism and on how the Kingdom of God will propagate. And I think, um, both in terms of, like, evangelism, there's an element here, an encouraging element of, you know, all your s- your job... And what's really funny is I, I don't recall this parable being used in my experience to sort of [00:36:00] encourage people that all, your own, your job is just to scatter. You don't need to worry about the growth. Mm-hmm. There's a, there's a passage in Paul about one person scatters, one person waters, and God brings the growth that is often used to sort of say, like, it's not your responsibility to make sure that the, the, the, um, the bud is, you know, c- comes to flowering and to fruiting. It's just your job to be faithful to scatter or to water or whatever step it's on. This, I think, has even more encouragement for us in that the one who scatters, um, i- is obviously God, but there's also this element that, like, we're scattering. The one scattering is not omniscient. But the one scattering, uh, he doesn't even know how or why or even that, I think, that the, um, that the f- the growth is occurring, and that's the most- Right remarkable part of this. Like, we're not talking about a normal farmer who is aware of how growth [00:37:00] occurs, is aware of the timing. He's constantly checking. He's making sure that he's checking the soil, that he's applying manure, that he's watering the crops. This is literally like some dude who just throws seed out, and then, then just goes back to his daily business of sleeping and rising and going about his day. And then all of the sudden, the earth, quote, "by itself produces." And I think that's the real key here is- There's something about the Kingdom of God and the seed that the Kingdom of God scatters. It's almost like the Kingdom of God itself is the one scattering here.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Yep. The Kingdom of God and the seed that is scattered in and as a result of the Kingdom of God, it produces the outcome autonomously. It doesn't require us to input into it, at least in the context of this parable. Now, again, the Parable of the Talents would be very clear to us that we can't just rest on our loyals- laurels. God expects us to work and to be fruitful for the kingdom. [00:38:00] But there is this element here of, like, you are not the one responsible for the production of the seed and the fruiting and flowering of the seed. In fact, you're not even responsible for being aware that it occurs or how it occurs. Your only responsibility, the only active verb in this whole thing is... Well, there's a couple. The, the, the main active verb is the scattering. The other active verb is the sleeping. So, like- Right ... we, we scatter, and then we, we rest and we trust that God is going to do His work. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Even on the face, there's so much in this that does seem mysterious. Like, if you just take this parable and think about the act of agriculture, and I sometimes think about this because I do love plants, and we have a bunch of plants in our house, and I'm horrible at trying to get them to grow. And I think about what still a mystery it is. With all we know about science, just that you can still plant something, a seed, and water it, and the sugars will break down, and the seed will take root, and that something will grow and flower, and you think, "Oh, who is doing that?" And, and w- [00:39:00] I think we'll get into this, the first and second principles, first and second causes here, which are, I think, certainly something that Christ intends for us to consider here. But there is this idea that the man's action is simple and passive relative to what follows. He, like you said, just scatters the seed. And he's a real agent, but as the parable unfolds, it's almost like his entire agency recedes entirely from view. And that's what kind of sets for me, like this whole trajectory of the parable. It's that the mechanism of growth is strangely hidden from the human agent, and it belongs to God alone. And so you already stole it from me, but I'm gonna read 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, which is, coheres directly with what's happening, I think, in this parable. And this reads, or Paul writes, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." And so there is like an extension, I think, of that application inward though as well. Kind of like when you were speaking about that, what occurred to me is that we see in the [00:40:00] farmer's like day and night unawareness, this picture, I think, of this often gradual, imperceptible work of grace in our own hearts, in every believer's heart. Like that, that sanctification process, it proceeds by these degrees, and the Christian cannot fully trace even in himself, yet it is definitely real, and it's definitely God's doing. And then I think as well we might pull out a thread of this, you know, ecclesiological truth. You know, the church's growth is God's work, not the fruit of human strategy. And then by application even further into that, it's based upon a soteriological one, which is like the ordo salutis, which is maybe half of every episode we've recorded talks about the ordo salutis in some ways. That too is unfolding by this divine power, and it's hidden from the creature's full comprehension, and that's consistent in this parable and in all of Scripture, that this regeneration precedes and produces faith rather than the reverse. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and I, I think too there's also an element in this passage, you know, when you think about... Uh, [00:41:00] I'm not a farmer, uh, and I, I don't know that many farmers, but when you think about how f- how modern farming works, it's very different than, uh, ancient farming, right? Historically, ancient farming was, uh, I think probably a lot of just trusting the world to do what the world does and, and trusting God to do what, what God does. A- and I think that's probably why a lot of like- When you look at, um, pagan religion, the, the fertility cults and the sort of goddesses and gods of the harvest were all related because there was this mystery to it. And so the reason that there's so much, uh, cultic worship around fertility and harvest is because it is so mysterious, and you just kinda have to, like, trust that it's gonna happen. Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Right? You sow your seed in, you sow the seed of your field in, you know, the fall, uh, and, or in the, the, you know, the summer, and then you wait several [00:42:00] months and just hope that the crop comes in. And our modern agricultural world is not all that different. We have better tools and we can measure things that, like the soil, the nutrients in the soil. We can, you know, we can do all sorts of different imaging to see of what's happening underground. But at the end of the day, even with all of the advances we have, the farmer still can't make the crop come in.  Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  Tony Arsenal: Either the crop comes in or it doesn't. And I, I think there's this element of trust here that I think is really useful for us. And again, I think you're right. This is like, uh, it feels almost wrong to say it this way, but it's like this is a super distinctively Reformed parable. Like, of all, all of the parables in the, the Gospels, this one is like, on the face of it, a Calvinist parable. Yeah. Exactly. Like, it's like God just grows the kingdom- Yes and nobody does anything about it.  Jesse Schwamb: Amen.  Tony Arsenal: And I don't need to go into more details than that. But there is this element for us, I think, as, uh, as those [00:43:00] who want to share the gospel, there can be an anxiety around trying to ensure some sort of production, some sort of produce, uh, and productivity from that, that is just not healthy. And I think, you know, we, we have a responsibility as Christians, um, to be faithful and diligent in doing what God has called us to do. But if, if we read this parable as the one who scatters is sort of like the evangelist, then the only responsibility we have as evangelists, and all of us are evangelists, right, lowercase E evangelists, um, all of us, the only responsibility we have is to scatter the seed of the gospel. Jesse Schwamb: That's  Tony Arsenal: right. And we're not responsible for the growth. We're not responsible for even really understanding how growth happens, uh, or even, even doing much about it until it's time to harvest that growth. And I think that's, we need to talk about what that means too, because again, like [00:44:00] this is a parable that I think is maybe not as, as clean and clear as some of the, uh, Methanian parables where it really does seem like there's a pretty clear symbolic representation on some things. This one feels like it's maybe a little muddier in that, um, the main character and the role of the s- the one who's scattering seems to sort of almost shift throughout the parable, which is crazy to say because it's only like four verses long.  Tony Arsenal: But it, it does seem like at some points the scatterer is God, at other points it can't be God, and then it seems like, well, who's harvesting? It's not really us, so it's gotta be God. So I think it's, it's important for us to hold this parable as more of a general principle about the Kingdom of God than it is about any sort of like really direct one-to-one teaching on the, on the Kingdom of God.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. That's a interesting distinction.  Providence And Causes Jesse Schwamb: Here's what I would say about that, I think, is let's equate this to, like, coffee. You like a good cup of coffee. I do. I like a good cup of coffee. I think if we were to take, let's [00:45:00] say, the Parable of the Prodigal, that would be for me like a big Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Like, it's delicious, mild-bodied, maybe a little bit light. This parable is like two shots of espresso- Yeah ... 'cause there's a lot in there, and we could probably take a lot of time even t- speaking about, like you're saying, the more shadowy eschatological truths that appear in verse 29 because those, this idea of, like, a sickle in the harvest, I mean, that's imagery drawn from Old Testament eschatological judgment texts. So that could be pretty heavy in its own right. I think what's critical, before we get to that, is to, like, tease out something you said, which is there is a lot in here about this doctrine of providence, like, this spontaneous self-originating action apart from external human causation. And we've talked a lot, like, we distinguish between primary and second causation. You know, the Earth is genuinely or generally has second- secondary causes, like an ordinary means through which God's ordinary providence operates, but the ultimate primary [00:46:00] cause of growth is God himself. And so here we see that. Like, there's no exclusion of the farmer's agency as an explanatory cause. The soil does what it does because God has ordained the natural order to function in this way. That is his prerogative. And so that threefold progression then, blade, ear, full grain, which by the way I had to look up because my understanding of, like, all kinds of different types of grains is very thin and I'm out of my depth here. But- ... I'm led to believe That that development is gradual, and of course it's ordered, but it's not instantaneous. And so the application here, I think, has traditionally been applied in this corporate individual spiritual growth we're talking about. Like, the church advances through stages of maturity, and so does the individual believer's sanctification, without warranting either impatience or despair at the process's slowness. This is how God works. He does it in His gracious and kind way. And again, He's using this, all of this agriculture to illustrate that purpose. So there's, like, this buildup, I think, [00:47:00] in verse 28 about the incredible providence of God, both like corporatively, personally, in His world, how He is the primary cause, but also uses secondary causes, not in a disjointed or divorced way, but in a way that encapsulates and magnifies His glory. And that is then what leads to or will lead to the reemergence in verse 29 of this whole deal of, like, well, if farmer comes back in, and now he returns, but only at the point of consummation, not at the point of growth.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Harvest And Timing Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and, you know, we won't go into all of the ways that this ties into the other parables, but it's worth, uh, it's worth mentioning that in, in both, uh, the parable of the mustard seed, which follows this, and then also the parable of the sort of sower or the seeds, um, there is this element of this, the one who is sowing seeds is not fully cognizant or aware or, and, and absolutely not in [00:48:00] control of the outcome, right? In the parable of the sower, um, he scatters the seed promiscuously, right? And the- Right ... the outcome depends on what kind of ground the seed falls on. And in the parable of the mustard seed, it, it's more of a, like, idea that the, uh, the sower sows a seed that seems so small, but it, the growth of the seed is explosive and expansive because of the nature of the seed, not because of the skill of the sower. Jesse Schwamb: That's  Tony Arsenal: right. Right? In this instance, um- The only thing, again, the only thing that initially the sower is responsible for is the sowing of the seed, the scattering of the seed. But what I also think is interesting is then there is a point where the one who scatters the seed is now responsible to act once he's observed the seed coming to fruition, right? Now, now what exactly that means and how exactly that applies, I think there's a lot of different things we could talk about. Um, but again, [00:49:00] this is a parable that we have to be careful not to, uh, not to restrict just sort of crassly to, like, evangelism. Right. Exactly. Or, or even just to sort of, like, the eschatological harvest. Right. That's what's tricky about this parable, I think, that bears ... And I don't think we'll do it, we'll do it necessarily on the show. It'd be worth having more conversations about. But for our own personal study, it bears deeper reflection because this parable cannot be simply reduced to an eschatology parable about what God does in the end. Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: And it can't be simply reduced to a parable about evangelism because strictly speaking, like, we're not really the ones that harvest when the harvest comes in, right? I've, I have heard this parable, um, preached, you know, like I said, although I acknowledge that I, um, like forgot that it existed. I have heard this parable preached as though, like, "Well, our responsibility is to scatter seed. We're not responsible for [00:50:00] making it grow or making it take root. But when we see that it's taking root, we're responsible for jumping in and harvesting at the right time." I don't think we should draw that conclusion here. Although the, the harvester does see that the ear is ripe, that the grain is ripe, and he harvests it, it would be a weird sort of like shift in the parable to go from the person who scattered seed isn't responsible for its growth, doesn't even know that the growth is happening, but is actually responsible for knowing exactly when to harvest the grain. Right. So we have to think about this again in gen- in terms of general principles of how the Kingdom of God functions. And w- how it functions is it's mysterious, it is, uh, consistent, it happens on a, a scale and on a predictable outcome that we as individuals don't understand and don't have visibility to, and the harvest will occur in its [00:51:00] time, and it will h- occur consistently and reliably. So again, like this is... I hope that maybe like the one or two non-Reformed people that listen to the show aren't terribly offended at this, but like this just is Reformed theology, right? There, there is a seed that is sown, God is responsible for the growth, and the harvest necessarily will help it happen when it's supposed to happen, right? When the r- when the fruit is ripe, it will be harvested. That doesn't mean I'm responsible as the one who sows seed or scatters or m- witnesses to people from making sure that the, quote, "sickle is put in at the right time," or anything like that.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: The fact is that the sickle will always come in at the right time. The person who has the final kinda piece of the puzzle in evangelism, I think that's how it often happens. Someone hears the gospel repeatedly from multiple places. They have contacts and relationships that tie into how they [00:52:00]ultimately come to accept the gospel and trust Christ. But ultimately it's the Holy Spirit who brings all that into some sort of coherent, um, execution and application of redemption That will happen in God's time. So I wanna be careful not to, like, put too much responsibility on us. Right. And again, this is just a parable that I think bears a lot more reflection, that I think because, um, I think Mark in general, because it's so short, uh, gets, it gets overlooked by Christians. I think we would all do well to spend a little bit more time in Mark. But especially some of these really short pericopes. I think we just read through it, and it's like we read a chapter of Mark, like Mark 4 comes up in our Bible reading plan. Right. And if we're reading the Bible in a year, like, Mark 4 is one of three or four chapters that we read, and this is four verses of that. Right. We just read over it quick and we c- we just, we don't appropriate any of it.  Jesse Schwamb: Right. It sounds like he's just reiterating a point or he's recapitulating something that he's already said or is about to say, and you're like, "Okay, get on with it." But I'm with [00:53:00] you. This parable, like all of them, is for us. It's for our joy. It's for our satisfaction and our comfort. And I think from this, there is, like, a single controlling point that's emerging from our conversation, which is the Kingdom of God advances by God's own hidden power toward a certain appointed consummation. And this ought to produce, like, patient confidence rather than human striving or a- anxiety. In order to give us a sense of calm, a reminder that God's providence is real in all areas of life. Remarkably, we've gotten this far in the conversation, and neither of us has just, has used the M word, which just came to me, and I think we're contractually obligated to say it as a Reformed podcast, and that is this is a prime example of monergism and the sovereignty of grace. And as in regeneration, the decisive cause of kingdom growth lies outside human capacity and comprehension. I think sometimes the latter part of that seems wrong to us. It makes us fearful because we don't understand it. But the former part should make us feel very happy and [00:54:00] relieved, that the capacity belongs to God and God alone. That doesn't depend on me or you or anybody else that we know. And this parable, I think, is often been paired with John's image of the wind blowing where it wishes as this picture of the Holy

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house!' 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Today, we are pleased to share an audio essay written and read by Patrick Schreiner entitled "10 Things You Should Know about the Cross." Patrick Schreiner is associate professor of New Testament and biblical theology and endowed chair at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He is also the author of 'The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross' from Crossway. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read the essay here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Complete this survey for a free audiobook by Kevin DeYoung!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave us a review, which helps us spread the word about the show!

For Good Friday, Wisdom looks at how Jesus' death has the power to change our hearts.

Preacher: Caleb Maskell Luke 10:1- 2 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. 5 "When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' 6 If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7 Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. 8 "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 'Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.' 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. Luke10:16-21 "Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me." 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." 18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." 21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 

Preacher: Kathy Maskell Mark 1:14-15 Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"  Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.  Luke 10:8-9 "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'  Matthew 6:9-10 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.   Matthew 13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 

Gospel Luke 10:1-9 The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'" Reflection The 72 represent the future church. Communities of people that have an understanding, a way of life that becomes attractive to other people and they want to know about it, and they need to learn about it. And what he's saying is there's healing power in my message, and I want you to share it. But what's so interesting, it's not like he sends out these 72 and he expects them to reach 50 homes a piece, or something. No, you go to one house, a house where someone there understands the peace that comes with the kingdom, and build on that person. It's like the kingdom of God spreads very naturally from one encounter to another, from one conversation to another. It's a beautiful image of the church and how it works. It's so organic and natural and nothing can stop it. Closing Prayer Father, open us always to the ways in which we can do the work that we are called to do. When we make it somehow too obvious or too intense, it doesn't work. It's something that flows from my heart to your heart, your heart to my heart in the relationships that we have. And that's where it all works. It's about love. It's about compassion. It's about understanding. And it's not about judgment or condemnation. So bless us with this gift of carrying your message through our hearts. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reading 1Isaiah 66:10-14cThus says the LORD: Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her; exult, exult with her, all you who were mourning over her! Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, that you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts! For thus says the LORD: Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent. As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap; as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort. When you see this, your heart shall rejoice and your bodies flourish like the grass; the LORD's power shall be known to his servants.Reading 2Galatians 6:14-18Brothers and sisters:May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,through which the world has been crucified to me,and I to the world.For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision,but only a new creation.Peace and mercy be to all who follow this ruleand to the Israel of God.From now on, let no one make troubles for me;for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,brothers and sisters. Amen.GospelLuke 10:1-12, 17-20 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two otherswhom he sent ahead of him in pairsto every town and place he intended to visit.He said to them,"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.Go on your way;behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;and greet no one along the way.Into whatever house you enter, first say,'Peace to this household.'If a peaceful person lives there,your peace will rest on him;but if not, it will return to you.Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,for the laborer deserves his payment.Do not move about from one house to another.Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,eat what is set before you,cure the sick in it and say to them,'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,go out into the streets and say,'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,even that we shake off against you.'Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.I tell you,it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and  scorpionsand upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

+ Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 10: 1 – 12, 17 – 20After this the Lord appointed seventy (-two) others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.The seventy (-two) returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power 'to tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven." The Gospel of the Lord

Nev Floyd continues our series in the book of Luke teaching about 'The Kingdom of God' from Luke 17:20-37.

Gospel Luke 10:1-9 The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'" Reflection We know how Jesus felt about the temple and its corruption, and we see in this passage the beginning of what he longs to instill within us. It's a form of the church, individuals being called to have a deep, profound impact on one another by coming into each other's lives with peace, not judgment, not condemnation, but peace, and then healing them. Peace and healing is a sign of the New Kingdom, the Kingdom of God. And in this passage, we see the beginning of that marvelous work established by Jesus. Closing Prayer Father, we have a clear indication of what you do not want. You do not want us judging and condemning each other. But you want us to be loving and caring for each other. Help us to understand this message and draw us away from the things that keep the kingdom of God from finding root and being fruitful within the lives of those who are touched by it. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feast of Saint Luke, EvangelistLk 10:1-9"Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,eat what is set before you,cure the sick in it and say to them,'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

Lk 10:1-9 The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two discipleswhom he sent ahead of him in pairsto every town and place he intended to visit.He said to them,"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.Go on your way;behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;and greet no one along the way.Into whatever house you enter,first say, 'Peace to this household.'If a peaceful person lives there,your peace will rest on him;but if not, it will return to you.Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,for the laborer deserves payment.Do not move about from one house to another.Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,eat what is set before you,cure the sick in it and say to them,'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

+ Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 10: 1 – 12 The Lord appointed seventy (-two) others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.

The Kingdom of God ~ Forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-15)We return to the Sermon on the Mount as we study 'The Kingdom of God.' The last time we studied this passage together we studied 'The Lord's Prayer.' In the prayer itself, there is a prayer for forgiveness."And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." ~ Matthew 6:12 NIVImmediately after the Lord's Prayer, Jesus speaks on forgiveness again. That's no surprise to us. If there's one area of the Christian life that proves to be challenging for us no matter how long we've been following Him, it's forgiveness. We'll look at what else Jesus has to say in addition to the Lord's Prayer as well as other Scriptures that will help us unpack this difficult yet life-giving spiritual discipline. Need Prayer? Email us at roseburgfcc@gmail.com Connect with us on social at www.facebook.com/roseburgfccTo support the ministry of First Christian Church go to www.roseburgfcc.org/giving

The twentieth sermon in our series in the Gospel of Luke- 'Jesus: Saviour of the World' Sermon: 'The kingdom of God is in your midst' Series: 'Luke | Jesus: Saviour of the World' Reading: Luke 17:11-18-8 Preacher: Brad Fletcher Recorded 15st September, 2024 S16E20

The fourteenth sermon in our series in the Gospel of Luke- 'Jesus: Saviour of the World' Sermon: 'The kingdom of God has come upon you' Series: 'Luke | Jesus: Saviour of the World' Reading: Luke 11:14-44 Preacher: Brad Fletcher Recorded 28th July, 2024 S16E14

Memorial of Saints Timothy and TitusLk 10:1-9"Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,eat what is set before you,cure the sick in it and say to them,'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

Lk 10:1-9 The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

+ Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 10: 1 – 12 The Lord appointed seventy two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. The Gospel of the Lord

Lk 10:1-12 Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."

A sermon from Luke 17:20–37 "Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!' or ‘See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17: 20-21    

Luke 10:1-9 The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town." The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town." The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town." The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town." The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Lk 10:1-9 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

Reading 1 Is 66:10-14c Thus says the LORD: Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her; exult, exult with her, all you who were mourning over her! Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, that you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts! For thus says the LORD: Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent. As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap; as a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort. When you see this, your heart shall rejoice and your bodies flourish like the grass; the LORD's power shall be known to his servants.Reading 2 Gal 6:14-18 Brothers and sisters: May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation. Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule and to the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make troubles for me; for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.Gospel Lk 10:1-12, 17-20 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town." The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

Welcome to the Word at St Francis, a welcoming and inclusive parish community coming to you from E 96th St in New York City. The Gospel is Lk 10:1-12, 17-20: At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town." The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and  scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."  

+ Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 10: 1 – 12, 17 – 20 After this the Lord appointed seventy (-two) others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town. The seventy (-two) returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power 'to tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven." The Gospel of the Lord

'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Lk 10:1-12, 17-20 Readings reference: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070322.cfm

Luke 10:1-11 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 10:2 He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 10:3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 10:4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 10:5 Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' 10:6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 10:7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 10:8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 10:9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10:10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 10:11 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town." The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

"Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'" Our joy is in our identity with Jesus, not in what we do. Our names are written in heaven because we are his beloved sons and daughters.

Are you living out the adventure God has for you? If we want to be Jesus people, we have to realize the adventure that Jesus has called us too. Here at Elevate City we believe that God has SENT us and in order for us to live "adventure as our attitude" we have to live as if we are sent. We believe living this way isn't something "we do", it is who we are! John 3:17 says "For God did not SEND the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him." Being sent starts with us realizing that Jesus was first sent to us. Jesus took on the ultimate adventure and came from heaven to earth to be with us. To love us. Empty himself. He left his throne and came to be fully human. Adventure should increase for us when we're together. This is the attitude of us as a church. Luke 10:1 says "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and SENT them on ahead of him, TWO BY TWO, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. Luke 10 goes on to say, 2 And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few,. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way, behold, I am sending you out lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say 'Peace be to this house!" 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the Kingdom of God has come near. 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. Don't let the adventure God is calling you on pass you by. We hope this powerful message from Thomas Cheesman encourages you and challenges you to say yes to the adventure Jesus is calling you to. We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more. GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give. Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020. Jesus Over Everything. Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.church Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQ Podcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567 Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved. https://www.elevatecc.church/home

Today's Reading: Luke 10:1-9Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 2:1-3:10; Romans 15:1-13 "And say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'" (Luke 10:9)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. "Has come near" does not capture the full sense of the word that Jesus uses. "Has arrived" or "is present" says it better. It's what Jesus is telling His early "pastors" to teach and preach in His Name. Every leper cleansed, every sick person healed, every blind eye and deaf ear opened was a sermon in itself that said, "God and sinners are reconciled, now, in Jesus." Sins are forgiven. Judgments erased. Death defeated. Lives restored. Eternity promised.Glad tidings to all, even to Titus who, unlike Paul and Timothy, was a Gentile. He was from Greece which, according to Jewish tradition, made him part of the "70 nation" world that surrounded Israel. By sending out the 72, Jesus is showing us that it really is the whole world God is embracing in His Son (John 3:16). A co-worker of Paul's and friend to Timothy, Pastor Titus was now preaching and defending this kingdom's Gospel from the pulpit (Titus 1:3,9), the font (Titus 3:4-7), and the altar (Titus 3:10, 15). And the kingdom's Gospel is this: The kingdom isn't just near to us in these places. It is with us in these places. For Jesus is promised to us, is with us today, in these places. "Peace be to this house!" (Luke 10:5) That's the kingdom's embrace you are promised at the font in Holy Baptism. It's the Jesus you hear from your pastor in every Absolution and sermon he speaks. It's the peace given you at the Supper with Jesus' Body and Blood, "for you, for the forgiveness of sins."No matter the trial or burden you are facing, then, or the sin you must own up to, God is not rejecting you by sending you Jesus. He is owning you. He is claiming you. He is forgiving and embracing and reconciling you to Himself, setting you free from all your sin and from all your trials. And promising you a Day, even an eternity, to prove that to you. A forever Father in heaven who will never let go.That's peace. And it's not just "near to you" with Jesus. It's with you, with Jesus. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, You called Titus to the work of pastor and teacher. Make all shepherds of Your flock diligent in preaching Your holy Word so that the whole world may know the immeasurable riches of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Collect for St. Titus, Pastor and Confessor)-Rev. Bradley Drew is pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Metairie, LA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane BamschPastor-psychiatrist duo Rev. A. Trevor Sutton and Dr. Brian Smith have teamed up to help you evaluate your technology use through a Christian perspective. Learn how to form healthy, faithful technology habits with Jesus at the center. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

"'The time has come,' He said. 'The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!'" - Mark 1:15 Jesus first words of the Book of Mark are instructions to repent and turn things around. He literally tells us to repent, confess our sins, and to change our minds! We must put our trust in Him. GO DEEPER: Romans 2:1-11

+ Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke 10: 1 – 12 The Lord appointed seventy (-two) others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. The Gospel of the Lord

"Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, 'The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, "Look, here it is!" or "There it is!" For...

To support the ministry and get access to exclusive content, go to: http://patreon.com/logicalbiblestudy Mark 4: 26-34 - 'The kingdom of God is a mustard seed growing into the biggest shrub of all.' Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraphs: - 546 (in 'The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God') - Jesus' invitation to enter his kingdom comes in the form of parables, a characteristic feature of his teaching. Through his parables he invites people to the feast of the kingdom, but he also asks for a radical choice: to gain the kingdom, one must give everything. Words are not enough; deeds are required. The parables are like mirrors for man: will he be hard soil or good earth for the word? What use has he made of the talents he has received? Jesus and the presence of the kingdom in this world are secretly at the heart of the parables. One must enter the kingdom, that is, become a disciple of Christ, in order to “know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. ”For those who stay “outside,” everything remains enigmatic. Got a Bible question? Send an email to logicalbiblestudy@gmail.com, and it will be answered in an upcoming episode! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/daily-gospel-exegesis/message

Throughout history many powerful kingdoms have risen and fallen, but there is one kingdom that will last for ever. The Kingdom of God is a kingdom that liberates people rather than enslaving them. It is not a political or geographical kingdom, nor one established by force or finance. It is all about the rule of a supremely loving and Holy God over every area of life, over all earthly authorities and over the kingdom of darkness, and it is a kingdom that you need to know about and that you need to be part of.The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 14:17: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In other words, God's kingdom is not about lots of rules but whether you are right with God and treating others in the right way; it's about having God's peace in your heart and mind and being a peacemaker; and it's about having a deep and overflowing joy that only God can give. 1. The Kingdom of God has come • Jesus was born King (Matthew 2:1-2)• Jesus declared He was King (John 18: 37)• Jesus died as King (Mark 15:26)• Jesus was resurrected as the triumphant king (Revelation 1:18; Luke 4:21)• Jesus preached about the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15) • Jesus taught about the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:1-12)• Jesus worked miracles to demonstrate the kingdom of God• Jesus gave His life to bring people into the kingdom of God2. The kingdom of God will come (Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 21:4; Revelation 11:15; Matthew 24; Luke 21)3. The kingdom of God can come to you (Luke 17:21; Matthew 6:33; Matthew.18:2-3)ApplyDo you believe the Kingdom of God has come? Have you personally experienced this in your own life? The Kingdom of God has come because Jesus the King has come. When Jesus began his ministry, he declared that the words of the prophet Isaiah were fulfilled (Luke 4:21), that He was the Messiah who from that moment would bring in the Kingdom of God. He went about 'proclaiming the good news of God' and that 'The kingdom of God is near' (Mark 1:14-15). Throughout His ministry, Jesus repeatedly taught about the Kingdom of God and showed that its values are totally different to normal worldly values and that you must: love your enemies not hate them; forgive not hold resentments; focus on giving not getting; be humble not proud; judge yourself not others. His miracles demonstrated the authority of His rule over sickness, evil power, nature and even death itself. Jesus came to free people from the rule of Satan who wants only to destroy people, and to bring them into his heavenly kingdom. God's kingdom has come: so are you living in it and all its great benefits today? Are you ready for the Kingdom of God to come on earth? Jesus taught his disciples to pray ‘Your Kingdom come, your will be done', because the Kingdom of God had not yet been fully established. Jesus dealt the mortal blow to the kingdom of darkness when He shed His blood on the Cross. His crucifixion and resurrection meant deliverance for the world and that everyone can be saved, yet the kingdom of darkness still fights on causing destruction and pain. But this will not last for ever and the time is coming when evil will be destroyed as Christ returns to finally establish his kingdom. Whilst we don't know the exact date, we do know that we are 2000 years nearer than when Jesus spoke of it, and that many of the signs (Matthew 24, Luke 21) which include ‘pestilences and fearful events' are being fulfilled. Christ will come again: are you ready?Who and what do you serve? Whose kingdom are you living in? The kingdom of God can come to you when you surrender your life to King Jesus. Jesus is the best master you could ever serve under. No one cares for you like Jesus, and no one can give you such freedom from fear, guilt, sin and shame as He can. Today you can ask Him to transfer you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His wonderful light. You can commit as Jesus taught in Matthew 6:33 to make your priority in life to ‘seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…'. Above all, you must come to God with a humble heart and sincere childlike faith (Matthew.18:2-3 “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven"). Take time today to pray and ask the Lord to help you change and enter the wonderful, unshakeable, never ending kingdom of God.

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 102 Reading 1 Is 66:10-14c Thus says the LORD:  Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,  all you who love her;  exult, exult with her,  all you who were mourning over her!  Oh, that you may suck fully  of the milk of her comfort,  that you may nurse with delight  at her abundant breasts!  For thus says the LORD:  Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river,  and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.  As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,  and fondled in her lap;  as a mother comforts her child,  so will I comfort you;  in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.  When you see this, your heart shall rejoice  and your bodies flourish like the grass;  the LORD's power shall be known to his servants. Responsorial Psalm Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, 20 R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. Shout joyfully to God, all the earth,  sing praise to the glory of his name;  proclaim his glorious praise. Say to God, "How tremendous are your deeds!" R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. "Let all on earth worship and sing praise to you,  sing praise to your name!" Come and see the works of God,  his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. He has changed the sea into dry land;  through the river they passed on foot;  therefore let us rejoice in him. He rules by his might forever. R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare  what he has done for me. Blessed be God who refused me not  my prayer or his kindness! R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. Reading 2 Gal 6:14-18 Brothers and sisters: May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision, but only a new creation. Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule and to the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make troubles for me; for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. Alleluia Col 3:15a, 16a R. Alleluia, alleluia. Let the peace of Christ control your hearts; let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Lk 10:1-12, 17-20  At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.' Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.' Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town." The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and  scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.  Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven." or  Lk 10:1-9 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"

I. Assurance: Tasting Heaven While on Earth We're going to focus this morning on Verses 9-11. About 400 years ago, a Puritan theologian named Thomas Brooks, wrote a book on Christian assurance called 'Heaven on Earth.' Isn't that a great title? 'Heaven on Earth.' To experience here on Earth a foretaste of heaven… I think that would affect everything, wouldn't it? If you could be walking daily with that kind of sense of assurance of salvation and all that it meant for it to trickle down and affect every area of your life. For it to affect your marriage. For it to affect the way you work, the way you pray, the way you live, the way you face temptation, Heaven on Earth. And that's my purpose today. I want to read a few quotes from Brooks. Brooks did a great deal of thinking on assurance, and I think they're marvelous. Listen to this. "Assurance is glory in the bud. It is the suburbs of paradise." Isn't that great? The suburbs of paradise, glory in the bud. And he said, "Assurance is the sense that I am wholly his, [Christ's]. I'm peculiarly his. I am universally his. I am eternally his." And then this, "It is the very drift and design of the whole Scripture, to bring souls first to an acquaintance with Christ, then to an acceptance of Christ, and then to build in them a sweet assurance of their actual interest in Christ." So there's three points, all of them begin with A. Acquaintance with Christ, acceptance of Christ, and then assurance with Christ. I'll preach that sermon some other day. But that was Brooks. And then he said this in, 'Heaven on Earth'. It says, "To be in a state of true grace is to be miserable no more. It is to be happy forever. A soul in this state is a soul near and dear to God. It is a soul much beloved, and highly valued of God. It is a soul housed in God. Housed in God, is a soul safe in the everlasting arms. It's a soul fully and eminently interested in all the highest and noblest privileges. The being in a state of grace makes a man's condition happy, safe, and sure. But the seeing, the knowing of himself to be in such a state is that which renders his life sweet and comfortable." You see how he makes a distinction between being and knowing. You can be in a state of grace. You can be justified and not have that full assurance. That's why I'm preaching through this. I wanna labor that those of you who are already justified through faith in Christ might have a full, a rich, a deep assurance of that salvation. "The being in a state of grace will yield a man heaven hereafter, but the seeing of himself in this state will yield him both a heaven here and a heaven hereafter. It will render him, therefore, doubly blessed. Blessed in heaven and blessed in his own conscience." That's worth laboring for, isn't it? And it's to that purpose that God gave us Romans 5:1-11. Paul's goal here in the verses we're going to look at today is much more heaven on earth. That we might have much more of an experience of our justification, much more of an assurance of our salvation. Now, we've seen already in the gospel, that the gospel is the message, the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Romans 1:16. And then Paul unfolds in Romans 1 through Romans 3, the middle of three, the need for justification, every single one of us, all of us, Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, old and young. It doesn't matter what our national origin. All of us have sinned. All of us lack the glory of God. All of us need to be justified. Every last one of us stands guilty before God. And there is a great and an active wrath that God has against us for sin. Something we'll talk about more this morning because it's in this text. But God has this wrath and he has in Romans 3, it says that he poured out his wrath on Jesus. Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. He is the atoning sacrifice. Well, how do we appropriate that for ourselves? How can we receive this forgiveness? How can it be ours? Well, by faith alone apart from works. Not by working it out by doing good things by works of the law, not at all, but simply by faith. Simply by trusting, justification by faith alone." And so in Romans 4, he gives us the example of Abraham, who simply looked out of the stars and believed a message from God, "So shall your offspring be." And the moment he believed he was declared righteous by God. It's just that simple. You hear a promise from God and you believe it. And this promise is far greater than Abraham's, isn't it? "So shall your offspring be" s the star promise that God made to Abraham. But we get far more, not more than Abraham but more in the promise. The promise of complete forgiveness of sins and eternity in heaven forever and ever if we simply believe. And then in Romans 5:1-11, he labors to show the effects of justification by faith alone, and that is assurance of salvation. So I've just given you a kind of context and now we're zeroing in, and we've already seen in assurance, why assurance is so important. First of all, it's important for assurance of salvation itself. If you have no assurance of salvation, it may very well be that you have never been justified. And if you have never been justified, you're under the wrath of God. If you were to die today, you would go to hell forever and ever. This is a serious issue. If you have no assurance of salvation, it maybe you've never been justified, and therefore this is important. But if you have been justified but have a poor assurance of salvation, this affects everything, doesn't it? It affects your present joy and peace. Assurance is a good gift from God. He wants us to enjoy a perfect peace and a perfect joy, and if we don't have that assurance we won't enjoy that. And it therefore will affect I think our fruitfulness. We will do less for God because we're so inward focused. We've got a poor conscience. We're struggling with sins. We're wrestling through things. All of that because we don't understand justification. If our conscience is troubled and we fear for our souls, we will be much less fruitful for Christ, but if we have full assurance, we'll be much more fruitful, more impervious to the devil's accusations, much bolder in evangelism. And also, our good works will be done for absolutely the right motives. What can wash away my sins? Not all your good deeds. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. And then after that, all the good deeds flow out of thankfulness and gratitude, a desire to build the kingdom of Christ, but not an inward focus that you may somehow pay for your salvation. And then ultimately, a good solid assurance gives glory to God. And that's where we're going to end up in our passage today. It ends up giving glory to God. You boast in God, you brag in God, you glory and exalt in God because you realize there's nothing inside you to boast about or brag about or glory in, but in God alone. II. Context: More Links in the Chain Look with me. We're going to read the full 11 verses. And we're going to try to understand most especially Verses 9-11. "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." The Unbreakable Chain of Seven Links One of my favorite Bible expositors is John MacArthur. And he saw in these 11 verses, a chain of six unbreakable links that links us to our salvation. An unbreakable chain of six links. Well, I found another one, so I've got seven in there, with apologies to a man greater than I in expositing Scripture. But they are. Peace with God Number one, peace with God. Look at Verse 1 again. "Since we have now been justified through faith, we have peace with God." This is a new status. And this is going to come more alive today as we understand that, we were God's enemies, it says. In the text we're looking at today, we were enemies with God, but now through faith in Jesus Christ, everything has changed. And we are no longer at war with God, and God no longer at war with us," link number one. Standing in Grace Link number two, we are standing in grace. We have gained access by faith into this new standing in grace. We used to have an old standing. It was like a country that we were a citizen of, and we have transferred our citizenship to a new kingdom. We used to live under wrath, under judgment, under condemnation. We're going to find in the rest of Romans Chapter 5. We were in Adam, original sinners. We were under condemnation and under sin. And we have been transferred now into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We are now standing in grace. It's a whole new standing. And I also like the picture of standing in graces. Oh, it's a cleansing shower, washing sin from us at all times because we sin all the time, don't we? And it's so tragic. And the more you go on in your Christian life, and read, and see how holy God is, the more you'll understand how much you need grace every moment. And we are standing in grace. Hope of Glory And number three, we have a hope of glory. We actually boast in it. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And this means, I think our own personal glorification, as Jesus said we will shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father. Isn't that going to be something? You got to think about that for a minute. You look over to a Christian brother or sister, and realize, "Some day, he or she is going to shine like the sun in the kingdom of the Father." Will that affect how we treat one another? It's incredible. But we boast in this glory that's coming, and we also rejoice in our tribulations. Tribulations Producing Proven Character Number four, tribulations can't separate us from Christ. No, they actually prove, they test and prove our faith. As we go through trials in a certain way, our faith is proved genuine. And we end up with an even greater hope. We have a tested proven character. Spirit-Poured Love And then number five, the Holy Spirit pours out his love into our hearts. You see this chain of assurance that just is building here in Romans Chapter 5. The Holy Spirit testifies to us that we're children of God. He pours out his love into our hearts. And then we have the great display of Jesus Christ crucified in history. Nothing can erase that. God demonstrates his love for us. And while we were sinners, Christ died for us. We have this display, and that is the love that the Holy Spirit pours into our hearts. It's a love of an act in history, 2000 years ago. No one, no potentate or king can ever erase an act of history. It is what it is. And Jesus died 2000 years ago that we might have eternal life. Saved by His Life And then number six, saved by his life. We're going to talk about that today. Exulting in God And number seven, exulting in God. Do you see this incredible assurance, this whole body of assurance working in us? Now, I organized assurance into three kinds of categories. Steps to assurance you could call it, but all three work together. An assurance reasoned out in the mind, you remember that? Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so. There's certain things that we know because the Bible said so, and we believe those promises and we reason out the implications, and our assurance grows as we think more and more about it, and we reason it out. We're going to do that today. Today's text is the highest and greatest form of reasoned out assurance. There's much more argumentation that Paul does. And then secondly, an assurance worked out in the life. You're going to see changes happening in you. What you boast in or what you exult in and what you enjoy and delight in changes when you become a Christian, doesn't it? You change. You're a different person. And as a result, as Jesus said, "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good. Make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad. For a tree is known by its fruit." So if you have become a... Because of justification by faith, a good tree, you're going to bear good fruit, an assurance worked out in the life. And then thirdly, an assurance poured out into the heart by the Holy Spirit. All three of these work together to give a solid assurance. These are the three categories. If you see none of those three, you're probably not a Christian. And if you're not a Christian, you're still under the wrath and curse of God. And today must be for you a day of salvation. Today must be the day for you to give your life to Christ. It's a terrifying thing to be under the wrath of God. But if you see this assurance in you, it can grow. Reason out in the mind, worked out in your life, poured out into your heart by the Holy Spirit. III. Backdrop: Wrath & Reconciliation Now we're going to look at a little bit of the backdrop of assurance. And I wonder sometimes about Americans today. I wonder about Christians. I think we don't think much about the wrath of God. I think we don't think much about hell. Jesus talked a great deal about hell. And the wrath of God that's mentioned in our text today is a future wrath. It's a wrath that is coming. It is a biblical truth. We have universalistic tendencies. We have a sense that everybody's going to be alright. Everybody is going to go to heaven, one way or another, they're going to get there somehow. The Bible doesn't teach this. Does it? And so therefore to people who understand the wrath of God and hell, assurance is precious. It is absolutely precious. But for those who don't grip these biblical doctrines, assurance is relatively worthless. It doesn't mean much to you. Because everybody is going to go to heaven anyway, and besides which, God has no wrath against sin, right? But is the wrath of God a biblical reality? It's clear in this passage. Look at verse 9. "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!" So it's clear in this passage. There is a future wrath. Shall we be saved? That's future. We will be saved from God's wrath, a future wrath through Christ. It's also clear earlier in Romans. Romans 1:18, "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." And then in Romans 2:5, "But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God 'will give to each person according to what he has done.'" That is clear biblical teaching. Jesus taught it too. Luke 12:4-5, "I tell you my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear. Fear him who after the killing of the body has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." This is the words of Jesus and we must hear him. We must understand what a threat this is. And then finally, it's clear in Christ's death. What is it that killed Jesus? Wasn't the Romans. It was the wrath of God that killed Jesus. What do you think it meant when Jesus said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" What is that coming from him. The Son of God experiencing the wrath that we deserve for our sins. The Denial of God’s Wrath in Liberalism Now liberalism, a false form of Christianity which is no Christianity at all, denies this. Does it not? It denies the wrath of God. God has no wrath toward sinners only love. He only has love. And our greatest need is to just know and experience this love. We must come to understand that God loves us all. There's no wrath. There's no hell. There's no judgment. Only love. This is not Christianity. This is false teaching. H. Richard Niebuhr in 1937 wrote a book called 'The Kingdom of God in America' and this is how he summarized the liberal gospel, "A God without wrath, brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross." Is that Christianity? No. I'll read it again. "A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross." That is not Christianity and it's not what Paul is talking about. But instead we have an understanding that the wrath of God and the love of God both exist in the same eternal being. There's no schizophrenia. Not at all. Realize that the love of God and the wrath of God are two aspects of his personality. And the wrath of God is his aggressive passion concerning his own holiness and his own righteousness. It is a form of love, about purity and about his own glory. Now, what is our need? If we were under judgment, if we were under the wrath of God, we need to change, don't we? We need a reconciliation. We need to change relationship, realize what we were apart from Christ. We learned last week, we were helpless. We were ungodly. We were sinners. In today's text, we were enemies, that's what we were. And what was God to us? That's what we were to God, what was God to us? Why we hated God? We were at war against him. There was something... There was an enmity in our heart against God. It says in Romans 8:7, "The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so." And then in Ephesians 2:1-3 it says, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts." Listen to this, "Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath." By nature, children of wrath, Ephesians 2:3. Now how in the world can somebody who is by nature a child of wrath become a child of God? How can that happen? Well through the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's how it happens, but if you don't have the backdrop of wrath and of judgment, assurance of salvation means nothing. It's worthless assurance. Our greatest need is reconciliation with God. I may be speaking today to people who have never come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You're greatest need is to be reconciled with God. It said in 2 Corinthians 5:20, "We are therefore Christ ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you, we beg you. Be reconciled to God." Now it says in our verse, it says, "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him? For if when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through his son…" Isn't that beautiful? A reconciliation and notice that it's passive. It's something that happens to us, something that God does. We have been reconciled. Now, I tell you the full implications of this reconciliation where we were enemies and now we're made reconciled will not be seen in this world, but you will see it if you have been justified, you will see the full implications of the fact that God is now your friend and more than that, your adoptive Father. What an incredible thing. IV. “Much More” Assurance But Paul and God through Paul are laboring that we might have much more assurance and so they're working, he's working with us, working with our minds, and people think in terms of much more assurance. They think how can the reasoning process have anything to do with faith? Aren't they two different things? When I was at MIT, they kept telling me that, "How can you a reasonable person believe these things?" As though reason and belief are mutually exclusive. Not at all, not at all. See what faith does is it accepts invisible truths as truth, and then we can use our minds and extend those truths into new areas. The more you meditate on these things, the stronger your assurance gets. It's an assurance that's worked out in the mind, reasoned out in the mind, and we know that because Paul is doing some logic with us here. Sanctified Logic He's saying, "If this, then that…" Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more having been justified shall we be saved? There's a how much more language. If A is true, how much more will B be true. You see how it's working. So there's a logic, he's reasoning with us. Okay well, let's give an illustration. It's a reasoning from the greater to the less, from the more surprising to the less surprising, from the harder to do to the easier to do. Imagine an Olympic power lifter… As I was thinking about the sermon, I was thinking he had to be Bulgarian. So imagine a Bulgarian power lifter, have you seen these guys? They're unbelievable. Strong chest and big arms, and this guy won the gold medal in his weight class, and he has just finished receiving his medal and the Bulgarian national anthem is playing whatever that is. Does anyone know what the Bulgarian national anthem sounds like? I don't, but anyway, he has won the gold medal, comes down off the podium and his little 2-year-old son comes kind of toddling over to him. If he can pick up a gold medals worth of weight, how much more can he pick up his 2-year-old son? You see how it works? It's an argument from the greater to the lesser. If he can do this, surely he can do that. That's how it's working. Well, Paul uses this. Romans 8:32 is an argument from the greater to lesser, "He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not along with him graciously give us all things?" Other things that are so much less than Jesus. You see how it works? Is there anything in all the universe as valuable to God the Father as God the Son? And he gave him up to death for us, full gift. Then he'll give anything that helps his cause and helps your soul and his kingdom. Anything is yours. Argument greater to lesser. Jesus did the same, remember? Remember in the Sermon on the Mount, we're talking about how Jesus argues us out of anxiety? If that is how God clothes the grass in the field consider the lilies of the field. If that's how he clothes the grass in the field which is here today and tomorrow thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, oh you of little faith. If A is true, much more will B be true. That's how it works. Or he does this in terms of prayer. "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" You see how it works. It's an argument from the greater to the less. Well, how does it work here? Apparently, in God's way of thinking and in Paul's way of thinking, it was a greater thing to get you justified than to keep you saved for the rest of your life. You see how that works? It was harder to get you forgiven, than it is to keep you there and bring you the rest of the way to heaven, harder for him. Now that might not make sense, we've got years to go some of us. Lots of temptations to face, lots of opportunities to blaspheme Christ, lots of opportunities to apostatize and fall away, right? But in God's way of thinking, it was harder to get you saved justified than it is to keep you there the rest of the way. Apart from Christ, we were helpless, we were ungodly, we were sinners, we were enemies. He gave his perfect son and poured out his life blood, that is a greater thing than now that we are adopted children of God and growing in grace and walking with him and yearning to love him and please him will he save us. A dead Jesus with his blood poured out on the cross got you justified, a living Jesus will most certainly keep you the rest of the way. You see how the argument goes. So you've got it. We'll understand the greater to the lesser argument. Let me give you another illustration. This did not really happen, but just I'm trying to illustrate a point. Imagine during the Vietnam War, a soldier fighting in 1971, near Da Nang, hears the cries of a little boy in a bungalow, and he's had just about all he can take of death and destruction, and he wants to do something to do with life. And he runs across a field of fire, and he grabs this little boy and he runs back and in running, he gets hit, he gets injured, the boy's safe, but he's injured, he keeps going, he manages to get him to safety. He finds out once the battle's over that the little boy's parents were killed in that firefight and so now this boy's an orphan, and so he sets him up in an orphanage and continues to keep in touch with him. He provides for him, provides lesson maybe English lessons, because he already has in mind, he wants to adopt this boy. And he provides for him, he gives him food and clothing, and then he starts to work with the agencies and pulls in every IOU he's ever got from the military and he managed to get that boy out of the country and sets him up in his home, loves him, cares for him, and then one day, the little boy looks up at him and says, "Daddy, will I be with you next year? Will I stay with you?" Now he who risked his life in a firefight running across machine gun bullets and all that was wounded for him, paid for him to get out of the country and went through the legal steps of adoption. If he did all that, is he going to keep him for another year? Absolutely and that's the same argumentation that's going on here. Past Justification Guarantees Future Salvation Past justification guarantees future glorification. Get that in your mind. If I am justified today, I will someday shine like the sun in the kingdom of heaven. So the issue is, am I justified today? That's what we have to know, but am I, if I am justified today, I will most certainly be saved in the future. By the way, I mentioned this to our class on Wednesday evening, and by the way, all of you are invited, it's not just for Sunday School teachers, but for everybody. But we're talking about how Southern Baptist tend to use the word "saved" interchangeably with justified. They are not interchangeable terms. Salvation is bigger than justification. It's true that we have been saved. It says that in Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace, have you been saved through faith" in Christ. That's justified, but it's not done yet. We've still got a ways to go. We're going into sanctification and Romans 6, 7, and 8 deals with that. So we are presently being saved, aren't we? Sanctification's going on every day. We're growing in godliness, we're putting sin to death, we're growing to love the things of God. That's a present salvation going on in our lives, and there is a future salvation too, isn't there? And really in two parts, one in that Judgment Day hasn't happened yet, has it? You may think you have a course down in college or whatever, but if the final exam hasn't happened yet, you haven't passed the test yet. Judgment Day hasn't come yet. The wrath of God has not yet been poured out on this earth. How do you know you're going to survive that? That's the purpose of the passage here. And also, there's a future salvation in what will happen to us, we will be glorified as already mentioned. Salvation's bigger than just justification. But if you have been justified, you will finish the whole course, you're going to finish the salvation plan that God has. No way you will jump out, it's impossible. V. Saved By His Life Now in Verse 10, he gives us even stronger assurance. It says, "For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son, how much more having been reconciled shall we be saved by his life?" So here is the how much more: If dead Jesus did this, living Jesus will do this. This is how it works. Now there's two senses of this, either it means that Christ is alive for me, he's doing certain things for me now that he's alive or secondly Christ is alive in me. I believe it's both, I believe it's both. The living resurrected Christ is doing things for you if you're justified. What is he doing? Well, first of all, he's interceding for you, he's praying for you all the time. It says in Romans 8:34, "Christ Jesus, who died more than that, is that how much more, more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God, and is interceding for us." How do you think the Father hears the prayers of the Son? Very gladly. The Father gives the Son every thing he asks, and he's praying for you. He is saturating your life with prayer right now, and everything he asks he gets. So Christ as Intercessor and also Christ as Protector, remember? Who was it that said, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" Who said that to Saul of Tarsus? It was Jesus protecting his flock, also protecting Saul of Tarsus from eternal damnation by saving him. He is the Good Shepherd, isn't he? And the Good Shepherd takes care of his flock. The Good Shepherd doesn't lose any of his flock. The Good Shepherd goes out. He's not the hired hand. He goes out and meets the dangers that are coming on the flock. He is a protector of the sheep, you see? He's a living Savior. He's going to preserve, protect, and defend you until you make it the rest of the way. So a living Jesus is interceding for you and protecting you, but more than that, a living Jesus is inside you changing you forever. Isn't that beautiful? The moment you become a Christian, Jesus comes and lives inside you. Romans 8, it says, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit of the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin yet your spirit alive because of righteousness." Christ in you, the hope of glory. Jesus Christ will come and make his home with you, living within you. Is he active or passive when he lives inside you? What do you think? Does he come in there and just kind of accept you as you are? Well, in manner of speaking I suppose, but he's not going to leave you that way. He loves you too much to leave you that way. Sin is devastating to the life and so he will love you enough to transform you. He's going to be working in you, changing you, and this gives you increased assurance too. You're not the person you were the day you got saved. You've been changed. Isn't that beautiful? And so this is ever increasing assurance. From greater to less, you were a wrath-filled enemy the day you got justified. God justifies the ungodly, but you're not ungodly anymore because Jesus is living inside you and transforming you from within. That's the logic and that's the work that he's doing. Jesus said, "I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing." So we are in Christ and Christ is in us, and out of that union comes a flow of good fruit. That's that worked out in a life assurance, a flow of good fruit. You're being transformed. VI. We Exult in God And the final step is in verse 11, We exult in God. "Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God, [or exalt in God, or boast in God] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." The end result of our salvation is praise for God. That's what comes. At the end of all of this is glory for God, worship for God, praise for God. God gets the glory. You get the joy. God gets the glory. You get the salvation. God gets the glory. You get the streets of gold and the mansion and you get all that, but God gets the credit and the glory, and why? Because you are helpless. You are ungodly. You are a sinner. You were a rebel, and there's nothing inside you except all of that and now God has transformed you. He gets the glory. He gets full credit, and you are glad to give it to him. At the end, you're going to be saying not, "what a good job I've done," salvation by works. "What a ladder I've climbed, a stairway to heaven." "Every step I did it my way," and in the end you can boast in yourself. Absolutely not. No one will be boasting in heaven except about God. We exalt in God. And what do you think…Remember we began this sermon talking about heaven on earth? What are they doing in heaven right now? What do you think? What are they doing in heaven? They're exalting in God. They're praising God, and so you want heaven on earth? Praise God. Worship God. Give glory and praise to God. Listen to this. Revelation 19, "After this, I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting, 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. '" Isn't that wonderful? We're going to exalt in God. And so what's happened is, we are presently exalting in God. We have been transformed from being an enemy to being somebody who wants to see God exalted. We can pray from our heart, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, may God be exalted on earth. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." We can pray this, because we've been transformed by his Spirit. "Hallelujah," it says, and we're going to be saying it too. VII. Application Well, how do we apply this? What do we learn. As we looked at Romans 5:1-11, we've seen the links of a chain of assurance, one after the other. And I want to say to you, Christian, be assured of your salvation. If you've been justified, you will most certainly make it to heaven. There's no doubt about it. You're free from any concern about that. Now, pour out those good works that God has prepared in advance for you to do, and do them for his glory, build his kingdom. And if you're not a Christian, can I say to you with all the tenderness in my heart, flee the wrath to come. Verse 9 speaks of a coming wrath. There is one place to flee and that is to Jesus Christ. In a few moments, I'm going to be down at the front. If any of you would like to come to Christ, or you want to pray with me, I'll be here. If you want to come after the service and talk to me, come to Christ today. Won't you close with me in prayer. Heavenly Father, we do thank you for what we've learned today. We thank you for the how much more assurance, oh Lord. Much more heaven on earth I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ who have already been justified that they would understand this assurance and that they would rejoice in it and exalt in God. And for any here who have not yet trusted in Christ, I pray that today would be for them, a day of salvation. We pray this in Jesus' name, amen.