Herod’s Confusion
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
Do you know Jesus?
Like, do you really know Jesus?
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I’m not asking if you know about Jesus.
You see, many people only know Jesus about as well as they know Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Lebron James, Tom Brady, Taylor Swift or Will Smith.
They may know some of their political platforms, sports stats, or lyrics to their latest album, but when it comes to really knowing the individual that’s an entirely different matter.
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You may know about Jesus’ claim as God’s Son.
You may know about Jesus healing power and many miracles.
You may know about Jesus having died on the cross.
You may know about Jesus rising again three days after.
And you may know that life with God in heaven after this life is only through Jesus.
But until you confess with your mind and heart that you believe all that to be true and accept Jesus as God’s Son...
Until you confess with your mind and heart that you can only be right with God through Jesus’ death and resurrection...
Until you truly repent of your sins and surrender your whole life to Him...
You don’t know Him!
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You only continue to know about Him.
But His desire is that all His lost sheep will come to know Him in a saving way!
In order to know Him...
We must know the Jesus of Scripture...
For the world will say that Jesus is just a moral teacher...
Others that He is only a prophet...
Others still see Him as nothing more than a genie who grants ones wishes.
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Without the Holy Spirit guiding us...
And without the Scriptures as our guide...
We would be completely and utterly confused.
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So, please turn your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke.
We will conduct our study in Chapter 9 and focus on verses 7 through 9.
Our message this morning is titled, “Herod’s Confusion”
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This message today will focus on many of the popular views about Jesus during His day...
Some claimed He was John the Baptist...
Some claimed He was Elijah...
Others claimed He was another Old Testament Prophet...
All this lead to confusion on Herod’s part.
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So, this morning we will cover three main points:
1) Not John the Baptist...
2) Not Elijah or Prophet of Old...
And...
3) So, Who is Jesus?
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Heavenly Father...
You are the one and only Creator of all things seen and unseen...
You are the Rock of Ages...
The one true God!
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Thank You for watching over Your elect...
Thank You for having mercy on us...
Thank You for Your perfect commands...
For we are lost without your words of life!
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You have given us the Holy Spirit...
You have given us the the Old and New Testaments...
And you have given us Your only begotten Son...
He was sent into our broken world to live and die for us!
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And it is in Jesus’s name we pray all these things...
Amen.
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead,
8 by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen.
9 Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) Not John the Baptist
1) Not John the Baptist
Verse 7: Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead,
So, the first observation we can see from this opening verse is that all those miracles that Jesus had performed...
All those miracles that we have covered in depth week after week in our study on the Gospel of Luke...
The authority and power Jesus displayed over the natural realm...
The authority and power Jesus displayed over the spiritual realm...
The authority and power Jesus displayed over sickness....
And the authority and power Jesus displayed over death itself...
All those miraculous events by Christ reached to the very highest levels of government...
Specifically, Herod the tetrarch heard all about it!
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Additionally, as we covered last week Jesus has just sent out the Twelve disciples for the first time...
So, the Twelve’s preaching would have also led to the message of Jesus reaching individuals from all levels of society...
Two by two they were sent out and they quickly multiplied the amount of people who heard the Good News of Jesus Christ.
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So, the “Herod the tetrarch” mentioned in our passage is Herod Antipas who was mentioned earlier in our study...
We will also encounter him again towards the end of study.
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As a reminder, he was the ruler of Galilee from 4 BC to 39 AD...
So, his rule encompassed Jesus’ entire ministry...
In fact, he was one of the 4 rulers of a divided region...
As the word “tetrarch” refers to a ruler of a fourth of a region.
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You see Church, after the death of Herod the Great...
That is the Herod that tried to kill Jesus as a baby...
After his death, Isreal was divided among his sons of which Herod the tetrarch was one.
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As our passage stats Herod the tetrarch was responsible for beheading John the Baptist..
In the Gospel of Matthew we get a full account of this...
So, look with me at Matthew 14:1-12 which says:
1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus,
2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.”
3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,
4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”
5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet.
6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod,
7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.
8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.”
9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given.
10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison,
11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.
12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
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So, Herod had John the Baptist beheaded...
And Herod with his own eyes saw John’s head on a platter...
So, the talk of Jesus actually being John the Baptist raised from the dead confused him...
But as Matthew’s Gospel records, Herod said to his servants:
“This is John the Baptist.
He has been raised from the dead;
That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.”
He saw the miraculous works of Christ and thought He was John...
But Jesus is not John the Baptist...
We know this from all our early messages on the background of both Jesus and John.
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But, John the Baptist was not the only person people thought Jesus was...
Some thought He was the prophet Elijah...
Likewise, others thought if not John the Baptist and if not Elijah then maybe Jesus was another Old Testament Prophet...
And that right there takes us to our second point.
2) Not Elijah or Prophet of Old
2) Not Elijah or Prophet of Old
Verse 8: by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen.
So, many people had Malachi 4:5-6 on mind...
That passage says:
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
To a lot of people they thought this was describing Jesus...
But as we have seen in our study this Elijah figure or type of Elijah is not of the Messiah but of His forerunner.
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In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus makes this perfectly clear as it says in Matthew 17:10-13:
10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.
12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.”
13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
The one who is a type of Elijah has come and it was John the Baptist...
But most did not recognize this...
And instead of celebrating the forerunner, he ended up losing his life...
A fate that Jesus says will happen to Him too.
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So, Jesus is not John the Baptist...
Jesus is not Elijah...
Well, what about another Old Testament prophet?
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In addition to Malachi 4:5-6 there was another Old Testament Scripture the people had in mind when they thought of Jesus...
So, look with me at Deuteronomy 18:15-18 which says:
15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’
17 And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken.
18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
This passage led some to believe Jesus was just another Old Testament prophet...
Some even thought He was the Prophet Jeremiah...
Just look at what it says in Matthew 16:13-14:
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
However, we know that Jesus is not any one of the Old Testament prophets...
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So, Jesus is not John the Baptist...
Jesus is not the prophet Elijah...
Jesus is not the prophet Jeremiah...
And Jesus is not any other past prophet of old...
So, who is Jesus?
Or as our Lord and Savior said in Matthew 16:15:
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
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This is the most important question anyone will ever answer...
Genuinely answering who you say Jesus is reveals one’s heart...
And this takes us to our third and final point of our study today.
3) So, Who is Jesus?
3) So, Who is Jesus?
Verse 9: Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And he sought to see him.
So, our passage reintroduces the question raised back in Luke 8:25 when Jesus calmed the sea...
That passage says:
25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”
Who is Jesus?
That is the million dollar question...
And in our passage this question is now coming to Herod...
As the New American Commentary on Luke says:
“This ‘story about Jesus’ focuses the readers’ attention on the question,
‘Who is Jesus?’
That it was a ruler, the tetrarch of Galilee, who raised the question lends it even greater importance.
Later it would be asked again by the high priest [in Luke 22:67 which says:]
67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe,
And the Roman governor [in Luke 23:3 which says].”
3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”
No matter what level of society you may belong to...
Everyone has to answer that question...
Kings, governors, and high priests are no exception...
Pastors, priests, bishops, and popes are no exception...
Presidents, politicians, professional athletes, celebrities, movie stars, influences are no exception...
Farmers, teachers, doctors, janitors, and business men and women are no exception...
Everyone has to answer the question:
Who is Jesus?
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Now, I would like to reread Matthew 16:13-15 and continue all the way through verse 20 and see what Peter says to this question...
So, Beloved, look with me at Matthew 16:13-20 which says:
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Did you see that, Church?
God the Father revealed to Peter the answer to the million dollar question...
Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
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Jesus is the Messiah!
Jesus is the Son of God!
Jesus is fully man and fully God!
Jesus is the Great I AM!
Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega!
Jesus is God in the flesh!
This is who Jesus is according to the authority of the Word of God!
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In our day today there are many lies about Jesus...
The Muslims says Jesus was just another prophet...
Jehovah's Witness say Jesus is Archangel Micheal...
Mormons say Jesus is the brother of Satan...
Hindus says Jesus was one of many gods...
Jews say Jesus was a false radical rabbi...
Prosperity charlatans say Jesus is just a means to material wealth...
Social Gospel advocates say Jesus is communist hippie...
False converts says Jesus is a get out of Hell card made in their own image...
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Saying you believe in Jesus does not cut it!
Many believe in a Jesus...
But does the Jesus you believe in have the power to save!
Ask yourself...
Who do you say Jesus is?
In your heart of hearts ask...
Who is Jesus?
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Is Jesus your personal Lord?
Is Jesus your personal Savior?
Is Jesus you personal Master?
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Who do you say Jesus is?
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Now, Luke records that Herod sought to see Jesus...
But seeking to see Jesus was not a pure desire...
Herod had two reasons to seek out Jesus...
One was to kill him...
Just look at what is recorded in Luke 13:31-33 which says:
31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.”
32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.
33 Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’
The other reason Herod sought to see Jesus was do see Jesus perform one of His great signs...
Herod looked at Jesus as just a form of entertainment..
Look at what it says in Luke 23:6-12:
6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.
7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.
9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer.
10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him.
11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.
12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
Herod wanted a show...
And if Jesus refused to speak or perform a sign he decided to make a complete mockery of Jesus...
Unfortunately, not much has changed in our day...
Many false churches have turned church into a show!
Many false churches have turned church into a complete mockery of God!
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Some false churches live off of signs and wonders...
They claim great power from God...
They claim to heal all kinds of sickness...
They claim to have private revelations from God...
They claim trips to heaven...
But they lack biblical truths.
They hate sound doctrine and correct theology...
But Jesus says in Matthew 12:39:
39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Other false churches just settle for mocking God...
I kid you not...
The following have happened at false churches run by false teachers:
Best selling author and false pastor Michael Todd who leads Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma...
A church where over 5,000 people attend in person and another over 20,000 people attend online every week...
This supposed pastor has poured syrup and sprayed whipped cream on a Bible as sermon illustration...
He rubbed spit on a man’s face as another sermon illustration...
And he cuddled a mannequin while in bed during a sermon...
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Crossroads Church in Ohio, with a congregation of 34,000, had their false female pastor kick a Bible off the stage in their “Super Bowl Sunday sermon.”
And this mockery is not limited to our country...
In Africa, false preachers have made their congregants get on all four and act like animals...
They have made their followers lay on the ground so they can walk over them so their feet don’t touch the ground...
And one wolf in sheep's clothing proudly founts his wrestling championship belt which he claims was a reward for fighting and defeating Satan in Hell...
And these false churches in Africa run by these false teachers are some of the fasting growing churches in the world...
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In all these examples the people claim to follow Jesus...
But Jesus is no ringleader running a circus!
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Beloved, I am not hear to entertain you...
I love you too much to do that!
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Sure, we are not a church of 35,000...
But God is not looking at a church’s roll call...
God is looking at the each person’s heart.
God is looking for your answer to the million dollar question...
Jesus is asking...
“Who do you say I am?”
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As Theologian Darrell L. Bock says:
“But the issue of Jesus’ identity needs to be considered by all.
Even those in the highest places have to consider who he is.
All must decide where they think Jesus fits.”
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Where is Jesus in your life?
Do you only visit Him on Sunday for a few hours?
Where is Jesus in your life on Monday?
Makes me think of a line from the song “This Is How We Roll” by Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan:
“Yeah, we cuss on them Mondays and pray on them Sundays”
It makes for a catchy tune...
But it is lousy theology!
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Jesus is asking...
“Who do you say I am?”
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Where is Jesus in your life on Tuesday?
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How about mid-week?
Where is Jesus in your life on Wednesday and Thursday?
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Is Jesus in your life as your week ends on Friday?
How about Saturday?
You can learn a lot about a person when you seen hoe they spend their Saturdays.
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Beloved, is Jesus your priority?
Do you make your life discussions based on His commands?
Or , do you just try to make Jesus fit in your life?
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Is Jesus really just a garnish you put on top of your life so you can feel better about yourself?
Or, is He the whole entree!
Is He really your everything!
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Jesus is asking...
“Who do you say I am?”
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Are you ashamed of Christ or is He your all in all?
Is Jesus just something you wear on your necklace or is He in your heart and mind?
Was Jesus just a really cool superhero martyr to you or is He your Lord, Savior, and Master?
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Jesus is asking...
“Who do you say I am?”
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As pastor John MacArthur says:
“That question of the identity of Jesus is the most important one ever asked and answered.
The response each person gives to it will determine his or her eternal destiny, in hell or heaven.
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Tragically, most people then as now gave the wrong answer.
But Peter, speaking for the disciples, a Roman centurion at the cross, and doubting Thomas, among others, gave the correct answer:
Jesus is God the Son, the Messiah, Savior, and Lord.”
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
So, as this message comes to a close...
I would like to share this that I came across in my study this week:
In today's world of Smart Phones, tablets and instant Internet access, there are many things that we can “know.”
If someone asks the questions, “how long is the Verrazano Bridge,” an average person with a 4G or 5G connection and an iphone can ask Siri, “How long is the Verrazano Bridge,” and they will get an almost instantaneous response.
But if we had sitting here an 85 year old retired construction worker that spent 2 years of his life building the Verrazano bridge in his 20s we would get the right information, but we would also get it with great passion.
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That's what it means to “know Christ and the power of his resurrection.”
It involves much more than repeating facts concerning Christ or the Bible.
Knowing Christ is an intimate relationship with Him that changes your life.
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Beloved, a true follower of Christ is completely sold out for Christ...
There is no middle ground...
There is a process of sanctification but there is no middle ground.
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If Jesus is truly your Lord and Savior they there will be a great genuine passion for Him and the things of God...
I love what preacher Paul Washer says:
“The doctrine of the carnal Christian has destroyed more lives and sent more people to hell than you can imagine!
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Do Christians struggle with sin?
Yes.
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Can a Christian fall into sin?
Absolutely.
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Can a Christian live in a continuous state of carnality all the days of his life, not bearing fruit, and truly be Christian?
Absolutely not !
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Or every promise in the Old Testament regarding the New Testament covenant of preservation has failed, and everything God said about discipline in Hebrews is a lie!
‘A tree is known by its fruit.’”
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So, keep this in mind...
Jesus is asking...
“Who do you say I am?”
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
Let’s pray...
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Heavenly Father...
If anyone hearing this message right now does not know You in a saving way...
Flood them with Your truth...
Shatter any obstacles in their life that would get in the way of knowing You...
Help them to see the real Jesus!
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I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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For those hearing this message who already know You...
Thank you for allowing us to encounter the true Jesus of the Bible...
We are so thankful for your grace which is a true free gift...
Allow us to be used by You to share your Gospel with those who desperately need to answer rightly the question: “Who is Jesus?”
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Again, I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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And it is in Jesus’s name we pray all these things...
Amen.
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To God be all the glory.
Amen.
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Please join us for one more song from the Praise Band.