WEBVTT
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This program is made
possible by the giving
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of the God called partners
of Renner Ministries.
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Get ready for a teaching
that feeds your spirit
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and your mind where the
word is the anchor in
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uncertain times
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and doctrine doesn't bend to culture.
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We keep it simple,
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but dive deep revealing a
truth that strengthens us,
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a love that emboldens,
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and a mission that touches the world.
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Let's join Rick Renner.
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Hey, welcome to today's program.
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I've been waiting to see you
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and I hope that you've
been waiting for me.
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Right now I'm teaching a brand new series,
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which is called Christmas,
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The Rest of the Story. When
I was a young boy growing up,
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every year my daddy would
read the Christmas story to me
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and my sisters and I just loved it
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when daddy read the Christmas story to us.
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I loved every detail of Christmas.
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But when I got older, I began
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to study more deeply about
all the events that took place
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around the event we call Christmas.
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And I was amazed at what I discovered.
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And that's why I really want you
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to have the brand new series,
which is called Christmas,
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The Rest of the Story.
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And the subtitle appropriately says,
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Amazing insights about Christmas you've never heard before.
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It's 15 parts.
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I know that may sound very big,
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but my friends, you really will listen to every one of these
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and devour it
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because it's just jam packed
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with treasures about events
you've never heard about
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before around the birth of Jesus.
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It is just thrilling.
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And it comes with a great study guide so
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that you can read all the
information while you see it
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or while you hear it.
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And I know that you really
love beautiful books
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and books that are filled with truth.
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And so I want you to get
the book called Christmas.
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The Rest of the Story,
look at the size of it,
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it's hardcover, it's 300 pages,
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and we really did our very best
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to make a masterpiece for you.
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Every single page is full
color, fully illustrated.
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You will see things in this book
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that you've never considered before,
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and the color just brings it to life.
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You will devour it.
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And really you should order several
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because I know that when you
get yours, you're gonna say,
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ah, why didn't I order several?
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Because you're gonna want
to give this to your friends
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or to other members of your family.
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It is just thrilling.
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But before we get into
the teaching today, I want
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to tell you that if you need prayer
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and I understand what
it means to need prayer,
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because sometimes Denise
and I need prayer,
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and when we need prayer,
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we call our friends that
we love and we trust,
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and we ask them to pray with us.
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Well, if you need somebody
that you can trust to pray
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with you, here we are,
give us a call right now
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or send us an email.
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You can reach out to us
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and you can be absolutely sure
that if you ask us to pray
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for you, we will really pray
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and we will keep your
prayer request confidential,
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but reach out to us by
calling or send us an email.
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But I want you to see this
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and then I'll be back to
begin today's teaching
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In a culture where Santa seems
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to overpower the reason for the season.
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It's time to return to the true meaning
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of Christmas in Rick Renner's
timeless new book, Christmas.
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The Rest of the Story, Rick
uncovers the stunning details
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of the nativity story.
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You have never heard details like -
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Who exactly was Joseph the father of Jesus?
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Why did God choose Mary?
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What was the star that guided the Wise Men?
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Who were the Wise Men who came to see Jesus?
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How far did they travel
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and what was the value of the
gifts they brought to Christ?
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Through its detailed watercolor illustration, Christmas,
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The Rest of the Story, invites families
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to explore the true meaning
of Christmas as they interact
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with the story across
decorated pages in a coffee
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table size format.
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When you call or go online
right now to order this book
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for just $45, you'll receive the eternal story of Christmas.
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Now, beautifully told in
this timeless keepsake,
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this is a sweeping portrait
of the Christmas story,
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allowing readers to reflect
on why Jesus came at the dawn
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of the first century and ultimately the
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reason for his birth.
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With stunning illustrations
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and nearly 300 pages, your
family can create a tradition
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that will last for generations.
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Great is a gift for enhancing
your own traditions.
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Order the book today, Christmas, The Rest of the Story
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for just $45.
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Call now or go to renner.org to order.
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Don't miss this special Christmas offer.
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Today we're gonna be looking
at Jesus baby dedication in
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the temple about 40
days after he was born.
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And we're going to begin in Luke 2:21,
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where the Bible says,
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And when 8 days were accomplished for the circumcising
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of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named
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of the angel before he was conceived in the womb
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and in accordance with Jewish law.
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40 days after Mary's purification, Mary
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and Joseph brought Jesus
to the temple in Jerusalem
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to dedicate him to God.
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It really was a baby dedication.
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And in Luke 2:22, we read,
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And when the days of her purification, according to the law
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of Moses were accomplished,
they brought him to Jerusalem
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to present him to the Lord.
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And what Mary
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and Joseph did at that
temple in Jerusalem is
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what we today would
call a baby dedication.
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What is a baby dedication?
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A baby dedication is a ceremony in which believing parents
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and sometimes entire families make a commitment
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before the Lord to raise their child according to God's word
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and God's ways.
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It is a commitment that provides parents an opportunity
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to express publicly their desire to lead
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and spiritually nurture
a child, to love God
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and to serve him.
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And today, baby dedications
can take many forms.
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Sometimes a baby dedication
happens privately;
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other the times it happens in front
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of an entire congregation
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so everybody can witness
what is happening,
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but it is intended to
be a public statement
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by the parents.
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Did you hear that - a baby dedication is intended
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to be a public statement by the parents
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that they will train their children in the Christian faith
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and seek to instill that faith in that child.
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Even among the Jews at the time of Jesus,
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A baby dedication ceremony
involved the reading
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of key Bible passages
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and a verbal exchange in which
the parents publicly agreed
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to raise a child according to God's word.
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And today, there are baby
dedications in synagogues
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and in Christian denominations.
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But the 1st baby dedication
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that we read about in scripture really happened with Hannah
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who cried out to God and
asked God to give her a child.
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And God gave her Samuel and
she dedicated Samuel to God.
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But the most well-known baby
dedication is the one which
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we're reading about in Luke 2:22,
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when Joseph and Mary
took Jesus to the temple
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to present him to the Lord.
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And that is what is illustrated on the screen behind me.
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But really if you stop and think about it,
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a baby dedication is really
more of a parent dedication.
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That's what it's about in that moment.
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Parents are guardians, stand
before God and before others.
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And with the child in their
arms, they make a commitment
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that they're going to
raise that child according
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to the word of God.
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Mm, this is so powerful
and we need to do this.
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And those responsible for
a child, well, they want
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to make a commitment to teach him
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or her to walk in obedience
to God in his ways,
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in every respect of their lives.
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And it's quite a commitment
to raise a child.
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But I want you to understand
that a baby dedication,
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it's really a parent dedication.
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But in Luke 2:22, we read that Joseph
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and Mary brought him -
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that is they brought Jesus to Jerusalem
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to present him to the Lord.
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Notice those words to present.
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This is very, very significant
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because it is a translation
of a Greek word, which means:
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to place at one's disposal,
to fully surrender,
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to offer a sacrifice to,
present as an offering to God
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or to dedicate something to God once
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and for all.
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And this is very important
because it tells us that Joseph
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and Mary presented their
newborn son to the Lord.
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And in that moment,
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they were willfully placing
him at God's disposal.
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They were fully surrendering him to God.
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They were offering him as a living sacrifice,
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and they were officially dedicating him to the Father once
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and for all. This word present
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depicts a commitment upon
which one will never, never,
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never back off, or cease to fulfill.
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It was their public promise
to raise Jesus according
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to the scriptures and that they
would teach him to serve God
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and to serve God's people
as a priority in life.
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But really it's a parent dedication,
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making the decision we're
gonna present this child
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to the Lord and do whatever
is needed to make sure
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that child serves God.
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And to reinforce this once
and for all commitment.
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That's really what a baby dedication is.
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But today we have the
example of Joseph and Mary,
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and it's very important
for Christian parents
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to take this example.
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They need to dedicate their children to the Lord
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and make their own personal commitment that they will raise
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that child according to the word of God
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and to love the people of God.
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But we find the same word present
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that is used in Luke 2:22 is also used
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by the apostle Paul in Romans 12:1,
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where he wrote that all Christians are to
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present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
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acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
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And that word present in Romans 12:
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1 is the same word which we find in Luke 2:
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22, which means Paul was actually urging each of us
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to officially dedicate
ourselves once and for all
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and forever to the plans
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and purposes of God.
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It is a full dedication,
never to be retracted,
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a dedication we must commit to live
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for the rest of our lives.
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And according to Romans 12:1, each of us,
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each of us, are to offer up our body
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as a living sacrifice.
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But notice Paul adds the word beseech.
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I beseech you to do this.
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I beseech you to present your bodies.
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Why does he use the word beseech?
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Well, the word beseech is a
Greek word, which pictures one
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who has something so important to say
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that he pulls right up alongside of his listener, getting
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as close to him as possible
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and then begins to plead with him
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to take some kind of action.
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It pictures a person who passionately begs
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or pleads with a person
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or a group of people to do something.
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And the sense of pleading is so strong
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that one expositor says,
it's almost the image
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of the apostle Paul dropping to his knees, begging,
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pleading, praying with his listeners to hear
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what he is saying and then to do what he says.
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And he's powerfully pleading with them
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to present their bodies as
a living sacrifice to God.
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But there's something else
about this word besiege.
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It's the Greek word parakaleo
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which was also used in the ancient
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Greek world to describe
commanding officers who came
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to their troops when their troops were
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about to go to battle.
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And the commanding officer
would beseech them.
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He would say the war before you Israel,
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it might be gory, it could be very difficult,
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but you need to face this bravely
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and decide that you can do it.
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So hold your head high,
throw your shoulders back,
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stand up straight.
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Look the enemy eyeball to eyeball
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and go into the battle bravely.
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And the reason Paul also
uses this word beseech is
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because he knows that
when you make a decision
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to dedicate your body to
God, it can be a battle.
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So he beseeches us like a commander.
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Look the enemy eyeball to eyeball.
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Hold your head high,
throw your shoulders back,
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and make a decision that
you are gonna take charge
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of your flesh
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and present your body
as a living sacrifice.
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And it is no suggestion.
This is a command.
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So let's talk for a moment
about the dedication
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of your body.
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The verse says, Romans 12:1 - I beseech you
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therefore brethren, by the mercies of God
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that you present your bodies a living sacrifice.
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And in this verse, the
apostle Paul calls on you
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and me to put our bodies on the altar
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and dedicate them as a
living sacrifice to God once
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and for all.
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And Paul's language in this
verse is really peculiar
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because there had never been a living
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sacrifice before.
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Sacrifices were always dead.
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So the concept of a
living sacrifice, well,
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this is really new,
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but in Romans 12, one, Paul calls on us
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to present our physical
bodies as a living sacrifice,
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which means God is seeking those
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who will lay themselves on the altar, stay on the altar
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by their own free will
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and stay there as a living sacrifice.
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We are to be completely surrendered
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to him: this means 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
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in the same way that Mary
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and Joseph presented Jesus to the Father
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that day in the temple. When they presented Jesus
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to the Father, they officially dedicated him once
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and for all forever to the plans and purposes of God.
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And the truth is, there are
vast numbers of believers
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that have given their hearts to Jesus,
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but they have never given
their bodies to Jesus.
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Today, if you have never given your body to the Lord
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as a living sacrifice, then I
urge you to pray this prayer.
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Lord, I'm giving you my body. It's yours.
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It's no longer mine. I present
my physical person to you.
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It is at your disposal.
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I'm giving it to you
once and for all forever.
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Wow. But Romans 12:1 also infers that we are
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to dedicate our minds to the Lord.
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The mind is another area
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that many Christians have never really fully
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surrendered to God.
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They gave their hearts to Jesus,
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but they didn't give their mind and their thinking to Jesus.
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And often they even say, Well my mind is under my control.
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I have a right to think
what I want to think.
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But a Deuteronomy chapter six,
verse five, the Bible says,
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and thou shalt love the Lord
thy God with all thy in heart.
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That's right. That's where we start.
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But then it adds with all thy mind
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and with all thy strength.
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And according to this
verse, dedicating our minds
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to the Lord is not a suggestion,
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it also is a command.
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God wants you to present
your mind to him once
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and for all.
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He knows that your mind is
the central control center
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00:16:12.680 --> 00:16:15.380
of your life and he wants
to dominate your mind,
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dominate your thinking.
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00:16:17.510 --> 00:16:20.480
And if you have never given
your mind to the Lord,
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00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:23.060
then right now pray this prayer.
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Lord, I officially present to you my mind
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as my sacrifice to you.
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I'm giving you my mind. It's
yours. It's no longer mine.
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My memory, banks, my
thinking capacity, all
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00:16:37.310 --> 00:16:42.110
of it are at your
disposal once and for all.
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00:16:42.950 --> 00:16:45.740
If you've never surrendered
your mind to the lordship
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00:16:45.740 --> 00:16:50.030
of Jesus, you need to do it
right now once and for all.
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00:16:50.030 --> 00:16:52.970
But there's another area that
you need to dedicate once
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00:16:52.970 --> 00:16:57.970
and for all, and that is the
dedication of your emotions.
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00:16:58.340 --> 00:17:00.860
People have given their hearts to Jesus,
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00:17:00.860 --> 00:17:03.470
but often they've not given
their emotions to Jesus.
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00:17:03.470 --> 00:17:05.600
And they even may say,
well, the Lord has my heart,
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00:17:05.600 --> 00:17:08.360
but I have the right to
feel what I want to feel.
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00:17:08.360 --> 00:17:10.070
Well, you need to understand that emotions
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are very powerful.
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00:17:11.210 --> 00:17:14.690
And when emotions are not in the control of the Holy Spirit,
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00:17:14.690 --> 00:17:18.110
they can really lead you in the wrong direction.
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00:17:18.110 --> 00:17:21.740
They can become a weapon that
harms you and harms others.
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00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:25.520
But in Romans 12:1, Paul calls on us
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00:17:25.520 --> 00:17:30.050
to present our entire being, including our emotions once
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00:17:30.050 --> 00:17:32.720
and for all to God as a part
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00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:36.500
of you becoming a living sacrifice.
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00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:40.940
And once again, the word
present means to present once
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and for all a done deal forever.
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00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:50.580
So we find that God calls
on every believer to once
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00:17:50.580 --> 00:17:55.200
and for all present his body, his mind,
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00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:57.180
and his emotions and all that he
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00:17:57.180 --> 00:18:01.650
or she is as a special
offering to the Lord
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00:18:01.650 --> 00:18:03.690
as a living sacrifice.
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00:18:03.690 --> 00:18:06.870
But what does the word sacrifice mean?
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00:18:06.870 --> 00:18:10.170
The word sacrifice in Romans 12:1,
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00:18:10.170 --> 00:18:13.740
depicts something that you
give up that is very precious
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and very dear to you.
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Sacrifices in the ancient world were very, very expensive
375
00:18:19.890 --> 00:18:22.830
because it cost something very significant
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00:18:22.830 --> 00:18:25.410
to give a sacrifice. If it wasn't significant,
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00:18:25.410 --> 00:18:28.110
that it wasn't really a sacrifice.
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00:18:28.110 --> 00:18:32.130
And for you to become a
living sacrifice will require
379
00:18:32.130 --> 00:18:34.230
for you to do something very significant.
380
00:18:34.230 --> 00:18:37.620
And I'm talking really
about a death to self.
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00:18:38.520 --> 00:18:42.330
Such a living sacrifice occurs when
382
00:18:42.330 --> 00:18:46.380
you bow your will, dethroned self,
383
00:18:46.380 --> 00:18:50.220
enthrone Jesus by choosing
to submit to his lordship
384
00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:53.160
and by choosing to
obediently live according
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00:18:53.160 --> 00:18:55.080
to his commands.
386
00:18:55.080 --> 00:18:59.490
This is a daily sacrifice
of saying no to self
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00:18:59.490 --> 00:19:02.310
and yes to God.
388
00:19:02.310 --> 00:19:05.700
That's what you're commanded
to do, and you can do it.
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00:19:05.700 --> 00:19:08.370
And because there was no such thing
390
00:19:08.370 --> 00:19:13.200
as a living sacrifice in
the ancient world, hmm,
391
00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:16.650
God's calling us on the
contrary to present ourself
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00:19:16.650 --> 00:19:19.140
as a living sacrifice.
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00:19:19.140 --> 00:19:21.330
Listen to this. In the ancient world,
394
00:19:21.330 --> 00:19:22.890
if a person brought a sacrifice
395
00:19:22.890 --> 00:19:25.710
and walked off with a living sacrifice,
396
00:19:25.710 --> 00:19:27.420
then he didn't make a sacrifice.
397
00:19:27.420 --> 00:19:31.140
It wasn't a sacrifice unless it was dead.
398
00:19:31.140 --> 00:19:33.300
If he walked off with a living animal,
399
00:19:33.300 --> 00:19:36.480
all he did was make a lot of noise, make a lot of commotion,
400
00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:38.250
and make a big spectacle.
401
00:19:38.250 --> 00:19:42.930
But unless it died, it wasn't a sacrifice.
402
00:19:42.930 --> 00:19:46.620
Now for us to become a living sacrifice
403
00:19:46.620 --> 00:19:49.470
because we're not dying
permanently, we're alive,
404
00:19:49.470 --> 00:19:51.120
but we're choosing that
every day we're going
405
00:19:51.120 --> 00:19:52.770
to die to ourselves,
406
00:19:52.770 --> 00:19:56.280
we must be willing to crawl onto the altar,
407
00:19:56.280 --> 00:20:00.240
surrender ourselves, yield
what is precious, be willing
408
00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:02.490
to renounce all claims to ourself
409
00:20:02.490 --> 00:20:06.510
and fully surrender ourselves
to the purposes of God.
410
00:20:06.510 --> 00:20:10.380
And by dying to ourself every day,
411
00:20:10.380 --> 00:20:13.920
we become a living sacrifice.
412
00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:17.100
And this really is something
that must be done every day.
413
00:20:17.100 --> 00:20:20.310
And as believers, we need to say,
414
00:20:20.310 --> 00:20:21.780
you can pray this with me right now -
415
00:20:21.780 --> 00:20:25.590
God, I'm presenting myself to you.
416
00:20:25.590 --> 00:20:30.150
I present and surrender to
you my body, my soul, my mind,
417
00:20:30.150 --> 00:20:35.130
my will, my emotions I choose
to die to I want, what I think
418
00:20:35.130 --> 00:20:36.600
and how I feel about things.
419
00:20:36.600 --> 00:20:41.460
And I humbly place myself at your disposal once
420
00:20:41.460 --> 00:20:43.500
and for all.
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00:20:43.500 --> 00:20:47.230
And the Bible tells us in Romans 12:1
422
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& 2, that when a believer does this,
423
00:20:49.210 --> 00:20:51.640
this is acceptable with God.
424
00:20:51.640 --> 00:20:54.550
And that word acceptable
means it's fully pleasing
425
00:20:54.550 --> 00:20:56.890
or it is fabulous in the mind of God.
426
00:20:56.890 --> 00:21:00.910
This is a sacrifice which God accepts.
427
00:21:00.910 --> 00:21:03.700
Do you see how powerful this is?
428
00:21:03.700 --> 00:21:06.490
But what does this mean for you 1st,
429
00:21:06.490 --> 00:21:08.620
1st. Just as Joseph
430
00:21:08.620 --> 00:21:10.900
and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem
431
00:21:10.900 --> 00:21:14.320
to dedicate him in the temple as a baby,
432
00:21:15.160 --> 00:21:18.490
now every Christian parent should do his best
433
00:21:18.490 --> 00:21:20.230
to present their child to the Lord
434
00:21:20.230 --> 00:21:22.120
and to make the commitment
that they will raise
435
00:21:22.120 --> 00:21:25.510
that child according to God's
word, in God's ways into love,
436
00:21:25.510 --> 00:21:26.920
God's people.
437
00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:31.720
No.2: God expects each of us, regardless of our age,
438
00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:35.380
to surrender ourselves as a living sacrifice to God.
439
00:21:35.380 --> 00:21:39.160
Every day we are to present
ourselves just as Joseph
440
00:21:39.160 --> 00:21:42.670
and Mary presented Jesus once and for all.
441
00:21:42.670 --> 00:21:47.110
But wait, No.3: there's something very else,
442
00:21:47.110 --> 00:21:49.510
very important that happened on
443
00:21:49.510 --> 00:21:52.870
that day in the temple when Joseph
444
00:21:52.870 --> 00:21:55.990
and Mary dedicated Jesus to the Lord.
445
00:21:55.990 --> 00:21:59.980
On that day, as all of these
events were taking place
446
00:21:59.980 --> 00:22:04.360
to very famous characters
came strolling into the temple
447
00:22:04.360 --> 00:22:07.300
and the Bible tells us they
were directed by the Holy Spirit
448
00:22:07.300 --> 00:22:08.860
to come at that very moment.
449
00:22:08.860 --> 00:22:12.160
One of them was named Simeon,
the other was named Anna.
450
00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:15.880
Both of them had a spirit
of prophecy upon them
451
00:22:15.880 --> 00:22:18.070
and they were directed by
the Holy Spirit to come at
452
00:22:18.070 --> 00:22:21.730
that very moment to see this
child that was being dedicated
453
00:22:21.730 --> 00:22:25.300
because this was the Christ
child, it was the Messiah.
454
00:22:25.300 --> 00:22:28.930
And both of them began to prophesy.
455
00:22:28.930 --> 00:22:31.510
And when we study the stories of Simeon
456
00:22:31.510 --> 00:22:33.910
and Anna, we find how they waited
457
00:22:33.910 --> 00:22:35.560
for the first coming of the Lord.
458
00:22:35.560 --> 00:22:39.010
And there's so much we can glean from it about what we need
459
00:22:39.010 --> 00:22:42.670
to do as we're waiting for
the next coming of the Lord.
460
00:22:42.670 --> 00:22:46.990
And that's where we're going to pick up in the next program.
461
00:22:46.990 --> 00:22:48.910
But I'll be back in just a moment,
462
00:22:48.910 --> 00:22:50.440
and I want to pray for you.
463
00:22:50.440 --> 00:22:52.600
Do you really know
the story of Christmas?
464
00:22:52.600 --> 00:22:54.820
Is there more to the story about the birth
465
00:22:54.820 --> 00:22:57.130
of our Savior than what you've been told. In this
466
00:22:57.130 --> 00:22:58.180
series, Christmas -
467
00:22:58.180 --> 00:23:01.150
The Rest of the Story, Rick Renner dives deep into the parts
468
00:23:01.150 --> 00:23:03.880
of the Christmas story that most people have never heard.
469
00:23:03.880 --> 00:23:06.970
Rick says, I've studied this story for decades
470
00:23:06.970 --> 00:23:10.090
and I found fabulous treasures
no one ever shared with me.
471
00:23:10.090 --> 00:23:12.970
In this series, we explore the Bible, history,
472
00:23:12.970 --> 00:23:14.170
historical writings,
473
00:23:14.170 --> 00:23:17.650
and so much more so we can really understand all the events
474
00:23:17.650 --> 00:23:20.140
that took place surrounding the birth of Jesus.
475
00:23:20.140 --> 00:23:23.410
Rick answers questions like - Why did God choose Mary?
476
00:23:23.410 --> 00:23:25.300
Was Joseph really a carpenter?
477
00:23:25.300 --> 00:23:28.300
Why was Herod so troubled by Jesus' birth?
478
00:23:28.300 --> 00:23:29.650
Who were the Magi
479
00:23:29.650 --> 00:23:32.350
and what was the estimated value of their gifts?
480
00:23:32.350 --> 00:23:35.830
This 15-part documentary type series is available in digital
481
00:23:35.830 --> 00:23:39.220
or physical format starting at just $24.
482
00:23:39.220 --> 00:23:41.890
And we are excited to also
offer you Rick's stunning new
483
00:23:41.890 --> 00:23:44.320
book, Christmas, The Rest of the Story.
484
00:23:44.320 --> 00:23:46.190
It's a book you'll want
to share with friends
485
00:23:46.190 --> 00:23:48.140
and family at this time of the year.
486
00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:52.070
This hardcover 300 page fully illustrated book is a keepsake
487
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that friends and family will
pass on to future generations.
488
00:23:55.490 --> 00:23:58.550
Don't miss this special offer: the series - Christmas,
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The Rest of the Story,
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00:23:59.720 --> 00:24:02.960
and the beautiful book Christmas, The Rest of the Story.
491
00:24:02.960 --> 00:24:04.460
Call the number on your screen now
492
00:24:04.460 --> 00:24:06.200
or go to renner.org to order.
493
00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:07.730
Call or go online now.
494
00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:12.140
Hey, this is Rick Renner,
495
00:24:12.140 --> 00:24:15.380
and right now I'm standing
in the reception area
496
00:24:15.380 --> 00:24:18.230
of the Tulsa Ministry Headquarters,
497
00:24:18.230 --> 00:24:21.380
and this building is just so wonderful.
498
00:24:21.380 --> 00:24:26.150
You know, the Bible tells us in Proverbs 10:21, The lips
499
00:24:26.150 --> 00:24:29.090
of the righteous feed many.
500
00:24:29.090 --> 00:24:31.730
And I know that is our assignment.
501
00:24:31.730 --> 00:24:35.990
God has called us to feed many
people the trusted teaching
502
00:24:35.990 --> 00:24:37.490
of the Bible.
503
00:24:37.490 --> 00:24:39.980
And together with you and all of our partners,
504
00:24:39.980 --> 00:24:43.880
we really are taking the trusted teaching of the word of God
505
00:24:43.880 --> 00:24:46.610
to the very ends of the Earth.
506
00:24:46.610 --> 00:24:50.690
Right now, we've paid off
about 82% of this facility,
507
00:24:50.690 --> 00:24:53.060
and that is just wonderful.
508
00:24:53.060 --> 00:24:55.010
But now we need to knock
it out of the ballpark.
509
00:24:55.010 --> 00:24:56.570
We need to finish this
510
00:24:56.570 --> 00:24:59.510
because when we're finished
paying off this facility,
511
00:24:59.510 --> 00:25:01.940
that frees up finances.
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00:25:01.940 --> 00:25:03.800
So we can take the teaching of the Bible
513
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to more places across
the face of the earth
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00:25:06.980 --> 00:25:09.800
where people are crying out for someone
515
00:25:09.800 --> 00:25:11.870
to feed them the word of God.
516
00:25:11.870 --> 00:25:14.150
And my friends, we can
only do it with your help.
517
00:25:14.150 --> 00:25:17.300
So thank you if you're
already a part of the team,
518
00:25:17.300 --> 00:25:20.870
and if not yet part of the
team, please join us as a part
519
00:25:20.870 --> 00:25:23.000
of the Giving Team to pay off this facility
520
00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:24.890
so we can be finished with it
521
00:25:24.890 --> 00:25:27.740
and use these funds to
take the gospel further
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00:25:27.740 --> 00:25:30.140
to other places across the world.
523
00:25:36.890 --> 00:25:38.540
I wanna pray for you right now.
524
00:25:38.540 --> 00:25:40.040
Maybe you've heard this teaching today
525
00:25:40.040 --> 00:25:42.350
and you've said, you know,
I've never surrendered
526
00:25:42.350 --> 00:25:43.940
my body to the Lord.
527
00:25:43.940 --> 00:25:46.100
I've never given him my mind.
528
00:25:46.100 --> 00:25:48.890
I've never surrendered him my emotions,
529
00:25:48.890 --> 00:25:51.740
but my friends, you are
called to present all of you
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00:25:51.740 --> 00:25:56.740
to the Lord once and for
all a final presentation.
531
00:25:56.840 --> 00:26:00.410
God, I'm placing me in all
that I am at your disposal.
532
00:26:00.410 --> 00:26:03.260
So I want you to put your
hand on your heart as I pray
533
00:26:03.260 --> 00:26:05.930
for you right now, pray with me - Father, in the name
534
00:26:05.930 --> 00:26:07.550
of Jesus, I pray for my friend
535
00:26:07.550 --> 00:26:11.240
that in this moment they
will officially present all
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00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:12.590
of them to you.
537
00:26:12.590 --> 00:26:14.600
They've already given you their heart.
538
00:26:14.600 --> 00:26:17.540
But Lord, today, they want
to give you their body,
539
00:26:17.540 --> 00:26:20.870
their mind, their emotions
and all that they are.
540
00:26:20.870 --> 00:26:24.680
And Lord, we ask you to
receive them, sanctify them,
541
00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:28.520
consecrate them, Lord, they
are committing to serve you
542
00:26:28.520 --> 00:26:29.600
and to serve your word
543
00:26:29.600 --> 00:26:32.420
and your people for the
rest of their lives.
544
00:26:32.420 --> 00:26:36.530
In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.
545
00:26:36.530 --> 00:26:38.750
Hey, remember that we're
offering you the series,
546
00:26:38.750 --> 00:26:41.270
which is called Christmas, The Rest of the Story.
547
00:26:41.270 --> 00:26:44.880
The subtitle says, amazing
Insights about Christmas
548
00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:47.070
that you've never heard before.
549
00:26:47.070 --> 00:26:50.250
It's 15-parts and it comes in multiple formats,
550
00:26:50.250 --> 00:26:52.110
and it comes with a great study guide.
551
00:26:52.110 --> 00:26:54.750
The study guide is just
loaded with all the points
552
00:26:54.750 --> 00:26:57.450
and all the principles in the series,
553
00:26:57.450 --> 00:26:59.880
and we're also offering you
my book that I really want you
554
00:26:59.880 --> 00:27:01.980
to have, which is also called - Christmas,
555
00:27:01.980 --> 00:27:04.140
The Rest of the Story - it's a hardback.
556
00:27:04.140 --> 00:27:05.940
It's about 300 pages.
557
00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:09.450
It's just so beautiful because
it's fully illustrated.
558
00:27:09.450 --> 00:27:12.510
Every page is full color.
559
00:27:12.510 --> 00:27:15.060
You will want to share this
with your family, share it
560
00:27:15.060 --> 00:27:17.580
with your friends, share
it with your grandchildren,
561
00:27:17.580 --> 00:27:20.670
because it will just take
them right into Christmas
562
00:27:20.670 --> 00:27:22.740
and it will show them all the rest
563
00:27:22.740 --> 00:27:25.290
of the story they've never heard before.
564
00:27:25.290 --> 00:27:27.690
It is just miraculous.
565
00:27:27.690 --> 00:27:30.300
You can order all of these by going online
566
00:27:30.300 --> 00:27:32.910
or by giving us a call,
but hey, we're out of time.
567
00:27:32.910 --> 00:27:36.090
I'll see you tomorrow. But remember Ecclesiastes 8:
568
00:27:36.090 --> 00:27:39.570
4, "Where the word of a king is there's power."
569
00:27:39.570 --> 00:27:41.820
If you've never received
Jesus as your Savior
570
00:27:41.820 --> 00:27:46.230
and Lord, now is the time for
you to experience a new life
571
00:27:46.230 --> 00:27:48.390
Jesus has to give you.
572
00:27:48.390 --> 00:27:52.470
Pray this prayer with me right now - Lord,
573
00:27:52.470 --> 00:27:56.490
I repent of my sin and
receive you as my Savior
574
00:27:56.490 --> 00:27:59.430
and Lord. Wash away my sin
575
00:27:59.430 --> 00:28:02.460
and make me completely new.
576
00:28:02.460 --> 00:28:06.270
I thank you that my sin is removed
577
00:28:06.270 --> 00:28:11.270
and Satan no longer has any
right to lay claim on me.
578
00:28:11.820 --> 00:28:15.780
I faithfully promise that
I will serve you as my Lord
579
00:28:15.780 --> 00:28:17.490
for the rest of my life -
580
00:28:18.360 --> 00:28:19.193
Amen.