WEBVTT

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 There was once a rich man, a rich and wealthy man, who saw a bruised and injured woman in the gutter.

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 She was dirty and wounded. He lifted her up, he cleaned her and he cared for her.

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 One day, they were married, with a solemn oath and a giving of promises.

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 He gave her fine clothes and jewellery, the very best bracelets and necklaces and rings of gold and silver.

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 They honeymooned and feasted together.

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 The man cared for her and in his spotlight, she became beautiful.

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 And her fame and popularity spread.

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 All knew about this woman's beauty.

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 But she trusted in her beauty.

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 And she used her fame to sell herself.

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 She sold herself to anyone that she could.

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 She even sold all her gifts that her husband had given her, so she could pay for lovers to be with her.

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 Instead of receiving payment, she paid for them herself.

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 But the money disappeared.

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 Her beauty gone and her lovers turned on her.

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 She was left bruised and dirty and ruined in the gutter again.

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 But again, her husband came to her and lifted her up.

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 He wiped away her tears.

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 He wiped away her blood at the cost of his own.

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 He restored her beauty because of his great love for her.

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 The man in this story is God.

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 And the woman is his people Israel.

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 This is a summary of part of the Old Testament from Ezekiel chapter 16.

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 Let me encourage you to go home and read that.

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 Ezekiel 16 tells that story in far greater detail.

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 But it tells of God's people like a wife doing the worst possible thing in a marriage.

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 Absolute betrayal.

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 Because the Bible, in one sense, is a love story.

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 A story of people that God has chosen to love who run from him and have chosen other things and other gods to love.

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 It shows in black and white how depraved we are as people compared to God's love.

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 That's the picture the Bible presents of God and of us.

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 God chooses people and made them wonderful and they ran in every direction.

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 But God, at the cost of his own son, has lifted us up and restored us.

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 As we come to the final passage in 2 Corinthians, we're looking at authentic restoration.

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 Paul has had conflict with this church in Corinth because they had run away from Jesus.

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 They had broken relationship with him.

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 They've chased a different version of Jesus because they were deceived by a group of so-called super apostles.

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 As Paul closes this letter, he reminds the church of the consequences of sin.

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 But he points them to a beautiful picture of what being restored with God looks like.

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 When they're restored in relationship with Paul, with each other, and with God.

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 And he calls them to the end of this love story of when the couple is restored.

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 It's that happily ever after moment that he's calling them to.

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 Because this is the longing of our soul.

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 To be restored.

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 To be in complete and perfect relationship with other people and with God.

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 And so as we finish 2 Corinthians today, we're going to see how we can have our relationship with God restored.

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 And our relationship with others restored.

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 So please, have your Bibles open.

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 2 Corinthians chapter 12.

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 And we'll be going through to the end of chapter 13.

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 So Paul outlines the conflict between him and the church and Corinth.

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 It's effectively, like most conflict, it's all because of unmet expectations.

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 Verse 20.

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 For I am afraid that when I come, I might not find you as I want you to be.

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 And you may not find me as you want me to be.

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 The church in Corinth had fled Paul's teaching and relationship because he appeared weak.

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 And that meant that they'd also fled relationship with Jesus.

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 And Paul is worried that his expectations won't be met either.

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 And so when he gets there, he's worried that there is going to be further conflict.

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 Verse 20, again from the second half.

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 I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.

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 I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you.

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 And I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

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 Paul is fearful that when he comes back, he'll arrive and be grieved by their sin.

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 See, they're not only fighting with Paul, they're fighting with each other and against God.

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 You look at that list of sins and they all damage relationships with other people.

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 You know, discord, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, disorder, sexual impurity and debauchery.

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 Imagine walking into church this morning and seeing all of that in a church.

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 But are we actually that far off?

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 These could all be descriptions of my heart at different times.

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 Frustration leading to rage.

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 Sharing of prayer points leading to gossip.

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 Hearing of others' success leading to jealousy and selfish ambition.

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 These sins damage relationship with God, but they are damaging relationships in the church with each other.

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 Paul speaks hard words to them so that they would repent, so they can be restored.

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 Otherwise, there will be more conflict.

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 Chapter 13, verse 2.

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 I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time.

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 I now repeat it while absent.

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 On my return, I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others.

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 Since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me,

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 He is not weak in dealing with you, but He's powerful among you.

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 See, Paul is going to come with proof of Christ working through him.

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 And he's coming with, as verse 4 tells us, with God's power to deal with their sin.

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 Paul knows that the relationship between Corinth and him and Corinth and God has been damaged.

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 And this is not something that he can just ignore.

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 He can't just be okay that they are chasing a different Jesus.

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 He can't just sweep this under the rug and pretend that everything is fine.

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 He doesn't ignore it, hoping that this church will get better on their own.

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 This letter has been about dealing with the conflict head on.

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 And Paul says in verse 19 that this conflict has been for their strengthening.

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 For them to be built strong following Jesus, they actually have needed this conflict.

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 They need to be confronted with their broken relationship.

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 And reflecting on this whole letter, it shows the value of conflict and how to conflict well.

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 Now, I know that conflict is hard.

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 Is anybody here that really enjoys conflict?

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 No hands? No? Okay.

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 But I think it is better to have conflict than to sit in a broken relationship.

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 And to pretend that everything is just fine.

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 That everything will be better eventually.

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 We'll just pretend. We'll sweep it under the rug.

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 Conflict, Paul says, has been for this church, for their sake,

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 to bring them back in relationship with Jesus and with each other.

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 Now, we can be tempted to avoid conflict because we love other people.

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 Christians generally love other people and we want to be nice to other people.

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 But if we just ignore conflict, the feelings of hurt and pain will just grow and fester.

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 They will bubble up and eventually burst.

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 And so you'll either flee the relationship or lash out.

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 And neither of those options are loving.

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 Paul gives us a picture of how to do conflict well.

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 He's not about bullying or just influencing this church with his will.

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 He has been direct with the issues.

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 But it's for this church's strengthening, for them to be built up.

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 He doesn't want to be a burden on them.

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 So he hasn't charged them.

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 He's not taking any money from them because he wants them to listen really well.

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 Because he's leading them from a position of love.

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 He could have begun from the position of authority.

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 I am your apostle.

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 You should do what I tell you because I have this authority.

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 But he doesn't.

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 He shows patience and love.

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 And he's also been up front about his own issues and his own weaknesses.

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 He has not been proud.

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 And so Paul shows us a model of love and patience when confronting sin.

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 Direct but not inappropriate, not selfish.

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 Patient and loving and bringing conflict, not to win an argument but to build other people up.

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 And he does this all aware of his own faults.

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 When I do marriage preparation with couples that I'm marrying, we often talk about conflict.

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 And I talk about how important it is to fight fair and clean.

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 Because there's often a problem if we are too averse to fighting.

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 You know, we're the couple that's never had a fight.

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 And you kind of smile and nod.

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 Sure, sure, sure.

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 Yeah, definitely.

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 But then there's those couples who just seem to love to fight.

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 And both positions, both poles are dangerous.

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 Conflict is helpful because it leads us to express our expectations.

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 Paul had expectations of this church.

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 He wanted them to be following Jesus.

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 And this, that Paul is hoping, would lead to them being restored.

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 If you want to follow up what Jesus says about conflict, go and read Matthew 18.

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 He gives us a wonderful model for confronting someone else.

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 Paul's directness and desire is is much more than just hoping that everything would be fine

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 Paul is seeking for them to be restored and conflict is is far better it's a he shows us

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 a good way to deal with these issues in a loving and godly way because he is aiming for full

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 restoration of these people as he comes to the end of the letter he presses on this church with

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 his final words so that they would have relationships that are restored and he asks in verse 5

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 examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith test yourselves Paul says to to take a

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 measure of humbleness and self-reflection and have a think about where your faith is at

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 examine yourself and Paul points to where they got their faith from they they got their faith

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 they got their belief in Jesus from Paul's preaching itself Paul shared the gospel message

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 of restoration and reconciliation that broken people are made whole in Christ and if they

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 accept the message well that means they need to accept the messenger Paul himself and Paul he gives

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 them the benefit of the doubt you know examine yourselves I'll give you the benefit of the

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 doubt verse 6 I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test and he asks an ironic

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 question verse 5 do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you unless of course you fail the test he's

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 saying this in a tongue-in-cheek ironic kind of way he's not casting doubt in their faith

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 but if Christ is in them it's because they have heard Paul's message and that he is their true

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 apostle and they've been deceived by these super apostles to confirm Christ is to confirm Paul's role

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 as well and so Paul rejoices in verse 9 we are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong

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 and our prayer is that you may be fully restored Paul is glad when as an extension of the cross he

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 suffers for their on their behalf and he is glad that as an extension of the cross

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 uh the Jesus's resurrection from the cross that the church is strengthened and encouraged in their faith

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 this is why Paul is so willing to be weak if he is weak it's they get to be strong

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 and he wants them to be fully restored that's the the purpose of this letter he he is praying this

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 right at the end it's almost it's helpful to know this at the very start of the series but here we are

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 at the end he is praying for them to be restored examine yourself so you can be restored but it's not

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 just Paul and this church who need to be restored because they've had conflict it's not even just

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 this church and God because of their sin that need to be restored their relationship with each other

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 needs to be restored to the the the parents and the children the the husbands and the wives the the

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 friends and the enemies the the family and the church as a body needs to be restored I think this is

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 where uh one of the very few times uh English as a language lets us down uh because English doesn't have

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 a second person plural uh I'm not sure if you I like grammar so I I'll explain this a bit so um

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 Paul's prayer here is for you to be restored now it's easy to read that this morning and think that

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 it's the singular it's a we're in Sydney in an individualistic culture and we read you and we just

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 think single person but it's not uh it's about you plural it's about this community of believers being

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 restored uh so I'm going to appeal to two other bad translations of mine uh and the Chinese it's all

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 about this word you in the second person plural so another way to say you uh would be use does anybody

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 say use so Paul's prayer is that use may be fully restored or if I was going to do an American accent

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 it'd be y'all does anybody say y'all y'all so Paul's prayer is that y'all may be fully restored

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 or in the Chinese it's uh nimen neng cheng wei one chuan ren it's nimen you you all you in the plural

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 because the areas of sin from chapter 12 had an impact on other people it's discord rage rage

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 doesn't just impact one people one person it's slander gossip debauchery disorder sexual immorality

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 rebellion from Jesus has broken relationship with Paul as their apostle and leader with God but the

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 people the church and now Paul presents a beautiful picture of restoration the amazing work of the one

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 true gospel that good news that God's son died and was raised so we could have a restored relationship

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 with God this word restoration it's also translated as complete or perfect restoration looks like

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 taking what was broken and restoring it to what it was intended to be to go from broken to to whole

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 and so Paul fills this picture of restoration in verse 11 of chapter 12 finally brothers and sisters

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 rejoice strive for full restoration encourage one another be of one mind live in peace

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 and the God of love and peace will be with you greet one another with a holy kiss this picture of a

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 restored relationship looks the opposite of their sin they are people who are encouraging one another

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 they have one mind and they're not divided by discord and rage and slander they're living in peace

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 with each other they're building each other up because there is no division they're going in the same

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 direction following the Lord and Paul calls them to greet each other with a holy kiss

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 now the ancient church it's not it's not a picture of say an Italian culture you know the Italian you know

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 the kind of very flamboyant culture who when they greet someone it's not a handshake it's a kiss on each

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 cheek that is not a picture here this kind of kiss behavior kiss on the cheek that kind of thing

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 is a very personal interaction it is a very personal greeting reserved for family but Paul calls them to kiss

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 one another in a very trans-cultural way one that recognizes that we are now all in God's

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 family regardless or of wealth or status or ethnic origin this family has grown and so we can greet

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 one another with a holy kiss now this still sounds fairly strange to us doesn't it and Nick kind of

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 joked are you going to get up there when you start and and greet me with a kiss I said no but maybe

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 mate look I'm going to greet him now so look come on come on come on come on Nick brother

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 good to see you first bearded kiss and not your last

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 there's always tomorrow

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 now this is this is the opposite of the picture of their sin

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 it's it's greeting with a kiss which is reserved for family instead of sexual impurity

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 oh did you want to kiss too my son

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 when these behaviors happen Paul says that the God of love and peace will be with them

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 God is working through Paul's message through the spirit leading them to obey and love others

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 and God is there

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 here Paul is promising that God is going to be with you he's going to be with you either way

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 he could be with you in the positive if they repent and they're restored God will be there

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 as the God of love and peace displayed in their unity but be warned if you don't repent

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 if you don't examine yourself God will be there Paul will come with God's power

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 and authority to tear down so God is going to be there it could be the God of love the same God

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 but two facets the God of love and peace or the God of justice

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 and Paul closes with a wonderful triune blessing from God

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 verse 14 may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ

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 and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with

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 you all and that is such a lovely summary of this

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 Jesus's death shows us God's grace

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 his great love restoring us

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 and the fellowship with the Holy Spirit enables us to obey him

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 and to have our relationships restored with God and each other

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 Paul has left the divided Corinthian church

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 a way forward

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 deal with conflict in a healthy way

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 so there can be restoration

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 he's called them to the God of love who takes us his people

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 damaged and broken

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 and lifts us out of the gutter out of the muck

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 and he completes us

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 he makes us whole and perfect

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 he makes us beautiful in him

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 at great cost to himself

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 as I was thinking of this

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 I was reminded of the

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 Japanese art

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 kintsugi

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 can anybody pronounce that better than I can?

00:22:24.339 --> 00:22:24.480
 no?

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 there will be a picture of the screen

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 the art of kintsugi is where

00:22:29.419 --> 00:22:32.359
 they would take a broken bowl

00:22:32.359 --> 00:22:34.019
 and restore it

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 often with resin and then gold

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 and it's this wonderful art

00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:40.680
 but what they're doing is

00:22:40.680 --> 00:22:43.259
 they're taking what was broken and useless

00:22:43.259 --> 00:22:45.940
 and restoring it

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 not just restoring its function of holding things

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 but it actually makes it far better than it was

00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:56.059
 they make the bowl precious

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 this is a picture of what God has done in us

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 he has lifted us out of the gutter

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 broken and useless

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 and he has repaired us

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 and he has made us precious

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 not with gold

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 but the blood of his son

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 Paul's encouragement here is for us

00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:18.059
 that we need to examine ourselves

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 to realise that we are broken bowls

00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:22.679
 who need fixing

00:23:22.679 --> 00:23:23.319
 can you imagine

00:23:23.319 --> 00:23:24.500
 trying to eat breakfast

00:23:24.500 --> 00:23:25.619
 out of a bowl like this?

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 if it was broken

00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:29.000
 it wouldn't work

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 and I'd probably cut myself

00:23:31.099 --> 00:23:31.919
 on one of the edges

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 that's why

00:23:35.179 --> 00:23:36.639
 dealing with conflict

00:23:36.639 --> 00:23:38.279
 is so important

00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:40.659
 to point out the harsh edges

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 the broken parts

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 and to apply God's grace

00:23:45.220 --> 00:23:46.059
 like gold

00:23:46.059 --> 00:23:48.460
 in bringing restoration

00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:51.059
 brothers and sisters

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 have you examined yourselves?

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 have you examined our face

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 just like these masks

00:23:57.339 --> 00:24:00.759
 and considered taking off our mask

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 to be authentic?

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 as a church community

00:24:05.799 --> 00:24:08.419
 as people following Jesus

00:24:08.419 --> 00:24:10.299
 when we are confident

00:24:10.299 --> 00:24:12.159
 and authentic about who we are

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 who God has made us to be

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 this church looks wonderful

00:24:16.500 --> 00:24:18.559
 we look like

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 a bowl that was broken

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 but has been restored

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 to something even better

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 a church that

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 we can boldly declare

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 that look

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 we don't have it all together

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 we're broken and messed up

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 we're prone to rage

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 and selfishness

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 and sexual impurity

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 but God's grace

00:24:34.019 --> 00:24:35.339
 is sufficient

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 we are made precious

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 and whole

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 imagine church

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 if we

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 demonstrated

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 humble authenticity

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 like this

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 we are made whole

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 as

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 Christ's bride

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 as people who will

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 one day

00:24:55.279 --> 00:24:57.380
 be in full relationship

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 with Jesus

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 men

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 this is a strange thing

00:24:59.840 --> 00:25:00.340
 to talk about

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 but men

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 we are the bride of Christ

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 too

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 even if it's strange

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 to think of ourselves

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 as brides

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 we are restored

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 to be something

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 amazing

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 we are restored

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 to be in relationship

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 together

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 and with God

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 himself

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 and so

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 to be this people

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 do we need to go

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 and have some helpful

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 conflict

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 do we need to

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 apologize

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 do you need to

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 apologize

00:25:26.299 --> 00:25:27.779
 do you need to

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 practice like Paul

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 being weak

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 because God

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 is strong

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 if you're not sure

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 about this Jesus

00:25:36.299 --> 00:25:37.699
 who restores us

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 please come and

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 speak with myself

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 come and speak

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 with Nick

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 speak to the person

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 next to you

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 to find out more

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 that love story

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 that I told

00:25:47.639 --> 00:25:48.240
 at the start

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 it was a picture

00:25:49.399 --> 00:25:49.899
 of God

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 and the church

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 but it is

00:25:51.220 --> 00:25:51.740
 us

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 as well

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 everyone loves

00:25:55.319 --> 00:25:56.439
 a good love story

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 with a happy ending

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 and we get to be

00:25:59.779 --> 00:26:00.439
 like that

00:26:00.439 --> 00:26:01.639
 Kintsugi

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 Japanese bowl

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 the walking

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 demonstration

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 that God

00:26:05.779 --> 00:26:07.220
 takes a broken

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 people

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 and restores us

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 that he truly

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 is the God

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 of love

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 and peace

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 and so

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 verse 14

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 may the grace

00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:18.299
 of the Lord

00:26:18.299 --> 00:26:19.119
 Jesus Christ

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 and the love

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 of God

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 and the fellowship

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 with the Holy Spirit

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 be with you all

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 Amen

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 Amen

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 to God