Brood of Vipers

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Brood of Vipers

• Rusty Kennedy
• November 4th, 2006

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In most pulpits today you will hear preaching
about love, hope, faith, grace, etc.
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I can't imaginemany touching the subject of
brood of vipers
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Brood of viperswas a term usedby bothJohn
the Baptist and Jesus
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Matthew 3, 12, 23andLuke 3
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Brood of viperswas a common expressionat the
timeindicating those filled with bitterness
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That makes it fair game, right?
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I mean...if it is good enoughfor Jesus...
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Yes, I know,that John the Baptist was then put
in prison by Herod
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My point today is this...
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Do you knowwhat the problem was with the church
in the New Testament?
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The same problemthat is withthe church today.
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Everyone's expectations
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Everyone's opinions
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Let me explain...
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Some of youare alreadycranked upbecause I
haven'tsaid anything yet
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Are we going tohave to readthe whole morning?
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This is absurd!
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It absolutely isif you came here- expecting -
a 30 minuteVERBAL message
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Because thatis the way...
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We've always done it!
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Think about this...
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Yes...
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I'm asking youto engageat this point.
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Don't be distractedby your ownfrustration.
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Think...
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Everyone in this room has a formula for what the
worship service should be
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You might call it a recipe
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Now look around...
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there is more than you or your family here
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That is a lot of recipes...
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and not a single one look the same!
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That isa beautifulthing!!!!
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Until we start seeingour recipeas the only
thingthat is right.
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In the Scripture,recipeis referred to
asyoke
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(No Transcript)
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I just threw thatin there toget your attention
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Now stay focused...
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You see,it was the same thing the Phariseesand
Sadduceeswere doing
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They had 613 lawsand each one had them ranked
differently
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It was their recipe...
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their opinion of what was of most importance
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They even asked Jesus for his recipe...
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Matthew 2236Teacher,which commandmentin the
Lawis the greatest?
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Jesus got em all cranked upwith his recipe.
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Because it wasn't one of the 613 laws.
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Matthew 2237He said to them,Love the Lord
your Godwith all your heart,with all your
souland all your mind.
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Can you imaginehow worked upthe Pharisees
gotwhen they heard that?
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Kind of funnythe way Jesuswas always
stirringthe pot with the religious.
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I wanna bejust like Him 
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So let me quoteone of our local theologians
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Stephen JacksonIndiana Pacers
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The only personwho really knows meis God and
thatsthe only personI have to deal withat the
end of the day.
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Is it possible that Stephen Jacksongets it?
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Someday,I just want to cometo church and
havemy familyrecognize mefor who I am...
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NOT what I do
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This is where Jesus would call his audience a
brood of vipers
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I wonder how many of them thought Jesus was
talking about someone else?
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I am happy with the Jesus recipe
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I can't make400 differentrecipes on a Sunday.
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 I can't fit into everyone'sreligious box.
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Are you trackingwith me?
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Because here iswhat I have learned...
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The Good Newsreally isGOOD NEWS!
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Get this...
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I don't have to be religious...
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In fact,Jesus detestedthat specific issue in
Matthew 23
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The whole chapterread it tonight!
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Guess who said this
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Religious peoplein general are so
discriminatory against other people
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We all sin, but we still have common decency
and respect for other people
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So right nowIm struggling with my idea of what
religion is.
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CharlesBarkleyNBAAnalyst
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The truth is...
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I can quitTRYING to bea good Christian
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Because I already am!
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Colossians 122Yet now he has reconciled you to
himself through the death of Christ in his
physical body.
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As a result,He has brought youinto his own
presence, and you are holyand blamelessas you
stand before Him without a single fault.
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ARE YOUKIDDING ME????
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Im HOLY?
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Im BLAMELESS?
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I DONT HAVEONE SINGLEFAULT?
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The Bible says that?
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Look it up yourselfColossians 122Ill wait
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That may not bethe way other Christians view you
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But the Bible saysthat is the wayyour Heavenly
Father views you
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Arent you glad you came to church today?
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Here is moreGOOD NEWS
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I canrestin the gift of salvation that comes
from God
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Rest...
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REST...
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Did you catch that?
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REST
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Those doing the religious gig...
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You're thebrood of vipers
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Restingbeing OK withsilence.
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Hebrews 4 says this...
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9 A Sabbath rest remains, therefore, for God's
people. 10 For the person who has entered His
rest has rested from his own works, just as God
did from His.
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11 Let us then make every effortto enter that
rest,so that no one will fall into the same
patternof disobedience.
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THINK!!!
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For the personwho has enteredHis resthas
rested fromhis own works,just as God didfrom
His.
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Did you see thecapital H?
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For the personwho has enteredHis resthas
rested fromhis own works,just as God didfrom
His.
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Entered whose rest?
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His rest...
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Jesus
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Look at me...
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I'm resting...
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not worriedaboutyour expectationsfrom the
pulpit
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It was the only real way I could make my point
this morning
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I want you to see me resting in Him
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Are you thinking?
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(No Transcript)
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stay with me!
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Are you thinking?
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and you begin to ask,So if all I have to dois
rest
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Then I don'thave to doanything!
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Yep, I agree with that!
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So Rusty,how does anythingget done?
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Philippians 213For it is Godworking in you,
(enabling you)both to will and to act for His
purpose.
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The brood of vipers will do things out of duty,
responsibility, guilt, tradition, etc.
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Those who do thingsby resting in Jesusdo so out
of desire
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It is the callingthat God hason their lifeat
that very moment
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I know some of youare thinkinghe is making
thingsway too spiritual
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It's better than being religious!
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Ive come to the understanding that God delights
in me.
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Zephaniah 31717 The LORD your Godis among
you,a warrior who saves.He will rejoice over
you with gladness
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He will bring you quietness with His love. He
will delight in you with shouts of joy.
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God delights in menot because ofmy faults,not
because ofmy actions
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God delights in mebecause I believein Himand
His Son, Jesus.
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It is that simple
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God delights in menot because of what I dobut
because of who I am
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In Christ
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Nothing to do with me
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Everything to do withJesus
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Can you believe that?
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Not about mebut about you
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It is an act of faiththat only you can make
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Ill close with this Scripture
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Hebrews 1320 Now may the God of peace, who
brought up from the dead our Lord Jesusthe great
Shepherd of the sheep with the blood of the
everlasting covenant,
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21 equip you with all that is good to do His
will, working in us what is pleasing in His
sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be
gloryforever and ever.Amen.
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22 Brothers,I urge you to receive this word of
exhortation, for I have written to you in few
words.
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DisclaimerIf this recipedidnt work for you
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bummer
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Because thisis what He laidon my heartfor today
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We are aboutto come to the endof this service
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And I am actuallygoing todo something!
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I am going to standat the front while we sing a
song.
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If you want to know Jesus
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I would be more than happy to talk to youand
pray with you.
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JesusThanks for Your presence with us today. I
pray that people will come to know You as their
Savior Lord
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Maybe even because the church acted like
theChurch.
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Lord, we submit ourselves to YouIn Jesus
NameAMEN
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Will you stand and sing?
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(No Transcript)
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Benediction(Bene-dictous)Good-words
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The tradition is to say they these good-words of
God before you depart
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Knowing that the good-words will follow you
throughout your days until we meet again.
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So here you go
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May Jesusreveal Himselfa little moreto you
today!
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Until next time!
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(No Transcript)
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OhAnd go Colts!