back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 8/23/2020
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As a reminder, the lyrics to the praise songs 00:04:49.380 |
♪ Wishes and dreams that are yet to come true ♪ 00:06:19.020 |
- All right, good morning, Breen Community Church. 00:06:53.620 |
Okay, so I'm gonna start with the happy birthday. 00:06:58.420 |
she's turning eight this week, so happy birthday. 00:07:04.580 |
I can't believe one year has gone by already. 00:07:06.380 |
So happy birthday to you, even if you don't understand. 00:07:11.140 |
We have just a few announcements before we get started. 00:07:16.580 |
a home group weekday Bible study is gonna start 00:07:25.180 |
but if you would need to be added to the groups, 00:07:30.100 |
and it's kind of assumed that you're gonna be participating 00:07:34.500 |
because we wanna make sure that there's plenty of room 00:07:36.500 |
to be able to direct you towards certain places. 00:07:39.260 |
The other thing is we have the outreach event 00:07:48.100 |
We actually have quite a few people who have signed up. 00:07:50.660 |
And so I think one of the benefits of doing it online, 00:08:00.300 |
As the Bible says, it's the Holy Spirit that convicts 00:08:14.260 |
And so if you're bringing friends again to keep praying, 00:08:16.940 |
but even if you're not coming, please keep that in mind. 00:08:19.260 |
And every day as you guys are taking time to pray, 00:08:28.540 |
Those who are presenting, the pastors and the elders 00:08:35.500 |
And again, that it would be a very fruitful time 00:08:50.780 |
and then our physical offering is in the back corner. 00:08:53.340 |
So please, if you're gonna do that, do that afterwards. 00:08:56.980 |
Gracious Father, we thank you for this morning. 00:09:10.620 |
the privilege that we have to be able to gather. 00:09:14.500 |
And we know that there are many brothers and sisters 00:09:18.580 |
and sometimes even their lives to fellowship together, 00:09:24.820 |
So we pray, Father God, that you would give us focus, 00:09:28.260 |
that you give us courage to live the conviction 00:09:32.380 |
And even in our giving, help us to do it in a manner 00:10:25.460 |
- Let's all rise as we sing these next phrases. 00:11:15.060 |
♪ It seems my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee ♪ 00:11:31.940 |
♪ It seems my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee ♪ 00:12:25.820 |
♪ It seems my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee ♪ 00:12:42.660 |
♪ It seems my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee ♪ 00:13:34.660 |
♪ It seems my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee ♪ 00:13:49.660 |
♪ It seems my soul, my Savior, God, to Thee ♪ 00:18:18.200 |
Okay, if you can turn your Bibles to Hebrews 10:19, 00:18:27.200 |
but we're gonna be getting up to verse 23 today. 00:18:46.780 |
"Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence 00:18:48.780 |
"to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 00:18:52.400 |
"which He inaugurated for us through the veil, 00:18:56.200 |
"and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 00:19:02.700 |
"having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience 00:19:08.900 |
"Let us hold fast a confession of our hope without wavering, 00:19:13.400 |
"And let us consider how to stimulate one another 00:19:21.700 |
"and all the more, as you see the day drawing near." 00:19:26.400 |
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your goodness. 00:19:29.900 |
We thank You for the privilege that we have to come 00:19:33.400 |
and draw near to the throne of grace with confidence. 00:19:36.900 |
I pray that Your word would have its effect on us. 00:19:53.700 |
the word Christian has been diluted to the point 00:20:02.900 |
Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? 00:20:15.900 |
because they were born into a Christian home. 00:20:25.200 |
simply because they're surrounded by other Christians. 00:20:30.700 |
the term Christian itself isn't what it used to be. 00:20:39.600 |
majority of people who claim to be Christians 00:20:42.900 |
because the Bible describes what a Christian is. 00:20:47.900 |
When the term Christian was first given to Christians, 00:20:51.400 |
it was to identify clearly those who belong to Christ. 00:20:59.900 |
And so it was identifying people who are followers of Jesus. 00:21:04.900 |
obviously you had people who said that they were Jews 00:21:07.400 |
and they were, you know, were they part of the Essenes? 00:21:12.900 |
And so they had all these different distinctions 00:21:20.400 |
And so when they started calling Christians Christian, 00:21:32.400 |
and you worship the God of the Old Testament, 00:21:34.400 |
but you had different views, different theology. 00:21:39.900 |
with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ 00:22:14.900 |
They fear God more than average theist in our generation 00:22:21.900 |
But in the book of James, it says that just identifying 00:22:25.900 |
and say, well, we believe, we believe that there's one God. 00:22:28.400 |
Good, even the demons believe that and they shudder. 00:22:33.900 |
is someone who not only embraces the doctrine, 00:22:37.400 |
but has identified as a follower of Jesus Christ. 00:22:40.400 |
Follower meaning that you have to go where he goes, 00:22:47.400 |
All that the author of Hebrews has been teaching 00:22:52.400 |
all of it is really to bring us to this point 00:22:55.400 |
so that the readers of Hebrews would change their behavior. 00:23:00.400 |
Whatever that they were doing to cause him to drift, 00:23:03.900 |
it wasn't simply because the author of Hebrews 00:23:06.900 |
was concerned, he said, you know what, they took a test 00:23:08.400 |
and they just didn't know how to answer these questions. 00:23:11.900 |
You know, they didn't know how to answer Christology 00:23:30.400 |
all of the letters are written in that format. 00:23:38.900 |
Therefore, this is how you ought to apply this. 00:23:41.900 |
So you guys, you know, we just finished the study 00:23:49.400 |
Chapter 4, 5, 6 was the application of that, right? 00:24:00.900 |
And then chapter 12 and on is the application of that, right? 00:24:04.900 |
And so book of Hebrews has heavily emphasized 00:24:09.900 |
and in between it would give us these imperatives, 00:24:13.400 |
but we're at a point where he's beginning to move away 00:24:20.900 |
as examples of people who are living by faith 00:24:24.900 |
he's going to just heavily emphasize what we ought to do. 00:24:34.400 |
Is the beginning part of introduction to the imperative. 00:24:37.400 |
Now that you have all the doctrines of Jesus, 00:24:41.900 |
what does that mean outside of, you know, right? 00:25:02.400 |
Our response, first and foremost, is to reach up. 00:25:04.900 |
23, "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope," 00:25:16.400 |
"And let us consider how to stimulate one another," 00:25:40.400 |
So every imperative you see in the New Testament 00:25:42.900 |
will fall into one of these three categories. 00:25:55.400 |
So that's the outline of the sermon for today. 00:25:57.900 |
I'm going to just get into the first two imperatives, 00:26:09.400 |
and then we're going to spend some time in the second one, 00:26:11.400 |
and then again, third one, we'll get into next week, okay? 00:26:16.900 |
"Therefore," he says, "since we have confidence," 00:26:21.900 |
this is something that he's been saying all along. 00:26:24.400 |
"Since we have confidence to enter the holy place 00:26:30.400 |
has been opened where it wasn't opened before, 00:26:34.900 |
which he inaugurated for us through the veil," 00:26:39.400 |
"and again, since we have a great high priest 00:26:42.400 |
since all of these things that I've been saying is true, 00:27:03.900 |
Now, how many of you have ever heard the term "inclusio"? 00:27:11.400 |
Well, it's basically a literary form of the New Testament 00:27:14.400 |
where it begins a thought at one part of the letter, 00:27:21.400 |
and usually the inclusio could be a very short text, 00:27:48.900 |
So this text is the end part of that inclusio. 00:28:00.400 |
and it's going to sound exactly like this text 00:28:02.400 |
because this is the beginning of this inclusio. 00:28:05.400 |
It says, "Therefore, since we have a great high priest 00:28:16.400 |
but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, 00:28:32.900 |
and so this idea is introduced to us in chapter 4, 00:28:41.900 |
and then he's going to go into the imperatives 00:28:43.900 |
and saying that this is how we ought to live. 00:28:52.400 |
the importance of what he is saying in this text 00:28:58.900 |
And the most important part of this conclusion 00:29:18.900 |
He repeats it over and over again in chapter 4, 16, 00:29:42.400 |
He's saying this in particular in this context 00:29:51.900 |
every imperative, every Christology he gives, 00:30:03.400 |
"Come to me and I will make you fishers of men." 00:30:12.900 |
You know, typically when we think of Jesus' ministry, 00:30:24.400 |
And so we have a lot of people who are like geared up to go. 00:30:27.900 |
We got to share the gospel, which is true, right? 00:30:45.900 |
and you cannot bear fruit unless you remain with me." 00:30:50.400 |
And that word "remain" basically means to stay. 00:30:56.900 |
you cannot bear fruit unless you remain with me. 00:31:00.900 |
So his last imperative that he gave his disciples 00:31:05.900 |
is to remain, to continue to draw near to him, 00:31:14.400 |
"Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations, 00:31:16.400 |
baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, 00:31:19.400 |
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." 00:31:22.900 |
"And lo, I am with you to the end of the age." 00:32:09.400 |
it's just to come with confidence, with boldness. 00:32:12.400 |
And he mentions that same term all over Hebrews, 00:32:25.900 |
"Therefore, since we have confidence to draw near." 00:32:49.400 |
every part of the tabernacle in the Old Testament law, 00:32:55.900 |
In fact, remember when God was given the covenant 00:33:01.400 |
Tell these people not to come to the mountain. 00:33:14.900 |
Every part of the tabernacle was to teach them 00:33:22.400 |
In fact, remember after he sets up the tabernacle, 00:33:24.900 |
the very first offering wasn't given correctly 00:33:27.400 |
and they were consumed with God's fire, with judgment. 00:33:45.400 |
And that's why he's telling them, "No, you're able 00:33:48.400 |
to come in with confidence. You're able to be bold." 00:33:59.400 |
based upon whatever it is that they heard about God, 00:34:03.400 |
whatever it is that they heard about the gospel, 00:34:05.400 |
for whatever the reason, confidence in the presence 00:34:12.400 |
You see rappers and movie stars and living in 00:34:20.400 |
Thank my Lord. God did this and God did that." 00:34:24.400 |
Their relationship with God is just so casual. 00:34:29.400 |
And they have no idea what the scripture says, 00:34:32.400 |
that in their natural state, inasmuch it is appointed 00:34:34.400 |
for all men to die once, after this comes judgment. 00:34:40.400 |
So entering into the presence of God is just assumed 00:34:43.400 |
in this generation and I think that's the fault 00:34:48.400 |
There's no fear of God and the gospel was preached 00:34:57.400 |
the holiness of God and so there's this casual 00:35:00.400 |
understanding, of course, we enter into the presence 00:35:02.400 |
of God. I entered this morning. I entered at night. 00:35:07.400 |
So when I see Jesus and I'm going to have dinner 00:35:10.400 |
with Him and I'm going to just have a conversation 00:35:16.400 |
It's just so casual because our understanding 00:35:24.400 |
There's a reason why their author is telling them 00:35:27.400 |
and reminding them and encouraging these Jews 00:35:47.400 |
Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God 00:35:54.400 |
For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God. 00:36:01.400 |
And I'm pretty sure that Paul's describing himself here. 00:36:10.400 |
where he was willing to kill people and be killed, 00:36:14.400 |
thinking that he was doing what was righteous 00:36:16.400 |
in God's eyes. He said, "They have zeal like I did, 00:36:23.400 |
They had this confidence, but it wasn't correct 00:36:35.400 |
or it's just courage that we're able to muster up. 00:36:37.400 |
He says this confidence comes from correct knowledge 00:36:40.400 |
of who God is. And that's why he starts by saying, 00:36:47.400 |
And so because of all of this that he has done, 00:36:55.400 |
It is lack of knowledge, or lack of conviction 00:37:00.400 |
over this knowledge that causes us to be timid. 00:37:05.400 |
Years ago, when I was 19, when I first went to school, 00:37:10.400 |
college, I thought I was going into business. 00:37:27.400 |
And his dad actually owned a plastic bag printing company. 00:37:31.400 |
So he would supply those plastic bags with the Ralph logo 00:37:41.400 |
So every once in a while, the dad would print something, 00:37:49.400 |
So him and I would take these plastic bags that he couldn't give to them, 00:37:53.400 |
and we would load it up in our vans, or his van, 00:38:02.400 |
because that's where all the mom-and-pop shops were 00:38:06.400 |
So these personally owned stores would buy it. 00:38:09.400 |
So every time we sell, we would make about $5, $6. 00:38:18.400 |
And he was a good salesman, and I thought, you know, I was decent at sales. 00:38:24.400 |
But I remember walking into this one particular Mexican market, 00:38:28.400 |
It was privately owned, but the size of it was probably like the size of our sanctuary. 00:38:34.400 |
We went in there, and my friend started talking. 00:38:37.400 |
He was using his broken Spanish, and he was trying to sell these plastic bags. 00:38:40.400 |
And we could tell immediately they were hostile. 00:38:45.400 |
You know, and he said, "No, you've got to buy this. 00:38:47.400 |
It's for free, and he's using his broken Spanish." 00:38:49.400 |
And you could tell they're getting irritated. 00:38:53.400 |
and I kept on telling my friend, "Hey, let's get out of here. 00:38:57.400 |
Well, the manager got so ticked off, he literally picked up a broom, 00:39:03.400 |
You know, and we were walking out, and I said, "Dude, what are you doing, man? 00:39:11.400 |
We spend the next few hours walking around different stores, 00:39:13.400 |
and then we're going back, and to get back to our car, we had to pass by this store. 00:39:29.400 |
So we walked back in, and obviously, you know, I kept my distance, 00:39:32.400 |
just in case he gets stoned, you know what I mean? 00:39:37.400 |
I'm watching him do his work, and he's going at it with them. 00:39:41.400 |
They're yelling at him, "I told you to get out. 00:39:44.400 |
And he was using his broken Spanish, and they were going back and forth. 00:39:48.400 |
And interesting enough, five minutes into it, the owner--I guess the owner opens up 00:39:54.400 |
the window from the top, and he's looking down, trying to chase us down, 00:39:58.400 |
and you could tell his demeanor changes all of a sudden. 00:40:06.400 |
He went from, "Get out of here," you know, "We're going to throw you out," 00:40:12.400 |
As soon as he said that, I was like, "Whoa, this guy's good," right? 00:40:16.400 |
I'm going to make sure I'm friends with him for a long time. 00:40:20.400 |
This guy--I mean, he became a very successful businessman, 00:40:23.400 |
but he ended up unloading everything that we didn't sell that day. 00:40:27.400 |
And so because it was a big market, he bought everything that we had, 00:40:30.400 |
and we made more money on that one sale than we did all day walking up and down. 00:40:35.400 |
So I was, like, thoroughly impressed with this guy, and we're walking out, 00:40:44.400 |
"How did you know that this guy was going to buy?" 00:40:46.400 |
He said, "Well, I didn't know, but I've been in this store before, 00:40:56.400 |
So he said, "This was a new--I didn't know any of this stuff," right? 00:41:01.400 |
I mean--and from his personal experience, he says, 00:41:04.400 |
"Sometimes you could tell if they're really serious, 00:41:07.400 |
or sometimes you're just annoying, they didn't see if you would leave," you know? 00:41:11.400 |
And wanted to see, like, if you're really serious about this sale. 00:41:13.400 |
And so he was able to distinguish between the two, 00:41:15.400 |
and that was the difference between him and I. 00:41:19.400 |
All I saw was their hostility, and I said, "Okay, we're done. 00:41:22.400 |
You know, this is not worth it," where he saw a great potential. 00:41:26.400 |
And the difference between his boldness and my timidness was his knowledge. 00:41:34.400 |
Our confidence to enter the throne of grace is directly linked to 00:41:38.400 |
our personal confidence of knowing who Jesus is. 00:41:43.400 |
If our confession is simply a verbal confession, 00:41:47.400 |
it's just--we just admire him from a distance. 00:41:54.400 |
They're timid to preach, they're timid to share, 00:41:58.400 |
they're constantly concerned about what other people are going to think, 00:42:00.400 |
and a lot of that is directly linked to a lack of conviction, 00:42:06.400 |
He says the confidence is based upon the blood of Christ, 00:42:09.400 |
the confidence is based on the new and living way, 00:42:11.400 |
the confidence is based on the fact that we have a great high priest. 00:42:16.400 |
And our personal conviction and boldness is directly linked 00:42:20.400 |
to having a deep personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:42:25.400 |
In fact, remember in Acts chapter 4, verse 13, 00:42:28.400 |
the apostles are preaching with boldness in front of the same people 00:42:34.400 |
These are the same disciples when Jesus is going to the cross, 00:42:37.400 |
they were in fear and hiding and locked the doors, 00:42:41.400 |
and they disappeared because they were confused. 00:42:49.400 |
But now, after the resurrection, they recognize who he is, 00:42:58.400 |
and all of a sudden they're preaching the gospel with boldness, 00:43:01.400 |
and the people who are watching this and hearing this, 00:43:05.400 |
this is what they say in observation, Acts 4, verse 13. 00:43:08.400 |
"Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John," 00:43:14.400 |
"and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men," 00:43:18.400 |
"they were amazed and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus." 00:43:25.400 |
Their boldness didn't come because of their education, 00:43:28.400 |
their boldness didn't come because of their experience, 00:43:30.400 |
their boldness came, and even the non-Christians recognized 00:43:34.400 |
that their boldness came from being with Christ. 00:43:38.400 |
It's our approaching Christ, it's our nearness to Christ, 00:43:45.400 |
is what gives us conviction, what gives us confidence. 00:43:48.400 |
So the first and foremost, the most important call of any sinner 00:44:01.400 |
before you make disciples, before you go overseas, 00:44:05.400 |
before you feed the poor, before you march for justice, 00:44:08.400 |
first and foremost thing that God demands and calls us to apply 00:44:21.400 |
We are of no use, we cannot bear fruit according to Scripture 00:44:27.400 |
Doesn't matter how hard you work, doesn't matter how much you give, 00:44:33.400 |
it just doesn't matter, because true fruit comes from Him. 00:44:38.400 |
He says we are to draw near with sincere hearts, 00:44:44.400 |
with the hearts sprinkled and bodies washed by the blood of Christ. 00:44:49.400 |
And all of this is simply to say, without hypocrisy, 00:44:53.400 |
not pretending, not pretending on the outside 00:45:05.400 |
because all of our connection with Christ is public, 00:45:08.400 |
that all of our righteousness is for other people to see. 00:45:11.400 |
But when the cameras are not on, when people are not looking, 00:45:15.400 |
you have no personal relationship with Christ. 00:45:19.400 |
With a sincere heart, with full assurance of faith, 00:45:22.400 |
with our hearts, inner persons, and our bodies, 00:45:25.400 |
internally and externally, washed in the blood of Christ. 00:45:30.400 |
You see in Isaiah 29, verse 13, God says to the nation of Israel, 00:45:33.400 |
"And the Lord said, 'Because this people draw near with their words, 00:45:44.400 |
and their reverence for me consists of tradition learned by rote.'" 00:45:51.400 |
It's more superstition. It's not real worship. 00:46:07.400 |
If you really understand what it is that you're seeking, 00:46:10.400 |
if you really understand who it is that you're asking, 00:46:22.400 |
do not let me wander from your commandments." 00:46:25.400 |
Jeremiah 29, verse 13, "You will seek me and find me 00:46:38.400 |
We're not asking for, you know, we have a hard relationship, 00:46:43.400 |
You know, like, we're not asking for a better job. 00:46:45.400 |
I mean, again, not that he doesn't care about all of that stuff, 00:46:51.400 |
because, you know, if you have financial issues, 00:47:00.400 |
If you have relational issues, stop being selfish. 00:47:05.400 |
There's, like, so many things that we can do, 00:47:08.400 |
and say, well, you know, there's things that I can apply. 00:47:12.400 |
we seek God in things that we can do ourselves, 00:47:15.400 |
and then we just sprinkle Jesus on it, right? 00:47:21.400 |
But we seek God for things that only he can give us, 00:47:29.400 |
And so, when we seek Christ, we seek him for life, 00:47:39.400 |
if he recognizes the urgency of his situation, 00:47:47.400 |
He doesn't simply ask for the rescuers to come and say, 00:48:07.400 |
he recognizes that he will be yelling and screaming. 00:48:12.400 |
to get their attention, because it is life or death. 00:48:21.400 |
and if you do so, you will save yourself and your hearers. 00:48:37.400 |
and you do not know who it is that you're asking of. 00:48:58.400 |
"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, 00:49:01.400 |
choose for yourselves today whom you will serve, 00:49:04.400 |
whether the gods which your father served with 00:49:24.400 |
to serving the idols when it was convenient for them, 00:49:50.400 |
They've decided to maybe sign on the dotted line. 00:49:54.400 |
They've decided to be identified as Christian. 00:50:12.400 |
and God says, "That had nothing to do with me. 00:50:43.400 |
Is the only relationship that you have with Jesus 00:50:57.400 |
Well, that is not the Bible, the God of the Scriptures. 00:51:05.400 |
the door was not opened for us so we can admire it. 00:51:55.400 |
The question is not, "Are you coming to church?" 00:51:58.400 |
"Are you a member of Green Community Church?" 00:52:07.400 |
do you believe this, and are you following Jesus? 00:52:12.400 |
and the second one is not going to be as long. 00:52:23.400 |
If this is what you believe, that we are to persevere. 00:52:28.400 |
"we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard 00:52:58.400 |
Get a job, wake up early, go to work, get paid, 00:53:05.400 |
and with some of that money, enjoy yourselves. 00:53:36.400 |
That's why he says to hold fast, do not bend. 00:53:57.400 |
But when it comes to the truth of the gospel, 00:53:59.400 |
where it's literally life and death, eternal, 00:54:16.400 |
With truth, we should be willing to sacrifice. 00:54:27.400 |
With our opinions, we should not be fighting. 00:54:40.400 |
Reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. 00:54:52.400 |
Give them the truth, even if they don't like it. 00:54:58.400 |
He said, do not turn from the word to the left or to the right. 00:55:02.400 |
Because true life is found in Christ and Christ alone. 00:55:14.400 |
Because, again, because of our cultural baggage, 00:55:18.400 |
whenever we hear God is faithful, we automatically think God is merciful. 00:55:32.400 |
So a judge who is faithful will judge faithfully. 00:55:37.400 |
A police officer who is faithful isn't a police officer who just lets you off the ticket, 00:55:48.400 |
So faithfulness simply means he is consistent. 00:55:54.400 |
That's why he says we ought to take this seriously, hold fast this confession, 00:56:00.400 |
And then he reminds us of his faithfulness in the very next section in chapter 10, 00:56:07.400 |
The harshest and the most severe warning in the New Testament is found in the 00:56:12.400 |
very next text after he says we ought to hold fast because he is faithful. 00:56:18.400 |
And then he describes his faithfulness in verse 26 of chapter 10. 00:56:22.400 |
"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, 00:56:26.400 |
there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. 00:56:29.400 |
But a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will 00:56:33.400 |
consume the adversaries, anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without 00:56:38.400 |
mercy on the testimonies of two or three witnesses." 00:56:45.400 |
He is faithful to repentant sinners, to forgive us our sins. 00:56:50.400 |
He is also faithful to judge us of all our unrighteousness who are unrepentant. 00:56:56.400 |
The word glory, literal meaning of the word glory means to be weighty, 00:57:05.400 |
our presence to be able to draw near to him is never meant to be casual. 00:57:16.400 |
If we hear it and we're kind of, you know, like I'll deal with it later. 00:57:24.400 |
And that's why he says we ought to hold fast for dear life. 00:57:28.400 |
We ought to anchor with Christ for dear life, 00:57:32.400 |
to watch our life and our doctrine closely because if you do so you will 00:57:36.400 |
save yourself and your here's because our life depends on it. 00:57:40.400 |
And because he is faithful, he will reward the repentant sinners 00:57:49.400 |
So there is a greater need in this world than social justice. 00:58:00.400 |
We can make this world a better place with no prejudice, no poor, 00:58:08.400 |
We can make this a better place with better politics, better economy. 00:58:12.400 |
And at the end of all of that, all our effort and to create a great 00:58:18.400 |
society for our children, our great grandchildren. 00:58:22.400 |
But the Bible says that the end of all of that is judgment. 00:58:36.400 |
We ought to stand up for those who don't have voices. 00:58:42.400 |
It is the character of a Christian to be gracious and merciful. 00:58:51.400 |
That in our priorities that we try to save a leg while the person 00:58:54.400 |
is dying, our priority is the gospel and it will always be the gospel. 00:59:00.400 |
Until they come to Christ and they know Christ, 00:59:03.400 |
this faithful God will carry out his mercy and his justice in this world. 00:59:09.400 |
So as Christians who believe this, we need to first and foremost draw near. 00:59:19.400 |
So my prayer again, with all the stuff that's going on around us, 00:59:24.400 |
cling to the word of God, cling to the gospel, cling to Christ, 00:59:28.400 |
that even though they may not understand, that we make it very clear. 00:59:34.400 |
The wrath of God is being revealed against all unrighteousness. 00:59:37.400 |
And the only hope for the wrath of God is the blood of Jesus. 00:59:41.400 |
And I pray that we may be so deeply convicted that we would not drift. 00:59:46.400 |
We're going to take some time for the communion. 00:59:54.400 |
And before I ask, we're going to take it together. 00:59:58.400 |
So please don't open it up until we're ready. 01:00:02.400 |
So those of you who did this with us last time, so you'll remember. 01:00:07.400 |
So there's two things that you have to open up. 01:00:09.400 |
So the first one is there's a little plastic thing. 01:00:12.400 |
And that will open up the wafer, okay, the bread. 01:00:17.400 |
And then the second part, the thicker one, has the grape juice underneath. 01:00:21.400 |
So if you rip the first one off, you're not going to -- only the first one, 01:00:24.400 |
the big one off, you're not going to get to the wafer. 01:00:30.400 |
We're going to do it together, okay, since we're going to be able to do this. 01:00:34.400 |
So what I'm going to do is I'm going to read the text. 01:00:37.400 |
And then I'm going to give you about a minute or two to read it. 01:00:40.400 |
And then I'm going to give you about a minute to take some time to pray and meditate. 01:00:44.400 |
If you have unconfessed sins, you know, this is the time to confess your sins. 01:00:48.400 |
And if you have, again, whatever that causes you to think that you're participating in an unworthy manner, 01:00:54.400 |
this is the time to come before the Lord and get ready. 01:00:57.400 |
But, again, we don't come to the communion table because we're worthy. 01:01:00.400 |
This is to teach us that our confidence comes from this, what this symbolizes. 01:01:05.400 |
It is because of his flesh, it was because of his body broken for us 01:01:09.400 |
that we're able to have confidence to enter the throne of grace. 01:01:15.400 |
And so let's take some time to prepare our hearts. 01:01:17.400 |
And then when we're ready, I'll ask you to come, and then we'll do this together. 01:02:13.400 |
For I receive from the Lord that which I also deliver to you, 01:02:30.400 |
that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread. 01:02:34.400 |
When he had given things, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. 01:02:39.400 |
In the same way, he took the cup also after supper, saying, 01:02:44.400 |
Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. 01:02:48.400 |
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, 01:02:51.400 |
you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." 01:02:54.400 |
So the communion table is meant for baptized believers. 01:02:59.400 |
So it's meant to be a kind of like an anniversary, 01:03:07.400 |
we ask that you just kind of observe quietly, 01:03:09.400 |
just watching and thinking through what's going on. 01:03:12.400 |
But again, if you are a baptized believer, we ask you to participate. 01:03:35.400 |
And then after we pray, we'll participate together, 01:03:41.400 |
Heavenly Father, as we participate in this sacred time, 01:03:47.400 |
help us, Lord God, to recognize the sacredness and holiness, Lord, 01:03:51.400 |
that you have set this apart so that we would not drift from this truth. 01:03:57.400 |
As Jesus commanded the disciples and told us to do this in remembrance of him, 01:04:02.400 |
his sacrifice, his love, his holiness, his righteous judgment, 01:04:07.400 |
and only by the grace of God that we are able to have this confidence 01:04:13.400 |
Help us, Lord God, to do this in celebration, in thankfulness. 01:04:18.400 |
And I pray, Father God, that the truth of the gospel will never fade in our memory, 01:04:24.400 |
that you would be our greatest and most important pursuit, Lord God, this week. 01:04:29.400 |
So we ask that you would bless this time and unify the church for that sake. 01:04:46.400 |
All right, let us rise as we sing our closing praise. 01:06:15.400 |
By your perfect sacrifice I've been brought near 01:06:31.400 |
Pouring out the riches of your glorious grace 01:06:38.400 |
Your mercy and your kindness, no, no, and your blood 01:09:16.400 |
So before we end, afterwards again, if you guys can help us clear out and some of you guys take the chairs 01:09:24.400 |
So if you are thirsty, we have plenty of water in the back, it's really hot so make sure you don't get dehydrated 01:09:30.400 |
We also have some otter pops that we want to give you to cool you off 01:09:35.400 |
So I think we have enough, so make sure when you go out there and grab some otter pops 01:09:40.400 |
And again, don't be ashamed, we have plenty for everybody, it's not just for children 01:09:46.400 |
So as you go out there, make sure you get some before you go so that you can stay cool, alright? 01:09:53.400 |
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your constant grace 01:09:58.400 |
I thank you for, just my brothers and sisters, Lord God, in this church where we can run this race together 01:10:06.400 |
We thank you Father for the privilege that we have to come before you and call you our Abba Father 01:10:13.400 |
Lord, you know our weaknesses, you know how prone we are, Lord God, to drift 01:10:18.400 |
So help us this week, Lord, to be anchored in Christ 01:10:22.400 |
That we would passionately, with urgency, to draw near to you, Father God, more than any other endeavor in our lives 01:10:31.400 |
I pray that the truth of the Gospel would grip our hearts so strongly 01:10:35.400 |
That we would be gracious, we would be holy, compassionate 01:10:40.400 |
In every way, Father, that we would reflect Christ in our lives 01:10:44.400 |
So whether we eat or drink, truly help us, Lord God, to honor and glorify you 01:10:49.400 |
Now the grace of our Lord Jesus and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit 01:10:56.400 |
Rest, restore, sanctify the church for the sake of your name 01:11:36.400 |
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives 01:12:30.400 |
Trash cans all around so you guys can throw that in there 01:13:10.400 |
The leftovers, can you just keep it on the chair or put it right there 01:14:59.400 |
By grace we'll preach your gospel till our dying breath 01:16:24.400 |
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