back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 7.17.2022
Chapters
0:0
5:41 Psalm 86 8-12
10:33 Members Meeting
22:49 Luke Chapter 2
35:1 Story of the Birth of Christ
51:13 Blessed Are those Who Are Persecuted
60:56 Apostle to the Gentiles
69:17 Closing Praise
00:05:40.420 |
I'm gonna read for us from Psalm 86, eight to 12. 00:05:47.640 |
There is no one like you among the gods, O Lord, 00:06:14.120 |
with all my heart, and I will glorify your name forever. 00:06:17.760 |
So let us sing these verses and praise our God together. 00:09:53.120 |
Let me just get straight to the announcements. 00:10:04.240 |
this Saturday, the subject that we're gonna be covering 00:10:08.640 |
You know, I know, especially in our culture right now, 00:10:15.880 |
what does the Bible teach us about biblical manhood? 00:10:27.200 |
And so we'll explain more when you come there. 00:10:47.780 |
And so they're gonna be providing chipotle bowls 00:10:53.640 |
but they're gonna be giving to you for $8, all right, 00:11:01.800 |
So you'll be able to stick around here and grab lunch, 00:11:03.720 |
and then we'll start the meeting right at 2 p.m., okay? 00:11:18.080 |
So please let us know so that we can prepare for that. 00:11:20.960 |
Okay, I think that's it for the announcements. 00:11:34.020 |
So after the service, if you can head to that park, 00:11:40.480 |
And then next Sunday, we'll introduce you to the church. 00:11:43.080 |
So just to kind of give you a heads up on that, okay? 00:11:46.420 |
All right, so I'll give you a minute after I pray 00:11:54.180 |
As you're exiting, you can drop it off there, okay? 00:12:08.140 |
and those things that you are working behind the scenes 00:12:15.840 |
We pray Father that you give us grace this morning. 00:12:24.040 |
help us Lord God to fix our eyes upon Christ. 00:12:27.320 |
Help us to worship you in spirit and in truth. 00:12:30.360 |
May be lifted up as a pleasing aroma and sacrifice. 00:12:33.760 |
Even the giving that we give, help us to give cheerfully 00:12:36.760 |
that it may be multiplied for your use in your kingdom. 00:14:42.820 |
♪ We sing, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah ♪ 00:14:47.820 |
♪ Let all things, let all things their Creator bless ♪ 00:15:18.320 |
♪ Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son ♪ 00:16:07.560 |
♪ Praise Him, all the redeemed washed by His blood ♪ 00:16:27.560 |
♪ Christ has defeated, Christ has defeated every sin ♪ 00:16:34.560 |
♪ And has passed all your burdens now on Him ♪ 00:17:01.560 |
♪ And He shall return, He shall return at the right ♪ 00:18:29.560 |
♪ There is still one King reigning over all ♪ 00:19:05.560 |
♪ For His throne it shall remain and ever stand ♪ 00:19:29.560 |
♪ Though the dread of night overwhelms my soul ♪ 00:20:22.560 |
♪ For His throne it shall remain and ever stand ♪ 00:21:53.560 |
♪ For His throne it shall remain and ever stand ♪ 00:22:43.300 |
If you can turn your Bibles to Luke chapter two. 00:22:52.140 |
I'll be reading from verse one through seven. 00:22:59.560 |
But we're really looking at all the way up to verse 20. 00:23:18.400 |
I had this even before, in a lighter version of it, 00:23:27.100 |
So I don't wanna be coughing throughout the sermon. 00:23:28.980 |
So I'm just gonna have the candy in my mouth. 00:23:33.520 |
I was telling my family that I think it's 'cause the cats, 00:23:43.520 |
If you can turn to Luke chapter two, one through seven, 00:23:48.260 |
Now in the days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus 00:23:53.400 |
that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 00:23:57.320 |
This was the first census taken while Quirinius 00:24:02.240 |
And everyone was on his way to register for the census, 00:24:10.440 |
to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, 00:24:13.260 |
because he was of the house of family of David. 00:24:21.960 |
the days were completed for her to give birth. 00:24:27.780 |
and she wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger 00:24:31.680 |
because there was no room for them in the inn. 00:24:41.520 |
help us to receive your word as you have intended it. 00:24:44.680 |
Help us not to turn from it to the left or to the right. 00:24:47.520 |
Help us not to take away from it or to add to it. 00:24:50.520 |
May your word that you have ordained come forth 00:24:54.120 |
and not return until it has accomplished its purpose. 00:25:05.020 |
or you know, where I have to tell them my name 00:25:09.600 |
usually I go through this cycle of, you know, 00:25:16.440 |
And they said, well, there's 3000 Peter Kim's in here. 00:25:22.040 |
And then they'll say, well, there's 30 Peter Ho Kim's 00:25:26.400 |
So eventually I have to go and give them my address 00:25:29.240 |
and give them more information in order for them 00:25:34.580 |
Well, I had a whole different version of that 00:25:36.160 |
when I was in India because I was getting COVID tested 00:25:40.760 |
And they asked me what my name was and say, Peter Kim. 00:25:43.580 |
But their database is the international database, 00:25:49.040 |
looks like there's over 30,000 of you in here. 00:25:54.700 |
So I had to nail it down to the United States 00:25:57.160 |
or Orange County, and then I actually had to give them 00:25:59.080 |
my address and my passport number and say, is this you? 00:26:01.920 |
And I had to go through this to find out exactly who I am. 00:26:05.640 |
So obviously in that context, I need to be able 00:26:09.920 |
on their database so when I go into different countries, 00:26:12.360 |
they can say, oh, he's vaccinated or he did this or that. 00:26:26.680 |
So typically when you meet another Kim in Korea, 00:26:30.280 |
they'll ask you what kind of Kim are you, right? 00:26:34.280 |
So my Korean, my family's name is Gyeongju Kim. 00:26:38.000 |
Gyeongju Kim is the area that we came from, right? 00:26:45.880 |
But what's interesting is whenever I talk to a Lee, Park, 00:26:48.520 |
you know, Choi or whatever their last name is 00:26:55.240 |
It's like, oh yeah, our great, great, great, great grandfather 00:27:01.460 |
I've never heard a descendant from peasants, ever. 00:27:12.240 |
"Oh, I'm a Kim, yeah, my dad used to take care of cows." 00:27:26.600 |
Somewhere down the line, somebody added, you know, 00:27:29.520 |
or misinformation and they just kind of came in 00:27:46.540 |
we had somebody very important in our family. 00:27:49.220 |
Whether that's true or not, it's really not that important. 00:27:53.760 |
But the identity of Christ is absolutely crucial 00:28:00.680 |
of the prophecies that's been given for thousands of years. 00:28:04.840 |
In fact, the Bible has over 25 separate genealogies 00:28:10.280 |
And most people, when they run to study the Bible, 00:28:20.200 |
You recognize a few names and then you go back. 00:28:22.840 |
But there's a reason why there are so many genealogies 00:28:32.940 |
when he says the seed of the woman is gonna come 00:28:36.720 |
All the genealogies, the record of God's faithfulness, 00:29:00.140 |
we look at it and say, oh, it's a story about Jesus' birth. 00:29:08.680 |
the person that is highlighted here is Caesar Augustus. 00:29:20.320 |
In fact, Caesar Augustus is not a name, it's a title. 00:29:30.200 |
Augustus basically means honored or exalted one. 00:29:34.240 |
So because he was so popular for the first time, 00:29:36.600 |
they actually attributed that to a human being. 00:29:39.520 |
And so if you were reading this in the first century, 00:30:12.840 |
would have been insignificant compared to this man. 00:30:15.080 |
But now 2,000 years later, knowing who he is, 00:30:38.960 |
From you one will go forth from me to be ruler in Israel. 00:30:47.200 |
In other words, this fulfillment of this prophecy 00:30:53.920 |
The genealogical records are not random set of events. 00:31:10.440 |
He's not just a fulfillment of the King Leland, 00:31:16.640 |
and he's going back to have a concrete record 00:31:34.960 |
and establish a kingdom that's gonna be everlasting. 00:31:38.320 |
So if you understood and you heard that prophecy, 00:31:42.200 |
what do you think would have been the next event? 00:31:49.480 |
Maybe the kings of Rome or at least in Israel, 00:31:53.440 |
they would have prepared and you would have thought 00:31:55.440 |
that there were gonna be a gigantic crowd to receive them. 00:32:02.600 |
of a non-month pregnant child who's moving around, 00:32:07.600 |
you know, not knowing where she's gonna give birth. 00:32:24.840 |
that God's perfect plan is unfolding through humble means. 00:32:28.720 |
God's perfect plan is unfolding through humble means. 00:32:33.220 |
You would expect something spectacular is happening, 00:32:36.440 |
but this is consistent with what we saw in chapter one. 00:32:42.140 |
and then prophecy comes to Zacharias and Elizabeth 00:33:13.100 |
When he was suffering, they were kind of telling him, 00:33:19.040 |
It was to this humbled old couple that this prophecy comes. 00:33:26.620 |
her whole song is, "The reason God chose me," she says, 00:33:44.300 |
In fact, John the Baptist, where we left off, right? 00:33:49.820 |
who are born of a woman until the time of Christ 00:33:59.020 |
and prepare the way for the Messiah and the king, 00:34:03.100 |
Most of his life, probably loses his aged parents, 00:34:06.900 |
and lived and grew as an orphan out in the desert. 00:34:11.060 |
until about six months before Jesus shows up. 00:34:26.540 |
being the greatest of all the other prophets, 00:34:38.780 |
where he stood before the coming of Christ to point to him. 00:34:44.540 |
was related to his proximity to Christ and his humility. 00:34:59.700 |
the King of kings and Lord of Lord is coming, 00:35:02.300 |
the story of the birth of Christ begins with this edict. 00:35:05.760 |
And can you imagine of that time when it says, 00:35:09.540 |
the way it's spelled out is that all of the known earth, 00:35:16.180 |
was given an edict to go back to their hometown, 00:35:18.280 |
their ancestral hometown, not where they grew up, 00:35:20.860 |
not where they were born, but their ancestors. 00:35:25.400 |
Because there's a clear record of Jesus' heritage 00:35:33.580 |
But can you imagine the historical scene of what's going on? 00:35:40.820 |
If there was an edict in our generation and said, 00:35:48.020 |
and to be counted and you have the next three months 00:35:51.740 |
to do so, can you imagine the chaos that's gonna break out? 00:35:56.380 |
I would say probably every single person in this room, 00:36:11.140 |
everybody has to pack their bags, find tickets, 00:36:15.860 |
'cause I don't think anybody was here in Irvine, 00:36:23.820 |
Everybody just packing their bags and leaving. 00:36:26.040 |
I remember the closest thing to this I experienced 00:36:29.140 |
when I was in Beijing in 1993 on our first trip 00:36:36.340 |
It was right at the beginning of the Spring Festival. 00:36:39.080 |
And so those of you guys who know about the Spring Festival, 00:36:42.780 |
that's like, they give you about one month to go back home. 00:36:49.480 |
the country it is now, where it's very developed 00:36:51.580 |
and everybody's riding cars, but I would say 90, 95% 00:36:59.820 |
to be able to get somewhere far is to get on this train. 00:37:08.200 |
So if you were a good student and you graduated 00:37:22.940 |
if you saved up enough money, you can buy a ticket 00:37:31.220 |
you have to wait until you can buy the ticket and go home. 00:37:39.660 |
We just happened to be traveling right at that time. 00:37:44.700 |
there were pictures, large cardboard pictures 00:37:55.380 |
It's like, why are they hanging these gruesome pictures 00:37:58.940 |
And they said that every year we have so many hundreds 00:38:01.940 |
of thousands of people who get mangled on the train 00:38:04.380 |
because they are trying so hard to get on the train. 00:38:08.180 |
And so if they can't get on and get regular seats-- 00:38:12.500 |
sometimes they would have to go for three, four days. 00:38:15.220 |
But so many people just hanging on from the outside 00:38:17.420 |
because that's the only way that they can get home. 00:38:20.100 |
And as a result of that, many hundreds, hundreds, 00:38:23.140 |
sometimes thousands of them will be thrown under the train 00:38:26.460 |
So they would put these pictures to scare people, 00:38:32.500 |
Now, I know that during this period when the people were 00:38:35.940 |
moving around, maybe the population wasn't as big. 00:38:41.260 |
You would expect that after a prophecy of the king, 00:38:48.340 |
to conquer all their enemies and bring about final peace, 00:38:52.860 |
that you would think that there would be something else going 00:39:01.980 |
those of you who have children or experienced pregnancy, 00:39:06.420 |
if she's nine months pregnant, she's about to give birth, 00:39:13.480 |
if it's too close to the date, because if it happens, 00:39:19.420 |
But can you imagine being nine months pregnant, 00:39:23.260 |
got to pack up and travel 80 miles from where 00:39:26.760 |
they are to move to Bethlehem, just because of the census? 00:39:31.600 |
Now, 80 miles at that time, just normal, healthy adults 00:39:43.480 |
we see her on a donkey and Joseph kind of carrying her 00:39:52.680 |
walked this whole process is probably highly likely, 00:39:56.080 |
that this 13, 14-year-old teenage girl with the husband 00:40:01.560 |
with Joseph, who's only a couple of years older, 00:40:06.360 |
And remember, she's holding the King of Israel in her stomach. 00:40:18.240 |
to the King of Kings, and this is how he's going to come? 00:40:23.880 |
In fact, you know what's interesting is, most likely, 00:40:29.120 |
And the reason why I believe that is because in Luke 00:40:32.480 |
chapter 2, 5, it says, "In order to register along with Mary, 00:40:39.040 |
Remember nine months ago when the prophecy came, 00:40:48.520 |
prophecy comes and says, your wife is pregnant. 00:40:50.960 |
Prophecy comes and says, your wife is pregnant. 00:40:57.240 |
it says, "Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man 00:41:07.160 |
Being a righteous man, he could have just blasted it 00:41:13.880 |
To shame her and her family and him go his own way 00:41:18.160 |
But instead, the angel comes and reminds him, 00:41:20.600 |
he's like, this is not because she was unfaithful. 00:41:33.520 |
And most likely, my guess is that people around them 00:41:46.360 |
but I don't know how many of them I would actually believe 00:41:53.480 |
So my guess is they kind of kept it discreet. 00:41:55.600 |
And it says, on this journey, they were still engaged 00:42:07.400 |
maybe running away from shame, pointing fingers 00:42:10.760 |
for where they were at, and they're moving along. 00:42:15.400 |
And then finally, when they get to Bethlehem, 00:42:26.400 |
Because she was pregnant, so it probably took her longer. 00:42:30.760 |
My guess is it would have taken her many more days than that. 00:42:33.960 |
So by the time they arrive, the inn is completely full. 00:42:44.800 |
Manger, basically, is where the animals eat their food 00:42:54.560 |
now we have funds, and we're doing all this stuff, 00:43:00.720 |
But years ago, when our church didn't have money-- 00:43:03.040 |
we're Baptist, so we need to have a baptismal. 00:43:08.820 |
So we were researching online, and I was researching, 00:43:11.500 |
and I found that a lot of the churches who don't have money 00:43:18.800 |
And it's big enough where an average adult can get and dunk. 00:43:22.320 |
So they would take this outside, fill it with water, 00:43:29.600 |
that they were using that because they didn't have money. 00:43:38.360 |
because we're getting baptized, and people are starting 00:43:41.280 |
their new life in Christ, and we have guests coming, 00:43:51.120 |
And people are going to come, and it's like, what is this? 00:43:54.160 |
So for that purpose, it's kind of humiliating 00:44:08.180 |
that was prophesied, who's going to bring eternal peace. 00:44:32.240 |
Now, you have to understand, the shepherds at that time 00:44:39.840 |
not only because they were around animals all the time, 00:44:42.560 |
and they were dirty, and they smelled like animals. 00:44:48.160 |
because they were around unclean animals all the time. 00:44:53.760 |
And so not only were they physically the lowliest, 00:44:58.160 |
that they wouldn't want to have in their house. 00:45:00.120 |
And Luke emphasizes, it was the shepherds that were noted. 00:45:09.160 |
and they were the first witnesses to tell other people. 00:45:23.200 |
represents the King of Israel is going to come. 00:45:26.160 |
And when they found out about this, where did they go? 00:45:34.640 |
wanted to find out where this was going to happen. 00:45:43.480 |
When the Magi, these Gentiles, heard about this, 00:45:47.960 |
not knowing what's going to happen, of course, 00:45:53.000 |
This prophecy being fulfilled, where is this king? 00:45:55.120 |
And obviously, King Herod, understanding this, 00:46:08.560 |
And then they follow the star that takes them 00:46:21.120 |
to where the real king is, and he's in a manger? 00:46:27.080 |
but you could imagine what their reaction is. 00:46:31.760 |
King of Israel in a manger with these children. 00:46:45.360 |
Luke is not just bringing together just random set of facts, 00:46:51.280 |
and said it just happens to be that this is the context 00:46:56.040 |
Luke is emphasizing every single part of this for a reason. 00:47:02.720 |
that God who is exalted emptied himself, became nothing, 00:47:16.920 |
is to empty ourselves, not to become something, 00:47:20.920 |
not to gain notoriety, not to become this great name, 00:47:25.480 |
but to empty ourselves so that we can be useful. 00:47:30.760 |
the scribes come to Jesus because he's beginning 00:47:33.120 |
to get fame and people are starting to follow him, 00:47:41.360 |
came to Jesus and said, "We wanna follow you." 00:47:43.640 |
But Jesus, knowing exactly where their heart is, 00:47:49.520 |
"The foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, 00:47:53.760 |
"but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." 00:47:57.320 |
In other words, you're coming to me to seek glory. 00:48:02.600 |
You're coming because you think that if you hang out 00:48:06.720 |
with the Messiah, that somehow some of that glory 00:48:08.360 |
is gonna come to you, just like the disciples. 00:48:11.200 |
As he's prophesying he's gonna go to the cross, 00:48:14.920 |
And he says, "I'm going to the cross, I'm gonna die." 00:48:17.560 |
And he's told his disciples, "If you wanna follow me, 00:48:19.840 |
"you deny yourself, empty yourself, humble yourself, 00:48:22.800 |
"and pick up your cross and follow me as well." 00:48:27.760 |
When Jesus begins to speak about the kingdom of God, 00:48:30.720 |
and he begins by explaining that the kingdom of God 00:48:52.840 |
Where we're able to find and be able to pay our bill? 00:48:55.600 |
We're so blessed, but Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor." 00:49:03.840 |
and we're rejoicing, he says, "No, blessed are those 00:49:06.880 |
"who mourn, blessed are those who are gentle, 00:49:10.280 |
"blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." 00:49:14.720 |
Know how often we think of like establishing righteousness 00:49:19.480 |
because we do quiet time, we're so disciplined, 00:49:21.480 |
and we read scripture and we're evangelizing. 00:49:24.200 |
And sometimes when we are good at spiritual things, 00:49:29.960 |
He says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst." 00:49:45.360 |
and fell into sin and in need of repentance sometimes. 00:49:48.560 |
He says, "Those who are hungering and thirsty." 00:49:51.600 |
Sometimes, and I confess, being a leader is hard 00:49:56.600 |
because when you're a leader, you have to teach. 00:50:01.080 |
And everywhere we go, every person I meet, I have to teach. 00:50:13.840 |
And I see a lot of people fall into this temptation 00:50:23.160 |
He says, "No, you're not blessed because you know 00:50:25.760 |
"or you have a degree or you've been around for a long time 00:50:34.120 |
Think about who hungers and thirsts for righteousness. 00:50:36.640 |
Usually it's new Christians, brand new Christians. 00:50:45.520 |
Not those who conquer and are able to defeat every argument, 00:50:50.720 |
those who are pure in heart, those who are peacemakers. 00:50:56.560 |
We said India, the persecution meter is rising rapidly. 00:51:08.840 |
There's a possibility that you may be blown up. 00:51:12.560 |
Here it says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted." 00:51:21.240 |
and park your cars and we have these buildings. 00:51:25.080 |
But Jesus says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted. 00:51:34.860 |
If you know the Beatitudes, every one of these things, 00:51:37.600 |
he said they're blessed because it's a doorway to Christ. 00:51:42.280 |
Every single one, whatever brings you closer, 00:51:48.120 |
and bring you closer to Christ is the blessing 00:51:58.200 |
it says, "At that time, the disciples came to Jesus 00:52:05.720 |
"'Truly I say to you, unless you are converted 00:52:08.280 |
"'and become like children, you will not enter 00:52:12.120 |
"'Whoever then humbles himself as this child, 00:52:14.200 |
"'he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'" 00:52:18.880 |
that what Jesus was saying here is don't ask questions. 00:52:23.960 |
So if Jesus says jump, you just jump, like a child. 00:52:30.760 |
and asking this question, who's the greatest? 00:52:34.720 |
So he's pointing to a child who has no power, 00:52:42.160 |
And he's talking to the lowliest, humblest person 00:52:48.680 |
"you cannot understand the kingdom of heaven." 00:52:50.980 |
How much of our life is a pursuit of the next stage? 00:52:57.200 |
When we plant the church, when we get educated, 00:53:01.140 |
get a job, our relationship, how much of our pursuit 00:53:05.080 |
is somehow getting to the next stage of glory? 00:53:20.240 |
"But each one is tempted when he is carried away, 00:53:25.520 |
"Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin, 00:53:27.900 |
"and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death." 00:53:32.800 |
we automatically think sexual lust, which is part of that. 00:53:36.600 |
But the word lust simply means great passion. 00:53:49.560 |
What if this desire, you go to someone's house, 00:53:51.360 |
it's like, "Well, I wanna live in that house." 00:53:53.620 |
How much of our anger and how much of our fighting 00:54:08.780 |
our relationships, and even with our children. 00:54:13.240 |
Pride is the reason, oftentimes, why churches break up, 00:54:16.900 |
why we fight with our neighbors, why even wars begin. 00:54:21.520 |
Pride is the source and the underlying factor 00:54:35.980 |
wanting to have what God has, maybe in different degrees. 00:54:40.380 |
And the whole world is in pursuit, and you know it. 00:54:49.100 |
And we have, in Korea, we have this (speaks in foreign language) 00:54:53.940 |
Right, some of you guys know what I'm talking about. 00:55:04.460 |
I've never seen anybody put trashcan in there. 00:55:16.580 |
that our children are gonna become something great. 00:55:25.540 |
now we're hoping that our children will fulfill, 00:55:28.560 |
but how much of our natural pursuit of our glory 00:55:58.680 |
See, because the Jews and the people at that time 00:56:05.360 |
"Why would the King of Kings, who's going to establish us 00:56:08.280 |
"and bring eternal peace and conquer all our enemies, 00:56:20.900 |
"I know he said he was going to die and be crucified, 00:56:25.200 |
How much of our frustration in our walk with God 00:56:30.740 |
How much of our frustration if God's not answering 00:56:41.620 |
That we've created in our mind that being blessed 00:56:45.640 |
means this, this, this, and this, even in the church, 00:56:55.580 |
for us not to miss, because when we think of Christ, 00:57:04.120 |
In fact, we would say that he's not just humble, 00:57:08.920 |
If you follow me, not only do you have to humble yourself, 00:57:14.280 |
But understand, he's not just calling us to be humble, 00:57:21.800 |
Jesus did what he did in order to seek and save the lost. 00:57:26.800 |
In fact, if you see his exalted state, right, 00:57:30.320 |
in the book of Revelation, or whenever you see prophecy 00:57:32.520 |
of Christ in his throne, he's not in a humbled state, 00:57:45.880 |
In fact, Philippians chapter two ends with that. 00:57:50.640 |
to be a name above every name, every knee shall bow, 00:57:55.320 |
So that's, his humbled state was during the period 00:57:58.680 |
when he was here, specifically for the purpose 00:58:06.760 |
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, 00:58:09.280 |
"but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." 00:58:36.600 |
suffering the things that sinful mankind experiences, 00:58:44.520 |
Luke 19, 10, "For the Son of Man has come to seek 00:58:50.720 |
And Jesus told his disciples that you must do the same. 00:59:54.800 |
To those who are under the law, as under the law, 00:59:59.000 |
so that I might win those who are under the law. 01:00:06.660 |
And imagine the kind of life a Pharisee had to live 01:00:29.820 |
So can you imagine the freedom that they felt 01:00:33.080 |
living under this oppression of the law and being freed? 01:00:36.100 |
And yet, Paul says, he puts himself right back 01:00:40.500 |
to live under the law, to save those who are under the law. 01:00:48.420 |
as without the law, though not being without the law of God, 01:00:51.420 |
but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those 01:00:59.100 |
and you remember how much Paul hated the Gentiles. 01:01:07.180 |
because they considered themselves to be unclean. 01:01:12.020 |
so much of the language is trying to bring the Gentiles 01:01:17.460 |
And yet, Apostle Paul says, to those without the law, 01:01:22.060 |
To the weak, I became weak, that I might win the weak. 01:01:31.420 |
so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. 01:01:34.760 |
You cannot love, truly love, without emptying yourself. 01:01:57.180 |
Some of you have already signed up, 'cause you're nurses. 01:02:02.380 |
Whether you like it or not, it comes with the job, 01:02:06.020 |
without wiping butts, I'm sure most of you would sign up. 01:02:08.900 |
You do it, I think it's a very honorable profession, 01:02:19.000 |
But if you had an option not to wipe butts, right? 01:02:22.060 |
Give needles and take care of them, do all this stuff, 01:02:26.300 |
it's like, yeah, that one thing will hire somebody else. 01:02:57.920 |
There are people in our church who are praying 01:03:15.720 |
Every single one of you had your butts wiped. 01:03:24.960 |
I know some people, they gag at their own poo. 01:03:28.360 |
And it was like, well, how are they gonna have kids? 01:03:51.040 |
every step of Jesus' journey to do what he did, 01:03:57.600 |
And the only reason that you and I can possibly fathom 01:04:09.560 |
Every single one of us would create hell for the Nazis. 01:04:20.760 |
The mystery is why would the son of the most high God 01:05:58.520 |
so Paul had to write this very difficult letter 01:06:02.840 |
and their response in many of them was not good. 01:06:34.940 |
in my opinion, most likely was his detractors. 01:06:45.180 |
God allowed the thorn on his side to continue, 01:07:08.460 |
having concluded this, that one died for all, 01:07:35.120 |
So that as we become closer and closer to Christ, 01:07:50.520 |
Every part of his birth story is to remind us, 01:08:48.120 |
Lord, teach us what it means to deny ourselves. 01:08:54.400 |
And pick up our own cross and follow you as well. 01:09:07.680 |
That we also may have life abundantly in you. 01:13:55.100 |
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling 01:14:00.060 |
and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, 01:14:04.620 |
to the only God our savior through Jesus Christ our Lord,