back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 5/1/2022
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- Morning. Welcome to Parin Community Church. I just have a few announcements before we 00:08:45.700 |
get started. First of all, those of you who've been supporting our Indian pastors, we have 00:08:54.560 |
an annual commitment, so that annual commitment is being finished at the end of May. And so, 00:09:00.080 |
we're asking you to recommit to that. And those of you who are not involved with that, 00:09:05.200 |
we encourage you to try to think about that. We've been giving updates on our Parin members 00:09:10.160 |
page about what's going on in India. But as you guys know, our pastors have been actively 00:09:15.880 |
working in India, despite all the stuff that's been going through. And I think the last update 00:09:21.060 |
I gave you, that our pastors were heavily persecuted and beaten, the two pastors that 00:09:25.920 |
we've been working with. And so, when I was talking to them, they were still at the hospital, 00:09:30.680 |
and I think they're out now. But again, as soon as they come out, they're telling me 00:09:35.480 |
that they have plans to go to the next village. And I've shared this before, but part of the 00:09:40.640 |
reason why we got involved in India is because the heaviest concentration of unreached people 00:09:45.200 |
groups are in India. The heaviest concentration of illiteracy is in India. The heaviest concentration 00:09:51.000 |
of poverty is also in India. And so, even though it's a nation that's really growing 00:09:55.040 |
fast economically, especially for the people in the village and for Christians, the persecution 00:10:01.200 |
meter is rising heavily. So, even just during the time that we've been involved in India, 00:10:08.040 |
they were ranked number 26 or 27 in persecution, and they have risen just in the last six, 00:10:13.840 |
seven years to number 10 or number nine, you know, and just right below the Middle Eastern 00:10:19.120 |
countries. And so, despite that, they're actively working, getting the gospel in, and 00:10:25.160 |
they're starting brand new churches. And so, the finances that we are supporting them with 00:10:30.160 |
is going to very, very good use. I am going to be heading out in June to visit our pastors, 00:10:37.400 |
and just to kind of scope to see that maybe we can pick up our work again in January. 00:10:43.080 |
And so, if things check out, we may do that, and I'll let you know at the end of summer 00:10:46.640 |
if that is possible. But for now, the support that we are giving, again, if you committed 00:10:52.760 |
for the year, it's coming to an end at the end of May, and then starting from June, we're 00:10:56.760 |
going to have new sign-ups. So, if you desire to sign up for that, our actual physical sign-up 00:11:01.480 |
for that is going to start next week. And so, I'm just giving you a heads up to take 00:11:05.160 |
some time to pray about it, and then it's about $50 a month for each pastor's family. 00:11:10.480 |
There's about 60 pastors now that, pastors' families that we're supporting. And so, please 00:11:15.740 |
consider signing up for that for the next year. And then I'll give you a reminder next 00:11:20.880 |
Sunday. We'll probably even have something set up so you guys can go out and then give 00:11:26.120 |
your sign-ups for that. Other than that, I'm just going to leave the rest of the announcement 00:11:31.240 |
for you to check on the website or the app. I'm going to pray for our offering, and then 00:11:37.360 |
after that, after our main worship time, our brother John Chin is going to come up, and 00:11:41.720 |
he's going to give his testimony. He'll be baptized this morning. Those of you who are 00:11:45.520 |
new to the church, we have a physical offering in the back. If you brought a physical check 00:11:49.640 |
after the service, you can go and visit right underneath that clock, and then just drop 00:11:54.680 |
it off there. Okay? Let me pray for us. Gracious Father, we thank you so much for this morning. 00:12:02.220 |
We pray that you would continue to guide and lead us, that wherever our hearts and our 00:12:07.100 |
mind may have been this week, I pray again that you would help us to lift our eyes to 00:12:12.740 |
know that Christ and Christ alone is our true hope. Lord, as we live upon this earth, help 00:12:22.760 |
us, Lord God, to walk by faith and not by sight. Even this offering that we give, we 00:12:28.220 |
pray that you would bless it 30, 60, 100-fold. May it be used for your glory and your kingdom. 00:14:05.120 |
♪ The galaxies can't help but shout his word ♪ 00:15:04.120 |
♪ Died our death and rose up from the grave ♪ 00:16:03.120 |
♪ And then an instant faith will turn to sound ♪ 00:21:49.120 |
I called myself a Christian and attended church, 00:21:57.120 |
I wanted to get good grades, get into a good college, 00:22:03.120 |
In my junior year of high school, I worked too hard, 00:22:06.120 |
experienced burnout, and had to drop my classes. 00:22:09.120 |
Throughout my struggle, I did not really think of God 00:22:17.120 |
I transferred schools, repeated my junior year, 00:22:22.120 |
I was extremely thankful to God for healing me 00:22:27.120 |
However, my relationship with God was based primarily 00:22:31.120 |
on experience rather than belief in the gospel. 00:22:34.120 |
My real growth in the knowledge of the gospel 00:22:46.120 |
However, I didn't read the Bible consistently. 00:22:54.120 |
but I still desired the things of this world-- 00:22:59.120 |
I don't recall a specific moment when I received Christ, 00:23:06.120 |
I believe in the gospel, that there is a God, 00:23:24.120 |
Jesus lived a perfect life, died for our sins, 00:23:27.120 |
and rose from the dead to prove that he was the son of God. 00:23:36.120 |
And so our response should be to turn away from sin 00:23:42.120 |
Next, I'll share when I was convicted of my sin 00:23:48.120 |
I struggle with lust, and recently I had another relapse. 00:24:10.120 |
Afterwards, I prayed to God and asked for forgiveness. 00:24:26.120 |
but rather than living in sin, I seek to struggle with sin. 00:24:37.120 |
which has been helpful in reading the word on my own. 00:24:46.120 |
and came up with questions that I kept in the back of my mind. 00:24:50.120 |
One of those questions is what it means to fear the Lord, 00:24:53.120 |
and although I have a better understanding of that now, 00:25:06.120 |
In closing, I am grateful for how God has worked in my life, 00:25:10.120 |
and I seek to run the race faithfully and with endurance. 00:26:12.680 |
If you can turn your Bibles with me to Luke chapter 1. 00:26:16.060 |
I'll be reading from verse 5 through 10 this morning. 00:26:38.040 |
there was a priest named Zacharias of the division 00:26:40.880 |
of the Abijah, and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, 00:26:45.720 |
They were both righteous in the sight of God, 00:26:52.240 |
But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren, 00:26:56.480 |
Now, it happened that while he was performing his priestly 00:27:03.660 |
of the priestly office, he was chosen by law to enter the 00:27:07.960 |
And a whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside 00:27:14.040 |
Gracious Father, we thank you for this morning. 00:27:20.420 |
We pray, Father God, that your word would really speak to us, 00:27:33.300 |
to not only know your thoughts, but your own heart. 00:27:36.500 |
We pray that we would get a glimpse of who you are, 00:27:48.920 |
>> You know, oftentimes when various things happen 00:27:55.120 |
in our life, we don't have a complete answer as to why is 00:28:00.120 |
this happening, because we're not able to see the big picture. 00:28:03.940 |
We don't see how -- what this is going to lead to. 00:28:07.060 |
So we oftentimes, you know, just trust that God is sovereign. 00:28:12.340 |
And typically we will read verses like Romans 828 says, 00:28:17.200 |
that we know that God causes all things to work together 00:28:21.480 |
to those who are called according to his purpose. 00:28:24.320 |
And so we use that verse to encourage one another, 00:28:26.700 |
to encourage ourselves, to remind us that God is sovereign. 00:28:29.660 |
But oftentimes we don't know exactly where this is headed. 00:28:37.220 |
we're able to see the fruition of these passages. 00:29:01.660 |
it made a perfect time because the Romans, you know, 00:29:04.360 |
they came into power and they created all these roads. 00:29:07.740 |
So that if you were going to go evangelize to the remotest part 00:29:12.280 |
of the world, that would have been the perfect time, 00:29:16.280 |
so that they can pretty much get anywhere they needed to go. 00:29:18.580 |
Or it was a perfect time because the language was united. 00:29:22.280 |
The Greeks did such a great job of bringing people together, 00:29:26.860 |
all of a sudden they were able to communicate. 00:29:28.740 |
They had the local language, and then they had Greek language. 00:29:34.820 |
Politically, Romans conquered so much of the land 00:29:38.320 |
that they were able to move from place to place 00:29:43.040 |
Now, all of these things may be true, but none 00:29:48.140 |
Those are just speculations that, yes, it was an ideal time. 00:29:52.920 |
But what the Bible does mention is that God waited 00:29:56.740 |
until the law exposed sin to be utterly sinful. 00:30:05.480 |
In fact, when you study the book of Romans, Romans begins 00:30:19.320 |
But if you look at Romans chapter 1, it's clear 00:30:27.580 |
Even though it has ramification to all the nations, 00:30:32.920 |
for even though they knew God, they did not honor him 00:30:45.060 |
and exchanged the glory of God for the incorruptible God, 00:30:49.260 |
glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form 00:30:52.200 |
of corruptible man and of birds and of four-footed animals 00:30:56.420 |
Now, again, this can be applied to all mankind, 00:31:06.960 |
And yet, though God made it very clear to them who he is, 00:31:10.860 |
showed them the glory, they chose to continue 00:31:17.360 |
So it says in verse 4 all the way down to verse 28, 00:31:26.160 |
"Therefore God gave them over in the lust of their hearts 00:31:29.360 |
to impurity so that their bodies would be dishonored among them 00:31:32.860 |
for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, worshipped 00:31:35.460 |
and served the creatures rather than the creator 00:31:41.860 |
"For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions. 00:31:45.360 |
For their women exchanged the natural function for that 00:31:49.260 |
And in the same way also the man abandoned natural function 00:31:52.160 |
of the women and burned in their desire toward one another, 00:31:54.660 |
men with men committing indecent acts and receiving 00:31:58.060 |
in their own persons the due penalty of their error." 00:32:03.860 |
"And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, 00:32:07.160 |
God gave them over to depraved minds to do those things 00:32:16.760 |
And even though he made who he is through natural revelation, 00:32:24.660 |
and yet they continue to chase after idols, reject him. 00:32:28.960 |
And he says God gave them over, God gave them over, 00:32:32.660 |
So Israel's history is a repeating cycle of a rebellion against God 00:32:42.660 |
and then God allowing this sin to bear the fruit 00:32:53.260 |
And so it's important for us to first recognize 00:33:07.960 |
It's almost as if God was waiting for whatever it is 00:33:12.260 |
that they were chasing after to have its full effect. 00:33:15.860 |
So that when Christ comes and he turns the light on, 00:33:20.460 |
the people who are in darkness would recognize immediately 00:33:27.860 |
that I'm going to go over that on the surface kind of seems random. 00:33:40.460 |
and he's going to present it probably in a chronological manner, 00:33:57.460 |
or they'll jump into John the Baptist shows up 00:34:04.960 |
Here, he spends quite a bit of time in chapter 1 00:34:09.460 |
of something that seems almost insignificant. 00:34:17.860 |
Herod the Idrimian was the king of that time. 00:34:25.060 |
Today, if we want to keep a record of something, 00:34:38.660 |
they would date it based on who was the king at the time. 00:34:45.260 |
or the fourth year or the beginning year of this 00:34:47.660 |
and that's how they knew exactly when this happened. 00:35:00.460 |
it's filled with God pleading with the nation of Israel 00:35:21.960 |
that they will come and take away your strongmen, 00:35:37.760 |
and they take the northern kingdom to captivity. 00:35:40.560 |
All ten of the tribes are taken into captivity, 00:36:46.760 |
because their life has already become so easy 00:37:17.360 |
Behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts." 00:37:35.460 |
and he's going to prepare for the Messiah to come. 00:37:53.860 |
it doesn't mean that there was nothing going on. 00:38:03.360 |
made it easy to integrate into the pagan nation, 00:38:26.060 |
That's how good of a job that the Greeks did. 00:38:49.660 |
Romans conquered so much of that modern nation 00:38:54.160 |
that they had to put puppet figures all over. 00:39:03.360 |
because they want to set up a puppet president 00:39:12.560 |
Well, that's exactly what happened with Israel. 00:39:42.260 |
Well, that temple was built by this king, King Herod. 00:39:47.460 |
"Well, he must have cared about his religion. 00:39:49.360 |
He must have clearly had some affection for God." 00:39:58.760 |
that same king also made dozens of pagan temples. 00:40:14.460 |
just kind of gives us a historical background 00:40:20.260 |
that his own family members would usurp his authority 00:40:28.560 |
Kind of like what's going on in North Korea, right? 00:40:32.160 |
Anybody that Kim Jong-un thinks is a threat, they're gone. 00:40:39.760 |
it's made very clear, Matthew chapter 2, 16 to 17. 00:41:07.960 |
Imagine if you were a young family of that time 00:41:35.560 |
that he was going to be the king of the Jews, 00:41:58.660 |
they would have come and completely destroyed them. 00:44:13.960 |
You don't know because he was just a side piece. 00:44:36.360 |
He says he's going to give an orderly account 00:45:28.260 |
You know, many people study the book of Hosea 00:45:39.360 |
basically, who continues to commit adultery against him 00:45:46.860 |
between the relationship with Hosea and Gomer. 00:45:59.360 |
but if you study the book of Hosea carefully, 00:46:36.260 |
almost every prophet that brings judgment upon Israel, 00:46:47.460 |
four through six is I will heal their apostasy. 00:46:50.860 |
I will love them freely for my anger has turned away from them. 00:46:57.760 |
and he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon. 00:47:03.760 |
and his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. 00:47:06.460 |
Can you imagine if you heard everything that Hosea was saying 00:47:10.960 |
and the captivity actually happens exactly like Hosea said, 00:47:24.360 |
We want to repent but when is this going to happen? 00:47:26.960 |
They waited 900 years for the fulfillment of that prophecy. 00:47:35.360 |
The final fulfillment will happen at the end. 00:47:41.160 |
And so when Zacharias appears God has remembered again. 00:47:47.560 |
Despite your sins God has not forgotten again. 00:47:56.760 |
and Elizabeth is a descendant of Aaron himself. 00:48:05.660 |
And again to better understand what's going on here. 00:48:16.960 |
you know, you don't need that many people to go in 00:48:22.560 |
And so he was under one of those orders Abijah. 00:48:25.260 |
And so if your group happened to be chosen you came 00:48:30.060 |
and serve one or two weeks out of the year whole year 00:48:36.360 |
and whoever gets chosen one priest would represent 00:48:39.360 |
and go into the Holy, Holy, not the Holy of Holies. 00:48:42.960 |
And then they were able to light the candle representing 00:48:47.860 |
That's why all the priests are sitting standing outside praying 00:48:54.260 |
and light these candles representing the prayers. 00:49:05.860 |
Now John the Baptist was prophesied 400 years 00:49:14.860 |
So Zacharias is the father that was necessary 00:49:21.060 |
Yet all of this happens on the surface seems like by chance. 00:49:29.260 |
you know, Zacharias if some angel would appear 00:49:33.160 |
Instead a lot takes place and then just randomly, 00:49:44.260 |
What seems chaotic and random on the surface is never random 00:49:52.760 |
In Proverbs 16 32, it says the lot is cast into the lap, 00:50:02.060 |
Remember in Acts chapter 2 after Judas betrays, 00:50:10.060 |
And so they decide that they have some parameters 00:50:12.560 |
that they need to be somebody that was with the Lord 00:50:14.560 |
and saw his life and was there when he was resurrected 00:50:18.360 |
and they break it down to two people Matthias 00:50:46.960 |
Right? You're going to eternity and Matthias, 00:50:54.760 |
but through the apostles through the lots, right? 00:51:19.160 |
He's breaking into the darkness through this man 00:51:58.460 |
just like Apostle Paul says in Philippians chapter 3 00:52:11.960 |
Doesn't mean that he was innocent before God. 00:52:16.460 |
is because I hear a lot of times people saying 00:52:32.360 |
You can live a life that honors and pleases God. 00:52:47.460 |
to the point where God was pleased with them. 00:52:53.360 |
in the commandment and requirements of the law, 00:52:58.960 |
But they had no, why does he say it like that? 00:53:01.960 |
They had no child because he lives with barren 00:53:11.560 |
John the Baptist was prophesied 400 years ago 00:53:22.860 |
In fact, it says they were advanced in years. 00:53:26.360 |
The reason why they contrast their barrenness 00:53:30.860 |
and their righteousness is because at that time 00:53:40.260 |
We see that clearly in John chapter 9, 1 to 3. 00:53:43.560 |
When they're walking by and they see a blind man, 00:53:45.560 |
it said he passed, he saw a man blind from birth 00:53:55.760 |
Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned 00:53:58.560 |
nor his parents, but it was so that the works of God 00:54:03.460 |
You see the prejudice that they had toward him? 00:54:09.260 |
that he must be blind because he must have deserved it 00:54:11.960 |
or maybe the parents did something, they deserved it. 00:54:14.860 |
And this was a common prejudice against anybody 00:54:26.960 |
we have all kinds of rules and even in the church, 00:54:30.160 |
like the bathrooms have to be certain height or, 00:54:32.360 |
you know, like you have to make the entrances a certain way 00:54:36.260 |
and it's like all kinds of stuff that somebody 00:54:38.760 |
who's in a wheelchair could have easy access, right? 00:54:47.360 |
people assumed that there was some sort of curse on you 00:54:58.060 |
In fact, not only did the culture view it that way, 00:55:02.560 |
many times even the families thought that the only way 00:55:18.160 |
because they were afraid that they were going to be shunned 00:55:29.560 |
But out of fear, they said, "No, no, no, you talk to him." 00:55:40.760 |
the shame that somebody who was barren at that time? 00:55:46.660 |
Clearly something, something must be going on with them. 00:55:55.060 |
that the rabbis created to interpret the law. 00:56:07.260 |
after 10 years if she does not bear a child." 00:56:24.860 |
And he is able to do that up to two times, right? 00:56:34.860 |
not only do you have the pain of not being able to have a child, 00:56:44.160 |
And you have the shame that you have to live with. 00:56:49.060 |
they were both righteous in the sight of God, 00:56:51.560 |
but despite that, she couldn't have children." 00:57:19.760 |
bearing children, and not being able to have children, 00:57:24.760 |
you don't know the pain that comes with that, right? 00:57:35.860 |
Esther went through the first miscarriage, right? 00:57:43.860 |
Went to the hospital and did some blood work, 00:57:46.260 |
and they basically told her that you couldn't have children 00:58:01.160 |
and we'll have plenty of time to do ministry, 00:58:09.760 |
That's what I was thinking, the insensitive man. 00:58:15.360 |
They actually said she has some sort of a blood disorder 00:58:28.160 |
and we thought that maybe she was going to have 00:58:32.360 |
And right around that time, I went up to a retreat, 00:58:39.760 |
and one lady who was about 10 years ahead of me in age, 00:58:47.560 |
And in her testimony, she said that she had five miscarriages, 00:58:57.060 |
But what really got me was, as she was sharing that, 00:58:59.560 |
she was starting to break down, and she said, 00:59:02.660 |
she said, by her own words, "I no longer feel like a woman." 00:59:26.160 |
Every morning at 5 o'clock, I would go there, 00:59:28.860 |
and that's all I prayed for during her pregnancy. 00:59:31.660 |
I prayed, I prayed, "Lord, please answer this prayer. 00:59:38.660 |
And then, sure enough, she had her miscarriage. 00:59:51.260 |
I mean, there's a lot of things I prayed for a long time, 00:59:56.960 |
where I literally cried out to God and pled before God, 01:00:01.660 |
and for several months, prayed, "Lord, answer, answer. 01:00:34.560 |
and we already are thinking she's not going to have this child. 01:00:39.260 |
and the doctor says, "You had another miscarriage." 01:00:43.960 |
And so, we just, by that time, we've accepted it. 01:00:46.760 |
She's not going to be able to have children normal way. 01:00:50.760 |
We didn't have enough money to think about adoption. 01:00:55.560 |
We were just thinking, "Well, let's see what happens." 01:01:02.060 |
she came back and just lived a normal life, you know. 01:01:08.460 |
so I remember taking the kids to Magic Mountain, 01:01:11.160 |
and she rode the roller coaster and did all of that, 01:01:16.360 |
drank coffee, whatever you're not supposed to do. 01:01:20.660 |
And at the end of fifth month, she just went in for a checkup, 01:01:26.760 |
that everything has been moved from the body. 01:01:29.660 |
And she came back, and the way she came through the door, 01:01:50.660 |
I mean, maybe the doctor was just automatically assuming 01:01:55.660 |
But whatever happened was we've already accepted that, 01:02:06.060 |
And God allow us at least to emotionally feel 01:02:09.360 |
what it's like to possibly have a kid with Down syndrome. 01:02:13.260 |
We had another kid that we thought was, you know, 01:02:15.860 |
was premature and was in the incubator for a couple months. 01:02:25.460 |
Well, each one of us, I'm not going to go into all of that, 01:02:28.160 |
but God allowed us to feel the emotions behind the heartache 01:02:32.660 |
that many parents go through in different situations. 01:02:35.060 |
But I can tell you that not being able to have a child, 01:02:43.760 |
And I know there's a lot of people in our generation 01:02:49.560 |
there's a temptation to compromise our Christian ethics, 01:03:06.960 |
What's happening in your life isn't by mistake. 01:03:15.960 |
Whether you end up having a child or not having a child, 01:03:24.760 |
You know what's interesting about this story? 01:03:28.360 |
There's major markers in how God's covenant is being fulfilled. 01:03:34.360 |
And each one of those markers, it comes through a barren woman. 01:04:01.960 |
That doesn't mean that if you have a hard time having a child, 01:04:04.860 |
that if you trust God, that you're going to have four children. 01:04:10.960 |
But what it does mean is that our God is completely sovereign. 01:04:17.260 |
That even in the most randomest and difficult and the darkest situation, 01:04:25.760 |
The reason why Elizabeth and this story is here, 01:04:37.360 |
"Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have born no child. 01:04:40.960 |
Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud. 01:04:43.760 |
You who have not prevailed, for the sons of the desolate one 01:04:46.760 |
will be more numerous than the sons of the married woman," says the Lord. 01:04:54.560 |
Lengthen your cords and strengthen your pegs, 01:04:56.760 |
for you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, 01:04:59.560 |
and your descendants will possess nations and will resettle the desolate cities. 01:05:05.560 |
Do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced, 01:05:10.860 |
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more, 01:05:23.060 |
For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, 01:05:26.360 |
even like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected," says your God. 01:05:34.260 |
In an outburst of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, 01:05:37.860 |
but with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you," 01:05:43.360 |
What seems random on the surface is not random at all. 01:05:48.060 |
When God says that He remembers every strand of hair on our head, 01:05:54.860 |
You know, we're in a wedding season right now. 01:05:58.160 |
You know, we have almost a wedding every week. 01:06:02.060 |
And so I was at one yesterday and I remember just sitting around with 01:06:05.360 |
all our bereaved and some of them that I've known for almost 20 years. 01:06:09.460 |
And we're thinking about how weddings used to be a long time ago, right? 01:06:14.160 |
15, 20 years ago when, was it 20? I forgot how long it was, but a while back, right? 01:06:22.360 |
18. So 18 years. They were the first couple at our church, right? 01:06:26.660 |
But at then, most people did not have wedding coordinators 01:06:35.760 |
So whenever they got married, you know, I'd get, 01:06:38.160 |
I'd gather up the people and say, "We need to shift. 01:06:40.660 |
Their wedding's at four. We're going to show up at two o'clock 01:06:42.660 |
and we're going to set up the tables and, you know, help serve the food." 01:06:45.860 |
And then after the wedding was over, we would stay longer and clean up 01:06:51.160 |
and then we would stay behind and clean up for them. 01:06:53.460 |
It was like that in the beginning because our church was smaller. 01:06:56.660 |
And so every wedding was a huge celebration, right? 01:07:00.160 |
It made all of us feel like grown-ups, right? 01:07:02.960 |
Stuck around and it's like, "Oh, they're getting married." 01:07:05.060 |
And so every event, they didn't even have to send out invitations 01:07:08.560 |
because our church was small. It was just assumed, right? 01:07:13.560 |
Like a lot of college students who had no idea who they were, 01:07:15.760 |
they would just show up on Saturday because they had nothing to do. 01:07:17.660 |
But that was all calculated into the meals and into the celebration. 01:07:21.260 |
So we're just reminiscing about that and how it used to be 01:07:24.160 |
and, you know, how every celebration when people had hardship, 01:07:27.660 |
we were all there together, cried together, laughed together. 01:07:30.460 |
But one of the difficulties now that the church is bigger, 01:07:35.260 |
You know, it's hard to even get to know everybody. 01:07:37.960 |
And so that's one of the things that happens when the church is big. 01:07:42.160 |
And I know there's some of you who were there like 20 years ago 01:07:45.760 |
thinking, "Oh, you know, only if it was like that, 01:07:49.960 |
But obviously we're growing because God is blessing us. 01:07:52.760 |
There's people coming to hear the Word and so greater things are happening. 01:07:57.560 |
But sometimes when you think about it, it is a bit sad 01:07:59.860 |
because I know people who are going through hardship 01:08:05.860 |
A lot of you have gone through a lot of hardship in the last two years. 01:08:09.160 |
There's things that you're celebrating and we can't make it there. 01:08:12.860 |
Like just yesterday, we had two weddings on the same day. 01:08:38.960 |
Whether you are 50, 500, 1,000, or 10,000, or a billion, 01:08:56.460 |
even for this old couple who may have lost all hope, 01:09:08.960 |
who would have no other hope than the love of Jesus Christ. 01:09:13.960 |
That's the sympathetic high priest that we love, that we worship. 01:09:20.460 |
And so as we continue to study the book of Luke, 01:09:23.960 |
as I mentioned, as His humanity is presented to us, 01:09:27.960 |
as His compassion we're able to see up close, 01:09:32.960 |
He says, "We have a high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses. 01:09:41.960 |
Enter the throne with confidence to seek help in time of need." 01:09:48.960 |
So my prayer is that we would know this Jesus, 01:09:56.460 |
and just kind of disappeared from the background, 01:10:02.960 |
that we would desire more than anything else to be near to this Jesus. 01:10:18.960 |
Lord, as we remember that you remembered Zacharias and Elizabeth, 01:10:26.460 |
countless number of people who came before them, 01:10:30.460 |
countless number of hurting and aching souls that came after them, 01:10:38.460 |
all reminding us that you care for us, that you love us, 01:10:49.460 |
We pray, Father God, that you would soften our hearts, 01:15:04.540 |
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling 01:15:08.540 |
and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, 01:15:13.540 |
To the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord,