back to indexPassion Week Monday Devotionals - 3.25.2024
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♪ The Father's love is a strong and mighty fortress ♪ 00:09:05.580 |
- Lord God, we just thank you for the privilege 00:09:28.200 |
that you've given us to just come before you. 00:09:31.880 |
We thank you, Lord God, for the gift of salvation 00:09:36.480 |
Thank you for your constant love for us, God, 00:09:38.760 |
and your patience towards us, even when we stray, 00:09:47.280 |
and as we go into just remembering the events 00:10:05.560 |
I pray that, as we just go into a time of singing, 00:10:08.040 |
I pray, Lord, that even these words that we sing to you 00:10:10.200 |
would be an act of offering from our hearts, God. 00:10:12.840 |
So we thank you, and your name we pray in your name. 00:15:20.920 |
♪ My life worth the sacrifice of you, of you ♪ 00:15:33.280 |
♪ You're pouring out the riches of your goodness ♪ 00:18:16.180 |
we're gonna be gathering together every night like this. 00:18:19.700 |
One, just to walk through each of the day's events, 00:18:24.540 |
and you're not gonna be hearing a full-out sermon. 00:18:29.860 |
mostly just the reading of Scripture and the passages 00:18:36.460 |
And so the pastors are gonna walk you guys through that 00:18:41.620 |
And on each day, we've asked just a brother or sister 00:18:56.900 |
And also included in that is what they've been learning 00:19:00.860 |
just thus far, just in their walk with the Lord. 00:19:05.860 |
And tonight, before we actually go through the events, 00:19:08.780 |
we do have a testimony that our brother Alex Lee 00:19:17.000 |
He's in the young adult group, has been at Berean, 00:19:19.640 |
just kinda came right in the middle of COVID, 00:19:26.500 |
to be a blessing just to many of our brothers in the BAM. 00:19:33.700 |
but let me pray for us, and then he'll come up, 00:20:00.860 |
that we would be both reflective and grateful, 00:20:09.020 |
We pray that as we hear from our brothers and sisters, 00:20:15.300 |
God, that our hearts would really be just ignited 00:20:19.140 |
to worship, to long to know you, to make you known, 00:20:23.540 |
and really to walk in the power of the spirit. 00:20:31.340 |
over the course of this week, that you would be honored, 00:20:36.300 |
that, Lord, your church would be strengthened 00:21:08.120 |
My story begins in the South Bay of Los Angeles, 00:21:10.940 |
where I was raised and what appeared on the exterior 00:21:29.540 |
who routinely host lavish parties and events, 00:21:32.440 |
inviting many family members, friends, and acquaintances, 00:21:44.600 |
In reflection, it is clear that one of the primary impulses 00:21:47.740 |
that drove much of my parents' decision-making 00:21:50.420 |
was a desire to erect what was a forged image 00:22:16.220 |
A growing disconnect between our profession of faith 00:22:29.500 |
our mom having carried our bodies from our beds into the car 00:22:33.940 |
and having driven around the city in search of our father, 00:22:49.420 |
reaching its apex with the divorce of my parents, 00:22:52.220 |
fueled by my father's drug and gambling habits, 00:23:03.680 |
to preserve the scraps of what was left of our family, 00:23:19.080 |
would continue to be a reoccurring fixture in our home, 00:23:22.120 |
and the havoc that ensued for many years afterwards 00:23:25.060 |
drove each family member to pursue the idols and lusts 00:23:39.740 |
Desperate to build my identity on academic success, 00:23:48.140 |
And at the expense of playing with a few friends that I had, 00:23:50.580 |
I would often needlessly spend an extra hour or two 00:23:54.160 |
While the decision to attend college on the East Coast 00:24:10.580 |
I would often spend six to seven days a week in the library 00:24:15.440 |
feverishly working on papers and studying for exams. 00:24:18.700 |
Whatever semblance of Christianity that was a part of my life 00:24:28.580 |
as my academic goals were soon to be fully realized. 00:24:31.900 |
And the security of obtaining a job on Wall Street 00:24:34.600 |
in New York City only strengthened the conviction 00:24:43.000 |
that the pitiful awareness that I would soon graduate 00:24:50.760 |
that left a deep, nauseating knot in my stomach. 00:24:54.280 |
Yes, this sobering realization that graduation day for me 00:24:58.000 |
would be marked by a sheer, uncomfortable loneliness 00:25:01.460 |
drove me to make a decision that characterized 00:25:21.720 |
This ache only intensified when I returned home, 00:25:24.320 |
and it created a profound emptiness inside of me 00:25:37.120 |
and his spirit began the active and decisive process 00:25:46.080 |
that he miraculously and divinely made me stumble 00:25:57.680 |
and yet so sweetly filled the void in my heart 00:26:06.920 |
and revealed to me how desperate I was in need of a son, 00:26:26.100 |
I left for New York City as a baby Christian, 00:26:29.880 |
but one transformed by the relentless pursuit 00:26:32.080 |
of a shepherd who knows and calls his own sheep. 00:26:36.280 |
my ample share of challenges living in the Big Apple, 00:26:48.040 |
is a coming, a receiving, an eating, a drinking, 00:26:53.280 |
and being satisfied with all that God is for me in Jesus, 00:27:05.920 |
a fight that requires a daily putting to death 00:27:13.060 |
It's about the reordering of life's priorities 00:27:15.200 |
so that I'm no longer seeking a momentary joy in this life, 00:27:20.100 |
It's about discarding the old passions, dreams, goals, 00:27:41.060 |
In retrospect, it has become clear and clear to me 00:27:54.900 |
to mold me into a greater likeness of his son 00:27:57.260 |
for my ultimate good and for his infinite glory. 00:28:08.580 |
and there's nothing on earth that I desire besides you. 00:28:12.500 |
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 00:28:19.480 |
with a sincere and joyful heart for all of eternity. 00:28:25.100 |
would forever ring true for our church as well, 00:28:27.500 |
that God and Christ would be our portion forever. 00:29:00.840 |
really defines God's relationship with mankind. 00:29:05.840 |
It's also the loneliest week in all of human history 00:29:16.200 |
but more importantly, more than anything else, 00:29:18.640 |
he suffers the agonizing separation from his father 00:29:25.420 |
But on the cross, he was permanently separated. 00:29:30.040 |
In fact, he was hated by the father whom he loved. 00:29:43.720 |
And something that you might not have noticed before, 00:29:56.880 |
that there is a lot in the gospel accounts of this week. 00:30:16.680 |
Luke's focus, though it is a little bit different, 00:30:34.120 |
like the amount of ink that's devoted to the Passion Week, 00:30:49.380 |
you're gonna be looking at this one week, okay? 00:30:52.800 |
And so today, I wanted to look at the events of Monday, 00:30:56.960 |
and I'm gonna be starting with just reading through 00:31:00.040 |
Mark's account because it does give us a lot of good detail. 00:31:14.560 |
and I'll walk you through those things, okay? 00:31:21.840 |
just as a refresher of the events that took place yesterday. 00:31:29.560 |
"Those who went in front and those who followed 00:31:35.780 |
"'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 00:31:38.800 |
"'Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father, David. 00:31:43.900 |
"And Jesus entered Jerusalem, came into the temple, 00:32:12.240 |
Presumably, we're at the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus 00:32:23.060 |
So on each of the days, Jesus goes from Bethany 00:32:45.280 |
So on the next day, when they had left Bethany, 00:32:49.760 |
Verse 13, "Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, 00:32:54.760 |
"he went to see if perhaps he would find anything on it. 00:32:58.440 |
"And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, 00:33:28.660 |
"And he entered the temple, and he began to drive out 00:33:31.580 |
"those who were buying and selling in the temple, 00:33:35.780 |
"and overturned the tables of the money changers 00:33:38.320 |
"and the seats of those who were selling doves. 00:33:41.040 |
"And he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise 00:33:51.040 |
"'Is it not written, my house shall be called 00:34:03.840 |
all three synoptics have this in their accounts. 00:34:09.000 |
This teaching of having turned the house of God 00:34:19.240 |
of why that's so familiar and why that's so significant. 00:34:26.060 |
The chief priests and the scribes respond to this. 00:34:41.380 |
for the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching. 00:34:44.480 |
And then evening came, they would go out of the city, 00:34:50.260 |
and it doesn't say this here in Mark's account, 00:35:03.860 |
It comes from both Isaiah and it comes in Jeremiah 00:35:08.620 |
at one of the darkest periods in all of Israel's history, 00:35:11.940 |
the time period when the people of God are described 00:35:25.460 |
The prophets prophesy out of their own delusion. 00:35:36.660 |
and they almost pronounce a peace and prosperity 00:35:49.040 |
and Jeremiah's ministry on the surface is very unfruitful. 00:35:58.420 |
he is mistreated, he is neglected, he is the crazy fool, 00:36:05.780 |
And I wanna show you a section out of Jeremiah seven 00:36:10.780 |
Jeremiah seven one, "The word that came to Jeremiah 00:36:17.660 |
"'of the Lord's house and proclaim there this word 00:36:20.200 |
"'and say, 'Hear the word of the Lord, all of you Judah, 00:36:24.440 |
"'who enter by the gates to worship the Lord.'" 00:36:28.720 |
So Jeremiah is being given a command to worshipers of God, 00:36:37.760 |
but they're called those who go to worship the Lord. 00:36:41.440 |
Verse three, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 00:36:52.740 |
"'This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, 00:36:57.560 |
"For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, 00:37:04.440 |
"and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the alien, 00:37:07.220 |
"the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood 00:37:10.320 |
"in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin," 00:37:15.160 |
and those are all evidences of a life that is lived 00:37:23.320 |
Okay, so these aren't things that you do to gain his favor, 00:37:30.200 |
Then, verse seven, "I will let you dwell in this place, 00:37:36.360 |
"in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. 00:37:40.160 |
"But behold, you are trusting in deceptive words 00:37:48.960 |
"Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, 00:37:55.920 |
"and then offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods 00:38:01.060 |
"that you have not known, and then come and stand before me 00:38:24.640 |
"Behold, I, even I, have seen it, declares the Lord. 00:38:28.980 |
"But go now to my place, which was in Shiloh, 00:38:35.540 |
"and see what I did to it because of all the wickedness 00:38:40.680 |
"And now, because you have done all these things, 00:38:44.220 |
"rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear. 00:38:53.000 |
"which is called by my name, in which you trust, 00:38:56.360 |
"and to the place which I gave you and your forefathers, 00:39:24.300 |
And the temple is soon gonna be destroyed in 586. 00:39:31.820 |
All of the goods that are in the temple of God 00:39:36.900 |
And Jesus is quoting this famous section of Jeremiah 00:39:44.120 |
In Matthew chapter 23, no stone is gonna be overturned. 00:39:49.440 |
And Pastor Peter mentioned that yesterday in a sermon. 00:40:04.920 |
you who clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, 00:40:08.400 |
but inwardly are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 00:40:25.040 |
So Jesus enters into the temple on this Monday, 00:40:46.280 |
so that it gives you a little bit more insight 00:40:53.840 |
drove out all those who were buying and selling 00:40:55.900 |
in the temple, overturned the tables of the money changers 00:40:59.000 |
and the seats of those who were selling doves. 00:41:08.260 |
And this is the only place of the three synoptics 00:41:13.680 |
but the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, 00:41:18.400 |
So he's performing miracles even on this day. 00:41:29.720 |
They just got like a scathing rebuke from Jesus. 00:41:33.160 |
And then when the chief priests and the scribes 00:41:40.600 |
the children who were shouting in the temple, 00:41:45.620 |
So we're gonna see a growing hatred toward Jesus 00:42:03.840 |
and then you know the events on Thursday, Friday, and Easter. 00:42:41.560 |
There are miracles and confrontations in the same temple. 00:42:47.560 |
And then after this exhausting, probably tense, 00:43:03.160 |
and those are the things that happen on Monday. 00:43:19.200 |
So my encouragement over the course of tomorrow 00:43:27.080 |
The passages will be up via Instagram, on Facebook, 00:43:48.120 |
first and foremost, God, that you provide for us your word, 00:43:52.400 |
and that in your word, we learn so much about your character, 00:43:59.800 |
And in your word, we also see so much of who we aren't. 00:44:11.960 |
and you are a promise-keeping God who keeps his covenant. 00:44:16.920 |
And who pursues even the most unlovable of people. 00:44:21.920 |
We pray that as we reflect on each and every day's events, 00:44:29.980 |
that you would give us a greater insight into your heart. 00:44:51.600 |
so that we would understand and appreciate grace 00:44:56.520 |
We thank you, Lord, for our brother's testimony, 00:45:01.280 |
and we know that there are many other awesome testimonies 00:45:04.360 |
of your saving grace, your life-giving power. 00:45:10.880 |
just reflecting on each and every day's events, 00:45:22.500 |
not just in title only, but, Lord, in our hearts. 00:45:29.360 |
so that we might become the righteousness of God. 00:45:37.320 |
and be overwhelmed with gratitude at those truths. 00:45:43.360 |
We pray for just sober hearts, prayerful spirits, 00:46:21.620 |
♪ You've freed a stranger of my longing soul ♪ 00:46:43.680 |
♪ Your grace, you're well too deep to fathom ♪ 00:46:51.700 |
♪ Your love, it seems that heaven's reached ♪ 00:48:16.520 |
♪ Your faithfulness, my refuge in the night ♪ 00:49:04.520 |
♪ You rose, the brave in death are conquered ♪ 00:49:20.000 |
♪ You rose, you rose, the brave in death are conquered ♪ 00:50:20.560 |
are more driven by conformity and religiosity 00:50:24.760 |
than genuine heart of brokenness and worship to God? 00:50:35.680 |
Where am I prone just to being a fake church participant? 00:50:46.120 |
in my participation in the life of the church? 00:51:02.460 |
to just share briefly, to confess, to pray together, 00:51:06.480 |
and then in about 10 minutes, I'll come back up, 01:04:30.220 |
I'm gonna give you guys a couple of announcements. 01:04:44.820 |
you can maybe bring your car over and then park it, 01:04:49.820 |
but the shuttle team, they will end the service 01:04:52.780 |
at nine o'clock, so please be mindful of that. 01:04:57.700 |
so if you wanted to sign up for the Passover Feast, 01:05:04.660 |
is gonna be for members and first-time participants, 01:05:08.740 |
but it is a formal event, so for you guys who are coming, 01:05:11.740 |
not like super formal where you have to wear tux, 01:05:25.620 |
At least like a button, okay, and then like something 01:05:30.780 |
that you would work in, okay, in the 90s, all right, 01:05:39.740 |
Now, here's an important announcement for Friday. 01:05:42.240 |
We're gonna have a very, very, very packed house on Friday, 01:05:53.140 |
If you can, by all means, help it, come before. 01:05:59.860 |
Grab a coffee, bring your dinner, and eat it here. 01:06:05.020 |
and two, you're not gonna overwhelm the shuttle team, 01:06:09.060 |
'cause a lot of our parking spots are a little farther away. 01:06:12.260 |
The parking spot availabilities will be made known 01:06:17.020 |
as we just progress over the course of the week 01:06:19.460 |
via Instagram, Facebook, and then you'll have 01:06:22.260 |
our brothers and sisters out there with me on stuff, 01:06:24.860 |
like directing you, but they wanna participate as well, 01:06:29.820 |
so if you guys all come early and you make them unnecessary 01:06:38.140 |
So please do show up on time, and for the welcoming ushers 01:06:44.060 |
because a lot of our church body is not here tonight, 01:06:47.620 |
but if you guys can all squeeze in the middle 01:06:57.020 |
and there is communion, so please do prepare your hearts 01:07:02.860 |
We have plenty of help for the Saturday saucing 01:07:07.020 |
but we do need help putting all the lunches together, 01:07:12.900 |
So just, if you can help by any means, sign up, 01:07:17.460 |
and even if you don't sign up and you can lend a hand 01:07:19.300 |
between, after second and service, third service, 01:07:36.580 |
on all the announcements, so if we need to adjust, 01:07:40.100 |
so that you can get a heads up on that, okay? 01:07:44.380 |
Let me pray for us, and then we'll formally dismiss. 01:07:50.620 |
I pray that every evening would be just filled 01:07:58.700 |
but more than anything else, just a growing confidence, 01:08:04.140 |
It's your kindness that leads us to repentance. 01:08:09.500 |
and that we cannot boast in any way, shape, or form. 01:08:12.740 |
All this is from you and through you and for you, 01:08:16.700 |
and so we pray that you would take the very center stage 01:08:20.460 |
at our church every day for the whole course of this week. 01:08:25.260 |
We thank you, Lord, for just your provision of our church,