back to indexBerean Community Church - Sunday Service - 6/8/25
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♪ Greed is the Lord when we have the victory ♪ 00:02:02.520 |
♪ Greed is the Lord and most worthy of praise ♪ 00:02:24.780 |
♪ Greed is the Lord when we have the victory ♪ 00:03:32.260 |
♪ And Lord, we want to lift your name on high ♪ 00:03:47.380 |
♪ And Lord, we trust in your unfailing love ♪ 00:04:13.980 |
- All right, welcome to Brink Community Church. 00:04:29.220 |
so please continue to prepare your heart for that. 00:04:35.900 |
The foundation Bible study is still happening on Wednesday, 00:04:40.780 |
but on Friday, we have praise and prayer at 7.30, 00:04:51.980 |
Our lot G is gonna be closed down for the time being, 00:05:08.980 |
So lot J, again, is where all the big parking is. 00:05:11.920 |
There's over 300 and some parking spaces there, 00:05:14.340 |
so make sure you park to the left side of the parking lot, 00:05:30.980 |
It's gonna take a little bit longer than normal, 00:05:37.060 |
make sure you go to lot J, starting today, actually. 00:05:41.620 |
And then Kimco is shut down until further notice, okay? 00:05:52.740 |
And then lastly, Brion Women's Softball Fellowship 00:06:00.660 |
or if you're just going to support them and to watch them, 00:06:14.700 |
our offering box is in the back on the way out, 00:06:19.260 |
Father, we thank you for all the gifts that you've given us, 00:06:27.700 |
and many things, Lord God, that you are orchestrating 00:06:32.340 |
I pray that you would remind us again and again and again 00:06:37.820 |
so that our worship may simply be a reasonable response. 00:06:42.040 |
We pray that your name may be honored and glorified. 00:06:45.300 |
We pray that our communion table would sanctify us, 00:06:57.100 |
for the sake of your kingdom and for the gospel ministry. 00:07:54.940 |
to greet the neighbors around us before we continue. 00:13:42.980 |
♪ Oh God before the mountains were brought forth ♪ 00:13:58.020 |
♪ For days of spring and summer filled the earth ♪ 00:14:15.500 |
♪ We dwell beneath the stars in ancient skies ♪ 00:14:25.340 |
♪ A thousand years are nothing in your sight ♪ 00:14:42.900 |
♪ And all our days are held within your hands ♪ 00:15:44.620 |
♪ And all our days are held within your hands ♪ 00:16:23.660 |
♪ Oh God of light our ways are known to you ♪ 00:16:28.660 |
♪ But by your grace you're making all things new ♪ 00:16:59.900 |
♪ And all our days are held within your hands ♪ 00:17:25.060 |
♪ And all our days are held within your hands ♪ 00:18:00.620 |
- If you can turn your Bible with me to Luke chapter 11, 00:18:25.620 |
No one after lighting a lamp puts it away in a cellar 00:18:45.960 |
but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 00:18:49.460 |
Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. 00:18:52.180 |
If therefore your whole body is full of light 00:18:54.660 |
with no dark part in it, it will wholly be illumined 00:18:57.820 |
as when the light illumines you with its rays. 00:19:05.860 |
We pray, Father God, that we may know your will 00:19:11.140 |
I pray that you would help us not to turn from it 00:19:14.580 |
that we would not add to it or to subtract from it, 00:19:27.620 |
the Foundations of Marriage Seminar this week, 00:19:44.660 |
So whether I give a sermon or whether you're giving a talk 00:19:59.700 |
or somebody who is hurting versus somebody who is rejoicing. 00:20:09.760 |
And that is true when we understand the Bible. 00:20:11.760 |
We need to know who is speaking and who he's speaking to. 00:20:17.920 |
is a text that the content of it is very familiar to us, 00:20:25.380 |
and then you put it under a cellar or you put it under a table, 00:20:28.000 |
you put it on top of it so that it can illumine the darkness. 00:20:33.380 |
You probably memorized this text when you were young. 00:20:35.980 |
But the context of this, who he's talking to, 00:20:40.260 |
is gonna help us to be able to understand fully 00:20:45.240 |
The content of what he says about being the light 00:20:49.580 |
and putting it on a table, not underneath the table, 00:21:09.400 |
in the context of that, he gives many descriptions 00:21:21.140 |
but in this context, he is talking at the Sea of Galilee. 00:21:28.480 |
who have gathered together, they're not necessarily hostile, 00:21:30.900 |
they just wanna hear from him and learn from him. 00:21:38.620 |
That same text in Mark 4:21 is repeated in Luke 8:16. 00:21:44.620 |
The context is the same, the previous passage is the same, 00:21:49.060 |
and so what he is saying, he's addressing the same crowd 00:21:52.860 |
So again, Mark 4:21 and Luke 8:16 are parallel passages. 00:21:57.860 |
Matthew 5:14 is different because he's preaching this 00:22:01.220 |
at the Sermon of the Mount, even though the content, 00:22:06.420 |
Luke chapter 11, the text that we're looking at 00:22:08.700 |
is different from Matthew 5:14 and Luke 8:16. 00:22:38.220 |
casting out demons with the power of other demons, 00:22:42.820 |
And then the second crowd of people who were skeptical 00:22:45.940 |
of him was asking him, "Prove yourself, give us more sign." 00:22:50.940 |
So if you remember in the previous passage in verse 29, 00:22:53.700 |
it says, "As the crowds were increasing, he began to say, 00:22:59.860 |
"It seeks for a sign, but no more sign will be given." 00:23:09.740 |
or he's addressing the same crowd and all of a sudden, 00:23:14.740 |
and get this off my chest and I'm gonna come back to this 00:23:21.820 |
So again, understand the context in which he is saying this. 00:23:25.580 |
He's addressing a crowd that is coming to him, 00:23:42.620 |
and the hostility toward Jesus is increasing. 00:23:48.360 |
"A wicked generation, I will give no other sign." 00:24:04.740 |
of who Jesus is because they wanted to reject him. 00:24:09.020 |
They said that the resurrection is gonna clearly prove 00:24:11.780 |
that everything that he said about himself was true. 00:24:22.340 |
the queen of Sheba is gonna stand in the judgment day, 00:24:33.380 |
and you didn't repent, and because you did not repent, 00:24:42.520 |
And then he gets into this after he says this. 00:24:55.620 |
This is a part of what he is saying to these people 00:25:09.460 |
Oh, we are the light, and we're supposed to live this way. 00:25:15.100 |
but there is a contextually more fitting understanding 00:25:20.940 |
You see, the nation of Israel was called to be the light. 00:25:31.020 |
"No one after lighting a lamp puts it away in a cellar 00:25:43.240 |
"and the whole reason why you have been established 00:25:45.620 |
"was so that you can be the light to the world. 00:26:07.640 |
"I will bless you, and make your name great." 00:26:29.920 |
"and in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed." 00:26:33.260 |
The book of Jonah was in all the earth will be blessed. 00:26:38.260 |
So from the very get-go, the calling of Israel 00:26:45.740 |
He said, "I will choose you, and I will bless you, 00:26:48.920 |
"and I will multiply you, so that through you, 00:26:55.080 |
In fact, in Deuteronomy 7, seven through eight, 00:26:57.280 |
as they are about to enter the promised land, 00:27:06.200 |
They think that they are multiplying, having success, 00:27:19.580 |
that's gonna creep in, because God is with them. 00:27:22.480 |
He says, "The Lord did not set his love on you, 00:27:24.760 |
"nor choose you, because you are more in number 00:27:27.740 |
"than any other people, for you are the fewest 00:27:31.300 |
"But because the Lord loved you and kept his oath, 00:27:46.280 |
"that I would do this, so I am gonna be faithful to them, 00:27:48.800 |
"I'm going to be faithful to my own covenant." 00:27:53.560 |
when you enter this promised land, don't get it twisted. 00:27:59.400 |
He's preemptively saying this, because he knew. 00:28:04.480 |
and that's exactly what happened to the nation of Israel. 00:28:11.200 |
was somehow elevated from all of the other nations, 00:28:45.300 |
"for you will judge the peoples with uprightness, 00:28:53.760 |
Israel just was an avenue in which he was going 00:29:05.120 |
They were blessed, and God gave them the law, 00:29:09.360 |
and God protected them, and God answered their prayer. 00:29:25.020 |
preaching about the kingdom was that the Jews 00:29:27.320 |
could not accept the Gentiles into the kingdom. 00:29:29.680 |
If you read and study the New Testament epistles, 00:29:35.360 |
I would say at least 50% of the New Testament, 00:29:52.880 |
So the Judaizers were the ones who were in the middle 00:29:57.740 |
"We see clearly that Jesus was risen from the dead, 00:30:27.960 |
that this was God's intent from the beginning. 00:30:37.240 |
theologically astute and say, "Oh, that's interesting." 00:30:42.800 |
It's like, "Yeah, that's for pastors and theologians." 00:30:48.480 |
The relevance of this is if you don't understand this, 00:30:52.840 |
you're gonna miss the whole point of why you and I are here, 00:30:58.520 |
See, Jonah did not simply represent a wayward person. 00:31:19.640 |
Jonah represented not only a wayward prophet, 00:31:33.440 |
was that through them, God would be glorified, 00:31:35.960 |
and all the other nations would come and glorify him. 00:31:40.180 |
You see, if you and I forget why God established us, 00:31:57.960 |
How does this church help me with my marriage? 00:32:00.140 |
How does this church help me with my children? 00:32:02.680 |
And again, there's nothing wrong with any of that, 00:32:14.100 |
So if we forget, if we're not living according to his will, 00:32:25.260 |
Whole book of the Bible is God pursuing sinners 00:32:31.380 |
But if all we're concerned about is my family, 00:32:35.760 |
my marriage, my retirement, my business, my well-being, 00:32:45.700 |
And that's exactly what was happening to Jonah. 00:32:51.660 |
when Jesus is talking to sinners and tax collectors, 00:33:04.340 |
"Well, the reason why I'm hanging around sinners 00:33:06.000 |
"is because of this, this, and this, and this." 00:33:10.640 |
Parable of the lost sheep, parable of the lost coin, 00:33:21.720 |
pursuing the lost and celebrating because they are found. 00:33:37.400 |
And in doing so, he was turning the table on them. 00:33:59.420 |
You don't realize why you're studying the Bible. 00:34:37.280 |
"Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness. 00:34:41.560 |
"If therefore your whole body is full of light 00:34:46.560 |
That's when the lamp illumines you with its rays. 00:35:05.900 |
Now, remember, he's talking to a group of people 00:35:43.940 |
Remember when Apostle Paul, when he met Christ, 00:35:59.800 |
"The scales fall off his eyes," and then he sees. 00:36:14.620 |
in 2 Corinthians 4:4, we begin to see the glory 00:36:23.100 |
What is this light that all of a sudden we see? 00:36:43.240 |
"He was in the world, and the world was made through him, 00:36:47.760 |
"He came to his own, and those who are his own 00:36:57.300 |
The light of the world, the creator of the universe, 00:37:08.900 |
It's not because the light isn't bright enough. 00:37:12.100 |
It's not because God hasn't given enough evidence. 00:37:37.240 |
and we see the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 00:37:39.120 |
we see the beauty of Christ, we don't see anything else. 00:37:46.720 |
and I know plenty of people who love the church, 00:37:53.440 |
They love purpose, but they don't love Christ. 00:37:55.880 |
They love the community, but they don't love Christ. 00:37:59.240 |
And because they have not seen the beauty of Christ, 00:38:16.040 |
Every time I come to church, they just make me feel guilty. 00:38:20.540 |
And so they see the word of God and the preaching of God 00:38:27.660 |
So what he's saying here is, if your eyes become open 00:38:40.340 |
Glory is the shining of God's beauty to the world. 00:39:28.780 |
So many Christians live hungry, hanging out at a buffet, 00:39:35.940 |
You know what the best way not to be tempted in a buffet? 00:39:48.700 |
You walk through a buffet and all of a sudden, 00:40:01.560 |
think about all the things that the people in this world 00:40:04.940 |
can possibly imagine that they could be tempted by. 00:40:10.760 |
You saw some clothing, I want that, so you get it. 00:40:15.120 |
You see somebody else travel to this beautiful place, 00:40:17.460 |
you know, I'm gonna save enough money, I'm gonna get it. 00:40:24.360 |
House, I mean, you're not multi-millionaires, 00:40:27.220 |
but we save up enough and move things around, 00:40:35.900 |
You and I have access to everything that we are watching, 00:41:08.680 |
The only way to overcome darkness is if the light, 00:41:18.320 |
in light of the surpassing knowledge of knowing Jesus Christ 00:41:24.960 |
It didn't just become rubbish because out of pure will, 00:41:32.200 |
he read some books, and he exposited the Bible, 00:41:38.040 |
Until we are filled with the light of Christ, 00:41:59.360 |
He said the reason why you don't recognize me, 00:42:19.960 |
you have membership, you have all this stuff, 00:43:03.680 |
with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. 00:43:36.720 |
If you had Jesus and you lost all your friends, 00:44:33.040 |
So this was an indictment against these people. 00:44:50.620 |
because I know some of you guys are suffering, 00:45:06.520 |
That no matter what it is that you're going through, 00:45:31.200 |
If my business goes bankrupt, I still have Jesus. 00:45:37.360 |
If I lose all my friends, I still have Jesus. 00:45:48.120 |
we remain in darkness, and we will continue to covet, 00:46:06.880 |
and somebody told me that the God who created me 00:46:15.900 |
despite all my rebellion and blasphemous speaking, 00:46:22.340 |
he sent his only begotten son to take my sin upon himself, 00:46:26.460 |
and he suffered for my sins, I would say, get out of here. 00:46:29.780 |
If somebody came in and said, hey, I got $200, 00:46:52.140 |
singing this, memorizing this, teaching this other people. 00:47:02.860 |
after we memorized people, and then we live every day, 00:47:06.440 |
If we're not careful, we can be just as blind. 00:47:11.560 |
We can miss the whole point of why you and I are here. 00:47:18.600 |
The first sign of Jonah is identity of Jesus. 00:47:22.020 |
Second sign of Jonah was an indictment against Israel. 00:47:24.820 |
Third sign of Jonah is a demonstration of God's mercy. 00:47:37.500 |
you know, we're gonna leave church again, feeling guilty, 00:47:41.220 |
but I want you to understand what he is saying here. 00:47:44.940 |
All of this is a demonstration of the kindness of God. 00:47:51.560 |
Jonah chapter 4, one through two, after Nineveh repents, 00:48:00.480 |
He wanted them to be judged, but they repent. 00:48:03.860 |
A revival breaks out, and this is what he says. 00:48:06.020 |
It greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry. 00:48:14.740 |
Therefore, in order to forestall this, I fled to Tarshish. 00:48:19.160 |
He said, he didn't, the reason why he didn't wanna go 00:48:25.780 |
and he just doesn't like preaching the gospel. 00:48:32.940 |
For I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, 00:48:35.620 |
slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, 00:48:49.000 |
A lot of people read the Old Testament superficially 00:48:55.640 |
Didn't he bring judgment against them and against this? 00:49:02.480 |
He said, from what I know, I knew you would be gracious. 00:49:15.720 |
The fact that he is living and he is breathing 00:49:19.820 |
and the fact that he's able to complain was God's grace. 00:49:41.780 |
stinking like a fish and walking around complaining 00:50:00.620 |
So if he died, he said, yeah, because I'm disobeying God. 00:50:24.660 |
And during that period, they were committing idolatry, 00:50:49.260 |
God tells Hosea to go marry this prostitute named Gomer. 00:51:01.860 |
says go love her and then he brings her back. 00:51:09.980 |
And then God uses that as an illustration to tell Israel, 00:51:13.500 |
this is what my relationship with Israel is like. 00:51:19.100 |
and you keep committing adultery, you keep adultery. 00:51:21.940 |
And it's warning them, if you keep doing this, 00:51:25.020 |
that his mercy and his grace is gonna run out. 00:51:31.260 |
The Amos is another prophet, his contemporary. 00:51:40.820 |
Even though you offer up to me burnt offerings 00:51:43.380 |
and your grain offerings, I will not accept them. 00:51:45.820 |
And I will not even look at the peace offering 00:51:52.140 |
I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. 00:51:56.100 |
That's one of the harshest, brutal criticisms 00:52:04.220 |
well how does that demonstrate the mercy and grace of God? 00:52:12.060 |
He sends Hosea, he sends Amos, he sends Jonah, 00:52:21.260 |
If God was not gracious, there would be no Amos. 00:52:27.380 |
There would be no Hezekiah, there would be no Hosea. 00:52:35.140 |
So wait a second, Jonah didn't give a message of grace. 00:52:42.740 |
God is so gracious and loving and just come to him. 00:52:56.460 |
And that was God's mercy, that was his grace, 00:53:05.120 |
Our generation thinks if we preach repentance, 00:53:31.020 |
You know what's interesting is the whole book of Jonah 00:53:43.560 |
the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons 00:53:46.900 |
who do not know the difference between their right 00:54:00.260 |
He just says, what's it to you that I have compassion? 00:54:11.680 |
It's not don't mess with God or you're gonna be 00:54:33.100 |
Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, 00:54:34.780 |
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. 00:54:39.980 |
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. 00:54:48.860 |
is because we are trying to get God to bend to our will? 00:54:52.660 |
If you pray, thy kingdom come, thy will be done 00:54:58.420 |
on earth as it is in heaven, this is his will. 00:55:00.720 |
We're waiting for him, but he's waiting for us 00:55:07.300 |
to be the light that you and I have been called to be. 00:55:11.800 |
The reason why the church has been established, 00:55:20.140 |
and shine the light and stop hiding it under the table. 00:55:27.300 |
In 2 Peter 3, 9, in the first century church, 00:55:40.820 |
People are being burned at the stake, being crucified, 00:55:46.380 |
And so people are asking, why does he not care? 00:56:02.080 |
People are literally being torn apart in Colosseans 00:56:06.920 |
They've seen their leaders being burned at the stake 00:56:12.960 |
And so people are asking, why does he not care? 00:56:27.080 |
as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, 00:56:44.880 |
He was patient so you and I can come into the kingdom. 00:57:01.760 |
have a nice church where people love each other, 00:57:13.840 |
But if you forget that the heartbeat of our God 00:57:28.820 |
you wanna have nice, obedient children for you, 00:57:33.440 |
you wanna study the Bible and good theology for you. 00:57:36.920 |
If the word of God is to equip us, equip us for what? 00:57:48.220 |
If we need to have a godly community, for what? 00:58:03.300 |
I'd rather be with nice people who I can trust? 00:58:22.020 |
So that we can be the light of Christ in the darkness. 00:58:28.100 |
To glorify God so that they can see the glory of our gospel. 00:58:32.440 |
It is God's kindness that leads us to repentance. 00:58:46.260 |
It is the kindness of God that will not allow you 00:58:49.960 |
That you just stay week after week just lukewarm, 00:59:10.220 |
and pray that and mean it with all your heart. 00:59:13.620 |
It's not just some religious thing that you're saying. 00:59:16.220 |
I pray that this morning as we come to the communion table, 00:59:22.260 |
that God would restore his purpose and his will 00:59:42.620 |
One by one, when you are ready, we ask you to come. 01:00:00.740 |
And again, I ask that if you are not baptized, 01:00:04.620 |
And this is for those who have confessed their sins 01:00:09.260 |
and to come before the Lord in honest confession. 01:00:19.420 |
I've remembered the beauty of Christ outside of words. 01:00:32.340 |
When's the last time you really felt like you worship God 01:00:39.520 |
To take some time to reflect and to pray and to confess. 01:01:01.040 |
and then after our praise team leads us in the song, 01:01:05.280 |
And then if you need to have gluten-free things, 01:01:09.900 |
And the rest of you, if you come down this middle, 01:01:12.920 |
Make sure there's two lines when you come up. 01:01:23.080 |
When he had given things, he broke it and said, 01:01:28.720 |
In the same way, he took the cup also after supper, 01:01:31.000 |
saying, "This cup is a new covenant in my blood. 01:01:33.660 |
"Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. 01:01:36.620 |
"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, 01:01:39.100 |
"you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." 01:01:42.400 |
Father, we come before you in this sacred time. 01:01:47.200 |
that you would sanctify us, renew us and strengthen us, 01:01:50.800 |
that our church, Lord God, would be the church 01:01:54.680 |
that Christ and his light would be at the center, 01:02:32.560 |
♪ But the new covenant, this is forgiveness ♪ 01:02:53.040 |
♪ Take a long look inside and tell me what you see ♪ 01:03:34.640 |
♪ This is the love of Christ poured out on you ♪ 01:03:56.000 |
♪ Take a long look inside and tell me what you see ♪ 01:04:24.760 |
♪ Take a long look inside and tell me what you see ♪ 01:04:50.420 |
- Whenever you are ready, we ask you to come. 01:11:08.860 |
- Community table will be closed in a minute, 01:11:30.800 |
so if you have not come, we invite you to come now. 01:12:16.360 |
Father, we thank you for the sacrifice that you have made. 01:12:27.660 |
but that it would be the source of our strength, 01:14:03.780 |
♪ What patience will wait as we constantly learn ♪ 01:14:14.320 |
♪ He welcomes the weakest, the proudest, the poor ♪ 01:15:03.700 |
♪ What riches of kindness He lavished on us ♪ 01:15:14.640 |
♪ We still need the debt we could never afford ♪ 01:16:45.680 |
and wherever we go, that we may be the aroma of Christ.