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So why don't we just take a minute to just quiet our hearts as we go into a time of praise. (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) The India mission trip was a response to God speaking to my heart.

No longer reluctant, I wanted to obey. There were so many reasons why I shouldn't have been on the team. For one, I suffer from severe motion sickness. I used to get sick swimming in our own pool. And I think I still do. In our past travels, especially when flying, you can be sure that I will be in bed, out of commission, for at least 24 hours after we land.

So the length of travel and number of connecting flights to India was a huge obstacle and fear for me. When I was asked how the church could pray for me, my prayer request was that I don't get motion sick. I know that wasn't very spiritual. Usually people ask for God's mighty work to be done to them.

Mine was motion sickness, and that was real. But I am here to tell you that our God does hear not so spiritual prayers too. He showed me that he is God who meets all of our needs, no matter how small and insignificant. Lord has been working in many areas of my life, areas in life where he wants me to grow.

And witnessing Indian pastors living their lives with singular focus in the midst of heavy persecution really challenged and encouraged me to grow and to seek after God. One of my favorite pastors once said, "We are all a work in progress, and in my life there are construction signs everywhere." For me, those signs are my grumbling heart, my critical spirit, and my reluctance to serve, using the excuses that I am an introvert, that I don't do well meeting new people, and I don't have any gifts.

While there may be some truth to all these, the fact that I am standing here speaking to you is nothing short of a miracle. I would never in my right mind come up here to speak to such a large group like this, something that only God can do as I try to obey.

I want to obey as I desire to hear him more. One of the verses that comforted me all these years is Philippians 1.6, "Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Even with my reluctance, resistance, and rebellion, it's comforting to know he will complete the work he has begun because our Lord is so faithful.

Galatians 2.20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Today, I'm living my best life.

I'm the happiest I've ever been. It's all because I am seeking to live in obedience to him. I still have a long, long way to go, but my desire is to grow, to have a greater affection for him." I want to encourage you that you are never too old to change, never too old to grow in the Lord, and never too old to live for him in obedience.

Thank you. Okay, thank you so much for that encouraging testimony. Would you take a brief moment to pray as we walk through some of the Scriptures tonight? Father, our desire and hope is to remember and then to consider your amazing work through Christ, but also then to consider your heart, your desire, and then to praise and worship you.

And God, as we were encouraged by that testimony, to live our lives in such a way where it's yours, and that, God, we would honor and glorify you. We thank you. It's in Christ's name. Amen. So as we do a walkthrough of the events of Tuesday of Passion Week, I do want to give us just a brief, brief review that on Saturday, just an easy way to remember is that Jesus was anointed, okay?

That in John chapter 12, it speaks of how six days before the Passover, he was at Mary's house, Lazarus was serving, and then Mary anointed him, and he commented that he's being prepared for the burial. And then on Palm Sunday, this is Jesus' entry. What we well know is that though Christ was looking at the whole city, crying and weeping at its condition, the people were singing "Hosanna, Hosanna," and rightly so, but they didn't fully understand.

And then on Monday, we learned yesterday night that Jesus curses the fig tree, and he clears the temple of all the merchants. If you think about the kind of commotion, if you try to envision what kind of stir, recall that it wasn't just a small pocket of people. If you imagine South Coast Plaza, or if you imagine the spectrum, and you think that it was in that kind of scenario, in the merchant's hall that Jesus threw the tables, you're thinking too small.

We're talking about such degree of the whole of the Israelite nation coming together for this incredible moment of sacrifice, worship, and ritual, right? We're talking about a scale much bigger than that. So imagine the kind of news, the kind of commotion Christ made just last night, okay? And then so we come to Tuesday, and on Tuesday, let's see here.

Sorry, brothers, I'm gonna have to ask you to do the clicker for me. Thank you. I'm just gonna ask you guys to do it, okay? Appreciate it, I don't know why it's not going. On Tuesday, I wanna give you a brief overview that actually a lot happens. But if you imagine, Pastor Peter Chong explained that you have to think about it as Christ goes to Bethany, home base.

Then he walks with the disciples to Jerusalem, has a lot of things happen, comes back to home base, et cetera, et cetera. And so Tuesday morning, they walk from Bethany to Jerusalem, and on route, they have a reaction with the fig tree that was withered. The second part is that when Jesus arrives at the temple, he has a confrontation with the religious leaders, and that's where I'll spend the bulk of tonight reviewing and rehearsing and remembering.

I also believe that the situation where Jesus watches the rich give, just a small portion of the riches, but sees the poor woman give out of her poverty, that also takes place on this day. And then finally, in the afternoon, the late afternoon, as they're leaving Jerusalem, they stop on the Mount of Olives, and they look at the temple, and there he takes the opportunity to teach the disciples something incredibly important about what's to expect.

So let's walk through these one by one. Click. The first is gonna be the reaction to the fig tree. (coughs) I'll take a brief moment to comment on it, that Jesus and the disciples, as they're walking, pass by the same tree that Jesus cursed. Why? He cursed it because it was in full bloom.

And then why? Because even though it was in full bloom, there was no fruit. And he cursed it and said, "Never again will you bear." Now, what happens in this story is in Mark chapter 11, verse 20 through 25, I'll read the portion for us, okay? It says, "As they were passing by in the morning, "they saw the fig tree withered up from the roots.

"Being reminded, Peter said to him, "'Rabbi, look! "'The fig tree which you cursed has withered!'" And then Jesus answered them, saying, "Have faith in God." This interaction is quite strange in some ways because Apostle Peter, he's surprised. He is impressed. He's saying, "Wow, look! "It didn't just wither from the branches "or any of the rotten fruit.

"It withered from the ground." Something completely unusual. And then Jesus' answer is, "Have faith." Okay, so what's happening here? There are two things happening here and I just wanna highlight them for you. Next, please. The two things are that Jesus has challenged the disciples to have more faith because that is what is at hand with this case study and the story at large.

Specifically for the disciples, I mean, just on Saturday, they had a meal with Mary and the brother Lazarus who was dead. That story ran through the whole city. They experienced miracles after miracles and then here he is, surprised and shocked. Now, giving him sympathy, any miracle is surprising. Anything outside of the norm is shocking.

But Jesus says, "What I want you to have is faith "because much greater things are going to happen." And secondly, the main problem then, Jesus shows, is that there is a deadness. There is an absolute void of faith within Jerusalem, especially its leaders. And so walking into Jerusalem, he is going to show them just how dead it is.

It's absolutely Ichabod. There is no spirit. So the tension started to arise from the previous section and then we go into the second part of the events of this day. So as they're walking, they walk into Jerusalem and once they enter, my guess is there are already crowds waiting for him.

There was a commotion. There was a stir. People were already planning, remember? It said that they were seeking for opportunities and so they were gearing up. They had schemes to talk to each other and plan their words and have prosecutors and lawyers and everybody and they were challenging Jesus.

Now, what I'd like to do is ask you to turn your Bibles to Matthew 21 and we'll together walk through this segment of scripture, walking through the many challenges that they threw at our Lord Jesus Christ. The many challenges. And so as you turn there, I want us to think on Tuesday, if you're thinking about one thing, even though there's a lot, essentially what you have is the confrontation as a main bulk and then as they leave, his teaching.

So this part here is very important about the challenges that the leaders, the religious leaders give and the very first challenge is a challenge to his authority. If you look, starting from verse 23, I'm just going to read small bits of it just for the sake of time. It says in verse 23, when he entered the temple, the chief priests, so we're talking about the head honchos, okay, and the elders of the people came to him while he was teaching and said, by what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority?

Do you think their tone was, by the way, who gave you the authority? Where did you learn this stuff? No, no, no. It was a confrontation because they wanted Jesus to stop. They wanted him to stop the worship. They wanted him to stop the people following because he was a threat to both their authority and their livelihood.

What's interesting about this is as they were scheming, you know that Jesus replied and said, you know what, you guys aren't going to answer me, I'm not going to answer you either, right? This is not a real conversation because the point is, the point that they're making is he has no spiritual authority, he's not one of them.

So then, from that confrontation, he starts to teach what he gets right up in their face with several parables. He uses several parables to confront the religious leaders. Thank you, that's the slide I wanted. There's three parables he uses and the first one I'm going to read in full.

Please take a look at Matthew 21 verse 28. Verse 28. And as you scan their eyes there, look at the parable of the two sons and think about how poignant and confrontational the tone is. But what do you think? A man has two sons and he came to the first and said, "Son, go work today in the vineyard." And he answered, "I will not." But afterward, he regretted it and went.

The man came to the second and said the same thing. And he answered, "I will, sir." But he did not go. He went to the will of his father and they said the first. Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before the son?" No, he said, "Before you." For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him.

But the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him and you seeing this did not even feel remorse afterward as to believe him. Wow! Straight up saying, you are brazen in your sin. Even after knowing that John the Baptist is of God, that he's a prophet, that he's a forerunner, you didn't even remorse.

You didn't even turn red. And so what Jesus is doing is such a poignant confrontation against the religious leaders. In the next parable, starting from verse 33, Jesus tells the parable of the landowner. Maybe another way to put it is Jesus tells the parable of the vicious and wicked tenants.

The story goes that the landowner rented his land and upon sending his servants to go and collect, upon sending his servants to go and scope out the land, they mocked them, they roughhoused them and some of them they killed. Now take a look over at verse 42. Jesus says, "The stone which the builders rejected, "this became the chief cornerstone.

"This came about from the Lord "and it is marvelous in our eyes. "Therefore I say to you, "the kingdom of God will be taken away from you "and given to a people "producing fruit of it. "And he who falls on this stone "will be broken to pieces. "But on whomever it falls, "it will scatter him like dust." When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they were speaking about them.

When they sought to seize him, they feared the people because they considered him to be a prophet. Take a moment right there and see just the ridiculousness. The religious leaders, they know that they themselves feel this man is a prophet. What's more, they know that the people, the mass at large know that this man is a prophet.

But their hearts are filled with this man. Take a moment now to pause and say wow. Just a sheer determination of Christ. One of the things that just boils our insides is to see hypocrisy. Arrogance. People who are on the outside have a veneer of righteousness but inside they have wicked intention.

Jesus sees all of it. Okay, the next parable. The parable starts in chapter 22 and I'm just going to give you a summary of it. You guys know the parable goes God prepares a feast. The master prepares the wedding banquet and then he sends his servants to call but they are unwilling.

They pay no attention and then ultimately they rough house and kill those servants too. And therefore Jesus ends that parable with many are called but few are chosen. And all of this he was saying because he was pointing the finger at them Take a moment to think if you were one of the disciples.

Right? You're hearing this and you're probably feeling all weird like oh my gosh he said what to the leaders. Doesn't he know they can throw us out? Doesn't he know they can kill us? Maybe one of them tugged on his sleeve like too much, too much, right? But what Jesus is doing is he is calling out all of the emptiness of faith.

We began talking about the tree that bore no fruit of faith and here Jesus is just revealing look how empty it truly is. Now I think about this a little bit and I take a moment to again just appreciate Jesus' sheer determination. Now again I know that or I know that Jesus he has the mind of the Lord he has the words of God he has the spirit, all of that.

But as I was studying I remember thinking man Jesus is 33, right? He is looked upon from the elders as just a young man. I'm only 41. I look at 30 year olds as young men, right? Here he is standing up to the chief priest the scribes, the Pharisees, and more saying you, this is you, right?

And so we appreciate his determination. Now there is another layer just adding it on there is another layer of the confrontation between him and the leaders. The leaders turn their strategy and now they have poignant tests and examinations of this prophet. First come the Pharisees. As you know there is actually a lot of different sects of leaders within the Jewish tradition.

You have the Pharisees who can be seen as the most, most religious. And then you can almost think there are liberals who are religious but they kind of compromise with civilian politics they are more aristocratic they are just wealthy, ruling class and that's the Sadducees. They threw out a bunch of their tradition they threw out a bunch of their religious belief they didn't believe in the resurrection they didn't believe in the heavenlies but both of them essentially take turns challenging Christ.

First comes the challenge of the Pharisees. In their rage, in their desire to just trap him they have this test. Starting from chapter 2 sorry, 22 verse 15. Chapter 22 verse 15. It says in verse 15 "Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap him and what he said." Scan your eyes to verse 17 "Tell us then, what do you think?

Is it lawful to give a poll tax to Caesar or not?" But Jesus perceived their malice and said, "Why are you testing me you hypocrites?" These guys were playing the sides the sides of the masses. They knew what the people would say right? But then they also knew what the religious people would say.

But Jesus gives such a poignant response. Then the next group, the Sadducees come starting from verse 23 and they ask a sequence of two questions. The first, they've got this long story. They ask in verse 23 "On the day, some Sadducees who say there is no resurrection came to Jesus and questioned him asking "Teacher, Moses said if a man dies having no children his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife and raise up children for his brothers." And then the whole scenario hypothetical scenario goes "What happens if that brother dies and that brother dies and there's seven brothers?

Whose wife is she?" And Jesus is looking at them as you don't even believe in the resurrection. You don't even know the scriptures. You don't even know the commandment. You guys know that well that on verse 35 one of them, a lawyer asked him a question testing him "Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the law?" Right?

And then he in such succinct and powerful and authoritative way gave answers to all of their questions. And then in verse 46 it says "No one was able to answer him a word nor did anyone dare from that day on to answer him." I think about what Jesus is doing and again I want to highlight he is in the face of great great depravity and an absence of faith amongst people who claim the name of Yahweh.

There is great disappointment in his heart but he's still determined to teach. There is incredible animosity that he's receiving confrontation jealousy hypocrisy and then yet he's so determined to keep on going. One of the thoughts that came to my mind and it was you know that kind of just pensive question if I were Jesus if I walked into Jerusalem where the temple is there the people are gathered there's hordes and hordes and masses of people giving sacrifice and yet all of this is fake right?

Forget this. I don't have to answer to you but our Lord is determined and he continues to go. Near the end of the day I'm going to move now to the last element of the day after all of his teaching after all of the discourse he's walking out with the disciples and if you turn to a passage oh gosh my numbering is off and the last one the second number three Matthew 23 if I almost skipped it but Matthew 23 is such a incredibly both scary both intense rebuke of the religious leaders and that is when he declares a woes on them for what they do for all the hypocrisy now I do want to move into the last element the Olivet Discourse so here next slide Olivet Discourse and one more I wanted you to show that that little quick picture if you guys can do a quick if you notice this there was high pillars in the temple and it would be filled with people and as they're walking my imagination is people would want a piece of Jesus even prior to coming to this event if you remember it was hard for him to move around but as they're leaving go to the next slide please and one more if you take a look at Mark chapter 13 verses 1 through 6 Mark chapter 13 1 through 6 the disciples were there hearing the confrontation hearing all of the back and forth between the religious leaders and Jesus and yet I think in some ways they were still distracted by the masses by the people the crowds and also the glory of the physical Jerusalem in 13 verse 1 Mark 13 1 it says as he was going out of the temple one of the disciples said to him teacher behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings okay so you kind of get my drift like they were in there seeing what all Jesus was doing rebuking the entire institution rebuking the familiar practice coming in just having a bazaar of people trading goods giving sacrifice and leaving and then the disciples as they're leaving they're just enamored by all of it look at this place it's beautiful what is Jesus' response verse 2 Jesus' response he said to them do you see these great buildings not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning him privately please tell us when will these things be and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled and Jesus began to say to them see to it that no one misleads you many will come in my name saying I am he and will mislead many think about that I mean my guess is again the disciples had anticipation we know there's glory to come we know there's victory in the Messiah when is it going to happen even though he's literally saying the stones will be unturned and then Jesus' next words are so many are going to fall away turn your Bibles over to Matthew 24 so that section you know in Matthew the discourse is quite long but I want to read to us a portion of it in Matthew 24 starting from verse 6 through 14 and it says you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars see that you are not frightened for those things must take place but that is not yet the end for nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes but all these things are merely warnings of birth pains then they will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you and you will be hated by all the nations because of my name at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another many false prophets will arise and will mislead many because lawlessness has increased most people's love will go cold but the one who endures to the end will be saved this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations and then the end will come I want you guys to think about the fact that this is such a pivotal massive sermon out of love for his disciples and out of love for the disciples who would come after them to prepare the way what is life going to be like for us in our generation these words to some of us obviously seem too intense too far fetched but let it be a reminder that this is actually the generation we are in and on the next slide I want to summarize some of the themes for us when we have expectation how is life going to be like moving forward what is the next 20 years 30 years 40 years what is the generation going to look like for our children yes it is a blessing to be able to live in peace prosperity to not be at animosity or enmity with the nations around you when there is no wars etc but is that what Christ told us would come no Christ said I want you to be ready I am going to empower you with the spirit and I want you to be ready anticipate the fatigue and the tiredness anticipate the fruitlessness anticipate many people falling away anticipate people's love growing cold anticipate lawlessness to go up and yes even painful persecution for you but the question is are we so surprised by any failure so shocked by disappointment so shocked that we are not being as fruitful as we ought to be I mean when we go out and evangelize to the world to marketers to business people we look like another failure right because Christ has said we are going to glorify God by going and preaching his name but we know that underneath the power of God the kingdom will endure amen and though it be a remnant though it be a small people God said he is going to cause his gospel to go forth and part of that will be a judgment against them and so by way of conclusion we think about this day Tuesday and in some sense there is a lot of communication dialogue preaching parables and then a special sermon to his own disciples on the Mount of Olives but all this day has such a tone of where Christ is at conflict with the world Christ is at conflict with the religious system Christ is at conflict with the hypocritical leaders of the day and then Christ says I want you to know then what's coming for you I want you to understand how to anticipate well and be prepared for all the things to come let's take a moment to pray Heavenly Father you have said multiple times in the scriptures that those who desire and long for the kingdom of heaven will see themselves lose their lives and what's more that there is going to be great suffering for every generation has been a dark and perverted generation and so God I pray that this will cause us to be so sober as we walk knowing Lord that you through your determination through your power and strength you blaze this trail and as we long to follow in your footsteps yes sometimes suffering will come and persecution will come I pray Father God that we not look for strength from the world where money resources and people become our safety but I pray God that we would have the power of Christ and I pray Lord we would be strong in truth in the gospel in the spirit in prayer and everything that comes from our God I ask Lord that as we remember Christ's journey you would help us to appreciate him Lord that he did not cower from the masses and he did not cower from those in authority but God he proved himself to be one high above we thank you it's in Christ's name we pray amen why don't we all stand for our closing praise (music) I hear the Savior say thy strength indeed is small child of weakness watch and pray find in me thine all in all cause Jesus paid it all all to him I owe sin had left a crimson stain he washed it white as snow (music) Lord now indeed I find thy power in thine alone can change the leper's spots and melt the heart of stone cause Jesus paid it all all to him I owe sin had left a crimson stain he washed it white as snow (music) and when before the throne I stand in him complete Jesus died my soul to save my lips shall still repeat cause Jesus paid it all all to him I owe sin had left a crimson stain he washed it white as snow sin had left a crimson stain he washed it white as snow he washed it white as snow he washed it white as snow (music) Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead cause Jesus paid it all all to him I owe sin had left a crimson stain he washed it white as snow sin had left a crimson stain he washed it white as snow Amen.

Let's pray together to close. Our God, first and foremost we again want to say thank you, thank you. I thank you God that you meticulously accomplished your will. Both confronting and stirring up those who are the enemies of God and that ultimately that even at their hand you'd be persecuted and to give up your life.

We know God that all of this is under your sovereignty. You're so sovereign that God you use all of that to your glory. And so help us to have faith that no matter what's going on in our lives and even if we cannot give reason or rationale for the things that happen help us to have so much trust in your sovereignty that we are strong.

That we can walk with the Lord. And though God we sometimes feel weakness and we walk by sight would you have mercy on us and help us Lord God to persevere. We thank you this day it's in Christ's name. Amen. If you would take a moment to just sit down and then I do have just a couple announcements, important announcements for the week.

That number one for those of you guys who still are thinking about the Passover dinner that's happening on Thursday night. There is still room for about 15 to 20 people. And so you can sign up now and then our team will put you into tables for this coming Thursday.

Okay. So that's for the Passover dinner. And then please note that specifically for Sunday, Easter Sunday we still have need for some helping hands for volunteers. Particularly with the lunch prep. And then also for table, chair setup. And then at the end of the day to help out with cleaning.

Okay. So if you just for a period want to help out please make sure to use this QR code. And if you have any questions you can hit up Justin and the logistics team for any questions about how to help serve that day. Okay. Alright everybody. Thank you. We'll see you guys tomorrow.