♪ That we're all connected ♪ ♪ 'Cause I know where you go ♪ ♪ 'Cause nobody's there ♪ ♪ But we're in this prayer ♪ ♪ For the life that we dream ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ What should I do?
♪ ♪ Jesus ♪ (laughing) (laughing) - I feel like threatened too. - You don't. (laughing) - That's why I'm like, it'd be weird if I. (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) (gentle guitar music) ♪ Oh, we're in this prayer ♪ ♪ For the life that we dream ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ ♪ For the love that we find ♪ - Oh, I see.
What would happen if you do higher? - Okay, we'll do it. (gentle guitar music) - Yeah, I like the other one better. But then, what would happen if you did low harmony? - The first two? - The first two. - Yeah, it jumps up, right? I just wanna hear it, though.
- If you're not playing that one, so you can have it behind you. - What do you do in the first half of it? Is that what you do? (gentle piano music) ♪ Christ the Lord ♪ ♪ All but me, all but me ♪ - I think it's fine.
You can do it higher, though. (gentle piano music) ♪ Christ the Lord ♪ (gentle piano music) ♪ Christ the Lord ♪ (gentle piano music) (people chattering) (gentle piano music) (people chattering) (gentle piano music) (people chattering) (gentle piano music) (people chattering) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) - All right, good morning, church family.
Happy Lord's Day. Sorry. Every week, we have this tremendous and wonderful privilege to be able to gather before a holy, holy God for worship, and God calls us to worship him, and we come not because of what we have done, but it's only because of what Christ has done for us on the cross that we can come.
So our God truly is worthy of our worship, and so as we gather this morning, I pray that we gather with much gratitude and with much joy to come and honor and to sing to him. So this morning, as we begin our service, we're gonna sing together the hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy." (gentle piano music) ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Lord God Almighty ♪ ♪ Early in the morning ♪ ♪ Our song shall rise to thee ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Merciful and mighty ♪ ♪ God in three persons ♪ ♪ Blessed Trinity ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ All the saints adore thee ♪ ♪ Casting down their golden crowns ♪ ♪ Around the glassy sea ♪ ♪ Cherubim and seraphim ♪ ♪ Falling down before thee ♪ ♪ To us and in sin ♪ ♪ Evermore shall be ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Though the darkness hide thee ♪ ♪ Though the eye of sinful man ♪ ♪ Thy glory may not see ♪ ♪ Holy thou art, holy ♪ ♪ There is none beside thee ♪ ♪ Perfect in power ♪ ♪ Love and purity ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Lord God Almighty ♪ ♪ All thy works shall praise thy name ♪ ♪ In earth and sky and sea ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪ ♪ Merciful and mighty ♪ ♪ God in three persons ♪ ♪ Blessed Trinity ♪ ♪ God in three persons ♪ ♪ Blessed Trinity ♪ - All right, good morning.
Welcome to Breen Community Church. We have, first of all, good news. You may have noticed as you were coming in that we, our sister Susan Fongray was able to get us more parking. So the parking was an issue. I told you that, you know, so some of you guys moved to First Service as a result.
But that G lot, I don't know if you know where the G lot is, but G lot is where all the shuttle is going. So right next to that building, there's another building right like to the right of it, and there's about another 85 parking spots that that was secured for us.
And so if that lot gets full, you can just park right next door, okay? So there'll be attendants there to tell you where to go, so just look for that. And then along with that, we were able to get another shuttle. They told us that they needed another one, so if you notice a big van coming and pulling up, it doesn't have the church sign yet.
They're not trying to abduct you. It is our church. So until we get the sign, you know, you'll know that there's another white Mercedes Sprinter that's coming around. That's also our shuttle. So it'll be going to that same area, so you can park there, and they'll shuttle you back, okay?
College ministry, at 1 p.m. after the third service, there's gonna be a college ministry welcome lunch at the youth chapel. It's starting at 1 o'clock. Our youth group has their service there, so please do not go into that room before 1. And so just stick around outside. If you are participating, if you're a college student, or if you're one of the team members who are going to be going helping, just stay there, make sure that they're all done, and then you can go in afterwards, okay?
So just stick around there. Don't open the door. Again, that's happening at 1 o'clock. So if you're a college student, and you have some questions, you're checking out the church, and you wanna know what this church is about, this lunch is for you. It's at 1 p.m., okay? Vine, our youth group, there's gonna be a fundraiser next Sunday in between the third, second and third, and then third afterwards.
So it's only gonna be happening second, third, not after the first service. And it's gonna be a fundraiser that they're having for their youth retreat that's coming up next year. They're serving Mediterranean chicken bowl for $10 for adults and five for children. So please stick around for that. And the reason why they're having that, obviously it was a fundraiser, but also because we have a members meeting that's happening at 2 p.m.
So if you are a member of the church, or you're being announced as a new member of the church, it's happening at 2 p.m. So you can grab lunch here, and then stick around, and right at 2 p.m. we're gonna be starting. And then right after the members meeting, we have another service fair.
So service fair is all the different service teams that are happening at church. They'll be set up outside. So you can go visit just for information for some, and then there's some service teams that needs help. So if you go to that table, and you wanna serve in certain capacity, you can go and visit that.
And that's happening next week after the members meeting. Child safety training is happening on Sunday on October 20th and 1/30. So if you are working with children, or planning to work with children at church, this is a mandatory training for the church. So please sign up for that. That's happening on 1/30 in October 20th.
Reformation night, which is our replacement for Halloween at our church, at October 31st, starting at 5/30. So they're taking sign-ups. If you are planning to bring a child or a child's friend, you do need to sign up, because we have limited space in our parking area. And so please sign up for that.
As you go outside, there'll be a table there that you can sign up for. Okay, and that's happening October 31st. And then regional Thanksgiving dinner. So up 'til last week, they were taking people who have volunteered to open up their homes to service that. I was told that they have enough of that, but now they're starting to open up for people who will participate.
Okay, so they're gonna be divided into home groups to about 20, 25 people. And so please sign up for that. You do not need to be a member to participate in this. So if you go outside, you'll run to a table, and you can sign up there. There is a sign-up thing online, but obviously it'd be quicker and faster if you did it here after service, okay?
I think that's it. All right, let me pray for us. I'll give you a minute to give your offering, and then if you, again, brought a physical offering, there's a box in the back on the way out. All right, let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for your goodness, your love, your grace, Father God, that sustains us.
Help us, especially today, as we celebrate the communion table, that you would ready our hearts through worship, through the teaching, or even in our giving, that it may all be an expression of gratitude toward you and your powerful work in us. I pray that you would bless this time, bless the worship that we give you.
May it be multiplied, even this offering, for the sake of your kingdom. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (soft piano music) Would you please stand and take a moment to greet those around you, and we will continue our worship. (soft piano music) (soft piano music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) ♪ We won't fear the battle, we won't fear the night ♪ ♪ We will walk the valley with you by our side ♪ ♪ You will go before us, you will lead the way ♪ ♪ We have found a refuge only you can save ♪ ♪ Sing with joy now, our God is for us ♪ ♪ The Father's love is a strong and mighty fortress ♪ ♪ Raise your voice now, no love is greater ♪ ♪ Who can stand against us if our God is for us ♪ (upbeat music) Sing it with me.
♪ Even when I stumble, even when I fall ♪ ♪ Even when I turn back, still your love is sure ♪ ♪ You will not abandon, you will not forsake ♪ ♪ You will cheer me onward with never-ending praise ♪ ♪ Sing with joy now, our God is for us ♪ ♪ The Father's love is a strong and mighty fortress ♪ ♪ Raise your voice now, no love is greater ♪ ♪ Who can stand against us if our God is for us ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Neither height nor depth can separate us ♪ ♪ Hell and death will not defeat us ♪ ♪ He who gave his Son to free us holds me in his love ♪ ♪ Neither height nor depth can separate us ♪ ♪ Hell and death will not defeat us ♪ ♪ He who gave his Son to free us holds me in his love ♪ ♪ Holds me in his love ♪ ♪ Sing with joy now, our God is for us ♪ ♪ The Father's love is a strong and mighty fortress ♪ ♪ Raise your voice now, no love is greater ♪ ♪ Who can stand against us if our God is for us ♪ ♪ Sing with joy now, our God is for us ♪ ♪ The Father's love is a strong and mighty fortress ♪ ♪ Raise your voice now, no love is greater ♪ ♪ Who can stand against us if our God is for us ♪ (upbeat music) , ♪ Oh sovereign God, oh matchless King ♪ ♪ The saints adore, the angels sing ♪ ♪ And fall before the throne of grace ♪ ♪ To you belong the highest praise ♪ ♪ These sufferings, this passing time ♪ ♪ Under your wings I will abide ♪ ♪ And every enemy shall flee ♪ ♪ You are my hope and victory ♪ ♪ Praise the Father, praise the Son ♪ ♪ Praise the Spirit, three in one ♪ ♪ Clothed in power and in grace ♪ ♪ The name above all other names ♪ ♪ To the valley floor my soul ♪ ♪ Thy great descent has made me whole ♪ ♪ Your word my heart has welcomed home ♪ ♪ Now peace like water ever flows ♪ ♪ Praise the Father, praise the Son ♪ ♪ Praise the Spirit, three in one ♪ ♪ Clothed in power and in grace ♪ ♪ The name above all other names ♪ ♪ Oh praise the Father, praise the Son ♪ ♪ Praise the Spirit, three in one ♪ ♪ Clothed in power and in grace ♪ ♪ The name above all other names ♪ ♪ The name above all other names ♪ ♪ Yours is the kingdom ♪ ♪ Yours is the power ♪ ♪ Yours is the glory forever ♪ ♪ Yours is the kingdom ♪ ♪ Yours is the power ♪ ♪ Yours is the glory forever ♪ ♪ Praise the Father, praise the Son ♪ ♪ Praise the Spirit, three in one ♪ ♪ Clothed in power and in grace ♪ ♪ The name above all other names ♪ ♪ The name above all other names ♪ Amen, please be seated.
- If you can turn your Bibles with me to Luke chapter nine, I'll be reading verse 26 and 27. But 27 we'll be covering with the next section. And I'll explain when we get there. But I'll be reading both verses 26 and 27. For whoever is ashamed of me, in my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory, in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this morning. Thank you, Father, for your Holy Spirit that guides us and leads us and empowers us that we may worship you in spirit and in truth.
We pray that your word would speak to us, challenge us, mold us, according to your word and your will. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. I wanna read a text to you from Ezekiel, chapter 33, one through six. And this is the calling of Ezekiel as the watchman and what responsibility has been given to all watchmen.
It says, "And the word of the Lord came to me saying, "Son of man, speak to the sons of your people "and say to them, if I bring a sword upon a land "and the people of the land take one man from among them "and make him their watchman.
"And he sees the sword coming upon the land "and blows on the trumpet and warns the people. "Then he who hears the sound of the trumpet "and does not take warning and a sword comes "and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. "Hear the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, "his blood will be on himself.
"But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life. "But if the watchman sees the sword coming "and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned "and a sword comes and takes away the person from them, "he is taken away in his iniquity, "but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand." This is a very sobering text as God calls Ezekiel and the watchman for the nation of Israel saying, "If I tell you that a judgment is coming "and you do your job and you warn people "and they refuse to turn, then you've done your job "and judgment is gonna come upon them.
"But if I tell you that this is coming "and you do not warn the people "and they do not turn from their sin, "not only would they be judged," he says, "you will be judged for not speaking up "and telling them and not doing your job." Now this is a calling to Ezekiel, it's a calling to all watchmen.
And I don't think it's a far stretch to say that this is a calling for all churches, this is a calling for all Christians. The very nature of what you and I profess requires that we speak up, requires us to share the truth. Because the central message of the gospel isn't simply that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
And if that's the only message that people know, then there's no sense of urgency, there's no call to repentance. Just open your heart to receive him, come to church, receive the blessing of Jesus, and live your life the way you desire. But the central message of the cross begins by saying that we have rebelled against God.
And all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and as a result of that, the judgment of God is waiting. God is not happy with this world. So when he comes in his full glory, he's going to come to bring judgment for every deed, every word that was spoken in rebellion against God.
So the very nature of the gospel message, the good news, is meant to be proclaimed. You cannot tell somebody that I have this fantastic news and then not tell them. Either you don't have the good news, or I don't think you believe that you have the good news. But you can't tell people that I believe the good news, it saved my life and it can save your life, and then not tell them.
The very nature, the very nature of the gospel that we proclaim to believe requires that we proclaim it, that we tell people about it. The reason why Jesus told his disciples that if you want to follow after me to deny yourself, pick up your cross daily and follow me, isn't simply because Jesus was telling them that your Christian life is going to be difficult, that after I leave, I'm not going to be able to feed you, I'm not going to be taking care of you, that you're going to have hardship in life, you're going to have marriage problems, you're going to have a hard time paying your bills, and so therefore, you need to learn to deny yourself.
That's not what he was saying. The reason why he told them to prepare themselves and to deny themselves and pick up their cross is because what he was going to commission them to do. If they just kept their mouths shut, and they lived their life and did what Jesus did, they got the power that Jesus had, performing miracles, healed the sick, maybe once a year, they had a feeding of the 5,000.
Every once in a while, there's a storm and there's hardship and people are afraid to die, and they come in and they stop the storm. Maybe there's injustices taking place and Jesus is coming and make that right. If they functioned, they just did what Jesus did, they would have been celebrities.
People would have loved them, they would have had a very easy, comfortable, posh life. But it's because what Jesus was calling them to say, that he knew that hardship was coming, that the path that I'm going to is not going to end in glory, not immediately. It's going to happen when I come in glory, but it's not going to happen immediately.
As I went to the cross, you will also go to the cross. So he was preparing them. In order to be a follower of Christ, we said we need to know who Jesus is, we need to go where Jesus goes, and we need to say what he says. In Luke 9, 26, it says, "For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, "the Son of Man will be ashamed of him "when he comes in his glory, "in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." You and I could live a very posh, comfortable life as long as you keep the gospel to yourself.
We keep hearing, especially in our generation, we need to preach the gospel to ourself, we need to preach the gospel to ourself. All this is true. But what you really need to do is to preach the gospel to others, not simply to yourselves, not simply comfort yourself, not simply to remind you, I'm saved, I'm loved unconditionally, that it's not by my words.
It's important. But what we really need to do is to commit to preach the gospel, 'cause you can preach the gospel to yourself until the day you die and never experience any persecution. You're just constantly reminding myself that I'm good, I'm good, because Jesus loves me, I'm good because Jesus loves me, and keep preaching the gospel to yourself.
And I'm not saying that that's wrong, but part of the reason why we are in the condition that we are and why we need to keep reminding ourselves of the gospel is because we're not preaching to others. One of the benefits of being a pastor is that this is my job, so I have to preach, and I want to preach, so the gospel is proclaimed.
So I can never, I can never forget the gospel, but is that only the calling of the pastor? Is that only for the calling for somebody who stands up in the pulpit? No, the reason why in our generation, why we keep hearing we need to preach the gospel to ourselves is because we're not preaching it to other people, we're not telling other people.
Best way to learn something is not simply for you to learn, but to practice it. And those of you who are teachers, you know what I'm talking about. We're going over the 10 covenant. The people who benefit most from the 10 covenant are the ones who are leading, 'cause they're teaching other people.
Jesus is warning his disciples that at the end of this road, you're going to see me on the cross, and if you don't prepare yourself also to go to the cross, you're not going to make it. Matthew 10, 16 through 17 says, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.
"So be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves, "but beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts "and scourge you in their synagogues." Jesus told his disciples that you keep coming, you keep following me. I'm going to say some things that's going to disturb them, and because of me, not despite the fact that you were a follower of Jesus Christ, but because you were a follower of Jesus Christ, he said they're going to hate you, they're going to scourge you.
He doesn't say that if you make the wrong decision, if you go to the wrong place where you shouldn't go. Maybe you didn't say it in a gentle way. You didn't say it in a way that's acceptable. He says, no, because you're going to say what I'm going to tell you to say because of me, they're going to hate you.
Because of me, they're going to scourge you. He's not saying it might happen, that if something goes wrong, that maybe if you didn't pray hard enough, that maybe you didn't prepare enough, maybe you weren't trained enough. No, he said, because of me, you will be scourged. Matthew 10, 21 to 22.
"Brother will betray brother to death, "and a father his child and children "will rise up against parents "and cause them to be put to death. "Because of my words, it's going to divide families." The truth is going to divide families. A father, a mother, a child to the parents, because the gospel, either you love it or you're going to hate it.
He said, you will be hated by all because of my name. But it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. And again, he reminds him in Matthew 10, 24, "A disciple is not above his teacher, "nor a slave above his master." If the master is hated because of his speech, because of the things that he's proclaiming, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Bear fruit in accordance to repentance. If the master preaches this, and we are his servants, and we go out representing the master, but they love us, but they hate the master, something has gone wrong. They love us. How kind we are, how nice we are, how generous we are.
But they hate Christ. And we're no longer his servants. Because we have improperly represented him. And so he says, "If I am your teacher, "if I am your master, and if you are a good servant, "what happened to me will happen to you." All of this can be easily avoided if we just keep our mouths shut.
Just be a good citizen. Pay your taxes. When disasters happen, get some money. Fawn a lot, go help the people who are hurting. Fight against sex trafficking. Fight against immorality. You will be loved. No one's gonna hate you for that. And if you do a good job, you might even become a celebrity.
You're a great citizen. But if you do what I do, if you say what I say, he says, "They will hate you as they hated me." And that's why he says, "If you're ashamed of me and my words." Why would anybody be ashamed of Jesus who died for us and loves us unconditionally, who feeds the poor and raises the dead?
Why would anybody be ashamed of that Jesus? No, it is not that Jesus that we're talking about. It's the Jesus who called out sinners. It's the Jesus who warned the world that if they don't repent, judgment is coming upon them. It's the Jesus who called out hypocrisy. It's that Jesus that they would be afraid to be ashamed of.
What causes shame for Jesus and his words? First and foremost, fear of man. We're so concerned about what other people will think of us, whether it is a close friend, a family member, or a coworker, or oftentimes even strangers, that the fear of man has gripped us so much that every decision that we make, every place that we go, is dictated by, well, we're concerned about what other people will think.
Paul says in Galatians 1:10, "Am I now seeking the favor of men or of God? "Or am I striving to please men? "If I were still trying to please men, "I would not be a bondservant of Christ." If what you say and don't say is dictated by fear of what they will think and the consequences that will come from other people, and he says, "Then you're no longer a servant of God.
"You're a servant of man because your decisions "are dictated by what they will think, "not what God will think." Not just the fear of man, but the love of this world, which is interrelated. If love of this world is what characterize who we are, you will be ashamed. Because what Jesus says breaks into the darkness.
He's basically telling the whole world that your whole life is based upon sin. He's not simply saying, "Make sure your Sundays "are spent on Sunday morning." That's not the calling of a Christian. A calling of a Christian is your whole life was founded upon a rebellion against God. Every thought that we have was against God.
We are living in rebellion. So the gospel basically tells us, tells the sinners to turn, to turn from their whole life. In James 4:4, it says, "You adulterous do not know "that friendship with the world is hostility toward God." He's not saying friendship with the world is incongruent with God.
He said it's hostile to God. "Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world "makes himself an enemy of God." You see how these words are extreme? He's trying to make it extreme. There's no middle ground. Either you will hate God or hate the world, but you cannot do both.
You can love God or love the world, but you cannot do both. They're against each other. You cannot pursue the world and be concerned and desire and covet the things of this world and then say, "I'm a friend of God." 2 Timothy 4:10, it says, "For Demas, "having loved this present world, has deserted me." Here's a man who basically ditched a handpicked apostle from Christ, Apostle Paul.
This man performs miracles. This is a man that Jesus single-handedly chose to be the apostle to the Gentiles, and Demas was a coworker, a disciple of him, and he just walked away. It wasn't because of wrong doctrine. It wasn't because he had a wrong view of Jesus. He just said simply 'cause he loved the world.
And if you look at 2,000 years of Christianity and people who have fallen away from their faith, and they'll give you all kinds of reasons how the church disappointed them and how this and that happened and this happened in life, but at the end, when you dig deep enough, the end conclusion was they loved the world more than God.
If the love of the world is what dictates what we do and don't do, it's just a matter of time that this shame for Christ is gonna get to us. I remember years ago when I was a youth pastor, I remember being convicted about this and said, how can I get my youth group to stand up for Christ?
And I had an idea. Said, I'm gonna take my youth group street preaching. And then so I took them out to street preaching. I said, where can I go to take them street preaching where they're gonna require some prayer and boldness? So I took them to their own schools.
During the lunchtime, or was it right after? Elder Joe was one of them. And so we went, and I, in the corner, as the cars were coming out, and we began to preach the gospel, and obviously, we're weird people, right? And I don't remember, I think Elder Joe was also there, and he was preaching, so he stood in the corner and just preaching the gospel.
And obviously, after that, you can never be, you can never be cool, right? So the world died for them at that day. (congregation laughing) You can't go street preaching in your public high school and then come out and then try to be cool, right? Our fear of losing the world causes us to be timid.
We're so afraid of not being cool, or being seen as weird. And that's enough for us to keep our mouth closed. And think about what it is that we are not saying. The judgment of God is coming. We all know, sooner or later, we're going to die. The only way of salvation is the blood of Jesus Christ.
Think about what it is that we refuse to say, simply because we don't want them to see us as weird. The power that peer pressure has on people, that we can live our lives ashamed of the one who died for us, simply because we don't wanna be seen weird by people that really have done nothing for us.
Third and finally, what causes us to be timid is our own sins and compromise. When you allow sin and compromise to be a regular part of your life, the first thing that happens is you won't be a witness, because the devil is going to use that and say, how can God use you?
What a hypocrite, keep your mouth shut. What a hypocrite. And so that thought is so prevalent in your mind that I don't have the right to tell about God. And so as soon as you allow sin to continue to pervade your life, you feel like the only thing you can do is just to keep quiet.
You say, I love Jesus. I'm gonna preach the gospel to myself, to remind me that Christ loves me unconditionally. But you can never preach the gospel to other people, because Satan will use your sin to keep you quiet. He says the consequence of this is that I will be ashamed of you when I come in glory, in the glory of the Father and of the angels.
Now that scene, when Jesus comes in glory, in glory of the Father and the angels, is always in reference to him coming, his second coming and his judgment. He came as a son of man to serve and to save. But the scripture tells us that in his second coming, he's going to come in his full glory.
And the reason why he will come in full glory is because he will come to confront evil. He will come to confront sin. So when he says, when he comes in full glory, as you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you. In other words, when the wrath of God comes, I will not protect you from the wrath of God.
I will not cover you. I will not stand between you and my Father and say, I'm covered, I've covered them. He says, I will not cover you. Those are pretty serious. He's not simply saying, I'm gonna slap you and I'm not gonna give you the reward that you deserve.
That's not what he's saying. He said, I'm gonna say, I didn't know you. You called me Lord, Lord, but I never knew. You had nothing to do with me. I hope you're disturbed, right? Not simply because I'm saying it, because this is what Jesus says. So does this mean that because you haven't stood in the corners, you know, street corners and preached the gospel, that you're not saved?
That because you had an opportunity to share and then you kind of like were timid that you're not saved? Is that what this means? Who's the biggest denier in the Bible? Who's known as a denier in the Bible? You know it, right? Just being Asian. Who's the biggest denier in the Bible?
(congregation laughing) Peter, right? Peter is the biggest denier. He stood in front of Jesus. I don't know this man. He even cursed because he was afraid. So does that mean that because he denied Jesus, he was ashamed of him, that when he comes in glory, he said I didn't know Peter either?
Clearly that's not what he means. I mean he's the apostle. He's the leader among the apostles, right? He is restored, but what he means is this is in reference to somebody who has no interest in sharing the gospel. Have never shared the gospel. Have no plans to share the gospel.
Because what he's attracted to is not Christ. What he's attracted to is not the truth of the gospel. In every way, he's rejected Christ. He loves the church. He loves the benefit of Christianity. He loves the people in the church. He loves Christians. But he does not know Christ.
So the reason why he's ashamed of him and his words is because he never really believed. He never really believed. He was in the church, participates, enjoys all the benefits, studies the Bible. Maybe he's a scholar. He might even be a preacher. But he doesn't really believe. Romans 8.1, therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
This is in reference, this is not in reference to somebody who needs to learn to be bold. This is somebody who may be sitting in this room and say, you know what, I don't know if I need to do that. You know, like the preachers are called, the missionaries are called.
But that's not for me, right? That's not for me. I just want to live my life. I want to come to church and I want to hear a sermon that's encouraging so that I can go back and make good money, take care of my kids, and put away enough for retirement.
And I got to serve the church in the background. I just want to be quiet Christian in the background. But feel no sense of urgency to share this gospel, to anybody, that's someone else's job, maybe. Maybe the reason why is because you don't really believe. Maybe. What gives us boldness, right?
Well, first of all, conviction. Do we really believe this? Paul says in Philippians 1.20, he says, according to my earnest expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now as always be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
Here's Apostle Paul who is possibly waiting for execution and he's not sitting there writing a letter to people who are sitting at homes and say, "Get me out of here." There's people who are preaching the gospel simply to make it harder for him. And instead of complaining about that, he said, "Praise God." Whether by good or bad motive, he's preaching the gospel.
And he was a single-minded person. He says, "Whether by life or by death, "my only concern is that I would not be ashamed. "That whether I'm executed or whether I get to live, "my only concern is that I am bold for Jesus." What gave him this kind of courage?
What gave him this kind of courage? Well, that's why Jesus chose him, 'cause he was special, because he was a man of courage, because he comes from a certain pedigree. No. He met the living Savior and he was convicted that this was true. He says in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, "for it is the power of God for salvation "to everyone who believes." Now, we know that verse.
Many of you have memorized that verse. But the question is, do you believe that? With all the causes that we give our life and money to, the most important cause for any Christian is this. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation.
The only way that a sinner can be saved from eternal damnation is the gospel, is the blood of Christ. You can save this world. You can feed all the poor. You can become a billionaire, donate all of it to help humanity. And yet, if you do not preach the gospel, all you've done is put a Band-Aid on something that eventually is going to burn.
He says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, "because it is the power of God unto salvation "to everyone who believes." Do you believe that? Conviction of that truth is what gives us boldness, if you really believe that. If you saw a child playing in the middle of a street, and you see a semi coming, maybe the parents don't see it, so they feel safe, but you've seen it.
And you've been trying to tell the parents, but no one's listening. At some point, because you know that danger is coming, you're gonna go into the middle of that road, tackle that child to the ground, grab him to safety. You're not gonna sit there and say, "You know what, if I do this, "they're gonna think I'm a pedophile.
"What if the parents are looking at this, "I'm tackling the child, how's this gonna look?" So, I'm just gonna tell them, but if they don't do something, then what can I do? Are you gonna just say, "Well, you know," and just walk away? No, conviction. Your conviction is going to dictate your action.
And if you are certain that this child is in danger, then I will do everything in my power to save that child, even if they will hate me for a bit, even if they will accuse me of being a sinner. It is my conviction and the depth and the strength of my conviction that dictates my boldness.
Somebody who has weak faith, even being called weird is enough. That guy's so weird, ah, the door's not open over there. You know what I mean? If I go to that country, you know, they don't have good food, door's shut. The plane ride's too difficult, shut. When we have weak faith, any little thing is a hindrance.
Or we're looking for somebody to, literally, right, to fall off a horse and say, "What prevents me from being baptized?" Can you explain Isaiah 53, and you're praying, "Lord, can I meet another one like that?" And only when the red carpet is open, please now give me, I need to know how to get saved, who is this Jesus, and you're only in that context will you open your mouth.
But outside of that, it's like, ah, the door's not open. When we have weak faith and we're not convicted, any little stumbling block, any little discomfort is enough to say the door's not open. Conviction, secondly, is assurance of Christ's presence with us, assurance of Christ's presence. I remember years ago, when I first started going out, street evangelism, I remember very specifically going out to Cerritos College.
And we would go and talk to people, and I would try to walk with people and share the gospel. And obviously, you know, majority of them are not, you know, were not friendly, but this was something that we were doing. And I remember one morning, waking up and thinking, and just the thought of the anxiousness of just trying to stop people that I don't know and share the gospel with.
And, you know, most people, because you see me up here, and they say, oh, Pastor Peter gets anxious. It's like, this is easy. Because I've been doing this for over 30 years, 30, more than 30 years, like 36 years. I've been standing in front of people preaching, so I don't get anxious about coming up here, right?
I know public speaking is anxious for most people, but this is easy. But even now, if I go out in the streets and try to talk to a stranger, I was like, I don't want to be, I don't want people to be like, you weirdo, or get angry with me.
So I remember praying that morning and thinking, because I was in seminary, thinking, man, if Dr. Robert Saucy came with me, I would be so bold, because he was the top scholar at our school. And I remember just being blown away in his classes. I'm like, man, this guy really knows God, and he knows the word.
If I had Dr. Saucy with me, you know, I wouldn't hesitate if they asked me questions, and I could just turn around and say, what did he say, and you go get him. And I remember praying that morning, being convicted. He said, you're comforted with the thought of possibly another man be with you, but I told you I would be with you.
In the Great Commission, Matthew 28, 19 and 20, go therefore make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you, even to the end of the age.
I am with you to the end of the age. The reason why Jesus was saying this is because the disciples were afraid. When Jesus told them that I'm going to the cross, they didn't fully understand, but they know now. This is after the cross. So they know now that if they follow Jesus, that they're gonna be scored, they're gonna be hated, and some of them are gonna be crucified.
But he said, you be bold. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. You do what I go tell you to do, because I am with you to the end of the age. When we are assured of who he is in our life and his presence in our lives, it gives us the boldness to be able to preach.
You know, when we're young, no matter what situation we're in, as long as dad was with us, we can go through a dark alley, and we're afraid and dad holds our hands, that's enough. We'll go through an area that we're unfamiliar with. As long as dad is with us, we're okay, we're good.
This is the reason why Jesus says, I am with you. Even though you may not physically see me, I will be with you. I will not leave you as an orphan. 2 Timothy 1.12, for this reason, I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed.
I know whom I have, I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. Our boldness comes from knowing Christ, and that Christ is with us. The reason why we are so timid is because sometimes we're not near him or we don't believe.
But the conviction of his presence in our lives automatically gives us boldness. And finally, or third, walking in the spirit. Boldness and the Holy Spirit go hand in hand. Acts chapter 1.8, the disciples are ready to go. Jesus promised that I'm gonna be with you, and then he says, but don't go yet.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. You notice what he says? You will be my witness when the Holy Spirit comes.
Not try to be a witness, not work and try to get the formula correct or get trained enough. He says, no, when the Holy Spirit comes, you will be my witness. And every instance in the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit falls upon the disciples or the people, the very next text it says, they began to preach the word boldly.
So boldness and power is associated with the Holy Spirit. That's why the Bible tells us to be filled with the spirit, 2 Timothy 1, 7 and 8. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, of love and discipline. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me, his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.
In Ephesians 5, 18, do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit. If we're not walking with the spirit, automatically we become timid because the power comes from the Holy Spirit. If we're not walking in the spirit, if we're not praying in the spirit, you automatically become timid.
This is a spiritual battle. This is not because you have great learning or you have so much experience or you have some training that other people didn't have. This is a spiritual battle. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities in high places. Therefore, put on the full armor of God.
Power comes from the Holy Spirit. So if we're not walking in the spirit, if we're not filled with the spirit, you automatically will become timid. Fourth and finally, what gives us boldness is love. Love. Hebrews 12, two to three, fixing our eyes on Jesus, author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God, for considering him who has endured such hostility by sinners against himself, so that you would not grow weary and lose heart.
Love gives you the boldness to do things that you would not normally do. If you're a mom, it is not exclusive to moms, but I know that the moms have a special place in a child's life. Even the most timid moms become bold when it comes to their children.
They are willing to say and do things that they are not normally willing to do. They don't sit there and say, "Ah, you know, I'm an introvert, so I can't say anything." All of a sudden, they become the most extroverted person you'll ever meet because of their love for their child.
Somebody who normally has no more than one thing to say, you know, and then they're exhausted, but all of a sudden, when it comes to their child, they become as bold as anybody else you've ever met. What changed? Their love. Their love. You become more patient than you normally were, but you also become very bold.
If you think that your child is in danger, if you think that there's a bully, if you think that there's something in their path, all of a sudden, the mom becomes bold. They're willing to give their life if it meant it's good for their child. It's love. It's God's love toward us and our love for him that gives us the boldness.
That's why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, 14 to 15, "For the love of Christ controls us," in some of our translations, "compels us, "having concluded this, that one died for all, "therefore all died, and he died for all, "so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, "but for him who died and rose again on their behalf." He said, why does Paul do what he does?
Why does he love people that are questioning him? Why does he endure not only to preach the gospel where the gospel was not preached, but put up with these people who are questioning him? And he's arguing with them, "I am an apostle!" He said, why does he endure? He says, "Love of Christ compels me.
"I am controlled by the love of Christ." You know, when Peter, right, we know him as the rock, but also as the denier to his face. And so when Jesus wants to restore him after the resurrection, before he commissions him out, do you remember that scene in John 21?
Because Peter's mistake was he was ashamed. He was afraid, he was confused. And he looked straight at Jesus and said, "I don't know him." No other disciple did that. So Jesus wants to forgive him and restore him, but how does Jesus restore him? John chapter 21, Peter, "Do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord, I love you." Peter, "Do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord, I love you." Peter, "Do you really love me more than these?" "Lord, you know that I love you!" "If you really love me, then go feed my sheep." His shame was restored by acknowledging and confirming his love.
Love is what gives us boldness. Love from God, love for God, which will overflow to the love for the world. Part of the reason why we don't love the world that way may be because we don't love God that way. If you know the heart of God, you will know, you will know, in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world "that he gave his only begotten son, "that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, "but have everlasting life." That he loved the world to the degree that he would send his only begotten son.
So if you're near God, if you commune with God, if you abide with God, you cannot come away from his presence and not recognize his love for the world. And you can't help begin to love what he loves. It is our lack of love, not grace, not mercy, not gentleness.
It's the lack of love for this fallen world that causes us to stay quiet. We sing about glory. We sing about the day he's going to come. We sing about his love. We celebrate his grace. Knowing the rest of the world outside of this place is under the judgment of God.
And somehow we have made not telling them about this a normal practice in our churches. There's so many weird things going on in this world. Men calling themselves women. Women calling themselves men. Turning small children and then questioning their gender is hate speech. There's so many weird things going on in this world.
But of all the weird things that I am the most concerned about, that I believe that God is most concerned about, is what the weirdness in the church. How we have made keeping the gospel to ourselves normal. It's normal to live all your life in the church and feel no sense of urgency to warn, to tell people about this good news.
He says, "If you're gonna come after me, "you must also pick up your cross, follow me." He was ashamed of me before men. I will be ashamed of him before my father when he comes in glory. And let me finish my message 'cause I wanna read this to you.
The most detailed record of early church fathers who were martyred for their faith is on Polycarp. He was martyred in 158 AD and he was the bishop of Smyrna. The reason why we have a detailed record of him is because he was so public. And the people who watched it were so disturbed and inspired at the same time that they took record of the interaction.
So the Roman proconsul was watching this old man and was pleading with him. All you have to do is say these words 'cause he didn't want to kill him. So this is the interaction. The proconsul urged him harder, "Take the oath and I'll let you go. "Curse Christ." Polycarp says, "86 years I have served him "and he never did me wrong.
"How can I blaspheme my king who saved me?" The proconsul says, "I have wild animals. "I'll throw you to them unless you change your mind." Polycarp replied, "Call them in "for we are not allowed to change "from something better to something worse." The proconsul says, "Scorn the wild beasts "and I'll have you burned alive "if you don't change your mind." Polycarp, before he is martyred said, "You threaten with fire that burns for a short time "and is soon quenched.
"You don't know about the fire of the coming judgment "and eternal punishment that awaits the wicked. "But why are you waiting? "Come do what you will." And reluctantly the proconsul lit the fire. And he was burned alive. I remember reading this back in college. So moved by this man's faith.
I probably was no more than 22, 23 at the time and I remember reading this thinking, "If the Lord allows me to live this long, "I pray that one day "that I would have the love for Christ like this man. "That I would know the love of Christ to this degree "that I would be willing, even at my death, "that the only concern that I have, "that whether by life or death, "that I would not be ashamed.
"I pray that we would come to know this Christ. "Don't just admire him from a distance. "Deny yourself, pick up your cross "and let's follow him together." Let's pray. Father, you are worthy of our praise. You're worthy of our lives. Help us, Lord God, live lives as your ambassador.
That we may be the light that you've called us to be. May your name be magnified in us and through us. In Jesus name we pray, amen. Our praise team is going to lead us in a time of communion song and as we open up the communion table, we ask that again, one by one, when you are ready to come, if you're coming down this line here, there's two lines.
So as you're coming and if you see the line merging, something has gone wrong, so please stay in that line. So for the sake of time, we need both lines to go. So please come this way and then exit the side. If you are gluten-free, the gluten-free stuff is on my right to your left.
So please go to that side if you need gluten-free stuff. And the communion table is a celebration of what has already happened to us. That Christ died for us and he washed our sins away. We don't come here by our own merit. We don't come here because we had a good week in the Lord.
We come here because we're reminded that only by the blood of Christ that we can have salvation. So we come to celebrate, we come in repentance, we come reflecting, and so after we open up the table, we ask that you, when you are ready, come and participate in the communion table.
So if you're not a baptized believer in the church and you're just here, maybe as a guest 'cause you have, you're just curious about the Christian faith, we ask that you would stay where you're at. There is no power in and of itself. And so we ask that you would just stay where you're at and just be honest before God.
Lord, if you're real, if the gospel that I've been taught by my friends and maybe some things that was said today is making me curious and I want to know you, there's no formula. You don't have to go ask me. Just come before God in an honest prayer. Lord, if you're real, if the gospel that I heard is real, open my eyes that I may also see you.
I want to be forgiven. I want a new life in Christ. And just offer an honest prayer before God, asking the Lord to answer your prayers. Otherwise, we ask that whenever you're ready, one by one, you would come. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread.
When he had given things, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. "Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, he took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is a new covenant in my blood. "Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.
"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, "you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." Our worship team is going to lead us in a time of communion song. And then afterwards, we ask that whenever you are ready, that you would come. (gentle piano music) ♪ Behold the Lamb who bears our sins away ♪ ♪ Slain for us ♪ ♪ And we remember the promise made ♪ ♪ That all who come in faith ♪ ♪ Find forgiveness at the cross ♪ ♪ So we share in this bread of life ♪ ♪ And we drink of his sacrifice ♪ ♪ As a sign of our bonds of peace ♪ ♪ Around the table of the King ♪ (gentle piano music) ♪ The body of our Savior, Jesus Christ, gone for you ♪ ♪ Eat and remember the wounds that heal ♪ ♪ The death that brings us life ♪ ♪ Paid the price to make us one ♪ ♪ So we share in this bread of life ♪ ♪ And we drink of his sacrifice ♪ ♪ As a sign of our bonds of love ♪ ♪ Around the table of the King ♪ (gentle piano music) ♪ The blood that cleanses every stain of sin ♪ ♪ Shed for you ♪ ♪ Drink and remember ♪ ♪ He drained death's cup that all may enter in ♪ ♪ To receive the life of God ♪ ♪ So we share in this bread of life ♪ ♪ And we drink of his sacrifice ♪ ♪ As a sign of our bonds of grace ♪ ♪ Around the table of the King ♪ ♪ And so in thankfulness and faith we rise ♪ ♪ To respond and to remember ♪ ♪ Our call to follow in the steps of Christ ♪ ♪ As his body here on earth ♪ ♪ As we share in his suffering ♪ ♪ We proclaim Christ will come again ♪ ♪ And we'll join in the feast of heaven ♪ ♪ Around the table of the King ♪ ♪ Around the table of the King ♪ (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (faint speaking) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) (gentle piano music) ♪ The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend ♪ ♪ The agonies of Calvary ♪ ♪ You, the perfect Holy One, crushed your son ♪ ♪ Drink the bitter cup reserved for me ♪ ♪ Your blood has washed away my sin, Jesus, thank you ♪ ♪ The Father's wrath completely satisfied, Jesus, thank you ♪ ♪ Once your enemy, now seated at your table, Jesus, thank you ♪ (gentle piano music) ♪ By a perfect sacrifice I've been brought near ♪ ♪ Your enemy, you made your friend ♪ ♪ Pour it out ♪ ♪ Pouring out the riches of your glorious grace ♪ ♪ Your mercy and your kindness known no man ♪ ♪ Your blood has washed away my sin, Jesus, thank you ♪ ♪ The Father's wrath completely satisfied, Jesus, thank you ♪ ♪ Once your enemy, now seated at your table, Jesus, thank you ♪ ♪ Once your enemy, now seated at your table, Jesus, thank you ♪ (gentle piano music) ♪ Mother of my soul, I want to live for you ♪ ♪ I want to live for you ♪ ♪ Lover of my soul, I want to live for you ♪ ♪ Lover of my soul, I want to live for you ♪ ♪ I want to live for you ♪ ♪ Lover of my soul, I want to live for you ♪ ♪ Your blood has washed away my sin, Jesus, thank you ♪ ♪ The Father's wrath completely satisfied, Jesus, thank you ♪ ♪ Your blood has washed away my sin, Jesus, thank you ♪ ♪ The Father's wrath completely satisfied, Jesus, thank you ♪ ♪ Once your enemy, now seated at your table, Jesus, thank you ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank you ♪ - Let's pray.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace, amen. ♪ God sent his son ♪ ♪ They called him Jesus ♪ ♪ He came to them ♪ ♪ Heal and forgive ♪ ♪ He lived and died ♪ ♪ To buy my pardon ♪ ♪ An empty grave is there to prove ♪ ♪ My Savior lives ♪ ♪ Because he lives ♪ ♪ I can face tomorrow ♪ ♪ Because he lives ♪ ♪ All fear is gone ♪ ♪ Because I know ♪ ♪ He holds the future ♪ ♪ And life is worth the living ♪ ♪ Just because he lives ♪ (gentle music) (people chattering) ♪ This life is an altar ♪ ♪ Where I wanna offer my soul ♪ ♪ And my mind in strength ♪ ♪ Cleansed by your mercy ♪ ♪ To live a life worthy of the word ♪ ♪ Who called my name ♪ ♪ Jesus be glorified ♪ ♪ Jesus be magnified ♪ ♪ Let me be a place ♪