Here in two minutes, and we're
moving into the next program.
00:00:39.50\00:00:44.07
And the Lord has been with
us every single step of the way.
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We're being
blessed by the Holy Spirit.
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I tell you, I still have
not gotten over Walter Pearson's
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message. It
touched my heart so much.
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Are you with me on that?
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So good to see
him preaching again!
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You don't know how many times
I've called him on the phone,
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I've said: "Walter,
are you ready yet? "
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"No, not yet. "
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"Are you ready yet
Walter? " "No, not yet. "
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We had him lined up
to come out a year ago
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and he wasn't quite ready
to come and to do an Anchors
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at that time. So that's when
I did the Anchors that I did
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was to fill in for Walter.
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Now he came today, and
what a blessing it was.
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Amen! As he said: "I'm
not able to run up and down
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the platform, but the
Holy Spirit can speak. "
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And the Holy Spirit
spoke through our friend
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Walter Pearson.
Keep him in your prayers.
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And keep all of
us in your prayers.
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Well, we're having a
wonderful time in the Lord
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and our speaker for
this particular hour
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is my good friend
Pastor C.A. Murray.
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Now you know all
about C.A. Murray
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so I don't have
to tell you too much.
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He's a good man.
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He... His wife Irma keeps
him on the straight and narrow.
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And I enjoy teasing
with him a little bit
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because he is fun to tease.
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You know the Lord
says: "Whom the Lord loveth
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He chasteneth. "
00:02:24.21\00:02:25.91
And whom Gilley
loveth he teaseth.
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So if you find that I'm teasing
you, you know I love you.
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And I truly do love C.A. Murray.
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I've talked about the
unity of our team here.
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We don't have to say it
too much... you can feel it.
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You really can.
You can feel the unity
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of our group, and it's a
beautiful, beautiful thing.
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Before he comes,
Reggie and Ladye are coming
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and they're going to
bring some music to us.
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And I'm watching for
them to appear any moment
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from behind the screen.
00:03:02.84\00:03:05.21
So... I will keep
talking until they do.
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Are they here? OK...
Reggie. Here's Reggie.
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Reggie, you made your
first trip to Israel last year.
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Oh yes I did!
Did you enjoy that?
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It was really a life-changing
experience for us, it truly was.
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Now we had been years ago -
yeah. We were doing some videos
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there, but we didn't get a
chance to really travel and tour
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with a professional tour
guide. Right. It truly, Mr. Jim,
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was a life-changing
experience for us. Wow! Wow!
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Well we're going back
this Fall. You're going;
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you're going to have a bus
along at the same time we are.
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And we're all going together
in November. And I'm just
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hoping as many of you as
possibly can will go with us
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in November.
November is the right time.
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November 16th as
a matter of fact.
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That's exactly
right... that's exactly right.
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So we're looking forward to
that, and we're also looking
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forward to your music.
Are you going to sing for us?
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We are. We're going to
do a song called Above All.
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Above All. This is a song
that a friend of Ladye Love's
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wrote several, several years
ago. And you know, you think
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about we were doing the
patriotic things - yeah.
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Above all
powers, above all kings,
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above all nature - yes
- and all living things.
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All right. God is
above all of that.
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That's a great song.
God bless you as you sing.
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We also have some guests
are going to join us, too.
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Aren't these singers
great that have been here today?
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They are so amazing.
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I mean, you just got a
little bit of what all they do.
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They are so talented,
and we have the privilege of
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singing with them sometimes
in Nashville. And they're just
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great. I wish you could
know their whole resumes.
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Go to their websites; they have
great things that they are doing
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in their own rite.
But they love the Lord...
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the most important thing.
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Above all powers,
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above all kings,
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above all nature
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and all created things.
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Above all wisdom
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and all the ways of man...
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You were here
before the world began.
00:05:46.41\00:05:52.38
Above all kingdoms,
00:05:53.38\00:05:57.19
above all thrones,
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above all wonders
00:06:01.72\00:06:04.83
the world has ever known.
00:06:04.96\00:06:09.46
Above all wealth
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and treasures of the earth...
00:06:13.23\00:06:18.84
there's no way to measure
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what You're worth.
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Crucified,
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laid behind a stone.
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You lived and died
00:06:36.12\00:06:39.93
rejected and alone
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like a rose
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trampled on the ground
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You took the fall
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and thought of me
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above all.
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Above all powers,
00:07:11.96\00:07:15.70
above all kings,
00:07:15.93\00:07:19.87
above all nature
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and all created things.
00:07:23.34\00:07:27.78
Above all wisdom
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and all the ways of man...
00:07:31.68\00:07:37.59
You were here
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before the world began.
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Crucified,
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laid behind a stone.
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You lived to die
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rejected and alone
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like a rose
00:08:02.21\00:08:04.81
trampled on the ground
00:08:05.05\00:08:09.72
You took the fall
00:08:09.95\00:08:13.59
and thought of me
00:08:13.92\00:08:18.23
above all.
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Crucified,
00:08:23.70\00:08:27.47
laid behind a stone.
00:08:27.80\00:08:31.54
You lived and died
00:08:31.77\00:08:35.78
rejected and alone
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like a rose
00:08:39.28\00:08:42.08
trampled on the ground
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You took the fall
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and thought of me
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above all.
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Like a rose
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that was trampled on the ground
00:09:02.77\00:09:08.08
You took the fall
- You took the fall -
00:09:08.31\00:09:13.65
and thought of me
- and thought of me -
00:09:13.78\00:09:19.69
above
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all.
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Amen!
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Amen and amen.
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Shall we pray?
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Gracious heavenly Father, we
just praise You and thank you
00:09:58.89\00:10:02.00
for the occasion that
has called the saints of God
00:10:02.13\00:10:05.90
to the house of prayer today.
00:10:05.93\00:10:07.84
We thank you Lord for
sermons preached with power,
00:10:08.60\00:10:13.04
music sung with pathos,
00:10:13.38\00:10:17.11
and for the over-arching
presence of Your Holy Spirit
00:10:17.45\00:10:20.82
in this house. We pray
now that that same Spirit
00:10:20.95\00:10:24.95
would work in the
heart of speaker and hearer.
00:10:25.09\00:10:29.06
Do a mighty work,
Lord, so that Your words
00:10:29.49\00:10:32.66
are spoken and Your
words are understood
00:10:32.79\00:10:36.67
and we can
together take one more step
00:10:36.90\00:10:40.74
along that road
that leads to glory.
00:10:40.97\00:10:44.57
We praise You,
Lord, and we thank you.
00:10:45.11\00:10:48.81
In Jesus' name, Amen. Amen.
00:10:49.08\00:10:52.51
We want to
consider this afternoon
00:10:53.75\00:10:57.25
the parable as found
in Matthew chapter 22
00:10:58.35\00:11:02.22
often called the Parable of
00:11:02.66\00:11:06.26
the Great Wedding Feast.
00:11:06.29\00:11:10.10
So I invite you to
turn with me to that
00:11:10.53\00:11:13.90
dare I say
incredibly pregnant passage.
00:11:14.24\00:11:19.41
I hear the pages turning
which is music to the ears
00:11:20.61\00:11:23.45
of any preacher.
00:11:23.48\00:11:25.68
I should have you to know
that the last 1/3 of the gospel
00:11:30.09\00:11:34.99
of Matthew marks a
subtle-yet-significant
00:11:35.22\00:11:40.70
change in the gospel narrative.
00:11:40.73\00:11:43.80
There is a change in the
tenor, the texture, the tomber,
00:11:44.33\00:11:48.10
the tone, the taste...
even the flavor of the ministry
00:11:48.14\00:11:52.64
of Jesus Christ of the
words as written by Matthew
00:11:52.77\00:11:58.58
of the fortunes and
fate of the Jewish people
00:11:58.91\00:12:03.02
and perhaps even the world.
00:12:03.15\00:12:05.19
You can see it,
you can sense it.
00:12:05.52\00:12:08.46
There is this change
in the way Matthew attacks
00:12:08.69\00:12:12.16
his scripture. He
moves the first twenty or so
00:12:12.29\00:12:16.46
chapters along at what I was
telling Irma the other night is
00:12:16.60\00:12:20.14
a bucolic pedagogical jog.
00:12:20.27\00:12:24.01
Basically he is loping along
00:12:24.67\00:12:28.11
just moving along at a
nice, slow teaching jog.
00:12:28.14\00:12:33.11
Matthew we call the
textbook of the New Testament.
00:12:33.45\00:12:36.42
Most scholars agree: if you
want it short, if you want it
00:12:36.55\00:12:39.35
concise, if you
want it with no frills,
00:12:39.39\00:12:41.59
you get that story from
Matthew. He's a tax collector.
00:12:41.72\00:12:44.39
He's a CPA; he's an accountant.
00:12:44.43\00:12:48.00
Doesn't give you too
much... just the facts.
00:12:48.13\00:12:50.43
So if you want
facts, you go to Matthew.
00:12:50.87\00:12:53.23
If you want a little ice
cream or sauce on your story,
00:12:53.37\00:12:58.54
you go to Luke. Luke
gives you a little bit more.
00:12:58.67\00:13:00.48
So Matthew's moving along at
this little bucolic, pedagogical
00:13:00.71\00:13:04.35
jog, and then for some reason
00:13:04.48\00:13:08.65
beginning at chapter 21
00:13:08.88\00:13:11.89
starting with that seminal
event, the... what we call the
00:13:13.02\00:13:16.83
triumphant arrival
of Christ in Jerusalem
00:13:16.86\00:13:21.90
things begin to heat
up just a little bit.
00:13:22.23\00:13:25.80
The jog becomes a sprint.
00:13:26.33\00:13:28.97
The analog becomes digital.
00:13:29.20\00:13:31.51
The mpeg becomes jpeg.
00:13:31.64\00:13:34.04
It's all
compressed: the time, the tenor,
00:13:34.38\00:13:38.18
the space, the events.
What was hazy in the first
00:13:38.31\00:13:42.05
twenty chapters now
becomes boldly defined
00:13:42.28\00:13:46.25
in the next eight chapters.
00:13:46.39\00:13:48.56
Matthew and Jesus - if I
can use a very unbiblical term -
00:13:48.79\00:13:52.33
up the ante in the next eight
chapters of the book of Matthew.
00:13:52.66\00:13:56.67
You can see it; you can feel
it; you can almost smell it.
00:13:56.90\00:13:59.30
There is this change. Some-
thing big is about to happen.
00:13:59.53\00:14:03.07
And so Matthew
finds a whole new gear
00:14:03.30\00:14:07.04
and indeed Jesus
finds a whole new gear.
00:14:07.38\00:14:10.41
The "exigency" if I can
use that term, the urgency,
00:14:10.45\00:14:13.98
the energy of the
work of God is increased
00:14:14.12\00:14:17.45
and you feel it in
Matthew chapter 21.
00:14:17.59\00:14:19.89
You see it in the social
intercourse between Christ
00:14:20.02\00:14:22.96
and His disciples.
00:14:23.29\00:14:25.06
The way Christ now
deals with His enemies
00:14:25.23\00:14:28.06
begins to change. His
preaching begins to change.
00:14:28.20\00:14:31.80
His teaching begins to change
00:14:32.13\00:14:34.57
and even His
parables begin to change.
00:14:34.70\00:14:37.27
The parables prior to Matthew 21
00:14:37.31\00:14:40.51
have some amount of flame
to them, but things really get
00:14:40.64\00:14:45.71
heated up in the parables
after Matthew chapter 21.
00:14:45.85\00:14:51.25
The tone of everything changes.
00:14:52.15\00:14:55.89
Now you may ask why,
and it is a good question.
00:14:56.12\00:14:59.79
The answer is very simple:
00:15:00.16\00:15:02.20
it was because
time was running out.
00:15:02.33\00:15:07.07
Time was
running out on the Jews,
00:15:07.60\00:15:10.24
time was running out on
Christ's earthly priesthood,
00:15:10.51\00:15:13.98
time was running
out on the temple,
00:15:14.21\00:15:16.78
time was running out
on the sanctuary service,
00:15:17.01\00:15:19.78
time was running out
on the sacrificial system,
00:15:20.02\00:15:23.15
time was running out
on the Jewish people,
00:15:23.28\00:15:25.92
and time was running
out on the Jewish nation.
00:15:26.05\00:15:29.09
One week - eight
chapters - eternal destiny,
00:15:30.06\00:15:35.66
all compressed into
the last third of this book
00:15:35.80\00:15:41.87
of Matthew. They are all
inseparably interconnected.
00:15:42.00\00:15:47.98
So you can't really get
the full weight of Matthew
00:15:49.01\00:15:52.25
chapter 22 if you separate
it from Matthew chapter 21
00:15:52.38\00:15:57.75
because as it were
Christ is firing the last bullet
00:15:58.19\00:16:03.89
in a series of
rapid-fire practical parables
00:16:04.13\00:16:07.76
that are very
pointed, the edge is strong,
00:16:07.93\00:16:11.10
the meaning is plain because
Christ has but three more trips
00:16:11.23\00:16:16.67
into the temple. These
are His last three times
00:16:16.81\00:16:20.41
that He gets to meet
with people in the temple
00:16:20.44\00:16:22.94
and talk with
people in the temple.
00:16:22.98\00:16:24.68
The leadership: the
Pharisees on the right,
00:16:24.91\00:16:27.98
Sadducees on the left,
00:16:28.12\00:16:32.02
Herodians in the middle.
00:16:32.15\00:16:34.39
All of them
despising each other,
00:16:34.62\00:16:38.09
hating each other's politics,
00:16:38.26\00:16:40.50
but united by one self-same,
00:16:40.63\00:16:45.20
indissoluble bonding agent.
00:16:45.43\00:16:48.30
They were sealed by the
fact that regardless of their
00:16:48.74\00:16:54.81
theology or their ideology
00:16:54.94\00:16:58.21
they all wanted Jesus dead.
00:16:58.35\00:17:02.88
From the day He
raised Lazarus from the dead
00:17:04.29\00:17:07.56
they were concocting
ways to put Him to death.
00:17:07.89\00:17:11.99
So He spoke in
parables. He couched the truth
00:17:13.19\00:17:17.77
in language that only those
who He wanted to understand
00:17:17.90\00:17:22.97
would indeed understand.
00:17:23.20\00:17:25.31
But now Jesus is coming
to the end of His ministry.
00:17:25.74\00:17:29.91
Things are beginning
to wind down and wrap up
00:17:30.15\00:17:33.72
and Christ doesn't have
time any more for platitudes
00:17:33.95\00:17:38.35
or illusory speech
00:17:38.49\00:17:40.59
or esoteric
language or secret codes.
00:17:40.76\00:17:43.96
Now Christ is laying it
out, putting it on the table.
00:17:44.19\00:17:47.93
These days were serious
days in the land of Israel.
00:17:49.00\00:17:53.17
And I would dare say
these days are serious days
00:17:53.40\00:17:56.64
today in the United
States of America and the world.
00:17:56.77\00:18:00.14
And the reason you sat
here through 19 sermons
00:18:01.01\00:18:04.51
and when we are done
about 22 meetings is because
00:18:04.68\00:18:07.98
like those days these
days are serious days.
00:18:08.12\00:18:13.86
And I think we've all
been possessed of the thought
00:18:14.79\00:18:18.63
that these days are
indeed the last days.
00:18:18.86\00:18:23.87
We don't know how many
more days there will be,
00:18:24.30\00:18:28.27
but I think you
can agree with me
00:18:28.50\00:18:31.31
that there are more
days in the rear-view mirror
00:18:31.34\00:18:35.11
than there are
in the windshield.
00:18:35.24\00:18:37.51
Christ is indeed
coming very, very soon.
00:18:38.51\00:18:43.69
We see it in
changed tactics by the Lord.
00:18:45.85\00:18:51.06
The trajectory of
His speech now changes.
00:18:51.29\00:18:54.66
Jesus takes the wraps off now.
00:18:54.93\00:18:58.30
Jesus, who really
eschewed popular acclaim
00:18:58.53\00:19:03.34
for so many, many years,
now allows things to happen
00:19:03.47\00:19:08.74
that must have excited
and confused His disciples.
00:19:08.88\00:19:13.01
There in chapter 21
Jesus does some things that
00:19:13.35\00:19:17.29
might appear a bit puzzling.
00:19:17.42\00:19:19.59
Matthew says in Matthew 21
00:19:19.92\00:19:22.69
that as they approached the city
00:19:22.82\00:19:25.79
Jesus' attitude began to change.
00:19:26.03\00:19:28.53
He goes into the city
and He tells the disciples
00:19:29.60\00:19:32.67
"I want you go to
in and get Me a donkey
00:19:32.80\00:19:35.97
and bring the donkey
and the colt to Me. "
00:19:36.20\00:19:40.18
Number one: Jewish kings
00:19:40.61\00:19:44.48
always rode on donkeys.
00:19:44.51\00:19:47.78
So Christ was now
changing His tactics.
00:19:48.12\00:19:51.99
Whereas before He always tried
to keep it rather hush-hush
00:19:52.22\00:19:57.33
about His kingdom... sometimes
even healed people and He said:
00:19:57.46\00:20:01.13
"Don't tell anybody. Just go and
show yourself to the priest. "
00:20:01.30\00:20:04.37
Now He is specifically
requesting a donkey and the colt
00:20:04.80\00:20:09.47
of a donkey. Jewish kings always
made their triumphal entry
00:20:09.60\00:20:13.84
into a city on
the back of a donkey.
00:20:13.98\00:20:16.38
So Christ is saying: "I'm
about to announce something
00:20:16.41\00:20:21.72
that before we have kept secret.
00:20:21.95\00:20:24.75
I'm about to let the world
know that a King is coming. "
00:20:24.99\00:20:28.72
Amen? King is on His way.
00:20:28.86\00:20:31.73
So it is an
allusion to kingship.
00:20:32.56\00:20:35.36
And if that was not enough,
00:20:35.80\00:20:37.23
Jesus says: "If
anyone says anything to you,
00:20:37.57\00:20:40.47
if anybody gives you any static,
00:20:40.70\00:20:43.44
if anybody
gives you a hard time,
00:20:43.67\00:20:46.14
tell them Kurios sent you. "
00:20:46.37\00:20:51.31
Kurios is a New Testament
word, a Greek word, for Lord.
00:20:51.55\00:20:54.55
This is the first
time, brothers and sisters,
00:20:54.78\00:20:57.19
that Christ refers
to Himself as Lord.
00:20:57.32\00:21:01.49
And so He says: "If
anybody gives you any heat about
00:21:01.92\00:21:05.29
taking these donkeys
tell them God wants them.
00:21:05.43\00:21:10.13
Tell them God
has need of them. "
00:21:10.37\00:21:14.47
And so Christ is now
announcing His Lordship.
00:21:14.60\00:21:18.37
Before this time His
preferred self-designation
00:21:18.81\00:21:21.78
was Son of Man. You see that
in Matthew chapter 1 verse 1,
00:21:21.91\00:21:24.95
Mark chapter 2 verse
10. And over and over again
00:21:25.18\00:21:27.45
Christ has called
Himself the Son of Man.
00:21:27.58\00:21:29.58
But now He's saying: "If
anybody gives you a hard time,
00:21:29.72\00:21:32.75
tell them God wants it. "
00:21:32.89\00:21:34.66
"Tell them God is
requesting the donkey. "
00:21:34.99\00:21:37.43
"If anybody accosts you, tell
them this is being requisitioned
00:21:38.69\00:21:42.56
by God. " And so this
kingly entry into Jerusalem
00:21:42.70\00:21:48.10
marks something very very
special in the life of Christ.
00:21:48.24\00:21:52.97
It is recorded by
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
00:21:53.21\00:21:56.31
They all talk about it.
00:21:56.34\00:21:57.45
It launches a portrayal of
a fascinating series of events
00:21:57.58\00:22:02.65
that are intriguing,
and a number of parallels
00:22:02.78\00:22:06.39
and parables that are types
of the second coming of Jesus
00:22:06.52\00:22:09.49
Christ. So Christ arrives in
Jerusalem on Sunday afternoon.
00:22:09.52\00:22:13.80
We are given to understand
that He makes His way to the
00:22:15.13\00:22:17.70
temple on Sunday evening,
but He doesn't do anything.
00:22:17.73\00:22:20.47
He just looks around;
He just takes in the sights
00:22:21.50\00:22:25.47
and the sounds and
the smells of the temple.
00:22:25.61\00:22:30.68
Perhaps He was remembering
that day at age 12 when He
00:22:31.71\00:22:35.08
first walked into that temple.
00:22:35.12\00:22:37.65
And Ellen White says He
looked at those same sights
00:22:37.79\00:22:40.39
and tastes and
smells and goings on
00:22:40.62\00:22:45.43
and the Holy
Spirit revealed to Him
00:22:45.56\00:22:47.76
that all of that
was wrapped up in Him.
00:22:47.93\00:22:51.83
Perhaps He was
taking a 22-year trip back
00:22:52.97\00:22:56.07
trying to remember the day
when the vision came to Him
00:22:56.30\00:23:02.28
that He would have to sacrifice
His life for these people.
00:23:02.61\00:23:06.48
That the burden of sin cleansing
was going to have to be upon His
00:23:07.45\00:23:12.22
shoulders. And so that
Sunday evening is just a little
00:23:12.35\00:23:15.99
trip down memory lane.
Christ just views the temple.
00:23:16.12\00:23:22.16
Monday morning He returns.
00:23:23.80\00:23:27.34
This is the beginning of
the last week of His life.
00:23:27.57\00:23:30.74
This time
something else happens.
00:23:31.74\00:23:34.14
Monday morning He returns
and we are given to understand
00:23:34.38\00:23:38.21
that for the second
time in His ministry Christ
00:23:38.35\00:23:41.42
cleanses the temple.
00:23:41.55\00:23:43.52
This time is not passive;
this time is not just looking.
00:23:43.75\00:23:47.72
This time He is
active and aggressive.
00:23:47.96\00:23:50.49
Again He
alludes to His Lordship,
00:23:50.83\00:23:54.60
and look at the
language as found in Matthew 21.
00:23:54.86\00:24:00.57
Christ says:
00:24:00.97\00:24:03.14
"My house... My house
00:24:03.37\00:24:07.84
shall be a house of prayer. "
00:24:09.14\00:24:10.75
Now if you go to John
chapter 2 you find that
00:24:10.98\00:24:13.58
at the first cleansing of
the temple... And by the way,
00:24:13.72\00:24:15.98
it's only mentioned
in the book of John...
00:24:16.02\00:24:17.79
Jesus said: "Don't
make My Father's house
00:24:18.02\00:24:23.32
a house of merchandise. "
00:24:23.56\00:24:25.86
You see the difference?
Subtle but very real.
00:24:26.90\00:24:29.86
Now those who
understood what He was saying
00:24:30.03\00:24:31.70
realized "My Father" and
"Mine" is pretty much the same.
00:24:31.83\00:24:34.37
But in case you didn't get
it, in John 3-1/2 years earlier
00:24:34.60\00:24:39.31
"Don't make My Father's
house a house of merchandise. "
00:24:39.44\00:24:42.91
In Matthew 3-1/2 years later
00:24:43.95\00:24:46.68
"Don't make My house a
house of merchandise. "
00:24:46.82\00:24:51.65
You see the
difference? Why the change?
00:24:51.79\00:24:54.39
Because time was late and
Jesus had but 2 more trips
00:24:55.46\00:24:59.69
to this temple before He would
make His trip to the cross.
00:24:59.83\00:25:03.87
So now it's "My
house... My house. "
00:25:05.10\00:25:08.90
"Don't make My house a
house of merchandise. "
00:25:09.34\00:25:12.47
This final week
Christ is doing His very best
00:25:12.81\00:25:17.08
to try to get into
the hearts and heads
00:25:17.31\00:25:21.08
of those who have
rejected Him for 3-1/2 years.
00:25:21.22\00:25:24.19
Let me give you
just a little back story.
00:25:25.82\00:25:27.89
You may not know this 'cause
you have to read Desire of Ages
00:25:28.02\00:25:29.89
very carefully to find this out.
00:25:29.92\00:25:31.19
But I thought it
very interesting.
00:25:31.23\00:25:32.76
Three and a half years earlier
when Christ cleansed the temple
00:25:33.60\00:25:36.36
there were a lot of men there
who were buying and selling.
00:25:36.60\00:25:39.23
And Ellen White says
they were pretty upset
00:25:39.47\00:25:42.54
at their squeamishness...
00:25:43.07\00:25:47.78
their sheep-like attitude...
00:25:47.91\00:25:51.71
in letting this guy run them
00:25:51.85\00:25:54.45
from their money
and their commerce.
00:25:54.58\00:25:57.29
And Ellen White says they
held commune among themselves
00:25:57.52\00:26:00.72
and they said: "You
know, we were really wimps
00:26:00.86\00:26:03.69
three and a half years ago,
but if He ever comes back here
00:26:03.83\00:26:08.16
again, let Him try to run us
out of here the second time. "
00:26:08.20\00:26:12.47
"Our house. We got
permission from the priest.
00:26:12.80\00:26:16.81
We're making a lot of money;
we've got a lot of commerce
00:26:16.94\00:26:19.71
going on, so if He comes back
here and ever tries that stuff
00:26:19.74\00:26:22.78
again... see
what'll happen to Him. "
00:26:22.81\00:26:24.88
Three and a half years
later Christ comes into the same
00:26:25.31\00:26:30.09
courtyard, and Ellen White
says it's basically a barnyard
00:26:30.12\00:26:33.66
of traffic.
Everything is going on.
00:26:33.69\00:26:37.19
Cows and sheep and
bickering and dickering
00:26:37.33\00:26:40.20
and money changing is going on.
00:26:40.33\00:26:43.16
And Christ turns over
tables and raises a cord
00:26:43.50\00:26:48.07
and those men who had
all of those big thoughts
00:26:48.30\00:26:52.74
and big talk about how they were
going to stand up to Jesus...
00:26:52.87\00:26:56.98
Let me give you the reading
from Desire of Ages page 590.
00:26:57.31\00:27:00.88
Ellen White says: "Again
the piercing look of Jesus
00:27:01.32\00:27:05.25
swept over the
desecrated court of the temple.
00:27:05.39\00:27:08.39
All eyes were
turned towards Him.
00:27:08.82\00:27:11.63
Priests and rulers,
Pharisee and Gentile
00:27:12.06\00:27:16.20
looked with astonishment
and awe upon Him who stood
00:27:16.33\00:27:20.70
before them. With
the majesty of heaven's
00:27:20.74\00:27:24.54
King, divinity
flashed through humanity... "
00:27:24.57\00:27:29.68
Get this line...
00:27:29.94\00:27:31.11
"investing Christ
with a dignity and glory
00:27:31.25\00:27:35.35
He had never manifested before.
00:27:35.48\00:27:38.72
Those men saw that day
00:27:39.99\00:27:44.03
in the eyes and countenance
of Jesus something that
00:27:44.16\00:27:48.43
humanity had
never seen before. "
00:27:48.56\00:27:52.37
Ellen White says
that "a level of divinity
00:27:53.47\00:27:58.37
leaped and lept out of Christ
00:27:58.51\00:28:01.41
that had never
happened before. "
00:28:01.54\00:28:03.71
And all of those promises
that we are going to stand up
00:28:03.95\00:28:06.88
and stand our
ground and stay put
00:28:07.02\00:28:09.98
went to the wind.
And the Bible says
00:28:10.22\00:28:13.46
they ran like the
temple was on fire.
00:28:13.49\00:28:16.83
And indeed... the
temple was on fire.
00:28:18.73\00:28:20.90
Ellen White says:
"Those standing nearest to Him
00:28:21.30\00:28:23.47
drew as far away as
the crowd would permit. "
00:28:23.50\00:28:25.97
She says: "The
displeasure of His countenance
00:28:26.30\00:28:30.51
seemed like a consuming fire
00:28:30.74\00:28:34.71
as He cleared the
temple, and Pharisee
00:28:35.24\00:28:39.48
and money
changers and businessmen
00:28:39.61\00:28:42.45
and traders fled
from the presence of God
00:28:42.58\00:28:45.35
just like they had
done the first time. "
00:28:45.99\00:28:49.99
And what is
interesting: Ellen White says:
00:28:50.46\00:28:54.56
"As they ran from
the sanctuary... "
00:28:54.73\00:28:58.27
as they were running
out of the sanctuary...
00:28:58.60\00:29:01.50
"there was a crowd of people
running into the sanctuary. "
00:29:02.04\00:29:06.47
The parallel to
the second coming.
00:29:07.21\00:29:09.14
You see, the same glory
that will cause some people
00:29:10.45\00:29:14.25
to run away will be
irresistibly attractive
00:29:14.58\00:29:19.85
to those who waited for Jesus.
00:29:20.09\00:29:21.96
Some will be
saying: "Fall on us, rocks,
00:29:23.12\00:29:26.86
and hide us from
the face of Him... "
00:29:27.20\00:29:30.27
Others will be
saying: "Lo, this is our God!
00:29:31.73\00:29:37.44
Long we have waited for
Him; now He will save us. "
00:29:38.27\00:29:42.08
So some were running out
and some were running in.
00:29:42.21\00:29:45.08
What is sad, and
I've read this many times
00:29:46.88\00:29:48.68
in the Desire of Ages but
I caught it just this week
00:29:48.82\00:29:51.22
Ellen White says that some
of those who were running in
00:29:52.32\00:29:57.46
listened to the
reports of those running out.
00:29:58.79\00:30:03.40
"You don't want
to go in there. "
00:30:05.77\00:30:07.77
"It's crazy in there. "
00:30:08.20\00:30:10.51
"There's some guy in
there throwing stuff around,
00:30:10.94\00:30:13.17
light-flashing eyes. You
don't want to go in there. "
00:30:13.31\00:30:15.51
And Ellen White says
sadly some of them turned around
00:30:17.81\00:30:19.98
and missed their blessing
and missed their salvation.
00:30:20.02\00:30:22.42
So you've got to learn... you've
got to know Jesus for yourself.
00:30:23.05\00:30:27.19
Amen? You can't take the report
of others on Jesus good or bad.
00:30:27.72\00:30:32.59
You've got to
know Him for yourself!
00:30:33.60\00:30:34.83
The Bible says "Those
in Thessalonica were more
00:30:35.03\00:30:37.60
noble than those in Berea...
" Flip it: "Berea more noble
00:30:37.73\00:30:40.44
than those in Thessalonica
00:30:40.57\00:30:41.60
because after
they heard the Word
00:30:41.64\00:30:43.74
of God preached they...
" Yeah, you've got to study
00:30:43.77\00:30:47.98
the Word for yourself.
00:30:48.11\00:30:50.05
Why? Because it's late.
00:30:50.28\00:30:54.48
Heard a story years
ago about a young girl
00:30:56.85\00:30:58.82
who used to stay up and listen
to the clock strike twelve.
00:30:58.85\00:31:01.42
You've heard
this story many times.
00:31:01.56\00:31:02.66
One, two, three...
twelve gongs every night.
00:31:02.99\00:31:05.83
Then she'd go to sleep.
00:31:06.16\00:31:07.76
One night she listened
for twelve gongs and she heard
00:31:08.06\00:31:11.07
twelve gongs and the
clock struck thirteen.
00:31:11.10\00:31:14.74
And she ran into her
mother's bedroom and said:
00:31:16.40\00:31:18.64
"Mommy, mommy. It is later
than it's ever been before! "
00:31:18.97\00:31:23.98
Brothers and sisters: it's later
than it's ever been before.
00:31:27.22\00:31:33.25
It's horribly late.
00:31:34.86\00:31:38.29
And so some ran
out and some ran in.
00:31:39.89\00:31:43.00
And those who were
running in didn't belong there.
00:31:43.43\00:31:47.50
The temple was not
for crippled people.
00:31:47.74\00:31:50.31
I thought it was very inter-
esting that the Jewish temple -
00:31:50.44\00:31:52.41
and having been to the temple
00:31:52.64\00:31:54.38
going to Jerusalem -
you know if you were sick
00:31:56.91\00:32:00.32
you couldn't go to the temple?
00:32:00.45\00:32:01.85
If you were crippled, you
couldn't go to the temple.
00:32:03.08\00:32:05.02
If you were lame, you
couldn't go to the temple.
00:32:05.92\00:32:07.89
That woman with the
issue of blood could not
00:32:08.32\00:32:10.26
go to the temple, and the
priest wouldn't come to her.
00:32:10.29\00:32:14.00
The woman that was
bent over for eighteen years
00:32:15.03\00:32:17.30
couldn't go to the temple
00:32:17.43\00:32:18.73
and no one would go to
her. Where else should you go
00:32:18.97\00:32:22.44
if you're sick?
00:32:22.87\00:32:25.91
That's why I cannot understand
why people have complaints
00:32:27.78\00:32:30.65
with individuals who are
hypocrites and in the church.
00:32:30.78\00:32:34.98
Where is a good
hypocrite going to go?
00:32:36.12\00:32:38.99
If you're a hypocrite,
you ought to be in a church!
00:32:47.60\00:32:51.17
How are you going to get...
I'm going to invent a word...
00:32:54.67\00:32:58.04
"unhypocritical? "
00:32:58.17\00:32:59.77
You can't stay
home and be a hypocrite.
00:33:01.98\00:33:04.05
To be a hypocrite you
have to be with somebody.
00:33:04.48\00:33:06.82
You know, you can't be
a hypocrite by yourself
00:33:07.25\00:33:09.52
because hypocrite is pretending
you are something you are not.
00:33:09.95\00:33:13.72
Amen. And the only way you
can pretend you are something
00:33:14.16\00:33:16.89
you are not... you've got
to have somebody to pretend to.
00:33:16.93\00:33:20.36
So you can't be a
hypocrite by yourself.
00:33:21.90\00:33:24.03
So you might as well be a
hypocrite in the church...
00:33:24.17\00:33:26.70
at least your
hypocrisy counts for something.
00:33:26.94\00:33:30.07
And maybe, just
maybe... just maybe
00:33:33.91\00:33:38.25
the Spirit of God can
get through and change you.
00:33:39.31\00:33:44.02
Don't worry about
hypocrites in the church.
00:33:45.05\00:33:46.59
Christ can take care of them.
00:33:46.72\00:33:48.32
And so Christ cleans the temple
00:33:54.23\00:33:57.63
and sick folk come in.
00:33:58.50\00:34:01.57
And when those scared
rabbits returned to the temple
00:34:01.90\00:34:05.21
Ellen White says some
hours later they hear the words
00:34:05.24\00:34:08.64
of peace and love
and they hear and see
00:34:08.78\00:34:12.08
Christ healing everyone there.
00:34:12.21\00:34:15.48
And instead of joining
in the song of rejoicing
00:34:15.92\00:34:19.59
their minds are
convinced He has got to die
00:34:20.92\00:34:25.06
and He's got to die now.
00:34:25.29\00:34:29.90
Now I need to preface this
and remind... I know my time is
00:34:31.83\00:34:35.27
going. This, by the
way, is not the sermon.
00:34:35.30\00:34:37.81
This is just the
ecclesiological obiter dictum
00:34:40.61\00:34:43.48
from Matthew chapter 21.
00:34:43.61\00:34:45.25
The sermon is
actually Matthew chapter 22.
00:34:45.38\00:34:47.18
We haven't gotten there yet.
00:34:47.42\00:34:48.58
We're on the way.
00:34:53.72\00:34:55.36
So Matthew chapter 22
does pick up the narrative
00:34:56.93\00:35:00.30
with Tuesday night. Now
remember it is Tuesday night.
00:35:00.43\00:35:03.47
In 72 hours, Christ will
be hanging from the cross.
00:35:03.70\00:35:07.07
This is His last
trip in the temple.
00:35:07.20\00:35:09.67
Last time. And Christ "takes
off the wraps" as it were.
00:35:10.11\00:35:15.08
He's in the most important
building in the most important
00:35:16.28\00:35:20.25
nation with the most
important message in the world.
00:35:20.38\00:35:23.82
The Sanhedrin has
already voted that He must die:
00:35:24.25\00:35:28.52
"We've got to find a way
to silence Him, and we've got
00:35:28.86\00:35:33.23
to make it soon. "
00:35:33.26\00:35:34.93
And Jesus -
knowing what He is facing -
00:35:35.46\00:35:38.87
is giving it
His last, best shot.
00:35:39.20\00:35:42.77
And so His words,
brothers and sisters,
00:35:43.67\00:35:46.51
His teaching now has a
new urgency, a new energy,
00:35:46.64\00:35:50.91
because in approximately
sixty hours He'll be hanging
00:35:52.71\00:35:56.25
from a Roman cross, dying
for your sins and for mine.
00:35:56.38\00:36:02.16
And even those people
who are wracking their brains
00:36:02.96\00:36:05.83
trying to find out a
way to put Him to death.
00:36:05.96\00:36:10.60
So that's the
background of chapter 22.
00:36:14.74\00:36:19.21
You cannot separate 21 from 22
00:36:20.38\00:36:23.68
because the
parables now begin to change.
00:36:23.81\00:36:27.45
And even the
Parable of the Ten Virgins
00:36:27.58\00:36:29.92
which is not truly a
parable because Ellen White says
00:36:30.05\00:36:33.15
that happened
about Tuesday evening.
00:36:33.29\00:36:34.96
It was more of a "storacle"
than a parable because
00:36:35.09\00:36:38.66
it really happened.
Christ was sitting on the
00:36:38.79\00:36:40.56
western slope of
the Mount of Olives
00:36:40.60\00:36:42.50
and the disciples were
watching as the sun went down.
00:36:42.53\00:36:45.23
They actually saw this
wedding party going in.
00:36:45.37\00:36:47.60
So it was a parable; it
was also an object lesson.
00:36:47.84\00:36:50.97
He said: "See that party there?
Let Me teach you something
00:36:51.71\00:36:55.84
about that. " And He
went through the story of the
00:36:55.98\00:36:58.15
Ten Virgins. It really
happened; it wasn't a story
00:36:58.18\00:37:01.25
as stories are just made up.
00:37:01.58\00:37:03.52
So this now is the last
time Christ gets to tell
00:37:04.15\00:37:08.62
a true parable in the temple,
00:37:08.79\00:37:12.63
and the "pit-bull" priesthood
is still trying to trap Jesus
00:37:13.06\00:37:17.53
in His words so they can find
a legitimate reason to kill Him.
00:37:17.67\00:37:22.90
First the Herodians,
Romans collaborators,
00:37:23.17\00:37:26.47
who like to play
buddy-buddy with Rome.
00:37:26.61\00:37:29.04
Then the
Sadducees, Roman sympathizers
00:37:29.38\00:37:33.52
whose mindset was
"They're here, we're here.
00:37:33.85\00:37:38.99
Can't we all just get along? "
00:37:39.32\00:37:41.39
And the Pharisees
who are Roman haters.
00:37:42.39\00:37:45.16
And Christ was
trying to win them all.
00:37:45.39\00:37:48.06
So I don't know
just what He said to them
00:37:48.30\00:37:54.24
but I know what came
forth in the parable.
00:37:54.27\00:37:56.50
And I don't want to just
examine the parable and part
00:37:56.74\00:37:58.87
the parable. What I
want to do to show you
00:37:59.01\00:38:01.18
the urgency of the
times is compare this parable
00:38:01.21\00:38:04.55
in Matthew 22
with a similar parable
00:38:04.68\00:38:07.55
found in Luke 14. They are
close but they are not the same.
00:38:07.68\00:38:10.99
And the
dissonance is the difference.
00:38:11.22\00:38:13.59
This parable - number one
- was delivered three days
00:38:14.62\00:38:18.09
before Christ went to the cross.
00:38:18.13\00:38:19.76
The parable that is somewhat
the same called the Parable of
00:38:20.00\00:38:23.37
the Great Supper in
Luke: kind of the same...
00:38:23.50\00:38:28.90
but Christ changes
the parts of the parable.
00:38:29.04\00:38:32.41
The Parable of the Great Supper
in Luke was given in the house
00:38:32.64\00:38:35.58
of a Pharisee.
00:38:35.61\00:38:37.21
The Marriage Feast was
given in the temple court.
00:38:37.45\00:38:40.38
The Parable of the Great Supper
was given some time before;
00:38:40.82\00:38:44.35
the Parable of the Marriage
Feast given some sixty hours
00:38:44.69\00:38:48.82
before Christ was
to go to the cross.
00:38:48.86\00:38:50.46
And it is important to recognize
that as important and wonderful
00:38:50.69\00:38:55.06
as it is to eat dinner
with a person - and that was
00:38:55.10\00:38:57.37
a Near East obligation
- the idea of a marriage
00:38:57.40\00:39:00.60
was much more important.
00:39:00.74\00:39:02.60
It's one thing to turn
down a dinner invitation
00:39:03.77\00:39:05.87
but a marriage invitation...
much more important.
00:39:06.01\00:39:09.84
And we see how hard Christ is
striving now to win these people
00:39:10.08\00:39:14.32
who simply don't want to
give their hearts to Him.
00:39:14.45\00:39:18.32
So this story is much stronger
as a marriage invitation
00:39:18.55\00:39:22.79
is stronger than a
regular dinner invitation.
00:39:22.92\00:39:26.09
Christ is in the one place that
will give Him maximum access,
00:39:26.63\00:39:30.53
maximum exposure.
He's in the temple
00:39:30.67\00:39:33.40
at Passover time.
The whole world is there!
00:39:33.54\00:39:36.77
Number two: The first -
Luke 14- is just a banquet.
00:39:38.17\00:39:43.48
It is given by an ordinary
man, a wealthy man to be sure,
00:39:44.01\00:39:47.58
but it is a banquet
given by a plain citizen.
00:39:48.02\00:39:51.59
The parable in
Matthew chapter 22 is given
00:39:52.02\00:39:56.12
by a King in honor
of His Son's wedding.
00:39:56.29\00:40:00.23
Much more important.
00:40:01.50\00:40:03.30
You get an invitation from
C.A. and Irma Murray to go to
00:40:03.53\00:40:06.13
dinner and you get an
invitation from the White House
00:40:06.17\00:40:08.97
the White House is a little bit
stronger, wouldn't you think?
00:40:09.30\00:40:12.04
I know... the
politics notwithstanding.
00:40:12.37\00:40:16.64
The White House...
not a particular person.
00:40:17.08\00:40:19.55
So that's a little bit stronger.
And so a wedding invitation
00:40:24.05\00:40:26.99
is much stronger in
the Middle East than a mere
00:40:27.12\00:40:30.29
dinner invitation. A dinner
invitation you can kind of...
00:40:30.43\00:40:32.99
"Can't make it, " but
a wedding invitation...
00:40:33.23\00:40:35.90
and a wedding
invitation given by the King
00:40:36.03\00:40:39.30
in honor of His Son...
you've got to think before
00:40:39.43\00:40:42.37
you just rip that up
and throw it in the trash.
00:40:42.40\00:40:44.51
So Christ has upped the ante,
00:40:47.28\00:40:49.28
He's changed the goal,
00:40:49.31\00:40:52.85
He's changed the parts of a
parable because time is short.
00:40:52.98\00:40:56.48
And so the King?
Obviously, is Father, God.
00:40:56.72\00:40:59.85
His Son in whom the
invitation's name is given
00:41:00.09\00:41:03.96
is Jesus Christ. Three:
the occasion of a marriage
00:41:04.09\00:41:09.26
is a permanent
union of two entities.
00:41:09.40\00:41:12.37
Here's why you don't want
to parts parables too much.
00:41:12.80\00:41:15.04
Because the
invitees are you and I.
00:41:15.17\00:41:19.77
We're invited. But
in a secondary sense
00:41:20.01\00:41:24.18
we are also the bride.
00:41:24.51\00:41:27.22
Amen? The church is the bride.
00:41:27.45\00:41:29.48
And who is the church? We are
the church. You are the church.
00:41:29.62\00:41:33.29
So you've got a dual application
even within the parable.
00:41:33.96\00:41:37.86
We are invited but we are also
the one that Christ is marrying.
00:41:38.09\00:41:41.80
The Jewish nation
now is being invited
00:41:42.13\00:41:45.30
and Christ is hand-
delivering the invitation.
00:41:45.43\00:41:49.50
Do you follow me?
00:41:49.74\00:41:51.01
Number four: the first parable's
emphasis was on the flimsy
00:41:51.44\00:41:56.91
excuses. That's the one
given at the Pharisee's house.
00:41:56.95\00:42:00.08
You find that in Luke 14.
00:42:00.12\00:42:02.75
The emphasis was
on the flimsy excuses.
00:42:02.92\00:42:05.79
And I took a
little time to study this.
00:42:06.22\00:42:08.22
The first excuse was:
"I've bought some land
00:42:09.79\00:42:14.00
and I need to go see it. "
00:42:14.20\00:42:16.26
Excuse me?
00:42:17.63\00:42:19.97
Who buys land and
doesn't know what you're buying?
00:42:21.44\00:42:24.77
You could be
buying swamp or desert!
00:42:25.64\00:42:29.28
"I've bought some land; I
need to go check it out. "
00:42:29.71\00:42:33.18
Flimsy! The second
one: "I've bought some oxen
00:42:33.92\00:42:38.82
and I need to go test them. "
00:42:39.05\00:42:41.36
So you buy a car and you don't
even know if it has an engine?
00:42:44.39\00:42:48.90
And I really like the third one:
00:42:52.07\00:42:54.34
"I got married. "
00:42:55.64\00:42:58.04
Period.
00:42:58.27\00:43:00.64
There's no "and I
need to... " Read it.
00:43:01.78\00:43:06.25
"I got married...
00:43:06.58\00:43:08.28
you know what I need to do. "
00:43:08.52\00:43:11.99
So he doesn't even bother add-
ing anything to the statement.
00:43:16.69\00:43:20.40
"I got married... excuse me. "
00:43:20.43\00:43:24.30
But Ellen White says
they were all flimsy excuses.
00:43:27.54\00:43:30.97
They
disrespected the invitation,
00:43:31.21\00:43:34.84
and the dissonance I
say again is the difference.
00:43:40.75\00:43:42.82
The truth is brothers and
sisters... here is the truth...
00:43:43.25\00:43:45.79
Here is the truth
ladies and gentlemen:
00:43:45.92\00:43:48.29
we are too late in
earth's history for excuses.
00:43:48.42\00:43:51.23
It's too late for us. There
are no excuses you can give.
00:43:53.83\00:43:57.67
If you don't make it to heaven,
what excuse can you give?
00:43:58.87\00:44:01.57
"Well I went to church last
Sabbath and the pastor didn't
00:44:03.14\00:44:05.41
say hello to me
00:44:05.44\00:44:07.08
so I stayed home. "
00:44:13.65\00:44:15.72
"Well I went to church and
someone did say hello to me
00:44:16.25\00:44:19.45
but they didn't say it nicely
00:44:19.59\00:44:21.19
so I stayed... " Who are
you hurting when you stay home?
00:44:24.43\00:44:29.86
"Oh I can worship
the Lord in my house. "
00:44:32.53\00:44:34.84
Not with that
attitude you can't.
00:44:35.37\00:44:37.67
God's blessing is in the church.
00:44:43.35\00:44:46.35
And as great as it would
be to watch this on television
00:44:47.72\00:44:51.65
it's nothing like
being in the building. Amen!
00:44:51.79\00:44:55.19
Amen! That's why the
Bible says: "Forsake not
00:44:55.36\00:45:00.06
the assembling of yourselves
together, and so much more
00:45:00.20\00:45:05.00
as you see the
day approaching. "
00:45:05.13\00:45:08.84
We need each other. Amen!
00:45:09.17\00:45:11.71
I used to tell my churches
from the smallest to the biggest
00:45:11.74\00:45:16.18
"Like it or not, all
I've got is you... " -
00:45:16.51\00:45:21.08
um-hmm -
00:45:26.59\00:45:28.46
"and all you've got... " Amen!
00:45:28.69\00:45:34.73
And Christ designed it
that we need each other.
00:45:35.73\00:45:38.83
That's why I was so glad
to hear Elder Bradshaw say it,
00:45:40.10\00:45:44.04
Walter Pearson
say it, and Ty say it:
00:45:44.17\00:45:47.11
"We've got to love each...
" "You don't have no choice...
00:45:47.24\00:45:48.94
you have to love me. "
00:45:48.98\00:45:50.48
Have no choice.
00:45:53.48\00:45:55.12
Amen. Amen. Have to love me...
00:45:57.39\00:46:01.09
if you're going
to make it to heaven.
00:46:01.32\00:46:04.19
We are far beyond...
Forgive my pejorative English:
00:46:07.66\00:46:10.87
the one thing we
ain't got time for
00:46:11.20\00:46:15.17
is excuses... 'cause
there are no excuses.
00:46:15.70\00:46:19.94
Hebrews chapter 1...
Hebrews chapter 3 verse 2:
00:46:20.98\00:46:23.95
"How shall we escape if we
neglect so great salvation? "
00:46:25.45\00:46:30.55
I like this from the
New Living translation.
00:46:30.79\00:46:33.49
"What makes us
think... " um-hmm...
00:46:33.62\00:46:37.46
"What makes us think that we can
escape if we are indifferent -
00:46:37.89\00:46:41.36
make excuses - to this great
announcement of salvation? "
00:46:41.50\00:46:45.97
Romans chapter 13 verse
1- again, Living Bible -
00:46:47.30\00:46:50.61
"The coming of the
Lord is nearer than when we
00:46:50.84\00:46:54.28
first believed. "
00:46:54.31\00:46:56.71
So the first parable focused on
excuses, as poor as they were.
00:47:00.05\00:47:05.55
The burden of the second
parable - Matthew chapter 22-
00:47:05.89\00:47:09.89
is preparation.
00:47:09.92\00:47:12.93
And I've heard a
number of speakers speak about
00:47:13.16\00:47:15.60
preparation. This
parable also talks about
00:47:15.83\00:47:20.84
preparation or the lack thereof.
00:47:20.97\00:47:24.04
No excuses...
only time to get ready.
00:47:25.21\00:47:28.01
Matthew 24:44:
00:47:28.04\00:47:30.41
"Be ye also ready. "
00:47:30.55\00:47:34.58
The Bible... Let me show
you something very interesting.
00:47:37.52\00:47:39.62
These parables are
fascinating studies.
00:47:39.75\00:47:41.79
The Bible says if
you read the parable
00:47:41.82\00:47:43.83
that the master sent his servant
00:47:43.96\00:47:46.56
to call those who
were already invited.
00:47:46.70\00:47:49.36
That puzzled me. Call
those who were invited?
00:47:50.50\00:47:52.70
Invited... what do
you need to be called for?
00:47:52.93\00:47:54.64
You already got invited.
00:47:54.87\00:47:55.97
But I found out in the
Middle East - and this is why
00:47:56.27\00:47:58.67
taking trips to Israel is
so fulfilling because as you
00:47:58.71\00:48:01.51
talk to people you get a little
insight into the culture -
00:48:01.54\00:48:04.18
evidently in Jewish
times and even to today
00:48:04.41\00:48:07.95
when a very-high-class
wedding was to take place
00:48:09.08\00:48:12.95
an original
invitation was sent out,
00:48:13.09\00:48:15.92
the RSVP's were sent back,
00:48:16.16\00:48:18.83
and then a
secondary invitation went out
00:48:19.16\00:48:23.16
usually hand-delivered
or delivered by a messenger
00:48:23.30\00:48:27.27
himself. That's
part of a custom.
00:48:27.30\00:48:29.80
So when the Bible says he...
inviting those who are called
00:48:30.04\00:48:33.71
I looked up the word
called. The called really means
00:48:33.84\00:48:36.81
reminded. So
evidently the parable is saying
00:48:36.95\00:48:42.15
"You already
got your invitation;
00:48:42.18\00:48:44.75
you already RSVP'd,
00:48:44.89\00:48:48.09
this is simply a friendly re-
minder so you can be prepared. "
00:48:48.22\00:48:52.33
My doctor does
that all the time.
00:48:52.56\00:48:54.00
They'll call and they'll say:
"Tomorrow is your appointment.
00:48:54.30\00:48:56.73
You've made your
appointment, you've signed,
00:48:56.87\00:48:58.23
we're just reminding
you so you don't miss it. "
00:48:58.37\00:49:00.17
Well praise God
that in His mercy
00:49:00.50\00:49:03.41
God sent us a reminder,
and the reminder's name
00:49:03.54\00:49:07.24
was Jesus Christ. Amen!
00:49:07.38\00:49:09.54
The call to the Jewish
people was already made in the
00:49:09.98\00:49:12.65
Old Testament
through the prophets.
00:49:12.68\00:49:14.55
Hebrews 1:1 says
God was very kind
00:49:14.98\00:49:18.49
in the past and in
diverse manners spoke to us
00:49:18.62\00:49:21.36
through the prophets...
Now speaks to us through?
00:49:21.49\00:49:25.29
Jesus Christ. So Jesus
Christ is hand delivering
00:49:25.43\00:49:30.67
the reminder. He's saying:
"Don't forget you've got an
00:49:30.80\00:49:35.57
appointment with
destiny. " Amen? Amen!
00:49:35.60\00:49:38.61
And He's doing it in the
temple where He can get the most
00:49:38.64\00:49:41.31
traction where the
most people can hear Him.
00:49:41.34\00:49:43.98
The invitation is hand-delivered
by Jesus Christ Himself.
00:49:44.11\00:49:50.12
The first call delivered
in the Old Testament times
00:49:50.29\00:49:52.92
and now Christ delivering
this second call to the Jewish
00:49:53.05\00:49:57.69
people. Matthew chapter 24 says
00:49:57.73\00:50:01.40
Christ has since then
sent any number of reminders.
00:50:01.53\00:50:05.60
We've talked about them.
I heard Jim talk about them
00:50:05.93\00:50:08.47
and others talk about
them: earthquakes, wars,
00:50:08.70\00:50:11.01
rumors, famines, pestilences...
00:50:11.14\00:50:13.11
the preponderance of
murder in this world.
00:50:13.44\00:50:16.98
And I think that may be the
clearest statement that Christ
00:50:17.01\00:50:20.68
is coming soon: man
simply has no respect
00:50:20.82\00:50:26.79
for life. And it
starts off with a hellish
00:50:26.82\00:50:32.16
Darwinium dictum that
says "Daddy was a gorilla;
00:50:32.29\00:50:36.10
Momma was a chimpanzee; and
God is out of the picture. "
00:50:36.23\00:50:39.97
And now we're left with
murder and no respect for life.
00:50:41.17\00:50:45.27
Those are reminders,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:50:45.41\00:50:47.11
that Jesus is coming soon.
00:50:47.14\00:50:50.18
Then Christ sends us
the Holy Spirit: John 16:13.
00:50:50.85\00:50:54.78
He says: "When the Spirit comes
He's not going to talk about
00:50:54.92\00:50:56.62
Himself. It's not His job.
He's going to testify of Me. "
00:50:56.65\00:51:02.69
So Christ is reminding
us: "It's time to get ready...
00:51:05.93\00:51:08.23
time to get
ready... time to get ready.
00:51:08.36\00:51:10.23
No excuses. No time
to reject the offer of
00:51:10.37\00:51:14.40
salvation. " The
Jewish leaders did not want
00:51:14.74\00:51:18.64
Christ and they
persecuted everybody who did.
00:51:18.67\00:51:21.21
So this parable
has a secondary facet.
00:51:21.34\00:51:24.41
I've got to move
fast... the clock is my enemy
00:51:24.65\00:51:27.15
'cause I want to
close with a quick story.
00:51:27.18\00:51:28.82
The secondary facet of
this very wonderful parable
00:51:29.05\00:51:31.29
is a man who slips into
the wedding improperly attired.
00:51:31.32\00:51:36.69
Doesn't have the
wedding garment on.
00:51:38.83\00:51:40.50
And the Bible says
before the party actually begins
00:51:40.73\00:51:43.87
the King makes an inspection.
00:51:43.90\00:51:46.17
That inspection,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:51:46.30\00:51:47.87
is the Investigative Judgment.
00:51:47.90\00:51:49.57
That's why Jesus
says in Revelation 22:12
00:51:49.60\00:51:52.31
"Behold I am coming
quickly and My reward is... "
00:51:52.44\00:51:55.61
So Christ has already made up
who is going to get the goodies
00:51:55.84\00:51:58.88
when He comes.
00:51:59.21\00:52:01.62
The Bible says: "How'd you
get in here without the proper
00:52:02.75\00:52:05.99
attire? " That wedding garment
is obviously the righteousness
00:52:06.02\00:52:09.69
of Christ. Cannot be
bought; cannot be bartered;
00:52:10.03\00:52:14.63
cannot be
stolen; cannot be earned.
00:52:14.83\00:52:17.40
It is a gift.
00:52:17.73\00:52:20.47
And that is why... that is why
00:52:20.90\00:52:24.31
when the parable ends
00:52:24.44\00:52:28.31
the consequences are so stark.
00:52:28.44\00:52:31.38
If you look at
the first parable,
00:52:31.81\00:52:33.82
the guy is simply
sent away from the supper.
00:52:35.78\00:52:37.85
He goes to bed without any food.
00:52:38.29\00:52:39.95
But look at the conse-
quences of this new parable.
00:52:41.06\00:52:43.43
The Bible says, one,
the King sends an army
00:52:44.89\00:52:47.60
and destroys the people,
00:52:47.76\00:52:50.07
and this man is
cast into outer darkness.
00:52:50.30\00:52:53.60
You know what outer
darkness is a code word for?
00:52:53.84\00:52:56.64
Second death.
00:52:56.87\00:52:59.24
Second death.
00:53:00.61\00:53:01.74
Why such harsh punishment?
00:53:02.18\00:53:06.15
Because time is running short
00:53:06.31\00:53:08.45
and Christ is trying
to get them to understand
00:53:08.78\00:53:11.65
"You don't have time
to make up a decision.
00:53:12.59\00:53:14.86
You don't have time to play.
00:53:15.09\00:53:16.59
There's only time to
get right with Jesus. "
00:53:16.73\00:53:20.60
Powerful parables! And Christ
is upping the ante because He
00:53:21.30\00:53:25.00
knows... He knows in
less than sixty hours
00:53:25.03\00:53:29.10
He'll be hanging from a cross
00:53:29.14\00:53:30.64
and the same streets that
echoed with loud Hosannahs
00:53:30.87\00:53:35.98
to the King will
echo in just two days with
00:53:36.11\00:53:39.51
"Crucify Him! Let
Him be crucified. "
00:53:39.75\00:53:44.15
Brothers and sisters,
time is running out on us too.
00:53:46.15\00:53:50.63
We don't know how many days.
00:53:52.43\00:53:54.63
We don't know how many hours.
00:53:54.96\00:53:56.56
We don't know how many minutes.
00:53:57.00\00:53:58.63
All we know is that
Jesus is coming soon.
00:53:58.97\00:54:04.97
And so Christ says
we have got to be ready.
00:54:06.81\00:54:10.01
I'm going to
jump over something,
00:54:11.15\00:54:12.38
and I want to close with a story
that really touched my heart.
00:54:12.41\00:54:14.95
It is very, very true.
I've talked with the people
00:54:15.08\00:54:17.59
who are part of this story.
00:54:17.82\00:54:19.12
A mother and three sons
were members of the church.
00:54:20.99\00:54:24.33
And something happened
and it happened so long ago
00:54:25.36\00:54:28.40
that they don't really
remember what... what it was.
00:54:28.43\00:54:33.30
But the mother was so
upset she left the church
00:54:33.74\00:54:36.67
and took her
three boys with her.
00:54:36.71\00:54:38.07
And for years - decades -
they were out of the church.
00:54:39.17\00:54:43.65
And so much time had elapsed
00:54:43.88\00:54:45.91
that they couldn't remember
the original infraction.
00:54:45.95\00:54:48.72
All they remembered
is: "We're not members
00:54:48.85\00:54:50.72
of that church any more. "
00:54:50.75\00:54:52.72
And before the mother passed
00:54:54.32\00:54:57.89
she came to her senses
00:54:59.46\00:55:01.30
and re-joined the church.
00:55:02.46\00:55:06.77
But her legacy
was being played out
00:55:08.10\00:55:11.37
in the lives of those 3 boys
who had grown up without God.
00:55:11.51\00:55:15.68
And the two oldest sons
started families of their own
00:55:17.91\00:55:22.25
realized you know we don't even
remember what it was that pushed
00:55:22.38\00:55:26.99
us out of the
Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:55:27.12\00:55:28.99
"We ought to go
get right with God;
00:55:29.22\00:55:31.29
we ought to give our
hearts to the Lord. "
00:55:31.53\00:55:33.03
And since they lived fairly
near to each other, they began
00:55:33.26\00:55:36.30
to go to church together,
they began to study together,
00:55:36.33\00:55:38.60
they began to worship together.
And they joined the church
00:55:38.73\00:55:41.50
and were baptized on
the self-same Sabbath.
00:55:41.64\00:55:44.44
But there was that younger son
who had really taken it hard.
00:55:45.84\00:55:50.31
He was drinking and smoking
and living a horrible life.
00:55:50.48\00:55:53.01
And so they decided:
"Before it's too late, let's fly
00:55:53.25\00:55:56.79
to where he lives and try
to get this young boy... "
00:55:56.82\00:55:59.62
Young son... he was the young-
est son but he wasn't a boy,
00:55:59.75\00:56:01.82
he was a man...
"back into the church. "
00:56:01.86\00:56:04.33
And so they flew and they
decided to spend one weekend
00:56:04.46\00:56:06.09
with him. Got to the
house and the son said:
00:56:06.13\00:56:09.70
"Listen, I know why you're
here. I don't want to hear it.
00:56:09.83\00:56:11.90
I don't want to be part of it,
and if you're going to talk that
00:56:12.03\00:56:14.17
religion garbage you can just
turn around and get on a plane
00:56:14.20\00:56:16.34
and go back home. "
00:56:16.37\00:56:17.57
So they said: "No, we're
just coming. We haven't seen you
00:56:19.04\00:56:21.48
in a while. We're just
coming to try to be with you. "
00:56:21.51\00:56:24.28
So they waited one full
day before they even brought up
00:56:24.71\00:56:27.72
the name of Jesus. And as
the name of Jesus came out of
00:56:27.85\00:56:31.12
one of the boys' mouth
that youngest son began
00:56:31.15\00:56:33.29
to curse and swear and
scream "I don't want to hear it.
00:56:33.32\00:56:35.72
It's garbage.
I'm not part of that.
00:56:35.89\00:56:37.86
I don't want to hear it. " And
they waited another full day.
00:56:37.99\00:56:40.23
This time they took
him out to a restaurant.
00:56:40.56\00:56:43.20
They figured he wouldn't
curse and swear and scream
00:56:43.33\00:56:45.33
in a restaurant. Public place?
00:56:45.37\00:56:47.27
And so they said: "You know,
we've given our hearts to the
00:56:47.70\00:56:49.90
Lord. You oughta. "
And as they said Lord
00:56:49.94\00:56:52.37
in a public restaurant
cursing and screaming like
00:56:52.61\00:56:54.88
you never would believe.
00:56:54.91\00:56:56.28
"I don't want to hear it! "
00:56:58.45\00:56:59.88
When they got him
home that night they said:
00:57:01.38\00:57:02.78
"You know we're
leaving in the morning.
00:57:02.82\00:57:04.35
I don't know if
there's anything we can say. "
00:57:04.79\00:57:06.99
So they said: "You
know, Momma gave her heart
00:57:08.72\00:57:11.53
back to God before she died,
and we are back in the church.
00:57:11.56\00:57:17.17
When we get to
heaven Momma's going to see
00:57:18.50\00:57:22.74
us two and you know she's
going to ask for the baby boy.
00:57:22.87\00:57:26.47
What shall we tell Momma? "
00:57:26.61\00:57:27.84
And that broke his heart.
00:57:28.68\00:57:30.95