I would like to begin
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by reading our
scripture this morning
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John 17:3,
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the word of the
Lord reads as follows,
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"And this is eternal
life, that they may know You,
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the only true
God, and Jesus Christ
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whom You have sent."
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Let us pray.
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Loving Father in heaven,
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it is beautiful to know
that we can find eternal life
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in knowing the only true God
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and the Jesus
that You have sent.
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And so Lord today,
speak to our hearts
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as we approach
cautiously, humbly,
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but with great confidence,
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this table of
grace set before us.
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Gives us wisdom to know
You, to trust You, to love You,
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and hold on to the
promise that yes, a cure for sin
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has been found.
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And we pray and
thank You in Jesus' name.
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Amen. Amen.
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Thursday night I went
to bed reading my Bible
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in the Book of Joshua.
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Thursday morning I
woke up reading my Bible
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in the Book of Exodus.
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And for whatever reason
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the Lord brought
this thought to my mind
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in the statement
that Pharaoh made,
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"Who is the Lord, that
I should obey his voice,
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for I do not know the Lord."
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And that is where John 17:3
found its greatest foundation.
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I gave the sermon
information earlier in the week,
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but the Lord let
me down this path.
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The Pharaoh said,
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"Who is the Lord, that
I should obey his voice?
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I do not know the Lord."
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And what I came to discover
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is one of the reasons
why Pharaoh was locked
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into the worship
of Egyptians gods
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is it is
impossible to abandon your God
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until you know
the only true God.
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It's impossible.
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There will always
be some substitute
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for the true God.
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You'll always be connected
in some way to something
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that never
brings full fullness...
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fulfillment or satisfaction.
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You'll always have
something that is a substitute
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that never brings lasting joy.
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But I thought about that,
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how did God arrive
at the position of God?
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Who is God?
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You see the point
is, if God is God,
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then why waste time
looking for any other substitute
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when God is God.
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I mean think about it.
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If God can do what
God says He is capable of,
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and if God really is the Creator
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and the Redeemer and
the Sustainer of all life,
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who else do we
need other than God.
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I thought how did
God arrived at being God.
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And the Lord reminded
me the position of God
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was not devised by
intellectual consensus.
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No group got together
and decided to make God, God,
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God just is God.
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And so when I
think about the fact
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that God is just
God all by Himself
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that He wasn't voted as God,
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that He wasn't exalted as
God to the position of God.
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But this mystery of Godliness
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is something that I cannot wait
for eternity to find out about.
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This question
has, has sought answers
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in the minds of so many,
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how did God become God?
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He did not arrive at being
God by intellectual consensus,
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no group of humanity, no
group of any un-fallen world
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got together and said,
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"We need a God,
let's make God, God."
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God is God all by Himself.
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God was not even formed
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by the skillful stroke
of architectural ingenuity.
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God was not designed
in the mind of someone.
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Someone didn't sit down
one day and said we need a God.
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God was not
fashioned like the golden calf
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when Aaron led the
Israelites into rebellion
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in their journey.
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God was not formed
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by the devising of
somebody's intellect.
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God has no beginning and no end.
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God is just God all by Himself.
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And as I was writing this down,
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more thoughts began
to flood into my mind
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and I tapped Angie on
the shoulder and said,
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listen to this, I tried
to tell her the night before,
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but she was in La La Land.
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She's saying, hmm.
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I said, "Honey,
listen to the question
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that Pharaoh asked."
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"Okay, whatever."
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And she woke up in the
next morning, she said,
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"What were you trying
to tell me last night?"
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I said, "Honey,
let me tell you this,
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God is God all by Himself."
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God did not become God
by intellectual consensus,
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no architectural ingenuity.
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God has no
beginning and God has no end.
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And here's the
thing that really got me.
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Here's the thing
that really embraces me
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is that one day
we're going to see a God
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who has no
beginning and has no end
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in the means by which
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we will stand in the presence
of an everlasting infinite.
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Illimitable God is
through the door of salvation.
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One day, we're going to see God,
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come on somebody. Amen.
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We will see His face.
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We are not going
to see His shadow.
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We're not going to hear
His voice in the distance.
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Sinners like us
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will one day be able to see God.
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God did not become God
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through rigorous
campaign persuasion.
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God did not begin a campaign
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and persuaded
people to make Him God.
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He just is God.
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You can't vote Him
out or vote Him in.
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You can't take
His place as Lucifer,
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he tried.
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He said, "I will be
like the Most High."
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We're in this mess
because he'd made an attempt
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to try to do
something he couldn't do.
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God is God all by Himself.
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God was not
constructed on the assembly line
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of speculative conjecture.
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Nobody got together
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and decide to
draw God on blueprint.
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What else do we need
to add to this blueprint
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to come up with God?
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God is God all by himself.
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And you might say, "I got that."
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If you really get it,
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why do you worry
when the week comes?
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Why do you fret
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when it seems like your
prayers have been delayed?
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If you really believe
that God is God all by Himself.
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He doesn't need a
group of individuals
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to answer His
prayer, His knee mail.
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God doesn't need a committee
to answer His knee mail.
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You pray, God answers that.
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I got a call from a
lady, two weeks in a row,
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80 year old Filipino
lady from California.
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She said, "Pastor Lomacang."
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I said, "Yes."
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She says, "Has God
predestined certain people
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to answer their
prayers and others not to?"
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I said, "No, He hasn't."
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"Then pastor, why have I
been praying for 20 years
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and the Lord would
not answer my prayer?"
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I said, "What have
you been praying for?"
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She said, "Pastor my church...
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I'm messing the
accent up by the way.
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She said, "My church is
in desperate need of money
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for evangelism
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and I've been praying for
God to bless me financially.
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He just wouldn't."
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I said, "So,
what's the question?"
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"Well, how do I get
that prayer answered."
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I said, "You just pray it
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and let God decide
when and how to answer it."
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She said, "But it doesn't seem
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like He wants to
answer that question."
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So we spoke for 57 minutes.
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And she called
me again yesterday.
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As we ended the phone call,
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I said, "There must be something
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that you may be doing
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to block that prayer
from being answered."
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Well, I said,
"Let me pray for you."
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And I gave her
some scriptures it says,
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your phone call is timely,
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I just finished a
prayer seminar in Pennsylvania
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so it's in my mind,
your call is timely.
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And I share with her
some of the quotations
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from the Bible.
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And from Ellen White
about importunate prayer,
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importunate prayer.
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Importunate prayer is
the kind of prayer you pray
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almost to the
point of irritating God
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like the woman who
came to the unjust judge.
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And it said, "This woman,
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if she's going to
keep on wearying me
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so I'm going to
answer her prayer
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just so she could
stop bothering me."
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And she says, "Pastor, I've
heard about importunate prayer
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and I've been
bugging God for a long time
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and He still wouldn't answer."
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I said, "Well,
sister, is there something
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that you're doing
that's blocking God
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from answering your prayer?"
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She said, "I don't think so?"
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We prayed.
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And after the prayer she said,
"I have one more question."
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I said, "What is that?"
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She says, "Is it
okay to play the lottery?"
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I said, "So let me
ask you a question.
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Have you been
playing the lottery
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to help God answer the prayer?"
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"Pastor, yes."
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"That's why He
ain't answer to prayer."
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He wants to answer it.
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She said, "But didn't God say,
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'He would give the
wealth of the Gentiles
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to the people of Israel."'
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I said, "God
said, 'He will give.
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He didn't tell the
Israelites to gamble."
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I said, "Sister, stop gambling.
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God will answer that
prayer in His own time."
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Amen. Amen.
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So she called me
yesterday, Pastor.
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I said, "Hello is this sister?"
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She said, "Yes, your
sister from California,
00:10:52.38\00:10:55.98
your Pilipino sister."
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I said, "Okay.
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What's the question?"
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"Pastor, I'm still praying."
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I said, "But that was like
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wasn't even a week
ago, He hasn't answered?"
00:11:05.03\00:11:06.39
"No, he hasn't answered yet."
00:11:06.43\00:11:08.26
I said, "Let me tell you about
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what happens when
you irritate God."
00:11:10.47\00:11:13.37
She said, "What do you mean?"
00:11:13.40\00:11:14.74
I said, "I told you
about importunate prayer,
00:11:14.77\00:11:17.17
but I didn't tell you
about irritating God."
00:11:17.21\00:11:20.01
See the children of
Israel irritated God,
00:11:20.04\00:11:23.28
when they kept on
begging God for flesh
00:11:23.31\00:11:25.98
and God want to give them manna.
00:11:26.01\00:11:28.02
So God said, "Okay,
you keep irritating me,
00:11:28.05\00:11:29.95
I'm going to
give you what you want
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not what I want to give you."
00:11:31.69\00:11:34.06
She said, "Pastor, I
understand what happens
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when you irritate God."
00:11:35.92\00:11:37.26
I said, "Well,
tell me the story."
00:11:37.29\00:11:41.00
She said, "I prayed for 20 years
00:11:41.03\00:11:43.57
for God to send my
sister from the Philippines
00:11:43.60\00:11:46.17
to come to live with me.
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And he finally
answered the prayer.
00:11:48.14\00:11:51.37
And I cried for a whole year
00:11:51.41\00:11:53.21
that I wish that
prayer was never answered."
00:11:53.24\00:11:56.71
I said, "So you have
experience with irritating God."
00:11:56.75\00:11:59.78
She said, "Yes, I do."
00:11:59.81\00:12:01.55
I said, "Let me
ask you a question.
00:12:01.58\00:12:03.02
Do you believe that God is God?"
00:12:03.05\00:12:05.45
She said, "Pastor, yes.
00:12:05.49\00:12:07.42
I believe God is God.
00:12:07.46\00:12:08.79
I'm eighty and people
say, 'I don't look it,
00:12:08.82\00:12:10.83
but I have a
license to prove it."
00:12:10.86\00:12:14.03
Do you believe God is God? Yes.
00:12:14.06\00:12:16.03
So sis, let me say
that, pray, trust God
00:12:16.06\00:12:20.50
and walk away from that prayer
and don't even worry about it
00:12:20.54\00:12:23.34
and God will either
answer it in your lifetime
00:12:23.37\00:12:27.18
or in the
lifetime of someone else
00:12:27.21\00:12:29.64
and He will never
leave His work in lack.
00:12:29.68\00:12:34.35
He will finish His work
with or without your money.
00:12:34.38\00:12:37.59
Do you believe that sister?
00:12:37.62\00:12:38.95
"Yes, I believe that pastor,
that's good enough for me."
00:12:38.99\00:12:42.19
And we prayed again
and ended that phone call.
00:12:42.22\00:12:45.19
You see I share
that story with you
00:12:45.23\00:12:47.00
because so many of us in
the normal rounds of life,
00:12:47.03\00:12:50.60
we are falling in the
same category as Pharaoh,
00:12:50.63\00:12:53.23
"Who is the Lord, that
I should obey his voice,
00:12:53.27\00:12:55.14
I do not know about Lord."
00:12:55.17\00:12:58.41
The Pharaoh found out
00:12:58.44\00:12:59.77
in the hard way that God is God.
00:12:59.81\00:13:03.78
Nebuchadnezzar found out
00:13:03.81\00:13:05.15
in a difficult
way that God is God.
00:13:05.18\00:13:08.28
He put these
Hebrews in a fiery furnace
00:13:08.32\00:13:11.52
only to discover that only
God could bring us out of a fire
00:13:11.55\00:13:15.52
that would have
otherwise, consumed us.
00:13:15.56\00:13:19.46
He said when they
made it through the fire.
00:13:19.49\00:13:22.46
He said, "Servants
of the Most High God..."
00:13:25.67\00:13:29.37
We don't just serve
God but let me say today,
00:13:29.40\00:13:31.71
we serve the Most High God.
00:13:31.74\00:13:35.68
And sometimes the fiery furnace
00:13:35.71\00:13:37.41
is not an
instrument of disappointment,
00:13:37.45\00:13:40.12
sometimes it is an
opportunity for us to meet God
00:13:40.15\00:13:43.99
in the extenuating
circumstances of our lives.
00:13:44.02\00:13:47.26
When your life is in a furnace,
00:13:47.29\00:13:49.56
you know, I have to state
that thought came to my mind
00:13:49.59\00:13:51.63
and I was sitting on the
bed, saying amen by myself
00:13:51.66\00:13:55.23
until my wife caught on,
00:13:55.26\00:13:56.60
and we started
saying amen together.
00:13:56.63\00:13:58.43
She said, "What do
you say amen about?"
00:13:58.47\00:14:00.37
I said, "God just
showed me something."
00:14:00.40\00:14:02.70
The reason why God
didn't show up early
00:14:02.74\00:14:04.81
in the process to
deliver the Hebrews
00:14:04.84\00:14:07.21
is because the
furnace was not hot enough
00:14:07.24\00:14:08.94
for God to show up.
00:14:08.98\00:14:10.31
God does not hang
out in lukewarm places.
00:14:15.28\00:14:18.42
Amen.
00:14:18.45\00:14:19.82
So He had to have the furnace
heated seven times and hotter
00:14:19.85\00:14:23.96
so it could be comfortable
enough for God to show up.
00:14:23.99\00:14:28.03
Our God is a consuming fire.
00:14:28.06\00:14:30.57
It wasn't hot
enough for God to show up.
00:14:30.60\00:14:33.90
God does not show
up in lukewarm places.
00:14:33.94\00:14:37.61
And so they heated that
furnace seven times hotter
00:14:37.64\00:14:40.34
and what I came to discover is
00:14:40.38\00:14:43.98
sometimes God
commissions your situation
00:14:44.01\00:14:47.95
to heat up seven times hotter.
00:14:47.98\00:14:51.45
So that He can remind you
that those are the moments
00:14:51.49\00:14:54.69
that He will step into your life
00:14:54.72\00:14:56.46
and bring you through the fires
00:14:56.49\00:14:58.69
that otherwise
would have consumed you.
00:14:58.73\00:15:01.03
God shows His salvation
in moments when we believe
00:15:01.06\00:15:04.90
that we are at the point
of being about to be consumed,
00:15:04.93\00:15:07.94
God reminds us that
He is God all by Himself.
00:15:07.97\00:15:11.64
The fire of God's presence
00:15:15.78\00:15:19.18
will elude us until
we are uncomfortable
00:15:19.21\00:15:22.82
with our surroundings.
00:15:22.85\00:15:24.79
The Hebrews couldn't
find any place to kneel
00:15:24.82\00:15:27.12
on the plain of Dura,
00:15:27.16\00:15:28.49
they said, "There is
no place for us to kneel.
00:15:28.52\00:15:30.23
This is just not the
right place for us to kneel."
00:15:30.26\00:15:33.33
So they chose not to kneel.
00:15:33.36\00:15:37.00
They had to heat the
furnace seven times hotter
00:15:37.03\00:15:40.10
for the Hebrews to
find the place to find God.
00:15:40.14\00:15:42.84
And so this morning,
this morning, I want to say,
00:15:42.87\00:15:46.98
I want to answer the
question that Pharaoh asked,
00:15:47.01\00:15:49.34
"Who is the Lord that
I should obey His voice."
00:15:49.38\00:15:51.41
He is God all by Himself.
00:15:51.45\00:15:54.18
He can answer any prayer,
00:15:54.22\00:15:55.85
take us through any
difficult situation or scenario.
00:15:55.88\00:15:59.39
And I want to tell
you in my own experience,
00:15:59.42\00:16:01.92
in our own experience sometimes
we've got to be in the fire
00:16:01.96\00:16:06.70
before we meet God.
00:16:06.73\00:16:09.16
So your life may be in the
fire in some difficult way.
00:16:09.20\00:16:13.03
Your life may be
heating up two or three
00:16:13.07\00:16:16.04
or four times hotter
than you'd like it to be.
00:16:16.07\00:16:20.61
But I believe that God
commissioned Nebuchadnezzar
00:16:20.64\00:16:24.15
to set the fire
on the plain of Dura
00:16:24.18\00:16:27.82
to remind Nebuchadnezzar
as he later proclaimed,
00:16:27.85\00:16:31.95
"Blessed be the God of Shadrach,
00:16:31.99\00:16:34.09
Meshach, and Abednego.
00:16:34.12\00:16:35.46
There is no other God
that can deliver like this."
00:16:35.49\00:16:40.80
And then finally,
00:16:40.83\00:16:42.60
the Apostle Paul
had his opportunity
00:16:42.63\00:16:45.60
as he traveled
through, as he traveled
00:16:45.63\00:16:50.31
and he went from one
city of Athens to the other
00:16:50.34\00:16:53.38
and Paul as he was
traveling through Athens,
00:16:53.41\00:16:56.64
he came upon an
inscription and he said,
00:16:56.68\00:17:00.32
in Act 17:23, "As
I was passing through
00:17:00.35\00:17:05.55
and considering the
objects of your worship,
00:17:05.59\00:17:10.23
I even found an altar
with this inscription..."
00:17:10.26\00:17:13.23
What Paul brought out, he
said to the men of Athens,
00:17:13.26\00:17:16.40
he says, "I
perceive that in all things
00:17:16.43\00:17:19.43
you are very religious."
00:17:19.47\00:17:21.90
Hear me carefully.
00:17:21.94\00:17:23.61
"I perceive in all
things you are very religious."
00:17:23.64\00:17:27.81
You're specific
about your tithe,
00:17:27.84\00:17:29.78
about your diet,
00:17:29.81\00:17:31.15
about your
observance of the Sabbath,
00:17:31.18\00:17:32.75
when the sun goes
down, when it comes up,
00:17:32.78\00:17:34.92
I perceive you
are very religious.
00:17:34.95\00:17:37.72
But then he said in verse 23,
00:17:42.89\00:17:45.69
"I even found an
altar with this inscription
00:17:45.73\00:17:47.83
to the Unknown God..."
00:17:47.86\00:17:49.23
And he said, "Therefore,
the One whom you worship
00:17:49.26\00:17:51.87
without knowing,
00:17:51.90\00:17:54.44
I proclaim Him to you."
00:17:54.47\00:17:57.04
Today let me encourage you,
00:17:57.07\00:17:59.64
if you believe that
God is God all by Himself,
00:17:59.67\00:18:02.48
let us worship Him
not without knowing Him,
00:18:02.51\00:18:06.48
but let us worship
Him by knowing Him.
00:18:06.51\00:18:11.29
Because it's not
worship that saves us,
00:18:11.32\00:18:13.59
it is knowing God
00:18:13.62\00:18:15.49
that bridges the gap
between religion and salvation.
00:18:15.52\00:18:20.30
The Apostle Paul
said to the men of Athens,
00:18:20.33\00:18:22.73
"I perceive you
are very religious."
00:18:22.76\00:18:25.00
You don't have to look
far to find religious people,
00:18:25.03\00:18:28.74
but sometimes it's hard
to find those that know God.
00:18:28.77\00:18:33.51
So this morning
the communion service
00:18:33.54\00:18:35.58
is a reminder that we know God,
00:18:35.61\00:18:38.11
we are not, we
are not participating
00:18:38.15\00:18:40.58
in a communion service
because we don't know God,
00:18:40.62\00:18:43.28
we are participating
in this communion service
00:18:43.32\00:18:45.45
because it is a
commission of God to know God.
00:18:45.49\00:18:49.32
We have come here to know God,
00:18:49.36\00:18:51.69
not to find God.
00:18:51.73\00:18:53.29
And so this morning
in the communion service
00:18:53.33\00:18:56.83
there are some
very important elements
00:18:56.87\00:18:58.20
of the communion service
00:18:58.23\00:18:59.57
that I would
like to remind you of.
00:18:59.60\00:19:01.20
You see, communion reminds
us that where we are weak,
00:19:01.24\00:19:04.61
we can be made
strong through God.
00:19:04.64\00:19:07.98
Where we are discouraged,
we can be made glad.
00:19:08.01\00:19:10.38
Where we are
defeated, we can find victory.
00:19:10.41\00:19:13.52
And he made it very clear
00:19:13.55\00:19:15.42
that this
victory that we can find
00:19:15.45\00:19:17.95
and be reminded of
through the communion service
00:19:17.99\00:19:20.12
is the victory that's only found
00:19:20.16\00:19:22.56
in knowing God
00:19:22.59\00:19:24.59
and knowing
Christ Jesus His Son.
00:19:24.63\00:19:30.23
So I don't want
religion anymore.
00:19:30.27\00:19:32.93
I want to know, I want to know,
00:19:32.97\00:19:37.21
I want to know God.
00:19:37.24\00:19:39.81
I want this communion
service to be my reintroduction
00:19:39.84\00:19:43.88
to the power in the broken body
00:19:43.91\00:19:47.12
and shed blood of Jesus.
00:19:47.15\00:19:50.39
And what many of you don't
know is that following something
00:19:50.42\00:19:53.96
as sacred as a
communion service,
00:19:53.99\00:19:55.49
you lay down your
sin, you leave them,
00:19:55.52\00:19:57.66
they are washed away
by the blood of the Lamb.
00:19:57.69\00:20:00.43
And you remember
00:20:00.46\00:20:02.23
that God
demonstrated His love toward us
00:20:02.26\00:20:04.93
in that while
we were yet sinners
00:20:04.97\00:20:07.00
Christ died for us,
00:20:07.04\00:20:10.37
sent His Son to die for us.
00:20:10.41\00:20:12.61
Following a communion service,
00:20:12.64\00:20:14.48
I never forgot I was
sitting in the balcony there
00:20:14.51\00:20:17.05
at Oakwood College,
00:20:17.08\00:20:18.41
when I was a student at Oakwood
and I could hear Elder Ward,
00:20:18.45\00:20:22.35
the pastor of
the Oakwood Church,
00:20:22.38\00:20:23.72
it was such a solemn service.
00:20:23.75\00:20:26.99
And he said, as we
were leaving he said,
00:20:27.02\00:20:29.62
"Do you know that after
the community service today,
00:20:29.66\00:20:32.23
do you know that
00:20:32.26\00:20:33.60
if you are on
your way home today
00:20:33.63\00:20:34.96
and your life was
taken inadvertently
00:20:35.00\00:20:39.00
that you would be saved
in God's Kingdom eternally
00:20:39.03\00:20:42.30
because this communion service,
00:20:42.34\00:20:44.51
when you have placed your heart
in right relationship with God,
00:20:44.54\00:20:50.08
and you have placed
your sin on the altar
00:20:50.11\00:20:51.81
where Jesus promises
through His broken body
00:20:51.85\00:20:54.78
and His shed
blood to cleanse you..."
00:20:54.82\00:20:58.45
He said, "You walk
out of this church today
00:20:58.49\00:21:00.09
as if you have not even sinned."
00:21:00.12\00:21:02.12
And so remind yourself today
00:21:05.43\00:21:08.16
that the communion service
is not just an opportunity
00:21:08.20\00:21:13.54
to get to know God
00:21:13.57\00:21:14.90
but the communion service
is an opportunity to remind us,
00:21:14.94\00:21:18.97
that there is nobody like God.
00:21:19.01\00:21:22.84
This quotation in the
book, Steps to Christ,
00:21:22.88\00:21:26.72
page 62, listen,
00:21:26.75\00:21:29.38
"When we give
ourselves to Christ,
00:21:29.42\00:21:32.89
He forgives all
of our past wrongs.
00:21:32.92\00:21:38.39
Christ's character stands
in place of your character.
00:21:38.43\00:21:43.13
And you are accepted before God
00:21:43.16\00:21:46.63
just as if you had not sinned."
00:21:46.67\00:21:52.57
I am so glad that God
is God all by Himself,
00:21:52.61\00:21:54.98
come on somebody.
00:21:55.01\00:21:57.45
God did not need a
committee to make Him God,
00:21:57.48\00:22:00.28
God does not need a committee
to make us children of God.
00:22:00.32\00:22:04.42
When He forgives us,
00:22:04.45\00:22:05.82
He accepts us
into His fellowship
00:22:05.85\00:22:10.79
as though we have
never even sinned.
00:22:10.83\00:22:14.46
When it is in the
heart to obey God,
00:22:18.93\00:22:22.04
when efforts are
put forth to this end
00:22:22.07\00:22:26.47
because some of you
struggle and say, "Well, how...
00:22:26.51\00:22:28.71
What else do I need to do?
00:22:28.74\00:22:30.75
What else do I need to do
00:22:30.78\00:22:32.11
to make myself
acceptable before God?"
00:22:32.15\00:22:34.25
Listen carefully,
00:22:34.28\00:22:35.68
Selected
Messages book I, page 382,
00:22:35.72\00:22:38.72
I mean, book I, page 382, yes.
00:22:38.75\00:22:41.56
"When it is in the
heart to obey God..."
00:22:41.59\00:22:44.86
To do what?
00:22:44.89\00:22:46.56
Obey God, "When efforts
are put forth to this end,
00:22:46.59\00:22:50.57
that is to all obey God,
00:22:50.60\00:22:52.80
Jesus accepts this disposition
00:22:52.83\00:22:56.81
and efforts of man best service,
00:22:56.84\00:23:01.38
and He makes up
for the deficiency
00:23:01.41\00:23:05.68
with His own divine merit."
00:23:05.71\00:23:09.22
So when you fall
short and you call on Jesus,
00:23:09.25\00:23:12.79
you really don't fall
short, you can't call on Jesus
00:23:12.82\00:23:15.76
and fall short.
00:23:15.79\00:23:17.13
Come on somebody.
00:23:17.16\00:23:18.76
So today what is salvation?
00:23:18.79\00:23:21.16
Salvation is the opportunity
00:23:21.20\00:23:22.56
to put ourselves right with God.
00:23:22.60\00:23:24.73
And the communion
service is the opportunity
00:23:24.77\00:23:27.87
where we come to put
ourselves at oneness with God.
00:23:27.90\00:23:32.54
Just before the
communion service,
00:23:32.57\00:23:33.98
and let me
encourage you on this point,
00:23:34.01\00:23:35.74
we have a foot washing service.
00:23:35.78\00:23:37.68
What is the
foot washing service?
00:23:37.71\00:23:39.95
In John 13, if
you have your Bibles,
00:23:39.98\00:23:41.62
turn there very quickly with me,
00:23:41.65\00:23:42.98
I want you to see this.
00:23:43.02\00:23:45.45
I want you to see this.
00:23:45.49\00:23:48.12
Why do we participate in
the foot washing service?
00:23:48.16\00:23:53.16
It is called, the
ordinance of humility.
00:23:53.19\00:23:56.93
Why do we need to be humble?
00:23:56.97\00:23:58.83
Oh, why do we need to be humble?
00:23:58.87\00:24:02.04
That's a rhetorical question.
00:24:02.07\00:24:03.41
We all need to be humble.
00:24:03.44\00:24:06.44
John 13
beginning with verse 4 down
00:24:06.47\00:24:12.11
and follow me.
00:24:12.15\00:24:15.75
Speaking of the fact
that, "He rose from supper
00:24:15.78\00:24:18.45
and laid aside His garment,
00:24:18.49\00:24:21.29
took a towel
and girded Himself."
00:24:21.32\00:24:24.43
When you go to the
foot washing service,
00:24:24.46\00:24:26.43
you notice we have a towel.
00:24:26.46\00:24:31.47
After that verse 5,
00:24:31.50\00:24:33.77
"He poured
water into a basin..."
00:24:33.80\00:24:36.77
We have basins,
we pour water into.
00:24:36.81\00:24:39.41
"And began to wash
the disciples' feet,
00:24:39.44\00:24:43.81
and to wipe them with a towel
00:24:43.85\00:24:46.51
with which He was girded."
00:24:46.55\00:24:48.25
He began to wipe their feet.
00:24:48.28\00:24:50.69
"Then He came to Simon Peter.
00:24:50.72\00:24:53.79
And Peter said to Him,
00:24:53.82\00:24:55.16
"Lord, are You washing my feet?"
00:24:55.19\00:24:58.76
Jesus answered and said to him,
00:24:58.79\00:25:00.40
"What I am doing you
do not understand now,
00:25:00.43\00:25:03.60
but you will under,
you will know after this."
00:25:03.63\00:25:07.17
And Peter said to him,
"You shall never wash my feet!"
00:25:07.20\00:25:12.64
And Jesus answered him...
00:25:12.67\00:25:14.38
"If I do not wash you,
you have no part with Me."
00:25:17.38\00:25:22.75
Simon Peter said to
Him, "Lord, not my feet only,
00:25:22.78\00:25:27.76
as only Peter would
say, "but also my hands
00:25:27.79\00:25:33.36
and my head!"
00:25:33.40\00:25:37.13
Jesus said to
him, "He who is bathed
00:25:37.17\00:25:40.80
needs only to wash his feet,
00:25:40.84\00:25:43.67
but is completely
clean, and you are clean,
00:25:43.71\00:25:47.94
but not all of you."
00:25:47.98\00:25:50.25
Now when He said,
00:25:50.28\00:25:51.61
"You are clean,
but not all of you."
00:25:51.65\00:25:53.55
He wasn't saying
there were portions of Peter
00:25:53.58\00:25:55.72
that's not clean.
00:25:55.75\00:25:57.09
He was saying, "You are clean
but not all of you are clean."
00:25:57.12\00:26:01.72
He knew in that
room there was a man
00:26:01.76\00:26:03.26
that was waiting to betray Him."
00:26:03.29\00:26:05.33
So you're clean
but not all of you.
00:26:05.36\00:26:08.30
He was talking about the
consensus of the disciples,
00:26:08.33\00:26:10.40
not every one of you is right.
00:26:10.43\00:26:14.24
Verse 11, "For He
knew who would betray Him,
00:26:14.27\00:26:17.21
therefore He said,
"You are not all clean."
00:26:17.24\00:26:21.24
So when He had
washed their feet,
00:26:21.28\00:26:23.58
taken His
garments, and sat down again,
00:26:23.61\00:26:26.21
He said to them, "Do
you know what I have done,
00:26:26.25\00:26:30.79
do you know what
I have done to you?
00:26:30.82\00:26:33.99
You call Me Teacher and Lord,
and you say well, for so I am."
00:26:34.02\00:26:38.69
One of the very few times
00:26:38.73\00:26:40.06
that Jesus
admitted His divinity,
00:26:40.10\00:26:44.07
and here is the commission,
00:26:44.10\00:26:46.03
"If I then, your Lord
00:26:46.07\00:26:47.40
and Teacher,
have washed your feet,
00:26:47.44\00:26:50.11
you also ought to
wash one another's feet.
00:26:50.14\00:26:53.98
For I have given you an example,
00:26:54.01\00:26:56.75
that you should do
as I have done to you.
00:26:56.78\00:27:01.62
Most assuredly, I
say, verse 16, to you,
00:27:01.65\00:27:05.15
a servant is not
greater than his master,
00:27:05.19\00:27:08.92
nor is he who is sent
greater than he who sent him."
00:27:08.96\00:27:15.36
In verse 17, let's read
this together, are you ready?
00:27:15.40\00:27:17.90
Here we go, "If you
know these things..."
00:27:17.93\00:27:20.10
What else?
00:27:20.14\00:27:21.50
"Blessed are
you if you do them."
00:27:21.54\00:27:25.07
Another translation,
"Happy are you if you do them."
00:27:25.11\00:27:30.08
After the participation
in the foot washing service,
00:27:30.11\00:27:32.98
we invite
everyone to participate,
00:27:33.01\00:27:34.75
but here's the point.
00:27:34.78\00:27:36.12
When we come back,
00:27:36.15\00:27:37.49
we partake of the Lord's Supper.
00:27:37.52\00:27:39.65
There is unfermented grape juice
00:27:39.69\00:27:42.36
referred to in
the Bible as wine,
00:27:42.39\00:27:44.29
symbolizing the
shed blood of Jesus.
00:27:44.33\00:27:47.30
You can't put alcohol and wine
00:27:47.33\00:27:49.13
and express that it
is connected with Christ.
00:27:49.16\00:27:53.20
Then there is
the unleavened bread,
00:27:53.23\00:27:56.40
the absence of
yeast, the absence of sin.
00:27:56.44\00:27:59.87
When applied to
our walk with Christ
00:27:59.91\00:28:02.24
partaking of His righteousness,
00:28:02.28\00:28:04.01
His broken body
and His shed blood,
00:28:04.05\00:28:08.55
we are accepted
before the Father,
00:28:08.58\00:28:12.42
like as if we
had not even sinned.
00:28:12.45\00:28:16.16
I want to tell you today,
I need that, what about you?
00:28:16.19\00:28:19.03
Let us pray.
00:28:19.06\00:28:20.40
Father in heaven,
00:28:20.43\00:28:21.90
take us now Lord
to a humble place,
00:28:21.93\00:28:26.63
that we may serve each
other with humble hearts,
00:28:26.67\00:28:30.44
that we won't focus on our sin.
00:28:30.47\00:28:32.74
This is not the purpose
of the communion service
00:28:32.77\00:28:35.68
is not to recall our failures,
00:28:35.71\00:28:38.31
but to remember our Redeemer.
00:28:38.35\00:28:41.78
This is not the time to
lament of how much we've lost,
00:28:41.82\00:28:46.05
but this is an opportunity
00:28:46.09\00:28:48.12
to remember how
much we can gain.
00:28:48.16\00:28:51.46
This is not an
opportunity to pick up our sins
00:28:51.49\00:28:53.80
and carry them.
00:28:53.83\00:28:56.26
But this is an
occasion to lay our sins down
00:28:56.30\00:28:59.03
at the feet of Jesus.
00:28:59.07\00:29:01.10
So, Lord Jesus, thank You,
00:29:01.14\00:29:03.97
that as You said in Your Word,
00:29:04.01\00:29:05.34
"As often as you eat this bread
00:29:05.37\00:29:06.71
and drink this cup,
00:29:06.74\00:29:08.08
you proclaim the Lord's death
00:29:08.11\00:29:11.48
until He comes."
00:29:11.51\00:29:13.15
Come even, even
so come Lord Jesus,
00:29:13.18\00:29:16.25
we long for the
day that we can be free
00:29:16.28\00:29:19.22
from the power and
the presence of sin.
00:29:19.25\00:29:21.62
We long for an environment
where we can look in Your face
00:29:21.66\00:29:27.40
and thank You
with our whole hearts.
00:29:27.43\00:29:30.03
So, Father,
humble Your people today.
00:29:30.07\00:29:32.57
May there not be an individual
in here that thinks himself
00:29:32.60\00:29:35.20
or herself unworthy,
00:29:35.24\00:29:37.51
for none of us is worthy.
00:29:37.54\00:29:41.14
We don't partake of
communion because we are worthy
00:29:41.18\00:29:43.18
or because we are good,
00:29:43.21\00:29:45.28
but we partake of communion
because we all need a savior.
00:29:45.31\00:29:51.82
And you've invited us to come.
00:29:51.85\00:29:54.56
Come unto me all you
are weary and heavy laden
00:29:54.59\00:29:58.59
and I will give rest.
00:29:58.63\00:30:00.53
So we invite every one
of you today to participate
00:30:00.56\00:30:04.53
and to come to
oneness with your Lord
00:30:04.57\00:30:07.24
so that when He comes,
you can meet Him in peace.
00:30:07.27\00:30:11.54
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:30:11.57\00:30:14.84
As the music is played softly,
00:30:26.02\00:30:29.29
the elders and
deacons are going to kneel
00:30:29.32\00:30:32.19
to bless the
ordinances of the Lord.
00:30:32.23\00:30:35.10
If you like to
join us in kneeling,
00:30:35.13\00:30:36.46
I invite you to,
00:30:36.50\00:30:37.83
but if you'd like
to bow your heads,
00:30:37.87\00:30:39.87
let's go before
the Lord in prayer.
00:30:39.90\00:30:41.37
Let us kneel.
00:30:41.40\00:30:42.74
Our dear heavenly Father,
00:30:49.21\00:30:52.45
we humbly come before You
00:30:52.48\00:30:55.08
as we're on bended knees
00:30:55.12\00:30:56.45
at this holy communion service.
00:30:56.48\00:30:59.75
We thank You, Lord, for
sending Your Son Jesus Christ
00:30:59.79\00:31:03.26
to walk among us on earth.
00:31:03.29\00:31:06.53
To show us the
love and the mercy
00:31:06.56\00:31:08.40
and the healing and the
power of Your mighty grace.
00:31:08.43\00:31:14.24
And as Jesus took His
disciples at the upper room
00:31:14.27\00:31:17.51
so many years ago,
00:31:17.54\00:31:19.61
humbling Himself
towards their feet
00:31:19.64\00:31:22.34
and then breaking the bread.
00:31:22.38\00:31:24.98
We ask that You
will bless this bread,
00:31:25.01\00:31:28.38
this unleavened bread,
a symbol of Your sinless
00:31:28.42\00:31:30.79
and unbroken and broken body
00:31:30.82\00:31:34.09
that we will take it
in remembrance of you,
00:31:34.12\00:31:37.93
of your, the
pain and the suffering
00:31:37.96\00:31:40.00
that You went
through on this earth
00:31:40.03\00:31:41.86
to give us the opportunity
to have eternal life.
00:31:41.90\00:31:47.10
We pray that we will
take and be the servants
00:31:47.14\00:31:49.54
that you desire us
to be humbly following
00:31:49.57\00:31:51.84
and to do Your will
00:31:51.87\00:31:54.71
and be with us through
this entire communion service.
00:31:54.74\00:31:58.71
Amen.
00:31:58.75\00:32:00.08
Father in heaven,
00:32:03.99\00:32:06.05
as we gather here
today in Your house,
00:32:06.09\00:32:09.29
fellowshipping with
You, bringing You the praise
00:32:09.32\00:32:11.59
and the glory that You deserve.
00:32:11.63\00:32:14.70
We realize that You did lay
down Your life for a friend,
00:32:14.73\00:32:18.23
all of us, each and every one.
00:32:18.27\00:32:21.64
You gave all You
had to give the blood,
00:32:21.67\00:32:25.41
Your blood, Your
love in that blood.
00:32:25.44\00:32:31.08
And it's true Lord,
00:32:31.11\00:32:33.78
there's power in that blood.
00:32:33.82\00:32:38.89
You came forth from that grave.
00:32:38.92\00:32:41.92
And the enemy knew he was beat.
00:32:41.96\00:32:45.29
You own life,
You're the giver of life,
00:32:45.33\00:32:47.50
the lover of life,
the restorer of life,
00:32:47.53\00:32:51.03
You are life.
00:32:51.07\00:32:52.40
And You've given it to us.
00:32:52.43\00:32:56.37
We need to contemplate
Lord, how we got here,
00:32:56.40\00:32:59.14
where we came from,
why we are conscious.
00:32:59.17\00:33:02.38
Thank You for this gift.
00:33:02.41\00:33:05.15
Now help us, Lord,
through Your blood to realize.
00:33:05.18\00:33:09.08
You're only asking
us to enjoy life more
00:33:09.12\00:33:12.12
by keeping Your
commandments if we love You.
00:33:12.15\00:33:15.66
So help us now,
Lord, to love You back.
00:33:15.69\00:33:20.70
And we thank You
for the opportunity,
00:33:20.73\00:33:22.90
in Jesus' name
we thank you, amen.
00:33:22.93\00:33:25.63
Amen.
00:33:25.67\00:33:27.00
Let us sing, break
thou the bread of life.
00:35:08.47\00:35:11.71
Break Thou the bread of life
00:35:18.38\00:35:25.79
Dear Lord, to me
00:35:25.82\00:35:32.29
As Thou didst break the loaves
00:35:32.33\00:35:38.50
Beside the sea
00:35:38.53\00:35:46.07
Beyond the sacred page
00:35:46.11\00:35:53.11
I seek Thee, Lord
00:35:53.15\00:35:59.92
My spirit pants for Thee
00:35:59.95\00:36:06.93
O Living Word!
00:36:06.96\00:36:13.44
Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord
00:36:16.27\00:36:23.21
To me, to me
00:36:23.24\00:36:29.78
As Thou didst bless the bread
00:36:29.82\00:36:36.06
By Galilee
00:36:36.09\00:36:43.80
Then shall all bondage cease
00:36:43.83\00:36:50.87
All fetters fall
00:36:50.91\00:36:58.21
And I shall find my peace
00:36:58.25\00:37:05.69
Thine all in all
00:37:05.72\00:37:12.33
Thou art the bread of Life
00:37:14.83\00:37:21.77
O Lord, to me
00:37:21.80\00:37:28.31
Thy holy Word the truth
00:37:28.34\00:37:34.22
That saveth me
00:37:34.25\00:37:42.06
Give me to eat and live
00:37:42.09\00:37:48.76
With Thee above
00:37:48.80\00:37:56.20
Teach me to love Thy truth
00:37:56.24\00:38:03.75
For Thou art love
00:38:03.78\00:38:10.75
Spirit and life are they
00:38:14.09\00:38:20.83
Words Thou dost speak
00:38:20.86\00:38:27.77
I hasten to obey
00:38:27.80\00:38:34.41
But I am weak
00:38:34.44\00:38:41.95
Thou art my only help
00:38:41.98\00:38:49.06
Thou art my life
00:38:49.09\00:38:57.03
Heeding Thy holy Word
00:38:57.07\00:39:05.04
I win the strife.
00:39:05.07\00:39:12.45
"Therefore, just
as through one man
00:40:38.33\00:40:43.57
sin entered the world...
00:40:43.61\00:40:44.97
and death through sin.
00:40:48.48\00:40:51.81
And thus death spread to all men
00:40:51.85\00:40:56.48
because all sinned."
00:40:56.52\00:41:01.09
It was the day that
heaven wished never came,
00:41:01.12\00:41:07.86
the opening of the door to sin.
00:41:07.90\00:41:10.07
I believe that when we
get an opportunity to ask Adam
00:41:14.74\00:41:17.41
about what it was like...
00:41:17.44\00:41:18.87
he'd be able to say,
"I wish I never did it."
00:41:22.44\00:41:26.11
That's one decision I
wish I could take back.
00:41:26.15\00:41:30.32
That has been our lives.
00:41:30.35\00:41:32.65
The one decision
00:41:32.69\00:41:34.59
that we've all
made because of Adam
00:41:34.62\00:41:38.99
that we wish,
we could take back.
00:41:39.03\00:41:45.60
But Jesus knowing...
00:41:45.63\00:41:47.14
that we couldn't take it back,
00:41:50.51\00:41:54.31
He had a plan.
00:41:54.34\00:41:55.88
He's so sovereign, He
had this plan in place
00:41:59.75\00:42:03.32
before Adam had
the thought in place.
00:42:03.35\00:42:07.52
He had the plan in place
00:42:07.56\00:42:09.76
before he thought was even a
spark in the mind of Lucifer.
00:42:09.79\00:42:15.36
Before he even thought
he could take the place
00:42:15.40\00:42:17.37
of the Most High God
00:42:17.40\00:42:20.00
God had a plan.
00:42:20.04\00:42:23.61
And the Apostle Paul,
00:42:23.64\00:42:27.41
after finding a new walk,
a new journey, a new spark,
00:42:27.44\00:42:31.98
a new power beyond
his own ability to do,
00:42:32.01\00:42:38.52
Paul had an encounter
00:42:38.55\00:42:43.32
with a God who had a plan.
00:42:43.36\00:42:47.76
That was a very sad
verse I just read because,
00:42:47.80\00:42:50.77
"All have sinned,
death spread to all man,
00:42:50.80\00:42:55.60
just as through one man
00:42:55.64\00:43:00.04
sin entered the world."
00:43:00.08\00:43:01.84
But the Bible didn't end there.
00:43:12.25\00:43:14.02
"For until the law..."
00:43:18.26\00:43:19.59
the Bible says,
"Sin was in the world,
00:43:19.63\00:43:22.30
but sin is not imputed
where there is no law."
00:43:22.33\00:43:26.84
Nevertheless death
reigned from Adam to Moses,
00:43:26.87\00:43:31.27
couldn't find a person, Joe,
00:43:31.31\00:43:34.04
between Adam and Moses
to resolve the issue of sin,
00:43:34.08\00:43:38.15
couldn't find a
person, death reigned.
00:43:38.18\00:43:41.92
The word there
reigned meant unchecked
00:43:41.95\00:43:44.85
like a steamroller,
00:43:44.89\00:43:46.52
death leveled every family
00:43:46.55\00:43:51.53
that was ever born
of the seed of Adam.
00:43:51.56\00:43:53.66
That's every one of us.
00:43:53.70\00:43:55.26
Death reigned
from Adam to Moses.
00:43:55.30\00:43:59.73
Even over those
who had not sinned
00:43:59.77\00:44:05.07
according to the likeness
of the transgression of Adam,
00:44:05.11\00:44:08.78
meaning those
who didn't even do it
00:44:08.81\00:44:10.41
Adam did still died
00:44:10.45\00:44:15.38
because as in Adam all die.
00:44:15.42\00:44:17.42
Romans 5:15.
00:44:24.79\00:44:27.30
"But the free gift
is not like the offense.
00:44:34.04\00:44:38.14
For if by one
man's offense many died,
00:44:38.17\00:44:44.68
much more the grace of God
00:44:44.71\00:44:47.95
and the gift by the grace of God
00:44:47.98\00:44:52.22
of the one man, Jesus
Christ, abounded to many."
00:44:52.25\00:44:57.53
Let me pause and say,
00:44:57.56\00:45:00.83
Adam affected everybody.
00:45:00.86\00:45:04.00
But Jesus much
more affected everybody.
00:45:04.03\00:45:07.54
Amen.
00:45:07.57\00:45:08.90
See, Adam, you
couldn't find anybody
00:45:08.94\00:45:10.51
from Adam to Moses to
resolve this issue of sin.
00:45:10.54\00:45:12.74
And every day, a
lamb, an innocent lamb
00:45:12.77\00:45:16.34
had his throat
cut, his blood shed,
00:45:16.38\00:45:19.15
his body burned.
00:45:19.18\00:45:21.58
And that father, that
high priest of the family,
00:45:21.62\00:45:23.92
that patriarch would go home,
00:45:23.95\00:45:25.55
spent to look at his
family once again bound in sin.
00:45:25.59\00:45:31.23
He'd wake up in the
morning and his children again,
00:45:31.26\00:45:34.66
he'd go to the market
buy another lamb or a dove,
00:45:34.70\00:45:38.93
or whatever he could afford
00:45:38.97\00:45:40.34
and he'd go to the
temple mindful of the fact
00:45:40.37\00:45:43.24
that somebody
needs to find an answer,
00:45:43.27\00:45:47.61
so I could stop
killing these innocent animals,
00:45:47.64\00:45:50.91
but he couldn't find one.
00:45:50.95\00:45:54.68
And Moses showed up.
00:45:54.72\00:45:57.82
God, God picked Moses,
00:46:01.16\00:46:04.16
saved him from the water,
00:46:04.19\00:46:06.66
gave him an Egyptian education.
00:46:06.70\00:46:11.60
Then He banished him
to the life of a shepherd
00:46:11.63\00:46:14.14
to understand what
it means to lead people.
00:46:14.17\00:46:17.57
And He brought him
back with a mission.
00:46:17.61\00:46:19.97
And you think after 80
years Moses got it together.
00:46:20.01\00:46:23.91
You think after 80
years Moses got it together.
00:46:23.95\00:46:28.38
Moses shows up in Egypt.
00:46:28.42\00:46:31.42
And after 80
years he still stumbles
00:46:31.45\00:46:34.39
because of what Adam did
00:46:34.42\00:46:35.86
and he takes the
life of an Egyptian.
00:46:35.89\00:46:39.63
And the lamb was there again
00:46:44.83\00:46:47.67
to take away the
transgression of Moses.
00:46:47.70\00:46:51.81
Then he takes the
children of Israel,
00:46:51.84\00:46:53.51
by God's strength and grace,
00:46:53.54\00:46:55.11
they are finally
set free from Egypt.
00:46:55.14\00:46:59.75
And Moses in his anxiety
00:46:59.78\00:47:03.75
is told by God
just talk to the rock.
00:47:03.79\00:47:08.92
And he beats the rock.
00:47:08.96\00:47:12.13
You'd think by now he got it.
00:47:12.16\00:47:14.06
Once again,
00:47:20.64\00:47:22.87
the lamb's blood is shed
00:47:22.90\00:47:25.17
and the
transgression is forgiven.
00:47:25.21\00:47:27.24
Moses takes the
children of Israel
00:47:30.81\00:47:34.88
and they are approaching
the mountain of Sinai.
00:47:34.92\00:47:39.12
And a week
before they get there,
00:47:39.15\00:47:40.69
they can't even
keep the Sabbath holy.
00:47:40.72\00:47:43.09
Once again
00:47:47.46\00:47:50.27
the lamb's blood is shed
00:47:50.30\00:47:54.67
and the sin is forgiven.
00:47:54.70\00:47:56.20
You see sin is a
horrible thing but...
00:48:00.98\00:48:02.91
the Word of the Lord says,
00:48:05.95\00:48:07.68
Adam's offense was horrible
00:48:07.72\00:48:09.72
and so was Moses and everyone
00:48:09.75\00:48:11.62
that came before and after
him and us and every one of us.
00:48:11.65\00:48:18.06
But if Adam's sin could affect
so many in such a negative way,
00:48:18.09\00:48:21.30
the blood of Jesus
could affect every one of us,
00:48:21.33\00:48:25.43
much more than the sin of
Adam affected every one of us.
00:48:25.47\00:48:29.77
See, I'm a sinner,
00:48:29.80\00:48:31.14
I don't pretend
to even be anything
00:48:31.17\00:48:32.81
but that, but
I'm by God's grace...
00:48:32.84\00:48:36.95
saved by the blood of the Lamb.
00:48:42.62\00:48:44.52
Paul continues to
increase this thing.
00:48:50.99\00:48:55.26
He says, "The
gift is not like that
00:48:55.30\00:48:56.97
which came through
the one who sinned.
00:48:57.00\00:49:00.34
The gift is not like that
00:49:04.84\00:49:07.68
which came through
the one who sinned."
00:49:07.71\00:49:11.91
What does he mean?
00:49:11.95\00:49:13.28
He said, "This gift
that came from Jesus
00:49:16.52\00:49:18.89
is not on the same level as
the sin that came from Adam,
00:49:18.92\00:49:22.42
or the gift that came from Jesus
00:49:22.46\00:49:24.63
is far greater than the
sin there came from Adam."
00:49:24.66\00:49:29.06
In other words, Paul
says, don't make the mistake
00:49:29.10\00:49:31.30
of comparing Adam's sin
to the righteousness of Jesus
00:49:31.33\00:49:35.20
or the righteousness of Jesus
00:49:35.24\00:49:38.04
is far greater
than the sin of Adam.
00:49:38.07\00:49:40.34
Amen.
00:49:40.38\00:49:44.68
"For the judgment
which came from one offence
00:49:44.71\00:49:47.72
resulted in condemnation,
00:49:47.75\00:49:49.55
but the free gift
which came from many offenses
00:49:49.58\00:49:55.49
resulted in justification."
00:49:55.52\00:49:58.53
Now, let get this.
00:49:58.56\00:50:00.16
It took one sin for
everybody to be condemned,
00:50:00.20\00:50:03.67
but all the
combination of everybody's sin
00:50:03.70\00:50:07.64
could not delineate nor weaken
00:50:07.67\00:50:11.57
the gift of the life of Jesus.
00:50:11.61\00:50:14.08
Amen.
00:50:14.11\00:50:15.44
See the writer is
saying, one offense made it bad,
00:50:15.48\00:50:20.42
but the millions of offenses
could never ever, ever weaken
00:50:20.45\00:50:25.69
the sacrifice of one man.
00:50:25.72\00:50:28.59
Praise Jesus.
00:50:28.62\00:50:29.96
I'm so glad to know today
00:50:29.99\00:50:31.49
that as we partake of the emblem
00:50:31.53\00:50:33.26
of the reminder of God's
broken body and shed blood,
00:50:33.29\00:50:36.00
I'm so excited today to know
00:50:36.03\00:50:39.13
that all the
combined sins of the world
00:50:39.17\00:50:41.97
are not strong enough
00:50:42.00\00:50:44.54
to weaken the power
00:50:44.57\00:50:46.74
of the
redemption found in Jesus.
00:50:46.78\00:50:49.24
Amen.
00:50:49.28\00:50:50.61
"For if by one man's offense
death reigned through one,
00:50:54.08\00:50:58.55
much more, much more
00:50:58.59\00:51:01.89
those who receive
abundance of grace.
00:51:01.92\00:51:05.16
And of the gift of righteousness
00:51:05.19\00:51:08.56
will reign in
life through the one
00:51:08.60\00:51:14.40
Jesus Christ."
00:51:14.44\00:51:15.84
Amen. Praise Jesus.
00:51:15.87\00:51:17.74
So today we're not here to
00:51:17.77\00:51:19.47
recommend another
fundamental to you.
00:51:19.51\00:51:23.08
We're here to recommend Jesus.
00:51:23.11\00:51:24.71
Amen.
00:51:24.75\00:51:27.88
The broken body,
00:51:27.92\00:51:30.42
the broken body,
the Apostle Paul,
00:51:30.45\00:51:36.99
reminds us of the sufficiency
00:51:37.03\00:51:40.90
and the beauty of
the broken body of Jesus
00:51:40.93\00:51:43.26
and he says in 1
Corinthians 11:23-24,
00:51:43.30\00:51:49.47
he says, "For I
receive from the Lord,
00:51:49.50\00:51:53.11
that which I also
delivered to you."
00:51:53.14\00:51:56.34
That the Lord Jesus
speaking of this gift
00:51:56.38\00:51:59.41
on the same night in which
He was betrayed He took bread.
00:51:59.45\00:52:04.59
And when He had given
thanks, He broke it and He said,
00:52:04.62\00:52:07.12
"Take eat, this is my
body which is broken for you.
00:52:07.16\00:52:11.83
Do this in remembrance of me."
00:52:11.86\00:52:15.83
As we partake of this bread,
00:52:15.86\00:52:18.43
remember the gift
that is still able today
00:52:18.47\00:52:23.44
to forgive every transgression,
00:52:23.47\00:52:25.97
every sin of every
one who has ever lived.
00:52:26.01\00:52:31.61
Let us partake of
this bread together.
00:52:31.65\00:52:33.85
There was something else
that was added to the equation,
00:52:42.09\00:52:46.03
it was not just the
broken body of Jesus.
00:52:46.06\00:52:47.80
For many,
00:52:47.83\00:52:49.16
a crucifixion broke
the body of the crucified.
00:52:49.20\00:52:56.71
Many a men were
crucified before Jesus,
00:52:56.74\00:53:01.11
but not one of them
was crucified without sin.
00:53:01.14\00:53:08.28
It just seemed to have been
the theme of the last two weeks
00:53:08.32\00:53:10.82
in every study that
I've done at the school,
00:53:10.85\00:53:14.72
for the young
people in the academy,
00:53:14.76\00:53:17.23
Wednesday night prayer
meeting, one to one Bible study,
00:53:17.26\00:53:21.06
it just seem as though
God has poured into my mind
00:53:21.10\00:53:24.33
this whole week
00:53:24.37\00:53:26.10
and then some just
to study of what sin is.
00:53:26.13\00:53:32.24
You see sin is what
Jesus came to save us from,
00:53:32.27\00:53:36.11
"He shall save His
people from their sin,
00:53:36.14\00:53:40.85
from their sins."
00:53:40.88\00:53:43.15
The things we've done.
00:53:43.18\00:53:45.12
But if all Jesus
came to do is save us
00:53:45.15\00:53:46.76
from the things we've done,
00:53:46.79\00:53:48.12
then we could just
need saving every day
00:53:48.16\00:53:50.16
from the things
we continue to do,
00:53:50.19\00:53:52.49
but he didn't
come just to do that.
00:53:52.53\00:53:55.13
He came to take away
the sin of the world.
00:53:55.16\00:53:57.70
Amen.
00:53:57.73\00:53:59.60
The enslaving,
00:53:59.63\00:54:02.10
empowering daily combat
00:54:02.14\00:54:07.68
with the power of sin
00:54:07.71\00:54:10.08
Jesus came to
deliver us from that,
00:54:10.11\00:54:14.72
not just what we've done,
00:54:14.75\00:54:17.49
but from the daily power of sin.
00:54:17.52\00:54:20.92
So as we partake of the blood,
00:54:20.96\00:54:22.76
the symbol of
the blood of Jesus,
00:54:22.79\00:54:24.39
remember this, we don't leave,
00:54:24.43\00:54:26.33
we don't leave here today
with a pocket full of memories
00:54:26.36\00:54:30.13
of what we have done,
He's come to take that away,
00:54:30.17\00:54:32.07
amen somebody.
00:54:32.10\00:54:33.44
Amen.
00:54:33.47\00:54:34.80
But I will leave
here with the thought of,
00:54:34.84\00:54:36.17
oh, if I could only
have done things differently
00:54:36.20\00:54:38.27
as far as the
East is from the West,
00:54:38.31\00:54:40.91
so far has He removed
our transgressions from us.
00:54:40.94\00:54:45.71
Amen.
00:54:45.75\00:54:47.08
If we confess our
sins, He is faithful
00:54:47.12\00:54:48.48
and just to
forgive us of our sins
00:54:48.52\00:54:51.12
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
00:54:51.15\00:54:54.42
Let us partake of
the wine together.
00:54:54.46\00:54:57.39
Our heavenly Father,
00:55:09.50\00:55:12.97
our precious Lord.
00:55:13.01\00:55:14.41
Father, we can still
see sand in front of us.
00:55:18.65\00:55:21.58
We are still in the wilderness.
00:55:21.62\00:55:26.76
But our ear of faith
can hear the construction
00:55:26.79\00:55:30.19
that is still taking
place in Your eternal kingdom.
00:55:30.23\00:55:33.36
We can see the
angels busying themselves
00:55:36.46\00:55:39.07
to prepare for
us a place to dwell
00:55:39.10\00:55:42.17
in the presence
of our loving God.
00:55:42.20\00:55:44.21
We can see sins
being thrown to the West
00:55:47.74\00:55:52.21
and sinners being
pulled to the East today.
00:55:52.25\00:55:58.65
We can see the
administrators in Your kingdom
00:55:58.69\00:56:01.09
stamping over
every transgression
00:56:01.12\00:56:03.39
forgiven, forgiven,
blotted out, forgiven.
00:56:03.43\00:56:09.70
And, Father, we can hear
today, if it were such the case,
00:56:09.73\00:56:14.27
if such were the case
00:56:14.30\00:56:15.64
we can hear the
sewing machines of heaven
00:56:15.67\00:56:18.34
pulling our garments together
for that great celebration.
00:56:18.37\00:56:24.45
Father, help us to be
just as filled with joy
00:56:24.48\00:56:28.42
about the coming of our Lord
00:56:28.45\00:56:30.25
as He is filled with joy
to come to get His children.
00:56:30.29\00:56:37.09
But, Father, today
we are not all free.
00:56:37.13\00:56:41.66
Ye there are many who still
are bound in sin and shame,
00:56:41.70\00:56:45.40
and degradation, and
heartache, and darkness.
00:56:45.43\00:56:48.34
But, Father,
You've chosen us to go
00:56:48.37\00:56:50.21
and proclaim the praises of Him
00:56:50.24\00:56:53.21
who called us out of darkness
into this marvelous light.
00:56:53.24\00:56:59.88
And, Father, today,
00:56:59.91\00:57:01.72
we thank You so much
for this marvelous light.
00:57:01.75\00:57:07.16
We don't want to
leave here, Lord,
00:57:12.46\00:57:13.86
and go back to the thought.
00:57:13.90\00:57:17.23
We want to leave here
and walk with the Lord.
00:57:17.27\00:57:21.30
Strengthen Your
people here in Thompsonville,
00:57:21.34\00:57:24.01
Your leaders, Your
church, the members,
00:57:24.04\00:57:27.41
every one of us
as Your children.
00:57:27.44\00:57:29.28
Father, come,
speak to our hearts
00:57:29.31\00:57:31.28
and take us to a place
that we need to find strength,
00:57:31.31\00:57:35.05
and security, and acceptance,
and love, and forgiveness,
00:57:35.08\00:57:40.12
and the power not only to
do what you've gifted us to do
00:57:40.16\00:57:43.76
but the power to live
above the call of sin.
00:57:43.79\00:57:47.86
For the enemy is still
roaring and he's still roaming,
00:57:47.90\00:57:52.67
and he's still angry,
00:57:52.70\00:57:54.14
and he has not yet
been eternally handcuffed.
00:57:54.17\00:57:56.30
And so, Father, give us wisdom
00:57:56.34\00:57:57.91
to hear the
voice of God every day,
00:57:57.94\00:58:00.88
to die to that call
00:58:00.91\00:58:03.95
that's so desirous to
pull us back into darkness.
00:58:03.98\00:58:08.02
And so, Lord
Jesus, we come today
00:58:08.05\00:58:10.19
to praise You and to thank You,
00:58:10.22\00:58:12.15
to give You the
honor, the glory, the praise
00:58:12.19\00:58:13.92
that You alone are worthy of,
00:58:13.96\00:58:16.73
for none of us can
free ourselves from sin.
00:58:16.76\00:58:20.93
So hear our prayer
00:58:20.96\00:58:22.70
as we thank You
for Your forgiveness.
00:58:22.73\00:58:26.43
And we thank You in
Jesus' holy and precious name.
00:58:26.47\00:58:31.71
And all of God's
people said, amen.
00:58:31.74\00:58:36.24
And amen.
00:58:36.28\00:58:37.75