WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Good Friday – The Cross Publishing Date: 2021-04-02T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/good-friday-the-cross/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:14.180 What we're going to talk about today is the cross. 00:00:14.180 --> 00:00:17.460 The cross at once reveals God's holiness. 00:00:17.460 --> 00:00:23.660 It's, it's, it's, I'm not talking about the symbol, I'm talking about what the event 00:00:23.660 --> 00:00:27.300 that happened. 00:00:27.300 --> 00:00:31.160 It's a world-changing event. 00:00:31.160 --> 00:00:37.940 It is the only world-changing event that had resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. 00:00:37.940 --> 00:00:40.340 Those are the three world-changing events. 00:00:40.340 --> 00:00:49.000 And so the cross reveals on one hand God's holiness, God's righteousness or justice, 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:56.340 God's power, God's glory, God's purpose and his love. 00:00:56.340 --> 00:01:07.100 The cross reveals God's holiness, God's righteousness or justice. 00:01:07.100 --> 00:01:11.840 Both come from the same word SEDEC. 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:21.260 God's power, God's purpose, God's love. 00:01:21.260 --> 00:01:23.860 They're all revealed at the cross, eh? 00:01:23.860 --> 00:01:30.340 They're all revealed at the cross and his glory. 00:01:30.340 --> 00:01:36.020 So we're just going to look at the cross and just talk about that. 00:01:36.020 --> 00:01:46.420 And as we do, you have to think and receive. 00:01:46.660 --> 00:01:54.780 You have to think and desire. 00:01:54.780 --> 00:02:02.540 And you have to think and proclaim. 00:02:02.540 --> 00:02:07.660 You have to think and receive for yourself. 00:02:07.660 --> 00:02:12.340 You have to think and desire for yourself, for others. 00:02:12.340 --> 00:02:16.740 And you have to think and proclaim also for others. 00:02:16.740 --> 00:02:19.940 So as we talk about the cross and the different aspects of the cross, 00:02:19.940 --> 00:02:24.180 I must think and receive for myself what the cross means 00:02:24.180 --> 00:02:29.060 so that I get to partake of the full benefits of the cross. 00:02:29.060 --> 00:02:32.260 I need to think and desire it for others. 00:02:32.260 --> 00:02:37.580 And after desiring it for others, I need to think and proclaim it to others. 00:02:37.580 --> 00:02:41.220 And so I've got an acronym or whatever you call it 00:02:41.220 --> 00:02:44.540 that we are going to use to talk about the cross 00:02:44.540 --> 00:02:49.660 that it is the word back up. 00:02:49.660 --> 00:02:54.260 So that's what we'll use as an acronym to go over 00:02:54.260 --> 00:02:58.420 six different aspects of the cross. 00:02:58.420 --> 00:03:00.420 Yeah? 00:03:00.420 --> 00:03:17.540 So the first thing guys is that the cross necessitated a body. 00:03:17.540 --> 00:03:24.300 The cross necessitated or as soon as God decided that there would be a cross, 00:03:24.300 --> 00:03:28.580 there needed to be a body. 00:03:28.580 --> 00:03:33.460 So if you read Hebrews 10 verse 5 to 9, 00:03:33.460 --> 00:03:39.460 Hebrews 10, 5 to 9. 00:03:39.460 --> 00:03:45.300 Hebrews 10, 5 to 9. 00:03:45.300 --> 00:03:47.140 Reading from the Aniwi. 00:03:47.140 --> 00:03:51.220 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said, 00:03:51.220 --> 00:03:54.420 Sacrifice an offering you did not desire, 00:03:54.420 --> 00:03:56.900 but a body you prepared for Me. 00:03:56.940 --> 00:04:00.340 With burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 00:04:00.340 --> 00:04:03.940 Then I said, Here I am, it is written about Me in the scroll. 00:04:03.940 --> 00:04:06.580 I have come to do your will, my God. 00:04:06.580 --> 00:04:11.060 First He said, sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings, 00:04:11.060 --> 00:04:13.580 you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them, 00:04:13.580 --> 00:04:15.900 though they were offered in accordance to the law. 00:04:15.900 --> 00:04:19.940 Then He said, Here I am, I have come to do your will. 00:04:19.940 --> 00:04:22.980 He sets aside the first to establish the second. 00:04:22.980 --> 00:04:25.300 And by that will we have been made holy 00:04:25.300 --> 00:04:28.700 through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. 00:04:28.700 --> 00:04:32.980 So the first thing the cross necessitated was a finite body. 00:04:32.980 --> 00:04:36.660 And why did you need a finite body? 00:04:36.660 --> 00:04:40.500 Because you needed a back to be scourged or whipped. 00:04:44.260 --> 00:04:51.940 Our healing required that Christ have a finite body. 00:04:51.980 --> 00:04:58.540 There needed to be a back that could be whipped or striped or scourged. 00:04:58.540 --> 00:05:06.900 There needed to be a brow and a skull on which a crown or thorns could be felt, 00:05:06.900 --> 00:05:08.380 nerves that could feel. 00:05:08.380 --> 00:05:11.020 It had to be a very human physical body. 00:05:11.020 --> 00:05:14.660 It had to have nerve endings that could feel. 00:05:14.660 --> 00:05:20.620 It needed to have blood vessels that could rupture and bleed. 00:05:20.660 --> 00:05:24.860 It needed a face that could be spat on, a beard that could be plucked out. 00:05:28.780 --> 00:05:34.140 And so the cross necessitated a finite body. 00:05:34.140 --> 00:05:41.980 Because the sins of every offspring of Adam had to be borne by one solitary, innocent man. 00:05:41.980 --> 00:05:47.140 This is why the whole idea of breaking bread takes on such potence. 00:05:47.180 --> 00:05:52.980 We say his body was broken for us, but we don't realize that he needed a very finite body 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:58.580 to be able to partake, for us to be able to partake in what we partake in. 00:06:04.660 --> 00:06:11.060 The second thing that was required, the second thing that the cross offers to us is atonement. 00:06:11.060 --> 00:06:16.180 But before I go to atonement, I just want to return to this idea of a body. 00:06:16.180 --> 00:06:21.780 Guys, we must believe that we are healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ. 00:06:21.780 --> 00:06:28.980 He offers himself to God saying, sacrifices and burnt offerings you did not require, 00:06:28.980 --> 00:06:31.220 but you prepared a body for me. 00:06:31.220 --> 00:06:35.300 A body was prepared so that it could be whipped, so that I could be healed. 00:06:35.540 --> 00:06:39.380 A body was prepared so that it could be whipped, so that I could be healed. 00:06:48.420 --> 00:06:50.020 There's no question about this. 00:06:52.980 --> 00:06:58.340 A brow and a skull was prepared with nerve endings so that thorns could pierce, 00:06:58.340 --> 00:07:01.060 so that my mind could be healed and have peace. 00:07:01.060 --> 00:07:08.100 A face was prepared that could be fisted, mocked, spat on, plucked, disfigured, 00:07:08.100 --> 00:07:20.580 so that I may have my face put back together, my dignity put back together. 00:07:20.580 --> 00:07:28.020 I can go bit by bit, the hands, the feet, the bruising that he took, 00:07:28.260 --> 00:07:30.420 the bruising that he took. 00:07:32.260 --> 00:07:34.420 These things are sure things is what I'm trying to say. 00:07:34.420 --> 00:07:35.620 Healing is a sure thing. 00:07:38.020 --> 00:07:38.420 Why? 00:07:38.420 --> 00:07:39.540 Not because I say it. 00:07:40.740 --> 00:07:46.020 Because Jesus had a body prepared for him to be whipped so that we may be healed. 00:07:53.220 --> 00:07:57.860 So I will press in to experience it in every area of my life, 00:07:57.860 --> 00:07:59.540 at every age in my life. 00:08:03.620 --> 00:08:09.860 Despite what I may be going through, I'll press in to experience it because he is true. 00:08:09.860 --> 00:08:13.380 The second one is atonement. 00:08:13.380 --> 00:08:20.580 God atone, Christ is our atonement, not our appeasement. 00:08:24.420 --> 00:08:28.500 I'm not sure everybody will agree with me on this, but I'm sure you will. 00:08:28.500 --> 00:08:29.700 I'm sure you will. 00:08:29.700 --> 00:08:31.140 I'm sure you will. 00:08:31.140 --> 00:08:32.180 I'm sure you will. 00:08:32.180 --> 00:08:33.380 I'm sure you will. 00:08:33.380 --> 00:08:34.660 I'm sure you will. 00:08:34.900 --> 00:08:37.300 I'm not sure everybody will agree with me on that. 00:08:37.300 --> 00:08:43.140 I found it difficult to think that way initially, and I still sometimes struggle when I see 00:08:43.140 --> 00:08:44.260 some scriptures. 00:08:44.260 --> 00:08:54.100 But we have a tendency, I mean, if you go to Romans 325, Romans 325, 00:08:57.620 --> 00:09:01.540 it says that God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement. 00:09:02.180 --> 00:09:05.620 Through the shedding of blood to be received by faith. 00:09:06.500 --> 00:09:12.180 He did this to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance he had left the 00:09:12.180 --> 00:09:14.820 sins committed before unpunished. 00:09:15.620 --> 00:09:20.580 He did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time so as to be just and to 00:09:20.580 --> 00:09:23.140 be the one who justifies those that have faith in Jesus. 00:09:23.300 --> 00:09:26.020 And to be the one who justifies those that have faith in Jesus. 00:09:26.900 --> 00:09:31.140 So the cross is justice. 00:09:31.140 --> 00:09:33.060 The cross is not appeasement. 00:09:33.060 --> 00:09:39.780 Appeasement is when someone is so angry that you have to give them something to appease 00:09:39.780 --> 00:09:40.280 them. 00:09:41.860 --> 00:09:44.500 Christianity is not an appeasement religion. 00:09:45.220 --> 00:09:46.500 Most other religions are. 00:09:47.620 --> 00:09:49.060 You have fears, gods. 00:09:49.940 --> 00:09:55.220 And so you have to appease these gods by offering them things. 00:09:55.940 --> 00:10:03.700 You have to offer them sometimes offerings of fruit and vegetables, sometimes blood offerings, 00:10:05.380 --> 00:10:06.660 penance, sufferings. 00:10:07.220 --> 00:10:10.820 You have to offer them things so that they may be appeased. 00:10:10.820 --> 00:10:13.140 Christianity is not a religion of appeasement. 00:10:13.860 --> 00:10:22.500 But we often approach God thinking that he needs to be appeased, that he's angry. 00:10:22.500 --> 00:10:26.180 And sometimes we even think of Jesus as an appeasement. 00:10:27.220 --> 00:10:35.380 I would suggest to you that Jesus is someone who bore just punishment but it was not I 00:10:35.380 --> 00:10:42.660 need someone to put my anger on so let's just get Jesus and just pour out and vent my anger on him. 00:10:42.660 --> 00:10:45.300 So now that my anger is satisfied let's move on. 00:10:45.300 --> 00:10:45.860 No, no, no, no. 00:10:46.420 --> 00:10:48.420 That I don't think is the way we need to think though. 00:10:48.420 --> 00:10:51.620 That is the way we may have learned Jesus. 00:10:55.060 --> 00:10:57.380 I remember Eric talking about this some years ago. 00:10:58.180 --> 00:11:01.620 There are two scenes in the Bible where you see 00:11:01.780 --> 00:11:11.780 Jacob in Genesis 32 fearing Esau, he decides to appease Esau. 00:11:11.780 --> 00:11:18.580 So what he does is he sends cattle and he sends gifts ahead of him because he's scared of how Esau is going to react. 00:11:20.180 --> 00:11:25.780 And he knows what he's done to Esau in the past and now he's scared that when he meets Esau, 00:11:25.780 --> 00:11:28.020 he's still going to finish him and his family. 00:11:28.020 --> 00:11:31.220 And even though he sends all these gifts ahead of him, it's fascinating what happens. 00:11:31.220 --> 00:11:38.100 Esau sees him, he runs to Jacob, embraces him, kisses him seven times. 00:11:38.100 --> 00:11:41.780 Jacob bows before him seven times. 00:11:41.780 --> 00:11:43.780 Esau embraces him and kisses him. 00:11:43.780 --> 00:11:49.780 And you fast forward to the New Testament and again you have a very similar scene in the prodigal son 00:11:49.780 --> 00:11:53.780 who is preparing his speech saying I just want to be a servant of Jesus. 00:11:54.180 --> 00:12:00.180 And you see again the same thing that Esau and Jacob, the same scene with Esau and Jacob, 00:12:00.180 --> 00:12:06.180 you see in Luke 15 verse 20 where now it's a father who comes running out and he embraces his son 00:12:06.180 --> 00:12:08.180 and he begins to kiss him. 00:12:11.060 --> 00:12:19.060 Both Jacob and the prodigal were heading back hoping to appease the one they had wronged. 00:12:19.540 --> 00:12:23.540 They thought maybe the gifts and the offerings will calm the anger down. 00:12:23.540 --> 00:12:29.540 This is how we often approach God and I want to say that the cross is atonement, not appeasement. 00:12:29.540 --> 00:12:33.540 The cross is atonement, not appeasement. 00:12:33.540 --> 00:12:35.540 Appeasement is human. 00:12:35.540 --> 00:12:37.540 Appeasement is religious. 00:12:39.540 --> 00:12:41.540 Appeasement is human. 00:12:41.540 --> 00:12:43.540 Appeasement is religious. 00:12:44.020 --> 00:12:46.020 Not divine. 00:12:46.020 --> 00:12:48.020 The cross is justice, not appeasement. 00:12:48.020 --> 00:12:54.020 You know in Leviticus 16 you see the story of two goats that would be brought on the day of 00:12:54.020 --> 00:12:56.020 atonement before the high priest. 00:12:56.020 --> 00:13:02.020 The high priest would pick lots and one goat would be dedicated to the Lord and the other goat would 00:13:02.020 --> 00:13:04.020 be called the Azazel. 00:13:04.020 --> 00:13:08.020 And the cross would be brought on the day of atonement before the high priest. 00:13:08.500 --> 00:13:12.500 The other goat would be dedicated to the Lord and the other goat would be called the Azazel. 00:13:12.500 --> 00:13:20.500 And the goat that was dedicated to the Lord would be slain because they knew that there was no 00:13:20.500 --> 00:13:22.500 remission of sin without blood. 00:13:22.500 --> 00:13:26.500 So it would be slain and the blood would then pay for the sin. 00:13:26.500 --> 00:13:34.500 The other goat called the Azazel would have the high priest lay his hands on the goat and commit 00:13:34.980 --> 00:13:36.980 the sin. 00:13:36.980 --> 00:13:40.980 And the high priest would put on the goat all the wickedness and all the treason and all the 00:13:40.980 --> 00:13:44.980 rebellion that Israel had committed with their God would be put on the goat and the goat would 00:13:44.980 --> 00:13:48.980 be taken out into the wilderness and they would throw it over a cliff so that it would be killed. 00:13:48.980 --> 00:13:50.980 It was a sending away of sin and Satan. 00:13:54.980 --> 00:14:00.980 And so when it comes to atonement what we need to realize is that the cross deals with the sinner. 00:14:01.460 --> 00:14:05.460 The blood deals with the sinner. 00:14:09.460 --> 00:14:11.460 The blood deals with the sin. 00:14:17.460 --> 00:14:19.460 One removes sin. 00:14:19.460 --> 00:14:21.460 The other removes the sinner. 00:14:21.460 --> 00:14:27.460 I would say to you, and I'm not very sure of this so hold it loosely, I would say to you that 00:14:27.940 --> 00:14:31.940 Jesus' blood has paid the price for every sin in the world. 00:14:31.940 --> 00:14:37.940 But it is when a sinner turns to Christ that the sinner is also taken care of. 00:14:37.940 --> 00:14:39.940 The sin takes care. 00:14:39.940 --> 00:14:41.940 Every sin in the world is paid for. 00:14:41.940 --> 00:14:45.940 But the cross deals with the sinner. 00:14:45.940 --> 00:14:47.940 The cross deals with the sinner. 00:14:47.940 --> 00:14:49.940 The cross puts to death the sinner too. 00:14:49.940 --> 00:14:55.940 Just like the goat would be taken and driven into the wilderness, sin and Satan would be dispelled 00:14:56.420 --> 00:14:58.420 never to come back. 00:14:58.420 --> 00:15:00.420 And the blood would pay for the sin. 00:15:02.420 --> 00:15:04.420 The price for all sin has been paid. 00:15:04.420 --> 00:15:12.420 But when a sinner turns to Christ, he himself is crucified only to rise to new life two days later, three days later. 00:15:14.420 --> 00:15:16.420 The cross atones. 00:15:16.420 --> 00:15:18.420 It does not appease. 00:15:18.900 --> 00:15:24.900 In our approach to God, make sure that we are not afraid because of the anger he has. 00:15:26.900 --> 00:15:30.900 Most other religions in the world are religions of appeasement. 00:15:34.900 --> 00:15:44.900 God's wrath is against this horrible thing called sin because of the absolute abomination that it is to a brilliant, pure and holy God. 00:15:45.380 --> 00:15:51.380 But the sons of Adam are precious to him, dear to him because he made them. 00:15:51.380 --> 00:16:03.380 And I pray that as we hear these points, we also are able to think and receive it for ourselves, think and desire it for others, think and proclaim it to others. 00:16:03.380 --> 00:16:07.380 Three things have to happen continuously as we talk about this. 00:16:07.860 --> 00:16:11.860 Diana asked a question when I was talking about the body and healing. 00:16:11.860 --> 00:16:13.860 Why aren't we seeing healing always? 00:16:13.860 --> 00:16:25.860 I'll direct you to some healing teachings on the website because there are three or four really good teachings on healing on the website that you should listen to because 00:16:26.340 --> 00:16:30.340 each of them is elaborate and I would not be able to do it justice with one or two sentences. 00:16:30.340 --> 00:16:36.340 So just check that out and if you need, it just says healing so it's easy to find. 00:16:44.340 --> 00:16:46.340 So I'm going to go ahead and start with the body. 00:16:46.340 --> 00:16:48.340 So I'm going to start with the body. 00:16:48.340 --> 00:16:50.340 So I'm going to start with the body. 00:16:50.340 --> 00:16:52.340 So I'm going to start with the body. 00:16:52.340 --> 00:16:54.340 So I'm going to start with the body. 00:16:54.820 --> 00:17:00.820 The third thing that happens is on the cross cancellation happens. 00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:04.820 On the cross cancellation happens. 00:17:04.820 --> 00:17:06.820 On the cross cancellation happens. 00:17:06.820 --> 00:17:16.820 The cross is payment or cancellation of a debt that you owed so you can walk away without paying the creditors or the tormentors. 00:17:16.820 --> 00:17:22.820 On the cross cancellation happens. 00:17:23.300 --> 00:17:37.300 The cross is payment or cancellation of a debt that you owed and it allows you to walk away without paying your creditors or your tormentors. 00:17:37.300 --> 00:17:45.300 You see in 2 Kings 4.1 where the woman whose husband dies has a debt that is owing and she says to Elisha, 00:17:45.300 --> 00:17:51.300 the creditors are coming to take my sons away and make them slaves. 00:17:51.780 --> 00:18:01.780 You see in Matthew 18 verse 34, Jesus is talking about a parable and he says in the parable that a man owed a lot 00:18:01.780 --> 00:18:09.780 and so the king finally says he hasn't paid and he didn't forgive those who owed him so throw him into prison where the tormentors can take care of him. 00:18:09.780 --> 00:18:19.780 Debt owed would require that I be tormented or that I be someone who has to pay my creditors. 00:18:20.260 --> 00:18:26.260 But the cross is payment or cancellation of a debt, the debt of sin. 00:18:26.260 --> 00:18:32.260 Every sin because Satan is a legalist requires a payment that he wants to exact. 00:18:32.740 --> 00:18:38.740 The cool thing guys is the cross cancels every day. 00:18:38.740 --> 00:18:54.740 The cross cancels valid, accusative, sentence carrying, charges. 00:18:54.740 --> 00:19:00.740 Every day this is being cancelled. 00:19:02.740 --> 00:19:06.740 Every day this is being cancelled. 00:19:06.740 --> 00:19:16.740 Every day any outstanding debt that I owe, the cross cancels every valid, every accusative, every sentence carrying charge. 00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:24.740 Every day is cancelled so that I don't fall into the hands of tormentors or into the hands of creditors. 00:19:25.220 --> 00:19:35.220 Have a very short account when it comes to sin. 00:19:35.220 --> 00:19:45.220 Not because you need to be afraid of God but because you have to keep your creditors and tormentors at bay because they operate by strictly legal standards. 00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:55.700 When you keep a short account then Romans 8 goes into effect where God turns and says who can bring a charge against Jacob? 00:19:55.700 --> 00:19:59.700 If I have indicated to them who are you to bring a charge against him? 00:19:59.700 --> 00:20:03.700 How dare you when I have pronounced him innocent? 00:20:04.180 --> 00:20:16.180 Keep a short account and also know then that you don't have to be afraid of this thing of oh I sinned therefore this is what is happening to me. 00:20:16.180 --> 00:20:22.180 Because that is another way the devil takes advantage where he torments. 00:20:22.180 --> 00:20:26.180 You did this now watch what I'm going to do to you. 00:20:26.180 --> 00:20:28.180 Even the devil plays a peaceman. 00:20:28.180 --> 00:20:32.180 He pushes us to think that God needs to be appeased. 00:20:32.660 --> 00:20:34.660 You did this now see what I'm going to do. 00:20:34.660 --> 00:20:38.660 You better go now and repent because your God is going to punish you. 00:20:40.660 --> 00:20:46.660 He's the one who does evil but he puts it on God saying your God is punishing you. 00:20:48.660 --> 00:20:52.660 I want to live free of appeasement. 00:20:52.660 --> 00:20:54.660 I want to live to please God. 00:20:54.660 --> 00:20:56.660 I don't want to live to appease God. 00:20:56.660 --> 00:20:58.660 I want to live to please God. 00:20:58.660 --> 00:21:00.660 I don't want to live to appease God. 00:21:01.140 --> 00:21:03.140 Pleasing God comes out of delight and desire. 00:21:03.140 --> 00:21:07.140 Appeasing God comes out of fear. 00:21:07.140 --> 00:21:11.140 A perfect love is supposed to cast out fear. 00:21:11.140 --> 00:21:15.140 I want to be absolutely rid of appeasement. 00:21:23.140 --> 00:21:27.140 It doesn't matter whether you're charismatic or non charismatic. 00:21:27.140 --> 00:21:29.140 This is something that is so settled in our heads. 00:21:29.620 --> 00:21:33.620 Because most of our earthly relations have so much of appeasement in it. 00:21:33.620 --> 00:21:37.620 Some cultures are so dominantly appeasing. 00:21:37.620 --> 00:21:43.620 I come from India and I know that the Indian culture is a culture steeped in appeasement. 00:21:43.620 --> 00:21:45.620 You appease your boss. 00:21:45.620 --> 00:21:47.620 You appease your parents. 00:21:47.620 --> 00:21:49.620 You appease your pastors. 00:21:49.620 --> 00:21:51.620 You appease your elders. 00:21:51.620 --> 00:21:53.620 It's always appeasement. 00:21:53.620 --> 00:21:57.620 And the appeasement drives you to do things that you don't even mean but you're so scared. 00:21:58.100 --> 00:22:00.100 What can happen if you don't? 00:22:00.100 --> 00:22:04.100 Some cultures are steeped in appeasement. 00:22:04.100 --> 00:22:08.100 And so for us to think of God any other way is very difficult. 00:22:08.100 --> 00:22:12.100 But what if we move from appeasement to pleasing? 00:22:12.100 --> 00:22:14.100 One is based in fear. 00:22:14.100 --> 00:22:16.100 One is based in sheer delight. 00:22:16.100 --> 00:22:20.100 It brings a degree of freedom that we will find refreshing. 00:22:20.580 --> 00:22:22.580 The sin is taken care of by the blood. 00:22:22.580 --> 00:22:24.580 The sinner is dealt with by the cross. 00:22:30.580 --> 00:22:34.580 Is this suggesting that the death of sin is to Satan and not to God? 00:22:34.580 --> 00:22:36.580 No. 00:22:36.580 --> 00:22:38.580 Kevin's asking a question. 00:22:38.580 --> 00:22:42.580 Am I suggesting that the death of sin is to Satan and not to God? 00:22:42.580 --> 00:22:44.580 No. 00:22:44.580 --> 00:22:48.580 I'm not suggesting that the death of sin is to Satan and not to God. 00:22:49.060 --> 00:22:51.060 No. 00:22:51.060 --> 00:22:55.060 The death of sin is taken advantage of by the tormentor to harm me. 00:23:05.060 --> 00:23:09.060 The death of sin is taken advantage of by the tormentor to harm me. 00:23:09.060 --> 00:23:11.060 And that's what happens in the Garden of Eden. 00:23:11.060 --> 00:23:17.060 Adam sins and immediately the serpent now begins to go into action in terms of the sin. 00:23:19.060 --> 00:23:21.060 The cross is taken away from the tormentor. 00:23:21.060 --> 00:23:23.060 Everything begins to fall apart. 00:23:27.060 --> 00:23:33.060 Sickness is a weapon that Satan uses because of sin. 00:23:33.060 --> 00:23:35.060 Before there was sin, there was no sickness. 00:23:35.540 --> 00:23:39.540 The next thing the cross does is it launches the kingdom. 00:23:39.540 --> 00:23:41.540 The cross launches the kingdom. 00:23:41.540 --> 00:23:43.540 The cross launches the kingdom. 00:23:45.540 --> 00:23:47.540 How may we define the kingdom? 00:23:47.540 --> 00:24:01.440 The kingdom may be defined as the 00:24:01.920 --> 00:24:05.920 rule of God over his creation through his people. 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:23.920 The rule of God, God's reign through God's people over God's creation. 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:25.920 That's how we define kingdom. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:27.920 God's reign over his people. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:30.400 That's how we define kingdom. 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:36.400 God's reign through God's people over God's creation. 00:24:36.400 --> 00:24:42.400 God's reign through God's people over God's creation. 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:46.400 So we've talked about the body. 00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:54.400 We've talked about atonement, not appeasement. 00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:56.400 We've talked about cancellation of debts. 00:24:56.880 --> 00:25:02.880 And therefore freedom from tormentors and creditors. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:04.880 Now we're talking about the kingdom. 00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:10.880 The cross launches the kingdom. 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:16.880 As in the cross launches God's reign through God's people over God's creation. 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:18.880 And it finds its roots in Eden. 00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:24.880 Because Eden was where a loving king ruled over his creation through his image. 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:34.880 Eden at its very foundation was a loving king ruling over his creation. 00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:38.880 Ruling over his creation that he said was good. 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:42.880 A loving king ruling over the creation that he said was good. 00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:44.880 Through his image bearing people. 00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:52.880 Till Adam and Eve collapsed his reign by submitting to the serpent. 00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:54.880 To another king. 00:25:56.880 --> 00:26:02.880 Till Adam and Eve collapsed his reign by submitting to another king. 00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:06.880 And so the cross is a just God. 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:24.880 The cross is a just God taking back his sovereign sovereignty over creation. 00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:28.880 And the sons of Adam. 00:26:36.880 --> 00:26:44.880 So the cross was a just God taking back his sovereign rule over creation and Adam's sons. 00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:52.880 There was no moment in the gospels more kingly than Jesus on the cross. 00:26:52.880 --> 00:26:54.880 Nothing else that was as majestic. 00:26:55.360 --> 00:26:59.360 That's the scandalous beauty of the cross. 00:26:59.360 --> 00:27:05.360 On one hand you have a beaten weak brutalized body on the cross. 00:27:05.360 --> 00:27:11.360 And yet in its beaten brutalized condition it is the moment of majesty. 00:27:11.360 --> 00:27:15.360 There is no other moment that is as kingly in the gospels as Jesus on the cross. 00:27:15.360 --> 00:27:23.360 Because in one shot he forgives sins, he defeats evil, he establishes God's kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. 00:27:23.840 --> 00:27:25.840 In one shot. Only a king can do that. 00:27:25.840 --> 00:27:28.840 Only a king can make three things happen immediately. 00:27:28.840 --> 00:27:30.840 Sin forgiven. 00:27:30.840 --> 00:27:32.840 Across the earth. 00:27:32.840 --> 00:27:37.840 These are edicts that no king has ever attempted or been able to establish. 00:27:37.840 --> 00:27:43.840 And in one shot over a period of three hours hanging on a cross. 00:27:43.840 --> 00:27:45.840 This king. 00:27:47.840 --> 00:27:51.840 Causes sin and curse to cease. 00:27:52.320 --> 00:28:00.320 Causes the defeat and the absolute dismantling of the satanic system and evil. 00:28:00.320 --> 00:28:08.320 And establishes God's ever advancing kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. 00:28:10.320 --> 00:28:12.320 And how? How did he do it? 00:28:14.320 --> 00:28:16.320 This is a fascinating thing. 00:28:16.320 --> 00:28:21.320 You have a humiliated God dying slowly on a tree. 00:28:21.800 --> 00:28:24.800 And that is what makes this happen. 00:28:24.800 --> 00:28:28.800 A humiliated God. You can't even put those words together in any other religion. 00:28:28.800 --> 00:28:31.800 No other religion has a humiliated God. 00:28:31.800 --> 00:28:36.800 You wouldn't put those words together because you can't have a God who is being humiliated. 00:28:36.800 --> 00:28:39.800 But this is the beauty of Christianity. 00:28:39.800 --> 00:28:44.800 That you have a humiliated God who is dying slowly on a tree. 00:28:44.800 --> 00:28:50.800 And that is the one who now does three things in quick succession. 00:28:51.280 --> 00:28:57.280 Ends sin. Ends evil. Establishes a kingdom. 00:28:59.280 --> 00:29:13.280 I heard this line somewhere that the cross is the throne from which Christ rules. 00:29:13.760 --> 00:29:20.760 The cross is the throne from which Christ rules. 00:29:20.760 --> 00:29:28.760 And so if we want to rule with Christ, then we cannot circumvent the cross. 00:29:28.760 --> 00:29:32.760 The cross is the throne from which Christ rules the world. 00:29:32.760 --> 00:29:38.760 You know the odd thing is the thief recognized it. 00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:48.240 In Luke 23, 42 he says, today when you come into your kingdom, can you have me there too? 00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:55.240 The thief recognized that there was a king on a cross and that the king was going to be launching a kingdom. 00:29:55.240 --> 00:30:01.240 I don't know whether he recognized it, but the way he said it said much more than every theologian present at the foot of the cross. 00:30:01.720 --> 00:30:08.720 Which then brings us to the simple question. 00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:15.720 How dare you and I avoid the centrality of the cross in all our dealings with the world? 00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:19.720 In all our dealings with God, in all our dealings with each other. 00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:24.720 Especially in all our dealings with God and in all our dealings with the world. 00:30:24.720 --> 00:30:27.720 How dare we avoid the centrality of the cross? 00:30:28.200 --> 00:30:31.200 Because it is the throne from which Christ rules. 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:34.200 It is where cancellation of debts happens. 00:30:34.200 --> 00:30:42.200 It is where the sinner and the sinner are taken care of. 00:30:42.200 --> 00:30:50.200 It is where a body is broken and bruised so that we may benefit from all the things that are written in Isaiah 53. 00:30:50.680 --> 00:31:05.680 How dare we ever approach God or ever approach man with God without first establishing the centrality of Christ in our interactions? 00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:12.680 Consciously establish it over the next little while and then it becomes habit. 00:31:13.160 --> 00:31:26.160 It takes away your worth, your lack of worth, your sin, your lack of sin, your ministry, your lack of ministry, your dignity, your lack of dignity, your condition, your lack of condition. 00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:34.160 It takes away everything because now you stand solely in the work and the benefits of Christ on the cross. 00:31:34.160 --> 00:31:37.160 And then that is how you now approach someone else. 00:31:37.640 --> 00:31:43.640 Because Paul used to say, I'm a stammerer, I don't have too many good words but one thing I know, Christ crucified and risen. 00:31:43.640 --> 00:31:47.640 And so that becomes the simplicity of his message. 00:31:47.640 --> 00:31:54.640 And it is this pathetic God hanging on a tree that is the power of God unto salvation. 00:31:54.640 --> 00:31:57.640 There's just no way around it. 00:31:57.640 --> 00:32:06.640 In our present world, because we want to impress the Greeks and the Jews, what I mean by that is intellectuals and sign seekers, 00:32:07.120 --> 00:32:12.120 we circumvent the cross. I dare not do that. 00:32:16.120 --> 00:32:24.120 The next thing that is amazing about the cross is that it is unconditional. 00:32:24.120 --> 00:32:31.120 It is unconditional in its, it's unconditional inseparability. 00:32:31.600 --> 00:32:40.600 Unconditional inseparability, as in you cannot be separated from God because of the cross and it's unconditional. 00:32:40.600 --> 00:32:43.600 Unconditional inseparability. 00:32:46.600 --> 00:32:50.600 The cross guarantees unconditional inseparability. 00:32:50.600 --> 00:32:55.600 If you go to Romans 8, Romans 8 verse 31 to 35. 00:32:55.600 --> 00:32:57.600 Romans 8. 00:33:01.600 --> 00:33:03.600 31 to 35. 00:33:06.600 --> 00:33:09.600 What then shall we say in response to these things? 00:33:09.600 --> 00:33:12.600 If God is for us, who can be against us? 00:33:12.600 --> 00:33:21.600 He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things? 00:33:21.600 --> 00:33:25.600 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? 00:33:25.600 --> 00:33:27.600 It is God who justifies. 00:33:27.600 --> 00:33:30.600 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. 00:33:31.080 --> 00:33:37.080 Christ Jesus who died, more than that who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 00:33:37.080 --> 00:33:40.080 Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? 00:33:40.080 --> 00:33:46.080 Shall trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword? 00:33:46.080 --> 00:33:49.080 As it is written, for your sake we face death all day long. 00:33:49.080 --> 00:33:52.080 We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. 00:33:52.080 --> 00:33:56.080 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 00:33:56.560 --> 00:34:09.560 We are convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 00:34:09.560 --> 00:34:16.560 When we read that, it doesn't make much sense because we often feel sometimes abandoned or sometimes God isn't there. 00:34:17.040 --> 00:34:20.040 But here's the point that Paul is trying to make. 00:34:20.040 --> 00:34:38.040 Because Christ has conquered everything, because Christ has conquered death, life, angels, demons, present, future, height, depth, because he has conquered trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword, and he experienced it and conquered it. 00:34:38.520 --> 00:34:47.520 Because he has conquered it, there is nothing that can now come in the way of separating his power-bound goodness and love from reaching me. 00:34:47.520 --> 00:34:51.520 We talked about the power-bound goodness and love of God last week. 00:34:51.520 --> 00:34:55.520 There's nothing that can prevent it. There's nothing. You can't prevent it. 00:34:55.520 --> 00:35:03.520 Nothing on earth can prevent it because everything that could have prevented it was overcome by Christ who came down in flesh like me. 00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:13.000 Therefore, regardless of my feelings, there is not going to be anything that can separate me from the love of Christ. 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:19.000 Not as in separate me from heaven. Not as in separate me from one day finding the love of God. 00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:26.000 No. Presently, I must become conscious that there is not a moment that the love of Christ can be separated from me. 00:35:26.480 --> 00:35:31.480 It is power-bound goodness and love that is constantly seeking me like a guided missile. 00:35:31.480 --> 00:35:38.480 And it will always find me. It's got this technology that always finds me. 00:35:44.480 --> 00:35:49.480 How do you know the depth of someone's love? How do you know the depth of someone's love? 00:35:49.960 --> 00:35:59.960 I just want us to remember these simple equations so that it prevents us from doubting whether we are loved. 00:35:59.960 --> 00:36:02.960 How do you know the depth of someone's love for you? 00:36:02.960 --> 00:36:09.960 The first one is, I know the depth of someone's love for me by finding out what it cost him. 00:36:12.960 --> 00:36:14.960 What it cost him. 00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:22.440 You know the depth of someone's love for you when you realize what it cost him. 00:36:24.440 --> 00:36:29.440 Second, how little you deserved it. 00:36:35.440 --> 00:36:38.440 How little you deserved it. 00:36:38.920 --> 00:36:45.920 Third, the benefits you continually receive. 00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:48.920 The benefits you continually receive. 00:36:58.920 --> 00:37:03.920 Four, the freedom that the love comes with. 00:37:08.920 --> 00:37:11.920 The freedom love comes with. 00:37:12.920 --> 00:37:18.920 As in there are no strings attached, there are no conditions, there are no, if you don't do this I won't love you. 00:37:20.920 --> 00:37:25.920 And five, the freedom the person had to avoid giving it. 00:37:25.920 --> 00:37:27.920 The freedom the person had. 00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:36.920 The freedom the person had to avoid giving it. 00:37:38.920 --> 00:37:45.920 As in was he forced to, was he obliged, was he pressured, did he have a choice or did he give it freely? 00:37:45.920 --> 00:37:52.920 You ask these questions and you have an idea of how you are loved. 00:37:52.920 --> 00:37:55.920 What did it cost him? 00:37:55.920 --> 00:37:57.920 I can't fathom what it cost him. 00:37:57.920 --> 00:38:01.920 I occasionally touch it and it just breaks my heart and makes me weep. 00:38:02.400 --> 00:38:11.400 But really, I don't know if any of us, even in heaven, will actually know how much it cost him and how much it cost the Father and the Spirit. 00:38:15.400 --> 00:38:17.400 How little you deserved it. 00:38:17.400 --> 00:38:22.400 Amazing grace breaks my heart sometimes because I know my wretchedness. 00:38:26.400 --> 00:38:28.400 How little I deserved it. 00:38:28.880 --> 00:38:41.880 I actively used to pursue people who believed in Christ and would try with arguments and ways to make them either say that, yeah, you're right, Christ isn't real or yeah, my faith isn't real. 00:38:41.880 --> 00:38:51.880 It was such an evil thing that I would do to people, young guys, 17, 18 year olds, targeting them to try and break their faith. 00:38:54.880 --> 00:38:56.880 How little you deserved it. 00:38:57.360 --> 00:38:59.360 The benefits you continually receive. 00:38:59.360 --> 00:39:08.360 Every day of my life I benefit from the love that he expresses, primarily through the cross, but then in relationship today. 00:39:08.360 --> 00:39:11.360 The freedom that the love comes with. 00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:14.360 The freedom that the love comes with. 00:39:14.360 --> 00:39:18.360 Allowing me to respond if I need to. 00:39:20.360 --> 00:39:23.360 Not putting demands on me. 00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:26.360 Possessive love that does not control. 00:39:26.840 --> 00:39:28.840 The freedom that it comes with, it's rare. 00:39:30.840 --> 00:39:34.840 And then the last one is the freedom that the person had to avoid giving it. 00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:37.840 They were taunting him at the foot of the cross. 00:39:37.840 --> 00:39:40.840 Hey, why don't you call for some angels? 00:39:40.840 --> 00:39:43.840 You said you've come to save the world. 00:39:43.840 --> 00:39:45.840 Why don't you save yourself? 00:39:47.840 --> 00:39:49.840 Not my will, but yours be done. 00:39:53.840 --> 00:39:55.840 The freedom he had to avoid it. 00:39:56.320 --> 00:40:09.320 Chuck Colson talks about a story of a 19 year old who was a prisoner of war in one of the Nazi camps. 00:40:09.320 --> 00:40:18.320 A 19 year old with a whole other group of older men and women and they would be taken out to dig the ground. 00:40:18.320 --> 00:40:25.320 And they would be given a shovel and at the end of the day they had to make sure that all the shovels were returned. 00:40:25.800 --> 00:40:34.800 And so there was this one day where they all went out and 20 of them went out and only 19 shovels were recovered. 00:40:34.800 --> 00:40:42.800 And so they lined them up and said, true story, they lined them up and said there's a shovel missing, 00:40:42.800 --> 00:40:46.800 produce it or we'll start killing people. 00:40:46.800 --> 00:40:52.800 And there was, I mean they counted the shovels and there were only 19. 00:40:53.280 --> 00:40:57.280 And so they decided okay, they're going to start shooting people. 00:40:57.280 --> 00:41:04.280 And this 19 year old runs up and says, shoot me first. 00:41:04.280 --> 00:41:07.280 And they shoot him, they kill him. 00:41:07.280 --> 00:41:13.280 And then they find out later that the soldier who counted the shovels counted wrong and there were 20. 00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:15.280 But he counted 19. 00:41:15.280 --> 00:41:17.280 And so this 19 year old dies. 00:41:17.760 --> 00:41:23.760 Chuck Olson goes on to say how he was a 19 year old with his whole future ahead of him. 00:41:23.760 --> 00:41:27.760 Had it been an 83 year old that volunteered, it would be one thing. 00:41:27.760 --> 00:41:32.760 Maybe he's lived most of his life, he's lived a good life. 00:41:32.760 --> 00:41:39.760 This 19 year old had his whole future ahead of him, but he chooses to pay a cost, 00:41:40.240 --> 00:41:46.240 regardless of the fact that others may not have deserved it and may have lived a longer, happier life. 00:41:46.240 --> 00:41:50.240 In the process, everybody lives. 00:41:50.240 --> 00:41:57.240 It was given freely, no one asked the kid to give it and he could have easily avoided it. 00:41:57.240 --> 00:42:01.240 The point of the story that Chuck Olson makes is the same. 00:42:01.240 --> 00:42:09.240 That there's an unconditionality to God's way of dealing with us through Christ 00:42:09.720 --> 00:42:14.720 where it is now a place where I am inseparable from his love. 00:42:14.720 --> 00:42:23.720 Always evaluate this when you think you're not loved, because our evaluation of his love is based on our experiences. 00:42:23.720 --> 00:42:26.720 And sometimes those experiences change from year to year. 00:42:26.720 --> 00:42:31.720 But at the end of the day, this is something that I have to visit. 00:42:31.720 --> 00:42:38.720 So I understand how I'm inseparable from and unconditionally inseparable from his love. 00:42:39.720 --> 00:42:44.720 The other thing that God did was at the cross, he stripped the powers. 00:42:44.720 --> 00:42:48.720 He stripped the powers. He stripped the powers. 00:42:48.720 --> 00:42:52.720 The cross strips principalities and powers. Colossians 2.15. 00:42:52.720 --> 00:42:57.720 The cross strips principalities and powers. 00:42:57.720 --> 00:43:00.720 The cross triumphs over them. 00:43:00.720 --> 00:43:04.720 The cross exposes them as subordinate. 00:43:05.200 --> 00:43:09.200 The cross drives them in a humiliating procession. 00:43:09.200 --> 00:43:15.200 Beautifully, the things that were achieved in three hours on the cross are remarkable. 00:43:15.200 --> 00:43:20.200 It was Jesus' most kingly moment. 00:43:20.200 --> 00:43:29.200 The cross strips powers and principalities of their authority. 00:43:29.200 --> 00:43:34.200 Hear me again. The cross strips principalities and powers of their authority. 00:43:34.680 --> 00:43:37.680 The cross triumphs over them. 00:43:37.680 --> 00:43:41.680 The cross exposes them forever as subordinate. 00:43:41.680 --> 00:43:50.680 And the cross now drives them in a humiliating procession behind Jesus Christ's chariot. 00:43:50.680 --> 00:43:52.680 As prisoners. 00:43:52.680 --> 00:43:57.680 We must by faith experience and exhibit it. 00:43:57.680 --> 00:44:02.680 We must by faith both experience it and exhibit it. 00:44:03.160 --> 00:44:07.160 Again, it requires a pressing in till it shows. 00:44:07.160 --> 00:44:10.160 Everything must be experienced before it can be exhibited. 00:44:10.160 --> 00:44:18.160 Anything that is exhibited without being experienced will shrivel up under other people's opinions. 00:44:22.160 --> 00:44:31.160 Like Eddie often used to say, a man who has experience will never be at the mercy of a man who has opinions. 00:44:33.160 --> 00:44:50.160 And here's the thing guys, be it healing or be it the driving out of powers, persevere every day to exhibit it and experience it in your life. 00:44:50.160 --> 00:44:53.160 And if it doesn't happen today, stand up again tomorrow. 00:44:53.160 --> 00:44:56.160 And like Ephesians 6 says, stand. 00:44:56.640 --> 00:45:05.640 Break every chain. I love that song I was listening to Tasha Cobb sing it this morning. 00:45:05.640 --> 00:45:08.640 Break every chain. With perseverance. 00:45:08.640 --> 00:45:15.640 Communion by the way is the public judgment of the Gods of Egypt and the diseases of Egypt. 00:45:15.640 --> 00:45:18.640 At Passover that was what was happening. 00:45:19.120 --> 00:45:23.120 Where people were emancipated by the outstretched arm of Yahweh. 00:45:23.120 --> 00:45:27.120 By the breaking over a period of a few weeks. 00:45:27.120 --> 00:45:32.120 By the breaking of the Gods of Egypt and the diseases of Egypt. 00:45:32.120 --> 00:45:35.120 Every plague was a judgment on the God of Egypt. 00:45:35.120 --> 00:45:38.120 Every disease was judged. 00:45:38.120 --> 00:45:41.120 Every plague was a judgment of the God of Egypt. 00:45:41.120 --> 00:45:43.120 Powers and principalities. 00:45:43.120 --> 00:45:46.120 Exodus is such a cool parallel to the cross. 00:45:46.600 --> 00:45:52.600 What is the greatest achievement of Yahweh in the Old Testament? 00:45:52.600 --> 00:45:55.600 What has been, what is always repeated? 00:45:55.600 --> 00:45:59.600 The Red Sea. Opened. Egypt. Israel freed. 00:45:59.600 --> 00:46:01.600 Drawn out. Ransomed. 00:46:01.600 --> 00:46:05.600 Gods defeated. Taken through. Promised land. 00:46:05.600 --> 00:46:11.600 And now in the New Testament that Exodus is paralleled and then anteed up. 00:46:11.600 --> 00:46:15.600 And now replaces that story with a far greater story. 00:46:16.080 --> 00:46:20.080 Where once and for all for the entire world someone comes along 00:46:20.080 --> 00:46:25.080 and there is a mass Exodus from the clutches of the devil into the kingdom of light. 00:46:25.080 --> 00:46:28.080 From the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the sun. 00:46:28.080 --> 00:46:31.080 Mass Exodus. Power is stripped. 00:46:31.080 --> 00:46:33.080 Principality is destroyed. 00:46:33.080 --> 00:46:36.080 Gods judged. Diseases judged. 00:46:36.080 --> 00:46:38.080 A people drawn out. 00:46:38.560 --> 00:46:45.560 Taken through perilous roads into a place of promise. 00:46:45.560 --> 00:46:48.560 And in this case the promise is Christ. 00:46:48.560 --> 00:46:51.560 It is in Christ that we are hidden. 00:46:51.560 --> 00:46:53.560 That's why when we sing the line, 00:46:53.560 --> 00:46:58.560 it was grace that through many dangerous toils and snares I have already come. 00:46:58.560 --> 00:47:00.560 It was grace that brought me to safety thus far. 00:47:00.560 --> 00:47:03.560 Grace will lead me home. 00:47:08.560 --> 00:47:11.560 Back up. 00:47:14.560 --> 00:47:17.560 Remember what the cross is for us. 00:47:17.560 --> 00:47:19.560 I'm sure you can add more. 00:47:19.560 --> 00:47:23.560 But these are some things that we need to remember. 00:47:23.560 --> 00:47:30.560 Guys, the kingdom was established by the self-giving love of Christ. 00:47:30.560 --> 00:47:33.560 And therefore the kingdom will only be advanced. 00:47:34.040 --> 00:47:36.040 Love of Christ. 00:47:36.040 --> 00:47:41.040 And therefore the kingdom will only be advanced through the self-giving love of his people. 00:47:41.040 --> 00:47:43.040 Remember what we said the kingdom is. 00:47:43.040 --> 00:47:48.040 The kingdom is God's reign through God's people over God's creation. 00:47:48.040 --> 00:47:55.040 God's reign through God's people over God's creation. 00:47:55.040 --> 00:48:00.040 And so the kingdom was established through the self-giving love of God. 00:48:00.520 --> 00:48:07.520 And so we must become highly aware that the kingdom can only advance by the self-giving love of his people. 00:48:09.520 --> 00:48:15.520 We are saved from sin and darkness for Jesus and his kingdom. 00:48:15.520 --> 00:48:20.520 We are saved from sin and darkness for Jesus and his kingdom. 00:48:21.000 --> 00:48:24.000 A self-giving... 00:48:24.000 --> 00:48:31.000 A God who is self-giving and loving establishes the kingdom. 00:48:31.000 --> 00:48:35.000 A people who are self-giving and loving advance the kingdom. 00:48:35.000 --> 00:48:39.000 The kingdom of God is marked by justice. 00:48:39.000 --> 00:48:43.000 And only a justified people can now bring justice to the poor and oppressed. 00:48:43.000 --> 00:48:46.000 We talked about Isaiah 58 a few weeks ago. 00:48:46.480 --> 00:48:50.480 And so at the end of the day what I want to say is go there for. 00:48:50.480 --> 00:48:52.480 Go there for. 00:48:52.480 --> 00:48:54.480 Go there for. 00:48:54.480 --> 00:48:56.480 Go there for. Why? 00:48:56.480 --> 00:49:12.480 Because I says Jesus took on a body and it was bruised so that you may enjoy its benefits on a daily basis. 00:49:12.480 --> 00:49:15.480 Go there for and distribute it. 00:49:15.960 --> 00:49:18.960 There's that beautiful song, right? 00:49:18.960 --> 00:49:20.960 I then shall live. 00:49:22.960 --> 00:49:28.960 Your kingdom come around and in and through me. 00:49:29.960 --> 00:49:32.960 Let me just find that verse. 00:49:39.960 --> 00:49:42.960 The last verse of that song. 00:49:45.960 --> 00:49:56.960 Your kingdom come around and through and in me. 00:49:56.960 --> 00:50:02.960 Your power and glory let them shine through me. 00:50:02.960 --> 00:50:07.960 Your hallowed name, oh may I bear with honor. 00:50:07.960 --> 00:50:13.960 And may your living kingdom come in me. 00:50:14.440 --> 00:50:16.440 The next two lines are cool. 00:50:16.440 --> 00:50:21.440 The bread of life, oh may I share with honor. 00:50:21.440 --> 00:50:28.440 And may you feed a hungry world through me. 00:50:28.440 --> 00:50:31.440 Go there for. My body was bruised. 00:50:31.440 --> 00:50:36.440 My back was scourged. 00:50:36.440 --> 00:50:39.440 Go there for. 00:50:39.920 --> 00:50:44.920 Break this bread through your self-giving. 00:50:50.920 --> 00:50:58.920 Go there for because my blood has already paid the price for everybody's sin. 00:50:58.920 --> 00:51:04.920 And if you let them know that, that when a sinner turns to me, the cross deals with the sinner too. 00:51:04.920 --> 00:51:06.920 Go there for. 00:51:07.400 --> 00:51:09.400 Proclaim. 00:51:09.400 --> 00:51:16.400 Don't skirt the centrality of the cross in your relationship with me and your relationship with others. 00:51:16.400 --> 00:51:18.400 Go there for. 00:51:18.400 --> 00:51:24.400 Show them that this is the only religion where God does not need to be appeased. 00:51:24.400 --> 00:51:30.400 Where you delight in him and therefore you begin to please him. 00:51:30.400 --> 00:51:35.400 You don't appease him because appeasement has its basis in fear. 00:51:35.880 --> 00:51:44.880 Go there for and tell them that I'm like the father of the prodigal who comes running who embraces him and who begins to kiss him recklessly. 00:51:45.880 --> 00:51:50.880 Go there for because I have canceled the debt. 00:51:50.880 --> 00:51:54.880 You can actually free people. 00:51:54.880 --> 00:51:59.880 You can actually free people from 00:52:00.880 --> 00:52:04.880 tormentors and creditors. 00:52:05.360 --> 00:52:08.360 Because I have canceled the debt. 00:52:08.360 --> 00:52:12.360 They don't have to accept me before I cancel the debt. 00:52:12.360 --> 00:52:14.360 Cancel their debts. 00:52:25.360 --> 00:52:30.360 You're part of a kingdom that I have launched. 00:52:30.360 --> 00:52:33.360 You're part of a kingdom that I have launched at the cross. 00:52:33.840 --> 00:52:34.840 Go there for. 00:52:34.840 --> 00:52:36.840 Advance the kingdom. 00:52:37.840 --> 00:52:40.840 All authority has been given to me. 00:52:40.840 --> 00:52:42.840 How do you know that? 00:52:42.840 --> 00:52:46.840 Because I stripped all the powers. 00:52:47.840 --> 00:52:49.840 I stripped all the powers and principalities. 00:52:49.840 --> 00:52:50.840 I subdued them. 00:52:50.840 --> 00:52:51.840 I triumphed over them. 00:52:51.840 --> 00:52:56.840 They are now paraded as prisoners in my triumph and procession. 00:52:56.840 --> 00:52:59.840 As a conquering victorious king. 00:53:00.320 --> 00:53:03.320 And go always knowing that I am with you. 00:53:03.320 --> 00:53:05.320 Behold I will be with you. 00:53:05.320 --> 00:53:07.320 How do you know that? 00:53:07.320 --> 00:53:16.320 Because I'm unconditionally loving and you are unconditionally inseparable. 00:53:18.320 --> 00:53:20.320 Go there for. 00:53:20.320 --> 00:53:22.320 Go there for. 00:53:22.800 --> 00:53:33.800 Since all authority is mine, understand that everyone and everything belongs to me. 00:53:33.800 --> 00:53:36.800 Everyone and everything belongs to me. 00:53:36.800 --> 00:53:40.800 Through the cross, everyone and everything belongs to me. 00:53:40.800 --> 00:53:45.800 They can choose to rebel, but everything and everyone belongs to me. 00:53:45.800 --> 00:53:48.800 They can choose to turn away and blaspheme and say no. 00:53:49.280 --> 00:53:53.280 They can reject me, but everything and everyone belongs to me. 00:53:53.280 --> 00:53:55.280 I have reconciled everything to the Father. 00:53:55.280 --> 00:54:00.280 Creation, creature, everything has been reconciled back to the Father. 00:54:00.280 --> 00:54:02.280 I have paid for everything. 00:54:02.280 --> 00:54:03.280 I have bought everything back. 00:54:03.280 --> 00:54:06.280 This has always been my kingdom and this continues now to be my kingdom. 00:54:06.280 --> 00:54:07.280 I am sovereign. 00:54:07.280 --> 00:54:09.280 Everything and everyone belongs to me. 00:54:09.280 --> 00:54:14.280 Therefore, bear witness to the truth of who I am and what I've done. 00:54:14.280 --> 00:54:18.280 Bear witness to the truth of who I am and what I've done. 00:54:18.760 --> 00:54:22.760 Bear witness to the truth of who I am and what I've done. 00:54:24.760 --> 00:54:26.760 Cool?