WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Lifted Up Publishing Date: 2023-04-07T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/lifted-up/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:19.080 I'll give you the report on Bangladesh and India tomorrow. 00:00:19.080 --> 00:00:22.960 Gillian's in New York today. 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:26.400 She's meeting with the church there. 00:00:26.400 --> 00:00:27.400 And we'll be back tomorrow. 00:00:28.080 --> 00:00:31.800 And then we meet here on Sunday at 4.30, sorry, 10.30. 00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:32.800 And take it from there. 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:37.800 OK. 00:00:37.800 --> 00:00:40.240 Guys, I want to talk about the cross. 00:00:47.120 --> 00:00:50.440 It's pretty amazing what all happens on the cross, eh? 00:00:57.400 --> 00:01:10.920 As soon as we think of the cross, the cross necessitated a body. 00:01:10.920 --> 00:01:20.040 The cross necessitated a finite body, meaning you now needed to have a body to be hung on the cross. 00:01:20.040 --> 00:01:23.640 You needed to have a back that could be scourged. 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:33.640 You needed to have a brow and skull for thorns. 00:01:33.640 --> 00:01:42.360 You needed nerves that could feel the nails. 00:01:42.360 --> 00:01:50.760 You needed blood vessels that could rupture. 00:01:50.760 --> 00:01:57.080 You needed a face that could be spat on. 00:01:57.080 --> 00:02:09.160 You needed a beard that could be plucked. 00:02:09.160 --> 00:02:15.880 Nothing could have been accomplished without him physically suffering, eh? 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:22.680 The cross necessitated a finite body. 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:29.120 You can see why Paul has no problems in Romans 12, 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:42.880 asking that I, you, we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. 00:02:42.880 --> 00:02:47.080 He has no hesitation asking that. 00:02:47.080 --> 00:02:48.760 Hey, I keep returning. 00:02:48.760 --> 00:02:53.000 One of the things that we've always tried to drive home in this church, 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:59.080 and that I'll keep driving home because as new people join, we've got to go back to old truths, 00:02:59.080 --> 00:03:01.960 is you must speak. 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:02.680 You must speak. 00:03:02.680 --> 00:03:08.440 This body has only one way to communicate in a way that God will understand, 00:03:08.440 --> 00:03:10.920 the world will understand, the powers will understand, 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:15.120 people around you will understand, and that is through our speaking. 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:17.360 You must insist on speaking. 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:19.400 There's one thing you can decide today. 00:03:19.400 --> 00:03:21.360 It is that I will speak. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:24.200 Jesus had to put into words things while he was on the cross. 00:03:24.200 --> 00:03:26.800 It is finished. 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:29.760 Into your hands I submit my spirit. 00:03:29.760 --> 00:03:30.800 Woman, here is your son. 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:34.840 Son, here is your mother. 00:03:34.840 --> 00:03:36.280 Women of Jerusalem, why are you weeping? 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:37.720 Weep for your children. 00:03:37.720 --> 00:03:40.520 For a day is coming when you will beg for the mountains to fall upon you 00:03:40.520 --> 00:03:41.720 so that you can be hidden. 00:03:41.720 --> 00:03:44.360 Use words to speak. 00:03:44.360 --> 00:03:46.000 You use words for everything. 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:47.320 You use words to lament. 00:03:47.320 --> 00:03:48.720 You use words for complaint. 00:03:48.720 --> 00:03:53.120 You use words for expressing delight at things working out well. 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:58.360 But we do not use enough words to speak about the Christ and express our gratitude to him. 00:03:58.360 --> 00:04:00.920 Use words to speak. 00:04:00.920 --> 00:04:03.160 Your culture does not count. 00:04:03.160 --> 00:04:08.120 Use words to speak. 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:10.200 I can't tell you how important this is. 00:04:10.200 --> 00:04:12.160 And beg to speak. 00:04:12.160 --> 00:04:13.160 Cry out to speak. 00:04:13.160 --> 00:04:14.480 Shout to speak. 00:04:14.480 --> 00:04:15.680 Fight to speak. 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:16.720 Not to speak. 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:23.320 It's to kill the ability of God to do what he wants for you. 00:04:23.320 --> 00:04:25.120 Let me take it that far. 00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:27.880 If you do not speak, here are the things that don't happen. 00:04:27.880 --> 00:04:30.720 One, the powers around you don't hear. 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:32.160 The people around you don't hear. 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:33.200 You don't hear. 00:04:33.200 --> 00:04:34.560 Faith does not happen. 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:36.680 Faith that does not speak is stillborn. 00:04:41.200 --> 00:04:43.720 I must speak. 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:51.720 Fight to speak. 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:55.160 The cross necessitated a finite body. 00:04:55.160 --> 00:04:59.680 And so Paul has no problem saying, hey, can you offer your bodies as a living sacrifice? 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:02.040 Can you offer your bodies as a living sacrifice? 00:05:02.040 --> 00:05:04.800 So how does that translate for us? 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:10.720 One of the things Jesus says in John 12, 26 is, listen, he says, if you want to follow 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:11.840 me, come after me. 00:05:11.840 --> 00:05:14.000 If you want to follow me, come after me. 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:15.520 It's a very strange thing. 00:05:15.520 --> 00:05:24.240 So it means that if you want to follow someone, you have to go after them. 00:05:24.240 --> 00:05:31.880 Or in this case, Jesus is saying, if you want to follow me, come after me. 00:05:31.880 --> 00:05:34.800 So there's an active action on our part. 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:38.120 This following thing doesn't work by itself. 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:41.120 If you want to follow me, come after me. 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:43.880 Following requires going after. 00:05:43.880 --> 00:05:47.040 It doesn't matter whether it's someone in the church that you want to follow. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:49.160 Doesn't matter whether it's someone in... 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:53.520 Following does not happen if you don't go after. 00:05:53.520 --> 00:05:54.520 Elijah does this. 00:05:54.520 --> 00:05:55.520 Jesus does this. 00:05:55.520 --> 00:05:56.520 See? 00:05:56.520 --> 00:05:57.520 And he... 00:05:57.520 --> 00:06:00.000 It's fascinating how this works. 00:06:00.040 --> 00:06:02.960 God will very clearly give an invitation. 00:06:02.960 --> 00:06:04.440 There's no doubt to that invitation. 00:06:04.440 --> 00:06:10.520 It doesn't matter whether it's to Abraham when he's with his dad in Terah or whether 00:06:10.520 --> 00:06:18.400 it is with his dad in the Ur of Chaldees or whether it is Elijah walking past Elisha and 00:06:18.400 --> 00:06:22.840 throwing his garment on him or whether it is Jesus walking on the beach and saying, 00:06:22.840 --> 00:06:23.840 follow me. 00:06:23.840 --> 00:06:28.160 He says it, there's an invitation, and then it is completely up to the people whether 00:06:28.320 --> 00:06:31.280 they go after. 00:06:31.280 --> 00:06:35.680 Come and follow is impossible without going after. 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:40.760 But what happens is when someone asks us to follow, we expect him to now come and pave 00:06:40.760 --> 00:06:43.320 the way, dig the path, carry us. 00:06:43.320 --> 00:06:45.360 That is not how it works, guys. 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:47.720 That works once you start going after. 00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:52.680 Till you display a passion to go after, there is no following. 00:06:52.680 --> 00:06:55.920 And once you display a passion to go after, strange things happen. 00:06:55.920 --> 00:06:58.000 People come and begin to level the ground for you. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:01.440 The Bible actually says that in Hebrews 12. 00:07:01.440 --> 00:07:03.880 Level up the ground for people that have weak legs to walk. 00:07:03.880 --> 00:07:10.160 But there must be a going after. 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:13.400 John 12 26, if you want to follow me, come after me. 00:07:13.400 --> 00:07:18.220 And then it goes on to say, so that wherever I am, there my servant will be also. 00:07:18.220 --> 00:07:20.880 That is the living sacrifice part. 00:07:20.880 --> 00:07:24.240 Wherever I am, there my servant will be also. 00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:30.400 As in, we don't have a choice. 00:07:30.400 --> 00:07:36.400 The surrender of my right to myself requires that wherever he is, there my servant will 00:07:36.400 --> 00:07:40.120 be also. 00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:44.460 And it happens through people. 00:07:44.460 --> 00:07:50.760 We want to follow God with God directing us personally and nobody else won't happen that 00:07:50.760 --> 00:07:53.100 way. 00:07:53.100 --> 00:07:56.900 If Mark wants to follow God, if Jacob wants to follow God, if Don wants to follow God, 00:07:56.900 --> 00:08:00.500 then Mark, Jacob and Don will have to begin to think like this. 00:08:00.500 --> 00:08:03.180 That one, I will follow wherever the master goes. 00:08:03.180 --> 00:08:06.500 Unfortunately, I may not get directions directly from the master. 00:08:06.500 --> 00:08:09.940 I will get directions from the master's family. 00:08:09.940 --> 00:08:12.560 And the family is the family of God or the church of God. 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:16.700 And therefore, now I may have to listen and go to places I do not want to go to because 00:08:16.700 --> 00:08:18.280 that is where the master is. 00:08:18.280 --> 00:08:19.280 That is the hard part. 00:08:19.460 --> 00:08:23.840 And if that is not the level at which you are connected to this church, then you have 00:08:23.840 --> 00:08:24.840 only two choices. 00:08:24.840 --> 00:08:32.240 Either connect deeply or find a place that's more comfortable. 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:34.920 Life must be uncomfortable in the family that you are in. 00:08:34.920 --> 00:08:35.920 Ask your children. 00:08:35.920 --> 00:08:41.800 There are chores, there are things to do. 00:08:41.800 --> 00:08:43.800 There's times to wake up, there's times to go. 00:08:43.800 --> 00:08:48.000 There are places you go, places you have to behave a certain way, places you don't go. 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:54.800 This is why Jesus at one point says to Peter, when you were like a child, you did what you 00:08:54.800 --> 00:08:55.800 want. 00:08:55.800 --> 00:08:56.800 But now? 00:08:56.800 --> 00:08:59.040 You will go where? 00:08:59.040 --> 00:09:00.040 You do not want to go. 00:09:00.040 --> 00:09:08.080 Your hands will be tied and you will be taken. 00:09:08.080 --> 00:09:09.080 Any questions? 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:10.080 Any pushback? 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:11.080 Anything you want to say? 00:09:11.160 --> 00:09:23.760 John 12, 26. 00:09:23.760 --> 00:09:29.560 One of my fears, guys, for us, is that because of the different churches we are working with, 00:09:29.560 --> 00:09:33.840 some in the U.S., some in other parts of the world, one of the things you realize is that 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:39.720 our church, you can have a lot of talk and swagger and no substance. 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:42.360 We have to be careful of that. 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:49.360 We have to be careful of that. 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:52.480 If we talk, then we must have the walk. 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:55.400 And it's not enough that a few people have the walk. 00:09:55.400 --> 00:09:57.400 Everybody needs to have the walk. 00:10:01.400 --> 00:10:05.400 Jacob, what's an example of connecting deeper with the family? 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:12.640 Yeah, connecting deeper with the family would mean, am I able to trust the family of families 00:10:12.640 --> 00:10:13.640 that I'm... 00:10:13.640 --> 00:10:16.880 We keep saying family of families because you have your own family and then you have 00:10:16.880 --> 00:10:18.360 a more... 00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:23.720 You have a family that's more primary than your own family, which is the family of God. 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:25.520 It's not that your families are unimportant. 00:10:25.520 --> 00:10:32.680 It is just that you now belong to a family that is more primary than my own family. 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:38.400 So having said that, and we've talked about this for the last six years, but having said 00:10:38.400 --> 00:10:43.400 that, I must figure out if I actually trust this family. 00:10:43.400 --> 00:10:49.760 When it comes to how do you cultivate a deeper relationship, deeper relationships are based 00:10:49.760 --> 00:10:50.760 on trust. 00:10:50.760 --> 00:10:53.160 Deeper relationships are based on dependency. 00:10:53.160 --> 00:10:58.400 Deeper relationships are based on Kennedy's famous line, what can I do for the family 00:10:58.400 --> 00:11:00.200 than what the family can do for me? 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:08.680 Deeper relationships are based on getting hurt and recovering and not being so sensitive 00:11:08.680 --> 00:11:11.800 that you now have to pack up and leave. 00:11:11.800 --> 00:11:17.080 Deeper relationships are based on correction, admonishing each other, stirring up each other 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:22.960 to passion or greater works, loving one another, being hospitable to one another, correcting 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:25.240 one another, rebuking one another. 00:11:25.240 --> 00:11:27.240 How do you handle it when that happens? 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:38.240 And our choices are very simple. 00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:43.960 Either we cultivate this or if it is not possible to cultivate, we need to find a place where 00:11:43.960 --> 00:11:45.360 this can be cultivated. 00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:48.160 This may not be the right fit for everybody. 00:11:48.160 --> 00:11:54.280 So I would suggest to you that it is. 00:11:54.280 --> 00:11:59.200 Because that's what we want to raise. 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:00.200 We're not raising church. 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:05.040 We're raising a people of God who have the presence of God. 00:12:05.040 --> 00:12:10.720 And yeah, any questions? 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:11.720 Any pushback? 00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:16.800 Can you give an example of that? 00:12:16.800 --> 00:12:23.320 I went to India recently, I met a guy who told me that this guy came down to minister 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:25.520 in India from the US. 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:31.240 And these guys said to me, that guy is a spitting copy of you. 00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:35.040 He talks like you, he walks like you, he prophesies like you. 00:12:35.040 --> 00:12:38.520 And we just think you have raised him so well. 00:12:38.520 --> 00:12:43.240 And I looked at him and said, he does not listen to me, he does not take my teachings, 00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:49.280 he does not connect with me, he does not listen to my advice, he does not counsel like me. 00:12:49.280 --> 00:12:51.240 All he does is mimic me. 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:55.560 And I said, I do not want you to think that he's cut off the same cloth or belongs to 00:12:55.560 --> 00:12:56.560 Acts 29. 00:12:56.560 --> 00:13:02.160 There's a difference between mimicking and imitation. 00:13:02.160 --> 00:13:06.920 Imitation is when you are cut off the same cloth. 00:13:06.920 --> 00:13:12.360 Paul said, imitate me as I imitate Christ. 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:16.520 I told these guys, guys, this man has nothing to do with us. 00:13:16.520 --> 00:13:25.080 He listens to us perhaps online and behaves like that, but it is not of the same substance. 00:13:25.080 --> 00:13:30.880 I was so freaked out by the fact that someone could go and people could actually think that 00:13:30.880 --> 00:13:32.440 he represents us. 00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:34.320 He's never been here. 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:41.960 Substance is when something of the spirit that God has given to this church begins to 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:43.120 convey throughout the church. 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:44.680 And it's a question we need to ask ourselves. 00:13:44.840 --> 00:13:47.840 I'm surprised we're going down this road on a good Friday, but so be it. 00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:55.320 Substance is when there's a... 00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:57.440 Christians must have a culture. 00:13:57.440 --> 00:13:59.600 Every tribe has its own traits. 00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:01.600 Christianity in general must have a culture. 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:02.920 Every tribe must have its own traits. 00:14:02.920 --> 00:14:07.680 There are certain commonalities that must be established and then every tribe must have 00:14:07.680 --> 00:14:08.680 its traits. 00:14:08.680 --> 00:14:10.360 Like all the tribes of Israel have their traits. 00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:13.960 There are certain gifts and abilities, certain callings that are upon a church and we operate 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:14.960 in them. 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:15.960 Great. 00:14:15.960 --> 00:14:21.120 But the question is, if someone meets you one on one, would the composition of your 00:14:21.120 --> 00:14:24.920 life be the same as the composition of the church? 00:14:24.920 --> 00:14:31.720 If you're a newbie, as in just came in recently, you can understand that it hasn't yet happened. 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:33.920 It's like a new player joining the Canucks. 00:14:33.920 --> 00:14:36.720 Takes a while before they understand the system. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:37.760 Every team has a system. 00:14:37.760 --> 00:14:39.640 Every team plays a certain way. 00:14:39.640 --> 00:14:42.740 And so that's okay. 00:14:42.740 --> 00:14:46.460 But if you're not a newbie, as in if you've been here for more than six months, then there 00:14:46.460 --> 00:14:51.620 should be something about you, about your composition that is the same as the rest of 00:14:51.620 --> 00:14:55.380 the body or the family that you belong to. 00:14:55.380 --> 00:14:59.380 What are some of the common things in this church? 00:14:59.380 --> 00:15:01.780 What are some of the common things in this church? 00:15:01.780 --> 00:15:04.900 An ease of worship, would you say? 00:15:04.900 --> 00:15:05.900 Let's just look at it, eh? 00:15:05.900 --> 00:15:09.940 Gosh, Lord, where are you going? 00:15:09.940 --> 00:15:11.260 Let's look at it. 00:15:11.260 --> 00:15:14.220 Is there an ease of worship? 00:15:14.220 --> 00:15:15.700 These are some of the things I'd put down. 00:15:15.700 --> 00:15:17.300 If I'm wrong, correct me. 00:15:17.300 --> 00:15:22.980 Really, I mean that with a certain degree of sincerity. 00:15:22.980 --> 00:15:29.900 An ease of worship, as in not that all of us can... 00:15:30.140 --> 00:15:42.100 An ease of worship means it's between father and children. 00:15:42.100 --> 00:15:58.180 Very informal, casual, disorganized and orderly. 00:15:58.180 --> 00:16:04.380 Very prophetic. 00:16:04.380 --> 00:16:16.340 An offering to nations across the globe. 00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:26.140 Hearing God. 00:16:26.140 --> 00:16:45.900 Freeing leaders to run other leaders out of the job. 00:16:45.900 --> 00:16:56.060 Freedom to ask questions, dance, jump around. 00:16:56.060 --> 00:17:03.060 Highly flexible. 00:17:03.060 --> 00:17:07.060 Anything else you want to add to this list? 00:17:07.060 --> 00:17:09.420 Sonship. 00:17:09.420 --> 00:17:16.380 Fathers and sons and sonship. 00:17:16.380 --> 00:17:28.900 We believe that healing is ours as bread is to children. 00:17:28.900 --> 00:17:35.980 Doing things out of rest. 00:17:35.980 --> 00:17:44.100 Not terribly concerned about money. 00:17:45.060 --> 00:17:51.100 Covenant membership. 00:17:51.100 --> 00:17:57.100 As in, it's not a become a member by signing something, it's far deeper than that. 00:17:57.100 --> 00:18:00.100 Anything else? 00:18:00.100 --> 00:18:03.100 Shared life, body. 00:18:03.100 --> 00:18:12.100 The idea of body and family is critical. 00:18:12.100 --> 00:18:14.100 Would you find this? 00:18:14.100 --> 00:18:17.100 We're not raising a church, we're not raising a community, we're raising a family. 00:18:17.100 --> 00:18:18.100 Nothing short of it. 00:18:18.100 --> 00:18:19.100 A church is easy to raise. 00:18:19.100 --> 00:18:21.100 Get a few people together and get a building. 00:18:21.100 --> 00:18:22.100 A community is easy to raise. 00:18:22.100 --> 00:18:24.100 You can still go in and out and do what you want. 00:18:24.100 --> 00:18:25.100 But it's a nice place. 00:18:25.100 --> 00:18:26.100 It's better than a church. 00:18:26.100 --> 00:18:30.100 But a family is very messy and it's not fun. 00:18:30.100 --> 00:18:37.100 Because now there's roles, there's things to do, things to learn. 00:18:37.100 --> 00:18:39.100 Someone sent me a text. 00:18:39.100 --> 00:18:45.100 I don't know whether it was supposed to be a compliment or not, but I took it as a compliment. 00:18:45.100 --> 00:18:49.100 Someone sent me a text last Sunday and this is kind of what we're talking about. 00:18:49.100 --> 00:18:52.100 Here's what the text said. 00:18:52.100 --> 00:18:55.100 It's a testament to how the leaders in this church are doing. 00:18:55.100 --> 00:19:04.100 And the person said... 00:19:04.100 --> 00:19:09.100 Shoot, where is it? 00:19:09.100 --> 00:19:11.100 If you want to find it, it's not there. 00:19:11.100 --> 00:19:19.100 But it was... 00:19:19.100 --> 00:19:21.100 Can't find it. 00:19:21.100 --> 00:19:22.100 It's a very cool text. 00:19:22.100 --> 00:19:27.100 If I find it, I'll read it to you. 00:19:27.100 --> 00:19:28.100 Ah, here's what it says. 00:19:28.100 --> 00:19:29.100 Great. 00:19:29.100 --> 00:19:33.100 Hey Jacob, just so you know, if you really want to head to heaven now, we'd be completely okay with it. 00:19:33.100 --> 00:19:39.100 Don't think I'd be... I'd have been very confident saying this last year. 00:19:39.100 --> 00:19:46.100 So here's one of the leaders in this church saying, hey Jacob, if you want to go to heaven now, it's completely okay with us. 00:19:46.100 --> 00:19:52.100 Speaking on behalf of you, if you want to die and go, feel free to go because we can manage quite well. 00:19:52.100 --> 00:19:57.100 And last year maybe I couldn't have said the same thing, which is great. 00:19:57.100 --> 00:20:00.100 Thank God nobody said, amen. 00:20:00.100 --> 00:20:05.100 But basically, this is what substance looks like. 00:20:05.100 --> 00:20:12.100 If you were to meet somebody, would this be the substance that's found in you? 00:20:12.100 --> 00:20:14.100 These are some of the common things to this church. 00:20:14.100 --> 00:20:18.100 You must have the same composition. 00:20:18.100 --> 00:20:25.100 And if you don't, then you must not pretend to be part of something because you have not put your roots in. 00:20:25.100 --> 00:20:27.100 And you have to learn how to put your roots in. 00:20:27.100 --> 00:20:30.100 Put your roots in Christ and then put your roots in the body that you belong to. 00:20:30.100 --> 00:20:33.100 Put your roots in Christ and the body that you belong to. 00:20:33.100 --> 00:20:36.100 The strange thing is you cannot opt for one or the other. 00:20:36.100 --> 00:20:39.100 You cannot follow Christ without being part of the body. 00:20:39.100 --> 00:20:43.100 Impossible. It's scripturally not legit. 00:20:49.100 --> 00:20:53.100 It is not possible to follow Christ without being part of the body of Christ. 00:20:53.100 --> 00:20:57.100 You cannot be connected to the head without being part of the body. 00:20:57.100 --> 00:20:59.100 Not possible. 00:21:01.100 --> 00:21:03.100 Any questions? 00:21:03.100 --> 00:21:05.100 Do you mind if I light up the room? 00:21:22.100 --> 00:21:30.100 The crazy thing is all this would still work if I went to heaven like this person was not hoping but saying. 00:21:30.100 --> 00:21:33.100 So it's not based on one person anymore. 00:21:35.100 --> 00:21:40.100 This would work even if a few leaders got raptured and the rest of you were left behind. 00:21:40.100 --> 00:21:42.100 Just kidding. 00:21:49.100 --> 00:21:51.100 Something else across does. 00:21:52.100 --> 00:21:56.100 Atonement and cancellation. 00:21:57.100 --> 00:22:03.100 Hey guys, atonement is usually thought of in Christian circles as appeasement. 00:22:03.100 --> 00:22:10.100 And while the Bible uses the word appeasement, appeasement is what most religions work on. 00:22:10.100 --> 00:22:13.100 Where you need to appease your God. 00:22:17.100 --> 00:22:22.100 Where you give sacrifices, you do things to appease an angry God. 00:22:23.100 --> 00:22:25.100 I would suggest to you, atonement is not appeasement. 00:22:25.100 --> 00:22:27.100 Atonement is justice. 00:22:27.100 --> 00:22:33.100 Where God in his justice requires that sins be atoned for. 00:22:35.100 --> 00:22:41.100 God in his holiness and justice or in his righteousness and justice. 00:22:41.100 --> 00:22:46.100 And both come from the same Hebrew word, sidkenu. 00:22:47.100 --> 00:22:52.100 Request that sins be atoned or covered. 00:22:52.100 --> 00:22:55.100 We must not think along the lines of appeasement. 00:22:55.100 --> 00:22:59.100 Jacob in the Old Testament thought in terms of appeasement. 00:22:59.100 --> 00:23:01.100 He saw us coming, he's angry with me. 00:23:01.100 --> 00:23:03.100 I've got to appease him, I've got to send him gifts. 00:23:03.100 --> 00:23:05.100 I've got to send gifts ahead of me. 00:23:05.100 --> 00:23:07.100 Hopefully he'll spare my life. 00:23:07.100 --> 00:23:09.100 The prodigal son thinks appeasement. 00:23:09.100 --> 00:23:11.100 I've left my father, I've taken away his money. 00:23:11.100 --> 00:23:12.100 I better go back. 00:23:12.100 --> 00:23:14.100 I'll tell him I'll come in as a servant. 00:23:14.100 --> 00:23:15.100 Let me appease him. 00:23:15.100 --> 00:23:19.100 Appeasement is a religious human idea. 00:23:19.100 --> 00:23:23.100 I'm not saying that appeasement is not a term used in the Bible. 00:23:23.100 --> 00:23:25.100 But I'm saying when you think of atonement, 00:23:25.100 --> 00:23:29.100 you've got to think not, I've got to somehow satisfy the wrath of an angry God. 00:23:30.100 --> 00:23:33.100 Because it doesn't fit with the nature of a father. 00:23:34.100 --> 00:23:35.100 Got to shift from that. 00:23:35.100 --> 00:23:37.100 Appeasement always brings up guilt. 00:23:39.100 --> 00:23:41.100 We think in terms of atonement. 00:23:41.100 --> 00:23:45.100 As in someone has to atone or cover what has happened and someone has atoned and covered. 00:23:49.100 --> 00:23:50.100 Cancellation. 00:23:51.100 --> 00:23:53.100 There's a debt that you owed that has been cancelled. 00:23:53.100 --> 00:23:54.100 You do not need to pay it. 00:23:54.100 --> 00:23:57.100 And if you don't have to pay it, the tormentors cannot come after you. 00:23:57.100 --> 00:24:02.100 Matthew 18, 34 talks about a servant who had to pay and when he did not pay, 00:24:02.100 --> 00:24:07.100 he was thrown into prison where the tormentors had a field day with him because he hadn't paid. 00:24:08.100 --> 00:24:14.100 Cancellation of debts means I do not have to be tormented by guilt, by condemnation, by the demonic. 00:24:16.100 --> 00:24:23.100 That's why it's go cancel things that you think are handwritten against you every day. 00:24:23.100 --> 00:24:24.100 Because it's already done. 00:24:24.100 --> 00:24:30.100 But you can appropriate it today for the things that you think need to be conversed with with God. 00:24:31.100 --> 00:24:35.100 But know that when you get up, you get up with your debts cancelled. 00:24:37.100 --> 00:24:43.100 I remember this family that had paid for my tuition and other things and I owed them. 00:24:43.100 --> 00:24:51.100 And they would write down the list of what I had to return to them on a piece of paper and ran into thousands of dollars. 00:24:51.100 --> 00:24:57.100 Then one day they called me and had coffee and cookies and stuff like that. 00:24:57.100 --> 00:24:59.100 All kind of German cooking. 00:24:59.100 --> 00:25:02.100 And they had it all spread before me and I was wondering why. 00:25:02.100 --> 00:25:05.100 And they said, we just wanted to have a party. 00:25:05.100 --> 00:25:06.100 I said, why? 00:25:06.100 --> 00:25:07.100 They said, look at this paper. 00:25:07.100 --> 00:25:09.100 And I had been paying it off. 00:25:09.100 --> 00:25:14.100 And I had paid off the last five thousand and I did not even know it. 00:25:14.100 --> 00:25:17.100 But they were celebrating because I had paid off all my debts. 00:25:17.100 --> 00:25:19.100 And there was some two thousand or something left. 00:25:19.100 --> 00:25:20.100 They just forgave it. 00:25:20.100 --> 00:25:23.100 And we had this party where all my debts were cancelled. 00:25:23.100 --> 00:25:25.100 And they actually said, Jacob, can we burn this paper? 00:25:25.100 --> 00:25:27.100 And we burnt it up. 00:25:27.100 --> 00:25:30.100 This was 24 years ago or something. 00:25:30.100 --> 00:25:35.100 The point being this, that at the end of the day, there is nothing outstanding against me. 00:25:35.100 --> 00:25:39.100 I stand here before you with nothing outstanding against me. 00:25:39.100 --> 00:25:41.100 There's a cancellation of debts. 00:25:41.100 --> 00:25:44.100 Therefore, the tormentor cannot have me at will. 00:25:44.100 --> 00:25:47.100 Therefore, my debtors cannot pursue me. 00:25:47.100 --> 00:25:53.100 There is a freedom or a ransoming from hell that Psalm 103 talks about that is very real. 00:25:53.100 --> 00:25:55.100 He ransoms my soul from hell. 00:25:55.100 --> 00:25:58.100 As in I'm free from the tormentor. 00:25:58.100 --> 00:26:02.100 I can get into his clutches again, but there is always freedom from the tormentor. 00:26:03.100 --> 00:26:04.100 Andy Stanley put up. 00:26:04.100 --> 00:26:05.100 We won't go there yet. 00:26:11.100 --> 00:26:13.100 So here's the question, guys. 00:26:13.100 --> 00:26:16.100 And we've talked about this about two years ago. 00:26:16.100 --> 00:26:18.100 Are you forgiven? 00:26:18.100 --> 00:26:21.100 And if you say you are, then here are the questions that follow. 00:26:21.100 --> 00:26:22.100 Are you forgiven? 00:26:22.100 --> 00:26:26.100 If so, are you confident there is no more hostility? 00:26:26.100 --> 00:26:31.100 Are you confident there is no more anger being held against you by God? 00:26:31.100 --> 00:26:37.100 Are you confident right now that there is no anger being held against you? 00:26:37.100 --> 00:26:39.100 That he's not holding anything against you? 00:26:39.100 --> 00:26:42.100 Are you confident that there is no separation between you and God? 00:26:42.100 --> 00:26:45.100 Even though you think there's something between you and God? 00:26:45.100 --> 00:26:48.100 Are you confident there is no punishment waiting for you? 00:26:48.100 --> 00:26:50.100 No accident going to happen to you? 00:26:52.100 --> 00:26:56.100 Are you confident that no sin of yours is presently remembered? 00:27:01.100 --> 00:27:04.100 Are you confident of condition-free intimacy? 00:27:04.100 --> 00:27:08.100 Condition-free intimacy from his side? 00:27:08.100 --> 00:27:14.100 You may have to develop your side, but are you confident of condition-free intimacy with God? 00:27:14.100 --> 00:27:19.100 Are you confident of kind-hearted compassion surrounding you right now? 00:27:21.100 --> 00:27:27.100 Fills your ears with good days and surrounds you with loving kindness, kind-hearted compassion. 00:27:27.100 --> 00:27:29.100 Are you ready to be a good person? 00:27:29.100 --> 00:27:33.100 Kind-hearted compassion, are you a recipient of it right now? 00:27:34.100 --> 00:27:40.100 Do you know that you have boldness of entry into his presence, like children do into their dad's study? 00:27:45.100 --> 00:27:49.100 Free access to tons of grace and favor, free access to favor. 00:27:51.100 --> 00:27:54.100 K-H-A-N-E in Hebrew. 00:27:54.100 --> 00:27:59.100 If this is how you think, then you are a forgiven people. 00:27:59.100 --> 00:28:06.100 If this is not how you think, 24-7, then you are not a forgiven people, even though you're a forgiven people. 00:28:06.100 --> 00:28:08.100 What does forgiveness get you? 00:28:08.100 --> 00:28:10.100 Forgiveness does not get you a clean slate. 00:28:10.100 --> 00:28:13.100 Forgiveness does not free you from condemnation or guilt. 00:28:13.100 --> 00:28:16.100 More than anything else, forgiveness gets you God. 00:28:16.100 --> 00:28:18.100 Forgiveness gets you God. 00:28:18.100 --> 00:28:21.100 You get to have God as a companion. 00:28:21.100 --> 00:28:24.100 You get to have God as a companion forever. 00:28:24.100 --> 00:28:27.100 And when you have God, all those other things happen. 00:28:27.100 --> 00:28:29.100 Forgiveness is not about a clean slate. 00:28:29.100 --> 00:28:31.100 That's an Old Testament way of functioning. 00:28:33.100 --> 00:28:35.100 Forgiveness gets me a clean slate with God. 00:28:35.100 --> 00:28:38.100 Therefore, now that I have a clean slate with God, perhaps life will work out. 00:28:38.100 --> 00:28:41.100 Nope, forgiveness gets you God. 00:28:42.100 --> 00:28:44.100 God gets you the rest. 00:28:51.100 --> 00:29:01.100 This pastor on Facebook, I saw a quote of his. 00:29:01.100 --> 00:29:04.100 I do have Facebook, though I don't post anything. 00:29:04.100 --> 00:29:08.100 I know. Facebook is old. 00:29:08.100 --> 00:29:12.100 Here was his line. 00:29:12.100 --> 00:29:13.100 Here was his line. 00:29:13.100 --> 00:29:24.100 He said, God in announcing forgiveness in advance took a huge risk. 00:29:24.100 --> 00:29:31.100 God in announcing forgiveness in advance took a huge risk. 00:29:31.100 --> 00:29:35.100 It's like telling someone, hey, you're forgiven. 00:29:35.100 --> 00:29:39.100 That for the rest of your life, you are forgiven. 00:29:40.100 --> 00:29:43.100 It is so unconditional, it is scary. 00:29:43.100 --> 00:29:46.100 Which is why Romans 6 happens. 00:29:46.100 --> 00:29:51.100 Where Paul says, now that you have free grace and forgiveness, does that mean that you sin more? 00:29:51.100 --> 00:29:53.100 No. 00:29:55.100 --> 00:29:59.100 It's like giving someone a get out of jail card in Monopoly. 00:29:59.100 --> 00:30:03.100 It doesn't matter how many times you end up, you always can get out of jail. 00:30:05.100 --> 00:30:08.100 There's something happening between the John brothers. 00:30:10.100 --> 00:30:12.100 Oh, you are out of jail right now? 00:30:18.100 --> 00:30:22.100 Yeah, you could use coming to church as a get out of jail card. 00:30:24.100 --> 00:30:28.100 Sorry, thank God this is not being recorded. 00:30:29.100 --> 00:30:34.100 Another thing that was launched on the cross, Kingdom. 00:30:35.100 --> 00:30:37.100 Kingdom was launched. 00:30:37.100 --> 00:30:39.100 The cross launches the Kingdom. 00:30:39.100 --> 00:30:42.100 The cross launches Kingdom. 00:30:43.100 --> 00:30:53.100 It's the throne from which Christ rules. 00:30:57.100 --> 00:30:59.100 Imagine this, eh? 00:30:59.100 --> 00:31:03.100 There was no moment more kingly than Jesus on the cross. 00:31:03.100 --> 00:31:07.100 Because in that one act, he forgives sins of the entire world. 00:31:07.100 --> 00:31:10.100 He dismantles the powers of darkness. 00:31:15.100 --> 00:31:17.100 And establishes the Kingdom. 00:31:19.100 --> 00:31:22.100 Establishes priests and kings. 00:31:24.100 --> 00:31:25.100 One act. 00:31:25.100 --> 00:31:27.100 Now how does he do it? 00:31:27.100 --> 00:31:31.100 He does it through a humiliating, humiliated king. 00:31:32.100 --> 00:31:34.100 Dying on a cross. 00:31:35.100 --> 00:31:37.100 That's how he does it. 00:31:41.100 --> 00:31:47.100 Like I said before, salvation is not about you inviting Jesus into your life. 00:31:47.100 --> 00:31:48.100 Remember that. 00:31:48.100 --> 00:31:51.100 Salvation is not about you inviting Jesus into your life. 00:31:51.100 --> 00:31:56.100 Salvation is about a king who has established a Kingdom. 00:31:56.100 --> 00:32:01.100 Inviting you into the Kingdom through his death and through you believing in his death. 00:32:01.100 --> 00:32:04.100 Salvation is not, oh Jesus, I invite you into my life. 00:32:04.100 --> 00:32:07.100 That sounds like it was your action that made it happen. 00:32:07.100 --> 00:32:08.100 That's not what he says. 00:32:08.100 --> 00:32:12.100 He says, unless you be born again you cannot enter the Kingdom. 00:32:12.100 --> 00:32:14.100 He establishes a Kingdom. 00:32:14.100 --> 00:32:16.100 And he says, you're not the one inviting me. 00:32:16.100 --> 00:32:18.100 I am inviting you. 00:32:19.100 --> 00:32:21.100 I've created a Kingdom. 00:32:21.100 --> 00:32:22.100 I'm inviting you. 00:32:22.100 --> 00:32:23.100 You want to join this Kingdom? 00:32:23.100 --> 00:32:25.100 There's only one way to join this Kingdom. 00:32:25.100 --> 00:32:26.100 It is through the death of the King. 00:32:26.100 --> 00:32:30.100 And you believe that he died for you and that this King now reigns. 00:32:32.100 --> 00:32:33.100 He is inviting you. 00:32:33.100 --> 00:32:35.100 You're not inviting him. 00:32:41.100 --> 00:32:43.100 The cross launches a Kingdom. 00:32:43.100 --> 00:32:45.100 It's a throne from which Christ rules. 00:32:45.100 --> 00:32:48.100 It's a throne that dismantled every other Kingdom in the world. 00:32:48.100 --> 00:32:54.100 It's a throne that began to now establish men and women as priests and kings who will reign with him. 00:32:55.100 --> 00:33:00.100 And it is where the one thing that separated God from mankind is completely destroyed. 00:33:00.100 --> 00:33:01.100 Nailed. 00:33:02.100 --> 00:33:06.100 The handwritten law and the sins that came from it. 00:33:08.100 --> 00:33:09.100 Yep. 00:33:13.100 --> 00:33:14.100 Yeah. 00:33:19.100 --> 00:33:23.100 God pays for my sins, which were outstanding. 00:33:24.100 --> 00:33:27.100 And therefore there is nothing now between God and me. 00:33:27.100 --> 00:33:29.100 And therefore he is forgiven. 00:33:29.100 --> 00:33:31.100 He's paid the price and he's forgiven me. 00:33:31.100 --> 00:33:40.100 But when I decide that this is what God has done for me, it is only then that I am now connected to him. 00:33:40.100 --> 00:33:47.100 Just because Christ died for the world and paid for its sins doesn't mean the world is in right relationship with him. 00:33:48.100 --> 00:33:53.100 But more than anything else, his death on the cross gets mankind caught. 00:33:55.100 --> 00:33:57.100 Here is an invitation back to the father. 00:34:00.100 --> 00:34:02.100 Because we make it a list of other things. 00:34:02.100 --> 00:34:04.100 Forgiveness gets me a clean slate. 00:34:04.100 --> 00:34:06.100 Forgiveness gets me to heaven. 00:34:06.100 --> 00:34:16.100 We don't realize that while that is partly true, the main reason is the intent was can everything be reconciled back to God, including all of creation, not just mankind. 00:34:16.100 --> 00:34:18.100 Everything reconciled. 00:34:18.100 --> 00:34:20.100 No, nothing outstanding. 00:34:20.100 --> 00:34:22.100 It gets you God. 00:34:25.100 --> 00:34:27.100 And treasure that. 00:34:29.100 --> 00:34:33.100 The most supernatural thing that happens is God begins to live in you. 00:34:34.100 --> 00:34:36.100 It's a miracle. 00:34:37.100 --> 00:34:39.100 The creator of the universe, it's a miracle. 00:34:39.100 --> 00:34:42.100 The creator of the universe lives in you, in you, in you. 00:34:42.100 --> 00:34:44.100 He lives in you. 00:34:46.100 --> 00:34:52.100 This is why death should not frighten us. 00:34:52.100 --> 00:34:55.100 It's an instant, it's an instant. 00:34:56.100 --> 00:35:02.100 Microsecond where suddenly you just shed this body. 00:35:02.100 --> 00:35:03.100 That's all that happens. 00:35:03.100 --> 00:35:04.100 Nothing else happens. 00:35:04.100 --> 00:35:08.100 What we may perhaps be afraid of is the pain of death. 00:35:08.100 --> 00:35:10.100 That is understandable. 00:35:10.100 --> 00:35:16.100 Because Jesus does talk about this idea of a day when there'll be no pain, no tears, no fears. 00:35:16.100 --> 00:35:21.100 But death itself, if you're afraid of it, begin to radically question your Christianity. 00:35:23.100 --> 00:35:26.100 Because there should be absolutely no fear of death. 00:35:26.100 --> 00:35:28.100 Because it's already declared it. 00:35:28.100 --> 00:35:29.100 Where is your sting? 00:35:29.100 --> 00:35:31.100 As in it's taken away. 00:35:32.100 --> 00:35:35.100 Nobody here should ever be afraid of death. 00:35:37.100 --> 00:35:39.100 The world is afraid of it, eh? 00:35:40.100 --> 00:35:46.100 The scriptures talk about it. 00:35:46.100 --> 00:35:51.100 That he uses death as a means of enslavement, the devil. 00:35:51.100 --> 00:35:55.100 And Christ came to break that fear of death forever. 00:35:57.100 --> 00:35:59.100 Don't be afraid of dying. 00:35:59.100 --> 00:36:03.100 It's an enemy, but it's still not an enemy you need to fear. 00:36:08.100 --> 00:36:21.100 Unconditional love, the cross guarantees unconditional inseparable love. 00:36:21.100 --> 00:36:29.100 Guarantees unconditional inseparability. 00:36:37.100 --> 00:36:40.100 Guarantees unconditional inseparability. 00:36:40.100 --> 00:36:42.100 Romans 8, 31-35. 00:36:42.100 --> 00:36:43.100 What can separate me? 00:36:43.100 --> 00:36:46.100 There's not a moment in my life where I won't be present before God. 00:36:46.100 --> 00:36:47.100 Not a moment. 00:36:47.100 --> 00:36:50.100 Not a moment in my life where I won't be present before God. 00:36:50.100 --> 00:36:51.100 Never a moment. 00:36:52.100 --> 00:36:57.100 Eli, Eli, Lama, Lama Sabachthani is not a word that I will ever speak. 00:36:57.100 --> 00:36:59.100 I will never have to speak that again. 00:36:59.100 --> 00:37:00.100 It's a lie. 00:37:00.100 --> 00:37:04.100 Abandonment is a lie that is tried on us every day. 00:37:04.100 --> 00:37:06.100 It is a lie. 00:37:06.100 --> 00:37:09.100 It will be tried on you every day. 00:37:09.100 --> 00:37:11.100 It was tried in the Garden of Eden. 00:37:11.100 --> 00:37:13.100 It will be tried again and again. 00:37:14.100 --> 00:37:18.100 And always end up with God being the scapegoat, eh? 00:37:18.100 --> 00:37:24.100 Doesn't matter whether I abandon you, your parents abandon you, your spouse abandons you, your church abandons you. 00:37:24.100 --> 00:37:29.100 At the end of the day, in our lament, we go back to God and we say, where were you? 00:37:32.100 --> 00:37:37.100 Interpersonal relationships always end up with God being the scapegoat when we let each other down. 00:37:41.100 --> 00:37:45.100 Doesn't matter whether Ranita is striving against cancer. 00:37:45.100 --> 00:37:48.100 It doesn't matter whether you are dealing with something where you have abandonment. 00:37:48.100 --> 00:37:53.100 It doesn't matter whether Matt and his brother are struggling with the fact that their mother has cancer. 00:37:53.100 --> 00:37:59.100 At the end of the day, it always ends up with us putting the blame on God. 00:37:59.100 --> 00:38:01.100 In their case, it's an extreme situation. 00:38:01.100 --> 00:38:04.100 In the rest of our cases, it's small things. 00:38:04.100 --> 00:38:11.100 But the intent always is, can I bring back a sense of abandonment into Jacob's life just as I did in Eden? 00:38:11.100 --> 00:38:12.100 Can I do it again? 00:38:12.100 --> 00:38:18.100 So that every time he looks at the face of God, he will look with suspicion and not unconditional inseparability. 00:38:18.100 --> 00:38:21.100 And it happens again and again and again every day. 00:38:31.100 --> 00:38:32.100 Happens to me, happens to you. 00:38:32.100 --> 00:38:34.100 Let's not pretend it doesn't happen to us. 00:38:37.100 --> 00:38:38.100 It's an old trick. 00:38:38.100 --> 00:38:43.100 And yet, sometimes it's good to have a cross in your house. 00:38:43.100 --> 00:38:50.100 Not to bow before it, but to just remember that abandonment is forever undone. 00:38:55.100 --> 00:39:00.100 And in having that cross, every time you look at it, it's a guarantee of inseparability. 00:39:00.100 --> 00:39:02.100 A guarantee of inseparability. 00:39:08.100 --> 00:39:10.100 How do we know the depth of someone's love? 00:39:10.100 --> 00:39:13.100 How do we know the depth of someone's love? 00:39:13.100 --> 00:39:16.100 One, what did it cost them? 00:39:16.100 --> 00:39:18.100 What did it cost? 00:39:20.100 --> 00:39:23.100 Let's them, him, her. 00:39:23.100 --> 00:39:24.100 What did it cost them? 00:39:24.100 --> 00:39:31.100 Two, how little did we deserve it? 00:39:31.100 --> 00:39:33.100 How little did we deserve it? 00:39:33.100 --> 00:39:41.100 Three, what benefits did we receive? 00:39:47.100 --> 00:39:51.100 Four, how much freedom did the love come with? 00:39:51.100 --> 00:39:55.100 Beautiful questions, eh? 00:40:03.100 --> 00:40:09.100 Five, did the person have the choice to not do it? 00:40:12.100 --> 00:40:19.100 Have the freedom to walk away? 00:40:22.100 --> 00:40:24.100 How do we know someone's love? 00:40:24.100 --> 00:40:26.100 How much did it cost them? 00:40:26.100 --> 00:40:28.100 How much did it cost them? 00:40:29.100 --> 00:40:33.100 How much did I deserve it? 00:40:34.100 --> 00:40:39.100 What are the benefits I received because of this act of love? 00:40:39.100 --> 00:40:41.100 How much freedom did the love come with? 00:40:41.100 --> 00:40:44.100 Is it making me beholden? Is it making me oblige? 00:40:44.100 --> 00:40:46.100 Is it making me a prisoner? 00:40:46.100 --> 00:40:49.100 Is it controlling? 00:40:49.100 --> 00:40:54.100 Did the person have the freedom to walk away? 00:40:58.100 --> 00:41:10.100 Chuck Colson talks about this 19-year-old who was a prisoner of war in a camp. 00:41:10.100 --> 00:41:15.100 And these 20 prisoners would have to go dig trenches throughout the day. 00:41:15.100 --> 00:41:16.100 And then they would come back. 00:41:16.100 --> 00:41:22.100 And when they would come back, the guard would come and count the number of shovels that were given out for digging. 00:41:22.100 --> 00:41:25.100 And if a shovel was missing, that is the end of you. 00:41:25.100 --> 00:41:27.100 And so one day they come back and they count the shovels. 00:41:27.100 --> 00:41:29.100 The guard counts the shovels. 00:41:29.100 --> 00:41:32.100 There are 19 shovels, not 20. 00:41:32.100 --> 00:41:43.100 And so he lines them up and threatens to shoot five people if the person who stole a shovel doesn't come up. 00:41:43.100 --> 00:41:47.100 And this 19-year-old kid comes up and says, I'm the one who stole it. 00:41:47.100 --> 00:41:51.100 And he shoots him on the spot. 00:41:51.100 --> 00:41:56.100 Then he goes and counts the shovels again, and there are 20 shovels. 00:41:56.100 --> 00:42:01.100 He just miscounted it the first time. 00:42:01.100 --> 00:42:09.100 And you think about this 19-year-old who has a future before him, has perhaps a wife and kids that he can marry, 00:42:09.100 --> 00:42:13.100 has a life that he can build once he's released from prison. 00:42:13.100 --> 00:42:20.100 And despite all that, he decides, nope, he's the one that's going to throw away all the money that he's going to make. 00:42:20.100 --> 00:42:28.100 He's the one that's going to throw away everything for the sake of 19 others, even though he hasn't stolen it. 00:42:28.100 --> 00:42:38.100 When you ask these questions, this is how you evaluate love. 00:42:38.100 --> 00:42:46.100 Everything about the cross is self-giving. 00:42:46.100 --> 00:42:53.100 Self-giving. 00:42:53.100 --> 00:43:08.100 What reason do you have to live your life for your own sake? 00:43:23.100 --> 00:43:31.100 Silla. 00:43:31.100 --> 00:43:38.100 Powers were dismantled on the cross. 00:43:38.100 --> 00:43:44.100 Powers were dismantled on the cross. 00:43:44.100 --> 00:43:55.100 Powers and principalities were stripped. 00:43:55.100 --> 00:43:58.100 They were exposed. 00:43:58.100 --> 00:44:01.100 They were paraded. 00:44:01.100 --> 00:44:06.100 The more you reflect on this, sometimes it's worth watching Chronicles of Narnia. 00:44:06.100 --> 00:44:11.100 Watch how the powers dance as Aslan is placed on the rock slab. 00:44:11.100 --> 00:44:16.100 Watch how they begin to rejoice at the fact that Aslan is finally killed. 00:44:16.100 --> 00:44:23.100 And then watch the fear that begins to grip them as they find the slab cracking and Aslan missing. 00:44:23.100 --> 00:44:27.100 Watch Aslan return in his splendor. 00:44:27.100 --> 00:44:29.100 Watch the dismantling of powers. 00:44:29.100 --> 00:44:32.100 Watch spears and swords being broken. 00:44:32.100 --> 00:44:38.100 Watch them being paraded in the triumphant procession of Christ as prisoners. 00:44:38.100 --> 00:44:45.100 An idea of what happened at the cross, just through reading of scriptures, just through reading Colossians 1, Colossians 2, 00:44:45.100 --> 00:44:56.100 is sometimes enough to give you a boldness and an authority within you that comes with the word and the understanding of the word that you have over the powers. 00:44:56.100 --> 00:44:58.100 Two things that are necessary for Christians. 00:44:58.100 --> 00:45:09.100 Righteousness so that you can walk free and then the understanding of authority so that you can set others free. 00:45:09.100 --> 00:45:18.100 Any questions before we go to the last one? 00:45:18.100 --> 00:45:20.100 What do you think communion is, guys? 00:45:20.100 --> 00:45:26.100 One of the things communion is, it's a public judgment of the gods of Egypt and the diseases of Egypt. 00:45:26.100 --> 00:45:38.100 Communion is a public judgment, a public declaration of God's judgment on the gods of Egypt and the diseases of Egypt. 00:45:38.100 --> 00:45:39.100 That's what God says. 00:45:39.100 --> 00:45:48.100 Every time you partake of this Passover meal, he says, as you do this, you're publicly declaring that I judged the gods of Egypt and I judged the diseases of Egypt. 00:45:48.100 --> 00:45:53.100 And these diseases of Egypt shall not come upon you. 00:45:53.100 --> 00:46:03.100 There was a time in this church where we used to practice communion everywhere, every day, sometimes while flying an airplane, sometimes in restaurants. 00:46:03.100 --> 00:46:05.100 We'd be sitting in restaurants and we'd break bread. 00:46:05.100 --> 00:46:10.100 We'd be flying and we'd break bread. 00:46:10.100 --> 00:46:19.100 It is a public declaration of the judgment of God on the diseases of Egypt and the gods of Egypt. 00:46:19.100 --> 00:46:45.100 Lastly, across the earth from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth. 00:46:45.100 --> 00:46:47.100 What is the proclamation? 00:46:47.100 --> 00:47:11.100 In John 3, John 3, 14, Jesus first says to Nicodemus that just as Moses made a snake and lifted it up in the desert, so the Son of Man will be lifted up. 00:47:11.100 --> 00:47:27.100 Then he says to the Pharisees in John 8, 28, he says it to the Pharisees, a day is coming when I will be lifted up and then you will know that I am. 00:47:27.100 --> 00:47:35.100 And then he says it in John 12, 26, to follow me is to come after me. 00:47:35.100 --> 00:47:52.100 Where I am there my servants will be also and when I am lifted up, I will draw all men unto me. 00:47:52.100 --> 00:48:12.100 And so what's my job? My job is now to make sure that this is proclaimed with words, songs, life, action, church, every which way. 00:48:12.100 --> 00:48:17.100 Lifting Jesus Christ up, displaying him, displaying him. 00:48:17.100 --> 00:48:20.100 If he be lifted up, if he be lifted up. 00:48:20.100 --> 00:48:22.100 It's this amazing scene, eh? 00:48:22.100 --> 00:48:31.100 So he's talking to people and then suddenly he starts praying because he used to switch from talking to people to praying to his Father with such ease. 00:48:31.100 --> 00:48:37.100 And that's when he begins to say, Oh God, would you please glorify me? 00:48:37.100 --> 00:48:42.100 And for the third time and perhaps the first time publicly, a voice from heaven is heard. 00:48:42.100 --> 00:48:46.100 And the voice says, I have glorified you and I will glorify you again. 00:48:46.100 --> 00:48:49.100 But this time everybody seems to hear it. 00:48:49.100 --> 00:48:55.100 The first time God spoke was at the baptism and when he spoke at the baptism, it looks like only John may have heard it. 00:48:55.100 --> 00:49:03.100 Because John is the one who says, and I saw a dove and I heard a voice saying that this is my begotten son. 00:49:03.100 --> 00:49:06.100 And then the second time it happened, it's on the Mount of Transfiguration. 00:49:06.100 --> 00:49:08.100 Only three others heard it. Peter, John, James. 00:49:08.100 --> 00:49:10.100 This is my beloved son. Listen to him. 00:49:10.100 --> 00:49:14.100 But this time around in John 12, it's the first time that everybody is hearing it. 00:49:14.100 --> 00:49:17.100 Everybody who's here, hears it. 00:49:17.100 --> 00:49:21.100 Some think it's thunder. Some think it's an angel. 00:49:21.100 --> 00:49:26.100 But some actually hear the voice of majesty from on high. 00:49:28.100 --> 00:49:31.100 That I have glorified it and I will glorify it again. 00:49:34.100 --> 00:49:37.100 What is Jesus saying? Jesus saying, Hey, Father. 00:49:37.100 --> 00:49:44.100 And the words before that sets to rest this whole Christian idea that Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane. 00:49:44.100 --> 00:49:51.100 And he was trying to get out of crucifixion by saying, If this cup can pass away, thy will but not mine. 00:49:51.100 --> 00:49:54.100 I've heard so many sermons about Jesus was very human. 00:49:54.100 --> 00:49:57.100 He wanted to see if God would give him another way. 00:49:57.100 --> 00:50:00.100 Nope. John 12 26 settles it forever. 00:50:00.100 --> 00:50:04.100 Here's what Jesus says. For this hour I was born. 00:50:04.100 --> 00:50:08.100 At this time, do you think I will walk away from this? 00:50:08.100 --> 00:50:11.100 No. For this hour I was born. 00:50:11.100 --> 00:50:14.100 He was very concrete in what he was supposed to do. 00:50:14.100 --> 00:50:20.100 You got to take the whole tapestry of the Gospels to understand that he wasn't trying to get out of this man. 00:50:20.100 --> 00:50:24.100 He said, This is why I was born. I was born to die. 00:50:24.100 --> 00:50:28.100 Will I move away from this cup? Absolutely not. 00:50:28.100 --> 00:50:32.100 And then he says, Oh God, will you glorify me? 00:50:32.100 --> 00:50:37.100 And then he hears the voice of God saying, I will glorify you and I will glorify you again. 00:50:41.100 --> 00:50:47.100 Lift him up guys. 00:50:47.100 --> 00:50:53.100 Through your words, through your words. 00:50:53.100 --> 00:50:56.100 Please don't forget words. Use words. 00:50:56.100 --> 00:50:58.100 Please don't forget words. 00:50:58.100 --> 00:51:01.100 Guys, on one hand we'll be held accountable for every word we speak. 00:51:01.100 --> 00:51:05.100 On the other hand, we'll also be held accountable for every word we did not speak. 00:51:05.100 --> 00:51:09.100 Use words. I beg you. 00:51:09.100 --> 00:51:18.100 I'll do everything in my power to make you use words. 00:51:32.100 --> 00:51:34.100 It is finished. 00:51:34.100 --> 00:51:37.100 It is finished. 00:51:37.100 --> 00:51:40.100 It is finished. 00:51:40.100 --> 00:51:43.100 It's your turn to say as we, sorry, go ahead. 00:51:43.100 --> 00:51:47.100 Sorry, I was using words now that I was thinking, Oh, that's a secret joke. 00:51:47.100 --> 00:51:50.100 He's telling us it's a secret. 00:51:50.100 --> 00:51:53.100 I thought it was, how do you mean, how do you? 00:51:53.100 --> 00:51:58.100 Okay, I will use that at the end. 00:51:58.100 --> 00:52:02.100 Say wow, you know. 00:52:02.100 --> 00:52:09.100 Okay, I will. 00:52:09.100 --> 00:52:11.100 It is finished. 00:52:11.100 --> 00:52:19.100 As we partake in communion, go down, you should go down the line of I am done. 00:52:19.100 --> 00:52:25.100 I am undone. 00:52:25.100 --> 00:52:27.100 Go that route, eh? 00:52:27.100 --> 00:52:34.100 We'll take part in communion right now. 00:52:34.100 --> 00:52:37.100 Do it on your own. 00:52:37.100 --> 00:52:39.100 Eat it on your own. 00:52:39.100 --> 00:52:41.100 We won't eat and drink together. Do it on your own. 00:52:41.100 --> 00:52:44.100 But remember, as we take part in communion, it is finished. 00:52:44.100 --> 00:52:46.100 What you're saying is I am done. 00:52:46.100 --> 00:52:49.100 I am. 00:52:49.100 --> 00:52:51.100 Remember the question we always ask? 00:52:51.100 --> 00:52:54.100 Whose am I? 00:52:54.100 --> 00:52:56.100 What's the answer? 00:52:56.100 --> 00:53:02.100 First answer is I am not my own. 00:53:02.100 --> 00:53:08.100 Till you give up ownership, you can't be anybody else's. 00:53:08.100 --> 00:53:11.100 We are in a hurry to say that whose am I? 00:53:11.100 --> 00:53:12.100 I am Christ. 00:53:12.100 --> 00:53:14.100 Not possible. 00:53:14.100 --> 00:53:20.100 The scriptures say that you have to first go here before you can go here. 00:53:20.100 --> 00:53:21.100 Whose am I? 00:53:21.100 --> 00:53:23.100 I am not my own. 00:53:23.100 --> 00:53:27.100 Till you go there, you cannot go to I am Christ. 00:53:27.100 --> 00:53:33.100 And then as soon as you say I am Christ, you also now have the option of saying I am yours. 00:53:33.100 --> 00:53:37.100 As in, I am yours, I am yours. 00:53:37.100 --> 00:53:39.100 Those are options we have. 00:53:39.100 --> 00:53:41.100 Don't go here if you don't want to. 00:53:41.100 --> 00:53:43.100 But you cannot go here if you don't go here. 00:53:43.100 --> 00:53:45.100 This has to be one. 00:53:45.100 --> 00:53:47.100 This has to be two. 00:53:47.100 --> 00:53:50.100 The third option is entirely up to you. 00:53:50.100 --> 00:53:54.100 If you say it, you've got to mean it because it will be demanded of you. 00:53:54.100 --> 00:53:56.100 But don't say it if you don't mean it. 00:53:56.100 --> 00:53:58.100 You might need more time. 00:53:58.100 --> 00:54:00.100 That's completely okay. 00:54:00.100 --> 00:54:01.100 Whose am I? 00:54:01.100 --> 00:54:02.100 I am not my own. 00:54:02.100 --> 00:54:03.100 Whose am I? 00:54:03.100 --> 00:54:05.100 Now that I am not my own, I am Christ. 00:54:05.100 --> 00:54:06.100 Whose am I? 00:54:06.100 --> 00:54:12.100 Now that I am not my own and I am Christ, I also belong to you. 00:54:12.100 --> 00:54:15.100 But don't go to the third one because it's a hard place to go to. 00:54:15.100 --> 00:54:19.100 Because the moment you say that, you give up your right to yourself. 00:54:19.100 --> 00:54:22.100 It's one thing to give up your right. 00:54:22.100 --> 00:54:24.100 It's another thing to give up your right to him. 00:54:24.100 --> 00:54:33.100 It's a third thing to give up your right to yourself, to him, and give it over to others. 00:54:33.100 --> 00:54:36.100 That, don't do if you're not sure of it. 00:54:36.100 --> 00:54:40.100 And if you're not sure of it, come and talk. 00:54:40.100 --> 00:54:43.100 Come and talk. 00:54:43.100 --> 00:54:50.100 Okay, let's eat and drink. 00:54:50.100 --> 00:54:56.100 We meet here Sunday at 10.30. 00:54:56.100 --> 00:55:00.100 So let me write these three questions on the board and you can ponder on them. 00:55:00.100 --> 00:55:11.100 And I'll actually write it in good writing. 00:55:11.100 --> 00:55:12.100 Thanks. 00:55:30.100 --> 00:55:55.100 Follow that pattern as you eat and drink. 00:55:55.100 --> 00:55:59.100 Just ponder on it for a little while. 00:55:59.100 --> 00:56:05.100 Let me just quote from scripture and then take your own time before you eat and drink. 00:56:05.100 --> 00:56:09.100 And then we leave in four or five minutes once you're done. 00:56:09.100 --> 00:56:18.100 On the night, Jesus, that you were betrayed, which would have been last night if we follow things chronologically. 00:56:18.100 --> 00:56:26.100 Last night, before you knew you were going to be betrayed, before you were going to go to Gethsemane and pray for a while. 00:56:26.100 --> 00:56:30.100 And then they would come and take you like they would take a common criminal. 00:56:30.100 --> 00:56:37.100 On the night you were betrayed, you took bread while you were sitting with the twelve, perhaps a few others in that room. 00:56:37.100 --> 00:56:40.100 And you took bread and you gave thanks as you often did. 00:56:40.100 --> 00:56:43.100 You never did anything without thanking your father. 00:56:43.100 --> 00:56:45.100 Because you were always aware of where things came from. 00:56:45.100 --> 00:56:48.100 And so having thanked your father, you broke it. 00:56:48.100 --> 00:56:52.100 And this wasn't something new. It was what they would always do at a Passover. 00:56:52.100 --> 00:56:54.100 And you broke it. 00:56:54.100 --> 00:56:57.100 You broke it and you said, this is my body. 00:56:57.100 --> 00:56:59.100 Little did they know what you meant. 00:56:59.100 --> 00:57:01.100 We know so much more now. 00:57:01.100 --> 00:57:04.100 This is my body which is broken for you. 00:57:07.100 --> 00:57:12.100 So I thank you that I wear the helmet of salvation instead of a thorn of crowns. 00:57:18.100 --> 00:57:22.100 Thank you that I have the breastplate of righteousness and holiness. 00:57:22.100 --> 00:57:24.100 My side is not pierced. 00:57:33.100 --> 00:57:36.100 So we want to answer these questions before we eat it. 00:57:36.100 --> 00:57:41.100 But let me go to the cup too so that then we can eat and drink in our own sweet time, oh God. 00:57:41.100 --> 00:57:44.100 The same manner after supper you took the cup, Jesus. 00:57:44.100 --> 00:57:47.100 I believe there used to be four cups or five, I'm not too sure. 00:57:47.100 --> 00:57:51.100 But anyways, you took the cup and again you gave thanks. 00:57:51.100 --> 00:58:02.100 And like people used to do every Passover, they would say that blessed is the Lord God Almighty from whom the fruit of the wine and juice comes and so on. 00:58:02.100 --> 00:58:04.100 But you changed it completely. 00:58:04.100 --> 00:58:10.100 You said this is the blood that I'm going to shed with which I'm going to write a new agreement with you. 00:58:10.100 --> 00:58:14.100 And your agreement is basically summed up and it is finished. 00:58:14.100 --> 00:58:18.100 And then you said do this in remembrance of me. 00:58:18.100 --> 00:58:22.100 And then you said something else, that you will eat and drink together with us one day, 00:58:22.100 --> 00:58:26.100 that you would not touch the fruit of the wine till we ate with you. 00:58:26.100 --> 00:58:28.100 So we look forward to that. 00:58:29.100 --> 00:58:34.100 Yeah, so now we're going to answer these questions and then we can leave. 00:58:34.100 --> 00:58:37.100 Guys, try this, eh? 00:58:37.100 --> 00:58:42.100 Go over this, see what you can do with this and then eat and drink whenever you feel like it. 00:58:42.100 --> 00:58:43.100 We won't eat and drink together. 00:58:43.100 --> 00:58:48.100 We're going to drink together and when you're done, feel free to leave or hang out. 00:58:56.100 --> 00:58:58.100 Let your children eat. 00:58:58.100 --> 00:59:01.100 They don't understand but they can eat. 00:59:01.100 --> 00:59:03.100 Who am I? 00:59:12.100 --> 00:59:14.100 Who am I? 00:59:27.100 --> 00:59:29.100 I am not my own. 00:59:32.100 --> 00:59:36.100 I am trying to understand this, Phoebe. 00:59:40.100 --> 00:59:42.100 I am not my own. 01:00:01.100 --> 01:00:04.100 I have been bought with a price. 01:00:11.100 --> 01:00:14.100 Don't you know, Jacob, that you are not your own? 01:00:14.100 --> 01:00:17.100 You have been bought with a price. 01:00:20.100 --> 01:00:26.100 The price that the Father paid for you is the blood of His Son. 01:00:27.100 --> 01:00:30.100 You had a Master. 01:00:30.100 --> 01:00:33.100 You now have a new Master. 01:00:46.100 --> 01:00:48.100 You have a new owner. 01:00:51.100 --> 01:00:53.100 You have a new shepherd. 01:00:56.100 --> 01:00:59.100 You belong to somebody else. 01:01:02.100 --> 01:01:05.100 Who loves you? 01:01:05.100 --> 01:01:09.100 Who actually laid down his physical life for you? 01:01:15.100 --> 01:01:17.100 Who am I? 01:01:17.100 --> 01:01:19.100 Who am I? 01:01:19.100 --> 01:01:21.100 Who am I? 01:01:21.100 --> 01:01:23.100 Who am I? 01:01:24.100 --> 01:01:26.100 Who am I? 01:01:26.100 --> 01:01:28.100 I am not my own. 01:01:32.100 --> 01:01:36.100 I belong to a new Master called Christ. 01:01:44.100 --> 01:01:47.100 You can either walk away or you can serve. 01:01:53.100 --> 01:01:55.100 I am not my own. 01:02:23.100 --> 01:02:25.100 I am not my own. 01:02:53.100 --> 01:02:56.100 Father, help me to belong to others. 01:02:56.100 --> 01:02:59.100 Help me to belong to others. 01:02:59.100 --> 01:03:01.100 It's not easy. 01:03:01.100 --> 01:03:04.100 Father, help me to belong to others. 01:03:04.100 --> 01:03:07.100 Help me to belong to others. 01:03:07.100 --> 01:03:09.100 It's not easy. 01:03:31.100 --> 01:03:41.100 To belong to others, not as a brother, not as a sister, not as a pastor, not as a friend, to belong to others as a servant. 01:03:41.100 --> 01:03:43.100 That is what you are asking. 01:03:43.100 --> 01:03:49.100 You are not saying belong to others as a father, mother, pastor, counselor, brother, sister, friend. 01:03:49.100 --> 01:03:53.100 You are saying can you belong to others as a servant? 01:03:53.100 --> 01:03:55.100 That's what you are saying. 01:03:55.100 --> 01:03:59.100 Can I belong to others? 01:03:59.100 --> 01:04:03.100 Can I belong to others here as a servant? 01:04:03.100 --> 01:04:07.100 I belong to others. 01:04:26.100 --> 01:04:30.100 As we leave Father we want to be done with this life that we have lived. 01:04:30.100 --> 01:04:35.100 You want to be undone. Like Isaiah. 01:04:37.100 --> 01:04:40.100 We want to follow John 12 26 which says, 01:04:40.100 --> 01:04:43.100 where the master is there I will be also. 01:04:43.100 --> 01:04:45.100 I will follow by going after him. 01:04:46.100 --> 01:04:49.100 Once Isaiah was undone he hears a voice saying, 01:04:49.100 --> 01:04:52.100 who shall we send? Who will go for us? 01:04:53.100 --> 01:04:59.100 John 12 26, if you want to follow me, come after me. 01:05:01.100 --> 01:05:03.100 Where I am there you will also be. 01:05:04.100 --> 01:05:07.100 Denying yourself, risking death. 01:05:08.100 --> 01:05:11.100 That is what you are asking us. 01:05:12.100 --> 01:05:13.100 That's what you are asking me, Jacob. 01:05:13.100 --> 01:05:16.100 If you want to follow me, come after me, 01:05:16.100 --> 01:05:18.100 where I am there you will have to be. 01:05:18.100 --> 01:05:20.100 You will have to deny your right to yourself. 01:05:20.100 --> 01:05:23.100 You will have to even risk death. 01:05:24.100 --> 01:05:27.100 This is what it means to be done with yourself 01:05:27.100 --> 01:05:29.100 and to be undone by me. 01:05:31.100 --> 01:05:33.100 To this we drink, oh God, to this I drink, 01:05:33.100 --> 01:05:35.100 to this we drink. 01:06:00.100 --> 01:06:02.100 Thank you guys. We will meet on 10.30. 01:06:02.100 --> 01:06:04.100 You can leave whenever you are done. 01:06:04.100 --> 01:06:07.100 There is no closing song. Nothing like that. 01:06:30.100 --> 01:06:32.100 Thank you.