WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:03.439 I have been looking forward to preaching this 00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:07.839 morning this message because it is one that I 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:11.960 have been just sitting in and meditating, living 00:00:11.960 --> 00:00:17.160 and breathing myself. I am no great theologian 00:00:17.160 --> 00:00:21.460 at all. I love Jesus, and I love to find out 00:00:21.460 --> 00:00:25.160 as much of him as I can in my life and to know 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:31.129 him better and better. There is this word, though, 00:00:31.230 --> 00:00:35.969 that we hear, and sometimes we hear these things 00:00:35.969 --> 00:00:40.390 and think everybody knows just what it is in 00:00:40.390 --> 00:00:46.270 the church, and that word is trinity. It's actually 00:00:46.270 --> 00:00:51.509 not even a word that's in the Bible, but it conveys 00:00:51.509 --> 00:00:56.200 what is in the Bible. So we have the Father, 00:00:56.380 --> 00:01:01.399 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And my goal today 00:01:01.399 --> 00:01:06.180 is not to explain the mystery of the Trinity. 00:01:07.500 --> 00:01:11.840 In fact, I feel a little trepidation in approaching 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:17.780 it because I feel like it is so beyond my understanding 00:01:17.780 --> 00:01:21.519 this relationship of the Father, the Son, and 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:26.000 the Holy Spirit. Yet I want to know it because 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:30.680 the truth is, is that I'm a part of it now. And 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:32.799 so here's what we're going to do this morning. 00:01:32.920 --> 00:01:35.000 We're going to quickly just walk through some 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:37.620 verses. I hope you have your Bible because you're 00:01:37.620 --> 00:01:40.260 going to need to jot some things down because 00:01:40.260 --> 00:01:42.859 I'm not going to take a lot. I want to get us 00:01:42.859 --> 00:01:47.099 to a couple of ideas and the table of the Lord 00:01:47.099 --> 00:01:50.700 this morning. Because I feel that he's going 00:01:50.700 --> 00:01:56.019 to really do something in you as we look at this 00:01:56.019 --> 00:01:59.420 understanding of the Trinity that really was 00:01:59.420 --> 00:02:03.319 not even an English word until the 13th century. 00:02:04.620 --> 00:02:07.500 Obviously, we have the Latin word. It came into 00:02:07.500 --> 00:02:10.340 being in the French language, and then in the 00:02:10.340 --> 00:02:14.300 13th century became part of the English language. 00:02:15.289 --> 00:02:18.229 But I want to begin in Deuteronomy chapter 6, 00:02:18.370 --> 00:02:21.969 and you are, I'm sure, very familiar with this. 00:02:22.129 --> 00:02:32.210 Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one. Love 00:02:32.210 --> 00:02:34.530 the Lord your God with all your heart, all your 00:02:34.530 --> 00:02:38.870 soul, and all your strength. Hear this declaration. 00:02:39.169 --> 00:02:46.060 Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God. God is one. 00:02:46.740 --> 00:02:50.340 When we look at these titles here, we have the 00:02:50.340 --> 00:02:57.400 Lord, which is Yahweh, the Lord, our God. That 00:02:57.400 --> 00:03:02.219 name there is actually Elohim, which I love this 00:03:02.219 --> 00:03:05.460 because it expresses the Trinity so beautiful. 00:03:05.500 --> 00:03:14.150 It is plural in form, singular in meaning. That 00:03:14.150 --> 00:03:18.629 name, Elohim, is plural, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, 00:03:18.789 --> 00:03:23.590 but in its meaning, it is singular. It is one. 00:03:24.090 --> 00:03:28.289 Isn't that beautiful? Right there, we see that 00:03:28.289 --> 00:03:33.509 this plural God is yet one God. This is the Trinity. 00:03:34.810 --> 00:03:37.849 And we can even see a little bit at work in Hebrews 00:03:37.849 --> 00:03:41.530 chapter 1, where it is saying, this is what God 00:03:41.530 --> 00:03:45.030 says about angels and such. And it also says, 00:03:45.250 --> 00:03:51.129 this is what he says about the Son, Jesus. And 00:03:51.129 --> 00:03:55.830 so God the Father says about the Son, your throne, 00:03:55.849 --> 00:04:02.020 O God, will last forever and ever. And so even 00:04:02.020 --> 00:04:05.180 in this passage, we see Father God calling Jesus 00:04:05.180 --> 00:04:12.259 God. It's plural, yet it's singular. It is this 00:04:12.259 --> 00:04:16.660 beautiful mystery that I want us to look at today. 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:22.920 And hear my heart in this. My heart is not that 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:25.620 you go away with some kind of greater knowledge. 00:04:27.629 --> 00:04:33.550 My heart is this. I love the passage where, in 00:04:33.550 --> 00:04:37.709 the Old Testament, where Isaac, Abraham's son 00:04:37.709 --> 00:04:41.990 Isaac, is out in the field, right? His wife, 00:04:42.009 --> 00:04:45.730 Rebecca, is on his way to him. And where is he 00:04:45.730 --> 00:04:51.670 found? Out in a field in Genesis, meditating. 00:04:51.889 --> 00:04:58.829 He had gone out to the field to meditate. Now, 00:04:58.889 --> 00:05:01.290 I know sometimes we get a little weird about 00:05:01.290 --> 00:05:05.430 that word because of Eastern religions. But can 00:05:05.430 --> 00:05:08.870 I just simplify what this means for you? It's 00:05:08.870 --> 00:05:13.589 very simple. And here in cow country, we will 00:05:13.589 --> 00:05:17.149 understand it. Meditation is to chew the cud. 00:05:20.589 --> 00:05:26.819 To meditate is to chew the cud and extract. The 00:05:26.819 --> 00:05:33.259 real nutrient from the mental food. That's meditation. 00:05:35.899 --> 00:05:39.939 So we're just going to chew on the beauty of 00:05:39.939 --> 00:05:45.420 the Trinity to extract what we need, the life 00:05:45.420 --> 00:05:48.420 -giving nutrient that we need from it. That is 00:05:48.420 --> 00:05:52.639 what I want for you today. Is for you to begin 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:57.079 a process of meditation on the beauty of the 00:05:57.079 --> 00:06:01.379 Trinity. And so here I'm going to walk really 00:06:01.379 --> 00:06:03.399 quickly. Because I don't want to spend a lot 00:06:03.399 --> 00:06:06.259 of time here. But I want you to see. Because 00:06:06.259 --> 00:06:09.540 the word is not in there, I want you though to 00:06:09.540 --> 00:06:14.399 see where we find the Trinity at work. And it's 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:17.860 at the very beginning in Genesis chapter 1, at 00:06:17.860 --> 00:06:20.779 the creation of the world. In the beginning, 00:06:20.939 --> 00:06:26.819 God, Elohim, plural yet singular, created the 00:06:26.819 --> 00:06:30.660 heavens and the earth. The earth was... formless 00:06:30.660 --> 00:06:34.480 and empty, darkness over the deep, and the Spirit 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:41.680 of God was hovering. And God said, and what do 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:47.399 we know from John chapter 1? Jesus is the Word. 00:06:48.660 --> 00:06:51.240 Jesus, and it is, and we're going to see this, 00:06:51.399 --> 00:06:55.680 that Jesus, as the Word, holds it all together, 00:06:55.720 --> 00:07:01.189 this world. It's powerful. From the very beginning, 00:07:01.209 --> 00:07:05.350 it took the three in one to create the heavens 00:07:05.350 --> 00:07:09.310 and the earth. In Matthew 3, we see the baptism 00:07:09.310 --> 00:07:14.110 of Jesus. So we see the Son of God himself being 00:07:14.110 --> 00:07:18.930 baptized. We see the heavens being opened and 00:07:18.930 --> 00:07:23.490 the Father affirming, this is my Son. And we 00:07:23.490 --> 00:07:26.629 see the Holy Spirit coming down as the dove. 00:07:27.449 --> 00:07:30.709 We see the three in one at work at the baptism. 00:07:31.209 --> 00:07:35.230 In Acts chapter 7, we have the first martyr, 00:07:35.470 --> 00:07:41.750 Stephen. And Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, 00:07:41.949 --> 00:07:47.529 it says in Acts 7. And so is he alone in this 00:07:47.529 --> 00:07:54.490 moment? No. The Trinity is surrounding him in 00:07:54.490 --> 00:07:59.660 his martyrdom. Did it mean he got rescued? Did 00:07:59.660 --> 00:08:02.060 it mean he didn't get stoned? It sure didn't. 00:08:02.519 --> 00:08:08.120 He surely did die at the hands of man. But in 00:08:08.120 --> 00:08:13.759 it, he's surrounded by the Trinity. He's full 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:17.540 of the Holy Spirit. And he looks up and he sees 00:08:17.540 --> 00:08:23.180 into heaven the glory of God and Jesus standing 00:08:23.180 --> 00:08:32.929 at the right hand of God. Can you imagine being 00:08:32.929 --> 00:08:37.490 surrounded by the Trinity? The three in one. 00:08:39.090 --> 00:08:43.070 In Ephesians chapter one, you'll see if you take 00:08:43.070 --> 00:08:46.269 time to read through that passage, you will see 00:08:46.269 --> 00:08:48.850 the Trinity at work here. You'll see that the 00:08:48.850 --> 00:08:54.470 Father chooses us. You will see that Jesus redeems 00:08:54.470 --> 00:08:59.070 us. And you will see that you are sealed by the 00:08:59.070 --> 00:09:03.409 Holy Spirit. Our deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. 00:09:03.730 --> 00:09:07.190 You see the three in one at work in Ephesians 00:09:07.190 --> 00:09:09.750 1. In Galatians 4, and we're going to be breaking 00:09:09.750 --> 00:09:12.629 this down in a moment, but in Galatians 4 it 00:09:12.629 --> 00:09:16.649 says, when the set time had fully come, God sent 00:09:16.649 --> 00:09:22.769 his son, born of a woman under law, to redeem 00:09:22.769 --> 00:09:26.230 those under the law that we might receive adoption 00:09:26.230 --> 00:09:32.149 to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent 00:09:32.149 --> 00:09:38.149 the spirit of his son into our hearts. The spirit 00:09:38.149 --> 00:09:43.009 who calls out Abba Father. We see the three in 00:09:43.009 --> 00:09:47.490 one. And in our last commission in Matthew 28, 00:09:47.730 --> 00:09:51.029 before Jesus is ascended, what do we have? Go 00:09:51.029 --> 00:09:54.289 and make disciples of all nations, baptizing 00:09:54.289 --> 00:10:00.360 them in? The name of just Jesus? No. The Father, 00:10:00.580 --> 00:10:05.759 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three in one. 00:10:07.539 --> 00:10:14.100 It's such a beautiful relationship. I found it 00:10:14.100 --> 00:10:17.000 interesting. How many of you have heard of Nikki 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:21.460 Cruz? I'm just trying to get a picture here. 00:10:21.659 --> 00:10:24.460 Okay. I feel like it's all of us older ones. 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:28.679 How many of you have heard of David Wilkerson? 00:10:29.580 --> 00:10:35.100 More of you. Okay, if you have not read the book 00:10:35.100 --> 00:10:39.720 or seen the film, The Cross and the Switchblade, 00:10:40.019 --> 00:10:44.799 you should do that this week. The Cross and the 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:51.059 Switchblade. Nikki Cruz was led by David Wilkerson 00:10:51.059 --> 00:10:56.159 to the Lord in New York. Nicky Cruz was one of 00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:02.120 the most, he was a leader of one of the most 00:11:02.120 --> 00:11:09.000 violent gangs in New York. Radically changed 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:15.620 by the gospel of Jesus Christ through David Wilkerson's 00:11:15.620 --> 00:11:19.879 ministry. Nikki Cruz went on to write, you may 00:11:19.879 --> 00:11:21.899 not, many of you may have heard the cross and 00:11:21.899 --> 00:11:24.500 the switchblade. See, all of you young people, 00:11:24.580 --> 00:11:26.480 this is the stuff that Darren and I were fed 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:31.299 upon when we were in youth group. This is what 00:11:31.299 --> 00:11:35.779 you did in youth group back in the early 90s, 00:11:35.779 --> 00:11:39.940 late 80s. You watched the cross and the switchblade, 00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:45.350 then you went out on the streets. He went on 00:11:45.350 --> 00:11:48.710 to write a book called The Magnificent Three. 00:11:49.450 --> 00:11:52.090 I have not read the book, but I'm going to quote 00:11:52.090 --> 00:11:55.210 a little bit out of it today. And Nicky Cruz, 00:11:55.570 --> 00:12:00.389 notorious gang leader, said this about the Trinity. 00:12:01.769 --> 00:12:06.509 Something has emerged in my walk with God that 00:12:06.509 --> 00:12:11.370 has become the most important element of my discipleship. 00:12:12.269 --> 00:12:16.509 It has become the thing that sustains me, that 00:12:16.509 --> 00:12:20.309 feeds me, that keeps me steady when I am shaky. 00:12:21.370 --> 00:12:25.309 I have come to see God, to know him, to relate 00:12:25.309 --> 00:12:30.450 to him as the three in one. God as Trinity, God 00:12:30.450 --> 00:12:35.129 the Father, the Savior, and Holy Spirit. He has 00:12:35.129 --> 00:12:37.450 given to me over the years a vision of himself 00:12:37.450 --> 00:12:42.070 as three in one. And the ability to relate to 00:12:42.070 --> 00:12:45.129 God in that way is the single most important 00:12:45.129 --> 00:12:49.029 fact of my Christian growth. Can you imagine 00:12:49.029 --> 00:12:51.909 coming off the streets as a major gang leader 00:12:51.909 --> 00:12:57.610 in New York City? Your spiritual growth that 00:12:57.610 --> 00:13:01.429 you would go through. He describes as this, God 00:13:01.429 --> 00:13:05.950 is magnificent father. God is a magnificent savior, 00:13:06.190 --> 00:13:11.159 Jesus Christ. But if it were not for the magnificent 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:15.799 Holy Spirit, I would still be a wretched, hateful 00:13:15.799 --> 00:13:22.440 sinner. It is not enough. Catch this, that he 00:13:22.440 --> 00:13:25.519 said. To have a Father God who loves and provides 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:28.799 for me, it is not even enough to have a Savior 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:32.279 who died for my sins. For any of those blessings 00:13:32.279 --> 00:13:35.080 to make a difference in our lives, there must 00:13:35.080 --> 00:13:38.879 also be present in this world the third person 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:44.179 of God, the Holy Spirit. And so often the American 00:13:44.179 --> 00:13:47.259 church has been guilty of saying the Holy Spirit 00:13:47.259 --> 00:13:50.200 is okay if you go to a back room to encounter 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:54.039 him when he is part of the Godhead, the three 00:13:54.039 --> 00:13:57.059 in one. He is no less important than God the 00:13:57.059 --> 00:13:59.799 Father. He is no less important than Jesus the 00:13:59.799 --> 00:14:03.799 Savior. He is Holy Spirit. And Jesus left and 00:14:03.799 --> 00:14:07.799 was ascended that the Holy Spirit might come. 00:14:08.039 --> 00:14:14.570 We need Holy Spirit. We need not two in one. 00:14:15.350 --> 00:14:20.370 We need three in one. Amen? And so as we are 00:14:20.370 --> 00:14:23.909 looking at how the Trinity relates both with 00:14:23.909 --> 00:14:28.169 one another and with creation, us, let's take 00:14:28.169 --> 00:14:30.730 just a quick overview. This is not exhaustive 00:14:30.730 --> 00:14:33.610 at all. I just want us to get a little picture 00:14:33.610 --> 00:14:36.610 of how they begin to relate with one another, 00:14:36.789 --> 00:14:40.190 and we have it beginning with God the Father. 00:14:41.080 --> 00:14:44.879 God the Father. In 1 Corinthians 11, it says 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:51.440 that God the Father is the head of Christ. He 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:55.059 is the head of Christ. This is the mystery to 00:14:55.059 --> 00:15:00.720 me of the Trinity because they are all God, yet 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:03.679 they all have these roles. I believe we see these 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:07.460 roles because it begins to teach us earthlings. 00:15:09.100 --> 00:15:15.960 How to relate. And we do relate to God the Father 00:15:15.960 --> 00:15:20.700 in an authoritative manner. He is. The Father 00:15:20.700 --> 00:15:23.100 is the one that carries authority, doesn't he? 00:15:25.299 --> 00:15:29.820 And so the Father in the functioning of Jesus' 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:35.440 ministry on earth operated in an authoritative 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:42.450 way. That is his role. And so God the Father 00:15:42.450 --> 00:15:45.529 is authority. God the Father is the one that 00:15:45.529 --> 00:15:50.129 sent the Son. He's also the one who sends the 00:15:50.129 --> 00:15:56.509 Holy Spirit. We read this in Galatians 4. At 00:15:56.509 --> 00:15:59.830 the right time, God sent the Son, didn't he? 00:16:00.210 --> 00:16:03.149 So he's the sender of the Son, but also in John 00:16:03.149 --> 00:16:08.289 14, Jesus said this. I will ask the Father. Isn't 00:16:08.289 --> 00:16:11.340 that interesting? Even Jesus says, Asking the 00:16:11.340 --> 00:16:15.159 Father, and he will give you another advocate 00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:21.259 to help you and be with you forever. The Spirit 00:16:21.259 --> 00:16:26.940 of truth. But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, 00:16:27.080 --> 00:16:30.159 whom the Father will send in my name, will teach 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:33.080 you all things and remind you of everything I 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:38.440 have said. And so even Jesus is recognizing that 00:16:38.440 --> 00:16:42.419 the Father, is the one that sends both himself 00:16:42.419 --> 00:16:50.200 and the Spirit. We're going to see this more 00:16:50.200 --> 00:16:53.629 when we look at the role of the Son. But the 00:16:53.629 --> 00:16:56.549 first thing that we know that is the most obvious 00:16:56.549 --> 00:17:00.309 role of the Son in the Godhead is our Redeemer, 00:17:00.490 --> 00:17:03.629 right? Why did the Father, the Father's kind 00:17:03.629 --> 00:17:06.650 of the architect of the plan, and so he sent 00:17:06.650 --> 00:17:09.690 the Son. Why did he send the Son? Just to teach 00:17:09.690 --> 00:17:13.630 us how to be good people? No. He's the Redeemer. 00:17:14.529 --> 00:17:17.710 He's the one that was offered up as the sacrifice. 00:17:20.299 --> 00:17:23.619 We read it there in Galatians 4, that he came 00:17:23.619 --> 00:17:26.940 to redeem us under the law that we would receive 00:17:26.940 --> 00:17:32.880 adoption. It is the primary thing he redeems. 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:36.220 I love, though, the other thing that the Son 00:17:36.220 --> 00:17:42.420 does. And that is that the Son reveals the Father. 00:17:43.940 --> 00:17:47.799 The Son reveals the Father. I think this is so 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:50.640 beautiful. And I want to encourage you, if you 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:52.759 haven't been memorizing one of these verses in 00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:55.200 here, I should surely encourage you to meditate 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:58.720 on it and memorize it this week. But there are 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:01.779 three verses here that portray such a beautiful 00:18:01.779 --> 00:18:05.480 thing that Jesus does in revealing the Father. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:10.559 John chapter 1, no one has ever seen God, verse 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:16.140 18, but the one and only Son. And here is that 00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:23.700 interesting mystery. Who is himself God. And 00:18:23.700 --> 00:18:29.299 so nobody has seen God but Jesus. Who is God. 00:18:31.779 --> 00:18:37.319 And is in closest relationship with the Father. 00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:45.799 Has made him known. Has made him known. You know 00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:51.279 you can't see God. But Jesus walked this earth 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:56.980 to reveal the one that he's in closest relationship 00:18:56.980 --> 00:19:02.480 with, the Father. Later on in John 17, he said, 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:06.460 I have revealed you, he's talking to the Father, 00:19:06.599 --> 00:19:11.319 I have revealed you to those whom you gave me 00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:15.859 out of the world. This is one of his purposes, 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:24.799 revealing the Father. In Hebrews 1, and it says 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:27.740 there at the beginning in verse 1, in the past, 00:19:27.779 --> 00:19:31.359 God spoke, Old Testament, God spoke to our ancestors 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:35.319 through the prophets at many times in various 00:19:35.319 --> 00:19:38.680 ways. This is the only way they knew God was 00:19:38.680 --> 00:19:44.130 through the prophets of old. In verse 2, it says 00:19:44.130 --> 00:19:47.589 this, though. But in these last days, he has 00:19:47.589 --> 00:19:52.569 spoken to us, not by the prophets, by the Son, 00:19:52.849 --> 00:19:59.029 whom he appointed heir of all things, and through 00:19:59.029 --> 00:20:03.730 whom he also made the universe. There at the 00:20:03.730 --> 00:20:08.130 beginning, remember, Jesus was at the beginning. 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:13.539 Jesus was not created to be our sacrifice. Jesus 00:20:13.539 --> 00:20:21.420 was and is and forever will be. And then there's 00:20:21.420 --> 00:20:27.799 this beautiful verse three. The son is the radiance 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:35.519 of God's glory and the exact representation of 00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:42.920 his being. sustaining all things by his powerful 00:20:42.920 --> 00:20:47.079 word. That would be a great verse to memorize. 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:57.019 The stuff that you deal with, what it does and 00:20:57.019 --> 00:20:59.140 what the enemy would want to do through the stuff 00:20:59.140 --> 00:21:02.079 you're dealing with. And listen, I'm not minimizing 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:04.460 the stuff you're going through because we all 00:21:04.460 --> 00:21:08.509 go through stuff and it's hard. But see, the 00:21:08.509 --> 00:21:11.990 enemy uses your stuff as an excuse to get your 00:21:11.990 --> 00:21:17.509 gaze lowered, to get weight pushed down on you, 00:21:17.589 --> 00:21:21.490 for you to begin to be oppressed, and to forget 00:21:21.490 --> 00:21:27.430 where you come from, who you belong to, and who 00:21:27.430 --> 00:21:30.390 you're in relationship with. And it's verses 00:21:30.390 --> 00:21:35.430 like this that should lift up your gaze. Throw 00:21:35.430 --> 00:21:40.230 off the oppression because the son is the radiance 00:21:40.230 --> 00:21:43.970 of God's glory, the exact representation of his 00:21:43.970 --> 00:21:48.069 being. He sustains all things of this world and 00:21:48.069 --> 00:21:52.549 your world by the powerful word that is him. 00:21:55.809 --> 00:22:00.069 The enemy would want you to forget that. He would 00:22:00.069 --> 00:22:03.369 want you to forget that the one who holds the 00:22:03.369 --> 00:22:07.049 universe together by his powerful word holds 00:22:07.049 --> 00:22:10.150 your universe together, who holds your family 00:22:10.150 --> 00:22:14.089 together, your job, your struggle with sin, your 00:22:14.089 --> 00:22:18.789 struggle to overcome. He sustains you. He holds 00:22:18.789 --> 00:22:21.930 you together. The minute we think we're holding 00:22:21.930 --> 00:22:27.819 ourselves together, we lose it. It's a beautiful 00:22:27.819 --> 00:22:31.940 thing what Jesus does. It is more than just the 00:22:31.940 --> 00:22:34.299 redemption of the world. It's the revelation 00:22:34.299 --> 00:22:38.279 of the Father to us. The Father he's trying to 00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:43.920 unite us to. It's hard to be united to a God 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:48.519 whom we cannot see. So Jesus reveals this God 00:22:48.519 --> 00:22:54.339 whom he has redeemed us to. He's also in this 00:22:54.339 --> 00:22:57.619 showing us his interaction, how to interact with 00:22:57.619 --> 00:23:02.319 this God, the Father. And in John 14, he says 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:05.579 that the world may learn, because we have to 00:23:05.579 --> 00:23:10.359 learn it, that I love the Father and do exactly 00:23:10.359 --> 00:23:13.740 what my Father has commanded me. We see this 00:23:13.740 --> 00:23:18.319 interaction with the Father, relationship and 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:22.960 obedience. In chapter 5, he says this, the son 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:29.960 can do nothing by himself. He can only see what 00:23:29.960 --> 00:23:34.980 the father is doing. Because whatever the father 00:23:34.980 --> 00:23:40.000 does, the son does. He's revealing an interaction 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:45.180 with God because this is our interaction with 00:23:45.180 --> 00:23:50.230 God. He's teaching us. that we might learn what 00:23:50.230 --> 00:23:56.109 it is to interact with this Father of ours, whom 00:23:56.109 --> 00:24:00.690 we have been adopted into because of his redemption. 00:24:03.369 --> 00:24:06.589 The last thing here that I want us to focus on 00:24:06.589 --> 00:24:09.890 with Jesus is that he's the baptizer. Now, we 00:24:09.890 --> 00:24:13.730 read that the Father sent the Holy Spirit, but 00:24:13.730 --> 00:24:17.470 here we read that Jesus is the one. John the 00:24:17.470 --> 00:24:21.470 Baptist said in Matthew chapter 3, there is one 00:24:21.470 --> 00:24:25.609 coming, right? And he's saying he is going to 00:24:25.609 --> 00:24:30.130 baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:37.720 This is the role of Jesus. He baptizes with the 00:24:37.720 --> 00:24:43.279 Holy Spirit and with fire. So if you need a little 00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:45.700 more Holy Spirit, if you need a little more fire 00:24:45.700 --> 00:24:50.880 in your life, the Son wants to give you more. 00:24:51.779 --> 00:24:56.900 He wants to give you a fresh dunking. Dunking 00:24:56.900 --> 00:25:01.160 in there. I'll take all the dunk and he thinks 00:25:01.160 --> 00:25:04.720 I need, right? I need a little more. This world 00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:07.259 and the enemy tries to throw water on your fire. 00:25:08.220 --> 00:25:11.740 And Jesus is ever ready to ignite it. He doesn't 00:25:11.740 --> 00:25:14.539 care about water on you. We learned that from 00:25:14.539 --> 00:25:18.009 Elijah the prophet. No, it was Elisha. He came 00:25:18.009 --> 00:25:21.529 and dumped all that fire or that water on the 00:25:21.529 --> 00:25:25.049 offering. And then he called down fire and it 00:25:25.049 --> 00:25:27.670 came and consumed. It doesn't matter what this 00:25:27.670 --> 00:25:30.569 world and the enemy is trying to douse you with. 00:25:30.769 --> 00:25:35.410 The fire of Jesus can consume it. And so if you're 00:25:35.410 --> 00:25:37.390 in this place today and you're saying, man, I 00:25:37.390 --> 00:25:40.670 feel like I've just been dumped on. I feel like 00:25:40.670 --> 00:25:45.619 I've been doused. With weariness, with doubt, 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:49.559 with struggle, with depression. Jesus will come 00:25:49.559 --> 00:25:52.039 and he will baptize you in the spirit and with 00:25:52.039 --> 00:25:57.859 fire. Jesus does a lot, doesn't he? Now, the 00:25:57.859 --> 00:26:04.119 Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit. I love the Holy 00:26:04.119 --> 00:26:07.640 Spirit and what he does. And this is what Nicky 00:26:07.640 --> 00:26:17.039 Cruz got, I think. In John 15. Verse 26. It says, 00:26:17.079 --> 00:26:21.259 when the advocate, the Holy Spirit, comes, whom 00:26:21.259 --> 00:26:26.859 I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit 00:26:26.859 --> 00:26:33.440 of truth who goes out from the Father. Wow, we 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:35.500 really need the Spirit of truth, don't we, today? 00:26:36.940 --> 00:26:43.829 He, the Spirit, will testify about me. This is 00:26:43.829 --> 00:26:47.470 the beauty of the, this is why they are so interdependent, 00:26:47.470 --> 00:26:51.769 the Trinity. Because now we have the Holy Spirit 00:26:51.769 --> 00:26:56.690 who reveals Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit who 00:26:56.690 --> 00:27:02.829 testifies of the Son. And then it goes on, because 00:27:02.829 --> 00:27:07.210 how does the Holy Spirit testify? Can we see 00:27:07.210 --> 00:27:12.220 the Holy Spirit? We can see it manifested through 00:27:12.220 --> 00:27:16.599 us. Does the Holy Spirit just start talking into 00:27:16.599 --> 00:27:20.359 the air? No, the next part of that verse says 00:27:20.359 --> 00:27:26.940 this. And you also must testify. For you have 00:27:26.940 --> 00:27:29.259 been with me from the beginning. You've been 00:27:29.259 --> 00:27:34.160 with Jesus. And the role of the Holy Spirit through 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:37.900 the church, through you and me, is to testify. 00:27:38.940 --> 00:27:44.420 of the Savior, Jesus. It's such a beautiful interdependence, 00:27:44.500 --> 00:27:48.119 and we see in this passage that we've been brought 00:27:48.119 --> 00:27:54.359 in to this interdependence. The invitation has 00:27:54.359 --> 00:27:57.539 been given, and he said, hey, the Holy Spirit 00:27:57.539 --> 00:28:00.880 has to testify, but guess what? He needs you 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:04.819 to do it through. He needs you to be part of 00:28:04.819 --> 00:28:07.839 the testifying. This is such a beautiful thing 00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:10.839 that it's saying, hey, come on. The work of the 00:28:10.839 --> 00:28:13.579 Trinity, you're now, as sons and daughters, you're 00:28:13.579 --> 00:28:18.039 now part of. The interdependence of the Father, 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:21.660 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord. 00:28:21.960 --> 00:28:26.359 I'm excited to be part of this interdependent 00:28:26.359 --> 00:28:30.299 relationship. And we see it in such a beautiful 00:28:30.299 --> 00:28:37.180 way in 2 Peter chapter 1. Oh, man. You guys, 00:28:37.220 --> 00:28:40.799 you got to like just sit in this verse this week. 00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:47.039 We see in verse 3. His divine power. That word 00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:51.000 power is dunamis power. It's the same power we 00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:55.000 see in Acts chapter 2. The power of the Holy 00:28:55.000 --> 00:29:01.240 Spirit. And so, his divine power, that of the 00:29:01.240 --> 00:29:03.759 Holy Spirit, we see this part of the Trinity 00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:08.380 at work, has given us everything we need for 00:29:08.380 --> 00:29:14.279 godly living. Oh. And this is what Nikki Cruz 00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:18.480 was talking about. How do I go from being the 00:29:18.480 --> 00:29:21.619 leader of the most violent gang in New York to 00:29:21.619 --> 00:29:25.420 become a Christ follower living godly? The divine 00:29:25.420 --> 00:29:30.480 power of the Holy Spirit. He's given us everything 00:29:30.480 --> 00:29:34.839 for godly life through our knowledge of him who 00:29:34.839 --> 00:29:40.319 called us by his own glory and goodness. Through 00:29:40.319 --> 00:29:45.480 these he has given us his very great and precious 00:29:45.480 --> 00:29:52.079 promises. So that through them you, okay, everybody 00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:56.019 ears, you're open. So that you may participate. 00:29:56.480 --> 00:30:03.779 Everybody say participate. Okay. In the divine 00:30:03.779 --> 00:30:09.589 nature. Just meditate on that for a little while. 00:30:10.089 --> 00:30:13.730 You feel like life is falling apart. You need 00:30:13.730 --> 00:30:18.890 to remember. You need to remember what you're 00:30:18.890 --> 00:30:23.829 participating in. The divine nature. Okay, do 00:30:23.829 --> 00:30:29.109 you want to know what participate means? It's 00:30:29.109 --> 00:30:40.349 simple. It means to be. It means. It means to 00:30:40.349 --> 00:30:48.890 come into existence. So think about that for 00:30:48.890 --> 00:30:56.329 a minute. The divine nature. We are able to come 00:30:56.329 --> 00:31:09.200 into existence in the divine nature. are invited 00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:21.700 in not just to know about not just to admire 00:31:21.700 --> 00:31:27.900 this three in one we have been granted access 00:31:27.900 --> 00:31:35.539 to become part of that relationship of God the 00:31:35.539 --> 00:31:40.599 Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. This 00:31:40.599 --> 00:31:47.900 is not some junior high clique where everybody 00:31:47.900 --> 00:31:51.779 else gets to participate with God the Father, 00:31:51.859 --> 00:31:55.869 God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He has 00:31:55.869 --> 00:32:01.589 opened the door to whomever should desire to 00:32:01.589 --> 00:32:05.930 participate in the divine nature, should become 00:32:05.930 --> 00:32:11.589 part of, to become one with. And if you think 00:32:11.589 --> 00:32:14.150 about those high school cliques, those junior 00:32:14.150 --> 00:32:18.369 high cliques, and we think that we age out of 00:32:18.369 --> 00:32:23.049 that, we don't. I'm shocked when I hear pastors 00:32:23.049 --> 00:32:25.309 talking about it at district council. Darren 00:32:25.309 --> 00:32:27.670 and I are very intentional at district council. 00:32:27.829 --> 00:32:30.470 We'll try to like find two people sitting alone 00:32:30.470 --> 00:32:35.069 that we don't know to go and meet. But you will 00:32:35.069 --> 00:32:39.170 find some of that even there. We don't always 00:32:39.170 --> 00:32:45.609 outgrow that. See, the enemy wants you to think 00:32:45.609 --> 00:32:48.869 that you're the exception. That everybody else 00:32:48.869 --> 00:32:52.250 is invited and wanted into the divine nature. 00:32:52.509 --> 00:32:56.869 When the truth is, is that he has come and given 00:32:56.869 --> 00:33:00.269 his life for each one of you sitting in the seat. 00:33:00.509 --> 00:33:04.250 Not one excluded. His desire is for each and 00:33:04.250 --> 00:33:08.329 every one of us to become part of the existence 00:33:08.329 --> 00:33:16.019 of the divine nature. Having escaped the corruption 00:33:16.019 --> 00:33:22.940 in the world caused by evil desires. We live 00:33:22.940 --> 00:33:25.359 in this world, but friend, we are not of it. 00:33:26.200 --> 00:33:29.500 We are not of it. We're part of the divine nature. 00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:34.839 One of my favorite sermons to preach was that 00:33:34.839 --> 00:33:39.599 our ordinary should look different, right? Our 00:33:39.599 --> 00:33:43.140 ordinary should not be just ordinary. And I love 00:33:43.140 --> 00:33:49.740 that idea because this is why we are part, we 00:33:49.740 --> 00:33:53.640 have become part of the divine nature. And so 00:33:53.640 --> 00:33:59.319 the things of this world, man, we let them have 00:33:59.319 --> 00:34:04.670 power over us because we forget. If I am focused 00:34:04.670 --> 00:34:07.609 on relationship, on being with the Father, the 00:34:07.609 --> 00:34:11.489 Son, and the Holy Spirit, why do I allow things 00:34:11.489 --> 00:34:15.289 in my life that would cause me separation from 00:34:15.289 --> 00:34:19.849 them? And yet we do. It isn't just that God is 00:34:19.849 --> 00:34:21.869 saying, hey, I want you to quit doing this and 00:34:21.869 --> 00:34:24.110 this and this. I don't want you to have fun in 00:34:24.110 --> 00:34:26.409 life. What he's saying is, no, hey, let's get 00:34:26.409 --> 00:34:30.449 rid of the stuff in life that caused division 00:34:30.449 --> 00:34:34.139 from the divine. That caused division from being 00:34:34.139 --> 00:34:37.639 part of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:34:41.059 --> 00:34:46.820 This is the Holy Trinity. And it's not just a 00:34:46.820 --> 00:34:55.199 doctrine. This is our life. It's more than just 00:34:55.199 --> 00:35:06.900 a mystery. It is our God. This is our God. We 00:35:06.900 --> 00:35:11.800 said that out of Isaiah today. This is our Elohim, 00:35:11.840 --> 00:35:19.380 three in one. And the sooner we have revelation 00:35:19.380 --> 00:35:26.639 of what it is to know that communion, the easier 00:35:26.639 --> 00:35:31.460 it is to walk through the pitfalls of this life. 00:35:33.420 --> 00:35:37.900 It's a lot less easy to get tripped up in sin 00:35:37.900 --> 00:35:42.699 when we know what it'll cost us relationship 00:35:42.699 --> 00:35:45.539 with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:35:50.099 --> 00:35:55.619 In John chapter 16, Jesus is beginning to set 00:35:55.619 --> 00:36:00.380 the stage for the disciples. And one of the things 00:36:00.380 --> 00:36:05.260 he says is a time is coming. And in fact, it 00:36:05.260 --> 00:36:08.780 has come when you will be scattered, each to 00:36:08.780 --> 00:36:12.139 your own home. And you will leave me all alone, 00:36:12.320 --> 00:36:17.480 he said. And then he says this one sentence that 00:36:17.480 --> 00:36:24.320 I think portrays the power of the Trinity. Yet 00:36:24.320 --> 00:36:32.329 I am not alone, for my Father is with me. Why 00:36:32.329 --> 00:36:40.409 was Jesus able to face betrayal and such mutilation 00:36:40.409 --> 00:36:45.670 of the flesh and the nailing on the cross and 00:36:45.670 --> 00:36:48.809 being forsaken, knowing he was going to be forsaken 00:36:48.809 --> 00:36:52.869 by the Father? This, I feel like, understanding 00:36:52.869 --> 00:36:56.929 the interdependence of the Trinity helps us to 00:36:56.929 --> 00:36:59.610 understand what was really happening on the cross. 00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:04.619 And when Jesus said, if it's possible, let this 00:37:04.619 --> 00:37:08.159 cup pass from me, I don't necessarily think it 00:37:08.159 --> 00:37:10.539 was what he was going to go through physically, 00:37:10.619 --> 00:37:13.300 as hard as that is. I think he knew there was 00:37:13.300 --> 00:37:17.500 going to be a moment on the cross when he took 00:37:17.500 --> 00:37:23.900 my sin. And because he took my sin, the Father's 00:37:23.900 --> 00:37:28.019 gaze turned away from him. And in that moment, 00:37:28.960 --> 00:37:33.039 The unity of the Trinity was broken because of 00:37:33.039 --> 00:37:38.119 my sin. So that I could come into the Trinity 00:37:38.119 --> 00:37:44.280 relationship. I think that's what Jesus was dreading. 00:37:44.280 --> 00:37:54.059 That moment of separation because of sin. There's 00:37:54.059 --> 00:38:00.120 an interdependence. This is a relational. Trinity. 00:38:00.120 --> 00:38:03.800 They are interdependent in their working with 00:38:03.800 --> 00:38:09.460 one another for you and for me. They don't operate 00:38:09.460 --> 00:38:14.920 of their own accord. They operate interdependently. 00:38:15.960 --> 00:38:18.980 And see, a lot of cultures can understand that 00:38:18.980 --> 00:38:22.539 because a lot of cultures are community -based. 00:38:23.340 --> 00:38:26.860 But see, we're not. We are an independent culture. 00:38:28.199 --> 00:38:31.000 We don't like to have to rely on other people. 00:38:31.300 --> 00:38:34.639 I know this because so many of you love to give 00:38:34.639 --> 00:38:38.500 to other people, but when it comes time to receiving 00:38:38.500 --> 00:38:42.260 from other people, it's very hard. It hurts our 00:38:42.260 --> 00:38:45.800 pride. And what does that speak of? Independence. 00:38:47.340 --> 00:38:52.099 We are an independent culture. There is never 00:38:52.099 --> 00:38:56.719 a time when the Trinity will not be interdependent. 00:38:58.030 --> 00:39:01.690 And that means there will never be a time that 00:39:01.690 --> 00:39:07.349 we are able to be independent of it. We will 00:39:07.349 --> 00:39:12.769 always, always, always need to be dependent upon 00:39:12.769 --> 00:39:18.110 the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And 00:39:18.110 --> 00:39:22.789 so this morning, as we've become partakers, as 00:39:22.789 --> 00:39:27.130 we have come into existence with this relational, 00:39:27.309 --> 00:39:32.750 interdependent interaction of the Trinity, I 00:39:32.750 --> 00:39:35.809 could think of no better place to really align 00:39:35.809 --> 00:39:40.789 ourself that than the table of the Lord. And 00:39:40.789 --> 00:39:43.889 so this morning, the ushers are going to come, 00:39:44.050 --> 00:39:47.789 and they're going to begin to distribute the 00:39:47.789 --> 00:39:54.500 bread and the cup. And as they do, often when 00:39:54.500 --> 00:39:58.699 we take a communion, we think of the Savior, 00:39:58.800 --> 00:40:03.360 Jesus. But what did Jesus say on the night he 00:40:03.360 --> 00:40:06.659 was betrayed? He said, as often as you do this, 00:40:06.679 --> 00:40:13.099 do what? Remember me. But when we think about 00:40:13.099 --> 00:40:19.380 how much the Father played into the redemption 00:40:19.380 --> 00:40:22.679 of humanity, when we think of how much the Holy 00:40:22.679 --> 00:40:26.219 Spirit is required, when we think, you cannot 00:40:26.219 --> 00:40:32.159 think about one without it being all three. Because 00:40:32.159 --> 00:40:34.699 they're not separate. They are God the Father, 00:40:34.820 --> 00:40:37.860 God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. To remember 00:40:37.860 --> 00:40:41.820 Jesus is to remember the Father whom we've been 00:40:41.820 --> 00:40:45.639 brought into adoption with. To remember Jesus 00:40:45.639 --> 00:40:49.119 is to remember that he has baptized us with the 00:40:49.119 --> 00:40:55.599 Holy Spirit. Interdependent. And as we come to 00:40:55.599 --> 00:41:01.880 this table today, we are coming. Remembering 00:41:01.880 --> 00:41:06.719 not just Jesus, but remembering the Father, the 00:41:06.719 --> 00:41:16.119 Son, and the Holy Spirit. And in a moment here, 00:41:16.340 --> 00:41:19.340 as I've been praying for this morning, I felt 00:41:19.340 --> 00:41:22.400 the Lord as we are about to partake of communion. 00:41:24.019 --> 00:41:30.849 I felt him give me a verse. Our response today 00:41:30.849 --> 00:41:36.389 to this word is going to be taking the bread 00:41:36.389 --> 00:41:41.570 and the cup and allowing the word of the Lord 00:41:41.570 --> 00:41:44.630 to begin to wash over us. Because there are some 00:41:44.630 --> 00:41:48.829 in here where you did come in very heavy, very 00:41:48.829 --> 00:41:53.710 burdened, carrying maybe deep grief or deep sorrow. 00:41:57.260 --> 00:41:59.619 And this morning, I believe that he has a word 00:41:59.619 --> 00:42:04.159 to release over you that is going to enable you 00:42:04.159 --> 00:42:08.820 to walk out these doors and keep walking and 00:42:08.820 --> 00:42:13.420 to keep getting up and to keep getting up and 00:42:13.420 --> 00:42:20.239 to keep getting up. And as much as we are loving 00:42:20.239 --> 00:42:25.659 one another, one another is not enough. We need. 00:42:26.889 --> 00:42:31.030 the divine Godhead. We need the Father, we need 00:42:31.030 --> 00:42:38.630 the Son, and we need the Holy Spirit. Amen? And 00:42:38.630 --> 00:42:42.449 so, in these moments, and if one of the ushers, 00:42:42.449 --> 00:42:44.369 when you're done, I still need some communion, 00:42:44.429 --> 00:42:49.769 please. These moments, I want you to begin to 00:42:49.769 --> 00:42:53.329 let the, as the old song says, the things of 00:42:53.329 --> 00:42:57.699 earth grow strangely dim. And I want you just 00:42:57.699 --> 00:43:02.940 to turn your gaze to this Godhead that you are 00:43:02.940 --> 00:43:10.739 a part of. And as you do, the passage that I 00:43:10.739 --> 00:43:13.960 felt him give me to read over you is from Isaiah 00:43:13.960 --> 00:43:22.260 chapter 40. And I want you just put away your 00:43:22.260 --> 00:43:25.099 notes, put away your Bibles, put away your phones. 00:43:26.409 --> 00:43:28.630 I want you just to hold the cup and the bread. 00:43:29.809 --> 00:43:32.409 And I want you to hear the words of the Lord 00:43:32.409 --> 00:43:43.269 from Isaiah 40. Comfort. Comfort my people, says 00:43:43.269 --> 00:43:51.530 your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim 00:43:51.530 --> 00:43:56.960 to her that her hard service has been completed. 00:43:58.179 --> 00:44:02.940 That, I'm going to add this, through Jesus, her 00:44:02.940 --> 00:44:09.219 sin has been paid for. There's no more striving. 00:44:09.219 --> 00:44:13.059 There's no more attempting. It's been paid for. 00:44:13.599 --> 00:44:18.920 Be comforted today in that. She has received 00:44:18.920 --> 00:44:24.039 from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. 00:44:27.530 --> 00:44:30.550 A voice of one calling in the wilderness, prepare 00:44:30.550 --> 00:44:35.309 the way for the Lord. Make straight in the desert 00:44:35.309 --> 00:44:43.050 a highway for our God. Every valley shall be 00:44:43.050 --> 00:44:47.869 raised up, every mountain in your life and hill 00:44:47.869 --> 00:44:53.530 made low. The rough ground shall become level. 00:44:55.789 --> 00:45:03.250 rugged places a plain and the glory of the Lord 00:45:03.250 --> 00:45:08.369 will be revealed and all people will see it together 00:45:08.369 --> 00:45:13.730 for the mouth of the Lord has spoken a voice 00:45:13.730 --> 00:45:21.460 says cry out and I said what shall I cry All 00:45:21.460 --> 00:45:24.179 people are like grass and all their faithfulness 00:45:24.179 --> 00:45:27.280 like the flowers of the field. The grass withers, 00:45:27.280 --> 00:45:31.139 the flowers fall because the breath of the Lord 00:45:31.139 --> 00:45:35.400 blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The 00:45:35.400 --> 00:45:38.800 grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word 00:45:38.800 --> 00:45:46.619 of our God endures forever. You who bring good 00:45:46.619 --> 00:45:51.329 news to Zion go up on a high mountain. Bring 00:45:51.329 --> 00:45:54.170 good news to Jerusalem. Lift your voice with 00:45:54.170 --> 00:45:59.190 a shout. Lift it up. Do not be afraid. Say to 00:45:59.190 --> 00:46:03.190 the towns of Judah, here is your God. Here is 00:46:03.190 --> 00:46:10.070 your Elohim. Three in one. See, the sovereign 00:46:10.070 --> 00:46:16.469 Lord comes with power. And he rules in your life 00:46:16.469 --> 00:46:23.739 with a mighty arm. His reward is with him and 00:46:23.739 --> 00:46:29.300 his recompense accompanies him. He pays back 00:46:29.300 --> 00:46:33.019 to you. He rewards you for everything your sin 00:46:33.019 --> 00:46:39.179 stole from you. He tends his flock like a shepherd. 00:46:40.099 --> 00:46:44.619 He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries 00:46:44.619 --> 00:46:48.679 them close to his heart. Listen to this, parents. 00:46:49.719 --> 00:46:54.480 He gently leads those that have young. Man, take 00:46:54.480 --> 00:46:57.219 a deep breath. He leads you gently with all your 00:46:57.219 --> 00:47:04.320 young children. And then here is your God. Your 00:47:04.320 --> 00:47:07.320 problems, your mountains seem so high, but listen 00:47:07.320 --> 00:47:12.099 to this. Who has measured the waters in the hollow 00:47:12.099 --> 00:47:16.380 of his hand? Or with the breadth of his hand 00:47:16.380 --> 00:47:25.150 marked off the heavens? in a basket or weighed 00:47:25.150 --> 00:47:29.070 the mountains on the scales and the hills in 00:47:29.070 --> 00:47:33.829 a balance? Who can fathom the spirit of the Lord 00:47:33.829 --> 00:47:38.429 or instruct the Lord as his counselor? Whom did 00:47:38.429 --> 00:47:41.269 the Lord consult to enlighten him and taught 00:47:41.269 --> 00:47:44.750 him the right way? Who was it that taught him 00:47:44.750 --> 00:47:48.050 knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? 00:47:49.250 --> 00:47:53.269 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket. 00:47:53.969 --> 00:48:00.550 They are regarded as dust on the scales. He weighs 00:48:00.550 --> 00:48:05.849 the islands as though they were fine dust. My 00:48:05.849 --> 00:48:09.250 friends, your problem is not too big for your 00:48:09.250 --> 00:48:16.030 God. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, 00:48:16.150 --> 00:48:19.730 nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. For 00:48:19.730 --> 00:48:24.269 him all the nations are as nothing, and they 00:48:24.269 --> 00:48:27.929 are regarded by him as worthless and less than 00:48:27.929 --> 00:48:33.230 nothing. This is God the Father, God the Son, 00:48:33.289 --> 00:48:36.730 God the Holy Spirit. You are partakers of this 00:48:36.730 --> 00:48:43.269 God. With whom then will you compare God, Elohim? 00:48:43.849 --> 00:48:50.510 To what image will you liken him? A metal worker 00:48:50.510 --> 00:48:55.050 casts it. A goldsmith overlays it with gold and 00:48:55.050 --> 00:48:58.929 fashions silver chains for it. A person too poor 00:48:58.929 --> 00:49:02.369 to present such an offering selects wood that 00:49:02.369 --> 00:49:05.210 will not rot. They look for a skilled worker 00:49:05.210 --> 00:49:08.750 to set up an idol that will not topple. But there 00:49:08.750 --> 00:49:12.969 is no one that can be compared to God but Jesus. 00:49:17.679 --> 00:49:23.420 It is Jesus. Hallelujah. Do you not know? Have 00:49:23.420 --> 00:49:26.239 you not heard? Has it not been told to you from 00:49:26.239 --> 00:49:29.260 the beginning? Have you not understood since 00:49:29.260 --> 00:49:33.980 the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above 00:49:33.980 --> 00:49:38.079 the circle of the earth and its people are like 00:49:38.079 --> 00:49:42.260 grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like 00:49:42.260 --> 00:49:51.369 a canopy and spreads. Introduces the rulers of 00:49:51.369 --> 00:49:55.329 this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted. 00:49:55.329 --> 00:49:58.809 No sooner are they sown. Nor sooner do they take 00:49:58.809 --> 00:50:01.610 root in the ground. Then he blows on them and 00:50:01.610 --> 00:50:06.250 they wither. And the wind sweeps them away. To 00:50:06.250 --> 00:50:10.050 whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal? 00:50:10.570 --> 00:50:15.630 Says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and look 00:50:15.630 --> 00:50:21.280 to the heavens. Who created all these? brings 00:50:21.280 --> 00:50:25.099 out the starry host one by one and calls forth 00:50:25.099 --> 00:50:27.780 each of them by name. Don't you want to know 00:50:27.780 --> 00:50:30.699 what God has named them? I would love to know 00:50:30.699 --> 00:50:35.719 that. Because of his great power and mighty strength, 00:50:35.840 --> 00:50:38.980 not one of them is missing. Why do you complain, 00:50:39.199 --> 00:50:42.820 Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, my way is hidden 00:50:42.820 --> 00:50:49.679 from the Lord. My cause is disregarded by my 00:50:49.679 --> 00:50:52.960 God. Listen, I felt this, that some of you today 00:50:52.960 --> 00:50:57.260 have been asking this. God, why is my way hidden 00:50:57.260 --> 00:51:05.039 from you? Why have you disregarded me, God? And 00:51:05.039 --> 00:51:09.900 here's his answer. Do you not know? Have you 00:51:09.900 --> 00:51:16.949 not heard? The Lord... is the everlasting God, 00:51:17.110 --> 00:51:21.289 the everlasting Elohim, the three in one, the 00:51:21.289 --> 00:51:24.369 creator of the heavens, the ends of the earth. 00:51:24.590 --> 00:51:28.809 And he will not grow tired or weary. His understanding 00:51:28.809 --> 00:51:33.110 no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary 00:51:33.110 --> 00:51:49.039 and increases the power. love that verse. This 00:51:49.039 --> 00:51:52.460 is like the theme for the older people, this 00:51:52.460 --> 00:51:56.280 passage. But listen, it is not just for the older 00:51:56.280 --> 00:51:59.619 people because we live in a day and age when 00:51:59.619 --> 00:52:04.679 our young families are exhausted from running 00:52:04.679 --> 00:52:07.139 here and there and everywhere and trying to keep 00:52:07.139 --> 00:52:12.900 up. Even, it says, youths grow tired and weary. 00:52:13.789 --> 00:52:19.090 And young men stumble and fall. Young people, 00:52:19.190 --> 00:52:24.250 even you, grow tired, you grow weary, you stumble 00:52:24.250 --> 00:52:29.710 and you fall. But here's the good news for you. 00:52:29.829 --> 00:52:32.869 When you do stumble and fall, when you do grow 00:52:32.869 --> 00:52:36.610 tired and weak, here's the good news. Those who 00:52:36.610 --> 00:52:41.889 hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They 00:52:41.889 --> 00:52:47.130 will soar. like eagles. They will run and not 00:52:47.130 --> 00:52:50.989 grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. 00:52:51.550 --> 00:52:55.690 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And the enemy wants you 00:52:55.690 --> 00:52:58.630 to think you're too tired to run anymore. The 00:52:58.630 --> 00:53:00.789 enemy wants you to think you've stumbled and 00:53:00.789 --> 00:53:04.670 fallen too much. Listen, get your hope in God 00:53:04.670 --> 00:53:07.530 the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 00:53:07.849 --> 00:53:11.489 Get your hope in Him. He will not let you fall. 00:53:11.590 --> 00:53:15.320 He will cause you to soar. like an eagle. He 00:53:15.320 --> 00:53:22.920 will cause you to run and not be faint. And so 00:53:22.920 --> 00:53:25.280 we come to the table of the Lord and we take 00:53:25.280 --> 00:53:33.760 the bread, the body of Christ. And as we take 00:53:33.760 --> 00:53:41.469 the body of Christ, we say, Lord, I have felt 00:53:41.469 --> 00:53:44.130 disregarded. I have felt overlooked. I have felt 00:53:44.130 --> 00:53:48.010 like I haven't been seen by you. But as I hold 00:53:48.010 --> 00:53:57.449 this body, as I hold this broken body, I hear 00:53:57.449 --> 00:54:01.889 the truth that it is for me that you died. You 00:54:01.889 --> 00:54:08.019 saw me and you died on the cross. You saw me 00:54:08.019 --> 00:54:11.679 in my life and my stuff and you died on the cross 00:54:11.679 --> 00:54:17.420 for me. You took my sins for me. And Father, 00:54:17.599 --> 00:54:22.579 we thank you that you sent the Son. We thank 00:54:22.579 --> 00:54:28.159 you for sending him to redeem mankind. Jesus, 00:54:28.239 --> 00:54:30.980 we thank you for walking in obedience to the 00:54:30.980 --> 00:54:35.800 Father, even death upon a cross. And Holy Spirit, 00:54:36.239 --> 00:54:39.960 thank you that you have revealed to us our Redeemer, 00:54:40.019 --> 00:54:45.440 that you have empowered us in godliness. And 00:54:45.440 --> 00:54:50.679 so we remember Jesus and the Father and the Holy 00:54:50.679 --> 00:54:54.500 Spirit and with joy we partake this morning. 00:54:55.199 --> 00:55:12.940 Let's do that together. And as we take the cup, 00:55:13.019 --> 00:55:16.900 the blood, for every covenant that was made in 00:55:16.900 --> 00:55:21.400 the Bible, blood was shed. Blood is what sealed 00:55:21.400 --> 00:55:26.559 the covenant. And this morning, as we hold the 00:55:26.559 --> 00:55:29.519 sealing of this covenant, your shed blood on 00:55:29.519 --> 00:55:37.320 the cross. Our hearts are full of thankfulness. 00:55:41.070 --> 00:55:43.750 into the divine nature, into the relationship 00:55:43.750 --> 00:55:50.130 of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is tied in 00:55:50.130 --> 00:55:55.030 through the shed blood of Christ. There's no 00:55:55.030 --> 00:55:59.869 undoing it. You made a way for me to be part 00:55:59.869 --> 00:56:04.010 of this divine nature and you did it through 00:56:04.010 --> 00:56:08.170 your blood. You did it in such a way that that 00:56:08.170 --> 00:56:13.309 cannot be broken. And so we stand in confidence 00:56:13.309 --> 00:56:16.929 and boldness in the throne room as partakers 00:56:16.929 --> 00:56:20.170 of the divine nature because our trust is not 00:56:20.170 --> 00:56:23.610 in our own selves, in our own works, in our own 00:56:23.610 --> 00:56:29.329 independence. It is in the blood of Jesus. Let's 00:56:29.329 --> 00:56:32.030 partake of this blood together, the shed blood. 00:56:37.889 --> 00:56:43.190 Praise the Lord. Can you just stand with me? 00:56:43.289 --> 00:56:45.389 We're going to worship for a few moments here 00:56:45.389 --> 00:56:48.670 before we leave. I don't know about you. Every 00:56:48.670 --> 00:56:51.869 time I think of the Trinity now, I just get so 00:56:51.869 --> 00:56:54.969 overwhelmed by the power of it and the fact that 00:56:54.969 --> 00:56:58.309 they want me to be part of them, that the Father 00:56:58.309 --> 00:57:01.110 wants me to be part, that the Son wants me to 00:57:01.110 --> 00:57:03.849 be part, and that the Holy Spirit wants me to 00:57:03.849 --> 00:57:07.989 be in relationship with them. You are not alone. 00:57:08.349 --> 00:57:11.760 You are not alone. You are surrounded. by this 00:57:11.760 --> 00:57:15.199 beautiful Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 00:57:15.480 --> 00:57:17.679 Let's worship them for just a moment.