1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,480 So we're glad everybody's here and we look forward to fellowship and potluck together. 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:10,240 Now, I thank Elder Jaylee for giving me that kind welcome, 3 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,520 but I want to put some faces with some names here. 4 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:16,480 This is my wife, Jolie, and myself. 5 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,280 This was about last summer. 6 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,520 My son, Brandon, on the left was getting married, 7 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,760 and those are our two daughters, Peyton and Jordan. 8 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:27,680 So we've been married about almost 15 years. 9 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:34,960 Our kids are all in their 20s and I had the privilege on the other side there of performing the wedding for my son. 10 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,120 They're up in New Cleveland, Tennessee. 11 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,280 So there is some of us with Isabella, 12 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:43,200 Brandon's wife at a different wedding. 13 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:45,880 We tend to gather at weddings, it seems like. 14 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:47,920 Then there's Jolie with our daughters, 15 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,720 Peyton and Jordan, and there's the two of us. 16 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:52,640 A couple of weeks ago at Brasstown Ball, 17 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:54,520 the highest point in Georgia. 18 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,000 Then there we are a couple of years ago, 19 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,520 snorkeling with the manatees down in Florida. 20 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:04,200 Jolie and I at our anniversary. 21 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:06,400 Then we mentioned Watson. 22 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:07,800 Watson is a boy. 23 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,720 I'm not sure why he's dressed like Minnie Mouse in that picture, 24 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:17,760 but he's a precious little puppy that we appreciate now that our children have moved on out of the house. 25 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:22,200 So with that, let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. 26 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:24,480 Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you. 27 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,120 For a Sabbath morning. 28 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:33,960 We thank you for a time that we can gather together with new friends and a new church family, 29 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:42,280 and we can open up your word and we can remind ourselves again of the incredible grace that Jesus has for us. 30 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,560 May we love you more. 31 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,920 May we want to serve you better as we go from this place. 32 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,520 In your name we pray, amen. 33 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,720 So we're going to be spending a lot of the first part of our time. 34 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,160 We're going to be in John chapter one. 35 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:00,960 John chapter one is where we're going to be. 36 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:09,120 Many times people if someone says a particular word or a phrase, you get a picture in your head. 37 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,200 We had an amazing children's story about pennies and God we trust. 38 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,080 I was a little worried because as we were sitting on the front row, 39 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:22,120 I saw several pennies scattered about and I had a fear that I had messed up the whole children's story 40 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:27,120 because we had picked up those pennies and we're going to put them in the offering basket. 41 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:33,520 But if you say something like the Fourth of July, we get different images in our head. 42 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:39,320 Perhaps you get an image of a picnic or fireworks or red, white, and blue. 43 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,840 We get specific images in our head. 44 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:47,880 If we say the word Christmas, maybe you've got particular customs in your home 45 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,720 and every home has got a little bit different customs. 46 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:52,920 Do you open presents on Christmas Eve? 47 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:54,720 Do you open presents on Christmas morning? 48 00:02:54,720 --> 00:03:00,560 But you get some pictures in your head of what's happening. 49 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:06,640 Well, just this week I was reminded of a phrase that my family has. 50 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:12,440 And it's a weird phrase, but it's the phrase, this is a weird one. 51 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:14,760 Monkey suit. Monkey suit. 52 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:19,480 Now if I say monkey suit to you, you probably picture someone dressed up like a monkey 53 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,480 or maybe dressed up like Bigfoot or something. 54 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:29,800 But in my family, we have a story that maybe it's legend, but it's an actual story. 55 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:37,160 But maybe it's grown to legend proportion of the monkey suit. 56 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:42,960 And I posted this week online that this was going to be my first week pastoring in Ringgold 57 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:44,200 and Rossville. 58 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:48,240 And the next day I got a text message from my aunt, Aunt Judy. 59 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:52,760 And Aunt Judy said, you know, Greg, that your Uncle George and I were married 60 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:55,080 in the Ringgold Church. 61 00:03:55,080 --> 00:04:00,080 And I was in that wedding in 1975. 62 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,200 And I talked to some people here this morning who perhaps were members 63 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:05,600 at that time, George and Judy Amos. 64 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:10,800 And she said, and we were members of that church for the first three years of our marriage. 65 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:15,840 And when she told me that, I said, you got to send me a picture of the monkey suit. 66 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:20,120 Because whenever our family gathered together at Thanksgiving or whatever it was 67 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:25,640 and told stories of the past, inevitably the monkey suit came up. 68 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:27,880 Now what is this monkey suit picture? 69 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:33,400 Now they were on vacation so they couldn't send me the picture of the entire wedding party. 70 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:38,520 But she was able to send me a picture of my Uncle George. 71 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:43,720 And then there's little Greg, almost three years old, in a monkey suit. 72 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:51,600 Now what happened was my grandpa on that day, he made me cry is how the story goes. 73 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:57,240 Because he kind of jokingly said, haha, you've got to wear a monkey suit at the wedding. 74 00:04:57,240 --> 00:04:59,400 And I said, I don't want to wear a monkey suit. 75 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:05,760 And so I cried and cried that morning, but they finally got me to wear the little tux. 76 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:10,160 And looking at the picture, my aunt said it was in front of the stained glass. 77 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:15,200 I think it's a different stained glass, but it's maybe about right about here. 78 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:17,400 That picture was taken. 79 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:21,360 And I didn't realize I had been in this church before. 80 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,200 But that's just in our family when you say the word monkey suit, 81 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:27,840 that's the story that comes to mind. 82 00:05:27,840 --> 00:05:32,680 In John chapter 1, John the Baptist says a phrase, 83 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:37,640 he tells a story that is one of those universal memory words. 84 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:43,280 Now we're going to pick up the story in John chapter 1 in verse 23. 85 00:05:43,280 --> 00:05:50,880 And so John the Baptist was there baptizing people by the Jordan River. 86 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:55,160 In fact, a few weeks before he had baptized Jesus. 87 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:58,680 And that story is told in scripture, a voice from heaven comes down, 88 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,800 behold, this is my beloved son, and whom I am well pleased. 89 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:03,240 Listen to him. 90 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,760 But then Jesus had kind of disappeared. 91 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:09,760 He had removed himself from the scene. 92 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,200 He had removed himself from the situation. 93 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,160 And people didn't know where he was. 94 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,860 Now we know where he was, because as we've read the scriptures, 95 00:06:17,860 --> 00:06:23,800 we know that following the leading, it even says driven by the Holy Spirit, 96 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,000 Jesus was in the wilderness. 97 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,000 And how long was Jesus in the wilderness for? 98 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:30,280 40 days. 99 00:06:30,280 --> 00:06:32,200 And what was he doing there? 100 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:33,720 He was fasting. 101 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:37,680 And so there was this disappearance of Jesus, 102 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:39,720 and most people didn't know where he was. 103 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:46,240 And so in the meantime, the leaders are asking John the Baptist, who are you? 104 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,920 What is your ministry about? 105 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:50,480 What are you doing here? 106 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:54,080 And this was some of his response in verse 23. 107 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:59,120 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. 108 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:04,240 Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said. 109 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:08,600 So he was saying, I'm here to prepare the way for someone else. 110 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,840 And they ask him a little bit more, are you the Christ? 111 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:14,880 Are you Elijah? 112 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:16,960 Are you one of the prophets? 113 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,120 And this is what he said in verse 26. 114 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:23,800 He said, John answered saying, I baptize with water, 115 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:27,280 but there stands one among you whom you do not know. 116 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:33,400 It is he who coming after me is preferred before me, whose sandal strap 117 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:35,400 I am not worthy to loose. 118 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,160 So John the Baptist is saying, I'm here. 119 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,680 People are coming to me, but I'm not the important one. 120 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,680 There's someone coming after me who's more important. 121 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:51,560 And in fact, in one place he says, Jesus must increase, and I must decrease. 122 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:55,920 And what a story that is, if we would all say that in our heart. 123 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,480 And so John the Baptist is there, and he's 124 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:04,440 proclaiming this message that Jesus is soon to come. 125 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,240 But suddenly, there he was. 126 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:08,720 Jesus was back. 127 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,720 The 40 days in the wilderness had passed, 128 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:15,640 and Jesus was back into the presence of John the Baptist. 129 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:25,320 Now imagine, he's been fasting outside in a cave in the open for 40 days. 130 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:31,200 Have you ever been sick, or known someone who was sick, maybe had the flu 131 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:36,120 or whatever, and you see them, and you say, whoa, are you all right? 132 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:38,240 Are you OK? 133 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:38,880 I've been sick. 134 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:40,800 I've been under the weather for a few days. 135 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:44,680 And you can notice in just 24 or 48 hours, 136 00:08:44,680 --> 00:08:48,480 you can see someone who is feeling a little bit different. 137 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:55,120 Now imagine Jesus 40 days in the wilderness, how different he must have looked. 138 00:08:55,120 --> 00:09:01,400 Just a week ago, last Sunday, I was able to participate up in Chattanooga 139 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:04,240 in the Seven Bridges Marathon. 140 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:06,400 Except I did not do the Seven Bridges Marathon. 141 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,120 I did the Four Bridges Half Marathon. 142 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:12,080 It's half the distance, so 13 miles. 143 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:14,320 So I ran 13 miles. 144 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,320 I'm not very fast. 145 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:21,680 My goal was to beat two hours and 15 minutes, which is a little bit over 10 146 00:09:21,680 --> 00:09:25,760 minutes a mile, like 10 minutes and 10 seconds per mile. 147 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:29,800 I'd only done one other half marathon, and I was at two hours and 20 minutes. 148 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,200 So I was hoping I could do a little bit faster. 149 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:39,560 And as the race started last Sunday morning, I was keeping ahead of that pace. 150 00:09:39,560 --> 00:09:44,360 They actually have a runner that carries a little flag that says 215. 151 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:49,120 And her goal, if you stick with her, you're going to get two hours and 15 minutes. 152 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,320 So I was trying to stay ahead of her. 153 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:52,440 I didn't want to be by her. 154 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:54,240 I wanted to be ahead of her. 155 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:56,480 And then there was one place where there was a hill. 156 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:00,120 And I'd planned on walking this hill, because I knew it was a little steep. 157 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:04,920 But as I was walking up this hill, about mile 12, here she comes. 158 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:06,280 I'm like, oh no. 159 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,440 And she got a little bit ahead of me. 160 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:09,760 But I kept her in sight. 161 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,800 And then when we got to the top of that hill, I started running. 162 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:14,800 I was able to catch up with her. 163 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,120 And then in the last little bit, I passed her. 164 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:23,240 And I came across in two hours and 14 minutes and a few seconds after that. 165 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:27,280 But as I came through, we took some pictures. 166 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:28,920 And my wife took some pictures. 167 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:29,880 So there I was. 168 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:33,760 And a friend of mine, Rick Grieve, one of the ministerial directors, he was there. 169 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:34,320 And he saw me. 170 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,600 He's like, Greg, are you OK? 171 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:39,040 You need to sit down. 172 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:40,840 And I'm like, oh, I'm going to find Jolie. 173 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:41,880 Oh, OK. 174 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:43,040 And so I got with Jolie. 175 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,320 And Rick's like, you need to sit down. 176 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:47,040 And so, OK, I'll sit in this chair. 177 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,680 I'll catch my breath and drink my Gatorade. 178 00:10:49,680 --> 00:10:50,840 I sat down. 179 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,120 Some friends of ours had a booth. 180 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,360 They happen to have a medical clinic. 181 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:57,000 And they're like, are you OK? 182 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,280 Do you need an IV? 183 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:02,000 I'm like, no, I just need some Gatorade. 184 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:05,520 But apparently, even after just running two miles, 185 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,480 I looked in serious need of medical help. 186 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:10,840 I looked like I needed an IV. 187 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:12,400 I did not get the IV. 188 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:21,520 But imagine Jesus, 40 days of fasting, no longer an in-shape carpenter. 189 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,720 But how much different must he have looked? 190 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,680 As he comes back, John the Baptist is there. 191 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:29,240 There's a crowd of people. 192 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,800 And notice in verse 29 what John the Baptist says. 193 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:39,520 It says, the next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 194 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:45,680 behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 195 00:11:45,680 --> 00:11:50,360 Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 196 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:54,200 And immediately, there was that memory phrase 197 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,720 that everybody in that crowd, everybody who had grown up 198 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:01,280 in that community, everybody who had memorized 199 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:05,680 the law and the prophets, what we would call the Old Testament, 200 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:11,640 they began to think of what that meant, the Lamb of God. 201 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,640 And that image kind of weaves together all the pages 202 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,360 of what we would call the Old Testament. 203 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,600 And so we're going to take just a couple minutes today. 204 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:23,560 And we're not going to be able to dig in fully. 205 00:12:23,560 --> 00:12:27,320 But we want to examine what this phrase means 206 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:28,960 when John the Baptist says, 207 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:33,320 behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 208 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:35,680 So the very first place we're going to go now 209 00:12:35,680 --> 00:12:39,480 is back to Genesis chapter 3. 210 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:44,880 And we'll try to have some verses on the screen each week. 211 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,560 But I would definitely encourage you bring your own Bibles, 212 00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:52,360 look up your own Bibles, whether it's one with pages, 213 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:56,520 whether it's one on a screen, because that makes a huge difference 214 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,080 when you're looking up the verses for yourself 215 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:01,280 and reading them for yourself. 216 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:06,680 But in Genesis chapter 3, we find the story of Adam and Eve. 217 00:13:06,680 --> 00:13:10,920 Now Genesis 1 and 2 tells us the story of creation, 218 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:15,480 and God creates this Garden of Eden, a perfect place. 219 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:19,200 But then in chapter 3, here comes the serpent, 220 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:22,520 here comes the deceiver, here comes Satan, 221 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:28,120 and here comes the first challenge, the first temptation, the first test. 222 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:34,600 And Adam and Eve were tempted and ended up disobeying God. 223 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:36,080 And what was their temptation? 224 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,280 What were they supposed to not do? 225 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,200 Eat fruit from one particular tree. 226 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:46,080 There was a bunch of other trees that they could eat from, 227 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:51,000 but there was one, and it seems like, from my reading of Scripture, 228 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,920 that that tree was basically like all the other trees. 229 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,120 Didn't look different, didn't have poisoned fruit. 230 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:01,040 The thing that was different is that God said, 231 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:02,680 nope, that's not the one. 232 00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:08,360 That was the one thing that God placed His certainty in that, 233 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:12,520 and we need to obey the Word of God and listen to what God says, 234 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,480 even if it seems like it's a small thing. 235 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,600 But Adam and Eve did not do that. 236 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:21,200 They were succumbed to that temptation. 237 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:25,800 And so they had been told that if they ate the fruit, 238 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,400 the result was going to be what? 239 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:29,400 Death. 240 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,480 They were going to be, they were going to die. 241 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:38,080 Now we know from the story that in that moment, on that day, 242 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,260 they did not die. 243 00:14:40,260 --> 00:14:46,120 But that began the process that resulted in their death years later. 244 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:48,040 But something did die. 245 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:53,720 And in fact, if we go to Genesis 3 verse 21, it says, 246 00:14:53,720 --> 00:15:02,920 Also, for Adam and his wife, the Lord God made tunics of skin and clothed them. 247 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:06,960 And so while Adam and Eve did not die that day, 248 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,440 something died because of what they had done. 249 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:14,440 Something died in their place to clothe them from their nakedness, 250 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:17,680 to clothe them from the change that had taken place. 251 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:22,920 And from the very beginning, we begin to see that at times, 252 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:27,200 something dies in place of the person that deserves to die. 253 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:33,720 Adam and Eve were the ones that messed up, but something else died in their place. 254 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:35,880 Similar story, we're not going to read the verses, 255 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:42,560 but in Exodus chapter 12, the children of Israel are in bondage in Egypt. 256 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:45,840 God sends Moses, let my people go. 257 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:48,600 Time and time again, Moses proclaims, let my people go. 258 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:52,080 And Pharaoh, sometimes he says yes, sometimes he says no. 259 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,220 He keeps flip-flopping, changing his mind. 260 00:15:55,220 --> 00:15:59,560 And finally, there begins to be plagues, and there's going to be one more plague. 261 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:05,100 This Passover angel is going to Passover, and they're told to do something. 262 00:16:05,100 --> 00:16:08,280 They're told to have a sacrifice. 263 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:12,960 They're told to take some branches and to paint the door post, 264 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:17,000 the lintel in the post of the door with blood. 265 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,560 So something was going to die. 266 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:24,160 And then as the Passover angel came, as they saw that blood on the door post, 267 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:28,560 the Passover angel passed over those homes. 268 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:32,640 And the Egyptians and those who hadn't put the blood in place, 269 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:35,740 the firstborn died in that tenth plague. 270 00:16:35,740 --> 00:16:39,480 So something died in place of someone else. 271 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:47,400 It's also seen, it's kind of codified through the sanctuary and the tabernacle service, 272 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:48,980 and then later in the temple. 273 00:16:48,980 --> 00:16:50,920 And that's in Leviticus chapter 5. 274 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:52,840 We'll go ahead and read this one. 275 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,560 Leviticus 5 and verse 5. 276 00:16:55,560 --> 00:17:03,360 It says, and it shall be when he is guilty in any of these matters, 277 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,400 this is just one of the verses, we could have read some other ones. 278 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:08,040 Leviticus 5 verse 5. 279 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:12,240 It shall be when he is guilty in any of these matters, 280 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,920 that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing, 281 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:20,800 and he shall bring his trespass offering to the Lord for his sin, 282 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:22,600 which he has committed. 283 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:23,600 And then it goes on and says, 284 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:28,480 so the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin. 285 00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:33,960 So if I am the sinner, I bring an animal from my flock, 286 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:37,600 and that animal dies for my sin. 287 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,880 I'm the one that messed up. 288 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:46,480 I'm the one that sinned, but that lamb is the one that dies in my place. 289 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:48,200 There's a story we can look at as well. 290 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:50,440 Genesis chapter 22. 291 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:51,880 Go back just a few pages. 292 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:54,760 This is the story of Abraham. 293 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:59,080 Abraham, who numerous times, about eight different times, 294 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:03,920 Abraham heard the voice of God, the actual voice of God, 295 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:07,440 spoke to Abraham and gave him different directions, 296 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,900 about eight times, and this is one of those times. 297 00:18:10,900 --> 00:18:16,580 And if Abraham had not heard the voice of God so many times before, 298 00:18:16,580 --> 00:18:20,760 he would be okay, I think, maybe to wonder if this was really the voice of God. 299 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,040 But he knew what the voice of God sounded like. 300 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:27,720 They had a relationship that God would speak to Abraham, 301 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:29,560 and Abraham would respond. 302 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,960 And so in Genesis 22 verse 1, it says, 303 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:39,400 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham 304 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:43,500 and said to him, Abraham, and he said, Here I am. 305 00:18:43,500 --> 00:18:45,440 And then this is the test. 306 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:51,380 Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, 307 00:18:51,380 --> 00:18:56,720 and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering 308 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,480 on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. 309 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:02,080 So picture this. 310 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:05,480 Let's consider what's happening here. 311 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:09,440 So there's Abraham, and he has a son, and God names him. 312 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,240 Take your son, your only son Isaac. 313 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:13,400 Let's pause right there. 314 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:15,600 Was Isaac Abraham's only son? 315 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:17,560 No, Abraham had another son. 316 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,360 He had a son named Ishmael who was several years older. 317 00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:26,520 But Isaac was the son of the promise. 318 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:28,680 God had told Abraham years before, 319 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:32,200 You're going to have a son through your wife, Sarah. 320 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:34,040 Sarah, you're going to have a son. 321 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:37,060 And Isaac was the son of the promise. 322 00:19:37,060 --> 00:19:41,360 And by this time, Ishmael had already been sent away. 323 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:44,660 He had sent him away a little bit before that. 324 00:19:44,660 --> 00:19:49,600 And so this was the son of the promise, the son who was at home. 325 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,640 And then God makes sure, this is extra challenging. 326 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:53,920 He says, take your son. 327 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,120 Oh, by the way, he's your only son. 328 00:19:56,120 --> 00:19:59,960 Oh, don't forget, he's the son whom you love. 329 00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:03,440 And go and offer him as a burnt offering. 330 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:08,520 Something that God had never before, had never since proclaimed. 331 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:12,840 And yet Abraham knew the voice of God and responded to that. 332 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:16,360 It says they got up early the next day, verse 3. 333 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:19,560 They started off, some people like to say they got up early. 334 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:23,040 So they didn't have to explain this to mama. 335 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:27,560 They could just get out of there before mama started to ask any questions. 336 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:34,360 But verse 6, it says, so Abraham, they got to where they were going. 337 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:40,200 A couple days later, Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering. 338 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,960 And laid it on Isaac his son. 339 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:47,040 And he took the fire in his hand, probably in a brass pot or something. 340 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,400 And a knife, and the two of them went together. 341 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:52,280 So they got to the base of the mountain. 342 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:54,160 They left the servants there. 343 00:20:54,160 --> 00:21:01,760 And we have a father and his son, his only begotten son, with wood upon his back, 344 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:08,080 beginning to make his way up the hill towards a place of sacrifice. 345 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:12,200 That's an image that maybe we see other places in scripture. 346 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:15,160 But Isaac was no dummy. 347 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:18,720 And he knew that something was missing. 348 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:25,120 And in verse 7 it says, but Isaac spoke to Abraham, his father, and said, my father. 349 00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:28,480 And he said, here I am, my son. 350 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:33,720 And Isaac said, look, here, the fire, you've got the fire. 351 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:37,200 And the wood, I've got the wood on my back. 352 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,840 But we're missing something. 353 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:44,080 We've got the fire, we've got the wood, we've got the knife. 354 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,600 But where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 355 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:51,960 If we're going to offer a sacrifice, we're missing a key ingredient here. 356 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:54,080 We're missing the lamb. 357 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,960 And notice what Abraham says in verse 8. 358 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:06,080 Abraham said, my son, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering. 359 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,760 And so the two of them went together. 360 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:14,360 God will provide for himself a lamb for the burnt offering. 361 00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:19,880 There are some versions that if you read it, you could read it as God will provide himself 362 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,920 as a lamb for the burnt offering. 363 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:27,200 But the key is that God is providing something. 364 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:30,240 And the two of them went on together. 365 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:32,720 God is going to provide the lamb. 366 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:42,480 And so Abraham, who was raised in a pagan city, who was raised in a center of idolatry, 367 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:48,560 where he had been surrounded by people who offered sacrifices to multiple gods, probably 368 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:54,080 even offered some of their own children to these multiple gods, this Abraham, who was 369 00:22:54,080 --> 00:23:01,040 raised in this center of idolatry, is about to get an incredible lesson in the free gift 370 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:02,640 of grace. 371 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,080 God is going to provide the lamb. 372 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:10,360 And so there's a picture of this only son with wood upon his back going up the mountain 373 00:23:10,360 --> 00:23:13,720 to lay down his life in sacrifice. 374 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:19,160 And Abraham was old at this point. 375 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:21,120 Isaac was young. 376 00:23:21,120 --> 00:23:23,280 Notice what it says in verse 9. 377 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,400 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. 378 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:28,440 And Abraham built an altar there. 379 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:33,280 That took a little bit of time, stacking up some stones, gathering the stones, making 380 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:34,960 sure everything stood up. 381 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:37,520 He placed the wood in order. 382 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:39,520 That took a little bit of time. 383 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:46,360 And then it says he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 384 00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:49,760 Abraham's over 100 years old. 385 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:53,000 Isaac could have pushed him back down the mountain, could have gotten on the donkey 386 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:54,920 and rode away. 387 00:23:54,920 --> 00:24:03,320 But Isaac was willing to allow himself to be bound by his elderly father to lay down 388 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:08,800 upon this altar, waiting for the next blow to come. 389 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:14,360 And so you can almost picture it here as it says Abraham stretched out his hand and took 390 00:24:14,360 --> 00:24:15,640 the knife. 391 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:19,520 And I can see it with, there's some trembling there. 392 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:22,680 There's some hesitation there. 393 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:24,040 He doesn't know what's coming next. 394 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:30,000 He tells us in Hebrews that he expects, this is the son of the promise, that he expects 395 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:34,280 at least Isaac's going to be resurrected from the dead. 396 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:37,200 He doesn't know how this is going to play out. 397 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:41,920 And he's there ready to plunge that knife, ready to sacrifice his own son. 398 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:48,480 And as his hand is raised up, God's hand reaches down from heaven and says, whoa, stop. 399 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:51,960 Notice what comes next in verse 11. 400 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:57,080 It says the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, Abraham, Abraham, here I am, 401 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,480 here I am, I'm here. 402 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:00,480 What do you want me to do? 403 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:03,120 Not this, surely not this God. 404 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:09,480 And he said in verse 12, do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him for now I 405 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:16,600 know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me. 406 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:18,880 That's it. 407 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:19,880 That's the answer. 408 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:26,800 You have, you were willing to give everything and now something is going to take the place. 409 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:32,760 Notice the very next verse, verse 13, Abraham lifted his eyes and looked and there behind 410 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:36,880 him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. 411 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:44,920 So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his 412 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:46,280 son. 413 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:47,440 That's the key right there. 414 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:51,640 This ram was offered instead of his son. 415 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:58,280 And so each time we see this lamb of God, we see something instead of the one who was 416 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:04,360 guilty, something instead of the one who had messed up, the one who had had sinned. 417 00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:09,040 And so we see this ram being offered instead of the son. 418 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:10,840 And Abraham appreciated that obviously. 419 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:15,000 And he called the name of the place Jehovah Jireh, Jireh. 420 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:21,760 I'm not sure exactly how to say that, but it means the Lord will provide. 421 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:26,600 As it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be provided. 422 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,120 And that is this picture of grace. 423 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:33,160 I want to go to one more place in the Old Testament. 424 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:34,160 Isaiah. 425 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,180 Isaiah, this isn't a story. 426 00:26:37,180 --> 00:26:39,180 This is a prophecy. 427 00:26:39,180 --> 00:26:40,360 And it's looking forward. 428 00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:41,360 Isaiah 53. 429 00:26:41,360 --> 00:26:47,720 If you've read Isaiah 53, some of you may have memorized some verses in there. 430 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:49,360 And it's looking forward. 431 00:26:49,360 --> 00:26:53,320 It's referring to someone as the suffering servant. 432 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:56,040 Isaiah 53 is all about the suffering servant. 433 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:57,960 We're going to read one of these verses. 434 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:00,960 It's one of my wife's favorite verses. 435 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:07,080 But throughout Isaiah 53, it's talking about this one who is going to take the place of 436 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:08,120 others. 437 00:27:08,120 --> 00:27:13,200 And any Bible scholar would say, yes, this is obviously talking about Jesus. 438 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:17,080 This is a prophecy looking forward to Jesus. 439 00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:19,200 And we're just going to read a couple of the verses here. 440 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:20,200 Verse seven. 441 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:25,000 He was oppressed, the suffering servant, which is pointing towards Jesus. 442 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:30,100 He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. 443 00:27:30,100 --> 00:27:33,460 He was led as a, as a what? 444 00:27:33,460 --> 00:27:41,680 As a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its sheers is silent, so he, so Jesus, 445 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:43,800 opened not his mouth. 446 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:46,640 He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. 447 00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:50,000 And if we go back just a couple of verses to verse five. 448 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,520 This is a verse my wife likes a lot. 449 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,160 Verse, Isaiah 53 verse five. 450 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:59,960 But he was wounded for our transgressions. 451 00:27:59,960 --> 00:28:07,480 He was bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement for our peace was upon him. 452 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:12,480 And by his stripes or by his wounds, we are healed. 453 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:14,200 Now we're in a group right here. 454 00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:15,400 We're in a church. 455 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:16,880 We're reading together. 456 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:22,920 And so we can say, you know, we can say he was wounded for our transgressions, for our 457 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:23,920 transgressions, this group. 458 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:28,800 But if you're reading it by yourself, I think it's okay. 459 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:34,600 I think it's still biblical to change that just a little bit from a, from a plural to 460 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:36,080 a singular. 461 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:41,000 And you can read it like, but he was wounded for my transgressions. 462 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:43,120 He was wounded for all of our transgressions. 463 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:44,360 And I'm part of that. 464 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:46,060 He was wounded for my transgressions. 465 00:28:46,060 --> 00:28:49,120 He was bruised for my iniquities. 466 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:53,280 And the chastisement for my peace was upon him. 467 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:57,140 By his wounds, I am healed. 468 00:28:57,140 --> 00:28:58,740 And that's what it's all about. 469 00:28:58,740 --> 00:29:04,120 When John the Baptist says, behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, 470 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:05,400 that's what it's all about. 471 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:10,720 That the wounds that Jesus received on the cross were to bring us healing, to bring us 472 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:15,000 forgiveness, to bring us peace. 473 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,800 Now this is our first week together. 474 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:23,140 And so in the, in the weeks ahead, the months ahead, the years ahead, however it's going 475 00:29:23,140 --> 00:29:25,480 to be, this is what we're going to be talking about. 476 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:26,480 Yeah. 477 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:27,920 We're going to talk about prophecies. 478 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:29,120 We'll talk about Sabbath. 479 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:31,120 We'll talk about what happens when somebody dies. 480 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:33,760 We'll talk about the craziness of the world. 481 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:39,200 But above all, we want to talk about this Jesus who was the lamb of God. 482 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:44,840 And so I want today just real quick to look at some basics, some very basics. 483 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:49,280 Now you may remember Colton did an awesome job reading the scripture. 484 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:53,160 I think he said you were in kindergarten, right? 485 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:54,160 First grade. 486 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:55,160 He's in first grade. 487 00:29:55,160 --> 00:30:02,080 So when Colton was learning to read, they did not give him, you know, Webster's dictionary 488 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:03,920 to begin to learn to read. 489 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,560 They did not give him the complete works of Shakespeare. 490 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:11,480 They did not even give him the Bible to begin to learn to read. 491 00:30:11,480 --> 00:30:16,200 You can remember back to kindergarten and preschool, you had a sheet of paper. 492 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:21,600 You probably had a big chubby pencil because your fingers couldn't hold the normal size 493 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:22,600 pencil. 494 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:25,760 You had a sheet of paper and it had a bunch of dots on it. 495 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:31,520 And if you traced those dots, you could get an A. And there's probably a full line. 496 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:37,760 And you took practice tracing that line to draw that A, to draw that A. And maybe by 497 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:43,360 the end of the page, hopefully, or the end of the week, you could draw that A all by 498 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:46,000 yourself and you didn't need the dots anymore. 499 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:47,000 And then you got the next page. 500 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:48,720 What do you think was on the next page? 501 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,060 B, the next letter. 502 00:30:51,060 --> 00:30:57,120 And then the next page would have been C. And before you began to read, you know, about 503 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:02,600 a passage at church, you had to learn the ABCs. 504 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:09,760 And so, real quick, I want to remind us of the ABCs of what this means that Jesus died 505 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:10,760 for our sins. 506 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:13,900 So real quick, Romans 323. 507 00:31:13,900 --> 00:31:16,880 If anybody asks you, what do I have to do to be saved? 508 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:18,720 ABC, here you go. 509 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:19,720 Romans 323. 510 00:31:19,720 --> 00:31:25,040 It says, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 511 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:27,600 So there's your A right there. 512 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:28,600 All have sinned. 513 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:30,600 Have I sinned? 514 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,000 Yes, you can say that loudly. 515 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:34,240 I have sinned. 516 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:35,240 Have you sinned? 517 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:37,440 Yes, has everybody in this room sinned? 518 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:39,480 Yes, we have all sinned. 519 00:31:39,480 --> 00:31:44,640 And if you turned one page over from there to Romans 623, it would say, the wages of 520 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,400 sin is death. 521 00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:48,640 We've all sinned. 522 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:50,400 We all deserve to die. 523 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:58,040 But thankfully, the very next part of Romans 623 says, but we have a gift of God, which 524 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,840 is eternal life through Christ Jesus. 525 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:03,320 So we can say, A, all have sinned. 526 00:32:03,320 --> 00:32:04,320 We've all sinned. 527 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,000 We all deserve to die. 528 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,160 That's the A. John 1.29. 529 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:09,640 That's the one we've been looking at today. 530 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:13,000 That was the one our scripture was. 531 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:18,800 The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, behold, the Lamb of God who 532 00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:20,600 takes away the sin of the world. 533 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:24,560 Now, if you're in the NIV, it says, look, the Lamb of God. 534 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:29,120 But in the King James and the New King James, the ABC still plays out. 535 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:36,020 So all have sinned, but behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 536 00:32:36,020 --> 00:32:37,680 We all have messed up. 537 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:39,000 We all deserve to die. 538 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,160 But look, behold. 539 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:44,520 There's the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 540 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,680 And we said there was ABC, so there's one more. 541 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:49,280 There's several verses we could use. 542 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:51,680 Oh, I forgot this part. 543 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:55,680 It says, behold, the Lamb of God. 544 00:32:55,680 --> 00:33:01,400 We need to remind ourselves that it's not about a human. 545 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:04,180 It's not about a barnyard creature. 546 00:33:04,180 --> 00:33:09,560 When it says, behold, the Lamb of God, in John 1.29, if we go just a few verses before 547 00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:16,520 that, still in John chapter 1, to the very opening verses of John chapter 1, it says, 548 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,720 in the beginning was the Word. 549 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:26,080 And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 550 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:27,720 He was in the beginning with God. 551 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:35,440 All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made. 552 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:42,120 So this Word was with God in the beginning, this Word was God, this Word was involved 553 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:43,520 in creation. 554 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:49,360 And then you can skip down in that very same chapter to verse 14, and it says, the Word 555 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:53,320 became flesh and dwelt among us. 556 00:33:53,320 --> 00:33:57,520 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. 557 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:02,560 The glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 558 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:08,880 And so when we talk about, behold, the Lamb of God, it's not about a human who's down 559 00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:10,320 here just doing good things. 560 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:14,120 It's not about some divine thing that's just up there. 561 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:18,640 It's about the Creator of the world, who left the glories of heaven to come and be with 562 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:24,520 us to live a perfect life and to die in our place. 563 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:27,880 Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. 564 00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:33,680 And now we can come to the sea, Matthew 11, 28. 565 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:40,400 This is an invitation from Jesus, where Jesus says, come unto me, all you who labor and 566 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:43,880 are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 567 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:49,240 So we've got the fact that we're all sinners, we've got the fact that Jesus left the glories 568 00:34:49,240 --> 00:34:53,800 of heaven, behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, and then we've 569 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:56,800 got an invitation to come to Him. 570 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:58,080 And so here's a little quiz. 571 00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:03,760 I used to be a teacher for a little while at Georgia Cumberland Academy. 572 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:04,760 What's A? 573 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:05,760 All I've sinned. 574 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,760 All right, very good. 575 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:14,040 B, behold the Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world. 576 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:16,920 And then what's the invitation? 577 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:20,720 Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden. 578 00:35:20,720 --> 00:35:21,720 Good news. 579 00:35:21,720 --> 00:35:24,840 Good news you passed the quiz. 580 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:29,400 Good news that Jesus died to take away all of our sins. 581 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:35,920 And so we can trace the story from Eden to the sanctuary service to a story on a mountaintop, 582 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:37,700 a lamb died. 583 00:35:37,700 --> 00:35:44,480 But now we remember that Jesus died to take away my sins, to take away your sins, to take 584 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:46,920 away our sins. 585 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:48,840 And the key is now left with us. 586 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:51,200 Have we confessed those sins? 587 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:55,400 Have we accepted that free gift that God has given us? 588 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,040 Have we laid our sins upon Jesus? 589 00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:01,760 Have we said, Lamb of God, take away my sins? 590 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:06,200 So as we begin our journey together, Sabbath after Sabbath, this is what we're going to 591 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:07,200 be talking about. 592 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:10,720 This Jesus who died to take away our sins. 593 00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:12,040 Because that's the key. 594 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:16,480 Because in this world, you watch the news and things are crazy. 595 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:21,680 You look at your own reflection and you think of the times that you have fallen short. 596 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:25,480 You think of challenges that you're facing, our loved ones are facing. 597 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:31,800 You just don't know how you can make it through, how you can carry on. 598 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:34,040 We're almost to the end of 2023. 599 00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:36,240 What's going to happen in 2024? 600 00:36:36,240 --> 00:36:42,600 And sometimes it seems overwhelming that day by day we can remember what Jesus has done 601 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:43,600 for us. 602 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:45,480 We can remember that we can trust in Him. 603 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:47,800 I want to tell one more story. 604 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:50,920 Has anybody seen this building before? 605 00:36:50,920 --> 00:36:53,320 It's about two miles from here. 606 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:57,600 If you go just down the road, go through the gap, and there it is. 607 00:36:57,600 --> 00:36:59,760 The old stone church. 608 00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:04,560 I've driven by that church probably a hundred times at least between Calhoun and Collage 609 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:07,760 Dale and I had never stopped there. 610 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:12,480 I'd seen it, I knew it was some historic church and about, I don't know, over the summer 611 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:19,840 I was reading a book about the Battle of Chickamauga and it said something about, oh there's a 612 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:22,640 stone church in Ringgold that had been used as a hospital. 613 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,160 I'm like, I bet that's that church. 614 00:37:25,160 --> 00:37:30,480 And so the next time, this was probably two months ago, I happened to be driving by and 615 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:31,960 I was like, I'm going to stop. 616 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:34,200 I pulled in. 617 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:36,120 It was locked up so I didn't get to go inside. 618 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:41,120 I still haven't been inside but apparently during the battle it was used as a hospital 619 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:46,080 for both sides at different points in time and they say there's some blood stains still 620 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:49,920 on the floor from taking care of the wounded there. 621 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:54,760 And I knew that part of the story but what I didn't know was that if you read the plaque 622 00:37:54,760 --> 00:38:01,160 on the outside of the building, this church is historical for another reason. 623 00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:04,360 After the Civil War, there was a gentleman by the name of A.J. 624 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:09,720 Showalter in 1887 and he was a hymn seller. 625 00:38:09,720 --> 00:38:15,400 He sold hymnals, hymn books and he had an office in Dalton, he had an office in Chattanooga 626 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:23,880 and he also wrote a song and there was a hymn that was sung for the very first time at that 627 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:27,000 old stone church that's about two miles from here. 628 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,920 Anybody have a guess what that hymn is? 629 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:38,560 It happens to be our closing hymn of the day, 469, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms and what 630 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:45,720 a promise is we remember what Jesus has done for us that we can trust in him to forgive 631 00:38:45,720 --> 00:38:50,860 us for our sins that even though we have all sinned, even though we all deserve death, 632 00:38:50,860 --> 00:38:56,560 we can behold the Lamb of God who takes away those sins and we can respond to that invitation 633 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:59,940 to come to him and he's going to give us rest. 634 00:38:59,940 --> 00:39:03,640 We can lean on his everlasting arms each and every day. 635 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:06,240 Let's bow our heads for prayer and then we'll sing. 636 00:39:06,240 --> 00:39:11,440 Dear God, what a privilege and an honor it is to serve you. 637 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:14,740 God forgive us for the times that we have fallen short. 638 00:39:14,740 --> 00:39:20,860 Forgive us for the times that we have been distracted and God help us to lean upon you. 639 00:39:20,860 --> 00:39:26,320 Help us to each to once again accept you as our Lord and Savior, to cast our sins upon 640 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:31,160 you and to accept your invitation to come to you and receive the rest that you want 641 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:32,160 to give us. 642 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:33,920 God thank you for all you do. 643 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:36,520 In your name we pray, amen.