WEBVTT

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Have you ever seen a spectacle? I bet you have.

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You may not realize it, but if you've ever been,

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I don't know, driving down the interstate and

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suddenly there's traffic and maybe there's some

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unfortunate accident that took place up ahead.

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Maybe it's on your side, maybe it's on the other

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side, but as you get closer and closer to this,

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even if it's on the other side of the road and

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there's nothing blocking your lane, What do people

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do? Slow down. And they look because they want

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to see the spectacle. They want to see what is

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happening. They want to see what took place.

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It was a couple years ago now, I guess. Jolie

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and I, we had gone down to Panama City to help

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move my son. And I think we had left really,

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really early. And we got there really, really

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early before people had woken up. because we

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left in the middle of the night to get down there

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in the morning. And so they weren't awake yet,

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and so we're like, well, let's drive over to

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the beach. It's just about a five -minute drive.

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And so we drove over there, and we saw a spectacle.

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We saw a line. People were just lined up. And

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we're like, what are they lined up for? I don't

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know, but it must be good. And so we found the

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first parking spot. We got out, and we got in

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line. And then we said, What's this line for?

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People are lined up. It had to be something good,

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and it was. It was donuts. There was a donut

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shop there right on the beach, and so people

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were lined up, and so we waited our turn, and

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we got donuts for everybody and took them back

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because there was a spectacle. There was something

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to see, and as we're celebrating the Lord's Supper,

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the communion service, which of course took place

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in the hours before the cross on that day there

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was a spectacle there was a crowd and if you

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look on your calendar you may see that day called

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good friday but we recognize that in that moment

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for for many of the people involved it was not

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good and it was only as we look back on the results

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of that that we can say yes that was a good day

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that was a good Friday. But in the hours after

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the Lord's Supper, John 13, it talks about how

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Jesus took a basin and a towel and he bent down

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and he washed the disciples' feet. And he said,

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this do, you should do as I have done for you.

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And so that's why in just a few minutes, we're

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going to... Divide up. We're going to go, and

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if you choose to participate, we're going to

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wash one another's feet in something we call

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the ordinance of humility. And in those events

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leading up to the cross, as Jesus hung on that

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cross, he is recorded as saying seven things.

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And people kind of refer to it as the seven sayings

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of the cross. The seven sayings of the cross.

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And you may or may not remember, but at our last

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communion, we looked at the first saying on the

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cross where Jesus said, Father, forgive them,

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for they don't know what they're doing, even

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as they were beating him and abusing him and

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nailing him to the cross. And today we're going

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to pick up the story, and we're going to look

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at the second saying, and we're going to be in

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Luke 23. And we'll just be here for a few minutes

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before we continue on with the rest of this service.

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But in Luke chapter 23, There was a spectacle.

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And there were at least four different groups

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of people that the Bible records that were involved

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in this spectacle. They were looking at things.

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They were seeing things. And we're going to start

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in Luke 23, verse 35, and we're going to see

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the first group. And it says, the people. That's

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the first group. The people stood looking on.

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Even the rulers with them sneered. So this group

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has the people. It's got the religious leaders

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of the day. And they're seeing this man hanging

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from the cross. And this is what they say. He

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saved others. Let him save himself if he is the

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Christ, the chosen of God. This is kind of interesting.

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Because these people had seen Jesus do miracles.

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They had seen him heal the sick. They had seen

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the lame be able to walk. They had seen the lepers,

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their sores healed, their skin was brought back

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like new. Some of them had probably even eaten

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from the lunch that Jesus had fed 5 ,000 people

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with just one boy's little lunch. They had seen

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Jesus save people. They had seen miracles. And

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yet, for them, it wasn't enough. They wanted

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one more. And it's interesting how they say it.

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They said, if you are, they said he saved others,

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let him save himself if he is the Christ, the

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chosen of God. He saved others, save himself

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if he is the Christ. And they missed the entire

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point that Jesus was on the cross because he

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was the Messiah, because he was. the Christ.

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They were saying, do one more miracle and come

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down, and they were missing the point that Jesus

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was on the cross because he was doing the ultimate

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miracle of saving us through his death. And so

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they missed the entire point of what Jesus was

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doing there. Then it goes on, and we see another

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group observing this spectacle. Verse 36, it

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says, the soldiers, that's the second group,

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the soldiers also mocked him. coming and offering

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him sour wine and saying, if you are the king

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of the Jews, save yourself. Now this was a group

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of, you know, soldiers, hardened soldiers here.

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They didn't know Jesus. They didn't know the

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hope that the Jewish people had and some Messiah

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that was going to come and save them. They were

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just doing their job. It was not a pleasant job.

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It was a job that involved torture and blood

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and death. They were just doing their job and

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reading a sign. Because the next verse says there

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was a sign written over him, and in other Gospels

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it says he is the king of the Jews. They just

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read the sign. They didn't know anything about

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this guy, and they didn't want to know him. Although

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later we see at least one of these soldiers said,

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behold. surely he is more than we thought, more

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than we imagined. So they missed out on what

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was happening as they observed the spectacle.

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And the third group is actually just an individual,

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verse 39. Then one of the criminals who were

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hanged blasphemed him, mocked him, taunted him,

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saying, if you are the Christ, Save yourself

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and us. So this criminal blasphemed. Again, we're

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told in other Gospels, mocked. And he said, aren't

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you the Christ? Aren't you the Messiah? If you

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are, get down from that cross. And while you're

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doing it, get me down too. Save me. And so it

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seemed like he wanted Jesus, but only in order

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to get out of his current situation. I'm about

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to die on this cross. I don't want to be here.

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Save yourself. Save us. Save me as well. So he

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was observing the spectacle and missing out on

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the point. And then there's one more group, one

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more individual. We'll call him criminal number

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two. In verse 40, it says, but the other, the

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other criminal, answering, rebuked him, rebuked

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criminal number one, saying, Do you not even

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fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?

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And we indeed justly, for we receive the due

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reward of our deeds. We've done wrong. We've

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done the crime. Now we've got to do the time.

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In this case, give their life. He's saying we

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deserve this. We're getting what is owed us because

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of the way we lived and because of the life that...

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because of the things that we've done. But he

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says, but this man has done nothing wrong. Don't

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you fear God? This man has done nothing wrong.

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And he has seen Jesus face the abuse, face the

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mockery. He'd seen the calm response. Perhaps

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he'd heard Jesus in verse 34 say, Father, forgive

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them. He'd seen something different in this reaction

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of Jesus on this day. And then there's this incredible

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request. Verse 42, then he said to Jesus, he

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says to the criminal, leave this guy alone, he's

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done nothing wrong. But then he said to Jesus,

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Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

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Here he is hanging on a cross, bloody, nearing

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death. And that thief in that moment recognizes

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that this isn't the end. This isn't the end of

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the story. There's something beyond this current

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situation. There's something that could give

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him hope even as he was nearing death. And then

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we get to the second saying of the cross, verse

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43. And Jesus said to him, Assuredly, I say to

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you today, You will be with me in paradise. Now,

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I've got to pause here for just one moment, because

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being how we're in an Adventist church here,

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we like to make a point of making sure that everybody

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knows that the punctuation in Scripture was not

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there until hundreds of years later, and so you've

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got to make sure everything lines up. And so

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this statement, He can't be saying to you, I

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say to you, today you will be in paradise, because

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that doesn't line up with the rest of Scripture.

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Because historically, people lived on the cross

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for four days, seven days before they would die.

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And so it's likely that criminal didn't die that

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day. But we know biblically in the Gospel of

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John, on Sunday morning after the resurrection,

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when Mary came and threw herself at Jesus' feet,

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his feet, Jesus said, whoa, whoa, don't touch

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me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father.

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So Jesus couldn't be saying, today you're going

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to be in paradise with me, because Jesus didn't

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go on that day. And so I think the proper way

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to look at this is Jesus saying, I say to you

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today, while we are both in this situation, while

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our lifeblood is draining out of us, while we

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recognize that our breath is growing shallow

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and our muscles are hurting and our backs are

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shredded from the whips, even today in this horrific

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situation, I can give you hope. I can give you

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some assurance even when all seems lost. And

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I'm telling you today that you will be with me

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in paradise. And we have to make sure that in

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our zeal to talk about commas that we don't miss,

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The incredible promise of hope. That there is

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hope for a future. That there is hope for an

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eternity. Because this thief, he is never going

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to get the chance to say I'm sorry. He's never

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going to get the chance to pay back the things

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that he took. He's never going to get the chance

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to go to church. to be baptized, to pay tithe,

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any of those things. He's never going to get

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the chance to do any of that, but he appeals

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to Jesus, may I be with you in paradise? And

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Jesus says, I give you the promise. You're going

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to be with me. That is the ultimate goal. That

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is the ultimate promise of hope that you will

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be with me in paradise. And we too can have that

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same promise. of eternity. And no matter what

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your life is facing right now, you can have an

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assurance that Jesus is with you today and that

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you will be with him for all eternity. And you

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can have that assurance even right now. Let's

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turn over to 1 John chapter 5. This will be our

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last passage that we look at before we go into

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the next section of our worship. 1 John, back

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by Revelation. The book that we're studying on

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Wednesday evenings for our time of Bible study

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and prayer meeting. 1 John 5, verse 13. 1 John

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5, verse 13. It says, These things I have written

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to you who believe in the name of the Son of

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God that you may... What's the word? You may

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know that you have eternal life. and that you

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may continue to believe in the name of the Son

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of God. We can know, just as Jesus said to the

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criminal, you will be with me in paradise. We

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read in Scripture that we can know that we have

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eternal life. How? Well, if we go back just two

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verses, verse 11, 1 John 5, 11, this is the testimony

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that God has given us eternal life, and this

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life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life.

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He who does not have the Son of God does not

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have life. And I've written these things to all

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that believe in the name of the Son of God that

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you may know that you have eternal life. So let

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us hear that word of Jesus from the cross. Today,

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no matter what is going on in your life, you

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can have the assurance that you will be with

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Jesus in paradise. It's our time now that as

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we practice our communion service, as we celebrate

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the Lord's Supper, some may not have done this

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before, but as we look at John chapter 13, where

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Jesus washed the disciples' feet, we do that

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practice. And if you choose to participate, we're

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going to have three different places that you

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can go. And please someone correct me if I say

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this wrong, but I believe the gentlemen are going

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to go up to the fellowship hall. And the ladies,

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if you want to just be with ladies, are going

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to be in the primary Sabbath school room. And

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then if you would like to participate with...

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Ladies are going to be in the youth room. Sorry

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about that. Thank you. And if you would like

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to participate with your spouse, go into the

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primary Sabbath school room. I flipped those.

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So men up, ladies to the youth, couples to the

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primary room. And we will go there and participate

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in this ordinance of humility. just to remember

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the humbleness that Jesus had for us. And in

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a small way, remember a cleansing that we receive

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from the blood of Jesus. And then we'll gather

00:16:21.970 --> 00:16:24.950
back here, and when we come back, let's try to

00:16:24.950 --> 00:16:27.549
sit every other row if we can. That'll just make

00:16:27.549 --> 00:16:31.070
it a little easier to pass things out. And in

00:16:31.070 --> 00:16:33.490
the Adventist church, we practice an open communion.

00:16:34.590 --> 00:16:36.889
Everybody that has accepted Jesus as their Lord

00:16:36.889 --> 00:16:39.470
and Savior is invited to participate with us.

00:16:39.590 --> 00:16:42.830
So let's have a prayer, and then we will divide

00:16:42.830 --> 00:16:45.990
up and gather here soon. Dear God, we thank you

00:16:45.990 --> 00:16:49.429
so much that you've given us a promise that we

00:16:49.429 --> 00:16:52.929
will be with you for eternity in paradise. And

00:16:52.929 --> 00:16:55.889
Lord, as we move to this next section of our

00:16:55.889 --> 00:16:58.809
worship, let us remember how you became a servant,

00:16:58.889 --> 00:17:01.870
how you humbled yourself, and let us humble ourselves

00:17:01.870 --> 00:17:05.220
before each other. Let us remember how the blood

00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:08.619
of Christ cleanses us, cleanses our sins in our

00:17:08.619 --> 00:17:11.759
heart. And may we remember that your blood continues

00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:14.980
to cleanse. And be with us as we go from this

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room and return soon. In your name we pray. Amen.

00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:22.079
So, gentlemen, up the steps to the fellowship

00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:25.140
hall. Ladies to the youth. Couples to the primary

00:17:25.140 --> 00:17:28.700
room. And then we'll gather back here. So it

00:17:28.700 --> 00:17:33.259
was at that night before the cross. at a Passover

00:17:33.259 --> 00:17:37.380
meal that Jesus brought his disciples together

00:17:37.380 --> 00:17:42.779
and created something new using some of the elements

00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:45.119
from the Passover meal. If you were at Sabbath

00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:49.339
school last week, we talked about Passover meal.

00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:53.380
It included what kind of bread? Unleavened bread.

00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:58.680
And we have that here. It included bitter herbs.

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We don't have any bitter herbs. It included a

00:18:04.359 --> 00:18:08.420
lamb that was sacrificed and roasted. Where's

00:18:08.420 --> 00:18:14.240
the lamb? Well, Jesus himself is the lamb. And

00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:18.059
the bread and the juice of the vine represent

00:18:18.059 --> 00:18:21.279
the body and the blood, represent the suffering

00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:25.700
of the bitter herbs and the sacrifice that was

00:18:25.700 --> 00:18:29.019
made. And so we're going to read some verses

00:18:29.019 --> 00:18:32.480
from 1 Corinthians 13, and then we'll pray over

00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:35.180
the bread and the wine, and we will distribute

00:18:35.180 --> 00:18:38.420
those and then partake of this Lord's Supper

00:18:38.420 --> 00:18:45.500
together. 23 and 24. For I received from the

00:18:45.500 --> 00:18:49.440
Lord that which I also delivered to you, that

00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:52.279
the Lord Jesus, on the same night in which he

00:18:52.279 --> 00:18:55.710
was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given

00:18:55.710 --> 00:19:00.569
thanks, he broke it and said, Take, eat. This

00:19:00.569 --> 00:19:03.970
is my body, which is broken for you. Do this

00:19:03.970 --> 00:19:08.450
in remembrance of me. And continuing to the next

00:19:08.450 --> 00:19:13.069
verse. In the same manner, he also took the cup

00:19:13.069 --> 00:19:17.089
after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant

00:19:17.089 --> 00:19:21.549
in my blood. This do as often as you drink it

00:19:21.549 --> 00:19:27.529
in remembrance of me. If the congregation will

00:19:27.529 --> 00:19:30.910
remain seated, we will kneel as we pray over

00:19:30.910 --> 00:19:39.910
these elements at this time. Father God, you

00:19:39.910 --> 00:19:49.630
are love. And in love, you gave us Jesus. And

00:19:49.630 --> 00:19:58.029
Jesus was willing to sacrifice himself. And his

00:19:58.029 --> 00:20:03.630
body is represented, the bread here. And in partaking

00:20:03.630 --> 00:20:11.750
of it, we partake of him. You have promised to

00:20:11.750 --> 00:20:17.890
give us the son to live within us. And as the

00:20:17.890 --> 00:20:24.369
son, he lives with you. And by faith, we live

00:20:24.369 --> 00:20:30.220
with you. And we thank you. For the bread. In

00:20:30.220 --> 00:20:37.480
Jesus' name. Amen. Lord, we thank you for this

00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:42.019
remembrance. That it's your blood. Your blood

00:20:42.019 --> 00:20:44.380
that was put on the doorpost so many years ago.

00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:50.200
That protected those people inside. And it's

00:20:50.200 --> 00:20:55.819
your blood that saves us. Your sacrifice. We

00:20:55.819 --> 00:20:58.740
thank you for it. the shedding of your blood.

00:20:59.400 --> 00:21:05.359
We ask this in your name. Amen. The Lord Jesus,

00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:08.500
that same night in which he was betrayed, took

00:21:08.500 --> 00:21:11.319
bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke

00:21:11.319 --> 00:21:22.599
it and said, Take and eat. This is my body. And

00:21:22.599 --> 00:21:26.500
Jesus took the cup. He said, this is my blood

00:21:26.500 --> 00:21:35.480
of the new covenant. Drink ye all of it. These

00:21:35.480 --> 00:21:40.240
symbols point to the entire plan, the entire

00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:45.920
history of salvation. They look back at a lamb

00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:49.019
slain from the foundation of the world, that

00:21:49.019 --> 00:21:52.440
Jesus died for the sins of the world. But then

00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:54.940
we also recognize that all of us have sinned

00:21:54.940 --> 00:21:57.920
and are falling short of the glory of God. And

00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:01.660
we appreciate the grace and the blood that covers

00:22:01.660 --> 00:22:07.299
our sins. But it also looks to the future. Because

00:22:07.299 --> 00:22:13.099
in 1 Corinthians, it says, For as often as you

00:22:13.099 --> 00:22:16.720
eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim

00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:20.619
the Lord's death until he comes. So it's looking

00:22:20.619 --> 00:22:23.400
forward. to the future. And Jesus said he would

00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:25.900
not drink of the fruit of this vine until he

00:22:25.900 --> 00:22:28.980
can drink it with us in his kingdom. So as we

00:22:28.980 --> 00:22:32.640
remember these symbols, let us remember the all

00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:35.980
-encompassing presence that Jesus has for us.

00:22:36.039 --> 00:22:39.099
Let's pray together. Dear God, we thank you so

00:22:39.099 --> 00:22:44.960
much for this service. We don't do it all the

00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:49.319
time. Help us to remember what you have done

00:22:49.319 --> 00:22:53.009
for us. Help us to remember that even though

00:22:53.009 --> 00:22:57.190
we stumble, we make mistakes, that you love us,

00:22:57.230 --> 00:23:00.269
that you lift us up, that you invite us to be

00:23:00.269 --> 00:23:02.910
with you. And Lord, we can't wait for that day

00:23:02.910 --> 00:23:07.309
when you come again and we can drink with you

00:23:07.309 --> 00:23:10.410
in the kingdom that we may be with you in paradise.

00:23:10.890 --> 00:23:13.049
In your name we pray. Amen.