Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:01]:
And so, you know what that means? They leave actually next week, Thursday. That means that we need a sound person person for Saturday night. So, and I wish I could say I was joking but that isn't something but we we do have a number of teams. Folks who've been joining, sound ministry, and then all those things and and as as sound ministry and then all those things. And and as as people move, as things shift, that sometimes it's as people leave because especially when you they've been so competent and been so, you know, great at what they do, sometimes God creates an opening. And so that it's the the younger shoots have an opportunity to rise up. It's it's there's an opportunity to jump in and serve. And so, you know, one of those things that we're also gonna be doing is we're we're really wanting to start a nursery ministry on Sunday morning, for the beginning of the year.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:53]:
You know, we see so often that young families come in, and if they have kids that in school age, not a problem. You know, they tend to stick a bunch. But but when they have that little kid, you know, in the stroller and the toddler and all of those things, sometimes it's it's not so easy without a space for them. And if you have a heart for for kids, you wanna be able to love them because you not only love kids, but because you love families, you love parents, and sometimes particularly to single parent, right, when it's the only time they have maybe to kind of be undistracted to hear, you know, about about the Lord, to worship and to press in, that we'd love for you guys to, let us know as well. We're trying to put together a team right now. But, hey. We're gonna transition this this evening, and, last week, I had mentioned that we were rounding the corner, we're rounding the bases, on the way to finishing the I am series, but this is the this is the final base. And, you know, as we've been looking at this thing, this I am series, we obviously see that there is no one in all of human history that is anyone like Jesus.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:01]:
And as believers in Jesus, we understand that there are, some things that we hold intention at times because we know Jesus was a man. Right? You guys know Jesus was a real man. He, he was born. Right? He was raised. He grew up. He had to learn how to speak. Right? He had to learn how to feed himself. He had to be toilet trained.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:27]:
He had to be all that stuff. And then he became a man, and he was hungry, and he was tired, and he he did all these things. Right? He lived and he at the same time died. Right? But but we know he was a man, but is that all he was? And obviously I think we understand the answer to be no, but we in this I am series that we've been looking at, we've we've been tackling some of those things, that we see that he he was a man, obviously, but he was more than a man. He was the true bread that comes from heaven. Right? We we see that he was the light of the world, that he was the door way, he was the gate by which people enter the richness of a relationship with God. He was the good shepherd, the one who who leads us, and he's not just a hireling. He's not this is not a part time job for him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:21]:
This is something that he does. He lays down his life for his sheep. He's the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth, and the life, the true vine. And so we see these things, but but I've heard people say at the same time that Jesus never claimed to be God. Do you guys ever hear that? That people will say that when they kind of at times try to don't want to be subject to the faith, they don't want to be subject to the gospel. Sometimes I've heard people say, Yeah, you know, Jesus did a lot of different things. I understand, but he never claimed to be God. And when I've heard that, I understand that it is true that Jesus never said those exact words, I am God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:05]:
He never said it in the gospels, but but it's not true that Jesus never claimed to be God. And I say that because sometimes we we want in in modern terms to the the scriptures to answer certain kinds of questions, like, what does the what does the Bible have to say about bioethics? What does the Bible have to say about does the Bible have some things to say about bioethics? Actually, it it does, but do we see that term bioethics in the Bible? No. We don't. Right? Does the Bible have anything to say about what we deal with technology and and how we live? Yes. It actually does, but do we see, the chapter on technology and electric no, we don't, right? And so the thing is that sometimes when we look at the Scriptures from a modern perspective, we become almost like a lawyer. It's like, show me where Jesus says these exact words, yes or no. And the reality is that peppered throughout the Gospels, it's very clear that we hold this tension that Jesus was a man, but very clearly is portrayed as God, and we hold those two things together. And for some people, we ask, well, how can that be? And in the conclusion of this series, the I am, we're gonna take a look at a passage that is not one of the 7 I am statements that were followed a formula that says I am and then some description or some predicate.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:40]:
Right? Like, I am, right, the the Good Shepherd. I am the door. I am that. And we we've been looking at that because we said that what it revealed was a part of a revelation of God's plan of redemption and as well as a revelation of God's character through Christ. And so we're gonna see one other verse, this morning or this this weekend on, that states very clearly I am, but instead of instead of a fill in the blank then, the light of the world, I am the the true vine, and we're gonna see he says I am, and that's it. I'm gonna take a look at that. And so, this is found in John chapter 8 verses 23, to 24. And would you be kind of let's stand in reverence for God, reverence for His word.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:35]:
This is what it says. Let's read God's word. Shall we? Ready? Begin. And he was saying to them, you are from below. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:01]:
Now, you know, I almost, titled this, this message, I am He, because of this portion where it says, unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins, because I I knew that on the video notes that you guys are seeing on the screen or those of you guys who are watching at home, it's all italicized. Right? But on your paper notes, I wrote it how it will appear on the page of a paper Bible or even in your even in your apps that on the Bible app. And if you would look at it this way, it says it like this. He says, when you therefore I said to you, you will die in your sins, for unless you believe I am, and those are all unitalic unitalicized. Right? And I normally italicize the verse to kind of differentiate between a point and the word of God. Right? Just so that when you see that because what's more important than my point is the word of God. Right? But in this case, I just left it how it normally is. It's unitalicized, but then you read, and if you look at your paper notes, it'll say it's all unitalicized, but then when it says the word he, suddenly that's in italics.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:18]:
Now, how many of you guys know that there are different translations of Bibles? Right? And so, I always suggest that there's a couple translations you should have, that you should have something that is very easy to read, that can ways the heart and the spirit of what the scripture says, something that's very modern like a New Living Translation or maybe the NIV, and these are sometimes called dynamic equivalents. They're not word for word translations, but they convey the idea and the message. And then on the other hand, if you wanted to do study, that it's always good to have a more literal translation. And and the I I was raised on the New American Standard, and that's what we're looking at this morning this weekend, or the ESV that's a very popular, literal translation today. And one of the the little notes that are in there is that when you see an italicized word, it's a cue to you that that word actually doesn't appear in the original manuscripts. And so when it reads so literally what it says in this verse, he says, unless you believe that I I am, you will die in your sins. Right? And so then that's why I didn't call that I am he because it doesn't really appear, right? And I thought if I named it I am He then it's like why am I doing that because that's the point I was trying to make. So, but this is what he's saying, that I I not I'm not just the light of the world.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:58]:
I'm not just the the the good shepherd. I'm not just the one who, can conquer death, the resurrection, and the life. He says, I I am. And what does that mean? We're gonna take a little bit of a look at that this this evening. So do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor and says, hey, we need to read carefully sometimes. Right? So you can have a seat. And so sometimes it hopefully, you know, like this evening, to be honest, I'm gonna be honest, I'm gonna be a lot more like a Bible study a little bit tonight.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:31]:
And, and sometimes there's a time great time to preach, and then sometimes there's a great time to take a look a little bit more closely at the Scripture. And you know what? In this passage, Jesus is in His dialogue with the Jews of His day and some of the religious filled with some kind of a description. It's usually never kinda written like this where you just have an absolute construction where you go, and then that's it. And it doesn't it's not filled in by something else. And so they knew the the the biblical writers knew when they were writing this that it was an unusual way to communicate what Jesus was saying, so because this is not a common construction. And so it it also then brings confusion in the in the real world where the people were listening to what Jesus was saying. Right? Because it's not in your notes, but if you kept reading the passage, the very next verse goes this. He says, because they were saying to him, who are you? Right? And Jesus said to them, what have I been saying to you from the beginning? I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but he who sent me is true, and the things which I heard from him, these I speak to the world.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:07]:
And they did not realize that he had been speaking to them about the father. So Jesus said, when you lift up the son of man, then you will know that I am. He goes, I am he, but it's the same like it was in the previous verse. It says, then you will know I am. There's no he in it in the original language. And he says, and I do nothing on my own initiative. Now when we see these words that are are written, there's a couple things. One of those things Jesus said, hey, you know, he was making a point, I you're from below.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:45]:
I'm from above. He's not saying you guys are from hell, right? He's just saying you guys just were born in the world. You live an earthly life. You know, you're a fleshly people. But frankly, I'm not from this world, he's saying. Right? He's he's making reference. I came from heaven. I came down from heaven, and and as a result of that, I am a revelation of something that you know not.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:11]:
And he's like and you don't you won't get it frankly, you won't get it till I'm lifted up. And what is it what is he referencing? And in some sense, he's referencing that aspect when he went to the cross. When he went to the cross, I'm not sure if you remember and, you know, Jesus was hanging between 2 criminals and they mocked him and they and the people mocked him, and and Jesus didn't respond in a in a aggressive way. Jesus didn't respond in a way that that kinda just told him to shut up or whatever it is that, that we might be tending to do. But what happened is when he died and he before he died, he he was offered an anesthetic wine. Right? His wine mixed with myrrh to dull and deaden the pain, and he refused it. And he saw he was as he hung on the cross, it says that he called out to his father in heaven, and then he says, into your hands I commit my spirit. And he gave up, he says, his last breath.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:17]:
And you know what it says the next verse? That the Roman centurion that who was over the crucifixion then said, surely, what, This man was the Son of God. When He was lifted up, it became evident that He wasn't just a man, but there's something on beyond that. There's something divine about him. When he ascended, when he ascended to heaven, a normal human being doesn't do that. Right? So today, you know, as we're looking at this, I I wanna take it if we're just gonna say 2 main points in in this morning, in this weekend together, is I wanna look at things that you can see about Jesus did that shows his divinity and the things that he said. And we're gonna wanna, in the same time, think about what does that mean to us today. Okay. So Jesus demonstrates his authority in the world.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:14]:
Right? And so, you know, that Jesus, I love what it says in Romans chapter 8. I'm sorry. Romans chapter 5 verse 8. It says that God demonstrates His love for us. Right? That while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. I love that it says that because you know what? How many of you guys know it's easy to say something, right, but how you know sometimes is when there's action. And so this is what it's saying. He said, Jesus didn't just tell us He loved us, although He did tell us He loved us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:46]:
God doesn't just tell us He loves us, although He does, but it says that He demonstrates. And so we wanna see the demonstration if that Jesus is God, he would have shown in some kind of a way. And the scriptures are replete with his demonstrations of this. The first thing we're gonna take a look at a bunch of those things, but the first thing happens we find in in Matthew 14. Remember when Jesus had the disciples and they he had fed the 5,000 and he they they fed them, and then he sent the disciples off across the Sea of Galilee. He went up to pray, and it in the middle of the night that they were still battling the storm, and it's not a giant giant lake by the way. The Sea Sea of Galilee is a lake. We've been there.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:37]:
It is a it's a large lake. I mean, you know, but but it's not like, you know, it's not the Molokai channel. Right? It's it's, it's not that big. Right? So it's, I don't know, maybe 8 miles across or whatever it is and, you know, it's longer, so it's a lot longer than it is wide, but they were stuck, it says, for like almost 10 hours battling the waves and unable to cross. And it's at that point that Jesus does the the thing that is he's one often well known for is to what? Walk across the water. Right? So he walks on the water and walks by them, and they see him and they cry out, and and then Peter gives the the the well known, kind of appeal to Jesus. He says, Lord, if that's really you, call me to, what, walk on the water with you. And so he does.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:35]:
He goes out, and when he walks on the water, one of those things how many of you guys know that that's not normal? Right? That anybody walk on water, much less 2 people walk on water. And so the thing is that Jesus himself walks on water, and then what he does is he enables somebody who's totally human to walk on water as well. Right? And, and then it says, you know, Peter starts to sink when he sees the wind and the waves, but we see in this in Matthew 14. But when they got in the boat, Jesus pulls him out from the sinking in the ocean. He puts him in the boat. Jesus gets in the boat, and then it says, and then the wind and the waves stopped. And what this is showing is that Jesus is showing that He has authority over nature. God is not just nature personified.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:28]:
Sometimes people will say that that God is just the sum total of nature, and the scriptures point out that, no. God is separate from his creation, and in fact that he has dominion over and authority over his creation. And so if if the principles of of physics say that we no one should be able to stand on water, well, let's just see when the master comes, because he has authority over it. And the wind and the waves, and and it says in other places when they were stuck in another storm, and they were thinking a boat was gonna sink and Jesus says, be still, and the ocean stops. It says they were terrified because what kind of man has authority over the wind and the waves? The kind that is a man but more than a man. And so we see his authority over nature. And and some of this I'm I'm telling you just so that you will be equipped that when your friends who maybe come from a different faith that that might use the Bible but deny the divinity of Christ, you can see And I've had these many conversations with people, you know. I mean, to be honest, what I'm talking about is generally Jehovah Witness, right, and that they'll come and say that Jesus never and sometimes I've had that discussion with Muslims and but never said these things, but you will see the Scriptures are very plain to portray him as God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:04]:
We see in Luke chapter 5 Jesus coming along a man who was paralyzed, it says, for 38 years, led out and hoping to be healed one day at the pool of Siloam, and and then he couldn't walk. And he was hoping to be healed, but healing never came. And you know, sometimes we can ask and we can pray, and it's not just that we ask or we pray. It's who we pray to. And Jesus comes along, and immediately the man who could not walk for 38 years, it says his legs are strengthened and he stood. Or to be honest, if any cursory reading of the Bible, you know what we see Jesus doing? He's doing a ton of healing. Right? Cleanse a leper. Right? The the man who's was born blind in John chapter 9.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:57]:
Jesus is just demonstrating His authority over sickness. His authority to, at times, as the creator to complete a creative act that had never been done. If a man had never been able to see, he had been born blind, Well, he still can create. And would you know this, that Well, he still can create. And would you know this? That when God when you have something in that's happening in your health, you have something in that, you know, God can create. God is God is not just done creating at day 6. God is still in the business of creating as he shows his authority over sickness and infirmity. And then one of the other things that I think we tend to see is often it we see it in healing that there are physical issues that happen, but sometimes very closely associated are spiritual problems.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:05]:
And so we see in the very beginning in Jesus' public ministry after his baptism, I love this passage because it, when I read it, it's just like one day in Jesus's life and it talks about what he did and then how he preached and then he went to Peter's house and his mom was there and he healed her. And then it says this, that evening after sunset, the people brought to Jesus all the sick. Let's just say all the sick. All the sick. Right? Not some of the sick. Is it every anybody who's sick in town, hey, you got a you got a migraine? Come on down. Right? You got an ingrown toenail? Come on down. Right? You you have heart problems? You don't maybe they didn't know what it was, but, you know, you hey, come on down.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:55]:
Right? So this is all the sick. Somebody has cancer. He says, come on down. Right? Because we've seen people stage 3 hepatitis C. We've seen people myself cancer. We've seen people pancreatic cancer, like in this room. Right? So we've seen God heal. Right? But it says, what kind? Says all kinds.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:17]:
God can do all kinds. But then it says what? And demon possessed. And the whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases and He also drove out what? Many demons. But He would not let the demons speak because they knew who He was. And Jesus doesn't we see no intimidation about Him and the demonic, and we also do not confuse the fact that it's saying what we thought were demons was really just kind of, you know, because of ignorance of medical science, and so, what that guy had was maybe epilepsy, and and so that's why he shook and he fell. No. No. No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:04]:
What we see is Jesus confronts spiritual entities, and guess what? It's not like there were tons of demons when Jesus walked the earth and that they don't exist anymore. The thing is that what we find in and you find this all over the world. Hawaii, we find it all over Hawaii too, that in places where demons are more openly worshiped I mean, worshiped that they manifest more fully. But in places that are generally more science oriented and don't believe in the spiritual realm and don't think, it's not that the demons no longer function. They just kind of function underground. But sometimes people get problems and wrestle with things that, to be honest, memorizing the Bible or trying harder or going to counseling or doing these things just never solve. And and some of you guys know what I'm talking about. And and so sometimes people have issues in their homes.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:13]:
Sometimes people have issues in their lives and and that they exist just as much today as they did back then. But Jesus has authority. We see this maybe I think one of the more dramatic ones in in Mark chapter 5 when they get across the ocean the Sea of Galilee into this area called the Gadarenes or Gadara, and and he's confronted by, the man who's demon possessed. Right? It says he was naked. He was scarred. He was untable tamable and unbindable, that if he were to be bound with chains, he displayed superhuman strength that he would break the chains, that if he were to be clothed, he would tear his clothes. He was just it was like a crazy man, right? But when he walks up, when Jesus comes to the shore, the man confronts him and he says, I know who you are, son of the Most High. And Jesus commands him to shut up and then proceeds to cast out not just one demon, it says, what is your name? And he says, legion, for we are many.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:33]:
And a legion could be 600 to 2000 soldiers. And and so these are multiple a person can have many multiple demonic influences in their life. There's not a limit because spiritual beings are not limited by physical constraint. It's not like 1 demon, 1 person. And and so what we see is Jesus cast them out. You guys might be familiar where they asked to enter the pigs, and then 2,000 of them rushed over the cliff. And so Jesus demonstrates His clear authority, not just over nature, not just over sickness and infirmity, but over the demonic. We see Him, His authority over death, raising Lazarus from the dead.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:27]:
We see who had been dead for 4 days, much less his own resurrection that happens, sometime later. And actually in the same year, but we're not exactly sure, maybe several months later that his own death. And in Matthew 28 verses 9 and 10, sometimes I I when I read Matthew 28, I've read it so many times that I I so easily focus on the great commission, but this is what it says before the great commission where it says go and make disciples. He says this when, in in verse 9, it says, and they went and Jesus met them because they went to the grave. The women went to go and tender Jesus' body and, they Jesus was embalmed and basically being mummified with a £150 of spices and oils and and things that would desiccate the body and prevent kind of decomposition. It says, And when they went, Jesus, what? Met them and greeted them and they ran to him, grasped his feet and worshiped him. And you know, Jesus didn't just die and go to heaven. Right? We we remember that he came back from the grave, that he has the power over death and the promise that it would be great to somebody to promise you how many of you guys have ever been in a place where somebody wants to give you anybody wanna give you guys advice? Unsolicited advice, by the way, let's just say.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:09]:
You know where I often hear? I often hear people say, you know, like, man, I have this relationship issue, and somebody at work, they were saying, you know, I wouldn't take that if I were you. Right? And it's and, you know, and they're giving sometimes relationship advice, marriage advice. And I always say this, can you do me a favor? How's their relationships? Are they married? No. She's divorced. And that's what she just says, putting in a I can imagine her putting her head, like, if I were you, I wouldn't take that. She didn't, and she's divorced. Right? In other words, you can give advice, but what you do, that's a whole different story. If you cannot cultivate your own marriage, then what makes you the authority to give to somebody else? If Jesus himself couldn't stay alive after death, how can we have any hope of life after death as well? And so He raises Lazarus from the dead.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:21]:
He shows himself after the crucifixion, and it says the women fall and worship him. And Jesus says to them, don't be afraid. Now I understand that a lot of these verses, we just don't have space and time to kinda look at. That's why all the references are in the notes. And you know the thing is that as a human being, how many of you guys wanna be encouraging? Right? You guys wanna be encouraging? Right? Better to be encouraging than discouraging. Right? So turn to your neighbor and say, it's better to be encouraging than discouraging. Right? But also important is to be truthful, right, in your encouragement. Because if you're not gonna encourage with something that's truthful, then it's actually more dangerous.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:09]:
Right? Like if somebody, you know, if you said to you guys how many of you guys watch American Idol or The Voice or whatever it is, and some people they get up and then, you know, it it still amazes me, but every once in a while there's those guys that get up. There's people who get up there and rock the house. It's amazing. It's like, wow, you get chicken skin. Right? And then there's some people who get up there and they think they can sing and it's like, ah. Right? Whatever, you know, that kind of a thing. Now if you heard somebody who could couldn't sing, would you be encouraging would this be encouraging if you said, wow. You're amazing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:47]:
Go out and win American Idol. That would actually be cruel. Right? Because although you're encouraging, it's not really truthful. But Jesus is encouraging and says encouraging things, but they're always truthful. And so when he sees the man who has been paralyzed and his friends who and and it's so crowded no one can get in, so that his friends climb to the roof, tear the roof of the house open, and lower the man. When Jesus sees the man, he says something encouraging. But if it's not truthful, it's actually bad. And what he says to the man, he doesn't say get up and walk, although he will walk in a in a minute.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:39]:
What he does he say? Your sins are forgiven. And when they said that, the people around him said, who the heck does this guy think he is? Like, yeah, it's encouraging. Everybody wants their sins forgiven. But who are you to say you can forgive this guy? And Jesus gives the instruction and the teaching. He's like, you don't believe this, but if you cannot believe what you cannot see, maybe you can believe what you can see. And then he says to the guy, get up and walk. And the man who's been paralyzed, right, And that Jesus demonstrates his authority, not just over sin, but he himself has the ability to forgive sin. And what other man claims that ability.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:34]:
And so these are just some of the things that Jesus demonstrates that although he never says, hey, I'm god. He has power over nature, power over and these are these are verifiable. Right? These are things that you can see or not see, that he has the ability over he has the authority over life and death. He has the power over the demonic, that he has the capacity to forgive sin, and if he didn't believe it, well, let me just throw in a healing as a result. Maybe you can believe that. And then there's some things that Jesus says. Right? So it's not just we just attribute these things to him because he could do these things, and then we guess he's God because he says very clearly certain things about himself as well. And one of those is that he says he doesn't just have authority over the demonic and the evil and the dark spirits, but he has authority over good, over the angels.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:39]:
In Matthew 2653, when he stands before Pilate and and he said that, don't you know who you're talking to that I can set you free? And what was his response? In 2653, he says, you have no power, but only what has been given to you. Don't you know that at my request, the father would dispatch to me 72 legions of angels? One angel kills a 185,000 people in one night. In 2nd Kings chapter 18. An interesting note, they found remnants. This just came out 3 weeks ago. The archaeological discovery of how the Assyrians came and and besieged Jerusalem after having devastated the northern 10 tribes. And they see them exactly where they're laid out. It doesn't talk about it doesn't talk about the 185,000, right, that they can't discover that archaeologically, but they can discover the encampments that the Syrians made around Jerusalem, and there is no explanation why they did not raze the city at that time Because they were outnumbered.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:57]:
And so so we see this. Right? That he has authority over angels. And then something else as well, that Jesus makes the claim that before you were born or before I was born, that he was born, but not only that, but before the people of his time. In John 858, so this a little bit later where we began our message this evening, Jesus says to them, truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, he used the same term, I Am. Abraham was born 2000 years before Jesus, and he's saying, I'm preexistent. I'm before you. How much before you? Jesus says it like this in the high priestly prayer in John chapter 17. He says, and now Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world even existed.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:05]:
So he's saying before there was anything, I already existed. Jesus is who what kind of a person has that capacity? Right? Jesus, although he may not say, I am God, is screaming that he's not a man, simply a man. He is a man, but not simply a man. We see in the same book in the gospel of John a couple passages, a couple of chapters down the line where Jesus is in a discussion with the Jews again, and they're getting, into an argument, and He says this, my father has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand. Aren't you glad no one can snatch you out of God's hand? Do me afraid. Turn to your neighbor, says and tell them, God says you're secure in his hand.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:05]:
God says you're secure in his hand.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:08]:
No one can snatch you. The enemy cannot steal you. Circumstances cannot take you. You know, the craziness in the world cannot. God says, I I have you in my grasp. And then he says this, I and the Father are 1. Now I've heard people say, Jesus is saying, like, we're on the same team. We're on the same team.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:30]:
It's like a, you know, it's like, you know, it's like a a like, you know, we're we're playing basketball team, but we're we're all together. Right? That and it says though, the Jews picked up stones again to stone him, and Jesus answered them saying, I showed you many good works from the father. For which of them are you stoning me? And the Jews answered him, for a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy. Say the word blasphemy. Now what is blasphemy? Blasphemy is saying something that is so inaccurate or wrong or intentionally deceptive against orthodox teaching, against a true teaching. So you are corrupting and leading people astray by these things that you are saying, what blasphemy? And because you being a man, what? Make yourself out to be God. Because when Jesus was saying, I and the Father are 1, they knew He was making reference that we are of the same substance, we are of the same essence. Just as the Father is God, I am divine.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:48]:
And a couple weeks ago we looked at that Jesus wasn't just a way to God. He wasn't just one of many ways, but He makes the exclusive claim, right, that He's the only way to God because He says in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And anyone who comes to me, right, comes to the Father must come through me. And so we see this exclusive claim. And now when Jesus makes that claim, why does he say it? Because he doesn't just say encouraging words, he says truthful words, And He's revealing the truth. It's not it's not helpful to say, hey, as long as you just as long as you're sincere. It's not helpful to say that all worlds all roads lead to the same place. And people say it, and I don't always get into an argument about it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:43]:
I don't, you know, you don't have to be a jerk about it. But I said, well, you know, I don't see that's what God's word says. Right? Now I appreciate your your desire to find God, but the scripture says there's one way. And and so we see this. It says John 146. Right? But to me, one of the most compelling things that happens that really speaks of Jesus' divinity is sometimes it's not exactly what he said. It's the fact that he didn't say anything. You know, earlier we read on the morning of the resurrection where Mary and the other Mary and this other lady go to meet Jesus and they run and they fall at his feet, and it says that they worshiped him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:39]:
And sometimes silence speaks more than words, because what does Jesus say when they fall and worship Him? He doesn't say anything. He doesn't say anything. But, you know, every instance where people try to worship another person, whether that person is a human being or an angel, there is a standard response. Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, get up because I'm a servant just like you. Peter says in Acts chapter 10 when he is called to Cornelius's house, a Roman centurion, a God fearing man who wants to know the gospel, that when Peter comes in after having had a dramatic vision over a series of dramatic visions that that culminate just when the guy is knocking at the door saying, hey, don't call unclean what I have made clean, that he goes to this place. And when Peter enters the room, it says Cornelius falls on the ground and worship Peter. What is Peter's words? I'm sorry, brother. Get up.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:51]:
Get up. Get up. I'm a man just like you. In Revelation chapter 1 when the angel comes and reveals to I'm sorry, not 1, chapter 22, Reveals things to John the Apostle. John says this, John, I John am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren, the prophets and those who heed the words of this book.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:36]:
Worship God. Let's say those words. Worship God. Right? In Exodus chapter 20 when they lay out the 10 Commandments, the first thing is you shall have no other god before me. Right? You shall worship no other god before me. And to worship anything else but God was blasphemy. To a Jew, from the time of Moses to the time of Jesus, it is like the number one thing you would never do. They would not bow that how many of you guys heard that they didn't say you guys don't remember the fish, the Christian fish sign, right? Why why would it why was that a thing? Because the Christians were persecuted because they would not say, Caesar is Lord.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:39]:
Because the implication of that word Lord, Kurios, was not simply that he was King, but that he was a divine King. And so Christians refused to say it, and so they didn't like it. And it's like in communist countries today, They don't like why does the why is the church persecuted in places like China? Communist nations, even Buddhist nations like in Myanmar and places that are have a strong-arm, because they don't want there to be an authority higher than the government. We have people like that in the United States as well. Right? They don't wanna have people who have an authority higher than the government because although, hey. We're gonna vote for the president in a few months. Guess what? Somebody bigger dog than him, whoever that guy is gonna be. And so what would they do then? They had to hide, and so they would then if I were to meet a guy, like I see a guy like Steve, I go, oh, maybe he's a believer.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:40]:
But I cannot just say, hey, are you a Christian? Because maybe he's not. Maybe I get turned in. Maybe I get stoned and not the fun kind. Right? So what would they do? They'd probably be talking and then just you take his feet or maybe he has a stick, and he just makes a little mark. It's kind of like a retaking story. And and then if the other guy was a Christian, he would go from the other side and complete the line to show this fish. Why did they use those words, use the fish symbol? Because the Greek word for fish is ichthus. And and so the acrostic of that is this Jesus Christ.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:29]:
Ichthus. Ichthus. Oh, God the Son. So that would be Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. That would be the acrostic that from the word ichthus. So that became the thing. Dostaphony was a huge deal. We did not worship false gods.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:50]:
We do not worship people. We do not worship angels. But somehow when Jesus is worshiped, When the disciples are in the boat, It says, and the storm stops. What did they do? It says they worshiped Him. When Thomas, who has been wasn't in the room when Jesus first came and says, what? I I don't know. I know you guys I know you guys mean well. I just cannot believe it unless I put my hand in his side and I see for myself, I can't believe it. I'm sorry.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:37]:
So that's where he gets the word what? The the moniker what? Doubting Thomas. And and he's just saying, I know what I saw. But when Jesus shows up in the room and he says, so Peter I mean, so Thomas, you wanna put your hand right here or put them in the holes in my hand? In other words, it was recognizable, the holes from the crucifixion and the spear from although he was living, although He was alive, although He was healthy, although He entered the room without the doors being unlocked. And what does g what does Thomas say? My Lord and my God. And so to be honest, some one of the most powerful signs of description for people of that age was the fact that Jesus would receive worship and that when Thomas like I talked to 1 guy, he says, oh, maybe when Thomas saw it, he just was like, oh my god. And I said, that sounds so ridiculous. It's I don't wanna talk about it too much, but, like, that's the last thing they would say because that would be blasphemy to them. Can you not see? Like do you talk like that? He's a you know, he was a Jehovah Witness.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:59]:
He says, no. He wouldn't talk like that. He said, well, they wouldn't. Right? Because they took it seriously. And so we see this aspect. So in this case, you know, we kinda wrapping up here in a second, and, you know, it's been a crazy and maybe Chad kind of mentioned it. It's kind of been a crazy season. Been a crazy few years.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:26]:
Right? How many, like, how many, like just like wars, like, are commonplace now. Right? Ukraine and and then Israel and Hamas and all this tension happening in China with the Philippines. And I don't know if you guys noticed, but on the day that Biden, announced, that he was not gonna run I'm sorry. Not in the day that he wasn't gonna run, but when Kamala Harris would be his take his place in running for president. China and Russia flew bombers and fighters into US airspace, up to US airspace or above, Anchorage, right, in Alaska. Just as they have been doing dry runs for the invasion of Taiwan. I don't know if you guys follow that in the news. Right? It's it's and and to be honest, security experts and some of them I've I've talked to that have said the biggest threat is not normally those things.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:41]:
He says the biggest threat for kinda like setting up a world that spins out of control is what's happening in the Philippines, where they run right up to the Filipino, people who are stuck, stationed on the ship, artificial reef. Right? And they shoot them with water cannons and they ram the boats and they do all these things, and the the the capacity we have a pact with the Philippines that says if they get injured, we come to the rescue militarily. So that might put us in direct conflict with China. So all these things. Right? It's like it's a crazy crazy year. And then in the midst of that, we get the Lahaina fire. In the midst of that, you know, inflation is like how many of you guys went out to eat lately? Oh my gosh. I came back from Japan where everything was so cheap because of the exchange rate.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:34]:
I had a like you said, I wanna fall off my chair when I get the bill. And so it's been a crazy couple weeks in our politics. And a former president, primary candidate for the Republican Party, almost assassinated, Next week, sitting president. It's just crazy. Right? And and with a 100 days left maybe to the election around that, maybe your life is, you know, getting kids ready for school and maybe changes and in your life and balancing your finances and stresses and strains of works and maybe the renovations in the, in your house or the renovations God's trying to do in our hearts, we're in the middle of all these things. But this is what Jesus said in John in Revelation 22/13. Can we read what it says? I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. And you know what he's saying is that before anything was, I existed.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:44]:
Right? Before anything that will happen at the end, don't worry. I have it all under control, too. I'm at I have the end. And that the times that we live in, God is in firm control. And would you know this that whatever it is that you're facing, God knows what it is. He cares about you. And because Jesus is the one who is actually the one who created all things by the power of his word and holds all things together, he says this, I can hold your life together too. But if he was just a man, even a good man, even a man who taught the ways of God, even the man who taught us how to treat one another like the golden rule, do unto others as you would have them do too unto you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:35]:
Well, then it's up to us now. But this is what he's saying. I got it under control. And you know what we're gonna do this evening is we're gonna take communion together, and we're gonna celebrate the fact that he's it's not that he's just in heaven, but he's here, And that we're gonna meet the Jesus who has all things in his hands. We're gonna meet the Jesus who died on a cross in our place. And in the tension where we don't always see that what's gonna happen today or tomorrow or whatever it is, but what we can say is that we'll see it with Jesus. And so there's some elements in the back and, I'm gonna just ask you at your own time to go and take the elements. And you know the one thing is the scripture does say that when we take communion, he says just to be mindful, to take it in a manner that's worthy, in a worthy manner.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:54:37]:
What does that mean? It doesn't mean that you cannot have sinned, that's not what it means. You cannot have struggle, that's not what it means. What does it mean then? It means that we we are not just saying, ah, just bread and juice. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter that I got stuff going on in my life. It doesn't matter that we're like, just bread and juice. Just a symbol. No, no, no, no.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:02]:
He says because of that some people, he says literally get sick, And he says, some of you died because you treat the Lord's body and blood with contempt. And so let's take it with a spirit of reverence, because what we're inviting is welcoming the living Jesus to commune with us. And guess what? We where do we meet Him? We meet Him at the cross. We we meet Him where He us and gave himself for us. So I'm gonna invite you to go pick up the elements, and then if you have some things that you need to get right with God, just confess it. That's what he says. Just get right. You know, if there's something that you're struggling, just would you surrender that struggle to God? If you've been crosswise with somebody in the, in the church, you've been crosswise with somebody, another believer, or you know what, go and make right.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:56:03]:
And maybe you cannot make right now, but you know what, put it in your phones, give somebody a text, just make it right. And so that we don't harbor unforgiveness in our heart. Somebody to forgive, please forgive. And so I just encourage you. We're gonna invite you to go take the elements, and then we'll take the, elements together, during the day.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:17]:
I worship you. I worship you. You. I worship you. You are here. Working in this place, I worship you. I worship you. I worship you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:52]:
In

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:56]:
the My god, that is who you

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:59:21]:
Lord Jesus, we do worship you. We're thankful Lord that you came for us. And you know, we're holding in our hands 2 elements, a piece of bread and a and a cup of juice. And you know these symbolize both, not just a sacrifice, but the fact that Jesus was a man, but that he was more than a man. And why do I say that? Because as a man, it says that we have a high priest who knows everything about us, who suffered the same things and the same temptations that you and I do, and so He has compassion on us, because He knows what your struggle is. He knows what it's like to be tempted. He knows those things. Says that we have somebody who empathizes with our weaknesses as a man, and yet we serve 1 who emptied himself of his rights.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:00:24]:
He says that though Philippians 2 tells us though he was God, He emptied himself and took on the form of a servant, and humbling himself to the point of going to the cross. And we need a God and we need a sacrifice who is man because who is He dying for? The sin of man. But we need one who is deity and divine. Because one man can only pay for 1 person, but one who is divine can pay for any number of people. So in the God man, Jesus, we invite him by the taking of these two simple things, this bread and this juice, that his real presence come and dwell among us and dwell in us. Would you just draw close in your heart? And like we said, if there's something to confess, please confess it. If you've never said yes to Jesus, just say, Lord, today, I just recognize I need you. Would you come? Would you rescue me? Me? Would you forgive me? I wanna follow you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:01:46]:
I wanna learn what it means to walk with you, and he'll receive you, because he already has compassion on you. Father, we thank you for these two things, this bread that symbolizes the body of the man who died in my place. And thank you Jesus that you knew me and had compassion on me. I need that still today. I wanna draw close to you today. We draw close as we take the bread. Let's take the bread. And, lord, we thank you for the cup of the blood of the man who was God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:02:45]:
Only one who could somehow in one body find 2 natures of fully man and fully god. So that Lord we are thankful for the blood cleanses not just me, but all who call on the name of the Lord. And so we're thankful Lord, as we take the cup, God we want to draw close. God we want to know your voice. We wanna walk in your ways. God, and and with the things that are misaligned in our life God, would you help us to align them? Father, in our house, God, in our finances, God, in our relationships, God, in our thought life, Lord. We need you. We need your cleansing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:03:34]:
We need your presence. We're thankful, lord Jesus. You embrace us as we are, and Lord we're thankful when you do, Lord we are changed from glory to glory. So God we're just saying this, we give you permission to reach into the deepest parts of our life, Lord. To, help us align today. And God, the best that we can, we're choosing to align our lives with you as we take the cup. Would you take the cup? Thank you for your presence, Lord. That's here.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:04:19]:
Thank you for your cleansing, Lord. We receive it. Thank you for your compassion and your mercy, Lord. We need it. Thank you for your encouragement, Lord. But we're thankful it's because you speak truth. Lord, You don't always agree with all the things and Lord, sometimes You call us to repent and we're thankful. It's changing our mind, but Lord we need your presence and your power to change our lives.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:04:48]:
So Lord would you pour out your presence today?