WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.740 So in your hearts and your minds today, I want 00:00:02.740 --> 00:00:06.080 to establish this fact that thorns represent 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:10.720 a fallen world. It represents, it is emblematic 00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:15.580 of a world that now has sin and despair and sorrow 00:00:15.580 --> 00:00:20.300 and brokenness and imperfection. So thorns symbolize 00:00:20.300 --> 00:00:24.820 the very opposite of what God intended for us, 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:27.820 his creation, to enjoy. How many of you are following 00:00:27.820 --> 00:00:32.119 me so far? So thorns are very symbolic of the 00:00:32.119 --> 00:00:34.979 fallen state of the world, of sin and sorrow. 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:37.659 They are sharp. And you think about it, we can 00:00:37.659 --> 00:00:43.119 even really examine just from a biological standpoint 00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:46.979 how these thorns might represent penalty. Obviously, 00:00:46.979 --> 00:00:49.899 they are dried up, and that's what sin does. 00:00:49.979 --> 00:00:52.859 Sin dries things up. There's no life. The wages 00:00:52.859 --> 00:00:56.420 of sin is death. So thorns represent what was. 00:00:56.909 --> 00:00:58.950 There may have been a rose bush there one time. 00:00:59.049 --> 00:01:01.270 There may have been a flower, but now it's all 00:01:01.270 --> 00:01:04.250 dried up, and it's got these thorns, and they're 00:01:04.250 --> 00:01:09.230 sharp, and they pierce, so they're painful to 00:01:09.230 --> 00:01:11.950 experience. If you've ever just very briefly, 00:01:12.049 --> 00:01:15.269 you know, encountered a thorn, maybe trimming 00:01:15.269 --> 00:01:17.769 a rose bush in your garden or something, and 00:01:17.769 --> 00:01:19.829 you just, I mean, they're as sharp as a knife. 00:01:20.170 --> 00:01:23.450 They're so sharp, those thorns. And so they entangle 00:01:23.450 --> 00:01:26.129 you. I mean, God forbid you ever step into one 00:01:26.129 --> 00:01:29.450 of these things. It'll entangle you. It'll trap 00:01:29.450 --> 00:01:34.129 you and web you. And so this is all emblematic 00:01:34.129 --> 00:01:38.450 of the cause, or excuse me, the effects of sin 00:01:38.450 --> 00:01:43.590 and how sin is sharp and piercing and it's entangling 00:01:43.590 --> 00:01:46.569 and it's suffocating. And so this is what... 00:01:46.780 --> 00:01:49.739 what the thorn represents. And so when we fast 00:01:49.739 --> 00:01:53.099 forward to this moment in the gospels, as Jesus 00:01:53.099 --> 00:01:56.599 is getting ready to go to the cross and to die 00:01:56.599 --> 00:01:59.560 for our sins, it shows us in John there that 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:03.900 the soldiers twisted that crown of thorns and 00:02:03.900 --> 00:02:08.159 they forced it onto Jesus' head and they placed 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:12.539 it there. And obviously it was to mock him and 00:02:12.539 --> 00:02:16.270 to ridicule him. And the Romans had this thing 00:02:16.270 --> 00:02:18.310 that they would do whenever they conquered a 00:02:18.310 --> 00:02:21.250 king. You could study about it. When they would 00:02:21.250 --> 00:02:24.949 conquer a king, they would do like a mock coronation, 00:02:24.949 --> 00:02:29.129 if you please. They would give him certain symbols 00:02:29.129 --> 00:02:31.629 that were meant to degrade him. That's what they 00:02:31.629 --> 00:02:34.650 did to Jesus. They put a crown, not a real crown, 00:02:34.789 --> 00:02:37.569 but a crown of thorns. And then they even adorned 00:02:37.569 --> 00:02:40.750 him with a purple robe. And instead of a real 00:02:40.750 --> 00:02:44.729 scepter, they gave him a scepter of a reed, a 00:02:45.319 --> 00:02:48.560 a bush, not one made of gold. And so this was 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:52.099 all to make mockery of him. But even with the 00:02:52.099 --> 00:02:55.159 devil's attempts to mock Jesus and even with 00:02:55.159 --> 00:02:58.939 the devil's attempt to defame him and to ridicule 00:02:58.939 --> 00:03:02.259 him, he was doing something that he had no intention 00:03:02.259 --> 00:03:06.439 of doing, which was pointing to what Christ came 00:03:06.439 --> 00:03:10.139 to do. As he was placing that crown of thorns 00:03:10.139 --> 00:03:13.240 on his head, not only were they trying to mock 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:17.199 him, but it symbolized that Jesus came to take 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:20.520 all the penalty, the weight, and the effects 00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:25.979 of sin upon his head and bleed for you and I. 00:03:26.120 --> 00:03:28.479 Can we clap our hands today and let's give God 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:35.120 some praise. And you know, Jesus didn't resist 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:37.539 it. When they crowned him, they let him crown 00:03:37.539 --> 00:03:39.719 him. He didn't resist. He accepted. He received 00:03:39.719 --> 00:03:43.349 this crown of thorns upon his head. And there 00:03:43.349 --> 00:03:45.050 are some powerful things, church, that begin 00:03:45.050 --> 00:03:50.930 to happen when this crown is placed on the head 00:03:50.930 --> 00:03:53.930 of our Lord and Savior. There are three, at least 00:03:53.930 --> 00:03:56.229 three blessings that I've pointed out that I 00:03:56.229 --> 00:03:58.750 want to point out to you today that come as a 00:03:58.750 --> 00:04:03.050 result of Christ taking on that crown of thorns. 00:04:03.610 --> 00:04:06.830 And the first is this. It is the blessing of 00:04:06.830 --> 00:04:10.569 substitution. The blessing of substitution is 00:04:10.569 --> 00:04:15.000 that he took Our place to save us. Someone say 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:21.699 amen. Jesus wore the crown of thorns. And as 00:04:21.699 --> 00:04:24.560 he wore these crown of thorns, he was stepping 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:32.339 into our place. It was not simple mockery. It 00:04:32.339 --> 00:04:36.879 was a divine exchange. The Roman soldiers had 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:40.209 no idea. They were oblivious to the fact. That 00:04:40.209 --> 00:04:42.230 as they were placing this crown of thorns on 00:04:42.230 --> 00:04:44.990 the head of our Lord and Savior, they were indeed 00:04:44.990 --> 00:04:51.269 symbolizing or portraying a divine exchange that 00:04:51.269 --> 00:04:53.889 was happening between divinity and humanity. 00:04:53.990 --> 00:04:59.629 Between God and man. In that, God took the place 00:04:59.629 --> 00:05:03.129 for humanity because it was humanity, mankind, 00:05:03.449 --> 00:05:07.370 you and I, who deserve the piercing of those 00:05:07.370 --> 00:05:11.670 crowns of thorns. But God. who is rich in mercy, 00:05:11.889 --> 00:05:15.290 Jesus, the Lord, who came to dwell among us, 00:05:15.350 --> 00:05:18.449 the Lamb of God, who come to take away the sins 00:05:18.449 --> 00:05:21.350 of the world, came to take our place for us. 00:05:21.410 --> 00:05:24.810 The innocent Lamb of God was wearing the very 00:05:24.810 --> 00:05:29.949 emblem of our guilt and our shame upon Him. I'll 00:05:29.949 --> 00:05:32.149 put it to you this way, if you help me preach 00:05:32.149 --> 00:05:35.129 today. Hallelujah. The thorns that belonged, 00:05:35.410 --> 00:05:39.509 they belonged on our head, not Him. If I'm going 00:05:39.509 --> 00:05:41.350 to be honest, honest with you today biblically 00:05:41.350 --> 00:05:43.949 it should have been you and it should have been 00:05:43.949 --> 00:05:47.569 me to receive those crowns of thorns upon our 00:05:47.569 --> 00:05:50.370 head it should have been us that died on that 00:05:50.370 --> 00:05:54.829 cross why because we were found guilty we were 00:05:54.829 --> 00:05:59.029 unrighteous we fallen short of his glory we deserve 00:05:59.029 --> 00:06:03.629 the penalty of our own iniquity and sin but god 00:06:03.629 --> 00:06:08.040 thank you jesus came and he took our place and 00:06:08.040 --> 00:06:12.180 he took the crown of thorns that belonged on 00:06:12.180 --> 00:06:16.019 our head and he allowed them to place it on his 00:06:16.019 --> 00:06:21.220 head. Because of our sinful state, we should 00:06:21.220 --> 00:06:23.839 have received those thorns. But Jesus, how many 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:27.579 of you are thankful he took our place? He took 00:06:27.579 --> 00:06:32.079 our place. He did. He took our crown of death 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:36.060 and gave us a crown of life. I'll put it another 00:06:36.060 --> 00:06:41.339 way. Someone say the lily of the valley. That's 00:06:41.339 --> 00:06:45.660 who Jesus is. The lily of the valley became the 00:06:45.660 --> 00:06:50.420 lily among thorns so that the lily among thorns 00:06:50.420 --> 00:06:56.279 could become the lily of the valley. Jesus came 00:06:56.279 --> 00:07:01.540 to switch places with us. He came to be like 00:07:01.540 --> 00:07:08.500 us so that we could be like him. My God, he disrobed 00:07:08.500 --> 00:07:13.220 himself of his glory and he put on humanity so 00:07:13.220 --> 00:07:15.879 that one day you and I can disrobe ourselves 00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:21.420 of humanity. My God, and put on glory. Oh, hallelujah. 00:07:21.620 --> 00:07:27.180 And this is seen in him being placed with the 00:07:27.180 --> 00:07:31.360 crown of thorns on his. He became the lily of 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:35.399 the valley, became like. The lily among the thorns, 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:37.620 so that the lily among the thorns might become 00:07:37.620 --> 00:07:40.220 the lily of the valley. Paul put it this way. 00:07:40.259 --> 00:07:43.540 The apostle said in Galatians 3 and verse 13, 00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:48.699 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the 00:07:48.699 --> 00:07:52.240 law, having become a curse. You know, he became 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:57.000 a curse for us. Hallelujah. For it is written, 00:07:57.100 --> 00:08:04.199 cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Christ 00:08:04.199 --> 00:08:07.980 has redeemed us from the curse of the law, from 00:08:07.980 --> 00:08:12.279 the curse of sin. How? By becoming a curse for 00:08:12.279 --> 00:08:14.680 us. There's an Old Testament picture of substitution 00:08:14.680 --> 00:08:18.879 in Genesis 22. Right as Abraham was about to 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:22.860 sacrifice his son Isaac on Mount Moriah, as many 00:08:22.860 --> 00:08:25.040 of you may be familiar with that iconic story 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:28.209 in Scripture. Just as he was lifting the knife, 00:08:28.230 --> 00:08:31.310 ready to sacrifice his one and only son in obedience 00:08:31.310 --> 00:08:34.549 to God's word. Right then and there, he saw a 00:08:34.549 --> 00:08:38.629 ram who was caught in the thicket and he was 00:08:38.629 --> 00:08:42.409 caught of all places by his head. His thorns 00:08:42.409 --> 00:08:46.029 got caught in the thicket. And when Abraham looked 00:08:46.029 --> 00:08:50.070 over and he saw the ram's horns caught in the 00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:55.090 thorns, he saw a substitute. And so instead of. 00:08:55.389 --> 00:08:59.269 slain his own son instead of slaying his son 00:08:59.269 --> 00:09:02.990 isaac he takes this substitute and this this 00:09:02.990 --> 00:09:08.269 ram takes the place of his son this is the gospel 00:09:08.269 --> 00:09:12.149 of the crown of thorns in that it should have 00:09:12.149 --> 00:09:14.990 been us who were slayed and died caught dead 00:09:14.990 --> 00:09:18.629 in our trespasses but thanks be to god there 00:09:18.629 --> 00:09:22.549 was a ram My God, thanks be to God. There was 00:09:22.549 --> 00:09:24.929 a Lord and Savior. There was a man by the name 00:09:24.929 --> 00:09:28.990 of Jesus who allowed himself to get caught his 00:09:28.990 --> 00:09:32.789 head with a crown of thorns so that you and I 00:09:32.789 --> 00:09:36.149 could be here today with our sins washed away 00:09:36.149 --> 00:09:39.590 by the blood of the Lamb. Somebody ought to give 00:09:39.590 --> 00:09:42.730 God just a few moments of praise today. Somebody 00:09:42.730 --> 00:09:45.409 ought to thank him. Hallelujah. That the Lamb 00:09:45.409 --> 00:09:47.450 of God. How many of you are thankful for the 00:09:47.450 --> 00:09:51.320 blood of the Lamb today? Lamb of God became our 00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:57.659 substitute and he took our place so that instead 00:09:57.659 --> 00:10:03.379 of us dying he died for us on that Friday at 00:10:03.379 --> 00:10:06.659 Calvary Jesus took our place and he bore the 00:10:06.659 --> 00:10:11.639 full weight of sin and rejection he bore it all 00:10:11.639 --> 00:10:16.710 someone say he bore it all he bore it all And 00:10:16.710 --> 00:10:18.490 that's why we praise him today. That's why we 00:10:18.490 --> 00:10:21.809 thank God. And that's why what is happening in 00:10:21.809 --> 00:10:24.789 the gospels, what is happening here on that day, 00:10:24.850 --> 00:10:27.870 on that Friday, forever changed the world. The 00:10:27.870 --> 00:10:29.610 second blessing is the blessing of endurance, 00:10:29.950 --> 00:10:35.529 which is that he suffered to strengthen us. He 00:10:35.529 --> 00:10:39.669 suffered to strengthen us. A lily among thorns 00:10:39.669 --> 00:10:43.889 is an image of beauty surrounded by hostility. 00:10:46.220 --> 00:10:49.299 Picture it, if you will, in your mind. It is 00:10:49.299 --> 00:10:53.840 a lily. It is a delicate, beautiful, fragrant 00:10:53.840 --> 00:11:01.340 flower that is surrounded by resistance, that 00:11:01.340 --> 00:11:05.159 is surrounded by opposing forces, that is surrounded 00:11:05.159 --> 00:11:12.779 by thorns that threaten its very existence. A 00:11:12.779 --> 00:11:18.950 fragile flower in a harsh, That, my friend, is 00:11:18.950 --> 00:11:22.830 a picture of Jesus Christ when he entered our 00:11:22.830 --> 00:11:29.029 thorny world. And yet he remained without sin. 00:11:30.850 --> 00:11:36.350 And yet he remained untainted by the things around 00:11:36.350 --> 00:11:44.190 him. Jesus bloomed in the most unlikely soil. 00:11:46.740 --> 00:11:51.039 Isaiah 53 in verse 2 tells us that he grew up 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:57.559 as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground. 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:03.320 A tender plant. And the image in my mind today 00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:05.700 of a tender plant is one that is fragile, one 00:12:05.700 --> 00:12:09.860 that is delicate. A tender plant, a root out 00:12:09.860 --> 00:12:14.480 of dry ground, out of soil where... Such a plant 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:16.960 probably wouldn't be able to thrive. But there 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:19.700 was something different about this plant. Hallelujah. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:23.539 Perhaps it was because it was the root of Jesse. 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:27.340 It was from the line from the tribe of Judah. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:32.120 It was from a royal lineage. It was from, hallelujah, 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:37.179 the seed. The seed that was meant to come and 00:12:37.179 --> 00:12:40.460 to redeem us and restore us. He was not raised. 00:12:40.519 --> 00:12:44.230 Jesus was not raised in a palace. He wasn't born 00:12:44.230 --> 00:12:47.529 into privilege. The general sentiment about him 00:12:47.529 --> 00:12:50.750 was summed up when Nathaniel asked this question. 00:12:50.850 --> 00:12:54.570 He said, can anything good come out of Nazareth? 00:12:56.110 --> 00:13:00.330 He was not voted most likely to succeed. Nobody 00:13:00.330 --> 00:13:02.769 thought anything of him. There was nothing about 00:13:02.769 --> 00:13:05.809 because of the environment that he was coming 00:13:05.809 --> 00:13:09.090 up through. And even his earthly popularity was 00:13:09.090 --> 00:13:12.409 short -lived. The same crowd that cheered Hosanna 00:13:12.409 --> 00:13:15.649 would soon turn against him with cries of crucify. 00:13:16.350 --> 00:13:18.889 But through it all, I've come to announce to 00:13:18.889 --> 00:13:21.049 you, I've come to preach to you today, that through 00:13:21.049 --> 00:13:23.470 it all, despite the fact that he was a tender 00:13:23.470 --> 00:13:25.929 plant, despite the fact that he was among the 00:13:25.929 --> 00:13:29.049 thorns, a thorny world, a broken world, a world 00:13:29.049 --> 00:13:31.509 that was against him, a world that was sought 00:13:31.509 --> 00:13:35.389 to kill him, despite all of that, Christ endured. 00:13:36.269 --> 00:13:39.649 Oh, hallelujah. Christ endured. He bloomed where 00:13:39.649 --> 00:13:42.330 others would have withered. He remained where 00:13:42.330 --> 00:13:45.129 others would have sown. Hallelujah. Even though 00:13:45.129 --> 00:13:47.909 he was beaten, even though he was mocked, even 00:13:47.909 --> 00:13:50.450 though he was crowned with many thorns, I've 00:13:50.450 --> 00:13:52.850 come to announce today that Christ endured it 00:13:52.850 --> 00:13:56.710 all. He still loved. He from the cross said, 00:13:56.789 --> 00:14:00.450 Father, forgive them, for they know not what 00:14:00.450 --> 00:14:06.139 they do. Why don't we just love the Lord today? 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:16.000 Hallelujah! He could have called upon all the 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:19.740 armies of heaven to deliver him out of the Romans. 00:14:21.059 --> 00:14:25.419 He could have, at the snap of a finger, rejected 00:14:25.419 --> 00:14:28.860 everything that was being thrown upon him in 00:14:28.860 --> 00:14:32.679 his hour of crucifixion. But he endured it. You 00:14:32.679 --> 00:14:35.559 know why he endured it? Someone say why. I'm 00:14:35.559 --> 00:14:41.179 so glad you asked. Hallelujah. We read in the 00:14:41.179 --> 00:14:43.899 Bible in Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 2. It said 00:14:43.899 --> 00:14:46.659 this is the reason for the joy. Someone say the 00:14:46.659 --> 00:14:50.000 joy. You see, this is why we have to endure sometimes. 00:14:50.299 --> 00:14:52.279 It's not because I like what I'm going through. 00:14:52.419 --> 00:14:54.600 It's not because I feel good about what I feel. 00:14:54.700 --> 00:14:56.840 It's not because my emotions are telling me good 00:14:56.840 --> 00:14:59.179 things right now. It's not because my environment 00:14:59.179 --> 00:15:01.960 is all in working in my favor. But sometimes 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:05.960 it's for the joy that's coming, for the joy that 00:15:05.960 --> 00:15:11.320 was set before him. He endured the cross, despising 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:14.139 the shame, and has sat down at the right hand 00:15:14.139 --> 00:15:17.299 of the throne of God. I am so glad that Jesus 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:20.779 Jesus endured it all. Why? Because he understood 00:15:20.779 --> 00:15:23.899 and he knew that his mission was one that would 00:15:23.899 --> 00:15:28.419 produce joy unspeakable and full of glory. And 00:15:28.419 --> 00:15:33.179 if Jesus was able to endure, every child that 00:15:33.179 --> 00:15:37.340 is born into the family of God has got the same 00:15:37.340 --> 00:15:42.259 Christ DNA living on the inside of us. How many 00:15:42.259 --> 00:15:45.000 of you got the Holy Ghost today? If you've got 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:48.190 the Holy Ghost in you, brother and sister, then 00:15:48.190 --> 00:15:52.769 you've got the endurance of God in you. I don't 00:15:52.769 --> 00:15:54.830 know who I've come to preach today, but I've 00:15:54.830 --> 00:15:57.850 come to tell you he wore the crown of thorns 00:15:57.850 --> 00:16:02.009 and he endured so that you and I can endure. 00:16:05.169 --> 00:16:07.909 The Bible says he who endures to the end shall 00:16:07.909 --> 00:16:13.370 be saved. Come on now. Hallelujah. We're getting 00:16:13.370 --> 00:16:15.289 ready to baptize someone today. Praise be to 00:16:15.289 --> 00:16:19.340 God. But I got to tell my brother who's getting 00:16:19.340 --> 00:16:21.299 baptized and anyone else who's thinking about 00:16:21.299 --> 00:16:23.360 getting baptized, it's not how you start, it's 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:28.720 how you finish. Amen. Hallelujah. This is the 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:31.679 beginning of a new day. But brother, I'm not 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:34.059 trying to scare you. Lock the doors. We're going 00:16:34.059 --> 00:16:36.139 to baptize you today. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. 00:16:36.740 --> 00:16:38.379 But you got to know there's going to be trials 00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:39.960 and tribulations. Can I get an amen out there? 00:16:40.600 --> 00:16:42.679 It's not all going to be easy, folks. It's not 00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:44.500 all going to be easy. It's not all going to be 00:16:44.500 --> 00:16:46.480 a bed of roses. There are going to be some thorns 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:49.899 every once in a while. Hallelujah. You ever heard 00:16:49.899 --> 00:16:51.899 that saying, stop and smell the roses? They never 00:16:51.899 --> 00:16:53.500 told you about the thorns you would feel when 00:16:53.500 --> 00:16:56.389 you did that. Oh, my God. You stop to smell the 00:16:56.389 --> 00:16:58.009 rosary and you puncture your thumb. My goodness. 00:16:58.149 --> 00:16:59.870 I didn't know there were thorny people in the 00:16:59.870 --> 00:17:02.710 church. Hello, somebody. I didn't know. I'm starting 00:17:02.710 --> 00:17:04.589 to feel good now. Praise God. I didn't know there 00:17:04.589 --> 00:17:06.309 were thorny people in my life. I didn't know 00:17:06.309 --> 00:17:08.250 I had to deal with thorny people at work. Hey, 00:17:08.369 --> 00:17:10.329 but that's all right. There's going to be some 00:17:10.329 --> 00:17:13.490 thorns. But you have to endure like a good soldier. 00:17:13.589 --> 00:17:16.250 You got to endure. Hallelujah. You got to take 00:17:16.250 --> 00:17:18.549 a licking and keep on taking. You got to. You 00:17:18.549 --> 00:17:21.930 say, why? Because if he endured so that I can 00:17:21.930 --> 00:17:25.599 endure. Why? Because why? One day, there's going 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:28.920 to be a place in heaven. One day, I'm not living 00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:31.960 for this world, brother. I'm living for that 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:38.299 world. Jesus said, if they persecuted me, they're 00:17:38.299 --> 00:17:40.960 going to persecute you. There's going to be persecution. 00:17:41.259 --> 00:17:42.900 There's going to be trials. There's going to 00:17:42.900 --> 00:17:44.799 be trouble in this world. He said, but be of 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:48.240 good cheer. He said, I have overcome the world. 00:17:49.819 --> 00:17:53.130 So Christ. Taking upon the crown of thorns teaches 00:17:53.130 --> 00:17:56.930 us that you, all of us, can be a lily among the 00:17:56.930 --> 00:17:59.529 thorns. Despite the thorns that are around us, 00:17:59.549 --> 00:18:03.109 that are opposing us, that are contrary to what 00:18:03.109 --> 00:18:06.269 we believe God wants for our lives. Oh, hallelujah. 00:18:06.289 --> 00:18:09.730 We will make it. And Paul is a good example of 00:18:09.730 --> 00:18:12.789 this. Oh, one of the prelate apostles of the 00:18:12.789 --> 00:18:15.710 New Testament. He wrote about this thorn that 00:18:15.710 --> 00:18:18.269 he had in his own life. He called it the thorn 00:18:18.269 --> 00:18:22.470 of the flesh. prayed like we often do for God 00:18:22.470 --> 00:18:24.930 to remove these thorns in our life. Lord, can 00:18:24.930 --> 00:18:26.869 you please get this thing out of my life? It 00:18:26.869 --> 00:18:30.509 is painful. It hurts. It's pokey. And it wounds 00:18:30.509 --> 00:18:33.589 me sometimes. And I don't like it, God. Hallelujah. 00:18:33.849 --> 00:18:36.509 Can you get rid of this thing? I don't know if 00:18:36.509 --> 00:18:38.109 you've got some thorns that you pray, God, could 00:18:38.109 --> 00:18:42.329 just get this thing out of my life. But he learned 00:18:42.329 --> 00:18:45.170 a valuable lesson. Paul learned as a disciple 00:18:45.170 --> 00:18:47.809 of Jesus. Hey, buddy, you're not always going 00:18:47.809 --> 00:18:49.839 to get delivered from your thorns. You're not 00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:52.220 always going to get, you know, a thorn -proof 00:18:52.220 --> 00:18:55.759 life. But he says this to him. He answers and 00:18:55.759 --> 00:18:58.480 tells his servant, but my grace, someone say 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:02.880 my grace, my grace is sufficient for you. My 00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:06.640 strength is made perfect in weakness. Paul, there's 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:08.519 going to be thorns you got to deal with, just 00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:11.519 like I had to deal with thorns, Paul. But just 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:15.000 know this, where you see thorns, you will also 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:18.700 see grace. Where you see pain, you will also. 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:22.259 see mercy. Where you see betrayal, you will also 00:19:22.259 --> 00:19:25.960 see oh my God, you will also see love. I come 00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:28.140 to tell somebody if you're going through some 00:19:28.140 --> 00:19:31.359 storms in your life, be of good cheer. God's 00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:34.140 given you the grace today. God's given you mercy 00:19:34.140 --> 00:19:38.000 today. Number three, let me tell you as I get 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:41.220 ready to close, hallelujah, that we have the 00:19:41.220 --> 00:19:45.700 blessing of transformation. The blessing of transformation. 00:19:46.099 --> 00:19:50.779 Hallelujah. He bled. Someone say he bled. He 00:19:50.779 --> 00:19:55.150 bled to set. Our minds free. Come on up here, 00:19:55.150 --> 00:19:57.670 brother. I appreciate it. Hallelujah. He bled 00:19:57.670 --> 00:20:01.950 to set our minds free. Isaiah 53 and verse 5. 00:20:02.150 --> 00:20:04.109 Oh, hallelujah. I was meditating on this verse 00:20:04.109 --> 00:20:06.890 this week. Oh, Lord. And I was just thanking 00:20:06.890 --> 00:20:09.769 God for what he has done for me. Oh, thank you, 00:20:09.769 --> 00:20:12.230 Jesus. You know, sometimes we complicate things 00:20:12.230 --> 00:20:14.170 so much about the Christian life, but let me 00:20:14.170 --> 00:20:16.569 bring it back down to ground zero. Let me tell 00:20:16.569 --> 00:20:19.710 you what it all comes down to is that, but he 00:20:19.710 --> 00:20:25.519 was wounded for our trust. He was bruised for 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:29.579 our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace. 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:32.940 Someone say my peace. My peace. Say it again. 00:20:33.019 --> 00:20:38.059 Say my peace. My peace was upon him. And by his 00:20:38.059 --> 00:20:47.180 stripes we are healed. He was wounded for us. 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:52.529 He was bruised. and the chastisement, the punishment 00:20:52.529 --> 00:20:59.230 of our peace, our peace, our peace. Hmm, my God. 00:20:59.769 --> 00:21:04.250 How many of you want peace today? I'm gonna ask 00:21:04.250 --> 00:21:06.049 it again. Say, how many of you want peace today? 00:21:06.710 --> 00:21:12.950 I want peace. I want internal peace. I want peace 00:21:12.950 --> 00:21:24.269 right here. I want peace in my mind. Can I tell 00:21:24.269 --> 00:21:26.970 you something? The world can be going to hell 00:21:26.970 --> 00:21:29.769 in a handbasket. Everything can be falling apart. 00:21:30.990 --> 00:21:40.450 But if I got peace right here. If I got peace, 00:21:40.529 --> 00:21:46.289 I'm going to make it. Jesus, when you read the 00:21:46.289 --> 00:21:51.900 gospels, he bled from five. Five major areas 00:21:51.900 --> 00:22:01.619 in his body. His back. His hands. His feet. His 00:22:01.619 --> 00:22:09.079 side. And his head. I'm going to do a series 00:22:09.079 --> 00:22:12.960 one day on each one of those. Because they all 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:17.819 carry different significance. But let me just. 00:22:19.339 --> 00:22:21.960 Let me tell you that. I think what we're looking 00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:26.359 at here today may be the most profound of them 00:22:26.359 --> 00:22:33.000 all. For the simple fact that the head is the 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:39.319 most sensitive part of our life. Both physically 00:22:39.319 --> 00:22:45.500 and spiritually. Because the head represents 00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:50.150 the mind. which is the seed of our thoughts, 00:22:50.250 --> 00:22:59.410 our emotions, our will, our decisions, our identity. 00:23:00.250 --> 00:23:04.150 It's all here. That's why when Paul writes in 00:23:04.150 --> 00:23:12.089 Romans 12, 2 says, be not conformed to this world, 00:23:12.170 --> 00:23:20.299 but be transformed by the renewing of. How do 00:23:20.299 --> 00:23:24.500 I get my mind renewed? By thinking positive thoughts? 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:30.319 How do I get my mind free? By being a, just a 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:36.779 happy -go -lucky person? By being a cup, you 00:23:36.779 --> 00:23:40.839 know, how do they say, a half cup, half fool 00:23:40.839 --> 00:23:43.859 type of person? I mean, that's not going to help 00:23:43.859 --> 00:23:47.160 you. How do I really get free from the tormenting 00:23:47.160 --> 00:23:52.410 thoughts? The shame. The guilt. Hello, somebody. 00:23:53.029 --> 00:23:57.970 The anger. The depression. The confusion that 00:23:57.970 --> 00:24:04.710 comes a lot of times. The bitterness. Oh, God. 00:24:04.930 --> 00:24:11.269 How does my mind get transformed? I'll tell you 00:24:11.269 --> 00:24:17.759 how it does. 2 ,000 years ago. They twisted a 00:24:17.759 --> 00:24:21.779 crown of thorns. And they placed it on his head. 00:24:23.180 --> 00:24:30.119 And when Jesus bled from his head. The blood 00:24:30.119 --> 00:24:34.200 that he bled for you and I. That was a sign to 00:24:34.200 --> 00:24:37.000 us. That was a prophetic message to us today. 00:24:38.599 --> 00:24:43.849 That he came to set our minds. You say, why can't 00:24:43.849 --> 00:24:45.529 he just set my toe free? Why does it got to be 00:24:45.529 --> 00:24:47.509 my mind? Because if he sets your mind free, he'll 00:24:47.509 --> 00:24:49.089 set everything else free that comes with it. 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:54.319 This is how God works. This is how the anointing. 00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:56.160 That's why the anointing starts at the head. 00:24:56.299 --> 00:24:58.859 And when it hits the head, the whole body gets 00:24:58.859 --> 00:25:02.420 blessed. It begins to run down. If your mind 00:25:02.420 --> 00:25:05.759 gets free, if your mind gets delivered from that 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:09.240 fear today, that crippling fear, that depression, 00:25:09.680 --> 00:25:12.160 would you stand with me this afternoon? Hallelujah. 00:25:12.980 --> 00:25:24.160 From that anxiety, from that stress. Jesus was 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:28.779 crowned with thorns so that you could be crowned 00:25:28.779 --> 00:25:37.480 with life. He came to set us free. Right there 00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:42.339 where you're at. God wants to work. God wants 00:25:42.339 --> 00:25:51.900 to work today. Hallelujah. On a Friday. They 00:25:51.900 --> 00:25:59.039 placed that crown of thorns on him. And he felt 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:03.599 the piercing, the weight, the burden, the curse 00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:08.000 of sin upon his head. And you know why he did 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:12.640 it? He did it for you. Would you close your eyes 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:15.720 in this place? I feel God's presence so beautifully 00:26:15.720 --> 00:26:19.299 in this place right now. I believe that there's 00:26:19.299 --> 00:26:22.759 somebody under the sound of my voice who just 00:26:22.759 --> 00:26:28.980 wants, hallelujah, the blood of Jesus to wash 00:26:28.980 --> 00:26:34.299 your sins away. You want the blood of Jesus to 00:26:34.299 --> 00:26:39.980 heal you by his stripes. We are healed. You want 00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:43.460 the blood of Jesus to set your mind free, your 00:26:43.460 --> 00:26:48.860 heart free, to set you free from sin. Addiction. 00:26:48.860 --> 00:26:52.539 Hallelujah. Bondage in your heart and in your 00:26:52.539 --> 00:26:56.019 mind. Hallelujah. If you need that freedom today, 00:26:56.240 --> 00:27:00.079 the king of kings is in this house. But this 00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:05.460 time. Oh, I feel this. This time he's not wearing 00:27:05.460 --> 00:27:09.420 a crown of thorns anymore. He's got a crown of 00:27:09.420 --> 00:27:14.440 glory on his head. Oh, my God. He's got the crown 00:27:14.440 --> 00:27:18.059 of glory. on his head. He's seated on the throne. 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:22.359 He's got the royal scepter in his hand. And he's 00:27:22.359 --> 00:27:25.500 ready to work on your behalf. Right there where 00:27:25.500 --> 00:27:27.279 you are, invite someone to open up your hearts 00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:29.640 in prayer today. If you want to lift up your 00:27:29.640 --> 00:27:31.940 hands, this altar is going to be open. Invite 00:27:31.940 --> 00:27:33.960 the praise team to come up here and begin to 00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:36.759 sing. But as they sing, listen, I want you to 00:27:36.759 --> 00:27:39.599 just let God work in your life. If you need to 00:27:39.599 --> 00:27:41.880 come and repent of your sins, if you need to 00:27:41.880 --> 00:27:44.839 come and lay down those thorns at the feet of 00:27:44.839 --> 00:27:48.460 Jesus today, I invite you to do that. At this 00:27:48.460 --> 00:27:51.619 hour. I invite you. Give it over to the Lord 00:27:51.619 --> 00:27:56.680 today. Say God. Here I am Lord. I lay it down 00:27:56.680 --> 00:28:00.480 at your feet God. I lay it down God. At the foot 00:28:00.480 --> 00:28:03.779 of the cross. I lay down God my pride. I lay 00:28:03.779 --> 00:28:07.420 down this anger. I lay down this sin. I lay down 00:28:07.420 --> 00:28:11.359 this vice. I lay down God this anxiety. I lay 00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:14.680 down this fear. I lay down this depression. Come 00:28:14.680 --> 00:28:16.700 on is there somebody right here today. That just 00:28:16.700 --> 00:28:18.559 needs to lay something down. before God.