WEBVTT 00:00:09.449 --> 00:00:14.289 Welcome to ECB's weekly sermon podcast. ECB is 00:00:14.289 --> 00:00:16.589 an international church in Bangkok, Thailand, 00:00:16.750 --> 00:00:19.809 with dozens of nationalities worshiping together. 00:00:20.129 --> 00:00:22.989 We invite you to connect with us from wherever 00:00:22.989 --> 00:00:27.190 you are through our website, ecb .asia, or our 00:00:27.190 --> 00:00:31.050 mobile app. And now we pray that you are blessed 00:00:31.050 --> 00:00:35.130 by this week's sermon. Above all, walking in 00:00:35.130 --> 00:00:39.049 the victory of Jesus. The reason why we did this 00:00:39.049 --> 00:00:42.710 series was because I wanted us to explore more 00:00:42.710 --> 00:00:45.850 deeply what Jesus had accomplished as our Savior. 00:00:46.409 --> 00:00:48.789 And what we discovered that the Bible says that 00:00:48.789 --> 00:00:52.009 at the core of what Jesus accomplished is that 00:00:52.009 --> 00:00:56.210 He came to destroy the power of Satan over creation, 00:00:56.450 --> 00:01:00.130 over humanity, so that by breaking the power 00:01:00.130 --> 00:01:04.189 of Satan, He can now save us from that, and now 00:01:04.189 --> 00:01:07.030 that we can be reconciled to God and live forever. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:10.640 for him. And the first thing that he overcame 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:14.420 was the power of deception. We learn in the first 00:01:14.420 --> 00:01:18.519 study that Satan could not dupe Jesus into getting 00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:21.959 confused about his identity and becoming compromised. 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:25.799 Jesus knew who he was, he knew his mission, and 00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:29.500 he stayed true to it. In the second study, we 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:33.920 discover that Jesus was able to overcome Also 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:36.540 the control that Satan now had through the demons 00:01:36.540 --> 00:01:40.099 on people's lives and his authority was superior 00:01:40.099 --> 00:01:45.859 and demons had to submit to his authority. Today 00:01:45.859 --> 00:01:50.540 we will discover that Jesus also overcame the 00:01:50.540 --> 00:01:55.400 power of Satan to oppose and influence God's 00:01:55.400 --> 00:02:02.299 work. I would like to start the study. By asking 00:02:02.299 --> 00:02:05.739 you one question. And that question is simple 00:02:05.739 --> 00:02:11.520 but very personal. Are you discouraged? Because 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:15.340 following Jesus takes us through seasons. Moments 00:02:15.340 --> 00:02:19.500 in which we feel just discouraged. It's like, 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:22.800 I still believe in Jesus. I still follow in God. 00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:28.280 But I just feel, what you say, kind of like deflated. 00:02:28.379 --> 00:02:33.780 Like a balloon that went. I feel blah, I'm just, 00:02:33.939 --> 00:02:38.280 you know, and it's hard to find words for it. 00:02:38.300 --> 00:02:41.840 But we often experience these feelings of feeling 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:45.500 just exhausted, where our passion is not there 00:02:45.500 --> 00:02:48.139 anymore, disoriented, where we're not following 00:02:48.139 --> 00:02:50.840 with single heartedness. Now our heart is divided 00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:54.599 and we just don't really know exactly what to 00:02:54.599 --> 00:02:58.300 do. Now we have deep doubts in our lives about 00:02:58.300 --> 00:03:03.009 whether this is worth it or not. Did I hear wrong? 00:03:03.650 --> 00:03:07.909 You know, it's just I'm not fully committed like 00:03:07.909 --> 00:03:11.870 I was before. My passion has dwindled. I feel 00:03:11.870 --> 00:03:16.849 just drained. It's like the compassion, the care 00:03:16.849 --> 00:03:25.310 for it has diminished. I feel discouraged. Welcome 00:03:25.310 --> 00:03:29.439 to the life of following Jesus. There are moments 00:03:29.439 --> 00:03:32.280 in which we feel like that, and that's not out 00:03:32.280 --> 00:03:37.039 of the norm. However, Jesus did not save you 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:41.460 to live the rest of your life like that. It's 00:03:41.460 --> 00:03:44.159 okay to feel discouraged. It's not okay to live 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:49.479 a life of discouragement. Jesus wants us to walk 00:03:49.479 --> 00:03:52.740 in the victory that he already won for us, and 00:03:52.740 --> 00:03:56.849 he wants us to walk in his freedom. And when 00:03:56.849 --> 00:04:00.169 we're in discouragement, the Bible says, I'll 00:04:00.169 --> 00:04:02.289 tell you exactly what you need to do. If you're 00:04:02.289 --> 00:04:05.110 in a season of discouragement, do this one thing. 00:04:05.169 --> 00:04:09.129 I don't know, what is that one thing? This is 00:04:09.129 --> 00:04:11.990 what Hebrews chapter 12 says. Will you read it 00:04:11.990 --> 00:04:16.269 aloud with me? Consider him who endures such 00:04:16.269 --> 00:04:19.589 opposition from sinners, so that you will not 00:04:19.589 --> 00:04:23.769 grow weary and lose heart. When you feel you're 00:04:23.769 --> 00:04:26.050 losing heart, When you feel you're growing weary, 00:04:26.209 --> 00:04:29.629 do one thing so that discouragement will not 00:04:29.629 --> 00:04:33.930 sit in. Do one thing. What is that? Consider 00:04:33.930 --> 00:04:37.990 Jesus and pay attention to what He did, what 00:04:37.990 --> 00:04:41.949 He endured. Because once you realize what He 00:04:41.949 --> 00:04:47.230 did, then your ability to reframe and to continue 00:04:47.230 --> 00:04:51.910 to follow Him because He is worth following will 00:04:51.910 --> 00:04:55.699 readjust again. And discouragement and confusion 00:04:55.699 --> 00:04:59.800 will give to clarity. And that being deflated 00:04:59.800 --> 00:05:03.100 will be inflated again. And you will be able 00:05:03.100 --> 00:05:06.180 to enter a new season of commitment and passion 00:05:06.180 --> 00:05:13.060 and strength. Jesus came to overcome the power 00:05:13.060 --> 00:05:18.079 of Satan. And the word Satan in itself has a 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:23.149 very specific meaning. In fact, the word Satan 00:05:23.149 --> 00:05:27.550 was not even a name. It's a word that describes 00:05:27.550 --> 00:05:35.129 someone. It's an adjective. And once you start 00:05:35.129 --> 00:05:37.610 describing the person, that person takes that 00:05:37.610 --> 00:05:42.769 quality and becomes a noun. The word Satan in 00:05:42.769 --> 00:05:47.889 Hebrew is Satan. In Greek it's Satanás. You know 00:05:47.889 --> 00:05:51.459 what it is in Spanish? Satanás. Same as a Greek. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:53.939 It's cool once you find out these little things 00:05:53.939 --> 00:05:58.399 about language. It means one who opposes the 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:04.839 adversary. The one that is there to oppose you. 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:07.199 It's like imagine that you are playing football 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:11.379 or to our American friends, soccer. And you are 00:06:11.379 --> 00:06:13.759 trying to score. That's the goal of the game. 00:06:14.259 --> 00:06:16.560 But before you can score, you have all these 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:19.560 people trying to oppose you so that you don't 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:25.029 score. That is the Satan. That is the adversary. 00:06:25.089 --> 00:06:28.949 The opposer is going to do something strategically 00:06:28.949 --> 00:06:32.230 to try to make sure that you are deterred from 00:06:32.230 --> 00:06:34.189 accomplishing the mission that God has given 00:06:34.189 --> 00:06:38.170 you. And that is the reality that Jesus experienced. 00:06:38.310 --> 00:06:40.889 And that is the reality that following Jesus 00:06:40.889 --> 00:06:46.569 brings into the equation. Because often discouragement, 00:06:46.569 --> 00:06:51.069 as you will discover, is being in a space where 00:06:51.069 --> 00:06:54.430 you have lost your perspective and your focus 00:06:54.430 --> 00:06:59.089 on the mission. And now you're experiencing the 00:06:59.089 --> 00:07:04.250 symptoms of having lost that perspective. So 00:07:04.250 --> 00:07:06.910 the Bible says, look, when you're in that space, 00:07:07.089 --> 00:07:13.160 consider what Jesus experienced. Because he experienced 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:16.100 the opposition from sinners. And the very first 00:07:16.100 --> 00:07:18.819 sinner and the most powerful sinner he experienced 00:07:18.819 --> 00:07:26.259 opposition from was Satan himself. So what exactly 00:07:26.259 --> 00:07:28.819 did Jesus experience that we need to consider? 00:07:30.279 --> 00:07:34.420 The book of Hebrews tells us. During the days 00:07:34.420 --> 00:07:37.839 of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:41.870 and petitions. With fervent cries and tears. 00:07:42.110 --> 00:07:46.910 To the one who could save him from death. And 00:07:46.910 --> 00:07:50.529 he was hurt because of his reverent submission. 00:07:51.910 --> 00:07:57.509 There is a moment as Jesus is following the mission 00:07:57.509 --> 00:08:00.230 that he has received from the father. To become 00:08:00.230 --> 00:08:03.730 the savior of the world. That as he is pursuing 00:08:03.730 --> 00:08:09.649 that mission. He. Felt the weight of it. There 00:08:09.649 --> 00:08:12.329 were moments. In which he was moved to tears. 00:08:12.670 --> 00:08:15.649 And he would talk to the father. From this place 00:08:15.649 --> 00:08:21.850 of hardship. And as he is trying. To pursue the 00:08:21.850 --> 00:08:24.509 mission. And he is experiencing these things. 00:08:25.410 --> 00:08:30.250 Hebrews says. Son though he was. Because he was 00:08:30.250 --> 00:08:33.120 the son of God. We learned last week even demons 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:35.120 said it. Son of the Most High God. They knew 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:38.100 who He was. He knew who He was. But being the 00:08:38.100 --> 00:08:42.440 Son of the Most High God in a human body incarnate 00:08:42.440 --> 00:08:45.460 brought a whole different dimension of what obedience 00:08:45.460 --> 00:08:50.240 looked like. What pursuing this mission looked 00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:53.840 like. He was not pursuing it from His throne 00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:57.200 in heaven. He was pursuing it in flesh and blood 00:08:57.200 --> 00:09:01.409 here on earth. And that's why it says, even though 00:09:01.409 --> 00:09:06.210 he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered. 00:09:06.710 --> 00:09:11.629 And once made perfect, he became the source of 00:09:11.629 --> 00:09:17.309 eternal salvation for all who obey him. In order 00:09:17.309 --> 00:09:21.309 for Jesus to become the savior of the world, 00:09:22.190 --> 00:09:25.409 And to be able to give that salvation to anyone 00:09:25.409 --> 00:09:28.730 that now follows him. Before Jesus would become 00:09:28.730 --> 00:09:32.549 the savior of the world. He had to learn obedience. 00:09:33.070 --> 00:09:37.230 And he had to be perfected as the high priest. 00:09:37.330 --> 00:09:41.009 In order to reconcile people with God. And it's 00:09:41.009 --> 00:09:46.809 like wait. He had to learn obedience? How if 00:09:46.809 --> 00:09:50.840 he is God. He is already obedient. he is holy, 00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:55.000 how can he learn obedience? And then, if he is 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:58.240 God himself, and he is divine, how can he be 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:02.700 perfected? And this is where some people get 00:10:02.700 --> 00:10:06.039 confused. And some people say, well, you see, 00:10:06.120 --> 00:10:09.259 that proves that Jesus is not God, because if 00:10:09.259 --> 00:10:12.360 Jesus was truly God, then he's perfect, and he 00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:14.220 knows all things, so there's nothing for him 00:10:14.220 --> 00:10:20.340 to learn. It's like silly people. That is not 00:10:20.340 --> 00:10:24.700 what the text is talking about. Yes, Jesus is 00:10:24.700 --> 00:10:31.919 God, 100%. True God. And we think of God, of 00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:34.600 Jesus as, yeah, the one who walks on water. We 00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:37.960 saw last week how he has authority over all creation. 00:10:38.340 --> 00:10:41.960 He is the creator of creation, the Gospel of 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:44.639 John says. Everything was made through him and 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:48.889 by him. And we saw how he commanded the stone 00:10:48.889 --> 00:10:51.769 to stop and it stopped. And the apostles were 00:10:51.769 --> 00:10:55.470 like, what? Who is this guy that even creation 00:10:55.470 --> 00:10:59.429 obeys him? Demons recognized him immediately 00:10:59.429 --> 00:11:01.230 and would say, you are the son of the most high 00:11:01.230 --> 00:11:04.649 God. We think of Jesus as this divine being. 00:11:05.549 --> 00:11:09.809 But Jesus was not just God. He was also 100 % 00:11:09.809 --> 00:11:17.710 man. And as man, he suffered. And as man, he 00:11:17.710 --> 00:11:23.570 cried with tears to his father. And there's a 00:11:23.570 --> 00:11:26.769 moment in which he says to God, God, restore 00:11:26.769 --> 00:11:30.950 the glory that I left behind before I became 00:11:30.950 --> 00:11:37.070 a human. We have to remember that Jesus is God 00:11:37.070 --> 00:11:43.820 and man. 100%, 100%. And as a human being. As 00:11:43.820 --> 00:11:46.759 he was pursuing the mission of becoming the savior 00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:51.460 of the world, we learn in the first study that 00:11:51.460 --> 00:11:55.059 the word of God says he had to become like us 00:11:55.059 --> 00:11:59.279 in every single way so that by being like us, 00:11:59.480 --> 00:12:03.019 he now could break from within the power of Satan 00:12:03.019 --> 00:12:08.200 that he had over humanity. Which means that Jesus 00:12:08.200 --> 00:12:11.950 experienced All these things that people in a 00:12:11.950 --> 00:12:14.950 human body would experience. He experienced hunger, 00:12:15.129 --> 00:12:19.990 fatigue, rejection, temptation, Gethsemane, and 00:12:19.990 --> 00:12:26.350 death. We saw last week how he was so exhausted 00:12:26.350 --> 00:12:30.470 that he fell asleep on the boat. And even a storm 00:12:30.470 --> 00:12:34.759 would not wake him up. He was so tired. That 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:38.360 the only way that he was woken up was the crowd 00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:41.320 of the apostles shaking him saying, Jesus, we 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:46.460 come, we are dying here. In the pursuit of the 00:12:46.460 --> 00:12:49.500 mission to become the savior of the world, Jesus 00:12:49.500 --> 00:12:52.299 accomplished the things he accomplished from 00:12:52.299 --> 00:12:57.679 this perspective of being a human and God. And 00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:01.440 as a human, he had to learn not just what it 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:05.480 was to obey. He already knew obedience, but now 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:13.879 he had to learn the cost of obedience. What would 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:19.360 it be like to be tortured and crucified and to 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:27.100 bleed as part of obeying? He hadn't experienced 00:13:27.100 --> 00:13:32.840 that before. He will have to experience it. And 00:13:32.840 --> 00:13:39.220 for him, he learned the cost of obedience. And 00:13:39.220 --> 00:13:41.779 because he learned the cost of obedience, and 00:13:41.779 --> 00:13:45.340 he remained faithful to the mission, then the 00:13:45.340 --> 00:13:48.279 Word of God says, he became perfected as the 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:52.919 high priest. He was able to now, as he accomplished 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:57.220 the mission to perfection, become the intercessor 00:13:57.220 --> 00:14:01.559 between humans and God. The one that can reconcile 00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:05.820 us to God himself. Because he the God man died 00:14:05.820 --> 00:14:08.700 for the sins of people. And is able now to pay 00:14:08.700 --> 00:14:11.159 for their guilt. And therefore he is the one 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:13.960 that can give forgiveness. Because he has become 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:19.080 the supreme high priest. And that mission to 00:14:19.080 --> 00:14:22.019 become the high priest. Had to be accomplished 00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:28.019 100 % to perfection. If it was 90 % done. it 00:14:28.019 --> 00:14:32.100 will be a failed mission. If he was 99 .9 % complete, 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:35.779 it will be a failed mission. It had to be a perfect 00:14:35.779 --> 00:14:40.279 mission all the way till the very last breath. 00:14:41.419 --> 00:14:47.860 He had to die sinless and completely obedient 00:14:47.860 --> 00:14:53.840 to the T, as we say. The plan had to be completely 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:59.669 accomplished. This is who Jesus was. Hebrews 00:14:59.669 --> 00:15:04.850 says. For him to become the savior. That we worship. 00:15:05.090 --> 00:15:07.789 And we say you have overcome. You have overcome. 00:15:07.850 --> 00:15:15.309 Yes he overcame. But to a price. What was it 00:15:15.309 --> 00:15:20.850 like for him. To become this savior. And what 00:15:20.850 --> 00:15:25.230 did he have to go through. In order to overcome 00:15:25.230 --> 00:15:29.850 the power of Satan. To oppose him. But we'll 00:15:29.850 --> 00:15:31.929 discover in the rest of this study. In that there 00:15:31.929 --> 00:15:36.570 were moments in which Jesus. As he is pursuing 00:15:36.570 --> 00:15:40.950 the plan. Pursuing the mission. Following it 00:15:40.950 --> 00:15:45.190 faithfully. There were specific moments in which 00:15:45.190 --> 00:15:48.950 the opposer. Satan tried to maneuver him around. 00:15:49.210 --> 00:15:53.059 To try to prevent him. from accomplishing the 00:15:53.059 --> 00:15:55.879 mission, but at every moment, Jesus was much 00:15:55.879 --> 00:15:59.419 more skilled with the ball. And he was able to 00:15:59.419 --> 00:16:03.419 pass them and continue until he scores the game 00:16:03.419 --> 00:16:11.080 and wins it. The first one of all those, we saw 00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:13.700 in the first study of this series. By the way, 00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:16.080 if you have missed the previous sessions, you 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:18.320 can access them in our website or in our app. 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:24.200 In the first study, we saw how Jesus had been 00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:28.220 tempted by Satan directly. But in this temptation, 00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:31.259 there's something that happens in the very last 00:16:31.259 --> 00:16:35.120 part of that temptation that is very unique compared 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:38.500 to the other ones because the very last thing 00:16:38.500 --> 00:16:42.399 deals directly with the mission that Jesus came 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:48.440 to accomplish. And Satan is going to try to be 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:59.200 sneaky. And caused Jesus to derail. What did 00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:05.359 he do? Well, Satan approaches Jesus. And we are 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:07.960 told that in the last part of the interaction 00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:11.740 with Jesus at that moment. The devil took him 00:17:11.740 --> 00:17:14.259 to the very high mountain. And showed him all 00:17:14.259 --> 00:17:16.960 the kingdoms of the world. And their splendor. 00:17:18.920 --> 00:17:25.059 All this I will give you, he said. If you just 00:17:25.059 --> 00:17:29.579 will bow down and worship me. Isn't that what 00:17:29.579 --> 00:17:33.779 you're after? A kingdom? You want to reign over 00:17:33.779 --> 00:17:39.019 creation? I can give it all to you. Just like 00:17:39.019 --> 00:17:43.480 that. It will just take only a couple of seconds. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:46.140 First just bow down in front of me right here. 00:17:46.339 --> 00:17:56.269 Go. A few seconds and you will get it. What Satan 00:17:56.269 --> 00:18:03.450 didn't understand is that the kingdom was just 00:18:03.450 --> 00:18:07.910 the outcome. Jesus was not after a kingdom of 00:18:07.910 --> 00:18:13.779 his own. Jesus was after a mission. And the mission 00:18:13.779 --> 00:18:17.259 requires something that Jesus knew very well. 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:22.359 So Jesus immediately turns to the opposer, Satan. 00:18:24.119 --> 00:18:29.119 And says to him, away from me Satan. For it is 00:18:29.119 --> 00:18:32.859 written, worship the Lord your God and serve 00:18:32.859 --> 00:18:41.759 him only. I'm not here. To get a kingdom. I'm 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:46.980 here to serve the father. And him only. I am 00:18:46.980 --> 00:18:50.200 here for a mission. And a mission I'm going to 00:18:50.200 --> 00:18:55.380 accomplish. So no. Get away from me. You are 00:18:55.380 --> 00:18:57.819 becoming an obstacle for what God called me to 00:18:57.819 --> 00:19:02.240 do. Get out of here. Get out of my way. So he 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:08.819 did. Then the devil left him. And angels came. 00:19:09.420 --> 00:19:18.039 And attended him. Satan tries. To take something 00:19:18.039 --> 00:19:21.839 that is true. And twist it just a little bit 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:26.880 enough. To make the person. Lose perspective. 00:19:28.640 --> 00:19:33.319 But Jesus knows. Clearly what his mission is. 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:41.069 And he is not going to be deterred. And this 00:19:41.069 --> 00:19:44.930 is exactly how Satan works with you and with 00:19:44.930 --> 00:19:51.789 me. Jesus, what is your purpose? To establish 00:19:51.789 --> 00:19:56.890 a kingdom? No, my purpose is to defeat Satan 00:19:56.890 --> 00:20:03.069 so I can establish a kingdom. And the Bible says 00:20:03.069 --> 00:20:05.650 that that kingdom that he receives from the Father, 00:20:06.009 --> 00:20:10.509 he will reign over that kingdom. Until all his 00:20:10.509 --> 00:20:13.769 enemies are destroyed. And then Jesus will turn 00:20:13.769 --> 00:20:16.690 the kingdom back to the fathers. So the father 00:20:16.690 --> 00:20:20.509 can be all in all. So even till the end, it's 00:20:20.509 --> 00:20:24.390 not about the kingdom of Jesus. He knows that 00:20:24.390 --> 00:20:29.049 it is so much more than that. You know what happens? 00:20:29.369 --> 00:20:36.230 Is that this work of opposing is very sneaky. 00:20:38.539 --> 00:20:42.000 Twisting you just enough so that you lose perspective 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:49.099 of your purpose. And your purpose is not your 00:20:49.099 --> 00:20:52.640 career. It's not your advancement. Your purpose 00:20:52.640 --> 00:20:56.279 is not retire early. The purpose is not that 00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:59.099 you will establish a good reputation. And that 00:20:59.099 --> 00:21:01.440 people will admire you. And that you will have 00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:05.039 enough money to live on. That is not the purpose. 00:21:05.909 --> 00:21:09.049 Maybe before you came to know Christ, that was 00:21:09.049 --> 00:21:11.930 your purpose. But the moment that we start following 00:21:11.930 --> 00:21:15.990 Jesus, our purpose has completely changed. Primarily 00:21:15.990 --> 00:21:19.289 our purpose is to follow Jesus. And we follow 00:21:19.289 --> 00:21:23.329 Jesus to seek his kingdom first. Because we are 00:21:23.329 --> 00:21:26.869 here pursuing a mission that has eternal perspective. 00:21:27.150 --> 00:21:30.369 And everything I do, everything I am, everything 00:21:30.369 --> 00:21:33.490 that the Lord positions me to do is aligned with 00:21:33.490 --> 00:21:37.599 that. So yes, you do have a career. Yes, you 00:21:37.599 --> 00:21:41.240 do have a position. And yes, you do have a paycheck. 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:47.119 But those are simply tools to seek God's kingdom 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:54.660 first. Not my kingdom first. And it starts moving 00:21:54.660 --> 00:21:59.500 so slowly that before you know it, you have lost 00:21:59.500 --> 00:22:06.460 your perspective on your purpose. A few years 00:22:06.460 --> 00:22:08.740 ago, I was talking to a dear friend of mine that 00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:12.940 was a single lady at that time. And she was so 00:22:12.940 --> 00:22:18.420 discouraged that day. She was in her late 20s 00:22:18.420 --> 00:22:21.960 and in her mind that was old to get married. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:28.900 And she loved the Lord. She was serving the Lord 00:22:28.900 --> 00:22:32.160 and very committed to Christ. And she was discouraged 00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:34.400 because all the friends were dating. They were 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:37.140 getting married. And she was being left behind. 00:22:38.059 --> 00:22:40.680 And there was no suitable candidate for her. 00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:45.619 Guys were around, but no, not really. They didn't 00:22:45.619 --> 00:22:49.039 really love the Lord. So she was so discouraged. 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:51.720 And she was saying, you know, I will never get 00:22:51.720 --> 00:22:55.920 married. I'm just going to grow all alone. And 00:22:55.920 --> 00:22:59.140 I'll have to get used to that idea. And now if... 00:22:59.400 --> 00:23:01.680 I want to have kids. The only way to have kids. 00:23:01.779 --> 00:23:03.720 I will have to do some kind of in vitro. And 00:23:03.720 --> 00:23:06.839 sperm donors. And all that stuff. And she was 00:23:06.839 --> 00:23:12.160 like. Feeling very weighty. Very discouraged. 00:23:14.779 --> 00:23:17.519 And as we are talking. And she is letting out 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:20.539 all these. Stupid things going on in her mind. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:28.359 Once you say it. You realize. I don't really. 00:23:28.920 --> 00:23:30.900 I don't really believe that. But that's what 00:23:30.900 --> 00:23:34.180 I'm feeling. And she's getting all these things 00:23:34.180 --> 00:23:37.619 out of. And we realize. You know what? You have 00:23:37.619 --> 00:23:44.099 lost perspective. On your purpose. Your purpose. 00:23:44.220 --> 00:23:48.220 My purpose. Is to follow Jesus. That's why we 00:23:48.220 --> 00:23:51.819 call ourselves disciples of Jesus. Followers. 00:23:53.549 --> 00:23:56.490 And we are following for the mission. And our 00:23:56.490 --> 00:23:59.109 mission is not to get married and have kids. 00:24:01.430 --> 00:24:04.210 If that's part of the package, praise God. If 00:24:04.210 --> 00:24:06.450 that is not part of the package, praise God. 00:24:06.710 --> 00:24:11.329 But I will never turn the mission into this mission. 00:24:12.410 --> 00:24:15.289 Because the moment you do that, that is when 00:24:15.289 --> 00:24:20.970 you start feeling the anxiety, the discouragement. 00:24:22.199 --> 00:24:28.720 The deflating is because you have lost your purpose. 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:35.839 So what is your purpose, may I ask you? Is it 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:40.920 to follow Jesus and seek His kingdom first? Ah, 00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:46.819 so you have forgotten your purpose. That is why 00:24:46.819 --> 00:24:50.819 you're feeling the way you're feeling. You are 00:24:50.819 --> 00:24:54.880 just experiencing the symptoms. It is time you 00:24:54.880 --> 00:24:56.920 come to the Lord and realize, Lord, I've been 00:24:56.920 --> 00:25:00.000 duped. The enemy got me on this one. The opposer 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:03.519 has been opposing me. I see it. Thank you, Lord, 00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:07.740 for the truth. But there's a second moment in 00:25:07.740 --> 00:25:12.119 which Jesus is going to experience the opposer 00:25:12.119 --> 00:25:15.480 trying to deter him again. And this time it's 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:18.700 going to be a little bit different. Because it's 00:25:18.700 --> 00:25:23.869 going to come. From one of his dear friends. 00:25:24.670 --> 00:25:27.750 You see Jesus has been now serving for about 00:25:27.750 --> 00:25:31.690 three years. Since his baptism. And since Satan 00:25:31.690 --> 00:25:34.230 tempted him at the beginning. And offered him 00:25:34.230 --> 00:25:39.990 the kingdom. Just by worshiping him. And Jesus 00:25:39.990 --> 00:25:43.329 has been pursuing the mission faithfully. But 00:25:43.329 --> 00:25:45.210 for the very first time. He's going to start 00:25:45.210 --> 00:25:50.680 giving more details. To his apostles. So the 00:25:50.680 --> 00:25:53.119 word of God says that as he starts engaging with 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:57.160 the apostles. He starts telling them. He then 00:25:57.160 --> 00:26:03.220 began teaching them. That the son of man must 00:26:03.220 --> 00:26:08.819 suffer many things. And be rejected by the elders. 00:26:08.920 --> 00:26:13.099 The chief priests. The teachers of the law. And 00:26:13.099 --> 00:26:16.119 that he must be killed. And after three days 00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:23.349 rise again. Jesus knew all of these things. He 00:26:23.349 --> 00:26:27.109 knew that the mission required a cost. Look, 00:26:27.150 --> 00:26:30.890 I am going to suffer a lot in the days ahead. 00:26:30.990 --> 00:26:34.589 As we enter Jerusalem, lots of suffering will 00:26:34.589 --> 00:26:37.410 come upon me. I will be rejected by the leaders. 00:26:38.349 --> 00:26:42.750 The top people will think that I need to die. 00:26:43.490 --> 00:26:47.930 I will be opposed by them. I'm going to be crucified. 00:26:49.019 --> 00:26:53.180 And I'm going to be killed. But don't worry I 00:26:53.180 --> 00:26:57.839 will resurrect after that. Jesus knew all was 00:26:57.839 --> 00:27:01.500 coming. By the way if you are wondering. Why 00:27:01.500 --> 00:27:03.920 is Jesus calling himself the son of man? Doesn't 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:09.400 that mean that he is not God? The son of man. 00:27:10.519 --> 00:27:13.200 Actually that is the opposite. This is a phrase 00:27:13.200 --> 00:27:17.640 from the book of Daniel. And there is a vision. 00:27:18.250 --> 00:27:22.509 In which Daniel says, I saw one at the end of 00:27:22.509 --> 00:27:27.069 history that was coming in the clouds. And he 00:27:27.069 --> 00:27:31.130 looked like a son of man. He had the shape of 00:27:31.130 --> 00:27:33.769 a human. This was a human, I don't understand. 00:27:33.890 --> 00:27:37.269 A son of man. And all nations worshipped him. 00:27:38.609 --> 00:27:43.690 And only one can be worshipped. God. So this 00:27:43.690 --> 00:27:45.890 phrase, by the way, that's a little parenthesis 00:27:45.890 --> 00:27:49.420 to the study. Jesus is saying, you know, the 00:27:49.420 --> 00:27:56.039 Son of Man will come. That's me. Jesus. But before 00:27:56.039 --> 00:27:59.759 that can happen, I'll have to suffer. This was 00:27:59.759 --> 00:28:05.220 intel. Classified intel. He's giving the apostles 00:28:05.220 --> 00:28:07.779 for the mission. And at that moment, guess what 00:28:07.779 --> 00:28:13.500 happens? Let's keep reading. He spoke plainly 00:28:13.500 --> 00:28:17.859 about this. And Peter took him aside. And began 00:28:17.859 --> 00:28:22.559 to rebuke him. It doesn't tell us what Peter 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:27.279 said to Jesus. But it tells us that Peter is 00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:31.319 trying to try to deter Jesus from accomplishing 00:28:31.319 --> 00:28:33.480 and doing exactly what he just said he was going 00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:40.099 to do. Jesus, I can only imagine. What are you 00:28:40.099 --> 00:28:43.240 talking about? We cannot lose you now. We are 00:28:43.240 --> 00:28:46.329 so close to establishing the kingdom. Look, all 00:28:46.329 --> 00:28:48.170 the people that are following you, you cannot 00:28:48.170 --> 00:28:50.549 lose all these followers now. You are growing 00:28:50.549 --> 00:28:52.930 in popularity. Jesus, what are you talking about? 00:28:54.869 --> 00:28:56.869 Getting in the wrong side with the religious 00:28:56.869 --> 00:29:02.750 leaders? No, we need to gain their respect. Jesus, 00:29:02.910 --> 00:29:10.390 can we revise this plan for a moment? And Jesus, 00:29:12.039 --> 00:29:15.680 Says that when Jesus turn. And look at his disciples. 00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:21.980 He then turns to Peter. And he rebukes Peter. 00:29:22.220 --> 00:29:29.160 And he says this. Get behind me Satan. You do 00:29:29.160 --> 00:29:33.839 not have in mind. The concerns of God. But merely. 00:29:34.619 --> 00:29:40.359 Humans concerns. He knows. Who is behind all 00:29:40.359 --> 00:29:47.529 of this. And he knows that the strategy is to 00:29:47.529 --> 00:29:50.710 just try to move him a little bit to deter him 00:29:50.710 --> 00:29:54.990 from the mission. And Jesus is not going to have 00:29:54.990 --> 00:29:58.450 it. He didn't have it directly from Satan. He's 00:29:58.450 --> 00:30:00.269 not going to have it through the mouth of Peter. 00:30:00.509 --> 00:30:05.789 He's not going to have it. He knows his mission. 00:30:05.869 --> 00:30:09.089 He knows that it's going to be costly. But it 00:30:09.089 --> 00:30:11.329 is not the fact that it's going to be costly 00:30:11.329 --> 00:30:16.619 that is going to deter him from it. So he wants 00:30:16.619 --> 00:30:20.279 to make very sure from that moment, this is a 00:30:20.279 --> 00:30:24.279 teaching moment for him. So he's going to call 00:30:24.279 --> 00:30:28.380 everybody. He's going to regroup everybody. He 00:30:28.380 --> 00:30:32.380 gets Satan out of the way. He tells the people, 00:30:32.460 --> 00:30:35.920 look, this is what's going to happen. And now 00:30:35.920 --> 00:30:38.299 he says to the rest of the crowd that is following 00:30:38.299 --> 00:30:41.319 him, come. Because I have to make something very 00:30:41.319 --> 00:30:47.279 clear. We are about. To accomplish this mission 00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:51.059 in a few weeks. And I've just told you the intel 00:30:51.059 --> 00:30:54.660 of what this is going to look like. And we all 00:30:54.660 --> 00:30:57.319 have to be on the same page. And if you're going 00:30:57.319 --> 00:31:00.920 to follow me. I have to make something that is 00:31:00.920 --> 00:31:05.460 very clear for all of us. So then he calls the 00:31:05.460 --> 00:31:08.200 crowd to him. Along with his disciples and says. 00:31:09.099 --> 00:31:13.339 Whoever wants to be my disciple. If you're going 00:31:13.339 --> 00:31:18.529 to call yourself my follower. You must deny themselves 00:31:18.529 --> 00:31:23.529 and take up the cross and follow me. For whoever 00:31:23.529 --> 00:31:28.390 wants to save their life will lose it. But whoever 00:31:28.390 --> 00:31:33.269 loses their life for me and for the gospel will 00:31:33.269 --> 00:31:40.009 save it. Following me is going to cost you. And 00:31:40.009 --> 00:31:41.710 I want to make sure that you get it from the 00:31:41.710 --> 00:31:45.190 very beginning. Your life is not going to be 00:31:45.190 --> 00:31:48.150 easier. The moment you start following me, it's 00:31:48.150 --> 00:31:51.910 going to be hard. Because there's a reality, 00:31:52.269 --> 00:31:55.190 a kingdom of darkness that is going to oppose 00:31:55.190 --> 00:31:59.170 you. If you get to score the goal, it's going 00:31:59.170 --> 00:32:03.430 to come to a high price. You will have to sweat 00:32:03.430 --> 00:32:08.910 it. So if you think that following me is about 00:32:08.910 --> 00:32:12.789 making your life easier, let's make sure that 00:32:12.789 --> 00:32:16.859 we revise the contract right now. And that easy, 00:32:17.160 --> 00:32:19.779 let's remove that word from there. Convenient, 00:32:19.799 --> 00:32:23.480 let's remove that word from there. I want to 00:32:23.480 --> 00:32:25.920 make sure that in your contract, that you are 00:32:25.920 --> 00:32:29.339 reading and signing, you see, take up your cross. 00:32:30.539 --> 00:32:40.799 Costly. Hardship. Because humans talk about convenience. 00:32:41.660 --> 00:32:45.039 Humans are concerned about those things. I am 00:32:45.039 --> 00:32:48.680 not concerned about the cost. I am concerned 00:32:48.680 --> 00:32:53.240 about destroying the power of Satan so I can 00:32:53.240 --> 00:32:58.619 save humanity and reconcile them to my Father. 00:33:00.099 --> 00:33:03.039 That is my business. That will be your business 00:33:03.039 --> 00:33:11.059 too. Is that clear? Wow. You could see how straightforward 00:33:11.059 --> 00:33:15.269 and direct Jesus was. At that moment. But he 00:33:15.269 --> 00:33:18.529 had to make it very clear. Because things were 00:33:18.529 --> 00:33:23.769 going to get harder. In a few weeks. And at that 00:33:23.769 --> 00:33:27.289 moment. Jesus knows exactly what his priority 00:33:27.289 --> 00:33:32.549 is. And his priority. Is not to avoid inconvenience. 00:33:32.789 --> 00:33:42.240 Or to cost down the cost. Of the mission. What 00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:49.500 is your priority? Because if you are feeling 00:33:49.500 --> 00:33:53.480 discouraged, because you start feeling, you know, 00:33:53.559 --> 00:33:57.440 it's not really worth it. It's too hard to follow 00:33:57.440 --> 00:34:01.980 Jesus. You know, and now that I'm going to church, 00:34:02.019 --> 00:34:05.099 I had to change my schedule. I have to get up 00:34:05.099 --> 00:34:07.279 early. Sunday is the only day that I used to 00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:12.010 sleep in. Now I have to get up early. And now 00:34:12.010 --> 00:34:14.150 they're asking me to do this and volunteer with 00:34:14.150 --> 00:34:16.989 that and this and that, you know. And now you 00:34:16.989 --> 00:34:22.469 start realizing there's a cost. Welcome to the 00:34:22.469 --> 00:34:29.269 kingdom of Jesus. In reality, the problem is 00:34:29.269 --> 00:34:33.190 not whether there's a cost or not. Because following 00:34:33.190 --> 00:34:37.050 Jesus is costly, but so it is not following Jesus. 00:34:38.119 --> 00:34:41.659 And actually following Jesus is most costly. 00:34:41.840 --> 00:34:47.280 Because you have to pay for eternity. Your debt. 00:34:50.699 --> 00:34:55.739 Whoa. Jesus paid for my debt. I don't have to 00:34:55.739 --> 00:34:59.699 worry about eternity. It's just following him 00:34:59.699 --> 00:35:09.000 here and now. You know, the way this works is 00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:11.960 very interesting because it's just so sneaky. 00:35:12.380 --> 00:35:16.360 No wonder the Bible describes Satan as a master 00:35:16.360 --> 00:35:20.619 deceiver. One who disguises himself as an angel 00:35:20.619 --> 00:35:23.880 of light. Because a deceiver deceives you in 00:35:23.880 --> 00:35:28.219 a very sneaky way. It's just enough for you to 00:35:28.219 --> 00:35:31.940 lose sight of it. You know, these glasses that 00:35:31.940 --> 00:35:37.829 I have, they are trifocal. Which means that I 00:35:37.829 --> 00:35:41.170 have three levels. That's why they're more expensive 00:35:41.170 --> 00:35:44.190 than just simple glasses. So if I want to read 00:35:44.190 --> 00:35:46.030 my phone, I have to go like this, you know, the 00:35:46.030 --> 00:35:50.889 bottom part. If I'm in the computer, it's like... 00:35:50.889 --> 00:35:53.789 And then the neck, you know, oh, my neck hurts. 00:35:55.150 --> 00:35:58.909 Middle and then distance on the top. I was explaining 00:35:58.909 --> 00:36:02.809 to a friend from Hong Kong, you know, I have 00:36:02.809 --> 00:36:05.050 these trifocal glasses and I need to do the... 00:36:05.900 --> 00:36:08.000 and she said, trifocal, what does that mean? 00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:10.380 She didn't understand the words, so she looked 00:36:10.380 --> 00:36:14.920 at her phone, Chinese translation, and she says, 00:36:15.039 --> 00:36:20.659 oh, glasses for old people. I thought, okay, 00:36:20.840 --> 00:36:26.280 well, that's something about language. Let's 00:36:26.280 --> 00:36:32.219 call it trifocal. And with this trifocal, you 00:36:32.219 --> 00:36:34.539 know, at the beginning, It's hard because your 00:36:34.539 --> 00:36:37.500 brain has to get used to all the three levels. 00:36:37.639 --> 00:36:40.400 Some of you have it, that process of getting 00:36:40.400 --> 00:36:44.300 adjusted to it. But it just takes a little bit 00:36:44.300 --> 00:36:48.840 of movement and it becomes blurry. Just a little. 00:36:49.559 --> 00:36:53.559 And a little bit more and now it's really confusing. 00:36:54.019 --> 00:36:58.909 You cannot see clearly anymore. And that is how 00:36:58.909 --> 00:37:02.510 spiritual opposition works. It's like you suddenly 00:37:02.510 --> 00:37:04.769 have so much clarity and something happened, 00:37:04.869 --> 00:37:07.809 just a little move. And now it's like I feel 00:37:07.809 --> 00:37:10.530 a little bit disoriented. Now I don't have clarity 00:37:10.530 --> 00:37:12.929 anymore. And a little bit more and it's like 00:37:12.929 --> 00:37:16.510 now I'm really confused. Now I really want to 00:37:16.510 --> 00:37:21.690 quit. Now I really... And you have no idea that 00:37:21.690 --> 00:37:23.949 you are under spiritual attack and the opposer 00:37:23.949 --> 00:37:28.159 is trying to oppose you. To deter you from pursuing 00:37:28.159 --> 00:37:34.199 the mission. And there is going to be a cost. 00:37:34.500 --> 00:37:41.039 And we must be willing. And I remember wrestling 00:37:41.039 --> 00:37:44.800 with it. Wrestling to the point that tears came 00:37:44.800 --> 00:37:48.199 from my eyes. And I'm talking to God about it. 00:37:48.619 --> 00:37:51.760 I've shared in the past a few times. The process 00:37:51.760 --> 00:37:55.820 of coming here to Thailand. At the beginning, 00:37:55.880 --> 00:37:58.260 I remember walking in this place. We had rented 00:37:58.260 --> 00:38:02.300 an Airbnb at that time. And I'm thinking, Lord, 00:38:02.519 --> 00:38:05.679 do you really want us to go there? Is this you? 00:38:06.360 --> 00:38:09.360 If it's not you, I'm not going anywhere. It has 00:38:09.360 --> 00:38:16.380 to be you. And I'm wrestling. My wife was born 00:38:16.380 --> 00:38:18.199 here in Thailand. Her parents were missionaries 00:38:18.199 --> 00:38:22.179 in Thailand. In fact, she's a Thai citizen. And 00:38:22.179 --> 00:38:26.659 I see you. Her idea of coming to Thailand for 00:38:26.659 --> 00:38:29.179 her was coming back home. So she was excited. 00:38:29.340 --> 00:38:30.980 You know, if it was up to her, it was like, can 00:38:30.980 --> 00:38:34.920 we go tomorrow? You know, and I am the one wrestling, 00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:37.460 wrestling in this space because I'm thinking, 00:38:37.519 --> 00:38:39.420 what about this? What about that? And this and 00:38:39.420 --> 00:38:44.039 that. And lots of things. I remember our oldest 00:38:44.039 --> 00:38:46.380 son had just graduated from high school and now 00:38:46.380 --> 00:38:48.780 he's going to college. And he's like, he's going 00:38:48.780 --> 00:38:51.139 to college and we're all the way to Asia and 00:38:51.139 --> 00:38:54.500 separated like that. And then it's like all these 00:38:54.500 --> 00:38:58.579 things and the change of teams. And I'm saying, 00:38:58.639 --> 00:39:00.719 Lord, if this is you, and I had to tell my wife, 00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:02.780 you know, it's like God is baking me. It's like 00:39:02.780 --> 00:39:07.380 in the oven, you know. Take time. So let me, 00:39:07.500 --> 00:39:13.440 don't try to make the process go quicker. I'm 00:39:13.440 --> 00:39:16.639 still wrestling with the idea. When God is done 00:39:16.639 --> 00:39:19.239 baking me, it will be fine. But I'm still being 00:39:19.239 --> 00:39:23.630 baked. So let's keep praying through this. And 00:39:23.630 --> 00:39:26.809 at that moment, I was reading the book of Luke 00:39:26.809 --> 00:39:30.369 and that's when Jesus tells the people, look, 00:39:30.570 --> 00:39:33.289 if you're not going to do what I tell you, don't 00:39:33.289 --> 00:39:37.989 call yourself my disciple. I was like, oh, you 00:39:37.989 --> 00:39:44.050 couldn't be more clear. Because disciple is follower. 00:39:45.360 --> 00:39:47.579 And I was asking all the wrong questions. Yeah, 00:39:47.599 --> 00:39:49.739 but what about, that's not convenient. That's 00:39:49.739 --> 00:39:52.960 not nice. That's not the best time. And I was 00:39:52.960 --> 00:39:57.820 like the worst soldier in the army. And Jesus 00:39:57.820 --> 00:40:00.800 used his word to say, let's make this clear, 00:40:00.860 --> 00:40:03.840 just like he did with his apostles. Just sit 00:40:03.840 --> 00:40:06.460 down, let me look in your eyes, and let me ask 00:40:06.460 --> 00:40:10.019 you something. Are you my disciple or not? Because 00:40:10.019 --> 00:40:15.210 if this is me asking you to do this, Are you 00:40:15.210 --> 00:40:18.050 going to follow me? Because if you're not going 00:40:18.050 --> 00:40:20.510 to follow me, I have something to tell you. Stop 00:40:20.510 --> 00:40:22.170 calling yourself my disciple. Because you're 00:40:22.170 --> 00:40:26.269 not. You either follow me or you don't. And if 00:40:26.269 --> 00:40:28.050 I tell you go, you go. Because you're following 00:40:28.050 --> 00:40:35.010 me. And that's when it was baked. God could take 00:40:35.010 --> 00:40:37.849 that out of the oven. And now we can say, yes, 00:40:37.849 --> 00:40:42.590 Lord. I was asking all the wrong questions about 00:40:42.590 --> 00:40:50.460 convenience. Human concerns. And when you're 00:40:50.460 --> 00:40:53.679 in that place, you can indeed become discouraged. 00:40:56.800 --> 00:41:02.440 But don't let the enemy dupe you. You live for 00:41:02.440 --> 00:41:07.000 something so much bigger than that. And the third 00:41:07.000 --> 00:41:12.159 moment of Jesus' experience was till the very 00:41:12.159 --> 00:41:16.159 end. Now he's on the cross. He has suffered. 00:41:16.219 --> 00:41:18.059 He has been rejected. He has been crucified. 00:41:18.699 --> 00:41:23.820 And he is 99 .9 % done with the mission. But 00:41:23.820 --> 00:41:25.920 not completely done yet. Remember what I told 00:41:25.920 --> 00:41:28.199 you at the beginning. If it's not done to perfection, 00:41:28.599 --> 00:41:35.099 it's a failed mission. And at that moment, Jesus 00:41:35.099 --> 00:41:38.679 is on the cross. And Satan is going to use all 00:41:38.679 --> 00:41:42.719 these people that are under his influence and 00:41:42.719 --> 00:41:48.949 power. And try to do Jesus. One more time. Maybe. 00:41:49.289 --> 00:41:52.110 Now that he's in a place of weakness. And pain 00:41:52.110 --> 00:41:55.889 and susceptibility. Before he was just hungry. 00:41:56.150 --> 00:42:01.110 But now. He's really suffering pain. He's bleeding. 00:42:01.789 --> 00:42:08.289 He's weak. Let me try one more time. And at that 00:42:08.289 --> 00:42:12.710 moment. As Jesus is hanging on the cross. The 00:42:12.710 --> 00:42:17.050 word of God says. Those who passed by hurled 00:42:17.050 --> 00:42:22.150 insults at him. Shaking their heads. And saying. 00:42:22.730 --> 00:42:26.230 You who are going to destroy the temple and build 00:42:26.230 --> 00:42:31.510 it in three days. Save yourself. Come down from 00:42:31.510 --> 00:42:37.750 the cross. If you are the son of God. Come down. 00:42:39.170 --> 00:42:42.730 In the same way that he preached. The teachers 00:42:42.730 --> 00:42:46.190 of the law. And the elders mocked him. He saved 00:42:46.190 --> 00:42:50.289 others. They said. But he can't save himself. 00:42:51.550 --> 00:42:56.210 He is the king of Israel. Isn't he? Let him come 00:42:56.210 --> 00:43:01.130 down. Now from the cross. And we will believe 00:43:01.130 --> 00:43:05.829 in him. He trusts in God. Let God risk him now. 00:43:06.090 --> 00:43:09.570 If he wants him. For he said. I am the son of 00:43:09.570 --> 00:43:17.650 God. Prove yourself to us. We have a little bit 00:43:17.650 --> 00:43:21.469 of space to still be convinced. Just do this 00:43:21.469 --> 00:43:24.429 trick. If you do this trick and you prove yourself 00:43:24.429 --> 00:43:27.809 to us. Then we will believe that you are the 00:43:27.809 --> 00:43:30.530 son of God. We will believe that you are the 00:43:30.530 --> 00:43:33.150 king of Israel. We will believe that you are 00:43:33.150 --> 00:43:36.610 the Messiah. That your father really is your 00:43:36.610 --> 00:43:40.829 father. We will believe in you. Just come down 00:43:40.829 --> 00:43:49.280 from the cross. Prove yourself to us. You see, 00:43:49.360 --> 00:43:54.340 if Jesus did that, the mission would have been 00:43:54.340 --> 00:44:01.440 compromised. Can you imagine in that moment, 00:44:01.480 --> 00:44:07.860 after being rejected, doubted, questioned, still 00:44:07.860 --> 00:44:11.659 being... In that place I'm hearing, hey, convince 00:44:11.659 --> 00:44:18.980 us. Prove it. But Jesus thankfully was committed 00:44:18.980 --> 00:44:23.500 to the mission to the very end. And he stood 00:44:23.500 --> 00:44:33.139 there. He stayed the course. Hanging. Until with 00:44:33.139 --> 00:44:39.889 very little energy left. Before he dies. It's 00:44:39.889 --> 00:44:50.989 one of the things he says. Pay him full. He commends 00:44:50.989 --> 00:44:58.650 his spirit in God's hands and he dies. And now 00:44:58.650 --> 00:45:01.849 he becomes the high priest. Perfected because 00:45:01.849 --> 00:45:05.969 he accomplished the mission to perfection. But 00:45:05.969 --> 00:45:10.559 now, part two of the mission. Entering the domain 00:45:10.559 --> 00:45:14.880 of death. To destroy the power of Satan. Completely. 00:45:15.960 --> 00:45:18.800 And for that we'll have to wait for Easter. So 00:45:18.800 --> 00:45:25.019 a couple of weeks on that. But Jesus. Perfecter. 00:45:28.099 --> 00:45:34.420 Thank you Lord. That you stayed. True. To the 00:45:34.420 --> 00:45:40.940 mission. Satan try hard. Opposed him. Time after 00:45:40.940 --> 00:45:47.760 time after time. But he could not win. And in 00:45:47.760 --> 00:45:52.380 that place. Of trying to prove for yourself. 00:45:54.460 --> 00:45:58.420 Is such a sneaky place. Because everything that 00:45:58.420 --> 00:46:02.699 Satan tells you is true. You are the son of God. 00:46:02.940 --> 00:46:05.360 Isn't God your father? Aren't you the king of 00:46:05.360 --> 00:46:08.599 Israel? Aren't you the Messiah? I want to believe 00:46:08.599 --> 00:46:18.420 you. Just prove it. Sneaky devil. You will find 00:46:18.420 --> 00:46:21.099 your final judgment one day and you will be no 00:46:21.099 --> 00:46:27.079 more. But when you find yourself in that place 00:46:27.079 --> 00:46:30.019 of proving yourself, it's not from God. God did 00:46:30.019 --> 00:46:33.940 not call you to prove anything. He called you 00:46:33.940 --> 00:46:40.269 to follow Him. Listen to me. God did not call 00:46:40.269 --> 00:46:43.230 you to prove anything. He just called you to 00:46:43.230 --> 00:46:48.769 follow Him. There's nothing to prove. Nothing. 00:46:51.150 --> 00:46:55.750 What are you trying to prove? That you deserve 00:46:55.750 --> 00:46:58.769 to be where you are? That you deserve that promotion? 00:46:59.630 --> 00:47:01.389 That you have worked hard enough. And therefore 00:47:01.389 --> 00:47:03.909 you deserve. And you need to be seen and respected 00:47:03.909 --> 00:47:07.289 and valued. That that is what you deserve. So 00:47:07.289 --> 00:47:14.369 you're going to show them. Listen. You and I 00:47:14.369 --> 00:47:19.550 deserve nothing. The only thing we deserve. Biblically 00:47:19.550 --> 00:47:23.510 speaking. Is to die and go to hell. If you're 00:47:23.510 --> 00:47:25.190 talking about what we deserve. That's what we 00:47:25.190 --> 00:47:29.090 deserve. Everything that we have. is by God's 00:47:29.090 --> 00:47:36.409 grace. So stop trying to prove anything. Why 00:47:36.409 --> 00:47:39.130 are you trying to prove that you are worth of 00:47:39.130 --> 00:47:43.690 respect, that you are worth of love? God already 00:47:43.690 --> 00:47:46.289 said that He created you in His image and likeness. 00:47:46.570 --> 00:47:50.230 That's respect enough. And God already said that 00:47:50.230 --> 00:47:52.769 He loves you so much He sent Jesus to reconcile 00:47:52.769 --> 00:47:56.230 you to Himself. You are loved enough. There's 00:47:56.230 --> 00:48:02.039 nothing to prove. Nothing. And as long as you 00:48:02.039 --> 00:48:04.980 are walking in that space. That you need to do 00:48:04.980 --> 00:48:08.079 something to prove something. You are going to 00:48:08.079 --> 00:48:11.139 be governed by fear. And the need to control. 00:48:11.340 --> 00:48:14.039 And the anxiety that comes with the whole package. 00:48:14.320 --> 00:48:17.239 If that is how you are feeling. No wonder you 00:48:17.239 --> 00:48:22.340 are feeling that. You are where the Lord bless 00:48:22.340 --> 00:48:25.760 you. Doing what he called you to do. If that 00:48:25.760 --> 00:48:29.639 is true, that's all that matters. The truth will 00:48:29.639 --> 00:48:34.699 speak by itself. And the only one that you're 00:48:34.699 --> 00:48:37.639 accountable to is God himself. And one day, you 00:48:37.639 --> 00:48:40.119 will be accountable to him and truth will be 00:48:40.119 --> 00:48:47.440 completely clear. Satan is opposing you. Open 00:48:47.440 --> 00:48:52.940 up your eyes. And tell Satan the same things 00:48:52.940 --> 00:48:58.179 that Jesus said. Get away from me. I am a follower 00:48:58.179 --> 00:49:01.099 of Jesus. I am on a mission. And I'm going to 00:49:01.099 --> 00:49:03.980 continue doing what God called me to do. Because 00:49:03.980 --> 00:49:07.960 I live here to bow down to no one but to my Father. 00:49:08.840 --> 00:49:12.539 I will not bow down to fear. Let the rest of 00:49:12.539 --> 00:49:15.559 the world bow down to that idol. But I will not. 00:49:18.280 --> 00:49:23.800 This is what Jesus did. Purpose clear. Perseverance 00:49:23.800 --> 00:49:27.840 till the end. Perspective, never losing it for 00:49:27.840 --> 00:49:34.900 a second. And this is how he was able to overcome 00:49:34.900 --> 00:49:38.019 and break through the power of Satan. And now 00:49:38.019 --> 00:49:40.619 that you and I are following him, he's asking 00:49:40.619 --> 00:49:45.780 us to do the same. To follow him in his steps. 00:49:46.480 --> 00:49:49.760 And what happens is that the moment you misstep, 00:49:49.960 --> 00:49:53.659 the moment, you start looking through the glasses 00:49:53.659 --> 00:49:57.980 a little bit off, instead of having clear purpose, 00:49:58.019 --> 00:50:01.400 clear perseverance, clear perspective, instead 00:50:01.400 --> 00:50:03.880 what you're going to be experiencing is deep 00:50:03.880 --> 00:50:07.480 anxiety, a divided heart, and fear and control. 00:50:08.179 --> 00:50:11.199 And if this is where you are today, I'm here 00:50:11.199 --> 00:50:17.039 to ask you in Jesus' name, would you turn to 00:50:17.039 --> 00:50:20.420 Jesus today and give Him these things and say, 00:50:20.460 --> 00:50:25.980 Lord, Reframe my thinking. Renew my perspective. 00:50:27.500 --> 00:50:33.400 Restore my heart. That I can follow you. In this 00:50:33.400 --> 00:50:42.860 mission. Until the end. So there you have it. 00:50:44.960 --> 00:50:49.039 Jesus becomes the savior of the world. And he 00:50:49.039 --> 00:50:51.780 learned obedience through suffering. And he was 00:50:51.780 --> 00:50:57.039 perfected in his role as a savior because he 00:50:57.039 --> 00:51:03.579 reached a perfect mission, 100%. And now he's 00:51:03.579 --> 00:51:09.820 inviting you to walk in that freedom. And if 00:51:09.820 --> 00:51:12.099 God has shown you that you have lost perspective, 00:51:12.300 --> 00:51:17.219 purpose, that the reason why you have a divided 00:51:17.219 --> 00:51:21.030 heart and you have deflated, It's because Satan 00:51:21.030 --> 00:51:25.989 has opposed you and duped you. This is the moment 00:51:25.989 --> 00:51:31.190 to tell the Lord, Lord, I'm here for you. Satan, 00:51:31.210 --> 00:51:39.969 get behind me. You do not belong in my calling. 00:51:42.429 --> 00:51:45.289 Let's read together what the word of God says 00:51:45.289 --> 00:51:50.030 to us. Therefore, Since we are surrounded by 00:51:50.030 --> 00:51:53.250 such a great cloud of witnesses. Let us throw 00:51:53.250 --> 00:51:56.469 off everything that hinders. And the sin that 00:51:56.469 --> 00:52:00.710 so easily entangles. And let us run where perseverance 00:52:00.710 --> 00:52:05.750 the race marked out for us. Fixing our eyes on 00:52:05.750 --> 00:52:10.250 Jesus. The pioneer and perfecter of faith. For 00:52:10.250 --> 00:52:13.550 the joy set before him. He endured the cross. 00:52:14.130 --> 00:52:17.659 Scorning his shame. And sat down at the right 00:52:17.659 --> 00:52:22.719 hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endures 00:52:22.719 --> 00:52:26.519 such opposition from sinners. So that you will 00:52:26.519 --> 00:52:38.239 not grow weary and lose heart. Lord. You invited 00:52:38.239 --> 00:52:42.960 us to consider you. As we face discouragement 00:52:42.960 --> 00:52:46.699 and we have discovered a Savior that knows what 00:52:46.699 --> 00:52:51.940 it's like to be committed to the mission and 00:52:51.940 --> 00:52:55.699 to suffer through it. Even when you pray, if 00:52:55.699 --> 00:53:02.199 there was another way to do it. If there's anyone 00:53:02.199 --> 00:53:07.960 that is worth following, it's you. And Lord, 00:53:08.039 --> 00:53:13.650 if we have lost our perspective, If we fell for 00:53:13.650 --> 00:53:16.570 the trap of trying to prove something or build 00:53:16.570 --> 00:53:22.929 our kingdom or let fear control us. If we've 00:53:22.929 --> 00:53:25.489 been asking all the wrong questions about convenience 00:53:25.489 --> 00:53:31.369 rather than impact. We're here in your presence 00:53:31.369 --> 00:53:34.929 and we're asking you in this moment, Lord, encounter 00:53:34.929 --> 00:53:39.130 us here and reframe our souls in Jesus' name. 00:54:01.519 --> 00:54:05.000 If God is calling you to support our ministries, 00:54:05.019 --> 00:54:07.719 you will find giving options on our website. 00:54:08.539 --> 00:54:11.980 And remember to join us next week. God bless 00:54:11.980 --> 00:54:12.219 you.