WEBVTT 00:00:02.260 --> 00:00:05.259 Welcome to the Life Bible Church podcast. We 00:00:05.259 --> 00:00:07.660 want to thank you for joining us today, and we 00:00:07.660 --> 00:00:10.179 hope you find today's sermon impacting as you 00:00:10.179 --> 00:00:12.699 listen to it wherever you are in your daily walk. 00:00:12.939 --> 00:00:15.960 To find service times and watch messages online, 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:20.100 see our website at lifebiblechurch .org. Now, 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:24.699 enjoy this week's message. Well, it's great to 00:00:24.699 --> 00:00:27.960 be with you this morning. Jenny and I were in... 00:00:28.880 --> 00:00:31.859 Malala, Oregon, which is just about south of 00:00:31.859 --> 00:00:35.219 Estacada, about 10 miles and near Colton, Oregon. 00:00:35.420 --> 00:00:38.179 And we're in a wonderful church there that we've 00:00:38.179 --> 00:00:40.939 been at before over the years, about three or 00:00:40.939 --> 00:00:44.060 four times. Pastor Gary Lee and Carolyn Seifert. 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:48.179 And they brought us in to do some prophetic presbytery 00:00:48.179 --> 00:00:51.299 meetings. And so we were prophesied over their 00:00:51.299 --> 00:00:53.479 youth group and youth candidates and Saturday 00:00:53.479 --> 00:00:56.359 over there, some church candidates and Sunday. 00:00:56.920 --> 00:00:58.759 We brought the word of the Lord spontaneously. 00:00:59.100 --> 00:01:01.840 They had not. And this kind of, you know, it's 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:04.040 our world that this riverbank thing has been 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:06.640 happening for two and a half years. And you just 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:10.959 kind of expect I'd send out a video to our MFI 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:15.840 churches that went out. And we got to sit down 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:18.000 finally because we don't talk before any prophetic 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:20.579 meetings so that Jenny and I don't have any advanced 00:01:20.579 --> 00:01:23.280 information. What we hear, we hear from the Lord. 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:26.859 He sat down Saturday afternoon after we got done 00:01:26.859 --> 00:01:28.659 with the main Saturday session before I preached 00:01:28.659 --> 00:01:31.620 on Sunday. He said, so what's going on in your 00:01:31.620 --> 00:01:34.019 guys' world? What's God doing? It's miraculous. 00:01:34.379 --> 00:01:37.400 And I looked at him. I said, are you serious? 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:41.200 He goes, yeah. What's the good word, brother? 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:46.519 And I'm like, watch this video. And they looked 00:01:46.519 --> 00:01:48.780 at me stunned because here they are just an hour 00:01:48.780 --> 00:01:50.379 and a half away. They hadn't even heard. They 00:01:50.379 --> 00:01:53.670 hadn't seen the video. That Sunday morning. without 00:01:53.670 --> 00:01:55.549 any advancement, they got up in front of their 00:01:55.549 --> 00:01:57.569 congregation and said, listen, Brad and Jenny 00:01:57.569 --> 00:02:00.049 didn't ask us to do this, but we're putting some 00:02:00.049 --> 00:02:03.310 baskets up here. They threw the video up on the 00:02:03.310 --> 00:02:05.930 wall, the church watched it, and people just 00:02:05.930 --> 00:02:08.889 spontaneously began to give. And that was an 00:02:08.889 --> 00:02:12.469 incredible moment. And I just said, I said, Pastor 00:02:12.469 --> 00:02:15.449 Gary Lee, whatever comes in, I just, I want it 00:02:15.449 --> 00:02:18.069 to be dedicated to the river wall. And then, 00:02:18.110 --> 00:02:22.210 and so they filled a a manila envelope. I told 00:02:22.210 --> 00:02:25.110 Deanna I wanted to keep the envelope. I never 00:02:25.110 --> 00:02:26.789 opened it. I said, I'm not going to open this. 00:02:26.870 --> 00:02:28.689 I'm going to give it right to our finance minister. 00:02:28.889 --> 00:02:30.449 I said, I don't want to know what's here. But 00:02:30.449 --> 00:02:33.409 I said, before I know the amount, I said, I want 00:02:33.409 --> 00:02:34.849 you to know we're going to pray for you next 00:02:34.849 --> 00:02:38.449 Sunday. Also, a week and a half ago, another 00:02:38.449 --> 00:02:43.830 pastor that I meet to discuss our, I'm in charge 00:02:43.830 --> 00:02:46.830 of our, kind of our fellowship of churches. We're 00:02:46.830 --> 00:02:48.930 not a denomination, but we're a fellowship of 00:02:48.930 --> 00:02:51.810 pastors that that I'm in charge of a regional 00:02:51.810 --> 00:02:56.030 from Salem to Northern California from the coast, 00:02:56.069 --> 00:02:58.590 clear to Idaho. And I was meeting with one of 00:02:58.590 --> 00:03:00.370 the pastors. He said, man, I read your website. 00:03:00.870 --> 00:03:03.530 I can't believe what's going on. And he slid 00:03:03.530 --> 00:03:06.810 a check across the table. He said, I want you 00:03:06.810 --> 00:03:09.090 to put this toward the river wall. We've had 00:03:09.090 --> 00:03:11.870 two, that was Joy Church, Eugene, Malala Church. 00:03:11.930 --> 00:03:13.770 So far, we've had two churches standing with 00:03:13.770 --> 00:03:17.129 us, which is... Two more than we had last week. 00:03:17.270 --> 00:03:20.830 So praise God. I'm just holding this envelope. 00:03:21.009 --> 00:03:25.250 Just a reminder here of Joy Church, Eugene, and 00:03:25.250 --> 00:03:27.449 the Country Church, Malala. Would you pray with 00:03:27.449 --> 00:03:30.289 me to bless them? Father, I want to thank you 00:03:30.289 --> 00:03:32.849 for the pastors. I want to thank you for the 00:03:32.849 --> 00:03:35.349 leadership teams, the elders, and the people 00:03:35.349 --> 00:03:39.169 that gave spontaneously. Lord, outside of their 00:03:39.169 --> 00:03:42.620 own church, outside of their own sphere, Lord, 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:46.159 you put us on their heart and we say thank you. 00:03:46.539 --> 00:03:49.259 I'm reminded of what the apostle Paul said. He 00:03:49.259 --> 00:03:53.020 said, I've received your offering, a sweet smelling 00:03:53.020 --> 00:03:57.259 aroma to the Lord. Now may the God of all supply. 00:03:58.219 --> 00:04:01.919 Lord, grant you sufficiency in all things. So 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:05.400 Father, bless them now. Sow back into them. And 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:07.539 we thank you for other Christians' generosity. 00:04:08.060 --> 00:04:10.500 Lord, as we stand together to see the kingdom 00:04:10.500 --> 00:04:13.599 of God move, in Jesus' name, and everybody said, 00:04:13.860 --> 00:04:18.360 amen, amen. Isn't that a great report? Come on, 00:04:18.379 --> 00:04:19.980 we're gonna believe that a few others are gonna 00:04:19.980 --> 00:04:30.740 do that as well. All right. Well, I shared just 00:04:30.740 --> 00:04:35.600 a little bit with you this week. Man, this week 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:39.620 has been, I don't know if I, I shared with some 00:04:39.620 --> 00:04:42.339 of my intercessors. I don't know if it's been, 00:04:42.420 --> 00:04:46.160 I call it, I've been in a lot of places around 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:49.540 the world where there is witchcraft that operates 00:04:49.540 --> 00:04:52.980 from black magic, witch doctors, various places 00:04:52.980 --> 00:04:55.399 that I end up preaching in villages and various 00:04:55.399 --> 00:04:58.060 things over the years. over the years in various 00:04:58.060 --> 00:05:02.899 countries from Africa to India to in Asia. But 00:05:02.899 --> 00:05:07.699 this week felt like I was in foreign territory. 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:14.420 And so it felt sludge and thick and you'd pray 00:05:14.420 --> 00:05:16.720 and swat it off and it just kind of tried to 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:20.860 swarm back. And as I was waiting on the Lord, 00:05:20.899 --> 00:05:23.300 I shared a little bit last night as the Lord 00:05:23.300 --> 00:05:26.819 woke me in. And I saw those two angels come into 00:05:26.819 --> 00:05:31.259 the atmosphere that were brilliant. I've never 00:05:31.259 --> 00:05:39.220 seen a gemstone glow like what I saw as they 00:05:39.220 --> 00:05:42.899 were coming toward me. They were surrounded kind 00:05:42.899 --> 00:05:47.160 of with a golden color, but a sapphire blue that 00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:50.339 was so deep yet had light emanating from it. 00:05:51.180 --> 00:05:54.389 And, you know, the Bible talks about, the throne 00:05:54.389 --> 00:05:58.009 of the Lord and that the essence underneath him 00:05:58.009 --> 00:06:02.069 was pure sapphire. The Bible talks about his 00:06:02.069 --> 00:06:04.550 brilliance and the Lord knows how to bring light 00:06:04.550 --> 00:06:07.930 and revelation into every dark circumstance. 00:06:08.769 --> 00:06:11.810 And I want to encourage you this morning. We're 00:06:11.810 --> 00:06:14.709 going to take the table of the Lord today. Today's 00:06:14.709 --> 00:06:18.949 communion Sunday. But I felt so prompted because 00:06:18.949 --> 00:06:21.490 this week was so heavy to write this message. 00:06:22.089 --> 00:06:25.540 Normally, Thanks, babe. For a bit, if you'd just 00:06:25.540 --> 00:06:27.139 stay right there because I'm going to need you 00:06:27.139 --> 00:06:30.100 in a bit. Normally on Thursday, Thursday is my 00:06:30.100 --> 00:06:32.819 study day and I get here and get here early and 00:06:32.819 --> 00:06:34.779 spend time in prayer and wait on the Lord and 00:06:34.779 --> 00:06:36.980 I spend time, Lord, what do you want to say this 00:06:36.980 --> 00:06:40.980 week? What are you highlighting from your word? 00:06:41.060 --> 00:06:43.779 What is the fresh bread from heaven for your 00:06:43.779 --> 00:06:50.000 people? And I labored this week to hear, to connect 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:55.230 thoughts, a constant, I was here Thursday, I 00:06:55.230 --> 00:06:58.129 was here Friday, trying to just put something 00:06:58.129 --> 00:07:01.689 down. I knew that the end of the fast, God always 00:07:01.689 --> 00:07:03.430 has, and he's shown himself faithful over the 00:07:03.430 --> 00:07:06.250 last 20, almost 25 years, that when we have been 00:07:06.250 --> 00:07:08.889 doing this every year, preparing ourselves at 00:07:08.889 --> 00:07:11.069 the first of the year to be closer, to hear, 00:07:11.209 --> 00:07:14.029 to make sure our ears are tuned and our hearts 00:07:14.029 --> 00:07:16.889 are prepped and sensitive. How many have experienced, 00:07:17.149 --> 00:07:22.069 just in these three weeks, that your sleep is, 00:07:22.430 --> 00:07:25.910 is restful, but you don't need as much and you're 00:07:25.910 --> 00:07:28.649 sensitive to the things that God puts on your 00:07:28.649 --> 00:07:32.389 heart immediately. Have you noticed that? There's 00:07:32.389 --> 00:07:35.029 a lot of us in this room that that is the case 00:07:35.029 --> 00:07:38.329 because what happens is God begins to remove 00:07:38.329 --> 00:07:45.009 layers and barriers and you become more sensitive 00:07:45.009 --> 00:07:47.689 to the sound of his voice and to the promptings 00:07:47.689 --> 00:07:50.550 of his heart. And that's the whole goal of a 00:07:50.550 --> 00:07:53.269 fast. The whole goal of us, yeah, we can pray 00:07:53.269 --> 00:07:57.129 for specific things like the river wall and breakthrough 00:07:57.129 --> 00:07:59.769 finances and breakthrough help and we need that. 00:07:59.930 --> 00:08:03.170 But the most important thing is that the barriers 00:08:03.170 --> 00:08:08.350 that keep us from being spiritual people that 00:08:08.350 --> 00:08:13.069 are in tune with our king and shepherd, that's 00:08:13.069 --> 00:08:16.370 the part that he wants. He wants our hearts and 00:08:16.370 --> 00:08:20.639 he wants our attention. And I'll maybe... Talk 00:08:20.639 --> 00:08:22.399 on this a little more as the Lord's developing. 00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:26.879 But what I, I went to bed last night. Nathan, 00:08:26.920 --> 00:08:30.500 I was thinking about this. I went to bed. Just 00:08:30.500 --> 00:08:32.679 thought I'd say your name while we're preaching 00:08:32.679 --> 00:08:36.480 here. Say other people's names. But you're the 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:39.340 one that came to mind. I was thinking about Zacchaeus. 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:42.179 Or not Zacchaeus, not the wee little man. I was 00:08:42.179 --> 00:08:44.899 thinking about Zachariah, John the Baptist's 00:08:44.899 --> 00:08:49.019 parents. And how Zachariah, number was called. 00:08:49.690 --> 00:08:53.269 and he was called to go burn incense before the 00:08:53.269 --> 00:08:58.090 Lord as he was on duty as a priest. Now, to burn 00:08:58.090 --> 00:09:02.190 incense before the Lord, when you study that 00:09:02.190 --> 00:09:05.769 whole passage, Most commentaries will tell you 00:09:05.769 --> 00:09:09.590 that it was a once in a lifetime thing that the 00:09:09.590 --> 00:09:12.750 way the number fell, the lot fell on him that 00:09:12.750 --> 00:09:16.070 he would get to go in before the presence of 00:09:16.070 --> 00:09:19.169 the Lord and specifically minister to God at 00:09:19.169 --> 00:09:21.629 the altar of incense. Normally when you went 00:09:21.629 --> 00:09:24.330 on as a priest in the shift, you went on at a 00:09:24.330 --> 00:09:27.470 two week shift, 24 hours a day for two weeks. 00:09:28.940 --> 00:09:31.460 What was so special about Zachariah is it was 00:09:31.460 --> 00:09:34.480 a lifetime. It's kind of like putting in for 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:38.539 a special big horn ram tag at Heart Mountain 00:09:38.539 --> 00:09:40.940 or Steam Mountains in the state of Oregon. You 00:09:40.940 --> 00:09:43.500 get a one -time lifetime shot if you happen to 00:09:43.500 --> 00:09:47.039 get drawn. Well, Zachariah got a lifetime shot 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:51.139 to go burn incense before the Lord. And I was 00:09:51.139 --> 00:09:53.120 thinking about that going, Lord, what does it 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:57.990 mean to be a man or... in this case now in the 00:09:57.990 --> 00:10:00.090 New Testament, a woman of God, a man and woman 00:10:00.090 --> 00:10:05.289 of God in Bible times. And we still are in Bible 00:10:05.289 --> 00:10:10.870 times, but what did that mean? It meant that 00:10:10.870 --> 00:10:15.730 on his two week shift, he was always before the 00:10:15.730 --> 00:10:18.690 Lord. Now he was always before the Lord, even 00:10:18.690 --> 00:10:21.509 though he wasn't on, but in that two week shift, 00:10:21.590 --> 00:10:28.389 he ministered to God. He ministered to God continually. 00:10:29.990 --> 00:10:33.690 Now, if you understand that, he was being in 00:10:33.690 --> 00:10:38.269 prayer and in worship, checking the golden candlestick, 00:10:38.269 --> 00:10:40.169 making sure the wicks were trimmed, that the 00:10:40.169 --> 00:10:42.590 oil was full, that there was incense burning 00:10:42.590 --> 00:10:45.690 on the altar, that the bread of the presence 00:10:45.690 --> 00:10:51.250 was covered, and that the rest of the time, from 00:10:51.250 --> 00:10:56.559 sunup to sundown, would have been what? To God. 00:10:57.620 --> 00:11:00.539 Before the holy altar. Praying. Worshipping. 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:04.019 Not just having a. I'm going to be careful here. 00:11:04.659 --> 00:11:09.799 An hour and 45 minute service. Thinking about 00:11:09.799 --> 00:11:14.379 how does this benefit me. But spending 12 hours. 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:21.159 Ministering. To God. Personally. It means that 00:11:21.159 --> 00:11:26.220 he would have. By the fourth century churches, 00:11:26.299 --> 00:11:28.379 pastors who were going to be in the ministry 00:11:28.379 --> 00:11:31.820 memorized the complete book of Psalms and could 00:11:31.820 --> 00:11:35.539 pray by memory the whole book of Psalms as they 00:11:35.539 --> 00:11:39.120 ministered to the Lord. It meant that they had 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:42.759 the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John memorized 00:11:42.759 --> 00:11:45.559 and the whole book of Psalms. And then it says 00:11:45.559 --> 00:11:48.179 they ministered to the Lord. They knew the word 00:11:48.179 --> 00:11:52.889 in their heart. They actually ministered. And 00:11:52.889 --> 00:11:57.210 yet what we've kind of ended up with, and I'm 00:11:57.210 --> 00:11:59.889 going to be careful here, is we've ended up with 00:11:59.889 --> 00:12:03.889 a group of pastors on a national level that aren't 00:12:03.889 --> 00:12:07.309 actually men or women of God. They're spiritual 00:12:07.309 --> 00:12:13.929 influencers. You go to a pastor's conference 00:12:13.929 --> 00:12:17.049 and you ask how many people actually spend an 00:12:17.049 --> 00:12:21.240 hour of prayer a day as pastors. Less than 15%. 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:26.659 The average prayer time of pastors in the United 00:12:26.659 --> 00:12:34.740 States is less than 20 minutes a week. That's 00:12:34.740 --> 00:12:38.360 a spiritual influencer. That's not a man or woman 00:12:38.360 --> 00:12:44.919 of God. The reality was, what did it mean to 00:12:44.919 --> 00:12:47.830 look? And to minister to the Lord. What did it 00:12:47.830 --> 00:12:50.590 mean to love Jesus so much that you understood 00:12:50.590 --> 00:12:54.210 the privilege that when you came to worship and 00:12:54.210 --> 00:12:57.409 minister, you actually enjoyed ministering to 00:12:57.409 --> 00:13:00.169 him and you recognized there was an expectation 00:13:00.169 --> 00:13:04.610 to actually encounter him and to make sure that 00:13:04.610 --> 00:13:08.450 he received what he had paid for with his life. 00:13:09.710 --> 00:13:12.870 And so when we come to the table this morning, 00:13:14.259 --> 00:13:16.220 That's kind of the premise in which we're going 00:13:16.220 --> 00:13:19.039 to jump off into a little bit. Are you all right? 00:13:19.179 --> 00:13:20.720 Sorry, it's been a little bit since I've got 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:23.299 to preach. And so I'm just kind of unhooking 00:13:23.299 --> 00:13:26.100 the horse here and here we go. All right. And 00:13:26.100 --> 00:13:30.480 the reality is that we have to come to a place 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:35.299 where we begin to say, Jesus, you modeled something 00:13:35.299 --> 00:13:40.139 for us that this table represents that. Every 00:13:40.139 --> 00:13:42.980 time I take it, there should be something move 00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:47.700 in me so deeply. I fall more madly in love with 00:13:47.700 --> 00:13:55.259 you for what you've done. Now, I left you off 00:13:55.259 --> 00:13:59.820 a few months ago. And I know you remember. In 00:13:59.820 --> 00:14:04.389 John 13. In John 13, Jesus was actually getting 00:14:04.389 --> 00:14:07.269 ready to what? Take communion. Out of all the 00:14:07.269 --> 00:14:10.929 gospels, John 13 is the only one that deals with 00:14:10.929 --> 00:14:15.549 Jesus leaving the table. And washing the feet 00:14:15.549 --> 00:14:18.750 of the disciples. And if we'll look at that verse. 00:14:18.889 --> 00:14:23.450 It's John 13 verse 3 through 5. Says this. Jesus 00:14:23.450 --> 00:14:25.850 knowing that the father had given all things 00:14:25.850 --> 00:14:27.789 in his hands. And that he had come from God. 00:14:27.970 --> 00:14:31.110 And was going back to God. Rose from supper. 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:35.879 laid aside his outer garments and taking a towel, 00:14:35.980 --> 00:14:38.779 tied it around his waist, poured water into a 00:14:38.779 --> 00:14:41.559 basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and 00:14:41.559 --> 00:14:44.200 to wipe them with a towel that was wrapped around 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:52.059 him. Jesus modeled for his disciples. Probably 00:14:52.059 --> 00:14:56.139 the most key distinction in all things that Jesus 00:14:56.139 --> 00:15:00.940 did here is that he wasn't just modeling. serving 00:15:00.940 --> 00:15:07.480 as a good leadership principle. Okay? He didn't 00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:10.019 do, forgive me here, I'm not trying to mock leadership 00:15:10.019 --> 00:15:13.860 seminars, but Jesus didn't have the 21 ways of 00:15:13.860 --> 00:15:20.620 washing feet. Or 10 ways to maximize your foot 00:15:20.620 --> 00:15:31.070 washing service. He did what? He moved, First 00:15:31.070 --> 00:15:33.370 thing that we're going to look at, he moved to 00:15:33.370 --> 00:15:38.110 what? Remove the outer garments. And the reason 00:15:38.110 --> 00:15:41.110 he removed the outer garments is to what? Remove 00:15:41.110 --> 00:15:46.730 the context and the pretext that every one of 00:15:46.730 --> 00:15:50.009 those disciples had. Now, if you are a student 00:15:50.009 --> 00:15:52.850 and have been a Christian any length of time, 00:15:52.929 --> 00:15:57.950 you have heard messages either from the... certain 00:15:57.950 --> 00:16:02.029 faith camp or non -faith camp on the garments 00:16:02.029 --> 00:16:04.409 of Jesus. He dressed poor. No, he dressed rich. 00:16:04.529 --> 00:16:07.649 And there are arguments on both sides. Was he 00:16:07.649 --> 00:16:11.389 dressed rich or was he dressed poor? Well, the 00:16:11.389 --> 00:16:13.590 fact of the matter is he had an undergarment. 00:16:13.610 --> 00:16:16.389 So if that's what the poor wear, he wore that. 00:16:17.710 --> 00:16:20.690 And the Bible says at his crucifixion he had 00:16:20.690 --> 00:16:23.610 a seamless garment that they recognized was of 00:16:23.610 --> 00:16:27.169 worth, so they refused to divide that outer garment. 00:16:27.389 --> 00:16:30.809 So the fact is that was a more wealthier person 00:16:30.809 --> 00:16:33.970 at that time garment to have a seamless one -piece 00:16:33.970 --> 00:16:40.870 garment. The issue is Jesus took it off to put 00:16:40.870 --> 00:16:45.289 a servant's towel on. To remove the disciples 00:16:45.289 --> 00:16:49.210 any form of pretext, any form of idea that they 00:16:49.210 --> 00:16:51.570 would have to try to say, well, he did it for 00:16:51.570 --> 00:16:53.850 this reason, he did it for that. No, I'm taking 00:16:53.850 --> 00:16:59.090 it all off so that all that I'm wearing is I'm 00:16:59.090 --> 00:17:03.750 girded in my, just my loincloth and the servant's 00:17:03.750 --> 00:17:08.829 towel. I'm stripped down for work. And this work 00:17:08.829 --> 00:17:14.460 is to serve you out of love. And Jesus' statement 00:17:14.460 --> 00:17:17.819 to them, as you read John 13, what you've seen 00:17:17.819 --> 00:17:26.200 me do, now do likewise to one another. Now, what 00:17:26.200 --> 00:17:29.200 did Jesus, what did he strip down to? He stripped 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:33.279 down to the cloak of humility. That's really 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:37.099 what he put on. He took off the outer garment. 00:17:37.579 --> 00:17:40.119 Some people say it was a purple outer garment. 00:17:41.170 --> 00:17:43.789 Whatever it was, he took it off and what did 00:17:43.789 --> 00:17:48.950 he put on? He put on the cloak of humility. And 00:17:48.950 --> 00:17:52.509 that cloak of humility wasn't just humility to 00:17:52.509 --> 00:17:59.630 humble himself, it was humility to release divine 00:17:59.630 --> 00:18:05.769 love. So we don't just put on humility for the 00:18:05.769 --> 00:18:07.910 sake of putting on humility because then that 00:18:07.910 --> 00:18:12.839 becomes false humility. We put on humility, what? 00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:17.480 So that we can actually love the people that 00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:22.299 God loves. And we can do it so nothing else gets 00:18:22.299 --> 00:18:25.980 in the way that all they see is someone that 00:18:25.980 --> 00:18:31.180 is walking or living in a garment that is not 00:18:31.180 --> 00:18:35.440 covered with self, self accomplishments, all 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:39.240 sorts of barriers. All that it sees is. Love 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:42.819 that is willing to serve without anything in 00:18:42.819 --> 00:18:46.720 return. That's what Jesus modeled. And that's 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:49.079 the key distinction for the house of God and 00:18:49.079 --> 00:18:51.339 for among the people and for among his leaders 00:18:51.339 --> 00:18:56.079 that the taking off of a garment's meant there's 00:18:56.079 --> 00:18:59.140 no hiding behind titles. There's no positions, 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:02.599 hiding behind positions or money or image or 00:19:02.599 --> 00:19:06.019 things. It was about what? Clothing ourselves 00:19:06.019 --> 00:19:09.339 in humility. You see, when Peter writes in 1 00:19:09.339 --> 00:19:15.920 Peter 5, verse 5, Peter's writing to now fellow 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:20.619 elders in... in a few other churches in Upper 00:19:20.619 --> 00:19:23.740 Galatia. And Peter is beginning to write to all 00:19:23.740 --> 00:19:26.660 these churches that he'd gone to. You can't get 00:19:26.660 --> 00:19:30.400 past Peter's writing of actually going back to 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:33.059 the context where he saw this happen. Peter wrote 00:19:33.059 --> 00:19:36.079 in 1 Peter 5, 5, he said, clothe yourselves, 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:40.619 all of you, with humility toward one another. 00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:45.450 For God opposes the proud. but gives grace to 00:19:45.450 --> 00:19:47.410 the humble. Now notice he didn't say, clothe 00:19:47.410 --> 00:19:51.609 yourselves, well, most of you. No, he said, clothe 00:19:51.609 --> 00:19:56.170 yourselves, all of you, with humility toward 00:19:56.170 --> 00:20:02.309 one another. You see, true godly humility actually 00:20:02.309 --> 00:20:07.289 removes barriers on your way to actually encountering 00:20:07.289 --> 00:20:13.089 other people. So we see the incredible love that 00:20:13.089 --> 00:20:16.599 Jesus, and the humility that he demonstrated, 00:20:16.759 --> 00:20:21.160 not just demonstrated, but still gives at his 00:20:21.160 --> 00:20:26.099 own table with his own disciples. But I don't 00:20:26.099 --> 00:20:28.299 want to diminish from that, but what happens 00:20:28.299 --> 00:20:34.019 when you're actually asked to have humility with 00:20:34.019 --> 00:20:38.059 others when they're not part of your close association, 00:20:38.460 --> 00:20:43.220 when they're not part of your inner group? When 00:20:43.220 --> 00:20:50.180 they're actually don't like you at all. There's 00:20:50.180 --> 00:20:56.720 a big difference. Now the process, Jesus in John 00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:02.250 13 removes his garment. to show no titles, no 00:21:02.250 --> 00:21:06.730 position, no money, no power, no kingship. It's 00:21:06.730 --> 00:21:10.329 about loving and setting the stage to remove 00:21:10.329 --> 00:21:13.650 barriers to love people in sincerity of truth 00:21:13.650 --> 00:21:19.930 of humility. But that was the first time he removed 00:21:19.930 --> 00:21:24.589 the garments. On his way, now notice, that was 00:21:24.589 --> 00:21:29.619 at the Last Supper. Just a few more days would 00:21:29.619 --> 00:21:34.400 take place and Jesus would be crucified. The 00:21:34.400 --> 00:21:40.140 Bible has three direct references of times that 00:21:40.140 --> 00:21:44.500 Jesus' garments were removed. Four inferred. 00:21:46.119 --> 00:21:50.200 The first one was at the Lord's Supper. The second 00:21:50.200 --> 00:21:53.819 one we're going to look at. The first time the 00:21:53.819 --> 00:21:57.640 garments were... purposely removed for the disciples. 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:03.900 But the next time, Jesus had garments removed 00:22:03.900 --> 00:22:09.839 and forced on him. Jesus humbly and peacefully 00:22:09.839 --> 00:22:13.779 yielded to the acts of garments being forced 00:22:13.779 --> 00:22:18.140 on him and to garments being forcibly taken off 00:22:18.140 --> 00:22:23.009 of him. Second reference. to outer garments that 00:22:23.009 --> 00:22:25.450 Jesus has. And this is important this morning 00:22:25.450 --> 00:22:27.670 as we, this will kind of be my message right 00:22:27.670 --> 00:22:29.890 here. And so I'm asking you just to kind of lean 00:22:29.890 --> 00:22:34.369 in, understanding the table. When we think about 00:22:34.369 --> 00:22:39.690 taking on and off a garment, that is spiritual 00:22:39.690 --> 00:22:44.230 language of saying, Jesus took off the garment 00:22:44.230 --> 00:22:51.559 of flesh. And he put on. The garment of the resurrection. 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:56.380 He put on a new body. But you need to understand 00:22:56.380 --> 00:23:03.539 something. Multiple times, man, Jesus modeled 00:23:03.539 --> 00:23:06.319 for the disciples what it looks like to put off 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:13.220 your flesh, to put off your suppositions, and 00:23:13.220 --> 00:23:16.480 to pick up the towel of the servant. This next 00:23:16.480 --> 00:23:22.759 time, after, Communion, after they crossed the 00:23:22.759 --> 00:23:27.559 brook Kindron, after he has the kiss of Judas 00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:30.339 in front of the soldiers and he's taken into 00:23:30.339 --> 00:23:34.839 custody, he's now taken through the night into 00:23:34.839 --> 00:23:39.500 Caiaphas' and Ananias' house. He's held at a 00:23:39.500 --> 00:23:45.960 mock trial. He's slapped. He's blasphemed. He's 00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:51.160 now taken early to Pilate. And Pilate finds no 00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:53.799 fault in him finding out that he's a Galilean. 00:23:54.339 --> 00:23:59.119 The next time we see Jesus standing is right 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:04.319 at Herod. Luke 23, 8, 11 says this. And when 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:09.359 Herod saw Jesus, Herod was very glad. For he 00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:12.380 had longed to see Jesus because he had heard 00:24:12.380 --> 00:24:16.099 about Jesus. He had been hoping to see some sign 00:24:16.099 --> 00:24:19.750 done by him. Now listen to verse nine through 00:24:19.750 --> 00:24:22.890 11 very carefully. It's very black and white, 00:24:22.930 --> 00:24:25.150 but it's so deep. You have to get the meaning 00:24:25.150 --> 00:24:31.849 here. So Herod questioned him at some length. 00:24:32.849 --> 00:24:35.049 I want you just to put a pause in that in your 00:24:35.049 --> 00:24:38.049 mind. At some length. He didn't just question 00:24:38.049 --> 00:24:42.809 him two or three questions. When you see the 00:24:42.809 --> 00:24:49.200 context, it was at some length. But Jesus made 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:57.519 no answer. The chief priests, plural, and the 00:24:57.519 --> 00:25:04.319 scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. And 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:08.359 Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt 00:25:08.359 --> 00:25:15.680 and mocked him. So here we have a three -staged 00:25:16.909 --> 00:25:21.109 How many have ever watched, I know I'm not gonna 00:25:21.109 --> 00:25:22.829 get a lot of responses here, but how many have 00:25:22.829 --> 00:25:26.130 ever watched C -SPAN? Where you watched C -SPAN 00:25:26.130 --> 00:25:29.250 and you watched a committee hearing and some 00:25:29.250 --> 00:25:32.410 political committee bringing somebody in and 00:25:32.410 --> 00:25:35.269 a bunch of senators or representatives trying 00:25:35.269 --> 00:25:39.279 to grill and question the witness. And have you 00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:41.619 noticed that it didn't even matter what the witness 00:25:41.619 --> 00:25:44.799 said. It was just questions about the same thing 00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:46.940 over and over. Even when they said, I don't have 00:25:46.940 --> 00:25:49.079 an answer for you on that. That's not why I'm 00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:54.079 here. That's Joe Diddley's department, not mine. 00:25:55.920 --> 00:25:59.460 But the vehement questions that keep going on 00:25:59.460 --> 00:26:02.559 and on and then time yielded and then they kept 00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:05.859 just piling it on. I need you to get. your thinking 00:26:05.859 --> 00:26:10.700 here. This was the setting of Jesus Christ. He's 00:26:10.700 --> 00:26:14.119 standing before Herod. Who was Herod? One of 00:26:14.119 --> 00:26:18.019 the most vicious. Evil, bloodthirsty kings and 00:26:18.019 --> 00:26:20.880 lines of Herod that Israel had ever known. The 00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:25.299 dad of this Herod is the one that killed all 00:26:25.299 --> 00:26:27.920 the two and three year olds because of Jesus' 00:26:28.140 --> 00:26:31.400 birth. Now he's standing in the line of succession 00:26:31.400 --> 00:26:35.559 of Herod for the same type of blood lineage that 00:26:35.559 --> 00:26:39.039 destroys any type of usurping of his throne. 00:26:40.059 --> 00:26:43.950 And Jesus is standing in front of The King Herod 00:26:43.950 --> 00:26:48.390 of the Jews that was put in power by Rome. Next 00:26:48.390 --> 00:26:50.930 to him on his right and his left are the chief 00:26:50.930 --> 00:26:54.230 priests. The chief priests, the father -in -law 00:26:54.230 --> 00:26:56.849 of the chief priests, and all of the elders of 00:26:56.849 --> 00:26:59.630 the chief priests line that are scholarly. Next 00:26:59.630 --> 00:27:02.170 on the other side is all the scribes. Means what? 00:27:02.430 --> 00:27:09.210 All of the lawyers. And they are screaming at 00:27:09.210 --> 00:27:13.319 him. In close proximity. It wasn't like everybody 00:27:13.319 --> 00:27:17.559 had their own nice personal space and a chair. 00:27:17.779 --> 00:27:19.819 And Jesus, can we get you a water? Would you 00:27:19.819 --> 00:27:24.259 like some bread and hummus? Okay. It was not 00:27:24.259 --> 00:27:27.559 the case. Have you looked at what is on the TV 00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:29.940 in the last couple of weeks? And you've been 00:27:29.940 --> 00:27:31.720 fasting and hopefully you haven't. But if you 00:27:31.720 --> 00:27:36.619 have, how people are getting into people's face 00:27:36.619 --> 00:27:42.559 without any form of decorum, moving past protest 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:56.599 and into a form of viciousness. I'm just trying 00:27:56.599 --> 00:28:03.019 to make it real in here. What are you going to 00:28:03.019 --> 00:28:13.750 do, California preacher boy? Are you feeling 00:28:13.750 --> 00:28:22.589 me here? In that atmosphere, in that atmosphere, 00:28:22.589 --> 00:28:27.230 that is the kind of scenario when you're reading 00:28:27.230 --> 00:28:30.190 that black and white that is taking place at 00:28:30.190 --> 00:28:34.329 Jesus in front of Herod. Herod's like, who are 00:28:34.329 --> 00:28:38.849 you? If you're Jesus, show us. And that's when 00:28:38.849 --> 00:28:41.750 the barking starts. He's an imposter. He's a 00:28:41.750 --> 00:28:44.289 blasphemer. He claims himself. I mean, you could 00:28:44.289 --> 00:28:50.430 just hear it. And Jesus, the Bible says, does 00:28:50.430 --> 00:28:57.650 what? He stands and says not a word. Not a word. 00:28:58.309 --> 00:29:03.490 Not an action of aggression. Not a word. Because 00:29:03.490 --> 00:29:10.920 I'm telling you right now. If somebody is this 00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:15.039 close touching my nose, there's probably going 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:25.720 to be a little. Just saying. Just saying. Just 00:29:25.720 --> 00:29:35.119 back up off me about a foot. Not Jesus. Jesus. 00:29:36.750 --> 00:29:39.369 Standing before one of the most bloodthirsty 00:29:39.369 --> 00:29:44.609 evil kings, Jesus did not answer a word to impress 00:29:44.609 --> 00:29:50.589 and he did not answer a word to impede his heavenly 00:29:50.589 --> 00:29:54.970 father's will so that he might finish perfectly 00:29:54.970 --> 00:30:01.349 what was waiting for you and I. If you take all 00:30:01.349 --> 00:30:05.170 of the environments that are today, You take 00:30:05.170 --> 00:30:08.150 everything that's happening via protest. You 00:30:08.150 --> 00:30:11.829 take everything that's happening via the incitement 00:30:11.829 --> 00:30:15.569 and the division that's taking place. Now you 00:30:15.569 --> 00:30:18.849 put it into a mix and you put it right on the 00:30:18.849 --> 00:30:23.289 governmental palace floor where Herod and religion 00:30:23.289 --> 00:30:27.569 and lawyers are all standing around to catch 00:30:27.569 --> 00:30:31.089 you at every level. You're talking about a hotbed 00:30:31.089 --> 00:30:37.630 and Jesus doesn't, act mean, doesn't bend the 00:30:37.630 --> 00:30:42.170 knee or swayed at any level. The Bible says Isaiah 00:30:42.170 --> 00:30:46.390 53, this is part of why we take this meal. He 00:30:46.390 --> 00:30:49.710 was oppressed and he was afflicted. Isaiah 53, 00:30:49.869 --> 00:30:55.250 seven. And yet he opened not his mouth. That 00:30:55.250 --> 00:31:01.029 was fulfilled at Herod's palace. Like a lamb 00:31:01.029 --> 00:31:05.599 led to the slaughter. like a sheep before its 00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:09.059 shearers. And that's what was happening. They 00:31:09.059 --> 00:31:13.579 were trying to shear him to the quick. He opened 00:31:13.579 --> 00:31:17.799 not his mouth. Notice the Bible says, and Herod 00:31:17.799 --> 00:31:23.599 questioned him at length. Herod had, if you go 00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:25.900 and you study the scriptures, especially about 00:31:25.900 --> 00:31:28.940 John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the one 00:31:28.940 --> 00:31:31.059 that confronted this Herod because he had his 00:31:31.059 --> 00:31:34.180 what? His brother's wife. And John said to Herod, 00:31:34.200 --> 00:31:37.640 it is not lawful for you to have her. And the 00:31:37.640 --> 00:31:40.720 Bible records that even though Herod liked him, 00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:44.119 his wife Herodias, who he left his brother, who 00:31:44.119 --> 00:31:46.660 she left his brother Philip for and now was joined 00:31:46.660 --> 00:31:50.359 to him. did not like it and held a grudge. And 00:31:50.359 --> 00:31:53.200 Herod did not hold his tongue. And when there 00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:56.279 was an opportunity for Herodias to get back at 00:31:56.279 --> 00:31:59.500 John because of his oaths and his vows, he had 00:31:59.500 --> 00:32:02.480 to eat his words and kill Jesus' cousin, John. 00:32:04.180 --> 00:32:08.799 This is only maybe two, two and a half years. 00:32:10.160 --> 00:32:12.799 From that point of John, because John and Jesus 00:32:12.799 --> 00:32:15.380 had a ministry together for the first part and 00:32:15.380 --> 00:32:18.339 then Herod killed John and Jesus went to fulfill 00:32:18.339 --> 00:32:20.900 his ministry. Now two and a half years, two and 00:32:20.900 --> 00:32:23.059 three quarters years later, Jesus is standing 00:32:23.059 --> 00:32:25.819 before the very one that killed his cousin that 00:32:25.819 --> 00:32:30.500 was always looking to show and to get some type 00:32:30.500 --> 00:32:33.720 of preferential treatment. And now the big dog 00:32:33.720 --> 00:32:37.240 is standing in front of Herod and Herod expects 00:32:37.240 --> 00:32:44.359 homage. Accusations from the religious leaders 00:32:44.359 --> 00:32:51.859 when Jesus did not meet any of their expectations. 00:32:53.740 --> 00:32:58.079 It wasn't, well, I guess he's not gonna speak 00:32:58.079 --> 00:33:03.660 to us. Court's adjourned. It never ends that 00:33:03.660 --> 00:33:08.819 way in the kingdom of darkness. Can I say this 00:33:08.819 --> 00:33:12.700 to you and I'm not here to scare you. But I need 00:33:12.700 --> 00:33:17.460 you to understand something. We're moving as 00:33:17.460 --> 00:33:21.640 a church, not just Life Bible Church. I hope 00:33:21.640 --> 00:33:25.440 that we're counted worthy of this. But the church 00:33:25.440 --> 00:33:28.700 in general in the world, if you've paid paying 00:33:28.700 --> 00:33:31.440 any attention in the last year, you've watched 00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:35.279 the persecution of the church all over the world 00:33:35.279 --> 00:33:39.680 went what? Went up another notch. What's happening? 00:33:40.490 --> 00:33:44.890 what's happening is you're beginning to see the 00:33:44.890 --> 00:33:49.430 growing disdain of the spirit of antichrist hating 00:33:49.430 --> 00:33:53.670 the real Christ. And so as Jesus is standing 00:33:53.670 --> 00:33:58.890 before Herod, it was a prophetic picture. that 00:33:58.890 --> 00:34:01.410 the world and the governments of this world, 00:34:01.470 --> 00:34:03.369 because he would later go to Pilate, that would 00:34:03.369 --> 00:34:06.769 be another arm of military power and judgment. 00:34:06.930 --> 00:34:09.869 But when he was standing at Herod, he was standing 00:34:09.869 --> 00:34:14.250 in front of the political arena that was partnered 00:34:14.250 --> 00:34:19.650 with religious perspectives. Jesus was standing, 00:34:19.670 --> 00:34:23.570 and when the religious and political union did 00:34:23.570 --> 00:34:27.050 not get Jesus to agree with what they wanted 00:34:27.050 --> 00:34:31.090 to be manufactured or Jesus to respond on demand, 00:34:31.289 --> 00:34:35.170 they're never content just walking away and saying, 00:34:35.230 --> 00:34:38.929 well, I guess that didn't work. So what do we 00:34:38.929 --> 00:34:45.530 see? We see the next time Jesus gets his garments 00:34:45.530 --> 00:34:52.780 touched. Right here. The Bible says, I'm gonna 00:34:52.780 --> 00:35:03.440 read it. Verse 12. I'll start at 11. And Herod 00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:06.460 and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt 00:35:06.460 --> 00:35:10.880 and mocked him. We're gonna go to a whole different 00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:13.119 level of mocking with Pilate and his soldiers. 00:35:13.900 --> 00:35:17.300 But Herod and his soldiers, meaning this was 00:35:17.300 --> 00:35:22.500 the elite guard that guarded the king. officiated 00:35:22.500 --> 00:35:28.800 by Rome. And then it says in verse 12, then arraying 00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:34.119 Jesus in splendid clothing, Herod sent Jesus 00:35:34.119 --> 00:35:40.159 back to Pilate. Why is this so important? Well, 00:35:40.199 --> 00:35:42.159 the Bible doesn't tell us that they stripped 00:35:42.159 --> 00:35:45.260 Jesus of his clothes in this context. It will 00:35:45.260 --> 00:35:48.960 tell us at the third encounter that Pilate does. 00:35:50.190 --> 00:35:52.989 So the context does not say that they removed 00:35:52.989 --> 00:35:56.150 Jesus's clothes in this. What they did do that 00:35:56.150 --> 00:35:59.130 from the text is they put garments on Jesus, 00:35:59.170 --> 00:36:02.829 meaning they covered up who tried to cover up 00:36:02.829 --> 00:36:07.630 who his identity was. Meaning in their mocking 00:36:07.630 --> 00:36:12.929 and in their unsatisfied answers and in his refusal 00:36:12.929 --> 00:36:16.349 to say neither nay or yay and not give offense. 00:36:17.050 --> 00:36:19.789 toward the father, nor toward them to give in 00:36:19.789 --> 00:36:23.630 to anything, to sin in any capacity. They wouldn't 00:36:23.630 --> 00:36:27.349 stop at just receiving no. They went into the 00:36:27.349 --> 00:36:30.730 palace. And the inference of the text is, when 00:36:30.730 --> 00:36:33.750 you go into the palace, that was Herod's residence. 00:36:33.989 --> 00:36:36.789 The only thing that would have come out of Herod's 00:36:36.789 --> 00:36:40.869 residence was one of Herod, King Herod's garments. 00:36:41.710 --> 00:36:45.530 And they placed on Jesus in a form of mocking 00:36:45.530 --> 00:36:53.610 and in a form of brutal sarcasm and sport. They 00:36:53.610 --> 00:36:57.190 took most likely a used kingly garment, although 00:36:57.190 --> 00:37:00.170 that garment would have been worth more than 00:37:00.170 --> 00:37:04.690 one person's wage for a year. They laid on Jesus 00:37:04.690 --> 00:37:11.420 a kingly garment to say, this man. is no threat 00:37:11.420 --> 00:37:18.179 to a Roman king. This man is not good enough 00:37:18.179 --> 00:37:23.300 to wear the office of a garment that's new. He's 00:37:23.300 --> 00:37:28.159 only, only an imposter, and therefore we put 00:37:28.159 --> 00:37:33.480 on him our used kingly garment. Oh, important 00:37:33.480 --> 00:37:38.519 person. And Herod, the government, sends, or 00:37:38.519 --> 00:37:43.389 the, political realm sends now to pilot the military 00:37:43.389 --> 00:37:48.550 and judicial realm a man covered in the world's 00:37:48.550 --> 00:37:52.050 garments representing power and authority and 00:37:52.050 --> 00:37:56.110 opulence and splendor in a mocking attitude saying 00:37:56.110 --> 00:38:02.809 he's a sham. He is no king and he's no threat. 00:38:03.030 --> 00:38:06.409 I send him back to you. You looked at him, found 00:38:06.409 --> 00:38:08.630 no fault. I looked at him, sent him to fault. 00:38:09.079 --> 00:38:17.420 This man is a nothing. Why did Jesus allow that? 00:38:20.880 --> 00:38:25.940 Because Jenny's playing the piano now. Jesus 00:38:25.940 --> 00:38:32.300 allowed it. Because he meant to say it very clear 00:38:32.300 --> 00:38:36.260 to all of his disciples and to those of the world. 00:38:38.679 --> 00:38:41.840 I'm willing to bear the reproach and the shame 00:38:41.840 --> 00:38:45.599 of what the world thinks I should do. I don't 00:38:45.599 --> 00:38:49.559 have to answer their perspectives. Though they 00:38:49.559 --> 00:38:54.340 try to twist who they think I am, though they 00:38:54.340 --> 00:38:59.760 try to make me fulfill what they want me to do, 00:38:59.880 --> 00:39:05.239 I don't take my orders from the world, from the 00:39:05.239 --> 00:39:08.389 kings. From the political systems of the day, 00:39:08.510 --> 00:39:13.690 I only say what the Father tells me to say. And 00:39:13.690 --> 00:39:18.130 I only do what the Father tells me to do. I wear 00:39:18.130 --> 00:39:22.789 the garments of the world. I'll take their shame. 00:39:22.909 --> 00:39:26.429 I'll take their mocking. I'll take their cruelty. 00:39:26.730 --> 00:39:30.309 I'll take the increased persecution that comes. 00:39:30.469 --> 00:39:39.090 Why? Because I see you. I will fulfill what the 00:39:39.090 --> 00:39:43.630 Father asked me to do to actually bring you salvation 00:39:43.630 --> 00:39:50.150 and to finish the reason I came to live. I came 00:39:50.150 --> 00:39:53.949 to die. When we come to this table, the fact 00:39:53.949 --> 00:39:56.449 is if you'd stand with me and if I could have 00:39:56.449 --> 00:40:02.489 the ushers come forward. As you come around this 00:40:02.489 --> 00:40:06.639 table, of course the... There's a gluten -free 00:40:06.639 --> 00:40:09.239 bread in the middle if you need it. I'd like 00:40:09.239 --> 00:40:12.940 you to take a piece of bread or two. I'd like 00:40:12.940 --> 00:40:15.940 you to take a cup. And we'll come back to our 00:40:15.940 --> 00:40:18.239 seats and we'll take communion together as a 00:40:18.239 --> 00:40:22.679 family. But as you come around this table on 00:40:22.679 --> 00:40:29.619 both sides, I want you to think of how much Jesus 00:40:29.619 --> 00:40:32.840 willingly took off his garments to show us what 00:40:32.840 --> 00:40:36.719 it means to live humbly. And to live in love 00:40:36.719 --> 00:40:40.739 and in peace with one another. He also showed 00:40:40.739 --> 00:40:45.880 us what it means to endure hostility. To endure 00:40:45.880 --> 00:40:50.599 persecution. Mocking. Deriding. Being the butt 00:40:50.599 --> 00:40:59.380 of jokes. He shows us. And that. The love that 00:40:59.380 --> 00:41:03.179 is in him. To be able to do that even today. 00:41:04.079 --> 00:41:06.880 As the world puts on him to try to twist his 00:41:06.880 --> 00:41:11.159 words, twist his ways, twist his love, he's still 00:41:11.159 --> 00:41:16.039 doing so out of love so that you and I can have 00:41:16.039 --> 00:41:19.719 the reality of fellowship of his life. Let's 00:41:19.719 --> 00:41:24.659 pray for the meal. Father, in Jesus' name, Lord, 00:41:24.780 --> 00:41:30.239 the bread and the cup is before us. Lord, the 00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:34.719 bread representing your life. The word of God 00:41:34.719 --> 00:41:38.340 made flesh. The cup representing your life that 00:41:38.340 --> 00:41:42.079 was poured out for sin, for us, for a new covenant. 00:41:42.139 --> 00:41:46.159 A covenant that you will forever be faithful 00:41:46.159 --> 00:41:49.659 to. And Lord, today as we grab elements and we 00:41:49.659 --> 00:41:53.139 come around your table, let every heart, Lord, 00:41:53.239 --> 00:41:59.199 grow more fond of you. Let the love of our Savior 00:41:59.199 --> 00:42:02.860 and the richness of who you are deepen inside 00:42:02.860 --> 00:42:06.059 of us. We love you, Jesus. Bless this table. 00:42:06.300 --> 00:42:09.719 Let's take it together as family. Please come. 00:42:12.300 --> 00:42:15.019 Thank you for taking the time to listen to this 00:42:15.019 --> 00:42:17.679 week's message. We are so grateful for those 00:42:17.679 --> 00:42:20.400 who tune in each week and have given generously 00:42:20.400 --> 00:42:23.400 to this ministry. If you would like to give, 00:42:23.539 --> 00:42:26.039 click the link in the episode description below. 00:42:26.599 --> 00:42:29.260 You can also help us by subscribing to this podcast 00:42:29.260 --> 00:42:31.460 and sharing it with your friends and family. 00:42:32.079 --> 00:42:34.880 Lastly, if you are in need of prayer send us 00:42:34.880 --> 00:42:40.639 a text message at 541 -625 -1365. We would love 00:42:40.639 --> 00:42:41.400 to pray with you.