WEBVTT 00:00:00.810 --> 00:00:04.110 Well, praise the Lord. How many of you are excited 00:00:04.110 --> 00:00:09.789 about gathering at the Lord's table today? Well, 00:00:09.910 --> 00:00:12.390 that was the sum of the Bible study. You're in 00:00:12.390 --> 00:00:18.690 good shape. See you next week. Yeah, no. Yeah. 00:00:20.109 --> 00:00:27.809 My pleasure. Now, today is a special day as we 00:00:27.809 --> 00:00:31.289 gather together. as the body of Christ, and particularly 00:00:31.289 --> 00:00:34.630 special because, yes, we are celebrating at the 00:00:34.630 --> 00:00:38.390 Lord's table this morning. As you can see, after 00:00:38.390 --> 00:00:42.950 my ordination last Sunday, I am dressed in the 00:00:42.950 --> 00:00:48.289 requisite Calvary Chapel pastor tuxedo, and we're 00:00:48.289 --> 00:00:54.710 good to go. So, today's message is entitled, 00:00:54.990 --> 00:01:00.119 In Remembrance of Me. And we'll be obviously 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:05.719 centering around 1 Corinthians 11, 23 through 00:01:05.719 --> 00:01:09.459 25. So if you want to turn there and follow along 00:01:09.459 --> 00:01:14.640 as I read. 1 Corinthians 11, 23 through 25. This 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:18.719 starts off with Paul speaking. And in verse 23, 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:22.819 he says, For I received from the Lord what I 00:01:22.819 --> 00:01:26.719 also passed on to you on the night that he was 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:31.230 betrayed. the Lord Jesus took bread. And when 00:01:31.230 --> 00:01:35.409 he had given thanks, broke it and said, take, 00:01:35.730 --> 00:01:40.829 eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. 00:01:41.390 --> 00:01:47.890 Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, 00:01:47.909 --> 00:01:52.409 he also took the cup after supper and said, this 00:01:52.409 --> 00:01:57.150 cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this. 00:01:57.769 --> 00:02:03.109 as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. 00:02:04.790 --> 00:02:13.610 Do this in remembrance of me. What does that 00:02:13.610 --> 00:02:22.030 mean? You know, as a worship leader, I've had 00:02:22.030 --> 00:02:26.090 the awesome privilege of leading the body in 00:02:26.780 --> 00:02:30.180 literally, I think, thousands of songs at this 00:02:30.180 --> 00:02:37.300 point. And a long time ago, we had done a song 00:02:37.300 --> 00:02:42.240 called Consuming Fire. And many of you probably 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:48.360 remember that song, but the song starts off like 00:02:48.360 --> 00:02:53.159 this. It says, There must be more than this. 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:59.500 O breath of God, Come breathe within. There must 00:02:59.500 --> 00:03:05.460 be more than this. Spirit of God, we wait for 00:03:05.460 --> 00:03:13.479 you. Fill us anew, we pray. Fill us anew, we 00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:17.580 pray. You know, when we started doing this song, 00:03:17.780 --> 00:03:24.860 I was a young and stupid worship leader, right? 00:03:26.860 --> 00:03:28.819 When we first started doing this, I actually 00:03:28.819 --> 00:03:36.680 looked at this song from an outward focused perspective, 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:41.599 right? As you often do when you're young and 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:44.340 stupid, you have a lot of angst and you want 00:03:44.340 --> 00:03:47.319 things your way and, you know, that's just the 00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:52.219 way of things. I would look at those words, there 00:03:52.219 --> 00:03:55.280 must be more than this, and I would look at it 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:59.180 from the perspective of God. I'm looking at the 00:03:59.180 --> 00:04:02.659 church, I'm looking at the people, and there's 00:04:02.659 --> 00:04:11.080 got to be more than this. And God, in His graciousness, 00:04:11.080 --> 00:04:19.040 gave me time and filled me more with the Spirit. 00:04:20.300 --> 00:04:25.339 so that I wasn't young and stupid anymore. And 00:04:25.339 --> 00:04:30.319 after a while, I realize, nope, this song is 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:36.259 100 % pointed inwardly. And in reflection, looking 00:04:36.259 --> 00:04:43.060 at myself and realizing, God, there must be more 00:04:43.060 --> 00:04:51.529 than this. Fill me anew. You know, sometimes 00:04:51.529 --> 00:04:54.529 I kind of look at it, you know, from the perspective 00:04:54.529 --> 00:04:58.829 of, you know, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and 00:04:58.829 --> 00:05:02.230 they're up in heaven in glory, and they're having 00:05:02.230 --> 00:05:05.209 a conversation, and Jesus turns to the Holy Spirit, 00:05:05.269 --> 00:05:12.089 and He motions Him over and says, so, I hear 00:05:12.089 --> 00:05:16.009 you're working with wrong love today. What's 00:05:16.009 --> 00:05:21.860 that like? And the Holy Spirit says, well, He's 00:05:21.860 --> 00:05:26.800 young and stupid. There's a lot there. There's 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:33.000 an arrogance. There's, you know, kind of stuck 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:36.480 in his ways. His perspective is kind of askew. 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:43.639 But you know what? He has a heart for wanting 00:05:43.639 --> 00:05:49.199 to know you. And he has a heart for wanting the 00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:55.410 people in the body. to know you. And I can work 00:05:55.410 --> 00:05:59.449 with that. And so I imagine the Lord saying to 00:05:59.449 --> 00:06:08.149 the Holy Spirit, then do that. And that is what 00:06:08.149 --> 00:06:13.230 has happened. The problem is that many, many 00:06:13.230 --> 00:06:16.470 years later, I'm sure this is the conversation 00:06:16.470 --> 00:06:19.410 that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are having, and 00:06:19.410 --> 00:06:23.740 that is, I hear you're working with Ron Love 00:06:23.740 --> 00:06:30.040 today. Any change? The Holy Spirit says, yeah, 00:06:30.139 --> 00:06:34.319 there's some good change there. But, you know, 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:38.819 he's got, he still has rough edges. And, I mean, 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:42.139 dare I say barnacles. Some calcification even. 00:06:43.319 --> 00:06:47.779 But you know what? I can scrape that off. And 00:06:47.779 --> 00:06:51.540 I can work with that. And Jesus says the same 00:06:51.540 --> 00:06:58.100 thing, and that is, then do it. That's my hope 00:06:58.100 --> 00:07:01.759 for each of you today, whether you're here in 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:04.519 the room or whether you're online and you're 00:07:04.519 --> 00:07:07.360 joining us as we walk through on this journey 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:11.079 through this passage of Scripture. Whether you're 00:07:11.079 --> 00:07:14.379 young and stupid, you're in the middle of the 00:07:14.379 --> 00:07:17.680 journey and everything's going great, or you're... 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:20.519 maybe more towards the end, very mature, but 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:22.600 maybe there's a little bit of calcification there, 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:26.060 you know, that God has to scrape off. I mean, 00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:30.459 we're all in this together. My hope is that as 00:07:30.459 --> 00:07:32.259 we go through this, you find where you're at 00:07:32.259 --> 00:07:37.100 and that you hear what the Lord has to say and 00:07:37.100 --> 00:07:41.420 that you are ready to move forward because He 00:07:41.420 --> 00:07:48.550 is saying, okay, then do that. So let's talk 00:07:48.550 --> 00:07:50.910 about this. Let's talk about this phrase that 00:07:50.910 --> 00:07:54.990 Jesus presented to the disciples at what we call 00:07:54.990 --> 00:07:58.870 the Last Supper, but at this Passover communion 00:07:58.870 --> 00:08:04.110 time with his disciples, when he says, do this 00:08:04.110 --> 00:08:08.689 in remembrance of me. So I think it's important, 00:08:08.790 --> 00:08:10.850 and it just kind of presents itself, that there 00:08:10.850 --> 00:08:14.170 are a few groups that are involved here, right? 00:08:15.100 --> 00:08:17.480 And the very first group is the obvious one, 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:19.680 and that's the disciples. So what does this mean 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:24.959 to the disciples? Do this in remembrance of me. 00:08:25.860 --> 00:08:29.139 You know, when you look at, and again, I've said 00:08:29.139 --> 00:08:32.879 this before, when you are studying the Bible, 00:08:33.740 --> 00:08:36.960 always feel free, and I encourage you to look 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:39.480 at other translations in addition to the one 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:41.700 that you particularly like because it's very 00:08:41.700 --> 00:08:46.279 helpful. The language outside of English is much 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:49.940 more descriptive and broad, and so it's just 00:08:49.940 --> 00:08:54.019 good practice to see, especially in translations 00:08:54.019 --> 00:08:57.440 that go specifically back to the Greek or the 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:00.700 Hebrew or anything like that, to see what are 00:09:00.700 --> 00:09:04.539 the more descriptive meanings of some of the 00:09:04.539 --> 00:09:08.460 words. So, when you look at that phrase, and 00:09:08.460 --> 00:09:11.059 in this case, you know, I was looking at it in 00:09:11.059 --> 00:09:14.340 the Amplified Bible, what it does is it renders 00:09:14.340 --> 00:09:17.519 the phrase, do this in remembrance to me, to 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:25.419 this. Do this to call me affectionately to remembrance. 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:32.559 Do this to call me affectionately. to remembrance. 00:09:34.980 --> 00:09:37.100 So, when we look at the disciples and what this 00:09:37.100 --> 00:09:39.600 means to the disciples to do this in remembrance 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:44.740 of me, the obvious one that they only can participate 00:09:44.740 --> 00:09:49.419 in, we will never be able to do this until we 00:09:49.419 --> 00:09:52.019 are in heaven with Christ, right? And that is 00:09:52.019 --> 00:09:55.220 that they could remember and have remembrance 00:09:55.220 --> 00:09:57.940 of the personal time that they spent with Jesus. 00:09:59.460 --> 00:10:03.340 Nobody else can do that. That is their particular 00:10:03.340 --> 00:10:07.500 gift and frame of mind, right? So what does that 00:10:07.500 --> 00:10:10.299 mean? Well, it means that those times when they're, 00:10:10.299 --> 00:10:14.899 you know, sitting at the campfire. right, on 00:10:14.899 --> 00:10:18.940 their journeys throughout Judea or Samaria, and 00:10:18.940 --> 00:10:21.919 they're telling jokes about, you know, that Old 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:24.779 Testament prophet, you know, and just enjoying 00:10:24.779 --> 00:10:27.179 their time and their fellowship together. That's 00:10:27.179 --> 00:10:30.000 something that they can remember affectionately 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.500 about Jesus, you know, when they're running on 00:10:33.500 --> 00:10:36.759 the beach of the Sea of Galilee and just having 00:10:36.759 --> 00:10:41.179 a good time. you know, knowing His joy and His 00:10:41.179 --> 00:10:44.899 tenderness and His goodness as He just fellowships 00:10:44.899 --> 00:10:46.639 with them. That is something that they could 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:50.340 draw on in remembering Him, remembering their 00:10:50.340 --> 00:10:55.080 personal time with Him. They also can remember 00:10:55.080 --> 00:10:59.120 that personal time that they spent with Him as 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:03.580 He was teaching them, in particular, as His disciples, 00:11:03.620 --> 00:11:06.480 when He was speaking one -on -one with each of 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:10.460 them. Again, something that the rest of us, we 00:11:10.460 --> 00:11:12.919 don't have that opportunity today, right? But 00:11:12.919 --> 00:11:15.500 they did. They heard his voice because he was 00:11:15.500 --> 00:11:18.259 right there. They saw his face, the look in his 00:11:18.259 --> 00:11:22.159 eyes. They knew what he was talking about. They 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:24.639 understood. Sometimes they didn't, but for the 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:27.019 most part, as he explained it, they understood. 00:11:27.659 --> 00:11:30.019 what He was trying to show them, what He was 00:11:30.019 --> 00:11:33.159 trying to teach them. They could see it and hear 00:11:33.159 --> 00:11:36.039 it all right in front of them. They could remember 00:11:36.039 --> 00:11:40.500 those times, those teachings that were just for 00:11:40.500 --> 00:11:45.080 them as His disciples. They could remember that. 00:11:46.179 --> 00:11:49.659 They could also remember the lessons that He 00:11:49.659 --> 00:11:52.120 taught the crowd. They were right there. They 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:55.039 heard it all. And not only did they hear those 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:58.080 lessons that Jesus taught the crowds, they also 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:01.299 could talk to the people who were hearing Jesus 00:12:01.299 --> 00:12:05.840 talk to them. And they were able to find out 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:08.840 what they thought about what He talked about, 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:12.379 what changes were being made in their lives because 00:12:12.379 --> 00:12:15.220 of His words, because of His actions and deeds. 00:12:15.980 --> 00:12:19.919 They were able to hear their testimonies. and 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:24.279 rejoice because of the work that Jesus was doing 00:12:24.279 --> 00:12:31.039 in their lives as well. There's a very well -known 00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:35.480 pastor, I'm sure many of you will recognize him, 00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:38.860 and that is Alistair Begg. Alistair Begg is a 00:12:38.860 --> 00:12:41.860 Scottish -born pastor. He pastors at Parkside 00:12:41.860 --> 00:12:44.740 Church in Cleveland, Ohio. This is what he has 00:12:44.740 --> 00:12:50.179 to say about memory. He says, Memory is surely 00:12:50.179 --> 00:12:53.220 one of the great and most precious gifts that 00:12:53.220 --> 00:12:56.100 God has given us in terms of our physical existence. 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:01.580 And it is for that reason that the loss of memory 00:13:01.580 --> 00:13:06.379 is one of the saddest and most cruel things that 00:13:06.379 --> 00:13:11.039 really can happen to an individual. And it's 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:16.899 in that vein that God, through His Word, causes 00:13:16.899 --> 00:13:23.399 people to remembrance. He does that at many times 00:13:23.399 --> 00:13:27.940 and in many different ways throughout His Word. 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:32.580 And let me give you a couple of specific examples 00:13:32.580 --> 00:13:36.580 in the Old Testament. One example is you'll read 00:13:36.580 --> 00:13:38.480 when you're studying the book of Samuel, and 00:13:38.480 --> 00:13:42.519 I'm excited to get to Samuel at some point. Maybe 00:13:42.519 --> 00:13:47.679 in about a year we'll get there. But in the book 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:54.490 of Samuel, The call is given out to set up. altars 00:13:54.490 --> 00:13:58.230 or stones of remembrance in different places. 00:13:58.470 --> 00:14:00.870 And the reason why they were called to erect 00:14:00.870 --> 00:14:03.669 these altars or stones of remembrance is because 00:14:03.669 --> 00:14:08.210 God had done something in the lives of the Hebrew 00:14:08.210 --> 00:14:11.269 nation, the Jewish nation, and it usually was 00:14:11.269 --> 00:14:16.009 in the saving of them from invaders, the vanquishing 00:14:16.009 --> 00:14:19.509 of an enemy, but it was always God in His hand. 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:22.500 that had delivered them. And so he would tell 00:14:22.500 --> 00:14:24.539 them or they would instinctively know because 00:14:24.539 --> 00:14:26.899 of past instruction that what they needed to 00:14:26.899 --> 00:14:29.879 do was set up an altar or a stone of remembrance 00:14:29.879 --> 00:14:37.460 so that future generations would see that altar 00:14:37.460 --> 00:14:40.879 or they would see that stone and they would ask, 00:14:40.980 --> 00:14:45.539 what is that for? And then the people who erected 00:14:45.539 --> 00:14:47.840 it, their forefathers would be able to tell them. 00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:53.220 That stone is there in remembrance of God's deliverance 00:14:53.220 --> 00:14:56.299 when we were fighting the Amalekites, you know, 00:14:56.299 --> 00:15:00.580 or fighting, insert name, and God alone saved 00:15:00.580 --> 00:15:04.519 us and redeemed us. And so when we see that, 00:15:04.600 --> 00:15:08.879 we worship and we remember God's providence and 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:17.190 his delivery for us and his people. Another example, 00:15:17.250 --> 00:15:20.929 certainly to the disciples, right at this moment 00:15:20.929 --> 00:15:24.289 when Jesus is giving them the instruction for 00:15:24.289 --> 00:15:28.509 communion and to remember them, to remember him, 00:15:28.629 --> 00:15:34.090 and also for the early Jewish church is the implements 00:15:34.090 --> 00:15:38.850 or the elements of the Passover meal, right? 00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:42.539 The Passover meal, each element actually has 00:15:42.539 --> 00:15:45.879 a significance of a remembrance. So, for instance, 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:51.320 the different elements are there to remind them 00:15:51.320 --> 00:15:55.500 of their bondage in Egypt, God's salvation, through 00:15:55.500 --> 00:15:57.639 the blood of the Passover lamb, you know, with 00:15:57.639 --> 00:16:00.259 the blood on the doorposts and the lentil, right? 00:16:01.259 --> 00:16:05.559 Also you could look at the element of the unleavened 00:16:05.559 --> 00:16:08.379 bread. The unleavened bread was a symbol of sin, 00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:12.070 of having no sin. right? So, the leaven was sin. 00:16:12.169 --> 00:16:14.149 You would take the leaven out of the bread, and 00:16:14.149 --> 00:16:17.509 that was to represent being sinless and pure 00:16:17.509 --> 00:16:20.309 before the Lord. We do that with the striped 00:16:20.309 --> 00:16:23.149 cracker, right? That is, in essence, unleavened 00:16:23.149 --> 00:16:25.769 bread. It doesn't rise. It doesn't puff up or 00:16:25.769 --> 00:16:30.070 whatever. That's the symbol for it. The bitter 00:16:30.070 --> 00:16:32.629 herbs, they would eat bitter herbs, and they 00:16:32.629 --> 00:16:35.929 would dip them in salt water. Well, the bitter 00:16:35.929 --> 00:16:37.909 herbs were to remind them of the bitterness and 00:16:37.909 --> 00:16:41.389 harshness of their bondage, of their slavery, 00:16:41.409 --> 00:16:45.250 and the salt water was to remind them of their 00:16:45.250 --> 00:16:48.750 tears and their cries out to the Lord for salvation, 00:16:49.090 --> 00:16:52.049 right? There was even the symbol of, I think 00:16:52.049 --> 00:16:55.500 it was... chopped up apples or something and 00:16:55.500 --> 00:16:59.259 nuts, and that was to represent, remind them 00:16:59.259 --> 00:17:01.440 of their hardship in having to build the bricks 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:03.620 with the mortar and all that. I mean, all these 00:17:03.620 --> 00:17:06.359 elements mean something, not just for the sake 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:08.720 of meaning something, but for the sake of causing 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:14.519 them to remember what God had done, what the 00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:19.119 purpose of the Passover meal really was for. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:23.400 You know, the words remembrance, remember, or 00:17:23.400 --> 00:17:28.359 the derivative of either of those words, that 00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:33.519 is found over 200 times in the Old Testament. 00:17:34.259 --> 00:17:37.619 The call to remember, or remember this, or remember 00:17:37.619 --> 00:17:42.039 that, 200 times. So what I want to do is I want 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:49.200 to share with you that just as... the early Jewish 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:53.539 church, and as the Jewish nation had been called 00:17:53.539 --> 00:17:58.119 to remember God through the Old Testament, I 00:17:58.119 --> 00:17:59.880 want to show you what that looks like. So, I'm 00:17:59.880 --> 00:18:01.839 going to read through some verses just so you 00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:05.140 can get a feel for what that would mean to them 00:18:05.140 --> 00:18:09.579 as they see God in the Old Testament Scriptures. 00:18:09.940 --> 00:18:13.480 So, Genesis 9 verses 15, for example, it says, 00:18:14.190 --> 00:18:17.410 I will remember my covenant between me and you 00:18:17.410 --> 00:18:19.960 and all the living creatures. water will never 00:18:19.960 --> 00:18:22.700 again become a flood to destroy every creature. 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:27.140 Genesis 9, 16, the bow will be in the clouds 00:18:27.140 --> 00:18:30.440 and I will look at it and remember the permanent 00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:32.920 covenant between God and all the living creatures 00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:38.200 on the earth. Genesis 19, 29, so it was when 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:41.240 God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered 00:18:41.240 --> 00:18:44.859 Abraham and brought out Lot of the middle of 00:18:44.859 --> 00:18:47.660 the upheaval when he demolished the cities where 00:18:47.660 --> 00:18:59.299 Lot had lived. Genesis 30, 22. Exodus 2, 24. 00:18:59.720 --> 00:19:02.619 God heard their groaning and God remembered his 00:19:02.619 --> 00:19:05.980 covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:10.559 Exodus 3 .15, God also said to Moses, say this 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:13.480 to the Israelites, the Lord, the God of your 00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:16.700 ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, 00:19:16.819 --> 00:19:20.180 and the God of Jacob has sent me to you. This 00:19:20.180 --> 00:19:23.819 is my name forever. This is how I am to be remembered 00:19:23.819 --> 00:19:28.779 in every generation. Exodus 13 .3, then Moses 00:19:28.779 --> 00:19:31.640 said to the people, remember this day when you 00:19:31.640 --> 00:19:33.960 came out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, 00:19:33.980 --> 00:19:37.619 for the Lord brought you out of here by the strength 00:19:37.619 --> 00:19:41.440 of his hand. Nothing leaven shall be eaten. Exodus 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:45.619 28, remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. 00:19:46.509 --> 00:19:49.970 Exodus 20, 24, make an earth an altar to me and 00:19:49.970 --> 00:19:53.269 sacrifice it on your burnt offerings and fellowship 00:19:53.269 --> 00:19:56.190 offerings, your flocks and herds. I will come 00:19:56.190 --> 00:19:59.450 to you and bless you in every place where I cause 00:19:59.450 --> 00:20:05.769 my name to be remembered. Numbers 10, 10. Also, 00:20:05.789 --> 00:20:08.710 in the day of rejoicing and in your set feasts 00:20:08.710 --> 00:20:10.589 and at the beginning of your months, you shall 00:20:10.589 --> 00:20:13.490 blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and 00:20:13.490 --> 00:20:16.690 your peace offerings. Thus it may be a remembrance 00:20:16.690 --> 00:20:22.809 before your God. I am the Lord your God. Numbers 00:20:22.809 --> 00:20:27.269 15 .40, this way you will remember and obey all 00:20:27.269 --> 00:20:30.990 my commands and be holy to your God. Deuteronomy 00:20:30.990 --> 00:20:34.789 5 .15, remember that you were a slave in the 00:20:34.789 --> 00:20:37.349 land of Egypt and the Lord your God brought you 00:20:37.349 --> 00:20:39.809 out of there with a strong hand and an outstretched 00:20:39.809 --> 00:20:42.990 arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded 00:20:42.990 --> 00:20:46.869 you to keep the Sabbath day. And Deuteronomy 00:20:46.869 --> 00:20:51.430 32 .7, remember the days of old. Consider the 00:20:51.430 --> 00:20:55.509 years of past generations. Ask your father, and 00:20:55.509 --> 00:20:59.170 he will tell you, your elders, and they will 00:20:59.170 --> 00:21:05.549 teach you. Remember, remember, remember again 00:21:05.549 --> 00:21:08.789 and again. And that's only the first five books 00:21:08.789 --> 00:21:13.529 of the Bible. This is how important God believes 00:21:13.529 --> 00:21:19.710 that your remembrance of him truly is. And it's 00:21:19.710 --> 00:21:21.970 not just the remembering of the specific events 00:21:21.970 --> 00:21:25.109 or the characteristic of God in that particular 00:21:25.109 --> 00:21:29.490 situation, but really the meaning behind remembrance. 00:21:29.650 --> 00:21:33.890 And I believe God's desire in you remembering 00:21:33.890 --> 00:21:38.509 Him in these things is so that you recall the 00:21:38.509 --> 00:21:44.470 gravity of it all behind it. For instance, it's 00:21:44.470 --> 00:21:47.230 not just that He wanted them to remember that 00:21:47.230 --> 00:21:50.819 they were slaves. Anybody can remember that, 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:59.099 right? But what it meant to remember was that 00:21:59.099 --> 00:22:03.599 you remembered what it was to be a slave as an 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:09.259 individual and as a people. You remembered what 00:22:09.259 --> 00:22:13.960 it meant to be delivered, and not by just a mere 00:22:13.960 --> 00:22:20.599 man, but by their God. And they remembered what 00:22:20.599 --> 00:22:27.680 it meant that God was righteous, that God was 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:34.259 holy, that God was powerful, and that strength, 00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:39.400 and full of strength, and what that meant in 00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:43.299 comparison to themselves, being a people who 00:22:43.299 --> 00:22:49.670 were unrighteous, unholy, impotent. and weak 00:22:49.670 --> 00:22:54.849 in comparison to their God who loved them and 00:22:54.849 --> 00:22:59.990 who delivered them. True remembrance is not just 00:22:59.990 --> 00:23:04.829 recall or a casual reminder. It's a deep consideration 00:23:04.829 --> 00:23:08.210 of the event and the ramifications of what has 00:23:08.210 --> 00:23:13.609 transpired, as well as a deep reflection of all 00:23:13.609 --> 00:23:19.670 those involved. So, what about the early Gentile 00:23:19.670 --> 00:23:22.990 believers who would later on hear the words of 00:23:22.990 --> 00:23:27.250 Jesus when He said, do this in remembrance of 00:23:27.250 --> 00:23:31.730 Me? What does that mean for them? I mean, really, 00:23:31.890 --> 00:23:35.329 they are obviously different than the disciples, 00:23:35.589 --> 00:23:39.210 right? They came later, right? They're a little 00:23:39.210 --> 00:23:42.839 different than the… the early church that was 00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:45.440 made up of Jews, right? They didn't have the 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:48.619 same history, the same instruction that they 00:23:48.619 --> 00:23:51.539 had already been drawing on to look back and 00:23:51.539 --> 00:23:55.279 remember what God had done and incorporate that 00:23:55.279 --> 00:23:58.079 into their understanding then of who Jesus was 00:23:58.079 --> 00:24:01.880 as they were celebrating communion and recognizing 00:24:01.880 --> 00:24:04.980 who He was. They didn't have the direct interaction 00:24:04.980 --> 00:24:10.000 with Jesus like the disciples. So what did the 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:15.140 call to remember look like to them? Well, I think 00:24:15.140 --> 00:24:16.680 maybe instead of looking at what they didn't 00:24:16.680 --> 00:24:18.920 have, maybe we should look at what they did have. 00:24:19.380 --> 00:24:24.880 So what they did have was that some of them, 00:24:24.900 --> 00:24:28.039 at least some of them, had memories of hearing 00:24:28.039 --> 00:24:34.799 Jesus speak. They actually had been in the crowds. 00:24:35.690 --> 00:24:38.049 When Jesus was teaching, like say when he was 00:24:38.049 --> 00:24:42.309 in Judea and he was giving the, what we call 00:24:42.309 --> 00:24:44.470 the Sermon on the Mount. Perhaps they were part 00:24:44.470 --> 00:24:48.450 of that crowd. Or perhaps they were either a 00:24:48.450 --> 00:24:52.150 Greek or a Roman that was in Jerusalem. You know, 00:24:52.150 --> 00:24:55.130 when Jesus was in Jerusalem and teaching in the 00:24:55.130 --> 00:24:57.789 outer courts of the temple. Maybe they actually 00:24:57.789 --> 00:25:00.049 did hear him or his words. So they would have 00:25:00.049 --> 00:25:04.009 that memory to draw from. Also, there were others 00:25:04.009 --> 00:25:08.170 that had testimonies from those who had heard 00:25:08.170 --> 00:25:10.190 Jesus speak, their friends and their family, 00:25:10.269 --> 00:25:12.769 right, who happened to be in those same types 00:25:12.769 --> 00:25:14.430 of circumstances, but now they're getting it 00:25:14.430 --> 00:25:17.650 maybe second or third hand. But they can draw 00:25:17.650 --> 00:25:22.450 then on that, what their testimonies were of 00:25:22.450 --> 00:25:25.789 having heard those things personally. As you 00:25:25.789 --> 00:25:28.670 continue on, you know, down the line, kind of 00:25:28.670 --> 00:25:31.009 like, as I said in first service, kind of like 00:25:31.009 --> 00:25:33.230 telephone, but not really the game telephone, 00:25:33.450 --> 00:25:36.329 right? But more and more as you go down the line, 00:25:36.650 --> 00:25:43.690 their interaction with Jesus' words are the words, 00:25:43.690 --> 00:25:45.809 the letters, and the teachings of the apostles, 00:25:46.109 --> 00:25:50.009 right? Testifying that Jesus is the Messiah and 00:25:50.009 --> 00:25:52.230 Savior of the world, the only true God and the 00:25:52.230 --> 00:25:56.140 only one who could save them. And also they had 00:25:56.140 --> 00:25:58.019 the testimony of their own family members or 00:25:58.019 --> 00:26:00.720 friends who had experienced forgiveness, restoration, 00:26:00.920 --> 00:26:04.420 maybe they even experienced healing or a filling 00:26:04.420 --> 00:26:08.140 of the Holy Spirit, all in the name of Jesus, 00:26:08.259 --> 00:26:13.819 the Creator and Lamb of God. And then lastly, 00:26:13.880 --> 00:26:17.660 what they had was their own testimonies. testimonies 00:26:17.660 --> 00:26:19.819 of what God had done in their own lives, now 00:26:19.819 --> 00:26:22.740 transformed and changed, works that He had begun 00:26:22.740 --> 00:26:26.359 to do in their lives, changes that they had seen. 00:26:26.440 --> 00:26:28.640 They were once like this, but now they're like 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:33.440 this in Christ. They had that to draw on, coming 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:38.660 from Jesus. So kind of what you see is you go 00:26:38.660 --> 00:26:41.680 from the very personal and central, and you keep 00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:45.450 going farther and farther removed. and then farther 00:26:45.450 --> 00:26:49.710 and farther removed. But the beauty of that is 00:26:49.710 --> 00:26:52.609 that these people over here who seem to be farther 00:26:52.609 --> 00:26:54.670 and farther removed, they actually have more 00:26:54.670 --> 00:26:57.230 tools and resources maybe than the disciples 00:26:57.230 --> 00:27:00.890 themselves, right? That's God and God's providence. 00:27:01.309 --> 00:27:04.849 We get to, just like the Jews did, look backwards 00:27:04.849 --> 00:27:09.170 and see what the Lord has done. So they weren't 00:27:09.170 --> 00:27:12.740 left out in the cold, right? The early Gentile 00:27:12.740 --> 00:27:15.059 church certainly had the tools to work with. 00:27:15.579 --> 00:27:21.119 But here we are 10 ,000, no. So here we are 2 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:24.380 ,000 years later, right? So what do these words 00:27:24.380 --> 00:27:30.140 mean to us today, right? We're very far removed. 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:34.799 We don't know anybody personally who knew or 00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:41.059 heard Jesus. We're left with... writings. We're 00:27:41.059 --> 00:27:44.819 left with testimonies. So what does it mean? 00:27:44.920 --> 00:27:48.119 Well, it essentially means the same thing, that 00:27:48.119 --> 00:27:51.420 it meant for all of those who came before. But 00:27:51.420 --> 00:27:53.859 again, we have the greater blessing because we 00:27:53.859 --> 00:27:58.099 get to draw from all of it, not only those testimonies 00:27:58.099 --> 00:28:00.160 of people who were with Jesus or knew Jesus, 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:03.500 but we actually get to draw on the Old Testament. 00:28:04.430 --> 00:28:08.650 Just like the Gentile church, the early Gentile 00:28:08.650 --> 00:28:11.230 church, even though that wasn't their history, 00:28:11.410 --> 00:28:15.650 they got to draw on that knowing that Jesus Himself 00:28:15.650 --> 00:28:20.609 had talked about Himself as being God, that same 00:28:20.609 --> 00:28:24.180 God. God the Son. And so they could dive into 00:28:24.180 --> 00:28:26.799 that word as well. And they weren't looking at 00:28:26.799 --> 00:28:28.960 it though from their own perspective of this 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:30.740 is my shared history, but they're looking at 00:28:30.740 --> 00:28:33.940 it from the perspective of this is what God did 00:28:33.940 --> 00:28:36.559 in the life of the people that He set aside for 00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:39.779 Himself. This is how He revealed Himself to them. 00:28:39.900 --> 00:28:43.039 This is the work that He did in and within them. 00:28:43.140 --> 00:28:45.980 This is how He saved them, delivered them, redeemed 00:28:45.980 --> 00:28:48.779 them. This is all the plan that He has done. 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:52.279 And the glory to God, he has extended the same 00:28:52.279 --> 00:28:55.799 thing to me and grafted me into that family. 00:28:57.640 --> 00:29:02.500 This is what I think it means or should mean 00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:08.000 to us today. And this is what I believe Jesus 00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:11.079 is saying. If I were to, of course, this is what 00:29:11.079 --> 00:29:14.420 we all do. We take God's simple words and we 00:29:14.420 --> 00:29:17.140 expand them all when the simple words are probably 00:29:17.140 --> 00:29:21.809 enough. but play with me. This is what I believe 00:29:21.809 --> 00:29:26.130 Jesus is saying. Remember and cause your heart, 00:29:26.210 --> 00:29:32.309 soul, and mind to dwell upon every time you gather 00:29:32.309 --> 00:29:36.690 and partake of the Lord's table. Everything that 00:29:36.690 --> 00:29:41.549 I am, everything I've done, my faithful and unyielding 00:29:41.549 --> 00:29:45.269 love in your life, as it was in the lives of 00:29:45.269 --> 00:29:49.049 those who came before you. Remember my teaching 00:29:49.049 --> 00:29:52.289 and admonitions to hear my voice and follow me. 00:29:52.750 --> 00:29:56.869 Remember that you were a lost sinner who dwelt 00:29:56.869 --> 00:30:00.089 in darkness and faced judgment. Remember your 00:30:00.089 --> 00:30:04.470 need for forgiveness and your need for me. Remember 00:30:04.470 --> 00:30:08.470 my suffering. Remember my horrific death and 00:30:08.470 --> 00:30:13.609 sacrifice for your sake. Remember my power over 00:30:13.609 --> 00:30:17.160 sin, hell, death, and the grave. as evidenced 00:30:17.160 --> 00:30:21.900 by my resurrection. Remember the gift of my Holy 00:30:21.900 --> 00:30:24.640 Spirit to you and those who came before you. 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:29.359 Remember my complete word as a means and a tool 00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:33.960 to help you remember all of these things. And 00:30:33.960 --> 00:30:38.380 remember the hope of my glorious return for my 00:30:38.380 --> 00:30:44.720 church. Did you do that before you came today? 00:30:46.029 --> 00:30:50.329 Do you remember all that? Let me ask you another 00:30:50.329 --> 00:30:53.809 question. And this question is not, I repeat, 00:30:54.009 --> 00:30:58.710 is not to bring condemnation. Because I ask the 00:30:58.710 --> 00:31:02.970 question of myself, right? I know that I am woefully 00:31:02.970 --> 00:31:07.349 lacking in this area. So I ask myself this question. 00:31:08.250 --> 00:31:12.700 But ultimately my hope... is that what it does 00:31:12.700 --> 00:31:14.960 in asking the question and finding the answer 00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:18.579 is that it builds up or it shores up the walls, 00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:23.180 so to speak. So here's the question to you. What 00:31:23.180 --> 00:31:26.440 did you do to prepare for the Lord's table this 00:31:26.440 --> 00:31:31.859 morning? Where have your thoughts been as we 00:31:31.859 --> 00:31:36.160 made our way here today? Where have your thoughts 00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:38.880 been while you're sitting here listening to me 00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:45.640 ramble on? Perhaps your answer is, well, my thoughts 00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:51.259 have been on Jesus. It's Sunday, of course. How 00:31:51.259 --> 00:31:56.819 could I ever forget about Jesus? You know, to 00:31:56.819 --> 00:32:00.640 what degree is it possible for us to forget about 00:32:00.640 --> 00:32:05.359 Jesus, right? And I'm not talking about the wholesale 00:32:05.359 --> 00:32:09.569 forgetting. that Jesus existed or that He did 00:32:09.569 --> 00:32:12.769 this or He did that while He was on earth. I'm 00:32:12.769 --> 00:32:16.369 not even talking about similar forgetting of 00:32:16.369 --> 00:32:19.190 God and the things that He did in the Old Testament 00:32:19.190 --> 00:32:23.109 or the New Testament. What I'm speaking of is 00:32:23.109 --> 00:32:27.049 a forgetting or a laying aside of all that that 00:32:27.049 --> 00:32:33.349 truly means. In other words, having a head knowledge 00:32:33.349 --> 00:32:38.490 rather than a heart knowledge. Now, I don't know 00:32:38.490 --> 00:32:41.650 about you, but one of the most difficult times 00:32:41.650 --> 00:32:46.869 to remain focused on Jesus is when I'm getting 00:32:46.869 --> 00:32:49.369 ready to come to church on Sunday morning, right? 00:32:50.109 --> 00:32:55.630 So this is how this generally goes for me. First, 00:32:55.950 --> 00:33:01.109 the alarm doesn't go off, or more likely, I don't 00:33:01.109 --> 00:33:04.289 get up on time. Then the water in the shower 00:33:04.289 --> 00:33:08.369 is too cold or too hot. My clothes are wrinkled 00:33:08.369 --> 00:33:10.630 because, well, the dryer didn't get them drying. 00:33:11.170 --> 00:33:14.069 The coffee maker didn't work. My car is out of 00:33:14.069 --> 00:33:16.910 gas. We're running late. Hurry up, hurry up, 00:33:16.930 --> 00:33:20.349 hurry up. And then if you have kids, multiply 00:33:20.349 --> 00:33:26.109 that by 20. Where was my remembrance of Jesus 00:33:26.109 --> 00:33:30.529 during all of that? Or what about when you get 00:33:30.529 --> 00:33:33.650 here and you're in the sanctuary, right, during 00:33:33.650 --> 00:33:39.039 service? This is how my thoughts track, right? 00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:44.099 What is that person doing over there? Who is 00:33:44.099 --> 00:33:47.000 that guy with the funny hair? Who is that guy 00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:50.299 without hair? Why does the worship team insist 00:33:50.299 --> 00:33:54.539 on picking that song? The sound guys are not 00:33:54.539 --> 00:33:57.519 on their game today. The media guys can't seem 00:33:57.519 --> 00:34:02.980 to flip the slides. Genesis again? It's too hot 00:34:02.980 --> 00:34:06.650 in here. It's too cold in here. I wonder how 00:34:06.650 --> 00:34:10.730 long this is going to go today. What do I want 00:34:10.730 --> 00:34:15.489 for lunch? Communion 2? Maybe they'll cut the 00:34:15.489 --> 00:34:20.909 last song. How can we possibly lose our memory 00:34:20.909 --> 00:34:25.670 of Jesus? The preacher Charles Spurgeon put it 00:34:25.670 --> 00:34:31.070 this way. He said, alas, alas, our thoughts. 00:34:31.639 --> 00:34:34.639 if left to themselves, are as a cage of unclean 00:34:34.639 --> 00:34:39.739 birds or a den of wild beasts. And as Hercules 00:34:39.739 --> 00:34:42.500 needed a stream of water to clean out the filthy 00:34:42.500 --> 00:34:46.860 stable, so our Lord Jesus Christ needed to pour 00:34:46.860 --> 00:34:51.380 rivers of water out of his own heart to cleanse 00:34:51.380 --> 00:34:57.139 the foul stable of our corrupt thoughts. And 00:34:57.139 --> 00:35:00.880 that's the key, right? We can't remember Jesus 00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:04.280 without exercising the tools and the power of 00:35:04.280 --> 00:35:07.500 the Spirit that He's given us. And what are those 00:35:07.500 --> 00:35:12.360 tools? Well, it's as we've been saying since 00:35:12.360 --> 00:35:16.300 the very beginning. The tools are our remembrance 00:35:16.300 --> 00:35:21.039 and deep reflection on the Word of God, our testimony 00:35:21.039 --> 00:35:24.300 of the work of God in our lives, and the testimony 00:35:24.300 --> 00:35:28.030 of others, and the work... of the Spirit of God 00:35:28.030 --> 00:35:33.130 in and around us. And it's only through the exercising 00:35:33.130 --> 00:35:35.809 of those tools and the power of the Spirit that 00:35:35.809 --> 00:35:40.150 we can enter into a true remembrance of Jesus. 00:35:41.469 --> 00:35:45.190 Not the surface, factual, cursory remembrance 00:35:45.190 --> 00:35:49.309 of His existence, but the deep remembrance of 00:35:49.309 --> 00:35:55.070 all He was and all He is and all He will be. 00:35:55.760 --> 00:36:00.460 and all he has done, and all he is doing, and 00:36:00.460 --> 00:36:05.039 all that he will do as Lord and King of all. 00:36:05.639 --> 00:36:10.940 A true flooding of your heart, soul, and mind 00:36:10.940 --> 00:36:19.179 of his very being and essence. And what is the 00:36:19.179 --> 00:36:23.159 effect of beholding him in his glory? his power 00:36:23.159 --> 00:36:25.780 and strength, and remembering all that he's done 00:36:25.780 --> 00:36:31.579 in order to ransom your soul from hell and judgment. 00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:37.920 Well, when we focus on him and acknowledge his 00:36:37.920 --> 00:36:41.239 position as Lord and King of all, our Savior, 00:36:41.420 --> 00:36:44.960 our forgiveness, the one who bore our stripes, 00:36:45.300 --> 00:36:49.760 our sacrifice for our sin, our comfort, and the 00:36:49.760 --> 00:36:54.340 very air we breathe, It's at that point that 00:36:54.340 --> 00:36:59.699 humility comes in, and we see our position compared 00:36:59.699 --> 00:37:05.159 to His, and realize the depths and unthinkable 00:37:05.159 --> 00:37:11.119 lengths that Jesus went to redeem us, to redeem 00:37:11.119 --> 00:37:18.800 me, a wretch, unworthy of even a glance from 00:37:18.800 --> 00:37:22.940 the Creator King. And it's out of this humility 00:37:22.940 --> 00:37:28.760 that gratitude and praise can be birthed. It's 00:37:28.760 --> 00:37:32.800 at this moment that I slide off the throne of 00:37:32.800 --> 00:37:37.659 my heart. And the king takes his rightful place. 00:37:39.099 --> 00:37:43.820 Now I can worship and proclaim my remembrance 00:37:43.820 --> 00:37:49.159 of him from my heart and my soul and my mind 00:37:49.159 --> 00:37:55.090 and mouth. for his good pleasure, and as my testimony 00:37:55.090 --> 00:38:00.869 to the world. So I'm sure some of you are saying, 00:38:01.170 --> 00:38:06.929 Pastor Ron, that all sounds great. But how do 00:38:06.929 --> 00:38:09.650 we begin to practically put this into practice? 00:38:12.170 --> 00:38:17.570 Well, I don't know what to tell you. Because... 00:38:18.159 --> 00:38:21.300 How you begin is the same way you begin with 00:38:21.300 --> 00:38:26.940 so many other points of your walk with God. And 00:38:26.940 --> 00:38:31.699 that is, it begins with opening up His Word daily. 00:38:32.880 --> 00:38:36.940 No way around it. You have to open up His Word 00:38:36.940 --> 00:38:44.019 to see Him. And you have to read what He reveals 00:38:44.019 --> 00:38:50.500 about Himself in that Word. The entirety of the 00:38:50.500 --> 00:38:55.099 book speaks of Him. And I'm not merely talking 00:38:55.099 --> 00:38:57.800 about reading it like you would a grocery list 00:38:57.800 --> 00:39:01.360 or a history book. I'm talking about reading 00:39:01.360 --> 00:39:04.840 His Word with the intention of finding Him in 00:39:04.840 --> 00:39:07.219 the pages and then the testimonies within the 00:39:07.219 --> 00:39:10.639 book, just like the disciples did when remembering 00:39:10.639 --> 00:39:14.760 the words of the Torah, the story of the first 00:39:14.760 --> 00:39:18.570 Passover. the Psalms, the prophets, just like 00:39:18.570 --> 00:39:22.469 the early church did and just like each of us 00:39:22.469 --> 00:39:27.030 is encouraged and instructed to do. Sometimes 00:39:27.030 --> 00:39:31.449 it's easy. It's just there. When you read it, 00:39:31.550 --> 00:39:35.650 you see God, you see Jesus in all his glory and 00:39:35.650 --> 00:39:41.090 wonder. But sometimes it takes more work. But 00:39:41.090 --> 00:39:46.199 he is always there. I'm going to give you one 00:39:46.199 --> 00:39:49.380 example real quick. You know, when Pastor Nathan 00:39:49.380 --> 00:39:54.260 so graciously asked me to teach today, and this 00:39:54.260 --> 00:40:01.380 was a number of weeks ago, I had an idea of where 00:40:01.380 --> 00:40:03.840 I was going to go and what I was going to teach. 00:40:03.920 --> 00:40:07.099 And what I thought I was going to teach about 00:40:07.099 --> 00:40:11.400 was in the book of Ruth, right? I have a history 00:40:11.400 --> 00:40:15.110 with the book of Ruth because When I first started 00:40:15.110 --> 00:40:18.590 coming to Hosanna, before then, I had been at 00:40:18.590 --> 00:40:21.929 several different types of churches and denominations 00:40:21.929 --> 00:40:27.030 throughout my early life. And it wasn't until 00:40:27.030 --> 00:40:33.630 I was here at Hosanna that I heard the Word preached 00:40:33.630 --> 00:40:38.090 verse by verse and chapter by chapter in context. 00:40:38.429 --> 00:40:42.719 And it wasn't until that journey that I started 00:40:42.719 --> 00:40:49.639 to actually see, really see God in it all. And 00:40:49.639 --> 00:40:56.019 I think the second book that we were setting 00:40:56.019 --> 00:40:57.920 in when I first started here was the book of 00:40:57.920 --> 00:41:01.440 Ruth. The book of Ruth is a beautiful story, 00:41:01.639 --> 00:41:04.679 and I'm excited to eventually get to that book 00:41:04.679 --> 00:41:09.630 too, right? But the book of Ruth just... As a 00:41:09.630 --> 00:41:12.969 quick reminder is the story of Ruth, who was 00:41:12.969 --> 00:41:16.829 a Gentile widow, who had a mother -in -law named 00:41:16.829 --> 00:41:21.409 Naomi, and famine in the land, they came back 00:41:21.409 --> 00:41:27.550 to Israel, and Ruth committed herself to taking 00:41:27.550 --> 00:41:31.730 care of Naomi and staying with her, and Naomi's 00:41:31.730 --> 00:41:35.250 God being her God and putting away her Gentile 00:41:35.250 --> 00:41:38.980 gods for forever. And then in the story, you 00:41:38.980 --> 00:41:41.300 know, there's this question of, well, what's 00:41:41.300 --> 00:41:46.119 going to happen to Ruth as a widow? And the Lord 00:41:46.119 --> 00:41:50.760 leads her to Boaz. And Boaz has the title that 00:41:50.760 --> 00:41:54.179 will be brought forth and is often brought forth 00:41:54.179 --> 00:41:58.000 that he is the kinsman redeemer, right? Boaz 00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:01.539 is the picture of Christ, right? And Ruth is 00:42:01.539 --> 00:42:05.750 the picture of us. right, in our lost state and 00:42:05.750 --> 00:42:08.489 the one who is being redeemed. And it's just, 00:42:08.570 --> 00:42:12.730 it's a beautiful, beautiful story, not just because 00:42:12.730 --> 00:42:15.769 it's a beautiful story about Ruth and Boaz, but 00:42:15.769 --> 00:42:17.750 it's a beautiful story because it's about Christ 00:42:17.750 --> 00:42:21.730 and us, right? So, I'm reading through the book 00:42:21.730 --> 00:42:25.389 of Ruth, and it's been a while since I had read 00:42:25.389 --> 00:42:27.050 the book, and I'm just going through it verse 00:42:27.050 --> 00:42:29.329 by verse, and I can't tell you how many times 00:42:29.329 --> 00:42:35.260 I just had to stop. and go, wow, he's right there. 00:42:41.239 --> 00:42:46.320 God is right there. And one verse in particular, 00:42:46.400 --> 00:42:49.920 where Ruth has gone into the threshing floor, 00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:53.179 and she's laying at Boaz's feet at night, and 00:42:53.179 --> 00:42:56.199 he wakes up in the morning and finds her there, 00:42:56.280 --> 00:42:57.500 and it's like, what are you doing here? Well, 00:42:57.619 --> 00:43:01.579 don't worry about it. I'll take care of this. 00:43:02.059 --> 00:43:04.659 And what the verse says, and I don't have it 00:43:04.659 --> 00:43:06.239 in front of me, but in essence what the verse 00:43:06.239 --> 00:43:09.719 says is that Boaz looks at Ruth and he says, 00:43:09.940 --> 00:43:15.500 Ruth, I have seen you and I know what you have 00:43:15.500 --> 00:43:20.260 done in committing to Naomi and the love that 00:43:20.260 --> 00:43:23.900 you've given her. And I've seen how you've committed 00:43:23.900 --> 00:43:29.900 yourself to our God. And I've seen how You have 00:43:29.900 --> 00:43:33.679 conducted yourself in all of that and you're 00:43:33.679 --> 00:43:39.519 respected and admired by many. And then he says, 00:43:39.739 --> 00:43:48.039 stay here close to me. Don't go anywhere or with 00:43:48.039 --> 00:43:56.139 anyone else. And then he says, I know what has 00:43:56.139 --> 00:44:02.880 to be done. and I will do it until it is completed. 00:44:11.599 --> 00:44:14.219 That's the kind of reading that I'm describing, 00:44:14.280 --> 00:44:22.239 because how can you not see the Lord? How can 00:44:22.239 --> 00:44:26.739 you not see yourself in that place? And where 00:44:26.739 --> 00:44:31.789 he says, I've seen you. And you've committed 00:44:31.789 --> 00:44:36.849 yourself to me. And so I tell you, do not leave 00:44:36.849 --> 00:44:43.530 me. Stay close. I need to perfect your salvation. 00:44:45.110 --> 00:44:49.750 I know what has to be done. I know what I have 00:44:49.750 --> 00:44:54.389 to sacrifice. I know what I have to give to pay. 00:44:55.769 --> 00:45:08.119 And I... We'll do it until it is completed. And 00:45:08.119 --> 00:45:09.420 maybe you're sitting there and you're going, 00:45:09.579 --> 00:45:15.800 Ron, you're really emotional. And I'm just not 00:45:15.800 --> 00:45:19.980 that way. I'm just not built that way. And you 00:45:19.980 --> 00:45:24.059 know, I can only say this to you, is that When 00:45:24.059 --> 00:45:27.260 I get emotional about seeing God in the Bible, 00:45:27.400 --> 00:45:31.800 that comes unbidden. I am not looking to be that 00:45:31.800 --> 00:45:34.699 way. It's downright embarrassing to do that, 00:45:34.739 --> 00:45:38.239 right? I want to be strong. I want to be seen 00:45:38.239 --> 00:45:43.079 as strong and all that, but it's simply a response 00:45:43.079 --> 00:45:47.920 to the revelation of God's greatness and His 00:45:47.920 --> 00:45:55.639 goodness towards me. Me. a sinful and undeserving 00:45:55.639 --> 00:46:01.780 worm who doesn't have to die now. Again, it's 00:46:01.780 --> 00:46:03.920 not just the head knowledge of knowing the fact 00:46:03.920 --> 00:46:08.360 of it all, but knowing it, truly knowing it, 00:46:08.460 --> 00:46:11.420 and feeling it through every fiber of my being, 00:46:11.599 --> 00:46:16.360 my heart, my soul, and my mind. You know, I think 00:46:16.360 --> 00:46:19.900 about the angels in heaven in Revelation. Revelation 00:46:19.900 --> 00:46:23.099 4, verse 8, and you've read this before with 00:46:23.099 --> 00:46:28.900 me before, and it says, Day and night they never 00:46:28.900 --> 00:46:35.340 stop saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, 00:46:35.480 --> 00:46:40.980 the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to 00:46:40.980 --> 00:46:45.690 come. Such is the power and the outcome of seeing 00:46:45.690 --> 00:46:49.190 the glory of God, even the smallest glimpse of 00:46:49.190 --> 00:46:52.769 it, and I think these angels know more about 00:46:52.769 --> 00:46:56.429 it than we currently do. And I hope that someday 00:46:56.429 --> 00:47:01.130 we're all right there in the same place. But 00:47:01.130 --> 00:47:03.849 until then, the only thing I can tell you is 00:47:03.849 --> 00:47:10.590 practice, practice, practice. Let's be on our 00:47:10.590 --> 00:47:14.070 guard. not to fall into the place of the church 00:47:14.070 --> 00:47:17.449 in Ephesus in Revelation 2 who had forgotten 00:47:17.449 --> 00:47:22.650 their first love. And if you're still not convinced 00:47:22.650 --> 00:47:26.349 or don't believe that the memory of Jesus is 00:47:26.349 --> 00:47:30.230 contained in the very life manual God has given 00:47:30.230 --> 00:47:34.070 us, the Bible, His Word, I'd like to read something 00:47:34.070 --> 00:47:38.130 for you that was recited many years ago by a 00:47:38.130 --> 00:47:41.690 young man named Josiah Willis. from Bent Tree 00:47:41.690 --> 00:47:45.250 Fellowship in Texas. And perhaps you've heard 00:47:45.250 --> 00:47:48.449 this before, you watched the video and saw it, 00:47:48.570 --> 00:47:54.849 but let me tell you, this bears remembrance. 00:47:55.769 --> 00:48:00.590 Okay, you ready? We're going to see how far I 00:48:00.590 --> 00:48:06.630 can get, how far I can get. And this is what 00:48:06.630 --> 00:48:09.030 it says. It's called Jesus Throughout the Bible. 00:48:11.630 --> 00:48:17.710 In Genesis, Jesus Christ is the breath of life. 00:48:19.130 --> 00:48:23.369 In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb. In Leviticus, 00:48:23.670 --> 00:48:26.929 He is our High Priest. In Numbers, He is the 00:48:26.929 --> 00:48:29.210 pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire 00:48:29.210 --> 00:48:32.809 by night. In Deuteronomy, He is the prophet like 00:48:32.809 --> 00:48:36.329 unto Moses. In Joshua, He is the captain of our 00:48:36.329 --> 00:48:40.469 salvation. In Judges, he is the judge and lawgiver. 00:48:40.650 --> 00:48:57.570 In Ruth, he is our kinsman redeemer. In 1 and 00:48:57.570 --> 00:49:01.550 2 Samuel, he is our trusted prophet. In Kings 00:49:01.550 --> 00:49:04.820 and Chronicles, he is the reigning king. In Ezra 00:49:04.820 --> 00:49:06.980 and Nehemiah, he is the rebuilder of the broken 00:49:06.980 --> 00:49:10.860 down walls of human life. In Esther, he is our 00:49:10.860 --> 00:49:17.539 Mordecai. In Job, he is our ever -living Redeemer. 00:49:19.699 --> 00:49:23.840 In Psalms, he is our shepherd. In Proverbs and 00:49:23.840 --> 00:49:27.440 Ecclesiastics, he is our wisdom. In the Song 00:49:27.440 --> 00:49:31.179 of Solomon, he is the loving bridegroom. In Isaiah, 00:49:31.380 --> 00:49:34.199 he is the prince of peace. In Jeremiah, he is 00:49:34.199 --> 00:49:37.099 the righteous branch. In Lamentations, he is 00:49:37.099 --> 00:49:40.559 our weeping prophet. In Ezekiel, he is the wonderful 00:49:40.559 --> 00:49:45.239 four -faced man. In Daniel, he is the fourth 00:49:45.239 --> 00:49:49.380 man in life's fiery furnace. In Hosea, he is 00:49:49.380 --> 00:49:52.320 the faithful husband forever married to the backslider. 00:49:52.590 --> 00:49:55.730 In Joel, he is the baptizer of the Holy Ghost 00:49:55.730 --> 00:49:59.130 and fire. In Amos, he is our burden bearer. In 00:49:59.130 --> 00:50:03.309 Obadiah, he is mighty to save. In Jonah, he is 00:50:03.309 --> 00:50:06.269 our great foreign missionary. In Micah, he is 00:50:06.269 --> 00:50:09.349 the messenger of beautiful feet. In Nahum, he 00:50:09.349 --> 00:50:12.530 is our strength and shield. In Habakkuk, he is 00:50:12.530 --> 00:50:16.010 God's evangelist crying, revive thy works in 00:50:16.010 --> 00:50:19.090 the midst of the years. In Zephaniah, he is our 00:50:19.090 --> 00:50:22.730 savior. In Haggai, he is the... story of God's 00:50:22.730 --> 00:50:25.750 lost heritage. In Zechariah, he is the fountain 00:50:25.750 --> 00:50:28.849 opened up in the house of David for sin and uncleanliness. 00:50:29.050 --> 00:50:31.449 And in Malachi, he is the son of righteousness 00:50:31.449 --> 00:50:35.329 rising with healing in his wings. In Matthew, 00:50:35.469 --> 00:50:39.469 he is the king of the Jews. In Mark, He is the 00:50:39.469 --> 00:50:42.989 servant. In Luke, he is the son of man, feeling 00:50:42.989 --> 00:50:46.210 what you feel. In John, he is the son of God. 00:50:46.449 --> 00:50:49.769 In Acts, he is the savior of the world. In Romans, 00:50:49.929 --> 00:50:52.750 he is the righteousness of God. In 1 Corinthians, 00:50:53.050 --> 00:50:56.309 he is the rock and father of Israel. In 2 Corinthians, 00:50:56.550 --> 00:50:59.909 he is the triumphant one given victory. In Galatians, 00:50:59.909 --> 00:51:03.829 he is your liberty. He has set you free. In Ephesians, 00:51:03.829 --> 00:51:08.539 he is the head. of the church. In Philippians, 00:51:08.659 --> 00:51:13.159 He is your joy. In Colossians, He is your completeness. 00:51:13.360 --> 00:51:16.840 In 1 and 2 Thessalonians, He is your hope. In 00:51:16.840 --> 00:51:20.460 1 Timothy, He is your faith. In 2 Timothy, He 00:51:20.460 --> 00:51:23.980 is your stability. In Titus, He is truth. In 00:51:23.980 --> 00:51:27.039 Philemon, He is your benefactor. In Hebrews, 00:51:27.239 --> 00:51:31.000 He is your perfection. In James, He is the power 00:51:31.000 --> 00:51:34.840 behind your faith. In 1 Peter, He is your example. 00:51:35.079 --> 00:51:39.340 In 2 Peter, he is your purity. In 1 John, he 00:51:39.340 --> 00:51:42.739 is your life. In 2 John, he is your pattern. 00:51:42.940 --> 00:51:47.219 In 3 John, he is your motivation. In Jude, he 00:51:47.219 --> 00:51:50.059 is the foundation of your faith. And in Revelation, 00:51:50.360 --> 00:52:05.980 he is your coming king. He is the first and the 00:52:05.980 --> 00:52:09.559 last, the beginning and the end. He is the keeper 00:52:09.559 --> 00:52:12.380 of creation and the creator of all. He is the 00:52:12.380 --> 00:52:14.840 architect of the universe and the manager of 00:52:14.840 --> 00:52:18.840 all times. He always was, He always is, and He 00:52:18.840 --> 00:52:22.619 always will be, unmoved, unchanged, undefeated, 00:52:22.639 --> 00:52:26.550 and never undone. He was bruised and brought 00:52:26.550 --> 00:52:29.989 healing. He was pierced in his pain. He was persecuted 00:52:29.989 --> 00:52:32.750 and brought freedom. He was dead and brought 00:52:32.750 --> 00:52:35.989 life. He is risen and brings power. He reigns 00:52:35.989 --> 00:52:38.289 and brings peace. The world can't understand 00:52:38.289 --> 00:52:40.989 him. The armies can't defeat him. The schools 00:52:40.989 --> 00:52:43.789 can't explain him, and the leaders can't ignore 00:52:43.789 --> 00:52:47.110 him. Herod couldn't kill him. The Pharisees couldn't 00:52:47.110 --> 00:52:50.590 confuse him. People couldn't hold him. Nero couldn't 00:52:50.590 --> 00:52:53.530 crush him. Hitler couldn't silence him. This 00:52:53.530 --> 00:52:56.510 age can't replace him, and science can't explain 00:52:56.510 --> 00:53:00.670 him away. He is life, love, longevity, and more. 00:53:00.929 --> 00:53:04.630 He is goodness, kindness, gentleness, and God. 00:53:04.889 --> 00:53:08.769 He is holy, righteous, mighty, powerful, and 00:53:08.769 --> 00:53:13.510 pure. His ways are right, and the word is eternal. 00:53:13.869 --> 00:53:18.699 He is unchanging, and his mind is on me. He is 00:53:18.699 --> 00:53:23.340 my redeemer. He is my savior. He is my guide. 00:53:23.559 --> 00:53:28.679 He is my peace. He is my joy. He is my comfort. 00:53:28.820 --> 00:53:42.360 He is my Lord. And he rules my life. Let's pray. 00:53:44.539 --> 00:53:51.090 God, thank you. Thank you for reminding us of 00:53:51.090 --> 00:53:56.250 who you are. Thank you for reminding us of what 00:53:56.250 --> 00:53:59.070 you have done, what you are doing, and what you 00:53:59.070 --> 00:54:02.730 will do. Thank you that you have saved us and 00:54:02.730 --> 00:54:05.170 you have redeemed us. Thank you that you gave 00:54:05.170 --> 00:54:08.849 your life for us as a sacrifice. God, we want 00:54:08.849 --> 00:54:12.929 to remember all of this about you and more. So, 00:54:12.969 --> 00:54:15.460 Lord, thank you for your word. that you've given 00:54:15.460 --> 00:54:18.440 us to always look back to. Thank you for the 00:54:18.440 --> 00:54:21.380 testimonies of those in the Old Testament and 00:54:21.380 --> 00:54:23.679 in the New Testament. Thank you for the teachings. 00:54:23.780 --> 00:54:27.199 Thank you for the letters and the encouragements 00:54:27.199 --> 00:54:30.340 within the words of the apostles and the letters 00:54:30.340 --> 00:54:33.219 to the church. Thank you, God, for the people 00:54:33.219 --> 00:54:36.559 that you surround us with today as we hear their 00:54:36.559 --> 00:54:39.360 testimonies of the wonderful works of God alive 00:54:39.360 --> 00:54:43.880 and in motion. in the lives of your people today. 00:54:44.019 --> 00:54:46.599 Thank you for what you have done in our lives 00:54:46.599 --> 00:54:49.780 and you continue to do in changing us and molding 00:54:49.780 --> 00:54:53.179 us and shaping us. Thank you, God, that you don't 00:54:53.179 --> 00:54:57.380 leave us where we begin, but you carry us forward 00:54:57.380 --> 00:55:00.340 until the work that you started is completed. 00:55:01.920 --> 00:55:06.380 Thank you, God, that you have given us the means 00:55:06.380 --> 00:55:12.320 and the tools to remember you. That as we enter 00:55:12.320 --> 00:55:16.659 into a time of communion, that as you have commanded 00:55:16.659 --> 00:55:22.559 us, and as we do this, we remember and do it 00:55:22.559 --> 00:55:30.179 in remembrance of you. Thank you. And it's in 00:55:30.179 --> 00:55:38.280 Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So, with all of this 00:55:38.280 --> 00:55:41.780 now, I'm going to ask the men of the communion 00:55:41.780 --> 00:55:44.599 board to go ahead and please come forward at 00:55:44.599 --> 00:55:48.719 this time. As we gather together as the body 00:55:48.719 --> 00:55:54.199 of Christ, His bride at the Lord's table. And 00:55:54.199 --> 00:55:58.980 let us enter in through the totality of remembrance 00:55:58.980 --> 00:56:04.619 of who He is, what He has done, and what He is 00:56:04.619 --> 00:56:09.300 doing, and what He will continue to do. until 00:56:09.300 --> 00:56:11.360 all things are complete.