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Summary

I think of Christmas I mentioned that in my sermon today we took a look at a portion of the great great hymn joy to the world so it's not surprising that perhaps Christmas was on my mind as I came to prepare this class there are there are so many great hymns aren't there and remember great hymns are those hymns that preach one of the great hymns associated with Christmas is the hymn what child is this just a beautiful rich hymn lifting up the imagery of Mary and the infant Jesus it's so beautiful there's a tranquility and a peacefulness about it but one of the stanzas that you sing some of the words are nails spear shall pierce him through the cross be born for me for you hail hail the word made flesh the babe the son of Mary it can be almost a shock when one comes to those words you surrounding the services of Christmas Eve it's such a beauty and the and the scene of the birth of the long anticipated Messiah of the world seen Mary and Joseph and the baby and there's this beautiful beautiful tranquility that surrounds that service service ending with silent night and the candles reminding us that Jesus Christ is the light of the world and so when you have a hymn associated with Christmas and oftentimes sung on Christmas Eve that talks about nails and spear piercing him through the cross be born for me and you it is almost a shock isn't it but that hymn is so helpful for us because it reminds us of why Jesus Christ came why there was the incarnation why there was the inflection of the second member of the Trinity Jesus came he was born to go to the cross he was born to bear our sin upon the wood of the cross that tree towers above all other trees in Holy Scripture is one was through the seasons of the church here I think also not only of Christmas I think also of a particular week holy week and one of the services of holy week is good Friday such a contrast isn't it the service on Christmas Eve the gradual extinguishing of lights the removal of the linens and the paramins the draping in terms of the black cloth that goes upon the pulpit and upon the altar we leave in silence we leave in darkness having been reminded in a special way of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ that service called good Friday which begs the question what what's good about it it is just as an incredible event that happens it is so unfair to the Lord Jesus Jesus never sinned and yet there he is receiving the death penalty on a cross between two guilty criminals looked at it from the human point of view one would have to say what is good about that how one how unjust is that that's why Friday has to be understood from the vantage point and the perspective of God because when we see it from God's perspective that's why we call that day good turn over please to the book of Hebrews the 12th chapter good way to find Hebrews is just a turn to the last book revelation start working your way slowly back towards Matthew you're going to cross over the Johns Peter James and then you come to the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 12 please verse 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God the joy that was set before our Lord was the joy of winning salvation for us remember when the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross he took our sin upon him he took the wrath of God that should fall upon us he took it upon himself he paid the penalty he cried out to tell the story paid in full the sin death paid and the joy that was set before him was the end result then of the cross forgiveness reconciliation redemption turn please to Isaiah the 53rd chapter good good way to find Isaiah is open up to the middle of the Bible you'll find Psalms and then start moving right Psalms Proverbs ecclesiasties song of Solomon and then Isaiah Isaiah chapter 53 verse 10 Isaiah 53 verse 10 yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain I like how the N.A.S.V the new American standard version translates that it says but the Lord was pleased to crush him and so this verse here that looks ahead to the Messiah on the cross the Lord was pleased to crush him because it's pleasure that which is born of what would come about because of the cross this incredible incredible act of God born of grace turn it with me now please to Matthew chapter 26 because I'd like to explore this with you this the greatest tree the cross of the Lord Jesus let's go to Matthew chapter 26 the first book in the New Testament Matthew chapter 26 and picking up in verse 36 then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and he said to his disciples sit here while I go over there and pray he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebede and began to be grieved and agitated then he said to them I am deeply grieved even to death remain here and stay awake with me and going a little farther he threw himself on the ground and prayed my father if it's possible let this cup pass from me yet not what I want but what you want then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping and he said to Peter so you could not stay awake with me one hour stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak again he went away for the second time and prayed my father if this cannot pass unless I drink it your will be done again he came and found them sleeping for their eyes were heavy so leaving them again he went away and prayed for the third time saying the same words then he came to the disciples and said to them are you still sleeping and taking your rest see the hour is at hand and the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners get up let us be going see my betrayer is at hand the very beginning of that reading is the reference to the place called Gethsemane to the garden Gasemani Gasemani had trees they were all of trees so here in a garden surrounded by trees there we find the Lord Jesus with that image in mind think back to what we studied in Genesis with the two trees in the garden for there in the garden our first parents Adam and Eve there they were surrounded by trees and it was there that all suffering began let's turn back there please to Genesis chapter 2 Genesis chapter 2 verse 16 Genesis 2 verse 16 and the Lord God commanded the man you may freely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it you shall die then now please to Genesis 3 picking up in verse 16 to the woman he said I will greatly increase your pangs and childbearing in pain that you shall bring forth children yet your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you just a little to side on that this of course is after the fall the desire here your desire shall be for your husband that word there in the Hebrew it means a hungering intent upon in other words because of sinfulness the the woman will want to dominate the man but notice the the same sin here that dominates the man it says yet your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you so born out of sinfulness what can so often manifest is a husband and a wife trying to trying to dominate the other that's all the result of the fall that is it that's the opposite of submitting to one another as servants back then again please to Genesis 3 verse 17 to the man he said because you've listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you you shall not eat of it curse it is the ground because of you in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you and you shall eat the plants of the field by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground for out of it you were taken your dust and to dust you shall return jumping out of verse 22 then the Lord God said see man has become like one of us knowing good and evil and now he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken he drove out the man and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life in the garden surrounded by trees there is Adam and Eve and there is the beginning of suffering born out of the fall into sin the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ came to undo what the first Adam did let's go to Romans chapter 5 Matthew Mark Luke John Acts and then Romans Romans chapter 5 verse 14 yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam who is a type of the one who was to come so you've got the first Adam and you've got the second Adam the second Adam is the Lord Jesus the first Adam is considered a a type in other words he said a pattern that in some way would be followed by Christ let's examine that let's go to Luke the third chapter Matthew Mark and then Luke Luke chapter 3 verse 38 Luke 3 verse 38 here you have a long genealogy with regard to Jesus notice the last phrase son of enus son of Seth son of Adam son of God so you've got God and then by God's creative touch there is Adam now let's go to Luke the third chapter verse 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove and a voice came from heaven you are my son the beloved with you I am well pleased so there's the reference to Adam son of God notice the small letter S there of course and then you have reference to the son of God my beloved the father says Adam was created as a son of God God is or Jesus is God's beloved son he's a type Adam was tempted by Satan back into Genesis the third chapter again Genesis chapter 3 verse 6 so when the woman saw that the tree was good for food that it was a light to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate and she also gave some to her husband who was with her and he ate Adam was tempted by Satan a type pointing ahead to the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ and the Lord Jesus Christ is tempted by Satan let's go to Luke chapter 4 Matthew Mark and then Luke verse 1 Jesus followed the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan was led by the Spirit in the wilderness where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil and remember with every temptation what Jesus did he kept saying it is written it is written it is written oh that is such a powerful word for us when we face temptation to say it is written in other words what is God's will for us Adam created as a son of God Christ is God's beloved son Adam was tempted by Satan the Lord Jesus was tempted by Satan Adam's response to the temptation was sin which led to death Jesus's response to the temptation obedience which leads to life through the cross let's go to Romans the fifth chapter Matthew Mark Luke John Acts and then Romans Romans chapter 5 verse 15 but the free gift is not like the trespass for if the many died through one man's trespass there's the first Adam much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man Jesus Christ abounded for the many and the free gift is not like the effect of one man's sin for the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification if because of the one man's trespass death exercised a minion through that one much more surely were those who received the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercised a minion in life through the one man Jesus Christ here's the point the second Adam began his greatest suffering in the garden surrounded by trees and in the garden of Gethsemane surrounded with trees there we find the Lord Jesus Christ who has come to deal with the sin and death and misery that is a result of the sin of humankind it's really Genesis 3 all over again isn't it but now the outcome has a joyous joyous ending turn please to Isaiah 53 Isaiah 53 verse 7 he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he did not open his mouth like a lamb that is led to the slaughter and like a sheep that before its shears is silent so he did not open his mouth oh the love of God for us in the Lord Jesus Christ Romans the 8th chapter verse 32 Matthew Mark Luke John Acts and then Romans he who did not withhold his own son but gave him up for all of us will he not with him also give us everything else it is the picture and the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ carrying on his back the very wood that his blood would soon stand to John 19 now please Matthew Mark Luke and then John John the 19th chapter picking up with verse 6 and halfway through that verse John 19 picking up in verse 6 all right let's just start right at the beginning when the chief priests and the police saw him they shouted crucify him crucify him Pilate said to them take him yourselves and crucify him I find no case against him and now to verse 16 then he handed him over to them to be crucified so they took Jesus and carrying the cross by himself he went out to what is called the place of the skull which in Hebrew is called golgotha there they crucified him and with him two others one on either side with Jesus between them Pilate also had an inscription written then put on the cross it read Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews golgotha golgotha typically is identified today because of this rocky outcropping near Jerusalem that resembles a skull interestingly tradition says that golgotha was so named because it was the place of Adam's skull or his grave now let me underscore that is not scripture that is tradition in the church so we can't say with any scriptural authority that that is the case but that is the tradition in the church therefore according then to this tradition the second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified over the grave of the first Adam Luther talked about it this way quote thus the center of paradise was where Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jericho were located later on the places where Christ and John spent the greater part of their life it is possible Luther says that later on Calvary where Christ offered himself for the sins of the world was located where the tree of the knowledge of good and evil had been while paradise was still standing thus so far as the place is concerned death and destruction through Satan would be matched by life and salvation one through Christ and when Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world on the cross paradise was regained go to John the third chapter please John chapter 3 verse 14 Matthew Mark Luke and then John John 3 will pick up in verse 14 and just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the son of man be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life remember we had studied about that wooden pole upon which that bronze serpent was placed Luther referred to the Lord Jesus Christ as the serpent of salvation what he was drawing on was was this verse that on good Friday a new serpent was lifted up Luther said it was the serpent of salvation the Lord Jesus Christ and we look unto him for salvation well of course the story does not end with Jesus dead on the cross does it look turn with me please to Luke the 24th chapter Matthew Mark and then Luke Luke chapter 24 picking up in verse 1 but on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that they had prepared they found the stone rolled away from the tomb and when they went in they did not find the body while they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground but the men said to them why do you look for the living among the dead he is not here but has risen remember how he told well he was still in ghettily that the son of man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again then they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the 11 and to all the rest the resurrection is the validation that the sacrifice for sin had been accepted look with me please at 1 Corinthians the 15th chapter Matthew Mark Luke John, Acts and Romans 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians chapter 15 beginning with verse 12 now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead there is no resurrection of the dead than Christ has not been raised and if Christ has not been raised then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain we are even found to be misrepresenting God because we testified of God that he raised Christ when he did not raise if it's true that the dead are not raised for if the dead are not raised then Christ has not been raised if Christ has not been raised your faith is futile and you're still in your sins and those also who have died in Christ have perished if for this life only we've hoped in Christ we are of all people most to be pitied but in fact Christ has been raised from the dead the first fruits of those who have died for since death came through a human being the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being for as all die in Adam so all will be made alive in Christ the gospel what a glorious glorious word from the trees of Eden's garden to the burning bush on Sinai to a wood pole lifted up that had a bronze serpent upon it to which the people were called to look from the tram family tree of the Lord Jesus all the way to the cross our heavenly Father uses trees and wood to bless his people and the tree of trees the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ I pray these weeks of study have been a blessing to you the Lord be with you Hello and welcome to our fourth session in this class entitled, Trees in which we take a biblical examination of some of the trees that we see in Holy Scripture. We talked about how family idolatry and really all idols can come from two different directions we pulled the old testament text that talked about the gods of our ancestors we applied that to how sometimes in family systems parenting from grandparents or parents can be brought into the system poor parenting and that becomes then part of how that system how that family operates or the gods of the Amorites how sometimes that which comes from our culture can influence how a family operates and so family idolatry can result from two different directions it can result from within it can result from without we took a look of course at the gracious word that is the forgiving word of God for us through Jesus Christ if we are convicted of the idol becoming or the family becoming an idol we hear of God's gracious word to us through the cross that is a word to cling to that is the word that gives us to light that is that gracious word that embraces us today I'd like to take a look at the idol of religion the idol of religion it's important as we come to this topic for us to define some terms so let me define what we're talking about when we talk about religion religion is the belief of the world religion is the is the human heart in its natural state religion is the belief that human beings can make themselves right before God religion is human beings going to God to affect this righteousness it's about what we do it's about either being good or bad those are components of religion how different that is from the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ the good news that Jesus Christ has born our sin on the cross that the tomb is empty that the world has been reconciled that we are a forgiven people claimed in the waters of baptism given a wonderful today and a glorious tomorrow life abundant life eternal it's the good news of the gospel how different that is how different it is from religion is what are the components of the gospel the components of the gospel is we can't make ourselves right before God we can't do that that God descended to humanity see the direction change it's not us trying to affect our own righteousness before God know it is God descending to us it is God who makes human beings right it's about not what we do it's about what Jesus did it's the fact that we are born bad Jesus is good and because of Jesus we have a glorious glorious future so here the distinction is then between religion and Christianity between religion and the gospel important point to remember is this Christianity should not be classified as a religion let me say that again Christianity should not be classified as a religion in fact when Christianity first arose it was never recognized as a religion it was understood as a non religion so with those terms then as the backdrop let's explore how religion can become an idol and remember the distinction between religion and Christianity to explore this let's go to Luke the 15th chapter please Matthew Mark then Luke Luke the 15th chapter and this is a parable of our Lord remember parables were earthly stories with heavenly meanings and this is a just an incredibly rich parable perhaps you are familiar with it it's a little bit on the longer side but I think it's important for us to take a fresh look at this parable and so we're going to pick up in verse 11 and I'd like to read through verse 32 so picking up in verse 11 of chapter 15 of the gospel of Luke then Jesus said there was a man who had two sons the younger of them said to his father father give me the share of the property that belongs to me so he divided his property between them a few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country and there he squandered his property in disillute living when he had spent everything a severe famine took place throughout that country and he began to be in need so he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs he would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating and no one gave him anything but when he came to himself he said how many of my father's hired hands have bred enough and to spare but here I am dying of hunger I will get up and go to my father and I will say to him father I've sinned against heaven and before you I am no longer worthy to be called your son treat me like one of your hired hands so he set off and went to his father but while he was still far off his father saw him and was filled with compassion he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him then the son said to him father I've sinned against heaven and before you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son but the father said to his slaves quickly bring out a robe the best one and put it on him put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet and get the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate for this son of mine was dead and his alive again he's lost and he's found and they began to celebrate it now his elder son was in the field and when he came and approached the house he heard music and dancing he called one of the slaves and asked what was going on he replied your brother has come out has come and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has got him back safe and sound then he became angry and refused to go in his father came out and began to plead with him but he answered his father listen for all these years I have been working like a slave for you and I've never disobeyed your command yet you've never given me a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends but when this son of yours came back who has devoured your property with prostitutes you killed the fatted calf for him then the father said to him son you're always with me and all that is mine is yours but we had to celebrate and rejoice because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life he was lost and has been found this parable is historically understood as the parable of the prodigal son but notice back in verse 11 it says then Jesus said there was a man who had two sons I think really a better title for this parable would really be the parable of the two sons or perhaps the love of the father people will oftentimes define sin as immoral living they'll they'll define it in that category we're inclined to see the younger son here then as the only one who's guilty of sin but the older brother who was really highly moral was really far from a loving relationship with his father jump back into verse 1 of chapter 15 now all the text collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him and the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying this fellow welcomes sinners and eat with them so that's the occasion of this parable the Pharisees were just disgusted at Jesus welcoming sinners Pharisees were the most moral group around but their hearts were still far far from God Jesus was not seeking to make the Pharisees more moral now Jesus was seeking repentance by the Pharisees the older brother was just as far from the father as the younger brother the older brother was just as far from the father as the younger brother neither neither brother displayed that he actually loved the father or really cared about the father's happiness now they were both just using him to get the inheritance right the younger basically approaching it by saying I wish you were dead and the older was seeking to get the inheritance through being the upright upright son the one who did everything right but you see he's just trying to get the inheritance by his good behavior what's interesting is that at the end of the story the younger brother is at the feast and the older brother is outside with the Pharisees have understood that point would they have gotten what Jesus was trying to communicate you bet you bet they would the older brother the older brother had not come to the reality that the inheritance was by grace by grace look again with me please at verse 18 I'll get up and go to my father and I'll say to him father I've sinned against heaven and before you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son treat me like one of your hired hands this was a three-tiered plan then right from the younger a three-tiered plan he's going to go and say I've sinned against you I'm not worthy to be your son and now he's going to work his way back into his father's good graces work his way back into his father's life but what does his father do father cuts him off at the first two go on in to verse 21 then the son said to him father I've sinned against heaven and before you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son but the father said to his slaves quickly bring out a robe the best one and put it on him put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet get the fat of calf and kill it let us eat and celebrate for this son of mine was dead and alive he's lost in his fawn and they began to celebrate the father refused to let the son attempt to work his way back in the read admittance into the family was absolutely entirely by grace ponder with me for a moment Jesus is the true older brother he's the true older brother Jesus finds us he gives us read admittance into the father's family through the cross Jesus is the brother who paid our way and who gives us access to the banquet of the father grace grace not one one does but grace grace let's go to Galatians the fourth chapter Matthew Mark Luke John Acts and Romans first and second Corinthians and then Galatians and we'll pick up in chapter four Galatians chapter four the Apostle Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes this my point is this airs as long as they are miners are no better than slaves though they are the owners of all the property but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father so thus while we were miners we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world but when the fullness of time had come gods sent his son born of a woman born under the law in order to redeem those who were under the law so that we might receive adoption as as children and because you are children god has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts crying abba father so you are no longer a slave but a child and if a child then also an air through god formally when you did not know god you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods now however that you have come to know god or rather to be known by god how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits how can you want to be enslaved to them again you were observing special days and months and seasons and years I'm afraid that my work for you may have been wasted note the words here in this section the words here that highlight that our right relationship with god is entirely by grace and not by works remember the distinction again between religion and Christianity between religion and the gospel religion is all about works Christianity is about god's action to redeem us gods grace look again at verse one notice these words here that give us this gracious gracious message my point is this airs as long as our minor are no better than slaves you see an air means that something is unearned you are given you don't earn it go on to verse five in order to redeem redeem means to to buy back it indicates that we can't save ourselves god has to act to save us going on again into verse five the last part so that we might receive adoption as children adoption is not something for which a child deserves credit air redeemed adopted wonderful wonderful words verse nine now whoever that you've come to know god are rather to be known by god how can you return back again to the weakened beggarly elemental spirits how can you want to be enslaved to them again you're observing special days and months and seasons and years the Galatians had become enslaved by old religious customs they had forgotten that they were saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that is not their own doing it is the gift of god they were assuming you see that it was Jesus plus something else it was Jesus plus adhering to religious rights it was Jesus plus works you hear it that's a slide that's a slide right into religion the idol of religion instead of Christianity so let me ask you a few questions today this can be questions that can test for the idol of religion in our lives here's the first do you ever feel uncertain about the status of your relationship with god how about this one are you often anxious worried and struggling with feelings of personal condemnation this one do you frequently condemn others especially on the basis of issues that are neither commended or condemned in scripture or forth do you feel like your life only has value when you're faithfully adhering to your religions moral codes and accomplishing its recommended activities see those are questions that can get at this whole issue for us about whether we are perhaps even in a subtle way sliding into the idolatry of religion what's the good news for us the good news is that through Jesus Christ we are forgiven that we're forgiven when we try and make Christianity into an idol of religion Christianity you see grace religion just a bunch of works but we can be tempted to slide and even in the subtlest of ways making Christianity into an idol of religion well as we've studied in these five weeks idolatry certainly continues to be an issue today that idolatry just wasn't that which occurred in ancient day no idolatry can take various forms we've talked in these weeks about how success can become an idol how technology can become an idol how the family can become an idol and how religion can become an idol but thanks be to God for the forgiveness through the Lord Jesus Christ because Jesus is so much more lovely he's so so much more beautiful than all the idols well I pray that this class has been a blessing to you next Sunday I'm going to start a new class it's going to take a look at biblical prophecy we're going to take a look at the wealth of prophecy in holy scripture and how do you understand it we're going to take a look at several different topics we're going to take a look at principles of prophecy we're going to take a look at prophecies that were fulfilled before Christ prophecies that were fulfilled by Christ prophecies that are being filled today and prophecies that will be fulfilled at Christ's return so we'll move into biblical prophecy next Sunday God bless you may you be used by him to boldly proclaim the gracious proclamation of Jesus Christ crucified and risen Good morning and welcome back to our study on idols. Now putting our fear aside I do have to stress and this is really important that it does not mean when we put our fear aside it does not mean that we stop with discernment right caution is always justified when dealing or encountering strangers it's really important that we don't just cast all caution all discernment aside because we are just not going to fear right we need to be smart we need to work in wisdom and and know people wisely when we set aside our fear we're really setting aside or aiming to set aside our timidity we can make all sorts of excuses not to speak to someone but it's often our own insecurities that are bubbling to the surface so when we're when we're timid right instead of fearful because most of us don't fear fear our neighbor right but we're a little timid about reaching out and meeting our neighbors but that's often our own insecurities that are bubbling to the surface you know this is going to be awkward I don't want awkwardness or maybe I'm an introvert so someone else would really be better at this than me what about my neighbor is going to think I'm really weird or what if my neighbor rejects me can you imagine going to the door knocking with something in hand brownies or or a pie and and they just say nope bye bye right that that's a little scary it's it's a little cause for timidity but let's go to Timothy second Timothy chapter one I keep closing my Bible and then reopening it I just need to leave it open but first Timothy so we were in Ephesians you're going to keep going to the right and you're going to find the tea books so after Thessalonians you'll have first Timothy we want to go to second Timothy chapter one verse seven God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self discipline in the ESV it says that God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control we have absolutely no need to be timid or fearful because God empowers us and enables us to be bold and to take that first step with our neighbors we can remind ourselves all the time as we feel those feelings of fear or feelings of timidity starting to bubble or rise we remind ourselves that getting through the weirdness or getting through the awkwardness is probably going to be the most difficult part in the process of neighboring so if we can make it through the awkwardness if we can make it through that weirdness that's probably going to be the worst part of it which really isn't too bad is it go to the next page so now we're going to talk about taking the first steps and then the steps after that so we want to be a good neighbor we want to reach out to our neighbors but how how do we do this J and Dave who wrote the book The Art of Neighboring they compare this perplexity to cleaning the garage I love this metaphor so if you ever stared into a garage and you think to yourself I know I need to spend the day cleaning this I know I do but I just don't know where to begin right where do I start and you're overwhelmed with the starting point how do I tackle this situation how do I tackle what I know I want to do what I know I need to do but I just don't know where to start or how to do it the thing is is that when we don't know where to start or we're overwhelmed a lot of times we'll give up another neighbor can talk to that one I don't want to do this I give up I quit right but we don't want to quit we want to continue to reach out to our neighbors and we want to continue to have that opportunity to connect and grow in relationship to the impact and glory of God's kingdom right so there's a simple framework that we can use as a helpful tool of where to start and then continue to grow in relationship with our neighbors and that is yep there we go so we are strangers and then we take that next step into acquaintances and then that from there we can build relationships so stranger acquaintance relationship stranger acquaintance relationship so how do we take this first jump from stranger to acquaintance all right we're going to get out that block map again lots of flipping here get out your block map because we're going to use this okay so the people that you don't know as you're filling this in the people that you don't know their names those are the strangers okay those are the strangers those are the ones that you have to meet so the first step as we discovered last week is to learn your neighbors names make it a point to have a conversation with a neighbor who you don't know his or her name so you can you can learn the name now right now that's going to look a little bit differently than it would under normal circumstances when we are not distancing ourselves from people and if we're unable to find a person's name or number right now some of these meetings or getting to know your neighbor some of that might might have to be on hold a little bit until we're able to actually go over to someone's house in person but if there's someone that you don't know their name but you do know their number or you don't know their name and when we're done with the quarantines the shelter in place the social distancing that you actually can get out and meet people a conversation might look at like this hi I'm Carrie I know you've told me your name before I got to be honest I am terrible with names can you please give it to me again right so you're you're telling them I know you've told me your name I can't remember it but I want to know it I want to remember it right and so you're learning their name and you're being honest and they know when you're being honest with them they can trust you more right that that builds right there just a little bit of trust or maybe if it's someone that you've never known their name you can you can approach them say hey you know we wave to each other all the time I'd love to know your name my name's Carrie and you'd say your name of course right um so now you have your names you've got your names what next well the first step is to after you learn their names write it down write it down on your block map you don't have to throw this out right keep your block map write their names down on it and then hang it on your fridge or hang it somewhere that's prominent enough that you will see it every single day this not only reminds you of your neighbor's names right now you know their names but it also keeps that neighbor at the top of your mind it keeps you thinking about the neighbors you know and the ones that you have yet to meet it's a tangible way for you to remember who God has placed you in the midst of right so keep that um and if you want to take it a step further with the block map you can do what one of the authors wife's did wife did she used this block map to make a block directory I love this she went door to door around this block and she ended up doing it for her whole neighborhood it depends on how big your neighborhood is but she went door to door she gathered contact information and she made copies for all of these other neighbors so she had addresses cell phone numbers email addresses and when she then distributed it to all the other neighbors that meant that they could connect with one another too that they all had means of building those relationships with their neighbors it'd be a very very handy tool to have something like a block directory at a time like this right where you could call your neighbor up really easily you have their name you have their number you have their email address and it's already there for you so that's a great way to use the block map um what they found was that by doing the block map where then they they made it a directory they found that the contact information it actually began to facilitate and further new relationships that the neighbors started contacting one another and they would say oh yeah it's laid out and I see your garage is still open I don't know if you want to close that or one woman had used the information to invite all the women of the neighborhood for a girl's night out so they started to see that by taking that step of of using their block map and then gathering the information and sharing it as a block directory they were seeing the fruits of that within their own neighborhood not everyone is going to be more than an acquaintance for us and that's okay but what relationships are we opening the door for if we take these little steps so the next step after learning names is to move into well after learning names and then work acquaintances right so we're strangers we know someone's name now we're acquaintances so now we want to move into that relationship realm we can't force relationships as much as I would love to do that as much as I sometimes try to do that be my friend we can't do that we can't force relationships but we can create the opportunity for relationships to develop right so one couple found that even though they didn't know how to take the first step in meeting people one of the things that they did to open the opportunity for relationships is that they moved their family's center of activity from the backyard to the front yard they put a swing in the front yard they put some chairs out there and instead of staying in the backyard fenced in where no one could access them they couldn't see who was walking on the street they moved everything to the front yard after a short while the other kids in the neighborhood were coming over to play with their kids people walking their dogs would stop to say hi they would be chatting they would get to know their neighbors and then all of a sudden these people were starting to share meals and these block parties were kind of forming out of just moving to the front yard block parties or parties are also a really great tool that can be used in creating warmth and opening that atmosphere for friendship within the neighborhood parties really create a safe space and an easy space for us to talk with others in a relaxed atmosphere this is what we do or attempt to do with the life groups too right we're not inviting someone to a very structured thing that they'll feel out of place it's it's a social time we're wanting people to be able to connect in a relaxed and easygoing atmosphere let's turn our bibles to Luke chapter five so you're going to go back towards the beginning of the New Testament Matthew Mark Luke and then John so Luke chapter five if I can find it which I think I can Luke chapter five we're going to start in verse 27 so after this Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth and he said to him follow me and Levi got up left everything and followed him then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them the Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples saying why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners Jesus answered those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick I have come to call not the righteous but the sinners to repentance Levi threw a party there were all sorts there and Jesus used that banquet that time of party of fellowship of togetherness to show his solidarity with sinners not that he is okay with sin not that he encouraged sin but his solidarity that he came for the sinner he came for you and I he emphasized that his mission was to call the sinner to repentance so a block party a block party is not or should not be held with the intent of a bait and switch right we're not inviting people to come and mingle with us so that we can have an agenda and coerce them into hearing the good news of the gospel of course if it comes up if the topic arises we certainly want to bring a word of faith we certainly want to bring the good news to those people but to have that specific agenda to have any agenda it really has a false ring to it people can tell when we have agendas people can tell when we are not sincere or authentic in how or why we are connecting with them we don't want to give a false sense of interest because we are interested in these people certainly as human beings and we do want them connected with Christ we do want them we want everyone connected with Christ but we can't have a weird agenda about it if that makes sense right so it's just not new really so don't have an agenda allow for the godly relationship to develop naturally because it will the Lord will open the time or present the time for those conversations to happen we don't abandon our faith in order to fit in with the sinner we are all sinners right but we don't just throw it all away we don't throw our faith to the wind in order to feel like we fit in with the world but we don't use that false connection because it feels and it will be fake you have in the priesthood of all believers you have every right and you have every authority to speak of your faith and to speak of Jesus Christ as our Savior as our Redeemer you absolutely have that right and don't shy away from it that is not at all what I'm saying do not shy away from sharing your faith but use wisdom in how you bring it to your neighbor I want to encourage you if you have not yet taken the everyday missionary course that everyone has witnessed course or the everyday boldness workshop with Steve if you've not taken those witnessing workshops I really encourage you to do so you will find that in those classes and workshops you are going to find really natural ways of talking with people where you know you want to share the gospel with this person but you also know how to share it and when it's the appropriate time and when it just might not be yet and that's okay the door will open when God is ready for that door to be opened we have to trust that the Lord will work when and where He chooses when and where He wills right we we are open to being used as His vessel but we need to trust the Lord in where He's taking us with that the only way that we can start filling out these block maps that we can start actually moving from stranger to acquaintance and at least opening up the opportunity for relationship is by starting to get out and meet people right we need to actually meet people in order to know people right so for the most part people are not going to be knocking on your door saying hey you I think you need a friend I need a friend let's be friends most people don't do that there are the random occasional extroverts you know who you are who will do that who will knock on a door just to make a friend but for the most part that's not going to happen right but you can be the person to do that with your neighbors not necessarily knocking on everyone's door hey do you want a friend but when you're walking your dog or they're walking a dog or you see someone out waving greeting them saying hi meeting them speaking with them look for opportunities to meet your neighbor go on walks host or co host a block party right now at this time we can offer to get groceries or medicines for our neighbors we can offer to walk our neighbors dog right what if they can't get out and walk their dog maybe that's a service that we can offer for them we can find little ways of connecting all these little ways of connecting that truly truly have everlasting impact I look forward to continuing and wrapping up this study on the art of neighboring with you next week until then I invite you to put into practice your own neighborly selves and have an impact for Jesus in your world bye Hey, good morning. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate he ascended into heaven is seated at the right hand of the Father same thing he will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead his kingdom will have no end then moving over to the Athenation creed we read that the Father is one person the Son is another the Spirit is another but the deity of the Father Son and Holy Spirit is one equal in glory co-eternal and in majesty what the Father is the Son is and so is the Holy Spirit uncreated is the Son the Son is infinite eternal is the Son Almighty is the Son the Son is God the Son is Lord the Son was neither made nor created but was alone begotten of the Father he has taken humanity into himself he does not transform deity into humanity it's very important again that's holding those two full natures with one another as complete and whole truth those are from the creeds but those words that we hear from from that the the only Son we hear that in scripture and that's exactly where we're going to turn now let's go to John the the gospel of John that's the fourth gospel and we're just going right to that first chapter this first chapter when you really sit there and think and read through it and ponder and meditate on what it means and what is really being written and said here it can become overwhelming just the the heavy truth of it it's absolutely gorgeous so John the first chapter we're going to look first at verses one through three in the beginning was the word so in the beginning we have that in another place in scripture Genesis in the beginning in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God he was in the beginning with God all things came into being through him and without him not one thing came into being so here we have it set up that there's this word the word was not only with God but the word was God that is absolutely trinitarian in in its nature and it's in its patterns words that this word which in the Greek is logos or logos this is held up as as that that which is with God in the beginning and not only with God but was God this is where we get that from the Athenation Creed the Sun is infinite eternal is the Sun right we have this uncreated that he is with God continuing on with verses 14 through 18 the word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory the glory as of a father's only son full of grace and truth John testified to him and cried out this was he of whom I said he who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace the law indeed was given through Moses grace and truth came through Jesus Christ no one has ever seen God it is God the only son who is close to the father's heart who has made him known so we know God and God is revealed through the person of Jesus Christ Jesus himself tells us this which we will get to let's look at the birth of Christ we had this reading earlier today in service or we'll have it in a little bit in service Matthew 1 so go over you're going to flip backwards to the first gospel which is Matthew and this is about the birth of Jesus the Messiah bless you so skipping down into into verse the last verse in or last sentence in verse 18 she was found this Mary was found to be with child from the holy spirit then jumped down to verse 20 when Joseph had resolved to to dismiss Mary quietly an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child conceived in her is from the holy spirit you are to name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins and this is what fulfills the prophet the words of the prophet look the virgin shall conceive in baris son and they shall name him in manual which means God is with us so again we have that set up right from the beginning in this birth telling or retelling of Christ that he is conceived of the holy spirit that he will be named Jesus that he will be called Emmanuel which means God is with us let's go over to the gospel of Luke the first chapter that's the third so you're going to go through Matthew past mark and find yourself in Luke the first chapter and starting in verse 30 this is where the angel has come to Mary to tell her well we'll read it the angel said to her do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God and now you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you will name him Jesus he will be great and will be called the son of the most high and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom there will be no end Mary said to the angel how can this be since I am a virgin the angel said to her the holy spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you therefore the child to be born will be holy he will be called son of God again that birth story or the coming birth story the angel stating this is this is the son of God he will be called holy name him Jesus so we're getting before he's even born we're getting this set up by the angel through the holy spirit that that Christ will be conceived by the holy spirit and that he will be indeed the son of God here God with us in the solid declaration in the formula of concord so that's part of the book book of concord the confessions the Lutheran confessions it says it reads that he demonstrated his divine majesty in his mother's womb in that he was born of a virgin without violating her virginity I thought that was very poignant that even before birth Christ was proving himself to be God in that he was conceived within a virgin by the power of the holy spirit but she in her virginity was not violated right I think that's that's a really poignant poignant remark there so that was one demonstration of his divine nature he had humbled himself and he was found to be in human form but Jesus did reveal his divine nature in his earthly ministry let's go back oh you know what let's stick in Luke because we're here already and we're just going to go down to Luke 2 verses 41 or picking up in 41 and we're going to we're going to kind of skip ahead this is where Jesus was lost and I say that with air quotes they thought he was lost in Jerusalem so Mary and Joseph turned back to find him they found him on verse 46 after three days they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers listening to them and asking them questions and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers when his parents saw him they were astonished and his mother said to him child why have you treated us like this look your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety he said to them why were you searching for me did you not know that I must be in my father's house but they did not understand what he said to them then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them his mother treasured all these things in her heart and Jesus increased in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favor so he knew he was in his father's house can you imagine a 12 year old speaking with such authority and such wisdom amongst these learned rabbis that there was even in his young age it he was already revealing his divinity just by his wisdom so now let's go over to John the second chapter where we have Jesus first miracle at the wedding at Cana John chapter 2 on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding when the wine gave out the mother of Jesus said to him they have no wine and Jesus said to her woman what concern is that to you and me my hour has not yet come his mother said to his servants do whatever he tells you now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rights of purification each holding 20 or 30 gallons Jesus said to them fill the jars with water and they filled them up to the brim he said to them now draw some out and take it to the chief steward so they took it when the steward tasted the water that had become wine and did not and did not know where it came from though the servants who had drawn the water new the steward called the bridegroom and said to him everyone serves the good wine first and then the inferior wine after their guests have become drunk but you have kept the good wine until now Jesus did this the first of his signs in Cana of Galilee and revealed his glory and his disciples believed in him so this is his first miracle that he performed he is revealing his glorified nature he's revealing his divine nature through that miracle if we go over to John 11 we see another incredible miracle in the raising of Lazarus we're going to start with verse 25 because I think this is a really important I don't think I just think but this is period a really important statement that Jesus makes about himself in verse 25 Jesus says to Lazarus's sister I am the resurrection and the life those who believe in me even though they die will live and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die he is declaring himself to be the resurrection let's go down to verses 38 through 44 Jesus again greatly disturbed came to the tomb it was a cave and a stone was lying against it Jesus said take away the stone Martha the sister of the dead man said to him Lord already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days Jesus said to her did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God so they took away the stone and Jesus looked upward and said Father I thank you for having heard me I knew that you always hear me but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here so that they may believe and that that you sent me when he said this he cried out with a loud voice Lazarus come out the dead man came out his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth Jesus said to them unbind him and let him go this only God could do the man had been dead and I know that that Paul does call someone back to life but this it's done in the name of Jesus right and here we have Jesus praying he's saying this is done to show his glory to show the Father's glory rather and it's it's very important to realize and this is something that I like to draw attention to when we're called into faith it is just as Christ called Lazarus right he said come out Lazarus didn't him and ha he didn't sit in the cave saying I don't know is this the choice I want to make right he just came he was called and he came and that is that is how we are called into faith we are dead in our sin we are dead in our trespasses we may as well be Lazarus physically dead we're dead and then Christ calls us into faith and we respond not because we make a choice but Christ has made that choice for us and has called us into faith by name we're about out of time I've got some more okay hold on okay I know I've got so in John 14 it tells us that Jesus is the revelation of the Father Philip Jesus is talking to Philip and Philip is saying where are you going and where are you going and and he says that Philip could believe because of all the works that Jesus had performed through his divine nature he was able to perform all of these works and that Philip could believe through those works by witnessing those works if not by the words alone but again those works always point to the word they always point to the truth that Christ is God in Philippians 2 6 through 11 it says though he was in the form of God he did not require a regard equality with God as something to be exploited but emptied himself taking the form of a slave being born in human likeness he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even death on a cross therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name so at that name of Jesus every knee should bend in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father in collagens to verse 9 it says in him in Jesus the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily second Peter has more we're going to go into this more next next class period where we'll also look at the transfiguration where Jesus glory is shown and revealed before three of his disciples so if you have questions ha ha that's the there you go no time for questions today ha ha ha ha if you have questions email me and we will pick up here on the first of January so not next week but the following week in 2020 we will pick up with the divinity of Christ Heavenly Lord, we thank You so much for this morning, for calling us into gather, to hear Your Word, and to receive Your sacrament. The Eastern church rejected this they didn't like that they held to the Father holding all the deity really and truly and they were they were fine with saying the Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Sun but they did not want to to say that the Spirit was from the Father and from the Sun so that's where that controversy lies that is part of the schism that was created between the Eastern and the Western churches but it's not the only reason and and truly the split came in in about 1054 when when those two churches finally the the patriarch of the Eastern church and the Pope of the Western church excommunicated one another so so that came a little bit later but this was part of it and this was in 381 when they started adding in that Holy Spirit article so moving on to what we're studying today that was just a brief overview of what we had last week with the creeds today we're going to talk about Jesus human nature okay Athanasius said for salvation the correct faith is necessary not only regarding the divine nature in Christ but also regarding the human and if we look at the creeds and take just what they state about the humanity of Christ we can see that it's built right into those creeds so the Apostles Creed says that Jesus was born of the Bible and Jesus was buried those are things that happen to all human beings we are all born we all not all of us are crucified clearly but we all have sufferings we all have pain we all die we will all be buried right so those are very human things that happened to him the Nicene Creed says incarnate of the Virgin Mary and was made man was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate he suffered died and was buried very similar in those statements and then the Athanasian Creed says that our Lord Jesus became flesh he is man born in the world from the beginning of from the being of his mother existing fully as man with a rational soul and a human body he has taken humanity into himself he does not transform deity into humanity so he's not exchanging one for the other he is completely one in the unity of his person without confusing his natures for as the rational soul and body are one person so the one Christ is God and man he suffered death so that's getting a little more into the nitty-gritty that there are two natures there is a human nature it talks about his birth it talks about his death and that he is fully fully in the flesh fully man so there were some early claims against Jesus's Jesus humanity and and really no one in the very early church no one really denied his deity that seemed to be a given today it's a little bit different today more people deny his deity than his humanity but but it's interesting because the early church they couldn't quite believe that he was human that he had actually been a bit had actually been a human so they would say that Christ's body was not human that it had the appearance of a normal human it had it had the look of what a human has but it's actually a specter it's not a real true human being it looked real but it was more of a celestial substance this was taught by by several groups those who believed this then they also taught that Jesus actions all that he did and all that he suffered or went under or went through those were also fantasy they didn't actually happen so the sufferings that he underwent they only appeared to happen which we know is not true and we do not confess that we confess that he in true human form in his humanity suffered under Pontius Pilate so they taught that he was kind of a kind of a ghosty type thing right but let's open up to Matthew 14 this is the first gospel Matthew 14 so open up to the New Testament and we will see we're gonna look at 26 this is when Jesus is walking on the water chapter 14 verse 26 but when the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified saying it is a ghost right they they thought he was a ghost and they cried out in fear but immediately Jesus spoke to them and said take heart it is I do not be afraid he would not let them believe or claim that he's a ghost he's saying it's me I'm here in the flesh let's go over to Luke 24 so we're gonna go past Matthew past Mark go into Luke the third gospel this is after Christ had been killed this is after he had risen from the grave and he is appearing to his disciples we're gonna go to verse verses 36 through 39 so he's coming to his disciples and while they were talking about this Jesus himself stood among them and said to them peace be with you they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost so this is after he's been resurrected they're thinking again they're seeing this ghost and he said to them why are you frightened and why do doubts arise in your hearts look at my hands and my feet see that it is myself touch me and see for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have so even after the resurrection Christ is coming back when anyone could possibly say it's a ghost it's a ghost and he's saying no even now I am not a ghost I have flesh I have bones we see in the gospel of John where he's eating food post resurrection he was a human he is a human it was very interesting I came across an article from a what would be considered a reputable source or reputable reputable publication it's an article from 2014 right before Christmas it's amazing how many articles come out right before Christmas to say Jesus isn't real it's amazing uncanny just watch for it this year there will be articles that come out trying to deny Christ right before we celebrate his birth but this man the author of the article he wrote did a man called Jesus of Nazareth walk the earth discussions over whether the figure known as the historical Jesus actually existed primarily reflect disagreements among atheists believers who uphold the implausible and more easily dismissed Christ of faith the divine Jesus who walked on water ought not to get involved so to discuss Jesus the historical accuracy of Jesus the person of Jesus this writer is is telling his readers that anyone who believes in Jesus really shouldn't be involved in this discussion I want to invite you as believers in Jesus to be involved in the discussion for those of you who have not been to service yet that's what it is that that's our sermon that you'll hear today that we are a part of this discussion this is what we are called to bring and to be a part of is the discussion of God and who God is and so I thought that was really interesting so yes Jesus actually walked on this earth I have a host of and we're just gonna dive in because we have time and I and it's gonna seem a little like wow we have so many Bible verses but this is just a sampling of where we find Christ walking the earth where we find him as a true human that can support anytime someone questions whether Jesus really was real or not really a human you can go to any of these verses and say no no look here here here tell me when you get tired here here right so there's a lot of biblical proof here so we're gonna just start with John 1 so that's the gospel of John so if you flip over probably about one page from where you are in Luke and you find John the first chapter we're looking at verse 14 and the word who if you go to the very beginning of John we're told that the word was with God the word was God and we know that to be Jesus which we will get more into in a couple of weeks but the word verse 14 became flesh and lived among us the word became flesh and lived among us let's jump back to Luke chapter 2 we're gonna jump around in chapter 2 for a moment here so we're gonna start in verse 6 so the gospel of Luke chapter 2 starting in verse 6 while they were there that's Mary and Joseph while they were there the time came for her to deliver her child and she gave birth to her first born son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn she gave birth to an actual human being to a little boy so there is a man or a boy being born let's jump down to verse 21 after eight days had passed it was time to circumcise the child and he was called Jesus the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb so this little infant is taken in the ceremonial custom and he is circumcised and he is named humans well not all of them get circumcised but humans have bodies which things are done to right and we are given names that is a very human thing happening here then let's jump down to verse 40 we're just gonna read the first little bit here the child grew and became strong Christ had a childhood he didn't just appear as a man he was born of a woman he had a childhood and he grew in that childhood let's go back to or go over to Luke chapter 4 we're gonna look at those first two verses Luke chapter 4 verses 1 and 2 Jesus full of the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan and was led by the spirit into the wilderness where for 40 days he was tempted by the devil he ate nothing at all during those days and when they were over he was famished if a human does not eat for 40 days he will be hungry God doesn't need food man does right so Jesus was in the desert constantly being tempted I don't know about about any of you if you if you know this too but humanity is tempted we get tempted as human beings so so we've got two things here he is physically physically famished hungry needing food wanting food right but he's also being tempted which the devil was trying to tempt him in his humanity now let's go over to John so we're just gonna go over one more book John 11 John 11 verse starting in verse 33 so Lazarus who was a good friend of Jesus Lazarus died and he went and he saw the sisters and picking up in verse 33 it says when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with him were also weeping he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved he said where have you laid him they said to him Lord come and see Jesus began to weep he mourned his friend he mourned he felt that he he wasn't this unemotional having no feeling man or being in his humanity he had feelings he had those feelings of love and he was mourning and weeping for his friend for his friends who were mourning so there's another human element to him let's jump over to mark so we're gonna go back a couple of gospels it's the second gospel mark two and we're gonna go to verse 16 mark 216 when the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he that is Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors they said to his disciples why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners Jesus as a man ate here he's eating with tax collectors and sinners he's eating he needed food again that's that humanity if we jump back into the Old Testament Isaiah so if you go to the middle of the Bible you'll find Psalms and if you flip to the right you will find the prophets after Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon you're gonna find Isaiah and we're going to Isaiah 53 verses 2 and 3 Isaiah 53 verses 2 and 3 and this is prophesying about Jesus for he grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground he had no form or majesty that we should look at him nothing in his appearance that we should that we should desire him he was despised and rejected by others a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity as one from whom others hide their face he was despised and we held him of no account this is telling us that people around him he didn't have an appearance that that looked majestic he didn't have anything special about his look but this is also giving him an appearance we know that Jesus had flesh we know that he had a look he wasn't just this ghosty type being he wasn't celestial in in his form he was a man he had an appearance nothing nothing that that anyone should desire to look at him which I think is really interesting um okay so let's go over to Hebrews so this we're going back into the New Testament we're gonna pass the Gospels pass the letters of Paul and then we're gonna come to Hebrews and we're going to the second chapter Hebrews 2 verse 14 Hebrews 2 verse 14 since therefore the children share flesh and blood he himself likewise shared the same things Jesus shared with mankind the same things of flesh and blood he was a physical human being let's go over to Galatians or back to Galatians you're gonna go back through the letters of Paul if you've got Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians and then you've got Galatians uh Galatians chapter 4 verse 4 when the fullness of time had come God sent his son born of a woman born under the law we are all born of women and we are all born under the law we are all born into the same condition not house or family but we're born into the same condition as human beings as Christ was also born of a woman under the law and let's go back one more to Romans this is the last one but you'll see I mean do you see how there's it's just verse after verse after verse that is proving the humanity of Christ we're going to Romans chapter or verse yeah chapter 1 verse 1 Paul a servant of Christ Jesus called to be an apostle set apart for the gospel of God which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures so he's promising God promised this gospel this good news through holy scriptures concerning his son who was descended from David according to the flesh he descended from David according to the flesh again just putting that humanity right there so this is a relatively long list that we've gone through but you'll see as you flip through scripture it is not hard to find proof from scripture from the Bible that Christ indeed was a flesh and blood man he needed to eat he needed to sleep oh we didn't even get to any of his sleeping right we he needed to function or he did function as a human did because he was a human he was a man so what about the people that say oh that's nice but you're just going to the Bible I don't I don't just go to the Bible that's not for me well there are historical historical accounts of Jesus also so we know that he was a human that walked the earth we have historical sources so the first one is from Tacitus or Cornelius Tacitus he he was a Roman senator and he was considered to be one of the best if not the best Roman historian so this was a history guy right and he studied he studied people he studied cultures he studied cultural phenomenon and and he wrote in this is in the context of a great fire of Rome it went for six days this fire burned it burned a lot of the city in 64 AD during the reign of Nero and he wrote this is Tacitus writing neither human effort nor the Emperor's generosity nor the placating of the gods ended the scandalous belief that the fire had been ordered by Nero therefore to put down the rumor so Nero there was a rumor that Nero started this fire or had this fire going so to put the the rumor down Nero substituted as culprits and punished in the most unusual ways those hated for their shameful acts whom the crowd called Christians the founder of this name Christ had been executed in the reign of Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilate suppressed for a time the deadly superstition erupted again not only in Judea the origin of this evil but also in the city Rome where all things horrible and shameful from everywhere come together and become popular so Tacitus in this is presenting four four pieces of accurate knowledge that we have about Jesus he said that well he called him Christus or Christ this was used by Tacitus to refer to Jesus he thought it was a name he didn't realize that it was a title but but he used it as a name but he called him Christ he talked about Christ being associated with the beginning of the movement of the Christians right for for the origin of this grouping that this man was executed by the Roman governor of Judea and that the time of his death was during Pontius Pilate's governorship during the reign of Tiberius so we have these four points of historical documentation that he's given us he is not a Christian he was a Roman senator a Roman historian and what he has told or what he has given to us is in line with what we have in scripture there was a Jewish historian Flavius Josephus and he was writing about James who is the brother of Jesus he's writing about his execution and he wrote let's see here there was a meeting of judges called and brought into it the brother of Jesus who is called Messiah James by name and some others he made the accusation that they had transgressed the law and he handed them over to be stone so Josephus had mentioned or mentions at least 12 other that are named Jesus because Jesus was a rather common name and so he's specifying which Jesus he was referring to as James brother so he used the one called or who is called Messiah Jesus who is called Messiah he also had a longer passage in a book that was called Jewish and equities and it refers to Jesus there was a Christian apologist who named Eusibius who added who some people think added some Christian claims in this text of Josephus Josephus wrote around this time there lived Jesus a wise man if indeed one ought to call him a man for he was one who did surprising deeds and a teacher of such people as except the truth gladly he won over many Jews and many of the Greeks he was the Messiah when Pilate upon hearing him accused by men of his highest standing among us had condemned him to be crucified those who in the first place came to love him did not give up their affection for him for on the third day he appeared to them restored to life the prophets of God had prophesied this and countless other marvelous things about him and the tribe of Christians so called after him have still to this day not died out now I don't know for certain if Eusibius added anything or not but all of the surviving manuscripts of this testimony or testament that are in Greek they contain the same version of this passage there are no significant differences which is very interesting that more than one source of this passage says the same thing Josephus also was not a Christian he was a Jewish historian the Celseus was a platenist philosopher he considered Jesus to be a magician who made exorbitant claims so he he didn't believe that Jesus was the Christ he didn't believe that Jesus was the son of man but he gives an account of a man named Jesus who did things that he thought were magical right Pliny the younger a Roman governor and friend of Tacitus wrote about early Christian worship of Christ as to a god little G god Soutenuse a Roman writer lawyer and historian wrote of riots in 49 that were among the Jews in Rome which might have been about Christus but which he thought were incited by the instigator of Christus whose identification with Jesus is not completely certain but this Roman writer is talking about these riots he thinks that at the very least it's linked to this group or this man Christ right um Mara Barcerapione Mara Barcerapione that's a fun name Mara Barcerapione a prisoner of war that was held by the Romans he wrote a letter to his son that described the Jewish the wise Jewish king in a way that seems to indicate Jesus but it doesn't specify his name but again we have that that non non-Christian source talking about a Jewish wise king so we see that there is a case to be made from scripture certainly for the humanity the flesh and bones of Christ but we also see that it's not just the biblical text we have outside sources we have historical sources that were also referring to Christ not Christians themselves but writing of a man who who had a group of followers a man who was crucified under Pontius Pilate so we have these historical these historical sources as well so what's the deal okay we can say yeah okay Jesus was a person he was a man that's great but why is it so important to hold this as absolute truth and to confess it in our creeds have it as a part of our common confession and that's what we're going to talk about next time we don't have class this next Sunday but the following Sunday we're going to dive into why the humanity of Christ actually matters in salvation or for salvation Today, I want to explore with you more images of heaven, and specifically we want to focus on the book of Revelation today. Does that sound kind of familiar to you right whatever communion is done you got the words of institution is based on Matthew chapter 26 Luther maintained and I think correctly so that the verb is means is that scripture doesn't say it represents it doesn't say it symbolizes that when Jesus birthed holy communion there just before the cross he says this is my body this is my blood let's go over to 1 Corinthians the 10th chapter 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 16 the cup of blessing that we bless is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ the bread that we break is it not a sharing in the body of Christ so the question that us Lutherans say is how can you participate in the in the body and blood of Jesus Christ if he is not present there in the cup and in the bread you can't say as scripture says here that we are participating in the very body and blood of Christ so you've got an historicism then 5th century swingley comes along he's got the same problem with the with the natures of Christ that plays out in communion and there you see this this birthing of the understanding of the memorial understanding of communion so let me let me hear the the three understandings of communion and we'll see if we can guess which one is the correct one here okay so you've got we've got three three understandings one one understanding is that there is no bread in communion there's no wine in communion what you have is you have the body and blood of Jesus and the key word is changed into so this is the belief that in in communion you don't have the the bread and the and the wine you have the body and blood of the Lord Jesus that that indeed he is he is present and the key is changed into can anyone guess what denomination this is yep there you go we got some former Catholics here that that recognize this true or Piscopelian I would say for you Marcy or Catholic too okay okay yeah this is this is the view of what's called a transubstantiation that's the Catholic view that when you when you look at the at the elements in communion they may look like bread and wine but they have lost the property of bread and wine they only have the appearance of that that's that that's the Catholic view the Lutheran understanding the little phrase maybe back to your confirmation days if you've grown up a Lutheran that Jesus Christ is truly present in the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins that's a small catechism and the little phrase that Christ is present in with and under the the bread and wine that's just that's just a little phrase that that is going right after transubstantiation to to refute transubstantiation because Luther said no in scripture Jesus highlights that there's bread and there's a cup and he says body and a blood so Luther said that the Holy Communion is the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ given with bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins okay now here's the here's the second one bread and communion you've got bread and wine you have the body and blood of Jesus Christ and the key word is is okay who's that that's us right that's us and and that's scripture what the scripture says that indeed you've got bread and wine body and blood the key word is is okay there's another understanding in communion you've got bread and wine no body and blood yeah key word is represents and symbol yeah yeah that's yeah Baptist right it's that's Baptist it's great you say here you go there you go yeah so you got you've got three different understand you got transubstantiation you've got bread and wine here and the key word of is and then you've got represents and the symbol okay let me let me approach it this way here which one of these is correct the two becomes four the two remain two or the two become two and what is meant here is bread and wine so which one is the is the is the correct understanding here the two becomes four the two remain two or the two become two yeah it's number one right what is holy communion holy communion is the body and blood of Jesus Christ given with bread and wine for the forgiveness of sin which one is this yeah that's Baptist theology memorial understanding and which one is this it's Catholic understanding right right yeah yeah yeah there's there's nothing that affects a sacrament by what a Lutheran pastor does in fact that was a a big deal when the denomination we were formally a part of was merging in for altering pulpit fellowship with the Episcopals Episcopals believe that at one's ordination the priest is given special power by the fact that they are ordained to make the sacrament than a sacrament in the Lutheran Church we say is absolutely nothing about us that that makes the sacrament the sacrament know what makes the sacrament the sacrament is can you guess the word right it it's just the it's just a word that's what makes the sacrament the sacrament and so there were a bunch of us that when that was that was coming about we we said this is an absolute denial of our of our Lutheran doctrine here and and of course the response that we that we got was you you you don't have to believe it you just have to do it I kid you not that was a response that came out of the bishops office on that and and really in the agreement it was it was waiting for months our our term that we put on ourselves months like myself that were not ordained in historic succession which the Episcopals say you have to be ordained in in order to get this special power they said we'll enter into this agreement until people like Ible die off you see and then everybody's going to be in historic succession so that the Episcopal understanding of communion then is what what dominates I mean that was that was just the early seeds of a denomination leaving the authority of the word of God abandoning abandoning a doctor on that yeah right that was that was the plan that that was the plan because we lost we lost the vote on that and and the understanding of of communion then was was was changed yeah in terms of of how communion is made efficacious in in the in the Lutheran understanding sometimes you will hear this word uh banard about with with the Catholic understanding you've got transubstantiation and sometimes you'll hear people say the the Lutheran understanding is con substantiation that's actually not not true because con substantiation means that that a a whole new substance is is formed so so con substantiation is is not a correct terminology to put on on Lutheranism um sometimes you'll you'll hear what's called impanation i m p a n a t i o o n which means that the that the body of Christ is is localized inside the bread as if you kind of tunnel in you could you could get to it that's not phrase is in with and under the the bread and wine so that as we receive the bread and wine we receive the body and blood of Christ that Christ is truly present um in that bread and wine for the forgiveness of our sins and how is that possible if Christ at this very moment is exalted in heaven itself and he is there divine and human it's possible because you've got the communion of the properties you've got the communion of the two natures that you don't have two we yeah because because you're getting right at the heart of the of the sacrament that indeed Christ has established a stack sacrament for the purpose of the delivery of the assurance of our forgiveness through Christ and so when we come to the table if communion is simply that which is a mental exercise for us to remember back to the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ that offers no comfort because you're throwing someone back upon themselves to their own mental approach which interestingly ties into the whole synergistic understanding of I'll pick on our Baptist brothers and sisters here again the whole synergistic understanding of cooperation in their salvation which in the end throws you back on yourself and the decision you make as opposed to the decision that God has made for you um if you if you deny the real presence of Christ then you also don't have any comfort for someone when they receive the the sacrament which is that concrete way of God saying your sins are forgiven swallow it you know it is for you yeah so it's the denial of the sacramental nature that makes this a really important issue in the life of the church I've got like two more minutes I'll let me just wrap this up and can I get you later on Bruce okay when we receive holy communion the sacramental action only pertains to when we are are eating and drinking so in other words if if we went into the words of institution in holy communion and then we said never mind we wouldn't have the sacrament there because the sacrament only occurs when you are consuming it that's why at the end of the of the service you you don't have the the bread and the body and blood of Christ taken off and and going to the sacristy and as it is on the plate there you still have the body and blood of Christ know what do you have you've got remains of the bread right you've got the remains of the wine that's very various practices that that churches do some will say out of respect for how it is how it is used we'll spread it on the ground other churches will we'll just consume the rest of the of the bread because why why let it go to waste or take the remaining wine and and pour it into the reserve to be used next time but it's not as if you have the the bread and the wine or the body and blood Christ still remaining that's why just as a little aside we don't have an acolyte coming along side in case any crumbs are spilled at the at the at the communion rail right because it it only occurs in the in the actual eating of the sacramental action that you've got the the sacrament so when you go all the way back to the storyus that had implications on swingley that then has implications for how communion is understood because swingley was basing off of the storyus in the understanding of the lack of communion of the two natures and conceived of the two natures as a board stuck together um I'd encourage you to to read the Athanasian creed it's an incredible creed gets at the whole understanding of the Trinity gets at the one god three persons one essence well we're going to continue next week and we're going to say who were the Utakeans who are the Utakeans what were they all about and what the world did they believe we'll continue next week Grace the Heavenly Father, we with joy, we approach today.

Video citations

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• Heresies 10 — Well, we continue along in our study looking at some ancient heresies and how they apply today, where we see the expression of those. The purpose, of course, is so that when you hear these, you'll…
• Heresies 12 — Well, we studied last week about the Sadducees and the Corinthians, and in particular, they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. We hear this expressed in the modern-day form of when…
• Education Witness Style 1 — I want to break this down a little bit as we study this. In verse 13, for it was you who formed my inward parts. All of our bodies are made by God with this intricate complexity to them. And the…
• Education Witness Style 2 — Gracious Heavenly Father, it is a joy to be in your house on this year day. We thank You, O Lord, that You command us to come, for You have something to give us, word and sacrament. We thank You, O…
• Education Witness Style 3 — Well, we have been taking a look here at this little class entitled witnessing within your own personality style and just to review a little bit from whence we have come. Last time we talked about…
• Education Witness Style 4 — Well, welcome back from our little break last week. We were studying last time we got together two weeks ago about how Jesus witnessed to people. We noticed that sometimes Jesus was the one that…
• Justification 4 Whom Does God Justify — Heavenly Father, it is easy to question your love for us and to have doubts about our salvation. Give us faith to trust you when you tell us that we are saved and to base that trust on the simple…
• Justification 6 How Long Does It Take To Be Justified — O spirit, you alone have produced faith in us. The credit for us being believers is all yours. Help us now, O Lord, as we study to acknowledge your grace in giving us the gift of faith, in keeping…
• Dependency on God: "Handling Things" 4-19-26 — What you open your Bibles, please, with me, to the Gospel of Matthew the 18th chapter for our study today, you're using a Pew Bible in the rack in front of you or underneath you, that is on the New…
• "Actually..." 4-12-26 — To thy own self be true, to thy own self be true. A great man who once walked this earth said or wrote, those words shared, these exact words with the world, a creator of great works, unparalleled…
• "For You" 4-2-26 — There are many sweet, sweet words in Scripture. Off of the top of my head, I think of Psalm 23, and the beautiful beginning verse of the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Or in the prophet…
• "Tears of Jesus" 3-29-26 — Would you open your Bibles with me please? To the Gospel of Luke the 19th chapter. The Gospel of Luke is in the New Testament. If you're using a few addition, you'll find that on page 72. Luke the…
• "What Joy" 3-22-26 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the 15th chapter. If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 67 in the New Testament. We're in the Gospel of…
• Change in the World: "Leaven Response" 3-15-26 — Would you open your Bible's please with me to the Luke 13th chapter if you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture this morning? You're going to find that in the New Testament page 66. Luke 13th…
• “Intentional” 3-8-26 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the 16th chapter. If you're using a Pue edition of this Bible, you will find it on page 68 in the New Testament. We're in Luke, chapter…
• Obtaining Eternal Life- "The Test" 3-1-26 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me to the 10th chapter of the gospel of Luke. If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you will find that in the New Testament page 62. Luke the 10th…
• Waiting - "Confidant Waiting" 2-8-26 — Would you open your Bible's please with me to mark the fourth chapter for our time and God's Word if you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you'll find the fourth chapter of Mark on page 33…
• "Fulfilled" 1-11-26 — Would you please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew the third chapter? If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 3 in the New Testament. We're in the Gospel of…
• "Obedient from Beginning to End" 12-28-25 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke the second chapter, if you're using a Pew edition of the Bible, you can find this on page 51 in the New Testament. We're in Luke chapter 2.…
• Human and Divine: "No Crying He Makes" 12-24-25 — What you open your Bible's please for a time in God's Word to the second chapter of the gospel of Luke. If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you'll find in the Pew rack in front of you…
• :Thanksgiving" 11-26-25 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the 22nd chapter. If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 75 in the New Testament. We are in Luke, the 22nd…
• Words of Jesus.- “Hearing and Acting” 9-7-25 — Would you open your Bibles Please with me to Matthew the 7th chapter if you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture you'll find in the Pew rack in front of you or underneath you you'll find that in…
• Delight in God: "Favorite Things" 6-22-25 — Would you open your Bible's please for our time and God's Word to Proverbs 6, chapter 6, page 552, if you're using a Pue edition, 552 in the Old Testament. Reen drops on roses and whiskers on…
• "Discipleship" 5-25-25 — Do open your Bibles, please, with me to the 14th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that on page 67 in the New Testament. Luke, the…
• "Preparations" 3-17-25 — In our gospel text this evening, we see as Jesus tells His disciples to go and prepare the Passover feast and it's incredible that everything he said they would find it had been exactly as he said…
• “Fear of Death” 2-16-25 — Would you open your Bible's please with May 2, Philippians, the first chapter? Philippians, chapter 1. If you are using a few addition, you'll find that in the New Testament page 174, Philippians,…
• "Two Births" 12-29-24 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke the second chapter, if you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 51 in the New Testament. Luke chapter 2. In this…
• “Treasured and Pondered” 12-24-24 — Would you open your Bibles please with me to the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke. If you're using a copy of the Scriptures in the Puehrack in front of you or underneath you, you're going to…
• "Promises Made, Promises Kept" 12-22-24 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the first chapter, if you are using a Pue edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 49 in the New Testament, where in the Gospel of…
• Words "Natural Words" 12-15-24 — Put your open your Bibles, please, with me to the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. If you're using a Pue edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that New Testament page 49. Luke the…
• "Blessings" 12-8-24 — Would you open your Bible's please with me, too? The Gospel of Luke, the first chapter, for our study today, if you're using a pure edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that in the New…
• Facing Problems: “Promise Focus” 12-1-24 — You open your Bible's please with me to the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke. If you're using a Pew edition this morning, you're going to find that in the New Testament page 49. Luke the first…
• Give Thanks: "On Display" 11-27-24 — You open your Bibles, please, with me this evening to the 17th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that in the New Testament on page…
• Comparing: "Thanksgiving Twist" 11-17-24 — Would you open your Bibles please with me to Luke the 18th chapter for our study today? If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture you're going to find that page 70 in the New Testament the…
• "Hide and Seek" 7-7-24 — How you played hide and seek with a toddler? It's not very difficult. My favorite is when a little kiddo will run wanting to hide for all himself in the middle of the family room floor, but feel…
• Grace: "Gracious Intervention" 6-9-24 — But you'll open your Bible's Please to chapter 11 of the Book of Genesis. The first book in God's Holy Word, if you're using a Puedition, you're going to find that on page 8 Genesis 11 chapter for…
• Prophecy, Tongues “Measure Up?” 5-19-24 — As we continue our series this morning on the hard saying, some of them in Holy Scripture would you open up your Bible's please to 1 Corinthians the 14 chapter. If you're using a Puedition of Holy…
• “The Question Regarding ‘Cherem’ ” 4-28-24 — Would you open your Bibles please with me for our study today to the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, the 20th chapter. If you are using a Pue edition of Holy Scripture, you are going to…
• "UnForgiven" 4-14-24 — If you would have opened your Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew, the 12th chapter, if you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, you can find this on page 11 in the New Testament, we're in Matthew…
• "Proof" 4-7-24 — A few years ago, there was a woman in Canada who was skydiving. She was 5,000 feet in the air and she jumped out of the airplane and she began plummeting to the earth. Her first parachute didn't…
• "1-2-3" 3-31-24 — Would you open please your Scriptures to the 28th chapter of the gospel of Matthew? You'll find a copy of Holy Scriptures in the Pew Rack in front of you or underneath you. The 28th chapter of the…
• :Three Crosses" 3-29-24 — Which you open your Bible's please this evening to the 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Luke, beginning with verse 39, we read these verses. One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him…
• "The Cup" 3-28-24 — 4 cups for at least 500 years before then. 4 cups for at least 200 or 2,500 years before today. 4 cups of Passover, 4 cups signifying God's covenant with His people found in Exodus 6. 6. Say,…
• "All In" 3-24-24 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the 19th chapter. If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, you can find this on page 72 in the New Testament. The Gospel of Luke, the…
• Doing the Right Thing 3-17-24 — Would you open your Bible's please with me to the 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Luke for our study today? If you're using a Pue edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that on page 76 in the…
• "Expectations" 3-10-24 — Would you open your Bible's please with me to the 23rd chapter of the Gospel of Luke if you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture in the Pew rack in front of you, you will find that page 76 in…
• "Courage through the Cross" 3-3-24 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the 22nd chapter, if you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, this can be found on page 71 in the New Testament. We're in Luke the 22nd…
• "Prayer: Called to Pray" 2-25-24 — You open your Bibles, please, with me to Luke the 22nd chapter for our study this morning if you're using a Pew Edition of Holy Scripture that will be on page 75 in the New Testament. Luke the 22nd…
• Signs from God : The Ultimate Sign 1-28-24 — Would you open your by those please with me to the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Mark? If you're using a Puedition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that in the New Testament on page 37.…
• Spiritual Sight 1-21-24 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me for our study this morning to the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Mark. The eighth chapter of the Gospel of Mark, if you're using a Pew edition of Holy…
• "Family Business" 12-31-23 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the second chapter, we will be reading out of Luke the second chapter. If you want to use a Pue edition of the Bible, it is on page 51 in…
• "Peace" 12-24-23 — Would you open your Bible's Fleeze with me to the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke? If you're using a Pue edition of Holy Scripture, you'll find that in the New Testament page 50 for our study…
• Who is Jesus? Expediency 12-17-23 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me to the 20th chapter of the Gospel of Luke? If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that on page 72 in the New Testament, the…
• "It is Enough" 11-26-23 — I love traveling. I love traveling and I love anticipating what I'm going to see, what I'm going to do. And in order to travel any time you go anywhere, you have to pack. You pack, you pack a bag.…
• "Known by God" 11-19-23 — Would you open your Bible's please with me to the 14th chapter of the gospel of John, if you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that on page 95 in the New Testament, the…
• “What Do You Want Me To Do For You?” 11-12-23 — If you would please open your Bibles to Luke, the 18th chapter will be in the Gospel of Luke the 18th chapter. If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, you can find this on page 71 in the New…
• “Persistence” 10-29-23 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke the 18th chapter, if you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, you can find this on page 70 in the New Testament, where in Luke the 18th…
• :Lost?" 10-8-23 — If you wouldn't please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the 15th chapter. If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, you can find this on page 67 in the New Testament. We're in chapter 15 of…
• Calling on Him as Savior and Lord: 10-1-23 — Would you open your Bible's please with me to the gospel of John the second chapter for our study this morning? If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that on page 80…
• “Love Who?” 9-17-23 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me, to the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew for our study this morning? Matthew the fifth chapter if you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture,…
• “The Feet and Heart Connection” 8-27-23 — Would you open up your Bibles please with me to Psalm 86 for our study this morning? Psalm 86 in the Old Testament if you're using a Pue edition page 507 Psalm 86. The Gospel writer Luke was a…
• "Held" 7-30-23 — Let us pray together, please. Love divine, all love, exhaling. Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for such incredible love that you are poor. Chiefly, in the Lord Jesus Christ, the cross…
• "Sin Posse" 7-2-23 — Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Texas as a whole is steeped in the old West. And in Western lore, we read a lot and hear a lot about bandits, about outlaws, riding the range. And…
• "The Point" 5-28-23 — Would you open your Bibles' please on this Pentacos Sunday to the second chapter of the book of Acts, if you're using a Pue edition, you're going to find that on page 103 in the New Testament Acts…
• "Epilogue" 5-21-23 — If you would please open your Bibles to Luke the 24th chapter, Luke the 24th chapter. If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, you can find this on page 78 in the New Testament. We are in Luke…
• "One On One" 5-14-23 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me, to the 24th chapter of the gospel of St. Luke, if you're using a few edition of Holy Scripture this morning, you'll find that page 78 in the New…
• "The Pattern" 5-7-23 — Let us pray. Indeed, beautiful you are, O Lord. Our beautiful Savior. You have brought us here this morning and you bring forth from our lips the words of praise, the words of praise of your beauty.…
• "His Christology" 4-30-23 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the 24th chapter. If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, that is on page 78 of the New Testament. We are continuing our walk on the…
• “Christology” 4-23-23 — Do you want your Bibles please with me to the 24th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. If you're using a few additional this morning, you're going to find that on page 78 for our study. Luke the 24th…
• "Discussion" 4-16-23 — Everybody is different. Everybody thinks differently. Everybody processes differently. Everybody functions just a little bit differently. There are those who went faced with something that they're…
• “Reactions” 3-26-23 — Do you open your Bibles, please, with me to the 12th chapter of the gospel of John. If you're using a few edition of Holy Scripture, you'll find that on page 92 in the New Testament. The 12th…
• "Seen" 3-19-23 — If you would please open your Bibles to Luke the 19th chapter, we're in the Gospel of Luke the 19th chapter. We had a small group recently on the book The Highting Place and one of the questions…
• "Hidden" 3-12-23 — Do you open your Bibles, please, with me, to the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Luke for our study this morning. Luke the 18th chapter, if you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going…
• "Now I See" 3-5-23 — If you would please open your Bibles to Luke the 18th chapter, Luke the 18th chapter. If you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, you can find this on page 71 in the New Testament. We are in Luke…
• “Kyrie Eleison” 2-22-23 — On this holy night, the church gathers. Ash Wednesday is one of the most somber of services. Good Friday, Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday begins that walk for the church of the 40 days leading to Holy…
• “Fellowship With One Another” 1-8-23 — Put your open your Bibles, please, with me, to the book of 1 John in the New Testament. That is on page 211, if you're using a Pew edition this morning of Holy Scripture. 1 John, the very first…
• "Bright" 12-24-22 — Do you open your Bibles please with me this evening to Luke the second chapter. If you're using a Pue edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that on page 50 in the New Testament. Luke the…
• “Gratefulness in Service” 11-13-22 — What you open up your Bibles, please, to Colossians III chapter. If you're using a few additional Holy Scripture, you're going to find that on page 178 in the New Testament. Colossians III chapter…
• “Holding to the Truth” 10-16-22 — What you're open your Bibles, please, with me today, to John the 18th chapter, if you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find the 18th chapter of John on page 99 in the New…
• "Merciful" 10-2-22 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, the sixth chapter, if you're using a Pue edition of the Bible, that's on page 56 in the New Testament, we're in Luke the sixth chapter.…
• "The Ending" 4-17-22 — Would you open up your Bibles, please with me today to mark the 16th chapter, Mark chapter 16 for our study on this Easter day. Easter Sunday, it's good for the soul, isn't it? The soul is such an…
• "Confident" 4-14-22 — Get up, shoulders back, look me square in the eye and tell me the truth. Have you ever denied Christ? It was Passover. Jesus and His disciples had gathered together to share this celebration, this…
• "Significance" 3-13-22 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me this morning to this portion of God's Word from Mark 9th chapter? You'll find that if you're using a few edition of Holy Scripture on page 39, Mark 9th…
• "Mercy on Us" 3-2-22 — Would you open your Bibles please with me this evening? To mark the eighth chapter for our study, if you're using a few addition, you'll find that on page 38. Mark the eighth chapter. The liturgy…
• “Inside Out” 2-27-22 — What's your open your Bible's please with me this morning to mark the 7th chapter. You'll find that on page 36 if you're using an edition of Holy Scripture, you'll find in the purest in front of…
• "Boat Trip" 1-30-22 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me, to the Gospel of Mark the 4th chapter. If you're using a few edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that in the New Testament on page 33, Mark…
• "The Need" 1-9-22 — Would you open your Bible's please with me this morning to the gospel of Mark chapter 2, if you're using a few addition, you're going to find that on page 31 in the New Testament, mark the second…
• “Immediate Rest” 1-2-22 — If you would please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Mark the first chapter, the Gospel of Mark the first chapter. We are beginning a new sermon series today on Mark, an highlighting what is the…
• "Pray" 12-5-21 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me, too? First Thessalonians, the fifth chapter for our study today. If you're using a Pew Bible, you're going to find first Thessalonians, chapter 5, page…
• "Tomorrow" 11-21-21 — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me to the fourth chapter of the book of James for our study today? If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that page 200 and 4,…
• “What is God’s Strategy for Anxiousness?” 8-15-21 — Would you open your Bibles please with me for our text of study today to first Peter the first chapter if using a Pew edition? You're going to find that on page 208 first Peter the fifth chapter for…
• "What is the Purpose of Angels?" 7-11-21 — If you would, please open your Bibles to the book of Hebrews the first chapter. We're going to be studying Hebrews the first chapter. Okay, so I'm going to ask a question. We're in a Q&A sermon…
• "Does God Hear the Prayers of Unbelievers?" 6-27-21 — If you would please open your Bibles to Psalm 139, we're going to be studying Psalm 139. So in this Q&A series of taking questions to Scripture and seeing what God's Word has to say and using…
• "Should We Repeat Prayers?" 6-20-21 — Let's open our Bible's please to Matthew the sixth chapter for our study today. Matthew chapter six as we study God's Word. Solomon, first Kings the third chapter, and there we find Solomon praying.…
• "What Were the First Questions in the Bible?" 6-6-21 — Let's open our Bibles, please, for our study today, to Genesis 3rd chapter. Genesis 3 3 for our study today. The Bible contains a host of questions. I think, for example, of the question that Jesus…
• "New Mercies" — Let's open up our Bibles, please, to the book of lamentations for our study today. Lamentations the third chapter. We're continuing this sermon series, simply entitled new, which is a celebration of…
• "New Mercies" 5-2-21 — Let's open up our Bibles, please, to the book of lamentations for our study today. Lamentations the third chapter. We're continuing this sermon series, simply entitled new, which is a celebration of…
• "The Golden Rule" 2-21-21 — Let us pray. Holy and gracious God, we give you thanks now for this time when you're word, your word is truth. We praise you, O Lord, for the treasure that you have placed in our hands for Holy…
• "Receive Much Joy" — So, let's open up our Bible, please, to the book of filemen for our study today, the book of filemen. All right, here's the question for you. What is the longest book in the Bible? Do you know? One…
• "Made Cheerful" — Let's open our Bibles, please. This morning to second Corinthians, the ninth chapter, second Corinthians, chapter nine, for our study this morning. Cheerfulness. Cheerfulness. That is a wonderful…
• "Joy of Repentance" — The familiar. We are born with a sense of the familiar, of familiarity. We're born drawn to those voices that we could hear when we were in the womb. We are drawn to faces that we know well. We love…
• "Bartimaeus" — Let's open our Bibles, please, this morning for our study to the 10th chapter of the gospel of Mark, Mark the 10th chapter for our study this morning. As one moves through the various gospels of…
• "Rock and Sand" — Let's open our Bibles, please. This morning to the 24th chapter of the gospel of Luke for our study on this Easter day. When one comes to Easter day, it is such a joyous day for so many reasons. And…
• Living the Story — When you look at various figures, throughout the scriptures, oftentimes you can associate a word with them. For example, Adam and Eve, Apple, Noah, Flood, Abraham, and Sarah, covenant, David,…
• "Awestruck" — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me, to the 19th chapter of the Book of Acts? The seven sons of Skiva. Those band of boys were bad news. They were exorcists that went around, traveling…
• Gathered In — Let us pray together. Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for your infelible word. We give you thanks, O Lord, that as we open up the pages of Scripture, the voice that we hear is your…
• Lost and Found — Every time I read this story of Jesus as a boy being lost in the temple, I can't help but remember when I as a person was about two and a half, maybe three years old and we were going outside, we…
• This is the Church — Okay, so we've all heard the saying, it takes a village, right? We all know this saying it's not uncommon in our daily usage. It's actually an African proverb, and it means that an entire community…
• Next Steps — I love games. I love interactive games. I love physical games, not much of an athlete, but I like physical games. One of my favorite games to play in a youth group is a trust game. Have you ever…
• What Upside Down is Right Side Up — It is a house that was intentionally built upside down. It's rather disorienting as you walk into it, because literally everything is upside down. All of the appliances, all of the fixtures,…
• "Focus" October 27, 2019 — As you turn the pages of Scripture, and you meet various folks, it becomes evident, right? A little bit about their personalities. You've got extraverts, Scripture, you've got introverts, you've got…
• "Driven to the Knees" — It is my favorite math problem. Take whatever number you want, whatever number you want. Double it, then add 10 to it. Divide it in half, and then take the original number, and subtract it, and you…
• "Liberated" — Have any of you heard any modern day prophecies or any modern day prophets? I've heard some where there's a foretelling of political future or a foretelling of a certain healing that is just sure to…
• "Followers" — So I have a question for you. Who in here is a planner? You are a planner. You owe lots of you. I can only raise my hand halfway up. Not a super big planner, but a planner little. But we love…
• "The Greater Healing" 8-4-19 — There are a host of healings recorded in Holy Scripture. And as you read the account of these healings, they are tremendously moving, aren't they? Does the Lord Jesus Christ still heal this side of…
• "Glimpse" June 16, 2019 — You'll recall that the book of Acts is the second volume. The first volume was written by the gospel writer Luke and then Luke writes the second volume, which is the book of Acts. In the first…
• "Entrance Hymn" Palm Sunday Sermon — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me, to the 19th chapter of the Book of Luke? We're going to pause our study and Acts as we enter into this holy week. As we follow the texts, this great…
• "Clinging" March 10, 2019 — Would you open your Bible please with me to the 10th chapter of the book of Acts for our study this morning? As we enter the 10th chapter today, we come to one of the most important chapters in the…
• Perplexity and Opportunity January 27, 2019 — Would you open your Bible please with me to the eighth chapter of the book of Acts? His name was Philip. And Philip can be one of those well forgotten people in Scripture. You have huge names in…
• "Purchased" Christmas Eve 2018 Sermon — Several years ago, I served the congregation, and we had our Christmas Eve services at 4 o'clock and 11 o'clock. So there were quite a few hours in between the worship services, and it really helped…
• "Heartbeat" Nov 4, 2018 — Alright, honest, honest question, how many of you have had this hymn stuck in your heads for a couple weeks now? Anyone? Anyone? I see a couple hymns. I was driving along and last week, just,…
• Sermon June 3, 2018 "Love Your Neighbor as Yourself" — Do you open your Bible, please, with me to the 22nd chapter of the book of Matthew. Questions? We all have them, don't we? And there is no better place to look for the answer than the infelible word…
• Sermon- May 27 "Perfect Church" — Today's a look for loop holes. I remember when I was a kid, there was a little bit of confession time. When I was a kid, I was tasked with changing the, the litter or the bedding of our rats cage.…
• Sermon 4-29-18 — Would you open your Bible, please, with me to the fourth chapter of the wonderful book of Acts. We're going to pick up where we left off last week. Silence can be such an interesting phenomenon,…
• To Do List — To do lists, to do lists. Do you have any of those? Why they can be lists of the rather mundane things and also lists of rather important things? Here's my question for you this morning. Did Jesus…
• While We Wait — Let's open our Bible's please to the very first chapter of the Book of Acts. We began our journey in this incredible book last Sunday and I just want to recap what we went over. Because the first…
• For The Price — Would you open your Bibles, please, with me to the very first chapter of the Book of Acts, as we continue our study, has last we left the early disciples. They were obeying and praying, weren't…
• In Our Own Language — Would you open your Bible please with me to the second chapter of the Book of Acts as we pick up from where we left off last week as we moved out of the first chapter of the Book of Acts. Remember…
• The Single Reason — Would you open your Bible, please, with me to the second chapter of the Book of Acts? Will we gather on Christmas Eve, a glorious Christmas Eve service? We studied from the second chapter of the…
• The Promise For You — How many times in your life have you heard the words I promise? And how many times in your life have you said the words I promise? I was thinking about what promises we make in our lives every day.…
• Devoted — Okay, we're going to start with some church statistics. Yes, statistics. But this is important. This is important to know and to think about this is from the 2016 Barner Report on the state of the…