Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME230401S
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00:14 >> It really is a privilege today to welcome you to Pioneer Memorial Church. 00:19 Thank you all, one and all, for being here. 00:22 It's good to see everybody. For those that are worshipping 00:25 with us online or on the radio, thank you, also, for joining us. 00:29 Today we are celebrating Communion here at our church. 00:33 We're going to be returning to Calvary and discovering the 00:36 majesty in the anguish. 00:38 And so, thank you for being here. Let's start with our call to 00:41 worship. 01:12 Let's bow our heads. God, today we are here to sing Your praise. 01:18 We're here to worship You. We're here to reflect on the moments, the last moments, 01:24 of Your life and give praise and honor and all glory to You. 01:27 And so, today, again, one more time, we ask that Your presence be here in this place. 01:33 Fill the speakers, fill everyone who's gonna be up front, fill the musicians, Lord, 01:37 with Your presence. Let us be in Your throne room so that when we leave, we are -- 01:42 we leave changed. God, we thank You for all the goodness that You give to us. 01:48 Thank you, Lord. Amen. [ Organ playing ] 01:53 ♪♪ ♪♪ 02:13 ♪♪ 05:14 [ Wind symphony playing ] 05:17 ♪♪ 05:27 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 05:57 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 06:27 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 06:57 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 07:28 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 07:58 ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Cymbals crash ] 08:20 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 08:31 ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 08:57 [ Chimes tinkle ] ♪♪ 09:05 [ Applause ] 09:18 >> I want to pray with you. And then we're going to brood together. 09:25 Oh, God, that music that just swept us Heavenward, my, oh, my, oh, my. 09:32 Thank You for musicians. Thank You for the gift of music. It comes from Your soul. 09:38 You're the greatest musician in the universe. And we get blessed every time. 09:44 These moments now, we need a spirit to infuse them. Be in charge of our thinking 09:52 processes. Let us see what You want us to see. 09:56 We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 10:00 Return to Calvary. It begins right now, 10:03 this little April series. Galatians 6:14. 10:09 "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, 10:15 through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world." 10:21 1 Corinthians 2:2. "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you 10:28 except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Why? 10:35 Ah. Because the Maker of all things loves and wants me. 10:43 When we go to Golgotha first, the problem is we're 12 hours 10:48 too late because, in fact, Golgotha without Gethsemane 10:54 is an answer without a question. We need Gethsemane. 11:00 Brood over these moments in that dark, dark garden. Brood with me right now. 11:06 A handful of young men move silently beneath the silver white moon. 11:15 They descend into this carved notch out the Eastern gate, a carved notch they call 11:21 the Kidron. The Kidron tonight flows blood red. 11:26 It is blood. A million slaughtered Passover lambs this weekend. 11:34 Crimson waters. They step over them. They ascend. 11:39 We can see them in the dark. They ascend to a garden up the Mount of Olives. 11:48 From where we stand, we can't hear their muffled words to each other. 11:54 But suddenly, that group of 12 breaks into eight who gather around the gate to the garden, 11:59 and four more stumble on. One of them stumbling especially into the dark, dark heart 12:10 of this garden called Oil Press. Olive Press. Gethsemane in the Aramaic. 12:20 It's like the moon is blinking on and off as we watch the four, because high over their heads, 12:28 the gnarly boughs and branches turn the light off and back on again. 12:34 But that face. There's one face. We're sure we know that face. Though we hardly recognize it 12:42 now. Something terrible. Something bad is happening. 12:51 And when the face speaks, we know. In the Gospel of Mark 14:32, 13:00 the Gethsemane narrative begins with these words. "They went to a place 13:03 called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, 'Sit here while I pray.' 13:12 He took Peter, James and John along with Him, and He began to be deeply 13:18 distressed and troubled." Frederick Dale Bruner renders those two words "depressed 13:30 and confused." In fact, Bruner says this text is the Magna Carta 13:35 of depression. Depression to come and a visitor at our own tables and lives. 13:46 In fact, one French commentator, put it on the screen for you, Pierre Benoit. 13:52 "Pierre Benoit translates the verb... 'sudden fear came over Him,' 13:57 and says that the word in Greek is 'used of a man who is rendered helpless, 14:01 disoriented, who's agitated and anguished by the threat of some approaching event.'" 14:09 Keep reading. "He took Peter, James and John along with Him, 14:14 and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 'My soul is overwhelmed with 14:20 sorrow to the point of death,' He said to them. Stay here... 14:27 Stay here and keep watch.'" "Stay here. Pray for me. Peter, James, John, 14:38 pray for me. It's growing darker and darker. I don't know what's happening." 14:50 "Going a little farther," Jesus fell to the ground, "and prayed that if possible 14:57 the hour might pass from Him. 'Abba, Father,' He said, 'everything is possible for you. 15:06 Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.'" 15:18 The language of a story 2,000 years old quickly loses its emotion 15:26 and depth until a gifted storyteller comes along and retells 15:32 the story for us. The great American storyteller Walter Wangerin, 15:38 who sadly died just a year ago. Walter Wangerin Jr. In his book, given to me just 15:46 a few weeks ago by a friend -- title of the book -- "Reliving the Passion" -- 15:50 he captures this moment. I want you to feel the moment now as I read Wangerin 15:56 to all of us. "The woods are pale and silent. That one man totally alone 16:03 is swaying back and forth as if dizzy his face and his hands. 16:09 Suddenly he crumples to the ground. 'Abba! Abba!' 16:15 The sound is strangled in his throat. His fingers dig dirt 16:19 like the roots of the tree. His chin and beard grind against the Earth. 16:23 'Abba, Father, I don't want to do this.' 'Please. You can do anything.' 16:31 'Then take the cup from me.' The man's voice is hoarse, a kind of guttural barking. 16:38 And then he sucks air and howls at the top of his lungs, 'Hell is in that cup. 16:43 Death and damnation are in that cup. My father, my father, 16:47 it will tear me away from you. No, I don't want to do this. No, sin is in that cup. 16:52 And if I drink it, you won't look at me. You will loathe me, 16:56 and I will hate myself. I don't want to drink it. Abba, Abba, take the cup 17:01 away from me.' The man twists his body under the trees, 17:06 then holds himself in a tense, unnatural posture, his face upward, 17:10 his eyes shut, his breathing sharp through his teeth. He grimaces as if smiling, 17:16 then whispers, almost inaudibly whispers as soft as the leaves. 'Nevertheless... 17:27 not what I want.' 'What you want, do.'" 17:37 Well, we read -- we read that old, old story too tamely, too hurriedly. 17:47 Something terrible has happened in Gethsemane. Frederick Dale Bruner 17:54 on the screen. "Might we reverently say Jesus knew what it was to be 18:00 emotionally crushed and mentally 'crazy,' at least for a while? 18:08 This would mean that Jesus knows what we," emphasis "His," "what we go through at our 18:14 limits, and knows this not just 'divinely,' but also humanly. 18:22 Death, even at middle distance, can be managed. Imminent death overwhelms." 18:33 How true. Something terrible is happening to Jesus. 18:40 I mean, just just hours ago in the upper room, Jesus was the epitome of peace and joy. 18:46 "My peace I leave with you. My joy I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled. 18:52 Neither let it be afraid. In this world, you will suffer tribulation. 18:57 But cheer up. But take heart. I have overcome the world." Where's the peace and joy 19:05 and overcoming now? That was then. This is now. 19:13 Something terrible is happening to Jesus. "James, Peter, John, 19:23 I feel like I'm dying. It's getting dark. I'm afraid. Pray for me. 19:30 Stay with me, please." The words of one translator -- "I feel so bad, I could die." 19:37 In the Greek, it awkwardly reads literally, "Grief encircled is my psyche 19:42 unto death." And Bruner wonders aloud, "But how could anyone have dared 19:48 to invent a scene that was so disturbing to faith -- the fear of Jesus 19:53 in the face of death?" My. But when he turns to His 20:00 closest companions, guess what? You got it. Those three amigos -- 20:10 no comfort, no praying. Nothing. "Then He returned 20:19 to His disciples, and He found them sleeping. 'Simon,' He said to Peter, 20:25 'Are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour?'" 20:32 "One hour every weekend, three hours every weekend with your favorite sports team, 20:37 and you can't spend one hour with me? One hour every day 20:41 in the Wall Street Journal, and you can't spend one hour with me? 20:46 One hour? Five hours with social media, and you can't spend one hour 20:51 with me?" 20:57 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, 21:04 but the flesh is weak. Once more," Jesus went away, and He prayed the same thing. 21:11 What was that prayer? "'Abba, Father, He said, 'everything is possible for you. 21:18 Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will." 21:26 What's happening to the man twisted and troubled on the Earth and dirt 21:34 of Gethsemane? What's going on? Meade MacGuire 21:39 and his powerful collection called "His Cross and Mine" draws conclusions, 21:46 I'm telling you, I find very illuminating and satisfying. First, MacGuire reminds us 21:52 that Gethsemane, in fact, has also been told not just in the Gospels, 21:55 but it's been embedded by Paul himself in the heart of the Book of Hebrews. 21:59 You and I have been to this verse many times together. Hebrews 5:7. 22:03 "During the days of Jesus' life on Earth, He offered up prayers and 22:08 petitions with fervent cries." And what's that next word? Tears. 22:14 "With fervent cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, 22:19 and He was heard because of His reverent submission." With fervent cries and tears. 22:27 That inspired line has Gethsemane written all over it, doesn't it? 22:33 Then MacGuire -- Now, brood here with him. Meade MacGuire again. 22:38 "Jesus did not ask to be saved from dying, but He did pray most earnestly to be saved 22:45 from death." 22:51 "Why did Jesus shrink from death instead of facing death like the heroic martyrs? 22:57 The answer is that the martyrs were facing mere mortal death and were sustained in their 23:03 sufferings by the consciousness of God's presence and acceptance. 23:07 But Christ was taking the sinner's place." I'm talking about you and me. 23:11 "And as the typical representative sinner, He was bearing our load of guilt 23:16 out into the darkness of separation from God. As the sins of the world" -- 23:21 and I'm talking about your darling sin, and I'm talking about 23:24 my darling sin -- "As the sins of the world engulfed Him like a vast ocean 23:28 crashing in, He felt Himself sinking into a darkness He had never before known. 23:36 It seemed more than His body could sustain, and immediate death 23:41 threatened Him." In Gethsemane. 23:48 It's not the fear of mortal death that grips Jesus tonight. It's the fear of immortal death 23:57 that has Him terrified, the fear that only a sin-bearer could possibly comprehend. 24:05 He will not even name this dark, this deadly dread that clutches His heart and throat. 24:13 He just calls it the cup. The cup. "Abba, the cup. 24:18 Take the cup away." Desire of Ages draws a veil partially aside 24:28 for this mystery. "Three times has He uttered that prayer. 24:34 Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning sacrifice. 24:39 But now, the history of the human race comes up before the world's Redeemer. 24:43 He sees the transgressors of the law, if left to themselves" -- 24:47 left to ourselves -- "must perish. He sees the helplessness 24:51 of man and woman. He sees the power of sin. The woes and lamentations 24:56 of a doomed world rise up before Him. He beholds its impending fate, 25:03 and His decision is made. He will save us at any cost to Himself. 25:11 He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him perishing millions 25:17 may gain everlasting life. Having made the decision, He fell"... 25:22 What's that next word? "He fell dying." Do you understand that? 25:27 "He fell dying to the ground." 25:35 Wow. You know what? He would have died 25:40 then and there had not Dr. Luke, the only one to insert 25:45 this detail, informed us that from the throne room of Heaven -- shoop -- 25:52 Heaven's highest created being, Gabriel, appears. 26:03 If He had died there, the plan of salvation would have been completed. 26:08 But watch -- And this is MacGuire that helps me see this. Watch this. 26:13 "Though He might have laid down His life in the garden" -- Blood had been shed, right? 26:19 Bloody sweat. "Though He might have laid down His life in the garden 26:23 and the sacrifice had been acceptable to the Father, yet how difficult it would 26:28 have been for men," and women, "to understand and appropriate what He had done. 26:33 There is a moral shock connected with the awful tragedy of the crucifixion, 26:40 which the Spirit of God uses to stir the consciences" -- our consciences, 26:45 arising our moral sensibilities and awakening us from our stupor and our blindness 26:52 and our selfishness. 26:57 It's outrageous. "The angel came not to take the cup from Christ's hand," 27:05 mnh-mnh, "but to strengthen Him to drink it, with the assurance of the Father's love." 27:14 Wow. 27:18 What father? Oh, Abba Father, of course. Only Mark, and I say this 27:28 respectfully, God bless him, only Mark records that original language that Jesus spoke of 27:37 Aramaic, records Jesus' actual word in the heart of that dark garden. 27:44 "Abba. Abba." "Papa. Papa." It's straight out of a child's 27:50 book of prayers. Jesus had used it all through His life. 27:57 In fact -- And I found this stunning. I just found it this week 28:01 from the great German scholar Gerhard Kittel in his 10-volume magnum opus 28:07 "Theological Dictionary of the New Testament," which I'm blessed to have. 28:13 Never saw this before. Watch this. "The probability is that Jesus 28:19 employed the word 'abba' not merely where it is expressly attested," 28:25 Mark 14:36, where we just read, "but in all cases, and particularly in address 28:33 to God," When He's talking to God, he uses "abba." 28:36 "Where the Evangelists" -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John -- "record Him as saying," 28:41 and then he puts in the brackets here the actual Greek words for "the father." 28:45 "Father," "My father." Could it be? Kittel will say, "Yep, 28:52 it is -- Abba." "The Abba," "Abba," "My Abba," and even, perhaps, "Our Abba, 28:59 who art in Heaven, hallowed be Your name." Wow. Keep reading. 29:06 "In doing so, Jesus applies to God a term which must have sounded familiar 29:11 and disrespectful to His contemporaries because it was used in the 29:15 everyday life of the family. In other words, He uses simple 'speech' 29:19 of the child to its father." "Abba, Father. Papa, take this cup. 29:30 Take this cup from me. I don't want to drink it. Please, Abba." 29:38 I have three beautiful granddaughters. I love them to death. 29:42 And you know what my name is to them? It's Papa. 29:47 And when that little girl comes up and whispers in my ear, "Papa," I just melt. 29:54 I just melt. Scoop me up. When that little girl calls from 30:00 across the living room where we're playing or across the playground, "Papa, 30:04 over here," I just love it. And that's why I cannot imagine 30:12 what it was like for the father to sit there 30:18 and hear this one who has spent eternity as his equal, dressed now in humanity 30:27 and sobbing. "Abba, Papa, you got to take this away. 30:34 Papa... Papa, how could You sit there and not say something? 30:39 Papa..." Heaven wept. Heaven wept. 30:49 [ Sighs ] How do you suppose Papa -- How do you suppose Abba Abraham 30:54 felt, hmm? That knife trembling in his hands atop Mount Moriah is about 31:03 to slay His only begotten Son. I was just telling my seminary class this week in the seminary, 31:15 when that knife fell, it broke two hearts. You don't think Abba's living 31:24 this moment with Abraham? 31:30 Isn't that amazing? Incidentally, scholars see in Jesus' command at 31:35 the beginning of the narrative, "Stay here while we go in" -- remember those words, 31:39 "stay here" -- as an intentional echo of Abraham and Isaac 31:45 getting ready to go up Moriah and Abraham says to the servants, "Stay here 31:51 while the lad and I sacrifice." Sacrifice in the Old Testament. The greatest story. 31:57 Sacrifice in the New Testament. The greatest story linked by the words "stay here." 32:04 But maybe that's our problem. We just don't stay there long enough. 32:10 "Stay here. Stay with me." [ Sighs ] 32:17 "Abba, Father." Now, here's the point. I pray the Holy Spirit 32:25 will speak to you right now... if you're listening. Do you understand, 32:32 do you realize God wants to be Abba? He wants to be Papa to you, 32:40 as well. Some of you are going through hell right now. 32:44 I know. I've talked with you. There's a darkness that you cannot comprehend, 32:52 and it doesn't leave. You're begging God, "Take this cup. 32:58 Take this cup. I can't drink it, Papa. Just take it away, please." 33:04 It may be the loss of a friendship, the loss of a love that you so desperately 33:08 wanted. "Take it away. Take it away." 33:15 It may be an existential crisis in your studies. I don't know. 33:19 It could be your career or life in general. For some of you, 33:25 it's depression, full-blown, dark, black depression. "Take this cup. 33:32 I beg of you. Take it away." 33:39 It may be the approach of a death and dying -- a death and dying, you realize, 33:47 grows closer by the day. And you are begging, "I don't want -- I don't 33:55 want that death. And I don't want that dying. Take the cup." 34:02 I need you to know that this abba to whom Jesus sobs, 34:11 though hears nothing, is the same abba who's loving on you right now. 34:17 Don't you give up. Don't you quit. He's going to love you 34:22 through this. He's going to get you through. The cup will be taken one day. 34:28 If not here, then. But He is with you 34:36 as Abba/Papa was with Jesus in the blackest, darkest hour 34:42 of his existence. 34:48 Even if you must drink the cup, remember this promise -- "When we have prayed, 34:55 whatever the outcome, let us not lose faith in God. Let us accept the bitter cup, 35:02 remembering that a father's hand holds it to our lips." 35:12 A father's hand, Papa's hand holds it to our lips. 35:18 "No, don't push me away. I'm loving on you. 35:25 We have to do this. You'll see." 35:30 A father's hand holds it to our lips. 35:35 "I'm with you till the end." 35:38 That's all Jesus had. That was it. 35:45 The angel was just an infusion and salvation from death so that He could continue 35:52 for another 12 hours. That's all. Papa's hand holds it 36:00 to our lips. Ah, my friends, that's it. That's what we've come to 36:04 celebrate today. There will be a cup that will touch your lips in a moment. 36:08 And that cup will be the assurance that, "Abba/Father loves even me." 36:16 Abba/Father loves even you. That's the promise. When we take the cup 36:22 and it touches our lips, we will know, "Abba/Father loves even me." 36:32 [ Sighs ] Let's pray. Oh, Abba, Father, Papa... 36:38 Papa... Papa... 36:47 The cup. The cup. As we gather at the table, 36:54 grant us the courage and the trust of Jesus to press on with Him, 37:04 with You, who loves me, too. Amen. 37:14 After Gethsemane, Golgotha. Before Gethsemane, the Supper. Yeah. The Supper. 37:26 The Lord's Supper. It was called the Last Supper. "And as it turns out, 37:31 it's the last supper that you and I will celebrate together right now." 37:39 Jesus says, "Come on. This is our moment, You and me together." 37:44 Let it be that for you. You'll never regret it. Let's go. Jesus is ready. 37:48 Let's go. When you come back, there'll be music happening here. 37:52 Let your heart just rejoice. And then we'll pick up the cup and the bread together. 37:56 And we'll never be the same again. See you in a bit. 38:05 [ Piano plays ] 38:08 ♪♪ ♪♪ 40:00 [ Piano plays ] 40:02 ♪♪ ♪♪ 40:18 >> What a beautiful, beautiful song -- 40:20 "I Surrender All." Standing right here singing 40:24 the last refrain with you, it's a song they sang 40:29 at my baptism in Tokyo, Japan. 40:33 We all make commitments along the way. 40:37 You remember yours, I remember mine. The Last Supper, 40:43 the Lord's Supper, becomes a fresh remaking of our commitments, 40:50 of our pledges, of our devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ. It's very interesting 40:56 that the Gospel of John says not a word about Gethsemane. Oh, he was arrested 40:59 in Gethsemane. We don't know why he's there, except probably he went to pray. 41:04 John knows that three synopses have been written. There's no point in retelling 41:07 the story again. But John embeds some cues to the prayer "Abba, Abba, 41:15 take this cup away." It's the last prayer. It's really the Lord's Prayer 41:20 in the Gospel of John 17. And I'm going to put "Abba" where "Father" is. 41:25 "After Jesus said this, He looked toward Heaven, and he prayed, 41:28 'Abba, the hour has come. Glorify your Son that your Son may glorify You. 41:35 And now, Abba, glorify me in Your presence with the glory had with You 41:40 before the world began.'" And then at the end of the prayer, "Abba, I want those 41:44 You have given me to be with me where I am and to see my glory, the glory You have given me 41:49 because You loved me before the creation of the world. And righteous Abba, though 41:54 the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent me." 42:02 The cue is there. The Abba Prayer has been made. Well, that's why He gave this, 42:09 so that we would never forget Abba loves us, too. Becky Von Dorpowski, 42:15 one half of our board of elders here at Pioneer, is going to read the sacred 42:19 account of that night, Thursday night. And then her husband, Bryan, 42:24 the other half of our head elders, is going to lead us in prayer. 42:30 Let's hear the word. 42:32 >> "For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you, 42:36 the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 42:39 and when He had given thanks. He broke it and said, 'This is 42:43 my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' 42:48 In the same way, after supper, He took the cup, saying, 42:51 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. 42:54 Do this whenever you drink it in remembrance of me. 42:57 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim 43:01 the Lord's death until He comes.'" 43:04 >> Amen. I invite you to bow your heads 43:07 with me in prayer. Dear Father in Heaven, 43:12 we bow before You with humble, thankful hearts as we celebrate 43:16 the Lord's Supper. Jesus, You said that this bread 43:20 represents Your body that was broken for us 43:23 and this juice, the new covenant in Your blood, 43:26 which was shed for us. 43:29 You asked us to remember You, for He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us 43:38 that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Thank You for Your sacrifice 43:43 and the gift that sets us free and for giving us Your white robe of righteousness. 43:50 Bless these emblems, and thank You for ministering to our hearts as we take them. 43:55 In that upper room, You drank grape juice with the disciples and said that 43:59 You would not drink it again until we drank it together in Your father's kingdom. 44:05 We long for that day, when our faith becomes sight and we eat and drink with You in 44:11 the home You've prepared for us. But until that day, we joyfully participate 44:17 in this Communion service and do this in remembrance of You. 44:22 In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. 44:28 [ Organ plays ] 44:30 ♪♪ 44:39 >> ♪ The love of God is greater far 44:46 than tongue or pen can ever tell ♪ 44:53 ♪ It goes beyond the highest star 44:59 and reaches to the lowest hell ♪ 45:05 ♪ The guilty pair bowed down with care ♪ ♪ God gave His Son to win 45:18 ♪ His erring child He reconciled and pardoned from His sin ♪ ♪ O love of God, 45:35 how rich and pure ♪ ♪ How measureless and strong ♪ It shall forevermore endure 45:51 the saints' and angels' song ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ 46:04 ♪ When years of time shall pass away ♪ ♪ And earthly thrones 46:15 and kingdoms fall ♪ ♪ When men who here refuse to pray ♪ 46:25 ♪ On rocks and hills and mountains call ♪ ♪ God's love, so pure, 46:35 shall still endure ♪ ♪ All measureless and strong ♪ Redeeming grace 46:48 to Adam's race ♪ ♪ The saints' and angels' song ♪♪ 47:02 ♪ Could we with ink the ocean fill? ♪ And were the skies of 47:12 parchment made ♪ ♪ Were every stalk on Earth a quill ♪ 47:21 ♪ And every man a scribe by trade ♪ ♪ To write the love 47:31 of God above ♪ ♪ Would drain the ocean dry ♪ Nor would the scroll 47:44 contain the whole ♪ ♪ Though stretched from sky to sky ♪ 47:55 ♪ O love of God, how rich and pure ♪ ♪ How measureless and strong 48:09 ♪ It shall forevermore endure ♪ The saints' and angels' song 48:26 ♪ The saints' and angels' song ♪♪ >> Amen. 48:43 >> Thank you, Fred. Beautiful. Beautiful. A love of God, 48:47 how measureless and strong. The saints' and angels' song be our song through eternity, 48:56 I'm sure. Jesus said, "For that reason, I gave you this supper. 49:04 When you eat this bread, you think of me, my body broken for you 49:12 for the salvation of this world. Take. Eat." 49:22 [ Organ plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ 49:42 And after the disciples had torn off each his piece of bread, Jesus took the cup, 49:51 the Paschal Cup. He says, "This cup, celebrating Your deliverance from Egypt, 50:03 is now my cup. Celebrating Your deliverance from evil. 50:08 My blood will be spilled for you. Do this, remember me. 50:14 Do this in remembrance of me." 50:23 [ Organ plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ 50:38 And the Lord's Supper ended. The record does read one of the great Hallel Psalms 50:45 they sang, because it was a custom to sing as you leave, 50:50 and they thought Judas was doing the other custom. He's gonna go out, he's gonna 50:53 give some money to the poor. That's what we do. No, it was money for himself. 50:59 But we receive an offering. We receive an offering for those in need. 51:04 And we've had a very needy winter. Spring is here. 51:09 But if God has blessed you over these last three months and you'd like to pass some of 51:13 that blessing on, there will be a greeter, an usher standing right there. 51:18 Just drop your gratitude in that basket, and be assured people who need 51:24 it will receive it. I love that song. It's been our traditional 51:29 ending song. It's number 411 in your hymnal, if you don't know it, but the 51:34 words will be on the screen. It's a beautiful song. It talks about leaving the 51:37 supper, the supper has ended. And I'm gonna invite you to stand, and we're gonna sing 51:41 our hearts and gratitude to God for this moment at His table with Jesus. 51:49 [ Organ plays ] 51:52 ♪♪ ♪♪ 54:03 I love that line -- "Give honor to Christ 54:07 and His name that we bear." I'm gonna take a family moment 54:11 right now. This is a campus where 54:16 Pioneer has been placed. Kids go to school here. 54:22 Kids fall in love here. I'm standing between two college students who 54:29 met here and fell in love here. And then I got to conduct their wedding. 54:35 What's up with that? [ Laughter ] And then they said, "We're gonna 54:40 stay in this community, stay in this church." Our head elders. 54:45 Then they had a boy, they had another boy. I had the privilege 54:50 of dedicating both of those boys to Jesus. And the boys grew up. 54:56 That's what happens when you've been around for a while. The boys grew up. 55:01 And the boys needed to be baptized, chose to be, and I had the privilege 55:05 of baptizing them both. And then one of them decides to get married. 55:12 Who gave him that idea? Decides to get married. And Brandon and I had 55:20 the privilege of having a part in that joyful day. And Michael -- Let me know 55:27 when he gets married. >> Okay. [ Laughter ] 55:30 >> But we're family, and that's what community is. Some of you have been around 55:35 here a long time, and that's good. Some of you are gonna leave here 55:38 because you're only here for four years and you're gonna find another church somewhere 55:41 on this planet. Let that church become a family for you. 55:44 You make the family difference. It's Christ's name and His alone we just said 55:49 we give honor to. But Jesus says, "You are my body. 55:53 I'm the head. You're the body. Love on each other. Shake somebody's hand that 55:58 you've never seen before in your life as you walk out of this building. 56:02 Love on people. Let them know love on the move is what happens here 56:06 and will keep happening as the changes roll by." But until Jesus comes, 56:12 we'll be faithful. And that's why Hebrews ends with this just beautiful benediction. 56:18 "Now may the God of peace, who, through the blood of the eternal Covenant, 56:22 brought back from the dead, our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, 56:26 may He equip you with everything good for doing His will. And may He work in us 56:32 what is pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory 56:37 forever and ever. And all of God's people said"... Amen and amen. 56:47 >> Before you go, let me take an extra moment to share with you 56:50 an opportunity to get into the Bible in a fresh, new way. 56:53 All across this planet, more and more people are hearing 56:56 the call to examine scriptures for themselves. 56:59 If you felt drawn to learn more about God's word but you don't 57:02 know where to start or you're just looking for a more in-depth 57:04 examination of Bible truths, then I have something right here 57:07 that I believe you're going to enjoy. 57:10 I want to send you a series of guides to get you started. 57:13 This one is entitled -- you can see it right here -- 57:15 "Why Does God Allow Suffering?" Each guide begins with a story, 57:18 an introduction of the subject. Then, through a series of 57:21 focused questions, you'll be learning portions of the Bible 57:24 you may never have known before. And when you're through, 57:27 you'll be able to share with others some of these 57:30 inspiring scriptural truths for yourself. 57:32 Just call our toll-free number. It's on the screen right now. 57:35 877 -- you see it there -- 877 and then the two words 57:39 "HIS WILL." Friendly operators 57:41 are standing by to send these study guides to you. 57:44 So once again, that's 877-HIS-WILL. 57:47 Call that number. And then again, 57:50 join me right here next week at the same time. 58:00 ♪♪ ♪♪ 58:16 ♪♪ |
Revised 2023-04-10