Participants:
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP210327S
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00:18 I've tried so hard to see it
00:23 Took me so long to believe it 00:28 That You'd choose someone like me 00:33 To carry Your victory 00:38 Perfection could never earn it 00:43 You give what we don't deserve and 00:49 You take the broken things 00:54 And raise them to glory 01:00 'Cause You are my champion 01:05 And giants fall and You stand undefeated 01:11 Every battle You've won 01:15 And I am who You say I am 01:21 You crown me with confidence 01:24 I am seated 01:26 In the heavenly place undefeated 01:31 With the One Who has conquered it all 01:41 Now I can finally see it 01:46 You're teaching me how to receive it 01:51 So let all the striving cease 01:57 This is my victory 02:02 And You are my champion 02:07 And giants fall When You stand undefeated 02:13 Every battle You've won 02:17 And I am who You say I am 02:22 You crown me with confidence 02:26 I am seated 02:28 In the heavenly place undefeated 02:33 With the One Who has conquered it all 02:59 When I lift my voice and shout 03:04 Every wall comes crashing down 03:09 I have the authority 03:14 Jesus has given me 03:17 Let me end those verses. 03:19 And when I open up my mouth 03:24 Miracles start breaking out 03:29 I have the authority 03:35 Jesus has given me 03:40 And when I lift my voice and shout 03:45 Every wall comes crashing down 03:50 I have the authority 03:55 Jesus has given me 04:00 And when I open up my mouth 04:06 Miracles start breaking out 04:10 I have the authority 04:14 Oh, Jesus has given me 04:21 'Cause You are my champion 04:25 Giants fall 04:26 Giants fall when You stand undefeated 04:32 Every battle You've won 04:36 And I am who You say I am 04:42 You crown me with confidence 04:45 I am seated 04:48 In the heavenly place undefeated 04:53 By the power of Your name 04:55 I am seated 04:58 in the heavenly place Undefeated 05:02 With the One, 05:04 With the One Who has conquered it all 05:18 Before we plunge into a plaintiff's story, 05:22 I'm gonna pray with you. 05:23 Father, 05:27 our hearts have already been lifted heavenward, 05:30 it was beautiful Spring Sabbath. 05:37 What wondrous love is this? 05:40 The maker of all things loves and wants me? 05:43 How come and why me? 05:49 As we worship in the Word now, 05:51 speak to us we pray in Jesus' name. 05:54 Amen. 05:58 I'm marveled 06:00 that Jesus survived until His death. 06:07 I mean, there He is having supper 06:09 with His closest followers on earth, 06:14 in an upper room, borrowed quarters. 06:21 One of the 12 gets up 06:22 and with hardly a goodbye 06:25 disappears into the night shadows 06:28 that are gathering. 06:32 And yet Jesus stays in that upper room, 06:37 begins to share some of the most esoteric 06:40 and profound truths that humanity has ever heard. 06:44 Let alone the 11 who are left. 06:57 When He's through, 07:00 they all push away from the table. 07:03 Hurry down the flight of stairs to the now empty alleyway. 07:09 They're going to their favorite hideaway. 07:12 It's in the heart of a garden 07:14 called the olive press or Gethsemane. 07:20 But as they arrive at that garden, 07:22 something's, 07:23 something's going wrong with Jesus. 07:25 And He's very transparent about it. 07:29 He said, 07:30 "Guys, I don't know what's happening to me. 07:32 I am overwhelmed with sorrow 07:34 and I feel like I'm gonna die now." 07:40 Emotions then. 07:42 You guys pray here. 07:44 You three, pray there. 07:47 As He stumbles alone 07:48 into the very depths of the garden 07:51 to cry out to His Abba Father. 07:58 This is no getaway for Him. 08:01 And clearly it's not death that He's fearing now, 08:04 there's obviously 08:06 the torture of a demon's whisper 08:09 in His mind, 08:11 that is assuring Him, 08:13 that if He proceeds 08:15 down this path that He has chosen, 08:17 He will never come back again. 08:24 Sometime in the middle of the night, 08:28 His own disciple betrayer shows up, 08:32 lead man in a pack of temple guard 08:36 and riffraff ruffians. 08:41 And when he walks up 08:43 and plants that kiss on Jesus' bearded cheek, 08:48 all hell breaks loose, and guess what? 08:52 All the disciples, 08:54 every single one of them, please. 09:01 Leaving Jesus alone 09:02 to be roped and dragged 09:06 by evil men. 09:09 And, of course, there is the obligatory examination 09:12 by the titular high priest Anise. 09:19 He's an old man. 09:21 Nothing comes from that 09:23 barium to Annas' son-in-law 09:27 who is the acting high priest Caiaphas. 09:30 He has a palace. 09:33 Jesus is bound. 09:35 The gag is loosed from his mouth. 09:39 I tell you what? 09:40 It's a kangaroo court from the beginning. 09:43 No witnesses can agree, not even two of them. 09:47 And the prisoner refuses to answer a single question. 09:53 And finally, the vile Caiaphas is desperate 09:56 for some action tonight, 10:00 feigns shock 10:06 as he grills the prisoner. 10:09 Are you an under oath? 10:12 Are you the Messiah, 10:15 the Son of God 10:18 and shoved into that corner. 10:20 The prisoner has to speak. 10:22 You say so, 10:25 but I tell you the day is coming 10:28 when you will see the Son of man 10:31 riding upon the clouds of heaven, 10:33 sitting beside glory, 10:36 and then comes that dramatic 10:40 well-rehearsed act 10:42 as he shrieks and rips his sacerdotal garments. 10:47 What say you jury 10:48 and they vote unanimously, get this. 10:51 They vote unanimously this verdict. 10:53 He deserves death. 10:58 It's the greatest lie 10:59 in the history of the human race. 11:01 He deserves death. 11:04 And then for a second time, 11:06 all hell breaks loose 11:08 as the gathered rabble 11:10 now are permitted access to the prisoner 11:12 and with fang and fury and spittle 11:18 and shrieks of curse, 11:21 they descend and pummel the prisoner. 11:26 I say at the beginning, I say it again. 11:28 I marvel 11:31 that Jesus survives 11:35 until His death. 11:38 And the Roman procurator 11:41 is ticked to high heavens 11:44 for the rude early morning awakening, 11:48 interrogation by the governor 11:50 seems so innocent and inquiring. 11:52 But when the mob for hire 11:54 begins to chant for the prisoners' crucifixion, 11:57 every political instinct 11:59 of the governor's mastery 12:01 of survival kick in. 12:06 Yes, he will confess three times. 12:08 I find no fault in him, three confessions. 12:13 They aren't confessions at all. 12:14 They're covering his tale. 12:23 I don't understand 12:26 how Jesus could have survived one scourging, 12:29 let alone two, 12:30 but scholars believe 12:32 He may have suffered scourging twice 12:36 in those few hours. 12:39 Strip naked, 12:41 the executioner with other wooden handle 12:44 and leather straps are fixed to it, 12:47 tied into each leather strap bone and metal and rock 12:54 literally shredding the victim 12:57 as he yanks back and the skin tears open. 13:03 I marvel 13:06 that Jesus survived 13:09 until His death. 13:12 Why would a God do that for whom? 13:18 You're kidding me. 13:23 And Pilate at last brings out the purple robed prisoner 13:30 for the last time. 13:34 Now we see the morality tale that Pilate has become. 13:39 We see that behind his facade 13:43 of authority and power 13:46 is a craving heart. 13:51 He's already hanging by a thread 13:53 with the imperial throne in Rome. 13:56 He knows that 13:58 if he doesn't play the last card right, 14:01 he loses his position and power and possibly his life. 14:06 And nobody that morning will exchange places 14:11 with this innocent prisoner. 14:14 That's why it makes me so mad 14:16 every single time I come to this line. 14:19 I want you to open your Bible 14:21 to John Chapter 19. 14:24 Find it nothing going on the screen. 14:26 Find it in your device, your Bible, 14:31 the crucifixion of Christ. 14:33 The fourth gospel's version, 14:35 John 19 drop down to verse 12. 14:40 "From then on, 14:42 Pilate tried to set Jesus free, 14:45 but the Jewish leaders kept shouting, 14:47 'If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. 14:52 Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." 14:58 And every time I come to that, 15:00 I say in my soul, 15:02 Pilate, come on, my man, you can stand up this time. 15:07 Don't buckle now. 15:13 Three times Pilate has declared, 15:17 'I find no fault in Him." 15:20 Three times, listen to this, 15:22 three times Roman jurisprudence, 15:26 along with a Jewish court 15:31 attempt knowingly 15:34 to send an innocent man to his death. 15:40 Still happens today, by the way. 15:44 The innocent 15:47 railroaded through trial 15:50 because every court needs a victim. 15:56 Will Pilate yield 15:58 to the brute political instincts 16:00 of survival? 16:03 "And when Pilate heard this, verse 13, 16:06 he brought Jesus out 16:08 and sat him down on the judge's seat 16:09 at a place known as the stone pavement, 16:11 which in Aramaic is Gabbatha. 16:14 It was the day of preparation of the Passover." 16:17 It was about noon. 16:19 "Here is your king,' 16:20 Pilate said to the Jews. 16:22 But they shouted, 'Take him away! 16:24 Take him away! Crucify him! 16:27 'Shall I crucify your king?' 16:30 Pilate incredulously asks. 16:33 'We have no king but Caesar,' 16:36 the chief priest answered.' " 16:39 And so finally, 16:43 the great disappointment for me, 16:46 Pilate handed Him over to them 16:51 to be crucified. 16:56 "So the soldiers took charge of Jesus, 16:58 verse 17, 17:00 carrying his own cross. 17:02 He went out to the place of the Skull, 17:03 which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 17:07 There they crucified Him with two others, 17:09 one on each side and Jesus in the middle." 17:14 Isn't that amazing? 17:16 Jesus had been standing at Gabbatha 17:21 where a guilty governor 17:23 condemned to death an innocent man. 17:26 And now Jesus is standing at Golgotha 17:30 where guilty sinners like you and me 17:32 condemn an innocent Savior, 17:35 Gabbatha, Golgotha. 17:38 Anyway, you cut it, ladies and gentlemen, 17:40 we are all guilty. 17:43 Every single one of us. 17:48 Verse 19, 17:49 "And Pilate had a notice prepared 17:50 and fastened to the cross. 17:53 It read, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. 17:57 Many of the Jews read this sign 17:58 for the place where Jesus was crucified 18:00 was near the city. 18:01 And the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 18:04 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, 18:07 do not write 'the King of the Jews, ' 18:09 but that this man claimed to be King of the Jews.' 18:13 And for once, 18:15 Pilate has guts and he answered, 18:19 'What I have written I have written.' " 18:24 What's the point? 18:26 F.F. Bruce, 18:28 the great New Testament scholar put it this way. 18:30 I put it on the screen for you right now. 18:33 "The Crucified One is the true king," 18:37 and I love this, 18:38 "the kingliest king of all." 18:44 Now keep reading, 18:45 "Because it is he 18:47 who is stretched on the cross, 18:49 he turns an obscene instrument of torture 18:52 into a throne of glory 18:54 and reigns from the tree." 18:57 The phrase from second century Christianity 19:01 "reigns from the tree" 19:06 The kingliest king of all. 19:10 Say it's the question, guys? 19:11 How much of all is all? 19:14 Craig Keener, also a bright New Testament scholar. 19:17 Put his words on the screen for you. 19:19 He's commenting on the inked three language sign 19:23 near the Jesus, 19:24 right above His head. 19:26 And here's Keener. 19:27 "The three languages, Aramaic, Greek and Latin. 19:32 The three languages 19:33 suggest the universality of Jesus' reign. 19:37 On the cross, 19:39 He draws all people to Himself." 19:42 Wait a minute. Didn't He say that on Tuesday? 19:44 This is Friday now. 19:45 Didn't he say that on Tuesday? 19:47 The waning hours, Tuesday afternoon, 19:49 He stands in front of a little crowd and He says, 19:50 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, 19:54 I will draw all people to Me." 19:58 And thus He signified 20:00 what manner of death He would die. 20:02 The gospel reads, 20:05 Oh, people, 20:07 the kingliest King of all, 20:12 red and yellow, 20:14 black and white, 20:16 all are precious in His sight. 20:18 Oh, people, my, oh my. 20:23 But then we shouldn't be surprised. 20:25 We have been concentrating on this one sentence 20:27 all winter long, 20:30 the maker of all things, how's it go? 20:33 The maker of all things loves and wants me, 20:40 all people, 20:42 the maker of all things, the kingliest King of all. 20:47 He loves me and He wants me. 20:50 He loves and wants all people. 20:53 One of our viewers sent me an email 20:56 just a few days ago 20:58 and this is good. 20:59 So he was listening to a YouTube piece. 21:05 I went and listened to it afterwards. 21:06 It was a great piece. 21:07 He's listening to a YouTube piece 21:09 by Lenny Leblanc. 21:10 You've heard of Lenny Leblanc? 21:12 The pieces we all bow down 21:18 and you know, Lenny wrote the words 21:19 and it's just Lenny sitting at the piano 21:21 singing those words 21:23 and, oh my, is moving. 21:25 In fact, I've got the words right here. 21:27 I printed them off, this is beautiful. 21:29 Princess and paupers Sons and daughters 21:32 Kneel at the throne of grace 21:35 Losers and winners Saints and sinners 21:38 One day we'll see his face 21:41 And we all bow down 21:43 Kings will surrender their crowns 21:46 And worship Jesus for He is the love 21:48 Unfailing love He is the love of God 21:51 Now it goes on. 21:52 Summer and winter The mountains and rivers 21:55 Whisper our Savior's name 21:57 Awesome and holy A friend to the lonely 22:01 Forever His love will reign 22:03 He's the light of the world And Lord of the cross 22:07 And we all bow down 22:10 Kings will surrender their crowns 22:13 And worship Jesus 22:15 Worship Jesus Worship Jesus 22:19 For He is love Unfailing love 22:24 He is the love of God 22:27 It's a beautiful song. 22:29 I'd never heard it before. 22:31 So why is this guy send me an email 22:32 about that song? 22:34 Because after he listened to the song, 22:36 he goes to the comments section. 22:38 You know how on YouTube, 22:40 you can, you respond to whatever's going on. 22:43 And he reads the comments section 22:44 and he comes across a comment 22:47 that has a typographical error in it. 22:50 And he wants to tell me about it. 22:52 Now the commenter 22:54 is, is reacting to that beautiful song 22:58 with a beautiful testimony. 22:59 I heard this song and gave my life to Christ. 23:02 Praise God. 23:04 I heard this song and gave my life to Christ. 23:07 When I was still a sinner, Christ died for me. 23:11 That's beautiful. 23:12 Only his left fourth finger 23:17 missed the key 23:19 and hit the next door neighbor key 23:22 so that it ended up reading like this. 23:24 Let me put it on the screen for you. 23:26 "I heard this song and gave my life to Christ, 23:30 when I was still a dinner Christ died for me." 23:36 And this bright viewer, 23:37 because the viewers 23:38 that watch New Perceptions are bright. 23:41 This bright viewer sends me an email 23:43 and he responds to that. 23:45 What was it? What was the line again? 23:48 Without Jesus... 23:49 Well, you've got to read it here. 23:51 I'll just read it to you. 23:52 So he writes to me, it is obviously a typo 23:55 as the D and the S are next to each other 23:57 on the keyboard, 23:58 but it is still so appropriate. 24:00 The devil is walking around like a hungry roaring lion 24:03 and without Jesus, we were indeed dinner. 24:07 He got the gospel. 24:09 That typographical error taught the gospel. 24:13 I was not just a sinner. 24:15 I was a dinner. 24:18 I love it. 24:22 Why? 24:25 Because without Jesus, 24:26 we were indeed dinner 24:30 because we are all sinners, 24:32 victims and dinners for the roaring lion Satan. 24:36 And because of the maker of all things 24:38 loved and wanted us 24:40 and loves and still wants us. 24:45 He was willing to exchange His place 24:49 and die for you and me. 24:53 Not for a day exchange places, 24:57 not for a lifetime exchange places, 25:01 but forever and ever exchange places. 25:04 You live forever, I die forever. 25:07 That's the gospel. 25:09 Jesus became the dinner for Satan, 25:14 so that you wouldn't have to be dinner for him. 25:19 My, oh my. 25:25 How did Jesus put it there in John? 25:26 Put it on the screen, John 12, 25:28 "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, 25:32 I will draw all people to Me." 25:35 How did Jesus say it to Nicodemus that midnight 25:40 rondevu? 25:42 Let's read these words out loud together. 25:44 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, 25:51 that whosoever believes in Him should not perish 25:55 but have everlasting life." 25:59 Wow. 26:00 And the John who wrote the majestic fourth gospel 26:04 also wrote a letter 26:06 before the New Testament closed. 26:08 It's at the very end of your Bible 26:10 before the apocalypse. 26:12 We want to end with this verse. 26:14 So go to John, 1 John, 1 John, a little tiny letter, 26:18 1 John Chapter 4. 26:22 And I wanna draw your attention to verse 10. 26:27 1 John 4:10, 26:28 "This is love: 26:31 not that we love God, 26:33 but that He loved us and sent His Son 26:36 as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 26:41 Calvary is the truth 26:43 that the maker of all things who loves and wants me 26:47 became an atoning sacrifice. 26:49 That's code language in the Greek and English 26:53 for He exchanged places 26:57 with you and me, 26:58 so that by dying for forever, we might live forever. 27:03 I don't understand that, but it's the gospel. 27:06 And it happens to be the gospel truth. 27:09 He exchanged places 27:12 for you and me 27:16 willing to die forever. 27:19 And what kind of specimens did He lay down His life for? 27:24 Refresh my memory, Dwight. 27:25 Well, how about Judas? 27:28 How about Peter? 27:31 How about Caiaphas? 27:35 The two thieves? 27:36 Yep. 27:38 You and me? 27:39 Oh! 27:43 Jen Pollock Michel in her wonderful book, 27:47 surprised by paradox 27:49 describes us proud sinners this way. 27:52 You got to get this, proud sinners 27:54 and she borrows from the language 27:55 of GK Chesterton, 27:57 one of the great 20th century English writers. 27:58 All right. 27:59 So we'll put the words on the screen. 28:02 "Christian humility, she writes, 28:04 is both great pride as well as great prostration. 28:08 On the one hand, we must recognize 28:10 that we are the chief of creatures,' 28:12 wow, 28:13 "crowned with glory and honor, 28:14 to quote the words of the psalmist. 28:16 Unlike anything else in all creation, 28:18 we alone, think of this. 28:19 We alone bear the image of God. 28:22 But on the other hand, 28:23 we must acknowledge that 28:25 we are not just the chief of creatures. 28:27 We are also the chief of sinners. 28:29 We would greedily vie for all that is God's... 28:32 The consistent testimony of Scripture is 28:35 how good humans are at screwing up." 28:40 And that's the gospel truth. 28:45 Now let me speak plainly to you. 28:48 The risk of focusing too intently 28:51 and I hope we haven't. 28:53 On this single line, 28:54 the maker of all things loves and wants me. 28:57 The risk is... 29:00 A subtle subconscious downplaying 29:03 of our innate sinfulness. 29:07 Well, you know what? I'm not that bad. 29:08 Oh, sure. 29:10 I screw up now and then, but so does everybody else, 29:12 and besides the maker of all things 29:13 loves and wants me. 29:15 So what's not to like about that? 29:17 That's a danger 29:22 because it usually takes a moral meltdown 29:25 of some sort or magnitude. 29:28 Peter's denial. 29:30 Judas' betrayal, 29:32 and by the way, Judas, if he had, after the betrayal, 29:34 gone to Jesus sincerely and had repented, 29:36 he would have been received as back, 29:38 back as fast as Peter was received back. 29:42 But he didn't, he killed himself. 29:47 David's moral crash and burn. 29:53 Saul who became 29:54 Paul's slaughter of the innocence 29:58 to choke off his guilty conscience 30:01 over Steven's death. 30:05 It oftentimes not always, 30:07 but it oftentimes takes a moral meltdown 30:10 of some sort to break us free from our delusional. 30:13 I'm okay. You're okay. 30:15 Deception. That is a deception. 30:17 We are not okay. 30:20 I know the maker of all things loves and wants us, 30:23 but that's to His credit, not you, not mine. 30:27 We're not okay. 30:30 We are sinners. 30:32 And one day we will stand 30:33 before the God of this universe, 30:35 who is the judge of all life forms, 30:38 a God whose eye reads us as if we were naked 30:41 and reads every truth about us that exists. 30:47 You try to blow that off. 30:48 Well, that's not for me. 30:50 Oh, it is, sir, for you. 30:53 We are all sinners and we are not okay. 30:58 And we hang on to this desperate solitary 31:01 hope that the maker of all things 31:02 who loves and wants us 31:04 will have mercy on us and grant us the forgiveness 31:06 we so desperately need. 31:07 That's what we hold to. 31:11 That's our only hope, 31:14 our word dinner. 31:18 And by the way, even though we don't sin here, huh? 31:23 We don't sin here, 31:25 but we sin up here 31:29 and this is as damning as this. 31:34 And then we have the sin of pride, 31:36 the most damning of all sins. 31:38 I thank God. 31:41 I'm not like her. 31:43 I'm not like him. 31:45 Thank you, Jesus. 31:47 You are like her, 31:49 you are just like him. 31:52 Neither of you is okay 31:55 without what we've come to celebrate right now. 32:00 How's that go again? 32:01 Verse 10, 32:03 "This is love: not that we loved God, 32:05 but that He loved us and sent His Son 32:07 as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 32:10 But hallelujah, it doesn't end there. 32:12 I want you to drop down to verse 19 one more line, 32:14 our last line. 32:16 "We love Him because He first loved us." 32:22 Does your Bible read that way? 32:23 We love Him because He first loved us. 32:27 There's something deep inside of us 32:30 that responds to the story of Calvary 32:35 and is called reciprocal love, 32:38 reciprocal love. 32:41 For the maker of all things loves and wants me. 32:43 Guess what? 32:45 I love, and I want Him back. 32:47 Don't you? 32:49 When parents say to their kids 32:51 and kids shout it back to mom and dad, 32:53 even as they get older, 32:54 I love you back, Dad, 32:56 I love you back, Mom. 32:58 When friends say that to each other, 33:00 one expresses love 33:01 and the other quickly, I love you back. 33:04 It's reciprocal love. 33:08 And when you come to the foot of this cross 33:10 that we are at now, 33:12 that's what gets birthed. 33:15 I love you back. 33:17 I love you and want you back. 33:21 And by the way, I just learned this week. 33:23 As I read it in the original language of Greek, 33:26 amazing. 33:28 This loving back kind of love. 33:29 May I put it on the screen for you this way. 33:32 We agapao, oh, 33:33 that means we, 33:35 the agapao is the first person singular 33:37 of two love self-sacrificingly. 33:40 We agapao or love Him. 33:42 God with self-sacrificing love 33:44 because He first agapao or loved us 33:47 with self-sacrificing love. 33:49 It's not enough to know that 33:50 the maker of all things loves and wants me. 33:52 That truth goes like this. 33:57 Take my hand then. 33:58 You're right. 34:00 It's nail scarred. 34:03 I want you to love me back with self-sacrificing love. 34:09 You may have to sacrifice your career. 34:12 You may have to sacrifice 34:13 the major that you were pursuing 34:14 because the Spirit of God 34:16 is leaning hard on you to move another way. 34:18 You may have to sacrifice the relationship 34:20 that is taking you further down every hour it endures. 34:25 You may have to sacrifice financially, 34:28 money that you have been hoarding, 34:29 money that you've been saying, 34:31 well, I'll just use this for myself. 34:32 Thank you God anyway. 34:35 Self-sacrificing love means 34:37 just that you sacrifice yourself. 34:40 I love you back. 34:41 How, Dwight? 34:43 I love you back. 34:44 Self sacrificingly. 34:48 Show me. 34:51 Peter, you love me? 34:55 I already know everything. 34:58 You know the truth. 35:01 Peter, do you love me? 35:07 You know my heart, 35:08 you know everything. 35:10 Peter, 35:14 do you love me? 35:18 Oh, God, 35:21 I love You and I want you back. 35:24 Okay. 35:27 One day you will stretch out your arms 35:32 and you'll be taken to where you didn't wanna go. 35:37 I'll understand. 35:39 And I'll be with you. 35:46 Reciprocal love. 35:50 And so we all bow down. 35:52 I mean, what else can you do, but love Him back. 35:57 So, I want you to listen to these words now. 35:58 My young friend, William Dos Reis, 36:01 he's gonna come up here to the keyboard 36:03 and he's gonna sing this song 36:05 as if he wrote it himself. 36:06 It's that beautiful. 36:08 Just think of this reciprocal love 36:11 that William sings about right now. 36:38 Princes and paupers 36:41 Sons and daughters 36:44 Kneel at the throne of grace 36:51 And losers and winners 36:54 All the saints and sinners 36:58 One day will see His face 37:04 And we all bow down 37:11 Kings will surrender Their crowns 37:17 And worship Jesus 37:24 He is the love 37:28 Unfailing love 37:31 He is the love of God 37:41 And summer and winter 37:44 The mountains and the rivers 37:48 Whisper our Savior's name 37:54 Awesome and holy 37:57 A friend to the lonely 38:01 Forever His love will reign 38:07 And we all bow down 38:14 Kings will surrender Their crowns 38:20 And worship Jesus 38:27 Oh, He is the love 38:31 Unfailing love 38:34 Oh, He is the love of God 38:40 He's the light of the world 38:47 And Lord of the cross 39:08 And we all bow down 39:15 All kings will surrender Their crowns 39:21 And worship Jesus 39:28 And worship Jesus 39:35 And worship Jesus 39:44 For He is the love 39:48 Unfailing love 39:52 He is the love of God 40:18 And we all bow down. 40:20 All of us. 40:23 I love you back Jesus. 40:25 Reciprocal love, 40:28 I love you back. 40:30 Someday you may go into a post office 40:32 with an envelope that came to you 40:35 and you'll hand it to the postmaster 40:36 and he'll grab a red stamp 40:38 and he will stamp on that envelope, 40:41 return to sender. 40:45 That's what we've come to do today. 40:48 Let's pray. 40:50 Oh, God. 40:52 All winter long, 40:53 we've been reminding ourselves 40:55 the maker of all things loves and wants me. 41:00 And now through this beautiful moment 41:01 of communion, 41:03 we get to love you back. 41:06 So let this reciprocal love bind us together 41:09 with each other and with you right now, 41:12 we pray. 41:15 Amen. 41:18 And so we come to this COVID-19 41:20 once again, COVID-19 celebration of the cross. 41:24 I don't mind telling you that 41:26 I've actually found these pandemic communions, 41:28 especially heartwarming for me. 41:33 That means that the bread and the wine 41:35 that we will drink 41:37 has been carefully pre-packaged 41:38 and you already got the packet when you walked in, 41:41 I saw you coming in and just grabbing it. 41:43 Now some of you may have gotten in 41:45 without getting the packet and that's okay. 41:46 We got deacons right now that will come to you 41:49 in this split second. 41:50 So just hold your hand up, please. 41:52 Would you hold your hand up, 41:54 so that we can keep your hands up? 41:58 We're gonna move the furniture now 42:00 to put the Lord's table right here front and center. 42:04 Our singers are gonna sing a beautiful song, living hope. 42:08 And so you just meditate out. 42:10 Keep your hand up 42:11 if the ushers are coming your way. 42:13 We'll be back in two minutes. 42:15 And those of you online, you stay right there. 42:17 You've got your kit. 42:19 We'll worship with that in a moment. 42:43 How great the chasm 42:47 That lay between us 42:51 How high the mountain 42:54 I could not climb 42:58 In desperation, 43:02 I turned to heaven 43:06 And spoke your name 43:08 Into the night 43:13 Then through the darkness 43:16 Your loving kindness 43:20 Tore through the shadows 43:23 Of my soul 43:27 The work is finished 43:31 The end is written 43:35 Jesus Christ, my living hope 43:45 Who could imagine 43:49 So great a mercy? 43:52 What heart could fathom 43:56 Such boundless grace? 44:00 The God of ages 44:03 Stepped down from glory 44:07 To wear my sin 44:09 And bear my shame 44:12 The cross has spoken 44:16 I am forgiven 44:21 The king of kings 44:23 Calls me His own 44:28 Beautiful Savior 44:32 I'm yours forever 44:36 Jesus Christ, my living hope 44:41 And Hallelujah Hallelujah, 44:47 Praise the one who set me free 44:50 Hallelujah, 44:54 Death has lost its grip on me 44:57 You have broken every chain 45:01 There's salvation in Your name 45:05 Jesus Christ, my living hope 45:10 Let's sing again. 45:11 And Hallelujah Hallelujah, 45:15 Praise the one who set me free 45:19 Hallelujah, 45:23 Death has lost its grip on me 45:26 You have broken every chain 45:30 There's salvation in Your name 45:33 And Jesus Christ, My living hope 45:44 Then came the morning 45:47 That sealed the promise 45:51 Your buried body 45:55 Began to breathe 45:59 Out of the silence 46:02 The Roaring Lion 46:06 Declared the grave Has no claim on me 46:12 We'll do it again. 46:13 Then came the morning 46:17 That sealed the promise 46:20 Your buried body 46:24 Began to breathe 46:28 Out of the silence 46:31 The Roaring Lion 46:35 Declared the grave 46:37 Has no claim on me 46:42 Jesus, yours is the victory 46:53 And Hallelujah, And Hallelujah, 46:57 Praise the one Who set me free 47:00 Hallelujah, 47:04 Death has lost its grip on me 47:07 You have broken every chain 47:11 There's salvation in Your name 47:15 Jesus Christ, my living hope 47:20 And Hallelujah, And Hallelujah, 47:25 Praise the one who set me free 47:29 Hallelujah, 47:32 Death has lost its grip on me 47:36 You have broken every chain 47:40 There's salvation in your name 47:45 This Jesus Christ 47:48 My living hope 47:53 Jesus Christ, 47:55 My living hope 48:00 Jesus Christ, 48:03 My living hope 48:29 As we come to the Lord's table, 48:32 the maker of all things who loves and wants me. 48:36 We go back in our mind's eye, got two elders with us. 48:41 Julie Clayburn is gonna read the account, 48:44 the Gospel of Mark of that Thursday night. 48:49 "While we were eating, Jesus took bread, 48:52 and when He had given thanks, 48:53 He broke it and gave His, to His disciples saying, 48:56 'Take it. 48:57 This is my body.' 48:59 Then He took a cup and we had given thanks, 49:01 He gave it to them and they all drank from it. 49:04 'This is My blood of the covenant, 49:05 which is poured out for many,' 49:07 He said to them. 49:08 Truly, I tell you, I will not drink again 49:10 from the fruit of the vine 49:12 until the day when I drink it new 49:14 in the kingdom of God.'" 49:18 Bow your head and heart with us 49:21 as Anthony Yeboah ask God's blessing 49:24 on these elements. 49:28 Our Lord and our Savior, 49:31 in the upper room 49:34 the record says that 49:37 You took bread, 49:39 You blessed it, 49:42 You broke it and gave it to Your disciples. 49:46 In a similar way 49:49 You give thanks for the cup. 49:52 And You told them, 49:54 drink all of you from it, 49:58 for this is the cup of the New Testament 50:03 shed for you and for all sins. 50:08 And so now, Father, as we get ready 50:12 to partake of these emblems 50:15 of your broken body and your spilled blood, 50:18 we ask Your blessing upon them 50:21 that we will derive strength from this 50:26 to live for you. 50:28 That we will really remember Your wonderful death for us 50:33 on the cross of Calvary. 50:35 Tell you, come again. 50:37 We ask this through Your name. 50:39 Amen. Amen. 50:40 Amen. Thank you, Anthony. 50:48 That Thursday night, 50:49 Jesus turned to the closest followers He had 50:54 and what'd He said then? 50:56 He said, He says to us now, 50:58 "Take, eat this symbol of My broken body. 51:02 Do this in remembrance of Me." 51:29 And then there's a second layer 51:32 now to remove. 51:33 Just to be safe, turn it away from you 51:35 so that if there's, if it's under pressure, 51:40 it won't pop all over you. 51:42 Only open it halfway, 51:47 but you can drink from it. 51:50 Here it is. 51:53 In the same way Jesus handed the cup 51:57 to this who loved Him back. 52:01 And He says to us as well, 52:03 this is My blood, 52:06 which is shed for you. 52:09 Drink all of it. 52:11 You friends of mine 52:12 and do this in remembrance of me. 52:33 In your own way, you've just loved Him back. 52:36 And He's smiling. 52:38 As that reaches out to you and me, 52:42 we will leave this place in a few moments 52:45 to the world and the life that awaits us. 52:48 But the maker of all things goes with us. 52:51 So they sang a hymn before they left 52:53 and our singers are ready to sing 52:55 this beautiful gospel hymn, 52:56 Jesus paid it all 52:58 and they thought Judas was going out, 53:00 getting money for the poor, 53:01 because that was a custom. 53:03 And so we're gonna receive an emergency aid offering. 53:08 As you leave from the balcony, from the back, from the front, 53:11 there'll be an usher standing there. 53:14 If God's blessed you these last three months. 53:15 Trust me 53:17 what you give 53:18 goes immediately to work in this county. 53:21 But now let's keep worshiping as we hum with our singers, 53:27 Jesus paid it all. 53:30 By the way, there will be, there will be, 53:33 excuse me for interrupting, 53:34 but there'll be a receptacle for this 53:36 when you leave. 53:37 So you just keep this with you and you'll be fine. 53:47 I hear the Savior say 53:53 Thy strength indeed is small 53:58 Child of weakness, 54:01 watch and pray 54:04 Find in me thine all in all 54:11 Jesus paid it all 54:16 All to Him I owe 54:22 Sin had left a crimson stain 54:27 He washed it white as snow 54:32 And now complete in Him 54:38 My robe, His righteousness 54:43 Close sheltered 'neath His side 54:49 I'm divinely blest 54:53 Amen. 54:55 And Jesus paid it all 55:01 All to Him I owe 55:06 Sin had left a crimson stain 55:11 He washed it white as snow 55:16 Oh, Lord, now indeed I find 55:21 Thy power and Thine alone 55:27 Can change the leper's spots 55:32 And melt the heart of stone 55:38 Jesus paid it all 55:44 All to him I owe 55:49 Sin had left a crimson stain 55:53 He washed it white as snow 55:59 And when before the throne 56:04 I stand in Him complete 56:09 I'll lay my trophies down 56:15 All down at Jesus' feet 56:20 And we sing... 56:21 Jesus paid it all 56:26 All to Him I owe 56:32 Sin had left a crimson stain 56:36 He washed it white as snow 56:41 He washed it white as snow 56:47 He washed it white as snow 56:58 Before you go, 56:59 let me take an extra moment to share with you 57:01 an opportunity to get into the Bible 57:02 in a fresh, new way. 57:04 All across the world, 57:05 more and more people are hearing the call 57:07 to examine scriptures for themselves. 57:09 If you felt drawn to learn more about God's Word, 57:11 but you don't know where to start, 57:12 or you're just looking for a more in-depth examination 57:15 of Bible truths. 57:16 Then I have something right here 57:18 that I believe you're going to enjoy. 57:20 I want to send a series of guides 57:21 to get you started. 57:22 This one's entitled, "Why does God allow suffering?" 57:25 This guide begins with a story 57:27 and the introduction of the subject 57:28 into a series of focus questions. 57:30 You'll be learning portions of the Bible 57:32 you may never have known before. 57:33 And when you're through, 57:34 you'll be able to share with others, 57:36 some of these inspiring Bible truths. 57:38 So just call our toll-free number, 57:39 it's on the screen, 57:40 877, the two words HIS-WILL. 57:43 Our friendly operators are standing by 57:44 to send these study guides to you. 57:46 Once again, that's 877-HIS-WILL. 57:49 Call that number. 57:51 And then again, 57:52 join me next week right here at the same time, 57:55 New Perceptions. |
Revised 2021-04-23