1 00:00:06,490 --> 00:00:08,680 Give me Father, we thank you for this time of worship. 2 00:00:08,690 --> 00:00:12,860 We thank you for what a blessing it is to be able to come and 3 00:00:12,870 --> 00:00:16,360 worship the Almighty God. We thank you for all that you 4 00:00:16,370 --> 00:00:19,680 provide for us Lord, and we thank you for the offering 5 00:00:19,690 --> 00:00:21,800 that's been given. And in many different ways. 6 00:00:21,810 --> 00:00:25,320 We thank you that you're the God who's blessed us in many, many 7 00:00:25,330 --> 00:00:26,560 ways. And we thank you that we can 8 00:00:26,570 --> 00:00:30,550 give our offering back to you. We pray it will be used in a way 9 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,880 that will give you honour and glory your wisdom to those that 10 00:00:33,950 --> 00:00:36,480 distribute that, that you will be honoured through it. 11 00:00:36,700 --> 00:00:38,500 We thank you for our Sunday School kids. 12 00:00:38,510 --> 00:00:40,690 We thank you for the blessing of family. 13 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,770 We thank you for our parents of our Sunday School kids as they 14 00:00:43,780 --> 00:00:46,270 seek to raise you up in your ways. 15 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,670 And Lord, we pray for them now our Sunday School and our ten 16 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:53,330 classes say go out and they are taught your word. 17 00:00:53,340 --> 00:00:56,750 They challenged by it Lord and we pray that it will sink deep 18 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,370 into their heart. And Lord, we pray for each one 19 00:00:59,380 --> 00:01:01,410 that they will come to know you as their own. 20 00:01:01,420 --> 00:01:04,390 Lord and Saviour, we thank you for our Sunday School teachers 21 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,310 and those that that teach our children thank you for their 22 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:10,470 willingness to teach into the hearts of our young ones. 23 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,360 Lord, give them the words to say and with clarity for them we 24 00:01:14,370 --> 00:01:16,380 ask. And father, we pray for Peter as 25 00:01:16,390 --> 00:01:18,880 he brings the word of God to us this morning. 26 00:01:18,890 --> 00:01:21,060 Lord, we thank you for the message that you've laid on his 27 00:01:21,070 --> 00:01:23,600 hand. We thank you for the truth that 28 00:01:23,610 --> 00:01:26,260 is your word. And Lord, we just pray that as 29 00:01:26,270 --> 00:01:29,100 Peter shears that message and you'll give him clarity of 30 00:01:29,110 --> 00:01:31,760 thought and, and bringing that message across. 31 00:01:31,770 --> 00:01:35,190 And Father, we pray that our hearts will be open to hear what 32 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,080 you want to say to us, that it will challenge us, it will stir 33 00:01:38,090 --> 00:01:41,340 us and Lord, it will grow us and bring us closer to you. 34 00:01:41,390 --> 00:01:44,980 So this we pray and ask in Jesus name, Amen. 35 00:01:46,010 --> 00:01:51,830 Good morning, everyone. And as Gavin Gav just mentioned, 36 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,630 I won't reiterate again, especially for those who are 37 00:01:55,960 --> 00:02:00,900 here for the first time, that we're actually going through the 38 00:02:00,910 --> 00:02:04,760 Gospel of Luke. And as Gav mentioned, we are in 39 00:02:04,770 --> 00:02:09,190 Chapter 5 today and that's chapter 5, verse 33 to chapter 40 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:12,880 6, verse 11. And that's what we are going 41 00:02:12,890 --> 00:02:15,960 through. This is the passage for today, 42 00:02:16,690 --> 00:02:18,350 right? So just begin, just before we 43 00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:22,820 begin the study today on the passage that I just mentioned, 44 00:02:22,830 --> 00:02:27,120 I'd like to share a story of Jack and Jill right now. 45 00:02:27,130 --> 00:02:30,080 Remember one thing, this Jack and Jill were a elderly couple 46 00:02:30,090 --> 00:02:33,340 in their 70s. It's not the Jack and Jill went 47 00:02:33,350 --> 00:02:36,880 up the hill to fetch a pail of water because this couple are 48 00:02:36,890 --> 00:02:40,840 more likely to tumble down the hill and walk up the hill, 49 00:02:40,850 --> 00:02:42,720 right? So it's about Jack and Jill are 50 00:02:42,730 --> 00:02:46,880 elderly couple in their 70s. And of course, Jill was very 51 00:02:46,890 --> 00:02:52,310 inquisitive, very inquisitive old lady who really wanted to 52 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,070 know or get to know and understand who this young 53 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,030 married couple that just moved in next door to her. 54 00:02:59,820 --> 00:03:01,810 So, yeah, they're clothes properly. 55 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,670 So she would say every morning, just look at that, Jack, that 56 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:09,350 sheets are pretty dull. Their shirts look stained. 57 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:14,270 Someone should teach this young lady how to wash clothes and how 58 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,630 to wash them clean. So week after week after week 59 00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:20,220 she was complaining and saying the same commands to Jack. 60 00:03:21,190 --> 00:03:26,450 So then one morning when she got up, she looked as usual out of 61 00:03:26,460 --> 00:03:29,240 the window, peered through the fence and to her surprise she 62 00:03:29,250 --> 00:03:33,590 mentioned to Jack. Ohh, their laundry looks clean. 63 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,430 Finally. Clothes look really really 64 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,910 clean. She must have learned how to 65 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,600 wash her clothes. So what did Jack said? 66 00:03:42,610 --> 00:03:46,460 Well, the husband replied quite gently, saying I woke up early 67 00:03:46,470 --> 00:03:51,350 in the morning and I just cleaned out our windows, right? 68 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:56,600 And that's what he said. OK, Now the principle of the 69 00:03:56,610 --> 00:04:02,220 story is about optics, right? It's about optics, the lens 70 00:04:02,230 --> 00:04:05,080 through which we perceive and look at things. 71 00:04:05,350 --> 00:04:10,420 So that is why I have Hitler. Today's message about the 72 00:04:10,510 --> 00:04:14,810 optics, right? What is our optics? 73 00:04:15,930 --> 00:04:19,399 Let's look at our passage. So keep that view in mind about 74 00:04:19,410 --> 00:04:22,970 the optics. So let's look at Luke chapter 5 75 00:04:23,900 --> 00:04:27,940 was 33 to chapter 6 verse 11, right? 76 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:32,190 Luke chapter 5 verse 33 to chapter 6 verse 11 and I'll read 77 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:38,360 this passage and it says here. Then they said to him, Why do 78 00:04:38,370 --> 00:04:43,150 the disciples of John fast often and made prayers? 79 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:47,230 And likewise those are the Pharisees, but yours eat and 80 00:04:47,300 --> 00:04:51,710 drink. And he said to them, Can you 81 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,420 make the friends or the bridegroom fast while the 82 00:04:54,430 --> 00:04:58,550 bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the 83 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,010 bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will 84 00:05:02,020 --> 00:05:06,250 fast in those days. Then he spoke a parable to them. 85 00:05:07,110 --> 00:05:11,140 No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one. 86 00:05:11,150 --> 00:05:15,200 Otherwise the new makes a tear and also the peace that was 87 00:05:15,210 --> 00:05:18,060 taken out of the new does not match the old. 88 00:05:19,540 --> 00:05:24,610 And no one puts new wine into all wine skin, or else a new 89 00:05:24,620 --> 00:05:27,610 wine will burst the wine skin and be spilled, and the wine 90 00:05:27,620 --> 00:05:30,990 skin will be ruined. But the new wine must be put 91 00:05:31,100 --> 00:05:35,320 into new wine skin, and both are preserved. 92 00:05:35,850 --> 00:05:39,460 And no one, having drunk all wine, immediately desires new, 93 00:05:39,470 --> 00:05:45,600 for he says the old is better. Chapter 6 Now it happened on the 94 00:05:45,610 --> 00:05:48,920 2nd, 7th after the first that he went through the grain fields 95 00:05:48,930 --> 00:05:51,960 and his disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, 96 00:05:52,230 --> 00:05:55,080 rubbing them in their hands. And one of the Pharisees said to 97 00:05:55,090 --> 00:05:59,200 them, Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the 7th? 98 00:06:00,510 --> 00:06:04,730 But Jesus answering them said have you not even read this? 99 00:06:05,450 --> 00:06:08,670 What David did when he was hungry, he and those who were 100 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:13,300 with him, how he went into the House of God, took an aid the 101 00:06:13,310 --> 00:06:17,440 showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not 102 00:06:17,450 --> 00:06:22,060 lawful for any but the priests to eat, and is said to them, The 103 00:06:22,070 --> 00:06:25,220 Son of man is also the Lord of the Sabbath. 104 00:06:26,470 --> 00:06:30,650 Now it happened on another Sabbath also, that he entered 105 00:06:30,660 --> 00:06:34,520 the synagogues and taught, and the man was there whose right 106 00:06:34,530 --> 00:06:37,410 hand was withered. So the scribes and Pharisees 107 00:06:37,420 --> 00:06:41,700 watched him closely whether he would heal on the Sabbath, and 108 00:06:41,710 --> 00:06:45,080 they might find that they might find an accusation against him. 109 00:06:45,130 --> 00:06:48,250 But he knew their thoughts. And he said to the man who had 110 00:06:48,260 --> 00:06:50,620 the withered hand, Arise and stand here. 111 00:06:51,130 --> 00:06:54,660 And he arose and stood. Then Jesus said to him, I will 112 00:06:54,670 --> 00:06:58,020 ask you one thing. Is it lawful on the Sabbath to 113 00:06:58,030 --> 00:07:02,240 do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy? 114 00:07:03,670 --> 00:07:07,340 And when he had looked around at them all, he said to the man, 115 00:07:07,350 --> 00:07:10,790 Stretch out your hand. And he did so, and his hand was 116 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,750 restored as whole as the other. But they were filled with rage 117 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:19,900 and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. 118 00:07:22,250 --> 00:07:26,580 So in today's message, we will be considering just two major 119 00:07:26,590 --> 00:07:32,200 themes from this section. 1st, we will be examining or looking 120 00:07:32,210 --> 00:07:36,160 at the lens of the Pharisees or the optics of the Pharisees. 121 00:07:36,170 --> 00:07:37,620 And that's what we'll be looking at, right? 122 00:07:37,630 --> 00:07:40,600 How did they view Jesus? What optics and what lens 123 00:07:40,610 --> 00:07:44,740 through which they viewed alone? And 2nd, of course, the counter 124 00:07:44,750 --> 00:07:49,880 lens that reveals who Christ is because Christ our Lord offered 125 00:07:49,890 --> 00:07:52,660 that counter lens. So those are the two major 126 00:07:52,670 --> 00:07:55,940 themes that we would be dealing with today. 127 00:07:56,370 --> 00:08:00,220 So the first theme is the lens of the Pharisees and the lens of 128 00:08:00,230 --> 00:08:04,390 the scribes. What is the optics or the lens 129 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,360 through which the Pharisees viewed the Lord? 130 00:08:08,180 --> 00:08:12,130 Well, they're actually viewed the Lord through the lens of 131 00:08:12,140 --> 00:08:16,070 conformity, and that's what I refer to, the lens of conformity 132 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:19,610 conforming to their treasured religious traditions. 133 00:08:20,310 --> 00:08:23,060 Now, there are actually 3 incidents that are recorded or 134 00:08:23,070 --> 00:08:26,140 mentioned in this particular passage, and we'll be looking at 135 00:08:26,450 --> 00:08:30,210 those 3 incidents. One, of course, is fasting, and 136 00:08:30,220 --> 00:08:34,360 the other two are about the 7th. And through these incidents, you 137 00:08:34,370 --> 00:08:37,460 can see that the lens of the Pharisees come into play, The 138 00:08:37,470 --> 00:08:41,039 optics of the Pharisees, the lens of conformity. 139 00:08:42,159 --> 00:08:44,970 Let us consider fasting first, right? 140 00:08:45,060 --> 00:08:48,100 So fasting was only commanded. By the way, if you look at the 141 00:08:48,110 --> 00:08:52,350 Mosaic law in the Torah, it was only commanded at the Day of 142 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,600 Atonement. Of course, this is known as 143 00:08:55,610 --> 00:09:00,100 young kippur, if you know the Jewish feast, the young kippur, 144 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:05,130 which happens after the the trumpet feast, the Feast of the 145 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:07,870 Trumpet. However, you can see that 146 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:11,050 fasting is recorded in the Scripture at other times where 147 00:09:11,060 --> 00:09:14,650 people do faster Other times, at times of morning, they're fast. 148 00:09:14,860 --> 00:09:17,290 At times of repentance, they're also fast. 149 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:21,970 And also in times of crisis or national emergency, the people 150 00:09:21,980 --> 00:09:25,910 of Israel do fast. And of course harms records that 151 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:29,790 people do fast as a means of personal devotion. 152 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,710 But by the time that we come to the Lord's ministry on earth, 153 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:38,370 the fallacies actually started developing A structured fasting 154 00:09:38,380 --> 00:09:40,390 practise. And that's what they did, a 155 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:44,640 structured fasting practise. So it became almost like a very 156 00:09:44,650 --> 00:09:49,720 pious customs to the Pharisees and all the religious Jews and 157 00:09:49,730 --> 00:09:53,390 those who embraced Judaism becomes a a pious custom where 158 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:58,650 they have to fast twice a week and usually on a Monday and on a 159 00:09:58,730 --> 00:10:00,920 Thursday. So if you really look at loop, 160 00:10:00,930 --> 00:10:04,680 for example in Luke chapter 18 verse 12, where you have this 161 00:10:04,730 --> 00:10:09,720 proud Pharisees loudly proclaiming public saying I fast 162 00:10:09,790 --> 00:10:12,450 twice a week. Now that was their custom 163 00:10:12,490 --> 00:10:15,740 fasting twice a week, usually on Monday and Thursday. 164 00:10:15,790 --> 00:10:20,420 So therefore the Pharisees view the actions of Christ through 165 00:10:20,430 --> 00:10:22,480 this particular lens, the lens of conformity. 166 00:10:23,570 --> 00:10:26,470 Why? Well, here is this man Christ 167 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:30,780 the Lord, right? He's a rabbi, but still he did 168 00:10:30,790 --> 00:10:34,870 not require his disciples, nor did he himself follow these 169 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:38,140 religious practises that we have that has been passed down from 170 00:10:38,150 --> 00:10:40,600 fathers to fathers in terms of his traditions. 171 00:10:40,710 --> 00:10:43,410 And therefore hence he cannot be God. 172 00:10:43,510 --> 00:10:47,330 He just cannot be God. And look at the question that 173 00:10:47,340 --> 00:10:50,570 the fallacies asked in chapter 5 verse 2033. 174 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:54,830 Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers? 175 00:10:55,060 --> 00:10:59,110 And likewise, those are the ferries, but yours eat and 176 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:01,850 drink. And it is through this lens of 177 00:11:01,860 --> 00:11:05,510 conformity, as I said earlier, that they perceived the Lord. 178 00:11:05,580 --> 00:11:10,530 And hence a common perception that arose amongst the Pharisees 179 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:14,290 is that the Lord is A1A glutton and a wine bibber. 180 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,410 Have you heard of that term in the Gospels? 181 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,870 Return to Matthew Chapter 11, verse 19, you can see that's a 182 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:22,990 term that arose. Ohh, he's a glutton, He's a wine 183 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:26,230 bibber. That is because the Law did not 184 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,320 practise this fasting that the Pharisees did. 185 00:11:30,690 --> 00:11:34,180 Now let me deviate here to reconcile some of the accounts 186 00:11:34,190 --> 00:11:38,770 that we see of the same thing in Matthew Chapter 9 verse 14, as 187 00:11:38,780 --> 00:11:41,080 well as in the Gospel of Mark. Both in the Gospel of Matthew 188 00:11:41,090 --> 00:11:44,870 and Mark you could see that the same incident is recorded in 189 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,350 Matthew Chapter 9. Verse 14 tells us. 190 00:11:47,420 --> 00:11:49,820 This particular portion in Matthew tells us that the 191 00:11:49,830 --> 00:11:54,570 disciples of John came to Jesus asking why do we and the 192 00:11:54,580 --> 00:11:58,010 Pharisees fast often but you're disables do not fast. 193 00:11:58,020 --> 00:12:00,980 So it was a disciples of John that came that isn't Mark. 194 00:12:01,060 --> 00:12:05,560 Matthew Chapter 9 was 14 in March of the 12 was 8. 195 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,630 We can see that Mark recalls that both groups explicitly. 196 00:12:09,680 --> 00:12:12,810 Both groups, the disciples as well as the Pharisees, were 197 00:12:12,820 --> 00:12:17,510 involved in asking the question. So therefore it is plausible 198 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:21,270 that the disciples of John are the ones who raised the question 199 00:12:21,340 --> 00:12:25,240 and the Pharisees reinforced it. But when you look at the book of 200 00:12:25,250 --> 00:12:30,410 Luke, looks intention was to show the optics from the side of 201 00:12:30,420 --> 00:12:32,620 the fallacies of the parasite side. 202 00:12:32,690 --> 00:12:35,400 And that's the looks. That's what looks intention was. 203 00:12:36,250 --> 00:12:38,540 Let's look at several observation which is another 204 00:12:38,550 --> 00:12:42,600 practise amongst the Jews, the fallacies, the religious Jews. 205 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:47,540 Chapter 6, verses 1 to 11, gives us 2 incidents concerning the 206 00:12:47,550 --> 00:12:52,590 Sabbath observation. Now Sabbath, by the way, was a 207 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:58,080 cultural script for the Jews. The Torah, which contains the 208 00:12:58,090 --> 00:13:01,240 Mosaic Law, of course commands the Israelites to keep the 209 00:13:01,250 --> 00:13:06,510 Sabbath day holy. However, it was not prescriptive 210 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:08,080 enough for the religious leaders. 211 00:13:08,730 --> 00:13:12,220 So what they did was they came up with a list of prescriptive 212 00:13:12,230 --> 00:13:16,360 list of things that are lawful and unlawful during the day of 213 00:13:16,370 --> 00:13:18,460 the Sabbath. So for example, in the 214 00:13:18,470 --> 00:13:21,840 traditions or in the Mishna, you could see that in the oral 215 00:13:21,850 --> 00:13:25,240 traditions there were 39 categories of prohibited work, 216 00:13:25,490 --> 00:13:30,370 all listed down, which of course included reaping and threshing. 217 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:34,320 So what did the Pharisees do? Well, they interpreted the 218 00:13:34,330 --> 00:13:39,390 disciples plucking the grain and then drumming into their hands 219 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:43,690 in in order to eat it as reaping and threshing and hence 220 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:49,100 prohibited actions on Sabbath. There will also similar 221 00:13:49,790 --> 00:13:55,420 prohibited work with regards to health treatment in the mist. 222 00:13:55,430 --> 00:13:59,540 Now in the traditions you can see that life saving treatment 223 00:13:59,550 --> 00:14:04,240 was permitted on 7 right and any other form of treatment was 224 00:14:04,250 --> 00:14:06,380 prohibited if it's not life threatening. 225 00:14:06,650 --> 00:14:10,180 And that was what they did at one as part of practise that was 226 00:14:10,190 --> 00:14:13,780 prohibited or not. Now according to the Pharisees, 227 00:14:14,090 --> 00:14:17,940 the man with the withered hand did not meet that threshold of 228 00:14:17,950 --> 00:14:22,600 life, life threatening health issues and hence it was unlawful 229 00:14:22,650 --> 00:14:25,590 to heal that man on the Sabbath day. 230 00:14:26,890 --> 00:14:30,620 So because of such a lens that they had, such optics that they 231 00:14:30,630 --> 00:14:35,420 had, they completely ignored A notable miracle that took place 232 00:14:35,790 --> 00:14:39,620 that we read, of course, in chapter 6 from verses 1 to 11 233 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:44,650 right now. Let me therefore offer the 234 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:47,190 counter links. As I said earlier, 235 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:50,050 unfortunately, the lens of conformity through which the 236 00:14:50,060 --> 00:14:54,260 Pharisees viewed the Lord blinded them to the reality of 237 00:14:54,270 --> 00:14:57,230 who Christ is. So therefore the Lord offered a 238 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:00,820 countenance that reveals who He is. 239 00:15:02,140 --> 00:15:04,930 He presents 2 realities of Himself. 240 00:15:04,940 --> 00:15:08,370 And that's what we want to, or I want to talk about today, the 241 00:15:08,380 --> 00:15:12,010 two realities that Christ presented, the counter realities 242 00:15:12,020 --> 00:15:16,290 of who He is. The first real reality is that 243 00:15:16,300 --> 00:15:24,070 He is the bridegroom and Luke chapter 5 verse 34 says this. 244 00:15:24,450 --> 00:15:28,400 Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the 245 00:15:28,410 --> 00:15:35,780 bridegroom is with them now? The Lord chose an imagery of joy 246 00:15:35,790 --> 00:15:37,240 in the presence of the Bible group. 247 00:15:37,250 --> 00:15:38,740 That is the majority that He chose. 248 00:15:38,750 --> 00:15:42,650 There's a countenance that He chose, and it's not a time of 249 00:15:42,660 --> 00:15:47,450 fasting, but a time of joy. Now such a description of who he 250 00:15:47,460 --> 00:15:51,090 is was actually was not lost on the disciples of John the 251 00:15:51,100 --> 00:15:54,410 Baptist who was actually involved in asking the question, 252 00:15:54,460 --> 00:15:58,740 why do we fast? Why do the Pharisees fast but 253 00:15:58,750 --> 00:16:01,180 your disciples do not? So they, it was not lost on them 254 00:16:01,230 --> 00:16:05,000 because they are Rabbi John the Baptist testified to his 255 00:16:05,010 --> 00:16:07,860 disciples of who Christ is, right? 256 00:16:07,870 --> 00:16:10,610 And that is what John said to his disciples in John chapter 3 257 00:16:10,620 --> 00:16:14,600 versus 28 to 29. You yourself bear with, bear me 258 00:16:14,610 --> 00:16:19,620 witness that I said I am not the Christ, I'm not the Messiah, but 259 00:16:19,630 --> 00:16:24,900 I have been sent before him. He who has the bride is the 260 00:16:24,910 --> 00:16:27,980 bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom 261 00:16:28,230 --> 00:16:31,710 who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the 262 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:36,440 bridegroom's voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is 263 00:16:36,450 --> 00:16:40,170 fulfilled. He must increase, but I must 264 00:16:40,430 --> 00:16:42,690 decrease. So John himself told his 265 00:16:42,700 --> 00:16:46,210 disciple who the bridegroom is. So the Lord using the imagery of 266 00:16:46,220 --> 00:16:49,670 the bedroom was not lost on the disciples of John who asked that 267 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,090 particular question. Now, when you look at this 268 00:16:53,100 --> 00:16:56,670 imagery that the Lord used, the imagery of the bridegroom was 269 00:16:56,680 --> 00:17:00,630 intentionally chosen by the Lord because it actually portrays the 270 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:04,260 reality of who He is. It speaks of a special 271 00:17:04,270 --> 00:17:07,790 relationship. Right now, there is no 272 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:12,630 bridegroom without a bride. That'd be all right. 273 00:17:12,670 --> 00:17:16,829 And there's no celebration without the friends of the bride 274 00:17:16,839 --> 00:17:19,230 groom. Now, there are so many truths, 275 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,810 of course, that we can unpack, especially when you consider the 276 00:17:21,819 --> 00:17:24,150 friends of the bridegroom, but that's not the intention. 277 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,770 Today, however, I like us to focus on the special 278 00:17:27,780 --> 00:17:30,290 relationship between the bridegroom and the bride. 279 00:17:30,300 --> 00:17:33,650 As I said, there's no imagery of the bridegroom without the 280 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,970 bride. And inverse 35 of Chapter 35 of 281 00:17:37,980 --> 00:17:41,910 Chapter 5, the Lord was pointing to His imminent death or 282 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:46,300 impending death on the cross. Now it is through the finished 283 00:17:46,310 --> 00:17:50,160 work of Rice on the Cross that this special relationship 284 00:17:50,170 --> 00:17:53,730 between the bridegroom and the bride was birth right. 285 00:17:53,740 --> 00:17:57,860 And through his death, we who have believed in Christ are 286 00:17:57,870 --> 00:18:02,280 reckoned to have died with him. And through His resurrection we 287 00:18:02,290 --> 00:18:06,550 have now been raised to a new life in Christ and withdrawn or 288 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:09,770 married to him. And that is what Romans Chapter 289 00:18:09,780 --> 00:18:12,650 7 verse 14 says. I'll read that portion. 290 00:18:12,660 --> 00:18:16,660 It says, therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the 291 00:18:16,670 --> 00:18:21,390 law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to 292 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:25,580 another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we should 293 00:18:25,590 --> 00:18:30,200 bear fruit to God. So we who have trusted Christ as 294 00:18:30,210 --> 00:18:33,640 our Saviour and our Lord, collectively we form the Church, 295 00:18:33,650 --> 00:18:37,560 the body of Christ, and the church is pictured as the Bride 296 00:18:37,570 --> 00:18:40,680 of Christ. So hence we are reckoned married 297 00:18:40,770 --> 00:18:43,130 to him. So that's the imagery that the 298 00:18:43,140 --> 00:18:47,100 Lord chose just to show the special relationship that the 299 00:18:47,110 --> 00:18:52,280 Lord has with His bride. So through this imagery, the 300 00:18:52,290 --> 00:18:56,080 Lord pointed to a new reality of who he is. 301 00:18:56,670 --> 00:18:59,690 He is a bridegroom, has said he has a special relationship with 302 00:18:59,700 --> 00:19:02,380 the bride. Now it is not therefore a 303 00:19:02,390 --> 00:19:06,840 transactional relationship. It's not as transactional 304 00:19:06,850 --> 00:19:08,610 relation. It's not about a quid quo pro 305 00:19:08,620 --> 00:19:12,890 relationship based on a set of dos and set of Donuts. 306 00:19:13,360 --> 00:19:16,150 And that was the problem of the lens of the fallacies. 307 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:19,120 Now just imagine a marriage. Just imagine a marriage where 308 00:19:19,130 --> 00:19:22,830 the husband sets out a list of dos and donts for the wife. 309 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,350 Just imagine that, right? You shall bring breakfast to my 310 00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:32,050 bed every morning and make sure that you make the cup of tea 311 00:19:32,060 --> 00:19:36,130 exactly as I want, neither hot, not too hot, not too cold, but 312 00:19:36,140 --> 00:19:42,120 exactly about 8 to 3.5°C. Every morning you shall pack a 313 00:19:42,130 --> 00:19:45,620 meal for me to take to work and when I come back from work at 314 00:19:45,630 --> 00:19:48,640 5:30, you shall be at the doorstep with a cup of tea to 315 00:19:48,650 --> 00:19:51,040 welcome me. Now just imagine such a 316 00:19:51,050 --> 00:19:54,380 relationship in marriage, a quick quid pro transactional 317 00:19:54,490 --> 00:19:56,600 relationship. And if you do all of these 318 00:19:56,610 --> 00:19:59,820 things, I will therefore accept you as my wife. 319 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,720 Now, that's not the relationship that we have with Christ, and 320 00:20:03,730 --> 00:20:07,730 that's not what he was that he portrayed to the Pharisees and 321 00:20:07,780 --> 00:20:11,710 the disciples of John. Rather, it's a transformational 322 00:20:11,850 --> 00:20:14,050 relationship and that's what it is. 323 00:20:14,540 --> 00:20:17,970 So efficient chapter 5, verse 25 actually elaborates on this 324 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:22,710 transforming relationship, a relationship built on love and 325 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:24,530 grace. So I'll read that portion to 326 00:20:24,540 --> 00:20:27,330 you. Efficient Chapter 5 versus 25 to 327 00:20:27,340 --> 00:20:33,010 27. Paul says this, husbands, love 328 00:20:33,020 --> 00:20:38,390 your wife, just as Christ also loved the church and gave 329 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:43,830 himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanser with the 330 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:48,400 washing of water by the word, that he might present her to 331 00:20:48,410 --> 00:20:50,850 himself. A glorious church, a transformed 332 00:20:50,860 --> 00:20:55,070 glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, 333 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:59,110 but that she should be wholly and without blemish. 334 00:20:59,120 --> 00:21:04,190 Now this is the reality of who Christ is, and this reality, 335 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:08,230 unfortunately, cannot be understood through the lens of 336 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:13,900 conformity, the lens that the Pharisees head, the lens right. 337 00:21:13,910 --> 00:21:17,000 The Pharisees viewed the Lord through all the religious 338 00:21:17,010 --> 00:21:20,880 structures and practises, and because the law did not meet 339 00:21:20,890 --> 00:21:24,790 those expectations, they concluded therefore He cannot be 340 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:27,650 of God. Now let me pause for a moment 341 00:21:27,660 --> 00:21:31,140 and consider what all of these things actually mean for us 342 00:21:31,150 --> 00:21:35,880 today. Now there may be seated here 343 00:21:35,890 --> 00:21:40,140 some who are really seeking Christ, seeking to know the 344 00:21:40,150 --> 00:21:42,300 Lord. You're not Christians yet, but 345 00:21:42,310 --> 00:21:44,750 you're seeking. You're interested to know who 346 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:49,400 Christ is now. Through what lens or optics are 347 00:21:49,410 --> 00:21:52,320 you seeking Christ? Do you seeking? 348 00:21:52,500 --> 00:21:56,320 Do you seek Christ as a religious figure with a set of 349 00:21:56,330 --> 00:22:00,680 commandments that you have to follow, with a set of practises 350 00:22:00,690 --> 00:22:03,260 that you have to do in order to become a Christian? 351 00:22:03,270 --> 00:22:05,630 Is that the lens through which you are seeking Christ? 352 00:22:06,710 --> 00:22:09,940 There are others who actually call themselves Christians 353 00:22:09,950 --> 00:22:15,260 seated here, but unfortunately you are not because you think 354 00:22:15,490 --> 00:22:19,320 that your faith and you look at your faith actually through this 355 00:22:19,330 --> 00:22:21,810 lens of conformity. Why? 356 00:22:21,860 --> 00:22:24,340 Well, I come to church regularly. 357 00:22:24,390 --> 00:22:27,450 I try not to miss every Sunday. I read the Bible. 358 00:22:28,460 --> 00:22:31,340 I win the time permits. I shoot the prayer upwards. 359 00:22:32,170 --> 00:22:36,560 I try my best not to sin. I speak the jargon of a 360 00:22:36,570 --> 00:22:39,940 Christian and therefore I must be a Christian. 361 00:22:40,150 --> 00:22:44,120 Surely God is pleased with me now. 362 00:22:44,130 --> 00:22:47,980 Becoming Christian is not about conforming to a set of dos and 363 00:22:47,990 --> 00:22:51,420 set of Donuts. Is not a such a transactional 364 00:22:51,430 --> 00:22:54,340 relationship if if you think that that is the case, it's only 365 00:22:54,350 --> 00:22:56,350 religion. It's not transactional. 366 00:22:57,060 --> 00:22:59,610 Becoming a Christian is, as I mentioned earlier, 367 00:22:59,620 --> 00:23:02,390 transformational, a new relationship between the bridge 368 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:05,810 and the bridegroom. It is accepting what Christ has 369 00:23:05,820 --> 00:23:08,410 already done. There's nothing we can do. 370 00:23:08,700 --> 00:23:12,760 It's accepting what He has done. The fact that he has died on the 371 00:23:12,770 --> 00:23:16,600 cross, that he has paid the penalty for our sin and the sin 372 00:23:16,610 --> 00:23:20,310 that has separated us from God. And when you believe that and 373 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,940 accepting him as your Saviour and Lord, then he translates 374 00:23:23,950 --> 00:23:28,610 your, transforms you from darkness to life to newness of 375 00:23:28,620 --> 00:23:31,990 life in Christ. Now this is the reality of who 376 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:36,600 Christ is, what He has done. So don't let the lens of 377 00:23:36,610 --> 00:23:42,830 conformity cloud this reality. Now there are many here who have 378 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:46,380 actually genuinely trusted in Christ as their Saviour. 379 00:23:47,210 --> 00:23:49,700 I can see the majority of you have done so. 380 00:23:50,430 --> 00:23:54,110 You have been saved for many years and believe me, I have 381 00:23:54,120 --> 00:23:56,550 been in this category. So I'm actually speaking through 382 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:58,380 experience, right? I'm speaking through experience. 383 00:23:59,140 --> 00:24:03,310 However, what has happened is due to the business of life, you 384 00:24:03,320 --> 00:24:07,610 have slipped into a a routine, what I call spiritual habits. 385 00:24:07,860 --> 00:24:10,410 Right? Like clockwork, you get up in 386 00:24:10,420 --> 00:24:14,070 the morning and you read the Bible and you said the time for 387 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:18,210 that, I read the Bible and I pray you attend church, you even 388 00:24:18,220 --> 00:24:21,870 get involved in ministry. But over time these becomes 389 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:25,770 habitual practises and what has happened is you have developed 390 00:24:25,780 --> 00:24:30,340 that implicit mindset or an optic that these are activities 391 00:24:30,350 --> 00:24:34,980 of what pleases God and what puts you in proper standing with 392 00:24:34,990 --> 00:24:36,960 him. And your relationship with God 393 00:24:36,970 --> 00:24:40,820 unfortunately has slipped into being quite transactional. 394 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:45,940 A set of dos and a set of don't remember what the Lord told the 395 00:24:45,950 --> 00:24:48,420 Church of Ephesus in Revelations. 396 00:24:48,490 --> 00:24:51,690 Well, the Lord said your works are good, right? 397 00:24:51,700 --> 00:24:53,310 You do all of these tremendous work. 398 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:55,370 However, I have one thing against you. 399 00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:59,510 What is it? You have lost your first love. 400 00:24:59,620 --> 00:25:03,480 Your relationship with me has become quite transactional. 401 00:25:03,940 --> 00:25:06,000 Now, one thing you must understand and recognise when 402 00:25:06,010 --> 00:25:09,530 you read through this passage that such an optics, a lens of 403 00:25:09,540 --> 00:25:14,070 conformity cannot coexist with the transforming relationship 404 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:16,950 that we have with the Lord. And the Lord actually reiterates 405 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:21,570 this through two parables that he mentions in Luke chapter 5 406 00:25:21,580 --> 00:25:29,550 versus 36 to 38, two parallels. So in verse 36, he talks about 407 00:25:30,180 --> 00:25:34,330 the old garment, which is the religious system with all of its 408 00:25:34,340 --> 00:25:38,180 traditions and practises. Then he talks about a new piece 409 00:25:38,190 --> 00:25:43,390 of cloth, which is a new reality that we have in Christ, a 410 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:46,000 reality that is a transforming relationship. 411 00:25:47,370 --> 00:25:51,540 Now, in this particular parable, these two things cannot coexist. 412 00:25:51,950 --> 00:25:54,950 The Lord is not an addon or a patch, right? 413 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:57,480 And that's what the parable really means. 414 00:25:57,550 --> 00:26:01,260 They cannot coexist. For example, it says that you 415 00:26:01,270 --> 00:26:05,140 cannot take this new piece of cloth right and cut a piece to 416 00:26:05,150 --> 00:26:07,780 it and then try to patch an old garment. 417 00:26:07,790 --> 00:26:10,850 Because what happens is when this new cloth shrinks, it just 418 00:26:10,860 --> 00:26:15,190 tears it away. It's not compatible, right? 419 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:19,030 That's compared well at all, and that is what the Lord is saying 420 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:24,160 here and Inverse 37 The new wine here depicts the life of a 421 00:26:24,170 --> 00:26:28,520 transformed relationship that we have in Christ, the life of joy, 422 00:26:28,830 --> 00:26:33,220 of power, of hope that we have in a transformed relationship 423 00:26:33,230 --> 00:26:36,220 with Christ. Now such a life cannot be 424 00:26:36,230 --> 00:26:40,760 contained within the fragile old wine skin of rigid rules, 425 00:26:40,850 --> 00:26:43,770 regulations and traditions, right? 426 00:26:43,780 --> 00:26:46,990 And when the new wine ferments, it just burst and destroys the 427 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,210 old wine skin. That's what it is. 428 00:26:50,260 --> 00:26:53,110 These two things are not compatible. 429 00:26:53,120 --> 00:26:57,040 They cannot Co exist. So are you. 430 00:26:57,850 --> 00:27:02,310 Am I trying to fit Christ into our framework? 431 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:09,510 Are you allowing Christ our Lord to reshape, to reshape our lens, 432 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,350 to reshape our optics so that we understand that we have a 433 00:27:13,360 --> 00:27:16,850 transformed relationship with him? 434 00:27:17,500 --> 00:27:22,620 So that's the first reality that our Lord prisons to the 435 00:27:22,630 --> 00:27:26,400 fantasies, right? A counter lens through through 436 00:27:26,410 --> 00:27:28,240 whom? Or through through the lens that 437 00:27:28,250 --> 00:27:30,680 they previously viewed, which is the lens of conformity. 438 00:27:30,790 --> 00:27:36,260 The second reality is this, that he is the Son of man. 439 00:27:36,850 --> 00:27:39,310 That's a second reality that Christ presence. 440 00:27:39,670 --> 00:27:46,090 Now when asked by the Pharisees why his disciples are fucking 441 00:27:46,100 --> 00:27:50,630 rubbing and then eating the grain on the Sabbath, this is 442 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,980 what the Lord said. This is the counter lens that it 443 00:27:53,990 --> 00:27:58,270 presents a reality of who he is. He says in Luke chapter 6 verse 444 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:04,510 5, the Son of Man is also the Lord of the 7th. 445 00:28:04,730 --> 00:28:07,210 The Son of Man is also the Lord of the Sabbath. 446 00:28:07,260 --> 00:28:12,070 Now this statement, the Son of Man appears quite a few times in 447 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,180 the gospel. It appears in Matthew chapter 12 448 00:28:14,190 --> 00:28:16,810 verse 8 and Mark chapter 2 verse 28. 449 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:20,230 And this claim is quite extraordinary because it has 450 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:23,370 many layers to it. The statement the Son of Man is 451 00:28:23,380 --> 00:28:25,150 also the author of seven has many layers. 452 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:27,700 So it's quite an extraordinary statement made by the Lord. 453 00:28:28,940 --> 00:28:33,260 It unveils who cries his which the fallacies could not see 454 00:28:33,270 --> 00:28:36,850 because of their optics. So the first statement, the Son 455 00:28:36,860 --> 00:28:40,180 of Man. Now, how was this statement 456 00:28:40,810 --> 00:28:45,480 interpreted by people? Perhaps to the ordinary Jews, 457 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:49,270 the statement may mean he's a human one, the Son of man. 458 00:28:50,290 --> 00:28:54,520 However, to the Pharisees, to the religious Jews, this is 459 00:28:54,530 --> 00:29:00,630 where the the Lord was having this conversation with the 460 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:02,740 religious Jews and he that's what he was intending. 461 00:29:02,850 --> 00:29:06,480 So to the religious Jews, the Pharisees, the statement may 462 00:29:06,490 --> 00:29:09,470 mean that a claim of Messiah ship. 463 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,690 And that is why it can be associated with Daniel Chapter 7 464 00:29:13,700 --> 00:29:17,100 verses 13 to 14. Because in Daniel Chapter 7 465 00:29:17,110 --> 00:29:20,080 verse 13, Daniel says, I was watching in the night vision and 466 00:29:20,090 --> 00:29:24,100 behold one like the Son of man humming with the clouds of 467 00:29:24,110 --> 00:29:25,490 heaven. Now that statement actually 468 00:29:25,500 --> 00:29:29,000 refers to the Messiah. So to the Jews, to the religious 469 00:29:29,010 --> 00:29:32,660 Jews, to the Pharisees, this statement, Son of Man, may mean 470 00:29:32,670 --> 00:29:38,340 a claim to Masashi. Now to drive home the point that 471 00:29:38,350 --> 00:29:41,920 he is indeed claiming Messiahship, the Lord adds 472 00:29:41,930 --> 00:29:44,380 another layer to the state. When the Son of Man, and he says 473 00:29:44,390 --> 00:29:50,280 this, the Son of Man, is also the Lord of the Sabbath, he adds 474 00:29:50,290 --> 00:29:53,620 another statement. Now, by claiming lordship over 475 00:29:53,630 --> 00:29:57,590 the Sabbath, he's actually claiming authority over Sabbath. 476 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,160 He's claiming the right to determine the meaning of the 477 00:30:01,170 --> 00:30:04,460 Sabbath, is claiming the right to interpret the Sabbath, the 478 00:30:04,470 --> 00:30:06,800 purpose of the Sabbath, and the proper use of the Sabbath. 479 00:30:06,810 --> 00:30:09,360 That's what Lord of the Sabbath really means. 480 00:30:09,510 --> 00:30:14,580 Now when you consider that the 7th was instituted by God in 481 00:30:14,590 --> 00:30:19,180 creation, a claim of lordship over the seven is a claim of 482 00:30:19,190 --> 00:30:21,730 deity. And so that is what the Lord 483 00:30:21,740 --> 00:30:24,350 said. I am the Messiah, I am the 484 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:28,310 Christ, and I am God. The Son of Man is therefore the 485 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:33,900 Lord of the seven. No, that's a new reality of who 486 00:30:33,910 --> 00:30:36,220 crisis, right? And that would have incensed the 487 00:30:36,230 --> 00:30:38,180 Jews, incense or sorry, the Pharisees. 488 00:30:38,590 --> 00:30:41,550 On another occasion where the conflict over the Sabbath 489 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:45,270 happen, it happened at the healing of the man with the 490 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:48,780 withered hand, and that we read in chapter 6. 491 00:30:49,900 --> 00:30:54,340 And in that particular incident the Lord completely reorientated 492 00:30:54,350 --> 00:30:58,310 the meaning of the 7th right. So we see an example of how He 493 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:01,710 claims lordship over the Sabbath, and He does so by 494 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,290 asking this question in chapter 6, verse 9. 495 00:31:04,580 --> 00:31:09,770 Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save 496 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:12,620 or to save life, or to destroy it? 497 00:31:13,410 --> 00:31:18,550 Now this statement by the Lord brings to 4 the moral nature and 498 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:24,590 the character of who God is. God desires mercy, He desires 499 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:27,960 good over all of the religious practises of the law. 500 00:31:28,980 --> 00:31:32,740 We see for example in Josiah chapter 6 verse 6, as in the Old 501 00:31:32,750 --> 00:31:34,970 Testament. For I desire mercy is what God 502 00:31:34,980 --> 00:31:37,490 says, for I desire mercy and not sacrifice. 503 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,130 Not all of your religious practises and the knowledge of 504 00:31:40,140 --> 00:31:44,570 God more than all of these burnt offerings and the optics of the 505 00:31:44,580 --> 00:31:49,270 Pharisees blurred them from seeing the reality of who Christ 506 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:52,620 is. That he by nature is a loving 507 00:31:52,630 --> 00:31:55,200 God. He by nature is a merciful God 508 00:31:55,210 --> 00:31:57,960 desiring to do good and to save lives. 509 00:31:58,410 --> 00:32:02,020 Whether it be the lives of the tax collectors that of course 510 00:32:02,030 --> 00:32:05,180 Andrew Linton spoke about last week, right? 511 00:32:05,190 --> 00:32:08,660 And whether it be the lives or the Samaritans who were 512 00:32:08,670 --> 00:32:13,180 considered as half cast by the Jews, or whether it be the lives 513 00:32:13,190 --> 00:32:17,860 or the Gentiles who considered or regarded as unclean, or even 514 00:32:17,870 --> 00:32:22,740 the lives of the Pharisees who had this lens of conformity, He 515 00:32:22,750 --> 00:32:25,100 looks on the leper with compassion. 516 00:32:25,270 --> 00:32:29,560 I think Billy mentioned that two weeks before where he reached 517 00:32:29,570 --> 00:32:32,900 out and touched the untouchable. Now that is our Lord. 518 00:32:33,790 --> 00:32:40,300 As the lyrics of the song goes, He is a good, good God that who 519 00:32:40,310 --> 00:32:44,020 are who are Lord is. Now let us pause and consider 520 00:32:44,030 --> 00:32:47,670 the goodness of God the the lens, the counter lens that the 521 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:50,020 Lord wants to portray to the Pharisees. 522 00:32:50,610 --> 00:32:56,840 First, the law is inherently good, as as Army says in Psalm 523 00:32:56,850 --> 00:33:01,180 chapter 100 was 5 For the Lord is good, His steadfast love 524 00:33:01,190 --> 00:33:05,280 endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. 525 00:33:05,550 --> 00:33:08,800 Second, the Lord is universally good. 526 00:33:08,850 --> 00:33:12,480 That's a common grace of God, universally good as seen in His 527 00:33:12,490 --> 00:33:15,520 Providence for His creation and the created world. 528 00:33:15,570 --> 00:33:19,100 In fact, the apostle Paul speaking to the people Listra 529 00:33:19,430 --> 00:33:21,540 next chapter 14 verse 17 says this. 530 00:33:21,550 --> 00:33:25,230 Nevertheless, He did not leave himself without witness in that 531 00:33:25,310 --> 00:33:29,250 He did good. He gave us reign from heaven and 532 00:33:29,260 --> 00:33:32,620 fruitful season, fulfilling our hearts with food and gladness. 533 00:33:32,630 --> 00:33:36,030 That's a common good. The Lord is universally good. 534 00:33:36,100 --> 00:33:40,440 Thirdly, the Lord is sacrificially good, and we see 535 00:33:40,450 --> 00:33:44,210 that in His redemptive work. Lord himself says in John 536 00:33:44,220 --> 00:33:47,070 chapter 10 verse 11, I am the Good Shepherd. 537 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:53,360 The Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep and finally the 538 00:33:53,370 --> 00:33:58,010 law is experientially good. And then Sam chapter 34, verse 539 00:33:58,020 --> 00:34:02,050 8, the psalmist says this all. Taste and see that the Lord is 540 00:34:02,060 --> 00:34:04,190 good. Taste and see that the Lord is 541 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:06,190 good. Blessed is the man who takes 542 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:13,110 refuge in him. Finally, let me conclude with 543 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:17,230 this question. What is the lens through which 544 00:34:17,380 --> 00:34:20,810 you look at the Lord? What is the lens like the 545 00:34:20,820 --> 00:34:23,230 Pharisees? Are you looking at the Lord 546 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:26,630 through the lens of your religious structures, the lens 547 00:34:26,639 --> 00:34:29,710 of conformity? Remember the Pharisees looked at 548 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:32,760 the law through such a lens, the lens of conformity, seeing the 549 00:34:32,770 --> 00:34:36,210 Lord as a rule blaker, not conforming to their traditions, 550 00:34:36,219 --> 00:34:38,810 the value traditions of the fathers and Luke. 551 00:34:38,820 --> 00:34:42,510 Chapter 6 verse 11 is probably the saddest verse in the Gospel 552 00:34:42,520 --> 00:34:46,290 of Luke where it says it was chapter 6 verse 11. 553 00:34:46,340 --> 00:34:51,260 But they were filled with rage. They were filled with rage and 554 00:34:51,270 --> 00:34:55,280 discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. 555 00:34:55,510 --> 00:34:58,880 They still did not see beyond their lens of conformity and 556 00:34:58,890 --> 00:35:02,800 understand the reality that Christ presents as a bridegroom, 557 00:35:03,190 --> 00:35:06,520 the one who transformed relationship, and as the Son of 558 00:35:06,530 --> 00:35:09,500 Man, the Lord of the Sabbath, who is good and merciful. 559 00:35:09,510 --> 00:35:12,980 They just did not see beyond their lens of conformity. 560 00:35:14,100 --> 00:35:18,720 So are we able to look beyond the lens that blur who the Lord 561 00:35:18,730 --> 00:35:23,680 is and see Him for who He is? Remember one thing, through His 562 00:35:23,690 --> 00:35:26,890 death and resurrection, He is the bride group offering us a 563 00:35:26,900 --> 00:35:29,850 transforming relationship. Do you have a relationship as 564 00:35:29,860 --> 00:35:33,620 such with Him? He is the Son of man, and his 565 00:35:33,630 --> 00:35:37,960 goodness endures forever. And as the word of the song 566 00:35:37,970 --> 00:35:41,260 goes, Jesus, what a beautiful name. 567 00:35:41,750 --> 00:35:48,820 Son of God, Son of Man, a lamb that was slain, let us play. 568 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:53,190 Father, we thank you for this time that we can come together, 569 00:35:53,870 --> 00:35:58,760 a time of remembrance of the sacrifice that your son made on 570 00:35:58,770 --> 00:36:00,740 the process of Calgary. Father Bobby, thank you. 571 00:36:01,420 --> 00:36:05,590 Then, in front of us, we see who our Lord is, the Bridegroom, the 572 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:08,090 one who has a transformative relationship with each and 573 00:36:08,100 --> 00:36:09,930 everyone who have come to trust in Him. 574 00:36:09,980 --> 00:36:14,100 But we also see Him as the Son of Man, not only as a Messiah 575 00:36:14,110 --> 00:36:17,590 who would come for us, but as the One who lives for us. 576 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:19,820 And we thank and praise you for this, for His goodness and for 577 00:36:19,830 --> 00:36:22,270 His kindness. And we commit this time once 578 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:25,120 again into your hands and in the Saviours precious, and in his 579 00:36:25,130 --> 00:36:27,510 worthy day. And we pray, I mean.