Thank you for listening to Riverbend Church's podcast.
To find out more about this message or Riverbend Church,
connect with us online at Riverbend Church dot live.
I'm so excited about being able to to go back into the series
together, to be able to. Worship with you together and if
you're. New to the series?
Let me kind of go ahead and give you the overall gist when we
read about the life of. Jesus in in in the scriptures.
And Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
We're able to see to where it's recorded for US.
Jesus borrowed 5 things. He borrowed a boat.
He borrowed some bread. He he borrowed a donkey.
If you're here. With us last week.
Todd preached on that. And did an incredible job
leading us through that. He borrowed a room and then.
Ultimately, we're going to see. Next week to where?
Jesus borrowed a tomb and and. Really, there's two.
Overarching questions about this series.
Like OK number one, why did God think?
That it was so. Important to record for.
Us in the pages of scripture these specific 5 things.
Or maybe just the context? Around these five things.
And then #2 what does God want to?
Teach us through these five things or or or the context
surrounding these five things. And if you've.
Been with us throughout. This series, you know that
there's a unifying truth, whether it's a boat or bread or
donkey. A room or a tomb?
There's a unifying truth that we see playing out.
It's actually serving as a big idea.
Throughout. This series, and if you're
taking notes with us, here it is.
We find out that what Jesus borrows whatever Jesus borrows.
He blesses to use. For our.
Good and for His glory. If he if he borrowed a boat, he
he blessed it to. Use for Simon.
Peter's good and for the glory of God when when he barred some.
Bread. He.
Barred it and and he.
Blessed it to use. For that little boy that.
Offered his five loaves of. Of of bread and two fish up to.
Jesus, he he, he used. It for that little boy's good,
but also for. God's glory.
With with a donkey. Same thing with with a room that
we're. Going to see the same thing,
Tomb. We're going to see the same
thing. There's a unifying truth, but in
each individual 5 things that Jesus borrows, I think that
there's also a specific. Lesson.
That God wants to remind. Us of SO for example.
If you were with us, If you were this the first week of this
series when Jesus borrowed a boat, that reminds us that Jesus
wants to meet you where you are and to make what you're doing
matter forever. If you were with us a few weeks
ago and where we see Jesus. Borrowed the.
Bread and the fish. It's a reminder that what's not
enough in our hands is more than enough in.
His. If you were with us last week is
taught I'm packed for us when Jesus borrowed a donkey.
It's a reminder that Jesus doesn't always.
God doesn't always use the extraordinary.
He uses the available and this morning we're going to look.
At the 4th of the five items that Jesus borrowed and.
We're going to be reminded that. Before there was a cross as as
we're right. Here heading towards Easter.
Easter week. Before there was a cross.
There was an empty room or there was an upper room.
And what I want to do is I want to encourage you if you have a
Bible with. You where there's a physical.
Copy or digital copy Find Luke chapter 22 with me.
Luke chapter 22. And if you don't have a Bible
with you, no worries. The passage is on the screen in
front of you and it's also on your note sheet.
What we're going to do is we're going to pick it up in verse 7
and walk through this together. Luke 20.
Two verse 7 starts off. When they then came the Day of
Unleavened bread on which the Passover.
Lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus said Peter and John,
his disciples, saying, Go and prepare the Passover for us,
that we may eat it. And they said to him, Where will
you have us prepare it? And he said to them, Behold,
when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water
will meet you. Follow him into the house that
he enters, and tell the master of the house.
The teacher says to you. Where's the guest room where I
may eat the Passover with my disciples?
And he will show you a large upper room furnished.
Prepare it there. And they went and found it, just
as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
Now third verses 13. And 14 is almost like a hinge
verses 14 forward is. Right.
After they have finished the Passover meal, or in the context
of that Passover meal, when the hour came, Jesus reclined at the
table and the apostles with him, and he said to them, I've
earnestly. Desired to eat this Passover
with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat
it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.
And he took a cup, and when he'd given thanks, he said, take this
and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on
I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom.
Of God comes. And he took bread, And when he'd
given thanks, he. Broke it and gave.
It to them saying this is my body which is given.
For you do this in remembrance of me.
And likewise the cup after they had eaten saying.
This cup that is poured out. For you as the new covenant in
my blood now before we go any. Further, I think.
There's some really important background.
Info that we need to know, we need to understand for this
passage to truly make sense to us.
You need to understand that on the timeline here of.
Jesus's life. Jesus.
Is in his final hours. This is just several hours
before. Jesus is going to be.
Betrayed by Judas, he's going to be.
Arrested by the temple guard. He's going to be tried, brought
before Pontius Pilate tried. He's going to be wrongfully
condemned, he's going to be beaten beyond human recognition
and he is going to be murdered. By being executed and nailed to
a cross. Last week, Todd talked about how
Jesus. Borrowed a donkey and on that
donkey he rode into Jerusalem and and and the streets of
Jerusalem were lined with people cheering hosanna, hosanna,
Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the.
Lord in this. Passage We're a few short hours
away from the. Tide of that crowd turning.
Not from Hosanna Hosanna Hosanna.
But to crucify him, crucify him, I think it's.
Also really important that we note that in this passage in
Luke 22, Luke starts off by reminding us it is the Day of
Unleavened. Bread of the Passover if.
You were this a couple. Weeks ago we.
Talked about when Jesus borrowed bread and and and and fish and
he multiplied. It he broke, it blessed.
It multiplied it and fed over 20,000 people that that was on
the. Day of Passover and and.
Passover was and still. Is a a festival celebrated?
And observed by the Jewish people to commemorate to
remember how God saved them out of Egypt and saved them out of.
Slavery, and it's called Passover.
Because the 10th and the final plague that God brought down on
Egypt was to go and kill the first born of every household in
Egypt if that household did not have the blood of a lamb
painted. Up and over its door frame.
If a house had the blood of a lamb painted up and over its
door frame, that Angel would literally.
Pass over that house. Now on this specific day, this
would be the day to where people from all over the area, they
would bring their spotless without blemish perfect lamb.
They would bring this lamb to the temple.
They would give the lamb over to a priest in the temple.
The priest would slaughter the lamb, would kill the lamb, and
then collect his blood and pour the blood on the.
Altar. And then give the Lamb's body
back to the person, back to the family that brought the Lamb to
the temple. That family would then go roast
the meat of that lamb and then. Serve it at a special.
Dinner. Called the Passover Seder, this
is the. Type of dinner that Jesus and
his. Disciples are celebrating in
this upper room now all of what I just described.
To you is incredibly symbolic of.
Jesus, you see, Jesus the. Son of God.
Is about to be slaughtered for the forgiveness of sins of the
people. Do you remember when Jesus
first? Came on the scene.
And he came out to be baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist.
Do you remember what John the Baptist yelled to announce?
Like the arrival of Jesus. Behold the what?
The Lamb of God. Who takes away the sins of the
world? You see, all of this is all
pointing back to Jesus. This.
Perfect lamb of. God the Son of God, Jesus, is
about to be slaughtered. On a cross.
And his blood is about to be poured out for the forgiveness
of sins. Now I don't think at.
All that the disciples in this moment in Luke. 22 I don't think
that they really had much of A clue about everything that was
going on. They they.
Would over the several days after this.
Event. I think that in their minds.
They were probably just celebrating the Passover meal
with Jesus like they had the previous two years with Jesus.
But as they would soon find out, this.
Was no ordinary meal. At all.
As a matter of fact, this was going to be the most.
Impactful. Most important meal.
In all of human history. It's a meal that's now known.
As the Last Supper me ask you a question though.
Is it just me or do you find it? Odd how Jesus told his disciples
Peter and James. Hey guys I need.
You to go prepare. A room.
I need you to go find a room for.
Passover and here's what I need you to do.
I need you to go into town. Once you get into town, there's
going to be a man carrying a big.
Jar of water. I need you to follow this guy
home and then once you get to his home, ask for his master.
Ask for. The owner of the house.
And then just tell that guy, hey, the teacher has need for
your room to celebrate the Passover meal.
With his disciples. Can you imagine being putting
yourself in the shoes of that man carrying?
The jar of water. To where you're just out running
errands, you're getting like last minute preparations, big
jar of water and then you see two complete strangers kind of
make eye contact with you and then.
They start to follow you. And everywhere you look like
they're following you, they're making every turn that you make.
I wonder if that guy at any point in time thought I need to
lose these guys. So he started zigzagging.
Through the streets. And imagine how like amazed he
was that those two guys actually followed him into his.
House. And asked.
For the owner of the house and. Told them that their.
Teacher has need for the. Room while while.
We're at it and while we're asking interesting questions.
Does. Anybody else find it interesting
that Jesus went to such great lengths to have a or to, to to
to to reserve such a secluded and a secretive place for his
last? Meal.
I've always thought that. That was strange.
I've always thought that that was strange that.
That of all the times. For Jesus to be secretive and
secluded, it was his last meal. But with all things Jesus,
nothing was accidental. Nothing was coincidental.
I think that that decision by Jesus, Jesus borrowing that
upper room on that night, demonstrates 3 key choices that
He made that are so important for you and I to wrap our minds
around. So important for.
You and I to embrace not just today, but far after today as
well. If you're taking notes with us,
here's the first of the three choices that Jesus.
Made he made the choice to go. Private versus public.
He made the choice to go. Private versus public again,
Jesus Christ, perfect Lamb of God.
Comes to take. Away the sins of the world.
He. Chooses to have his last.
Meal in an upper room with a small group with his inner core
with like his 12. Closest friends.
I've always thought that that was strange because.
If it were me, I I would I would think that it would make.
A lot more sense for Jesus to reserve a.
Huge like banquet hall, or maybe a huge like outdoor arena to
where he could host hundreds upon hundreds if not thousands
of Jerusalem's like movers and shakers and who's who.
And yet he didn't go. Public he, he, he, he, he stayed
private. With this he he chose.
To share this meal with his closest.
Friends. Not with the crowds.
Not with the. Not with the masses.
I think that one of the reasons. That Jesus made this decision.
It is is a is to kind of, I guess, tear down this false
notion. Out there.
That that I think some of us have.
And some of us hold on to that. That is go something like this
that I need to have a big stage and a massive.
Platform to do good thing, big things for God.
And you know what? When?
Jesus decided, hey, this Last Supper, it's going to be
private. It's not going to be public.
I think Jesus is reminding. Us of a truth here check this
out I don't need a stage I need a secret place I don't need a
stage you don't need a stage you you need a secret place and I
don't need a stage I need a secret place you see we.
Live and I'm not. I'm not telling.
You something that you don't. Already know we live in a.
Culture that, that that that fosters this.
This mentality of what I would call even within the.
Church what I call stage chasers, stage chasers, stage
chasers like. To do whatever you have to do to
make it on a. Stage and to do.
Whatever you have to. Do to to stay on that stage.
Because I've said this before and I'll continue.
Saying it because it's so true. A.
Stage and a set of. Lights give the impression that
they're actually making you, when in fact they're really.
Baking to you? There was There's nothing that
will dry out your soul. Faster than a stage and a set of
lights. A platform.
So here's what I would. Tell you do.
Not crave a stage in front of people, crave a secret place.
With Jesus, do not crave a stage.
In front of people crave. A secret place with Jesus.
A place to where you can get along alone with Jesus,
undistracted, uninterrupted. Because it's in that secret
place that you can hear most. Clearly the words of Jesus.
And then it's in that secret place that you can be molded and
formed by Jesus, and then it's in that secret place that you
can be. Developed by Jesus.
And when you hear the voice of Jesus, and when you're molded
and shaped by Jesus, and when you're formed by.
Jesus. Then you leave it up to Jesus
to. Determine the size of the stage
that He can entrust to you. You see, in, in, in, in Western
Americanized Christianity, we've got it all wrong.
The bigger the stage, the bigger.
The lights. The bigger the platform, the
more the followers, the the the more, the more.
Holier, the person. The the, the greater the
platform we put a person on, we we've exchanged godly character
for charisma and, and, and that's not the way of Jesus.
Jesus demonstrated on his last night, his last meal, that the
private. The private.
World. The private world matters
infinitely more. Than a public stage.
But that's not the only decision that Jesus made.
And distinction that he demonstrated.
For us, check this out number two, personal versus preoccupied
personal. Versus preoccupied.
Can you imagine? Being one of the disciples on
that evening, the most important meal in all of human history,
and missing it, missing the words of Jesus.
Because you were too preoccupied.
Doing something else? You were too preoccupied.
Kind of in your own. Thoughts.
You were too preoccupied. Maybe with a discussion with
somebody else you your attention was diverted away from Jesus.
Can you imagine of all? Places of all settings missing.
The words and the message. Of Jesus.
In that room, I don't think that really crosses any of our minds,
but one of the convicting things I got.
To tell you this church. One of the convicting things
that God has laid on my heart is how many?
Words of Jesus do I miss. Because I'm too busy, because
I'm too surrounded. I'm surrounded by too much noise
because I do not regularly either.
I don't understand the. Practice of silence and
solitude. Or I intentionally.
Run from silence and solitude. Because I'm scared out of my
mind to be alone with myself and alone with my thoughts and alone
with my God. So many times we miss the
message and the. Heart of Jesus, because we do
not intentionally practice silence and solitude in this.
Jesus is teaching us this, that I have to be quiet enough to be
fully. Present, yet still enough to be
fully expectant. Quiet enough.
Quiet enough to be fully present, still enough to be
fully expectant. You know, one of the things that
I think. Is the hardest is that it's that
internal quietness? You with me on that?
It's like my body obviously hates running, physically
running, yet my brain. Is a world class marathoner.
Anybody else like that? To where?
You go to bed, you're. Exhausted, but your brain just
keeps running. You're like.
Please turn off. Please turn off.
It's that.
Struggle to to maintain that. That inner quiet, that
stillness, I got to tell you, you know, one of the things that
we see often throughout the pages of Scripture, God
whispers. He never screams.
You know why he whispers is it's because to hear somebody
whisper, you have to be what you have to be close to him.
And I think a lot of. Times we miss the heart of God.
We miss the message of God because we're not.
Still enough or quiet enough, We are constantly bombarded with
interruptions and notifications. We don't know how to.
Practice silence and solitude. So how do we reverse that trend?
I think it starts with coming back and understanding.
Who we're actually meeting with do a mental.
Exercise with me. Imagine being invited.
To a dinner, it could be like your favorite sports.
Icon it could. Be your favorite, your most
respected world leader. It could be your favorite
musician or artist. Imagine being invited to dinner
and and talking with them. Face to face.
Can you imagine like sitting there talking with Michael
Jordan and scrolling Instagram? Or you go.
Hold on, Mike. I got to check this notification
and some of you are. Like it wouldn't.
Be Michael Jordan, be LeBron. After the service we're.
Given an invitation, you need to repent.
Give your life to Jesus that that got falls.
But Can you imagine like in that room in that?
Space but. Your mind's still cluttered.
And you're so divided, your mind is so fractured.
I think it begins with like, knowing, reminding ourselves.
Who we're meeting with, regardless of who that athlete
would be or who that artist would be, who that world leader
would be, man, that person pales in comparison of the meeting
with God Almighty himself. I think it also then goes into
just reminding yourself that the biggest challenge you're going
to face. Is to.
Keep your thoughts from straying.
Into 180. Three different directions at
the same time. So how do we keep our minds from
straying? I'm not really sure how we keep.
Them from straying. I do know a practice.
That we can do to rein the thoughts back in.
For me. It's a, it's a mental.
Image like when I feel my mind, when I feel my brain start to.
Stray like you ever. Spend a lot of time in prayer or
sat down and go I'm going to pray for the next. 10 or 15
minutes. And you get 43 seconds in.
And you're already thinking about like the discussion you
had yesterday and what's? Coming up at work and lunch plan
like the whole 9 yards I think in that moment coming back.
And re centering around a a mental image and and for me that
mental image is it's a table. And on one side.
Of the table it's it's Jesus, and on the other side of the
table it's me. And Jesus is just simply.
Asking me, hey, how's your day going?
What's on your mind? And it's just a conversation
between me and Jesus if you don't.
Have a mental image kind of reign those.
Thoughts back in you can you can borrow mine.
But we've got to learn to be quiet enough turn.
Off the phones, turn off the notifications.
Get. Away to a place to where you
know. That you'll be.
Most likely undistracted or uninterrupted.
And I think that that starts with, I think that it really
starts with this, with this mindset of first of all, I've
got to pick a place. I've got to pick a place.
It could be in your house, it could be in your apartment, it
can be in your car, it could be at work.
That I know that I'll. Probably be most likely
undistracted for for a few moments.
And then I've got to. Pick a day, or I've got to pick
a time of day that those same things are going to be true.
I'm going to be least distracted, least interrupted.
And then here's what I would. Encourage you to do if you don't
already have a place and you don't already have a time of
the. Day, I would encourage.
You to to go. Home and before you go to bed.
Tonight to to identify that place and that time and I would
encourage you to go pray over that place.
To. Consecrate that place to
dedicate that place that this. Place is the meeting.
Place of of me and Jesus at this time tomorrow morning.
This is a sacred place. Why?
Because it is so incredibly, incredibly important that it has
to be personal. If it's not personal, my default
is always going to be preoccupied.
And if I'm always preoccupied, I'm going to miss out on
everything that Jesus has for me.
The third choice that Jesus demonstrates for us is pivotal
versus performative. Pivotal versus performative.
You know, the disciples on this night, I think that they all.
Came into the room. Thinking it was just, it was
another Passover meal with Jesus.
But I think that they soon found out.
They soon, they soon sensed there was a there was a weight
and there was a heaviness. There was an intensity about the
moment that made them. Realize that this is not.
Going to be that normal? Passover meal, and I don't know
if it was before or after Jesus knelt down and washed their
feet, an unthinkable act of humility, or it was before or
after when Jesus started talking about this is my body and this
is my blood. Both are going to be given for
you. But they knew something was
going to be. Was going to be radically.
Different about this night. You know, I think that most of
us, whether in the room or online, most of us, we've either
been at church long enough or we've lived in the Bible Belt.
Long enough to where we know how.
To play the religious game, we know how to look the part and,
and, and here's here's the religious game here.
Here's how we look the part. We, we, we get up on Sunday
morning, we get the kids up on Sunday morning.
We, you know, our kids are screaming and we just say, hey,
just wait to get to church. They have Donuts there and.
You know, and then mom. And dad, we go get coffee and
then go get another coffee and then go get another coffee.
We get the kids checked in and. We may go.
Sit in a small group and we may go sit in a worship service and
we may even, you know, take the bulletin notes and.
Maybe we even. Try to fill in the.
The blanks before they even pop up on the.
Screen and sometimes we get the blanks.
Right, all the while wondering. If the people next to us or in
front of us or behind us can sense that we're actually empty
and hollow on the inside, that resonate with any of us.
If that resonates. With you if, if, if I just
described how you feel on a Sunday morning to where like you
look the part, you play the part, but you're just, you just
know that you're empty and hollow on the inside.
Listen, I've got great news for you.
Jesus is not at all. Interested.
In making you a better. Religious actor Jesus is
interested and invites you in to absolutely transform your life
for real. Check this out.
He isn't interested in a version of me.
He invites the. Real me, I don't know if
anybody's ever told you this or not, but Jesus Christ knows
everything that there is to know about you.
He knows your highlights, your low lights.
He knows you inside out, backwards and forwards.
He knows the. Parts about you that.
You want everybody out in the world to know, and he knows.
The parts about you that you have pushed deep.
Down and you've locked behind. Doors deep within your soul that
no other person knows. Jesus knows that too.
And here's the great. News, he knows it all, and yet
he still. Chooses to love you.
That's great. News for two reasons #1.
Is because I think that there's this.
False notion that if. Jesus really knew the real me.
He he would and and what I've done and what I really my mind.
Thinks about and what I. Struggle with and he'll find me
too gross or too offensive or too unlovable and he'll reject
me. I can assure you that is not the
case. He knows you inside and out.
He knows every part about you and yet he still.
Chooses to love you. I can assure you that he will
not reject you. But there's this other false.
Notion. This is the second reason this
is great news. There's this other false notion.
That if I just look the. Part and play the part.
Long enough and I'll just strive to be a good.
Person then. Somehow I can trick Jesus and
he'll just let me. Slide.
And I can assure you nothing. Could be further from the truth.
You see, what Jesus is after is not making us a better
performer. He is actually about providing
pivotal moments in. Our lives Check out the basis of
this pivotal. Moment.
This is what Jesus? Said that night at dinner.
He took the bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it
and gave it to them, saying, This is my body which is given
for you. Do this in.
Remembrance of me and likewise the cup after they had eaten,
say. This cup that is poured.
Out for you is the new Covenant in my blood.
In other words, what Jesus? Is saying is.
I'm about to pay. The price for your sins and that
invitation still extends today. The very end of March.
Last Sunday of March 2026, that invitation is still open, just
like it was to the disciples on that night over 2000 years ago.
And what we're about to do this morning as we wind down, as
we're going. To follow in the.
Footsteps of Jesus disciples on that night.
And we're going. To observe what's called the
Lord's Supper. Now there are two quick.
Things that. You and I, that we.
Need to understand about the Lord's supper before we take it
#1 the Lord's supper, the. Elements that we're about.
To take the bread. And the and the.
Cup They're for believers it is. It's for believers.
It's for true followers of Jesus.
If you're not a true. Follower of Jesus if you're.
If you're not a believer. Listen, it is far.
Better for you to abstain from taking the bread and the cup
than for you to take. Them fraudulently, but the
second. Thing that I have to tell you is
it's a. Really, really, really big deal.
What we're about to take together.
And I'll. Put this passage at the.
Bottom of your note. Sheet is the Apostle Paul's
words in First Corinthians Chapter 11.
Check out what Paul said for I received.
From the Lord. What I also delivered.
To you that the Lord Jesus on the night that he was betrayed.
Took bread. And when he had given thanks, he
broke it and said this is my body which is for you.
Do this in. Remembrance of me.
In the same way also. He took the cup after supper,
saying this cup. Is the new covenant in my blood?
Do this as. Often as you drink it in.
Remembrance of me for AS. Often as you eat this bread and
drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Whoever. Check this out Whoever.
Therefore, eats the. Bread or drinks the cup of the
Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty Concerning the body
and the blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself.
Then and. So eat of the bread and drink of
the cup for anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the
body. Eats and drinks.
Judgement on himself do not. Miss Verse 30.
That is why many of. You are weak and ill.
And some have died. There's a lot of weight to what
we're about to do so before. We go into.
The Lord's Supper. I want.
To give us an opportunity to rightly examine ourselves so
that as we take it, we can take it in an we can take it in a
worthy manner, as Paul puts it well.
What does it mean? To take it in a worthy manner.
I want to ask. You 3 questions.
Number one, are you a true follower of Jesus?
Has there been a point in time I didn't ask?
Are you a good? Person have you gone to church
your entire life? I didn't ask about your parents
or your grandparents. Has there been a point in time
to where? You asked Jesus to forgive you
of your sins. And for him to come.
In and take control of your life.
And committed to following. Him for the rest of your life.
Has there been that moment? If there hasn't.
Been that moment, then the. Answer to the question, Are you
a true follower of Jesus? The answer to that's no, you're
not, but you can be this morning if you struggle with that
decision and you struggle with me saying listen, if you.
Have not come to that. Point of surrender, but you can
I have great news for you in just a moment when we bow our
heads and we close our eyes, just simply have a brief
conversation with God and say God, I believe that Jesus is who
he says that he is and that he died on a cross.
For me, would you forgive? Me of my sins, would you take
control of my life and I commit to following you for the rest of
my life. The Bible teaches us at that
point in time, you will be saved.
You'll be born again. If you.
Have already made that decision. Taking.
The Lord's Supper in a worthy manner also involves this.
Is there any unconfessed sin in your life?
Is there anything in your life that you're holding on to that
that you haven't brought? Before God and say God, I
acknowledge this was sin, would you forgive me?
I think there's a third element of how we can take the Lord's
Supper in an unworthy manner, and that's by withholding
forgiveness towards someone. So my question is, is there?
Anyone that you are. Withholding forgiveness from.
So here's what we're going to do, I'm going to pray over.
Us and as I pray, we're just going to have just a quiet
moment of prayer for us to sit with our heads bowed and our
eyes closed is a time for us just to spend some time with
God, talking with God and. And if you don't know exactly
what to. Pray.
Here's a great prayer. God.
Would you search me, God? You you.
You have. Access to all of me.
Would you search me? And would you would you bring to
mind the? Things in my life that don't
match up with who you are. And God, would you forgive those
things? God, I want to be right with
you. So I want to pray over us, spend
some time in prayer, and then we'll continue on.
God, we love you for the fact that you know us completely, and
yet you still choose to love us. God, you knowing us completely.
God, that's so free for some of us because.
We've been holding on to this. Thought and this notion that if
there was something that you discovered about us, that it
would somehow be too gross or too offensive or too unlovable
for you to love us, and that's not the case.
But God, you loving you, you loving us fully and knowing us
completely, that also means that we can't trick you.
God, we can trick the people around us, but.
We can't trick you, God. Would you search us at a deep
down soul level this morning? God if.
We need to be made. Right with you, God, I pray that
you would bring us to a point of surrender.
God, if there's any unconfessed sin in our lives, God, I pray
that we would bring that before you with a repentant heart.
God, if there's any unforgiveness in our hearts, if
there's any forgiveness that we're withholding towards
someone else, that's a barrier between US and you.
Can I pray that you would soften our hearts, and I pray that you
would allow us to release what we're holding on to God in this
space and in this place and in this moment?
We just want to be right. With you.
So God, whatever that takes, whatever that looks like, God, I
pray that you would have your way with us over the next few
moments. It's in Jesus name.
I pray you can stay in this posture of prayer for just a few
moments, and after spending a little one-on-one time with God,
we'll move forward. God, we thank you so much for
this time of the year that we're reminded to go back to a level
and to a depth of love that we cannot explain.
God, you sent your son into this world to die for us, so that we.
Would have an. Opportunity to come to you, to
come back to you, got to be. Forgiven by you?
To be transformed by you, to be born again by you.
God is. We're about to take these
elements that were taken in that upper room over 2000 years ago.
God, I pray that you would impress upon us just a deep,
deep weight and gravity of what we're participating in God, and
that would lead to a deep, deep love for you and dependence upon
you because God is we're reminded of the body and the
blood of Jesus. God, it also encourages us that
there is no good thing that you will withhold from us.
God, these are the links to which you will go to for us by
giving your own son for us. God, we thank you.
It's in Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Paul wrote. For I receive from the Lord what
I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night he
was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he
broke it and said, this is my body which is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way he also took the
cup after after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in
my blood. Do this as often as you drink it
in remembrance of me. God for the body and the blood
of Jesus. Our language is so inadequate,
but thank you, God, Thank you for his sacrifice for us.
Thank you for everything that you went through so that we
might have a relationship with you.
God, we pray that your Holy Spirit will continue to move in
our midst, and it's in Jesus name that we pray.
Amen. Thank you for listening to the
Riverbend Church Podcast. Learn more about who we are as a
church and how to connect. You can head over to our
website, Riverbend Church dot Life.