1 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:08,680 If you have a Bible, you can turn to Luke chapter 12, where 2 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:13,400 in the second-half of Luke chapter 12 in just to kind of 3 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,560 set the stage week by week. As we look at the Gospel of 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,600 Luke, we have started this journey with Jesus starting in 5 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:26,880 Luke Chapter 9, where he sets his face towards the cross and 6 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:31,200 begins to journey towards Jerusalem with his disciples. 7 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:36,680 And we've specifically looked for ways that we can study the 8 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:41,200 Gospels, not by drawing out from them the highlight reel that 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,960 you're often know the the famous teachings of Jesus, but by 10 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,320 looking at some of the hardest passages or the hardest 11 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:51,160 teachings of the teachings of Jesus. 12 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:57,040 So if you're new to Jesus or church, please know this, that 13 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:02,760 when you study the Gospels, you are going to find that Jesus has 14 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,080 some very difficult things to say. 15 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:11,800 And today we will come to another very difficult saying of 16 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,520 Jesus. And before we look at it, I will 17 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:19,000 present you with the question that this teaching is going to 18 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,720 answer. It's a question that is 19 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:26,840 fundamental to your faith in Jesus and ultimately fundamental 20 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,080 for your life. And it is a simple question. 21 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,200 Why did Jesus enter into the world? 22 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,760 Why did Jesus come into the story of humanity? 23 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:44,120 What was his mission? And the the hope is that we 24 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:47,200 would understand his mission more clearly, so we would 25 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:55,200 understand why he matters more fully before, you know, we come 26 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:59,240 to what the Bible says about his mission and why he came. 27 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:04,320 This is a great opportunity to present to you with why a series 28 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,960 like this is so important. We live in a culture that is 29 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:13,320 more and more post Christian, which means we live in a world 30 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,360 that has reference points to Jesus, has maybe heard of 31 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:20,360 stories of Jesus, but less and less has concrete understanding 32 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,840 of what he's really about. So I want you to imagine you're 33 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,520 watching one of those ever growing in popularity man on the 34 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,400 street interviews where a guy with a microphone and a camera 35 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,240 just goes to Main Street America and asks someone a basic 36 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,640 question and to show the survey of answers that represent our 37 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:41,200 culture. And and so the man on the street 38 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:47,280 asks the basic question, why did Jesus come into the world? 39 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:49,800 Let me share with you some hypothetical questions that I 40 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:51,960 think are all too common in our day. 41 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:56,240 One person might say Jesus is one of many spiritual teachers 42 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:58,360 who came to point people towards God. 43 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:00,600 And so different cultures and different religions have 44 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:02,640 different messengers, and he was one of them. 45 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:05,480 Maybe that would be one of your answers. 46 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,600 Another person might say that Jesus came to help people and 47 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,560 make them feel better. He's there when life gets hard. 48 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,080 If you ever need him, you've got Jesus, the therapist. 49 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,560 And maybe some of you have felt that way. 50 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,560 Some might say I, I think Jesus came to show us a higher way, 51 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:30,760 awaken people to love and inner peace, but not rules or 52 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:34,160 religion. This is the culture that you 53 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,440 live in. And I'm mindful of these 54 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:39,160 answers. They represent very well an 55 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,280 answer that I got from someone that I was recently talking to, 56 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,920 not a churchgoer, not someone who would call themselves a 57 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,760 Christian, but someone who respects Jesus. 58 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:51,920 And this person said to me, I have no interest in church. 59 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:56,440 I don't like the Bible, but I love the teachings of Jesus 60 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,520 because they're all about love and they're all about 61 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:06,240 acceptance. And she's not wrong, she just 62 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,760 doesn't have the full picture. But I think she's doing 63 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:10,880 something very important. If you really want to get to 64 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:14,440 know someone, you should listen to them. 65 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:19,040 And so before we get to our text this morning, let me give you 66 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:23,000 some answers right out of the red letter version of your 67 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,240 Bible, the words of Jesus. Why did he come? 68 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,760 Jesus says I have come that you might have life and life more 69 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,400 abundant. Jesus says I came not to be 70 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:38,120 served, but to serve and to give my life a ransom for many. 71 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,680 I came to bring witness to the truth, and all who are of the 72 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:47,080 truth hear my word. These are great answers and 73 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,800 they're probably answers you may have thought of, but once again, 74 00:04:50,840 --> 00:04:54,920 they are not the full picture. So many of us, even in the 75 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:59,240 culture of Christianity that presents Jesus with red letters 76 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:03,280 as someone who is all love, all accepting, unconditional miss 77 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:07,080 the full picture. And so today we we want to know 78 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:11,320 Jesus for who he says he is in ways that are often forgotten. 79 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,840 To understand why he matters in your life, you have you have to 80 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:20,600 understand his mission and missing from everything that I 81 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:25,040 referenced today as possible answers and good answers is the 82 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,200 hardest answer. So you've already turned to Luke 83 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,640 chapter 12. Today we want to understand his 84 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:36,520 mission more fully and we'll start in verse 49. 85 00:05:38,280 --> 00:05:45,520 Jesus says I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it 86 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:50,360 were already kindled, but I have a baptism to be baptized with, 87 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,960 and how distressed I am till it is accomplished. 88 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:58,440 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? 89 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:02,400 I tell you not at all, but rather division. 90 00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:06,240 From now on, five in one household will be divided 3 91 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:07,720 against two and two against three. 92 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,360 Father will be divided against son and son against father, 93 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,840 mother against daughter and daughter against mother, 94 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,040 mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and 95 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:17,960 daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 96 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:25,520 Welcome to church. As I walked in, I, I saw the, 97 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,320 the sanctuary filling up and I was as a pastor, I'm thinking, I 98 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:29,880 hope everyone found a good place to park. 99 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,760 And then I thought, well, this week's sermon might help parking 100 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:36,000 next week. So I hope you come back. 101 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:45,840 But Jesus says he came to send fire on earth once again. 102 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:50,040 To understand why he matters in your life, you must understand 103 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,720 his mission. And one of the things that Jesus 104 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:58,120 says of his own reason for entering into the world was to 105 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:05,000 come with fire. This dispels A cultural handling 106 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:09,800 of Jesus that keeps him at an arm's length as a a therapist or 107 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:14,320 a moralist or some guide to your life that you get to do whatever 108 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:18,360 you whatever you want with. This presents us with a Jesus 109 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:24,640 that is coming to do things in our world and in your life that 110 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:29,120 are hard, that are difficult, that are in fact, seemingly 111 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:32,880 confusing. So we'll take it one at a time, 112 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:37,720 beginning with what does he mean when he says I came to bring 113 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:40,360 fire? Well, let me just point out that 114 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:46,160 he does not say this bashfully. He doesn't say, you know, I, I, 115 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:48,480 I feel so bad that I have to tell you this, but one of the 116 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:50,720 reasons I came is to bring fire and I don't even want to talk 117 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:52,320 about it. It's, it's something I didn't, 118 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,320 I, I wish I didn't have to do. He actually says I came to bring 119 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:56,920 fire and I wish it was already kindled. 120 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:02,440 He's got a vision for what he came to do and he can't wait to 121 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:06,120 get to it. This is not something that he 122 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:09,520 feels ashamed as part of his message. 123 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:18,640 So what is he talking about? Well, let us understand the full 124 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:23,680 picture of the gospel, which is incredible news in light of 125 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:27,280 alarming news. If you ever hear a gospel that 126 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:30,600 is just presented as come as you are, stay as you are, Jesus 127 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,799 loves you the way that you are. He just wants you to know that 128 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:35,679 you're cared for. Move on with your life. 129 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,200 You have not found a reason to give Him your life. 130 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,840 Here's how one commentary helps us understand the imagery of 131 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:46,640 fire that Jesus is talking about. 132 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:50,640 When Jesus says he longs for the fire to be kindled, he is 133 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:54,640 invoking the long standing biblical image of God's 134 00:08:54,640 --> 00:09:01,040 purifying and judging fire. He's speaking in the language of 135 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:05,760 the Old Testament prophets. This is judgment and 136 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,160 purification that Jesus came to bring. 137 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,120 The commentary says that he's speaking a language that we 138 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:15,240 would find in reading the Old Testament the the Old Testament 139 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,600 that many people who admire Jesus want to divorce themselves 140 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,280 from. And yet Jesus is referencing the 141 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,760 prophets of old. Let me share with you some of 142 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,400 the prophecies that help us understand this imagery. 143 00:09:27,560 --> 00:09:32,400 Nahum chapter one, verse 6. Who can stand before his 144 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:35,640 indignation? Meaning the Lord Yahweh, His 145 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:37,760 anger. And who can endure the 146 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:41,400 fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like 147 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:45,240 fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. 148 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:51,200 His his anger towards sin. Who could endure and to 149 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,280 understand it, the the prophet says it's it's like fire. 150 00:09:55,840 --> 00:10:02,040 Malachi Chapter 4 For behold, the day is coming, burning like 151 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:07,280 an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be 152 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:09,960 stubble. And the day which is coming 153 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:14,320 shall be shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts that will 154 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:17,800 leave them neither root nor branch. 155 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:24,680 Jesus is coming to bring the judgment of God's purifying 156 00:10:24,680 --> 00:10:28,240 fire. And all who are proud will burn 157 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,640 up like stubble, leaving neither root nor branch. 158 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,640 I've I've lived in Idaho long enough to to rightfully wear the 159 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:40,560 T-shirt that says I remember when that was a field. 160 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,160 You've seen those T-shirts. You, probably some of you 161 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:44,600 remember when all this was a field. 162 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,680 I remember when much of the land I grew up in, out in Eagle was 163 00:10:49,680 --> 00:10:53,400 fields. And those fields were connected 164 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,240 from the river to canals to ditches. 165 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:02,160 And I have memory of my father clearing the field of all of the 166 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:06,280 the the weeds and the growth and the branches and the stubble 167 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:08,560 that would prevent the water from flowing. 168 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:15,880 He would go out with the torch and he would burn it ablaze and 169 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:19,960 he would set anything that was going to prevent the flow of the 170 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:26,280 water that brings life ablaze. This is imagery that these 171 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:28,880 people would understand about what the prophets are trying to 172 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:32,960 say about the judgement of God. There is this earth has been 173 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:37,160 grown up with the weeds of unrighteousness, the thorns of 174 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:41,360 sin and the prophets say there's coming a day when God's anger 175 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:46,480 against sin will be judged like a person clearing the field with 176 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:53,640 fire. Yes, God hates evil and you were 177 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,600 made in the image of God, which help which helps you understand 178 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:02,680 why you hate evil. This is a, a message that needs 179 00:12:02,680 --> 00:12:08,800 to be in some ways unpacked against our reluctance for the 180 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,200 word judgement. I mean, how many of you have 181 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,280 seen a car with the, the, the, the sticker on the back window 182 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:18,160 that says God Bless America? You just say, yes, Lord, just 183 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:20,640 bless our country. And yet when you see the one 184 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:22,960 that says God judge America, you're like, there goes a wacko. 185 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:26,080 What's this guy? A religious fanatic wanting God 186 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,120 to judge our country. If God has the power to bless a 187 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:36,880 nation for his glory, then the same just and holy God has the 188 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:40,920 power to judge a nation for his glory. 189 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:45,480 And as much as your human heart longs for the blessing of God, 190 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,600 in your human heart you long for the judgment of God. 191 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:56,000 Every person in the sanctuary or out is made as a reflection of 192 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,080 the just and holy God that hates evil. 193 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:02,520 And This is why you don't have to come to church to hear people 194 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:06,080 look out and give judgments against evil. 195 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:10,400 One of the things our culture is reflecting the nature of God is 196 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:14,080 that we hate evil. That when you hear the news 197 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:18,520 report of sex trafficking and child abuse, when you hear that 198 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:26,360 someone has taken life in as murder, your image of God comes 199 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:31,840 out and you say I hate that. And what you want more than 200 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,880 anything, the way that justice is going to be satisfied. 201 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:39,000 The only way we can make sense of the evil of our world is to 202 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:44,040 say it must be punished. There are so many examples of 203 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:48,400 this and I'm sure you have all probably heard some report of 204 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,560 some heinous crime, some murder that was committed and left 205 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:57,800 survivors of the victim. And without fail, it gives a 206 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:01,160 great opportunity for the, the 2 coins of the gospel because 207 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,080 without fail, you'll hear stories of the survivors of 208 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:09,640 victims saying, I can finally be at peace and exhale because 209 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:12,840 justice has been served. It's it, it brings healing to 210 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:15,880 the tragedy. And you'll also get a preview of 211 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:18,880 the gospel when the victims, survivors say, and I want to 212 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:24,320 offer forgiveness. We are people that cannot escape 213 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:28,800 the reality that evil must be punished. 214 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,760 And one of the reasons that Jesus came into the world, we 215 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:39,080 celebrate it at Christmas, is to save people from sin. 216 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:44,720 There will be no salvation from sin until sin is judged. 217 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,160 And the reason that we so often hear the message of God's 218 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:53,080 judgement and want to find some way to just an image of God or a 219 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,720 messenger of God that only gives us love and peace is because 220 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:59,280 deep down we all know that we've fallen short of the glory of 221 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:00,920 God. And if we really believe in 222 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:03,200 judgement, we put ourselves under the judgement. 223 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:09,400 Jesus says I came to bring the fire of judgement and I wish it 224 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:15,040 was already kindled. To understand why Jesus matters, 225 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:19,480 you have to understand the mission that Jesus was on to 226 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,160 purify the world from unrighteousness and sin. 227 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:29,640 And this is now where the story turns into good news. 228 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,440 Because Jesus says I came to bring this fire and I wish it 229 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,160 was kindled. And then he immediately says, 230 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:41,960 unlike the prophets of old, verse 50, I have a baptism to be 231 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:47,720 baptized with and how distressed I am till it is accomplished. 232 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:55,120 Jesus comes to bring fire and Jesus comes to pay the price of 233 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,640 judgment. When Jesus says I have a 234 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:03,760 baptized to be baptized with, of course he is not talking about 235 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,720 the beginning of his earthly ministry where he went into the 236 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:08,840 Jordan River to be water baptized. 237 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:14,560 He's talking about the baptism of his death and his suffering 238 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:17,920 on the cross. We know this because as he's 239 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:21,400 approaching the cross, he gets closer and closer and disciples 240 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:25,120 have this misunderstanding of the mission that Jesus was on. 241 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,360 Two of his disciples said to him, Lord, when the Kingdom 242 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,560 comes, when you've ushered in your mission, let us sit one to 243 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:37,480 your right and one to your left. And Jesus answered and said to 244 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:39,360 them, you do not know what you ask. 245 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:43,600 Are you able to drink the cup that I'm about to drink and be 246 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:46,840 baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 247 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:51,400 He was moments from the cross. They didn't understand the 248 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:54,160 mission and they didn't know what they were after because of 249 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:57,080 it. And yet so often cultural 250 00:16:57,080 --> 00:16:59,360 Christianity. Why did Jesus come into the 251 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:01,920 world to set me up on his right and his left? 252 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,400 Jesus comes into the world so that I can finally understand 253 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:11,079 the good life and I can get the the whatever time I have left on 254 00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:13,160 earth will just be prosperity and bless. 255 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,800 God bless me. You don't know what you ask. 256 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:24,920 Jesus says that he came into this world for the cross. 257 00:17:25,599 --> 00:17:29,480 John, the Gospel of John, he says, my, my soul is now 258 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:33,080 troubled, and what shall I say, Father, save me from this hour? 259 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:37,520 But for this purpose I came to this hour, I came for the cross. 260 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,200 John the Baptist, the one who would prepare the way for 261 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:47,320 Christ, understood the mission. As he saw Jesus approaching, he 262 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:53,480 said, Behold the Lamb of God sent into the world to take away 263 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:55,960 our sin. This is a picture of the 264 00:17:55,960 --> 00:18:01,240 Passover lamb whose blood was shed so that the people could 265 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:04,680 find shelter from the wrath of God. 266 00:18:06,360 --> 00:18:09,600 Jesus says, and now I am so distressed until it is 267 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:13,400 accomplished. Jesus knew that his mission was 268 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:18,400 not to get a crowd. His mission was not to receive 269 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,920 praise from people and to set up a cabinet of earthly politics. 270 00:18:23,120 --> 00:18:26,240 He said, I'm a distressed until it's accomplished. 271 00:18:27,280 --> 00:18:31,400 Hebrew says for the joy set before him, he endured the 272 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:36,280 cross. Of course, we have the Garden of 273 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:40,280 Gethsemane before he is ultimately crucified on the 274 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:43,880 cross. And he said, if there's any 275 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:46,360 other way, take this cup from me. 276 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:52,280 This is all pointing to the cross and how distressed he was 277 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,560 until it was accomplished. But the good news that we stand 278 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:01,920 on today as we hear all of this, Jesus approaching the cross. 279 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:06,000 So we now exist on the other side of the cross because on the 280 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:11,400 cross it was accomplished. He said it's finished. 281 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:14,760 And that's why we live under the banner of His grace. 282 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:17,840 And the idea of God pouring out His wrath is something that we 283 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:26,040 can't even fathom because it was finished, says in Romans chapter 284 00:19:26,040 --> 00:19:28,720 5, God demonstrates His love towards us. 285 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,840 And while we were still sinners, Christ died. 286 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:37,200 And much more than having now been justified by His blood, we 287 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:44,200 shall be saved from His wrath. The anger and the fierceness of 288 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:49,040 His indignation towards our sin is dealt with on the cross of 289 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:53,480 Christ. And that is why on April 3rd of 290 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,240 this year we'll celebrate it again. 291 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:59,760 We are going to come in the Friday before Easter and we're 292 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:03,720 going to remember that our sin is paid in full and the wrath of 293 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:08,080 God is no longer over our heads and we are saved through His 294 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:09,440 blood. And what are we going to call 295 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:15,760 that service? Good Friday, He came to bring 296 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:21,360 fire, and he came to pay the price of the judgement of God. 297 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,720 And this is where the message now becomes personal. 298 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:33,160 Once you understand the cross, you can actually understand the 299 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:37,040 call. If you if you have a picture of 300 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,760 Jesus that is removed from the cross and removed from the 301 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:43,120 judgement of God, removed from suffering and death, then you 302 00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:47,480 cannot understand that the call of being a disciple that Jesus 303 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:53,600 is calling you to commit to. We actually go back to the 304 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,120 conversation that he was having on the road to his cross, the 305 00:20:56,120 --> 00:20:59,320 cross with his disciples when he says, are you able to drink the 306 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:00,760 cup? I'm about to drink and be 307 00:21:00,760 --> 00:21:03,440 baptized with the baptize I'm about to be baptized with. 308 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,400 What do they say? And they said to him, we're 309 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:12,880 able, we can do it. To which you would think Jesus 310 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:14,200 would say, no, you don't understand. 311 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:17,440 I'm going to go hang on a Roman cross for the sins of the world. 312 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,440 But what does he say? He says you will indeed drink my 313 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:27,800 cup and you will indeed be baptized with my baptism. 314 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:36,720 We cannot hear this message and thank, thank God that Jesus took 315 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:40,880 care of suffering and death so we would never have to follow in 316 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:44,440 his footsteps. He says I came to bring fire. 317 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:47,800 I came to be baptized by the cup of God's wrath. 318 00:21:48,120 --> 00:21:52,840 And then he says to everyone, now pick up your cross. 319 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:59,120 Now understand the life that you now live is to model a life that 320 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:03,800 trusts God through suffering and ultimately death for the reward 321 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:08,320 beyond this life. This is why Christianity so 322 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,560 often is failing our culture because it is presented as a 323 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:19,440 ticket to the modern day best life now and the seemingly the 324 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:22,800 entire church service is set up to meet everyone in their 325 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:28,560 desired outcome from the music to the sermons to the go forth 326 00:22:28,560 --> 00:22:31,000 and conquer. Modern day Christianity has 327 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,160 presented Jesus as someone who will give you what you want if 328 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:39,000 you have enough faith. But in reality, as we look at 329 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:43,400 the hard sayings of Jesus, Jesus will give you life eternal 330 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:54,120 forever and an earthly cross. As the Gospel of John is 331 00:22:55,000 --> 00:23:02,080 Speaking of the baptism of Christ, John the Baptist in Luke 332 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:05,800 chapter 3 says I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier 333 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:08,680 than I is coming whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to lose. 334 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:13,040 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 335 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:19,080 And this is where we must be people if we actually want to 336 00:23:19,120 --> 00:23:22,400 know why Jesus matters. We must receive the mission that 337 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:25,640 he puts us on. And it is twofold according to 338 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:28,080 John the Baptist. According to Jesus himself, it 339 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:32,640 is Holy Spirit and it is fire. And this is the two extremes 340 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:34,240 that the the culture will take you in. 341 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:38,520 Isn't it beautiful that Jesus says you must be born again? 342 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:42,800 It's as easy as a child at an adoption agency getting adopted 343 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,760 by the Father. There's nothing you can do as an 344 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,760 orphan to get adopted other than present yourself in need, 345 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:53,440 receive the Holy Spirit just as you are, be adopted to born 346 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:59,640 again life, no work, all grace. And so we have one extreme of 347 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:01,440 that saying, come as you are, stay as you are. 348 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:05,800 God loves you unconditional, you're good, but it's baptism by 349 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:11,000 the Holy Spirit and fire because He gives you newness of life so 350 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:15,720 that He can purify your life so they can set you apart as 351 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,480 someone who is marked by Him. You become more and more and 352 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:24,040 more like Jesus by becoming less and less and less like the 353 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:28,840 world. This is a beautiful picture of 354 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:33,160 the refinement of gold. You are precious gold in the 355 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,320 sight of God, but you just imagine the journey that gold's 356 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:38,320 on. Gold goes on to become jewelry. 357 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,280 When gold is found in the mountain, it is taken just as it 358 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,600 is. You just take it, you just look 359 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:46,200 at it, you say that is worth anything I got to do to get it. 360 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,240 You take the gold and you take it to a jeweler and he sees and 361 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:53,800 he has a value on it and he's happy to get it from you just as 362 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:57,200 it is. But there's no jewelry that came 363 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:00,520 out of the earth that way. It has to be refined. 364 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:02,160 It has to have the dross removed. 365 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:08,560 It has to go through the refiner's fire, and this is your 366 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:13,320 life in Christ. You must understand the mission 367 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:17,120 of Christ is to give you life and to refine it. 368 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,240 This is what Peter was describing to those who believed 369 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,600 in his letter. He says you greatly rejoice, 370 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,560 though now for a little while, if need be, you have been 371 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:31,400 grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, 372 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:35,880 being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is 373 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:40,480 tested by fire, may be found to the praise and honor and glory 374 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:42,520 at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 375 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:46,720 Believer. If you are a believer in Jesus, 376 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:50,000 you are called to be a disciple, and if you're called to be a 377 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,200 disciple, you are called to view suffering in this world, Trials 378 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:58,080 of the faith, the difficulties that press us but never crush 379 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,960 us. As the refiners fire to purify 380 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:06,280 us like gold, may we not be confused at the various trials. 381 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:10,760 May we be people who receive the Spirit and the fire. 382 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:17,080 Whoever does not bear his cross and come after me can not be my 383 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:20,080 disciple. To understand the call, you have 384 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:24,080 to understand the cross. And when you understand the 385 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:28,200 call, what God is after in your world. 386 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,120 This is the fundamental question now for you, not why did Jesus 387 00:26:32,120 --> 00:26:33,760 come into the world 2000 years ago? 388 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:36,360 Why did Jesus come into your world right now? 389 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,200 It is to give you life and to refine you like gold. 390 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:47,160 And this is a process that Jesus is going to be very upfront 391 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,560 about. This is a process where nothing 392 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,000 is left off the table of His refinement. 393 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:58,760 And this is now how we understand the cost better know 394 00:26:58,760 --> 00:27:01,960 the cost of following Jesus. And here's one way that Jesus 395 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:05,000 will understand or help us understand the cross in verse 396 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:06,800 51. Now do you suppose that I came 397 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:11,320 to give peace on earth? Well, we we kind of do suppose 398 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:13,880 that we just got done singing that he gave peace on earth, 399 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:18,200 peace on earth and mercy mild. But what's the next lyric? 400 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:24,800 God and Sinner reconciled. Jesus has given you peace with 401 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,480 your Maker. Jesus has given you peace 402 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,080 against the anger of God against your sin. 403 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:34,200 But that peace will come at a cost to all of the attachments 404 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:38,360 you have to this world. And namely, he tells you all of 405 00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:42,360 the relationships. He says, I tell you not at all, 406 00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:46,080 but rather division. For from now on five in one 407 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,000 house will be divided 3 against two. 408 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:52,160 And he goes on to go right down to the relationships. 409 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:57,320 That would be the first we'd cling to if we had a choice, if 410 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:00,120 we could just offer Jesus every part of our life. 411 00:28:00,120 --> 00:28:01,480 But Lord, just let me keep my family. 412 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:06,680 I love my family. Lord, you can have, you can have 413 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:10,560 most of my life, but there are some people that matter so much 414 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:12,880 to me, I'm not sure I could give them up for your namesake. 415 00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:20,480 And Jesus says I came that you would follow me at the cost of 416 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:27,000 everything. In Matthew's Gospel, he says in 417 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:31,000 the same teaching, he says I came to bring a sword. 418 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:37,840 He came to cut all of the parts of our life and the 419 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:42,520 relationships that our life at the root that are not solely 420 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:46,880 devoted to him. And I know this sounds harsh. 421 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:51,080 This is why we're studying it, because this does not jump off 422 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:57,320 the page to make a Christian magnet, but it's obviously true. 423 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:02,080 This is true of anything you devote your life to. 424 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:07,200 As soon as you say yes in your devotion, you are saying no in 425 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:12,480 your devotion. And anyone who has truly gone 426 00:29:12,480 --> 00:29:18,800 through the fire of the salvation in the power of the 427 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,320 blood of Christ, you no doubt know this to be true. 428 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:27,920 There is not one story 1 testimony of salvation. 429 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:32,760 Does that that not have as part of it a relationship that 430 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:37,040 clearly was going to be deeply affected by your devotion to 431 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:41,080 Christ? I think of some of you who have 432 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:43,200 left the religion of your families. 433 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,480 I know that in this sanctuary right now, knowing the salvation 434 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:50,960 stories that exist in our sanctuary, there are people who 435 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:55,960 once grew up Muslim or Mormon or they were deeply devoted to a 436 00:29:55,960 --> 00:30:00,480 secular home and following Jesus meant that they were going to 437 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:03,640 have to break the religious tradition of their household at 438 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:08,120 a heartbreaking cost. And yet you knew this to be 439 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:11,520 true, that the, the, the, the salvation that Jesus was 440 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:14,360 offering you was worth any religious tradition that you had 441 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,480 to leave behind, even at the cost of a a father or a mother 442 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:21,880 or a brother or sister saying, I cannot believe that you decided 443 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:26,320 to follow Jesus. Some of you came to Jesus in the 444 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:30,200 midst of a messy worldly relationship and you had to have 445 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:32,720 that hard conversation. We are not going to have sex 446 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:36,120 anymore. I now want to live pure and I'm 447 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:39,800 saving myself for marriage. And that came at a strange and 448 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:41,640 abrupt cost to that relationship. 449 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,040 Some of you know from the way that you used to spend your 450 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:50,200 weekends partying that when Jesus got ahold of your life and 451 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:52,680 you wanted to go to church on Sunday morning and then you had 452 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:55,520 to go to bed early on Saturday night and your friends thought 453 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:57,720 you were crazy. What are you thinking? 454 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:06,320 Some of you had Christ come into your life and radically change 455 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:11,120 the way that you view the world. You now view the world with a 456 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:13,560 hope that seems odd to those who don't believe. 457 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:17,520 You now view life from womb to the tomb in ways that will put 458 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:19,800 you at odds with the cultural politics. 459 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:27,200 And you said, Jesus, I'm giving you my life and I'm trusting you 460 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:33,440 that there's nothing that I could lose that would be worth 461 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:40,560 holding on to if I lost you. He comes with a sword and it 462 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:43,000 goes right through your household. 463 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:47,160 And he comes to a sword that goes right through your own 464 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:51,960 heart. Later, as we journey through the 465 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:55,680 gospel of Luke, you'll see a young person who comes to Jesus 466 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:57,880 and says, what do I have to do to inherit eternal life? 467 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,840 And Jesus in a sense hands him a sword. 468 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:04,840 He says, I want you to separate yourself from your riches and 469 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:06,240 give them away. And I want you to separate 470 00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:08,200 yourself from your Kingdom and come follow me. 471 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:15,240 He was asking the man to cut off his life, to find newness of 472 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:20,920 life in Christ. And famously the man walked away 473 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:25,800 with much sorrow because he couldn't take the sword to the 474 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:30,400 things of this world. But it gives us a very important 475 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:37,200 follow up question. As the man walks away, our 476 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:41,760 favorite question asker, Peter stands up and says, Lord, we've 477 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:45,320 left all to follow you. And he said to them, I surely I 478 00:32:45,320 --> 00:32:48,640 say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or 479 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:52,400 brothers or wife or children for the sake of the Kingdom, who 480 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:56,160 shall not receive many times more in this present time and in 481 00:32:56,160 --> 00:33:01,160 the age to come. Once again, as you really 482 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:04,800 understand the love and the power and the teachings of 483 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:08,680 Jesus, none of these passages of Scripture should be something 484 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:11,680 that we try to get around. We should receive them with hope 485 00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:15,960 that in Jesus bringing fire, he brings salvation to our souls. 486 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:20,200 In Jesus bringing division, He brings the blessings of the life 487 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:23,640 that we now have in Christ. And he replaces anything you 488 00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:26,800 could ever lose for his name saying tenfold now and for 489 00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:31,480 eternity. This is the gospel, but to fully 490 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:33,520 embrace it you have to know the full message. 491 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,560 So to be clear, this is not a message to go out and wield the 492 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:41,720 sword of division on behalf of Jesus. 493 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:47,600 This is Jesus sword that he divides by taking you and 494 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:50,640 setting you apart. This is not a license for you to 495 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:55,680 be rude or disruptive. This is a message for you to be 496 00:33:55,680 --> 00:34:01,000 loving and to count the cost that to follow Jesus is greater 497 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:02,880 than anything that it will cost you. 498 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:06,960 And this is a message that should also define what you're 499 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:11,040 living for. Remember this, this message 500 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:15,280 matters because when you really understand what you're living 501 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:20,840 for, you can understand what discipleship is for. 502 00:34:21,679 --> 00:34:26,159 And it is not just a message that separates you from family 503 00:34:26,159 --> 00:34:29,480 members and old lifestyle. This is a message that separates 504 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:33,880 all of humanity. Jesus gives a preview of the end 505 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,480 in Matthew chapter 25. He says when the Son of Man 506 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,800 comes in his glory and all of his angels with him, then he 507 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:42,120 will sit on the throne of his glory, and the nations will be 508 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:45,480 gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another. 509 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:48,679 As a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats and the sheep on 510 00:34:48,679 --> 00:34:50,280 the right and the goats on the left. 511 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:55,560 Humanity is now divided in two classes, those who belong to the 512 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:57,800 sheepfold of Christ and those who do not. 513 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:05,920 I hope that for any of you who call Jesus your Lord and Savior, 514 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:09,720 you will continue to allow Him to refine your life and separate 515 00:35:09,720 --> 00:35:15,840 you as a sheep in His sheepfold. I hope that any of you who are 516 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:20,880 hearing this message and you have made Jesus the person you 517 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:25,560 want him to be, You've curated the message of Christ to make it 518 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:29,280 land perfectly in your life as it is, unchanged. 519 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:36,200 The question for you is, has Jesus truly, radically 520 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:39,800 transformed your world? Has he entered into your world? 521 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:44,680 Are you part of the future separation, Righteous and 522 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:47,680 unrighteous? You have to be with Jesus. 523 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:51,320 There are only two people, those who are with him and those who 524 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:53,120 are not. And if you're not with him, this 525 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:57,640 is a message of God's grace. Receive the cross. 526 00:35:58,760 --> 00:36:03,160 Stand under the banner of his perfect sacrifice. 527 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:08,960 Make peace with God. And if you are with Jesus, may 528 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:15,360 you view your time that you have not as a way to be blessed, but 529 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:20,280 as a way to be a blessing, as a way to bring people into the 530 00:36:20,280 --> 00:36:24,680 sheepfold of God. Thanks for joining us today. 531 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,720 If you would like to watch the full service, check out the link 532 00:36:27,720 --> 00:36:30,560 in the description. For next steps and to learn 533 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:32,800 more, visit calvaryboise.com.