1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,800 You're listening to the Bridgetown Church Podcast with 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,840 Pastor Casey Kendall, where our vision is Jesus, our mission is 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,760 people, and our cause is love. Thanks for tuning in. 4 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:12,640 Let's dive in. Hey, if you have a Bible, open 5 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,000 up to the Gospel of Mark, Mark chapter 1. 6 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,080 So thankful to be here. It's an absolute gift. 7 00:00:17,080 --> 00:00:20,440 I was back here in January. I'm so thankful for Pastor Casey 8 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,000 and Lisa. I don't know if you know this, 9 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:27,800 but their impact that they have had on so many people my age and 10 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,120 there's this whole generation of young pastors that are being 11 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,520 raised up right now and the impact that these two have made 12 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,400 on the group of us. I think all of my best friends 13 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,840 have been deeply impacted by your guys's ministry. 14 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:43,960 I mean, I was just with some of them at a camp last week. 15 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:47,160 And we're just talking about how thankful we are for you guys. 16 00:00:47,160 --> 00:00:49,720 So absolute blessing to be here, Mark. 17 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:51,520 Chapter 1 is where we're going to be. 18 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,400 And before we dive, I wanted to give you a little bit of an 19 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,680 update because back in January, I came and Pastor Casey's been 20 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:02,680 walking with me for as a mentor for the past few years. 21 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:05,760 As my transition out of Calvary Chapel Vista back onto the 22 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:06,800 Central. Coast of church. 23 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:10,200 Plant, He's been one of my cheerleaders, coaches, mentors, 24 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,560 just in the corner saying go for it, get it done, God's with you. 25 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:18,760 And when we came and visited in January, we were taking that 26 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:20,520 step of faith. But I don't even think we had a 27 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,120 home yet. I think we were. 28 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,960 We moved into a home. Like the next week we found a 29 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:29,440 home and moved into a home the following week after. 30 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,560 We were here. Back in January and God has just 31 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:35,240 richly provided someone raised up to pay our rent for six 32 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:37,520 months and so the last six months have been paid for. 33 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:39,120 I live 2 miles away from the beach. 34 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:41,600 It's amazing. I'm a surfer, we're planting in 35 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:45,000 a beach surfing community and I've got a slide here. 36 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,360 May 18th we started a Bible study, so I've got some pictures 37 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:50,880 to show you. Kind of hard to see, but right 38 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:52,720 there. This is the. 39 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:58,600 Ocean, I mean, come on, come on. So that was the launch of our 40 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,640 beach Bible study on May 18th. We we prayed in our home for 41 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,880 about 10 weeks with a small group of people. 42 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,360 We started that beach Bible study had nothing but food that 43 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,640 we provided for people that tent and I just started teaching 44 00:02:11,640 --> 00:02:15,160 through the book of Acts and we had about 30 adults and twenty 45 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,080 kids just show up on the beach. And if I had my way, I would 46 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:21,520 have not. Changed from that spot. 47 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,680 Because it was just amazing. But we we were serving dinner 48 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,320 and there was no public restrooms. 49 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,080 So by week 3 and some kids going in the bushes, we were like, all 50 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:32,840 right, we got to do something about this. 51 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:34,320 You know what I mean? So. 52 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,840 June 8th we moved. To a local park, still amazing 53 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:39,520 set up, but we wanted to do it right. 54 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,800 We, we rented the park from the city and the city got a little 55 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,960 bit weird with us about renting on a consecutive basis. 56 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:50,120 And that same week we called the school district to just kind of 57 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:55,440 put a no in that we wanted to move into a school possibly in 58 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,360 September 14th. And they just rolled out the red 59 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,600 carpet and said, why don't you come, Why don't you come and 60 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,360 just start on our lawn. So for the last, I think 61 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,800 probably around six weeks or since June 22nd, we've been here 62 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:08,400 at Shell Beach Elementary School. 63 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,840 You can kind of see in that picture, the beach is still just 64 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:17,520 a block, not even a block away. Our rent was 350 bucks for two 65 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:18,920 weeks. I mean, come on. 66 00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:20,960 It's insane. Just the Lord's provided. 67 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,640 And so it's kind of hard to see, but my wife's here with a bunch 68 00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:25,320 of kids. These are people standing and 69 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,040 reading the word. We've got some people doing 70 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,560 music now. We feed people for an hour. 71 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:31,160 The first hour. It's, it's a blessing. 72 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,320 I'm driving back today for, to be there with everyone because I 73 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,960 just love them so much. So thank you for your prayers. 74 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,080 Thank you for your support and really appreciate you guys. 75 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,000 Yeah, excited to see what God's going to do. 76 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:45,960 Since we're talking about stories, let's talk about the 77 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:47,920 story of Jesus from Mark chapter 1. 78 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:49,560 Mark chapter 1 is where we're going to be. 79 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,400 If you have a Bible, you can open there. 80 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,680 I'm going to begin in verse one. We're going to read the verse, 81 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:58,120 verse 11 verses together, pray and dive into it. 82 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,240 Does that sound good? Bridgestown, are you with me? 83 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,440 All right, Mark chapter 1, beginning in verse one. 84 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:08,920 This is God's word and it says the beginning of the Gospel of 85 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:13,440 Jesus Christ the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the 86 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,720 prophet. See, I am sending my messenger 87 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:18,640 ahead of you. He will prepare your way. 88 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:20,760 A voice of one crying out in the wilderness. 89 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,000 Prepare the way for the Lord. Make his paths straight. 90 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,000 John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a 91 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,720 baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 92 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:33,200 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were 93 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:35,560 going out to him. They were baptized by him, the 94 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:38,040 Jordan River confessing their sins. 95 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,680 John wore a camel hair garment with a leather belt around his 96 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,160 waist. In a locust and wild honey, he 97 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:49,800 proclaimed, One who is more powerful than I am is coming 98 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,560 after me. I'm not worthy to stoop down and 99 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,560 untie the shop of his sandals. I baptize you with water. 100 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,560 But he will baptize. You with the Holy Spirit. 101 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,160 In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was 102 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:06,760 baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the 103 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,840 water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit 104 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:13,200 descending on him like a dove, and a voice came from heaven. 105 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:18,240 You are my beloved Son. With you I'm well pleased. 106 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:22,640 Let's pray together. Lord Jesus, we take a moment to 107 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:27,840 pause and recognize that You are here among us. 108 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:32,320 For that You desire to be with Your people and we welcome you. 109 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:35,600 We ask that through the teaching of Your Word and the ministry of 110 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,200 Your Spirit that You would speak to us, that you'd make Your Word 111 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:43,640 come alive to us, That Your Word would be sharper than a living 112 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:45,840 double edged sword. That it would be living and 113 00:05:45,840 --> 00:05:48,840 active and powerful and be the discern of our thoughts. 114 00:05:48,840 --> 00:05:50,480 God, would Your words speak to us? 115 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,120 Would You encourage those that need encouragement? 116 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,800 Comfort those that need comfort. Lord, we desire to see you and 117 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,680 behold you. So would you be with us. 118 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:01,360 We ask you to be the sin of our attention. 119 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:06,400 In Jesus name your people said Amen, Amen, Amen. 120 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:13,680 Notice there in verse one in the beginning, the gospel of Jesus 121 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:18,040 Christ. First verse, Mark tells us that 122 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,160 he's telling us about the gospel, and then he goes on and 123 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,360 he tells this incredible story about the person of Jesus. 124 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,480 It's really interesting. According to Mark, the gospel is 125 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:32,400 not a statement, it's a story. Now I really love that we can 126 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:37,760 bring a summary of the gospel into a phrase like John 316. 127 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,920 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, 128 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,520 that whosoever believes in him would not perish but have 129 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:46,320 everlasting life. Like boom, there's the gospel in 130 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,280 a statement. I love the simplicity of the 131 00:06:49,280 --> 00:06:50,880 gospel. Being able to share that with a 132 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:53,040 Co worker or a neighbor or someone off the street or to 133 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,960 teach my kids and raise them up. The simplicity of a summary 134 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:00,480 statement like that. But Mark, as he sets out to 135 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,960 share the gospel, he's not just sharing a statement. 136 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:12,080 He goes and he shares a story, a story about a man named Jesus 137 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:17,240 who he claims is the son of God. And I find this interesting 138 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:19,520 because there's something really unique about stories. 139 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:21,960 Stories. Captivate our attention. 140 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:26,920 Stories draw us in. A good story will will bring us 141 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,880 into the story where we can hear and feel and see everything 142 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:32,400 that's going on. I'm going to give you an 143 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,400 example. I've got 3 little kids, 75 and 144 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:40,280 2, and over the course of this summer they have been baptized 145 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,160 in the Star Wars. Like Mega Trilogy now, because I 146 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:45,560 didn't even know there's nine of them. 147 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:47,200 It was amazing. I didn't know. 148 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:49,320 There's three more and then there's all Rogue and all this 149 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:51,720 stuff. They have just been eating it 150 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,120 up. It is all about Star Wars and 151 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,840 Legos and back home right now. But we've been so enamored in 152 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:00,200 the story of Star Wars that what do they do? 153 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:06,520 They go outside and you can see them like trying to use the 154 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:08,760 force on each other. They're picking up sticks and 155 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:10,280 they're using them as lightsabers. 156 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:15,640 Like there's something about a really well articulated, 157 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:20,680 compelling story that draws us in and it shapes the way that we 158 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:22,760 view and we think of the world. I mean, give you another 159 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,360 example. OK, not as fun as this one, but 160 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,400 when that whole there's this war going on and I ran while I was 161 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:33,480 watching all of the news things. I'm supposed to go on a long 162 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,720 trip in August and I got so pulled into this story. 163 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:38,760 I was looking at my wife. I'm like, I think we're going 164 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:40,520 into World War three. I can't go on the trip in 165 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:46,000 August. Like I was just so shaped by 166 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:50,520 this story that's being that I'm reading and consuming that it 167 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,080 was changing the way that I was viewing the world around me. 168 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,760 That's what stories do, though, and all the time we are being 169 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:57,800 shaped by. Stories. 170 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,840 The biggest story, I believe at least, is the story of our 171 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,520 cultural moment is a story that places you and I at the center 172 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,840 of the story. There's this cultural narrative 173 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,760 that people refer to as we are the center of the story. 174 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,840 And the story is that we need to optimize our entire existence, 175 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:19,120 optimize our health, optimize our body, optimize our career, 176 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,040 optimize everything about us. And this is the way in which 177 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:26,720 we're supposed to live. It's a story really, where 178 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:28,400 we're. Placed at the center of it, 179 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:33,240 there's stories from watching movies to cinema to to the news 180 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,920 feed, whatever we're consuming, there's these different 181 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:39,880 narratives that are shaping the way that we view ourselves in 182 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:42,080 the way that we view the way that we interact in the world 183 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:44,480 around us. So what does Mark do? 184 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:50,080 Mark tells us a better story. It's the story of Jesus. 185 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:52,720 It's the story that he refers to as the Gospel. 186 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:57,240 And he tells the gospel as a story to invite us into the 187 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:02,240 story that we, our imagination, might be captivated by the story 188 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:07,000 of Jesus, that the story of Jesus would be the story that 189 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,840 shapes the way that we view the world around us, that shapes the 190 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:13,320 way that we think it is a story also that we're invited. 191 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:17,640 Into. This is the gospel according to 192 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:21,520 Mark and who is at the center of this story, he says in the 193 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,680 beginning of the gospel? Jesus. 194 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:29,240 The Son of God. This story, the mega story, the 195 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,440 best story ever told, is a story about Jesus. 196 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:36,920 He is the center of the story and which all other stories. 197 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:38,680 Make sense as he's at the center. 198 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:43,880 This is a part of the gospel. So it's a story about Jesus, but 199 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:46,680 it's also a story about good news. 200 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,200 And So what we're going to look at today is, according to the 201 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:53,320 gospel of Mark, as he tells the story of the gospel, who is 202 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,880 Jesus and why did he come? Or you could say it this way, 203 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:01,720 what is the gospel? What did Jesus come to 204 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:02,880 accomplish? Are you with me? 205 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:06,240 We're going to dive into this story and my prayer is that as 206 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,880 we read the story of the gospel according to Mark, that our 207 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:13,720 minds would just be opened up to the amazement of who our God is. 208 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:19,600 So first, who is Jesus? Who is Jesus? 209 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:23,840 Mark tells us he's the Son of God. 210 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:25,920 It's the very first thing that he wants us to see. 211 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:28,280 And what's really interesting about the story of Mark and 212 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:30,520 we're going to. Kind of break this down 213 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:34,080 throughout our time is that the story of Mark is framed between 214 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:39,240 two incidences that answer the question, who is Jesus the son 215 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:41,760 of God between the baptism of Jesus and the. 216 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,200 Crucifixion of Jesus. Both of these instances, the 217 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,960 baptism happening in Mark chapter one, we don't get a 218 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,320 Bethlehem story. We don't get told about Mary and 219 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:52,280 Joseph. We don't get told about anything 220 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,400 about any of that. We are brought right into the 221 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:59,640 baptism story and then Mark into his gospel with the crucifixion 222 00:11:59,960 --> 00:12:03,080 in both the beginning, at the end, we see that there's a 223 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:06,160 tearing that happens. There's a confession that Jesus 224 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,640 is the Son of God and there's an activity of the Holy Spirit 225 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:12,000 that's going on. We're going to look at that as 226 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,560 we break this down, But who is Jesus? 227 00:12:14,560 --> 00:12:18,600 Mark wants to take us directly to the baptism to answer this 228 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,520 question. So let's read again in verses 9 229 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:24,720 through 11. It says in those days Jesus came 230 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:28,120 from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John and the Jordan, 231 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,560 and he came up out of the water immediately. 232 00:12:31,560 --> 00:12:35,920 He saw the heavens being torn. Everyone say torn being torn 233 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,520 open the spirit to sitting on him like a dove, and a voice 234 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:41,320 came from heaven. You are my beloved son. 235 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:44,560 With you I am well. Please. 236 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:46,480 In those. Days. 237 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,040 The days in which Jesus was baptized in those days, it's a 238 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:53,280 reference to the days of John the Baptist. 239 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:55,280 He's the first character that Mark introduced. 240 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,000 This is a story about Jesus, the son of God. 241 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,520 But in order to understand Jesus the son of God, he first wants 242 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:05,160 us to see his cousin. This interesting character named 243 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:09,680 John the Baptist like a scene at the beginning of the movie that 244 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:13,240 sets the context and foreshadows the end of the movie. 245 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:15,800 You know that like those scenes where you're watching a movie, 246 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:19,840 in the very first scene, as the the screen opens in the first 247 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,360 scene, it gives you a picture of what's going to happen at the 248 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:24,440 end of the scene. That's what we're seeing here 249 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,000 with this scene with John the Baptist. 250 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,040 Mark is instantly foreshadowing us what's happening. 251 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,360 And according to Mark, John the Baptist is the one prophesied 252 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:38,280 about in Malachi chapter 3 and Isaiah chapter 40. 253 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:43,000 Notice there in verse 2, he says as it's written in Isaiah the 254 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,000 prophet, see, I'm sending my messenger ahead of you. 255 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:50,280 He'll prepare your way, a voice of one crying out in the 256 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:53,720 wilderness. He wants us to see John the 257 00:13:53,720 --> 00:13:57,960 Baptist as a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, the 258 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:02,800 forerunner to the Messiah. This is like Mark acting like a 259 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:05,880 narrator, narrator outside the story itself. 260 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:08,960 And then he's plunging us into the scene and he gives us a 261 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,440 description of this character of John the Baptist. 262 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:17,520 And what's really interesting is that the gospel writers rarely 263 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:19,680 give us descriptions of characters. 264 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:23,960 They rarely give us descriptions of characters. 265 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:25,680 We don't really have a description of what. 266 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:31,120 Jesus looked like, or Matthew the tax collector, or Saul. 267 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:36,760 We don't have a lot of descriptions of characters, but 268 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:41,000 he, as he's answering this question, who is Jesus? 269 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:42,960 He wants us to see John the Baptist. 270 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:48,080 And then he gives a very unique description because this is what 271 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,000 stories do. Stories invite us in to see 272 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,200 what's going on. And he tells us that John the 273 00:14:54,200 --> 00:15:00,240 Baptist is the one who wears camel hair, a leather belt, and 274 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:05,880 eats locusts in wild honey. The image of John is so 275 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:09,800 descriptive. I mean, you can almost smell 276 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:15,400 this guy, right? Like, locust wild honey doesn't 277 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,160 sound like he's had a bath in a while. 278 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:21,880 Like, this guy is an absolute character. 279 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,520 But what's really interesting is that the description in which 280 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:30,000 Mark gives of John the Baptist is almost identical to the 281 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:34,600 prophet Elijah's description and 2nd Kings chapter one verse 8. 282 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:39,640 There we're told that Elijah wore quote a garment of hair 283 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:41,920 with a leather belt around his waist. 284 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:45,960 I mean it's almost verbatim. So what Mark wants us to do is 285 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,960 as we are entering into the scene asking the question who is 286 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:50,760 Jesus and what is Jesus all about? 287 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:54,840 He wants us 1st to see John the Baptist, but he wants us to see 288 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:58,560 John the Baptist as a fulfillment of this prophet 289 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:00,960 named Elijah. I mean, this is remarkable. 290 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:04,120 When Mark shows us John, he wants us to see the prophet 291 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:08,600 Elijah because the prophet Elijah, or one like him is 292 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,960 supposed to be the. Forerunner to the Messiah, the 293 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:17,320 Son of God. Malachi chapter 4 verse 5 we 294 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:21,280 read this. Behold, I will send you Elijah 295 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:25,960 the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 296 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:31,480 So who's Jesus? Well, Mark is trying to enter 297 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:33,400 into a story that's already being told. 298 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:35,800 There's a story that's already being told in the Jewish 299 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,840 scriptures in which the Jewish people of that time were very 300 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,200 familiar with that story. And the story of that time was 301 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:46,320 the story where everything was pointed to this Messiah figure 302 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,600 that would come. They believed this messianic 303 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,880 figure would be sent by God and they were awaiting his coming. 304 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:55,200 And according to their story and according to their scriptures, 305 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,000 there would be one who would be a forerunner, that when you see 306 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,160 a prophet like Elijah, you'll know that the Messiah has come. 307 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,079 And so Mark is saying, look your story. 308 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:07,440 He's entering into their story to show that Elijah character. 309 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:09,319 You've been looking for the forerunner. 310 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:12,920 Well, John the Baptist, the same description of Elijah is him, 311 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:14,520 the great and awesome day of the Lord. 312 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:18,640 Hey, it's here, it's coming, it's upon us, it's happening. 313 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:24,359 This is what Mark is telling us is he's beginning the story of 314 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,800 Jesus, that this anticipation in which all of them were waiting 315 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:30,480 for this great and awesome day of the Lord in which the Messiah 316 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:32,560 would come. It's happening right now and the 317 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:35,720 proof of. It is this smelly garment haired 318 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:43,640 dude John, it's going down. And this is exciting because the 319 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,000 day of the Lord, at least in the story in which. 320 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:51,680 They believed the day of the Lord was a day of judgement for 321 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:54,760 the wicked and vindication for the righteous. 322 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,200 I mean, pause and enter into the Jewish story for a moment. 323 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:05,560 They've had all these promises from God for centuries of an 324 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:11,640 eternal Kingdom, of a Messiah that would come, of freedom, of 325 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:15,360 liberation. And then all of their history is 326 00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:20,720 them going into exile and slavery and being oppressed by 327 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,240 other groups. And so they're. 328 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:29,440 Craving the sense of justice, they are craving the awesome day 329 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:34,760 of the Lord in which the wicked will be judged and the righteous 330 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:39,600 will be vindicated. Their hope is in this great and 331 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:43,560 awesome day. This is the story in which they 332 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:45,600 everything that they were viewing in life. 333 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:51,680 Was centered around the. Story and within this story a 334 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,920 tearing also happens. Mark as he's telling the story 335 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:58,200 of Jesus, he wants us to see John the Baptist as Elijah and 336 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:02,080 then he tells the story of how Jesus enters into these waters 337 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:06,040 to be baptized and at his baptism the heavens are torn 338 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:09,480 open and he sees the spirit like a dove coming and descending 339 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:13,160 upon the person of Jesus. And the heavens being torn open 340 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,840 was also a fulfillment of prophecy. 341 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:17,880 The way in which he's telling the story. 342 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:20,960 It's a way in which no other gospels use this language. 343 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:24,640 No other gospel writers use the language of the heavens being 344 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:27,160 torn. But Mark is using this language 345 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,520 because it had to do with the great and awesome day of the 346 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:31,520 Lord in which Elijah was the forerunner of. 347 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:35,200 Are you following with me in Isaiah chapter 64? 348 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,200 This one will be on the screen behind me says oh, that you 349 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,520 would rend the heavens and come down. 350 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:44,440 That the mountains might quake at your presence, as when fire 351 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,440 Kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil. 352 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:50,760 To make your name known to your adversaries, and that the 353 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,240 nations might tremble at your presence. 354 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,720 When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came 355 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:00,680 down the mountains, quaked at your presence. 356 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:05,720 The heavens are being torn open. The language of being torn is a 357 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:10,640 violent ripping and tearing, like the fabric of heaven being 358 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:14,560 torn beyond repair. That's the idea. 359 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:20,320 It is a great and awesome day. The mountains are trembling. 360 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:24,480 The nations are in fear. This is an intense moment, and 361 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:27,760 it's marked by the Presence of God himself. 362 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,840 Notice that the mountains might quake at your presence. 363 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:33,040 The nations might tremble at your presence. 364 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,400 The mountains quaked at your presence when this tearing goes 365 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,480 down. It means that the presence of 366 00:20:40,480 --> 00:20:45,320 God is among us. So Mark is telling the story of 367 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:48,760 Jesus. When you see John, I want you to 368 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,880 see Elijah. And as Jesus enters into these 369 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:57,320 waters here at his baptism, and the heavens are being torn, it 370 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:00,120 is a fulfillment. Declaring that this great and 371 00:21:00,120 --> 00:21:04,920 awesome day is among us in the very presence of God is here. 372 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:09,680 One Bible scholar says this. The rendering of the heavens at 373 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:14,160 Jesus baptism is not a random miracle, but the explicit 374 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:19,760 fulfillment of Isaiah's cry. This moment marks the beginning 375 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:28,600 of the new Exodus, the great divine act of deliverance, and 376 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:32,920 he really summarizes that language to capture the Jewish 377 00:21:32,920 --> 00:21:38,840 story being told. They were awaiting a great act 378 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:43,440 of deliverance because their people were under the bondage 379 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:47,040 and under the rulership of a different Kingdom called the 380 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:51,760 Kingdom of the Roman Empire. And they were expecting that 381 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,600 when this tearing would happen and the presence of God was 382 00:21:54,600 --> 00:21:58,280 among them and the Messiah had come as the Son of God, that 383 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:01,840 they would be delivered from a great exodus in which they would 384 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,800 be delivered from the hands of their enemy, and that the 385 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:08,880 Messiah would come and rule and establish an eternal Kingdom 386 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:12,200 ruling with justice, peace, and righteousness. 387 00:22:12,360 --> 00:22:17,760 This was their expectation. In many ways it's our 388 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:20,680 expectation too, right? We believe that. 389 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:23,360 Jesus is coming again. We look at the world around us. 390 00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:26,240 We'd click on the news or school, scrolling through feeds, 391 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:28,440 and we see, man, this world is chaotic. 392 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:32,240 There's this sense of anticipation for the just ruler, 393 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:35,320 the benevolent king, to come and make all things right. 394 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,240 This desire is there. In US, and it was there at that 395 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:44,840 time, the story that the Jewish people had adopted, inspired 396 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:48,920 slightly from the scriptures but misinterpreted, was that this 397 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:54,080 Messiah would come and instantly would take down all their 398 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,640 enemies who they interpreted as the Roman Empire. 399 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:02,040 So as Mark is beginning to tell the story of Jesus and who is 400 00:23:02,120 --> 00:23:05,640 Jesus, he's wanting them to see that he is the one of their 401 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:09,480 expectations, the one in which they were anticipating and 402 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,040 waiting for. This is him. 403 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:15,840 He is the Messiah. But a lot of. 404 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:21,160 Irony and tension develops right on the beginning of page one of 405 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:25,440 the story that this messianic figure that was going to come 406 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:30,840 and rule and bring justice and reign is being baptized in the 407 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:34,360 Jordan River. Why would the Messiah need to be 408 00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:39,880 baptized? He's Jesus, the guy from 409 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:45,040 Nazareth, the No name town. All of this. 410 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:49,600 Language. Helps to see this great 411 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:52,200 messianic figure. But then they look at Jesus and 412 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:53,640 they're like. Are you serious? 413 00:23:54,120 --> 00:23:58,960 Him. And it begins to even build 414 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:03,120 greater tension, tension when the voice of the Father echoes 415 00:24:03,120 --> 00:24:05,360 from heaven even before. Well, yeah, the voice of the 416 00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:07,280 Father echoing from heaven. He says this. 417 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:12,560 He says this is my beloved Son, who is Jesus According to the 418 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:16,880 mark, He's the Son of God. The Son language had to do with 419 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:18,360 that great and awesome day of the Lord. 420 00:24:18,360 --> 00:24:21,840 Notice Psalm 2, it'll be on the screen verse 7 through 9. 421 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:26,240 This was a key verse that formed their hopes and expectations. 422 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:29,600 Verse 7 says I will tell of the decree. 423 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:34,720 The Lord said to me, you are my son today I begotten you ask me, 424 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:37,520 and I'll make the nation's your heritage and the end to the 425 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,200 earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod 426 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:43,720 of iron and dash them in pieces like a Potter's vessel. 427 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:51,480 Gentle language or violent? I mean, this is an intense, 428 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:54,720 violent picture of the Son of God. 429 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:56,680 He's going to come and rule and reign. 430 00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,520 And all of the people are like, yes, this is what they're 431 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:04,280 waiting for. But this great ruler, this great 432 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:06,960 Savior is coming to be baptized in the Jordan. 433 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:10,360 He's from Nazareth. And then the voice of the Father 434 00:25:10,360 --> 00:25:16,040 says, this is my beloved Son and whom I'm well pleased. 435 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,880 That right there is an interesting phrase because in 436 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:30,040 Isaiah, in Isaiah chapter 42, we read this, Behold my Servant, 437 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:37,360 whom I uphold, my chosen, and whom my soul delights, or who 438 00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:41,280 I'm well pleased. I have put my spirit upon him. 439 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,560 He'll bring forth justice to the nation's. 440 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,720 Notice this tension here. Who is Jesus is the big 441 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:52,640 question. Mark's telling the story in such 442 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:54,840 a way for them to see that he's the Son of God, he's the 443 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:59,760 Messiah, he's the ruler, he's the king that has come and is 444 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,400 establishing his Kingdom. The great and awesome day of the 445 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,800 Lord is. Among them I mean the 446 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:10,040 description and the language. Is clear, but then he quotes 447 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:17,600 Isaiah chapter 42 of a servant in whom the father delights in a 448 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:22,760 servant who the Spirit of God will come upon will this servant 449 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:26,160 of Isaiah chapter 42. They were well aware that this 450 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:31,360 this servant was a suffering servant who will read of in 451 00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:34,160 Isaiah chapter 53 of being a servant who will be. 452 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:41,520 Crushed and mocked and beaten and dies. 453 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:48,800 And this would have been the bomb drop at the beginning of 454 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:51,560 the. Story Well, who in the world is? 455 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:55,680 Jesus said. Is he the Savior that's going to 456 00:26:55,680 --> 00:27:00,000 rescue them or is he the servant that's going to suffer? 457 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,600 They had no framework for the servant to suffer. 458 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:10,520 They had no, they only saw this and were expecting this. 459 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,720 And when John is saying, Yep, Yep, that's the Messiah, and 460 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:16,640 look at him going to the Jordan River and he's the one who is 461 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:18,680 the servant in which the Father's delighted in. 462 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:27,280 It would have been like, what? How in the world does this all 463 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:32,120 work out? And the rest of the story? 464 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:35,640 Of the Gospel according to Mark is answering this question and 465 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:41,960 showing as we know, the King and the Savior is the servant. 466 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:45,200 They are one. But before we continue in this 467 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:52,600 story, we need to pause and recognize that in 2025, the 468 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:57,880 story in which we have been told is the story that's not too 469 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:01,480 different that the Jewish expectation had back then. 470 00:28:02,360 --> 00:28:06,040 The story in which we're being told in 2025 is that we can 471 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:11,160 follow Jesus on our own terms, that we can customize the Jesus 472 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,480 that we desire to follow. And we see this. 473 00:28:14,480 --> 00:28:18,120 So you go on your feed. My kind of joke is that you've 474 00:28:18,120 --> 00:28:21,520 got, at least in some of the feeds I see on Facebook for some 475 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:24,040 reason, it's Facebook, right? How many still have a Facebook? 476 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:25,800 So many people don't have Facebook anymore. 477 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:31,440 Facebook the story is you can you can follow machine gun Jesus 478 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:37,240 wrapped in American flag. You can follow Jesus in a 479 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:41,880 rainbow flag. You can follow hippie Jesus, you 480 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:44,280 can follow the chosen Jesus. I kind of like the chosen 481 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:46,480 honestly, but. You can follow any Jesus you 482 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:50,320 want. You can follow the Catholic 483 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,600 Jesus. You can follow the Jesus that 484 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:56,640 only has the crown of thorns. The temptation that we have in 485 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:00,760 2025 is the temptation to form the Jesus in which we want to 486 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:02,440 follow. That's really a projection of 487 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:08,520 our own values and desires. Doctor George Barna of the Barna 488 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:12,920 Group did a study in 2020. It's one of the most revealing. 489 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:21,280 Studies it showed that 64% of the evangelical church is 490 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:25,080 synchronous. Synchronous is a word that means 491 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:29,480 that we, I'm saying we as evangelicals who believe in the 492 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:35,400 authority of Scripture and the supremacy of Christ and the 493 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,480 fulfillment and accomplishment of the cross and resurrection. 494 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:44,040 64% of evangelicals are synchronous, meaning they blend 495 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,240 Christian worldviews with other worldviews. 496 00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:50,040 Say it another way. They blend the Christian story 497 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:53,600 with other stories. And when we do that, we're 498 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:59,360 actually not following the Jesus of the Bible because in that 499 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:03,960 world view and in that story, we are the one defining who Jesus 500 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:09,960 is, defining what Jesus is like. And this is what the story of 501 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:14,480 Mark shows us is that all of these people at that time had a 502 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:18,800 story in which they were convinced Jesus is like this. 503 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:22,680 And Jesus is demonstrating them who He really is. 504 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:26,520 The thing with Jesus, he is the King of kings, He is the Lord of 505 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:30,200 Lords, He is the Son of God. He is God in human flesh. 506 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:32,520 And we have no right to define who He is. 507 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:37,160 He defines and demonstrates who He is and He alone. 508 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:44,240 And if he is truly King, then we the only appropriate response is 509 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:50,920 to bow down and worship Him. See they had a very significant 510 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:58,240 in stone story and picture and desire of who they wanted the 511 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,200 king to be and what the Kingdom they wanted to live in. 512 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:05,320 And in 2025, our temptation is the same. 513 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:10,960 We have a pole to try to define Jesus as king, and then a pole 514 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:13,840 to define the ways of his Kingdom, meaning the ways in 515 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:17,080 which we live as followers of Jesus on this planet. 516 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:22,240 And the Gospel of Mark instantly puts this like explosion on that 517 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,200 reality. He. 518 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:27,160 He. Enters into this story, invites 519 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,680 us to enter into the story to show this tension of this Savior 520 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,480 King who's also the servant who's going to suffer, and 521 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:36,440 leaves us with this tension that Jesus is one who cannot be 522 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:40,280 defined by man and in which we cannot determine. 523 00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:45,080 What his Kingdom is going to look like, This is my beloved 524 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:48,280 Son in whom I am well pleased. At the beginning or at the 525 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:52,200 middle of the Gospel of Mark, you can also see you've got the 526 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:56,840 baptism of Jesus, the transfigure of Jesus, and the 527 00:31:56,840 --> 00:31:59,880 crucifixion of Jesus. And just for fun, that right 528 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:03,160 there is a framework for three parts in the book of Acts, or 529 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:07,240 it's sorry, the book of Mark and at the transfiguration of Jesus, 530 00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:11,280 all from Mark one to the transfiguration in Mark 9, is 531 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:15,520 showing Jesus fulfilling all these messianic things. 532 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,360 He's healing the sick. He's cleansing the leper. 533 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:23,000 He's doing miracles. He's teaching these ways of the 534 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:25,120 Kingdom. He's demonstrating the Kingdom 535 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,960 for them. But all throughout the entirety 536 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,880 of the Gospel of Mark, the disciples are still confused. 537 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:35,200 They're like, who is this Jesus? And they begin, starting in Mark 538 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:39,680 9, He begins to tell them that he's going to suffer and die. 539 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:44,200 In fact, in Mark 8, before he takes him up on the Mount of 540 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:48,040 Transfiguration, he asked the disciples, he says, who do they 541 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:52,400 say that I am? The most important question that 542 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,680 all of us have to answer, who is Jesus? 543 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:59,480 And the disciples say some say Elijah, same say Jeremiah, some 544 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:02,200 say John the Baptist. And then he says to Peter, But 545 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:06,080 Pete, who do you say that I am? He says you're the Son of God, 546 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:10,560 you're the Christ. His flesh and blood did not 547 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:13,080 reveal this to you, but the. Spirit of the living God. 548 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,440 And then he tells him he's going to suffer and die. 549 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:19,880 And Peter has the audacity to say, no way, Jesus, you're not 550 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:23,120 going to do that. Even when he thought he had the 551 00:33:23,120 --> 00:33:26,000 right articulation of who Jesus is and he was. 552 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:29,520 Saying the right things, his mind in the anticipation which 553 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:33,120 he expected Jesus to be the King, was different. 554 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:36,640 And so he takes. Him up a mountain. 555 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,600 The mountain Transfiguration, Peter, James and John. 556 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:43,360 And on that mountain Elijah shows up and Moses show up, all 557 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,080 of the law and the prophets, all of the Bible pointing to Jesus 558 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:52,320 and they're talking about his exodus, the exodus in which the 559 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:56,080 forerunner Elijah was supposed to talk about, but this exodus 560 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,120 that's coming us through his own death, they're talking about at 561 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:01,640 the mount of transfiguration. So it's a different type of 562 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:04,400 exodus. And then the voice from heaven 563 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:06,720 one more time. It happened at the baptism, then 564 00:34:06,720 --> 00:34:08,719 it happens at the mountain, Transfiguration. 565 00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:14,440 The voice of the Father says this is my beloved son. 566 00:34:14,639 --> 00:34:21,840 Listen to him pause and enter into the story one more time. 567 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:28,920 Question What story is shaping you? 568 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:33,239 Who and what are you listening to? 569 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:39,080 Because who and what we listen to shape the story that we live 570 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:40,679 in and the story that we live out. 571 00:34:44,159 --> 00:34:47,920 And so the Father says, listen to him. 572 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:52,520 And then things speed up pretty quickly into the crucifixion. 573 00:34:53,679 --> 00:34:58,520 Crucifixion is really where we get to see who Jesus is and what 574 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:03,360 he's come to accomplish. Let's continue in the Gospel 575 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:09,400 according to Mark this story. 1 Early church Father Iranian says 576 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:11,760 this quote. For in his baptism, the heavens 577 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:16,560 were open in order that man might no longer be shut out from 578 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:20,480 God, but that the Spirit of God might descend upon us through 579 00:35:20,720 --> 00:35:23,600 him. Notice this at the very 580 00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:25,840 beginning. There is this echo, there is 581 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:29,760 this introduction at the baptism that a tearing was going on, 582 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:34,320 that the heavens were being open, that we might be able to 583 00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:38,200 encounter and know Jesus, know God personally. 584 00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:41,880 But the story doesn't end at the baptism. 585 00:35:41,960 --> 00:35:44,720 It ends at the crucifixion. Let's read Mark chapter 15, 586 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:48,800 verses 37 through 39. Everything begins to be tied up 587 00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:54,520 Jesus after he's mocked. He's beaten, He's scourge, He's 588 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:57,720 whipped. In fact, the Isaiah suffering 589 00:35:57,720 --> 00:36:01,280 servant that we're left with in the baptism of Jesus at the 590 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:05,280 beginning and Mark chapter 1 as you open up Isaiah 53 and you 591 00:36:05,280 --> 00:36:09,160 won't open up Mark chapter 15 and you read them side by side, 592 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:15,680 the parallels are incredible. It is very clear at the end that 593 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:22,520 Jesus is the suffering servant. He's scourged, he's whipped, 594 00:36:22,760 --> 00:36:28,880 he's beaten, he's mocked a crown of thorns or plunge into his 595 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:32,200 head. I mean, the cat of nine tails in 596 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,240 which he was ripped, It's like that thing was so intense. 597 00:36:36,240 --> 00:36:40,480 There was a ripping in his body, like taking a bite out of an 598 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:45,480 apple, and the chunk of apple comes off as he's being whipped. 599 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:51,160 Chunks of his body are being ripped and torn out of his back. 600 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:56,880 And then a rugged heavy cross. Not the smooth one around 601 00:36:56,920 --> 00:37:00,680 Grandma's neck, but a rugged heavy. 602 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:06,440 Cross splinters against that rugged open back, ripped back, 603 00:37:07,240 --> 00:37:11,240 and he carries this cross to a mount called Calvary. 604 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:16,160 And there at the end of Mark Chapter 15, The Suffering 605 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:19,400 Servant. Utters a loud cry, and he 606 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:24,360 breathes his last. And the curtain of the temple 607 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:28,520 was torn, and two from top to bottom. 608 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:32,400 And when the centurion who stood facing him saw that in this way 609 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:37,520 he breathed his last, he said truly, this man was the Son of 610 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:40,520 God. Notice the parallels here. 611 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:44,640 Between Mark One and Mark Chapter 15, in both instances, 612 00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:47,800 the beginning, at the end of the at the end of the story, the 613 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:50,720 gospel according to Mark, there's a tearing that happens, 614 00:37:50,920 --> 00:37:52,920 there's a confession that happens, and there's the 615 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:54,600 activity of the Spirit that's happening. 616 00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:57,480 First, there's the tearing. Look at these side by side of. 617 00:37:57,680 --> 00:38:00,920 I've got this fun little graph thing for you in Mark chapter 618 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:03,400 one. We read immediately he saw the. 619 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:06,840 Heavens being torn open. The only time the gospel writers 620 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:11,080 use this now, on Mark 15, the curtain of the temple was torn 621 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:14,120 in two. Well, the temple was a place in 622 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:16,480 which the presence of God was supposed to dwell. 623 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:20,480 The temple and this veil that separated where everyone was, 624 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:24,480 some people were allowed to go in and then this temple was this 625 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:28,680 barrier that kept people from the presence of God in the Holy 626 00:38:28,680 --> 00:38:31,600 of Holies. And there there's a tearing that 627 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:33,400 happens. Just as the heavens were being 628 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:36,880 torn open, this temple there veil is being torn, and it's 629 00:38:36,880 --> 00:38:40,800 being torn from top to bottom, showing that through the death 630 00:38:40,800 --> 00:38:46,360 of Jesus the Father is opening up access into the very presence 631 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:52,840 of God. What is Jesus all about is 632 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:57,920 access into the presence of God Himself, that we might know Him, 633 00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:03,080 Not simply know about Him, but know him personally, intimately. 634 00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:06,920 This is what's happening at Jesus's crucifixion. 635 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:09,440 But the. Framing goes even further. 636 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:13,280 Then we read in Mark chapter 1 verses 9 through 11, there at 637 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:17,360 the baptism that the Spirit or pneuma descended on him like a 638 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:20,120 dove. So the tearing happens, the 639 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:22,760 Spirit comes upon Jesus like a dove. 640 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:27,200 But then in Mark chapter 15, we read that Jesus uttered a loud 641 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:31,160 cry and breathed his last. And this word here, it's hard to 642 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:36,600 see. It's ecnuo, the word for breath 643 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:41,360 in spirit is the same word pneuma nuo. 644 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:46,480 So the Spirit is coming upon Jesus in the baptism to empower 645 00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:53,080 him for ministry, to empower him and anoint him as king. 646 00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:57,400 But then at the crucifixion he is Eck. 647 00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:03,360 No, he's ex exhaling the Spirit out into the world. 648 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:08,560 This is a demonstration of what was happening about to happen 649 00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:10,880 through the resurrection in the birth of the church, in which 650 00:40:10,880 --> 00:40:16,360 the Spirit came upon the people of God to empower them to live 651 00:40:16,360 --> 00:40:18,680 the life in which God's called them to be. 652 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:22,600 Jesus is demonstrating on the cross and Mark is using specific 653 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:26,600 language to show us that it is only through the crucifixion of 654 00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:30,200 Jesus that we now have personal and intimate access to the 655 00:40:30,200 --> 00:40:32,760 presence of God and that the Spirit of God. 656 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:36,280 It's going from Jesus out into the world to empower and anoint. 657 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,480 US. For the life in which he's 658 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:40,200 called us to live. Yeah, it's cool. 659 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:46,320 It's good news. And then at both the baptism and 660 00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:51,080 crucifixion, there's this confession that Jesus is the Son 661 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:53,880 of God. At the baptism it is the Father 662 00:40:53,880 --> 00:41:00,440 saying this is my beloved son. At the crucifixion it is a Roman 663 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:07,400 centurion. Who has this confession and 664 00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:12,920 declaration? Truly, this man was the Son of 665 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:15,880 God. What does? 666 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:21,360 This mean it means for us. The Father always knew, 667 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:27,360 obviously, but we really know who Jesus is. 668 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:31,720 The greatest demonstration, I believe, for us to understand 669 00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:37,680 the identity and who Jesus is, what Jesus is like, is to look 670 00:41:37,680 --> 00:41:42,360 at the cross. The cross is the greatest act 671 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:48,280 and the greatest source of revelation to answer the 672 00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:53,080 question, who is Jesus? And that might sound a little 673 00:41:53,080 --> 00:41:56,040 bit abstracting up here, but bring it down into the our 674 00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:59,000 world. As we look at all these 675 00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:02,280 different versions of Jesus out in the world, as we are trying 676 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:05,600 to make sense of what it means to follow Jesus and ask 677 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:08,080 ourselves the question, what is Jesus like? 678 00:42:08,560 --> 00:42:11,920 It has. To be filtered through the cross 679 00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:18,480 the cross is the ultimate demonstration of who Jesus is 680 00:42:19,240 --> 00:42:21,720 because at the cross we see that the. 681 00:42:21,720 --> 00:42:28,080 King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is also a servant who is 682 00:42:28,080 --> 00:42:32,800 just washing the disciples feet a moment ago and who washes us 683 00:42:32,800 --> 00:42:38,200 by his blood, in which our sins are put away and we're cleansed 684 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:41,920 and redeemed and restored and then empowered by the Spirit to 685 00:42:41,920 --> 00:42:44,040 live the life in which God's called us to live. 686 00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:46,840 Who is Jesus? How do we make sense of this 687 00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:50,800 world living as a Christian in 2025 we look at the. 688 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:54,560 Cross. It is the greatest source of 689 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:57,920 direction, the greatest source of our salvation, obviously, but 690 00:42:57,920 --> 00:42:59,720 also the source of our transformation. 691 00:42:59,720 --> 00:43:03,120 What does it look like to be a Christian and follow after? 692 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:05,520 Jesus, he's a king who's in power. 693 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:10,320 But notice the story of power according to Jesus. 694 00:43:12,760 --> 00:43:16,680 See, power is something all stories have in common, going 695 00:43:16,680 --> 00:43:19,560 back to Star Wars, the light and the dark, the Force. 696 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:23,800 Going back to any story in which we're looking at the Jewish 697 00:43:23,800 --> 00:43:27,080 story was this great grand story of power in which the Messiah 698 00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:28,760 would come and crush their enemies. 699 00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:32,440 Jesus comes and he shows us a different story that's supposed 700 00:43:32,440 --> 00:43:37,240 to shape us. That true power is not being the 701 00:43:37,240 --> 00:43:41,120 Conqueror, but he's the one who's conquered. 702 00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:45,040 But his death is a seed for resurrection life. 703 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:49,920 He shows us that true power is not through pride and pomp and 704 00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:53,920 arrogance, but through humility and sacrifice and service. 705 00:43:54,720 --> 00:43:58,800 This is the power in the way of the Kingdom in which we're 706 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:01,840 invited to live as followers of Jesus. 707 00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:04,600 Who is Jesus? He is the servant King. 708 00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:09,200 The greatest act and greatest demonstration of who he is is 709 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:15,040 there upon the cross. So what did he do and how are we 710 00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:18,320 invited into the story? Because as we look at the story 711 00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:21,720 according the Gospel according to Mark, which is a story of 712 00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:25,400 Jesus, we see that the main character is Jesus himself. 713 00:44:25,720 --> 00:44:29,680 But we are also invited into that story that Jesus is the 714 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:32,960 servant King who suffered, died and rose again for us. 715 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:37,320 But who invites us into that story to live as participants in 716 00:44:37,320 --> 00:44:42,720 the story of the Kingdom? Not spectators, but participants 717 00:44:42,720 --> 00:44:46,880 in this story. And he shows us why did Jesus 718 00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:48,840 come? What did Jesus accomplish? 719 00:44:48,960 --> 00:44:51,840 What is the gospel? And good news for us today is 720 00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:55,200 that we've been by been invited into this Kingdom through the 721 00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:58,120 person of Jesus. The veil has been torn. 722 00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:00,680 We now have access in the presence of God. 723 00:45:01,160 --> 00:45:04,600 Hebrews chapter, I believe it's 11. 724 00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:06,960 Maybe it's not on there. Hebrews chapter something 725 00:45:07,200 --> 00:45:11,400 Hebrews 11, maybe 19 says this. So, dear brothers, now we may 726 00:45:11,400 --> 00:45:13,920 walk right into the very. Holy of Holies. 727 00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:16,360 Where God is because the blood of Jesus. 728 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:20,560 This is the fresh new life giving away that Christ has 729 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:26,680 opened up for us by tearing the curtain, his human body to let 730 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:28,360 us into the holy presence of God. 731 00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:31,240 So what is the gospel according to Mark? 732 00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:34,520 A tearing has happened, a tearing of the heavens that's 733 00:45:34,520 --> 00:45:37,800 opened up the way for us to know the power and presence of God, 734 00:45:38,080 --> 00:45:39,800 but a tearing of the temple veil. 735 00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:41,920 And then he, the author of Hebrew, says it's actually the 736 00:45:41,920 --> 00:45:46,480 tearing of the body of Jesus, that now we can enter into a 737 00:45:46,480 --> 00:45:49,680 throne of grace to find grace and mercy in our time of need. 738 00:45:50,400 --> 00:45:51,480 Are you in need? Today. 739 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:55,040 Are you in need? Is there something going on in 740 00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:57,400 your life relationally? Something going on in your life 741 00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:00,080 financially, Something going on in your life with health? 742 00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:03,080 Is there something going on in life for your future? 743 00:46:03,640 --> 00:46:07,240 The story of Jesus is a story in which we're invited into to see 744 00:46:07,240 --> 00:46:10,480 that he's the King of kings and the Lord of Lords who's ruling 745 00:46:10,480 --> 00:46:13,680 over everything. And we're invited into his 746 00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:16,600 throne to find mercy and grace and our time in need. 747 00:46:16,600 --> 00:46:18,360 And we enter in through his body. 748 00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:22,640 And which one's broken for? US as we take of that, that cup 749 00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:25,480 in a moment and that body that's been broken in the cup of his 750 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:30,280 blood and we receive together, we've invited into this Kingdom 751 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:34,920 and this life in which he's the King of kings and Lord of Lords, 752 00:46:34,920 --> 00:46:39,240 in which we can find mercy and grace in our time of need. 753 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:44,600 We've been invited to enter in. So we have a helper, we have a 754 00:46:44,600 --> 00:46:49,520 Redeemer, we have a king. But then there's that spirit 755 00:46:49,520 --> 00:46:53,640 dynamic that the same spirit that anointed Jesus had his 756 00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:59,040 baptism, Mark wants to very uniquely tell us has been 757 00:46:59,240 --> 00:47:02,120 ecnewed, has been exhaled out into the world. 758 00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:08,480 And that's how we're invited into the story is that in Acts 759 00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:11,960 chapter 2, the Spirit of God comes down and fills and 760 00:47:11,960 --> 00:47:16,560 empowers the church to be invited in as participants in 761 00:47:16,560 --> 00:47:24,640 the Kingdom, to follow him wherever he leads, to be 762 00:47:24,640 --> 00:47:27,800 empowered him, to be empowered by him, to live the life in 763 00:47:27,800 --> 00:47:30,400 which he's called us. To live. 764 00:47:30,440 --> 00:47:35,760 A life that's marked by humility, sacrifice, service. 765 00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:41,560 Also resurrection power that comes from the person and power 766 00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:47,600 of the Holy Spirit. Richard Balkham, Bible scholar, 767 00:47:47,600 --> 00:47:50,080 says this. The point is not the Spirit left 768 00:47:50,080 --> 00:47:55,240 Jesus, that the Spirit went forth from Jesus to continue his 769 00:47:55,240 --> 00:47:59,160 work beyond the balance of his physical presence throughout the 770 00:47:59,160 --> 00:48:02,120 world. Mark wants us to see the Spirit 771 00:48:02,120 --> 00:48:05,960 as God's divine presence that came upon Jesus at his baptism. 772 00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:10,200 But through Jesus's crucifixion, it's released into the world to 773 00:48:10,200 --> 00:48:14,120 come upon us as a Spirit empowered church. 774 00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:18,240 Another Bible scholar, Greg Beal, says the early church saw 775 00:48:18,280 --> 00:48:22,160 the rending of the temple veil as a signal that Christ's death 776 00:48:22,160 --> 00:48:26,120 had established his people as the true temple, the place where 777 00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:29,040 God's Spirit would dwell permanently. 778 00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:33,040 What does it mean to be a part of this Kingdom? 779 00:48:33,680 --> 00:48:36,120 It means that we're formed by the Spirit of God. 780 00:48:37,120 --> 00:48:42,560 The Spirit of God will form us. And His power, and the greatest 781 00:48:42,560 --> 00:48:46,840 demonstration and manifestation of the Spirits work among us. 782 00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:49,000 Is a love for God and love for one another. 783 00:48:49,680 --> 00:48:53,360 It's the Spirit producing character in Christ likeness in 784 00:48:53,360 --> 00:48:57,120 us that we might bear the fruit of love and kindness and peace 785 00:48:57,120 --> 00:48:59,240 and joy. Man, Bridgetown Church got that. 786 00:48:59,360 --> 00:49:03,560 The joy of the Lord, the gentleness and long-suffering. 787 00:49:03,560 --> 00:49:08,200 Are you in need of the Spirit today to overcome? 788 00:49:09,040 --> 00:49:12,520 The addictions, the struggles, the darkness that you're facing, 789 00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:15,960 are you in need of the Spirit today to form and shape you into 790 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:18,480 the person in which God has called you to be? 791 00:49:18,680 --> 00:49:24,480 We now have access to the Spirit and the presence of God through 792 00:49:24,720 --> 00:49:28,680 the person of Jesus. According to Mark, this is the 793 00:49:28,680 --> 00:49:32,280 gospel. It's the story of all stories. 794 00:49:32,760 --> 00:49:36,160 It's a story that we're invited into today through the person of 795 00:49:36,160 --> 00:49:39,520 Jesus. We hope you enjoyed this message 796 00:49:39,640 --> 00:49:42,720 and we'd love for you to join us in person every Sunday at 10:30 797 00:49:42,720 --> 00:49:44,320 AM. For more information and 798 00:49:44,320 --> 00:49:46,520 updates, visit wearebridgetown.com. 799 00:49:46,840 --> 00:49:48,840 Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next week.