1 00:00:00,100 --> 00:00:05,200 All right. How's everybody doing, well? 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,400 It's good to see you Crossing Church. 3 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:10,800 I hope you're doing well. It's exciting to be in the house 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,700 of the Lord, with the people of the Lord were celebrating two 5 00:00:14,700 --> 00:00:20,100 anniversaries today Mount Sterling, nine years thankful, 6 00:00:20,100 --> 00:00:24,800 father for that and Hannibal, 11 years. 7 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,700 So we're thankful for both of you all the impact that you do 8 00:00:28,700 --> 00:00:33,000 in the communities that you you serve and together as a body of 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:37,300 Believers, we get to serve 10,000 square miles of 10 00:00:37,300 --> 00:00:40,600 communities and it's just absolutely incredible. 11 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:45,100 It's incredible to be part of this church family. 12 00:00:45,100 --> 00:00:48,900 I'm so glad that you're here. We want to welcome your Insider 13 00:00:48,900 --> 00:00:53,300 online as well and that together we can be one body serving the 14 00:00:53,300 --> 00:00:56,400 lord and learning from the Lord together. 15 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:04,000 So on Thursday I Preach this message and it began with 16 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:10,300 talking about people being canceled and there was this look 17 00:01:10,300 --> 00:01:13,700 on people's faces and I don't know you. 18 00:01:13,700 --> 00:01:16,200 I don't know if you know what this feels like but I'm standing 19 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,500 up here and I'm saying stuff and people are kind of looking at 20 00:01:18,500 --> 00:01:22,800 me. And I'm like and I as I'm going 21 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,200 through this and I'm going to do, you know what it means to be 22 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,600 cancelled. And how many of you don't know 23 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:29,400 what that means? And there's a bunch of hands 24 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,600 that actually went up. So I want to explain it so that, 25 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:38,700 you know, you're with me on the front end so American culture, 26 00:01:38,700 --> 00:01:41,100 maybe culture in general World culture. 27 00:01:41,100 --> 00:01:43,700 If you do something that you shouldn't do or these the 28 00:01:43,700 --> 00:01:46,600 culture perceives that you shouldn't do or say something 29 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,500 that you shouldn't say that doesn't fit in with like 30 00:01:49,500 --> 00:01:53,400 whatever the culture. Saying the norm is then there is 31 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:58,100 like a, there's something that culture can do to you. 32 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:03,000 And that is cancel you, which is which means that that, you know, 33 00:02:03,100 --> 00:02:05,500 you'll lose your job, you'll lose your. 34 00:02:06,100 --> 00:02:10,500 Whatever means that you have to communicate with other people, 35 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,000 you may be eliminated from social media, you know? 36 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,800 And all of those things together would be defining what being 37 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:23,800 canceled is, okay. Okay, and it's happened a lot in 38 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,800 our culture and people do get cancelled for all sorts of 39 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,200 reasons. And right now, if you're 40 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:33,800 watching TV and you maybe into this, you may not be into this. 41 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:39,800 There's this big trial going on between Johnny Depp and Amber 42 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,700 Heard and it's a 50 million dollar defamation lawsuit. 43 00:02:44,700 --> 00:02:49,200 That Johnny Depp is bringing because allegations were made on 44 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,700 social media that he was. Abusive to his former wife, 45 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:59,100 Amber, and because of that, he lost opportunities to be able to 46 00:02:59,100 --> 00:03:03,400 star in major Motion Pictures and now all the stuff is coming 47 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,000 out and it's cray-cray, right? It's like whoa. 48 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,900 Like the the stories that if you're listening to any of that 49 00:03:09,900 --> 00:03:14,400 the stories that you're hearing is like wow and it all goes back 50 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:18,700 to Johnny Depp being cancelled but there's a lot of people 51 00:03:18,700 --> 00:03:24,400 famous people that have been old JK Rowling was the the author of 52 00:03:24,500 --> 00:03:28,300 all the Harry Potter and Potter novels was canceled because she 53 00:03:28,300 --> 00:03:31,200 made comments about trans culture, Ellen DeGeneres 54 00:03:31,500 --> 00:03:34,400 canceled because of a toxic work environment. 55 00:03:34,500 --> 00:03:38,300 Lots of people cancelled over sexual misconduct like Harvey. 56 00:03:38,300 --> 00:03:43,100 Weinstein are Kelly, Louis, c.k. Kevin Spacey Bill O'Reilly 57 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:47,500 Justin Timberlake, you go on and on and on people being canceled 58 00:03:47,500 --> 00:03:51,400 for that sexual misconduct even a former president was Canceled. 59 00:03:52,100 --> 00:03:58,400 So, and when you think about this cancel culture, some of 60 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,900 these, I think, for many of us are very understandable, but 61 00:04:01,900 --> 00:04:04,800 some of them, we might have different opinions even argue 62 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,700 about it because you'll have an opinion about whether or not 63 00:04:07,700 --> 00:04:11,600 someone should have been or should not have been canceled. 64 00:04:12,100 --> 00:04:17,300 Now, we live in a, in a, in a culture in an age where this is 65 00:04:17,300 --> 00:04:20,399 the reality and it kind of goes along with political 66 00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:22,900 correctness. Correctness and doxing you can 67 00:04:22,900 --> 00:04:26,500 look that if you don't that is gaslighting that to political 68 00:04:26,500 --> 00:04:31,400 and class polarization. And we might be want to be very 69 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:37,000 careful about what we say or what we post because we don't 70 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,300 want to upset the wrong people, right? 71 00:04:39,900 --> 00:04:43,300 And if we do upset the wrong people what might happen to us. 72 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,800 Yeah, you might get cancelled and nobody wants to be 73 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:50,700 cancelled, right? And with social media, it is 74 00:04:50,700 --> 00:04:55,000 pretty easy for people to say, all kinds of things about you. 75 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:57,400 That may or may not be true, right? 76 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:01,800 And then, if they do on social media, there really is very 77 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:05,800 little, if any recourse to defend oneself, it's just 78 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:10,600 something that you have to, you have to put up with I mean, 79 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:13,600 wouldn't we all agree that there's a lot of trolls on 80 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,900 social media? And you don't want to get into a 81 00:05:16,900 --> 00:05:21,900 fight with a troll, you don't want to get into a match with a 82 00:05:21,907 --> 00:05:25,900 skunk because you're going to end up, stinking, right? 83 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:28,400 And so, what do you do? How do you respond? 84 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:35,000 Even this church is not exempt from forms of canceling, or 85 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:40,100 doxing, or gaslighting. We endured incredible opposition 86 00:05:40,300 --> 00:05:44,400 last year. When a covid outbreak happened 87 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:49,600 at our camp, every major news Outlet carried stories about us. 88 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,600 Now, that was happening at camps all across the country, but we 89 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:57,700 were the ones that got all this coverage and it was hard. 90 00:05:57,700 --> 00:06:00,800 I mean, people, I mean saying all kinds of evil things. 91 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:05,400 I mean you can't even imagine some of the emails that we 92 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,900 received as a church because of that. 93 00:06:08,900 --> 00:06:15,900 But before I paint this Church as a victim in full disclosure. 94 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:19,700 I want you to know that there have been times in the past 95 00:06:19,700 --> 00:06:21,500 where this church is cancelled people. 96 00:06:22,700 --> 00:06:28,400 What Yeah, there's been times when we've had a sincere belief, 97 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,400 that there was a legitimate physical danger, that someone 98 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,100 would pose, if they came in, like, we've been threatened, or 99 00:06:35,100 --> 00:06:39,500 something like that or there were people that were seeking to 100 00:06:39,500 --> 00:06:41,600 divide us with false teaching or something. 101 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:45,000 And in the past, there have been times for the safety of our 102 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:46,800 congregation, we've actually canceled P. 103 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,800 We said you can't come to any of our locations, and I would say 104 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:54,100 that in the past 25 years, that's happened, less than 20 105 00:06:54,100 --> 00:06:56,500 times. Times, but it has happened. 106 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,700 All that to say, we are what we should be. 107 00:07:01,900 --> 00:07:07,000 Well, aware of this reality, this, this reality of cancelled 108 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,300 culture. So, with that in mind, today, I 109 00:07:10,308 --> 00:07:14,300 want to talk to you about the most famous person of all time 110 00:07:14,500 --> 00:07:19,100 that was canceled. And cancelled, literally in 111 00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:22,900 every way a person could be canceled and what that 112 00:07:22,900 --> 00:07:29,800 cancellation means to you. Jesus was canceled. 113 00:07:31,500 --> 00:07:36,300 You follow and I follow. The one person who was cancelled 114 00:07:36,300 --> 00:07:41,300 above all others in this series, that we're going through right 115 00:07:41,300 --> 00:07:46,000 now, it's called surrounded. And what we've been exploring is 116 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,200 the various groups or individuals that surrounded 117 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:53,600 Jesus in his ministry and like last week when Clayton was 118 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,800 preaching was talking about his disciples and you know I think 119 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,100 that's kind of a positive look, but I'm taking the opposite of 120 00:08:01,108 --> 00:08:04,800 that today and taking a look at the negative because This was 121 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:08,500 also surrounded with people who opposed him. 122 00:08:09,500 --> 00:08:15,200 He was surrounded by opposition. And I don't know if we ever let 123 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:22,400 it sink in just how saturated Jesus is environment was 124 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:27,400 constantly with opposition and I'd like to start by kind of 125 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:32,400 proving that to you, okay? So Jesus was opposed even before 126 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:36,000 he was born. I mean, how many of us can say 127 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,400 that that we were opposed before we were born? 128 00:08:39,700 --> 00:08:43,299 If you look back at the gospel narrative, what you'll find is 129 00:08:43,299 --> 00:08:48,000 that Joseph and Mary. Endured all of this opposition 130 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,000 from family, friends, and neighbors while she was 131 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,300 pregnant. Now, some of that may have been 132 00:08:54,300 --> 00:08:57,400 understandable at the time, because he or she is a girl of 133 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:01,100 fourteen or fifteen, she's betrothed to Joseph and then she 134 00:09:01,100 --> 00:09:03,800 turns up pregnant and she tells her family. 135 00:09:03,900 --> 00:09:08,800 It's by the Holy Spirit. Now, I'm sure that that would 136 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:10,800 have been a hard one for them to believe. 137 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:13,100 As a matter of fact, they didn't believe it. 138 00:09:13,500 --> 00:09:16,100 If you look at the inference of the rest of the Gospel 139 00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:19,500 narrative, you'll see that they actually didn't believe in it 140 00:09:19,500 --> 00:09:24,000 and I'll tell you why, because they went to Bethlehem in order 141 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,700 to register for the census in, Jesus was born there. 142 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,000 So she was in her. Third trimester was late term 143 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:35,600 when she had to make that trip. But it would that that census 144 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,100 was for everyone. Who was of the house and the 145 00:09:38,100 --> 00:09:43,300 lineage of David, the king, and both, she and her family, and 146 00:09:43,300 --> 00:09:45,700 Joseph. And his family were of that 147 00:09:45,700 --> 00:09:48,600 lineage. Which means their entire Clan, 148 00:09:49,300 --> 00:09:53,100 their entire family would have had to go from where they were 149 00:09:53,100 --> 00:09:56,200 living up in that area of Nazareth, all the way down to 150 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,200 Bethlehem to register for the census, which means they should 151 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:02,000 have traveled together. But when you read the gospel 152 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,500 narrative, you find that Mary and Joseph are alone. 153 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,400 And when they get down to Bethlehem, they can't find 154 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:13,600 lodging. Why are they alone? 155 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,100 Why wouldn't a girl of fourteen or fifteen? 156 00:10:16,100 --> 00:10:18,300 That's getting ready to deliver a child want to be with her 157 00:10:18,300 --> 00:10:21,400 family to help her in that delivery? 158 00:10:22,700 --> 00:10:25,800 The inference of God's word is that they had been completely 159 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:29,200 canceled. By their family. 160 00:10:29,700 --> 00:10:35,900 Jesus was opposed when he was still in utero opposed when he 161 00:10:35,900 --> 00:10:41,200 hadn't even been born yet. Jesus was opposed at his birth 162 00:10:41,500 --> 00:10:43,900 and as a baby how are you opposed? 163 00:10:43,900 --> 00:10:48,100 I mean all babies are just, you know, they're beautiful cute. 164 00:10:49,100 --> 00:10:51,500 Right, how could you be opposed as an infant? 165 00:10:52,500 --> 00:10:57,400 Well, you may recall that the wise men came soon after Jesus 166 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:02,400 was born and they went to Herod the king and they said, where is 167 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:03,100 he? Who is born? 168 00:11:03,100 --> 00:11:05,600 King of the Jews? Herod's thinking to himself? 169 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:07,500 What? The king of the Jews? 170 00:11:09,300 --> 00:11:11,700 And they start talking about prophecy and all sorts of 171 00:11:11,700 --> 00:11:13,100 things. And, of course, hair in the back 172 00:11:13,100 --> 00:11:17,800 of his mind is going, I don't want anyone usurping, the throne 173 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:23,300 from me. And so, Jesus is still an infant 174 00:11:24,300 --> 00:11:28,300 Harrison's out this decree to Bethlehem, every child under two 175 00:11:28,300 --> 00:11:33,700 years old is to be killed. So there's this massacre That 176 00:11:33,700 --> 00:11:37,600 happens in Bethlehem but Joseph's warned in a dream 177 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:42,100 before this happens and so Mary. And Joseph, and the little baby 178 00:11:42,100 --> 00:11:48,400 Jesus end up going to Africa to Egypt to hide. 179 00:11:49,300 --> 00:11:52,300 To survive. Jesus was opposed even as an 180 00:11:52,300 --> 00:11:57,000 infant, Jesus was opposed by his own people. 181 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:01,400 In Nazareth, when he reached the age of 30, it's a matter of 182 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,600 fact, it's recorded that in his first sermon. 183 00:12:04,900 --> 00:12:08,400 The outcome was not what you would really want an outcome to 184 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:12,100 be. If you were preaching to people, 185 00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:15,900 he laid it out in his first sermon this opposition and he 186 00:12:15,900 --> 00:12:17,900 would have died at that very moment. 187 00:12:17,900 --> 00:12:19,800 If it wasn't for divine. Prevention. 188 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,400 This is a long scripture but I want you to read through the 189 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:26,200 story with me to Luke chapter 4, it says Jesus returned to 190 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:29,400 Galilee in the power of the spirit in the news about him 191 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,900 spread throughout the whole Countryside, he was teaching in 192 00:12:32,900 --> 00:12:36,000 their synagogues and everyone, look, everyone, praised him, 193 00:12:36,700 --> 00:12:39,900 that doesn't sound like opposition, they all appreciate 194 00:12:39,900 --> 00:12:43,200 it was re must have been really good with his preaching and 195 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,300 speaking. So he went to Nazareth where had 196 00:12:45,308 --> 00:12:48,200 been brought up. In other words, this is home, 197 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,700 right? And on the Sabbath day, he went 198 00:12:50,700 --> 00:12:54,900 to the synagogue as was his custom and he stood up to read. 199 00:12:54,900 --> 00:12:57,700 And the scroll of the prophet, Isaiah was handed to him 200 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,700 unrolling it. He found the place where it was 201 00:13:00,700 --> 00:13:03,500 written. The spirit of the Lord is on me 202 00:13:03,500 --> 00:13:07,200 because he has anointed me to Proclaim good news to the poor. 203 00:13:07,900 --> 00:13:10,300 He has sent me to Proclaim freedom for the prisoners and 204 00:13:10,300 --> 00:13:14,500 recovery of sight for the blind to set the oppressed free and to 205 00:13:14,500 --> 00:13:17,500 proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. 206 00:13:18,300 --> 00:13:20,300 And then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the 207 00:13:20,300 --> 00:13:24,800 attendant and sat down the eyes of everyone in the synagogue 208 00:13:25,100 --> 00:13:29,000 were fastened on E. They began by saying to them. 209 00:13:29,700 --> 00:13:33,200 Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. 210 00:13:34,500 --> 00:13:37,100 All spoke well of him. Well, that doesn't sound like a 211 00:13:37,108 --> 00:13:41,500 posed and were amazed at the gracious words that came from 212 00:13:41,500 --> 00:13:43,500 his lips. Everything on that. 213 00:13:43,500 --> 00:13:45,400 He sang. That's so nice that everybody 214 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:49,100 agrees with, right? And then there's this statement 215 00:13:50,900 --> 00:13:55,100 Oh this statements a lot bigger. It falls a lot harder than you 216 00:13:55,100 --> 00:13:59,400 might think. Isn't this Joseph's son? 217 00:14:00,100 --> 00:14:02,700 They asked which means what isn't Jesus? 218 00:14:02,700 --> 00:14:10,500 A oh you know the word. and all of a sudden, the sermon flips 219 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:16,400 180 degrees Jesus said to them, surely you will quote, this 220 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:20,300 proverb, to me, physician heal yourself words from the cross 221 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:23,400 and you will tell me do here in your hometown. 222 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,600 What you've done, what you've heard that you did in Capernaum. 223 00:14:27,500 --> 00:14:31,600 Truly, I tell you he continued. No, Prophet is accepted in his 224 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:33,700 hometown. I assure you that there were 225 00:14:33,700 --> 00:14:38,700 many widows in Israel in Elijah's time when the sky was 226 00:14:38,700 --> 00:14:41,700 shut for three and a half years. And there was a severe famine 227 00:14:41,700 --> 00:14:45,000 throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any 228 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:48,800 of them but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of sidon 229 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:52,500 and there were many in Israel with leprosy. 230 00:14:52,500 --> 00:14:55,000 In the time of Elisha the prophet yet. 231 00:14:55,100 --> 00:15:00,200 None of them was cleansed, only Naaman, the Syrian, and all the 232 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:03,200 people in the synagogue were. Look at that word. 233 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:08,000 Furious. When they heard this and they 234 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:14,200 got up drove him out of the town and took him to the brow of a 235 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:20,500 hill on which the town was built in order to throw him off the 236 00:15:20,500 --> 00:15:24,500 cliff. I hope none of my sermons in 237 00:15:24,500 --> 00:15:28,200 this way. There's not very many Cliff. 238 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:32,700 You have to go anyway. But he walked right through the 239 00:15:32,700 --> 00:15:34,100 crowd. Now there's the divine 240 00:15:34,100 --> 00:15:39,800 intervention, he walked through the crowd and went on his way. 241 00:15:40,500 --> 00:15:43,300 Jesus was opposed by the people in his own Hometown. 242 00:15:43,500 --> 00:15:49,400 The people that he grew up with You know, Jesus was also opposed 243 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:53,800 by the entire religious establishment of Israel as he 244 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,400 began to do his ministry. He was constantly and 245 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:02,000 relentlessly opposed. He was opposed because of his 246 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,400 associations. He was called a friend of 247 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:11,000 sinners, he would actually eat meals with tax collectors and 248 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:17,100 prostitutes people that the rest of his culture had already 249 00:16:17,100 --> 00:16:23,600 canceled had already dismissed as basically worthless trash. 250 00:16:24,900 --> 00:16:29,300 and he wanted them to understand that the healthy don't need a 251 00:16:29,300 --> 00:16:32,000 doctor, but the sick, even though they were really all 252 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,400 sick, And so he told them Parables to try to help them 253 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,200 understand what he was actually doing. 254 00:16:39,500 --> 00:16:43,200 He told the parable of the lost sheep that the shepherd went to 255 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:47,200 go get that one lost sheep, even though the 99 were safe, he told 256 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:51,200 the story of the woman searching for the Lost coin, even though 257 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:57,200 she had nine, she wanted to find that one coin she lost because 258 00:16:57,500 --> 00:17:02,400 it has so much meaning for her. And then he concluded with the 259 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:04,599 story of the lost, son. The Prodigal Son. 260 00:17:07,300 --> 00:17:12,300 And so he saw the world as prodigals as lost boys and girls 261 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,700 that needed to find their way home to their father. 262 00:17:17,099 --> 00:17:20,599 But the religious establishment, did not believe it. 263 00:17:20,599 --> 00:17:23,200 Didn't follow it. They, they opposed him. 264 00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:25,300 They opposed him when he healed people. 265 00:17:25,300 --> 00:17:28,800 Can you imagine why would you oppose a person whose healing 266 00:17:28,900 --> 00:17:32,300 other people? Well, because he did not fit in 267 00:17:32,500 --> 00:17:38,900 to all of their social norms all of their rituals and not the 268 00:17:38,900 --> 00:17:41,200 law. He never violated the law, but 269 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:44,800 they had all these Traditions, that surrounded the law that he 270 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,900 did not subscribe to. So, He healed the leper and 271 00:17:47,900 --> 00:17:51,400 actually touch the leper and buy their oral Traditions. 272 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:55,000 That made you ceremonially unclean, but he did it anyway. 273 00:17:55,700 --> 00:17:59,400 He showed his love, not just by healing from a distance, but by 274 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:04,600 being up close and personal, he healed the woman with the issue 275 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,300 of blood because she thought of all you need to do is Touch the 276 00:18:07,300 --> 00:18:12,100 Hem of His Garment and I'll be healed and she was And of 277 00:18:12,100 --> 00:18:14,800 course, those Jewish religious leaders would say well, that 278 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:17,300 makes you ceremonially unclean because she touched the Hem of 279 00:18:17,300 --> 00:18:20,000 your garment. Jesus is going. 280 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:24,300 She's healed. She's a daughter of Israel. 281 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,900 There was a paralytic that was let down through the roof. 282 00:18:28,900 --> 00:18:33,800 And Jesus said, before he healed him of his paralysis, he said, 283 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:37,700 my son, your sins are forgiven. People got so angry. 284 00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:40,400 They didn't really care. That he was physically healed 285 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,600 after Jesus said, which is it easier to do tell? 286 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:47,100 This guy is sins are forgiven or to tell him to take up his bed 287 00:18:47,100 --> 00:18:51,300 rise and walk. And this amazing Miracle happens 288 00:18:51,300 --> 00:18:54,400 in front of them, but the religious leaders can only think 289 00:18:54,400 --> 00:19:00,200 that he said that his sins were forgiven or the demoniac in 290 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:04,700 Gandhara when he crossed the Sea of Galilee to get some quiet. 291 00:19:04,700 --> 00:19:09,100 And peace, here comes a man filled with demons naked running 292 00:19:09,700 --> 00:19:12,300 at Jesus that would be frightening in and of itself. 293 00:19:15,100 --> 00:19:19,800 Jesus recognized what was going on, stopped him, ask him his 294 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,700 name, the Demons Inside of him answered. 295 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:28,100 Our name is Legion for. We are many wasn't possessed by 296 00:19:28,100 --> 00:19:31,100 a demon. He was possessed by a multitude 297 00:19:31,100 --> 00:19:35,200 of demons, and when he cast the demons out, they went into a 298 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:39,700 herd of pigs who immediately, ran off a cliff and killed 299 00:19:39,700 --> 00:19:44,400 themselves and the people of that town, instead of having a 300 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:48,700 parade, For Jesus, who completely healed this 301 00:19:48,700 --> 00:19:53,700 frightening, man that had terrorized their Community 302 00:19:53,700 --> 00:19:58,200 begged him to leave. Their Shores. 303 00:19:59,700 --> 00:20:04,300 He was opposed. He was opposed by them because 304 00:20:04,300 --> 00:20:08,500 of what he taught in forgiving sin, they said he broke the 305 00:20:08,500 --> 00:20:10,500 Sabbath even though he never did. 306 00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:13,600 What he did do, though, was something against their 307 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,300 Traditions. They can, they thought he was 308 00:20:16,300 --> 00:20:22,600 guilty of ceremonial uncleanness When asked, who is my neighbor? 309 00:20:24,100 --> 00:20:29,600 Jesus picked the one person that they would all hate in unity, 310 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:33,100 and that was a Samaritan because all the Jews hated Samaritans. 311 00:20:33,100 --> 00:20:37,200 So, he told the parable of the Good Samaritan where he's the 312 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:43,000 hero and the priest, and the levite, the higher-ups in Jewish 313 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:46,700 religious culture there, the villains that didn't want him a 314 00:20:46,700 --> 00:20:49,700 lot of friends or influence a lot of people positively. 315 00:20:51,100 --> 00:20:55,000 And maybe the cherry on top was, when he told The Story of 316 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:59,700 Lazarus and the rich man, some of you may remember a story in 317 00:20:59,700 --> 00:21:03,500 the Bible where there was a poor man named Lazarus Lazarus, who 318 00:21:03,500 --> 00:21:05,500 was sick. And he had he was covered with 319 00:21:05,500 --> 00:21:08,700 sores and he begged at a rich man's gate. 320 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,900 But the rich man would go in and out of his property and never 321 00:21:14,900 --> 00:21:18,600 take notice of him and eventually Lazarus dies. 322 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,700 The Bible says that he was gathered to Abraham's bosom, 323 00:21:23,700 --> 00:21:28,100 basically heaven and it says, later on the rich man died and 324 00:21:28,100 --> 00:21:33,500 he was in the fires of hell. And the rich man could see 325 00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:38,900 Lazarus way off and begged him to dip his finger in some water 326 00:21:38,900 --> 00:21:42,200 too. Place it on his tongue because 327 00:21:42,500 --> 00:21:45,100 of the torment that he was under. 328 00:21:45,300 --> 00:21:49,600 What you may not know, is that the description of the rich man 329 00:21:50,100 --> 00:21:54,500 is exactly the description of a man named Caiaphas? 330 00:21:55,100 --> 00:21:57,300 Who was the high priest at that time? 331 00:21:58,500 --> 00:22:03,200 So Lazarus, the story may have been a real person who died at 332 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:06,700 the Gate of the high priest. Not exactly a story. 333 00:22:06,700 --> 00:22:10,000 You want to tell if you're trying to make points with the 334 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:15,100 religious establishment he was opposed By the religious 335 00:22:15,100 --> 00:22:17,400 establishment. He was also opposed by the 336 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:18,700 Romans. Now, the Romans really didn't 337 00:22:18,700 --> 00:22:23,000 care anything about Jesus. To him, he would that to them. 338 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:27,800 He was just another religious zealot, but when his own people 339 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,400 turned against him, pilot was worried that there would be an 340 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:36,200 uprising and so sentence him sentenced him to death on a 341 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:38,400 cross. So to the Romans, he was just 342 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,000 another criminal a religious zealot who was stirring up 343 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:46,300 problems. and so they crucified him and even when Jesus was on 344 00:22:46,300 --> 00:22:51,400 the cross, And there were thieves on either side of him 345 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,100 that were being crucified along with him. 346 00:22:53,100 --> 00:22:55,600 One of those thieves opposed him. 347 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:02,000 Jesus, if you're the Son of God, save yourselves and us he said 348 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:06,000 in his own Agony, the other Thief argued against that 349 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:09,500 they've saying, don't you fear God this man has done nothing 350 00:23:09,500 --> 00:23:15,500 wrong. He was opposed at every turn and 351 00:23:15,500 --> 00:23:17,300 you know what? I haven't even mentioned Satan 352 00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:23,300 yet. The fact, is that every moment 353 00:23:23,300 --> 00:23:27,300 of Jesus life, every moment of his life he was facing 354 00:23:27,300 --> 00:23:30,800 opposition, he was surrounded by opposition. 355 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,800 It was the kind of opposition. That's a lot worse than social 356 00:23:34,800 --> 00:23:37,200 media. It was the kind who would leave 357 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,800 him and forsake Him and reject him and hate him, and wish him 358 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:44,700 dead and curse him, and torture, him, and kill him in the most 359 00:23:44,700 --> 00:23:48,300 ruthless way without even an ounce of Mercy. 360 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:56,000 And you, and I can see him inside of our minds right now. 361 00:23:56,700 --> 00:24:01,200 Suspended Between Heaven and Earth and nailed to that cross. 362 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:05,400 He's bleeding, he's sweating, he's dying in agony. 363 00:24:07,300 --> 00:24:11,400 He's been rejected by mankind because of his love and his 364 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:16,100 compassion, he's been rejected by God because of all the sin 365 00:24:16,100 --> 00:24:20,500 that he's bearing for the whole world. and in that moment of 366 00:24:20,500 --> 00:24:30,000 suspension, You see the most violent picture of cancellation 367 00:24:30,500 --> 00:24:36,000 and when he took his last breath and died on that, cross, a Roman 368 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:39,900 soldier made sure of it by putting a spear up underneath 369 00:24:39,900 --> 00:24:42,800 his rib cage into his vital organs. 370 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:46,600 When they were sure he was dead. They took him down and pride his 371 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:50,300 body off of that, horrible cross and entombed it. 372 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,300 And they said there, he's canceled. 373 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:04,100 Oh, but three days later. There was a rude awakening 374 00:25:04,100 --> 00:25:07,500 coming. Because they have this whole 375 00:25:07,500 --> 00:25:14,100 cancellation thing, all wrong. Jesus wasn't canceled, he was 376 00:25:14,100 --> 00:25:18,300 doing the count, the canceling, he was doing it. 377 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:26,000 Listen, he canceled his own death, who does that Oh yeah, 378 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:27,200 you cancel me. You killed me. 379 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:31,900 Watch this, boom. He rose from the dead, he 380 00:25:31,900 --> 00:25:36,400 canceled the stripes that were on his back, those stripes 381 00:25:36,500 --> 00:25:40,100 forget it. They're gone the wounds from the 382 00:25:40,100 --> 00:25:43,200 crown of thorns that were on his bride canceled those, he 383 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:45,900 canceled the curses that were shouted at him. 384 00:25:45,900 --> 00:25:50,100 He canceled the Roman Authority. He canceled the Jewish relators 385 00:25:50,300 --> 00:25:53,500 judgment upon him. He only kept the nail prints in 386 00:25:53,508 --> 00:25:56,900 his hands and his feet and the and the scar on his side to 387 00:25:56,900 --> 00:26:00,800 prove who he was. And he wore them like Badges of 388 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:04,400 Honor, he canceled, the separation between God. 389 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,700 And man, that was in the temple that nine inch thick Veil 390 00:26:07,700 --> 00:26:09,700 ripped. From the top to the bottom 391 00:26:09,700 --> 00:26:12,000 canceled. That separation between God and 392 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,200 him and God in you. He canceled the payment. 393 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:19,900 For all of your sin, he canceled the power of the law over you. 394 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,200 He canceled the power of sin in your life. 395 00:26:23,300 --> 00:26:26,800 He canceled. Listen, your death, he canceled 396 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:31,000 your hell, he cancels, Satan himself. 397 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:35,500 You know what he did? He canceled our cancellation 398 00:26:37,300 --> 00:26:41,400 That's what sins done to us. Spiritually speaking. 399 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:46,300 It canceled us all Turned us into hopeless people. 400 00:26:47,500 --> 00:26:50,500 But like we sang a little while ago, Jesus Is Our Hope. 401 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:54,100 And he canceled that cancellation. 402 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:59,000 Now, some of you said, oh let's pray and sing, it's time that 403 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:00,500 sermons over. Oh no, it's not. 404 00:27:01,300 --> 00:27:06,100 I'm just getting started. Listen, Jesus knew this was 405 00:27:06,100 --> 00:27:08,500 going to happen. It had been prophesied, Isaiah 406 00:27:08,700 --> 00:27:10,200 prophesied, that he would be opposed. 407 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:15,100 Look at Isaiah 53:3. He was despised has 700 years 408 00:27:15,100 --> 00:27:16,400 before. Jesus was born. 409 00:27:16,700 --> 00:27:19,100 He was despised and rejected by mankind. 410 00:27:19,100 --> 00:27:21,300 A man of suffering familiar with pain. 411 00:27:21,900 --> 00:27:26,200 Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised and 412 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:31,000 we held him in low esteem, the Bible calls him, the stone that 413 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:35,600 the builders rejected. Look at Mark 12, the stone, the 414 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:38,000 builders rejected has become the Cornerstone. 415 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:42,800 That's the most important Stone. The Lord has done this and it is 416 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:47,500 marvelous in our eyes. He's become a stone of stumbling 417 00:27:47,500 --> 00:27:50,500 for those who would oppose him in First Peter chapter 2. 418 00:27:50,900 --> 00:27:53,800 It says, now to you, who believe this stone is precious. 419 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:57,500 Amen. But to those who do not believe 420 00:27:57,500 --> 00:28:02,100 the stone, the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone and a 421 00:28:02,100 --> 00:28:04,200 stone that causes people to stumble. 422 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:09,100 And a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they 423 00:28:09,100 --> 00:28:12,900 disobey the message, which is also what they were destined 424 00:28:12,900 --> 00:28:15,100 for. But you know what? 425 00:28:15,100 --> 00:28:19,300 That was all part of God's plan. Because saving you? 426 00:28:20,500 --> 00:28:25,400 That was his plan. He endured the cross because of 427 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:29,400 the joy of seeing you come back into relationship with your 428 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:33,700 heavenly father and now listen here's where we're going. 429 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,100 He calls you to follow him in that opposition? 430 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:42,800 What? What I thought, if I accepted 431 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:46,000 Jesus Christ, as my savior, everything is rainbows and 432 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,300 butterflies. I thought if I accept Jesus 433 00:28:49,300 --> 00:28:51,500 Christ, as my savior, it's all going to be great now. 434 00:28:52,500 --> 00:28:55,100 Well, depends on your point of view. 435 00:28:56,500 --> 00:29:00,300 Jesus said that if you would follow him, you would be opposed 436 00:29:00,900 --> 00:29:02,700 that. You'd be hated that. 437 00:29:02,700 --> 00:29:06,000 You'd be persecuted. Listen to his voice in Matthew 438 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,300 Chapter 5 blessed are those who are persecuted because of 439 00:29:09,300 --> 00:29:13,100 righteousness that's following him for theirs is the Kingdom of 440 00:29:13,100 --> 00:29:14,600 Heaven. Blessed? 441 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:20,100 Are you when people insult, you persecute, you falsely, say, all 442 00:29:20,100 --> 00:29:24,000 kinds of evil against you because of me. 443 00:29:24,700 --> 00:29:27,800 Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven. 444 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:31,300 For in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were 445 00:29:31,300 --> 00:29:36,800 before you, wow, He said that no student would be above his 446 00:29:36,800 --> 00:29:39,900 teacher, that if the teacher endured it, the student would as 447 00:29:39,900 --> 00:29:43,600 well. This is in Matthew chapter 10. 448 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:46,300 It says, the students not above the teacher, nor the servant 449 00:29:46,300 --> 00:29:49,300 above his master. It is enough for students to be 450 00:29:49,300 --> 00:29:51,700 like their teachers and service to be like their masters. 451 00:29:52,300 --> 00:29:55,300 If the head of the house has been called, this is another 452 00:29:55,300 --> 00:29:59,400 word for Satan. How much more the members of his 453 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,300 household so do not be afraid of him. 454 00:30:02,300 --> 00:30:05,700 For there is nothing concealed. That will not be disclosed or 455 00:30:05,700 --> 00:30:08,900 hidden. That will not be made known. 456 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,000 He said they hated me, they'll hate you. 457 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:16,100 That's in John 15:18. If the world hates you, keep in 458 00:30:16,100 --> 00:30:20,300 mind, it hated me first. He said, pray for people who 459 00:30:20,300 --> 00:30:25,000 persecute you on account of me. Look at Matthew 10:35 for. 460 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:28,300 I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter 461 00:30:28,300 --> 00:30:31,100 against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her 462 00:30:31,100 --> 00:30:32,500 mother-in-law me. This is going to get it. 463 00:30:32,500 --> 00:30:35,300 This could get in your own family, right? 464 00:30:35,900 --> 00:30:39,700 This opposition, a Man's enemies will be the members of his own. 465 00:30:39,900 --> 00:30:43,400 Sold some of you have experienced that. 466 00:30:44,500 --> 00:30:49,400 Some of you, that's part of your testimony right now, anyone who 467 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:53,000 loves her father and mother more than me is, not worthy of me. 468 00:30:53,000 --> 00:30:54,800 Anyone who loves their son, or daughter? 469 00:30:55,100 --> 00:30:57,600 More than me is. Not worthy of me. 470 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:02,200 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me not worthy 471 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:06,800 of me. Wow, opposition, Jesus was 472 00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:11,000 encircled by it. And when we step into his 473 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:18,000 Circle, We step into opposition. There's not a place here where 474 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:19,600 there's Middle Ground. I know a lot of us. 475 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:23,000 We go we kind of like if this was the line like how well 476 00:31:23,008 --> 00:31:26,500 here's here's Jesus Circle and here's kind of my worldly life 477 00:31:26,500 --> 00:31:29,900 and you're kind of living a schizophrenic spiritual life 478 00:31:29,900 --> 00:31:32,700 where you're trying to be in both places at once. 479 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:39,000 It really doesn't work out that way to step into Jesus circle is 480 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:43,600 to step into opposition, to be surrounded by opposition. 481 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,100 And you got to ask yourself if you're not. 482 00:31:46,300 --> 00:31:48,600 It opposed, because of your faith. 483 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,700 Are you standing in the right place? 484 00:31:52,500 --> 00:31:54,700 Are you standing in the circle of Jesus? 485 00:31:56,200 --> 00:32:00,100 Some of you are going. Wow you had me going there right 486 00:32:00,100 --> 00:32:02,300 up until you know you canceled our cancellation. 487 00:32:02,300 --> 00:32:04,600 And now I'm kind of going man. It's all supposed stuff. 488 00:32:04,700 --> 00:32:07,400 Why would I want to go and step into that Circle? 489 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:09,200 Because that doesn't sound like a good place. 490 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:10,900 Oh oh! Yes! 491 00:32:10,900 --> 00:32:14,500 It is. Salvations in that Circle. 492 00:32:15,700 --> 00:32:18,000 You want that? That's where it is. 493 00:32:18,300 --> 00:32:21,000 Salvation is in a circle Grace is in that Circle. 494 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:25,100 Piece is inside that Circle, hope is inside that Circle and 495 00:32:25,100 --> 00:32:29,000 purpose, and joy, and meaning and understanding and truth and 496 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,600 love and light. And every other good thing 497 00:32:31,700 --> 00:32:37,600 because that is where Jesus is. And when you're with Jesus, all 498 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:40,100 of those things are realities, but you have to be inside his 499 00:32:40,100 --> 00:32:44,100 Circle outside of that circle is where all those who attempt to 500 00:32:44,100 --> 00:32:50,100 cancel Jesus. It is the place of opposition. 501 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:55,400 I stand inside the circle with Jesus. 502 00:32:57,100 --> 00:33:02,200 But I don't stand alone. Anybody here standing with me, 503 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:06,900 anybody in this, anybody across all our locations standing with 504 00:33:06,900 --> 00:33:09,100 me. Stand inside that Circle. 505 00:33:09,300 --> 00:33:11,600 You know why I stand with my savior? 506 00:33:11,600 --> 00:33:14,400 Do you stand with him? I can't hear you. 507 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:18,600 Do you stand with him? I stand in the Heavenly light of 508 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:20,700 my heavenly. Father, do you stand in that 509 00:33:20,700 --> 00:33:22,800 light? I do too. 510 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:25,700 It's awesome. I stand empowered by the Holy 511 00:33:25,700 --> 00:33:27,600 Spirit. Do you stand empowered by the 512 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:29,900 Holy Spirit. Praise God for that. 513 00:33:29,900 --> 00:33:34,400 I Stand surrounded by a spiritual family who has crossed 514 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:36,700 over that line. Isn't that awesome? 515 00:33:36,700 --> 00:33:43,800 Say man, I stand with my armor on and so should you but listen 516 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:50,000 I stand stepping as close to the edge of that Circle, as I can 517 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:56,300 get without crossing over so that I can grab ahold of a hand 518 00:33:56,300 --> 00:33:59,800 in the form of a fist set against me. 519 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:04,200 And And my heavenly father and my savior so that I can grab 520 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:09,300 that hand and pull them into the orbit of my canceled Savior, and 521 00:34:09,300 --> 00:34:15,400 Lord, who dies, and lives again, to break through that hard heart 522 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:23,100 and fill them and me with life. That's what it's all about and 523 00:34:23,100 --> 00:34:28,100 if standing in opposition is the price to pay for pulling people 524 00:34:28,100 --> 00:34:31,900 into the orbit of Jesus will then, come on. 525 00:34:32,900 --> 00:34:36,800 Because there's nothing more beautiful in this world. 526 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:43,500 Then finding a person who finds their heavenly father and 527 00:34:43,500 --> 00:34:49,699 experiences the joy of a savior. We're moving to a time of 528 00:34:49,699 --> 00:34:55,400 decision. Hahaha. 529 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:01,300 So I still got to preach an Easter Sermon. 530 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:05,300 I just did it today because that's what it's all about. 531 00:35:05,300 --> 00:35:10,500 That's the joy of it. so I'm going to ask you a hard 532 00:35:10,500 --> 00:35:18,700 question, Can you say? That you have stepped Over The 533 00:35:18,700 --> 00:35:22,800 Line. Into an intimate personal 534 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:28,100 relationship with Jesus Christ. And I know that some of you 535 00:35:28,100 --> 00:35:30,000 might be thinking, well, that line you're talking about 536 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,400 Jerry's kind of a metaphorical. It's kind of like a nebulous 537 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:35,000 kind of spiritual thing, not really. 538 00:35:36,200 --> 00:35:38,500 Not really. Jesus, gave us some very 539 00:35:38,500 --> 00:35:43,000 concrete things to do to Define that because he knows we need 540 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:46,500 those kinds of concrete things that we're kind of tactile 541 00:35:46,500 --> 00:35:50,900 people were, you know, senses people, right? 542 00:35:52,100 --> 00:35:55,600 And that's why he, that's why he said, unless you confess me 543 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:58,500 before others, I won't confess you before my Father in Heaven. 544 00:35:58,700 --> 00:36:00,700 Some people may Wonder because there's a lot of churches that 545 00:36:00,700 --> 00:36:03,300 don't do what we're doing right now and that is offer an 546 00:36:03,300 --> 00:36:07,400 invitation Like in a minute, everybody's going to stand up, 547 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:09,300 we're going to ask people to come up. 548 00:36:11,500 --> 00:36:16,500 And respond to an invitation. An invitation to do, what an 549 00:36:16,500 --> 00:36:19,700 invitation to confess, Jesus Christ, as Lord. 550 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:22,500 There's going to be somebody standing right over there at 551 00:36:22,500 --> 00:36:25,600 that baddest tree. And if you've never made that 552 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:28,600 decision, you could confess that today, you know what you're 553 00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:33,400 doing when you do that. You coming up that line, you're 554 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:38,400 taking a hard look at that line. And you're going stepping over 555 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:41,600 the line. It's a physical tangible way, 556 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:43,100 right? You know what's going to happen? 557 00:36:43,100 --> 00:36:45,400 Then they're going to dress you up and some clothes that are 558 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:47,400 they're going to get wet. You're going to get in that 559 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:52,900 water. Well, that's going to be 560 00:36:52,900 --> 00:36:55,700 uncomfortable. I don't look good wet. 561 00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:00,000 You're gonna get in that water, and you're going to confess 562 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,900 Christ, publicly, and openly, I believe that Jesus is the 563 00:37:02,908 --> 00:37:04,400 Christ. The son of the Living. 564 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:07,000 God, I want him as my personal Lord and Savior stepping over 565 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:08,300 that line. And guess, what's going to 566 00:37:08,308 --> 00:37:10,100 happen? This was going to happen. 567 00:37:10,100 --> 00:37:13,300 They're going to lay you down in that water and they're going to 568 00:37:13,300 --> 00:37:14,800 raise you back up out of that water. 569 00:37:18,100 --> 00:37:21,300 There was a line, you stepped, over long time ago, it was 570 00:37:21,300 --> 00:37:26,000 called birth. You know that as pretty big 571 00:37:26,100 --> 00:37:29,400 moment, your life, right? Birth. 572 00:37:30,100 --> 00:37:32,900 You know, Jesus told Nicodemus, in the Book of John you must be 573 00:37:32,900 --> 00:37:36,100 born again. He said, how can I enter back 574 00:37:36,100 --> 00:37:37,900 into my mother's womb and come out at this? 575 00:37:37,900 --> 00:37:40,500 Make any sense to me, he goes you need to be born of the water 576 00:37:40,500 --> 00:37:42,800 and the spirit you need to be spiritually. 577 00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:44,800 Born, you know what you're experiencing. 578 00:37:44,900 --> 00:37:49,000 You're experiencing a birth. Not only that in Romans chapter 579 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,100 6, it says, when you're laying down in that water, when you go 580 00:37:51,100 --> 00:37:55,100 down in that water, you are uniting with the death of Jesus 581 00:37:55,100 --> 00:37:57,900 Christ. Like they lay you down in death. 582 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:03,300 Under that water buried, that old person of person used to be 583 00:38:03,300 --> 00:38:07,000 buried you come up out of the water just like Jesus raised 584 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:10,700 from the dead, you raised to newness of life. 585 00:38:12,900 --> 00:38:16,500 Stepping Over The Line. I invite you today. 586 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:19,200 Everyone here in this room, everyone online. 587 00:38:19,500 --> 00:38:25,200 I invite you to take advantage of stepping over the line today. 588 00:38:25,500 --> 00:38:28,200 Some of you are going already stepped over that line, Jerry. 589 00:38:30,500 --> 00:38:33,200 Well good. Praise the Lord. 590 00:38:34,500 --> 00:38:37,700 How many of you are struggling with one foot on either side of 591 00:38:37,700 --> 00:38:43,200 that line? How many of you? 592 00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:47,900 Are struggling with the idea of opposition. 593 00:38:48,900 --> 00:38:50,700 It's you just want everybody to get along. 594 00:38:52,300 --> 00:38:55,700 And so you won't stand up for your faith. 595 00:38:56,900 --> 00:38:58,900 You'd rather kind of be stealthy. 596 00:39:00,300 --> 00:39:04,700 Kind of under the radar. You don't want people thinking. 597 00:39:07,500 --> 00:39:10,500 That you might actually be one of those crazy people that 598 00:39:10,500 --> 00:39:16,200 actually take God at his word. Some of you may be committed to 599 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:19,300 your faith in Jesus Christ, but you're carrying the burden of 600 00:39:19,300 --> 00:39:22,900 someone else. That's losing their way. 601 00:39:24,900 --> 00:39:29,100 And you need God to put you in an opportunity where you can 602 00:39:29,100 --> 00:39:32,300 share make a difference. You know, the steps are all 603 00:39:32,300 --> 00:39:35,600 around this stage and all of our stages at all of our locations. 604 00:39:36,200 --> 00:39:40,600 For Christian people to come up and do business with God. 605 00:39:41,600 --> 00:39:44,400 And there is never a time that you were. 606 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:51,600 You honestly bend your knee to your heavenly father That he 607 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:57,400 doesn't provide more than you ever could ask or imagine and he 608 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:00,800 will today. Regardless of what burden you're 609 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:02,600 carrying that you need to lay down. 610 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:06,700 I'm telling you you're going to meet your heavenly father up 611 00:40:06,700 --> 00:40:09,200 here. And he's going to make a 612 00:40:09,207 --> 00:40:12,200 difference. Would you stand with me? 613 00:40:12,700 --> 00:40:16,000 Let's pray together in Jesus name, Heavenly Father. 614 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:21,500 We come before you. And we realize that in and of 615 00:40:21,500 --> 00:40:24,800 ourselves we couldn't have done any of this, but it was all 616 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:28,100 accomplished. Completely. 617 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:35,000 And amazingly accomplished when your son died on the cross and 618 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:40,800 rose from the dead and I pray. Father in this moment that 619 00:40:40,800 --> 00:40:46,100 whatever you may be saying to our hearts as you speak in that 620 00:40:46,100 --> 00:40:50,200 quiet voice. That we would listen. 621 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:57,000 And then we would obey. I pray, God, give us the courage 622 00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:02,200 to move. Even if it means moving into a 623 00:41:02,200 --> 00:41:05,900 circle, we're on the outside of that Circle. 624 00:41:05,900 --> 00:41:10,800 There's opposition for the sake of the one who endured all the 625 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:15,700 opposition of the world. So that we could live and move 626 00:41:15,700 --> 00:41:20,400 in his Circle. In Jesus name, amen. 627 00:41:17,900 --> 00:41:20,400 In Jesus name, amen.