1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,240 Good morning. Welcome to Resurrection Church. 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,320 My name is Daniel. Last week we, we've been in the 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:10,760 book of John for a while now. Last week we read about the 4 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:13,880 resurrection of a man named Lazarus. 5 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:19,360 And in that moment we hit a really pivotal part of the book 6 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:22,120 of John. And and that's because the book 7 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,360 of John is, is written in a, in a very unique way. 8 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,280 John does not write his testimony of his time with Jesus 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,920 in a sequential timeline. And so the book of Luke, if 10 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,760 you've ever read that Luke was a, a physician, he was a 11 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:38,880 historian. He is a little bit scientist. 12 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:41,240 And so he is like meticulous writing this like perfect 13 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:43,640 timeline. John is not that guy. 14 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:45,760 Some of you are not that guy either. 15 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:48,560 That's fine. John actually has an express 16 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,240 purpose for his book and his testimony is all about 17 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,680 convincing you that Jesus is the Son of God. 18 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,840 And so so whereas Luke is like, this is exactly the order in 19 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:01,960 which these things happen. John's more like, I'm going to 20 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:05,080 show you some things and he shows you some things. 21 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,360 And so the first 11 chapters of the book of John, which we've 22 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:11,040 gone through are actually organized around the seven 23 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:15,880 greatest miracles of Jesus, not in sequential fashion at all, to 24 00:01:15,960 --> 00:01:20,160 convince you to consider these as the evidence that Jesus is 25 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,000 indeed the Son of God. And so if you're, as we've been 26 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:27,960 preaching through John chapter 2, Jesus turning water into 27 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:31,040 wine, Chapter 4, Jesus healing the official son. 28 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:35,120 Chapter 5, Jesus healing at the pool of Bethesda, Chapter 6, 29 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,040 Jesus feeding the 5000. And then later in chapter 6, 30 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,000 Jesus walking on water. And then the 6th miracle, Jesus 31 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,520 healing the man born blind in Chapter 9. 32 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,200 And then here we get to Chapter 11, the 7th and greatest miracle 33 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:53,240 of the seven great miracles, Jesus raising a man from dead. 34 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,480 Now, now that we've gotten to this point where John has 35 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,800 essentially made this case, we're going to transition in 36 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,000 this book and he's going to write differently. 37 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:08,840 Have you ever, have you ever like had maybe it's your spouse 38 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,440 or your friend and they, they, they're, they're, they've been 39 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,640 watching a show for a while and you're going to join them, But 40 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:18,160 it's like season 4 and you just have to like jump in and catch 41 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,960 up. Anybody OK, So at the start of 42 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,600 that season, this is what TV shows normally do is they, they 43 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,640 will show like a two or three minute recap and they're 44 00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:29,520 attempting to catch you up on three seasons worth of, of 45 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,560 content in like 2 minutes. And so they're just like 46 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:34,240 highlight, highlight, highlight, highlight. 47 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,320 Sometimes not even in order. That's the book of John. 48 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,400 The 1st 11 chapters are essentially that when we get 49 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,840 done today with, with Chapter 11, we're going to go to chapter 50 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:46,600 12 next week. Everything's going to slow down 51 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:49,800 in 11 chapters. This has occurred over 2 1/2 52 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:51,560 years, almost three years of time. 53 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,920 But chapter 12 is going to take place in mere days, and then 54 00:02:55,920 --> 00:02:59,960 chapters 13 through 18 are going to take place in hours, like 55 00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:02,280 hour by hour by hour, super slow. 56 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:06,080 And it will be John's personal testimony of the account of 57 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:10,400 Jesus going to the cross. It'll be intimate. 58 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,280 It'll be gritty. It's super slow. 59 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,720 So, so from this like really high level, here's these things 60 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,360 you need to know down to the here's these last week, down to 61 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,040 the here are these last hours, moment by moment by moment. 62 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:23,600 That's what's about to happen in this book. 63 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:25,720 And so if you're reading John and you're just wondering, well, 64 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:30,240 this is what you're looking at. Now, before we read today, the 65 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,720 very end of John Chapter 11, I want you to consider something. 66 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:41,240 Have have you ever had a moment where you knew that God was 67 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:45,160 asking you to do something, but you didn't want to do it? 68 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:50,760 Maybe for you it was like forgiving someone who's hurt 69 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,920 you. Maybe it was it was ending a 70 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:55,560 relationship that you knew it wasn't healthy. 71 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,360 Maybe it was changing jobs, even though the money you're making 72 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:03,040 was pretty good. Maybe it was getting honest 73 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:07,640 about an addiction. Maybe it was actually tithing or 74 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:09,640 actually praying instead of just talking about it. 75 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,080 Whatever it was like you knew. And so in that moment, here's 76 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,120 what I'm saying, you, you believed that God was real. 77 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,519 You believed that God was right, but you wanted control more than 78 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:24,640 you wanted him. And that's exactly what's about 79 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,000 to take place here at the end of Chapter 11. 80 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,960 OK, so I want you to keep this in mind as we read this story. 81 00:04:30,840 --> 00:04:32,840 Here's the big idea. If there's like the one thing 82 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:34,800 you need to leave with today, it's this concept. 83 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:35,880 You don't have to understand it yet. 84 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:37,640 We will explain it. It's this. 85 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:42,400 We will always worship what's sitting on our throne. 86 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:45,880 We will always worship what's sitting on our throne. 87 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:47,520 And I will explain that. All right, John, Chapter 11. 88 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:49,640 Let's pick it up in verse 45. If you have your Bibles, open 89 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:50,920 them up. I'm reading from the ESV. 90 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:58,320 Many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary, this is to 91 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,320 the tomb, and had seen what he did, that's Jesus believed in 92 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:06,440 him. But some of them went to the 93 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,760 Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 94 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,840 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the counsel 95 00:05:12,840 --> 00:05:16,720 and said, what are we to do? For this man performs many 96 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:20,400 signs, and if we let him go on like this, everyone will believe 97 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:24,760 in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and 98 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,800 our nation. Now I want you to notice they're 99 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:30,800 not questioning if Jesus is powerful, if Jesus is 100 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:32,040 miraculous. They're questioning if they're 101 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:36,200 willing to give up control. Verse 49. 102 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,080 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, 103 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,120 said to them, you know nothing at all. 104 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,880 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man 105 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:49,360 should die for the people, not that the whole nation should 106 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:53,040 perish. He did not say this of his own 107 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,440 accord, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that 108 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:58,440 Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but 109 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,880 also to gather into one the children of God who are 110 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,840 scattered abroad. So from that day on they made 111 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:08,640 plans to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked 112 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:11,560 openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near 113 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,880 the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed 114 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:19,880 with the disciples. One of the primary themes in the 115 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,040 book of John that we see over and over again that John 116 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,120 highlights for us is this concept. 117 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:29,880 The very people who should have believed in Jesus did not, and 118 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,080 the people who probably shouldn't have believed in Jesus 119 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,120 did. And he calls that out again and 120 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:39,440 again in his his testimony. So, so some of the people who go 121 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,480 with Mary and the family to the tomb, they see Jesus raise 122 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,920 Lazarus from the dead and they go, that's the Son of God. 123 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:51,080 They believe. And I just like for a moment put 124 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:54,520 yourself in their shoes like you've who's been to a funeral. 125 00:06:55,360 --> 00:07:00,800 OK, I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that none of 126 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:03,080 you went to that funeral and someone showed up and made that 127 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:07,000 guy get out of the grave and walk out alive because I was 128 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:08,480 like, that's not on my bingo card. 129 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:15,960 So they see this in their life. This is the son of God. 130 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:23,400 John often shortens this idea of of belief in, in in the kingship 131 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,200 or deity of, of Jesus as just they believed. 132 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:27,440 That's what you'll see in the book. 133 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,040 They believed and it and it means something a little more 134 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:33,040 comprehensive, right? What we would read what, what 135 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,840 that belief really is later in Romans 10. 136 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,800 So in Romans 10/9 and 10, it kind of explains what they 137 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:40,080 believe means. It means this. 138 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,200 It's the type of belief that belief that changes us. 139 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:45,520 It's the type of belief that surrenders. 140 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:49,000 It's the type of belief that confesses publicly that he is 141 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:56,840 king and I am not. So these people believe and the 142 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:01,640 people that should believe the, the Pharisees, OK, so the, the 143 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:08,000 Pharisees are kind of the ruling religious leaders of the time. 144 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:11,680 So we're in the 1st century, the Roman Empire and the, and the 145 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,560 Roman government at this point occupies most of the known 146 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,240 world. But what they would do is they'd 147 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,560 let the each little land, they'd let them kind of retain their 148 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:21,080 traditions. They'd let them retain some of 149 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,880 their culture. And so in this moment, the 150 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,360 Jewish culture, the governance is really the church. 151 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:29,560 It's the temple, it's the temple priest, it's the Pharisees. 152 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,080 And so the religious leaders are kind of like a, like a local 153 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,480 government of both church and government, but still under 154 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,679 occupation. And, and, and the Pharisees are 155 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,440 supposed to be the holiest people in the land. 156 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:47,080 They study the law, they study the Old Testament. 157 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,440 Like if anyone would would be on the lookout for Jesus, it would 158 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:56,080 be them. And so when they witnessed this 159 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,520 power, they should be like, that's who we've been looking 160 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:05,640 for and they totally miss him. In fact, in John 5, Jesus calls 161 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,960 them out. He says, you search the 162 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:12,120 scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal 163 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:13,840 life. And it is they, the scriptures 164 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:17,880 that bear witness about me. And yet you refuse to come to me 165 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:22,480 so that you can have life. The people that should have 166 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:24,880 believed in Jesus did not and the people that should not have 167 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,400 did. Now, let me let me stop for a 168 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:31,360 minute and just talk about this, you know, this belief that this 169 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,640 idea that this belief that, that that changes this belief that 170 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:39,920 surrenders, OK. But in this moment, these people 171 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,840 that that witnessed this power, OK, but don't believe they did 172 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,320 believe that he was doing miracles. 173 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:48,880 They did. They actually say it right here. 174 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:55,800 In fact, they knew that no one could do this, this amount of 175 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:58,680 of, of miraculous work if they weren't God or from God. 176 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:02,160 They knew that. And yet it isn't enough. 177 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,160 Hear me? It isn't enough to know that 178 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,440 Jesus is God. James 2 says that even the 179 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,240 demons know that Jesus is the Son of God and it does not save 180 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,080 them. Oh, you think Jesus is the Son 181 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:14,720 of God? Good, so do the demons. 182 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:26,680 It's it's, it's not enough. You may believe that Jesus was a 183 00:10:26,680 --> 00:10:28,680 real person who walked this earth in the 1st century. 184 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:31,520 You may believe that he was a good teacher. 185 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:34,240 You may believe that he did miracles. 186 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:38,720 You may even go that far. You may in your own life, have 187 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,000 seen him work in someone else's life to change their life. 188 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,800 You may believe that too. You may believe in heaven and 189 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,960 hell and creation and God and the Bible and none of those 190 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:52,160 things will save you not on their own, because there's a 191 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:56,720 distinction in the Bible about this word believe and you see it 192 00:10:56,720 --> 00:10:59,720 in their reaction in the way they react to Jesus moving in 193 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,200 power. And I, and I want to see if I 194 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,360 can illustrate this for you. I, I like to, I like to kind of 195 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,080 think about ways to try to illustrate concepts that'll 196 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:09,960 that'll stick with you. And so I was thinking about 197 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:14,120 like, you know, what is it The Bible says that we were all say 198 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:19,560 me, OK, that we were all born under what's called the curse of 199 00:11:19,560 --> 00:11:21,840 sin. Now, if you're unfamiliar with 200 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,640 that, what the Bible is saying is that in the very beginning 201 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:26,680 when God created everything and the first man and the first 202 00:11:26,680 --> 00:11:29,720 woman, there was no sin. There was no death for humanity. 203 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:32,600 And and we had this perfect relationship with God and they 204 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,480 rebelled. And when they rebelled, they 205 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:42,040 fractured that relationship and because of that entered in the 206 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:45,760 curse of sin and death. And that means that every person 207 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,640 since Adam and Eve have now been born under curse. 208 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:52,720 The King David in Psalm 51 would say it this way. 209 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:57,080 He would say I was born into iniquity and in sin. 210 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:03,320 Did my mother conceive me? It's a no win situation. 211 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:08,840 It's why we needed Jesus. But what is it? 212 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:15,000 What does it look like to be born spiritually dead? 213 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:16,400 That's that's a weird thing. What? 214 00:12:16,560 --> 00:12:19,040 You were born spiritually dead. OK, let me see if I can help. 215 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:27,000 I I got on Amazon and I searched for the tiniest throne I could 216 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:27,760 find. Hold on. 217 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:33,680 Here we go. Please pay no attention to the 218 00:12:33,680 --> 00:12:36,800 fact that this is the Enderman throne from Minecraft. 219 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:40,040 Just just pretend that's that didn't exist. 220 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:41,760 The tiniest one I could find. Here you go, tiny throne. 221 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:48,440 OK. The Bible says that you and I 222 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:52,040 were created for one distinct purpose. 223 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,120 We were actually designed for this purpose, to worship and 224 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:57,240 enjoy God. That's why you exist. 225 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:01,160 That's why he created us. And, and, and so whether you 226 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:05,520 turn to Psalm 100 or Genesis 1 or Samuel 12 or John 17, like, 227 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:09,600 like the Bible again and again builds this, this concept that 228 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,720 we, we, we summed this up 400 years ago in, in, in what's 229 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:16,920 called the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which was simply a 230 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:19,360 kind of a doctrinal statement of church fathers. 231 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:22,520 And it starts the very first, first moment in that whole 232 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:25,120 doctrinal statement is this. It's a question and answer. 233 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,440 What is the chief end of man? Like? 234 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:31,440 What is the purpose of man? And here's the answer from 400 235 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,600 years ago. Man's chief end is to glorify 236 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,280 God and to enjoy him forever. It's why we were designed. 237 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:38,800 It's why we were created. It's the only reason you're 238 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:40,840 still here. And you may not believe that, 239 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:42,200 but that does not change the facts. 240 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:54,760 The entire reason we exist now. If that's true, what happens 241 00:13:54,920 --> 00:14:01,840 when the creation that's you and me, say me, is born to worship a 242 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:06,080 God that we are separated from? What do we do now? 243 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,120 What happens when the creation that was created for a specific 244 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:15,280 purpose cannot, will not, does not want to fulfil the very 245 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:19,320 reason it was created? The entire reason that we were 246 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:23,600 created is to recognize that Jesus is supposed to be 247 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:30,000 worshipped. So the Bible would talk about 248 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:32,040 the desires of our heart. I like to often times we 249 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:33,760 represent this as a throne of our heart. 250 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:35,680 OK, so imagine your heart, go ahead. 251 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:36,680 You can make a little sign, that's fine. 252 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:43,400 Imagine your heart, OK, has a throne and that throne is 253 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:47,480 whatever is the the highest priority of your life. 254 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:50,640 Like if we were to do an inventory of your time, your 255 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:52,800 energy, your thought life, your money, your resources, what 256 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:56,040 dominates the things that you you, what motivates you, your 257 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:57,760 goals, your purposes, right? Whatever. 258 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,880 We put all that together and we said this is the highest 259 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,280 priority of my Oh, hold on, I did it wrong here. 260 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:09,920 This. Is the highest priority of my 261 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,720 life. It's what motivates me, what 262 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:19,440 drives me. It's the throne of my heart. 263 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:28,640 Now we were created. See, I also searched Amazon and 264 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:34,040 I looked for tiny Jesuses. Please pay no attention to the 265 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:35,640 fact they're historically inaccurate. 266 00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:41,840 He was not Caucasian. OK, I looked for one. 267 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,040 They come in Mass. I bought 80. 268 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:47,760 You look like you could use a little Jesus in your life. 269 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:50,520 There you go. Here you go. 270 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,000 All right. If it hits you in the forehead, 271 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:58,760 you're automatically saved. I heard that's a rule. 272 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:06,840 All right. We were created because we were 273 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:15,200 supposed to worship the Creator. Our very design, the whole 274 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,280 reason we exist is to worship him. 275 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:27,000 Now why is that such a problem? Well, because of the curse. 276 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:39,040 We were born separated from God with an empty throne and an an 277 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:44,120 innate desire, right? An innate like motivation to 278 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:48,040 fill that there's a gap. And so because we were separated 279 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:53,560 from God, we grow up as we're born and, and we start to fill 280 00:16:53,560 --> 00:17:01,240 this with stuff, stuff, stuff. Do you know what I mean by 281 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:06,560 stuff? Oh, do we have some stuff? 282 00:17:08,599 --> 00:17:11,560 We, we worship other things because here's the, the net of 283 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,240 it is whatever you put at the top of your life, you're going 284 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:17,200 to worship because you were created to be a worshipper. 285 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,720 So whatever goes here, it's going to get your affection, 286 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:34,320 your adoration, your obsession. And we put all sorts of stuff 287 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:39,840 there. My goodness, think about all the 288 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:46,200 things that we shove into that throne in this country. 289 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:48,680 We have a epidemic of sexual addiction. 290 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:54,240 Sex, the the very thing that God gives us as a gift. 291 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:57,040 I was like a wonderful gift from God. 292 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,520 When, when, when that ends up in the throne of your heart. 293 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:02,680 Does that not get distorted really fast? 294 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:11,040 Look around us, food given to us for our enjoyment, to point us 295 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:14,400 to the goodness of God. Man, if that becomes, oh man, 296 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,360 can that go wrong? How about how about comfort? 297 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:27,560 Oh man, God must not be real because I'm not comfortable when 298 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,960 all of my decisions and all of my energy and all of my work is 299 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,160 about me being comfortable. I wonder who I worship? 300 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:39,560 How about family? What a what a beautiful gift 301 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,360 from God. Kids, a spouse, a relationship. 302 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,400 What a beautiful gift. Not if you put it there. 303 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:53,520 Not if you start worshipping it, man, will you distort that 304 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:54,800 quick? Can you imagine the burden that 305 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,440 your family or your spouse or your kids have to wear if you're 306 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:06,880 going to make them God? Every good gift that God has 307 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:11,080 given us will get extremely distorted the moment you put it 308 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:18,640 into the throne of your heart. So your kids, your relationship, 309 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:23,640 your marriage, your job, your identity, your comfort, your 310 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:31,680 emotions. Danger, danger. 311 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:39,760 Will Robinson Danger don't take a beautiful gift and make it 312 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:44,880 God. Now why am I telling you all 313 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:49,240 this? Because in this story, people 314 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:52,960 are going to see Jesus move in undeniable power. 315 00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:56,480 Like it is impossible to ignore a dead man getting up and 316 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:00,120 walking out of a tomb. Think about it. 317 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,280 There are people, two people standing next to one another. 318 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,600 They watch those just walk out. One of them's like I believe 319 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:07,480 that's just the son of God. Oh my goodness, the other one's 320 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:09,480 like and they run off to the Pharisees. 321 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:13,520 Why the different reactions seeing the same miracle. 322 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:18,520 Here's why, and I want you to. This is really important to 323 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:19,600 grasp. There are only. 324 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:24,880 Two, there are only two reactions when we see Jesus move 325 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,840 in undeniable power. When Jesus makes his presence to 326 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:30,480 you known in your life and you see him, one of two things is 327 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:32,840 going to happen. We're either going to correctly 328 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:36,200 crown him King. Or. 329 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:37,560 We are going to guard. Our throne. 330 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:42,720 We're either going to crown. Him, King of kings of our life. 331 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,320 Or we're going to. We're going to guard the throne. 332 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,320 And so those that that rightly believe that Jesus was in fact, 333 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:53,880 they believe not only when Jesus was king, like he was God, that 334 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:55,280 he was the Son of God. They believe that, but they also 335 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:56,480 believe that he was king of their life. 336 00:20:58,120 --> 00:21:01,760 That's his throne. So Jesus deserves my worship and 337 00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:04,920 he, he deserves to run my life, I mean, and he deserves to do 338 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:07,240 whatever he wants to, to glorify himself because he actually 339 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:11,240 created me. And let's be really honest. 340 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:16,040 Guys, come on, you realize he is actually the only one that can 341 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:17,680 appropriately handle the throne of your heart. 342 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:25,200 I've had many years to attempt to run my own life, brother. 343 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:33,040 It has not gone well. But he is. 344 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,960 Good. And The thing is, and you can 345 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:38,800 talk to any Christian that'll begin to talk to you about this. 346 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,360 Nothing else really fits that that spot. 347 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:43,600 Like every time we try to shove something else in there, we 348 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:47,440 realize it doesn't really work. It doesn't really satisfy us. 349 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:49,760 And so there's a there's a group of people in here, they see it, 350 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,240 they believe it, but not everyone. 351 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,120 See, here's the thing. In order to let Jesus. 352 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:04,080 Sit in the throne of. My heart, I have to get out of 353 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:11,200 the throne. One of the weirdest parts of of 354 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:16,080 being a pastor that no one told me about before I was a pastor 355 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,800 is that you would have a lot of really weird dreams. 356 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:21,400 This is a safe place, right? This isn't going anywhere. 357 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:22,320 It's not going online or anything. 358 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:25,760 So you'd have a lot of really weird dreams. 359 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:28,880 Because I. I think because you're like, I, 360 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:31,720 I, I obsess over you guys like I'm, I'm praying for you. 361 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:33,320 I think about you. I'm always thinking about what 362 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:37,160 needs to be done and oh who's hurting and what and so like 3-4 363 00:22:37,160 --> 00:22:38,760 times a week. I know I'm dreaming about some 364 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:40,280 of you. Sorry if that makes you 365 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:46,000 uncomfortable. And it's just like. 366 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:47,440 And then I found out it was common. 367 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:49,560 So I talked to other pastors like, oh, I dream about church 368 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:51,960 all the time, right? So I had, I have a buddy who's a 369 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,320 pastor and he kept having the same weird dream. 370 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,040 And in the dream, he's on this White Horse and he's riding on 371 00:22:58,040 --> 00:22:59,840 the beach. By the way, he doesn't ride 372 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:02,760 horses. Important fact. 373 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,280 He's riding this White Horse on the beach toward a group of 374 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:07,200 people who need him and they're like calling out and they're 375 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:10,000 like, oh, you know, I need you. And so he and he never gets 376 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,680 there. And so people need him and he's 377 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:13,920 like, oh, I got to get there. I got it right. 378 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:15,800 And so he has a dream over and over and over again. 379 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:19,160 Finally he has a dream one night and he actually, I don't know 380 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:22,480 how you ride he. He rides up. 381 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:26,200 To the group and Jesus is like there in the crowd with the 382 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:29,600 people and he's like, Jesus, what do you need? 383 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:33,120 And Jesus looks at him and goes, I need you to get off my horse. 384 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:50,600 I didn't I. Didn't I didn't sleep well most 385 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:53,240 of the week. I'd sleep more about two hours 386 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:55,120 at a time, and I was up a lot. There's a lot going on in the 387 00:23:55,120 --> 00:23:58,480 church, right? There's been, there's been a lot 388 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,920 of change, a lot of transition, walking through some messes, 389 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,200 walking through the consequences of sin, walking through a lot of 390 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,880 spiritual attack right now, a lot of hurting people. 391 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,320 And so I just like up a lot just thinking about it and just just 392 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:14,480 doing a lot of prayer, a lot of praying and just times a little 393 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:16,000 angry at God. God can take your anger. 394 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:17,840 You can yell at him a little. He's a big boy. 395 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,720 And I woke up. Tuesday just just kind of just 396 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,280 kind of angry and mad and just I like to fix things and I'm just 397 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:29,400 getting to this point where I can't fix anything and feeling 398 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:34,560 powerless, which, you know, that's that's pride And and so 399 00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:36,360 I'm just kind of complaining to the Lord about like, you know, I 400 00:24:36,360 --> 00:24:39,360 just can't, I can't do anything about any of these things. 401 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:40,960 And you know, God is so gracious. 402 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,760 He's just like very, very gently taps me on my shoulder and he's 403 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:46,400 like. You can't. 404 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:53,040 Do anything because I, I granted you access to my throne room and 405 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,360 told you to bring all of your requests and all of your 406 00:24:55,360 --> 00:24:58,560 supplications to me. In fact, I actually commanded 407 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:01,120 you to do it and I told you that you have not because you ask 408 00:25:01,120 --> 00:25:02,280 not. So I mean, are you going to just 409 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:03,960 talk about praying or you can actually do it? 410 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:11,920 Well, thanks, I just got out. I just got out those. 411 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,080 I got the list of members and I put them in a spreadsheet 412 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:16,320 because we all do that when we pray, right? 413 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,240 We we pray from spreadsheets. That's just me. 414 00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:20,560 OK, I'm weird. Fine alphabetical order. 415 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:27,200 I started praying like, like person by person, just seeing 416 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:29,400 their face and writing prayers for each person. 417 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:36,880 And about an hour in I was like. I'm not powerless. 418 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:40,960 It's. Just my job to. 419 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,480 It's like, it's like a, it's like in your, in your work, you 420 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,240 like when there's a problem, you, you go to tech support and 421 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,800 you write a sport ticket, right? Like I just my job is to write a 422 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:53,600 lot of sport tickets. I just keep turning them. 423 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,960 In just keep turning them in. Just keep praying. 424 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,280 Just keep praying. And here's why. 425 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,680 Because guys, that's all I I have is a phenomenal Heavenly 426 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:06,120 Father who is in control. I don't have a horse or a Cape. 427 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:09,480 And if we're? Being really honest, I don't 428 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,240 need one. I I don't need to be in control. 429 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:14,640 I actually am really bad at it. I make a terrible God. 430 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:23,840 And you do too. The greatest lie that was ever 431 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:26,040 told was told all the way. The beginning of creation with 432 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,160 Adam and Eve are in the garden and the serpent shows up and his 433 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:33,280 whole mess started. And the lie was we. 434 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:37,200 Don't need Jesus on his throne. We would make much better gods 435 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,440 if we were in charge. Man, that is a lie. 436 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:42,480 I have. I have years of life to tell you 437 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:46,640 that is a lie. Like forget. 438 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:50,360 Jesus, take the wheel. Jesus, baby, lock me in the back 439 00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:53,080 seat please. I don't. 440 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:54,320 Need to touch the steering wheel. 441 00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:56,480 I probably shouldn't be around the navigation system. 442 00:27:00,360 --> 00:27:01,800 We make terrible. Gods. 443 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:08,800 To, to, to. Acknowledge Jesus as King to to 444 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:12,560 grant him and say no Jesus, you should be in the throne of my 445 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:14,880 heart actually means we have to get out because he doesn't want 446 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:22,680 to sit in our lap. That means granting control, 447 00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:25,840 acknowledgement that Jesus is king of our life. 448 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,800 We crown him as king or we guard our throne. 449 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:36,560 So in our story, some believe, but some they're only worried 450 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:39,800 about guarding the throne. Pastor Rich Sanford. 451 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:41,800 Said it this way, he said. There's two choices. 452 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:45,920 I yield to Christ or demand that he yields to me. 453 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:57,400 That's a hot claim. What about you? 454 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,400 Who does your life? Say that Jesus is. 455 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:07,320 Because every single one of. Us is going to answer with our 456 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:10,880 lives. Because it's the throne. 457 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:13,040 Of our heart that we need to surrender to Him. 458 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:17,120 And The thing is that. We will always worship what's 459 00:28:17,120 --> 00:28:21,880 sitting on our throne. There's a, there's. 460 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:26,440 Another part of the story and we won't, we haven't even read it 461 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:28,480 yet. It'll come in in the in the 462 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:30,760 later chapters of John. It'll happen in a little bit. 463 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:34,560 But here's the thing, since since you and I have grown up 464 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:38,440 your time before Jesus, we've grown up filling our throne, the 465 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:40,760 throne of our heart, with all sorts of other things, all sorts 466 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:44,680 of created things, all sorts of unworthy things, from our family 467 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:46,880 to our job to our identity, to our comfort. 468 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:50,120 What will happen is. That even if you've given your 469 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:53,400 life to Jesus, even if you surrendered your heart to Him. 470 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:59,520 Holy when things get tough, when it hits the fan. 471 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:03,320 Boy, there's going to be. A temptation to pull Jesus right 472 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:04,640 back out of there and take control again. 473 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:08,600 Jesus, I don't. Know if you've been paying 474 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,280 attention. I sent you a. 475 00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:19,920 Plan in PowerPoint. Maybe we should. 476 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:21,920 Maybe he's just maybe I'm just going to have to pull him out of 477 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:23,600 there and take take control again. 478 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:29,640 I know you're we're going. To be tempted when it gets 479 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,400 really difficult guys to to pull Jesus out of the throne and 480 00:29:32,400 --> 00:29:33,920 replace him with a cheap substitute. 481 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:38,040 In a in. A few chapters Jesus is going to 482 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:40,720 get arrested. And and he's going to. 483 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,720 Go to the cross and when that happens, every single person who 484 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:45,960 did genuinely believe in him, like we know it was genuine 485 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:48,280 belief, every single person's going to run away. 486 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:55,200 They're going to. See the moment, the crisis, the 487 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:58,200 storm, and they're going to go and they're going to pull him 488 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:00,600 out and they're going to take, they're going to go. 489 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:02,040 I, I, you know, that's too risky. 490 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:03,360 I better take control of this again. 491 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:06,920 The apostle Peter, probably the boldest, loudest disciple of 492 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,040 Jesus, is going to be like, I would never not follow you G and 493 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:11,720 then immediately show him out and run away. 494 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:19,240 Me too, Peter, me too. One of the things we begin to 495 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:22,800 say around our church lately is that crisis reveals character. 496 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:26,440 You can say you. Believe a lot of things until 497 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:29,080 the storm hits. And when crisis? 498 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:32,160 Hits I'm going to find out if Jesus is really on the throne of 499 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:34,120 my heart or if I've been faking it. 500 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,920 And let me be real, sometimes I've been faking it. 501 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:40,400 Sometimes I fail. I yank him right out of there 502 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:43,440 and I want to take control. And sometimes it's because of my 503 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:47,480 comfort or it's my apathy, and I just pulled Jesus right out of 504 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:49,360 the top spot of my life without even noticing. 505 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:53,040 Here's the beauty of the gospel. Jesus doesn't. 506 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:59,240 Abandoned me when I fail. He convicts me and then he 507 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:02,920 restores. Me and he invites me back into 508 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:05,560 active relationship every single time. 509 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:08,680 That's Grace. Not a license. 510 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:11,600 To sin, but a power to keep coming back. 511 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:17,840 This Christian. Life is 1 in which every single 512 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:20,640 day we have to do a heart check to see who's on the throne. 513 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:23,720 To see if we're still. Surrendering that we're 514 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:26,480 surrendering our will and our volition and our own plans and 515 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:27,760 the control of our life to Jesus. 516 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,160 Jesus actually explains this to his disciples in Luke 9/23. 517 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,360 He says if you would come after me. 518 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:41,520 You need to. Deny yourself, take up your 519 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:45,880 cross daily and follow me. The cross. 520 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:49,840 The implement of death. Every day we wake up and we 521 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,120 choose again to surrender to Jesus. 522 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,360 That means we deny ourselves the temptation of pulling him out of 523 00:31:56,360 --> 00:32:01,760 the top spot and replacing him. We submit in. 524 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:05,280 Humility to His will, not ours. And we go hard after Christ 525 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:12,880 daily. Daily what? 526 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:15,320 Does it look like? To do that, well, let me ask you 527 00:32:15,320 --> 00:32:17,240 this. This is the this is kind of the 528 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:18,880 inventories. You, you take an inventory and 529 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:23,000 here's what it looks like. Do I seek the face of God to 530 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:27,360 worship Him and experience His presence daily? 531 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:33,120 In how I. Read my Bible in how I pray and 532 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:36,000 talk to him in my thoughts, in my passions. 533 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:38,720 Like what does my daily pursuit of the King look like? 534 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:45,080 And listen if. It's not good if if if you're 535 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:47,960 taking inventory of your own pursuit of Christ and you're 536 00:32:47,960 --> 00:32:51,960 going it's, it's not good. What has to change? 537 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,000 Nothing changes. If nothing changes. 538 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,320 What has to change? Do this. 539 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:06,200 Pick one new way to pursue Him, one new way to stir up your 540 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,800 affection for Jesus, and tell someone about it. 541 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:12,040 That's called accountability. Like, oh, I liked everything up 542 00:33:12,040 --> 00:33:14,720 until that point. Pastor, tell someone about it. 543 00:33:14,720 --> 00:33:15,800 Hey, here's what I'm going to do. 544 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:21,200 Here's the second inventory. Question. 545 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,360 Have I let? Something else crawl into the 546 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:29,680 throne of my life. Do do do I? 547 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,040 Value something. Prioritize something over 548 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:34,720 Christ. A job, my reputation, a 549 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:37,880 relationship, tradition. Pride. 550 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,360 My feelings. My emotions, right? 551 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:43,920 Anything. Have I let anything else crawl 552 00:33:43,920 --> 00:33:46,720 in there? Because when that happens. 553 00:33:46,720 --> 00:33:50,160 When that happens. God will reveal that. 554 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,480 To us in different ways, right through prayer, by asking David 555 00:33:53,480 --> 00:33:57,840 would say search me and try me O God, and see if there is any 556 00:33:57,840 --> 00:34:01,400 unclean way in me. Meaning, man, I might not. 557 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:05,680 Even notice that I pulled the Lord out of his throne in order 558 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:06,840 to replace him with something else. 559 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:10,000 So ask the question. Sometimes the Spirit will reveal 560 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:11,560 that as you're reading scriptures, you're singing a 561 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:13,440 song, as you're meditating, as you're praying, as you're 562 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:16,280 talking to others. In accountability, in a small 563 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:19,639 group, there's lots of ways. If you're asking, you'll see. 564 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:25,239 And when He reveals that to you? Our response is. 565 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:30,080 To repent, to repent, to confess our sin. 566 00:34:31,440 --> 00:34:32,480 To turn from. It. 567 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:37,199 When? When? 568 00:34:37,199 --> 00:34:40,679 We are worshipping something other than God. 569 00:34:41,199 --> 00:34:44,000 That is the biblical definition of idolatry. 570 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:48,920 You have made. A gift of God, An idol. 571 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:52,679 The Bible will call. Anything other than God that you 572 00:34:52,679 --> 00:34:56,400 put, you worship an idol. And, and the irony of ironies is 573 00:34:56,440 --> 00:34:59,160 we would literally take the creator of all things out of his 574 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:01,920 throne and take the things that he created and put it in there. 575 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,240 Over and over. And over again in my life. 576 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:11,520 The the, the the. Christian recipe is to press 577 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:13,560 pause and to do a spiritual inventory. 578 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:16,320 And just. Ask God, hey. 579 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:26,240 Have I let things creep? In and listen, he is a jealous 580 00:35:26,240 --> 00:35:28,960 God. He is jealous for the. 581 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:33,560 Spirit he put in US. And he will. 582 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:36,640 Gently, lovingly, but jealously point out idols in your life. 583 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:40,400 For me, it's usually my desire to control things. 584 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:47,280 What about you? Might God. 585 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:52,480 Be revealing to you in this moment things you've been 586 00:35:52,480 --> 00:35:59,200 worshipping idols in your life. The the Wild. 587 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:02,920 Thing about our the end of our story today in verse 49, the the 588 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:04,840 priests they're they're they're plotting. 589 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:08,680 To kill Jesus. And and, and Caiaphas, by the 590 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:10,560 way, Caiaphas doesn't get enough, enough credit for 591 00:36:10,560 --> 00:36:12,440 probably being one of the most evil people in the Bible. 592 00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,880 We just kind of gloss over this. But this is like top five 593 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:17,560 villain stuff. Like we all, we all get on 594 00:36:17,560 --> 00:36:19,360 Judas, but Caiaphas is way worse. 595 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,960 Caiaphas says. They should murder Jesus to 596 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:30,000 protect their throne. This is what? 597 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:32,480 He says you know nothing at all, nor do you understand that it is 598 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:35,200 better for you that one man should die for the people, not 599 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:36,600 that the whole nation should perish. 600 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:42,520 Now what is he actually saying? He's saying Jesus is going to 601 00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:44,480 try to become king. I know it's all big to talk 602 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:45,960 about like no kings, no kings, right? 603 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:54,160 No, nobody will care. Jesus going to try to become 604 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:56,280 king, and if he tries to become king, then the Romans are going 605 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:57,760 to think that we're trying to overthrow them with an 606 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,240 insurrection, so we should just kill Jesus and save everybody. 607 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:06,640 Which is a bald faced. Lie and he knew it because the 608 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:09,280 crowd had already tried to make Jesus King multiple times and he 609 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:12,600 wouldn't let them. So he knows he's lying. 610 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:16,000 How many times have we? Lied to protect an idol. 611 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:20,240 Lied to ourselves. Lied to others. 612 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:25,920 He's lying now. The the. 613 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:30,000 Real irony of this moment is that simultaneously he is 614 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,640 prophesying what will happen that Jesus will die for everyone 615 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:35,200 and he doesn't even realize that's happening. 616 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:38,880 Oh and by the way, his his supposed fear that Jesus would 617 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:41,360 cause an insurrection and the Romans would come in and and 618 00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:43,320 take them out of power happened a few years later. 619 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:47,360 They actually had an insurrection and the Romans gave 620 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:50,920 it to tore everything down. Whoops, wasn't even Jesus. 621 00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:57,360 I mean. In this moment, these these 622 00:37:57,360 --> 00:37:59,520 religious people are supposed to be holy and they're supposed to 623 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:02,120 love God, supposed to be looking for Jesus. 624 00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:06,440 Successful, respected leaders. All they care about. 625 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:10,080 Is what they have to lose. Reputation. 626 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:12,880 Influence comfortable position in society. 627 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:16,920 All of us threatened by Jesus and and what should make you and 628 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:19,720 I uncomfortable as we read that is, we are way more like the 629 00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:21,280 Pharisees than we'd like to admit. 630 00:38:23,600 --> 00:38:26,760 Because when Jesus. Shows up in power in my life. 631 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:29,600 When Jesus shows up in that moment in your life, you're 632 00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:31,640 going to have the same choice that they did. 633 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:36,480 Will I let him be Lord of my life, even if it costs me 634 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:41,720 everything I'm holding on to? I'll just tell you. 635 00:38:41,720 --> 00:38:48,760 Personally, Jesus is worth it. He is worth it, he who did. 636 00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:52,440 Not consider himself when he went to the Cross on our behalf. 637 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:58,120 He is good, He is wise, He is powerful, He is worthy of honor 638 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:02,400 and praise and majesty. And no one else can. 639 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:06,080 Handle the throne of my heart, and every day you will learn how 640 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:08,680 much better He is than you think He is, and how much more He 641 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:10,240 loves you than you think He does. 642 00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:19,240 How about you? Will you? 643 00:39:19,240 --> 00:39:23,200 Let him be Lord of your life. Because only you. 644 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:25,560 Can answer that question about the throne of your heart. 645 00:39:29,720 --> 00:39:33,120 Today, if you have. Never surrendered your life to 646 00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:35,600 Christ I. Want to give you an. 647 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:39,840 Opportunity to do that. As we close, will you? 648 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:43,840 Bow your heads and close your eyes for a brief moment if. 649 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:46,800 If you are. Willing to ask God for 650 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:50,080 forgiveness and salvation as we close our eyes. 651 00:39:50,520 --> 00:39:53,760 I I want you to do this silently or quietly repeat this prayer 652 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:59,200 after me. Jesus, I know I'm a Sinner. 653 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:02,920 Who cannot? Save myself. 654 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:06,520 I need. You to save me. 655 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:15,920 I make a terrible. God, so I surrender everything 656 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:21,240 to you, and I receive your promises. 657 00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:26,800 Be my Lord. Please, Jesus. 658 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:32,760 If you prayed. To surrender your heart to Jesus 659 00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:35,280 for the first time right now. Would you be brave and raise 660 00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:40,720 your hand for me to see? Thank you. 661 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:43,160 Thank you. You can put. 662 00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:45,440 Your hands down. In Jesus. 663 00:40:45,440 --> 00:40:49,040 Name Amen. All right, real quickly as we 664 00:40:49,040 --> 00:40:53,160 close. If you just gave your. 665 00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:55,520 Life to Christ, welcome to the family. 666 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:05,160 In just a moment. As we respond to this message, 667 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:06,320 our praying team is going to be up here. 668 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:11,800 We love praying for you guys. If if you in this service or or 669 00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:13,920 recently gave your life to Christ and you haven't told 670 00:41:13,920 --> 00:41:15,800 anyone about it, I want you to go to the back. 671 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:19,600 There are some tables back there and say I raised my hand and we 672 00:41:19,600 --> 00:41:21,760 want to celebrate with you and we want to talk about what it 673 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:24,760 looks like to follow Jesus. And so go back there in just a 674 00:41:24,760 --> 00:41:27,040 moment where you stand. We're going to close our service 675 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:32,640 day with a song. We love to pray with you and for 676 00:41:32,640 --> 00:41:34,000 you. If you need prayer for any 677 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:35,080 reason, we're going to be up here. 678 00:41:35,080 --> 00:41:38,280 We would love it if you come and pray with us and if you gave 679 00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:40,880 your life to Christ recently and haven't told anyone, make sure 680 00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:43,400 you go to those tables. You guys move as the Lord leads 681 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:44,160 you. I love you.