1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,760 All right, you can turn your Bible to Matthew chapter 26, 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:10,080 part 100 should have had a celebration. 3 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:21,200 Matthew 26 and we're going to go verses 47 to 56 this morning 4 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,760 while he was still speaking, referencing Jesus in verse 46 5 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:29,440 when he said rise, let us be going. 6 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:31,800 My betrayer is at hand. Remember your context here. 7 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:33,440 We're in the garden. We've been praying. 8 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:36,320 Jesus has been praying. The disciples were in fact not 9 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:38,080 praying. He warned them, encourage them, 10 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,280 ask them to pray. They didn't pray. 11 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:44,720 Verse 47 While he was still speaking, Judas came one of the 12 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,720 12 and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs from the 13 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:50,680 chief priests and the elders of the people. 14 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,840 Now the betrayer had given them a sign saying, The one I will 15 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,840 kiss as the man sees him. And he came up to Jesus at once 16 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,600 and said, Greetings, Rabbi, And he kissed him. 17 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,280 And Jesus said to him, Friend, do what you came to do. 18 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,040 They came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 19 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:14,720 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out 20 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:17,840 his hand and drew his sword, and struck the servant of that high 21 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,160 priest, and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, Put your 22 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:25,240 sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will 23 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,640 perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot 24 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,880 appeal to my Father, and that he will at once send me more than 25 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:34,800 12 legions of angels? But how then should the 26 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:39,400 Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so at that hour? 27 00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:42,960 Jesus said to the crowds, because that's how many people 28 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:46,280 came for him. Have you come out against? 29 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,080 Have you come out against as a robber? 30 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,840 Sorry. Have you come out as against a 31 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,920 robber? With swords and clubs to capture 32 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,080 me? Day after day I sat in the 33 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:01,480 temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 34 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,160 But all this has taken place that the scriptures of the 35 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:08,000 prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples left him 36 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,120 and fled. Lord, we thank You for Jesus's 37 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:16,760 courage, for His perfection, for His glorious obedience that 38 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:21,240 stood in the face of three different kinds of failures, 3 39 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:23,640 different kinds of men in this moment. 40 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:30,200 The the betrayer, the follower who was disobedient, the mobs 41 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:31,560 who don't even know what they're doing. 42 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:35,880 And still Jesus stands perfect as the submitted servant to you 43 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,080 who fulfills your plan, who walks out your calling on his 44 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:45,280 life and does so with strength, does so with grace, does so with 45 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:48,600 authority. Lord, I pray that you would open 46 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:53,320 our eyes more today and help us to love him more deeply, to 47 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,200 trust him more deeply, and to follow him more closely. 48 00:02:58,000 --> 00:02:59,760 Bring revelation and light to your people. 49 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:07,920 Bring needed correction and wisdom in Jesus name, Amen. 50 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,200 We deal with the the filthy traitor today, Judas. 51 00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:25,520 Jesus knew this was coming. Judas had prepared for this, and 52 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:27,360 Judas somehow still follows through. 53 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,520 Remember, Satan entered Judas whenever he took the body and 54 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,440 the bread of the Lord unworthily. 55 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:35,920 So Judas arrives while Jesus is still speaking about the 56 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,160 betrayer. He's saying, guys, I told you to 57 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:39,160 pray. I told you to pray. 58 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,200 I told you to pray. Your test is here. 59 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,600 It's walking up in the garden as a mob. 60 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,040 It's come through the gate. We're here in the garden. 61 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,920 Here come all the torches. Here come all the weapons. 62 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,120 Here come all the clubs. These guys are heavily armed. 63 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:52,800 This is them. This is rolling in. 64 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,320 This is the SWAT team in the middle of the night, but it's a 65 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:57,920 big, big, big, big, big SWAT team. 66 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,560 The Prince of Peace is pursued by men who believe that violence 67 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:04,360 is the most powerful tool there is. 68 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,640 That's always been the mistake that that mankind is made. 69 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,800 They thought foolishness, they thought foolishly that the sword 70 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:12,520 is the best way to get something done. 71 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:14,880 Because again, I can enforce this. 72 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,320 I can make this happen. And Jesus defeats that in 73 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:19,640 multiple ways. He defeats that by showing use 74 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:21,920 the sword against me. He says, but I'll rise from the 75 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:24,400 dead and I'll defeat your violence with life. 76 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,440 And also he says, and watch this, I'm going to take over the 77 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:29,120 whole world. They're going to adjust the 78 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,800 calendar based upon my life and well, well, well beyond that. 79 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,280 And I'm not going to do it with the sword is does the sword 80 00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:38,520 still belong to the Lord through the civil magistrate? 81 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,400 Yes, it does, because he still wants the wicked to be punished 82 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:42,720 and the righteous to be rewarded. 83 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,480 And yet Jesus changes the whole world as he has. 84 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,400 And that's why you and I are sitting here today. 85 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,400 Through the hearts of man. He's done the thing that no 86 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,720 other man could ever do to another man, and that is change 87 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,720 his will. You can make a man obey you, but 88 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,240 he does it defiantly. He does it because you have a 89 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:00,080 sword in his back. He does it because there is a 90 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,160 gun pointed at his head. He does it because you're 91 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,280 bribing or blackmailing. There's some other motivation, 92 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:07,320 but he's not a genuine heart motivation. 93 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:10,960 God changes the hearts of man. God changed the desires of 94 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:13,560 people. Jesus makes us new creations, 95 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,880 and then we actually want things that we didn't used to want 96 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:18,880 before. That's the miracle of the new 97 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:20,200 birth. It's not. 98 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,840 I'm learning about Christian doctrine, and I want to start 99 00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:25,920 doing better and trying harder. Friend, I'm glad that you want 100 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:28,920 that, but there's something you need before you can do any of 101 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:30,520 that. The first thing you need is to 102 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:35,840 trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, His sacrifice, His substitution, 103 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,960 and you need to put faith in the grace of God and He'll make you 104 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,320 a new creation. Then you will have those desires 105 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,360 even stronger and more importantly, you will be given 106 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,720 power to obey them. Because if you just say I, this 107 00:05:48,840 --> 00:05:51,840 Jesus guy seems great and I'd like to obey him, That's the 108 00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:53,920 right impulse. That is wisdom. 109 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:55,760 And you are not far from the Kingdom. 110 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,240 But we need to bring you fully in the Kingdom, not by teaching 111 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,680 you exclusively just to obey His commands, which is what Jesus 112 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,520 told us we should do, but to understand, first of all, you've 113 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:07,880 got to become His. Once you're His, He gives you 114 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,080 power to obey His commands. We all know that we struggle to 115 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,560 obey His commands. We have flesh that gets in the 116 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,160 way of obedience to His commands. 117 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,560 But Jesus is the all powerful one who does not rely upon 118 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:22,320 violence to accomplish His will. Is Jesus supposed to violence? 119 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:23,920 No, he's not. There's a time for it. 120 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:27,160 There's a place for it. He will use violence against His 121 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:29,240 enemies. There's a day coming, but it's 122 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,120 not yet. Notice that it takes hundreds of 123 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,240 wicked men to gather enough courage to face this rabbi from 124 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,320 Nazareth. This rabbi from Nazareth and his 125 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:43,200 11 ragtag young men. Jesus had been teaching publicly 126 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:46,080 in the temple day after day, and no one dared to arrest him then 127 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:48,720 because they feared the crowds. They feared the mobs, and now 128 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:50,720 they've come at night. But they didn't come with like 129 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:53,520 12 soldiers already. They would outnumber the 130 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:56,240 untrained fishermen and tax collector, and they would 131 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,280 already have advantage. But hundreds of men come into 132 00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:03,840 the garden. The truth stands in the light, 133 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,960 and they couldn't defeat it. But sin prefers darkness, 134 00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,960 because darkness hides motives that would be exposed in the 135 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:11,720 light. My grandfather said it. 136 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,480 I'm sure plenty of y'all's granddaddy's have said it as 137 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:14,960 well. Nothing good happens after 138 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:18,320 midnight. I have since repackaged some 139 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:20,680 things for my boys and I call it the rules of stupid. 140 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:22,880 And there are three rules of stupid. 141 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:25,920 Don't go to stupid places. Don't hang out with stupid 142 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:30,040 people. And did I mix up my rules? 143 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:33,200 Stupid places, stupid people, stupid times. 144 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:35,200 Yeah. So stupid times of day. 145 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:37,720 So 2:00 AM is a stupid time of day. 146 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:40,520 So whatever you're doing at 2:00 AM, you're already breaking one 147 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:43,280 rule of stupid if you. But the more rules of stupid you 148 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:45,480 add up, the higher your consequences are probably going 149 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:47,720 to be when things go poorly. So if you're at a stupid place, 150 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:49,280 you're rolling the dice a little bit. 151 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,240 You're there with stupid people, things are getting even riskier, 152 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:53,680 and you're out there to stupid time. 153 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,280 So you know the bad place in the middle of the night with the 154 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,560 stupid people, the odds are against you, and chances are 155 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:01,160 something bad is going to come of this. 156 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,640 So we want to avoid all of the laws of all the rules of stupid 157 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,400 because you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. 158 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,400 That's something that my dad also said. 159 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:13,840 So sin prefers darkness, of course. 160 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:17,360 And This is why the world hates Jesus, because he exposes 161 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:19,800 darkness. He comes in, he turns on the 162 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,600 light. And mankind loved their sin. 163 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:27,200 That's why they hated the light. It's not just because we were 164 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,520 mean about it or you said I like what you're saying, but you're 165 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,760 just saying it the wrong way. Jesus told us that men hate 166 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:34,720 Christ because men love their sin. 167 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:37,559 That's why. Why do you hate the light? 168 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:40,080 Because I love my sin. That's my issue. 169 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:42,360 That's your issue. It's not that the light is bad. 170 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:44,159 Well, no, I'm no, no, I'm with you. 171 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,640 It's just too bright. People can get really clever. 172 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:50,240 People have great verbal gymnastics to justify and to 173 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,120 explain things. But Jesus will say you loved 174 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:55,600 your sin. That was the issue, of course. 175 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:56,880 That's why we have to crucify it. 176 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,760 We have to hate it enough to kill it, and we have to be 177 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,400 willing to do so. But when men can't defeat truth 178 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:06,160 with arguments, they often try to use violence to silence the 179 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:07,480 truth. Of course, it's not enough for 180 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:09,640 Jesus. The mob appears powerful in this 181 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,320 moment, but the real authority in the garden still belongs to 182 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,160 Jesus. The soldiers might have come in 183 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:19,840 expecting to control the situation, but they can't. 184 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:21,360 Why? Because the Son of God has 185 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,120 already surrendered himself, not to man, but to the Father. 186 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:26,200 That's who Jesus is surrendered to. 187 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,240 That's who Jesus fears. That's who Jesus submits to. 188 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:32,840 I will surrender to the Father. That's what he's done. 189 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:39,400 And now when the swords come out, he goes, Oh no, I've seen 190 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:41,760 God the Father. Your sword is not that 191 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,240 intimidating. This isn't that big a deal. 192 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,640 I've gotten the strength that I need at this point. 193 00:09:46,680 --> 00:09:48,400 Jesus has already been victorious. 194 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,120 He was victorious in prayer. He didn't give way to 195 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:52,880 temptation. And now he's going. 196 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:56,000 Now I just have to suffer. Now I'm going to take it all on, 197 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:58,560 bring it on. I'm the one. 198 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,080 Now is the time. This is my Father's destiny for 199 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,240 me, and I choose fully obedience. 200 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,800 Jesus is already one. He's walking in power. 201 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,200 He's walking in authority. It's why he is the way He is 202 00:10:08,200 --> 00:10:10,480 before Pilate. It's why He is the way he is 203 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:13,240 before the false courts that they drag him to here in a 204 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,200 little bit as they take him back and forth throughout Jerusalem 205 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:17,840 and beat Him and mock Him throughout the night. 206 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,720 He's going, it's for this reason that I was born. 207 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,560 This is my purpose, this is my destiny. 208 00:10:23,560 --> 00:10:25,320 I'm going to save the whole world. 209 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:26,920 I'm not the one who kills my enemies. 210 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:28,400 I'm the one who loves my enemies. 211 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:35,280 Now the betrayer had given them a sign. 212 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:39,320 Verse 48. The one I kiss is the man sees 213 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:43,440 him and he came up to Jesus at once and said, greetings, Rabbi, 214 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,760 and he kissed him. Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. 215 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:53,440 Obviously, it's a particular kind of evil. 216 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:58,640 He's choosing a sign of affection to betray and to wound 217 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:00,760 and to murder. There are particular kinds of 218 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:01,920 evil. We understand this. 219 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:05,240 All evil is not equal. I've I've proven this point too 220 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:07,600 many times. I would rather you slap me in 221 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:09,000 the face. Instead you shoot me in the 222 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,160 head. Our legal system recognizes that 223 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:12,440 that those are not the same things. 224 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,400 I would even prefer you call me a name instead of slap me in the 225 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,960 face so you could sin against me in multiple ways. 226 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:18,880 But they're not all equal. They're all bad enough to 227 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,360 deserve hell, but they're not all equal in the sense that they 228 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:24,640 have the same degree of wickedness to them. 229 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:28,040 But there are certain things. A parent abusing their child, 230 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,360 Why is that a particular kind of evil? 231 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,360 Well, because a parent is their child's protector. 232 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:34,960 A parent loves their child. A parent is supposed to be the 233 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:37,400 one who provides for, protects, nurtures, love. 234 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:39,400 They have a particular role in design. 235 00:11:39,680 --> 00:11:41,480 And it's a special kind of violation. 236 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,080 It's a bizarre and a unique kind of violation. 237 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:48,280 In the same way Judas comes in with a kiss to give his 238 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:50,320 betrayal. It makes Judas just that much 239 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,000 more disgusting to us, as he should be. 240 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:55,320 The betrayer hides behind a symbol of friendship. 241 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:58,000 This was a very common kind of greeting. 242 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,480 There are some arguments that the original language reveals 243 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:03,680 that Judas really overdid it with his greeting. 244 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:06,800 In his insecurity of the moment, he really poured it on, Hey, 245 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:09,000 good morning, brother. And the handshake and the hug 246 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,000 and all this kind of extra, extra, extra. 247 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:14,600 It's like, that was a bit, that was a bit different, but Jesus 248 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:19,040 knew what was coming. Friend, do what you came to do. 249 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:21,520 He's resolved. He's certain. 250 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,600 Jesus wasn't like, like, notice what his prayer time wasn't 251 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:25,760 about. I can't believe Judas is 252 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:27,320 betraying me. I just can't get over it. 253 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:29,640 I can never forgive this. The betrayal hurts so bad. 254 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:32,520 The betrayal hurts so bad. How could Judas, how could you? 255 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:35,240 He's like, Judas is betraying me next. 256 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,160 He's moving on. How often have we been stuck on? 257 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:42,680 I'm stuck a decade ago on the betrayal. 258 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:46,040 Are you saying it's not a big deal? 259 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:47,160 I'm not saying it's not a big deal. 260 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,120 I'm just saying the Master moved on pretty quickly. 261 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:51,840 You have bigger fish to fry, Saints. 262 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,560 And if we're all really forgiving those who trespass 263 00:12:56,560 --> 00:13:00,480 against us, then that has to look like something. 264 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:07,360 Judas greets Jesus warmly while simultaneously delivering him to 265 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:09,600 the soldiers who are just right behind them. 266 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,080 The Scripture says that they were with him. 267 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:13,880 It doesn't say Judas was with the soldiers. 268 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,760 It says they were all with him. He's the leader of the pack. 269 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:18,280 He's got his thirty pieces of silver. 270 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:23,600 This is the hypocrisy of sin. It smiles while it betrays. 271 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,080 Judas does not stab Jesus. He's not the one who personally 272 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:28,840 arrests him or attacks him openly. 273 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:32,520 He pretends devotion. He gets to play it safe while 274 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,920 carrying out one of the darkest acts in the history of sin and 275 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:41,080 in the history of the world. Sin will often disguise itself 276 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:45,400 in politeness, in kindness, and even in religious language. 277 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:48,560 I've been diligent to teach my sons, and I need to be diligent 278 00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:51,680 to teach you as well. Most deception is not going to 279 00:13:51,680 --> 00:13:53,440 come. Most false doctrine, most 280 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:56,480 opposition to the cross is not going to come with a foaming at 281 00:13:56,480 --> 00:13:58,280 the mouth. We do definitely see that. 282 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,680 We do see demonic people, but the stuff that's the the most 283 00:14:01,680 --> 00:14:05,080 dangerous to the flock of God is the stuff that sounds like they 284 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:07,200 made a great .0. That's an interesting idea. 285 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,040 And they start to get into controversies and they start to 286 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:13,040 get into did you really know? And all these things that sound 287 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:15,120 fascinating and they tickle the ears. 288 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:18,560 The scripture says, oh, that tickles and it also itches and 289 00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:21,600 it also satisfies. And they're interested in these 290 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:23,600 kinds of things. And people are chasing this. 291 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:26,280 People follow that video. People's faith has been 292 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:30,760 shipwrecked by a video they saw on TikTok from an idiot who 293 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:32,400 doesn't know or understand the scriptures. 294 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:37,480 And they go like they have an existential crisis, they have a 295 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:40,280 theological crisis because they think this person made a 296 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:44,400 profound point and they didn't. And 2000 years of church history 297 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:48,160 is laughing hysterically at the idiotic video that this person 298 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:51,240 has just released. But the novice and the new 299 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,440 believers going, I'm intimidated, I'm overwhelmed. 300 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:56,360 I don't know what to do with that. 301 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:00,280 I don't know the Bible. I don't read the Bible, so I'm 302 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,160 easily misled and I'm not. And I don't realize how many 303 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:05,320 warnings there are in Scripture to stay away from simple 304 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,600 stupidities like this. How Paul even tells Timothy 305 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,600 don't have anything to do with foolish controversies. 306 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:13,400 People love to dig into stuff, Timothy. 307 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:15,080 People love to talk about getting to caught up in the 308 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:19,480 genealogies and blah blah blah. Timothy, stay faithful and keep 309 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:24,080 it simple because it is. So people like to pretend that 310 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,560 they're intellectual, and that's appealing. 311 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:30,000 We're in an intellectual age. I mean, that's the question, 312 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:31,840 right? Can you, can you show me the 313 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:34,240 data on that? You know, do you have a white 314 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:36,840 paper that can prove that point? Because we all know that data 315 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:38,720 cannot be manipulated. And we all know that white 316 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:41,120 papers are always true. And we all know that, you know, 317 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:43,600 and especially if it comes from the government, like then we 318 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:46,960 know, like if the FDA says it, then we know we can trust it. 319 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,360 Or if Fauci says it, then we know we can trust it. 320 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:51,960 Or if President Trump says it, we know we can trust it. 321 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:55,040 Let me be an equal opportunity offender here with all of our 322 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,560 all of our leadership. We can't trust any of that. 323 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,200 What we can trust is the word of God, the anvil that is worn out, 324 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:05,040 every hammer who's ever come against it. 325 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:09,320 What's the evidence? What's the fruit? 326 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,320 My testimony. I know Jesus. 327 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:16,320 That's why you have to actually know Jesus, because if you're 328 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,080 built upon someone else's, even a Christian's great 329 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:22,800 argumentation, even your favorite apologist who does a 330 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:27,640 great job deconstructing the arguments of his enemy, that is 331 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:31,400 not where your faith can rest. Your faith has to rest on the 332 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:36,160 person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not just I know the theological 333 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:38,640 answer for that. I know the apologetical answer 334 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:40,120 for that. I love apologetics. 335 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:41,720 You're allowed to love apologetics, by the way. 336 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,920 It's not, it's not a knock on apologetics, but your life 337 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:49,200 cannot be built on apologetics. And the New Testament was not 338 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:51,680 built upon a great argumentation. 339 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,360 And the spread of the gospel is not built upon great 340 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:56,440 argumentation. It's actually in the preaching 341 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,880 of the foolishness of the cross. To those who are perishing, it's 342 00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:03,520 foolishness, but to those who are being saved, it is. 343 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:08,000 It is salvation. The gospel is the power of God 344 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:11,720 unto salvation for those who believe the gospel. 345 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:14,040 The bloody cross. Really. 346 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:16,560 Some Jewish Carpenter from Nazareth? 347 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:18,000 Yes. Yeah. 348 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:19,760 He was born of a virgin. Really. 349 00:17:19,839 --> 00:17:21,440 Absolutely. How's that possible? 350 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:25,200 It's a miracle of God. You and your sky daddy. 351 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,119 I wish you wouldn't call him that, but I can't control you. 352 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:29,960 He's my heavenly Father. I honor him. 353 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:31,120 He's God. He's your creator. 354 00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:32,800 That's your that's his breath you're borrowing. 355 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:34,800 You're going to give it back to him as well, just so you know. 356 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:37,040 And I want you ready for that moment when you give him that 357 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:38,320 breath back. Because you will. 358 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:39,960 It'll be the last thing you literally do. 359 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:42,160 Good news. He loves you so much. 360 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,960 Yes, he loves you so much. I love you so much. 361 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,720 My heart breaks for the anger and the hostility that you have. 362 00:17:49,120 --> 00:17:52,120 I don't need your pity. Well, but thankfully you have 363 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,280 Jesus's, so mine doesn't do much for you. 364 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:56,080 But the love of Jesus will save your life. 365 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:58,080 I don't need to be saved. Yeah, you do. 366 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:00,120 Yeah, you do. The Bible says that you're a 367 00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:01,440 Sinner. Oh, I'm a Sinner, huh? 368 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:02,520 Yeah. Yeah, we all are. 369 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:04,960 Me too. But then Christ makes us a new 370 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:09,200 creation. And through faith in Jesus, you 371 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,160 can be saved. It's ridiculous. 372 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:15,240 It's almost too good to be true, except that it is true. 373 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:24,520 I don't know where we were, but the gospel is good. 374 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:32,720 Never trust a backslider. They have all. 375 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,840 That's where we were, people dressing up their attacks on the 376 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:41,720 cross with cleverness, intelligence, good sounding 377 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:46,040 arguments. Backsliders are dangerous. 378 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:50,320 A lot of times the worst backsliders are former pastors, 379 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:53,680 former ministers, because they, when you, when you used to be a 380 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:56,800 shepherd and you turn against Christ, you become a wolf, a 381 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,640 sheep who turns against Christ. A lot of times can just be a 382 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:01,920 lost sheep who's can a lot of times still mind their own 383 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:03,920 business. What I see is most dangerous is 384 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:06,920 former former pastor. That's where I'm going. 385 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:12,600 The shepherd and me. I, I, I feel a bit aggressive 386 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,120 towards those folks because I love God's flock and I see how 387 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:18,360 clever they are and I see their manipulations and the books that 388 00:19:18,360 --> 00:19:21,440 they write and the sheep go, wow, that's a really good point. 389 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,840 It's not, it's not a good point. That's not good food and that's 390 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:26,880 not going to help you love Jesus more deeply. 391 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:29,560 I don't need you to follow me, but I do need you to follow 392 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,240 Jesus and I need you to not follow this person. 393 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,520 I see a lot of people who are willing to kiss Jesus but not 394 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:40,360 obey Jesus, which is interesting. 395 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:44,200 Psalm 2 commands US. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry 396 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:45,920 with you, and you perish in the way. 397 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:49,040 But apparently you can kiss the sun and still perish in the way. 398 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:53,920 So the act of just kissing the sun apparently isn't the full 399 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:55,920 protection. I love Psalm 2. 400 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,440 You should as well. We've read it many times 401 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:00,640 together. But even Judas got that part 402 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:02,560 right. I'll kiss the sun. 403 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,400 Yeah, but he betrays the sun. And I've seen plenty of people 404 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:08,680 who are willing to kiss the sun with their language. 405 00:20:09,120 --> 00:20:13,920 With their church presentation, with their, with the, with 406 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:17,440 their, their false lifestyle, their false Christian lifestyle. 407 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:19,720 That's their idea of kissing the sun. 408 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:22,000 But if the fruit isn't really there, then it's still just 409 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:25,280 betrayal of the sun. This is what we have to guard 410 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:27,240 ourselves against. And we need to be wise to pay 411 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:29,640 attention to what are we? Are we condemning anyone? 412 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:32,480 No, we're not condemning anyone. But I want you to be as wise as 413 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,720 a serpent while simultaneously staying as harmless as a dove. 414 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:38,480 And serpents have wisdom. They're paying attention. 415 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,720 You have no venom and you have no bite, but you have the wisdom 416 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:45,240 of the serpent. You know how to not get hit, and 417 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:47,840 you know when to stay back. You know when to watch. 418 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:51,680 You know when to listen. Judas the flatterer. 419 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,640 Proverbs gives us plenty of warnings about the flatterer. 420 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:56,000 Those who flatter with their tongue. 421 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:01,480 A man who flatters his neighbor, spreads a net for his feet and a 422 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:06,520 flattering mouth works ruin. Genuine encouragement is good 423 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:09,000 and necessary among believers. I need encouragement. 424 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:12,760 Don't you need encouragement? This is a funny Side Story for 425 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:15,000 years. And if you've done this, please 426 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,120 don't be embarrassed. It's just a funny thing. 427 00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:19,640 And it's OK. For years, though, people 428 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:22,160 whenever, from time to time, whenever someone would want to 429 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,880 tell me that a sermon was really good, they have prefaced it 430 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:26,720 with, hey, I don't want you to get the big head. 431 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:29,480 But that was a really good message. 432 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:31,280 That was a really good sermon. And I just always thought that's 433 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,160 just kind of a funny thing. I wonder why folks do that. 434 00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:36,640 There's a pastor who I love and follow online, and he released a 435 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:38,640 video saying the exact same thing. 436 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:40,680 And I was like, is this a common thing? 437 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,880 And other pastors in the comments were like, I just 438 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:44,920 assumed it was just me. So funny thing. 439 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,600 Just so you know, you don't have to put that in front of any 440 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,880 compliment. Like you're allowed to say, hey, 441 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:54,960 that was really good today. Like it's OK, like I promise I 442 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:57,480 don't think I'm going to get the big head from you saying I had a 443 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:59,680 great sermon, but I don't know, it's, it's a funny thing up. 444 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:01,320 There's, there's probably there's got to be a reason for 445 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:03,160 it. My suspicion is that the flock 446 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,360 is like concerned, like, hey, I want my shepherd to be safe and 447 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:07,280 good. So I'm like, I want to give him 448 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:09,360 some encouragement. But like, hey, dude, don't turn 449 00:22:09,360 --> 00:22:13,280 into some ego egomaniac because this is a pretty powerful 450 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:14,480 compliment I'm about to give you. 451 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:17,680 I don't I don't know if you I don't know if you think you have 452 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:22,520 that much power over us or it's like, hey, listen, I'm about to 453 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:24,600 tell you something. Are you sitting down? 454 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,280 I thought your sermon was pretty good. 455 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:32,440 Now don't go crazy with that. So anyway, I mean, it's just 456 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:33,320 weird. Like you don't say that when 457 00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:35,680 somebody cooks a great meal. You're like delicious, amazing, 458 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:36,680 so good. Thank you. 459 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:38,480 And then your pastor preach your great sermon. 460 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:45,240 You're like, hey, stay humble. But listen, you did all right 461 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:47,120 today. Thank you. 462 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:50,680 All right, we all need encouragement. 463 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:52,400 Your pastor needs encouragement as well. 464 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:53,960 To say, you know, I'm actually a human being. 465 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:56,480 Anyone who's spending time around me and says, yeah, I knew 466 00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:01,040 that I need encouragement. You need encouragement. 467 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:06,200 But a flatterer is one who is using their encouragement as a 468 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:08,840 manipulation. They are looking to extract, 469 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,720 They're looking to steer you into something that is probably 470 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:15,000 not good for you. So it's it can be wisdom to be 471 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,280 reciprocal in a relationship and give and give and give. 472 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:18,640 That's a good thing. That's a normal thing. 473 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,640 That's a healthy thing. But the flatterer is looking to 474 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,720 trap you. Remember, he said the flatterer 475 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,320 spreads a net. So they have harm planned for 476 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:29,000 you. Their flattery is is deception. 477 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:30,880 Their flattery is, hey, don't look over here. 478 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:32,320 Judy is going, hey, I'm not betraying you. 479 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:34,720 I just kissed you. Whoa, where'd this army come 480 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,080 from? That's what a flatterer is 481 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:37,960 doing. Hey, you're so great. 482 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:41,160 You're so great wise while simultaneously subverting 483 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:43,280 something that you're doing. You know, this is an employee 484 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,320 who's saying the boss, man, you're so great, you're doing so 485 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:46,560 great. You're doing so great while 486 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:48,440 simultaneously like they're stealing a bunch of money. 487 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:50,640 You know, you're doing great and I got this covered for you or 488 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:54,280 whatever. Beware the flatterer and beware 489 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:58,160 that you're not the flatterer. Because whenever a flatterer 490 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,320 offers compliments, they're they're offered with hidden 491 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:03,640 motives and they are just tools for control. 492 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:09,520 Jesus said to him, friend, do what you came to do. 493 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:12,360 And they laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 494 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:14,520 Jesus responds with calm authority. 495 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:20,080 Do what you came to do, friend. Jesus doesn't even call it out. 496 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:22,640 Jesus just says, do what you came to do. 497 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:25,160 I'll play along. He's so secure, he's so 498 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:27,920 authoritative that he doesn't have to even reveal everything 499 00:24:27,920 --> 00:24:29,680 that he knows. He knows everything He knows, 500 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:32,800 and he knows everything Judas knows, and there's no panic in 501 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:34,200 the Son of God. Why? 502 00:24:34,360 --> 00:24:37,240 Because his obedience has already been settled in prayer. 503 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:41,600 Strength in the moment of crisis was built during private 504 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:44,840 fellowship with the Father long before the crisis arrived. 505 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:51,080 That's why strength in the moment of crisis was built 506 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:54,680 during private fellowship with the Father long before the 507 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:59,280 crisis arrived. They often say you will not rise 508 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:01,520 to the level of the pressure of the moment. 509 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:04,640 You always fall back to the level of your preparation. 510 00:25:05,120 --> 00:25:07,800 That's true in athletics. That's true in combat. 511 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,880 This is why, like self-defense training is important. 512 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,840 You know, men, you know, who do jiu jitsu and Muay Thai or train 513 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,400 with firearms and all these things, it's so important. 514 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:21,240 But men who neglect those kinds of things, they say foolish 515 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:25,160 things like, oh, if I get mad, I'll just see red. 516 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,720 Just like, Oh, no, you'll see a color. 517 00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:30,640 Like. I'm not sure. 518 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:33,320 Like you're still not trained for combat. 519 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,480 You're still not prepared to defend others. 520 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:36,640 You're still not prepared to protect. 521 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:37,960 No, no, you don't understand, brother. 522 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:40,440 I see red. I heard you. 523 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,920 But whether it's red or green or any other color, you still need 524 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:45,760 to know what you're doing when you're getting punched in the 525 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:48,760 face or when when we're under threat, when we're under 526 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:51,320 pressure. Oh, whenever, whenever, whenever 527 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:55,560 pressures come against my life. What you going to do, You are 528 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,360 who you already are and you better make sure you are the 529 00:25:58,360 --> 00:26:01,600 person that you needed to be in that moment because now is not 530 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:04,400 the time to prep. Back in the day when I was doing 531 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:08,040 crew, I was the guy who did the steering and the yelling and the 532 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,160 motivating. I was the toxin. 533 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:11,720 It was the role and the rowers they rode. 534 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:13,360 They did. They have the hard work and I 535 00:26:13,360 --> 00:26:15,520 just would encourage them along. One of the things I was very 536 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:19,520 good at was in our practices. We race really big schools who 537 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:22,080 had lots of boats. Every practice they'd be racing 538 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:23,960 against other crews. They'd have like 3 different 539 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:26,520 men's eights and they're fighting each other all week 540 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:29,880 long, all week long. We had one varsity men's boat 541 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:32,600 each year that was fast. So we would all start. 542 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:35,800 We would start like half a mile behind the girls, not 543 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:38,720 exaggerating, and then by the end of the race piece we'd be 544 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:40,320 like half a mile in front of the girls. 545 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:44,320 So we didn't really have a great measurement to judge ourselves 546 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,120 week after week. But you know what they did have? 547 00:26:46,520 --> 00:26:49,480 They had a coxen in the boat who was constantly keeping the 548 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,360 pressure on and I would constantly tell them we got to 549 00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:53,800 make sure nobody's outworking us. 550 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:56,240 We got to make sure that Saint Joe's is not out working us 551 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:57,600 right now. We got to make sure that Nyack 552 00:26:57,600 --> 00:26:59,440 is not out working us right now. We got to make sure that 553 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,520 Woodbridge, there's 4 eights in Woodbridge right now racing each 554 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:04,320 other. There's a bunch of, there's a 555 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,360 bunch of dudes in there and we just have us and the river and 556 00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:10,480 we better be prepared for race day because we will be exposed. 557 00:27:10,840 --> 00:27:12,960 And I stayed on top of it because I wanted to win more 558 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,680 than anyone else in the boat. So I was cracking. 559 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:17,800 If they'd let me have a whip, I would have used one. 560 00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:21,040 So we are going and we're going. We're training. 561 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:23,640 But you can't show up on race day and go, let's turn on some 562 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:27,240 hype music. You see red. 563 00:27:27,360 --> 00:27:30,080 That's the equivalent. Like I see red now let me when 564 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:32,680 I'm going through a difficult thing, the best time to prepare 565 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:35,120 for a difficult thing is to be is to live prepared for the 566 00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:39,800 difficult thing. If you knew when the bad guy was 567 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:43,320 coming, you'd be prepared. If the strongman knew when 568 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:46,160 someone was coming to take over his house, he would have been 569 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:48,800 prepared. We want to live prepared. 570 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,600 We want to live in fellowship. We want to live in prayer. 571 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,520 We want to live in the Word because guess what? 572 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,240 Trials and temptations and tribulations are coming. 573 00:27:57,880 --> 00:27:59,040 Some of you are like, they're coming. 574 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:01,360 I'm living it right now. Some of you are like, I'm in a 575 00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:02,520 sweet season. Some of you're like, I'm in a 576 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,400 difficult season, but they're coming again. 577 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:06,560 Why? Because the world is broken. 578 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:09,400 The devil is bad, and you're not perfect. 579 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:11,840 You're not making all the best decisions all the time. 580 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:14,760 But the more we live in the word, the more we live in 581 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:16,280 prayer. We're staying ready. 582 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:18,360 We're staying ready. And then the Lord's also 583 00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:20,800 preparing us for things. I know some of you have been 584 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:23,080 prepared for things. The Lord is giving you words and 585 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:24,680 saying something's coming, hasn't he? 586 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:27,520 Hasn't he, Kayla, He's prepped you and he's been like, hey, 587 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:33,960 lean in, I got you. But lean in because because 588 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,440 something hard is coming and the Lord's, the Lord looks out for 589 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:37,760 you. But that comes from being in 590 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:41,880 fellowship again with the Lord. So this is how we want to live. 591 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:44,400 This is how this is the place we want to stay in. 592 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:48,200 Strength in the moment of crisis is built during private 593 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:51,080 fellowship with the Father long before the crisis arrives. 594 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:55,720 Execution in combat did not come on the day of combat and getting 595 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:58,360 lucky. It came from great preparation. 596 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:01,520 Winning the gold medal on race day didn't happen on race day. 597 00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:05,000 We had a great race. Yeah, because we had a million 598 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,880 great practices when nobody was looking and it was boring and it 599 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:13,040 was just us on the river. Christians don't just cruise 600 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:16,600 through difficulties and trials and temptations just because 601 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,720 they felt they felt like it or just because the right song hit 602 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,000 on the radio. They did it because they were in 603 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:26,240 the prayer closet previously and all of the fuel was there and 604 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:28,080 all of it was ready. It still hurt. 605 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,840 It's still going to hurt. There's still going to be pain. 606 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:35,280 There will still be difficulty. But the fuels there, you're 607 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:37,280 like, I'm going to make it though. 608 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:40,480 I'm actually going to make it because the Lord is with me. 609 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:42,280 What if I don't have any fuel in my tank? 610 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:44,280 Well, then you'll fall in the moment of temptation. 611 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:45,760 Are you lost forever? No. 612 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:48,240 Is Peter lost forever? No. 613 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:50,080 Are the disciples lost forever? No. 614 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:53,720 But failures are real when they happen, and they hurt more when 615 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,960 we're not prepared. The Lord wanted to prevent that 616 00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:59,520 for His disciples. He wants to prevent that still 617 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:04,720 for his disciples. What's also true for us as well 618 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:09,160 is that weakness for the moment of temptation comes from our 619 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:10,960 neglect of private fellowship with the Father. 620 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:15,640 So if strength protects us, then neglect of fellowship is going 621 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:20,640 to make us weak. Judas is acting in betrayal 622 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:22,960 while Jesus is acting in obedience. 623 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:25,520 This is what I I prayed earlier, that the Lord would just bring 624 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:27,120 us clarity on the three different kinds of men. 625 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,480 Here we have the betrayer and Jesus. 626 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:34,160 We have the follower who fails and Jesus. 627 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:36,360 And then we have the mob who's more ignorant. 628 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:41,680 And Jesus, the perfect man, stands steady while sinful men 629 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,960 collapse into deception, foolishness, and mob violence. 630 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:48,160 Jesus's strength reminds us that he is not a victim in these 631 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:50,680 events. He is the obedient son walking 632 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:52,440 forward into the mission that the Father gave him. 633 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:55,480 You're not intended. You're not supposed to be a 634 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:57,640 victim or a hostage in anything. You're just supposed to keep 635 00:30:57,640 --> 00:30:59,960 walking forward and say, my father has me. 636 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:02,320 That's the place of trust that we want to get to. 637 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:06,080 Verse 51. Behold, one of those who were 638 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:08,840 with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and 639 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,240 struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 640 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,800 Then Jesus said to him, put your sword back in its place, for all 641 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,000 who take the sword perish by the sword. 642 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:22,200 A disciple reaches for a sword and strikes the servant in the 643 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:23,800 high priest. John tells us this disciple was 644 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:25,680 Peter. We know the servant's name was 645 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:28,680 Malchus. This is a high-ranking guy. 646 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:30,240 This is not a low ranking servant. 647 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:32,040 This is a very, very high-ranking servant. 648 00:31:32,360 --> 00:31:35,520 The servant of the high priest, not a servant of the high 649 00:31:35,520 --> 00:31:39,160 priest. Luke records that the healed 650 00:31:39,160 --> 00:31:41,920 ear. Luke records that Jesus healed 651 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:45,400 the year that Peter cut off. What was happening here? 652 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,240 Peter immediately jumps to the arm of flesh. 653 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:48,240 Why? Because that's all he's got 654 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:49,960 ready. It's always got prepared. 655 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:52,560 Peter sees red. I see. 656 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:56,440 I just not today. Not today, Peter, nobody needs 657 00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:58,000 your flesh. It's an army. 658 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:01,400 They'll kill us, and they'll do it really quickly. 659 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:03,680 What's interesting is why they don't. 660 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,800 I think they don't because we also know that when, when they 661 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:12,320 said we're seeking Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus said I am and 662 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,960 they all fell to the ground. So it was clear to everybody 663 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:18,240 from the outset, Jesus is in charge. 664 00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:20,520 No one takes him. He gives himself and they're 665 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:22,280 like, are we allowed to arrest you? 666 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:25,280 And he's like, you are a young man, come here, come on. 667 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:28,760 That's fine. That's the tone of this whole 668 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:30,720 thing. Because he speaks and they fall 669 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:33,080 to the ground, hundreds of soldiers and men. 670 00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:35,600 That's why I think Peter gets away with, as they start to 671 00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:39,640 approach Jesus, he goes and they're like, what's what do we 672 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:40,400 do? What? 673 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:43,480 That's why Peter doesn't get killed instantly by a dozen 674 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:45,400 other people. And everybody's still looking at 675 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:48,240 Jesus. And Jesus says, Peter put it 676 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:51,360 back in its place. And he lectures his disciples. 677 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:52,800 Hang on, guys, you'll arrest me in a minute. 678 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:55,920 And he now he's teaching and lecturing his disciples. 679 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:59,920 Jesus is completely in charge. Pilot feels like a little boy 680 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,280 when Jesus finally gets to him. Because Pilot's like, hey, you 681 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:06,200 know I can kill you, right? Like, talk to me, man. 682 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:08,600 Help me, help me. My wife had a bad dream. 683 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:10,160 She said I'm not supposed to have anything to do with your 684 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:11,640 death. Please help me. 685 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,840 Pilot's the scared one. Jesus standing there going, 686 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:19,280 everything's going according to plan, exactly as me and the 687 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:20,680 Father and the Holy Spirit intended. 688 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:24,000 I am the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. 689 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:28,560 But Peter going hard in the flesh, This is not courage. 690 00:33:29,440 --> 00:33:33,360 You've heard the fear responses. Fight or flight or freeze. 691 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:36,440 This is fear. It shows up through the impulse 692 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:39,640 to fight. Jesus commanded Peter to put the 693 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:42,040 sword back in its place. What does this mean? 694 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:45,160 There's a place for the sword. Jesus didn't say. 695 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:46,640 Peter, why would you have a sword? 696 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:49,800 We're Christians. He didn't say, Peter, I can't 697 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:53,120 believe you would have a weapon. Under no circumstances would we 698 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:56,280 ever use self-defense. No, There's another time where 699 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:58,720 he told them, told them to get a sword and they said, hey, we 700 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:00,000 have a couple of swords. He goes, all right, that's 701 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,480 enough, like a fuse enough. We're good. 702 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:04,400 There's a time and a place for it. 703 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:06,960 Tonight's not the night. Now's not the time. 704 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:11,040 And then he goes on to make the self-defense argument and he 705 00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:14,280 says, Peter, put your sword back in its place. 706 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:15,840 It's not for here. It's not for now. 707 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:17,840 It's not for today. I'm going to walk out. 708 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:19,080 What? My father has called me to walk 709 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:20,280 out. I already told you this. 710 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:23,800 We've been through this, Peter. Remember I told you, get behind 711 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:26,600 me, Satan, and now Satan jumped in front of me with a sword. 712 00:34:27,159 --> 00:34:30,199 Get behind me again, Peter. I'm going to obey the Father. 713 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,320 But Jesus is making the point. Put your sword back in its 714 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,080 place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 715 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:45,480 The the the problem is that Peter is being ruled by his 716 00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:48,480 emotion rather than obedience. And Jesus is saying, I want to 717 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:51,080 clarify this point to you as well, because it's been misused 718 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,360 by the ignorant. Jesus says that those who live 719 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:54,880 by the sword will die by the sword. 720 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:57,840 What he's doing here is speaking generally about the pattern of 721 00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:00,040 violent men. How do you know, Pastor? 722 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:03,080 Don't get tricky with me. Well, like I said, he's already 723 00:35:03,080 --> 00:35:07,400 told the disciples in times past to get a few swords and to keep 724 00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:08,520 them among them. Why? 725 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:11,560 So we don't get jumped by bands of robbers, which were a thing 726 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:14,080 because you didn't have the Police Department cruising up 727 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:17,160 and down the road constantly. So you should defend yourself. 728 00:35:17,160 --> 00:35:19,880 You should still be prepared to defend yourself to this day 729 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:22,720 because the Police Department is only good once the phone rings 730 00:35:22,720 --> 00:35:24,640 and they're only good once they can arrive. 731 00:35:25,160 --> 00:35:28,280 So self-defense is a good thing. It's a biblical thing. 732 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:32,720 It's a normative thing because you should also love yourself. 733 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:36,360 So when Jesus is saying this, he's talking about generally 734 00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:38,800 about a pattern of violent man. A man who builds his life on 735 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,880 violence should not be surprised when violence eventually 736 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:45,480 consumes him. But Jesus also makes it clear he 737 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:49,840 does not need Peters defense. Put your sword back into its 738 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:52,560 place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 739 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:53,800 And. But now listen to the 740 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:55,320 self-defense argument he still makes. 741 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:59,040 Do you not think I can? I cannot appeal to my Father and 742 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,720 he will at once send more than 12 legions of angels. 743 00:36:02,720 --> 00:36:05,400 I could defend myself if I wanted to. 744 00:36:06,240 --> 00:36:11,760 I don't want to is his point. That's his .70. 745 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:13,640 I forget the math on how many angels that would be. 746 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:16,160 I think it's like 74,000 angels. I don't know if that would be 747 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:17,960 the exact amount he's referencing or if he's just 748 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:21,080 like, hey Peter, I own heaven. I don't know if you've forgotten 749 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:25,280 this. And all the angels obey me, so I 750 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:30,560 could have them come here and now and nuke this mountain if I 751 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:33,160 wanted to, and you boys could come away safe with me. 752 00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:36,160 We're not doing that though. Your sword is not impressive. 753 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:40,360 I've sent an Angel to kill. How many Assyrians did the Angel 754 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:44,160 kill? 180 Some thousand in like one 755 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:46,040 night. The Lord sends an Angel. 756 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:48,280 So 1 Angel would have been enough. 757 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:51,000 Jesus said he could get 12 legions on site if he wanted 758 00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:54,440 them. I could defend myself. 759 00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:57,040 I choose not to defend myself. I'm in charge. 760 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:59,400 No one takes my life. I lay it down. 761 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:03,120 This is the plan. This was his purpose. 762 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:07,480 There's another option along with fight or flight or freeze. 763 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:11,080 It's trust. It's trusting in the Lord with 764 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:14,040 all your heart leaning not on your own understanding in all 765 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:17,680 your ways, acknowledging Him and Him making your paths straight, 766 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:23,880 But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled that it 767 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:26,080 must be so he's saying I could defend myself. 768 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:29,080 I could bring all the angels of heaven right here right now. 769 00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:32,120 But then how would the scriptures be fulfilled Peter 770 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:37,520 Jesus refuses rescue because the scriptures must be fulfilled. 771 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:40,400 This isn't Jesus manufacturing prophecy by the way, him like 772 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:42,720 let me follow the script for the rule book. 773 00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:47,400 He was living authentically, but he's also simultaneously making 774 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:50,480 the point that also, of course, the Scriptures have to be 775 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:53,120 fulfilled. He's not manufacturing prophecy, 776 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:56,040 but he is submitting to the plan that God established before the 777 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:58,760 foundation of the world. Everything in redemptive history 778 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:02,160 has been pointing towards this moment and this night where the 779 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:04,000 Lamb of God would bear the sin of the world. 780 00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:08,360 And Jesus is saying it's my time on the Mount of Transfiguration. 781 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:11,040 Remember, Moses and Elijah came and spoke with Jesus. 782 00:38:11,280 --> 00:38:12,360 What do they speak with him about? 783 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:15,000 They weren't just talking about the squirrels and the sunshine. 784 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:19,240 They spoke with him about his departure and that which he 785 00:38:19,240 --> 00:38:22,800 would accomplish in Jerusalem. That's what they came to 786 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:24,840 encourage him in Moses and Elijah. 787 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:28,120 So Jesus has had the reminders. Jesus has had the motive. 788 00:38:28,120 --> 00:38:30,760 Jesus has had the Scriptures, and he's also had the prayer 789 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:32,640 time and the angels that came and strengthened them in the 790 00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:34,280 garden. But he has been prepared for 791 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:36,720 this moment. He's saying, I know who I am and 792 00:38:36,720 --> 00:38:38,600 I know what I'm doing. Jesus knows the mission. 793 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:40,400 Jesus understands the scriptures. 794 00:38:41,200 --> 00:38:45,480 Jesus willingly walks forward to complete the plan of salvation. 795 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:49,160 The promise spoken in the Garden of Eden is moving toward 796 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:52,160 fulfillment as the seed crushes the serpent. 797 00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:56,560 We're closing and we're going to take communion together here in 798 00:38:56,560 --> 00:39:09,400 a moment, Verse 55 at that hour, Jesus said to the crowds, have 799 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:13,200 you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to capture 800 00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:16,240 me day after day? I sat in the temple teaching and 801 00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:19,720 you did not seize me. So again, he's just lectured his 802 00:39:19,720 --> 00:39:21,960 disciples. He knocks everybody to the 803 00:39:21,960 --> 00:39:25,840 ground, says I am. They finally stand up and they 804 00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:27,640 said it again. We're looking for Jesus. 805 00:39:27,720 --> 00:39:32,440 I told you, I'm me. Peter lunges, cuts the guy's ear 806 00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:34,240 off. Peter, hang on, guys. 807 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:37,720 Peter, stop it. It's not the time. 808 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:43,720 It's not the place I can defend myself, but the Scriptures must 809 00:39:43,720 --> 00:39:44,840 be fulfilled. Hang on. 810 00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:47,400 You understand, guys. He's talking to his disciples. 811 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:52,280 Now, all of you, welcome to my prayer garden. 812 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:56,600 You came at night. He's calling him out. 813 00:39:56,600 --> 00:40:00,880 He just wants them to know I was, I was in the temples daily. 814 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:04,360 But you've come out at night with clubs and swords like I'm 815 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:08,360 some sort of robber, but the darkness is yours. 816 00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:14,680 And then they're like, can we arrest him now? 817 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:17,200 I think so. I guess we're, I guess we're 818 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:20,640 allowed to arrest him now. Nothing happens to Jesus without 819 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:21,800 Jesus giving permission. Remember? 820 00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:23,000 They wanted to throw him off a Cliff. 821 00:40:23,240 --> 00:40:25,400 No, you're not going to kill me how you want to kill me. 822 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:27,040 They wanted to stone him to death. 823 00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:28,840 No, you're not going to stone me to death. 824 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:34,080 All authority in heaven and earth is given to the Lord Jesus 825 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:36,840 Christ. He's so perfect, He's so good, 826 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:40,200 He's so strong, He's so awesome. He confronts the mob. 827 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:43,520 He exposes their cowardice. He's in charge here and everyone 828 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:47,640 waits for him. They arrived secretly. 829 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:50,920 He exposes their deception and he still willingly lays down his 830 00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:54,360 life. Then all the disciples deserted 831 00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:58,120 him and fled just a couple hours ago. 832 00:40:58,160 --> 00:41:01,000 I will never desert you. Me either me either me either me 833 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:03,720 either me either me. I'll never me either never 834 00:41:03,720 --> 00:41:06,280 desert you. Poof. 835 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:10,880 Fight or flight or freeze or trust. 836 00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:15,000 Peter picked fight before picking flight. 837 00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:17,080 Everybody else went straight to flight. 838 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:19,640 Jesus is the only one still modelling trust. 839 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:23,200 I trust you, Father. I trust you, Father. 840 00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:27,400 Give me strength, Father. I've seen what's coming. 841 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:31,960 I know what's coming. For God so loved the world 842 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:35,560 though, that he didn't. He didn't come into the world to 843 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:37,520 condemn the world. The world was already condemned 844 00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:43,440 without prayer. Their confidence takes flight 845 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:47,120 when the pressure arrives. The Savior walks forward alone 846 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:50,520 to accomplish the salvation of the world while his scatters 847 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:53,520 scatter while his followers scatter in fear. 848 00:41:55,440 --> 00:41:59,120 Judas the betrayer pretends devotion while loving something 849 00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:01,640 else more than Christ. Peter, the foolish disciple, 850 00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:03,760 loves Christ but refuses to obey him. 851 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:07,440 And the hostile mob blindly follows orders without really 852 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:11,680 understanding the truth against every form of human failure. 853 00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:14,720 Jesus stands here tonight, in this garden, on this night, as 854 00:42:14,720 --> 00:42:18,240 the perfect man. He remains calm in the presence 855 00:42:18,240 --> 00:42:22,360 of the betrayal, patient in the presence of the foolishness of 856 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:25,600 his disciple, and fearless in the presence of hostility. 857 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:35,800 We have clear warnings for you and I Do not be like Judas who 858 00:42:35,800 --> 00:42:39,440 walks close enough to Jesus to appear faithful while secretly 859 00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:41,080 loving something else more than the Lord. 860 00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:45,280 Do not be like Peter, who genuinely loves Christ but 861 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:49,960 ignores his warnings, neglects prayer, and therefore acts in 862 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:52,200 the flesh. And do not be like the crowd who 863 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:55,560 blindly follows the mob without examining the truth and 864 00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:59,160 understanding Him. Press in and know Jesus for 865 00:42:59,160 --> 00:43:02,840 yourself. He chose the cross willingly. 866 00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:04,640 He rose from the dead and victory. 867 00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:07,520 He reigns forever as King and will return again for His 868 00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:09,840 church. He desires a powerful church, a 869 00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:13,960 triumphant church, a holy church, a church without spot or 870 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:15,920 wrinkle, a self controlled church. 871 00:43:17,640 --> 00:43:20,440 Set your take away today. Call upon the Lord for strength 872 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:22,200 that you won't fall into temptation. 873 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:25,080 Seek the Lord. Temptation and trials are 874 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:27,840 coming. It's obvious it's life. 875 00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:31,520 Jesus told us the parable of the two men, one built his life on 876 00:43:31,520 --> 00:43:33,440 the rock and one built his life on the sand. 877 00:43:33,680 --> 00:43:37,280 They both got rains, they both got wind, they both got floods. 878 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:39,600 They got the same weather. Events hit, hit. 879 00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:43,080 Both Christians should never go. How could this happen? 880 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:45,200 We know how all this could happen. 881 00:43:46,400 --> 00:43:48,920 The thing is, the question asks is how do I get strength? 882 00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:51,640 How do I get refreshment? How do I get what I need? 883 00:43:52,440 --> 00:43:55,480 Carry me Lord, carry me deeper into your presence. 884 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:57,640 Give me strength to be true and faithful to you. 885 00:44:01,360 --> 00:44:03,960 Call upon the Lord for strength so that you will not fall into 886 00:44:03,960 --> 00:44:05,440 temptation when pressure arrives. 887 00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:09,520 Worship the Lord Jesus Christ again with renewed gratitude and 888 00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:12,240 obedience. Adore Him again. 889 00:44:12,880 --> 00:44:15,280 Look how awesome He is. Look how perfect and strong He 890 00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:19,520 is and how He did it without any human intervention or help. 891 00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:23,520 The perfect man walked in suffering to save sinners, and 892 00:44:23,520 --> 00:44:26,360 the proper response of his people is repentance, faith, and 893 00:44:26,360 --> 00:44:29,440 devotion. Kristen, Kayla, would you serve 894 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:29,800 us?