1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:05,760 Matthew chapter 21 Saints, the time has come. 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:07,920 I told you Jesus was going to go nuclear. 3 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:12,160 I told you he was going to go sports earth and if you want to 4 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,440 see that side of Jesus, then you're going to love Matthew 5 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:21,000 2122 and 23 because it is full blast. 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,520 This is not the only place, of course. 7 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,040 I mean, throughout the Gospel of Matthew, as we've read Matthew, 8 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:32,080 we never have really come across the whole Jesus who just picks 9 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,880 up a little lamb in the in the barnyard and just pets him and 10 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:37,800 moves along with his with his wispy little way. 11 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,200 Like we, we haven't come across that Jesus at all. 12 00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:43,160 And even more so, we're going to come across the strength and the 13 00:00:43,160 --> 00:00:45,840 authority of Christ as we come across these next few chapters. 14 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,440 So unfortunately, I'm going to cut Jesus off because I'm not a 15 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,400 good preacher as him. But I want you to keep reading. 16 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,080 I want you to go home and I want you to read the whole passage so 17 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,880 you get the full message of what's taking place. 18 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,320 Remember, it's been three years of the ministry of the Lord 19 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:03,680 Jesus Christ. He's been on the earth for 33 20 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:05,680 years. We're in his last week. 21 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,800 We're actually on Tuesday. He knows he's got Tuesday today, 22 00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:13,000 he's got Wednesday and he's got Thursday night and he knows 23 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:14,960 Thursday night he's going to hand himself over. 24 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:19,360 He is short time. He has been full court press 25 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,320 mission driven to come and be the sacrifice for you and I. 26 00:01:23,320 --> 00:01:26,520 He is fulfilling his destiny. He's fulfilling the calling, 27 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:28,840 He's fulfilling the will of the Father, and everything's 28 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,000 culminating around this. Remember this Gospel of Matthew 29 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,080 that we're reading? Matthew was a Jew, but Matthew 30 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,960 was a tax collector. So he's an outcast Jew. 31 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,840 He's a traitor to the Jews because the Romans come in and 32 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:43,440 conquer everybody. Remember, the Romans have come 33 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,880 in and conquered and now they say, hey, who wants to betray 34 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:48,120 their people? You're going to get pretty 35 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:50,080 wealthy in the process. And Matthew, it was one of those 36 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:55,160 people who said, sign me up. So Matthew is a tax collector. 37 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,960 He takes taxes from his people, but he also takes money for 38 00:01:57,960 --> 00:01:59,320 himself. He's hated. 39 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,440 You hear Jesus in parables and in teachings reference, he goes, 40 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:04,440 hey, if anybody does this or does that, then treat him like a 41 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:06,720 tax collector or treat him like a Gentile. 42 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,440 So they're clearly an outcast group of society. 43 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,000 Matthew is a part of that. Jesus goes up to Matthew's booth 44 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,520 one day. It says, come follow me. 45 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,400 And Matthew said, I surrender all. 46 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,960 And he turned from the Romans and he turned from his life. 47 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,680 And he said, I don't know what this is going to look like to 48 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:25,160 follow this guy, but I'm going to follow him. 49 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,400 So picture this. There were other rabbis who 50 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:28,520 would have traveled at that time. 51 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,480 Jesus is particularly unique, though, because if you wanted to 52 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:33,960 be a distinguished rabbi, you would go around and find the 53 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:35,800 cream of the crop. You would go find the young men 54 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,120 who were the best trained in all the things, in all the ways of 55 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,760 the law of Moses. Jesus didn't go find that. 56 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,800 Jesus has already put a ragtag group together. 57 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:46,600 He's looked at. It's like they're the scrappy 58 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,120 group. He's got fishermen. 59 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,040 These guys aren't studied like the other rabbis have. 60 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:52,960 We've got all these excellent students. 61 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,560 And not only that, Jesus had the audacity to pick a tax 62 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,080 collector. Another rabbi would have never 63 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,760 done this, but Jesus isn't interested in in what other 64 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,080 rabbis are interested in. Jesus is interested in changing 65 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,120 people's lives and blessing people and transforming people. 66 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:10,640 So the whole region has been changed. 67 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:12,400 It's been three years of his ministry. 68 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:14,560 You know somebody who's been healed by Jesus. 69 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,280 You know somebody who's heard Jesus preach. 70 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,400 If you yourself haven't already. This is not a small thing. 71 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,360 He doesn't have like 65 people hanging around him. 72 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:24,640 All of Israel knows what's going on. 73 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:26,760 The Romans know a lot about what's going on. 74 00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:28,880 And now it's the Passover feast week. 75 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:31,680 Jerusalem has had millions descend upon it. 76 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,680 The temple and the temple courts, remember that they're 77 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,360 about 35 acres large. These temple courts you can fit 78 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:42,040 roughly conservatively, you can fit 100,000 people in there. 79 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:46,080 So it whatever cartoons that we've seen, whatever movies that 80 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:48,120 we've seen of Jesus, like preaching in the temple and 81 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:51,920 there's like 100 people around. Not how it looked, not how it 82 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:53,640 happened. When he's overturning the tables 83 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:58,080 in this massive courtyard area, there's mobs and masses of 84 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:00,320 people, conservatively 100,000 people. 85 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:04,200 If we're packing it in, you're getting up 400,000 plus, but 86 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:08,640 conservatively 100,000 people. So it's just people everywhere. 87 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:10,520 And Jesus is in charge of everything. 88 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,440 Remember, he's turned over the tables yesterday, on Monday, 89 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,360 He's caused the whole scene. He's rebuked everybody. 90 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:20,079 And now he comes back in on Tuesday again to teach and to 91 00:04:20,079 --> 00:04:23,160 preach. Fully scorched earth, full 92 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,600 rebuke, full judgment. Because time has come for 93 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,120 judgement. He's been patient, he's been 94 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,520 gracious. He has wanted to see blessing, 95 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:32,840 He has wanted to see breakthrough. 96 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,920 But now, in their hard heartedness, he's bringing the 97 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,160 correction. So he knows he's only got today, 98 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:39,960 Tuesday. He's got tomorrow, Wednesday, 99 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,280 and then he's got Thursday for the Passover feast when he hands 100 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:45,600 himself over, and then Friday for his crucifixion. 101 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:50,160 Remember, Matthew wrote this to Jews, so his Gospel in mind, 102 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,720 when the Holy Spirit has Matthew writing it, he's thinking about 103 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:55,040 Jews in general. So he wants to keep showing them 104 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,400 the authority of Christ. So when Jesus is confronting 105 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,240 these leaders that you're getting ready to see, remember 106 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,400 it's not random, it's not coincidence. 107 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:05,440 It is a deliberate moment that Jesus has been building. 108 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:09,360 Israel's leaders were entrusted with much, and now the reckoning 109 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:11,640 is here. In the past, God has sent 110 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:14,640 prophets to deal with them. God has sent prophets throughout 111 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:18,000 history to rebuke the leaders of Israel and say you're doing it 112 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:21,240 wrong, you're doing it wrong, God is displeased, you're doing 113 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:23,200 it wrong, you're doing it wrong, God is displeased. 114 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,320 Now God himself has finally come. 115 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:29,640 Jesus, who sent all of his prophets, has now come in person 116 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,840 to deal with them. He is the one who comes into the 117 00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:35,560 vineyard to deal with the evil tenants. 118 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,040 Matthew chapter 21, verses 23 through 27. 119 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:42,680 And when he entered the temple, so this is the first thing on 120 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,640 Tuesday. Now the chief priests and the 121 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:51,040 elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, 122 00:05:51,280 --> 00:05:54,080 by what authority are you doing these things? 123 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:57,520 And who gave you this authority? Jesus answered them. 124 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,800 I will also ask you one question, and if you tell me the 125 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,640 answer, then I will also tell you by what? 126 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:06,480 By what authority I do these things? 127 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,600 The baptism of John, where did it come from? 128 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:16,360 From heaven or from man? And they discussed it among 129 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:20,480 themselves, saying, If we say from heaven, then he'll say to 130 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:22,640 us, Why then did you not believe him? 131 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:27,000 But if we say from man, we're afraid of the crowd, for they 132 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:28,600 all hold that John was a prophet. 133 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,720 So they answered Jesus, we don't know. 134 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:35,840 And he said to them, Neither will I tell you by what 135 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:39,400 authority I do these things. That's all we're covering today. 136 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,240 But he doesn't stop. He keeps going. 137 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:43,400 And that's what I want you to keep reading and see how he 138 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:46,240 builds and how he swells. Lord, we thank you for your 139 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,760 word. We thank you for revelation and 140 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:50,920 for light. Help us to see Jesus for who he 141 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:52,400 is. The wholeness, the fullness of 142 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,760 Christ, the goodness of Jesus, the mercy of Jesus, the strength 143 00:06:55,840 --> 00:06:58,600 of Jesus, the compassion of Jesus, and the judgment of 144 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:00,600 Jesus. God, let us not be like the 145 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:04,680 Pharisees, Fill us with belief and fill us even with the will 146 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,640 to believe. We need everything good to come 147 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:09,800 from you God, apart from you we can do nothing. 148 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,040 Grow us and strengthen US today in Jesus name, Amen. 149 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,080 God is so patient. God is so good. 150 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,960 But here now we're seeing the fruitless fig tree being cut 151 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,440 down. Remember the parable that Jesus 152 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,280 has told he said the the the owner of the vineyard comes out 153 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:32,480 to to his head worker, his head manager, but all he goes, I've 154 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:34,760 come to this fig tree for three years and the thing hasn't borne 155 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:35,720 for yet. Cut it down. 156 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,040 It's taken up the ground. We'll plant something else here 157 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,440 and he goes, Hey, give me, give me one more year. 158 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:43,760 Let me fertilize it. Let me let me, let me tend it 159 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:45,560 even better. If it doesn't bear for master, 160 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:47,480 we will cut it down. Then he goes, all right, all 161 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:50,440 right. Jesus has been the compassionate 162 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:54,440 manager who's coming and said, father, let me let me tenderize 163 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:56,520 it. Let me work with it, Father. 164 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:00,360 And the Father said, all right. And now the Father says, cut it 165 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,680 down. It's still not bearing fruit. 166 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:05,560 Leaves, but no fruit on the tree. 167 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:10,440 A cloud, but no rain. And God says time's up. 168 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:14,080 God has been extremely patient, extremely gracious, because God 169 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,360 is patient, because God is gracious. 170 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,560 But this is the moment. I mean, Israel's been building 171 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,400 up to this for thousands of years up until this point now. 172 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,480 So for us, we need to keep this in mind as well. 173 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:31,120 Eventually, when someone won't get in or won't get out, 174 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:33,679 eventually there does come a time for judgement. 175 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:38,080 You don't determine that door. I don't determine that door, but 176 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,640 the Lord does. God is so patient, but I know 177 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:43,760 He's taking salt into a new season as well. 178 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:46,720 As we continue to emphasize, and I'm praying for each and 179 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,680 everyone of you, your name is in my mouth when I'm praying to God 180 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:53,320 that you surrender fully, that that none of us would mock God 181 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,200 and his kindness, that none of us would store up wrath against 182 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:58,840 ourselves. So I don't want anybody to miss 183 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,440 this moment. And just like them, Jesus is 184 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:03,040 walking to the temple of our hearts. 185 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:07,240 And in this passage we see what happens when Jesus is resisted. 186 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:10,000 Back to verse 23. When he entered the temple, the 187 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,760 chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he 188 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,840 was teaching and said, by what authority are you doing these 189 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,040 things? And who gave you this authority? 190 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:22,240 Interrupting the King of Glory and challenging his authority. 191 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:25,000 They already know his answer. They know where his authority 192 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:27,680 has come from, but they don't believe it. 193 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:32,200 And they want him to say it out loud so he can, so they can 194 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:36,000 accuse him of blasphemy. They want everybody recognizes 195 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,440 what's going on. Everybody recognizes who he is, 196 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:42,240 but they want Jesus to say I came from heaven that, that, 197 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:44,160 that, that. Then they can think that they 198 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:47,760 can accuse him of blasphemy, or then they can then demand some 199 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,600 new sign from him, which is ridiculous in itself because 200 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:52,040 he's already given so many signs. 201 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:54,040 He's already given so many examples. 202 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:59,200 Jesus has raised the dead. He raised Lazarus recently and 203 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:01,440 they were so mad about it. They said we're going to kill 204 00:10:01,560 --> 00:10:06,640 Jesus and Lazarus. So he's healed the blind, He's 205 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,120 healed the paralyzed. They know what's true, but they 206 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,600 won't believe it is an act of the will. 207 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,680 It's not that they can't believe, it's that they won't. 208 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,360 I will not believe. That's the issue that they've 209 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,720 come to at this point. Jesus isn't lacking any kind of 210 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:24,120 evidence that he needs to provide. 211 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:26,400 They're not lacking signs that they need to see. 212 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:30,520 What they lack is willingness. And watch how Jesus responds 213 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:34,560 when somebody lacks willingness. After a while, verse 24, and 214 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:38,640 Jesus answered them. I'll ask you one question and if 215 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:41,360 you tell me the answer, then I'll also tell you by what 216 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,760 authority I do these things. So what's going on is Jesus 217 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,280 can't answer anything. He can answer it, He can prove 218 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:51,040 it, He can show it, He can reveal it. 219 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:54,120 He can walk them from Genesis all the way up through their Old 220 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,680 Testament and reveal everything to them and go, this is how I 221 00:10:57,680 --> 00:10:59,960 have fulfilled it. Why doesn't he? 222 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,120 Well, because it they still won't believe. 223 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:07,080 Because it's an act of the will. This is good news for you, 224 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:08,920 Christian. This frees you, Christian, 225 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,640 whenever you're ministering to others, whenever you think. 226 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,360 If I could just say it better, if I could just put it 227 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,720 differently, if I was just better at explaining, then 228 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:21,240 surely they would believe. Good news for you, good news for 229 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:24,160 me. The gospel itself is the power 230 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:27,000 of God unto salvation for those who believe. 231 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:29,560 So it's not your brilliant presentation. 232 00:11:29,560 --> 00:11:31,480 It's not my brilliant presentation. 233 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:35,480 It's the simplicity and the foolishness of the cross. 234 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:37,920 It's that simple that the world go. 235 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:40,440 You just want me to believe that. 236 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:43,000 Yeah. Yeah, Yeah, I do. 237 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:47,040 I want you to believe that. Well, I can't believe it because 238 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:48,640 you haven't presented enough evidence. 239 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:54,200 And that is the lie that will condemn them on that day unless 240 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:56,800 they repent, which of course they still can until they can't. 241 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,000 But that's the lie that people tell. 242 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:00,920 And that's a lie that many Christians have believed as 243 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:02,640 well. Oh, they just need more 244 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:04,840 evidence. They just need me to explain it 245 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:08,400 better and to prove it. Jesus disagrees. 246 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:13,160 Jesus said when someone won't believe, even if someone came 247 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:17,480 back from the dead and told them the truth, they still would not 248 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:20,320 believe. And then it literally happens. 249 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,320 It's going to happen in about Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 250 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:27,400 Saturday, Sunday, 5 days from now, someone's going to be 251 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,800 raised from the dead. The Pharisees and the scribes 252 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,160 and the Sadducees are going to know that someone was raised 253 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:35,160 from the dead because they're enemies. 254 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:38,560 The Roman soldiers who are guarding this person who we 255 00:12:38,560 --> 00:12:40,600 haven't named yet, who's going to be raised from the dead. 256 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:43,280 These Roman soldiers are going to go to the Jews because they 257 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:44,840 don't want to go to pilot, because they're going to be 258 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:48,200 executed, because they're dead prisoners, escaped. 259 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:54,000 So they go to the Jews and go, your little Messiah guy is 260 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,800 alive. An Angel struck us down and he 261 00:12:57,800 --> 00:12:59,960 walked out of the tomb. And the Pharisees and the 262 00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:03,800 Sadducees, they don't say, God forgive us, we've crucified the 263 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:06,960 Lord of glory. They say, all right, let's think 264 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:08,000 this through. Let's think this through. 265 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:13,680 They know that they know that they know your best friend, your 266 00:13:13,680 --> 00:13:16,720 cousin, your sister-in-law does not need better evidence or 267 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,080 presentation from you. Pray that God in his great mercy 268 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,000 would breakthrough their hard heartedness. 269 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:25,920 And pray that God will give you boldness and conviction to share 270 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:30,320 the gospel, the messy gospel of a bloody cross and a king who is 271 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:33,400 resurrected to rule and reign and to forgive people of their 272 00:13:33,400 --> 00:13:36,240 sins. The foolishness of the cross is 273 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,320 enough. It is the power of God unto 274 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,920 salvation for those who will believe. 275 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:43,920 Will you believe? Will you believe God? 276 00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:48,520 Will you trust God? Jesus can answer anything and 277 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:50,160 everything, but what you're going to see over the coming 278 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,120 weeks, He actually does answer their question, but he's going 279 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:55,760 to do it in parables. But these parables that he's 280 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:58,200 going to torch them with are not hard to figure out. 281 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:02,920 We've come across the parables and it's like, ah, we, we really 282 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:04,840 are not sure where he was going with this. 283 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,160 We know he meant something, but you know, some of us think this, 284 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,400 some of us think that. There's a few, very few like 285 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:11,440 that. Most of the time we're going, 286 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,000 this is what this is about. But the few of the things, a few 287 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,640 of the parables he's getting ready to tell are very direct, 288 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,720 very plain, very obvious, You know who's who and the story, 289 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:26,160 and he reveals himself. But learn from your Savior that 290 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:29,240 you are not required to answer every question that you are 291 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,040 asked. Why? 292 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:33,520 Because people don't always ask questions in good faith. 293 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:37,720 Whenever you're dealing with an opponent or an enemy who wills 294 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,480 not to believe the Lord, they are rejecting the kindness of 295 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,520 God and they're saying what about what about what about and 296 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,720 they're seeing they, they are implying that you're failing 297 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,840 them when really the only failure is their own willingness 298 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,600 to submit to the Lord. When you know you're dealing 299 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,480 with an enemy in particular, do not walk into their traps in the 300 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,400 name of being honest. This is something that the Lord 301 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,720 has grown me in and is continuing to grow me in for so 302 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:07,640 long. I always took the approach. 303 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,480 They just said I'm just going to be as innocent as a dove. 304 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,280 So when I'm dealing with an opponent or when I'm dealing 305 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:15,880 with a non believer who just has like I'm just going to 306 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,800 everything they ask. I will not do any kind of 307 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:23,400 political sidestepping. I will do 0.0 dodging of the 308 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:28,320 question. Innocent is a dove. 309 00:15:28,320 --> 00:15:31,920 That was my focus, but it was that was neglecting the wisdom 310 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:34,160 of the serpent that Jesus commanded us to go along with 311 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:34,640 it. Right. 312 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:38,080 Jesus is as innocent as a dove. He's not cowardly. 313 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:42,160 He's not afraid to say which true, but he's wise and he's 314 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:45,680 clever and he's crafty. And one thing about a serpent is 315 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,600 it's hard to hit. Jesus is hard to hit and he is 316 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:53,360 the wisdom of God. So of course he knows exactly 317 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,840 how to expose them. I might know now when I'm 318 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:58,360 dealing with an opponent, but I don't always have the wisdom to 319 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,480 know how to expose it like he does because I'm so tempted. 320 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,760 Like, hey, where the if I get hit with a question, I'm like, I 321 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:06,760 need to answer their question because if I don't answer their 322 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:10,800 question, they'll think that I'm being false and then that will 323 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,040 be a poor witness. John Michael, slow down, buddy. 324 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,960 They already hate you. They already hate what you teach 325 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:20,240 and they hate what you believe. Do not put all this weight on 326 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,520 yourself to think that you need to perform well in this moment 327 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:27,200 so as to persuade them. They refuse to be persuaded. 328 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,760 Their only mission in this moment is to expose you or 329 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:34,080 manipulate you. And if you know that the motive 330 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:36,880 of the person you're speaking to is to manipulate, don't play 331 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:39,640 alone. Yeah, but I'm afraid that then 332 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,480 they're going to accuse me of. Yes, you're afraid. 333 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:44,440 And that's the root of the issue. 334 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:46,760 I'm worried about something. I'm afraid they're going to 335 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:49,760 think that they won. Then they'll think they beat me. 336 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:52,920 Well, if you play their game, they already have anyway, and it 337 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:54,920 doesn't serve them. The best thing we can do is pray 338 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:56,520 for them. If you've got the wisdom of 339 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,080 Jesus in a moment like that to say, let me ask you another 340 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:00,880 question. Now you're changing the subject. 341 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:02,840 No, it's relevant. It's relevant. 342 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:04,240 I don't believe your motives are pure anyway. 343 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:06,160 I don't think you're even asking a genuine question. 344 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:10,359 That's a route Jesus could have taken, Rabbi. 345 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:13,000 But what authority do you do these things? 346 00:17:13,839 --> 00:17:16,119 I think you know by what authority I do these things. 347 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:17,760 You know, he could have walked him through a lot of different 348 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,720 options, but what he's doing here is very, very wise. 349 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:22,800 Very clear. He's perfectly honest, but he's 350 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,040 perfectly wise. So I'm harmless as a dove. 351 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:26,720 Good. As a Christian, you were 352 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:29,680 commanded to be, but you were also commanded to be as wise as 353 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:31,600 a serpent. And his wisdom plays out in the 354 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:33,240 next verse. Jesus doesn't answer their 355 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:34,960 question. He asks one. 356 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,800 It's not just clever, it's very exposing of them. 357 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:45,000 So verse 25, the baptism of John, this is his question. 358 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,880 Where did it come from? From heaven or from man? 359 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:50,560 And they discussed it among themselves. 360 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,280 If we say from heaven, he'll say, then why didn't you 361 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:55,080 believe? If we say from man, we're afraid 362 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,960 of the crowd for they all hold that John was a prophet. 363 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:01,520 So when Jesus saying the baptism of John, who are we talking 364 00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:04,000 about? John the Baptist, The ministry 365 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,320 of John the Baptist from the past few years, John at this 366 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,520 point has been dead for a while. He was beheaded by telling the 367 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:12,960 truth to Herod. He was talking to political 368 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:17,840 leaders about their sex life and that was apparently within the 369 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:20,240 realm of jurisdiction for pastors to talk about at that 370 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:21,840 time. Now pastors aren't allowed to 371 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,400 talk about anything at all. We like, we have a very limited 372 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:27,360 range of what we're supposed to say. 373 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:30,160 And if we're going to, you know, it's a very complicated issue. 374 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:32,320 We have to be very winsome about culture. 375 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,160 We have to think about our witness instead of no, no, no. 376 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,400 What's the responsibility of the Church of Jesus Christ and the 377 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,320 earth to be the pillar of the truth? 378 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:43,560 The government has a role and a responsibility to punish the 379 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:45,480 evildoer and to reward the righteous. 380 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,840 The household has a responsibility to raise children 381 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:52,400 to to bring the spiritual welfare and discipleship of one 382 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,240 another, for husbands and wives, to love one another, and to 383 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,680 model the church to the world. But the church has the pillar of 384 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:01,840 the pillar of truth. That means I don't think the 385 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:03,960 church should be political. Well then go read your Bible. 386 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,440 You're wrong. The church should be the church 387 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:10,000 speaks truth to everything. The church needs to be the one 388 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:11,920 that says the sky is blue sometimes. 389 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:15,040 Sometimes the church needs to say this is a man and this is a 390 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:16,800 woman. Sometimes the church needs to 391 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:20,280 say this is faithful Christian doctrine and this is not. 392 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,000 Sometimes the church needs to say that law is unrighteous and 393 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:25,760 you need to change it. By what authority? 394 00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:29,200 By the only authority, the authority of Jesus, that's the 395 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:30,600 authority that the government has. 396 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:32,240 That's the authority that any household has. 397 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:35,280 And anyone who's not living under the authority of Jesus in 398 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,160 obedience to him is in rebellion to the only authority who's 399 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:41,280 established all authority. There's only the authority of 400 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,320 Jesus. He's king. 401 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:47,760 He's everybody's king. Whether you liked it or didn't 402 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:51,520 like it, that's how kings work. Jesus is just king. 403 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,400 That's good news for everybody who surrenders to him. 404 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:59,200 So John's ministry, the baptism of John is what Jesus is 405 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,080 mentioning, but he's he's referencing the ministry of John 406 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:03,680 the Baptist. So just to remind you about the 407 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:07,800 ministry of John the Baptist, John the Baptist also absolutely 408 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:10,920 torched the Pharisees. He did it in front of everybody. 409 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:13,320 Why? Because he was a free man and he 410 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:14,520 didn't care what anybody thought. 411 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,560 John wore crazy clothes, he ate crazy food, John lived in the 412 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:21,680 wilderness and he was a prophet of God who was sent to 413 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,600 accomplish his mission to prepare the way of the Lord. 414 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,920 John is the last of the Old Testament prophets and he is 415 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:30,400 preparing the Messiah, the way for the Messiah. 416 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,520 John was sent to prepare Israel to receive Jesus. 417 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:38,040 Your time has finally come. Go to Matthew chapter 3. 418 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:40,760 Y'all are listening too slow today. 419 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:46,160 We got to hurry up Matthew 3 and verse 7. 420 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,920 Here's a sampling of John. But when he saw many of the 421 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:51,560 Pharisees. So John's baptizing people in 422 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:54,040 the wilderness. Israel's going out to John in 423 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,080 the wilderness. That's it was not the 424 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,880 attractional church model John didn't have like I've got a 425 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:02,800 great coffee bar and I got a great kids ministry and like 426 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:05,200 you're going to like our parking lot ministries on fire. 427 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:06,800 Like everything here is just amazing. 428 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:11,560 John's alone in the wilderness. Here was his sermon repent. 429 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:15,320 That was His sermon. Everybody went out and He was 430 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:17,880 baptizing them for the forgiveness of sins, and it was 431 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:21,400 powerful and it was revival, and the Lord was breaking through 432 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:23,960 and blessing people's lives. Verse 7. 433 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:26,960 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming 434 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:33,440 to his baptism, He said to them, You brood of Vipers, whoa, you 435 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,960 and I could read past that. Nobody's ever talked to these 436 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:39,880 guys this way, ever. And John's not doing it in 437 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:42,240 private, which is the appropriate way always to 438 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,280 correct someone. John does it in front of all the 439 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,040 Jewish people. They're like, oh, Rabbi, so and 440 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:48,600 so's here. Oh, this guy's here. 441 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,520 This guy's here. And John goes, you brood of 442 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:54,240 Vipers. And I was like, Yikes, what is 443 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,760 happening? These are like the cool guys. 444 00:21:56,760 --> 00:22:00,000 These are our religious leaders. Why is John smoking them like 445 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,240 this? Who warned you to flee the wrath 446 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:06,360 to come? John's almost like disappointed 447 00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:07,520 that they're coming to the baptism. 448 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:10,520 John's like I wanted all these people to repent, but no, no, 449 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:14,360 no, you got to get yours. Who warned you to flee from the 450 00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:16,800 wrath to come? Now what's he say to him? 451 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,560 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 452 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:22,840 I repent. Well, then that wouldn't show. 453 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,080 Fruit. I repent is not only the prayer, 454 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:29,520 it includes the prayer. But then there you will bear 455 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:31,400 fruit in keeping with repentance. 456 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:34,760 Tears are good, tears are good for the soul. 457 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:37,840 Tears of repentance are holy and wholesome, and the Lord catches 458 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:39,320 every one of those tears in his bottle. 459 00:22:39,880 --> 00:22:43,040 And then fruit has to follow that repentance. 460 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:45,840 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 461 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:48,320 And do not presume to say to yourselves. 462 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,120 So he's cutting them off before they can even talk. 463 00:22:50,120 --> 00:22:52,160 Dudes are just like, let's go see what's going on because he 464 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:54,760 knew their motive. Why are people going out to John 465 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:55,880 in the wilderness? What about us? 466 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,320 We're the guys. Seems like they think he's the 467 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:00,280 guy, but we're the guys. He knows their motive is 468 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:02,400 jealousy. They don't care about people's 469 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:04,840 repentance, and they're certainly not coming to repent 470 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:08,600 and submit to somebody ever. So He knows all that. 471 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,640 That's why He's putting them on blast right away, because of 472 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:12,760 their hard hearts, because of their unbelief. 473 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,760 So what the Lord does with hard hearts, God opposes the proud. 474 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:21,200 He gives grace to the humble. Do not say to yourselves, 475 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:22,640 because He knew what they were going to brag about. 476 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,600 We have Abraham as our father. For I tell you, God is able to 477 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,280 raise up from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 478 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,320 So John's a Jew. These guys are Jews. 479 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:35,280 What does that mean? They are genetic descendants 480 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:38,520 from Abraham family tree. Abraham had kids who had kids 481 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:39,960 who had kids who had kids who had kids. 482 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:41,920 That's what the Jewish people are. 483 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:44,480 Now you also have the religion of the Jews. 484 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:46,680 So we, we could tease that out differently. 485 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,000 But their, their argument to John would be like, don't you 486 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,600 talk to us like that? We're the sons of Abraham. 487 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,120 And John said God could turn these rocks into kids of 488 00:23:55,120 --> 00:23:58,000 Abraham. OK, is there a blessing that 489 00:23:58,000 --> 00:23:59,840 comes from being a genetic descendant of Abraham? 490 00:24:00,040 --> 00:24:04,200 Yes, there's some cool stuff there, but not some guaranteed 491 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:09,200 salvation and not some prized, privileged position outside of 492 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,200 the name and the blood of Jesus. But they were always resting in 493 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:13,760 that. We're the sons of Abraham. 494 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:17,000 We're the sons of Abraham. And John says those rocks could 495 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,760 be the sons of Abraham. God's not impressed. 496 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:26,880 Even now. The axe is laid to the root of 497 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,960 the trees. Every tree, therefore, that does 498 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:33,520 not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 499 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:37,440 I told you, John's torture them. I baptize you with water for 500 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:40,160 repentance. But he who is coming after me is 501 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:43,560 mightier than I, whose sandals I am not even worthy to carry. 502 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,480 John submits to nobody. John is scared of nobody. 503 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:48,760 And then when he talks about Jesus, you see him just go. 504 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,440 Like I'm not even worthy to carry the sandals of the one 505 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:54,720 who's coming. John's like, you repent, you 506 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:57,840 repent, you repent, you guys are garbage, you should repent. 507 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:00,680 How dare you? And he's like, but Jesus, who's 508 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:04,320 coming, the king and my master. Remember, John's three months 509 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:08,360 older than his cousin Jesus, whose sandals I am not worthy to 510 00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:10,080 carry. He will baptize you with the 511 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:13,280 Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his 512 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:15,920 hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his 513 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:19,280 wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with 514 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:22,680 an unquenchable fire. John goes on to say that he is 515 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:26,840 greater than I because he was before me, but John's older than 516 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:28,840 him. But of course, Jesus was before 517 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:30,880 John. Jesus has always been. 518 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:34,000 So that's a taste. So when Jesus says John's 519 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:40,280 baptism, John's ministry, was it from heaven or was it man made? 520 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:43,960 Meaning was this a work of God or was this just some guy who 521 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:45,480 wanted to draw a crowd to himself? 522 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:49,520 Everybody knows who John was. Everybody knows what happened to 523 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:51,320 John. Everybody understands. 524 00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:54,720 Everybody's cast their vote. Every Jew in Israel, when 525 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:57,480 they're sitting in the pub drinking their beer, they're 526 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:01,120 sitting like John was a legend, like everybody loves John 527 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:04,640 because he was a strong man and a soft generation. 528 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,000 So everybody knows, everybody's cast their vote. 529 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,200 Everyone has clarified who John was and what he's done. 530 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:17,320 Jesus's question to the Pharisees exposes what people 531 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,720 still have to do today. You have to believe or you have 532 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:23,240 to don't believe because the ministry of John happened and 533 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:26,120 it's so significant. Everyone knew John was the 534 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:27,880 prophet of God. Everybody's cast their vote on 535 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:30,480 the issue. Jesus is pinning these guys down 536 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,680 because if they say that John was from God, then they're 537 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,840 saying that his ministry was legitimate, which makes theirs 538 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,000 illegitimate because John torched them. 539 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:42,400 So Jesus had. So Jesus goes, hey, hey, hey, 540 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:48,560 hey everybody, you like this John's ministry from heaven or 541 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:50,560 from man? And all the people are like, we 542 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:54,120 know it's from heaven and the Pharisees like if we say it's 543 00:26:54,120 --> 00:26:56,600 from heaven and that totally delegitimizes us and our 544 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:58,600 platform and control is gone, which is all they cared about. 545 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:03,560 And that's a problem. And of course it's also going to 546 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:05,200 reveal that we didn't believe him. 547 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:08,920 If we say it's from man and it was just, it was man made and 548 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,120 made-up, we could get killed because like things are at a 549 00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:15,080 boiling point in Israel. People sense the conflict. 550 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:21,120 Jesus hasn't hidden any of that. But look at their concern. 551 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:23,440 I mean, we even have their exact thought process. 552 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:28,520 They like huddle up like, hey, guys, it's like a cartoon. 553 00:27:30,120 --> 00:27:32,360 They aren't agonizing over what's true. 554 00:27:32,480 --> 00:27:34,320 What's the best way to answer Jesus? 555 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:38,760 That's not their agony. Their agony is scheming about 556 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:40,840 how to maintain control. Just like when they hear about 557 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:42,040 Jesus being raised from the dead. 558 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:44,440 They don't go, dear God, forgive us. 559 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:46,080 They go, OK, OK, OK, let's think. 560 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,280 Let's think, let's think. How do we cover this up? 561 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:50,160 Hey, guys, I think you're forgetting the point. 562 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:53,160 The guy who said he's the Messiah who's going to die and 563 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:55,080 be raised from the dead, died and has been raised from the 564 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:57,440 dead. Good news, guys, you can 565 00:27:57,440 --> 00:27:58,800 actually be saved if you'll repent. 566 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:01,320 Now, this is how far gone they are. 567 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:04,200 They're not agonizing over what's true. 568 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:06,600 They're scheming about how to maintain control. 569 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,000 And you and I, let's make it practical for us. 570 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:10,600 So this isn't just a history lesson. 571 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:14,560 You and I could be tempted to do the same thing today. 572 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:19,240 We can believe God's word with any particular subject or we can 573 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:23,680 come up with some version of did God really say, which is always 574 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:25,800 the way to slide out of something that's being 575 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:28,000 Serpentine, but it's like the serpent from the garden, 576 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:30,360 unfortunately. Did God really say? 577 00:28:31,360 --> 00:28:33,200 That's the foundation of every argument. 578 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:35,240 That's what it will always come back down to. 579 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:38,920 Always, always, always. Did God really say? 580 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:41,000 Did God say it? Did God mean it? 581 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:42,880 Did God want it? Did God do it? 582 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,480 Maybe with our moment as a church, maybe you're jumping 583 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:49,760 into deeper surrender and maybe you're receiving the love of God 584 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,800 because the word that's come to salt in these past weeks. 585 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:58,240 Maybe you're saying it's man made, it's not from heaven, but 586 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:00,840 I don't want you to think that you have a third route that's 587 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:04,520 safe. I don't want you to kid yourself 588 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:08,040 and say pastor saying this stuff about this move of God, it's 589 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:11,080 from heaven. Maybe it's from man. 590 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:13,400 I'm not going to cast a vote. I don't know. 591 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:18,320 I don't know is a false shield. Now there's times where I don't 592 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:21,200 know is the appropriate thing. There's a lot of questions you 593 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:22,360 could ask me. I would say I don't know. 594 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,000 Hopefully I'm assuming the same is true for you. 595 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,040 So there's an appropriate humility and a time for I don't 596 00:29:27,040 --> 00:29:28,760 know. But there's other times where 597 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:32,560 you go, you think I don't know is a safety for you and it's 598 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:34,560 not. You think I don't know, like, 599 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:37,320 oh, I get to step out of this, which is what the Pharisees 600 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:40,560 thought they got to do. Oh, Jesus, we don't know, which 601 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,400 is not sure. We don't want to get it wrong. 602 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,280 You know, we're so committed to the truth that we don't want to 603 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:48,360 make a misstep here. But that's not their motive at 604 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,520 all. So be careful and make sure that 605 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:53,000 your motives are pure. Make sure that I don't know if 606 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:54,680 you ever have to say I don't know about something, make sure 607 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:56,920 that's genuine. A humble response to something, 608 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:01,280 but not an attempt to delay obedience or avoid conviction. 609 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:05,080 Because Jesus now proceeds to strip away their false 610 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:07,960 presentation of what they pretend is a neutral ground. 611 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:11,080 Well, we're just trying to be neutral and wise. 612 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:13,960 Everyone can see how reasonable we are, right? 613 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:17,360 Well, the prophets were always black and white. 614 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:22,400 Jesus is black and white. It's childlike to be black and 615 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:23,680 white. Let's apply this more to us 616 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:25,680 today. Christians today don't have a 617 00:30:25,680 --> 00:30:28,240 problem with John. So I don't need to make you vote 618 00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:29,600 church. Hey, what do you say about John? 619 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:31,400 Everybody needs to vote. We all know John's a legend. 620 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:35,080 Praise God for John. But we can make an application 621 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:39,280 by asking, well, what's our what are modern equivalents of live 622 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:42,440 wire issues In our day? John was the live wire issue of 623 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:44,800 the day. So we all agree on John at this 624 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:47,080 point. But what live wire issues do we 625 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:50,080 need to be clear on? What live wire issues do we need 626 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:55,680 to plainly say yes or no on? Those are areas where you and I 627 00:30:55,880 --> 00:30:59,440 need the courage of God and you can have it, Saints, as you 628 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:03,320 submit to him, as you trust him, as you believe him. 629 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:08,120 Do you take a stand on the high pressure issues of our day or 630 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:11,600 are you reading the room? Not when someone asks you the 631 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,760 truth. Yeah, I'm not really sure about 632 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:16,240 that. I need to study it and 633 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:17,040 understand it. Fine. 634 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:18,360 Then come back to them with an answer. 635 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,240 But that's your responsibility. The truth is, is the 636 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,640 responsibility of the church. The church is the pillar of the 637 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:26,600 truth and the earth. So when somebody asks a 638 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:28,480 Christian a question, yeah, I don't know. 639 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:30,960 Fine, no problem. Go find out. 640 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:33,400 Go find out. What is the body of Christ 641 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:35,120 taught for 2000 years on that thing? 642 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:38,320 Or maybe it's super weird enough in the United States that it's 643 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:39,920 only about a 5 minute long issue. 644 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,040 But hey, what are? What are wise and faithful 645 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:43,240 Christians saying about this thing? 646 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:46,840 What's the way to process it? That's all fair and good, but we 647 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:49,320 need to be truth tellers who speak with clarity. 648 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:52,800 The prophets did so. Jesus did so. 649 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:55,760 If we won't speak with clarity on something that does matter, 650 00:31:56,040 --> 00:32:00,000 then we can see who we are. In this example, Jesus speaks 651 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:03,680 without being misunderstood. Others speak to keep power. 652 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:06,520 This is why Jesus loved the John the Baptist. 653 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:09,160 It's why the people of John the Baptist faithful and strong. 654 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:11,160 So we can point our finger to our leaders. 655 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:13,640 And that's always fun to do. We could point to religious 656 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:15,400 leaders, we could point to political leaders in this 657 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:17,480 country, and we could all be filled with disgust, rightfully 658 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:19,240 so. We have much to be disgusted 659 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:21,920 with and there's much blame to go around. 660 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:26,480 Many of our political and religious leaders are spineless. 661 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:28,600 But what about you? I'm not preaching to them today. 662 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:32,160 What about you? Be truth telling and be plain, 663 00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:37,360 not deliberately vague. Surrender, unprincipled speech. 664 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:40,160 Surrender that. If you have a habit of 665 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:44,040 unprincipled speech, if you have a habit of dodging and bobbing 666 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:46,720 and weaving and well, it's quite complicated and well, it's this 667 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:48,000 and well, it's that. Is it? 668 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:52,960 Is it or are you afraid? Is it or are you worried about 669 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:54,160 backlash? Is it? 670 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:55,720 It actually is. Joe Michael, this thing I'm 671 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,560 thinking. Fair enough, but don't kid 672 00:32:58,560 --> 00:32:59,440 yourself. Don't go. 673 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:03,680 I don't know when you do know. I don't know when you do. 674 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:07,920 No, if you know, you know. And you're responsible for that 675 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,080 truth, you're responsible to shepherd that truth, and 676 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:17,800 somebody's asking you for it. Surrender deliberately vague 677 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:22,160 speech because it's not pleasing to God and you don't do it to 678 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:24,240 impress Him. You do it because He's already 679 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:26,680 called you His. We're not truth tellers to earn 680 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:29,400 favor. We speak plainly because we walk 681 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,640 with the One who is truth. You don't have to self protect 682 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:35,240 when you're already protected by the blood of Jesus. 683 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:38,440 But if you won't surrender vague speech, look where that path 684 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:40,240 leads. Because these leaders don't just 685 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:44,760 avoid clarity, they're perfectly willing to fulfill what John has 686 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:49,080 prophesied about them. Look in verse 26 back in chapter 687 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:54,480 21, if we say for man, we're afraid of the crowd, for they 688 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:55,920 all hold that John was a prophet. 689 00:33:56,880 --> 00:33:59,120 So they're wise as serpents, but they also have the venom of 690 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:02,640 serpents. John told them that the axe is 691 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:04,840 at the root and they're setting themselves up to get chopped 692 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:06,720 down by the one who judges the living and the dead. 693 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,840 The Lord will be patient. If you're, if you have pride in 694 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:15,159 your life, I think of pride is like this balloon and you pump 695 00:34:15,159 --> 00:34:17,560 this thing up and the Lord's like that ain't good. 696 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:21,960 And that has to be dealt with. Now He will let you like eke it 697 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:24,600 out in privacy. What was that? 698 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:28,199 Nothing, just just deal with it. You're letting the air out of 699 00:34:28,199 --> 00:34:30,480 the balloon, letting the air out of the balloon, letting the air 700 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:32,719 out of the balloon. But if that balloon just stays 701 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:35,320 firm and it just stays firm and you just keep the thing like it 702 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:38,960 is, eventually the Lord comes through with the sword and it's 703 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:41,679 a big and violent and devastating thing. 704 00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:46,120 Humility would go farting it out a little bit at a time, and the 705 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:51,360 Lord's gone all the way down, fully deflated, fully deflated, 706 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,880 fully deflated. But for those who don't like 707 00:34:54,880 --> 00:34:59,640 these guys and they're holding everything in, we're going to 708 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:02,760 deal with that, and it's going to be sudden and it's going to 709 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:07,600 be devastating. Time is up for the Pharisees. 710 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:11,160 John came to prepare Israel, but Israel wouldn't repent. 711 00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:14,320 So now Israel's being exposed. The fear of the Lord is the 712 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:16,680 beginning of wisdom. That's what real wisdom is. 713 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:19,400 The fear of man is a trap that will claim your life. 714 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:25,240 And we're closing verse 27. So they answered Jesus. 715 00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:28,600 We don't know. We don't know if it came from 716 00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:31,320 heaven or if it came from man. All those people turning from 717 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:33,360 their sin. We're not sure the origin of 718 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:36,160 that movement. Maybe it came from the devil. 719 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:39,840 John didn't just draw people unto himself. 720 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:46,440 He called people closer to God, but look what the Lord does with 721 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:50,280 dishonesty or self preservation. If you save your life, you'll 722 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:54,160 lose it. The Lord's voice apparently is 723 00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:57,560 not always available. Jesus, give us an answer. 724 00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:01,120 No, she seems like the Lord's not speaking to me. 725 00:36:02,240 --> 00:36:04,520 Well then let's make sure we understand why. 726 00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:07,520 Is it because we just lost track of fellowship and we just need 727 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:09,400 to re engage? Easy day. 728 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:11,840 Many Christians have been there. I'm in a dry spell. 729 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:15,240 I need to pursue him again and love the Lord's just going to 730 00:36:15,240 --> 00:36:17,840 meet that quickly. But I I never hear from the 731 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:19,920 Lord. I never sense the Lord's 732 00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:22,960 direction. I never experience his presence 733 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:26,200 or peace. These are red flags. 734 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:29,280 These should alarm my soul. But for the prideful heart, they 735 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:33,000 don't care anyway. But for the humble one who the 736 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:35,400 Holy Spirit's ministering to this morning and you're going 737 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:38,080 oof, is that? Is that the one that I am? 738 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:43,200 Recognize your season and respond quickly. 739 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:46,240 Luke 1944. This is on Monday, actually, 740 00:36:46,240 --> 00:36:48,880 when Jesus was mourning over Jerusalem and all the people in 741 00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:51,160 it, He says. And they will tear you down to 742 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:54,600 the ground, you and your children within you, and they 743 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:57,760 will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did 744 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,280 not know the time of your visitation. 745 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:03,840 There's a time of the Lord's visitation, and then there's a 746 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:08,600 time of the Lord's departure. There's a time for visitation 747 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:10,560 and there's a time for fruitfulness. 748 00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:13,280 And we see here the resistance of the Lord. 749 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:16,400 He's resisting willfulness. He's resisting lying unbelief 750 00:37:16,720 --> 00:37:18,880 that brings the silence in the rebuke of Jesus. 751 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:22,720 So they're willing to claim ignorance, which is fascinating. 752 00:37:23,240 --> 00:37:25,280 They're willing to look like idiots about we don't know. 753 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:29,480 You're the leaders of Israel. And this is a prophet who's had 754 00:37:29,480 --> 00:37:33,400 this mighty movement in Israel. All the people of Israel say it 755 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,280 was of God and they're that willing to they're that they're 756 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:39,040 willing to look that incompetent, which ironically in 757 00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:41,440 itself also disqualifies them from their position. 758 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:45,360 If you were to come to me, hey pastor, here's this gigantic 759 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:49,040 cultural issue that all Christians in the body of Christ 760 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:50,880 agree on, What do you say, pastor? 761 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:54,920 And I go, you know, I don't know, it's quite complicated. 762 00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:58,440 You should run, not walk from me and Saul Church. 763 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:03,880 That's an unfaithful liar who is unqualified to shepherd anybody. 764 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:06,120 Pray for me. Please. 765 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:10,600 Fast and pray because I my soul would be damned to hell if I 766 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:12,920 were to speak that way and believe that way. 767 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:17,080 So they're willing to claim ignorance and reveal their 768 00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:19,760 incompetence because of course they do know. 769 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,040 Everybody knows he's a prophet, but the religious leaders of 770 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,160 Israel don't. Wow, that's fascinating. 771 00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:29,560 It's like asking some people what is a woman in our modern 772 00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:31,920 insanity. It's that same kind of dynamic. 773 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:34,160 What is a woman? And they're like, well, it's 774 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:35,760 really complicated. You know, it's not. 775 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:37,920 That's just a lie. Now, we know we're dealing with 776 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:39,960 a liar. So don't pretend as though 777 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:42,200 you're not. Well, you know, a woman is this 778 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:43,600 or a woman is that. No, no, no, no, no. 779 00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:47,160 These things are simple. Is homosexuality a sin? 780 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:49,160 Well, it's a really complicated issue. 781 00:38:51,160 --> 00:38:53,120 It's not, though. We know the truth. 782 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:56,560 Well, I want to love people. We all want to love people. 783 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:58,280 That's all Christians do is love people. 784 00:38:58,360 --> 00:39:00,920 Strange that you would say that. It's almost as though you've 785 00:39:00,920 --> 00:39:04,080 been indoctrinated by culture instead of by Jesus, who loves 786 00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:09,400 everybody and wants them set free from sin and bondage. 787 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:10,880 Do you know what love is, Christian? 788 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:13,680 You know what love is right? Love always does what's best for 789 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:16,720 someone. You know what kindness is right? 790 00:39:16,720 --> 00:39:18,360 You know what gentleness is right? 791 00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:21,360 If you're not sure, go look at Jesus. 792 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:23,760 You'll see the full picture of the whole thing. 793 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:27,080 I don't know how to answer that really. 794 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:28,880 Or are you just trying to please culture? 795 00:39:30,080 --> 00:39:33,040 It's a funny thing. I've seen pastors fumble over 796 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:35,360 some basic questions when they're on the public platform. 797 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:38,120 Pastor, is abortion a sin? Well, I just like to hear 798 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:40,880 somebody's story. Hey, man, you don't have to go 799 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:43,320 nuclear on anybody, but you do have to be the truth teller. 800 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:46,760 And you'd have to say, well, plainly, like murdering image 801 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:49,520 bearers of God is sinful and thankfully, and then bring them 802 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:52,080 right to the cross. And thankfully, Jesus forgives 803 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:55,520 sinners just like me. Oh, is this sinful? 804 00:39:56,120 --> 00:39:57,960 Yeah. But The funny thing is these 805 00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:00,560 same people, you, you can know they're a snake if you were to 806 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:03,520 ask them a question, like a a thing that culture hates. 807 00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:06,000 Hey, pastor, is this a sin? Well, I'd like to hear 808 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:07,920 somebody's story. OK. 809 00:40:08,240 --> 00:40:09,800 Hey, is this a sin? Well, you know, it's a really 810 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:11,840 complicated issue. OK. 811 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,200 Hey, pastor, is racism a sin? Oh, absolutely. 812 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:19,680 Well, racism is a sin. We hate racism. 813 00:40:19,720 --> 00:40:20,800 It's filthy. It's gross. 814 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:23,080 It's sin. Just like all the other things 815 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:25,840 that Pastor Melvin was just asked about, that he wasn't 816 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:28,080 willing to be in it, that he wasn't willing to have a 817 00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:31,280 backbone on. So Christians tell the truth and 818 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:34,400 we bring the whole truth, which leads all the way to the cross, 819 00:40:34,720 --> 00:40:37,520 all the way to the blood, and all the way to our testimonial. 820 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:39,400 Let me tell you what He's done for me. 821 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:42,800 You think your sin is bad? Give me a minute. 822 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:45,040 Let me tell you what the Lord has rescued me from. 823 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:48,000 Let me tell you about his goodness and His mercy and His 824 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:49,560 grace. We got to tell the whole truth. 825 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:51,520 Chris and Kayla, would you serve us? 826 00:40:51,520 --> 00:41:01,960 The elements pursue the Lord with humble urgency. 827 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:04,840 God is not complicated. God does not hide from you. 828 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:08,040 God will reward those who diligently seek him. 829 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:11,880 And if you don't already know that your soul belongs to Jesus. 830 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:15,840 If you're if that's not a certainty for you, how certain? 831 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:19,080 I mean all the way certain. If it's not a certainty that 832 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:22,960 your soul really belongs to Jesus, run from sin and run to 833 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:26,360 the forgiving God who went to the cross to suffer because he 834 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:29,720 loves you. If you're already walking with 835 00:41:29,720 --> 00:41:33,440 Christ, walk with confidence knowing that you are loved, and 836 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:36,360 walk with confidence because your conscience can't bug you 837 00:41:36,560 --> 00:41:38,880 with anything that's not surrendered to Jesus. 838 00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:42,920 That's the free place. That's the blessed place. 839 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:45,720 Don't just be a hearer of the Word today. 840 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:48,840 He's not just confronting you, He is calling you. 841 00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:51,840 He's not just your judge. He is your Savior. 842 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:55,200 He is full of grace and truth, and you can trust Him with 843 00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:58,920 everything. So as an act of practice, as an 844 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:03,880 act of obedience, right before they service the elements, I 845 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:06,560 want you to pray this prayer with me, but I want you to 846 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:08,040 actually be able to pray from your heart. 847 00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:11,800 So I'm going to read it once to you so you can listen to it to 848 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:14,560 make sure that you can pray this prayer and make these vows, not 849 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:17,200 just blah, blah, blah. Pastor said repeat it. 850 00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:20,440 So I'm going to read it once and then I'll lead you in it. 851 00:42:20,720 --> 00:42:23,240 The prayer is going to be Lord. I see where I've hesitated, 852 00:42:23,400 --> 00:42:26,040 where I've delayed obedience, and where I've spoken with 853 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:29,000 vagueness or fear. Forgive me for self preserving 854 00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:32,480 silence and for not responding to your voice when you've made 855 00:42:32,480 --> 00:42:35,200 your truth plain. I surrender what I've been 856 00:42:35,200 --> 00:42:37,880 holding back. My pride, my fear of man, my 857 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:41,160 desire to stay in control. I want to walk in the light with 858 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:43,600 you. Give me boldness and clarity 859 00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:45,560 that come from being fully yours. 860 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:48,040 Help me not miss the day of your visitation. 861 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:51,240 I believe you're near to those who seek you, and I trust that 862 00:42:51,240 --> 00:42:53,880 as I turn to you now, you will meet me with mercy. 863 00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:57,080 Speak again Lord and lead me forward now. 864 00:42:57,160 --> 00:42:58,920 Repeat after me if you'll pray that prayer. 865 00:42:58,920 --> 00:43:00,680 Lord, I see where I've hesitated. 866 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:02,000 Lord I. See where I've? 867 00:43:02,080 --> 00:43:04,240 Hesitated where I've delayed obedience where I've. 868 00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:06,440 Delayed. Obedience and where I've spoken 869 00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:08,040 with vagueness or fear and where I've. 870 00:43:08,320 --> 00:43:09,800 Spoken with vagueness. Or fear. 871 00:43:09,920 --> 00:43:12,280 Forgive me for self, forgive me for self preserving silence. 872 00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:14,840 Forgive me for self preserving silence and. 873 00:43:15,480 --> 00:43:19,200 For not responding to your. Voice and for not responding to 874 00:43:19,200 --> 00:43:20,000 your voice when you've made your. 875 00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:22,920 Truth plain. When you've made your truth 876 00:43:22,920 --> 00:43:24,200 plain, I surrender. What I've been holding. 877 00:43:25,240 --> 00:43:27,080 Back I surrender what I've been holding back. 878 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:33,760 My pride, my fear of man, my desire to stay in control. 879 00:43:33,760 --> 00:43:35,040 My desire. To stay. 880 00:43:35,560 --> 00:43:37,120 In control I want to walk in the light. 881 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:38,960 With you I want. To walk in the light with. 882 00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:42,640 You give me boldness and clarity that come from being fully 883 00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:43,200 yours. Give. 884 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:46,920 Me boldness and clarity that comes from being fully yours. 885 00:43:47,400 --> 00:43:49,560 Let me not miss the day of your visitation. 886 00:43:49,560 --> 00:43:51,720 Let. Me not miss the day of your. 887 00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:54,640 Visitation I believe you're near to those who seek you. 888 00:43:54,640 --> 00:43:56,160 I. Believe you are near to. 889 00:43:56,680 --> 00:43:58,520 Those who seek you. And I trust that, as I turn to 890 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:00,160 you now, I trust. That as I. 891 00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:04,920 You will meet me with mercy, you'll meet me with mercy, 892 00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:07,240 you'll speak again, and you'll leave me forward.