1 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:08,600 So some of you may know that every Thursday, every Thursday, 2 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:12,040 I pack up what I would consider a mobile studio. 3 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:17,680 I have a bag for microphone and speakers and a mic stand. 4 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:25,320 I pack it up and I bring it to the Correctional Facility in in 5 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,480 Dorchester. I bring it to a juvenile 6 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:32,720 Correctional Facility and there I help kids write and record hip 7 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,960 hop music. I really enjoy it for the music, 8 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,120 but also just for the conversations that I get to have 9 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,360 for the ways that I build friendships with these young 10 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:47,840 men. And as you can imagine, in a 11 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:50,880 juvenile facility, in fact, this particular facility, most of the 12 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:55,640 men there are facing some serious, serious charges. 13 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,280 And whether they are guilty or not, it's still a traumatic 14 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:00,360 thing. Even if they can mount an 15 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,040 incident, it's still a traumatic thing to go through that. 16 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:09,000 And one of the first things I got asked when I started going 17 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:13,040 into the facility, one of the first things I got asked was, 18 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,600 have you ever been locked up? Have you ever been incarcerated 19 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,040 or have you ever been in my situation? 20 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:25,640 And although, come on, cover your ears, although I've been 21 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:30,240 arrested, I've been handcuffed before being a little 22 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,800 transparent, I've been in a holding cell, I've even been on 23 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,600 probation. And I've experienced probably 24 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:41,840 some similar traumas and trials as some of these young men have 25 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,480 faced in lock up. I have never been in their exact 26 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,800 situation. I've never been faced in 1520 27 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:53,200 years as a young kid. I don't know what it's like to 28 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:57,760 have to deal with lawyers and judges for weeks and weeks on 29 00:01:57,760 --> 00:01:59,840 end. And so while I have a good 30 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,840 heart, there's just a way that I can't relate. 31 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:06,800 And I understand why they ask me that question because we all 32 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,400 when, when, when somebody's working with us, ministering to 33 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:15,280 us, comforting us, supporting us, Part of the question we 34 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:17,920 often have is have you been through what I've been through? 35 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:23,640 Do you know my context? And so this is a lot of what 36 00:02:23,640 --> 00:02:27,480 this section of Hebrews is about saying. 37 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:33,640 Jesus is not only who he is, he also understand who we are. 38 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:36,680 Let's pray. Thank you, God. 39 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:42,320 I pray that the next few minutes would fall on good soil, meaning 40 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:47,520 that this word would resonate not just today, but be 41 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,480 actualized to the lives of everyone listening. 42 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:57,400 I thank you for the opportunity to speak both to myself and to 43 00:02:57,400 --> 00:02:59,440 your people in Jesus name, Name, Amen. 44 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:08,680 So we're in Hebrews, and unlike several of the New Testament, 45 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:14,120 the bigger New Testament books, the author and the audience of 46 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:18,840 Hebrews is not completely clear. Through extensive scholarly 47 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:27,800 research, I've hypothesized that they probably are Hebrews, but I 48 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:32,720 think I'm safe to say that part. They had knowledge of Israel's 49 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:34,920 history. They speak to have some 50 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:37,240 knowledge of Jesus and the resurrection. 51 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:41,960 They had knowledge of the law that was given to Israel through 52 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:45,920 Moses. That didn't save them, but 53 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,680 revealed then and revealed brokenness and kind of ushered 54 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:55,080 on a legacy toward Jesus. They had knowledge of the 55 00:03:55,080 --> 00:04:01,240 priesthood system of sacrifices. They had knowledge of Israel's 56 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:08,000 oppression, both by oppression from within, from bad leaders, 57 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:12,120 and also occupation, colonization from Rome. 58 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:19,360 They had knowledge of losing and I want to just stop here to say 59 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:25,160 that the the cultural context of the Bible is always important. 60 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,880 The way that I read Hebrews is just not going to be fully the 61 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,600 way that the Hebrews of the day is going to grasp it. 62 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,440 It's what I think it's important to just realize as we wrestle 63 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,000 with Scripture that there's always a culture and context 64 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:48,320 that Scripture is speaking to. Sometimes I hear the term like 65 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:51,240 Christ over culture. And while I understand the 66 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,640 sentiment, I don't think that's an apples to apples comparison, 67 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,400 right? As the gospel was spread 68 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:00,600 throughout the world, they had to engage the culture of the 69 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,320 day. People had to wrestle with the 70 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:04,960 aspects of culture that were good. 71 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:06,480 And Christ was like, let's keep that. 72 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,400 Let's keep, let's keep these elements of celebration. 73 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,640 Let's keep these elements of culture and values and then the 74 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:17,800 ones that they had to drift away from if Jesus came today. 75 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,960 We have to wrestle with the parts of our culture, each one 76 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:25,440 of us, from our cultural context, those that we want to 77 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,360 keep or those that we feel like God is challenging. 78 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,480 And I just think that because I think it's important. 79 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,600 One of the reasons why we study the Old Testament is to know 80 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:38,440 about the culture of the day in which Jesus was coming, to know 81 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:40,960 about the historical context that we can make it real in our 82 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:46,000 lives, but also know that in some ways the Bible was written 83 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:52,600 before us, but not to us. And I think it just makes Jesus 84 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:54,640 even real. You know, all of us have an 85 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:56,800 ethnicity, all of us have a cultural background. 86 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,760 And I, as a black man, have to wrestle and reconcile with some 87 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,440 of the things in my culture. And the more I do that openly, 88 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:08,000 the more Jesus feels real to me. So culture and context. 89 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:13,000 So within that culture and context, I want to focused on 90 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:21,360 three areas or three identities that Jesus was expressed or that 91 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,160 was expressed about Jesus in this day. 92 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:27,840 I want to focus on king, high priest and human. 93 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:34,800 If I say King, say Jesus is high priest and Jesus was human. 94 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:41,200 So the king, right, there's a spray training and cultural 95 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:43,240 remembrance for kingships, right? 96 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,720 It wasn't just about the current king and the current occupation, 97 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,360 but they had a memory of what kings were and what kings 98 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,400 weren't. Just like it's not a it's not a 99 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,360 like for like, but just like we often think of presidents, we'll 100 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,520 think we'll have our opinions about the current president and 101 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:02,880 it'll also be along the backdrop of all the presidents Before 102 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:06,720 that. We'll know that some presidents 103 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:09,640 or leaders were decent and some were just lessons. 104 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:15,520 Amen. And so there was a history. 105 00:07:16,440 --> 00:07:20,280 Also just like us, there was divided opinions upon what their 106 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,120 leadership legacy was based on generation. 107 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,760 But unlike American culture, the kingship had a lot to do with 108 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:36,560 family and ancestral lives. And also the lines of politics 109 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:39,640 and theology were pretty much wanted to say right. 110 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:43,880 I think it's unfortunately getting a little close to the 111 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:48,600 back in these days, but definitely closer than that back 112 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,520 then. But their, their context was 113 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,920 that prophecies over and over again had been not just talking 114 00:07:55,920 --> 00:08:00,560 about a human king that would come, but an everlasting king, a 115 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,560 kick that would be above all the kings that they had, good and 116 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,680 bad, and not just the king of Israel, but the king of all the 117 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,160 nations. And so that's what they had been 118 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,080 waiting for. They, their culture had been 119 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:15,480 anticipation for this new king all throughout the storms, all 120 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:17,520 throughout the prophets. Let's talk about this king with 121 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:23,800 an everlasting throne. And so as we think about coming 122 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,720 to the throne boldly, we want to rightly relate to who Jesus is. 123 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:33,159 And so to rightly relate to him as king is to acknowledge his 124 00:08:33,159 --> 00:08:38,000 ruleship, to acknowledge his power, to acknowledge his 125 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,840 guidance, to have confidence that he is the victorious one. 126 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:47,720 The term good news often was either when a king was born or 127 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,480 when a battle was won and a new era of peace would usher in. 128 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:55,000 So when we say good news, we're saying there's there might have 129 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,360 been other kings in your life or in the culture, but there's good 130 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:02,000 news is a new king. This is how we rightly relate to 131 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:03,680 Jesus as king. All right, So everybody say 132 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:08,600 Jesus is king. Jesus is also high priest and 133 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,120 there's a without trying to unpack the full system of 134 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:18,840 priests, the priest also held a very important role in Israel, 135 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:23,600 Israel's culture. They were from the tribe of Levi 136 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:27,520 and the later descendants of Aaron, Moses, his brother, and 137 00:09:27,680 --> 00:09:31,960 the the the the priests were set apart after they refused to give 138 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:33,400 their allegiance to the golden calf. 139 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,680 And so God was like, you people are a holy people that I will 140 00:09:36,680 --> 00:09:41,880 set apart for myself. The priests had a hand in 141 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:46,480 brokering the relationship between man's sinfulness and 142 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:51,560 God's holiness. Sin demands sacrifice. 143 00:09:51,560 --> 00:09:53,880 Or the priest would take animals and sacrifice them in the 144 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:57,800 temple, and that would broker the relationship between man and 145 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:06,010 God. Also, priests would have to be 146 00:10:06,010 --> 00:10:09,210 sympathetic to sin. They would have to understand 147 00:10:09,210 --> 00:10:11,690 not only the people and the culture sin, but their own sin. 148 00:10:13,770 --> 00:10:17,250 When they would go into the temple, they have to make 149 00:10:17,250 --> 00:10:18,810 sacrifices for their own sin first. 150 00:10:18,810 --> 00:10:21,570 They have to, in theory, get the plank out of their own eye 151 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:24,880 before they make sacrifices on behalf of the people. 152 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:29,800 And just like kings, priests were also prone to corruption 153 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:34,160 and humanity. Now also just the sidebars. 154 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,280 The the priests were supposed to be sympathetic to human 155 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,640 sinfulness. This was an emphasis. 156 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,640 Although I think we should be sympathetic to all humans, to 157 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:45,320 all sinfulness. This was an emphasis on those 158 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:47,040 that were ignorant and misguided. 159 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,040 Not as much, though, people just out there celebrating their 160 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,720 sinfulness, although I do think there's a way to engage 161 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:54,920 sympathy. But it was talking about folks 162 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,160 that were misguided, the ignorance, the fallenness of 163 00:10:57,160 --> 00:11:01,400 humanity. And if we want to follow that 164 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,920 blueprint, just to just to pause, we don't always do that. 165 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:05,440 We're not always sympathetic, right? 166 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,760 How many times have you like overcome something or in a good 167 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:12,280 season and then somebody comes to you with a similar problem 168 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:14,840 and that judgment switch just just flicks on. 169 00:11:15,680 --> 00:11:17,720 All of a sudden you forget where you came from. 170 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,760 You forget the sympathy and the compassion and the patience that 171 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:24,800 you needed to overcome. That was a qualification of 172 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:25,920 priests. Amen. 173 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:32,480 So we relate to Jesus. We relate to Jesus as high 174 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:38,880 priest by confession, by being honest with where we are, honest 175 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:43,520 with our sinfulness and also by finding joy in the relationship. 176 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,440 One of the first times where where the priest offered 177 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:50,800 sacrifices and God's fire consumed it, the people shouted 178 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:54,160 with joy because they were like our sacrifice is acceptable. 179 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:58,640 The relationship is popping now. So we relate to Jesus as a high 180 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:01,960 priest by finding joy in the relationship, by finding 181 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:07,800 intimacy in the relationship. So we have king and priest 182 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:13,040 kings, political, military authority, representation of 183 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:17,040 power, priests as spiritual authority, broken the 184 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:19,440 relationship with God, still with me. 185 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:24,480 OK, They came from different ancestral lines, right? 186 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,800 Kings were from the tribe of Judah, priests were from Levi. 187 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:34,240 But later it says Jesus is in the order of Melchizedek. 188 00:12:35,560 --> 00:12:39,800 Melchizedek, as I like to call this, is Melchizedek, who is 189 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,280 Melchizedek. So Melchizedek is a mysterious 190 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:44,560 figure in the Bible. He showed up in Genesis. 191 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,080 His name means king of righteousness, or his name means 192 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:51,080 righteousness. He was also called the king of 193 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:53,880 Salem, and Salem means peace. Everybody says peace. 194 00:12:54,560 --> 00:12:57,400 He's really the first actual priest mentioned in the Bible 195 00:12:57,400 --> 00:12:59,920 that he's mentioned before. The priestly system is even set 196 00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:02,040 up. So this is the mystery, this is 197 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,680 the wondering. Like some figures in the Bible, 198 00:13:04,680 --> 00:13:06,840 his death is never really mentioned or emphasized. 199 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,520 Not saying he didn't die, but there was a level of mystery and 200 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:12,040 a level of kind of elevation of this. 201 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:15,480 This man was more than just a priest, and he was also a figure 202 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:20,400 in the Bible that was mentioned as a king and a priest, a king 203 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,600 and a priest. And so in that order, Jesus 204 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,280 brings these two roles together, king and priest. 205 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:32,320 Everybody say king and priest, He brings these two roles 206 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:34,360 together. He brings righteousness and 207 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:37,680 peace. He brings power and humility, 208 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:43,040 strength and sympathy. This is the God we serve, right 209 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:47,640 man. So we got king, we got priest, 210 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:52,520 we got human. The premise of the gospel is God 211 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:56,400 wrapping himself in human limitations to walk with us, to 212 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,560 sit with us, to be tempted with us, to suffer with us. 213 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,880 You know, some of the critique from other ideologies and other 214 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:06,880 especially ancient religions is that the Christian God was too 215 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,480 weak. God should never make himself 216 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:13,880 that vulnerable. Ibn I'm going to butcher the 217 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:17,320 name, so forgive me. Ibn Tim Miya, a Muslim. 218 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:21,080 Many of scholars say if the Messiah was God or the Son of 219 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:24,760 God, as they claim, then how could his enemy seize him, beat 220 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:28,560 him, spit on him, and crucify him if he was unable to prevent 221 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,760 him? That he is powerless if and if 222 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:34,080 he was able to prevent it and did not, and he is not fitting 223 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,120 to be God. That is a critique. 224 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:41,680 But I think the paradigm of Christian and biblical power is 225 00:14:41,680 --> 00:14:45,960 different. The paradigm of Christian power 226 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:48,280 is different. It's not all about domineering 227 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:49,640 and having your way all the time. 228 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:54,440 It is about sacrifice. It is about servant leadership. 229 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:59,040 It is about humility. It's about servanthood, and I 230 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:02,320 understand if your paradigm of power is different, then Jesus 231 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:06,200 might look weak to you, and Christians following Jesus might 232 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:08,360 look weak to you. But if you subscribe to Jesus, 233 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,320 this is how we show our power through servant leadership. 234 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:19,520 Amen. And so it says God is not. 235 00:15:19,560 --> 00:15:22,120 Jesus is not unable to sympathize with our weakness, 236 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,760 but tempted in every way. In every way. 237 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:27,280 And I was curious about like what the actual translation of 238 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:29,600 this word sympathize. It was from the Greek word 239 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:30,400 sympathy. O. 240 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:32,600 And I was just, I was really curious about it. 241 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,680 So when I looked it up, it's, I was like, is it sympathy? 242 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:38,120 Because sympathy is like feeling bad for somebody, right? 243 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:41,640 And, and, and research said it's not just sympathy. 244 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:43,240 It's not just sympathy. That's not enough. 245 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:47,760 I said, OK, it's an empathy. Empathy is entering emotionally 246 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,800 into the state of somebody else, right? 247 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:55,600 It's not just empathy. This word in Greek includes 248 00:15:55,600 --> 00:16:00,400 sympathy, includes empathy, but it also means actually having 249 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:05,080 suffered, like physically suffered, either present or past 250 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:09,000 with the person. It's more than just emotionally 251 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:10,960 entering it. It's more than just feeling bad. 252 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,440 This word is tough, but I have suffered with you. 253 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,200 And so back to the story I said. I've ministered to brothers that 254 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:21,280 are incarcerated. I haven't. 255 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:24,280 I can't fully enter into that suffering. 256 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:29,440 I don't have a context for that. My friend can tell who was 257 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:32,120 incarcerated for 19 years as a kid. 258 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:36,000 He goes into the same prisons. He actually goes the day before 259 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:39,200 me and speaks to the same kids, same young men. 260 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:42,600 He can sympathize in that way. He can sympathize. 261 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:47,560 Oh, he can say, I know what it's like, exactly what it's like. 262 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:51,560 And there's ways in you in which you and your story and your 263 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,880 context can minister and sympathize to somebody to say, I 264 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:56,720 know exactly what it's like to be from your context, to suffer 265 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,440 in that way. You know, if you were, if you 266 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,640 were injured, whether it be through war or street violence, 267 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,839 or just just say you were injured in the abdomen and or 268 00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:08,520 just at the wrong place in the wrong time, you would comfort, 269 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:10,400 you would accept comfort, you would accept support, you would 270 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:12,480 accept sympathy. But it's another thing if 271 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:14,839 somebody comforts you and then lifts up their shirt, since I 272 00:17:14,839 --> 00:17:18,040 have the same scars. Amen. 273 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:22,760 And so this is the Jesus we follow. 274 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:28,600 This is the blueprint that that was tempted with us and 275 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,560 sympathizes with us and has suffered with us. 276 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:36,840 And so I want to share a quick piece that I did this. 277 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,520 This is a, a poem or a spoken word piece that is called 278 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:42,280 forsaken. It was done in the context of 279 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:45,440 Good Friday from Jesus perspective, what I imagine 280 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:49,120 Jesus might be saying, what Jesus might be saying about the 281 00:17:49,120 --> 00:17:51,760 feelings and the emotions of abandonment and suffering. 282 00:17:52,120 --> 00:17:55,640 And so the first part of it is my me speaking from the 283 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:59,480 perspective of Jesus. And then the next part of it is 284 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:02,800 Jesus making what Caleb might say about it. 285 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,040 And so it says God's still loved the world, but it hated me. 286 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,680 A sacrifice for sin is how this came to be. 287 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,040 And right now the suffering is overtaking me. 288 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:17,240 So my God, why has thou forstaken me? 289 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:21,800 I mean it hurts me to my core, I mean this pain is deep, but 290 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,960 still my love is pure. Go ahead, taste and see my body 291 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,400 broken. Half this bread, take and eat my 292 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:29,840 blood spilled. Hold this cup, take a drink. 293 00:18:30,360 --> 00:18:32,840 So my disciples in the garden, please pray with me. 294 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:35,800 I checked back with them later and well may asleep. 295 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:40,080 And before a decision was made to stay or leave, Judas came 296 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:42,720 with a kiss. He was betraying me, the Son of 297 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,120 God, wholly on the throne, reduced to a beaten man, feeling 298 00:18:46,120 --> 00:18:49,760 lonely and alone, suffocating on the cross, trying to take a 299 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,400 breath only to exhale and continue dying a painful death 300 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,760 that costing evils too much. I had to pay the debt, and that 301 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:59,200 price is pretty great, but greater is thy faithfulness. 302 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:01,240 Still. The closest friends I thought I 303 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,440 had came and when I tried to warn about the human hearts 304 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,840 deranged intent, I took the people's hands and fists and I 305 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:10,440 handled it. I felt the plant, the whips man, 306 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,120 it was scandalous because with physical pain there's 307 00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:16,600 manuscripts to managing, but there ain't no manages for 308 00:19:16,600 --> 00:19:19,480 abandonment. So God still loved the world, 309 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,160 but it hated me. A sacrifice with thinness. 310 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,040 How it just came to be. And right now the suffering's 311 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:28,360 overtaking me. So my God, why has thou fast 312 00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:30,280 thanked me? I said God still loved the 313 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:33,560 world, but it hated me. A sacrifice with sin is how this 314 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:35,960 came to be. And if I'm really thinking about 315 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,040 how all this weighs on me, it reminds me of what my servant 316 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:43,280 Caleb prayed to me. He said, dear Lord to the holy 317 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,440 God above me. Sometimes I'm afraid to share 318 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:47,120 because I think that people will judge me. 319 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,920 And though I've got a bunch of friends and family that love me 320 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:52,800 as often, I can't deny that I'll be feeling like it's just me 321 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:57,720 when that loneliness seems unbearable and my own spin seems 322 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,320 unshareable. And the last time I felt OK was 323 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:02,400 1000 prayers ago. And the only thing I want to 324 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:05,240 know from God is where he go get me off this ride. 325 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,280 I'm screaming. I don't like this merry grow, 326 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:09,920 this merry go this troubles tangible inside my heart. 327 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,520 I'm feeling damn bit cold. I believe in the light, but this 328 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:15,360 darkness is just terrible feeling like no master strike. 329 00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:19,480 I'm just looking for a flare of close, something to remind me of 330 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:21,360 that resurrection. Something. 331 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:24,120 Because right now I feel like I'm second guessing. 332 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:28,120 And even though I know how the story has amended, it doesn't 333 00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:30,360 stop me from putting everything into question. 334 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:34,640 Jesus, please, Jesus says. These are the prayers that I 335 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,760 often hear, but right now it's me, the Son of God, fighting 336 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:40,240 thoughts and fear. See, I was sent to love as the 337 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,040 sinners judge, but I was also going through it in that dark 338 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:46,120 and straight sweat and blood. Without me, death would come and 339 00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:48,840 be never done. I had to disconnect it at the 340 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:52,440 root to get the plug. And when I say I was tempted, 341 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:55,200 listen up. It means I've dealt with all 342 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:56,640 those private thoughts you're thinking of. 343 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,720 So join me as I pose the question. 344 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,680 When it seems like the omnipresent God is God missing, 345 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:05,600 go to God with it because he said He'll be God with us and a 346 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,280 relationship can't last if it's only long distance. 347 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:10,920 So listen, let me make it real for you. 348 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,440 If you feel stuck up in that space and feel forsaken, you can 349 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:16,400 tell the truth. I'll hover that tree in your 350 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:19,440 place so I can help you through. And if you're feeling far away 351 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:21,400 from God, just know I felt it too. 352 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:24,680 So God still loved the world, but it hated me. 353 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:27,680 A sacrifice was thin is how this came to be. 354 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,760 And right now the sufferings overtaking me. 355 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:34,080 So by God, why has thou forsaken me? 356 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:42,680 See Jesus know what it's like to be tempted. 357 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:44,520 He knows what it's like in that garden. 358 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,400 When he said let this cup pass, he was basically saying God God. 359 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,440 He was saying Father God before he had to go die, he said, 360 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,960 Father God, please let this cup pass and since your will. 361 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:56,960 But if it's not, I'm still going to be obedient in in in an 362 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,120 interesting way. Jesus knows what it's like to 363 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:02,200 want a shortcut, to desire a shortcut. 364 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:04,640 Jesus know what it's like to pray for that shortcut and your 365 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:08,160 prayer not be answered and still be obedient. 366 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:14,520 Amen. In Luke 18, so it says approach 367 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:16,400 boldly. What do we mean approach boldly? 368 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:19,560 In Luke 18 two men went up to the temple and prayed. 369 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:23,400 This is a parable. In Luke 18 two men went up to 370 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:28,000 the temple and prayed. 1A Pharisee and the other a tax 371 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,360 collector. The Pharisee stood by himself 372 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:32,320 and prayed. God, I thank you that I'm not 373 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:36,960 like other people, robbers, evil doers, adulterers, or even like 374 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,840 this tax collector. I hope the tax collector was out 375 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:41,360 of here shot because that's pretty shady. 376 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:45,720 Even at this tax collector, I fast twice a week and give a 377 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:48,600 tenth of all I get. But the tax collector stood at a 378 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,680 distance. He would not even look up to the 379 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:56,240 heaven, but he beat his breast. Is that God have mercy on me, a 380 00:22:56,320 --> 00:23:02,640 thinner mercy on me, a thinner. I tell you that this man rather 381 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:05,320 than the other went home justified before God. 382 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,440 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and 383 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:11,360 those who humbled himself will be exalted. 384 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:19,320 We ask for mercy and grace. Mercy to be OK with our lack and 385 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:22,520 not in a self depreciating way, not in a self penny kind of way, 386 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:24,160 but in a way that invites intimacy. 387 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:30,080 There is something beautiful that happens to a relationship 388 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:33,080 when you acknowledge your brokenness, when you acknowledge 389 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:37,240 your spinfulness. This is in part why we fast, we 390 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:41,120 put ourselves in a state of lack to remember our brokenness, to 391 00:23:41,120 --> 00:23:45,880 remember the sorrow for sin. And a little cheat code is even 392 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,800 when we're feeling at our best, we're always at a lack compared 393 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:52,840 to the holy God. And so the more we can get in 394 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,080 touch with that and be comfortable with that, the more 395 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:58,400 boldly we can approach. Correction is part of the 396 00:23:58,400 --> 00:23:59,920 process. I think we're in a day and age 397 00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:02,080 where because of the Internet, everything lives forever. 398 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:03,640 We're all scared to be corrected. 399 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:06,760 This is part of the process. This is part of discipleship. 400 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:09,720 If you haven't got it corrected, then you're not close enough in 401 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:14,520 relationship. And as you you, you show your 402 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,120 sinfulness, you show it to God and ask for mercy. 403 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:20,440 It spills out into other relationships. 404 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:23,560 You get more confident showing your brokenness to other people. 405 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:26,400 It creates deeper intimacy in your community. 406 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:32,640 This is mercy, acknowledging that we need forgiveness, we 407 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,960 need restoration. We need somebody to look us in 408 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:39,200 the eyes and say, I know you're wrong and I'm still with you, 409 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,320 but we have to be able to admit that we're wrong. 410 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,760 On the way here, On the way here, my wife and I almost got 411 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:50,960 ran on. My wife and I almost got ran off 412 00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,480 the road by a driver that probably just wasn't looking 413 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:55,960 where they were going. But they literally, quite 414 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:57,680 literally almost ran us off the highway. 415 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:01,480 And we pulled up next to them. And I was, I was confident to 416 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:04,160 like give them a look of compassion, but still look at 417 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:08,280 them. Now that person, she was 418 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:14,600 probably nervous, OK, did not look in our direction at all. 419 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:21,120 And then two, and you know, thank God, we're OK, but it was 420 00:25:21,120 --> 00:25:23,040 harder to give compassion because there was no high 421 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:24,600 content. There was no like gesture of 422 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:28,560 apology, right? So mercy becomes harder to give 423 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:31,040 when nobody's asking you to be merciful. 424 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:35,320 And I know God has infinite mercy, but the posture he wants 425 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:38,600 from us is brokenness is honesty is saying I understand my 426 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:43,000 sinfulness, Lord, I need you with me and then grace. 427 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:46,080 We say mercy and grace. Everybody say mercy and grace. 428 00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:51,400 We ask for grace, the natural or and or supernatural for what you 429 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:54,920 need to do and who you need to be to be a child of God. 430 00:25:57,880 --> 00:26:03,200 Man, I think it's never goes under stated or never could be 431 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:06,920 overstated that we should be praying that we become mature 432 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:11,280 believers. That prayer alone scolds us in 433 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:14,560 different ways, praying that we become more and more mature and 434 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:19,680 close to Christ, praying to overcome temptation. 435 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:25,040 Danisha theologian Soren Kierkegaard said temptation is a 436 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,040 cheat and a liar. It is careful not to tell the 437 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:30,760 truth, for its power lies precisely in the lie. 438 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,520 If you want to get the truth from it regarding how great it 439 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,680 really is or not, then you have to be stronger than it. 440 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:38,880 Make sure that you prevail in temptation. 441 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:41,640 Then you will know the truth or you will get the truth from it. 442 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:45,400 That is why there is only One who truly and precisely knows 443 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,160 the size of every temptation. And he was completely able to 444 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:51,200 put himself in the situation of everyone who was being tempted, 445 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:55,440 He who was tempted and all thinks in the same way as we 446 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:59,560 tempted, but who prevailed in every temptation. 447 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:02,600 We're going to get ready to respond. 448 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:04,720 So I invite the worship team to come on up as we get ready to 449 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:08,760 respond to praying to God. God, give me the grace. 450 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:10,880 Give me the grace to resist temptation. 451 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:17,760 Give me the grace to overcome temptation trying to be more 452 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:20,160 mature in Christ. I think God loves when we pray 453 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:22,600 to God, scold me, mold me to be more mature. 454 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,960 God give us the grace to be generous in a world that's 455 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:30,000 filled with selfishness. God give us the grace to be self 456 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,600 controlled in a world that's always like I need my knees met 457 00:27:33,600 --> 00:27:39,040 right now. God give us the grace to forgive 458 00:27:39,680 --> 00:27:43,480 when somebody may have done something that was unforgivable. 459 00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:49,440 God give us the grace to be peaceful when violence seems 460 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:54,520 like the even easy Easter. Help us. 461 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,960 God help us to strengthen our character to give us the grace 462 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:03,400 of who we need to be. One of the times, you know, one 463 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:06,000 of my first actual what I remember, like actually 464 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,480 repenting, I come into the altar and repenting. 465 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:13,400 One of the pastors, Pastor Val asked me, you know, she said, 466 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:16,880 repent for your sins. And then she said, will you 467 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:19,840 pray? Pray that God gives you a vision 468 00:28:20,120 --> 00:28:26,240 of freedom to actually just see yourself, not in an idealistic 469 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:31,600 way, but in a way that says God, I know I'm not there, but this 470 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:37,200 is who I'm praying to be. When we lack something, we don't 471 00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:39,720 even always have to know the solution right off. 472 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:42,720 We could come to God and just acknowledge that lack and 473 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:46,200 acknowledge that brokenness. Sometimes we think we have to 474 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:48,720 get it all figured out and categorize before we bring it to 475 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:52,200 God. But God gives mercy and grace 476 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:54,880 just for those who have a posture that's willing to 477 00:28:54,880 --> 00:29:01,160 receive it. And so as we as I close and we 478 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:05,280 do this next song, I invite you to pray for his mercy and grace. 479 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:08,080 Where do you need mercy? Where do you need to overcome 480 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,440 shame? Where do you need to overcome an 481 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:14,000 insecurity or a way that you know you are his sinfulness that 482 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:15,840 you're maybe holding on to bitterness? 483 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:19,080 Where do you feel out of alignment with God? 484 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,280 And maybe you've already made it right, but you just need to feel 485 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:24,560 God's mercy. You need God's presence to say 486 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,800 I'm still with you. I invite us to pray for that 487 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:31,200 mercy. And it might not be a one and 488 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:32,840 done thing. There's some areas in our life 489 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:36,640 that we continually, continually feel inadequate about. 490 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:45,240 Can we pray for that mercy, Church and then grace God, give 491 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:50,720 us the vision of who you are making us become and pray for 492 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:52,680 that grace. Pray for that character 493 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:55,280 adjustment. Pray that God molds us and 494 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:59,400 shapes us and walks with us and strengthens us so that we can 495 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,440 approach the throne boldly. You know, part of the boldness 496 00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:06,200 about approaching the throne was because back in the days when 497 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:10,200 they sacrificed animals, there was some kind of touch and go 498 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,760 about like if God would accept the sacrifice, it wasn't always 499 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:15,760 a guarantee based on how the nation was going. 500 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:20,960 And so with Jesus, we know that the perfect sacrifice has 501 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:24,480 already been made. The relationship has been made 502 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,160 right. There is an Ave. there as though 503 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:29,600 we don't have to be kind of standing in in fear and 504 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:32,400 anticipation, wondering if God's fire is going to consume our 505 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:36,520 sacrifice, the sacrifice that's been made. 506 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:40,560 And so we can approach boldly, knowing that if our posture is 507 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:45,920 out of humility in a contrite harp and a humble harp, that the 508 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:48,560 sacrifice will be expected and the relationship will be made 509 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:48,840 right.