1 00:00:00,050 --> 00:00:02,250 Speaker 2: Well, I have a confession to make. 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:07,520 I'm not ashamed of it, but it's a confession. 3 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,140 I love Kung Fu Panda. 4 00:00:14,719 --> 00:00:15,920 I love Kung Fu Panda. 5 00:00:15,930 --> 00:00:20,100 I recently have been basically singing the soundtrack around our apartment. 6 00:00:20,180 --> 00:00:21,100 My wife can attest. 7 00:00:21,850 --> 00:00:24,040 And I just love the movies. 8 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:25,010 I love the franchise. 9 00:00:25,020 --> 00:00:25,990 I love the soundtrack. 10 00:00:26,009 --> 00:00:28,139 I listened to the soundtrack when I sermon prepped this week. 11 00:00:28,150 --> 00:00:28,760 It's amazing. 12 00:00:29,430 --> 00:00:31,030 I love Kung Fu Panda. 13 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:37,340 Recently, Kung Fu Panda 4 came out, which was not as good as the first 14 00:00:37,340 --> 00:00:40,480 two, but it was still very, very good. 15 00:00:41,550 --> 00:00:45,670 Now the key moment, I'm going to kind of spoil the movie, but I'm not going to try, 16 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,700 I'm going to try to keep it vague enough for you if you still want to go see it. 17 00:00:50,090 --> 00:00:52,580 But it's 2025, came out last year, whatever. 18 00:00:52,940 --> 00:00:53,940 It's your fault, you haven't seen it yet. 19 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:58,840 But, what happens in this movie is Poe, the panda, makes a friend. 20 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:07,350 And, at the climax of the movie, his friend betrays him, and goes 21 00:01:07,359 --> 00:01:09,720 back to serve her old master. 22 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:17,509 She serves her old master, and gives Poe back to be captured by the master. 23 00:01:17,829 --> 00:01:20,615 And so then She gets second thoughts. 24 00:01:20,625 --> 00:01:22,355 She's like, wait, Poe is so kind to me. 25 00:01:22,355 --> 00:01:22,745 Look at him. 26 00:01:22,755 --> 00:01:24,865 He's so nice and friendly and fluffy. 27 00:01:25,085 --> 00:01:25,745 Poe is kind. 28 00:01:25,745 --> 00:01:26,605 He trusted me. 29 00:01:26,605 --> 00:01:27,664 He loved me. 30 00:01:27,855 --> 00:01:28,824 He was so good to me. 31 00:01:28,824 --> 00:01:29,654 He was such a good friend. 32 00:01:29,655 --> 00:01:30,535 He cared about me. 33 00:01:30,755 --> 00:01:34,805 And she realizes that her master, the bad, the bad guy, the villain of the 34 00:01:34,805 --> 00:01:36,565 movie, actually doesn't care about her. 35 00:01:36,825 --> 00:01:41,015 That her old master doesn't love her, doesn't want what's best for her. 36 00:01:41,025 --> 00:01:45,805 He's just using her as a tool, while Poe actually cares about her. 37 00:01:46,485 --> 00:01:52,200 Now you see Every single one of us has a master. 38 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:56,259 Every single one of us is serving someone. 39 00:01:56,310 --> 00:02:00,620 We all have someone that we're living for, or something that we're living for. 40 00:02:01,050 --> 00:02:05,310 Maybe you'd like to say it was Jesus, but maybe it's your friend's approval. 41 00:02:05,330 --> 00:02:07,084 Maybe it's your own pleasure. 42 00:02:07,385 --> 00:02:08,955 Maybe it's your reputation. 43 00:02:08,965 --> 00:02:12,875 Maybe it's you want to feel a certain way about yourself. 44 00:02:13,205 --> 00:02:17,054 Maybe it's you just want to enjoy life and plug your ears and 45 00:02:17,054 --> 00:02:18,514 just do whatever you want to do. 46 00:02:18,915 --> 00:02:20,155 We're all living for something. 47 00:02:20,155 --> 00:02:23,724 We're all mastered by something. 48 00:02:24,595 --> 00:02:29,345 And what I want to ask you tonight is will your master take good care of you? 49 00:02:30,745 --> 00:02:33,375 Will whatever you're serving love you back? 50 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:38,079 Will it give you back everything that you're giving to it? 51 00:02:38,590 --> 00:02:39,420 Or maybe it's a person. 52 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,660 Will that person give you back everything that you're giving to them? 53 00:02:44,545 --> 00:02:47,675 I can promise you that if Jesus is your master, if Jesus is your 54 00:02:47,675 --> 00:02:53,365 King, He will love you back way more than you could ever love Him. 55 00:02:53,365 --> 00:02:54,855 And that's why Jesus is the best King. 56 00:02:54,855 --> 00:02:56,575 So we're going to be looking at Matthew 9 tonight. 57 00:02:56,575 --> 00:02:59,054 Make sure you've got your Bibles here every Wednesday night. 58 00:02:59,054 --> 00:03:01,825 Turn to Matthew chapter 9 in your Bible. 59 00:03:01,825 --> 00:03:05,505 We're going to be looking at King Jesus and why we know 60 00:03:05,505 --> 00:03:09,005 that Jesus is the best King. 61 00:03:09,175 --> 00:03:11,835 Jesus is the best King that you could ever serve. 62 00:03:11,835 --> 00:03:13,489 The best person you could ever serve. 63 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:14,110 Follow. 64 00:03:14,110 --> 00:03:16,370 That's the main point of tonight's sermon. 65 00:03:16,850 --> 00:03:18,550 Last week, Pastor Rod was in Matthew 8. 66 00:03:18,579 --> 00:03:19,960 We talked about Jesus authority. 67 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,639 So Jesus teaches the Sermon on the Mount for three chapters, and 68 00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:26,610 then he comes down the mountain, and he starts healing people. 69 00:03:26,610 --> 00:03:27,940 He starts casting out demons. 70 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:32,480 He starts doing all these amazing things, and that's to show his 71 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:34,329 authority, to show that he is the King. 72 00:03:34,630 --> 00:03:36,260 He doesn't just teach with authority. 73 00:03:36,260 --> 00:03:38,210 He can back it up with who he is. 74 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:39,899 He is God in the flesh. 75 00:03:39,900 --> 00:03:41,560 He is the long awaited Messiah. 76 00:03:41,579 --> 00:03:42,860 He is the King of Kings. 77 00:03:43,515 --> 00:03:46,225 That's what we learned last week, and now this week we're going to be continuing 78 00:03:46,225 --> 00:03:53,585 on in this story of what Jesus is doing after he comes down the mountain. 79 00:03:54,134 --> 00:03:57,695 Now see, if you're a good Bible scholar, you'll remember the last 80 00:03:57,695 --> 00:04:02,914 time that a prophet came down the mountain in Israel, or to Israel, 81 00:04:03,794 --> 00:04:05,474 it didn't go so well for Israel. 82 00:04:05,684 --> 00:04:08,724 It was the prophet Moses coming down Mount Sinai, teaching 83 00:04:08,724 --> 00:04:11,015 God's law, and Israel failed. 84 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:13,800 They made a golden calf, and they worshipped it. 85 00:04:14,030 --> 00:04:17,950 And then in the book of Numbers, they all died in the wilderness, 86 00:04:17,950 --> 00:04:20,589 because they rejected God's prophet. 87 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:22,110 They rejected God's word. 88 00:04:22,940 --> 00:04:27,830 And so, they suffered all the curses of their disobedience to God. 89 00:04:28,409 --> 00:04:30,940 Matthew 8 and 9 is showing that this time is different. 90 00:04:30,970 --> 00:04:34,790 This time, God is not just coming down the mountain giving them commands. 91 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:38,629 God has actually come down as a person to live for them and 92 00:04:38,629 --> 00:04:40,710 to reverse The curse of sin. 93 00:04:40,710 --> 00:04:44,930 So you'll see a lot of Jesus miracles in the, in these two chapters 94 00:04:45,130 --> 00:04:47,330 are reversing the curses of sin. 95 00:04:47,670 --> 00:04:51,740 They're reversing the powers of evil that have come into the world because of sin. 96 00:04:51,740 --> 00:04:54,570 So look at Matthew chapter 9, verse 1. 97 00:04:56,058 --> 00:04:59,760 And getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over and came to his own city. 98 00:05:00,420 --> 00:05:01,650 So he comes, comes back home. 99 00:05:01,910 --> 00:05:05,660 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. 100 00:05:06,090 --> 00:05:10,200 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, Take heart, 101 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,820 my son, your sins are forgiven. 102 00:05:13,620 --> 00:05:18,150 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, This man is blaspheming. 103 00:05:18,270 --> 00:05:22,170 Now that means he's taking what's God's and claiming it for himself. 104 00:05:23,069 --> 00:05:27,559 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Why do you think evil in your hearts? 105 00:05:27,950 --> 00:05:31,700 For which is easier to say, Your sins are forgiven, or rise and walk? 106 00:05:32,450 --> 00:05:37,270 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. 107 00:05:37,740 --> 00:05:42,445 He then said to the paralytic, Rise, pick up your bed, and go home. 108 00:05:43,085 --> 00:05:44,325 And he rose and went home. 109 00:05:44,705 --> 00:05:47,025 When the crowd saw it, they were afraid. 110 00:05:47,445 --> 00:05:51,855 And they glorified God who had given such authority to men. 111 00:05:52,984 --> 00:05:57,445 So this first miracle Jesus does is really less about the 112 00:05:57,445 --> 00:05:59,555 miracle and more about authority. 113 00:05:59,555 --> 00:06:00,685 That's what Matthew says the point is. 114 00:06:01,100 --> 00:06:03,710 The point is that these people are amazed, they're shocked, they're 115 00:06:03,710 --> 00:06:07,460 scared of Jesus's authority, and there's a controversy, right? 116 00:06:07,460 --> 00:06:08,510 They're upset at Jesus. 117 00:06:08,510 --> 00:06:11,060 The the crowds are like, wait, you can't do that. 118 00:06:11,060 --> 00:06:13,970 Jesus, only God can do what you're saying you can do. 119 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:15,080 That's not okay. 120 00:06:15,710 --> 00:06:18,770 You're claiming to be God, and if you're claiming to be God, we should 121 00:06:18,770 --> 00:06:20,180 kill you because there's only one God. 122 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:22,700 That's what the Jewish crowds are feeling. 123 00:06:24,380 --> 00:06:26,750 But then what happens next? 124 00:06:26,750 --> 00:06:29,809 We'll, look at verse nine, as Jesus passed on from there. 125 00:06:30,185 --> 00:06:34,675 He saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth and he said to him follow 126 00:06:34,675 --> 00:06:40,155 me and Matthew rose and followed him and As Jesus reclined at table in the house 127 00:06:40,185 --> 00:06:44,755 Behold many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and 128 00:06:44,755 --> 00:06:49,505 his disciples now tax collectors We're like the worst people in Israel like 129 00:06:49,815 --> 00:06:53,534 your parents don't like taxes This was like way worse because tax collectors 130 00:06:53,534 --> 00:06:54,815 weren't just taking people's money. 131 00:06:55,085 --> 00:06:59,545 They were traitors to Israel They were people who had said, We don't want 132 00:06:59,545 --> 00:07:02,535 to be with Israel anymore, we want to be with Rome, the occupying empire. 133 00:07:02,785 --> 00:07:05,755 And they would take way more money than they were supposed to, and 134 00:07:05,755 --> 00:07:06,905 they would keep it for themselves. 135 00:07:06,995 --> 00:07:11,384 So they're traitors, they're robbing their fellow Israelites 136 00:07:11,384 --> 00:07:13,085 to help Rome and help themselves. 137 00:07:13,115 --> 00:07:14,585 These are, like, the worst people. 138 00:07:16,224 --> 00:07:19,525 So, when the Pharisees, verse 11, saw this, they said to the 139 00:07:19,525 --> 00:07:22,935 disciples, Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? 140 00:07:24,215 --> 00:07:27,925 But when he had heard it, he said, Those who are well have no need 141 00:07:27,945 --> 00:07:31,935 of a physician, a doctor, but those who are sick need a doctor. 142 00:07:32,275 --> 00:07:34,345 So verse 13, go and learn what this means. 143 00:07:34,745 --> 00:07:39,244 I desire mercy and not sacrifice, for I came not to call the 144 00:07:39,244 --> 00:07:41,615 righteous, but the sinners. 145 00:07:42,565 --> 00:07:46,335 So last week we saw that Jesus authority means that he's king over all. 146 00:07:46,525 --> 00:07:51,570 That Jesus authority means that whether you want him or not, He's involved with 147 00:07:51,570 --> 00:07:53,500 your life because he's the king of kings. 148 00:07:53,710 --> 00:07:56,610 You can never say that Jesus is irrelevant to you. 149 00:07:57,150 --> 00:07:59,800 Even if you reject him, he is king. 150 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,540 Regardless of what you think about him or how much you want to listen 151 00:08:04,540 --> 00:08:07,240 to him or not, Jesus is always king. 152 00:08:08,740 --> 00:08:14,155 But now we also see that Jesus is not just authoritative, He is the best 153 00:08:14,435 --> 00:08:18,455 king because he's the perfect king for anyone honest enough to admit 154 00:08:18,455 --> 00:08:20,595 that they are hopelessly sinful. 155 00:08:21,165 --> 00:08:24,055 Jesus wants to be with the worst people in Israel. 156 00:08:25,025 --> 00:08:26,485 That's who Jesus says he came for. 157 00:08:26,614 --> 00:08:27,765 He came for the sinners. 158 00:08:27,795 --> 00:08:32,645 He came for those who know that they can't make it on their own. 159 00:08:32,645 --> 00:08:33,565 That they're not good enough. 160 00:08:33,565 --> 00:08:38,315 That their heart is wicked and evil and they have no hope of keeping God's law. 161 00:08:39,195 --> 00:08:41,693 Jesus is the perfect king for you. 162 00:08:42,813 --> 00:08:48,035 Deep down, you know that you aren't good enough, that you can't do what we 163 00:08:48,035 --> 00:08:51,085 just have been talking about for the past few months in Matthew's Gospel. 164 00:08:51,484 --> 00:08:54,005 You know that your heart is selfish. 165 00:08:54,024 --> 00:08:55,935 Your heart is wicked. 166 00:08:55,944 --> 00:08:59,514 Your heart can't keep up with God's Word. 167 00:09:00,764 --> 00:09:08,485 Jesus is the perfect King for you because He came to save sinners like us. 168 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:13,930 So point number one tonight, be honest about your spiritual sickness. 169 00:09:15,220 --> 00:09:15,740 Be honest. 170 00:09:16,410 --> 00:09:17,070 Be real. 171 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:18,750 Don't try to fake it. 172 00:09:18,930 --> 00:09:20,349 Don't try to pretend you're not sick. 173 00:09:23,570 --> 00:09:27,329 See, trying to pretend that you're okay when you're really not is actually one 174 00:09:27,329 --> 00:09:29,389 of the worst spots you could ever be in. 175 00:09:31,359 --> 00:09:37,419 I used to always go hiking with my family on New Year's Day, and 176 00:09:37,419 --> 00:09:39,204 I accidentally made a mistake. 177 00:09:39,565 --> 00:09:41,935 A really, really awkward tradition on New Year's Day. 178 00:09:42,215 --> 00:09:46,675 So what would happen, every time we go hiking, I need to 179 00:09:46,675 --> 00:09:48,235 use the bathroom very often. 180 00:09:48,245 --> 00:09:48,885 I'll just say that. 181 00:09:49,905 --> 00:09:53,675 Every time we go hiking, I would be like, This time, I can make it. 182 00:09:54,294 --> 00:09:57,685 This time I can go up and back and not have to worry about anything. 183 00:09:57,734 --> 00:09:58,824 I'm going to do it this time. 184 00:09:59,435 --> 00:10:01,435 And so I would talk myself into it, because I don't want, you know, you 185 00:10:01,435 --> 00:10:03,815 don't want to be that guy that has to, like, go off the trail and, you know, 186 00:10:03,815 --> 00:10:05,155 do that, and then come back, right? 187 00:10:05,155 --> 00:10:05,925 You don't want to be that guy. 188 00:10:06,245 --> 00:10:08,765 And then everyone has to stop and wait for you, and then it's that awkward, you 189 00:10:08,765 --> 00:10:11,745 come back and join the group, and, like, you know, no one's going to say, they're 190 00:10:11,745 --> 00:10:12,685 not going to be like, oh, how was it? 191 00:10:12,685 --> 00:10:14,095 You know, like, it's super awkward, right? 192 00:10:14,655 --> 00:10:15,614 No one wants to deal with that. 193 00:10:15,874 --> 00:10:18,585 So, every year, I'd be like, you know what, I'm going to make it. 194 00:10:19,125 --> 00:10:19,795 This is going to be it. 195 00:10:19,795 --> 00:10:21,695 And every year, I'm going to make it. 196 00:10:21,885 --> 00:10:26,965 So my parents started packing tissues, just in case I needed them. 197 00:10:28,420 --> 00:10:32,450 And so I was pretending I was okay, but I really wasn't. 198 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:37,909 I was pretending that I could make it, and because it was my pride, that, oh yeah, I 199 00:10:37,910 --> 00:10:42,600 don't need that, I can make it, I always ended up in the same awkward situation 200 00:10:42,660 --> 00:10:45,609 over and over and over again every year. 201 00:10:46,299 --> 00:10:51,269 Now, that's a funny illustration of that, but see, this could go really bad for 202 00:10:51,269 --> 00:10:55,690 you if you don't admit your spiritual sickness, that you have a problem. 203 00:10:55,765 --> 00:11:04,315 See, the biggest problem in your life is not how you think you should 204 00:11:04,315 --> 00:11:05,715 look and you don't look that way. 205 00:11:05,715 --> 00:11:08,234 It's not how you think you should, how smart you think you 206 00:11:08,234 --> 00:11:09,125 should be and that you're not. 207 00:11:09,125 --> 00:11:12,384 It's not that those people aren't friends with you, or that that person doesn't 208 00:11:12,474 --> 00:11:17,425 want to be with you, or that your parents don't do this, or that you can't be 209 00:11:17,425 --> 00:11:20,285 good enough at that, or that whatever. 210 00:11:20,295 --> 00:11:22,525 That's not the biggest problem in your life. 211 00:11:23,855 --> 00:11:28,705 Because The biggest problem in your life is that your soul is sick. 212 00:11:29,615 --> 00:11:30,905 Your soul is evil. 213 00:11:30,905 --> 00:11:31,855 Your soul has a problem. 214 00:11:32,085 --> 00:11:35,635 Your soul is drawn to things that are poisonous for it. 215 00:11:36,525 --> 00:11:37,865 Your soul is drawn to sin. 216 00:11:38,195 --> 00:11:39,495 You're addicted to poison. 217 00:11:40,575 --> 00:11:41,875 And so, you need help. 218 00:11:42,145 --> 00:11:45,074 But if you're not aware that you're addicted to poison, you're going 219 00:11:45,074 --> 00:11:47,184 to keep drinking it and keep dying. 220 00:11:48,164 --> 00:11:49,915 Look back at the beginning of this chapter. 221 00:11:52,085 --> 00:11:56,954 Jesus, initially, This is, when you stop and think about it, 222 00:11:56,965 --> 00:11:58,105 this is, this is really weird. 223 00:11:58,545 --> 00:12:01,565 Jesus sees this, this group of people bringing a para, 224 00:12:01,655 --> 00:12:02,785 a paralyzed person to him. 225 00:12:03,875 --> 00:12:08,895 Now if you're the paralyzed person, and his friends, and Jesus says, 226 00:12:09,015 --> 00:12:14,125 your sins are forgiven, but doesn't heal you, would you feel let down? 227 00:12:15,345 --> 00:12:18,655 I came all this way for Jesus who's been doing all these great 228 00:12:18,655 --> 00:12:19,775 things, and what does he say? 229 00:12:20,645 --> 00:12:21,295 I forgive you. 230 00:12:21,795 --> 00:12:22,175 What? 231 00:12:22,775 --> 00:12:23,975 That's not why I'm here. 232 00:12:25,245 --> 00:12:29,764 And so the scribes though, that's not what they're, what they're upset about. 233 00:12:30,345 --> 00:12:32,995 They're upset that Jesus is saying, I can forgive sin. 234 00:12:35,615 --> 00:12:37,094 That's what this story is about. 235 00:12:37,105 --> 00:12:38,615 This story is about forgiving sin. 236 00:12:38,954 --> 00:12:41,855 Jesus does tell them, get up and walk, but that's not his biggest problem 237 00:12:43,075 --> 00:12:45,065 because remember what Jesus said earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, 238 00:12:45,195 --> 00:12:51,935 he said, it'd be better for you to cut off your hand and gouge out your eye. 239 00:12:56,195 --> 00:13:01,995 So it's better if this paralyzed person is forgiven and stays paralyzed and 240 00:13:01,995 --> 00:13:08,284 goes to heaven versus has this miracle happen to him, get up and walk, and goes 241 00:13:08,285 --> 00:13:09,835 to hell if his sins aren't forgiven. 242 00:13:11,345 --> 00:13:12,785 This is about forgiveness. 243 00:13:12,825 --> 00:13:15,695 This isn't about Jesus healing someone. 244 00:13:17,810 --> 00:13:20,990 Your biggest problem is unforgiven sin. 245 00:13:21,330 --> 00:13:25,109 If your sins aren't forgiven, you'll die forever in hell. 246 00:13:26,090 --> 00:13:28,000 It doesn't matter what else, you could have the perfect life 247 00:13:28,009 --> 00:13:29,039 that you could always dream of. 248 00:13:29,549 --> 00:13:33,070 And if your sins aren't forgiven, you'll regret it. 249 00:13:34,009 --> 00:13:34,739 It won't be worth it. 250 00:13:35,749 --> 00:13:37,330 That's your biggest problem in life. 251 00:13:37,330 --> 00:13:40,790 And Jesus is the best king because he came to address this problem. 252 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:43,090 He alone can forgive your sins. 253 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:46,440 The Pharisees couldn't forgive anyone else's sin, but Jesus 254 00:13:46,450 --> 00:13:47,510 said, I forgive your sin. 255 00:13:49,260 --> 00:13:52,970 The biggest problem in your life is unforgiven sin. 256 00:13:55,079 --> 00:13:59,079 Jesus isn't just offering forgiveness, he actually comes 257 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,609 to his people with forgiveness. 258 00:14:02,659 --> 00:14:04,460 Look right there at the bottom, verse 13. 259 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,300 For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. 260 00:14:08,060 --> 00:14:11,130 If you're honest with yourself, this is one of the best verses in the Bible. 261 00:14:13,724 --> 00:14:15,714 If you're not honest with yourself, this verse doesn't matter. 262 00:14:17,964 --> 00:14:20,204 And then, you're not honest with yourself, you don't admit you 263 00:14:20,204 --> 00:14:23,005 have a problem, you don't come to Jesus, and you end up in hell. 264 00:14:25,454 --> 00:14:28,355 If you're honest with yourself, you know that this is you. 265 00:14:30,564 --> 00:14:31,874 You know that you're a sinner. 266 00:14:32,215 --> 00:14:33,684 You know that you break God's law. 267 00:14:36,044 --> 00:14:39,105 The problem is, if you're never honest with yourself, you 268 00:14:39,115 --> 00:14:40,495 think you're in this category. 269 00:14:40,985 --> 00:14:42,755 And so then, you never come to Jesus. 270 00:14:45,155 --> 00:14:46,474 And you never get forgiven. 271 00:14:50,274 --> 00:14:56,595 But I also want you to know that Jesus comes for sinners. 272 00:14:58,075 --> 00:15:02,785 Jesus is not saying, clean yourself up, then come to me. 273 00:15:03,384 --> 00:15:05,825 Start reading your Bible more, then I can forgive you. 274 00:15:06,685 --> 00:15:09,135 Start showing up at church more, start being more respectful to your 275 00:15:09,135 --> 00:15:12,875 parents, start obeying me more, be a better person, then I can forgive you. 276 00:15:12,875 --> 00:15:13,834 That's not what Jesus is saying. 277 00:15:16,100 --> 00:15:18,900 Jesus came for sinners, not people trying to be better. 278 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:28,090 Jesus came for sick people, not for people starting to take meds. 279 00:15:30,849 --> 00:15:33,769 Jesus does not shrink back from your sin. 280 00:15:34,429 --> 00:15:36,779 Maybe some of you don't feel like you can become a Christian because 281 00:15:36,789 --> 00:15:38,020 you feel like you're not good enough. 282 00:15:39,169 --> 00:15:40,819 You're not as good as your friend. 283 00:15:41,109 --> 00:15:43,119 You don't know the Bible like that person. 284 00:15:43,399 --> 00:15:44,929 You're not nice like that person. 285 00:15:46,119 --> 00:15:47,750 Jesus didn't come for nice people. 286 00:15:49,210 --> 00:15:50,290 Jesus came for sinners. 287 00:15:50,290 --> 00:15:53,409 If you're a sinner, Jesus came for you. 288 00:15:53,869 --> 00:15:55,560 Jesus isn't scared of your sin. 289 00:15:55,569 --> 00:15:58,230 Your sin's not going to be too big for Jesus to forgive. 290 00:15:58,869 --> 00:16:02,460 He's not going to see your sin and be like, Oh, sorry, you're on your own. 291 00:16:02,490 --> 00:16:03,170 That's too much. 292 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:03,630 I'm out. 293 00:16:04,849 --> 00:16:05,730 He's not scared of it. 294 00:16:06,290 --> 00:16:07,230 Jesus can forgive it. 295 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:11,290 And also, if you're a Christian, you have been saved. 296 00:16:14,020 --> 00:16:15,080 You can't. 297 00:16:15,490 --> 00:16:16,870 Sin your way out of that. 298 00:16:18,590 --> 00:16:21,300 Jesus isn't saying, oh, you sinned too many times, you're 299 00:16:21,300 --> 00:16:22,010 not a Christian anymore. 300 00:16:23,269 --> 00:16:24,370 Jesus isn't scared of your sin. 301 00:16:24,370 --> 00:16:25,140 He came for sinners. 302 00:16:25,150 --> 00:16:29,400 Every time you sin as a Christian, you can always come back to Jesus. 303 00:16:30,729 --> 00:16:33,979 Because that's the exact type of person He came for, is the sinner. 304 00:16:33,980 --> 00:16:40,354 This story you probably heard before in Luke chapter 9. 305 00:16:42,845 --> 00:16:46,525 There's two people that Jesus talks about, there's a Pharisee who's bragging about 306 00:16:46,525 --> 00:16:49,945 how righteous he is, and then there's a tax collector, right, the worst person in 307 00:16:49,945 --> 00:16:52,624 Jewish society, who's standing far away. 308 00:16:53,084 --> 00:16:54,825 He won't even look at God. 309 00:16:54,874 --> 00:16:57,814 He can't look God in the eye, he's so ashamed of his sin, he's so 310 00:16:57,815 --> 00:16:59,654 heartbroken over what he's done. 311 00:17:01,314 --> 00:17:04,545 And he says, God, please be merciful to me, a sinner. 312 00:17:05,425 --> 00:17:06,095 He's honest. 313 00:17:06,265 --> 00:17:06,915 He gets it. 314 00:17:07,185 --> 00:17:09,305 He knows I don't deserve to be with God. 315 00:17:11,175 --> 00:17:13,545 I am terrible. 316 00:17:13,765 --> 00:17:14,375 I'm wicked. 317 00:17:14,395 --> 00:17:15,015 I'm evil. 318 00:17:15,385 --> 00:17:17,135 And what does Jesus say about this person who's honest? 319 00:17:17,194 --> 00:17:22,654 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. 320 00:17:24,034 --> 00:17:26,424 So it's not just that the sinner gets justified. 321 00:17:26,434 --> 00:17:32,365 It's the self righteous Pharisee doesn't get, the self deceived Pharisee who's 322 00:17:32,365 --> 00:17:35,325 not honest with himself, who doesn't bring his sin into the light, who covers 323 00:17:35,325 --> 00:17:39,065 it, who hides it, doesn't get forgiven. 324 00:17:41,155 --> 00:17:44,815 See, Jesus will not save anyone who thinks they are righteous without Him. 325 00:17:46,275 --> 00:17:49,175 If you don't think you need Jesus, you're in a bad place. 326 00:17:50,355 --> 00:17:51,285 Even as a Christian. 327 00:17:52,935 --> 00:17:56,474 Even if you're a Christian and you think, now I'm good enough. 328 00:17:57,034 --> 00:17:59,994 Now I have a good relationship with God because of, look at 329 00:17:59,994 --> 00:18:01,734 all the stuff I've done, God. 330 00:18:02,884 --> 00:18:04,285 That's a bad spot to be in too. 331 00:18:05,475 --> 00:18:09,344 Jesus will not save anyone who thinks they are righteous without Him. 332 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:14,870 So we need to be honest, transparent. 333 00:18:14,870 --> 00:18:15,510 Don't hide it. 334 00:18:15,510 --> 00:18:16,390 Don't cover it up. 335 00:18:18,550 --> 00:18:21,750 Jesus doesn't want you to cover up your sin. 336 00:18:22,290 --> 00:18:28,670 He wants you to bring it to Him, admit that it's wrong, and ask for forgiveness. 337 00:18:30,509 --> 00:18:34,960 So what's different about honest sinners who admit their sin 338 00:18:36,150 --> 00:18:37,290 and sinners who go to hell? 339 00:18:38,025 --> 00:18:38,215 Right? 340 00:18:38,215 --> 00:18:40,245 If everyone's a sinner, what's the difference then? 341 00:18:40,465 --> 00:18:42,235 Does Jesus just let sinners keep on sinning? 342 00:18:42,255 --> 00:18:44,385 Oh, yeah, I know Jesus, I'm a sinner, I'm just gonna keep sinning. 343 00:18:45,235 --> 00:18:46,614 Is that what Christians do? 344 00:18:46,845 --> 00:18:49,144 Well, I think the rest of our passage actually answers that 345 00:18:49,145 --> 00:18:50,555 question, so keep on reading with me. 346 00:18:50,845 --> 00:18:51,805 Verse 14. 347 00:18:52,744 --> 00:18:57,315 Then the disciples of John, John the Baptist, came to him, to Jesus, 348 00:18:57,355 --> 00:19:03,075 saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don't fast? 349 00:19:03,895 --> 00:19:06,825 And Jesus said to them, Can the wedding guests mourn as long 350 00:19:06,825 --> 00:19:08,055 as the bridegroom is with them? 351 00:19:08,765 --> 00:19:11,435 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from 352 00:19:11,435 --> 00:19:13,335 them, and then they will fast. 353 00:19:13,975 --> 00:19:19,034 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for 354 00:19:19,034 --> 00:19:22,765 the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 355 00:19:23,045 --> 00:19:25,365 Now, so you know when you put stuff in the dryer too long, or you put the 356 00:19:25,365 --> 00:19:27,125 wrong thing in the dryer, it shrinks? 357 00:19:28,295 --> 00:19:32,250 Jesus is saying, if you have an already shrunken thing, And then you 358 00:19:32,330 --> 00:19:35,680 try to, like, patch a hole and put, like, a not shrunken thing on it. 359 00:19:36,630 --> 00:19:39,480 When you put it in the dryer again, so to speak, if Jesus had dryers, 360 00:19:40,190 --> 00:19:43,530 then they'll shrink at different rates, and they're different sizes, 361 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:45,290 so it'll just mess up your shirt. 362 00:19:45,980 --> 00:19:47,140 That's what Jesus is saying, okay? 363 00:19:47,820 --> 00:19:50,960 So verse 17, Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. 364 00:19:51,420 --> 00:19:54,980 If it is, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed. 365 00:19:55,430 --> 00:19:56,550 So same idea, right? 366 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:58,470 Just a different picture in case you didn't get the first time. 367 00:19:58,710 --> 00:20:01,320 But since I'm pretty sure none of you even have seen a wineskin 368 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:02,600 before, don't worry about it. 369 00:20:03,950 --> 00:20:06,740 But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved. 370 00:20:07,820 --> 00:20:10,820 So the point here is old stuff and new stuff don't mix. 371 00:20:11,559 --> 00:20:15,010 Now, I don't know if you're like me, but sometimes I read the Bible and I'm like, 372 00:20:15,270 --> 00:20:16,300 what does it have to do with anything? 373 00:20:17,190 --> 00:20:19,960 Like I read these two verses, the last two verses, and I was 374 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:21,730 like, I have no clue what it does. 375 00:20:21,750 --> 00:20:22,310 So what do you do? 376 00:20:22,830 --> 00:20:26,680 You just keep going, and maybe when you keep going, it'll sort itself out. 377 00:20:26,980 --> 00:20:28,090 That's what I did the first time I read it. 378 00:20:28,090 --> 00:20:29,410 So that's what we're gonna do right here. 379 00:20:29,950 --> 00:20:30,590 Verse 18. 380 00:20:31,009 --> 00:20:34,919 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in, so an 381 00:20:34,919 --> 00:20:40,140 important person, and knelt before him, saying, My daughter has just died. 382 00:20:41,350 --> 00:20:45,410 But, come and lay your hand on her, and she will live. 383 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:49,200 And Jesus rose and followed him with his disciples. 384 00:20:50,005 --> 00:20:53,955 And behold, so she's on the way to, this is like 9 1 1 Jesus, right? 385 00:20:53,955 --> 00:20:55,305 This would be pretty epic if you could do this. 386 00:20:55,615 --> 00:20:57,885 Hey Jesus, this person just died. 387 00:20:58,154 --> 00:20:59,655 Get in your ambulance and come down here. 388 00:21:00,915 --> 00:21:03,555 Verse 20, And behold, the woman who had suffered from a discharge of 389 00:21:03,555 --> 00:21:09,015 blood for 12 years, bleeding for 12 years, that's, that's almost as 390 00:21:09,015 --> 00:21:10,285 long as most of you have been alive, 391 00:21:13,605 --> 00:21:15,935 came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment. 392 00:21:16,670 --> 00:21:21,150 For she said to herself, for if I only touch his garment, I will be made well. 393 00:21:22,150 --> 00:21:25,020 Jesus turned, and seeing her, so imagine you went up to an ambulance, you're 394 00:21:25,020 --> 00:21:26,860 like, hey ambulance, please help me. 395 00:21:28,099 --> 00:21:28,790 Please help me. 396 00:21:29,530 --> 00:21:30,549 Will the ambulance stop for you? 397 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:32,960 No, they'd probably run you over, right? 398 00:21:33,539 --> 00:21:39,160 But Jesus ambulance stops for this person, which is much less of an emergency, 399 00:21:39,190 --> 00:21:43,809 because clearly there's a, there's someone dead versus someone bleeding. 400 00:21:44,360 --> 00:21:44,580 Right? 401 00:21:44,950 --> 00:21:46,340 This is where the word triage comes in. 402 00:21:46,340 --> 00:21:49,800 If you're, if you're an EMT, like Hudson, you don't do this, right, Hudson? 403 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:53,310 I mean, I guess you wouldn't go to a dead person anyway, so never mind. 404 00:21:53,590 --> 00:21:55,100 All right, verse 22. 405 00:21:55,139 --> 00:21:57,620 Jesus turned and seeing her said, take heart, daughter. 406 00:21:57,620 --> 00:22:01,840 Your faith has made you well, and instantly the woman was made well. 407 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,610 And then when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute 408 00:22:05,670 --> 00:22:08,970 players in the crowd making a commotion, now pause for a second. 409 00:22:08,990 --> 00:22:10,739 Why are there flute players at this dead person's house? 410 00:22:11,260 --> 00:22:13,010 They have like professional mourners. 411 00:22:13,460 --> 00:22:16,639 And this time period, so there's people that, like, come to express 412 00:22:16,639 --> 00:22:19,610 how sad the family is and how sad, like, their friends are. 413 00:22:19,860 --> 00:22:22,020 That's why there's flute players at this random dead person's house. 414 00:22:22,490 --> 00:22:22,770 Cool? 415 00:22:23,570 --> 00:22:23,949 All right. 416 00:22:24,350 --> 00:22:24,740 So. 417 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:26,769 Saw the flute players in the crowd making a commotion. 418 00:22:26,770 --> 00:22:27,450 Verse 24. 419 00:22:27,550 --> 00:22:28,750 He said, Go away! 420 00:22:28,889 --> 00:22:31,229 For the girl is not dead, but sleeping. 421 00:22:31,489 --> 00:22:32,399 And they laughed at him. 422 00:22:32,780 --> 00:22:34,440 Which, by the way, if you've ever been laughed at before, 423 00:22:34,940 --> 00:22:35,930 Jesus knows what that's like. 424 00:22:36,570 --> 00:22:39,200 And you can talk to him about it, because he cares about you. 425 00:22:39,510 --> 00:22:42,280 And he lives a real human life with real interactions with people. 426 00:22:43,705 --> 00:22:47,795 Verse 25, So when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took 427 00:22:47,795 --> 00:22:49,995 her by the hand, and the girl arose. 428 00:22:50,345 --> 00:22:54,215 And the report of this went through all that district. 429 00:22:56,145 --> 00:23:00,914 So so far, the common theme here, right, Jesus has authority over 430 00:23:00,915 --> 00:23:06,196 death and disease, but also, these two people are desperate for Jesus. 431 00:23:06,196 --> 00:23:09,735 This ruler come up to him, Jesus, please come. 432 00:23:09,905 --> 00:23:11,305 My daughter's already dead. 433 00:23:11,830 --> 00:23:12,429 I need help. 434 00:23:13,030 --> 00:23:18,090 This woman, who's been waiting 12 years for someone to help her, comes to Jesus. 435 00:23:18,179 --> 00:23:19,350 Jesus, please help. 436 00:23:19,830 --> 00:23:20,300 And he does. 437 00:23:21,120 --> 00:23:24,030 Then, in verse 27, we see a similar situation. 438 00:23:24,030 --> 00:23:27,870 As Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, 439 00:23:28,279 --> 00:23:30,340 Have mercy on us, son of David. 440 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:34,120 And when he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, 441 00:23:34,610 --> 00:23:35,970 Do you believe that I'm able to do this? 442 00:23:36,340 --> 00:23:37,550 They said to him, Yes, Lord. 443 00:23:38,570 --> 00:23:40,419 Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your 444 00:23:40,419 --> 00:23:42,055 faith, Be it done to you. 445 00:23:42,175 --> 00:23:42,955 And their eyes were opened. 446 00:23:43,605 --> 00:23:46,645 Jesus sternly warned them, See that no one else knows about it. 447 00:23:47,115 --> 00:23:48,575 And this is always, this always cracks me up. 448 00:23:48,785 --> 00:23:51,945 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district. 449 00:23:52,575 --> 00:23:54,034 If you had one job, guys, come on. 450 00:23:54,695 --> 00:23:58,294 But, the reason Jesus does this, which, this happens a lot across the Gospels, 451 00:23:59,374 --> 00:24:04,275 the reason Jesus tells people, don't tell anyone about this, is because if 452 00:24:04,285 --> 00:24:08,945 Jesus is going around healing people and raising people from the dead, what do 453 00:24:08,945 --> 00:24:10,225 you think all the Jews are going to say? 454 00:24:11,735 --> 00:24:14,365 Let's make this guy our king, and let's get rid of the Romans. 455 00:24:14,375 --> 00:24:19,044 Maybe he can, like, destroy them all, and use his power and authority 456 00:24:19,044 --> 00:24:21,794 to get rid of them, and we can set up our Jewish nation kingdom. 457 00:24:22,915 --> 00:24:25,734 And that would be bad, because then Jesus wouldn't die on the cross, etc., 458 00:24:25,734 --> 00:24:26,084 etc., 459 00:24:26,095 --> 00:24:26,385 etc. 460 00:24:26,564 --> 00:24:27,594 And then we wouldn't be here. 461 00:24:27,915 --> 00:24:29,004 So that's why this happens. 462 00:24:29,225 --> 00:24:30,544 That's why Jesus says, don't tell anyone. 463 00:24:30,625 --> 00:24:32,325 Because it seems kind of counterintuitive, right? 464 00:24:32,875 --> 00:24:35,415 Like, why, Jesus, don't you want people to know about you? 465 00:24:35,415 --> 00:24:36,405 Like, what are you, what are you doing? 466 00:24:37,405 --> 00:24:39,995 But that's why, because Jesus wants to die for us. 467 00:24:40,185 --> 00:24:42,405 So that's why he keeps it a secret. 468 00:24:42,525 --> 00:24:46,245 But, back to what we were saying, this is the third set of people 469 00:24:46,514 --> 00:24:48,105 who are desperate for Jesus. 470 00:24:48,535 --> 00:24:50,735 These blind people are following him. 471 00:24:50,745 --> 00:24:53,294 You know how hard it is for a blind person to follow someone? 472 00:24:54,705 --> 00:24:59,005 They're following Jesus, crying aloud, have mercy on a son of David, and 473 00:24:59,005 --> 00:25:01,545 they keep following him to this house. 474 00:25:03,425 --> 00:25:06,085 And then they trust him, and so he heals them. 475 00:25:06,220 --> 00:25:11,100 So, all of these people, they're running after Jesus. 476 00:25:11,130 --> 00:25:14,680 They know that if we don't get to Jesus, we're done. 477 00:25:15,779 --> 00:25:17,670 No one else can open our eyes. 478 00:25:18,410 --> 00:25:20,090 No one else can heal us. 479 00:25:20,260 --> 00:25:22,949 No one else can raise my daughter from the dead. 480 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:27,370 They're all desperate for Jesus, which translates into faith. 481 00:25:28,530 --> 00:25:32,790 They all are expressing great trust in Jesus. 482 00:25:32,940 --> 00:25:36,460 Jesus, we need you, and Jesus, we believe that you can help us. 483 00:25:36,460 --> 00:25:40,910 So our second point tonight is cling to Jesus with heartfelt dependence. 484 00:25:41,810 --> 00:25:42,620 Cling to Jesus. 485 00:25:42,620 --> 00:25:48,110 Hold on to him like that woman reaching out to grab his cloak. 486 00:25:48,749 --> 00:25:52,000 Cling to Jesus with heartfelt dependence. 487 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:56,060 Not just superficial, surface level, oh yeah, I know I need 488 00:25:56,060 --> 00:25:59,730 Jesus, but real, tangible. 489 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,790 Felt desperation for Jesus. 490 00:26:10,010 --> 00:26:12,250 See, the parallel between all of these people 491 00:26:14,350 --> 00:26:15,090 is their faith. 492 00:26:15,140 --> 00:26:16,420 I highlighted all that in green. 493 00:26:16,530 --> 00:26:21,220 Verse 18, the ruler, his name is Jairus, if you read other passages 494 00:26:21,220 --> 00:26:26,440 that, in other Gospels that are parallel to this, he's confident in Jesus. 495 00:26:26,990 --> 00:26:28,210 I know you can do this. 496 00:26:28,700 --> 00:26:29,870 She will live. 497 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:31,980 And then the bleeding lady. 498 00:26:32,490 --> 00:26:34,000 I will be made well. 499 00:26:34,070 --> 00:26:34,610 She's confident. 500 00:26:34,610 --> 00:26:37,320 And Jesus says, your faith has made you well. 501 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,770 And then, the blind men, do you believe that I'm able to do this? 502 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:42,210 Yes, we know. 503 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:43,029 We're confident. 504 00:26:43,460 --> 00:26:44,849 And then, according to your faith, be done to you. 505 00:26:44,849 --> 00:26:49,090 These people all trust Jesus with their life, or with their daughter's 506 00:26:49,090 --> 00:26:49,970 life, or with their health. 507 00:26:50,539 --> 00:26:53,950 They are confident that Jesus can save them, and will. 508 00:26:57,820 --> 00:26:58,850 I think sometimes, 509 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,839 we think mental assent to Jesus. 510 00:27:04,010 --> 00:27:05,820 Oh, I know Jesus can save me. 511 00:27:07,780 --> 00:27:10,530 Is what it is, what, what it takes to become a Christian. 512 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:12,300 That's not true. 513 00:27:13,990 --> 00:27:17,310 If these people knew Jesus could save them and didn't go 514 00:27:17,310 --> 00:27:20,219 after him, would he heal them? 515 00:27:22,260 --> 00:27:25,389 If there were other blind people, maybe there's a third blind man who says, if 516 00:27:25,389 --> 00:27:29,230 you asked him, yeah, I think Jesus could heal me, but if he doesn't go after Jesus 517 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:33,830 like these other two and follow him and cry out to him and ask him to save them. 518 00:27:35,390 --> 00:27:38,730 And put all of his eggs in Jesus basket, so to speak, and 519 00:27:38,730 --> 00:27:40,050 say, Jesus, please save me. 520 00:27:40,700 --> 00:27:41,520 Would Jesus have done it? 521 00:27:43,010 --> 00:27:43,590 I don't know. 522 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:50,469 But these men went after Jesus because they had heartfelt dependence on Him. 523 00:27:51,169 --> 00:27:52,200 They knew they needed Him. 524 00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:55,160 They felt it, and they went to express that. 525 00:27:58,150 --> 00:28:01,909 Being a Christian isn't just checking a box and saying, 526 00:28:01,909 --> 00:28:03,069 I think Jesus could save me. 527 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:04,674 I think Jesus could forgive me. 528 00:28:06,645 --> 00:28:10,305 Being a Christian is a lifetime of clinging to Jesus, grabbing 529 00:28:10,305 --> 00:28:13,835 onto him, holding on, depending on him, trusting him from the heart. 530 00:28:15,415 --> 00:28:18,954 If I was going to illustrate this in modern terms, trusting 531 00:28:18,955 --> 00:28:20,225 Jesus isn't a vaccine. 532 00:28:20,945 --> 00:28:23,265 It's not just your shot and then you're like, all right, I'm 533 00:28:23,265 --> 00:28:24,114 good for the rest of the year. 534 00:28:24,474 --> 00:28:25,364 And then you get sick anyway. 535 00:28:25,614 --> 00:28:31,914 But it's not just your one time shot for the flu and then you're, you're good for. 536 00:28:32,500 --> 00:28:34,440 For all of your vaccination for the year. 537 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:36,260 It's not all that's not how Jesus works. 538 00:28:36,590 --> 00:28:38,570 It's not how faith works It's not a one time. 539 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:39,750 All right, cool. 540 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:40,540 I'm done. 541 00:28:40,550 --> 00:28:41,620 Don't need faith anymore. 542 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:46,530 I can just go on living Jesus compares himself to food, right? 543 00:28:46,530 --> 00:28:50,889 He says I am the bread of life You don't just eat one meal and 544 00:28:50,889 --> 00:28:51,680 be like, all right, I'm good. 545 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:52,550 Don't eat the rest of my life. 546 00:28:52,550 --> 00:28:57,310 I got all my calories Wouldn't work that way you keep coming back to 547 00:28:57,310 --> 00:28:58,680 it because you keep needing it. 548 00:28:59,140 --> 00:29:02,930 You always need food And so you always need Jesus. 549 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:07,130 You always need to come back to Him, to fill you up, to 550 00:29:08,030 --> 00:29:09,480 express your dependence on Him. 551 00:29:09,700 --> 00:29:11,180 Because if you didn't eat, you would die. 552 00:29:11,940 --> 00:29:15,869 If you eat today, but you don't eat next day, and the next day, 553 00:29:15,869 --> 00:29:19,590 and the next day, the next day, for three weeks, you'd also die. 554 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:22,540 That's the same thing with faith. 555 00:29:22,730 --> 00:29:27,820 It's a repetitive exercise of trusting Jesus, of holding on to Him. 556 00:29:30,180 --> 00:29:34,340 Now, Now, what do we do about these verses that I skipped? 557 00:29:37,380 --> 00:29:37,610 Right? 558 00:29:37,620 --> 00:29:39,540 Maybe you read this the first time and you're like, I don't know what to do. 559 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:45,589 Well, I think what Jesus is saying is the old stuff and 560 00:29:45,590 --> 00:29:46,840 the new stuff don't mix, right? 561 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:49,330 Well, the old stuff, that's what the Pharisees do. 562 00:29:50,390 --> 00:29:53,430 So I, I think what Jesus is saying here, what Matthew is saying, 563 00:29:53,910 --> 00:30:00,170 is that the superficial surface level religion of the Pharisees. 564 00:30:00,630 --> 00:30:01,650 of fasting, right? 565 00:30:01,650 --> 00:30:05,090 They would fast, but they wouldn't really express any need for God, right? 566 00:30:05,090 --> 00:30:08,240 The point of fasting is, God, I need you even more than I need food. 567 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:12,320 That's the point of fasting, is you get so hungry and you're like, you know what? 568 00:30:13,070 --> 00:30:16,169 If eating makes me feel this bad, imagine if I didn't have God. 569 00:30:16,340 --> 00:30:17,099 Imagine how that would feel. 570 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:18,390 That's the point of fasting. 571 00:30:18,770 --> 00:30:22,000 So the Pharisees would fast, but it was, it was just to impress people. 572 00:30:22,030 --> 00:30:23,300 It was just because it's what they did. 573 00:30:23,300 --> 00:30:24,870 It was just to be a religious person. 574 00:30:26,780 --> 00:30:33,390 So their superficial Churchianity, if you will, doesn't mix with the new. 575 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:34,150 What's the new? 576 00:30:34,310 --> 00:30:38,010 Well, the new is, remember what we talked about with Sermon on the Mount? 577 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:40,830 Following Jesus is from the heart, right? 578 00:30:40,830 --> 00:30:44,299 You've heard it said, don't commit adultery. 579 00:30:44,300 --> 00:30:48,510 But I say to you, whoever looks on someone with lust in their heart, 580 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:50,500 or we talk about anger, right? 581 00:30:50,510 --> 00:30:53,410 It's not just about not murdering, but it's about being, whether 582 00:30:53,410 --> 00:30:54,800 you're angry in your heart or not. 583 00:30:55,699 --> 00:31:02,240 So the superficial Surface level, old way, doesn't mix with what Jesus 584 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:05,439 is really calling his followers to. 585 00:31:06,610 --> 00:31:10,549 So you can't have surface level religion and follow Jesus. 586 00:31:10,860 --> 00:31:13,119 Because following Jesus takes your whole being. 587 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:13,879 It's heartfelt. 588 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:16,710 It's with all of you. 589 00:31:16,770 --> 00:31:17,930 All of you is trusting Jesus. 590 00:31:18,010 --> 00:31:19,560 You can't just go through the motions 591 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:24,530 and expect that to be good enough. 592 00:31:29,970 --> 00:31:32,690 Something else I think we see in these passages is just because 593 00:31:33,010 --> 00:31:37,090 you're around Jesus doesn't mean you have a relationship with him. 594 00:31:38,030 --> 00:31:41,499 I heard one pastor say that there were a lot of people who bumped into 595 00:31:41,499 --> 00:31:46,930 Jesus in the crowd, but only the woman reached out in faith and touched him, 596 00:31:48,180 --> 00:31:49,270 and she was the only one who was healed. 597 00:31:50,050 --> 00:31:53,860 So, similarly, just because you're around Jesus doesn't mean you 598 00:31:53,860 --> 00:31:55,360 have a relationship with him. 599 00:31:56,260 --> 00:31:58,230 Pick up with me back in verse 32, 600 00:32:00,830 --> 00:32:03,800 as they were going away, so that the two blind men, they went away, 601 00:32:03,800 --> 00:32:06,770 they disobeyed Jesus, and they started telling everyone about him. 602 00:32:07,239 --> 00:32:09,849 As they were going away, behold, a demon oppressed man, who 603 00:32:09,850 --> 00:32:11,660 was mute, was brought to him. 604 00:32:12,179 --> 00:32:15,969 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke, and the 605 00:32:15,969 --> 00:32:21,450 crowds marveled, saying, never was anything like this seen in Israel. 606 00:32:23,050 --> 00:32:27,675 But the Pharisees said, He casts out demons by the prince of demons. 607 00:32:29,645 --> 00:32:34,805 I think there's a reason that Matthew puts the blind people right before this. 608 00:32:36,225 --> 00:32:39,085 Because remember, what did the blind people call Jesus? 609 00:32:40,564 --> 00:32:41,885 They called him the son of David. 610 00:32:43,144 --> 00:32:45,615 They're recognizing Jesus is the Messiah. 611 00:32:46,575 --> 00:32:51,365 Jesus is the Old Testament promised king who's come to make everything right. 612 00:32:52,045 --> 00:32:55,745 The blind men actually see the most about Jesus. 613 00:32:56,265 --> 00:33:00,865 See, their response to Jesus is actually the best response. 614 00:33:01,635 --> 00:33:03,874 I made this like a stoplight, just to help you see it. 615 00:33:04,435 --> 00:33:06,675 The blind men, that's the good response. 616 00:33:07,284 --> 00:33:10,445 Jesus, we want to follow you, we need you, you're the Messiah. 617 00:33:12,095 --> 00:33:16,295 The crowds, remember we talked about the crowds before, these same 618 00:33:16,295 --> 00:33:17,655 crowds are going to crucify Jesus. 619 00:33:18,005 --> 00:33:19,115 But they're impressed by him. 620 00:33:19,975 --> 00:33:21,885 They're like, yeah, Jesus, you're amazing. 621 00:33:22,705 --> 00:33:23,605 You're really cool. 622 00:33:23,715 --> 00:33:25,005 We've never seen anything like this. 623 00:33:26,265 --> 00:33:30,145 But then the Pharisees, they attribute Jesus works to the devil. 624 00:33:31,215 --> 00:33:33,615 So, obviously, that's not what you're supposed to do. 625 00:33:34,385 --> 00:33:36,474 But even these crowds, they're around Jesus. 626 00:33:36,474 --> 00:33:39,264 They see all his stuff, but a lot of them are gonna be yelling, 627 00:33:39,264 --> 00:33:42,935 crucify him, in about 20 chapters. 628 00:33:44,485 --> 00:33:47,135 Just because you're around Jesus doesn't mean you have a relationship with him. 629 00:33:47,345 --> 00:33:51,205 Just because You know a lot, like the Pharisees, doesn't mean you 630 00:33:51,205 --> 00:33:53,315 can see what's really going on. 631 00:33:54,005 --> 00:33:58,225 The blind men actually have the most sight in this chapter. 632 00:33:58,505 --> 00:34:00,555 They see that Jesus is the Messiah. 633 00:34:00,575 --> 00:34:05,684 So I want all of us, point number three, to watch out for spiritual blindness. 634 00:34:06,874 --> 00:34:08,853 Watch out for spiritual blindness. 635 00:34:08,893 --> 00:34:13,514 The blind men were physically blind, but they saw the most about Jesus. 636 00:34:17,905 --> 00:34:19,255 I used to work at a bank. 637 00:34:20,315 --> 00:34:24,255 And at the bank we had some businesses that we would also do banking for. 638 00:34:24,864 --> 00:34:30,155 And one of the businesses, my favorite one that we banked for, was Ray's Donuts. 639 00:34:30,915 --> 00:34:32,885 Now you might already know why they were my favorite. 640 00:34:33,315 --> 00:34:36,795 Because, I guess his name was Ray, I don't actually know if his name was Ray. 641 00:34:37,225 --> 00:34:40,605 He would come in every once in a while and bring in donuts. 642 00:34:40,935 --> 00:34:41,445 For all of us. 643 00:34:42,435 --> 00:34:43,344 Which is pretty epic. 644 00:34:43,725 --> 00:34:47,755 So we got free donuts like once a month from, I'm just gonna call him Ray. 645 00:34:49,304 --> 00:34:54,105 And he would get there at the donut shop super early in the morning and 646 00:34:54,185 --> 00:34:56,835 every day bake these fresh donuts. 647 00:34:57,585 --> 00:35:02,735 Now that, like can you imagine, like your job is to go just make donuts. 648 00:35:03,315 --> 00:35:08,365 And like smell them and, here I'll just, I'll help, I'll help you out. 649 00:35:09,355 --> 00:35:14,715 You could see these every day and make them and maybe sample them 650 00:35:14,725 --> 00:35:18,225 make sure they're good Wouldn't that be awesome if this is your job? 651 00:35:18,875 --> 00:35:25,284 Like oh, that would be so good We asked Ray, which he's a larger 652 00:35:25,284 --> 00:35:31,575 man, but we asked Ray Ray don't you just love getting up and working in 653 00:35:31,575 --> 00:35:33,625 this shop that it smells delicious. 654 00:35:34,295 --> 00:35:35,165 You know what Ray said? 655 00:35:36,604 --> 00:35:37,635 I don't smell it anymore 656 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:45,140 He was around the doughnuts so much, they, they had no impact on him. 657 00:35:46,220 --> 00:35:47,100 He couldn't smell them. 658 00:35:50,520 --> 00:35:53,550 Wouldn't it be amazing to smell doughnuts every morning? 659 00:35:54,790 --> 00:35:57,229 Well, until you stop smelling them. 660 00:35:58,170 --> 00:36:00,460 Because you're nose blind, that's what they call it, right? 661 00:36:00,460 --> 00:36:01,680 You can't smell it anymore. 662 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:07,409 I think a lot of you in this room are like Ray. 663 00:36:09,255 --> 00:36:10,975 You can't smell Jesus anymore. 664 00:36:13,825 --> 00:36:15,905 You're so used to Jesus. 665 00:36:16,335 --> 00:36:21,354 You're so used to being around Him, and hearing His miracles, and hearing 666 00:36:21,354 --> 00:36:23,535 His Word, and seeing what He does. 667 00:36:25,015 --> 00:36:26,845 It just doesn't really faze you. 668 00:36:30,265 --> 00:36:32,355 I think the Pharisees were like that too. 669 00:36:33,695 --> 00:36:36,295 They, in the crowds, they saw all Jesus miracles, 670 00:36:38,315 --> 00:36:39,325 and they didn't believe in Him. 671 00:36:40,645 --> 00:36:43,365 Because they didn't see the way they were supposed to see. 672 00:36:47,675 --> 00:36:48,825 There's some more doughnuts for you. 673 00:36:51,545 --> 00:36:58,784 See, blindness, spiritual blindness, is a condition that the Bible says affects 674 00:36:58,785 --> 00:37:00,734 everyone before that they're saved. 675 00:37:01,234 --> 00:37:04,975 You can't see God the way you're meant to see him, right? 676 00:37:04,975 --> 00:37:07,675 You don't smell the beautiful doughnuts. 677 00:37:08,545 --> 00:37:11,045 You just work in a doughnut shop. 678 00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:15,980 You're insensitive, you're hard hearted, your heart, it's 679 00:37:15,980 --> 00:37:17,340 like it's got scales over it. 680 00:37:17,340 --> 00:37:19,390 It can't feel what it's supposed to feel. 681 00:37:20,059 --> 00:37:21,000 That's what the Bible says. 682 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:26,120 And now actually, spiritual blindness is a danger for believers and unbelievers. 683 00:37:26,450 --> 00:37:27,740 Look what Peter says, 2 Peter. 684 00:37:29,100 --> 00:37:31,590 He's talking about Christians who are growing. 685 00:37:31,590 --> 00:37:35,150 He says, if you're not growing, whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted 686 00:37:35,160 --> 00:37:40,129 that he's blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 687 00:37:41,095 --> 00:37:44,355 So it's not the same as being an unbeliever, right? 688 00:37:44,355 --> 00:37:49,035 You're not completely numb to who God is, but even as a Christian, you 689 00:37:49,035 --> 00:37:55,265 can desensitize your heart to God and to his word and to what he does. 690 00:37:58,805 --> 00:38:00,975 So don't write these down. 691 00:38:01,885 --> 00:38:05,755 I even said, even if you started writing signs of righteousness and then wrote 692 00:38:05,765 --> 00:38:08,355 the subtitle, you would be writing, don't write these down because you 693 00:38:08,355 --> 00:38:09,344 don't have time to write all these down. 694 00:38:09,805 --> 00:38:11,555 But these are some things. 695 00:38:12,295 --> 00:38:16,375 That maybe show that you might suffer from spiritual blindness. 696 00:38:16,725 --> 00:38:17,935 You might be hard hearted. 697 00:38:18,495 --> 00:38:19,305 Even as a Christian. 698 00:38:19,395 --> 00:38:24,495 You might be slowly desensitizing yourself to God and His Word. 699 00:38:25,525 --> 00:38:25,695 Right? 700 00:38:25,695 --> 00:38:28,755 You might be unaware that you need God. 701 00:38:28,954 --> 00:38:31,805 You might be so focused on you and your life and what you need 702 00:38:31,805 --> 00:38:32,805 to do, you don't trust God. 703 00:38:33,915 --> 00:38:36,385 Or maybe you hear the gospel and you're like, yeah, whatever. 704 00:38:37,065 --> 00:38:37,565 Heard that. 705 00:38:37,685 --> 00:38:38,155 Been there. 706 00:38:39,235 --> 00:38:39,915 Believed that. 707 00:38:40,455 --> 00:38:40,934 I'm good. 708 00:38:41,380 --> 00:38:43,630 The gospel is something, even as a Christian, you need to cling to. 709 00:38:43,630 --> 00:38:45,120 Remember, we talked about Jesus food. 710 00:38:45,150 --> 00:38:46,250 Jesus isn't a vaccine. 711 00:38:48,100 --> 00:38:51,419 Or maybe, you're just uninterested in the Bible. 712 00:38:53,020 --> 00:38:54,139 You're just like, whatever, I can read. 713 00:38:54,140 --> 00:38:54,980 Or you look down on it. 714 00:38:54,980 --> 00:38:55,709 You think it's dumb. 715 00:38:55,720 --> 00:38:58,989 You think God's words, or God's people, are losers. 716 00:38:59,300 --> 00:39:02,400 You're maybe numb to familiar Bible passages. 717 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:04,270 You know, for God so loved the world, He gave His only Son. 718 00:39:04,270 --> 00:39:04,580 Cool. 719 00:39:05,820 --> 00:39:07,749 Or maybe, you read an intense Bible passage, and you're 720 00:39:07,749 --> 00:39:08,930 like, whatever, I don't care. 721 00:39:09,845 --> 00:39:13,605 God's warnings are meant to shake you away, and if you're insensitive to those, 722 00:39:13,885 --> 00:39:16,815 you're in a really, really bad spot. 723 00:39:20,285 --> 00:39:23,654 So these are just some things that maybe show that your heart 724 00:39:23,735 --> 00:39:27,324 is insensitive to God's Word, and that's the worst spot to be in. 725 00:39:27,324 --> 00:39:30,845 See, the Pharisees, they were like, Jesus is a demon. 726 00:39:31,795 --> 00:39:33,785 The crowds, they were a little sensitive. 727 00:39:33,905 --> 00:39:35,335 They're like, whoa, this is so cool. 728 00:39:35,445 --> 00:39:37,965 They didn't trust him, but they were just like, this is really cool. 729 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:40,210 Where as the blind men, they felt like they needed Him. 730 00:39:40,230 --> 00:39:41,820 They were sensitive to Jesus. 731 00:39:41,850 --> 00:39:44,950 And that actually, I think, is our example of how to fight 732 00:39:44,980 --> 00:39:46,080 against spiritual blindness. 733 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:51,059 How to pursue sensitivity to God. 734 00:39:51,740 --> 00:39:52,919 What did the blind men do? 735 00:39:53,660 --> 00:39:56,270 They put themselves in Jesus way. 736 00:39:56,270 --> 00:40:01,360 They knew, Jesus is coming, let's, let's get in front of Him. 737 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:03,960 Let's ask Him for help. 738 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:10,685 Because ultimately, they knew that We can't unblind ourselves, but if they just 739 00:40:10,685 --> 00:40:16,994 stayed silent and didn't do anything, they're not putting themselves where 740 00:40:16,994 --> 00:40:19,175 Jesus is, where Jesus would heal them. 741 00:40:21,544 --> 00:40:27,195 Today, God has given you paths that he walks, so to speak. 742 00:40:27,915 --> 00:40:28,985 He's given you his word. 743 00:40:29,055 --> 00:40:29,825 He's given you sermons. 744 00:40:29,825 --> 00:40:30,835 He's given you prayer. 745 00:40:31,115 --> 00:40:32,235 He's given you church. 746 00:40:32,235 --> 00:40:36,005 He's given you Maybe a Christian family, maybe Christian friends. 747 00:40:36,175 --> 00:40:38,745 He's given you places where he's active. 748 00:40:39,565 --> 00:40:40,475 Where he's moving. 749 00:40:41,924 --> 00:40:47,825 It's up to you to put yourself in his way and cry out, God have mercy, I need you. 750 00:40:48,485 --> 00:40:51,444 To do point number two, to express your dependence on him. 751 00:40:52,544 --> 00:40:56,944 That's how you fight hard hearted insensitivity to God. 752 00:40:56,984 --> 00:41:00,764 You put yourself in the way of Jesus. 753 00:41:02,025 --> 00:41:04,825 You throw yourself in front of him and say, please change me. 754 00:41:04,825 --> 00:41:11,295 You throw yourself at his word and read it and pray with all your heart. 755 00:41:11,305 --> 00:41:16,615 You just keep going to the places where God has promised to meet you. 756 00:41:17,424 --> 00:41:19,205 You don't shrink back from small group. 757 00:41:19,254 --> 00:41:21,745 You don't stop participating in church. 758 00:41:22,335 --> 00:41:27,345 You don't stop doing the things that God has said to do, even if they don't 759 00:41:27,345 --> 00:41:28,315 seem like they're working at first. 760 00:41:28,790 --> 00:41:32,190 You realize that Jesus didn't heal these people until they got to the house. 761 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:34,850 They didn't give up. 762 00:41:34,860 --> 00:41:35,740 They persevered. 763 00:41:35,740 --> 00:41:36,610 They pressed on. 764 00:41:37,220 --> 00:41:38,080 And they're blind. 765 00:41:38,820 --> 00:41:41,270 They don't even know where they're going, but they're following Jesus 766 00:41:41,270 --> 00:41:46,110 because they know Jesus is, is merciful and we believe that he's gonna heal us. 767 00:41:46,900 --> 00:41:47,610 We trust him. 768 00:41:47,650 --> 00:41:48,449 We need him. 769 00:41:48,669 --> 00:41:50,169 There's nowhere else we can go. 770 00:41:50,769 --> 00:41:52,519 We might as well follow him anyway. 771 00:41:54,119 --> 00:41:56,469 If they didn't follow him all the way, would he have healed them? 772 00:41:57,135 --> 00:41:58,055 I don't know, right? 773 00:41:58,205 --> 00:41:58,785 But they did. 774 00:41:58,795 --> 00:41:59,575 They persevered. 775 00:41:59,585 --> 00:42:00,535 They kept going. 776 00:42:03,965 --> 00:42:08,814 So if you feel like God's distant from you, that God isn't answering your 777 00:42:08,815 --> 00:42:11,365 prayers, your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, they're coming back down, or you 778 00:42:11,365 --> 00:42:12,854 read his word, it doesn't do much for you. 779 00:42:12,854 --> 00:42:14,065 You come to church, you're like, whatever. 780 00:42:14,295 --> 00:42:17,255 You come to True North, you talk to your, your leader, your friend, it doesn't 781 00:42:17,255 --> 00:42:18,551 feel like you're connecting with God. 782 00:42:18,551 --> 00:42:22,515 Keep going to where God has made himself available. 783 00:42:23,925 --> 00:42:25,114 And it might take a while. 784 00:42:25,115 --> 00:42:27,745 You might be walking after Jesus for a long time. 785 00:42:29,715 --> 00:42:37,004 But Jesus is ready and willing to heal, and ready and willing to meet 786 00:42:37,045 --> 00:42:39,795 you with all that He is for you. 787 00:42:39,855 --> 00:42:44,585 And that's the last reason that we see Jesus is our greatest 788 00:42:44,585 --> 00:42:45,575 King that we could ever have. 789 00:42:46,284 --> 00:42:48,615 We're gonna finish up Matthew 9 here, verse 36. 790 00:42:52,845 --> 00:42:55,185 I realized I was looking at verse 35, I was like, why does that not match? 791 00:42:55,485 --> 00:42:55,795 All right. 792 00:42:56,325 --> 00:43:00,065 When Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion for them. 793 00:43:01,060 --> 00:43:04,510 They were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 794 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:10,480 Then he said to the disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 795 00:43:10,900 --> 00:43:16,060 Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out 796 00:43:16,060 --> 00:43:19,660 laborers, laborers into his harvest. 797 00:43:21,660 --> 00:43:25,440 I think that two of the most important words in this passage are 798 00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:29,130 right here, compassion and shepherd. 799 00:43:30,105 --> 00:43:32,995 Because they tell us what type of king Jesus is. 800 00:43:33,815 --> 00:43:37,345 That word compassion, it's a really strong word in the language 801 00:43:37,345 --> 00:43:38,485 that Matthew's using to write. 802 00:43:39,155 --> 00:43:41,815 It, it means it's like from your, back then they would've said 803 00:43:41,815 --> 00:43:43,075 from your, from your stomach. 804 00:43:43,344 --> 00:43:44,934 But for us we would probably say from your heart. 805 00:43:45,604 --> 00:43:47,364 Right, from everything within you. 806 00:43:49,064 --> 00:43:52,014 That's how much he felt compassion for these people. 807 00:43:52,554 --> 00:43:55,154 He cares, he sees that they're harassed, helpless, they're vulnerable. 808 00:43:55,835 --> 00:43:57,135 They're sheep without a shepherd. 809 00:43:57,135 --> 00:44:00,035 Sheep are some of the stupidest animals you could ever find. 810 00:44:02,725 --> 00:44:04,145 But they need a shepherd. 811 00:44:04,585 --> 00:44:06,275 And Jesus is willing to be that shepherd. 812 00:44:06,535 --> 00:44:07,435 And so what does he do? 813 00:44:07,455 --> 00:44:09,314 He wants to go get the sheep. 814 00:44:10,345 --> 00:44:11,774 He wants to bring them back in. 815 00:44:11,774 --> 00:44:15,155 He, he sees these people who are harassed and helpless. 816 00:44:15,845 --> 00:44:17,205 He sees their, their state. 817 00:44:17,225 --> 00:44:19,945 Maybe they have unforgiven sin. 818 00:44:19,965 --> 00:44:20,775 They're headed to hell. 819 00:44:20,805 --> 00:44:26,125 Maybe they have so many trials that he wants to be their rock. 820 00:44:26,405 --> 00:44:32,335 During and so he says there's so much out there But there's not many people to 821 00:44:32,335 --> 00:44:39,095 bring them in so pray earnestly to the Lord He's sending out people to go bring 822 00:44:39,095 --> 00:44:46,145 them to him Jesus is going after people He's not waiting for them to come to him. 823 00:44:46,835 --> 00:44:51,965 He's going after these crowds these vulnerable people Because He loves them. 824 00:44:52,225 --> 00:44:56,275 So I want you to rejoice in Jesus pursuing love. 825 00:44:59,545 --> 00:45:03,765 Jesus love goes after other people. 826 00:45:03,875 --> 00:45:04,675 It's outgoing. 827 00:45:05,424 --> 00:45:07,935 He doesn't wait for you to find Him. 828 00:45:09,415 --> 00:45:14,555 He even made sure that you were born at a time where you had a Bible in your 829 00:45:14,555 --> 00:45:18,905 language in a country where it's legal to share the gospel, at a place where you 830 00:45:18,905 --> 00:45:23,830 could hear biblical teaching to parents who would bring you to church So that 831 00:45:24,270 --> 00:45:28,490 he could tell you that he loves you, and he wants you to be one of his people. 832 00:45:29,440 --> 00:45:32,840 He orchestrated all of history so that you would hear that right now. 833 00:45:35,560 --> 00:45:42,569 If you were born one hour west of here, you wouldn't be here, hearing God's Word. 834 00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:47,210 If you were born a hundred years before that, or if you were born on the other 835 00:45:47,210 --> 00:45:48,680 side of the world, you wouldn't hear this. 836 00:45:49,310 --> 00:45:51,250 God puts you here because he wants you. 837 00:45:52,735 --> 00:45:58,115 He's chasing after you because he, he wants you to be one of his people. 838 00:46:00,015 --> 00:46:01,695 He's a compassionate shepherd. 839 00:46:01,715 --> 00:46:03,555 And so I want to ask you, 840 00:46:05,695 --> 00:46:09,265 will your master take care of you like Jesus will? 841 00:46:11,245 --> 00:46:18,425 If your master is money, or pleasure, or approval, will that take care of you? 842 00:46:18,435 --> 00:46:20,834 Will that love you back the way Jesus will? 843 00:46:21,335 --> 00:46:23,535 Will money go out of its way to make you happy? 844 00:46:24,625 --> 00:46:30,085 Will pleasure go out of their, her way to satisfy you? 845 00:46:32,564 --> 00:46:36,705 They'll just keep stringing you along, and you'll keep coming 846 00:46:36,705 --> 00:46:39,064 back empty every single time. 847 00:46:40,065 --> 00:46:41,085 But Jesus, 848 00:46:43,305 --> 00:46:49,125 the King of Kings, will love you far more than you can ever love Him. 849 00:46:50,005 --> 00:46:53,465 He'll take much better care of you than you can ever take care of yourself. 850 00:46:54,505 --> 00:46:58,125 He'll provide for you, He'll protect you as your shepherd. 851 00:46:59,175 --> 00:47:00,655 Because He is the best King. 852 00:47:01,195 --> 00:47:03,494 So hold on to Him with all your heart. 853 00:47:05,104 --> 00:47:08,504 Don't let Him walk by and not say anything. 854 00:47:08,764 --> 00:47:12,694 Put yourself in His way and cry out, Have mercy on me, King Jesus. 855 00:47:12,744 --> 00:47:15,415 I want to be one of your people. 856 00:47:16,335 --> 00:47:16,635 Let's pray. 857 00:47:20,890 --> 00:47:28,040 Father, in your word, you compare yourself to a shepherd who goes after a stray 858 00:47:28,040 --> 00:47:30,659 sheep and brings it home rejoicing. 859 00:47:31,870 --> 00:47:36,179 We're so grateful that you love sinners. 860 00:47:36,810 --> 00:47:38,649 If you didn't love sinners, we wouldn't have any hope. 861 00:47:39,939 --> 00:47:43,509 So I pray tonight that you help us to feel that and to believe that. 862 00:47:43,510 --> 00:47:46,910 That you love sinners, not because of anything we do, 863 00:47:47,330 --> 00:47:48,259 but because of who you are. 864 00:47:49,605 --> 00:47:55,385 And that if we cling to Jesus, cry out to Him in faith that we can 865 00:47:55,455 --> 00:48:00,645 experience this love and it will overflow in our hearts and satisfy 866 00:48:00,645 --> 00:48:01,815 us more than anything ever could. 867 00:48:03,495 --> 00:48:06,315 Help us to be focused and attentive in small groups, help us to be honest, 868 00:48:06,395 --> 00:48:11,425 to admit our spiritual condition, to not hide our sin and let it grow in 869 00:48:11,425 --> 00:48:13,475 the dark and enslave us even more. 870 00:48:14,105 --> 00:48:17,195 But I pray that we would be honest and that we would be aware. 871 00:48:18,875 --> 00:48:23,595 And that we would grow to love you and see you as you are. 872 00:48:24,195 --> 00:48:25,135 Pray this in Jesus name. 873 00:48:25,605 --> 00:48:25,805 Amen.