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Speaker: Well, deciding to pray.

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Deciding to do that is one of
about 35,000 decisions that you

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make on average every single day.

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Some of you make about 20 to 30 of those
before getting outta bed based on how

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many times you hit the snooze button.

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But think about it, once you get outta
bed, then you are going to brush your

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teeth, hopefully, and then you are
going to go about the rest of your

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morning routine, which I'm, I'm sure
assumes a lot of other decisions

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that are kind of on autopilot.

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And you stumble out to the coffee pot,
you make sure that the coffee's going

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and ready for you in the morning.

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You sit down, you grab your Bible,
you open up, you maybe decide

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to do your daily Bible reading.

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You decide to pray, uh, and then you're
gonna decide what to wear for the day.

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And you're gonna decide, you know,
if you're gonna worry about matching

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your socks that day, or if it's, it's
a day that you're not meeting with

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anybody, it doesn't really matter.

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You, you're making all kinds of just
super small decisions all the time.

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35,000 on average a day.

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But some of those decisions that
you make are pretty significant.

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Some of those decisions are big.

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Uh, for example, you have a date
night and you ask your wife, Hey,

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where do you wanna go to dinner?

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And she says, I don't know.

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Where do you want to go to dinner?

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Right.

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That's a, a normal conversation
I know in our household and

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we have to decide on that.

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But there are more significant decisions
than where you're gonna go eat.

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Uh, for example, when you have kids, you
give them a name, do have you ever thought

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about how significant of a choice that is?

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And we make it based on like, well,
do I like the way that sounds?

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Like that kid is gonna respond to
that sound for the rest of their life?

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I was almost named Bromley Bromley.

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It's okay.

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The chuckles are fine unless
you're here named Bromley.

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And then we'll talk afterwards.

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We can commiserate.

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Uh, yeah, I was almost named Bromley, but
by, by God's grace and my dad's wisdom.

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Um, my mom c-section
emergency, C-section situation.

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She wasn't in a state to
be able to give a name.

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And the, the doc said, what's his name?

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And my dad said.

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The thing that he knew how
to say, which was his name.

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Uh, and so I am named after my dad.

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And so Peter Frederick Burner ii,
which is a mouthful, and that's

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why I go by pj, uh, Peter Jr.

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Some of y'all have have
asked that question.

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Is it Peter James?

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Peter, John?

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No.

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It's Peter Jr.

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Uh, and so I go by pj.

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Uh, but a name, that's a significant
decision that we make for our kids.

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There's other big decisions like where
to go to school, who to marry, what

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to do for a career, where to move.

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Where to go to church, but there's
one decision that every single

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person makes that is the most
profound decision that anyone will

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ever make in their entire lives.

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And again, it's a decision that every
single person makes, and that is the

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decision about what to do with Jesus.

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That is the most decision and the most,
most important decision and the most

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profound decision with the longest
lasting implications for anyone who has

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ever walked to the face of the planet.

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What to do with Jesus.

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It's one of those 35,000 decisions that
you made on the day that you came to

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faith in Christ, decided to repent from
your sins and put your trust in Jesus

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as God opened your eyes to the beauty of
the gospel, to your need for a savior.

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It's the most important decision that
you ever make in your life, in large

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part because of the implications
for it from that time forward.

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And that's what we're gonna see
in our text today in First Peter

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chapter one or first Peter, chapter
two verses four through five.

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One Peter chapter two,
verses four and five.

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Uh, actually we're gonna be four
through eight for the whole thing,

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but we'll start here in four through
five says this as you come to him, A

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living stone rejected by men, but in
the sight of God chosen and precious.

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You yourselves, like living stones
are being built up as a spiritual

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house to be a holy priesthood, to
offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable

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to God through Jesus Christ.

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He begins as you come to him.

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As you come to him and he's gonna
define that him as Jesus, and, and

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as you come to him implies that he's
building on an argument that he's

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been making and that is indeed true.

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If you look back up in verse three, we
are coming to the one that we have tasted

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and seen it, that, that he is good.

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He said this, we will do if we've
tasted and seen that the Lord is good.

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And so Peter's telling us
that the Lord is Jesus.

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That that Jesus is the one
that he's been talking about.

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And here it's as we come
to him, as we approach him.

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In the, the Greek, it's a, it's a
continual approaching and so what

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Peter has in mind here is coming to him
not just at the moment of salvation,

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that's the beginning of it, but,
but then for the rest of our lives.

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As Christians every single
day, we are coming to Jesus.

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We are approaching him.

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We are entering into His presence.

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We are setting our course by him.

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We are aiming our lives
at him every single day.

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And he's gonna stay in verse five
in order for the purpose of offering

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spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.

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And we'll get there in just a second.

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Uh, but I want us to think a little
bit more as the one that we about,

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the one that we are, are coming to.

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And, and Peter describes him
as a, a living stone as you

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come to him, a, a living stone.

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This tells us a couple
of things right away.

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First, that Peter is moving
into metaphorical language here.

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Uh, stones are not alive.

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If you look at the stones that are
on the facade of this building,

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they're, they're not alive.

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There's no pulse, there's
no breath in that stone.

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If you think of Peter's day, the
temple was still in existence.

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This temple, temple was still standing
in Jerusalem, and so perhaps the readers

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would've even thought of the temple.

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In contrast to what Peter is
talking about here with Jesus,

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that Jesus is a living stone.

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But beyond just the temple and, and
actual stones, uh, Peter's also setting

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up a contrast between the living
Jesus and the, the dead and empty and

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futile false gods that were all around
these exiles that were living in.

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What's modern day?

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Turkey?

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Uh, Asian minor at the time.

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Remember they had been exiled, resettled,
probably politically at the time,

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but the spiritual persecution was,
was ramping up against them as well.

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And there was emperor worship
and there was a lot of other

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pressures upon this church to
bow the need of these false gods.

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And, and Peter is reminding them,
even in this subtle way of saying,

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as you come to him, the living stone.

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Well here he proceeds in his metaphor
and he says, this is a living

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stone who has been rejected by men.

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But in the sight of God is chosen
and precious, rejected by men,

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but in the sight of God chosen
and precious and in our, our.

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Church saturated minds, we, we
immediately go to the idea of the

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cross and the rejection of Jesus.

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And, and yet God declare that he has
chosen and precious God has highly

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exalted him and given the him the name
that is above every name, that at the

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name of Jesus, every knee will bow, every
tongue will confess that Jesus Christ

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is Lord of the glory of the Father.

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And that's here, but
also so is the metaphor.

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Continuing here.

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Because the living stone, as we're
gonna see, develop further in verses

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six through eight, is not just any
stone, but it's the cornerstone.

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It's, it's the stone that, in ancient
times for a building was the most

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important, the most significant
stone in the entire edifice.

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The cornerstone had to be 100% plum.

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The cornerstone had to be perfect, and so
as the builders would consider the various

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stones that were brought to them to be
candidates for the cornerstone, they would

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reject many before they settled on one.

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They would look at one and say,
this isn't perfectly plumb.

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If we use this one, the walls
aren't gonna me measure up.

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They're not gonna, they're not
gonna line up and the building

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won't be structurally sound.

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Until eventually they found
one that they said, this is the

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one, this is the chosen one.

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This is the precious cornerstone.

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This is the one that we're going to use.

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And that stone became a stone of honor
because that was the most significant

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stone in the entire building.

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This is what Peter is setting up
to tell us Is, is who Jesus is.

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And yes, he was rejected by men.

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He came to his own John one,
but his own did not receive him.

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Yes.

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That rejection was the cross.

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Yes.

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It was that the, the Jewish leaders
and the religious leaders of the day

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did not see him as chosen and precious
by God, but rather rejected him and

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despised him and considered him of no
value to the point that they nailed

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him to the cross and killed him.

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And Peter says, yet, yet this one.

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This living stone that we're coming
to as Christians in faith, and

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then every single day, he's the one
that is chosen and precious By God,

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mankind may have rejected Jesus, but
the Father has said this is the one.

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He is holy.

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He's chosen and he's precious.

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As you come to him, as
you come to this one.

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This is the Christian life.

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Y'all coming to Jesus perpetually
coming to Jesus day after day, aiming

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our life at Jesus, like we talked
about last week, always wanting more

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of Jesus, never being satisfied, but
always saying, I want more of Jesus.

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And now Peter's developing this idea
even further by making the inseparable

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connection as we're about to see
here between our pursuit of Christ

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and our place in the body of Christ.

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This is a corporate address that he gives.

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It says in, in the English
as you come to him.

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This is not individual, this is corporate.

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In other words, if we go to the Texas
standard version, the TSV, right?

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This is as y'all come to him, as
y'all come to him, not as, as you,

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as an individual come to Jesus, but
as y'all corporately come to Jesus.

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See what we're gonna develop
here, y'all is as Christians, we

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come to Christ, but not alone.

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We come to worship Christ in community.

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We come to serve and worship him together.

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Our life in Christ can't be a lone ranger.

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Pursuit our life in Christ is, is not.

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Let me just be a Christian on
my own in, in all, be fine.

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I don't need the bride of Christ.

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In fact, let me make it stronger.

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We're about to see.

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That as we come to him to offer acceptable
sacrifices to God through him, that

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we can't come to him to offer these
sacrifices apart from the body of Christ.

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What we're doing this morning by being
here together is the most significant

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thing you will do all week long.

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And I say that unapologetically.

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This is the, as I read in Ephesians
chapter three, this is the place

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that the manifold wisdom of God has
displayed to all of creation and to

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the spiritual forces in this world.

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When you think about this room
and those that are in this room,

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there's nothing else that would
bond all of us together other than

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Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

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This is far more significant than
coming together to watch a Cowboys game.

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This is far more significant
than your PTA school event.

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This is far more significant
than your HOA event.

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And if I can step on some toes,
this is far more significant

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than your family devotions are.

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There's nothing more significant
than what we are doing this morning.

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And along those lines, as we think
about what we do with Jesus being the

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most important decision we make in
our entire lives, we need to decide

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to be fully committed to Jesus by
being fully committed to his church.

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Point number one this morning, double down
on your commitment to Jesus by doubling

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down on your commitment to his church.

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This is the most wordy
point I will ever give you.

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Double down on your commitment
to Jesus by doubling down on

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your commitment to his church.

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It doesn't say by doubling down on
your commitment to his church there.

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I don't know how that happened.

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I thought I fixed 'em all.

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I didn't.

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The other ones will say that you can
just insert doubling down in there.

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Right?

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Okay.

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But again, I want you to, to see
in the text that you are coming to

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00:11:22,319 --> 00:11:26,190
Jesus has an effect and look at what
the effect is as you come to him.

232
00:11:26,370 --> 00:11:26,640
Okay?

233
00:11:26,850 --> 00:11:28,380
The living stone, right.

234
00:11:28,380 --> 00:11:30,120
Rejected by men, but
chosen impressions in God.

235
00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:32,550
Look what happens as you come to him.

236
00:11:32,700 --> 00:11:35,040
You yourselves like living stones.

237
00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:36,000
So just like him.

238
00:11:36,690 --> 00:11:39,780
We're not the living stone, we're
not the cornerstone, but we are

239
00:11:39,780 --> 00:11:41,130
living stones in what's happening.

240
00:11:41,310 --> 00:11:45,599
We are being built up as a spiritual
house to be a holy priesthood, to offer

241
00:11:45,599 --> 00:11:48,660
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.

242
00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,890
We are being built up
as a spiritual house.

243
00:11:53,099 --> 00:11:57,930
Notice y'all, it doesn't say
as spiritual houses, God's not

244
00:11:57,930 --> 00:11:59,430
building a track home community.

245
00:12:00,525 --> 00:12:04,065
He's building a house and he's
building the house that is the church.

246
00:12:04,185 --> 00:12:07,365
And I, let me anticipate maybe the
objection that's out there, and you

247
00:12:07,365 --> 00:12:11,025
might say, okay, but isn't the church
bigger than just the local church?

248
00:12:13,605 --> 00:12:14,865
It is, but it's not less than,

249
00:12:17,234 --> 00:12:19,125
it's at least the local church.

250
00:12:19,815 --> 00:12:21,435
We can think of the church
in two different ways.

251
00:12:21,435 --> 00:12:24,525
You can think of the Invisible Church
or the Universal church, right?

252
00:12:24,915 --> 00:12:25,905
Church Capital C.

253
00:12:26,655 --> 00:12:29,355
That's, that's the church that is
made up of every single Christian

254
00:12:29,355 --> 00:12:31,065
that has ever lived or ever will live.

255
00:12:31,630 --> 00:12:34,964
And, and that's the invisible church
because it, it's not visible in

256
00:12:34,964 --> 00:12:39,194
a way that is tangibly expressed
here on earth, outside of the

257
00:12:39,194 --> 00:12:41,474
visible church or the local church.

258
00:12:43,125 --> 00:12:46,005
The argument I'm part of the Universal
Church and not the local church,

259
00:12:46,724 --> 00:12:51,974
doesn't work in, in fact, you can't
be part of the Invisible church if

260
00:12:51,974 --> 00:12:53,055
you're not part of the visible church.

261
00:12:53,954 --> 00:12:57,165
You can't be part of the universal church
if you're not part of the local church.

262
00:12:58,454 --> 00:12:59,415
It doesn't work.

263
00:13:01,185 --> 00:13:04,065
It doesn't work the next level
down to say, well then I'm gonna

264
00:13:04,065 --> 00:13:06,464
be part of the local church by just
being a part of my church home.

265
00:13:06,464 --> 00:13:07,185
Just in my family.

266
00:13:07,185 --> 00:13:08,954
My family is gonna stay home
and have church together.

267
00:13:10,095 --> 00:13:12,915
Y'all, as we read the New Testament,
if we're honest with ourselves,

268
00:13:12,915 --> 00:13:15,764
what we see is that we are called
into a community with one another

269
00:13:17,895 --> 00:13:21,555
to the degree that we need each
other that, that we can't get

270
00:13:21,555 --> 00:13:22,964
through this life apart from this.

271
00:13:23,505 --> 00:13:27,135
And if you read the one another commands,
those are meant to be lived out in

272
00:13:27,135 --> 00:13:30,345
community, to weep with those who
weep to rejoice with those who rejoice

273
00:13:31,484 --> 00:13:34,095
to love one another, to not neglect
meeting together, but to stir one

274
00:13:34,095 --> 00:13:35,685
another up towards love and good deeds.

275
00:13:36,464 --> 00:13:39,765
These are things that we do
together as a body of Christ.

276
00:13:41,055 --> 00:13:44,295
So we can't say, I, I, Jesus, I want
you, but I don't want your bride.

277
00:13:44,295 --> 00:13:47,145
Jesus, I want you, but I
don't want your, your church.

278
00:13:48,764 --> 00:13:53,504
The church is, as we read about it in
the New Testament set apart as a, a body

279
00:13:53,504 --> 00:13:58,875
of believers, a body of of Christians
shepherded by pastors, and this body meets

280
00:13:58,875 --> 00:14:02,925
for faith and fellowship and to carry out
the ordinances of communion and baptism.

281
00:14:04,425 --> 00:14:05,115
That's the church.

282
00:14:05,115 --> 00:14:09,464
The church is a body of believers,
shepherded by pastors who gather

283
00:14:09,464 --> 00:14:14,145
together for faith and fellowship
and also to carry out the

284
00:14:14,145 --> 00:14:16,395
ordinances of baptism and communion.

285
00:14:18,750 --> 00:14:22,079
People will often come and, and
say to us as, as pastors, Hey,

286
00:14:22,079 --> 00:14:23,370
will, will you do our wedding?

287
00:14:23,850 --> 00:14:24,630
Sure, we'll do your wedding.

288
00:14:25,170 --> 00:14:25,620
A hundred percent.

289
00:14:25,890 --> 00:14:27,690
Hey, I'd like to do
communion in my wedding.

290
00:14:28,829 --> 00:14:29,430
Full transparency.

291
00:14:29,430 --> 00:14:31,620
My wife and I had communion in our
wedding, so this is not like an

292
00:14:31,620 --> 00:14:34,650
anathema thing, but we will often
say, in fact, we'll always say,

293
00:14:34,980 --> 00:14:37,260
uh, we'll do your wedding, but we
won't do communion at your wedding.

294
00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:42,360
Why 'cause communion's for the church
and your wedding's, not the church?

295
00:14:43,815 --> 00:14:45,255
Same thing with baptisms, right?

296
00:14:45,885 --> 00:14:49,125
This is why when somebody gets saved in
a home, we don't just say, Hey dad, why

297
00:14:49,125 --> 00:14:51,915
don't you just go out in the backyard,
in the pool and and dunk your kid?

298
00:14:53,235 --> 00:14:54,975
Because it's meant to be the church.

299
00:14:55,515 --> 00:14:57,105
It's a part of what makes the church.

300
00:14:57,704 --> 00:14:59,505
And so you can't do Christianity.

301
00:14:59,505 --> 00:15:02,325
You can't effectively come to Jesus
without being a part of the church.

302
00:15:02,954 --> 00:15:05,625
And so if you wanna double down in your
commitment to Jesus, which I trust we

303
00:15:05,625 --> 00:15:10,245
all do, double down in your commitment to
his church, the church that is realized

304
00:15:10,245 --> 00:15:11,775
through the gathering of the local church.

305
00:15:12,494 --> 00:15:14,295
Another reason why we want to do that.

306
00:15:14,295 --> 00:15:17,055
Not only because it's a byproduct
of our coming to Jesus, but it also

307
00:15:17,055 --> 00:15:20,055
is part of our worship, and that's
what he goes on, and he says, you're

308
00:15:20,055 --> 00:15:21,494
being built together as living stones.

309
00:15:21,734 --> 00:15:25,665
He says, to be a holy priesthood,
to be a holy priesthood.

310
00:15:25,754 --> 00:15:29,865
We're not only the the spiritual house of
God, but we are also the spiritual priests

311
00:15:30,435 --> 00:15:35,835
as we corporately come together to offer
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God.

312
00:15:37,035 --> 00:15:40,755
This again, is why this is the most
significant thing we do all week when we

313
00:15:40,755 --> 00:15:43,694
gather together as the church, when we
sing these songs together as the church,

314
00:15:43,694 --> 00:15:46,665
when we sit under the preaching of the
word together as the church, when we pray

315
00:15:46,665 --> 00:15:49,545
together as the church, when we hear the
scriptures read together as the church,

316
00:15:49,815 --> 00:15:54,315
this is the corporate spiritual sacrifices
that we bring and offer, and they're

317
00:15:54,315 --> 00:15:56,385
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

318
00:15:58,395 --> 00:16:01,155
What are some of these spiritual
sacrifices that exist here

319
00:16:01,155 --> 00:16:02,145
within the body of Christ?

320
00:16:02,145 --> 00:16:03,435
You've got your spiritual gifts, right?

321
00:16:04,125 --> 00:16:06,555
God has given each person a gift
that's good for the edification, the

322
00:16:06,555 --> 00:16:08,715
building up of the body of Christ,
and we come together as the church

323
00:16:08,715 --> 00:16:10,245
to employ those, to use those.

324
00:16:11,175 --> 00:16:14,145
But beyond that, I mentioned worship
and song, the, the hearing of the word.

325
00:16:14,355 --> 00:16:17,925
Y'all can I just encourage you
be here on time for worship.

326
00:16:17,925 --> 00:16:23,565
As soon as we start singing, it's,
it's so crucial for the overall

327
00:16:23,565 --> 00:16:24,525
health of the body of Christ.

328
00:16:24,525 --> 00:16:25,335
We need you.

329
00:16:26,175 --> 00:16:28,694
We need your voices here, right?

330
00:16:28,694 --> 00:16:30,015
This is a victory parade.

331
00:16:30,015 --> 00:16:31,545
Every single Sunday we gather together.

332
00:16:33,135 --> 00:16:35,355
Back when the Rangers used to be good
at baseball, they won the World Series.

333
00:16:35,355 --> 00:16:35,655
Right.

334
00:16:36,705 --> 00:16:38,595
And then afterwards they
had a victory parade.

335
00:16:39,435 --> 00:16:43,275
I didn't go, 'cause I don't really
like big crowds of people, but I

336
00:16:43,275 --> 00:16:46,005
watched a, a lot of the, the footage
of it and there were thousands

337
00:16:46,005 --> 00:16:46,965
upon thousands of people there.

338
00:16:46,965 --> 00:16:47,745
And what were they all doing?

339
00:16:47,805 --> 00:16:48,944
They were all celebrating.

340
00:16:49,190 --> 00:16:49,540
Right.

341
00:16:50,685 --> 00:16:53,550
And, and it was different for
me because I wasn't with them.

342
00:16:55,095 --> 00:16:57,794
If I'm not with them, my
celebration isn't as tangible.

343
00:16:57,794 --> 00:16:58,845
It's not as as vital.

344
00:16:58,845 --> 00:17:01,784
It's not as as significant
as being with them.

345
00:17:02,625 --> 00:17:02,835
Right.

346
00:17:02,835 --> 00:17:06,615
I can't sit say that I was there and,
and I was testifying to everybody

347
00:17:06,615 --> 00:17:08,925
watching that, that, hey, the
Rangers have won the World Series.

348
00:17:10,575 --> 00:17:15,165
When we're not here, we're missing out on,
on a victory parade every single Sunday.

349
00:17:16,935 --> 00:17:19,275
This is a celebration every
single Sunday of the victory

350
00:17:19,275 --> 00:17:20,444
that Christ has won on the cross.

351
00:17:20,505 --> 00:17:23,115
And so we gather together, and
whether you like the songs or

352
00:17:23,115 --> 00:17:24,435
not is neither here nor there.

353
00:17:25,275 --> 00:17:29,265
If they're theologically right and
true, which is our aim, then you should

354
00:17:29,265 --> 00:17:32,025
be here and you should lift your voice
and make a joyful noise to the Lord

355
00:17:32,805 --> 00:17:37,305
with us, and declare to the powers and
the rulers and authorities, as we read

356
00:17:37,305 --> 00:17:41,115
in Ephesians chapter three earlier,
that Jesus has won and they've lost.

357
00:17:42,345 --> 00:17:45,255
We do that most effectively when
we do that here in community.

358
00:17:46,635 --> 00:17:51,675
And so let me just urge you and encourage
you, church, be here on time when you're

359
00:17:51,675 --> 00:17:53,835
not here on a Sunday morning, when
you're not here, even on time, on a

360
00:17:53,835 --> 00:17:56,325
Sunday morning, man, it, it, it matters.

361
00:17:56,385 --> 00:17:59,385
There's a sense of loss
even that comes with that.

362
00:18:01,125 --> 00:18:04,635
We're being built up as living
stones to offer these spiritual

363
00:18:04,635 --> 00:18:07,065
sacrifices acceptable to God.

364
00:18:08,565 --> 00:18:08,865
Uh.

365
00:18:09,930 --> 00:18:12,540
Sam Alberry wrote a book called Why
Bother with the Church, and, and I

366
00:18:12,540 --> 00:18:17,040
think he, he gives a really helpful
description of why gathering together

367
00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:18,660
with the saints is so significant to us.

368
00:18:18,870 --> 00:18:19,500
Here it is.

369
00:18:19,500 --> 00:18:20,280
It's up on the screen here.

370
00:18:20,700 --> 00:18:24,060
It says, when God's people gather,
the spiritual world is watching.

371
00:18:24,765 --> 00:18:26,715
Though you can't see it
when you meet this Sunday.

372
00:18:26,715 --> 00:18:30,435
The spiritual powers, both those loyal
to God and those who oppose him are gonna

373
00:18:30,435 --> 00:18:34,215
look on and they won't be struck by the
stage in the sound system in the parking

374
00:18:34,215 --> 00:18:37,965
lots and the band, or the broken heating
and the peeling paint and the weak orange

375
00:18:37,965 --> 00:18:40,754
juice and the struggling organ, that's
not what they're paying attention to.

376
00:18:41,745 --> 00:18:46,455
They're gonna be struck instead by
who is meeting there that such diverse

377
00:18:46,455 --> 00:18:49,425
people are sitting together loving each
other because they know that the Lord

378
00:18:49,425 --> 00:18:51,105
Jesus loves them and died for them.

379
00:18:51,644 --> 00:18:55,094
The church is the way in
which God showcases his wisdom

380
00:18:55,094 --> 00:18:56,144
to the spiritual realms.

381
00:18:56,324 --> 00:19:00,044
It's how he demonstrates the power
and the beauty of the gospel.

382
00:19:01,215 --> 00:19:02,715
That's why this is so significant.

383
00:19:03,705 --> 00:19:05,774
This is what the, the,
the world is watching.

384
00:19:05,774 --> 00:19:08,235
This is what the spiritual
forces are watching when we

385
00:19:08,235 --> 00:19:09,764
gather together for the victory.

386
00:19:09,764 --> 00:19:13,364
Pray every single Sunday and
say, look what Jesus did.

387
00:19:15,044 --> 00:19:15,975
Look what Jesus did.

388
00:19:18,510 --> 00:19:21,060
Look, I understand y'all, that
there's gonna be times when you're not

389
00:19:21,060 --> 00:19:22,200
gonna be able to make it to church.

390
00:19:23,070 --> 00:19:23,370
I do.

391
00:19:23,370 --> 00:19:23,850
I get that.

392
00:19:25,110 --> 00:19:25,679
You're gonna have to Ms.

393
00:19:25,679 --> 00:19:26,670
Church for sickness.

394
00:19:26,700 --> 00:19:30,450
You've got sick kids or you
get sick, you're gonna Ms.

395
00:19:30,450 --> 00:19:31,740
Church because of vacation.

396
00:19:32,700 --> 00:19:35,700
I would encourage you to, to go to
church somewhere that you're on vacation,

397
00:19:37,650 --> 00:19:39,210
but maybe you're, you're gonna Ms.

398
00:19:39,210 --> 00:19:42,270
Church for a, a work trip 'cause you
can't be here 'cause work calls you away.

399
00:19:42,270 --> 00:19:44,100
Or maybe just an unexpected
emergency comes up.

400
00:19:44,100 --> 00:19:44,790
You can't be there.

401
00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:49,800
Y'all as graciously and lovingly as
I can say this outside of that, can

402
00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:53,159
I tell you if I am your pastor and
that's an important qualification,

403
00:19:54,090 --> 00:19:56,669
but if I'm your pastor, I expect
you to be here on Sunday mornings

404
00:19:59,100 --> 00:20:04,080
and not out of some legalistic obligation,
but because this is what it is to be

405
00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:09,870
a part of the church, this is what
it is to love Jesus is to be a part

406
00:20:09,870 --> 00:20:12,254
of his bride, and we need you here.

407
00:20:13,455 --> 00:20:14,715
We need you to be here.

408
00:20:14,715 --> 00:20:15,615
We need your voice.

409
00:20:15,615 --> 00:20:16,635
We need your singing.

410
00:20:16,635 --> 00:20:18,555
We need your, your, your presence.

411
00:20:18,555 --> 00:20:19,485
We need your fellowship.

412
00:20:21,165 --> 00:20:22,335
So prioritize this.

413
00:20:22,335 --> 00:20:25,725
This is more significant than anything
else that you will do all week long

414
00:20:25,725 --> 00:20:27,254
is what we do in here this morning.

415
00:20:30,014 --> 00:20:33,735
What we do on here is different than
what happens at the soccer fields over by

416
00:20:33,885 --> 00:20:37,035
Prosper High School with all the thousands
of kids that are out there every weekend.

417
00:20:37,739 --> 00:20:40,169
What we do is different than the
HOA event that your neighborhood

418
00:20:40,169 --> 00:20:40,949
is planning this week.

419
00:20:40,949 --> 00:20:43,679
What you're, what we do here is different
than what happens at at t stadium

420
00:20:43,679 --> 00:20:45,360
because we're celebrating wins here,

421
00:20:50,219 --> 00:20:51,479
not ties or losses.

422
00:20:54,959 --> 00:20:58,739
Listen, it is different than your
family reunion, and I said earlier it's

423
00:20:58,739 --> 00:21:00,239
different than your family devotions too.

424
00:21:01,919 --> 00:21:04,080
I will unapologetically say
this is the most significant

425
00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:04,810
thing we do all week long.

426
00:21:06,750 --> 00:21:08,100
The gathering of the body of Christ.

427
00:21:08,670 --> 00:21:11,490
Something spiritually significant
takes place here where the manifold

428
00:21:11,490 --> 00:21:12,659
wisdom of God is on display.

429
00:21:12,810 --> 00:21:13,649
Through this event,

430
00:21:15,659 --> 00:21:19,260
Charles Spurgeon understood
that Charles Spurgeon said this.

431
00:21:19,889 --> 00:21:22,815
He said, nothing in the world is
dearer to God's heart than his church.

432
00:21:23,895 --> 00:21:30,060
Therefore, being his let us also belong to
it, that by our prayers, our gifts and our

433
00:21:30,060 --> 00:21:32,220
labors, we may support and strengthen it.

434
00:21:34,739 --> 00:21:36,149
Hear me say this as well.

435
00:21:36,149 --> 00:21:37,979
I'm not telling you don't
do family devotions.

436
00:21:39,090 --> 00:21:42,120
I'm not saying don't pursue
Christ individually when you are

437
00:21:42,120 --> 00:21:45,090
at home and wanted to pick up
your Bible and read and pray.

438
00:21:45,479 --> 00:21:46,529
I'm not saying don't do that.

439
00:21:47,310 --> 00:21:49,320
I'm just saying understand
this is when we come together.

440
00:21:49,379 --> 00:21:50,969
That's the culmination of all of that.

441
00:21:51,689 --> 00:21:52,709
This is the celebration.

442
00:21:53,070 --> 00:21:55,919
This is the victory parade
every single Sunday.

443
00:21:57,870 --> 00:22:00,600
One takeaway from this practically
is just coming prepared every week.

444
00:22:01,665 --> 00:22:05,325
Like I said, being here on time is part of
that, but showing up prepared, showing up

445
00:22:05,325 --> 00:22:10,155
ready, having read the word of God, that
we're gonna be preaching on that week.

446
00:22:10,155 --> 00:22:11,504
In fact, we post that online.

447
00:22:11,504 --> 00:22:13,665
There's an email that goes out each
week that, that tells you what the

448
00:22:13,665 --> 00:22:14,985
scripture passage is gonna be as well.

449
00:22:15,495 --> 00:22:18,105
Reading that, coming in prepared,
knowing where the, the, the sermon

450
00:22:18,105 --> 00:22:20,205
is, is headed in a general idea.

451
00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:23,699
Having checked out our, our
worship set that Pastor Raha

452
00:22:23,699 --> 00:22:24,689
updates every single week.

453
00:22:24,689 --> 00:22:28,500
You can go on and follow that playlist
on Spotify familiarize, familiarizing

454
00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:32,580
yourself with the songs that we're
gonna be singing, having prayed

455
00:22:32,580 --> 00:22:34,379
for the every facet of the service.

456
00:22:34,379 --> 00:22:39,389
We, we need that covet your prayers
in that you, if we do that, we're,

457
00:22:39,389 --> 00:22:42,899
we will thrive, we will grow,
we will be blessed by the Lord.

458
00:22:43,260 --> 00:22:44,760
We're gonna be one of those
churches, visitors show up

459
00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:45,840
at and don't want to leave.

460
00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:47,129
They can't wait to come back.

461
00:22:48,929 --> 00:22:52,139
If we take the church as seriously
as Christ takes the church, as

462
00:22:52,139 --> 00:22:54,480
we come to Christ in this life,
we come to him in community.

463
00:22:55,649 --> 00:22:57,330
If you wanna double down on your
commitment to Christ, double

464
00:22:57,330 --> 00:23:00,510
down on your commitment to
this, to the bride of Christ.

465
00:23:02,220 --> 00:23:04,950
The reason why we double down in
our commitment to Christ though

466
00:23:04,950 --> 00:23:07,919
to begin with, is because of how
precious he is in the set of God.

467
00:23:08,475 --> 00:23:09,585
And that's where Peter continues to go.

468
00:23:09,585 --> 00:23:10,635
Look at verses six and seven.

469
00:23:10,995 --> 00:23:12,705
Peter says, for it stands in scripture.

470
00:23:12,855 --> 00:23:16,935
Behold, I am laying in Zion a
stone, a cornerstone chosen and

471
00:23:16,935 --> 00:23:20,804
precious, and whoever believes
in him will not be put to shame.

472
00:23:20,925 --> 00:23:23,500
So the honor is for you who believe.

473
00:23:24,975 --> 00:23:27,435
So the honors for you who believe, we'll
keep going in verse seven in the next

474
00:23:27,435 --> 00:23:30,735
point, but, uh, come on a field trip with
me back to the Old Testament for a second.

475
00:23:30,975 --> 00:23:33,405
Because Peter, what he does here
is he quotes from Isaiah 28,

476
00:23:33,764 --> 00:23:36,044
Isaiah 28 16, and he quotes this.

477
00:23:36,044 --> 00:23:38,175
He says, therefore,
thus says the Lord God.

478
00:23:38,175 --> 00:23:40,784
Behold, I am the one who is
laid a foundation in Zion.

479
00:23:41,044 --> 00:23:45,695
A stone tested, a precious cornerstone
of a shore foundation, whoever

480
00:23:45,695 --> 00:23:48,514
believes will not be in haste.

481
00:23:49,054 --> 00:23:51,695
Peter said, whoever believes in
him will not be put to shame.

482
00:23:52,144 --> 00:23:54,874
And so in the Old Testament,
in Isaiah 28, what's happening?

483
00:23:54,874 --> 00:23:59,164
Well, Assyria is, is threatening the
northern kingdom and the southern kingdom.

484
00:23:59,164 --> 00:24:03,129
Isaiah is speaking to and saying, Hey,
listen, don't be afraid of Assyria.

485
00:24:03,129 --> 00:24:03,139
Don't.

486
00:24:03,780 --> 00:24:05,550
Try to make an alliance with Assyria.

487
00:24:05,670 --> 00:24:06,780
Don't go to Egypt.

488
00:24:06,899 --> 00:24:08,490
Don't trust in these false gods.

489
00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:09,570
Here's what you need to do.

490
00:24:09,570 --> 00:24:12,840
You need to trust in God for
deliverance, trust in Yahweh, trust

491
00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:14,370
in the cornerstone for deliverance.

492
00:24:14,610 --> 00:24:18,120
And Peter then takes that and says
that that cornerstone, that that God

493
00:24:18,120 --> 00:24:20,460
was talking about, that Yahweh was
talking about in the Old Testament.

494
00:24:20,730 --> 00:24:23,190
Is now understood as Jesus Christ.

495
00:24:23,370 --> 00:24:26,940
And so God is saying to Israel and
Isaiah 28, and to Judah and Isaiah

496
00:24:26,940 --> 00:24:31,560
28, don't trust in other sources for
deliverance, trust in me for deliverance.

497
00:24:31,770 --> 00:24:34,560
And now in the New Testament,
Peter takes this and applies it

498
00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:38,490
to Jesus and says, don't trust
in other sources for deliverance.

499
00:24:39,075 --> 00:24:40,335
Don't look other places.

500
00:24:40,335 --> 00:24:41,925
Don't look to self-righteousness.

501
00:24:42,195 --> 00:24:44,205
Don't look to other
religions for deliverance.

502
00:24:44,325 --> 00:24:48,105
Look instead to the cornerstone, the
chief cornerstone for deliverance.

503
00:24:48,255 --> 00:24:51,465
Look to Jesus for deliverance.

504
00:24:52,605 --> 00:24:55,665
This is why we come to Jesus to be
built together and do a spiritual house.

505
00:24:56,264 --> 00:24:58,845
This is why our worship is acceptable
to God when it's offered to us.

506
00:24:59,024 --> 00:25:01,065
When it's offered to him through Jesus.

507
00:25:01,274 --> 00:25:05,595
It's because he is the chosen and
precious cornerstone of our faith.

508
00:25:05,835 --> 00:25:10,305
And Peter says, if we maintain our
faith in him, if we hold fast, our faith

509
00:25:10,305 --> 00:25:11,805
in Him, we will not be put to shame.

510
00:25:11,805 --> 00:25:16,995
Point number two, this morning is this
double down in holding fast to Jesus,

511
00:25:18,284 --> 00:25:20,805
double down in holding fast to Jesus.

512
00:25:24,990 --> 00:25:27,870
Notice Peter says, so the
honor is for you who believe.

513
00:25:28,950 --> 00:25:29,790
What is he talking about there?

514
00:25:30,900 --> 00:25:33,660
Well, there's another honor that
Peter mentioned in First Peter

515
00:25:33,660 --> 00:25:36,480
chapter one verses six and seven.

516
00:25:36,690 --> 00:25:39,180
By the way, I know in your
mind you're saying six seven.

517
00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:40,530
I've said six, seven twice now.

518
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:41,670
And so we'll just throw it out there.

519
00:25:41,670 --> 00:25:43,710
I that people are laughing
about it in inReach.

520
00:25:44,490 --> 00:25:46,530
I hate, I hate this world.

521
00:25:46,530 --> 00:25:47,160
And what has become

522
00:25:49,380 --> 00:25:50,550
one Peter one verse six.

523
00:25:52,664 --> 00:25:53,384
Verse seven.

524
00:25:54,945 --> 00:25:55,965
We read this.

525
00:25:57,975 --> 00:26:00,884
He says, in this, you rejoice though
now for a little while if necessary,

526
00:26:00,884 --> 00:26:05,264
you've been grieved by various trials
so that the tested genuineness of

527
00:26:05,264 --> 00:26:06,945
your faith more precious than gold.

528
00:26:06,945 --> 00:26:10,124
The parishes, though it's tested
by fire, may be found a result in

529
00:26:10,124 --> 00:26:15,614
praise and glory and what honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

530
00:26:16,090 --> 00:26:19,754
And, and so now when Peter says, so the
honor is for you who believe this is

531
00:26:19,754 --> 00:26:21,254
the same honor that he's talking about.

532
00:26:22,095 --> 00:26:25,095
He's saying that the The Honor will be
ours at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

533
00:26:25,095 --> 00:26:28,004
Hey, if you hold fast to Christ, you
will be delivered, is what he's saying.

534
00:26:28,695 --> 00:26:32,835
Just like he was telling Judah, Hey, if
you trust the cornerstone, and even back

535
00:26:32,835 --> 00:26:35,895
in that day, they were anticipating that
this was some future Messianic ruler.

536
00:26:36,764 --> 00:26:38,085
Peter says, this is Jesus.

537
00:26:38,085 --> 00:26:41,804
I I, if you trust Jesus, you will be
delivered That honor that he talked about

538
00:26:41,804 --> 00:26:45,764
in one Peter one, seven, that's gonna be
yours at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

539
00:26:45,764 --> 00:26:50,625
So here we are now and our job is to
hold fast to Christ until we get there.

540
00:26:51,735 --> 00:26:52,544
It's like playing tag.

541
00:26:52,544 --> 00:26:54,824
Growing up you had base, right?

542
00:26:55,210 --> 00:26:58,485
And, and, and maybe you played the
version of Tag where you'd get tagged.

543
00:26:58,485 --> 00:27:00,675
And when you got tagged, you
had to be taken back to a jail.

544
00:27:01,754 --> 00:27:03,520
Well, as long as you were
on base, you were safe.

545
00:27:04,469 --> 00:27:06,689
So somebody came up and tagged
you and tried to take you to

546
00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:07,919
back to their, their jail.

547
00:27:07,919 --> 00:27:09,810
You said, you can't take me.

548
00:27:09,810 --> 00:27:10,379
I'm on base.

549
00:27:10,379 --> 00:27:10,949
I'm safe here.

550
00:27:10,949 --> 00:27:12,269
I'm holding fast to base.

551
00:27:12,539 --> 00:27:13,169
I'm safe.

552
00:27:15,120 --> 00:27:17,909
That's what holding fast
to Jesus is in this life.

553
00:27:18,995 --> 00:27:21,870
The the world is gonna try to,
to grab you and take you captive.

554
00:27:22,679 --> 00:27:24,539
The world is gonna try to
get you away from base.

555
00:27:24,539 --> 00:27:26,399
The world is gonna try to
get you away from Jesus.

556
00:27:27,075 --> 00:27:29,054
And yet you need to hold fast
to the precious cornerstone.

557
00:27:29,534 --> 00:27:31,784
And if you hold fast to him,
you will not be put to shame.

558
00:27:31,935 --> 00:27:36,615
You will have in the end this honor that
is gonna be yours for you who believe

559
00:27:36,705 --> 00:27:38,325
when you are ultimately delivered.

560
00:27:38,504 --> 00:27:41,835
And again, think about Peter's audience
at the time, their political exiles.

561
00:27:41,835 --> 00:27:43,784
They've been resettled,
they're away from home, they're

562
00:27:43,784 --> 00:27:45,165
facing spiritual persecution.

563
00:27:45,165 --> 00:27:49,935
As that's ratcheting up right now, Nero
is waiting in the wings of the emperor

564
00:27:50,054 --> 00:27:55,290
throne of of Rome, and yet Peter's writing
to them saying, hold fast to Jesus.

565
00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:57,120
Remember the cornerstone.

566
00:27:57,360 --> 00:27:58,350
Don't waver.

567
00:27:58,500 --> 00:28:01,350
Don't, don't, uh, hit the eject button.

568
00:28:01,350 --> 00:28:02,310
Don't fade.

569
00:28:02,310 --> 00:28:03,960
Don't abandon.

570
00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:06,420
What is your, your hope for deliverance?

571
00:28:07,425 --> 00:28:10,185
Peter reminds them that their union with
Christ, their corporate solidarity with

572
00:28:10,185 --> 00:28:14,024
one another as the church is going to
result in their ultimate deliverance.

573
00:28:14,504 --> 00:28:16,455
And that's why I think Peter said
at the very beginning of this, that

574
00:28:16,455 --> 00:28:19,185
Christ was rejected by men, but chosen
and precious in the sight of God.

575
00:28:19,455 --> 00:28:23,385
If the living stone, the ultimate living
stone, was rejected by men, then we

576
00:28:23,385 --> 00:28:27,195
as living stones should also not be
surprised when the world rejects us.

577
00:28:27,764 --> 00:28:32,475
We just need to hold fast to the one that
God has declared is chosen and precious.

578
00:28:33,375 --> 00:28:36,975
So I want you to ask yourself right now
this morning, you're not a political

579
00:28:36,975 --> 00:28:41,235
exile, but what is it right now that makes
you feel most like an exile in this life?

580
00:28:42,465 --> 00:28:47,145
What causes you most to waiver in your
faith that the honor is gonna be yours

581
00:28:47,145 --> 00:28:48,465
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

582
00:28:49,604 --> 00:28:52,125
Is it politics, geopolitics?

583
00:28:52,995 --> 00:28:53,774
Is it family?

584
00:28:54,705 --> 00:28:55,814
Is it your marriage?

585
00:28:56,294 --> 00:28:57,165
Is it your health?

586
00:28:57,945 --> 00:28:58,814
Is it your job?

587
00:28:58,875 --> 00:28:59,655
Uncertainty?

588
00:29:00,824 --> 00:29:01,814
Is it your kids?

589
00:29:03,420 --> 00:29:04,410
Is it singleness?

590
00:29:05,670 --> 00:29:09,960
I mean, what is it right now that causes
you to think, man, I don't know what's

591
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:12,900
gonna happen if this shifts in my life.

592
00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:15,420
Let's play that game for a second.

593
00:29:15,450 --> 00:29:16,290
'cause that's fun, right?

594
00:29:16,290 --> 00:29:17,310
Worst case scenario game.

595
00:29:18,870 --> 00:29:20,640
What would change about
your hope in Christ?

596
00:29:22,655 --> 00:29:23,145
Nothing.

597
00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:28,350
Listen, I, I, if, if China
takes over the United States.

598
00:29:29,235 --> 00:29:33,495
Or if, if, if the Democrats regain
every political institution,

599
00:29:33,495 --> 00:29:34,514
impact the Supreme Court.

600
00:29:36,044 --> 00:29:40,844
If your family cuts off ties with you,
if you come home one day to find that

601
00:29:40,844 --> 00:29:43,844
your spouse has emptied out their closet
and taken the car and they're gone,

602
00:29:46,425 --> 00:29:51,014
if your kids abandon you,
if you never find Mr.

603
00:29:51,014 --> 00:29:51,495
Or Mrs.

604
00:29:51,495 --> 00:29:55,754
Wright, what changes about the praise
and honor and glory that's gonna be

605
00:29:55,754 --> 00:29:57,284
yours at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

606
00:29:58,709 --> 00:30:01,649
Nothing, nothing.

607
00:30:03,870 --> 00:30:06,179
That goes back to verse five of
one, Peter, chapter one, right?

608
00:30:06,659 --> 00:30:09,360
You're being guarded by God's power
through faith for salvation, ready

609
00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:10,530
to be revealed in the last times.

610
00:30:11,490 --> 00:30:12,840
Nothing can take that away from you.

611
00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:17,370
And so we hold fast to Christ because
he's the cornerstone, and in the end we

612
00:30:17,370 --> 00:30:19,409
will find that we will receive the honor.

613
00:30:20,340 --> 00:30:22,590
I'm not saying church that we
should welcome any of that.

614
00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:26,190
But I'm saying that we need to be willing
to walk through any of that with our faith

615
00:30:26,190 --> 00:30:30,480
in Christ intact, and that means that
our faith has to be cultivated because

616
00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:31,920
that kind of faith doesn't show up.

617
00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:34,860
It's not manufactured in the doctor's
office when the doctor says you've got

618
00:30:34,860 --> 00:30:36,180
terminal cancer and there's no hope.

619
00:30:37,740 --> 00:30:41,730
That faith is not worked up when you
come home and find that your spouse

620
00:30:41,730 --> 00:30:43,890
has left and you don't know where
they went and if they're coming back.

621
00:30:44,940 --> 00:30:47,580
That faith is not just grabbed
outta thin air when you get notified

622
00:30:47,580 --> 00:30:49,590
that you're gonna be part of the
next round of layoffs at work.

623
00:30:50,820 --> 00:30:55,409
That faith ha faith has to be cultivated
daily as you come to him every single day.

624
00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:59,310
And remember, that's part of
coming to him within the context of

625
00:30:59,310 --> 00:31:00,899
community, of the bride of Christ.

626
00:31:01,739 --> 00:31:04,620
And that's where this point connects
back to point number one, y'all.

627
00:31:04,620 --> 00:31:07,709
Your faith is going to be
strengthened more and more the more

628
00:31:07,709 --> 00:31:08,850
you lean into your church family.

629
00:31:09,690 --> 00:31:14,100
The more you walk in this life as a
community, as a a, a bride of Christ, as,

630
00:31:14,100 --> 00:31:18,000
as the body of Christ, the more you will
see that your faith is strengthened and

631
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,150
bolstered, and those times where you find
it difficult to hold onto your faith,

632
00:31:21,270 --> 00:31:23,940
you're gonna have somebody to turn to
and say, will you pray for me right now?

633
00:31:24,660 --> 00:31:25,800
Will you encourage me right now?

634
00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:27,450
Will you remind me of the
truth of scripture right now?

635
00:31:27,450 --> 00:31:33,030
Because it's dark in my life and I can't
find the hope that I normally have y'all.

636
00:31:33,030 --> 00:31:35,640
That's why if, if you're just giving
us two hours a week on Sunday.

637
00:31:37,364 --> 00:31:39,254
You're not giving anyone a
chance to be there for you

638
00:31:39,254 --> 00:31:40,064
when you're walking through it.

639
00:31:43,965 --> 00:31:46,094
This is why God is building
us up into a spiritual house.

640
00:31:47,445 --> 00:31:50,205
It is a grace and mercy of God that
he didn't save us and say, why don't

641
00:31:50,205 --> 00:31:53,415
you just go and and be a church by
yourself or just with your family?

642
00:31:55,034 --> 00:31:59,175
But he said, Hey, I'm gonna save you and
put you into a much bigger family, and

643
00:31:59,175 --> 00:32:00,705
they're gonna help you hold onto Jesus.

644
00:32:01,754 --> 00:32:03,374
It's like the Fernando Ortega song.

645
00:32:03,554 --> 00:32:05,144
Give me Jesus.

646
00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:10,620
The chorus of that song says, you can
have all the world, but give me Jesus.

647
00:32:12,150 --> 00:32:14,700
That's the fate that we're talking
about here in this second point.

648
00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:19,830
Holding fast to Jesus, the cornerstone
considering him to be as God the father

649
00:32:19,830 --> 00:32:25,200
did, precious and chosen to say, I
want you can have everything else.

650
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:26,310
God, just gimme Jesus.

651
00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:30,180
If I have Jesus, I have everything I need.

652
00:32:31,455 --> 00:32:32,595
To have that kind of faith.

653
00:32:32,595 --> 00:32:35,985
And we as brothers and sisters in Christ
can encourage each other that way.

654
00:32:36,044 --> 00:32:37,334
He's the cornerstone.

655
00:32:37,365 --> 00:32:39,284
He's our only hope for deliverance.

656
00:32:40,455 --> 00:32:45,345
So the honor is for you who believe,
but Peter says in verse seven and

657
00:32:45,345 --> 00:32:48,254
eight, that unfortunately there's gonna
be those that don't believe as well.

658
00:32:49,665 --> 00:32:51,105
Look, verse seven again, the second half.

659
00:32:51,105 --> 00:32:54,945
But for those who do not believe, the
stone that the builders rejected has

660
00:32:54,945 --> 00:33:00,195
become the cornerstone and a stone
of stumbling in a rock of offense.

661
00:33:00,675 --> 00:33:05,415
They stumble because they disobey
the word as they were destined to do.

662
00:33:07,125 --> 00:33:08,985
Lemme start with that last phrase there.

663
00:33:08,985 --> 00:33:12,555
I'm not gonna major on that in this point,
but I do want to call our attention to it.

664
00:33:12,555 --> 00:33:13,635
It's important to see it.

665
00:33:14,595 --> 00:33:18,045
Peter says that there are gonna
be those that are destined not to

666
00:33:18,045 --> 00:33:19,545
come in faith to faith in Jesus.

667
00:33:20,865 --> 00:33:22,455
The question is begged destined by who?

668
00:33:24,405 --> 00:33:28,065
Well, who is the one that is
sovereign over that God is?

669
00:33:29,490 --> 00:33:33,780
And so as difficult as this verse is
for us to read, it is keeping with other

670
00:33:33,780 --> 00:33:35,129
passages that we read in scripture.

671
00:33:35,129 --> 00:33:37,530
For example, in Romans nine, when
Paul talks about the fact that

672
00:33:37,530 --> 00:33:40,650
there are vessels made for wrath
and vessels made for mercy, and God

673
00:33:40,650 --> 00:33:46,320
is the one that decides Earlier in
that context, he said that God's

674
00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:48,480
purpose of election might be realized.

675
00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:52,469
He said to Jacob, Jacob,
I love you to Issa Issa.

676
00:33:52,469 --> 00:33:52,980
I've hated.

677
00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:58,110
In fact, Paul says, God made that decision
before any of them were even born yet.

678
00:33:59,130 --> 00:34:02,340
And so there's something that we need
to understand here and to, to sit in,

679
00:34:02,340 --> 00:34:06,719
in awe of and to admit that it, it's
not our favorite doctrine, but it is a

680
00:34:06,719 --> 00:34:10,860
doctrine that we need to embrace because
it's biblical, that God is sovereign

681
00:34:10,860 --> 00:34:14,759
over the state of mankind, whether or
not there are gonna be saved or not.

682
00:34:16,830 --> 00:34:20,159
And that can make us feel
pretty powerless, undoubtedly.

683
00:34:21,975 --> 00:34:24,734
Yet, what I'd like to focus on in the
rest of the time that we have this

684
00:34:24,734 --> 00:34:27,014
morning is, is what we can do about that.

685
00:34:28,364 --> 00:34:32,293
Because one thing that is the greatest
mercy of God that I can think of, at

686
00:34:32,293 --> 00:34:35,924
least up there, maybe not the greatest
mercies, the cross is the greatest mercy.

687
00:34:36,194 --> 00:34:38,895
But another amazing mercy of
God is that he didn't tell us

688
00:34:38,924 --> 00:34:39,975
who's destined and who's not.

689
00:34:41,264 --> 00:34:44,384
That would be one of the worst and
most painful existences that we could

690
00:34:44,444 --> 00:34:48,134
possibly have to walk around and, and
look at people and say, that person's

691
00:34:48,134 --> 00:34:50,234
never gonna believe this person will.

692
00:34:50,715 --> 00:34:54,915
Can you imagine having kids that you
could look at your kids and say, maybe

693
00:34:54,915 --> 00:34:57,135
you've got three kids, and you would
look at them and say, two of them are

694
00:34:57,135 --> 00:34:58,425
gonna be saved and one of them's not.

695
00:34:59,595 --> 00:35:00,615
That'd be soul crushing.

696
00:35:01,515 --> 00:35:04,695
I think it's God and his immense
wisdom and grace didn't tell us that,

697
00:35:06,135 --> 00:35:11,235
and that's huge for us in how we can
respond to what Peter's gonna say here.

698
00:35:12,195 --> 00:35:14,295
'cause Peter says, yeah, there there's
gonna be some who don't believe.

699
00:35:14,295 --> 00:35:18,075
And for them, he's quoting from
Psalm one 18 verse 22, the stone

700
00:35:18,075 --> 00:35:18,915
that the builders rejected.

701
00:35:19,485 --> 00:35:21,045
That one has become the cornerstone.

702
00:35:21,705 --> 00:35:24,465
So some are not gonna believe, and
Peter's making that point saying this.

703
00:35:24,495 --> 00:35:26,865
There's those that are
gonna reject the stone.

704
00:35:27,735 --> 00:35:31,995
He goes back to Psalm one 18 there and
then he goes in quotes again from Isaiah.

705
00:35:31,995 --> 00:35:34,695
This time Isaiah chapter
eight, verses 13 and 14.

706
00:35:34,815 --> 00:35:37,634
He says, in a a stone of
stumbling, in a rock of offense.

707
00:35:38,310 --> 00:35:40,650
And, and that comes from
Isaiah eight 13 and 14.

708
00:35:40,650 --> 00:35:44,490
The Lord of hosts him, you shall honor,
let him be your fear and let him be your

709
00:35:44,580 --> 00:35:48,990
dread, and he will become a sanctuary in
a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling

710
00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:53,910
to both the houses of Israel, a trap and
a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

711
00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:57,960
And Isaiah eight, he's again talking
about the context of deliverance, telling

712
00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:01,200
them don't trust in other nations and
other gods trust in the cornerstone.

713
00:36:01,859 --> 00:36:03,270
But here he expounds further.

714
00:36:03,270 --> 00:36:04,500
And what, that's what Peter's doing here.

715
00:36:04,500 --> 00:36:08,100
He's saying, if you don't trust in the
the cornerstone, then that cornerstone

716
00:36:08,100 --> 00:36:10,049
is going to become a rock of offense.

717
00:36:10,230 --> 00:36:13,560
It's gonna become the trap and
a snare to the inhabitants of

718
00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:15,299
Jerusalem that choose to reject God.

719
00:36:16,020 --> 00:36:17,970
Peter takes that now
and applies it to Jesus.

720
00:36:18,750 --> 00:36:20,220
He says, this is about Christ.

721
00:36:20,220 --> 00:36:21,359
This is about him.

722
00:36:22,500 --> 00:36:26,040
And so as we think about those in,
in our lives that, that don't know

723
00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:30,540
Jesus, again, we are left to say there
may be some that don't know Jesus,

724
00:36:30,540 --> 00:36:32,370
that never will come to know Jesus.

725
00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:34,260
People that we love,
people that we care about.

726
00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:39,540
Some of you know those people, their
faces are in your minds right now,

727
00:36:40,710 --> 00:36:46,410
and yet the mercy of God that we don't
know who that is, allows us to pursue

728
00:36:46,410 --> 00:36:50,640
everyone as though they can choose to
put their faith and trust in Jesus.

729
00:36:52,649 --> 00:36:55,680
I said at the very beginning, the most
important decision anyone in this world

730
00:36:55,680 --> 00:36:57,270
will make is what to do with Jesus.

731
00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:00,569
And everyone in this world will
decide what to do with Jesus.

732
00:37:00,839 --> 00:37:02,730
There's no neutrality
when it comes to Christ.

733
00:37:03,420 --> 00:37:04,319
There's no middle ground.

734
00:37:05,339 --> 00:37:08,250
You are either his or you are against him.

735
00:37:09,420 --> 00:37:13,649
And so that means every time that we
share the gospel, every person that

736
00:37:13,649 --> 00:37:15,810
we share the gospel with will make
a decision one way or the other.

737
00:37:17,069 --> 00:37:21,930
Whether they reject or whether they choose
to believe, we may not be able to bring

738
00:37:21,930 --> 00:37:25,020
about that response of faith from the lost
people God has placed in our lives, but

739
00:37:25,020 --> 00:37:28,740
we can make sure they've had every chance
possible to put their trust in Jesus.

740
00:37:28,740 --> 00:37:31,350
Our final point this morning is this
double down in your pursuit of those who

741
00:37:31,350 --> 00:37:38,520
don't know Jesus, double down in your
pursuit of those who don't know Jesus, we

742
00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:44,190
can be frustrated over the fact that God
is sovereign over the state of the lost.

743
00:37:45,045 --> 00:37:47,475
And we'll waste a lot of
time frustrated over that.

744
00:37:48,825 --> 00:37:53,775
Or we can say, okay, so how has
he sovereignly seen fit to bring

745
00:37:53,775 --> 00:37:55,395
salvation to those that are lost?

746
00:37:55,995 --> 00:37:59,265
Well, Paul says in Romans 10,
how are they gonna believe?

747
00:37:59,265 --> 00:38:00,465
Unless they hear?

748
00:38:01,035 --> 00:38:01,965
How are they gonna hear?

749
00:38:01,965 --> 00:38:02,925
Unless someone preaches?

750
00:38:03,900 --> 00:38:06,165
How are they gonna preach
unless they're sent?

751
00:38:07,695 --> 00:38:10,665
Jesus said in Matthew 28, therefore.

752
00:38:11,339 --> 00:38:16,439
Go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,

753
00:38:16,439 --> 00:38:19,560
the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to obey all that I've commanded you.

754
00:38:20,399 --> 00:38:23,040
Jesus told his disciples before
his ascension in Acts one hate.

755
00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:24,299
He said this to his disciples.

756
00:38:24,299 --> 00:38:28,830
He said, you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem and Judea and Sumaria

757
00:38:28,830 --> 00:38:29,850
and to the ends of the earth.

758
00:38:31,830 --> 00:38:36,509
And so church, God is sovereign
and yet he is sovereignly

759
00:38:36,509 --> 00:38:37,799
gonna use us to bring him out.

760
00:38:37,799 --> 00:38:38,790
The salvation of the lost.

761
00:38:39,420 --> 00:38:42,600
If you think back to the moment that
you put your trust in, in, in faith,

762
00:38:42,600 --> 00:38:45,450
in Jesus Christ as your Lord and
Savior, that didn't happen in a vacuum.

763
00:38:46,895 --> 00:38:49,980
The the, it wasn't as though you were
sitting somewhere and had no outside

764
00:38:49,980 --> 00:38:53,190
influences telling you anything about the
gospel or anything about God, and all of

765
00:38:53,190 --> 00:38:54,630
a sudden you just decided, you know what?

766
00:38:55,530 --> 00:38:57,060
I think I'll give this Jesus thing a try.

767
00:38:58,230 --> 00:38:58,935
Instead, what happened?

768
00:38:58,995 --> 00:39:03,330
God sovereignly brought someone in your
life who loved you to the degree that

769
00:39:03,330 --> 00:39:06,060
they were willing to say, Hey, I wanna
have a hard conversation with you.

770
00:39:06,240 --> 00:39:07,470
You need Jesus.

771
00:39:09,134 --> 00:39:10,649
And, and that's how God works.

772
00:39:10,649 --> 00:39:14,549
That's how he sovereignly, brings
life to dead people, is he uses

773
00:39:14,549 --> 00:39:17,640
people that he's given life to, to go
out and give the message of life to

774
00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:19,350
other people that need the, the life.

775
00:39:20,339 --> 00:39:23,669
And, and so you and I can can sit here
and we can be frustrated over the fact

776
00:39:23,669 --> 00:39:27,149
that God is sovereign and, and debate
about that and get angry about that.

777
00:39:27,149 --> 00:39:28,740
Or we can say this, Hey, you know what?

778
00:39:28,740 --> 00:39:30,779
I don't know who's sovereign,
who's gonna be saved and who's not.

779
00:39:30,779 --> 00:39:32,220
So what am I gonna do?

780
00:39:32,339 --> 00:39:34,259
I'm gonna go out and tell
other people about Jesus.

781
00:39:34,634 --> 00:39:36,075
And we do that because we love him.

782
00:39:36,345 --> 00:39:38,475
We do that because we've
tasted and seen that he's good.

783
00:39:38,595 --> 00:39:41,774
We do that because we come to him
and we're built up into the church.

784
00:39:41,774 --> 00:39:45,075
We do that because we hold fast to
him because we see that deliverance

785
00:39:45,075 --> 00:39:48,315
is only to be found in him, and so we
want other people to get there too.

786
00:39:49,035 --> 00:39:51,944
I was at a dinner on, on Friday
night and they had some food out

787
00:39:52,154 --> 00:39:55,845
and uh, there was these grapes
that are called teardrop grapes.

788
00:39:55,845 --> 00:39:57,345
Have you guys ever seen teardrop grapes?

789
00:39:57,794 --> 00:39:59,924
I didn't know they were a
thing until Friday night.

790
00:40:00,194 --> 00:40:02,535
They're the least appetizing
grape you could ever imagine.

791
00:40:03,615 --> 00:40:09,765
They look like fingers or like my daughter
described one as a sausage, never looked

792
00:40:09,765 --> 00:40:12,465
at a grape and thought, you know what
I, I wish it looked like a sausage.

793
00:40:12,645 --> 00:40:15,225
I've never looked at a sausage and
thought, I hope this tastes like a grape.

794
00:40:17,265 --> 00:40:18,345
And yet, there they are.

795
00:40:18,345 --> 00:40:19,365
And there they were.

796
00:40:19,455 --> 00:40:24,495
And my daughter was intent on getting
me to eat one of these teardrop grapes.

797
00:40:25,245 --> 00:40:28,395
She kept putting it in my
face over and over again.

798
00:40:28,935 --> 00:40:30,765
I was like, honor your father right now.

799
00:40:30,765 --> 00:40:31,455
No, I don't.

800
00:40:31,605 --> 00:40:32,475
I don't want that.

801
00:40:33,839 --> 00:40:36,720
But she, she was doing it because
she, she had tasted and seen that the

802
00:40:36,720 --> 00:40:37,950
grape was good, I guess, I don't know.

803
00:40:37,950 --> 00:40:38,910
I ne I didn't give in.

804
00:40:38,910 --> 00:40:41,009
I was like, no, I'm, I'm
stubborn enough not to.

805
00:40:42,240 --> 00:40:45,029
But she had tasted and seen that this
grape was good and, and so she wanted

806
00:40:45,029 --> 00:40:47,279
me to have that same experience.

807
00:40:47,279 --> 00:40:47,430
Why?

808
00:40:47,430 --> 00:40:48,390
Because she loves her dad.

809
00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:52,920
And how much more should we
want people to, to follow Jesus?

810
00:40:54,509 --> 00:40:58,560
And, and again, let, let's not just
be mad because God's sovereign here.

811
00:40:58,560 --> 00:40:59,339
Here's the other thing, y'all.

812
00:41:01,335 --> 00:41:03,225
If, if you're sitting out there and
you're discouraged because you're like,

813
00:41:03,405 --> 00:41:05,835
ah, they've already rejected the gospel.

814
00:41:06,165 --> 00:41:07,185
When I share the gospel to them,

815
00:41:09,705 --> 00:41:12,795
they, you should expect that
probably more often than not.

816
00:41:13,845 --> 00:41:14,265
Why?

817
00:41:14,775 --> 00:41:18,735
Because the gospel is inherently
offensive in its content, right?

818
00:41:18,735 --> 00:41:19,935
Not, not in its delivery.

819
00:41:19,995 --> 00:41:23,175
If we're offending people on how we're
sharing the gospel, that's on us.

820
00:41:23,250 --> 00:41:25,530
The content's inherently offensive.

821
00:41:25,590 --> 00:41:26,040
Think about it.

822
00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:30,330
You're telling people you're a sinner
and, uh, you're under the wrath of

823
00:41:30,330 --> 00:41:31,950
God and, and hell is in front of you.

824
00:41:31,980 --> 00:41:33,090
Now, you're not gonna say it that way.

825
00:41:33,095 --> 00:41:33,960
I, I, I get that.

826
00:41:34,500 --> 00:41:36,090
But that's the gist of
what you're communicating.

827
00:41:36,690 --> 00:41:40,080
You're also communicating to people
that who have lost loved ones

828
00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:43,020
that never came to faith, that
their loved ones are now in hell.

829
00:41:44,340 --> 00:41:47,490
And you're telling people that
the gods that they've been

830
00:41:47,490 --> 00:41:49,445
following are faults and powerless.

831
00:41:50,925 --> 00:41:53,205
And you're telling people that
they need to repent from the

832
00:41:53,205 --> 00:41:56,385
world's system and submit to the
Lordship of Christ with their life.

833
00:41:58,515 --> 00:42:01,695
That's why we should expect the majority
of time that we share the gospel.

834
00:42:01,770 --> 00:42:04,365
The, the shocking thing is
when somebody says, sign me up,

835
00:42:06,555 --> 00:42:07,965
that's when God has done a work.

836
00:42:08,805 --> 00:42:12,075
And so y'all, if you're discouraged
out there because somebody, people

837
00:42:12,075 --> 00:42:15,015
have rejected the gospel, the
answer is not to change the gospel.

838
00:42:16,275 --> 00:42:17,475
It's not to compromise.

839
00:42:17,625 --> 00:42:19,365
It's not to alter or tamper the message.

840
00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:24,330
The answer is to say, okay,
let's get on our knees.

841
00:42:24,330 --> 00:42:27,150
Let's be praying, let's be going
again, and, and looking for every

842
00:42:27,150 --> 00:42:30,420
opportunity to go back and, and
get the gospel before them again.

843
00:42:31,410 --> 00:42:31,920
Keep at it.

844
00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:36,300
Y'all think about your own testimony,
and you'll talk about this in, in

845
00:42:36,300 --> 00:42:37,590
your community groups this week.

846
00:42:37,620 --> 00:42:39,510
How many times does someone
have to share the gospel with

847
00:42:39,510 --> 00:42:40,440
you before you find the Got it.

848
00:42:42,090 --> 00:42:46,170
I know for me, I, I grew up in
the church and I didn't get saved

849
00:42:46,170 --> 00:42:48,210
until I was a junior going into
my senior year of high school.

850
00:42:49,154 --> 00:42:50,924
How many countless times
did I hear the gospel?

851
00:42:51,075 --> 00:42:55,214
How many countless times was I stubborn
before God finally broke through with me?

852
00:42:56,174 --> 00:42:59,384
And so if you're sharing the gospel
with somebody and, and they say no,

853
00:42:59,384 --> 00:43:02,685
or they reject it, it doesn't mean
the gospel failed or you failed.

854
00:43:02,685 --> 00:43:04,845
It may mean that they're gonna say
yes the next time they hear it.

855
00:43:06,075 --> 00:43:08,024
And maybe it's not gonna be you who
shares it with them, but somebody

856
00:43:08,024 --> 00:43:08,865
else will share it with them.

857
00:43:10,185 --> 00:43:11,384
But don't grow discouraged.

858
00:43:11,384 --> 00:43:15,134
Don't write them off because
they said no thanks, and I'm,

859
00:43:15,134 --> 00:43:16,095
I'm not interested in that.

860
00:43:17,144 --> 00:43:17,924
Don't give up.

861
00:43:19,319 --> 00:43:20,279
Don't abandon hope.

862
00:43:21,149 --> 00:43:21,569
Why?

863
00:43:21,689 --> 00:43:23,459
Because what does Paul
write in Romans one 16?

864
00:43:24,779 --> 00:43:27,180
I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

865
00:43:27,660 --> 00:43:29,370
For it is the power of God.

866
00:43:29,399 --> 00:43:33,390
It is the power of God for salvation
to everyone who believes to the

867
00:43:33,390 --> 00:43:34,890
Jew first and also to the Greek.

868
00:43:34,890 --> 00:43:35,069
Why?

869
00:43:35,069 --> 00:43:36,209
Because he's the cornerstone.

870
00:43:37,019 --> 00:43:39,240
And if we put our trust in him,
we will not be put to shame.

871
00:43:40,799 --> 00:43:43,950
And so we want as many people to put
their trust in him as the cornerstone

872
00:43:44,249 --> 00:43:45,839
rather than to stumble over him.

873
00:43:46,815 --> 00:43:48,435
As the stone of offense and judgment.

874
00:43:49,605 --> 00:43:51,255
So keep putting the gospel out there.

875
00:43:51,255 --> 00:43:52,275
Keep sharing Christ.

876
00:43:52,275 --> 00:43:55,695
Keep living a life that causes people to
say, why are you so hopeful and joyful?

877
00:43:57,375 --> 00:43:58,155
Keep praying.

878
00:43:58,425 --> 00:43:59,535
Praying and praying.

879
00:44:00,615 --> 00:44:04,095
Christ is our cornerstone for
every person who's ever lived.

880
00:44:04,095 --> 00:44:05,985
The question will be, what
did you do with Jesus?

881
00:44:06,645 --> 00:44:08,805
It's the most important
decision anyone ever makes.

882
00:44:09,495 --> 00:44:11,565
What to do with Jesus?

883
00:44:12,465 --> 00:44:13,815
That's what everything comes down to.

884
00:44:15,030 --> 00:44:18,660
And the most significant part of that is
what we are about to observe together, and

885
00:44:18,660 --> 00:44:20,820
that is what do we do with Jesus' death?

886
00:44:21,900 --> 00:44:27,120
See, Jesus had to die for our
sins and in dying for our sins.

887
00:44:27,150 --> 00:44:30,930
He died for our sins because there was
no other way for us to be forgiven.

888
00:44:31,350 --> 00:44:33,750
We talked about being brought
into the family of God, brought

889
00:44:33,750 --> 00:44:34,950
into the household of God.

890
00:44:35,190 --> 00:44:38,460
There's no access into the household
of God other than through the cross.

891
00:44:40,185 --> 00:44:42,165
We can't be good enough people.

892
00:44:42,165 --> 00:44:43,635
We can't show up at church enough.

893
00:44:43,635 --> 00:44:46,185
We can't clean ourselves up,
clean ourselves up enough.

894
00:44:46,185 --> 00:44:51,285
We can't stop sinning enough for God then
to say, okay, come on into the church.

895
00:44:52,755 --> 00:44:55,035
The only access point to
the church is the cross.

896
00:44:55,995 --> 00:44:58,935
The only access point to the church
is realizing I can't be good enough.

897
00:44:59,895 --> 00:45:03,465
The only access point of the church
is saying, I can't obey enough.

898
00:45:03,825 --> 00:45:05,595
I can't repent enough.

899
00:45:05,805 --> 00:45:07,485
I can't clean myself up enough.

900
00:45:08,475 --> 00:45:10,935
I need to put my trust in Jesus
in his full righteousness.

901
00:45:13,004 --> 00:45:15,075
The cross is the most important
decision that we make.

902
00:45:15,075 --> 00:45:18,285
This is the beginning of us
coming to Jesus that launches us

903
00:45:18,285 --> 00:45:19,785
into a life of coming to Jesus.

904
00:45:19,964 --> 00:45:21,975
And so this is what we
are about to remember.

905
00:45:22,125 --> 00:45:24,765
But I do wanna provide a couple
of warnings for first before the

906
00:45:24,765 --> 00:45:28,845
elements are passed, and that is this
three Cs, if I can put it that way

907
00:45:29,564 --> 00:45:33,794
First, beware with the passing of
the elements of a lack of conversion.

908
00:45:35,310 --> 00:45:35,910
Communion.

909
00:45:35,910 --> 00:45:40,200
What we're doing together right now
is for Christians, and so if you're

910
00:45:40,200 --> 00:45:43,320
here this morning and you're an
unbeliever, we're glad that you're here,

911
00:45:43,320 --> 00:45:44,670
but please let these elements pass.

912
00:45:44,670 --> 00:45:47,220
The Bible talks about drinking
judgment and eating judgment upon

913
00:45:47,220 --> 00:45:49,620
ourselves when we take the Lord's
Supper in an unworthy manner.

914
00:45:50,460 --> 00:45:53,730
So this is for Christians, so make sure
that you have examined your heart, that

915
00:45:53,730 --> 00:45:56,790
you are confident in your standing before
the Lord, before you take these elements.

916
00:45:57,180 --> 00:45:59,940
The second is beware of
a lack of confession.

917
00:46:01,395 --> 00:46:02,234
A lack of confession.

918
00:46:02,234 --> 00:46:06,375
This is the time for us to remember
why the cross is the cross, because

919
00:46:06,375 --> 00:46:10,455
this is, uh, the, the good news that we
as Christians can come before him and

920
00:46:10,455 --> 00:46:13,275
confess our sins before him, and know
that our sins have been forgiven, our

921
00:46:13,275 --> 00:46:14,654
sins have been paid for at the cross.

922
00:46:16,125 --> 00:46:21,464
And then the third is the lack of
concentration to beware not just to go

923
00:46:21,464 --> 00:46:26,265
through the motions here, not just to,
to go through this flippantly, distantly,

924
00:46:26,265 --> 00:46:29,115
not thinking about what we're doing
and the significance of these elements.

925
00:46:30,435 --> 00:46:35,174
The elements that are passed in just
a, it's a little wafer and it's a

926
00:46:35,174 --> 00:46:38,805
cup of, of grape juice, and that's
all it will ever be this morning.

927
00:46:39,794 --> 00:46:40,845
Nothing changes about it.

928
00:46:41,624 --> 00:46:45,374
It's just a wafer of, of matsa
bread from Kroger and a cup of grape

929
00:46:45,374 --> 00:46:47,834
juice from, I guess Kroger too.

930
00:46:50,414 --> 00:46:52,935
This isn't about these becoming
something magical or mystical.

931
00:46:54,164 --> 00:46:58,330
What it is, is it's about us looking at
them and remembering what they stand for.

932
00:46:59,610 --> 00:47:01,980
Which is that Jesus Christ died on
the cross for our sins so that we

933
00:47:01,980 --> 00:47:05,550
can be forgiven, so that we can come
in as part of the family of God.

934
00:47:06,090 --> 00:47:08,700
So the elements will be
passed, musical play.

935
00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:11,100
I'll come back up and we'll take
these together in just a moment.

936
00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:18,060
Normally hear me at this point, just jump
straight into, um, Paul's instructions,

937
00:47:18,060 --> 00:47:19,440
what I receive from the Lord.

938
00:47:19,440 --> 00:47:23,250
I also delivered to you, but in light
of the context of our message, I wanna

939
00:47:23,250 --> 00:47:26,280
back up and just set the context of.

940
00:47:26,819 --> 00:47:28,560
The Lord's Supper here in one Corinthians.

941
00:47:29,940 --> 00:47:31,890
Paul's writing it at the church in
Corinth, and he says this, but in the

942
00:47:31,890 --> 00:47:37,049
following instructions, I do not commend
you because when you come together, it's

943
00:47:37,049 --> 00:47:38,400
not for the better, but for the worse.

944
00:47:39,359 --> 00:47:43,710
For in the first place, when you come
together as a church, I hear that there

945
00:47:43,710 --> 00:47:47,730
are divisions among you and I believe
it in part for there must be factions

946
00:47:47,730 --> 00:47:50,460
among you in order that those who are
genuine among you may be recognized.

947
00:47:51,299 --> 00:47:53,460
When you come together,
it's the third time there.

948
00:47:54,359 --> 00:47:56,190
It is not the Lord's supper that you eat.

949
00:47:56,790 --> 00:47:59,760
For an eating, each one goes
ahead with his own meal.

950
00:48:00,330 --> 00:48:02,220
One goes hungry, another gets drunk.

951
00:48:02,670 --> 00:48:06,090
What do you not have houses
to eat in and drink in?

952
00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:09,990
Or do you despise the Church of God
and humiliate those who have nothing?

953
00:48:10,650 --> 00:48:11,550
What shall I say to you?

954
00:48:11,550 --> 00:48:12,870
Shall I commend you for this?

955
00:48:12,870 --> 00:48:14,970
No, I will not.

956
00:48:16,590 --> 00:48:19,410
And then he says, for I receive
from the Lord what I also delivered.

957
00:48:19,920 --> 00:48:24,180
So notice the context is that
communion is meant to be the community.

958
00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:30,240
The church coming together, we
again don't, we don't baptize in

959
00:48:30,240 --> 00:48:32,970
our backyard and we don't take
communion at our kitchen table.

960
00:48:34,890 --> 00:48:39,779
The design is the church coming together
to remember the significance of the

961
00:48:39,779 --> 00:48:41,700
death of Christ and what it has done.

962
00:48:43,140 --> 00:48:46,470
The living stone, when he was
rejected by men, enabled us to now

963
00:48:46,470 --> 00:48:49,049
be living stones who are being built
together into a spiritual house.

964
00:48:50,550 --> 00:48:54,420
And so we gather here as a testimony of
the manifold wisdom of God on display

965
00:48:55,170 --> 00:48:57,390
through all of us being gathered here
this morning for the same purpose, to

966
00:48:57,390 --> 00:48:59,340
worship the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

967
00:49:00,390 --> 00:49:02,910
And that's why Paul goes on and says
this, for I received from the Lord

968
00:49:02,910 --> 00:49:05,460
what I also delivered to you, that the
Lord Jesus on the night when he was

969
00:49:05,460 --> 00:49:09,180
betrayed, took bread and when he had
given thanks, he broke it and said,

970
00:49:09,180 --> 00:49:11,100
this is my body, which is for you.

971
00:49:11,610 --> 00:49:12,960
Do this in remembrance of me.

972
00:49:13,290 --> 00:49:13,950
Let's eat together.

973
00:49:23,250 --> 00:49:23,940
In the same way.

974
00:49:24,240 --> 00:49:28,680
Also, he took the cup after supper saying,
this cup is the new covenant in my blood.

975
00:49:29,160 --> 00:49:31,965
Do this as often as you drink
it in remembrance of me.

976
00:49:39,600 --> 00:49:42,720
For as often as you eat this bread
and drink the cup, you proclaim

977
00:49:42,720 --> 00:49:44,460
the Lord's death until he comes.

978
00:49:45,194 --> 00:49:48,015
And that's what we're here to do,
church to gather together week in and

979
00:49:48,015 --> 00:49:53,055
week out, to proclaim the Lord's death
and his resurrection until he returns.

980
00:49:53,234 --> 00:49:54,015
Let's pray together.

981
00:49:55,095 --> 00:49:58,424
Father God, we thank you immensely
for the gift of the church.

982
00:49:58,815 --> 00:50:02,115
We thank you for your kindness and
saving us in bringing us into a family.

983
00:50:02,535 --> 00:50:05,894
A family of brothers and sisters who
love each other as we've been called

984
00:50:05,894 --> 00:50:09,044
to, even as we heard a couple of weeks
ago, as such a natural byproduct of

985
00:50:09,044 --> 00:50:12,914
the gospel that we would love one
another earnestly from pure hearts.

986
00:50:13,575 --> 00:50:15,765
God, I pray that you would
knit us together as a church.

987
00:50:15,765 --> 00:50:18,555
I pray for our church to be
guarded against and and protected

988
00:50:18,555 --> 00:50:20,294
against division divisiveness.

989
00:50:20,834 --> 00:50:23,294
Lord, I pray that this would never become
a church that's about a personality,

990
00:50:23,654 --> 00:50:26,714
that's about a brand, that's about a
kingdom other than the kingdom of Jesus.

991
00:50:27,165 --> 00:50:30,705
And so God make us a body of believers
who love gathering together, who love

992
00:50:30,705 --> 00:50:34,815
celebrating the victory of Christ every
single Sunday, who love coming together

993
00:50:34,815 --> 00:50:37,965
and testifying to the, the watching
spiritual forces that are out there.

994
00:50:37,965 --> 00:50:40,155
The, the, the elect and also the unelect.

995
00:50:40,155 --> 00:50:43,545
Also, those that are, are opposed
to you that look at the church

996
00:50:43,545 --> 00:50:45,075
and, and hate what we stand for.

997
00:50:45,075 --> 00:50:47,805
Because what we stand for is their
certain doom, because the certain

998
00:50:47,805 --> 00:50:49,935
victory of our Lord and Savior Lord.

999
00:50:49,935 --> 00:50:52,215
In the meantime, we're here to
declare that every single week

1000
00:50:52,215 --> 00:50:53,060
until you come back for your bride.

1001
00:50:53,940 --> 00:50:56,490
For the ultimate celebration of being
with you, the wedding supper of the

1002
00:50:56,490 --> 00:50:59,700
lamb, and then stepping into eternity
with you, Lord, how sweet that will be.

1003
00:51:00,120 --> 00:51:01,260
In the meantime, here we are.

1004
00:51:01,350 --> 00:51:03,990
I pray that we'd be found faithful,
Lord, that we would love your

1005
00:51:03,990 --> 00:51:08,070
bride as you've called us to, and
we pray this all in Jesus' name.

1006
00:51:08,250 --> 00:51:08,670
Amen.