Podcasts about besides jesus

This week, we kicked off our Devoted series, studying the life of David. Why Devoted? Our first-quarter theme in 2025 is focused on Becoming a Dangerous Friend. We see a DEVOTED trendline in David's life. Besides Jesus, David was one of the most Dangerous Friends in Scripture. This series will take us through David's life and challenge us to walk similar paths. Now, we pick up the story before David was somebody. Website: www.experienceredemption.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/experienceredemption Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/experienceredemption

Besides Jesus, who is your favourite Bible character?  We meet so many great and wonderful people in the Bible that deciding on a favourite can be difficult.  And one of the truths about almost all of them is that they were not perfect. Most were far from perfect.  Today we look at one of my favourites, a man who was flawed and failed miserably, yet he was a great man whom Jesus called a friend.We would love to hear your comments. Send us a Text MessageSupport the show

Today is week 4 of our series called Supreme, where, over the next several weeks, we are going to be walking through the book of Colossians together in the hopes of discovering the various truths of Paul's writing in regard to the supremacy of Jesus Christ and how that relates to the life of the believer and how God is moving in His church today.

I was thinking the other day that the manger that Jesus was laid in was dirty compared to our standards today. It is estimated that Jesus was most likely born in March or April. We are not entirely sure what kind of room he was born in, but the fact that there was a manger (feeding trough) gives us some idea that it was where the animals were kept. So, what was in the stable Jesus was most likely born in? If there were donkeys, cattle, sheep, or chickens, there was also the smell of manure and urine, cattle-biting lice, a whole bunch of annoying species of flies common in the middle east known as the Bazaar Rly (known to spread trachoma an irritating eye disease). Do not forget the common Stable Fly that would have been feeding on the blood of the livestock surrounding Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. By the way the Stable Flies Mary and Joseph shooed away from Jesus may have carried anthrax. My guess is, there were most likely rats and mice along with all the diseases they carry. The manger was a feeding trough and before they prepared it to lay Jesus in, there was no Clorox to disinfect it from it being used for animals to eat from, drool into, and maybe even sneeze out an occasional maggot that crawled up into the snouts of certain animals to live in their throats. I am sure Joseph did his best to clean out the manger, but then you have the bedding to consider, which would have been straw infested with straw itch mites. So the first group of people invited to see the Christ-Child are dirty shepherds? My point is simply this: The One born King of the Jews made His grand entrance into our world through the mess of a stable. But why that way? It was of Jesus that the ancient prophets declared: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. (Isa. 7:14) For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6) But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity. (Mic. 5:2) Why a stable? Before I answer that question, I want us to reflect on Hebrews 1:1-3 briefly. In only three verses, we are given nine reasons for why there is a good reason for the shepherds, a stable, and a manger. Jesus is the Only Way to Know God. The best and greatest revelation of who God is according to the author of Hebrews, is Jesus. According to the prophet Micah, Jesus did not become the Son of God at Marys miraculous conception as a virgin or at His birth; no Jesus was always God the Son long before His birth, for His times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity (Mic. 5:2). What did happen when Mary was told that she would have a child, is that Jesus took on human flesh, and He did so to live a life while remaining fully divine and fully human, and the life He lived was the life we could not live for the purpose of dying a death he did not deserve on a cross for the sins of mankind. Jesus said of Himself: For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus is the heir of all things. The One laid in the manger, was and remains the heir of all things. All of creation belongs to Him; it was His from the beginning, but it is especially His now! The Bible says that all of us are sinners from the moment of conception in that we are all born sinful. When Jesus took on human flesh by way of the miraculous conception that did not include a human biological father, he was born without a nature to sin. Jesus was fully God while remaining fully human. For sinful humanity and a cursed creation to be liberated from sin, a kinsmen redeemer was needed. If a family member lost their inheritance and property for any reason, a kinsmen redeemer was needed who met three requirements: He must be related to the person who suffered lost, he must have the ability to purchase back what was lost, and he must be willing to make the sacrifice necessary to restore what was lost. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned against God, the curse of sin has been passed down from one generation to the next. The child that was laid in a manger is the kinsmen redeemer qualified to restore what was lost through Adams sin. Jesus is the Creator of the world. Jesus not only existed before His birth on the first Christmas, but we are also told that it was through Him that God made the world. The Bible says of Jesus: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authoritiesall things have been created through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16). The one who was laid in the manger, was responsible for the material that human hands used to fashion it, which also shows us that only is Jesus a qualified redeemer, but He is also an able redeemer. Jesus radiates the glory of God. Jesus does not reflect the image of God like the moon reflects the Suns light. No, Jesus radiates the glory of God like the Sun radiates light. Jesus was not created by God but is God. There was never a time when Jesus was created because there was never a time when He was not the Son. The God of the Bible is unlike any other god that people have created to worship, for the God we learn of in the Bible is Yahweh as One God in three persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. Jesus is exact representation of Gods nature. I have two sons; they share my DNA but they are not me nor are they the exact representation of me. There is a Son who shares the exact representation of Gods nature, and that Son is Jesus, for the God the Son and the God the Father are of the same divine essence; this is how Jesus is the climax of Gods revelation of Himself to lost humanity. When one of his disciples asked Jesus, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. To which Jesus answered: The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? (John 14:8-9). When Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds saw the face of Jesus, the saw the face of God. Jesus is the sustainer of creation. The mystery of the incarnation and miracle of Christmas is that the one who was laid in a manger, is the One who sustains and keeps creation, by the word of His power. What the author of Hebrews is trying to say here is that the Son of God is not only responsible for creation, but actively preserves creation! This is why Jesus could walk on water, cure diseases, raise the dead, and quiet storms with the word of His mouth. Jesus is a qualified and willing redeemer. The One who was laid in the manger was born to make purification of sins, and the way that he did it was through a cross of wood for sins we committed and are guilty of. This is why, when John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)! Hundreds of years before Christmas happened, the prophet Isaiah wrote of Jesus: But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed (Isa. 53:5). The Christ-Child was born to become a curse for us so that we could be pardoned, redeemed, and made the children of God (Gal. 3:13-14); or as the Bible states: He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus is the only one who can save. After Jesus died upon the cross for our sins for our redemption, we are told that Jesus, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high What this means is that because of who He is and why He took on human flesh, after He died, Jesus rose from the grave because how can death keep the Author of Life? After Jesus rose, He ascended to heaven, and He sat down! He sat down because his sacrifice for sin only had to be offered once and for all! This is why Jesus said of Himself: I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6). Besides Jesus, there is salvation found in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved (Acts. 4:12). Jesus is to be worshiped because of who He is. The child born on the first Christmas and laid in a dirty manger surrounded by dirty creatures, of which Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, and every other human is the dirtiest; He was born to save sinners. Of Jesus the scriptures testify: And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth (Phil. 2:810). The question for you my dear friend, is what will you do with Jesus today, on this Christmas Eve? The reality of Christmas is simply this: Jesus was really born. Jesus really did live, Jesus really did die on a Roman cross, and Jesus really did rise from the grave. J.R. Tolken, who wrote The Lord of the Rings, once said of the story of Jesus: The Gospels contain a fairy-story, or a story of a larger kind, which embraces all the essence of fairy-stories. But this story is supreme, and it is true. Art has been verified. God is the Lord, of angels, and of menand of elves. Legend and History have met and fused.[1] The reason Jesus made His grand entrance into our world through the mess of a stable is because He was born to enter into the mess of sin-cursed humanity. The message of the manger is simply this: If you were a hundred times worse than you are, your sins would be no match for His mercy.[2] Jesus came to save us! [1] J. R. R. Tolkien. On Fairy Stories, (1939). [2] Tim Keller.

I was thinking the other day that the manger that Jesus was laid in was dirty compared to our standards today. It is estimated that Jesus was most likely born in March or April. We are not entirely sure what kind of room he was born in, but the fact that there was a manger (feeding trough) gives us some idea that it was where the animals were kept. So, what was in the stable Jesus was most likely born in? If there were donkeys, cattle, sheep, or chickens, there was also the smell of manure and urine, cattle-biting lice, a whole bunch of annoying species of flies common in the middle east known as the Bazaar Rly (known to spread trachoma an irritating eye disease). Do not forget the common Stable Fly that would have been feeding on the blood of the livestock surrounding Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. By the way the Stable Flies Mary and Joseph shooed away from Jesus may have carried anthrax. My guess is, there were most likely rats and mice along with all the diseases they carry. The manger was a feeding trough and before they prepared it to lay Jesus in, there was no Clorox to disinfect it from it being used for animals to eat from, drool into, and maybe even sneeze out an occasional maggot that crawled up into the snouts of certain animals to live in their throats. I am sure Joseph did his best to clean out the manger, but then you have the bedding to consider, which would have been straw infested with straw itch mites. So the first group of people invited to see the Christ-Child are dirty shepherds? My point is simply this: The One born King of the Jews made His grand entrance into our world through the mess of a stable. But why that way? It was of Jesus that the ancient prophets declared: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. (Isa. 7:14) For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6) But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His times of coming forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity. (Mic. 5:2) Why a stable? Before I answer that question, I want us to reflect on Hebrews 1:1-3 briefly. In only three verses, we are given nine reasons for why there is a good reason for the shepherds, a stable, and a manger. Jesus is the Only Way to Know God. The best and greatest revelation of who God is according to the author of Hebrews, is Jesus. According to the prophet Micah, Jesus did not become the Son of God at Marys miraculous conception as a virgin or at His birth; no Jesus was always God the Son long before His birth, for His times of coming forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity (Mic. 5:2). What did happen when Mary was told that she would have a child, is that Jesus took on human flesh, and He did so to live a life while remaining fully divine and fully human, and the life He lived was the life we could not live for the purpose of dying a death he did not deserve on a cross for the sins of mankind. Jesus said of Himself: For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus is the heir of all things. The One laid in the manger, was and remains the heir of all things. All of creation belongs to Him; it was His from the beginning, but it is especially His now! The Bible says that all of us are sinners from the moment of conception in that we are all born sinful. When Jesus took on human flesh by way of the miraculous conception that did not include a human biological father, he was born without a nature to sin. Jesus was fully God while remaining fully human. For sinful humanity and a cursed creation to be liberated from sin, a kinsmen redeemer was needed. If a family member lost their inheritance and property for any reason, a kinsmen redeemer was needed who met three requirements: He must be related to the person who suffered lost, he must have the ability to purchase back what was lost, and he must be willing to make the sacrifice necessary to restore what was lost. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned against God, the curse of sin has been passed down from one generation to the next. The child that was laid in a manger is the kinsmen redeemer qualified to restore what was lost through Adams sin. Jesus is the Creator of the world. Jesus not only existed before His birth on the first Christmas, but we are also told that it was through Him that God made the world. The Bible says of Jesus: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authoritiesall things have been created through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16). The one who was laid in the manger, was responsible for the material that human hands used to fashion it, which also shows us that only is Jesus a qualified redeemer, but He is also an able redeemer. Jesus radiates the glory of God. Jesus does not reflect the image of God like the moon reflects the Suns light. No, Jesus radiates the glory of God like the Sun radiates light. Jesus was not created by God but is God. There was never a time when Jesus was created because there was never a time when He was not the Son. The God of the Bible is unlike any other god that people have created to worship, for the God we learn of in the Bible is Yahweh as One God in three persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. Jesus is exact representation of Gods nature. I have two sons; they share my DNA but they are not me nor are they the exact representation of me. There is a Son who shares the exact representation of Gods nature, and that Son is Jesus, for the God the Son and the God the Father are of the same divine essence; this is how Jesus is the climax of Gods revelation of Himself to lost humanity. When one of his disciples asked Jesus, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. To which Jesus answered: The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? (John 14:8-9). When Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds saw the face of Jesus, the saw the face of God. Jesus is the sustainer of creation. The mystery of the incarnation and miracle of Christmas is that the one who was laid in a manger, is the One who sustains and keeps creation, by the word of His power. What the author of Hebrews is trying to say here is that the Son of God is not only responsible for creation, but actively preserves creation! This is why Jesus could walk on water, cure diseases, raise the dead, and quiet storms with the word of His mouth. Jesus is a qualified and willing redeemer. The One who was laid in the manger was born to make purification of sins, and the way that he did it was through a cross of wood for sins we committed and are guilty of. This is why, when John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)! Hundreds of years before Christmas happened, the prophet Isaiah wrote of Jesus: But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed (Isa. 53:5). The Christ-Child was born to become a curse for us so that we could be pardoned, redeemed, and made the children of God (Gal. 3:13-14); or as the Bible states: He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus is the only one who can save. After Jesus died upon the cross for our sins for our redemption, we are told that Jesus, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high What this means is that because of who He is and why He took on human flesh, after He died, Jesus rose from the grave because how can death keep the Author of Life? After Jesus rose, He ascended to heaven, and He sat down! He sat down because his sacrifice for sin only had to be offered once and for all! This is why Jesus said of Himself: I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6). Besides Jesus, there is salvation found in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved (Acts. 4:12). Jesus is to be worshiped because of who He is. The child born on the first Christmas and laid in a dirty manger surrounded by dirty creatures, of which Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, and every other human is the dirtiest; He was born to save sinners. Of Jesus the scriptures testify: And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth (Phil. 2:810). The question for you my dear friend, is what will you do with Jesus today, on this Christmas Eve? The reality of Christmas is simply this: Jesus was really born. Jesus really did live, Jesus really did die on a Roman cross, and Jesus really did rise from the grave. J.R. Tolken, who wrote The Lord of the Rings, once said of the story of Jesus: The Gospels contain a fairy-story, or a story of a larger kind, which embraces all the essence of fairy-stories. But this story is supreme, and it is true. Art has been verified. God is the Lord, of angels, and of menand of elves. Legend and History have met and fused.[1] The reason Jesus made His grand entrance into our world through the mess of a stable is because He was born to enter into the mess of sin-cursed humanity. The message of the manger is simply this: If you were a hundred times worse than you are, your sins would be no match for His mercy.[2] Jesus came to save us! [1] J. R. R. Tolkien. On Fairy Stories, (1939). [2] Tim Keller.

Besides Jesus, Mary is the probably the greatest hero in the Bible. After all, through her we were given the gift of God's only Son. So it's about time we did an entire sermon series on the life of Mary. So throughout this Christmas season and beyond, Pastor Jeff will lead us through a new sermon series called “From the Cradle to the Grave: Lessons from the Life of Mary.” We'll begin this Sunday with a careful study of the only passage in the Bible where Mary speaks extensively in the first person. In her words, we will discover the secret to her greatness.

Besides Jesus, King David was one of the most prominent people in the Bible. The Bible says that God personally sought after David and describes him as a “Man after God's own heart.”David was special to God. Why? What is God trying to teach us through the life of David?Check out the message “Rebuild the Ruins of Worship” to learn the qualities of David and how we can apply them to our everyday lives.

“Ameri-kaiju” concludes not with a chronological finale but a popular finale: the modern cinematic classic Jurassic Park. Bex from Redeemed Otaku (yes, the real Bex—she was tested!) joins Nate to not talk about Mothra or something girly for once—but it does involve kids! Besides Jesus and Sailor Moon, JP is her favorite thing in the world. What more can be said about the film that hasn't already been said? It's an iconic and revolutionary masterpiece directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the popular Michael Crichton novel. While it's debatable if the dinosaurs in it are “kaiju” (see the infamous Kaiju Weekly episode for more on that), it had a profound impact on world cinema, including the kaiju genre. Obviously, the Toku Topic is the science in the film, which Nate says has been studied extensively by Monster Island scientists. Afterward, with evidence collected, Nate and H.E.A.T. march into the Boardroom and confront Cameron Winter on all his shady dealings on the Island—but first they must get past the Space Beastman…and Winter's contingency plans!     Guest Cast Dani Cruz as Monique Dupre J. “Jack” Hudgens as Cameron Winter Rebecca Hudgens as Elsie Chapman Damon Noyes as Mendel Craven Andres Perez as Randy Hernandez R. Villers as Nick Tatopoulos This episode's epilogue, “American Made,” was written by Nathan Marchand. Additional music: “Pacific Rim” by Niall Stenson “Chant My Name!” by Masaaki Endo “Godzilla The Series Metal cover” by NINE ART (Link: https://youtu.be/E-5G85hnepU?si=_LKXzpqT4C4gxPKk) “The Edge Calls Me” by MkVaff Sound effects sourced from Freesound.org. Check out Nathan's spinoff podcasts, The Henshin Men and The Power Trip. We'd like to give a shout-out to our MIFV MAX patrons Travis Alexander; Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Eli Harris (elizilla13); Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio); Bex from Redeemed Otaku; Damon Noyes, The Cel Cast, TofuFury, Eric Anderson of Nerd Chapel, Ted Williams, Wynja the Ninja, Brad “Batman” Eddleman, Christopher Riner, The Indiscrite One, Jake Hambrick, Edwin Gonzalez, Matt Walsh (but not that Matt Walsh), and Jonathan Courtright! Thanks for your support! You, too, can join MIFV MAX on Patreon to get this and other perks starting at only $3 a month! (https://www.patreon.com/monsterislandfilmvault) Buy official MIFV merch on TeePublic! (https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-monster-island-gift-shop). NEW MERCH NOW AVAILABLE! This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors. Timestamps: Intro: 0:00-11:15 Entertaining Info Dump: 11:15-19:44 Toku Talk: 19:44-1:51:14 Podcast Ad: 1:51:14-1:52:31 Toku Topic:1:52:31-2:22:13 Outro: 2:22:13-2:46:58 Epilogue: 2:46:58-end Podcast Social Media: MIFV Linktree: https://linktr.ee/monsterislandfilmvault Nate's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nathan_marchand www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com #JimmyFromNASALives       #MonsterIslandFilmVault       #jurassicpark            #jurassicworld            #dinosaurs      #cloning          #science          #amerikaiju © 2023 Moonlighting Ninjas Media Bibliography/Further Reading: Baldwin, Emma "10 Key Differences Between the Jurassic Park Movie and Novel." Book Analysis, https://bookanalysis.com/michael-crichton/jurassic-park/10-key-differences-between-the-jurassic-park-movie-and-novel/. Blu-ray special features: “Return to Jurassic Park: Dawn of a New Era” “Return to Jurassic Park: Making Prehistory” “Return to Jurassic Park: The Next Step in Evolution” Archival Featurette: “The Making of Jurassic Park” Archival Featurette: “Original Featurette on the Making of the Film” Archival Featurette: “Hurricane in Kauai Featurette” Coletti, Amanda. Down to a Science. “Decoding Dinosaur Genetics in Jurassic Park: The Science Behind Science Fiction.” https://ctsciencecenter.org/blog/decoding-dinosaur-genetics-in-jurassic-parkthe-science-behind-science-fiction/. “Could We Ever Make a Dinosaur from DNA Like in Jurassic World?” YouTube. Uploaded by Science Unbound. https://youtu.be/TTKcSoQpFaE?si=JRzYwKQfkuwMsqtn. Criswell, Daniel. “How Soon Will Jurassic Park Open?” Impact #396. June 2016. “Jurassic Park.” IMDb. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/) “Jurassic Park (film).” Wikipedia. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurassic_Park_(film)) Koboldt, Dan. “The Science of Jurassic Park.” Dan Koboldt (blog). 7 Aug 2014. http://dankoboldt.com/science-of-jurassic-park/. Schweitzer, Mary and Tracy Staedter. “The Real Jurassic Park.” Earth. June 1997. Tenreyro, Tatiana. “There's A "Real Jurassic Park" & Yes, You Can Actually Visit.” Bustle. 21 June 2018. https://www.bustle.com/p/is-isla-nublar-from-jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom-real-the-island-is-home-to-the-movies-biggest-action-9421203. Wilhelm, Daley. “The Science Behind Jurassic Park Explained.” Looper. 21 Aug 2019. https://www.looper.com/163131/the-science-behind-jurassic-park-explained/.

My guest, author Jennifer Eikenhorst knows a depth of sorrow, I pray I never know. She knows the reality of causing someone's accidental death. She's been on a healing journey ever since that fateful day in October of 2014. A journey that has spanned the full gamut of human suffering as she struggled and grappled with trying to make sense of what she used to know and who she used to be tangled with the reality of what she's forced to know in every area of her existence. She's recently published a book about her journey titled, Left Turn: Life Unimagined. Unimagined indeed. The scope of all that this tragedy seeps into is nothing shy of every facet of her life and the lives of others. Her heart and the hearts of everyone affected have been shattered in countless ways. Jennifer takes full responsibility for the accidental death of David, a motorcyclist that she did not see after stopping at the stop sign. She has an incredibly humble posture in the position of having taken the life of another human being. Additionally, she has great compassion for those who find themselves in the same exact position as her, having accidentally caused the death of another person. I'm not quite sure why I find the topic of forgiveness so intriguing but when Jennifer and I were able to get our schedules together for this conversation I knew that she would provide us with an incredible glimpse into the heart of God and His forgiveness. And in her case, not only God's forgiveness but the hope for forgiveness from David's family, her children's forgiveness because they were in the car at the time of the accident, her husband's forgiveness whom she withdrew from him feeling unloveable and unworthy, forgiveness from her community, her church, her job not to mention having to forgive herself and that's just the tip of the iceberg. We ran out of time before we had a chance to talk about the legal process that Texas has in place and the way it added to the devastation. As we talked, the layers that were affected by David's death, boggled my mind. From the moment of impact the repercussions would be felt in both her life as well as David's life. They didn't know each other prior to that moment in the intersection and despite the fact that David did not survive the tragic accident, Jennifer will never forget him or his family and nor does she want to. I'm going to keep this intro short. I'm finding it difficult to put into words the beauty and wisdom that Jennifer has to offer because of what God has walked her through. You're going to have to hear it yourself so that you can absorb this life changing information about the heart of God. As hard as it was for Jennifer to come to grips with what had happened, she knew that this situation had to pass through God's hands and receive approval. So she had to face the fact that God in His sovereignty had allowed it. In an effort to trust Him with His purpose behind allowing it, she asked God to show her how He had prepared her for this moment and she shares the various ways that He confirmed for her that He had prepared her and that He would see her through. Part of God's redemption for Jennifer was to connect her with Jada Pinkett Smith as a guest on her show, Red Table Talk. The Red Table Talk website describes the show "where we tackle current social and cultural issues with an inter-generational perspective." (redtabletalk.com) Jennifer's time on the show gave her the opportunity to share the tragedy she was experiencing and how the God of the Holy Bible made all the difference. Jennifer mentions that the Red Table Talk show has approximately 5 million viewers and I do see where they have 11 million followers on Facebook. I can't help but think about how amazing God is in the redemption process. God has also put Jennifer in the path of people whom she randomly passes and she's able to give an encouraging word for healing as well as provide resources that can help. We talked about so many things and that's why this audio ran over my preferred 1 hour max but you will not be disappointed with the message that Jennifer has to share. As we closed I asked her the final question, was there any ONE thing she'd want to share with our listeners today. Her response echoed her compassion and empathy that you'll hear throughout the entire conversation. She didn't plead her case, you'll never hear her side step or avoid taking responsibility for the accidental death of David. Instead, she takes the posture of a surrogate of sorts and offers an apology to anyone who needs to hear, "I'm sorry" from someone like her. This conversation will give your heart courage to trust God especially when life makes no sense and ending it all sounds more appealing. Let's listen in to find out what beautiful things God spoke to Jennifer in her very dark valley. Live Loved and Thrive! @alifeofthrive.com    Connect with Jennifer: You can connect with Jennifer at accidentalhope.com  Her Podcast: Accidental Hope Podcast  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AccidentalHope Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accidentalhope/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HopeAccidental   Resource: Accidental Impacts under the Hyacinth Fellowship - a support group for those who have unintentionally caused harm to another person: https://hyacinthfellowship.org/   Bio: Jennifer Eikenhorst loves Jesus which she feels is essential in her healing and therefore she shares her beliefs freely. Her faith is the cornerstone of content for her blog and podcast. She's the wife of a multi-sport coach, Chris (who stole her heart in her senior year of high school), mom to 4 amazing kids, math teacher, blogger, podcast host (Accidental Hope), grad student, hope-seeker, and notorious over-sharer! She's also an advocate for CADIs (Causing Accidental Death or Injury). Besides Jesus and her family, she loves their golden-doodle Coda, dance fitness, making recipes her own, and Bible journaling.   Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/227d72c9f31e45efb44c8d4ba5126b08/edit  

In this bonus episode I answer a lot of practical questions that apply to both worship leaders AND worship team members. A list of the questions tackled is below. If you'd like access to coaching calls check out https://www.worshipministrytraining.com/ ---- - What do you wish you knew about worship leading when first starting? - How do you deepen your anointing as a worship leader? - Besides Jesus, what should teams be focusing on the most? - What is a role that took you out of your comfort zone? What tips would you have for someone in that position? - How do you unify the tech and worship team?

Matthew 1:1-17Rev. Erik Veerman12/11/2022 The Lineage of the Promised SaviorGiven that it's advent season, this Sunday and next Sunday we'll be considering the book of Matthew, chapter 1. You can find that on page 977 in the pew Bibles.As you are turning there, let me give you a quick background. Matthew was one of Jesus' disciples and he wrote this account of the life and ministry of Jesus. We call it the Gospel of Matthew. It's one of four testimonies about Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each was written for a different purpose and audience. The Gospel of Matthew was written to a Jewish audience. One reason we know that is there are roughly 40 direct Old Testament references. That's a lot more than the other Gospel accounts.We'll begin with the first 17 verses. Please stand.Reading of Matthew 1:1-17PrayerOnce upon a time there was a kind and beautiful girl, whose name was Cinderella… and you know the rest of the story.Or, once upon a time there was a poor widow and her son Jack… who had 5 magic beans. … and you know the rest of the story.Or how about this one: Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away… and you know the story. I can't say you know the rest of the story, because it seems to be never ending!We hear those word, “once upon a time” and we know, it's the script of fairy tales… of fables with far-fetched plots, or other fictional stories. We're transported to far-off lands, other worldly settings, wicked witches, magic bean stalks, light sabers, elves, and dwarfs.“It's the stuff of dreams” as the saying goes. There's no illusion about them. They are fun, made-up stories that stir our imagination.What a contrast to the beginning of Matthew's Gospel. Really a contrast to all of the Gospel accounts, but especially Matthew. It doesn't begin with “once upon a time.” In no way does it set the stage for some mythical tale. No, rather, Matthew begins with real people, real history. Fathers and mothers, sons and daughter. One of the underlying messages is that this is true. It is history. It's legitimate. Matthew is saying that this is not a contrived story about a fictional man. No, Jesus' birth, his life, his death, his resurrection are real events. Let me put it this way, they are the center of all of history.Now, some of you may not be familiar with many of these names. Others of you may very well know their stories. I'll touch upon some of their situations as we work through this.But I want you to put yourself in the mind of first century Jew. Imagine you are living somewhere in the Mediterranean region. You know the history of your forefathers. You've studied Moses and the prophets. You are intimately familiar with the God's promises. You've read the accounts of the judges and kings over and over. And you believe in the coming of a Messiah – a promised king.But maybe… maybe you've never heard of Jesus before. Or perhaps if you have, it's only been in passing. Something about a wise Rabi who caused a stir. Then someone gives you a scroll. It contains this Gospel account. And you begin to read it. And from the very first words, you are captivated.You see, our 21st century, non-Jewish eyes tend to gloss over when we read lists of names in the Scriptures. Am I right? …but to a faithful Jewish audience, each word and each name here is full of meaning and history. And my goal this morning is to explore some of that meaning and history and how it relates to Jesus and to us.Before we begin, though, let me try to answer a common question. What's the difference between this genealogy, and the genealogy listed in Luke chapter 3?This genealogy in Matthew chapter 1 is a genealogy of Jesus through Joseph. Joseph was Mary's husband. Mary, the mother of Jesus. Even though Joseph wasn't Jesus' father by blood, yet Joseph was considered Jesus' earthly father. And the paternal line was very important in a Jewish family, so Matthew begins there. Some call this the royal line of Jesus. It includes the formal kingly descendants leading to Joseph. That's different from Luke chapter 3. There, you will see the genealogy diverges after king David. It tracks the legal descendants down to Jesus. In other words, the first-born sons leading to Jesus versus the royal descends in Matthew. There are often multiple paths in a family tree to an ancestor. Some believe Luke gives us the maternal ancestry through Mary. That possible as well.I didn't want to leave that question unansweredBut let's get into this family tree. And to give us some structure, let's consider three points. 1. Trust the Sovereign Lord2. Believe in the Promised King3. Behold the Savior of SinnersAll of these have to do with what God is conveying in these opening verses.• Trust the sovereign Lord – God ordained it all from the beginning• Believe in the Promised King – God promised a son would be born. He would be an eternal king and a blessing to the nations.• Behold the Savior of Sinners – There's a lot of messiness in these generations and it demonstrates the kind of salvation that Jesus brings. 1. Trust the Sovereign LordSo first, trust the sovereign Lord.To the astute Jewish reader, even the opening five words had significance. It says, “The book of the genealogy.” Sound a little boring, but that phrase is very similar to the phrase used in Genesis chapter 2 verse 4. Genesis is the first book of the Bible and deals with creation. In Genesis 2:4, it reads, “These are the generations [and it continues] of the heavens and the earth when they were created.” In fact, Matthew's opening words in Greek are identical to the early Greek translation of Genesis 2:4. Matthews's readers would have known that translation. And it's not just Genesis 2:4. Genesis 5:1 also begins with the same phrase. “This is the book of the generations of Adam.”So, even though Matthew begins his genealogy with Abraham, the opening words are an allusion to the creation account. Let me put it this way: these first 17 verses summarize the history of God's people up to that point. From creation to Israel's forefathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) to the kings (David and Solomon), and to the exile, when Babylon overthrew Judah and Jerusalem.In other words, the birth of Jesus connects to all of Israel's history up to that point.And if you jump down to verse 17, it tells us that there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David… fourteen generations from David to the Babylonian exile… and fourteen generations from the exile to Christ.That number 14 is significant because it represents the number 7 times 2. The number 7 in Scripture is the number of completeness. That also goes back to creation – the seven creation days. And when you add multiples to any significant numbers, it merely emphasizes the message. 7 times 2, 7 times 2, 7 times 2. Matthew is saying, God's plan is being fulfilled in Jesus.Now, some may argue that it's not exactly 14 generation between each. For example, notice Jeconiah is listed as last in the generation before the exile (verse 11) and he's listed again as first in the generations in the exile (verse 12). Well, the reason he's included in both is that he belongs in both. He was the last generation of kings before the exile, and he was the first generation in the exile.Here's the point: Matthew is conveying that it was all planned out; It was all in God's sovereign plan from creation; it was a perfectly complete plan. Each step, each generation, worked out precisely in the way that God intended in sending his Son. That plan was established before creation, and it reached it's climax in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.What Matthew is doing is pointing us to God, to Yahweh… pointing us to the one true God, who oversees and superintends all things. Jesus' birth wasn't a reactionary decision on God's part. Rather he planned it all and he is accomplishing that plan through Jesus. For Matthew's readers and us, this is not a human invention, it's not a “once upon a time” fictional story, but rather, the very God of the universe worked in history to fulfill his plan in his perfect time.Isn't that amazing to consider? We worship a God who works everything according to his perfect plan in his perfect time. We'll see in a minute that God plan is worked out even through the struggle of sin and suffering. God is sovereign over it all. Trust the sovereign Lord.2. Believe in the Promised KingAnd that brings us to point number 2 - Believe in the Promised King. That is the second thing that these verses highlight. So, we're going from God's sovereignty in orchestrating it all, to now how God communicated his plan.You see, the coming of Jesus was not something out of the blue. No, God had been preparing his people for generation upon generation. God communicated over and over that he would send a savior. And he revealed that plan to his people.He did that in multiple ways, but one of the main ways that God communicated his plan was through promises. Scripture calls them covenants. A covenant is an agreement that God established with his people. They defined his relationship with them. You could say they are relational contracts. God's covenants with his people include future promises that God would fulfill. And God established these covenant promises through representatives. Now, the reason I'm telling you all this is look again at verse 1. “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Those words speak directly to Jesus fulfilling God's covenant promises.• Notice it doesn't just say, the genealogy of Jesus. Rather, the genealogy of Jesus Christ. The word Christ is a title. It is the word for the anointed one, or the promised one. Matthew is stating right up front that Jesus is the promised Messiah.• And add to that, Matthew calls Jesus, “son of Abraham” and “son of David” (referring to king David). The reason that's significant is that Abraham and David were two of the primary covenant representatives. Abraham was the patriarch of Israel. The father of God's people. And David was king of Israel. Not Israel's first king. That was Saul. But rather David was the king after God's own heart.And through both Abraham and David, God vowed that he would send a descendant who would fulfill his covenant promises.Earlier in the service we read parts of those covenant promises. In Genesis 12, God promised to Abraham that he not only would make Abraham's descendants a great nation, but God promised all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him. Later in Genesis, we read that a promised descendant of Abraham, would bring this great blessing.Again, that was the Covenant promise to Abraham. The Covenant promise to David was similar. We read it in 2 Samuel 7. It's that king David would have a great descendant, in his line. This king of kings would be an everlasting king. His kingdom would have no end. In several Advent and Christmas hymns, we sing of Jesse's lineage. Jesse was the father of David. You see that right there in verse 6. He's the promise of Isaiah 11. All the nations will come to the root of Jesse. Imagine, again, that you are an Israelite living in the first century. Imagine that you are reading these words for the very first time. Your whole life, you have heard of the Messiah. You've read all of the promises in the prophets. You've read of God's covenant promise to Abraham – that his descendants would be like the stars of the sky. And you've known of God's covenant promise to David, that one of his descendants would sit on an eternal throne.Put yourself in that situation. And imagine reading these words. Matthew is saying that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. He is the fulfillment of all the covenant promises. The son of Abraham, the son and David. You see, for century upon century, God's people had been waiting. They had been yearning for God to fulfill his covenant promises. And Matthew is writing to you. Matthew, a disciple of Jesus, who witnessed it all, is writing that you may believe. He wants you to know that Jesus is the one who would inaugurate the everlasting kingdom and be a blessing to all nations. He is the one. Matthew's whole book was written so that you would see and know that Jesus is the Messiah. That's why Matthew opens with that very clear declaration.And you know this, Matthew's Gospel is not just written for the physical descendants of Abraham, the Jewish people. No, God's purpose through Matthew is also for spiritual descendants of Abraham. He's calling us to believe. To know that Jesus is the promise to the nations. Jesus is the eternal king. He rules and reigns over a kingdom that will have no end. God wants you to believe in the promised King.3. Behold the Savior of SinnersSo, first Trust the Sovereign Lord – it's was all worked out in God's perfect plan and timing. Second, Believe the promised King. And now, point #3, Behold the Savior of Sinners.Over the last few decades, there's been a renewed interest in family trees. Several websites help you identify relatives and common ancestors. As of this year, the largest documented family tree has 27 million people listed. There's also a huge interest in DNA tests to better understand your heritage. You can even be connected with relatives you may not know. There's been story after story of people connected with half siblings they never knew they had. Or stories of people finding out their dad isn't their biological father. Family trees are messy. They've always been messy. When someone is drawing a family tree, there are all these symbols that indicate things like death, divorce, separation, infidelity. And the truth is, which many are finding out today, family trees can be messier than the known messiness.Well, this family tree in Matthew 1 is no different. You may be tempted to think, “well if God sent his promised Savior into the world through ordinary generation, well then each and every ancestor must have been faithful and Godly.” I mean, right? That's what we may be tempted to think.But that is far from the reality. And one of the things that this genealogy clearly displays is a need for a savior. As Jesus himself said, “I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”Some of you know the story of Judah for example. He's listed there in verses 2 and 3. Judah was one of the 12 sons of Jacob. So, Judah was one of Joseph's older brothers. Well, it says here that Judah was the father of Perez by Tamar. Tamar was actually Judah's daughter-in-law. Judah had shunned her, and so she seduced him while he was travelling. She covered her face, and he didn't recognize her. And she became pregnant. Judah, of course, was guilty himself, even more so. Judah, thinking Tamar was a prostitute. Yet Judah, Tamar, and their son Perez in the line of Christ.Or take King David, himself. Verse 6. It says, “David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah.” It's speaking of Bathsheba. David used his position to take Bathsheba. He then committed adultery with her. She became pregnant, and when that happened, David had Uriah, her husband, killed on the battlefield. Solomon was their second son. And let's talk about Solomon. He began his reign seeking wisdom from the one true God. But Solomon lost that faithful pursuit. He loved many foreign wives, and he came to love their idols and false gods. David, Bathsheba, and Solomon in the line of Christ. The list of kings itself is a telling list. It includes godly kings like Josiah, the young king who tore down all the false places of worship and who restored worship of the true God. The list also includes Hezekiah who sought the Lord and sought the Lord's protection and whom the Lord used to protect Jerusalem. But the list also includes Ahaz and Manasseh, two of the most wicked kings of Judah in Jerusalem. Devoid of any heart desire to please the Lord and serve him. No, these kings sought their own worldly power. They displayed no interest in the Scriptures or in seeking God. That ultimately led to the nation's downfall. Ahaz and Manasseh in the line of Christ.This is all reality. Difficult circumstances, sin, evil, and shame. Yet God demonstrated his faithfulness through their failures. It reveals that God works in the fallen world to accomplish salvation. The very reason that Christ came was to save sinners. Jesus own family tree demonstrates that. He entered into the miseries and sin of this life to redeem those who live in the miseries and sin of this life. Yet he was without sin. A savior of sinners. But there's a second thing that this genealogy also highlights. It demonstrates that salvation is for all. Or maybe it's better to say, salvation is offered to all. There is a diversity in this genealogy. First of all, you would expect Jesus' lineage to be exclusively Jewish. But that's not the case. Rahab, for example, verse 5, was a Canaanite… an inhabitant of Jericho. In fact, Rahab had been a harlot. A prostitute. Yet, she faithfully helped God's people. The Lord redeemed her and brought her into the family of faith. Or take Ruth, King David's great grandmother. Ruth was a Moabite. Moabites had been cut off from the blessing of God for their false worship and cursing of the children of Israel. Yet God redeemed Ruth and brought her into the family of faith.It's likely Bathsheba was a Hittite. She is referenced as the wife of Uriah the Hittite.The diversity in Jesus' lineage is also seen in the number of women referenced. For a patriarchal society, it would have been very uncommon to list so many women. And if a lineage did include women, you would expect to read of Sarah, Abraham's wife, or Rebekah, Isaac's wife, or Rachel, Jacob's wife. But no, they are not referenced, rather, Tamar and Rahab and Ruth and Bathsheba, and, of course, Mary. Besides Jesus' lineage highlighting that he is the savior of sinners, Jesus' lineage highlights that he is the savior of the world. Salvation for all peoples and all nations. As God had promised Abraham, through his lineage, all the nations of the earth would be blessed. And this family tree demonstrates God's blessing to all people.ConclusionBeloved, it is a real-life history... not just of any man, but of the promised MessiahAnd in it, may we:• Trust the Sovereign Lord• Believe in the Promised King• Behold the Savior of SinnersIn this advent season, may you wonder in awe at this savior! Amazed at his family tree… Instead of skipping down to verse 18, may you take heart in how God orchestrated it all, how God fulfilled his promise in history, and how we have been given a king and a savior. A savior of the world. May you believe in him.

Meet author Craig Mattes.  Craig is a rostered Director of Christian Outreach with the LCMS. Husband to Amy and father to Will and Reagan. Received a marketing degree from Valparaiso University. Worked in the printing business for 11 years before receiving the call from God to work for the church. Received my DCO certification from Concordia University in St. Paul. Worked for 3 congregations in the Northern Illinois District of the LCMS for over 17 years in the areas of outreach and small group ministry. Over a year ago he started my own business - Craig Mattes Services - which provides digital services (social media marketing, website design/management, graphic design, etc) for churches across the country.  Besides Jesus, Love, and Justice, you can also find my devotions and group discussion guides for "Meet Jesus", "Follow Me" and "Living Acts, Knowing Romans" on Amazon. Queens On A RollThis podcast was created to educate & inspire people about the ably different...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show

Meet author Craig Mattes.  Craig is a rostered Director of Christian Outreach with the LCMS. Husband to Amy and father to Will and Reagan. Received a marketing degree from Valparaiso University. Worked in the printing business for 11 years before receiving the call from God to work for the church. Received my DCO certification from Concordia University in St. Paul. Worked for 3 congregations in the Northern Illinois District of the LCMS for over 17 years in the areas of outreach and small group ministry. Over a year ago he started my own business - Craig Mattes Services - which provides digital services (social media marketing, website design/management, graphic design, etc) for churches across the country.  Besides Jesus, Love, and Justice, you can also find my devotions and group discussion guides for "Meet Jesus", "Follow Me" and "Living Acts, Knowing Romans" on Amazon.  Support the show

Besides Jesus, King David was one of the most prominent people in the Bible. The Bible says that God personally* sought after David and describes him as a “Man after God's own heart.” David was special to God. Why? What is God trying to teach us through the life of David?  Check out the message “Rebuild the Ruins of Worship” to learn the qualities of David and how we can apply them to our everyday lives. 

Besides Jesus, we know more about David than any other person in the Bible. He was a shepherd, poet, musician, warrior, and king. As we engage with his story of preparation, triumph, tragedy, and redemption, we will see God's grace, mercy, sovereignty, and purpose on full display. As David deals with God - but maybe more importantly as God deals with David - we will see first-hand what it means to be a person after God's own heart.

Accidents happen every day and for some, it can be a matter of life or death. Even in the darkest times, there is hope and in this episode we're talking about finding hope after causing accidental death or injury. My guest today is Jennifer Eikenhorst and she knows this all too well because she's lived it. I could tell you more but I'd rather you hear her tell her story and how God has given her a mission to spread hope after devastation. Jennifer's story made an impact on me and I know what she has to share will encourage, inspire, and challenge you so listen in while I have a chat with Jennifer Eikenhorst. Fierce Calling is on the Spark Network and the Edifi App Fierce Calling is now part of the Edifi app! To listen to this podcast and other amazing Christian podcasts, go to the Apple or Google Play stores and download the app! Favorite Quotes from the show... "Lord, if you can use this mess to help one person, send me, I'll do it...""We can either be better or bitter...""My fear of being out of God's will was greater than persecution from the world." --Jennifer Eikenhorst Connect with Jennifer! You can connect with Jennifer at accidentalhope.com and check out the Accidental Hope Podcast mentioned in the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AccidentalHope Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accidentalhope/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HopeAccidental Resource Jennifer mentions in the show: accidentalimpacts.org More about Jennifer... Jennifer Eikenhorst Jennifer Eikenhorst loves Jesus which she feels is essential in her healing and therefore she shares her beliefs freely. Her faith is the cornerstone of content for her blog and podcast. She's the wife of a multi-sport coach, Chris (who stole her heart in her senior year of high school), mom to 4 amazing kids, math teacher, blogger, podcast host (Accidental Hope), grad student, hope-seeker, and notorious over-sharer! She's also an advocate for CADIs (Causing Accidental Death or Injury). Besides Jesus and her family, she loves their golden-doodle Coda, dance fitness, making recipes her own, and Bible journaling. Accidental Hope Podcast Connect with me and if you love Fierce Calling, please leave a rating and review on Podchaser or wherever you are listening to this podcast. Thanks, friend! Following, rating, and leaving a review over at Podchaser helps others discover the show too! Do you have a podcast? I'd love to be a guest if it's the right fit for your audience. I'd also love to connect with you, so reach out to me here on my Contact Page! Check out my speaking page, grab my flyer, and let's talk about me speaking at your next women's event... I love speaking God's truth into the lives of women! Free Gifts for You... Grab one of my free downloads by scrolling down to the bottom of the page! Love & God's Perfect Peace to You! Doris

Mayra grew up in East Los Angeles, and currently lives in Pasadena, CA. She serves on the pastoral staff of Lake Avenue Church, a large congregation that has been at the same location for over 120 years. She has spent the past 18 years leading in her local community and casting vision for Kingdom-neighbor-loving. Her love for the local and global church fuels her speaking and teaching focus on issues related to leadership, race/ethnicity, gender, faith, justice, and the Church. Mayra spends lots of time mentoring and learning from younger leaders in her church and community. She serves on various local and national boards and is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). She is married to Chris and they have four children ranging in age from 7 to 29. Besides Jesus, Mayra loves her community, the challenging and sacred call of pursuing justice….and….shoes. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/situppodcast/message

From Darkness to Light, Satan to GodIn 1839, the Gospel reached, for the first time, a chain of 80 islands in the South Pacific. We know them oday as the Republic of Vanuatu. Back then, the London missionary society sent out 2 missionaries who landed on the shores one of the islands. Their hope was to share the love of Christ with the natives. However, within minutes of their arrival, they were killed and then eaten by cannibals. In the years following, other missionary endeavors went forth. On a different island, another team of missionaries arrived, but within months they were driven off.Pastor and theologian John Piper has spoken and written about the mission to these islands. He's specifically highlighted the missionary endeavors of John G Paton. You may have never heard of Paton before, but he dedicated his life to bring the Gospel to the South Pacific. In 1866, Paton and his pregnant wife arrived on yet another one of the 80 islands – the island of Aniwa. There they found practices of infanticide, widow sacrifice, and more cannibalism. The people were full of fear as expressed through their idols, their superstition, and their ancestor worship. Paton himself wrote, “Their whole worship was one of slavish fear; …they had no idea of a God of mercy or grace.” Sadly, within one year, both Paton's wife and their newborn son died of disease. He buried them next to the home he built.When we hear of the hardships, and death, and martyrdom on the mission field, some ask the question ask, “why?” What motivates someone to risk their life for the Gospel? Many missionaries in the 19th century packed their bags for the field by putting their possessions in a coffin. You see, when they said goodbye to their loved ones, they knew they would likely die of sickness or persecution and come home in that coffin.And dare I ask another related question. A theological one. A hard one. In places where the Gospel has yet to reach, will those people end up in hell? It's a difficult but necessary question. It's related. If the answer is “no,” then why would John Paton and other missionaries put everything on the line? Why would they and why should we seek out places in the world where the Gospel has yet to penetrate?Well, the apostle Paul answers that very question for us today. When I read our text this morning, I'm guessing you didn't have that on your mind. I know it's easy to gloss over things in Scripture. After all, this is the third time we've heard Paul's testimony. But every time we've heard it, Luke, the author of Acts, or Paul himself emphasized different aspect of his conversion. One new emphasis here is on Paul's mission. What God called him to do and why. Really that is captured in verses 17 and 18. God was calling Paul to bring the Gospel to the nations, that they may “turn.” That's the word used in verse 18, “turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” In fact, Paul's own conversion is a microcosm of his mission. God turned Paul from darkness to light – literally. Verse 13 “I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun.”In fact, what Paul is doing here in this chapter is following through on his mission. Next week, when we look at the conclusion of his trial, we'll see that Paul's very audience was part of his mission field.So Paul's life and calling and words all testify to his mission – from darkness to light, from Satan to God. They all answer the question for us, “why take the Gospel to the ends of the earth?” But before we get into the specifics of why, let's take a step back. There are some great and convicting things in this chapter, besides Paul's mission. There are some questions to answer, too – like what is this “kicking against the goads” thing. We'll get into all that. But first, let me remind you what had been happening. Paul was on display. We've gone from governor Felix to governor Festus. Now King Agrippa and his sister Bernice have joined Festus to hear Paul. A few days earlier, Paul had appealed to Caesar. As a Roman citizen, Paul had the right to request a trial before the Roman emperor. He appealed to that right. Paul would be taken to Rome.However, there was one problem. Festus didn't know what to write to Caesar. What charges to indicate. That's because there were none. The Jews were desperate to have Paul executed, so they made up false charges that didn't stick. Festus saw right through their fake news. He then consulted with king Agrippa. After all, Agrippa was part of the Herod dynasty, so he had Jewish roots. Maybe he could help figure out what to write to the emperor. So, Agrippa and his sister, Bernice, asked to hear from Paul directly.What did they do? They called a hearing in the great hall. The event was full of Roman pageantry. At the end of chapter 25, King Agrippa and Bernice entered the great hall with great pomp. That word “pomp” in the Greek would literally be translated fantasy. Like fantastical. It would have been something like a British Royal ceremony. You know, with formalities, and color, and flags. King Agrippa and Bernice sat in their place of honor. Governor Festus and the city counsel and leaders gathered around them. The Roman military commanders made their presence known… all of them decked out in their garb.And then Paul was brought in with chains. He's given an audience, a grand audience, a captive audience. What an opportunity. And so Paul seized the moment. Another chance to speak of the hope of Jesus.In the first few verse, notice how deferential Paul was to the king. He acknowledged him, recognized his status. Paul gave king Agrippa the honor due him. And he pleaded that that the king would “patiently listen,” verse 3.Even though the Jews weren't there, Paul knew that Agrippa and Bernice were well versed in the Jewish Scriptures. In verses 6 and 7, Paul spoke of “our fathers” and “our twelve tribes.” And then he honed in on hope to which their Jewish scriptures pointed. This time, in Paul's defense, rather than end with the hope of the resurrection, he began with it.Verse 8 alone is a gem. I'm quite sure different pastors have preached on that verse by itself. It says, “Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?” Paul's not just speaking to Agrippa, no, now he's expanded his focus… “any of you” It's like he was saying, “If God is God, if he's the creator of all things, if he's the one who gave you life and breath, if his might and powerful are infinite, then how little is your faith to think that he can't raise the dead! Stop putting God in a little box. Open your heart and mind to the wonders and amazing hope of the resurrection.”Paul then used that resurrection question to launch into his own testimony. He had opposed Jesus and his followers. But then God changed his life.If you've been with us in our journey through Acts, then you know parts the story. How Paul persecuted Christians. How he pursued them, trapped them, had them put to death. But then, How the bright light blinded Paul, how he fell to the ground, how Jesus himself appeared to him, and how he spoke to Paul. Those are the common things we've studied in Paul's testimony.But here, in this third testimony account, we're given some new information. Besides Jesus saying to Paul, “why are you persecuting me?” verse 14. Jesus said this: “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” We hadn't that before. You're probably all wondering, just what does that mean?!Well, it's a farming metaphor. When a farmer was driving his oxen, he would have a long pointed stick or steel rod. It was called a goad. And he would poke his oxen to encourage them. You know, so they would pull harder. I don't know about you, but if I was one of those oxen, I probably wouldn't like it. And so, what did the oxen often do? Well, they would try to kick the goad. Literally, they would lift a hind leg and thrust it back toward the oncoming goad. But here's the thing, what's going to happen if you try and kick a spiked metal or wooden rod? Well, your hoof or leg is going to get stabbed. It's not going to be good. It may make you even more mad, you may even try it again, which will, of course, make matters worse.When Jesus said to Paul that “It is hard for him to kick against the goad,” he was saying that Paul had been fighting God. Paul had been trying to fend off the Holy Spirit's convicting… but Paul was not going to win that battle. Are you kicking against the goads? Meaning, is the Lord prodding you? Have you been resisting him? Maybe it's an area of your life that you know needs transforming. Maybe it's resisting Jesus himself? Know that when it comes to God, you're better off submitting now than kicking even harder. Sometimes we learn that the hard way, don't we?And so Paul submitted to the Lord. This was the turning point in his life. I'm sure he carried with him all the pain that he had caused the Christians. Maybe it reminded him of God's grace or it was a constant call to humility.So Jesus blinded Paul. Told him to stop resisting. Paul's life was changed. And next, Jesus told Paul his mission - the calling that God had for him. Verses 16-23. The two other conversion accounts don't focus much on Paul's mission. To be sure, Ananias was told that Paul would testify to the Jews, and before kings, and to the gentiles. But here in Acts 26, Paul gave us more details. He told Agrippa and Festus, and the whole assembly hall, about Jesus's calling for his life.And really, when you hear about God's mission for Paul's life, you should be asking, which parts of this missions has God called me to? To be sure, Paul was a special case. God had an intended purpose for Paul as an apostle. But none of these mission emphases, here, are unique to the apostles. No, these are calls to the broader church - for you and me, both collectively and individually. So let's engage Paul's mission in light of the mission to which we are all called.If we put it in question form, God is telling Paul the “what,” the “who,” and the “why” of his mission. Let's use that for a little structure.What And let me say this, Jesus was pretty clear with Paul about all of it. He was pretty clear about the “what,” Look at verse 16. Jesus said to Paul, “rise… stand up… I have appeared to you for this purpose.” And then Jesus goes right into the “what” of Paul's mission.It's captured in two things:1.) Paul was appointed to be a “servant” and “witness.” That's in the middle of 16. In the Greek, that word servant is translated elsewhere as “minister.” In fact, in Luke chapter 1 verse 2, a very similar phrase is used, “minister” and “eyewitness”. Luke, is the same author as Acts. In Luke chapter 1, he was talking about those who served with Christ, or who experienced him. It's the same word “minister” translated “servant” in Acts 26:16. But interestingly, “eyewitness” in Luke 1 and “witness” in Acts 26 are different. In Acts 26:16 the word “witness” is the same root word for martyr – someone who believed in something so deeply, he or she was willing to give the ultimate sacrifice. In other words, Paul's whole life was now to “witness” to Jesus, whom he has now seen. Paul's mission involved being a servant minister and a life transforming witness. That's the first part of the “what” of Paul's mission.2.) And the second part of the “what” is that Paul was sent. That's the last 4 words of verse 17. “I am sending you.” That's the same word that is sometimes translated as “apostle.” It's not used in the formal sense here. Rather, it's used in the missionary sort of way. Being sent.So, to summarize the “what” of Paul's mission. His mission was to go, ministering and witnessing to Jesus. His life and words were to testify about him. That's the “what.”WhoAnd next, the “who” …or rather, “to whom” was Paul being sent.Again, Jesus was pretty clear with Paul about that! In verse 17, first Jesus says he's delivering Paul from his people, the Jews, and also delivering him from the gentiles. In other words, God will be with him and rescue him from them. Same word deliver and rescue. And then Jesus said, those are the people to whom I'm sending you. To the Jews and gentiles. Translation – the whole world. Your people, the Jews and everyone else, the non-Jews. When Jesus told Paul that he was being sent to them, Jesus was at the same time saying it wouldn't be easy. It's like this intermixing of sending and delivering. I'm sending you to them while I'm delivering you from them. We know from the other two accounts that Jesus is explicit to tell Paul that he would be persecuted.I don't think there's any missionary sent to unreached people groups, who would say the work is easy. No, it's not easy. It involves risking your life, it involves giving up the comforts, and sacrificing. Paul didn't have a home. Have you ever thought about that? No place to lay his head that he could call home. He was either on the move or like here, in chains, sleeping in a prison cell. Yet, he knew “what” Jesus had called him to (to be a witness that pointed to him), and he knew “to whom” Jesus had called him – first the Jews and then the Gentiles. Really, to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth.WhyAnd the last thing that Jesus tells Paul… the “why” of his mission. The “why” is verse 18, the whole verse. Look at it, again. “Why?” “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'” Notice, there are four parts to the “why” in verse 18• First, for those who do not know Jesus; those who have never heard of the grace of God in Christ; the tribes and peoples in the world today where the Gospel has yet to reach… they are living in darkness. That's the first part of the “why” – they are in darkness and need the light of Christ. • The second part in verse 18 is that they are under the power of Satan. The great enemy has a hold on their lives and culture. We've seen that in several cities in our journey through Acts… and we see that today. Cultures dominated by cult practices and false religions.• The third part of the “why” is that the people Paul was called to needed Jesus's forgiveness. When people come to the light of Christ, when they come to God repenting, verse 20, then they will be forgiven. • And the last part is perhaps the hardest. Jesus said “they do not have a place among those who by faith are sanctified in Christ.” In other words, they don't have a heavenly hope. They will not be in eternity with Christ. Instead, their end will be eternal separation from God. That's what verse 18 says. Plain and simple.It's the answer to the question I began with, what about the people in a remote village or remote island where the Gospel has yet to come. Can they be saved and have the hope of heaven? No, not apart from the Gospel. This “why” answer created an urgency in Paul's life, in his mission. It's the urgency that we need to have as we think about God's mission call for us today. There are people who have yet to hear about the hope of Christ.According to the Joshua Project – The Joshua Project tracks the unfinished task of Gospel missions to the world – according to them, of the 17,400 people groups in the world, 7,400 of them have little to no Gospel.Are you called? In one sense, we're all called to the same mission as Paul, but in another sense, this is a particular call to be sent. To go forth. To help reach those at the ends of the earth that still need Christ. This is not to minimize the Gospel needs all around us, our neighbors, the refugee community next door. But maybe God is calling you to go. Kids, maybe God is calling you to dedicate your life to Gospel work. To go to the remotest of villages or cultures where darkness or Satan reigns and to be part of God's kingdom work to bring light, and God, and forgiveness of sins, and the heavenly hope that only Jesus can offer.ConclusionJohn Paton wrote about those two missionaries martyred back in 1839 - John Williams and James Harris. Almost 50 years after their death, Paton wrote this: “Thus were [these islands] baptized with the blood of martyrs; and Christ thereby told the whole Christian world that he claimed these islands as His own.” And do you know what happened on island after island. The Gospel took root – the hope of Christ alone went forth. Paton, himself, persevered in the mission to which he was called on the island of Aniwa. He saw almost half the population dedicate his or her life to Christ, 3,500 lives. On another island, 79,000… yet on another, 34,000. Paton wrote they “threw away their idols, renouncing their heathen customs, avowing themselves to be worshippers of the true God” Besides proclaiming the Gospel, Paton and other missionaries translated the Bible into multiple languages, established churches, set up schools, and orphanages. Over time, these new believers would themselves send out hundreds of Bible teachers and Gospel missionaries to the other remote areas of the islands of Vanuatu.God saw fit there to fulfill an Acts 26 verse 18 Gospel transformation. God opened their eyes. He turned them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. They received forgiveness of sins and a place, an eternal place, in heaven, among those sanctified in God. John Piper wrote a few years ago that 85% of the people of Vanuatu profess Christianity today. It all started with the ultimate witness - the martyr of two faithful believers called to go to the ends of the earth.Let me bring this to a close. The apostle Paul, after speaking of the mission that Jesus gave him, next told them of his obedience to that call. “O King Agrippa,” verse 19, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” And over our concluding verses this morning, Paul shared of his ministry to the Jews and Gentiles, calling them to repentance… and in verse 23, Paul concluded with the Gospel - Christ's suffering to death and his resurrection, and Jesus's own Gospel mission, “he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” May we go forth with the same Gospel mission to the ends of the earth.

1. Based on Jesus' parable of the rich fool and his statement “life is not measured by how much you own”, how do you determine how much is enough and how much is too much? 2. What is some wisdom for handling family conflict (siblings, spouses, or parent/child)? 3. Besides Jesus, who is one of your favorite people in the Bible and why? 3 Questions is a weekly podcast from Southern Hills Baptist Church. Each week our ministers will answer three questions submitted by the congregation. Questions can be submitted at myshbc.com/contact. You can also text them to 505-258-2076 or email 3questionspodcast@myshbc.com. All questions will be kept anonymous.

In this heart transforming message, Pastor Zach Maddox shares how we can live as authentic followers of Jesus by displaying grace and discernment. Our prayer is that this message encourages you to seek God for the transformation of your heart. Nots: Theme: We live as authentic followers of Jesus by displaying grace and discernment. Life Change Goal: Our prayer is that this message encourages you to seek God for the transformation of your heart. Text: Matthew 7:1-6 (ESV) We live as authentic followers of Jesus by displaying grace. Matthew 5:7 (ESV) Matthew 6:12 (ESV) Romans 14:4 (ESV) 1 Corinthians 4:4-5 (ESV) We live as authentic followers of Jesus by dealing with our evil hearts. Romans 7:21 (ESV) Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT) Romans 6:5-14 (NLT) We live as authentic followers of Jesus through discernment. Romans 7:24-25 (NLT) In response to this message I will… I will share part of this message with... Discussion Questions: Start Talking. Find a conversation starter for your group. Who is participating in the Freedom 5k? Start Thinking. Ask a question to get your group thinking. Besides Jesus, who is your favorite person in Scripture and why? Start Sharing. Choose a couple of questions to create openness. How have you displayed grace toward others this week? How have you judged others this week? How do you personally allow God to search your heart? (i.e. Bible reading, prayers, etc…) How can we respond to people who attack us?

Does Paul's writing indicate that there may be other paths to heaven? Do we truly know the will of God in this area? Scripture: Romans 2:6-16

Do you have what it takes to be a homeschool mom? Yes! We're busting the myth that you have to do it all to be effective.   BIO Katie M. Reid has been married to Adam for almost eighteen years, and is the mother of five loud children (ages threww to fifteen). Besides Jesus and her family, cut-to-the-chase conversations and musicals are a few of her favorite things. Katie encourages others to exchange try-hard striving for hope-filled freedom through her messages, articles, songs, and resources. She is a trained bible study facilitator and author of the book, Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done.    Resources Mentioned in this Episode www.katiemreid.com Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  | Youtube   Episode 042 | Grace for the Woman Who Gets Things Done   Sacred Grounds, Sticky Floors by Jamie Amerine    “All-Done” Calendar  

The crucifixion process is gruesome.  Today there is spitting, stripping, fake homage, and hitting.But there is also a HERO of the crucifixion.  Besides Jesus, there is SIMON of Cyrene.  He's just in from N. Africa.  He's just in time for the Passover.  Probably had some trouble on the way.  Jesus is in real, physical, and practical need.  He's all blood-lossed and weary.  He starts bearing His own cross.  But then He cannot.  He is fully human and the tank is empty.  Think of this:  your salvation depends on Jesus getting to the cross successfully.  The critical moment of your DEATH depends on Jesus getting to the cross successfully.  Your payment for the debt you cannot pay of sin depends on Jesus getting to the cross successfully.  Will Jesus make it? NO.  You, me, and world history is in BIG TROUBLE.  Jesus doesn't make it to the cross.  Except for the rest of the story.  Enter:  SIMON of Cyrene.  This is an amazing story.  Share it by sharing this podcast.  Then, when we get to heaven, let's buy this guy lunch.

In episode 016 I interview Pastor Fred Gallop.⁠ ⁠ Fred is a Chaplain in the USAF who served on the Element Church pastoral team while stationed here in Cheyenne. ⁠ ⁠ In this episode, we get real and raw by diving into the conversation on race: ⁠ ⁠ Fred answers questions like, "Why do we need Black History Month?" (Black Heritage Month) ⁠ ⁠ "Do you think we've made any progress in the right direction in the past year? If so, what is that?" ⁠ ⁠ "Where do you still see we need the most work when it comes to racial justice, equality, and reconciliation?" ⁠ ⁠ "How can we as individuals, no matter the color of our skin, be a part of the solutions?"⁠ "Besides Jesus, where do you see the most hope in this conversation?" Resources Mentioned: The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby A Multitude of All Peoples by Vince L. Bantu 13th on Netflix Jude 3 Project Podcast Pass The Mic Podcast One Night In Miami - Movie ⁠

Besides Jesus, two others in the Upper Room are named by John in this account: Judas and Peter. This Sunday, we will examine the sad and tragic ways in which the two men are alike as well as the grace-filled and merciful ways in which they are...

What is greatness? What does it mean to live a great life? Besides Jesus, who has been the greatest and most influential person in your life? When you die will people say at your funeral that you were a great person?

In the spring of my senior year of college… a campus wide revival broke out.It began at a Sunday evening worship service… which normally lasted an hour. However, this particular worship service went on for over 5 hours. Student after student testified to the Lord's work in each of their lives. The word got out, and students poured into the chapel.For the next several evenings, the revival continued. In fact, they ran out of space in the chapel and moved to a church across the street… which had over 1300 seats. On one of the nights, I was late… and the only seat I could find was way up in the last row of the balcony.For hours students poured out their hearts… repentance of sins, professions of faith in Christ, re-commitments to the Gospel, dedications to serving the Lord in missions. The tears were many, the joys were wonderful, the worship in song was exuberant, Scripture was shared often, prayer exalted the savior. On one of the nights, the line to the microphone wrapping around the entire sanctuary. That night, the testimonies went on until 2:30 am. This renewal continued the next night. Not a seat was available… it was packed out with 1500 people. Interspersed with the student testimonies… a couple pastors gave Biblical instruction on repentance and temptation and faithful Gospel renewal… The final night included a dedication service for student committing themselves to bringing the Gospel to the world. The last testimony that night was given at 6:00 am.Needless to say… I've never experienced anything so powerful since. Praise the Lord for his work.But what led to that revival? Well, certainly God's Spirit was powerfully moving throughout campus. But what I didn't know at the time… this Gospel renewal was proceeded by weeks of prayer by a campus ministry, faithfully pleading to the Lord. Prayers to revive his people, and to bring about true Gospel conversions. And the Lord answered.Well, that's exactly what's happening in the second half of Acts 1. Jesus' apostles and faithful followers are praying and preparing together for an amazing outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They didn't know what was coming, but they were obedient to Jesus. Back in verse 4, he ordered them to wait in Jerusalem. Because he was going to give them the promised Holy Spirit. And in this short period of waiting… they fervently prayed and prepared for what God would do. And in this time, God blessed them with a spirit of unity. That theme runs throughout these verses.4 points this morning. By the way, I really do hope to get back to including the outline in the bulletin. We've been tight on space with these longer passages: Unified in faithful obedience Together in fervent prayer Committed to the fulfilled Scriptures Aligned in final preparationsUnified, together, committed, and aligned… all with one another… as God prepared them for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.1. Unified in faithful obedienceSo first, unified in faithful obedience.Right before verse 12, they had just witnessed this amazing thing. Jesus ascending to the heavens. Out of their sight. Their minds and hearts full of Jesus promises and his resurrection and the ascension. Everything we talked about last week. They must have been bursting with joy and anticipation. I imagine it feeling like going to Disney World or Universal Studio for the first time. You can't sleep the night before. You're overwhelmed with excitement. You can't wait. What will it be like? Can't we go now?I don't know about you, but when I get excited about something, I'm ready to go. Let's do this. Let's roll. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and then ends of the earth. I mean, why wait… when can we start?But God had other plans for them. He wanted them to wait.These verses amazingly testify to unity and obedience. Look at this list. All these personalities. Peter and John. Thomas. Besides Jesus mother, Mary, it's likely the other Mary and her sister Martha were there. And Jesus' brothers. All of them passionate about what they believed. Now, passion is not bad, of course. I mean think of all the passion that these men and women had in proclaiming the truth. But passion can easily turn into disunity. And I think especially in the church… when we're passionate about things… disagreements can turn into heated arguments. These men and women here, they had their share of disagreements! The disciples had even argued over who was the greatest. Many times we take less important things and we put them in our more important list. Instead of being gracious and loving and listening well, we push our agenda. I'm not saying there aren't important matters. We see that here right in these verses. A commitment to the Scriptures and seeking to be faithful to what God has ordained. We'll come back to those in a bit. But when little differences turn into big differences, we quickly devolve into conflict and division.But we don't see any of that here. They are faithful together as they obeyed Jesus command. Wait in Jerusalem.That's the first thing they do. Verse 12 and 13. They returned to Jerusalem together. It was only about 1000 yards. That was a sabbath day journey. And they all gathered in the upper room. In the Greek, the definitive article is used. The upper room. This was likely the same room where Jesus celebrated the last supper with them.In verse 15, the group includes about 120 of Jesus disciples, family, and followers. All together, all waiting in obedience.Verse 14 uses the phrase “With one accord” It's speaking about their prayer together, but it captures the overall unity they had in these few days. Another translation says “with one mind” …Isn't that little phrase so often hard to come by? Unity of mind, all striving for the same purpose. All dedicated to Jesus and his mission. All being obedient to wait and prepare.This bond of faithful unity and obedience, it overflowed in 3 ways. The 3 ways are the next 3 points, 2. Together in fervent prayer3. Committed to the fulfilled Scriptures4. Aligned in final preparationsTogether in fervent prayerSo now, let's talk about prayer. Point 2, Together in fervent prayer. In verse 14, it says “they were devoting themselves to prayer.” They committed themselves to going before the Lord, seeking him, falling on their knees before him, praising him. That word devoted is used multiple times in Acts and it means a persistent adherence. To be intently engaged. Constantly attending to. And not just the word, but the verb tense indicates an ongoing dedication to prayer. We get this picture of Jesus disciples and followers spending hours in prayer. And not just one time, but over and over as they gathered. And when they prayed, it overflowed with a fervent, heart-felt yearning for the Lord.We're not told the content of their prayer… but if the other examples of prayer in Acts give us a clue. Then their prayers would have focused on their mission… and their prayers would have been full of Scripture. For example, in acts chapter 4, after praying Psalm 2 they prayed “Lord, …grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.”In fact, Acts refers to prayer 31 times. Yet another theme all throughout the book.They would have certainly been praying for the outpouring of the Spirit that was to come. What Jesus just promised. They would have recalled the prayer Jesus taught his disciples – The Lord's Prayer. Exalting the father, confessing their sin of unbelief in the days before the resurrection. Prayer for God's kingdom. I mean… Jesus had just expanded his teaching about the kingdom. And Jesus' last word… that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. That's both exciting and daunting. Yet God promised it all! And so, all these things would have been present in their minds and hearts. And they would pour out to God in prayer… their burdens, and excitement, asking for protection, praying for the tremendous ministry of the Holy Spirit who was about to be given, for boldness, for preparation, for their witness, For the cross, the resurrection and the ascension to be proclaimed… and for the people in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and Tucker, and everywhere. They devoted everything to prayer. If you look down at verse 24. The came to the Lord in prayer. They asked God to reveal his will to fill the vacancy among the original disciples. We'll come back to that in a few minutes.And beloved, I am convicted. I think you know me by now. In my impatience, I want to do do do, go go go. My default is to act and then pray later. But that's not the way. As I look back on these last 2 years, I'm so thankful for two things. First, as many of you know who journeyed with us before launch… planting a church takes time and prayer. And those times of sweet prayer with many of you, multiple times a week… were such a blessing and encouragement. And second, as much as it shook me to the core, I'm thankful for covid happening right before our planned launch. I don't think I've prayed more than this last spring. But I need to confess my failure and ask for your forgiveness. Since we launched, my mind has been full of all the things to do. Getting things ready for Sunday, and emails, and getting together with people, and bulletins and sermon prep, and the list goes on and on. I'm so thankful for our weekly prayer meeting, and the monthly time of prayer I have with our elders, and the time that Amy and I spend praying through our church prayer needs… but in-between, I've struggled, I've distracted myself away from fervent prayer.I think if I were there with the 120, I'd be like “let's go… we have a world to get to.” But that's not God's will.Prayer and preparation are essential to the mission of the Kingdom. They're not an add on. Not something to do if time permits. No, prayer is crucial. And it's both a display of unity and a mean to unity. You've probably heard the phrase “A family who prays together, stays together.” Well, let me tweak that a little bit, “A church who prays together, stays together.”There's so much today that distracts us. We have to fight against it. I have to fight against it. Amy shared a John Piper quote the other day. Piper said, “One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.” Let that sink in. The funny thing is he posted that on Twitter.When we go to the Lord in fervent devoted prayer, we are submitting ourselves to the savior, we are dedicating our lives to His mission, we're recognizing his sovereignty, our full dependence on him… and God promises he will hear and respond to our prayers according to his good will. Together in fervent prayerCommitted to the fulfilled ScripturesThe next area of unity…. This is point number 3. A commitment to the fulfilled ScripturesThat's right there in verse 16. Peter's speaking to all 120 of them. He says “brothers” and that could be translated brothers and sisters. Or believers. “the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus”You see, in this time of waiting and prayer, they united themselves in the Word. They pored over the Scriptures. They sought to know how all the promises and prophecies were fulfilled in the last 1-2 weeks. They wanted to know, not just the amazing redemption that happened through Christ's death and resurrection, but why things happened as they did.And Judas' actions weighed heavy on their hearts. Just to clarify, there were 2 disciples named Judas. One of them is listed in verse 13 – the son of James. But the other Judas, Judas Iscariot. He's the one who betrayed Jesus. Who led the solders to the garden where Jesus was arrested.Judas had been one of them. Travelled all over Judea with them, studied under Jesus with them. Fellowshipped and ate with them. And it grieved them when Judas turned. He didn't just betray Jesus, He betrayed them. It would have been easy for them to go to their bad place. You know, anger in their heart. Maybe you've been betrayed before. That feeling of abandonment by someone you trusted. Your insides twist. Your heart pained. And when you're betrayed, it's hard not to dwell on it. You make assumptions, you impugn motives on people. Your sin wants to take you a place of anger or a desire for revenge. Where should you turn? Well, that same temptation fell on the disciples… And Peter, he turns to the Word. “The Scriptures had to be fulfilled” he says. We should turn to the Word, as well. Now, just to be sure, they're involved in very specific fulfillments of Scripture. They've been part of the center of all of history. God becoming man, Jesus. His ministry on earth… the prophesies of his suffering and death.When I say we should turn to the Word… I'm not saying that we should look in the Bible for specific events in our lives. Let me share this funny story. Many many years ago I was having dinner with this couple I had just met. His nickname was actually Frog. They had just come back from a trip to the middle east. Well, on that trip, they were hiking and got lost. And they accidentally wandered into a very closed country. And through a crazy set of events, they actually wound up in the king's chambers. He welcomed them, invited them to a private dinner. And then helped them return to the neighboring country where they were staying. Well, a day or so later, they read this in Psalm 105:30 “Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings” And they were like, “that's us! The Bible mentions us!”That is a true story. They were serious.That is called eisegesis. Reading into the Scripture what was not meant to be. No, for me… and for you, you should be seeing the fulfillment of Scripture in Christ, you should be seeking to understand your sin, be pursuing faith and repentance, and looking at the eternal promises of God in Christ. You should be going to the Scriptures when you're sinned against. And considering the grace of God through Christ in your life.But for Peter and the disciples, specific Old Testament prophecies had been fulfilled. And that included Judas's betrayal. Now, we're even given some very graphic details of what happened to Judas in verses 18. You see, the word had spread throughout Jerusalem. That's in verse 19. The people had even given a name to the field where Judas died - the Field of Blood. So, in those 2 verses, Luke was likely sharing the origin of the situation… given it's fame.Back in verse 16, Peter is clear that the Holy Spirit worked through King David to give them prophecies. Peter quotes two Psalms in verse 20. He was encouraging them to understand what happened. God used Judas, just like he did Pilate, and the Roman soldiers and religious leaders… all to accomplish the greatest gift ever given. Redemption in Christ. “The Scriptures had to be fulfilled”As Peter looked to the Word and spoke of its fulfillment, we have no sense of any disagreement. No, rather they were all united around the Scriptures. They received the Word and sought to be faithful to it. We see that worked out in these last few verses.Aligned in final preparationsThat brings us to the last point. Aligned in final preparationsWe get to these last few verses… and part of the prophecy is that someone should take Judas's place. The second half of verse 20 is a quote from Psalm 109. “Let another take his office”And they begin the process to replace Judas's position as one of the original 12. Why?I mean, couldn't they just stick with the 11? There's already the 120. And so what difference would it make whether this empty seat was filled?This is where it's helpful to step back and see the broader narrative of Scripture. You see, this point in history is the hinge between the Old Testament and the New … where the promises of old, have turned to the fulfillment in the new.God's people in the Old Testament were represented by the 12 tribes. The 12 sons of Jacob. Which, as some of you know, were fractured into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. And things were messy. But 12, as a number… it represented the completeness of God's people. So it's no accident that there were 12 disciples. The book of Revelation wasn't written at this point, but later in life, John would write about the new heavens and new earth. The number 12 is all over the description of the people and city of God in eternityYou see, part of God's redemptive plan in Christ is restoration. It's redeeming a people back unto the creator. And so, the Scriptures called for the office of the 12 disciples to be complete again. In doing so, it would restore the representative 12 for the people of God in the New Testament. This is important… because the Kingdom of God which Jesus is now establishing, it will include people from every tribe and tongue and nation to the ends of the earth. And in that way, in the fulfilled covenant promise… it will be a completion of God's people. A redeemed people in Christ. And the prophecy to fill the vacancy… it's part of the hinge… to set in motion the fullness of the Kingdom of God in Christ. This Kingdom is the new Covenant community, which is the church.Really, this is the final preparation before the Holy Spirit is poured out at Pentecost. They select 2 men, who had the same qualifications of the disciples. Both of them had been there with Jesus from his baptism forward. And they select the 12th disciple through an Old Testament practice… casting lots. They would take two small pieces of wood, or some other material, write the two names on them, put them in a bag and then shake the bag. Whichever name came out first, he would be the one! That sounds strange to us, but God's people used that practice to seek His leading. God is sovereign over that! It's interesting…. this is the last time casting of lots was used in the Bible. Many surmise that with the giving of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of the church, God now guides his people through the Word and Spirit and the church.So the disciples prayed together, they cast the lot and Mathias chosen… and it says, “they numbered him with the 11.” No questions asked, no disagreements. A final picture for us of unity together. Aligned in final preparationsConclusionUnified in faithful obedience, Together in fervent prayer, Committed to the fulfilled Scriptures, and Aligned in final preparations. And in each of those ways, they focused on their coming mission. To be sent to the ends of the earth. That's what would happened… their obedience, and prayer, and commitment and preparation… led to the most amazing display of God's moving in History. A revival like no other. Because it was the very first revival in the history of the church – We call it Pentecost - the gift of the Spirit and the conversion of thousands. Next week, we'll study and rejoice in God's gift and what it means to us.Now, we're not praying and preparing for another Pentecost. No, that event was a special event in the history of the church. I'll explain that next week.But what we can pray for and prepare for is a revival – a spiritual awakening to Christ through God's Spirit. We can do what these faithful disciples and other men and women did. Striving for unity, seeking obedience… praying, praying, praying for the work that God has called us to. praying for a revival in Tucker. For God's Spirit to do an amazing transformative work in our city. A true revival with repentance of sins, testimonies of Gods faithful work. A true renewal with His Word lifted up and declared, hearts and minds transformed, worship in song, prayer celebrating God's grace, seeing people professing faith in Christ or recommitting their live to the Gospel. That's what we need to be praying and preparing for… because through it, God will bless and respond and stir up his Spirit to accomplish His will.So may we together strive for obedience to the Lord and the Scriptures, unified in fervent pray like we have never done before, and faithfully seeking to prepare for what God will do for His Kingdom – His church.

The ideology of Black Lives Matter is based on Critical Race Theory, a branch of Critical Theory that’s based on Postmodernism, a philosophy that contends that absolute truth does not exist. Therefore, what is accepted as truth in our society is only the consensus opinion of the majority, which under Critical Race Theory means that society is inherently oppressive and must be destroyed by the oppressed. If this sounds like Marxism, you’re right. It is. But absolute Truth does exist. Besides Jesus calling himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Postmodernism is a self-refuting worldview. (If the statement “there is no truth” is true, it negates itself.) This begs the question: How is it that #BlackLivesMatter has been embraced by academia, Hollywood, multinational corporations, and professional sports leagues? Politicians, we can understand. For them, this is all about power, and we can learn important lessons from history. Sharon draws on research for her Redwing Saga novels to show how British society was turned upside-down by a similar series of events in the 1640s that produced the English Civil War, the beheading of King Charles I, and featured the use of a relatively new technology—the printing press—to rile up the masses with an early version of meme posters, hashtags, and social media. See every new episode at www.SciFriday.tv!

Summary Main Point: The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins. (The one who has the power to heal has the authority to forgive) Connection (Me) I am a sucker for the news cycle. No, it does not change how I live or bring me encouragement or hope. Yet, I find myself checking my favorite news site over and over again throughout the day. Maybe your own news consumption has increased dramatically in the past couple of weeks. After all, we are in the midst of the greatest crisis the world has faced in a long time. Tension (We) How often lately have you found your thoughts gravitating toward Coronavirus or the effects it’s having? Do you find you mind drifting to these things more than it does to Jesus? I know for me it can be easier to think endlessly about different problems in the world than it is to be with Jesus. And if we wanted to spend more time focusing on God, what about God could we specifically focus on that’s more amazing than what’s going on today? The passage that God in his providence has us going through today answer these particular questions. Revelation (God) Let’s jump into our text. We have so far seen a handful a stories introducing us to Jesus and his ministry. Now we get to see one of the stories where his ministry unfolds before us. Verse 17 says, English Standard Version Chapter 5 17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Here we see some new characters enter the story. Luke says “the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there.” This group of religious teachers and authorities will be reoccurring enemies of Jesus and his disciples throughout the rest of the gospel of Luke.[1] They will plot, scheme and insight violence against Jesus. They will outright reject the claim that he is the king and savior of God’s people and will try to destroy that belief in the minds and hearts of others. This verse also says “the power of the Lord was with him to heal.” That word “power” refers back to the teaching Luke has already presented to us: that the works and miracles Jesus accomplished were through the Holy Spirit.[2] On one side, we see the religious authorities with their institutional power and on the other we see Jesus, the man full of the power of God. How will this unfold? Next, verse 18 says, English Standard Version Chapter 5 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, Luke’s word “behold” is like an explanation point in the the text, summoning our attention. What does he want us to see? Here is a group of men who are not like the Pharisees.[3] The Pharisees sit there and rigidly and act as if they have everything they need apart from Jesus. The other group of men comes carrying their friend on a bed. They come as if the only hope for their friend is Jesus: this paralyzed man comes to Jesus with nothing. There is no achievement or ability he can point to that would cause Christ to favor him. All he can do is lay in his bed and ask for help. Being paralyzed is on of my my greatest fears. I fear it so greatly because it would reduce me to being able to do or accomplish nothing. The man’s paralysis has helped to show what is true of his heart (and our hearts): he is not able to do or accomplish anything pleasing in God’s eyes on his own. The condition of his body has helped prepare his heart to receive help from Jesus. Any infirmity, including paralysis or Coronavirus, is a teacher that helps to show how deep is our need for Jesus. This virus can help put an end to our self-confidence that we don’t need Jesus for everything in every moment. I am a Christian and I still struggle with that attitude at a heart level. May we shift into new levels of dependence on Jesus in this season as we feel our weakness and vulnerability more than ever. Yet, the these men discover there is a problem when they arrive. Verse 19 says, English Standard Version Chapter 5 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. When the men arrive at the house where Jesus is, they find that they cannot get to him because of the crowd around Jesus. Yet, their desperation to get to him is so great that they will not accept defeat. They will go to any and every length to get to Jesus. They even bring their friend up onto the roof of the house and began to pull the roof apart. I can’t imagine what the home owner thought. Then, they lowered their bed-ridden friend onto the floor before Jesus. Finally, the crowd parted and made way. How does Jesus respond to this desperate attempt to get to him? Verse 20 says, English Standard Version Chapter 5 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” The verse says Jesus “saw their faith.” How can that be since it is an invisible reality in the heart? Besides Jesus having the ability to perceive what is in hearts, their outward actions were a window into their souls that showed the faith that was within. [4] What Jesus says next should take us by surprise. Why did the men bring their friend to Jesus? Most likely so that he could make him walk again. Yet Jesus does not say, “rise and walk again.” No, he says “your sins are forgiven you.” That’s a remarkable response to this situation. We know already that Jesus the power to heal, so you think he would have seen this man’s great need to move and walk again and given him back to the use of his legs and give that back to him first. Yet he doesn’t. He says “your sins are forgiven.” Jesus understands that as great of a need as this man had to walk, his need to have his sins forgiven was greater still. Walking would increase his quality of life for a few decades, having his sins forgiven would increase his quality of life far more and forever. No more would he lay under the wrath of God and await his judgment. Instead, he would live as a forgiven man and await his resurrection when he would have a new body and be with God forever. This means that the forgiveness of sins is a greater miracle than the healing of paralysis. When your sins were forgiven, it was a bigger moment than if you had been laying paralyzed in your bed and you had suddenly been able to walk. Your heart was paralyzed and unable to respond to God as it should have, yet upon the moment of faith in him, now your heart could finally respond to God with joy and celebration. I want God to grow my heart to the point that even if I was confined to a bed for the rest of my life, my heart would still respond with joy. One pastor I whose sermon I was reading gave a wonderful illustration. If you were on death row and the guards brought you your last meal, even if it was the finest food you had ever tasted, you would respond with little joy, knowing what awaited you the next day. Yet, if you suffered in a dark, dirty prison and the last meal they brought you was cold and tasteless. Yet, if you heard at that same time that you had received pardon for your crime and would go free, your soul would fill with joy![5] The forgiveness of sins, as our greatest need, can bring us joy and happiness beyond anything else (and in spite of anything else). At this moment of Coronavirus, having our sins forgiven should cause our hearts to overflow with joy in spite of all of the loneliness and fear we face. It is very easy for me to forget how wonderful the forgiveness of sins is— after hearing it so many times to just shrug my shoulders. I think that attitude comes from severely underestimating how sinful I am and how much I need this forgiveness. One time I was having breakfast with Isaiah Langenfeld and something he said helps put this into perspective: If God has forgiven your sins, the best thing that could possibly happen to you has happened to you. Did you hear that? Yet, you might say, “no, Ross, being face to face with Jesus forever in a perfect place is the best thing that could ever happen to me.” You are correct, yet it is the forgiveness of your sins that guarantees that will happen so in that sense it is the best thing that has ever happened to you. Yet at this moment, the Pharisees, then enemies of Jesus and of faith, respond with hostility in their hearts to Jesus announcing the forgiveness of sins. They say, English Standard Version Chapter 5 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” The Pharisees, who are the enemies of Jesus and of faith, respond with offense and accusation against Jesus in their hearts. Their change of “blasphemy” is that Jesus spoke in a way that misrepresents and harms God’s reputation. Their challenge is that Jesus does not speak with the authority of God when he pronounces the forgiveness of sins. Whereas humble hearts would have likely sought some proof or verification, their hostile hearts reflexively responded with accusation.[6] Now they may have responded this way because when Jesus forgave sins with the authority of God, that means something greater than their temple and sacrificial system had arrived (the temple is where God forgave sins before Jesus came).[7] Instead of rejoicing that God had brought the one the temple and sacrifices anticipated into the world, they responded with hatred. More than valuing God and the forgiveness of sins, they valued the way things were and the position of importance it gave them. For Jesus the come and forgive sins threatened all of that. Yet, Jesus would responded to their objections in verses 22 and 23, English Standard Version Chapter 5 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? The objection of the Pharisees is a severe one. If he does not have the right to forgive sins, then the man laying on the bed is still dead in his sins— Christ’s pronouncement has accomplished nothing. Will Jesus be able to successfully demonstrate he has the authority to forgive sins? Let’s see… First, Jesus laments the rebellious response in the Pharisee’s hearts: “Why do you question in your hearts?” Next, he acts to confront the Pharisees’s challenge by demonstrating he has the authority to forgive sins. We should understand that when someone claims the authority to forgive sins, they are claiming the highest authority there can be. Since all sin is ultimately against God, it takes having the very authority of God to forgive sins.[8] In order to prove this authority, Jesus asks a question, “which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?” He is asserting that if I have the power to make this crippled man walk, then I also have the authority to forgive his sins. While in one sense it is harder to forgive sins (since God alone can forgive sins), in another sense it is harder to say ‘Rise up and walk’ because people can immediately see whether or not the person got up and walked.[9] Jesus says “I will do something you can see and verify in order to point to the hidden (yet more wonderful work) you cannot see yet but will see in the future at the day of judgement.” In the confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees, everything comes down to his ability to heal the crippled man right at this moment. Verses 24 and 25 show what happen next, English Standard Version Chapter 5 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. Here is the climax of this story. Jesus speaks to the paralyzed man, and he walks. His rising and using his legs demonstrates that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. He can rest assured: the wrath of God no longer looms over him. Jesus was speaking truly when he said to him his sins were forgiven: he has the authority he claimed to have. What does Jesus refer to himself as in verse 24? He calls himself the “Son of Man.” If you want to know more about why Jesus calls himself that, you can look up Daniel chapter 7 sometime and read about the authoritative figure from prophesy that Jesus is referring to himself as. For Jesus to refer to himself as “the Son of Man” is to say he is this man who acts with the very authority of God. In our passage, he applies this authority to the forgiveness of sin and to bodies to make men well. Let us rejoice church that Jesus has such unquestioned authority. The one who forgives sins rules over Coronavirus with ease— without one bead of sweat on his forehead. He has determined when it has come and when he wants, he will cause it to leave. Yet, far more important than that, he possesses the authority to do what he claims to do— to forgive my sin and your sin. He could come with all of the pronouncements of forgiveness in the world, yet if he did not have this authority, it would mean nothing. What sweet joy that Jesus has such authority (especially when our sins can seem so vile and we feel like God won’t forgive us!) There is one last question I want to ask: Why did Jesus specifically chose to make him walk (instead of all of the other miracles he could have performed in this moment)? Here is one important reason: in the Scriptures, holiness and wholeness are intimately connected.[10] In other words, holiness and healthy bodies go together. When sin and separation from God enter the world, so also do disease and disability. For someone to have a disease or disability does not mean that they personally committed a sin worse than others, but instead their sickness shows that the whole of humanity has fallen into sin. So, it follows that if Jesus is going to repair our relationship with God by making us holy, he is also (at some point) going to restore our health and heal our bodies. So, the biblical authors pair together the forgiveness of sins and the healing of bodies. Here is what David writes in Psalm 103:2-3, English Standard Version Psalm 103 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases According to Lev 21:18 in the Old Testament, were this man a priest, he would not have been allowed to approach the alter and make a sacrifice because his disability would make him unclean (this is not because God does not like disabled people, but in the sacrificial system that has so much symbolism, his disability symbolizes human sin and inability). The holiness that the forgiveness of sins provides goes along with the wholeness of a body working rightly. For the one with his or her sins forgiven, healing is not a matter of “if” but of “when.” It may take until the new creation to receive it, or it may come far sooner than that. For Jesus to heal the paralytic, he is drawing a sure future effect of the forgiveness of sin into the present and giving it to the man right there as a proof his sins are forgiven. Were I to buy a home today with Theo’s help, I would still not receive the keys from him until I closed. Yet, if someone doubted I had bought the home, Theo could decide to give me the key in advance of the closing so I could show the person the key and say, “look, it belongs to me.” In the same way, Jesus pulling the man’s guaranteed healing from the future into the present further shows that he did act with authority when he forgave his sins. Application (You) So, how should we respond to Jesus’s amazing authority? Verse 26 shows us how the crowd who had came to see Jesus responded, English Standard Version Chapter 5 26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.” They were stunned at what Jesus had accomplished. I would be willing to suspect that “amazement” and “awe” has seized us today about the spread of the Coronavirus. Yet, that’s not what God wants us to be amazed at: far more amazing than the effects of this virus is Christ’s authority to take care of our greatest problem. You have probably spent hours dwelling on and reading articles about the Coronavirus. I want to challenge you to spend the next several minutes doing something else: As we sing and worship, please reflect on the great reality of Jesus forgiving even us for our sins. In just a few short years after this story, Jesus would surrender himself to Roman soldiers to undergo crucifixion. In his death on the cross, we see the source of his authority to forgive sins and to heal: The New International Version Chapter 53 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. It is the offering up of Christ’s body in our place that secures the authority for him to forgive us and also to heal us. Begin right now to establish a habit of reflecting and focusing on who Jesus is and what he has done rather than on what COVID 19 is and what it has done. Imagination (We) What would change in our community if we practiced this regularly? When we talk to one anther, we would be sources of comfort rather than of provoking more fear and anxiety. Since we have grounded our minds and hearts in the great person and work of Christ, we could help ground others do that same. I encourage you to write down something the Lord has impressed on your heart during this sermon or will impress on your heart in the next few minutes, and take your next chance to encourage your DNA group with that. [1] Bock, D. L. (2000). Luke. In T. D. Alexander & B. S. Rosner (Eds.), New dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed., p. 278). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. [2] Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke (Vol. 24, p. 176). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. [3] Cf. Bovon, F., & Koester, H. (2002). Luke 1: a commentary on the Gospel of Luke 1:1–9:50 (p. 181). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. [4] John Calvin, Harmony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, trans. David W. Rev. William Pringle, vol. 1, Calvin’s Commentaries 23 Volume Set (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2009), 392. [5] Spurgeon, C. H. (1906). Good Cheer from Forgiven Sin. In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons (Vol. 52, p. 581). London: Passmore & Alabaster. [6] John Calvin, Harmony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, trans. David W. Rev. William Pringle, vol. 1, Calvin’s Commentaries 23 Volume Set (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2009), 395. [7] Pao, D. W., & Schnabel, E. J. (2007). Luke. In Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament (p. 292). Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, UK: Baker Academic; Apollos. [8] Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 214). Exeter: Paternoster Press. [9] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Lk 5:23). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. [10] T. Desmond Alexander, From Eden to the New Jerusalem (Kregel Publications, 2016), 154.

Summary Main Point: The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins. (The one who has the power to heal has the authority to forgive) Connection (Me) I am a sucker for the news cycle. No, it does not change how I live or bring me encouragement or hope. Yet, I find myself checking my favorite news site over and over again throughout the day. Maybe your own news consumption has increased dramatically in the past couple of weeks. After all, we are in the midst of the greatest crisis the world has faced in a long time. Tension (We) How often lately have you found your thoughts gravitating toward Coronavirus or the effects it’s having? Do you find you mind drifting to these things more than it does to Jesus? I know for me it can be easier to think endlessly about different problems in the world than it is to be with Jesus. And if we wanted to spend more time focusing on God, what about God could we specifically focus on that’s more amazing than what’s going on today? The passage that God in his providence has us going through today answer these particular questions. Revelation (God) Let’s jump into our text. We have so far seen a handful a stories introducing us to Jesus and his ministry. Now we get to see one of the stories where his ministry unfolds before us. Verse 17 says, English Standard Version Chapter 5 17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Here we see some new characters enter the story. Luke says “the Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there.” This group of religious teachers and authorities will be reoccurring enemies of Jesus and his disciples throughout the rest of the gospel of Luke.[1] They will plot, scheme and insight violence against Jesus. They will outright reject the claim that he is the king and savior of God’s people and will try to destroy that belief in the minds and hearts of others. This verse also says “the power of the Lord was with him to heal.” That word “power” refers back to the teaching Luke has already presented to us: that the works and miracles Jesus accomplished were through the Holy Spirit.[2] On one side, we see the religious authorities with their institutional power and on the other we see Jesus, the man full of the power of God. How will this unfold? Next, verse 18 says, English Standard Version Chapter 5 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, Luke’s word “behold” is like an explanation point in the the text, summoning our attention. What does he want us to see? Here is a group of men who are not like the Pharisees.[3] The Pharisees sit there and rigidly and act as if they have everything they need apart from Jesus. The other group of men comes carrying their friend on a bed. They come as if the only hope for their friend is Jesus: this paralyzed man comes to Jesus with nothing. There is no achievement or ability he can point to that would cause Christ to favor him. All he can do is lay in his bed and ask for help. Being paralyzed is on of my my greatest fears. I fear it so greatly because it would reduce me to being able to do or accomplish nothing. The man’s paralysis has helped to show what is true of his heart (and our hearts): he is not able to do or accomplish anything pleasing in God’s eyes on his own. The condition of his body has helped prepare his heart to receive help from Jesus. Any infirmity, including paralysis or Coronavirus, is a teacher that helps to show how deep is our need for Jesus. This virus can help put an end to our self-confidence that we don’t need Jesus for everything in every moment. I am a Christian and I still struggle with that attitude at a heart level. May we shift into new levels of dependence on Jesus in this season as we feel our weakness and vulnerability more than ever. Yet, the these men discover there is a problem when they arrive. Verse 19 says, English Standard Version Chapter 5 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. When the men arrive at the house where Jesus is, they find that they cannot get to him because of the crowd around Jesus. Yet, their desperation to get to him is so great that they will not accept defeat. They will go to any and every length to get to Jesus. They even bring their friend up onto the roof of the house and began to pull the roof apart. I can’t imagine what the home owner thought. Then, they lowered their bed-ridden friend onto the floor before Jesus. Finally, the crowd parted and made way. How does Jesus respond to this desperate attempt to get to him? Verse 20 says, English Standard Version Chapter 5 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” The verse says Jesus “saw their faith.” How can that be since it is an invisible reality in the heart? Besides Jesus having the ability to perceive what is in hearts, their outward actions were a window into their souls that showed the faith that was within. [4] What Jesus says next should take us by surprise. Why did the men bring their friend to Jesus? Most likely so that he could make him walk again. Yet Jesus does not say, “rise and walk again.” No, he says “your sins are forgiven you.” That’s a remarkable response to this situation. We know already that Jesus the power to heal, so you think he would have seen this man’s great need to move and walk again and given him back to the use of his legs and give that back to him first. Yet he doesn’t. He says “your sins are forgiven.” Jesus understands that as great of a need as this man had to walk, his need to have his sins forgiven was greater still. Walking would increase his quality of life for a few decades, having his sins forgiven would increase his quality of life far more and forever. No more would he lay under the wrath of God and await his judgment. Instead, he would live as a forgiven man and await his resurrection when he would have a new body and be with God forever. This means that the forgiveness of sins is a greater miracle than the healing of paralysis. When your sins were forgiven, it was a bigger moment than if you had been laying paralyzed in your bed and you had suddenly been able to walk. Your heart was paralyzed and unable to respond to God as it should have, yet upon the moment of faith in him, now your heart could finally respond to God with joy and celebration. I want God to grow my heart to the point that even if I was confined to a bed for the rest of my life, my heart would still respond with joy. One pastor I whose sermon I was reading gave a wonderful illustration. If you were on death row and the guards brought you your last meal, even if it was the finest food you had ever tasted, you would respond with little joy, knowing what awaited you the next day. Yet, if you suffered in a dark, dirty prison and the last meal they brought you was cold and tasteless. Yet, if you heard at that same time that you had received pardon for your crime and would go free, your soul would fill with joy![5] The forgiveness of sins, as our greatest need, can bring us joy and happiness beyond anything else (and in spite of anything else). At this moment of Coronavirus, having our sins forgiven should cause our hearts to overflow with joy in spite of all of the loneliness and fear we face. It is very easy for me to forget how wonderful the forgiveness of sins is— after hearing it so many times to just shrug my shoulders. I think that attitude comes from severely underestimating how sinful I am and how much I need this forgiveness. One time I was having breakfast with Isaiah Langenfeld and something he said helps put this into perspective: If God has forgiven your sins, the best thing that could possibly happen to you has happened to you. Did you hear that? Yet, you might say, “no, Ross, being face to face with Jesus forever in a perfect place is the best thing that could ever happen to me.” You are correct, yet it is the forgiveness of your sins that guarantees that will happen so in that sense it is the best thing that has ever happened to you. Yet at this moment, the Pharisees, then enemies of Jesus and of faith, respond with hostility in their hearts to Jesus announcing the forgiveness of sins. They say, English Standard Version Chapter 5 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” The Pharisees, who are the enemies of Jesus and of faith, respond with offense and accusation against Jesus in their hearts. Their change of “blasphemy” is that Jesus spoke in a way that misrepresents and harms God’s reputation. Their challenge is that Jesus does not speak with the authority of God when he pronounces the forgiveness of sins. Whereas humble hearts would have likely sought some proof or verification, their hostile hearts reflexively responded with accusation.[6] Now they may have responded this way because when Jesus forgave sins with the authority of God, that means something greater than their temple and sacrificial system had arrived (the temple is where God forgave sins before Jesus came).[7] Instead of rejoicing that God had brought the one the temple and sacrifices anticipated into the world, they responded with hatred. More than valuing God and the forgiveness of sins, they valued the way things were and the position of importance it gave them. For Jesus the come and forgive sins threatened all of that. Yet, Jesus would responded to their objections in verses 22 and 23, English Standard Version Chapter 5 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? The objection of the Pharisees is a severe one. If he does not have the right to forgive sins, then the man laying on the bed is still dead in his sins— Christ’s pronouncement has accomplished nothing. Will Jesus be able to successfully demonstrate he has the authority to forgive sins? Let’s see… First, Jesus laments the rebellious response in the Pharisee’s hearts: “Why do you question in your hearts?” Next, he acts to confront the Pharisees’s challenge by demonstrating he has the authority to forgive sins. We should understand that when someone claims the authority to forgive sins, they are claiming the highest authority there can be. Since all sin is ultimately against God, it takes having the very authority of God to forgive sins.[8] In order to prove this authority, Jesus asks a question, “which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?” He is asserting that if I have the power to make this crippled man walk, then I also have the authority to forgive his sins. While in one sense it is harder to forgive sins (since God alone can forgive sins), in another sense it is harder to say ‘Rise up and walk’ because people can immediately see whether or not the person got up and walked.[9] Jesus says “I will do something you can see and verify in order to point to the hidden (yet more wonderful work) you cannot see yet but will see in the future at the day of judgement.” In the confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees, everything comes down to his ability to heal the crippled man right at this moment. Verses 24 and 25 show what happen next, English Standard Version Chapter 5 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. Here is the climax of this story. Jesus speaks to the paralyzed man, and he walks. His rising and using his legs demonstrates that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins. He can rest assured: the wrath of God no longer looms over him. Jesus was speaking truly when he said to him his sins were forgiven: he has the authority he claimed to have. What does Jesus refer to himself as in verse 24? He calls himself the “Son of Man.” If you want to know more about why Jesus calls himself that, you can look up Daniel chapter 7 sometime and read about the authoritative figure from prophesy that Jesus is referring to himself as. For Jesus to refer to himself as “the Son of Man” is to say he is this man who acts with the very authority of God. In our passage, he applies this authority to the forgiveness of sin and to bodies to make men well. Let us rejoice church that Jesus has such unquestioned authority. The one who forgives sins rules over Coronavirus with ease— without one bead of sweat on his forehead. He has determined when it has come and when he wants, he will cause it to leave. Yet, far more important than that, he possesses the authority to do what he claims to do— to forgive my sin and your sin. He could come with all of the pronouncements of forgiveness in the world, yet if he did not have this authority, it would mean nothing. What sweet joy that Jesus has such authority (especially when our sins can seem so vile and we feel like God won’t forgive us!) There is one last question I want to ask: Why did Jesus specifically chose to make him walk (instead of all of the other miracles he could have performed in this moment)? Here is one important reason: in the Scriptures, holiness and wholeness are intimately connected.[10] In other words, holiness and healthy bodies go together. When sin and separation from God enter the world, so also do disease and disability. For someone to have a disease or disability does not mean that they personally committed a sin worse than others, but instead their sickness shows that the whole of humanity has fallen into sin. So, it follows that if Jesus is going to repair our relationship with God by making us holy, he is also (at some point) going to restore our health and heal our bodies. So, the biblical authors pair together the forgiveness of sins and the healing of bodies. Here is what David writes in Psalm 103:2-3, English Standard Version Psalm 103 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases According to Lev 21:18 in the Old Testament, were this man a priest, he would not have been allowed to approach the alter and make a sacrifice because his disability would make him unclean (this is not because God does not like disabled people, but in the sacrificial system that has so much symbolism, his disability symbolizes human sin and inability). The holiness that the forgiveness of sins provides goes along with the wholeness of a body working rightly. For the one with his or her sins forgiven, healing is not a matter of “if” but of “when.” It may take until the new creation to receive it, or it may come far sooner than that. For Jesus to heal the paralytic, he is drawing a sure future effect of the forgiveness of sin into the present and giving it to the man right there as a proof his sins are forgiven. Were I to buy a home today with Theo’s help, I would still not receive the keys from him until I closed. Yet, if someone doubted I had bought the home, Theo could decide to give me the key in advance of the closing so I could show the person the key and say, “look, it belongs to me.” In the same way, Jesus pulling the man’s guaranteed healing from the future into the present further shows that he did act with authority when he forgave his sins. Application (You) So, how should we respond to Jesus’s amazing authority? Verse 26 shows us how the crowd who had came to see Jesus responded, English Standard Version Chapter 5 26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.” They were stunned at what Jesus had accomplished. I would be willing to suspect that “amazement” and “awe” has seized us today about the spread of the Coronavirus. Yet, that’s not what God wants us to be amazed at: far more amazing than the effects of this virus is Christ’s authority to take care of our greatest problem. You have probably spent hours dwelling on and reading articles about the Coronavirus. I want to challenge you to spend the next several minutes doing something else: As we sing and worship, please reflect on the great reality of Jesus forgiving even us for our sins. In just a few short years after this story, Jesus would surrender himself to Roman soldiers to undergo crucifixion. In his death on the cross, we see the source of his authority to forgive sins and to heal: The New International Version Chapter 53 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. It is the offering up of Christ’s body in our place that secures the authority for him to forgive us and also to heal us. Begin right now to establish a habit of reflecting and focusing on who Jesus is and what he has done rather than on what COVID 19 is and what it has done. Imagination (We) What would change in our community if we practiced this regularly? When we talk to one anther, we would be sources of comfort rather than of provoking more fear and anxiety. Since we have grounded our minds and hearts in the great person and work of Christ, we could help ground others do that same. I encourage you to write down something the Lord has impressed on your heart during this sermon or will impress on your heart in the next few minutes, and take your next chance to encourage your DNA group with that. [1] Bock, D. L. (2000). Luke. In T. D. Alexander & B. S. Rosner (Eds.), New dictionary of biblical theology (electronic ed., p. 278). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. [2] Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke (Vol. 24, p. 176). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers. [3] Cf. Bovon, F., & Koester, H. (2002). Luke 1: a commentary on the Gospel of Luke 1:1–9:50 (p. 181). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press. [4] John Calvin, Harmony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, trans. David W. Rev. William Pringle, vol. 1, Calvin’s Commentaries 23 Volume Set (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2009), 392. [5] Spurgeon, C. H. (1906). Good Cheer from Forgiven Sin. In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons (Vol. 52, p. 581). London: Passmore & Alabaster. [6] John Calvin, Harmony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, trans. David W. Rev. William Pringle, vol. 1, Calvin’s Commentaries 23 Volume Set (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2009), 395. [7] Pao, D. W., & Schnabel, E. J. (2007). Luke. In Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament (p. 292). Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, UK: Baker Academic; Apollos. [8] Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 214). Exeter: Paternoster Press. [9] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Lk 5:23). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press. [10] T. Desmond Alexander, From Eden to the New Jerusalem (Kregel Publications, 2016), 154.

Series: CrossService: Sun AMType: SermonSpeaker: Eric ReynoldsA Centurion’s Confession I.  Introduction Listen to the voices at the cross in Mark’s account of the crucifixion. Besides Jesus himself, there is one word of faith spoken. [Read Mark 15] Isn’t it fascinating who the one statement of faith in this whole chapter comes from? A centurion, a Gentile, and one of the people directly involved in the crucifixion of Jesus.  Just let that set in.  Today I want to think about this Centurions’ confession of faith.  II.  Independent Thinker First, notice how this Centurion thinks for himself. That is the primary lesson I hope to emphasize today. This trait is probably related to how he became a…

Do you ever feel guilty for being the one that gets things done? Do people expect you to make plans and make sure everything goes well, but also poke fun at you for being organized or a bit of a control freak? Katie Reid shares her experience as a modern day “Martha” and how she has learned to put on grace when the desire to do it all has left her tired and striving. Learn how to live as God's daughter and accept help so you can sit at the feet of Jesus guilt-free.   Bio Katie has been married to Adam for almost seventeen years, and is the mother of five loud children (ages two to fourteen). Besides Jesus and her family, cut-to-the-chase conversations and musicals are a few of her favorite things.  Katie encourages others to exchange try-hard striving for hope-filled freedom through her messages, articles, songs, and resources. She is a trained bible study facilitator and author of the book, Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done.  For decades, Katie tried to prove she was enough until a dusty, living room revelation changed all that. Katie is passionate about sharing the good news of grace with anyone who will listen.   Connect with Katie www.katiemreid.com Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest  | Youtube   Resources Referenced in this Episode Episode 038: Why Planning Can Be Your Best Friend and Your Worst Enemy

If you should expect anything, it should be the unexpected. These answers are funny, heartfelt, and everything in between. QUESTION OF THE DAY!!! Who would YOU want to sit down and eat with?

Besides Jesus, there are two historical people mentioned in the Creed, the Virgin Mary and Pontius Pilate. They couldn't be more different in their response to Jesus. Join us as we uncover the two responses of each.

Besides Jesus historicism and Mythicism, is there a "third way", whereby the Jesus of the gospels is a composite of stories originally told of several historic figures?  Several ancient sources remember Jesus as a teller of parables. Doesnâ??t this imply there was such a teacher? I would like your thoughts on creatio ex nihilo and the opening verses of Genesis. Is there any New Testament passage that references the Masoretic texts instead of the Septuagint? Why does history seem to belie Deuteronomyâ??s promises for Godâ??s protection and forgiveness for the Jewish nation? Burton Mack tells us ancient students commonly had to try to write what a well known philosopher might say on this or that topic. Does this contradict Bart Ehrmanâ??s claim that the ancients frowned on pseudepigraphy? Does Mark 4:11-12 contradict Mark 4:21-23? Does an early date for the Didache depend on an early date for the canonical New Testament? How much of the New Testament does it predate--if any?

Besides Jesus, John the Baptizer was the greatest man to ever live. We can learn from seven aspects of his greatness—including that he was a Spirit-filled evangelist who humbly prepared the way for Jesus. He avoided adolescence and thus is a great example of what it means to be a real man. Real men are creators and cultivators, not childish consumers, cowards, or complainers.