HVPC Sermons

Note: This transcript is AI-generated and may contain errors. Please refer to the original audio for the most accurate information and meaning. Psalm 19: Conduits of Grace Last week we looked at conduits of grace, means of grace. A mean is a pathway, a method, or a conduit—a process by which God communicates what Christ accomplished to humanity. Last week we saw that prayer—us talking to God—is one of the predominant places. This week we’re going to look at another place: hearing God. I was headed to visit my mom in a new rehab center a few weeks ago as she was recovering from an illness. I didn’t know how to get to it, so I left my previous appointment, and I’m at the traffic light, waiting for the Google location to render. I said to myself, because I’m at the traffic light, “Do I go straight? Do I turn right? Do I turn left? Which is the best way to get there?” I need something right now. There’s a sense where we’re all going, “God, I need something from the cloud; I need something from You right now.” He has encapsulated all of His best words in a book written over centuries so that you and I can go back and refer to it. God does intervene. There is a word from on high. He has spoken, and one of the predominant ways that God communicates His grace to us is in His word. The Reading of Psalm 19 Let’s look at Psalm 19 as it relates to the word of God. This is one of David’s psalms. He was a songwriter, warrior, king, and poet. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Music as a Medium Music is a powerful media. I was at a concert last night and I learned in song about a woman who lived near Gettysburg who was a kidnapped slave. When the man who she was the slave of died, his wife provided for her freedom and then walked her to the Mason-Dixon line and to the hills of Adams County where she lived out the rest of her life. I never heard her story, but I heard it through song. Music evokes great emotion. It evokes a sense of excitement and enrichment. While that’s happening, I’m learning something I didn’t know before. Music teaches us. David, in this process, is evoking our emotions and captivating our senses with his poetry. This psalm was given to the director of music. What is he singing about? He’s singing about all the ways that God has communicated Himself to us. David examines three things: The Heavens The Word of God Himself The Heavens: General Revelation The heavens declare the glory of God. God has been speaking to us and revealing Himself since creation. He wants to connect; He’s not trying to hide. God’s not trying to play hide-and-seek with us. The heavens declare it. All of creation was made to show you Himself. As an example, think of the sun. David says the sun is like the bridegroom or the champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises from one end of the heaven and runs to the other. God made the heavens and the earth—He made the sun to care. He’s a God who provides warmth, light, and help. The glory of God is in the heavens. We can see Him, we can know Him, and we can understand Him. When sin came, our filters and our grid became uncalibrated. Now when I see the sun, I don’t see the glory of God. We see everything through the lens of not God, but ourselves. It wasn’t until Galileo that we learned about this. Science and all the “ologies” are so vital because creation shows us more about the glory of God. Before Galileo, people believed that everything revolved around them. But since the Garden of Eden, we’ve felt like we’re the center of the universe. Satan was offering Adam and Eve the opportunity to have the world revolve around them for the rest of their lives. Since then, we’re curved in on ourselves. Most of the problems stem from our own curvature inward. David says we don’t understand creation until we understand it’s meant to point us to God. The created world is like the rose petals and the scent of perfume and the flickering candlelight which is meant to lead us to explore those places to discover the glory of God. The Word: Special Revelation God has been speaking since creation, but He’s also given us His word. Verse 7 transitions to the particular: the law of the Lord, the statutes, the precepts, and the commandments. Why has He given us His word? To refresh the soul To make us wise To give joy to the heart To give light to the eyes He’s aiming at the inner man and woman. He’s trying to bring a paradigm shift in ourselves: stop making yourself the center of the universe. Most of the problems I face when people come to my office—marriage troubles, depression, anxiety—are because we’ve become too curved in on ourselves and we don’t see the hand of God. What creates a reaction? Circumstances have to pass through a big black box in our heart. What goes on in that black box is everything—what we believe, think, and value. The word of God is trying to change the inner curvature of the soul. Many people think Christianity is about getting it right on the outside, but Jesus says the only way you’re ever going to get it right on the outside is if you have Him change the inside of you. Christ: The Word Made Flesh David envisioned a day when he could be blameless if the word of God was in him. John took up this song in the first chapter of John when he says, “the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” The Word—capital W-O-R-D—who is Jesus, died. The Word that these precepts have always meant to reflect, embodied in the person of Jesus Christ, sacrificed Himself for us. God didn’t just give us an answer to our dilemma; He gave us a person. When Jesus reflects the very center of our paradigm, everything else changes and the world becomes new. Then we begin to think: “He spoke to me. He sees me. He wants me. He loves me.”

Note: This transcript is AI-generated and may contain errors. Please refer to the original audio for the most accurate information and meaning. Seeking God’s Grace Through Prayer How do I experience more of God and His grace? How do I experience more of Him? The Bible and Christ don’t leave us with those questions unanswered. Historically, He has given us over and over again reminders and tangible, concrete ways that He says, “In these conduits, in these means, by these methods, you may find me.” Yes, He is everywhere, and He says that if you want to find Him, find Him in the least of these, our brothers. But He also says when you want to find His grace and experience more of His presence and interaction, there are means for that. Today, we’re going to look at this relationship, this connectivity with God that He puts in our world through the person of Christ. He tells us the way is that we talk with Him. Talking with God—prayer—is a place where we find His grace more vividly, more experientially, and more powerfully. Reading of Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15 Look, if you will, at Matthew 6. I’m going to start reading at verse five. The larger context of this particular text is the Sermon on the Mount, the longest section of speech we have from Jesus in one place in scripture. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” This is God’s word. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of God will stand forever. Let’s pray. Opening Prayer Father, thank You for Your goodness to us. Thank You for the way that You aren’t hiding. Even as we’ve heard, Your goodness comes after us, it pursues us, it chases us down. You’re not hiding, Father; You want to be found by us. You want to be known by us, You want to be embraced by us, for You embrace us with Your love and Your grace. Let that saturate our hearts and minds as we come this morning—the way we think, the way we feel, the way we interact and live. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. A Lesson in Extroverted Processing Recently, the Lord has convinced me of something—and when I say recently, I mean in the last couple of years. I don’t know if you have experiences with God convincing you of things over the history of your life. I have a couple of moments that are poignant. God’s always teaching me something, but there are these poignant moments. As you may know, I’m an extrovert. I’m also extroverted in my processing. An extroverted personality is often understood as someone who finds energy in the social experience. Extroverted processing is a bit different. It means I can’t quite get my head wrapped around a decision-making process unless I’ve verbalized it in some fashion. Other people are more introverted processors; they need time personally and privately to go through it themselves. Usually, in a marriage, there’s one of each, which is a wonderful grace but also a living hell. In my extroverted processing, I’ve always imagined that what we need here is words. Words and conversation—that’s what’s going to solve the problem. In our marriage, Becky is an internal processor. When she needs to make choices, she needs quiet, she needs to be alone, and she doesn’t need words. I, as an extroverted processor, felt the problem was always that there weren’t enough words. I gave her the impression that internal processing was “bad” and extroverted processing was “good.” For decades, I went through life thinking my words were what would change things. But a few years ago, I had a shocking realization. I told my wife, “I think God has convinced me that my words aren’t the thing that’s going to solve this problem.” She looked at me, and it didn’t seem to impact her all that much. It was as if she knew it in advance! It took me decades to get to this place where I now have a new filter on my thinking. My words are not the most valuable thing in the moment. That’s a dramatic recalibrating of the human soul. Re-calibrating Prayer When Jesus is talking in this setting about prayer, it’s a recalibration of that idea. It’s a little counter-intuitive to our current culture. Our culture, in light of social media, says what I have to say and experience is the most important thing. Everyone has their own pulpit—Facebook, Instagram, TikTok—and we’ve been convinced that our words are necessary and most valuable. But Jesus is saying prayer is different than that. Talking to God is something completely different than what you imagined, and it’s wonderfully gracious and empowering. Prayer affects our presuppositions, it affects us personally, and it affects our posture. 1. Our Presuppositions (Matthew 6:5-8) Jesus starts by giving two examples of the way people pray in the culture. He’s addressing people who have an internal desire to know God. He says, “When you pray, you have underlying assumptions—presuppositions—that are radically wrong.” First, He points to the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. They stand in the synagogues and on street corners to pray boldly. If prayer is an attempt to talk to God, why go to a street corner? The underlying hypocrisy is that their prayer is outward, meant to achieve an outward reward. Sometimes we do this too; our prayers become a way of teaching the people around us or seeking their approval. Jesus says prayer isn’t about communicating horizontally; it’s about talking to Him. He says, “Go into secret. Go privately.” It’s about your personal involvement with Him, and the reward will be internal. For me, the internal reward was the Lord telling me to “de-centralize” myself and get off my high horse. At the other end of the spectrum, He says don’t pray with babbling, repetitive words like the pagans. They think they’ll get God’s attention by persistence and unthoughtful words. But God doesn’t need to be pestered. He already knows what you need. You don’t have to convince Him. 2. Personal Connection (Matthew 6:9) Prayer affects us personally because Jesus tells us how to pray: “Our Father.” He doesn’t say “pray this,” but “pray like this.” It’s a format. He wants us to pray with the mind that we are praying to our Father—Abba, Papa. You’re not praying to an administrator or a distant, transcendent God, but to your Father. He wants you to pray to Him the same way Jesus, His natural-born Son, prays to Him. His desire is to hear you the same way a father desires to hear his kids. I remember waiting for my children to say their first words. When they called me “Daddy,” it warmed my heart. But there’s something even better: when your grandchildren say your name. When my boys say “Papa,” my heart just soars. That’s how God’s ear is toward you. Jesus always said “Father” when He prayed, except for one time: on the cross, when He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus was willing to lose His familial connection and be crushed for our iniquities so that we could enter the presence of God with familiarity and say, “Papa, I need you.” 3. Our Posture (Matthew 6:9-10) Finally, prayer offers a change in posture. “Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” It’s “You, You, You.” This recalibrates us. All of our failures are a failure of adoration. That which we “hallow” runs our lives—our emotions, our anxieties, our comforts. If you walk away from prayer and don’t feel comforted, it’s often because you’re still hallowing something else. But when you hallow His name and His kingdom, you can step away from the tiny, small-minded story you’ve wrapped yourself in and get into the larger picture of what God can do. Jesus prayed in the garden, “Not my will, but yours be done.” He was free to share His struggle, but His Father’s will was predominant. We get so concerned with our own kingdom, like Adam and Eve in the garden. They believed that because God wouldn’t give them one thing, He wouldn’t give them anything good. But God is a Father who wants to give us all things. Romans 8 says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” He wants us back in the garden where we have everything. Prayer is the place where we talk this out with God and learn to trust Him. Closing Prayer Father, forgive us for seeing You through the lens of a stingy religious leader rather than a loving Father. Work that out in us. Let our concern be more for Your glory and Your hallowedness than our own. Because of what You’ve done—the sacrifice You’ve given—we can trust that Your kingdom is intertwined with the beauty, glory, and love of Your children. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

IMPORTANT This transcript was generated using AI and may contain errors. Please refer to the original audio recording for the most accurate information and intended meaning. Introduction and Scripture Reading Good morning and Happy Easter, everyone! You all look so wonderful today. We’re going to look at a passage in Luke together. If you’re joining us online and using the bulletin, or have it in your hands, you can find it in the back. If you have a device, please turn to Luke 24. We’ll start reading at verse 13 as we consider this experience on the day of the resurrection. Luke 24:13-35 (ESV): 13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. This is God’s word. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of God will stand forever. Let’s pray. Opening Prayer Father, I pray that You would be with us this morning. Open our eyes, even as You opened the eyes of Cleopas and his friend. I pray that You would open our thinking, our sensing, our feeling, and our yielding. Open our will and our stubborn motivations to You as well. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. Reflecting on Modern Celebrations vs. the Original Resurrection I was talking with my kids who are in town for the holiday, and my youngest daughter was commenting about an experience she had. She wondered, given how energized everyone was at a particular event, why she wasn’t as energized. She wondered if something was wrong with her because she wasn’t experiencing that same sense of engagement. We talked about how that relates to personal thoughts and ideas, but it made me think. This time last year, there was a ton of energy about actresses like Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in the production of Wicked. For those not into musical theater, that may not mean anything. But for someone like me—a huge fan since childhood—the idea of turning that Broadway musical into a film with someone as amazing as Cynthia Erivo is exciting! But if you don’t vibe with that, you’re thinking, “What’s the big deal? Why is all this energy being exerted for two women I’ve never heard of and a play that sounds bad?” I think of that in terms of today. There is a lot of energy being exerted today. For many church people, today is the “Super Bowl.” It’s the Christian Daytona 500, the Kentucky Derby, the Final Four. There’s loud music, flashing lights, and smoke billowing from stages across American churches. Yet, if you come here this morning, maybe you’re wondering, “What’s the big deal?” Jesus Saturating Our Lives, Not Just Our Ceremonies There is a huge spectrum of how people experience the resurrection of Jesus. Here is where I think the American church sometimes gets in the way. As much as we try to pump up the volume so people get excited, you can’t get someone there just by telling them to be there. While the modern church tries to make the resurrection “larger than life,” Jesus seems to want to saturate it into our lives. Most of the resurrection experiences in Scripture happen in low-key, quiet moments. Most of the time, people were convinced of the resurrection through relationships, not large services. In the book of Acts and the Gospels, the first expressions of the resurrection happened almost quietly in the early morning. Jesus tapped into those who culture viewed as “outsiders”—the women and children. When Mary first saw Him, she didn’t recognize Him. Then, on that same day, Jesus shows up while two guys are having a conversation on a seven-mile walk. It probably took them three hours to get from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Jesus shows up, and they don’t recognize Him. What encourages me is that you don’t have to be part of the pomp and circumstance to “get” Jesus or the value of the resurrection. More often than not, Jesus is trying to ingrain the resurrection into your everyday life rather than a special ceremony. Recognizing Jesus in the Middle of Our Struggles How many of you are walking around, and Jesus is right there in your life, but you don’t recognize Him? When I talk to people in my office about life issues, most of the time I’m just trying to help them see Jesus in their experience. I’m not bringing some new methodological change or psychological understanding—though those are valuable. Usually, when people end up in my office, they are at the end of their rope. Part of what I try to help them see is that Jesus is already there. The grace of God is already in your experience. Can you see it? Can your eyes be opened to the reality of it? Cleopas and his friend didn’t get it at first. And look at how Jesus shows up—not like most “church people” do. Most church people show up with, “You know what you’re doing wrong? I’ve got an answer to a question you aren’t asking!” Jesus doesn’t do that. He says, “Hey, what are you guys talking about?” They ask Him, “Are you new in town? Have you not been here for the last three days? There have been riots, crucifixions, kangaroo courts, and women with crazy dreams!” Jesus just says, “Tell me about it.” He uses questions to uncover them, to open their eyes, and to see where they are. My dad used to say, “Boy, you’ve got two ears and one mouth. That means you should do twice as much listening as talking.” Jesus has more truth to offer than anyone on the planet, yet He enters the situation asking honest, thoughtful, engaging questions: “Where have you been for the last three days? What do you know about this? Where are you finding your hope?” When He asked what they were discussing, they “stood still, looking sad.” If He hadn’t asked, He might not have discovered how downcast they were. When you come with more words than questions, you don’t uncover a person’s struggle. Jesus wants to elevate the struggle they are experiencing. Redemption from Internal Slavery The travelers answered, “We had hoped He was going to be the Redeemer.” In their minds, “Redeemer” meant setting them free from their Roman lords. They wanted a government, a culture, and a level of privilege that they desired. They wanted redemption from their circumstances. If you come to Easter with that same sense, you’re going to miss Jesus every time. Jesus isn’t primarily trying to set us free from our circumstances because that’s not the biggest problem we have. He’s trying to set us free from our internal slavery—the slavery of self, of self-salvation, and the coping mechanisms we become enslaved to. Whether it’s an addiction the world condemns or one the world applauds (like being a high achiever), these are often ways we avoid the “downcastness” of our hearts. Jesus asks, “How do you understand the resurrection? What’s been going on the last three days?” He then spent three hours describing Himself from the Bible, starting with Moses and the Prophets. He used the Scriptures to show that the biggest problem we have is an internal one. Until you and I understand the depth of our need for freedom from the slavery of self, the cross and the resurrection make no sense. I can’t get you excited on the outside about Easter if you aren’t passionate on the inside about what Jesus did for you. The Peril We Face and the Cost of Grace There’s a great word I learned as a kid from John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The root of “perish” is peril. Jesus, by His death, saves us from the peril we are in. If you don’t have an internal sense that you are in peril, salvation means nothing. If you aren’t drowning, why do you need a lifeguard? Jesus’ sacrifice can seem noble or “oddly crazy” until you realize you were the one in the way of the truck. If someone snatched you from peril and was placed under peril themselves in the process, now the cross means something completely different. Now, internal passion is greater than external force. That’s why the resurrection experiences are personal. Jesus enters a personal conversation with two guys on a road. They spent three hours talking, and they invited Him to stay because it was getting dark. Jesus acted “as if” He were going further because He wanted to stay—He wanted to engage them more deeply until their eyes were opened. The moment that clicked for them was a natural, ordinary, memorable moment. They sat down, He gave thanks, took the bread, broke it, and gave it to them. And they remembered Him. Conclusion: The Meaning of the Table That’s why He gave us the Supper. It’s why we have a big breakfast on Easter—to remember. Memories, drama, and storytelling are powerful; they are how God made us. When we see the bread broken and the wine spilled, we are reminded of spilled blood and broken humanity. For humanity to find salvation, someone had to be broken. Freedom is not free; it is costly. God isn’t simply merciful because it’s His character; He is merciful because the price has been paid. He told Adam and Eve that sin brings death, but rather than rejecting humanity, He took the peril Himself so we could take the freedom. If you “get” that—if your spiritual eyes are opened—then come and receive the grace of God. If you’re still puzzled or it feels purely external, then wait and watch. Keep walking; maybe you haven’t finished your seven-mile walk yet. But if today it makes sense, and you see Jesus sitting there offering the bread and the wine, then take Jesus. Trust Jesus. He is as powerful and resurrected today as He was that very first day. Let’s pray. Father, thank You for Your grace and the drama of Your word. These simple elements—bread and wine—reflect that You nourish us and change us from the inside out. Life comes to us through Your brokenness. We thank You that our records are cleared and replaced with the record of Jesus. Show up again, walk on the road with us, and make Yourself known through the message and the relationships. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

This transcript is AI-generated and may contain errors. Please refer to the original audio for accurate information and meaning. Introduction As we continue in worship, let’s turn our attention to John chapter 12, starting in verse 12, as we turn our attention to the word of God. This morning is typically a Sunday in the life of the church where we consider the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem as he begins his journey to the cross in the final days of his earthly ministry. And so this morning, as we take a look at this, we are considering the work of Jesus on our behalf and the build-up to that reality. I think this passage encourages us that we can go to Jesus. So as we look at this passage, we’ll consider that we can, in fact, go to Jesus and that we can do that because: Jesus first comes to us. Jesus comes with peace. Jesus comes with eternal life. He comes to raise the dead. And so, because of those things, we can go to Jesus. With that in mind, let’s turn our attention to the word of God and give ourselves to the reading of it this morning. Scripture Reading: John 12:12-19 “The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!’ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: ‘Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.’ At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him'”. Sermon: Why We Can Go to Jesus As we consider going to Jesus, maybe you’ve been a Christian for a while, maybe you’re new to the church, maybe you’re exploring Christianity, or maybe you’re here for some other reason this morning. Sometimes when we hear the phrase “go to Jesus,” we think of the phrase, “We had a ‘come to Jesus’ moment”. Usually, when that phrase is used, it’s in the context of somebody being at rock bottom. They got to the end of themselves, they’re in a deep dark place, and we describe a turnaround in their life by saying, “Well, they had a ‘come to Jesus’ moment and now look at where they’re at now”. Or maybe you’ve heard the joking phrase, “Y’all need Jesus,” on a t-shirt, a hat, or a Facebook post. The context of those phrases are true; we do need Jesus. There is something broken within us—a desperate brokenness that we cannot fix. We cannot save ourselves from the reality of our sin. But often when we approach going to Jesus, we equate it with a moral transformation. We think going to Jesus is just going to help us mind our p’s and q’s and help us color within the lines better. 1. A Whole-Life Transformation Jesus certainly does transform our morality, but he doesn’t just transform our morality; he transforms our whole being. In fact, he takes us from death to life. As the Apostle Paul describes the reality of salvation, he describes it as we have died to those former things and we are now made alive in Christ. Behold, the old things have passed away and the new things have come. To be a believer in Jesus—to truly come to Jesus—is not just slapping a band-aid on a problem, but instead is receiving a whole-life transformation characterized by us going from spiritual death to spiritual life through the power and the work of Jesus. 2. Jesus Comes to Us First Maybe the question that comes to your mind as you consider going to Jesus is, “Why would I go to Jesus?” Maybe a doubt I hear from a lot of folks is, “Well, you know, I’ve done too much bad in my life. I’m too far gone. That would be too insurmountable of a process for me to go through in order to get to Jesus”. I think our sinful nature tells us that in order to go to Jesus, we have to make ourselves clean before we get to him. We need to make sure that we haven’t sinned any big sins with enough time before we go to Jesus. We need to make sure that we’ve done enough service at the church, that we’ve read enough of our Bibles, and that we’ve had enough of the sacraments before we’re acceptable to go to Jesus. But as Jesus is descending towards the cross, as he’s going down into Jerusalem, throughout all of his ministry, he’s had the scribes, the Pharisees, and the chief priests following him around, trying to trip him up. And as he finally gets to the end of his ministry, he’s not fleeing those people, but he’s going down to the place where these people reside—to Jerusalem, where the temple is and where everybody’s gathering for the Passover festival. He’s going into the heart of those who are against him, and he does this willingly and with deliberate intent. He wants to save his people through his work on the cross. What that shows us is that Jesus is not waiting for us to come to him, but instead, he’s coming to us. He goes to the cross for our sake; he goes down into Jerusalem for our sake. In this, he’s reflecting that first Passover instituted in Exodus 12 as the Israelites flee Egypt. Jesus is the true and better Passover Lamb. We need atonement; we need something to die in order for us to live. In order for our sins to be passed over, somebody needs to take the punishment that we deserve. 3. Jesus Comes with Peace Is this Jesus someone who can be trusted? Maybe you’ve heard rumors that he’s vindictive, a bigot, or judgmental. He is God, and he does come to judge the living and the dead at the end of all things. But for his people, he comes as someone who is lowly and gentle. He comes on a colt. He desires to draw close to his people. He’s gentle to us; he doesn’t reject us or deal with us with harshness. There are many false characterizations of who Jesus is—that he is harsh and wrathful towards his people. But as you read through the scriptures, we see that Jesus is full to the brim with gentleness, humility, and grace for his people. There is more mercy in God than there is sin in us. We cannot extinguish the mercy and the grace of Jesus that is given to us by our sin; his grace and his mercy will always overwhelm the reality of sin in our lives. 4. Jesus Comes to Bring Life Jesus does not come to invoke fear in you. We should be confronted with our sin and our need for a savior, but more than just being overwhelmed by the law, we also need the balm of the gospel. We need the reality that Jesus does not come to crush us, but to restore us. He doesn’t come to kill us, but to bring us to life—true life in him. Jesus comes with peace for his people; he does not come with warfare for his people. The donkey imagery is helpful because he’s not riding in on a war horse; he’s riding in on a humble, plodding animal that speaks of humility. He doesn’t come in the garb of just a conquering king; he is the king of the universe, but he does not come in order to crush us and subjugate us, but instead to set us free, to draw near to us, and to heal us. Conclusion Our understanding of Jesus does not have to be perfect in order for us to go to him. The disciples missed these things when they were there with him as he went into Jerusalem. That’s instructive for us; we don’t have to have all the answers or have the Westminster Shorter Catechism memorized. Jesus comes to you where you are and he desires for you to come to him because he’s full of grace and mercy for you. The central work that Jesus does—he doesn’t come to just fix our morality or just to bring justice—he comes to make the dead live. Because of our original sin, there is nothing in us that pleases God; we are dead in our trespasses and sins. But while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He came to reconcile all things to himself through the work on the cross. Jesus is not content to just put band-aids and temporary fixes on us; he comes to bring the dead to life. This morning, as you hear the word of God, as you feel the tug of the spirit, Jesus is drawing you to himself. As we remember the work of Jesus, we place our hope not in just having our sins smoothed over, but instead, we rest in the reality that Jesus came to bring new life. To be born again, you must go to Jesus, and thanks be to God, Jesus has come to you. He comes with peace and he comes to make you alive. So friends, go to Jesus. Closing Prayer Father, we thank you for your grace that you love us, and we pray that you would open our hearts and our minds to you this morning. We pray that we would respond to the work of Jesus, that we would rest in him, and that we would behold his faithfulness to us. We pray that that would give us great joy and delight in this life, that it would be bolstering to our lives, and that we would look ahead to him in all things. May you remind us that the work of Jesus is not just meant to patch us up and send us on our way, but is instead meant to transform the reality of all that we are. We ask all these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

This transcript was generated using AI technology and may contain inaccuracies. For the most accurate information and context, please refer to the original audio recording. The Farewell Discourse: John 14 Please turn to John 14. We are looking at a short series in relation to the coming season of Easter. Holy Week starts this Sunday, and the season of Lent historically precedes Easter to focus our attention on Christ’s atonement and the work He came to accomplish. As we set our minds on that, there is no better place to look than what Jesus’ mind was set on as He approached Easter. We are looking at a section from His “Farewell Discourse”—the time He spent with the disciples in the Upper Room during the Last Supper. “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:15-18) The Parting Gift Usually, when someone leaves a company after 25 or 50 years, they are given a gold watch or an anniversary gift. The parting gift normally goes to the person who is leaving. But in this instance, Jesus is the one going away, yet He is the one giving the gifts. As Jesus approached the cross, His disciples were predominantly on His mind. However, the disciples didn’t realize He was leaving. To them, this was an abrupt change in direction. Jesus gives them this information in advance so that when it happens, they will believe it was part of the plan. The gift He gives them isn’t a substance or a force; it is a person. He says in verse 26 that He is sending an Advocate, a Counselor, the Holy Spirit. More of Jesus, Not Less Most people think that when someone goes away, you get less of them. Jesus says the opposite: “Because I go away, you get more of me.” In John 14:12, He says, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” This is why, after the resurrection, He tells Mary Magdalene not to hold onto Him. We often think physical proximity is the greatest form of connection, but Jesus argues that His spiritual presence through the Holy Spirit is a “greater” presence. The Number One Attraction I once met a woman who worked as a character at Disney World. I asked her who the most visited character was, assuming it was Mickey Mouse. She said, “Nope. It’s Cinderella.” People stand in massive lines just to be near her, to touch her, or to get a picture. We have an internal affection for physical proximity. We see this with the woman who wanted to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment. We see it in people who travel to Augusta just to “touch the grass” at The Masters. But Jesus is saying: “You don’t have to touch me to have me.” His physical presence was limited to one place at one time, but His spiritual presence is available to all. The Paradox of Self Jesus gives us more of Himself so that we can have less of ourselves. The paradox of the Gospel is that having “less of you” actually leads to the “greatest you.” The more we de-center ourselves, the more we become our fullest selves. Jesus says, “I will not leave you as orphans.” He isn’t abandoning us; He is empowering us. Love and Obedience Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In the Gospel, love and obedience are inextricably connected. You cannot have one without the other. At its root, obedience is de-centralizing “me” for the sake of another. * When you love a child, you de-center your own needs. In a marriage or friendship, love moves away from “what I want” toward the other person. This isn’t out of obligation; it’s a symbiotic relationship. Religion often teaches “do these things to get this result,” but the Gospel is about being so enamored with Christ that you naturally move toward His will. Making a Home In verse 23, Jesus says: “My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” When we think of “nesting” in a home, we think of minor repairs or decorations. But Jesus wants to turn the “fixer-upper” of our souls into a palace where He can dwell. He takes all His resources and creativity to make His people a beautiful dwelling place. The Role of the Advocate The Holy Spirit acts as our Advocate (an attorney or counselor). He argues to our spirit: He reminds us daily that we are children of God when we forget our identity. He argues to the Father: When we sin, the Advocate doesn’t just ask for mercy; he appeals to justice. He reminds the Father that the debt has already been paid by Jesus. The Spirit of Truth frees us from the lies we tell ourselves about our sin and our position with God. This is the source of the peace that “frees our hearts from trouble.”

Note: This transcript is AI-generated and may contain errors. Please refer to the original audio for the most accurate information and meaning. Introduction to the Upper Room Discourse Thank you, Jesse. I appreciate that. Turn to our text for today, John 14. It is in the bulletin, online, on a device that you have, or in a Bible in front of you. As we approach Easter, part of the theme we have been focusing on to give our minds a sense of where we are aiming is looking at the things that were on Jesus’ mind as He approached Easter. As He gets closer and closer to the cross, Passion Week, and ultimately the resurrection, He is telling the disciples about Himself and providing for us what we cannot provide for ourselves. John 14 is known as the Upper Room Discourse. It is Jesus’ final upper room discourse where, for three chapters, He tells the disciples what is on His mind. We cannot cover it all, but we will look at a piece of it. Scripture Reading: John 14:1–14 Read along as I read John 14:1 aloud: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My father’s house has many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and you have seen Him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you for such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority; rather, it is the Father living in me who is doing His work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.” “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have done, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” This is God’s word. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of God will stand forever. Opening Prayer Lord, be with us as we contemplate Your word. Speak to the hurting places, the dark places, the suffering places, and the apathetic places. Speak by Your word to the places of pride and disillusionment, to the places of discouragement and fear. Speak to the center of who we are, even into those anxious, unknown places, that we might find the life You promised. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen. The Desire for the “Inside Track” I was talking to a friend last week about a job they are applying for in Baltimore. I am from Baltimore, and my son is particularly connected to various community agencies there. I told my friend, “Let me talk to my son; maybe he knows somebody who would be able to give a thumbs up or a word to help.” Why is that something we think about? Why does my friend hope that is a good thing? It is because if I know someone on the inside, they might be able to give me the inside track. We live in a world that is more reflective of “it’s who you know, not what you know.” If you don’t know anybody, that system seems unjust and privileged. But it shows how the human heart operates. I want to know the inside. Show me the secret path; give me the secret password; help me get on the inside without having to go through all the red tape. Jesus says here: if you want to get on the inside and you don’t want to go through all the red tape, it’s about knowing Me. It’s about knowing My Father. Christianity as a Relationship Christianity is about who you know. At its center, the Gospel is about a relationship—a knowing, ongoing relationship with God. The first words out of Jesus’ mouth to His disciples in this discourse are: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled.” He says, “I know you, and I know your hearts are troubled.” They are troubled because they don’t know where Jesus is going. Philip says, “Just show us the Father and it’ll all be good.” Humanity has been in a search for a connection with God since the beginning of time. Our stories and mythologies—Greek, Norse—are all about creating this world of gods and goddesses to find a way out of this world into that divine place. Literature and art tell us more about the human condition than science sometimes does. Science describes what is going on, but literature and art tell me what I want to go on—the motivations of my inner world. The Problem of the Troubled Heart Why do we want this deeper connection? Why are our hearts troubled? My wife, Becky, and I were having dinner this week. She mentioned she felt a little anxious and troubled. Later that week, I felt the same way. Neither of us could put our finger on why. There is an inner troubledness—a sense of unease—that everyone experiences. Whether it’s a lack of confidence or a question of identity, the human heart has been trying to overcome this since the beginning. Even in the “theology of Barbie”—when Barbie goes to the real world, she is troubled and anxious. She only finds peace when she finds her connection to her creator and discovers what the creator put in her. Restoration of Connectivity In the beginning, God made everything perfect. But on day six, He said something was “not good”: that man should be alone. Even with a relationship with God, man needed a sense of connectivity where he could know and be known by others. When that relationship with God broke down at the place of sin, humans didn’t feel like themselves anymore. Adam and Eve hid from God; they became “allergic” to Him. Adam said, “I was ashamed, so I covered myself.” This was the start of the hiding and the shame. Jesus is saying, “As I approach the cross, I don’t want you to be troubled.” How do we overcome the troubled, uneasy heart? Jesus makes the connection: through belief. The solution He offers is a person, not a philosophy or a strategy. He says, “Trust me.” The more trust I put in myself or in this horizontal world, the more unease I develop. Our problem is that we put our trust in the wrong place. The “Secret Code” Jesus says, “I can give you the secret code. The secret code is Me.” When my kids lived in Las Vegas, there was a speakeasy called “The Laundry.” To get in, you couldn’t just look it up online. You had to have the password and the location from someone who had actually been there. They gave out these little pins that looked like laundry pins with the password on them. When we went, we had to go past the main address, into the alley, down the stairs, to a door that looked like a maintenance door. There was only one way in. Jesus is saying, “I’m giving you the one way in.” People object to Jesus being exclusive, but He isn’t putting it out there like He is “better”; He is putting it out there because it is true. The Intimacy of Knowing Jesus says to Philip, “How long have I been with you? If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” Jesus is claiming to be God. He says, “If you want the troubles of your heart relieved, believe in Me.” The thing about knowing someone is that the more you know them, the more exclusive and intimate the relationship becomes. The more I know my wife, the more I say, “Of all the billions of women out there, I pick you.” If that exclusivity is broken, the relationship breaks. For some people, Christianity is too personal. We fear that intimacy because of the loss of control. If you want to maintain control in your life, don’t get married, don’t have children, and don’t have friendships. When you enter a relationship, you lose power over your own life. Jesus wants to go deep. He wants to heal the inner turmoil, the guilt, and the shame through an intimate knowledge of Him—not just an informational knowledge (facts and figures), but a personal one. Conclusion: The Sacrifice for Connection The amazing thing isn’t just that we can know God, but that God wants to know us. Jesus says, “I am going to prepare a place for you because I want you where I am.” He signed that agreement in His own blood. Any religion that tells you that you can be connected with God without a cost or a sacrifice is a lie. Jesus proved His love by laying down His life. He went down the road of the cross so that He could be abandoned by God, crying out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” He was abandoned so that you and I could have a way to know God and experience His connection. When you believe that truth, it creates life in us.

Note: This transcript is AI-generated and may contain errors. Please refer to the original audio for the most accurate information and meaning. Introduction Thank you, Jesse. Turn to Matthew chapter 20. We’re going to look again at—in this season as we approach the cross, as we approach Easter—we’re looking at the “Jesus approach” in His earthly ministry. What was on His mind as He came closer and closer to the time of His own death and resurrection? The season of Lent is often a time when we set aside time to contemplate the coming season of resurrection. Part of what we’re doing this year is to think—and we’ve had various different themes—but this year we’re looking at, okay, what was on Jesus’ mind? And there was a lot. We’re not going to get to cover it all, but we’re going to get to cover pieces of what was on His mind prior to His death. I mentioned the first week we did this that wouldn’t it have been great if the disciples could have lived now following Jesus? Because then they could rewind the tape and listen to it again. You and I get to rewind the tape every day. We get to go back and go, “What did He say? What was it again? I forget what He said.” You know, you’re doing that with the reels that you watch; you keep watching it over and over again, and that’s how you get those “thirst traps” coming in because you didn’t hear it the first time, or you didn’t see it the first time. The Scripture Reading We’re going to look at Matthew chapter 20. I’m going to go back a little bit further than what you have printed in the bulletin; the section is printed shorter than what I’m going to read. I’m just going to add a little section which I’ll allude to as we go through, starting at verse 17: “Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, He took the twelve aside and said to them, ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day, He will be raised to new life.’ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of Him. ‘What is it you want?’ He asked. She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right hand and the other on the left in your kingdom.’ ‘You don’t know what you’re asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink the cup I am drinking that I am going to drink?’ ‘We can,’ they answered. Jesus said to them, ‘You will indeed drink from the cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.’ When the ten heard this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.'” This is God’s word. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of God will stand forever. Opening Prayer Let’s pray. Father, be with us this morning. Be in our thinking and in our feeling, be in our acting, be in our motivation, be in our sense of captivation. Lord, I pray that you would let your word wash in us, that it would have rooted impact on the way that we think and perceive the world, the way that we feel and understand our desires, and that it would have impact on the way that we decide and move forward with actions of faith. I pray that you would do that for your glory and for the transformation of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen. The Stubborn Blind Spot I grew up with a grandfather and a father who would always tell the same jokes over and over again. I don’t know if you had a father like that. I thought some of these jokes were just… you know. And as old men get older, they just keep telling the same thing. I swore I wasn’t going to be that guy. But sadly, I asked Becky this week, “Are there jokes that I tell all the time?” She rolled her eyes first, and then she said, “Every time I tell you I just got back from the horse farm and I’m going to jump in the shower real quick, you always say, ‘Be careful, don’t slip jumping in the shower!'” As I can hear from your laughter, it’s not that funny. But I do it all the time. Why do I do it? Why did my father do it? It’s exactly the problem that Jesus is dealing with in this passage: they’re doing it again, and they don’t know they’re doing it again. What are they doing again? They’re coming to Jesus trying to hoist themselves on Him and trying to make themselves greater than they are. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come to Jesus and say, “Can I be the one on your right and can I be the one on your left?” And Jesus is like, “Dude, weren’t you here last week? Last week we talked about the parable of the sower in the field who brought workers in, and at the last minute, the last workers got the same wage as the first workers? The last shall be first, and the first shall be last?” They were there listening to that, and it’s almost as if He wants to say to them, “Weren’t you here when I just said it’s about being last? And now here you are with your mother!” Now, Mark’s telling of this story was that they went. Matthew’s story tells us that the mother went and the boys came along. I’m not sure it matters. I have a mother who is probably more like Zebedee’s wife. My mother loves me; to this very day, if I tell my mother I’m in a show, she’ll say, “Are you the lead?” I go, “No, Mom, I’m the father of the daughter of the person…” “Well, you should be the lead! Is there some reason they didn’t put you in that position?” That’s Zebedee’s mom. But going up to Jesus and saying, “Hey Jesus, you want to do me a favor and could James be on one side and John on the other?” Jesus rolls His eyes. I love the idea that Jesus rolls His eyes. I don’t think there’s any sin in that; I think He’s just acknowledging the irony of the situation. I just preached a sermon about being last, and I just finished telling you, “I’m going up to Jerusalem where I’m going to be flogged and beaten and crucified.” Which sermon did you miss? Because the first one was a metaphor about being last, and then the second sermon was an actual history lesson about being last. There are three avenues I want us to look at in here: the stubborn blind spot, the call to anonymity, and the only power for change. 1. The Stubborn Blind Spot This stubborn blind spot—pride and self-aggrandizement—is so blind. C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, has a chapter on pride and he calls it “The Great Sin.” You and I are so self-driven, so wrapped up in ourselves, we don’t even know when we’re telling the same joke. We don’t feel it when we’re exerting ourselves in a situation. Pride and the sense of self-aggrandizement isn’t a thing that’s hiding; it’s a cancer that’s contaminating every other aspect. It’s got tentacles and a molecular structure that goes into every aspect of our lives. You’ll find it surprisingly in everything. Think about conversations at a party. You’re out with friends, and someone says, “Hey, we just went to the Grand Canyon.” What’s your next comment? “Oh my gosh, I love going to the Grand Canyon,” or “I’d love to go.” What’s the common denominator? “You” and “I”. I did this as a young pastor in Bible studies. Somebody would say something, and then I’d have to say something. Somebody else would say something, and I’d have to repeat it or make a comment on every single person because I’m the pastor. But it’s also because I’m Drew. Drew has things to say. And I would say, “Well, I’m an extroverted processor, I don’t really process my mind until I put it out there on the table.” Extroversion is a temperament, but sometimes the extrovert needs to be told, “Dude, just think about it. Nobody has to hear what you’re thinking all the time. Your thoughts aren’t the most valuable thing on the table right now”. What pride says is: “My clay is more important than your clay.” That’s where my pride and my self-centeredness come out. It’s so stubborn; it doesn’t want to die. It takes the “chemotherapy of the Gospel” pounding on us every day to kill the cancer that is pride within us. Pride is an attempt to control, to bring power, to find identity. In those moments, I want to be known for something. I want to be powerful over confusion. I want to be known as “in” rather than “out,” a part rather than alone. Pride whispers, “If you don’t say something, you’re going to be anonymous. You’re going to get lost. If you don’t do this thing, you’re not going to get what you deserve.” I told Becky a number of years ago that I believed what we needed most in our marriage was “words”—my words. I thought the power to change and benefit our marriage was my words. I didn’t realize the utter cancer of that. Who ever gave me the idea that what I had to say was the thing that was going to bring beauty and power? Me. The lie of pride. 2. The Call to Anonymity Jesus says, “Not so with you.” When religious leaders or people who aren’t following Christ feel things loosening, they lord it over others and exert themselves. But not so with my people. It’s okay if the spotlight moves away. Actually, the way of the Kingdom is that the spotlight can move away. Turn to Philippians chapter 2, verse 5: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ: Who, being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” He was equal with God, but He surrendered that grasping. When the spotlight of Godness was moving away from Jesus at His death and in His humanity, He didn’t grasp at it. He made Himself nothing, took on the very nature of a servant. That’s the trajectory of a life with Him: the call to anonymity. The last thing anybody wants to be is anonymous. We want followers; we need somebody to notice us. We don’t want to be forgotten. Jesus was the most unknown person. His whole life, there were less and less and less people until finally everyone leaves Him—then three left in the garden, then only John at the foot of the cross, then only the women. Even at the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” God forgot Him. Jesus took that road of anonymity not just to present an example, but to save you from utter anonymity. Because Jesus went all the way down that road where everyone left Him, if you trust in Christ, you will never have to walk that road. God will never forget you. You are like the child at the breast of God. He says, “I will always remember you. I will sing about you.” That’s why Jesus promises: don’t follow the path of human pride because you don’t need it. The spotlight needs to move away so that you can revel in the fact that God remembers you. My sense of identity comes from His remembering, not my exerting. 3. The Only Power for Change The reason He calls us to this path is because it’s the only powerful path to change. Change doesn’t occur any other way—not good change. When His people are out of the spotlight, when they are the disenfranchised, the servants, and the slaves rather than the lords, it expresses the beauty of the image of Jesus. I love the story of Les Misérables. It’s the story of Jean Valjean’s redemption. He was a man put in prison for stealing bread, broke rocks for years, and was finally released with nothing. He was taken in by a priest, and while there, he stole silver candlesticks. When he was caught by the prison guard, Javert, the priest said, “Oh, you forgot the silver cups I gave you!” By that act of grace, Valjean was saved. He became a new man, eventually becoming the mayor of a town. Years later, a heavy cart is about to run over a man in the town. Valjean runs to the cart and lifts it off the man, saving his life. Javert, who is still looking for Valjean, says, “I’ve never seen such strength in a man except for a man named Jean Valjean.” Later, when another man is wrongly accused of being Valjean, the real Valjean goes to court and reveals himself to save an anonymous man. During the French Revolution, Valjean has the chance to kill Javert, who has been hunting him. He has the power to end his woes, but he surrenders his power to be gracious to a man who didn’t deserve grace. He was willing to become anonymous to save others. Javert couldn’t bear to be saved because to be saved, he had to admit he needed saving. He couldn’t get out of his own spotlight, so he ended it all. When the Savior who is willing to surrender it all for you deeply impacts your thinking, you’re able and willing to say, “I don’t have to hold on to any of me.” You live a life where you’re constantly discovering ways you can surrender yourself. The only way you have the power to do that is by Jesus lifting the “cart” off of your life. Closing Prayer Thank you, Father, for the work you’ve done on our behalf. Thank you for teaching us not just by example but by giving us tangible power—the power of yourself—to surrender ourselves and to be on the lookout for that cancer of pride. May a regular dose of your grace transform us and transform the world. Your people don’t need to be powerful to change the world; we need your power. Do that for our homes, our community, and our world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

[!IMPORTANT] This transcript is AI-generated and may contain errors. Please refer to the original audio for accurate information and the speaker’s intended meaning. Introduction and Scripture Reading Thank you, Jesse. Turn to Matthew’s Gospel. If you don’t have a Bible, just use the one printed in the bulletin there, or you can get it on your device. We’re looking at Matthew 20. We’re about a month away from Easter. When Jesus was living with his disciples, the closer he got to the time of the cross, his messages became more intense. There was a greater sense of weight that accompanied them. There were specific things Jesus focused on with his disciples as he approached that season. Often, these were parables related to the Kingdom of God. He was establishing himself—much like in our modern political climate, we elect candidates based on the kind of nation or vision they present. In that same regard, Jesus is describing what kind of world, life, and place his kingdom is going to be. He’s telling us this in increasingly solemn ways the closer he gets to the cross. Look, if you will, at Matthew 20:1-16: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into the vineyard. About nine in the morning, he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. He went out again at about noon and at about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon, he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going to the first.’ The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last only worked an hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ He answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” This is God’s word. The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of God will stand forever. Let’s pray. Father, be with us this morning as we look at your word. Help us to understand its truth in our minds and let it captivate our senses and emotions. Lord, help us to trust in your grace and your vision for us, that we might then act in accordance with all that you have desired for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen. “That’s Not Fair!” When my kids were young, we had a rule. I don’t know where Becky came up with this—it was certainly her idea—but we saw another parent do it and thought it was cool. When there was only one piece of cake left and everyone wanted it, the rule was: one cuts and the other picks. We thought this was cool because, as parents, we didn’t have to referee the cake situation anymore. The one who cuts has to be incredibly meticulous because they know the other person gets to pick first. They are laser-accurate on that slice. We taught our kids two underlying principles to help them understand how life actually operates: Life is not fair. You are not special. The phrase I desperately never wanted to hear in my house—the one that grates on my ears even decades after my children have left—is: “That’s not fair!” The reason I tell you that story is because Jesus, in this parable, is helping us understand the nature of the Kingdom of God. When the workers who came first hear that the workers who arrived at the eleventh hour (5:00 PM) are getting paid the same, they go: “Wait, that’s not fair!” A Modern Parable of Merit There was an author named Jerry Bridges who told this story as a modern parable. At the beginning of the semester, an English professor gives out the syllabus with various readings, checkpoints, and papers, with one final exam at the end to decide the grade. Now, I was the kind of student who would go to class, but if there wasn’t attendance taken, I might slide in at the last minute. But then there were the other people—the ones dividing up the readings, going to study groups, and handing in every assignment on time. At the end of the semester, after the exam is over, the professor hands back the grades and says: “Everybody gets an A.” Who do you think is most angry about that situation? It’s the people who did all the work, all the extra credit, and all the assignments. We think it’s unfair because of what this parable uncovers in the human heart: I didn’t realize how much I operate on a meritorious system. We live in a system based on merit, effort, and “you get what you pay for.” A quid pro quo system. But Jesus says the Kingdom of God is not meritorious. It is a gracious system based on grace. Why the First-Comers Grumble The only people who get angry about this passage are the ones who think they are “first-comers.” The people who aren’t tweaked by this are the ones who showed up at 5:00 PM. They’re walking away going, “Oh my gosh! I just got a whole day’s wage for one hour of work! This is amazing!” The first workers got exactly what they agreed to. They got what the job was worth. But when they see the landowner’s generosity toward others, they feel slighted. If it were your field, you’d probably pay the people who worked longer more money. That’s how we are naturally built. The world tells us the strong are in and the weak are out; the productive are in and the lazy are out. But this parable tells us the humble are in and the proud are out. Jesus isn’t inviting us to be “first” by pretending to be “last,” because that would just be another merit system. He is inviting us to simply be last. To be the person who is just happy to be there. Comparison is Deadly Comparison is dangerous. It is deadly. Peter asked the same thing. After Jesus tells Peter how he will suffer and die, Peter looks at the disciple John and asks, “Well, what about him?” Christian tradition says Peter was eventually crucified upside down at his own request, feeling unworthy to die as his Lord did. John, meanwhile, lived to a grand old age on an island. Jesus told Peter, “If I want him to remain until I come again, that’s my business.” He’s telling Peter the same thing as the parable: the Kingdom of Heaven is about the humble. The humble person—the “wretch on the corner” who has been doing nothing all day—isn’t wondering what everyone else is getting. They are just stunned to be included. Everything is a Gift Everything about this parable is a gift. The landowner clearly has wealth and intentionally goes out five times to find workers. He doesn’t just put a sign up; he goes out himself. He is the one bearing the load to find people. Even for the 6:00 AM workers, it was a gift. If the landowner hadn’t gone down to the docks to hire them, they wouldn’t have had work that day. Unless you see your life as a gift, you will struggle with suffering, grief, and loss. When something is taken away, our first reaction is often, “Wait a minute! I paid my dues! I did my best! I didn’t deserve this!” But when we realize that even our children, our health, and our very lives are gifts from God, we can pray like the woman who lost her young child: “Lord, she was a gift. She was yours to begin with, she was yours when she was mine, and now she is yours again. I surrender back the gift.” How can God be generous when we lose something? I don’t have all the answers. That’s why we have the Psalms and the language of lament. But lament teaches us that God’s lack of “fairness” in our eyes isn’t because he isn’t generous. Look at the landowner—he is extravagantly, almost recklessly generous. Until we see ourselves as the “5:00 PM worker”—the one who deserves nothing but receives everything—we won’t be able to live joyfully and peacefully. The problem isn’t the parable; it’s the reader. We think we aren’t “any old wretch”—we think we’re special. When you realize you’re already in the gutter, you can’t look down on anyone else. That is the nature of the Kingdom. That is the grace of God. Thank you, Lord, for your grace that levels our thinking and the playing field of our power. When we live in a world of comparison, we are only happy when we are “right” or “winning.” But when you tell us the proud are out and the humble are in, it cuts away at our self-achievement. Show us our real selves and give us the generous grace you provide. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Note: This transcript is AI-generated and may contain errors. Please refer to the original audio for the most accurate information and meaning. Introduction: Preparing for the Cross Turn to the text for today: Matthew 25 in the Gospel. We’re going to do a bit of a small series. This season—the season prior to Easter—is often termed in religious circles as “Lent.” It is the season representing the 40 days of Jesus’ suffering in the wilderness, his fasting, and his being tempted by the devil. We use it in our modern context as a way of preparing for Easter, getting our hearts in the right place. What strikes me when we look at the scriptures is: What did Jesus think was important to prepare people for the cross? We’re going to look at the things He said to prepare His disciples—the people in the day in which He lived. How did He prepare them for the cross? It’s a big group of things. John spends half his book on it; Matthew spends a good bit of chapters on it. We aren’t going to be able to do it all, but we’ll do as much as we can in the next weeks to prepare ourselves for the Easter season as Jesus prepared His disciples. The Benefit of “Instant Replay” Whenever I do this sort of thing, I always get a little imaginative. I wonder to myself: how much would the disciples have been thrilled? A lot of what we talk about—like this morning in Matthew 25—the disciples heard all at once. What would it have been like for them to go, “Hey, can we just go back to that one and talk about that for a minute?” In the span of Jesus’ ministry, they did that occasionally, but not nearly as much as you and I get to do because we have it written down. We can look at it again, see what words He used, how He said it, and what picture He was trying to create. Instant replay is great! We live in an age of streaming; we are so used to replay, looking at things and digesting them again and again. The disciples generally got to hear it once. We get to really “chew” it and let it savor in our experience. Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:31-46 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'” “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'” “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depar from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'” “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” The “Gorilla” in the Video I was talking to someone the other day about how you can get caught in these algorithms and realize you’ve gone down a vortex. I got sucked into a vortex of neurological quizzes. One was very interesting: it tells you to watch a video and count the number of passes a team makes with a basketball. You watch, you count carefully—let’s say it was five passes. At the end, it confirms you got the right number. Then they ask: “Did you notice that while that was happening, a man in a gorilla suit passed through the video?” And you think, “No way, there was no gorilla.” Then you watch it again, and doggone it, it’s the same video, and there is a guy in a gorilla suit walking across, mugging for the camera. Neurologically, what they tell you is the brain does what you tell it to do. When the brain is prepared to focus on one thing, it focuses so intensely that it misses the whole picture. I mention that because, in Jesus’ parables, sometimes you don’t notice the “gorilla” walking through the middle of the video. We focus on the things we think we’re supposed to see, but we miss the big picture. Three Core Questions This parable of the sheep and the goats is a prophetic parable. It’s not just describing what the Kingdom is like; it’s describing a conclusion and a direction. There are three questions—the “gorilla” He wants us to see: Where is Jesus? Are there consequences in life? Can goats become sheep? It’s About DNA, Not Just Activity Jesus divides all of humanity into two groups. It might look like He makes this judgment based on their activity, but look at how He originally divided them: Sheep and Goats. It’s not what you do; it’s who you are. The distinction isn’t your activity; it’s your DNA. Now, when you have “sheep DNA,” it comes out. By their fruit, you shall know them. I can know what a person is based on what they do; it’s an accurate reflection. People automatically do what their DNA prescribes. If your “fruit” is rotten, the cure isn’t fixing the outside; you need different DNA. In the end, it comes down to who you are at the center. Have you been made to be a sheep? Where is Jesus Found? Jesus identifies Himself with the “least of these.” He places Himself on the throne as King, but then He identifies with the people in need. If you want to find Jesus, look to the needy, the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. The response of the sheep is: “When did we do that?” They weren’t looking for Jesus while they were caring for the poor; they just simply cared for the poor. They lived their lives, and at the end, they are surprised. Their DNA—the DNA of “little Christs”—is to care for the lost, broken, and injured. On the other hand, the goats ask, “When didn’t we care for you?” Their assumption is that they were on the right path. They thought they were doing everything for Jesus, yet they were blind to Him right in front of them in the “least.” Conclusion: The Transformation Are there consequences? Yes. The things we do matter in an eternal context. Jesus isn’t trying to scare us; He’s just saying what is. He cares about the manifestation of our DNA in this world. So, which are you? And the bigger “gorilla” in the room: Can a goat become a sheep? Technically, no. A goat can put on sheep’s clothing, but it will never be a sheep. But can God turn goats into sheep? Of course He can. He is the King of creation and recreation. His first coming was to say, “I can give you a heart of flesh that cares. I can turn your heart of stone into a heart that feels for the needy.” Stop putting on sheep’s clothing. Just come to Him and ask Him to turn you from the inside out. Part of becoming a sheep is feeling the “condemnation” of the goat—that sense of dread that maybe I am not what I should be. That is the Spirit of God and the Great Shepherd saying, “I can make you new. I can change your DNA.”

Note: This transcript is AI-generated and may contain errors. Please refer to the original audio for accurate information and meaning. Introduction: Searching for Newness Great. Thank you, Jesse, so much. Turn to John chapter 13. We’re going to finish our series on the “New Life”—what is new, new year, new you, and how to find newness in a world where everything is the same. As the scripture says, “There is nothing new under the sun.” The wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, said it. It’s not a new message, but we’ve been repeating it since Solomon talked about it in Ecclesiastes. Philosophers, religious people, and parents have been telling their children for years that there’s nothing new; you’re not going to find it. Beyond the Sun: Finding Eternal Life But beyond the sun—beyond this world—there is life. We can’t find it here, but we can find it there. The more we set our minds and hearts, and the more we adjust our gaze not on the temporal but on the eternal, the more new life in this world actually does take root. We can embrace things here more faithfully, enjoy them more vigorously, and understand them in a more dignified fashion when we set our hearts on what is beyond. The Context of John 13 Today, we are looking at John chapter 13. This is the end of Jesus’ ministry. John spends half of his gospel on the final week of Jesus’ life, and he spends an immense amount of time on the four to five hours of the Last Supper. This is where we are—at the Last Supper, right before He goes to the cross. What is on His mind? How is He trying to bring them new life and hope? Reading the Scripture: John 13:31-38 Let’s read John 13:31-38: When he was gone [referring to Judas], Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself and will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: where I am going, you cannot come. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you? Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” This is God’s word. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God will stand forever. The Problem of Forgetfulness This week, as I was studying this passage, I realized I preached on this very same segment in March of last year. I thought to myself, “Maybe I don’t need to preach this today.” How many people remember what I said about this passage last March? Looking around, I see so many liars in this room! Now I have to preach it. I was baiting you on that—I’ve been thinking about doing that all week. I bring that up because we forget. We are like a sieve; everything just runs out of us. We are full of holes. We leak grace, life, hope, and the truth of God. The only way to keep a sieve full of water is to keep it under the faucet. You have to keep coming back. Part of why Jesus said to get together once a week is because we need to be refilled, but it isn’t just once a week. If you aren’t regularly getting full of it, you’re going to be empty and full of holes. The New Commandment: Love Without Limits Part of being “marinated” in the Gospel is that the flavor takes over. Jesus says that where new life and transformation can be found is in the New Commandment. At the final point of His earthly ministry, Jesus gives this command. In a way, it’s not new—Moses, Abraham, David, and the Psalms all said “love one another.” So, what makes it new? What makes it new is this: “Love one another as I have loved you.” Until that point, love had limits. But Jesus comes in and says, “Love without limits.” That is the crazy newness and the transforming idea. We are constantly putting limits on love. Even the disciples didn’t quite get this. The Limits of Human Love Recall the man who asked Jesus, “What is the greatest commandment?” He was talking about laws, rules, and morality. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” Then He gave a second one for free: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But even “love your neighbor as yourself” has a limit because it’s finite. I’m not going to love you any more than I love me. The guy asking the question was trying to make it doable; he wanted a grip on the legal system. The Story of the Good Samaritan Jesus takes this idea and makes it astronomically beyond human capacity. When the man asked, “Who is my neighbor?” he was trying to narrow the field of focus. He wanted a limit. Jesus then tells the story of the Good Samaritan. In that story, a Jew is robbed and beaten on the road. A religious priest walks by and makes an excuse—maybe he’s busy or doesn’t want to get his hands dirty. A “moral” Pharisee walks by and does the same. But the Samaritan—the person who should have hated the Jew because of racial and religious divides—stops. He mends the man’s wounds, takes him to an inn, and gives the innkeeper his credit card, saying, “Whatever he needs, put it on my tab.” Jesus asks the man, “Which of these three was a neighbor?” He puts the man in a place of not judging who he should love, but being at the center of the distress and asking, “Who would you want to have no limits when you are the one on the road?” Loving as Jesus Loved The Samaritan’s love was one-way. He didn’t care what he got back; he just loved. Jesus loves without limits, at personal and eternal expense. He says, “This is the nature of what it’s all about.” We still ask the same questions the Pharisees asked: “How can I limit this? Do I just love my church or my country?” Jesus made it clear: Love your friends and family, but also love your enemies. He bracketed it on both sides to include everyone in between. Peter’s Deflection and the Need for Grace Peter hears this and immediately deflects. He asks, “Where are you going? Why can’t I come? I’ll die for you!” Peter wants to swoop in and save the day. He wants to do his part. But Jesus has to convince him: “Peter, you don’t lay down your life for me. I lay down my life for you.” Your job is not to self-save or to sacrifice for Jesus’ benefit; His job is to sacrifice for yours. Until you let Him love you like that, you have no ability to love anyone else. You have to be loved limitlessly by the Savior Himself before you can offer that love to others. Peter couldn’t just “be”; he had to “do.” He had to contribute. When you contribute, you limit. This is why salvation is free. If you contribute even a little bit, you get to manage the terms. But since there is no contribution you can make, He gets to manage the terms. And the terms are: Love without limits. Conclusion: Experiencing the Infinite Only when you experience the height, width, depth, and length of God’s love are you empowered to not have to hold on to anything. You can just give it away. You don’t have to be threatened by what it might cost you because you have an unlimited source. You will never know that until you’ve experienced the unlimited love of God. You have to sit in your “wrongness” and be a receiver of the love of God. Only then will you be able to “feed my lambs” with limitless love. Let’s pray.