1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,917 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:22,000 [music] 3 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,125 All right, Mars Hill, a couple good announcements. 4 00:00:45,167 --> 00:00:47,083 We'll get to this in just a second. 5 00:00:47,167 --> 00:00:49,208 We want to congratulate Mars Hill Everett, 6 00:00:49,292 --> 00:00:51,000 launched our latest church. 7 00:00:51,083 --> 00:00:53,333 They had almost 800 in attendance on their opening 8 00:00:53,375 --> 00:00:57,500 Sunday, so that was a great success that we rejoice in. 9 00:00:57,583 --> 00:00:59,083 [applauding] 10 00:00:59,167 --> 00:01:00,625 You could pray, as well. 11 00:01:00,667 --> 00:01:03,333 We are currently undergoing renovation to get 12 00:01:03,375 --> 00:01:05,583 larger facilities for Mars Hill Albuquerque 13 00:01:05,667 --> 00:01:08,000 and also Mars Hill Bellevue. 14 00:01:08,042 --> 00:01:11,333 We're also in pursuit of some more seats 15 00:01:11,375 --> 00:01:13,292 for Mars Hill Downtown. 16 00:01:13,333 --> 00:01:16,625 And in January, we're going to launch three churches, 17 00:01:16,667 --> 00:01:19,167 Lord willing, on one Sunday. 18 00:01:19,250 --> 00:01:20,708 We'll start Mars Hill Rainier Valley 19 00:01:20,792 --> 00:01:23,125 in South Seattle, Mars Hill Portland, 20 00:01:23,167 --> 00:01:25,000 and also Mars Hill Orange County. 21 00:01:25,042 --> 00:01:28,000 So, it's a really great busy season for us, 22 00:01:28,083 --> 00:01:30,292 and a lot of wonderful things are going on. 23 00:01:30,333 --> 00:01:35,417 And this week, we have a really great thing to celebrate is that 24 00:01:35,500 --> 00:01:39,000 Pastor Brad and Pastor Bill have new books that are debuting 25 00:01:39,083 --> 00:01:41,875 this week under the Re:Lit brand. 26 00:01:41,958 --> 00:01:44,792 Theresurgence.com is a ministry that we run. 27 00:01:44,833 --> 00:01:46,500 There's Re:Train which is a school. 28 00:01:46,583 --> 00:01:50,333 There's, as well, Re:Lit, which is the publishing arm 29 00:01:50,375 --> 00:01:52,167 of the Resurgence ministry. 30 00:01:52,250 --> 00:01:53,708 We serve leaders around the world. 31 00:01:53,792 --> 00:01:55,917 It's now the number one Christian leadership blog 32 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,083 on the Internet and is growing very fast. 33 00:01:58,167 --> 00:02:00,417 And so we have pastors from Mars Hill, 34 00:02:00,500 --> 00:02:02,417 as well as theologians and pastors 35 00:02:02,500 --> 00:02:04,500 from other churches who publish for us. 36 00:02:04,583 --> 00:02:06,833 And so this week new books are out, 37 00:02:06,875 --> 00:02:08,833 and I'll introduce you to the authors. 38 00:02:08,875 --> 00:02:10,208 This is Pastor Bill. 39 00:02:10,292 --> 00:02:11,833 Do you guys know Pastor Bill? 40 00:02:11,875 --> 00:02:13,667 Pastor Bill. 41 00:02:13,750 --> 00:02:16,333 Pastor Bill wrote the book, "Disciple," so congratulations. 42 00:02:16,375 --> 00:02:18,667 I know that feels good to get it out. 43 00:02:18,750 --> 00:02:21,667 Their books are both on sale at all Mars Hill churches 44 00:02:21,750 --> 00:02:26,000 starting this week, and they're $13 each or 2 for $20. 45 00:02:26,083 --> 00:02:29,208 And if you buy the book at a Mars Hill church, 46 00:02:29,292 --> 00:02:31,833 all the profits go to the church. 47 00:02:31,875 --> 00:02:33,625 So, thank you guys for being generous. 48 00:02:33,667 --> 00:02:36,833 It's also available on Amazon.com and elsewhere. 49 00:02:36,875 --> 00:02:39,500 Pastor Bill, you've been in ministry for--we talked about 50 00:02:39,542 --> 00:02:41,667 this earlier--you've been a Christian for over 40 years. 51 00:02:41,750 --> 00:02:43,083 "Yeah." 52 00:02:43,167 --> 00:02:44,625 In ministry for over 30 years. 53 00:02:44,667 --> 00:02:46,625 What were you doing 30 years ago, Brad? 54 00:02:46,667 --> 00:02:48,000 "I don't know. 55 00:02:48,083 --> 00:02:50,000 I don't know if I was even born." 56 00:02:50,083 --> 00:02:52,000 "We were praying for you." 57 00:02:52,083 --> 00:02:55,208 Thirty years ago, and you served, running what was, 58 00:02:55,292 --> 00:02:57,000 at the time, the largest college ministry 59 00:02:57,083 --> 00:02:58,500 in the United States of America, 60 00:02:58,583 --> 00:03:00,583 national director, North American director for 61 00:03:00,667 --> 00:03:02,625 Sonlife, which trained-- 62 00:03:02,667 --> 00:03:05,167 "We had over 30,000 churches using our stuff." 63 00:03:05,250 --> 00:03:08,708 Over 30,000 churches using your student ministry materials. 64 00:03:08,792 --> 00:03:11,000 In addition, you planted a church that is now 65 00:03:11,083 --> 00:03:13,000 Mars Hill West Seattle, 66 00:03:13,083 --> 00:03:15,833 and you're the lead pastor at the biggest Mars Hill church, 67 00:03:15,875 --> 00:03:17,208 Mars Hill Ballard. 68 00:03:17,292 --> 00:03:20,167 And this is sort of a culmination of a lot of years 69 00:03:20,250 --> 00:03:22,375 of study and service, walking with Jesus, 70 00:03:22,458 --> 00:03:24,167 raising four kids who love Jesus. 71 00:03:24,250 --> 00:03:26,833 Maybe share with everyone the big idea behind the book, 72 00:03:26,875 --> 00:03:28,292 the motive. 73 00:03:28,333 --> 00:03:29,667 "Well, Jesus says, 74 00:03:29,750 --> 00:03:31,708 "'Go into all the world and make disciples,' 75 00:03:31,792 --> 00:03:34,417 "so it really isn't something that's a bigger E 76 00:03:34,500 --> 00:03:38,167 "on the eye chart for Jesus than that we would be disciples 77 00:03:38,250 --> 00:03:40,375 "and be making disciples. 78 00:03:40,458 --> 00:03:45,292 "So, what we did was kind of say, okay, what is a disciple? 79 00:03:45,333 --> 00:03:48,625 "And we looked at the idea, that's somebody who is remade 80 00:03:48,667 --> 00:03:52,000 "in the image of Jesus, so that as we image Jesus, 81 00:03:52,042 --> 00:03:53,583 "when we image Jesus 82 00:03:53,667 --> 00:03:56,417 "back to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that's worship. 83 00:03:56,500 --> 00:03:58,500 "When we image Jesus to one another, 84 00:03:58,542 --> 00:04:00,083 "that's called community. 85 00:04:00,167 --> 00:04:02,292 "And when we image Jesus to an onlooking world 86 00:04:02,333 --> 00:04:03,708 "that's called mission. 87 00:04:03,792 --> 00:04:07,333 "So, once we could get a picture of that's what a disciple is, 88 00:04:07,375 --> 00:04:09,333 "then that became kind of the target 89 00:04:09,375 --> 00:04:11,000 "for everything Mars Hill does, 90 00:04:11,083 --> 00:04:13,125 "whether it's children's ministry, or Community Groups, 91 00:04:13,167 --> 00:04:14,667 "or even Sunday morning. 92 00:04:14,750 --> 00:04:17,125 It's all how does it contribute to making a disciple?" 93 00:04:17,167 --> 00:04:19,708 You hit identity, community, worship, and missions, 94 00:04:19,792 --> 00:04:22,875 so sort of four interactive ideas. 95 00:04:22,958 --> 00:04:24,417 It's a great resource. 96 00:04:24,500 --> 00:04:26,500 I'd encourage you to pick it up. 97 00:04:26,542 --> 00:04:28,375 It really does undergird and influence 98 00:04:28,458 --> 00:04:30,208 everything we do at Mars Hill. 99 00:04:30,292 --> 00:04:32,667 And Pastor Bill, I just want to publicly honor you. 100 00:04:32,750 --> 00:04:34,917 I know you've got a lot of job offers. 101 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:36,917 There's a lot of places you could be. 102 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:38,500 You've chosen to be with us. 103 00:04:38,542 --> 00:04:40,000 We're honored to have you. 104 00:04:40,083 --> 00:04:41,833 We love you, and we like you. 105 00:04:41,875 --> 00:04:43,833 And so thank you. 106 00:04:43,875 --> 00:04:45,833 [congregation applauding] 107 00:04:45,875 --> 00:04:48,333 And it really is, it really is a great book. 108 00:04:48,375 --> 00:04:51,500 I got to read it as Pastor Bill was working on the manuscript, 109 00:04:51,583 --> 00:04:53,500 so we're very grateful for his work. 110 00:04:53,542 --> 00:04:55,833 And then corresponding with that is Pastor Brad's, 111 00:04:55,875 --> 00:04:59,125 and he takes some of the big ideas in the "Disciple" book and 112 00:04:59,167 --> 00:05:02,625 then talks about how that plays itself out in Community Groups. 113 00:05:02,667 --> 00:05:05,375 So, Pastor Brad first showed up about 10 years ago. 114 00:05:05,458 --> 00:05:06,792 "About that, yeah." 115 00:05:06,833 --> 00:05:09,125 And at the time, we had how many groups? 116 00:05:09,167 --> 00:05:10,500 "We had five strong groups." 117 00:05:10,583 --> 00:05:11,917 This many. 118 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:13,417 That's what my kindergartner says. 119 00:05:13,500 --> 00:05:14,833 This many. 120 00:05:14,875 --> 00:05:18,208 So, we had this many groups and now we have how many? 121 00:05:18,292 --> 00:05:20,333 "We're closing in on 500." 122 00:05:20,375 --> 00:05:22,917 That's better, so good job, Pastor Brad. 123 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:25,125 Five hundred Community Groups. 124 00:05:25,167 --> 00:05:28,417 And tell us about the book "Community" and the motivation 125 00:05:28,500 --> 00:05:30,917 behind it, and how you hope to serve our church 126 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:32,333 and others with it. 127 00:05:32,375 --> 00:05:33,708 "Sure. 128 00:05:33,792 --> 00:05:36,708 "And I think the motivation behind what I was trying to say 129 00:05:36,792 --> 00:05:38,708 "is that community is a gift from God, 130 00:05:38,792 --> 00:05:40,708 "in that he wants us to enjoy community, 131 00:05:40,792 --> 00:05:43,708 "and it's a way from Bill's book, how we can be disciples 132 00:05:43,792 --> 00:05:45,708 "and we can image God to one another 133 00:05:45,792 --> 00:05:48,208 and how we can worship him and be on mission." 134 00:05:48,292 --> 00:05:50,208 And for those who are at Mars Hill, 135 00:05:50,292 --> 00:05:53,417 what would be your plug for them to get in a Community Group? 136 00:05:53,500 --> 00:05:54,917 Since that's what we're always asking. 137 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:57,917 "Yeah, as we're always talking about what does it mean to be 138 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,167 "at Mars Hill, it's to come here on Sunday, 139 00:06:00,250 --> 00:06:01,667 "hear the proclamation of the Word, 140 00:06:01,750 --> 00:06:03,417 "to see that conviction on our heart, 141 00:06:03,500 --> 00:06:05,417 "but also to work that out in community, 142 00:06:05,500 --> 00:06:07,708 "so that we can work towards repentance and confession 143 00:06:07,792 --> 00:06:10,083 and enjoying who Jesus is." 144 00:06:10,167 --> 00:06:11,917 For those who pick up the book, 145 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,417 a couple of big ideas that thread the book together. 146 00:06:14,500 --> 00:06:18,000 "Yeah, so big idea number one is that Jesus made it possible 147 00:06:18,083 --> 00:06:20,125 "for us to enjoy community. 148 00:06:20,167 --> 00:06:23,583 "It being a gift means it should be enjoyable and fun and lead to 149 00:06:23,667 --> 00:06:25,792 "transformation, and then it works through what does it 150 00:06:25,833 --> 00:06:28,292 "look like practically for us to live life in community 151 00:06:28,333 --> 00:06:29,792 that actually affects our neighborhoods?" 152 00:06:29,833 --> 00:06:32,000 I just want to say thank you, as well. 153 00:06:32,042 --> 00:06:33,375 You've done a great job. 154 00:06:33,458 --> 00:06:36,375 I know for years Mars Hill was good at the big events, 155 00:06:36,458 --> 00:06:37,875 and then we struggled midweek, discipleship, 156 00:06:37,958 --> 00:06:39,292 community, on mission. 157 00:06:39,333 --> 00:06:42,583 And your work combined has been hugely influential and helpful. 158 00:06:42,667 --> 00:06:44,583 I just want to publicly say thank you. 159 00:06:44,667 --> 00:06:47,083 Mars Hill isn't where it is today without your work 160 00:06:47,167 --> 00:06:50,083 and effort and service, and so I wanted to publicly honor you 161 00:06:50,167 --> 00:06:53,208 both and help promote the book and would ask you all to buy 162 00:06:53,292 --> 00:06:55,500 a copy and be in prayer for them, okay? 163 00:06:55,583 --> 00:06:56,917 Isn't it cool? 164 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:58,917 It's really cool. 165 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,000 And for me, I just want to publicly say it's 166 00:07:02,083 --> 00:07:05,083 really wonderful to work with humble, godly, fruitful men, 167 00:07:05,167 --> 00:07:08,000 and then to see their wisdom be shared with the world is 168 00:07:08,083 --> 00:07:11,000 a great honor, and we're really honored to have both of you, 169 00:07:11,083 --> 00:07:12,417 so thank you guys. 170 00:07:12,500 --> 00:07:14,708 I'm going to go ahead and pray for you, 171 00:07:14,792 --> 00:07:16,917 and then I'm going to yell at them, okay? 172 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,292 All right, Father God, thank you so much for 173 00:07:19,333 --> 00:07:20,667 Pastor Bill and Pastor Brad. 174 00:07:20,750 --> 00:07:22,083 God, we love them. 175 00:07:22,167 --> 00:07:23,500 We appreciate them. 176 00:07:23,542 --> 00:07:24,875 We respect them. 177 00:07:24,958 --> 00:07:26,292 We enjoy them. 178 00:07:26,333 --> 00:07:28,500 Thank you for the wisdom and the good deposit 179 00:07:28,542 --> 00:07:30,333 that they have made and are making, 180 00:07:30,375 --> 00:07:32,500 and by your grace will make for many years 181 00:07:32,583 --> 00:07:33,917 in Mars Hill Church. 182 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:35,917 Thank you for Pastor Bill's new book, "Disciple," 183 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,125 and Pastor Brad's book, "Community," and thank you, God, 184 00:07:38,167 --> 00:07:40,125 that these are not just books about theory, 185 00:07:40,167 --> 00:07:42,625 but they're about life, as these men are good thinkers 186 00:07:42,667 --> 00:07:44,833 and students, but they're also good pastors and servants. 187 00:07:44,875 --> 00:07:46,833 And God, I thank you for their character, 188 00:07:46,875 --> 00:07:48,833 knowing what kind of men they are. 189 00:07:48,875 --> 00:07:51,125 It's really an honor to be at this day 190 00:07:51,167 --> 00:07:52,833 and to celebrate with them. 191 00:07:52,875 --> 00:07:56,208 God, I pray for their resources, that they would not only be 192 00:07:56,292 --> 00:07:59,333 a blessing and a benefit to the people of Mars Hill Church, 193 00:07:59,375 --> 00:08:01,417 but to other churches, as well. 194 00:08:01,500 --> 00:08:03,875 And God, thank you that their commitment is ultimately 195 00:08:03,958 --> 00:08:06,208 to the Scriptures and to the Lord Jesus. 196 00:08:06,292 --> 00:08:09,208 And so, God, as we transition our time to open the Scriptures 197 00:08:09,292 --> 00:08:12,708 and to hear from Jesus, we want to just say thank you, Lord, 198 00:08:12,792 --> 00:08:15,500 that you've chosen us to be part of your work 199 00:08:15,542 --> 00:08:17,125 and sons of your kingdom. 200 00:08:17,167 --> 00:08:19,833 And God, we're very honored and grateful to serve, 201 00:08:19,875 --> 00:08:21,625 and so thank you for their service, 202 00:08:21,667 --> 00:08:24,500 and I ask now for my service, that we would serve 203 00:08:24,542 --> 00:08:26,125 our people well to Jesus' glory. 204 00:08:26,167 --> 00:08:27,500 Amen. 205 00:08:27,583 --> 00:08:29,875 Love you guys. Thank you both. 206 00:08:29,958 --> 00:08:31,292 Isn't that cool? 207 00:08:31,333 --> 00:08:34,208 You have no idea how hard it is to write a book. 208 00:08:34,292 --> 00:08:36,125 You've probably read a book and thought, 209 00:08:36,167 --> 00:08:38,625 "That's not a great book." Try and write a book. 210 00:08:38,667 --> 00:08:40,125 Wow, that is some serious work. 211 00:08:40,167 --> 00:08:43,125 So, we want to honor them and the other Mars Hill pastors 212 00:08:43,167 --> 00:08:44,500 that are publishing. 213 00:08:44,583 --> 00:08:46,708 And for me it's a great honor and joy. 214 00:08:46,792 --> 00:08:49,500 Well, that brings us to another book that we're going to 215 00:08:49,583 --> 00:08:52,000 talk about today, and that is the Word of God. 216 00:08:52,083 --> 00:08:54,208 And we're in what book of the Bible? 217 00:08:54,292 --> 00:08:55,833 Luke! Oh, big shock. 218 00:08:55,875 --> 00:08:58,000 We've been in Luke now for a long time. 219 00:08:58,083 --> 00:09:01,708 This is actually part 92, if you're new. 220 00:09:01,792 --> 00:09:05,333 We're in Luke 22:35-38. 221 00:09:05,375 --> 00:09:07,125 We're looking at the life of Jesus, 222 00:09:07,167 --> 00:09:11,000 and today we learn that Jesus is both tough and tender. 223 00:09:11,083 --> 00:09:14,917 And I'll start with this question for you. 224 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,167 Let's say that the end of your life 225 00:09:17,250 --> 00:09:19,333 was shortly in front of you. 226 00:09:19,375 --> 00:09:23,208 You knew it wasn't years or months or weeks or even days, 227 00:09:23,292 --> 00:09:26,333 but it was hours, and your life would be over. 228 00:09:26,375 --> 00:09:29,500 You knew you were going to die, and you were right on 229 00:09:29,542 --> 00:09:32,500 the threshold of death, and it was going to be a painful, 230 00:09:32,542 --> 00:09:35,708 brutal, arduous, difficult, public, shameful death. 231 00:09:35,792 --> 00:09:37,417 What would you be thinking about? 232 00:09:37,500 --> 00:09:39,583 What would you be talking about? 233 00:09:39,667 --> 00:09:42,833 In those moments, really, what matters to us is exposed, 234 00:09:42,875 --> 00:09:45,500 and who we truly are is made known. 235 00:09:45,583 --> 00:09:47,917 Well, this is where we find ourselves in the storyline 236 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:49,417 of Luke's gospel. 237 00:09:49,500 --> 00:09:55,792 Jesus is just at the very precipice of his own murder. 238 00:09:55,833 --> 00:09:58,000 He is right there. 239 00:09:58,042 --> 00:10:00,917 It is the dark season of his life. 240 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:03,292 He's going to die shortly. 241 00:10:03,333 --> 00:10:04,833 He knows it. 242 00:10:04,875 --> 00:10:08,208 He knows it is going to be brutal and bloody. 243 00:10:08,292 --> 00:10:09,833 And what does he talk about? 244 00:10:09,875 --> 00:10:11,625 What is he thinking about? 245 00:10:11,667 --> 00:10:13,583 The Scriptures. 246 00:10:13,667 --> 00:10:15,500 You're going to see that with me today. 247 00:10:15,583 --> 00:10:18,125 Jesus talks about the Scriptures. 248 00:10:18,167 --> 00:10:21,000 What gives him confidence, what gives him courage, 249 00:10:21,083 --> 00:10:23,500 what gives him clarity? 250 00:10:23,542 --> 00:10:27,375 It's the Scriptures, and it's a really wonderful example 251 00:10:27,458 --> 00:10:29,167 for us all. 252 00:10:29,250 --> 00:10:31,250 When life gets hard, go to the book. 253 00:10:32,667 --> 00:10:35,125 When life gets hard, go to the book. 254 00:10:35,167 --> 00:10:37,625 And so the first thing I want to tell you, 255 00:10:37,667 --> 00:10:40,125 by way of preface, before we get into Jesus' words, 256 00:10:40,167 --> 00:10:42,875 is a simple big idea that undergirds everything at 257 00:10:42,958 --> 00:10:46,417 Mars Hill, and that is that God wrote a book, and this is it, 258 00:10:46,500 --> 00:10:48,708 that God wrote a book. 259 00:10:48,792 --> 00:10:51,917 And actually, as Jesus talks about the Scriptures today, 260 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:54,000 that word means writing, 261 00:10:54,042 --> 00:10:56,208 and he's referring to the Word of God. 262 00:10:56,292 --> 00:10:58,792 Some will also refer to this as the Holy Bible, 263 00:10:58,833 --> 00:11:00,500 which means the holy book. 264 00:11:00,542 --> 00:11:02,000 Some of you know this. 265 00:11:02,042 --> 00:11:04,583 Some of you are new Christians, or non-Christians, or visitors. 266 00:11:04,667 --> 00:11:07,125 You may not know this, but the Bible is actually 267 00:11:07,167 --> 00:11:08,625 a collection of books. 268 00:11:08,667 --> 00:11:10,333 It's a library of sorts. 269 00:11:10,375 --> 00:11:11,917 It's not organized chronologically, 270 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:13,625 but by genre of literature. 271 00:11:13,667 --> 00:11:16,333 You've got history, and prophets, and wisdom literature, 272 00:11:16,375 --> 00:11:19,833 and poetry, and legal law, and the like. 273 00:11:19,875 --> 00:11:22,000 It's subdivided by category. 274 00:11:22,042 --> 00:11:24,625 In your Bible, 3/4, by length, 275 00:11:24,667 --> 00:11:27,708 is called the Old Testament, which is from the creation 276 00:11:27,792 --> 00:11:31,917 of the world up until 400 years before Jesus Christ was born 277 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:33,625 on the earth. 278 00:11:33,667 --> 00:11:36,417 And then in the middle, there's 400 silent years 279 00:11:36,500 --> 00:11:38,417 where no book of the Bible is written. 280 00:11:38,500 --> 00:11:40,292 And then the New Testament is from 281 00:11:40,333 --> 00:11:42,292 the time of Jesus' birth 282 00:11:42,333 --> 00:11:45,125 through about the end of the first century, 100 AD, 283 00:11:45,167 --> 00:11:46,917 around the death of John, 284 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:51,167 the youngest of Jesus' disciples. And that is the history 285 00:11:51,250 --> 00:11:54,208 and the chronology of your Bible. 286 00:11:54,292 --> 00:11:57,208 About 39 books, or 39 books, I should say, 287 00:11:57,292 --> 00:11:59,625 are in the Old Testament, 27 in the New. 288 00:11:59,667 --> 00:12:02,083 So you've got 66 books altogether, 289 00:12:02,167 --> 00:12:05,208 penned by some roughly 40 human authors, 290 00:12:05,292 --> 00:12:08,000 all inspired by God the Holy Spirit, 291 00:12:08,042 --> 00:12:11,708 writing across three languages and continents over the course 292 00:12:11,792 --> 00:12:15,500 of about 1,500 years of human history. 293 00:12:15,583 --> 00:12:18,875 So, when we pick up this book, we pick up a miracle. 294 00:12:18,958 --> 00:12:21,292 We pick up a book that God wrote, 295 00:12:21,333 --> 00:12:26,125 and we pick up a book that God has preserved for us to read. 296 00:12:26,167 --> 00:12:30,000 And, again, Jesus, as he's approaching his own execution, 297 00:12:30,042 --> 00:12:32,417 his own murder, his own death, 298 00:12:32,500 --> 00:12:35,667 he's quoting the Scriptures from memory. 299 00:12:35,750 --> 00:12:37,917 That indicates it's a good thing for us 300 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:39,625 to memorize the Scripture. 301 00:12:39,667 --> 00:12:41,500 And he takes us to the Scripture 302 00:12:41,542 --> 00:12:43,667 to make sense of his own suffering. 303 00:12:43,750 --> 00:12:46,375 And Jesus has two big ideas about the Scriptures 304 00:12:46,458 --> 00:12:49,000 that I'm really excited to share with you today. 305 00:12:49,042 --> 00:12:52,500 The first is this: to consider all of Scripture, 306 00:12:52,583 --> 00:12:54,125 to consider all of Scripture. 307 00:12:54,167 --> 00:12:58,500 Now, there was a time in the history of the church 308 00:12:58,542 --> 00:13:02,208 where there was Scripture, but in addition to Scripture, 309 00:13:02,292 --> 00:13:05,417 there were other things that were added like human tradition, 310 00:13:05,500 --> 00:13:10,583 and reason, and councils, and theologians, and opinions. 311 00:13:10,667 --> 00:13:13,833 And all of a sudden, the Scriptures, in some regards, 312 00:13:13,875 --> 00:13:16,500 started to lose their clarity, 313 00:13:16,583 --> 00:13:19,500 as they were cluttered by human thoughts. 314 00:13:19,583 --> 00:13:23,500 And the Protestant Reformation was an effort to clean up 315 00:13:23,583 --> 00:13:27,375 the teaching of the church and to return to the Bible 316 00:13:27,458 --> 00:13:30,833 and to say the Word of God is above every other word, 317 00:13:30,875 --> 00:13:33,417 and we want to hear the Word of God clearly, 318 00:13:33,500 --> 00:13:36,125 not encumbered by human tradition 319 00:13:36,167 --> 00:13:38,208 and religious speculation. 320 00:13:38,292 --> 00:13:41,292 And so one of the hallmarks of the Protestant Reformation-- 321 00:13:41,333 --> 00:13:43,208 and I'll just tell you this in advance. 322 00:13:43,292 --> 00:13:45,917 There's going to be some nerd parts to my sermon, okay? 323 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:47,500 We're in one right now. 324 00:13:47,542 --> 00:13:50,917 So, if you're checking games and scores, just hang with me. 325 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,875 I'll tell you a joke in a little bit, but for now, 326 00:13:53,958 --> 00:13:56,083 this is the nerd part of the sermon, okay? 327 00:13:56,167 --> 00:13:59,208 So, you're going to get Latin, and some of the nerds are like, 328 00:13:59,292 --> 00:14:00,708 "Yay!" 329 00:14:00,792 --> 00:14:02,792 But there's not a lot of you, okay? 330 00:14:02,833 --> 00:14:04,417 So, let's bring everybody else along. 331 00:14:04,500 --> 00:14:06,625 But one of the statements in the Protestant Reformation 332 00:14:06,667 --> 00:14:08,000 was "tota sola Scriptura." 333 00:14:08,083 --> 00:14:09,792 It's a Latin phrase that means 334 00:14:09,833 --> 00:14:13,167 all of Scripture is alone our highest authority. 335 00:14:13,250 --> 00:14:16,208 And what that means is, since God wrote this book, 336 00:14:16,292 --> 00:14:18,333 it's better than every other book. 337 00:14:18,375 --> 00:14:19,833 This is a perfect book. 338 00:14:19,875 --> 00:14:21,833 Every other book has errors. 339 00:14:21,875 --> 00:14:24,792 Even the best books that we write don't compare to 340 00:14:24,833 --> 00:14:28,417 the book that God wrote, and so our highest authority, 341 00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:31,333 the authority by which we test reason, and tradition, 342 00:14:31,375 --> 00:14:34,333 and religion, and philosophy, and sociology, 343 00:14:34,375 --> 00:14:37,083 and psychology is the Word of God, 344 00:14:37,167 --> 00:14:39,708 and that is our metaphorical supreme court of highest 345 00:14:39,792 --> 00:14:43,875 authority, and everything is tested by the Scriptures. 346 00:14:43,958 --> 00:14:46,917 Everything is tested by the Scriptures. 347 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,667 Now, in that, we need to be careful that we test by all 348 00:14:51,750 --> 00:14:54,583 of Scripture; otherwise, what happens is people go to 349 00:14:54,667 --> 00:14:56,833 the Bible, they take a part that they like, 350 00:14:56,875 --> 00:14:58,833 they ignore the parts they don't, 351 00:14:58,875 --> 00:15:04,208 or they sometimes just innocently but errantly build 352 00:15:04,292 --> 00:15:07,625 their whole life, or doctrine, or behavior on a section of 353 00:15:07,667 --> 00:15:11,667 Scripture without considering all that Scripture has to say. 354 00:15:11,750 --> 00:15:13,833 So, tota sola Scriptura, 355 00:15:13,875 --> 00:15:16,417 we want to receive the whole Word of God. 356 00:15:16,500 --> 00:15:18,625 We want to study the whole Word of God. 357 00:15:18,667 --> 00:15:21,708 We want to examine everything by the whole Word of God, 358 00:15:21,792 --> 00:15:23,833 all of the Scriptures. 359 00:15:23,875 --> 00:15:28,500 Now, what Jesus is going to give us today in Luke 22 360 00:15:28,583 --> 00:15:30,500 is a case study. 361 00:15:30,583 --> 00:15:34,292 It's a test study in tota sola Scriptura. 362 00:15:34,333 --> 00:15:38,125 And he actually begins in Luke 22 363 00:15:38,167 --> 00:15:40,000 by referring back to Luke 10. 364 00:15:40,083 --> 00:15:42,125 So, we'll look at both of these verses, 365 00:15:42,167 --> 00:15:43,667 and then we'll unpack it. 366 00:15:43,750 --> 00:15:45,375 Earlier in Luke, we read this. 367 00:15:45,458 --> 00:15:50,708 Luke 10:3-4, Jesus says to his disciples, "Go your way; behold, 368 00:15:50,792 --> 00:15:53,708 "I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 369 00:15:53,792 --> 00:15:56,417 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals." 370 00:15:56,500 --> 00:15:58,417 So, Jesus looks at his disciples, says, 371 00:15:58,500 --> 00:16:04,208 "Pack nothing: no food, no money, no supplies, no weapons. 372 00:16:04,292 --> 00:16:06,542 "You're like a lamb. 373 00:16:07,292 --> 00:16:09,000 You're like a lamb." 374 00:16:09,042 --> 00:16:12,083 Now, if you only obeyed this verse and didn't practice 375 00:16:12,167 --> 00:16:15,833 tota sola Scriptura, do you know what we'd do today? 376 00:16:15,875 --> 00:16:18,208 Well, we'd take your purse, ladies. 377 00:16:18,292 --> 00:16:20,000 We would take your wallet, gentlemen. 378 00:16:20,083 --> 00:16:22,500 We would take your shoes, right? 379 00:16:22,583 --> 00:16:25,500 We would take all of your provisions, 380 00:16:25,583 --> 00:16:27,708 and we would send you out of here saying, 381 00:16:27,792 --> 00:16:31,708 "Hey, Jesus said take nothing with you." 382 00:16:31,792 --> 00:16:34,125 Now what do you think about that? 383 00:16:34,167 --> 00:16:36,083 I see women clutching their purse. 384 00:16:36,167 --> 00:16:37,708 I can see that. 385 00:16:37,792 --> 00:16:39,500 But this is what Jesus said, right? 386 00:16:39,583 --> 00:16:43,000 And if I came to you, and I said, "Hey, Jesus said no shoes. 387 00:16:43,083 --> 00:16:44,417 Shoes off!" 388 00:16:44,500 --> 00:16:45,833 You're like, "Really? 389 00:16:45,875 --> 00:16:47,333 It's a sin to wear shoes?" 390 00:16:47,375 --> 00:16:48,708 "Jesus said it! 391 00:16:48,792 --> 00:16:52,583 "And no backpacks and definitely no fanny packs for a variety 392 00:16:52,667 --> 00:16:55,625 "of reasons, some of which are theological. 393 00:16:55,667 --> 00:16:59,583 "Some of them are just aesthetic and style related. 394 00:16:59,667 --> 00:17:01,000 "And no money. 395 00:17:01,083 --> 00:17:03,000 "Hey, you're going out. You don't need money. 396 00:17:03,083 --> 00:17:05,875 "You don't need a debit card. You don't need any supplies. 397 00:17:05,958 --> 00:17:07,292 "Don't you trust the Lord? 398 00:17:07,333 --> 00:17:08,792 "Oh, you're going back to college? 399 00:17:08,833 --> 00:17:10,167 "Don't buy books. 400 00:17:10,250 --> 00:17:11,667 "Trust the Lord. He'll bring books. 401 00:17:11,750 --> 00:17:14,625 "He brought food to Elijah by the ravens. 402 00:17:14,667 --> 00:17:16,625 "He could bring a geometry text to you. 403 00:17:16,667 --> 00:17:21,917 "You'll be fine. Trust in the Lord." 404 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:24,917 Jesus is going to quote this verse, 405 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:31,125 and he's going to do so today in Luke 22:35-36, 38. 406 00:17:31,167 --> 00:17:34,333 "And he said to them, 'When I sent you out with no moneybag 407 00:17:34,375 --> 00:17:36,333 "'or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?' 408 00:17:36,375 --> 00:17:37,708 They said 'Nothing.'" 409 00:17:37,792 --> 00:17:39,917 He said, "Do you remember back in Luke 10? 410 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:41,833 I told you don't take anything." 411 00:17:41,875 --> 00:17:43,625 Well, what about today? 412 00:17:43,667 --> 00:17:45,333 "He said to them, 413 00:17:45,375 --> 00:17:50,000 "'But now let the one who has a moneybag take it.'" 414 00:17:50,083 --> 00:17:51,917 Grab your wallet or your purse. 415 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:53,417 "'And likewise a knapsack.'" 416 00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:54,833 Bring some supplies. 417 00:17:54,875 --> 00:17:57,500 "'And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak 418 00:17:57,542 --> 00:17:58,875 "'and buy one. . . .' 419 00:17:58,958 --> 00:18:01,125 "And they said, 'Look, Lord, here are two swords.' 420 00:18:01,167 --> 00:18:03,125 "And he said to them, 'It is enough.'" 421 00:18:03,167 --> 00:18:05,333 Well, which is it, Jesus? 422 00:18:05,375 --> 00:18:07,917 Pack supplies or don't pack supplies? 423 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,833 Be ready or don't be ready? 424 00:18:10,875 --> 00:18:12,625 Wear shoes or don't wear shoes? 425 00:18:12,667 --> 00:18:15,000 Pack a weapon or don't pack a weapon? 426 00:18:15,083 --> 00:18:16,792 Which is it? 427 00:18:16,833 --> 00:18:19,167 And it all depends on the mission. 428 00:18:19,250 --> 00:18:21,500 It depends on what you're being sent to do. 429 00:18:21,583 --> 00:18:23,708 He says, "On this mission, take nothing; 430 00:18:23,792 --> 00:18:26,708 on this mission, take everything." 431 00:18:26,792 --> 00:18:30,167 Now, if we only had this verse, and we didn't practice 432 00:18:30,250 --> 00:18:32,333 tota sola Scriptura, you would say, 433 00:18:32,375 --> 00:18:33,917 "How do you know they're Christians?" 434 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:35,917 "Well, because they had pockets full of money, 435 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:37,417 "had a backpack full of supplies, 436 00:18:37,500 --> 00:18:39,500 "and they're always carrying firearms. 437 00:18:39,542 --> 00:18:42,875 "That's how we know who the Christians are, right? 438 00:18:42,958 --> 00:18:46,500 "Because Jesus said get a weapon, pack a backpack, 439 00:18:46,583 --> 00:18:48,333 and bring some cash." 440 00:18:48,375 --> 00:18:50,417 Right? 441 00:18:50,500 --> 00:18:52,167 Well, which is it? 442 00:18:52,250 --> 00:18:54,917 And, again, tota sola Scriptura. 443 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:56,833 Look at what the whole Bible says. 444 00:18:56,875 --> 00:18:59,125 And the truth is sometimes you should raise money. 445 00:18:59,167 --> 00:19:00,583 Sometimes you shouldn't. 446 00:19:00,667 --> 00:19:02,000 Sometimes you should pack supplies. 447 00:19:02,042 --> 00:19:03,375 Sometimes you shouldn't. 448 00:19:03,458 --> 00:19:04,875 Sometimes you should defend yourself. 449 00:19:04,958 --> 00:19:07,125 Sometimes you shouldn't. 450 00:19:07,167 --> 00:19:09,333 It all depends on the mission. 451 00:19:09,375 --> 00:19:13,125 So, you've got to consider what Jesus is calling you to 452 00:19:13,167 --> 00:19:17,208 in that moment, in that moment. 453 00:19:17,292 --> 00:19:19,208 Let me say it another way. 454 00:19:19,292 --> 00:19:20,667 I'll say this, too. 455 00:19:20,750 --> 00:19:22,500 Some of you may have this question. 456 00:19:22,583 --> 00:19:24,167 You say, "What does sword mean?" 457 00:19:24,250 --> 00:19:28,667 Sword means sword. 458 00:19:28,750 --> 00:19:31,000 And what happens is some Christians read the Bible, 459 00:19:31,083 --> 00:19:33,000 and they say, "Well, Jesus couldn't have said 460 00:19:33,083 --> 00:19:34,417 get a weapon." 461 00:19:34,500 --> 00:19:35,917 But he did. 462 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,583 Later on, Peter is going to grab a sword and cut a guy's ear off. 463 00:19:39,667 --> 00:19:41,083 And it wasn't a hypothetical sword. 464 00:19:41,167 --> 00:19:42,583 It wasn't a metaphorical sword. 465 00:19:42,667 --> 00:19:44,583 You ask the guy who lost his ear, 466 00:19:44,667 --> 00:19:46,000 it was pretty sword-like, right? 467 00:19:46,042 --> 00:19:47,375 It just was. 468 00:19:47,458 --> 00:19:49,583 Jesus is here saying there are times it's okay 469 00:19:49,667 --> 00:19:51,000 to carry a weapon. 470 00:19:51,042 --> 00:19:54,167 So, you can be a soldier, so you can be a police officer. 471 00:19:54,250 --> 00:19:58,417 So, there are appropriate ways to defend oneself. 472 00:19:58,500 --> 00:20:02,333 So, what he's saying here-- let me say it another way. 473 00:20:02,375 --> 00:20:04,833 In Luke 10, you need to be tender. 474 00:20:04,875 --> 00:20:08,500 And he's saying in Luke 22, you need to be tough, 475 00:20:08,583 --> 00:20:11,708 because in Luke 10, he says to be like a lamb. 476 00:20:11,792 --> 00:20:14,417 Can you think of anything more tender than that? 477 00:20:14,500 --> 00:20:18,125 Let's say, tonight, you go home and your neighbor comes 478 00:20:18,167 --> 00:20:20,625 banging on your door late at night, and they say, 479 00:20:20,667 --> 00:20:22,000 "Look, there's a wild animal 480 00:20:22,083 --> 00:20:23,667 on the loose in the neighborhood." 481 00:20:23,750 --> 00:20:25,083 "What is it?" 482 00:20:25,167 --> 00:20:26,708 "A lamb." 483 00:20:26,792 --> 00:20:29,083 You're like, "Awesome. I'm going to go find it. 484 00:20:29,167 --> 00:20:31,417 "That sounds fantastic. That's so cute. 485 00:20:31,500 --> 00:20:32,917 "I just tucked my kids in. 486 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:35,208 "I told them to count lambs, because there's nothing 487 00:20:35,292 --> 00:20:39,375 more soothing than the concept of a lamb, right?" 488 00:20:39,458 --> 00:20:41,417 That's tender. 489 00:20:41,500 --> 00:20:43,208 Luke 22, tough. 490 00:20:43,292 --> 00:20:46,583 Supplies, money, boots on the ground, 491 00:20:46,667 --> 00:20:49,708 bullets in the chamber, off to conflict. 492 00:20:49,792 --> 00:20:51,417 Wow. 493 00:20:51,500 --> 00:20:53,500 Tough and tender. 494 00:20:53,583 --> 00:20:55,208 Now, here's what happens. 495 00:20:55,292 --> 00:20:57,333 How many of you, let me ask, 496 00:20:57,375 --> 00:20:59,958 how many of you tend to be more tender? 497 00:21:00,083 --> 00:21:02,375 You're more tender. 498 00:21:02,458 --> 00:21:06,625 All the verses on love, grace, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, 499 00:21:06,667 --> 00:21:10,000 forbearance, longsuffering, turning the other cheek, 500 00:21:10,042 --> 00:21:13,417 loving your enemies, you like those, 501 00:21:13,500 --> 00:21:16,333 because that's how you are. 502 00:21:16,375 --> 00:21:18,417 How many of you are more tough? 503 00:21:18,500 --> 00:21:22,500 All the hell, wrath, judgment, 504 00:21:22,583 --> 00:21:24,792 flood, fire, brimstone-- 505 00:21:24,833 --> 00:21:27,833 "Yeah! Love me them verses." 506 00:21:27,875 --> 00:21:30,583 Right? 507 00:21:30,667 --> 00:21:33,417 How many of you even then, when it comes to Jesus, 508 00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:35,917 some of you go to Jesus and you say, 509 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,500 "I just fondly recall all the tender stories about Jesus." 510 00:21:40,583 --> 00:21:42,708 How many of you fondly recall 511 00:21:42,792 --> 00:21:44,792 all the tough stories about Jesus? 512 00:21:44,833 --> 00:21:46,500 See how this works? 513 00:21:46,583 --> 00:21:50,208 If we don't practice tota sola Scriptura, 514 00:21:50,292 --> 00:21:54,792 we see Jesus as either tender or tough. 515 00:21:54,833 --> 00:21:56,333 And here's the truth. 516 00:21:56,375 --> 00:21:59,333 Some of you are too tender; you need to be more tough. 517 00:21:59,375 --> 00:22:03,375 Some of you are too tough; you need to be more tender. 518 00:22:03,458 --> 00:22:05,333 And it's true for all of us. 519 00:22:05,375 --> 00:22:07,667 What do you think about me? 520 00:22:07,750 --> 00:22:09,500 You all chuckle. 521 00:22:09,583 --> 00:22:12,208 Too tender, too tough? 522 00:22:12,292 --> 00:22:14,500 Which way would I lean? 523 00:22:14,583 --> 00:22:16,125 Tough. 524 00:22:16,167 --> 00:22:20,625 And then God gives me daughters, which is grad school for tender. 525 00:22:20,667 --> 00:22:22,167 Okay? 526 00:22:22,250 --> 00:22:25,333 And so God wants us all to grow in being tender and tough. 527 00:22:25,375 --> 00:22:28,708 And so you men, let's say I can just have a moment to talk 528 00:22:28,792 --> 00:22:30,417 frankly with the men. 529 00:22:30,500 --> 00:22:35,000 We want you to be tough, and you need to be tender. 530 00:22:35,083 --> 00:22:37,208 We've got to be both. 531 00:22:37,292 --> 00:22:39,125 I'll give you an example. 532 00:22:39,167 --> 00:22:42,500 You're a man with a daughter or daughters. 533 00:22:42,583 --> 00:22:44,625 Tough or tender? 534 00:22:44,667 --> 00:22:47,333 Tender. 535 00:22:47,375 --> 00:22:50,833 A really bad guy keeps pursuing her. 536 00:22:50,875 --> 00:22:52,792 Tough or tender? 537 00:22:52,833 --> 00:22:54,292 Sword. 538 00:22:54,333 --> 00:22:56,125 Right? 539 00:22:56,167 --> 00:22:59,625 Boots on the ground, bullets in the chamber, right? 540 00:22:59,667 --> 00:23:01,583 Tough. 541 00:23:01,667 --> 00:23:06,417 So, you need to learn to be tough and tender. 542 00:23:06,500 --> 00:23:07,833 How about Jesus? 543 00:23:07,875 --> 00:23:09,208 Here's what we'll do. 544 00:23:09,292 --> 00:23:10,708 We'll do case study. Luke 10, 545 00:23:10,792 --> 00:23:12,125 Jesus says, "Be tender." 546 00:23:12,167 --> 00:23:15,208 Luke 22, Jesus says, "Be tough." 547 00:23:15,292 --> 00:23:17,917 And Jesus is God without sin among us. 548 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:23,417 He's the perfect person, and he shows us what the perfect life 549 00:23:23,500 --> 00:23:26,083 looks like, and sometimes he's tender, 550 00:23:26,167 --> 00:23:28,917 and sometimes he's tough, and sometimes he's tough and tender 551 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:30,708 at the same time. 552 00:23:30,792 --> 00:23:32,333 So, we'll do this. 553 00:23:32,375 --> 00:23:33,875 We'll look through Luke. 554 00:23:33,958 --> 00:23:37,000 I'll just run through Luke and a few things. 555 00:23:37,083 --> 00:23:41,333 Luke 4, Satan comes to Jesus, tempts him, 556 00:23:41,375 --> 00:23:43,583 tests him, tries him. 557 00:23:43,667 --> 00:23:48,000 Jesus says no to all temptation and defeats Satan. 558 00:23:48,042 --> 00:23:50,500 Tender or tough? 559 00:23:50,542 --> 00:23:51,875 Tough. 560 00:23:51,958 --> 00:23:55,625 I mean, how tough do you have to be to win a fight with Satan? 561 00:23:55,667 --> 00:23:57,833 That's pretty tough. 562 00:23:57,875 --> 00:24:02,583 Luke 4, Jesus begins his public ministry by quoting Isaiah 61. 563 00:24:02,667 --> 00:24:05,667 "The Spirit of the Lord has anointed me to preach good news 564 00:24:05,750 --> 00:24:07,500 and to set captives free." 565 00:24:07,583 --> 00:24:09,292 And he says this in the synagogue, 566 00:24:09,333 --> 00:24:11,917 and some people get angry, and there's a controversy, 567 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:14,667 and it is really debated. 568 00:24:14,750 --> 00:24:16,792 Tough or tender? 569 00:24:16,833 --> 00:24:20,125 You gotta be pretty tough, gotta be pretty tough to open the Bible 570 00:24:20,167 --> 00:24:22,875 and say, "I'm here," 571 00:24:22,958 --> 00:24:27,625 knowing that there will be a strong reaction. 572 00:24:27,667 --> 00:24:32,375 Luke 4, Jesus is casting demons out of people. 573 00:24:32,458 --> 00:24:34,708 Tough or tender? 574 00:24:34,792 --> 00:24:36,708 Well, it's tender for the person, 575 00:24:36,792 --> 00:24:39,708 but it's tough with the demon, right? 576 00:24:39,792 --> 00:24:42,417 If you asked the guy who got delivered, he'd say, 577 00:24:42,500 --> 00:24:43,833 "That was very tender." 578 00:24:43,875 --> 00:24:45,333 You ask the demon, he'd say, 579 00:24:45,375 --> 00:24:47,125 "That felt a little tough to me." 580 00:24:47,167 --> 00:24:48,833 Jesus exercising his spiritual authority. 581 00:24:48,875 --> 00:24:51,375 "We had a conflict, and he defeated me." 582 00:24:51,458 --> 00:24:53,708 That's tough. 583 00:24:53,792 --> 00:24:56,208 Luke 4, Simon has a mother-in-law who's sick, 584 00:24:56,292 --> 00:25:00,583 and Jesus heals her, and Jesus heals others, as well. 585 00:25:00,667 --> 00:25:03,000 Tender or tough? 586 00:25:03,042 --> 00:25:05,167 Tender. 587 00:25:05,250 --> 00:25:09,333 Jesus healing the sick, that's tender, right? 588 00:25:09,375 --> 00:25:13,500 I mean, if you heard--today, there was a pastor with a gift 589 00:25:13,583 --> 00:25:16,875 of healing, and he was looking for older women and visiting 590 00:25:16,958 --> 00:25:19,875 burn wards in hospitals to heal the sick. 591 00:25:19,958 --> 00:25:24,000 You would say that is tender, and it is very tender. 592 00:25:24,083 --> 00:25:26,167 How about Luke 5? 593 00:25:26,250 --> 00:25:28,333 There's a paralytic and a leper. 594 00:25:28,375 --> 00:25:30,417 Lepers were outcast and despised, 595 00:25:30,500 --> 00:25:32,708 and the paralytic had been crippled for years, 596 00:25:32,792 --> 00:25:34,583 in constant chronic pain. 597 00:25:34,667 --> 00:25:36,667 Jesus comes and gives them full healing. 598 00:25:36,750 --> 00:25:38,417 Tough or tender? 599 00:25:38,500 --> 00:25:40,000 Really tender. 600 00:25:40,042 --> 00:25:43,708 He's loving people who are suffering. 601 00:25:43,792 --> 00:25:46,875 Luke 6, there's a man with a withered hand, 602 00:25:46,958 --> 00:25:50,333 and Jesus heals him in front of his religious critics. 603 00:25:50,375 --> 00:25:52,125 Tender or tough? 604 00:25:52,167 --> 00:25:53,833 Both. 605 00:25:53,875 --> 00:25:56,208 It was tender that he would heal the man, 606 00:25:56,292 --> 00:25:59,708 and he had to be tough to do that in front of his critics, 607 00:25:59,792 --> 00:26:02,792 because he knew they would fight with him, and argue with him, 608 00:26:02,833 --> 00:26:05,125 and disagree with the way that he did it. 609 00:26:05,167 --> 00:26:06,500 How about this one? 610 00:26:06,583 --> 00:26:08,792 Luke 7, there's a soldier who has a servant, 611 00:26:08,833 --> 00:26:12,208 and there's a widow who has a son, 612 00:26:12,292 --> 00:26:14,125 and Jesus heals them both. 613 00:26:14,167 --> 00:26:17,667 Jesus actually takes this widow's son and brings him 614 00:26:17,750 --> 00:26:20,667 back from death. 615 00:26:20,750 --> 00:26:22,167 Her husband has died. 616 00:26:22,250 --> 00:26:23,583 She's all alone. 617 00:26:23,667 --> 00:26:25,000 She's only got a son. 618 00:26:25,042 --> 00:26:26,375 Her son dies. 619 00:26:26,458 --> 00:26:31,125 Jesus brings him back and gives him back to his mother. 620 00:26:31,167 --> 00:26:33,125 Tender or tough? 621 00:26:33,167 --> 00:26:34,708 Really tender, right? 622 00:26:34,792 --> 00:26:37,333 Can you see the moment where Jesus 623 00:26:37,375 --> 00:26:40,625 brings her son back to life 624 00:26:40,667 --> 00:26:45,833 and reintroduces the risen son to his mother, 625 00:26:45,875 --> 00:26:49,500 can you see the look on her face and the joy in her heart? 626 00:26:49,542 --> 00:26:51,500 "My dead son is back!" 627 00:26:51,583 --> 00:26:54,208 And she goes from weeping to rejoicing. 628 00:26:54,292 --> 00:26:59,208 It's a very tender moment in the ministry of Jesus. 629 00:26:59,292 --> 00:27:02,792 Here's another one in Luke 7. 630 00:27:02,833 --> 00:27:05,167 Jesus is having dinner at a Pharisee's home, 631 00:27:05,250 --> 00:27:06,833 religious critics. 632 00:27:06,875 --> 00:27:08,917 In walks a sinful woman. 633 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:10,833 She's not supposed to be there. 634 00:27:10,875 --> 00:27:13,125 And according to their tradition, not God's laws, 635 00:27:13,167 --> 00:27:15,833 she's not to interact with religious leaders. 636 00:27:15,875 --> 00:27:20,000 Jesus forgives her of sin and befriends her 637 00:27:20,083 --> 00:27:22,625 in front of his religious critics. 638 00:27:22,667 --> 00:27:24,500 Tender or tough? 639 00:27:24,542 --> 00:27:26,708 It's both, isn't it? 640 00:27:26,792 --> 00:27:30,708 He's very tender with her, but he does it openly and publicly 641 00:27:30,792 --> 00:27:33,833 in front of them, knowing that he will incur 642 00:27:33,875 --> 00:27:36,167 their wrongful wrath. 643 00:27:36,250 --> 00:27:38,333 And you've gotta be tough to do that. 644 00:27:38,375 --> 00:27:40,167 You've gotta be tough to do that. 645 00:27:40,250 --> 00:27:43,500 It's one thing to help someone or to say something, 646 00:27:43,583 --> 00:27:46,917 but to say it in the midst of opposition and criticism 647 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:51,167 with those who are seeking to oppose you, 648 00:27:51,250 --> 00:27:55,292 you've got to be tough to stand up to that, and Jesus does. 649 00:27:55,333 --> 00:27:58,125 Luke 8, the story is of a demonized man, right? 650 00:27:58,167 --> 00:28:00,500 We've been in Luke for a couple of years, 651 00:28:00,542 --> 00:28:01,875 a little quick revisitation. 652 00:28:01,958 --> 00:28:03,500 Remember the guy in Luke 8? 653 00:28:03,583 --> 00:28:05,292 Here's what we know about him. 654 00:28:05,333 --> 00:28:07,667 He's homeless, crazy, lives out in the wilderness, 655 00:28:07,750 --> 00:28:10,917 pretty much naked, hasn't seen a bar of soap in a really long 656 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,583 time, and it says he's filled with a legion of demons. 657 00:28:14,667 --> 00:28:16,625 I don't know how many a legion is. 658 00:28:16,667 --> 00:28:18,000 It's a lot. 659 00:28:18,083 --> 00:28:19,708 They've tried to capture this guy. 660 00:28:19,792 --> 00:28:22,708 He breaks the chains and runs free. 661 00:28:22,792 --> 00:28:25,208 This guy's a piece of work. 662 00:28:25,292 --> 00:28:28,417 Jesus casts all the demons out of him, 663 00:28:28,500 --> 00:28:30,708 restores him to his right mind. 664 00:28:30,792 --> 00:28:34,625 The guy gets all cleaned up and goes into ministry. 665 00:28:34,667 --> 00:28:37,125 Is that tender or tough? 666 00:28:37,167 --> 00:28:39,125 Both, right? 667 00:28:39,167 --> 00:28:43,000 It's like, "Hey, weren't you the crazy, homeless, naked, 668 00:28:43,083 --> 00:28:44,833 beating-people-up guy?" 669 00:28:44,875 --> 00:28:47,292 "I was, and now I've planted a church." 670 00:28:47,333 --> 00:28:49,417 Wow. 671 00:28:49,500 --> 00:28:52,083 Who took that counseling appointment? 672 00:28:52,167 --> 00:28:53,500 Right? 673 00:28:53,542 --> 00:28:54,875 Well, Jesus did. 674 00:28:54,958 --> 00:28:56,292 Really? 675 00:28:56,333 --> 00:28:58,375 Would you take that counseling appointment? 676 00:28:58,458 --> 00:29:00,333 "Hello, your next appointment is here." 677 00:29:00,375 --> 00:29:01,708 "Who's he?" 678 00:29:01,792 --> 00:29:06,708 "He's the crazy, naked, homeless guy carrying a huge stick." 679 00:29:06,792 --> 00:29:08,708 "Tell him I'm busy forever." 680 00:29:08,792 --> 00:29:10,167 Right? 681 00:29:10,250 --> 00:29:13,500 Jesus is tough enough to take that guy on and tender enough 682 00:29:13,542 --> 00:29:16,833 to cast the demons out and change his whole life. 683 00:29:16,875 --> 00:29:19,000 So, Jesus is tender, Jesus is tough, 684 00:29:19,042 --> 00:29:21,667 and sometimes he's tough and tender at the same time. 685 00:29:21,750 --> 00:29:28,333 Luke 9, he feeds 5,000 men plus the women and children. 686 00:29:28,375 --> 00:29:30,167 Tender or tough? 687 00:29:30,250 --> 00:29:32,917 Well, tender. Jesus is feeding people. 688 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:36,125 Luke 9, there's a boy with a demon. 689 00:29:36,167 --> 00:29:38,500 Jesus heals him and casts out the demon, 690 00:29:38,542 --> 00:29:40,125 and his physical health is restored. 691 00:29:40,167 --> 00:29:41,708 Tender or tough? 692 00:29:41,792 --> 00:29:43,125 Really tender. 693 00:29:43,167 --> 00:29:47,833 Imagine this was your kid and Jesus healed him. 694 00:29:47,875 --> 00:29:52,167 Luke 11, Jesus preaches this really intense sermon. 695 00:29:52,250 --> 00:29:55,208 "Woe to you religious critics!" 696 00:29:55,292 --> 00:29:58,375 He's quoting the Old Testament prophets, 697 00:29:58,458 --> 00:30:00,292 or I should say more accurately, 698 00:30:00,333 --> 00:30:02,375 he's echoing the Old Testament prophets. 699 00:30:02,458 --> 00:30:04,292 "Woe, woe, woe! 700 00:30:04,333 --> 00:30:05,792 "You're cursed of God! 701 00:30:05,833 --> 00:30:07,167 "Turn and repent! 702 00:30:07,250 --> 00:30:09,500 You're in the path of the wrath of God!" 703 00:30:09,583 --> 00:30:12,875 He preaches it to his critics in their face. 704 00:30:12,958 --> 00:30:15,000 Is that tender or tough? 705 00:30:15,042 --> 00:30:16,375 That's pretty tough. 706 00:30:16,458 --> 00:30:22,167 That's like preaching racial reconciliation at a Klan rally. 707 00:30:22,250 --> 00:30:24,500 You've got to be pretty tough to do that. 708 00:30:24,583 --> 00:30:26,667 This is what Jesus does. 709 00:30:26,750 --> 00:30:30,292 He is telling people that they are wrong to their face, 710 00:30:30,333 --> 00:30:34,125 when they outnumber him and oppose him. 711 00:30:34,167 --> 00:30:37,292 Luke 13, there's a woman who's been physically disabled, 712 00:30:37,333 --> 00:30:41,833 we read, for 18 years, chronic pain. 713 00:30:41,875 --> 00:30:44,500 Jesus heals her. 714 00:30:44,542 --> 00:30:46,417 Tender or tough? 715 00:30:46,500 --> 00:30:49,292 So very tender. 716 00:30:49,333 --> 00:30:52,500 Are you seeing that Jesus is often tender with hurting people 717 00:30:52,583 --> 00:30:55,333 and tough with religious people? 718 00:30:55,375 --> 00:30:58,500 You noticing this trend? 719 00:30:58,583 --> 00:31:00,500 Luke 14. 720 00:31:00,583 --> 00:31:04,000 He heals a man on the Sabbath. 721 00:31:04,042 --> 00:31:06,000 Tender or tough? 722 00:31:06,042 --> 00:31:07,375 Both. 723 00:31:07,458 --> 00:31:08,792 Tender, he heals the man. 724 00:31:08,833 --> 00:31:11,000 Tough, he does it on the Sabbath, knowing 725 00:31:11,083 --> 00:31:13,500 that the religious people aren't going to like that, 726 00:31:13,583 --> 00:31:16,333 because God didn't say you couldn't heal on the Sabbath, 727 00:31:16,375 --> 00:31:19,583 but they did, and he's breaking one of their rules. 728 00:31:19,667 --> 00:31:22,500 You've got to be tough to do that. 729 00:31:22,542 --> 00:31:27,000 Luke 18, the story is a whole bunch of children come to Jesus. 730 00:31:27,083 --> 00:31:29,000 Tender or tough? 731 00:31:29,083 --> 00:31:30,417 Really tender. 732 00:31:30,500 --> 00:31:34,417 Jesus doesn't say, "Bring me two swords." 733 00:31:34,500 --> 00:31:36,083 It's not sword time. 734 00:31:36,167 --> 00:31:37,708 It's Toys-R-Us time. 735 00:31:37,792 --> 00:31:40,000 It's a different time, right? 736 00:31:40,083 --> 00:31:43,083 Can you think of anything in the Bible more tender than Jesus 737 00:31:43,167 --> 00:31:44,500 with the kids? 738 00:31:44,542 --> 00:31:46,333 It's super tender. 739 00:31:46,375 --> 00:31:48,917 He's like Santa Claus, and they're all coming to play 740 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:52,917 with him and jump on his lap and have fun around him. 741 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:57,708 Luke 18, Jesus heals a blind beggar, 742 00:31:57,792 --> 00:32:00,417 poor outcast. 743 00:32:00,500 --> 00:32:02,583 Tender or tough? 744 00:32:02,667 --> 00:32:06,167 Really tender, really tender. 745 00:32:06,250 --> 00:32:09,417 Luke 19, Zacchaeus is a crook and a criminal, 746 00:32:09,500 --> 00:32:12,917 and he's up in a tree looking at Jesus, and Jesus calls to him. 747 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,917 "I'm going to save you, and I'm going to be your friend, 748 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,208 and I want to do dinner at your house!" 749 00:32:18,292 --> 00:32:21,208 And he goes to Zacchaeus' house and has dinner with Zacchaeus 750 00:32:21,292 --> 00:32:22,833 and all of his friends. 751 00:32:22,875 --> 00:32:25,500 Tender or tough? Both. 752 00:32:25,542 --> 00:32:27,667 Really tender for Zacchaeus and all of his friends. 753 00:32:27,750 --> 00:32:29,083 Zacchaeus was shocked. 754 00:32:29,167 --> 00:32:30,833 "You want to be my friend, Jesus? 755 00:32:30,875 --> 00:32:32,208 I'm a horrible person." 756 00:32:32,292 --> 00:32:33,625 Jesus says, "You know what? 757 00:32:33,667 --> 00:32:36,333 "That's why I'm here. I'm here to change horrible people." 758 00:32:36,375 --> 00:32:38,625 Zacchaeus is like, "If you're looking for horrible people, 759 00:32:38,667 --> 00:32:40,917 "I've got so many friends, it's unbelievable. 760 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:42,917 "I'll have all the horrible people over. 761 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:45,083 You can meet them all." 762 00:32:45,167 --> 00:32:47,417 And the religious people look at him and say, 763 00:32:47,500 --> 00:32:49,000 "Ah, he's a friend of sinners. 764 00:32:49,042 --> 00:32:51,333 Look at who he's hanging out with." 765 00:32:51,375 --> 00:32:53,833 And praise God, Jesus is still a friend of sinners. 766 00:32:53,875 --> 00:32:58,125 That's why he's willing to hang out with you with me, right? 767 00:32:58,167 --> 00:33:00,500 So he was tender toward Zacchaeus, 768 00:33:00,583 --> 00:33:04,292 but he was tough in saying and doing this openly and publicly, 769 00:33:04,333 --> 00:33:07,333 knowing he would incur the wrath of the religious. 770 00:33:07,375 --> 00:33:10,625 Last one, Jesus goes into the temple in Luke 19, 771 00:33:10,667 --> 00:33:13,500 and he sees in the outer courts, the court of the Gentiles, 772 00:33:13,583 --> 00:33:16,625 all the corrupt business, and people getting ripped off, 773 00:33:16,667 --> 00:33:20,125 and God turned into a business, and he throws the tables over, 774 00:33:20,167 --> 00:33:23,208 and he declares war, and this is all corrupt. 775 00:33:23,292 --> 00:33:25,000 Tender or tough? 776 00:33:25,083 --> 00:33:31,500 Really tough, because those places were rented by Herod, 777 00:33:31,583 --> 00:33:33,208 the political leader. 778 00:33:33,292 --> 00:33:35,417 Now you're declaring war on the religious establishment 779 00:33:35,500 --> 00:33:37,500 and the government. 780 00:33:37,583 --> 00:33:39,917 You've got to be tough to do that. 781 00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:42,625 So back to my original question. 782 00:33:42,667 --> 00:33:44,875 Is Jesus tender or tough? 783 00:33:44,958 --> 00:33:48,000 The answer is yes. 784 00:33:48,083 --> 00:33:52,208 He's tender and tough, and sometimes he's tender 785 00:33:52,292 --> 00:33:54,292 and tough at the same time. 786 00:33:54,333 --> 00:33:56,083 How about you? 787 00:33:56,167 --> 00:33:59,708 Do you tend to be more tender, or do you tend to be more tough? 788 00:33:59,792 --> 00:34:04,000 Or to say it another way, do you tend to be Luke 10 or Luke 22? 789 00:34:04,042 --> 00:34:07,000 And if you don't practice tota sola Scriptura, 790 00:34:07,042 --> 00:34:10,875 you're just going to get verses and portraits of Jesus that fit 791 00:34:10,958 --> 00:34:15,292 either tender or tough, and you will reduce Jesus to that, 792 00:34:15,333 --> 00:34:17,708 and then you will seek to be like him, 793 00:34:17,792 --> 00:34:21,000 hopefully by the grace of God, but the truth is you won't be 794 00:34:21,083 --> 00:34:23,292 obeying all that the Bible says, 795 00:34:23,333 --> 00:34:27,417 only some of what the Bible says. 796 00:34:27,500 --> 00:34:29,833 Some of you need to be more tender. 797 00:34:29,875 --> 00:34:33,625 Some of you need to be more tough. 798 00:34:33,667 --> 00:34:35,833 God wrote a book. 799 00:34:35,875 --> 00:34:41,125 God wants us to receive the whole book. 800 00:34:41,167 --> 00:34:44,667 God wants us to consider all of Scripture. 801 00:34:44,750 --> 00:34:47,500 Point number two, he wants us 802 00:34:47,583 --> 00:34:50,583 to connect all of Scripture to Jesus. 803 00:34:50,667 --> 00:34:53,083 Again, this is really important. 804 00:34:53,167 --> 00:34:55,583 There are a few different ways to view this book. 805 00:34:55,667 --> 00:34:59,417 Some people would say that this is a book of great advice. 806 00:34:59,500 --> 00:35:00,917 It's not. 807 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:02,833 There is some great advice in here, 808 00:35:02,875 --> 00:35:05,417 but that's not the primary point of the book. 809 00:35:05,500 --> 00:35:08,375 If it's primarily filled with great advice, 810 00:35:08,458 --> 00:35:11,708 then the book is about you and me, 811 00:35:11,792 --> 00:35:15,375 but the book is not about you and me. 812 00:35:15,458 --> 00:35:20,708 The book is for you and me, but it's about Jesus. 813 00:35:20,792 --> 00:35:22,208 Okay, Mars Hill? 814 00:35:22,292 --> 00:35:24,208 This is really important, 815 00:35:24,292 --> 00:35:26,500 because you can pick up the book, 816 00:35:26,542 --> 00:35:28,708 and you can just read it for good advice 817 00:35:28,792 --> 00:35:30,375 instead of good news. 818 00:35:30,458 --> 00:35:33,583 You can think it's about you and not about Jesus and get some 819 00:35:33,667 --> 00:35:38,125 moral truisms to live a more ethical life, and die 820 00:35:38,167 --> 00:35:42,083 and go to hell, because you're not even a Christian. 821 00:35:42,167 --> 00:35:44,875 You're just treating this like a psychology manual 822 00:35:44,958 --> 00:35:46,917 or a self-help book 823 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:50,500 or pithy ancient wisdom for daily living, 824 00:35:50,542 --> 00:35:52,667 and it's more than that. 825 00:35:52,750 --> 00:35:57,833 It's a book that God wrote about Jesus Christ. 826 00:35:57,875 --> 00:36:00,833 And so it's not a book about Abraham. 827 00:36:00,875 --> 00:36:02,333 It's not a book about Noah. 828 00:36:02,375 --> 00:36:04,000 It's not a book about David. 829 00:36:04,083 --> 00:36:07,000 It's a book about Jesus, and the cast of characters includes 830 00:36:07,083 --> 00:36:10,000 Abraham, and Noah, and David. 831 00:36:10,042 --> 00:36:12,125 But it's not about them. 832 00:36:12,167 --> 00:36:15,583 So, when God tells Abraham, "All the nations will be blessed 833 00:36:15,667 --> 00:36:20,167 through your descendant," that descendant is Jesus. 834 00:36:20,250 --> 00:36:23,708 When Noah builds an ark and saves a multitude from death, 835 00:36:23,792 --> 00:36:26,667 it's simply a portrait of what Jesus would come and do for 836 00:36:26,750 --> 00:36:31,125 more people to a greater degree, that he would save us 837 00:36:31,167 --> 00:36:34,500 not just from death, but from eternal death. 838 00:36:34,583 --> 00:36:39,000 When David slays Goliath, the story is not, 839 00:36:39,083 --> 00:36:41,208 "And here's some moral truisms. 840 00:36:41,292 --> 00:36:43,625 You can slay your giants." 841 00:36:43,667 --> 00:36:46,583 It's that David came from a family line, 842 00:36:46,667 --> 00:36:48,583 and Jesus is from the line of David, 843 00:36:48,667 --> 00:36:51,417 and David was the one that nobody would've expected 844 00:36:51,500 --> 00:36:52,917 to be the warrior. 845 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:55,917 And Jesus comes like that, and David slays a giant, 846 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:59,375 and Jesus conquers Satan. 847 00:36:59,458 --> 00:37:02,500 He's bigger and better than David. 848 00:37:02,542 --> 00:37:05,583 So just by way of analogy, I'm trying to illustrate for you, 849 00:37:05,667 --> 00:37:09,208 Mars Hill, the book is about Jesus, 850 00:37:09,292 --> 00:37:11,500 and all the people, and all the stories, 851 00:37:11,583 --> 00:37:13,667 and all the principles are ultimately part of 852 00:37:13,750 --> 00:37:17,333 the subplot connecting to the storyline that we are sinners, 853 00:37:17,375 --> 00:37:20,917 and Jesus comes as our Savior. 854 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:22,833 And the book doesn't make any sense 855 00:37:22,875 --> 00:37:25,917 unless it's all connected to Jesus. 856 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:29,375 This is exactly what Jesus repeatedly, emphatically, 857 00:37:29,458 --> 00:37:31,167 and clearly taught. 858 00:37:31,250 --> 00:37:32,625 We've seen it earlier in Luke. 859 00:37:32,667 --> 00:37:36,125 We'll see it at the end of Luke, and we see it again today 860 00:37:36,167 --> 00:37:37,667 in Luke 22:37. 861 00:37:37,750 --> 00:37:40,500 Here, Jesus quotes Isaiah 53:12. 862 00:37:40,542 --> 00:37:42,208 Here's what he says. 863 00:37:42,292 --> 00:37:44,708 "For I tell you that this Scripture--" 864 00:37:44,792 --> 00:37:47,333 we're back to the book that God wrote-- 865 00:37:47,375 --> 00:37:49,125 "must be fulfilled in me: 866 00:37:49,167 --> 00:37:51,292 'And he was numbered with the transgressors.'" 867 00:37:51,333 --> 00:37:52,917 That's a quote of Isaiah 53:12. 868 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:55,417 "For what is written about me has its fulfillment." 869 00:37:55,500 --> 00:37:56,833 What is Jesus saying? 870 00:37:56,875 --> 00:38:00,875 "This whole book is now being fulfilled in my life. 871 00:38:00,958 --> 00:38:04,500 "I am here fulfilling everything that is written 872 00:38:04,583 --> 00:38:07,417 in the book that God wrote." 873 00:38:07,500 --> 00:38:11,500 Jesus is on the precipice, again, of his crucifixion, 874 00:38:11,542 --> 00:38:14,000 of his death, his burial, his resurrection, 875 00:38:14,083 --> 00:38:17,792 and he knows this is all according to plan. 876 00:38:17,833 --> 00:38:20,167 This is all according to Scripture. 877 00:38:20,250 --> 00:38:26,167 This is all in the fulfillment of the eternal plan of God 878 00:38:26,250 --> 00:38:28,500 that is now working itself out in history. 879 00:38:28,583 --> 00:38:31,125 That's exactly what he says. 880 00:38:31,167 --> 00:38:34,833 And he quotes Isaiah 53:12. 881 00:38:34,875 --> 00:38:36,583 Now let me say this. 882 00:38:36,667 --> 00:38:43,000 Isaiah 53:12 is the final verse in a lengthy proclamation by 883 00:38:43,042 --> 00:38:47,708 the Holy Spirit through Isaiah about the coming of Jesus. 884 00:38:47,792 --> 00:38:50,208 It's the crowning culmination. 885 00:38:50,292 --> 00:38:55,667 It's the massive fireworks explosion to end as a crescendo, 886 00:38:55,750 --> 00:38:59,083 this amazing, magnificent section. 887 00:38:59,167 --> 00:39:01,292 So, guess what we're going to do? 888 00:39:01,333 --> 00:39:03,208 We're going to go where Jesus went. 889 00:39:03,292 --> 00:39:04,833 We're going to go to Isaiah. 890 00:39:04,875 --> 00:39:10,208 If you've got a Bible or an app, go to Isaiah 52. 891 00:39:10,292 --> 00:39:13,917 And this section starts in Isaiah 52:13, 892 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:19,875 and it moves to Isaiah 53:12, which Jesus quotes. 893 00:39:19,958 --> 00:39:23,292 Again, Jesus is on his way to his death, 894 00:39:23,333 --> 00:39:26,500 and what he has in his mind is Scripture. 895 00:39:26,542 --> 00:39:31,625 This is so practically helpful for us, to know the Word of God, 896 00:39:31,667 --> 00:39:35,583 to trust the Word of God, to memorize the Word of God so that 897 00:39:35,667 --> 00:39:40,625 we can recall it in seasons of testing and suffering. 898 00:39:40,667 --> 00:39:42,375 Isaiah 53:12, 899 00:39:42,458 --> 00:39:46,625 the context here beginning in Isaiah 40 through 66 900 00:39:46,667 --> 00:39:50,500 is the servant, that God the Father 901 00:39:50,583 --> 00:39:56,125 is sending a servant into human history to serve us. 902 00:39:56,167 --> 00:39:57,583 And it's written-- 903 00:39:57,667 --> 00:39:59,500 this is really helpful and important-- 904 00:39:59,542 --> 00:40:02,917 700 years before Jesus was born, 905 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:07,833 700 years before Jesus is born. 906 00:40:07,875 --> 00:40:11,167 And it tells us about a servant who is coming 907 00:40:11,250 --> 00:40:15,167 in very precise detail. 908 00:40:15,250 --> 00:40:17,292 Some of you are here, and you say, 909 00:40:17,333 --> 00:40:19,333 "I don't know if I believe the Bible. 910 00:40:19,375 --> 00:40:21,333 I don't know if I trust the Bible." 911 00:40:21,375 --> 00:40:23,083 I was in that same position. 912 00:40:23,167 --> 00:40:25,708 I heard what other people had said about the Bible, 913 00:40:25,792 --> 00:40:28,875 but I hadn't really heard the Bible. 914 00:40:28,958 --> 00:40:32,833 So, what I want to do is I want to give to you a gift that 915 00:40:32,875 --> 00:40:37,833 someone gave to me, and that is walking through and unpacking 916 00:40:37,875 --> 00:40:41,917 the prophetic promises of Isaiah 52 and 53; 917 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:47,083 and this was used of God to really bring me to a deep faith, 918 00:40:47,167 --> 00:40:51,792 firm conviction that this is, in fact, the book that God wrote, 919 00:40:51,833 --> 00:40:55,500 because no one would know history in this detail. 920 00:40:55,583 --> 00:41:01,292 No one could rule over history in this detail other than God, 921 00:41:01,333 --> 00:41:03,375 other than God. 922 00:41:03,458 --> 00:41:06,500 Seven hundred years before Jesus, 923 00:41:06,583 --> 00:41:11,333 2,700 years ago, this is was what was written. 924 00:41:11,375 --> 00:41:12,708 Are you ready? 925 00:41:12,792 --> 00:41:14,500 Am I the only one that's excited? 926 00:41:14,583 --> 00:41:15,917 Are you ready? 927 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:17,500 Isaiah 52:13. 928 00:41:17,583 --> 00:41:20,000 "Behold," God says. "My servant--" 929 00:41:20,083 --> 00:41:24,917 So, again, God is sending into human history a servant-- 930 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:26,875 "shall act wisely; 931 00:41:26,958 --> 00:41:29,833 he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted." 932 00:41:29,875 --> 00:41:31,833 When did that happen for Jesus? 933 00:41:31,875 --> 00:41:35,083 When was he high and lifted up? 934 00:41:35,167 --> 00:41:36,792 On the cross. 935 00:41:37,500 --> 00:41:39,083 On the cross. 936 00:41:39,167 --> 00:41:42,083 Back to the story of Luke, he quotes this section of Isaiah 937 00:41:42,167 --> 00:41:44,833 on his way to the cross. 938 00:41:44,875 --> 00:41:49,500 "As many were astonished at you-- 939 00:41:49,583 --> 00:41:52,708 "his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, 940 00:41:52,792 --> 00:41:57,333 and his form beyond that of the children of mankind." 941 00:41:57,375 --> 00:42:00,292 How are we going to treat this servant? 942 00:42:00,333 --> 00:42:01,708 We are going to beat him. 943 00:42:01,792 --> 00:42:03,333 We are going to batter him. 944 00:42:03,375 --> 00:42:05,833 We are going to bloody him. 945 00:42:05,875 --> 00:42:12,208 Jesus was beaten by a mob, swollen, bloodied, 946 00:42:12,292 --> 00:42:17,167 beard plucked out, which was disgrace in the ancient world. 947 00:42:17,250 --> 00:42:20,000 The Bible says then he was scourged, where the flesh 948 00:42:20,042 --> 00:42:22,000 was ripped off his body. 949 00:42:22,083 --> 00:42:25,000 He was a bloodied mess. 950 00:42:25,083 --> 00:42:30,708 Had you known Jesus and seen him being crucified, 951 00:42:30,792 --> 00:42:34,500 you would not have recognized him. 952 00:42:34,583 --> 00:42:38,208 He didn't even look like the same man, just a swollen, 953 00:42:38,292 --> 00:42:42,500 bloodied, fatigued, beaten, 954 00:42:42,583 --> 00:42:47,375 absolutely crushed, destroyed man. 955 00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:53,917 That's what we did to the servant of God. 956 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:56,833 "So shall he sprinkle many nations." 957 00:42:56,875 --> 00:43:00,667 And the wage for sin is death, and sin requires death, 958 00:43:00,750 --> 00:43:03,667 and the way this was typified in the Old Testament is that 959 00:43:03,750 --> 00:43:07,000 the high priest, as the mediator between God and his people, 960 00:43:07,042 --> 00:43:10,167 would offer a sacrifice, and that animal would be 961 00:43:10,250 --> 00:43:12,833 a substitute for the sinful people, 962 00:43:12,875 --> 00:43:16,500 and the blood would be shed in place of their sin, 963 00:43:16,583 --> 00:43:19,000 and then the blood would be sprinkled. 964 00:43:19,042 --> 00:43:21,583 And what he's saying is the blood of this servant 965 00:43:21,667 --> 00:43:26,500 is sprinkled in our place for our sin. 966 00:43:26,583 --> 00:43:30,625 That's the Bible's language for atonement. 967 00:43:30,667 --> 00:43:34,208 "Kings shall shut their mouths because of him; 968 00:43:34,292 --> 00:43:38,125 "for that which has not been told them they see, 969 00:43:38,167 --> 00:43:42,083 and that which they have not heard they understand." 970 00:43:42,167 --> 00:43:44,833 What he's talking about here is that Jesus would come unlike 971 00:43:44,875 --> 00:43:50,208 all other kings and all other rulers and all other leaders. 972 00:43:50,292 --> 00:43:54,500 See, Jesus came to serve, not be served. 973 00:43:54,583 --> 00:43:56,625 He came to give, not to take. 974 00:43:56,667 --> 00:43:58,500 He came to love. 975 00:43:58,542 --> 00:44:00,417 He came to forgive. 976 00:44:00,500 --> 00:44:01,917 He came to bless. 977 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:03,417 He came to serve. 978 00:44:03,500 --> 00:44:08,625 He came giving himself away as a gift. 979 00:44:08,667 --> 00:44:12,000 And it says that leaders, particularly political leaders, 980 00:44:12,042 --> 00:44:16,125 who have selfish motives--no matter how good a human leader 981 00:44:16,167 --> 00:44:20,708 might be, their motives are never pure. 982 00:44:20,792 --> 00:44:23,708 Their humility is never consistent. 983 00:44:23,792 --> 00:44:27,500 And it says as senior leaders, and political leaders 984 00:44:27,583 --> 00:44:30,667 and powerful leaders consider Jesus, 985 00:44:30,750 --> 00:44:32,833 they're just silenced. 986 00:44:32,875 --> 00:44:35,500 They've never seen anyone like him. 987 00:44:35,583 --> 00:44:40,042 They've never seen anyone lead like him and love like him, 988 00:44:41,542 --> 00:44:44,792 just silenced, stunned, 989 00:44:44,833 --> 00:44:48,625 that God would be among us and love us, 990 00:44:48,667 --> 00:44:53,208 and that we would treat him so horrifically. 991 00:44:53,292 --> 00:44:57,708 It causes us to just ponder. 992 00:44:57,792 --> 00:45:00,500 Are we that bad, and is he that good? 993 00:45:00,583 --> 00:45:03,833 And the answer is yes to both. 994 00:45:03,875 --> 00:45:07,917 Isaiah 53, "Who has believed what he has heard from us?" 995 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:11,417 We want you to believe. 996 00:45:11,500 --> 00:45:14,208 "And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 997 00:45:14,292 --> 00:45:17,625 This analogy here is that we're like the enemies of God who have 998 00:45:17,667 --> 00:45:20,833 run from God and fled from God, and we fight against God, 999 00:45:20,875 --> 00:45:24,000 and God, through the person and work of Jesus Christ, 1000 00:45:24,042 --> 00:45:27,083 extends an arm of salvation and friendship. 1001 00:45:27,167 --> 00:45:30,000 Jesus is the means by which the Father extends 1002 00:45:30,083 --> 00:45:34,625 a hand of friendship to you and to me and to us. 1003 00:45:34,667 --> 00:45:38,292 We want you to take his hand. 1004 00:45:38,333 --> 00:45:41,292 We do that by faith. 1005 00:45:43,750 --> 00:45:47,208 Well, how will he come, this servant? 1006 00:45:47,292 --> 00:45:51,208 Again, it's written 700 years before Jesus was born. 1007 00:45:51,292 --> 00:45:54,167 How will we know that he is coming? 1008 00:45:54,250 --> 00:45:58,583 Isaiah 53:2, "For he," that is Jesus, "grew up before him," 1009 00:45:58,667 --> 00:46:01,625 that is God the Father, "like a young plant, and like 1010 00:46:01,667 --> 00:46:05,333 a root out of dry ground." 1011 00:46:05,375 --> 00:46:09,417 You ever been in a barren desert place and hardly anything 1012 00:46:09,500 --> 00:46:11,917 is growing, and nothing is flourishing, 1013 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:15,708 and you see one small plant sprout? 1014 00:46:15,792 --> 00:46:21,083 You think to yourself, "Not much is going to come of that." 1015 00:46:21,167 --> 00:46:22,500 The soil is bad. 1016 00:46:22,583 --> 00:46:25,208 Nothing else is fruitful. 1017 00:46:25,292 --> 00:46:29,667 That little plant doesn't stand a chance. 1018 00:46:29,750 --> 00:46:32,000 He says, "When I send my servant, 1019 00:46:32,042 --> 00:46:36,625 "my suffering Son servant, he's going to come like that. 1020 00:46:36,667 --> 00:46:38,167 "You're going to look at him. 1021 00:46:38,250 --> 00:46:40,500 "You're going to say, 'He's grown up where?'" 1022 00:46:40,583 --> 00:46:43,000 Nazareth? 1023 00:46:43,083 --> 00:46:45,000 Somebody asked a rhetorical question in the Bible 1024 00:46:45,083 --> 00:46:47,792 "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" 1025 00:46:47,833 --> 00:46:51,792 The answer is nothing good has ever come from Nazareth. 1026 00:46:51,833 --> 00:46:55,667 If something does come from Nazareth, that's pretty amazing. 1027 00:46:55,750 --> 00:46:57,083 I've been to Nazareth. 1028 00:46:57,167 --> 00:46:58,833 It's a little dinky town. 1029 00:46:58,875 --> 00:47:03,625 In Jesus' day, it was a very small town, 100 people maybe. 1030 00:47:03,667 --> 00:47:06,375 They had one well, one well. 1031 00:47:06,458 --> 00:47:09,500 You can't sustain a large population on one well. 1032 00:47:09,583 --> 00:47:12,208 Was it in the city, or was it in the country? 1033 00:47:12,292 --> 00:47:14,125 It was really in the country. 1034 00:47:14,167 --> 00:47:16,625 These are hill folk. 1035 00:47:16,667 --> 00:47:18,625 These are uneducated people. 1036 00:47:18,667 --> 00:47:20,833 These are common peasants. 1037 00:47:20,875 --> 00:47:23,000 They grow crops, and they go fishing. 1038 00:47:23,083 --> 00:47:25,833 They don't have access to city life, and education, 1039 00:47:25,875 --> 00:47:27,625 and libraries. 1040 00:47:27,667 --> 00:47:29,875 These are not those people. 1041 00:47:29,958 --> 00:47:34,333 The homes that they lived in that day, 400-500 square feet. 1042 00:47:34,375 --> 00:47:38,125 That included the stalls for the animals. 1043 00:47:38,167 --> 00:47:40,792 "The servant is here! 1044 00:47:40,833 --> 00:47:43,333 "The suffering servant, the Son of God, 1045 00:47:43,375 --> 00:47:45,417 the Savior of the world is here!" 1046 00:47:45,500 --> 00:47:46,917 "Where is he at?" 1047 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:48,583 "Nazareth." 1048 00:47:48,667 --> 00:47:50,417 "Well, what was his first crib like?" 1049 00:47:50,500 --> 00:47:52,625 "Well, it was a feeding trough of an animal." 1050 00:47:52,667 --> 00:47:54,333 "Was his mom a queen?" 1051 00:47:54,375 --> 00:47:56,375 "No, she was a junior high girl." 1052 00:47:56,458 --> 00:47:58,792 "What?" 1053 00:47:58,833 --> 00:48:00,625 "They're in the country." 1054 00:48:00,667 --> 00:48:02,208 "Well, what about his dad?" 1055 00:48:02,292 --> 00:48:04,417 "He's a carpenter." 1056 00:48:04,500 --> 00:48:06,417 "Well, what's the Lord doing?" 1057 00:48:06,500 --> 00:48:09,125 "He's making a table." 1058 00:48:09,167 --> 00:48:14,083 "Are you sure we've got the right guy?" 1059 00:48:14,167 --> 00:48:15,625 How many of you, 1060 00:48:15,667 --> 00:48:18,375 you wouldn't come into human history like that. 1061 00:48:18,458 --> 00:48:20,208 I wouldn't. 1062 00:48:20,292 --> 00:48:23,000 Oh, we have angels? 1063 00:48:23,042 --> 00:48:25,625 Bring the angels, right? 1064 00:48:25,667 --> 00:48:27,000 Carry me in. 1065 00:48:27,083 --> 00:48:28,417 Somebody give me a crown. 1066 00:48:28,500 --> 00:48:30,417 I want a fruity drink. 1067 00:48:30,500 --> 00:48:31,833 I want trumpets blasting. 1068 00:48:31,875 --> 00:48:33,708 I want somebody with a big banner! 1069 00:48:33,792 --> 00:48:35,792 Here comes the Lord! 1070 00:48:35,833 --> 00:48:38,292 I mean, I'm rolling in a way that Jay-Z's like, 1071 00:48:38,333 --> 00:48:40,125 "That's an amazing entrance right there." 1072 00:48:40,167 --> 00:48:41,500 That's how I'm rolling in. 1073 00:48:41,583 --> 00:48:43,583 I'm rolling in big. 1074 00:48:43,667 --> 00:48:45,000 Not Jesus. 1075 00:48:45,042 --> 00:48:49,667 Humble, poor, rural. 1076 00:48:49,750 --> 00:48:55,792 The Bible predicted you wouldn't expect Jesus to come like that. 1077 00:48:57,458 --> 00:48:59,208 Well, what's he going to look like? 1078 00:48:59,292 --> 00:49:01,792 How many of you have seen the pictures of Jesus? 1079 00:49:01,833 --> 00:49:03,875 Just so you know, they're not real pictures. 1080 00:49:03,958 --> 00:49:06,500 We don't know exactly what Jesus looked like. 1081 00:49:06,583 --> 00:49:10,417 This is the closest that we get to a description. 1082 00:49:10,500 --> 00:49:16,000 Usually the pictures of Jesus, long hair, probably not true. 1083 00:49:16,042 --> 00:49:19,417 1 Corinthians 11 says men had short hair in that day. 1084 00:49:19,500 --> 00:49:23,500 Usually, he's got nice European features. 1085 00:49:23,542 --> 00:49:26,583 He wasn't very European, more Middle Eastern, 1086 00:49:26,667 --> 00:49:30,833 more Jewish--in fact, Jewish. 1087 00:49:34,500 --> 00:49:35,833 Right? 1088 00:49:35,875 --> 00:49:37,625 You watch the early films of Jesus. 1089 00:49:37,667 --> 00:49:40,667 All the early films of Jesus, you could tell who Jesus is, 1090 00:49:40,750 --> 00:49:42,833 because he's always got this glow about him, 1091 00:49:42,875 --> 00:49:45,208 like he works at a nuclear reactor, you know, 1092 00:49:45,292 --> 00:49:46,875 he's kind of got that look. 1093 00:49:46,958 --> 00:49:48,708 Oh, how do you know it's Jesus? 1094 00:49:48,792 --> 00:49:50,125 Well, look. 1095 00:49:50,167 --> 00:49:52,125 He's glowing. 1096 00:49:52,167 --> 00:49:54,000 Did he look that? 1097 00:49:54,042 --> 00:49:55,375 No. 1098 00:49:55,458 --> 00:49:56,875 Here's what he looked like. 1099 00:49:56,958 --> 00:50:00,000 This is the closest we get in the whole Bible to a description 1100 00:50:00,083 --> 00:50:01,417 of the appearance of Jesus. 1101 00:50:01,500 --> 00:50:04,500 "He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, 1102 00:50:04,583 --> 00:50:07,417 and no beauty that we should desire him." 1103 00:50:07,500 --> 00:50:10,792 He looked normal. 1104 00:50:10,833 --> 00:50:14,417 He wasn't going to do Gap ads. 1105 00:50:14,500 --> 00:50:18,417 He looked normal. 1106 00:50:18,500 --> 00:50:21,500 How many of you, if you were God coming into human history, 1107 00:50:21,542 --> 00:50:23,833 not only would your entrance be amazing, 1108 00:50:23,875 --> 00:50:26,500 you'd be looking pretty good. 1109 00:50:26,583 --> 00:50:29,500 A lot better than you do right now, that's for sure. 1110 00:50:29,583 --> 00:50:34,875 He came normal, just looking regular. 1111 00:50:36,458 --> 00:50:39,125 You say, "Well, how would we treat him, then, this humble, 1112 00:50:39,167 --> 00:50:44,667 simple, suffering servant Son?" 1113 00:50:44,750 --> 00:50:49,500 Verse 3, "He was despised and rejected by men." 1114 00:50:49,542 --> 00:50:52,000 People hated him, and they rejected him. 1115 00:50:52,083 --> 00:50:55,708 I pray you would not reject Jesus today. 1116 00:50:55,792 --> 00:50:58,333 "A man of," what? 1117 00:50:58,375 --> 00:51:03,708 "Sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men 1118 00:51:03,792 --> 00:51:05,208 "hide their faces 1119 00:51:05,292 --> 00:51:07,375 he was despised, and we esteemed him not." 1120 00:51:07,458 --> 00:51:10,333 Some of us still despise him and don't esteem him. 1121 00:51:10,375 --> 00:51:11,792 "Oh, that's what he said. 1122 00:51:11,833 --> 00:51:13,167 That's what he thought." 1123 00:51:13,250 --> 00:51:15,000 Sometimes we practice what C. S. Lewis called, 1124 00:51:15,083 --> 00:51:17,000 "chronological snobbery." 1125 00:51:17,042 --> 00:51:18,500 "That was a long time ago. 1126 00:51:18,542 --> 00:51:20,500 Thankfully, we're a lot smarter than they were." 1127 00:51:20,542 --> 00:51:22,708 Are you sure? 1128 00:51:22,792 --> 00:51:25,708 That's more than a little proud. 1129 00:51:25,792 --> 00:51:28,208 And it says that he was a man of sorrows, 1130 00:51:28,292 --> 00:51:29,708 and he was familiar with grief. 1131 00:51:29,792 --> 00:51:32,083 Jesus experienced the full range of human emotion. 1132 00:51:32,167 --> 00:51:34,583 Sometimes religious people will not practice 1133 00:51:34,667 --> 00:51:37,625 tota sola Scriptura, and they'll say things like, 1134 00:51:37,667 --> 00:51:39,125 "You should be happy! 1135 00:51:39,167 --> 00:51:41,667 The joy of the Lord is your strength!" 1136 00:51:41,750 --> 00:51:45,000 Yeah, but it's a hard day. 1137 00:51:45,083 --> 00:51:48,333 And the Bible does say, if we look at all the Scriptures say, 1138 00:51:48,375 --> 00:51:50,833 there's a time to laugh and a time to weep, 1139 00:51:50,875 --> 00:51:52,833 that we should rejoice with those who rejoice 1140 00:51:52,875 --> 00:51:55,333 and weep with those who weep. 1141 00:51:55,375 --> 00:52:01,000 Jesus sometimes laughed and sometimes cried. 1142 00:52:01,083 --> 00:52:05,792 That it's perfectly acceptable to have moments of rejoicing 1143 00:52:05,833 --> 00:52:07,833 and moments of weeping. 1144 00:52:07,875 --> 00:52:11,667 It tells us that Jesus would be a man of sorrows, 1145 00:52:11,750 --> 00:52:15,708 familiar with suffering, acquainted with grief. 1146 00:52:15,792 --> 00:52:20,000 If your life is only always weeping, and dark, and hard, 1147 00:52:20,042 --> 00:52:24,000 and morose, it's not fully biblical. 1148 00:52:24,042 --> 00:52:27,792 If your life is always chipper, and smiling, and happy, 1149 00:52:27,833 --> 00:52:32,000 and faking it, it's not entirely biblical. 1150 00:52:32,083 --> 00:52:34,083 There'll be days and moments of rejoicing. 1151 00:52:34,167 --> 00:52:35,875 There'll be days and moments of weeping. 1152 00:52:35,958 --> 00:52:37,417 There were for Jesus. 1153 00:52:37,500 --> 00:52:39,333 There are for the people of God. 1154 00:52:39,375 --> 00:52:44,125 That our God fully felt 1155 00:52:44,167 --> 00:52:48,792 the spectrum of human emotion. 1156 00:52:48,833 --> 00:52:51,708 So, why would this happen? 1157 00:52:51,792 --> 00:52:53,833 Why would God come as a servant? 1158 00:52:53,875 --> 00:52:58,375 Why would God come humbly, and simply, and poorly, and rurally? 1159 00:52:58,458 --> 00:53:00,167 Why would he do that? 1160 00:53:00,250 --> 00:53:02,417 Verse 4, "Surely he has borne our griefs 1161 00:53:02,500 --> 00:53:05,583 "and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, 1162 00:53:05,667 --> 00:53:08,708 smitten by God, and afflicted." 1163 00:53:08,792 --> 00:53:11,833 Well, he came to suffer. 1164 00:53:11,875 --> 00:53:13,917 He came to die. 1165 00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:17,417 And when people looked at Jesus, they thought, 1166 00:53:17,500 --> 00:53:20,125 "Surely God must have cursed him." 1167 00:53:20,167 --> 00:53:22,333 Because it said all the way back in Deuteronomy, 1168 00:53:22,375 --> 00:53:24,500 "Cursed is a man who's hung on a tree." 1169 00:53:24,583 --> 00:53:27,167 And when they crucified Jesus, he was hung on a tree. 1170 00:53:27,250 --> 00:53:29,625 He was cursed of God. 1171 00:53:29,667 --> 00:53:33,667 God was cursed. 1172 00:53:36,000 --> 00:53:38,500 The question is why? 1173 00:53:38,583 --> 00:53:40,833 And what's going to happen in the next verse, 1174 00:53:40,875 --> 00:53:42,208 and it happens then repeatedly 1175 00:53:42,292 --> 00:53:43,917 throughout the rest of Isaiah 53, 1176 00:53:44,000 --> 00:53:46,417 and then Paul picks it up in the New Testament, 1177 00:53:46,500 --> 00:53:49,083 and the Bible says over and over, this little word "for." 1178 00:53:49,167 --> 00:53:50,500 It's really important. 1179 00:53:50,542 --> 00:53:51,917 Here's what'll happen to Jesus. 1180 00:53:52,000 --> 00:53:53,500 Why did that happen? 1181 00:53:53,542 --> 00:53:57,000 For this reason. 1182 00:53:57,083 --> 00:53:58,833 For. 1183 00:53:58,875 --> 00:54:01,208 "God demonstrates his love for us in this. 1184 00:54:01,292 --> 00:54:05,458 While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." 1185 00:54:07,667 --> 00:54:09,708 "No greater love has anyone than this, 1186 00:54:09,792 --> 00:54:14,583 that they lay down their life for their friend." 1187 00:54:16,792 --> 00:54:18,833 "What we received we pass on to you 1188 00:54:18,875 --> 00:54:23,500 "of first importance: that Christ died for our sins 1189 00:54:23,583 --> 00:54:25,500 according to the Scriptures." 1190 00:54:25,583 --> 00:54:29,000 See, the Bible uses this word "for" a lot to tell us 1191 00:54:29,083 --> 00:54:33,417 that Jesus came and served us by suffering and dying, 1192 00:54:33,500 --> 00:54:37,625 and he did it all for us. 1193 00:54:37,667 --> 00:54:41,167 He never sinned, and we've all sinned, 1194 00:54:41,250 --> 00:54:44,167 and he suffered as our substitute, 1195 00:54:44,250 --> 00:54:48,583 paying the penalty for sin, which is death. 1196 00:54:48,667 --> 00:54:50,833 You can read it for yourself. 1197 00:54:50,875 --> 00:54:52,833 Isaiah 53:5, 1198 00:54:52,875 --> 00:54:57,625 "He was wounded for our transgressions; 1199 00:54:57,667 --> 00:54:59,958 "he was crushed 1200 00:55:00,083 --> 00:55:03,792 "for our iniquities; 1201 00:55:03,833 --> 00:55:08,000 "upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, 1202 00:55:08,083 --> 00:55:10,125 and with his stripes we are healed." 1203 00:55:10,167 --> 00:55:11,667 This is the great exchange. 1204 00:55:11,750 --> 00:55:13,292 This is substitution. 1205 00:55:13,333 --> 00:55:17,667 In the garden, human beings substituted themselves for God, 1206 00:55:17,750 --> 00:55:21,625 and on the cross God substituted himself for us, 1207 00:55:21,667 --> 00:55:24,708 and he suffered and died in our place for our sins, 1208 00:55:24,792 --> 00:55:28,292 as our substitute, our servant, and our Savior. 1209 00:55:28,333 --> 00:55:29,708 That's the Son of God. 1210 00:55:29,792 --> 00:55:32,375 That's the Lord Jesus Christ. 1211 00:55:32,458 --> 00:55:34,417 Jesus never sinned, 1212 00:55:34,500 --> 00:55:38,500 and Jesus died for my sin. 1213 00:55:38,542 --> 00:55:41,500 The death he died is the death I deserve, 1214 00:55:41,583 --> 00:55:45,625 and he did that for me. 1215 00:55:45,667 --> 00:55:47,875 Do you trust in him? 1216 00:55:47,958 --> 00:55:49,417 Have you received him? 1217 00:55:49,500 --> 00:55:51,500 Have you come to him? 1218 00:55:51,583 --> 00:55:56,917 If not, that is what God has in store for you, 1219 00:55:57,000 --> 00:56:00,500 and you're in the path of the wrath of God, 1220 00:56:00,583 --> 00:56:03,583 and Jesus is the Savior. 1221 00:56:03,667 --> 00:56:05,333 Jesus is the hero. 1222 00:56:05,375 --> 00:56:08,083 Jesus is the deliverer. 1223 00:56:08,167 --> 00:56:10,583 That's--again, tota sola Scriptura-- 1224 00:56:10,667 --> 00:56:13,083 that's what the whole book says. 1225 00:56:13,167 --> 00:56:17,000 You receive Jesus in a tender way today, 1226 00:56:17,042 --> 00:56:21,625 or you stand before him in a tough way at the end. 1227 00:56:21,667 --> 00:56:25,667 He goes on, "By his stripes we are healed." 1228 00:56:25,750 --> 00:56:29,208 Because of his suffering, we receive healing. 1229 00:56:29,292 --> 00:56:31,833 For some, that means physical healing in this life. 1230 00:56:31,875 --> 00:56:34,125 And we pray for the sick, and sometimes God, 1231 00:56:34,167 --> 00:56:36,375 in his providence, does heal. 1232 00:56:36,458 --> 00:56:38,708 It also means at the resurrection of the dead, 1233 00:56:38,792 --> 00:56:41,708 all of God's children are fully healed forever, 1234 00:56:41,792 --> 00:56:45,333 and there is healing eternally for the people of God, 1235 00:56:45,375 --> 00:56:47,583 because of the sufferings of Jesus. 1236 00:56:47,667 --> 00:56:52,000 Why is this necessary? 1237 00:56:52,083 --> 00:56:55,417 Verse 6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; 1238 00:56:55,500 --> 00:56:59,917 we have turned--every one--to his own way." 1239 00:57:00,042 --> 00:57:01,708 We've just turned our back on God 1240 00:57:01,792 --> 00:57:04,208 and done whatever we wanted to do. 1241 00:57:04,292 --> 00:57:07,333 And like foolish sheep in the path of danger, 1242 00:57:07,375 --> 00:57:11,833 we have jeopardized our own eternal soul. 1243 00:57:11,875 --> 00:57:14,083 "And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity 1244 00:57:14,167 --> 00:57:16,208 [or the sin] of us all." 1245 00:57:16,292 --> 00:57:18,208 So, here's the good news, friends: 1246 00:57:18,292 --> 00:57:23,167 There's an answer for sin, and that's the suffering of Jesus. 1247 00:57:23,250 --> 00:57:25,083 You don't need to punish yourself. 1248 00:57:25,167 --> 00:57:27,417 Jesus already suffered. 1249 00:57:27,500 --> 00:57:31,000 You don't need to deny your sin, blame others, ignore your sin. 1250 00:57:31,042 --> 00:57:34,792 You need to confess, "I have gone astray, 1251 00:57:34,833 --> 00:57:39,000 and the Lord has laid on him my sin." 1252 00:57:39,083 --> 00:57:41,333 He is the suffering servant. 1253 00:57:41,375 --> 00:57:43,500 He is the Son of God. 1254 00:57:43,583 --> 00:57:46,208 He is the Savior. 1255 00:57:46,292 --> 00:57:48,833 I really need you to know that. 1256 00:57:48,875 --> 00:57:50,917 I need you to believe that. 1257 00:57:51,000 --> 00:57:54,208 I need you to trust that. 1258 00:57:54,292 --> 00:57:56,167 He goes on. 1259 00:57:56,250 --> 00:57:58,417 "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, 1260 00:57:58,500 --> 00:57:59,958 "yet he opened not his mouth; 1261 00:58:00,083 --> 00:58:03,208 "like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep 1262 00:58:03,292 --> 00:58:06,208 before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." 1263 00:58:06,292 --> 00:58:07,625 Jesus did not defend himself. 1264 00:58:07,667 --> 00:58:10,417 He went to the cross tough. 1265 00:58:10,500 --> 00:58:13,500 He wasn't whining and complaining. 1266 00:58:13,583 --> 00:58:16,000 He was suffering and dying. 1267 00:58:16,042 --> 00:58:18,333 "By oppression and judgment, he was taken away." 1268 00:58:18,375 --> 00:58:20,125 Those were his arrests. 1269 00:58:20,167 --> 00:58:23,208 "And as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off 1270 00:58:23,292 --> 00:58:25,625 from the land of the living?" 1271 00:58:25,667 --> 00:58:30,125 That's death, that we'd murder the servant of God. 1272 00:58:30,167 --> 00:58:33,000 He would be cut off from the land of the living. 1273 00:58:33,042 --> 00:58:36,000 We would kill him. 1274 00:58:36,083 --> 00:58:38,917 "Stricken for--" there's our word again-- 1275 00:58:39,000 --> 00:58:41,708 "the transgression of my people." 1276 00:58:41,792 --> 00:58:45,333 We would murder the servant, and that would be used, in 1277 00:58:45,375 --> 00:58:49,125 the grace of God, as our salvation. 1278 00:58:49,167 --> 00:58:52,208 That's how great God is. 1279 00:58:52,292 --> 00:58:54,417 God takes the worst evil 1280 00:58:54,500 --> 00:58:58,458 and uses it to pour out the most grace. 1281 00:59:00,375 --> 00:59:02,667 "And they made his grave with the wicked--" 1282 00:59:02,750 --> 00:59:05,667 Jesus was crucified between two guilty thieves-- 1283 00:59:05,750 --> 00:59:08,500 "and with a rich man in his death." 1284 00:59:08,542 --> 00:59:09,917 Was Jesus rich? 1285 00:59:10,000 --> 00:59:11,333 Yes or no? 1286 00:59:11,375 --> 00:59:13,208 No. 1287 00:59:13,292 --> 00:59:15,333 He was buried in a rich man's tomb. 1288 00:59:15,375 --> 00:59:17,125 Yes or no? 1289 00:59:17,167 --> 00:59:18,500 Yes. 1290 00:59:18,583 --> 00:59:19,917 And here's how it worked. 1291 00:59:20,000 --> 00:59:22,333 The Scripture was prophesied how Jesus would live, 1292 00:59:22,375 --> 00:59:24,875 how he would die, and where he would be buried, 1293 00:59:24,958 --> 00:59:27,417 700 years before he was born. 1294 00:59:27,500 --> 00:59:30,917 Dear friend, please don't hear this and say, 1295 00:59:31,000 --> 00:59:32,792 "I don't believe the Bible. 1296 00:59:32,833 --> 00:59:34,333 Men wrote that book." 1297 00:59:34,375 --> 00:59:36,417 Men don't know the future. 1298 00:59:36,500 --> 00:59:38,417 Men don't control the future. 1299 00:59:38,500 --> 00:59:40,875 Men don't predict the future, 1300 00:59:40,958 --> 00:59:44,083 not with this kind of painstaking detail. 1301 00:59:44,167 --> 00:59:47,500 This is the book that God wrote about the Savior 1302 00:59:47,583 --> 00:59:49,875 that God provided. 1303 00:59:49,958 --> 00:59:51,875 That's what it's about. 1304 00:59:51,958 --> 00:59:54,708 And it says that he would be buried with the rich 1305 00:59:54,792 --> 00:59:56,125 in his death. 1306 00:59:56,167 --> 00:59:59,167 Jesus was poor, died, did not have a burial plot, and someone, 1307 00:59:59,250 --> 01:00:01,917 a man named Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man, 1308 01:00:02,000 --> 01:00:07,500 gifted to Jesus postmortem his own personal burial place, 1309 01:00:07,583 --> 01:00:12,208 and Jesus was buried with the rich in his death in fulfillment 1310 01:00:12,292 --> 01:00:16,000 of Isaiah, but 3 days later, he gave it back. 1311 01:00:16,083 --> 01:00:20,917 It was just a temporary stay. 1312 01:00:21,000 --> 01:00:23,500 "Although he had done no violence, 1313 01:00:23,583 --> 01:00:25,500 and there was no deceit in his mouth." 1314 01:00:25,542 --> 01:00:27,833 Did Jesus ever sin in word or deed? 1315 01:00:27,875 --> 01:00:30,500 No. 1316 01:00:30,583 --> 01:00:33,167 "Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; 1317 01:00:33,250 --> 01:00:35,000 he has put him to grief." 1318 01:00:35,083 --> 01:00:38,708 This was the plan of the Father, that we might have salvation. 1319 01:00:38,792 --> 01:00:42,000 "When his soul makes an offering for guilt--" 1320 01:00:42,042 --> 01:00:45,792 We're guilty, that he would die and pay our debt. 1321 01:00:45,833 --> 01:00:48,000 "He shall see his offspring; 1322 01:00:48,042 --> 01:00:49,833 he shall prolong his days." 1323 01:00:49,875 --> 01:00:51,292 What is that? 1324 01:00:51,333 --> 01:00:52,917 Mars Hill, that's the resurrection 1325 01:00:53,000 --> 01:00:55,708 of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1326 01:00:55,792 --> 01:00:59,208 That's the victory over Satan, sin, death, hell, 1327 01:00:59,292 --> 01:01:00,917 and the wrath of God. 1328 01:01:01,000 --> 01:01:02,417 Here's what it says. 1329 01:01:02,500 --> 01:01:03,833 He would live. 1330 01:01:03,875 --> 01:01:05,208 We would treat him brutally. 1331 01:01:05,292 --> 01:01:06,625 He would die. 1332 01:01:06,667 --> 01:01:09,000 He would be buried in a rich man's tomb, 1333 01:01:09,042 --> 01:01:11,333 and then he'd keep on living. 1334 01:01:11,375 --> 01:01:13,583 That's exactly what it says. 1335 01:01:13,667 --> 01:01:16,375 Jesus rose from death. 1336 01:01:16,458 --> 01:01:18,583 Seven hundred years in advance, 1337 01:01:18,667 --> 01:01:21,125 God wrote a book and told us it would happen. 1338 01:01:21,167 --> 01:01:23,583 Do you know what's amazing at this point in history? 1339 01:01:23,667 --> 01:01:25,875 The Jews didn't even have a concept of 1340 01:01:25,958 --> 01:01:27,500 an individual resurrection. 1341 01:01:27,542 --> 01:01:29,625 Their only concept was of a national resurrection 1342 01:01:29,667 --> 01:01:31,000 at the end. 1343 01:01:31,083 --> 01:01:33,125 They had no concept of an individual resurrection 1344 01:01:33,167 --> 01:01:35,125 in the middle of history. 1345 01:01:35,167 --> 01:01:36,500 Here's Isaiah writing this: 1346 01:01:36,583 --> 01:01:37,917 "What? 1347 01:01:38,000 --> 01:01:40,792 "Seriously? 1348 01:01:40,833 --> 01:01:42,875 "Okay. 1349 01:01:42,958 --> 01:01:44,625 "I'm just the court stenographer. 1350 01:01:44,667 --> 01:01:46,083 "I write the mail. 1351 01:01:46,167 --> 01:01:49,000 I don't make the content." 1352 01:01:49,042 --> 01:01:52,833 These are things that people haven't even considered 1353 01:01:52,875 --> 01:01:56,417 and God is revealing. 1354 01:01:56,500 --> 01:01:59,583 "And the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." 1355 01:01:59,667 --> 01:02:01,000 People will be saved. 1356 01:02:01,083 --> 01:02:02,417 Sin will be forgiven. 1357 01:02:02,500 --> 01:02:03,833 Satan will be crushed. 1358 01:02:03,875 --> 01:02:05,833 Eternity will be altered. 1359 01:02:05,875 --> 01:02:09,625 "Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied-- 1360 01:02:09,667 --> 01:02:13,208 resurrection--"by his knowledge shall the righteous one, 1361 01:02:13,292 --> 01:02:16,667 my servant, make many to be accounted righteous." 1362 01:02:16,750 --> 01:02:18,792 Here's the big question. 1363 01:02:18,833 --> 01:02:23,875 How can God, who is holy and just and true, 1364 01:02:23,958 --> 01:02:28,292 possibly look at guilty sinners like you and I and declare us 1365 01:02:28,333 --> 01:02:31,792 justified, righteous, acceptable, holy, 1366 01:02:31,833 --> 01:02:33,500 and pleasing in his sight? 1367 01:02:33,542 --> 01:02:36,333 He can't. He can't. 1368 01:02:36,375 --> 01:02:38,500 And so the servant comes. 1369 01:02:38,583 --> 01:02:43,000 The Lord Jesus comes, and he lives and dies in our place, 1370 01:02:43,042 --> 01:02:47,000 and he exchanges places with us, and he takes our sin, 1371 01:02:47,083 --> 01:02:49,875 and he gives us his righteousness. 1372 01:02:49,958 --> 01:02:51,875 And it says here he's the righteous one. 1373 01:02:51,958 --> 01:02:53,875 He's the only righteous one. 1374 01:02:53,958 --> 01:02:58,625 You and I are unrighteous, but through faith in Christ, 1375 01:02:58,667 --> 01:03:03,292 all of the righteousness of Christ is counted, reckoned, 1376 01:03:03,333 --> 01:03:05,708 granted, given toward you and I. 1377 01:03:05,792 --> 01:03:09,917 So, we stand before the Father with the resume of Jesus. 1378 01:03:10,000 --> 01:03:13,583 This is why, friends, we always tell you it's all about Jesus. 1379 01:03:13,667 --> 01:03:16,500 It's not about becoming righteous through punishing 1380 01:03:16,542 --> 01:03:19,917 yourself, through being moral, through trying harder, 1381 01:03:20,000 --> 01:03:24,125 through vain spirituality, through self-help 1382 01:03:24,167 --> 01:03:28,500 and pop psychology, and even religious devotion. 1383 01:03:28,542 --> 01:03:30,500 There's one who's righteous. 1384 01:03:30,583 --> 01:03:32,083 You trust in him. 1385 01:03:32,167 --> 01:03:34,917 His righteousness is given to you. 1386 01:03:35,000 --> 01:03:37,500 That's amazing! 1387 01:03:37,583 --> 01:03:40,000 Then you live from your righteousness 1388 01:03:40,042 --> 01:03:42,500 not for your righteousness. 1389 01:03:42,583 --> 01:03:45,125 He goes on. 1390 01:03:45,167 --> 01:03:49,208 "Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, 1391 01:03:49,292 --> 01:03:51,125 "and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, 1392 01:03:51,167 --> 01:03:53,833 because he poured out his soul to death." 1393 01:03:53,875 --> 01:03:56,833 There will be a great reward in the kingdom for the servant, 1394 01:03:56,875 --> 01:03:58,667 Jesus, the Son of God. 1395 01:03:58,750 --> 01:04:01,917 "And was"--and what does it say, Mars Hill? 1396 01:04:02,000 --> 01:04:05,792 "Numbered with the transgressors." 1397 01:04:05,833 --> 01:04:09,708 Where did we first hear that today? 1398 01:04:09,792 --> 01:04:13,125 Luke 22:37. 1399 01:04:13,167 --> 01:04:17,000 On his way to the cross, Jesus quotes that statement 1400 01:04:17,083 --> 01:04:21,833 from Isaiah 700 years prior, the culmination of the whole 1401 01:04:21,875 --> 01:04:27,333 proclamation that God would send a servant, a suffering servant, 1402 01:04:27,375 --> 01:04:31,000 a saving servant, the Son of God. 1403 01:04:31,042 --> 01:04:33,625 And Jesus was numbered with the transgressors. 1404 01:04:33,667 --> 01:04:36,500 He was crucified between two guilty thieves. 1405 01:04:36,583 --> 01:04:39,167 "Yet he bore the sin of many, and he makes intercession 1406 01:04:39,250 --> 01:04:42,500 for the transgressors." 1407 01:04:42,583 --> 01:04:44,875 Jesus is on his way to the cross, 1408 01:04:44,958 --> 01:04:47,333 and here's the big idea. 1409 01:04:47,375 --> 01:04:51,833 He says, "Don't forget, dear friends, we wrote a book, 1410 01:04:51,875 --> 01:04:54,417 "the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 1411 01:04:54,500 --> 01:04:56,833 "We wrote a book. 1412 01:04:56,875 --> 01:04:59,833 "And let me take you back 700 years ago to a portion 1413 01:04:59,875 --> 01:05:03,833 "of the book, and the book promised that I was coming. 1414 01:05:03,875 --> 01:05:06,417 "The book promised that I would be poor, 1415 01:05:06,500 --> 01:05:08,375 "that I would come from a rural town. 1416 01:05:08,458 --> 01:05:11,500 "The book promised that I would live a simple, humble life. 1417 01:05:11,542 --> 01:05:14,000 "The book promised that I would not have money 1418 01:05:14,083 --> 01:05:17,417 "or power in the traditional sense of the word, 1419 01:05:17,500 --> 01:05:19,500 "like other kings and leaders. 1420 01:05:19,542 --> 01:05:22,875 "The book promised that I would never sin in word or dead. 1421 01:05:22,958 --> 01:05:25,000 "The book promised that I would be despised 1422 01:05:25,083 --> 01:05:27,500 "and rejected and shamed and hated. 1423 01:05:27,583 --> 01:05:30,375 "The book promised that I would be high and lifted up 1424 01:05:30,458 --> 01:05:33,125 "on a cross, and the book promised that I would die, 1425 01:05:33,167 --> 01:05:36,500 "and the book promised that I would be buried in a rich man's 1426 01:05:36,542 --> 01:05:39,000 "tomb, and the book promised that I would come back, 1427 01:05:39,083 --> 01:05:42,333 "and that I would justify sinners and make them friends 1428 01:05:42,375 --> 01:05:45,417 "and declare them righteous in the Son of God, 1429 01:05:45,500 --> 01:05:48,500 "and I make intercession for the guilty! 1430 01:05:48,583 --> 01:05:51,083 "I make enemies friends! 1431 01:05:51,167 --> 01:05:53,500 "I'm here as the Savior of the world! 1432 01:05:53,583 --> 01:05:56,125 "Please, dear friends, trust the book! 1433 01:05:56,167 --> 01:05:58,583 "It's all happening right now! 1434 01:05:58,667 --> 01:06:02,292 "Human history is culminating in my death, 1435 01:06:02,333 --> 01:06:05,500 and I'll be back in 3 days." 1436 01:06:05,583 --> 01:06:08,667 That's amazing. 1437 01:06:11,875 --> 01:06:14,708 It's all true. 1438 01:06:14,792 --> 01:06:17,417 It's all about Jesus. 1439 01:06:17,500 --> 01:06:22,917 I can't say anything more, but I really want you to believe that, 1440 01:06:23,000 --> 01:06:26,708 and to turn from sin, and trust in him. 1441 01:06:26,792 --> 01:06:32,500 Father God, thank you so much for a plan to save sinners. 1442 01:06:34,167 --> 01:06:38,292 Lord Jesus, thank you for being that servant, that suffering, 1443 01:06:38,333 --> 01:06:42,125 saving servant Son. 1444 01:06:42,167 --> 01:06:45,667 Holy Spirit, thank you for writing this book. 1445 01:06:45,750 --> 01:06:48,208 Thank you for empowering Jesus. 1446 01:06:48,292 --> 01:06:51,333 Thank you for illuminating our understanding of the book 1447 01:06:51,375 --> 01:06:56,083 and the person and work and words of Jesus. 1448 01:06:56,167 --> 01:06:59,792 God, I'm so excited about the Scriptures. 1449 01:06:59,833 --> 01:07:02,833 I know I'm a sinner, and I deserve hell, 1450 01:07:02,875 --> 01:07:06,333 and everything that Jesus got, I should get. 1451 01:07:06,375 --> 01:07:10,708 But God, there is so much life in this book. 1452 01:07:10,792 --> 01:07:14,875 God, I thank you for the great honor it is to teach this book 1453 01:07:14,958 --> 01:07:19,000 at Mars Hill Church, where people hang in there for more 1454 01:07:19,042 --> 01:07:24,125 than an hour, and 92 sermons in, they still like the book, 1455 01:07:24,167 --> 01:07:27,125 and they're not tired of hearing about Jesus. 1456 01:07:27,167 --> 01:07:30,583 God, thank you for this place and these people. 1457 01:07:30,667 --> 01:07:33,500 Jesus, I pray for those who don't know you yet, 1458 01:07:33,583 --> 01:07:37,167 that they would trust the book, and they would turn to you. 1459 01:07:37,250 --> 01:07:39,375 God, for those of us who do know you, 1460 01:07:39,458 --> 01:07:42,375 I pray we would not grow weary in studying the book, 1461 01:07:42,458 --> 01:07:45,333 and memorizing the book, and learning the book. 1462 01:07:45,375 --> 01:07:48,000 And I pray for my friends, Lord God, who are in 1463 01:07:48,083 --> 01:07:51,000 a hard, dark, tough season, that just as Jesus did, 1464 01:07:51,042 --> 01:07:52,833 they would return to the Scriptures 1465 01:07:52,875 --> 01:07:54,833 for clarity and comfort. 1466 01:07:54,875 --> 01:07:57,000 And God I pray for us all. 1467 01:07:57,083 --> 01:07:59,375 I pray for those of us who are tender, 1468 01:07:59,458 --> 01:08:03,083 that you would help us to also be tough and brave and bold, 1469 01:08:03,167 --> 01:08:06,167 and for those of us who are tough and brave and bold, 1470 01:08:06,250 --> 01:08:08,708 I pray you'd help us to be tender and loving 1471 01:08:08,792 --> 01:08:10,417 and merciful and kind. 1472 01:08:10,500 --> 01:08:14,375 Jesus, we're not like you, but we thank that you can help us 1473 01:08:14,458 --> 01:08:16,000 to become more like you. 1474 01:08:16,083 --> 01:08:19,083 So, we ask for that grace in your good name, amen.