WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.260 Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast, where you can listen to audio from our most 00:00:09.260 --> 00:00:13.960 recent sermons and more. Thanks for listening, and be sure to add this show to your library 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:16.860 if you'd like to automatically receive new episodes each week. 00:00:28.460 --> 00:00:33.800 Hey, good morning. If you have your Bibles, and I hope you do, I want to invite you to join us 00:00:33.800 --> 00:00:39.880 in Colossians chapter 1. We're going to look at verse 15. If you do not have a Bible, it would 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:44.360 be our great joy this morning to be able to gift you one. And so at the end of the service, or you 00:00:44.360 --> 00:00:49.400 can come right now, right back here at this black table right in the back. There's some black Bibles 00:00:49.400 --> 00:00:53.960 that are right there, and you can go by and grab one of those. It is a gift from us to you. We would 00:00:53.960 --> 00:00:59.600 love for you to have a copy of God's Word. I want to echo what Pastor Dave said about all our first-time 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:04.200 guests. Hey, listen, we count it as a privilege and an honor that you were here. There's a thousand 00:01:04.200 --> 00:01:08.460 places you could have been this morning, but you chose to be here with us, and we count that as a 00:01:08.460 --> 00:01:13.140 blessing. At the end of the service, my wife and I will be right back there. If you wouldn't mind just 00:01:13.140 --> 00:01:17.500 stopping by for just a second so we can thank you personally for being here. If you've got somewhere 00:01:17.500 --> 00:01:21.760 to be, if you've got somewhere to go, hey, we understand completely. You don't have to, but we 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:29.080 would love for you to stop by. And then I would just like to say happy Father's Day to all of the dads 00:01:29.080 --> 00:01:35.120 out there, right? Like that video listed the top 10 things, but there's a thousand more that we do, 00:01:35.340 --> 00:01:42.020 and I am so appreciative and blessed to be able to be here at this church. And I was thinking about 00:01:42.020 --> 00:01:48.460 this in the tenure and the time we came here when our kids were five years old, four years old, five 00:01:48.460 --> 00:01:53.420 years old. I don't remember how old y'all were, but y'all were. How old were they, Aaron? Five. Thank 00:01:53.420 --> 00:01:59.300 you. Mom always knows when dad doesn't. But here's what God's blessed me with. God's blessed me 00:01:59.300 --> 00:02:06.480 with dads older than I am to come alongside and to walk through that with me as a young dad with my 00:02:06.480 --> 00:02:13.640 kids and to speak truth and give grace to me in my life. God's allowed me to have men the same age, 00:02:13.740 --> 00:02:20.120 the same journey as I am going through this, so we can do this together, so we can pick each other up 00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:24.020 and encourage us. But then also the joy and the blessing, man, have some of those younger dads 00:02:24.020 --> 00:02:29.920 to be able to pour in, to be able to invest into. And so for all of you guys, if golf is your thing, 00:02:30.220 --> 00:02:35.300 man, I hope that U.S. Open is just like you want it to be, whatever that meal is going to be, 00:02:35.300 --> 00:02:40.380 whatever that day is going to be. But here's what I want to say, and this is me from my heart, 00:02:40.460 --> 00:02:45.120 right? This isn't a message. I'm not doing a Father's Day message, not preaching this for you, 00:02:45.240 --> 00:02:50.280 but sometimes, man, I know that on days like this, the focus can be to make it all about you. 00:02:51.340 --> 00:02:57.540 And guys, my encouragement for you today is make it about one of the greatest joys that God's given 00:02:57.540 --> 00:03:04.080 you and make it about your family. Make it about your wife, your kids, whatever that that looks like 00:03:04.120 --> 00:03:10.920 for you to be able to do that. I'm excited. My kids, Saturday is usually a little bit less stressful 00:03:10.920 --> 00:03:16.220 day than Sunday, so they gave me my Father's Day gifts yesterday. And this is one of my Father's 00:03:16.220 --> 00:03:21.100 Day gifts that my son and my daughter got me. My Nike polo, it makes me look about 20 pounds lighter 00:03:21.100 --> 00:03:26.400 and a lot more muscular than I really am. Not really, but you know, just encourage me with that 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:32.400 this morning, all right? So, but happy, happy Father's Day. Well, here's going to be Colossians 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:37.280 115 this morning. Let me read this verse to you before we pray. It says, He is the image of the 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:43.860 invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. Would you join me in prayer? God, we thank you so much 00:03:43.860 --> 00:03:48.200 for today and this time that we could be here, Lord. We thank you for the kids in the room. We thank you 00:03:48.200 --> 00:03:52.160 for the dads in the room. Thank you for the moms in the room. Thank you for the families. We thank you 00:03:52.160 --> 00:03:55.820 for the individuals. Lord, we thank you for the members and the guests. We thank you for every 00:03:55.820 --> 00:04:00.360 person that you've brought here today. Lord, I thank you for that beautiful moment 00:04:00.360 --> 00:04:07.800 when the voices off the microphone stepped back, when the instruments weren't being played. 00:04:08.760 --> 00:04:15.480 God, and we could hear your church singing songs of praise to you. God, I pray that all that we do 00:04:15.480 --> 00:04:21.800 this morning bring glory and honor to your name. God, and as we look at this particular passage of 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:26.880 scripture, God, may you do with it in the hearts of the men and the women and the children who are here 00:04:26.880 --> 00:04:33.680 today, we're to draw them to yourself to convict us of our sin and to point us into the direction of 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:39.920 Christ. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Well, as we've been going through this series of 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:44.460 Misunderstood, one of the things that we're trying to do is kind of help understand that you and I, 00:04:44.740 --> 00:04:50.260 as individuals, we bring certain perspectives to when we read the Bible. And what I mean by that is 00:04:50.260 --> 00:04:57.620 is we bring past habits, we bring biases, we bring histories all to what we do. And what we're trying 00:04:57.620 --> 00:05:04.780 to do is kind of peel back the personal part of us to bring back any misconceptions or misunderstandings 00:05:04.780 --> 00:05:09.980 that we have and to put it into right perspective so that we can understand truly the passage of 00:05:09.980 --> 00:05:15.880 scripture for what it is. This past week, my family and I had the opportunity to get up and to go on 00:05:15.880 --> 00:05:22.840 vacation. We got a camper and so we took off to go to Lake Jocassee up in the upstate of South Carolina, 00:05:22.960 --> 00:05:27.640 almost into North Carolina. If you've never been there before, the Bradbury is what would give it 00:05:27.640 --> 00:05:33.320 a 10 out of 10. The lake, wonderful, beautiful place, mountains there, the water's cold, the water's 00:05:33.320 --> 00:05:40.200 clear, wonderful, wonderful experience. Well, our next to the last morning that we got there, I woke up 00:05:40.200 --> 00:05:45.720 and our neighbor that's right beside us and we had gotten to kind of know him and was talking to him 00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:52.080 and he made this statement to me. He said, did you hear about the bear that came by your camper last 00:05:52.080 --> 00:06:02.520 night? And while I like eating, I'm not necessarily a big fan on being eaten, right? So I heard the story 00:06:02.520 --> 00:06:08.380 from him of what happened and then Aaron came out and I was like, hey babe, just to let you know, 00:06:09.520 --> 00:06:21.000 last night about 30 feet from our camper was a bear. And the look that I saw on her face was, 00:06:21.840 --> 00:06:29.120 this was just my last night camping, you know? And then I gave the perspective. 00:06:30.320 --> 00:06:37.760 I said, but we're okay. We don't have to worry about it. Because while he came 30 feet past our 00:06:37.760 --> 00:06:48.920 camper, he sat down three feet away from someone's tent. Yep. Opened up their cooler 00:06:48.920 --> 00:06:58.120 and ate all their food. So as long as there's a tent with a cooler, we're okay with the camper in the 00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:03.020 refrigerator, right? Like it's just the perspective that we have. And that's what we've been doing a 00:07:03.020 --> 00:07:07.740 little bit with, with this, with this series is understanding the perspective that the Bible 00:07:07.740 --> 00:07:13.280 brings in the context of, of us so that we can fully understand what is God's word communicating 00:07:13.280 --> 00:07:17.960 so that I could properly apply that in my life. Now this morning's Bible verse is a little bit 00:07:17.960 --> 00:07:23.280 different than the ones that we've been doing. This morning's Bible verse is one that as I read it, 00:07:23.280 --> 00:07:29.020 that you might think through, well, that's, that's not a misunderstood or misapplied Bible verse, 00:07:29.020 --> 00:07:40.600 but this Bible verse actually has been frequently misused. And in the misusage of this Bible verse 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:47.720 has come from false teaching and heresy for a large group of people. 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:55.680 One of my first classes that I took was, was taught by in seminary was, was taught by a man by the name 00:07:55.680 --> 00:08:02.540 of Dr. Stephen McKinnon. And as he was talking to the first day of the class, I'll never forget this. 00:08:02.540 --> 00:08:12.220 We're, we're taking ethics. And he said that what we're going to discuss today is this statement. 00:08:13.280 --> 00:08:25.200 While it's important to share Jesus with people, what's really important is that we share the Jesus 00:08:25.200 --> 00:08:34.240 of the Bible with people. That sometimes what can happen is that individuals will say that they're 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:40.860 talking about Jesus and we'll hear them and others will hear them talking about Jesus. And so we think, 00:08:40.860 --> 00:08:48.400 high five, we're on the same team, but the Jesus that they're talking about is not the Jesus that the 00:08:48.400 --> 00:08:59.680 Bible was talking about. So let's look one more time about this verse. It says that he being Christ 00:08:59.680 --> 00:09:10.720 is the image of the invisible God, talking about Jesus continues, the firstborn of all creation. 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:16.560 Well, one of the essential doctrines of the early church and the central doctrine for the church 00:09:16.560 --> 00:09:25.340 today is, is to establish that, that Jesus is God and Jesus is man. There's the humanity of Christ 00:09:25.340 --> 00:09:33.760 and there's the divinity of Christ and proper faith, proper doctrine requires this. Now, does it mean that 00:09:33.760 --> 00:09:39.500 you fully understand it or grasp that? No, I've been studying this for years and this, in this concept is, 00:09:39.620 --> 00:09:48.000 is still such a hard concept to wrap my earthly mind fully around that Jesus is God and that Jesus is man. 00:09:48.800 --> 00:09:56.400 Things that I would think would stand in opposition of one another come into unity in the person of Christ. 00:09:57.520 --> 00:10:03.940 And we see this from multiple points in scripture. Some of these are Colossians 2.9, 00:10:04.220 --> 00:10:09.960 for in him, being Jesus again, the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. 00:10:11.380 --> 00:10:18.360 John 10.30, from the words of Christ, I and the Father are one. John 1.1, in the beginning was the word, 00:10:18.440 --> 00:10:24.560 and the word was with God, and the word was God, and the word is Christ. 1 John 4.2, 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:31.140 by this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ 00:10:31.140 --> 00:10:40.860 has come in the flesh is from God. But this foundational teaching has oftentimes 00:10:40.860 --> 00:10:51.940 been attacked from those who claim faith in God. And throughout church history have been labeled as 00:10:51.940 --> 00:10:59.940 heretics or cults. An example of this from biblical times would be the instance of the Gnostics. And 00:10:59.940 --> 00:11:05.320 you'll see them referred to in different points in times throughout scripture. And they taught when 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:17.220 their essential beliefs was that all physical matter was evil and only the spirit or non-material things 00:11:17.400 --> 00:11:26.160 were good. So what they would teach is all physical matter, this water bottle, my watch, you, me, 00:11:26.400 --> 00:11:37.160 were all evil. So what they had to do then was reconcile the person of Jesus with this. 00:11:37.980 --> 00:11:45.880 So they taught incorrectly that Jesus only appeared to be human, but he was not human, remember, because 00:11:45.880 --> 00:11:51.860 physical matter is evil. And so he was actually a ghost or a spirit. 00:11:52.860 --> 00:11:58.820 And there's lots of problems, there's lots of issues with that. When we look at the payment of Christ's death 00:11:58.820 --> 00:12:05.540 on the cross, and not only that, but just who he said and who the Bible teaches that he is. 00:12:06.700 --> 00:12:14.140 So the Gnostic phase isn't necessarily something that rings true for us in Lexington, South Carolina, but 00:12:14.140 --> 00:12:21.620 there's the Jehovah's Witnesses, who believe that Jesus, there's lots of things they believe, but they 00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:29.840 believe that Jesus was created by Jehovah, by God, as the archangel Michael, before the physical world 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:39.180 existed, and is a lesser though mighty God. They believe that God sent Jesus to earth as a temporary 00:12:39.180 --> 00:12:45.680 man and nothing more than a man. And they believe that when he died, his humanity was completely 00:12:45.680 --> 00:12:53.740 annihilated, and that he was raised from the dead as a mortal spirit. And when he returned to heaven once 00:12:53.740 --> 00:13:03.160 again, and became the archangel Michael. So what in the world does Colossians 115 have to do with this? 00:13:04.100 --> 00:13:08.440 Remember, it's important that the Jesus that we share is the Jesus of the Bible. 00:13:09.500 --> 00:13:17.400 And that you and I, that our job, that our responsibility as students of the Bible, is to 00:13:17.400 --> 00:13:22.980 say not what I can take away as far as removing things from the Bible. We want to take things 00:13:22.980 --> 00:13:28.580 from the Bible and see the truths of God apply to our life. Not what I can remove from the Bible, 00:13:28.940 --> 00:13:37.400 but also not what I add to the Bible. Not what I add to the Bible. Like as great as we may think we 00:13:37.400 --> 00:13:44.260 are in our mind, as biblically sound as we may think that we are, that the Bible is set in full and 00:13:44.260 --> 00:13:49.780 it's completed. And it does not need you, it does not need me to come back to this and say, 00:13:49.780 --> 00:13:53.300 well then there's things that were left out, there's things that need to be included. 00:13:53.660 --> 00:13:57.980 That we believe in the sufficiency and the fullness of Scripture, that we believe in the 00:13:57.980 --> 00:14:02.000 authority of Scripture, that we believe in the perfection of Scripture, that it is set, that it is 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:07.420 done, that it is good, that it is whole, is complete, and everything we need for relationship with 00:14:07.420 --> 00:14:13.740 Christ and for righteousness is found here. So they use this passage of Scripture and their false 00:14:13.740 --> 00:14:21.200 teaching. They believe that God created Jesus as the archangel Michael, and that through God, 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:29.480 Michael, and all things were created. And they come to this conclusion by two errors. Two errors that 00:14:29.480 --> 00:14:36.200 they make in this, in this particular passage. One is a language error. Look back at Colossians 1.15, 00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:42.700 it says, he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. So, 00:14:43.220 --> 00:14:55.820 the word, the language error here is firstborn. Firstborn. You guys know, Emma and Grayson are 00:14:55.820 --> 00:15:07.000 twins, right? But it is always a thing in our house that we do have an older twin, and that older twin 00:15:07.000 --> 00:15:12.940 Grayson loves to leverage the fact, I'm not going to call out names, that he is older than she. 00:15:15.660 --> 00:15:23.640 And the younger twin, she doesn't like that very much, right? So we have this. So they use this 00:15:23.640 --> 00:15:35.360 word of firstborn in the way that we would say that Grayson is firstborn. Correctly translated, 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:48.360 firstborn here, carries with it the concept of position, rank, or prominence. So an example of that would be 00:15:48.360 --> 00:16:00.560 when we look at King David in Psalm 89. Psalm 89 verse 27. King David is referred to as the firstborn of the 00:16:00.560 --> 00:16:12.100 kings of the earth. Now, here's what history, here's what the Bible, here's what we know about David. 00:16:12.100 --> 00:16:19.740 David was the lastborn in his family, and he surely, when we read through the biblical narrative, 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:26.820 was not the firstborn king of the earth. But what we see here in God's man is God has chosen 00:16:26.820 --> 00:16:39.920 who he is in God and what God has called him to. And so what we begin when we remove the language error, 00:16:40.180 --> 00:16:47.220 what we see Paul is saying is that Jesus is before, Jesus is eternal, all created things, 00:16:47.460 --> 00:16:52.780 that Jesus is different, that Jesus is divine, that Jesus is holy, that Jesus is perfect, 00:16:52.780 --> 00:17:02.020 then all created things. So Jesus is not the same as you and me. Jesus is not created. 00:17:03.860 --> 00:17:14.460 He's God. He's eternal. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, 00:17:14.460 --> 00:17:25.180 and there was never a point where God created Jesus. This is who he is. So there's a language error, 00:17:25.320 --> 00:17:34.600 but then there's an intentional translation error. And here's why I say intentional. They add the word 00:17:34.600 --> 00:17:45.800 other to various places in Colossians 1, 15 through 16, even though the word other isn't listed 00:17:45.800 --> 00:17:55.040 in the original text. Okay? Now, I'm going to do something that Berger and I, we talked about this 00:17:55.040 --> 00:18:00.000 morning. We're like, this feels a little weird, but we're going to do this. I'm going to intentionally 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:09.600 put the wrong Bible verse on the screen. Please do not take a picture of this and post it. Look at the 00:18:09.600 --> 00:18:15.500 heresies being taught at Willow Ridge Church, all right? This is the incorrect version of what we will 00:18:15.500 --> 00:18:24.700 see in Colossians 1, 15 through 16, to help us see this intentional translation error. So he is the image 00:18:24.700 --> 00:18:30.780 language of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. That was the language. Verse 16, 00:18:31.580 --> 00:18:41.080 for by him all other things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones 00:18:41.080 --> 00:18:52.340 or dominions or rulers or authorities. All other things were created through him and for him. Now, 00:18:52.340 --> 00:18:59.940 this is the incorrect translation. But what they're trying to push across in the false narrative who 00:18:59.940 --> 00:19:15.220 Jesus is is, yeah, sure, Jesus created, but he created all other. But God created him. And it's false. 00:19:15.220 --> 00:19:29.060 And it's not only false. But it drives a wedge against the heart of what God is communicating. 00:19:31.780 --> 00:19:43.860 Here's what I'm not trying to do this morning. I'm not trying to create in you a heart of hostility 00:19:45.060 --> 00:19:50.340 against a group of people who believe something different than you or I. 00:19:52.340 --> 00:20:03.540 What I am trying to create in you and in myself is a heart of desperation for the gospel. 00:20:06.260 --> 00:20:14.420 That when others who would like to knock and share a heresy, 00:20:15.300 --> 00:20:24.980 a lie that pulls people away from Jesus of the scripture, that our heart for them is not to engage 00:20:24.980 --> 00:20:33.140 into a fight with them, but a desire that they would come to know the true Christ. 00:20:34.420 --> 00:20:34.980 See, that's it. 00:20:38.660 --> 00:20:41.300 You and I live in a world 00:20:43.380 --> 00:20:46.260 of pick a side, draw a line, and then go to battle. 00:20:48.100 --> 00:20:51.380 And there are the battles that we face. 00:20:52.740 --> 00:21:00.020 But our mission, the battle should never deter us from the mission. 00:21:01.460 --> 00:21:09.060 And the mission is what God has given us to go and make disciples, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, 00:21:09.060 --> 00:21:16.900 to see men and women, sinners lost in their trespasses and sins, come to faith in Jesus Christ. 00:21:18.100 --> 00:21:23.140 In all that we are, in all that we do, this is our mission. 00:21:24.180 --> 00:21:27.700 This was the heart of Paul as he wrote to the church. 00:21:28.180 --> 00:21:30.660 This was the heart of Christ as he came to minister. 00:21:31.060 --> 00:21:38.340 And this is the heart of us as we send, as we go, as we live in every moment for who God has called us to be. 00:21:39.060 --> 00:21:41.540 So let's get some perspective. 00:21:42.980 --> 00:21:45.300 Let's look at the correct verses. 00:21:46.900 --> 00:21:51.780 And let's ask, then what is Paul communicating? 00:21:52.660 --> 00:21:55.780 What is Paul pointing us toward? 00:21:56.260 --> 00:21:58.580 What is Paul leading us to? 00:21:59.300 --> 00:22:02.340 So Colossians 1, start reading verse 15. 00:22:04.020 --> 00:22:10.180 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 00:22:11.300 --> 00:22:21.780 For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. 00:22:23.060 --> 00:22:26.260 All things were created through him and for him. 00:22:27.060 --> 00:22:31.380 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 00:22:32.020 --> 00:22:34.340 And he is the head of the body, the church. 00:22:34.900 --> 00:22:41.460 He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 00:22:42.900 --> 00:23:01.780 "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of the cross." 00:23:01.780 --> 00:23:13.300 What Paul does here, under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gives a wonderful and beautiful introduction to Jesus. 00:23:14.660 --> 00:23:22.100 And I don't know what caused you to be here this morning. 00:23:24.580 --> 00:23:30.580 I don't know if it was a conversation with a spouse, if your dad invited you to come with me on the Father's Day. 00:23:31.380 --> 00:23:39.220 If this has just been a routine and you're here every week because out of obligation of who you are or whether you showed up for a thousand different reasons. 00:23:41.540 --> 00:23:54.180 But what Paul does here, which is what I want to do, is let's have an introduction and kind of hang out for a minute with Jesus. 00:23:56.260 --> 00:23:58.100 And just understand who he is. 00:23:59.620 --> 00:24:06.340 Because when we understand who Jesus is, when we understand Jesus of the Bible, 00:24:07.380 --> 00:24:13.380 we understand love beyond any other earthly comparison that we can draw from. 00:24:14.820 --> 00:24:21.940 Like on this Father's Day, I love my kids. 00:24:23.540 --> 00:24:24.020 I do. 00:24:24.900 --> 00:24:33.380 Man, I am blessed with a son and daughter whom I love and who I firmly believe deeply love me. 00:24:35.220 --> 00:24:37.140 I'm blessed this Thursday. 00:24:37.860 --> 00:24:45.620 I will have the privilege of being married to my wife, who's way better looking and kinder than I deserve. 00:24:46.180 --> 00:24:48.740 For 21 years. 00:24:49.700 --> 00:24:50.760 And I love her. 00:24:50.840 --> 00:24:51.580 Thank you for the woo. 00:24:53.800 --> 00:24:56.600 It should have been more like a Ric Flair woo, though, you know. 00:24:58.400 --> 00:24:58.960 Thank you. 00:24:58.980 --> 00:24:59.500 There we go. 00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:01.960 I love her. 00:25:01.960 --> 00:25:02.040 I love her. 00:25:02.840 --> 00:25:04.200 And she loves me. 00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:14.960 But as much as I love these three people, it pales in comparison to the love that Christ has for them. 00:25:15.640 --> 00:25:16.640 It pales. 00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:23.840 Whether you're a follower of Jesus, or if this is the first time that you've ever heard his name, 00:25:25.080 --> 00:25:34.060 I believe that there's some really good sweetness when we can just end this service by understanding even more so who Jesus is. 00:25:35.420 --> 00:25:49.620 Because the truth is, whether you're a part of a false religion, or you're a part of a body of believers, or you don't know what you're a part of, 00:25:51.120 --> 00:25:53.800 we all desperately need the Jesus of the Bible. 00:25:55.680 --> 00:26:01.540 So what Paul tells us, number one, he says that he's the image of the invisible God. 00:26:02.560 --> 00:26:04.540 That he's the image of the invisible God. 00:26:05.280 --> 00:26:06.080 Folks, get this. 00:26:06.780 --> 00:26:07.660 Jesus is God. 00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:14.380 That the man who walked the streets of Jerusalem is God. 00:26:15.040 --> 00:26:19.460 That when you looked at him and you saw him, you saw God. 00:26:21.100 --> 00:26:23.460 That when he called Lazarus from the dead. 00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:27.740 When he laid his hands on the eyes of the blind. 00:26:28.700 --> 00:26:31.660 When he sat down and broke bread with the disciples. 00:26:32.340 --> 00:26:33.940 When he hung on the cross. 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:35.820 When he walked out of the tomb. 00:26:36.120 --> 00:26:38.620 When he stepped into the room where they were all hiding. 00:26:38.620 --> 00:26:40.480 When he ascended to heaven. 00:26:40.980 --> 00:26:44.040 He is God. 00:26:45.040 --> 00:26:49.780 The second thing that Paul tells us is he is the firstborn over all creation. 00:26:50.560 --> 00:26:51.680 That he is before. 00:26:52.020 --> 00:26:52.920 That he is over. 00:26:53.180 --> 00:26:53.940 That he is different. 00:26:54.720 --> 00:27:00.820 That there's no part of creation that is him. 00:27:02.200 --> 00:27:03.300 He's before it all. 00:27:03.480 --> 00:27:03.920 Eternal. 00:27:04.980 --> 00:27:10.460 It says that by him, by him all things were created. 00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:13.920 That he's the active agent of creation. 00:27:14.280 --> 00:27:18.240 That when we look and we see of God working and moving in the Bible, it's Jesus. 00:27:18.460 --> 00:27:21.280 It's not just picking up Jesus in the New Testament with the Gospels. 00:27:21.420 --> 00:27:23.840 It's picking up Jesus in Genesis 1-1. 00:27:24.760 --> 00:27:27.920 And that we can walk through and that we can see the beauty of the hand of Jesus. 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:31.500 Yes, he does not come in the form of man until the New Testament. 00:27:31.660 --> 00:27:33.380 But we can see the hand and work of God. 00:27:33.460 --> 00:27:35.800 We can see the hand and work and move of Jesus. 00:27:36.060 --> 00:27:37.640 This is who he is. 00:27:39.700 --> 00:27:41.620 That he is before all things. 00:27:41.620 --> 00:27:46.420 There has never been a time, nor will there ever be a time, that he has not existed. 00:27:46.700 --> 00:27:47.800 That he is eternal. 00:27:48.140 --> 00:27:53.340 That in him, the Bible tells us, all things hold together. 00:27:54.380 --> 00:27:57.920 All things hold together. 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:01.420 Who's the glue of your family? 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:05.740 There's some grandma. 00:28:06.560 --> 00:28:07.540 Maybe you think it's you. 00:28:09.300 --> 00:28:12.580 And you know that without that person, man, this family's going to fall apart. 00:28:16.380 --> 00:28:19.520 He is that for creation. 00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:22.440 He is the sustainer. 00:28:23.940 --> 00:28:28.760 The song that we sang as little kids is true. 00:28:29.580 --> 00:28:31.940 It's not a nursery rhyme. 00:28:32.380 --> 00:28:36.160 He literally holds the whole world. 00:28:37.320 --> 00:28:42.340 He holds the cosmos in his hands. 00:28:45.340 --> 00:28:51.140 He is the head of the body of the church. 00:28:53.340 --> 00:28:58.260 Folks, it's what makes God's word authoritative. 00:28:59.880 --> 00:29:05.000 He is our authority. 00:29:05.880 --> 00:29:08.420 He is your authority. 00:29:08.820 --> 00:29:10.920 He is my authority. 00:29:11.600 --> 00:29:15.060 There's not a special loophole for me because I'm a pastor and I get out of that. 00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:19.200 He is our authority, the head of the body, the church. 00:29:19.540 --> 00:29:20.980 He is our truth. 00:29:22.260 --> 00:29:25.440 And he reconciles what the Bible tells us. 00:29:25.620 --> 00:29:28.300 He reconciles all things to himself. 00:29:28.520 --> 00:29:29.820 Now, guess what Paul's pointing us to? 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:30.860 Here's what we get to see. 00:29:31.040 --> 00:29:31.840 We get to see the cross. 00:29:33.220 --> 00:29:34.240 We get to see the cross. 00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:38.140 Jesus is working. 00:29:38.860 --> 00:29:46.820 Jesus is drawing people to himself as he brings people back into right relationship with God. 00:29:46.940 --> 00:29:50.120 And it didn't come by decree of his voice. 00:29:50.120 --> 00:29:57.960 It didn't come through a law he commanded, but it came as means by his death hung between two criminals on a cross. 00:29:59.620 --> 00:30:00.640 He reconciles us. 00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:09.980 He reconciles us through the blood of the cross. 00:30:12.860 --> 00:30:14.500 He reconciles us through the cross. 00:30:14.500 --> 00:30:15.640 Just let it sink in. 00:30:21.100 --> 00:30:29.360 Not because of our great sin. 00:30:31.220 --> 00:30:39.920 Because of the condemnation and the wrath that we deserve. 00:30:39.920 --> 00:30:57.440 God came here and got on a cross and died. 00:30:59.960 --> 00:31:03.080 Not in theory. 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:06.840 Not in concept. 00:31:09.440 --> 00:31:15.500 But through the very spilling of his blood. 00:31:19.820 --> 00:31:21.740 That's the introduction to Jesus. 00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:26.440 That's his love. 00:31:28.520 --> 00:31:30.980 That's his compassion. 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:35.700 That's how much he cares. 00:31:39.280 --> 00:31:47.040 Why in the world would anyone ever want to lessen that? 00:31:49.820 --> 00:31:55.800 And not just cling to the beauty of who he is. 00:31:57.560 --> 00:31:59.920 I'm going to close with verses 21 through 23. 00:32:03.620 --> 00:32:04.940 Paul says, and you. 00:32:05.700 --> 00:32:07.140 Church, this is you and me. 00:32:08.340 --> 00:32:09.160 You and me. 00:32:10.320 --> 00:32:16.640 And you who were once alienated and hostile in mind. 00:32:17.900 --> 00:32:19.580 Doing evil deeds. 00:32:20.580 --> 00:32:25.860 He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death. 00:32:26.200 --> 00:32:30.980 In order to present you holy and blameless. 00:32:31.400 --> 00:32:33.620 And above reproach before him. 00:32:34.560 --> 00:32:37.560 If indeed you continue in the faith. 00:32:37.960 --> 00:32:39.600 Stable and steadfast. 00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:42.160 Not shifting from the hope of the gospel. 00:32:42.500 --> 00:32:44.480 That you heard which has been proclaimed. 00:32:44.860 --> 00:32:46.760 In all creation under heaven. 00:32:47.180 --> 00:32:52.460 And of which I, Paul, became a minister. 00:32:55.380 --> 00:32:57.780 It's not just who is Jesus. 00:32:59.780 --> 00:33:01.140 But Paul says, 00:33:02.140 --> 00:33:06.280 it is who is Jesus 00:33:06.280 --> 00:33:08.880 for you. 00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:12.580 The world wants to take 00:33:12.580 --> 00:33:14.560 and say, 00:33:14.920 --> 00:33:16.480 this is who Jesus is to me. 00:33:19.360 --> 00:33:20.620 The Bible says, 00:33:20.860 --> 00:33:22.360 this is who Jesus is for you. 00:33:23.820 --> 00:33:25.160 Do you see the difference? 00:33:26.440 --> 00:33:27.180 When we say, 00:33:27.420 --> 00:33:29.120 this is who Jesus is to me, 00:33:29.400 --> 00:33:31.240 I want to pull out the parts of Jesus 00:33:31.240 --> 00:33:32.080 that I don't like 00:33:32.080 --> 00:33:33.020 and cast them aside. 00:33:34.360 --> 00:33:35.620 But when the Bible says, 00:33:35.820 --> 00:33:37.180 this is who Jesus is before you 00:33:37.180 --> 00:33:38.600 because God knows what we need 00:33:38.600 --> 00:33:40.260 when we don't realize what we need. 00:33:41.220 --> 00:33:42.600 And we need the wholeness 00:33:42.600 --> 00:33:43.640 and the fullness of Christ. 00:33:46.360 --> 00:33:47.100 And you, 00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:48.820 you and me. 00:33:49.420 --> 00:33:50.440 The Bible tells us 00:33:50.440 --> 00:33:51.980 who we were before Christ. 00:33:53.100 --> 00:33:53.660 Like, you see, 00:33:53.740 --> 00:33:54.680 we weren't just good people 00:33:54.680 --> 00:33:56.180 that occasionally did bad things. 00:33:56.240 --> 00:33:57.120 Like, I think that's what 00:33:57.120 --> 00:33:58.160 we want to believe, right? 00:33:59.580 --> 00:34:00.200 Oh, I mean, 00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:01.180 it was just, 00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:02.640 it was a good kid 00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:04.060 that just maybe occasionally, 00:34:04.280 --> 00:34:05.080 no, no, no, no, no. 00:34:05.220 --> 00:34:06.280 But our spiritual condition 00:34:06.280 --> 00:34:07.120 and what God says, 00:34:08.100 --> 00:34:08.980 the spiritual condition 00:34:08.980 --> 00:34:10.020 apart from Christ, 00:34:10.800 --> 00:34:11.680 apart from Christ, 00:34:12.380 --> 00:34:12.960 that we're, 00:34:13.060 --> 00:34:15.620 we were alienated from God, 00:34:16.540 --> 00:34:18.120 that we were hostile 00:34:18.120 --> 00:34:20.700 in mind. 00:34:22.140 --> 00:34:23.180 And we just didn't do 00:34:23.180 --> 00:34:24.080 a couple of bad things. 00:34:24.200 --> 00:34:24.740 The Bible tells us 00:34:24.740 --> 00:34:25.800 that we did evil deeds. 00:34:27.240 --> 00:34:29.200 That this is who we were 00:34:29.200 --> 00:34:30.020 before Christ. 00:34:31.060 --> 00:34:32.180 But because of His work 00:34:32.180 --> 00:34:32.880 on the cross, 00:34:34.440 --> 00:34:35.900 because of Him 00:34:35.900 --> 00:34:37.200 taking the wrath of God, 00:34:38.620 --> 00:34:39.700 because of Him 00:34:39.700 --> 00:34:41.120 taking the payment 00:34:41.120 --> 00:34:42.360 and the punishment 00:34:42.360 --> 00:34:44.780 for all of our sins, 00:34:45.080 --> 00:34:46.300 that He did a work, 00:34:46.460 --> 00:34:48.820 that He reconciled 00:34:48.820 --> 00:34:51.140 in His body 00:34:51.140 --> 00:34:52.260 by His death 00:34:52.260 --> 00:34:54.980 in order to present 00:34:54.980 --> 00:34:57.660 you and I, 00:34:58.800 --> 00:35:00.780 those evil people, 00:35:01.460 --> 00:35:03.000 hostile that we are, 00:35:03.800 --> 00:35:05.240 that we'll be restored, 00:35:05.520 --> 00:35:06.520 that we'll be fixed, 00:35:06.620 --> 00:35:07.620 that we'll be made new, 00:35:07.720 --> 00:35:08.300 that the Bible tells us 00:35:08.300 --> 00:35:09.200 that we'll be alive 00:35:09.200 --> 00:35:10.000 in Christ. 00:35:10.760 --> 00:35:12.260 He reconciled us, 00:35:12.260 --> 00:35:13.580 that He made us 00:35:13.580 --> 00:35:14.720 blameless, 00:35:14.980 --> 00:35:15.740 that He made us 00:35:15.740 --> 00:35:16.640 holy 00:35:16.640 --> 00:35:19.880 and above reproach. 00:35:21.560 --> 00:35:22.920 Have you ever gotten 00:35:22.920 --> 00:35:23.880 the better end 00:35:23.880 --> 00:35:24.460 of a deal? 00:35:26.500 --> 00:35:27.460 Let me tell you about 00:35:27.460 --> 00:35:28.180 the deal that we got 00:35:28.180 --> 00:35:28.660 with Jesus. 00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:33.300 He got all of my 00:35:33.300 --> 00:35:35.400 and all of your, 00:35:35.900 --> 00:35:36.880 the nasty, 00:35:37.520 --> 00:35:38.540 the evil, 00:35:39.020 --> 00:35:39.720 the wicked. 00:35:41.600 --> 00:35:42.680 He got it all. 00:35:44.860 --> 00:35:45.420 And you see, 00:35:45.480 --> 00:35:46.000 He never did 00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:46.860 any of those things. 00:35:48.600 --> 00:35:49.660 He's perfect, 00:35:50.460 --> 00:35:51.060 blameless, 00:35:52.420 --> 00:35:52.820 holy. 00:35:54.100 --> 00:35:54.980 That's who He is. 00:35:57.140 --> 00:35:58.140 But He took 00:35:58.140 --> 00:36:00.280 all of my nasty, 00:36:01.420 --> 00:36:02.820 my nasty past, 00:36:03.520 --> 00:36:04.780 my nasty present, 00:36:05.280 --> 00:36:06.740 and my nasty future. 00:36:08.420 --> 00:36:09.440 Every evil, 00:36:09.760 --> 00:36:10.320 wicked thought, 00:36:10.440 --> 00:36:10.660 word, 00:36:10.840 --> 00:36:11.960 deed that I will ever do 00:36:11.960 --> 00:36:12.760 and that I've ever done. 00:36:14.480 --> 00:36:16.100 But then He gave me something. 00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:19.140 And I got the better end 00:36:19.140 --> 00:36:19.580 of the deal. 00:36:20.700 --> 00:36:21.420 And so did you. 00:36:22.420 --> 00:36:24.900 But He gave me 00:36:24.900 --> 00:36:26.940 His holiness, 00:36:28.160 --> 00:36:29.700 His righteousness. 00:36:30.640 --> 00:36:32.040 So now, 00:36:32.620 --> 00:36:34.120 who I am 00:36:34.120 --> 00:36:35.440 in Christ 00:36:35.440 --> 00:36:37.560 is alive, 00:36:37.740 --> 00:36:39.180 a new creation 00:36:39.180 --> 00:36:40.820 in Him. 00:36:42.520 --> 00:36:43.980 So Paul calls us. 00:36:45.940 --> 00:36:46.740 He says, 00:36:47.140 --> 00:36:47.160 now, 00:36:48.220 --> 00:36:49.360 now that this is 00:36:49.360 --> 00:36:50.020 who you are, 00:36:51.240 --> 00:36:52.560 I love these words. 00:36:54.380 --> 00:36:55.020 Continue 00:36:55.020 --> 00:36:56.920 in 00:36:56.920 --> 00:36:58.440 the faith. 00:37:00.260 --> 00:37:00.900 Continue 00:37:00.900 --> 00:37:01.200 in 00:37:01.200 --> 00:37:01.780 the faith. 00:37:05.500 --> 00:37:06.460 When Jesus, 00:37:07.660 --> 00:37:08.740 His early words 00:37:08.740 --> 00:37:09.380 to the early 00:37:09.380 --> 00:37:10.160 disciples, 00:37:11.720 --> 00:37:12.120 and Jesus 00:37:12.120 --> 00:37:12.900 didn't have a car, 00:37:13.900 --> 00:37:14.100 right, 00:37:14.200 --> 00:37:14.760 didn't exist. 00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:16.500 Jesus would have been 00:37:16.500 --> 00:37:17.140 on the lower end 00:37:17.140 --> 00:37:17.700 of things, 00:37:18.240 --> 00:37:19.000 economy-wise. 00:37:19.120 --> 00:37:20.120 That's why you never hear 00:37:20.120 --> 00:37:21.400 about Jesus 00:37:21.400 --> 00:37:23.240 riding on animals 00:37:23.240 --> 00:37:23.760 until you 00:37:23.760 --> 00:37:25.020 see His entrance 00:37:25.020 --> 00:37:25.960 into Jerusalem. 00:37:26.140 --> 00:37:26.680 And if you remember 00:37:26.680 --> 00:37:27.240 that donkey 00:37:27.240 --> 00:37:28.040 that they rode, 00:37:28.040 --> 00:37:29.100 that he rode, 00:37:29.160 --> 00:37:29.700 they had to borrow. 00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:32.260 And he would go 00:37:32.260 --> 00:37:33.260 and as he called 00:37:33.260 --> 00:37:34.940 people 00:37:34.940 --> 00:37:36.240 to 00:37:36.240 --> 00:37:37.660 himself, 00:37:39.160 --> 00:37:40.460 he said two words. 00:37:42.400 --> 00:37:43.260 Follow me. 00:37:45.040 --> 00:37:45.720 Follow me. 00:37:47.860 --> 00:37:48.460 Church, 00:37:51.000 --> 00:37:51.880 sometimes 00:37:51.880 --> 00:37:56.960 I think we can make 00:37:56.960 --> 00:37:59.140 simple things 00:37:59.140 --> 00:38:00.560 more difficult 00:38:00.560 --> 00:38:01.400 than they need 00:38:01.400 --> 00:38:01.660 to be. 00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:04.000 I don't know 00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:04.640 what to do next. 00:38:04.740 --> 00:38:05.060 I don't know. 00:38:05.220 --> 00:38:06.700 We can overthink 00:38:06.700 --> 00:38:08.660 something terribly. 00:38:13.660 --> 00:38:14.140 Continue 00:38:14.140 --> 00:38:15.460 in 00:38:15.460 --> 00:38:16.480 faith. 00:38:16.480 --> 00:38:18.460 what does that 00:38:18.460 --> 00:38:18.760 mean? 00:38:19.660 --> 00:38:20.300 Just 00:38:20.300 --> 00:38:22.000 follow 00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:23.260 Jesus. 00:38:27.940 --> 00:38:28.980 On a day 00:38:28.980 --> 00:38:31.580 that we celebrate 00:38:31.580 --> 00:38:32.640 culturally dads, 00:38:34.640 --> 00:38:34.860 man, 00:38:34.860 --> 00:38:35.440 I'm so grateful 00:38:35.440 --> 00:38:36.100 for my dad. 00:38:36.100 --> 00:38:48.100 over the last five 00:38:48.100 --> 00:38:48.380 years, 00:38:48.440 --> 00:38:48.840 I've had the 00:38:48.840 --> 00:38:49.320 privilege and 00:38:49.320 --> 00:38:49.820 opportunity 00:38:49.820 --> 00:38:50.780 because of the 00:38:50.780 --> 00:38:51.440 sickness that my 00:38:51.440 --> 00:38:51.880 dad's been 00:38:51.880 --> 00:38:52.640 diagnosed with 00:38:52.640 --> 00:38:55.620 to watch what I 00:38:55.620 --> 00:38:56.380 thought would 00:38:56.380 --> 00:38:59.180 turn him bitter 00:38:59.180 --> 00:38:59.800 and angry. 00:39:03.800 --> 00:39:04.660 I've watched 00:39:04.660 --> 00:39:05.160 it soften 00:39:05.160 --> 00:39:05.760 his heart 00:39:05.760 --> 00:39:09.040 and I've 00:39:09.040 --> 00:39:09.500 watched it 00:39:09.500 --> 00:39:10.200 solidify his 00:39:10.200 --> 00:39:10.480 faith. 00:39:12.900 --> 00:39:13.520 So today's 00:39:13.520 --> 00:39:14.040 a great day 00:39:14.040 --> 00:39:14.520 to celebrate 00:39:14.520 --> 00:39:15.020 my dad. 00:39:17.980 --> 00:39:19.140 But my dad 00:39:19.140 --> 00:39:19.620 can't do 00:39:19.620 --> 00:39:20.080 for me 00:39:20.080 --> 00:39:22.140 what Jesus 00:39:22.140 --> 00:39:22.820 did for me. 00:39:25.240 --> 00:39:25.960 And the 00:39:25.960 --> 00:39:26.760 challenge that 00:39:26.760 --> 00:39:27.540 I have for 00:39:27.540 --> 00:39:29.140 you this 00:39:29.140 --> 00:39:29.620 morning is 00:39:29.620 --> 00:39:29.960 this. 00:39:31.240 --> 00:39:32.060 If you're a 00:39:32.060 --> 00:39:32.540 follower of 00:39:32.540 --> 00:39:33.260 Jesus Christ, 00:39:33.800 --> 00:39:35.400 there's some 00:39:35.400 --> 00:39:36.140 times this week 00:39:36.140 --> 00:39:36.560 that you got 00:39:36.560 --> 00:39:37.060 it wrong. 00:39:37.980 --> 00:39:38.660 How do I 00:39:38.660 --> 00:39:38.920 know? 00:39:39.080 --> 00:39:39.480 Because I 00:39:39.480 --> 00:39:39.860 did too. 00:39:40.880 --> 00:39:41.200 And we 00:39:41.200 --> 00:39:41.640 all did. 00:39:42.720 --> 00:39:43.300 Know that 00:39:43.300 --> 00:39:43.680 God is 00:39:43.680 --> 00:39:44.120 bigger than 00:39:44.120 --> 00:39:44.560 your sin. 00:39:46.340 --> 00:39:46.780 Continue 00:39:46.780 --> 00:39:48.240 in 00:39:48.240 --> 00:39:49.400 faith. 00:39:50.740 --> 00:39:51.200 If you're 00:39:51.200 --> 00:39:51.660 not a follower 00:39:51.660 --> 00:39:51.960 of Jesus 00:39:51.960 --> 00:39:52.480 Christ, 00:39:54.060 --> 00:39:54.280 you've got 00:39:54.280 --> 00:39:55.020 questions, 00:39:55.760 --> 00:39:56.060 you've got 00:39:56.060 --> 00:39:56.680 doubts. 00:39:58.100 --> 00:39:58.500 Would 00:39:58.500 --> 00:39:59.060 today 00:39:59.060 --> 00:40:00.480 be the 00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:00.880 day 00:40:00.880 --> 00:40:02.620 that we 00:40:02.620 --> 00:40:03.280 just didn't 00:40:03.280 --> 00:40:04.140 introduce you 00:40:04.140 --> 00:40:05.240 through Paul's 00:40:05.240 --> 00:40:05.620 writing 00:40:05.620 --> 00:40:07.380 to a 00:40:07.380 --> 00:40:08.040 concept, 00:40:08.540 --> 00:40:10.020 but we 00:40:10.020 --> 00:40:10.640 introduced you 00:40:10.640 --> 00:40:10.940 to a 00:40:10.940 --> 00:40:11.360 person. 00:40:12.860 --> 00:40:13.660 And you 00:40:13.660 --> 00:40:15.760 may feel 00:40:15.760 --> 00:40:16.220 that the 00:40:16.220 --> 00:40:16.940 world is 00:40:16.940 --> 00:40:17.940 stacked against 00:40:17.940 --> 00:40:18.260 you, 00:40:18.760 --> 00:40:20.780 but could 00:40:20.780 --> 00:40:21.660 you believe 00:40:21.660 --> 00:40:22.300 this morning 00:40:22.300 --> 00:40:24.500 that Jesus 00:40:24.500 --> 00:40:25.240 is for you? 00:40:26.660 --> 00:40:27.260 That there's 00:40:27.260 --> 00:40:27.960 not a sin 00:40:27.960 --> 00:40:28.440 that you've 00:40:28.440 --> 00:40:28.840 committed 00:40:28.840 --> 00:40:30.300 that's 00:40:30.300 --> 00:40:31.020 too big 00:40:31.020 --> 00:40:32.000 that he 00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:32.300 can't 00:40:32.300 --> 00:40:32.680 forgive. 00:40:33.740 --> 00:40:34.520 That there's 00:40:34.520 --> 00:40:35.400 not a part 00:40:35.400 --> 00:40:36.480 about you 00:40:36.480 --> 00:40:38.000 of who you 00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:38.900 are that 00:40:38.900 --> 00:40:39.540 causes him 00:40:39.540 --> 00:40:39.920 not to 00:40:39.920 --> 00:40:40.320 love you. 00:40:41.660 --> 00:40:42.280 And would 00:40:42.280 --> 00:40:43.920 today be 00:40:43.920 --> 00:40:44.520 the day 00:40:44.520 --> 00:40:45.580 that you 00:40:45.580 --> 00:40:46.180 put your 00:40:46.180 --> 00:40:48.200 faith in 00:40:48.200 --> 00:40:48.940 the God 00:40:48.940 --> 00:40:49.780 of eternity, 00:40:50.720 --> 00:40:51.780 Jesus Christ, 00:40:52.180 --> 00:40:53.160 who died on 00:40:53.160 --> 00:40:55.140 the cross for your sins 00:40:55.140 --> 00:40:59.180 and who rose 00:40:59.180 --> 00:41:00.920 from the dead 00:41:00.920 --> 00:41:03.200 and through the 00:41:03.200 --> 00:41:05.440 power of his resurrection 00:41:05.440 --> 00:41:08.820 you can walk 00:41:08.820 --> 00:41:11.040 in the fullness of 00:41:11.040 --> 00:41:12.940 hope and peace 00:41:12.940 --> 00:41:15.200 not just in 00:41:15.200 --> 00:41:17.180 this life but for all 00:41:17.180 --> 00:41:19.280 of eternity. Would you pray with me? 00:41:23.160 --> 00:41:24.860 God we thank you so much 00:41:24.860 --> 00:41:26.320 for the power of your word 00:41:26.320 --> 00:41:28.720 God we thank you for the 00:41:28.720 --> 00:41:30.260 truth that you proclaim 00:41:30.260 --> 00:41:32.680 God we thank you for every 00:41:32.680 --> 00:41:34.760 person who is in here this 00:41:34.760 --> 00:41:36.840 morning for whatever 00:41:36.840 --> 00:41:38.700 journey for whatever reason for whatever 00:41:38.700 --> 00:41:40.520 brings them here Lord they're here today 00:41:40.520 --> 00:41:42.960 God we pray that the truth 00:41:42.960 --> 00:41:44.840 of your word would 00:41:44.840 --> 00:41:46.360 ring true in their hearts 00:41:46.360 --> 00:41:51.020 that God if there's 00:41:51.020 --> 00:41:52.380 anyone here who doesn't know you 00:41:52.380 --> 00:41:54.720 that today would be 00:41:54.720 --> 00:41:56.940 the day of their salvation 00:41:56.940 --> 00:42:00.680 God we do lift up others 00:42:00.680 --> 00:42:04.460 who have wandered from the truth 00:42:04.460 --> 00:42:06.760 who believed a lie 00:42:06.760 --> 00:42:10.200 God they're not the enemy 00:42:10.200 --> 00:42:11.020 for us 00:42:11.020 --> 00:42:15.220 they're the object 00:42:15.220 --> 00:42:18.720 the people 00:42:18.720 --> 00:42:20.840 to share 00:42:20.840 --> 00:42:23.280 so they'd experience 00:42:23.280 --> 00:42:24.800 the hope 00:42:24.800 --> 00:42:27.020 that comes in Christ 00:42:27.020 --> 00:42:29.300 in Christ alone 00:42:29.300 --> 00:42:31.240 God work 00:42:31.240 --> 00:42:32.000 and move 00:42:32.000 --> 00:42:33.000 in only 00:42:33.000 --> 00:42:33.960 how you can 00:42:33.960 --> 00:42:35.880 we thank you 00:42:35.880 --> 00:42:38.060 Jesus did 00:42:38.060 --> 00:42:38.660 not die 00:42:38.660 --> 00:42:41.180 for those who deserve it 00:42:41.180 --> 00:42:42.840 because there would be none 00:42:42.840 --> 00:42:46.360 he died for us 00:42:46.360 --> 00:42:49.060 it's in his name we pray 00:42:49.060 --> 00:42:53.420 that's it for this week's message 00:42:53.420 --> 00:42:55.380 be sure to check back next week 00:42:55.380 --> 00:42:56.220 for a new episode 00:42:56.220 --> 00:42:57.420 and in the meantime 00:42:57.420 --> 00:42:59.340 you can visit us online at 00:42:59.340 --> 00:43:00.980 willowridgechurch.org 00:43:00.980 --> 00:43:02.280 or by searching for 00:43:02.280 --> 00:43:03.080 Willow Ridge Church 00:43:03.080 --> 00:43:03.980 on Facebook 00:43:03.980 --> 00:43:04.620 Instagram 00:43:04.620 --> 00:43:05.420 and YouTube 00:43:05.420 --> 00:43:06.840 thanks again for listening 00:43:06.840 --> 00:43:18.900 and I'll see you next week's message