[0:00] You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.! Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.
[0:10] Today we are wrapping up our study of the book of Hebrews. But before we do that, I want to tell you what's coming next.
[0:23] In two weeks, we're going to start a summer series called Thanks for Asking. It's a chance to look at questions about God and about faith that we and many of our non-Christian friends ask.
[0:42] Things like, why do bad things happen? How can I follow a Jesus whose followers do so much evil?
[0:54] Or is Jesus really the only way to God? Questions like that and several others. If you want to know what they are in the Narthex and the Guest Center this morning, you can grab this little card.
[1:08] It has a schedule of all the questions we'll talk about this summer. You can grab a few of these if you'd like and invite a friend. Maybe someone you've talked with some of these questions about and you all have had discussions about your different perspectives.
[1:23] And invite them to come be a part of these discussions because that's what they will be. It's not just sermons. I'm not the only one who gets to talk. We're actually, after each of our services, going to gather in the connecting spaces and have a time of discussion where those who have questions get to speak and make their own comments.
[1:43] So I'm looking forward to that. We want people to know this is a community where those tough questions that we all wrestle with at some point are welcomed for all of us.
[1:58] You may be asking some of them right now. I'd ask you to join me in praying for that time that we have this summer. But before we get to that, one more time in Hebrews together this morning where we have enjoyed incredible visions of the greatness of Jesus, right?
[2:19] And then there's this pattern that we've seen throughout the written sermon of Hebrews where there's rich theology, truth, followed by a clear command, application for our lives.
[2:38] Often it's been marked by the word, therefore, right? This is true. Therefore, this. Such a Paul thing to do. Hmm.
[2:50] Anyway, God wants our behavior to be consistent with our belief. Let me look at several examples briefly that will maybe help us review what we've heard in Hebrews.
[3:09] You can flip with me if you're in Hebrews 2, verse 1. Jesus is greater than angels, therefore, pay much closer attention to what we have heard about Jesus.
[3:25] Chapter 3, verse 1. Jesus is uniquely able to help us, therefore, consider Jesus to hold fast our confidence and hope, and don't harden your heart.
[3:38] 411. There's a better rest still on offer, therefore, strive to enter Jesus' rest. 414 to 16. We have a great high priest representing us before God, therefore, let us hold fast our confession and draw near with confidence.
[3:57] chapter 6, verse 1. Drifting from God is dangerous. We could actually fall away from God, therefore, let us not drift, but go on to maturity in Christ.
[4:13] 1022 to 24. Jesus is a great high priest who brings us into God's very presence, therefore, let us draw near, hold fast, stir up.
[4:29] 12-1. We're almost there. We're surrounded by a cloud of witnesses as we run our race of faith, therefore, let us run with endurance.
[4:40] in 1228, just last week, we read that everything in heaven and earth will be shaken, but God gives us a kingdom that cannot be shaken, therefore, let us be grateful and worship God.
[5:01] You see that pattern all through the book. You got the pattern down? He's gonna tweak it a little bit in chapter 13. It's gonna be played out now repeatedly, over and over in this chapter, but often in reverse order.
[5:16] It's the same idea in chapter 13. Let's listen to God's holy word written for our good. Let brotherly love continue.
[5:30] Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated since you also are in the body.
[5:45] Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.
[6:04] So we can confidently say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me? Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God.
[6:17] Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods which have not benefited those devoted to them.
[6:38] We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.
[6:51] So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore, let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.
[7:06] For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God.
[7:16] That is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
[7:28] Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
[7:41] Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.
[7:54] Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.
[8:13] Amen. I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon.
[8:28] Greet all your leaders and all the saints. Those who come from Italy send you greetings. Grace be with all of you. Let's pray. Father, there is so much here.
[8:42] We ask for your help. We want to have hearts and lives and a church that is shaped by your word.
[8:52] And there are so many other things that shape and form us, our desires, our priorities, our behaviors. Would you, by your spirit, shape us anew, mold us into the image of Christ?
[9:05] We ask in his name. Amen. I don't often have time for 12-point sermons, but with the connect hour being canceled today, just kidding, but seriously, I think this may be needful to consider up front.
[9:32] Just having 12 things thrown at you can be, it's easy to walk away with nothing. God's going to give us a dozen directives for our lives.
[9:42] He tells us how to live as his people, and then he tells us why. Often here in this chapter, saying for, he's telling us what to do in light of what's true.
[9:58] Okay? He wants what we should long for, consistency in our lives. We want our lives to be like this, don't we? That they would actually be shaped by what we say we believe.
[10:12] So we're going to see that pattern over and over. My encouragement to you would be, ask God to put one or two of these on your heart specifically today. That you might actually take one or two and go back this afternoon and revisit them.
[10:27] Consider them. That you would pray that these would be areas of growth and change in your life. 12 at once is a lot, but where would God speak to you? Pray for conviction, for repentance, for newness of life to come, rather than just trying to fill in all the blanks.
[10:45] I'll give you the blanks. And would you also pray and long for us as a family to be a community that's deeply shaped in these ways?
[10:56] Let's look at them briefly, one at a time. What to do in verse one? Love one another. The why is actually the least visible in this first command of all of them because it's right there in the word itself.
[11:15] Fill Adelphia. Love for brothers and sisters. Love even when you have nothing else in common because you share a father and a brother and a spirit in common.
[11:32] So you share everything. So open up to share more with your grace group than you might normally be inclined to.
[11:45] Let your lives with one another be increasingly intertwined across generations in spite of hurts, through disappointments.
[11:56] Never stop growing your love in this family. And next we're told, not just right here, but extend that love to welcome strangers.
[12:11] Philoxenia is the word. Love of foreigners. It's sometimes in the Bible translated hospitality like you see here.
[12:23] That's what it means. It's a welcome that goes far beyond the traditional southern hospitality, fancy, entertaining. It goes to, this is welcoming someone who can't welcome you back.
[12:36] And that can certainly involve your home. I hope it does. It also involves your church. As you serve here, even on Sunday, sorry, the entire room just looked that way.
[12:51] What's so exciting? Oh yes, it's raining. It's funny when you're standing up here and everybody's looking over there. That's a lot of rain. Glad we're in here.
[13:05] Think of hospitality, not just your home, but your church. You come here and you serve and you welcome people, some of whom you know, some you might not.
[13:16] It could look like deciding during the greeting time of the service or right after the service to make a beeline, not for your best friends, but for someone you've never met before.
[13:30] A face you don't recognize. Showing hospitality, not merely in the writing on the front of the bulletin, you're all welcome here, but in action so you actually feel the truth of it.
[13:42] It also involves your life outside of here. A life that moves towards someone being left out by others in the workplace, in the school, the neighborhood, the city.
[13:53] Why? Why love neighbor this way? Why the stranger? For sometimes you entertain angels.
[14:05] Not someone you already know, of course. You know they're not angels, but an unfamiliar face could be an angel. Now you didn't see that coming as the motivation, did you?
[14:16] There's a lot of motivations for hospitality, but there's a significant one. What he's saying is something powerful, something sacred, something life-changing could happen when you open your heart to someone that you don't know, but God does.
[14:37] Specifically, don't let our love stop there with just any stranger, but care for the mistreated. It could be the prisoner, perhaps the homeless, maybe the relationally left out, the friendless, people suffering in some tangible way.
[14:58] Why care for them here? It says, since you also are in the body, since you too know what it's like to suffer, you could be in that very spot yourself.
[15:11] Help them know that they're not alone. When you think of that, does a name or a face come to mind for you right now? You may need a moment to think about it.
[15:24] You may not realize in just the past year, there have been multiple people regularly in this room with us on Sundays who have started regularly to be in prison or homeless or repeatedly jobless.
[15:39] multiple people. It might take some effort, some creativity to care personally for him or her, but that's what it took for Jesus to move towards us, right?
[15:56] We're not unfamiliar with this kind of love. Southwood, are you expressing the grace that you've experienced? He's saying, love, love, love, very unlikely that you're overdoing it.
[16:13] Verse 4, keep marriage sacred in all of our hearts, especially in the lives of those who are married.
[16:27] Keep marriage sacred for God will judge specifically here it says sexual sin. This is the reality of God as holy judge.
[16:39] We've seen it over and over in Hebrews. It's a big deal in living as his holy people, right? And he specifically highlights two things. Adultery is sex outside of the covenant of marriage, going outside of the covenant I've made for sexual fulfillment.
[16:59] Immorality, the word is pornos, you'll recognize that, brings someone into a marriage bed even with your eyes or your mind, your body.
[17:13] We must take this as seriously as God does. And notice just a minute here what it means to have our lives shaped by the reality of the gospel.
[17:26] I don't know if you've thought about this, but we've just been told in these first four verses radical social justice and radical sexual purity.
[17:38] Both of them. And you might be thinking, but pastor, I won't even have a party left in the American political system. Hmm. In the second century, someone wrote a letter to a guy named Diognetus describing the early Christians who were a bit out of place, homeless in a way, back then too.
[18:02] He said this, they live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens.
[18:14] Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Sounds like Hebrews, doesn't it? like others they marry and have children, but they do not expose them.
[18:28] They share their meals, but not their wives. They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven.
[18:43] I love that line, they share their meals, but not their wives. They're passionate for social justice, passionate for sexual purity.
[18:55] You don't have to pick. Biblically, we're not allowed to ignore either of those. We have to love them both, and so we need to pray, God, keep us faithful to you.
[19:05] Shape us by your word, not anything else. We've got to keep moving. But if you've already picked one of the first four and you think you're done, don't check out just yet.
[19:17] We all need to learn contentment. Don't miss this one. There's a constant urging, verse five, keep our lives free from the love of money.
[19:29] Be content. Keep doing that. It's a battle to fight. It's the same connection as in 1 Timothy 6, where the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and it's godliness with contentment that is enjoined on all of us instead.
[19:50] You know, contentment is not one of the marks of our culture these days, is it? We always want more. We begin to think we need it. We deserve it. So, why here learn contentment?
[20:06] For, God has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. You can be content because he's got you.
[20:18] pro tip here, often in the Bible, the why is also the how. This is both, isn't it? How is my heart going to become content?
[20:32] Trusting God, trusting his promises. This is what he says to me. It's actually, it's weird in English, it's hard to translate, but that never, I will never leave you nor forsake you, is actually a translation of five negative particles in the Greek.
[20:54] I will never, no, never, no, never, never, never leave you or forsake you, is what it actually says. That is the God who is our helper.
[21:05] You think he wants you to know how much he's committed to that? He is our God, he's our helper. Don't fear, he says. No one can hurt you.
[21:16] Don't think that you yourself are going to get what you need. I know you, I love you, I provide for you, God says. If you're feeling pressed on these so far, I mean, boy, those are some real challenging areas right up front, aren't they?
[21:35] Our love, our bodies, our money. We all live in this world where the assumption is that we have control, we have autonomous control over our money, our bodies, our time, but God is calling us to give that up for him, to give that up for our neighbors, to serve them rather than our own control, even our own freedom.
[22:02] It might cost you financially to welcome strangers. Guess what? God's got you. It might cost you some short-term pleasure to follow God's sexual design.
[22:16] Guess what? God's got you. And an eternal party in a kingdom that cannot be shaken. More pleasure than you know. The good life is God-centered.
[22:29] The good life is obedient to God. The good life is following the design of the good designer. Don't follow our modern selfish instincts.
[22:42] Verse 7, follow instead the leaders. Your spiritual teachers, probably especially here in this verse, those who have gone before you, who've shown you faith that endures, you've watched it.
[22:59] They're now in the cloud of witnesses They're now in the testifying to God's faithfulness. He won't let you down. Do you have someone in mind when you think about that? If you can get a name or a face, someone in your life that walked ahead of you, taught the word of God to you, look how they lived.
[23:24] Imitate their faith. Why? Jesus Christ is the same. Yesterday, today, and forever.
[23:38] That, y'all, is a reality to base your life on, isn't it? You can memorize that verse. Probably before you leave this morning, you'll have it memorized. It's a beautiful reality.
[23:50] It's perhaps even more beautiful at this point in the book of Hebrews, isn't it? Because what does it mean here? It means that the Jesus who was worth it to the Old Testament faithful, who even when they saw that they could have all the treasures of the world, said Jesus is more valuable.
[24:10] And he was. He was faithful to them even when they suffered dearly. He was their high priest who brought our spiritual fathers and mothers to God.
[24:24] The one who shed his blood for them so that they could live in the holy place, who intercedes, intercedes, praying for them every day. That very one will never stop being and doing all of those things for you and for me.
[24:41] Remember, he has a permanent priesthood because he always lives to make intercession for us. Amen? He's not going to stop for us.
[24:52] Just as he's been faithful to those you've watched go before you. Would your grandmother think that you could live a fulfilling life without being attached to your phone?
[25:09] I know it's cheating, but it's worth asking. Would your mentor urge you to share the good news of Jesus more or less? Would your childhood pastor say that you'll not regret more time with Jesus?
[25:27] What would they tell you? Verse 9, stick with grace. It gets a little bit harder to understand in this section in the middle of the chapter, but what he's saying is don't wander after strange teachings with the hope that you'll finally find another level of spirituality there.
[25:50] Why? Why don't do that? It's actually good, he says, to be fed by God's word, by the church family that he placed you in, by the new covenant truth of Jesus who really is sufficient for all of life, and by the way, did you forget, still the same yesterday, today, and forever.
[26:10] Don't be drawn back to something else, to ritual. Don't be drawn back to legalism, into these other performance mentalities that will seek to control your relationship with God.
[26:22] nice, you want to grow? Jesus alone, grace alone, he's going to be the same, you can still count on him, Jesus, even when it involves suffering with Jesus.
[26:38] Verse 12, Jesus suffered outside the gate, outside Jerusalem, distant from God, that's on the cross, that's where he hung.
[26:52] That's the why this time. Therefore, verse 13, let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach that he endured, even if it costs us too, even if we suffer, right?
[27:10] Because we're not living to fit in and have success in this world, verse 14, we're seeking a city yet to come with a celebration fit for heaven that far outweighs whatever we give up for Jesus here.
[27:25] I mean, these early Christians were left without social connection, religiously distant from their communities perhaps. Suffer with Jesus, he says.
[27:39] What might he be calling you to in that suffering? Verse 15, praise God. what happens is he turns to say, let me tell you about the sacrifices that we do make because I've just told you we don't have to go and do all those sacrifices that you had to do in the past, but we still live lives of sacrifice.
[28:04] It's not the animals on the altar. No, it's a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. What's the why for that? Notice that verse 15 actually begins.
[28:18] Through him, Jesus, then, the why came earlier because Jesus is the one through whom we offer our sacrifices.
[28:28] He's the one who made us holy, so that's why we praise God with all we are and all we have because he's already welcomed us into his family, into his presence, into his perfection, so praise him and one more sacrifice, verse 16, share with others.
[28:50] It's a reminder, don't forget, don't neglect, tangible love for neighbor, sacrificial generosity to those in need. Why? Such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
[29:06] They reflect his sacrificial generosity. They bless people that he loves and blesses. Two more directives, both pertaining to our church leaders.
[29:23] It's the same word as earlier, but clearly this time pertaining to current leaders. Think of your elders especially, although alongside them, grace group leaders, deacons, others.
[29:41] What does he say? Obey your leaders. Put yourself willingly under their spiritual direction. Why?
[29:53] Because they're better than you and they get it right all the time. No. No. Why? Read what the Bible says.
[30:04] They are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account. Elders, this doesn't tell you how well you're doing your work.
[30:14] It tells you how vital doing your work is. Should cause you to ask, are you shepherding the people under your care as though you will give account to God for their souls?
[30:30] They are the sheep, in other words, that he bought with the blood of his son so he wants to know if they are being led to the green pastures and the still waters of Jesus.
[30:45] Southwood fam, that is not easy work in the best of situations. He's saying, don't make it harder. Right?
[30:56] It's kind of a funny way to put it. You'll discourage your leaders. You'll damage your own spiritual growth at the same time. Unless they're violating God's word and their leadership of his church, obey them.
[31:12] Even when they're not doing as great as they should, and especially then there's something you can do, you should pray for your leaders. It's interesting, isn't it?
[31:24] This guy wrote part of the Bible, but he needed their prayers too. He asks twice, pray because why we want to be honorable in everything.
[31:36] In fact, verse 19, we want to be restored to you but what's he saying? We don't control it. We don't control everything. We're weak. We need help. We don't always live consistent with what we believe and that could really hurt Jesus' sheep so please pray.
[31:54] Pray for us. Do you pray for your pastors and your elders, for your grace group leaders and your teachers, for your youth and your children's leaders?
[32:06] Please pray. He graciously asks them to receive the written sermon humbly and productively.
[32:17] I'm not sure that I often write to you briefly, not known for that, but please receive these sermons anyway as coming not from me but as coming from the God of all grace.
[32:34] Lots of things to do. If you filled in all the blanks, you've got a long list in front of you and I'm sure we're all exposed somewhere. If we're going to live in line with the reality Jesus has brought us into, and there are lots of little truths there that direct our behavior as God's people, but the writer closes with one that undergirds all the rest of them.
[33:03] All the smaller motivations for living these ways, there are a host of different whys in here, right? Hopefully you wrote some of them down. There's judgment, there's having an eternal perspective, there's God's faithfulness, and so on.
[33:16] How can we really do even one of these things as we ought to do them? Verse 20, now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, listen, this is a glorious summary of the theology of Hebrews as a whole, right?
[33:43] God who alone knows how to bring peace in our relationship with him, what did he do? He made Jesus alive again so that Jesus can care for all of us sheep covered by his blood that now brings us into a new relationship with God that we never could have enjoyed without Jesus.
[34:05] He is that powerful and he's that good and he wants to do something. Verse 21, equip you with everything good that you may do his will working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever.
[34:22] Amen. That powerful God is going to keep working in us through Jesus, the one who has already made us perfect and is now helping us live the way he's made us to be forever in his great grace.
[34:37] It keeps coming to us. That God wants to equip you. Listen, you're not on your own to get it together. You've got a list of twelve but you're not on your own.
[34:48] He wants to equip you with everything good for doing his will. All of these directives he's got for your life, he's got plenty of grace to equip you for them. Especially working in you what's pleasing in his sight.
[35:03] There are lots of things that are pleasing. We know especially here that's faith. Right? Faith is pleasing in his sight. Chapter 11 without faith it is impossible to please God.
[35:18] Trust him. Even when you can't see it, that's what Jesus wants to work in you by what he's done and what he is doing. He's wanting to build faith in you. So brothers and sisters there is hope for us actually to live in these ways together.
[35:33] To actually reflect this kind of life and it's not because we've finally gotten enough wise people in here, enough skillful people or even enough people who are together going to put the effort in the blood sweat and tears to make it work.
[35:47] That's not our hope is it? Jesus is greater than all of those things that we might bring to the table. Think about it. He has come and shed his blood to cover our sins.
[36:01] He has sent his spirit to empower us to run by faith with endurance the race he set before us and he even now stands before the throne of God interceding for us praying God's blessing upon us pouring out grace and mercy to help in our time of need.
[36:22] Do you think there's a chance now with that kind of savior? Don't try to live with God any other way. Jesus is the great shepherd shepherd of the sheep.
[36:36] He will equip you for where he calls you and he will see that you always live on Mount Zion in an unshakable kingdom in the very presence of the God of glory and grace.
[36:50] He will do it. In fact he set this table this morning to remind you that he's with you. He doesn't want us trying to do any of those things without him.
[37:02] He wants you to know that because he is with us we are held secure. We are safe. Remember when he sat with his disciples they weren't feeling very safe or confident that night.
[37:13] It was the night Jesus was going to be betrayed and he told them that. And on that very night he took bread and he broke it and he gave it to them and said this is my body given for you.
[37:27] Do this in remembrance of me. And the same way after supper he took the cup and said this cup is the new covenant in my blood shed for many for the forgiveness of sins drink from it all of you.
[37:40] For as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. In other words we don't come to eat with Jesus once we have perfected the list of directives we're supposed to get right and we say check and we come forward to say Jesus here I am good enough to be here.
[38:06] We come to eat with Jesus because he has perfected us by shedding his blood once and for all for our sins and we come then to ask for his help in living the way that he has created us to reflect his image.
[38:23] So if you're a baptized member of any church that preaches Jesus alone as our hope then come and eat with us and with him this morning as we are going to celebrate the greatest memorial ever ever in remembrance of him.
[38:42] If that's not you this morning perhaps you're still trying to decide what you think about Jesus where he fits or doesn't fit in your life then we would encourage you not to come to these elements to the bread and the wine but rather to come to Jesus himself to come and observe if you want to ask us to pray with you we'd love that or even to stay where you are but to come to Jesus and ask him even if you're not sure what you think about him to show you himself and how much he loves you.
[39:19] We're glad that you're here and we hope even if you don't take these elements that you'll take a moment to reflect on Jesus and the picture we have of him giving himself for us.
[39:32] Let me pray and then we'll come eat together. Jesus thank you that you gave your life for us and thank you that you knew how much we would need reminders that we might not forget and start to wander after things that seemed like good ideas to us things that seemed more valuable to us but that we might be called back to the lover of our souls who gave himself for us.
[40:01] So would you use these very common elements in a very special way to build our faith to grow our trust in you to help us remember we live in the holy place before the throne of God because our high priest brings us in.
[40:23] Do your work by your spirit we ask in Jesus name. Amen. Our host team members are going to come now and they'll usher you to tables both at the front here and at the back as we celebrate together what Jesus has done for us.
[40:37] Amen. Amen. Amen. A.C., Sarah, and James, this is the body and blood of your savior.
[40:55] You've been here before a few times and he's given you his body and his blood and the first time was enough to pay for your sins and this is because he doesn't want you to forget and he doesn't want you to think you're ever alone.
[41:08] He's with you. He loves you. He wants you to remember that and celebrate him today. Take and eat. Leonard, Tripp, Stephanie, Kent, the body and blood of Jesus which you've taken before.
[41:26] The first time he gave it for you was enough for all of your sins. So why now? Because he doesn't want you to forget how much he loves you. He doesn't ever want you to think you're alone in the battle.
[41:39] He wants you to remember him and his life given for you that will never ever fail you. He loves you. Take and eat his body and blood. DJ, Alex, Angela, this is the body and blood of Jesus that he gave for us because he loves us so much.
[42:02] He doesn't ever want us to forget. You know when Jesus died the first time that forgave all your sins, didn't it? When he died on the cross. And so this is remembering that and remembering that he still loves you and he's never going to stop.
[42:15] Isn't that awesome? Take and eat. Remember how much Jesus loves you. Hey, Jenna and Chris and Heather and Luke and Jessica, Martha, this is the body and blood of Jesus.
[42:33] He loves you so much that he gave his life for you and y'all know that that first time he died on the cross was enough for all of your sins forever. So why are you here now? It's because Jesus gives himself to you because he doesn't ever want you to forget how much he loves you.
[42:49] He wants you to remember that he gave his life for you. He wants you to remember that he's with you today. Wherever you are and whatever you're dealing with, you're not alone. His body and blood given for you.
[43:00] Take and eat. Come on over here, Cooper. See if we can get the Starks up here with you guys.
[43:14] Cooper and Kurt and Katie and Penelope and Danielle and Ben and Landa. God loves you so much that his son came to die for you to give his life, sorry, to forgive all of your sins.
[43:33] And he's giving himself to you today to remind you that he's with you, that he loves you and he'll never stop. You're never going to be on your own apart from him. He's going to be with you forever.
[43:44] His body and blood. Y'all, we do this because we have to remember how much Jesus loves us. He never wants us to forget that, does he? He died on the cross for us because he loves us so much.
[43:56] Y'all remember that and tell Jesus how much you love him, okay? Take and eat his body and blood given for you. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.
[44:07] Amen. Hey Todd, Marty, Lindsay and David and Kenley, how are you? The body and blood of Jesus is a reminder for you this morning of how much he loves you.
[44:23] The first time when he gave his life for your sins was enough to pay for all of them forever. But he gives this to you now because he doesn't want you to forget how much he loves you.
[44:34] He doesn't want you to forget that he's with you so you're never alone. His body and blood because he loves you so much and he wants to make you clean forever to be with him in heaven. Isn't that awesome?
[44:45] Yeah, Jesus loves you. Take and eat, celebrate him. Gloria and Sandy, Rob and Christian, this is the body and blood of Jesus.
[45:04] He loves you so much that he gave his life for you to pay for all of your sins and that was done on the cross, wasn't it? Once and for all. So why here?
[45:15] Why does he give himself to you now? It's not to pay for any more sins. He's got that covered. It's so you'll remember so that you'll know that he loves you, so that you'll never forget that he's with you and strengthening you for what he calls you to today and this week.
[45:31] He loves you and he gives himself for you. Take and eat, celebrate his love. See if we can get these folks up here with you.
[45:46] Y'all, this is the body and blood of Jesus who loves you so much that he gave his life for you and that he wants you to remember today how much he loves you and how real it is that he's with you so you're never alone.
[45:59] His body and blood given because of his great love. Take, eat, and celebrate that. See if we can get everybody else up here.
[46:12] Keep on coming, Jim and Corey and Lee. Let's get Steve in. I don't want to leave him out. This is the body and blood of Jesus. He loves us so much that he gave himself for us so that we would be with him forever.
[46:27] You're taking this now not because he needs to give his blood again for your sins. It was covered once for all on the cross. You're taking this now because he doesn't want you to forget how much he loves you because he doesn't ever want you to go a moment where you don't realize he's with you so you're not alone so that you can trust him and his strength for you today and this week.
[46:46] Take, eat, celebrate his great love for you. Amen. Amen. Amen. Good to see you guys.
[47:11] Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. You need a kingdom that cannot be shaken and a king that cannot be shaken.
[47:23] This is his body and his blood, brother. Amen. Have you been served? I have. Let's pray.
[47:48] Amen. Jesus, what a glorious kingdom you've given us. What a great gift that we've been ushered into the holy of holies, never to be sent away because we're covered in your blood.
[48:06] Praise you. Thank you. Would you change our lives because of that? Would that make us different people? Would we be as eager to show grace as we are to receive it this morning?
[48:20] Might we be eager to be the kind of holy people that you've made us to be where we want to live the way God made us to live, not just to do the things we want to do?
[48:31] Change our hearts, change our lives. Might we live for your glory? We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. For more information, visit us online at southwood.org.
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