WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.339 You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama. 00:00:06.820 --> 00:00:10.500 Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:16.420 My name is Bill Herrett. I'm an associate pastor here at Southwood. 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:21.059 I'm grateful to be with you this morning, looking at God's Word together. 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:28.820 But this morning, before we get started, I want us to all take a walk down memory lane for a moment. 00:00:28.820 --> 00:00:39.420 And take just a second to think about the old fixer-upper type shows that we used to—maybe we still are. 00:00:39.500 --> 00:00:44.420 I'm currently not obsessed with many shows in general in my life stage. 00:00:44.420 --> 00:00:54.859 But the shows that often had the big reveal at the end where people were going to this house that they've chosen, 00:00:55.320 --> 00:00:58.439 and Chip and Joanna have changed it into their dream home. 00:00:58.820 --> 00:01:05.359 Whether—there was one in the 90s about cars that was kind of funny that I will not mention its name. 00:01:06.099 --> 00:01:11.280 There are tattoo shows where people reveal bad or good tattoos. 00:01:12.099 --> 00:01:13.719 There are wedding dress shows. 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:20.560 The ones that always bothered me were the kids' room shows where they, like, would reveal this eight-year-old would have, like, 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:23.240 hey, you know how you're super obsessed with the Red Power Ranger? 00:01:23.900 --> 00:01:26.540 Well, we've done this giant mosaic in your room. 00:01:27.240 --> 00:01:30.560 And all I could think was that eight-year-old will hate this in five years. 00:01:30.980 --> 00:01:34.659 He will hate the Red Power Ranger in five years because it's right there. 00:01:34.760 --> 00:01:39.719 But the idea of all these shows was that something at the end, after all this work was being done, 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:45.039 after all this energy was expelled, that there'd be a big reveal at the end. 00:01:45.099 --> 00:01:48.579 And, you know, you have the people kind of going, you know, like they moved the two— 00:01:48.579 --> 00:01:51.659 I don't know what those things were in front of the house in Fixer Upper, 00:01:51.739 --> 00:01:54.519 where they'd move the two things in the family's face and be like, oh my! 00:01:54.780 --> 00:01:58.780 You know, like they would just freak out at the reveal. 00:01:58.780 --> 00:02:05.799 And I think what we see in our Scripture today is a big reveal about who Jesus is. 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:10.740 A big reveal that ought to evoke some emotion from us, 00:02:10.979 --> 00:02:15.819 that ought to remind us of who our God is, who Jesus is, right? 00:02:16.020 --> 00:02:21.379 He's already been revealed, like, in a way through Will's sermon last week from John the Baptist, 00:02:21.379 --> 00:02:26.659 that the spotlight needs to shine on Jesus because that's the Lamb of God. 00:02:26.659 --> 00:02:31.039 And so we see a small picture of who Jesus is, 00:02:31.139 --> 00:02:34.699 not small in the fact that being the Lamb of God isn't a big deal. 00:02:34.780 --> 00:02:38.800 It's small in the fact that that doesn't encompass everything that Jesus is 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:41.519 because he is so much more than just the Lamb of God. 00:02:41.579 --> 00:02:44.819 He is so many things to us as his people. 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:50.519 And ultimately, this calling of the disciples in John chapter 1, 00:02:50.520 --> 00:02:57.939 it's about the theme verse that we are thinking about as we look through the entire book of John, 00:02:58.420 --> 00:02:59.900 however long that may take. 00:03:01.160 --> 00:03:04.060 It says this in John chapter 20, verse 31, it says, 00:03:04.060 --> 00:03:10.860 These things are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, 00:03:11.819 --> 00:03:16.920 that by believing you may have life in his name. 00:03:18.140 --> 00:03:24.599 And that's deeply important for us to remember that what is being revealed to us about Jesus 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:35.159 in this passage is that it is a picture of who he is to us and how we are called to respond. 00:03:36.459 --> 00:03:41.159 And when Jesus calls this verse of our disciples, we're going to look at four distinct things 00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:45.259 that help us see Jesus for who he is. 00:03:45.659 --> 00:03:46.939 So let's read for a moment. 00:03:46.939 --> 00:03:55.139 If you want to turn into your Bibles to John chapter 1, we'll be reading from John chapter 1, verses 35 through 51. 00:03:56.359 --> 00:04:00.579 And if you'd love to follow along, it's page, thank you, 886 in the Pew Bibles. 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:02.819 But I'm going to read for us God's word. 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:06.639 Jesus calling the first disciples. 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:10.900 The next day, again, John, John the Baptist, was standing with two of his disciples 00:04:10.900 --> 00:04:13.599 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:16.139 Behold, the Lamb of God. 00:04:16.819 --> 00:04:19.659 The two disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus. 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:23.240 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, 00:04:23.620 --> 00:04:24.600 What are you seeking? 00:04:25.240 --> 00:04:27.920 And they said to him, Rabbi, which means teacher, 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:29.939 Where are you staying? 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:32.540 He said to them, Come and you will see. 00:04:33.060 --> 00:04:37.000 So they came and saw where he was staying and they stayed with him that day, 00:04:37.339 --> 00:04:38.719 for it was about the tenth hour. 00:04:39.379 --> 00:04:42.040 One of the two heard John speak and follow Jesus. 00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:48.180 One of the two who heard John speak and follow Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:51.480 He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, 00:04:51.939 --> 00:04:55.360 We have found the Messiah, which means Christ. 00:04:55.900 --> 00:04:57.220 He brought him to Jesus. 00:04:57.960 --> 00:05:00.620 Jesus looked at him and said, You are Simon, the son of John. 00:05:00.740 --> 00:05:03.460 You shall be called Cephas, which means Peter. 00:05:04.500 --> 00:05:06.200 Jesus calls Philip and Nathaniel. 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:09.660 The next day, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. 00:05:09.660 --> 00:05:13.580 He found Philip and said to him, Follow me. 00:05:14.280 --> 00:05:17.200 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Philip. 00:05:17.800 --> 00:05:19.400 Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:23.880 We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, 00:05:24.400 --> 00:05:26.520 Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 00:05:27.200 --> 00:05:30.100 Nathaniel said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? 00:05:31.060 --> 00:05:32.580 Philip said to him, Come and see. 00:05:32.579 --> 00:05:39.000 Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him and said of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit. 00:05:39.579 --> 00:05:41.379 Nathaniel said to him, How do you know me? 00:05:41.879 --> 00:05:46.979 Jesus answered him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. 00:05:48.379 --> 00:05:51.079 Nathaniel answered him, Rabbi, you are the son of God. 00:05:51.180 --> 00:05:52.599 You are the king of Israel. 00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:56.439 Jesus answered him, Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree. 00:05:56.520 --> 00:05:57.200 Do you believe? 00:05:57.620 --> 00:05:59.740 You will see greater things than these. 00:06:00.140 --> 00:06:08.180 And he said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the son of man. 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:09.540 Let's pray. 00:06:10.280 --> 00:06:14.800 Father, would you reveal the truth of your word to us? 00:06:14.920 --> 00:06:17.240 May it not just be information for us today. 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:25.780 May we see this scripture as a part of your whole story, the whole story of the scriptures. 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:29.740 You are an errant and infallible word that speaks to us. 00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:32.079 And Lord, we pray that the Holy Spirit would do a work in us. 00:06:33.460 --> 00:06:39.900 Not so that we might be able to boast in ourselves, but so that we might see Jesus more clearly as we look at this passage. 00:06:39.899 --> 00:06:54.659 That we might love him more deeply and we might respond with the kind of passion and excitement and action that reminds us that this Jesus who saved us is the one who has the message of the gospel for all. 00:06:55.339 --> 00:07:01.279 And so Lord, we pray that you would use your word today, that we might be changed and made more like Jesus. 00:07:01.819 --> 00:07:05.479 That we might grow in our holiness and we might love you more deeply. 00:07:05.899 --> 00:07:06.939 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:07:07.779 --> 00:07:08.039 Amen. 00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:08.160 Amen. 00:07:09.580 --> 00:07:21.080 So this morning, when Jesus in this story, when he calls his first disciples, our first point is to remind us about this word seeing or something like looking or seeing. 00:07:21.200 --> 00:07:28.040 And so when Jesus calls the first disciples, they see Jesus, right? 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:38.340 So this is the reality of what this passage is trying to tell us is that there is a lot of language about seeing or looking. 00:07:38.339 --> 00:07:47.719 And usually when we have this kind of thing happening in our narratives or our stories, it means that we need to look for why this is so important. 00:07:47.819 --> 00:07:48.799 There's emphasis here. 00:07:49.099 --> 00:07:53.099 I don't know how many of you as parents know, not meant to aim this at children. 00:07:53.399 --> 00:07:58.319 How many of us have had to repeat ourselves in general anytime in your life? 00:07:58.879 --> 00:07:59.339 Like, right? 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:00.159 We repeat ourselves. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:03.500 So you're trying and then you get to the point where they get more emphatic. 00:08:03.980 --> 00:08:06.720 And you're like, I said go clean up your room. 00:08:07.260 --> 00:08:11.540 You know, you get to the point and you've repeated yourself and over. 00:08:11.540 --> 00:08:19.860 And so John in this portion of his gospel, he is repeating over and over this idea of seeing or looking. 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:26.040 And we've already seen it earlier in the chapter when John the Baptist says, behold the Lamb of God. 00:08:26.360 --> 00:08:28.800 And then the next day, same thing, right? 00:08:28.939 --> 00:08:30.700 He says, behold the Lamb of God. 00:08:30.780 --> 00:08:37.300 And over 10 times throughout this passage, we see emphasis on seeing. 00:08:37.299 --> 00:08:44.000 Whether it's behold, in verse 36. 00:08:44.839 --> 00:08:46.199 The two disciples heard him say this and they followed him. 00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:47.599 Jesus turned and saw them. 00:08:48.079 --> 00:08:49.219 And he said to them, what are you seeking? 00:08:49.299 --> 00:08:49.939 They said, Rabbi. 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:51.799 And then he goes on and says, come. 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:53.559 And he said to them, come and you will see. 00:08:53.679 --> 00:08:55.000 This is Jesus talking to the disciples. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:57.519 They came and they saw where he was staying. 00:08:58.359 --> 00:09:03.939 And so in this passage, we need to take serious this idea of seeing Jesus. 00:09:03.940 --> 00:09:10.860 And because we don't want to take the writer for just kind of casually making these remarks. 00:09:11.180 --> 00:09:13.640 But so that we might see Jesus truly. 00:09:14.860 --> 00:09:21.540 I'm thinking, I think of a biology teacher in high school who used to say things like, let me say that again. 00:09:21.940 --> 00:09:25.260 And like at the beginning of the year, he said, if I say, let me say that again. 00:09:25.800 --> 00:09:28.920 That means this will be on the test, right? 00:09:29.040 --> 00:09:31.360 Let me say that again so you hear me. 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:38.000 And so this repetition of seeing is calling us to see Jesus for who he is. 00:09:38.700 --> 00:09:41.539 And so how did the disciples see Jesus? 00:09:41.800 --> 00:09:45.060 How did these first disciples see Jesus in this passage? 00:09:45.460 --> 00:09:48.120 Well, the first word we see is the word rabbi. 00:09:48.419 --> 00:09:50.879 And we see that they are calling Jesus rabbi. 00:09:50.980 --> 00:09:52.340 He's a teacher. 00:09:53.379 --> 00:10:00.159 But he's more than that because the word rabbi in this sense has carried some emphasis of meaning, meaning respect. 00:10:00.159 --> 00:10:04.039 And so Jesus is going to teach the disciples something. 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.079 But if we just left it there, right? 00:10:07.379 --> 00:10:11.240 If we just left it at teacher, we would have just information from Jesus. 00:10:11.980 --> 00:10:18.259 If we just thought about my school teacher and I thought, oh, he's just a teacher like any teacher I've ever had. 00:10:18.539 --> 00:10:24.120 He would be just kind of a casual Israelite that we just like his sayings. 00:10:24.220 --> 00:10:27.639 He says good things and they might be something that help us along in our lives. 00:10:27.639 --> 00:10:30.860 But Jesus was more than a rabbi. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:32.120 He was a rabbi. 00:10:32.840 --> 00:10:34.220 But they saw something else. 00:10:34.299 --> 00:10:36.980 They saw Jesus as the Messiah. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:39.000 Right? 00:10:39.100 --> 00:10:42.759 Because we have them actually confessing this to be true. 00:10:43.419 --> 00:10:43.699 Right? 00:10:44.699 --> 00:10:46.580 It was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 00:10:46.740 --> 00:10:51.100 He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, we have found the Messiah. 00:10:51.100 --> 00:10:53.360 Messiah, which means Christ. 00:10:53.480 --> 00:10:57.019 They saw him as the promised anointed one. 00:10:57.560 --> 00:11:04.120 The one sent by God who was more than a prophet, more than a priest, more than the Israelites king. 00:11:04.659 --> 00:11:09.800 He was something sent by God himself, the anointed holy one of Israel. 00:11:10.659 --> 00:11:12.159 And so he wasn't just a teacher. 00:11:12.300 --> 00:11:13.940 He was something even more. 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:15.440 He is unique. 00:11:16.779 --> 00:11:17.279 Right? 00:11:17.279 --> 00:11:19.339 He was sent by God himself. 00:11:20.939 --> 00:11:25.860 And so they see Jesus as this teacher, but they see him as the Christ when they have found him. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:26.100 Right? 00:11:26.319 --> 00:11:28.659 But they also, as they move on, they keep going. 00:11:28.740 --> 00:11:29.419 Then what do they see? 00:11:29.500 --> 00:11:35.339 So they see that he was the one that Moses in the law and the prophets spoke about. 00:11:36.939 --> 00:11:40.339 That Jesus isn't just someone with no credentials. 00:11:40.860 --> 00:11:45.240 Jesus isn't someone with no affirmation outside of him just saying it. 00:11:45.240 --> 00:11:49.940 But he is the one that all of scripture points us to. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:58.960 That the scriptures affirm, attest, point us so that all of us see, oh, this whole book is about him. 00:12:00.899 --> 00:12:06.519 This Messiah, he fulfills all the things that this book points us to. 00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:10.740 That he's the promised one that Moses talked about. 00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:13.820 He's the promised one that the prophets wrote about. 00:12:13.820 --> 00:12:22.960 They saw Jesus as something incredible in that he was the fulfillment of all these scriptures. 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:31.320 And if you're a child and you've read the Jesus Storybook Bible, or if you're an adult who just likes it devotionally alongside some of your other readings, 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:37.940 there's a line in that book that says, every story whispers his name. 00:12:37.940 --> 00:12:47.800 And so when we see this picture of what John is telling us in this story, we see that saying kind of coming to life in a different way. 00:12:47.960 --> 00:12:52.560 That all of the law, all of the prophets point us to Jesus. 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:56.399 And that ought to change us a little bit. 00:12:56.439 --> 00:12:59.500 It ought to make us look to the scriptures in a different way. 00:12:59.559 --> 00:13:01.500 It ought to encourage us in a really beautiful way. 00:13:01.659 --> 00:13:16.039 That when we read these stories, when we read the scriptures, when we read the Old Testament narratives and the Psalms and the wisdom literature and the stories of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, all of the Old Testament, it's pointing us to Jesus. 00:13:16.039 --> 00:13:23.799 What an encouragement for us as Christians that we don't read a Bible that is dead, but a Bible that is living. 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:31.819 It is the living word of God that points us to a living Savior in Jesus, the living Messiah, the one who rose from the dead. 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:38.519 And again, this story isn't, you know, we can't, we're jumping all over the place in the storyline of Jesus, obviously. 00:13:38.959 --> 00:13:41.939 At this point, they haven't thought about his death or his resurrection yet. 00:13:41.940 --> 00:13:53.220 But we, from where we sit, we can see that when Jesus is interacting with these first disciples and they're saying, this is who Moses and the prophets talked about. 00:13:54.340 --> 00:14:00.440 We see this big picture of him, the one who would truly save us from our sin. 00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:04.460 And so we see Jesus as this teacher. 00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:10.280 We see Jesus as the one whom the scriptures affirm and the law and prophets point us to. 00:14:10.279 --> 00:14:13.779 But then, but then they saw something else, right? 00:14:13.860 --> 00:14:15.139 Something other, right? 00:14:15.819 --> 00:14:20.199 And you see this interaction in verses 43 through 51 from Nathanael, right? 00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:26.559 So the next day they go to Galilee, they found Philip and Philip is following him, right? 00:14:26.959 --> 00:14:28.980 And then Philip, right? 00:14:29.299 --> 00:14:34.120 He goes and he says to Nathanael, can any, and says, we found, 00:14:34.120 --> 00:14:41.120 we found him of whom Moses and the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 00:14:41.460 --> 00:14:46.659 And Nathanael said to him this, which, you know, I'm, I'm trying not to say it with sarcasm because that's how it feels. 00:14:47.220 --> 00:14:49.120 Can anything good come out of Nazareth? 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:53.779 And, and, and look what happens. 00:14:54.740 --> 00:14:55.580 Look what happens. 00:14:55.659 --> 00:15:00.820 They see him and Jesus saw Nathanael and he tells him, I saw you under the fig tree. 00:15:00.820 --> 00:15:03.200 And, and Nathanael is dumbfounded by this. 00:15:03.220 --> 00:15:04.260 And he says to him, what? 00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:08.200 He says, you rabbi, you are the son of God, the king of Israel. 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:09.800 Right? 00:15:10.300 --> 00:15:11.860 He, he knew me. 00:15:12.100 --> 00:15:16.620 Philip affirms that Jesus knew me and saw me before I ever saw him. 00:15:18.620 --> 00:15:23.800 And so Jesus seeing Philip in this place long before they interact, 00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:29.259 he sees, he cries out, you are the king of Israel. 00:15:30.179 --> 00:15:30.659 Right? 00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:35.240 You are the one whom God has sent. 00:15:36.379 --> 00:15:37.779 You are the son of God. 00:15:38.139 --> 00:15:42.699 He, he reminds us that what he is seeing is not just a good teacher. 00:15:42.939 --> 00:15:48.719 And, and this is important because there are realities that we try and impose on Jesus. 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:50.820 I, I know I do as a sinner. 00:15:51.080 --> 00:15:55.180 I know it may shock some of you for, for me to come up here and admit my sin before you, 00:15:55.279 --> 00:15:56.120 but it's reality. 00:15:56.540 --> 00:15:58.080 I am not a perfect person. 00:15:58.220 --> 00:16:04.600 I am a daily putting to death the sins that God has called me to put to death, 00:16:04.660 --> 00:16:10.340 that I am not yet made perfect and holy and right perfectly until I see Jesus in glory. 00:16:11.060 --> 00:16:15.399 And so I struggle against making Jesus in my own image. 00:16:15.399 --> 00:16:20.899 I, I struggle with making Jesus the Jesus I want to believe in. 00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:26.480 And I think that's why it's so important for us to see the emphasis on the words seeing, 00:16:26.980 --> 00:16:31.620 because we often will turn, you know, the old saying, turn a blind eye to certain things. 00:16:32.120 --> 00:16:34.840 We don't want to see Jesus for all of who he is. 00:16:35.799 --> 00:16:38.340 We want to see Jesus for what's comfortable for us, 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:42.340 for how it feels good to me, how it makes my life convenient. 00:16:43.539 --> 00:16:43.939 Right? 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:49.179 The, the classic one that we talk about a lot of times in our youth group setting 00:16:49.179 --> 00:16:53.139 is this idea of Jesus as a savior, but not Lord. 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:53.779 Right? 00:16:53.959 --> 00:16:55.899 Jesus can be my savior and that's great. 00:16:56.019 --> 00:16:59.639 And I'm not, he's paid for my sins, but the rest of my life, you know what? 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:01.240 I kind of pick and choose what I do. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:02.299 It doesn't really matter. 00:17:02.379 --> 00:17:05.940 But, but Jesus is calling us to all of ourselves, 00:17:06.099 --> 00:17:08.599 all of our lives to submit it unto him. 00:17:08.599 --> 00:17:16.240 And so we're not just able to pick and choose what Jesus is to us. 00:17:16.439 --> 00:17:19.319 We look to the scriptures that affirm who he is. 00:17:19.539 --> 00:17:26.339 And we, we turn to the Jesus who actually is the King, who actually is the Messiah, 00:17:26.339 --> 00:17:30.599 who actually is the rabbi, who actually is the one who teaches us. 00:17:30.599 --> 00:17:32.259 And so we look to that Jesus. 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:36.119 We don't look to the Jesus that we form in our own minds. 00:17:36.639 --> 00:17:42.459 We look to the Jesus that we need, that the scriptures reveal to us. 00:17:42.460 --> 00:17:50.600 We need to stop looking through smudged or selective lenses. 00:17:51.940 --> 00:17:57.079 We need to look through the lens of scripture and see Jesus for who he is. 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:02.400 And so the question that we, we have put at the end of this, at the end of this point is, 00:18:02.819 --> 00:18:07.180 what's the, where is it that the question after point one? 00:18:07.819 --> 00:18:08.140 Nope. 00:18:08.380 --> 00:18:08.840 Is it up there? 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:09.860 We'll get it there in a second. 00:18:09.859 --> 00:18:14.319 This idea of how do you see Jesus, right? 00:18:14.819 --> 00:18:16.740 The disciples saw Jesus one way. 00:18:16.899 --> 00:18:18.039 How do you see Jesus? 00:18:19.719 --> 00:18:24.059 Are you someone like me who struggles with this idea of making Jesus in your own image? 00:18:24.740 --> 00:18:32.919 Or do you look to the scriptures, look to how he is revealed and trust in that Jesus? 00:18:33.539 --> 00:18:37.359 Because if we trust in the Jesus that we create, he will be a failure. 00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:40.359 The real Jesus will never be a failure. 00:18:41.179 --> 00:18:51.599 The Jesus of the scriptures, the perfect, holy, son of God, son of man, lamb of God, the one who is the Christ, the one who came, he will not fail us. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:57.699 The Jesus that we imagine and make ourselves, he will not be enough. 00:18:57.700 --> 00:19:04.400 The disciples go on and they don't just see Jesus, but they find Jesus. 00:19:04.480 --> 00:19:09.980 There's also this language of being found and finding in this passage that's really important for us. 00:19:10.480 --> 00:19:15.500 And so the disciples, when Jesus calls these first disciples, they find Jesus. 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:17.819 They are found in Jesus. 00:19:17.819 --> 00:19:26.779 And so it's not just this idea of finding something like a treasure, but it's also this idea of being found in Jesus, right? 00:19:28.119 --> 00:19:30.059 And so think about this. 00:19:30.059 --> 00:19:31.039 We've all looked for something. 00:19:31.139 --> 00:19:32.159 We've all lost something. 00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:36.220 Whether it's, think about like maybe even the Where's Waldo books. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:38.139 Does anyone know about the Where's Waldo books? 00:19:38.220 --> 00:19:41.519 Everybody's kind of, this is a culturally normal thing to nod our heads about. 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:47.500 That like there's a random dude in a picture that's very confusing and his name's Waldo and you find this one character. 00:19:47.940 --> 00:19:48.079 Okay. 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:55.259 If you, kids, if you're under 10 and you do not know Where's Waldo, bother your parents till they get you to the library to look at some Where's Waldo books. 00:19:57.119 --> 00:19:59.039 This idea of finding something. 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:04.019 So, so what, what we see in this is that the disciples were actually looking for something. 00:20:05.180 --> 00:20:07.339 They were actually looking for something. 00:20:07.339 --> 00:20:13.659 And what they found was, what was this Jesus who was this rabbi, but he was more. 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:14.539 He was the Christ. 00:20:14.659 --> 00:20:15.839 He was the King of Israel. 00:20:16.099 --> 00:20:20.459 He was the one who would come and he's the anointed one from God. 00:20:20.539 --> 00:20:21.500 He's totally separate. 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:23.240 He's the one promised through the scriptures. 00:20:23.480 --> 00:20:27.339 And what they found was their salvation in this one man. 00:20:28.259 --> 00:20:30.559 But he was more than just a man. 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:33.619 He was God's anointed one. 00:20:37.339 --> 00:20:43.959 And so if we, we think on this, the reality is that we need to find ourselves in this Jesus. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:46.459 We, we, we are seeking something in our lives. 00:20:46.539 --> 00:20:51.500 All of us are to fill our, our voids, to fill ourselves. 00:20:51.500 --> 00:20:51.759 Right. 00:20:51.839 --> 00:20:55.839 We, if the first point was about, Hey, we make Jesus in our own image. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:02.659 Second, second might be that we, we saw our first struggle from the first point might be that we, you know, we make Jesus in our image. 00:21:02.660 --> 00:21:07.080 But our struggle with this one might be that like, we want to find something that will satisfy us. 00:21:08.060 --> 00:21:10.759 We're looking for something that will satisfy us. 00:21:10.800 --> 00:21:18.779 I think we all struggle with this longing, whether it's financial success, power, respect at work. 00:21:19.940 --> 00:21:21.920 There's something that we're looking for. 00:21:22.080 --> 00:21:25.440 A happy family, the white picket fence, the 2.5 children. 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:26.540 I don't understand fractions. 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:27.480 I don't know how that works. 00:21:27.480 --> 00:21:36.059 The puppy, whatever, whatever it may be, the thing that we're looking for, those will not satisfy. 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:43.460 And the disciples here are showing us in who they have found that he will be our satisfaction. 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:46.799 He will be enough. 00:21:47.980 --> 00:21:49.920 His yoke is light. 00:21:50.819 --> 00:21:54.059 He who the son sets free will be free indeed. 00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:56.319 There is life. 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:59.480 And think again, look back to the verse from John 20. 00:22:00.019 --> 00:22:07.519 It's this, but this is written so you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, that by believing you may have life in his name. 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:15.740 And I think that's so crucial for us to connect the dots here because the Jesus that they found was not just a good person. 00:22:15.899 --> 00:22:18.519 He was the one who gives life. 00:22:18.519 --> 00:22:26.740 And that he would achieve that eternal life for us through his death and his resurrection. 00:22:26.740 --> 00:22:35.480 We want our lives to be wrapped up in and found in Jesus more than anything else. 00:22:35.480 --> 00:22:48.700 Oftentimes, if you're familiar with our youth ministry, we call our youth ministry High Life for the high school kids and junior high life for the, and we can discuss the name later if you'd like. 00:22:48.700 --> 00:22:56.840 But the reality of it is that we want to make sure we're emphasizing that our life is found in Jesus. 00:22:56.839 --> 00:23:06.079 And it's rooted out of the passage in Ephesians chapter 2 that we might be found in him, that we've been saved by grace through faith. 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:18.199 And somehow in this picture in Ephesians 2, this salvation that we have in Christ, that we have life in Christ, and we are wrapped up in him, and we have life eternal. 00:23:18.899 --> 00:23:27.059 And this life that we live in this world is not one that we live just, hey, I did this middle school and high school thing, and that was my youth group and my church experience. 00:23:27.059 --> 00:23:36.019 It's that we would be wrapped up in Jesus both now and through our 20s and our 30s and our 40s and our 50s until we meet Jesus. 00:23:37.019 --> 00:23:45.419 And so our aspirations for your children when we teach them the scriptures is not that they be surprising, well-behaved, nice little children. 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:47.899 That's a good thing. God bless you if that's your life. 00:23:48.740 --> 00:23:58.439 But the reality is, is that we want the students of our youth ministry to know Jesus and to know life eternally in him. 00:23:58.440 --> 00:24:02.759 And so these disciples had found life. 00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:06.680 And they wanted to share it, right? 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:08.220 They wanted to share it with others. 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:11.700 And so this is our, do you find your identity in Jesus? 00:24:11.740 --> 00:24:12.779 That's why the question is this. 00:24:12.860 --> 00:24:14.519 Do you find yourself in Jesus? 00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:30.559 Do you find yourself distracted by the things of the world, the sins that you struggle against, the things that would lead you away from the beauty and the majesty and the glory of Jesus, the Son of God, the one who was sent for you so that you might have life and life abundant? 00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:34.359 Do you find your identity in other things? 00:24:34.359 --> 00:24:39.879 And the disciples found their identity in this and it was so compelling to them. 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:43.859 It was so strong that they couldn't help but talk about it to other people. 00:24:43.979 --> 00:24:49.240 So these disciples, when they were called by Jesus, they actually ended up sharing what they found, right? 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:51.099 They showed others Jesus. 00:24:52.019 --> 00:24:55.740 It wasn't like, hey, like think about where's Waldo? 00:24:55.740 --> 00:25:00.779 So how awful is it when you find Waldo and you point it out to someone else and you're like, dang, it's over. 00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:01.079 What? 00:25:01.359 --> 00:25:02.140 Why would you do that? 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:02.740 Right? 00:25:02.900 --> 00:25:03.900 But this is different. 00:25:03.980 --> 00:25:04.579 This is the reverse. 00:25:04.680 --> 00:25:05.920 You want to show Waldo, right? 00:25:06.019 --> 00:25:08.000 You know, you want everybody, look, no, he's right here. 00:25:08.900 --> 00:25:12.579 And we want to make sure we are pointing people as God's people. 00:25:12.579 --> 00:25:14.500 We are to where we have found life. 00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:20.180 That's why our meditation was we're simply beggars showing other beggars where we found bread. 00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:23.259 I'm not claiming to have it all together. 00:25:25.740 --> 00:25:28.200 But I know that where I found life was in Jesus. 00:25:28.519 --> 00:25:34.799 And this is, I didn't learn that from anywhere but God's word showing me here, these disciples. 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:37.940 They were experiencing God's grace in a way. 00:25:37.940 --> 00:25:46.059 And again, to kind of use our churches, the way we talk about grace here is to talk about how we experience grace and express grace. 00:25:46.120 --> 00:25:54.039 And what they're doing here in this particular instance involves evangelism and expressing grace and showing grace to others by what they're doing. 00:25:54.039 --> 00:26:00.819 And so they decide there's one who finds Jesus and he comes and he gets his brother and he says, come on, look, this is where we found life. 00:26:02.079 --> 00:26:05.500 And then another brings Nathaniel and he's like, look, this is where we found life. 00:26:05.559 --> 00:26:06.839 This is the one we found. 00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:08.839 Right? 00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:13.279 And what's even cooler is that, and again, I don't know if there's like a huge connection. 00:26:13.579 --> 00:26:15.559 I couldn't find much as I studied it this week. 00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:24.019 But think about what John the Baptist and think about what, if you were here last week, what Will preached about, about how John says, be the spotlight person. 00:26:24.399 --> 00:26:24.579 Right? 00:26:24.720 --> 00:26:28.799 You know, you're not the center of the stage, but be the spotlight person. 00:26:28.799 --> 00:26:32.879 And then you get these disciples of John the Baptist who are like, no, this is where we found him. 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:34.839 Look, John showed me and I'm showing you. 00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:43.359 And there's this reality of what's happening in this narrative to show us that, hey, this, oh, the Lamb of God. 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:44.319 Okay, let me go check that out. 00:26:44.339 --> 00:26:44.659 Oh, what? 00:26:44.839 --> 00:26:45.379 He's true. 00:26:45.460 --> 00:26:45.839 It's true. 00:26:46.079 --> 00:26:46.759 Look right here. 00:26:46.839 --> 00:26:47.740 This is where it is. 00:26:48.159 --> 00:26:49.500 This is where we found life. 00:26:49.859 --> 00:26:50.799 It's over here. 00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:52.680 Don't look the other way. 00:26:52.759 --> 00:26:53.220 Look here. 00:26:54.440 --> 00:26:56.059 Let me shine my light this way. 00:26:56.059 --> 00:27:00.119 And so the disciples, Andrew goes and gets Peter. 00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:01.639 Philip goes and gets Nathaniel. 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:06.220 And these disciples point others to Jesus. 00:27:07.240 --> 00:27:11.000 And so in this calling of the first disciples, they showed other people Jesus. 00:27:12.839 --> 00:27:16.460 And ultimately, we're called to show other people Jesus. 00:27:16.639 --> 00:27:18.720 And I heard a pastor talk about this. 00:27:18.879 --> 00:27:19.879 Here's the reality. 00:27:20.179 --> 00:27:25.919 This is not meant to be a sermon to beat you up and tell you to just be better at evangelizing. 00:27:26.059 --> 00:27:27.159 And tell people about Jesus. 00:27:28.079 --> 00:27:32.960 This is a sermon that points to the greatness of Jesus, I hope, more than anything else. 00:27:33.919 --> 00:27:35.679 About how he is the one. 00:27:36.339 --> 00:27:37.799 About how he is the Christ. 00:27:38.339 --> 00:27:39.879 About how he is the Savior. 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:45.960 About how he will restore our relationship with the living God. 00:27:45.960 --> 00:27:52.079 Give you an example of something that I don't. 00:27:52.700 --> 00:27:52.940 It's. 00:27:53.600 --> 00:27:58.980 There was a time a few years ago that I went on vacation with my family down to the coast of South Carolina. 00:27:59.100 --> 00:27:59.860 I'm from South Carolina. 00:28:01.380 --> 00:28:07.779 I've never been more glad to not make my sermon football themed as I am right now. 00:28:08.700 --> 00:28:11.039 If you're familiar with what happened last night with my team. 00:28:12.440 --> 00:28:14.200 But I grew up on South Carolina. 00:28:14.720 --> 00:28:18.139 And we went together as a family to the beach. 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:22.619 And if you're not familiar with certain beaches in South Carolina, you can find shark's teeth. 00:28:22.700 --> 00:28:24.460 I don't know if that's true everywhere on the East Coast. 00:28:24.819 --> 00:28:29.220 But you can find shark's teeth kind of just in the sand and in the, on, you know, right there in the water. 00:28:29.259 --> 00:28:30.019 And it's a very cool thing. 00:28:30.019 --> 00:28:33.980 And grew up doing it in small little beaches across on the coast. 00:28:34.859 --> 00:28:39.160 And I cannot tell you, like, years. 00:28:39.259 --> 00:28:41.839 Like, I have, like, jars of shark's teeth, right? 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:42.259 It's fine. 00:28:42.339 --> 00:28:42.779 It's very cool. 00:28:42.900 --> 00:28:43.099 Whatever. 00:28:44.779 --> 00:28:48.519 But that particular one, something changed. 00:28:48.559 --> 00:28:52.819 Because I turned around and my sister reached down and picked up something I had never seen. 00:28:52.819 --> 00:29:01.359 And she picked up what is either a Native American spearhead or an arrowhead. 00:29:01.819 --> 00:29:02.619 Just right there. 00:29:02.700 --> 00:29:04.799 It just had washed up and been uncovered. 00:29:05.500 --> 00:29:07.879 And to tell y'all I lost my mind for a moment. 00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:11.980 And started telling every random person on the beach that walked by. 00:29:12.039 --> 00:29:13.939 Like, my sister just found an arrowhead. 00:29:14.220 --> 00:29:21.939 And I just became this crazy person that couldn't stop talking about this random thing that my sister had found. 00:29:21.940 --> 00:29:23.740 Like, everybody finds shark's teeth. 00:29:23.960 --> 00:29:26.299 But my sister just found, look what she found. 00:29:27.259 --> 00:29:33.019 And I got to be this weird, and my sister was like, kind of, you know, she's like one of those people whose eyes got big and said, please don't make me say my name. 00:29:36.680 --> 00:29:39.299 You know, she was embarrassed that I was doing this, I'm sure. 00:29:39.880 --> 00:29:45.980 But this reality of how compelling this moment was for me. 00:29:46.660 --> 00:29:50.279 How compelling this find on the beach was. 00:29:50.279 --> 00:29:54.299 And I couldn't help but tell people about it. 00:29:56.119 --> 00:30:01.859 And so our question for all of us is this Jesus that they showed to others, is he compelling to you? 00:30:02.920 --> 00:30:05.059 The one whom you have found life. 00:30:06.099 --> 00:30:07.940 And if that's not true of you, that's okay. 00:30:08.039 --> 00:30:11.579 If you're here and you're trying to figure out who Jesus is, and this is the first time. 00:30:11.960 --> 00:30:14.920 Or maybe one of many times you tried to figure out a church. 00:30:14.920 --> 00:30:17.259 And, you know, you come with a friend or something. 00:30:17.420 --> 00:30:17.940 That's okay. 00:30:19.500 --> 00:30:21.880 But I would ask you to investigate that Jesus. 00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:25.660 I would ask you to ask your friends about that Jesus. 00:30:25.660 --> 00:30:26.940 Because he is compelling. 00:30:28.840 --> 00:30:34.480 He is worth every moment of conversation that we can have about him. 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:38.440 And so my question is, have you found your life in him? 00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:47.880 And then finally, to kind of wrap up here, the disciples in this last point is that when they were called, 00:30:48.599 --> 00:30:52.539 Jesus kind of gives Nathaniel this picture of his glory. 00:30:52.900 --> 00:30:53.120 Right? 00:30:53.160 --> 00:30:54.079 The glory of God. 00:30:54.079 --> 00:31:01.059 And how Jesus is not just a good teacher or a nice guy or a revolutionary or whatever you've created him to be. 00:31:02.439 --> 00:31:06.500 He is sent by God for his people. 00:31:07.960 --> 00:31:12.559 And it affirms, it's a confirmation of who Jesus is to these disciples. 00:31:13.659 --> 00:31:17.259 He said to them, truly, truly, I say to you here in the last verse 51, it says, 00:31:17.779 --> 00:31:22.939 you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. 00:31:24.079 --> 00:31:31.139 And they were given this picture of something even more than what they've experienced in this moment with Jesus, 00:31:31.259 --> 00:31:32.460 in this day with Jesus. 00:31:32.579 --> 00:31:34.839 The first, literally, couple of days with Jesus. 00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:38.240 The first disciples, the first members of Jesus' church. 00:31:40.740 --> 00:31:42.759 They're saying there's something more. 00:31:44.859 --> 00:31:45.819 There's something more. 00:31:45.899 --> 00:31:49.500 This is a reminder of a picture of who Jesus is. 00:31:49.500 --> 00:31:57.619 He is not just some sort of, this means the church is not just some sort of club or, you know, meeting place, 00:31:57.980 --> 00:31:59.920 but it's something where God is at work. 00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:03.640 It's a confirmation, a reminder that through this Jesus, 00:32:03.839 --> 00:32:08.240 we will be connected to the very holy and very perfect God of the universe. 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:11.619 Because Jesus will bring us to him. 00:32:11.619 --> 00:32:17.319 Because we've been clothed and connected and made whole by Jesus. 00:32:18.539 --> 00:32:24.879 It's a reminder that there's something bigger that God is going to reveal in his kingdom that we get to see. 00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:27.899 It's the glory of God in his presence. 00:32:28.059 --> 00:32:31.039 It's a restored relationship with God in all its perfection. 00:32:31.359 --> 00:32:35.419 It's the way we were meant to be in relationship with God. 00:32:35.420 --> 00:32:44.080 And so Jesus, in this moment, pulls us in to this picture and said, 00:32:44.259 --> 00:32:45.779 there is something yet more. 00:32:47.580 --> 00:32:50.820 And so this glory reminds us that there is something more. 00:32:50.900 --> 00:32:53.860 So when Jesus talks about his kingdom in the gospels, 00:32:53.920 --> 00:32:56.500 when Jesus talks about who he is, 00:32:57.500 --> 00:32:59.900 it's not just here that we're seeing it, 00:32:59.900 --> 00:33:02.740 but it's even more and it's all the earth. 00:33:02.740 --> 00:33:05.839 And it's how this God who's king over all the universe, 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:08.460 the king of Israel is more than just the king of Israel. 00:33:08.519 --> 00:33:10.859 He's the God who rules over everything. 00:33:13.420 --> 00:33:17.779 And so you and I get this small picture in just this one verse 00:33:17.779 --> 00:33:22.819 about how God is revealing a greater kingdom than we'll ever understand. 00:33:23.500 --> 00:33:29.259 And that includes his love and care and intimate fellowship with his people here in this place 00:33:29.259 --> 00:33:33.339 and churches that are meeting right now across the country and in the world. 00:33:34.900 --> 00:33:38.019 And that's a reminder that we are not the only church, 00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:39.779 that we belong to something bigger. 00:33:41.019 --> 00:33:43.619 We belong to God's people who will all, 00:33:44.059 --> 00:33:46.700 the big C church, be a part of this. 00:33:49.099 --> 00:33:51.339 If you, as we close today, 00:33:51.480 --> 00:33:53.720 I want us to look to Acts chapter four. 00:33:53.720 --> 00:33:56.480 If you have your Bible, you can, I didn't tell them to, 00:33:56.480 --> 00:34:00.059 tell them to have this up here or, 00:34:01.019 --> 00:34:04.579 but I want to, I want to close with this picture right here. 00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:07.920 And it's my, it's my prayer for myself. 00:34:08.500 --> 00:34:10.380 And we talked about it last year, 00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:15.220 a lot with our summer interns and our, our staff, 00:34:15.460 --> 00:34:17.039 not sorry, our youth staff. 00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:23.960 And just this idea that we might be compelled by Jesus, 00:34:24.500 --> 00:34:25.659 that we, that we might be moved. 00:34:25.719 --> 00:34:29.300 So in Acts chapter four, strangely enough, 00:34:29.420 --> 00:34:32.139 who are these characters that are brought before the council? 00:34:33.079 --> 00:34:35.360 Peter and John, right? 00:34:35.480 --> 00:34:36.679 Here we go, Peter and John. 00:34:36.679 --> 00:34:42.599 And in this chapter of John that we're reading, 00:34:44.139 --> 00:34:47.219 and when it says in verse 35, 00:34:47.319 --> 00:34:49.399 it says next day John was standing with two of his disciples. 00:34:49.779 --> 00:34:51.279 And he looked and Jesus, as he walked by, 00:34:51.379 --> 00:34:53.379 he said, behold, the two disciples heard this. 00:34:53.719 --> 00:34:56.279 One of these two disciples can be presumed to be John. 00:34:57.599 --> 00:35:00.059 There's not, there's no one's never named, 00:35:00.519 --> 00:35:02.559 but we can presume perhaps it would be John. 00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:06.840 And these two first disciples that follow Jesus, 00:35:07.299 --> 00:35:08.539 here's what they end up saying 00:35:08.539 --> 00:35:11.400 when they're brought before the council in Jerusalem 00:35:11.400 --> 00:35:14.679 for being people that are causing disruption 00:35:14.679 --> 00:35:18.000 and being people that are pointing people to Jesus. 00:35:18.279 --> 00:35:19.559 They're saying things like, 00:35:20.039 --> 00:35:22.739 this Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, 00:35:22.799 --> 00:35:24.139 the builders who have become the cornerstone. 00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:26.699 And there is salvation in no one else. 00:35:26.840 --> 00:35:28.860 There is no other name under heaven 00:35:28.860 --> 00:35:31.619 given among men by which we must be saved. 00:35:33.279 --> 00:35:34.920 And when they're brought to trial 00:35:34.920 --> 00:35:36.779 and they called them in and they said, 00:35:36.840 --> 00:35:38.199 basically the council decides, 00:35:38.299 --> 00:35:40.779 hey, listen, in verse 18, chapter four, verse 18, 00:35:40.860 --> 00:35:43.099 it says, so they called them and charged them 00:35:43.099 --> 00:35:46.480 not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 00:35:47.480 --> 00:35:48.699 And here was their response. 00:35:48.880 --> 00:35:52.099 This is how compelling they think Jesus is. 00:35:52.199 --> 00:35:54.019 They believe him to be the Messiah. 00:35:54.139 --> 00:35:55.739 They say, but Peter and John answered them, 00:35:56.539 --> 00:35:59.259 whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you 00:35:59.259 --> 00:36:00.960 rather than to God, 00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:05.199 you must judge for we cannot but speak 00:36:05.199 --> 00:36:06.619 of what we have seen and heard. 00:36:07.260 --> 00:36:11.599 We cannot help but speak about this Jesus 00:36:11.599 --> 00:36:13.860 who we have seen and we have heard. 00:36:14.460 --> 00:36:16.760 And my prayer is that we would be so compelled 00:36:16.760 --> 00:36:19.800 by who Jesus is that we would be people, 00:36:20.019 --> 00:36:21.579 whether it's in our neighborhoods, 00:36:22.139 --> 00:36:24.119 whether it's in our lives at school, 00:36:24.559 --> 00:36:26.260 whether it's in our classrooms, 00:36:26.260 --> 00:36:28.700 if you're a student, whether it's at your job, 00:36:29.060 --> 00:36:30.820 wherever God has called you, 00:36:31.760 --> 00:36:34.540 that we might be people so compelled 00:36:34.540 --> 00:36:36.420 with who this Jesus that we see, 00:36:36.740 --> 00:36:37.680 that we found, 00:36:38.160 --> 00:36:41.020 that we cannot help but speak about him 00:36:41.020 --> 00:36:43.120 and the glory that he has revealed to us. 00:36:43.700 --> 00:36:44.200 Let's pray. 00:36:45.700 --> 00:36:47.560 Father, we're grateful for your word. 00:36:47.559 --> 00:36:50.340 Lord, we pray that you would help us, 00:36:50.559 --> 00:36:55.599 help us to see just the overwhelming beauty of Jesus, 00:36:55.840 --> 00:36:56.940 the goodness of Jesus, 00:36:57.199 --> 00:36:58.320 the power of Jesus, 00:36:59.079 --> 00:37:01.420 how he is at work in our lives. 00:37:02.239 --> 00:37:06.239 Lord, we pray that we catch a fresh vision. 00:37:06.420 --> 00:37:08.219 If we were struggling with this, Lord, 00:37:08.299 --> 00:37:11.340 help me personally to catch a fresh vision of Jesus 00:37:11.340 --> 00:37:13.360 who is more than enough. 00:37:13.360 --> 00:37:18.140 Lord, who is more than what the world might make him to be, 00:37:18.220 --> 00:37:20.180 but Lord, how your scriptures reveal him to be. 00:37:20.360 --> 00:37:22.240 Help me to cling to that. 00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:24.099 May we all cling to that, Jesus, 00:37:25.240 --> 00:37:26.480 the one who is our savior, 00:37:27.039 --> 00:37:28.400 the one who is our Lord, 00:37:29.200 --> 00:37:30.880 the one who is the Christ, 00:37:31.420 --> 00:37:32.360 the son of God, 00:37:33.019 --> 00:37:33.820 our great king. 00:37:34.700 --> 00:37:36.480 Lord, we pray that you be with us today 00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:38.019 as we continue to worship. 00:37:38.599 --> 00:37:39.660 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:37:40.019 --> 00:37:40.260 Amen. 00:37:40.260 --> 00:37:40.360 Amen. 00:37:40.360 --> 00:37:43.160 For more information, 00:37:43.480 --> 00:37:45.480 visit us online at southwood.org.