WEBVTT

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 Today is our fifth Sunday looking at the 23rd Psalm, often called the Shepherd's Psalm.

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 Christians love Scripture in general, but they particularly love this Psalm.

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 They always have.

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 The idea that Jesus would be our good shepherd was so compelling to the early church

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 that it was one of their favorite images.

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 You might remember two weeks ago, I showed an image from the Roman catacombs of the good shepherd

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 with the shepherd's staff in one hand and the sheep around his shoulders the other.

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 Now today, if you're joining us for the first time or if you've been gone much of the summer

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 and are just now returning, I'll summarize some of the themes from the psalm for you.

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 One theme is God's presence.

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 Verse 2 says that the shepherd makes us lie down in green pastures.

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 The sheep have a lot of needs and they only lie down when those needs are met.

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 And the way a shepherd meets most of those needs is simply being present.

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 And when we're in the valley of the shadow of death, it's the presence of God that becomes

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 very precious to us.

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 Another theme is God's protection and provision for us.

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 I shall not be in want.

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 He leads me beside still waters.

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 And the third theme we looked at is repentance.

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 When we read he restores my soul, we are to understand that he brings us from following

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 the wrong path and sets us onto the right path.

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 David hits all these themes by focusing on the imagery of a sheep and his shepherd.

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 This verse is different.

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 He departs from this imagery.

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 And I'll explain what this verse means in a second.

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 But I thought that at the very beginning of this time together, I should bring to your attention

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 several people in our congregation who are in desperate need of knowing and experiencing

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 the Lord as their good shepherd.

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 On Friday, Vance Barnwell passed away.

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 He was the father of our dear friends Matt Barnwell and Travis Barnwell and the father-in-law

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 to Tiara.

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 Also, as of 5 p.m. today, just 20 minutes ago, Winston Morrison is on a flight back to

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 Ghana to attend the funeral for his father.

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 So before we get into this, let's pray for them.

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 Okay.

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 Even now, father, as the flight makes its way towards Ghana, and Winston is leaving this

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 continent, going to the new continent, where the reality of all this is going to hit him

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 more deeply and more profoundly.

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 We ask that on this flight, and when he gets there, you would comfort him, that he would more

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 richly know and experience your presence, that you're comforting care as his good shepherd.

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 For the Barnwells also, we pray the same thing.

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 Comfort them in the loss of their father.

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 And would you, father, very father-like, tend and care for them, comfort them.

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 Thank you that both of those men are knowing you profoundly now in your presence.

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 Would we, in these moments together also, more deeply know your presence and your power to

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 comfort and love us.

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 We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

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 Okay.

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 Let's look at verse 5.

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 David writes,

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 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

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 You anoint my head with oil.

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 My cup overflows.

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 It's not immediately clear how this fits into the sheep-shepherd imagery, right?

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 But some writers and commentaries try and make it work.

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 They'll point out how in various parts of the world, like in North America, in the Southwest,

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 or in Kenya, or in Switzerland, that there's table land.

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 And that shepherds will go and prepare this table land for their sheep.

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 They'll go ahead of them by pulling out all of the toxic weeds that might poison the sheep

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 or scaring away all the nasty animals, like predators and snakes and such.

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 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

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 That sounds great, but there's no table land in the holy land.

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 So David probably didn't have that in mind.

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 What we find David doing is actually switching from describing God as a shepherd to describing

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 him as a host.

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 The Lord is my host.

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 Yesterday at our men's breakfast, we asked Winston, who I just referred to earlier,

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 what do Americans not know about being Christians because of our Americanness?

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 Or what can we learn from the Ghanaian Christian perspective?

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 One thing, and he didn't use these words precisely, that we don't know much about hospitality.

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 This would contrast us against not just Ghana, but against much of the world and for much

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 of human history.

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 Take the wealthy, for instance.

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 In America, in general, if you want to display your wealth, you often acquire a big house and

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 you set it apart with nice green land around it.

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 Sometimes you gate it up.

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 Wealth tends to separate us from our neighbors.

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 In David's day, and in much of the ancient Near East, if you want to show off your wealth,

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 the way to do it is through hospitality.

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 In the East, a man's fame is spread by means of his table and lavish hospitality rather than

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 by his possessions.

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 He hosts meals with three times as much food as his guests can eat.

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 Strangers and neighbors alike discuss tables where they have been guests.

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 These stories spread from one town to another and from generation to generation.

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 And there's all kinds of gossip as to how guests and strangers are entertained.

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 One observer writes,

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 The modern Western way of showing off possessions assumes isolation and distance from the community.

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 It is enough that you drive by.

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 Note my palatial house and see my expensive car parked beside it.

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 But David's imagery has to do with community life that is strengthened and solidified by shared meals.

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 You spread a table before me.

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 You also anoint my head with oil.

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 Now when I think of anointing, I think of kings and queens that are anointed with oil

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 to be consecrated and set apart for these special roles.

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 What I didn't realize is that anointing with oil is also a practice of hospitality in the ancient world.

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 And it's found all over the ancient world.

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 Egypt, Rome, Greece, Persia.

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 Expensive, perfumed oil used to anoint guests.

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 There's paintings in Egyptian tombs of women with what are called unguent cones on their head.

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 Unguent is the same word as unction.

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 But these cones are made of wax.

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 It's perfumed.

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 And over time, the heat from the head melts the wax.

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 And it's perfumed and it just starts to drip down onto the person.

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 And so we also see the practice of anointing as an octave hospitality in Jesus' day.

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 In Luke chapter 7, Jesus is at the house of a man named Simon.

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 Simon is a Pharisee.

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 And into this gathering comes a woman from the town.

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 And the woman anoints Jesus' feet with her tears and with perfume.

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 And Simon and the Pharisees are offended.

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 Like, Jesus, do you know who this woman is?

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 And he rebukes Simon for several things.

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 But one thing that I really hadn't caught before is that he rebukes their hospitality.

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 He says to Simon, I entered your house.

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 You gave me no water for my feet.

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 But she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

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 You gave me no kiss.

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 But from the time I came in, she has not ceased to kiss my feet.

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 You did not anoint my head with oil.

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 But she has anointed my feet with ointment.

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 Okay, so we have a table.

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 We have anointing.

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 And we also have an overflowing cup.

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 Now, with hospitality in mind, it's not hard to imagine what this is.

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 We're at a party.

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 And the host keeps your cup full of wine.

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 All right.

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 So, verse 5.

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 We have a host.

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 And we have a pretty magnificent party.

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 But in the middle of this description of hospitality comes a curious statement.

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 In the presence of my enemies.

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 And what could that mean?

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 Is David, like, gloating?

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 Is God showing some kind of strange favoritism for David and being mean to other people?

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 Well, I think it would be helpful to look at the Gospels again to see what this might mean.

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 In Luke chapter 15, Jesus tells a parable about a good shepherd who retrieves a lost sheep.

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 And in keeping with Psalm 23, he shifts from talking about sheep to talking about a party.

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 It's the story of the prodigal son.

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 Many of you know this story, perhaps.

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 But this story depicts a father, a very wealthy, respected father, with two children.

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 Two grown sons, the younger of which decides that he wants his inheritance now.

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 So he asks his father for his share of the inheritance.

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 The father gives it.

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 And the younger son goes away and spends it all on a wild time.

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 And then becomes destitute with nothing.

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 He ends up having to share food with pigs, living in a pigsty.

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 And while he's in the mud and muck, he realizes,

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 Man, my dad's servants have it much better than I do.

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 So why don't I just go back to him and ask if I can be one of his servants?

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 And so he comes home.

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 And the father, we learn, is waiting for him, looking out for him.

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 And when he sees his youngest son, he runs out and greets him and hugs him,

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 takes his robe, puts it on him, takes off his ring, puts it on his son's finger,

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 and commands that a party shall be had to celebrate the return and reconciliation of his youngest son.

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 And the older brother is incensed.

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 The older brother said,

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 You know, I've been serving you all these years, and you never threw me a party.

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 Well, the older brother is probably not alone in his feelings.

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 The party guests are also probably feeling much the same way.

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 They're probably disgusted at this smelly, shaven-head young man in rags

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 who has just squandered the wealth of this wealthy, respectable man

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 and has brought shame to his house.

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 They attend the party, but they're not at the party to welcome him back.

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 They are there to celebrate the costly efforts of the father

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 to reconcile the son back to himself.

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 You hear that?

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 They are not there to honor the son.

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 They're there to honor the father.

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 We can trace similar themes in the account of Jesus and Zacchaeus,

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 which we read earlier.

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 You might remember that Jesus came into town,

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 and Zacchaeus was a tax collector,

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 so he would have been very much hated by the town

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 because Zacchaeus and tax collectors are known for being corrupt, fraudulent.

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 So Jesus says,

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 Come down from there.

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 I want to enter your house and be a guest there.

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 We can assume that they had a meal together,

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 and this causes the religious elite to grumble.

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 They said,

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 He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.

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 Again and again,

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 Jesus engenders hostility

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 because of the people with whom he chooses to eat his meals.

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 Again and again,

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 Jesus engenders hostility

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 because of the people with whom he chooses to eat his meals.

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 But Jesus said about Zacchaeus,

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 Today salvation has come to this house,

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 since he also is the son of Abraham.

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 For the son of man came to seek and to save the lost.

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 And so looking back on this episode in his life,

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 Zacchaeus can say,

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 Jesus sought me and saved me.

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 He shared a meal with me.

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 In doing so,

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 the anger of my enemies,

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 he took on himself.

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 The hostility,

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 which I deserved,

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 he took on himself as well.

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 The prodigal son can look back at the moment in his life and say,

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 My village despised me.

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 My brother hated me.

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 But in full view of all of them,

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 my dad ran out and greeted me

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 and ordered a banquet in the presence of my enemies.

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 David looks back on his life

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 and writes a song.

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 I was a dumb sheep.

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 And he restored my soul,

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 the Lord,

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 my shepherd.

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 He brought me back

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 and he spread a table before me

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 in the presence of my enemies.

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 So what about ourselves?

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 We can tend to think that we're pretty special,

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 that God's pretty lucky to have us on his team.

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 But this psalm,

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 in harmony with what Jesus taught,

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 and in harmony with what Paul taught

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 in his first letter to the Corinthians,

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 tells us that God chose the weak

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 in the presence of the strong.

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 He chose the foolish,

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 that's you and me,

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 in the presence of the wise.

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 He chose the lowly and despised,

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 that's you and me,

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 and in what looks like foolishness

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 and madness to the world,

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 he brought us into his household,

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 he adopts us,

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 and throws us a party,

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 and he dances over us,

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 all at a great price to himself.

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 The cost was the death

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 of his own dear son.

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 Jesus,

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 the only one in this universe

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 who has ever had any rightful claims

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 of supremacy,

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 the only one who could claim

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 any special status

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 because of his bloodline,

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 shed his own blood

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 that we,

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 the lowliest,

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 could belong to a family.

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 The first implication

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 of three that we'll look at

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 is that if we don't deserve

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 the hospitality

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 that God has shown us,

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 if,

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 because of his mercy and grace,

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 God has taken the initiative

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 to redeem us

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 and to reconcile us

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 to himself

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 and to each other,

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 apart from any merit

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 of our own,

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 then our identity

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 must be based on grace.

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 Which means,

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 Christians

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 can have no claims

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 of superiority

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 over anyone at all.

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 To be both Christian

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 and racist

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 is a contradiction.

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 And if joining God's family

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 means bearing his name,

00:16:53.940 --> 00:16:55.100
 then we hate

00:16:55.100 --> 00:16:56.120
 what he hates,

00:16:56.600 --> 00:16:58.180
 and we denounce racism

00:16:58.180 --> 00:16:59.700
 and bigotry

00:16:59.700 --> 00:17:01.040
 at every turn.

00:17:01.700 --> 00:17:05.299
 A second implication

00:17:05.299 --> 00:17:06.080
 is this.

00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:08.340
 When God spreads

00:17:08.340 --> 00:17:09.920
 a table for us

00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:11.140
 and makes us part

00:17:11.140 --> 00:17:11.960
 of his family,

00:17:12.120 --> 00:17:12.900
 then we join

00:17:12.900 --> 00:17:14.039
 the family business.

00:17:15.500 --> 00:17:16.600
 God's design

00:17:16.600 --> 00:17:17.420
 for humanity

00:17:17.420 --> 00:17:18.600
 is to destroy

00:17:18.600 --> 00:17:19.840
 racial division

00:17:19.840 --> 00:17:20.840
 and hostility

00:17:20.840 --> 00:17:23.140
 and from many peoples

00:17:23.140 --> 00:17:23.640
 to create

00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:25.259
 one new humanity.

00:17:26.500 --> 00:17:26.880
 Therefore,

00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:27.600
 his mission

00:17:27.600 --> 00:17:28.880
 becomes our mission.

00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:31.299
 So how is the church

00:17:31.299 --> 00:17:31.980
 of the Advent

00:17:31.980 --> 00:17:32.779
 doing

00:17:32.779 --> 00:17:34.319
 when it comes

00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:35.019
 to this mission?

00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:37.720
 Frankly,

00:17:38.339 --> 00:17:39.220
 as Tommy

00:17:39.220 --> 00:17:41.480
 pointed out,

00:17:42.639 --> 00:17:43.839
 we confess

00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:45.359
 every week

00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:47.839
 that we have left

00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:48.720
 a lot of things

00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:49.240
 undone.

00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:51.359
 Tommy sent a letter

00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:52.359
 to us on Monday.

00:17:52.619 --> 00:17:53.559
 If you haven't received it,

00:17:53.919 --> 00:17:54.759
 contact the office.

00:17:55.539 --> 00:17:56.680
 We can send it to you.

00:17:56.680 --> 00:17:58.980
 But there's much

00:17:58.980 --> 00:17:59.840
 we have left undone.

00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:02.000
 Words left unspoken.

00:18:02.920 --> 00:18:04.080
 Relationships left

00:18:04.080 --> 00:18:05.000
 uninitiated.

00:18:06.019 --> 00:18:06.740
 Empathy left

00:18:06.740 --> 00:18:07.400
 unextended.

00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:08.980
 Burdens left

00:18:08.980 --> 00:18:09.539
 unshared.

00:18:10.259 --> 00:18:11.000
 Pain left

00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:11.840
 unconsoled.

00:18:11.960 --> 00:18:12.360
 And yes,

00:18:12.519 --> 00:18:13.440
 racism in the church

00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:14.420
 left unaddressed.

00:18:14.420 --> 00:18:18.060
 perhaps

00:18:18.060 --> 00:18:19.620
 Psalm 23

00:18:19.620 --> 00:18:21.460
 verse 5

00:18:21.460 --> 00:18:23.320
 gives us

00:18:23.320 --> 00:18:23.920
 a place

00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:24.580
 to start

00:18:24.580 --> 00:18:27.560
 when it comes

00:18:27.560 --> 00:18:28.120
 to joining

00:18:28.120 --> 00:18:29.060
 God's mission

00:18:29.060 --> 00:18:30.600
 in demolishing

00:18:30.600 --> 00:18:31.440
 racial division.

00:18:32.800 --> 00:18:33.740
 It starts

00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:34.460
 with a table.

00:18:35.660 --> 00:18:36.240
 A table.

00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:37.539
 If you were

00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:38.279
 to tell a story

00:18:38.279 --> 00:18:39.100
 about a man

00:18:39.100 --> 00:18:39.620
 and woman

00:18:39.620 --> 00:18:40.759
 becoming intimate,

00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:41.380
 it would start

00:18:41.380 --> 00:18:42.820
 with flirtation,

00:18:42.819 --> 00:18:43.939
 which would lead

00:18:43.939 --> 00:18:45.839
 to dating

00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:46.659
 and courtship.

00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:47.379
 Maybe.

00:18:47.619 --> 00:18:48.339
 That's how it used

00:18:48.339 --> 00:18:49.099
 to be in my day.

00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:49.519
 Anyways.

00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:51.720
 Which would lead

00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:52.460
 to engagement,

00:18:53.139 --> 00:18:53.619
 which would lead

00:18:53.619 --> 00:18:54.619
 to marriage,

00:18:55.399 --> 00:18:56.019
 which would lead

00:18:56.019 --> 00:18:57.159
 to a bedroom.

00:18:57.740 --> 00:18:57.859
 Okay?

00:18:59.859 --> 00:19:01.359
 In Psalm 23,

00:19:02.539 --> 00:19:03.000
 David does

00:19:03.000 --> 00:19:03.679
 a similar thing.

00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:04.179
 He takes us

00:19:04.179 --> 00:19:04.859
 further and further

00:19:04.859 --> 00:19:05.799
 into intimacy

00:19:05.799 --> 00:19:06.579
 with God.

00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:07.460
 We start

00:19:07.460 --> 00:19:08.619
 in the third person,

00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:09.240
 the Lord

00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:09.939
 is my shepherd.

00:19:11.059 --> 00:19:12.019
 Then he switches

00:19:12.019 --> 00:19:13.160
 to the first person,

00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:14.879
 you are with me.

00:19:15.460 --> 00:19:16.279
 And then he takes

00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:16.759
 us to

00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:18.180
 a table.

00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:26.279
 Not a surprise,

00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:26.680
 right?

00:19:27.539 --> 00:19:28.220
 Some of you

00:19:28.220 --> 00:19:28.660
 grew up in

00:19:28.660 --> 00:19:29.559
 close-knit families

00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:30.299
 where dinner

00:19:30.299 --> 00:19:31.379
 together

00:19:31.379 --> 00:19:32.660
 was a special time.

00:19:32.859 --> 00:19:33.379
 The table

00:19:33.379 --> 00:19:34.639
 can be a place

00:19:34.639 --> 00:19:35.420
 of intimacy

00:19:35.420 --> 00:19:36.559
 and love

00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:37.759
 and safety.

00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:39.059
 The time

00:19:39.059 --> 00:19:39.420
 together

00:19:39.420 --> 00:19:40.059
 at the table,

00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:41.279
 perhaps it's

00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:42.279
 a weekly time.

00:19:42.579 --> 00:19:42.960
 For us,

00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:43.700
 it's Friday,

00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:44.960
 six o'clock,

00:19:45.099 --> 00:19:45.779
 pizza and a movie.

00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:47.379
 But you don't

00:19:47.379 --> 00:19:48.240
 miss that time.

00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:49.279
 It's a special time.

00:19:53.379 --> 00:19:54.339
 So intimacy

00:19:54.339 --> 00:19:55.000
 and love

00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:55.639
 and safety.

00:19:55.779 --> 00:19:56.519
 But unfortunately,

00:19:56.879 --> 00:19:58.619
 as Austin Channing Brown

00:19:58.619 --> 00:19:59.240
 points out,

00:19:59.500 --> 00:20:00.159
 the table

00:20:00.159 --> 00:20:01.659
 can then become

00:20:01.659 --> 00:20:02.659
 a place

00:20:02.659 --> 00:20:04.059
 of separation

00:20:04.059 --> 00:20:06.319
 and isolation.

00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:08.059
 and we can

00:20:08.059 --> 00:20:09.179
 use the table

00:20:09.179 --> 00:20:10.079
 to reinforce

00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:11.019
 the things

00:20:11.019 --> 00:20:11.779
 we already

00:20:11.779 --> 00:20:12.379
 believe.

00:20:15.639 --> 00:20:16.599
 Our church

00:20:16.599 --> 00:20:17.339
 is a long way

00:20:17.339 --> 00:20:18.039
 to go

00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:19.299
 to experience

00:20:19.299 --> 00:20:19.819
 the kind

00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:20.579
 of diversity

00:20:20.579 --> 00:20:22.139
 that Jesus

00:20:22.139 --> 00:20:24.419
 has envisioned

00:20:24.419 --> 00:20:25.779
 for his church.

00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:27.919
 Perhaps

00:20:27.919 --> 00:20:28.960
 that begins

00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:30.240
 at our tables.

00:20:31.019 --> 00:20:32.200
 If we as a church

00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:32.759
 want to join

00:20:32.759 --> 00:20:33.639
 Christ's mission

00:20:33.639 --> 00:20:34.419
 of breaking down

00:20:34.419 --> 00:20:35.419
 racial hostility,

00:20:35.420 --> 00:20:36.779
 perhaps it means

00:20:36.779 --> 00:20:37.759
 we start

00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:39.100
 by inviting

00:20:39.100 --> 00:20:40.060
 people very

00:20:40.060 --> 00:20:40.600
 different

00:20:40.600 --> 00:20:41.680
 from us

00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:43.220
 into our homes,

00:20:43.840 --> 00:20:44.920
 to our tables,

00:20:45.740 --> 00:20:46.759
 sharing a meal,

00:20:47.620 --> 00:20:47.980
 extending

00:20:47.980 --> 00:20:48.900
 generous,

00:20:49.700 --> 00:20:50.320
 overflowing

00:20:50.320 --> 00:20:51.019
 hospitality.

00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:54.420
 One last

00:20:54.420 --> 00:20:54.960
 implication

00:20:54.960 --> 00:20:55.740
 is this.

00:20:57.420 --> 00:20:58.779
 Jesus doesn't

00:20:58.779 --> 00:20:59.560
 feed us

00:20:59.560 --> 00:21:00.620
 figuratively.

00:21:01.300 --> 00:21:01.860
 He feeds

00:21:01.860 --> 00:21:02.300
 us

00:21:02.300 --> 00:21:03.200
 literally.

00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:04.240
 God has

00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:04.740
 always

00:21:04.740 --> 00:21:05.259
 fed

00:21:05.259 --> 00:21:05.779
 his

00:21:05.779 --> 00:21:06.120
 people.

00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:07.420
 It's been

00:21:07.420 --> 00:21:08.420
 several thousand

00:21:08.420 --> 00:21:08.900
 years.

00:21:09.220 --> 00:21:09.340
 Well,

00:21:09.380 --> 00:21:09.640
 I don't know

00:21:09.640 --> 00:21:09.940
 how much

00:21:09.940 --> 00:21:10.200
 time.

00:21:13.220 --> 00:21:14.059
 But we

00:21:14.059 --> 00:21:14.779
 tend to forget

00:21:14.779 --> 00:21:15.299
 how radical

00:21:15.299 --> 00:21:16.360
 Genesis 2

00:21:16.360 --> 00:21:16.920
 may have

00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:17.340
 appeared to

00:21:17.340 --> 00:21:17.720
 the ancient

00:21:17.720 --> 00:21:18.319
 world.

00:21:18.740 --> 00:21:19.039
 The reason

00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:19.700
 is because

00:21:19.700 --> 00:21:20.779
 religions say

00:21:20.779 --> 00:21:21.600
 something very

00:21:21.600 --> 00:21:22.420
 different about

00:21:22.420 --> 00:21:23.220
 the purpose

00:21:23.220 --> 00:21:23.860
 of humanity

00:21:23.860 --> 00:21:25.580
 and feeding

00:21:25.580 --> 00:21:26.660
 and food.

00:21:27.160 --> 00:21:27.740
 For instance,

00:21:27.940 --> 00:21:29.039
 in the Babylonian

00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:29.340
 religion,

00:21:29.539 --> 00:21:30.480
 you had a great

00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:30.980
 war of the

00:21:30.980 --> 00:21:31.519
 gods,

00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:32.960
 Marduk and

00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:33.740
 his crew

00:21:33.740 --> 00:21:34.859
 proved to be

00:21:34.859 --> 00:21:35.420
 victorious,

00:21:35.940 --> 00:21:36.639
 so set the

00:21:36.639 --> 00:21:37.180
 other gods

00:21:37.180 --> 00:21:37.740
 to work

00:21:37.740 --> 00:21:38.879
 tending the

00:21:38.879 --> 00:21:39.339
 fields,

00:21:40.339 --> 00:21:40.900
 keeping the

00:21:40.900 --> 00:21:41.740
 canals going,

00:21:42.299 --> 00:21:42.740
 growing the

00:21:42.740 --> 00:21:43.059
 food,

00:21:43.160 --> 00:21:43.519
 while these

00:21:43.519 --> 00:21:44.039
 gods

00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:45.259
 started to

00:21:45.259 --> 00:21:45.680
 grumble.

00:21:46.420 --> 00:21:47.299
 So Marduk

00:21:47.299 --> 00:21:48.559
 took the

00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:49.400
 most rebellious

00:21:49.400 --> 00:21:50.099
 of the gods,

00:21:51.019 --> 00:21:51.420
 slayed them,

00:21:51.900 --> 00:21:52.480
 and took his

00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:53.359
 blood to

00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:54.319
 create humanity

00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:56.099
 and as humans

00:21:56.099 --> 00:21:56.859
 that he created

00:21:56.859 --> 00:21:57.639
 to feed the

00:21:57.639 --> 00:21:58.019
 gods.

00:21:58.720 --> 00:21:58.900
 Right?

00:21:58.900 --> 00:22:00.880
 But God

00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:02.400
 creates humans

00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:03.100
 and he

00:22:03.100 --> 00:22:03.680
 feeds them.

00:22:05.560 --> 00:22:05.860
 This is,

00:22:06.320 --> 00:22:07.920
 it's not until

00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:08.519
 recently that I

00:22:08.519 --> 00:22:09.160
 realized this,

00:22:09.240 --> 00:22:09.759
 but this is a

00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:10.160
 theme from

00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:10.620
 beginning to

00:22:10.620 --> 00:22:10.900
 end of

00:22:10.900 --> 00:22:11.160
 scripture.

00:22:11.540 --> 00:22:12.820
 God feeds

00:22:12.820 --> 00:22:13.640
 his people.

00:22:14.120 --> 00:22:14.560
 And into

00:22:14.560 --> 00:22:17.340
 eternity future

00:22:17.340 --> 00:22:18.280
 we find God

00:22:18.280 --> 00:22:19.420
 feeding his

00:22:19.420 --> 00:22:20.080
 people at the

00:22:20.080 --> 00:22:21.340
 great wedding

00:22:21.340 --> 00:22:22.000
 feast of the

00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:22.300
 Lamb.

00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:23.300
 Right?

00:22:24.540 --> 00:22:25.240
 And he feeds

00:22:25.240 --> 00:22:25.940
 us today,

00:22:26.080 --> 00:22:27.100
 not figuratively,

00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:28.160
 but literally.

00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:28.920
 He feeds us

00:22:28.920 --> 00:22:29.620
 every week

00:22:29.620 --> 00:22:30.460
 here at this

00:22:30.460 --> 00:22:30.860
 table.

00:22:31.720 --> 00:22:32.519
 He nourishes

00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:32.960
 us with

00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:33.500
 himself.

00:22:34.380 --> 00:22:35.200
 He says in

00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:35.600
 the Gospel

00:22:35.600 --> 00:22:36.060
 of John,

00:22:37.600 --> 00:22:38.300
 whoever feeds

00:22:38.300 --> 00:22:39.060
 on my flesh

00:22:39.060 --> 00:22:39.600
 and drinks

00:22:39.600 --> 00:22:40.340
 my blood

00:22:40.340 --> 00:22:41.340
 has eternal

00:22:41.340 --> 00:22:42.060
 life and I

00:22:42.060 --> 00:22:42.560
 will raise

00:22:42.560 --> 00:22:42.980
 him up on

00:22:42.980 --> 00:22:43.380
 the last

00:22:43.380 --> 00:22:43.680
 day.

00:22:44.100 --> 00:22:44.420
 For my

00:22:44.420 --> 00:22:45.040
 flesh is

00:22:45.040 --> 00:22:45.580
 true blood,

00:22:46.120 --> 00:22:46.620
 excuse me,

00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:47.620
 my flesh is

00:22:47.620 --> 00:22:48.340
 true food

00:22:48.340 --> 00:22:49.320
 and my blood

00:22:49.320 --> 00:22:50.080
 is true drink.

00:22:50.500 --> 00:22:51.180
 Whoever feeds

00:22:51.180 --> 00:22:52.000
 on my flesh

00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:52.620
 and drinks

00:22:52.620 --> 00:22:53.160
 my blood

00:22:53.160 --> 00:22:53.940
 abides in

00:22:53.940 --> 00:22:55.019
 me and I

00:22:55.019 --> 00:22:55.500
 in him.

00:22:56.279 --> 00:22:56.640
 As the

00:22:56.640 --> 00:22:57.220
 living Father

00:22:57.220 --> 00:22:57.920
 sent me,

00:22:58.160 --> 00:22:59.779
 and I

00:22:59.779 --> 00:23:00.259
 live because

00:23:00.259 --> 00:23:00.540
 of the

00:23:00.540 --> 00:23:00.940
 Father,

00:23:01.900 --> 00:23:02.560
 so whoever

00:23:02.560 --> 00:23:03.300
 feeds on

00:23:03.300 --> 00:23:03.680
 me, he

00:23:03.680 --> 00:23:04.360
 also will

00:23:04.360 --> 00:23:05.000
 live because

00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:05.440
 of me.

00:23:06.700 --> 00:23:07.560
 In this

00:23:07.560 --> 00:23:09.160
 meal, God

00:23:09.160 --> 00:23:10.120
 nourishes us

00:23:10.120 --> 00:23:11.220
 and extends

00:23:11.220 --> 00:23:11.720
 to us

00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:13.180
 friendship and

00:23:13.180 --> 00:23:13.720
 intimacy.

00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:15.759
 In this

00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:16.160
 meal, he

00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:16.640
 joins us

00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:17.200
 together with

00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:18.360
 brothers and

00:23:18.360 --> 00:23:19.540
 sisters and

00:23:19.540 --> 00:23:20.220
 with them we

00:23:20.220 --> 00:23:21.620
 experience intimacy

00:23:21.620 --> 00:23:22.940
 and reconciliation.

00:23:22.940 --> 00:23:23.220
 creation.

00:23:24.779 --> 00:23:25.880
 Here is where

00:23:25.880 --> 00:23:27.220
 God's story

00:23:27.220 --> 00:23:27.860
 of the

00:23:27.860 --> 00:23:28.860
 universe is

00:23:28.860 --> 00:23:30.680
 retold and

00:23:30.680 --> 00:23:32.660
 remembered and

00:23:32.660 --> 00:23:34.360
 reconstituted week

00:23:34.360 --> 00:23:35.240
 after week.

00:23:35.320 --> 00:23:36.380
 The story of

00:23:36.380 --> 00:23:37.220
 God creating a

00:23:37.220 --> 00:23:38.039
 good world which

00:23:38.039 --> 00:23:39.200
 fell into sin and

00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:40.279
 rebellion and

00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:41.259
 brokenness,

00:23:42.039 --> 00:23:42.820
 redeemed by the

00:23:42.820 --> 00:23:43.720
 body of Christ,

00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:45.259
 broken but risen

00:23:45.259 --> 00:23:45.620
 again.

00:23:46.779 --> 00:23:47.380
 Therefore,

00:23:48.500 --> 00:23:49.299
 the implication is

00:23:49.299 --> 00:23:50.740
 this, make this meal

00:23:50.740 --> 00:23:51.240
 a priority.

00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:54.079
 Do your best

00:23:54.079 --> 00:23:55.380
 not to miss

00:23:55.380 --> 00:23:56.740
 this meal.

00:23:58.720 --> 00:23:59.620
 This is where

00:23:59.620 --> 00:24:00.299
 you are fed.

00:24:01.000 --> 00:24:01.700
 This is where

00:24:01.700 --> 00:24:02.700
 you are connected

00:24:02.700 --> 00:24:03.620
 to one another.

00:24:05.759 --> 00:24:06.640
 This is where

00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:07.220
 you are connected

00:24:07.220 --> 00:24:07.940
 to the hope that

00:24:07.940 --> 00:24:09.299
 one day we

00:24:09.299 --> 00:24:09.799
 will share

00:24:09.799 --> 00:24:10.740
 together as a

00:24:10.740 --> 00:24:11.559
 ransomed people

00:24:11.559 --> 00:24:12.200
 of God from

00:24:12.200 --> 00:24:13.299
 every tribe and

00:24:13.299 --> 00:24:14.120
 language and

00:24:14.120 --> 00:24:15.000
 people and

00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:16.000
 nation, a

00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:17.059
 great wedding

00:24:17.059 --> 00:24:18.339
 feast together,

00:24:18.740 --> 00:24:19.359
 a feast that

00:24:19.359 --> 00:24:20.240
 will last into

00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:22.019
 eternity, in a

00:24:22.019 --> 00:24:22.400
 place where

00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:23.220
 conflicts and

00:24:23.220 --> 00:24:23.900
 war and

00:24:23.900 --> 00:24:25.240
 hostility and

00:24:25.240 --> 00:24:26.220
 death is

00:24:26.220 --> 00:24:26.720
 seized, a

00:24:26.720 --> 00:24:27.220
 place where

00:24:27.220 --> 00:24:28.079
 death shall be

00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:28.859
 no more,

00:24:29.480 --> 00:24:30.299
 neither shall

00:24:30.299 --> 00:24:30.579
 there be

00:24:30.579 --> 00:24:31.759
 mourning nor

00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:32.859
 crying nor

00:24:32.859 --> 00:24:33.220
 pain.

00:24:33.460 --> 00:24:33.880
 In the name

00:24:33.880 --> 00:24:34.500
 of the Father

00:24:34.500 --> 00:24:35.039
 and of the

00:24:35.039 --> 00:24:35.700
 Son and of

00:24:35.700 --> 00:24:35.960
 the Holy

00:24:35.960 --> 00:24:37.019
 Spirit, amen.

00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:38.180
 Let's pray.

00:24:38.180 --> 00:24:38.200
 Let's pray.