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 You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

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 Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.

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 If you have your Bibles with you, please open up to Luke 7, and we'll be in verse 36 this morning, headed through the end of the chapter.

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 We've been going through over the past four weeks or so this great chapter that is a little bit different than some of the other things we're used to,

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 especially in Presbyterian churches.

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 We do a lot of high theology and a lot of systematics and things like that, and this has been a great passage on what it means to experience Jesus.

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 And so rather than a narrative, it's more of experiential storytelling, which is really great what Luke does for us.

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 And he's introducing this revolutionary idea that we see on our slide up there.

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 It's a news of great joy for all people, which is different.

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 We saw at the beginning when Ron preached on the faith of the centurion, the Pharisees didn't like the fact that he was going,

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 Jesus was moving towards a Gentile.

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 And we saw that great intimate story of Jesus with them.

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 And then Jesus travels to Nain, and he stood between death and us.

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 You remember, he went and met the widow and her dead son on the way to burial, and he touched the son, and he was made alive again.

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 And he gave us that great hint of what is the end of the story.

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 And Jesus is doing that throughout this.

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 Last week, Will spoke on John the Baptist's struggle in prison.

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 And, you know, he dedicated his whole life to being the forebearer of the Christ, of the one to come.

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 And then he finds himself in prison because his expectations had been dashed.

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 And what did Jesus do?

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 He didn't run him down.

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 He sent back word of his great miracles that he indeed was the Savior.

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 And then he spoke highly of John, even in his doubt, because he had moved towards him and saved him.

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 So today we're in Luke chapter 7, verse 36 through 50, kind of a famous passage.

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 We'll read through all of it, and then we'll pray.

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 So hang with me if you do.

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 One of the Pharisees had asked him, his Jesus, to eat with him.

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 And he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table.

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 And behold, a woman of the city who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house,

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 brought an alabaster flask of ointment.

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 And standing behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears,

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 and wipe them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

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 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself,

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 Hey, if this man were really a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who's touching him,

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 for she's a sinner.

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 And Jesus said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you.

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 And he answered, Say it, teacher.

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 A certain moneylender had two debtors.

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 One owed 500 denarii, and the other owed 50.

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 When they couldn't pay it, he canceled the debt of both.

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 And which of them is going to love him more?

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 And Simon answered, Well, the one I suppose for whom he canceled the larger debt.

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 And Jesus said to him, You've judged rightly.

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 Then he turned his back on Simon to the woman and said,

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 Do you see this woman?

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 I entered your house.

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 You gave me no water for my feet, but she's put up my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

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 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in, she's not ceased to kiss my feet.

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 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she's anointed my feet with ointment.

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 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven.

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 For she loved much, but he who is forgiven little loves little.

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 And he said to her, Your sins are forgiven.

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 And those who were at table with him began to say among themselves,

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 Who is this who even forgives sins?

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 And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you.

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 Go in peace.

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 This is the word of the Lord.

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 Let's pray.

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 God, we see stories like this on a random Sunday morning in March,

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 and it's easy to gloss over it, and it's easy to see the parable in the middle and think,

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 Yes, we've been forgiven much,

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 but you've given all of this for us to have an experience with your word.

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 And we pray that your word would be active among us today through the Holy Spirit

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 in each of us and amongst us.

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 I pray that you would bless the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts,

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 that they would be pleasing unto you.

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 And we pray that we would see Jesus as bigger today than we did yesterday.

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 Thank you.

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 In Christ's name.

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 Amen.

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 So relationships are really hard work.

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 Yes?

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 Yes.

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 And this is not just marriage.

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 It's friendships.

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 It's any kind of relationship that you're into.

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 Work relationships.

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 Parent-child relationships.

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 If you think about it, none of them are very easy because we're all prone to do what?

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 Well, what's a good fix to a relationship?

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 What does everybody tell you?

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 Well, your wife is arguing with you.

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 Well, you should really move towards her.

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 Oh, your friend said something bad against you.

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 You should go to them and talk to them, and you should.

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 And so the motion that we're supposed to have for everything to do well in our relationships

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 is this constant motion towards each other.

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 You constantly move towards each other.

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 But we don't do that as humans, do we?

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 I'm more likely to go into my recliner and read a book when I'm frustrated with my wife

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 than I am to go towards her and say,

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 honey, let's talk about this and work it out.

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 I'm more likely to be frustrated with my children

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 and not treat them with patience and with kindness.

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 My good friends, most of them aren't in Huntsville.

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 I've only been here for nine months.

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 If somebody bothers me, I'm not going to reach out to them on the phone

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 and try to do what needs to be done to correct those relationships and make them right.

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 I back away.

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 I move away.

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 And that tends to be the way, if you're anything like me,

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 I'm not going to presume you are, but if you're anything like me,

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 that's the way that we approach things in our relationships.

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 In this passage, we see something kind of similar happening

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 and kind of different happening.

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 Because one of our issues as sinful people

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 is our inability to see how ugly our sin is in the face of God.

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 We can't even see it in the face of each other.

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 God doesn't tolerate things like that.

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 And we see Jesus as this means to an end for us to feel better about being sinners.

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 There's things he does for us so I can go on living how I want to

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 because I know he'll forgive me.

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 The things he does for us become expectations

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 rather than this incredible gift of grace

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 that we see the woman talking about in this passage.

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 And we lose the beauty of who Jesus is in himself.

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 And we forget our first love that we're warned about in Revelation 2 not to do.

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 But the good news of all of this is that God doesn't leave us here.

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 Jeremy was talking about that earlier.

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 He loves his creation and he sent his son to us so that we would know his love.

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 Jesus has moved towards sinners.

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 And we should love much because of that.

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 And we're going to look at this passage and see three ways that Jesus is moving.

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 The first one is that Jesus moves towards the world.

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 It's toward the world, by the way.

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 I had to Google that.

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 It's not towards.

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 That is not accurate.

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 And I apologize that your bulletin has everything condensed.

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 But I think we'll be able to work through that.

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 So Jesus moves towards the world.

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 How does he do that?

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 Well, it's pretty obvious.

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 There's the incarnation, right?

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 This is a pretty big deal.

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 We gloss over it.

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 Jesus became man.

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 We just celebrated this at Christmastime.

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 The son of God, God of very God, as we said in the Nicene Creed, moves towards us.

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 He comes to the world and takes on an earthly body.

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 He subjects himself to this misery.

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 If you read the meditation before the service, Chrysostom was talking about how he didn't need anything

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 because he's so great, he wanted to show that human vanity was not something that he desired

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 because there's something so much more than all of that.

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 So he moves towards us in his incarnation.

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 He comes.

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 We hear a lot about word and deed.

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 He's preaching.

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 He's going around letting people experience him, see him for who he is, right?

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 And he's doing deeds.

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 He's healing people.

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 He's blessing people.

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 He's raising people from the dead.

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 I just said he's healing people and he's raising people from the dead.

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 That's insane.

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 Think about that.

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 This is the story that we're in right now.

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 God became man.

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 Let me move into this passage specifically.

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 And he comes to dinner and the context is pretty important here.

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 What we see from what Will preached on last week in the previous passage starting in 729.

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 When all the people had heard this and the tax collectors too, they declared God just,

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 having been baptized with the baptism of John.

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 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

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 To what then shall I compare?

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 This is Jesus talking.

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 To what then shall I compare the people of this generation and what are they like?

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 They're like children sitting in the marketplace calling to one another.

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 We played the flute for you and you didn't dance.

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 We sang a dirge and you didn't weep.

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 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine.

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 And he said, well, he's got a demon.

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 And then I've come eating and drinking.

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 And you say, look at him, a glutton and a drunkard.

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 And a friend of tax collectors and sinners.

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 It's amazing to see that passage right before because we have no reason to believe that Jesus isn't still in Nain right now.

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 Which is the town that he walked to when he raised the widow's son.

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 No time break happens.

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 So he's probably still in Nain.

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 That's where John's disciples came and saw him.

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 And now here he is right after that interaction with the Pharisees.

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 And what's the very next verse in Luke 36?

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 That's 736.

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 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him.

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 And what did he do?

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 He went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table.

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 These people who were hardening their hearts against God actively, not wanting to be around them.

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 And Jesus comes in and goes, yeah, I'll come over to dinner.

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 Absolutely.

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 I'll keep moving towards you even though you're trying to move away from me.

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 It's a pretty funny story that I saw.

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 It's actually from last year.

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 Chris Bryant is the third baseman for the Chicago Cubs.

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 That was for Vanit.

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 He's the third baseman for the Chicago Cubs.

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 And Mesa Community College in Arizona is a powerhouse in junior college sports.

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 And their baseball team is really exceptional.

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 And last year, in the middle of the season, trying to keep his guys up, the coach of Mesa Community College brings in Chris Bryant.

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 But he tells his team that there's a European transfer student coming in who's really going to help our team out.

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 So you're talking about high-level junior college players.

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 Most of these guys are going to try to win a championship there and then go play at a big school.

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 Maybe try to make it to the major leagues.

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 That's what's on these guys' mind.

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 That's the caliber of athlete.

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 And so we're bringing a guy in and I guarantee you that some people are going to lose their jobs.

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 And the time is going to be split because he's going to help us out that much.

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 And so the video is hilarious.

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 Don't YouTube it now, but YouTube it later.

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 He comes walking around the corner and one of the guys goes, that's not a kid.

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 That's a man.

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 And he walks in and he's kind of left on his own.

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 And then he gets in the batting cage and something that's interesting about stories you hear about major leaguers.

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 You've heard about Bo Jackson and people like that.

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 The sound the ball makes off the bat is just different.

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 And so Chris Bryant goes into the batting tent and starts hitting and is just cracking the ball all over the ballpark.

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 And everybody stops because they hear the sound the contact is making.

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 And you see this response from the players happening because there are some guys who are going, oh, this is awesome.

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 I can't believe this guy's on our team.

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 And you've got some other guys who are going, I have no idea how I'm going to fit into this because clearly this guy's awesome and I don't know what I'm going to do.

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 But if you pay attention to the faces, I watched the video a couple times again last night.

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 If you pay attention to the faces of most of the people there, those guys were mad.

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 They were mad that this guy had been brought in.

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 They were mad that the team was going to get disrupted.

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 And they were mad that their expectations were going to get taken over or were going to be depleted and taken over by this guy.

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 So it was this mix of disdain and curiosity.

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 And I can't help but when I watched that, I was thinking, man, this has to be kind of what was happening as Jesus was going around.

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 These people had, you know, largely in these Jewish communities especially, they've had this long expected Savior who was supposed to come to them.

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 And then he shows up looking nothing like what they thought.

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 doing things not in the order that they thought that he was going to be doing them.

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 And so the guys who were most entrenched, the lawmakers and the Pharisees, the off-duty priests essentially and the Pharisees,

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 man, they're hardening their hearts towards it.

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 They don't want anything to do with it.

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 They're really, really frustrated by it.

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 And then you see Gentiles in the mix.

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 No, he didn't come for the Gentiles.

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 He came to save us, not them.

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 Right?

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 And it's a really difficult situation for some of them to begin going through.

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 This text doesn't only show us how Jesus has moved towards the world, but it also shows how Jesus is moving towards the wondering.

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 And this is kind of an amazing thing.

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 We'll read about him and then we'll talk about him.

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 Starting in verse 39, Simon the Pharisee, he says,

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 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, if this guy were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this woman is touching him because she's a sinner.

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 And Jesus said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you.

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 And he answered respectfully.

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 He said, say it, teacher.

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 And he told him the parable there about he who loves much.

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 And he gives him credit.

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 He said, hey, you judge rightly, Simon.

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 And then he turns towards the woman and he begins talking about her and comparing what she has done with what Simon has done.

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 And in this story, the reality is Simon shouldn't be hosting this party.

00:14:37.299 --> 00:14:38.460
 This should not be happening.

00:14:38.539 --> 00:14:47.259
 On the heels of the context that we saw earlier, Simon the Pharisee should be standing with his brothers, hardening his heart towards Jesus and who Jesus is and what he represents.

00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:53.899
 But I think this story really represents Simon not as this evil figure, but actually somebody that we can sympathize with.

00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:55.779
 Because he's curious.

00:14:55.879 --> 00:14:56.360
 He's wondering.

00:14:57.019 --> 00:14:58.019
 Who is this guy?

00:14:59.259 --> 00:15:01.879
 These dinner parties were time for people to come over.

00:15:02.419 --> 00:15:07.379
 And they literally are reclining at a table on their left side, feet out behind them, around a table.

00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:07.919
 And they eat.

00:15:08.379 --> 00:15:09.079
 And they talk.

00:15:09.299 --> 00:15:15.279
 And they have a chance to ask Jesus all these sorts of questions and hear his answers to them in more of a public setting.

00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:19.579
 And Jesus makes himself available to that.

00:15:20.379 --> 00:15:22.059
 Seeing all of this happening.

00:15:22.220 --> 00:15:23.199
 But Simon shouldn't have been there.

00:15:24.299 --> 00:15:25.480
 He shouldn't have been in this position.

00:15:26.100 --> 00:15:30.819
 And the second thing Simon does is he then in his heart starts to question who Jesus is.

00:15:32.019 --> 00:15:34.759
 And put yourself in Simon's shoes for a minute.

00:15:35.460 --> 00:15:38.659
 This woman, we don't really know what her situation was as a sinner.

00:15:38.980 --> 00:15:43.919
 But you can assume there's some perhaps sexual sin, adultery, prostitution, something like that.

00:15:44.899 --> 00:15:49.879
 And she's walked into a Pharisee's house and defiled the Pharisee's house with her presence.

00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:53.579
 And not only that, but has gone and touched the guest of honor.

00:15:53.580 --> 00:15:58.840
 And then the guest of honor who should have been like, whoa, wait a second.

00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:00.139
 No, he's embracing.

00:16:00.280 --> 00:16:01.040
 He's letting it happen.

00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:06.220
 And it's, I mean, you know, that kind of white knuckling.

00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:07.500
 I don't know what to do about this.

00:16:07.540 --> 00:16:08.480
 I don't know what to say about this.

00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:12.100
 And then Jesus starts to gently redirect him.

00:16:12.100 --> 00:16:21.279
 Before he has to do anything about it in the story, Jesus says, hey, Simon, I got something to say to you.

00:16:22.899 --> 00:16:24.159
 And Simon goes, oh, good.

00:16:24.800 --> 00:16:25.220
 Say it.

00:16:25.220 --> 00:16:34.660
 And he tells him this great story that began to possibly open Simon's heart and eyes to what's actually going on in his own heart.

00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:37.279
 You see this woman over here?

00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:39.519
 Yeah, she's sinful.

00:16:41.379 --> 00:16:46.120
 But if she's forgiven, then she is loved and she's loved much.

00:16:47.300 --> 00:16:48.040
 What about you?

00:16:48.580 --> 00:16:49.680
 Seems to be the tone.

00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:55.399
 Then he goes on to compare what she does to what he's done.

00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:59.859
 And there was no expectation for Simon to do any of these things.

00:16:59.939 --> 00:17:05.440
 I think it's tempting to read a passage like this and think, oh, well, they must have usually anointed the guest of honor's head.

00:17:06.259 --> 00:17:07.500
 And they must have usually done the kissing.

00:17:07.579 --> 00:17:09.299
 There's nothing that said that that had to happen.

00:17:10.579 --> 00:17:16.740
 But Jesus begins to enter in with Simon and move gently towards him and redirect him to, do you see what happened here?

00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:19.339
 Do you see this?

00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:23.539
 And Simon, hopefully, we don't know.

00:17:23.600 --> 00:17:25.160
 We don't get the answer from Simon, do we?

00:17:26.120 --> 00:17:28.920
 He's a sympathetic figure, but we don't know how he responds to this.

00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:33.000
 But Jesus doesn't come at him, you know, angrily and turning him over.

00:17:33.060 --> 00:17:42.340
 No, he gently begins to redirect him and allow Simon to experience the very thing that Jesus has allowed this woman to experience with him.

00:17:42.339 --> 00:17:46.939
 I don't know if you've ever been a part of an intervention or witnessed one.

00:17:46.940 --> 00:17:50.660
 But they're terribly difficult situations.

00:17:50.660 --> 00:17:58.080
 And generally speaking, when one of them happens, there's a pretense to why the person receiving the intervention is coming.

00:17:59.140 --> 00:18:04.360
 And they have a set of something on their mind, like most of us do when we walk into a situation.

00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:07.120
 Very few of us walk absentmindedly into a situation.

00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:10.259
 And so there's usually some reason, some logic.

00:18:10.759 --> 00:18:17.359
 There's been some pretense, maybe a football game or something like that, that has been discussed as the reason why they're coming.

00:18:18.379 --> 00:18:21.039
 And so they have this entire expectation as they walk in.

00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:24.019
 And then it happens, right?

00:18:24.460 --> 00:18:27.519
 The people in the room begin to tell their stories to them one by one.

00:18:28.839 --> 00:18:32.899
 And everything that they expected to be happening gets turned on its ear.

00:18:34.420 --> 00:18:39.879
 And then how they respond to that intervention is really the key to what happens next and how things go after that, right?

00:18:41.819 --> 00:18:47.279
 And I thought of that illustration for this because these people are moving towards Jesus.

00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:49.980
 And we'll think of Simon specifically here with curiosity.

00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:52.159
 And there's reason.

00:18:53.019 --> 00:18:54.460
 And there's history, right?

00:18:54.579 --> 00:18:57.599
 The assumption of history Simon's coming with being a Pharisee.

00:18:58.680 --> 00:19:00.059
 His logic on his side.

00:19:00.920 --> 00:19:02.240
 And most of all, realism.

00:19:03.399 --> 00:19:06.279
 He's not like these other people who are fawning all over themselves for Jesus.

00:19:07.180 --> 00:19:08.559
 He's going to be balanced about it.

00:19:08.639 --> 00:19:10.139
 Kind of feels way through the situation.

00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:11.200
 See, does this fit with me?

00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:11.960
 Does this fit with you?

00:19:12.700 --> 00:19:13.619
 Let's see how this works.

00:19:14.839 --> 00:19:17.180
 And Jesus meets him in this situation and goes,

00:19:17.180 --> 00:19:22.019
 Actually, Simon, let me reveal to you who I am.

00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:25.140
 Let me reveal to you who you're not.

00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:30.840
 And he begins an intervention of sorts in Simon in that moment.

00:19:30.839 --> 00:19:33.699
 And we don't know.

00:19:33.779 --> 00:19:34.879
 We're left without an answer.

00:19:35.399 --> 00:19:38.439
 Just like last passage, we don't know how John the Baptist answered.

00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:44.379
 But we see Jesus moving towards him as a wondering man.

00:19:44.439 --> 00:19:45.199
 Not a wondering man.

00:19:45.819 --> 00:19:47.799
 But a wondering man about who Jesus is.

00:19:48.679 --> 00:19:51.279
 And remember that as you think about this passage and see it in the future.

00:19:51.879 --> 00:19:53.879
 Don't be so quick to condemn Simon.

00:19:53.880 --> 00:20:00.040
 He's probably more of a sympathetic figure than we realize as we look at a passage like this.

00:20:01.420 --> 00:20:04.020
 So we've seen Jesus move towards the world and towards the wondering.

00:20:04.220 --> 00:20:08.400
 And finally, we're going to see him move towards the, this is a word we don't like to hear, the wretched.

00:20:12.320 --> 00:20:13.860
 Jesus moves towards the wretched.

00:20:15.160 --> 00:20:19.740
 Let's see, when he first, we first see the woman in verse 37 and 38.

00:20:19.740 --> 00:20:22.819
 I'm pretty sure you're about to see 27 and 28.

00:20:22.980 --> 00:20:23.980
 And that's not what I meant to have.

00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:25.640
 So listen to me or follow along in your Bible.

00:20:27.019 --> 00:20:29.200
 And behold, a woman of the city who was a sinner,

00:20:29.299 --> 00:20:32.180
 when she learned that he was reclining at table at the Pharisee's house,

00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:33.900
 brought an alabaster flask of ointment.

00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:36.740
 And standing behind him at his feet, weeping,

00:20:37.420 --> 00:20:39.799
 she began to wet his feet with her tears.

00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:43.039
 And wiped them with the hair of her head.

00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:45.319
 And she kissed his feet.

00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:48.279
 And she anointed them with the ointment.

00:20:49.740 --> 00:20:54.099
 And a few amazing things are happening here, but we'll go on to 44 through 50.

00:20:54.220 --> 00:20:56.160
 Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon,

00:20:56.819 --> 00:20:57.940
 Do you see this woman?

00:20:59.420 --> 00:21:03.599
 I entered your house, and you gave me no water for my feet.

00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:08.440
 But she's wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:15.860
 The word for tears there is not like a subtle dripping.

00:21:16.900 --> 00:21:19.940
 It's the same word that's used elsewhere to indicate like a deluge.

00:21:20.700 --> 00:21:22.100
 A significant amount of water.

00:21:23.299 --> 00:21:25.360
 This woman is weeping over Jesus.

00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:28.559
 And she wiped them with her hair.

00:21:29.919 --> 00:21:32.699
 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in,

00:21:32.779 --> 00:21:34.759
 she's not ceased to kiss my feet.

00:21:35.659 --> 00:21:37.539
 There's a sign of greeting to kiss on the cheek.

00:21:37.659 --> 00:21:39.719
 It's a sign of deep respect to kiss on the feet.

00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:42.079
 This is the comparison that's happening.

00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:46.019
 You didn't anoint my head with oil.

00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:48.480
 And the word for oil there is like an olive oil.

00:21:49.179 --> 00:21:49.919
 A general greeting.

00:21:51.859 --> 00:21:55.519
 You didn't anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

00:21:56.359 --> 00:22:01.059
 This woman, this sinner, has brought this substantial something to me

00:22:01.059 --> 00:22:03.779
 and is anointing my feet with it.

00:22:03.779 --> 00:22:08.319
 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven.

00:22:09.319 --> 00:22:10.460
 For she loved much.

00:22:15.500 --> 00:22:16.899
 And then he said to her at the end,

00:22:17.019 --> 00:22:18.119
 Your faith has saved you.

00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:19.539
 Go in peace.

00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:25.879
 I don't always like the word wretched.

00:22:27.539 --> 00:22:28.940
 But as we've talked about in this,

00:22:28.940 --> 00:22:31.000
 because if you're a child of God,

00:22:32.099 --> 00:22:33.220
 wretched doesn't describe you.

00:22:34.779 --> 00:22:36.440
 Wretched does not describe you.

00:22:37.960 --> 00:22:40.099
 But an acknowledgment of your sin

00:22:40.099 --> 00:22:42.899
 and what they are in the face of perfect holiness,

00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:46.339
 that can describe you.

00:22:47.319 --> 00:22:49.440
 And that can describe you as being wretched.

00:22:50.819 --> 00:22:52.480
 And what seems to be happening here with this woman,

00:22:52.579 --> 00:22:55.039
 this is some kind of a response to some kind of an encounter

00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:56.359
 she had with Jesus before this.

00:22:56.700 --> 00:22:58.519
 This is not the first time she's seen Jesus.

00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:01.720
 Clearly, he's already forgiven her sins.

00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:04.759
 And she's coming into this place

00:23:04.759 --> 00:23:07.839
 because she understands that the paradigm has shifted.

00:23:08.539 --> 00:23:09.920
 The flop has happened.

00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:14.220
 She's been embraced by Jesus, by the person.

00:23:14.220 --> 00:23:17.880
 And his deeds came second to her.

00:23:18.259 --> 00:23:22.039
 He was so beautiful to her that she got it.

00:23:22.500 --> 00:23:23.660
 And she grasped it.

00:23:24.100 --> 00:23:25.319
 And she moved towards him.

00:23:26.740 --> 00:23:28.759
 And I thought it was so beautiful at the end of this.

00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:31.160
 He says, Your faith has saved you.

00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:31.700
 Go in peace.

00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:32.980
 Can you imagine being her?

00:23:34.259 --> 00:23:37.180
 You're this whatever kind of sinner

00:23:37.180 --> 00:23:39.160
 that you know everybody's looking at you

00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:41.320
 as you're in this place and you don't care

00:23:41.320 --> 00:23:43.360
 because you know where you're supposed to be.

00:23:43.840 --> 00:23:45.140
 And then the Pharisee comes

00:23:45.140 --> 00:23:47.300
 and he starts talking to Jesus about you

00:23:47.300 --> 00:23:48.279
 right beside you

00:23:48.279 --> 00:23:50.480
 as you're doing all of these things.

00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:52.920
 Can you imagine the confusion

00:23:52.920 --> 00:23:54.660
 that might have been going through her head

00:23:54.660 --> 00:23:55.640
 as she was dealing with that?

00:23:57.140 --> 00:23:58.700
 She's listening to Jesus and Simon

00:23:58.700 --> 00:24:00.019
 talking back and forth.

00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:02.560
 And Jesus has forgiven her sins.

00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:04.919
 And this is just a response

00:24:04.919 --> 00:24:07.519
 of a wretched person to the glory of God

00:24:07.519 --> 00:24:08.819
 manifest in front of her.

00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:10.440
 She loves him.

00:24:11.079 --> 00:24:13.440
 She loves him that much for who he is.

00:24:14.019 --> 00:24:15.839
 And she knows that whatever he is

00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:18.079
 is so much greater than her good or her bad

00:24:18.079 --> 00:24:19.839
 that if she is with him,

00:24:20.519 --> 00:24:22.299
 that's beautiful and that's perfect.

00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:24.200
 And she shows him the honor and respect

00:24:24.200 --> 00:24:26.559
 that she shows him in this.

00:24:26.759 --> 00:24:27.759
 Overcome with weeping.

00:24:28.859 --> 00:24:30.679
 Anointing his feet and kissing him with oil.

00:24:30.919 --> 00:24:31.759
 All of these things

00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:33.720
 which may have actually been a part

00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:34.920
 of whatever got her in trouble

00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:35.740
 in the first place

00:24:35.740 --> 00:24:38.799
 have now been reclaimed to honor Jesus.

00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:41.759
 These intimate actions

00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:43.299
 towards Jesus' body.

00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:45.779
 But she's listening to this thing play out

00:24:45.779 --> 00:24:48.039
 and the confusion she could be feeling

00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:48.920
 in her own mind about,

00:24:49.079 --> 00:24:50.240
 wow, this is real.

00:24:50.900 --> 00:24:51.440
 Wait a second.

00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:54.000
 How am I?

00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:54.720
 Is this real?

00:24:54.819 --> 00:24:55.680
 Did my sins get forgiven?

00:24:55.779 --> 00:24:56.400
 Are they not?

00:24:57.539 --> 00:24:59.039
 And Jesus turns his back

00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:00.920
 to the one who's curious

00:25:00.920 --> 00:25:02.320
 and wondering, wondering.

00:25:03.019 --> 00:25:04.200
 And he looks at her

00:25:04.200 --> 00:25:05.960
 and assures her of her salvation.

00:25:07.360 --> 00:25:10.039
 He tells her of how much he loves her.

00:25:11.240 --> 00:25:12.560
 And he told her to go forth.

00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:13.600
 Your sins have been forgiven.

00:25:14.560 --> 00:25:16.259
 And she can move forward in that way.

00:25:17.340 --> 00:25:18.220
 And we know that it's not

00:25:18.220 --> 00:25:19.500
 because of anything she did.

00:25:20.279 --> 00:25:21.880
 Her faith has saved her,

00:25:21.980 --> 00:25:23.740
 but it wasn't because she did something

00:25:23.740 --> 00:25:24.779
 to move in that direction.

00:25:24.779 --> 00:25:28.000
 And we saw that from the parable.

00:25:28.740 --> 00:25:30.059
 She owed 500 denarii.

00:25:32.259 --> 00:25:33.240
 And it was forgiven.

00:25:35.559 --> 00:25:37.359
 A debt that she could never pay

00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:39.200
 to the eternal God of heaven.

00:25:39.579 --> 00:25:40.639
 This wretched sinner

00:25:40.639 --> 00:25:42.960
 violating the laws of Israel

00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:44.559
 and wandering the streets of that town.

00:25:46.359 --> 00:25:47.839
 And her sins have been forgiven.

00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:51.039
 Jesus moved towards her in that way.

00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:55.940
 Certain cultures in America

00:25:55.940 --> 00:25:57.240
 treat pastors

00:25:57.240 --> 00:26:00.240
 with an unreal amount of respect.

00:26:02.059 --> 00:26:03.819
 I've experienced this once on my own,

00:26:03.899 --> 00:26:05.299
 but I've heard more and more stories.

00:26:05.399 --> 00:26:06.420
 And when you walk in

00:26:06.420 --> 00:26:07.720
 to cultures,

00:26:07.819 --> 00:26:09.000
 especially those who are,

00:26:09.180 --> 00:26:09.399
 you know,

00:26:09.460 --> 00:26:10.779
 first or second generation American,

00:26:11.220 --> 00:26:13.399
 life can stop in that house.

00:26:14.579 --> 00:26:16.339
 Not because Peter walked in

00:26:16.339 --> 00:26:17.740
 or Will or Ron walked in.

00:26:17.899 --> 00:26:19.000
 No, by no means that.

00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:21.359
 But because the representative of God

00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:23.539
 has walked into this house.

00:26:24.819 --> 00:26:27.220
 The one who dedicates their life

00:26:27.220 --> 00:26:29.140
 to preaching the word and to prayer

00:26:29.140 --> 00:26:30.900
 has walked into our house.

00:26:33.319 --> 00:26:34.880
 Somebody from God is here.

00:26:36.140 --> 00:26:37.460
 And the family comes in the room

00:26:37.460 --> 00:26:38.339
 and they gather around

00:26:38.339 --> 00:26:39.720
 and food comes out on the table.

00:26:40.380 --> 00:26:41.339
 And they're just there

00:26:41.339 --> 00:26:42.480
 to be present with you

00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:43.220
 out of respect

00:26:43.220 --> 00:26:44.480
 and out of reverence.

00:26:44.599 --> 00:26:45.380
 And it's a really,

00:26:45.839 --> 00:26:46.819
 especially if you're from here

00:26:46.819 --> 00:26:48.019
 where you guys probably

00:26:48.019 --> 00:26:48.720
 wouldn't appreciate me

00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:50.119
 walking into your house at 5.15

00:26:50.119 --> 00:26:51.339
 just to see what's going on.

00:26:53.379 --> 00:26:55.759
 It's a different experience.

00:26:56.059 --> 00:26:57.420
 It's a really different experience.

00:26:59.859 --> 00:27:00.900
 And the humility

00:27:00.900 --> 00:27:02.119
 that is shown there,

00:27:02.200 --> 00:27:02.879
 the respect,

00:27:03.980 --> 00:27:05.579
 the reverence towards God

00:27:05.579 --> 00:27:06.200
 is really,

00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:07.700
 it's unique,

00:27:07.900 --> 00:27:08.619
 it's admirable.

00:27:09.160 --> 00:27:10.200
 Obviously, it's remarkable.

00:27:10.200 --> 00:27:13.740
 And I see in what this woman

00:27:13.740 --> 00:27:15.400
 is doing something of that,

00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:17.080
 that acknowledgement of who she is,

00:27:17.100 --> 00:27:17.720
 but more importantly,

00:27:17.840 --> 00:27:19.740
 that acknowledgement of who Jesus is,

00:27:20.779 --> 00:27:21.920
 who God is,

00:27:23.019 --> 00:27:24.120
 the shifted paradigm,

00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:27.039
 the acceptance of a new reality.

00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:30.099
 she's there

00:27:30.099 --> 00:27:31.759
 and she's brought to her knees

00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:32.460
 to tears

00:27:32.460 --> 00:27:34.259
 with what that means

00:27:34.259 --> 00:27:35.440
 and the implications of that,

00:27:35.500 --> 00:27:36.299
 not only for her,

00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:40.480
 but for what it means going forward.

00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:44.299
 So where are you today?

00:27:46.980 --> 00:27:48.220
 This is a story that,

00:27:48.579 --> 00:27:49.700
 man, I love it.

00:27:49.819 --> 00:27:51.099
 Ron said something so great

00:27:51.099 --> 00:27:52.659
 that we tend to flatten

00:27:52.659 --> 00:27:53.799
 things like this out.

00:27:53.799 --> 00:27:55.419
 But these are such beautiful,

00:27:55.659 --> 00:27:57.500
 intimate interactions with Jesus.

00:27:59.200 --> 00:28:00.579
 This is what Luke

00:28:00.579 --> 00:28:02.500
 put in his letter

00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:04.200
 to send to someone else

00:28:04.200 --> 00:28:05.279
 to tell them about

00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:06.559
 who Jesus is.

00:28:07.799 --> 00:28:08.680
 He could have said

00:28:08.680 --> 00:28:10.159
 the morals of the story.

00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:10.819
 He could have put it

00:28:10.819 --> 00:28:12.339
 into a systematic set of doctrines.

00:28:13.940 --> 00:28:14.720
 But he said,

00:28:14.819 --> 00:28:14.960
 no,

00:28:15.419 --> 00:28:16.419
 experience Jesus

00:28:16.419 --> 00:28:17.599
 the way that these people

00:28:17.599 --> 00:28:18.960
 experienced Jesus.

00:28:20.220 --> 00:28:22.359
 And see what happens there.

00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:23.779
 So where are you today?

00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:25.799
 Who do you identify

00:28:25.799 --> 00:28:26.700
 with in this story?

00:28:31.220 --> 00:28:31.819
 Maybe you're,

00:28:32.099 --> 00:28:34.259
 maybe you're not even a believer.

00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:36.139
 I know it's cool

00:28:36.139 --> 00:28:37.220
 to come to church in the South

00:28:37.220 --> 00:28:37.940
 and that's what we do.

00:28:40.139 --> 00:28:41.259
 But maybe you're not a believer.

00:28:41.579 --> 00:28:42.059
 Maybe this stuff

00:28:42.059 --> 00:28:43.000
 has never touched your heart.

00:28:45.919 --> 00:28:46.680
 How do you listen

00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:47.759
 to a story like this?

00:28:48.919 --> 00:28:49.839
 How do you see

00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:51.399
 who Jesus is?

00:28:52.339 --> 00:28:53.639
 Who is this man

00:28:53.640 --> 00:28:55.280
 that can forgive

00:28:55.280 --> 00:28:56.300
 even sins?

00:28:57.840 --> 00:28:58.460
 Because I think

00:28:58.460 --> 00:28:59.040
 this can work out

00:28:59.040 --> 00:29:00.400
 in one of two ways

00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:01.860
 for someone

00:29:01.860 --> 00:29:03.640
 who is not

00:29:03.640 --> 00:29:05.320
 following Jesus,

00:29:05.400 --> 00:29:05.980
 who doesn't see him

00:29:05.980 --> 00:29:06.320
 as Lord.

00:29:08.020 --> 00:29:09.280
 There's that one thing

00:29:09.280 --> 00:29:10.100
 that is

00:29:10.100 --> 00:29:11.100
 you acknowledge

00:29:11.100 --> 00:29:11.740
 your wretchedness

00:29:11.740 --> 00:29:12.980
 and you begin to see,

00:29:13.340 --> 00:29:13.600
 wow,

00:29:13.980 --> 00:29:16.320
 I really am sinful

00:29:16.320 --> 00:29:16.960
 in the face

00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:18.340
 of a perfect and holy God.

00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:19.780
 And Jesus can get a hold

00:29:19.780 --> 00:29:20.400
 of you like that.

00:29:21.060 --> 00:29:21.520
 He will.

00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:22.160
 He's gotten a hold

00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:22.779
 of me like that.

00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:26.019
 But I think more often

00:29:26.019 --> 00:29:26.559
 than not,

00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:28.519
 it's that thing

00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:29.819
 that begins

00:29:29.819 --> 00:29:30.819
 to fill the gaps

00:29:30.819 --> 00:29:31.619
 that you can't put

00:29:31.619 --> 00:29:32.519
 your finger on.

00:29:34.220 --> 00:29:35.059
 And that's what I feel

00:29:35.059 --> 00:29:35.500
 like we see

00:29:35.500 --> 00:29:36.220
 from this woman

00:29:36.220 --> 00:29:37.000
 in this passage

00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:38.759
 is a sinner.

00:29:39.420 --> 00:29:40.119
 Maybe her sins

00:29:40.119 --> 00:29:41.119
 were too many to count.

00:29:41.259 --> 00:29:41.879
 Maybe your sins

00:29:41.879 --> 00:29:42.839
 are too many to count.

00:29:43.799 --> 00:29:44.720
 And maybe you don't even

00:29:44.720 --> 00:29:45.879
 know what a sin is,

00:29:45.980 --> 00:29:46.799
 but you know

00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:47.839
 when you think about Jesus

00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:48.960
 and you think about God,

00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:50.140
 you don't have a place there

00:29:50.140 --> 00:29:53.000
 because you're too far gone.

00:29:53.720 --> 00:29:54.539
 Whatever that means.

00:29:57.720 --> 00:29:58.680
 Your wretchedness

00:29:58.680 --> 00:29:59.660
 has overtaken you.

00:30:01.400 --> 00:30:02.160
 That's the story

00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:03.920
 of Jesus moving towards us

00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:05.160
 in the incarnation.

00:30:05.940 --> 00:30:07.180
 Towards people who wonder,

00:30:07.299 --> 00:30:07.980
 who are curious.

00:30:09.180 --> 00:30:09.779
 And towards us

00:30:09.779 --> 00:30:10.740
 when we start to acknowledge

00:30:10.740 --> 00:30:11.960
 our wretchedness

00:30:11.960 --> 00:30:14.579
 in the face of who he is.

00:30:14.579 --> 00:30:17.139
 your wretchedness,

00:30:17.639 --> 00:30:18.399
 your emptiness,

00:30:18.859 --> 00:30:20.000
 your longing,

00:30:20.319 --> 00:30:21.000
 your wondering,

00:30:21.319 --> 00:30:22.699
 your not good enoughness

00:30:22.699 --> 00:30:25.119
 is absolutely nothing.

00:30:25.899 --> 00:30:27.619
 Nothing in the eyes

00:30:27.619 --> 00:30:28.039
 of a God

00:30:28.039 --> 00:30:29.539
 who loves you so much.

00:30:31.500 --> 00:30:33.079
 That's what Jesus came to do.

00:30:33.179 --> 00:30:34.559
 He's so big.

00:30:36.879 --> 00:30:38.220
 Jesus the person.

00:30:40.159 --> 00:30:41.359
 Jesus the person.

00:30:41.500 --> 00:30:42.379
 So big.

00:30:42.380 --> 00:30:43.960
 What he can do for you.

00:30:44.040 --> 00:30:44.560
 Absolutely.

00:30:45.940 --> 00:30:47.620
 But Jesus is so beautiful

00:30:47.620 --> 00:30:49.900
 and so big.

00:30:51.520 --> 00:30:52.440
 Meditate on that.

00:30:52.600 --> 00:30:53.500
 Think about that.

00:30:56.100 --> 00:30:58.280
 He's moved towards us

00:30:58.280 --> 00:30:59.840
 in that way.

00:31:02.740 --> 00:31:04.800
 Maybe you've slid

00:31:04.800 --> 00:31:05.520
 from an understanding

00:31:05.520 --> 00:31:06.500
 of your wretchedness

00:31:06.500 --> 00:31:08.580
 towards more of a position

00:31:08.580 --> 00:31:09.340
 of curiosity

00:31:09.340 --> 00:31:10.360
 and of wondering.

00:31:10.359 --> 00:31:12.119
 and you begin

00:31:12.119 --> 00:31:13.259
 to negotiate with God.

00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:18.179
 A lot of us go through

00:31:18.179 --> 00:31:18.759
 a lot of hurts

00:31:18.759 --> 00:31:19.839
 and pains in our lives.

00:31:19.939 --> 00:31:20.559
 There are reasons

00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:21.339
 that push us away.

00:31:22.019 --> 00:31:22.979
 Sometimes we're just cold.

00:31:23.859 --> 00:31:24.759
 Sometimes we don't care.

00:31:29.500 --> 00:31:30.839
 What does it look like

00:31:30.839 --> 00:31:31.419
 for you

00:31:31.419 --> 00:31:33.019
 to remember the grace

00:31:33.019 --> 00:31:33.799
 that you've experienced?

00:31:35.199 --> 00:31:36.339
 We talk about that here, right?

00:31:36.479 --> 00:31:37.099
 We experience

00:31:37.099 --> 00:31:38.500
 and we express grace.

00:31:38.500 --> 00:31:41.900
 This picture of this woman

00:31:41.900 --> 00:31:42.440
 is a picture

00:31:42.440 --> 00:31:43.500
 of the experience

00:31:43.500 --> 00:31:44.180
 of grace.

00:31:45.339 --> 00:31:46.279
 What does it look like

00:31:46.279 --> 00:31:47.099
 for those of us

00:31:47.099 --> 00:31:48.980
 who are wondering?

00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:50.059
 More often

00:31:50.059 --> 00:31:50.980
 in a state of that.

00:31:51.160 --> 00:31:52.319
 Sometimes we call it cold.

00:31:53.259 --> 00:31:54.519
 Sometimes we call it dry

00:31:54.519 --> 00:31:55.839
 in our spiritual lives.

00:31:56.019 --> 00:31:57.079
 We call it a lot of things.

00:31:57.079 --> 00:32:03.319
 Is this experience

00:32:03.319 --> 00:32:03.960
 of grace

00:32:03.960 --> 00:32:04.939
 something that you keep

00:32:04.939 --> 00:32:05.599
 inside of you?

00:32:06.379 --> 00:32:07.099
 Or is it something

00:32:07.099 --> 00:32:07.639
 that you think

00:32:07.639 --> 00:32:08.460
 you should express

00:32:08.460 --> 00:32:09.119
 to other people?

00:32:10.899 --> 00:32:11.599
 Was it really

00:32:11.599 --> 00:32:12.699
 this miraculous thing

00:32:12.699 --> 00:32:13.259
 that took hold

00:32:13.259 --> 00:32:13.779
 of your heart

00:32:13.779 --> 00:32:14.720
 and transformed you

00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:15.359
 into somebody

00:32:15.359 --> 00:32:16.679
 that Jesus loves

00:32:16.679 --> 00:32:17.179
 and therefore

00:32:17.179 --> 00:32:18.359
 you love much

00:32:18.359 --> 00:32:19.599
 like this woman?

00:32:21.980 --> 00:32:22.579
 You think back

00:32:22.579 --> 00:32:23.059
 on that time.

00:32:23.139 --> 00:32:23.619
 One of my brothers

00:32:23.619 --> 00:32:24.000
 this morning

00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:25.059
 shared a great story.

00:32:25.159 --> 00:32:26.179
 Yesterday was his

00:32:26.180 --> 00:32:27.440
 anniversary of coming

00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:27.840
 to Christ.

00:32:27.940 --> 00:32:28.820
 31 years.

00:32:29.460 --> 00:32:30.240
 I remember the day.

00:32:30.340 --> 00:32:31.299
 I remember the whole story.

00:32:31.400 --> 00:32:31.660
 Do you?

00:32:33.360 --> 00:32:34.600
 Do you remember the story?

00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:36.580
 Maybe your story

00:32:36.580 --> 00:32:37.140
 is like mine.

00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:37.700
 You grew up

00:32:37.700 --> 00:32:38.180
 with parents

00:32:38.180 --> 00:32:39.019
 who loved Jesus.

00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:40.360
 Grandparents

00:32:40.360 --> 00:32:41.100
 who loved Jesus

00:32:41.100 --> 00:32:41.820
 and they all kept

00:32:41.820 --> 00:32:42.660
 you around it.

00:32:44.120 --> 00:32:45.279
 That's no less miraculous.

00:32:47.340 --> 00:32:48.500
 That's no less incredible.

00:32:50.360 --> 00:32:51.620
 So what do you do with it?

00:32:52.880 --> 00:32:54.240
 God blesses us

00:32:54.240 --> 00:32:55.279
 so that we can be

00:32:55.279 --> 00:32:55.819
 a blessing

00:32:55.819 --> 00:32:56.900
 to other people.

00:32:57.220 --> 00:32:57.920
 In our words

00:32:57.920 --> 00:32:59.500
 we experience grace

00:32:59.500 --> 00:33:00.720
 so that we can

00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:02.299
 express grace.

00:33:06.059 --> 00:33:07.079
 And if you're wretched

00:33:07.079 --> 00:33:09.220
 and you know it

00:33:09.220 --> 00:33:10.960
 don't clap your hands

00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:11.880
 but look to Jesus

00:33:11.880 --> 00:33:13.259
 in faith.

00:33:16.680 --> 00:33:17.799
 Lift up your head.

00:33:19.400 --> 00:33:20.599
 Your sins may be

00:33:20.599 --> 00:33:21.680
 many and ugly

00:33:21.680 --> 00:33:22.900
 and they probably are

00:33:22.900 --> 00:33:25.279
 but you serve

00:33:25.279 --> 00:33:26.080
 a beautiful king

00:33:26.080 --> 00:33:29.160
 and he wants

00:33:29.160 --> 00:33:29.860
 to assure you

00:33:29.860 --> 00:33:31.140
 of his love for you

00:33:31.140 --> 00:33:33.100
 and of your place

00:33:33.100 --> 00:33:33.580
 with him

00:33:33.580 --> 00:33:35.680
 for all eternity.

00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:39.039
 And I hope

00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:39.779
 that if you can

00:33:39.779 --> 00:33:40.220
 think back

00:33:40.220 --> 00:33:40.680
 to that moment

00:33:41.380 --> 00:33:42.080
 where you were

00:33:42.080 --> 00:33:43.380
 curled up

00:33:43.380 --> 00:33:44.080
 and you had that

00:33:44.080 --> 00:33:44.920
 Thomas my Lord

00:33:44.920 --> 00:33:45.600
 and my God

00:33:45.600 --> 00:33:46.060
 moment

00:33:46.060 --> 00:33:47.920
 that you can remember

00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:48.660
 that because it's

00:33:48.660 --> 00:33:49.519
 just as true today

00:33:49.519 --> 00:33:50.500
 as it ever was then.

00:33:50.500 --> 00:33:52.880
 And God continues

00:33:52.880 --> 00:33:53.680
 to work in you

00:33:53.680 --> 00:33:54.660
 and through you today

00:33:54.660 --> 00:33:55.859
 much like he did

00:33:55.859 --> 00:33:56.299
 then.

00:33:57.000 --> 00:33:57.799
 Which brings us

00:33:57.799 --> 00:33:58.420
 back to our

00:33:58.420 --> 00:33:59.839
 relationship thought

00:33:59.839 --> 00:34:00.400
 at the beginning

00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:02.279
 because we don't

00:34:02.279 --> 00:34:02.740
 want to move

00:34:02.740 --> 00:34:03.359
 towards Jesus

00:34:03.359 --> 00:34:03.920
 we're just not

00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:04.940
 people that do that.

00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:06.339
 Any inclination

00:34:06.339 --> 00:34:07.279
 to go that way

00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:08.039
 is something that

00:34:08.039 --> 00:34:09.159
 has been brought

00:34:09.159 --> 00:34:10.199
 on us by him.

00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:12.039
 Which means

00:34:12.039 --> 00:34:12.460
 when you find

00:34:12.460 --> 00:34:13.460
 yourself in a state

00:34:13.460 --> 00:34:14.900
 of either actively

00:34:14.900 --> 00:34:15.599
 moving away

00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:16.099
 from Jesus

00:34:16.099 --> 00:34:16.659
 or knowing

00:34:16.659 --> 00:34:17.159
 that you're not

00:34:17.159 --> 00:34:18.159
 going towards him

00:34:18.159 --> 00:34:19.420
 I've got great news

00:34:19.420 --> 00:34:19.880
 for you

00:34:19.880 --> 00:34:21.280
 he's coming

00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:21.920
 towards you.

00:34:23.619 --> 00:34:24.780
 Jesus is moving

00:34:24.780 --> 00:34:25.340
 toward you

00:34:25.340 --> 00:34:26.039
 in love

00:34:26.039 --> 00:34:29.139
 because he wants

00:34:29.139 --> 00:34:29.420
 you.

00:34:31.180 --> 00:34:32.340
 Your wretchedness

00:34:32.340 --> 00:34:33.000
 your sin

00:34:33.000 --> 00:34:33.980
 all of that stuff

00:34:33.980 --> 00:34:34.880
 may be great

00:34:34.880 --> 00:34:36.260
 and it may be ugly

00:34:36.260 --> 00:34:38.599
 but it's nothing

00:34:38.599 --> 00:34:39.119
 compared

00:34:39.119 --> 00:34:40.559
 to the love

00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:41.880
 of the Father

00:34:41.880 --> 00:34:42.340
 and the Son

00:34:42.340 --> 00:34:42.940
 for us.

00:34:44.599 --> 00:34:45.539
 And the absurdity

00:34:45.539 --> 00:34:45.940
 of the love

00:34:45.940 --> 00:34:46.780
 that God shows us

00:34:46.780 --> 00:34:47.300
 in Christ

00:34:47.300 --> 00:34:48.079
 is that he's always

00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:49.019
 moving toward us

00:34:49.019 --> 00:34:50.599
 and we're never

00:34:50.599 --> 00:34:51.319
 moving toward him.

00:34:52.900 --> 00:34:53.759
 He moves all

00:34:53.759 --> 00:34:54.299
 of the way

00:34:54.299 --> 00:34:55.139
 it's not the

00:34:55.139 --> 00:34:55.539
 hitch thing

00:34:55.539 --> 00:34:55.880
 it's not the

00:34:55.880 --> 00:34:56.579
 80-20 thing

00:34:56.579 --> 00:34:56.980
 if you've ever

00:34:56.980 --> 00:34:57.639
 seen that movie.

00:34:58.900 --> 00:35:00.000
 Even when we

00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:00.759
 move away

00:35:00.759 --> 00:35:01.279
 from him

00:35:01.279 --> 00:35:02.579
 he makes up

00:35:02.579 --> 00:35:03.319
 that ground too.

00:35:05.179 --> 00:35:05.940
 So question

00:35:05.940 --> 00:35:06.579
 the title of the

00:35:06.579 --> 00:35:07.019
 sermon was

00:35:07.019 --> 00:35:08.119
 Oh How I Love Jesus

00:35:08.119 --> 00:35:09.900
 I was trying

00:35:09.900 --> 00:35:10.519
 to talk myself

00:35:10.519 --> 00:35:10.980
 into that

00:35:10.980 --> 00:35:11.519
 as I was thinking

00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:12.259
 through all this.

00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:14.719
 It's a question

00:35:14.719 --> 00:35:15.960
 to leave us all

00:35:15.960 --> 00:35:16.259
 with.

00:35:16.539 --> 00:35:17.299
 Do you love Jesus?

00:35:18.079 --> 00:35:20.699
 Do you love Jesus?

00:35:22.579 --> 00:35:23.319
 Let's pray.

00:35:27.059 --> 00:35:28.139
 Father thank you

00:35:28.139 --> 00:35:30.139
 for the honor

00:35:30.139 --> 00:35:31.059
 of gathering

00:35:31.059 --> 00:35:31.639
 together

00:35:31.639 --> 00:35:33.059
 as brothers

00:35:33.059 --> 00:35:33.639
 and sisters

00:35:33.639 --> 00:35:34.340
 in Christ

00:35:34.340 --> 00:35:37.199
 to open your

00:35:37.199 --> 00:35:37.699
 word

00:35:37.699 --> 00:35:39.840
 to see your

00:35:39.840 --> 00:35:40.500
 truth revealed

00:35:40.500 --> 00:35:41.099
 to us.

00:35:42.059 --> 00:35:42.920
 We say things

00:35:42.920 --> 00:35:43.679
 like that a lot

00:35:43.679 --> 00:35:45.480
 but we read

00:35:45.480 --> 00:35:46.799
 a story like

00:35:46.800 --> 00:35:47.660
 this from Luke

00:35:47.660 --> 00:35:48.800
 that's so

00:35:48.800 --> 00:35:49.420
 detailed

00:35:49.420 --> 00:35:49.960
 and so

00:35:49.960 --> 00:35:50.460
 passionate

00:35:50.460 --> 00:35:50.980
 and so

00:35:50.980 --> 00:35:51.560
 provocative

00:35:51.560 --> 00:35:54.200
 and we're

00:35:54.200 --> 00:35:54.760
 really thankful

00:35:54.760 --> 00:35:55.280
 this morning

00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:56.039
 that these

00:35:56.039 --> 00:35:56.760
 things exist

00:35:56.760 --> 00:35:57.300
 for us to

00:35:57.300 --> 00:35:57.800
 think about

00:35:57.800 --> 00:35:58.140
 and to

00:35:58.140 --> 00:35:58.900
 meditate on.

00:36:00.180 --> 00:36:00.860
 We're thankful

00:36:00.860 --> 00:36:01.580
 that you love us

00:36:01.580 --> 00:36:02.240
 in ways that

00:36:02.240 --> 00:36:02.780
 we could never

00:36:02.780 --> 00:36:03.120
 know.

00:36:04.980 --> 00:36:05.600
 We're thankful

00:36:05.600 --> 00:36:06.140
 that you move

00:36:06.140 --> 00:36:06.640
 towards us

00:36:06.640 --> 00:36:07.260
 in times that

00:36:07.260 --> 00:36:07.920
 we would never

00:36:07.920 --> 00:36:08.660
 want to move

00:36:08.660 --> 00:36:09.140
 toward you

00:36:09.139 --> 00:36:10.619
 and we're

00:36:10.619 --> 00:36:11.079
 thankful that

00:36:11.079 --> 00:36:11.639
 you give us

00:36:11.639 --> 00:36:12.319
 your son

00:36:12.319 --> 00:36:13.639
 and your

00:36:13.639 --> 00:36:14.019
 spirit

00:36:14.019 --> 00:36:16.259
 so that not

00:36:16.259 --> 00:36:16.679
 only are we

00:36:16.679 --> 00:36:17.400
 right before

00:36:17.400 --> 00:36:18.059
 you but we

00:36:18.059 --> 00:36:18.679
 can move

00:36:18.679 --> 00:36:19.319
 back towards

00:36:19.319 --> 00:36:19.639
 you

00:36:19.639 --> 00:36:20.779
 through his

00:36:20.779 --> 00:36:21.199
 power

00:36:21.199 --> 00:36:22.659
 and through

00:36:22.659 --> 00:36:23.179
 your love.

00:36:24.779 --> 00:36:25.339
 Bless us all

00:36:25.339 --> 00:36:26.559
 as we move

00:36:26.559 --> 00:36:27.179
 from this place

00:36:27.179 --> 00:36:27.539
 today.

00:36:27.539 --> 00:36:28.619
 In Christ's name

00:36:28.619 --> 00:36:29.139
 Amen.

00:36:29.139 --> 00:36:33.779
 For more

00:36:33.779 --> 00:36:34.299
 information

00:36:34.299 --> 00:36:35.079
 visit us

00:36:35.079 --> 00:36:35.579
 online

00:36:35.579 --> 00:36:35.980
 at

00:36:35.980 --> 00:36:36.879
 southwood.org