WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.379 Good morning to all of you. 00:00:02.580 --> 00:00:03.339 My name's Tommy. 00:00:03.859 --> 00:00:05.400 You're here visiting for the first time. 00:00:05.580 --> 00:00:10.940 If you're here from out of town, maybe celebrating a graduation, we're delighted that you're here. 00:00:12.380 --> 00:00:21.339 When I was young, I first remember hearing somebody present the gospel to me using the image of an amusement park. 00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:27.939 And they said, imagine this great amusement park, and you want to get in, and you get to the gate, and they ask you if you have a ticket. 00:00:28.939 --> 00:00:33.480 And if you don't have a ticket, you can't get in, but if you do have a ticket, then you'll be allowed into the amusement park. 00:00:33.479 --> 00:00:34.799 And they said, that's a lot like heaven. 00:00:35.379 --> 00:00:40.799 You'll get to the end of your life, and you'll go, and you'll come to the gate of heaven, and they'll ask, where's your ticket? 00:00:42.140 --> 00:00:48.059 And if you don't have a ticket, you're not going to be allowed in, and you're going to be sent to a different kind of park. 00:00:48.819 --> 00:00:50.899 And it's not nearly as amusing. 00:00:51.979 --> 00:00:54.019 And so you better have the ticket. 00:00:54.920 --> 00:01:01.140 And so I said, well, how do I get, you know, and they said, in order to get the ticket, you need to put your faith in Jesus. 00:01:01.140 --> 00:01:05.019 And when you ask Jesus for forgiveness, you get a Jesus ticket. 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:08.079 And then when you get to heaven, you show them the Jesus ticket, and you get in. 00:01:08.960 --> 00:01:11.980 And at the time, I found it very compelling, because it was accessible. 00:01:12.659 --> 00:01:17.099 It was relevant, I thought, to the way I saw the world. 00:01:17.099 --> 00:01:28.479 And yet I realized in the years that followed, it didn't really tell me anything more than how to get into that amusement park. 00:01:28.539 --> 00:01:32.399 It didn't tell me what it meant to believe in God or have a relationship with God. 00:01:33.019 --> 00:01:38.299 It didn't tell me anything about what I should be doing now, between now and when I get to the gate. 00:01:39.199 --> 00:01:40.280 What am I supposed to do? 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:45.700 And so for a few years, I just thought that Christianity was basically making sure the ticket was in your back pocket. 00:01:46.379 --> 00:01:51.240 And then other than that, just sort of do what you can to be a decent person and live a good life. 00:01:52.079 --> 00:01:54.359 And that's really what I thought Christianity was. 00:01:54.700 --> 00:01:56.640 It was mainly about having the ticket in your pocket. 00:01:57.500 --> 00:02:01.020 And so it was very easy for me in the years that followed to walk away from that. 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:03.579 By the time I got to college, I had decided it was irrelevant. 00:02:04.060 --> 00:02:09.240 And I spent a number of years as an agnostic, because I just thought, there's nothing really here for me. 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:18.680 And what I've come to realize since I came back to faith is that I think many people, Christians and non-Christians, have that perception of the Christian life. 00:02:19.140 --> 00:02:36.600 And the more we actually learn about what Scripture teaches about the Christian life, we realize how far departed that analogy is from the tremendous, mysterious, vast mystery that God has unveiled to the world. 00:02:36.599 --> 00:02:39.579 And that's why we're reading the book of Revelation. 00:02:40.299 --> 00:02:45.459 The sense that I had of the Christian life had almost nothing to do with reality. 00:02:45.879 --> 00:02:49.359 And yet when you read a book like Revelation, it blows that whole thing apart. 00:02:49.400 --> 00:02:57.219 Because the entire point of the book of Revelation is to pull back the veil and to show us things as they really are. 00:02:57.219 --> 00:03:01.000 To unveil those deep mysteries of God. 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:04.979 To help us understand what's really going on under the surface. 00:03:05.259 --> 00:03:08.659 And that transforms our whole understanding of the Christian life. 00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:16.079 And specifically in Revelation 19, we heard read, Kate read a little while ago, the first part of Revelation 19. 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:18.819 For the sake of time, we read that portion. 00:03:18.939 --> 00:03:21.840 But we're going to be looking at the whole chapter this morning. 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:27.500 In Revelation 19, we are given these two images of the Christian life. 00:03:27.580 --> 00:03:31.780 And they could not be more disconnected from one another at face value. 00:03:32.420 --> 00:03:32.620 Right? 00:03:32.659 --> 00:03:34.580 They look completely incompatible. 00:03:34.920 --> 00:03:39.340 In the first half of the chapter, what we read, we have this image of a wedding. 00:03:40.620 --> 00:03:45.400 All of the saints are gathered together with Jesus as the bridegroom. 00:03:45.580 --> 00:03:48.140 And they're at a great banquet, a wedding feast. 00:03:48.139 --> 00:03:54.679 And then all of a sudden, in verse 11, there's this jarring shift. 00:03:55.419 --> 00:03:56.819 And the scene changes. 00:03:57.199 --> 00:03:59.679 And we move from the wedding to the war. 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:03.779 And all of the saints are charging into battle. 00:04:03.939 --> 00:04:06.000 And they're not following Jesus, the bridegroom. 00:04:06.259 --> 00:04:07.779 Now Jesus is a warrior. 00:04:08.219 --> 00:04:09.019 He's on a horse. 00:04:09.299 --> 00:04:11.099 And they are charging into battle together. 00:04:11.699 --> 00:04:14.259 And at first, these seems totally incompatible. 00:04:14.279 --> 00:04:15.859 As though we need a new chapter header. 00:04:15.860 --> 00:04:18.800 But as we're going to see, they actually go together. 00:04:18.960 --> 00:04:20.900 And you cannot have one without the other. 00:04:21.379 --> 00:04:25.580 Together, they help us answer the question of what is the Christian life. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:28.639 The wedding shows us what our salvation means. 00:04:29.939 --> 00:04:33.500 The war shows us what our salvation is for. 00:04:34.400 --> 00:04:35.120 Let's pray. 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:42.100 Our Lord and Heavenly Father, we only have the joy of being here at your invitation. 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:46.840 And it's only because of your grace that we can ask these questions. 00:04:47.399 --> 00:04:49.519 Contemplate having a relationship with you. 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:54.180 It's only through the power of your Holy Spirit that we can understand your word. 00:04:54.180 --> 00:04:59.319 And it's only there that we can encounter your living word, Jesus Christ. 00:04:59.459 --> 00:05:03.720 And so we pray, Lord, by your grace and invitation that you would speak to us. 00:05:04.019 --> 00:05:04.680 Nourish us. 00:05:05.340 --> 00:05:07.120 Prepare us to come together to your table. 00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:09.220 We pray this in your son's holy name. 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:09.740 Amen. 00:05:11.340 --> 00:05:14.199 So first of all, let's look at this image of the wedding. 00:05:14.340 --> 00:05:19.319 I want to read again these verses that are so beautifully capture the scene. 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:20.319 Hallelujah. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:20.680 Hallelujah. 00:05:21.379 --> 00:05:23.319 For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns. 00:05:23.899 --> 00:05:24.779 This is verse 6. 00:05:25.219 --> 00:05:26.019 Going into verse 7. 00:05:26.139 --> 00:05:28.920 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory. 00:05:29.259 --> 00:05:31.659 For the marriage of the Lamb has come. 00:05:32.259 --> 00:05:35.620 And his bride has made herself ready. 00:05:37.240 --> 00:05:41.839 Jesus has achieved a great victory on the cross. 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:46.879 And now we see this tremendous celebration. 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:49.800 But it's not just a victory feast. 00:05:50.100 --> 00:05:51.199 It's a wedding feast. 00:05:51.620 --> 00:06:04.159 And the most striking thing about this image that we get of this feast is that the people of God are gathered together and collectively they're referred to as his bride. 00:06:05.159 --> 00:06:12.240 So we have Jesus, the bridegroom, and the church, all of the saints across history gathered together as the bride. 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:25.540 And all through the Bible in places like Isaiah chapter 62 or Ezekiel chapter 16, God talks about himself as the bridegroom to his people. 00:06:26.620 --> 00:06:29.180 We need to understand this is utterly unique. 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:32.579 No other religion talks about their God this way. 00:06:32.699 --> 00:06:37.060 In no other religion would God talk about their subjects this way. 00:06:37.060 --> 00:06:50.680 And there are a number of religions that would be completely scandalized by the implication of this kind of intimacy and mutual indwelling that is implied with this image. 00:06:50.740 --> 00:06:57.060 And what it shows us is the Christian life is not just about getting a ticket and carrying it around in your back pocket until you get to the gate. 00:06:57.060 --> 00:07:04.879 It's about having an ongoing day in, day out relationship with God that is a lot like a marriage. 00:07:05.480 --> 00:07:11.800 With all of the intimacy and all of the joy and all of the vulnerability that that brings. 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:20.040 And if you think about a marriage, those of us who are married, those of us who may be not married, but we know people are married, 00:07:20.819 --> 00:07:25.019 a marriage, particularly a good marriage, requires time. 00:07:25.019 --> 00:07:32.659 You need time to build trust and to build intimacy and to build connection with one another. 00:07:32.899 --> 00:07:41.740 You know, imagine that you're married and imagine that you're married to someone and you love that person as much as you can imagine loving anyone. 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:48.159 But imagine that every day your spouse gets up and they leave the house and they go and they spend time with other people. 00:07:49.299 --> 00:07:52.519 And maybe they go on dates with other people. 00:07:52.519 --> 00:08:01.339 They spend time sharing their hopes and their dreams and their fears with other people. 00:08:02.379 --> 00:08:05.459 Sometimes they share a bed with other people. 00:08:06.279 --> 00:08:10.639 And imagine your spouse coming home one evening and you confront them on it. 00:08:10.699 --> 00:08:13.759 And imagine you sharing your heartache over this. 00:08:13.819 --> 00:08:17.159 And imagine your spouse responding, what's the problem? 00:08:17.160 --> 00:08:20.180 We're still married. 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:22.880 I have my wedding ring. 00:08:22.960 --> 00:08:24.620 Look, it's right here on my finger. 00:08:25.400 --> 00:08:25.620 Right? 00:08:25.640 --> 00:08:26.740 I haven't taken my ring off. 00:08:27.020 --> 00:08:28.700 We have the same last name. 00:08:28.840 --> 00:08:30.180 We have a joint bank account. 00:08:30.880 --> 00:08:32.300 What more do you want from me? 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:33.220 We're married. 00:08:35.340 --> 00:08:36.759 Imagine what that would be like. 00:08:38.200 --> 00:08:38.639 Right? 00:08:38.680 --> 00:08:39.340 What would you say? 00:08:39.340 --> 00:08:44.860 You would respond maybe, yeah, I see the ring and I see the account. 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:45.740 I see the last name. 00:08:46.700 --> 00:08:48.840 I know I have those things, but I don't have your heart. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:52.180 Clearly, your heart is elsewhere. 00:08:53.879 --> 00:08:58.940 And I think, you know, a lot of Christians, a lot of us can be like that with God. 00:09:00.259 --> 00:09:01.860 You know, it's like, well, I believe in Jesus. 00:09:02.519 --> 00:09:04.680 I've been through the membership class. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:06.180 I've been baptized. 00:09:07.080 --> 00:09:08.360 I go to church when I can. 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:09.259 But let's be realistic. 00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:09.980 Life is busy. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:12.240 What more do you want? 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:13.940 I'm doing all the things. 00:09:14.440 --> 00:09:14.600 Right? 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:19.879 And I think that what this image reminds us is that God is after our heart. 00:09:21.480 --> 00:09:22.759 God wants our affection. 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:24.080 Right? 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:29.240 When it comes to who do I share my hopes and my fears and my dreams with, 00:09:29.240 --> 00:09:33.419 that's the role that God wants to play in our lives. 00:09:34.620 --> 00:09:39.340 God desires that we would delight as much in him as he delights in us 00:09:39.340 --> 00:09:41.440 because he delights in us. 00:09:41.580 --> 00:09:42.919 We're the love of his life. 00:09:45.620 --> 00:09:50.340 Teresa of Avila is a woman who lived in the 16th century in Spain, 00:09:50.539 --> 00:09:53.799 and she writes in her book about her own life. 00:09:53.799 --> 00:09:59.519 She talks about, she sort of admits to spending years, as she says, 00:09:59.579 --> 00:10:02.219 a mediocre monastic. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:08.719 She talks about her relationship with God being dry and mechanical. 00:10:09.439 --> 00:10:11.799 She talks about kind of going through the motions, 00:10:12.359 --> 00:10:15.939 but she couldn't connect with any of the available forms of prayer 00:10:15.939 --> 00:10:17.339 that were being practiced. 00:10:17.340 --> 00:10:22.100 She never really felt any sense of connection with God on a personal level, 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:25.759 and so it was dry, it was rote, it was mechanical. 00:10:26.940 --> 00:10:30.200 But then she talks about making a very small shift 00:10:30.200 --> 00:10:35.639 that ended up changing everything in her spiritual life. 00:10:36.360 --> 00:10:37.620 And she essentially says, 00:10:37.740 --> 00:10:40.660 I came to a point where I stopped talking about God, 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:43.720 I stopped thinking about God, 00:10:43.720 --> 00:10:46.720 and I started talking to God. 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:51.639 She says that the moment she began talking to God 00:10:51.639 --> 00:10:55.500 as a real person, everything began to change. 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:59.879 And the story resonates with me because of how easy it is for me 00:10:59.879 --> 00:11:01.320 and probably for some of you 00:11:01.320 --> 00:11:05.060 to fill up our lives with all kinds of activities 00:11:05.060 --> 00:11:07.240 that are about God. 00:11:08.420 --> 00:11:11.080 You know, we're talking about God, we're reading about God, 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:15.620 we're doing things that we think are related to following God, 00:11:16.040 --> 00:11:18.800 but we're not ever actually spending time 00:11:18.800 --> 00:11:22.740 building a relationship with God or talking to God, 00:11:23.100 --> 00:11:24.340 even though he's right here. 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:28.360 And Teresa of Avila has a wonderful book on prayer 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:29.680 called The Interior Castle, 00:11:30.139 --> 00:11:32.900 where she describes what it's like to progress 00:11:32.900 --> 00:11:34.960 in our relationship with God. 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:40.620 And she says, you know, in the early stages of her journey, 00:11:40.620 --> 00:11:42.600 it was just about committing herself 00:11:42.600 --> 00:11:47.540 to spending time regularly speaking to God. 00:11:49.280 --> 00:11:51.720 Prayer, but just talking to God. 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:56.000 And she said a lot of those early experiences 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:58.160 were just about learning how to avoid distraction. 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:00.820 You can imagine this great mystic, 00:12:00.920 --> 00:12:03.300 Teresa of Avila, sitting there just trying not to be distracted 00:12:03.299 --> 00:12:05.879 by the chirping bird, you know, 00:12:06.079 --> 00:12:09.219 or the squeaking or the people chatting over here too loudly. 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:11.439 And she's trying to, we've all been there, 00:12:11.500 --> 00:12:12.799 anybody who's ever tried to pray. 00:12:13.379 --> 00:12:14.379 But she hung in there. 00:12:14.839 --> 00:12:17.359 And as she grew, she began to recognize 00:12:17.359 --> 00:12:20.659 that she had to learn how to deal with discouragement 00:12:20.659 --> 00:12:21.599 and dryness. 00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:24.139 Because sometimes there were times of rich connection 00:12:24.139 --> 00:12:26.279 and other times she felt discouraged and dry. 00:12:26.539 --> 00:12:28.899 But the main thing she learned was not to stop, 00:12:28.979 --> 00:12:29.620 not to give up. 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:30.519 And she kept going. 00:12:30.899 --> 00:12:31.799 And she kept growing. 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:32.719 And she kept praying. 00:12:33.219 --> 00:12:35.179 And as we grow, she says, 00:12:35.439 --> 00:12:38.879 our prayer becomes less and less dependent on words. 00:12:40.959 --> 00:12:42.620 And more and more and more, 00:12:42.699 --> 00:12:45.500 she began to learn how the joy 00:12:45.500 --> 00:12:48.139 and experience the joy of simply attending, 00:12:48.379 --> 00:12:50.199 as she says, to God's loving presence. 00:12:52.099 --> 00:12:55.079 Just quietly attending to God's loving presence. 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:59.320 And what I love about it is that she describes the ultimate, 00:12:59.520 --> 00:13:03.900 as we fully mature in our life of prayer, 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:07.040 she describes the ultimate aim as experiencing, 00:13:07.540 --> 00:13:09.840 as she says, spiritual marriage. 00:13:11.040 --> 00:13:14.139 She says, in this, she began to experience more fully 00:13:14.139 --> 00:13:17.080 what it's like to be in a spiritual marriage, 00:13:17.080 --> 00:13:23.040 which she defines as a deep and abiding sense of union with God 00:13:23.040 --> 00:13:26.540 that was with her at all times. 00:13:26.539 --> 00:13:32.659 And what you see in someone's journey, 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:34.139 like Teresa of Avila, 00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:36.579 is you see somebody who starts in a place 00:13:36.579 --> 00:13:39.899 very much like probably many of us are in now. 00:13:40.599 --> 00:13:42.559 Can't imagine what that would be like. 00:13:43.199 --> 00:13:47.219 And for her, all it took was time and patience and consistency. 00:13:47.559 --> 00:13:48.079 Nothing more. 00:13:48.319 --> 00:13:51.459 There's nothing that she has access to that any of us lack. 00:13:51.460 --> 00:13:55.160 You know, I think about my own marriage. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:57.220 You know, Laura and I have, we've been married, 00:13:57.480 --> 00:14:00.139 I think it's something like 18-ish years. 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:02.200 I think we're in the 18th year now. 00:14:02.740 --> 00:14:05.960 And we've developed a habit of taking time in the morning. 00:14:06.660 --> 00:14:09.240 And it's between when we drop our kids off at school 00:14:09.240 --> 00:14:10.759 and when we have to get started 00:14:10.759 --> 00:14:13.620 on whatever that day's work entails. 00:14:14.220 --> 00:14:16.500 It's normally no more than about 30 minutes, 00:14:17.080 --> 00:14:18.460 most mornings. 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:20.840 But we try to grab a little window of time 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:22.920 where the kids have been dropped off at school. 00:14:23.460 --> 00:14:25.759 And this is how it works in our stage of life. 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:27.580 It's gonna be different for you 00:14:27.580 --> 00:14:29.379 depending on what your stage of life is. 00:14:29.620 --> 00:14:32.759 But we grab that time in the morning after drop off 00:14:32.759 --> 00:14:35.399 and before we have to start our day officially. 00:14:35.800 --> 00:14:37.340 And we just have coffee together. 00:14:38.160 --> 00:14:40.639 And we've been doing this for a number of years now. 00:14:40.800 --> 00:14:43.360 And like I said, normally it's no more than about 30 minutes. 00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:44.980 But we do it most mornings. 00:14:45.560 --> 00:14:46.220 Not on the weekends, 00:14:46.220 --> 00:14:50.420 but I would say four or five mornings a week we do this. 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:53.500 And I would say that more than any other marriage book 00:14:53.500 --> 00:14:59.600 or vacation or retreat or romantic outings that we have had, 00:14:59.700 --> 00:15:01.940 I would say that the simple practice 00:15:01.940 --> 00:15:05.480 of sitting down together four or five mornings a week 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:08.160 and spending 20 to 30 minutes talking 00:15:08.160 --> 00:15:11.899 has by far been the best possible practice 00:15:11.899 --> 00:15:15.060 to keep our marriage strong, to keep us connected. 00:15:15.300 --> 00:15:16.139 And here's the thing. 00:15:16.180 --> 00:15:18.139 It doesn't mean that we are deeply connecting 00:15:18.139 --> 00:15:19.840 and sharing our most vulnerable thoughts 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:22.319 and feelings every morning, right? 00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:24.139 A lot of times, to be totally honest, 00:15:24.179 --> 00:15:25.379 we are just talking logistics. 00:15:26.319 --> 00:15:27.639 Who's gonna pick this kid up? 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:28.840 Who's gonna get this kid there? 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:31.100 Who's gonna respond to this teacher email, right? 00:15:31.240 --> 00:15:33.600 It's just the kind of stuff of parenting, right? 00:15:35.379 --> 00:15:37.379 The value of it is cumulative. 00:15:38.980 --> 00:15:42.620 It's the cumulative time spent together over time 00:15:42.620 --> 00:15:45.340 that keeps that bond strong. 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:47.399 And then you add in all of the other things 00:15:47.399 --> 00:15:49.720 and it just makes it better, right? 00:15:49.860 --> 00:15:51.340 And I'm saying this because I think 00:15:51.340 --> 00:15:53.060 that it's actually much the same with God. 00:15:54.379 --> 00:15:56.919 This is not rocket science, right? 00:15:57.560 --> 00:16:00.179 There's no mystical mountaintop experience 00:16:00.179 --> 00:16:02.519 that has to open a gate for this to become possible. 00:16:03.139 --> 00:16:04.560 It's simply a matter of saying, 00:16:04.700 --> 00:16:07.740 I'm gonna spend time with you, Lord, regularly. 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:10.320 I'm just gonna talk to you. 00:16:10.519 --> 00:16:11.460 I'm gonna attend to you. 00:16:11.460 --> 00:16:12.460 I'm gonna listen to you. 00:16:12.820 --> 00:16:14.019 And it doesn't have to be long. 00:16:14.220 --> 00:16:15.400 And sometimes it might be dry. 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:18.320 And sometimes it might be pure logistics, right? 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:20.540 God, help me out with this situation. 00:16:20.680 --> 00:16:21.720 God, I don't know what to do here. 00:16:22.460 --> 00:16:23.780 You know, God, help us have enough money 00:16:23.780 --> 00:16:24.660 to pay the bills, right? 00:16:24.780 --> 00:16:25.400 Whatever it may be. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:26.080 It's logistics. 00:16:26.920 --> 00:16:30.000 But that cumulative time spent with the Lord over time, 00:16:30.540 --> 00:16:32.900 that was the secret to Teresa of Avila's journey 00:16:32.900 --> 00:16:35.560 into experiencing that profound spiritual union. 00:16:37.379 --> 00:16:39.160 So this is the first thing that we see. 00:16:39.160 --> 00:16:41.139 The first half of chapter 19, 00:16:41.460 --> 00:16:44.280 shows this great wedding feast. 00:16:44.379 --> 00:16:46.120 And we are all, as God's saints, 00:16:46.259 --> 00:16:47.759 joined together as the bride, 00:16:47.980 --> 00:16:49.320 and the bridegroom is there. 00:16:49.660 --> 00:16:51.240 And there's this great celebration 00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:54.680 over the spiritual union between God and his people. 00:16:54.800 --> 00:16:57.200 That's what salvation means. 00:16:57.300 --> 00:16:58.900 It's what we now have access to. 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:01.980 The rest of chapter 19, 00:17:02.139 --> 00:17:03.780 there's a pivot, as I said. 00:17:03.779 --> 00:17:06.420 And it depicts a great battle, 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:09.440 where we now see Jesus depicted as a warrior 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:11.099 who's leading his people 00:17:11.099 --> 00:17:13.960 to fight against the beast and its followers. 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:16.339 And the thing that we need to see right away 00:17:16.339 --> 00:17:19.819 is that this is not a typical military battle. 00:17:20.599 --> 00:17:21.819 There are a couple of key differences. 00:17:22.879 --> 00:17:25.500 Number one, this is not a military war. 00:17:25.559 --> 00:17:27.559 This is a spiritual war. 00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:30.879 Revelation uses images like this 00:17:30.879 --> 00:17:33.460 to show us spiritual realities. 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:37.299 The dragon and the beasts 00:17:37.299 --> 00:17:39.960 and even Babylon throughout Revelation, 00:17:40.099 --> 00:17:43.519 they all represent that which stands 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:45.579 opposed to God and his word. 00:17:47.159 --> 00:17:50.039 That which stands opposed to God's people. 00:17:50.940 --> 00:17:53.399 That which stands opposed to God's creation. 00:17:53.799 --> 00:17:53.980 Right? 00:17:53.980 --> 00:17:55.920 We have the dragon, the beasts, Babylon. 00:17:56.900 --> 00:17:59.180 And as Paul says in Ephesians chapter six, 00:17:59.860 --> 00:18:02.259 we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, 00:18:02.339 --> 00:18:04.220 but against the rulers, against the authorities, 00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:07.099 against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, 00:18:08.120 --> 00:18:10.220 against the spiritual forces of evil 00:18:10.220 --> 00:18:11.860 in the heavenly places. 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:15.299 There is real evil in this world. 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:17.900 And behind the social evil 00:18:17.900 --> 00:18:19.059 and behind the political evil 00:18:19.059 --> 00:18:20.339 and behind the cultural evil 00:18:20.339 --> 00:18:23.319 and behind the breakdown of family 00:18:23.319 --> 00:18:25.559 and the breaking apart of marriages 00:18:25.559 --> 00:18:27.059 and behind the trauma and the abuse 00:18:27.059 --> 00:18:28.759 and all of those things that we see, 00:18:29.339 --> 00:18:30.980 there is spiritual evil. 00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:33.919 So it is a spiritual war 00:18:33.919 --> 00:18:36.639 against fundamentally a spiritual enemy. 00:18:37.659 --> 00:18:38.939 The second thing we see 00:18:38.939 --> 00:18:40.379 is that this spiritual war, 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:43.200 out of necessity, uses spiritual weapons. 00:18:44.159 --> 00:18:47.359 It's not fought with swords or guns or bombs. 00:18:48.639 --> 00:18:49.599 It says in verse 15, 00:18:49.720 --> 00:18:51.779 from his mouth comes a sharp sword. 00:18:51.779 --> 00:18:55.440 The warrior Jesus has but one weapon, 00:18:56.259 --> 00:18:56.819 his word. 00:18:58.019 --> 00:19:01.259 He is, if we look back to creation, 00:19:01.539 --> 00:19:02.339 he is the word. 00:19:03.319 --> 00:19:05.940 He has the word and he wields the word. 00:19:06.339 --> 00:19:07.680 And the gospel accounts show us 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:09.339 what it looks like in this war 00:19:09.339 --> 00:19:11.240 when Jesus wields his word. 00:19:12.299 --> 00:19:13.740 When Jesus does this, 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:15.539 the blind receive sight. 00:19:16.940 --> 00:19:19.240 When Jesus wields this weapon, 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:21.440 people with leprosy are healed. 00:19:22.140 --> 00:19:24.420 People who can't walk are now able to walk. 00:19:25.579 --> 00:19:27.680 People who have died come back to life. 00:19:29.400 --> 00:19:31.799 People who are hopelessly lost in sin 00:19:31.799 --> 00:19:34.980 are instantaneously forgiven 00:19:34.980 --> 00:19:37.740 and restored to right relationship with God. 00:19:37.740 --> 00:19:39.240 And in all of these things 00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:40.180 that we see Jesus doing, 00:19:40.380 --> 00:19:43.160 he is wielding his word like a sword. 00:19:43.799 --> 00:19:46.539 He is speaking these things into being 00:19:46.539 --> 00:19:50.359 in a way that the enemy cannot stand against. 00:19:51.059 --> 00:19:52.940 He's waging war against the enemy. 00:19:53.120 --> 00:19:54.359 He's reclaiming territory. 00:19:54.839 --> 00:19:56.180 He's liberating captives. 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:58.579 He's driving back the darkness and chaos. 00:19:58.579 --> 00:20:01.019 And this, my friends, 00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:02.799 is what our salvation is for. 00:20:04.039 --> 00:20:06.419 This is the reason that we have been restored 00:20:06.419 --> 00:20:07.819 to right relationship with God, 00:20:07.919 --> 00:20:09.879 to join in that fight, 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:12.599 to follow Jesus into battle. 00:20:13.740 --> 00:20:15.299 And this means many things. 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:17.119 It means speaking God's word 00:20:17.119 --> 00:20:19.679 into the chaos and confusion of the world 00:20:19.679 --> 00:20:21.619 and allowing it to be a lamp unto our feet. 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:25.019 It also means liberating captives 00:20:25.019 --> 00:20:26.639 and freeing those who are oppressed 00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:28.400 and fighting against injustice 00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:29.740 and caring for the poor 00:20:29.740 --> 00:20:31.340 and giving food to the hungry. 00:20:31.520 --> 00:20:32.960 In all of these ways, 00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:35.360 we push back the darkness. 00:20:36.900 --> 00:20:39.660 So all the ministries of the church 00:20:39.660 --> 00:20:41.620 are engaged in this war. 00:20:42.900 --> 00:20:44.720 You know, when we preach and teach 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:46.360 and live out God's word in our lives, 00:20:46.420 --> 00:20:47.759 we are pushing back the darkness. 00:20:48.560 --> 00:20:50.380 When we provide safe homes 00:20:50.380 --> 00:20:53.320 for people in need of short-term foster care, 00:20:53.660 --> 00:20:55.340 when we support moms and dads 00:20:55.339 --> 00:20:57.179 as they try to rebuild their families, 00:20:57.299 --> 00:20:58.959 we're pushing back the darkness. 00:21:00.299 --> 00:21:01.819 When you work with those 00:21:01.819 --> 00:21:04.119 who are in prisoner re-entry programs 00:21:04.119 --> 00:21:06.039 or provide refugee care 00:21:06.039 --> 00:21:08.799 or care for those who are without homes 00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:10.939 or work in international development, 00:21:11.220 --> 00:21:13.019 those are ways of pushing back the darkness. 00:21:14.459 --> 00:21:16.980 The simple acts of Christian faithfulness, 00:21:18.359 --> 00:21:18.740 forgiveness, 00:21:18.740 --> 00:21:21.500 showing hospitality, 00:21:23.700 --> 00:21:24.500 generosity, 00:21:26.099 --> 00:21:27.359 showing kindness, 00:21:28.259 --> 00:21:30.279 those push back the darkness. 00:21:31.660 --> 00:21:31.759 Right? 00:21:31.859 --> 00:21:33.799 So the image of this war 00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:37.220 shows us what salvation is for. 00:21:38.180 --> 00:21:39.980 We're here to push back the darkness. 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:41.839 We're here to join with Christ 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:42.880 in the renewal of all things. 00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:46.660 You know, that's what our mission statement says 00:21:46.660 --> 00:21:47.880 at Church of the Advent. 00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:49.920 That we want to join people to God, 00:21:50.040 --> 00:21:50.940 join them to one another, 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:53.820 and then to join in with Christ 00:21:53.820 --> 00:21:56.240 in the renewal of all things, 00:21:56.519 --> 00:21:58.200 in the work of renewal here in D.C. 00:21:58.200 --> 00:21:59.140 and through it the world. 00:22:00.660 --> 00:22:03.100 And understanding 00:22:03.100 --> 00:22:05.340 that these images 00:22:05.340 --> 00:22:07.100 are meant to be held together 00:22:07.100 --> 00:22:08.640 gives us a much fuller picture 00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:10.140 of the Christian life. 00:22:10.220 --> 00:22:11.759 We need to hold these things together, 00:22:11.860 --> 00:22:13.200 the wedding and the war. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:14.340 What does it mean? 00:22:14.660 --> 00:22:15.420 What is it for? 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:17.539 And what that shows us 00:22:17.539 --> 00:22:18.660 is that the Christian life 00:22:18.660 --> 00:22:20.860 is two things at the same time. 00:22:21.480 --> 00:22:23.660 It is a life of intimacy with God 00:22:23.660 --> 00:22:26.500 and it's a life of engagement 00:22:26.500 --> 00:22:27.880 with the brokenness of the world. 00:22:28.840 --> 00:22:32.000 It is a life of contemplation 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:34.680 and it is a life of activism. 00:22:35.640 --> 00:22:37.519 It is both at the same time. 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:39.680 And I think we need to hear this, 00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:41.120 and this is why I want to do the whole chapter, 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:42.559 because I think that we, 00:22:43.179 --> 00:22:44.579 depending on who you are 00:22:44.579 --> 00:22:45.879 and your wiring and your gifts 00:22:45.879 --> 00:22:47.159 and your heart and your inclinations 00:22:47.159 --> 00:22:48.359 and your life experience, 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:52.179 we have different tendencies 00:22:52.179 --> 00:22:53.959 in terms of where we feel most comfortable. 00:22:54.139 --> 00:22:56.279 You know, some of us love to worship 00:22:56.279 --> 00:22:57.359 and we love to study 00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:58.639 and we love to learn the scriptures 00:22:58.639 --> 00:23:00.659 and we love to read about theology. 00:23:02.699 --> 00:23:04.539 But if we don't get out into the fight, 00:23:05.479 --> 00:23:07.000 you know, if we're not going out 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:09.079 and preaching the gospel to the lost, 00:23:09.079 --> 00:23:11.199 if we're not confronting injustice 00:23:11.199 --> 00:23:12.079 in our communities, 00:23:12.579 --> 00:23:14.559 if we're not pushing against the darkness 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:15.859 and ignorance in the world, 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:18.839 if all we're doing is holding up 00:23:18.839 --> 00:23:22.500 and reading about these things, 00:23:23.299 --> 00:23:24.539 refining our doctrine, 00:23:25.179 --> 00:23:26.379 you know, working on all, 00:23:26.579 --> 00:23:28.000 if that's all we're doing, 00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:30.220 then our faith is going to become abstract, 00:23:30.500 --> 00:23:31.819 it's going to become stagnant. 00:23:31.819 --> 00:23:35.179 So some of us need to know, 00:23:35.299 --> 00:23:37.500 hey, yes, spend time with God, 00:23:37.539 --> 00:23:38.619 but there's a reason why 00:23:38.619 --> 00:23:39.939 you need that relationship with God. 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:41.019 It's because you're called to go out 00:23:41.019 --> 00:23:42.779 and engage and serve, 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:45.500 pour yourself out for the life of the world. 00:23:45.980 --> 00:23:47.439 Some of us are the exact opposite. 00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:48.879 We love being activists. 00:23:49.339 --> 00:23:50.500 We love being out in the world. 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:51.099 We want to go out 00:23:51.099 --> 00:23:52.079 and we want to change the world 00:23:52.079 --> 00:23:53.299 and we're really good at it 00:23:53.299 --> 00:23:55.519 and we're amazing at coming up with ways 00:23:55.519 --> 00:23:56.960 to make the world a better place. 00:23:57.799 --> 00:23:59.240 We have lots of ideas and visions 00:23:59.240 --> 00:24:00.500 about what justice looks like 00:24:00.500 --> 00:24:01.460 and we want to get it done 00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:02.819 and we want people around us 00:24:02.819 --> 00:24:03.980 and we can't wait to get started. 00:24:05.619 --> 00:24:07.400 But if you're that kind of person 00:24:07.400 --> 00:24:09.599 and you have not given your full heart to God, 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:12.900 if you're not anchored by 00:24:12.900 --> 00:24:14.619 and nourished by God's word, 00:24:15.299 --> 00:24:17.539 if you're not regularly worshiping 00:24:17.539 --> 00:24:18.640 with the saints 00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:20.619 and being nourished and fed, 00:24:20.680 --> 00:24:22.559 if you're not spending time in prayer, 00:24:23.720 --> 00:24:26.180 then you're going to become rootless. 00:24:27.279 --> 00:24:28.240 You're going to drift. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:31.480 Chances are you're either going to, 00:24:31.599 --> 00:24:33.180 if you're having success in that work, 00:24:33.240 --> 00:24:34.240 you're going to feel puffed up. 00:24:35.460 --> 00:24:36.720 If you're not having success, 00:24:36.980 --> 00:24:38.819 if you're running into futility, 00:24:38.900 --> 00:24:39.839 you're going to get burned out 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:42.620 because you're fighting against a darkness 00:24:42.620 --> 00:24:44.039 that goes way beyond your strength. 00:24:46.339 --> 00:24:47.599 So the good news is, 00:24:47.620 --> 00:24:48.819 is that we need both 00:24:48.819 --> 00:24:50.779 and then I believe Jesus has given us a way 00:24:50.779 --> 00:24:53.599 to hold both of those things together. 00:24:54.180 --> 00:24:54.940 We have a way, 00:24:54.940 --> 00:24:56.740 every time we come together, friends, 00:24:56.779 --> 00:24:59.279 we have a way to experience intimacy 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:00.779 and nourishment from God 00:25:00.779 --> 00:25:04.120 and then we are sent out into the world 00:25:04.120 --> 00:25:06.580 having the strength to fight. 00:25:07.880 --> 00:25:09.440 And this is the experience we share 00:25:09.440 --> 00:25:10.519 every week at this table 00:25:10.519 --> 00:25:12.980 at the Eucharist. 00:25:13.779 --> 00:25:14.700 I mean, this meal, 00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:16.039 when we share it, friends, 00:25:16.420 --> 00:25:18.580 this is like a rehearsal dinner 00:25:18.579 --> 00:25:22.359 in anticipation of the great wedding feast to come. 00:25:24.039 --> 00:25:25.379 You come down the aisle 00:25:25.379 --> 00:25:27.159 to receive the bread and the wine 00:25:27.159 --> 00:25:28.679 and when you come down the aisle, 00:25:29.179 --> 00:25:30.859 you're coming as the bride 00:25:30.859 --> 00:25:33.699 would process toward the bridegroom. 00:25:34.819 --> 00:25:37.619 And this feast is the thing that we need 00:25:37.619 --> 00:25:39.960 to prepare us for the fight outside. 00:25:40.500 --> 00:25:42.359 And every aspect of it 00:25:42.359 --> 00:25:43.579 is radically countercultural. 00:25:43.579 --> 00:25:46.859 Every aspect of what we're doing right now 00:25:46.859 --> 00:25:49.539 pushes against the darkness in the world. 00:25:50.139 --> 00:25:53.179 We live in a highly individualistic culture 00:25:53.179 --> 00:25:56.379 and this meal shows us that we need each other. 00:25:57.319 --> 00:25:58.579 We eat together. 00:25:59.319 --> 00:26:01.659 We serve one another at this table 00:26:01.659 --> 00:26:03.299 and we remember that it's not good 00:26:03.299 --> 00:26:04.740 for any human being to be alone. 00:26:06.099 --> 00:26:07.059 That's why we do it together. 00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:09.379 That's why we don't do it in private, 00:26:10.059 --> 00:26:11.919 one-off Eucharistic gatherings 00:26:11.919 --> 00:26:12.879 for one or two people. 00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:13.640 It's why we do it 00:26:13.640 --> 00:26:15.600 when we're gathered together as a family. 00:26:16.360 --> 00:26:17.700 In a divided culture, 00:26:17.800 --> 00:26:19.220 this reminds us that ultimately 00:26:19.220 --> 00:26:21.120 we are one in Christ. 00:26:22.740 --> 00:26:24.560 We may disagree politically. 00:26:24.800 --> 00:26:25.240 We may disagree. 00:26:25.300 --> 00:26:27.980 And I know from past experience, 00:26:28.120 --> 00:26:29.100 there are people in this church 00:26:29.100 --> 00:26:31.380 that disagree on most of the major issues, 00:26:31.940 --> 00:26:32.700 politically, socially, 00:26:33.580 --> 00:26:34.460 even some theological. 00:26:35.380 --> 00:26:36.820 And yet this reminds us 00:26:36.820 --> 00:26:39.680 that ultimately in a divided culture, 00:26:39.800 --> 00:26:41.040 we are one in Christ 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:42.819 because we all share the same bread 00:26:42.819 --> 00:26:44.639 and we all share the same wine. 00:26:45.859 --> 00:26:49.000 In a culture of celebrity and self-promotion, 00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:50.980 this meal humbles us 00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:51.960 because it reminds us 00:26:51.960 --> 00:26:53.899 that no one is entitled to eat this meal. 00:26:54.399 --> 00:26:55.960 No one has earned this meal. 00:26:57.240 --> 00:27:00.119 We come because of God's mercy 00:27:00.119 --> 00:27:02.460 and God's mercy alone. 00:27:02.460 --> 00:27:05.019 In a culture of workaholism, 00:27:05.340 --> 00:27:07.640 where many people work 00:27:07.640 --> 00:27:08.620 all the way through the weekend, 00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:09.259 every weekend, 00:27:10.180 --> 00:27:12.319 it shows us that human beings 00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:13.799 are created for 00:27:13.799 --> 00:27:15.100 and we need Sabbath rest. 00:27:15.099 --> 00:27:19.059 In a culture of ambition and careerism, 00:27:19.879 --> 00:27:22.519 this table reminds us ultimately 00:27:22.519 --> 00:27:26.019 that the purpose of all human vocation 00:27:26.019 --> 00:27:27.579 is the glory of God. 00:27:28.639 --> 00:27:30.519 So when we bring the offering, 00:27:30.819 --> 00:27:31.839 what we're really doing is 00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:34.599 we are offering up the work of our hands. 00:27:35.459 --> 00:27:36.819 We're offering that up 00:27:36.819 --> 00:27:37.679 and saying ultimately, 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:38.899 Lord, this is for you. 00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:41.619 You know, work with your whole heart, 00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:42.939 Paul says in Colossians, 00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:44.179 as for the Lord. 00:27:44.180 --> 00:27:47.019 Lord, we're offering that up to the Lord. 00:27:47.820 --> 00:27:50.500 In a culture that divides insiders and outsiders, 00:27:50.700 --> 00:27:51.640 in a culture of cliques, 00:27:52.220 --> 00:27:53.480 in a culture of favoritism, 00:27:54.160 --> 00:27:57.420 this shows us what true hospitality looks like. 00:27:58.340 --> 00:27:59.080 Because listen, 00:27:59.240 --> 00:28:01.140 the ones with whom we share this meal, 00:28:01.220 --> 00:28:01.880 even this morning, 00:28:01.940 --> 00:28:03.360 are not necessarily the ones 00:28:03.360 --> 00:28:05.660 we would choose to have a meal with 00:28:05.660 --> 00:28:07.240 if left to our own devices. 00:28:08.539 --> 00:28:08.940 Right? 00:28:09.019 --> 00:28:09.940 The people who are here, 00:28:10.039 --> 00:28:12.640 the people we share this meal with 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:14.100 are here not at our invitation, 00:28:14.180 --> 00:28:15.380 but at Jesus' invitation. 00:28:17.120 --> 00:28:18.560 You know, and sometimes you come to a party 00:28:18.560 --> 00:28:18.980 and you're like, 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:20.440 wait, you invited that person? 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:22.680 You know, how did they get invited? 00:28:23.480 --> 00:28:25.140 I think Jesus delights in that. 00:28:26.120 --> 00:28:27.519 I think Jesus loves that. 00:28:28.220 --> 00:28:29.960 And I think Jesus loves our discomfort 00:28:29.960 --> 00:28:31.860 at that. 00:28:33.019 --> 00:28:34.539 Because I think it's exposing something 00:28:34.539 --> 00:28:36.799 in our hearts that needs to be healed. 00:28:37.880 --> 00:28:38.779 Verse nine says, 00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:40.480 blessed are those who are invited 00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:41.740 to the marriage supper of the Lamb. 00:28:42.539 --> 00:28:43.900 You don't get to choose your family. 00:28:45.259 --> 00:28:46.799 Here, we're reminded that God does. 00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:49.160 In an outrage culture, 00:28:49.640 --> 00:28:51.519 this meal calls us to forgive 00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:53.339 and be reconciled to one another 00:28:53.339 --> 00:28:54.299 before we eat. 00:28:54.380 --> 00:28:55.759 Every time, before we come to the meal, 00:28:55.819 --> 00:28:56.759 we pass the peace. 00:28:57.700 --> 00:28:59.539 I'm not gonna choose outrage today. 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:01.180 I'm not gonna choose resentment today. 00:29:01.720 --> 00:29:03.539 I'm gonna choose forgiveness and peace. 00:29:03.539 --> 00:29:07.220 In that way, I think this meal is central 00:29:07.220 --> 00:29:09.079 to re-knitting the social fabric. 00:29:10.539 --> 00:29:12.159 This is where we knit together 00:29:12.159 --> 00:29:14.079 the torn and shredded social fabric 00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:14.839 of our society. 00:29:14.940 --> 00:29:15.539 It begins here. 00:29:17.420 --> 00:29:20.339 And perhaps the most challenging thing 00:29:20.339 --> 00:29:23.279 for people like us who live in D.C., 00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:25.460 you can decide for yourselves, 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:29.220 is that this table reminds us 00:29:29.220 --> 00:29:31.159 of our fundamental inadequacy. 00:29:31.160 --> 00:29:34.019 that we are not enough. 00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:37.480 That we don't have everything we need in here. 00:29:38.080 --> 00:29:40.180 And that ultimately, we need God. 00:29:40.360 --> 00:29:41.620 And I think, honestly, friends, 00:29:41.700 --> 00:29:43.000 one of the most significant things 00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:44.400 that we do liturgically 00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:45.519 as a liturgical act 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:48.680 is as we come up to receive 00:29:48.680 --> 00:29:49.519 the bread and the wine, 00:29:49.800 --> 00:29:51.420 we hold out our hands like this. 00:29:52.440 --> 00:29:53.860 We're holding our hands out 00:29:53.860 --> 00:29:54.840 in the shape of a cross. 00:29:55.540 --> 00:29:57.759 And we are signifying by doing that, 00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:01.220 ultimately, I do not have what I need 00:30:01.220 --> 00:30:03.259 and I do not deserve what I need. 00:30:03.619 --> 00:30:05.140 And I'm here at your mercy 00:30:05.140 --> 00:30:06.779 and I'm asking you to give me 00:30:06.779 --> 00:30:08.240 what only you can give me. 00:30:08.579 --> 00:30:09.799 That's what this means. 00:30:10.920 --> 00:30:12.539 So please don't be offended 00:30:12.539 --> 00:30:14.279 if your children come up 00:30:14.279 --> 00:30:15.680 and we gently encourage them 00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:17.879 to put their hands in a shape of a cross 00:30:17.879 --> 00:30:19.879 or if we encourage you to do that. 00:30:19.960 --> 00:30:22.019 It's not just about being formal 00:30:22.019 --> 00:30:23.299 or keeping with tradition. 00:30:23.299 --> 00:30:25.539 I actually believe that 00:30:25.539 --> 00:30:26.819 when I do this every week, 00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:28.799 it forms my heart 00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:30.579 and reminds me that I'm not enough 00:30:30.579 --> 00:30:32.680 when there are so many other voices 00:30:32.680 --> 00:30:33.980 that want to convince me otherwise, 00:30:34.980 --> 00:30:35.919 including my own. 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:40.500 We recognize our fundamental inadequacy. 00:30:40.740 --> 00:30:41.940 In all of these ways, 00:30:42.099 --> 00:30:44.859 through a simple meal of bread and wine, 00:30:45.539 --> 00:30:47.799 we are pushing back the darkness. 00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:52.480 We are living in a radically countercultural way. 00:30:53.339 --> 00:30:54.740 And we are being prepared 00:30:54.740 --> 00:30:57.319 to go out and fight the fight. 00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:00.839 God ultimately doesn't give us 00:31:00.839 --> 00:31:02.140 answers or explanations. 00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:04.259 He gives us the life of his son 00:31:04.259 --> 00:31:06.259 and he gives us the body and the blood 00:31:06.259 --> 00:31:08.380 and that is actually what we truly need. 00:31:09.519 --> 00:31:11.000 So Christianity is not just about 00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:12.039 getting a ticket to heaven 00:31:12.039 --> 00:31:13.779 and keeping it in your back pocket 00:31:13.779 --> 00:31:15.099 until you get to the gate. 00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:17.319 Christianity is about 00:31:17.319 --> 00:31:19.740 living in intimacy with God 00:31:19.740 --> 00:31:21.680 and participating in the life of God 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:24.299 and then it's about joining with God 00:31:24.299 --> 00:31:26.180 in building a new society, 00:31:26.779 --> 00:31:27.920 a countercultural society, 00:31:28.299 --> 00:31:29.060 dare I say, 00:31:29.320 --> 00:31:30.860 building a Eucharistic society, 00:31:31.500 --> 00:31:33.580 a truer, better way 00:31:33.580 --> 00:31:34.580 of being human together. 00:31:35.539 --> 00:31:36.980 And so we gather together 00:31:36.980 --> 00:31:39.380 around the feast at God's table 00:31:39.380 --> 00:31:41.220 and at the end of this service, 00:31:41.360 --> 00:31:41.840 be ready, 00:31:42.700 --> 00:31:43.960 there will be the dismissal, 00:31:44.640 --> 00:31:46.000 which is the call to arms. 00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:48.259 And we will be sent out. 00:31:49.059 --> 00:31:50.940 Hillary will send us out 00:31:50.940 --> 00:31:53.140 to fight against the chaos 00:31:53.140 --> 00:31:54.099 and darkness and injustice 00:31:54.099 --> 00:31:54.720 in the world 00:31:54.720 --> 00:31:56.799 and we will do so in Christ's name 00:31:56.799 --> 00:31:57.680 until he comes again. 00:31:58.539 --> 00:31:59.200 Let's pray. 00:32:03.099 --> 00:32:04.819 Our Lord and Heavenly Father, 00:32:04.960 --> 00:32:07.019 help us grasp these mysteries. 00:32:07.019 --> 00:32:11.160 on our own, 00:32:11.240 --> 00:32:11.819 we're not enough 00:32:11.819 --> 00:32:14.619 and we can't do it, 00:32:14.660 --> 00:32:15.240 but with you, 00:32:15.559 --> 00:32:16.539 all things are possible. 00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:19.839 Lord, as you give us yourself, 00:32:19.960 --> 00:32:21.879 we pray that we would be strengthened, 00:32:23.079 --> 00:32:24.139 filled with your presence, 00:32:24.639 --> 00:32:26.579 that you would do in and through us 00:32:26.579 --> 00:32:27.420 what only you can do. 00:32:28.500 --> 00:32:29.480 Help those of us 00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:30.879 who feel disconnected from you 00:32:30.879 --> 00:32:32.559 or dry in our spiritual life. 00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:35.039 Lord, bless us 00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:36.000 with a sense of intimacy 00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:37.119 and connection with you. 00:32:37.639 --> 00:32:38.539 Remind us of the wedding. 00:32:39.220 --> 00:32:40.240 And for those of us, Lord, 00:32:40.299 --> 00:32:42.179 who may have become passive 00:32:42.179 --> 00:32:43.460 or inert 00:32:43.460 --> 00:32:45.759 or apathetic, 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:48.539 Lord, stir us to action. 00:32:49.019 --> 00:32:50.279 Stir us to good works. 00:32:51.399 --> 00:32:54.399 Lord, that we would be impassioned 00:32:54.399 --> 00:32:56.200 to live for you, 00:32:56.259 --> 00:32:56.839 not just here, 00:32:56.899 --> 00:32:57.440 but in the world 00:32:57.440 --> 00:32:58.079 and our lives 00:32:58.079 --> 00:32:58.579 and our neighborhoods 00:32:58.579 --> 00:32:59.460 and our vocations. 00:33:00.859 --> 00:33:02.000 Lord, that we would live for 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:02.920 and proclaim your name 00:33:02.920 --> 00:33:03.619 and word and deed. 00:33:04.500 --> 00:33:06.019 We pray this in Jesus' name. 00:33:06.220 --> 00:33:06.420 Amen. 00:33:06.420 --> 00:33:06.519 Amen.