WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.980 Good morning, church. 00:00:06.179 --> 00:00:11.779 My name is Patrick Tetzloth, and I'm one of the elders at Grace Church in Racine. 00:00:12.179 --> 00:00:19.820 My wife Erin and I live in Caledonia, and God has gifted us with the responsibility 00:00:19.820 --> 00:00:25.960 to raise four kids, ranging in ages currently from 17 to 25. 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:31.100 And I don't preach for a living, so please be kind. 00:00:31.780 --> 00:00:37.000 I was talking to Sharon before the service and said, you guys have a substitute teacher today, 00:00:37.100 --> 00:00:39.780 and she wanted to know if it was okay to misbehave. 00:00:39.859 --> 00:00:41.100 I guess that's up to you. 00:00:42.840 --> 00:00:49.620 So your lead pastor, Mike Silvati, and our lead pastor, Mike Matheson, are friends. 00:00:49.619 --> 00:00:55.939 And your pastor, Mike, asked our pastor, Mike, if Grace Church could bring a guest preacher 00:00:55.939 --> 00:00:57.140 for this Sunday. 00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:03.879 And when our pastor, Mike, put out the request, I was really thrilled to just have an opportunity 00:01:03.879 --> 00:01:08.099 to come here and open up God's Word for you this morning. 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:13.079 So I'm going to read our passage and then say a short prayer. 00:01:13.079 --> 00:01:19.959 The passage for this morning is Mark 9, verses 2 through 13. 00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:25.340 And if you're following in one of the Bibles behind you, that's on page 1004. 00:01:25.799 --> 00:01:29.140 Again, that's Mark 9, verses 2 through 13. 00:01:29.939 --> 00:01:31.920 Listen while I read God's Word. 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:40.040 And after six days, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain 00:01:40.040 --> 00:01:40.799 by themselves. 00:01:41.780 --> 00:01:44.060 And he was transfigured before them. 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:50.659 And his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 00:01:51.320 --> 00:01:55.659 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 00:01:55.920 --> 00:01:59.760 And Peter said to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good that we are here. 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:04.300 Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah. 00:02:05.240 --> 00:02:07.880 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 00:02:08.640 --> 00:02:12.620 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud. 00:02:13.180 --> 00:02:14.920 This is my beloved son. 00:02:15.620 --> 00:02:16.520 Listen to him. 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:23.180 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. 00:02:24.360 --> 00:02:28.500 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had 00:02:28.500 --> 00:02:31.960 seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:38.300 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 00:02:38.860 --> 00:02:43.599 And they asked him, why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come? 00:02:43.659 --> 00:02:48.180 And he said to them, Elijah does come first to restore all things. 00:02:48.180 --> 00:02:53.319 And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated 00:02:53.319 --> 00:02:54.079 with contempt? 00:02:54.079 --> 00:03:00.739 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is 00:03:00.739 --> 00:03:01.639 written of him. 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:05.879 Let's pray and ask God to help us this morning. 00:03:08.079 --> 00:03:13.400 Dear Heavenly Father, we do yearn for and earnestly seek your word. 00:03:14.120 --> 00:03:20.099 Lord, I just ask that you would give us ears to hear and soft hearts to receive your word. 00:03:20.099 --> 00:03:22.819 And would it indeed not return empty? 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:25.280 And might you be glorified this morning. 00:03:26.060 --> 00:03:27.259 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:03:27.740 --> 00:03:27.939 Amen. 00:03:29.659 --> 00:03:34.539 So our passage for this morning is about the transfiguration of Jesus. 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:41.419 This is when Jesus and his closest disciples, when he presents something that's really hard 00:03:41.419 --> 00:03:42.939 for us to even comprehend. 00:03:43.159 --> 00:03:45.479 And that's Jesus in all his glory. 00:03:45.479 --> 00:03:53.579 And it would be easy for us to just sit together and gaze at the glory of God on display in this 00:03:53.579 --> 00:03:54.120 text. 00:03:54.239 --> 00:03:59.679 But I think if we're not careful, we might miss an important message that Mark intended 00:03:59.679 --> 00:04:00.919 for us to receive. 00:04:01.459 --> 00:04:08.560 So I want to show you from this text how Jesus' suffering was an inseparable part of his glory. 00:04:09.179 --> 00:04:14.379 And I also want you to see that we need to listen to Jesus when we are called to suffer 00:04:14.379 --> 00:04:15.219 for him. 00:04:15.939 --> 00:04:19.959 So that's the main objective here this morning is for me to show you from this text that 00:04:19.959 --> 00:04:23.659 Jesus' suffering was inseparable from his glory. 00:04:23.879 --> 00:04:28.279 And also I want you to see that we need to listen to Jesus when we are called to suffer 00:04:28.279 --> 00:04:29.339 for him. 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:34.680 And just to kind of help you follow the message along, we're going to look at, we're going 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:37.540 to start off looking at events before the transfiguration. 00:04:38.040 --> 00:04:40.159 And we're going to look at the transfiguration itself. 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:43.600 And then we're going to look at after the transfiguration. 00:04:44.760 --> 00:04:46.560 So before the transfiguration. 00:04:46.820 --> 00:04:52.420 And why I want to start there is because if we're to properly understand how the transfiguration 00:04:52.420 --> 00:04:58.320 is presented in Mark's gospel, we need to back up just a little bit and see what's happening 00:04:58.320 --> 00:05:00.860 in the text just before this event. 00:05:01.300 --> 00:05:08.540 And just prior to the transfiguration, Peter makes his remarkable confession that Jesus is 00:05:08.540 --> 00:05:09.100 the Christ. 00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:15.379 And some consider Peter's confession to be the very center of Mark's gospel. 00:05:15.900 --> 00:05:22.439 And last week, your pastor, Mike, asked you to consider who are you in Christ? 00:05:23.340 --> 00:05:30.259 And in Mark chapter 8, 27 through 30, Jesus asks his disciples, who do people say that I 00:05:30.259 --> 00:05:30.520 am? 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:36.099 And in any normal circumstances, this would be a little bit of an odd question, but Jesus 00:05:36.099 --> 00:05:38.019 has been going all throughout the region. 00:05:38.199 --> 00:05:42.299 He's been teaching, healing, casting out demons, performing miracles. 00:05:42.299 --> 00:05:46.620 And all along, he's gaining quite a following, quite a reputation. 00:05:46.620 --> 00:05:49.879 So the question really isn't that strange. 00:05:49.879 --> 00:05:53.740 And when Jesus asks, who do people say that I am? 00:05:53.899 --> 00:05:58.740 The disciples respond and they say, well, some people say you're John the Baptist and other 00:05:58.740 --> 00:06:01.939 people say you're Elijah and other people say you're a prophet. 00:06:03.079 --> 00:06:08.620 Jesus flips the question, looks at his disciples and says, who do you say that I am? 00:06:09.579 --> 00:06:11.079 Peter is quick to answer. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:12.399 You are the Christ. 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:19.519 And all throughout Mark's gospel, Jesus has been revealing himself to be the son of God 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:20.519 and the son of man. 00:06:21.099 --> 00:06:27.099 But this is the first time one of his disciples have confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the 00:06:27.099 --> 00:06:27.539 Messiah. 00:06:28.159 --> 00:06:31.039 This is a very significant moment in Mark's gospel. 00:06:32.179 --> 00:06:38.819 But just after Peter makes this confession, and again, we're still before the transfiguration, 00:06:38.819 --> 00:06:42.560 Jesus starts to tell his disciples that he must suffer. 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:49.180 And not only suffer, but be completely rejected and die at the hands of the religious leaders. 00:06:49.980 --> 00:06:55.459 At the end of Mark 8.31, he adds that after three days, he will rise again. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:03.180 Now, Peter, who just confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, hears this and he can't handle 00:07:03.180 --> 00:07:03.659 the truth. 00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:10.660 Peter, who's usually bold, begins to rebuke Jesus because he can't imagine his friend, 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:14.080 his teacher, his Messiah would suffer and die. 00:07:15.140 --> 00:07:19.820 And Jesus turns towards Peter and says, get behind me, Satan. 00:07:22.080 --> 00:07:26.280 Peter, at this moment, he doesn't see the true nature of Jesus Christ. 00:07:26.660 --> 00:07:31.440 He doesn't understand why Jesus would need to suffer and die. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:33.680 And he strongly rebukes Peter. 00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:35.540 Jesus strongly rebukes Peter. 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:41.060 And Peter had just confessed this big confession that Jesus is the Christ. 00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:45.819 And yet, he just can't make sense out of this concept of suffering and dying. 00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:48.220 Because Peter knows Jesus. 00:07:48.959 --> 00:07:51.759 Peter is starting to see him for who he is. 00:07:52.120 --> 00:07:56.899 But at the moment, in Mark's gospel, he doesn't see the true nature of Jesus Christ. 00:07:56.899 --> 00:08:02.099 And he can't see how Jesus' suffering is an inseparable part of his glory. 00:08:02.379 --> 00:08:10.179 And so inseparable is Jesus' suffering from his glory that Peter's attempt to deny or avoid 00:08:10.179 --> 00:08:13.939 it earns him one of the strongest rebukes possible. 00:08:14.679 --> 00:08:21.719 But before, as readers and hearers, that we go too hard on Peter, I think we should just 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:23.820 take a moment, consider our own hearts. 00:08:24.560 --> 00:08:26.020 And perhaps that's you. 00:08:26.100 --> 00:08:28.360 Perhaps you know something of Jesus. 00:08:28.540 --> 00:08:30.880 Maybe you feel some affection for Jesus. 00:08:31.180 --> 00:08:34.680 And you know intellectually that Jesus died for sins. 00:08:34.800 --> 00:08:41.480 But you just, you can't clearly see that your own sin, your own rejection of God, 00:08:41.580 --> 00:08:44.660 and your desire to do things your own way, 00:08:44.659 --> 00:08:49.219 that that's why Jesus had to suffer and die on a Roman cross. 00:08:50.459 --> 00:08:51.120 And I get it. 00:08:51.199 --> 00:08:54.879 This is quite possibly the most humbling thing imaginable, 00:08:55.019 --> 00:08:58.980 to realize that your sin is so offensive to a holy God, 00:08:59.439 --> 00:09:03.980 that the only way to save you was to send his perfect son to suffer and die, 00:09:04.480 --> 00:09:09.199 so that you might have the opportunity to repent and receive eternal life in his name. 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:17.320 And this is humbling for us, but it's glorious to see and know that God loves his people so much 00:09:17.320 --> 00:09:21.000 that he sent his son, his only son, to die on the cross. 00:09:22.420 --> 00:09:25.240 So some people think, maybe like Peter at this moment, 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:30.600 that Jesus' suffering was avoidable, or that somehow his suffering diminished his glory. 00:09:30.740 --> 00:09:34.480 But that was about to be revealed to him in a very different way. 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:38.020 A little side story. 00:09:38.019 --> 00:09:42.879 My wife and I, on the day we got married, just kind of prior to the ceremony, 00:09:43.059 --> 00:09:45.500 we shared this special moment. 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:49.519 Aaron had spent the day getting prepared for our wedding, 00:09:49.699 --> 00:09:52.740 and I spent the morning anxiously awaiting the ceremony. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:55.639 I'm sure she's very embarrassed that I'm using this illustration. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:10:02.480 But just before the ceremony, I sat in a large room alone with my back to the door, 00:10:02.579 --> 00:10:06.519 and it was just me and our wedding photographer, and it was really quiet. 00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:11.939 And I just heard a door open and close, and then I heard music start playing, 00:10:12.100 --> 00:10:14.840 and Aaron comes walking in the room behind me and just starts singing. 00:10:15.039 --> 00:10:19.539 And out of nowhere, I just heard this beautiful song, and I immediately broke into tears, 00:10:19.659 --> 00:10:23.220 and she slowly made her way over to me and came around the side, 00:10:23.379 --> 00:10:25.179 which is when I first laid eyes on her. 00:10:25.179 --> 00:10:26.759 And I was just breathless. 00:10:26.819 --> 00:10:30.259 I was just taken by how she looked standing there in front of me. 00:10:30.259 --> 00:10:35.480 And at that moment, I saw her in a different way, and it moved me, 00:10:35.559 --> 00:10:40.259 and it opened my eyes and my heart to a different level of understanding. 00:10:40.659 --> 00:10:44.700 And I think sometimes when we see people like that in a bit of a different light, 00:10:44.779 --> 00:10:47.299 we never look at them quite the same again. 00:10:49.259 --> 00:10:55.659 And back to our passage, we just talked about the events before the transfiguration, 00:10:55.659 --> 00:10:59.759 but let's look at what happened during this amazing event. 00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:06.199 So we read that this is six days after Peter confesses Jesus is the Christ, 00:11:06.360 --> 00:11:11.419 and Jesus takes his three closest disciples, Peter, James, and John, 00:11:11.500 --> 00:11:13.319 on an excursion up the mountain. 00:11:14.659 --> 00:11:17.240 And what a privilege this must have been for them, 00:11:17.240 --> 00:11:22.879 and what a privilege for us that this is recorded and we can read about it in our Bibles. 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:28.740 And as I read this passage, I just wondered what Peter, James, and John were thinking 00:11:28.740 --> 00:11:30.539 as they trekked up the mountain. 00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:35.279 Maybe they thought we're just heading to a peaceful spot to pray, 00:11:35.480 --> 00:11:39.919 or perhaps they thought Jesus would have a special word of teaching to share with them. 00:11:40.019 --> 00:11:46.840 But whatever they were thinking, I'm pretty sure they didn't expect what Jesus was about to reveal to them. 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:51.100 And this location on a mountain is important. 00:11:51.379 --> 00:11:58.139 All throughout the Bible, encounters with God, including with God and Moses and Elijah, 00:11:58.580 --> 00:12:00.840 these encounters occurred on a mountain. 00:12:01.480 --> 00:12:04.980 And the disciples arrive at the top of the mountain, 00:12:05.420 --> 00:12:08.639 and Jesus is transfigured right before their eyes. 00:12:08.820 --> 00:12:10.980 And the text is really concise. 00:12:10.980 --> 00:12:17.200 We just read that Jesus' clothes became radiant, intensely white, 00:12:17.680 --> 00:12:20.100 as no one on earth could bleach them. 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:26.279 And this intense white is speaking to Jesus' sinless perfection, 00:12:26.700 --> 00:12:30.060 unstained, and never yielded the temptation. 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:32.440 He was perfectly obedient to the Father, 00:12:32.980 --> 00:12:36.460 completely unconformed to this fallen world. 00:12:36.460 --> 00:12:42.400 And you might imagine that pure light is the absence of color, 00:12:42.519 --> 00:12:47.660 but actually pure white is the entire spectrum of visible light 00:12:47.660 --> 00:12:53.460 at equal proportions and equal intensity, all shining together. 00:12:53.660 --> 00:12:56.800 It's actually the most full light possible. 00:12:58.060 --> 00:13:01.100 And this is the type of pure white light 00:13:01.100 --> 00:13:04.040 that was on display 2,000 years ago on this mountaintop. 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:08.679 Jesus reveals his glory to Peter, James, and John. 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:12.059 He was teaching them something special. 00:13:12.199 --> 00:13:14.259 He was trying to indeed show them 00:13:14.259 --> 00:13:18.240 and help them understand the true nature of his glory. 00:13:19.659 --> 00:13:24.219 And if Jesus' transfiguration wasn't amazing enough, 00:13:24.719 --> 00:13:27.179 what happens next terrifies the disciples. 00:13:27.459 --> 00:13:30.699 And if you're following along, I'm in Mark 9, 4 through 6. 00:13:30.700 --> 00:13:35.259 Now, standing there in the intensity of this light, 00:13:35.860 --> 00:13:37.660 Elijah and Moses appear. 00:13:38.740 --> 00:13:40.300 The disciples are stunned. 00:13:41.020 --> 00:13:42.940 But then there's Peter. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:48.680 You know, I love how true to human nature the Bible is 00:13:48.680 --> 00:13:51.540 because Peter, the bold disciple, although he's stunned, 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:54.820 and I imagine he really doesn't know what to do with all this, 00:13:54.860 --> 00:13:56.879 he suggests, how about I make some tents 00:13:56.879 --> 00:13:59.300 so that we can all hang out for a while together? 00:13:59.299 --> 00:14:02.719 And in truth, we don't know what they're thinking at that moment, 00:14:02.819 --> 00:14:05.099 but we do read that they were terrified, 00:14:05.479 --> 00:14:07.159 and that's to be expected. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:09.279 Because all throughout Scripture, 00:14:09.779 --> 00:14:12.959 when people even get a glimpse of God's glory, 00:14:13.500 --> 00:14:15.799 the number one reaction is fear. 00:14:16.319 --> 00:14:18.879 And I don't know that we can really appreciate 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:21.899 how intense this experience was for them. 00:14:21.899 --> 00:14:28.559 Moses and Elijah's presence alongside Jesus is very important. 00:14:29.220 --> 00:14:32.740 Moses, who God used to deliver his people from slavery 00:14:32.740 --> 00:14:35.919 and deliver the Ten Commandments to them on stone tablets, 00:14:36.439 --> 00:14:38.419 Moses represents the law. 00:14:38.919 --> 00:14:43.179 And Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament, 00:14:43.419 --> 00:14:46.939 and his presence represents the prophets of God. 00:14:46.940 --> 00:14:50.220 And they're both noteworthy, 00:14:50.300 --> 00:14:53.880 the fact that Moses and Elijah are standing next to Jesus 00:14:53.880 --> 00:14:58.240 because Jesus is the fulfillment of both the law and the prophets. 00:14:59.100 --> 00:15:02.640 And Jesus says so himself in Luke 24, 00:15:03.260 --> 00:15:05.500 where after he rose from the dead, 00:15:05.620 --> 00:15:09.380 Jesus is talking with some of his disciples on the road to Emmaus, 00:15:09.379 --> 00:15:11.019 and he begins to tell them, 00:15:11.139 --> 00:15:12.960 and he starts with Moses and the prophets, 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:15.820 and tells them that all Scripture points to 00:15:15.820 --> 00:15:18.240 and has its fulfillment in him. 00:15:19.320 --> 00:15:23.220 And then, as if to put an even bigger exclamation point 00:15:23.220 --> 00:15:24.500 on the transfiguration, 00:15:25.100 --> 00:15:26.200 God speaks. 00:15:27.980 --> 00:15:28.759 And he says, 00:15:29.299 --> 00:15:31.799 this is my beloved Son. 00:15:32.860 --> 00:15:34.000 Listen to him. 00:15:36.059 --> 00:15:38.200 Can you imagine hearing God speak? 00:15:39.379 --> 00:15:42.360 And then, in the next instant, 00:15:42.580 --> 00:15:45.080 we read that everyone is gone, 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:47.820 and Jesus is standing alone with them. 00:15:51.659 --> 00:15:56.399 And I think sometimes when we see something so profound or so moving, 00:15:56.539 --> 00:15:57.919 we're just left speechless. 00:15:59.399 --> 00:16:00.620 A couple weeks ago, 00:16:00.740 --> 00:16:02.720 I traveled to Carbondale, Illinois, 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:05.980 with my daughter Olivia to view the solar eclipse, 00:16:05.980 --> 00:16:08.180 and after a long drive, 00:16:08.300 --> 00:16:12.940 we watched this slow but steady progression of the moon covering the sun, 00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:14.480 and then there was a moment, 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:17.480 this moment like a light switch going off, 00:16:17.539 --> 00:16:20.740 when the full beauty of the event was revealed, 00:16:20.899 --> 00:16:24.000 and the final sliver of the sun was blocked, 00:16:24.100 --> 00:16:25.879 and it got much darker, much cooler. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:29.340 All you could see was this glowing ring of light, 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:32.180 a halo around a totally black moon, 00:16:32.179 --> 00:16:36.739 and there were solar flares making these little peaks of red around the ring, 00:16:36.859 --> 00:16:40.379 and there was a thousand or so people around us, 00:16:40.419 --> 00:16:43.679 and they all went quiet for a moment. 00:16:43.879 --> 00:16:45.759 And we were just all in awe, I think, 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:46.899 of what we were witnessing. 00:16:47.239 --> 00:16:48.599 And I have to imagine, 00:16:48.779 --> 00:16:52.179 as the disciples are walking down the mountain after the transfiguration, 00:16:53.019 --> 00:16:55.120 there's a bit of stunned silence 00:16:55.120 --> 00:16:58.299 as they try to make sense of what Jesus had just shown them. 00:16:58.299 --> 00:17:01.279 And on their way down, 00:17:01.479 --> 00:17:06.079 Jesus charges them to keep what they have seen to themselves. 00:17:07.639 --> 00:17:08.519 And I thought, okay, 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:11.359 they've just witnessed the most amazing thing 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:13.559 they've probably ever seen in their lives, 00:17:13.619 --> 00:17:15.539 and Jesus asks them to keep it quiet, 00:17:16.419 --> 00:17:17.220 but not forever. 00:17:17.700 --> 00:17:20.339 He asks them to keep it quiet until he has risen from the dead. 00:17:22.899 --> 00:17:25.079 Immediately following his transfiguration, 00:17:25.079 --> 00:17:27.980 after they saw Jesus' glory with their own eyes, 00:17:28.299 --> 00:17:31.059 after the disciples saw Moses and Elijah, 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:32.980 they heard God speak. 00:17:33.779 --> 00:17:34.700 After all that, 00:17:34.839 --> 00:17:38.200 Jesus immediately starts speaking of his death and suffering. 00:17:40.299 --> 00:17:42.599 In Mark 9, 9-13, 00:17:42.899 --> 00:17:45.359 we read about their trek back down the mountain, 00:17:46.220 --> 00:17:49.440 and the disciples being asked to keep quiet about what they've seen, 00:17:49.500 --> 00:17:50.960 but they do have questions. 00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:53.539 They especially have questions about, 00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:55.220 what does Jesus mean, 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:57.619 saying that he's going to rise from the dead, 00:17:57.619 --> 00:18:00.859 and remember that get-behind-me-Satan rebuke 00:18:00.859 --> 00:18:03.139 isn't all that far off of this event, 00:18:03.459 --> 00:18:06.299 but I think the disciples aren't quite bold enough 00:18:06.299 --> 00:18:09.119 to ask Jesus directly what he means, 00:18:09.219 --> 00:18:10.559 so instead they ask him, 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:14.879 why did the scribes say that Elijah must first return? 00:18:15.299 --> 00:18:18.039 It was their understanding from Scripture 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:20.639 that the actual Elijah would return 00:18:20.639 --> 00:18:21.779 before the day of the Lord, 00:18:21.779 --> 00:18:25.519 and only then would there be a resurrection from the dead, 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:27.899 but as readers of Mark's Gospel, 00:18:28.240 --> 00:18:30.460 we know that John the Baptist was the one 00:18:30.460 --> 00:18:32.579 who prepared the way for the Lord, 00:18:32.639 --> 00:18:35.319 and he was the one that came in the spirit of Elijah, 00:18:35.579 --> 00:18:37.240 preaching a gospel of repentance 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:38.899 for the forgiveness of sins, 00:18:38.899 --> 00:18:41.379 but Jesus knows, I think, 00:18:41.460 --> 00:18:44.759 that they're not seeing all of these pieces clearly, 00:18:44.759 --> 00:18:47.200 and then in verse 12 he tells them 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:50.200 that Elijah does come to restore all things, 00:18:50.339 --> 00:18:52.259 and goes on to say he has come, 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:53.960 and he was treated terribly. 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:58.259 John the Baptist was treated horribly 00:18:58.259 --> 00:19:01.480 for delivering an amazing and beautiful message 00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:03.160 that people should repent and believe, 00:19:03.859 --> 00:19:05.460 just repent and believe, 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:07.240 and receive forgiveness of sins. 00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:11.480 John the Baptist was beheaded by King Herod 00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:14.880 at a party in order to grant the wish 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:16.620 of a young girl to dance for him, 00:19:17.319 --> 00:19:19.380 all so Herod could save face. 00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:23.240 And in the same conversation, 00:19:23.420 --> 00:19:26.380 Jesus asked them to consider as well, 00:19:26.380 --> 00:19:28.740 how is it written that the Son of Man 00:19:28.740 --> 00:19:30.240 should suffer many things 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:31.400 and be treated with contempt? 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:36.740 He may have wanted them to think of the prophet Isaiah, 00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:39.240 and if you read Isaiah 53, 00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:41.960 it's about the suffering Messiah 00:19:41.960 --> 00:19:45.019 who would bear the grief of God's people. 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:47.460 He would be pierced for their transgressions. 00:19:47.539 --> 00:19:49.720 He would be crushed for their iniquities. 00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:51.240 He would be oppressed and afflicted 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:53.900 like a lamb led to the slaughter 00:19:53.900 --> 00:19:57.279 that would be despised and rejected by men. 00:19:57.339 --> 00:19:58.920 He would be a man of sorrows 00:19:58.920 --> 00:20:01.059 and one acquainted with grief. 00:20:03.460 --> 00:20:06.720 As he walks with his disciples down the mountain, 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.019 I believe Jesus is connecting the dots for them. 00:20:10.860 --> 00:20:12.319 He's trying to get them to see 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:15.740 that the Son of Man must suffer and die 00:20:15.740 --> 00:20:17.759 before being raised in glory 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:20.319 and that this is all in accordance with the scriptures. 00:20:22.100 --> 00:20:24.140 I think at this moment it appears, 00:20:24.460 --> 00:20:26.019 and as we read on in Mark's Gospel, 00:20:26.120 --> 00:20:29.720 it appears that the disciples were still a little bit perplexed. 00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:33.539 None of this would become crystal clear to them 00:20:33.539 --> 00:20:35.619 until after the transfiguration 00:20:35.619 --> 00:20:38.500 and after they saw their Savior crucified, 00:20:38.819 --> 00:20:42.019 after they saw him go to the cross without a fight, 00:20:42.180 --> 00:20:43.819 and then three days later, 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:45.779 as he said, rise from the dead. 00:20:45.779 --> 00:20:51.599 It was only after the transfiguration 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:54.460 that they would realize that greater love 00:20:54.460 --> 00:20:57.000 has no more glorious expression 00:20:57.000 --> 00:21:00.700 than that someone would lay down his life for his friends. 00:21:02.700 --> 00:21:06.599 So now moving on to after the transfiguration, 00:21:07.559 --> 00:21:09.639 which includes us here today 00:21:09.639 --> 00:21:11.899 and Mark's original readers. 00:21:11.900 --> 00:21:14.560 The original readers of Mark would have been 00:21:14.560 --> 00:21:17.080 in the second half of the first century, 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:21.300 about 30 or so years after Jesus' death and resurrection. 00:21:22.080 --> 00:21:24.920 Mark's Gospel is beautifully arranged 00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:28.080 in a particular way to deliver a particular message 00:21:28.080 --> 00:21:28.940 to its readers. 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:32.160 And the original readers of Mark's Gospel, 00:21:32.280 --> 00:21:35.000 they were at a time of much turmoil, much chaos, 00:21:35.340 --> 00:21:37.180 and although the church was growing, 00:21:37.180 --> 00:21:40.140 they were meeting resistance at almost every turn. 00:21:40.140 --> 00:21:43.300 And for those original readers, 00:21:43.700 --> 00:21:45.680 the main message of this passage 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:47.920 was that as Jesus' disciples, 00:21:48.120 --> 00:21:50.480 they need to continue to listen to Jesus, 00:21:50.580 --> 00:21:53.520 even in the face of suffering and turmoil, 00:21:53.520 --> 00:21:56.140 because Jesus' own glory was inseparable 00:21:56.140 --> 00:21:59.200 from the suffering he endured on the cross. 00:21:59.620 --> 00:22:02.360 The disciples who witnessed the transfiguration 00:22:02.360 --> 00:22:04.920 may not have originally been able to see this clearly, 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:07.400 and that should challenge us as readers 00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:08.460 to ask ourselves, 00:22:08.460 --> 00:22:11.800 do we see clearly this connection 00:22:11.800 --> 00:22:14.039 between Jesus' glory and his suffering? 00:22:14.340 --> 00:22:15.600 And are we listening to him? 00:22:16.680 --> 00:22:20.080 And as we read Mark's Gospel with 21st century eyes, 00:22:20.140 --> 00:22:24.180 we can see quite clearly how Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53 00:22:24.180 --> 00:22:27.500 and many, many other Old Testament scriptures. 00:22:27.500 --> 00:22:30.359 And like the original readers, 00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:33.880 we are living in a time of much turmoil and chaos, 00:22:34.279 --> 00:22:36.440 and we encounter resistance. 00:22:36.940 --> 00:22:39.480 At times it feels like we're living in a world, 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:41.779 living in a society that just appears to be 00:22:41.779 --> 00:22:44.099 heading further and further away from the truth. 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:47.880 And in the middle of all that we're living in 00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:50.900 after the transfiguration on this side of the cross, 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:51.980 we need to listen. 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:54.299 We need to listen to Jesus, 00:22:54.299 --> 00:22:58.339 even when his words are not exactly what we want to hear, 00:22:58.440 --> 00:23:00.000 they are what we need to hear. 00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:03.599 God's glory was on display, 00:23:03.779 --> 00:23:07.079 even magnified when Jesus suffered and died for us, 00:23:07.180 --> 00:23:10.539 and as well we are called to follow him. 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:15.919 The perfectly holy, perfectly glorious son of God 00:23:15.919 --> 00:23:20.119 laid down his perfect life for broken and sinful people 00:23:20.119 --> 00:23:22.099 like me, like you. 00:23:22.099 --> 00:23:25.259 What else can we do? 00:23:25.339 --> 00:23:27.219 What else should we do but listen to him? 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:31.519 We especially need to listen when God calls us, 00:23:31.619 --> 00:23:32.679 when he tells us, 00:23:32.740 --> 00:23:34.399 when he places us in situations 00:23:34.399 --> 00:23:37.139 that we're going to suffer as Jesus' disciples. 00:23:37.500 --> 00:23:40.959 When we're tempted to think falsely 00:23:40.959 --> 00:23:43.359 that the Christian life here and now 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:45.579 is supposed to be a smooth road, 00:23:45.679 --> 00:23:48.619 we need to realize that we're called to follow 00:23:48.619 --> 00:23:51.500 in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, 00:23:51.500 --> 00:23:55.599 to walk the path of sacrifice and suffering. 00:23:56.460 --> 00:23:58.799 We need to understand that we can expect 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:02.000 to experience suffering and mistreatment 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:02.799 as his followers. 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:05.779 After all, this is the Son of God, 00:24:05.880 --> 00:24:06.859 and we are to listen to him. 00:24:08.740 --> 00:24:11.700 You know, right before the transfiguration, 00:24:12.119 --> 00:24:15.440 Jesus told his disciples, Mark 8, 34, 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:18.320 if anyone would come after me, 00:24:19.019 --> 00:24:22.299 let him deny himself and take up his cross 00:24:22.299 --> 00:24:23.500 and follow me. 00:24:25.600 --> 00:24:28.100 And none of us in our own nature, 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:30.180 none of us in our own power 00:24:30.180 --> 00:24:32.080 wants to bear a cross. 00:24:32.600 --> 00:24:35.740 When we face suffering or persecution, 00:24:35.740 --> 00:24:38.240 we need to face it with full faith 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:39.580 in the promises of God 00:24:39.579 --> 00:24:42.819 and a confidence that his Spirit will guide us. 00:24:44.339 --> 00:24:46.399 Peter, in 1 Peter, 00:24:47.019 --> 00:24:49.419 he actually writes that we can rejoice, 00:24:50.159 --> 00:24:51.819 rejoice in our suffering. 00:24:52.779 --> 00:24:56.099 Because if God deems it necessary that we suffer, 00:24:56.980 --> 00:24:58.740 Peter says that this will result 00:24:58.740 --> 00:25:02.019 in a tested genuineness of our faith, 00:25:02.019 --> 00:25:05.180 and it will ultimately result in praise 00:25:05.180 --> 00:25:07.139 and glory and honor 00:25:07.139 --> 00:25:09.099 at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:13.700 So church, expect that you will suffer, 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:16.079 and the types of suffering 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:18.039 may not be getting killed 00:25:18.039 --> 00:25:20.279 or tortured for our testimony, 00:25:20.519 --> 00:25:23.079 but we will almost certainly experience 00:25:23.859 --> 00:25:25.079 the loss of relationships, 00:25:25.980 --> 00:25:28.119 potentially lower social status, 00:25:28.299 --> 00:25:30.599 potentially suffer financial loss, 00:25:30.599 --> 00:25:32.679 and it will feel like at times 00:25:32.679 --> 00:25:34.719 we are suffering greatest 00:25:34.719 --> 00:25:37.339 when we have to even forgive our enemies. 00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:40.339 Regardless of how, when, 00:25:40.439 --> 00:25:42.759 and how much we are called to suffer, 00:25:42.899 --> 00:25:45.259 we need to listen and follow Jesus. 00:25:47.339 --> 00:25:48.919 You know, back to my wedding day, 00:25:48.980 --> 00:25:50.379 if I go back to that first look, 00:25:50.859 --> 00:25:52.019 you'd ask me at that moment, 00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:52.619 I would have told you 00:25:52.619 --> 00:25:54.799 everything is absolutely perfect. 00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:57.099 And I think for some of us, 00:25:57.099 --> 00:25:57.899 that's our experience 00:25:57.900 --> 00:25:59.500 when we first receive 00:25:59.500 --> 00:26:01.220 the gift of salvation. 00:26:01.900 --> 00:26:04.420 It's just, there's this weight lifted, 00:26:04.780 --> 00:26:06.480 and we can just see so clearly 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:08.320 what God has done for us. 00:26:08.380 --> 00:26:10.320 We're just filled with joy. 00:26:11.880 --> 00:26:13.880 And it's sort of like that 00:26:13.880 --> 00:26:14.500 with marriage too, 00:26:14.560 --> 00:26:15.519 because many years later, 00:26:15.580 --> 00:26:17.080 and we do have a wonderful marriage, 00:26:17.180 --> 00:26:19.180 and it hasn't all been smooth sailing, 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:21.560 we do our best to show each other grace 00:26:21.559 --> 00:26:23.500 and offer each other forgiveness 00:26:23.500 --> 00:26:25.919 as God in Christ has forgiven us. 00:26:26.339 --> 00:26:28.099 We struggle to raise children 00:26:28.099 --> 00:26:29.259 in a blended family, 00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:30.679 which creates all kinds of tension, 00:26:30.679 --> 00:26:32.159 and at times the burden 00:26:32.159 --> 00:26:33.319 has felt really heavy. 00:26:33.460 --> 00:26:35.619 But we suffer through these obstacles together. 00:26:35.799 --> 00:26:37.399 We grow closer together 00:26:37.399 --> 00:26:39.539 as we grow closer in Christ. 00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:41.159 And as a result, 00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:42.679 our marriage is actually stronger today 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:45.859 than it was on that perfect wedding day. 00:26:45.980 --> 00:26:47.639 And our faith in Christ, 00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:48.659 it's like that too, 00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:51.099 that when it's tested through suffering, 00:26:51.099 --> 00:26:54.039 we learn to rely more on God 00:26:54.039 --> 00:26:55.359 and less on ourselves. 00:26:55.699 --> 00:26:58.539 And that testing produces 00:26:58.539 --> 00:27:00.779 a steadfastness of our faith. 00:27:01.859 --> 00:27:03.819 And don't ever fall into the trap 00:27:03.819 --> 00:27:05.639 of thinking that your suffering is pointless. 00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:08.359 Every single drop of it 00:27:08.359 --> 00:27:10.719 will be used to God's glory. 00:27:11.500 --> 00:27:13.539 Mike, excuse me, Mike Bullmore, 00:27:14.279 --> 00:27:16.679 former lead pastor at Crossway Church, 00:27:17.099 --> 00:27:18.799 used to say, and I love this, 00:27:19.259 --> 00:27:20.619 nothing is wasted 00:27:20.619 --> 00:27:22.119 in God's economy. 00:27:23.659 --> 00:27:25.039 You know, I said earlier 00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:26.839 that it was a privilege for us 00:27:26.839 --> 00:27:28.339 that we have this event 00:27:28.339 --> 00:27:29.839 recorded in our Bibles, 00:27:30.039 --> 00:27:31.839 and Peter actually refers 00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:33.119 to the transfiguration 00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:35.219 in 2 Peter chapter 1, 00:27:35.299 --> 00:27:36.159 where he writes 00:27:36.159 --> 00:27:37.799 that he was an eyewitness 00:27:37.799 --> 00:27:39.059 of Jesus' majesty, 00:27:39.219 --> 00:27:40.199 and he recounts 00:27:40.199 --> 00:27:42.379 how he heard the voice of God 00:27:42.379 --> 00:27:43.939 say, this is my beloved son. 00:27:44.919 --> 00:27:45.719 Then he says, 00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:47.419 he writes in 2 Peter, 00:27:47.420 --> 00:27:50.300 that we have the prophetic word 00:27:50.300 --> 00:27:52.000 more fully confirmed, 00:27:52.380 --> 00:27:53.700 and that we would do well 00:27:53.700 --> 00:27:55.960 to pay attention to God's word. 00:27:56.140 --> 00:27:58.100 So paying careful attention 00:27:58.100 --> 00:27:58.820 to God's word 00:27:58.820 --> 00:28:00.500 is studying it, 00:28:00.580 --> 00:28:01.140 cherishing it, 00:28:01.220 --> 00:28:02.019 sharing it with others. 00:28:02.019 --> 00:28:03.320 It's one of the primary ways 00:28:03.320 --> 00:28:05.279 we can listen to Jesus. 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:10.119 And as I wrap this sermon up, 00:28:10.200 --> 00:28:10.440 I just, 00:28:10.660 --> 00:28:11.799 I want to take a moment 00:28:11.799 --> 00:28:12.660 to speak directly 00:28:13.319 --> 00:28:15.339 to any non-Christians 00:28:15.339 --> 00:28:16.440 that are here with us 00:28:16.440 --> 00:28:17.039 this morning. 00:28:17.799 --> 00:28:19.720 I don't know how you got here, 00:28:19.799 --> 00:28:20.539 maybe you were invited 00:28:20.539 --> 00:28:21.819 by a friend 00:28:21.819 --> 00:28:23.059 or family member 00:28:23.059 --> 00:28:23.899 or co-worker, 00:28:24.099 --> 00:28:26.180 but however you got here, 00:28:26.980 --> 00:28:27.859 I'm really glad, 00:28:28.019 --> 00:28:28.720 I know the church 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:29.399 is really glad 00:28:29.399 --> 00:28:30.680 that you're here today. 00:28:31.600 --> 00:28:32.700 All of us 00:28:32.700 --> 00:28:34.000 who are Christians 00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:34.940 were at one point 00:28:34.940 --> 00:28:36.200 not Christians 00:28:36.200 --> 00:28:39.060 until God came in 00:28:39.060 --> 00:28:40.799 and gave us a new heart 00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:41.560 and allowed us 00:28:41.560 --> 00:28:43.720 to hear the gospel 00:28:43.720 --> 00:28:45.460 and repent of our sins 00:28:45.460 --> 00:28:46.560 and believe 00:28:46.560 --> 00:28:47.799 and place our faith 00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:48.700 in Jesus Christ 00:28:48.700 --> 00:28:50.100 as life, death, 00:28:50.180 --> 00:28:50.820 and resurrection. 00:28:51.240 --> 00:28:53.799 And so for any non-Christians 00:28:53.799 --> 00:28:54.360 in the room, 00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:54.759 I just, 00:28:55.160 --> 00:28:55.740 I'd ask you 00:28:55.740 --> 00:28:56.740 to consider something. 00:28:57.820 --> 00:28:59.000 Consider the character 00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:00.420 of God on display 00:29:00.420 --> 00:29:01.400 in this passage. 00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:03.440 You may think 00:29:03.440 --> 00:29:04.259 you know something 00:29:04.259 --> 00:29:05.059 about Jesus, 00:29:05.359 --> 00:29:06.539 the teacher, 00:29:06.940 --> 00:29:07.640 or the Jesus, 00:29:07.839 --> 00:29:09.559 the good moral man, 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:10.759 teacher of ancient wisdom, 00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:13.079 but until you know 00:29:13.079 --> 00:29:14.440 Jesus Christ 00:29:14.440 --> 00:29:15.940 as both the Son of Man 00:29:15.940 --> 00:29:16.920 and the Son of God, 00:29:17.000 --> 00:29:18.519 you don't really know him. 00:29:18.900 --> 00:29:20.099 And until you see 00:29:20.099 --> 00:29:21.119 how he willingly 00:29:21.119 --> 00:29:22.440 went to the cross 00:29:22.440 --> 00:29:24.140 to pay for the sins 00:29:24.140 --> 00:29:25.700 of all who would come 00:29:25.700 --> 00:29:27.240 to him in repentance 00:29:27.240 --> 00:29:27.880 and faith, 00:29:27.980 --> 00:29:29.400 your sins as well, 00:29:29.519 --> 00:29:31.000 you don't really know him. 00:29:31.440 --> 00:29:32.539 The disciples needed 00:29:32.539 --> 00:29:33.980 to see and understand 00:29:33.980 --> 00:29:35.700 how Jesus' glory 00:29:35.700 --> 00:29:36.799 was inseparable 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:38.819 from his suffering 00:29:38.819 --> 00:29:40.200 and they needed to see 00:29:40.200 --> 00:29:41.660 how it actually magnifies 00:29:41.660 --> 00:29:42.660 the glory of God. 00:29:43.120 --> 00:29:45.000 God's glory is multiplied 00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:46.960 and there is joy 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:49.000 before the angels of heaven 00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:51.079 over every sinner 00:29:51.079 --> 00:29:52.059 who repents. 00:29:52.059 --> 00:29:54.079 I mean, 00:29:54.220 --> 00:29:56.740 the most glorious person 00:29:56.740 --> 00:29:58.500 ever in human history 00:29:58.500 --> 00:29:59.960 traded his mortal life 00:29:59.960 --> 00:30:01.619 for sinners like me 00:30:01.619 --> 00:30:02.200 and you 00:30:02.200 --> 00:30:03.599 so that we could have 00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:04.500 eternal life 00:30:04.500 --> 00:30:06.319 together with him. 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:08.819 And this exchange 00:30:08.819 --> 00:30:10.039 might not make sense 00:30:10.039 --> 00:30:10.700 to you now, 00:30:10.779 --> 00:30:11.720 but I tell you 00:30:11.720 --> 00:30:13.759 that Jesus did this 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:15.179 because he loves you 00:30:15.179 --> 00:30:17.279 and because his suffering 00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:17.899 for you 00:30:17.899 --> 00:30:19.759 and your acceptance of him 00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:21.599 magnifies the glory of God. 00:30:22.659 --> 00:30:24.619 This Jesus made a way 00:30:24.619 --> 00:30:26.139 for undeserving sinners 00:30:26.139 --> 00:30:27.619 like me and you 00:30:27.619 --> 00:30:29.879 to receive the gift of grace 00:30:29.879 --> 00:30:30.740 and be welcomed 00:30:30.740 --> 00:30:31.899 into his family. 00:30:33.079 --> 00:30:34.399 And if that Jesus 00:30:34.399 --> 00:30:36.619 isn't your Lord and Savior, 00:30:37.419 --> 00:30:38.000 I would ask, 00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:38.679 why not? 00:30:40.019 --> 00:30:41.419 What's holding you back? 00:30:42.819 --> 00:30:44.359 If this Jesus 00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:45.519 that we read about here 00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:46.659 in the Transfiguration, 00:30:46.799 --> 00:30:48.259 if he isn't worth following, 00:30:48.399 --> 00:30:50.240 if he isn't worth listening to, 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:52.220 who or what else is, 00:30:54.220 --> 00:30:55.319 will you listen to him? 00:30:56.259 --> 00:30:57.400 Will you listen to him 00:30:57.400 --> 00:30:58.940 as he calls your name? 00:31:00.460 --> 00:31:01.440 Church, let's pray. 00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:06.620 Dear Heavenly Father, 00:31:06.740 --> 00:31:07.460 Lord, I'm just 00:31:07.460 --> 00:31:10.640 grateful for your word. 00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:12.480 I am so grateful 00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:13.339 for the opportunity 00:31:13.339 --> 00:31:14.900 to share this word, 00:31:14.900 --> 00:31:16.940 this wonderful passage 00:31:16.940 --> 00:31:18.120 with your people 00:31:18.120 --> 00:31:19.540 here at Christ the King 00:31:19.540 --> 00:31:20.100 in Kenosha. 00:31:20.200 --> 00:31:20.519 And I just, 00:31:20.980 --> 00:31:22.360 I pray that your spirit 00:31:22.360 --> 00:31:23.320 is working now 00:31:23.320 --> 00:31:24.000 in the hearts 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:24.700 of your people, 00:31:24.840 --> 00:31:27.060 that those that know you well 00:31:27.060 --> 00:31:28.700 see you in an even 00:31:28.700 --> 00:31:30.040 brighter light, 00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:30.800 that those who 00:31:30.800 --> 00:31:32.680 only know you marginally 00:31:32.680 --> 00:31:34.980 would come a step closer 00:31:34.980 --> 00:31:36.200 to knowing you fully 00:31:36.200 --> 00:31:37.019 and that those 00:31:37.019 --> 00:31:38.940 who don't know you all 00:31:38.940 --> 00:31:40.100 would be intrigued 00:31:40.099 --> 00:31:41.059 and drawn 00:31:41.059 --> 00:31:42.199 to learn more. 00:31:43.500 --> 00:31:44.480 The power of your spirit, 00:31:44.579 --> 00:31:45.699 we ask you to work, Lord. 00:31:46.159 --> 00:31:47.399 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:31:47.759 --> 00:31:47.980 Amen. 00:31:48.459 --> 00:31:48.919 Amen. 00:31:49.099 --> 00:31:49.299 Amen. 00:31:49.299 --> 00:31:49.659 Amen. 00:31:49.659 --> 00:31:49.879 Amen. 00:31:49.959 --> 00:31:50.659 Amen. 00:31:50.939 --> 00:31:51.199 Amen. 00:31:51.219 --> 00:31:51.839 Amen. 00:31:51.839 --> 00:31:51.899 Amen. 00:31:51.899 --> 00:32:10.079 Amen.