WEBVTT

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 Here in Luke chapter 11, verse 45, the Bible says this,

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 Then answered one of the lawyers and said unto him,

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 Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

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 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers.

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 Maybe this guy should have just kept his mouth shut.

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 For ye laid men with burdens grievous to be born,

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 and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

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 Woe unto you, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets,

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 and your fathers killed them.

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 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers,

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 for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

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 Therefore also said the wisdom of God,

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 I will send them prophets and apostles,

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 and some of them they shall slay and persecute.

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 That the blood of all the prophets,

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 which was shed from the foundation of the world,

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 may be required of this generation.

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 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias,

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 which would perish between the altar and the temple,

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 verily I say unto you,

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 it shall be required of this generation.

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 Woe unto you, lawyers,

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 for you have taken away the key of knowledge.

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 Ye entered not in yourselves,

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 and them that were entering in,

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 ye hindered.

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 And as he said these things unto him,

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 the scribes and the Pharisees

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 began to urge him vehemently,

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 and to provoke him to speak of many things.

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 It wasn't because they wanted to learn.

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 Look what verse 54 says.

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 Lying wait for him,

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 and seeking to catch something out of his mouth,

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 that they might accuse him.

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 We're going to preach a message entitled this,

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 Heavy Burdens and Hardened Hearts.

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 See, the Pharisees,

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 they had their own way,

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 and their own situation.

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 They were saying,

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 look how good we are on the outside.

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 Look how clean our hands are.

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 And Jesus said,

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 look how dirty your heart is though.

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 You're dead on the inside.

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 They had made religion about

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 just this outside facade,

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 and that's why Jesus multiple times said,

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 hey, you're hypocrites.

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 You're saying one thing,

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 but you're really another.

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 And now he's kind of shifting directions

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 here to these lawyers

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 that were there to help people

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 know the word of God.

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 He said, listen, you've missed it.

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 You're weighing people down

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 and making it extremely difficult

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 for them to find God.

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 And he said, that's a dangerous place to be.

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 When religion replaces grace,

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 it crushes people.

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 And that's what Jesus is teaching us

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 right here this morning.

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 So let's ask him to help us

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 as we jump into the sermon.

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 Father, thank you for this day.

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 Lord, thank you for your word

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 that we can open this morning.

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 Thank you for the songs

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 that remind us of your goodness to us.

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 And as Brother Cliff just sang,

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 Lord, I'm so thankful

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 you've been good to me.

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 Lord, I'm thankful you've been good

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 to every single person

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 in this audience.

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 The fact that we're here today

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 to hear the word of God

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 is a blessing.

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 Lord, I pray that you would speak

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 to hearts as need be, Lord,

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 that you would meet us

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 where we are.

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 If there's somebody

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 that doesn't know you as Savior, Lord,

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 that today would be that day.

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 Lord, I pray you would help me, Lord.

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 I need you.

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 I need you to clear my thoughts

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 and my mind, Lord.

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 I pray you'd give me the words to say.

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 That it would be a help

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 to the hearer today.

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 And we ask all these things

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 in your son's precious name.

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 Amen.

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 Thank you so much for standing.

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 May be seated.

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 Have you ever tried

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 to help somebody

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 and they did not receive it

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 as help?

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 You ever, like,

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 try to be a nice citizen,

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 a nice neighbor on the road,

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 so to speak,

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 and you're driving up there

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 and you see somebody's gas caps open

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 and you try to roll down

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 and you're like,

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 your gas cap's open.

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 And then they look at you

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 like you've just insulted

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 their entire family lineage.

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 Like, bro,

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 I'm just trying to help you.

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 You know,

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 let them know,

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 hey,

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 your blinker's still on,

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 you know,

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 because like,

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 I don't want everybody else

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 to be as mad at you

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 as I was.

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 You know,

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 because I was behind somebody

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 yesterday

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 and I kept slowing down,

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 slowing down.

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 I'm like,

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 their blinker's been on

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 for two miles.

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 I'm like,

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 I couldn't get around

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 and I'm like,

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 and you know,

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 it's just,

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 I tried to be in the spirit

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 but I really wasn't.

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 I mean,

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 the idea is,

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 you weren't wrong

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 and maybe you weren't

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 even mean about it.

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 You were just right.

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 And somehow,

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 that made it worse.

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 Because I think

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 we can all relate to that

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 because I think,

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 you know,

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 we've all been

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 on the other end as well.

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 That we've been corrected

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 by somebody,

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 we've been trying to,

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 they may be trying to help us

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 and it just hit a nerve.

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 Not because they were wrong,

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 because they were dead

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 on the money.

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 And we didn't like that.

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 We didn't like how that felt

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 and why is that?

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 Why is it sometimes

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 when somebody's trying to help us

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 and they're trying to correct us

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 and they're trying to show us

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 the truth,

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 it hits a nerve.

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 I think because sometimes

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 it's not just confronting behavior,

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 it's exposing what's really

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 in our heart.

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 I think that's what it is.

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 It really,

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 it gets down in there

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 and we don't necessarily

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 like that.

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 And as we saw last week

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 if you were here

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 in verses 37 through 44

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 and we see again,

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 that's exactly

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 what's taking place.

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 These Pharisees,

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 they were there

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 and it seemed like

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 they were always kind of

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 in the shadows.

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 They were always kind of

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 lurking behind

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 seeing what Jesus

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 was going to do.

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 And they took opportunities

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 like that Pharisee did last week.

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 He said,

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 hey man,

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 I'd love to have you

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 over for lunch.

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 And it wasn't a friendly invitation.

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 That's what he wanted it

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 to seem like.

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 But really,

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 he was looking for

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 an opportunity

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 to kind of really

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 get in there

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 and find something wrong

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 with Jesus.

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 We saw it at the end

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 of our text here today.

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 They were looking for something

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 to come out of his mouth,

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 the Bible said,

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 so they could just

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 nail him on it.

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 They could find

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 this situation.

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 And so really,

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 what he did is

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 he confronted these Pharisees

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 about their hypocrisy.

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 He said,

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 listen man,

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 you're so excited

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 that you're so clean

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 on the outside.

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 And you're following

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 all of these ceremonial

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 washing laws.

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 And Jesus went to dinner

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 and didn't wash his hands.

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 I mean,

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 and they just lost

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 their marbles.

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 And he said,

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 you're so worried

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 about the outside

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 of the cup.

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 What's going on

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 on the inside?

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 And he really exposed

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 their hypocrisy.

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 You know,

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 there are certain times

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 in life when maybe

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 the room is tense,

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 you shouldn't say something.

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 But you all know somebody,

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 and maybe you are

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 that somebody,

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 you're like,

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 I'm going to say it.

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 You're like,

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 don't say it.

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 And maybe your inner self

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 is saying,

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 don't say it.

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 And you're like,

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 hey,

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 we don't like how

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 you're treating our friends.

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 Because that's what

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 the lawyer did right here.

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 That's what verse number 45,

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 he said,

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 master,

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 thus saying,

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 thou reproachest also.

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 He said,

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 hey,

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 you can't say that.

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 Who do you think you are?

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 That's basically

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 what this man is saying.

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 That's kind of the idea

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 and the tone

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 that he comes with.

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 And he's really saying,

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 Jesus,

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 when you rebuke them,

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 I don't know if you know this,

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 but you're rebuking us also

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 and we don't like it.

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 You're really mean.

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 I mean,

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 that's kind of what's going on here.

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 That's kind of the attitude here.

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 So who are these lawyers?

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 The Bible says that,

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 then answered one of the lawyers,

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 now they're not attorneys

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 like we would think of today.

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 This is not a man

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 that would represent you

00:07:08.519 --> 00:07:09.759
 in a legal case

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 before a judge.

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 No,

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 these lawyers

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 were experts

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 in the law of Moses.

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 The law that Jesus

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 just kind of offended

00:07:19.980 --> 00:07:21.920
 and didn't wash his hands

00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:22.720
 ceremonially,

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 they were the ones

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 that interpreted scripture.

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 These were the men,

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 these lawyers,

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 were those that taught people

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 how to live out

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 the word of God.

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 Here's the problem though,

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 just kind of recap

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 a little bit last week.

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 They took the word of God

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 and then they added

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 a whole bunch of things

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 onto the word of God

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 and said,

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 this is the word of God too.

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 They had built this crust

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 around the law of God

00:07:46.100 --> 00:07:46.879
 so they wouldn't

00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:49.040
 break one single law.

00:07:50.060 --> 00:07:50.320
 And yet,

00:07:50.379 --> 00:07:50.980
 they were weighing

00:07:50.980 --> 00:07:52.000
 these people down.

00:07:52.740 --> 00:07:52.920
 See,

00:07:52.980 --> 00:07:54.420
 the idea behind this lawyer

00:07:54.420 --> 00:07:56.300
 and his group of friends,

00:07:56.579 --> 00:07:58.079
 they didn't just study

00:07:58.079 --> 00:07:58.560
 the Bible,

00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:00.579
 they were the experts on it.

00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:02.240
 They didn't have Google

00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:02.699
 back then.

00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:03.840
 If you had a question,

00:08:04.040 --> 00:08:05.040
 you couldn't Google it,

00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:05.819
 you had to go ask

00:08:05.819 --> 00:08:06.520
 one of these guys.

00:08:07.259 --> 00:08:08.460
 You had to run it

00:08:08.460 --> 00:08:09.060
 through him,

00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:10.000
 you had to make sure

00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:10.780
 that you were doing

00:08:10.780 --> 00:08:11.720
 all the things

00:08:11.720 --> 00:08:12.460
 that you were supposed to

00:08:12.460 --> 00:08:13.460
 and he was the one

00:08:13.460 --> 00:08:14.120
 that would tell you.

00:08:14.840 --> 00:08:16.120
 And as Jesus is confronting

00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:16.800
 the Pharisees,

00:08:16.860 --> 00:08:17.660
 they quickly realize,

00:08:17.960 --> 00:08:19.280
 I think he's talking about us.

00:08:19.939 --> 00:08:21.080
 You ever been in a situation

00:08:21.080 --> 00:08:21.519
 like that?

00:08:21.840 --> 00:08:22.600
 Somebody's talking like,

00:08:22.759 --> 00:08:23.840
 is he talking about me?

00:08:24.540 --> 00:08:25.060
 And that's kind of

00:08:25.060 --> 00:08:25.680
 where he's at

00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:26.899
 and he's there

00:08:26.899 --> 00:08:28.120
 and he's hearing this.

00:08:29.579 --> 00:08:30.959
 But instead of repenting,

00:08:31.720 --> 00:08:32.379
 instead of realizing,

00:08:32.500 --> 00:08:32.919
 you know what?

00:08:33.320 --> 00:08:34.019
 Maybe I've kind of

00:08:34.019 --> 00:08:35.159
 missed the mark a little bit.

00:08:35.779 --> 00:08:36.919
 Maybe I'm not exactly

00:08:36.919 --> 00:08:37.899
 where I should be

00:08:37.899 --> 00:08:40.320
 and maybe I should re-evaluate

00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:41.539
 how I'm teaching the law

00:08:41.539 --> 00:08:42.639
 and what exactly

00:08:42.639 --> 00:08:43.759
 the law says.

00:08:44.360 --> 00:08:44.580
 No,

00:08:44.620 --> 00:08:45.960
 he begins to defend himself.

00:08:46.820 --> 00:08:47.779
 And that's a natural

00:08:47.779 --> 00:08:48.559
 human reaction,

00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:49.059
 isn't it?

00:08:49.399 --> 00:08:50.580
 When we are called

00:08:50.580 --> 00:08:51.120
 on the carpet,

00:08:51.220 --> 00:08:51.620
 so to speak,

00:08:51.860 --> 00:08:52.879
 even if they're right,

00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:53.899
 I'm going to fight it

00:08:53.899 --> 00:08:54.419
 tooth and nail

00:08:54.419 --> 00:08:55.379
 to make sure that I win.

00:08:57.199 --> 00:08:57.519
 Okay,

00:08:57.939 --> 00:08:58.319
 come on,

00:08:58.360 --> 00:08:58.879
 don't act like you

00:08:58.879 --> 00:08:59.479
 don't do that.

00:09:02.699 --> 00:09:03.599
 And that's when Jesus

00:09:03.599 --> 00:09:04.379
 turns to him

00:09:04.379 --> 00:09:05.240
 in verse 46

00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:06.679
 and begins to

00:09:06.679 --> 00:09:07.879
 directly warn them.

00:09:08.659 --> 00:09:09.379
 And it's not just

00:09:09.379 --> 00:09:10.099
 a warning for them

00:09:10.099 --> 00:09:10.459
 because sometimes

00:09:10.459 --> 00:09:10.919
 we look and say,

00:09:10.979 --> 00:09:11.079
 well,

00:09:11.079 --> 00:09:11.779
 I'm not a Pharisee,

00:09:11.819 --> 00:09:13.079
 I'm not a lawyer like this.

00:09:13.939 --> 00:09:15.000
 But I think we saw last week

00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:15.399
 and I think we're going

00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:16.579
 to see this week as well

00:09:16.579 --> 00:09:17.439
 that sometimes we can

00:09:17.439 --> 00:09:18.379
 kind of slide into

00:09:18.379 --> 00:09:19.339
 the same things

00:09:19.339 --> 00:09:19.799
 they're dealing with.

00:09:19.959 --> 00:09:20.419
 You know why?

00:09:20.419 --> 00:09:21.039
 Because that's where

00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:22.039
 our heart likes to go.

00:09:22.839 --> 00:09:23.620
 We like to prop

00:09:23.620 --> 00:09:24.519
 our own selves up.

00:09:24.919 --> 00:09:25.480
 We want to make sure

00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:26.399
 that we're the ones

00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:27.539
 that are in control

00:09:27.539 --> 00:09:28.559
 and here's kind of

00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:29.199
 the truth,

00:09:29.379 --> 00:09:30.459
 the main truth

00:09:30.459 --> 00:09:31.500
 of this text this morning

00:09:31.500 --> 00:09:32.759
 is that when religion

00:09:32.759 --> 00:09:34.360
 becomes about control

00:09:34.360 --> 00:09:35.719
 instead of about compassion,

00:09:35.939 --> 00:09:37.360
 it crushes people

00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:38.459
 instead of actually

00:09:38.459 --> 00:09:39.279
 changing them.

00:09:40.339 --> 00:09:41.500
 Jesus didn't come

00:09:41.500 --> 00:09:42.839
 to crush people.

00:09:43.319 --> 00:09:43.419
 No,

00:09:43.539 --> 00:09:44.799
 Jesus came to seek

00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:45.799
 and to save

00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:46.879
 that which was lost.

00:09:47.439 --> 00:09:47.599
 Now,

00:09:47.679 --> 00:09:48.259
 don't misunderstand.

00:09:48.459 --> 00:09:49.539
 I don't have a lot of time

00:09:49.539 --> 00:09:50.079
 to go into this.

00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:51.800
 It's not all about

00:09:51.800 --> 00:09:53.160
 just love everybody

00:09:53.160 --> 00:09:53.780
 and compassion.

00:09:54.700 --> 00:09:54.820
 No,

00:09:54.900 --> 00:09:56.540
 Jesus is full of grace

00:09:56.540 --> 00:09:58.080
 and truth.

00:09:58.660 --> 00:09:59.560
 So we just want to make sure

00:09:59.560 --> 00:10:00.620
 that's clear on the top.

00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:01.360
 Jesus isn't saying,

00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:01.520
 well,

00:10:01.580 --> 00:10:02.900
 just as long as you love,

00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:03.360
 you're okay.

00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:04.240
 No,

00:10:04.280 --> 00:10:05.300
 there are some boundaries

00:10:05.300 --> 00:10:06.759
 and the law is good

00:10:06.759 --> 00:10:07.759
 and the law teaches us

00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:08.460
 those certain things

00:10:08.460 --> 00:10:10.660
 but there are many things here

00:10:10.660 --> 00:10:12.200
 that they were adding to it

00:10:12.200 --> 00:10:14.360
 that wasn't about God,

00:10:14.420 --> 00:10:15.360
 it was about them

00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:18.200
 and keeping their finger

00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:18.820
 on the people,

00:10:18.900 --> 00:10:19.420
 so to speak.

00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:21.740
 Because the law

00:10:21.740 --> 00:10:23.780
 that they loved so dearly,

00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:26.040
 that they studied so intently,

00:10:26.220 --> 00:10:28.220
 they had given their life for,

00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:29.980
 it had this one goal

00:10:29.980 --> 00:10:31.180
 to lead people to God.

00:10:32.100 --> 00:10:33.500
 When you look at the Old Testament,

00:10:33.580 --> 00:10:34.480
 you look at the law of Moses,

00:10:34.700 --> 00:10:35.900
 it wasn't a bunch of laws

00:10:35.900 --> 00:10:36.960
 and rules that you had to follow.

00:10:37.100 --> 00:10:38.820
 It was pointing to Jesus.

00:10:39.620 --> 00:10:40.540
 It was pointing to

00:10:40.540 --> 00:10:41.780
 there was a coming Messiah

00:10:41.780 --> 00:10:44.320
 that would change their life

00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:46.320
 and it helped them live their life

00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:46.900
 in such a way

00:10:46.900 --> 00:10:47.840
 that they could come

00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:48.860
 and have fellowship with God.

00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:49.840
 Listen,

00:10:49.900 --> 00:10:50.900
 when you read through Leviticus

00:10:50.900 --> 00:10:51.440
 and you read through

00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:52.100
 some of these books,

00:10:52.460 --> 00:10:53.120
 you think,

00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:53.320
 man,

00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:54.100
 this is so weird,

00:10:54.140 --> 00:10:54.820
 it's so boring.

00:10:55.060 --> 00:10:55.200
 No,

00:10:55.340 --> 00:10:56.060
 you know what it should do?

00:10:56.100 --> 00:10:57.040
 It should encourage your heart

00:10:57.040 --> 00:10:58.480
 that God wants to be close to you.

00:10:59.180 --> 00:11:00.240
 That he made a way

00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:01.680
 and that he brought it down together

00:11:01.680 --> 00:11:02.820
 and you have an opportunity

00:11:02.820 --> 00:11:03.840
 to know God.

00:11:04.180 --> 00:11:05.780
 That's what the whole word of God is.

00:11:06.300 --> 00:11:07.860
 It's so we might know him.

00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:09.840
 It's his love letter to mankind,

00:11:10.280 --> 00:11:11.640
 his redemptive narrative

00:11:11.639 --> 00:11:13.740
 because that has always been the plan

00:11:13.740 --> 00:11:15.299
 that Jesus came to seek

00:11:15.299 --> 00:11:17.500
 and to save that which was lost.

00:11:19.159 --> 00:11:21.139
 Not to give us a hundred million rules

00:11:21.139 --> 00:11:22.860
 so we can work our way to heaven.

00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:26.000
 There is nothing you can do.

00:11:27.100 --> 00:11:28.019
 He already did it.

00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:29.740
 That's what the cross is about.

00:11:30.259 --> 00:11:31.600
 That's why he gave his life

00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:33.039
 on the cross of Calvary.

00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:35.580
 But instead of leading people to God

00:11:35.580 --> 00:11:38.360
 by the word that they knew inside and out,

00:11:38.980 --> 00:11:40.799
 they were actually using it

00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:42.779
 to weigh people down.

00:11:43.620 --> 00:11:45.639
 To get them kind of in a place

00:11:45.639 --> 00:11:46.179
 where they thought,

00:11:46.359 --> 00:11:47.859
 this is not possible.

00:11:49.059 --> 00:11:50.740
 And as we walk through this text today,

00:11:51.699 --> 00:11:52.659
 what we're going to find is

00:11:52.659 --> 00:11:55.379
 Jesus exposes three dangers

00:11:55.379 --> 00:11:57.579
 of legalistic religion.

00:11:58.500 --> 00:12:00.559
 We hear that term thrown out all the time

00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:02.079
 and I want us to hang on

00:12:02.079 --> 00:12:02.979
 and we're going to see exactly

00:12:02.979 --> 00:12:03.879
 what he's talking about.

00:12:04.899 --> 00:12:06.759
 Here's the first danger

00:12:06.759 --> 00:12:07.859
 of legalistic religion.

00:12:07.860 --> 00:12:10.159
 It loads people with burdens

00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:13.100
 but offers no help with them.

00:12:14.100 --> 00:12:15.460
 Look at verse number 46.

00:12:16.779 --> 00:12:17.600
 And he said,

00:12:18.340 --> 00:12:20.680
 Woe unto you also, ye lawyers,

00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:23.180
 for ye laid men with burdens

00:12:23.180 --> 00:12:24.600
 grievous to be born,

00:12:24.919 --> 00:12:28.080
 and ye yourselves touch not the burdens

00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:30.960
 with one of your fingers.

00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:35.639
 When Jesus gets in these conversations,

00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:36.259
 we'll say,

00:12:36.660 --> 00:12:38.519
 with these Pharisees and these lawyers,

00:12:38.800 --> 00:12:40.840
 he doesn't really beat around the bush.

00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:42.379
 He said,

00:12:42.500 --> 00:12:44.420
 Here's the problem that I have with you,

00:12:44.519 --> 00:12:45.060
 you lawyers,

00:12:45.780 --> 00:12:50.360
 is you pile rule upon rule upon rule.

00:12:50.900 --> 00:12:54.320
 You pile expectation upon expectation

00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:56.300
 and standard upon standard,

00:12:56.299 --> 00:12:58.279
 and there's nothing wrong with rules

00:12:58.279 --> 00:13:01.259
 and expectations and standards,

00:13:01.559 --> 00:13:03.039
 but here's what they did.

00:13:03.359 --> 00:13:05.259
 They demanded perfection

00:13:05.259 --> 00:13:07.859
 and offered no grace.

00:13:09.219 --> 00:13:10.419
 They acted like,

00:13:10.620 --> 00:13:11.659
 Well, we keep these,

00:13:11.979 --> 00:13:13.219
 and what's wrong with you people?

00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:14.039
 Here's the truth.

00:13:14.219 --> 00:13:15.199
 They didn't keep them either.

00:13:15.959 --> 00:13:17.079
 On the outside,

00:13:17.259 --> 00:13:18.799
 they looked real good in public.

00:13:19.079 --> 00:13:21.439
 They looked real good in certain situations,

00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:22.860
 and when Jesus said

00:13:22.860 --> 00:13:25.260
 they were loading these people down with burdens,

00:13:25.500 --> 00:13:26.820
 he was not exaggerating.

00:13:28.220 --> 00:13:29.620
 I'm not going to bore you with it,

00:13:29.660 --> 00:13:32.000
 but they really had taken the law of God,

00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:33.200
 which was good and holy,

00:13:34.040 --> 00:13:34.920
 which was good and holy.

00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:36.000
 Don't misunderstand that.

00:13:36.540 --> 00:13:37.800
 We're not throwing the law away.

00:13:38.120 --> 00:13:39.900
 Jesus didn't come to destroy the law.

00:13:40.400 --> 00:13:42.140
 He came to fulfill the law.

00:13:42.800 --> 00:13:44.860
 He's the one that made the way for us.

00:13:44.860 --> 00:13:47.240
 No, it's a good and it's a holy thing,

00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:50.140
 but they built this extra crust of rules around it

00:13:50.139 --> 00:13:51.460
 to protect it.

00:13:52.419 --> 00:13:53.879
 And that may have been the heart at the beginning,

00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:55.600
 but as we said last week,

00:13:55.659 --> 00:13:56.519
 by this point,

00:13:56.699 --> 00:13:58.659
 it's all about them keeping control.

00:13:59.199 --> 00:14:01.620
 It's about their ability to rule the people,

00:14:01.819 --> 00:14:02.879
 and over time,

00:14:03.139 --> 00:14:05.580
 that crust grew thicker and heavier.

00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:07.720
 And by this time,

00:14:07.980 --> 00:14:10.759
 there had been thousands of additional regulations.

00:14:11.500 --> 00:14:12.620
 Just to give an example,

00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:14.580
 so we understand kind of what Jesus is saying.

00:14:15.860 --> 00:14:16.939
 Exodus chapter 20,

00:14:17.200 --> 00:14:18.200
 there in the Ten Commandments,

00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:18.720
 he said this,

00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:20.120
 Remember the Sabbath day,

00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:21.360
 and keep it holy.

00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:22.740
 And he goes on to say,

00:14:22.819 --> 00:14:23.980
 Thou shalt not do any work.

00:14:24.220 --> 00:14:26.120
 And really what they did is they said,

00:14:26.279 --> 00:14:27.360
 That's a great law.

00:14:27.860 --> 00:14:28.960
 Obviously the Lord gave it.

00:14:29.539 --> 00:14:31.039
 But we're going to protect that law.

00:14:31.659 --> 00:14:34.840
 And so they took that law of keeping the Sabbath,

00:14:35.080 --> 00:14:37.919
 and they created 39 categories of forbidden work,

00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:41.480
 and then endless subcategories under that.

00:14:42.019 --> 00:14:43.259
 Sounds exciting, doesn't it?

00:14:44.379 --> 00:14:46.240
 You know, I have a hard enough time with the speed limit.

00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:46.600
 And I'm like,

00:14:46.779 --> 00:14:48.659
 Does it really mean 75?

00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:50.659
 You know,

00:14:50.740 --> 00:14:51.360
 I want to,

00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:53.039
 we've got all these subcategories under it.

00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:53.480
 You know,

00:14:53.680 --> 00:14:56.320
 they took something that was obvious,

00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:57.740
 just do this,

00:14:57.759 --> 00:14:58.120
 and they said,

00:14:58.159 --> 00:14:59.620
 Well, we need to help people understand

00:14:59.620 --> 00:15:01.039
 exactly what this means.

00:15:01.539 --> 00:15:03.799
 To give you an idea of how ridiculous it was,

00:15:04.060 --> 00:15:05.600
 one of the rules said that

00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:07.919
 you couldn't carry anything more on the Sabbath

00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:09.259
 than a dried fig.

00:15:10.259 --> 00:15:11.659
 Obviously it doesn't weigh very much.

00:15:12.259 --> 00:15:12.879
 So if you carried,

00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:14.939
 if it weighed less than a dry fig,

00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:15.860
 you're okay.

00:15:16.620 --> 00:15:18.759
 But if it weighed more than a dried fig,

00:15:18.939 --> 00:15:20.399
 then you were carrying a burden,

00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:21.679
 and you broke the law.

00:15:22.899 --> 00:15:23.759
 Here's what they said,

00:15:23.879 --> 00:15:25.919
 If you carried something less than a dry fig,

00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:27.139
 you put it down,

00:15:27.259 --> 00:15:28.319
 and you picked it back up,

00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:30.139
 now you've doubled the weight,

00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:31.100
 and now it's a burden.

00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:33.399
 Isn't that stupid?

00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:35.559
 Now we're not probably supposed to say that in church,

00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:36.179
 but I just did.

00:15:37.700 --> 00:15:38.659
 That's what it is.

00:15:39.659 --> 00:15:41.779
 And I just want us to kind of

00:15:41.779 --> 00:15:43.639
 put ourselves where they are.

00:15:44.079 --> 00:15:45.000
 They even debated

00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:46.819
 how you should carry something.

00:15:47.079 --> 00:15:48.000
 Well, if you carry it in your hand,

00:15:48.059 --> 00:15:48.500
 then you're working,

00:15:48.579 --> 00:15:49.459
 but if you put it under your arm,

00:15:49.500 --> 00:15:50.059
 you're not working.

00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:52.179
 You know, if you carry it on your back,

00:15:52.219 --> 00:15:53.419
 and what's the situation there?

00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:55.519
 Can you imagine living like that?

00:15:56.360 --> 00:15:57.579
 I mean, you have to walk around with a scale.

00:15:57.579 --> 00:15:58.579
 How much does this weigh?

00:15:58.740 --> 00:15:59.959
 Oh man, I can't carry that.

00:16:00.959 --> 00:16:02.679
 I mean, you're constantly calculating.

00:16:02.980 --> 00:16:04.100
 You're constantly anxious.

00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:05.419
 You're constantly wondering,

00:16:05.579 --> 00:16:06.939
 did I just break another rule?

00:16:07.860 --> 00:16:08.700
 And by this point,

00:16:08.760 --> 00:16:09.720
 some people just got to the place where,

00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:10.580
 who cares?

00:16:11.520 --> 00:16:12.840
 Well, I'm not even going to follow this,

00:16:12.900 --> 00:16:13.980
 if this is what God is about.

00:16:14.040 --> 00:16:15.940
 I want no part about this.

00:16:16.140 --> 00:16:18.040
 And the idea with these lawyers

00:16:18.040 --> 00:16:22.000
 is they had made religion exceedingly exhausting.

00:16:23.340 --> 00:16:24.680
 They think, man, I'm not going to church

00:16:24.680 --> 00:16:25.680
 if that's what it's about.

00:16:25.920 --> 00:16:26.800
 I'm not going to synagogue.

00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:28.980
 I mean, what's the point of all of this?

00:16:29.620 --> 00:16:31.200
 Why is it so difficult?

00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:32.759
 And here's what made it worse

00:16:32.759 --> 00:16:34.520
 in Jesus' estimation.

00:16:34.840 --> 00:16:35.660
 At the end of the verse, he says,

00:16:35.879 --> 00:16:37.280
 and you won't even touch it

00:16:37.280 --> 00:16:38.100
 with one of your fingers.

00:16:39.100 --> 00:16:40.300
 You make all these rules

00:16:40.300 --> 00:16:41.120
 for everybody else to follow,

00:16:41.340 --> 00:16:42.900
 but you make all the loopholes.

00:16:43.780 --> 00:16:44.759
 See, they had a loophole

00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:45.620
 to get around all of this.

00:16:45.700 --> 00:16:46.920
 Well, we can do this

00:16:46.920 --> 00:16:48.040
 because of this, this, and this.

00:16:48.700 --> 00:16:49.759
 You couldn't walk a certain amount

00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:50.879
 of feet from your house.

00:16:51.220 --> 00:16:51.780
 So what they would do

00:16:51.780 --> 00:16:52.620
 is they would tie a rope

00:16:52.620 --> 00:16:54.140
 on their ankle,

00:16:54.200 --> 00:16:54.800
 and they would walk around,

00:16:54.920 --> 00:16:56.080
 and they're still connected to their house

00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:57.800
 so those feet don't actually count.

00:16:57.799 --> 00:16:59.419
 But they're lawyers,

00:16:59.539 --> 00:17:00.120
 and so they know.

00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:01.139
 You know, has anybody

00:17:01.139 --> 00:17:02.799
 ever tried to read lawyer speak today?

00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:05.019
 I mean, it used to be like,

00:17:05.079 --> 00:17:05.700
 you know, my grandpa's like,

00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:06.940
 I'll just shake somebody's hand,

00:17:07.460 --> 00:17:08.419
 and that was all you needed.

00:17:08.659 --> 00:17:09.200
 Now you like,

00:17:09.399 --> 00:17:11.539
 you just go and try to buy a meal.

00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:12.460
 You've got to sign a contract.

00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:13.759
 You're like, what does this all mean?

00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:16.039
 That's how they lived their life

00:17:16.039 --> 00:17:17.419
 when it came to serving God.

00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:19.359
 That's the burdens

00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:20.639
 that they had been placed on.

00:17:20.980 --> 00:17:22.839
 And the very men who made the rules

00:17:22.839 --> 00:17:25.500
 did not help the people carry them.

00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:27.839
 They didn't walk beside them.

00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:29.579
 They didn't encourage them.

00:17:29.880 --> 00:17:32.779
 They didn't show any ounce of compassion.

00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:34.720
 They just demanded compliance

00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:37.359
 as they said, we love you.

00:17:38.019 --> 00:17:40.279
 We're here as shepherds of Israel.

00:17:40.779 --> 00:17:42.480
 We love the law of Moses.

00:17:42.619 --> 00:17:43.559
 We love Moses.

00:17:43.940 --> 00:17:44.980
 We love David.

00:17:45.099 --> 00:17:46.180
 We love all these prophets

00:17:46.180 --> 00:17:46.880
 that we're going to see in a second.

00:17:47.380 --> 00:17:48.539
 They weren't shepherding.

00:17:48.759 --> 00:17:50.160
 They were controlling the people.

00:17:51.180 --> 00:17:52.980
 And that's why when Jesus showed up,

00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:54.140
 he had compassion.

00:17:54.140 --> 00:17:56.460
 He saw them as sheep without a shepherd

00:17:56.460 --> 00:17:58.200
 and he called them to himself

00:17:58.200 --> 00:18:00.060
 and he was taking those burdens

00:18:00.060 --> 00:18:02.580
 because that's what a good shepherd does.

00:18:03.320 --> 00:18:04.420
 You read John chapter 10.

00:18:04.540 --> 00:18:05.880
 Jesus just lays into him.

00:18:06.040 --> 00:18:06.800
 He says, here's the problem.

00:18:07.020 --> 00:18:07.820
 You're a hireling.

00:18:08.440 --> 00:18:09.780
 You're in it for the money.

00:18:10.460 --> 00:18:11.600
 You're in it to get what you can get

00:18:11.600 --> 00:18:12.259
 out of these sheep

00:18:12.259 --> 00:18:13.300
 and then you're going to leave them

00:18:13.300 --> 00:18:13.920
 on the side of the road.

00:18:14.180 --> 00:18:15.180
 I'm the good shepherd.

00:18:15.740 --> 00:18:17.200
 I'm the one that loves the sheep

00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:18.880
 and I will lay down my life.

00:18:18.980 --> 00:18:21.380
 And that's what Jesus is showing us right here.

00:18:21.380 --> 00:18:23.960
 And I want to just remind us today

00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:26.160
 that legalism is still alive and well

00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:27.800
 and it still adds weight.

00:18:28.380 --> 00:18:29.420
 Because you know what it does?

00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:32.800
 It makes following God feel impossible.

00:18:34.080 --> 00:18:37.440
 It replaces the joy that Jesus offers

00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:39.300
 and reminds us that's available

00:18:39.300 --> 00:18:40.620
 for all that are in him.

00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:42.120
 It replaces that with pressure.

00:18:43.260 --> 00:18:47.840
 It replaces relationship with performance.

00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:50.220
 Listen, your Christian life

00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:52.299
 is not based on all the things you do.

00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:55.699
 God doesn't love you more the more you do.

00:18:56.759 --> 00:18:57.939
 Should you serve the Lord?

00:18:58.179 --> 00:18:58.899
 Should you do things?

00:18:59.359 --> 00:18:59.759
 Absolutely.

00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:00.459
 You know why?

00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:01.579
 Because he loves you.

00:19:02.259 --> 00:19:03.339
 Because he died for you.

00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:04.879
 Because he changed your life.

00:19:05.059 --> 00:19:06.000
 And you look at your life

00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:07.019
 and you think about that song

00:19:07.019 --> 00:19:07.639
 Brother Cliff said

00:19:07.639 --> 00:19:08.500
 and you realize this,

00:19:08.579 --> 00:19:09.359
 God's been good.

00:19:09.939 --> 00:19:11.139
 And you think of that,

00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:12.359
 if God's been this good to me

00:19:12.359 --> 00:19:13.059
 then you know what,

00:19:13.099 --> 00:19:14.179
 maybe I can help somebody else

00:19:14.179 --> 00:19:15.339
 see that God's good to them too.

00:19:15.679 --> 00:19:17.199
 And that's why we live the life

00:19:17.199 --> 00:19:17.859
 that we live.

00:19:18.119 --> 00:19:20.259
 And if people feel crushed

00:19:20.259 --> 00:19:22.480
 instead of encouraged by our faith,

00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:23.799
 something is wrong.

00:19:25.099 --> 00:19:25.759
 It's wrong.

00:19:26.819 --> 00:19:29.459
 We need to know that your coworkers,

00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:30.480
 your friends at school,

00:19:30.659 --> 00:19:31.959
 need to know that Jesus is in there

00:19:31.959 --> 00:19:33.699
 just to throw a whole bunch of rules at you.

00:19:34.500 --> 00:19:35.199
 You ever ask somebody,

00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:35.819
 hey, you go to church,

00:19:36.159 --> 00:19:38.679
 I'm just not into all those thou shalt nots.

00:19:39.679 --> 00:19:40.399
 But you know what?

00:19:40.439 --> 00:19:42.019
 When you really see the heart of Christ,

00:19:42.500 --> 00:19:43.599
 John tells us in 1 John,

00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:45.219
 his commandments aren't grievous.

00:19:46.159 --> 00:19:47.240
 They're not burdensome.

00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:49.199
 You know, you begin to realize

00:19:49.199 --> 00:19:50.159
 the closer you get to Christ,

00:19:50.500 --> 00:19:51.619
 actually the law was given

00:19:51.619 --> 00:19:52.980
 because God loves me.

00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:55.319
 Because he wants me to know him more.

00:19:55.579 --> 00:19:57.059
 He wants me to trust him more.

00:19:57.279 --> 00:19:58.759
 And that's why Jesus said later on,

00:19:59.039 --> 00:20:01.099
 come unto me all you that are labor and heavy laden

00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:03.119
 and I will give you rest.

00:20:03.559 --> 00:20:05.099
 For my yoke is easy

00:20:05.099 --> 00:20:07.619
 and my burden is light.

00:20:08.379 --> 00:20:10.279
 That's not the Pharisees' law.

00:20:10.659 --> 00:20:11.679
 That's not the lawyers that said,

00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:12.680
 hey, you come on,

00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:13.259
 we're going to make sure

00:20:13.259 --> 00:20:14.380
 you're doing everything right.

00:20:15.180 --> 00:20:16.460
 Jesus said, that's not how it goes.

00:20:17.080 --> 00:20:18.660
 That's not what he was searching for.

00:20:19.019 --> 00:20:21.779
 Listen, Jesus didn't come offering more rules.

00:20:22.019 --> 00:20:25.120
 He came offering rest for your soul.

00:20:25.779 --> 00:20:26.799
 And the same is true today.

00:20:28.340 --> 00:20:30.840
 Jesus didn't call us to weigh people down.

00:20:31.120 --> 00:20:32.720
 He called us to point others to him

00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:34.060
 and say, he's the way,

00:20:34.340 --> 00:20:35.140
 he's the truth,

00:20:35.360 --> 00:20:36.220
 he's the life.

00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:37.240
 Go to him.

00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:38.640
 Run to him.

00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:40.420
 If you're looking for rest.

00:20:42.220 --> 00:20:44.020
 And Jesus shows us that it wasn't just about

00:20:44.020 --> 00:20:46.060
 these heavy rules they placed on him.

00:20:46.220 --> 00:20:48.440
 It was about their hardened hearts.

00:20:49.380 --> 00:20:50.880
 Because legalistic religion,

00:20:50.960 --> 00:20:51.759
 number two, it does this.

00:20:52.060 --> 00:20:53.680
 It honors the messengers,

00:20:54.560 --> 00:20:56.680
 but ignores the message.

00:20:57.780 --> 00:20:58.780
 That's what we see in those verses,

00:20:58.900 --> 00:21:00.560
 in verses 47 through 51.

00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:01.860
 We won't take time to read it again.

00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:03.600
 But here's the idea.

00:21:04.379 --> 00:21:05.079
 Jesus is saying, listen,

00:21:05.879 --> 00:21:08.119
 you build all the tombs for the prophets.

00:21:08.799 --> 00:21:11.659
 You make sure their graves are looking real pretty

00:21:11.659 --> 00:21:12.980
 and you decorate them

00:21:12.980 --> 00:21:16.000
 and you honor the men that God used in the past.

00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:17.379
 But don't miss what he said.

00:21:17.639 --> 00:21:20.259
 He said, you're the sons of the very people

00:21:20.259 --> 00:21:21.219
 that killed them.

00:21:22.099 --> 00:21:23.359
 We think, well, it's not their fault.

00:21:24.419 --> 00:21:25.399
 And here's what Jesus is saying,

00:21:25.719 --> 00:21:26.879
 and you're just like them.

00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:29.559
 You want to act like you're not

00:21:29.559 --> 00:21:31.099
 because you're honoring them.

00:21:31.099 --> 00:21:33.480
 You celebrate the dead prophets

00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:36.279
 and you resist the living truth.

00:21:36.879 --> 00:21:39.059
 Because you know what the prophets were speaking of?

00:21:39.579 --> 00:21:40.699
 You know what they were teaching about?

00:21:40.959 --> 00:21:42.419
 You know what they were reminding the people?

00:21:42.879 --> 00:21:43.719
 Jesus is coming.

00:21:44.699 --> 00:21:46.779
 There is a prophet coming.

00:21:47.179 --> 00:21:48.480
 There is the Messiah coming.

00:21:48.740 --> 00:21:50.099
 And Jesus says, I'm here

00:21:50.099 --> 00:21:51.939
 and you're resisting me.

00:21:52.639 --> 00:21:54.819
 All the things Moses talked about,

00:21:55.119 --> 00:21:57.219
 all the things David talked about,

00:21:57.399 --> 00:21:58.919
 all the things you find in the Old Testament,

00:21:58.920 --> 00:22:01.279
 it's just a shadow of what is coming.

00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:02.940
 And he says, I'm here.

00:22:03.600 --> 00:22:04.740
 And they said, we don't like it.

00:22:05.380 --> 00:22:06.320
 You know, we love Moses.

00:22:06.700 --> 00:22:07.680
 We love Abraham.

00:22:08.140 --> 00:22:09.420
 We love all these men.

00:22:09.480 --> 00:22:11.860
 But listen, let's just keep them there.

00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:14.180
 Let's just honor what they did.

00:22:14.360 --> 00:22:16.500
 You see, they admired the message,

00:22:17.120 --> 00:22:19.700
 the messenger, but rejected the message.

00:22:20.460 --> 00:22:21.720
 And when you read these verses,

00:22:21.860 --> 00:22:24.680
 it seems like Jesus is being really,

00:22:24.779 --> 00:22:26.080
 really unfair to them.

00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:28.679
 Like, why wouldn't you honor the prophets?

00:22:30.720 --> 00:22:32.159
 Because Jesus, what he's showing us,

00:22:32.220 --> 00:22:34.059
 he was exposing something deeper.

00:22:35.259 --> 00:22:37.059
 He said, listen, the monuments are beautiful.

00:22:38.059 --> 00:22:38.980
 I mean, we go all around,

00:22:39.059 --> 00:22:39.799
 you can go all around the world

00:22:39.799 --> 00:22:41.000
 and you see all these monuments,

00:22:41.679 --> 00:22:43.399
 but it's not about what's on the outside.

00:22:43.639 --> 00:22:45.259
 He says, you build them

00:22:45.259 --> 00:22:48.259
 to keep the prophets safely in the past.

00:22:48.980 --> 00:22:50.559
 You want to act with your lips.

00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:51.759
 You got a bunch of lip service,

00:22:52.139 --> 00:22:54.000
 but you don't really believe anything they said.

00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:56.920
 You don't really believe Abraham and Moses

00:22:56.920 --> 00:22:57.619
 because if you did,

00:22:57.740 --> 00:22:59.099
 you wouldn't leave their life like this.

00:22:59.700 --> 00:23:01.640
 You wouldn't be following like this.

00:23:01.900 --> 00:23:03.319
 I love how one commentator said,

00:23:03.500 --> 00:23:05.500
 he said, your fathers killed the prophets

00:23:05.500 --> 00:23:07.099
 and you make sure they're dead.

00:23:08.119 --> 00:23:10.319
 That's what Jesus is telling them right here.

00:23:12.420 --> 00:23:14.460
 See, kind of what Jesus is saying is this,

00:23:15.140 --> 00:23:18.519
 you honor them where they can't confront you.

00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:20.380
 You know what they would say?

00:23:20.380 --> 00:23:23.280
 They would lift up all the laws of Moses

00:23:23.280 --> 00:23:24.600
 they followed to a T,

00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:27.120
 but they wouldn't speak of the other ones.

00:23:27.900 --> 00:23:29.880
 They wouldn't talk about mercy and grace

00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:30.960
 in the Old Testament.

00:23:31.100 --> 00:23:32.380
 They wouldn't live there.

00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:33.740
 You celebrate them

00:23:33.740 --> 00:23:35.820
 because they can't correct you in certain areas.

00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:39.960
 You remember where they can't tell you

00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:41.100
 to repent of it.

00:23:41.340 --> 00:23:42.320
 The idea is just this,

00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:43.640
 they honored the messenger,

00:23:44.420 --> 00:23:46.500
 but murdered the message.

00:23:46.500 --> 00:23:49.680
 Listen, the word of God is not something

00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:51.720
 we can say, well, I love this in the past

00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:52.980
 and let's celebrate this.

00:23:53.160 --> 00:23:54.240
 No, here's what we live by.

00:23:54.920 --> 00:23:55.779
 The word of God.

00:23:56.420 --> 00:23:57.599
 That's what Jesus is saying.

00:23:58.220 --> 00:24:00.519
 He said, you're so worried about tradition

00:24:00.519 --> 00:24:01.440
 and monuments

00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:02.640
 and you got everything in order

00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:03.599
 and this is for David

00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:04.400
 and this is for Moses,

00:24:04.579 --> 00:24:05.480
 this is for Abraham.

00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:06.940
 He said, what about the truth

00:24:06.940 --> 00:24:08.140
 that's in front of your face right now?

00:24:08.660 --> 00:24:09.960
 That's kind of what Jesus is saying.

00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:12.400
 And he's reminding them,

00:24:12.759 --> 00:24:15.039
 you can't really defend yourself

00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:16.259
 because your present actions

00:24:16.259 --> 00:24:17.659
 are proving what is true.

00:24:18.839 --> 00:24:20.299
 They weren't about the word of God.

00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:23.139
 Even though they were so-called experts in it.

00:24:24.139 --> 00:24:24.700
 See, the very,

00:24:25.039 --> 00:24:26.859
 what he's saying is the very ones

00:24:26.859 --> 00:24:29.299
 who claimed to love God's word

00:24:29.299 --> 00:24:31.379
 were the ones silencing it.

00:24:32.539 --> 00:24:34.259
 They had locked it up.

00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:35.519
 They had made it where it's

00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:36.899
 only by their interpretation.

00:24:37.399 --> 00:24:38.779
 They weren't different from their fathers.

00:24:39.059 --> 00:24:39.899
 In fact, Jesus says,

00:24:40.119 --> 00:24:41.599
 you're just partners in crime with them.

00:24:42.539 --> 00:24:44.019
 That you've made the word of God

00:24:44.019 --> 00:24:45.500
 difficult to reach.

00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:47.700
 And he says, because of that,

00:24:47.859 --> 00:24:48.740
 you're going to have even

00:24:48.740 --> 00:24:51.940
 a greater condemnation.

00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:53.400
 Because you remember,

00:24:53.639 --> 00:24:54.259
 it's been a while,

00:24:54.359 --> 00:24:55.139
 but a few weeks back,

00:24:55.180 --> 00:24:55.720
 he said, listen,

00:24:56.059 --> 00:24:57.019
 you have a great light.

00:24:57.720 --> 00:24:59.019
 Think about all the things they've had.

00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:00.440
 They had the word of God.

00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:01.220
 They had the Old Testament.

00:25:01.779 --> 00:25:02.519
 They had the prophets.

00:25:02.839 --> 00:25:03.839
 They had John the Baptist.

00:25:04.220 --> 00:25:06.000
 They had soon to be the apostles.

00:25:06.359 --> 00:25:08.680
 Their responsibility was even greater.

00:25:08.680 --> 00:25:10.720
 And these self-proclaimed guardians

00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:11.460
 of the word of God

00:25:11.460 --> 00:25:13.480
 were the ones killing the word of God.

00:25:14.019 --> 00:25:15.400
 That the everyday person

00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:16.420
 in Jesus' day,

00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:17.299
 they didn't really know

00:25:17.299 --> 00:25:18.059
 what God's word said,

00:25:18.200 --> 00:25:19.400
 but they know what the lawyers said.

00:25:20.379 --> 00:25:21.519
 That's why Jesus comes and says,

00:25:21.660 --> 00:25:23.079
 listen, I know you've heard it said

00:25:23.079 --> 00:25:23.680
 when he's preaching.

00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:25.559
 He's preaching to common people

00:25:25.559 --> 00:25:26.200
 like me and you.

00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:27.759
 I know what you've heard it said

00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:28.839
 from the lawyers and Pharisees,

00:25:29.019 --> 00:25:29.900
 but I want to tell you

00:25:29.900 --> 00:25:30.599
 what the truth is.

00:25:31.019 --> 00:25:31.920
 I want to tell you

00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:32.660
 how you're supposed

00:25:32.660 --> 00:25:33.359
 to live your life.

00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:35.680
 You think, well,

00:25:35.720 --> 00:25:37.079
 how does this really apply to us?

00:25:37.079 --> 00:25:39.819
 I think sometimes in our own lives,

00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:41.740
 it's easier to honor

00:25:41.740 --> 00:25:43.339
 spiritual heroes of the past

00:25:43.339 --> 00:25:45.559
 than obey God's word today

00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:46.779
 in our own life.

00:25:48.139 --> 00:25:49.579
 It's okay to honor people

00:25:49.579 --> 00:25:50.439
 and be thankful.

00:25:50.699 --> 00:25:52.259
 I'm thankful for men and women

00:25:52.259 --> 00:25:53.480
 that made this possible

00:25:53.480 --> 00:25:54.279
 that we can gather here

00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:55.339
 at a beautiful church building.

00:25:56.240 --> 00:25:57.599
 But we can't live in the past

00:25:57.599 --> 00:25:58.419
 at Central Baptist Church.

00:25:58.559 --> 00:25:59.740
 We can't live in the past

00:25:59.740 --> 00:26:00.579
 in our own life.

00:26:00.740 --> 00:26:02.079
 No, what does the word of God say today?

00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:04.460
 You know why God used these men and women

00:26:04.460 --> 00:26:05.500
 in our own church

00:26:05.500 --> 00:26:06.380
 all these years ago?

00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:08.000
 Because they obeyed the word of God.

00:26:08.600 --> 00:26:09.620
 That we have to do

00:26:09.620 --> 00:26:10.579
 the very same thing.

00:26:10.819 --> 00:26:12.340
 We can love revival stories.

00:26:12.579 --> 00:26:14.000
 We can listen to famous sermons.

00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:15.779
 We know great men of faith

00:26:15.779 --> 00:26:17.559
 and all of those have their place.

00:26:17.819 --> 00:26:20.259
 But God is still speaking today

00:26:20.259 --> 00:26:22.740
 and obedience still matters.

00:26:23.860 --> 00:26:25.100
 That's what Jesus is saying.

00:26:25.900 --> 00:26:27.140
 We can build great monuments

00:26:27.140 --> 00:26:28.660
 about how awesome it used to be.

00:26:29.420 --> 00:26:30.559
 Listen, the same God

00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:32.200
 is still working in your life today.

00:26:32.200 --> 00:26:35.340
 Listen, I'm thankful for revivals

00:26:35.340 --> 00:26:36.140
 that happened in the past.

00:26:36.360 --> 00:26:37.400
 I'm thankful for great sermons

00:26:37.400 --> 00:26:38.100
 that I can go online

00:26:38.100 --> 00:26:40.960
 and listen to from great men of God.

00:26:41.120 --> 00:26:42.019
 But I'm thankful that God

00:26:42.019 --> 00:26:43.279
 still wants to use my life.

00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:44.740
 That God still wants to have

00:26:44.740 --> 00:26:45.980
 a revival today.

00:26:46.580 --> 00:26:48.400
 That God still is saving souls

00:26:48.400 --> 00:26:49.340
 and changing lives

00:26:49.340 --> 00:26:50.759
 and restoring relationships

00:26:50.759 --> 00:26:52.140
 and mending marriages.

00:26:52.380 --> 00:26:53.759
 I'm thankful God still does that.

00:26:53.840 --> 00:26:53.900
 Why?

00:26:53.980 --> 00:26:54.580
 Because the word of God

00:26:54.580 --> 00:26:55.360
 is still alive.

00:26:55.860 --> 00:26:57.180
 It's still powerful.

00:26:59.080 --> 00:27:00.480
 Listen, we can celebrate

00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:01.779
 the truth so often

00:27:01.779 --> 00:27:03.200
 without submitting to it.

00:27:03.319 --> 00:27:04.240
 And when we do that,

00:27:04.360 --> 00:27:06.480
 it's just modern day tomb building.

00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:08.559
 Then we say,

00:27:08.660 --> 00:27:10.299
 well, we love all these things.

00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:11.920
 Well, you should love those things.

00:27:12.019 --> 00:27:13.000
 God used them in your life.

00:27:13.380 --> 00:27:14.420
 But what are you doing right now?

00:27:15.420 --> 00:27:16.319
 How are you letting God

00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:17.700
 work in your life right now?

00:27:19.620 --> 00:27:20.500
 See, then Jesus,

00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:23.980
 he exposes the deepest danger of all

00:27:23.980 --> 00:27:26.099
 when it comes to legalistic religion.

00:27:26.779 --> 00:27:27.819
 We see it in verse 52.

00:27:28.079 --> 00:27:28.839
 Here's what it does.

00:27:28.839 --> 00:27:30.899
 It blocks people from God

00:27:30.899 --> 00:27:33.919
 instead of leading them to him.

00:27:35.220 --> 00:27:36.279
 That's really what it does.

00:27:36.339 --> 00:27:36.980
 Look at verse 52.

00:27:38.019 --> 00:27:39.599
 Woe unto you lawyers,

00:27:40.220 --> 00:27:42.339
 for you have taken away

00:27:42.339 --> 00:27:43.740
 the key of knowledge.

00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:45.859
 Ye entered not in yourselves,

00:27:46.579 --> 00:27:49.079
 and them that were entering in,

00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:50.839
 ye hindered.

00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:53.259
 I mean, really what's been taking place

00:27:53.259 --> 00:27:55.159
 since verse 37 of this chapter,

00:27:55.500 --> 00:27:57.220
 I mean, Jesus has been throwing haymakers,

00:27:57.220 --> 00:27:58.960
 and he's landing them.

00:27:59.600 --> 00:28:00.339
 They don't like him.

00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:02.460
 He kind of throws one final haymaker,

00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:03.180
 and he's saying,

00:28:03.259 --> 00:28:05.460
 listen, these experts of the law,

00:28:05.579 --> 00:28:07.940
 they didn't just unlock the truth for the people.

00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:09.900
 They completely complicated it.

00:28:10.640 --> 00:28:12.460
 They had no idea what they were supposed to do.

00:28:13.339 --> 00:28:14.299
 They begin to wonder,

00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:15.440
 does God even love me?

00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:17.620
 I mean, how can God love me?

00:28:17.619 --> 00:28:19.659
 I failed how many laws this week?

00:28:20.579 --> 00:28:22.519
 I can imagine living in this time frame.

00:28:23.299 --> 00:28:24.259
 I mean, I would just be like,

00:28:24.319 --> 00:28:25.379
 I couldn't, there's no way I can,

00:28:25.500 --> 00:28:26.119
 I mean, 10,

00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:27.879
 we have a hard enough time with 10.

00:28:29.679 --> 00:28:31.799
 I mean, just think if there was 39 categories

00:28:31.799 --> 00:28:33.079
 with subcategories and this and that,

00:28:33.159 --> 00:28:34.339
 I mean, you wouldn't even know

00:28:34.339 --> 00:28:35.159
 you're breaking the law.

00:28:36.039 --> 00:28:36.719
 And you would think to yourself,

00:28:36.779 --> 00:28:37.899
 there's no way God can love me.

00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:40.399
 How can God love somebody like this?

00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:44.280
 Because their job was to point people to God,

00:28:44.360 --> 00:28:45.180
 but here's what they were doing,

00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:47.960
 standing in the doorway and blocking the way.

00:28:48.940 --> 00:28:49.940
 Hey, you can't come in here.

00:28:50.980 --> 00:28:52.840
 Only the lawyers and the Pharisees,

00:28:53.380 --> 00:28:55.060
 only the people that really love God,

00:28:55.600 --> 00:28:58.300
 only the people that follow all the laws of Moses

00:28:58.300 --> 00:28:59.480
 are allowed to come in this door.

00:29:00.360 --> 00:29:00.960
 That's why Jesus,

00:29:01.180 --> 00:29:02.519
 if you kind of hope you're piecing together,

00:29:02.600 --> 00:29:04.820
 he says, I am the door.

00:29:06.420 --> 00:29:07.860
 That's where you're supposed to enter in.

00:29:07.859 --> 00:29:10.799
 That these men knew what the door was,

00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:12.579
 but if people walked through it,

00:29:12.619 --> 00:29:13.619
 then they would lose some power.

00:29:14.119 --> 00:29:15.019
 They would lose some ability.

00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:16.899
 They would lose some sway over these people.

00:29:17.119 --> 00:29:18.479
 Think, how are they blocking the door?

00:29:18.839 --> 00:29:20.899
 Many of these laws weren't the law of God.

00:29:20.979 --> 00:29:22.299
 They were man-made rules.

00:29:22.899 --> 00:29:24.879
 They were blocking the door through their own pride

00:29:24.879 --> 00:29:26.959
 and their own spiritual control.

00:29:27.859 --> 00:29:30.219
 These men had laid burdens on God

00:29:30.219 --> 00:29:32.019
 that made God feel unreachable.

00:29:32.919 --> 00:29:34.139
 Listen, God's not unreachable.

00:29:34.399 --> 00:29:36.039
 In fact, for God so loved the world

00:29:36.039 --> 00:29:36.919
 that he came,

00:29:36.920 --> 00:29:39.120
 that he sent his only begotten son,

00:29:39.360 --> 00:29:40.880
 that Jesus made a way.

00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:42.340
 In verse 52, he says,

00:29:42.420 --> 00:29:44.180
 listen, you had the key of knowledge

00:29:44.180 --> 00:29:45.460
 and you took it away.

00:29:46.740 --> 00:29:47.560
 You say, what's the key?

00:29:48.420 --> 00:29:49.720
 What's Jesus talking about?

00:29:52.200 --> 00:29:52.980
 This right here.

00:29:54.980 --> 00:29:56.740
 Listen, you should be so thankful

00:29:56.740 --> 00:29:58.840
 that you have one of these right here.

00:30:00.120 --> 00:30:01.140
 I mean, you study even history.

00:30:01.259 --> 00:30:01.600
 This doesn't even,

00:30:01.920 --> 00:30:03.039
 after the first century,

00:30:03.360 --> 00:30:03.680
 you know what?

00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:05.080
 It was really difficult

00:30:05.080 --> 00:30:06.140
 to just find the word of God

00:30:06.140 --> 00:30:07.320
 at times in history.

00:30:07.799 --> 00:30:08.680
 Think of the dark ages

00:30:08.680 --> 00:30:10.220
 and they would lock it up

00:30:10.220 --> 00:30:11.279
 and only the priests could do that.

00:30:11.480 --> 00:30:12.660
 Listen, thank the Lord

00:30:12.660 --> 00:30:13.539
 you have your own copy.

00:30:14.600 --> 00:30:15.640
 And you should bring it

00:30:15.640 --> 00:30:16.900
 and you should study it yourself.

00:30:17.259 --> 00:30:18.200
 And sometimes if I say something,

00:30:18.279 --> 00:30:18.380
 you're like,

00:30:18.460 --> 00:30:19.320
 preacher, what did you say?

00:30:19.500 --> 00:30:20.940
 Listen, study it yourself.

00:30:21.820 --> 00:30:23.360
 I don't have the corner of the market

00:30:23.360 --> 00:30:24.460
 of the word of God, by the way.

00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:26.960
 You all have the ability to do that

00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:28.100
 and we should love it.

00:30:28.120 --> 00:30:29.160
 We should be thankful for it.

00:30:29.360 --> 00:30:30.740
 I mean, you can have it on your phone.

00:30:31.980 --> 00:30:32.580
 Isn't that awesome?

00:30:32.940 --> 00:30:34.040
 Don't be texting your friends right now.

00:30:35.060 --> 00:30:36.940
 I mean, it's so accessible to us.

00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:39.259
 Do not ever take that for granted.

00:30:40.279 --> 00:30:41.960
 That you have the word of God.

00:30:42.180 --> 00:30:43.040
 That you don't have to wait and say,

00:30:43.200 --> 00:30:44.360
 wonder what the priest says,

00:30:44.560 --> 00:30:45.620
 wonder what the lawyer says.

00:30:45.779 --> 00:30:47.460
 No, what does the word of God say?

00:30:47.960 --> 00:30:49.160
 You can go right to it

00:30:49.160 --> 00:30:51.000
 and you should be so thankful for that.

00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:52.420
 And instead of opening

00:30:52.420 --> 00:30:54.019
 the word of God to people,

00:30:54.220 --> 00:30:55.480
 they buried it

00:30:55.480 --> 00:30:57.019
 under traditions

00:30:57.019 --> 00:30:58.420
 and under interpretations

00:30:58.420 --> 00:31:00.700
 and under a religious system.

00:31:01.639 --> 00:31:02.460
 And Jesus says,

00:31:02.539 --> 00:31:04.000
 listen, the tragedy is twofold.

00:31:04.279 --> 00:31:05.579
 Number one, he tells the lawyer,

00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:07.079
 you have the word of God

00:31:07.079 --> 00:31:08.200
 and you're not even entering

00:31:08.200 --> 00:31:09.220
 into the kingdom of heaven.

00:31:10.019 --> 00:31:11.700
 He said, you have the map

00:31:11.700 --> 00:31:13.519
 and you missed the turn.

00:31:14.259 --> 00:31:16.079
 And not only did they not enter in,

00:31:16.220 --> 00:31:18.339
 they were making it harder and harder

00:31:18.339 --> 00:31:20.599
 for others to enter in.

00:31:21.400 --> 00:31:23.500
 He said, that's a dangerous place to be.

00:31:23.500 --> 00:31:28.380
 See, the warning especially speaks

00:31:28.380 --> 00:31:30.119
 to those who teach the word of God.

00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:33.099
 Not everybody's called to be a pastor.

00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:35.980
 But as a pastor,

00:31:36.759 --> 00:31:37.880
 I am not called,

00:31:37.940 --> 00:31:39.779
 I just want to make sure we understand this,

00:31:39.980 --> 00:31:42.119
 I am not called to preach my opinions

00:31:42.119 --> 00:31:43.180
 about the Bible.

00:31:44.460 --> 00:31:45.680
 I don't think you came here

00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:46.619
 to hear my opinions.

00:31:47.240 --> 00:31:48.259
 And you shouldn't have.

00:31:48.859 --> 00:31:50.259
 If you did, I feel sorry for you.

00:31:50.259 --> 00:31:54.640
 I'm called,

00:31:55.220 --> 00:31:56.119
 as your pastor,

00:31:56.839 --> 00:31:59.299
 to open the word of God

00:31:59.299 --> 00:32:01.640
 and preach the word of God.

00:32:02.960 --> 00:32:03.660
 Because you know what,

00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:04.720
 there's times in my life,

00:32:05.420 --> 00:32:06.400
 my opinions,

00:32:07.460 --> 00:32:08.720
 the Bible has to correct them.

00:32:09.980 --> 00:32:11.420
 When I start studying for a message,

00:32:11.640 --> 00:32:12.519
 there's things I'd like to,

00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:14.000
 I mean, I'd like to tell Brother Jerry

00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:14.480
 what to do.

00:32:16.700 --> 00:32:17.859
 I say that because we're friends

00:32:17.859 --> 00:32:18.480
 and I can say that.

00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:19.519
 But I don't,

00:32:19.700 --> 00:32:20.579
 I just want you to understand,

00:32:20.680 --> 00:32:20.860
 I'm just,

00:32:21.039 --> 00:32:21.620
 be transparent.

00:32:21.700 --> 00:32:22.279
 I know it's Sunday morning.

00:32:22.900 --> 00:32:23.740
 I don't sit in my office and think,

00:32:23.799 --> 00:32:24.240
 you know what,

00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:26.500
 I'm going after so and so today.

00:32:27.819 --> 00:32:28.400
 Because you know what,

00:32:28.440 --> 00:32:29.339
 when I open the word of God,

00:32:30.039 --> 00:32:31.819
 the Holy Spirit speaks to me.

00:32:33.140 --> 00:32:34.900
 And it's my job just to preach

00:32:34.900 --> 00:32:36.559
 what the word of God says.

00:32:37.079 --> 00:32:37.539
 You think, preacher,

00:32:37.620 --> 00:32:38.880
 why are we just walking through Luke

00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:39.220
 all the time?

00:32:39.400 --> 00:32:39.700
 You know what,

00:32:39.880 --> 00:32:41.180
 because I'm going to preach

00:32:41.180 --> 00:32:42.319
 what the word of God says.

00:32:42.940 --> 00:32:44.120
 I'm not going to pick and choose.

00:32:44.259 --> 00:32:45.259
 Sometimes there's going to be

00:32:45.259 --> 00:32:46.059
 a really fun message

00:32:46.059 --> 00:32:47.019
 in these last two weeks.

00:32:47.019 --> 00:32:49.019
 These haven't been the most fun messages.

00:32:50.079 --> 00:32:51.019
 Just to be honest.

00:32:51.400 --> 00:32:51.900
 But you know what,

00:32:51.980 --> 00:32:52.559
 we need it,

00:32:52.700 --> 00:32:53.200
 I need it.

00:32:53.900 --> 00:32:54.559
 And that's why we're going to

00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:55.680
 walk through it like that.

00:32:56.299 --> 00:32:57.220
 That as your pastor,

00:32:57.279 --> 00:32:58.339
 I just want to remind you

00:32:58.339 --> 00:32:59.460
 and I want to promise you

00:32:59.460 --> 00:33:00.579
 that I'm not here to preach

00:33:00.579 --> 00:33:01.240
 a hobby horse

00:33:01.240 --> 00:33:02.440
 or a personal agenda

00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:03.379
 or a cultural

00:33:03.379 --> 00:33:04.619
 or a political idea.

00:33:04.879 --> 00:33:05.480
 My goal,

00:33:05.740 --> 00:33:06.259
 my aim,

00:33:06.500 --> 00:33:06.799
 honestly,

00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:07.960
 my life's passion

00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:08.960
 is to preach

00:33:08.960 --> 00:33:10.359
 the word of God.

00:33:11.160 --> 00:33:12.579
 That's what God has called me to do.

00:33:12.579 --> 00:33:13.859
 And I just want us

00:33:13.859 --> 00:33:14.519
 to understand that

00:33:14.519 --> 00:33:15.399
 because Jesus is saying,

00:33:15.480 --> 00:33:15.599
 listen,

00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:17.059
 that was their job

00:33:17.059 --> 00:33:17.539
 and they said,

00:33:17.619 --> 00:33:18.419
 we don't like that.

00:33:18.539 --> 00:33:19.639
 It doesn't help us.

00:33:20.899 --> 00:33:21.599
 And we're going to do

00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:22.220
 what we want to do.

00:33:24.039 --> 00:33:25.079
 But I also want to remind,

00:33:25.139 --> 00:33:26.399
 I think there's a warning here

00:33:26.399 --> 00:33:28.639
 for everybody.

00:33:29.039 --> 00:33:29.779
 You don't have to be a preacher.

00:33:31.199 --> 00:33:31.720
 That we don't need

00:33:31.720 --> 00:33:33.059
 to replace the word of God

00:33:33.059 --> 00:33:36.059
 with books about the word of God.

00:33:36.679 --> 00:33:37.779
 Don't misunderstand that.

00:33:38.220 --> 00:33:38.740
 I read,

00:33:39.000 --> 00:33:40.139
 I said to all my Sunday school class,

00:33:40.140 --> 00:33:41.680
 all I do is read books

00:33:41.680 --> 00:33:42.300
 about the Bible.

00:33:43.560 --> 00:33:43.940
 But listen,

00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:45.380
 we can get so enthralled

00:33:45.380 --> 00:33:46.680
 about all the things out there.

00:33:47.240 --> 00:33:47.880
 Sometimes we study

00:33:47.880 --> 00:33:48.960
 all about the word of God,

00:33:49.000 --> 00:33:49.759
 but we don't actually study

00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:50.560
 the word of God.

00:33:51.480 --> 00:33:52.560
 And I'm the same way as you.

00:33:52.720 --> 00:33:53.759
 I listen to podcasts,

00:33:54.180 --> 00:33:55.259
 I listen to sermons,

00:33:55.500 --> 00:33:56.100
 all these things,

00:33:56.200 --> 00:33:57.420
 but we cannot replace

00:33:57.420 --> 00:33:57.900
 the scripture

00:33:57.900 --> 00:33:58.780
 with a podcast

00:33:58.780 --> 00:33:59.759
 or a sermon.

00:34:00.100 --> 00:34:00.420
 Listen,

00:34:00.540 --> 00:34:01.380
 you need to be involved

00:34:01.380 --> 00:34:02.900
 in a local New Testament church

00:34:02.900 --> 00:34:03.820
 with other believers

00:34:03.820 --> 00:34:04.460
 that are trying to do

00:34:04.460 --> 00:34:05.000
 the same thing

00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:05.820
 that is centered

00:34:05.820 --> 00:34:07.880
 around the word of God.

00:34:09.079 --> 00:34:09.820
 Because anything

00:34:09.820 --> 00:34:10.820
 that makes salvation

00:34:10.820 --> 00:34:11.840
 seem earned

00:34:11.840 --> 00:34:13.059
 instead of received

00:34:13.059 --> 00:34:14.380
 is blocking the door.

00:34:15.260 --> 00:34:16.080
 And I know this is

00:34:16.080 --> 00:34:17.240
 a hard thing to understand

00:34:17.240 --> 00:34:17.860
 in our world.

00:34:18.200 --> 00:34:19.480
 Not everything on the internet

00:34:19.480 --> 00:34:21.320
 is true.

00:34:25.660 --> 00:34:26.920
 But everything in here is.

00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:31.160
 You can find helps.

00:34:32.320 --> 00:34:33.559
 I use commentaries.

00:34:33.700 --> 00:34:34.940
 I read other great men.

00:34:35.080 --> 00:34:36.400
 I listen to other sermons

00:34:36.400 --> 00:34:36.900
 and kind of see.

00:34:37.140 --> 00:34:37.559
 But ultimately,

00:34:37.620 --> 00:34:38.240
 when it comes down to it,

00:34:38.380 --> 00:34:39.660
 what does the word of God say?

00:34:39.820 --> 00:34:41.760
 Because my job

00:34:41.760 --> 00:34:42.780
 is not to act like

00:34:42.780 --> 00:34:43.400
 I have the key

00:34:43.400 --> 00:34:44.019
 and y'all got to come

00:34:44.019 --> 00:34:44.780
 get it from me.

00:34:45.300 --> 00:34:45.519
 No.

00:34:45.720 --> 00:34:46.680
 I'm just reminding us

00:34:46.680 --> 00:34:47.660
 we all have the key.

00:34:48.360 --> 00:34:49.500
 That we all have the scripture

00:34:49.500 --> 00:34:51.860
 and we can all apply it

00:34:51.860 --> 00:34:52.300
 and use it.

00:34:52.500 --> 00:34:54.200
 And anything that replaces grace

00:34:54.200 --> 00:34:55.660
 with hoops to jump through

00:34:55.660 --> 00:34:57.200
 is hiding the key.

00:34:59.880 --> 00:35:01.160
 Standards and expectations

00:35:01.160 --> 00:35:01.980
 and practices

00:35:01.980 --> 00:35:02.680
 and things,

00:35:02.920 --> 00:35:04.380
 they have their place.

00:35:04.380 --> 00:35:06.760
 but they should be pointing

00:35:06.760 --> 00:35:07.640
 to the word of God.

00:35:08.519 --> 00:35:09.619
 Why we do what we do

00:35:09.619 --> 00:35:10.340
 is based on what

00:35:10.340 --> 00:35:11.380
 the word of God says.

00:35:13.200 --> 00:35:14.220
 He's reminding them,

00:35:14.340 --> 00:35:14.480
 listen,

00:35:14.579 --> 00:35:15.980
 you are called to lead people

00:35:15.980 --> 00:35:16.519
 to Jesus,

00:35:16.740 --> 00:35:18.740
 not make it harder.

00:35:19.920 --> 00:35:20.220
 He said,

00:35:20.360 --> 00:35:21.119
 woe unto you.

00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:23.180
 How dare you do that?

00:35:24.460 --> 00:35:26.599
 And when truth confronts

00:35:26.599 --> 00:35:27.500
 a hardened heart,

00:35:27.920 --> 00:35:29.860
 it produces a reaction.

00:35:30.640 --> 00:35:31.099
 That's what we see

00:35:31.099 --> 00:35:32.260
 in verse 53 and 54.

00:35:32.880 --> 00:35:33.420
 And as he said

00:35:33.420 --> 00:35:34.220
 these things unto them,

00:35:34.300 --> 00:35:35.280
 the scribes and the Pharisees

00:35:35.280 --> 00:35:37.140
 began to urge him vehemently

00:35:37.140 --> 00:35:37.880
 and provoke him

00:35:37.880 --> 00:35:38.640
 to speak many things.

00:35:38.860 --> 00:35:39.300
 They didn't want

00:35:39.300 --> 00:35:40.140
 to learn anything.

00:35:40.420 --> 00:35:40.680
 They said,

00:35:41.140 --> 00:35:42.160
 hey, keep talking.

00:35:42.280 --> 00:35:43.519
 We need some more ammo

00:35:43.519 --> 00:35:44.440
 to come after you.

00:35:45.460 --> 00:35:45.860
 Why?

00:35:45.920 --> 00:35:46.559
 Because they were lying

00:35:46.559 --> 00:35:47.400
 in wait and seeking

00:35:47.400 --> 00:35:48.180
 to catch something

00:35:48.180 --> 00:35:48.820
 out of his mouth

00:35:48.820 --> 00:35:52.039
 that they might accuse him.

00:35:53.900 --> 00:35:54.920
 See, their reaction

00:35:54.920 --> 00:35:55.680
 tells us everything

00:35:55.680 --> 00:35:56.460
 about their hearts.

00:35:57.960 --> 00:35:59.320
 But instead of listening,

00:35:59.860 --> 00:36:01.120
 they plotted.

00:36:02.220 --> 00:36:03.340
 Instead of repenting,

00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:05.180
 they just resisted

00:36:05.180 --> 00:36:05.920
 what God said.

00:36:06.640 --> 00:36:08.280
 Instead of humbling themselves,

00:36:08.680 --> 00:36:10.120
 they hardened their hearts.

00:36:11.460 --> 00:36:12.160
 And here's the truth

00:36:12.160 --> 00:36:12.800
 for us today.

00:36:13.660 --> 00:36:14.539
 That when God speaks

00:36:14.539 --> 00:36:14.940
 to our heart,

00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:15.880
 he convicts us.

00:36:16.500 --> 00:36:17.800
 That's a beautiful thing.

00:36:18.599 --> 00:36:19.340
 You should be thankful.

00:36:20.519 --> 00:36:21.760
 But conviction can either

00:36:21.760 --> 00:36:22.740
 lead us to repentance

00:36:22.740 --> 00:36:24.980
 or drive us to rebellion.

00:36:26.360 --> 00:36:27.260
 Sometimes the word of God

00:36:27.260 --> 00:36:28.300
 meets us where we are

00:36:28.300 --> 00:36:29.200
 and we don't like it.

00:36:29.860 --> 00:36:30.320
 They say,

00:36:30.380 --> 00:36:30.880
 well, I'm not doing

00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:31.480
 that right now.

00:36:32.840 --> 00:36:33.480
 Be careful

00:36:33.480 --> 00:36:34.140
 because that's exactly

00:36:34.140 --> 00:36:34.660
 what they did.

00:36:35.740 --> 00:36:36.860
 They hardened their hearts

00:36:36.860 --> 00:36:37.320
 to the word of God.

00:36:37.559 --> 00:36:39.120
 Their response was tragic,

00:36:39.620 --> 00:36:40.680
 but it doesn't have

00:36:40.680 --> 00:36:41.599
 to be our response.

00:36:42.800 --> 00:36:43.320
 Maybe there's some things

00:36:43.320 --> 00:36:43.760
 in our life

00:36:43.760 --> 00:36:45.280
 that we need to look at.

00:36:46.340 --> 00:36:47.460
 That when God speaks

00:36:47.460 --> 00:36:47.860
 to us today,

00:36:47.940 --> 00:36:49.079
 we still have a choice.

00:36:50.039 --> 00:36:51.519
 We can defend ourselves

00:36:51.519 --> 00:36:53.360
 or we can humble ourselves.

00:36:54.660 --> 00:36:55.940
 Back to that opening illustration,

00:36:56.120 --> 00:36:56.500
 sometimes somebody

00:36:56.500 --> 00:36:57.059
 starts to help us say,

00:36:57.059 --> 00:36:58.480
 who do you think you are?

00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:00.000
 We laugh about that,

00:37:00.039 --> 00:37:00.759
 but sometimes the word of God

00:37:00.759 --> 00:37:01.440
 speaks to our heart

00:37:01.440 --> 00:37:01.759
 and we think,

00:37:01.940 --> 00:37:02.920
 who do you think you are?

00:37:03.639 --> 00:37:05.000
 I'm just trying to live my life.

00:37:05.340 --> 00:37:06.239
 I'm a good person.

00:37:06.900 --> 00:37:07.679
 You know why God speaks

00:37:07.679 --> 00:37:07.960
 to our heart?

00:37:08.019 --> 00:37:09.299
 You know why he challenges us?

00:37:09.440 --> 00:37:10.679
 Because he loves us.

00:37:12.179 --> 00:37:13.119
 Jesus is not trying

00:37:13.119 --> 00:37:14.500
 to bury these guys.

00:37:14.940 --> 00:37:15.739
 You know what he's trying to do?

00:37:15.860 --> 00:37:16.759
 He's trying to show them

00:37:16.759 --> 00:37:17.219
 their heart.

00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:17.699
 He said,

00:37:17.860 --> 00:37:18.619
 come to me.

00:37:19.400 --> 00:37:20.380
 You know what he's saying?

00:37:20.480 --> 00:37:21.239
 You're miserable

00:37:21.239 --> 00:37:21.880
 and you know it.

00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:22.860
 Why don't you come to me?

00:37:23.559 --> 00:37:24.680
 I'm here for you.

00:37:24.880 --> 00:37:25.840
 I love you.

00:37:26.119 --> 00:37:26.860
 I love you so much

00:37:26.860 --> 00:37:27.720
 I'm telling you the truth.

00:37:27.960 --> 00:37:28.640
 I'm telling you something

00:37:28.640 --> 00:37:30.039
 you don't want to hear.

00:37:31.180 --> 00:37:32.320
 And yet they refused it.

00:37:33.559 --> 00:37:34.820
 The Pharisees were focused

00:37:34.820 --> 00:37:35.740
 on outward appearances.

00:37:35.880 --> 00:37:36.680
 The lawyers were focused

00:37:36.680 --> 00:37:37.220
 on control.

00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:39.740
 Both missed God.

00:37:40.840 --> 00:37:41.840
 Don't be in that boat.

00:37:43.420 --> 00:37:44.640
 Jesus did not come

00:37:44.640 --> 00:37:46.220
 to burden people.

00:37:47.220 --> 00:37:48.440
 He came to free them.

00:37:49.539 --> 00:37:50.619
 John tells us in John 8,

00:37:50.619 --> 00:37:51.940
 you shall know the truth

00:37:51.940 --> 00:37:53.219
 and the truth

00:37:53.219 --> 00:37:54.539
 shall make you free.

00:37:55.339 --> 00:37:56.480
 Who is he talking about?

00:37:57.219 --> 00:37:57.579
 Himself.

00:37:58.599 --> 00:37:59.359
 He's the way.

00:38:00.079 --> 00:38:01.259
 He's the truth.

00:38:01.819 --> 00:38:02.519
 He's the life.

00:38:03.819 --> 00:38:05.000
 As we kind of close it down

00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:05.420
 this morning,

00:38:05.480 --> 00:38:05.980
 I just want to

00:38:05.980 --> 00:38:07.500
 just kind of

00:38:07.500 --> 00:38:09.059
 bring it to where we are.

00:38:10.059 --> 00:38:10.539
 I think sometimes

00:38:10.539 --> 00:38:11.239
 we can be here,

00:38:11.319 --> 00:38:12.159
 maybe somebody here today

00:38:12.159 --> 00:38:13.299
 is carrying a burden

00:38:13.299 --> 00:38:14.500
 Jesus never gave you

00:38:14.500 --> 00:38:14.859
 to carry.

00:38:15.779 --> 00:38:16.380
 You've kind of

00:38:16.380 --> 00:38:17.599
 put it on your own self.

00:38:18.460 --> 00:38:19.400
 Some of us have maybe

00:38:19.400 --> 00:38:20.599
 placed burdens on others

00:38:20.599 --> 00:38:22.319
 that God never intended.

00:38:23.719 --> 00:38:25.339
 It's okay to have standards

00:38:25.339 --> 00:38:26.159
 and have convictions

00:38:26.159 --> 00:38:27.259
 and have priorities

00:38:27.259 --> 00:38:27.659
 in your life

00:38:27.659 --> 00:38:28.699
 and we all should.

00:38:29.719 --> 00:38:30.460
 We have to remember

00:38:30.460 --> 00:38:31.079
 that we're growing

00:38:31.079 --> 00:38:31.940
 and God is the one

00:38:31.940 --> 00:38:32.519
 that does the growing.

00:38:33.279 --> 00:38:33.779
 God is the one

00:38:33.779 --> 00:38:34.719
 that does the work

00:38:34.719 --> 00:38:36.119
 and Jesus is offering

00:38:36.119 --> 00:38:37.299
 grace instead of pressure.

00:38:37.500 --> 00:38:38.799
 He's offering this relationship.

00:38:39.119 --> 00:38:40.059
 He's offering rest.

00:38:40.380 --> 00:38:41.079
 Come to him.

00:38:43.380 --> 00:38:44.159
 Maybe you're here

00:38:44.159 --> 00:38:45.199
 and you spent your whole life

00:38:45.199 --> 00:38:46.819
 trying to earn

00:38:46.819 --> 00:38:47.500
 God's approval.

00:38:47.500 --> 00:38:49.219
 trying to be

00:38:49.219 --> 00:38:50.340
 just good enough

00:38:50.340 --> 00:38:51.519
 and trying to

00:38:51.519 --> 00:38:52.719
 clean yourself up

00:38:52.719 --> 00:38:53.559
 just a little bit.

00:38:54.659 --> 00:38:55.639
 Maybe you're carrying

00:38:55.639 --> 00:38:56.619
 some spiritual weight

00:38:56.619 --> 00:38:57.300
 you were never

00:38:57.300 --> 00:38:58.780
 meant to bear.

00:39:00.099 --> 00:39:01.420
 I want to remind you

00:39:01.420 --> 00:39:03.199
 salvation is not found

00:39:03.199 --> 00:39:04.059
 in a bunch of rules.

00:39:04.059 --> 00:39:06.400
 It's found in Jesus Christ.

00:39:07.480 --> 00:39:08.559
 That's where it starts.

00:39:09.279 --> 00:39:10.000
 That's what God

00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:10.759
 wants us to know.

00:39:11.019 --> 00:39:11.579
 He carried,

00:39:11.639 --> 00:39:11.799
 listen,

00:39:12.079 --> 00:39:13.420
 He carried your sin

00:39:13.420 --> 00:39:14.119
 to the cross

00:39:14.119 --> 00:39:15.219
 and nailed it there.

00:39:16.279 --> 00:39:17.259
 He paid a debt

00:39:17.259 --> 00:39:17.920
 you couldn't pay.

00:39:18.779 --> 00:39:20.219
 He offers forgiveness

00:39:20.219 --> 00:39:22.380
 and new life today.

00:39:23.519 --> 00:39:23.900
 Sometimes,

00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:24.759
 maybe you're running around

00:39:24.759 --> 00:39:25.219
 and you've got all

00:39:25.219 --> 00:39:26.259
 these burdens on you.

00:39:26.719 --> 00:39:27.679
 Give them to the Lord.

00:39:28.500 --> 00:39:29.199
 The Bible tells them,

00:39:29.279 --> 00:39:29.400
 Peter,

00:39:29.400 --> 00:39:31.099
 cast all your cares

00:39:31.099 --> 00:39:31.639
 on Him.

00:39:31.700 --> 00:39:31.900
 Why?

00:39:32.280 --> 00:39:33.260
 Because He cares

00:39:33.260 --> 00:39:34.039
 for you.

00:39:34.840 --> 00:39:35.740
 Maybe you've been told

00:39:35.740 --> 00:39:36.460
 and you've been taught

00:39:36.460 --> 00:39:36.900
 wrongly,

00:39:37.039 --> 00:39:37.800
 you have to do this

00:39:37.800 --> 00:39:38.579
 and you have to do this

00:39:38.579 --> 00:39:39.260
 and you've got to do

00:39:39.260 --> 00:39:39.940
 all these things

00:39:39.940 --> 00:39:40.440
 so you can make it

00:39:40.440 --> 00:39:41.160
 to heaven one day.

00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:42.200
 No,

00:39:42.280 --> 00:39:43.139
 here's how you make it

00:39:43.139 --> 00:39:43.360
 to heaven.

00:39:43.680 --> 00:39:44.400
 You call on the name

00:39:44.400 --> 00:39:45.400
 of the Lord Jesus Christ.

00:39:45.880 --> 00:39:46.940
 You place your faith

00:39:46.940 --> 00:39:47.539
 and trust in Him.

00:39:47.740 --> 00:39:48.380
 You realize that

00:39:48.380 --> 00:39:49.079
 you're a sinner.

00:39:49.500 --> 00:39:50.300
 That all have sin

00:39:50.300 --> 00:39:50.700
 and come short

00:39:50.700 --> 00:39:51.480
 of the glory of God

00:39:51.480 --> 00:39:53.740
 and the wages

00:39:53.740 --> 00:39:54.700
 of sin is death

00:39:54.700 --> 00:39:57.039
 but the gift

00:39:57.039 --> 00:39:57.400
 of God

00:39:57.400 --> 00:39:58.099
 is eternal life

00:39:58.099 --> 00:39:58.820
 through Jesus Christ

00:39:58.820 --> 00:39:59.200
 our Lord.

00:39:59.400 --> 00:40:02.039
 It's not about

00:40:02.039 --> 00:40:04.099
 keeping the Sabbath holy

00:40:04.099 --> 00:40:04.860
 and making sure

00:40:04.860 --> 00:40:05.480
 you're not carrying

00:40:05.480 --> 00:40:06.680
 too many dried figs

00:40:06.680 --> 00:40:06.880
 and all.

00:40:07.139 --> 00:40:07.920
 It's not what it's about.

00:40:11.119 --> 00:40:12.360
 But maybe you're here today

00:40:12.360 --> 00:40:13.760
 and you love Jesus

00:40:13.760 --> 00:40:14.260
 and you know Him

00:40:14.260 --> 00:40:14.740
 as your Savior

00:40:14.740 --> 00:40:15.740
 but you kind of drift

00:40:15.740 --> 00:40:16.840
 sometimes into that

00:40:16.840 --> 00:40:18.079
 heavy religion.

00:40:19.700 --> 00:40:19.920
 Listen,

00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:20.720
 Jesus came that you

00:40:20.720 --> 00:40:21.460
 might have peace

00:40:21.460 --> 00:40:23.000
 but maybe your life

00:40:23.000 --> 00:40:23.680
 feels like a whole bunch

00:40:23.680 --> 00:40:24.079
 of pressure.

00:40:25.220 --> 00:40:26.380
 Maybe your Christian walk

00:40:26.380 --> 00:40:27.579
 feels a lot more like

00:40:27.579 --> 00:40:28.539
 out of duty

00:40:28.539 --> 00:40:29.679
 instead of delight

00:40:29.679 --> 00:40:30.239
 in the Lord.

00:40:31.739 --> 00:40:32.920
 Maybe it's fear

00:40:32.920 --> 00:40:33.679
 instead of freedom.

00:40:34.820 --> 00:40:35.940
 It's not what Jesus came.

00:40:36.619 --> 00:40:36.980
 You know what He's

00:40:36.980 --> 00:40:37.980
 doing today?

00:40:38.059 --> 00:40:39.059
 Maybe He's calling you back.

00:40:39.539 --> 00:40:40.420
 Back to that

00:40:40.420 --> 00:40:41.980
 intimate relationship

00:40:41.980 --> 00:40:43.639
 about resting in Him.

00:40:43.900 --> 00:40:44.759
 Maybe you've added

00:40:44.759 --> 00:40:46.480
 burdens to your own life.

00:40:47.500 --> 00:40:48.239
 Maybe you've placed

00:40:48.239 --> 00:40:49.779
 expectations on others

00:40:49.779 --> 00:40:50.820
 that God never placed

00:40:50.820 --> 00:40:51.380
 on them.

00:40:53.139 --> 00:40:54.000
 Lay Him down.

00:40:54.000 --> 00:40:57.739
 Get at Jesus' feet.

00:40:58.760 --> 00:40:59.679
 Let Him work

00:40:59.679 --> 00:41:00.579
 in your life.

00:41:02.019 --> 00:41:03.099
 As we leave today

00:41:03.099 --> 00:41:03.599
 I just want us

00:41:03.599 --> 00:41:04.500
 to take this truth home.

00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:05.000
 This one truth.

00:41:05.360 --> 00:41:06.579
 Jesus never

00:41:06.579 --> 00:41:07.840
 adds burdens.

00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:08.780
 That wasn't His mission.

00:41:10.460 --> 00:41:11.800
 It was to lift them.

00:41:13.880 --> 00:41:14.780
 Doesn't mean we live

00:41:14.780 --> 00:41:15.480
 our Christian life

00:41:15.480 --> 00:41:16.179
 like the Wild West.

00:41:16.579 --> 00:41:17.480
 We don't have time

00:41:17.480 --> 00:41:18.239
 to go into all that.

00:41:19.239 --> 00:41:20.219
 But your life

00:41:20.219 --> 00:41:20.840
 in Christ

00:41:20.840 --> 00:41:22.000
 should not feel

00:41:22.000 --> 00:41:22.780
 miserable.

00:41:24.139 --> 00:41:24.860
 That's not

00:41:24.860 --> 00:41:25.920
 what Jesus came.

00:41:26.159 --> 00:41:27.440
 These men were miserable.

00:41:28.019 --> 00:41:28.639
 And they were making

00:41:28.639 --> 00:41:29.539
 other people miserable.

00:41:30.500 --> 00:41:31.860
 Listen, the joy of the Lord

00:41:31.860 --> 00:41:32.800
 should be our strength.

00:41:33.820 --> 00:41:35.099
 In thy presence

00:41:35.099 --> 00:41:36.440
 is fullness

00:41:36.440 --> 00:41:37.639
 of joy.

00:41:38.440 --> 00:41:39.239
 Is that your life?

00:41:39.739 --> 00:41:40.619
 It should be.

00:41:41.260 --> 00:41:41.659
 Because that's what

00:41:41.659 --> 00:41:42.280
 Jesus offers.