Ep 484 | Discerning The Lord's Body - Greg Branch 1/29/23

So good to see everyone today. So good to be here again and

it's wonderful to see some new faces.

So I hope as we spend the day together that I get a chance to

meet you, if I don't already know you and I hope I get a

chance to reconnect with you. If we already know each other,

the song service was excellent and preparing our minds for

where we're going to go this morning.

This morning, as you can see, on the screen, we're going to

discuss the topic. I would just simply call

Discerning the Lord's body. This comes from First

Corinthians 11. We're going to back up to verse

23, here in a few minutes we're going to meet around the Lord's

table and we have an obligation. When we do this to do a few

things, the church at Corinth had messed this up.

The church at Corinth had stopped doing what the Lord

instituted and as Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, he says

we need to fix this. Now, I'm putting it in Gregg

branches terms, but that's that's how I would, I interpret

what he said, he said, he talked about what they did wrong, we're

not going to go into that right now, but if you don't see the

screen, we're in First Corinthians 11.

Beginning in verse 23, for I received from the Lord that

which I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus on the same

night in which he I was betrayed took bread, and when he had

given thanks, he broke it and said, take eat.

This is my body which is broken for you.

Do this in remembrance of me in the same manner.

Also, he took the cup after supper saying, this cup is the

New Covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink

it. In remembrance of me for as

often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the

Lord's death, till he comes. Now, if you remember what he's

talked about prior to this, they had Turned the communion, the

observance of the Lord's Supper into something.

We might call a. Bring your own lunch.

It wasn't really potluck. Like we're going to have this

afternoon where everybody just brings it puts it on a common

table, and we share it. But it seems as though the

families, the people began to meet in their little groups,

they had what they had. And someone that brought a lot

and had plenty, they were just full and had plenty.

And if there was somebody in the group that, Don't have much or

anything, they would sit over there and just have nothing.

And I hope that just screams inside of us.

That's just not, right? Why wouldn't you invite them

over to at least share with yours but that didn't happen in

this church. And so some had a lot in some

had none and they certainly were not growing together.

He said this is how the Lord instituted it.

There was a common bread that was shared there was a common

drink that was shared. Now look, if you don't know me

Glenn am I remember this about me?

I'm not a drink Sharer. When Rachel and I started

dating, I had this tendency, I love to stop, just have always

have a soda with me. If she wanted somebody like will

get you one. I could kiss her but I didn't

want to share a soda with her. Now, children that kind of

changed a lot in my life. So what we're going to do here

in a few minutes is not natural, it's not like mad.

I cannot wait to share this cup with you but I won't think about

that. And then there's something

bigger happening with all this and the church they're needed to

know that he went on to say, therefore, whoever eats this

bread or drinks this cup of the Lord, in an unworthy manner,

will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

There's a way we need to participate in this.

There's a manner that as we go about this, Us here in a few

minutes, we need to consider how we're doing it because it's

possible, if I don't do it in the right manner.

I would be guilty of this body and blood, but let a man examine

himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup

for. He Who drinks in an unworthy

manner, eats and drinks judgment to himself.

Not Discerning the Lord's body. Remember, that's the title of

our study today. Discerning the Lord's body.

He said what they're doing wrong.

If they're drinking and eating dram nation and himself as they

failed to discern the Lord's body for this reason because

people were not Discerning the Lord's body for this reason,

many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep.

I don't know this congregation so I can say this freely and I

don't have to worry. Maybe Frank would get up here

and he's like, I can't say that because they know, I know, and I

don't know that, but here's what I'm kind of confident of in a

cup in an audience is sites. There's someone here today and

maybe more than one person that feels weak, but you came anyway.

You feel sick? Spiritually you came anyway.

It's not like covid. It's not like the flu.

It's like it's a spiritual sickness and you know what I'm

talking about. But you don't know why, you

don't know why you're growing week.

You don't know why you're sick. You don't know why you're

spiritually asleep. You're sleepwalking as it were

I'm going to submit to you today.

Suggest you today there's a good chance.

It's failure to discern the Lord's body.

It's somewhere in the midst of this.

In all we do and the obligation we feel and you're committed

even already to one cup and one loaf.

Perhaps, But you're still you don't know what's wrong, I

suggest. When it's happened to me, I've

filled the Discerning the Lord's body.

What does it mean to discern? The Lord's body literally comes

from a Greek word. That means to separate

thoroughly, I don't know about you, but I don't do a lot for

me. You break it out.

Vine says to distinguish your separate out.

So as to investigate so we're separating it out thoroughly

because we're trying to figure it out, we're investigating

something. What are we doing?

We're determining the Excellence or defects of a person or thing.

If you were to fight, you know, how they Define Greek words is

they go to other elements of literature from this same time,

period and figure out how they used it there.

And this would have been used in legal books.

It's like figure out the Excellence, or defects.

What's going on? Get to know this.

So I would like this morning for the next few minutes to

investigate. And I'm going to tell you, it's

the Excellence of Jesus, you're not going to find defect.

So cats out of the bag. But here's what I know, we need

to get to know him sometimes. This is somewhat of a memorial

service, right? The memorial of Jesus Christ, I

do a lot of funerals and what I have found that is most

effective for me and the family is, you tell me about this

person. I want to get to get with him.

I want to hear the stories and a lot of times it's things I

already knew before, but I have forgotten or maybe I thought I

knew. But there were details that I

just did. I never heard before?

Sometimes it's just reboot it's just opening back up these

things. We know about Jesus.

And one of the things about a memorial service that I like the

best is to try to pick up as young as anybody can remember

them. And take it through their life.

And for a few minutes, I want us to do that.

I want to consider first of all, Jesus, as a boy, Yes, he was a

kid. Is there any of you here today

that are about 12 years old, close to 12?

This is early on so maybe you can stick with me for a minute.

His parents. Jesus parents went to Jerusalem

every year at the Feast of the Passover and when he was twelve

years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the

custom of the feast 12 year olds.

That was the time that they finally got to go with Mom and

Dad. You're like man I've had to go

to church my whole life. This was different.

This was the Passover this was a big deal.

It only happened one time a year and they never got to go until

they were 12 perhaps but By 12, it was time that they went and

Jesus was going when they had finished the days as they

returned. The boy, Jesus lingered, behind

in Jerusalem and Joseph. And his mother did not know it,

but supposing him to have been in the company.

They went a Day's Journey and sought him among their relatives

and acquaintances. Now, you made call timeout on

this and say, how do people? They just think, just taking

themselves from a little town that they lived in.

They've gone to the big city Jerusalem.

All these people from all over, have Soldier into this time of

year. It would have been massively

crowded. How do you leave your kid behind

in Jerusalem? Mike Glenn is here today.

She has 14, other brothers and sisters.

So as I was growing up, not only were there, the 15 kids between

go to Grandma and Grandpa walls in the summer at time of harvest

or in the winter for the holidays.

If we went to town for something, it took carloads of

people. It was a lot.

I don't know. 30, some cousins at the time, I don't know.

Now, there's like 60 and all these families and I remember

one time that we got all back to the farm, got time for dinner

and started counting heads. And my cousin Robbie was

missing. And to remember that she's

laughing now, then Thomas was just a little hole-in-the-wall

town. I guess it had to stop sign, I'm

not sure. But there was some kind of a

little place near in town. They called down there and said,

is there a kid in the park? Arc and Robbie was still playing

all by himself. You see?

They thought he was with somebody else, that's how it

was. Now maybe you grew up in a

family like that. Maybe you've had situations like

that. That's what I picture Here with

Jesus. They just thought he was with

some of the other Kinfolk. They've got a full day's journey

and now they can't find him Panic sticks in 12 years old

back in Jerusalem so when they did not find him, they returned

to Jerusalem seeking him and now so it was after three days.

They found him in the temple is three days in the accident.

Pretty cool things happen. Over three days within the

scriptures, three days, they find him in the temple sitting

in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and

asking them questions question, where have they been looking the

other two days? Why did they go to the temple?

The third day? Scriptures.

Don't tell us but the parent in me says, they went to retrace

their steps because he wasn't in all the places they thought and

expected to find him. The other option is maybe if we

pray there and get a priest to pray with this, we can get some

guidance. What they found was a

twelve-year-old, Jesus sitting in the midst of them.

These leaders describes these Pharisees.

He's not only listening but he's asking them questions.

And they're asking him some questions and they're astounded

at his understanding and his answers to their questions, they

have a prodigy. Now, I realize the book of

Isaiah says that the Messiah will be quick to get the synth,

he would be of quick understanding Hebrew.

Phrase actually means. Understand means quick to get

the sin. If you're a dog guy, you got a

coon dogs, cold nose. This still tells us something

about Jesus, if you're here today, you're 12 years old.

Are you interested in what the Bible says about Jesus as a 12

year old? Are you interested in

understanding so that you can have a conversation with the

people of when they're talking Bible, ask them questions and

maybe be able to answer a couple of others.

That was the boy Jesus. He was an Iva.

So when they saw him, the parrots they were amazed.

And his mother said to him son. Why have you done this to us?

You look your father and I have sought you anxiously What were

you thinking? Do you know how we've been

worried about? Nothing parrot Clicks in.

We understand this three days and he's just acting like,

there's nothing wrong. What is Jesus say?

He said it then why did you seek me?

Did you not know that I must be about my father's business?

He gets it. Somebody says, I don't know if a

12 year old can get it, I know some twelve-year-olds, I know

some five-year-olds. That's like what?

How did you ask that question, right?

Twelve-year-old can get it. Don't give you don't give your

kids a pass because there are only 12 and if you're a

twelve-year-old, don't, you know, you know, stuff, don't

hide behind your age, he says, you know, I need to be about my

father's business. They did not understand the

statement, which he spoke to them, fascinates me, something

about human nature. ER look Mary and Joseph had

Angels speak to them. They've had divine intervention.

She surely hasn't forgotten that this isn't Joseph, son.

But our minds will do that. If we don't watch it, won't they

we can know something's right? We can know exactly what it is.

But the further we get away from reminding us of the truth of

God's word, we began to create our own world view and we get

away from God's designed worldview.

The 12 year old had to remind mom and dad.

Where this all came from. Then he went down to them now.

12 year olds. He didn't say, like, do I need

to take over now. Mom and Dad clearly, you don't

get what's going on. Know this 12 year old.

He went down with them and came to Nazareth.

He went home and was subject to them, but his mother kept all

these things in her heart and Jesus increased in wisdom and

stature and in favor with God and man.

He didn't say clearly, I know more than you do.

It's time for me to kind of run this house after all, you know,

I'm the king. He went and he was subject to

them. He minded them, he honored them,

he would increased in wisdom and stature not only with his

parents, but he did. So with God, and with mankind,

Jesus was a wonderful example of faithful Youth.

And today, if you're young here, if you're trying to decide what

expectation, you can sit for your youth, Jesus has provided

the path what a wonderful example.

Jesus baptism. You know, one thing I love to

know when I'm doing a memorial service for somebody.

That's been a Christian is, when were they baptized?

When were they born again? We know the day of their birth

and we know the day of their death that's like printed on

everything but the day they're born again is never printed on

stuff ardley. It's recorded that Jesus was

baptized. We're going to read in Matthew

Matthew 3:13–17

chapter 3, verses 13 through 17. Jesus Came From Galilee to John

to the Jordan, to be baptized by him and John tried to prevent

him saying, I need to be baptized by you and you're

coming to me. I cannot imagine a little bit of

like to be John, the Baptist, John the baptizer.

It's hard enough. for me to feel like, who am?

I is kind of what goes through my mind.

I can relate totally the statement.

Jesus, I need, I need what you have to offer.

You can't ask me to do this for the son of God.

Jesus answered and said to him, permit it to be.

So now for thus, it is fitting to fulfill all righteousness if

for no other reason in the Bible, the other plethora of

examples of baptism, we only had this record This would be enough

for me to convince you and myself.

We need to be baptized and yet the predominant majority of

people that claim to follow Christ today and have

assemblies. Just like this one this morning

in Bakersfield and in Oakdale and throughout this world will

tell you, baptism is not necessary to fulfill all

righteousness to be saved. Jesus had a different opinion

about it even for himself. Did Jesus have any sin that

needed to be washed away? No, in fact scripture says he

didn't even have guile in his body, what's guile?

Geils that deceptive part that you don't want to outright lie

but you certainly don't want them to know the truth.

So you're going to try to structure your story or your

explanation. So they think something is one

way, when really it was another Jesus didn't even do that.

And he says, I have to be back at you.

Need to the King James says, suffer it to be.

So now, For thus, it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness.

Then he allowed him. And when he had been baptized,

Jesus came up immediately from the water behold.

The heavens were opened to him. He saw the spirit of God

descending, like a dove and alighting.

Come on lighting upon him. And suddenly a voice Came From

Heaven saying, this is my beloved Son.

In whom I am well pleased, whatever you believe about the

godhead, you have to have a belief that's consistent with

this passage that God is in heaven speaking.

Thus, his spirit is Descending like a dove and could light up

on Jesus, but was not Jesus. And Jesus was the one that was

baptized and has just come up out of the water.

Three different presentations personalities.

Not the exact same being unified and purpose and in spirit, No

Doubt. But three different entities,

whatever, I believe Jesus, baptized all this happens.

Today, don't tell me, I don't need to be baptized, you know, I

know the church does that, but I just I like this church.

I'm going to start coming here because I just like everybody a

lot, but I don't need that baptism.

Then you're saying you don't need what even Jesus was willing

to show as an example of fulfilling righteousness.

Today, may we never have managed that I want you to know.

Another thing about Jesus is he loved children.

Absolutely, he did. In fact, the context I want to

share with you today is Jesus is just corrected.

The Pharisees unscriptural view of divorce and remarriage Now in

the generation I grew up in in Oklahoma.

This was the this was the debate topic.

Yeah. The Holy Spirit was kind of in

my teenage years and early 20s but from the time, I remember

sitting in the den and listening to my parents discuss things

with family members, or friends or other congregations, we'd

travel somewhere, and there it was, it was always after dinner

conversation and it wasn't always Pleasant.

Because people and some of you know this time period this is

what's just happened. And so as I think about the

passage we're about to read I think about that.

They're coming off the heels of this so much so and they're so

discouraged by what Jesus has taught them and that it's

changing their whole view of things, the cream of the crop,

his disciples when they got alone.

You remember what they said to him?

Jesus. If this is how it is with

divorce and remarriage, it's better off, not even to get

married. Now, this has been a hard thing

for them to take and they're thinking forget marriage

altogether. Put this context, any you name

the subject of you, whatever group, you've been discussing,

and everybody's worked up and heated.

Then little children were brought to him.

That he might put his hands on them and pray but the disciples

rebuked them. Have you been in one of those

the men have all been arguing about this debating, whatever

you want to call it and the kids run up.

Daddy, daddy, hold me. Let me get these kids out of

here. We don't everybody's they're

edgy. That's what happens with these

kids in the disciples rebuked them.

I don't know if the rebuking the kids or their mamas or the other

family that let them run into this little organization.

But what is Jesus say he says, let the little children come to

me and do not forbid them for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

And he laid his hands on them and departed from there.

I picture him just sitting down and seeing breathing in here.

This is what it's about and I gotta remember this as we think

about Doctrine and his weed earnestly contend for the faith

and we have to if we ever forget these little kids need attention

and love and hugs to even. Bye, dad and the preacher.

If we ever forget that, we're going to lose them.

Mama's having important part, and they just have a natural

affection and ability to see things.

That not enough of us guys. Do Jesus did.

And I want you to notice what he did after he laid his hands on

them after he gave them that loving attention.

He didn't say, okay, now, any more questions, Scripture says

any left. He left on a good note, he left

on a high note, he had already taught them truth and we can sit

there and we can keep rehashing the same arguments over and over

until we just can't stand one another or we can get our

attention back on the Kingdom of Heaven growing together and love

showing affection everywhere. It needs to be shown and move on

and keep moving. Does that to say he turned his

back on what he had just talked to him.

Absolutely not. In fact, I believe when Paul

writes to the church at Corinth he Says, Jesus already taught

this. I believe it.

It's still in force. Jesus.

Love children. Even in the midst of doctrinal,

arguments amongst the Brethren. You know, I want you to know.

Also thing about Carrick, Jesus characters.

He would like you even if other people didn't.

You didn't have to fit his mold. You didn't have to fit a social

Norm or expectation. In Luke chapter 19, it says

Luke 19 · chapter mention

Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

Now. Behold, there was a man named

Zacchaeus who was chief tax collector and he was rich and he

sought to see who Jesus was but could not because of the crowd

for he was of short stature. I remember this song is a little

kid. Zacchaeus Was a wee little man.

A wee little man. We'll see.

Grown man, rich man in town. He wants to see Jesus but it's

almost like a parade as Jesus comes through and they won't let

him up. They didn't like him for one.

Why would they like him? He was a tax collector.

We're going to find out a little bit more.

Reason of what they thought about him as we go, but he

couldn't. So what did he do?

Did he call and say, hey I you know who I am.

I'm rich pay people to move? No, he ran ahead of the crowd.

See this little guy, just grown man running up ahead of people.

He climbs into a sycamore tree to see him for, he was going to

pass that way. He could tell the direction that

this whole crowd was going, and he sees a sycamore tree down

there, he's like, I'll see him grown man runs down there climbs

up in the tree and when Jesus came to the place he looked up

and saw him and said to him, Zacchaeus make haste and come

down for today, I must stay at your house Now, look, he just

wanted to put eyes on this Jesus.

Can you imagine the thrill of his heart?

Nobody here likes me. I just wanted to see this guy

and now he wants to come to my house.

So he made his haste and came down and received him.

Joyfully he was thrilled, he was excited, but when they all saw

it, the people that were with him.

They all complain saying he's gone to be a guest with the man

who's a sinner like I thought he was a tax collector.

See, the people looked at tax collectors in that day as

thieves now in our society. If you tell somebody, I work for

the IRS, it automatically makes me go home.

What are you do? Right, audit, do you check in my

taxes? You, you make in my life hard.

But now, this was a whole nother level to them.

In fact, it was commonly reported that many of these Tax

Collectors would take a little more than they should have so

that they could pad their own pockets.

These people looked at Zacchaeus as the Common Center may be a

worse sinner than others, Zacchaeus stood and said to the

Lord. Look look, Lord, I give half my

goods to the poor. Stop time out real quick.

Do you think he's saying look from now on just to make this

all even I will take, well, I'll give half of my goods to the

poor or do you think he's saying look, Lord, I'm not who they

say, I am half of what I have my goods.

I give to the poor. Has he been doing it already?

Or is he saying? You'll do it from this day in

this day forward. Interesting question.

Look Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor.

I'm Not Who these people think I am.

I'm not a sinner. I don't steal from them.

I give to them half of what I have.

And if I have now he's talking in the past tense, if I have

taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore it

for fold. You know, a four-fold is 4 times

if I took an extra thousand dollars from your taxes.

He says I want to give you 4,000 if I took an extra 500 from you,

I'm going to give you 2000. Now, here's my opinion of this

because the scriptures don't tell us anybody coming to

collect or making an accusation against him.

I think Zacchaeus new, I don't know, buddy.

You're going to stand up and have an accusation.

I haven't done that. You know, it happens sometimes

that people are falsely accused people gossip just because they

think whatever they think and they really don't know.

Somebody ever having buddy, say stuff about, you know, I kind of

the even say that I don't know which it is, but here's what I

know is a Kia said, look that's not me.

That's not who I want to be. And here's what I'm willing to

say. Would you, would you give half

of what you have? The people who are poor.

Like whoa, Greg. I'm not rich.

If you were Rich, would you give half of what you had two people

who are poor? you might say if I was rich, I

would I'll only believe that if you're doing what you can with

what limited resources, you have now, some of them most giving

people I have ever met or some of the poorest people, I have

known. There's a rich man saying what

he have and put it in our day and term.

He had a million. Would you take 500,000?

So I'm going to distribute that to the poor.

This guy's character is something and yet the everybody

in town thought, horrible things about him.

Jesus said to him today, salvation has come to this house

because he also is a son of Abraham for the son of man has

come to seek and save that, which was lost, Jesus loved him,

even when nobody else cared about it, Okay, you might feel

like you're just the one that nobody really cares about.

Jesus would love to you. That Jesus does love you.

I want you to know this thing about Jesus sometime in all

these good characteristics. Jesus gets painted like a milk

toast master. But he had he take a stand when

he needed to. Don't doubt it for just a second

fact, John Chapter 2, it says the.

John 2 · chapter mention

Now, the Passover of the Jews was at hand.

This is older, he's not 12 anymore.

He's grown up. 18 plus years later.

Pastor of the Gees Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to

Jerusalem and he found in the temple.

Those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and the money

changers, doing business. And when he had made a whip of

cords, he drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and

The Oxen, and poured out the Changers of money and overturned

the tables. You see what he just said.

He made a whip of cords. And drove them all out of the

Temple. Oh, and the sheep and the oxen.

Now, I'm not suggesting he hit any of those men with that whip

but I am suggesting it was used to drive those people and the

livestock out of the Temple. And he said to those who sold

doves, take these things away. Do not make my father's house, a

house of merchandise, Then his disciples remembered that, it

was written Zeal for your house. Has eaten me up, that's found in

Psalm 69 and nine. You know what that word.

Zeal comes in the Greek. It literally means Heat.

The fire for your house. The heat, the passion for the

house of God. He says, he could not take it.

It ain't never have some. Eat you up inside, what is

commonly reported as he's Changers of money?

Would sell people would come from a long way to Jerusalem for

the Passover and they could bring money, but you couldn't

bring the livestock you needed for the sacrifices.

And so people would be there to sell it, but maybe the currency

from where you came from, would not buy you anything in

Jerusalem, so they had money. Changers there too.

And they were commonly known to not give a good exchange rate.

You see it wasn't that they were trying to assist people with the

sacrifices. They were making this a profit

Center. And Jesus says, get him out

everybody out and he drove them out of the Temple.

Jesus did not have patience for Hypocrites.

That's what these people represented.

What is a hypocrite? Anybody that demands that we

follow what the Bible says? No, that's not a hypocrite.

A hypocrite, is somebody that demands that you follow what the

Bible says, but they themselves won't do it.

They're just, they're acting that it's just, they're playing

the part but that's not really them.

That's a hypocrite. Do not let people make you think

that looking at the Bible and having faith in reading it and

seeing what it says in doing, it makes you a Pharisee.

No, a Pharisee was someone that knew what the law says, but they

were always trying to find loopholes trying to bind heavy

burdens on other people that they themselves wouldn't carry.

Jesus said about those people who says, do what they say, but

don't do what they do, they're saying the right thing but they

themselves are not that Jesus had no no patience with people

who pretended to be a Christian, who pretend in this case we want

Christianity, it would have been Judaism who pretended to follow

God, but in reality they were just there for the money.

We had a business opportunity and weren't about to miss the

convention, Jesus had no patience for that.

We have to know this about our loving savior, the one who likes

people, nobody else likes who has time for children, who will

stand for truth and Doctrine. if we think we're going to skirt

through this life and pretend like, we're all this here at the

church and Bakersfield, or anywhere else, and then in our

real heart, and our other life, Play the part of the sin.

Jesus sees right through that he won't have anymore patience with

us than he did with them. May we turn our hearts.

Again, the last thing I'd like to remind you this morning

happened at the very end of Jesus life.

I don't know if he was a mama's boy as much as he just took care

of everybody but there was something that took place in the

Book of John beginning. Verse 25, it says now there

stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother.

Jesus has now been gone through this mock trial.

He's been tortured, he's been nailed to the cross.

All these things, taking place, thinking about a dying thief, on

a cross cooked next to him. and by his cross is his mother's

Sister Mary, his mother, his mother's Sister Mary, the wife

of clopas and Mary Magdalene when Jesus, therefore, saw his

mother and the disciple, whom he loved standing by, he said, to

his mother, Woman, behold your son.

Said to his disciple, behold your mother.

And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home and you

can go to the end of Book of John and you'll find out that

John reveals. He's the one that he's been

referring to as the other disciple.

And so I'm going to put this in my words he looks and says You

look at this word woman and sometimes in our culture, you

say, hey woman, that's not really a good thing.

This was not like that. That's not the way this.

This is, this is literally he's talking to his mother.

He says, I want you to go with John and John.

I want you to take care of my mom.

This is a fascinating thought for me, because we know that his

brother James was still around would be eventually.

Jesus had a special relationship and he appears to have a special

confidence in John. And he needed his mom to get

that kind of confidence as you read the Gospel of John compared

to Matthew, Mark and Luke. There's just a different tenor

to it. There's a there's a love that

comes out in it. That compassion was that what

Jesus want, me wanted his make sure his mom had what we know

when, if you can picture anything as you close your eyes

and think about as you suffering dreadfully, And seeing your mom.

If they can, somebody please get her out of here.

Somebody needs to care, my mom. That's the passion Jesus had for

his mom. It was just a callous

cold-hearted. Hey, I came here to a job.

I got to get home. Like a Palace of Gold in heaven.

No. He gave John a responsibility.

He gave made sure his mom was protected and after this, Jesus

knowing that all things were now accomplished that the scripture

might be fulfilled. Said, I thirst.

They were been thirsty. I remember times just hoping

they would get some, can we just stop and get some water?

It was work or whether it was to a days or whether it was just a

day. That's so hot.

Jesus thirsty. Today you get to determine the

Excellence or defects of a person or thing.

According to Vines today, we could do this over and over.

We could just keep going through stories about Jesus, but it's

time for you to decide what you're going to do with Jesus.

And as Christians, we need to make sure we discern the body of

Christ, as we come around this table to meet him.

According to Romans 10:17, faith comes by hearing and hearing

Romans 10:17

comes from the word of God. We tried to share the word of

God about Jesus today. If you have faith in this you've

heard it. And you believe Hebrews 11 and 6

says that we must believe that he is and we need to believe

these, the rewarder of those who diligently seek him today.

Are you ready to come into your life that you believe in this

Jesus? And You're going to seek Him

diligently. That's the kind of faith.

We talked about and acts 17 and 30.

The disciple says that there was a time God winked at ignorance

but now commands all men everywhere to repent.

What does repentance mean? Repentance.

Means Greg, you can't just do life.

Like you think you need to do life, Frank can just figure out

his own path, but we have to surrender, our self will to

God's will. Whatever this book, says,

whatever we read in the Bible, that's what that's repentance

and all men everywhere. That includes you and me.

That's repentance in, Romans, 10, and 10, we understand that

our faith comes that with the heart man.

Believes unto righteousness with our mouth.

Confession is made unto salvation.

The Ethiopian nobleman in Acts 8 said, I believe Jesus Christ is

the son of God. What do you believe today?

We know that when Jesus was talking to his disciples who do

people say I am and they said, well some say you're this profit

or that and says, who do you say I am.

Was Peter that spoke upright and he says, Thou Art the Christ,

the son of the Living. God, And what did Jesus say?

That's a good one. Anybody else got another No.

Jesus said bless you Peter for Flesh and Blood did not reveal

that until you receive that from the father.

There is no greater confession, you can make today than Jesus

Christ. Is the Son of God.

One that was blessed by Jesus one that I believe you feel

being noblemen made. But that is the essence today of

a confession that we need to make regarding our Christ and we

need to be baptized Galatians 3:27.

Galatians 3:27

So it has many of you has been baptized into Christ, have put

on Christ Can you imagine going through life without Christ?

Paul told the church in galatia. Time out real quick.

You know people will say, well, why are is all the baptisms?

Mostly in the book of Acts then you hardly read about it in the

rest of the gospels? Think about it, the book of

Acts, what was it? It was the Acts of the Apostles.

It was what the apostles did is they went from place to place

spreading the gospel and they were baptizing people because

they were converting people. What was the letter of wrote to

the Romans about Corinthians Galatians, it was two

congregations that now existed from people who've been

converted. And you don't go telling people

that are part of a congregation. Oh, be baptized, you don't keep

saying the same message. That's what it's not full of

telling them, but what you will find like in Galatians is

reminders. That when you were baptized,

that's how you put on Christ. And you read that in the book of

Ephesians, he reminds him. There was one baptism.

So the gospels letters, written to churches are not void of

baptism, but that's not their purpose.

It's to write to people who had been baptized about how to Now

function, as a church, it's a beautiful picture.

When you think, like, don't let people sell the only place

you'll find book is baptism hardly in the book of Acts will

say, well, of course, that's where people are converted

today. We talked about Jesus.

There's absolutely no reason. If you've never been Today for

the remission of your sins as Jesus described it in Matt.

In the end of The Book of Matthew, in the name of the

father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Then we'd love to assist you in that if you're like hey Greg I

mean you seem like a nice guy. I hear your Wade's dad.

That's great but I've really been studying with Frank or

Terrier. One of the other guys I was

hoping they'd baptized me and I'm going to tell you I am

thrilled. That's perfect.

That's the best way it could be. I just want to encourage you to

take that step if you're a Christian today and as you

prepare to meet around the Lord's table and you want the

manner that you do this Memorial to be right, you saying what I

got some things I need to fix. You don't have to be baptized

again. That's been done.

If you've already done it, you need to pray to God.

First John 189 that he'll forgive you and first John Waite

and 9 it says he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse

us of all unrighteousness as a child of God, you can pray To

God and he will forgive you. But as a child of God, sometimes

we want the prayers of others. And according to James 5:16 if

James 5:16

we confess our faults, one to another and pray one for

another, that the effective fervent prayer of a righteous

man availeth much. So today is you prepare to meet

around the Lord's table, if you desire, the prayers of the

church and we want to pray with you and for you, if you're here

and you feel compelled to respond to the gospel,

invitation, won't, you do that? We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional

information, or you would like to receive a free Bible

correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her

Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.

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Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.

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