Communion

Welcome to the Cross Power Church podcast.

You're listening to a service from our church in Campbell, TX.

We pray this message strengthens your faith and points you to the

cross. Now let's join the service.

We're going to be taking communion tonight, man, What all

what awesome week, you know, this week.

It it, it floods. It just floods my mind.

What to preach, man, because it's so it's such a week.

You know, I, we, sometimes I think that, that we forget what

this week we, we get in the story of Easter, the

Resurrection Sunday, Easter, whatever you choose to call it,

I like Resurrection Sunday. But but sometimes we, you know,

even as preachers, we preach the story so much that we, I think

we forget what it really accomplished, what this week

really accomplished man, had it not been for Calvary, had it not

been for that old rugged cross, had it not been for a man named

Jesus, like the old song says, forever my soul would be lost.

Think about that. Isn't that powerful.

But I got kind of different take on it tonight.

We're I usually just do communion and but the Lord give

me a word today. So we're going to do a little

reading tonight. I, I begin to think, you know,

sometimes when we, when we read scripture, I know when I read a

lot of Scripture up here, the devil attacks me.

You ever notice that when you read your Bible, your mind gets

confused when you, when you begin to really dive into the

things of God and, and I've noticed it in a church setting

so much if, if, if I'd stopped preaching and go to reading that

it just, I think, you know, the enemy comes in.

Well, they think you're reading, they think you don't know what

you're talking about. They think on and on and on.

But you know, it's the Word of God that sets us free and, and

the word of God, if we realize what's in this and we realize

that that sin dies where the blood is applied.

It's been that way even before the covenant, the new covenant,

that we are now under the covenant of grace, even back in

First Samuel. I'm going to read to you a

little story in First Samuel chapter 5.

1 Samuel 5 · chapter mention

You can stay seated because I'm going to do a little reading

tonight. I want to know what the word

says. How about you?

But in first Samuel chapter 5 and verse one it says then the

1 Samuel 5 · chapter mention

Philistines took the ark of God. You'll hear the Ark of God or

the ark of the covenant. They are the same thing and they

brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod verse 2 When the

Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the House

of Dagon and said it by Dagon. Dagon was, was a, was a idol.

It was a, it was a mermaid per SE.

It was 1/2 man from here up from waist up and then it had a tail

behind it and it was a fish, half man and half fish.

It was many worshipped at the as the, as the God of the boughs

and different things. Many believed it was a Pagan God

of fertility. Some worshipped it because it

was the nature and the things that grew and it was just they,

it was just an idol. That's what Dagon was.

But I want you to get this story tonight because there's

something that happened here. Because they were toting the the

Ark of the Covenant and it wasn't in the rightful place

that David would ultimately put it back in.

I preached about the House of old Bad Edom, a man that that

hid it out at his place for a while and people didn't want

anything to do with the Ark of the Covenant because when they

touched it, they didn't handle it right.

They didn't do it like God said to do it.

They would drop dead and there was plagues that would come up

on them. There was all kinds of things

that would happen. But when I read this story

today, it was the Ark of God and they brought it to the House of

an idol to to Dagon. It was the Philistines temple.

Sampson had ultimately he would destroy that temple.

And that was the same place that we read about them pushing the

walls down and the things that Sampson did.

But they set this, that the Ark of the Covenant in there.

And when the people of Ashtod arose early in the morning, get

this Daggone had fallen on its face to the earth before the

Ark. Isn't that awesome?

The word of God, idols fall, sin cannot stay.

You know, we, we battle through this life as Christians many

times and we struggle with things and I really don't think

we get the story of Calvary. I really don't think we get the

power of the cross of Calvary. What was in this arc?

I wanted this happened. This kind of intrigued me

because see, sin can't stand when the word of God is present

and active in the life of a believer.

Satan cannot win. We need to get that in our

mentality. He cannot win.

But yeah, we give him so much credit of what he does and how

he attacks us. But like I said, sometimes I

think we forget what this accomplished.

But the Ark of God, what was this?

It had, it was a box. It had the 10 commandments.

I'm not going to get into all this.

Linda taught on a while back, so did I, but it had the 10, the 2

tablets of the 10 commandments in it.

So it had, it had a list of do's and don'ts per SE, but had the

10 commandments. It had mana in a gold pot.

I often thought why would they put mana in this pot?

But see, the first thing the art really had was what the

commandments that had obedience right?

I preach message that when you have nothing left but obedience

is still all you need. It had obedience, but it had

mana also in the ark of the covenant.

And I believe that it was to remind them that he was Jehovah

Jireh. He was the great provider.

So we had the 10 the tablets of the 10 commandments.

We had mana and there was also Aaron's rod in there which to

remind him that he was Elohim what he was majesty with

creative power, as the Hebrews called him.

So we had these three things, but yet today sometimes we

forget that he's Jehovah Sid canoe.

He's the great promise keeper. God keeps his promises.

He's a source of righteous. That's what that Sid canoe means

is he's the he's a source of righteousness and salvation for

us if we believe. But see, when the people back to

verse 3 of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon

falling on its face to the earth before the ark of the Lord.

So they take they took Dagon and they set it back up in its place

overnight and they went back the next morning and they arose

early and there was daggone again.

It was falling upon his face again to the ground before the

ark of the Lord. Isn't that powerful?

The power of God just makes idols fall in our life.

It still works today. And it says the head of Daggone

and both Inverse and and the palms in its hand were broken

off at the threshold. Only Dagon's torso was left on

it. Therefore, neither the priest of

Dagon nor any who come into Dagon's house tread on the

threshold of Dagon and Ashdod until this day.

But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod,

and he ravaged them, and he struck them with tumors, both

Ashdod and its territory. God was serious about his word.

Can I tell you he's still serious today?

And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said the ark of

the God of Israel must not remain with us for his, for his

hand is harsh toward us, and dag on our God.

Therefore they sit and they gathered themselves all the

Lords of the Philistines, and they said, what shall we do with

the ark of the God of Israel? I ask you tonight, what are you

doing with the ark of the God of Israel?

What are you doing with the promises that He has given us?

See, just as the Philistine God Daggone had wilted, had broken

to pieces, had fell over on the ground, I come by to tell you

that sin today, when it comes in contact with the blood, it still

has to fall. What we observe this week is

Resurrection Sunday and it's a fulfillment of what?

It's a fulfillment. We think about the cross, we

think about what happened, but really we have to go to Hebrews

Hebrews 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8 to find out what this week was really about.

It's about a new covenant. Somebody say new covenant with

me. Thank God when we don't

disobeyed it, when we disobey today, we don't get struck with

these tumors and and these things which God can, but thank

God we have grace that we sing about.

But in Hebrews chapter 1, it says now this is the main point

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

of the things we are saying. We have such a high priest who

is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the

heavens talking about Jesus. Where is he seated?

At the right hand of God, a minister of the sanctuary and of

the true Tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts

and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that

this one also have something to offer.

I'm in verse 4. For if he were on earth, he

would not be a priest, since we are priests who offer the gifts

according to the law, who served the copy and the shadow of the

heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was

about to make the Tabernacle. For he said, see that you make

all these things according to the pattern shown to you on the

mountain. Thank God for grace.

You know, if it wasn't for grace today, they're probably there.

There wouldn't be any such thing as a Christian if we had a law

or something we had to do. You know, all these religions of

the world, you know, the, the Catholics, they go to Mass, they

go to, they go to confession, they, they go to church a lot

more than we do. You know, the Muslims, they,

they pray more than most Christians.

They pray up to five times a day, many more than that to, to

a God that's not a God at all, to something that's not even

alive. But yet we as Christians, we

have trouble giving God an hour and a half.

Thank God there's a covenant today, a new covenant, because

we wouldn't make it. Don't say man right there for he

said, see that you make all the things according to the pattern

shown to you on the mountain. But now he has attained verse

6A, more excellent ministry in as much as he is also mediator

of a better covenant, mediator of a better covenant, which was

established on better promises. Isn't that good to know that

you're in a better covenant that's established on better

promises? You don't begin to think about

that. They had a promise that that the

fire would lead them by night, and there was a shade in the

daytime and there was manna that fell from heaven like dew and

fed the children of Israel. But it says that we are

partakers of a better covenant, right?

So why aren't we partaking? Why aren't we receiving?

What is this word? Mediator here.

I look this up. It's a person who attempts to

make people involved in a conflict, if you're involved in

a conflict, to come to peace, to bring about peace with God and

humanity. That's what Jesus is.

He's a mediator of this covenant.

You know, the the world. Remember when you was lost and

undone without God and you wasn't obeying the commandments

of God and didn't really care even to hear about those things

because conviction fell on your life.

Anybody ever been there? And yet when you heard about

that, it didn't seem like Christ was the mediator, but it seemed

like that you were in conflict, right?

You were in conflict. But what is what is Jesus trying

to do? He's trying to bring about peace

in our life. He's a mediator of a better a

covenant established on a better promise.

Isn't that good to know? Verse 7 let's read the rest of

this is good stuff. For if that first covenant had

been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a

second. Thank God.

What happened under the first come what?

God destroyed everything he made except those that obeyed and got

on the ark, right? He destroyed it because he's

seen that it was no good. God was not happy with us

mankind which he had created, but he said that's what that's

what Paul was saying here. Whoever wrote Hebrews, but then

no place would have been sought for a second verse 8 because

finding fault with them. He says, behold, the days are

coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant.

How many is that? Glad you found out about the new

covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of

Judah. Verse 9.

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers

in the day when I took them by the land to lead them out of the

land of Egypt. See, even under the first

covenant they were being LED. Can I tell you under the second

covenant of grace, you're still being LED a man, but it's to a

place of peace and joy because they did not continue in my

covenant and I disregarded them, says the Lord.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the House of

Israel after those days, after those days that they were led

out of Egypt, after he had disregarded them, says the Lord.

He said, I will put this is under the new covenant.

I will put my laws in their mind.

Isn't that good to know? His law is in my mind and I will

write them on their hearts, and I will be their God and they

shall be my people. Isn't that a great covenant

we're under? None of them shall teach his

neighbor, and none his brother, saying, know the Lord, for all

shall know me from the least of them to the greatest, for I will

be merciful. Well, wait, somebody ought to

shout right now, for I will be merciful to their

unrighteousness. Aren't you glad when you was

living unrighteous and all the crazy things some of us done,

that he was merciful? He reached down.

That's what this week is about. For I will be merciful to their

unrighteousness and their sins and their lawless deeds.

I will remember no more. Man, We have something to be

thankful for. In that he says a new covenant.

He has made the first one obsolete.

Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to

vanish away, but we must never forget under this new covenant.

See, Jesus said I didn't come to do away with that law, but he

said, I'm going to put the law in your mind that you're going

to meditate upon it day and night, that you can have good

success. And I'm going to ride it in your

hearts of my people. And I'm going to do something so

great for them called the cross of Calvary and Grace, that

they're going to want to love me.

They're going to want to live for me.

They're going to realize what I gave for them, which was

everything. See, we're in a new covenant

tonight, and Jesus is the mediator.

Aren't you glad He put His laws in your mind and He wrote them

on your hearts and that He can be your God and we can be His

people. See inverted in Chapter 9.

I want to read some of this. It says then indeed, even the

first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly

sanctuary for a tab Tabernacle was prepared.

The first part, in which was the lamp stand, the table, the shoe

bread, which is called the Sanctuary.

And behind the second view, the part of the Tabernacle is called

the holiest of all, which had the golden sensor.

There it is again, and the Ark of the Covenant overlaid on the

sides with gold, and which were the golden pot that had the

manna, Aaron's rod that butted, and the tablets of the Covenant

describing what I've already told you.

And above it were the Cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the

Mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now

speak. In verse 6 it says Now when

these things had been thus prepared, talking about what

they had to do to even pray to God.

When these things had been prayer prepared, the priest

always went into the first part of the Tabernacle performing the

service, but into the second part the High priest went alone

and only once a year, and not without blood, which he offered

for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance.

The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the holiest of

all was not yet made manifest. While the first Tabernacle or

the first covenant was still standing, it was symbolic for

the present time in which both gift and sacrifices are offered,

which cannot make him prove perform the service.

Perfect in regard to the conscious, concerned only with

foods and drinks and various washings and fleshy ordinances

imposed until the time of Reformation.

I like what verse 11 says. But Christ came.

But Christ came. I mean that that just weighed on

me when I read all that today. Because think about how hard it

is. Think about how hard it is in

your life. If you're really honest, think

about how hard it is to get to church on Sunday morning.

Think about how hard it is to really get here on Wednesday.

If I got something that's going to happen or go wrong or any

kind of scheduling, it's going to be on a Wednesday.

My wife, she'll look at me and say, guess what day I said

Wednesday? Every day I had to get 2

fillings this morning. Guess what day it was?

Wednesday they looked at me and I said, y'all, I got to talk

tonight. I got a preach that didn't need

all that numbness. They said, well, Kate, you think

you can do it without it without getting it dead.

And I said yeah, let's go for it.

So I just got it done without dead and they got this new

stuff. Now they it's different, you

know, they don't have to do all the drilling and it's, it was

pretty cool really. No numbness.

I can't stand that numbness. But Christ came think about that

though. How hard is it?

How hard is it? The enemy don't fight, y'all.

It's hard. It's a constant fight and you

win the fight a lot because you're out there in the heat and

elements working. You're working.

All of us are. You win the fight a lot.

But imagine under this other covenant we would have lost.

Christians today have very little, if any, staying power.

If it suits us, if we get along with a preacher and a few people

in the church, we're on board. But if not, we're clicking it on

down the road, right? For the most part, not willing

to fight to keep the church together.

Not willing. Many aren't.

Tell me. I know I've spent 16, almost 17

years trying to build 1 where I had people I could trust.

And I'm not going to say anymore, but Christ came as a

high priest of good things to come with the greater and more

perfect Tabernacle, not made with hands.

That's what this week's about. That is not of this creation.

Isn't that powerful? What we're looking for is not of

this creation, not with the blood of goats and calves, but

with his own blood. He entered the most holy place.

I love this, what this says right here once and for all.

He don't ever have to die again, but you know I by the by my

ignorance, I can crucify him for himself.

According to Hebrews 10/26, when I do things contrary to the word

of God, I put him on that cross again, but he died once and for

all, for all of my ignorance. Aren't you glad of that, having

obtained eternal redemption not just once a year, but for all

eternity? Man, we got it easy.

For if the blood of bulls and goats and ashes of a heifer,

sprinkling the uncurrent clean, sanctifies for the purifying of

the flesh, y'all reading with me how much more shall the blood of

Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself?

You know a lot of people today, they talk about how Jesus got

beat and how He did this. You know, he said that no one

took his life. He laid it down.

He gave it for you and I. He could have called 10,000

angels at any time and canceled the redemptive plan of God.

But He knew that what he had already seen in glory was not

worth anything. Risking on this earth to lose,

getting back to glory. If we can only see a glimpse of

what we have waiting on the other side.

If we could just get a glimpse of how much more shall the blood

of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself

without spot to God, Cleanse your conscience.

I like that. I need my conscience cleansed.

You ever need your conscience cleansed from dead works to

serve a living God? He's not in that tomb.

Hey, man, that's what we'll celebrate.

He walked out of that grave. And for this reason, here it is

again. He is the mediator.

What's the mediator doing? Trying to bring those that are

at conflict with God and humanity into peace.

God's not trying to wreck your life.

He's trying to fix your life. Amen.

He's the mediator of what the new covenant by means of death

for the redemption of the transgressions under the first

covenant that those who are called may receive the promise

of an eternal inheritance. Isn't that powerful.

Thank God for grace Thank God for grace.

I will put my laws as you stand to your feet.

We're going to take communion tonight long about this time,

give or take they Jesus was at the table with his disciples and

I don't know if they can understand that what he was

about to do was he was to about to put his laws in their mind.

He was about to write his grace upon their heart.

Do we really grasp that that he could be their God and they

shall be his people as the music plays tonight.

So we're going to everybody go ahead and gather pass this out.

Somebody help us there if he'll just pass it out.

Thanks for listening to the Cross Power Church podcast.

May you know that true hope, peace, and salvation can only be

found in Jesus. If you're near Campbell, TX, we

would love for you to join us in person.

You can find service times at crosspowerchurch.com.