Are You Longing for Heaven? | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Instead of continuing in our Series in The Book of Mark, I

want to take the remainder of our time, this afternoon to

encourage you with a different message that I hope will cause

you to Rejoice more than you already have.

And by by doing so we're not going to rush through the text

that we were planned to explore because I believe that it's

going to require much more time and meditation in order to fully

benefit from it. And so we're going to pause and

Mark and I'm just going to preach a message to that I

believe is a vital importance and a day that we are living in.

and so open your Bibles with me to Colossians chapter 3, In

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

Colossians chapter 3. And meet me there.

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

In verse, excuse me, Colossians 1 verse 3.

Colossians 1:3

Earlier this week. I stumbled upon a video online

that it didn't look for but just came to my recommendations and

the title of that video gripped me it grabbed my attention and

so I decided to watch it. The title was something along

the lines of does anyone feel like everything changed?

Does anyone feel like everything changed?

And I can say a lot about what was said in that, well, edited

clip, but the main thought of the individual behind the

commentary was that he can recognize how almost everything

in his world or in the world has been altered in comparison to

his own upbringing. and he begins his monologue by

expressing his recollection of society and culture and what it

was like when he was growing up and how there was some level of

faith in our institutions, in God, and in ourselves, whatever

that means And essentially what he's trying to say is that only

a few decades ago there was generally in the air.

Something of Hope, something of security, something of warmth,

something of kindness, something of optimism.

And all of us can attest to that.

Even if you're a millennial, you can attest to that that growing

up in the 90s growing up in the 80s.

There was, there was a different world in the world that we're

living in today. And whatever was left of virtue

in our culture has virtually been evaporated.

And not just evaporated has been replaced with a tangible

eeriness. And this fueling of anger, fear

and suspicion. And it's only intensifying by

the day. And I have personally had

conversations with people believer, or non-believer alike.

Who have said there's something strange going on and I can't put

my finger on it. I can't put my finger on it, but

something is different. And they can't shake it off

especially in the past few years.

And one striking statement that was made in this video by this

man was the following quote. I have been hard-pressed to find

a single soul who Harbors any amount of faith that we are

headed anywhere except in the wrong direction and quote.

You know it's bad when you talk to people who are not filled

with the Holy Spirit and they can discern that there's

something dangerous going on. There's deception on the rise.

You have even people saying I don't know if I want to have

children at this point. And reading some of the comments

on that video. Only confirm what this man's

case was all about. You can feel the hopelessness

And people's posts after one, after the other have made

personal observations of the rapid, deterioration of the

quality of life, because of the cultural corruption and the

decay of dignified character. It's disappearing.

There's tension and it's growing, but with all of that

happening, we have people now trying to find answers you and I

are different breed. Yeah.

You and I are different people because we have a different

vantage point if you are in Christ.

Because regardless of what is happening, we are a collective

body of people who have answers to the Meltdown.

Of the values in the common sense that is left in our

generation. But we don't just have answers.

You know what, we have we have hope we have hope for the future

and the object of our hope is ultimately God, yes, but within

that relationship with the Living, God there are so many

realities that offers layers of Hope layers of hope it's not

just one-dimensional. There are so many facets to our

faith that gives us this anchoring security, regardless

of Of what is being shaken around us.

And what I want to do today in this brief time is just touch on

one of those gospel Treasures that you and I have inherited

because of the lordship of Jesus Christ, who rules and Reigns

over our hearts. And one of those Treasures is so

precious and so profound that it has the ability to make us

Fearless to make us immovable to make us resilient in a

despairing age and it's right there in your text and

Colossians 13. We read.

We always thank God the father of our Lord.

Jesus Christ. When we pray for you, since we

heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that you

have for all the Saints verse 5 because of the Hope laid up for

you in heaven of this, you have heard before in the word of

truth of the truth. The gospel.

Because of the Hope laid up for you in heaven.

Paul makes a clear connection between the gospel, and this

hope laid up for us, in heaven. This message that we preach as

followers of Christ contains a hope, and it is a hope that is

beyond this world and it is a hope that is beyond this life.

And the hope is so incredible. That it has the ability to

change you today to influence you today.

When you look at this, you realize that there's a blessed

promise in Jesus Christ. And I like to describe it in

this way. A personal reservation of a

place to be with God in his dwelling forever.

You and I know that to be heaven There's, there's not much talk

about heaven lately. It was dominant in past singing

past sermons. It was what gave hope to

Martyrs, and yet, it seems to not even be in our conversation.

Nevermind conversation in our preaching heaven.

When you see this hope of a Celestial habitation, it has

such a mark on the believer. Who understands the implications

of it that Paul teaches how that hope actually influence the love

that the colossian Christians had for one.

Another looked back at the end of verse 4 again.

He says, and of the love that you have for all the saints.

Why? Because verse 5 of The Hope laid

up for you in heaven. So there's something about this,

hope that energizes Christians that encourages them in a

certain way of life and that is not limited to love.

It's goes beyond it goes into sacrifice, it goes into

humility, it goes into patients. It goes into steadfast as it

goes into godliness day by day. There's a particular realization

that can actually impact your character. and it has everything

to do with this thing that we know as heaven, John would

confirm that in first John 3:3 and you don't have to turn there

1 John 3:3

where you says in everyone who the thus hopes in him purifies

himself as he is pure. Everyone who does hopes in him

purifies himself as he is pure. That hope that John is speaking

about is very similar to Paul's is the certain expectation of

the triumphant return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And what he's saying there is that when you have that

realization living in the Forefront of your thinking, it

actually has the power to cleanse you to wash you to

conform you. When you live with that

anticipation, it actually gives you some kind of energy to be

transformed into christlikeness. And I'm confident that as you

just hear, tidbits of what is laid up for you and Glory that

it will not only awaken a joy in you but it was stabilized, you

stabilized you to the degree that no matter what is happening

in this life, you will be able to remain unshakable, you know,

why? Because you and I have

something, it's an inheritance and Peter says, is an

inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and

unfading, kept in heaven for you, do you Long for heaven, my

brother. Do you long for heaven?

My sister? Do you think about it?

When you move into a house, you do some research.

What neighborhood am I going into?

What are the schools? Like what facilities are near

at? How far is it from work?

How close is it to my relatives? And we put so much effort into

our planning for vacation and where we're going to be and how

and yet our home is in a place beyond this life and there's

very little thought about where you're going.

Not just thought the Bible even says that you can invest in that

place. And I believe that.

That factor being so diluted is affecting, people namely

Christians, in their hope in this life.

And so I want to just touch on a few things.

The first thing I want to touch on is where you are going.

If you are in Christ, Where you are going will be a place of

incomparable satisfaction. And that's something that I see

in Psalm 17 and I want you to see it with me in your Bible.

In Psalm 17 verse 13. This is David's prayer.

Psalms 17:13

I don't want you to see what he prays.

Psalm 17 verse 13. David prays arise.

Psalms 17:13

Oh, Lord, confront him, subdue him.

Deliver my soul from the wicked, by your sword from Men by your

hand, O Lord, from Men of the world, whose portion is in this

life. You fill their womb with

treasure. They're satisfied with children

and they leave their abundance to their infants.

Here's David crying out to God for deliverance, from wicked men

who are Trying to plot against him to threaten him and to take

his life. And from there though, he goes

on to describe his foes in an interesting way.

He labels them, he criticizes them and he criticizes them in

the following manner. He describes them as those whose

portion is in this life. Translation.

Lord deliver me from these men, these men who have only but this

life to live for Everything that they own everything that they

enjoy is confined to this world. And that's an interesting way of

speaking about those who are outside of Christ.

Their possessions and their Pleasures are limited to now and

to a few tomorrow's. And he even goes on to say from

there that whatever they boasted in this life, whatever they

relish, and whatever, they Savor, whether they want to

recognize it or not is sourced by God.

She is the one who is responsible for those Daily

Grace. Has that they swim in and

refused to recognize him for. Look what he says here in the

second part of verse 14, you filled their wombs with treasure

Okay, they don't want to give credit to the Creator, you might

be that kind of a person in this place today.

The very breath that you're breathing.

In today has been granted by permission from God.

You fill their womb with treasure.

You are the one who's? So merciful that it overflows

even into the lives of those who hate you.

Who despise you? Who refuse to glorify you and

give? Thanks to you.

David says you were that merciful and he goes on not just

by defining by defining the portion of their pleasure and

identity and hope but the duration of it the last part of

verse 14 and they leave their abundance to their infants, No

matter how large a matter how wide their assets are not an

inch of. It is coming, not an inch of it

is coming into the world that you're heading into.

Not an inch not a piece. It has to be left behind.

It has to be left behind when you are inescapably summoned to

the Grave, the mortality rate of being a human is 100%.

Not 50% it's not like fifty percent of humans, live forever

and others die. All of you you want a Sunday

morning message are going to die.

Including the preacher so don't be offended. we are all headed

in that direction, but but David does something now, after he

gives his brief Category of people, which is the majority of

our world, really, he stops now, and he's going to now, say

something to separate himself from such a category and he uses

three words, as for me, that's verse 15 right?

As for me. So there's people out there and

their portion is in this life. Oh yeah, they have their

possessions, they have property. They have people.

But they're going on and they're going to leave all that.

They work for all that they were sweating over and crying over

there going to leave that here. But as for me, I Shall Behold

your face in righteousness. When I awake, he's not talking

about a nap. When I awake, I shall be

satisfied with your likeness. Yeah, the world may gloat the

way the world may gloat over their temporary prizes.

But as for me I'm going to point you to my portion and it's not

in this world. This portion is so magnificent.

It's going to be about seeing God face to face and being

conformed to his likeness. You know, David could have

compared the quality of his life to the others, he could have

trumpeted. This is a king, his position,

his power, his authority, his Fame, his accolades, his

military his riches. He doesn't even bring one of

those things up, because none of those things can even come close

to the portion that he brings before us and that is the life

to come. There is a life to come.

The language of the spirit of God to use.

And to point to the transition from Death to life for the

righteous as a liking to sleep and waking up.

That's what he means. When I say when I awake Why?

Because just like, sweet sleep, the death of the righteous will

be Serene and Swift. When I wake up, there are two

things that I am assured. There are two things that will

be certain for me. The first is, I will behold your

face. Who is he speaking to speaking

about the Lord himself? I will behold your face in

righteousness that would have been Unthinkable for a Jew.

To experience in this world, Moses was told by God himself

behold. You shall not see my face and

live, no one, no one can see. My face and live and yet David

cure can excitingly say what would be a death sentence?

Today was his stimulation for what is to come.

When the Bible uses that language of face, it speaks of

unhindered intimacy. And that's what is awaiting

David. And this is what he can, he can

boast about it. And explode about, I'm going to

behold his face. I'm not just going to pray now.

And by faith, believe that he hears me, I'm not going to read

of him and his word, I'm going to meet him.

And secondly, he would be supernaturally transformed into

God's likeness and terms of his moral Beauty.

And is resurrected qualities, which will enable him to be in

the very presence of God and not be consumed.

I can say more about those two things, but I won't because the

phrase I want you to highlight is when he declares, I shall be

satisfied. You know what the word satisfied

is? And the original language, the

same Sensation that you experience when you eat a

wonderful meal and you're no longer hungry.

That's what he alludes to. He says, what is coming?

Will bring such a fulfillment and wholeness that I can sing

about it today. That is not to say that is a

Christian living here that you don't experience some level of

satisfaction. Of course you do you have tasted

and you've seen that the Lord is good.

I believe what David is describing here is a whole

nother level of gratification that even the godliest man or

woman and all of church history has never even come close to It

is a satisfaction that will never listen to this.

You ready for this? Never be challenged by

temptation to sin. It is a satisfaction that will

sustain you for thousands upon thousands upon Millions upon

millions of years. It is a satisfaction so deep

that it will swallow up. The most painful memories and

suffering that you have endured in this life.

And here's what's so wonderful about it that level of delight.

Is waiting to meet you. The moment that you step into

the shores of Eternity. When I awake, I shall be

satisfied. And I think about that and I

realized that there's so much pain and so many people's lives.

Can I tell you that one second? One second into eternity.

Will Eclipse 100 Years of pain and persecution in this world?

One second. Years ago, I remember seeing a

clip actually series of Clip Clips and maybe you've seen it

to where they have these glasses, they look like

sunglasses, but they're for colorblind people.

Have you seen this? And you would see family members

give this as a gift to a grandfather or brother, or

sister, or friend. And, and they have these

Balloons with all these different colors, right?

Beside the person who's receiving this gift, and they

would usually do it out in the open as well, and the moment

that these people put on these glasses, They just become

paralyzed. And you can tell that they're

trying to register what is happening in this moment because

all they have known is very faint colors, sometimes just

black and white. And here they are.

You have grown men starting to weep because for the first time

they can perceive that there are variations, their blues, and

greens, and purples, and yellows.

Things that we take for granted and they break down because

they're just absolutely overwhelmed that this is what

reality is. And I remember watching that and

thinking to myself immediately, surely surely Lord.

This is but a sample of what's going to happen when our eyes

behold, what? No mind has been able to

conceive. Surely the moment that we step

into the world that you have prepared for us.

We will need specific bodies to be able to maintain it and to

register it. Because there is a world with a

dynamic Dimension that our minds have not been able to even

imagine, there is incomparable satisfaction that awaits, those

who are in Christ, Heaven is not open for everybody, by the way.

It's for those who are in him but they point you to something

else. Go to Second, Peter very quickly

in verse 13 of chapter 3, In 2nd Peter 3:13.

The Apostle Peter has something to say about heaven.

He says. but according to his promise, we are waiting for new

heavens and a new Earth in which righteousness dwells in which

righteousness dwells. Now, I'll give you a heads up.

This part will not excite those who are not righteous in Christ,

but if you're righteous in Christ, you will truly Rejoice

over this unique characteristic that Paul gives and highlights

concerning Heaven. The main point that he wants to

drive into your heart of Mine by the spirit, is that the world

that we are heading towards is absolutely covered in

righteousness. And that is not to say that our

current world is void of complete righteousness.

We have some level of sanity left and some level of people

who are operating with their god-given conscience and we have

the church still on Earth. So we have hints of

righteousness sprinkled here and there, but you and I can

acknowledge that human history is generally a record of

atrocities and evils committed from one generation to the next

and it's only getting bloodier. And that may not be so exciting

to you. What Peter says here?

But for those who have been made righteous that cycle will not

change until it is broken by the return of Christ will redeem,

all things and listen, when he does come back, he will make

everything absolutely and completely pure.

No corner will be untouched. There will not be one molecule

of contamination. And again, if you have this

common misconception of what Glory will look like, let me

give you the common misconception that we're headed

towards hazy place. Generally White.

Foggy with slow motion clouds passing by the only object

really in operation. Is this massive Throne where God

sits and surrounding him are millions of people who will sing

worship songs with perfect pitch for millions of years.

That's fair to ask you. Come on be honest.

Yeah that's how I think heaven is.

If you just do a just a plenum preliminary study of what is

awaiting us, the Bible gives you little Peaks little Windows into

what is going to happen. What is going to come and they

will absolutely obliterate that false notion of where Christ is

bringing us. Can I show you one this?

My Boggle your mind but it's okay.

That's what the Bible does. Oftentimes Revelation chapter 21

Revelation 21 · chapter mention

23? Now, as you're turning their

listen to what I'm saying, what I'm about to read to you.

Is it description of the new heavens and the new Earth?

So this is not going to be a complete teaching of the

doctrine of the last days. But when Christ returns, he is

going to set up his Reign on this Earth for a thousand years,

he's going to rule from Jerusalem and for a thousand

years, he will Implement Justice, you'll receive worship.

And the world is going to experience a government that it

has never known what I'm about to read to.

You is not in that time because once that a that thousand years

is over, then we read in the beginning of this chapter,

there's going to New heavens and a new Earth, huh?

So we're not we're not we're not being vacuumed into some Skies

place, there is going to be a heavens and there also is going

to be a regenerated Earth. And so now we're in the Eternal

age, in this part. Now that I'm about to read.

Now, look at this description and Revelation 21:23, and the

Revelation 21:23

city. Oh, there's going to be a city.

Not just borderless and colorless Arenas and the city

has no need of sun or moon to shine on it.

That's how you know, we're not talking about an earth, you

can't survive without the Sun but in this world there's no sun

or moon to shine on it for the glory of God gives it light.

And it's lamp is the Lamb verse 24 by its light, will the

nation's walk Nations and the kings of the earth will bring

Bring their Glory into it. Cities Nations Kings.

There goes your Sunday school version of Heaven.

I can't explain it and we don't have an exact and comprehensive

blueprint about it, but that alone is enough to prove that

eternity is going to be a lot more sophisticated and complex

than what we've been given in terms of what it will be like

that may relieve you. But that's not the main feature

mankind, has known cities and kings and borders and Nations

almost near the Inception of time.

But what I will tell you in the next verse here is what we have

never seen scroll down to verse 27 of the same chapter.

But nothing unclean will ever enter it.

Nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only

those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

That is the glory of the new heavens and earth.

Imagine a world where nothing or no one will ever defile it?

No more perversion. No more being afraid to walk in

downtown Chicago, at a certain time of night.

No more murders, no more shootings, no more lies, no more

deception, no, more pride, no more jealousy.

No more human sex trafficking, no more rumors of wars.

No more questioning people's motives no more wondering if

somebody's trying to cheat you ready for this?

No more divisions and church splits no more hypocrisy.

No matter where your eyes scroll, no matter where your

feet lead you you will realize that.

Absolutely everything has been made righteous.

Thank you. Hallelujah.

Indeed. You know, you turn on the news

today and I think the news are just experts, I'm making you

feel bad in 10 minutes. It's just bad news all the time

and they have a wonderful ability to make you realize how

your neighborhood is much more dangerous than you thought.

And if there's any coverage of good news, it gets like a two

minute slot and then they return to their endless.

Horror Story Rampage. But in the world that is to come

no bad news. Ever, ever.

Not one only, good news, only peace, only love only Harmony

only goodness safety. The warmth we don't even need

the Sun. The glory of God will shine upon

us with our resurrected skin. And we will feel his Fellowship

wherever we go. I can continue.

I can talk to you about what's going to happen to our minds,

what's going to happen to our memory.

What's going to happen to our fellowship?

What's going to happen? In terms of our activity?

What's going to happen? In terms of, I can go so far

with this but I just want to point you to one thing because

perhaps you're not convinced that these brief thoughts that

were just shared are a matter of great importance to the

Christian today. Perhaps, you think that this is

just a matter of satisfying curiosity of the unknown know,

it has practical implications to your personal walk day by day.

How you treat others, how you worship, how you endure

suffering? And if there's anybody who

actually believes that there is Great Value in upholding this

view of your heavenly home, you know who sees it Satan.

No. You don't believe me.

Well, you're in Revelation. So meet me in Revelation 13.

Revelation 13. A majority of that, chapter is a

prophecy. That one day in human history.

We will have a man who will rule the world.

He will be a political figure who be known as the man of

lawlessness or the Antichrist. And this will be a false type of

Messiah who will bring some kind of Sanity into our life, at

least at least in the beginning. He will rescue, he will rescue

the nation's. From plunging into

self-destruction and destructions towards one

another, he will bring some some peace like the world has really

never known. And in a day today where we see

such a lack of qualified leaders on a global scale.

We can have some kind of an impression of how a person like

this will rise into power out of nowhere.

He will put every other politician, every other world

leader to shame. He will be extremely

charismatic. Extremely persuasive, powerful

and and the Bible even says that he will perform false signs and

wonders that will cause people to actually worship Him.

And you're going to have people who are going to be so desperate

because of the destitution of life that they will fall on

their knees before this man. And he is a person who will take

advantage of the weakness of that generation who will play on

the fears of people. And he will actually demand

worship and you, are you ready for this?

It will come with an incentive if you want to buy something.

If you want to eat, if you want to be in business, you need to

take this Mark. And by the way, Christian, if

you're worried, you can't accidentally take the mark of

the beast. This will be a public way for

you to have an allegiance to this man and for others it will

be less about that will be more about you wanting to just live a

comfortable life because you want to go where you want to go

and you want to do what you want to do and you want freedom.

So tell me to do this. I'll do it.

Tell me to go here. I'll go.

Tell me to stay. I'll stay sound familiar.

And so this man is going to rise into power and he's going to be

very bold in his statements. And so bold, will this man be

that he will actually defy the Living God.

He will publicly on this world platform degrade the name of the

god that we worship and love, but not just that, look at verse

6 now. It opened its mouth to utter

blasphemies against God. This is the Antichrist was going

to be energized by Satan himself, blaspheming his name,

and his dwelling that is those who dwell in heaven.

Now, if you have the King James or the new King James, it would

read blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle, which is another way

of saying heaven and those who dwell in heaven. isn't it

interesting that the Antichrist will not only stop at slandering

God himself, but we'll go ahead and actually defame his holy

habitation Why would he do that? Why would he try to pollute

people's minds about where God dwells?

And I'll tell you why? Because he longs to lie about

the very thing that the holy spirit in his word, tells you to

set your mind and your Hope on you understand.

And if the devil can convince you, that heaven doesn't exist.

Because as much as this going to, this is going to be

intensified with the Antichrist. Satan has been doing this since

the beginning, he has been whispering lies about the

afterlife since since the start. And if you can't convince you,

that there isn't a life to come after you die.

Then he'll convince you. Dear Christian that where you're

headed is going to be a dreadfully boring place.

So live it up while you're here. Because where you're going is an

endless worship service and that's it, as old worship was

boring. And so you have to understand

that Satan sees the value of God's Heavenly plays to the

degree that he would want to smear it.

He would want you to think small of it.

Because that's, that's what Christ is preparing for us.

You see the devil hates God so much.

He wants to violate absolutely everything that he does, and

everything that he is. And I believe in part to take

away heaven. You take away people's hope.

At least for the Christian. What can you do to the man?

Who knows that he will live forever?

What can you do to the woman? Who knows that she will be in

the arms of her Savior, for all of eternity?

What can you do? Jesus himself said it, do not

fear the one who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.

They can't touch you, ultimately.

So Satan knows that if he can blur your vision of what is to

come, then he can make you a very weak child of God. now, I

can say so much more, but let me end up with one more verse in

Revelation and we will break bread, go to a 14:13 It says,

then I Heard a Voice from Heaven saying write this blessed are

the Dead who die in the Lord. From now on blessed indeed says,

the spirit that they may rest from their labors for their

deeds. Follow them.

Who can actually say that death is a blessing.

Only one type of person, he who is in the Lord, only Hues in the

Lord. That's why you have Christians

who don't call funerals funerals.

They call them homecomings. Listen, I don't know when I'm

going, but when I go call it a homecoming, don't call it a

funeral. He's in glory, the spirit says

blessed, indeed. You had a man who was Balaam,

who is a false prophet? And to try to curse the people

of God and a numbers 23, the spirit of God comes upon him to

change his curse into a blessing.

And at the end, there of his of his Oracle he says something

along the lines of Oh that I may die the death of the righteous

and may my end be like his. That's what he concludes.

It goes all something happened, there were the spirit of God,

showed him what death is like for the believer.

And even this Pagan false god worship, it goes, oh me, my end,

be like that. If that's leading to that, I

want that but here's the thing, you ready although Balaam who

did not really follow the true God although Balaam desired it

he never got it. Did he die the death of the

righteous? No, he died.

The death of the wicked. maybe today in this brief segment

where you got just a little taste of what makes Christians

in this life different Of what keeps our head up when people

are running into things in this world?

No this that we're not an exclusive Club.

We've been commissioned by God to recruit as many people as

possible. I don't want to tell you today

that you can know eternal life. You can no life after death and

it's not just an escape from judgment.

It is an entrance into a bliss that I can't, really

communicate. I try my best.

But I want you to see this again and realized that the way there

is not what you might think. Notice at the end here, it says

that they may rest from their labors for their deeds.

Follow them. He speaking about those who die

in the Lord. Did you notice that?

It isn't safe for their deeds. Go before them.

The Deeds of the righteous don't go before them.

They follow them. Why?

Because we already have someone who went before us.

His name is Jesus Christ. Our Works don't go before us to

place Us in Heavenly dwelling it doesn't.

Prepare us a home with God, Christ work went there for us.

He is the Forerunner. He made that entrance on our

behalf and based on his own Merit in his own righteousness.

Honest. Do we have a name?

And we do we have a seat at his table.

The Deeds of the righteous. Follow them implying.

What? Yes.

As Christians. We're changed.

We look different. We live different and they will

accompany us when we stand before.

God, but not as a means for salvation.

Yes, God will evaluate our lives and he will reward us based on

our faithfulness but he will never ever evaluate whether you

are worthy enough to be with them.

Because Christ does that for us. He did that for us.

And so why we come here on Sundays and some on Wednesdays

and some on Fridays and why we live the way we live, is not so

that we can gather as much works as possible, so that when we do

die we can come before. God said, here you go.

How did I make it that I pass? Note from the place of gratitude

for the place of Grace and Faith.

Oh, we want to serve him and we want to live for him and they

follow us. And as we come before the Lord,

we realized that we stand there solely based on what Christ has

done and Lord because that because that you died for me,

here is my life. I dedicated it to you.

I use my gifts for you. I worshipped you, I honored you.

Yes, I failed here in there, but look Lord, this is what I did

because of you. And for hopefully all of us here

at NBC, the Lord will say, Well done, good and faithful servant.

Well done, good and faithful servant.

So my charge to you today if you're a visitor and I'm not

ashamed to preach in this manner, it sounds strong, but if

I really believe in heaven and hell, I have to be strong. the

way that you have eternal life is when you actually surrender

your efforts and you just give up It's not you impressing.

God, it's not. You trying to be in a good place

with him. Good reputation before him.

You just said, Lord, I can't do it anymore.

I tried I failed and I realized that you've loved me enough for

your son, to live in my place, and to die in my place, I

receive that. And I accept that.

And I repent for my sin and I cling to the cross and I ask you

to forgive me, ask you to wash me.

I asked you to write my name in The Book of Life.

And Lord, give me this hope that this preacher is talking about.

And I tell you today, that that hope is not resting upon,

whether you have a good day or a bad day as a Christian, it rests

on that fact, that 2000 years ago, Christ lived a perfect life

and he died a perfect death and is satisfied.

God, the judge of the earth and it was so, so sufficient that

even two thousand years later you can in 2020 to give your

life to him and that blood will still apply and still work.

Glory be to his name. And that's why we're breaking

bread today as Christians. We are coming to take the

symbols of his body and his blood and we are confessing to

him and to one another not of my own works.

Nothing in my hand. I bring simply to the cross.

I cling, and if you're in this place and you're not a follower

of Jesus Christ, and you have not put your faith and trust in

him. This is something that is not

for you. It's only reserved for those who

have put their faith in him and who have been born again.

But as you see, these people who will stand now and come to this

table and partake may you realize that each person is

making a public statement so to speak saying to you, As they go

back to their chairs and as they sing and meditate, they're

saying also to you. I am not righteous.

I have nothing to offer God, but Christ took my place and I am

remembering that and I am rehearsing that and this moment

right here is reminding me that my hope is in Jesus alone.

And hopefully one day, if not, today you will repent and

believe on Christ and we will meet you at this table.

The worship team can come up. And hopefully one day, if not,

today you will repent and believe on Christ and we will

meet you at this table. The worship team can come up.