What it Means to Mean What, 'What it Means,' Means

All the intendors areailleurs

And oh, happy day, happy day, watch us in the way

Oh, happy day, happy day, I'll never be the same

Forever I am the same

Forever I am the same

Forever I am the same

Forever I am the same

And oh, happy day, happy day, watch us in the way

Oh, happy day, happy day, I'll never be the same

Forever I am the same

Forever I am the same

Forever I am the same

Oh, what a glorious day, what a glorious day

And oh, happy day, happy day, watch us in the way

Oh, happy day, happy day, I'll never be the same

Oh, happy day, happy day, watch us in the way

Oh, happy day, happy day, I'll never be the same

Forever I am the same

Forever I am the same

Amen

Amen

Amen

Father in heaven, you are an awesome God who loves us so. Your testimony of how much you love us and what you've done to save us is incredible.

Overwhelming. At the same time, it's fulfilling and it reminds us daily that there is something more than the sufferings and the struggles and even the happiness and successes.

There is something more. You, of course, are something more and you have said something more and you have been something more and you continue to work something more in us.

At the same time, we recognize that we've failed in ways. We failed to talk about Jesus. We failed to step up and love somebody because that's what we needed to make a sacrifice to give or just to do the right thing.

And our time. We ask your forgiveness for that. We're thankful that it's available to Jesus. We know that upon the cross as he was suffering and as he was headed across, he was recognizing we would not always do the right thing.

So that we could be forgiven. We ask you not to take over this service and lead us and God, you know that you are with us. Those of us who are here today who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior realize that you are with us every moment and every day.

Good times and the bad. We know that you are with us. And so when we pray Lord be with us today, it's praying for what we already have.

Let me know that you govern all things on the earth. You're in charge of everything. Set up the borders of the countries and the places where people live all so that men could go around and find you and then figure out you were never very far away in the first place.

That's true.

So you've orchestrated our being here. We're in this chair on this floor because you set it up.

So now Lord we ask you to go up to the head of Jesus. Glorify yourself, raise up your people, teach us, let us grow, let us be strengthened, let us overcome as we work together. We pray all this in Jesus name.

And all God's people said, Amen.

Alright, so we're going to stand up for this one. You don't need me to tell you to stand up. You can stand up at any time. But if you would please stand with us for the next two.

And children, this is your one song warning, don't disappear.

You ever see that show called Let's Make a Deal?

Everybody comes in costume and they wear all kinds of goofy costumes and then their names get randomly called. They come down onto the audience and the host of the show has a microphone and they have doors up there that they sometimes do or curtains or whatever.

And they'll say I'll give you a hundred bucks or you can have what's behind door number three. And it's Let's Make a Deal. They always have to choose. Is there really any good reason to choose? I mean a door could have good stuff behind it but occasionally you open the door and it goes boop boop boop boop and you get nothing.

Right? There's a big wanny, nothing there at all. Or you get something dumb like here's a collection of funguses and molds instead of a thousand dollars. Right? There's really no reason whatsoever to choose what's behind the door.

And what are the people in the audience doing the whole time? They're like while you're deciding what the deal is, I think the 200 bucks cash or take what's behind the door or what's in the box or whatever.

And they're like the door, the door. They don't know any better than the other person. They're all shouting take the door, take the door. No take the cash, take the cash.

And the person that's up there inevitably looks to the person that came with them. Right? Who is currently sitting in the chair or standing there dressed like a toaster or witty to poo or wearing their Mickey Mouse ears on the side of their head or whatever.

And they look at that person for the wisdom. Should I take the door? Should I take the 250 bucks cash that the guy's handing me or whatever? And finally they decide one or the other and then it's really kind of like oh you're nice to meet your mice.

Whatever happens, it is what it is. Right? It's either a boop boop boop boop boop, you get nothing or you get a beautiful vacation to Vienna or a new car.

But there is no reason, there's no logical reason why to choose one or the other. So when you're outside standing there dressed like a toaster or witty to poo, hoping to get in, and it isn't everybody that gets in, right?

And they come from all over the world to do this, really all over the US, but some people come from all over the world. While they're standing in line, they're just hoping that they're going to get a chance to decide whether to take the door or the box or the cash.

Knowing that there really is no logical reason to take one or the other, but they're hoping to get in that moment in time in which they can just randomly choose. In worst case scenario they can take the 500 bucks, right?

But then when they're standing there, do I need that money? Or do I go? Or what's behind? Go to number three. I just don't know. What do I do? I just don't know.

And then they choose and quite often they get beep beep beep beep and they get nothing. Because there's no reason to choose one or the other. And you always think, dude offers me 500 bucks, I'm just going to take it.

I don't care if there is a car behind the door, the chance that there's a beep beep beep beep behind the door is too much for me. I'm just going to take the 500 bucks. Who doesn't want 500 bucks, right?

But when you're standing there debating between the 500 bucks and the door, and you take it and it's beep beep beep beep and nothing. Sometimes.

We'll talk to you today about the deal.

Want a good job? Who doesn't? Want a bunch of money? Who doesn't? Want good health? Who doesn't? Are there things that you can do to make that happen? You can make it more likely, right?

But if you've ever been stricken with a serious illness out of the blue, it wasn't because you didn't take enough vitamin C or didn't eat foods with a certain mineral in it or whatever.

But out of the blue, an illness hits you and you're like, oh, no, no, I'm sick. Did I do anything to get sick? Did you know that you can do everything in your power to try to be healthy?

But ultimately, time and chance happens to all people and you might not be healthy.

Can you do the right thing to get a new job? Yeah, you could do it. Take a lot of steps. You can train yourself. You go to college. You can get some letters behind your name like an MA, like an MD, you know, an R.S.

And that's something that make it a lot more likely that you have a good job in this lifetime.

But if you've ever seen somebody who was in a situation where they had a lot of education or training, they just couldn't seem to get a job in their field or maybe they got sick or maybe somebody in their family died and now they're struggling with that.

Bad things happen to good people. It happens. And so the letters after your name, they do not by any means guarantee you a good job.

You do all kinds of things to get a good job, but you may not get a good job. So life kind of begins to feel a little bit like a crapshoot.

It's like a little bit like, do I take the five hundred bucks that I'm offered now or do I go for what's behind door number three?

And so often the truth is it feels like no matter what we choose, we get the beep beep beep beep because life can be rough.

But here's the deal. Here's the deal that Jesus offered. Luke chapter twenty two.

And Jesus is literally on the eve of being arrested to be crucified.

He's with his disciples that night having what is probably going to be his last meal on earth.

And while he's there, he took a cup and he gave thanks and he said, take this and share it amongst yourself.

I say to you, I will not drink of it through the vines for now until the King of God comes.

And when he had taken some bread and given thanks, he broke it and he gave it to them saying, this is my body, which is given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me. And in the same way, they had.

And the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying this cup, which I poured out for you, is the new covenant in my blood.

The new covenant. See, a lot of times we get confused.

You know, this year is a Bible. Ever seen one of these before? Got sixty six books in it. Thirty nine in what's called the Old Testament.

Twenty seven. It's called the New Testament. And we think it's like the Old Bible and the New Bible.

A lot of people in the world think this is the Old Bible and the New Bible. But the Old Testament and the New Testament is not the Old Bible and the New Bible.

Now, it's true they had the Old Testament for a long time before the New Testament was ever written.

It really wasn't written until it was written in by and for and to the New Church. That's the New Testament.

But it's not because it's the Old Bible and it's the New Bible, because the word testament or covenant, they both have the same word, means deal.

Right. This book, this Bible is thirty nine books of the Bible, including Psalms, which is really, really long. My prayers and Psalms in there.

Genesis, which is really long. Thirty nine books of the Bible about the old deal and twenty seven books of the Bible about the New Deal.

The question is, do you want the old deal or the New Deal? The old deal is this. If you always do right and never do anything wrong, if you never sit against God and follow all the rules that God has set down,

if you were the perfect human being and walked a sinless life, then you would not be worthy of death and you would live eternally forever with God.

Now, the outcome is awesome. But the path, the first part, what you got to do is just not possible.

In the New Deal, the New Testament, we hear Paul wrote this, he said, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

For that reason, God orchestrated the New Deal. Now, here's the New Deal.

What is the work that God asks of people to believe in the one whom he has sent?

If you will believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, call out for salvation.

Say, OK, God, save me through Jesus, your son. And don't kid yourself. In the old deal, did Abraham sin? He did.

But did he trust in a way that God was eventually going to make? He did.

In the old deal, you could figure out that there was a New Deal coming.

And if you trusted in the New Deal instead of the old deal, you could still be saved.

And that's what Abraham did. It's what Noah did. And we hope it's what Adam did.

We hope it's what they all did. We know it's what Enoch did, right? Because God just took him home.

So that's it. We're done. We're out of here. And he didn't die.

So we know there were some, but we believe David and Abraham, these people believed in the New Deal.

They trusted that God was going to do what God said he was going to do even long after Abraham was dead.

He trusted, I believe you'll do what you say you're going to do. And God saw it. He counted it as righteousness.

So for him, the old deal led to the New Deal. And for you and for me, we realized we have sin.

It leads to the New Deal. So here's the deal. Will you trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation?

Will you allow the payment that he paid to be the payment for your sin? Because you can't pay it.

Let's be realistic. You cannot pay it. It would take you an eternity away from God, which the Bible calls hell, in order to pay for it.

That's if it was only one lie or one hatred. It would take an eternity. You can't pay for it.

But Jesus did pay for it. So will you allow the payment that he paid to stand for you?

That's the New Deal. And if you'll believe and receive, then you get the New Deal,

which is eternity in heaven with God and abundant life now here on earth.

Now here's the blessing as we're singing that song. Sometimes abundant life looks like you laid it out flat on your back, barely able to get up.

Praise God. Sometimes abundant life looks like you're in so much pain, you're in more pain than you've ever been in before,

and you can't believe where you are right now. Praise God.

Sometimes abundant life looks like, man, they broke my heart. What he or she said or what they did, that just tears me up inside.

Like I ripped my heart, like the line from Bob, the Night Sailors, tore my heart into little pieces.

And yes, praising God. Sometimes it looks like that.

And for somebody to say, how can there be suffering in the world or how can that be bad under the New Deal,

if God has truly forgiven us and loved us, how could there be still suffering?

They're discounting eternity. They're forgetting that life is more about then than it is about now.

If you live 120 years here now, it'll be the blink of an eye compared to what you'll live from then.

And the only question is, will you take the deal that Jesus Christ is offering, or will you take what's beyond goal number three?

To remember this for always, Jesus said, this is the new covenant.

And he gave us the bread, which represents his body, which would be broken, literally.

Not his bone broken, but destroyed for us. He was killed.

And he gave us the juice, which represents the blood, which was poured out on the ground, literally poured out on the ground for us.

So that we will never forget that his sacrifice ordains very clearly the New Deal.

And so today, we're going to take the Lord's Supper, and we through the Lord's Supper, remember the New Deal.

Now you may be here today, you may have some questions about this, and your question might go like this.

Do I have any place in the Lord's Supper if I have not believed in Jesus?

Is this for me? That might be your question.

And the answer to that question is, for you it will just be like an interesting experience.

Maybe something to think about.

But for those of us who are in the room today, who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,

when we're taking the bread in our hearts and our minds, we are remembering that body which was crushed for us.

When we're drinking the juice, we are remembering that blood which was poured out for us.

I can't envision, if you've ever seen the movie The Passion of Christ, you can envision what it would look like if it would be whipped within an inch of his life.

But I have never seen that movie.

Do you know that there was a woman who watched the beating of Christ in the National of Christ and died while she was watching it?

And on the corner of the corner it says she died of a broken heart.

That was her death. That was her cause of death.

I've never watched that movie.

And I don't ever want to see it and be in person, see anybody ever whipped within an inch of their life and then crucified.

I don't want to see that. I don't want that image in my head.

But I know that that horrible event ushered in this New Deal.

And I don't ever want to forget it, even though I never want to see it.

And so if you're here today as a believer, this is nothing less than remembering for you.

But if you're here today as not a believer, then you have two choices.

You can go forward, now the believer is still searching, still trying to figure it out, still trying to decide, am I going to be a Christian or not?

You can do that. In which case, you can take part in this.

But for you it's just going to be an interrupting experience, just something you haven't done before, maybe a little different.

And then when you are saved, once you have accepted this question, Lord and Savior, then you're going to see the difference.

You're going to realize the significant power of it, the effect of it, and what it does in your heart.

So I ask the deacon and young fellows to come forward at this time.

We're going to prepare.

We're going to ask Ms. Sherry and Kate, would you come and help Ms. Sherry with anything?

Thank you so much.

Alright, now I ask the deacon and young fellows to come forward to pray over and to help us distribute.

Now someone would say, that night he took the bread first, you know, and he'd eat the bread.

If you've ever eaten bread without a drink, you've ever had the Lord something before, you probably have, you eat the bread, you go,

I wish I had that juice right now, right? But we don't pass the juice out until after we bless it.

I want you to remember that. During that time when you've eaten the bread, and there's a few minutes in between there,

you're going, I wish I had a little bit of juice to wash that down.

That is nothing compared to what it was like to get those hours on the cross.

I ask the deacon and young fellows to come forward and pray for us and bless the break of day.

Lord, thank you for this another day, this time when we set aside to come to a church, to worship you,

for this time also, what we take.

I sidestep and remember what you did for us on the cross, not only on the cross, but in your life,

and that your body was broken and you bled and died for us. It was already explained by our pastor, Watt,

raising a new covenant. Lord, we thank you for that.

We just ask you, Lord, to help us with this time as we remember your sacrifice, remember your life,

remember what you did for us, and that you did it all for us, that you did it each and individually, one for us.

This is all I want. Just thank you, Lord, that we take this breath, just ask you to bless it.

God, why?

Come around, take one, do not eat it yet, hold on to it until we all eat it at the same time.

Hey, come around.

I'm not sure if they fully understood the implications, but on that night, just before

his arrest, Jesus took the bread and said, This is my body broken for you to take and

eat in remembrance of me.

Brother Tim, would you ask the blessing of Jesus?

Lord, we thank you so much for what you have done for us, what you even consider us.

It was a big price to be paid for sin, and it's a price I have to pay one for another.

We thank you so much that through your blood, that price could be paid.

We want everyone in the world to know and to accept that.

So, never let us forget.

Let's always be a reminder of your love.

So, come around, taste one juice, please be careful with it.

Grape juice does stain.

Also, this represents the blood of Jesus.

So, kind of important stuff here.

Don't drink it yet, but you can till we're all together.

Lovely.

Thank you very much.

I tend to think that the symbolism of the juice might have been easier to see because

blood poured out and wine poured out looked very similar.

But that night Jesus took that juice and maybe poured some from one cup to another and said,

this is my blood which is shed for you.

Take and drink in remembrance of me.

When they were through, they went out singing a hymn.

Now we are blessed because we already have a couple of hymns scheduled today.

I'm not sure if they had one scheduled.

But they were so praising God because they just knew something awesome was in the offering

of what God was doing.

So as you worship today these last couple of songs, remember the sacrifice of Jesus.

Remember the eternal life paid for and the resurrection of our Lord which is no less

real in us.

We too are resurrected for those of us who believe.

Remember it today with the remainder of your worship.

We worship you.

Amen.

Amen.

In this next song we'll also take up tithes and offerings.

May the Lord bless and keep us.

Use these funds which are His in the first place.

Praise the Lord.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

There's a place where dreams are free.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.