0:02 [music] >> Yeah, good morning family. I wonder what the AC setting was in the first century church. I think about that sometimes. Um, there's nothing wrong with using 0:22 comforts that we have, but we never want to get so taken up and distracted and so fixated on our own convenience that we lose sight of what God wants to do. Um Yeah, let's pray. Can we pray together 0:42 family? Will you pray with me? We must pray. Heavenly Father, I ask that your presence will be here in a really powerful way. We don't want a physical manifestation of you or even an emotional one, 0:59 but a spiritual work that goes deep down far beyond what our eyes can see or our ears can hear or our bodies can feel. We want you to do a spiritual work. I lift up my hand and say, "Lord, I need that with all of my heart." 1:15 I don't want an intellectual stirring. I want I don't want something that will make me feel better or some other nice idea or find some other new verse. I want your Holy Spirit to come and take control of my will that I might truly worship you. 1:32 I don't want to waste another day not being a worshiper cuz that's who you are seeking. You're not seeking for people who have said some prayer or read the Bible or say a prayer or sit in a building that's called a church. 1:46 You're seeking those who are worshipers in spirit and in truth, and I want to be one Lord. And I pray that as you look down in this room and those that are gathered with us online. You will find worshipers that will delight your heart. 2:02 Oh, will you do that, Lord? Thank you. I believe you will now send your Holy Spirit and anoint us all. Fill me with your spirit more that I can speak. Take control of my tongue that I'll speak only your words. Take control of our ears that we will 2:17 hear only your words. That we will hear what the Spirit is saying to the church in a still small voice. Amidst all the loudness around us of our own thoughts and our own ideas and the own issue the issues we have. And all the other things that the world 2:34 is saying loudly, let us hear the still small voice speaking in our conscience, convicting us of sin and righteousness and judgment. I believe you will do that, Lord. Open the windows of heaven over us, we ask in Jesus' name. 2:51 Amen. Amen. We sang just now what it means to make a throne, a royal throne. I hope that's the desire of your heart. We call him the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 3:09 And what do you think it means to make a royal throne for this king? Anybody remember what we sang? Maybe we can pull it up again so we remember that. Yeah? 3:28 What is it? Not quite. Almost. What exactly is it? My will, my heart. Take my will. And that take my life and let it be song. And I think it's the third verse or 3:48 something we sang it. Fifth verse, okay. Yeah. A little bit before that. We'll start with the start of that verse. Take my will and make it thine. Here's what it means to make a throne for the King of kings, 4:08 for the Lord of lords. You can sing, you are the king, I'll make a throne for you, and we can imagine in our own idea, in our own head, what it means to make a throne for God, but it's very simple. This is biblical, even though the words are not taken 4:24 directly from the Bible. This is what Jesus said. Take my will. Listen carefully, dear family, if you want Jesus to be king in your life this week. Otherwise, everything will go wrong. Whether you realize it or not, everything will go wrong. But children, 4:40 you as well. Most of you are out of school now, and you've got summer holidays. Do you want to have the best week possible? That can only happen through Jesus Christ being the king. And here's what that means. Take my will. 4:54 As I stood there, I actually pictured myself saying, "Lord, my will means that this is what I think. This is what my idea. This is how I want my life to be. This is how I want what I want you to do for me, God. That's my will. 5:09 Take my will. Make it yours. It shall never again be mine." Jesus says, "Okay. Now I can do everything. I can do wonderful things in your life. Take my heart. It is your own. 5:28 It shall be your royal throne." Jesus will not come and sit in your heart. I believe there's a lot of people that have said, "Jesus, come into my heart." And he has not come. Because he will not come into a heart where you are still sitting on the 5:42 throne. Where you still want your life the way you want it. And Jesus says, "I'm sorry. I cannot share a throne with somebody else. The day you get off the throne and ask me into your heart, I will come. But until then, I'll stand at the door 5:59 and knock and say, "Will you get off your throne and let me into your heart?" This is what the Christian life is in essence about. So, let's go that way, dear family. That's That's That's what we are as a church. I know there are many churches 6:16 that say that a lot of different things. I really don't spend a lot of time looking at other churches or other people. I say, "Lord, we want to be a church of people that delight your heart. When you look down from the youngest to 6:30 the oldest, you find a men and women, boys and girls who said, "Lord, I give you my heart and my will. And you can come and sit on the throne and you run run the show. I'm not going to have a complaint towards you or my wife or my husband or 6:46 anybody else, another brother or sister in the church. Take my lips. I will never again speak. I don't think any of us tell lies. I hope not. But you know how most Christians sin? Through gossip. Curiosity, asking questions about why 7:03 this or why that. Using your tongue carelessly. Let it end today, dear family. Let Jesus be the king in our heart. Let him have the throne. Control of our eyes, control of our 7:20 um leg our feet, our hands, our ears, all of it. I pray it shall be so. It's a joyful life when we come to this. There's no worries. No anxiety. It's a life of peace. It's a life free from grumbling and complaining. 7:37 And I invite all of us to go that way. Um yesterday some of us were in a place where we were looking up at a a high mountain and uh, we were a bunch of armchair critics who decided that, um, we would estimate how long it would take 7:54 to get up there. And, uh, we sat there in our in our camp chairs and said, uh, you know, some of the young people thought it would take about 15 minutes. Uh, I'm an old man, so I said about 3 hours. >> [laughter] >> And, uh, 8:10 and then there was some arguments about it, not arguments, but just some healthy discussions around it. And, uh, and, uh, I'll fast forward to the end of it that a little bit and then tell you more of the story. But, at the end of it one of 8:25 the children asked me, "Uh, are we going to hear about this in your next sermon?" I said, "Why not? Of course. What else would I speak on?" >> [laughter] >> We got to speak about life. Um, that's where I get all my sermon 8:37 ideas is from life. It's things we go through. So, anyway, um, while we were busy analyzing it, and there's no way to prove who was right, right? So, some young people had the smart idea to, "Let's find out." Xavier just started walking up and, uh, 8:56 Levi and Max went with him and and we continued to sit there because we're like, "Yeah, do I really want to go up that thing?" And we watched them and I was really impressed how fast how quickly they went up. Quite high. 9:11 Now, I I don't I don't know exactly how high this was from from the base of the trail head to the top. Probably 1,000 ft or so, maybe a little bit more. Something like that. And, um, and a a number of us then, as we sat 9:26 there and watched them, we kept going and some of the others said, "Hey, I want to go, too." And some of them were quite young. And they decided to go up and, uh, and, uh, a number of them made it to the top and back down. It's 9:42 quite quite interesting to see. The lesson that I took from that, as I watched all of this happen and partook in it as well, was uh the power of an example. And, uh the example that those first set of three boys they set us in just 10:02 deciding, "Well, let's just go." And make make a make a way. Let's find out. Let's make the way. Allowed it for so many others to also join in and I thought about Jesus and the wonderful 10:20 life we have available to us because Jesus decided to become our forerunner. Let's turn to Hebrews chapter 2. You think about Jesus looking down from 10:48 heaven at us and seeing people who needed a way back to God. A way back to him. And a lot of people in the past searched for that. The Jews did. They searched for it. They 11:08 were given the law. But, they never found their way to God despite the law. The Greeks didn't have the scriptures, but they searched through knowledge. They pursued knowledge. Um the Romans pursued uh 11:27 God through success, you can say, through power. And many other religions across the history of time since human beings existed on this earth, searching for a way back to God. We read 11:43 multiple times how it says in Acts 17 that God has allowed us to be the way we are that we might grope and find look for him and find him. In one place Paul saw altars to all kinds of different gods and then he saw 12:02 one to an unknown God. And these people there said there must be a God that we don't even know about. And he said, "I'm going to tell you about that God." Religions all over the world have searched for a way to God. And God looking down from heaven over 12:19 the thousands of years before Christ came, I believe had this longing, we want to show them. Kind of like looking up that mountain. How long will it take? Can you even get there? Is there a path? None of us had ever been up that 12:34 mountain before yesterday. So we weren't even sure. Could we? Looks Someone would look pretty steep. It's a face. And I thought about that as so many millions of people that existed before Christ came down to this earth, 12:49 including the Jews who had God's law, were never able most of them were never able to find a way back to God. And Jesus said, "Let me come and make a way." Hebrews 2:14, therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, 13:05 Jesus himself likewise also partook of the same. Now this this is a little bit different than the situation yesterday where Jesus was at the top and says, "I've got the only way I can show these people the way to me, to God, 13:21 is for me to come down and become like them." That's what we're reading here. I've got to come and start at the bottom. See, before that, it was God calling from above, "Come and be like me. Be perfect as your heavenly as God is 13:37 perfect." And God was saying, "You can make it here." Nobody did. All sinned and fell short of the righteousness of God, and Jesus said, "Okay, let me come and pave the way. Let me start from the ground up, and let me walk step by step, 13:55 painful situation after painful situation, being tempted to be weary, overcoming in every test. Let me show them a way to get to the Father. Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise also partook of the same, that 14:14 through death he might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery slavery all their lives. For assuredly, he does not give help to 14:29 angels. Remember the angels who fell and fell so deeply that now they are demons, and they will be their destiny is forever in the lake of fire? He didn't give them a way of salvation. When when the highest archangel, we call 14:46 Lucifer, fell and took 1/3 of the angels with him, God didn't have a burden to say, "Let me wake up make a way for them to come back to heaven." But when he saw you and I, when he saw Adam and Eve fall, and you and I over 14:59 the history over time fall, he said, "I want them to come back to me." For assuredly, he does not give help to angels, but he gives help to the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, he had to be made like his brethren in all things, so that he might 15:17 become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since he himself was tempted in that which he has suffered, he is able to come to the aid of those who are 15:32 tempted. This is Hebrews talks about this in my many different ways. Let's turn over a few pages. We'll spend a few sometime here in this book. Hebrews chapter 6. Verse 19. 15:52 He talks in verse 17 and 18 about this hope that we have. Um that in we God desiring even more to show us the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his purpose interposed with an oath so that we could take refuge we have 16:09 taken refuge could have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. We have a hope set before us having seen Jesus. Why do we have a hope? Why do we know that there is a way and we will make it to that destination? 16:27 First John 3, we heard about that on Wednesday as well that we have this hope fixed on us that when we see him, we shall be like him. You heard me say it many times that on the last page of the book of my life it is written Santosh is made like Jesus. 16:43 That's the only thing that keeps me going. It's not will I have enough money, will my will there be job security or anything like that. It's the only thing that keeps me going in life is that I've seen the last word on the 16:55 last page of the book of my life, Santosh is made like Jesus. God has given me a mission to tell as many people as possible to turn to the last page of your book and see it there in your book as well. This is far better than any earthly 17:09 success story. And how and we must have this hope like an anchor. But what why can we have hope? Is it just that I made it up? You sure it's written in God's word? But what is the confidence that we have? That I too will make it to the top, to 17:27 the destination. Verse 19. This hope we have is an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil. Now, this we can't even see the top of where we're going. We cannot see it. It's somewhere up 17:44 there. What being like Jesus fully? What does that look like? I don't know. I've tasted a little bit. I can see a little bit ahead of what that looks like. To be fully like Jesus, do you think you know it? Oh, it's far greater and more amazing 17:59 than we can ever imagine. But it's it's there. It's hidden within the veil where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. If God had only given me his word, like 18:18 he did in the Old Testament, it would not have been enough. It was not enough. He gave me an example. That's why what I want to share with you this morning is the power of Jesus as our example. Let's never take that for granted. 18:35 What it actually means that today I have somebody more than just saying, "You can make it here. Come." And me wandering around and trying to find my way, but how do I find my way up there? Where's the path? >> [snorts] >> And Jesus says, "Okay, I've watched you 18:49 all struggle for thousands of years. Let me to come down and start from the bottom and bushwhack my way through this to the all the way to the top." Let's go and turn to Hebrews chapter uh 10. Therefore, brothers, sisters, children, 19:11 since we have confidence. Why? Because I know Jesus has come. I don't see this in the Old Testament. I don't see that in the Old Testament they could have confidence that they could be pleasing to God. They had faith. But we have an hope today in the new 19:28 covenant that they didn't have. We have confidence today that they didn't have. I hope you haven't missed it. I hope the standard of your life is not the same as an old covenant person's life because we have confidence. 19:42 We have an assurance because Jesus has come. Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to make it to the top, to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he inaugurated for us through the 19:59 veil that is his flesh. He opened Inaugurated means he opened it up. There was no way you could down here you could be pleasing to God in some way by faith. But Jesus had to come and open this way all the way. By by a new and living way which he 20:18 inaugurated for us through the veil that is his flesh. And since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from 20:33 an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. It's as if the Holy Spirit is saying to me, saying to us, "What are you doing still in the valley? What are you still doing saying, 'Oh, wow, that would be wonderful if I could 20:46 get up there.'" Get out of your your camp chair and follow Jesus. He's opened the new and living way. You and I have no excuse any longer, brothers and sisters, because Jesus has opened the new and living way. If you skip down a little bit to the end 21:03 of this chapter, he says, verse 37, "For yet in a very little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay." He's coming very soon. And the only thing will matter was, did you follow Jesus? After he took the 21:22 pains to open this new and living way, did you just Were you just content that he forgave your sins and that he healed your sicknesses and that he gave you a job and gave you enough money and blessed you with children and and a home 21:37 to live in and a comfortable life you're on this earth and he's going to take you to heaven for more of a comfortable life? Is that the the the level to which you attained at the end of your life? Or was there a challenge? Was there an 21:51 exhortation? Was the Holy Spirit moving in your heart to say, "Lord, I must follow you. I can't just sit here and watch you and admire you for having opened this new and living way. Yet a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay, but my 22:06 righteous one shall live by faith." And if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. See, faith He then he goes on to say, "Faith." Verse chapter 11 verse 1. Oh, let's let's finish reading it. "My righteous one." Speaking about Jesus first of all, 22:25 the original righteous one, and everyone who decides to follow him on this new and living way, this way of faith, "My righteous one shall live by faith. And if he shrinks back, if he says, 'No.'" It looked like Jesus had a pretty 22:41 difficult life. I mean, getting up this mountain was not easy. We got scratched up a little bit. There was some thorns. There was plenty of uh uh piles of manure you had to navigate around, some rocky crags. It was tiring. 22:56 You got thirsty. You got cold and then you got hot and then it's it hailed and all these things were met our path and you could look at Jesus and say look at the path and think well that's not the life I want. I to deny myself, I have to give up my 23:12 will really I never get to do my own will ever again. My righteous one shall live by faith and if he shrinks back if they think no it's not worth it. Let me have what other churches are preaching which is you can do your own 23:27 will and still go to heaven. Which is a lie of the devil. It's a false gospel. Let me have that. Let me settle for a teaching which will water things down and doesn't doesn't force me to give up my will. If he shrinks back my soul has no 23:44 pleasure in him. God is is as if God saying looking down at that valley of people who are just camped out there even so-called Christians living a use life that's completely useless for the kingdom of heaven. Oh, they're good at their jobs and they're 24:01 good they make a lot of money and all that but what have they done for the kingdom of heaven? How much have they followed Jesus? And God says my soul takes no pleasure in them. But we are not of those who shrink back to 24:16 destruction but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. And you say well what's faith? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for he says. It's he gave you the hope. Jesus opened the new and living way. He came down from heaven 24:34 became like a babe and suffered even to the point of death on the cross that's what it cost him in order for for him to open up this new and living way and now he says now you must have faith. Faith is the assurance of things hoped 24:50 for he's given you the hope. Now faith is what causes us to follow him. The evidence of things not seen He won't show you the top of the mountain. He won't show you what being like Christ fully looks like, but he says, "I 25:04 started at the bottom." See, before that, it was a little bit like imagination. I want to please God. I want I want to know what God is like. Moses longed for it, and God said, "No, I can't show you my face." And then Jesus says, "Okay, you, 25:16 Santosh, you, living in 2026, I'm going to come down and start all the way at the bottom and show you the face of God in your circumstance at the age of 1, at the age of 2, at the age of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30." We have beheld We have beheld his glory, 25:35 John said. Not something they could say before. Glory as of the only one of the Father, full of grace and truth. We must have faith, he continues on. Then he talks about faith. Chapter 11 talks about all the old covenant people, 25:50 how they're sitting in the valley, unable to follow the path because there wasn't one, still were pleasing to God by the attitude of their heart, saying, "Lord, I want to be pleasing to you." And God said, "Yes, the time will come 26:03 when there will be people who can actually follow me, but you, old covenant person, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, uh Daniel, Ezekiel, David, all of you, you got to be down here. It's for Santosh to follow me." It's for you and I, 26:19 brothers and sisters, to follow Jesus. What do you think Moses would say to you sitting right now, to you and I, right now? "I wish I could be in your shoes. You get to walk up the mountain. You have an example. You get to experience Christ's nature, 26:39 God's divine nature in you. What are you doing still in the valley? What are you doing still taken up with the things of this world? You know who Moses was? When he was offered all the riches of Egypt, read about it in Hebrews chapter 26:51 11, later on, 25. Offered everything, far more than you and I will ever be offered. He didn't have the example that you and I have. The devil offered him on a silver platter to be Pharaoh's son. To live in the palace for all of his 27:08 life, all the riches, all the pleasure, everything you could want. And he gave it up, and he doesn't have an example. He didn't have an example. Now, you and I have an example, and we're offered much less. A little bit more money, a little bit more pleasure, 27:21 a little bit more comfort, and we grab that. What would Moses say? Oh, if you could see what you're missing. I long to trade places with you so that I could follow Jesus, so that I could follow God. Don't give up your birthright, brothers 27:37 and sisters. We have a birthright as ones in the new covenant that the old covenant people didn't have. So, before that, he says he tells us the example of all of these old covenant people who were pleasing to God according to the 27:48 measure of their life and their calling. And they stayed down in the valley longing to be able to go up to the mountain. You get to the end of Hebrews 11, and he says, verse 39, "All these, sitting in the valley, you can say, 28:05 having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised because God had provided something better for us so that apart from us they would not be made perfect." Now, I'm not going to be the judge of Moses and Abraham and David 28:23 and all that. God called them for some some something else, and yet in some way they were pleasing to God. And I don't know how he will make it all right for all the old covenant people, but I know that I don't have an excuse. 28:36 I cannot settle for the old covenant standard that they were allowed to settle for, where occasionally you fall into adultery, occasionally you get angry, occasionally you get in a bad mood like Elijah was. That that that was okay for them. But 28:52 once Jesus came and opened up the new and living way, we can't be sitting in the valley any longer. Because God had provided something better for us. And what was that? Therefore, since God has provided something better for you and I, 29:08 we cannot sit in the valley any longer. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses sitting around us in the valley saying, "I wish I could have gone. I wish I could have gone." But you get to, Santosh. So great a cloud of witnesses 29:26 surrounding us, let us what? Say, "Hey, let's let's hang out. Moses is here. David's here. My standard of life is as good as David's. I sing like David did, and I preach like Elijah did." No. Let us lay aside every encumbrance and 29:44 the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Dear brothers and sisters, dear RLCF, you have a different race set before you than all the men and women listed in chapter 11. 29:59 There's a race set before you because Jesus came down and opened up the new and living way. You can't just sit there and say, "Yeah, it'll take about 15 minutes or 30 minutes or 1 or 3 hours." No. You have to go. Somebody has gone ahead of you. We have 30:12 to go. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus. Praise the Lord for Jesus. The author, that means the beginner. He started at the bottom and finisher, perfecter. He made it to the top of faith. 30:31 Who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Jesus. Now, we speak about Jesus often in this church, as do I think many churches. 30:49 But, we ought to speak about Jesus in such a way that it leaves nobody with an excuse to remain with the same defeated, self-serving, self-loving life. That's what it means to consider Jesus. It's not consider Jesus, "Oh, you did 31:03 those great things for me. I sit back in my lawn chair and watch the path that he made." And think, "Oh, thank you. Oh, thank you, Jesus. Good. Good for you." "I thank you for what you've done." No, consider him means to run after him. 31:18 For us in the new covenant, if you are not running after Jesus, you're not even considering Jesus. You're considering some other Jesus. Let us run after him. And Jesus, too, had to live this life of faith, of depending on the Father. 31:36 That's why he's called the author and perfecter of faith. And when it says in John 19:30 on the cross, he hangs on the cross and says, "It is finished." What was finished? He had finished this new and living way. And he reaches the top, the temple, the 31:52 the veil is rent from top to bottom. And Jesus says, "It is finished. Now what?" "Now follow me," he says. "The way is open. It's open for you. Before that, yeah, you had to find your way and you 32:08 had doubt and unbelief and and all that. But, now the way is open. It's finished. That connection from here to there has been completed. Now, I have no excuse. Now, I must run. Now, I have confidence that if I go this path, it will reach take me to the 32:26 destination." That's what Jesus was saying when he said, "It is finished." And Paul goes on to say, if you turn with me to Galatians chapter 2, See, this is so much more than just simply saying, "Well, Jesus died for me. 32:39 Now I get to go to heaven. My sins are forgiven." And that's wonderful. I praise the Lord for that. But, that's just the beginning. That's the first step. My sins are forgiven. I'm on my way to heaven. Yeah, but what Are you on 32:51 your way to heaven or you just sitting in the lawn chair? Paul, when he got a revelation of this, he says, verse 19, Galatians 2:19, "Through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ." 33:11 Here's Paul's version of what uh Frances Ridley Havergal wrote in that beautiful hymn we just sang. Paul's saying, "I have been crucified with Christ." Before that, he wasn't. On the road to Damascus, he said, "I've been crucified with Christ. It is no 33:26 longer I who live. No longer mine," Frances Havergal said. Paul said, "No longer will I live for myself. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." 33:46 So, what keeps me going is the faith of Jesus. It keeps me going. I say, "Lord, speak faith to me." Faith comes from hearing the word of Christ. Speak faith to me, Lord. I need to take another step. Today, he's put a step in front of you, 33:59 Sunday, May 31st, 2026. That That's another step on this journey. Lord, give me faith. Speak faith into my heart so that I can take that next step. Tomorrow, June 1st, another step, Lord. The life that I now live in the flesh, I 34:14 live how? By the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. That's why Jesus gave himself up for you, that you might have a faith that keeps you going every day in your life. I wondered about Jesus. And I'd like to 34:31 speak now in the remaining time on I've been meditating on this for some weeks and so it was a timely event yesterday that that triggered some the thoughts here. Um that for Jesus, I wondered if you thought about what it was like for Jesus also to live 34:50 by faith. See, Jesus knew was was God and is has always been God. Before time, he was God, the son of God. He knew the past, present, and future, the the alpha and the omega. That's Jesus. But you know, when he was here on this 35:06 earth, he emptied himself of those powers of God. You read about that in Philippians 2 that he did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself and became like become like a man. You read about that also in Hebrews 35:20 chapter 2 that in order for him to open this new and living way, he had to empty himself of this these these this power that he had as God. He was still God in identity. He's never ceased to be God. He's always been God 35:35 and will always be God. But as God in the flesh, son of God and son of man, both together, in order to also be the son of man, he had to empty himself of those powers and those privileges that he had as God, including knowing the future, for 35:53 example. So, as much as you and I don't know the future. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I don't know what's going to happen next week. I simply have to trust in God. It's like I've used this example as well. 36:07 2 Corinthians 5:9 says, "We walk by faith, not by sight." I remember some years ago, the Lord gave brought this picture to me. What does that mean to say we walk by faith, not by sight? And it says if the Lord said to me, 36:20 "Santosh, I What if I say I can show you a movie of what your the rest of your life would look like. From here, See, I've got a movie of what the past looks like. That's in my mind. I remember. God could just as easily show me a movie of what the future looks 36:36 like because the future for God is already the past. He's at the end of time. He's at the beginning of time as well. Time is in his hands. He encompasses time. So, God could easily, just like he's given me a videotape of my past, he 36:50 could give me a videotape of my future and say, "Here's what the future's going to look like." On June 1st, 2026, which is tomorrow, this and this and this is going to happen. And then on June 2nd, that's going to happen. And and July, 37:02 that's when it it's going to happen. 2027 is going to look like this. And and so on, if the Lord tarries. And the Lord asked me, "Would you like me to give you that?" And immediately I thought, "Really?" And the Lord said, 37:16 "Well, I can give you that or I can give you my hand." So, now there's a question for you, dear family. What would you rather have? >> [clears throat] >> A view, knowledge of what's all going to happen in over the next few years and you'll 37:29 see, "Yes, God is going to take care of you. He'll provide all your needs. You You seek His kingdom first, He will meet all your needs." And He'll show you how He'll do that step-by-step or He simply says, "Hold my hand. 37:43 And I'm not going to show you what even an hour from now looks like. I'm simply going to give you my hand." That's faith. Not by sight, but by faith. We walk by faith, not by sight. Dear family, God's not actually going to 37:58 give you the videotape of the future. He's never done that for anybody. So, He's not going to do that, but He gives you something greater, His hand. That's to walk by faith. But, the point I wanted to make today is that Jesus 38:09 also had to fall and come into that place where He who knew the future, because He's Alpha and Omega, He as God knew the future had to empty Himself of that right to live by sight. Where God sees everything, omniscient, 38:27 sees the beginning and the end, and God Jesus as God emptied himself of his all-seeing capability to give me an example because he's a Santosh cannot see the future, so I need to also come and not see the future and not be able to see the future so that he 38:45 can have an example. So that he could walk step-by-step and I could know that Jesus was on this earth as God and as man giving me an example step-by-step, not knowing the future. Which means that Jesus was tempted to be 39:00 anxious. He was tempted in all points as we are, Hebrews 4, including to be anxious. About what? About not knowing the future. Yet without sin. Oh, praise the Lord for that. That Jesus, not knowing the future, not knowing what would happen next, was 39:18 tempted to be anxious and he said, "Father, hold on to me. I commit myself into your spirit." He entrusted himself to him who judges righteously. He says, "Father, I I I leave everything to you. I leave everything to you. I leave everything to 39:32 you." The words that that describe Jesus' life in many ways for me is his words on the cross that says, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." That's something he said at the end of his life, but he said that all through 39:44 his life. And this has helped me, family, in every situation that I face. When I face a sudden trial or an uncertainty or something's happening in the job site or a child is sick or some other accident happened, what do I do? Father, into 39:56 your hands I commit my spirit. It's simply in your hands, Lord, I commit my spirit. And Jesus had to live the same way every day of his life. Father, you know what's best. I'm just holding on to your hand, Father. And in that he set us an example. 40:14 I pray that we'll never lose sight of that. Not knowing about the future, let's turn to Matthew 26. Sometimes when I'm in a tight situation, I find myself saying, "Lord, get me out of this situation." 40:32 It's not wrong to just pray that prayer, but there are some situations God will not get us out of. Especially, you know, we want to get out of a situation that's uncomfortable for our flesh. We we like comfort. That's just who we 40:46 are as human beings. We like comfort. Cuz we like comfortable situations. We want to make a comfortable life for ourselves and for our family. That's human nature. But God is not in the in the business of God is not interested in giving you a 40:59 comfortable life. I hope you know that. I think most of you have listened to teachings from this church enough to know that. God's not interested in giving you a comfortable life. Um there are plenty of other churches that will offer that to you, but God is 41:13 interested in making you like Jesus. And Jesus didn't have a comfortable life. You know that. And you read the the examples we read those biographies once a month. You read the biographies of those who were actually pleasing to God, who made it to 41:26 the top, and you realize they didn't have a comfortable life either. And and so there have been times where I found myself in a situation that that's uncomfortable. That I would prefer something a little bit different. I'd prefer if those 41:39 people wouldn't treat me this way, or I'd prefer if I could have a little bit more of this or a little bit more of that. Lord, get me out of this situation. And there was situations where Jesus was tempted. How do I know that? Because if I'm 41:53 tempted in something, I know Jesus was tempted in the same way. That's Hebrews 4 verse verse 15 and 16, we're told that. So, here's a situation where Jesus was tempted. Lord, get me out of this situation. Um there's a story in Roman a Roman 42:09 parable. You can sometimes children or adults, you can go and read about it. It's called the sword of Damocles. The sword of Damocles is a parable about uh I forget the king Dionysius I think or something was his the king's name and 42:22 he had a uh a person in his court whose name was Damocles. And one day just to there's no spoiler here. Don't worry, you can go still enjoy the story later on. They trade places. The king the the the this person in his court says, "Oh, 42:37 king you have a comfortable life. Look at you. You're sitting in that big throne comfortable chair and all that and um you you you know, it's easy for you to say type of thing and then the king says, "Fine. One for one day you and I 42:50 will trade places." So, Damocles gets to sit in the in the chair the comfortable chair and enjoy the privileges of the king and Dionysius goes away. And Damocles is having a great time. Everybody's waiting on him and they're 43:03 bringing all Oh, what else would you like you comforts and all of that. And then he sits back in his chair and happens to look up and he sees there's a sword hanging over him. A sword that's held on by a horse hair. It's just hanging by a horse hair and 43:20 this sword is hanging over that chair that he's sitting in now and he realizes that the king was sitting in this chair. And the moral of the story was that the the the kings and those in authority they they carry a lot of responsibility. 43:32 It might seem like they have a comfortable life. But there's that sword. Now, it's an it's an earthly parable. But I've sometimes thought about the sword that hung over Jesus' life. He didn't have a comfortable life. But 43:46 there was a sword that hung over his life throughout his life here on this earth. I've been thinking about it for a few months and asking the Lord to really give me spiritual revelation over it. And that was that one day 43:59 when he hung on the cross that Jesus would be forsaken by his father. Throughout his life Jesus knew it. When he left heaven when he came down from the top, and what I'm trying to do here, family, is to is to have us see a little bit more clearly 44:15 what it cost for Jesus to open up this new and living way. So that it will inspire us to say, "Lord, I better not waste any more time thinking only for my own own self and my earthly ambitions. I want to do so I want to live a life that's meaningful 44:28 for you, Lord. If you would give up all of that and come down to this earth and make a new and living way all the way to the top." Let Let my life be useful for you, Lord. I don't want to just waste my life here on this earth with the passing trifling 44:41 pleasures of sin and the world. And there was that that sword that hung over Jesus' life was that one day, Jesus, you'll you'll you'll you'll you'll you'll have all your needs met, you'll face temptation, you'll overcome, but 44:56 one day when you get close to the very top, THAT LAST STEP, IF you will, for that way to be opened up. See, if if Jesus only opened up 99% of the way, we might as well sit in the valley because we can't make it to the top. 45:09 And that last step to finish the new and living way, we were we read in Hebrews 10 was through the veil, that is, his flesh. And the one thing that was most valuable to Jesus was fellowship with his father, and that last step was where it was 45:25 tested the most. Where the father said, "Jesus, you know what? And and this Jesus knew before he even came down to this earth. You'll You'll come down and you'll come as a baby and you'll go through all these trials and 45:37 all of that, but there's going to be that last step, Jesus, where I'm going to have to forsake you," the father says. And Jesus came. And we know that it weighed on him because it weighed on him when he got to that last step. 45:54 A hundred steps, let's say, he finishes 99 of them perfectly, and now he's facing the most important one. And remember, family, if he didn't finish that last step, you and I have no hope. Our hope is anchored where Jesus has 46:06 entered within the veil because HE TOOK THAT LAST STEP. AND what was that last step? Let's turn to Matthew 26. In verse 51, here is Peter the disciples 46:23 with Jesus in a tight situation. They're coming to arrest Jesus and they think the disciples think they're coming to arrest him. Innocent. The disciples are innocent and so is Jesus. Verse 51, Matthew 26:51. Behold, one of those who we know it was 46:41 Peter was with Jesus reached and drew out his sword. Here's Peter saying, "Lord, get me out of this situation. I know how. I've got a gun. I've got a sword. I can get out of this tight situation by my own strength, by my own means." 46:57 Reached out and drew out his sword and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. And then what did Jesus say? "Put your sword back into its place for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. 47:12 Or do you think that I cannot Listen to this. This is the verse I wanted you to see. Jesus' words, he says, "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my father? Lord, get me out of this tight mess I'm in. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my 47:29 father and the moment I appeal to the father, he will at once put at my disposal more than 12 legions of angels? That's 72,000 angels. It's like the father was saying, "Jesus, just say the word and I'll send 72,000 angels." 47:47 And Jesus knew it. But Jesus was here to do the will of the father. And the will of the father was we need to make a 100% way of salvation all the way to the top for Santosh. For you and I. 48:06 How then will the scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must happen this way? This is the only way for the new and living way to be opened all the way to the top. Have we seen it brothers, sisters? Have we seen what Jesus sacrificed, what he 48:19 went through, and especially that last step? What if What if Jesus had asked to be bailed out of that situation? According to this verse, Jesus could have. He had lived a perfect life up to that point. And all he had to simply say, "Father, 48:35 help me. Get me out of here." 72,000 angels would have come. And what do you think would have happened to Judas and all the centurions and the the the high priests who had come there to attack Jesus thinking, "We've got him." 48:48 And in a moment those 72,000 angels come and just blast them all to pieces. Jesus had that, but he emptied himself. He gave up that right to be bailed out of a tight spot because he had to finish the way. Um 49:09 And that last step, you know, when it says in Matthew 27, now let's go further when he's crucified. Keep your finger in Matthew 27. I'll come back to it. I want to look at this verse in 2 Corinthians 5. We know that God hates sin. 49:33 In fact, in the in the Old Testament says God hates the wicked as well. In 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21, we read He's saying He's talking about us being ambassadors, about us proclaiming the gospel. This is the gospel. 49:52 Verse 20, we are ambassadors for Christ. This Christ whom we have been speaking about. As though God were making an appeal through us, we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. That's the burden on my heart this morning. I'm 50:05 begging all of us, myself included, be reconciled to God. Have you been waffling with your time? Have you been getting taken up with circumstances here on this earth or other things? Be reconciled to God. Verse 21, why? Because God the Father 50:23 made Jesus who knew no sin. I just started by saying that God hates sin. He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him, so that we might have a way that makes it all the 50:40 way to the top. In order for me to make it all the way to the top, by the grace of God, which I I already said I will. It's in the last page of my book. As it is in yours, if you have faith. But in order for that to happen, the 50:53 Father had to make Jesus sin. And when it says God hates sin, I I almost heard these words in my mind a few days ago. Father, my God, my God, why do you hate me? I want to be sac- I don't want to be sacrilegious in saying that. 51:13 Why have you forsaken me? Jesus said back in Matthew 27. Verse 45, from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out and it's darkness from the sixth hour to 51:31 those ni- through the ninth hour. 3 hours, God the Father is sending the wrath, his wrath against sin, onto sin, which is Jesus. He made him who knew no sin to be sin. 51:50 Jesus became my sin. And in that moment for 3 hours, the the Father lashed at him the punishment for sin. And at the ninth hour, Jesus has experienced this for 3 hours. The Father whom he loved and was intimate. This is 52:08 the This is the last step, brothers and sisters. This is the last step of the journey. This is why we have hope. This is why I have faith to continue this Christian life today. Otherwise, I I'm giving up. If I don't have this hope, if 52:20 I don't have this faith, I'm I'm ready to quit. But I have this hope. I have this faith and so must you, brothers and sisters. So you don't give up. But what did it cost Jesus? That last step. My God, my God, why why do you hate me? 52:37 Why have you forsaken me? Why are you so angry at me? He made him who knew no sin to be sin so that that last step could be finished. This is the Jesus we sang about. I I can't sing lightly anymore, take my will 52:56 and let it be a royal throne for you. I can't sing that lightly anymore. When I meditate on what Jesus went through and what it cost him to sit again at that throne. You read in you know, this agony was so intense on Jesus. You read in Luke 22. 53:16 As Jesus was aware of the sword that was hanging over his head, like I said. And he got close to that. Here's he's Now he's within a few hours of that last step. Yeah, all the the beating of the soldiers meant nothing. The crown of 53:31 thorns, that's nothing. You know, for you and I that might be seem like a big thing. For Jesus, the big thing was that my Father is going to forsake me. My Father is going to turn his anger on me whom I've adored and experienced fellowship for all these 53:44 years. That was that sword that was hanging over Jesus all his life. He knew it when he was 12, and he pressed on. He knew it when he was 18, he pressed on. He knew it when he was 22, he pressed on. He knew it when he was 30, he pressed on. 53:59 And all the mockings and the the the the things that he suffered here on this earth were nothing compared to the sword that he knew with that was one day coming on the last day of his life on earth. But he pressed on. He pressed on. 54:12 And it got to such intensity, you read in the Garden of Gethsemane, towards the end of his life, the life he's here, he sees the step that's coming. And he's he's still he's like, is there another way, Lord? I know when when I 54:25 left heaven, you and I decided that this was the way, but can can we do some other way? I do want the way to be finished, but is there some other way? Luke 22, we read in verse 42. He knelt down and began to pray. He said, "Father, if 54:45 you are willing willing, remove this cup." Father, we've got to make this way for Santosh and for all those others sitting at RLCF and all all the others listening to this. We got to finish the last the journey, Lord. We can't quit at 99%. 54:59 We got to finish it all the way. But is there some other way that we can finish this last step without you and I being separated? If you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will. What we just heard Frances Havergal 55:16 write about. Have you did you even hesitate to give your will when I started this message? Reminded us about Frances Havergal's words, "Take my will and let it be forever thine. It shall be no longer mine." I will no longer chase the pleasures of 55:33 this world. I will no longer lust with my eyes. I'll no longer use my tongue carelessly or in anger or be anxious. So, Lord, I'll give up my will. Does that seem trivial now compared to what Jesus had to give up when he said, "My 55:47 will will no longer be mine?" Yet not my will, but yours be done. It was never mine, Father, when I was here on this earth, and it's not mine anymore even now on this last most difficult step. And it got so intense. You know, you and I have faced the 56:06 intensity of giving up our will where we're in that moment of conflict with your spouse, let's say, and you just you know that you could just get that off your chest by saying that word or speaking that way or you just say that 56:17 to that person just just release it. Yeah. We know that that the pressure the pressure of lust, how it's released when you give in to that lust. That's that's sin. Jesus faced this and and the pressure he faced was so intense, but he would not 56:32 yield that pressure burst. It had to burst somehow. For for you and I in the past, it has burst in sin. Fine, I'll I'll just sin. I'll just sin. I relieve the pressure. Release it like that pressure valve, pressure cooker. Released it. Okay. But 56:48 Jesus wasn't going to give give in to sin. Otherwise, you and I would not have had that way. And he was determined that he was not going to yield to sin. And so that pressure needed to find some other way to get out. It came out in sweat drops of blood, it 57:03 says. And verse 43, an angel from heaven appeared to him strengthening him. This Son of God who is perfect in everything that he ever did needed that angel whom he had created to come and strengthen him because the 57:21 pressure was so intense. He gave up the 72,000 angels that could have taken him out of that situation, but the Father in his mercy sent one angel to comfort him. Just temporarily, just so that it's not more than you can handle. 57:38 You still have to take the go to the cross. You still have to take that last step. You will still be forsaken me and faith by me and face my wrath, but I'll I'll strengthen you. But the agony continues, you read verse 44. He was still in agony. 57:54 He was praying very fervently and he's saying, "Father, help me. I want to do your will. Is there any other way?" No, there's no other way, but that pressure is there to give up his will. That pressure is there and it it says, 58:08 his sweat became like drops of blood falling down upon the ground. We sung Frederick Faber's song that speaks on this. Let me read the words. Listen carefully. My God, my God, and can it be that I should sin so 58:26 lightly now and think no more of evil thoughts. When I think that way about a person which I know is evil or I speak that way about a person which I know is evil, oh, it's just light. Can I do that? I sin 58:44 and heaven and earth go round as if no dreadful deed were done. As if thy blood had never flowed to hinder sin or to atone. I walk the earth with lightsome step, smile at the sunshine, breathe the air, do my own will, 59:04 not ever heed Gethsemane and thy long prayer. Shall it always be thus, oh Lord? Will thou not work this hour in me the grace of thy passion? Give me the same power, 59:23 the same passion, the same unwavering determination that you had in Gethsemane that even if it meant that blood would come out of you, you would you give me that grace, Lord. This is the cry of Faber. Hatred of self and love of thee. 59:39 [snorts] Ever when tempted make me see beneath the olives moon-pierced shade my God, that's Jesus, alone outstretched and bruised and bleeding on the earth he made. 59:55 And make me feel it was my sin as though no other sins there were that was to him who bears the world a load that he could scarcely bear. Let me close. Let's go back to Hebrews 4. What shall we do? Should we just cry 1:00:17 tears of grief? But drops of grief can never repay the debt of love I owe. Here, Lord, I give my life away. 'Tis all that I can do. Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, 1:00:37 my all. What shall we do, brothers? What will your response be? Hebrews 4 verse 14. Hebrews 4 verse 14. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the 1:00:57 son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Don't waver in Don't give up. Let's turn over to and verse 16. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace so that we might receive mercy 1:01:16 and find grace to help in time of need. Next time you're tempted to fall into those same traps, have a mood, or lust with your eyes, or get angry, or use your tongue in gossip, or curiosity. Say, "Lord, help me to run to the throne 1:01:30 of grace and receive help in my time of need. Receive mercy for the what times I have fallen and receive grace for help in time of need." And I'll close with Hebrews 10. We were there earlier. I want to continue reading where we left off. 1:01:49 Let's read 19 onwards. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence. I hope that this is not leaving you feeling guilty. Well, maybe convicted, hopefully. But you have confidence, right? Don't lose sight of the confidence. Therefore, 1:02:03 brothers and sisters and children, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he inaugurated for us through the veil that is his flesh. It cost him everything. And since we have a great priest over 1:02:18 the house of God, what shall we do? Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our 1:02:34 hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. Let's encourage one another. Let's encourage Let's stimulate one 1:02:52 another to love God more, to love others more, to do good deeds. And let's not forsake our own assembling together. That's why we meet. That's why we value the meetings of the church. And I tell you, as the time of Christ's 1:03:07 return draws near, it will get easier and easier to just skip a meeting and just say, "Ah, yeah, I can skip it today. I don't feel like going." Not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. And all the 1:03:22 more as you see the day drawing near. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there is no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which 1:03:40 will consume the adversaries. That that same punishment that Jesus faced for those who refuse to follow him in faith, they will face that same punishment. But like it says in Hebrews 6, we are confident of better things concerning 1:03:57 you, brothers and sisters. We've received strong exhortation today, I believe I have. I know the Holy Spirit's convicted my heart even as I opened my mouth to speak. I want to shake off all laziness, all lethargy, all complaints or using any 1:04:13 part of my body for myself. No longer live for myself, be done with using your resources to make goals and ambitions for yourself and say, "Lord, my only ambition is to please you." Heavenly Father, I pray you'll make it 1:04:27 so for all of us that not one person sitting here, I believe Lord that you will play back these words that you've spoken to us today one day. And these words will either justify us or condemn us. And I pray that for all of us, you will find us 1:04:41 justified by faith in you, by the way we used our words, by the way we followed you, that our faith was evident in the life that we lived. Thank you, Lord Jesus, you're on our side. We're not paving a new way. You've made this new and living way, and you've 1:04:58 given us all the resources we need. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, I pray Lord, that we will have not only the will, but the but the ability also to live this life, and that every one of us, not a single one listening to this 1:05:11 message, will miss out that all of us will reach that destination when we see you. Thank you, Father. I believe you will do this. We know you are you're the God of the impossible. And if anyone here has been in impossible seeming 1:05:24 circumstances, you're going to fulfill you're going to make it possible, Lord. You're going to make a way where there is no way. We thank you. You've made the way already. Praise you. Praise you. Praise you, Father. Thank you in Jesus' 1:05:36 name. Amen. >> [music]
