Sunday Service

getting at Jesus's Journey To The Cross

Pastor weiner shared about the invitation Jesus brings to us to invite us to the table. to participate in what he did in his death in his suffering. Pastor John preached about the invitation to praying like Jesus prayed at Gethsemane. to engage in earnestly seeking God

for the spirit may be willing but the flesh is weak.

The last week my wife Pastor Angela she shared. She shared about the challenge everyone of us having in the potential of the train christ-like Judas like Peter and the other disciples and yet yet if we could keep our eyes on him. See God doesn't quit on us.

So this morning I've invited just a moment for our youth pastor Pastor Ross to come and he's going to come in just a moment and he's going to share the the final piece of the puzzle as we're leading to the Cross. But before we do or something about Ross that I want you to know. He's a product of the ministry of this church. Yeah, and and a one of those those activities that Ross was very much a part of was was Bible quiz Junior Bible quiz and and Senior Bible quiz. And I know we'll do a better recognition little bit later on, but I just can't keep the secret. Yesterday Junior Bible quiz had their state finals. And we we had three teams that went.

we took

one of our division team took third place One of our teams took second place. And one of our teams took first place in their going to Nationals, Austin.

Those guys work crazy hard and actually the way I hear it the two teams in the top division out of all the best teams at State actually tied for first place and end up having to break the tiebreaker. Just like whoever got the most points. I remember I'll send in this corner over here one of probably the most defining moments of my life was actually as a result of Bible quiz we have competed and we didn't take first pastor. We took second that year, but I just remember the moment that the pastor on stage took to honor me in that moment cuz I had somehow completely unexpectedly taking first place as an individual and so he did he went all out and making sure that the church knew about it and I just was blown away by the support from my church by just the events of it. So when you see those Bible quizzes, just let him know how proud you are of them because some of them practice Very hard if they're anything like that, they're trained anyway, like I was trained sometimes they practiced it themselves the tears, but they were so hard. So make sure you honor those guys and when we do the official announcement of that if we do that just make sure that we're honoring them what I am Ross and so excited to be here. I've been in this church for 20 years and so it's kind of fun to be able to let people know that when I go to youth pastors meetings and stuff they like so how long you been at your church or 20 years? Play I've been working here for for it's yeah, it's complicated. It is one of the best things that God could ever done for me just to gain the support from this congregation to support from this area of this family blows me away. I don't know if any of you remember the first time that you did something crazy like the first time you started to drive and go on the interstate. I remember that time because my whole family was in the car.

8 people in a 8 passenger minivan with Ross the new driver driving and we are going on the interstate to families house. I was terrified. I just remember going on the on-ramp thinking to myself. This is to pass the two passes to fast and they said roster going 45 you have to speed up and sew in a lot of ways preaching. I think it's probably my 5th time being able to preach on Sunday morning how it feels the same way like this as I'm sitting there. I'm like too much. This is too much. This is too much. And so thank you so much for tolerating my clumsiness of words sometimes but I hope to communicate something today that might cause you to leave today doing life a little bit differently when you walked in one of my recent Adventures was the Honduras trip and you guys heard a little bit about that a couple weeks ago with James and my dad and it was amazing time. One of the coolest things we did was we went to a waterfall and when I see if you've ever been to a waterfall, there's different waterfall experiences. There's trickles that people Call a waterfall and then there's like a waterfall and this was a waterfall like take two steps to the right and you die waterfall. And so we were able to go there. We are able to zipline over the thing and just beautiful. I was a little you know, that was okay for me, but the cool part was being able to walk underneath and we got to visit there's some caves underneath the waterfall that we crawled into mine. Nobody died. So is it was a good day so Honduras if you ever ever get the opportunity to participate in a church event, like a missions trip like Royal Family Kids Camp regular Ministries. I mean Nursery can be breathtaking. Sometimes at least life-threatening. And so if you have to do that just step out and do that if fear is the only thing holding you back the worst. The best thing you can do is just give it a try and if it's not a fit you don't do it again, but I got to do Hunters Hunters was was Really was really fun. But also is one of the most Exhausting things I've done in a long time actually at that point. I just started to deal with a lot of internal struggle and I felt like maybe I was missing the Mark. I felt like just didn't physical exhaustion of the trip. I'm sure played into at the mental exhaustion, but just all these different things were kind of coming at me at once and so I had for the past couple weeks. Actually. I've been through a season of life where guys are really been challenging me to grow mentally spiritually emotionally physically everything to the point where sometimes it feels like too much growth, but when I step back I say thank you for these opportunities. Is this kind of feeling like you're on a journey, but you're getting torn apart on the inside that we find Jesus. In his story as Pastor said we've been kind of leading up to this moment of the crucifixion and Jesus is in this moment where I'm sure he felt like he was being torn apart from the inside. You see a lot of times. I think we we put the god title on Jesus and we assume that he's not mad. He's not human. He didn't experience the full range of emotions that we do but it doesn't take long read in the gospels the story of the crucifixion in the events that led up to that that we find that Jesus was very much human any experience many of the same emotions that we do and so I'm going to pray for us today and they were going to get into it father. I thank you for this opportunity. I just pray to God that you would just Deliver Us from all distractions this morning that you would just director Hearts prepare our minds and just allow us to accept what you have for us this morning in Jesus name. Amen. Crucifixion it is a keyword. And actually if you look at a couple of variance of that word, you'll see some you'll get an indication of where Jesus was at in his story. When he approached. The cross acrux is the decisive or most important point at issue or a particular point of difficulty a crucible is a situation of severe trial or in which different elements interact leading the leading to the creation of something new. That's exactly where Jesus is that when he approached the cross where we today from Luke chapter 23, so if you can stand with me, we are going to read the next part of the story Luke chapter 23 verses 44 through 49.

Put it up on the screen. So you can read along in your head.

It says this now it was about noon and darkness came over the whole land until 3 in the afternoon the sun stop shining and the curtain of the temple was torn in two Jesus called out with a loud voice father into your hands. I commit my spirit when he had said this he breathes his last the Centurion seen what had happened praise God and said, surely. This was a righteous man, when all the people who had gathered to witness this site. So what took place they beat their breasts and went away, but all those who knew him including the women who had followed him From Galilee sit at a distance watching these things. You can be seated. Thank you.

What was your most painful experience didn't take me long to figure that out. I play this wonderful sport football and I had a few painful experiences not I played football for 10 to Tech tackle football for 10 consecutive years for and high school. And then for with the Racine Raiders and over that span, I mean, I think I was miraculously protected from a lot of things that could have happened but one moment I actually wasn't playing tackle football is playing flag football and something happened. I was running just like usual and the bottom of my foot decided to take a break and so it turned to let the side of my truck takes the side of my foot take the full weight of a moving person and what we athletes affectionately call as a rolled ankle happens now through high school and up until you know all the ways to now this is something that's going to happen pretty regularly for me. And so I've always kind of keep an eye on strength. My ankle so that it happens less and less but in this particular time something special happened the pain, although I was able to finish the game the pain increased for 24 hours. Now, I like sleep. I have not to my knowledge besides crazy youth group lock-ins up to that point in my life. I had never had an all-nighter not for moving up a video games eventually get to the point where your will to live is going down to you realize that if you don't get sleep soon something bad is going to happen. And so I'm not all nighter sort of person but this was probably the first all-nighter that I ever pulled just because the pain in my ankle was so excruciating my parents were helping some doctor friends were helping trying to figure out what happened. So I have the pain of a of a pretty severe ankle sprain, but then there's also the sharp stinging I thought for sure I never broken a bone knock on Pulpit. I never brought brought. Broken a bone and I thought for sure man. This has to be with a break feels like because this pain is so excruciating it would come like someone was sticking a needle to touching your ankle bone and then it would kind of dissipate when I found out what had happened was the ankle sprain had created some swelling and a swelling had activated a bone spur but that's pretty common in athletes. And that was the combination of the spraying that increase in pain for 24 hours and then the bone spur and so after that first night of pain I went to doctor on crutches. They said it's just a sprain and a bone spur you can start walking as soon as you think you're able through the crutches to the side started walking the next night. I was able to get some sleep by waking up every hour icing for 15 minutes going to sleep for an hour and putting that Psych on repeat until I was finally able to sleep. Can I get an amen? Maybe when I asked a question, what was your most painful experience your most painful experience wasn't even physical. Maybe you thought of the moment in life. We're all gonna seem to depart from your life for a certain period of time. It could have been a moment could have been a prolonged season in your life. Where where the sky just didn't seem to shine. For Jesus in what I would call most likely his most painful moment. I would say it's a combination of all these pains. Of course, he had the pain of the physical death, which was performed by professionals at torture and crucifixion. But then he also had the emotional turmoil of watching the people that he had poured his life into serving reject him. And then of course the loss of a brief moment. Where there was a breach in his relationship with his father, which if you read the gospels, you'll quickly find out that that was the most important thing to Jesus when it describe Jesus in The Garden of Gethsemane. A lot of times. We think I'll see was dreading the physical pain that was about to happen to him. I get the impression that an addition to that probably the biggest thing on Jesus's mind was the emotional the spiritual warfare that he was about to endure.

So we are going to go through a whole gospel this morning. I hope you're ready. We're going to kind of take a quick look at at an ant try to answer this question. How did Jesus do it from the moment when he was in seminary and pleading with his father. Please take this cup away from me to the moment of completion where he was able to say it is finished. How did Jesus work up the courage to get this done? And I hope that we don't just quickly put the god title on him and say, oh he could do it because he's different from you and me was he different? Yes, but did you see the same? I would say also yes, and so how was he able to accomplish that I recruited some help you see mankind has come up with many a wonderful invention Ask Pastor John graciously point out to me. We have the smartphone a very Brilliant Invention. It contains the entirety of human knowledge in the little box and we watch cat videos.

Another great invention of the walking taco like tacos that are mobile you can eat on the go. So I've come up with my own invention today. I call it Alexis the walking Bible. So let me quick order it up real quick. I have don't worry. I have Amazon Prime. This will take not a moment. And there we go. It should be coming out at any minute now. We should be good Alexis the talking walking Bible.

There we go FedEx delivery for the win. Alright, give me sir. Sorry about that. Let me just put it put it right here. I got a package for a Ross. Tell her. Thank you. Tell her. All right. Thank you, sir. I'll get a signature from Marissa she thank you. Okay. So this is Alexis the walking Bible. I came up with the idea of myself just a little bit of activation.

And if this works, right we should get the word of God delivered right to your ears Alexis Genesis 1:1 John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 11:35. John 11:35 Alexis

We are going to look at the gospel of Mark. We're going to look at a few different points in this and see how did Jesus go through what he had to go through my point to you would be Jesus knew the end from the beginning but will start at Alexis Mark 1:1 to see just how the story starts just on of God. Okay. So Jesus begins his ministry, he comes Earth. He's born I'll talk more about that, but it's Easter not Christmas and so he goes and he he waits until he's 30 about 30 years old before you actually begins to do ministry. He begins a serving you again to preach it begins to collect his disciples, but early on in The Book of Mark Jesus is already predicting his death. He knows the end from the beginning and so Alexis Mark to 19 through 20. Jesus answered how can the guest of the bridegroom fast while he's with them? They cannot so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them. And on that day. They will Fast Jesus didn't stop there. That wasn't the only time he predicted the death that he was going to suffer actually in chapters 8 9 and 10 Jesus tries to communicate to his disciples. This isn't going to go down the way you think it is. I'm going to die. I'm going to suffer in chapter 8 he says that the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chapter 9. He says they will kill him and after 3 days, he will rise in chapter 10. Jesus talks about that how they're going up to Jerusalem in the purpose of that is that the son of man will be delivered to the chief priests who will mock him and spit on him log him and kill him and again 3 days later. He will rise. Jesus knew the end from the beginning if I'm in the situation, I'm going through my entire day of my life kind of dreading that moment where that where the crucifixion is about to happen. And then we find Jesus in Gethsemane in that moment where he realizes that the his future death isn't in the future anymore. It's it's coming into the present and we have Mark chapter 14 verses 32 through 36 West in troubled my soul's overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death stay here. He said to them stay here and keep watch going a little farther. He fell to the ground and pray that if possible the hour my password him all the father. He said everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me yet. Not what I will but what you will So Jesus again knows the end from the beginning from Mark chapter 1 all the way through to the end in chapter Mark chapter 16. Jesus knows how it's going to and Rebecca in a second is going to be quoting Mark chapter 16. It's part of the requirements of an award. They do 14 Bible quiz. And so what I want you to see is that Jesus knew Mark chapter 16, even before it happened. He knew it from Mark chapter 1 and so let's see the ending that Jesus had in mind from the beginning Alexis, March 16th. When the Sabbath is over. Okay, when the Sabbath silver Merry Maids when Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices so that they might go to annoy Jesus's body very early on the first day of the week just after Sunrise they were on the way to the tomb and they asked each other who rolled the stone away from the entrance of the Tomb but when they looked up they saw that the stone which was very large hadn't rolled away as they enter the tomb this young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side and they were alarmed don't be alarmed. He said you were looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was crucified he is risen, he is not here see the place where they laid him, but go tell his disciples and Peter he is going ahead of you and to Galilee there. You will see him just as you told you trembling and bewildered the woman went out in the floods in the Tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid when Jesus rose early on the first day of the week. He appeared first. Merry Maids went out of him. He had driven seven demons. She went and told those who have been with him and who are morning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus is Alive and that she has seen him. They did not believe it afterward Jesus appeared in a different form for two of them while they were walking in the country these returning reported it to the rest, but they do not believe in either later Jesus appear to the 11 as they're eating he rebuke them for their lack of faith and they're stubborn refusal to believe those with seen him after he had risen. He said to them go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be safe. But whoever does not believe will be condemned and these signs will accompany those who believe in my name. They will drive out demons. They will speak in new tongues. They will pick up snakes with their hands and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all. They will place their hands and sick people and they will get well after the Lord Jesus had spoken to them. He was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God, then the disciples went out and preach everywhere and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the song.

Thank you, Alexis.

Richie you're going to take care of this for me. I don't want that. Are you give it to somebody else?

Jesus knew the end from the beginning he knew Mark chapter 16 even before Mark chapter 1 happened. That's the how we talked about what Jesus did his death on the cross we talked about how Jesus did it but just knowing that he was his sacrifice his efforts. His pain was not for no reason. It was for the Glorious the glory of the Resurrection, but we still need to answer the question. Why why would you just do it? I mean, this is a simple question that very early on in your Christian walk. You probably asked yourself. It's a question that the Bible quizzes properly quoted a few different times this week. And I remember correctly. The question in Bible quiz terms is why did Jesus die in the answer they gift is Jesus died for our sins. And that's true. But is that really as far as it goes the Jesus just simply die. So that are slate. Taken away or did he die for the hope of something more did uses death wasn't about the scent know sure. It was a result of the sin. But what I'm saying is that Jesus's death was for people it wasn't for since take it was for people sake that he might have a future relationship with us. Jesus knew the end from the beginning but the end wasn't actually the resurrection that was just the beginning if I had to calculate what Jesus set his eyes on when he enjoyed the cross the glory that he was imagining. I'm sure the resurrection was part of that but I feel like we can find what Jesus had his mind set on if we go to Revelation chapter 19 verses 5 through 9. It says this then a voice came from the throne saying praise our God all you his servants you who fear Him both great and small then I heard what sounded like a great multitude like the Roar of rushing waters in like loud peals of Thunder shouting Hallelujah for our Lord. God Almighty Reigns, let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory for the wedding of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready fine linen bright and clean. Was given her to wear fine linen stands for the righteousness the righteous acts of God. Holy people. Then the angel said to me right this blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the lamb and he added these are the words of God. Who is the bride that he's talking about? It's a church. It's us now. Some of you if it's the first time you've heard that that might be a difficult pill to swallow that might may not make that might be an odd comparison for Jesus to make stir three things. Also something other in the Bible quiz. There are three things that that the Bible Compares us his body the church not just this church, but every Church the congregation of Believers, there are three things that the Bible Compares us to the first is a building handle being a building of the second part is a body and we're okay with that as long as it's like a Dwayne The Rock Johnson or like Hugh Jackman like sort of deal like we can handle, you know, being called the body and the different parts different members that work together. We're cool with that, but then there's the bride now. The man in me has a little bit like okay got it. Explain that a little bit more. Like what does it mean for us to be the bride of Christ?

See God Compares his relationship to us to human marriage is the closest most intimate relationship that we have but I feel like he wasn't comparing his relationship to us to a human marriage because a marriage was the ideal relationship. I feel like it originated with his relationship with us and to help us understand the potential that that carries he created marriage between one man and one woman to unite themselves together forever to illustrate the closeness that he is desire to have with since the moment. He created us.

If you're still struggle with accepting that idea my my understanding of it is when my relationship with God is good my relationship with you is is doing well when my relationship with God is struggling.

I don't like you very much. So.

So when it comes to human relationship and God relationship, I feel sometimes we always feel the need to compete and compare and say how can both of these relationship strong Intimate Relationships exist at the same time when in reality they're meant to go hand-in-hand and they're our relationship with our father is supposed to supersede and go in and through and between all of our other relationships whether it be a casual friendship or the human marriage.

But I was thinking about what God would want his people to know today for this message. The three things that came to mind our that number one. He loves us number to he chose us and number three his desire is that we would choose him. That's the why so looking past the resurrection is not used to yet. So I can't talk about that looking past the reservoir to that glorious day where Jesus returns for his bride for his church to be connected with them forever. We can see that that is the why of why Jesus suffered the things he did not simply to remove our sin but to give us the opportunity to choose him back. Revelation chapter 3 verses 19 through 22 gives us this glorious invitation. It says Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline that sounds fun. So be Earnest and repent here. I am I stand at the door and not cause right there whenever I've heard this verse typically is to reference someone who is not a Believer to become safe and I believe that is a valid interpretation. But in this passage Jesus is actually sending a message to the church to those who are already part of the family of God. He give this invitation here. I am I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person and they with me to the one who is Victorious. I will give the right to sit with me on my Throne just as I was at Aureus and sat down with my father on his throne Whoever has ears let them hear what the spirit says to the churches. Father help us not to miss them.

It's an invitation. I'm going to talk about engagement for a second. Now. I'm not an expert at the engagement process. But I have a master teacher living inside of my phone called YouTube and it teaches you everything that you need to know about everything. And one of the most fun things to do on our little handy-dandy device besides watch cat videos is to watch Lord forgive me, the failures of those who have gone before us come on, you know, you have done it. You've typed in engagement fails on YouTube and you proceeded to watch as men are slapped kids ran away from embarrassed in public. Remember that one that I showed you a few months ago Pastor where the guy jumps off the roof then pretending to die and then holds up. Will you marry me? That's the one that I'm I'm trying to let you know prepare myself for okay.

So we have all of these wonderful things. So I'm no expert at the gagement process, but I know a couple things I'm no expert on the biblical ancient biblical engagement process, but I do know a couple things. I would say the most Temple vert or at least to my understanding you can correct me if I'm wrong later, but the most simple kind of outline of how an ancient is Rayleigh couple was engaged to be married and married and made one was this number one the husband would choose the bride. Now, there's plenty of you in this room who are glad that that no longer happens that way anymore pretty sure my sorry the father would choose the bride and they would do an arranged marriage now. Growing up that idea was tossed around in my family every once in awhile. So I mean it

husband which of the following which is the bride number to they would pay a dowry to the bride's family. So they would give the best gift that they can offer to show how influential they were how wealthy they were how well-off they work to try to impress the bride's family to to have their daughter over to them and I believe in most cases the bride was given the ability to say yes or no, but in most cases based off of the expectation of the family of the Bride would go along with it. If the family was cool with it number 3, the husband-to-be would leave to prepare a house many times. I believe it was attached to his parents home. So they would just kind of build these rooms. They're getting your kids the kitchen ready get the rooms ready get the rooms for future kids ready. He would prepare the house that he and his new family was going to live in and number for their comeback for the wedding celebration in the consummation of the marriage. This sound familiar to anybody. Let's read John chapter 14 verses 1 through 3. It says do not let your hearts be troubled you believe in God believe also in me is Jesus talk in my father's house has many rooms if that were not so what I have told you that I was going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You see Jesus chose us out of all the beautiful Creations that he made for some reason he chose humans as the object of a special type of affection. Now, I'm growing up. It doesn't take very long to realize that life can be very difficult at times. But when you see life in the context of God has chosen us. And giving us the opportunity to choose him in a special relationship that he didn't offer to any of his other creation. We begin to see that truly in the verse that we read a little while ago that God does discipline those he loves and the trials we experience now in the past or in the future are meant to prepare us for a glory that we can't even understand.

Jesus shows us the Dowry. He paid was his life. The Dowry she paid was his death on the cross.

I can just imagine that scene again in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is like father. Is there any other way that we can do this? God Is Creative I'm sure that he could have come up with something to Deliver us from our sins and make it possible for us to live in heaven with him forever. But perhaps there was no other way to communicate to us the depth of his love for us. And it desire that he had to be with us. I was sitting right back here about 4 years ago when I was challenged with the question, why is life so painful? Why did God create life in a way that I could be? So painful and I had asked a question to myself, but now it was asked to me and I'm like right now I have to find an answer and I remember just beginning the worship service and just putting my stepping out on the limb and saying God why why the pain why the horrors why the struggle that we have to experience and almost immediately. I felt his presence. Come on me and I felt a specific emotion. I felt the anticipation that he has to be with us. And so when we read his word and when we allow him to speak into our lives, we see that this God two people relationship isn't meant to be this judgemental authority figure that desires to protect his people buy whatever cruel means possible. We see that there is a father and Heaven who desperately loves you and wants you in his family and rather than imposing his will on you to do that. He gives you the choice to choose him back because he's already chosen us with his death. Did Jesus chose us the Dowry paid with his very life, and he is now preparing a place for you and me. That will last for eternity he says and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. And that's the final step where he will come back for the wedding festivities the marriage supper of the Lamb. So, why did Jesus die on the cross purchase for himself a people Jesus's death was his diary. So today we talked about what Jesus did with his death on the cross. We talked about how Jesus even managed to accomplish that sometimes I struggle to get out of bed in the morning and he managed to go through one of the most grueling desk possible and stick through it to the end. The word of God says that at any moment he had the authority in the ability to call on a legion of angels to deliver him from the pain. He was experiencing and he didn't the why did Jesus do it to Deliver us from our sins? Yes, but ultimately to go deeper than that and invite us into a relationship with him. And that one one more. What what is our response? What will we do in response to this invitation? From the time I was born. Come now my perspective on my relationship with God has changed. When I was born and when I first gave my life to Jesus not what I was born, but pretty close. I mean, I'm pretty sure that I don't I'm pretty sure my parents, you know, how to Bible waiting for me you as soon as I came out.

But when I was born if you would ask me like why do you know love Jesus? Why are you a Christian if I was being completely honest my response to probably be so I don't go to hell like haven't I haven't sounds better than hell. I don't really know what heaven is but hell does not sound good at all. So that that's the reason when I became a teenager and I felt God begin to pawn my heart a little bit more towards Ministry and towards pursuing him. My attitude changed a little bit. And then again if I were honest, I would probably say that my attitude became more. Why do you serve juice? Why do you love Jesus was because he gives me purpose. He's giving me a mission is getting me something to do and that's what I live for. Now my ship my focus is beginning to shift again. And I believe that more than doing things for Jesus. Jesus wants us to just be with him. They were called Believers not doors. And so easy to focus is it is set on what are you doing for? The Lord? Are you going to church enough? Are you participating and at least three Ministries throughout the month? But we're called to know him and to be known by him.

What does it look like to walk in relationship with God? What what do you do for the things that you love you invest your time into those things you invest your thoughts into those things you you devote yourself to those things a small group of men ask a question. What are your priorities and like all good Christian men. They answered in the proper correct order. They're feeling really good about themselves to like God. Family work. That's our priorities when they're asked to do this. Alright, take out your calendars. Let's look at that and they quickly realized that their Investments Weatherby Financial their time whatever didn't match their perfect list. And so how can we respond to Jesus invitation to walk and relationship with him? Honestly, it's for me. It's just been one step at a time sometimes doing things awkwardly trying to figure out. Okay, is this what God wants sometimes I'm just stepping out and act of facing I want to do what he calls me to do when I read his word and it says be a servant of all actually want to live that not just in a moment so I can Pat myself on the back in and feel good about myself, but actually live that out and hopefully not just as a seasonal thing, but as a lifetime commitment where every day every year I actually allow myself to be surrender to Jesus even more. And when I get off of track, which I mean come right back to that place. So, how is God calling you right now to walk closer to him? In 1st Corinthians, Paul says two times that we were purchased. We were bought at a high price. You are bought at a high price.

Let me close with this verse Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 through 3. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us fixing our eyes on Jesus the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith for the joy set before him. He endured the cross scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God consider him who endured such opposition from Sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart father. We accept this verse into our lives. We ask that you