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Feasting, Fasting and Our Faith | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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Why don't we go right into the word of God together?
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Mark chapter 2 Gospel of Mark, chapter 2.
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Again, if you're joining us for the first time, we're so glad
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you can be with us. As a church, we are going
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through the gospel of Mark and we are just week after week
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beholding, the glory of Jesus and it has personally been one
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of the most sanctifying experiences as a Christian just
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to just see Jesus to focus week after week time devoted to
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behold his infinite Beauty mercy and goodness has been enriching
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and I hope it's been the same for you.
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And prayerfully, we will see that as we begin in verse 18,
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you have your Bibles, meet me in verse 18 and a familiar passage
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will read it, and then pray the word of God says now, John's
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disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.
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And people came and said to him, why do John's disciples and The
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Disciples of the Pharisees fast. But your disciples do not fast.
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And Jesus said to them, can the wedding guests fast while the
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bridegroom is with them, as long as they have the bridegroom with
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them, they cannot fast the days will come.
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When the bridegroom is taken away from them.
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And then, they will fast in that day.
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No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.
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If he does the patch tears away from it and the new from the old
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and a worst air is made, And no one puts new wine into Old
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wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst
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the skins and the wine is destroyed and so are the skins,
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but new wine is for fresh wineskins.
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Lord, this is your word. We recognize it as the Eternal
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Word. We need your help to understand
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it. We humble ourselves as our
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brother prayed and we ask for Mercy Mercy upon the revelation.
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We need to be more like your son and to know him.
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Intimately, Lord, our hearts are so quick to be hard so easily,
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distracted. So Swift to look for other
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cisterns to drink from in order to be gratified.
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But Lord, in this place today. We even from the beginning of
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this time before your word confess that you alone
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satisfied. And we ask that this word would
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only help us no deeper satisfaction in Jesus Christ.
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Lori confessed that apart from the assistance of the holy
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spirit. This will be a dead meeting.
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This word will not have its way in us and we will leave the same
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way we came in, but oh Lord, you have given us the gift of the
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Holy Spirit. And we asked for him and you
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said, if evil men know how to give good gifts to their
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children, how much more will your father in heaven?
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Give the Holy Spirit to those, who ask, thank you.
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That we are sealed with him, but Lord, we want to be filled with
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him. That is our cry, this afternoon
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and may you even overwhelm the one who does not have that
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desire and taste and see that the Lord is good.
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In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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You and I are continue to comb through the Book of Mark were
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walking through it carefully. And our meditation before us in
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this tax, evolves around a question that was asked by an
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identified people, but an observant people at the same
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time. It's only when you and I go to
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Matthew and Luke that we are told who exactly Mark terms.
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As people are the ones who came to bring this inquiry to him.
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And we've see that in Matthew, it was actually John's the
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Sciples? Who asked this question?
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And when you go to Luke, he implies that it was the
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Pharisees and The Disciples of the Pharisees who approached
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Jesus themselves. That's not a contradiction.
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The simple conclusion. Is this is that there is a
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coalition. There is some kind of a
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partnership here that these two schools of thought spiritually
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speaking though, they differed on many things.
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Apparently, shared the same concern about Jesus and his
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ministry and it It had to do with the apparent, lack of the
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discipline of fasting. And so they come before him and
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they just plainly and choir, and we can use this text for the
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rest of the afternoon to guide us into a teaching about the
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relationship between the spiritual practices fasting
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known as fasting, and us as followers of Jesus Christ.
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But we're not going to do that. That's not going to be the heart
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of the matter. And the reason why it's not
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going to be the heart of the matter is, when you, when you
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see Jesus answer, he touches on principles about fasting, but he
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seeks to address, Underlying issue behind the question.
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There is something deeper and more significant that needs to
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be clarified, and that's what the Lord does.
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She takes advantage of this confrontation so that he can
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provide clarity about a principle that goes beyond just
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fasting. And what we're supposed to do
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with that specific practice, and the way we're going to go about
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this, the best way, we're going to handle this taxes, not to
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have different points, and thoughts behind those points.
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But to just follow the flow of art, pause and draw some some
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observations, but ultimately come to where Jesus wants us to
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come to his, his thrusting point that penetrates A problem that
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is common today. So we look at Verse 18 now,
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John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting.
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And people as we know John's disciples and the Pharisees and
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that could include even just the general crowd said to him.
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Why did John's disciples and The Disciples of the Pharisees fast,
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but your disciples do not fast. That seems like a very random
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question but it's not random because we know from last week
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that Jesus and his disciples were invited as guests into the
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Home of a converted tax collector by the name of Levi
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and Luke tells us that Levi held a great feast.
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It was a celebration, it was a banquet and Jesus was there and
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the crowd that was there obviously brought the attention
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to the Pharisees to recognize this and even criticized Jesus
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because of it. The criticism was what how is
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this holy man, eating with tax collectors and Sinners.
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And so we have to understand that that is the backdrop.
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The Pharisees knew very well that Jesus just finished a great
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feast and so they criticize them because of the associations
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within that home. But what's amazing is now they
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go from criticizing Jesus about eating with certain people to
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Jesus eating period. Why do you eat all the time?
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Why don't you take a break? Why don't you abstain from food?
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Why do you find yourself always in the homes of people with the
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most undeserving kind of people. And what's amazing here is that,
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you know, if the gift of encouragement is having the
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ability to find the good in someone and the good in
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something, then the curse of criticisms that you can find the
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bad and everything. And some people just have that
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gift. I wouldn't call it a gift, but
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they seem to think it's a gift. And they seem to shoot off with
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much ammo about how things are not like this or things like
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that, or things should not be this way.
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But the general crowd in Jesus, they made many observations that
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obviously, disturb them. And one of those observations
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was the, the day-to-day involvement that Jesus had in
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casual social activities, you found them at weddings.
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You found him at dinner parties and this obviously shook them.
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And it took them further because of the people, he sat and ate
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with his contacts, his Entourage, his willingness to be
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with people, with questionable reputations, but the very thing
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that we adore about our Lord was a scornful thing to them, and we
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even see Jesus, quoting the masses, at one point in a way to
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rebuke their critical spirit. And, you know, the scripture,
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but let me read it to you. In Matthew 11, 18, Jesus said
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for John came neither. They're eating or drinking and
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they say, he has a demon. The son of man came eating and
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drinking and they say, look at him, a glutton and a drunkard, a
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friend of tax collectors and sinners.
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Yet, wisdom is justified by her Deeds.
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So you had these Pharisees who didn't like John's aesthetic way
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of life, or at least use that to criticize him and then they
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looked at Jesus and didn't like his casual approach and
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approachability either. And Jesus says, you're just not
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happy with anything, are you? And it's amazing because people
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who reject, the truth will come up with so many excuses for the
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reason why they reject it, no matter how its presented, who
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it's presented by, no matter how much you put Grace into it.
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Or if you emphasize on fear, they will always stiff arm and
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pull back and say, well, this is the reason that I don't want to
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submit to Jesus Christ but I love my Lord in this tax because
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my Lord teaches me and teaches you that when it comes to
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serving him, one of the things that you have to adopt very
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early The refusal to be moved by the opinions of men, because
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there are some that no matter what you do, no matter what you
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do to cater, they will find a way to reject you and reject
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your ministry. So, how about do this and set
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yourself free live before God and God Alone.
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Live before his face. Yes, be free from legitimate
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criticisms but be like your master and be like the
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Forerunner John who are unmoved by the very things that sought
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to move them. And we see here that Jesus
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answers very clearly. Of why he does not adopt their
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idea of fasting back in mark. Why are they so agitated?
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Why are they so flustered by the fact that he's feasting more
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than he's fasting? Well, this is, this is a
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teaching moment so you can have to focus in a little bit and
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then as we go on, in this message is going to turn very
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quickly into a preaching segment in the Old Testament.
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It was not uncommon to see different instances of people,
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abstaining from food for a predetermined amount of time for
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the purpose of a spiritual go. Or god-centered motivation.
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And it was often the case that fasting was a mournful response
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to personal or national tragedy was one of the greatest
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expressions of grief and lamentation.
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But more than that, it was also a pre-emptive practice.
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So yet people who fasted because they wanted to demonstrate
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humility before God with the hope that judgment or his wrath
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would be replaced with mercy and Grace.
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And then there are other examples where fasting was a way
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of removing daily distractions so that you can put a greater
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focus on God in your pursuit of him.
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And so was often accompanied by serious and long-term prayer.
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But with all the examples of fasting that we see in our Old
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Testament, the Mosaic law only gives us one clear command.
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In the word of God by God, concerning fasting, only one out
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of all Books in the Old Testament, have all the laws.
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There is only one that is designed to encourage the people
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to fast. And that is on one specific day.
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The day of atonement and Leviticus chapter 16 when that
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great sacrifice would be made for the sins of Israel.
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Once a year that was the time. If you look at live it as living
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and 16 where the nation was to afflict themselves and now
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actually means to fast to abstain from food as a
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demonstration of Brokenness and penitence because of their sin.
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Once a year, every other example or demonstration of fasting in
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the Old Testament, It was voluntary. but when you come to
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the time of Jesus, Fasting became a different thing, it
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developed into something much more.
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And that is seen by Jesus, giving a hint to that and
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another teaching. And I want you to see it very
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quickly and Luke chapter 18 and Luke 18, you see what was the
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common practice of The Devout in Jesus day and this will bring us
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two more understanding of what's behind this question.
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Luke 18 verse 11. He's teaching about self
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righteousness and true justification and he gives an
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example about a Pharisee and a sinner praying in the temple.
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And he says, in verse 11, the Pharisee standing by himself
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prayed. Thus God, I thank you that I am
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not like other men, extortioners unjust adulterers or even like
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this tax collector verse 12, I fast twice a week.
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I give tithes of all that I get. so, the Pharisees For many many
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years who have added much tradition to the Jewish law.
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Came to a point where fasting was not reserved for a single
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day. Nor was it an emergency response
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to see God for deliverance, for some circumstance?
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That is urgent. It was a lifestyle.
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It was a lifestyle. It was something that he did,
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weekly multiple times a week. It was voluntary, but regularly
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done, Jesus has no problem with that necessarily.
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He had a problem with according to Matthew 6 was the motivation
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and the goal behind their fasting.
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You remember right to be seen by men.
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But what's amazing is when you take this truth and you partner
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with the question that they asked back in Mark chapter 2,
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what you have is a question that is actually an accusation.
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It's cloaked behind a question, but it's really a way of
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confronting Jesus, because fasting was not only a common
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practice among the supposed spiritual.
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And Jesus, day fasting actually became a standard to measure
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someone's piety. In other words, The credibility
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of Jesus's Ministry was under investigation because there was
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an apparent lack of this fasting lifestyle, which was a ritual
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created by the Pharisees in order to promote promote their
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own saintliness before others. And this is for our instruction
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is a knot. You and I may have personal
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convictions as we follow Jesus Christ.
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The New Testament is clear. Something might be on your
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conscience. That might not be on a Brothers
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conscious or sisters conscious and this is a nudge to us to be
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careful not to project our personal convictions on someone
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else to measure whether or not, they are truly spiritual.
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Because that happens all the time.
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We will make the same mistake as the, as these Pharisees Because
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unless something is black and white in the Bible, you and I
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must restrain ourselves to making judgments upon others.
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Because guess what, those people that you might be judging for
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things that are not even biblical, might even have a
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closer walk to Jesus than you. And so, be careful.
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Be careful. My brother, be careful.
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My sister. Somebody is not more spiritual
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including a pastor because they wear a suit behind the pulpit.
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Bad guys. Wear suits to, you know that
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right? And just because somebody
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doesn't hold to or read from or preach from your preferred or
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what you believe to be. The only Bible translation that
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God has reserved and protected and don't judge that person.
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We have every right to judge with righteous judgement but
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these Pharisees now are taking what they thought was the one of
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the signs of true spiritual maturity and Holiness.
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And now they're using that as a lens Upon Jesus and his, his
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disciples dangerous move. And we see here that Jesus
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responds, but before he responds to this, knowing why they're
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saying, what they're saying. Have you ever wondered why
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John's disciples are asking this?
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I mean we're talking about John. The Baptist says that John's
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disciples and the Pharisees are fasting.
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Luke tells us that John's disciples also asked and so they
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had a custom of fasting themselves And it could be that
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up to this point, they were mourning because their leader,
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John the Baptist was what in jail, he was imprisoned and so
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they are clearly broken. And they perhaps even seeking
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God for his Liberation or it could be that they like the
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Pharisees. But for different reasons, had a
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fasting lifestyle as those who are involved with John's
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Ministry. Because John's Ministry was of
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serious repentance. Of serious reform of turning
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away, radically from your sin and from your tradition.
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And so it makes sense for them to be continually fasting as a
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physical demonstration and symbol of repentance and being
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examples to a watching crowd. But it makes you wonder to like
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John's disciples then it some of them didn't get a.
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Do you realize, who you're speaking to do, you realize who
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you're criticizing? Do you realize who you're
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approaching? It's amazing.
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It's amazing. What we are capable of even
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though you might be sitting under, amazing preaching, John
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was one of the greatest preachers ever and still some of
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his disciples didn't fully get. It may God help us, may God help
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us. Let's go to Jesus response, and
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Jesus said to them. In verse 19 can the wedding
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guests fast while the bridegroom is with them.
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As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they
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cannot fast. Brilliant response,
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Unapologetic. You don't always have to
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apologize to people who criticize you.
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Especially, if it's a legitimate.
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What he's saying is I'm not against fasting, but you do
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realize Pharisees, you do, realize John's disciples, you do
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realize other inquires that there is an appropriate time to
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fast and there is an inappropriate time to fast.
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And this was very difficult for the Pharisees to disagree with.
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And the reason why I'm going to say Pharisees from this time on
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because Jesus is main problem was with the Pharisees.
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Very hard for him to free to find any rebuke concerning,
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John's disciples. Even the Pharisees would find it
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very difficult to disagree with Jesus because culturally it
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would be very strange if not extremely rude to be in a state
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of mourning and abstaining from food during a wedding.
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When that wedding was a time of Celebration and great joy, which
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included food and drink And so, Jesus almost immediately
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Wednesday argument, but he wants to continue.
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And I'm so glad to know that Jesus is definition of true
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spirituality is not being perpetually somber and stiff all
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the time. That's not true spirituality.
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But what the Lord is saying here is even more significant than
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then just the obvious day-to-day life and how you should conduct
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yourself socially. when he says, That the wedding guests cannot
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fast while the bridegroom is with them, he's saying that the
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wedding guests are his disciples, and that he is the
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bridegroom. And why this is so important is
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because he's saying something about himself that only a
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careful student of the Old Testament would understand.
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If you read from Genesis to Malachi, you will notice that
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there is no imagery. That is tied between the product
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predicted and prophesied savior and a bridegroom, you won't find
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it. The one who is going to be sent
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to bring Salvation to Israel. He yeah, he would be a prophet
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servant. Sure, King.
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So many places bridegroom, very hard to find a reference to the
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Messiah being a bridegroom. But you read from Genesis to
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Malachi and you look for a reference of God, being a
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husband and God being a bridegroom.
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Then you have something. Do you see where I'm going with
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this? Turn to Isaiah 54, verse 5.
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Here is one of the most explicit statements that God himself.
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Calls himself a husband. And the metaphor of God's
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relationship with Israel as a husband with a wife, is not just
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an idea. But look at one of the strongest
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statements that God himself makes an Isaiah 54 verse 5.
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For your maker capital M, is your husband.
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The Lord of hosts is his name. And the Holy One of Israel is
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your Redeemer, the god of the whole earth.
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He is called. This is so obvious.
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So clear, and so strong. Because when you go not just
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here, Jeremiah Ezekiel Hosea, this picture only continues.
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It's so obvious. It's difficult to divorce.
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The imagery between God as a bridegroom.
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And the nation of Israel, being his bride.
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And it's also difficult to believe that Jesus was not
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conveying. The same thing about himself
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when he refers to himself as a bridegroom.
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But it didn't click with the Pharisees.
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They didn't see it the same way that the disciples didn't
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understand what Jesus implied when he would be taken away from
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them as the bridegroom, they didn't register for them either.
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But this is what he is exactly communicating.
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I am the bridegroom of your people.
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I'm the husband spiritually, speaking of this nation, and if
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he's saying that, then he's also saying this.
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If your maker is your husband, then Jesus is also the Lord of
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hosts. He's also the Holy One of
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Israel. He's also their redeemer.
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He's also the god of the whole Earth.
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And so people said, well, we can't really use this to say
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that Jesus is fulfilling some Messianic prophecy.
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No, greater he is using this to claim deity.
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I am your husband. Well, the only husband we have
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according to the scriptures as God.
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Exactly. That's the point that he's
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trying to make and the lack of reaction just shows how they
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were lacking understanding of what Jesus was saying.
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But before we move on, I want you to see something else in
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Isaiah, go to 60 2 verse 5, Isaiah 62 verse 5.
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What do we read here? Says for as a Young Man, marries
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a young woman. So, shall your son's marry you?
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And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride.
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So shall your God Rejoice over you.
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Here's what's so amazing. When you compare that with what
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he says in mark, what he says in Mark, let me remind you is that
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the wedding guests cannot fast when the bridegroom is with them
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and Essence because the Messiah has arrived and his presence in
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the midst of them is a time of Celebration.
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They cannot be in a state of mourning.
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They also will be in a state of Joy at his arrival.
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He is bringing his kingdom. The one that we've been waiting
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for has finally arrived. And so the joy in March, Is on
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the side of the Disciples of the true followers of Jesus Christ.
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The ones who believe that he is the one who is Anointed by God
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and the Fulfillment of all that has been predicted.
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And so we should understand that as these disciples are
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rejoicing, that is good. But when you come to Isaiah, we
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read that. It's not a one-dimensional joy.
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Because in Isaiah 62, we read the bridegroom, Will Rejoice
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over them the same way, the bridegroom rejoices over his
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bride. So shall your God Rejoice over
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you. I understand what's being said
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here, when you and I get to heaven, we are not going to
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encounter a stoic statue, like, deity when you.
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And I arrived there with great excitement, and Glee and Bliss
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because we have been finally redeemed.
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We are going to meet someone who also is rejoicing at our arrival
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who also will be celebrating that we are now finally United
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with them who also will have excitement and an explosion of
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adoration for those that he has purchased with his blood.
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It's a shared Mutual happiness. It is not only coming from us
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because we're undeserved Sinners who received his grace.
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He also saw our God, also will look and see that when a sinner
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repents yes, they will rejoice in heaven but when we arrived,
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he also like a bridegroom on his wedding day will be filled and
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thrilled. She has finally arrived.
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It's kind of hard for many people to picture about God, God
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being excited. God being filled with, with Joy,
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about Sinners being saved. Absolutely.
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I hope that's how you see God. I hope that's how you perceive
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God, because the scripture paints him in such a way.
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Let me prove it to you in another way.
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Let me ask you this question and don't answer it out loud.
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What happens? According to the New Testament,
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by the words of Jesus. What happens in heaven, when one
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sinner repents, The common answer is this, the Angels
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Rejoice correct, all the Angels, then there's thousands and there
27:02
are millions erupt with praise with one sinner repents.
27:07
But is that what the Bible says? Is that what the Bible says?
27:11
We have to read our Bibles very carefully.
27:13
Go to Luke chapter, 15, and verse 10.
27:19
The parable of the lost coin when the woman loses a coin and
27:22
finds it. Jesus concludes by telling us
27:28
what happens when a Lost Sinner is found.
27:32
And I believe the ESV communicates, it clearer than
27:35
any other translation though. The other translations I believe
27:37
are implying the same thing, Luke 15:10.
27:41
Just so I tell you there is Joy where before the angels of God
27:49
over one sinner who repents? There is Joy before that who
27:56
stands before the angels. Who did the angel stand before?
28:01
God, the essence of heaven. So the joy actually communicated
28:07
here is coming from the one who is before the Angels, namely God
28:11
himself and the angels are witnessing this joy that God.
28:15
The Holy One is actually thrilled to see when one Sinner
28:20
repents and then they share in that joy.
28:23
And if you if that conflicted with your Sunday school
28:26
understanding of this, just just peel back and go to Luke 15
28:29
early on, with the 99 and The Shepherd of the lost one, and
28:33
you'll see that the shepherd rejoices when he finds that
28:35
sheep, it's God himself who rejoices he is the one who is
28:40
actually And thronged with our salvation and he will be when we
28:46
see him face to face. So let's go back to verse 20 of
28:50
Mark. For he continues by saying the
28:53
days in verse 20 will come when the bridegroom is taken away
28:56
from them. And then, they will fasten that
28:59
day. He's not opposed to it.
29:00
He just saying the timing is not now.
29:04
The timing is not now but there is coming a time and this is
29:08
very unnatural where the bridegroom.
29:10
Imagine the bridegroom at a wedding is forcefully taken away
29:14
from the wedding. So there's something strange
29:17
there and this is a clear reference to his crucifixion to
29:21
his arrest and to his death when that happens and the physical
29:26
presence of Jesus is removed from my disciples, then out of
29:30
Sorrow naturally, they will not be able to eat and they will
29:34
Born, because of the absence of their Master.
29:37
That's when they're going too fast, you got it wrong.
29:40
It's coming. But it's not coming.
29:41
Now, now, I see something there because this is not a rule, but
29:46
it's a principle. And this is not going to be a
29:48
teaching about how Christians should fast when they should
29:51
fast for what purpose they should fast.
29:52
But if I see a purpose of fasting in the Christians life,
29:55
it's tucked in this verse not a rule, a preset, a principal and
30:00
this is it the same way that the disciples because Of their
30:04
sadness of the presence of Jesus being removed from the presents
30:10
that they loved and enjoyed and cherished Believers in the New
30:14
Covenant. I can also as an expression of
30:18
worship fast refrain from food in order to communicate a
30:24
longing for the presence of Jesus Christ.
30:29
A yearning in an aching. With the bride who says come
30:34
Lord. Jesus.
30:36
But even in this life to say, oh Lord, I'm going to choose to
30:40
step away from the distractions that come with daily preparation
30:45
of my lunch, for example, and the time that I would use to eat
30:49
that lunch to instead come before you and say, I hunger the
30:53
same way. I'm hungry, physically, I hunger
30:55
for your fellowship. I long to know you.
30:59
Would you make yourself known? Would you come near with my eyes
31:03
be open? Lord, please, I need You I need
31:08
you and I believe that is a legitimate reason to fast as
31:13
New. Covenant Believers as an act of
31:15
devotion as an act of worship as a way of saying, just because
31:19
there's already so many things, pulling away my time and pulling
31:23
me away from Jesus. I'm going to separate greater
31:26
time to do what the disciples that in essence to express my
31:31
longing for him. And my desire for him to be
31:34
closer. and up to this point, Jesus is just revealing how out
31:41
of touch the Pharisees are Because that's what tradition
31:45
does. That's what legalism does.
31:47
When you're supposed to be celebrating, your actually
31:49
feasting when you're supposed to be agreeing, you're actually
31:52
complaining when you're actually supposed to be agreeing your
31:54
opposing like you're literally living in opposite ends of the
31:57
spectrum. They didn't get it.
32:01
The Messiah is here. The bridegroom is here.
32:03
God has arrived in your midst. He took on flesh to rescue you
32:06
and you can't see it. You can't understand what's
32:09
Happening Here. It's amazing how much you can
32:13
clothe yourself with religiosity.
32:16
It's amazing how much you can actually impress people with
32:18
your spirituality supposed spirituality and not even
32:21
understand, basic Christian truth.
32:25
Just like these Pharisees. I Think Jesus could have ended
32:31
here. But Jesus is much more wise than
32:35
I am. He could have stopped it right
32:38
here but instead he takes advantage of the moment to tune
32:40
out each a larger truth. Here's we're going into
32:43
preaching mode. He's going to teach a much more
32:48
important truth that applies to the broad realm of religion, and
32:54
he's going to do this by taking twin Parables that are
32:57
essentially saying the same thing and is going to drive the
32:59
Central Point home. You've heard it before.
33:03
No one verse 21 shows a piece of unshrunk cloth.
33:08
On an old garment and then in verse 22 and no one puts new
33:11
wine into Old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst
33:14
the Skins. What is Jesus trying to say?
33:17
He's taking daily practical things, and he is proposing
33:20
something instrumental and profound in the same way that
33:25
you can't take an old piece or a new piece of cloth and try to
33:29
show a hole in an old garment without damage happening.
33:34
And the same way you can't take new wine and put it in a
33:37
container of animal skins. And think that as it ferments
33:41
that it's going to be able to hold instead.
33:42
It will burst, my message is in direct conflict with your
33:49
man-made faulty salvation by works based system.
33:55
It doesn't work. Incompatible.
34:00
What he's trying to say is I I came here not to try to patch up
34:05
something that's already established.
34:08
I came here not to be added to something that you believe to be
34:12
true. My salvation that is offered by
34:17
Grace's is not reconcilable with your understanding of how one,
34:23
attains righteousness Jesus and man-made religion cannot mix.
34:31
They cannot work together. They cannot function when the
34:35
Lord came. He came to reform, he came to
34:38
bring about a new covenant, something that no other thing
34:41
can work with something that no other thing.
34:43
Can contain something that is altogether new and therefore
34:48
requires a total surrender to it, a total submission to it.
34:55
And this is exactly what he's getting to this idea of fasting
34:59
as a way of measuring. Someone's spirituality is just
35:02
one symptom of a greater problem.
35:05
And what Jesus Is Telling these Pharisees early on is this isn't
35:08
going to work if this is how you think.
35:11
We're not going to go anywhere because what I'm presenting to
35:14
you. Overcomes all that you believe
35:18
to be true. You can't attach him.
35:22
You can add him. And if every other religion out
35:27
there wants to try to coexist with their Doctrine, let the
35:29
words of Jesus be clear. My message is exclusive.
35:34
It stands alone. You can't be in partnership with
35:39
anything else do men. May try though.
35:41
Maybe that they may have bumper stickers coexist, though.
35:45
They're trying to figure out ways to bring all these
35:48
different schools of thought and spiritual thoughts together.
35:51
Jesus is clear. It doesn't work.
35:54
Doesn't work with mine. The ceremonial self-righteous
35:58
rituals of the Pharisees could not contain what Jesus is
36:02
bringing to them. And I want to tell you today,
36:06
that if you're a person that comes from a traditional
36:09
background, Tradition isn't wrong.
36:13
But if that tradition trumps the word of God, it's very wrong and
36:16
this message is for you. because over the years, it's been
36:21
amazing to see and witness people who wear crosses who go
36:27
to church buildings but are so seeped and ingrained in
36:31
Tradition. And Jesus gave the same
36:36
teaching, the same parables in a different gospel but he adds one
36:40
thing in Luke, that is so insightful.
36:43
And if you're a person in here that struggles with Tradition
36:50
and rituals and ceremonies. And you can't come to terms with
36:55
what Jesus preaches and teaches. Because it conflicts with that.
36:58
Listen to what Jesus says. I want you to see it for
37:01
yourself and Luke chapter 5 verse 39.
37:14
He adds one phrase. And when I saw this, I thought
37:18
that's it like that's it that that makes so much sense.
37:22
I get it the conversations with people from different branches
37:26
of traditional Christianity. For example or anybody who comes
37:31
from a Works base kind of religion.
37:33
I get what Jesus is saying that it makes total sense.
37:37
Look at verse 38 just for the context but new wine must be put
37:41
into fresh wine skins and no one after drinking old wine design.
37:47
Is new for he says, the old is good.
37:54
That's profound. Many are no different today.
38:01
They're so ingrained, In their empty, Hollow religion.
38:10
There are so fascinated and familiar with what has been
38:13
passed down from their cultural generations.
38:18
And past father's, bringing down teachings, from fathers down to
38:21
Father's down to the present time.
38:23
And because of that fascination of the historicity of whatever
38:27
practice you're involved with and the familiarity because it's
38:31
so close to your ethnicity and your upbringing.
38:37
It's just so hard to let it go. It tastes good.
38:43
You enjoy it. You're comfortable with it.
38:48
And so here's the Gospel of Jesus Christ that comes in it,
38:52
crashes into your world. And it brings a message of
38:57
freedom. It calls you to embrace Grace
39:02
and not Grace with works and it calls you to obedience to what
39:07
he says needs to happen in his church.
39:09
And what he says needs to happen at baptism and what he says
39:12
communion is and he says what it means to be truly spiritual and
39:16
what life is, and what and then now you're saying, but but the
39:19
old wine tastes so good. I don't want to let it go.
39:24
Then drink it. Drink it.
39:30
And be intoxicated with it. Nobody's forcing you. but what
39:36
Jesus is saying is you can't have both You can't have both
39:42
it's one or the other. You can't have this old wine
39:46
skin. Literally cannot hold what?
39:48
I am giving in the new wine of the New Covenant, the joy and
39:52
me, the freedom of me, the salvation by grace by faith
39:55
alone in me, you can't have both.
39:57
So choose Choose and many unfortunately Jesus predicted
40:02
the attitude and the convictions of the Pharisees moving forward,
40:05
they will stick with the old. I'm going to stick with it.
40:10
And so if you ever wondered, why is it my relative?
40:12
Why isn't my friend? They can't seem to shake it off.
40:15
It's because they enjoy it. It's just simple as that.
40:18
There's nothing profound about. They just really enjoy.
40:20
They, they love it. And when something new comes
40:23
along, namely in Jesus Christ, no matter what it offers, they
40:27
will stick with what they want. Even if it offers salvation It's
40:32
a sad reality. But Jesus is very honest with
40:34
his commentary because the reality is Works based religion.
40:40
It's very satisfying to the flesh.
40:44
It feels good. It's my effort in there.
40:48
It's my participation that gains God's favor.
40:53
It's the external that that I want.
40:58
And this wine is not for you. I'm sorry.
40:59
It's not for you. Jesus extends it to you, but you
41:02
can't have both, you can't have both.
41:05
I was meditating on this last night and no one after drinking
41:09
old wine, desires, new for he says, the old is good.
41:11
And I realized you this is incredible that the principle of
41:15
Jesus being the new that can attach to the old being the new
41:20
that cannot be contained in the old does not just apply to
41:24
religion. The principle goes beyond that.
41:28
Listen, very carefully. I say this in love and I'm going
41:31
to say it's seriously because I realized what kind of
41:36
Temptations and distractions can happen in a setting like this.
41:39
So you will see me smile. At the end of the service, I
41:42
will shake your hand and can be, are you the same guy that was up
41:45
there? I am the same guy.
41:49
This applies. Not just to the rigid old
41:55
weathered wineskins, that cannot hold the freedom in the grace of
42:00
Jesus Christ. It applies to life all together.
42:07
What I mean by that? The same way, Jesus cannot be
42:11
attached, cannot be contained in a religious system that
42:15
contradicts the foundational truths of his gospel.
42:20
Christianity will never work for you if you just add Jesus to
42:26
your life. I read this and I thought this
42:31
makes sense. I get it at least to a degree.
42:35
I understand it, I can see it. Now, why there's so many
42:39
professing Believers that are so Bound in sin?
42:45
Why they do not have the joy of the Holy Spirit living in them?
42:50
Why is it that they're so caught up in the world and the
42:54
entertainment of this world and the riches of this world Old and
42:59
the values of this world and the deceptive narratives of this
43:03
world, I get it in part. Why?
43:05
It is and it all goes back to a moment where you added Jesus to
43:11
your life. That doesn't work.
43:16
No wonder it's not working for you because you did it wrong to
43:20
begin with. You try to add Jesus.
43:24
You try to include Jesus. You invited Jesus into a
43:28
compartment of your life. No wonder.
43:30
It doesn't work. No wonder you're not going
43:33
anywhere. No wonder you're the same person
43:36
that you were before. You said some supposed prayer
43:38
because you were pressured to say a prayer of Salvation.
43:41
When there is new true repentance I was taking And that
43:44
prayer. No wonder it makes sense.
43:47
Doesn't it? The masses have done exactly
43:50
what Jesus said would never work.
43:52
You added Jesus. You didn't surrender to him.
43:58
So so take the wine skin as a picture of your life.
44:03
Your old life cannot hold the truth and the person of Jesus,
44:09
you have to get a why new wineskin altogether.
44:13
And that's what he does. He removes the Heart of Stone
44:16
from your flesh and replaces it with a heart of Flesh.
44:20
He brings to life, the spirit that was debt in you because of
44:23
sin. And now, it comes up into an
44:25
awakened state, where it can relate to God and know, God, and
44:28
enjoy God and surrender to God. But that, that stuff, that's
44:32
Supernatural transaction. That happens.
44:34
Outside does not work. If you just add him, did you
44:38
just add them? Did you just add them?
44:43
You know, you know, For 19 years of my life.
44:48
Jesus was a patch on the Garment of my existence And if that's
44:52
the same for you, then you will never know all the blessings
44:56
that Christ purchase for you. You will never know it.
45:01
So, the honest question, you have to ask yourself today, even
45:03
though it's been years where you've worn this garment where
45:06
Jesus is just a piece of it. Did I did I, did I say, Lord,
45:13
take it all away from me and just do what you need to do in
45:16
me or did I say? Lord, you can you can you hear?
45:20
Yeah, I guess I can fit you in my Sunday mornings.
45:24
You can come in my Sunday mornings.
45:28
It won't work. And you'll stay stuck in that
45:32
place of defeat. And you'll never know the joy of
45:37
the holy spirit will never know Victory power strength.
45:39
You'll never know his Supernatural presence.
45:41
You'll never know his leading. You'll never know his, you'll
45:44
never know it because you just added him.
45:49
And didn't give yourself over to him, completely.
45:53
And do you know why? Some people don't surrender the
45:55
same way? The Pharisees would not give up
45:57
their religious Traditions. You think that your life would
46:01
just Jesus added to? It is good.
46:04
It tastes good. I like it like this, you telling
46:08
me that I can have this, And this.
46:15
Now, if you have this, you can't have this.
46:21
And whatever you think is Jesus in your life is a facade.
46:27
It's fake. It's powerless, it's Hollow, it
46:33
doesn't change anything in you and it's because you just added
46:38
him. And what Jesus is saying to
46:39
these Pharisees, he's saying to you.
46:41
You can't add me. You can't.
46:44
So me into your life, you can't attach me.
46:47
You have to die. And let me take over.
46:54
You have to come to. Surrender and saying, Lord, all
46:58
that I am is yours. 100% of my existence is now submitted to
47:07
your lordship that's when you will know the new wine flowing
47:10
into your heart. And he's waiting for you, you
47:15
know what's amazing? He says and no one after
47:17
drinking old wine desires, new for he says the oldest good fine
47:20
if it's good then keep it enjoy it.
47:23
Like what he says in Ecclesiastes young men, I'm
47:25
paraphrasing at the end of chapter 11.
47:27
If you want to live and do whatever your heart desires,
47:29
then do it, but take this into account, you will be judged for
47:31
it. So go do it.
47:33
Jesus didn't say, I'm going to grab you by the throat.
47:35
Open your mouth and shove the new wine in you if you want a
47:37
drink it, But know this you can't have that old wine in the
47:41
new wine in me. And so with all this being said,
47:45
this is what Jesus is really wanted to drive his point.
47:48
It really answers all these issues with the traditionalist
47:52
that confront Jesus. It's just, and he's trying to
47:55
tell them ahead of time because they're going to come with many
47:57
more questions in the future. But he just wanted to nip it at
48:01
the bud. You cannot reconcile your way of
48:04
thinking and my way of doing this, And so, here's my call,
48:10
many calls, but here's my simple call may we all be convinced
48:14
today that Jesus was not added to our lives, but that he's the
48:18
Lord of it. Lord, we ask that that would be
48:20
true in this place. And if there's even one person
48:27
in here, who is not convinced, Who is not convinced.
48:33
That you of reformed them completely.
48:35
You have transformed them from head to toe that their hearts
48:38
are completely given over to you.
48:42
Then may today be the day. Where they confess and admit, I
48:47
don't want him to just be part. I want him to be the hole.
48:54
And so Lord, we thank you. That your message and your truth
48:58
is exclusive. We thank you that it stands
49:02
alone. Nothing can compare to the
49:04
gospel. Nothing can come close to you
49:07
what you have done and what you offer Islam cannot offer.
49:13
Catholicism cannot offer. Mormonism cannot offer.
49:17
Jehovah Witnesses cannot offer. Thank you.
49:21
That salvation is a gift and that we are free and stand
49:25
righteous because of the blood of the Lamb that was shed for
49:28
us. And we just ask Lord that in
49:32
this place. People would not be able to say,
49:34
you know, I'm good. But that there would be the
49:39
spirit inspired craving for the new wine, which is found in
49:44
Jesus. That's our prayer, in our cry,
49:46
and your name, we pray. Amen.