1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:01,980 Well we’re continuing our series entitled 2 00:00:02,180 –> 00:00:04,940 The Conveniently Neglected Teachers of Jesus 3 00:00:05,140 –> 00:00:07,320 in which we’re discovering what it really means 4 00:00:07,640 –> 00:00:10,740 to live an authentic Christian life. 5 00:00:11,420 –> 00:00:13,020 And I hope you’ll have your Bibles open 6 00:00:13,220 –> 00:00:15,180 at the passage that has just been read for us 7 00:00:15,380 –> 00:00:18,139 that tells us the story about this occasion 8 00:00:18,340 –> 00:00:20,860 when Jesus attended a dinner party 9 00:00:21,059 –> 00:00:24,040 at the house of a Pharisee. 10 00:00:24,520 –> 00:00:26,020 Now, remember that the Pharisees were 11 00:00:26,219 –> 00:00:28,280 among the most respected people in the land 12 00:00:28,480 –> 00:00:29,520 at the time of Jesus. 13 00:00:29,780 –> 00:00:31,100 And you’ll notice from verse 1 14 00:00:31,299 –> 00:00:33,959 that the host on this particular occasion 15 00:00:34,360 –> 00:00:37,939 is described as a prominent Pharisee. 16 00:00:38,840 –> 00:00:42,000 And so this was a pretty lavish dinner party 17 00:00:42,200 –> 00:00:44,279 if you can begin to picture that in your mind. 18 00:00:44,480 –> 00:00:46,919 And Jesus accepted 19 00:00:47,599 –> 00:00:48,560 the invitation. 20 00:00:49,759 –> 00:00:51,660 Now, I want you to notice just in passing here 21 00:00:51,860 –> 00:00:53,720 though it is significant that Jesus 22 00:00:54,119 –> 00:00:56,660 was as much at home among the rich 23 00:00:57,220 –> 00:00:59,160 as he was at home among the poor. 24 00:01:00,639 –> 00:01:02,320 It’s important for us to remember in reading the Gospels 25 00:01:02,939 –> 00:01:05,279 that Jesus was able to make himself 26 00:01:05,480 –> 00:01:07,379 completely at home in 27 00:01:07,580 –> 00:01:09,820 any social circle. 28 00:01:10,580 –> 00:01:12,300 I say that because there are folks who in writing 29 00:01:12,779 –> 00:01:14,860 today suggest that Jesus somehow 30 00:01:15,059 –> 00:01:17,360 had a bias towards 31 00:01:17,559 –> 00:01:19,320 the poor that he was on the side 32 00:01:19,720 –> 00:01:21,620 of the poor in such a way 33 00:01:21,879 –> 00:01:24,599 that he therefore was somehow intrinsically 34 00:01:24,599 –> 00:01:26,760 against anyone who was rich 35 00:01:26,959 –> 00:01:27,779 or successful. 36 00:01:27,980 –> 00:01:30,040 That is simply not the case 37 00:01:30,320 –> 00:01:31,699 in the New Testament. 38 00:01:32,160 –> 00:01:34,440 Jesus made himself as much 39 00:01:34,639 –> 00:01:36,879 at home in the company of the rich 40 00:01:37,220 –> 00:01:39,879 as he did in the company of the poor. 41 00:01:40,440 –> 00:01:41,480 The rich and the poor, 42 00:01:41,680 –> 00:01:43,639 the distinguished and the destitute 43 00:01:43,839 –> 00:01:46,320 stand in exactly the same 44 00:01:46,519 –> 00:01:48,480 spiritual need before 45 00:01:48,680 –> 00:01:49,160 God. 46 00:01:49,400 –> 00:01:51,279 And it’s important for us to remember this, 47 00:01:51,480 –> 00:01:53,820 being poor in and of itself 48 00:01:54,000 –> 00:01:56,080 does not move a man or a woman one 49 00:01:56,279 –> 00:01:57,580 inch closer to God. 50 00:01:58,500 –> 00:02:00,339 And being rich in and of itself 51 00:02:00,540 –> 00:02:01,739 does not move a man 52 00:02:01,940 –> 00:02:04,040 or a woman one inch further away. 53 00:02:04,239 –> 00:02:06,500 There are some strange assumptions 54 00:02:06,959 –> 00:02:08,960 that evangelicals are sometimes 55 00:02:09,160 –> 00:02:11,360 embracing in this regard 56 00:02:11,559 –> 00:02:12,720 in these days. 57 00:02:13,479 –> 00:02:15,679 Now, the fact that Jesus accepted 58 00:02:15,880 –> 00:02:17,619 a personal invitation 59 00:02:18,240 –> 00:02:20,419 to this party tells us a great 60 00:02:20,619 –> 00:02:21,479 deal about it. 61 00:02:22,320 –> 00:02:26,240 After all, Jesus ministered to large crowds. 62 00:02:26,600 –> 00:02:30,320 He had a huge public ministry. 63 00:02:30,520 –> 00:02:33,839 He spoke to crowds of 5,000 people 64 00:02:34,360 –> 00:02:35,440 at one time. 65 00:02:36,839 –> 00:02:38,600 And with such a large congregation 66 00:02:38,800 –> 00:02:40,320 it would have been very understandable 67 00:02:40,520 –> 00:02:42,600 if Jesus had said to this man 68 00:02:42,800 –> 00:02:44,160 and to many others who invited him 69 00:02:44,360 –> 00:02:46,240 Now look, the situation is very 70 00:02:46,440 –> 00:02:48,559 clear. I have a very large public ministry 71 00:02:48,759 –> 00:02:50,080 and that should be obvious to you. 72 00:02:50,399 –> 00:02:51,279 And although I would love 73 00:02:51,479 –> 00:02:52,440 to accept invitations, 74 00:02:52,639 –> 00:02:54,559 I am unable to accept personal 75 00:02:54,759 –> 00:02:57,279 invitations into people’s homes. 76 00:02:57,960 –> 00:02:59,000 Jesus didn’t say that. 77 00:03:00,160 –> 00:03:01,800 And the fact that we find Jesus 78 00:03:01,919 –> 00:03:03,479 visiting folks in their 79 00:03:03,679 –> 00:03:05,759 homes tells us 80 00:03:05,960 –> 00:03:07,520 a very great deal about him. 81 00:03:07,860 –> 00:03:09,119 Just thinking through the Gospels, 82 00:03:09,320 –> 00:03:10,320 there are many examples. 83 00:03:10,520 –> 00:03:12,679 He was in the home of his friends, 84 00:03:13,119 –> 00:03:15,800 Mary, Martha and Lazarus. 85 00:03:16,639 –> 00:03:18,039 Remember though, he went to visit 86 00:03:18,199 –> 00:03:20,679 the home of a person in great need, 87 00:03:21,479 –> 00:03:22,279 Jarus. 88 00:03:22,759 –> 00:03:24,759 A man who had encountered great tragedy, 89 00:03:24,960 –> 00:03:26,460 there was great sadness in his home 90 00:03:26,679 –> 00:03:28,839 because a little girl had just 91 00:03:29,039 –> 00:03:30,600 died. Jesus went to the home. 92 00:03:30,800 –> 00:03:31,559 He got under the roof. 93 00:03:32,600 –> 00:03:34,639 Zacchaeus, you remember the man 94 00:03:34,839 –> 00:03:36,679 who had climbed the tree because he was so 95 00:03:36,880 –> 00:03:38,039 anxious to see Jesus. 96 00:03:38,240 –> 00:03:40,000 There’s a spiritual hunger in his heart, 97 00:03:40,039 –> 00:03:41,000 and what did Jesus do? 98 00:03:41,199 –> 00:03:42,320 He went to his home. 99 00:03:43,199 –> 00:03:45,100 I must come to your house 100 00:03:45,300 –> 00:03:46,639 today, Jesus says. 101 00:03:47,399 –> 00:03:49,300 And here we find in another situation 102 00:03:49,500 –> 00:03:50,259 a very rich 103 00:03:50,460 –> 00:03:51,720 and prominent Pharisee. 104 00:03:51,919 –> 00:03:53,100 He invites Jesus 105 00:03:53,699 –> 00:03:55,380 and Jesus goes to his home. 106 00:03:56,160 –> 00:03:58,139 Now notice what happened in the dynamic 107 00:03:58,380 –> 00:03:59,360 of this occasion. 108 00:03:59,619 –> 00:04:01,339 It says there, if you have your Bibles open, 109 00:04:01,539 –> 00:04:02,699 that Jesus was being 110 00:04:03,000 –> 00:04:03,979 carefully 111 00:04:04,619 –> 00:04:05,500 watched. 112 00:04:05,820 –> 00:04:07,339 He was being carefully 113 00:04:07,860 –> 00:04:08,699 watched. 114 00:04:09,059 –> 00:04:10,979 Now we don’t know if that means 115 00:04:11,179 –> 00:04:12,800 that the Pharisee who invited him 116 00:04:13,000 –> 00:04:14,300 had ulterior motives 117 00:04:14,500 –> 00:04:15,740 and was trying to catch him out. 118 00:04:16,260 –> 00:04:17,820 Or if it meant that the Pharisee 119 00:04:18,019 –> 00:04:19,579 who invited him was sincere 120 00:04:19,859 –> 00:04:21,420 and that others who attended 121 00:04:21,739 –> 00:04:23,339 were looking to trip him 122 00:04:23,540 –> 00:04:24,000 up. 123 00:04:24,359 –> 00:04:26,559 I’m going to assume that the invitation was a sincere 124 00:04:26,760 –> 00:04:27,820 one, that this Pharisee, 125 00:04:28,260 –> 00:04:29,359 rather like Nicodemus, 126 00:04:29,559 –> 00:04:30,899 was drawn to Jesus 127 00:04:31,119 –> 00:04:32,839 and that he wanted to know more. 128 00:04:34,540 –> 00:04:36,140 If that’s the case, it is a reminder to us 129 00:04:36,339 –> 00:04:38,619 that of course there is a spiritual hunger 130 00:04:38,820 –> 00:04:39,859 in every person. 131 00:04:41,160 –> 00:04:43,579 Being religious will never satisfy 132 00:04:44,200 –> 00:04:46,459 the deepest spiritual hunger of your heart. 133 00:04:47,980 –> 00:04:50,480 Here’s a Pharisee who is as disciplined 134 00:04:50,679 –> 00:04:52,619 and as moral a man 135 00:04:52,820 –> 00:04:53,899 as you could hope to find. 136 00:04:55,339 –> 00:04:56,339 Prayers. 137 00:04:57,579 –> 00:04:58,320 Tithing. 138 00:04:59,619 –> 00:05:01,220 Worship on the Sabbath. 139 00:05:03,260 –> 00:05:05,059 This man is rigorous 140 00:05:05,260 –> 00:05:06,859 in his self-discipline to 141 00:05:07,059 –> 00:05:08,220 God and to country. 142 00:05:10,220 –> 00:05:12,299 And yet there is a deep 143 00:05:12,299 –> 00:05:14,359 spiritual hunger in his 144 00:05:14,559 –> 00:05:15,119 heart. 145 00:05:16,600 –> 00:05:18,519 And I think that it is the case that the most 146 00:05:18,720 –> 00:05:19,600 disciplined 147 00:05:19,799 –> 00:05:20,799 and the most moral 148 00:05:21,000 –> 00:05:22,799 and the most upright among 149 00:05:23,000 –> 00:05:24,880 us sometimes have within 150 00:05:25,079 –> 00:05:26,899 our hearts something that says 151 00:05:27,100 –> 00:05:28,820 there must be more to 152 00:05:29,019 –> 00:05:31,380 knowing God than this. 153 00:05:33,579 –> 00:05:34,940 So here are a group of people 154 00:05:35,839 –> 00:05:37,700 who are watching Jesus. 155 00:05:39,200 –> 00:05:40,339 And if you’re a Christian 156 00:05:40,540 –> 00:05:42,200 and you bear the name of the Lord Jesus 157 00:05:42,399 –> 00:05:44,040 Christ you will be watched by 158 00:05:44,239 –> 00:05:45,940 other people in the same way as 159 00:05:46,140 –> 00:05:46,880 he was watched. 160 00:05:47,980 –> 00:05:50,140 And when folks watch us as Christian 161 00:05:50,339 –> 00:05:51,880 believers they’re usually looking for two 162 00:05:52,079 –> 00:05:52,559 things. 163 00:05:53,559 –> 00:05:55,440 The first is very simply do you 164 00:05:55,640 –> 00:05:56,760 have something 165 00:05:57,399 –> 00:05:58,200 that we don’t. 166 00:05:59,119 –> 00:06:00,959 That’s why the crisis of 167 00:06:01,160 –> 00:06:03,040 our lives are are most 168 00:06:03,239 –> 00:06:04,959 important opportunities. 169 00:06:06,119 –> 00:06:07,760 I heard a story years ago that came 170 00:06:07,959 –> 00:06:08,679 back to my memory. 171 00:06:09,160 –> 00:06:11,000 I do not know the source of it 172 00:06:11,700 –> 00:06:13,540 but it was the story of a 173 00:06:13,739 –> 00:06:15,619 missionary family who went 174 00:06:15,820 –> 00:06:17,720 to an unreached people group 175 00:06:18,859 –> 00:06:20,799 and they began their work of evangelism 176 00:06:21,540 –> 00:06:22,779 and they taught the Bible 177 00:06:23,320 –> 00:06:24,640 and they built relationships 178 00:06:24,839 –> 00:06:25,399 with the people 179 00:06:25,600 –> 00:06:27,700 and year after year after year 180 00:06:28,679 –> 00:06:30,799 nothing happened not one person 181 00:06:31,000 –> 00:06:31,500 converted. 182 00:06:33,119 –> 00:06:34,940 Then at one point in their ministry 183 00:06:35,140 –> 00:06:37,160 their son took ill 184 00:06:37,500 –> 00:06:38,299 seriously 185 00:06:39,100 –> 00:06:41,059 and they began to fear for his life 186 00:06:41,260 –> 00:06:42,640 prayed desperately for him 187 00:06:42,839 –> 00:06:44,660 prayed first for the sake of the boy 188 00:06:44,859 –> 00:06:46,600 second for the sake of themselves 189 00:06:46,799 –> 00:06:48,899 third for the sake of the tribal 190 00:06:49,100 –> 00:06:50,320 people they were ministering to. 191 00:06:50,519 –> 00:06:52,579 Oh God if you will heal him 192 00:06:53,119 –> 00:06:54,440 everyone sees how sick he is 193 00:06:54,640 –> 00:06:56,279 if you will heal him 194 00:06:56,480 –> 00:06:58,820 this Will demonstrate your power 195 00:06:59,019 –> 00:07:00,559 and they will come to Christ 196 00:07:00,959 –> 00:07:02,519 Lord for your own sake 197 00:07:02,720 –> 00:07:03,779 for the advance of your Kingdom 198 00:07:03,980 –> 00:07:04,920 Heal this boy 199 00:07:05,359 –> 00:07:09,059 the boy’s sickness got worse and he died 200 00:07:11,660 –> 00:07:14,959 parents buried the boy in the village 201 00:07:15,500 –> 00:07:17,420 a short time later they were thinking 202 00:07:17,619 –> 00:07:19,200 very very seriously about 203 00:07:19,399 –> 00:07:21,040 packing up and going home 204 00:07:21,239 –> 00:07:23,579 because after all, who is ever going to come 205 00:07:23,779 –> 00:07:25,600 to faith in a living God 206 00:07:25,799 –> 00:07:27,820 who allows a little boy to die 207 00:07:30,019 –> 00:07:31,660 and it was around that time 208 00:07:31,859 –> 00:07:34,739 that the tribal chief came to their home 209 00:07:35,540 –> 00:07:37,739 and he said I want to tell you that 210 00:07:37,940 –> 00:07:39,239 the whole village 211 00:07:39,440 –> 00:07:42,359 wishes to become a worshipper of Jesus 212 00:07:44,420 –> 00:07:47,179 and the missionaries were absolutely astonished 213 00:07:48,959 –> 00:07:50,779 why? not one person 214 00:07:50,980 –> 00:07:53,299 in all these years has come to faith in Christ 215 00:07:54,380 –> 00:07:56,079 you tell us the whole village 216 00:07:57,279 –> 00:07:58,779 wants to come to faith 217 00:08:01,059 –> 00:08:02,720 many in our village 218 00:08:02,920 –> 00:08:04,140 have lost a child 219 00:08:05,440 –> 00:08:07,480 he said and we have been watching you 220 00:08:09,380 –> 00:08:10,820 and you have something 221 00:08:12,799 –> 00:08:14,420 that we desperately need 222 00:08:16,179 –> 00:08:17,079 see 223 00:08:17,279 –> 00:08:21,279 the crisis of our lives as people watch us 224 00:08:22,359 –> 00:08:25,260 turn out so often to be the most crucial 225 00:08:25,459 –> 00:08:28,000 moments in our life and in our ministry 226 00:08:28,200 –> 00:08:30,179 how we handle disappointment 227 00:08:30,380 –> 00:08:31,399 frustration 228 00:08:31,600 –> 00:08:32,880 rebellious children 229 00:08:33,080 –> 00:08:34,200 financial loss 230 00:08:34,479 –> 00:08:35,159 sudden illness 231 00:08:35,359 –> 00:08:40,039 these are the things that will show if we have something different 232 00:08:41,179 –> 00:08:42,000 from the world 233 00:08:43,140 –> 00:08:46,479 and then of course the other question that those who watch are always asking 234 00:08:46,679 –> 00:08:48,539 do you practice what you preach 235 00:08:49,599 –> 00:08:53,559 the unbeliever is always looking for some justification 236 00:08:53,760 –> 00:08:56,080 for his or her choice not to believe 237 00:08:56,780 –> 00:08:58,280 that is why of course every time 238 00:08:58,479 –> 00:09:02,460 there is a scandal involving a pastor or minister or priest 239 00:09:02,780 –> 00:09:04,520 it is widely publicized 240 00:09:04,719 –> 00:09:05,280 because 241 00:09:05,500 –> 00:09:06,919 it is good news 242 00:09:07,080 –> 00:09:08,380 for those who do not believe 243 00:09:09,239 –> 00:09:13,039 it vindicates the choice of unbelief to their minds 244 00:09:14,760 –> 00:09:16,539 and so if you bear the name of Jesus 245 00:09:18,119 –> 00:09:18,880 you will be watched 246 00:09:20,619 –> 00:09:26,919 you’d be watched at home you will be watched at school you will be watched by your friends, by your colleagues, by your employees 247 00:09:27,200 –> 00:09:28,260 by your neighbors 248 00:09:28,659 –> 00:09:30,159 you’d be watched by your children 249 00:09:31,000 –> 00:09:33,219 and we are watched by God 250 00:09:34,460 –> 00:09:38,080 thou oh Lord seest me 251 00:09:39,940 –> 00:09:43,219 now I want to pick up three themes from this marvelous story 252 00:09:43,719 –> 00:09:44,320 this morning 253 00:09:44,520 –> 00:09:45,919 the first is simply the home 254 00:09:46,520 –> 00:09:52,919 I want to encourage us in the use of the home as we come to a place where Jesus accepted hospitality 255 00:09:53,799 –> 00:09:55,679 second I want us to look at the guests 256 00:09:56,280 –> 00:09:59,299 and then thirdly what jesus said to the host 257 00:09:59,919 –> 00:10:01,780 first of all then the home 258 00:10:02,280 –> 00:10:05,900 now, we are all creatures of time and space 259 00:10:06,419 –> 00:10:13,700 and therefore the space that we occupy says something very significant about us 260 00:10:14,140 –> 00:10:16,479 that is true actually of us as a corporate community 261 00:10:16,940 –> 00:10:20,260 this building makes many statements about who we are 262 00:10:20,840 –> 00:10:24,659 your home makes many statements about who you are 263 00:10:25,039 –> 00:10:30,099 your office, the way that you have used and utilized the space in your office 264 00:10:30,099 –> 00:10:35,419 where you work, says a great deal about who you are 265 00:10:36,059 –> 00:10:38,960 and if someone who had never met you 266 00:10:39,780 –> 00:10:42,979 could spend one hour looking around your home 267 00:10:43,640 –> 00:10:45,799 they would be able to tell a great deal about you 268 00:10:45,799 –> 00:10:47,719 they would tell what you are interested in 269 00:10:48,239 –> 00:10:51,200 just by looking where the furniture is situated 270 00:10:51,200 –> 00:10:54,200 they would tell a great deal about how you use your time 271 00:10:55,219 –> 00:11:01,979 The arrangements of color would express a great deal about your personality 272 00:11:01,979 –> 00:11:04,020 I was fascinated a number of years ago 273 00:11:04,020 –> 00:11:06,059 taking one of these psychometric tests 274 00:11:06,059 –> 00:11:08,919 in which I was asked all kinds of apparently random questions 275 00:11:08,919 –> 00:11:10,780 about which pattern would you choose here 276 00:11:10,780 –> 00:11:12,280 which color would you use there 277 00:11:12,280 –> 00:11:15,239 and then it gave me a printout that exactly matched 278 00:11:15,239 –> 00:11:17,140 a number of features of my personality 279 00:11:17,140 –> 00:11:19,320 I can’t understand how it is so 280 00:11:19,320 –> 00:11:22,640 but apparently it does reveal something about ourselves 281 00:11:25,659 –> 00:11:29,520 It doesn’t matter whether you live in a magnificent mansion 282 00:11:29,520 –> 00:11:33,780 or whether you live in the smallest rented room 283 00:11:33,780 –> 00:11:37,739 What you do with your personal space 284 00:11:37,739 –> 00:11:41,700 is an expression of who you are 285 00:11:41,700 –> 00:11:48,520 Therefore, when you open your personal space 286 00:11:48,520 –> 00:11:51,760 when you open your home to another person 287 00:11:51,760 –> 00:11:53,979 you are in a very profound sense 288 00:11:54,080 –> 00:11:57,039 You are opening yourself to another person 289 00:11:57,039 –> 00:12:00,020 in a very very special way 290 00:12:00,020 –> 00:12:04,059 It’s very interesting how technology shapes relationships 291 00:12:04,059 –> 00:12:09,059 Think about the way in which relationships have changed through technology 292 00:12:09,059 –> 00:12:15,099 The telephone gives a communication without ever seeing a face 293 00:12:15,099 –> 00:12:21,119 Email now gives us communication without ever hearing a voice 294 00:12:22,119 –> 00:12:26,140 If there is one cry within our society these days 295 00:12:26,140 –> 00:12:31,119 Surely it is the cry and lament about the shallowness of relationships 296 00:12:31,119 –> 00:12:34,140 I want to suggest you today that the shallowness of relationships 297 00:12:34,140 –> 00:12:39,159 often experienced is not unrelated to our slowness and reluctance 298 00:12:39,159 –> 00:12:43,159 in many cases to open our homes 299 00:12:44,159 –> 00:12:50,200 There is a level of opening self in this whole business of hospitality 300 00:12:50,239 –> 00:12:54,260 that is not found in any other way 301 00:12:54,260 –> 00:12:59,200 And I want to remind you, therefore, of the value that the Bible places 302 00:12:59,200 –> 00:13:01,280 on this whole ministry of hospitality 303 00:13:01,280 –> 00:13:05,260 the blessing of giving and of recieving invitations 304 00:13:05,260 –> 00:13:07,219 into another person’s home 305 00:13:08,219 –> 00:13:11,239 Romans Chapter 12 and Verse 12 and 13 306 00:13:11,239 –> 00:13:14,280 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction 307 00:13:14,280 –> 00:13:19,200 faithful in prayer, share with God’s people in need 308 00:13:19,200 –> 00:13:21,159 These are obviously commands for all of us 309 00:13:21,159 –> 00:13:22,200 And then one more 310 00:13:22,200 –> 00:13:25,159 Practice hospitality 311 00:13:25,159 –> 00:13:28,599 It’s a clear statement and instruction 312 00:13:28,599 –> 00:13:31,679 Or 1 Peter Chapter 4 and Verses 8 & 9 313 00:13:31,679 –> 00:13:34,239 Above all, says Peter, love each other deeply 314 00:13:34,239 –> 00:13:38,219 because love covers over a multitude of sins 315 00:13:38,219 –> 00:13:43,239 Offer hospitality without grumbling 316 00:13:43,239 –> 00:13:47,179 which obviously indicates that one of the temptations of hospitality 317 00:13:47,179 –> 00:13:48,239 is that we do grumble about it 318 00:13:48,260 –> 00:13:50,260 We make an arrangement and we get to the day and we say 319 00:13:50,260 –> 00:13:52,280 Oh we got these wretched people coming across this evening 320 00:13:52,280 –> 00:13:53,299 What on earth are we gonna do? 321 00:13:53,299 –> 00:13:54,299 Why did we ever invite them? 322 00:13:54,299 –> 00:13:59,280 Offer hospitality without grumbling 323 00:13:59,280 –> 00:14:02,260 When you open your home 324 00:14:02,260 –> 00:14:06,280 you open yourself in a special way 325 00:14:06,280 –> 00:14:09,299 and I say again, you do not have to have a large home 326 00:14:09,299 –> 00:14:12,260 in order to practice hospitality 327 00:14:12,260 –> 00:14:15,280 Jesus went into homes of all kinds 328 00:14:16,280 –> 00:14:20,280 When you open your home you are opening your self 329 00:14:20,280 –> 00:14:24,280 you are inviting another person to enter into the blessing of God 330 00:14:24,280 –> 00:14:27,280 on your life 331 00:14:27,280 –> 00:14:33,260 and this is a wonderful way for us to express love for one another 332 00:14:33,260 –> 00:14:34,320 Now if you think about it 333 00:14:34,320 –> 00:14:37,299 one of the most wonderful dimensions of the gospel 334 00:14:37,299 –> 00:14:42,299 is that the Lord Jesus Christ invites us to share HIS home 335 00:14:42,299 –> 00:14:43,320 Think about that 336 00:14:43,320 –> 00:14:45,320 Heaven is the home of Christ 337 00:14:45,320 –> 00:14:48,219 That’s the first thing we need to know about it 338 00:14:48,219 –> 00:14:53,299 and to be in heaven is to be at home with the Lord 339 00:14:53,299 –> 00:14:58,299 The heart of the gospel is that the Lord Jesus Christ invites us to share HIS home 340 00:14:58,299 –> 00:15:02,299 what that means is that he is opening HIMSELF to us 341 00:15:02,299 –> 00:15:04,260 and when you’re in HIS home 342 00:15:04,260 –> 00:15:10,340 you will know HIM in a way you can never know from that distance 343 00:15:11,340 –> 00:15:17,299 That’s of course it cannot possibly be the case that everybody will spend eternity in heaven 344 00:15:17,299 –> 00:15:21,299 because Christ never forces an invitation 345 00:15:21,299 –> 00:15:24,280 See I remember as a child very vividly 346 00:15:24,280 –> 00:15:29,299 moaning and complaining about compulsory invitations to visit friends of my parents 347 00:15:29,299 –> 00:15:32,299 and as kids we were dragged along 348 00:15:32,299 –> 00:15:33,479 and we would say, 349 00:15:33,479 –> 00:15:35,400 Do we have to go?? 350 00:15:35,400 –> 00:15:38,359 Oh yes we’ve been invited, we have to go 351 00:15:38,359 –> 00:15:43,340 Well now at this stage of life when one visits in the Summer 352 00:15:43,340 –> 00:15:46,359 I actually got a choice as to whether to go or not 353 00:15:46,359 –> 00:15:51,400 You see, the child is subject to a forced invitation 354 00:15:51,400 –> 00:15:57,359 in some circumstances. The adult is not in that circumstance 355 00:15:57,359 –> 00:16:03,320 Christ does not drag people kicking and screaming into heaven 356 00:16:03,320 –> 00:16:07,299 He does not force eternity in His presence on any person 357 00:16:07,299 –> 00:16:12,159 Why would a person who has wanted to spend their life at a distance from Christ 358 00:16:12,159 –> 00:16:17,179 suddenly want to spend eternity with Him? 359 00:16:17,179 –> 00:16:23,320 But for those who love Him, for those who have longed for His appearing 360 00:16:23,320 –> 00:16:30,239 eternity in His home will be beyond any joy that we could ever imagine 361 00:16:30,239 –> 00:16:37,340 So when Christ invites us to his home He’s opening Himself up to us 362 00:16:37,340 –> 00:16:44,340 and when you enter into His home you will know Him you have come to love in a 363 00:16:44,340 –> 00:16:49,000 whole new way. Now let’s look secondly at the guests in 364 00:16:49,000 –> 00:16:54,500 verse 7. Notice what Jesus says about the guests. He goes into this home and then 365 00:16:54,500 –> 00:16:59,179 after performing a remarkable miracle. I want us to come to the statement Jesus 366 00:16:59,419 –> 00:17:06,119 makes to the guest. Jesus noticed how the guests, verse 7, picked the places of 367 00:17:06,119 –> 00:17:13,520 honor at the table. Now if you have to organize a wedding reception one of the 368 00:17:13,520 –> 00:17:18,780 things that you need to think about is of course the seating plan. And in the 369 00:17:18,780 –> 00:17:23,500 time of Jesus folks did not normally sit upright at a table as we do. They 370 00:17:23,500 –> 00:17:28,280 reclined normally on their left arm leaning to the left, they reclined on 371 00:17:28,319 –> 00:17:32,619 couches with a low table rather like what we would call a coffee table today 372 00:17:32,619 –> 00:17:39,380 besides them. The couch on which they reclined was called a triclinium, a couch 373 00:17:39,380 –> 00:17:44,420 that holds three people in a reclining position. And these couches would 374 00:17:44,420 –> 00:17:51,880 normally be arranged at a banquet in the shape of a U. The host would sit at 375 00:17:52,000 –> 00:17:59,260 the center of the top couch, and the next two places of honor would be the guests 376 00:17:59,260 –> 00:18:06,300 at his immediate right and at his immediate left. The next most important 377 00:18:06,300 –> 00:18:13,780 position would be the center of the couch to the right of the host, and then 378 00:18:13,780 –> 00:18:19,300 the folks to the right and left of that particular person. Then came the folks on 379 00:18:19,359 –> 00:18:23,619 the couch to the left of the host, the person on the right and left of center 380 00:18:23,619 –> 00:18:30,599 there and so on down the line. So there was a very well-understood social order 381 00:18:30,599 –> 00:18:35,079 in terms of priority of seating. And, of course, that’s the background to the 382 00:18:35,079 –> 00:18:38,920 occasion when the mother of James and John, do you remember, came to Jesus and 383 00:18:38,920 –> 00:18:43,660 said, when you come into your kingdom Lord can my boys James and John sit at 384 00:18:43,660 –> 00:18:48,079 your right and left hand? She was thinking about the top table where Jesus 385 00:18:48,160 –> 00:18:53,680 obviously would be, the top couch, and could James and John be in positions two 386 00:18:53,680 –> 00:19:00,040 and three right there? Now Jesus said that when folks arrived at the banquet 387 00:19:00,040 –> 00:19:06,719 thrown by this prominent Pharisee they immediately chose the places of honor 388 00:19:06,719 –> 00:19:12,880 and that led Jesus to say this. Look at verse 8. When someone invites you to a 389 00:19:12,880 –> 00:19:18,800 wedding feast, he says, don’t take the place of honor for a person more 390 00:19:18,800 –> 00:19:23,819 distinguished than you may have been invited, and if so, the host who invited 391 00:19:23,819 –> 00:19:27,540 him will come and say to you, give this man your seat and then you’ll be 392 00:19:27,540 –> 00:19:30,599 humiliated. You’ll have to take the least important place. You have to go all the 393 00:19:30,599 –> 00:19:36,099 way to the bottom then, but when you’re invited, you take the lowest place so 394 00:19:36,099 –> 00:19:40,239 that when your host comes he will say to you, hey friend, move up to a better place 395 00:19:40,400 –> 00:19:47,219 and then you will be honored in the presence of all your guests. Now of 396 00:19:47,219 –> 00:19:54,119 course, the important point here is that it is the host who determines where each 397 00:19:54,119 –> 00:19:59,439 person belongs. See, each of us has our own idea as to where we belong in the 398 00:19:59,439 –> 00:20:03,760 kingdom of God, but at the end of the day, if you’re a guest in someone else’s 399 00:20:03,760 –> 00:20:09,339 house, it is the person who invites you who will make the decision as to where 400 00:20:09,339 –> 00:20:13,260 you should sit. And this is telling us something very, very 401 00:20:13,260 –> 00:20:17,979 important. You see, the normal situation in this world is that those who push 402 00:20:17,979 –> 00:20:23,500 themselves forward get what they want. That’s how it is in business normally. 403 00:20:23,500 –> 00:20:27,380 It’s usually the pattern in politics. It’s frankly, sometimes even the pattern 404 00:20:27,380 –> 00:20:36,300 in the church. Those who push themselves forward get what they want. But Jesus 405 00:20:36,500 –> 00:20:42,680 makes it clear here, that is not how it is in the kingdom of God. 406 00:20:42,680 –> 00:20:48,579 Your position in God’s house will not be determined by what you think you deserve. 407 00:20:48,579 –> 00:20:55,380 It will be decided by God himself. Eternal life is God’s party. He 408 00:20:55,380 –> 00:21:01,160 is the host, and He will decide where each and every one of us belongs. 409 00:21:01,160 –> 00:21:08,479 And notice that Jesus explains the basis on which God will decide the place that is right 410 00:21:08,479 –> 00:21:12,599 for every one of us. Look at verse 11. 411 00:21:12,599 –> 00:21:22,199 Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. There’s no exclusions there. 412 00:21:22,520 –> 00:21:35,780 And he who humbles himself will be exalted. So the obvious question then is, well, 413 00:21:35,780 –> 00:21:39,479 how do I humble myself? Because that’s obviously the way to go. 414 00:21:39,479 –> 00:21:46,079 JC Ryle, who I’m finding so helpful in these days, has a very useful comment here. 415 00:21:46,079 –> 00:21:54,699 He says the root of humility is right knowledge. The man who knows himself and his own heart, 416 00:21:54,699 –> 00:22:00,920 the man who knows God and his infinite majesty and holiness, who knows Christ and the price 417 00:22:00,920 –> 00:22:07,680 at which he was redeemed—that man will never be a proud man. In other words, the wise man 418 00:22:07,680 –> 00:22:13,920 knows himself, and a person who really knows himself knows that he has little to be proud 419 00:22:13,920 –> 00:22:24,040 about. Pride, in other words, grows in the soil of ignorance. Pride shows that I’ve not 420 00:22:24,040 –> 00:22:32,900 seen much of God’s glory. Pride shows I’ve not seen much of my own heart. Pride shows 421 00:22:32,900 –> 00:22:42,280 that I’ve not seen what it cost Jesus to redeem me. Humility, by contrast, grows in the soil 422 00:22:42,300 –> 00:22:48,859 of knowledge. When the Holy Spirit shows me something of the glory of God, I see he is 423 00:22:48,859 –> 00:22:55,859 great and I am small. When the Holy Spirit shines the light into my own heart and I see 424 00:22:55,859 –> 00:23:02,479 what is there that I didn’t see before, I have a new sense of awe that God could love 425 00:23:02,479 –> 00:23:10,319 me with all the stuff that’s in there. When the Holy Spirit shows what it meant for the 426 00:23:10,479 –> 00:23:17,479 Son of God to love you and to give himself for you, and the price that he paid, someone 427 00:23:18,060 –> 00:23:25,060 has put it, no man can be proud standing beside a cross. Of course, you see these principles 428 00:23:28,599 –> 00:23:33,780 in the life of Jesus. He comes as a servant into the world, he goes to the lowest place, 429 00:23:34,099 –> 00:23:41,099 going to a cross, but taking the lowest place, the father says to him, Son come up higher. 430 00:23:41,560 –> 00:23:48,560 Sit at my right hand until I make all your enemies your footstool. And God exalts the 431 00:23:49,040 –> 00:23:55,199 one who has humbled himself to the highest place. And the Jesus who is despised and rejected, 432 00:23:55,199 –> 00:24:02,199 the Jesus whose name is a curse on every building site in the world is exalted to the place 433 00:24:02,739 –> 00:24:07,599 of highest honor at the right hand of the father. 434 00:24:07,599 –> 00:24:14,599 Now that brings us to the last thing in this fascinating story, the home—the value of 435 00:24:14,880 –> 00:24:21,880 opening a home. It means that you are opening yourself. The guests, the importance of recognizing 436 00:24:22,880 –> 00:24:28,859 that it is the host who recognizes where and who decides where we belong and therefore 437 00:24:28,880 –> 00:24:33,260 the importance of humility. Last, I want you to notice what Jesus said 438 00:24:33,260 –> 00:24:38,380 to the host, and here I think there is a word of powerful encouragement for some of us today. 439 00:24:38,380 –> 00:24:44,339 Verse twelve. Then Jesus said to his host, when you give 440 00:24:44,339 –> 00:24:51,339 a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers, or relatives or your rich neighbors. 441 00:24:51,920 –> 00:24:57,660 If you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 442 00:24:58,079 –> 00:25:05,540 Well, let’s look at this carefully. Jesus is not forbidding inviting your family. 443 00:25:07,520 –> 00:25:13,420 Jesus is not telling us that you can’t invite your friends for a meal. 444 00:25:13,420 –> 00:25:19,979 What he is saying very clearly here is that the hospitality you give to those who enrich 445 00:25:20,060 –> 00:25:23,020 your life has its own reward. 446 00:25:23,020 –> 00:25:34,900 I found this in my own life 100,000 times that Carl and I are enriched in so many ways 447 00:25:34,900 –> 00:25:39,979 by so many wonderful people to whom we’re able to offer hospitality. 448 00:25:39,979 –> 00:25:42,939 It brings its own reward. 449 00:25:42,939 –> 00:25:46,280 So many people that we’re privileged to have in our homes, we say, our lives are so much 450 00:25:46,319 –> 00:25:47,319 better because of that. 451 00:25:47,319 –> 00:25:50,199 It’s fantastic. 452 00:25:50,199 –> 00:25:55,239 The general rule is that a kindness given will be a kindness repaid. 453 00:25:55,239 –> 00:26:00,359 That when we reach out to others the normal reflex reaction is that other people reach 454 00:26:00,359 –> 00:26:02,239 out to us. 455 00:26:02,239 –> 00:26:07,439 That’s where we get our phrase, if you want to have friends, start by showing yourself 456 00:26:07,439 –> 00:26:09,660 friendly. 457 00:26:09,660 –> 00:26:15,000 And it’s natural for us to cultivate the friendship of people we are drawn to. 458 00:26:15,040 –> 00:26:19,579 We all have people we are drawn to and as we cultivate the friendship of people we are 459 00:26:19,579 –> 00:26:24,619 drawn to, Jesus is making it clear that has its own reward. 460 00:26:24,619 –> 00:26:28,920 There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s a wonderful thing it has its own reward. 461 00:26:31,280 –> 00:26:33,900 But that’s not the only question we’ve got to think about. 462 00:26:33,900 –> 00:26:38,439 What will be a rewarding invitation for me to extend? 463 00:26:39,439 –> 00:26:44,939 My mind went back to days in Britain some years ago 464 00:26:44,939 –> 00:26:46,900 when I used to play squash. 465 00:26:47,239 –> 00:26:51,239 Squash is basically a British form of racketball, or to put it another way, 466 00:26:51,239 –> 00:26:54,199 racketball is an Americanized form of squash. 467 00:26:54,780 –> 00:26:58,939 And we used to play in what was called a squash ladder. 468 00:26:58,939 –> 00:27:02,500 I’m not sure if this works exactly the same here, so a brief explanation, 469 00:27:02,500 –> 00:27:06,000 what would happen is that ten or twelve people who wanted to play would put 470 00:27:06,260 –> 00:27:09,500 their name’s into a hat and they would be drawn out and the order in 471 00:27:09,500 –> 00:27:13,040 which they were drawn out was the place that they had on the ladder. 472 00:27:13,500 –> 00:27:15,500 Then for the next month we would play. 473 00:27:15,880 –> 00:27:19,900 And the rules for play were that you could play someone one or two above you 474 00:27:19,900 –> 00:27:23,800 in the ladder and then of course if you won you went up and they came down. 475 00:27:23,800 –> 00:27:30,180 But after that you had to play down before you could again play up. 476 00:27:30,520 –> 00:27:33,180 Which of course is frustration for those who are wanting to get to the top 477 00:27:33,180 –> 00:27:34,219 of the ladder. 478 00:27:34,560 –> 00:27:37,479 Because when you play up, you’ve got a chance of going up. 479 00:27:37,479 –> 00:27:40,459 When you play down, there’s not a lot of a chance of going up, 480 00:27:40,459 –> 00:27:42,160 you see what I mean? 481 00:27:43,380 –> 00:27:46,319 Now, this is what Jesus is talking about here. 482 00:27:46,319 –> 00:27:50,319 It’s so easy for us in our social relationships 483 00:27:50,319 –> 00:27:53,819 for us to be thinking constantly about playing up. 484 00:27:54,859 –> 00:27:58,560 For us to cultivate the friendships of those who will do us good, 485 00:27:58,560 –> 00:28:00,819 of those who will be able to return the favor, 486 00:28:00,880 –> 00:28:04,280 of those who we feel enrich our lives immediately. 487 00:28:06,660 –> 00:28:09,619 When you play up, it brings its own reward. 488 00:28:10,920 –> 00:28:13,520 That’s what was happening in the Pharisees’ party, 489 00:28:13,520 –> 00:28:16,880 people were cultivating the company all over the couches 490 00:28:16,880 –> 00:28:19,260 of those who could help them move forward. 491 00:28:19,260 –> 00:28:20,760 That’s how it is in the world. 492 00:28:22,359 –> 00:28:23,959 Now, there is nothing wrong with that. 493 00:28:23,959 –> 00:28:28,579 Jesus is simply saying it brings its own reward. 494 00:28:28,579 –> 00:28:32,479 But then notice what he says. 495 00:28:32,479 –> 00:28:34,619 Verse 13. 496 00:28:34,619 –> 00:28:38,839 When you give a banquet, invite the poor, 497 00:28:38,839 –> 00:28:43,839 the crippled, the lame, the blind, 498 00:28:47,780 –> 00:28:51,119 and you will be blessed. 499 00:28:52,060 –> 00:28:57,300 They cannot repay you, 500 00:28:57,300 –> 00:29:03,160 but you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. 501 00:29:03,160 –> 00:29:06,660 Be intentional, Jesus says, 502 00:29:06,660 –> 00:29:11,560 about inviting the very people who cannot repay you. 503 00:29:12,219 –> 00:29:15,900 You will be blessed. 504 00:29:15,900 –> 00:29:17,000 I have to tell you, 505 00:29:17,000 –> 00:29:18,819 if I may speak personally for jut a moment, 506 00:29:18,819 –> 00:29:20,800 one of the things that I remember most 507 00:29:20,800 –> 00:29:25,339 strongly was an outstanding feature of my own childhood 508 00:29:25,339 –> 00:29:31,099 was the number of people who came trotting through our home, 509 00:29:31,099 –> 00:29:34,219 students who were away from home, 510 00:29:34,219 –> 00:29:39,199 people who were handicapped physically, mentally. 511 00:29:39,199 –> 00:29:40,199 People were homeless. 512 00:29:40,199 –> 00:29:42,699 People who were previously in prison. 513 00:29:42,699 –> 00:29:47,380 Folks who were struggling to find work. 514 00:29:47,520 –> 00:29:50,660 And I remember very, very vividly, 515 00:29:50,660 –> 00:29:53,780 I can hear myself saying it now in a moment of frustration 516 00:29:53,780 –> 00:29:57,900 when I was an early teenager. 517 00:29:57,900 –> 00:29:59,680 I said to my mother, 518 00:29:59,680 –> 00:30:05,180 why can’t we have any normal people around here? 519 00:30:05,180 –> 00:30:09,180 I said that. 520 00:30:09,180 –> 00:30:10,900 And I look back now and I realize 521 00:30:10,900 –> 00:30:16,819 I could not have paid her a greater compliment. 522 00:30:16,819 –> 00:30:18,680 The reason for inviting these folks 523 00:30:18,680 –> 00:30:24,699 was not that it would be the most fun company for us. 524 00:30:25,599 –> 00:30:32,599 The reason was who else would invite them. 525 00:30:32,680 –> 00:30:35,079 None of them have been, to my knowledge, 526 00:30:35,079 –> 00:30:40,099 ever to this day in a position to repay the kindness. 527 00:30:40,099 –> 00:30:45,219 I could easily list you twenty names from memory today. 528 00:30:45,219 –> 00:30:49,459 I do not know where one of these people are, 529 00:30:49,459 –> 00:30:53,239 but I do know that they were touched 530 00:30:53,239 –> 00:30:58,239 by the grace and kindness of Jesus in a Christian home. 531 00:31:00,599 –> 00:31:03,040 And there are folks all over this congregation 532 00:31:03,040 –> 00:31:05,819 doing the same kind of thing. 533 00:31:05,819 –> 00:31:10,780 And the truth is, it’s sometimes discouraging. 534 00:31:11,339 –> 00:31:14,119 You pour your life into another person, 535 00:31:14,319 –> 00:31:19,319 a needy person in the hope that there will be a change 536 00:31:19,520 –> 00:31:21,560 and a transformation to the glory of God 537 00:31:21,560 –> 00:31:23,319 and for the blessing of their life. 538 00:31:25,119 –> 00:31:28,260 But the reality is that it’s sometimes disappointing. 539 00:31:29,619 –> 00:31:32,680 And I want you to hear this word from Jesus 540 00:31:32,680 –> 00:31:34,400 from the Scripture this morning. 541 00:31:35,780 –> 00:31:40,040 You will be repaid. 542 00:31:41,400 –> 00:31:43,280 You will be blessed. 543 00:31:44,719 –> 00:31:47,439 Although they cannot repay you, 544 00:31:48,280 –> 00:31:51,800 you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. 545 00:31:52,800 –> 00:31:54,780 What you have done to bless others 546 00:31:54,780 –> 00:31:56,719 who can’t give it back, 547 00:31:57,640 –> 00:31:59,520 will never be taken from you. 548 00:32:00,839 –> 00:32:02,859 Your house, your car, your money 549 00:32:02,859 –> 00:32:05,400 will all be left behind when you die. 550 00:32:05,400 –> 00:32:07,400 But the good you have done to someone 551 00:32:07,400 –> 00:32:10,160 who could not repay you for it 552 00:32:10,160 –> 00:32:12,599 will remain, and Jesus says, 553 00:32:12,599 –> 00:32:15,599 you will be repaid. 554 00:32:17,280 –> 00:32:18,439 So I want some of us 555 00:32:18,439 –> 00:32:20,319 who are discouraged in this very moment 556 00:32:20,319 –> 00:32:23,880 to think about what has not been repaid in your life. 557 00:32:25,140 –> 00:32:27,719 For if we take the words of Jesus seriously here 558 00:32:27,719 –> 00:32:31,359 it follows that some of our greatest disappointments, 559 00:32:31,359 –> 00:32:33,000 some of the things we look back on and say, 560 00:32:33,000 –> 00:32:33,920 you know, the time I spent with him 561 00:32:33,920 –> 00:32:35,319 was a waste of time, 562 00:32:35,319 –> 00:32:37,319 and we sometimes say that sort of thing. 563 00:32:38,319 –> 00:32:40,760 Some of the greatest disappointments 564 00:32:40,760 –> 00:32:42,439 of our lives may just turn out 565 00:32:42,439 –> 00:32:44,280 to be our greatest investments. 566 00:32:44,280 –> 00:32:47,280 Jesus says, you will be repaid. 567 00:32:48,959 –> 00:32:50,599 And though you never see it in this life 568 00:32:50,599 –> 00:32:53,599 you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. 569 00:32:57,040 –> 00:32:59,680 Do you see how this is? 570 00:32:59,680 –> 00:33:01,680 The very spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. 571 00:33:03,680 –> 00:33:06,359 Remember the story he told about the good Samaritan, 572 00:33:08,199 –> 00:33:10,319 he finds a man he doesn’t even know, 573 00:33:10,319 –> 00:33:11,959 bruised and bleeding by the road. 574 00:33:11,959 –> 00:33:13,439 He binds up his wound, 575 00:33:13,439 –> 00:33:15,719 he users his own oil and wine, 576 00:33:15,719 –> 00:33:17,859 he puts the wounded man on his own donkey, 577 00:33:17,859 –> 00:33:19,239 takes the man to the inn, 578 00:33:19,239 –> 00:33:22,040 he pays good money to the innkeeper, 579 00:33:22,040 –> 00:33:23,479 and then he goes on his way. 580 00:33:25,520 –> 00:33:29,119 How is the wounded man ever going to repay the Samaritan? 581 00:33:29,119 –> 00:33:31,640 How will he even find out who he is? 582 00:33:33,479 –> 00:33:35,540 He has no way of repaying. 583 00:33:38,180 –> 00:33:42,699 And is that not precisely our position before the Lord? 584 00:33:44,640 –> 00:33:47,619 He comes from heaven for you. 585 00:33:49,199 –> 00:33:52,640 He lives a life of perfect righteousness for you. 586 00:33:53,880 –> 00:33:56,719 He goes to a cross for you. 587 00:33:57,760 –> 00:33:59,920 He bears the guilt of your sin. 588 00:33:59,920 –> 00:34:02,760 He comes under the wrath of the Father for your sake. 589 00:34:02,760 –> 00:34:05,280 He endures hell on your account. 590 00:34:06,199 –> 00:34:10,560 He lays down his life and he draws the sting of death for you. 591 00:34:10,560 –> 00:34:12,459 He rises on the third day for you. 592 00:34:12,459 –> 00:34:14,679 He ascends into heaven for you. 593 00:34:14,679 –> 00:34:16,979 He prays to the Father for you 594 00:34:16,979 –> 00:34:19,459 and he’s coming again in glory for you. 595 00:34:21,560 –> 00:34:24,540 We’re left in the position of those who cannot repay. 596 00:34:24,540 –> 00:34:28,679 What can I give to the Lord, for all his goodness to me? 597 00:34:28,679 –> 00:34:31,479 What can I offer in the light of what I have received? 598 00:34:31,479 –> 00:34:36,219 You cannot repay him. 599 00:34:36,219 –> 00:34:45,479 But you can reach out to somebody else and bless them 600 00:34:45,479 –> 00:34:54,520 with the same kind of blessing with which you and I have been blessed. 601 00:34:54,520 –> 00:34:56,739 Let’s pray together, shall we? 602 00:34:57,320 –> 00:35:06,479 How can I give thanks for the things you have done for me? 603 00:35:06,479 –> 00:35:10,540 Things so undeserved, 604 00:35:10,540 –> 00:35:15,899 and yet you gave to prove your love for me. 605 00:35:15,899 –> 00:35:22,020 The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude, 606 00:35:22,020 –> 00:35:25,899 all that I am and ever hoped to be, 607 00:35:25,899 –> 00:35:31,300 I owe it all to thee. 608 00:35:31,300 –> 00:35:35,540 We bow before you, gracious Father, 609 00:35:35,540 –> 00:35:40,360 as those who’ve received all and can repay none. 610 00:35:40,360 –> 00:35:51,379 We simply offer ourselves afresh to you and ask that the Spirit of Jesus may be 611 00:35:51,379 –> 00:35:58,300 seen in me for these things we ask. 612 00:35:58,300 –> 00:36:01,260 In Jesus’ name, Amen.