WEBVTT 00:00:00.100 --> 00:00:02.334 Well, good evening. 00:00:02.334 --> 00:00:04.604 We're so glad that you're joining us for worship this evening. 00:00:04.604 --> 00:00:05.371 I'm pastor Ben. 00:00:05.371 --> 00:00:08.942 It is my privilege to share from God's word with you this evening. 00:00:08.942 --> 00:00:11.510 And of course, welcome to all our regular attenders. 00:00:11.510 --> 00:00:12.412 A welcome to our guests. 00:00:12.412 --> 00:00:18.217 And welcome to those that are joining us online as well as we celebrate and we continue to move forward. 00:00:18.550 --> 00:00:20.687 If you've been with us on Sunday, you've heard this phrase. 00:00:20.687 --> 00:00:25.725 This is the most significant week in all of history, the one that we're celebrating yet again. 00:00:25.725 --> 00:00:47.679 And to celebrate this unique service of Maundy Thursday, as Pastor Tim has already shared, where we get to dive deep into what Jesus did in his last hours, knowing full well what all was going to transpire in the coming hours in the following day, that he would take these moments that we can reflect on now to see what was important to him. 00:00:48.548 --> 00:01:03.729 And we've taken this theme where we're looking at all of the senses two and one of our theme verses, as we were thinking about as we were going to approach Holy Week this time around, we were going to look at First Peter chapter one, verses eight and nine, and it says this though you have not seen him, that is all. 00:01:03.729 --> 00:01:04.763 You have not seen Jesus. 00:01:04.763 --> 00:01:16.141 You love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith. 00:01:16.509 --> 00:01:22.081 The salvation of your souls, which helps set the stage for us to think about. 00:01:22.081 --> 00:01:23.382 How can we experience? 00:01:23.382 --> 00:01:32.724 How can we see, taste, touch, smell and hear the good news of Holy Week and all that transpired in all that Christ did? 00:01:33.126 --> 00:01:41.935 And tonight, as we're going to be looking at Jesus in the upper room as he institutes this gift that we have in Holy Communion, we're going to be looking at two senses. 00:01:41.935 --> 00:01:51.210 Can anybody guess what two senses taste and see to look and taste and see that God is good? 00:01:51.844 --> 00:01:57.117 Because those are some of the senses that we can use when we're trying to determine, is it the real thing? 00:01:57.650 --> 00:02:02.221 Is that a thought, a sentiment that any of you've had when consuming something? 00:02:02.221 --> 00:02:03.256 Is it the real thing? 00:02:03.256 --> 00:02:05.992 Is it the authentic thing? 00:02:05.992 --> 00:02:17.370 Or perhaps, you know, if a guy is so brave and dating a girl, just long enough and he gets down on one knee and she sees a big rock, but then she has to wonder, is that the real thing? 00:02:18.138 --> 00:02:19.605 Or is that cubic zirconium? 00:02:19.605 --> 00:02:20.907 You know, either way, he loves you. 00:02:20.907 --> 00:02:23.575 But is it the real thing? 00:02:23.575 --> 00:02:31.251 And then something that has plagued generations trying to determine and maybe we can figure it out here tonight, the two pitted against each other. 00:02:31.251 --> 00:02:33.686 Which one is the real thing? 00:02:33.686 --> 00:02:37.890 Pepsi or Coke campaigning against each other. 00:02:37.890 --> 00:02:40.826 Coke saying, you know, taste this is it's the real thing. 00:02:40.826 --> 00:02:46.165 And then Pepsi doing the taste test challenge to figure out how many folks are Coke people. 00:02:46.165 --> 00:02:48.234 You know, if you go to a restaurant, it's going to be Coca Cola. 00:02:48.234 --> 00:02:50.169 Okay, Pepsi. 00:02:50.169 --> 00:02:52.271 And how many of you don't drink that poison? 00:02:52.271 --> 00:02:53.605 You don't put that in your body. 00:02:53.605 --> 00:02:59.913 You only drink Lacroix, or so you know, or sparkling water or reverse osmosis, something a little bit essential oil. 00:02:59.913 --> 00:03:00.513 And and I don't. 00:03:03.449 --> 00:03:06.151 Bet they get pitted against each other trying to say one's authentic. 00:03:06.151 --> 00:03:08.187 One's the real thing. 00:03:06.151 --> 00:03:08.187 Oh, no. No, we're the real thing. 00:03:08.187 --> 00:03:09.055 We're what? People like it. 00:03:09.055 --> 00:03:15.395 I mean, what we did was even proved here tonight that we can't even agree on what is the preferred beverage of our congregation. 00:03:16.962 --> 00:03:19.164 But this is an all important question. 00:03:19.164 --> 00:03:25.205 Is it the real thing when it comes to what Jesus is instituting here on this night in the upper room? 00:03:25.205 --> 00:03:29.008 And so let's go ahead and take a look and see how the stage has been set. 00:03:29.876 --> 00:03:32.110 As we move into the upper room. 00:03:32.110 --> 00:03:38.518 Do you see, the day came, for the unleavened bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 00:03:39.085 --> 00:03:44.757 So Jesus sent Peter and John saying, go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it. 00:03:44.957 --> 00:03:47.526 And they said to him, where will you have us prepare it? 00:03:48.961 --> 00:03:53.466 Now if you have been with us on Sunday, you know that Jesus has already know. 00:03:53.466 --> 00:03:57.203 He already knows all that is about to transpire, and he has a plan. 00:03:57.203 --> 00:04:06.913 But before we get into the plan that he is about to unfold for Peter and John, because he knows exactly what's going to take place, what is this Passover meal? 00:04:06.913 --> 00:04:19.125 This Passover meal has been celebrated for over a thousand years at this point, and it goes back to the Exodus and this Passover, all the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. 00:04:19.591 --> 00:04:24.697 God raises up Moses and calls him to go to Egypt to set the people free. 00:04:25.130 --> 00:04:31.036 And it's commanded that this Passover takes place because God was going to deliver his people out of slavery. 00:04:31.603 --> 00:04:35.875 This was the night of the 10th plague that was going to fall upon Egypt. 00:04:36.041 --> 00:04:43.283 That led to the death of firstborn sons, and the sacrifice that had to be made was a lamb without blemish. 00:04:43.283 --> 00:04:50.189 A spotless lamb had to be sacrificed for any household that wanted to keep their firstborn son. 00:04:50.456 --> 00:04:53.125 They had to sacrifice the spotless lamb. 00:04:53.125 --> 00:04:55.495 They had to consume all of the lamb. 00:04:55.495 --> 00:05:02.869 They had to then spread the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, so that when the angel of death came, that it would pass over. 00:05:04.237 --> 00:05:17.216 And this meal was continually celebrated year after year after year, as God's people would look back and remember God's faithfulness, his provision, and his mercy towards them as he delivered Israel in those moments. 00:05:17.817 --> 00:05:20.218 And so this is the stage that's been set. 00:05:20.218 --> 00:05:23.122 Jesus, at this point, he had three years of ministry. 00:05:23.122 --> 00:05:29.394 Now this is the third time, but the only recorded time that we see he's having a Passover meal with his disciples. 00:05:30.262 --> 00:05:32.064 And so this is what's on their minds. 00:05:32.064 --> 00:05:39.004 And there would have been a very elaborate meal with deep meaning connecting all the way back to this Exodus story. 00:05:39.706 --> 00:05:45.444 But what we're going to see in a few moments is that this Exodus story was really pointing forward to this moment. 00:05:46.646 --> 00:05:49.014 And going back, Jesus gives his disciples instruction. 00:05:49.014 --> 00:05:54.786 He tells them, behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. 00:05:55.254 --> 00:06:03.295 Follow him into the house that he enters and tell the master of the house, the teacher says to you, where is the guest room? 00:06:03.295 --> 00:06:08.767 Where I may eat the Passover with my disciples, and he will show you a large upper room furnished. 00:06:08.767 --> 00:06:10.235 Prepare it there. 00:06:10.235 --> 00:06:13.238 And they went, and they found it just as Jesus told them. 00:06:13.305 --> 00:06:16.309 And they prepared the Passover. 00:06:16.475 --> 00:06:21.180 And then the hour came, and Jesus reclined at the table, and the disciples with Jesus. 00:06:21.180 --> 00:06:29.221 And Jesus said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 00:06:30.389 --> 00:06:33.625 Not the first time that Jesus is alluding to, he's pointing to. 00:06:33.625 --> 00:06:38.463 He's been clear, even up to this point of all that he was going to endure and suffer. 00:06:39.232 --> 00:06:56.815 But I want us to notice here for a moment those words I have earnestly desired, I have longed, I have yearned for this moment to sit and dine with you, and what might be on the minds of the disciples. 00:06:56.815 --> 00:06:58.985 They've been with him for three years. 00:06:56.815 --> 00:06:58.985 They've seen his miracles. 00:06:58.985 --> 00:07:02.454 They've dined with him hundreds of times. 00:07:03.156 --> 00:07:06.625 But here, this Passover, there was something significant. 00:07:06.625 --> 00:07:08.060 There was something different. 00:07:08.060 --> 00:07:20.206 Jesus, quite literally has been setting the table for them, that there was something different that was going to transpire this night, that he wanted them to know that there was great significance in what Jesus was about to do. 00:07:21.406 --> 00:07:23.576 It reminds me of this. 00:07:23.576 --> 00:07:26.545 Does anybody know what this is? 00:07:27.814 --> 00:07:28.747 You said jello. 00:07:28.747 --> 00:07:29.815 You're wrong. 00:07:29.815 --> 00:07:31.483 This is grandma. 00:07:31.483 --> 00:07:38.824 These jello that you'd have on the holidays, either Thanksgiving or Christmas when you went to her house in Auburn, Michigan. When you're a little kid, right? 00:07:41.226 --> 00:07:43.428 That she would take this great time and care. 00:07:43.428 --> 00:07:49.668 I mean, that the patience that it would take to make this I can't imagine I, you know, greens fine. 00:07:49.668 --> 00:07:51.471 Right in my book. Right. 00:07:51.471 --> 00:07:55.708 But that she would make this year after year and that this would be something of remembrance for us. 00:07:55.708 --> 00:07:57.175 And how many of you out there do you have? 00:07:57.175 --> 00:07:59.278 Something that there's a meal, there's something. 00:07:59.278 --> 00:08:02.148 It's just like grandma used to make. 00:08:02.148 --> 00:08:14.125 Just like mom made that if you tasted something, that it would transport you in an instant to that location, to that time, to that table with those others gathered around. 00:08:15.795 --> 00:08:18.798 There's being a table set by Jesus here. 00:08:19.232 --> 00:08:26.004 He's wanting to set something up that this table of remembrance that have been set for Passover is now being set for something different. 00:08:28.406 --> 00:08:31.944 And this is what he does, is they're sitting there and dining out. 00:08:31.944 --> 00:08:35.780 Jesus, while they were eating, took bread and after blessing it, he broke it. 00:08:35.780 --> 00:08:39.719 And he gave it to his disciples, saying, take, eat, this is my body. 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:41.453 And he took the cup. 00:08:41.453 --> 00:08:44.789 And when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, drink of it, all of you. 00:08:44.789 --> 00:08:53.499 This is my blood for the covenant of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 00:08:55.268 --> 00:08:58.270 Is it the real thing? 00:08:58.403 --> 00:09:03.341 You see, there's a lot of different beliefs when it comes to communion. 00:09:04.277 --> 00:09:16.788 There are many, especially within our culture in American Christianity, that would look at this meal and they're big word that they like to focus on is remembrance symbol. 00:09:16.989 --> 00:09:28.267 We can remember all that Christ has done for us through this meal, then going back to the early church and then things had changed there, and they had this fancy term called transubstantiation. 00:09:28.267 --> 00:09:28.900 Don't need to know that. 00:09:28.900 --> 00:09:34.206 I'm not going to quiz you on it, but now you know it, and it's changed from one thing to the other. 00:09:34.206 --> 00:09:43.783 But I want us tonight to look at what does Scripture say now? What does Pastor Ben say or what does some other pastor say? 00:09:43.783 --> 00:09:45.850 What is the what's their opinion, what the scriptures say. 00:09:45.850 --> 00:09:48.421 And then let us look together. 00:09:45.850 --> 00:09:48.421 Why is it significant? 00:09:48.421 --> 00:09:51.423 Why does it matter if it's really real? 00:09:52.490 --> 00:09:53.491 Well, what's the big deal? 00:09:53.491 --> 00:09:56.495 If it's really real? 00:09:57.629 --> 00:10:03.535 Well, for just a moment, how is it that you experience Christ? 00:10:04.070 --> 00:10:07.072 Where is it that you look to Christ? 00:10:07.105 --> 00:10:09.808 How do you know it is that he loves you? 00:10:09.808 --> 00:10:12.812 How is it know that he is with you? 00:10:13.044 --> 00:10:16.014 Because all too often that can just be based off of our emotions. 00:10:16.014 --> 00:10:16.749 How do you feel? 00:10:16.749 --> 00:10:19.751 Do you feel close to him? 00:10:19.884 --> 00:10:21.620 Do you feel like he loves you? 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:24.624 Do you feel like you are assured in your faith? 00:10:25.057 --> 00:10:28.326 Do you have warm fuzzies or is it based off of your circumstances? 00:10:30.763 --> 00:10:32.097 Because of his emotions? 00:10:32.097 --> 00:10:39.839 If it's circumstances, if it's feelings, if it's input from other people, if it's anything other than God, then it's shifting sand. 00:10:39.839 --> 00:10:42.841 It is not steady and it's not sure. 00:10:43.609 --> 00:10:44.476 Yeah, we know this. 00:10:44.476 --> 00:10:45.778 We know we can experience Christ. 00:10:45.778 --> 00:10:50.316 He told us, he said, surely I will be with you to the very end of the age. 00:10:51.017 --> 00:10:52.384 So then where do we look? 00:10:52.384 --> 00:10:55.388 Where do we want to find him? 00:10:55.388 --> 00:10:56.455 Where he's really real. 00:10:56.455 --> 00:11:03.696 The other part of it is, do we have a really real need for his real presence in our life? 00:11:04.830 --> 00:11:07.832 We'll notice if you go into the Gospels, we go to Matthew, Mark, Luke. 00:11:08.634 --> 00:11:10.936 They all echo the same thing. 00:11:10.936 --> 00:11:19.010 And then even in the book of first Corinthians, Paul writes this when he's talking to the church and he's telling them about communion, he's telling them about this night. 00:11:19.010 --> 00:11:22.181 He says, the cup of blessing that we bless. 00:11:22.748 --> 00:11:28.120 Is it not participation in the blood of Christ, the bread that we break? 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:31.123 Is it not participation in the body of Christ? 00:11:31.724 --> 00:11:38.297 Because there is one bread we who are many are one body, for we all partake in one bread. 00:11:39.331 --> 00:11:40.399 So pop quiz. 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:44.202 I teach communion here often and have been doing so for some time. 00:11:45.004 --> 00:11:48.206 When we take communion, is it bread and wine or is it body and blood? 00:11:48.774 --> 00:11:50.842 Yes, yes. 00:11:50.842 --> 00:11:52.144 Dan. Gold star. 00:11:52.144 --> 00:11:53.546 How you always set people up for a trap. 00:11:53.546 --> 00:11:55.313 Wow. It's body and blood. 00:11:55.313 --> 00:11:57.682 Yeah, you. 00:11:55.313 --> 00:11:57.682 That's like the holy sanctimonious. 00:11:57.682 --> 00:11:59.652 That's a that's the great answer to have it's body blood. 00:11:59.652 --> 00:12:02.153 I really do believe it. Which you should. 00:12:02.153 --> 00:12:05.323 But what we also see is we're just looking at what the scriptures say. 00:12:05.658 --> 00:12:06.725 What does Paul say here? 00:12:06.725 --> 00:12:09.095 The participation in the cup. 00:12:09.095 --> 00:12:10.962 What's in the cup? 00:12:10.962 --> 00:12:12.398 Wine. 00:12:12.398 --> 00:12:14.432 What's also in the cup. 00:12:14.432 --> 00:12:16.067 The blood of Christ. 00:12:16.067 --> 00:12:16.969 The bread that's broken. 00:12:16.969 --> 00:12:18.738 It is bread. 00:12:18.738 --> 00:12:25.344 It says it is bread. But what is it also the body of Christ. 00:12:25.344 --> 00:12:28.346 It is really there. 00:12:29.215 --> 00:12:31.082 And then examining it. 00:12:31.082 --> 00:12:32.784 It's worthwhile to look at this moving forward. 00:12:32.784 --> 00:12:38.356 In that same book is Paul is teaching the church and he's telling them about this most significant meal. 00:12:39.225 --> 00:12:46.398 He says that a person examine himself then and so eat the bread and drink of the cup. 00:12:46.398 --> 00:12:55.673 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, and drinks and eats and drinks judgment on himself. 00:12:56.174 --> 00:13:02.648 These are words that are not often spoken in regards to communion, but in this same area of text. 00:13:02.648 --> 00:13:09.654 Paul will even go on to say that some of you become sick and some of you have even died because you take the meal wrongly. 00:13:10.956 --> 00:13:14.293 The simple bread, the simple wine do. 00:13:14.293 --> 00:13:19.298 That was the true presence of a holy and righteous God within that meal. 00:13:21.267 --> 00:13:22.634 And then it brings us to this. 00:13:22.634 --> 00:13:25.604 So let us examine ourselves what's really real. 00:13:25.904 --> 00:13:31.943 I want to propose to you that it is really, really bread and wine and really, really body and blood. 00:13:32.778 --> 00:13:39.217 But at the same time that we see the real presence there, we have to ask what is present within us. 00:13:40.052 --> 00:13:45.957 You place your hand on your chest, you can feel your heartbeat, and there you can't see it, you can feel it, you know it's there. 00:13:46.826 --> 00:13:55.500 And if you have a heartbeat, you know that you need this meal because there's more than just blood coursing through your veins. 00:13:56.969 --> 00:13:57.970 Let me put it to you this way. 00:13:57.970 --> 00:14:00.972 What is this? 00:14:01.673 --> 00:14:02.942 Coffee. 00:14:02.942 --> 00:14:05.945 Is that caffe or decaf? 00:14:07.145 --> 00:14:09.581 This? 00:14:09.581 --> 00:14:10.749 Well, what is it? 00:14:10.749 --> 00:14:13.152 Well, you drink it and you'll find out, right? 00:14:13.152 --> 00:14:15.955 You know, when you're still awake at 3 a.m.. 00:14:18.289 --> 00:14:34.139 Not that long ago, actually, I believe it was a coffee roaster here in Michigan that had hundreds, if not thousands of pounds of their decaf recalled because it was caffeinated and have been shipped out and gone into stores. 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:36.741 But what's in you think? 00:14:36.741 --> 00:14:42.748 All too often we can just look on the outside like, oh, I'm fine, I'm decaf. 00:14:44.450 --> 00:14:49.955 I don't have any caffeine in me, I don't know, but what what does what is God's Word say to us? 00:14:51.090 --> 00:15:17.383 We can just take a look at one of the lists that comes from Paul in the book of Galatians, and it says this when you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, high step hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties. 00:15:18.317 --> 00:15:25.957 And if you didn't see any sin up there yet, he adds, it's a nice catchall phrase, and others sins like these. 00:15:30.062 --> 00:15:36.501 He then goes on to say that anyone that lives in a sort of life like this will not go on to inherit the kingdom of heaven. 00:15:39.971 --> 00:15:42.975 We touched on, is it is it the real thing? 00:15:43.142 --> 00:15:46.144 How do you know it's the real thing? 00:15:47.779 --> 00:15:54.153 But for a moment to look at ourselves and go, well, is there real sin in us? 00:15:54.586 --> 00:15:56.187 Is there real sin in us? 00:15:56.187 --> 00:16:07.666 Because all too often we can just push it aside and we can just give lip service to the fact that, yes, there's sin in us, Pastor Ben, because that's what you're expecting me to say. 00:16:09.969 --> 00:16:18.344 But to actually recognize what Paul was writing there, if you have these things in your life, if you have this sitting in your life, then you will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. 00:16:20.645 --> 00:16:25.484 And it wasn't just all these horrible things selfish ambition, envy. 00:16:26.518 --> 00:16:28.386 Have you been jealous of others? 00:16:28.386 --> 00:16:34.592 Have you coveted others and their possessions and the things that they have? 00:16:35.461 --> 00:16:57.850 And if that is the case, then the thing that is really in you, what is the real thing inside of us, is a sin that is much darker and deeper than we care to admit, and that we actually, when we come to terms with the fact that we try to scrub it clean, when we try to fix it ourselves, and we realize that we just can't, then we realize this real thing. 00:17:00.085 --> 00:17:03.087 Is a real problem. 00:17:03.522 --> 00:17:17.803 And this real problem that I have of sin in my life that is so pervasive and so persistent that I need something outside of myself to help me with this problem, that I just can't fix myself. 00:17:19.771 --> 00:17:31.115 If, thanks be to God that he gives us this beautiful meal because it isn't just a simple meal of remembrance of what he was doing there that night, but he was giving us something that was real. 00:17:32.718 --> 00:17:35.119 Jesus took the bread is it says, and looked Luke. 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:41.259 And he said when he had given thanks, he broke it, and he gave it to them, saying, this is my body, which is given. 00:17:43.295 --> 00:17:46.798 For you do this in remembrance of me. 00:17:46.798 --> 00:17:58.844 And likewise the cup that half likewise the cup, after they had eaten, saying, this cup is poured out for you, is the covenant in my blood. 00:17:59.243 --> 00:18:07.286 This meal connects us to the Passover, but not the Passover that saved the lives of the firstborn sons. 00:18:07.286 --> 00:18:19.064 It connects us to the Passover of the firstborn Son of God, the one who laid down his life to much in the same way as the Israelites were about to be delivered, that a lamb had to be sacrificed. 00:18:19.064 --> 00:18:24.470 And the next day they walked out with all the riches of Egypt being freed from slavery. 00:18:24.470 --> 00:18:38.383 Here the Lamb of God is sitting in front of his disciples, instituting this amazing meal where heaven now meets earth, and he's giving them true body, true blood, and true forgiveness for their true and real sin. 00:18:39.084 --> 00:18:59.137 They had a real problem, and Christ is giving them a real solution, not only for them, but for the church moving forward, that they would no longer look to themselves, that they would no longer look to their own ability to try to fix their sin, or try to whitewash it and pretend it's not as bad as it really, that we would want to come to terms with. 00:19:00.471 --> 00:19:08.279 But rather that in this meal he's saying, do you know what your sin cost me? 00:19:10.382 --> 00:19:15.420 It cost me my very flesh and blood that I would be nailed to a tree. 00:19:16.020 --> 00:19:19.090 And in that we see the vast severity of our sin. 00:19:19.090 --> 00:19:24.163 But at the same time we see the immense ness of his love and grace for us. 00:19:24.163 --> 00:19:36.307 In this meal we see the purity of God's law and his gospel coming to us, that we might taste and see that this is what it cost our Heavenly Father. 00:19:38.009 --> 00:19:44.615 I love the way that Martin Luther, the theologian from the 16th century, put this, and I think we can apply it to this meal. 00:19:46.117 --> 00:19:49.121 When I look to myself. 00:19:49.922 --> 00:19:59.298 I don't see how I can be saved, but when I look at Christ, I don't see how I can be lost. 00:20:00.531 --> 00:20:21.486 And then my prayer for you is that you approach this meal here tonight and moving forward, that you experience what Christ instituted, not a simple symbol of remembrance, but his very true body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. 00:20:21.486 --> 00:20:24.489 Just as he said in His word. 00:20:24.789 --> 00:20:33.664 And that from that you'd be able to go forward, knowing full well that your sins are forgiven, that you would have assurance and confidence no longer. 00:20:33.664 --> 00:20:43.808 You're looking to yourself, but looking to him in all that he accomplished, not in simply instituting the meal, but what comes out the following day on the cross. 00:20:45.410 --> 00:20:48.413 And these are the final instructions that Paul gives us. 00:20:49.681 --> 00:20:59.423 He says that whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 00:20:59.790 --> 00:21:05.163 Do you realize that even here tonight, you receive the strengthening of your faith? 00:21:05.163 --> 00:21:21.579 You receive the forgiveness of your sins, and you, with all of heaven, proclaim the victory that has been won for you and for all who will believe by taking this meal and by also taking this meal again, it connects you to the past. 00:21:21.747 --> 00:21:43.134 It gives you forgiveness here and now, but it also points you and gives you a foretaste of the future that this is a foretaste of the feast that we will experience when we see Jesus face to face, and that this meal, celebrated around the sacrifice that he's given us, is what we will be celebrating in heaven for eternity. 00:21:43.868 --> 00:21:57.982 That this good news is not just good enough, that we can come here on a Sunday morning, once a week and sing his praises, but it is good enough that we can stand before his throne for all of eternity, and sing and feast with the lamb who is worthy to be slain. 00:21:59.116 --> 00:22:05.790 And in this meal he wants to give you that taste, that there's something better to come. 00:22:06.791 --> 00:22:18.903 He reminds me of just a few years ago, my family was going through a time of transition, and we were living in a rental house for a couple of years, and the market was up and it was down. 00:22:18.903 --> 00:22:19.871 It was up and it was down. 00:22:19.871 --> 00:22:25.711 And we had fought battle to try to get the house and just kept getting outbid, kept getting outbid. 00:22:26.044 --> 00:22:31.883 And by God's grace, he orchestrated things in our life such that we would be able to buy a house. 00:22:32.718 --> 00:22:35.554 And sure, it was fun to look at pictures. 00:22:35.554 --> 00:22:38.824 It was fun to show our kids, hey, this is what you know. 00:22:38.824 --> 00:22:41.058 This is the layout of the house. Here's the pictures of the house. 00:22:41.058 --> 00:22:43.394 You know, one day we're going to be able to go walk in it. 00:22:43.394 --> 00:22:45.230 One day you're going to be able to see it. 00:22:45.230 --> 00:22:47.365 That's going to be your room. 00:22:45.230 --> 00:22:47.365 That's going to be your brother's room. 00:22:47.365 --> 00:22:49.734 It's going to be where you play. It's the backyard. 00:22:51.737 --> 00:22:53.305 I'll never forget. 00:22:53.305 --> 00:22:59.243 Looking at the pictures paled in comparison to the day that I was able to take my oldest son. 00:22:59.243 --> 00:23:00.345 Go get things ready. 00:23:00.345 --> 00:23:25.202 We're going to start to prep the house for painting and just driving there one night, taking supplies and then just taking a moment to just savor the joy of being able to hold my son in the thing that we were hoping for, to have this living room, to have this house, to have this home for him, to pick him up, to play music, to spin around in that living room, to go, here's the house. 00:23:25.303 --> 00:23:27.739 This is what I wanted for you. 00:23:27.739 --> 00:23:30.741 This is what I wanted to provide for you. 00:23:31.209 --> 00:23:33.778 And in the same way, this is what God is giving you. 00:23:33.778 --> 00:23:35.146 This was a Jesus is giving you. 00:23:35.146 --> 00:23:38.482 Here's a taste, here's a taste, here's real forgiveness. 00:23:38.482 --> 00:23:41.019 Here's my real body. Here's my real flesh. 00:23:41.019 --> 00:23:46.090 And it is only a glimpse of the goodness that is being prepared for all of us. 00:23:47.425 --> 00:23:50.228 A foretaste of the feast to come. 00:23:50.228 --> 00:23:50.729 Amen.