WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:00.959 Well, you may be seated. 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:02.479 Well, welcome to Christ the Redeemer. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:04.080 We're excited you're here with us. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:05.519 Happy Labor Day. 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:21.920 Whether you're here with us in the sanctuary, you're watching, uh, live online, wherever you're at this morning, we are excited to worship with you and to say what we say every week, and that is, we are more broken than we originally thought, more imperfect and more sinful, actually, than we originally thought. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:24.800 But we were more loved by God than we could ever dare to dream. 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:26.000 That is such good news. 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:27.600 That's the heartbeat of our church. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:30.239 That is that is what we rest in and what we grow in. 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:32.079 That is what we worship about. 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:34.479 I have a few announcements before we jump into the sermon. 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:45.759 Um, September 13th, next Sunday, we will welcome back birth through second grade classrooms, and we're also switching from one 10:30 service over to a 9 and an 11 a.m. 00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:46.240 service. 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:49.359 So we're gonna have to continue that pre-registration process. 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:51.439 If you're gonna be in the sanctuary, you need to register. 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:56.079 If you're gonna have kids over in the children's ministry for birth through second grade, you're gonna have to pre-register. 00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:00.880 But we have registration open online on our website for all of September. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:04.799 So you can go and you can plot out your entire month there. 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:16.560 And our hope is to get third through fifth grade in classrooms uh here in the fall as we're just moving ahead strategically, step by step, maintaining health and safety along the way. 00:01:16.719 --> 00:01:22.640 A few other things uh we know people are worshiping online with us, and perhaps you're gonna have to continue to do this for a while. 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:40.640 And so we will have on the second and the fourth Tuesday of every month, you can come by the church by the front doors, that front patio between noon and one and pick up your communion supplies, uh, your elements to be able to take communion with us while you're at home on Sunday morning. 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:44.879 September 17th, we have a women's gathering outdoors, details on our website. 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:49.200 September 23rd, men's gathering outdoors at someone's home. 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:51.519 And so all that is online for you. 00:01:51.760 --> 00:02:00.239 All that we hope you can step into with a measure of safety and health for us to uh know each other and be together and be the church. 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:00.959 Let me pray. 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:02.560 We'll jump into Hebrews chapter 2. 00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:19.840 God, thank you for this good word of Hebrews that will challenge us this morning and inevitably comfort us because you are sufficient and you are good, and you know us, and you love us, and you know our fears, and you are compassionate. 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:22.080 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:02:22.479 --> 00:02:25.039 So, Hebrews chapter 2, let's just jump right into it. 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:27.599 If you have your Bibles, you can open up to that or it's on the screen. 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:54.000 So, Hebrews 2, 14 and 15, since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things that through death he might destroy, and this is Jesus Christ, he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 00:02:54.879 --> 00:03:03.039 So there in verse 15 it's saying it's possible to have such fear of death that your entire life you live afraid. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:15.520 But our first point is quite relieving, and that is Christ brings you victory over death and is with you in all your fear of death. 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:16.719 And that's good news. 00:03:16.879 --> 00:03:20.479 It's good news that the devil doesn't hold the final word over us. 00:03:21.039 --> 00:03:22.000 You will die. 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:23.199 I will die. 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:26.879 This is going to be a shared human experience that all of us will go through. 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:28.879 There's no escaping this. 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:32.240 And I bet you're still like me. 00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:38.639 Even if you believe in a heaven that's like completed, full joy to the fullest extent beyond measure. 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:45.759 That's what we believe about the afterlife in Christ, and yet, and yet it's still easy to be afraid of dying, right? 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:58.240 It's still easy to be driving down the road and be afraid all of a sudden and be kind of paralyzed that what if that car swerved, or what if I swerved, and what if this happened, and what if that drowning happened, and what if the test results came back? 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:01.360 We're afraid of all sorts of things. 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:05.680 Four months ago, I was afraid of uh my Amazon packages. 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:08.240 Were y'all afraid of your Amazon packages four months ago? 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:09.759 I was I was afraid, right? 00:04:09.919 --> 00:04:16.879 I didn't know if COVID was on the cardboard, and I was out on the front porch, I was wiping down every piece of mail and every cardboard package. 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:17.920 Maybe you're still doing that. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:18.399 I don't know. 00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:20.560 Fine, you're cleaning it, that'd be okay. 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:23.920 Christy was laughing at me while I was doing that, but I was doing it. 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:27.920 Yeah, I was I was in that phase and I was cleaning that, right? 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:33.360 Now I'm not afraid of my Amazon packages anymore, but I still have plenty of fear and plenty of issues. 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:38.639 Um I got curious this week about sort of like common fears, and so here's some very common specific fears. 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:40.000 We're gonna do a little quiz. 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:44.240 I'll show you a picture up on the screens, and then you can guess. 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:47.439 Don't shout it out because we're supposed to have the mask and not the shouting thing. 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:48.399 So just think in yourself. 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:49.519 You can keep your own score. 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:52.720 All right, so we won't do the shouting game like we used to do. 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:55.199 So here's uh number, here's here's the first picture. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:57.040 See if you know what this fear is. 00:04:57.199 --> 00:04:59.839 That's not number one, that would be number four, but we'll go with that. 00:04:59.920 --> 00:05:01.120 There's number one. 00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:05.519 Okay, claustrophobia, right? 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:07.199 I mean, has anybody been caving? 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:08.000 You ever gotten stuck? 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:09.360 There's a horrible feeling. 00:05:09.519 --> 00:05:10.639 All right, here's the second one. 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:12.639 These are gonna get harder as we go, by the way. 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:15.839 So this is uh lightning, fear of lightning and thunder. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:17.199 I didn't know I had a term. 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:21.279 I've actually felt this fear before, I didn't know how to term astrophobia. 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:24.160 Okay, here's another one. 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:32.720 This has a term to be afraid of someone on stilts or a clown, both of those. 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:34.560 That's chlorophobia. 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:38.959 And then the last one is not fear of Jim Carrey, but fear of beards. 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:40.480 That's a thing. 00:05:40.560 --> 00:05:42.560 Maybe if you have a beard, you've seen this. 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:46.000 It's pogonophobia, that's a term, and that's a fear. 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:47.839 So we have lots of fears, right? 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:51.759 And we're not even mentioning like the really, really common fears. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:56.399 Jerry Seinfeld, my favorite favorite kind of philosopher, he says this about fear. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:06:00.879 According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:04.000 That's why I'm just paralyzed every Sunday morning. 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:06.000 People's number one fear is public speaking. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:07.360 Number two is death. 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:08.879 Death is number two. 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:10.399 Does that sound right? 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:18.959 This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. 00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:20.160 Right? 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:21.600 What a crazy thing. 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:23.199 Like, that's what fear can do. 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:26.800 Fear can move us into crazy positions, but we have fear. 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:29.519 We all have fear, and it's natural to fear death. 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:32.160 That's a lot of the reason why we don't talk about it. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:33.600 Because we just fear it. 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:34.879 We all have it. 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:37.439 And fear can create anxiety. 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:40.879 And in anxiety, we do all sorts of crazy stuff. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:49.519 Here's what Chip Dodd, a counselor and author, he says about the way that we employ self-sufficiency for fear and death. 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:58.959 Here's what he says: our solution of self-sufficiency that we use to stop fear actually produces more anxiety. 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:18.480 Because in order to control anxiety, we focus on preventing rejection, humiliation, failure, not being acknowledged for our achievements, not performing to someone else's standard, not being loved, and all the things in our future we cannot touch. 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:27.360 The solution of control over anxiety will inevitably increase anxiety because we cannot acquire enough control. 00:07:27.920 --> 00:07:30.079 Anxiety misinforms us. 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:34.879 It says for us to control when we need to let go. 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:38.079 Maybe that resonates. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:45.439 I think the list of fears there in the middle of that quote resonates a lot more than being afraid of a beard or afraid of a clown. 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:47.120 Here's what happened to me last week. 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:50.639 Christian and I, we were watching this Netflix movie, kind of a Hallmarky movie. 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:51.759 It's called The Lost Husband. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:53.600 Has anybody seen The Lost Husband? 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:57.199 It was, we had to search for it, somebody recommended it, didn't just like pop up. 00:07:57.279 --> 00:07:59.600 And so it's kind of a Hallmark type movie on Netflix. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:02.959 It's sad and then gets sweet, it's kind of that normal arc. 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:05.759 You kind of know where it's headed and you enjoy it the whole way. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:13.839 And I won't ruin the movie, but the entire premise is based on a wife, a mom, two kids, and the husband, the dad, has passed away. 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:14.800 I didn't ruin the movie. 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:18.319 That's the premise, and it's them kind of moving on with their lives. 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:21.040 And I'll just be honest, that'll mess me up. 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:23.439 That will mess me up. 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:32.960 Like watching that movie, watching that mom, like like having to deal with that and get over that, and those kids, and you're like, well, man, like what if that happened to me? 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:34.960 And I'm not afraid of dying. 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:41.519 I think that could be quite an adventure to see what's on the other side, but I'm really afraid of not being here. 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:46.960 And that could enslave us. 00:08:47.919 --> 00:09:03.039 And yet, the promise that we have in Jesus in these verses is that the God who died and experienced that and rose again to conquer death, he actually understands our fear of death. 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:05.039 He understands all that fear. 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:07.440 And he can empathize with us. 00:09:07.759 --> 00:09:19.039 God, the creator of the world, can empathize with us as to deliver us from that fear, so we can experience the fear and not be enslaved to it. 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:20.720 Verses 16 through 18. 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:25.919 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:40.240 Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:48.080 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:58.240 So point number two is this Christ mercifully understands your temptations and relates to you with compassion. 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:07.360 The context here is powerful because it's talking about this high priest position, which had almost become like a political position back at the time. 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:09.440 They made sacrifices in the temple. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:14.240 They weren't really in touch or really cared all that much with the common person. 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:17.200 And it's easy to think God is like that. 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:19.120 Kind of this religious figure that's off. 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:24.399 He's not really in touch with your day-to-day life, like your actual anxieties, your actual fears. 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:28.559 He operates things, but he doesn't necessarily want to relate with you. 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:44.559 And this passage actually says, no, he was actually made like you, not sinful, but experiencing all the temptation and knowing it, as to be able to be compassionate toward you and walk with you and have empathy toward you. 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:46.960 He knows the weakness of temptation. 00:10:47.200 --> 00:10:48.799 He knows the burden. 00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:51.759 Even while he was sinless. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:11:00.559 Merciful, that word merciful means to help the afflicted, to help one seeking aid, to help the wretched. 00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:02.799 This is who God is. 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:14.960 That even though we can't hold it all together, even though we can't hold it all together, our sin moves his heart toward compassion, not anger. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:20.399 God inside of himself settled all payment for sin and guilt. 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:22.720 This is Jesus on the cross. 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:26.080 And he sides with you against your sin. 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:28.960 That's amazing news. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:31.600 In this way, Jesus is our advocate. 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:34.080 That's a word that maybe you remember from 1 John. 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:36.000 Last year we studied 1 John. 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:39.120 1 John chapter 2, verses 1 and 2. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:44.000 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:51.919 But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:59.279 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:05.440 About 20 years ago, I was a juror on a court case out in Gwinnett County, and I was a juror on a court case. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:07.600 I thought that was in college or just out of college. 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:11.519 It was a weeklong case, all week, sat in that booth and listened to everything. 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:22.879 And it was a lady who had been injured while working, and so she was suing her employer and thus her employer's insurance company because she was saying her injury was based on neglect from the employer. 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:27.519 And so the whole thing was actually her lying, and that came out in the court case. 00:12:27.840 --> 00:12:29.120 But she sat there all week. 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:31.279 She sat there, she barely talked. 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:35.519 But she had a lawyer next to her, and the lawyer talked a lot. 00:12:35.759 --> 00:12:40.399 The lawyer handled all the procedures, the lawyer was working for her. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:51.519 And even while she was she was lying, the whole court case was based on some fabrications, the lawyer sat next to her as her advocate. 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:54.320 That's what an advocate does. 00:12:54.879 --> 00:13:00.000 So point number three is this God is the ultimate helper for your soul. 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:06.799 That word advocate in 1 John 2, 1 is the word paraclete, means to represent in a legal matter. 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:10.559 So it means whatever they achieve, you achieve. 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:12.720 Maybe you remember this quote. 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:17.759 This is what we read back last year when we studied this word, theologian Charles Hodge. 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:23.840 The relationship of Christ to his people is that of a legal advocate to a client. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:27.279 The former personates the latter. 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:30.799 The lawyer stands in the client's place. 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:34.159 It is, while it lasts, the most intimate of relationships. 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:36.960 You may not even have to appear in court. 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:44.480 You are not heard, you are not regarded, you are lost in your advocate, who for the time being is your representative. 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:47.279 The advocate, not you, is seen. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:50.399 The advocate, not you, is heard. 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.519 The advocate, not you, is regarded. 00:13:54.399 --> 00:14:07.039 And then John follows that thought about Jesus being our advocate, so we can be imperfect, and yet because of Christ's death and his blood for us, and that we are forgiven and righteous, we're in perfect relationship with God. 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:10.159 That God has settled this problem within himself. 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:17.039 And the word that we get that is that is being done for us here is propitiation. 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:18.559 That's the word in 1 John. 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:22.000 It's also the word in Hebrews chapter 2 that we read, propitiation. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:25.519 And it's a sacrifice given to appease an angry God. 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:38.799 Now, a lot of us could get stuck on the fact that God could be angry, but what this word means is that God has settled within himself not to be angry at us, but to be gentle and to be compassionate. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:45.360 So there's three gospel implications, I think, three gospel implications perhaps for our lives. 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:53.039 Number one is this because of Christ's compassion toward you, you don't have to hide your fear from him. 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:55.600 Is it that good news? 00:14:56.399 --> 00:14:59.679 That you don't have to pretend like you don't have any fear of death. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:02.879 You don't have to pretend like that's a lack of faith. 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.440 That you can be honest about that. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:15.360 There's no amount of mess, there's no amount of weakness of faith or lack of faith that Christ is not compelled to even greater compassion toward you. 00:15:16.159 --> 00:15:19.519 And this is what allows an honest relationship with God. 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:28.080 That our relationship with Him has been based on what He is giving to us in His grace, not what we bring into the relationship. 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:37.200 Number two is this without guilt or legalism, without guilt or legalism, you get to create a contemplative practice of communing with Christ. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:39.679 Isn't that good news? 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:41.759 Even the preface is important. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:48.879 It's not guilt motivated, it's not being legalistic enough to be in the relationship, but we get to create this practice. 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:52.159 My wife's all about early morning, I'm about mid-morning. 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:55.279 I don't like to sit still, I'd rather go for a walk. 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:59.919 I would imagine for you it's gonna have something to do with prayer, something stillness, something with scripture reading. 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:12.720 It's gonna have something to do with those elements, getting yourself in positions where your heart's opening up before the Lord to remember who you are, and allowing the Holy Spirit that's inside of you to minister to you. 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:16.399 And we won't be perfect with it. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:23.279 But that doesn't mean you're less loved or less of a Christian, it just means that the next day you need to do it again. 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:32.080 Number three, without fear, you can be at home in Christ's advocacy for you. 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:44.320 He's not waiting to strike you because of your temptation, or because of your fear of death, or because you have uh less faith than you feel like you had yesterday. 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:46.159 He's not waiting to strike you. 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:50.720 Your erratic emotions or your crazy thoughts, they're not too much for him. 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:51.840 Amen? 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:55.519 He's not growing tired of you. 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:57.440 You're not too little for him. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:16:59.919 You don't have to become better for him. 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:10.079 Without fear, without any fear of being too much or too little, without any fear, we can be at home in Christ's advocacy for us. 00:17:10.960 --> 00:17:17.519 Church, we get to rest in Jesus, who is truly enough for us. 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:20.000 He truly is enough. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:21.200 He's that good. 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:22.400 Let's pray together. 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:30.480 God, we thank you that you have provided for us the way into relationship with you, your grace to us in Jesus. 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:35.279 We are so grateful to be a receiving people. 00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:41.920 God help us even more to be more enamored by your gospel to us. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:46.480 May our lives be in response and reflection to it. 00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:55.440 May we live in greater freedom of the fear of death, not because we don't have it, but because we don't have to be enslaved trying to overcome it. 00:17:56.480 --> 00:18:01.279 May we fall back on you who have experienced the same temptation. 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:03.759 You know our fear. 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:05.920 You know our feebleness. 00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:09.359 Thank you that you hold compassion to us. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:13.200 And may this be our very freedom. 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:14.640 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:15.519 Amen.