WEBVTT 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:09.519 Welcome to this week's podcast by Celebration Church Laratoga. 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:14.800 We believe this message will empower and equip you to live a life of breakthrough. 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:16.559 Thanks for joining us. 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:21.039 Hey, good morning, church. 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:22.800 How are we doing this morning? 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:25.679 Great to be in God's house. 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:30.960 Come on, we gotta get excited about living. 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:37.119 If you're here and your hand's not clapping, then let's hope it's clapping by the end of the service. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:43.280 But uh no, it's great to be here on Father's Day, and we do want to extend a special honor uh to our fathers. 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:47.039 And uh man, where would we be without our dads? 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:52.320 Like, quite literally, like we wouldn't be alive without a dad in some form of some way. 00:00:52.479 --> 00:01:14.159 So uh it's it's great to be alive, and uh, but I do want to really honor uh our father of the house, uh Pastor Jonathan, uh and a dad uh who really I see the behind the scenes of dad's life, and dad is a man of prayer, a man of utmost integrity. 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:20.879 Uh, I've never seen a thing where dad preaches one thing and then you know, when he gets home, he's you know living in a double standard. 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:22.319 It's never, ever, ever like that. 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:29.439 Dad is who he says he is, he's a man of integrity uh and a man of deep devotion and commitment to building God's kingdom. 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:37.040 And I am uh I think we should give dad a big hand for his leadership for our church family, his prayer. 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:40.400 And I'll tell you what, man, like dad is a man of prayer. 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:48.079 And uh you'll be surprised the little things that happen in the church, or someone's going through something that you might think is insignificant that dad's actually praying for. 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:52.640 And uh, he cares for the sheep, he cares for uh those in our church deeply. 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:55.680 And so I really want to thank you, Dad, and honor you. 00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:57.680 We're doing well. 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:01.439 How many people are ready to hear to the word of the Lord this morning? 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:02.959 Awesome. 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:08.400 The title of my sermon this morning is It Should Have Been Me. 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:11.120 It should have been me. 00:02:11.759 --> 00:02:13.439 Let's close our eyes and let's pray. 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:16.319 Father, we thank you for your goodness, Lord. 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:19.520 Lord, we want to honor your presence here this morning. 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:22.560 Holy Spirit, we invite you to come and have your way. 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:24.560 We thank you that you are already here, Lord. 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:30.159 Your word promises where two or three are gathered in your name, Jesus, there you will be in our midst. 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:33.439 And we thank you, Jesus, you are here in our midst. 00:02:33.599 --> 00:02:36.960 And Holy Spirit, we welcome you, we honor your presence in this room. 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:40.560 And we declare this morning no spirit but the Holy Spirit. 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:50.240 Father, we declare from the front, the back, the left, and the right, we declare that in the name of Jesus be glorified and that every heart come into the power and the dominion of the Holy Spirit this morning. 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:52.639 Right now, I release the spirit of understanding. 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:57.280 Lord, open our eyes to see, open our ears to hear in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:00.560 Father, we pray, let us hear your words this morning. 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:02.639 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:03.520 Amen. 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:04.400 Awesome. 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:10.879 If you've got your Bibles here this morning, let's turn to the book of Romans, chapter 6, verse 23. 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:16.000 And like I said, I'm preaching this morning that it should have been me. 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:18.080 It should have been me. 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:30.800 Romans chapter 6, verse 23 says this for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:35.199 The wages of our sin is death. 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:37.919 Is death. 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:43.680 There is a wage that each and every one of us have earned, and it's death. 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:47.120 Starting on a high note this morning. 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:51.280 But I want to tell you this that sin is a death sentence. 00:03:53.520 --> 00:04:16.160 When we violate God's law, okay, when we tell a lie, a fib, right, when we steal something, when we gossip about someone, when we look at a woman or a man with lustful thoughts or imaginations, when we respond in violence, when we are corrupt in our heart, whatever it is, if it violates the word of God, we have earned something. 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:18.560 We've earned a wage, right? 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:22.319 Everyone loves to talk about minimum wage being increased in the Cook Islands. 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:28.079 There's a greater wage you need to be concerned about, and it's the wage of your sin. 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:36.000 And each and every one of us who have sinned, and how many people have sinned here? 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:39.439 How many people have told a lie in this building? 00:04:40.160 --> 00:04:43.439 Yeah, if your hand is not up, you just told a lie. 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:45.040 So welcome to the club. 00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:47.279 Okay, we've all told a lie, right? 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:50.079 We've all fallen short, we've all stolen something. 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:58.079 You know, it might be something small like a pen or you know, five bucks out of your mama's purse, whatever. 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:07.120 That's kind of like the lowest of the lows, but whatever big, small, in between, okay, we have all fallen short of God's perfect standard. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:10.560 That means this that we have earned a wage. 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:16.720 And the Bible says in Romans chapter 6 that the wages of our sin is death. 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:20.240 Not death here on earth, but death in the life to come. 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:22.959 It doesn't mean like if you tell a lie, bang, you're gone. 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:25.360 Oh man, that guy crashed on a bike, he must have sinned. 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:26.639 No, that's not how it works. 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:27.199 Okay. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:30.879 It's talking about an eternal death. 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:40.720 We have this life here on earth, which probably on average is about 80 or so years, but we will die here on earth and we will go into a thing called eternity. 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:42.720 Eternity does not end. 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:45.120 There is no end to eternity. 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:49.360 There's no, okay, after a thousand years, two thousand years, well done, mate, you're finished. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:51.279 Come back to earth, reincarnate. 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:55.920 All right, you lived a good life, you get to be a dolphin, you lived a bad life, you get to be a broccoli. 00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:00.480 That's not how it works, okay? 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:04.480 Once we die here on earth, that is it. 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:07.759 And we go to one of two places. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:15.600 We either go to heaven with God, or we go to hell with the devil and his kingdom. 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:25.439 The Bible says the wages of our sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:29.519 So God has made a way for us. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:36.480 There's no such thing as a harmless sin. 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:38.879 A little white lie. 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:45.839 It's like saying this that you know, you got a cup of water and it's all good because there's only one drop of poison in it. 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:48.240 That one over there has got a thousand drops of poison. 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:48.879 Don't drink that one. 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:52.079 But this one over here has only got one drop, you'll be fine. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:58.800 It doesn't matter if you have the one drop or you have the thousand drops, either cup you take, you will die. 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:01.199 Because there's one drop of poison. 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:04.160 If we have sinned once, we are no longer perfect. 00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:06.240 Heaven is a perfect place. 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:10.319 There is no imperfect thing that can get into heaven. 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:17.680 If you and I somehow, some way got into heaven without being perfect, what would heaven become? 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:19.680 Heaven would become imperfect. 00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:20.079 Why? 00:07:20.160 --> 00:07:21.360 Because we're there. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:24.480 So we can't get into heaven on our own merit. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:31.600 We have to have someone who is perfect to take our place and sacrifice his life for us. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:36.079 And this is exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us. 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:39.839 That He took our place when it should have been me. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:42.000 My death. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:45.839 The wages of sin is death. 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:51.519 My eternal death was taken on that cross by the Lord Jesus Christ and He made a way. 00:07:51.759 --> 00:08:03.839 And it was by the stripes and the beating and the blood that was shed of the Lord Jesus Christ that we can have a provision to get into heaven through the sacrifice and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:08.560 I'm here today, today, to preach the truth. 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:13.439 How many people want to hear the truth? 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:17.040 We've got to want to hear the truth. 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:42.720 I mean, like if you go to the doctor, and let's say you've got some pain in your stomach, and you go to the doctor and they do some scans, send away some tests, and they see those results come back in, and they realize that you've got stage four pancreatic cancer, and they're thinking, My goodness, this man or this woman's got about three months to live. 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:43.919 But you know what? 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:49.200 Because I'm a doctor that really cares for this person's emotions, I don't want to trouble them. 00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:52.720 I don't want to make them feel uncomfortable, right? 00:08:52.799 --> 00:08:55.039 I don't I don't want to make them feel burdened about this. 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:55.679 You know what? 00:08:55.759 --> 00:09:00.720 I'm just gonna go back into that room and I'm going to tell them that everything's gonna be okay. 00:09:01.679 --> 00:09:03.679 Would that doctor be a good doctor? 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:04.799 Absolutely not. 00:09:04.960 --> 00:09:12.080 Fire that doctor on the spot because he is lying or twisting the truth to make you feel better. 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:16.080 If that happened to you, you would leave that doctor's room feeling quite good. 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:20.960 Oh mate, I'm doing well, everything's all good, life's gonna work out. 00:09:21.200 --> 00:09:33.279 But the feelings that you are going through have absolutely no bearing on the condition of your stomach, and that in four months' time you will die if nothing is dealt with. 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:37.200 Because the condition has not changed by our emotions. 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:43.759 So if I'm gonna preach to you today, this morning, you know what, brother, you know what, sister, God loves you, everything's gonna be okay. 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:47.679 You don't have to do anything, don't worry about how don't even mention that mention that word. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:49.600 That's too that that makes us feel uncomfortable. 00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:51.039 Let's not say that in church. 00:09:51.200 --> 00:09:54.720 All right, rub you on the back, have a peanut slab, go about your way. 00:09:54.960 --> 00:10:00.480 Okay, if I was to do that to you, I would be an irresponsible preacher of the gospel. 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:06.799 In fact, I would be responsible for your deception. 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:12.399 So this morning I am preaching the truth because I care about your eternity. 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:17.679 It might not be easy, it might be like, man, this guy is firing some bullets this morning. 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:36.799 I would rather you leave this building burdened and concerned about your eternal state to do something if you're not right with God, than to leave this place thinking that everything's gonna be okay, but then when you stand before God, you realize, uh-oh, my life wasn't right and it's too late. 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:42.240 There's a statement that I like to say, shock me now, but don't shock me then. 00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:43.360 Wake me up now. 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:46.720 If I'm not right with God now, please, Lord, open my eyes. 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:56.879 Teach me through your word, but Lord, please don't wake me up then when I stand before you, because when I stand before you, it's going to be too late, and there's nothing I could do to go back and change my life. 00:10:57.120 --> 00:11:00.480 So I'm here to say this morning, let me shock you now. 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:04.000 If you're not right with God, it's time to wake up. 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:08.879 It's time to live for Jesus because it should have been us on that cross. 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:21.120 But Christ made a way, He died on the cross for our place, He was the sacrifice, pure, holy, and righteous, that we might live free from our sin. 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:24.000 Do I get an amen in the house of God? 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:27.519 All right, you and I have a debt. 00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:34.399 We are totally, completely indebted, and it's a moral debt that we could never, ever, ever repay. 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:38.080 You can't become perfect again, right? 00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:42.480 Once we've done one thing that has violated God's law, we are no longer perfect. 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:59.519 If you go down to the soccer field and you're shooting at the goal, taking penalty goals, you're going for a hundred and you get to your 99th goal, you get that, you've hit 99 in a row, and you come to your 100th, you hit the crossbar, it bounces off, and you miss. 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:02.000 You are no longer perfect. 00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:06.080 Your record is 1% short of perfection. 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:13.200 No matter what, you could do another thousand goals and get all of those in, but because you missed that one, you are no longer perfect. 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:17.440 Each and every one of us that have sinned once are no longer perfect. 00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:23.200 And we have violated this, as the scripture says, all of the word of God if we've violated one law. 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:32.159 That's why we need a savior to take our place, who never violated the law once, but totally and completely fulfilled the law. 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:34.320 This is the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:37.279 And I want to say this is the good news of the gospel. 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:40.559 We can't understand the good news until we realize the bad news. 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:42.320 So I started with the bad news. 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:45.440 Okay, so you realize, oh my gosh, I need the good news. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:57.039 And the good news is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that by his amazing grace, he has delivered us, set us free, and washed us if we turn to him. 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:00.879 He paid the highest price for our salvation. 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:06.399 Our God is a God of tremendous love, of tremendous mercy and grace. 00:13:06.639 --> 00:13:28.320 Like this is the most amazing news in all of human history that God Almighty was willing to humble himself and become a man, fully God and fully man, and live a perfect, sinless, spotless life 2,000 years ago and die on the cross, and three days later rise from the dead and pay for our sin. 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:34.639 The ransom for our rescue was paid by the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:44.320 That once and for all our sin was nailed to that cross, and by faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be redeemed. 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:45.919 This is the good news. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:51.120 How many people are grateful for the cross of Calvary and the resurrection? 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:55.600 Our God is a God that triumphed over death. 00:13:55.919 --> 00:14:05.200 The Bible says this that Christ made a public spectacle of the kingdom of darkness on that cross by dying for our sin. 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:07.519 He was on that cross. 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:09.679 The enemy thought he has won, he had won. 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:19.200 People were laughing at him, mocking at him, saying, Oh, ripping out his bed, putting a bag over his head, punching his face, saying, You know, you're king. 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:22.240 You say your king, prophesy, who's punching you? 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:24.799 Jesus knew exactly who was punching him. 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:28.480 He knew exactly the details of that man's life. 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:31.840 He knew the number of hairs on that man's head that was punching him. 00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:34.159 He knew the sin that he had committed the night before. 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:38.080 He knew the day that he was born, he knew the day that he would die, he knew every detail. 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:40.559 But he did not say one thing. 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:45.120 But he was a humble lamb that went to the slaughter lowly. 00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:54.240 He could have got off that cross and smited every single one of those men, brought down a legion of angels and be like, You really want to show I'll show you what's up. 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:57.200 Oh, oh, oh, you really want to see, I'll show you. 00:14:57.279 --> 00:15:10.720 But no, because of the humility of Christ and the lowliness of his heart, he was willing to endure the suffering and the beating of the cross because of the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross. 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:12.799 That's what the Bible says. 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:14.320 What is the joy? 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:17.440 The joy is our reconciliation to the Father. 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:35.039 You know, he thought about you on that cross, he thought about all of humanity, and he took our place on that cross that our sin could be washed and cleansed, and that we could be reconciled back to God once again. 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:43.679 This is the amazing good news of the gospel that Christ died instead of us when it should have been me. 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:45.840 It should have been us. 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:48.559 What God does this? 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:54.240 Like God is in heaven receiving all the glory. 00:15:54.480 --> 00:16:01.279 Isaiah 6 talks about the throne room of God where the seraphim are crying day and night, night and day, 24-7. 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:06.559 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and is to come. 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:10.480 It says the pillars in the throne room are shaking at the sound of their voices. 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:22.639 That means that they are ex that they are screaming at the top of their lungs with praise and adoration, so much so that the throne room of heaven and the pillars are shaking. 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:38.240 And God, Christ Jesus, comes out of that, steps, puts off the glory that he was receiving, and comes down and humbles himself as a baby in a manger and attaches himself to humanity. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:41.039 This is the incredible love of God. 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:55.360 That in our deep, depraved, wicked state, he was willing to stretch down and humble himself and pull us up out of the miry clay, pull us out out of the deepest, darkest pit and save us from our sin. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.480 Hallelujah for the work of the cross. 00:16:58.799 --> 00:16:59.840 Praise God. 00:17:00.799 --> 00:17:03.200 Praise God for his incredible love. 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:06.960 And I'll tell you this morning: this is a God of burning love. 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:14.880 So many other religions are all about man paying the greatest price to get to God. 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:20.640 Christianity is all about God paying the greatest price to get to man. 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:29.920 It's completely reversed when our God would step down and come to us and humble himself to pull us up. 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:35.680 It's not about us trying to earn it, not about us trying to prove it, not about us trying to tick all the boxes. 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:38.559 Yep, I went to church 50 weeks out of 52 this year. 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:39.440 I should be good. 00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:40.319 No, no. 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:43.920 It's about the price that was paid on the cross of Calvary. 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:48.799 Nothing that we could earn, nothing that we could do to, you know, somehow sneak our way in. 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:50.720 Oh, yep, you've done a good job, mate. 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:55.039 You wore your suit and tie, and it was washed every week. 00:17:55.519 --> 00:17:56.559 You're in. 00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:59.359 That's not how it works. 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:10.960 You know, if I just stop drinking alcohol, and if I just stop smoking, and if I just stop looking at unclean images, then I will be saved. 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:12.559 That's not how this thing works. 00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:15.599 There's nothing that you could do or I could do to earn this. 00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:20.480 The Bible says this our righteousness is as filthy rags before God. 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:28.480 That means the very, very best moment of your life when you cross that street to give money to that homeless man and you gave all the money in your pocket. 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:36.880 There's a few hundred bucks that you just uh bought, you got to the ATM, you took out that money, and you're gonna buy a new pair of shoes, and you said, you know what, forget that shoes, forget those shoes. 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:39.519 I'm gonna give this money to that poor man. 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:42.000 What an awesome moment. 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:47.359 The Bible says this that was like filthy rags before God's pure status. 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:50.480 That's how holy and righteous God is. 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:54.720 So much higher, so much better, he is spotless with that imperfection. 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:56.319 His motivations are pure. 00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:59.920 You know, when we give something to someone, sometimes our motivations aren't right. 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:01.119 Are they watching? 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:01.599 Are they watching? 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:03.359 Oh no, hang on, give me a few minutes. 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:05.119 Oh no, they're watching. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:05.920 Here we go. 00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:08.559 All right, or or we do it so like we know. 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:10.400 I I know that guy's got some land. 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:18.160 If I uh bake him a cake, he might sign this paper. 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:19.279 All right? 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:25.920 The motivation of that gift was not pure, it was I'm doing this with a little string attached. 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:30.880 Okay, so sometimes in our very best moments, it's still corrupt, it's still impure. 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:33.839 God has no impurity, no corruption. 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:37.200 It's holy, righteous all the way through. 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:47.839 Our very best falls well, well short of the Lord and the standard that is required for perfection. 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:53.680 And this is why Christ stood down to humanity to die for our place. 00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:58.000 He died instead of us, that we would be saved. 00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:04.319 Our God is truly, truly, truly, absolutely incredible. 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:08.240 Like I don't even have the words to do him justice. 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:12.079 My very, very best vocabulary in English falls way short. 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:14.880 I could learn every language in the world. 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:25.440 Be fluent in every language, know every adjective, every descriptive word, and it would always fall short of God's glory. 00:20:26.400 --> 00:20:29.440 He is so much better, so much more righteous, so much more holy. 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:31.279 He is truly indescribable. 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:36.000 In fact, that's probably the best word we could use to describe God is indescribable. 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:39.920 Is that we can't describe God's glory. 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:45.039 I can't fit the God of the heavens and the earth into my mere mouth and try to describe him. 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:47.599 He is better, he is higher, he is greater. 00:20:47.839 --> 00:20:53.119 Isaiah says this that his ways are higher than our ways, his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:58.400 He is he is he is so much better, so much right more righteous and holy and glorious. 00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:06.319 But this is the most amazing thing that this God stood down into humanity so that he could have a relationship with you. 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:16.880 He didn't just die to wipe your sins away, he died, rose again to wipe your sins and then bring you into fellowship with him. 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:22.000 That every day of your life you can spend time with him and he will be with you. 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:29.440 And even better than that, he promises to indwell you by his Holy Spirit, that he fills our heart. 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:36.960 If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and repented from your sin, the Holy Spirit has filled your heart. 00:21:37.119 --> 00:21:41.119 You are spirit-filled, you are filled by the Holy Spirit. 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:48.720 This is the most amazing thing that the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of you. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:54.720 What an honor! What an absolute honor! What a privilege. 00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:59.599 Our God is an awesome God, He is truly one. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:02.000 In every single way. 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:06.880 And I want to say this this morning: the cross is more than a symbol. 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:09.920 It's more than a chain around someone's neck. 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:11.759 It's more than a piece of jewelry. 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:16.000 It's more than a symbol at the top of the church building. 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:20.559 The cross is the greatest expression of love. 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:28.400 There is nothing better, nothing higher, no other better symbol of love than the cross of Calvary. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:32.400 That God would die for our place. 00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:35.359 That there is love through and through. 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:37.359 The Bible says that God is love. 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:40.000 He doesn't just have love, he is love. 00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:42.240 He is the very definition of love. 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:46.640 When people say like I love you, a lot of the time it's got mixture in there. 00:22:46.799 --> 00:22:49.920 A lot of the time is I love you because what you do for me. 00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:52.559 I love you for the way that you make me feel. 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:54.720 But that's not how God works. 00:22:55.039 --> 00:23:00.160 He loves us because he loves us, because he is love. 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:01.839 This is the God that we serve. 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:04.480 He is incredible, holy, and righteous. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:15.119 John chapter 15, verse 13 says this greater love no one has than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:24.640 There is no greater expression of love than the price that was paid on the cross of Calvary when Christ gave his life down for humanity. 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:27.680 This is the single greatest expression of love. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:33.839 These aren't empty words when God says that He loved the world. 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:36.799 No, but He proved it with His own blood. 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:39.440 He has proved His love. 00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:40.720 He loves us. 00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:42.960 Romans chapter 5, verse 6. 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:50.240 For while we were still helpless at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:54.640 For one will hardly die for a righteous person. 00:23:55.039 --> 00:24:00.240 Though perhaps for the good person, someone would even dare to die. 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:08.960 But God demonstrates his own love toward us, and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:30.000 But this is the love of God that while we were in a wicked, depraved, evil, carnal, ungodly state, he died for us. 00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:36.559 Nothing that we did that was worthy of that death, but it was because of his love. 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:41.519 He died for the worst of sinners. 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:47.039 He died for those that are deeply depraved and wicked and are locked up in prison. 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:50.799 The ones that the world rejects and says, mate, you you're gone. 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:53.200 We don't want you around anymore. 00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:57.039 Christ died for that sin. 00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:00.160 And this is the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. 00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:06.480 That as far as the East is from the West, He removes our iniquity from us, the Bible says. 00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:21.200 Sometimes we have this idea, we're like, yeah, God can forgive like the moderate sins, but you know the like extreme stuff, that really bad stuff we see on the news, that person is not worthy of forgiveness. 00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:27.279 Shut the door, lock him up, throw away the key, that guy's gone. 00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:28.799 But guess what? 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:37.920 You and I are just as bad because we have dropped that one drop of poison in our glass. 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:39.920 They may have done a thousand. 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:42.960 All of us have fallen short of the glory of God. 00:25:43.200 --> 00:25:47.519 We can't look down on other people and say, like, oh yeah, mate, that guy deserves hell. 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:48.000 Not me. 00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:48.720 I'm pretty good. 00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:49.680 I'm a good guy. 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:52.319 But that guy is not, no, that's not how this thing works. 00:25:52.559 --> 00:25:54.640 We've all fallen short of perfection. 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:58.640 And if we've violated one law, the Bible says we've violated every law. 00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:07.200 So we're just as bad as the person that's locked up for life or they're on death row for their grievous, wicked, depraved crimes. 00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:12.480 I'm gonna tell you this: the power of the blood of Jesus Christ is greater. 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:19.119 And he forgives and he washes and he cleanses, and there is mercy for you today. 00:26:19.279 --> 00:26:21.440 It doesn't matter what you've done, where you've been. 00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:26.160 You say, look, I've violated so many laws, I've sinned so many times, I don't think I can. 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:29.839 No, I'm gonna tell you the blood of Jesus Christ is greater than what you've ever done. 00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:32.559 To forgive you, to wash you, to cleanse you. 00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:37.839 This is the good news is that God has forgiven us of our sin. 00:26:39.119 --> 00:26:40.960 And he has paid the price. 00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:50.720 One drop of the blood of Jesus Christ will set you free, will forgive you, will wipe you clean. 00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:53.359 As white as snow. 00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:56.160 Forgiving us. 00:26:56.400 --> 00:27:02.160 The Bible says this that he casts our sins into the sea, the depths of the sea. 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:04.000 He gets rid of them. 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:13.200 He washes us clean, he purifies us so that we are now a new creation in Christ Jesus. 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:20.000 You know, here's the crazy thing is that God doesn't need you. 00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:21.839 He wants you. 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:29.680 God doesn't need Zach, He doesn't need Zach's worship, He doesn't need your worship, but He wants you. 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:32.880 What an amazing truth. 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:34.640 Like God is self-sufficient. 00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:35.680 What does that mean? 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:42.160 God's not in heaven waiting for Sunday morning when all the churches around the world are gonna give him some praise. 00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:49.039 Oh, I need this, I need my fix so that they'll, you know, he's like in on his throne, insecure, waiting for people to praise him. 00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:57.920 No, God is fully self-sufficient, he has no need, he doesn't need our worship, he's not waiting for us, just please give me something good. 00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:03.680 No, he's self-sufficient, he's satisfied within himself, right? 00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:16.160 But this is the crazy thing is that he wants you, he desires you, he doesn't need you, but he wants you to come, and he wants you so much that he died for you to come. 00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:22.799 He took your place so that you could come in and not just have an average life. 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:27.599 No, he died that you would have life and life more abundantly, John 10 10 says. 00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:37.440 That we would have an abundant life in Christ Jesus, that we would go on this incredible journey with the Lord Jesus Christ, that he would satisfy every longing in our heart, every desire. 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:45.119 He would set us free from our sin, he would set us free from our fears, our iniquities, he would set us free from anxiety, from what other people think about you. 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:50.960 When you're walking down the street, you're not concerned about what other people are thinking because Christ has done a work in your heart. 00:28:51.200 --> 00:29:03.440 He didn't just save you from your sin, but he brought you up on the rock so that you'll be whole, that you'll be secure, that you'll be confident in Christ Jesus, and he will bless you and he'll pour out his abundant goodness on your life. 00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:08.319 I want to tell you, it gets better and better and better and better with Jesus. 00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:11.920 Praise God. 00:29:12.319 --> 00:29:13.359 Praise God. 00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:19.039 Sometimes we have this messed up idea that God is boring. 00:29:21.279 --> 00:29:22.240 God's boring. 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:23.920 You know, I don't really want to go to church today. 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:28.960 I'd rather watch Netflix, I'd rather be scrolling on TikTok, I'd rather you know be sleeping in. 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:38.240 You know, it's like a duty for us to come to church, or it's a duty for us to go to a prayer meeting, or it's like some like hard discipline to pick up the word and pray. 00:29:38.319 --> 00:29:39.680 And it's like we have to do this. 00:29:39.839 --> 00:29:41.759 I want to tell you, you know what that is? 00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:43.599 That is religion. 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:56.240 Where it's about doing the works, but it is not about the burning relationship with God, where your heart is lit up for Jesus, where your heart is filled with excitement and joy, and you're just like, praise God, I can't wait to be with you, God. 00:29:56.400 --> 00:30:08.000 Because the creator of the heavens and the earth, the one who created all things, who holds the world in the palm of his hands, by the words of his mouth, the galaxies and the planets were formed instantly. 00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:13.440 This very God can speak to you in the morning when you get up and you be with him. 00:30:14.240 --> 00:30:17.119 You better believe that that's not gonna be boring. 00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:22.240 It's only boring when we try to do it without the presence of the Holy Spirit. 00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:27.200 And we try to earn it, or we try to tick the boxes, or we just come to church because we feel we have to. 00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:38.640 I want to tell you when you come into an intimate relationship with Jesus, I'm talking about the real Jesus, not the fake one, not the one that you worship on a Sunday after Saturday night getting drunk and your hair hung over. 00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:47.599 I'm not talking about that religious Jesus, I'm talking about the Jesus that died for you, that cares about you, that has a burning, blazing love for you. 00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:50.079 This is the real Jesus. 00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:58.160 We serve the living God, not the dead God, not the boring God, not the average God. 00:30:58.319 --> 00:30:59.519 We serve the living God. 00:30:59.599 --> 00:31:03.519 The Bible says He is our exceedingly great reward. 00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:09.759 Somebody get fired up for Jesus in this place. 00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:17.440 God's not boring, you know, it's real easy to go to the rugby game. 00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:20.880 Right? 00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:22.559 You get all fired up for your team. 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:26.480 It's real easy to go to the soccer game and be like yelling out, you're yelling at the TV. 00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:27.519 They cannot hear you. 00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:29.759 The players, I can assure you, cannot hear you. 00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:31.920 They are in another country. 00:31:32.559 --> 00:31:45.599 But we get all like passionate about these things, and when it comes to church, it's like, bro, I saw you yesterday at the two-papa field, and you were losing your mind. 00:31:45.839 --> 00:31:47.519 You're going crazy. 00:31:48.160 --> 00:31:49.599 You're passionate. 00:31:49.920 --> 00:31:50.160 Okay? 00:31:50.799 --> 00:31:55.359 But now it comes to church, and it's like, ah, yeah, okay. 00:31:57.599 --> 00:31:58.880 What time's lunch? 00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:12.000 We've entered a thing called religion, where we have lost intimacy or lost connection with the creator of the world. 00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:21.359 And it's now about doing the work and doing the right things, but we don't have a fiery connection with God. 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:24.720 Same thing can happen in your marriage, right? 00:32:25.039 --> 00:32:29.279 You first get together, man, you just can't stop looking at each other's eyes. 00:32:29.599 --> 00:32:33.039 Hours upon hours, like you're not even saying anything, you're just staring. 00:32:33.680 --> 00:32:36.960 There's a picture that paints a thousand words, baby. 00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:37.519 Right? 00:32:37.599 --> 00:32:40.640 That's like the the we're just we're just besotted and in love. 00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:43.519 And as time goes on, guess what happens? 00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:44.400 Right? 00:32:44.640 --> 00:32:55.839 If you don't keep on investing, you don't keep putting time in, if you don't keep caring, if you don't keep talking, if you don't keep spending quality time, the connection fades and you drift. 00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:57.680 And now it's like, oh, you ready? 00:32:57.759 --> 00:32:58.880 Get up, we've gotta go. 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:02.559 So mate, like that's what happened. 00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:05.440