00:00:00 --> 00:00:06 I think about food all the time.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:12 I didn't realize it, I've always suspected it,
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 but I didn't realize it until recently
00:00:14 --> 00:00:18 when I started the spiritual discipline of fasting.
00:00:18 --> 00:00:21 I'm not sure if anybody here has fasted before
00:00:21 --> 00:00:23 or if you can remember doing the 40-hour famine.
00:00:24 --> 00:00:25 I did that years ago.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 But I spent a little bit of time fasting.
00:00:28 --> 00:00:32 I spent a day fasting where I only consumed liquids
00:00:32 --> 00:00:39 and used the time to focus my mind and my heart on praying to God.
00:00:40 --> 00:00:41 And it was really helpful.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:45 But I didn't realize how much I thought about food
00:00:45 --> 00:00:47 until I took the food away.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 Because I spent pretty much all day thinking about food.
00:00:50 --> 00:00:53 I would wake up and my first thought is, I need coffee.
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 I don't know if anybody else here is like that.
00:00:56 --> 00:00:57 I'm desperate for coffee.
00:00:57 --> 00:00:58 And then it's breakfast.
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 And then when I get to work, it's more coffee.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 And then when I'm working, I'm thinking,
00:01:03 --> 00:01:04 morning tea is coming up soon.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:06 I can't wait for morning tea.
00:01:06 --> 00:01:07 And then I have morning tea.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 And then it's like, how long till lunch?
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 Lunch is certainly around the corner.
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 Food, can't wait.
00:01:14 --> 00:01:15 And then I'll have the food.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 And then there's the afternoon snack.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:20 And there's another coffee with that often.
00:01:21 --> 00:01:22 And as soon as I get home,
00:01:23 --> 00:01:24 I'm thinking, all right, what's for dinner?
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 And then after dinner is done, while I'm cleaning the kitchen,
00:01:27 --> 00:01:27 I'm looking around.
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 Where's my little after dinner snack?
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 I need some kind of dessert situation for me.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 Is there some kind of little treat?
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 Taking a day out of eating and fasting
00:01:39 --> 00:01:44 actually helped me realize how much of my life is run by food,
00:01:44 --> 00:01:47 how much of my joy I get from food,
00:01:48 --> 00:01:55 how much wonder I place in my anticipation for eating.
00:01:56 --> 00:02:00 I was looking to food as this thing that would satisfy me,
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 as this thing that I hold up with awe.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:07 We are all wired for awe.
00:02:07 --> 00:02:14 Now, awe is A-W-E, not the thing you row with, not O-R,
00:02:14 --> 00:02:20 but A-W-E, awe, which is reverence with fear and wonder.
00:02:22 --> 00:02:27 We all have awe for things, but also all have awe problems.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:32 Things that we worship and chase that aren't God,
00:02:32 --> 00:02:36 the one who is deserving of awe, all awe.
00:02:36 --> 00:02:40 And an issue for many of us is that we live in a material world,
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 we are dependent on material things,
00:02:42 --> 00:02:45 and we end up holding these material things in awe.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:51 But nothing in our world can give us peace or meaning or purpose.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:56 And so what happens is street-level materialism captures our hearts
00:02:56 --> 00:03:00 and it eats up our time and energy and resources.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 For me, it was that issue of gluttony,
00:03:04 --> 00:03:05 not necessarily over-reading,
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 but holding food in awe.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 We're all physical, material beings,
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 and we need to consume to survive.
00:03:15 --> 00:03:20 But often we can chase consuming things
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 instead of the one who gives us good things.
00:03:23 --> 00:03:24 Even for Christians,
00:03:24 --> 00:03:27 God, the one who we should be in awe of,
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 we end up just being in awe of the things he gives us
00:03:31 --> 00:03:32 and chasing those.
00:03:34 --> 00:03:35 We all chase awe.
00:03:35 --> 00:03:39 Whether it is the child who has ice cream for the first time
00:03:39 --> 00:03:41 and they get that buzz of sugar and they're like,
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 oh, this is amazing, I need that again.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:46 Whether it's the person going to an art gallery,
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 seeing beautiful works of art and being in awe,
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 or the person who climbs a mountain and looks at amazing vistas.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 We are all wired for awe,
00:03:54 --> 00:03:58 but awesome stuff doesn't satisfy.
00:03:59 --> 00:04:04 Only the one who is deserving of all awe does.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 We are in our Easter series,
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 which is called Awe.
00:04:10 --> 00:04:14 As we head to Easter in two weeks' time,
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 we're going to be reminded of Jesus' death and resurrection.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:20 But over these next couple of weeks,
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 we'll be called to have awe in God,
00:04:24 --> 00:04:28 to direct our sense of wonder and fear and reverence
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 back to the one who deserves it.
00:04:31 --> 00:04:34 And the challenge for us today as we start this series
00:04:34 --> 00:04:37 will be to be made aware of the material things
00:04:37 --> 00:04:38 that we have awe of
00:04:38 --> 00:04:43 and how we are to restore our awe of God.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 So as we seek to do this, let me pray for us.
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 Heavenly Father, I thank you
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 for all your many gifts that you give us.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:57 Thank you for sweetness of food and for wonderful views
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 and that you have made us people who can enjoy these things.
00:05:01 --> 00:05:05 But Heavenly Father, make us aware of the things that distract us
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 and take us away from being in awe of you, Lord,
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 that we would see how awesome you are.
00:05:12 --> 00:05:12 Amen.
00:05:14 --> 00:05:15 Three points.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:19 This morning you can find those in the St. Paul's app
00:05:19 --> 00:05:20 as we go through this.
00:05:21 --> 00:05:25 And to help us as we seek to restore our awe of God,
00:05:25 --> 00:05:30 particularly the challenge of being people who consume things,
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 today we're looking at the Lord's Supper,
00:05:32 --> 00:05:36 which Anne read for us this morning from Luke chapter 22,
00:05:36 --> 00:05:40 where Jesus commanded us to be consuming him
00:05:40 --> 00:05:43 in contrast to the things of the world for us.
00:05:44 --> 00:05:47 The Lord's Supper is Jesus' final meal with his disciples
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 before he is taken and crucified,
00:05:51 --> 00:05:52 which we'll see in two weeks' time.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 Jesus knew he was about to be killed
00:05:55 --> 00:05:57 and he prepares his disciples
00:05:57 --> 00:06:02 as he's about to walk this road to his crucifixion.
00:06:03 --> 00:06:05 And so he gathers his disciples
00:06:05 --> 00:06:08 to celebrate the Passover together.
00:06:09 --> 00:06:10 And this meal is significant
00:06:10 --> 00:06:11 and we need to understand the Passover
00:06:11 --> 00:06:14 before we can understand the Lord's Supper.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 So Luke 22, we're going to start in verse 14.
00:06:17 --> 00:06:20 Have your Bibles open with me.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 Chapter 22, verse 14.
00:06:24 --> 00:06:25 When the hour came,
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 and he said to them,
00:06:30 --> 00:06:33 I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you
00:06:33 --> 00:06:34 before I suffer.
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 For I tell you, I will not eat it again
00:06:37 --> 00:06:40 until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 Just to give us context of what the Passover is,
00:06:43 --> 00:06:47 the Passover was a meal that the Jews would eat every year
00:06:47 --> 00:06:52 to celebrate and to remember how God saved them from Egypt.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:57 God used Moses through 10 miracles
00:06:57 --> 00:07:01 to save the Israelites out of Egypt across the Red Sea.
00:07:02 --> 00:07:04 And the most significant aspect of the Passover
00:07:04 --> 00:07:07 was the final miracle or the final plague,
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 where after nine plagues,
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 God would show that he was powerful
00:07:12 --> 00:07:15 over Pharaoh and over the Egyptian gods.
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 And God sent an angel to kill the firstborn,
00:07:19 --> 00:07:22 except for those who had sacrificed an animal,
00:07:22 --> 00:07:23 sacrificed a lamb,
00:07:23 --> 00:07:26 and put the blood of the lamb over their door.
00:07:27 --> 00:07:30 And so that day, God passed over those houses
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 which had an animal sacrificed.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:36 And every year after that time,
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 God's people would remember that day.
00:07:40 --> 00:07:42 They would remember that Passover.
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 They would continue to do that with a special feast
00:07:45 --> 00:07:46 to remember what God did.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:50 And they would feast with lamb
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 and bread made without yeast,
00:07:53 --> 00:07:53 with bitter herbs.
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 And they would remember this feast
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 and remember who their God was.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:00 They weren't remembering,
00:08:00 --> 00:08:01 so it slipped out of their memory,
00:08:01 --> 00:08:04 so they didn't just forget what happened.
00:08:04 --> 00:08:05 They were remembering it
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 because of who God was.
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 One of my favorite parts of being in Chatswood
00:08:11 --> 00:08:15 is learning about the different cultures around us
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 and eating different foods.
00:08:18 --> 00:08:21 One of my favorite seasonal foods
00:08:21 --> 00:08:22 has been Eight Treasures Duck.
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 I don't know if you've eaten that one.
00:08:24 --> 00:08:24 That's a really good one.
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 There's another festival coming up
00:08:27 --> 00:08:28 that's celebrated as part of the,
00:08:28 --> 00:08:29 I think it's the Chinese calendar.
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 It's the Dragon Boat Festival.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 Where historically they remember
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 a famous poet called Chu Yuan
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 who was celebrated by the people
00:08:40 --> 00:08:44 but committed suicide by jumping into a river.
00:08:44 --> 00:08:46 And so the people rowed their boats out
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 as quickly as they could
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 and they threw sticky balls of rice into the water
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 so the fish would eat the rice
00:08:52 --> 00:08:53 and not the poet.
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 And so that from that time
00:08:56 --> 00:08:58 we eat zongzi,
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 these sticky balls of rice wrapped in,
00:09:01 --> 00:09:02 what are they wrapped in, John?
00:09:02 --> 00:09:02 Is it bamboo leaves?
00:09:03 --> 00:09:04 Banana.
00:09:04 --> 00:09:04 Banana leaves.
00:09:05 --> 00:09:05 Thank you.
00:09:05 --> 00:09:06 Bamboo leaves.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:07 Bamboo leaves.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:09 Okay, there's a fight going on here.
00:09:09 --> 00:09:12 So I know coming up on the 5th of May
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 when we celebrate it,
00:09:13 --> 00:09:14 we're going to have different ones
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 and we can all taste test to see what's best.
00:09:16 --> 00:09:20 And so we remember what happened.
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 I think it was about 500 BC as well.
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 So it's a while ago.
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 And we have dragon boat races.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:28 Even coming up,
00:09:28 --> 00:09:30 I think it's coming up at the end of this month,
00:09:31 --> 00:09:32 there's Anzac Day
00:09:32 --> 00:09:35 where we remember those who fought in wars.
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 But the original Passover
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 wasn't just an event to be remembered.
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 It wasn't even a time just to eat food
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 and remember something.
00:09:46 --> 00:09:49 It wasn't just an interesting piece of history.
00:09:50 --> 00:09:53 It was something that continued.
00:09:54 --> 00:09:57 It was remembering who God is.
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 A meal to celebrate God's character,
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 that he is loving and he is forgiving.
00:10:03 --> 00:10:04 He is good.
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 He is patient with his people.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 He has power to defeat the enemy
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 and that God made a way
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 to save his enemy through death.
00:10:13 --> 00:10:14 The people at the Passover
00:10:14 --> 00:10:17 remembered who God was
00:10:17 --> 00:10:19 back in the Passover,
00:10:19 --> 00:10:21 who he continues to be
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 and who he would be in the future,
00:10:23 --> 00:10:25 that he would save his people.
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 And Jesus is picking up that in Luke 22.
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 He didn't just want his people
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 to mark on the calendar,
00:10:34 --> 00:10:37 oh, this is when we have the meal with lamb
00:10:37 --> 00:10:38 and we have bitter herbs
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 and we have to cook bread
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 in this particular way.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:43 It was actually far more significant
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 than just recalling an event.
00:10:47 --> 00:10:48 And so second point today,
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 remembering and proclaiming the Lord's Supper,
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 Jesus picks up on this
00:10:53 --> 00:10:56 that the Passover was more than
00:10:56 --> 00:10:57 just a historical event
00:10:57 --> 00:11:00 and he celebrates it in a new way.
00:11:01 --> 00:11:03 No longer is it about lamb
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 and bread made without yeast
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 and bitter herbs,
00:11:05 --> 00:11:07 but there's a new meal.
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 There's a new way of celebrating.
00:11:09 --> 00:11:09 Verse 19.
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 He took bread,
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 he gave thanks and he broke it
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 and he gave it to them saying,
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 this is my body given for you.
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 Do this in remembrance of me.
00:11:20 --> 00:11:21 In the same way,
00:11:22 --> 00:11:22 after the supper,
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 he took the cup saying,
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 this cup is the new covenant in my blood,
00:11:26 --> 00:11:28 which is poured out for you.
00:11:29 --> 00:11:32 Jesus gives the wine and bread
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 as a new Passover meal.
00:11:35 --> 00:11:36 Jesus is the sheep.
00:11:36 --> 00:11:38 He's the one who's going to be sacrificed,
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 but he is bringing in a new
00:11:40 --> 00:11:42 and everlasting covenant
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 and there is a new way to remember it.
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 And so today,
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 when we celebrate the Lord's Supper or communion,
00:11:50 --> 00:11:51 which we'll do a little bit later,
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 we're not just remembering
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 something that happened 2000 years ago.
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 We're not just remembering a historical event.
00:11:58 --> 00:11:59 We're not just calling it to mind.
00:11:59 --> 00:12:00 It's not just a feast.
00:12:00 --> 00:12:01 And I'm actually really thankful.
00:12:01 --> 00:12:03 I've got a hot cross bun here.
00:12:03 --> 00:12:03 You can't see it.
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 I'll slide it over here for those on screen.
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 I've got a hot cross bun.
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 I've never used a hot cross bun in communion,
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 but it's literally got a cross on it.
00:12:11 --> 00:12:14 So I think that is a wonderful bread to use
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 to celebrate communion.
00:12:16 --> 00:12:20 But it's not just remembering a historical event
00:12:20 --> 00:12:23 that formed a cultural identity.
00:12:24 --> 00:12:29 We continue to participate in the Lord's Supper now.
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 Jesus didn't just save us then.
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 He is continuing to work now.
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 When we celebrate the Lord's Supper,
00:12:39 --> 00:12:43 it is to be a wonderful ceremony for us
00:12:43 --> 00:12:47 where we adjust our lives based on what we remember.
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 Because there's a number of things
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 we celebrate in the Lord's Supper.
00:12:52 --> 00:12:54 When we celebrate the Lord's Supper,
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 we remember Jesus' death for us.
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 Our actions give us a picture of his death for us.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 When the bread is given out,
00:13:03 --> 00:13:07 we remember that Jesus' body was given for us.
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 And when we hand out the juice
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 and when we drink the juice,
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 we're remembering that Jesus' blood was spilt
00:13:13 --> 00:13:16 instead of mine, instead of yours.
00:13:18 --> 00:13:21 We remember that when we get a benefit from his death,
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 we get life as we participate.
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 And it's not just an individual reminder
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 that Jesus' death was for me.
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 It's a corporate mind reminder.
00:13:30 --> 00:13:33 It is for us as a church.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 We are giving a clear sign that
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 we don't do this just at our homes.
00:13:39 --> 00:13:42 We do this when we meet together.
00:13:42 --> 00:13:45 Because Jesus did die for me,
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 but he died for you and he died for us.
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 And so this is a family meal.
00:13:52 --> 00:13:56 The meal reminds us that Jesus loves us.
00:13:56 --> 00:14:00 And while we remember a historical event
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 in the Lord's Supper,
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 we continue to do it now
00:14:03 --> 00:14:07 as we look forward to the final meal,
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 the feast with Jesus when he returns
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 and we are with him forever.
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 And what a feast that will be.
00:14:15 --> 00:14:18 And when we celebrate the Lord's Supper or communion,
00:14:18 --> 00:14:22 we affirm our dependence on Jesus.
00:14:23 --> 00:14:23 And we say,
00:14:24 --> 00:14:26 Jesus, I need you so much more than this food
00:14:26 --> 00:14:26 and this liquid.
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 I need these things to survive
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 for my body to continue to function.
00:14:30 --> 00:14:32 But I need you far more than that.
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 I need you to forgive me.
00:14:34 --> 00:14:36 I need you to give me life
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 because that's the only way I can have life.
00:14:37 --> 00:14:42 And so communion helps to remind us
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 that we should be in awe of our God
00:14:44 --> 00:14:48 or a mixture of fear and wonder.
00:14:49 --> 00:14:52 Fear because the Lord's Supper reminds us
00:14:52 --> 00:14:55 of how deeply in need of him we are.
00:14:56 --> 00:14:59 And yet God in his goodness loves us.
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 He makes a way for us.
00:15:02 --> 00:15:05 He brings salvation because of his great love for us.
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 It is so much more than just a symbol
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 of a historical event.
00:15:09 --> 00:15:12 It calls us to respond with our hearts,
00:15:13 --> 00:15:15 to continue to praise him
00:15:15 --> 00:15:18 as we look forward to the meal we will have.
00:15:19 --> 00:15:22 Paul talks about the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11.
00:15:22 --> 00:15:22 He says,
00:15:23 --> 00:15:25 for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 you proclaim the Lord's death.
00:15:27 --> 00:15:29 So when we actually eat this,
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 when we drink this,
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 we're actually preaching the gospel.
00:15:32 --> 00:15:35 We're saying we are in need of Jesus.
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 You are in need of Jesus.
00:15:38 --> 00:15:40 And anybody who's watching at home,
00:15:40 --> 00:15:42 who's part of church online,
00:15:42 --> 00:15:44 we together are in need of him.
00:15:45 --> 00:15:48 We get to proclaim the good news of the gospel
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 by eating and drinking together.
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 And when we do this,
00:15:53 --> 00:15:57 when we remember our desperate need,
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 it leads us to awe.
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 It's our final point today.
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 Communion or the Lord's Supper,
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 it is for us.
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 It's not just a practice
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 that we legalistically follow.
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 It's not just a routine.
00:16:08 --> 00:16:10 It's not just something we go through.
00:16:11 --> 00:16:13 There's actually a benefit for us.
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 Now, there is nothing special
00:16:16 --> 00:16:18 about the juice or the wafer that we'll have.
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 Now, the hot cross bun is a little bit special,
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 but there's nothing more special about that
00:16:22 --> 00:16:24 than the ingredients in it.
00:16:24 --> 00:16:28 It doesn't physically become Jesus's body in communion,
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 or it doesn't actually become his blood.
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 But when we eat it,
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 when we drink it,
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 we're actively saying,
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 Jesus, I depend upon you.
00:16:38 --> 00:16:38 I need you.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 I need you to die in my place.
00:16:41 --> 00:16:43 And I need you to have risen
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 so that I have hope for tomorrow.
00:16:44 --> 00:16:46 Otherwise, I have no hope for tomorrow.
00:16:46 --> 00:16:49 And so when we feed on this food,
00:16:49 --> 00:16:52 we're feeding on him by faith.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:56 It's a reminder that we are physical and material,
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 and we depend upon food,
00:16:58 --> 00:17:01 but we depend upon him so much more.
00:17:02 --> 00:17:04 I think it's also really wonderful
00:17:04 --> 00:17:11 that Jesus gave us food and wine
00:17:11 --> 00:17:14 to symbolize the new covenant,
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 the new testament.
00:17:15 --> 00:17:19 Jesus could have replaced the Passover with anything.
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 It could have been anything.
00:17:22 --> 00:17:22 It could have just been a prayer.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 It could have been an action.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 But he gave us a new meal
00:17:27 --> 00:17:30 because we are physical beings who consume things.
00:17:31 --> 00:17:33 And I think this is so helpful for us
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 because this is just part of who we are
00:17:34 --> 00:17:37 and how we are wired as people.
00:17:38 --> 00:17:42 Tastes and smells trigger memories for us
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 because this is how we're wired.
00:17:43 --> 00:17:47 I remember sitting in the back of the car as a kid
00:17:47 --> 00:17:49 on long family holidays
00:17:49 --> 00:17:52 and smelling my mum's perfume.
00:17:52 --> 00:17:55 So when I smell this particular perfume,
00:17:55 --> 00:17:58 it triggers these wonderful memories for me.
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 Do you have these similar things?
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 Maybe you smell something
00:18:02 --> 00:18:05 that reminds you of a family member.
00:18:05 --> 00:18:07 When you smell a particular type of food
00:18:07 --> 00:18:09 and it takes you back to your hometown.
00:18:09 --> 00:18:13 It's just the way our brains are wired.
00:18:13 --> 00:18:17 Our brain connects foods and smells to memories.
00:18:17 --> 00:18:19 And there's a longing of our heart.
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 Jesus tells us to eat and drink
00:18:23 --> 00:18:25 in remembrance of him.
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 It's just plain food we're having.
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 Grape juice,
00:18:30 --> 00:18:33 a fairly plain wafer.
00:18:34 --> 00:18:36 But it is significant and special
00:18:36 --> 00:18:38 for our hearts and our souls.
00:18:39 --> 00:18:42 It connects deeply with who we are as people.
00:18:43 --> 00:18:46 And it's a wonderful moment to be reminded
00:18:46 --> 00:18:48 to be in awe of God.
00:18:48 --> 00:18:50 God, you are so good.
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 You've loved me.
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 You've provided for me.
00:18:52 --> 00:18:55 I can be in fear of you
00:18:55 --> 00:18:58 because you are so much bigger than me.
00:18:58 --> 00:19:00 I can wonder at you
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 because I'm small and I'm in need of you.
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 But you do provide.
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 And we need this.
00:19:06 --> 00:19:08 And we need this regularly.
00:19:09 --> 00:19:11 Because we are also regularly consumed
00:19:11 --> 00:19:13 throughout the week by other things.
00:19:14 --> 00:19:16 We get distracted by things
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 that we think will satisfy.
00:19:18 --> 00:19:20 I think it's been particularly hard
00:19:20 --> 00:19:23 for all of us in this season
00:19:23 --> 00:19:26 of COVID, post-COVID, lockdowns,
00:19:26 --> 00:19:29 just general anxieties about life.
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 I had the wonderful privilege yesterday
00:19:31 --> 00:19:33 of marrying two people from our church,
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 Jessica and Oscar.
00:19:35 --> 00:19:37 Got the chance to marry them.
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 And that was a really wonderful occasion.
00:19:39 --> 00:19:41 There's a number of people of church there.
00:19:42 --> 00:19:45 But just walking with them
00:19:45 --> 00:19:47 as they were getting ready to be married,
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 getting, I don't know
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 if you've organized a wedding.
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 I can't remember organizing mine.
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 It was too long ago.
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 There are so many things
00:19:54 --> 00:19:56 to organize in a wedding.
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 Think about how many things
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 you need to juggle
00:19:59 --> 00:20:01 organizing a wedding
00:20:01 --> 00:20:03 in a COVID season
00:20:03 --> 00:20:05 where people are pulling out
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 and you don't know
00:20:06 --> 00:20:08 how many people can make it.
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 And you're just juggling
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 things upon things.
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 I think we are just,
00:20:13 --> 00:20:15 as Steve mentioned recently,
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 we're still in a season
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 a season of languishing,
00:20:17 --> 00:20:19 a season of depression
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 and anxiety.
00:20:21 --> 00:20:23 We're going through
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 the normal motions
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 and trying to do normal things,
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 but they are hard
00:20:26 --> 00:20:28 and increasingly difficult.
00:20:29 --> 00:20:31 And worry comes into that,
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 trying to plan, you know,
00:20:34 --> 00:20:34 anything.
00:20:36 --> 00:20:40 Our family has two school parties today
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 and they've been canceled
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 because of COVID
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 and different things
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 and the rain certainly
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 hasn't helped.
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 Plans get thrown into disarray
00:20:48 --> 00:20:50 and so our hearts
00:20:50 --> 00:20:52 can feel pulled
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 to cynicism
00:20:53 --> 00:20:55 and worry
00:20:55 --> 00:20:57 and I'm not even going
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 to look forward to anything.
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 I'm not going to be
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 in awe of anything
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 because it's all too hard.
00:21:02 --> 00:21:04 And so maybe I won't plan
00:21:04 --> 00:21:04 for something
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 because it's hard.
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 And then not only
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 do I not plan,
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 I stop caring about
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 what's coming up
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 because it's all too hard.
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 And so it's no wonder
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 for me that I'm consuming
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 more of my phone
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 than I ever had before.
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 I was really,
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 I don't know about you guys,
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 but I get a pop-up
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 on my phone
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 Sunday mornings
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 just before church starts,
00:21:22 --> 00:21:23 which is always
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 a wonderful rebuke for me.
00:21:25 --> 00:21:25 It tells me
00:21:25 --> 00:21:27 my average amount
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 of hours on my phone.
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 Does anybody want to tell me
00:21:30 --> 00:21:30 their average amount
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 of hours on their phone?
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 No, no.
00:21:32 --> 00:21:34 I was really excited
00:21:34 --> 00:21:34 this morning
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 when I got my pop-up
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 because it said mine
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 was down
00:21:37 --> 00:21:39 to five and a half hours a day.
00:21:39 --> 00:21:41 Down to that many hours.
00:21:42 --> 00:21:44 And I was thankful
00:21:44 --> 00:21:44 but then just like,
00:21:45 --> 00:21:45 man, daddy,
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 I'm still consuming
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 so much of my phone.
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 There's more TV
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 to distract me
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 of the challenges of life
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 because the reality is
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 me and you,
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 we're chasing things
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 to be in awe of.
00:21:59 --> 00:22:00 I need something wonderful.
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 Do you know what?
00:22:01 --> 00:22:01 Not even wonderful,
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 not even awesome.
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 I just want something
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 mildly okay
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 to distract me.
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 I'm not even chasing
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 awesome things.
00:22:08 --> 00:22:11 into this season
00:22:11 --> 00:22:12 and into the challenges
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 of life,
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 Jesus calls us
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 to restore our awe
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 of him.
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 Celebrating the Lord's Supper
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 helps us to do that.
00:22:22 --> 00:22:24 But just the regular rhythm
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 of church
00:22:25 --> 00:22:27 is also good for us.
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 The regular rhythm
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 of coming to church
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 once a week,
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 gathering,
00:22:33 --> 00:22:35 is really good for us.
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 We need the weekly gathering
00:22:37 --> 00:22:40 of 60 to 90 minutes
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 on a Sunday
00:22:40 --> 00:22:43 to restore our awe of God.
00:22:44 --> 00:22:46 I think it's indicative
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 of how God made us to be
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 on the seventh day.
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 God rested.
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 God instituted the Sabbath.
00:22:51 --> 00:22:53 It is part of who we are
00:22:53 --> 00:22:53 as physical beings.
00:22:53 --> 00:22:56 We need a weekly reminder
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 that God is the one
00:22:57 --> 00:22:59 who we should be in awe of.
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 He is the one
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 we should be consuming
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 and not the other things
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 we need to consume
00:23:03 --> 00:23:05 and don't need to consume
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05 throughout the week.
00:23:06 --> 00:23:08 And every aspect of church
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 in some way
00:23:09 --> 00:23:10 is restoring
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 our awe of God.
00:23:12 --> 00:23:12 And so,
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 as we get up
00:23:13 --> 00:23:15 to sing a song
00:23:15 --> 00:23:17 at the start of our service,
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 at the end of our service,
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 it's restoring our awe
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 because we sing
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 of how good our God is.
00:23:22 --> 00:23:22 Our singing
00:23:22 --> 00:23:24 calls us to connect
00:23:24 --> 00:23:26 deep theological truths
00:23:26 --> 00:23:26 with our heart
00:23:26 --> 00:23:28 and praise Him.
00:23:29 --> 00:23:31 Over our vision series,
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 we've been hearing
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 different people's testimony,
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 what it means
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 to be on their front line,
00:23:36 --> 00:23:36 what it means
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 to be walking,
00:23:38 --> 00:23:38 following God
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40 in a difficult workplace.
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 We're reminded
00:23:42 --> 00:23:45 by the awesome God
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 that these people
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 have been worshipping.
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 And we get to say,
00:23:48 --> 00:23:50 I'm going to keep
00:23:50 --> 00:23:50 worshipping God.
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 I'm going to keep
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 being in awe of Him
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 because I can see
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 how it is in their life.
00:23:54 --> 00:23:56 When we sit under the Bible,
00:23:56 --> 00:23:56 when the Bible
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 is read for us,
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 we should be in awe
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 that the God
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 of the universe
00:24:01 --> 00:24:03 has made it
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 so we can understand Him.
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 He's given us words.
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 He communicates
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 as we communicate.
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 He's given us words
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 so we can understand Him.
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 Then,
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 when somebody,
00:24:15 --> 00:24:15 Steve,
00:24:15 --> 00:24:15 myself,
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 somebody else
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 gets up to preach,
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 we get to see
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 all kinds of wonderful
00:24:19 --> 00:24:20 things about God.
00:24:20 --> 00:24:20 His wisdom
00:24:20 --> 00:24:21 and His power.
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 We get to see
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 His glory,
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 His perfection
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 and holiness.
00:24:26 --> 00:24:26 His presence,
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 His love,
00:24:27 --> 00:24:29 His sovereign control.
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 Easter is coming up
00:24:31 --> 00:24:32 and we are reminded
00:24:32 --> 00:24:34 of His boundless grace
00:24:34 --> 00:24:34 to us
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 that His Son
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 would die
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 for me
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 and for you.
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 Brothers and sisters,
00:24:40 --> 00:24:42 we live in a world
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 that consumes
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 so much
00:24:44 --> 00:24:47 and we're seeking
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 to be captivated
00:24:48 --> 00:24:49 by something
00:24:49 --> 00:24:49 that is awesome
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 but in our
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 distraction,
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 we forget the one
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 that we stand in awe of.
00:24:54 --> 00:24:58 So a simple call,
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59 don't give up
00:24:59 --> 00:24:59 meeting together.
00:25:01 --> 00:25:02 Don't give up
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 meeting together
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 as a church.
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 It's normal
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 to miss a week
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 of church.
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 It's quite normal
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 when a family member
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 is isolated
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 and it's a wonderful joy
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 that we can do that online
00:25:12 --> 00:25:14 but when we miss
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 a couple of weeks
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 of church,
00:25:16 --> 00:25:18 we run the risk
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 of getting out
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 of the rhythm
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 of being in awe
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 of God
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 and instead
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 we consume
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 the things
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 of the material world
00:25:26 --> 00:25:27 and we think
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 they will satisfy.
00:25:29 --> 00:25:29 you
00:25:29 --> 00:25:31 have a gift
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 to have a
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 song
00:25:33 --> 00:25:33 that
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 you
00:25:34 --> 00:25:34 and
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 as
00:25:35 --> 00:25:35 you
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 have a
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 tell
00:25:45 --> 00:25:45 you
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 have a
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 lish
00:25:47 --> 00:25:47 the
00:25:47 --> 00:25:47 one
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 you
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 have a
00:25:49 --> 00:25:49 that
00:25:49 --> 00:25:50 one
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 one
00:25:53 --> 00:25:53 two
00:25:53 --> 00:25:53 one
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 one
00:25:54 --> 00:25:55 and
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 two
00:25:56 --> 00:25:56 one