00:00:00 --> 00:00:07 Good evening everyone. First of all let me say thank you for everyone for your many prayers
00:00:07 --> 00:00:14 and encouragement and support over the past few months. Phoebe has arrived which was fabulous
00:00:14 --> 00:00:23 and is fabulous and she's going fairly strong. She's in a tank thing but she's breathing on her
00:00:23 --> 00:00:30 on her own so apart from the tank thing she's breathing on her own so we're and she's getting
00:00:30 --> 00:00:35 stronger the doctor's very happy with her and all going well so thank you for that really appreciate
00:00:35 --> 00:00:42 it. Let's pray. Gracious God thank you for your word we thank you for your many promises to us
00:00:42 --> 00:00:48 Lord we pray that as we look at discipleship tonight what it means to follow you I pray
00:00:48 --> 00:00:53 Father that you would encourage us that you would challenge us particularly over the next couple of
00:00:53 --> 00:01:02 weeks as we walk with Jesus to Jerusalem as as we see what it means to follow him Lord I pray that
00:01:02 --> 00:01:08 you would you would help us to understand it with clarity in a way that the disciples didn't understand
00:01:08 --> 00:01:16 it so Lord that we might truly be your disciples challenge us we pray rebuke us we pray that you
00:01:16 --> 00:01:25 would change us and encourage us as your people amen. It was December 2000 and Natalie and I had been
00:01:25 --> 00:01:33 planning to go on a holiday to the UK it was the first time that we'd been overseas and it was kind
00:01:33 --> 00:01:39 of one of those things we had been planning it for you know six months or something like that and
00:01:39 --> 00:01:44 we'd planned every contingency. We'd spoken to a number of people who had been to places like the UK
00:01:44 --> 00:01:48 and so they gave us all the bits of advice and we wrote all the advice down and covered all our bases
00:01:48 --> 00:01:54 so we had everything covered we organized our passports we had clothing for every kind of
00:01:55 --> 00:02:04 weather contingency in the UK both cold and freezing we we had medication for every known disease
00:02:04 --> 00:02:09 that we may potentially pick up on the way we had pre-booked accommodation put cars
00:02:09 --> 00:02:16 tours I think even meals I think we'd pre-booked basically everything we had we figured we had
00:02:16 --> 00:02:21 everything we were so you know had all the pamphlets and books and we you know our bags were just
00:02:21 --> 00:02:28 completely loaded we're so looking forward to this and you know we had it all prepared and I was we're
00:02:28 --> 00:02:34 flying out on a Sunday afternoon and so I decided I would preach and do services that Sunday morning
00:02:34 --> 00:02:41 and then left church and went straight to the airport and so I arrived at the airport we're excited we're happy
00:02:41 --> 00:02:48 booked in and all that sort of stuff and we got to the back of the plane and which is where we were seated
00:02:48 --> 00:02:56 right at the very back of the plane and I sat down and then I went oh no I'm not ready for this
00:02:56 --> 00:03:01 I had it was the first time that it dawned on me that it's a long way from Australia to the UK
00:03:01 --> 00:03:07 and I got to sit in this plane and that guy there is too close to me and that seat is too close to me
00:03:07 --> 00:03:14 and there are too many people too close to me and I got I realized however that there was a map on the
00:03:14 --> 00:03:21 back of the plane on the back of the seat and so I watched the map basically all the way to the edge
00:03:21 --> 00:03:29 of Australia and so it was like five hours and I got on the plane I didn't have a change of clothes
00:03:29 --> 00:03:36 I didn't have a book I had I had nothing I literally walked out except for my sermon notes
00:03:36 --> 00:03:43 is all I had I hopped on this plane and I got to Singapore and it was like is there any other way
00:03:43 --> 00:03:49 to get to London than to get back on that plane I'm just not ready for this I just this is this is I
00:03:49 --> 00:03:55 mean we have we're not even halfway there yet and I've got to get back on this plane and fly the rest of
00:03:55 --> 00:04:01 the way it was yeah I got to say it was probably the worst travel experience of my life I just had
00:04:01 --> 00:04:06 not at all mentally prepared I prepared everything else it was down there in the dungeon the plane
00:04:06 --> 00:04:14 somewhere but I had not actually mentally prepared for the actual trip at all and and I just fidgeted and
00:04:14 --> 00:04:21 I whinged and I complained all the way I didn't sleep a wink all the way and this guy beside me wanted
00:04:21 --> 00:04:27 to talk for most of the way it was mind-boggling I said to that I got to the UK and I said look if we
00:04:27 --> 00:04:34 can book a boat home that would be fantastic I love the boat dates what we're about to embark on here
00:04:34 --> 00:04:42 is a journey that Jesus is beginning with his disciples and it's a journey that we have to prepare for
00:04:42 --> 00:04:49 it's a journey that we have to be clearly prepared for because Jesus talks about it in the end of
00:04:49 --> 00:04:59 that verse 62 he talks about fickle following he talks about fickle following he wants to make it
00:04:59 --> 00:05:04 very clear what we are to expect if we're going to be his disciples and follow him and he says this in
00:05:04 --> 00:05:11 verse 62 no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God
00:05:11 --> 00:05:18 what Jesus is saying is you want the good stuff you want heaven but you're ready for the trip
00:05:18 --> 00:05:25 are you ready for the trip to get there because we can have this idea of heaven and the trip's going
00:05:25 --> 00:05:32 to be like heaven as well and Jesus said guys it's not quite like that this is the most significant
00:05:32 --> 00:05:38 turning point in Luke's gospel we've seen the great things that Jesus has done we've seen his
00:05:38 --> 00:05:45 compassion for the lost and we've seen his authority over all that is and now it says in chapter 9 verse 51
00:05:45 --> 00:05:51 having just moments before had Peter's confession that you are the Christ and God himself saying
00:05:51 --> 00:05:57 this is my son whom I will please it's quite clear who Jesus is now what does it mean to follow this
00:05:57 --> 00:06:04 Jesus and so in 951 it says Jesus said his face for Jerusalem that's what it literally means he
00:06:04 --> 00:06:12 resolutely set out for Jerusalem he said his face for Jerusalem and so we are about to embark on this trip
00:06:12 --> 00:06:22 with Jesus let's turn however to chapter 19 because in chapter 19 we get the end of the trip
00:06:22 --> 00:06:34 where Jesus is just about to arrive so Luke chapter 19 it's the last week of his life and Jesus says this
00:06:34 --> 00:06:40 in verse 37 when he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives the whole crowd of
00:06:40 --> 00:06:49 disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen blessed is the
00:06:49 --> 00:06:58 king who comes in the name of the Lord peace in heaven and glory in the highest it needed to be said
00:06:58 --> 00:07:08 as Jesus arrived at Jerusalem it needed to be said blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord
00:07:08 --> 00:07:14 Jesus said it had to be said the Pharisees and the teachers of the Lord said Jesus tell your disciples to
00:07:14 --> 00:07:21 shut up and Jesus said if they do not speak that which is true the stones would speak it it had to be
00:07:21 --> 00:07:30 said the king has arrived I like to think of our worship in this age as a rehearsal for the age to come
00:07:30 --> 00:07:36 I like to think that as we gather week after week that that's what we're thinking as we come to church and
00:07:36 --> 00:07:41 worship it's a rehearsal of that which is to come in the age when we are gathered around the throne
00:07:41 --> 00:07:48 one day we who by God's grace have been faithful to the Lord are going to stand with innumerable
00:07:48 --> 00:07:55 millions of believers from Bangladesh and Poland and Egypt and the United States and Iceland and Cameroon
00:07:55 --> 00:08:01 and Ecuador and Burma and Borneo and Japan and thousands of tribes and peoples and languages
00:08:01 --> 00:08:12 all purified by Christ with palms of praise in their hand and when we raise those palms of praise in salute to our King Jesus
00:08:12 --> 00:08:20 he will see almost an endless field of green shimmering with life and pulsating with praise
00:08:20 --> 00:08:31 and then like the sound of a thousand choruses we will sing our song of salvation while the mighty Christ with heartfelt love
00:08:31 --> 00:08:35 looks out over those whom he has brought with his own blood
00:08:35 --> 00:08:42 that is the future that is the worship that we are in rehearsal for right now
00:08:42 --> 00:08:47 but as Jesus approached Jerusalem
00:08:47 --> 00:08:53 if he had taken his throne on that day at Jerusalem
00:08:53 --> 00:08:56 none of us would be robed in white
00:08:56 --> 00:09:01 none of us would be waving palms of praise
00:09:01 --> 00:09:02 in the age to come
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 there had to be a cross
00:09:05 --> 00:09:10 and this is what the disciples had not yet understood
00:09:10 --> 00:09:13 so back in chapter 9
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 flick back to Luke 9
00:09:15 --> 00:09:20 as Jesus resolutely sets out for Jerusalem from Galilee
00:09:20 --> 00:09:24 he tried to explain this to his disciples
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 in verse 22 of chapter 9 he said
00:09:27 --> 00:09:31 the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 the chief priests and the teachers of the law
00:09:33 --> 00:09:37 he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life
00:09:37 --> 00:09:40 and then in verse 44 he says to them
00:09:40 --> 00:09:43 listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 I mean you should pick up at that point
00:09:45 --> 00:09:49 the son of man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men
00:09:49 --> 00:09:53 but verse 45 tells us
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 they did not understand what this meant
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 it was hidden from them
00:09:58 --> 00:10:01 so they did not grasp it
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 and they were afraid to ask him about it
00:10:03 --> 00:10:08 you see clearly their understanding of Jesus' last journey
00:10:08 --> 00:10:11 to Jerusalem was actually flawed
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 they saw him as a king who was moving in to take control
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 and he was
00:10:15 --> 00:10:21 but they could not grasp that the victory that Jesus would win in Jerusalem
00:10:21 --> 00:10:25 was over sin and Satan and death
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 and all the enemies of righteousness and joy
00:10:28 --> 00:10:34 and that this victory would be won through his own horrible suffering and death
00:10:34 --> 00:10:39 and that the kingdom which they thought was going to be established immediately
00:10:39 --> 00:10:42 was going to take thousands of years
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 to be established
00:10:44 --> 00:10:50 and their misunderstanding of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem
00:10:50 --> 00:10:55 resulted in a misunderstanding of what it meant for them to be disciples of Jesus
00:10:55 --> 00:11:02 this is why this is so important for us to see
00:11:02 --> 00:11:07 lest we make the same mistake as those disciples
00:11:07 --> 00:11:13 in Luke chapter 9 verse 51 to 56
00:11:13 --> 00:11:17 we learn how not to understand Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem
00:11:17 --> 00:11:20 as the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem
00:11:23 --> 00:11:26 to resolutely set out is to set his face towards
00:11:26 --> 00:11:29 to doggedly, stubbornly, determinedly
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 head for Jerusalem
00:11:30 --> 00:11:35 and it meant something very different for the disciples
00:11:35 --> 00:11:36 than it did for Jesus
00:11:36 --> 00:11:39 you can actually see the visions of greatness
00:11:39 --> 00:11:43 that danced around in the disciples' minds at this point
00:11:43 --> 00:11:44 verse 46
00:11:44 --> 00:11:47 an argument started amongst the disciples
00:11:47 --> 00:11:50 as to which of them would be the greatest
00:11:50 --> 00:11:54 it's like Jesus, we're almost there
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 another week and we're going to be there sort of stuff
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 we're going to be in Jerusalem
00:11:57 --> 00:11:58 you're going to be king
00:11:58 --> 00:12:01 and let's fight over who's going to be foreign minister
00:12:01 --> 00:12:02 and deputy prime minister
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 and you know
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 who's going to be the greatest in your kingdom
00:12:05 --> 00:12:05 Jesus
00:12:05 --> 00:12:09 because Jerusalem and glory
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 were just around the corner
00:12:11 --> 00:12:12 for the disciples
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 oh what it would mean for them
00:12:14 --> 00:12:17 when Jesus took his throne
00:12:17 --> 00:12:21 but Jesus had another vision in his head
00:12:21 --> 00:12:24 and one wonders frankly
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 how he carried it for so long
00:12:26 --> 00:12:27 and alone
00:12:27 --> 00:12:31 here's what Jerusalem meant for Jesus
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 Luke chapter 13 verse 33
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 in any case
00:12:35 --> 00:12:36 I must keep going today
00:12:36 --> 00:12:37 and tomorrow
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 and the next day
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 for surely no prophet can die
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 outside Jerusalem
00:12:43 --> 00:12:46 Jerusalem meant one thing for Jesus
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 certain death
00:12:48 --> 00:12:54 and he was under no illusions
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 as to whether it was going to be a quick death
00:12:56 --> 00:12:57 or a heroic death
00:12:57 --> 00:13:01 he pointed out in chapter 18 of Luke
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 verse 31 onwards
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 we are going up to Jerusalem
00:13:05 --> 00:13:08 and everything that is written by the prophets
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 about the son of man will be fulfilled
00:13:10 --> 00:13:13 he will be turned over to the Gentiles
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 they will mock him
00:13:15 --> 00:13:16 insult him
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 spit on him
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 flog him
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 and kill him
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 when Jesus
00:13:23 --> 00:13:27 set his face to go to Jerusalem
00:13:27 --> 00:13:30 he set his face to die
00:13:30 --> 00:13:34 so he sets out
00:13:34 --> 00:13:37 and he says in chapter 9 verse 52
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 he sent messengers on ahead
00:13:39 --> 00:13:42 who went into a Samaritan village
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 to get things ready for him
00:13:43 --> 00:13:46 but the people there did not welcome him
00:13:46 --> 00:13:48 because he was heading for Jerusalem
00:13:48 --> 00:13:51 it doesn't really matter
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 whether his rejection
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 is because Jesus
00:13:53 --> 00:13:55 and his companions were Jews
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 and the Samaritans hated Jews
00:13:56 --> 00:13:58 or whether the rejection
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 is a more personal rejection
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 because they didn't want Jesus
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 being their Messiah
00:14:02 --> 00:14:05 that what matters for this story
00:14:05 --> 00:14:08 is simply that Jesus
00:14:08 --> 00:14:10 is already being rejected
00:14:10 --> 00:14:13 and then what happens is
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 this focus shifts from Jesus
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 to the disciples
00:14:15 --> 00:14:18 and their response
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 and especially the response
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 of James and John
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 you see it there in verse 54
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 they said to Jesus
00:14:24 --> 00:14:24 Lord
00:14:24 --> 00:14:26 do you want us to call down fire
00:14:26 --> 00:14:28 from heaven to destroy them
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 you get a glimpse here
00:14:30 --> 00:14:32 why Jesus called these guys
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 the sons of thunder
00:14:33 --> 00:14:36 and you know frankly
00:14:36 --> 00:14:38 I can imagine being there
00:14:38 --> 00:14:40 I can imagine saying it
00:14:40 --> 00:14:42 you know Jesus
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 do you want me to whip the guns out
00:14:43 --> 00:14:45 you know come on Jesus
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 you know we're on our way to victory
00:14:46 --> 00:14:48 nothing can stop us now
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 let's let the fire fall Jesus
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 let the judgment begin
00:14:51 --> 00:14:54 oh Jesus how Jerusalem
00:14:54 --> 00:14:56 is going to tremble
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 when they see us coming Jesus
00:14:57 --> 00:14:59 let's get on with the business
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 right now
00:15:00 --> 00:15:03 and Jesus turns to them
00:15:03 --> 00:15:04 and rebukes them
00:15:04 --> 00:15:05 in verse 55
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 and they simply went
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 to another village
00:15:08 --> 00:15:13 those couple of verses
00:15:13 --> 00:15:14 help us to see
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 that a mistaken view
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 of Jesus journey
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 to Jerusalem
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 can lead to a mistaken view
00:15:20 --> 00:15:22 of what it means
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 to be his disciple
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 if Jesus had come
00:15:26 --> 00:15:28 to execute judgment
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 and take up
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 an earthly rule
00:15:30 --> 00:15:32 then it would make sense
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34 for the sons of thunder
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 to launch missiles
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 at this Samaritan village
00:15:36 --> 00:15:39 but if Jesus had come
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 not to judge
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 but to save
00:15:41 --> 00:15:43 then a radically different
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 form of discipleship
00:15:44 --> 00:15:44 is required
00:15:44 --> 00:15:48 and so here is the question
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 I think that this passage
00:15:49 --> 00:15:51 is asking every believer
00:15:51 --> 00:15:54 does discipleship mean
00:15:54 --> 00:15:56 deploying God's missiles
00:15:56 --> 00:15:59 against the enemy
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 in righteous indignation
00:16:01 --> 00:16:05 or does discipleship mean
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 following him
00:16:06 --> 00:16:08 on the Calvary road
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 which leads to suffering
00:16:09 --> 00:16:09 and death
00:16:09 --> 00:16:13 the answer in the whole
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 New Testament
00:16:14 --> 00:16:17 is that the surprise
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 about Jesus the Messiah
00:16:18 --> 00:16:20 is that he came
00:16:20 --> 00:16:20 to live
00:16:20 --> 00:16:22 a sacrificial
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 dying service
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 before he comes
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 a second time
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 to reign
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 in glory
00:16:28 --> 00:16:31 and the surprise
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 about discipleship
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 is that it demands
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 a like of sacrificial
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 dying service
00:16:36 --> 00:16:38 before we reign
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 with him
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 in glory
00:16:40 --> 00:16:44 what James and John
00:16:44 --> 00:16:44 had to learn
00:16:44 --> 00:16:47 and what we must learn
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 too
00:16:48 --> 00:16:48 is that Jesus'
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 journey to Jerusalem
00:16:50 --> 00:16:53 to die
00:16:53 --> 00:16:55 is our journey
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 to Jerusalem
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 to die as well
00:16:57 --> 00:17:00 there are certainly
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 those that view it
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 as the exact opposite
00:17:02 --> 00:17:05 that since Jesus
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 suffered so much
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 and died in our place
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 therefore we are free
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 to go straight
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 to the head of the class
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 we skip all the exams
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 he suffered
00:17:13 --> 00:17:13 so that I could have
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 comfort
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 he died so that
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 I could live
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 he bore abuse
00:17:17 --> 00:17:17 so that I could be
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 esteemed
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 he gave up all the
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 treasures in heaven
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 so that I could build
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 up treasures in earth
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 he brought the kingdom
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 and paid for our entrance
00:17:24 --> 00:17:26 and now we live in it
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 with all its earthly
00:17:27 --> 00:17:28 privileges
00:17:28 --> 00:17:31 but that goes against
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 the plain teaching
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 of the Bible
00:17:33 --> 00:17:35 even the plain teaching
00:17:35 --> 00:17:36 the context here
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 Luke chapter 9
00:17:37 --> 00:17:37 verse 23
00:17:37 --> 00:17:39 and 24
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 Jesus says
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 if anyone
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 would come after me
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 he must deny himself
00:17:43 --> 00:17:45 take up his cross
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 daily and follow me
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 whoever wants to save
00:17:48 --> 00:17:50 his life will lose it
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 but whoever loses
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 his life for me
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 will save it
00:17:53 --> 00:17:56 friends what I'm saying
00:17:56 --> 00:17:56 here is that
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 when Jesus
00:17:58 --> 00:18:00 resolutely set out
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 for Jerusalem
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 to walk that
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 Calvary road
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 he was not merely
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 just taking our place
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 he was setting
00:18:08 --> 00:18:08 our pattern
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 he's not just
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 our substitute
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 he's actually
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 our pace setter
00:18:13 --> 00:18:17 if we seek
00:18:17 --> 00:18:17 to secure
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 our life
00:18:18 --> 00:18:20 through returning
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 evil for evil
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 or surrounding
00:18:22 --> 00:18:24 ourselves with luxury
00:18:24 --> 00:18:24 in the face
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 of human need
00:18:25 --> 00:18:27 this passage says
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 we will lose
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 our life
00:18:29 --> 00:18:33 we can only
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 save our life
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 if we follow
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 Christ on the
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 Calvary road
00:18:37 --> 00:18:39 Jesus
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 died
00:18:40 --> 00:18:42 to save us
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 from the power
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 and punishment
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 of sin
00:18:45 --> 00:18:47 not from the
00:18:47 --> 00:18:47 suffering
00:18:47 --> 00:18:49 and sacrifices
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 of simplicity
00:18:50 --> 00:18:52 for love's sake
00:18:52 --> 00:18:55 Jesus
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 died to save us
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 from the power
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 and punishment
00:18:59 --> 00:18:59 of sin
00:18:59 --> 00:19:01 not from the
00:19:01 --> 00:19:01 suffering
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 and sacrifices
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 of simplicity
00:19:03 --> 00:19:05 for love's sake
00:19:05 --> 00:19:08 and so
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 verses 56
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 to 62
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 are Jesus
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 way of correcting
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 the misconception
00:19:13 --> 00:19:15 of discipleship
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 the misconception
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 of all the
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 glories of
00:19:18 --> 00:19:18 discipleship
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 that James
00:19:19 --> 00:19:19 and John
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 had
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 three times
00:19:21 --> 00:19:21 here in
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 these passages
00:19:22 --> 00:19:24 these verses
00:19:24 --> 00:19:26 we see the
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 word follow
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 to describe
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 what it means
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 to be his
00:19:30 --> 00:19:30 disciple
00:19:30 --> 00:19:32 verse 57
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 I will follow
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 you
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 verse 59
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 follow me
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 and verse 61
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 I will follow
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 you
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 the point is
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 that being
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 a disciple
00:19:40 --> 00:19:40 of Jesus
00:19:40 --> 00:19:42 is more than
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 just learning
00:19:43 --> 00:19:43 about Jesus
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 it's actually
00:19:44 --> 00:19:46 following Jesus
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 where Jesus
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 goes
00:19:48 --> 00:19:51 and as it
00:19:51 --> 00:19:51 says in Luke
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 14
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 verse 27
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 whoever does
00:19:54 --> 00:19:54 not bear
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 his own
00:19:55 --> 00:19:55 cross
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 and come
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 after me
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 cannot be
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 my disciple
00:19:59 --> 00:20:01 when Jesus
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 says these
00:20:02 --> 00:20:02 words
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 follow me
00:20:03 --> 00:20:05 he says
00:20:05 --> 00:20:05 it in the
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 context of
00:20:06 --> 00:20:06 having just
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 been rejected
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 at Samaria
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 as he said
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 his face
00:20:10 --> 00:20:10 to go to
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 Jerusalem
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 and so
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 just for a
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 moment
00:20:14 --> 00:20:14 I want to
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 dwell on
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 those words
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 those two
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 little words
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 follow
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 me
00:20:19 --> 00:20:22 and if
00:20:22 --> 00:20:22 you're dozing
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 off at all
00:20:23 --> 00:20:23 right now
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 you need to
00:20:24 --> 00:20:24 tune into
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 this bit
00:20:25 --> 00:20:27 follow
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 me
00:20:28 --> 00:20:31 follow
00:20:31 --> 00:20:33 me
00:20:33 --> 00:20:37 what I
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 want you
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 to do
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 tonight
00:20:38 --> 00:20:41 after church
00:20:41 --> 00:20:41 is go
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 home
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 pick up
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 your Bible
00:20:44 --> 00:20:44 turn to
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 Luke chapter
00:20:45 --> 00:20:45 9
00:20:45 --> 00:20:45 and you
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 dwell
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 on those
00:20:47 --> 00:20:47 two words
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 you hover
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 over them
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 you meditate
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 on them
00:20:50 --> 00:20:50 you read
00:20:50 --> 00:20:50 them
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 you think
00:20:51 --> 00:20:51 about them
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 you incline
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 your heart
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 to them
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 you ask
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 God to
00:20:54 --> 00:20:54 pray
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 you pray
00:20:55 --> 00:20:55 to God
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 ask him
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 to bend
00:20:57 --> 00:20:57 your heart
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 to understand
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 those words
00:20:59 --> 00:20:59 follow me
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 follow me
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 follow me
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 follow me
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 until they
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 burn
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 deep in
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 your heart
00:21:06 --> 00:21:06 and in
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 your mind
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 and if
00:21:08 --> 00:21:08 they're
00:21:08 --> 00:21:08 not burning
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 deep
00:21:09 --> 00:21:09 in your
00:21:09 --> 00:21:09 heart
00:21:09 --> 00:21:09 and in
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 your mind
00:21:10 --> 00:21:10 you read
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 them again
00:21:11 --> 00:21:11 you ponder
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 you meditate
00:21:12 --> 00:21:12 you think
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 you pray
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 you ponder
00:21:14 --> 00:21:14 you meditate
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 you think
00:21:15 --> 00:21:15 you pray
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 again
00:21:16 --> 00:21:16 and again
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 and again
00:21:17 --> 00:21:17 until they
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 burn
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 deep
00:21:19 --> 00:21:19 in your
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 heart
00:21:20 --> 00:21:23 because my
00:21:23 --> 00:21:23 guess is
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 for most
00:21:24 --> 00:21:24 of us
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 we read
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 those verses
00:21:26 --> 00:21:28 and we skip straight over them.
00:21:28 --> 00:21:30 Follow me, follow me, follow me.
00:21:30 --> 00:21:32 And they are so significant.
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 They reveal two things.
00:21:35 --> 00:21:37 They reveal a person and they reveal a path.
00:21:37 --> 00:21:39 They reveal Jesus, they reveal his mission.
00:21:39 --> 00:21:42 They reveal a sweetness and they reveal a suffering.
00:21:45 --> 00:21:47 When Jesus responded the way he did
00:21:47 --> 00:21:51 to these three would-be followers,
00:21:51 --> 00:21:55 he was teaching that the Calvary Road through Jerusalem
00:21:55 --> 00:21:57 would be a hard road
00:21:57 --> 00:22:00 and would require personal sacrifices.
00:22:01 --> 00:22:06 And he was testing, testing, testing
00:22:06 --> 00:22:11 to see if he, the me in the follow me,
00:22:11 --> 00:22:12 was their greatest treasure.
00:22:16 --> 00:22:18 There are two things happening here.
00:22:18 --> 00:22:21 Firstly, Jesus is offering himself
00:22:21 --> 00:22:24 for our fellowship and our friendship
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 and our partnership.
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 Just think about that.
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 This is the me bit.
00:22:30 --> 00:22:32 This is the me of the follow me.
00:22:33 --> 00:22:35 The creator of the universe,
00:22:35 --> 00:22:37 the king of kings, the lord of lords,
00:22:37 --> 00:22:39 the one who upholds everything
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 by the power of his word,
00:22:40 --> 00:22:43 the one who is from everlasting to everlasting,
00:22:43 --> 00:22:45 that's mind-boggling in of itself,
00:22:46 --> 00:22:48 born of a virgin, the holy one of God,
00:22:48 --> 00:22:51 perfect in obedience, triumphant over sin
00:22:51 --> 00:22:53 and death and hell and demons.
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56 In him are hidden all the treasures
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 of knowledge and wisdom.
00:22:58 --> 00:23:00 And this Jesus, this me,
00:23:00 --> 00:23:02 says follow me.
00:23:03 --> 00:23:03 Me.
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05 Me.
00:23:07 --> 00:23:10 Do you get who's saying follow me
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 on this Calvary Road?
00:23:11 --> 00:23:15 The significance of those words.
00:23:18 --> 00:23:21 And the second thing that Jesus is doing here
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 is testing us.
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 Testing us
00:23:24 --> 00:23:27 that if
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 this
00:23:28 --> 00:23:31 is in actual fact
00:23:31 --> 00:23:31 enough.
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 In other words,
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 he's testing us.
00:23:37 --> 00:23:39 Do you know
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 who's calling you
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 to follow him?
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 Is it enough
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 to have Jesus?
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 Is it enough
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 to be satisfied
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 in him?
00:23:48 --> 00:23:50 Is he your treasure,
00:23:50 --> 00:23:50 your joy,
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 your security,
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 your hope,
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 your friend
00:23:52 --> 00:23:54 in times of loneliness,
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 your home,
00:23:55 --> 00:23:55 your father,
00:23:56 --> 00:23:56 your mother,
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 your power
00:23:57 --> 00:23:59 to look straight ahead
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 rather than to be turned aside
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 in fickleness
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 of discipleship?
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 When Jesus says
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 follow me,
00:24:05 --> 00:24:07 he wants us
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 to be satisfied
00:24:08 --> 00:24:08 in him
00:24:08 --> 00:24:13 and not to be satisfied
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 in our homes,
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 our furniture,
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 the security system
00:24:19 --> 00:24:20 which keeps it safe,
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 the manicured garden,
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 the climate controlled atmosphere,
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 the cockroach,
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 mouse free,
00:24:28 --> 00:24:28 ant free,
00:24:28 --> 00:24:30 fully automated kitchen,
00:24:30 --> 00:24:33 not even the cosy comfort
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 of the bedroom
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 where we lay down
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 our head at night
00:24:36 --> 00:24:36 and cuddle up
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 under a doona
00:24:37 --> 00:24:39 because the son of man
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 has no place
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 to lay his head.
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 No place to lay his head.
00:24:46 --> 00:24:47 He wants to know
00:24:47 --> 00:24:50 are we satisfied
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 in him?
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 In him.
00:24:54 --> 00:24:58 We don't need to make
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59 these words
00:24:59 --> 00:24:59 any harder
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 than they are.
00:25:01 --> 00:25:02 Jesus isn't saying
00:25:02 --> 00:25:04 there will never be
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 a time
00:25:05 --> 00:25:05 when you will have
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 a bed
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 or a pillow
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 or a roof.
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 Jesus is not saying
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 that one of the criteria
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 of being his disciple
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 is that we must sleep
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 standing up
00:25:13 --> 00:25:16 but it has
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 something to say.
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 It has something
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 to say about
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 how many beds
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 and how many pillows
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 and how many rooms
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 and how many doonas
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 we have.
00:25:27 --> 00:25:27 It has something
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 to say
00:25:28 --> 00:25:29 about how many
00:25:29 --> 00:25:31 places we've invested
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 in to lay
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 our head,
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 how much comfort
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 and luxury
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 that we seek
00:25:36 --> 00:25:36 to surround
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 ourselves with.
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 It has got something
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 to say about that.
00:25:41 --> 00:25:43 Brothers and sisters,
00:25:43 --> 00:25:44 we're 16
00:25:44 --> 00:25:46 people groups
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 in this world
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 still waiting
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 to hear the gospel
00:25:49 --> 00:25:50 and millions
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 of children
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 and people
00:25:52 --> 00:25:53 starving
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 through no fault
00:25:54 --> 00:25:54 of their own
00:25:54 --> 00:25:56 and many people
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57 in our own country
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 hard pressed
00:25:58 --> 00:25:59 because of jobliness
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 and just emptiness
00:26:00 --> 00:26:01 of the soul.
00:26:03 --> 00:26:05 It is inconceivable
00:26:05 --> 00:26:06 that a disciple
00:26:06 --> 00:26:07 of Jesus Christ
00:26:07 --> 00:26:09 can go right on
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 pursuing the great
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 Australian dream.
00:26:11 --> 00:26:16 What excites me
00:26:16 --> 00:26:16 so much
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 is when I see
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 Christians
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 who have
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 an alternative
00:26:20 --> 00:26:20 dream,
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 a dream
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 of breaking
00:26:23 --> 00:26:23 loose
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 from the shackles
00:26:24 --> 00:26:26 of this
00:26:26 --> 00:26:26 self-serving
00:26:26 --> 00:26:27 consumer
00:26:27 --> 00:26:28 culture
00:26:28 --> 00:26:29 in which we live,
00:26:30 --> 00:26:31 a dream
00:26:31 --> 00:26:31 of doing
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 something radical,
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 something
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 radically loving
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 with your house,
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 something radically
00:26:38 --> 00:26:38 loving with your
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 portfolio,
00:26:39 --> 00:26:40 something radically
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 loving with your
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 income,
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 something radically
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 loving with your
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 free evenings
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46 or mornings
00:26:46 --> 00:26:47 or afternoons
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 or weekends
00:26:48 --> 00:26:50 or something
00:26:50 --> 00:26:51 radically loving
00:26:51 --> 00:26:51 with your job.
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 Some of us
00:26:55 --> 00:26:55 have discovered
00:26:55 --> 00:26:57 such wonderful
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 freedom from
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 the love of
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 things,
00:27:01 --> 00:27:02 but some of us
00:27:02 --> 00:27:03 are yet to
00:27:03 --> 00:27:03 discover it.
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 Likewise,
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 Jesus isn't
00:27:07 --> 00:27:07 saying here,
00:27:08 --> 00:27:09 it will always
00:27:09 --> 00:27:09 be wrong to go
00:27:09 --> 00:27:10 to your dad's
00:27:10 --> 00:27:10 funeral.
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 The point is
00:27:13 --> 00:27:13 that Jesus
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 Christ is
00:27:14 --> 00:27:14 absolute
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 and all
00:27:15 --> 00:27:16 other allegiances
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 are relative
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 to that.
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 That's the point
00:27:20 --> 00:27:20 Jesus is making
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 here.
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 Jesus isn't
00:27:23 --> 00:27:24 trying to
00:27:24 --> 00:27:25 create a bunch
00:27:25 --> 00:27:25 of laws
00:27:25 --> 00:27:27 that all
00:27:27 --> 00:27:27 disciples have
00:27:27 --> 00:27:28 to keep.
00:27:29 --> 00:27:29 This is where
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 we get bogged
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 down so much.
00:27:32 --> 00:27:32 We fight
00:27:32 --> 00:27:33 over,
00:27:33 --> 00:27:33 thou shalt
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 not give
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 all your money
00:27:35 --> 00:27:36 or thou shalt
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 not have a bed
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 or thou shalt
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 not go to
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 your dad's
00:27:39 --> 00:27:39 funeral.
00:27:40 --> 00:27:41 And we forget
00:27:41 --> 00:27:41 about the
00:27:41 --> 00:27:42 me,
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 who it is
00:27:44 --> 00:27:44 that's called
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 us to follow
00:27:45 --> 00:27:46 him.
00:27:46 --> 00:27:47 We get so
00:27:47 --> 00:27:47 caught up in
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 the follow
00:27:48 --> 00:27:48 bit and we
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 forget about
00:27:49 --> 00:27:49 it's me,
00:27:50 --> 00:27:50 the me that's
00:27:50 --> 00:27:51 called us
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 to follow
00:27:52 --> 00:27:52 him.
00:27:55 --> 00:27:56 The point of
00:27:56 --> 00:27:56 this whole
00:27:56 --> 00:27:57 passage is Jesus
00:27:57 --> 00:27:58 sets out to
00:27:58 --> 00:27:59 Jerusalem
00:27:59 --> 00:28:01 is that he
00:28:01 --> 00:28:01 knows our
00:28:01 --> 00:28:02 idols.
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 He knows
00:28:04 --> 00:28:04 it.
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 He knows
00:28:06 --> 00:28:07 perfectly
00:28:07 --> 00:28:07 what is
00:28:07 --> 00:28:08 competing
00:28:08 --> 00:28:09 in your
00:28:09 --> 00:28:10 heart
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 with
00:28:11 --> 00:28:11 affection
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12 for him.
00:28:13 --> 00:28:13 He knows
00:28:13 --> 00:28:13 it.
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 It's why
00:28:17 --> 00:28:18 he raises
00:28:18 --> 00:28:18 the question
00:28:18 --> 00:28:19 in verse
00:28:19 --> 00:28:19 62 about
00:28:19 --> 00:28:20 fickle
00:28:20 --> 00:28:20 following.
00:28:21 --> 00:28:21 It's the
00:28:21 --> 00:28:22 danger of
00:28:22 --> 00:28:23 indecisive
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 discipleship.
00:28:25 --> 00:28:25 No one
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 after putting
00:28:26 --> 00:28:26 his hand
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 to the
00:28:27 --> 00:28:27 plough
00:28:27 --> 00:28:27 and looking
00:28:27 --> 00:28:28 back is
00:28:28 --> 00:28:29 fit for
00:28:29 --> 00:28:29 the kingdom
00:28:29 --> 00:28:30 of God.
00:28:31 --> 00:28:31 In other
00:28:31 --> 00:28:31 words,
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 you can't
00:28:32 --> 00:28:32 plough in a
00:28:32 --> 00:28:33 straight line
00:28:33 --> 00:28:33 if you're
00:28:33 --> 00:28:34 looking behind
00:28:34 --> 00:28:34 you.
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 No, I
00:28:35 --> 00:28:35 know it.
00:28:35 --> 00:28:35 I come
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 from the
00:28:36 --> 00:28:36 country.
00:28:36 --> 00:28:36 I've
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37 tried it.
00:28:40 --> 00:28:40 You
00:28:40 --> 00:28:40 cannot
00:28:40 --> 00:28:41 serve
00:28:41 --> 00:28:41 Christ.
00:28:43 --> 00:28:43 You
00:28:43 --> 00:28:44 cannot
00:28:44 --> 00:28:44 make
00:28:44 --> 00:28:45 Jesus
00:28:45 --> 00:28:45 look great
00:28:45 --> 00:28:46 to this
00:28:46 --> 00:28:47 world if
00:28:47 --> 00:28:47 you're
00:28:47 --> 00:28:47 always
00:28:47 --> 00:28:48 second
00:28:48 --> 00:28:48 guessing
00:28:48 --> 00:28:48 whether
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49 or not
00:28:49 --> 00:28:49 he's
00:28:49 --> 00:28:49 worth
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 following
00:28:50 --> 00:28:50 and
00:28:50 --> 00:28:50 trusting.
00:28:55 --> 00:28:56 Looking
00:28:56 --> 00:28:56 back
00:28:56 --> 00:28:56 means
00:28:56 --> 00:28:57 longing
00:28:57 --> 00:28:57 back.
00:28:58 --> 00:28:58 It
00:28:58 --> 00:28:59 means we
00:28:59 --> 00:28:59 are not
00:28:59 --> 00:29:00 really
00:29:00 --> 00:29:00 sure if
00:29:00 --> 00:29:00 he's
00:29:00 --> 00:29:01 worth
00:29:01 --> 00:29:01 following.
00:29:04 --> 00:29:04 It's
00:29:04 --> 00:29:04 having a
00:29:04 --> 00:29:05 divided
00:29:05 --> 00:29:05 heart
00:29:05 --> 00:29:07 and James
00:29:07 --> 00:29:07 says that
00:29:07 --> 00:29:08 the double
00:29:08 --> 00:29:09 minded person
00:29:09 --> 00:29:09 is unstable
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 in all
00:29:10 --> 00:29:10 they do.
00:29:13 --> 00:29:14 Friends,
00:29:15 --> 00:29:15 tonight
00:29:15 --> 00:29:16 Jesus
00:29:16 --> 00:29:17 is coming
00:29:17 --> 00:29:18 to us
00:29:18 --> 00:29:18 through
00:29:18 --> 00:29:19 his word
00:29:19 --> 00:29:20 and he's
00:29:20 --> 00:29:20 looking
00:29:20 --> 00:29:22 in our
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 faces
00:29:23 --> 00:29:25 and he's
00:29:25 --> 00:29:25 looking
00:29:25 --> 00:29:26 straight to
00:29:26 --> 00:29:26 our hearts
00:29:26 --> 00:29:30 and I
00:29:30 --> 00:29:30 want to
00:29:30 --> 00:29:31 say please
00:29:31 --> 00:29:31 let him
00:29:31 --> 00:29:31 do it.
00:29:33 --> 00:29:33 Please
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 let him
00:29:34 --> 00:29:34 do it.
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 Let him
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 mess with
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 your heart.
00:29:37 --> 00:29:38 Let him
00:29:38 --> 00:29:38 mess with
00:29:38 --> 00:29:39 your heart.
00:29:42 --> 00:29:43 Let these
00:29:43 --> 00:29:44 words
00:29:44 --> 00:29:45 follow me
00:29:45 --> 00:29:45 burn.
00:29:46 --> 00:29:47 Burn
00:29:47 --> 00:29:47 deep
00:29:47 --> 00:29:48 within you
00:29:48 --> 00:29:49 until you
00:29:49 --> 00:29:50 burn for
00:29:50 --> 00:29:50 a passion
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51 for his
00:29:51 --> 00:29:51 glory.
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 Burn
00:29:53 --> 00:29:53 for a
00:29:53 --> 00:29:53 passion
00:29:53 --> 00:29:54 for his
00:29:54 --> 00:29:54 kingdom.
00:29:56 --> 00:29:59 Jesus
00:29:59 --> 00:29:59 is worthy,
00:30:00 --> 00:30:00 he is
00:30:00 --> 00:30:00 worth
00:30:00 --> 00:30:01 following
00:30:01 --> 00:30:02 even
00:30:02 --> 00:30:02 through
00:30:02 --> 00:30:03 Jerusalem,
00:30:03 --> 00:30:04 even to
00:30:04 --> 00:30:04 the cross
00:30:04 --> 00:30:05 and from
00:30:05 --> 00:30:06 there
00:30:06 --> 00:30:08 to all
00:30:08 --> 00:30:08 the nations
00:30:08 --> 00:30:09 of the
00:30:09 --> 00:30:09 world.
00:30:11 --> 00:30:12 Yes,
00:30:12 --> 00:30:13 he died
00:30:13 --> 00:30:13 just outside
00:30:13 --> 00:30:14 of Jerusalem
00:30:14 --> 00:30:15 but it's
00:30:15 --> 00:30:16 not bad
00:30:16 --> 00:30:16 news.
00:30:18 --> 00:30:18 His
00:30:18 --> 00:30:18 death
00:30:18 --> 00:30:19 is our
00:30:19 --> 00:30:19 life
00:30:19 --> 00:30:21 and so
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 follow
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 him.
00:30:23 --> 00:30:23 Follow
00:30:23 --> 00:30:23 him.
00:30:26 --> 00:30:31 join
00:30:32 --> 00:30:32 him.
00:30:33 --> 00:30:34 worship
00:30:38 --> 00:30:39 himself
00:30:40 --> 00:30:41 a
00:30:41 --> 00:30:41 heaven
00:30:41 --> 00:30:42 hopefully
00:30:42 --> 00:30:42 you
00:30:42 --> 00:30:44 y
00:30:44 --> 00:30:44 proudly
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 ad