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Oct. 18, 2020
Masked Hysteria | Pastor David Hughes
Welcome and thank you for joining us for the Church by the Glades Podcast. If you would like more information about church by the Glades, including service, times and directions, visit CB glades dot com Way. Hope you enjoyed today's message. What is up? Ch urch by the Glades. My mask. My mask got hung on my big ears. It happens sometimes. Hey, so glad you're here. Some of your back for the first time, I hope you feel like today was safe. We want to keep you safe. We want to encourage you if you're still at h ome. But you live in South Florida and you're out and about coming back to church. If you've been to them all and you've been to the beach, been to a restaurant will keep you safe here. And what happens is this online is great. Thank you for connecting tod ay, and the sermon, I think, translates really well toe online. But it's the worship is being in the room and, like real, live people singing and worshiping God, especially if you're like me and you sing really badly. They drowned you out. So it's just the re's something very powerful thank you for being here. Thank you for wearing your mask. A little bit of just church family business. Let me echo a Roy. If you are thinking about further in your education. You see, God has a purpose for your life. But you g otta prepare for the purpose and so he wouldn't be truly effective. I love the value of just study. And so the Apostle Paul, for example, was one of those effective Christians in history. Why hyper gifted, really resolved strong personality. But he trained . Paul went to the greatest theological schools of his day. So for for years has been my dream because we have so much young talent of this church and we pressed into young guns. We have great young leaders of church by the Glades Way. Give 14 year olds re sponsibilities. You know, they have pimples and ride a skateboard to church. I don't care. Were given job anyways, but the practical with the academic So we want to find the right school to partner with In Palm Beach. Atlantic University is a liberal arts accredited Christian University of Palm Beach County. Real close to you guys at Lake Worth campus and their academics are phenomenal, but if you partner, by the way they offer all kinds of options now, like psychology is an option now. But the ministry deg ree So worship or production. You intern here. A church by the Glades. So you get the academic and the practical and what we have as far as production worship is world class. So if you're even thinking about that and a lot of our students are that 18 1920. There's also people like my age in P B A C B G. So if you're even thinking about it, just stop and see Britney and Lobby have a conversation. This might be God's plan for you. We try to keep the price point. We're not trying to make any money off you're t rying to make. This is as doable is possible, but check out P B A at C B. G. All kinds of fun stuff happening like by the way to if you If you're a social media person and you would just hashtag CB glades, you might show appear on the screen. Maybe take a picture yourself on the way. Thio, get your seat, you know, maybe out by the tower or by the pillars at Lake Worth or sometime during the week. Just wearing your CB gear because you'll look good in your CB gear. And let's get to spread the word. Thank you. If you're a home right now, take a picture of yourself. Watching the worship service will be phenomenal. Hashtag CB glaze. We may just put you on the big screens. All right, let's jump to it. Uh, this is October, and I'm ready for church to feel normal, a t least ish. And so in October, every year we do a serious Siri's, you know, kind of October's about costumes and candy and scary. We always do kind of a scary syriza. Guess what? Let's treat this like a normal October. I know nothing in 2020 feels normal, and so I want to talk about the idea of of a mask. For the next three weeks, we'll talk about the idea of a mass because, ah, mask is the new normal. I'm not sure how you feel about a mask up. Not sure where you're watching this in the world, but here in South Florida and Broward and Dade
County, Palm Beach County, you should probably wear a mask in public. I think it's required at all times it in public. You do that in private. How do you feel in private home? I don't wear a mask of my family. If you have guests over, do they wear a mask? Do you even have guests over? I mean, all kinds like nuances right now. In fact, as anybody walked into a bank wearing your match yet anybody done that. Okay, two weeks ago, I had to go to my local bank here in town, and I just have my my mask going like normal, but halfway. And I'm like, Oh, my gosh, I'm wearing a mask into a bank and no one thinks that is strange. No one is freaking out. The guards not reaching for a side arm because we're all worried about. I'm like, I never thought in my life I wear a mask into a bank. But these days they're weird. So I'm gonna call the syriza theme the next few weeks, Mast hysteria, because we're all doing the idea of a mask right now. And we have a little fun. Be a little spooky. And yes, we are gonna bring it this campus lake worth guys, we'll get to you. Maybe next year. You're doing a great job. You're crushing services right now. But we're going to bring back the spooktacular and the spooktacular if you're new to the Spooktacular, too. Happy people. The rest of guys like really thank you. I'll take it. It actually has become the third biggest weekend Onley behind Christmas and Easter Church by the Glades. And so we do a family friendly service in the evening services. We add some se rvices now. In past years, we've had, like, 14 15,000 people at this campus show up because we do trunk or treat in the services kind of themed scary, and it's little brief and the kids come into the big room. They wear their costumes, grown ups where thei r costumes phenomenal. But the issue was, Can we do it? Because I don't want people touching candy and the kids touching candy, and so a church Magalhaes. Here's why we decided to do it. We're gonna make it safe. We'll definitely have less people because o ur crowds are smaller right now. But we have developed the first ever in history Touch free candy distribution system. What we're gonna do is this. When your kid comes right, we won't do the trunks. We'll have, like, stuff, form the service with a ton of f un. When your kid comes, they bring like the little plastic Jack o lantern. They'll be like a bull's eye. They put it down there. Are there little bucket and we're just have a giant candy drop. And so a no touch candy drop. So we're gonna be sanitary and s afe. We will space. And by the way, everybody where the kid is looking, What in the heck do we do for this Halloween trick or treating the neighborhood full of strange? The malls not do anything. Invite them to church by the Glades. We have fun. Keep him s afe. It's an opportunity. You paid $50 for her costume. She wants to wear it somewhere. It comes, sure, that kid off. So we're gonna make it safe. I go to a candy drop, gonna bomb them with candy. But no one touches. It could be a phenomenal It's coming up . I know some churches don't do Halloween. I respect that. I love Halloween personally, So I'm the one pastor committed to saving Halloween. Hashtag save Halloween. We're kinda. And by the way, Halloween is on a Saturday, October 31st of the Saturday. So p erfect time. It lines up with the services so we won't do on Sunday. But on Saturday, we're gonna add services at this campus. So Spooktacular is on. Everyone is welcome. Have fun and bite. All right, The mass, the mass. So if your kids have a costume in t he mask, that's probably good is probably good. In fact, let me talk about the mask. Where your master church. Where? Your master church. Thank you. Listen, I know people feel differently about the mask. It's become politicized. But I understand the medica l science on the mask and let me just say right now I don't I don't In a funny everyone seems like they're a doctor right now. Everybody has. He's like, really strong opinions of medical things. You're not a doctor, right? Everyone has a cousin who works f or the CIA, by the way, all the conspiracy All right, so I'm not I'm not a
doctor. I don't understand. But what I understand about is my mask keeps you safe. The purpose of my were in Damascus. It's not so much to protect me from catching something from yo u. It's you to catch something. So we're in a mass, communicates I value you that I love you, that you matter to me. I might even feel like it's important. But so we're doing that here. And you guys have been great. I hope in the near future it won't be re quired. But right now it is so in church. Wear a mask and don't wear a mask. What? I mean? Well, where? The physical mass. But let me show you something. You find Luke. Chapter 18, Luke, Chapter 18. But in second Corinthians Chapter four Look what The Apos tle Paul says. I want this to be the theme verse for the next few weeks, Paul says this verse force on the screen read the highlighted word. We refused toe wear as some people, you know, right? Okay, we refused to wear, mask and play games. We don't maneuv er and manipulate behind the scenes. I love this last part, and we don't twist God's word to suit ourselves, he said. As Christians, we don't wear mask. We don't play games. We don't do pretend and we don't twist God's word. We don't take this book and try to make it mean what we want it to mean. In fact, every weekend is I teach you scripture. I do my best trying not to commingle my opinion. I'm sure it creeps in there sometimes, sadly, but forever. Does feel free to disregard David and go with the book We want to teach Jesus and his word. Amen. All right, So Paul says when it comes to spiritual things don't wear a mask. So dress go to church by the Glades. Dress code is simple. We're gonna wear the physical mask. But in fact, people ask David, do we have a dress code of church by the glaze? So some people dress up. Most people kind of casual, Like back in the day. I wore a coat and tie to our church every weekend. Our dress code is this. Where would you want Thio? Where? What you want to? If you're a dress up person, that is wonderful. That's fine. If you wanna be cash like the only three only, uh, dress code word I have is this modest? Keep it modest. I mean, you keep it covered up. You with me. The only thing I asked you guys keep it cut. And sisters, ladi es, for the sake of the guys, please, just I'm just saying, Send me all You got a lot going on. Just keep it covered up. Just just because Because I'll take off the mask because we're dudes were dudes. And we get distracted easily. Don't distract us becaus e it happens everywhere else. We live in South Florida, and there's not a lot of modesty. Amen. Oh, they're not playing. Okay? My gym. I love my gym. My gym has guys and girls, but now the girls are wearing not call what they called him. They're not yoga p ants or what? The leggings. Yeah, just I'm not knocking that. I'm just saying there's a guy that could be a distraction. I work out. I'm trying to work out some girl he was working out over there, and she's facing the other way. I'm trying to think of a Bi ble verse or something, right? All that comes to mind is turn the other cheek. That's not helping, right? I just I just didn't Jesus. They turned. So can church me The one place the one place in Jesus name we keep it covered up A man. What would you do tha t? Thank you. Can I be take off my mask and just own the fact you could distract your brother without a meeting to? All right. All right. So let's get to this when Paul saying don't wear the mask. What does he describe it? I think this is what he's saying. Sometimes in life, we leave our house, we feel like we gotta put on clothes. We're gonna clothe ourselves. I don't mean couture, but a fashion of a facade. We step out when it comes to our friends and co workers. And Shirley clients were gonna wear the ma sk and put on the mask that we have it way mawr together. Then we really do Wait, Wait more together. Yeah. How am I doing? I'm great. I'm great. Were great. We're cool. We're fine. We're making progress. Were healthy. We're doing good. And we just feel th is. This this need to kind of pretend and it's somewhat plastic is disingenuous. And we have We're afraid to be
authentic. We wear the mask, and the craziest thing is one of the places we feel the pressure to do. That is church and church would be the one safe space where you could be honest, where you could be transparent, where you feel like you could just share. I got some issues in my life right now, and they're not small. They're not benign, and no one's gonna judge you nor continue. Continue. But Paul says even among Christians way feel like I'm gonna put on the mask. Take off the mask, take off the mask. It's okay Not to be okay. All right? Yeah. And here's the crazy thing. This trap of putting on that facade that pretense is something that believers who are sincere slip into. I mean, Christians. They're serious about their sanctification Christians that wanna line their lives with the word of God, Christians, air passionate, pursuing God's purpose for their life. Those kind of believe, by the way, thi s they're all brilliant things. If you're that kind of person, I commend you That's so smart, but we will fall into the trap. Sometimes they're trying to put on the mask that we have a way mawr together than we really do. In fact, if you're in the room rig ht now, are watching your You're a non believer. But you're a moral person. You're kind, your generous. Sometimes you feel that need to put on the mask, and we actually draw a sense of our identity or even take pride in our morality like, Hey, you know I'm not perfect. I'm a pretty good person. I'm a pretty good person. I'm I'm a nice neighbor. I'm honest in business. I pay my taxes. I don't kick the cat. I'm a nice person. I'm rather humble. I'm rather humble. Fact. I take great pride in my humility and we drift into this. I'll tell you. Smart, good, godly, spiritually people are seduced by the trap to put on the mask. Let me show you one example when the heroes, the Bible I've been studying Moses in recent weeks in Moses is amazing. Moses did miracles. Mos es was used by God, that powerful way. I put Moses on the Bible's Mount Rushmore, but there's a little verse about Moses in numbers. 20 numbers 12 Verse 23 Describing the fact that he was humble, He's humble, and we actually looked at this verse a couple w eeks ago. It says this little detail. But Moses Mana miracles great leader now, Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the Earth. Numbers 12. Verse three. But here's the funny thing. Do you know who wrote the books of Gene sis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy? Moses is Moses bragging about how humble he is is mostly I take great pride in my email. I might be the most humble man in the face that Wow, you all know what a humble brag is. A humble brag on social media . Humble brag is, if you don't, it's what Christians do. It's how we could brag and think we get away with it. So we brag on social media like, Oh my gosh, I laid in my third client. I got a promotion. Boston's gave me a Bentley. Is my work car? Hashtag hu mbled? Hashtag blessed. Blessed right, we put that tried to absolve ourselves. We've been bragging because that Moses bragging, he's humble. We're not sure. Maybe an editor later on, out of that versus still inspired. But smart people drift into this, but Paul says it's dangerous. It's phony. It's disingenuous. It will mess you up if you don't think it's a big deal. let me make the case with something, Jesus said. I love a good Jesus story, don't you? I love in Jesus speaks with clarity. I love Jesus, creat ivity. Our church is all about creativity. We did not innovate. Creativity. Jesus used parables. So in Luke, Chapter 18, Stay with a Luke, Chapter 18. Come on loudly, Luke, Chapter 18 Lake Worth You as well, he put in the chat right now. Luke, Chapter 18 J esus, tell us this parable fictional story about a very real principle, and I will begin in Verse nine. Here's the reason why he tells the story. It's on the big screen behind me, he said to some who were confident. Now it's good to be confident, but actua lly it's gonna warn overconfidence and arrogance, almost confident in their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else. Jesus told his parents, that's when
the problem with spiritually arrogance put on the mask, feeling like man, I got it all toget her. Look at me. I'm doing well right? You You start to measure. You start to judge, you start to condemn other people. You start to make comparisons. So Jesus tells this parable. Here's the parable verse 10 is on the screen behind me. Verse 10. It says tw o men went up to the temple to pray. Great idea. One of Paris. See the other A tax collector? Verse 11, please. 1st 11, please. There the Pharisee stood by himself himself, now little detail in the original language. I'm not an expert on Greek grammar. The re's something called a reflexive pronoun reflexive pronoun. It means he's praying about himself. That's a good idea. You should pray about you. I should pray about May we all have needs issues, you know problems. Invite God into that. God wants to be invo lved as you pray about you. But this is not just him praying about himself. The reflexive pronoun means he's praying about himself, and he's praying to himself. You should not pray to yourself unless your name is Jesus, right? He's praying, so we could act ually do. He's gonna stand up in church and making a little speech, a little speech, other people, hopefully here. And here's what he says. God, I thank you that I am not like other people robbers, evildoers, adulterers or even like this tax collector. Are you kidding me? Is that awesome? You actually almost enough. God, I thank you that I'm honest and I pay my taxes. I'm a nice neighbor at I'm way more spiritually and Bob over there. Bob, Bob is a Dumpster. Fire God. But I'm pretty awesome, right? That's w hat he's doing. And then you can go through some of things he does. Verse 12 says verse 12. He says Okay, Uh, I fast. Twice a week, I give 1 \ /10 of all I get, and this guy is a Paris. See if you study the Paris he's They were very moral. They were great re ligious rule keepers. And when it came to the rules, man, they kept the rules. And so they seem like very good people, Very good people. I'm telling this this desire to kind of measure ourselves and compare ourselves creeps into spirituality so easily, so easily. Evil is sincere. People try to do the right thing. Let me give an example. Uh, did your parents bring you up in church? Anybody? Anybody, and most our church family, your first generation. But some of us grew up in church, by the way. That's awesom e. Parents bring your kids to church. In fact, we have things online. It's they're great, they're great. But if you're in South Florida, get your kids back to the house. I've raised my two big kids. I'm so glad they have Rally Ministry right now for young adults. My youngest is the fifth grader. He's over there and see BG kids right now, and he loves it. But I'm grateful for the help lease, and I try to be good parents. We want all the extra help we confined. And so all these great sharp, creative people po uring our kids back up our values so important, so important, by the way, I mean, apparently, once we're like, well, let my kids make their own decision about church. I don't want to superimpose my faith on really, and she's in second grade. So on Monday, will you let her make her own decision about education? Did you go to school? Should you go to school online? Maybe don't value it. No, no. You make decisions for your kids. So as a kid, I didn't always want to go to church. Didn't matter. We went to churc h, and I'm so grateful. And as your kids are navigating some of the challenges kids face right now. I mean, if your kid has ability in sports, you put him in sports. You get coaches, you get people, you know, you get extra coaching, you gonna travel league , right? Guess what? He's not making the league. Sorry. Do America, we mathematically, he's not making league. Probably gonna happen, but he's gonna be 19 because he's not been insurance has no spiritually compass whatsoever. You need these people helping you. They're staring at me, but I'm right anyways. Anyways, so I grew up going to church, and so I went to church, like, 100 years ago. We went to Sunday school. Sunday school was kind of dull. We went to Sunday
school. It was good, is helpful. And they ha d the Sunday school star system memory, the star system. Like when you're, like, in first grade in kindergarten. If you did certain things in Sunday school, they gave you a gold star. That was very motivating when you're like, six. And so if you brought yo ur bible in kindergarten, you gotta start. Couldn't read it yet. You got a star. Um, you know, if you if you came four weeks in a row, you got a star. If you answer the question When the Bible story was done, you got a star. So what happened is you look up and see your name on the thing with the other kids names and you, you count your stars. And like if you had a bunch of stars, you felt really superior, right? Like, Oh, I'm a five star Sunday school. Oh, you're a four star Shaniqua you're in for So that's just wonderful secrets, not five, but it's four is pretty good. Oh, Tommy, Tommy is a two star. Let's pray for Tommy. Let's pray for Tommy. He's a two star, right? And you measure and we do this now, Mr Farris, see if it was the star system he had done. G reat. If you had checked out his stars, he'd have been phenomenal. Like Bible. The Pharisees knew the Torah, backwards and forwards. In fact, he get a star Scripture memorization. They would memorize huge chunks of the first five books. The Bible, 10 Comma ndments. They were rule keepers, so they wouldn't keep it perfectly. But they were serious about keeping the 10 Commandments. They added laws to it. Over 610 additional laws they thought were binding, especially Sabbath walls, tithing they would tie great thing. The Bible celebrates generosity they tied of their paycheck and any investment increase. I think that's also biblical. But Jesus said they were so diligent and thorough and detailed and their tithing, they would tie from the spices in the Cabinet in the kitchen. How do you tie your paprika? I have no idea. But that's what they would do and then fasting. The Bible required a Jew too fast. One time of year. They fast twice a week stars. Man. This guy had a whole bunch of stars stars, but he's proud of his stars. He's trusting his stars. Hey, God, if you notice how well I'm doing, I'm not like these evildoers. He's adulterers. He's robbers. And sure, like Bob the tax collector. By contrast, Verse 13. The other man praise. Let's with other guy prayed Vers e 13 on the screen right now, but the tax collector a little louder, but the okay if you have a paper Bible right down in the margin right down, messy person, because that is code in Jesus Day. It's a fictional story. Real principle. Messy person tax colle ctors I've broken this down before, so I'll be brief here. This is not just someone working for the Ire s. No one enjoys the I. R. S April 15th, right? It's more than that. This is a Jewish guy collecting taxes from his Jewish neighbors to pay the Roman go vernment when the Romans had conquered the Middle East and we're oppressing the people of God. So this is This is like, Why would anybody do that? This is traitorous. It waas The Romans found a very effective way to collect tax revenues because why the nat ive people knew everybody's hiding their money. So you get some guy to turn traitor how they did that. It was very lucrative. But tax collectors were despised. Don't even allowed in the synagogues. They were outcast. They just had their money. In fact, the y were so bad ever noticed in the story of Jesus it'll mentioned, and Jesus associated with tax collectors and sinners like the other centers want to make sure they weren't in the same subset as tax collectors. Right? Like Okay, we're prostitutes and adult erers. Murderers. But don't don't call us tax collectors. That's bad. We measure we met. No matter how dysfunctional you are. You find somebody more jacked up in you. Least I'm a drunk. But she does coke, right? I mean but look at Messi Guy Dumpster fire g uys Prayer standing some distance away, unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven but beating his breast. Here's his prayer. God be merciful to me the center, not even us center like I'm the worst. I love the candor. I love the transparency I love. There's n o
mask. He didn't even rationalize. Sometimes we do like okay, I mean all these bad decision. But the reason why there's mitigating factors he didn't say, Hey, God probably shouldn't be a tax collector, but there's a Roman recession right now and it's hard to make a living right now. And so you guys, to do what he has to do to feed his family. No, just owns it draws neck is candid. Honest to God, my grandma used is the honest to God. You know what that meant? Honest. Are you lying the rest of time to be hon est with God and I love it drips every word. The body language 1st 13, with humility, humility, God will exalt humble people and I feel like I'm beating on this theme a lot lately. We talked about a lot in the past, but, you know, pride is very much in vog ue in our society. Pride. It's just the thing you do, you self promote. You know, social media is all about you and your successes in your victories and, you know, and you brag and you talk trash and you talk smack and it's fine. It's fine as long as you c an back it up. Now, if you're bragging and come back it up, you just bragging and not lying at the same time. And God does not flow with the culture on this. He hates pride. He disdains pride. The Farris. She is proud. This guy is very, very humble, Jesus says. In fact, let me show you how much God disdains pride. Check out cross reference first Peter. Chapter 55 1st Peter, Chapter 55 is on the side screen over here. Look what it says. All of you couture fashion. Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another because God opposes loudly. God opposes the God opposes the proud shows favorite to the humble God opposes the proud now listen, you can trust the Bible in your vernacular. If you're looking at a Spanish Bible right now is accurate. Greatly. Well t ranslated. You're looking at a Bible in Creole or Portuguese or Mandarin or Minds English. You can trust these translations. They're phenomenal. Scholarship is amazing. But every once in a while, if you study the original language, there's a nuance. Not li ke a whole, like the word black means white. No, it's just a nuance. And the Greek we're here is the word anti tasa. Anti tasa means he has got his opposed, but that's not strong enough. It lacks teeth. What actually translate is God, wages, war. Wow. So y ou keep rolling with your pride in your arrogance and the unlimited God of heaven says, I'll go to war with you, I'll take you to school. I will battle with you. Do you want that in your life? Someone. This is your moment to crucify your pride. So here's t he crazy. But these two guys one guy, man, he's a good guy. He'd be like a nice neighbor cuts his grass, you know, takes out the trash as all these stars tax collectors, a dumpster fire, moral He's a messy person. But who are you attracted? Thio. Who do yo u feel sympathy for you? Compare the two prayers you know, Verse 11 and 12 vs Verse 13. Who is tax collector guy? Why is that? He's riel. He's honest. He's not plastic. He's arrogant. He's authentic. It makes me think of you know the study, Moses. God gave Moses the stick, actually had the stick already, but got transformed. The stick and the ordinary became the extraordinary, and Moses could throw down his stick. Remember this story throughout the stick and the stick was supernaturally transformed into a s erpent. And so Chapter seven man Moses with swag rolls in to the palace in Egypt for the first time in 40 years. Just hoping the Pharaoh is gonna push back. And yes, Farrah Pushback and Moses throws down his staff and it is transformed into the serpent. Re member? He had magicians. Pharaoh did in the magicians of Egypt mimic the miracle, and they made stakes of their own. And what happened next? I love biblical detail. That Moses Serpent ate both their serpents. Why? Because the authentic will devour the ina uthentic every single time. So Paul and Jesus agree. They ally hate. Take off the mask. It's OK. Say, Hey God, I'm broken right now. I'm hurting right now. I'm frightened it right now. I don't have it all together right now. I need your help. I need your h elp. God loves humility. God loves
honesty. All right. Before we let this go, I love this whole thing lands to let you have the two verses back on the screening. Because look how God answers the prayer. This is amazing! So Verse 13 he praised his prayers t o answer the distance, body language Humility would not even look up towards heaven. But he beat his breast and said, God have mercy on May the center Look how God answers prayer. I tell you that this man, rather than the other went home justified, Justify great word justified before God for all those who exalt themselves will be humbled. And those who humble themselves will be exalted When I say three shout the word justified. Ready! 123 Excellent! Put justified in the chat. This is awesome Word this talk about how powerful and pervasive the forgiveness of God is. If you take your Brokenness to God. God will justify you. It means when God for gives you it is holistic is to the uttermost. You don't limp through life anymore. In fact, the best definition of t he biblical term justified. I noticed this and you take your sin to God and it is justified is just as if ID never done it. And this guy's resume was wretched, ripping off his neighbors, working for the Romans. You committed every sin, but he's honest with God, and he leaves justified. That doesn't mean there's not earthly consequences. You know, you've damaged people and yourself there's some concept. But before God, pure, clean, accepted, absorbed. Now someone. Hey, I love this. This this is great. I'm a messy person, too. And I think I just found a biblical loophole, a biblical loophole. It sounds like to me I can continue with my sin. I keep doing my stupid stuff I'm doing right now. I can continue my dysfunction, my habits, my addiction, my Brokenness. Yes, I'm hurting myself and other people. But I keep doing that as long as every once in a while I roll into church, look towards heaven and praying honest, humble prayer. God have mercy on me and boom, I go right back to my dysfunction. Mm. Let me close t hat loophole. If I can make sure you another word here. I love the prayer. And then back to the verse 13. But the tax collector stood at a distance. You wouldn't even look up towards heaven but beat his breast and said, God have mercy on me The center Oh G od, have mercy. Have mercy, I say three. Shout the word mercy! 123! Now again, I don't bust out a lot of Greek. You can trust your English Bible, but the Greek word here is the Greek word Helios Helios. It's great work, I say three. Say the word Helios. 12 3 Helios, Helios. It could be translated rightly rendered here mercy or make propitiate Asian or to satisfy a debt. Or here's one to atone Thio make atonement. And every first centuries you would understand exactly what that meant. Soon as he heard this ki nd of work from Jesus to make atonement, their mind would run to Leviticus Chapter 16. Stay with me. We're back to the story of Moses and Big Brother Aaron. What happens is God gives the people of God, a sacred celebration called The Day of Atonement, or Y om Kippur. Now, if you're one of our members who is a Jewish member of church by the Glades, where you live in South Florida have lots of Jewish neighbors. They just celebrated Yom Kippur because all way back to the time of Aaron and Moses. And that's the one day a year that Jews were called by Scripture too fast and say, well, fast as a symbol of sorrow for sin. Yom Kippur. The David Tom is all about Sim and God forgiving sin and acknowledging the gravity of our sin. Atonement. We atone for the sin. So how is atonement made? Well, Yom Kippur? In that chapter of Leviticus, Chapter 16, Aaron would select two goats from the herd, and on one he would he lay his hands on that that goat and confess all the sins of the people. Probably take a while, right? Confess all that, and then they take that, go down into the wilderness and just release it. That was called the scapegoat. If you heard the term scapegoat, that's where it comes from, and ideally that that that goat never returned symbolizing when God forgive you r sin is gone. When God says your
sin is absolved, it is gone. Is taken as far as the East is from the West. A man. So it's very powerful. But the other goat they slaughtered. In fact, you recalled, the Jews slaughtered lots of animals, not just that one g oat, but the lamb of Passover and then countless bulls and other lambs and turtle doves. In fact, the temple was was Gosh, it was a butcher shop. Blood sacrifice was at the center piece of Hebrew worship. Why God hates animals. No. Is the Old Testament poi nting to the New Testament lamp that to make atonement for sin Jesus would die? You see, it says in Hebrews, Chapter nine, Verse 22. Without the shedding of blood, there's no atonement person. See, Here's the paradox. God loves you like crazy God wants to show you compassion and mercy and grace, but the same time This God is holy, and he is just his fair, and he must deal with evil. He must judge sin. That's why there's so much talk about the cross in the Bible that I would argue everything in the Bible poi nts to the cross. All those countless animals being sacrificed in the Old Testament is prophetic four shouting that Jesus would walk up Mount Calvary someday and the lamb of God a single sufficient substitution Eri Sacrifice would give his life at the cros s that everything the Gospels about Jesus making his way to the cross and everything in the rest of New Testaments reflecting on the greatness of the cross See, the crawl shows us two things How much God loves us and how jacked up our sin is at the same ti me. So if you think you've got a loophole like I'll go sit all I want think about your sin was so pricey it took Jesus, given his life to atone for your sin so much he loves you. Guess what this thing you gotta do something about? Why let me show you one l ast person I let you go, but I love This is the other time This word Helios is very rare in your Bible, but it's embedded as well in First John, Chapter two and they put up this verse on the screen and verse one and verse two Very powerful said dear Childr en I write this to you so that you will not sin. Just close the loophole right there. By the way, stop it. And Jesus name. You're better than that. Now you're a child of God. The Holy Spirit lives than you claim the through the spirit Put on the armor of G od walking victory every single day. Don't surrender that old toxicity that old behave behave in your life You walk in victory Hey, do not send. But if anybody does send way Have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous one Ready? He is the T hat was terrible. He is the a Tony. What sacrifice for our sins that love the last line it says And not just for ours but also for the sins of the whole world means everybody's welcome. Actually, some theologians I respect You think that Jesus just died fo r certain people? Jesus died for Christian people are chosen people. I think this verse gotta blows it up. I think Jesus loves everybody. I think that that death that atoning death was it's available to everyone no matter what Your background, your religio us foundations, how many stars you have or you don't have he's open for you. The atonement, the price was his blood, he added. In fact, I know it's tempting if you're a good person. You Hey, I know I'm not sure about the whole Jesus thing. I just think, yo u know, if there is a heaven and you stand before God someday God has, like, I don't know, Giant set of scales, the ways your stars. You got more good things and bad things in your life. You make it in, right. You get the thumbs up, you take the up elevato r. If not, you take the down elevator and that's how it works. Maybe, well, that is true. If you could get to heaven by just being good enough or religious enough, Wow, Jesus was history's greatest fool. I mean, why go through the agony of the cross who wa s not required? Why, if I get to be good enough and kind enough and generous stuff like I worked my way to heaven, why I just turned the start? No, he went to the cross because none of us, the Bible says for all, have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. You probably way more stars than May. Your stars will not get the job done. Only Jesus can. He
died for a reason for a purpose. If you don't know for certain ensure your safe, you need to make a move and receive the gift of salvation. Today you can do it. You can. You can text right now salvation to the number you see on the screen. If you text that takes the word salvation to the number on the screen. A real live person will call you and help you understand what it means to give your life to Christ He re at this campus or Lake Worth. In a moment we're gonna have some prayer partners in the front. You just come to the front and they had I don't know. I have this nail down. I want to know I'm saved. Stars air Great. Be a good person. Be nice. Be generous. You know, live out your destiny. Align your life of Scripture. But that's not that doesn't save you. Jesus went to the cross and suffered and died. In fact, it may give you a biblical detail. I love this. So when you envision Jesus, I know what you see in your mind what race you see in your mind. You might look at Jesus and think of Jesus the way you've seen paintings of Jesus. I hate those, by the way. Most of all, he's like this pale, frail, blue eyed, de cap sitting white boy, right with feathered hair, feathered hair in a bathrobe and flip flops and looking Serena all the time. That's not how Jesus looked, and it's tough. You know how Jesus looks now, because the revelation he is now glorified. It was no longer like earthly gee, that was glorified, Jesu s says. When John, his best friend saw him, said his face looked like the sun at midday, and his voice was like Niagara Falls and his feet were like burning bronze. And he's so magnificent, powerful he holds seven churches in one hand and seven stars in th e other. I mean, Jesus, magnificently. We had a great biblical detail, but it says, But upon the lamb, you still concede the wounds that once it caused his death, even is glorified state. Those wounds, those reminders of our sin and his love remain for all of eternity. You want to know if you need Jesus right now. Check your hands. Check hands. Look. Look good Physically. Look. Your hands Look. Your hands. Look. Your hands. Take a look at your hands. Show of hands right now. Got the scars. Any scars? Email prints. You have no prints. You need a messiah. You don't have nail prints. You need a savior this year. Day to give yourself by faith to Christ. But I'm a good person. I'm moral. I'm kind. I pay my taxes, blah, blah, blah up Another matters. You trust you r stars. I'll trust hiss scars. Lord Jesus. It's my prayer that someone would just bust a move. I appreciate the fact they clap. That's great. But if someone doesn't get up here in just a moment and come to a prayer partners say I wanna make sure I'm saved . I cannot handle one more day, one more hour of one more day, Not knowing for certain. My home is heaven that my sins have been atoned that you show me your great mercy. I wanna walk in relationship. I would walk out of this room, know I'm right with you and then God will fix my life will fix the broken This I wanna be saved, Father. Someone right now is gonna text to the number on the screen. The word Salvation Church by the Glaze team will respond to them and lead them into a saving glorious relationship with Jesus Christ. That's our prayer. Thank you for your love. And thank you for your scars in Jesus name. Amen.