Emory Baptist Church

What Are You Doing with the Truth?

and denied in the wee hours of Friday morning.  He was taken to the house of Annas, the high priest emeritus where an informal trial was conducted sometime before daylight. 

 

This morning, we pick up in John 18:28, but John has left out something the other gospel writers included.  Remember, Jesus had two official trials. 

 

We are going to see the beginning of His Roman Trial today, but before that, He had a religious trail that was conducted by Caiaphas, the high priest, and son-in-law of Annas. 

 

The result of that trial was that Jesus was condemned to die because He claimed to be God.  However, the Jews couldn’t authorize capital punishment.  Therefore, John doesn’t include those details, and he jumps straight to Jesus’ Roman Trial.

 

 

1. The Examination of the King, John 18:28-32

28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”  30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”  31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”  Therefore, the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. 

 

Verse 28 begins with “they.”  These were the religious Jews who had Jesus arrested and brought to trial before Caiaphas.  Now, it is probably close to 6 AM, and they led Jesus from Caiaphas’ residence into the Praetorium or the hall of judgment. 

 

In verse 29, Pilate, the Roman governor at the time, greeted them and asked what their accusations of Jesus were.  Again, under Roman law, the Jews had no authority to execute anyone except by stoning, but that is not what they wanted for Jesus. 

 

They wanted Him crucified, and so they needed the judgment of Pilate.  Interestingly enough, by wanting Him crucified, they were fulfilling prophecy.  If they stoned Jesus, surely He would have suffered broken bones, but according to Psalm 34:20, that could not happen to the Messiah.  The Messiah was to be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent according to John 3:14. 

 

Psalm 34:20, 20 He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

 

John 3:14, 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.

 

Why did these religious Jews want Jesus put to death?  Go back to Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas in Mark 14:60-64.  Jesus equated Himself with God, and to these Jews, that constituted blasphemy. 

 

Mark 14:60-64, 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”  62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”  63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

 

 

1. The Explanation of His Kingdom, John 18:33-38

33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”  34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”  35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”  36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”  37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”  Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”  38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

 

Beginning in verse 33, we see a somewhat private conversation between Pilate and Jesus as Pilate, the Roman governor, asked Jesus some questions.  The first question is if He was King of the Jews.  Jesus answered that question with a question, and then explained about His Kingdom.

 

Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world.  Otherwise, His followers would be fighting right now for His release.  However, they weren’t, and then Jesus recounted in verse 37 why He came into this world.  It was to testify to the truth.

 

So if we were to answer Pilate’s question this morning, what would you say.  The world around us today would say that truth is relative, and in some contexts, that is correct. 

 

For example, I am a tall person.  This is truth relative to any of my daughters.  However, it is not true compared to anyone who is taller than six feet.

 

Truth is also absolute.  Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.  Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit.  There is no wavering on these scientific realities. 

 

Here is a truth: Jesus is different.  When Pilate was questioning Jesus in private, we know that he was concerned about Jesus being a king because that threatened Pilate’s kingdom.  However, Jesus’ kingdom is not political but peaceful. 

 

Jesus wasn’t a threat to the Roman government.  However, He could have summoned His followers to fight or battle on His behalf, but He didn’t.  His kingdom was about peace and heaven and eternal life. 

 

Jesus is different, and as a result, His followers are called to be different.  When it comes to money, as followers of Christ, we are to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven rather than treasures on earth.  When it comes to marriage, our spouse is our ally rather than our adversary.  When it comes to meaning in this life, we find our purpose in our Savior rather than sex or substances or success. 

 

Jesus is different, and His followers are to be different as well.

 

 

• The Emancipation of a Criminal, John 18:38-40

39 “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”  40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

 

In verse 38, Pilate went back out to the Jews, and even though he didn’t find any fault with Jesus, he let the Jews choose what to do with Him, and they chose to emancipate or release a criminal.

 

The text says his name was Barabbas.  That was actually like calling him John Doe.  Barabbas means son of a father, and this man was more than a robber. 

Barabbas was a terrorist, who had murdered and stolen.  However, he was released, and Jesus’ Roman Trial will continue next week in John 19. 

 

 

Invitation

Before we close, I need for us to go back to Pilate’s profound question, “What is truth?”  Pilate’s experience with Jesus is fascinating and unfortunate. 

 

Pilate asked about the truth.  Some of you have asked about the truth and what is truth.  You want to know what the world says and what the Bible says.

 

Pilate also associated with the truth.  He associated with Jesus in this trial, and every Bible ever printed records Pilate’s association with the truth. 

 

Again, some of you associate with truth.  You come to church.  You are in a family full of Christians. 

 

However, Pilate never accepted the Truth.  He never accepted the truth that God is holy, man is sinful, and Jesus is the only way to God.  He never accepted Jesus and His Lord and Savior.  What about you?

 

Second Chances

This morning, we are in John 18:12, and we have now ventured into the wee hours of Friday morning, and 600 plus Roman soldiers came to arrest Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, and that is where we pick up today’s story. 

 

As we continue in John 18 this morning, we are going to be seeing two different scenes that took place at the same time.  The first scene is with Jesus and Annas and Caiaphas and John.  The second scene is with Peter.

 

 

14. Jesus was detained, John 18:12-14.

12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

 

In verses 12-14, we see that Jesus was detained or arrested or incarcerated.  The Roman cohort did not arrest Jesus disciples as they fled, but they did arrest Jesus, and they bound Him probably meaning that His hands were tied behind His back.

 

In verse 13, we see that the first place Jesus was led was the residence of Annas.  Who was Annas?  Evidently, he was the high priest emeritus.  Even though he wasn’t the acting high priest, he still exercised a lot of influence as his daughter’s husband was the acting high priest.

 

It seems that Annas saw Jesus first in an informal setting.  You might even think of this like we see on television when detectives interrogate suspects in the police station. 

 

Jesus would experience two trials on this Friday.  The first was at the hands of the religious leaders, and the second was at the hands of the Roman leaders.  The religious trial was conducted by Caiaphas.  The Roman trail was conducted by Pilate. 

 

Notice one last item in verse 14.  John reminded us that it was Caiaphas who prophesied that Jesus would die on behalf of all the people.  See John 11:49-52.

 

49 And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

 

I made this point last week, but it certainly bears repeating.  Jesus died for the sins of the world.  He died physically so that you and I would not have to die spiritually if we confess Him as Lord and Savior.

 

Always remember that.  Jesus died for your sins and my sins.

 

 

24. Jesus was demeaned, John 18:19-24.

19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.  20 Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. 21 Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed, they know what I said.”  22 And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”  23 Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”  24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 

 

Skip down to verse 19. Jesus was before Annas, the high priest emeritus.  Annas questioned Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine or teaching. 

 

Jesus spoken plainly and told him that He taught openly and in the Jewish synagogues and in the temple.  He taught nothing in secret. 

 

After His answer, one of those soldiers present evidently thought Jesus was being disrespectful to Annas and hit Jesus in the face.  Jesus was demeaned. 

 

However, Jesus responded by asking what He had done wrong for which there was no answer.  In verse 24, Annas sent him on for His official religious trial with the Jewish religious leaders which would be conducted by Caiaphas, the sitting high priest.

 

 

• Jesus was denied, John 18:15-18, 25-27.

15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17 Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”  He said, “I am not.”  18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.

 

25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore, they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”  He denied it and said, “I am not!”  26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

 

Not only was Jesus detained and demeaned, but we also see that Jesus was denied.  It is almost like we have split screens as we see these two different scenes taking place at the same time. 

 

In verse 15, Peter and most likely John followed behind the soldiers as Jesus was taken to Annas’ residence. 

 

In verse 16, John had enough of a connection with the high priest that he was able to bring Peter inside.  However, Peter remained outside or at least in the doorway. 

 

In verse 17, the doorkeeper asked or accused Peter of being one of Jesus disciples, and at the end of verse 17, we have the first of three times in which Peter denied any association with Jesus.  Again, Peter decided not to come inside and remained outside and gathered around a fire with some of the Roman soldiers.

 

Now, move to verses 25-27.  Again, Peter was standing outside around the fire.  Jerusalem is approximately 2500 feet about sea level.  Therefore, it is appropriate to see the coolness of the weather in the wee hours of this spring morning. 

 

For the second time, Peter was asked or accused of being one of Jesus’ disciples.  For the second time, he denied Christ. 

 

Finally, a relative of Malchus, the man that had his ear cut off by Peter, asked or accused Peter of being a disciple of Jesus, and for the third time, Peter denied Christ. 

 

At that very moment, a prophecy was fulfilled when the rooster crowed.  By the way, that rooster crowing probably signaled 3 AM. 

 

Turn over to Luke 22:61-62.  The eyes of Peter and the eyes of Jesus met, and Peter was devastated.

 

61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

 

 

Applications

Frist, we should get used to earthly injustice as followers of Christ.  All that took place with Jesus and Annas was not legal according to Jewish law on several levels.

 

First, it was illegal for a trial to take place in secret or at night.  Second, it was illegal for a trial to take place somewhere other than the hall of judgment, which was in the temple.  Third, the accused could not be compelled to testify against himself or asked self-incriminating questions.  Fourth, Annas provided no witnesses of Jesus’ accused crimes. Fifth, to strike the accused who had not been proven guilty was also illegal. 

 

All of this goes to show that Jesus was not treated fairly.  As a result, it is foolish on our part to think we will encounter anything but injustice in this life if we are followers of Jesus.  We should get used to the world treating us unjustly if we are going to name the name of Christ as Lord and Savior.

 

Second, we can learn from Jesus to be the same person in public as in we are in private.  Jesus told Annas that He hadn’t done anything in secret.  He was not ashamed of any of His actions or teachings.  He was the same man. 

 

As a follower of Christ, after we attend church on Sunday, are we the same Christian on Monday through Friday at work or on Saturday at the ball game or golf course or deer camp?  The church has lost much of our influence because of hypocrisy in the pulpit and in the pew. 

 

Let’s be real.  Let’s be genuine.  Let’s be authentic, and may our walk match our talk.

 

Finally, here is what I think is the main idea of this text.  We should thank God for second chances.  We are all need of second chances, and Peter was no different. 

 

We sometimes are hard on Peter for denying Christ on these three occasions, yet many of us deny Christ every day when we refuse to be obedient or refuse to speak up or out about Jesus.  Peter got a second chance and was restored in John 21, and we know that he was a primary leader and preacher in the book of Acts as Christianity spread around the world. 

 

I need second chances as a husband and father and pastor.  You need second chances in the same way.  We all should thank God for second chances.

 

Initiation

Our invitation today is for you to become a follower of Christ.  It will not be an easy life.  As a matter of fact, it will probably cause you much pain and injustice, but it will also mean forgiveness of all sins, heaven and eternal life, and peace with God.  Will you call on the name of the Lord today and be saved?

 

Our invitation is also for you, as a follower of Christ, to leave your hypocrisy.  Would you confess your sins today and repent and commit to be the same person in private that you are in public?  There needs to be no more living one way on Sunday morning and living another way the rest of the week.

 

Finally, our invitation is for you to hear the words, “I forgive you.”  Jesus forgave Peter.  Jesus can forgive you.

God the Son: Friend or Foe?

If you are a guest with us this morning, again, thank you for joining us.  On Sunday mornings for well over a year now, we have been studying the gospel of John verse by verse and chapter by chapter.  As a matter of fact, we started John in November 2021, and will finish in August 2023.  I think that is 22 months.

 

We study the Bible that way because here at Emory Baptist Church, we believe that the Bible is God’s Word, and we want to know every bit of it, and we recognize it as the authority in our life on all matters.  Today, you can turn to John 18:1.

 

In this account of Jesus’ life on earth, we have to the week of His life when He died on the cross.  In today’s text, it is very, very late on Thursday night or very, very early on Friday morning, and we have seen Jesus in the upper room with His disciples. 

 

I had told you previously that Jesus’ high-priestly prayer in John 17 probably took place as they were walking.  However, the beginning of chapter 18 could make the case for He and His disciples not leaving the upper room until now.  I’ll let you come to your own conclusions.

 

 

Exposition 18:1-3

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. 2 And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 3 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

 

John 18:1-11 has three primary characters: Jesus, Judas, and Peter.  In verse 1, Jesus and His disciples headed east outside of Jerusalem’s city walls.  They went through the Kidron valley up to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. 

 

In verse 2, we see Judas.  Judas was the one that betrayed Jesus.  Never is Judas mentioned in the Bible without connecting him with his betrayal.  Even at the beginning of the gospels, when the disciples are listed, Judas is listed last and as the betrayer.  Remember that Jesus predicted this, and Judas fulfilled it for thirty pieces of silver.

 

Verse 2 also tells us that Jesus often took His disciples to Gethsemane.  In verse 3, Judas was leading the way to Jesus along with a Roman cohort. 

 

We know this to be approximately 600 men, and they were carrying lanterns and torches because it was the middle of the night.  They were also carrying weapons because they heard that Jesus had disciples, and they were expecting a fight. 

 

Judas was clearly a foe of Jesus.  Foe means an opponent or an adversary. 

 

 

Exposition 18:4-9

4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”  5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.  7 Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”  And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  8 Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.” 

 

In verse 4, we see the deity of Jesus and His omniscience as He was fully aware of all that was happening and about to happen.  In other words, Jesus was all-knowing. 

 

Jesus wasn’t just any man, but He was God the Son.  Notice that Jesus didn’t hide or try to run.  He boldly presented Himself and asked who they were looking for.  They answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 

 

What was Jesus’ response? Jesus answered, “I AM.” The word He is not in the original language, and that is significant.  Jesus declared Himself to be God.  He called Himself the God of the OT as named in Exodus 3:14. 

 

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

 

At the end of verse 6, John noted their response.  Why did they fall back and gasp?  Again, because Jesus declared Himself not to be just any man, but the God Man. 

 

In verse 7, Jesus asked again who they were seeking.  Again, they answered Jesus. 

 

In verse 8, now for the second time, Jesus said, “I AM.”  Don’t let anyone ever lead you astray in thinking that Jesus never thought He was God.  He knew He was God, and He declared Himself to be God.

 

In verse 8, you see Jesus calling for the release of His disciples.  In verse 9, Jesus fulfilled a promise that He had made in the upper room by protecting all of His disciples and delivering them from death.  See John 17:12. 

 

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

 

Judas was the son of perdition, and he was lost because He was never saved.

 

Jesus knew and cleared declared with His actions and His words that He was God the Son.

 

Exposition 18:10-11

10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.  11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

 

In verse 10, we see Peter doing what Peter did.  He acted abruptly, and in an attempt to defend Jesus, He drew a large knife and cut off the ear of Malchus.  He was certainly aiming for his head, but missed. 

 

To some degree, Peter still didn’t get it.  He would eventually as he would later receive the Holy Spirit permanently and preach and see thousands saved.

 

Regardless, Peter was a friend of Jesus.  He was ready to go to battle with Jesus. 

 

 

Conclusions

So what lessons can we take away from this narrative?  There are a few that are secondary and one that is primary. 

 

First, following God’s will is not always nice and neat and comfortable.  Jesus knew full well what God’s will was.  It was for Him to be betrayed, arrested, beaten, and murdered. 

 

Did He refuse?  Did He throw a pity party?  Did He complain?  No, He submitted. 

 

Second, Jesus died for you and me so that we wouldn’t have to die.  Look back at verse 8.  We see that truth foreshadowed here.  Every person in this room will die physically unless Jesus returns first, and every person in this room will die spiritually if you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. 

 

Third, for everyone that calls on the Lord to save them, you are secure for eternity.  Verse 9 says that Jesus will not lose you.  If you are saved or when you are saved, you saved for eternity and safe and secure from all alarm.

 

However, here is the main point of today’s text.  Jesus is the God the Son.  Will you treat Him as a foe like Judas or a friend like Peter?

 

A foe says I don’t like Jesus or believe in Jesus or want to have anything to do with Jesus. 

 

However, a friend says, I am sinner.  Therefore, I need Jesus as my only Savior.  I will call on Him to save me from my sins.

 

Foes of Jesus will spend an eternity in hell with Judas.  Friends of Jesus who have called on Him to save them will spend an eternity in heaven with Peter but more importantly with Jesus, God the Son.

 

How will you respond to Jesus this morning?

The Lord’s Prayer, Part 3: For Us

Two Legs to Stand On

The Lord’s Prayer, Part 2: For His Disciples

This morning, we return to John 17 and pick up we were left off last week.  Remember, we are looking at the Lord’s prayer, but it’s not the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6 where Jesus taught us to pray.  It is the Lord’s prayer in John 17 where Jesus prayed. 

 

In John 17, Jesus prayed for Himself, His disciples, and for us.  It was very late on Thursday night or maybe even early Friday morning.  Jesus and His disciples were on their way if not already in the Garden of Gethsemane.

 

 

 

Exposition

Before we get to Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, Jesus was talking to His Father in verses 6-8.  By the way, that is all that prayer is…talking to your heavenly Father.

 

In verse 6, Jesus portrayed His Father to His disciples.  In turn, His disciples obeyed God’s word. 

 

Finally, because Jesus portrayed His Father to His disciples, they knew that God the Son had come from God the Father.  In other words, Jesus was God!

 

 

14. Jesus prayed for His disciples’ security for eternity, 17:9-14.

9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

 

This word “security” or secure is wrapped up in the word “keep” and “kept” in verses 11-12.  Jesus prayed for the Father to keep or secure His disciples. 

 

Notice why they were kept.  They were kept because they belonged to God the Father and God the Son.  God the Father gave them to God the Son in verses 9-10.

 

They were also kept because of the Father’s name.  That means according to His character.  In this instance, His character was that of faithfulness. 

 

Because they were secure for eternity, that should mean the joy of Jesus in them according to verse 13.  The world hated them.  However, God the Father and God the Son loved them and would secure them for eternity. 

 

 

 

 

16. Jesus prayed for His disciples’ safety from the evil one, 17:15-16.

15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

 

God’s word never says that He will take you out of a trial or tribulation.  However, Jesus does pray that God will protect His disciples from the evil one or in other words, the devil. 

 

By the way, why did God not take Jesus’ disciples out of the world?  He left them to do a job.  We’ll come back to that in a minute. 

 

 

• Jesus prayed for His disciples’ sanctification on earth, 17:17-19.

17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

 

In verses 17-19, Jesus prayed for His disciples to be sanctified by God’s truth.  To be sanctified means to be set apart for a specific purpose.  It means to be dedicated or devoted. 

 

Multiple times in verses 6-19, Jesus said that even though His disciples were in the world, they were not of the world. In other words, they were supposed to be distinctly different and set apart from the world. 

 

 

Conclusion

Even though this is Jesus’ prayer for the 11 disciples, there is much application for us as well.  By the way, I didn’t address Jesus’ comments about the son of perdition at the end of verse 12, but I will on Wednesday Night at Digging Deeper.  We’ll meet at 6:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall and look at a proverbial fly in the ointment.

 

First, as Jesus prayed for His disciples’ security, we too are secure for eternity if we have decided to follow Jesus.  However, our security is not because of anything about us.  

 

I am secure for eternity because of God’s faithfulness.  Again, you aren’t secure because you walked an aisle in a Sunday morning alter call.  You aren’t secure because your church believes in “once saved, always saved.”  You are secure because you have been baptized.  You certainly aren’t secure because of your own personal morality or righteousness. 

 

If you are saved, you have been saved by God’s grace.  You are secured by God’s faithfulness.

 

Second, as Jesus prayed for His disciples’ safety from the devil, we too are safe from the devil.  However, I am not talking about physical safety from the devil but spiritual safety. 

 

Remember, all of the disciples except John died a martyr’s death.  If Jesus meant physical safety, God didn’t answer Jesus’ prayer, and that would be somewhat troubling.

 

The devil will do whatever he can on this earth to harm you.  He will inflict you with sickness.  He will destroy your family.  He will take away your money.  He will do anything and everything to destroy your witness. 

 

By the way, your witness is why God left you here right now.  He left Jesus’ disciples to do a job.  That was to lead the first church. 

 

When He saved you, He could have taken you to heaven immediately, and He can do that at any point.  However, He left you to minister. 

 

He left you to witness.  He left you to point others to Jesus and for no other reason, but the devil will be working against you even though your soul is safe from him. 

 

Third, as Jesus prayed for His disciples’ sanctification, we too are called to live in the world but not of the world.  Our speech and ethics and spending and recreating and morality should be distinctly different than lost people. 

 

I would submit to you this morning that one reason why churches have lost influence in the community today is because we have become too much like the world.  There isn’t a lot of discernable difference. 

 

Today, we have pastors with no integrity who have a love for money and a love for sex, and they are caught regularly with their hand in the offering plate and caught with their pants down. 

 

Today, we have adults with no bravery.  In elections, they vote for the economy and jobs rather than morality and justice. 

 

Today, we have teenagers with no morality.  They are cheating their way through school, sleeping around, and blending in with their lost friends just to stay popular.

 

Brothers and sisters of all ages, let us be set apart from the world living our lives according to God’s word. 

 

 

Invitation

If you are here this morning, and you have never called on Jesus to save you, He will today if you are answer His call to salvation. 

 

If Jesus is leading you to unite formally with EBC, will you obey Him today?

 

If Jesus is leading you to repent of sin and disobedience in your life, will you obey Him today?

 

 

The Lord’s Prayer, Part 1: For Himself

This morning, I want to share a message with you entitled, “The Lord’s Prayer.”  However, we aren’t in Matthew 6 but John 17. 

 

In Matthew 6, Jesus taught us how to pray.  In John 17, we see and hear Jesus praying.  If not called the Lord’s Prayer, this chapter is often called “Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer.”  It is unique material that is only found in the gospel of John.

 

Including today, our next three times in John will be here in John 17.  Today, we will hear Jesus praying for Himself.  Next week, we will hear Jesus praying for His disciples, those remaining Eleven.  Then, we will hear Jesus praying for us.

 

Please remember, it is still Thursday night or maybe Friday morning.  Chuck Swindoll puts John 17 at midnight.  Jesus and His disciples seem to be on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane. 

 

Keep in mind that they are distressed as Jesus was leaving them, Judas was going to betray Jesus, and Peter was doing to deny Jesus.  They were surely exhausted at this point, and maybe they were hungry. 

 

 

Exposition

These first verses are a chiastic structure.  What that means is that main point is found not at the beginning or the end but in the middle. 

 

Jesus prayed for God the Father to glorify God the Son.  That means to praise Him and honor Him and celebrate Him. 

 

Therefore, this prayer focuses on eternal life.  You will find that phrase in verses 2 and 3.  Let’s look at the text to see what Jesus prays and what we can learn about eternal life.

 

 

1. Eternal Life is knowing God the Father.

 

We see this truth in verse 3.  Remember our chiastic structure. 

 

Jesus can hardly be more explicit.  Eternal life is knowing God, and Jesus called Him Father in verse 1. 

 

This word “know” is used when talking about close friends and even spouses.  Therefore, it means to know intimately. 

 

Jesus then called God the Father the true God.  Therefore, He is true and other are false. 

 

Consequently, God the Father is the only true God.  There are no others. 

 

By the way, the absolute and best possible way to know God is to know His Word.  Read your Bibles, and if you want to hear God speak audibly to you, then read your Bibles out loud.

 

 

2. Eternal life comes through Jesus Christ, God the Son.

 

Check out the beginning of Jesus’ prayer in verse 1.  Glorify Your Son. 

 

Verse 2 says God the Father gave God the Son authority over all flesh.  It also says that Jesus Christ, God the Son, will give eternal life to as many as God the Father has given to Him. 

 

In verse 3, not only is eternal life knowing God the Father, but it is also knowing God the Son.  I would be so bold as to say what God’s Word says, and that is that you can’t know God the Father without knowing God the Son. 

 

John 14:6, 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

 

Romans 5:1, 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 

2 Corinthians 4:6, 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

 

Hebrews 1:1-3, 1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

 

 

3. Giving Eternal Life is why Jesus came to earth.

 

In verse 1, Jesus said the hour has come.  What was He talking about?  He was talking about the time for Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the world.

 

However, this was a very specific time, and we have seen earlier in our study when the time had not come yet. 

 

John 2:4, 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”

 

John 7:6, 6 Then Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.

 

John 7:8, 8 You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.”

 

John 7:30, 30 Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

 

John 8:20, 20 These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

However, by John 12, Jesus knew that His time had come, and this hour and time for Him to die was His express reason in coming to earth with flesh and blood.

 

John 12:23, 23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

 

John 13:1, 1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

 

 

4. Eternal Life in heaven for any individual is an act of God.

 

In verse 4, Jesus said that He had glorified God the Father on earth by finishing the work that God the Father sent Him to do. He speaks of the cross as an already accomplished act in the past. 

 

However, notice that the work is not something that you or I did or can do.  The opportunity for eternal life is an act of God. 

 

Back in verse 2, the individuals who will have eternal life are the ones that God gave to Jesus.  In other words, salvation is not about us.  It is not about you.

 

It is not our goodness or morality or merit or righteousness. I would even say it is not our faith, but the faith that God gives us.

 

Ephesians 2:8-9, 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

In the language of the NT, nouns have gender.  Grace and faith are both feminine. Therefore, you would expect “that” and “it” to be feminine too. 

 

However, “that” and “it” are neuter.  What that means is that not only is the grace not of yourselves but the faith is also not of yourselves.  In other words, God gives you the faith to believe making it His faith so both grace and faith and salvation are all acts of God. 

 

 

5. Eternal life in any individual was decided before the foundation of the world.

 

In verse 5, Jesus points back to the glory that He and God the Father shared before the world was. I would suggest glory was about eternal life just like this glory here is about eternal life.  Listen to Paul in Ephesians 1:3-4.

 

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

 

And here is John in Revelation 13:8 talking about who isn’t saved.

 

8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

 

 

Invitation

Our invitation this morning is for you to receive eternal life.  Verse 2 says that Jesus is glorified when He gives eternal life, but will you receive it?

 

John 1:12-13, 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Power of the Word

In Difficult Times, Remember Easter!

Introduction

I want you to take your Bible and turn to John 16:16. I want to share a message with you entitled, “Remember Easter!”  Notice that is an imperative. 

 

Last week, Bro. Ronnie took you through the first half of John 16.  Let’s go back before Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday.

 

In our text, it is still Thursday night.  The disciples have been with Jesus in the Upper Room.  Jesus washed their feet.  Jesus served the Passover Meal to them.  Then Judas left.

 

After Judas left, they then followed Jesus to Garden of Gethsemane.  That is where they are in John 16, but it is very late, and they haven’t slept, and they haven’t eaten any more, and Jesus has told them that He is going away.

 

In John 16, Jesus tried to encourage them during difficult times.  He told them to remember He knows the future.  He also told them that He was going to send His Spirit to them.

 

When we find ourselves in difficult times, we should remember the same.  Jesus or God knows the future and is in complete control.  Our trial may not be for testing but to demonstrate how great God is.

 

Furthermore, we also have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.  Remember that He is the third person of the Trinity, and 1 John 4:4 says He is greater than the devil in the world. 

 

He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

 

 

Exposition 16:16-19

¹⁶ “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.”  ¹⁷ Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” ¹⁸ They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is saying.”  ¹⁹ Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? 

 

In verse 16, we see the Lord giving a prediction to His disciples.  In a little while, He will be gone, but in a little while, He will return.  When was He talking about?

 

You can see from verse 17 that the disciples didn’t understand what He was saying.  However, they tried to talk it over for more understanding. 

 

In verse 19, Jesus began to explain further what He meant.  It seems that He had His death, burial, and resurrection in mind. 

 

Once He was dead and buried, they would not see Him.  However, they would see Him when He was resurrected. 

 

He pointed them to His future resurrection.  It would be the ultimate game changer. 

 

After it happened and to remember it, would bring us joy, give us confidence in prayer, and give us peace in difficult times. 

 

 

1. In difficult times, remember Easter, and rejoice, John 16:20-22.

²⁰ Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. ²¹ A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. ²² Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. 

 

In verse 20, Jesus seems to be pointing toward a specific event.  The disciples will be weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.

 

The disciples will be sorrowful, but their sorrow will be turned to joy.  What could Jesus be talking about?

 

The disciples were certainly grieved to see Him die on the cross.  However, the unbelieving world loved it.  They rejoiced. 

 

In verse 21, Jesus used an illustration to prove His point.  It was about childbirth. 

Childbirth is unbelievable pain or so I am told.  However, once that mother has birthday that baby, her anguish and pain turns to joy when she holds her newborn.

 

In verse 22, He will see them again, and they will rejoice, and no one will take that joy from them.  What was Jesus talking about? 

 

Some say that He was talking about the Holy Spirit.  However, that doesn’t seem to fit the most immediate context. 

 

Again, I would suggest to you that He was talking about His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.  After He was crucified, He would go away for a little while.  That was three days in the tomb.  However, He would return to them after His resurrection, once they experienced the resurrected Christ, no one could take that joy away from them. 

 

Therefore, here is our first big idea.  The disciples’ grief turned to joy when they experienced the resurrected Christ.  Their grief turned to joy.  God brought pleasure from their pain. 

 

If you’re in the middle of difficult days, remember Easter that Jesus was raised, and we can rejoice because Jesus won!  He is the winner, and we are too.

 

Romans 6:8-11, 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

1 Corinthians 15:57, 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Colossians 2:12, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

 

1 John 5:4-5, 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

 

Remember Easter, and rejoice!

 

2. In difficult times, remember Easter, and pray with confidence, John 16:23-30.

²³ “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.  ²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; ²⁷ for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. ²⁸ I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”  ²⁹ His disciples said to Him, “See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! ³⁰ Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God.”

 

Because of the resurrected Jesus, we can pray with confidence during difficult times.  See verses 23-24. 

 

When Jesus was resurrected and ascended, we can pray with Jesus as our go between.  He will be our intercessor.  We can come to God on His behalf. 

 

In verse 24, we can ask anything in His name or according to His will, and it will be granted.  That is not some magical formula but an attempt to help us align our desires with His desires.  Because of the resurrected Jesus, we can pray with confidence during difficult times.

 

You can pray with confidence for God to save your marriage.  You can pray with confidence for God to break your addiction with self-control that He gives.  You can pray with confidence for G

 

We also see in this section that because of the resurrection, the disciples knew for certain that Jesus was God’s Son.  Look at verse 30.  The resurrection didn’t make Jesus God’s Son but rather proved Him to be God’s Son. 

 

It was the crowning moment when we know that we could trust everything that He ever had said because He did what had never been done.  Jesus came from the Father because He is God’s Son, and He is returning to the Father because He is God’s Son. 

 

 

3. In difficult times, remember Easter, and experience peace, John 16:31-33.

31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

 

In verse 32, as the disciples acknowledged finally being able to understand Jesus, Jesus predicted their abandoning Him in the coming hours.  However, these things that He told them would ultimately turn their grief to joy when He conquered death.

 

In verse 33, He even spoke of it as an already accomplished fact.  Jesus overcame the world.  He conquered the grave. 

 

The pleasure of the resurrection was worth the pain in His dying.  His suffering was worth our salvation, and now, if we have Jesus as Lord and Savior, we have peace.

 

How so?  He has overcome the world.  Regardless of my difficult times, the greater truth is that God raised Jesus, His Son, from the grave never to die again. 

 

 

Conclusion

Are you grieving today?  Does life have you tied up in knots?  How about remembering Easter?

 

Easter won’t necessarily make your difficult times go away, but they might fade into the background.  Because of Easter, we can rejoice, we can pray with confidence, and we can experience peace that surpasses all understanding.

 

If you have never been saved, putting your faith and trust in Christ is the only way to be at peace with God and experience this peace from God.  Would you be saved today?

My Story of April 2, 2985

Introduction

This morning is Palm Sunday, and we are taking a break from John’s Gospel for the next two Sundays, but we will return on April 16.  Today, please take your Bibles and turn to 1 Corinthians 15:1.  I want to tell you my story of what happened to me 38 years ago today.

 

 

Growing Up in Venus

I was born in Cleburne, Texas on March 11, 1975.  My dad was from Waldron, Arkansas but had come to Texas to work, and he so working for Vought Aerospace and Defense in Grand Prairie until he took early retirement and moved back to Arkansas.

 

My mom grew up in a small town in Johnson County called Venus.  She came from a large family with 3 brothers and 2 sisters. She went to school there and has now moved back, and she lives there today.

 

 

I am the only child of my mom and dad, and we lived in Venus until I was 7 years old, but when I was five, my mom and dad divorced.  I lived with my mom but would go and stay with my dad every other weekend and for a week or two in the summer, and we rotated Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.

 

My mom and I lived in Venus for two more years after the divorce until I was seven.  I attended Kindergarten and First Grade at Venus Elementary School.  While having a broken family was hard, my maternal grandparents and multiple aunts and uncles and cousins also lived in Venus, which I liked. 

 

My family attended and were members of First Baptist Church in Venus.  My mom was the church pianist, and my dad was a deacon, and like I said previously, a lot of my mom’s family also were members at First Baptist Church Venus.

 

 

 

Moving to Alvarado

After I finished the first grade, my mom remarried, and we moved to Alvarado, just seven miles west, into a house with my stepdad.  He had three sons that were all older than me but lived with their mom.

 

I started the second grade at Alvarado Elementary in 1982, and I continued in school there through the twelfth grade.  I graduate from Alvarado High School in 1993.

 

 

April 2, 1985

On Tuesday, April 2, 1985, my life was changed forever.  I was in the fourth grade at Alvarado Elementary School.

 

As I mentioned previously, my family and I attended FBC Venus.  That remained true for me and my mom even after we moved to Alvarado, but my stepdad rarely attended if ever.

 

 

I was ten years old in 1985 and began having questions about life after death.  I was somewhat familiar with the subjects of heaven and hell as my mom and I attended Sunday School every Sunday as well as Sunday morning church and Sunday evening church. 

 

I began to wonder what would happen to me if I died?  Would I go to heaven or hell?

 

As Venus was about a ten-minute drive from Alvarado, I started asking these questions of my mom during our weekly drives.  Like many parents, she thought it would be best for me to talk to our pastor so she made an appointment for Bro. Doug Riggs to come by our house.

 

Because my mom and step-dad both worked in Cleburne when I was a kid, I came home after school each day and stayed by myself.  In that day, I was what was called a latch-key kid.

 

 

 

It was Tuesday, April 2, 1985, and I got out of school about 3 PM.  Bro. Doug was coming from Venus and was supposed to be at our house about 4 PM. 

 

I came home after school that day and confess that I was nervous about talking with Bro. Doug.  My mom had made arrangements to also be there leaving work early that day. 

 

In our living room, we had a large window that you could see out of if you were sitting on the couch.  I had the curtains open that afternoon watching for Bro. Doug. 

 

Our house number was 506, but it wasn’t easy to see, especially if our bushes were over grown.  I remember seeing what I thought was Bro. Doug’s car pass by once and then again.  I didn’t know if I should go out in the front yard and flag him down, but he finally stopped and came to the front door.

 

 

My mom wasn’t home yet so Bro. Doug and I waited on her, but it was so awkward!  Do you know what I mean?  What were we supposed to talk about?  Do preachers even know about anything other than the Bible?  So I just turned on the TV, and we watched the Dukes of Hazzard. Finally, after what seemed like hours, my mom got there.

 

Bro. Doug then asked me about my questions regarding heaven and hell.  He then very plainly and clearly explained to me the gospel of 1 Corinthians 15.

 

 

The Gospel

If you look there in verse 1, you will find the actual word “gospel.”  It literally means “good news.”  The gospel is good news for you.

 

In verses three and four, Paul explained the gospel for all to understand.  There are essentially two parts to the gospel that cannot be separated.  They are like two sides of a coin. 

 

The first part is death.  Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.  Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world.  He died in our place.

 

However, there are several conditions implied before His death.  First, it is implied that there is a holy God.  He is holy.  He is without sin.  He is completely good. 

 

Second, it is implied that we are sinful.  We were born into sin and make choices that are sin, and it is our sin that separates us from a holy God and requires someone paying a penalty for our sin. 

 

We as humans were not capable of paying the penalty because we are sinners.  However, Jesus was sinless.  Therefore, He was capable and qualified to pay our sin debt by dying on the cross.  The sinless Savior died on the cross in the place of sinful humanity.

 

 

The second part of the gospel is life.  Jesus died on Friday.  He was placed into a garden tomb that same evening and was there through early hours of Sunday morning. 

 

Verse 4 says that Jesus was raised on that third day.  He was brought back to life by the Holy Spirit never to die again, and because of that reality, you too can have eternal life today.

 

If you believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can immediately have forgiveness of sins and a home in heaven when you die.  Bro. Doug asked me if I wanted to be saved, and I said yes.

 

Bro. Doug then invited me to pray after him.  So right then and there in my living room on the couch with the Dukes of Hazzard playing in the background, Bro. Doug prayed, and I repeated after him, and Jesus came into my life and saved me from my sins.  That was a Tuesday afternoon, 38 years ago today. 

 

 

The next Sunday was Palm Sunday, April 7, 1985.  After Bro. Doug preached that morning, he gave a public invitation just like I am going to give in just a moment.

 

As he was standing there at the front of the auditorium and we were all singing, I stepped out into the aisle and met him at the front and told him that I would like to join the church and be baptized since I asked Christ to come into my life and was saved last Tuesday.

 

He prayed with me again that morning, and then introduced me to the church.  He also shared with the church about him coming to my house on Tuesday and explaining the gospel to me, and I was saved.

 

The reason I am came forward during that Sunday morning invitation is because no one is born saved.  That is a personal decision that every individual must make on their own.  Mom and dad can’t make it for you, and church membership is also an individual decision. 

 

Like Emory Baptist Church, if you wanted to join FBC Venus, you had to request such.  You weren’t considered a member just because you attended.

 

The next Sunday was Easter Sunday, April 14, 1985.  I was baptized that Sunday morning, and I will never forget it.

 

 

Invitation

Today, I want to extend the same invitation that Bro. Doug gave to me.  Have you received Jesus into your heart and life as Lord and Savior like I did 38 years ago?  If not, would you like to receive Him today along with forgiveness of sin, a home in heaven when you die, and eternal life?

 

If you would, during this morning’s public invitation, I invite you to walk down one of these aisles and meet me or Bro. Ronnie like I did at FBC Venus.  I will pray with you and celebrate with when you come.