A Light to the Gentiles
First B Jackson
2024-06-23

Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record.

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Well, good morning, everybody. Hey, would you would you stand and join us in song? I've got encouraging word from Psalm one fifty to lead us into worship.

Am I on now? Can you hear me now? Alright. There are a few announcements. Thank you.

Hey, look at this. We're here together. This is awesome. There is the first BBQ outside. If the slide comes up, that'll be great too, but this is part of the reason that I'm dressed like this.

No baptism today. We're shielded from the baptistry, but I did get to baptize a little girl in Mosquito Creek with her parents present on Friday and I'm still riding the cloud on that. I'm so excited for London Hitch who got baptized on Friday. But anyway, first b b q is happening in between services right out here. This is one this month.

We'll have one July 14, August 18, and September 15, weather permitting. If not, we'll do it indoors. There is a church camp out that's coming up. Church camp out's coming up. It'll be down around Palisades Lake, July nineteenth through twenty first.

In fact, there are two of these, they're coming pretty quick. July nineteenth through twenty first, August twenty third through twenty fifth. You can talk to Brian McCooey. Is he in the room? He's probably making food outside.

Or Mike Demetrius, our youth director. Both of them can answer any questions that you need answered and we'd love for you to go. That'll be fun. Sound booth volunteers. We've got Jeff in the booth training this morning, and we're glad to have him.

But if you feel like you're particularly gifted in that area and you wanna test it out and see if you really are, then let us know and we will train you on that. The vacation Bible school. This is the other reason why I'm dressed like I'm dressed this morning. Vacation Bible school starts tomorrow. It is gonna happen in the morning nine to 11:30, I believe, is the way that goes.

Is there confusion? Am I confusing you? No. It's nine to 11:30, Monday through Thursday this week, twenty fourth through the twenty seventh, hometown Nazareth where Jesus was a kid. This ought to be a lot of fun.

So volunteers are ready. The church is decorated. The kids will show up. If you have a child here in Jackson somewhere that you know and you wanna bring them, please register in the back back there, but just bring them on. We'd love to have you.

Sisters Saved by Grace, Thursdays at 6PM. This is happening this time around at Mike Yockel Park. They're studying Psalms together. So it's up Kelly until you see a green space on the left and that's Mike Yockel Park studying Psalms together. Sunday school Sunday school next week.

So let me see. We'll not meet starting July 7. Sunday school will not be. Miss Crystal will still be doing her class, first and second grade. Miss Crystal will still be doing that class, but the rest of the Sunday school will just stay up here and we will worship together and we'll examine God's word together instead of going down for children's church.

That's starting July 7, but miss Crystal is the one. Does anybody have anything else they wanna announce? Diane just came to me with most of one of the most in name things I've ever heard with someone trying to break record of as many people in the world that are dressed like butterflies singing a certain song. I don't know where it is. I don't know when it is.

Look it up on the Internet. Figure it out. It's sometime in the park. It is the most crazy thing, but we get all kinds of crazy requests. I mean, you wouldn't believe this stuff.

So talk to Diane about that one. And if you would, from the ridiculous from the ridiculous to profound, would you stand with us and may we quote the Lord's prayer together before Carl leads us in the next song. Our father Who art in hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as We pray pray but deliver us from evil.

For thine the is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen. Amen. Glorious day.

Rejected bearing our sins my redeemer

Lord, thank you. We have sung the gospel, but we just pause and take a moment to just let it soak in your life, your death, your resurrection, your ascension. God, your the promise of your return. God, may we just soak in that this morning. And you are a sure and and and certain hope, and we thank you.

And it's good to just be in your presence today. It's good to be together as a family of God. We're grateful. Amen. I know who needs to hear this this morning, but I want you to hear this from John 14.

This is Jesus speaking to us. He says, my peace I leave with you and my peace I give to you. I don't give you as the world gives. Don't let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid. Lord, I pray that if there are any fears, Lord, that you would, calm our fears with your perfect love, God, that casts out all fear.

Would you? In Jesus' name, amen. You can have a seat here for a moment. This is the worship through giving part of the service, and love to to sing a song. We're gonna sing this.

Here's my heart. And from Psalm one thirty nine, it's search me, oh God, know my heart. We're we're saying, God, you've got you've got rain here. Test me. Know my anxious thoughts.

Would you point out anything in me that offends you, and would you lead me along the path of everlasting life? Before we sing, Ray, may

I ask you to pray? Sure.

God almighty. God almighty, we're thankful grateful to be here, Lord. I'm overwhelmed this morning, Lord. I'm overwhelmed with your kindness and your grace and your goodness towards us. I'm thankful for this crowd that's scattered right here at this time worshiping you together.

Lord, in spirit and in truth for for basing it on what you have said, for basing our lives on what you've said. Lord, we want to do your will. We realize that we get distracted, but God, we want to do your will. I pray that you would give us that desire in a way that would keep us from being overly distracted, that we would be drawn into your will wherever we are found. I've been thinking all week of Moses having followed your commands and still ending up at the Red Sea.

How confusing, Lord, that must have been. But you had him exactly where you wanted him to show him your goodness and your glory. You had him exactly where you wanted him to show your people your goodness and your glory. You had him exactly where you want it. Lord, some of us have our backs to difficult, scary situation right now.

As Carl mentioned earlier, there's fear. Lord, would you overcome that fear in our hearts like you've already overcome it on the cross. You've already overcome it. Lord, may we recognize that and hear the word of the Lord and be willing and empowered by your spirit to do just that. We long to do your will, Lord, in your way.

Would you show us that way and give us the power to walk in it? In Jesus name, we ask your blessing on this offering that you'd multiply it to do your kingdom's work. Amen.

Hears am yours I am loved I'm made pure I have life I can breathe I am free and here's my hears here's my

and

it is time for children's church downstairs, I think. Yes, it is. Before we get started this morning, we're going into this. Isaiah 49. It's the second of the service, servant songs from Isaiah.

So, Isaiah 42 and we'll cover it in a minute. Isaiah forty two one through 10 is the first of the servants. I was maybe stretching in the chapter 43 but forty nine one through 13 is what we're going to today. But before I do that, being up here in flip flops and shorts, the the first time that I got a chance to preach at my home church, it wasn't like youth Sunday or one of those sort of things. Because you know, when the youth group, they're looking for somebody and anybody willing will get up there, you know.

And I had done that before, but in the summer of nineteen ninety one, I went on a summer mission trip. It was a summer mission for the full summer to the horrible developing place of Panama City Beach, Florida. Okay. I was there fun in the sun 1991 with There were 13 guys and 13 gals, and we went down and before too long, we had four campgrounds that we were doing ministry in the evenings. We worked a normal everyday job from eight in the morning, 08:30 in the morning until five in the afternoon.

We'd rush home and grab something to eat really quickly and then get to one of those campgrounds and we did all kinds of different kinds of ministry. And before too long, was the one that got elected to be the person, the preacher person, which was very odd to me because I was scared to death to stand up in front of people, had passed out in front of an English class from standing up on in front of people. But I did I was willing, and so I started doing it. The very first Sunday, was elected in a very Presbyterian sense to be I didn't really have a choice in the matter, pushed upon me. You are now Ray, you are the pastor of the Ocean Park RV Resort.

And so I went into the Ocean Park RV Resort, and there was a box of hymnals, I thought, oh, that's good because I can sing. I can make sure that I can sing, you know. And you know, a few people would show up each Sunday, but it was it was my job now to show this is the only by the way, this is the only pastoral experience I had when I got here. I have not been to church after church after church after church. I have only had the Ocean Park RV Resort and First b of Jackson.

And for three three and a half months, I was the pastor at this Ocean Park RV Resort. And it's a little place where you'd eat and you know, gather and they had a laundry there. And there were a few chairs and a box of hymnals, and so I got up the first Sunday. We did the song service, that was fun. And then there were a few people in the room and there was one tall man with televangelist looking haircut, and he had a big Bible under his arm, and he had on a three piece suit.

And at the end of the the little church I grew up in, you didn't ever know if you're sitting out there who the pastor was going to call on at the end of the service to do the closing prayer. But I thought, if anybody in this room can do it, that guy can do it. So I finished my sermon, if you wanna call it that, and I said, sir, would you stand us, lead us in the closing prayer? And he stood up and he said, dear Lord, thank you for sending this young man to try to preach to us. And then he gave me a King James Bible and his card, and he was an actual itinerant evangelist, and he told me to use the King James.

And then he said, here's my card. And it said, wake up, oh sleeper. And I thought, what a wonderful wonderful thing. And I love I love the experience, but I I think of that story often. I really think of it in this get up because this is how we dress the whole time.

And campground ministry, t shirts and shorts, and this week, that's going be the attire for most everybody here, t shirt and shorts and flip flops or sandals or Crocs or whatever. And it's a very relaxed thing. At the campground with people on vacation when they weren't thinking about their normal life, it actually was a pretty good time to talk to them. And guess where we live? We live in a place where people are on vacation.

They're not really thinking about their normal life. This is resort ministry for every one of us who lives here. It really is. We're surrounded by people all the time. Some of them know Jesus and some of them will be glad to hear it when that you do too.

And some of them don't. And they might listen and they might not. But every time that you present the evangel, whether it's from the Old Testament, from the New Testament, every time that you present it, people have the opportunity to either accept it or reject it or decide to hear more later. Right? When Paul on Mars Hill presents and it says, Stoics and Epicureans were present and some of them accepted what he had to say and some of them said, this man's crazy.

And then others said, I'll hear more from him on this later. So anyway, that's just a little bit to get us started. I think this is a Titus has never called it a short sermon. I have less slides today than I usually do. How about that?

Isaiah forty nine one through 13, we will see it together. 42 sets this up. It's the introduction in Isaiah of God's servant, capital s. This is the first servant song and I'll just read it quickly before we get to the second servant song. Behold my servant whom I uphold, my elect one in whom my soul delights.

I have put my spirit upon him and he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out nor raise his voice, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. He is not grandstanding. He is walking out a submitted life to the spirit of God. A bruised reed he will not break.

Do you recognize that from the New Testament, John the Baptist? That little section right in there when he's speaking of Jesus. So this has been attributed in the New Testament to Jesus. We know it's about Okay? A bruised reed, he will not break.

A smoking flax, he will not quench. He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth. And the coastlands shall wait for his law. Thus says the Lord God or thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it.

I, the Lord have called you, capital y, that's pointing to Jesus, in righteousness, the servant of God, and I will hold your hand. I will keep you and I will give you as a covenant to the people. We did communion last week, and I said that all of those guys knew what the old covenant was. All of those guys knew what the old covenant was, but when Jesus said, this is the new covenant in my blood, he's fulfilling his role as the servant of God. We'll see that further in the second servant song.

I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to all of the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, whose those who sit in darkness from the prison house. I am the Lord, that is my name and my glory. I will not give to another nor my praise to carved images. Behold, the former things have come to past and new things I declare before they spring forth, I tell you of them. Praise the Lord.

This is seven hundred years before Christ. If you read the first one, the second one, the third one, and the fourth song altogether, it is such a clear picture of Jesus, of his life, his death, his burial, his resurrection. There's one more verse there, it's this. Sing to the Lord a new song and his praise from the ends of the earth. You who go down to the sea and all that is in it, you coastlands and you inhabitants of them.

That also reminded me of my beach ministry. My whole family is gathering this week now at the beach and it just jumped out. But the reason I put it in here, the tenth verse, you coastlands is because that ties us to this. 42 stops with you coastlands and 49, the calling and the ministry of the servant starts off like this. Listen, oh coastlands, those who are up against the sea.

Listen to me and take heed all of you peoples from afar, you coastlands, you inhabitants of them. Take heed you peoples from afar. The Lord has called me from the womb, capital m. I think that's pointing towards Jesus. Now, are other interpretations for this.

If you are of a Jewish background, you can see the people of Israel as this. And the Jew Jewish nation, the Jews still do see the servant passages pointing towards them, the nation of Israel. The Lord has called me from the womb, from the matrix of my mother. He has made mention of my name. Did God forecast Christ beforehand to the people?

He did. All the way back to Genesis, he's done it all throughout the Old Testament. He called me from the matrix, the womb of my mother. The Lord has made mention of my name. Oh, we hear this one at Christmas, we don't usually hear it in shorts and flip flops.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting father and the prince of peace. The next line is, and he has made my mouth like a sharp sword. I I think of Ephesians when I think we've got the sword of the spirit and what's coming out of Jesus's mouth, the word of God, the sword of the spirit. But also think of Revelation, for from his mouth comes a sharp sword so that with it he may strike down the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron and he treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God.

Wow. The bruised reed he won't break but he's trampling with a rod of iron. That's hard to rectify except in Christ. He has the first coming is all about. He says, I did not to come come to condemn the world, but to save it.

But he is coming back. Split range prophecy. In the shadow of his hand, he has hidden me. In the shadow of his hand, he's hidden me and he has made me a polished shaft and his quiver, he has hidden me. Messiah Jesus is the perfect weapon against evil.

It is the perfect weapon against death. When it looked like there was no hope, he was the polished shaft and hidden in the quiver. He said to me, you are my servant, oh Israel, in whom I will be glorified. I've already hinted at this, but we'll see that in the old testament and even in the new testament, when the word Israel comes up, it's referring to one of three or four things. It can be blind, deaf, rebellious, unbelieving Israel, and that comes up a lot.

Right? In the Old Testament, it comes up a lot, and it comes up a lot in the New Testament. That it's used when God is saying, you are not walking on the path. You have played the harlot. You're not doing what you should be doing.

You trust diviners and you trust in your own wisdom more than you trust in me. So it can be blind, deaf, and rebellious unbelieving Israel. It can also be believing Israel, those who put their trust in the Lord, the people of God. Not knowing the method even how he's going to do that. So there are those who put their faith in God and don't know and don't claim to know.

And then there's the ideal Israel. And that ideal Israel is Jesus Messiah or is Messiah who we believe is Jesus Messiah. Right? So that are Those are the broad definition narrowed down and it depends on context to know which one it is. And back here when it says, you are my servant, oh Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

You know what? God gets glory through unbelieving Israel because of the mistakes that they have made. He gets glory through believing Israel and he gets glory through Jesus Messiah ultimately. I think that they're right here to attribute it to Christ. Then I said, have labored in vain.

I've spent my strength for nothing and in vain. Do you all remember the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch for Max? Do you remember that story? And the Ethiopian eunuch is reading Isaiah, and he is confused by it. We've changed who is talking in this three times already.

It's the omniscient narrator, then it's Jesus, it's outside narrator. When he when Philip runs alongside his chariot and he says, what are you reading there? And the guy says, this thing is confusing me. Who is he talking about? Is it the guy who's right?

Is it Isaiah? Is he talking about himself or is he talking about somebody else? And it says, and Philip beginning from that place said, showed him the way. It was about Jesus. Now Jesus is speaking here.

Then I said, I have labored in vain, I've spent my strength for nothing and in vain. Now he walked out a life of perfect submission to God. How can it be that he feels like it would be in vain? Matthew 26 says, and he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. That sounds a lot like he felt like he was laboring in vain.

He knew what he had to do. He knew it was his Those were his steps that he had to walk through. He said to them, my soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me. And going a little further, he fell face down and he prayed, my father, if it is possible, let this cup pass for me, yet not as I will, but as you will.

He's submitting himself, but it does feel like a forsaken. And if you don't think it feels forsaken on the cross at the ninth hour, and I know this is a quote from a song, and if you sing the rest of the psalm, you'll know that it ends in victory. But at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, which is translated, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? That sounds like Jesus field felt forsaken, feels forsaken at that moment. During the days of Jesus' life on earth, Hebrews five seven says, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.

And he was heard because of his reverent submission. I have labored in vain. I've spent my strength for nothing and in vain. Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord and my work with my God. I have to trust that he leads me and he places me where he wants me and in submitting to him, he his will be done.

It'll ultimately be for his glory and for my good. First Peter two, another one of my favorite passages. For y'all have been called for this very purpose since Christ also suffered for y'all, leaving y'all an example that for y'all that y'all This is the Ray McDaniel translation, I just realized. I I didn't mean to put that in there, but hey, leaving y'all an example for y'all that y'all should follow in his steps. He who committed no sin nor was any deceit found in his mouth, he was still discouraged.

He was still upset. From time to time, while people were reviling him, he committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. While being reviled, he did not revile in return. While suffering, he uttered no threats, but he kept on entrusting himself to him who judges righteously. Praise God.

May we do that, Lord. When we feel like we're walking in your steps, the ones you've established for us, when we are walking those steps, it does get discouraging from time to time. May continually be entrusting ourselves to you, the one who judges rightly. Come what may, no matter who decries. In Jesus name, amen.

Forty nine five says, and now the Lord says, who formed me from the womb to be his capital s, servant to bring Jacob back to him. So it's for the house of Jacob. It's for the line of Israel. To bring Jacob back to him so that Israel is gathered to him for I shall be glorious in the eyes of Lord and my God shall be my strength. He's looking forward to that even in the midst of the suffering of the servant.

Indeed, he says, is it too small? It is too small a thing that you should be my servant. Change of perspective again. It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel, the preserved ones of Israel, which is this. This is believing Israel.

Those who have trusted in the Lord throughout all ages. I will also give you, in addition to all that, I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles. It's not just for those who fell into the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob down through the ages. It's not just for those. It's also I'm giving you as a light to the Gentiles.

Israel was supposed to be a light to the Gentiles. They were supposed to live by the law of God in such a way that it drew people into relationship with God, that people would want to be a part because there was light there instead of the darkness that they normally walked in. Psalm 67, one of my probably my favorite song. God be gracious to us and bless us, sounds selfish, doesn't it? Keep reading.

And cause your face to shine upon us, Selah, let it ring, that your way may be known on the earth, that your salvation may be known among all the nations. Let the peoples praise you, Lord. That's a third person command. Nations, praise the Lord. Let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy for you will judge the peoples with uprightness and guide the nations on the earth. Selah, let it ring out. Let the peoples praise you, oh God. Let all the peoples praise you. The earth has yielded its produce God, our God.

He blesses us and God blesses us so that all of the ends of the earth might revere him. That's good. That's the goal. Israel is a light to the nations. Oh, it's not only Psalm 67.

Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord. All the earth sing to the Lord. Bless his name. Proclaim good tidings of his salvation from day to day. Tell of his glory among all of the nations, his wonderful deed among all of the peoples.

For great is the Lord and he is greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all small g gods, for all the small g gods of the peoples are just idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. It keeps going.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples. Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord and the glory of his name. Bring an offering. Come into his court.

Worship the Lord in holy attire. Dog gone it. I knew I should have worn the suit. Tremble before him all the earth. Say among the nations, the Lord reigns.

Indeed, the world is firmly established and it will not be moved. He will judge the people with equity. God is the righteous judge. If he is directing us to take a path that seems uncomfortable or a path of suffering, we can know that Jesus took the Via Dolorosa, the painful way. Let the heavens be glad.

Let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar and all it contains. Let the field exalt and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord for he is coming and he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples and his faithfulness.

Psalms had that split range prophecy too. Messiah would come and offer deliverance and Messiah would return and bring justice. Praise the Lord all the nations. Psalm one seventeen, laud him all you peoples for his loving kindness is great towards us and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord.

It keeps going. All of the Psalms, much of Isaiah, all of the Old Testament points toward him and I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles so that you should be. Wait a sec. You are my salvation to the ends of the earth. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

You are going to be my salvation, Messiah to the ends of the earth. Acts 13, we're bouncing today. One of the reasons I like to do expository preaching going through books of the Bible is because I'm all over the map if I don't do that. The next Sabbath, nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord. Sabbath, hearing the word of the Lord, these are the Jewish people.

But when the Jews saw the crowds, what does say? It says the whole city assembled. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things that were spoken by Paul. Didn't all of that old testament stuff we just read, didn't it say that it wasn't just for the Jews, but it was for everybody? It it did say that.

But it was upsetting. It was breaking their paradigm. They were blaspheming and Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but unbelieving is real. Since you repudiated and you judge yourselves unworthy of the eternal life offered, behold, we have to turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, I've placed you as a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the end of the earth.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord and as many as had been appointed to eternal life, they believed. They had the gospel laid out before them, it clicked, they accepted it, they believed and the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout men, well, women of prominence and the leading men of the city and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district. But they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went on to Iconium and the disciples were first were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. The message is being offered and you can reject it or you can accept it.

The new covenant in Jesus blood is available. It's available. Forty nine seven, thus says the Lord, the redeemer of Israel, their holy one to him whom man despises. Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, Jesus. To him whom the nation abhors, to the servant of the rulers, kings shall see and arise.

Princes also shall worship future orientation because of the Lord who is faithful, the holy one of Israel and he has chosen you. Thus says the Lord, in an acceptable time I've heard you and in the day of salvation, I have helped you and I will preserve you and I'll give you as a covenant to the people. Covenant. Goes back to '42. And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, a covenant to the people to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages, anything that has been broken off and sequestered aside.

I'm putting into that incorruptible hope. We'll skip that. Second Corinthians six two quotes this, at just the right time I heard you, on the day of salvation, I helped you. Now in Isaiah, that's speaking to Christ. In Corinthians, it's speaking to anyone who would follow after Christ.

At just the right time, I mentioned in the prayer this morning, Moses' back being against the wall or against the Red Sea. Multiple times in the Old Testament, we see people who are put into a position of having to trust God. Can I say today that we are all in the position of having to trust God? The prayer during the offering each week is God, wanna do your will and your way. I I pray that that is is is where my heart always is, but I realize that in doing his will his way, it might take me to a place of suffering.

Jesus looked beyond it for the joy set before him and he endured. That's what I wanna do too. Sing, oh heavens, be joyful, earth, and break out in singing, oh mountains, for the Lord has comforted his people and he will have mercy on his afflicted. Amen. Three more slides.

John 17, before his high priestly prayer or in his high priestly prayer, he's speaking. He says, but now I come to you and these things I speak in the world so that they may have my joy made full in themselves. I have given them, the disciples, those following after him. I have given them your word in the world as hated them because they're not of the world even as I'm not of the world. I don't ask you to take them out of the world, father, but to keep them from the evil one.

They're not of the world even as I'm not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. Just as you sent me into this world, I also sent them out into this world for their sakes. I sanctify myself that they themselves also may be sanctified in the truth.

I'm not asking on behalf of these people alone, those disciples that had followed him, those followers that have been around on his earthly ministry, not just these alone, but also for all of those who believe in me through their word. If you're a Christian here today, Jesus prayed for you right here. I'm not asking on behalf of just these alone, but also for all who would come to believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, unified. Even as you father and are in me and I am in you that they also may be in us unified so that they so that the world might believe that you have sent me. Amen.

Amen. Seven hundred years before Christ, Isaiah give us a clear picture of exactly how this is gonna go. That's easier to see from two thousand years on this side of the cross. There were unbelieving Israel, there was believing Israel, still is, and then there's Messiah Jesus. I pray that we would not be unbelieving.

I pray that we would be believing and that we would be pointing towards Jesus, looking back to the sacrifice that he made and recognizing that as we walk it out, we will hit uncomfortable spots we don't know how we're gonna get out of them. But trust in the Lord with all your heart. Hey, you've already won. You're a good job up there, Jeff. You got this job, buddy.

That's great. Would you all stand? We're gonna sing this song. I want you to consider that trusting in God is winning.

Amen. Know what you're doing. I know what you've done. I'm fighting the battle you've already won.

I've got a benediction for you, but I also wanna combine it with, Lord, would you bless the time outside where we get the chance to sit with one another and dwell in unity. Table fellowship, super important in the Bible Lord. I pray that we would commune together out here sharing hearts, dreams, battles. Sharing so that we may have those needs met you in the body of Christ by you. In Jesus name, would you bless this food, fellowship, communion outside.

Amen. And Psalm one thirty three one through three says this, behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity. It's like the precious oil on the head running down upon the beard of Aaron. The oil which ran down upon the edges of his robes. It's like the dew off of Mount Hermon that comes down upon the mountains of Zion for the Lord commanded the blessing there, life everlasting.

Lord God Almighty, would you carry forward that life everlasting through the unity of the people of God. Amen.