Surely Not I, Lord
First B Jackson
2024-03-10

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

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Asking Ryan. Good morning, everybody. How are we doing? We look a little sleepy. There's a verse, I think, something about Waco sleeper, but I won't use that one this morning.

Would you stand with me? And here here is a verse to encourage us to worship together in song. It's Isaiah 25 and it says, Lord, you're my God and I will exalt you. I'm gonna lift you up. I'm gonna sing to you.

I'm gonna give thanks to your name for you have worked wonders. You've worked wonders, plans formed long ago with perfect faithfulness. Would you join us in singing evidence? I've seen the evidence of your goodness all over my life.

Alright. All throughout my history. All throughout my history. Your faithfulness has walked beside me. The winter storms made way for spring.

Amen

Amen. Y'all can have an announce y'all can have an announcement. Just one. Just one. What is it, Carl?

There we go.

Awana is on tomorrow at 05:45, and Naomi is gonna be there early to cook for volunteers at 05:15. But kids, come at 05:45. It's a regular club night.

Alright. Cool. There are sign up sheets. I saw somebody down there investigating and looking over their calendar to see when the when the times might line up for them to be able to do connect hour. Feel free to do that.

Addie Hair is down there this morning, and she is in charge of that. That's her phone number if you'd like to sign up for connect hour or for helping out with Awana. There's a men's gathering study on Thursdays at 11:55 in the Fellowship Hall, kind of a stop at one, so you can know it's gonna end at 01:00. Come and go as you need it. That's fun.

They're going through the book. We're going through the book of James. I've missed the past couple, but come and go as you need to. And I think that's it. Yes.

Nick. Thank you to all volunteers who came yesterday. We had a very, very large, very large funeral for Kelly Krausz, and we had a lot of people that just showed up to help out with everything associated with that. Okay. And so if you have a gathering at your house this evening and you would like to take some sandwiches, there are plenty of them here.

That's good. So you can let Nick know and he will direct you towards. And the the work does not normally cater, but they catered yesterday. And and it's that we have a lot of food left over. So I think that's it.

That's good. How are you all doing this morning? I bet that 11:00 service is gonna fill up today. Yeah. Yeah.

We've got this is the way to do it. Would you stand and we're gonna, keep on singing God's praises.

I love you, Lord, for your mercy never fails me. All my days, I've been held in your hands. From the moment that I wake up until I lay my hand, I will sing of the

goodness of God. Let's sing of his faithfulness all around us.

I love your voice. You have led me through the fire. In darkest night, you are close like no other. I've known you as a father. I've known you as a friend.

And I've lived in the goodness of God.

And Lord, if we look back, we can see your goodness in the in the valleys and on the and on the mountaintops too. Lord, thank you for being with us and leading us through. And and I think specifically through very, very difficult and and dark times. Thank you, Lord, that you are there. You are present.

You are active. You are working. Even when we can't understand why why hard things are happen, we we know that you are with us and that you are faithful, that you are loving, that you're kind, that you're gracious, that you're working all things for our good, for your glory. Would you remind us of that this morning, God, as we sing to you? In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Joy seeping me through pain. I mountain I could not climb. In desperation, I turned to heaven and spoke your name

Jesus

Christ, my living hope.

His resurrection Man, you can have a seat here for a moment. This is the worship through giving part of the service, and I'll invite the ushers to come on forward, and we're going to sing the Lord's prayer. But before we sing it, I thought we could say it together. Maybe some of you grew up with that tradition in your church of saying the Lord's prayer. But would you join me?

I'll start us off, and would you join in? It's our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Right here in my heart. Father, let you came and come. Father, let you be done. Earth has an heaven right

It's time. Children's Church is downstairs.

Kim?

Who? Glenn. Alright. Glenn. There he is.

Okay. It's it's my day. So probably as most of you have heard, just some of the elder board periodically over the last few weeks, and I think we have one more. Just sharing a little about our test

Hello? There we go.

It's got a red light, but we'll see how we go. So anyway, today's my day. So I'm glad to share a little about

There you go. Okay.

Oh, alright. So anyway, I my name is Glenn Owings. My wife is Liz. We have four kids, Logan, Caleb, Timber, and Sealy. We've been coming to First Bee since about 2015.

Growing up, I grew up in Missoula, Montana. My folks were strong believers and grew up going to church there. I think, kind of as I, you know, think back to my testimony, anytime I tell people about my background, I think of some key role models and key kind of benchmark moments that were decisional for me. And important kind of inflection points of, you know, where it was like really decision time for me, and my faith. You know, I think the first and most important role models for me were my dad and my granddad and their faith.

My grandfather was the first in our family and in his family to become a believer, and that legacy really was important to us. And he was, until the day he died, just amazing about sharing his faith. Totally unashamed, had a lot of just miraculous miraculous interventions of God in his life. And so, that was really important to me. And then as I kind of grew into a little bit older, and in the high school years, I had some mentors through school and youth activities that were just really important to my life.

And showed me what it was like to be a loving husband, and really serve God living out their faith, and what that looked like in a meaningful way. And so, those were some things that are really important. And then, I think as one really important moment in my life is between high school and college, I went on a mountaineering school for thirty days in the wilderness. A group of people I didn't know, and it was like, I could have been anybody to these people, right? And it was like, who am I gonna be?

What's my identity gonna be? Is it gonna be what I know is true? Or am I gonna kind of fall into line with this other crew? And so, at that moment, I really remember deciding like, this is me. This is my faith.

And this is my identity as in Christ. And that is who I want to be. So, was a big moment. And then, know, Liz and I got married really young. We had kids really young.

I mean, we've always tried and we have to always keep pushing to push back against the things of the world, and comfort, and worldly goals. And we try to keep pushing forward toward what God has for us, and whether that makes sense in a worldly perspective or not. So, that's really what we try to do, and that's kind of where we're going. So, everybody's kind of said some strengths they have or some things like that. Mine are probably discernment, leadership, and service.

I love to serve and be helpful. So, anyway, that's it. Thank you all.

Thank you, Glenn. Surely not our Lord. We're back to our harmony of the gospel study. We've concentrating for a long time on Matthew, Mark, and Luke and looking at these things. I I will say before we even begin, this week was a extreme ministry week.

Extreme ministry week with serving the Krausz family and preparing for honoring memorial yesterday, but also there was a pretty significant auto automotive wreck in the middle of the week. Ben Upton is fine. If you're wondering, if you've heard he was in a wreck, he's fine. He's recovering, but it was a it was a it was an all nighter Wednesday night to Thursday morning. And he is fine in surgery, has repaired now femur and ankle and a few other various little injuries, but that that could have been so much worse than it was.

Taxing on us as it was, it could have been so much worse. So I'm trying to get back into this study and normally I break it down, I go verse by verse. We're going section by section today instead of verse by verse. But this harmony of the gospels. I'm gonna start off and go through each one of them.

We're at that place of we're finishing up Tuesday night and Wednesday of Holy Week, and then we're getting into Thursday. I'm gonna give you an assignment at the end of the time and if I forget, Carl remind me. There's an assignment before next week. I want for us to really engage the scripture before Easter this year. So I've got a couple more Sundays here and I'm gonna cover Wednesday, Thursday and then before Easter, I wanna cover Good Friday.

So that's what we're getting in. Today is a little bit of Tuesday, all of Wednesday, tiny little bit of Thursday and then we'll cover Good Friday next week. So here we are, Matthew twenty six one through five, Mark 14 and Luke 21. When Jesus had finished all these words, you remember what happened last week? Two whole chapters of Matthew.

Right? Two whole chapters of the eschatology stuff at the end of Matthew. When Jesus had finished all these words, he said to his disciples, you know that after two days of Passover is coming, son of man is gonna be handed over for crucifixion. That's as plain spoken as it can be, still surprised us. At that time, the chief priest and the elders of the people were gathered together in the courtyard of the high priest named Caiaphas, where two days from now, we're gonna see a kangaroo court playing out.

They plotted together to arrest Jesus covertly and kill him. That was their plan. They made the plan. But they were saying not during the festival though, otherwise a riot might occur among the people. We don't want that.

Rome, the government above us. We don't want to cause trouble because that'll be oppressive for us and we don't want that. Mark says, now the Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread was two days away. The chief priests and scribes were seeking how to arrest him covertly and kill him, but they were saying, not during the festival. We don't want to do this right now.

Otherwise, there'll be a riot of the people. Riots are bad for us. We don't want that to happen. They had a measure of power, but they had the Roman government over them. Anything but a riot.

We don't want a riot. Luke. Now during the day, he was teaching in the temple, but at evening, he'd go out and spend the night on the mountain that's called Olivet. That's what we had last week was Olivet discourse and all the people would get up very early in the morning. They'd come to the him, see him in the temple and to listen to him.

Now the feast of unleavened bread which is called the Passover was approaching and the chief priest and the scribes are trying to find a way to put him to death since they were afraid of the people. Jesus had gained a crowd, they were taking the attention off of these rulers and they didn't like that. And so they were conspiring. They had already decided in their mind what they're gonna do. This is what we want.

That's what we're going for. Alright. Next. One of the 12 named Judas Iscariot went to those chief priests and said, what are you willing to give me to betray him to you? It's known that they're conspiring against him.

It's known the politics of the situation, and they set out for him 30 pieces of silver. From then on, he looked for a good opportunity to betray Jesus. Now, the chief priests and scribes, they had already set their minds. They're trying to kill Jesus, but they're doing it in an opportune way that will not cause them any political damage. Judas looks and he's going, I might gain from this.

That's what it sounds like in Matthew. Let's see what Mark Mark says, then Judas Iscariot who was one of the 12 went off to the chief priest in order to betray him to them, and they were delighted when they heard this. This is the easiest way it could happen. One of his own betrays him. Yeah.

That's great. And they were delighted when they heard this. They promised to give him money, and he began seeking how to betray him at an opportune time. So he was looking for the moment. Luke brings us Luke is a doctor.

Luke brings us spiritual into this. He says, and Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot who belonged to the number of the 12. And he left and he discussed with the chief priests and officers how he was to betray him to them, and they were delighted. They were delighted. How are we gonna get him?

I mean, he's got people around him all the time. They're always around him, and he's got a loyal band all around him all the time. Peter's rough to deal with. They were delighted. They agreed to give him money and so he consented.

Oh, so now Judas is consenting. Right? He has purposed in his heart what it is that he'll do. Chief priests and scribes already have. Now Judas has too.

So he consented. He began looking for good opportunity to betray him to them away from the crowd. Let's not do this where it will cause a riot. Alright. Next.

This is how much we're covering with the next. Now on the first day of the unleavened bread, this is the next day. Okay? So this by the way, up until this point, it's spy Wednesday. That's what they call it.

If you're looking at Good Friday, Maundy Thursday, spy Wednesday is the day that Judas conspired. That's traditionally, we just add that name. But now on the first day of the unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, well, where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover? And he said, go into the city to a certain man, say to him the teacher says, my time is near. I'm keeping the Passover at your house with my disciples.

And the disciples did as Jesus had directed him. This is kind of vague, isn't it? And they prepared the Passover. Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the 12. That's Matthew.

Mark says, the first day of the unleavened bread, same time period, Thursday morning at some point, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, his disciples said to him, where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover? And he sent two of his disciples, now it's narrowing it down, two of them, and said to them, go into the city, there's a man carrying a pitch of water, pitcher of water and he will meet you and you follow him and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, the teacher says, where is my guest room in which I may eat the Passover with my disciples? And he himself will show you a large upstairs room, the upper room. Large upstairs room, furnished and ready and prepare for us there, you two disciples. And those two disciples left and they came to that city and found everything just as he had told them, big surprise there.

And they prepared the Passover. And when it was evening, he came with the 12. When you see an asterisk in the New American Standard Bible, the little asterisk is not statistical. It it means that that's a historical present. It's a storytelling device.

So if I were to say, and his disciples say to him, when it was evening, he comes with the 12. It's like in the moment, gets you in the flow of the story. I keep breaking it up by changing books, but it's it's a story making, storytelling device. Now, the first day of the unleavened bread came on which Passover lamb was to be sacrificed and so Jesus sent Peter and John. So it gets it's vague in Matthew, the disciples went.

Mark says two of them went. It wasn't Judas. Okay? Judas was looking for a time to betray him and he sent two of them and they were Peter and John. He said, y'all go and prepare.

Y'all heard the y'all, didn't you? Y'all go and prepare the Passover for us so that we may eat it and they said to him, where do you want for us to prepare it? And he said, when you enter the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Jesus had already kind of set this up with the folks ahead of time, but the disciples didn't know. Right?

Jesus is working even when you don't see it. He is doing stuff even when you don't recognize it. He is going ahead of you. And he said, when you've entered the city, man will carry a pitch of water. Follow him into the house.

It's a little cloak and dagger and you shall say to the owner of that house. The teacher says to you, where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with my disciples? And he'll show you a large furnished upstairs room, prepare it there. And they left and they found everything just as he had told them. They were obedient and they found everything just as he had told them and they prepared the Passover.

Now when the hour came, he reclined at the table and the apostles with him and he said to them, I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. He's telling them again, it's coming. Festive time of year, it's somber too, but it's a festive time when they remember God's deliverance. I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer for. I say to you, I shall not eat it again until it's fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

I won't be here this time next year. Right? I'm gonna switch over to John. I don't do that very often in the synoptic gospel study, but John John seems to fill in the details where the Matthew, Mark, and Luke leave some things out. Now, before the feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that his hour had come.

Oh, how many times in the book of John up to this point it say, my hour has not yet come. My hour has not yet come. My hour has not yet come. But now, before the feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that his hour had come, that he would depart from this world to the father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the very end.

And during supper, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon to betray him. And we know he has already decided that. He's already assented to it. He's already made the deal. During supper, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon to betray him Jesus, knowing that the father handed over all things over to him.

He has all the authority in heaven and on earth, and that he had come forth from God and he was going back to God. He got up from supper and he laid his outer garments aside and he took out a towel and he tied it around himself. I read something the other day that said, if you knew you had one day left on earth, what would you do? Jesus washes feet. Jesus washes feet.

He serves. Jesus washes the disciples feet. You can read that yourself. John thirteen five through 20 is that. And you all heard Hunter Summons about it if you've been in church for a long time.

But Jesus washes the disciples feet. This next section, I'm gonna read from all of them. And you see how the synoptics have a bit of information and John gives a bit more. That's where I'm trying to get to today. So we have seen the chief priests and scribes have made up their mind.

They are in power. They want to remain in power. They don't want anything that threatens that power. Judas sees an opportunity. Now, in the book of John, we see John say, Judas pilfered from the money bag here and there.

And we hear Judas having some worldly inclinations. A lot of people, I think the best that we can assume for Judas was that he did want for Jesus to establish his kingdom here on earth, and so he was making the moves necessary to force Jesus's hand. That's the best we can think of for Judas. Okay? He wanted to set in motion the events that would put Jesus in the place of earthly power.

And so he did what he did, might have taken the 30, but it really wasn't about the money. It was more about taking over the control, kicking these dirty Romans out. Here we go, Matthew. And as they were eating, last supper, he said, truly I say to you that one of you will betray me. But being deeply grieved, they began saying to him, each one of them, surely it's not I, Lord.

That's actually a humble response to one of you will betray me. That's a pretty humble response is to go, oh, I hope it's not me. Really, I don't want to do that. He's my Lord. I don't wanna do anything that would cause him any trouble.

I don't want to do anything that would that would bring me out. I believe this is God's man. I believe this is the Messiah, the anointed one. I don't wanna do anything contrary to him. One of y'all is gonna betray me.

Lord, surely it's not I. Please tell me it's not me. That's a humble response. That's not a that that's somebody who's made the decision to follow after Christ even when it's difficult and finding out that it's going to be hard. Finding out there's gonna be a there's gonna be a betrayal saying, I don't want that to be me.

Please Lord, no. Surely, it's not I, Lord. And he answered, he who dipped his hand with me in the bowl is the one who'll betray me. They're eating together. Table fellowship is so important in the New Testament.

To be eating together is a is a communal act. Right? We are communing together. Communion. We we call it communion.

Right? He's right here with us. He's been with us a long time and he's dipped his hand with me in the bowl. He's the one who betrayed me. The son of man is going away just as as it is written about him, but woe to the man by whom the son of man is betrayed.

Woah. It would have been good for that man if he had not been born. And Judas who was betraying him said, surely it's not I, Rabbi. Surely it's not me. He said the same thing everybody else said, but he had purposed in his heart to betray him.

He knew it was happening. He was trying to conceal it, and Jesus says to him, you've said it yourself. Not only have you made the decision, now you're lying about it and trying to cover it up. Mark, and as they were reclining the table of need, Jesus said, truly, I say to you that one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me right now. And they began to be grieved and to say to him one by one, surely not I.

Oh, that is so upsetting to think I might betray my Lord, my master. But he said to him, it is one of the 12, the one who dips bread with me in this bowl. For the son of man is going away just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed. It would be would have been good for that man if he had not been born. Luke, but behold the hand of the one betraying me is with mine on this table.

Now, they were all sitting with him right at the table. This leads to the surely not I, I'm right here with you. I've been with you Lord. For indeed the son of man is going as it has been determined. It's happening, but woe to the man by whom it is betrayed, he is betrayed.

And they began to debate among themselves which one of them it was gonna be, who's gonna do this. I bet it's gonna be you. No. I hope it's not me. I hope it's not me.

Please don't let it be me. Now this is the same place where Jesus says, Peter, you're gonna deny me three times. Right? So that's coming. That's just a just a little ways away from right here.

My whole well, let's keep going. Let's let let's keep letting the scripture talk and I'll I'll wrap up. When Jesus had said these things, he became troubled in spirit and he testified. This is from John. After he had girded himself and washed their feet.

When Jesus had said these things, he became troubled in spirit and he testified and he said, truly, truly, I say to you that one of you will betray me, barely, barely. I learned Spanish by the way by trying to read the Bible in Spanish. And there's something you hit a lot, and it's truly truly, verily, verily. Right? Truly, truly, I say to you.

And I I hit that and I go, wow. Truly, truly, like this is gonna happen. There's no doubt about it. That would that would put me in the place of surely not I, Lord. Please, don't let it be me.

What do I need to do? Now Judas had purposed in his heart, he was gonna betray him. The chief priests and scribes had purposed in their heart, they were gonna betray him quietly so that they didn't get their power interrupted. Well, the disciples began looking at one another at a loss to know of which one he was speaking. And lying back on Jesus' chest was one of his disciples whom Jesus loved.

If you remember Leonardo's painting of the last supper, John is leaning back on Jesus. He's leaning back on him. One of his disciples whom Jesus loved. And so Simon Peter nodded to this disciple, Peter to John. They're the ones who set up the room.

Right? They're the ones sent out ahead. He says, ask him. Just ask him. You're right there next to him.

Ask him how it's gonna be. Tell us who it is of whom he is speaking. He then simply leaned back on Jesus and said, Lord, who is it? And Jesus answered, the man is the one for whom I shall dip the piece of bread and give it to him. And the others, it might seem a little vague, but he's saying, I'm handing it over to him.

And so then, when he had dipped the piece of bread, he took it, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, and after this, Satan entered into him. After this, now, he's already been visited with the temptation. He's already purposed in his heart that he's gonna do it. Therefore, Jesus said to him, what you are doing, do quickly. Go now.

Now, none of those reclining at the table knew for what purpose he had said this to Judas. For some were assuming since Judas kept the money box that Jesus was saying to him, buy the things we need for the feast or else that he was gonna go give something to the poor that was would have been normal. So after receiving the piece of bread, he left immediately and it was night. Let's go back to Luke to carry on the story. And the dispute also developed among them as to which one of them was regarded as being the greatest.

And he said to him, the king he said to them, Jesus said to the 11 disciples at this point, the kings of the Gentiles rule or domineer over them. It is a top down authority structure and those who have authority over them are called benefactors because we're so benevolent and we give, but they're oppressing them too. It's not this way for you though. Rather, the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, the one with no power, and the leader must be like the servant. He just washed their feet.

He showed them the example. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I'm telling you, I'm among you as the one who serves. Y'all are the ones who have stood by me in my trials.

Judas is out of the room at this point. Y'all are the ones who have stood by me in my trials and just as my father has granted me a kingdom, I'm granting that to you that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom forevermore and you will sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. These folks who have purposed in their heart to set themselves up against Jesus have set themselves up against God. That includes the chief priests and scribes, it includes Judas, it will include a lot of people who are looking for looking out for themselves, who would gain his life or lose it, the one who would give his life will gain it. This is this is that place where what have we purposed in our heart?

What have we purposed in our heart? If we are his disciples, what are we looking out for? Are we looking out for his purposes? Are we serving him? Are we serving our own purposes?

May we all answer the question because we will. We we do betray our faith. We do betray our master. But can it be a surprise? Can it be surely not our Lord?

I don't want to do that. Would you show me where would you show me my missteps? Would you show me? I don't want to make the decision. I don't want to be tempted and go for it.

I don't want to be pulled off to the side. I don't wanna be doing the devil's work. I wanna be doing your work, Lord. Well, he's told us how to do his work. He says, be serving one another.

Be serving one another. Put yourself last. Put his will first. Seek how we may serve him. Surely not I, Lord.

Would you pray with me? God, I pray that as Easter approaches, we look to see the humble walking forward of heading towards Calvary, heading towards the cross, heading towards the trouble. I see that you are deeply troubled, the text says. You are deeply troubled and you showed them the way, all the way to the very end. Washing feet was not the ultimate example.

Giving over your life was the ultimate example. The political realities, were there. There's a pressure cooker experience, and when you mentioned that one of you will betray me, there was one of them that knew who it was. Lord, may we not ever make a deal with the devil. May we never for our own purposes, because we think we know better than you ever make a deal with the devil.

Giving Judas the benefit of the doubt and thinking that he knew better about when your kingdom would come. When is it gonna be? When is it gonna be? When is it gonna be? When's it gonna be on the Olivet Discourse?

When's it gonna be? When's it gonna be? And wanting to push that forward, may we be the servants of all. May we be looking out towards a lost and dying world and seeking to serve them, Lord. Seeking to serve and seeing how we can bring them into the kingdom.

Would you show us your will for us? Would you show us your way? And Lord, may it never be that we would make a deal with the devil and try to cover it up. In Jesus name, Lord, I pray that you would bring us into complete unity and complete harmony. I mean that across this congregation, but also across denominations, and that you would heal all of the rifts of the past, that you would bring us together, Lord.

In Jesus name, amen. I'm gonna invite the band back up, but Carl just reminded me. I have an assignment for you. So John 13 through 16 is the upper room discourse. The upper room discourse is what happens before the crucifixion.

He's got time. Judas is out of the room. Those who are gathered there are of the place of going, surely it's not me. I don't ever wanna be guilty of that, Lord. We are all in that place.

I'm assuming all of us are in that place. We don't wanna be guilty of stepping away from what he has for us. We wanna walk in the steps that God has established in advance. If that's the case, read John 13 through 16, all the chapters 13 through 16, and then 17 is where he steps out into the garden. Watch and pray, stay with him, listen to what he prays, and all of that will proceed next week's sermon.

We're gonna get to Good Friday. So I'm asking you to finish Thursday on your own. Do you get that? John 13 through 17. It's four chapters of scripture.

That's better than me preaching it in fifteen minutes. Okay. Alright. Would you stand? And we're gonna close with holy water.

God, I need it every day. It's the only thing that ever really makes me want change. Oh, I don't wanna abuse your grace. God, I need it every day.

So as we sing that song, I I started thinking about that foot washing, the holy water foot washing. He said to Peter, if if you don't let me wash you, I don't you don't have anything to do with me. Right? If you don't let me do the washing, you don't have anything to do with me. So may it never be that we make a deal with the devil, and may we allow Christ to wash and make us clean.

May we trust in that. He says that if we will humble ourselves before him, if we will ask for his forgiveness, he will give it to us. Lord Jesus, may we live knowing that we have been forgiven and that we can be forgiving. Would you allow us to live in that place where we have taken your word for it that you will repay. Everyone in this room and everyone in this world will be either justly condemned or mercifully forgiven.

We want to allow for you to do that. You have commanded us to forgive. Would you allow us to just lay it down and move through it? In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

May God bless and keep you and make his face to shine upon you and give you peace that is transferable, that you can give it to others. In Jesus name, amen.