More Than a Decision: A Deeper Look at the Cross in John 19

[00:11:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
and so we would like at this point if you are able I would love to have all the boys and all the men of the church join me here in the choir loft we're going to sing our call to worship this morning oh how I love Jesus men make your way we got a long day today come on

[00:12:13] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
In Jesus' name we pray.
[00:12:39] Amen.

[00:12:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

[00:13:21] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Amen.
[00:13:35] The Gospel of the Lord

[00:14:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
It tells me of His precious blood, the sinner's perfect plea
[00:14:45] It tells me what my Father hath in store for every day, And though I tread a darksome path, You'll sunshine all the way.

[00:15:01] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Oh, how I love Jesus!
[00:15:04] Oh, how I love Jesus!
[00:15:08] Oh, how I love Jesus!

[00:15:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Because He first loved me,

[00:16:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

[00:16:43] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Amen.

[00:16:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Come in together and sing our opening hymn, Jesus Saves.

[00:17:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Here we go then.

[00:18:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Sanctification
[00:18:52] Jesus saves!
[00:19:05] Jesus saves!

[00:19:06] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]:
Amen.

[00:19:06] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
You may be seated.
[00:19:12] Great to see you here in the house of the Lord.
[00:19:15] And is that not the sneakiest way in the world for Grant to try to recruit men for the choir?
[00:19:20] I'll tell you what, he gets them up there and they get a chance to look out there and see everything and next thing you know they'll be back up here
[00:19:28] In the choir loft once again.
[00:19:30] Well, thank you all so much for your faithfulness.
[00:19:33] And to our Baptist men today, we had a great breakfast to kick off the day.
[00:19:36] And Brother Bob Joyner and his team there in the kitchen did a tremendous job.
[00:19:41] It smelled of sausage gravy and eggs when you walked in the door this morning.
[00:19:46] A sweet aroma.
[00:19:47] on a men's day so we're glad that you're all here and welcome you to Trinity Baptist Church if you're visiting with us today we want to bid you a warm welcome in the name of the Lord and on behalf of our Trinity Baptist family and then we have some things that we want to share with those of you who are visiting with us today there's some gift bags that our deacons want to put in your hands today just to let you know of
[00:20:08] Amen.
[00:20:10] Amen.
[00:20:10] Amen.
[00:20:27] and if you'll just hold your hand up high enough and long enough for them to spot you they will put this in your hand and again we are thankful to have you here as part of our service this morning and pray that the Lord will speak to you if you're joining us via live stream we welcome you into the sanctuary at Trinity Baptist Church here in Mooresville and we're praying that God will encourage you and bless you as you worship right along with us and we invite you to participate
[00:20:52] and every aspect of the service when we pray we invite you to approach God's throne with us in prayer when we lift our voices and to sing in a few minutes we hope you'll sing along with us and then when we study God's Word together we hope that you'll get a copy of the Bible follow along with us in the Gospel of John today as we come to the most powerful
[00:21:13] We hope that you'll be turning with us and joining in that this morning as well.
[00:21:23] So let's join our hearts together in prayer, if you will, as we begin this time this morning.
[00:21:30] Father, we do just pause right now at the outset to express our love, to express our thanksgiving, to express our dependence on you.
[00:21:43] Yes, Lord, we are dependent upon you.
[00:21:46] We are dependent upon you for every breath that we take.
[00:21:51] For the very beat of our heart, we're dependent upon you for life itself.
[00:21:58] And Father, we're dependent upon you for guidance and direction each day.
[00:22:02] And we thank you for your word that does instruct us, your word that shows us your desires for our heart.
[00:22:12] Lord, I just pray that even this morning as we have gathered here for worship that every one of us has come in a way that expresses to you that, Lord, apart from you we can do nothing.
[00:22:29] Father, we come here to empty of self so that we might be filled with your Spirit as we worship you together in spirit and in truth.
[00:22:41] Lord, may you guide every aspect of this service even as we have already started the singing and lifting our praise and adoration.
[00:22:49] And Lord, may you speak directly through your word into our hearts as we just come to this place in Scripture that reminds us of all that you did when you went to the cross.
[00:23:05] Lord, for every man and every woman under the sound of my voice this morning, wherever they are,
[00:23:12] Whatever they're doing, how I pray that your spirit will take your word and just press it upon their heart and that no one under the sound of my voice today would be able to leave this time without having called upon you as Savior and Lord and King of their lives.
[00:23:37] For it's in Jesus' name that we pray.
[00:23:40] Amen.
[00:23:42] Well listen if you have children with you from preschool through third grade we want to invite them to be a part of our children's church and so in just a moment we're going to stand and greet one another and we want to invite the children to be dismissed and they'll come down the aisle and go to my right and your left where they'll be greeted and welcomed into children's church this morning so stand to your feet if you will right where you are turn around and shake a few hands hug a few necks make each other welcome here in the house of the Lord as we continue to worship this morning

[00:25:00] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
I love to tell the story of our

[00:25:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
I want to tell the story of Jesus and his love.
[00:25:49] I want to tell the story because I know it's true.

[00:25:50] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
It's saddest love.

[00:26:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
[00:26:51] Amen.
[00:27:04] I leave in glory to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

[00:27:36] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
And when it sings of glory, I sing a new, new song.
[00:27:57] T'will be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

[00:28:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
[00:28:33] Amen.
[00:29:23] I sit upon his shoulders, ashamed I hear my hoping voice.
[00:29:41] How out of love God suffers.
[00:29:42] It was my sin that held him back.
[00:30:40] Let me see.

[00:31:09] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Good morning, church.
[00:31:12] Good morning.
[00:31:13] No snow, huh?
[00:31:13] It's a good thing, I guess.
[00:31:14] So thank you for being here, everyone.
[00:31:17] It's the time in our service which we all have an opportunity to give back tithes and offerings.
[00:31:24] And for those who are watching online, you can go to TrinityBaptistChurch.com in Mooresville to participate and give as well.
[00:31:32] So I pray that you will do that.
[00:31:34] So let's say a prayer if you would.
[00:31:37] Dear precious Heavenly Father, we thank you for your many, many blessings.
[00:31:41] We thank you for this church.
[00:31:43] We thank you for our pastor and our staff and all the blessings that you give to this church.
[00:31:48] I put a special prayer to you that you will please bless what we're doing with Trinity Christian Academy in going forward.
[00:31:56] Lord, we want to open this for the people in this community to bring your word to those youth that are coming through this neighborhood and in this world.
[00:32:07] Lord, we thank you for your blessings to let us do this.
[00:32:10] We pray that you will bless our work and all that we do.
[00:32:13] Now, as we go forward this week, I pray that we will serve you and glorify you in all that we do.
[00:32:18] In your name we pray.
[00:32:20] Amen.

[00:32:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
In Christ, O sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I once was lost but now am found Was blind but now am found
[00:33:08] and Reconciliation, Reconciliation, Reconciliation and Reconciliation.
[00:33:32] The hour I first believed.

[00:33:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]:
Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have obeyed.
[00:34:06] T'was grace that brought me safe thus far and grace that brought me home.

[00:34:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we first began

[00:35:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Well, amen and amen.
[00:35:27] Thank you so much for blessing our hearts this morning, Brother Grant, Brother Chase.
[00:35:32] Turning to Bibles, if you will, to the Gospel of John.
[00:35:34] The Gospel of John in the 19th chapter is where we find ourselves again this morning.
[00:35:41] As we are continuing in our series and really coming to the most powerful, powerful places in all of the Bible.
[00:35:50] And I hope that you have a copy of God's Word.
[00:35:53] If you don't, get one out of the pew in front of you and I invite you to turn with us over to the Gospel of John in the 19th chapter because this is such a vital, vital place that you're going to want to be.
[00:36:07] You know, the place where Jesus was crucified
[00:36:11] In the Hebrew it literally was called Golgotha and it means in the Hebrew the place of the skull.
[00:36:26] Now there have been a lot of suggestions as to why it was called a place of the skull.
[00:36:32] And basically we know that there was a tradition that this is where the skull of Adam was actually found.
[00:36:42] And others have said that it was called that because of the skulls of all of the victims who had been crucified and executed there actually remained on that hillside.
[00:36:55] But the reason that most understand and believe is based on geography.
[00:37:01] You say, what do you mean geography?
[00:37:03] Well, it's because it is a place, if you've ever been there, that actually resembled a skull.
[00:37:10] It was a place about a mile outside the city gates of Jerusalem where a fellow by the name of Gordon actually identified this place.
[00:37:20] But whatever the reason is, whatever the reason that people give, Jesus was crucified, we know, at Calvary, Golgotha, the place of the skull.
[00:37:36] Now think about that for a minute.
[00:37:38] Is there anything
[00:37:40] That's much uglier than a skull.
[00:37:46] I mean, the bleached white appearance, empty eye sockets, the teeth protruding.
[00:37:53] Without a doubt, we all know that the skull has become that graphic symbol of death.
[00:38:04] And at the place of the skull, you and I find humanity
[00:38:10] At its absolute worst, and yet we see God at His best.
[00:38:20] For you see, it was there at the cross of Golgotha that God made a provision for man's predicament.
[00:38:33] And it's to that cross where every unsaved person must come.
[00:38:39] Because we understand that God has declared that the divinely appointed meeting place between Himself and sinful man is the cross where Jesus died.
[00:38:59] This morning, the passage we're about to read here in the 19th chapter brings us face to face with the realities
[00:39:08] I want you to stand, if you will, in honor of the reading of the Word of God.
[00:39:17] It's here that we're about to read that every lost person needs to come.
[00:39:23] And every real believer that's listening to me this morning needs to return.
[00:39:29] Because I want to tell you, I've noticed something.
[00:39:32] No person who really understands what Jesus did for them at Calvary
[00:39:38] and by faith has received what Jesus did, ever gets tired of visiting the cross.
[00:39:49] You know why?
[00:39:50] Don't miss this.
[00:39:54] Because every believer understands that it's at the cross
[00:40:04] where your life and mine really begins.
[00:40:11] It's at the cross where we stop just existing and start living.
[00:40:20] It's at the cross where we just stop going through the motions of what this life throws at us
[00:40:30] and begin to live with real meaning and real purpose that we never had before we came to this cross.
[00:40:41] We pick up in verse 16 here in the 19th chapter, then he delivered him to them to be crucified and then they took Jesus and led him away.
[00:40:53] And he, bearing his cross, went out to a place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha, where they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side and Jesus in the center.
[00:41:10] Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross, and the writing was Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
[00:41:19] Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place was where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew and Greek and in Latin.
[00:41:32] Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write the king of the Jews, but he said, I am the king of the Jews.
[00:41:47] Pilate answered, What I've written, I've written.
[00:41:51] Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts to each soldier apart, and also the tunic.
[00:42:00] Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece.
[00:42:06] They said therefore among themselves, Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it.
[00:42:12] Whose it shall be?
[00:42:14] that the scripture might be fulfilled which says they divided my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots therefore the soldiers did these things now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother and his mother's sister Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene when Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by he said to his mother woman behold your son
[00:42:44] Then he said to the disciple, Behold your mother.
[00:42:47] And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
[00:42:54] After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst.
[00:43:03] Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there, and they put it on hyssop and put it to his mouth.
[00:43:10] So when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said,
[00:43:14] It is finished.
[00:43:18] And bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.
[00:43:23] Therefore, because it was preparation day that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath was a high day, the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, that they might be taken away.
[00:43:39] And then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and the other who was crucified with him.
[00:43:44] But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
[00:43:50] But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
[00:43:58] Father, thank you.
[00:44:06] Thank you.
[00:44:09] Thank you for the cross.
[00:44:12] May we never be the same because we've been in your presence this morning.
[00:44:19] I pray personally that you let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight.
[00:44:26] In Jesus' name I pray.
[00:44:29] Amen.
[00:44:30] You may be seated.
[00:44:33] There really is a sermon in every verse here.
[00:44:36] As John takes us to the place of the skull,
[00:44:39] So let's just dive right in.
[00:44:41] There's so much material here, it's really unbelievable.
[00:44:44] And I want you just to follow along with me, if you will, as we walk through this together.
[00:44:49] And there's four things that I think really unfold to us in this scene as John describes it so beautifully in the 19th chapter of John.
[00:45:00] The first thing I want you to jot down and notice with me is the plan of the cross.
[00:45:04] The plan of the cross.
[00:45:07] Because you see, the plan...
[00:45:09] of the Cross had been prepared a long, long time ago.
[00:45:14] You see, early that morning when Jesus was put on trial and as they led him through the way which led to the cross, that was actually only the final installment, if you will, into a plan that had begun before the very foundation of the world.
[00:45:34] In fact, the Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
[00:45:43] And so as He's led out, making His way to Calvary, it was the place
[00:45:49] That if you can wrap your mind around it, had been prepared from all the ages.
[00:45:55] Now I notice in verse 17, if you will, and you might want to underline that first phrase, it says, And he bearing his cross.
[00:46:06] And he bearing his cross went out to a place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.
[00:46:19] Now we know along the way that from other Gospels that Jesus stumbled under the load.
[00:46:25] I mean, after a night of incredible fatigue and physical abuse, we know that there was a man by the name of Simon of Cyrene who came along and was drafted to carry the cross the rest of the way.
[00:46:40] But the picture is retained here if you can just stop and remember
[00:46:48] That Jesus Christ, in bearing that cross, was bearing the sins and the heaviness of the world.
[00:47:04] He was becoming the one sacrifice made for sin forever.
[00:47:12] Now if you look back in verse 16, one verse up,
[00:47:16] Notice that it says that then he's talking about Pilate.
[00:47:20] Pilate delivered him to them to be crucified.
[00:47:25] But I got a question for you.
[00:47:28] Did Pilate really deliver Jesus?
[00:47:35] Did Pilate, the governor, really, was he the one that delivered Jesus?
[00:47:42] And the reason I raise that question is because, you see,
[00:47:46] We know that behind the governor of the Roman Empire, there is a governor of the universe.
[00:47:58] And over in Romans, hold your finger here, and look at Romans chapter 8, verse 32, and read it.
[00:48:09] Romans 8, 32.
[00:48:21] He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
[00:48:43] Underline that verse, ladies and gentlemen.
[00:48:45] You see, Pontius Pilate thought
[00:48:48] He was delivering Jesus to the Jewish authorities who were going to take Him to the cross.
[00:48:55] But the truth of the matter is, it was God Himself, God Himself who was delivering His own Son up there on that cross to die for your sins and for my sins.
[00:49:15] As that plan was being fulfilled, John's Gospel records that we see Jesus bearing the cross, went out to the place of the skull, which is called Golgotha.
[00:49:37] Did you notice in what we read that it says that there were two others that were crucified that day?
[00:49:42] You'll notice verse 18 gets into that.
[00:49:44] If you go on, it said, where they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side.
[00:49:52] Do you see that?
[00:49:53] Think about that for a minute.
[00:49:55] Here's Jesus and there's one on either side.
[00:49:58] If you really can picture those three crosses, just think of it this way.
[00:50:03] One of those men died today.
[00:50:06] In their sins, one of those men on the other side died to his sin.
[00:50:19] But the man on the middle cross, he was there to die for sin, for all of humanity.
[00:50:32] That's why Jesus was hanging there on that cross.
[00:50:37] I mean, I'm telling you all this because you've got to see what a plan is unfolding.
[00:50:44] And yet I want you to notice even in that hour where man is in all of his ugliness, all of his shame, it's clearly being revealed.
[00:50:54] We're told at the end of verse 18 that Jesus is in the center.
[00:51:01] I love the way King James calls it.
[00:51:03] Jesus is in the midst.
[00:51:06] Jesus is in the midst.
[00:51:08] Think about that for just a minute.
[00:51:13] It's all part of the plan.
[00:51:16] You can't get rid of Jesus.
[00:51:20] Amen?
[00:51:22] He's always in the center.
[00:51:25] He's always in the middle.
[00:51:29] And as you follow throughout the Bible, you find that to be the case.
[00:51:33] Jesus is always in the center or in the midst.
[00:51:38] When He was a boy, they found Him at the temple with the doctors and the professors.
[00:51:43] And the Bible says He was in the midst or the center of them.
[00:51:48] That means Jesus was right there.
[00:51:52] Later on, Jesus himself would say these words, Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst.
[00:52:02] Which, by the way, it means that Jesus is right here, meeting with us this morning.
[00:52:08] And in Revelation chapter 1 through 3, the Bible says we're constantly told Jesus is in the midst or in the center of his churches.
[00:52:18] And in Revelation chapter 4, when you see the great throne of heaven, Jesus is pictured right there in the center, in the midst.
[00:52:29] You say, preacher, what's your point?
[00:52:32] My point for you, sir, my point for you, ma'am, is you cannot escape Jesus.
[00:52:42] Nobody can.
[00:52:45] Nobody can.
[00:52:46] No matter where you're listening to me from this morning, no one escapes Jesus.
[00:52:56] It's the plan of it all.
[00:52:59] Every person has to make a decision concerning what took place on that day at Golgotha when Jesus was crucified on that middle cross.
[00:53:11] And just like those two on either side, you've got to make a decision.
[00:53:16] Will you die in your sin or will you die to your sin?
[00:53:25] Because the man in the middle, he's dying for your sin.
[00:53:33] And every human, every human under the sound of my voice has to make a decision.
[00:53:42] Oh, the plan of the cross.
[00:53:44] I got to move quickly because there's so much here.
[00:53:46] Secondly, I want you to notice the proclamation of the cross.
[00:53:50] Because there were proclamations that came from that cross.
[00:53:52] Now, you know that Pilate knew that the religious leaders hated Jesus.
[00:54:01] Pilate wasn't dumb.
[00:54:03] Pilate knew that they had manipulated the situation so that Jesus would wind up on a cross.
[00:54:10] And Pilate also knew that it was for pure envy that they had done it.
[00:54:16] So if you'll remember, Pilate took a placard, which was customary to do, by the way.
[00:54:22] The placard would give what the accusation was that led to the person being crucified.
[00:54:28] But on this particular placard, Pilate had them write, this is Jesus, or Jesus of Nazareth.
[00:54:39] The King of the Jews.
[00:54:41] You see that in verse 19?
[00:54:44] Now as you could guess, that infuriated the Jewish leaders.
[00:54:50] Not only were they embarrassed by that statement, they were outraged by it.
[00:54:55] So you'll notice down in verse 21 that it says the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, do not write the King of the Jews.
[00:55:04] But instead, always negotiating, right?
[00:55:08] He said, I am the king of the Jews.
[00:55:14] So they were negotiating.
[00:55:15] They wanted him to change.
[00:55:16] Well, let me tell you something.
[00:55:17] Old Pilate wasn't having any of that.
[00:55:20] He wasn't interested in that at all.
[00:55:22] And he responds in verse 22, where Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written.
[00:55:33] But what I want you to really notice is this.
[00:55:36] Go back to verse 20 that I jumped over.
[00:55:42] It's what is written on the placard over the cross was written in three different languages.
[00:55:54] Hebrew, underline verse 20.
[00:55:56] Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
[00:56:01] That phrase...
[00:56:03] Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews, written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
[00:56:10] Why is that so important?
[00:56:12] Because what those languages represented.
[00:56:16] See, Hebrew was the language of religion at that time.
[00:56:21] Greek, it was the language of philosophy and culture of that time.
[00:56:28] And Latin,
[00:56:30] Well, it was the language of law and government at that time.
[00:56:38] You say, well, preacher, that's maybe some interesting trivia, but what's the point?
[00:56:42] Ah, don't you see?
[00:56:45] Right there, just about a mile or two outside the city gates of Jerusalem, up on Old Skull Hill, where Jesus was crucified.
[00:57:00] Where people would be coming in great droves, thousands by the thousands by the thousands to attend the festival days.
[00:57:07] Right there on Old Skull Hill, there was a proclamation on that cross.
[00:57:19] On Old Skull Hill, God had placed a placard.
[00:57:28] Really, you know what he placed?
[00:57:30] He placed the gospel track right there on that hill for all the world to see with their own eyes that Jesus was dying for the whole world on that cross.
[00:57:57] Jesus was dying for every segment of society from the religious to the philosophical to the culture to the law to the government Jesus was dying on that cross for the world and I just got to tell you something this morning I don't know about you but I'm glad we got a worldwide savior aren't you this morning
[00:58:25] Aren't you glad we have a worldwide Savior?
[00:58:27] I'm so glad that we have a Savior that's not just for one little segment of people, not one little section of society, but we have a Savior who died for the entire world.
[00:58:41] And God posted it at the top of the cross.
[00:58:47] Buddy, that's why I'm so blessed.
[00:58:49] We have a wide open church where anybody who wants to can come and hear about Jesus who died on the cross for everybody in the whole wide world.
[00:59:00] What a proclamation was made on that cross.
[00:59:07] John also notes there's another proclamation that was made that day we're told about it down in verse 23 and 24 says in the soldiers when they had crucified Jesus took his garments and made four parts to each soldier apart and also the tunic now here's an interesting note now the tunic was without seam woven from the top in one piece they said therefore among themselves let us not tear it
[00:59:36] but cast lots for it whose it shall be.
[00:59:40] Now stop right there for a minute.
[00:59:42] Now we're told here the soldiers that day did what?
[00:59:46] Well they gambled, they threw dice for the garments of Jesus.
[00:59:51] and that's really no surprise because you see this this crucifixion thing it was just another day's work for these soldiers they did this day after day they did it all the time they were familiar with this stuff in fact it's kind of like when you and I get so caught up in watching television too much and we see all the violence day in and day out on television that we become desensitized to the violence and we don't even recognize it as violence anymore
[01:00:20] That's the way it was with these soldiers.
[01:00:23] They were so used to this kind of thing.
[01:00:27] It was really nothing to them.
[01:00:29] Just to take the garments and roll the dice and see who gets to take a little extra home that day.
[01:00:36] But we're told in John's Gospel that Jesus had a garment, and get this, that didn't have any seam in it.
[01:00:47] It was without a seam.
[01:00:48] You see that at the end of verse 23.
[01:00:51] In fact, it's spoken of as a tunic, which in other words is a seamless robe.
[01:00:58] So instead of it being torn up and ruined, we're told that the soldiers decided they were going to keep that intact in one piece so that they would roll the dice for it.
[01:01:11] And of course, John's Gospel records that that was actually done to fulfill
[01:01:17] The scripture over in Psalm 22 18 which predicted they would gamble for the garments of the Messiah.
[01:01:27] Now truthfully we really don't know how Jesus got that garment.
[01:01:31] Some think that his mother made it for him.
[01:01:34] But what we do know is there is an incredible proclamation by John's Gospel here of Jesus based on that garment.
[01:01:47] You said, what in the world is it, preacher?
[01:01:51] When you read the Old Testament, you discover that the high priest, one of the things the high priest always wore was a seamless garment.
[01:02:06] Why did he do that?
[01:02:07] Because it reminded the high priest that he was going into the presence of a holy God.
[01:02:13] So there was no blemish, there was no flaw, therefore he had a seamless garment he always wore as the high priest.
[01:02:25] And what's interesting is just hours before
[01:02:28] The Jewish high priest, you recall, who had prostituted his role as the people's spiritual leader, had taken his own garments, Matthew's Gospel records it for us, and he tore it into pieces.
[01:02:42] Later that day, when Jesus would die on the cross, you remember there was another special tearing of something when the temple garment was torn from top to bottom.
[01:02:57] It separated.
[01:03:00] Inner temple from the Holy of Holies.
[01:03:04] It was ripped from top to bottom.
[01:03:09] But it's as if God is saying here, I am authenticating what the real high priest is doing as he goes to the cross.
[01:03:27] God is saying the old has been torn away, but you now have a brand new high priest.
[01:03:37] You see, ladies and gentlemen, that's so important.
[01:03:39] The seamless garment of Jesus proclaims to you and to me that we have a high priest that right now is in heaven at the right hand of the Father, interceding for you and interceding for me.
[01:03:55] And that's why we don't have to come to any man in order to come to God.
[01:04:00] That's why you don't have to stand before any particular human being and then pray,
[01:04:06] Instead of you, because you yourself, by the power of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross, He is our High Priest, and you have a route directly to the Father.
[01:04:21] When people say to me as a pastor, listen, I want you to really pray for this because I know you have a direct line.
[01:04:26] What you're really saying to me is I don't understand that because I'm a believer and follower of Christ, I have a direct line to the Heavenly Father because I got news for you.
[01:04:36] My line's no better than yours.
[01:04:39] You have a direct line.
[01:04:40] No human being has a more direct line than you do if you have Jesus Christ in your heart.
[01:04:49] He has saved you.
[01:04:51] He has redeemed you.
[01:04:52] He has bought you with a price and He has brought you into the presence of the Father.
[01:05:00] That's the beauty of the priesthood of the believer.
[01:05:05] Listen, there is one mediator between God and man and this is none other than Jesus Christ Himself.
[01:05:17] He is the mediator.
[01:05:20] You understand our high priest was nailed to a cross.
[01:05:24] Our high priest was buried in a tomb.
[01:05:27] Our high priest three days later rose again.
[01:05:30] Our high priest ascended to the right hand of the Father.
[01:05:34] Our high priest ever lives to make intercession for us.
[01:05:43] So as you walk up Old Skull Hill, you see the plan of the cross.
[01:05:51] You see the proclamations of the cross.
[01:05:55] There's a third thing I want you to see real quickly.
[01:05:58] And I want you to see the pronouncements from the cross.
[01:06:03] We're told about the pronouncements that were spoken that day on Old Skull Hill.
[01:06:08] And when you put all of the things Jesus said from the cross together, you know that they actually have identified seven things Jesus said as He hung on the cross.
[01:06:22] It was a beautiful musical piece that talks about the seven last words of Christ that lay them all out.
[01:06:33] John gives us three of them here.
[01:06:36] and you pick up the other four as you study the other gospels.
[01:06:40] But in these words which Jesus pronounces on the cross, you really begin to get an insight into the meaning and the purpose of it all.
[01:06:49] So I'm not gonna give you all seven, I'm just gonna list three of them for you because if you notice verse 25 through 27, I want you to look at what we see unfold.
[01:07:02] There stood by the cross of Jesus his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene.
[01:07:12] When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by, he said to his mother, Woman, behold your son.
[01:07:22] He said to the disciple, Behold your mother.
[01:07:28] From that hour, that disciple took her into his own home.
[01:07:36] You see, there was one person at that cross who was absolutely breaking.
[01:07:47] There was one person at that cross who had a sword that was just piercing through her heart.
[01:07:54] Verse 25 identifies his mother
[01:07:59] Some others were there, as the Bible says, his mom's sister, the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene.
[01:08:07] But all eyes are on his mom, Mary, the mother of Jesus.
[01:08:17] Can you even begin to imagine how Mary must have felt that day?
[01:08:25] Look, here's her son.
[01:08:29] She knew he was a different son because she of all people knew he had been virgin born.
[01:08:40] She knew that it was the angel that had told her that this one would be the Son of God.
[01:08:47] And yet she's looking at him on that cross on Old Skull Hill.
[01:08:58] and her son is dying on that cross.
[01:09:06] It's an incredibly beautiful thing to see the love that a mother has for her child and let's just face the fact, no mother, no mother
[01:09:21] And those of you that have experienced it would be the first to say no mother has ever been ready to give up a child.
[01:09:31] No mom.
[01:09:35] And yet look what Jesus does.
[01:09:39] He's suffering on that cross.
[01:09:42] The incredible amount of pain.
[01:09:45] is unbelievable and yet he turns his attention from his own suffering to the suffering of his mother.
[01:09:54] And he says, Woman, behold thy son.
[01:10:00] And when he turns to John and signals, Behold thy mother.
[01:10:06] And the Bible says from that very hour he took her into his own home.
[01:10:13] I'm just saying.
[01:10:16] There Jesus is, caring for His mother in His own hour of death.
[01:10:27] See, when the Bible says that you and I are to honor our father and our mother, when the Bible says that we are to pay homage and respect to our parents, it means it.
[01:10:41] And Jesus is living that out.
[01:10:45] And every one of us has to ask ourselves, do we really love and respect our parents?
[01:10:51] Are we really grateful for them?
[01:10:53] Are we thankful for them?
[01:10:56] If you're listening to me today and you still have your parents and they love the Lord Jesus, you have something, my friend, that you better be thankful for and never take for granted.
[01:11:11] There's another pronouncement I want you to see there in verse 28 real quickly.
[01:11:23] It says, after this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, what?
[01:11:32] I thirst.
[01:11:33] Would you underline that?
[01:11:36] Imagine that scene.
[01:11:38] Stop and think what all Jesus has been through up to this point.
[01:11:41] He's been through Gethsemane where the stress brought such to where his sweat was like drops of blood that were falling from his brow.
[01:11:49] He's gone through that trial where he received mercilessly beatings over and over again.
[01:11:55] He's gone through all of this.
[01:11:57] He's now been on the cross for six hours.
[01:12:01] Experiencing the excruciating pain, the body's becoming disjointed, the Oriental sun is beating down on his body, and in that moment of agony, he pronounces from the cross, I thirst.
[01:12:21] Now what's so amazing about that is the fact that here's the one who is responsible
[01:12:30] For all the water on the earth, here is the one who created all of the oceans and all of the seas.
[01:12:39] Here is the one who created all of the streams and all of the creeks.
[01:12:43] And yet in that moment on the cross, he cries out, I thirst.
[01:12:56] Why is that so important?
[01:12:59] Don't miss this.
[01:13:01] When you look at what took place on the cross, when you look at the darkness, when you look at the isolation, when you look at the physical thirst, you know what you've got a description of?
[01:13:18] Hell.
[01:13:21] Hell!
[01:13:24] That's what you have a description of!
[01:13:27] Remember in Luke 16?
[01:13:30] When Jesus talked about the man who died and went to hell, and it says that he said, Father Abraham, send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and put it on my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.
[01:13:48] I thirst.
[01:13:54] See, that's why the world really doesn't seem to comprehend what really was happening that day on Old Skull Hill.
[01:14:03] They don't stop and understand that Jesus endured all of the horrors of hell in your place and mine.
[01:14:11] Jesus was thirsty on that cross so that you and I would never have to experience that kind of thirst.
[01:14:22] Are you thirsty this morning?
[01:14:26] I wonder if I'm speaking to somebody who would say, Mark, my soul is thirsty for something that would really satisfy me and bring meaning to my life.
[01:14:36] Well, I got news for you.
[01:14:37] I meet a lot of people, a lot of thirsty people.
[01:14:41] I'm around a lot of thirsty people week in and week out.
[01:14:44] And they're trying to quench that thirst with so many things that really don't quench it.
[01:14:53] But don't you see here,
[01:14:56] Jesus thirsts in order to be able to say to you, come to me, everyone who is thirsty, and I will give you living water.
[01:15:14] Jesus said, I thirst that he would be able to say, come unto me and drink the water of life freely.
[01:15:25] Jesus thirst so that you might be able to say fill my cup Lord fill my cup Lord and that's exactly what he wants to do this morning and then there's one other pronouncement in verse 30 so when Jesus had received the sour wine he said
[01:15:55] It is finished.
[01:16:01] That word there in the original language is really one word.
[01:16:05] It's the Greek word tetelestai.
[01:16:08] It's in the perfect tense, which literally means while it's something that took place in the past, it has present abiding results.
[01:16:19] So you could actually translate tetelestai
[01:16:23] It stands finished and always will be finished.
[01:16:31] That's what it means in that perfect tense.
[01:16:35] You see, I want you to notice that when Jesus died there on Old Skull Hill, He pronounced care and concern for His mother.
[01:16:42] He pronounced the word of suffering and agony.
[01:16:48] And he now makes the great pronouncement.
[01:16:51] And by the way, it's not some whimpering word of a defeated person.
[01:16:56] But it's the pronouncement of a victor who has now overcome as Jesus cries, It is finished!
[01:17:10] And he's saying to the Heavenly Father, Done.
[01:17:16] It's complete.
[01:17:19] It's finished.
[01:17:24] Ladies and gentlemen, if you will ever just let the truth of God sink into your soul, that's exactly what salvation rests upon today.
[01:17:34] The finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
[01:17:39] Everything necessary for your salvation has been provided in the atoning death of Jesus on Calvary's cross.
[01:17:50] I remember a lady in our church years ago named Bonnie Monk who was witnessing to a man at the hospital and he was struggling with where he was spiritually and he looked at Bonnie and he said, I just don't think I've suffered enough.
[01:18:14] I haven't suffered enough to earn
[01:18:20] My salvation.
[01:18:22] And I remember Bonnie looked at him and said, it's not about suffering enough to earn heaven.
[01:18:28] It's about Jesus finishing his work on Calvary's cross.
[01:18:34] He's already suffered in your place.
[01:18:41] You see, there's some of you that are sitting here this morning and you're thinking, man, I would like to do something in order to get to heaven.
[01:18:49] But you know what?
[01:18:51] God says it's too late.
[01:18:54] There's nothing you can do.
[01:18:56] Someone here is thinking, well, I'd like to do something to earn my salvation.
[01:19:02] God says, sorry, too late.
[01:19:06] There's nothing you can do.
[01:19:10] Why does God say that?
[01:19:12] Because it's already done.
[01:19:17] That's why when you look at verse 30, he bowed his head, he gave up his spirit.
[01:19:21] It's as if Jesus said to his spirit, now I have paid the price.
[01:19:26] It's all over.
[01:19:27] You can go.
[01:19:28] You know why that's so important?
[01:19:35] Because we need to understand nobody took Jesus' life from him.
[01:19:46] Jesus was in control every step of the way.
[01:19:53] He gave His life.
[01:19:56] He was not the victim.
[01:19:58] He was the victor.
[01:20:01] I'll leave you with this today.
[01:20:02] The power of the cross.
[01:20:06] We don't have a great deal of time to go down into it but I just want you to see the power because you see how they went to break the legs to go ahead and speed up the process of death because it was the Sabbath they got to Jesus they didn't break his legs but they stuck a spear in his side and when they spucked the spear in his side the Bible says clearly that the blood and the water flowed
[01:20:31] See, they didn't break his legs because they were to fulfill the prophecy which the Bible had predicted not a bone of his would be broken.
[01:20:41] Which, by the way, just for an interesting piece of information, there are 332 prophecies, get that number, 332 prophecies that people have identified about the coming of the Savior, the Messiah.
[01:20:58] And did you know that Jesus of Nazareth
[01:21:01] In detail accomplished every one of those 332 prophecies fulfilling every single scripture.
[01:21:12] That's power.
[01:21:14] That's power in the cross.
[01:21:18] And I want you to understand the power of the cross is in his atonement.
[01:21:25] The atonement for man.
[01:21:27] The blood of Jesus is the price of our atonement.
[01:21:33] When they stabbed him in the side with that spear, the fountain of blood for the cleansing of sin was opened up that day on Old Skull Hill.
[01:21:45] And did you notice not only did the blood flow, but it also says the water came out.
[01:21:52] You know why that's important?
[01:21:55] Medical doctors who have studied the death of Jesus on the basis of this statement here absolutely reached the conclusion that what actually happened when Jesus died on the cross was his heart burst.
[01:22:11] That's right.
[01:22:11] The heart of Jesus literally exploded, medical doctors have concluded, on the cross.
[01:22:17] It burst on the cross.
[01:22:20] And we know around that heart is a sack of fluid.
[01:22:24] So evidently when the soldier ran his spear into the side of Jesus, he punctured that pericardiac sac.
[01:22:38] And when he did, the heart having already burst, it was the blood and the water that came pouring out.
[01:22:49] You say, but what's the significance of the water?
[01:22:53] Well, you got a hymn book probably there in front of you.
[01:22:59] And in 342, there's this song called Rock of Ages.
[01:23:05] Rock of Ages, cleft for me.
[01:23:08] Let me hide myself in thee.
[01:23:12] Let the water and the blood from thy wounded side which flowed
[01:23:20] Be of sin the double cure Save from wrath and make me pure Did you catch that?
[01:23:35] The blood of Jesus takes care of the penalty and the guilt of our sin That's the blood
[01:23:50] And I know there's some of you that say, well, I wish I could be a believer, but I just can't live that life.
[01:23:57] I can't live the life that Jesus expects.
[01:24:01] No, that's where you're wrong.
[01:24:04] Because while the blood flowed for the forgiveness of your sin and the guilt is clean, the water flow takes care of the grip that sin has on your life.
[01:24:20] Because in the death of Jesus, there's not only the atonement for our sin, but there's also the power He gives us to be able to live a life that He wants us to live.
[01:24:36] That's the reason the blood and the water flowed and are so important.
[01:24:44] There was a fountain of cleansing that opened up
[01:24:50] that is available to every one of us who wants to live for Jesus.
[01:24:59] There was a guy named S.M.
[01:25:02] Lockridge, a black preacher that actually delivered a message one time that had as part of that message Jesus.
[01:25:18] He's my king.
[01:25:20] I want you to listen as I close today to the famous words of S.M.
[01:25:31] Lockridge as this plays.

[01:25:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
I want to do you know it.
[01:25:42] My king is a sovereign king.
[01:25:45] No means of measure can define his limitless love.
[01:25:50] He's enduringly strong.
[01:25:52] He's entirely sincere.
[01:25:54] He's eternally steadfast.
[01:25:57] He's immortally graceful.
[01:26:00] He's imperially powerful.
[01:26:02] He's impartially merciful.
[01:26:05] Do you know him?
[01:26:06] He's the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world.
[01:26:12] He's God's son.
[01:26:14] He's a sinner's savior.
[01:26:16] He's the centerpiece of civilization.
[01:26:18] He's unparalleled.
[01:26:20] He's unprecedented.
[01:26:22] He is the loftiest idea in literature.
[01:26:25] He's the highest personality in philosophy.
[01:26:29] He's the fundamental doctrine of true theology.
[01:26:33] He's the only one qualified to be an all-sufficient Savior.
[01:26:38] I wonder if you know Him today.
[01:26:40] He supplies strength for the weak.
[01:26:43] He's available for the tempted and the tried.
[01:26:46] He sympathizes and He saves.
[01:26:49] He strengthens and sustains He guards and He guides He heals the sick He cleanses the lepers He forgives sinners He discharges debtors He delivers the captives He defends the feeble He blesses the young
[01:27:08] He serves the unfortunate.
[01:27:10] He regards the aged.
[01:27:12] He rewards the diligent.
[01:27:14] And He beautifies the meager.
[01:27:17] I wonder if you know Him.
[01:27:18] He's the key to knowledge.
[01:27:21] He's the wellspring of wisdom.
[01:27:23] He's the doorway of deliverance.
[01:27:26] He's the pathway of peace.
[01:27:28] He's the roadway of righteousness.
[01:27:30] He's the highway of holiness.
[01:27:33] He's the gateway
[01:27:34] Do you know him?
[01:27:37] Well, his life is matchless, his goodness is limitless, his mercy is everlasting, his love never changes, his word is enough, his grace is sufficient, his reign is righteous, and his yoke is easy, and his burden is lighter.
[01:27:58] I wish I could describe him to you.
[01:28:00] He's indescribable.
[01:28:01] He's incomprehensible.
[01:28:04] He's invincible.
[01:28:06] He's irresistible.
[01:28:08] You can't get him out of your mind.
[01:28:11] You can't get him off of your hands.
[01:28:13] You can't outlive him and you can't live without him.
[01:28:17] The Pharisees couldn't stand him, but they found out they couldn't stop him.
[01:28:22] Pilate couldn't find any fault in him.
[01:28:24] Herod couldn't kill him.
[01:28:26] Death couldn't handle him.
[01:28:28] And the grave couldn't hold him.
[01:28:31] Well, when I grow up, I want to preach like S.M.

[01:28:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Lockridge.
[01:28:49] Couldn't say it any better.
[01:28:52] Couldn't say it any clearer.
[01:28:55] But here's the key.
[01:28:57] S.M.
[01:28:58] Lockridge said he's my king.
[01:29:02] Mark Harris can say, he's my king.
[01:29:06] But you have to say it.
[01:29:09] In your own life.
[01:29:11] And in your own heart.
[01:29:13] And in your own mind.
[01:29:17] Is he your king?
[01:29:21] The cross.
[01:29:25] The cross never changes.
[01:29:29] And my prayer coming into today
[01:29:32] is that you and I would come face to face with the reality of what happened on that cross and that you would be able to say, He's my King.
[01:29:47] Would you bow your heads right where you are please?
[01:29:49] Heads bowed, eyes closed.
[01:29:52] All over the sanctuary.
[01:29:58] You know, I don't know what God may be saying to every individual heart here this morning.
[01:30:05] Because I personally don't know where you stand with God.
[01:30:12] I don't know where you are in your walk with Him.
[01:30:14] I don't know if you're keeping Him at arm's length.
[01:30:17] I don't know if you're walking closer with Him than you ever have before.
[01:30:21] I just, I can't know that.
[01:30:24] Only God knows that and you know that.
[01:30:27] And you do know that.
[01:30:29] You know where you're standing with the Father today.
[01:30:33] My job is to share God's truth with you.
[01:30:38] His work through this Holy Spirit is to bring that truth to bear upon your mind and upon your heart.
[01:30:46] And then you have to be honest with God and you have to be honest with yourself.
[01:30:52] And that's why I'm giving this invitation this morning.
[01:30:56] If you want to come to know Christ, I'm going to be right down here at the front
[01:31:02] I'd love to receive you and pray with you.
[01:31:08] You may be here and you're already a believer.
[01:31:12] Is he your king?
[01:31:14] Is your life reflecting that?
[01:31:17] That's what this altar's for.
[01:31:20] Maybe you just want to come and get alone with God on this altar for a few moments this morning and say, Lord, you are my king and I want to declare that right now this morning.
[01:31:31] Would you?
[01:31:34] Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
[01:31:40] There's something about that name.
[01:31:45] Father, guide this invitation for those who are lost that would come to know you as Savior.
[01:31:54] Father, give them courage and strength to step out and say, I'm trusting you today, Jesus.
[01:32:02] For those that are walking a distance from you who have heard this truth even at some point in their life have received you and know what it is to walk with you but also know where they are today and it is not in relationship with you that they desire or need let your spirit do the convicting let your spirit do the drawing
[01:32:31] Father, have your way and have your will in these moments.
[01:32:36] For it's in Jesus' name I pray.
[01:32:38] Amen.
[01:32:40] Would you stand to your feet as the grant comes to lead us?

[01:32:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Rescued of perishing, care for the dying, smashed them in pity from sin and
[01:33:28] Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
[01:33:48] Though they are slighting him, still he is waiting, waiting the benefit child to receive.
[01:33:51] Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently,
[01:34:07] Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
[01:34:32] God bless you.

[01:34:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
God bless you.

[01:35:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.
[01:35:34] Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
[01:36:05] Jesus will save.
[01:36:13] Though they are slighting him, still he is waiting, waiting the penitent child to receive.
[01:36:41] Jesus is merciful, Jesus will serve.
[01:37:12] Resurrection Resurrection Resurrection Resurrection Resurrection
[01:37:56] All things are simple, Jesus will say.

[01:38:31] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
In Jesus' name, Amen.

[01:38:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Please for just a moment, heads bowed and eyes closed, I'm just going to ask for you to take a moment right there where you are and just pray for the person on your right and also pray for the person on your left.
[01:39:10] You say, well, Mark, I don't even know them.
[01:39:12] Well, that's okay.
[01:39:14] God knows exactly who's on your right and who's on your left today.
[01:39:18] So just pray.
[01:39:19] Pray for the presence of the Lord to be so real and near to them so that when we feel lonely,
[01:39:27] He is a presence that strengthens us.
[01:39:30] When we feel empty, He is the very presence that fills us.
[01:39:35] And just allow yourself to be used as an intercessor right now, praying for those on your right and those on your left.
[01:39:45] Would you?

[01:40:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
That's T-I-N-S. That's A-N-T-I-N-C.

[01:40:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
We've got a couple of folks we want to introduce to you today.
[01:40:28] And if you're happening to go to Cuba, if you'll make your way here to the front at this moment, over here to the side, we're going to pray as we leave here today for the folks leaving for Cuba on the mission trip.
[01:40:40] Gary, you want to show up here for a moment?
[01:40:42] It's my pleasure to introduce Gary and Sherry Jones that are standing here beside me this morning.
[01:40:48] Gary and Sherry have been really visiting our church for a good long while.
[01:40:52] And they have been faithful in attendance and walked through some challenging waters in their own lives with their own family.
[01:41:01] And they're standing here today.
[01:41:03] If you don't know Shirley Dawson's family, Shirley's right over, raise your hand, Shirley.
[01:41:07] This is Shirley Dawson's family and her daughter.
[01:41:12] they're coming today saying they believe this is where god is leading them and they want to make that step of commitment that step of faith to be a part of the trinity baptist family they're both believers and followers of christ and they're actually coming by letter from the water of life church in fontana california having relocated here to mooresville uh several years ago and i've been in a part
[01:41:35] of what God is doing here at Trinity.
[01:41:37] So what's your pleasure in affirming Gary and Sherry as they come this morning to unite with our church?
[01:41:43] Motion made.
[01:41:44] Second.
[01:41:44] All in favor, lift your hands.
[01:41:46] There's your friends, Gary and Sherry.
[01:41:47] God bless you.
[01:41:49] We're excited to have you, and thank you for your decision and your commitment to be a part of what God's doing here.
[01:41:56] May I ask you to be seated there one moment.
[01:41:58] Also, it's my pleasure to introduce Austin and Tuzi.
[01:42:01] Austin, come here if you will.
[01:42:04] He is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and a follower of Christ.
[01:42:12] He's been visiting our church for about a year and loves what God is doing here and he said I just really feel like God is leading me to be a part of this fellowship.
[01:42:22] He actually moved down here
[01:42:24] from New Jersey where he was active in a church covenant covenant church there in New Jersey Reformed Baptist Church and God worked in his life he was baptized there by immersion and he's coming today to take this step of faith and unite with the Trinity Baptist family and I'm very grateful for Austin today taking this step of faith what's your pleasure affirming my brother in Christ Austin Autuzzi motion made second all in favor lift your hands and there's your friends Austin
[01:42:53] All across the sanctuary, my friend.
[01:42:56] God bless you.
[01:42:56] We're thankful to have you.
[01:42:57] And I'm going to invite you and Gary and Sherry to join me at the door in just a moment.
[01:43:03] And so you can be seated right over there.
[01:43:04] And we're going to go to the back right after the service and greet folks or let them greet you on their way out.
[01:43:09] All right.
[01:43:10] God bless you.
[01:43:11] I do want to take a moment and ask these gentlemen, if you will, make your way over here.
[01:43:16] This week, this group is going to be leaving to go to Cuba.
[01:43:21] Friday, is that right?
[01:43:22] Friday of this week.
[01:43:24] And are going to be part of a mission trip down there.
[01:43:26] So we want to pray for them.
[01:43:27] We want to pray for the opportunities that God will open up for them to be able to share the gospel there in Cuba.
[01:43:34] There's been a lot of work that Baptist men have been doing for really a couple decades now down there in Cuba working with those folks and the gospel is alive and well in Cuba in so many pockets.
[01:43:48] They're certainly under the tyrannical government that they have to deal with day in and day out.
[01:43:53] But it is a place where God is at work and the believers there who understand the value of freedom and religious freedom
[01:44:01] We certainly are always encouraged and loved when other believers from the U.S. like these guys and this team, they'll be joining with a couple of other churches and with their teams and going there to be a part of that work this week.
[01:44:16] So as we get ready to close in a moment,
[01:44:18] We want you to be praying for them.
[01:44:20] I'm going to ask Brother Robert to come and offer a prayer of commissioning for them as they get ready to go and as we get ready to close this morning.
[01:44:28] So let me invite you to all stand, if you will, right where you are.
[01:44:32] A couple of things.
[01:44:33] Don't forget, tonight life groups kick back in and we want you to be a part of that.
[01:44:38] Also, you saw on the center table, if you didn't see, you should have seen a whole thing of baby bottles.
[01:44:43] Those baby bottles, as you know, are a way that we support our pregnancy center here in Lake Norman, here in this area.
[01:44:52] And you take that baby bottle and you fill it up.
[01:44:55] Now, used to we'd tell you to fill it up with all your coins, but we particularly like that folding money, if you can.
[01:45:01] So, but fill that baby bottle up with whatever change or whatever you may have.
[01:45:07] and we'll be receiving those over the next several weeks it's amazing through this baby bottle outreach ministry of how much support is raised for our pregnancy center here in Lake Norman so please pick up one of those bottles when you fill it up just bring it back and pick up another bottle if you want to do that over the next several weeks but it is very important in this month of January
[01:45:29] It's hard to believe as we continue to cross over these anniversaries that abortion is still going on in our state and in our nation every day and innocent babies are losing their lives.
[01:45:41] We want to get to these women who are in these crisis pregnancies and be able to love on them, care for them, provide for them
[01:45:49] I think I've covered everything I was supposed to but I didn't Robert you cover whatever I wasn't but please make sure to pray for these guys
[01:46:12] As they go to Cuba this week for their safety and the Lord will bring them back to us safely and use the time in a special way.
[01:46:21] Brother Robert.

[01:46:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Think of his life groups.
[01:46:27] Don't forget about those tonight.
[01:46:28] They kick back off so find one to get plugged into.
[01:46:31] Let's go ahead and go to our benediction here.
[01:46:33] Hebrews chapter 10 starting in verse 19.
[01:46:36] This is the word of the Lord.
[01:46:38] Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain that is through his flesh, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith,
[01:47:02] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful.
[01:47:17] Would you pray with me?
[01:47:19] Holy Heavenly Father, God, we are so incredibly thankful for the cross.
[01:47:26] Lord, help us to approach it
[01:47:28] In humility, in the sense that we don't deserve your righteousness that you give us, and yet also boldly in the sense that, Father, we have our hearts sprinkled clean, not just by the water, but by the blood.
[01:47:42] Thank you, Father, for a healthy church, the body of Christ, which is connected to you, its head, and Father, just like the healthy body that breathes,
[01:47:50] It breathes in new members.
[01:47:52] And Father, it also exhales and it sends out.
[01:47:55] So Father, bless both the new individuals that step forward into membership today into the body of Christ and bless these that are gonna be sent out into the highways and byways of life.
[01:48:05] Lord, we have three missionaries here.
[01:48:07] There's more that's going to Cuba.
[01:48:08] We pray, Father, that you truly would establish the work of their hands.
[01:48:14] Help them, Lord, to proclaim this way of hope that is Jesus Christ.
[01:48:19] But Father, help us also.
[01:48:21] Every single individual in this room is either a missionary or an imposter.
[01:48:25] So help us to live out our calling as Christians, as ambassadors for Christ, wherever our feet take us this week.
[01:48:31] We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus, our Messiah.
[01:48:34] Amen.

[01:48:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_07]:
There's a sweet, sweet spirit
[01:48:51] I know that it's the Spirit of the Lord There are sweet expressions on each face And I know that it's the presence of the Lord
[01:49:32] We lift our hearts in praise, without a doubt we'll know that we have been revived when we shall leave this place.

[01:50:03] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Let us pray.
[01:50:50] Let us pray.
[01:51:16] Let us pray.
[01:51:19] In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
[01:51:36] Amen.
[01:51:57] Oh, okay.
[01:52:30] Thank you.
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