Lenten 3 – 3 12 2023 – exodus 17 1-7.mp3 

Auto Generated Transcript 

00:00:00 Robert 

Would you join me in prayer? 

00:00:04 Robert 

Father, may we be near to you. 

00:00:07 Robert 

We know that doesn’t come from our actions. 

00:00:09 Robert 

It comes from your faithfulness and your steadfastness. 

00:00:12 Robert 

So help us to be near to you. 

00:00:15 Robert 

I pray this in your son’s name. Amen. 

00:00:18 Robert 

Please have a seat if you’d like. 

00:00:21 Robert 

11 way to kill it? I mean way to kill it 2 some of you had the mystery of the Lord’s Supper ruined for you as you saw me suddenly realize that I had left the grape juice out in the vehicle and run outside to get it and then have to cut it out of the package of Welches. 

00:00:40 Robert 

I’m going to use that because I am a preacher and therefore everything is always an illustration, but I’m going to use it actually. 

00:00:47 Robert 

With the music. 

00:00:47 Robert 

Cause one just did. 

00:00:49 Robert 

I mean, yes, they did an amazing job. 

00:00:51 Robert 

But you let us and I appreciate that. 

00:00:52 Robert 

And I don’t know about you, but I enjoy that moment where it’s like. 

00:00:58 Robert 

I’m in this. 

00:01:00 Robert 

And it’s easy to get into that moment and enjoy that feeling because that is a feeling that we don’t just have at church. 

00:01:05 Robert 

You may have been at a concert before or at a musical. 

00:01:09 Robert 

Pam and I will go to Les Mis next year because Les Mis is coming to Appleton. 

00:01:13 Robert 

Kaylee apparently knows that cause. 

00:01:15 Robert 

She is smiling greatly and when they get up there and start waving the flag and singing. 

00:01:21 Robert 

The songs of Angry Man. 

00:01:22 Robert 

I’m going to feel like going outside and fighting for something. 

00:01:27 Robert 

We enjoy that feeling. 

00:01:30 Robert 

It’s purpose and connection. 

00:01:37 Robert 

But singing in the church, while it does produce that feeling is not about that feeling. 

00:01:44 Robert 

People want just that sometimes. 

00:01:46 

There was. 

00:01:47 Robert 

Real worship, because we experience that feeling but singing in the church is so that we say the same thing at the same time so that we help each other to remember. It teaches us our theology. It reminds us of God’s faithfulness singing in the church. 

00:02:00 Robert 

Which is so that when you are in the midst of that pit in the midst of that darkness, you have words that come back to you and you say nearer to God and my God to thee. 

00:02:11 Robert 

When you don’t feel like his presence is anywhere around you at all. 

00:02:16 Robert 

Singing in the church is about. 

00:02:19 Robert 

Leading to life. 

00:02:21 Robert 

And the feeling comes with it. 

00:02:23 Robert 

But it’s never just about the feeling. 

00:02:24 Robert 

Our concerts and our plays are about the feeling. 

00:02:27 Robert 

The reason I bring it up is the Lord suffers the same way. 

00:02:31 Robert 

I get these warm fuzzies with. 

00:02:33 Robert 

The Lord’s supper. 

00:02:36 Robert 

When I when I say the words or when I hear someone else say the words, whenever you do this, do this in remembrance of Maine. 

00:02:42 Robert 

It produces that feeling in me, but the Lord’s supper, while it does produce those feelings, is never just about those feelings. 

00:02:51 Robert 

It’s about reminding us of what the Lord has done. 

00:02:54 Robert 

So that we remember, he will do it again. 

00:02:56 Robert 

It’s about uniting us in that group. I talked earlier about the church growing at its fastest time period from 100 to 300 a day. 

00:03:04 Robert 

It’s really remarkable if you look at the coinage of the Roman Empire and 100 Caesars are on the coin and 300 suddenly Christian Saints are on the coins. 

00:03:16 Robert 

The largest empire in the world has changed by 120 people in an upper room. 

00:03:22 Robert 

Over 300 years, it’s remarkable. 

00:03:26 Robert 

And that’s not because they got warm fuzzies for the Lord’s supper. It’s because the Lord’s Supper prepared them to live that lifeout. 

00:03:33 Robert 

So what we’re about to do, hopefully you feel unity and when you see this on video, you feel unity and that’s a good feeling. 

00:03:39 Robert 

Don’t hear me say that it’s wrong. 

00:03:41 Robert 

It’s not. 

00:03:42 Robert 

But it’s not just about that feeling. 

00:03:43 Robert 

It’s about. 

00:03:45 Robert 

Producing in us the life that follows Jesus, it’s about producing us the life that remembers that he is faithful, even when we don’t feel like following him. 

00:03:57 Robert 

It’s always coming back to life. 

00:03:59 Robert 

It’s never just about the emotional element. 

00:04:01 Robert 

The emotions are meant to help encourage that. 

00:04:04 Robert 

But it’s always about coming back to, well, I always think of Nacho Libre when I say this phrase to the nitty gritty, OK. 

00:04:14 Robert 

It’s about the stuff that happens outside of this when we don’t have the warm fuzzies. 

00:04:20 Robert 

So we’re going to do the Lord’s Supper. 

00:04:23 Robert 

And for that reason, I’m kind of glad that the mystery was broken, that I forgot to take the bread out of the plastic bag that the hotties put it in. 

00:04:32 Robert 

Because when everything goes right. 

00:04:34 Robert 

It’s easy for us to focus on the emotions. 

00:04:39 Robert 

When it doesn’t go right. 

00:04:42 Robert 

We have to remember what it’s actually all about. 

00:04:48 Robert 

So what is this all about? 

00:04:50 Robert 

It’s about us remembering the Lord’s death until he comes. 

00:04:54 Robert 

It’s about us remembering that he took a bunch of scallywags, a bunch of people who had no worth in and of themselves, the weak and the people who were perceived as strong but were actually weak. 

00:05:05 Robert 

The people who others thought had resources and were rich but actually saw themselves as fallen. 

00:05:11 Robert 

And him making a family out of that brothers and sisters. 

00:05:18 Robert 

They aren’t warm emotions that happen with that. 

00:05:21 Robert 

But the daily life is the important thing. 

00:05:25 Robert 

So therefore. 

00:05:29 Robert 

Let’s remember. 

00:05:32 Robert 

Paul tells us in the 11th chapter of his letter to the Corinthians that he gave the Corinthians what the Lord had given to them. 

00:05:41 Robert 

And that was that. 

00:05:42 Robert 

On the night that he was betrayed. 

00:05:45 Robert 

When he was about to go to be crucified and he he knew his death was coming, he took elements that were around him for a remembrance of God’s setting the captives free from his from Egypt. 

00:05:59 Robert 

He took those elements and he then used them as a way to remember his death until he comes to unite a new family. 

00:06:05 Robert 

That would no longer just be made of the chosen people, but would be able to declare chosen those who had been thought unworthy. 

00:06:14 Robert 

So on that night. 

00:06:17 Robert 

He took the bread. 

00:06:19 Robert 

He gave thanks for it. 

00:06:21 Robert 

He broke it. 

00:06:24 Robert 

And he shared it with his friends. 

00:06:27 Robert 

And he said whenever you eat this. 

00:06:30 Robert 

It is a reminder of my body. 

00:06:32 Robert 

Remember my death. 

00:06:34 Robert 

Until I come. 

00:06:38 Robert 

In the same manner. 

00:06:42 Robert 

Took the cop that was in. 

00:06:43 Robert 

Front of him. 

00:06:46 Robert 

And he said whenever you drink this cup. 

00:06:50 Robert 

As a reminder of my blood. 

00:06:52 Robert 

Blood of the new covenant. 

00:06:54 Robert 

Which was shed for you. 

00:06:57 Robert 

He said this to people that had promised that they would be with him to the end and yet they ran away in fear. 

00:07:06 Robert 

He said this to people who said you are the chosen one. 

00:07:09 Robert 

You are the Messiah and yet they sold him for 30 pieces of silver. 

00:07:15 Robert 

And he said it in love. 

00:07:19 Robert 

Not an irony. 

00:07:21 Robert 

He said it in love to every person there who he would wash their feet literally. 

00:07:30 Robert 

This is not about your faithfulness. 

00:07:32 Robert 

It is not about you getting it right. 

00:07:34 Robert 

You will never get it right. 

00:07:35 Robert 

I will never get it right. 

00:07:39 Robert 

This is about the steadfastness of Jesus. 

00:07:43 Robert 

He loves you and he loves me. 

00:07:48 Robert 

So would you join me in prayer in asking the Lord’s blessing as we remember him? And then when you are ready, come up here. 

00:07:55 Robert 

I will serve the first person. 

00:07:56 Robert 

I’ll give you a piece of bread. 

00:07:58 Robert 

I will ask you to take that piece of bread and dip it into the juice. 

00:08:01 Robert 

And as you taste, the tartness of the grapes and you feel the texture of the bread, I ask that you remember. 

00:08:07 Robert 

And I will say remember and what are you remembering? You’re remembering the Lord’s death until he comes. 

00:08:14 Robert 

Because that death and that resurrection make us family, and we now get to live that family out. 

00:08:20 Robert 

And that is the greatest witness of the. 

00:08:22 Robert 

Way of Jesus. 

00:08:24 Robert 

When they’re forsaken or claimed, when people who have nothing in common other than Jesus say that is all that’s necessary and we come together as a family. 

00:08:36 Robert 

We remember his death. 

00:08:38 Robert 

We proclaim his resurrection, and we know that he will come back again. 

00:08:47 Robert 

So would you join with me in prayer? 

00:08:54 Robert 

Most gracious father. 

00:08:59 Robert 

We desperately need your help to remember. 

00:09:03 Robert 

We have promised again and again that we would. 

00:09:10 Robert 

But since the fall, our hearts are bent towards unfaithfulness rather than faithfulness. 

00:09:18 Robert 

But your character is always the same. 

00:09:24 Robert 

You are the God who accepts us. 

00:09:25 Robert 

When we are prodigal and run back to you, and we barely ever take a step to you before we realized that you were running towards us. 

00:09:36 Robert 

So today. 

00:09:39 Robert 

Even if only for a brief moment. 

00:09:43 Robert 

Help us to remember. 

00:09:46 Robert 

I pray, father that you bless us through this bread and through this juice. 

00:09:52 Robert 

You bless us with memory. 

00:09:55 Robert 

I pray this in your son’s name. 

00:10:02 Robert 

When you were ready, come and remember. 

00:12:51 Robert 

11. 

00:13:15 

Thank you. 

00:13:16 Robert 

I’m gonna steal my stool from you. 

00:13:22 Robert 

Also, you are a very brave man. 

00:13:28 Robert 

So we’re in the third week of the Linton season and I am not a very creative person most of the time. 

00:13:38 Robert 

I think I. 

00:13:40 Robert 

Every now and then to into thinking that I’m a creative person, but I basically just repeat the same stuff over and over and over again. 

00:13:50 Robert 

And that’s what’s going to happen today. 

00:13:52 Robert 

But I’m going to begin by telling you a story. 

00:13:56 Robert 

Most of you can tell even though. 

00:13:58 Robert 

Like this is. 

00:13:59 Robert 

We’re low attendance today because of daylight savings time and snow. 

00:14:04 Robert 

But we’re a young church. 

00:14:06 Robert 

I mean, it’s it’s really weird to me. 

00:14:08 Robert 

I was talking with somebody this week on a church. 

00:14:10 Robert 

That’s a good bit bigger than us and and as a result of the age we have like. 

00:14:15 Robert 

Probably 4 times as many kids as they do. 

00:14:17 Robert 

It’s it’s really kind of weird in the history of the church. 

00:14:22 Robert 

I have performed one funeral. 

00:14:25 Robert 

Because like Pam and I today are the senior adults in the room. 

00:14:29 Robert 

OK, we don’t have very many, and I’m thankful for the ones we do. 

00:14:33 Robert 

My mother and Jan and Jan, if you’re watching this, we miss you. 

00:14:36 Robert 

We need you back here soon. 

00:14:38 Robert 

I’m glad you’re someplace warm. 

00:14:39 Robert 

But we need you back here soon. 

00:14:41 Robert 

But we’ve done a lot of weddings, a whole lot of weddings. 

00:14:47 Robert 

Part of that, maybe because if you’re active in the church, I tell people I don’t want you to pay me anything. 

00:14:51 Robert 

You can give me a gift, but I don’t want you to pay me. 

00:14:54 Robert 

And so a gift is not like. 

00:14:57 Robert 

Here’s a check the gift. 

00:14:59 Robert 

So like one of my favorite gifts ever was somebody gave me a fishing lure and they bought a fishing kit from World Vision and the fishing lure was just the way they told me about it. 

00:15:08 Robert 

It was wonderful. Made my day. If you see it. So I did Nathan Elizabeth’s wedding. And if you ever see me riding, I have pain ears. 

00:15:17 Robert 

Which are the bags that you put in the back of my bike? 

00:15:20 Robert 

Because they gave me those as my wedding gifts, my wedding gift? 

00:15:23 Robert 

That sounds weird. 

00:15:25 Robert 

My quote. 

00:15:27 Robert 

Efficient fee. 

00:15:31 Robert 

So one of the first weddings I did for the church was for somebody. 

00:15:33 Robert 

Who helped start the church and his name is Anthony. 

00:15:38 Robert 

He lives in Stevens Point and I what I I honestly don’t really enjoy doing weddings. 

00:15:46 Robert 

I enjoy helping people prepare marriages. 

00:15:48 Robert 

There’s a difference. 

00:15:49 Robert 

OK, so I love premarital counseling. 

00:15:51 Robert 

Love it? 

00:15:52 Robert 

It’s the most fun thing. 

00:15:54 Robert 

I don’t like even for people outside the church is like, here’s what I charge for you outside the church for me to do the fee or do the wedding cause I just don’t want to. 

00:16:02 Robert 

But I don’t charge a dime for premarital counseling like I do that for free. 

00:16:06 Robert 

I don’t want. 

00:16:07 Robert 

Any money for? 

00:16:08 Robert 

That, and I did all their premarital counseling. 

00:16:10 Robert 

It was just really into it. 

00:16:14 Robert 

Did the wedding. 

00:16:15 Robert 

The wedding went off without a hitch. 

00:16:16 Robert 

It was wonderful. 

00:16:17 Robert 

Everybody comes up afterwards and you know, with the preacher, what you do is you walk. 

00:16:21 Robert 

That’s just really good, preacher. 

00:16:22 Robert 

It’s just really good, really good. 

00:16:24 Robert 

I just appreciate it. 

00:16:25 Robert 

And people were just real thankful. 

00:16:26 Robert 

And then we went to the banquet. 

00:16:31 Robert 

And Anthony got up and he did this. 

00:16:33 Robert 

Just lovely speech. 

00:16:38 Robert 

And he started saying before we eat, we’re going to ask somebody to thank the Lord for the food. 

00:16:44 Robert 

And what you need to know is this is somebody who has just has really meant the world to me and my my faith in Jesus and. 

00:16:53 Robert 

Has also meant a lot to my bride. 

00:16:57 Robert 

He’s just helped us so much in preparing for our our marriage. 

00:17:01 Robert 

Not only our wedding, but our marriage. 

00:17:04 Robert 

And we are so thankful for him. 

00:17:07 Robert 

And I gotta be honest and say I started to turn red at this point and I started to get a little embarrassed. 

00:17:13 Robert 

And Anthony kept on talking. 

00:17:16 Robert 

You ever hear somebody? 

00:17:18 Robert 

Praising you and you’re just like I just want. 

00:17:20 Robert 

Him to kind of stop. 

00:17:25 Robert 

And Anthony goes well, we’re going to ask him in just a second to come up here and thank the Lord for the food because we’ve been so thankful for his prayer. 

00:17:32 Robert 

And I finally had just reached a point like I am turning bright red and I stood up and said, Anthony, you, it’s enough. 

00:17:39 Robert 

I will gladly come and say the prayer for the meal for him to say. 

00:17:45 Robert 

I’m sorry, Robert. 

00:17:46 Robert 

I was talking about Uncle Joe. 

00:17:52 Robert 

Oh yeah. 

00:17:55 Robert 

This is not a preacher story. 

00:17:57 Robert 

This is completely true. 

00:18:04 Robert 

Everybody in the room staring at me. 

00:18:06 Robert 

One sweet little old lady at another table looks over at me and goes. 

00:18:10 Robert 

I thought he was talking about you too. 

00:18:18 Robert 

I want you to think while we’re reading the scripture. 

00:18:23 Robert 

Of a time where you just completely didn’t get it. 

00:18:29 Robert 

Where you were sure you knew what was going on and you just did not get it. 

00:18:36 Robert 

Because that’s what I was feeling at that moment. 

00:18:38 Robert 

So this is what the word of the Lord says. 

00:18:40 Robert 

This is from the. 

00:18:40 Robert 

17th chapter of. 

00:18:43 Robert 

The Book of Exodus. 

00:18:45 Robert 

We’re going to read verses one through 7. 

00:18:49 Robert 

This is what the word Lord says. 

00:18:50 Robert 

Can you operate it for me? 

00:18:51 Robert 

Thank you, Sir. 

00:18:53 Robert 

The whole Israelite community set out from the desert of sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. 

00:19:00 Robert 

They camped at Rafidi M Rafidi M, but there was no water for the people to drink, so they quarreled with Moses and said give us water to drink. 

00:19:11 Robert 

Moses replied. 

00:19:12 Robert 

Why do you quarrel with me? 

00:19:14 Robert 

Why do you put the Lord to the test? 

00:19:18 Robert 

But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses and they said, why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst? 

00:19:33 Robert 

Then Moses cried out to the Lord. 

00:19:36 Robert 

What am I to do with these people? 

00:19:39 Robert 

They are almost ready to stone me. 

00:19:42 Robert 

The Lord answered Moses go out in front of the people, take with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile. 

00:19:52 Robert 

And go. 

00:19:53 Robert 

I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. 

00:19:57 Robert 

Strike the rock and the water will come out of it for all the people to do. 

00:20:02 Robert 

So Moses did this in the sight of the Elders of Israel, and he called that place Masa and Miraba because the Israelites quarrelled, and because they tested the Lord saying, is the Lord among us or not. 

00:20:18 Robert 

Now think of that passage that we just read. 

00:20:21 Robert 

The people of Israel. 

00:20:23 Robert 

Have just come out of just absolute slavery. 

00:20:27 Robert 

They’re in the desert, wandering around now, but they’ve been set free and they have seen God do miraculous things. 

00:20:34 Robert 

And that’s important because our faith is a faith of miraculous things also. 

00:20:39 Robert 

OK, it is not just giving us good intellectual. 

00:20:43 Robert 

Basis for things. 

00:20:44 Robert 

It’s not about ethics, it’s not for us to just come here and think through things. 

00:20:48 Robert 

We call upon the Lord and we ask him to do the impossible because we have seen him do the impossible before, and the Israelites case. 

00:20:57 Robert 

Here’s just some of the things that they had seen him do. 

00:21:01 Robert 

OK, Charles. 

00:21:04 Robert 

There we go. 

00:21:05 Robert 

Was that you or was that me? 

00:21:07 Robert 

That was you. 

00:21:07 Robert 

Go ahead. 

00:21:08 Robert 

So here’s a few of the things just pop them for a few times. 

00:21:12 Robert 

They’re freed from slavery. 

00:21:14 Robert 

Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry land. 

00:21:16 Robert 

So think of this. 

00:21:18 Robert 

They were not just freed from slavery by nobody. 

00:21:21 Robert 

They were not freed from slavery by a group of people that were about to fall. 

00:21:24 Robert 

This was Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world. 

00:21:27 Robert 

At that time. 

00:21:29 Robert 

And the Israelites were held captive, and God made it possible for them to not only be set free, but set free where they they literally looted the Egyptians as they were leaving, not by purposely taking their stuff, but by the Egyptians giving them stuff, giving them gold that they eventually turn into a false idol. 

00:21:49 Robert 

Giving them things while they’re leaving. 

00:21:53 Robert 

They are set free and then as they think they’re about to be attacked and killed, they cry out to the Lord and the Lord makes a way for them to make it across on dry land in the midst of the red or the Reed Sea. 

00:22:08 Robert 

Next one place. 

00:22:09 Robert 

While he’s doing that, he not only uses the dry land. 

00:22:13 Robert 

To make it to where they’re able to go free, but he then reverses the process and destroys the most powerful army at the time in front of them, without them having to do anything. 

00:22:22 Robert 

Next one place, they complain saying we have nothing to eat after they have just seen God do all of this and God provides them with manna, which. 

00:22:33 Robert 

One of the best words in all of Scripture. 

00:22:35 Robert 

Does anybody know what manna means? 

00:22:37 Robert 

What is it? 

00:22:39 Robert 

And apparently it tasted really good. 

00:22:41 Robert 

But it’s just I love the work. 

00:22:43 Robert 

What is it? 

00:22:45 Robert 

God provides food out of nothing for them. 

00:22:49 Robert 

And they eat this and they get their fill, and he provides every day for them, and then they begin to complain, saying we need meat. 

00:22:57 Robert 

Next one, please. 

00:22:58 Robert 

And what does he do? 

00:23:00 Robert 

He provides them with quail. They have seen this again in matter of fact, if you look at the previous two chapters, we just read 171516 and 17. 

00:23:10 Robert 

All three are God meeting needs as the people of Israel grumble, and what I don’t want you hearing here is this mindset of. 

00:23:19 Robert 

Oh my gosh. 

00:23:20 Robert 

They just forgot what terrible people they are. 

00:23:23 Robert 

They should have remembered. 

00:23:24 Robert 

Let’s see if it works this time. 

00:23:26 Robert 

It does not go ahead and hit it. 

00:23:28 Robert 

They should have remembered all that God had done. 

00:23:30 Robert 

But the reality is since the fall, our bent is not towards faithfulness but towards unfaithfulness. 

00:23:39 Robert 

We forget things right and left. 

00:23:43 Robert 

God did incredible things, but those things were in the past, and the thing we’re facing right now seems so big because the miraculous things that were done in the past, they shrink in our memory. 

00:23:55 Robert 

And the things we face right now. 

00:23:57 Robert 

Seem so monstrous. 

00:24:00 Robert 

People of Israel are no different than we are. 

00:24:05 Robert 

Maybe they’re different from you, but I forget all the time I have seen God do incredible things. 

00:24:12 Robert 

I have cried out to him for help and he has more than provided. 

00:24:19 Robert 

And I still forget. 

00:24:25 Robert 

One of the things I love about Lent is it’s a reminder of discipline, but one of the things I hate about Lent is it’s very easy for us to think that the message of the gospel is about discipline. 

00:24:36 Robert 

I need that reminder of discipline. 

00:24:37 Robert 

OK, I know that my life works better when I wake up earlier. 

00:24:41 Robert 

As much as I don’t like daylight savings time, and I really don’t like it now. 

00:24:45 Robert 

Because Mariah gave me 3 reasons more to despise it. 

00:24:49 Robert 

I know that because I woke up earlier today and I shoveled my driveway, my life will be easier when I go home and there’s still more snow and the stupid plow truck. 

00:24:59 Robert 

And please forgive me for saying stupid kids, but I really don’t like the plow truck. 

00:25:04 Robert 

OK, the the the plow truck will have come by and there will be a big. 

00:25:09 Robert 

Mound on the front of my driveway and I know it’s not going to be enjoyable, but I know because of the fact I had the discipline this morning to to shovel. 

00:25:17 Robert 

It’s going to be better. 

00:25:20 Robert 

Discipline isn’t good. 

00:25:23 Robert 

But the temptation is to think. 

00:25:27 Robert 

It’s about our discipline. 

00:25:30 Robert 

The disciplines of lent, the things we give up, the things we take on, can very easily be if I do all of this, I will remember. 

00:25:42 Robert 

And the story of Israel again and again and again is. 

00:25:47 Robert 

They forget, but even more importantly, the story of Israel again and again is how did God respond when they forgot? 

00:25:59 Robert 

He provides water. 

00:26:02 Robert 

He provides meat. 

00:26:04 Robert 

It provides manna to people that are complaining. 

00:26:08 Robert 

Going did you just bring us out here to die? 

00:26:11 Robert 

It’s not even like we can really compare and contrast with Moses, which hit the next slide place. 

00:26:16 Robert 

Moses doesn’t do a great job here either. 

00:26:19 Robert 

This is Moses’s prayer. OK, it says he cried out. Excuse me. This is their prayer. Would you hit the next line or their statement and then hit the side after that? 

00:26:29 Robert 

It says cried out to the Lord. What does it mean to cry out to the Lord? That’s prayer. Moses’s prayer here is not God. I’ve seen you do remarkable stuff before. 

00:26:42 Robert 

You’ve brought these people out. 

00:26:44 Robert 

I need you to do it now. 

00:26:46 Robert 

He expresses just frustration. 

00:26:48 Robert 

What am I to do with these people? 

00:26:50 Robert 

They’re almost ready to stone me. 

00:26:53 Robert 

This is not a stellar moment for most. 

00:26:56 Robert 

He’s supposed to be their. 

00:26:57 Robert 

Leader and he’s just like I. 

00:26:59 Robert 

Am fed up with them. 

00:27:01 Robert 

He’s the one that God has expected to stand up all the time, saying you have to protect these people because it reflects on your name. 

00:27:09 Robert 

We’ve seen God call him to that again and again, where Moses has said Father, you have to take care of your people. 

00:27:17 Robert 

It reflects on you, but that’s not what he’s doing here. 

00:27:22 Robert 

He’s forgotten too. 

00:27:24 Robert 

Moses is no different than the people of Israel. 

00:27:27 Robert 

He’s just as big a failure. 

00:27:29 Robert 

He messes up just like everyone else. 

00:27:34 Robert 

That’s why I love Lent, but I see the danger of Lent to I mentioned this image that Sarah Reeve sent to actually sent it to Pam to share. 

00:27:45 Robert 

To me this past week I’m going to do it just because I think it’s fine about Lent. 

00:27:49 Robert 

Would you hit the next slide? 

00:27:49 Robert 

It says this. 

00:27:50 Robert 

You come from dust. 

00:27:51 Robert 

You will return to dust. 

00:27:53 Robert 

That’s why I don’t dust. 

00:27:54 Robert 

It could be somebody I know. 

00:27:58 Robert 

We focus on Lent because in, in Lent we remember that we came from dust and we will return to dust. 

00:28:05 Robert 

But the answer to that that is not. 

00:28:07 Robert 

I will work harder to be faithful. 

00:28:10 Robert 

The answer to that is I depend on God’s steadfastness. 

00:28:14 Robert 

I depend on his faithfulness. 

00:28:17 Robert 

Yes, we should try to discipline ourselves. 

00:28:19 Robert 

But you are going to fail. 

00:28:21 Robert 

I am going to fail. 

00:28:23 Robert 

One time I’m not going to shovel my driveway and we all know what happens then it’s just going to get worse and worse. 

00:28:30 Robert 

And when you don’t shovel your driveway once and the mound forms, it becomes all the more difficult to shovel it later on. 

00:28:38 Robert 

This is the time of season where if you look around at driveways, what happens is people say I’m not shoveling anymore. 

00:28:46 Robert 

And it builds up until it finally gets warm enough to melt it. 

00:28:50 Robert 

They go. 

00:28:51 Robert 

I’m just going to depend upon the sun to do. 

00:28:54 Robert 

The beauty is in our faith, while God calls us to be faithful, he understands that our bent again and again and again is towards unfaithfulness. 

00:29:03 Robert 

We are constantly saying, did God really say this to use the words of the serpent? 

00:29:10 Robert 

It’s what the people of Israel were saying. 

00:29:13 Robert 

He brought us out of that, but he brought us here to die. 

00:29:18 Robert 

Did he really say he was going to set us free? 

00:29:21 Robert 

Lent is a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness. 

00:29:26 Robert 

Which is the next line now in in the Christian tradition, this story, the rock is a reminder of Jesus. 

00:29:35 Robert 

And why is it a reminder of Jesus? 

00:29:36 Robert 

It’s a reminder of Jesus, because Jesus talks about how he will give to us living water. 

00:29:42 Robert 

If you remember, we were going through the Gospel of John before. 

00:29:46 Robert 

Lent began, and we read through the 4th chapter of the Gospel of John the two weeks before Lent began. 

00:29:54 Robert 

And in that passage. 

00:29:57 Robert 

Jesus goes and has a drink of water with a Samaritan woman. 

00:30:03 Robert 

He asked her for a drink but tells her that he can give her water. 

00:30:06 Robert 

He can give her water that will fill her up for the rest. 

00:30:10 Robert 

Of her life. 

00:30:12 Robert 

And the Christian tradition has come back and and looked at the story and realized that Moses could not take care of his people. 

00:30:19 Robert 

He could not free them, they could not remember and. 

00:30:22 Robert 

The call was. 

00:30:23 Robert 

Just to simply hit the rock. 

00:30:25 Robert 

And if you hit the rock, water comes. 

00:30:28 Robert 

Out of it. 

00:30:29 Robert 

And therefore the church has constantly come back and said the rock is a symbol of Jesus because that’s what we do on Lent. 

00:30:38 Robert 

The reminder of Lent is not to say discipline yourself harder, even though we need the discipline, it is not to say you have sinned and you have to pull yourself out of that, even though we need to remind you that we have. 

00:30:49 Robert 

End the discipline and the reminder of Lent is that Jesus Christ is the one who. 

00:30:55 Speaker 2 

Gives us. 

00:30:56 Robert 

That he is the one we fall upon, and living water comes out. 

00:31:00 Robert 

He is the one we hit, and living water comes and that’s the whole purpose of church. 

00:31:04 Robert 

Every Sunday is not to beat us up and make us think how terrible we are, but to realize that we have a need and to come and to hit the rock. 

00:31:13 Robert 

And sometimes you hit the rock much like the prodigal son. 

00:31:16 Robert 

Who runs and falls into the arms of the father? 

00:31:20 Robert 

We hit the rock literally just by collapsing on Jesus. 

00:31:23 Robert 

And yet water still comes forth. 

00:31:26 Robert 

It doesn’t come forth because you are so great that you go. 

00:31:28 Robert 

I will study Jesus well enough to get hope from him. 

00:31:34 Robert 

It comes because Jesus is the one who just gives us living water. 

00:31:39 Robert 

He gives us hope. 

00:31:41 Robert 

It’s never about our faithfulness. 

00:31:43 Robert 

It’s always about his. 

00:31:48 Robert 

And you can think of times right now. 

00:31:52 Robert 

Where you knew you weren’t faithful. 

00:31:57 Robert 

Where you knew you had every reason to believe that Jesus was going to take care of the situation he was going to give you the hope he was. 

00:32:03 Robert 

Going to help you to make it through it. 

00:32:05 Robert 

And you were still going? 

00:32:17 Robert 

Did I just come here to fall down? 

00:32:22 Robert 

Did I come here to die here? 

00:32:26 Robert 

We are all like Israel. 

00:32:30 Robert 

But Jesus Christ is always faithful. 

00:32:36 Robert 

Regardless of what you’re going through now. 

00:32:39 Robert 

Worry, anxiety, feelings of inadequacy. 

00:32:48 Robert 

He is always faithful. 

00:32:53 Robert 

It’s a simple message. 

00:32:54 Robert 

There’s nothing life changing about it. 

00:32:58 Robert 

Except for the fact it’s completely life changing. 

00:33:02 Robert 

The world will say work harder. 

00:33:05 Robert 

The message of the gospel is. 

00:33:08 Robert 

That the Lord is with you. 

00:33:12 Robert 

If you look, the people of Israel ask that at the end, would you hit the next sign? 

00:33:18 Robert 

Is the Lord among us or not any interesting? 

00:33:25 Robert 

They’re longing for water. They’re thirsty, and their question is, is the Lord among us or not? Because if the Lord’s there, they know that he’ll provide. 

00:33:33 Robert 

We just forget far too easily. 

00:33:35 Robert 

And what we always have to try to remember, and we have to trust that even when we can’t remember it, he will still be faithful. 

00:33:40 Robert 

Is that the answer is always yes. 

00:33:45 Robert 

Always yes. 

00:33:48 Robert 

So you come to church today, you watch the video today with your struggles. 

00:33:53 Robert 

And what I want you to do. 

00:33:57 Robert 

Is if you can’t hit the rock and receive the living water, allow somebody else to hit the rock and remind you of the living water. 

00:34:05 Robert 

Because when we approach Jesus and fall on him, he. 

00:34:08 Robert 

Always provides hope. 

00:34:13 Robert 

So before I close this out, does anybody have anything to add? 

00:34:18 Robert 

Go for it, Juan. 

00:34:23 

Like they weren’t Moses, so they didn’t have. 

00:34:26 Robert 

The privilege of talking. 

00:34:27 

Directly to God. 

00:34:28 

And they saw. 

00:34:29 

A lack of needs and needs not being met. 

00:34:35 

So they were in a dire. 

00:34:37 

Situation just to see if he. 

00:34:38 

Has always great things to have. 

00:34:43 

Like I find myself kind of empathizing with. 

00:34:45 

The Israelites here because. 

00:34:48 

You know, I have been in a desert without water. 

00:34:51 Robert 

Yeah. Yeah, metaphorically. 

00:34:56 

You know. 

00:34:57 Speaker 2 

Is it is wrong or? 

00:34:59 

What could be Israelis have? 

00:35:01 

How could they responded better other than? 

00:35:04 

You know the obvious, sort of just. 

00:35:05 

Like try not to. 

00:35:06 

Sell your leader. 

00:35:08 

Turning back on that, but like. 

00:35:12 Robert 

All right. 

00:35:14 Robert 

And and wanting to be honest and say what I’m struggling with is the word wrong there. 

00:35:18 Robert 

Because I think Scripture shows again and again. 

00:35:22 Robert 

Jesus is really OK with us coming and doing things that we would think we’re wrong with other people. 

00:35:26 Robert 

Like, oh, if you love me, you would trust me type thing and he seems to be OK with that a lot. 

00:35:32 Robert 

One of the things I actually love is. 

00:35:35 Robert 

The Israelites come to Moses and come to God, even though they’re doubting them, they still come to Moses and come to God, and we see examples of that. 

00:35:43 Robert 

You actually see examples of that Jesus and the garden of Jasmine is like I don’t want to do this and he’s he’s arguing with the father to some extent. 

00:35:51 Robert 

But you have examples of this and some of the heroes of the faith. 

00:35:54 Robert 

One of my favorite actually is. 

00:35:56 Robert 

This is Theresa Varvil. 

00:35:58 Robert 

She has a dream with Jesus. 

00:36:01 Robert 

No, this is a dream. 

00:36:02 Robert 

OK. 

00:36:02 Robert 

This is not scripture, but she’s interpreting scripture through her dreams and her dream basically as her complaining. 

00:36:10 Robert 

Saying I don’t like this situation at all and Jesus saying Theresa, this is how I treat my friends and her response is Lord. 

00:36:17 Robert 

No wonder you have so few. 

00:36:20 Robert 

And the thing that I like that the the Israelites are doing here is they’re not trusting while trusting at the exact same moment. 

00:36:28 Robert 

You only complain to the person saying. 

00:36:30 Robert 

Why aren’t you doing this when you expect that person to do that? 

00:36:34 Robert 

If that makes any sense. 

00:36:36 Robert 

So I I struggle with the word wrong there because. 

00:36:39 Robert 

He knows who we are. 

00:36:41 Robert 

We never kind of sneak up on him and and suddenly surprise him with our fallen and untrustworthy nature. 

00:36:47 Robert 

He knows exactly who I am. 

00:36:49 Robert 

The fact that I I can trust very easily at one moment and then I struggle with an entirely different moment. 

00:36:54 Robert 

That truthfully for other people may seem insignificant, and for me it’s this mountain that I just can’t get over. 

00:37:01 Robert 

And so were they wrong. 

00:37:02 Robert 

I don’t know. 

00:37:03 Robert 

What I know is that even in their unbelief, they still somehow believed. 

00:37:08 Robert 

And and I don’t want to point it out like they failed. 

00:37:12 Robert 

Probably they didn’t, but they didn’t succeed either. It’s completely about God’s success in the sense of his character is he’s there. 

00:37:21 Robert 

I mean literally one of his names is Emmanuel. 

00:37:24 Robert 

God with us. 

00:37:25 Robert 

When he chose to give us a name. 

00:37:27 Robert 

Part of that name is just this constant reminder of, oh, I’m there. 

00:37:31 Robert 

Ohh I’m there. 

00:37:32 Robert 

Think of the the the really holy names of God. 

00:37:34 Robert 

It’s so much about who he is. 

00:37:36 Robert 

I am that I am. 

00:37:38 Robert 

He gives names that say this is his character and one of his names is. 

00:37:42 Robert 

I’m with you even when you don’t think I’m there. 

00:37:46 Robert 

So I know I’m not answering your question, but is that kind of answering your question? 

00:37:52 

It’s just hard not to put yourself in. 

00:37:54 

The shoes of the Israelites. 

00:37:59 

Obviously they’re the ones. 

00:38:00 

That we’re supposed to be kind. 

00:38:08 Robert 

That’s so. 

00:38:11 Robert 

Part of the danger of of Linton practices and spiritual disciplines is it can make it come back to if you do the right things, then you’ll remember. 

00:38:19 Robert 

And that’s never the message. 

00:38:20 Robert 

So I, to be honest, I kind of hope you fail with your Lenten practices. 

00:38:24 Robert 

I I have. 

00:38:25 Robert 

OK, it’s part of the beauty of like I can’t do. 

00:38:28 Robert 

I can’t even do this simple thing. 

00:38:30 Robert 

I can’t even give up social media effectively. 

00:38:33 Robert 

I can’t even do that. 

00:38:35 Robert 

So how am I going to do the big things? 

00:38:39 Robert 

And it’s not like I don’t have to do anything. 

00:38:42 Robert 

It’s that I can’t do anything really significant. 

00:38:46 Robert 

And he knows that. 

00:38:46 Robert 

And he loves that. 

00:38:47 Robert 

And he still calls me to be holy. 

00:38:49 Robert 

He still calls me to try, but. 

00:38:50 Robert 

He knows I’m gonna fail. 

00:38:52 Robert 

I’m going to forget that he not only forgave me, but he overcame this big thing in the past. 

00:38:57 Robert 

This probably bigger than what I’m dealing with right now. 

00:38:59 Robert 

He’s overcome that in the past. 

00:39:02 Robert 

And he knows I’m going to forget that and I’m going to focus on this other thing. 

00:39:05 Robert 

That may be a really big deal right now, but I have every reason to believe that he will take care of it. 

00:39:10 Robert 

I’m going to forget that. 

00:39:11 Robert 

And he’s not going to turn his back on. 

00:39:14 Robert 

I think the temptation so often is to think that God reaches a point of that’s it. 

00:39:19 Robert 

I’ve had enough. 

00:39:21 Robert 

I am over it. 

00:39:23 Robert 

The covenant was. 

00:39:24 Robert 

You will be my people and I will be your God and you have not been my people. 

00:39:27 Robert 

So I’m not going to be your God anymore, but the story of the gospel again and again and again is that he will be our God regardless of whether or not we live as his people, though he’ll still call us to be like to to live as his people. 

00:39:41 Robert 

He is faithful when all others, including me, myself and I, fail to be faithful. 

00:39:50 Robert 

You got anything you want to add to that? 

00:39:54 Robert 

And what I love is that really is good news. 

00:39:58 Robert 

Because it it makes our burden, the one we receive from Jesus really light. 

00:40:04 Robert 

And that yoke. 

00:40:05 Robert 

Very easy and all the other burdens. 

00:40:08 Robert 

Are really difficult. 

00:40:12 Robert 

Anybody else got something? 

00:40:16 Robert 

OK, then I’m going to end with with this cheesy little joke that everybody in the room is too young to to get, and I don’t think my wife knows rock music enough well enough to know this. 

00:40:27 Robert 

This is all about timing here, Charlie. 

00:40:29 Robert 

If I had my clicker so the Israelites ask is the Lord among us or not? 

00:40:35 Robert 

And the answer is. 

00:40:36 Robert 

Always. Are you ready? 

00:40:41 Robert 

This is the 1970s band, Yes. 

00:40:46 Robert 

Did you know who they were? 

00:40:48 Robert 

Ohh, aren’t you spiffy? 

00:40:51 Robert 

Would you join with me in our closing prayer, please? 

00:40:57 Speaker 2 

Praise God from whom all blessings from praise him. 

00:41:08 Speaker 2 

All creatures here be lo. 

00:41:14 Speaker 2 

Praise him. 

00:41:16 Speaker 2 

Above ye heavenly ho. 

00:41:23 Speaker 2 

Praise Father, son and Holy Ghost. 

00:41:40 Robert 

When you failed this week, when you fail this Linton season. 

00:41:44 Robert 

When you don’t remember. 

00:41:47 Robert 

Hopefully one little small speck of you will remember that he does. 

00:41:53 Robert 

He is still there with you. 

00:41:55 Robert 

He is always gracious. 

00:41:58 Robert 

It’s who he is. 

00:42:00 Robert 

I hope that brings hope to you and I hope that is good news to you. 

00:42:05 Robert 

Cause it is to me. 

00:42:07 Robert 

Have a great week. 

00:42:09 Robert 

Those of you on video, thanks for joining us. 

00:42:11 Robert 

Have a great week everybody be safe. 

Autogenerated Transcript

Lenten 2 3 5 2023 John 3 1-17.mp3 

Transcript 

00:00:01 Robert 

Thank you, Adam, by the way. 

00:00:03 Robert 

Strings are not here. 

00:00:05 Robert 

Maidan’s Long John is up for auction. Do I do I have a bid? Basically, who would like a long John? 

00:00:14 Robert 

There we go. 

00:00:16 Robert 

If I throw it, it’s gonna be it’s gonna be destroyed. 

00:00:18 Robert 

So I’m gonna wait for you to. 

00:00:19 Robert 

Come up there. 

00:00:20 Robert 

And get it. 

00:00:21 Robert 

Well, guess what you have. 

00:00:22 Robert 

A long John. 

00:00:22 Robert 

Now you only stole it from a it. 

00:00:25 Robert 

Made us three, I think. 

00:00:28 Robert 

So you only stole it from a four year old. 

00:00:30 Robert 

If, if she blames anybody, I’m gonna throw you under the bus. 

00:00:34 Robert 

Just so you know, OK. 

00:00:36 Robert 

OK so. 

00:00:39 Robert 

Basically, I’m going to be referencing pretty much everyone of Lindsey and Jason songs because those were realistically the sermons, so. 

00:00:51 Robert 

If you remember anything from the Gospel of John that we have been talking through, and I don’t ever expect anyone to remember any of the the sermons, I’m always honored when you do remember any of the messages, but the reality is most of what we do in church is we just try to remind each other the grace of God. 

00:01:07 Robert 

If you get that and you can live that out during the week. 

00:01:09 Robert 

That is a wonderful thing. 

00:01:11 Robert 

It’s not about. 

00:01:14 Robert 

More biblical knowledge is about more interaction with Jesus. 

00:01:18 Robert 

So if you remember anything, the text that we are about to go through, you’re going to go, huh? 

00:01:23 Robert 

We talked about that about four weeks ago because what we’re doing is we are going through the scriptures that are typically used in Lent. 

00:01:30 Robert 

So this is one of those, but we’ve already talked about a little bit. 

00:01:33 Robert 

I’m going to turn this down. 

00:01:34 Robert 

’cause I can hear it. 

00:01:35 Robert 

Does it sound like? 

00:01:36 Robert 

It’s ringing just a little bit to you guys. 

00:01:39 Robert 

OK, well, it does to me just a teeny bit. 

00:01:42 Robert 

This is why I like it when Eric is here. 

00:01:44 Robert 

Because Eric immediately adjust the sound. 

00:01:46 Robert 

So if you have your Bibles or if you have a bulletin around you or a phone, or if you just want to look behind me, this is the word of the Lord and Mr. 

00:01:55 Robert 

You’re going to operate this. 

00:01:56 Robert 

So I can thank you. 

00:01:58 Robert 

This is what the word of the Lord. 

00:02:00 Robert 

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling Council. 

00:02:06 Robert 

He came to Jesus and at night and said Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God for no one could perform the signs you are doing. 

00:02:16 Robert 

If they were not from if if God were not with him. 

00:02:20 Robert 

Jesus replied. 

00:02:21 Robert 

Very truly. 

00:02:22 Robert 

I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again. 

00:02:27 Robert 

How can someone be born when they are old? Nicodemus asked. Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born. 

00:02:35 Robert 

Jesus answered very truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the spirit flesh gives birth to flesh. 

00:02:45 Robert 

But the spirit gives birth to spirit. 

00:02:47 Robert 

You should not be surprised at me saying you must be born again. 

00:02:51 Robert 

The wind, the wind blows wherever it pleases. 

00:02:54 Robert 

You hear its sound, but you cannot tell. 

00:02:56 Robert 

Where it comes from or where it is going so it is with everyone born of the spirit. 

00:03:03 Robert 

How can this be nicodemi? 

00:03:05 Robert 

Asked you are Israel’s teacher, said Jesus. And you do not understand these things very truly. I tell you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen. 

00:03:15 Robert 

But still you people do not accept our testimony. 

00:03:17 Robert 

I’ve spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe. 

00:03:21 Robert 

How then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 

00:03:24 Robert 

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven, the son of man. 

00:03:30 Robert 

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the son of man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes. 

00:03:38 Robert 

May have eternal life in him. 

00:03:42 Robert 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

00:03:49 Robert 

For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 

00:03:57 Robert 

I want you to think for just a second. 

00:04:01 Robert 

About groups around us that influence what’s important to us, think about it. 

00:04:08 Robert 

What are some of these groups? 

00:04:09 Robert 

That that influence. 

00:04:11 Robert 

What you think or what others think are important? 

00:04:14 Robert 

And I’m going to give you an example that I actually talked about with with my family yesterday because it, if you have noticed. 

00:04:22 Robert 

There is, over the past few years, a change that takes place within our the whatever the popular drinking vessel is, so water is important. 

00:04:31 Robert 

You should all hydrate. 

00:04:32 Robert 

Hydration is good. 

00:04:34 Robert 

A few years ago, well Yeti was the cup of choice that you wanted to get, and it was like, oh, this is really expensive. 

00:04:41 Robert 

I figured out a way to work the system. 

00:04:44 Robert 

For some reason there is a Security Agency that is convinced that tapestry has a building and they were like Pastor Robert. 

00:04:52 Robert 

If you watch this this seminar, you’ll get a free Yeti. 

00:04:55 Robert 

Like, OK, that would be nice. 

00:04:58 Robert 

I could use a Yeti. 

00:05:00 Robert 

I watched a seminar. 

00:05:01 Robert 

Are you interested? 

00:05:02 Robert 

No, we don’t have a building. 

00:05:03 Robert 

We can’t use a security system, ABB. 

00:05:06 Robert 

Your your mom might want one here, but they it’s like, oh, OK, OK, we’ll send you the Eddie. 

00:05:11 Robert 

Hey, Pastor Robert. 

00:05:12 Robert 

If you watch another seminar, we’ll send you another Yeti. 

00:05:17 Robert 

OK. 

00:05:20 Robert 

I watched another seminar. 

00:05:22 Robert 

Would you like? 

00:05:23 Robert 

Would you like this security system? 

00:05:24 Robert 

It’d be great for sure. 

00:05:25 Robert 

This looks really good, I agree. 

00:05:27 Robert 

This is really top notch. 

00:05:28 Robert 

We could probably really use this if we had a building we don’t have a building. 

00:05:33 Robert 

OK, OK. 

00:05:34 Robert 

We’ll send you Yeti, pastor Robert. 

00:05:38 Robert 

Would you like to watch another? 

00:05:39 Robert 

I watched 3 stinking seminars. 

00:05:43 Robert 

I have a Yeti now. 

00:05:45 Robert 

My wife has a Yeti. 

00:05:46 Robert 

Now I think, Adam. 

00:05:48 Robert 

You’re the only. 

00:05:49 Robert 

Immediate member of the former nuclear family that did not get a Yeti because you were not living at the house at that time. 

00:05:54 Robert 

You got a wife. 

00:05:55 Robert 

Instead, I think you made a better choice, OK? 

00:05:58 Robert 

Not that sounded really bad. 

00:06:00 Robert 

That’s not what I meant. 

00:06:05 Robert 

We’re just going to go home now, guys. 

00:06:08 Robert 

If you remember like. 

00:06:11 Robert 

People really into this and then it went from Yeti to like Hydro Flask and then it went, I know. 

00:06:17 Robert 

And then it went from Hydro Flask. 

00:06:18 Robert 

What was the other one that you guys talked about that you said that I didn’t remember it? 

00:06:24 Robert 

Which makes me think from The Muppets my favorite character was beaker on The Muppets, and now it’s Stanley Cups. 

00:06:31 Robert 

I have a Stanley coffee coffee thermos that that I love that I take with me hunting or watching Eagles. 

00:06:38 Robert 

I love it. 

00:06:39 Robert 

Those things you’re selling for, like apparently 70 bucks now for a Stanley. 

00:06:43 Robert 

Stop, because some people decide to use this and it influences everyone else. 

00:06:51 Robert 

You were wondering where this was going or OK. 

00:06:54 Robert 

You see this around. 

00:06:55 Robert 

Think of the groups that influence you and those around you that say this is what’s important in life. 

00:07:06 Robert 

There’s a lot of it. 

00:07:07 Robert 

Here’s why I bring this up. 

00:07:09 Robert 

Our passage today starts with this. 

00:07:13 Robert 

Now there was a Pharisee. 

00:07:15 Robert 

The very first thing we know about Nicodemus is that he was defined as a Pharisee, and the reason that’s important is there were groups in the ancient Near East, specifically in Judaism at this time that were thought groups that influenced how everyone. 

00:07:33 Robert 

Reviewed the. 

00:07:33 Robert 

The world now, there are a lot of different groups there. 

00:07:37 Robert 

I’m going to talk about 3 specific groups, but there were a lot of different groups, OK, but religiously there were these, for lack of a better phrase, religio political groups that were concerned about one question. 

00:07:51 Robert 

And that question was. 

00:07:54 Robert 

Why is Israel no longer powerful? 

00:08:01 Robert 

God had said that we were the chosen people. God had said that David’s Kingdom would rule forever and we are now subjugated by Rome. 

00:08:11 Robert 

Why is Israel no longer powerful? 

00:08:13 Robert 

And you had three groups, and if you notice this artist basically set them up a little differently. 

00:08:19 Robert 

You had the Sadducees, who were more priestly. 

00:08:22 Robert 

You had the Pharisees who were more scribes, and here’s the different. 

00:08:27 Robert 

The priests, the Sadducees, were concerned with the ritual of the temple. 

00:08:32 Robert 

They were concerned very much with what happens in this ritualistic practice and how is that ritualistic practice continued elsewhere. 

00:08:40 Robert 

The Fierces were very much considered are concerned with the law, so think this way. 

00:08:45 Robert 

Church Service Bible study. 

00:08:49 Robert 

And then you had the essence, Essenes. 

00:08:53 Robert 

They were like, everybody’s messed up. 

00:08:54 Robert 

We’re just going somewhere else. 

00:08:57 Robert 

So here’s how they approached him. 

00:08:59 Robert 

The Sadducees were convinced that Israel was no longer powerful because they had chosen the wrong side, and the Sadducees said if we do the ritual right and we’re faithful, that’s the most important thing. 

00:09:09 Robert 

God will lift us up again. 

00:09:11 Robert 

So what we need? 

00:09:11 Robert 

To do is make sure that that Rome is happy with us. 

00:09:17 Robert 

And we are able to continue to do the sacrifices. 

00:09:19 Robert 

So they very much fed into the power structures of Rome at the time and they’re like everybody needs to do the ritualistic practices. 

00:09:29 Robert 

So they would encourage you, you had these powerful priests that were encouraging people to do it. 

00:09:33 Robert 

And when you read the story of Jesus, you see where priests. 

00:09:37 Robert 

We are basically concerned with, Oh my gosh, he’s ticking off Rome. 

00:09:41 Robert 

That’s going to stop the sacrifices from happening in the temple. 

00:09:44 Robert 

We have to deal with him. 

00:09:45 Robert 

We have to get rid of him. 

00:09:47 Robert 

The Essenes over here. 

00:09:50 Robert 

Basically had the mindset of everybody is so evil that there’s no way for us to redeem it. 

00:09:56 Robert 

We’re going to separate ourselves from everyone else. 

00:09:59 Robert 

Now you have heard of them, even though you didn’t know that you’ve heard of them. Because we in the 1930s is this wonderful gift that was discovered in a. 

00:10:10 Robert 

The Cave that was known as Kumaran, and specifically the Qumran community, was known to be there. 

00:10:15 Robert 

We know it as the Dead Sea Scrolls. 

00:10:17 Robert 

We have the Dead Sea Scrolls because of the Essenes and it’s a great gift because some of the. 

00:10:21 Robert 

The best examples of Old Testament literature we have come from the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the reason those exist there is because this group right here said everybody is ruined. 

00:10:33 Robert 

There’s no repentance possible. 

00:10:35 Robert 

Only thing we can do is separate go out into the wilderness, escape everybody else, and then we can live a pure life. 

00:10:43 Robert 

And finally, God will lift us back up so that Israel will be redeemed. 

00:10:49 Robert 

So you have people here. 

00:10:51 Robert 

That are we’re going to lean into the power structure. 

00:10:55 Robert 

You have people here that are we’re going to escape the power structure. 

00:10:59 Robert 

And the Pharisees are kind of in the middle. 

00:11:03 Robert 

The Pharisees are convinced the reason that Israel is no longer powerful, the reason that Israel is subjugated is because the people of Israel were not following the law properly. 

00:11:16 Robert 

And they specifically meant by that 613, what would be known as mitzvah laws, commands righteous acts that you were supposed to follow, and they were saying if we can get the people of Israel to follow the law perfectly, then God is going to lift Israel back up. 

00:11:36 Robert 

And we will again be the powerful people that we were supposed to be. 

00:11:44 Robert 

Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. 

00:11:48 Robert 

And he says the following, he says. 

00:11:52 Robert 

Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God for no one can perform the signs you were doing. 

00:11:59 Robert 

If God were not with him and Jesus answers him in a way that seems to not actually answer his question, Jesus says the following. 

00:12:08 Robert 

He says this very truly I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God. 

00:12:12 Robert 

Unless they are born again. 

00:12:16 Robert 

Nicodemus comes and says you’re doing great things, and no one can do that without God being with him, but his whole background is 1. He’s a part of a group that’s saying if we want to be lifted back up by God again, we have to make sure that we follow all 613 laws. We have to make sure that everyone does it. There’s an old story. 

00:12:37 Robert 

About Pharisees, this is probably apocryphal, but the story is that their foreheads were constantly bruised because they were so convinced that they would be tempted if a woman walked past them. 

00:12:47 Robert 

Because women are evil, that is me saying that in quotes, OK. 

00:12:51 Robert 

OK, I’m not actually saying that. 

00:12:53 Robert 

I guess I did actually say that, but I’m saying it in quotes, that they were worried they would be tempted that they had constant bumps on their foreheads. 

00:13:00 Robert 

Because if a woman walked by them, they would turn this head, turn their head this way or away from the woman, and would walk into things nonstop. 

00:13:07 Robert 

They were concerned with purity. 

00:13:11 Robert 

Over and over. 

00:13:12 Robert 

Again, that’s what Nicodemus is coming out of. 

00:13:15 Robert 

And he sees Jesus and says this man is doing the things of God. 

00:13:19 Robert 

I have to go talk to him. 

00:13:21 Robert 

And Jesus understands affairs. 

00:13:23 Robert 

He’s talking to me at the end of the day. 

00:13:25 Robert 

What they’re concerned with is what do we have to do for Israel to be lifted up again? 

00:13:33 Robert 

Nicodemus takes Jesus too literal in one way. 

00:13:38 Robert 

He he does this wonderful statement where he says how in the world can a man. 

00:13:42 Robert 

Be born again. 

00:13:43 Robert 

How how does a person get back up into the womb and and those of you who’ve given birth before? 

00:13:47 Robert 

We’re probably like I am very thankful that is not possible. 

00:13:51 Robert 

That would be very painful, that would not be. 

00:13:55 Robert 

But what I think happens so often is while Nicodemus took Jesus physically, literally too much. 

00:14:02 Robert 

We don’t take. 

00:14:03 Robert 

Jesus, literally enough when it comes to life. 

00:14:07 Robert 

His answer literally was. 

00:14:10 Robert 

You need a new birth. 

00:14:13 Robert 

And I think so often when we hear new birth, we think new as in going back and doing a second try, we think new as in restoration. 

00:14:24 Robert 

But when Jesus talks about new, he’s talking about transformation. 

00:14:30 Robert 

It is a different way of life. 

00:14:32 Robert 

The poet that we watched at the beginning used a phrase that comes from Scripture where it is people turning the world upside down. 

00:14:40 Robert 

When we sang the Ren collective song, which is I forgot the name of it. 

00:14:45 Robert 

Build your Kingdom here. 

00:14:48 Robert 

There’s one phrase that is change the atmosphere. 

00:14:52 Robert 

What you think about that for just a SEC. 

00:14:54 Robert 

What would happen to us if the atmosphere in this room was changed? 

00:15:01 Robert 

We die. 

00:15:02 Robert 

We can’t exist it. 

00:15:02 Robert 

We have been created to live in a certain atmospheric condition, to be able to live in a different atmospheric condition. 

00:15:13 Robert 

We either have to somehow bring our atmosphere with us or entire system would have to be changed. 

00:15:21 Robert 

Jesus is talking about a new birth where he’s saying. 

00:15:24 Robert 

You’re being born. 

00:15:25 Robert 

Into a new set of values, because what happens again and again is we just want to take the values that are around us and make them religious rather than looking for a different set of values. 

00:15:41 Robert 

We are in the midst of Lent. 

00:15:42 Robert 

A few weeks ago, we saw people walking around with ash in their forehead. 

00:15:46 Robert 

Matter of fact, if Sarah Reeve is watching this today, I had the photo showed with me. 

00:15:51 Robert 

I was going to put in the slide show and I didn’t. 

00:15:53 Robert 

But Sarah Reeve sent Pam a photo this week that said if you remember the statement from Lent is, remember thou art dust and to dust you shall return. 

00:16:02 Robert 

And she sent us a photo of a sign that says, remember thou art dust, and to dust you shall return. 

00:16:08 Robert 

Therefore, I do not dust. 

00:16:14 Robert 

Oh, I I didn’t catch the last. 

00:16:15 Robert 

Part so. 

00:16:17 Robert 

I did not catch that the last part was because it might be someone I know that makes it even funnier. 

00:16:24 Robert 

See, I only get half the joke and I still thought it was funny. 

00:16:29 Robert 

Lint is supposed to remind us that all the systems that are telling us this is what you should value. 

00:16:36 Robert 

Are dust. 

00:16:40 Robert 

And the reality is, followers of Jesus so often we do not look for upside down values. 

00:16:46 Robert 

Instead we take the values of the world. 

00:16:50 Robert 

And we just try to make them religious. 

00:16:56 Robert 

If you think about it, you’ll think of lots of examples. 

00:16:58 Robert 

I think Lindsey did an example up here, not in a bad way, Lindsey said. 

00:17:03 Robert 

We’re not trying to say that Aaron Stomp. 

00:17:08 Robert 

There we go. 

00:17:09 Robert 

Aaron Strempel is wiser than than Martin Luther. 

00:17:13 Robert 

Because the value of this world is is that you, if you have charisma, if you have great learning, if you are a great speaker, then you probably have wisdom. 

00:17:22 Robert 

But there’s no no actual connection that you will have great wisdom just because you’re a great speaker. 

00:17:30 Robert 

If you look at the history of Martin Luther, he was. 

00:17:32 Robert 

A jerk. 

00:17:35 Robert 

Is a jerk that God used. 

00:17:37 Robert 

I’m convinced that Paul was probably a jerk also, and God used Paul because he was able to use that ability to accomplish his will, but it doesn’t mean that somehow Martin Luther is holier than you or I. 

00:17:52 Robert 

It means Martin Luther had the right talents at that time for God to be able to use that kind of needed a jerk. 

00:17:58 Robert 

For the Reformation to happen. 

00:18:00 Robert 

Now, that may sound a little weird until you start thinking we have a story of Jesus watching everyone give their offerings at the temple and he says that one specific person does it right. 

00:18:16 Robert 

Anybody know who it was? 

00:18:20 Robert 

As a widow who threw 2 little small coins in, we call it the widow’s mite. Jesus literally says everyone else is giving a lot. 

00:18:30 Robert 

She gave next to nothing and that is the greatest gift that happened today. 

00:18:38 Robert 

It’s not the only example. 

00:18:39 Robert 

All of Scripture is again and again the values being turned over. 

00:18:46 Robert 

The first will be. 

00:18:50 Robert 

And the last will be. 

00:18:55 Robert 

But even when we know that we struggle when the songs we said today was that our weakness would be made strong. 

00:19:02 Robert 

But if you look at Scripture, what it says instead is that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. 

00:19:08 Robert 

It’s not that weakness has somehow changed into strength, but literally when God displays his strength, it is weakness. 

00:19:19 Robert 

You look at Scripture again, Jesus is glorified not when he is lifted up at the end. 

00:19:25 Robert 

His glorification literally is when he is. 

00:19:28 Robert 

On the cross. 

00:19:32 Robert 

When our God is calling out my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 

00:19:36 Robert 

He is in the midst of his glorification. 

00:19:41 Robert 

His coronation is king. 

00:19:44 Robert 

The values of the Kingdom are the exact opposite. 

00:19:52 Robert 

And we have to be challenged from that, Thoreau. 

00:19:56 Robert 

Who I don’t normally quote, but I think it fits, said the following. 

00:20:01 Robert 

He said never use a clicker was that? 

00:20:03 Robert 

You or me? 

00:20:04 Robert 

OK, alright, he said. 

00:20:06 Robert 

I went into the woods because I wished to live deliberately to front only the essential facts of life and to see if I. 

00:20:13 Robert 

Could not learn. 

00:20:14 Robert 

What it had to teach, and not when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. 

00:20:19 Robert 

Now I have real problems with rowing some things, but what I liked is he understood that where he lived. 

00:20:25 Robert 

Influenced who he was. 

00:20:29 Robert 

I want to be this person. 

00:20:31 Robert 

I need to escape this spot and go and live in this spot. 

00:20:37 Robert 

And when we try to make the world’s values religious, when we try to say we’re going to reach more people if we’re more popular. 

00:20:47 Robert 

We’re going to reach more people if we have a larger system. 

00:20:51 Robert 

We are influenced by those values. 

00:20:54 Robert 

To follow a false gospel. 

00:20:58 Robert 

And it is. 

00:20:59 Robert 

All around us and it, I mean today for me. 

00:21:05 Robert 

One of the things I love the size of tapestry, but we had like three weeks in a row where we were bursting at the seams. 

00:21:14 Robert 

Bursting at the for us, OK? 

00:21:18 Robert 

We were back close to what we were pandemic wise. We had 41 people here. Yes, last week. That’s huge for us. We ran out of bulletins for the first time in a long time. 

00:21:31 Robert 

And I love you. 

00:21:31 Robert 

Got you were my friends, and I was upset when there weren’t as many people here today. 

00:21:38 Robert 

And some of us, my pride, because my son and my daughter-in-law are here today, and I want you to. I want them. 

00:21:43 Robert 

To see it like we’re back. 

00:21:47 Robert 

Higher numbers are not a. 

00:21:49 Robert 

Value of the Kingdom of God. 

00:21:54 Robert 

There is nothing more holy about large church attendance, but we buy in that lie all into that lie all the time. 

00:22:01 Robert 

You will hear in church healthy things grow, which is pure baloney. 

00:22:06 Robert 

Healthy things mature. 

00:22:09 Robert 

If you continue to grow, it’s called giantism and it’s not a good thing. 

00:22:17 Robert 

And this morning, rather than going father, I am so thankful. 

00:22:23 Robert 

For these constant reminders of the image of God that I am surrounded with. 

00:22:30 Robert 

I was going. 

00:22:30 Robert 

Why are we low today? 

00:22:35 Robert 

Because I live in the wrong values. 

00:22:42 Robert 

Jesus said. 

00:22:45 Robert 

My Kingdom is not of this world. 

00:22:47 Robert 

If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders, but now my Kingdom is from another place, he says this in challenge to someone saying I have power over you. 

00:23:01 Robert 

My kingdom’s not here and. 

00:23:02 Robert 

That doesn’t mean it’s just blandly. 

00:23:04 Robert 

Spiritual he’s saying I literally live in a different system. 

00:23:09 Robert 

Where what is good and what is bad are different things than what you value. 

00:23:14 Robert 

And yet so often as believers in Jesus Christ, we claim the values of the world, we just try to make them religious. 

00:23:26 Robert 

We are influenced by where we live. 

00:23:32 Robert 

Paul says do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 

00:23:39 Robert 

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

00:23:45 Robert 

And when we come to lent, we are not only recognizing that we are dust. 

00:23:50 Robert 

We are not only recognizing that we have. 

00:23:52 Robert 

Then, but we are recognizing that the world we live in, the world we are constantly influenced by the world that says what is good and what is bad is dust also. 

00:24:06 Robert 

And we have to come to him and say change us now. 

00:24:12 Robert 

The new birth is not about a new start. 

00:24:15 Robert 

It’s not about a maybe this time I will be able to correct it. 

00:24:19 Robert 

It is enter an entirely different world. 

00:24:27 Robert 

The atmosphere has changed and for that to happen you have to be a new creation with new lungs that can can take up nourishment from this other stuff that is viewed as poisonous and is weak. 

00:24:39 Robert 

Nietzsche’s problem with Christianity was that he saw it for what it really was, and he says it makes humanity. 

00:24:45 Robert 

Weak and Jesus’s answer is yes, because my strength is made perfect in weakness. 

00:24:56 Robert 

So when we come to lent, we not only recognize our own sin, but we recognize the failure of the values around us, and we beg for a new birth. 

00:25:07 Robert 

So before I suggest what I think we can do with this, does anybody have? 

00:25:12 Robert 

Anything to add? 

00:25:19 Robert 

OK. 

00:25:20 Speaker 2 

So how do you live in a new world? 

00:25:28 Robert 

Not through our own effort. 

00:25:31 Robert 

Jesus describes it literally as a new birth. 

00:25:35 Robert 

What did you do to get born? 

00:25:38 Robert 

Not diddly squat. 

00:25:42 Robert 

You sat in your mother’s womb. At least I’m assuming we all came out of a womb you sat. 

00:25:47 Robert 

In your mother’s womb. 

00:25:48 Robert 

For nine months. 

00:25:50 Robert 

Maybe a little more if you were late, maybe a little less if you were early. 

00:25:57 Robert 

I think we have to constantly come back and. 

00:26:00 Robert 

Well, in the back table we have a sticker from from Dietrich Bonhoeffer that’s there every week. 

00:26:06 Robert 

It says, Lord, I do not understand your ways. 

00:26:10 Robert 

But I know you are the way for me. 

00:26:14 Robert 

I think Lent gives us the chance to come back and say. 

00:26:19 Robert 

What is dust all around me? 

00:26:22 Robert 

And how is it influencing me? 

00:26:26 Robert 

Jesus, I do not understand your ways. 

00:26:29 Robert 

But I know you are the way for me. 

00:26:32 Robert 

And that may be destructive, but it’s always destructive. 

00:26:36 Robert 

That leads to construction. 

00:26:39 Robert 

It is deconstructing around us. 

00:26:43 Robert 

That we might live in the Kingdom of God. 

00:26:46 Robert 

So this week. 

00:26:49 Robert 

Recognize you live in a dusty place. 

00:26:53 Robert 

So if you will join with me and singing. 

00:26:56 Speaker 2 

The closing prayer. 

00:27:00 Speaker 2 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. 

00:27:08 Speaker 2 

Praise him. 

00:27:10 Speaker 2 

All creatures here be low. 

00:27:16 Speaker 2 

Praise him up all of Ye heavenly host, praise Father, son and Holy Ghost homily. 

00:27:37 Robert 

You live in a dusty world. 

00:27:39 Robert 

I live in a dusty world. 

00:27:41 Robert 

Remember you art dust, thou art dust. 

00:27:46 Robert 

But we have a God who breathes life into dust. 

00:27:49 Robert 

Have a great week. 

00:27:50 Robert 

OK. 

00:27:51 Robert 

Thank you for joining us on video.