Jesus Arrested

Wy all right um so fun fact not fun fact but kind of what you just experienced there in the mistakes of the song as well as a bit of the like awkwardness of like all right let's like we're still pushing through we're still continuing on with this like there's still a goal at hand is kind of what we're going to be talking about a little bit today of where Jesus is in the midst of what we talked about last week when ransford preached on Jesus praying in the garden uh we kind of dealt with that right in the middle of two passages that we're going

to be covering today and so the final teaching Jesus has with his disciples at the last supper and then moving into after the garden him getting arrested uh by by the Betrayal of Judas in the midst of what Jesus is feeling and what he's going through um in the weight of just knowing that he's about to be Cru CR ified there is still Ministry that he is teaching to his disciples um there is still this moment of trying to help them figure out what exactly it is that they need to be prepared for and what they need to to accomplish in the coming days he's

still teaching them even though they don't exactly understand what's going on even though they don't understand what he's about to do for them uh they're actually still in a way frustrating Jesus um and we're going to show you that today as they still kind of fumble with their understanding of what he's asking of them and what he's teaching them and so I want to give you um kind of what the four points are going to look like but our passage so you can turn there with me is Luke 22 we're going to be looking at 35 through 38 which is actually before what ransford covered

last week which was 39-46 but then we're also going to look at 47-5 3 so 35 through 38 and 47- 53 and the four things that we're going to look at are provision in the past preparation for the future propitiation fulfilled and power promised those are the four so I've given you a lot of peas all right a little alliteration there but those are the four things that are kind of deduced out of these scriptures that Jesus is is really talking about and discussing with the disciples so this is his last last teaching with his disciples this is his last um encouragement of them and

even giving them what they are to expect in the coming days which is important for us because though we don't experience the exact same types of Trials and and tribulation that they walk through in their Ministry I mean none of us are uh currently in our context now it is happening around the world but none of us are getting crucified upside down none of us are having our heads cut off like for the sake of Christ this is what will happen for these disciples and Jesus is preparing that for them but it is still difficult for us the ministry of the Gospel is still difficult

and so it's important for us to see what Jesus is teaching them in this final encouragement before he does get arrested and so looking at verses 35 through 38 I want to read that break that down for you and then show you it kind of played out in verses 47- 53 so starting in verse 35 he says this and Jesus said to them when I sent you out with no money bag or knapsack or sandals did you lack anything they said nothing now that is Jesus referencing going back to Luke chapter 89 and 10 when he actually sent out the disciples in pairs so first

he sent out the 12 in pairs and then he eventually sent out the 70 in PRS that's what he's referencing if you were to go back and look at those passages Jesus literally says like hey when I send you out to go into the villages and and preach and proclaim the gospel that the kingdom of God is here that I'm here that I'm coming to do all these miraculous Works don't go with anything like don't prepare for the trip basically all you need to do is take the word of God with you and there's reason for that that I'll show you here in a moment

but that's what he's referencing when he asked the disciples when I sent you out with no money bag or napsack or sandals did you lack anything and they said nothing so there was provision in the past now the question I had for that was why does he bring that up well what's important to understand is that when Jesus was fulfilling his three years of ministry on Earth the majority of the time there was no opposition to him other than the religious Elite other than the Pharisees when it came to the people when it came to the Villages they loved Jesus they received Jesus with open

arms why because he was something new on the scene and he was actually providing for them so he's feeding the 5,000 he's feeding the 4,000 he's providing miracles for them he's healing their sick he's bringing their dead back to life like the word spread about Jesus so much that again it drew large crowds because Jesus was something good for them to experience he was something good for them to have so much so that when it came time for Jesus to send out the disciples in pairs I mean they were like if he if they came in the name of Jesus those towns were going to

welcome him because they've heard of how he was experiencing or being witnessed in other towns so you wanted the tourah of Jesus to come to your village and so he knew that whenever he sent out his disciples that he would provide for them them via his word and his name already going out and being welcomed and the disciples ultimately being taken care of so they could go into a village and they could literally say hey we're here in the name of Jesus peace be to you and that peace would land on households and they would receive the disciples in and they would say we're going

to take care of you we're going to provide everything that you need because Jesus's name was welcome Jesus was considered at that time like what I would almost consider in our day like a celebrity Pastor like he was well known and and it was good for Jesus to come into a village or at least his name to come into a village so much so that they lacked nothing they didn't even have to prepare for their trip you'll be taken care of he then says in verse 36 but now let the one who has a money bag take it and likewise a napsack and let the

one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one so now he's telling his disciples when I send you out when I give you the last commission which is going to be the Great Commission when after he resurrects from um the grave and he goes to the Mount of Olives once again and he sits with his disciples and he gives them the the the again the Great Commission the call to go and make disciples of all Nations when he gives them that call it's going to be a different welcoming of the disciples wherever they go there is a shift in the mindset of this

point from the people uh in how they think about Jesus in how they receive Jesus no longer is Jesus going to be welcome no longer is the name of Jesus going to be something that people would hear and say this is good news for us to come and the reason for that is going to be what's about to happen with Jesus what's about to happen with Jesus that we're going to see in the coming weeks of his trial his arrest in his trial and ultimately his crucifixion is going to change the public uh the public view of Jesus to where instead of him being a

celebrity Pastor Rabbi who's coming in and providing all these wonderful Miracles they're going to consider him to be one who is named among the transgressors they're going to consider him as a sinner who's worse off than even those who are considered criminals in their day because they were willing to exchange a criminal for Jesus they want Jesus to be gone there's going to be a shift in how people think about Jesus and it's because they're going to be um convinced that Jesus actually wasn't who he said he was and so then anybody associated with the name of Jesus is going to then have the exact

same type of interaction or destiny if you will of what Jesus had himself so much so that if you were considered a Christian a little Christ well then we are going to persecute you we are going to put you on trial we are going to get rid of you as much as possible and so Jesus does what is um considered an about face in this moment where he turns the entire like a 180 on what he's taught them in the past and how they are to prepare for missionary Journeys and how they are to now prepare for their missionary journey after his death and crucifixion

where in the past they would be able to go out and not have to prepare not have to work for their own provision it's going to be provided for you because again the name of Jesus is just a warm welcome in villages now you need to actually prepare in a different way you need to make sure that you take provision with you you need to make sure that you work for it at the same time you need to make sure that you are able to defend yourself because there is going to be all kinds of hostility that comes against you but the one who has

no sword sell his cloak and buy one now we're going to dive into that a little bit towards the end here of what does he mean by that is this like the First Crusade is this the take up your arms and by Brute Force go out and and proclaim the name of Jesus and like um either they convert or or kill them like is that what Jesus is saying like is he is he saying arm yourselves with a literal sword but we'll get to that in a moment but look at verse 37 this is why Jesus is teaching them this shift in mind ET about

what they need to actually prepare for where he's provided for them in the past now they need to prepare themselves for the future for I tell you that the scripture must be fulfilled in me and here's the scripture he's referencing which comes from Isaiah 53 and he was numbered with the transgressors for what is written about me has which is present tense in this moment is fulfillment so he's saying here that and there's other scriptures that allude to Isaiah 53 in the New Testament but this is the primarily the one that Jesus pulls out of when he says in Isaiah 53 when it's referencing the

Messiah who will be numbered amongst the transgressors Jesus saying this is that moment in which I am fulfilling that great prophecy that the Messiah will be considered of the transgressors which is like not just saying that he like messed up one time it's not just saying that he um didn't follow a law on a specific day this is saying that he has completely decimated the law this is saying that this is an individual this is a person based on the religious Elite based on the chief scribes and the Pharisees the Sanhedrin when they look at Jesus they say this man has nothing to do with

our way of life he he cares nothing about Abraham he he car cares nothing about David he cares nothing about the way that we are trying to live for God's glory Jesus wants nothing to do with it and because he wants nothing to do with it he's trying to create a whole different thing a whole different system and because of that he is a blasphemer and we are considering him to be a transgressor which means he there is no law in him and he is upholding nothing of the law so it's it's it's literally the worst possible way that you could be described in the

judaic system and this is the one thing if they could convince everyone else that this is who Jesus is then it would be the one thing that would allow them to win over the crowd to then crucify Jesus it was their only way to be able to get him to to be viewed in the mindset of of everyone else as as even just less than human almost demonic if you will and so as he ends up coming on trial that's what we're going to see in the coming weeks they do a great job and they convince the crowds to view Jesus in this way so

much so that they are able to actually number him with the transgressors but what Jesus is actually trying here here to show the disciples is that that was the exact purpose of God like God sent Jesus to not only be numbered with the transgressors but to actually become all of the transgressors so that his wrath could be poured out on them Jesus here is showing his disciples that he is becoming the propitiation for them and that's a a again a lofty Christian word that we use a lot of times but it is a substitution it is him telling his disciples that though you are the

Sinners and I am not I am actually taking your place so that instead of you continuing on as Sinners you actually have the opportunity to become a saint you actually have the opportunity to not be numbered among the transgressors because according to God everyone is a transgressor everyone is a sinner everyone is numbered among that and what their view of Jesus was is actually God's view of mankind that's the truth the way they view Jesus is that there's no law in him there's no good in him there's no glory in him there's no worship of God in him is actually how God views Humanity because

of our sins and so there's this Great Exchange that is happening this propitiation fulfilled is that Jesus is explaining to his disciples that it has to happen that the humanity views me in this way so that they will go and crucify me and murder me that in that act God is then able to number me amongst the transgressors put all of the sin of the world on me and then have his wrath poured out on me so that I can take your punishment for you and remove it from you so that you can then be numbered among the righteous numbered among the saints and so

here's what again I love the disciples because we are of them they don't see it he just tells them that in verse 37 what I've been I mean because again Jesus has access to the Old Testament he wrote it all all right he inspired through the through through the spirit and through the Lord like that he gave the prophets what they are to say and what they are to record Like Jesus knew all of it so you got to know that during the three years of Ministry Jesus is teaching the disciples what the Old Testament is all about what it's meant to to to to

um reveal to them and so when he is sharing this verse with them and saying hey you know I've taught this before already that I am to be numbered among the transgressors you would hope that the light bulb would go off and that they would say okay we Now understand all right so when which they didn't know Judas was going to be the one at the time but when Judas comes and he betrays you we to sit back and let watch this whole thing unfold in a way we we should Worship in the fact of understanding that you are going to become sin so that

we might become righteousness we should sit back and let it play out but then in verse 38 they said look Lord here are two swords so all they took away from Jesus in verse 35 and 36 is that okay yeah we need to make sure we prepare for ourselves we need to make sure we get the money bag we need to make sure that we have the napsack and let one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one what they took away from that teaching and and then Jesus talking about Isaiah 53 and saying that that time is now I'm fulfilling it and

becoming transgress and and literally becoming sin what they took away was we get to exercise our Second Amendment right here's some swords like let's go get them we get to cut some people's ears off and what's funny here is Jesus said to them it's enough which is not him saying the two swords is enough it's actually a Greek phrase that is like a parent listening to a child continue to C you know talk and talk and talk and and and spin in circles and whatnot and they say that's enough stop in this moment Jesus is looking at his disciples and and and it's not in

a in a sinful frustration but saying you're not getting it you're not understanding it stop stop it's actually not about the literal swords it's about something different that I'm trying to explain to you and the reason why we know they continued on not understanding it and also not listening to Jesus say that's enough is how we see them react when Jesus actually gets arrested jump down to verse 46 seven while he was still speaking there came a crowd and the man called Judas one of the twel was leading this crowd to him he drew near to Jesus to kiss him but Jesus said to him

Judas would you betray the son of man with a kiss and when those who were around him saw what would follow they said Lord should we strike with the sword like they're still thinking In This Moment this is what he told us to prepare for like he told us to have a money bag ready because why Judas took the money bag to go fill it with 30 pieces of silver so he told us to get another money bag because Judas took ours already have the napsack have what you need in order to be able to sleep with and not only that but he told us

to get swords this is the moment Lord should we draw our sword and one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear which is great because all of the um all of the gospels record this and and I saw on a real recently there's a guy who does like the different personalities of of Matthew Mark Luke and John and how each of them kind of like defend one another except for John he just calls everyone out on everything and so like if you look at Matthew and you look at Mark and you look at Luke none of them

say who it was who cut the year off but if you look at the account of John John says it was Peter in the same way of John recording hey like they all ran to the tomb but it was John who outran Peter like John just has a thing for Peter but in this moment it is Peter because of John's account who lets us know that Peter draws the sword and he cuts the guy's ear off now according to Peter he's doing what Jesus told him to do like he's he fully believes I'm defending the faith here I'm defending our cause I'm defending our ministry

no one's going to take you you just told us to get some swords but Jesus said to him in verse 51 stop no more of this and then he had to fix again what we as disciples break he touched his ear and he healed the man then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and Elders who had come out against him have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs when I was with you day after night in the temple you did not lay hands on me but this is your hour and the power of darkness and so

my question is what was Jesus really talking about in what he asked the disciples to prepare for because it's important it's are we not Disciples of Jesus and so when he tells them to make sure you have money bags and nap saacks and hey if you don't have a sword sell your cloak which is basically saying like sell your possessions and your belongings and make sure that you have a sword in order to go on in advance the faith what then is he mentioning if he's told them when they said here are two swords and he says stop that's that's enough and then when again

a dire need is is in the moment and they is this the time for us to draw the sword and then he C cuts the ear off and Jesus says again stop you you're not understanding what then are we to understand well I believe again through looking at the scriptures Jesus is not here talking about a literal physical sword I think he's talking about a different sword that they are going to have access to when it comes to what they are going to experience in the ministry of the Gospel I want you to turn to Ephesians chapter 6 with me looking at vers 10 through

20 talking about the whole armor of God because what Jesus is trying to prepare the disciples with In This Moment is that hey guys for the last three years Ministry has actually been pretty easy it's been pretty easy we've been welcomed with open arms in the The Villages and towns that we've gone into we've drawn large crowds like we've we've been like people were excited to see us so much so that literally just a week before this was the triumphal entry I mean you're talking Peak popularity of Jesus Christ among all of the Jewish people gathering for their annual Passover feast like they were all

excited for Jesus to show up but because Jesus is about to be numbered among the transgressors and the popularity is going to WAN and the view that the people have in regards to Jesus is going to shift to not seeing him as this great popular Rabbi who's able to do all these Miracles and raise the dead back to life but now they're going to view him as less than human who is blaspheming God who is considered basically as someone with a demon then the same is going to be viewed from society towards anyone who Bears name he knows this is their future and so therefore

they need to prepare themselves for not an an an easy Ministry like what they've experienced so far but rather the most difficult Endeavor the world has ever seen the most difficult Endeavor the world has ever ever seen because what they have done to Jesus they will do to his followers they will do to his followers they will have the same view and so instead of just telling them to to to prepare he's telling them that not only are you going to have to prepare physically because no one's going to just provide for you when you come into their Villages and towns but you need to

prepare spiritually because it's not just Flesh and Blood that's going to want to kill you it's also the principalities of the world and the spiritual schemes of the devil that are going to come against you to try to stop what Jesus has just accomplished which basically means you have the world against you and you have the spiritual Darkness against you which means this side of Glory everyone is against you and everything is against you creation is groaning so like the the just literally every like thorns and thistles are going to work against you like life is going to be hard and difficult collateral damage of

sin is going to be a reality for you not only that but everyone who is a non-believer is not going to just welcome you with open arms they're going to think you're an idiot and they're going to think you're dumb and they're going to think that you've been brainwashed and so forth and they're probably going to write you off as instead of being a sane human you're insane and they're going to think that that's who you are are and then not only that but you're going to have the devil who just like he did with um Satan and having a conversation with Jesus a couple

of weeks ago wants to sift you like wheat he wants to shake out your life he wants to bring Calamity on you so that you recount your or recount your trust in Jesus and say Jesus wasn't providing for me like he did for the disciples in the first three years it's going to be hard and therefore this is why I believe Paul preaches to the church in Ephesus really what the understanding was of what Jesus taught to his disciples what he was actually teaching his disciples to prepare for is what we get in understanding what Paul preaches in Ephesians 61-20 Paul says this finally be

strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might which is so good what what that tells me is that you're going to feel weak and you're going to feel incompetent and you're going to feel worried and anxious and you're going to feel every single day like you don't know enough that you're not strong enough that you don't understand enough that you're that that when it comes to disciples like you're you know bottom of the totem pole that you don't feel like you could witness to somebody and have them be converted and believe in Jesus Christ like you're going to feel like I'm I'm

not what Jesus had in my and here he's telling us yeah that's probably true in your own strength but if you are strengthened in the Lord and you are strengthened according to his might you have everything you need that's all you need to prepare for you have everything you need if you have the strength of the Lord in you for his ministry and so therefore put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand all right like you see that that you may be able to stand so without the strength of the Lord and without the strength of his might you

cannot stand against what is coming for disciples that's what he's trying to tell his disciples in that last final meal his last words of encouragement and teaching to them before his crucifixion is you're going to need my strength because in your own strength you will not be able to stand for this and you see that because before he actually gives them their strength in what I'll show you in a moment they do fall and they do scatter and they do um uh um deny him three times they do fall and are not able to stand against the schemes of the devil but verse 12 for

we do not wrestle against flesh and blood we do but it's not only that that we wrestle against but we wrestle against the rulers against the authorities and against the cosmic Powers over this present Darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly places man I I still I I I reference it often I love the book the screw tape letters the screw tape Letters by CS Lewis is such a phenomenal book written based on exactly what Paul is talking about in this moment what are the schemes of the evil one what are the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly places like what

is what what are we experiencing on a daily basis when we want to worship God because of Christ in us but instead we get distracted by the world around us or we feel like we're not worthy to do that and so therefore we give ourselves over to something that is evil or something that is um just worldly in general we might not think that it's evil or we're just giving more time to that than we are to CH like we're constantly Waring with ourselves every single single day and it's because we are wrestling with spiritual forces of evil that are trying to keep us inefficient

for the cause of Christ that are trying to keep us from being able to invite people to Jesus so that they can have their lives transformed because what the spiritual forces of Darkness want is they know how the story ends they do the devil knows how the story ends and so it's not him trying to continue figuring out a way to defeat Jesus he knows he's not going to defeat Jesus he knows that he's going to be thrown into the sea of the Abyss he knows that he's going to hell and he's not going to hell to rule and Reign it as what the world

thinks that it's going to be some kind of party for those who are just non-believers he's going to be tortured for all eternity by the wrath of God because there's no Redemption for him and so what he wants most in his existence is to drag as many people with him to Rob God of his glory that's what he wants and if he can make us inefficient by distracting us with schemes and with spiritual forces then he believes he's winning in his right to bring other people down with him and so Paul tells them and encourages them just as Jesus was trying to do with his

disciples therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand firm stand therefore having fastened on the belt of Truth and this is where he he's just literally using the imagery of their soldiers to be able to show them that even though they prep prepared themselves physically and this is where I'm saying again the sword is not a literal thing but it's a spiritual thing he's using a physical ill illustration to demonstrate for them what their spiritual preparedness needs to be in order to withstand what they are about to experience

so none of this is like all right let me figure out a buy a belt of Truth where do I get one of those like it's not a physical thing that you go and get this is a spiritual maturity that we undergo as Believers when we say yes to Jesus and no to sin when we follow him and and and pray for his strength to overcome and take over our lives and encourage us and strengthen US versus relying on our own strength and our own selves and so take up the belt of Truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness and as shoes for

your feet having put on the Readiness given by the gospel of peace in all circumstances take up the shield of Faith with which you can extinguish all the Flaming darts of the evil one and take the the helmet of salvation all of these things so far are just for us defensive preparedness it's defensive it's what God has provided for us so that when the darts and the arrows and and the schemes of the evil one come against us in what we are going to experience and our experience on a daily basis he's showing us um this is what God is providing for you in your

discipleship if you're growing in your discipleship you are strengthening your defense mechanism in what the spiritual schemes of the evil one are trying to do to make you inefficient as a Believer so it's strengthening you to be able to say when the schemes come uh no uh you missed me I'm not believing that today I'm not acting in that today because I have the belt of truth because I have the shield of Faith because I have the helmet of salvation because I have shoes ready that are able to be able to walk away from whatever it is that the schemes of the devil are bringing

against me I'm able to say no to these things and all of those things are again things that God has provided for us so even though he's and that's one of the reasons why I Think Jesus when he's talking to them back in verse 35 he's telling them look there's been things provided for you as you prepare for the future even these things are going to be provided for you it's just not going to be what you think it is it's not merely going to be physical but here's why I believe the sword is not a literal sword but rather a spiritual one and honestly

it's the only offensive weapon so when you think about it in regards to that the disciples when they were getting attacked in this moment in this scene when Jesus is getting arrested they think the sword is meant to be a defense we are defending Christ because someone is coming after him and that's not what it's meant for instead here he says take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God the sword of the spirit which is the word of God so he does two things for them here that they don't still kind of understand in in

the moment the disciples as he tells them be willing to sell your possessions and take up the sword they just didn't understand what kind of sword he was referencing take up the sword of the spirit which again he's going to provide for them in the Holy Spirit and the helper that he's going to send they didn't see that yet they don't see that until Pentecost but that spirit is not only going to strengthen you but that spirit is going to you in understanding all of the truth and therefore providing for you the offensive weapon that you need in order to take to the domain of

darkness and Pierce the hearts of those who need to hear the word of God down to the splitting of bone and Marrow so that it knows their thoughts reveals their thoughts to them they get convicted by it and then they turn to the Lord by renouncing their sin that is the spirit of the the sword that he is actually talking about in what they need to prepare for and he's telling them that you need to be willing to sell your life to get what like whatever it is if it's your cloak that you're using for Comfort if it's your house what like whatever it is

that is keeping you from investing in the word of God investing in the spirit of of God that is with you you need to get rid of it in order to take up this sword and Advance the mission of God that's the ministry that God has given us that's the ministry that Paul is talking about here with the church in Ephesus as he goes on to encourage them praying at all times in the spirit with all prayer and supplication to that end keep alert with all perseverance again why is he telling them to keep alert like the same reason when with with u what ransford

preached last week when Jesus is going to the garden and he's praying in the garden and he's telling the disciples to keep watch what did they do they fell asleep like in this moment he once again is telling them like stay alert don't sleep on the ministry of the Gospel don't sleep on the ministry of the church stay awake be alert with all perseverance why do we need perseverance it's not going to be easy like it was it's going to be incredibly difficult because because of all of these schemes and the um unpopularity of the name of Jesus making supplication for all the saints and

also for me that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the ministry or mystery of the Gospel so even Paul is asking like he's saying here's what here's what we need as disciples we need defense mechanisms that are provided to us by the Lord in order to not give over to the schemes of the devil and and the Enemy at the same time we need an offensive weapon we need the sword of the spirit we need the sword which is the word of God like we need to know it we need to preach it we need to Proclaim it

we need to share it we need to study it we need to read it we need to share it with others we need to get the word of God into the world because that is what God uses as an offensive weapon to pierce the hearts of people so that they can see who Jesus is and come to know him we need to do that and then he is telling them and while we are doing that we need to pray for one another so that we are strengthened in it because it's going to be incredibly difficult even Paul who like everyone says is always is like

one greatest missionaries who have ever existed in the life of the church himself believes he needs to be strengthened that he needs needs prayers that he needs the Saints to be able to help him in his time of weakness as well which I am an ambassador in Chains I mean this is literally a man in this moment living out exactly what Jesus told the disciples to prepare for as he is encouraging another church Church to be strengthened in the spirit he himself is imprisoned for the same Ministry awaiting his transfer to Rome in order to then go and be martyred and killed for the sake

of the name of Christ if anyone in this moment were or had an opportunity to say the armor of God didn't work it's Paul he's in prison like Bound in shackles in that Mo like if if if we were just to be honest with ourselves if you were to go back let's go back four years covid obviously there was a lot of issues going on with government and church and what's appropriate and what's not appropriate and there were obviously other countries who had a little bit more radical policies on on this matter there was a pastor in Canada who was literally taken to jail because

they continued conducting worship services and in that moment people would say well where's your Jesus now like you can't continue to preach the word on Sundays anymore because you're in PR like just from a worldly perspective people would look at that and say yeah the government won because they have him bound and Shackled and instead they did not win the word of God was then put on display the word of God wins so much so that when you fast forward with what Jesus taught what Paul preached and elaborated on to then moving into second century and the martydom of so many of our early church

fathers they finally understood this to the point to where it was a badge of honor to find yourself in the same position as Paul it wasn't a where is God why is he not providing for me anymore where is God this isn't the life that he promised where's my health wealth and prosperity where's my good life like where's my comfort in ease where's my making ends meet at the end of the month like where's all of like it's a different shift in provision like I think there's still something that we all hold on to that when we get saved and God brings us into the

family of God and and into the fold of his sheep that that literally just means that now we are going to have a happy go-lucky easy life never experiencing anything that's difficult because that wouldn't be a good god like that wouldn't be a loving father like he wants us to to to to experience just nothing but pleasure all the time and nothing but satisfaction all the time but instead he's telling them actually actually you'll get that not here not here like I will provide for you your daily bread I literally gave you a prayer to ask it so you will go with what you need

in order to live in the days that I have allotted for you but it might not be what you think it'll be in excess and having much and having ease and comfort and so forth but you are actually going to be faced with all kinds of Calamity in all kinds of difficult situations and I need you to be prepared for it and the way that I prepare prepare you for it is not physical but actually spiritual and I need you to trust that so that when that day comes and it's not if but when when that day comes you will be able to stand firm

and not recant like that's what he's preaching that's what he's telling his disciples and that's what he's telling us in this moment right now for every single one of us in this room you have one purpose in this entire life and it has nothing nothing to do with what your actual profession is right now your actual profession right now whatever that is if it's a homemaker if it's a an owner of a business if it's a teacher social worker whatever it is that's not your purpose in life your purpose in life is not to move the needle in whatever that is to make it better

in life it's to leverage whatever God has provided for you in your skill set for his glory and the spreading of his word and the sword of the spirit and and which is the word of God like it is to advance that period and so if what we're doing on a Sunday morning if what we're doing in groups if what we're doing as a church is simply just helping one another become better humans then we're missing the whole point of what we're doing here if what we're doing is not translating into getting more people to come to know Jesus Christ then we need to stop

like we need Jesus to tell us that's enough that's enough and we need to get back to what he later on tells the church in Ephesus you need to remember your first love you're doing all these activities which are good and great I'm thankful for them but if you only do the activi of the church without advancing the gospel and remembering your first love which is what Jesus has accomplished for us then actually you're no longer a church we got to get to that place where what we see every single day is an opportunity to leverage our resources leverage our lives for the sake of

advancing the gospel for the sake of inviting people to Jesus so that they get baptized in Christ and that no longer are they numbered among the transgressors but they are numbered among the righteous the Saints that's our only purpose in this entire life and if we're not fulfilling that purpose then we're trapped in the schemes of the devil that's it we're trapped in the sches of the devil and he's given us a way out take up the shield of Faith the belt of Truth the helmet of salvation the shoes fit ready to move towards worship of Jesus as we conclude this morning