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We Are His Highest Priority :: John 6:1-15

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When the men saw the sign that he did, they said: “This One is truly the Prophet, the One Coming into the world (v 14). [Introduction] Apart from the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, the feeding of the five thousand in the wilderness near the Sea of Galilee is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels. That should tell you something about how important this great event is in the life of the church.  THROUGH THE FEEDING OF THE 5,000, OUR LORD TEACHES US THAT HIS HIGHEST PRIORITY IS OUR ETERNAL WELL-BEING Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the Gospel of John not only specifically associates the feeding of the five thousand with Passover and that it happened on a mountain, the place where heaven and earth meet ... we learn that it is Jesus himself, Jesus alone, who sees a need among the people, fills that need himself personally, and doesn’t wait for his disciples to do it. His highest priority is our eternal well-being. After taking bread and giving thanks, in John’s Gospel, it is Je...
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Sounds of the Passion: Tramping Feet :: John 18:1-14

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One of my favorite memories of serving in the Marine Corps comes from boot camp ... the sound of tramping feet. When you get 70 men into formation and start teaching them to march in time, to snap their rifle to port arms in time ... the first thing you hear is something like the sound of bubble pop [Purrrrerdip]. By the end of boot camp, the drill instructors always have everyone in perfect time. There’s a perfect rhythm in the martial beat of our Lord Jesus, too. It’s a sound that repeats again and again as Jesus is shuttled from Gethsemane to trial, from Caiaphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod and back ... and finally from judgment to the cross. THE SOUND OF THE PASSION MARCHES ON WITH TRAMPING FEET I. [Left ... Left ... Left, Right, Left] We first hear this sound in the Garden.  Jesus had just finished his agonizing time in prayer, sweating blood. He roused the disciples from their slumber with the news that his betrayer was at hand. Right on cue, the sound of tramping feet ...
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In the Name Above All Names :: Luke 11:14-28

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In the name of Jesus ... The demon came out, the mute man spoke, and the crowd marveled (v 14). [Introduction] For the third time in three weeks, we have heard of a conflict between God and the devil. Two weeks ago, our Lord rebuked satan for his accusations against God himself. Last week, our Lord walked into a pagan wilderness to answer the prayer of a faithful woman whose daughter was being tormented by a demon. And now today, our Lord has given a faithful confession to a man who had been silenced by a demon. In all three cases, we learned that “The One” who is stronger than the unholy trinity of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh has arrived. Jesus has come and brings great blessings. Jesus has come to cleanse and set us free. Jesus has come to leave those of us who actively hear his Word and guard it ... holding it close ... blessed and in awe.  IN THE NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES, JESUS HAS COME TO GIVE US A FAITHFUL CONFESSION  1.  Now, before we get into this text...
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Sounds of the Passion: Weeping Tears :: John 11:35

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[Introduction] Weeping. This is one of those sounds we never want to hear. When you hear the sound of weeping, you want it to stop. Though sometimes we weep tears of joy, mostly we weep because something’s wrong. Maybe we are confronted with death or the loss of a career. Maybe the loss of a relationship brings us to tears. But sooner or later, we all weep. Jesus wept (v 35). This two-word verse in the Bible eloquently and powerfully proclaims that we actually have a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses (Hb 4:15). Jesus is the Lord who rejoices with those who rejoice and he mourns with those who mourn (Rm 12:15).  He weeps because he is True Man. He weeps because he is True God. Our Lord saw the pain that sin and death causes ... and he wept. And like Joseph, our Lord weeps over those who reject his peace (Gen 50:17; Lk 19:41).  Can you hear how he loves you? 3. The first time we encounter Jesus weeping is at the death of Lazarus.  Lazarus was a cl...
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