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Extravagant Sacrifice
10 Plays11 days ago
Series: Faithfulness to Jesus
Mark 14:1-11
Recommended
Transcript
Sacrificial Giving: Personal Stories and Examples
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One church member had said to his friend, i could give $1,000 towards that building campaign and not even feel it. And his friend replied, well then you need to give $2,000 or $3,000 more until you feel it.
00:00:18
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In other words, give until it hurts. Yeah, we've all heard that before. It means to give back in such a way that that's costly, that requires sacrificial giving.
00:00:31
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Those things which are most precious often come at a great sacrifice. It reminds me of a chaplain who had visited a young soldier wounded there at Walter Reed Hospital.
00:00:43
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And he said to the soldier, he said, you have lost an arm to a great cause. To which the soldier replied, I didn't lose it, sir. I gave it. Friends, Jesus didn't lose his life.
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He willingly gave it for you and for me so that we might be reconciled with God. A truly extravagant sacrifice. A remarkably precious
Gospel Teachings on Sacrifice: Mark 14
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sacrifice. An extremely costly sacrifice.
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And I don't know about you, friends, but as a follower of Jesus Christ, i don't want I want to be known this morning as somebody who is a costly giver. I want to be a sacrificial giver.
00:01:27
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I just don't want it to hurt so much. I just don't want it to cost too much. Right? Because if we're honest with ourselves, that's the way we feel sometimes.
00:01:39
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The disciple of me says, I can't wait to give extravagantly. But the on on the other hand, the fallen part of me says, I just want to give what's comfortable, not what's costly.
00:01:52
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But friends, if we are to follow Christ in His footsteps as devoted disciples, emulating Him and being formed in His likeness, we are called to do just that. And that is to sacrifice extravagantly.
00:02:06
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So how do we do that, you and I? That's that's what we're going to see today in Mark
Narrative Structure: Betrayal and Sacrifice in Mark 14
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chapter 14. Mark chapter 14, if you have your Bibles, turn with me. We're going to look at just the first 11 verses, but I will tell you that these 11 verses are so...
00:02:21
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beautifully written and beautifully crafted that this could probably be two or three sermons, but I'm going to keep it just to one today. Mark chapter 14 is structured like a a sandwich, if I can make this very general ah analogy.
00:02:40
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So they in a sandwich, there's a top piece of bread, ah bottom piece of bread, and right in the middle is the core part of your sandwich. The top piece of bread and the bottom piece of bread are these outer stories. The top piece is verse one and two.
00:02:55
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The bottom piece of that bread is verse 10 and 11. And the inner meat of the story, or the vegetables, if you're a vegetarian, is in the middle. That's verses three through nine. So the whole account here is simply 11 verses, and so i want to read it in its entirety.
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Verse one says, it was now two days before Passover, and the festival of the unleavened bread. And the leading priests and the teachers of the religious law were looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.
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But not during the Passover celebration, they agreed, else the people may riot. Now just pause right there. That's the first piece of the bread. That's the top piece of the bread.
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Now jump down to verse 10. Let's look at the bottom part of the bread. says, Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange the betrayal of Jesus to them.
00:03:52
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And they were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they had promised to give him money. And so he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
The Woman's Sacrificial Act: Anointing Jesus
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Friends, this is the bottom portion of the sandwich.
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The top portion of the sandwich and the bottom portion of the sandwich are all about the betrayal of Jesus. The top piece of the bread is the leading chiefs and the scribes of that time.
00:04:18
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The bottom piece is a disciple, Judas. But what does the author really want us to see? He wants us to see the meat of the sandwich. And that starts in verse 3. Verse 3 says this, Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany, at home in the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy.
00:04:39
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And while he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from the essence of nard. And she broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.
00:04:52
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Some of those at the table were indignant. Why waste such expensive perfume, they asked. It could have been sold for a year's wages, the money given to the poor.
00:05:03
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And so they scolded her harshly. But Jesus replied, leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want.
00:05:17
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But you will not always have me. She has done what she could, and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, whenever the good news is preached throughout the world, this woman's deeds will be remembered and discussed.
00:05:34
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We're told here, friends, at the very beginning of this core part that the author really wants you to focus on today, in the midst of all this betrayal of Jesus, is this fantastic story of this lady. And it starts here talking about Jesus Christ.
00:05:51
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the rejected stone going to the house of a rejected one, the leper. And they're having a meal. Undoubtedly, the disciples are with Jesus when all the sudden, during this cozy meal, this unnamed lady bursts in.
00:06:10
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And she proceeds to do something both unexpected and unconventional.
00:06:17
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Had she taken this jar of expensive perfume and simply broke it and anointed Jesus' head in her own home, that would have been astonishing.
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But understand, she is a guest in somebody else's home, and she walks in with this, not not an ordinary gesture nor an ordinary gift, because Mark goes to extreme places,
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points here to tell us four things. It's an alabaster jar. It's nard, which is this expensive perfume or ointment or oil. It's pure and it's valuable.
00:06:57
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It's a gift of substantial portions of great wealth. How much wealth? Well, verse 5 tells us. It's about 300 denarii.
00:07:08
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It's about a year's worth of wages in one bottle. Can you imagine that? A year of what you make in one bottle of perfume. And she takes this gift, this bottle, which very easily could have been seen as her entire nest egg for her future.
00:07:27
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It wrapped up in this one bottle. And she takes it and shatters it. Right? She doesn't take the lid off. She doesn't unscrew it.
00:07:38
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She doesn't pull the cork out. She shatters it. It's an irrevocable gift. It's a one-time gift. She's cracking it and she's using it all.
00:07:49
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It's a profuse gift. The entire jar, not some of it. She's all in. There's no going back on this donation. She takes this gift, this profuse gift and this pure gift of high-quality nard that's worth a year's salary and she pours it.
00:08:11
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over Jesus' head. You imagine, right, she's she's massaging it into Jesus' hair. She's anointing him.
00:08:20
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And you see the disciples in their response, which to me I think is quite shocking, but we're going to get to that. Why do you think this woman sacrificed extravagantly for Jesus?
00:08:37
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Well, look with me at verse 8. Verse 8 says, she had done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time.
00:08:48
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but This unnamed woman understood something about Jesus' mission. She understood Jesus was going to suffer and go to the cross. That his burial was right around the corner. and In light of that, it says she did what she had. She gave all she could.
00:09:06
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She took this very expensive jar And broke it. In response to what Jesus would do. The breaking of Jesus' body.
00:09:20
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Jesus' pending death is front and center here, friends. She knew it. She got it. But the disciples didn't get it. Isn't that amazing? She understands more than anybody else in the room.
00:09:34
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She's not avoiding Jesus' death. She's anticipating Jesus' death. and she responds accordingly with this extravagant sacrifice.
Applying Sacrificial Giving in Daily Life
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She's the real deal, I put my notes.
00:09:47
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She's the real disciple in this picture. and She's demonstrating the proper response to sacrifice that Jesus is getting ready to make and she understands just how precious that sacrifice is.
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and I just put a note to myself, are are we there mentally getting prepared for Easter Sunday? Are we getting there mentally? and emotionally of what the sacrifice looks like, that Jesus going make this extravagant sacrifice on the cross.
00:10:16
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And are we willing to step out and respond to not what's comfortable, but what's costly? Imagine with me just for a moment, if you could, not that we could ever place a price on what Jesus did at the cross, but just imagine, if you will, one year salary.
00:10:36
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In your head, it's a different figure for everybody. But just think about that, what that would be. And that you're willing to take that amount and, as the disciples say, waste it.
00:10:49
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They said waste it because they didn't understand what was going on at the time. It seemed like an overly wasteful act, an overly extravagant act for this unnamed woman to break this jar and...
00:11:04
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Massage that oil through Jesus's head.
00:11:08
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She got it. They didn't. Now, unless you're super familiar with this passage, you would fully expect the disciples to respond with probably praise here. I mean, they've been following Jesus for three years, right?
00:11:23
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They've seen the miracles. They know who he is. He's told them three times, I'm going to suffer and die and go to the cross. Surely they would get what she's doing.
00:11:35
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They would applaud her, right? No, look what they do. Verses four through five. Some of those at the table were indignant. What does that word mean?
00:11:53
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It's this attitude of,
00:11:57
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ah. Can you believe that? Can you believe that she did that? what What a waste.
00:12:08
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The objection, friends, isn't the actual anointing of Jesus, but it's to the extravagance. How dare she take a year's worth of salary and waste it?
00:12:21
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She could have just given it to the poor. Who doesn't want to give to the poor? Jesus says, the poor will always be around. It's not a matter of the poor. It's a matter that she understands what I'm getting ready to go through and she's anointing me now.
00:12:36
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Why is she the only one who's getting it? Disciples, why aren't you getting it?
00:12:44
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They didn't get it. They didn't understand. And friends, i just put a note. Your friends, your unbelieving friends, your unbelieving co-workers, some of your believing friends don't get it.
00:12:59
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They don't get why we sacrificially give the way we do. They're going to think it's wasteful.
00:13:08
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You're crazy for doing that. Why would you do that? Imagine if you took your bonus that you got this year. And instead of taking that and putting in the bank, you gave it to the church or you gave it to a charity.
00:13:20
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And imagine if your neighbor found out. How crazy are you at your yearly bonus?
00:13:29
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They don't get it. They don't understand the reason we give like this.
00:13:36
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And the disciples didn't get it either. Three times we're told here, ah as we've walked through Mark, three times Jesus tells them, going to go to the cross, I'm going to suffer, I'm going to die.
00:13:48
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The first time, Peter rebukes Jesus. You all remember that? Remember we studied that? we're going to I have to go to the cross, there's going to be suffering, I'm going to die. But on the third day i'll rose I'll rise again, to which Peter says, Lord, you don't have to do that.
00:14:05
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Jesus says, get behind me, Satan. right That was the first prediction. The second time he tells them, the disciples were more concerned with who was the greatest. Do you remember that? wonder who's going to be greatest in the kingdom.
00:14:18
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Wait, didn't y'all just hear me? I'm going to go to the cross, suffer, and die. And the third time, James and John were jockeying for position in the kingdom. Remember? Who's going to sit to your left and who's going to sit to your right?
00:14:30
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Three times Jesus has made it a point to tell them what's about to come. And this one unnamed lady gets it.
00:14:42
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They failed to realize the suffering mission that was ahead of Jesus. And because they failed to understand that, they failed to see the importance of this extravagant sacrifice by this this sweet woman.
00:14:55
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Look how Jesus commends this lady in in verse 9. By the way, quite often, I just made a ah side note to myself as I restudied that this week.
00:15:07
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Some of the most influential people who show up all throughout Scripture, not kind of just 10 in a very cursory search, Almost all of them were unnamed, and almost all of them make a cameo appearance in Scripture.
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Meaning they only jump they only pop into Scripture real quick, and then they pop back pop back out. But they have massive influence. This lady, listen to how Jesus describes her. He says, verse 9, I tell you the truth.
00:15:36
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Wherever the good news is preached throughout the world, this unnamed woman, her deed will be remembered and discussed.
00:15:46
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Friends, she never spoke a word. you realize that in all this? She didn't speak one word. She's unnamed and she only makes a cameo appearance in one verse. But because of the way she responded to what Jesus was about to do, she's going to be remembered forever.
00:16:05
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She's going to be remembered every time the gospel message is preached. Every time somebody gets to Mark chapter 14. Every preacher of all time is going to talk about this unnamed lady in the deed that she did. is that Does that kind of blow your mind?
00:16:22
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She's a beautiful example of what we are to do in light of this extravagant sacrifice that Jesus makes on the cross. You know who else is remembered for all times?
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Just look down one more verse, verse 10.
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Judas Iscariot.
00:16:41
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By the way, he's not unnamed here, he's named. She's an unnamed woman who gives 300 denarii for an extravagant gift.
00:16:53
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Judas, here named disciple, is paid 30 shekels to betray Jesus. Do you see the irony in that situation?
00:17:04
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She's remembered for all times as a positive illustration. Guess who also is? But as a negative illustration. Number one name that's not on the the new baby name book, year in and year out, Judas.
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How many Judases do you know?
00:17:24
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Friends, he was an insider, jesus Judas was. He was an insider, and he betrayed Jesus. And he's remembered for all time.
00:17:37
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But so is this sweet lady, who we don't even know her name. How do we apply this to your life and my life today? That's where want to land at just at the time we have remaining. More specifically, how do we give like this? How do we give extravagantly? How do we sacrifice extravagantly?
00:17:56
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And I just put in in parentheses, maybe just the Easter season. I just want to look at the next couple of weeks. How can we do something tangible in the next couple of weeks? I just put three things here.
00:18:08
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Maybe we do some type of extravagant act of service or an extravagant generous gift or an extravagant spiritual reflection. These are the three ways.
00:18:19
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And you can do one of these three, two of these three, all of them. And guess what? You have the freedom to do none of them. But my challenge to you this week and up until Easter is that maybe you pick one ah and and try to demonstrate
00:18:38
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how much you understand the extravagant gift that Jesus has provided for you on the cross and that you'll respond accordingly. Maybe as an act of service, you will donate some of your time or some of your energy to a local charity or to a community organization. Maybe you'll go out perform some act of kindness towards others.
00:18:59
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Maybe helping a neighbor. Maybe offering simply an ear or a kind word to somebody. Maybe it's for you kids. Maybe it's taking on extra responsibility at the house, spending in quality time with your loved ones and showing them that you love them and care them care for them.
00:19:15
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It's an act of service. It's something above and beyond. It's something that when you do it, boys and girls at your house, that your parents would go, wow, this is extraordinary because you don't normally serve like this.
00:19:29
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That's the type of giving that you want to do at your house this upcoming week. Perhaps you also just want to give generously. And I'm not just speaking monetarily here, but maybe it is.
00:19:41
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Maybe for some of you, you've become comfortable in your giving. Let me challenge you this week to give costly. well What does that mean? um
00:19:53
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It doesn't mean give away your rent. It just doesn't. I know there are many preachers that would tell you that. Give give it all and just test Jesus in this regard.
00:20:05
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Pay your rent, folks. But your giving should reflect some level of costliness to you. Because if it if it just becomes an ordinary giving, it's not it's no longer extraordinary. Does that make sense? You're going to want to give till it hurts.
00:20:24
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Meaning you want to give to where you feel something and you realize I'm sacrificing something else. Maybe I'm sacrificing that really expensive meal that I'm looking forward to at the end of the month. Maybe it's that new pair of shoes.
00:20:39
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Maybe it's that new car. Something that when you give, you remember, this is why I'm giving and I'm giving generously. It's not just money. It's also your time. It's also your talent.
00:20:50
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Perhaps you have an opportunity to come up here and serve and give of your time and your talent up here at the church. We would love to have you during the Easter season. And also just put, perhaps you're you don't have to give monetarily to demonstrate this. Perhaps you can simply forgive a debt.
00:21:09
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Perhaps you have a grown kid and they owe you some money right now. I know that sounds foreign to some of you parents. Maybe generous offering this Easter so season is simply calling that grown child and saying, I'm forgiving that debt.
00:21:26
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Because I understand what Jesus did for me in forgiveness, I want to demonstrate the same to you. Third, i put perhaps we do some type of extravagant spiritual reflection.
00:21:38
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This is a dedicated amount of time specifically towards prayer, towards meditation, to earnestly studying God's word. If you're not there yet, what a better season. Let's say I'm to start today and i'm going to work my way towards Easter. Two weeks. You have two weeks to start really making a dedicated effort to study God's word.
00:22:01
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to commit to prayer, to commit to a deeper understanding of your faith, so that when somebody comes to you and says, why are you able to suffer well like we learn in Bible study today, you have the ability to answer them, well, this is the reason I have hope and suffering.
00:22:18
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And you're able to provide your testimony. And you're you're able to provide the gospel message. um Friends, this is a way that we can get prepared, preparing our hearts, preparing our minds, preparing ourselves for this upcoming Easter season.
00:22:34
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May we be a people who understands the cost of what Jesus paid on the on the cross and that we respond accordingly with an extravagant sacrifice. And all God's people said,