Celebrating Unity and Hope in Christ's Return

1) "Today is world Communion day. It's a time when every believer around the world, from every tribe, tongue, language, nation, and people are celebrating and declaring what Christ did on the cross. And when we come to this time, we often read from Matthew, Matthew 25, and so I want to read that today with us, but I want to pay particular attention to the very vast line. So, at the Lord's supper, the last supper, verse 26, it says, while they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, take and eat. This is my body." [27:28] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2) "If you've been with us over the past half a year, seven months, nine months, whatever it's been, we've been in the book of revelation. And today we get to revelation 19. It's what we've been waiting for. Christ comes, Christ returns, and there's a marriage supper. There's a feast that occurs when he comes. And so for us today, we partake in these elements, the bread and the wafer. But we do so until there's a feast, until there's a marriage supper of the lamb, and we get to take a seat at the table with Jesus Christ, the bride, the church, us. We proclaim his death until that day." [29:17] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3) "But before we get to that, we can't miss the worship that occurs in revelation 19. And so the question I'm going to pose to you today and have you reflect on is, why do you praise? When you think about God and who he is and what he's done in your life or in the lives of loved ones, what makes you just stop and praise? Burst out in song, drop to your knees, stand in awe. What makes you praise the Lord?" [58:11] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4) "Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We say hallelujah so often these days. We say hallelujah. I passed a test. Hallelujah. I got a job. Hallelujah. My kids finally moved out of the house. And maybe tonight, hallelujah. The cowboys won. Most likely not tonight. But, you know, we use hallelujah so flippantly at times. Hallelujah was reserved for the most respectful, the most worshipful, the most praiseworthy times in scripture. In fact, this right here in verse one, hallelujah. It's the first time that hallelujah is used in the New Testament, and it's about to be used three more times in the next five verses." [01:02:16] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5) "Praise be to God who brings salvation. The praise be to God who saves. On to verse two. It says, for true and just are his judgments. He has condemned the great prostitute which happened in revelation 17. It's the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He avenged on her the blood of her servants, of his servants. This avenging his death seems kind of radical or kind of strange for us. Praise be to God who takes the life or takes control, who wreaks havoc, who destroys those who persecuted, who hurt the church, who hurt God's people." [01:03:57] (48 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6) "We serve a God whose words are powerful. It's the same God who said in the beginning, let there be light. And he said, let there be light. And there was light. From his very words, this world was created. And in the last days that by his very words, death, life or death, destruction, darkness, evil will be destroyed, will be devoured by the very words out of his mouth. We serve a powerful goddess. We serve a God whose words are powerful. And again, that's what the church in revelation, the seven churches of Asia Minor, would have heard here. How powerful were his words?" [01:27:12] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7) "Praise be to God who has the power to save. Glory, honor, salvation power. Praise be to God who remained faithful and avenged his people. Praise be the one who keeps his promises and protects his people. Praise. Praise be to God who is to be feared and respected. Praise to be God who is reigning and ever present. Praise be to God who promises to return for his church. Praise be to God who grants all righteousness. Hallelujah to the one who invites us to the wedding feast. Hallelujah is to be the one and the only one and the object of our worship. And hallelujah for those. But praise God whose words are all powerful." [01:28:08] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)