Every time when you come into the presence of the Lord, for the Lord's table, it often reminds us the basics of a Christian life. So our Christian life and our Christian faith depends on three events in the life of Lord Jesus Christ. Our faith is built on three events: the birth of the Lord, the death of the Lord, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our faith is strongly built on these three events. If any one of these events is not fulfilled in the life of Lord Jesus Christ, our faith in the Lord is gonna vain.
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We are so busy in our work lives, right? We are so busy in the, you know, starting from the day of Monday to until Sunday. Many times, many people are working even on Sundays as well. Many times you may not have a right time to talk to your own family itself. We are so busy. But what this Lord's table is reminding us that today we need to come together, not just as a spectator, but as a partaker in the elements of the Lord.
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The moment I remember when I was a sinner, the moment I realized that I am failing, falling short of his glory, the way I see the cross has been changed. The way I see the cross in the church is the way I see the cross in the temples, the way I see the cross in the house has been changed. No longer the cross remained as a decorative piece in my personal life, but it always talks about my personal life.
Cross is not just something that Jesus did 2,000 years ago. It was not just a historical moment which has happened in the history. It is something he is still doing in you and me even till today.
It is not just about the death of the Lord, but it is about the life that we are leading. As I said, it was not just a historical moment about 2,000 years ago where the pride was died and the love raised on the cross. But it's under boom. Deoneka prema manishikoruku. Ako ruku silo me the yaga minute to go gompa amshima. Manishyoko garvamo Ica silo me the on each way, but in the Deoneka prema manakoruku leon at the buddy malo charlam and the man couldn't own it on the par city as even the Paul was also going through the same situation.
We all need to admit today that we are weak and fragile. As we are preparing ourselves to enter into a communion, this morning, as I said, the cross is not just where Jesus died, it is where we learn how to live. How to forgive others, how to love and how to surrender. Yes, it is a painful moment. Yes, it was a historical moment. Yes, it was a cruel moment.
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There are two things happened at the cross. Yes, we all know since because, you know, we are partaking in the elements of the bread right from, you know, when you accept the Lord and Savior, Jesus as your personal Savior, we all know what is redemption. We are redeemed from our sins. Yes, we all agree. But, your life should not just stop there. There has to be another subsequent event which is called the revelation of the Lord. We need to go to the next level where He wants to reveal Himself.
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Redemption because it rescues us from our sins. And revelation because it shows us the heart of our God. It was showing us, it was telling us at the cross. Probably, the world may see that Jesus was nailed onto the cross. The cross stood out as a symbol of a cruelty. But, when you look at through the lens of the Lord from the heavens, from the heavens, the cross never appeared as a symbol of shame. From the heavens, the cross never appeared as a symbol of cruelty. But, from the heavens, the cross never appeared as a symbol of salvation.
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We are weak vessels, we are broken vessels, we are fragile vessels, but God paid the same price for everybody to redeem you, to rescue you, to save you from eternal fire. Once for all mankind, not just for two individuals in the garden of Eden, not just for the substitution of the Isaac, not just for the redemption of Israelites, but those who believe in the works of the Lord.
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At the cross God shows not just the redemption, not just the revelation, but he also shows two things: how much we needed saving, how much he loves us.
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If you see the city of Bethlehem, it is very small. If you see the city of Nazareth, it is very, it was a despised city. But if you see the cross, it is just a mirror of two wooden pieces, one vertical and the other one horizontal. But yet God used these three things, these three stages to show his glory for the mankind.
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They were all scattered, they are weak-hearted, but everybody gathered in the upper room on one day. They are weak people, they are Galileans, there are many different kinds of people from different countries, they joined together, they joined together in prayer. Out of fear they all gathered there but for one promise. Hallelujah. That's when the miracle happened, that's when the power of the Lord they received, that's when the revelation of the Lord that they received, and that moment onwards they were no longer they are a weak vessel, they become very strong vessels in the hands of the Lord.
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I always say this, if you go to any doctor, doctor probably might see you as you are a patient. No doctor, if you go to any politician, he would see you as another vote. But when you come to the presence of the Lord, God never sees you as an outsider, but he sees you as the sons and daughters of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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As I said, the cross was not just one event, it has become, it should become a lifestyle for everybody. Kvalam siluva it, it is a lifetime event. It's not just something that you often come at the Lord's table and remember the cross, no, it has to be your lifestyle.
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This is what Paul says, if there is anything to boast, I only boast about the cross. We are human beings, every action, as we are weak vessels, we fall short, because we are weak, sometimes we fall short.
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If you look at the clay art of Japanese, if you carry a broken part to them, what they do, you know, usually I can, but something that Japanese clay does, you know, marvelously, they hide these patches between the cracked portions. To hide this cracked portions, they paint with the golden paint, and when you look at the part, you never know that it was broken earlier. What you see is the gold lines in between, and more lessly the part becomes so beautiful that people pay larger amount to buy the pot which was broken earlier.
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Exactly the same thing between cracked life, between our broken life, Jesus, he entered into our broken life to make us so marvelous in the eyes of the people, to show us you are so valuable.
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Every time you choose humility over pride, you are carrying the cross. God doesn't need a perfect vessel. God doesn't need a perfect vessel.
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