### Summary

Today, we explored the profound theme of redemption as illustrated in the story of Abram (later known as Abraham) and his nephew Lot. This Old Testament narrative provides a foundational understanding of redemption that is later fulfilled in the New Testament through Jesus Christ. Abram, as the head of his family, took on the responsibility to rescue Lot when he was captured by an enemy army. Despite the risks involved, Abram put his own resources and people on the line to redeem Lot, demonstrating the deep familial obligation to restore and protect one's kin.

This act of redemption is not just a historical account but a theological principle that foreshadows the ultimate redemption through Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, Jesus becomes the redeemer who pays the ultimate price—His own life—to save humanity from sin and death. This concept of redemption is deeply rooted in the Old Testament, where the head of the household was expected to redeem family members who had fallen into hardship or captivity.

We also reflected on the inclusivity of God's family. Unlike Abram and Lot, who had to separate due to limited resources, God's household is boundless. There is always room for more in God's family, and His resources are infinite. This inclusivity is a call for us to share the message of redemption with others, ensuring that no one is left out of God's eternal family.

As we partake in communion, we are reminded of Jesus' sacrifice and the redemption it brings. We are called to live out this redemption in our daily lives, helping others and sharing the love of Christ. The act of communion is not just a ritual but a powerful reminder of the redemption story that spans from the Old Testament to the New Testament, culminating in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

### Key Takeaways

1. **Redemption in the Old Testament**: The story of Abram rescuing Lot illustrates the Old Testament concept of redemption, where the head of the family is responsible for redeeming those in need. This act of putting one's resources on the line to save a family member foreshadows the ultimate redemption through Jesus Christ. [34:27]

2. **Jesus as the Ultimate Redeemer**: In the New Testament, Jesus fulfills the role of the redeemer by sacrificing His life to save humanity. This act of redemption is not just a New Testament concept but is deeply rooted in the Old Testament traditions and laws. [37:11]

3. **Inclusivity of God's Family**: Unlike Abram and Lot, who had to separate due to limited resources, God's household is limitless. There is always room for more in God's family, and His resources are infinite. This inclusivity calls us to share the message of redemption with others. [40:00]

4. **Living Out Redemption**: As followers of Christ, we are called to live out the principle of redemption in our daily lives. This means helping those in need, sharing the love of Jesus, and being examples of what it means to redeem and restore others. [41:23]

5. **Communion as a Reminder of Redemption**: The act of communion is a powerful reminder of Jesus' sacrifice and the redemption it brings. It connects us to the long history of God's redemptive work, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, and calls us to live out this redemption in our lives. [46:25]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[23:32] - Prayer Requests and Offering
[24:16] - Opening Prayer
[25:15] - Transition to Study of the Word
[26:01] - Kids Club and VBS Registration
[27:49] - Review of Last Week's Sermon
[29:24] - Patriarchal Period and Family Structure
[30:52] - Abram and Lot's Relationship
[32:17] - Abram's Responsibility to Lot
[34:27] - Concept of Redemption in the Old Testament
[36:02] - Redemption in Israel's Tribal Society
[37:11] - Jesus as the Ultimate Redeemer
[39:19] - God's Family is Limitless
[40:00] - Inclusivity of God's Household
[41:23] - Living Out Redemption
[42:12] - Preparing for Communion
[44:13] - Passover and Redemption
[45:18] - Confession and Forgiveness
[46:25] - Communion
[49:03] - Invitation to Communion
[59:13] - Announcements and Blessing
[01:00:17] - Closing Prayer and Dismissal

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Genesis 14:14-16 (Abram rescues Lot)
2. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (Jesus as the ultimate redeemer)

#### Observation Questions
1. What actions did Abram take to rescue Lot, and what risks were involved? ([34:27])
2. How does the concept of redemption in the Old Testament, as seen in Abram's actions, foreshadow the redemption through Jesus Christ? ([37:11])
3. What does 1 Peter 1:18-19 say about the cost of our redemption? How does this compare to the cost Abram paid to rescue Lot?
4. How does the sermon describe the inclusivity of God's family compared to Abram and Lot's separation due to limited resources? ([40:00])

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why was it significant that Abram, as the head of his family, took responsibility for Lot's rescue? How does this reflect the Old Testament principle of redemption? ([34:27])
2. In what ways does Jesus' sacrifice as described in 1 Peter 1:18-19 fulfill the Old Testament concept of redemption? ([37:11])
3. How does the sermon illustrate the idea that God's household is limitless and inclusive? What implications does this have for our understanding of God's family? ([40:00])
4. What does it mean to live out the principle of redemption in our daily lives, according to the sermon? ([41:23])

#### Application Questions
1. Abram risked his own resources and people to rescue Lot. Are there situations in your life where you need to take a risk to help someone in need? What might that look like? ([34:27])
2. The sermon emphasizes that Jesus paid the ultimate price for our redemption. How does this understanding of Jesus' sacrifice impact your daily life and decisions? ([37:11])
3. God's family is described as limitless and inclusive. How can you actively share the message of redemption with others to ensure no one is left out of God's eternal family? ([40:00])
4. Reflect on the concept of living out redemption. What are some practical ways you can help those in need and share the love of Jesus in your community? ([41:23])
5. During communion, we are reminded of Jesus' sacrifice. How can you make this reminder more meaningful in your life and use it as a motivation to live out the redemption story? ([46:25])
6. Think about a time when you felt excluded or left out. How can you use that experience to empathize with others and ensure they feel included in God's family? ([40:00])
7. The sermon calls us to be examples of redemption. Identify one person in your life who needs help or support. What specific actions can you take this week to be a redeemer in their life? ([41:23])

Day 1: The Responsibility of Redemption
Description: The story of Abram rescuing Lot provides a profound illustration of the Old Testament concept of redemption. In this narrative, Abram, as the head of his family, takes on the responsibility to rescue his nephew Lot when he is captured by an enemy army. Despite the risks involved, Abram puts his own resources and people on the line to redeem Lot, demonstrating the deep familial obligation to restore and protect one's kin. This act of redemption is not just a historical account but a theological principle that foreshadows the ultimate redemption through Jesus Christ. The head of the household was expected to redeem family members who had fallen into hardship or captivity, a principle deeply rooted in the Old Testament traditions and laws. [34:27]

Genesis 14:14-16 (ESV): "When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people."

Reflection: Think of a family member or close friend who is in need of help or support. How can you step in to offer assistance or redemption in their situation today?


Day 2: Jesus as the Ultimate Redeemer
Description: In the New Testament, Jesus fulfills the role of the redeemer by sacrificing His life to save humanity. This act of redemption is not just a New Testament concept but is deeply rooted in the Old Testament traditions and laws. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is the ultimate act of redemption, paying the price for our sins and offering us eternal life. This fulfillment of the Old Testament principle of redemption through Jesus Christ is a cornerstone of Christian faith, highlighting the continuity of God's redemptive plan from the Old Testament to the New Testament. [37:11]

1 Peter 1:18-19 (ESV): "Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot."

Reflection: Reflect on the significance of Jesus' sacrifice for your life. How does understanding Jesus as your redeemer change the way you live and interact with others?


Day 3: The Inclusivity of God's Family
Description: Unlike Abram and Lot, who had to separate due to limited resources, God's household is limitless. There is always room for more in God's family, and His resources are infinite. This inclusivity calls us to share the message of redemption with others, ensuring that no one is left out of God's eternal family. The boundless nature of God's household is a powerful reminder of His love and grace, inviting us to extend that same inclusivity to those around us. [40:00]

Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV): "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."

Reflection: Consider someone in your life who may feel excluded or marginalized. How can you extend God's inclusive love and invite them into His family today?


Day 4: Living Out Redemption
Description: As followers of Christ, we are called to live out the principle of redemption in our daily lives. This means helping those in need, sharing the love of Jesus, and being examples of what it means to redeem and restore others. Living out redemption involves practical actions and a heart of compassion, reflecting the love and sacrifice of Jesus in our interactions with others. It is a call to be active participants in God's redemptive work in the world, making a tangible difference in the lives of those around us. [41:23]

James 2:14-17 (ESV): "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Reflection: Identify a specific way you can help someone in need today. How can you be a living example of Christ's redemption in your community?


Day 5: Communion as a Reminder of Redemption
Description: The act of communion is a powerful reminder of Jesus' sacrifice and the redemption it brings. It connects us to the long history of God's redemptive work, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, and calls us to live out this redemption in our lives. Communion is not just a ritual but a profound expression of our faith and gratitude for the sacrifice of Jesus. It is a moment to reflect on the depth of God's love and the price paid for our salvation, inspiring us to live in a way that honors that sacrifice. [46:25]

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (ESV): "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

Reflection: As you prepare to take communion, reflect on the significance of Jesus' sacrifice. How can you live out the redemption you have received in your daily actions and relationships?

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "And then we get to the New Testament. And we find that Jesus is paying the ransom. Jesus is paying the cost. Jesus is putting his own assets and his own risk on the line to reclaim his kin." [38:09](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "God's family can't get too big. Amen. We talked about the household last week. And how God was preparing a place for us in heaven. And his home. And we just said that the family home is surrounded by the patriarch of the family. Our heavenly father is our patriarch. And his house, the walls of his home. Cannot. Cannot be too small." [39:19](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "We can't get too many people in God's family. His household doesn't have to divide because the land can't support us. It doesn't have to say we don't have enough resources. We don't have enough food. We don't have enough water. We can't travel as a whole. Because there's always enough space." [40:23](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "When we share the love of Jesus. When we share what Christ has done. We are helping share the redeemer. With those who need the power. The power of redemption." [41:23](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "The only thing that God asks. Is that we confess our sins. With one another. And to him and he will forgive." [45:18](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


### Quotes for Members

1. "So Abram has to decide what to do. But the responsibility of the head of the family still lied upon Abram. He still was required to go and to keep his nephew safe. And this is where we get in the Old Testament the concept of redemption. You see, often as Christians we imagine that this concept of redemption is a New Testament concept. We don't think of it as something that is just there. Like we imagine that Jesus came and now redemption came into the scriptures. But it lived out through the Old Testament. Because the head of the household was supposed to redeem those in the family who needed it." [36:02](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "In Israel's tribal society, redemption was the act of a patriarch who put his own resources on the line to ransom a family member. Who had been driven to the margins of society. By poverty. Who had been seized by an enemy against whom he had no defense. Who found themselves enslaved by the consequences of a faithless life. Redemption was the means by which a lost family member was restored to a place of security within the kinship circle." [37:11](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "And friends, God's family can't get too big. Amen. We talked about the household last week. And how God was preparing a place for us in heaven. And his home. And we just said that the family home is surrounded by the patriarch of the family. Our heavenly father is our patriarch. And his house, the walls of his home. Cannot. Cannot be too small. He doesn't run out of space in his compound for us to have our own little house. He will fit us all in there. How? I don't know. That's God mystery math. Okay? I mean, that's like, I don't want to see what the architects in heaven have to do to fit everybody in God's compound. But he does it. And that's the miracles of heaven. Right? Y'all are with me on that one. Right? Okay. Okay. We're good." [39:19](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "So today we come to that same table. The scriptures are filled like stories. Like this one. Of people all those years ago. Just like us. Who questioned the Bible. The times I'm sure the children. Asked these questions of mom. Why? Is it like this? Passover that's what it was. Why do we eat this bread? Why do we do this? There was people who didn't always get along. And parents who sometimes chose favorites. But in all things. God's word and grace was meant for us all. And there's no need for us to have any pretenses. When we come to this place or this table." [44:47](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "So send us with that purpose. Send us with that mission and help us to be a good family. There's a reunion that's always filled with joy and to be filled by you. I pray this in the name of the Father. And the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen." [01:00:17](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Amen. Y'all can have a seat. Oh, man, is it not wonderful to worship our Lord today? Right?

As we prepare to go to the Lord in prayer, I just want to celebrate with you that the article I shared in the e-news this week, if you haven't had a chance to read it, was an end-of-year celebration for the Boomers. They had their meeting just a couple of weeks ago, and they celebrated all the things that they were able to accomplish with Bannerman, which marks the close of the first year with them.

If you haven't seen it, in the atrium right out here is a thank-you card from Bannerman and pictures from that ministry. So I encourage you to look at that on your way out. You can see some of the things we accomplished with them by reading that article.

Is that not a wonderful ministry? Thank y'all for starting that. If you don't know what it is, then ask somebody after worship, and they will love to tell you about it.

If you have a prayer request, we'd love to join you in prayer. We believe in the power of prayer. You can drop those on a sheet of paper. There are connect cards in the seats, and you can drop them in the offering baskets up here at the time of offering. Or you can send an email to the office or call the office. Please just don't stop me and randomly tell me. That's the one thing I ask.

I will say that lots of times because I want to pray for you. I just will not remember from now until I get home. Just being honest and transparent that my memory is not as good on Sundays as it should be.

So the other thing is that we don't pass an offering plate here at Fleming Island. We receive the offering by the time of communion. So if you would like to give a physical offering today, you may do so by placing it in the baskets, just like prayer requests, up here at the prayer rails.

I'd like to take a moment now to pray for us and for this next movement of our worship service. Would you join me?

Almighty Father, I'm so thankful for the day that you've given us today. I'm thankful for each person, whether they be in this room right now, or they're watching online, or they're watching later. I'm just thankful that you have gathered your children for the sake of worship.

Not all of us come with joyful hearts. Some come with burdens and sorrows and pain. I pray that whatever we bring to this day, you take it and use it to be transformative for us.

We thank you for the gift of music and that we can lift our hearts in this way and that you receive this as a worthy offering to you. You receive our tithes and offerings that we give as well. And you receive the needs of our hearts that we give and our requests.

Now, as we transition to the study of your word, I ask that you bless it. You not only give us knowledge and understanding, but you give us words into our souls so that we may be drawn closer to you.

We ask your blessings on our children as they move into their time of studying the word as well, that you will draw them closer to you too. And all the adults that lead our children, we ask a special blessing upon them.

We pray this in the name of our Lord Jesus, by your power and your grace. Glory. Amen.

All right, friends. If you're going to join Miss Katie this morning for Kids Club, now is your time. As they head out, just a reminder, BBS registration is going on right now. We got a bunch of registrations last week, but not a bunch from our own kids. Remember, we want all of our kids that want to be there to have a space.

Also, if you have a teenager that wants to volunteer, they get service hours, and we would love for you as an adult to be a part of this incredible week. So please let Miss Katie or Miss Val know if you'd like to be a part. It's so much fun.

All right. So, we are diving back into this idea of the Old Testament and how it helps us better understand the New Testament. If you would like to follow along with the sermon notes, you may do so inside the church app.

I forgot to mention last week that pictures of these comic strips, the scriptures that are on the video, are in the sermon notes. So if you wanted to look at them a little bigger, I made them as big as I could on the screen, but I know some may be hard to see. You can find those inside the sermon notes along with all the graphics and images that I put in the notes today.

So I want to review where we were last week. We talked about a lot of data that really sets a foundation for where we are in this series. We talked about three words. One was patriarchal. I hope I can say these words right today.

Okay. Which means that the family is based around the oldest male of the house. The oldest living male. He is the one who makes all the decisions for the family. He is the one who decides everything that's going on. So when he decides who is going to be in the fields, who's going to get married, he makes all the economical decisions, all the social decisions, and even decisions on who is going to be kicked out or let in. He is the head of everything.

Then we have patrilineal, which means that the family line is traced through that head of the family, and property is passed through the men. Also, the oldest male of each line gets a double portion of property because he is the head of that section of the family.

And then we have patrilocal, which means the living space. We looked a little bit at the living space last week or the household. The living space is organized around the oldest living male.

So we have three things that are structuring around this idea, this section of the Old Testament, or what we call the patriarchal period. The patriarchal period is really defined in this section where we have Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is their law. This is their government. This is everything about what they do. They don't have anyone other than the head of the house to govern them.

And we said this is around 2,000 years before Christ. So this year, looking at the story that we just heard, which is called Rescue Mission. This is a very interesting story because in the Rescue Mission, Abraham is rescuing his nephew, Lot.

I want you to focus on a theme through this, and that theme is redemption. So just to kind of see where we're at in Abraham's life, there's a family tree for Abraham. And again, this image is in those sermon notes, so you can see it a little bit.

When Abraham's father died, because Abraham was the oldest male of his siblings, he became the head of his family. When his younger brother died, he became responsible for Lot, his nephew, because he was the oldest of his brothers. So Lot became part of Abraham's household.

Now, he didn't take on his other nephews because his other nephews had their own father. But because Lot had no father, because his father had passed away, Abraham had to take him in.

Before this passage, earlier on in the book of Genesis, we see that Abraham and Lot are traveling together. I just want to pause for a second. Technically, we're in the Abram side of Abraham's story. I'm really bad about calling him Abraham. Okay, can you all give me some grace on that?

If you don't know, he starts as Abram, and then God gives him a promise and changes his name to Abraham. I'm just so used to calling him Abraham that I have a hard time calling him Abram. So if I do both, we're talking about the same person. All right, now we're together again.

So at this point, Abram has no children. He's not been promised yet that he's going to be the father of many nations. He's taking his nephew and he's following along, and they continue to build their wealth and they continue to get lots of money, lots of animals, and they get more servants and they build their herds and build their property and build their things.

So much so that the land cannot support the two of them being together. So in the nature of how things were then, Abram says to Lot, we need to separate. You choose what land you want, and I will go the other way. Abram says, if you want the valley, I'll take the hill. And if you want the hill, I'll take the valley.

And Lot chooses the valley, which is where Sodom is. So Abram goes to the hill. Now, just because Abram has separated from Lot does not mean he is not still responsible because he is still the head of the larger family, but their households have separated.

Now we use the word for house called "hold" as "bedab," which is a Hebrew word. It just means the household or the immediate family. If y'all remember last week, we said the immediate family is like 15 to 20 people. It's not what we imagine as immediate family today.

So for Abram and Lot, their households had gotten too big, and they had to split and form separate households. But Abram was still the head of the family or the clan. He was still the oldest living male in their line. So when Lot got himself in trouble, Abram had a responsibility.

Let's look back in the book of Genesis, chapter 14. All right. So Abram is in his section of land, and a servant of Lot comes and says, "Lot has been captured." And Abram has to decide, do I go and fight for Lot or do I focus on keeping my own house safe?

There's a risk. He's not just been captured by a little rogue group of bandits. He's been captured by an army, an army that took over the whole land. So if Abram goes and rescues Lot, he's taking his own men, he's taking his own soldiers and his own servants and his own assets to rescue his nephew. He's putting what he has on the line to save Lot.

And remember, Lot is a nephew. He's not a son. The nephew of his youngest brother, who is no longer in Abram's own household because they've separated. It's the same clan, not the same house anymore.

So Abram has to decide what to do. But the responsibility of the head of the family still lies upon Abram. He still was required to go and to keep his nephew safe.

And this is where we get in the Old Testament the concept of redemption. You see, often as Christians, we imagine that this concept of redemption is a New Testament concept. We don't think of it as something that is just there.

Like we imagine that Jesus came and now redemption came into the scriptures. But it lived out through the Old Testament. Because the head of the household was supposed to redeem those in the family who needed it.

If a family member got themselves in financial trouble and had to sell themselves to another Jewish person so that they could pay off a debt, the family was supposed to go and buy them back. And now Lot's not even in the hands of another Hebrew family. He's been taken by force by enemies.

And Abram has the responsibility to put all he has at risk to get him, to redeem him. I want to read you this quote out of the book that we're going to start studying this week if you choose to join me on Wednesdays.

And it says this: "In Israel's tribal society, redemption was the act of a patriarch who put his own resources on the line to ransom a family member who had been driven to the margins of society by poverty, who had been seized by an enemy against whom he had no defense, who found themselves enslaved by the consequences of a faithless life. Redemption was the means by which a lost family member was restored to a place of security within the kinship circle."

Do you see that? Do you see that in the story of Abram and Lot? Because Abram rescues Lot. He gets him back and brings him back in. And that's the same idea that we get in the New Testament.

When we imagine this Old Testament concept that was the law for the Jews, it wasn't just a feel-good thing. It was a sign to them to do. If someone in their family was taken by someone else for one reason or another, they were supposed to do everything in their power to get them back.

And then we get to the New Testament, and we find that Jesus is paying the ransom. Jesus is paying the cost. Jesus is putting his own assets and his own risk on the line to reclaim his kin.

I want to read you this out of 1 Peter, chapter 1, verse 18. "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ Jesus, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."

You see, Abram put people on the line when he went to get Lot. He put his soldiers and his servants. God put Jesus on the line to ransom us.

But the thing is, Abram and Lot split because their household got too big. And friends, God's family can't get too big. Amen.

We talked about the household last week and how God was preparing a place for us in heaven and his home. And we just said that the family home is surrounded by the patriarch of the family. Our heavenly Father is our patriarch.

And his house, the walls of his home, cannot be too small. He doesn't run out of space in his compound for us to have our own little house. He will fit us all in there. How? I don't know. That's God's mystery math.

I mean, that's like, I don't want to see what the architects in heaven have to do to fit everybody in God's compound. But he does it. And that's the miracle of heaven. Right? Y'all are with me on that one? Right?

Okay. We're good. All right. We can't get too many people in God's family. His household doesn't have to divide because the land can't support us. It doesn't have to say we don't have enough resources. We don't have enough food. We don't have enough water. We can't travel as a whole.

Because there's always enough space. And in the end, he can always come and rescue us. He doesn't have to think about it. He doesn't have to question it. He doesn't have to wonder if he has enough resources to rescue us.

There is never a doubt, no matter what's happened in life. Because he told in the Old Testament that we should redeem each other. And he sent Jesus to redeem us so that now we will always be redeemed.

When we come to the table here in just a moment, I want you to think about that word that we think of Jesus as our redeemer and how God showed the theme of redemption for so long.

But that we too are supposed to be examples to others of what it means to redeem, to help, to show the love of Jesus in times of struggle. Because Israel wasn't just supposed to let other people fall into dismay. They were supposed to do everything in their power to assist.

And when we share the love of Jesus, when we share what Christ has done, we are helping share the redeemer with those who need the power, the power of redemption.

Would you pray with me?

Father God, I am thankful that you have shown what it means to go on a path of redemption. I am thankful that you have made room, not only for everyone that I know, but for everyone who has been in the past 2,000 years since Christ and even the thousands of years before Christ.

For those that Christ has prophesied to. Lord, we know mysteries of him being in the grave. The early church believed that Christ went to those like Abraham and Lot, and he preached the good news to all of those who had gone before.

And at this day right now, the father of our faith, Abraham, is there with all the great witnesses in your household. So as we prepare to come to this table, to come and receive part of your story, God, I pray that we be people that not constantly try to figure out are we going to be on the mountain or are we going to be in the valley.

But instead remember that we go where we need to be so that we can share the redemption with those who need it most. Help us to put all that we need to at your feet today. If there is anything we are holding back, anything we haven't asked for your forgiveness for, anything that we are holding in our hearts that is keeping us from receiving the freedom that you want to give, help us to hear that and receive that and know that.

So that in all things, we may fully receive the gift that you have paid. We pray this in your holy and powerful name. Amen.

One of the things about Passover is the Jewish people remembered the gift of God redeeming them. That is what he did in Egypt when he got them out of Egypt and set them free from being slaves. He redeemed them from their captors.

And so every year, when they sat at the Passover table, they would celebrate God their redeemer. And so Christ sat there with his friends and celebrated that once more.

So today we come to that same table. The scriptures are filled with stories like this one of people all those years ago, just like us, who questioned the Bible. The times I'm sure the children asked these questions of mom, "Why? Is it like this?" Passover, that's what it was.

"Why do we eat this bread? Why do we do this?" There were people who didn't always get along and parents who sometimes chose favorites. But in all things, God's word and grace was meant for us all.

And there's no need for us to have any pretenses when we come to this place or this table. The only thing that God asks is that we confess our sins with one another and to him, and he will forgive.

So would you join me now, friends, as we say this confession together?

"Patient and persistent God, we come to this comfortable room as if we knew what to expect, as if this were a safe and predictable place. And if we could observe, Holy One, forgive our tepid expectations. And the mystery of your love overshadow us. Plant the seeds of your gospel in our hearts until we bloom and spill with your passion to serve in a world that is wasting away."

Take a moment to confess anything in your heart you'd like to confess to God.

The night Christ was with his disciples, he took the bread and he broke it. He said, "This is my body, broken for you. Eat in remembrance of me."

And he also took a cup and he said, "This is the blood shed of the new covenant. Drink just as you eat in remembrance of me."

Almighty God, we thank you for hearing the confessions of our hearts and receiving us as we are, but as your beloved children. As a part of your family, you come and claim us wherever we are and bring us back into your house.

So thank you for receiving us today and being our redeemer and forgiving all that we can confess. We ask you to send your Holy Spirit upon this bread and juice and transform it to your body and blood so that we may be your people, redeemed by your blood and walking as your body in the world.

We pray this in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

And friends, I like to share this word of forgiveness with you. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Amen.

I'd like to invite those helping me with communion to come forward. And so help me. Just a word of instruction: You'll receive a small piece of bread. You can dip it into the cup of juice. If you prefer your bread to be gluten-free, we'll have that here in the center, along with pre-packaged communion in the center if you want your communion not to be touched by anybody.

If you're watching online, we'd love for you to take something from your kitchen so that you can join us in communion. Whatever you have available works. We'd just like to extend our table to you.

If you'll wait just a moment, I'll serve my servers, and then I'll invite everyone forward. The Lord's table is all prepared, and all are invited and have a place. You're invited to come as you wish.

And there's no more requirement of being a part of our church to receive communion. We will start in the back, come up the center, and out the outside. The prayer rails and the prayer room are open if you'd like to stop and pray.

Come as you wish now. Amen.

Oh, man. Man, God be praised. Amen.

Just one thing to let you know: If you're staying for our monthly conversation on the Bible in a Year, we are doing that today. I know we've rescheduled like a bunch. That is happening today.

And then this Wednesday starts our deeper dive into these themes in the Old Testament on Wednesday nights at 6:30 in the admin building. And if you have kids, just bring them on. We'll have activities for the kids.

So if you want to learn more, then that's a good time to do it.

So hear this blessing as you leave this space:

God, send us remembering whose we are, that we are not just people who live in this place or attend this church. We are yours. We are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. We are redeemed by the army of the heavens.

And we belong to the household of the eternal God, the Father Almighty. Remind us that our charge is to continue to grow that family, the one that has room for all.

So send us with that purpose. Send us with that mission and help us to be a good family. There's a reunion that's always filled with joy and to be filled by you.

I pray this in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.