Once again, I'm glad to be able to be with you. If you have your Bibles, open them up to Luke chapter six. Luke chapter six, we'll be looking there in a moment. In case you're wondering why we have the Lord's Supper prepared, if you had missed it, Rob preached a little while back on the Lord's Supper a few Sundays ago, and we had decided that we are going to be doing this, observing the Lord's Supper on the first, the third, and the fifth Sundays. So just in case you were unaware of that, that's why this is here. And so we'll be partaking of that after a while. Luke chapter six. There's a movie that we're probably all familiar with, whether or not you've seen it, and a book, maybe you've read the book as well, but there's a character from this movie and book that I want to draw your attention to, and you may not know him, you may, but the name of this character is Augustus Gloop. He is a character, in Roald Dahl's book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Many of you know it from the movie Willy Wonka or the not as good remake called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But Augustus Gloop is one of the children who gets to go into the factory, into Willy Wonka's factory, and he's one of those children who just rubs you the wrong way. You know, there's several of these kids and all but one of them are really just... Just too much to handle. Augustus Gloop, I would say, is the embodiment of gluttony. If you watch the movie or read the book, you see this. He is described in the book as just a really big kid who loves food. It's his hobby. And he's a greedy boy. He's only interested in eating. And then there's another character in the story, the protagonist, named Charlie Bucket. Charlie Bucket is described as a boy who's extremely hungry. He's wanting something that is more satisfactory. He wants to be able to eat something other than cabbage and drink cabbage water. And every year on his birthday, his family would save up enough money and they would buy him a chocolate bar. And he loved chocolate bar. He wanted chocolate more than anything else because it was so much more satisfying than the cabbage and cabbage water that the family was eating. And so you think about this story, and most of us probably are familiar with it to some degree, but Augustus Gloop and all the other children, other than Charlie, they fall into some kind of disaster. If you think back to Augustus Gloop, whenever they're brought into the factory, they're all amazed, and he's trying to eat everything that he can, and he sees this river of chocolate. And what's he do? He goes over and he's leaning over and he's trying to drink as much of this liquid chocolate, this fudge as he can, and he falls in. He gets sucked up a pipe and taken over to the area where they make fudge. That doesn't sound like a very wonderful process, but that's his end in a sense. He's wanting this chocolate so much and he's just stuffing his face and he falls in and he meets disaster. But Charlie, on the other hand, when you think about what ends up happening with him, Charlie, he goes through this factory, and I'm not saying he's perfect, but he is far more humble, and he comes from much more humble means, which probably is the reason why he's a little bit more reserved than these other obnoxious children. And at the end of the story, he inherits the chocolate factory from Willy Wonka. And so you have these, again, these grand reversals taking place in this story where you have one child obsessed with food who ends up meeting his demise, so to speak, and then another child who was hungry and had the opportunity to come to this chocolate factory, and he ends up inheriting this and essentially having the provision of satisfaction for the rest of his life. Again, this grand reversal is taking place that we see where the humble seem to be lifted up and the self-satisfied meet a surprising end. And it so vividly points to our text that we're looking at today. It so vividly reminds us of these divine reversals that we're seeing in the Beatitudes about the hungry and the well-fed. So just as a brief reminder before we read our passage, and I do wanna read the entirety of the Beatitudes and the woes from verse 20 to 26, just to remind us of this grand context. But before we read that, I just wanna remind us of a few things to consider before our text. So Jesus, if you'll remember, has just selected the 12 disciples and named them as apostles. He has come down from the mountain onto a level place, and as he's on this level place, he begins to teach. And he's turning his gaze towards his disciples. You have large crowds that have gathered, right, from all over the place, and they've come to be healed and to hear Jesus. But Jesus, in this moment, when he begins to teach, he's turning his gaze towards his disciples as he's beginning to teach. And so this teaching, I want us to have this in mind, this would have sounded upside down. It would have sounded backwards to his audience because these are people who would have, as Jesus is listing these divine reversals, these blessings and these woes, as he's doing this, that would have been unusual because the idea was that if you have wealth, if you are rich, That was a sign of God's blessing upon you. And so as they're hearing what Jesus is saying, it's contradicting the understanding that they have, so it would have been very unusual. So keep that in mind. I want us to embrace the unusual aspect of these beatitudes and these woes, because they do seem upside down. And it reminds us of that upside down economy of the kingdom of God, where the poor are made rich. and the rich are made poor, where you have the last to become first and the first to become last. So look, if you would, in chapter six. Let's start at verse 20. So please stand, if you would, for the reading of God's word. Starting in verse 20. And turning his gaze toward his disciples, he began to say, Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are those who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are those who cry now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you and exclude you and insult you and scorn your name as evil for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers were doing the same things to the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and cry. Woe to you when men speak well of you, for their fathers were doing the same things to the false prophets. Father, sanctify us in the truth. Your word is truth. Amen. You may be seated. So you remember last week we looked at the first beatitude and the first woe when Jesus pronounced a blessing upon the poor, and again, that would have seemed unusual, but we also saw that the rich were cursed. So we have the scene being set, we have the poor being blessed, and we have the rich being cursed, and now coming to the next beatitude and the next woe, We're going to be examining these in their order. And so looking at the beatitude that's listed first in verse 21, blessed are those who hunger now. Now keep in mind these grand reversals that we've been talking about. These grand reversals as we go through this passage, they're going to, I want us to keep them in mind because I want us to examine our own lives. so that we can see where we are to see if we fit into one of these categories, because we need to be examining ourselves. We need to be constantly pursuing a life of godliness. We need to be living according to how God tells us to live, and if he is pronouncing a blessing on a particular type of individual, do we not want to be that kind of individual? If he is pronouncing a woe on another kind of individual, don't we want to avoid being that kind of individual? So keep these reversals in mind. Let us look at the text and let us examine our lives as we go through these and see where you are. God speaks, his word speaks into every area of our lives. It reveals our sin. It calls us to live a life of godliness. So again, examine yourself. Are you seeking to satisfy yourself? or are you humbling yourself before God and depending upon Him for all that you need and seeking His kingdom first and foremost? So similar to last week, we need to ask whether the hungry, in verse 21, are those who are physically hungry, are they those who are spiritually hungry, or are they both? And again, I submit that it is both. Remember, many of Jesus' disciples whom he has turned his gaze upon and is now teaching, many of those disciples had left everything that they had in order to follow Jesus. We looked at that last week, I won't go through it again. But you remember just in the last chapter, we had individuals who left everything to follow Jesus. And so keep that in mind, because again, these are people who probably were making it okay. I'm not saying that they were poor or rich, but they were probably making it, but now they've left everything. and I would definitely consider them to be physically poor. So I think physical hunger is in mind, much like physical poverty was in mind, but that physical hunger, again, like the physical poverty, would have also probably pushed them or increased them to have a greater awareness of their dependence upon God and their deep need for God. It would incline them to call upon God more than had they seemingly no need. So yes, I think the hunger is physical, but it's also spiritual. Notice that the satisfaction that the hungry are going to enjoy is in the future. In verse 21, blessed are those who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. This is a future fulfillment. It's interesting to me because the first beatitude we looked at, the reasoning for the blessing was a present reasoning, right? Yours is the kingdom of God. Now, here and now, yours is the kingdom of God. But now, when he's talking about the hungry, this blessing seems to be a future blessing. you shall be satisfied. He doesn't say you are satisfied, but you shall be at some point in the future satisfied. So I'm reminded of the story we looked at last week with the rich man and Lazarus. Because this satisfaction of the hungry is going to be enjoyed in the future, they will be satisfied, would indicate some future satisfaction ultimately in glory. And when I think of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke chapter 16, Lazarus desired to be fed from the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table. So here is a man who is hungry, he is poor, he is destitute, he is begging, and he is wanting food, crumbs, that fall from the rich man's table. Now, of course, in the story, both die, both end up in different destinations, and the rich man is in torment, and he asks Lazarus if he can come and cool his tongue, and speaking to the rich man, what does Abraham say? He says, child, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things. And Lazarus, in like manner, bad things. But now, the divine reversal, he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. Notice, when did Lazarus' ultimate satisfaction take place? When was the comfort experience that he so longed for? After his death, in glory. And the rich man, when did he meet his destruction? After death, in eternal torment. So we see this idea of spiritual hunger here in this text. Lazarus was in this constant state of hunger, but he found that ultimate satisfaction in glory. So this isn't just a mere physical hunger, it's a spiritual hunger. And you remember the reason he's in glory, because at the end of chapter 16, at the end of the rich man and Lazarus, they're talking about the Moses and the prophets, and so they knew what they needed to do in order to be in heaven with God. And so Lazarus longed for that, he hungered for it, but he also experienced physical hunger. But this idea of spiritual hunger is seen elsewhere in Scripture as well. Consider the Israelites. I'm gonna go ahead and get you to turn over to Exodus chapter 16. Exodus chapter 16, consider the Israelites who, who had been delivered from their bondage in Egypt by God, and as they are leaving, think of all the things that they had seen. so far. They had seen all of the plagues. They had seen this infestation of frogs. They had seen this river turn to blood. They had seen all of the amazing plagues that God had brought on the people of Egypt. And so they were witnesses to the divine power and the divine majesty of God at work in order to deliver them, and then as they leave Egypt, what do they do? They come up against the Red Sea, and it's miraculously parted, and they're able to go through on dry ground, and they're journeying on, and they come across some water that is bitter and unable to be drank, and the Lord turns it to sweet water so that they may have sweet water to drink, and he's provided for them in every way, but yet you look at Exodus chapter 16, and you can just begin to wonder what is going on in the minds of these people. Exodus chapter 16, look at verse two. And the whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the sons of Israel said to them, would that we had died by the hand of Yahweh in the land of Egypt, where we sat by the pots of meat, where we ate bread to the full. For you have brought us out into this wilderness to put this whole assembly to death with hunger. Pause. Really, people? He just turned undrinkable water to drinkable water for you to be able to be quenched in your thirst. But before you give them too much of a hard time, how often do we in our own lives act that same way? God provides and provides and provides and provides. And then we grumble against him with the very breath that he has provided us. But here they are, they're grumbling and they're complaining and they think they've just been brought out to be put to death with hunger. Verse four, then Yahweh said to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in my law. Now it will be on the sixth day they shall prepare what they bring in, and it will be twice as much as they gather daily. So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, at evening you will know that Yahweh has brought you out of the land of Egypt, as if they didn't already know. You will know that Yahweh brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of Yahweh, as though they hadn't already seen it. For he hears your grumblings against Yahweh, and what are we that you grumble against us? And Moses said, this will happen when Yahweh gives you meat to eat in the evening and bread to the fool in the morning. For Yahweh hears your grumblings which you grumble against him, and what are we? Your grumblings are not against us, but against Yahweh. Then Moses said to Aaron, say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, come near before Yahweh, for he has heard your grumblings. Now it happened as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they turned toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud, and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel. Speak to them saying, at twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread, so that you shall know that I am Yahweh your God. How about this physical hunger they are experiencing? It seems pretty dramatic, doesn't it? They are thinking that they're going to starve to death. And so they began complaining and they began whining and going to Moses and saying, if we would have just stayed in Egypt, we had plenty of food to eat. We had so much food we could have been filled and yet you have brought us out here. Why? So that we may die by hunger? The people of Israel grumbled because of their physical hunger. And God provided for that need. He gave them bread from heaven. He gave them double on the sixth day so that they would be able to even eat on the Sabbath. Everything that they needed was provided for. So does God care about your physical hunger? Yes. But this is pointing to something greater. When you go to John's gospel, flip over there if you would. John chapter six. When you come to John's gospel, you end up seeing that the bread that they ate in the wilderness ultimately was pointing to something far greater and far better. John chapter six. Let's look at verse 31. says that our fathers, and this is the Pharisees, our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is written, he gave them bread from heaven to eat. And Jesus then said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, Moses has not given you the bread from heaven, but my father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. Then they said to him, Lord, always give us this bread. Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst. Just consider this. Does that sound like the satiation of physical hunger or of spiritual hunger? So clearly, the physical hunger that the Israelites experienced in the wilderness as they were leaving Egypt, that physical hunger pointed to a greater, more spiritual hunger that his people have, and his provision for the people in the wilderness with the manna and the bread from heaven pointed to an even greater bread that God would provide for his people to satisfy that spiritual hunger. Clearly, Jesus is referring to a spiritual hunger that he satisfies. Much like when we see Jesus speaking to the woman at the well about living water that will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. Just consider that. This isn't water that you drink and that's it, but this water you drink produces an everlasting spring leading to eternal life. God cares about the physical needs of his people. It's why he provided bread for them in the wilderness. So just pause there and take heart. because God does care for you in your needs. If you're struggling with the physical necessities of life, God cares for you. If you're struggling to make ends meet, You're living paycheck to paycheck and it's not enough. If you're struggling to put bread on the table, if you're struggling with sickness or illness, God cares about your physical needs. Consider Matthew chapter six. Let's flip over there if you would. I know I've got you flipping all over the place. Matthew chapter six. Bring this to mind. Meditate on this passage whenever you find yourself struggling with the physical necessities of life and struggling to remember that God does indeed care for his people. Matthew chapter six, go down to verse 25. Jesus is speaking and he says, for this reason I say to you, Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink, nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Now, if you pause there, you could ask so many questions, like, is it? Is life more than that? I mean, you gotta have food to live, right? But Jesus is pointing something out. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them." And then this amazing rhetorical question that he asks, are you not worth much more than they? As individuals created, in the likeness of God, whom he sent his Son to die for our sins? Are you not much more than these birds?" Verse 27, and who of you, by being worried, can add a single cubit to his lifespan? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow. They do not toil, nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith? Do not worry then, saying, what will we eat? Or what will we drink? Or what will we wear for clothing? For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Does God care about your physical necessities? Yes. But he cares more so about your spiritual needs. He cares about what you need more than food, more than clothing. Which is why he gives this command in verse 33, seek first the kingdom of God. Seek first his righteousness. Why would he give them this imperative? Over, if you're starving, go make food. If you need clothing, go get clothes. Because the need that we have, which is the greatest, is our spiritual need. And we ought to call upon God to satisfy that need before any other need. You can be clothed in fine clothing, you can be fed with the finest of meals, but if you don't have Christ, you have nothing. So why does he say not to worry about those things? because even more than our physical needs, he knows our spiritual needs. However, like Lazarus, you may suffer here on earth. You may experience hunger. You may desire to be fed by the crumbs that fall from another person's table. You may, you may suffer You may be in anguish here in this life. But let that drive you closer to God. Let that physical need propel you towards the one who can satisfy our greatest needs. And know that he will ultimately satisfy every need that you have in glory. I think too often we focus on the here and the now instead of being reminded of that eternal perspective that we should have. Because the suffering and the trials that we experience now, if we let them, will overwhelm us. But we're called to count those things as joy because those trials are producing in us a steadfastness They are producing in us a richer character that is more like Christ. But when we think about eternity, we recognize that the ultimate needs we have are going to be satisfied. This light, momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory. Therefore, do not lose heart. Look to Isaiah 25. I know, one more place that we're flipping. I'm not promising it's the last place either. Isaiah chapter 25, I want us to examine what this future fulfillment will look like, what this future satisfaction is going to look like for us. Isaiah 25, we're gonna look at Verses six through nine. Isaiah 25, starting in verse six. And Yahweh of host will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain, a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow and refined aged wine. And on this mountain, he will swallow up the covering, which is over all peoples, even the veil, which is stretched over all nations. He will swallow up death for all time. And Lord Yahweh will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth. For Yahweh has spoken, and it will be said in that day, behold, this is our God in whom we have hoped that He would save us. This is Yahweh in whom we have hoped. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation. Now the language of this lavish banquet ought to immediately bring to mind the best images of a feast. It ought to produce pictures in our mind of complete satisfaction that will be provided by God. But I want us to notice the fullness of this is yet to come. The fullness of this is yet to come, because death has not been swallowed up. How do I know that? People still die. people still die. And so until it is completely removed, until it is completely swallowed up, the fullness of this will not be experienced. And so believers are now getting a taste of the ultimate satisfaction that will come in glory. Think about that. This banquet is being prepared, and we are able to taste it now, but its fullness has not yet come. We can experience joy in this life, but we also still experience tears. But one day, in glory, all those tears will be wiped away. All of our satisfaction will be complete. And so we get to taste now that fullness that will come and ultimately satisfy. But consider the counterpart back in Luke 6. Consider the counterpart to this blessing that Jesus has given. Who are the well-fed that Jesus is mentioning here? The well-fed we see here are cursed. Why? Because they're going to be hungry. Much as the hungry are blessed because they're going to be satisfied, this divine reversal comes in and flips it. Those who are well-fed will be hungry. But who are the well-fed? They are those who are enjoying the pleasures of this world without giving any regard to God. In the same way that hunger can cause someone to call upon God in their time of need, being well fed can cause someone to rely upon themselves instead of God. They can lean towards self-sufficiency. They can lean on their own power. They can lean on their own strength and their own cleverness and their own devices. But ultimately, we ought to be leaning upon God. But it's so easy in times where things are going good to forget about God. How many times have you been going through your life and you've been thinking about how God has provided for all the blessings of your life? Do you do that often? Because we should. But oftentimes, we don't think about that stuff until we're in a time of trial, until we're in some sort of tribulation, and then it is pressed upon us to lean on God, and we start thinking about what he does, and then immediately after God helps us in those times, we're thinking about how good he is and what all he's done, but then as time goes on and we're comfortable, and we're well-fed, we tend to, Push God to the side. So who are the well-fed? They're those who are leaning on themselves instead of leaning on God. Being well-fed or full is indicative of a attitude of self-sufficiency. And the end of such people is profound, insatiable hunger. Turn to Psalm 73. This might be the last place we go. Psalm 73. This psalm has been a blessing to me so many times in my life because I think it expresses what we as believers so often feel. And it reminds us of how we should be thinking. Psalm 73. Sometimes we can think that unbelievers are better off than we are, right? We can look at the world around us and we can see all of the evil and wicked people and how everything just seems to be going in their favor, and we can get so burdened. We can feel so depressed. And that's exactly the issue that Asaph is addressing in this psalm. Look if you would. Let's look at, starting in verse one. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the boastful. I saw the peace of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death, and their body is fat. They are not in trouble as other men, and they are not stricken along with the rest of mankind. Their lofty pride is their necklace. The garment of violence covers them. Their eye bulges from fatness. The delusions of their heart overflow. They scoff and wickedly speak of oppression. They speak from on high. They have set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue goes through the earth. Just pause there. When you hear the description of the wicked here in this psalm, when you hear the description of them in their prosperity, it's understandable that Asaph is struggling to understand the situation. Because how can they seem to be so blessed when they are so wicked and have turned so far from God. But remember that wealth and prosperity, right, were viewed as God's blessings. Yet Asaph knew that these people were wicked. Continue on, look at verse 10. Therefore, his people return here to his place and waters of fullness are drunk by them. They say, how does God know? And is there knowledge with the most high? Behold, these are the wicked and always at ease. They have increased in wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence. For I have been stricken all day long and reproved every morning. So the psalmist is expressing the deep despair that he feels while observing the prosperity of the wicked. Because these are individuals who are bold in their arrogance. They are comfortable in their sin. We recognize this today. You can just turn the TV on and see individuals that seem to fit this exact description. And Asaph felt, when he saw this, he felt as though he had strived in vain to live for the Lord, to pursue righteousness and holiness. All in vain have I kept my heart pure. I see how the wicked are living and they seem to be so blessed and I, on the contrary, seem to be so cursed. Why, God? Verse 15. If I had said, I will recount thus, behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your children. When I gave thought to know this, it was trouble in my sight, until I came into the sanctuary of God. Then I understood their end. Surely, you set them in slippery places. You cause them to fall to destruction. How they become desolate in a moment. They are completely swept away by terrors, like a dream when one awakes. O Lord, when aroused, you will despise their form. So Asaph then remembered that the wicked would ultimately meet their destruction at God's hand. They would ultimately face God's justice and his wrath. While they may prosper here and now, while they may be rich now, while they may be well-fed now, while they may enjoy all the pleasures of this world, they will be ultimately ruined. For those who put their trust in themselves rather than in God, there are eternal consequences. Without Christ, you will be eternally separated from all the goodness and grace and blessings of God. And you will experience only the justice and the wrath of God because of your sin. Without Christ, there is chaos, there is misery, there is lamenting, there is emptiness, there is agony, there is torment. So woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. You will fall into destruction. You will become desolate. You will be completely swept away. Look at verse 21, still in Psalm 73. When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, Then I was senseless and ignorant. I was like an animal before you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have taken hold of my right hand. With your counsel, you will lead me. And afterward, take me in glory. So Asaph recognizes the error of his thinking. He is recognizing his utter dependence upon God. And that even though he is, yes, suffering now, though he is afflicted now, though he's poor now, though he's hungry now, the Lord would ultimately deliver him in glory. And afterward, verse 24, will take me in glory. It is this recognition that spurs Asaph on to exult in God. Look at verses 25 through the end. Whom have I in heaven but you? And besides you, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever. For behold, those who are far from you will perish. You have destroyed everyone who is unfaithful to you. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good. I have set Lord Yahweh as my refuge that I may recount all of your works. Oh, that I may recount all of your works. It's when we forget what God has done that we find ourself in the position Asaph was originally. Right? When you think about what God has done, it's hard to forget that he loves you and cares for you and provides for his people. But when you're not thinking about what he has done, it's so easy to look at the world and say, God, what? What is going on? Why are the wicked being able to prosper this way? And so Asaph comes to the end and he says, as for me, the nearness of God is my good. I have set Lord Yahweh as my refuge, that I may recount all of your works. That's the key, isn't it? Remembering what God has done for us helps us put all of these things into perspective. When we think about how Christ came into this world, how he lived the life that we should have lived, a godly, righteous life, and then how he died the death that we should have died, a sinner's death, We are reminded that ours is the kingdom of God and that we will be ultimately satisfied in glory. And remembering what Christ did is exactly what we do when we come before the Lord's table. When we come and we have these elements distributed, these things are elements that remind us of what he's done. We look back, yes, and remember what Christ has done. We think about his body that was broken and his blood that was shed. And as often as we do this, what did Jesus say? Do it in remembrance of me. So just like Asaph, recounting all of God's works ought to be something that we do continually. This is one reason why we're doing this more frequently now, so that we can constantly be reminded of what He's done. So think of Christ now and in a moment as we observe the Lord's Supper. Think about what Christ has done. Think about all that He has done for us. and as we partake of the blessing, remember that we are feeding upon Christ. We are feeding on the one who has given himself for us. Now listen, I think Rob did an excellent job explaining this, so I'm not gonna go through this, but I wanna remind us that we are feeding on Christ, but when we do this, this is not some moment where the elements, the bread and the cup, actually become the body and the blood of Christ, right? We don't believe that. We don't find scriptural basis for that. But we do see that we are partaking of Christ when we partake of this. 1 Corinthians 10, 16, Paul's writing and he says, is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? So we have an opportunity then as we come together and as we partake of these things to experience the blessing of Christ here and now. This is a glimpse of what we are going to have completely and ultimately in glory. It's a taste of what's to come. So consider our Savior. Consider His sacrifice, His body that was broken, His blood that was shed for sinners. Recognize that as you call upon Him in your great need, When you recognize that spiritual hunger, that spiritual longing for something greater, call upon the one who has done something about your greatest need. It is our dependence upon him, it is our desiring him, it is our calling upon him that helps us to turn from the pleasures of the world. I said that was gonna be the last, it's not. Turn to Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 11. Of course, many of us are familiar with this chapter. It's often called the hall of faith or the hall of saints because of course it's describing so many people who through faith did many wonderful, great things. So Moses is mentioned here. Let me find my spot. Verse 24. It says, by faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, regarding the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. I just want you to see that right there. By faith, Moses was able to forsake the pleasures, the riches of the world of Egypt and he esteemed the reproach of Christ as greater than all the world had to offer. Why? Why was he able to do that? For he was looking to the reward. Moses wasn't perfect. He had many faults, as we all do. But he was able to turn from worldly pleasure from the temptation of self-sufficiency in the riches of the world, from the self-sufficiency of being satisfied in the here and now with physical food. He was able to turn away from all of that because he looked forward to the complete satisfaction that he would ultimately have in Christ in glory. He looked forward to that future reward. And so we come to this table in faith. And not only do we remember what Christ has done, not only are we tasting now what is to come, but we are eagerly anticipating the fullness of the satisfaction that God will provide for his people. But this means then, that unless you are trusting in Christ, this is not for you. The Lord's table is a place for us as believers to come and to celebrate together what Christ has done, what he is doing, and what he will do. So if you've never then trusted in Christ, this is not for you. But it could be. It could be if you turn now from your self-sufficiency and you recognize the deep hungering in your soul for a God who can provide exactly what you need. I implore you, if you are here and you've never trusted in Christ, and you've been leaning on yourself and you've not been making it, or if you have been making it, but you've never given thought to God, turn from that and turn to God in repentance. Because he can and will save you when you call out to him. Recognize then that you're a sinner. Recognize that you have a need of a savior. That is the most important thing that you can do. But for those of us who have been saved because of Christ's atoning work, we're able to come and celebrate together as we glimpse the satisfaction that will come in its fullness one day in glory. But let's taste it now. Let's feed on Christ now. Let his grace pour into your life as we observe this supper. If I could get those who are going to be helping to come, I want us to pray before we partake of this. Father, we adore you. Father, we are so grateful that you have lived your life in such a way and that you have given your life on the cross in such a way that you can pay the price of sin. Lord, that you have been able to atone for sinners. So God, help us to remember that, but help us to embrace it now as we come and partake of these elements. God, I pray that we would be reminded of your grace that pours into us day in and day out, that we would be constantly reminded of our need of your grace and your mercy day after day. Lord, help our hearts and our minds to be in the right place. that we may partake of this in a worthy manner. God, if there's someone here who's living in unrepentant sin or someone here who has something against another individual, God, I pray that before they partake of these things, Lord, that you would put it on their hearts to be reconciled to those around them and to ultimately be reconciled with you. Lord, we ask these things in your precious son's name, amen.