Ken Boa Reflections Ministries

Dr. Ken Boa: We're going to pick up now where we left off a couple weeks ago. So we had a little hiatus and I understand there are a few new men here from the event as a result of the Friday the Thursday night event that we I couldn't believe this place when I saw the 900 men all the way back down to there and so forth. And it's pretty impressive losing all those ribs and then somehow managing to make it work together. It's astonishing really. So I'm just it's the grace of God.

Dr. Ken Boa: We're going to be looking at John chapter 18. For those of you who are new. We do a chapter a week and I have about 30, 35 minutes to do a chapter, so it's really great fun. What am I going to leave out and what am I going to focus on? But it's it is lovely to do this and I must tell you, even though I've gone through John in my life many times, every time you approach this well, you realize it's just it's an artesian well. And it just keeps on gushing forth new insights. And so the word of God is robust and every time you approach it, it's alive and active and sharper than any two-edge sword, and it it exegetes you and me, because it's really the word reveals you for who you are and tells you who you are, why you're here, where you're going, where you came from, answering the questions we could never know apart from the revelation of the living God.

Dr. Ken Boa: We're up to John 18 and we're going to be looking first of all, I've got a little outline here. The garden and chapter one verse one rather is obedience. And so it tells us in John 18 when Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden in which he entered with his disciples. And that's a very intriguing word because it turns out that it was actually in a garden that so many things had taken place. Human history began there. And the first sin occurred there and that garden was turned into a desert as a result of the rebellion against the living God and the first Adam. But then here is one who turns this garden into the the gateway of Paradise and opens it up because of Adam's disobedience, they were cast out of the garden, but the last Adam was obedient as he went to this garden of Gethsemane.

Dr. Ken Boa: And so it's interesting if I look at this and show you this little chart, this is from my visual survey of the Bible. It's fascinating to contrast the two Adams. And so all three, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. The tree was good for for food. It was pleasant to the eyes and third, it was to make it made one wise, it was desired to make one wise. And the second Adam was tempted in the same three ways and you can be pretty confident, you're going to be tempted in the same ways as well. I can promise you that. And so command the stone that it would be made bread. And so the lust of the flesh. The lust of the eyes. The devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment, in an instant. And the pride of life, throw yourself down, show everyone who you are. And so when one failed, the second Adam overcame and the contrast couldn't be greater. So it's intriguing to see how this motif of the garden is is so very clear. This obedience of Christ who opens it up and makes this a possibility.

Dr. Ken Boa: But we go into the next one and it's the kiss, this treachery in verses two to nine that I'd like to focus on. And so it tells us, now Judas also who was betraying him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with the disciples, and it was all set up as a result. And what it tells us as well is that he received the Roman cohort. And a Roman cohort is a tenth of a legion, which is 600 men. That's a bunch of men. And they were put at the disposal effectively of Judas. So consider the privileges that he and the opportunities that this man squandered and he he blew it because of his own agenda, which became precedent over God's agenda. He having received this, then he came there with the lanterns and torches and weapons. And so Jesus, knowing all things that were coming upon him, went forth and said to him, and he shocked them because effectively he was in full control. And this is what the text stresses, Nobody takes my life from me. I have the authority to lay it down and the authority to take it back again. This authority I received from my Father. And you can see what he's doing then, he knows what's going to happen and he humbly and willingly obeys. So he shocks both Judas and the arresting officers by boldly presenting himself to him. So he willingly lays down his life for the for the sheep and by surrendering to the officers, he also helps to protect his disciples. So we take a look at these verses, they answered to him, Jesus who, so he asked this question, whom do you seek?

Dr. Ken Boa: And they answered, Jesus the Nazareth. He said to them, Ego Ami. What does that mean? I am. That's the I Am that I Am. And the power of that name, the name of the living God, was so powerful that when he said that, they drew back and fell to the ground. You're talking about hundreds of soldiers. How did this happen? I think what happened at that moment is that a flash of his pre-incarnate glory was manifested in a microsecond. Just enough to overwhelm them, to reveal that if he wanted, he could have walked right over them and just gone his merry way. But then he withdrew that and allowed them to do that. It's a picture. It's the understatement, isn't it? Of the in the Gospels, but you see the power, the authority of this man that they would be falling to the ground. And it says, the Greek word is they were they were they were really pinned to the ground. So it's a powerful story.

Dr. Ken Boa: And then they said Jesus the Nazarene, and Jesus answered, I told you that I am. Um, and so if you seek me, let these go their way. To fulfill the word which he spoke, of those whom you have given me, I lost not one. So everything he does in the upper room discourse and now here is always for the good of those whom he loved. And that concludes you and me as well. As we saw in the high priestly prayer, when he included us in that prayer because of praying for those whom these who would come to faith as a result of their lives as well. So it's always an unbroken succession. So that tells us then I lost not one. Now, Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave. This is a this is a a kind of a moment of rebellion by contrast. Uh so he decides to try to things take lives and things into his own hands. And his name was Malchus. We know that one of the other Gospels said that um he then healed the the ear, which was Jesus' last public miracle before the cross, an act of grace toward the disciples. And so here even here is that he's able to heal and to to do this for them. So put it back. The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not drink it? So the sword speaks about the rebellion, but the cup speaks about something else. The cup tells us about submission. So we go from this sword and you're going to either have a sword or the cup. The sword is is really the sword, not the literal sword, but the sword of the spirit is the weapon we're supposed to be using and wielding the weapon of the spiritual battles, using spiritual forces. But really the issue is going to be submission and the contrast again between the human approach and the divine submission. And his purpose ultimately being that his soul having been stirred to the depths as we see in verse 11 and following here. He now um tells of the cup which the Father has given me, shall I not drink it? That's a whole word in that. And elsewhere you see him saying this is take this cup from me. It is a cup that's very difficult and it's a cup that invites submission to the Father's will. And he'd been given, I delight to do your will, oh my God, your law is written within my heart.

Dr. Ken Boa: Now we never need to fear the cups that the Father hands to us because he prepares them to us in love and he'll never harm us ultimately, but we may suffer pain. We will suffer heartbreak. There's no escaping that in this world. You will actually suffer adversity. And those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer adversity. You know this, but God will redeem what he allows. That's why I wrote a book called Shape by Suffering because and so but we have to see it this way. He's going to continue to transform that suffering into glory. The very thing that causes you pain will will be a source of joy. And so we see this idea that you're going to either have the the cup or it's going to be the the sword. So, I shall I not drink it? So Jesus is now before the priests. And the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him and led them to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die in behalf of the people. Being high priest that year, the the spirit actually spoke through him in a way that transcended his own understanding. But that's how God uses government, he uses authority. He's behind the scenes and behind of all this, he accomplishes his purpose in spite of the fact that people would be rebelling against him.

Dr. Ken Boa: But Simon Peter was following Jesus and so what we see here is this this fire of denial. So we're going from here now into the fire. And this before that charcoal fire, um we see a three-fold stage of of denial that's found in Peter's life. And so in 15 to 17, we see. Um, it's intriguing when you see him following the crowd and and following Jesus. Um, he was known to the high priest. He entered with him, so he walked there and he puts himself in harm's way. It reminds me of of of Psalm one, who uh that he that he walks and then he he he sits and then he and then he basically he walks, he stands and he sits. And the three processes are are as well, you see that and he's then sat with the enemy. And so he made himself vulnerable to this situation. So in it tells us in this text here in verse um uh 15 17 just follow this. The first time then this the the the um Peter was standing at the door outside. And the other disciple was known to the high priest. So the slave girl first question, you're not one of the many. He denied it. Um, now the slaves and the officers were standing there, made a charcoal fire, it was cold, and Peter was there standing and warming himself. We later we see he sat there. So the high priest then questions him about his Jesus about his disciple. And in that in the interim, um, he's going through these these civil these religious trials. And why do you question me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to him. They know what I said. And one of the officers struck Jesus. If I've spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong, but if rightly, why do you strike me? So Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. What's interesting about this is he's on his way from one set of trials to another. And Luke's Gospel tells us something very poignant, that when Peter denied him again, when he says, you're not also one of his disciples, are you? And he denied it and said, I am not. Um, and so, did I not see you in the garden? He denied it again and immediately a rooster crowed. Now Luke tells us that when that rooster crowed and he on his third denial, Jesus looked at Peter. It's a very chilling word. And and he felt and he went out in great remorse. Imagine that moment. He so it tells us that he's being led Jesus from the three civil trials to the three religious trials to the three civil. And as he's being led there, imagine his eyes meeting you, the power of that. Imagine seeing those eyes when you will one day. And you can be confident of this. You will look into the face of Jesus. This is not speculation. And then so therefore we do well to be prepared to give our account. So live well and wisely in light of that because we will and in that burning look, somehow the judgment seat I think is such that all these things that have happened in our lives will be clarified and seen and we'll see the whole and it'll be purged. And those things that were done in the spirit will be honored honored and given reward. And those things which were done in wood, say and hay and stubble in the flesh, will be burned off. But it would be good to hear the well done, good and faithful servant. But I imagine the eyes of Jesus doing that.

Dr. Ken Boa: So Jesus was before Pilate. And what's interesting as we go to here, so I'm going to I'm going to go to the next component here. Um, I see suffered under Pontius Pilate. And so the first thing we have is what is the accusation in 28 to 32. And it's fascinating to see when you look at this text of scripture that you have these uh these various trials. And so I'll just summarize the three Jewish or religious trials. Number one, the first one was in the home of Annas. And then secondly, it was before Caiaphas and the members of the Sanhedrin, if you put that together, that's the second component. And then the third trial was at the meeting of the council early the next morning that that the Gospels describe. So there are three religious trials and and or ordeal that he had to go through. Then that was followed by three um Roman or civil trials. There was the first appearance before Pontius Pilate and then there was appearance before Herod and then third, it was another appearance before Pilate. So he went through this all night long, this grueling and rigorous ordeal um on our behalf. So Pontius Pilate was an office from the years 26 to 36. And it was not greatly liked by the Jews and he could be a ruthless uh person. But he also understood Jewish power uh structures and how they could be used. So the way he handled the trial of Jesus is is interesting. It reveals an indecisive man, a weak man, a compromising man. He looked for a loophole that could please both sides. Actually, that's what just reminds me of um uh what was his name uh um I'm looking for a loophole, the uh the the comedian um W.C. Fields. And he they they saw a Bible next to his bedstead on his deathbed. He said, what are you got a Bible there? He said, I'm looking for a loophole. You know, so at the end of the day, you don't know what happened with this person. That's the last words we've got. But ultimately he was looking for a way that he could please both sides and was afraid of the crowd and he grew afraid of the prisoner. And you see him growing more concerned as he begins to realize, who is this one who is standing before me? So you see he's so he's asking this question then. So we have um are you the um uh what what is the accusation? So in verses uh 28 to 32. He led from from Caiaphas into the Praetorium early, and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium because they would not be because they wouldn't want to eat they couldn't eat the Passover. Pilate went out to them. What accusation do you bring against this man? They answered them, they didn't give him anything specific. This he weren't an evil doer, we wouldn't have delivered him. That's not very specific. So Pilate said to them, take him yourselves and judge him according to your law. He wanted to get rid of it this way. And then they said, we're not permitted to put anyone to death. And this is to fulfill the word of Jesus, because they would have stoned him if they were given the authority to do so. But it was clearly the way he was going to die was of a different manner as we saw predicted in Psalm 22. Um, so ultimately the words of Jesus which he spoke that it would be a crucifixion.

Dr. Ken Boa: So Pilate entered again into the Praetorium. And so we go to the next little section here. And he said, first, what's the accusation? Then he asked Jesus this question, are you the king of the Jews in 33 to 38? So we take a look at that. And in 33, are you the king of the Jews? And he says, are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about me? Pilate answered, I'm not a Jew, am I? Your own nation, and your your own nation and the chief priests delivered you to me. What have you done? Jesus answered, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not of this realm. So he's speaking about the fact that ultimately we know he will be the one who will be the Messianic uh king. He will rule and reign. But he's but the idea of him being the suffering servant before he becomes the reigning king was not something that the Jews could put together. But clearly they had two Messiahs. And I think you know about this, that there was one Messianic Ben Joseph, Messiah, the son of Joseph, who would be the suffering servant. But there was also another Messiah, Messianic Ben David, who would be the reigning king. And they couldn't put the two together. Would never guess that one would be the other. So the suffering song of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53, which by the way is been used especially effectively with some uh when you read it to uh and give give it to some people. This was done recently by a person um with a Jewish audience and he said, just read the text and and read it out loud. Who's he speaking about? And you read Isaiah 53. Well, it seems to be speaking about Jesus. They didn't know it was from their own their own scripture from the Tanakh in Isaiah 53. So it's intriguing when you ask who is it? Um that that's the clearest passage about that. But the idea that this suffering servant would also be the reigning king couldn't be put together, you see. And actually, they they would plump for the suffering, the reigning king over the suffering servant. They wanted one who would deliver them from Roman bondage.

Dr. Ken Boa: So the concept of the cross comes before the crown. Suffering before honor comes humility. Um, it's a pattern that God himself manifests in our lives and as the suffering servant, he is the one who is going to bear our sins and ultimately give us his righteousness. So everything he does is other-centered. Everything he does is not for himself, but for our good and it's an astonishing thought. So you and I get to have the privilege of looking back and seeing how the two are one in the same. And that his kingdom in this world is not as he says, it's not of this world, but it will be that he will come and rule from the from the throne of David. And that as it was predicted of him, um of his kingdom, there will be no end. And so we have this glorious picture, but that the honor is preceded um by humility. So you said, so you are a king. You say correctly that I am a king. For this I've been born and for this I have come into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. And this is that ironic moment when he went out and when Pilate said to him, what is truth? I find it fascinating. The irony of course is he's looking at the the way, the truth and the life. He's beholding the one who is the incarnate Logos, the one who is the bearer of all things, who holds all things together and rules all things. He's holding him and he he doesn't recognize that what is truth, so that cynical answer that he gives. Um, and when he said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, I find no guilt in him. So we have this next portion, are you the king of the Jews?

Dr. Ken Boa: And then shall I release the king of the Jews? And that's going to carry us up to chapter 19. But in 18 39, we have this picture where they um going back to here, my little text keeps going reverting back to the beginning of the text, I can't control it. Um, Pilate went out to them and said, what is the accusation that you bring against this man? They said, if this man were not an evil doer, we would not have delivered him to you. So they're not giving him a very specific accusation. So he says, take it and do do it yourself. But after he says this my kingdom is not of this world and are you a king? You say correctly, for this I was born and for this I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Now it's a profound thought that anyone who wants to know him, um it has to do with the heart of man. And God knows your heart. And so the most important thing about you is what are you looking for? What do you seek? What's that first question Jesus asked? What do you seek? And that's it's going to define you. You're shaped by that to which you aspire. What you pursue will define you and what do you want more than anything else is a fundamental question. And you and I were meant for something eternal and infinite. And if you fix your mind and your heart on something that's not transfinite and transtemporal, you're making yourself you're selling yourself too cheaply. Because you are a bearer of the Imago Dei, you are a spiritual being in this world. And so scriptures invite us to see that your fundamental nature is that you're a spiritual being having this earthbound embodied experience and you're being prepared for your eternal sojourn, citizenship in heaven. But right now the things we want, what do we seek for? If if it's not eternity and infinity, it's not enough because you're a bearer of the of the image of God. This is again why Augustine said, you have made us for yourself, oh Lord, and our hearts are what? Restless until they find their rest in you. So I keep reverting to that and I have to find myself, be honest with you, I was just um talking with Jay about this, that we both are longing for home. We're becoming more homesick and world-weary. And again, it's not the more homesick you are, the more heavenly minded you are. We often think the less earthly good you'll do. And you know that's not true. The reality is the more you want home, the more you'll contexturize the brief sojourn you have in this world and every day will matter. And you're going to realize that you have never met a mere mortal and everything that you do matters. There's no little people places or things and therefore this day is significant and the encounters you have can have an eternal impact that you cannot even begin to see. So every day matters. Live in light of eternity and the more heavenly minded you are, the more you'll realize the brevity of your earthly sojourn. And the more you realize that, you'll be longing for more than this world can provide, but you're going to also be an agent who's walking in the power of the new creation even in this present darkness. This says, what is the power that's been given to us if we if we know Christ? If we have if we have received Jesus and invited him into our lives, what is this new thing you have? Now you've been raised with him in the heavenly places, you've been seated with him in the heavenly places, and your your life is no longer your own. You are now a spiritual being and you are seated with him in the right hand of the Father. So in your deepest self, you're holy and righteous and and pure. But you're also being prepared in this world for your eternal citizenship in in heaven. So we live in this world as pilgrims and as walkers and sojourners and aliens, as strangers, as wanderers, as as tenants and we're not home. So the more I long for what God wants, the more I become conformed by that to which I aspire and the more I become an agent of the the the kingdom to come. Indeed, what is the power you've been granted? You've been granted the power of Christ's resurrection. That is the power of the coming king kingdom. Yet you're now already living in that power. So you're living in the power of the age to come in this present darkness, so that the light of Christ living in you and through you as you are expressing that light. And as you are an incarnation of that, so that you become the word became flesh. You become a manifestation of the life of Christ who's in you and you are in him. And that's that's that's it becomes a vehicle by which you have a purpose in this world that's going to last and it's going to endure. So we realize we are walking in the truth. We are walking in the way, the truth and the life. And ultimately that is the gift that God has granted us that that this is the king of Israel and that he's given us all things. And so we recognize then that um we in verse 39 and and and following that we have this calling, this high calling that we have been given. And verse 39 and we'll just tie it together here. Um, when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to, I find no guilt in him. You have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you wish then that I release for you the king of the Jews? That's what he wanted. But they cried out again saying, not this man but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber. And it's an interesting thing to think about Barabbas because um there is a uh he would have heard this. It's possible that Barabbas only heard the mob, give us Barabbas. And then crucify him. Interesting that that that was the case. You can imagine his relief, but in a very real sense, when the guard came from him, he realized that Jesus was taking his place. All of us are Barabbas. Every one of you is Barabbas. You see, the one who deserved the crucifixion, the one who deserved that, received his God's grace. And the one who was filled with the way, the truth, the life, the grace of God receives God's wrath. So the one who um he made him who knew no sin to become sin in our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Again, as I often put it, that's the best deal you're going to be ever offered. You see, that he takes your sin and gives you his goodness. How can you imagine such a thing? And I have to say, you'll find this nowhere else. It's utterly unique, the way, the truth, this life. And it's a life that not only is true historically, but it's true as we embody that life which continues to live in us and through us as us. So your holy calling is to be an agent of the kingdom to come, to be a a a sign and and and a signal of the glory and power of God and to be the word becomes flesh. And that's Christ is in you and you are in him. You become a manifestation through your own unique prism of your of your personality. You become a unique expression of the glory of God in your unique time and in your unique situation. So you are called to make make this day matter. Make this day count because the people you encounter this day, the things you say, the way you serve them and treat them. That will have a reverberating impact on the ages to come. I was thinking just last night, I don't know why I was doing it, I was I was going through some groups of people that I hadn't seen in such a long time. Some names came into my mind. But I realized as I was given those names by these people, it was a reminder to me that though I do not see them right now, there was an eternal consequences of those encounters. That that you you it matters the way you serve, the way you treat, the way you handle another person. It's going to endure in heaven. And wait till the great kingdom to come when we see each other in resurrected glory. And then we'll realize, he does all things well.

Dr. Ken Boa: Let's take a look then at uh at this at this text and uh and consider it. Um I'm going to be focusing on uh this whole idea going back here. This um this this text here. This denial. So what I'll just let you process this together about what one or two lessons might you summarize or pull out of this text of scripture for your consideration. So I'll just leave this up on the screen.

Guest (Male): Are we good?

Dr. Ken Boa: Okay, good. Before we uh continue, I just wanted to let you know that um we have some more copies of the God I don't understand book. It was it was fun to discuss this and to review some things that I had done 30 50 years ago. And um so remember putting all this together and these mysteries of the God man, the Trinity and divine sovereignty, resurrection body, time and space, and the evergreen nature of the content, but then the 50 years later content as well. So um it was really pretty fascinating. So the culture has changed, but um um 50 years later. So what uh things that we see here. It's so it's been fun to go through that and to review that. And recognize kind of odd that I'm old enough to actually have a 50th anniversary edition of what's the thing I did. I still remember it was like, but it was like it was last year. That's the odd thing about this. But uh we've got some copies up here. So tell me about your experience. Um any Uh one of the men mentioned the kind of the aha moment of the Luke text of scripture when Jesus saw him right in the face. the eyes met as he being led out from the from the religious trials which was a great ordeal lasted a great deal long time. And they were violating their own law in order to get this person for violating their law. It's an interesting thing. So so much they they hated that truth. But then imagine that moment with Peter and his remorse and it was a poignant thing. But I remind that's a reminder of the um the eyes of him with whom we have to do. each of us is going to see that face. And it's why it's to live in light of that. And you want to hear that voice because it's the same person who'll speak the best words a person could ever hear. Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master. But it's the same person who says the worst things a person could ever hear. Depart from me, for I never knew you. That's a pretty interesting thought. So at the end of the day, it comes down not to our performance and our works, but to our submission and reception of his what he's done for us. What what insights did you have? Yes. Okay, yes.

Guest (Male): Yeah, we we talked a bit about uh what defines you. I enjoy mentoring young men and I ask them what defines you. They they have a very difficult time answering that. And what I really got out of this today is what defines you. Uh we have to look deeply into ourselves and are we defined and are we seeking the things to expand the Kingdom?

Dr. Ken Boa: Yeah. Who defines us? Does it us or does it God? And so the scriptures reveal that. And that's why the word of God is a moral mirror, it reveals ourselves to ourselves if we receive it. But it must be responded to. It's not just a set of precepts or principles or just logical deductions or anything of that sort, but it has a it's alive and active.

Guest (Male): But the easy answer to that is is is part of what what perceive what you seek defines you.

Dr. Ken Boa: Yes, that's what I'm saying. What do you seek? And so I keep asking this question because I truly do believe that what you long for more than anything else will define you, it reveals you. What do you seek because the heart becomes conformed by that to which it aspires. You are shaped by your aspirations. And most people are selling themselves too cheaply. They seek trivial and tinsel and toys. And at the end of the day, it'll be ashes in their mouth.

Dr. Ken Boa: And are the things we're seeking is that expanding the kingdom? We're here to expand the kingdom through the power of the Holy Spirit. Yeah, so being agents, you're an agent. You're you're not your own. First of all, you are a steward. Um it means that you don't own anything. You're managing the resources of another and you'll be held accountable. And the context is is of reward is faithfulness, opportunity. But you're also an ambassador. You're not even on your own business, you're in the King's business. You're on his affairs. So that you are a sent one. So in Christ then you are an agent in this world for a few decades to manifest eternal life and light and love in a world that's in in embedded in darkness and rebellion and hatred. So it's a particularly astonishing moment that we've been granted in this world of vast options and opportunities that have never been seen before and how we can leverage that. But use this day, seek each day. um and live each day for its fullness, as if this was your last day. And that's a wise thing to do. Were there any other uh thought that we had? Oh okay, oh yes.

Guest (Male): I'm just going to repeat. I had a conversation with Stewart earlier this week about something and he said something which has stuck with me all week. He just said, what you value, you prioritize.

Dr. Ken Boa: There you go. And that's pretty much.

Guest (Male): Yeah, what you value. And I because we were talking about something really unrelated to anything in here, but but the point was, I was trying to relate in terms of my interaction with other people and what I should do and shouldn't do. But the point was, what you value, that's what you're going to prioritize.

Dr. Ken Boa: Yes, the heart makes room for what it treasures. And so you so that you can discuss and so that you reveal what's revealed then is when I let me be honest about this. Do I what do I truly want more than anything else? And if I cannot honestly say you, oh Lord, I want to know you better. May may do I want to want that more than anything else? Again, one starts, we're not where you might want to be, but where you are, but you can move from there. And you can always say I want to want you more. And so and so it's a great this is a developmental process of growth. Make sense? Yes.

Guest (Male): Just we had a kind of a conversation around the table about that moment when they saw Jesus and fell.

Dr. Ken Boa: Ah.

Guest (Male): And just how often, you know, in this life we we don't notice Jesus. We don't notice him. We don't see him. And when we really do, we can't help but be on our face. And that kind of I ran into one of those experiences earlier in this week and I won't get into all the details, but just in a in a random sovereign moment, God gave me an opportunity to really see him with a group of people and I couldn't help but be on my face. It just overwhelmed me. In really what the overwhelming piece was is that this sinful human being gets the opportunity to worship him. I don't deserve that. I deserve eternity in hell, but because of his grace that you talked about earlier, I get the honor and privilege to worship a holy God. And it overwhelmed me and I could not help but be on my face before the Lord.

Dr. Ken Boa: And yet the honesty mystery of how this one, this Lord of all could actually suffer on our behalf and become uh become take on our sin. It's beyond comprehension in many ways, but it's it's beyond our grasp beyond this there's no one's ever seen anything like it when when will hardly die for a righteous man, but for but for for those who are his enemies, he would die for us. And so uh but here he gives us his life. So his the more we realize what he's done, the more worthy he is of all honor, glory, and praise. And so seeing the um the cosmic Christ, to see the glory of Jesus, um and it'll be a rich picture. So I'm trying to use my mind's eye, my imagination, which is the organ of meaning, as a vehicle to amplify my aspirations. And so what do I want more than anything else? And what will the greatest experience I've ever known in this world are hints of better goods to come, but it's all from him. It's Christocentric. Life must become more and more Christocentric and less egocentric. Yeah.

Guest (Male): Um, leveraging off of that. Uh years ago over 30 years ago, um I used to go on mission trips to Haiti and uh Jean-Monique Bruno, Pierre Bruno did little sermons for us all the time. He was a great, great guy. And he made the point that stuck with me ever since. He said, the day Jesus signed his death warrant was the day he threw the money changers out of the temple. He said, they would endure his message, but they would not endure him interfering with their commerce.

Dr. Ken Boa: Their commerce. Yeah. Interesting. Again, the heart makes room for what it treasures. And when you start meddling with that, Yeah. So it's yeah.

Guest (Male): Uh just something quick that that touched me as we were going through this. The the depth of feeling that uh was involved. And it's such that we've we've talked about Peter and getting the gaze of Christ. That would have just crumbled me right there. Because you know Peter loved him and Jesus was disappointed in what he'd done. But again, uh Jesus loved Judas and Judas betrayed him with a kiss. So I'm I'm just think it's it's one thing for the world to cheat us or the world to steal from us. Very honestly, we kind of expect that. But for people that we love to do that, it it just crushes us.

Dr. Ken Boa: Yes. Yeah, it's a revelatory moment. And so that that uh it was in Luke 22. It's just uh uh I I find it just almost astonishing that uh that uh that this would happen. Um and I you know, he's prayed for him that he would uh that he would uh uh that Satan has demanded permission to seek you like we, but I've prayed for you that your faith will may not fail, but ultimately. Uh it's an amazing thought. Um but anyway, uh I think we're out of time, but uh I wanted to just uh thank you for your desire to be willing to pursue him because God will honor the holy intentions of your heart. So what do you want more than anything else? And seek to be his man. And the more you allow him to rule and reign, the more free, the more liberated you will be to become the person that God always intended you to be and that is the way of freedom and truth and love and joy and peace.

Guest (Male): Thank you, Ken. Thank you.