Walking In His Ways | Sunday, September 4, 2022

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I was dead in sin, alone and hopeless, a child of wrath. I walked condemned in darkness. Your mercy brought me life, and in Your loving kindness, You raised me up with Christ and made me righteous.

Lord, You are the light that broke the darkness. You satisfy my soul when I am heartless. Whenever I forget my true identity, show me who I am.

Going back more than two years, we have been slowly making our way through the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy here at Cross Connection Church. As I have shared many times before, I believe this book is a key to understanding the Old Testament. Everything that follows after the book of Deuteronomy, from the book of Joshua until the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi, is really an application of this text. In one sense, it's kind of an illustration of what it would look like for the children of Israel if they were to disregard God's statutes and His judgments.

Deuteronomy establishes what I've shared before as the kind of "if this, then that" algorithm for Israel's life as God's people living out their days in the Promised Land. If Israel would follow God's ways and keep His commandments, then they would experience God's blessing and abundance in the Promised Land that He was going to give to them. However, there is that condition: if Israel were to turn away and disregard God's ways, transgress His commandments, then they would reap the consequences and the curses of the law.

Eventually, we will see a perfect summary of this conditional sowing and reaping relationship when we get to Deuteronomy chapter 28, near the end of the book of Deuteronomy. Throughout the history and prophecy books of the Old Testament, such as Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, as well as the prophetic books like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the minor prophets like Obadiah and Zechariah, we will see all of this practically illustrated. Of course, we, sitting here 3,400 years after Moses taught these things, are not under the law.

Israel, or the law of Deuteronomy, is not perceived in the same way today as it was when Israel was preparing to enter the Promised Land. When we read about the feasts and the Sabbaths as portrayed in the Book of Deuteronomy, or when we consider the sacrifices and offerings that Israel would give to the Lord, we may find ourselves confronted with passages that deal with dietary restrictions or the purification rituals and rites of Israel. These elements may seem to have little bearing on our lives, especially as Gentile Christians living in the United States in 2022.

As we reflect on this while reading through a book like Deuteronomy, or spending significant time in it as we have been doing here at Cross Connection Church, we might begin to question its relevance for us today. It is evident that many Christians live as though books like Deuteronomy and other Old Testament texts are essentially unimportant. Many Christians never read these passages, and sadly, many churches do not open these books.

However, I believe that a book like Deuteronomy is important for us for several reasons. The Apostle Paul, in the New Testament Book of First Corinthians, specifically in chapter 10, states that all of these things happened to the children of Israel as examples. They were written and recorded for our admonition and instruction upon whom the ends of the age have come. He adds a crucial caution: "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."

Among other things, books like Deuteronomy and other often-overlooked Old Testament texts reveal significant truths about God. They provide insight into what it means to live as God's people and how we are to, or perhaps how we are not to, walk and follow after Him. As I shared last week, God's design was for His people to live lives governed by His law. In fact, one of the definitions of the name Israel is "governed by God" or "prince of God." The children of Israel were meant to be those people who were governed directly by Him.

God gives them the law through Moses. That's what Deuteronomy really is—an accounting of how they could pattern their lives or work out their lives according to this word, this law. During the entire time that Israel had wandered in the wilderness, Moses had been the mediator of the law. If they had an issue or a problem, as I shared in my message last week, they would just go to Moses. If they were short on water or didn't have food, they would come to Moses. If someone had committed some trespass and stolen from another person, they would go to Moses. He was the mediator of the law; they would go to him and ask, "What do we do in this situation?" and he would take care of it.

However, as Israel is now preparing to come into the Promised Land, God is calling for them to live as His people according to His law without the direct mediation of Moses or another person like Moses. Of course, some of you have read the rest of the Old Testament, and you know that living as God's people according to His law without a direct mediator like Moses didn't exactly turn out all that well. We will see that as we go through the other books of the Old Testament. These things were recorded so that we might learn from them. Everything they experienced in seeking to follow after God's law and failing to do so is written so that we can learn from it.

Now, though Moses wasn't going to be with them, God wasn't going to leave all of the people of Israel alone to figure everything out on their own. We saw in our study through Deuteronomy chapter 17 last week that this chapter outlined the offices of the priests, the Levites, and the judges. These individuals—the priests, the Levites, and the judges in Israel—were given the task and ordered to help the people live and walk before God in a right and righteous way.

So, we have the law of God, which shows how it is to be right before a holy God, and we have these priests and Levites who are effectively experts in understanding this, along with judges who know how to work it out. They are going to be the ones who lead, guide, and direct the people to do these things. These individuals, especially the priests and Levites, were wholly dedicated to this task. This was their job entirely; they were to oversee the spiritual life and the moral life of the people as they lived as God's people.

The Promised Land is a significant theme in the Bible, and as we come into Deuteronomy chapter 18 this week, verses one through six reveal that the complete focus of the priests and Levites was to be on their work. They would not have a portion in the Promised Land given to them as an inheritance, so they didn't have to tend the land. Everyone else had to take care of the land, but the priests and Levites were entirely dedicated to the spiritual, moral, and civil life of the children of Israel, helping to direct them to walk in righteousness before the Lord. They didn't have to think about all the other external aspects of life.

Deuteronomy chapter 18, verse 2 states, "Therefore, they, the priests and the Levites, shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance," as He said to them. They did not have to oversee the inheritance of the land; they were provided for by the people who had the inheritance. The priests and Levites were completely dedicated to taking care of the spiritual, moral, and civil lives of the people. They didn't have a vocation; they didn't have plowing season, planting season, or harvesting season. They didn't have flocks to tend to, other than standing before the people as ministers of the Lord. Their sole task was to minister.

Deuteronomy 18, verse 5 explains, "For the Lord your God has chosen him, the Levites, the priests, out of all of the tribes to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons forever." These individuals were given the task of not sowing seed and taking care of the land, but of sowing God's Word and shepherding God's people. That was their entire job, so the people would know how to live and walk rightly before God.

As we will see, though we are not under God's law in the same way that His people were 3,000 years ago when they lived in the Promised Land, we still today need those who sow God's Word and shepherd us as God's people. In order to walk in a way that is right before God and to live rightly as the people of God, we must cultivate priestly relationships in our lives. We need individuals who will sow God's Word into us and lead us into God's ways.

As I was reading through this passage and discussing it with some other people this week, I reflected on the importance of these relationships.

Some of the pastors here at the church believe it is really important for us to understand how essential this is for our lives. If we are going to live in a way that honors God, brings Him glory, and is right before Him, we need people in our lives who are pouring God's Word into us and directing us in the way we ought to live.

As I was thinking about this, I started to wonder: Do you know who those people are in your life? Certainly, this may seem a little self-serving, being that I am a pastor and it is my task to shepherd people in the Word of God and to sow the Word of God into their lives. However, I believe that if you are a follower of Jesus, you need someone who does that. You should have shepherds and pastors in your life who will faithfully sow God's Word into your heart.

Additionally, you should cultivate relationships with other brothers and sisters, not just those who are your leaders within the church. You should develop connections with other members of the body of Christ who will speak God's Word into your life. They will not simply give you their opinions, ideas, or perspectives. Instead, they will remind you of passages of Scripture, whether it be from Deuteronomy or Chronicles. You need those kinds of people in your life. I need those people in my life who will not just share their opinions but will direct me to the Word of God.

When I say that you need to cultivate or develop priestly relationships, I mean that you should create meaningful connections with people who will intentionally direct you to the Lord, to His Word, and to His ways. It really does come back to not just you, but to me as well. Have you, have I, have we developed connections with other people within the church who will encourage and exhort us in our faith using God's Word? We need to have those relationships in our lives.

This is one of the reasons that we at Cross Connection Church are so focused on connect groups. We believe that these group connections, where you interact with other brothers and sisters in the faith, are vital. Living life together—whether it involves doing some sort of activity or going on a jog—helps foster those important relationships.

Going on a walk together, playing golf, or having a meal are all important ways to build relationships. Within the church, we need people who can encourage, challenge, and caution us in the ways of the Lord. These relationships help direct us as we walk in His ways. We do not believe that you will reach your fullest potential as a follower of Jesus Christ on your own. The influence of other members of the household of faith is essential for encouraging your growth and development.

As I often say here at Cross Connection Church, we were created for connection. We were designed to live life in connection with God and with one another. We will not realize the fullness of the abundant life that Jesus promised. He said that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but He has come that we may have life and have it more abundantly. I don't believe we can experience or realize the fullness of the abundant life in Christ—the life He desires for us—without a deep, Christ-centered connection with others in the body of Christ.

You cannot be, as it has been said before, a lone ranger Christian. There is no such thing as a secret agent lone ranger Christian thriving in their faith as a follower of Jesus Christ. You need to be connected to God, but you also need to be connected to other people who occupy a priestly relationship in your life. When I say a priestly relationship, I don't mean that they have some sort of authority or power over you. Rather, it means that these people encourage and challenge you to walk in the ways of the Lord. They point you back to Scripture when you're making decisions, whether it's about what job to take or where to move.

Having those relationships is crucial, and I do as well. Even though I am a pastor of a church, I still have those kinds of relationships in my life. I have friends, family members, and other men of faith in the church—mentors who challenge me to grow in my faith and my following of the Lord. Gathering here on a Sunday morning for a sermon and maybe getting a donut after the service are great. I believe that gathering together as the people of God at church is really important.

This is a video recording, and you may be watching this on YouTube. Maybe it's Sunday morning, or perhaps it's some other time throughout the week. If you haven't been in fellowship within the church, especially over the last couple of years because of all the craziness that's been going on in our culture, I just want to encourage you that this is not the best or most ideal place for a Christian to be. You need to be in regular, consistent fellowship.

Even if you come and gather here on a Sunday morning, listen to the sermon, and worship with us, then go and get a donut after the service, that's not sufficient to really grow deep in your faith. We need deeper engagement and deeper connection with other brothers and sisters within the church who will encourage and challenge us to grow in our faith and in our faithfulness to the Lord. If we are going to live lives that are aligned with God's Word and with His ways, then we will need to cultivate priestly relationships.

Moses goes on in this passage because there's more to it than that. As we go through Chapter 18 today, there are four things that I see in this passage that I believe will help us begin to move into a place where our lives are more aligned with God's Word and His ways. The first one is that we need to cultivate those priestly relationships within our lives.

The very next point we find in this next section, beginning at verse 9 of Deuteronomy Chapter 18, states: "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations, the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you."

At first glance, reading through Deuteronomy Chapter 18, verses 9 through 14, these six verses may seem completely inapplicable to you and me. I think it is highly unlikely that any of you are keeping company right now with witches, soothsayers, sorcerers, or conjurers.

Mediums, spirits, or interpreters of omens may not be present in your life, but it is entirely possible that you know some people in your family, at work, or among your acquaintances who consider themselves to be spiritual or highly spiritually aware. They possess a spiritual consciousness and seem to have acute insight and wisdom about various matters. You likely have connections with individuals who believe they have a connection with something divine, transcendent, or with the universe.

Sometimes, people claim to possess special knowledge or unique wisdom. These are individuals who do not truly know God or the Bible, yet they boast about their spiritual insight or a higher level of consciousness. Given the current dynamics of our culture, it is likely that you have friends or family members who might even encourage you to consider psychedelics or marijuana. They may suggest that if you want to have a transcendent experience and connect with the divine or another realm, the way to achieve that spiritual insight is through these substances.

You may know people who are involved in spiritual practices such as Wicca, New Age beliefs, astrology, transcendental meditation, occultism, horoscopes, or séances. These practices are still prevalent today, just as they were thousands of years ago. However, if you are going to grow in God's Word and walk in His ways, it is essential to cut off all forms of false wisdom and knowledge. These practices represent false wisdom and knowledge.

It has been said that we become the average of those we spend the most time with. The Scriptures state this more plainly in 1 Corinthians 15:33, where Paul writes, "Do not be deceived: evil company corrupts good habits." This principle is relevant as we consider the land into which the children of Israel were entering.

It was filled with people who were engaged in all manner of twisted, immoral, and sick practices, even to the point of sacrificing their children to a deity called Molek. There were all kinds of twisted and crazy things that they were doing. As it relates to these practices, God's people were to be, as Moses says in this passage, blameless. They were to be completely separate.

Now, blameless separation is not just an Old Testament, Old Covenant thing; it's a New Testament, New Covenant principle as well. In the New Testament book of 2 Corinthians, chapter 6, Paul says, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship or communion has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial, falsity, evil, wickedness? What part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God." As a Christian, you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

Therefore, because this is true, 2 Corinthians 6:17 states, "Come out from among them and be separate," says the Lord. "Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters," says the Lord Almighty.

In another New Testament passage, the same author of that passage in 2 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul, writes in Colossians, chapter 2, verse 8: "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him, in Christ, dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."

That is such a powerful statement: in Him, you are complete. What that means is you don't need all the other false forms of wisdom and knowledge that are going around in our culture or in the world today. You don't need a spiritist; you don't need a spiritual guide. You don't need that person who is going to direct you in the ways of astrology or horoscopes or any of those sorts of things. You don't need any other substance or chemical to go into your body to open your eyes and give you some sort of amazing transcendent experience or insight. All we need is God. All we need is Christ. In Him dwells all.

The fullness of the Godhead bodily is present, and you are complete in Him. Since that is true, Moses makes it really clear in this passage that we need to cut off corrupting and carnal philosophies. We need to cultivate relationships that are priestly, where people will point us back to the Scriptures and the way of God. We must cut off anything that distracts us from that.

The third thing we need to do is look at what Moses says in Deuteronomy 18:15. He states, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb or Sinai in the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.'"

The Lord said to me, "What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren and will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him." In these verses, Deuteronomy 18:15-22, Moses predicts the coming of a prophet, one like him, who would rise up with God's words in his mouth. This prophet speaks the words of God to God's people.

When Moses refers to this prophet having God's words in his mouth, he implies that this forth-teller speaks God's word directly from God to the people or for the people. As a mediator between God and the people, Moses was the one who brought God's word to them when they were at Sinai, or Horeb, as he mentions in this passage. The children of Israel were fearful to talk with God, so Moses served as the prophet or mediator.

In the same way, he predicts that this prophet in Deuteronomy 18:15 will bring God's word to the people. He goes on in verse 19 to say, "It shall be that whoever will not hear My words which he, this prophet, speaks in My name, I will require it of him." Essentially, this prophet's words are consequential. If you do not heed his words, there will be a requisite judgment. He states right there, "I will require it of them" if they do not listen.

Receive that word now. You may have noticed, as I was reading through that passage in Deuteronomy 18, verse 15 and onward, that the translation I am using, the New King James Version, capitalizes the word "Prophet" and the prophet's pronouns "He," "Him," and "His" in each of these sections where it discusses this Prophet. This choice is editorial; the ancient Hebrew does not have capital letters, so it is not capitalized in the original Hebrew in which this was written. However, by capitalizing "Prophet," "He," "Him," and "His" in this translation, the translators are helping us to see what becomes clear in the New Testament.

You see, Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant at Sinai. The children of Israel came out of Egypt as Moses had gone to Pharaoh and said, "Let my people go." They crossed over the Red Sea, and ultimately, they arrived at Mount Sinai, or Horeb, as it is mentioned in this passage. Moses goes up the mountain and serves as the mediator, going to God on behalf of the people and coming down to the people on behalf of God. Moses becomes the mediator of the Old Covenant, bringing the law to them.

But there is a greater Prophet that Moses predicts here in Deuteronomy 18:15. He says, "God shall raise up a Prophet" (capital P). Moses predicts that there is a greater Prophet who will come to mediate a new and greater covenant. The Old Covenant, the law, was good; it was a great covenant, but there is a new and better covenant. The author of the New Testament book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant. If you want to look at that, you can go to Hebrews 8:6. Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant than the covenant that Moses mediated.

In Acts chapter 3, the Apostle Peter is giving a message to a group of people, and he quotes Deuteronomy 18:15, where Moses says, "The Lord shall raise up unto you a Prophet" (capital P) like me. Peter quotes Deuteronomy 18:15 when he is speaking about Jesus in Acts chapter 3. That is why the translators chose to capitalize "Prophet," "He," "Him," and "His" here in this passage in Deuteronomy 18:15. They are telling you, by simply editorially capitalizing these terms, the significance of this Prophet.

They are saying there's something special about this prophet that Moses is speaking to. Moses was the mediator of the old covenant, but there is a greater prophet, a greater mediator, who will mediate a greater covenant. Jesus is that prophet; He is the mediator of a better covenant. He speaks the words of God because He is God incarnate, and His words are consequential. As we saw in that passage in Deuteronomy 18, verse 19, it shall be that whoever will not hear my words, which this prophet, this great mediator of a better covenant, speaks in my name, I will require it of him.

The words of Jesus, the mediator of a greater covenant, become consequential. In other words, ignore Him at your own peril. That is literally what is being said here in this passage: ignore the words of Christ at your own peril.

If we are going to live lives that are aligned with God's word and His ways, we need to, number one, cultivate priestly relationships in our lives. We need to develop relationships with people who will point us back to God's word and God's ways, challenging us to live out His word on a daily basis. Secondly, we need to cut off any corrupting carnal philosophies. Third, we must work to develop a genuine connection to Christ, and we must commit to hear Him.

Moses, the mediator of the first covenant, had a mountaintop experience with God on Mount Sinai. He saw God's glory, at least in part—not completely, but he saw God's glory in part. You can read about that in Exodus chapter 34. Not only did he see God's glory, but he heard God's voice. He is the mediator who related that to the people; he brings the glory of God and the voice of God down to the people so that they are able to connect with God. That was the old covenant, and it was all through the law. He was, in all respects, the high priest of Israel at Mount Sinai.

In the Gospels, there is another mountaintop experience, a glorious mountaintop experience. It's recorded in one place, in Matthew chapter 17. Jesus is with three of His disciples: Peter, James, and John. As He is...

With His disciples on this mountaintop, they behold Christ's glory. He is transfigured before them, and they see His glory. Not only do they see the glory of God in Christ Jesus, but they also hear the voice of God the Father. The Father says, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Then, these two really important words are spoken to Peter, James, and John as they have this encounter with the glory of God and hear the voice of God. The Father tells them, "Hear Him." This is found in Matthew chapter 17, verse 5.

Jesus is our High Priest and the mediator of a greater covenant than that of Moses. Moses was the High Priest and mediator of the old covenant under the law. He made it possible for the people to have some sort of connection with the glory of God and the voice of God, but Jesus is a greater mediator, the greater prophet, who makes it possible for us to connect with the glory of God and the Word of God. The Father says, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear Him."

If you are going to live and walk in alignment with God's Word and live out God's ways, you cannot do so without a genuine connection to Christ through prayer, worship, His Word, and fellowship with Him.

In a few minutes, we are going to remember and commemorate Jesus's institution of this new covenant that took place at the Last Supper. We will partake of communion today here at Cross Connection Church. You can also take part at home if you have a little bit of bread and some juice to remember His death, burial, and resurrection.

It was at that moment when Jesus had His final supper with His disciples, the night before His crucifixion, that He partook of the bread and the cup. Jesus told His disciples that this is the institution of the new covenant. Before we do that in a few minutes, we need to recognize how essential this point is: we need to be those who develop a genuine connection to Christ and commit to hear Him. This is very important. You cannot...

To have a right relationship with the Father apart from the Son, Jesus Christ, you will not walk in a way that is right and pleasing before God. You will also be out of step with Jesus Christ. Let me say that again: you cannot and will not walk in a way that is right and pleasing before the Father if you are out of step with His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the way, He is the truth, and He is the only way to the Father. There is no other way apart from Him.

We have to come back to a simple question, in the same way I asked a little while ago: Have you developed or cultivated relationships with people in your life who will direct you back to God's Word? Another very simple question is: Have you developed a habit and a pattern in your life of spending time in fellowship with Christ?

Now, you may ask, what does that even practically mean? What do I do to develop a habit of spending time in fellowship with Christ? That's a good question, an important question. A simple, quick answer would be that spending time in fellowship with Christ means having a regular and consistent time with God in prayer, in reading His Word, and in worshiping Him.

When I say worshiping Him, I think that one of the highest forms of worship is imitation. The Apostle Paul in the New Testament says, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." He also says to be imitators of Christ as dear children. The only way that we can imitate Jesus Christ is to get to know Him as He has revealed Himself in the pages of Scripture.

So, how do we spend time in fellowship with Jesus Christ? Simply put, you have to develop a regular and consistent pattern and habit in your life of spending time in God's Word on a daily basis. Coming on a Sunday morning or watching one message on YouTube every single week is not sufficient. You will not grow more and more into the likeness of Jesus Christ, the image of Jesus Christ, apart from spending time in God's Word and applying it in your life. These things are important.

In this passage, Deuteronomy chapter 18, we see three steps, three points that are necessary essentials if we are going to walk in step with God's Word and His ways. First, we need to cultivate priestly relationships in our lives. We should develop friendships, connections, and relationships, spending time with people who are going to point us back to God's Word, who will pray with us and for us, and encourage us to walk in God's ways.

Those are priestly relationships. Second, we must cut off corrupting and carnal philosophies. If there are people in your life who are speaking things that are contrary to God's Word, if they're encouraging you to do things or to partake of things that are outside of the bounds of what God's Word says, we need to cut off those relationships. Those empty philosophies will corrupt your faith.

The third thing we must do is develop a genuine connection to Christ by hearing and obeying His Word. Finally, we find this last thing here in Deuteronomy chapter 18. The fourth thing that is helpful in growing and developing a right walk with Jesus Christ is found in Deuteronomy chapter 18, beginning at verse 20.

"But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die." If you say in your heart, "How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?" well, when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously, foolishly, and arrogantly. You shall not be afraid of that individual.

Point number four, if you're taking notes, is that we must guard against presumptuous false prophets. First, we need to recognize that false prophets exist, and they will always be a reality. They were a problem throughout Israel's history, and they were predicted by Jesus Christ to continue. In Matthew's Gospel, chapter 7, verse 15, Jesus says, "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."

The Apostle Peter, in one of his letters, 2 Peter chapter 2, verse 1, says, "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. Many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed."

One more from the Apostle John: he wrote in 1 John chapter 4, verse 1, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

Listen, this is so important. If we are going to live and walk in step with God's Word, we must be vigilant against these influences.

In alignment with God's ways, it is essential that we cultivate priestly relationships in our lives. These are the people who will speak God's word into our lives and direct us in His ways. We need to cut off corrupting influences and vain philosophies that do not align with God's word.

We must develop deep connections with Christ through His word, spending time with Him in prayer and reading the Scriptures. Additionally, we need to guard against false prophets and false teachings in our lives. If we do these things, we will invite and experience God's blessing in our lives in a greater way. I hope that is what you desire; I know it is my desire for myself and my prayer for Cross Connection Church. My prayer is for you that you would begin to experience the fullness of the abundant life that Jesus promised and desires for you.

However, the only way that is possible is by beginning to implement these practices in your life. We need to cultivate priestly relationships with others who are directing us in God's word. We must cut off all forms of false wisdom and knowledge. We need to develop a genuine connection with Christ, listening to and obeying His word. Furthermore, we must be on guard against false prophets, understanding that there are people trying to deceive us.

If we do these things, we will see that we are beginning to walk in a way that aligns with God's word, fulfilling His ways. Then, we will begin to experience the blessings of being the people of God in a significant way.

As I mentioned a little while ago, today we will be partaking of communion together. Communion is where we commemorate and remember what Jesus did for us on the cross, but it is also where we remember that He instituted a new covenant for us. We do not relate to God based on how well we keep His law. There is no longer a separation between us, where God's presence is on Mount Sinai and we are at the bottom, afraid to come near.

Because of what Jesus did on Mount Calvary, we have the privilege and opportunity to come into the presence of God. He fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law that you and I could never fulfill, allowing us to be in a right relationship with God through His grace and forgiveness.

On the night that He was betrayed, the night before His crucifixion, Jesus was having a meal with His disciples.

At a certain point in the meal, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples. He said, "Eat this, all of you, for this is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me." About every seven weeks here at Cross Connection Church, we partake of communion to remember Jesus's body that is broken for us. If you're at home and you have some bread, you can partake of this with us as well. You may also pause this and come back to it later in the week when you have some bread and juice.

When we partake of communion, we are remembering His body that was broken for us. This makes it possible for us to approach a holy God because Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law. He is perfect and the mediator of a new and better covenant. So today, we remember Jesus as we partake of this bread.

The Scriptures say that in the same way, after they had partaken of the bread, He took the cup with His disciples and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me." The old covenant started with a sacrifice at Mount Sinai, while the new covenant comes upon the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the pure and spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The New Testament book of Hebrews states that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission or removal of sins. Jesus died on the cross in my place and in your place, and His blood cleanses us from all sin so that we can have a connection with God, experience His glory, and hear His voice. Today, we remember His blood shed for us as we partake. Let's partake together if you have the juice.

Father God, I thank You so much for what You have done for us in sending Your Son, Jesus. You came to put Your life on the line for us, and not just to put it on the line, but to die for us so that we could have new life in You. You who knew no sin became sin for us that we might receive Your righteousness. We remember that today; we commemorate and rejoice in the good work that You did on Calvary.

God, I pray that You would do a work in us, continuing to transform us by the renewing of our minds. Lord, help us to cultivate relationships with other people who will direct us to You and to Your Word. Help us to cut off anything that might be distracting us or leading us away from You.

Us away from You, Lord. Help us to develop a genuine connection and relationship with You through Your Word and through prayer, walking out Your Word and obeying it. God, guard us from any false teaching and false prophets that might be leading us in a way that would go astray. Lord, do a work in Your church, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

My sin has been raised. I'll never be the same. You have brought me back with the riches of Your amazing grace. I’m saved by Your grace.

Thanks for joining us for our online service today. As we close, we would love to invite you to our on-campus service here at Cross Connection Church at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. every Sunday. Also, if you'd like more information about Cross Connection Church, make sure you check it out at lifeinconnection.com.

Hey, Cross Connection Church! Happy Labor Day weekend! With Labor Day upon us, that means we are coming into a new season here at Cross Connection Church, and it is my most favorite time of the year. I love the fall, even though it is more than 100 degrees outside.

Degrees here in San Diego County this week are quite warm, and even though we really don't have much in the way of fall in San Diego, this is my favorite time of the year. As we prepare to enter the fall and the holiday season, we have a lot of different things going on here at Cross Connection Church.

One of the most important things we start up every year around this time is our connect groups. Groups at Cross Connection Church are super important, especially our connect groups. These groups provide an awesome opportunity for you to connect with other people and to fellowship with them. As we will discuss in the message today, those relationships with other brothers and sisters within the church are essential if we are to have a right relationship with the Lord and experience all His blessings.

I want to encourage you to get plugged into a connect group. Additionally, consider praying about hosting a connect group. This may seem a bit intimidating, but hosting a connect group could not be simpler, especially if you are a hospitable person who loves to welcome guests into your home. If that describes you, please pray about becoming a connect group host.

What is a connect group host? There are four simple qualities: H-O-S-T. A connect group host has a heart for people, is willing to open their home, loves to serve their guests and make others feel special, and knows how to talk about Jesus. If you can talk about Jesus, then you can be a host, and we would love for you to consider this opportunity.

If you are interested in being a part of a connect group or hosting one, please visit groups.lifeinconnection.com to find out more, or come talk with us after the service at the connection point.

Now, for the second big announcement: if you want to grow in your faith and deepen your understanding of the Scriptures, I want to invite you to check out the "How to Study the Bible" class that I will be teaching at the end of this month, starting on September 20th. This class will be held every Tuesday night for about nine weeks, and we will cover much of the same content that I teach at Calvary Chapel Bible College on how to study the Scriptures.

If you would like to study the Scriptures with us, please visit events.lifeinconnection.com and check out our "How to Study the Bible" class. I think it will be a great experience.

We already have more than 40 people signed up for this, so make sure you go sign up.