1 00:00:09,890 --> 00:00:12,770 Welcome to the podcast of the White Church in Adelaide, South 2 00:00:12,850 --> 00:00:15,530 Australia. Father, we come before your 3 00:00:15,530 --> 00:00:18,490 throne. Our hearts are expectant. 4 00:00:19,650 --> 00:00:23,690 You've created something in our hearts of a deep desire to be 5 00:00:23,690 --> 00:00:28,370 ministered to, to work in our hearts and lives and change us. 6 00:00:29,450 --> 00:00:32,680 But Lord, more than all of those things we come to say, we want 7 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:37,480 to do what you say, live out what you speak to to us today. 8 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,480 And so we pray your anointing upon Tyra now that you give him 9 00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:47,840 a freedom, a humility, grace, that he would speak 10 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:52,840 prophetically, profoundly, that Lord, the word of God will not 11 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,240 return unto you void, but it will accomplish that for which 12 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:59,400 you purpose it. So soften our hearts, creating 13 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,560 us that expectation deeper than we even have right now, and just 14 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:08,920 impart truth, the truth that frees us and sets us ablaze with 15 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:11,960 a fire from heaven in Jesus name, Amen, Amen, Amen. 16 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,760 Thanks Pops, I'm good. I got thanks Grace. 17 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:22,160 Well, good morning. Thanks to the guys to letting me 18 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:23,920 come back. I wasn't sure I was going to get 19 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,440 an invitation or suddenly the doors were closed this morning 20 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:29,240 and you can't come back. But thank you. 21 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:32,520 And I'll be Australia today, I guess tomorrow, right? 22 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:35,680 Or is it today? It's this weekend and great 23 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:39,080 Southland of the Holy Spirit. What a great, great country, 24 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:42,720 great, great country. I know you've all got history 25 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,440 and stuff that's happened, but the reality is it's a great 26 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:50,720 country and God's got much in store still with this place for 27 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,560 this place and I believe from this place and so well done to 28 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,000 you guys. Just serving God faithfully and 29 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:00,520 appreciate the opportunity to share his word. 30 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,120 If you have a Bible, please go with me to first Peter chapter 31 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,480 one. Just tell me if I'm preach 32 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,479 speaking too fast, OK, I'm going to try and slow it down. 33 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:16,720 But first Peter chapter one and last week I started just I try 34 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,880 to go somewhere I didn't get too far, which is probably what I 35 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:21,760 get from my dad. That's the anointing there. 36 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:27,000 But I'm just joking, pops, but I we were just looking at the 37 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:28,760 difference between a Chapel and the church. 38 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:30,800 You know, we mentioned, yes, last week. 39 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,040 Couple of things. Let me highlight and just say 40 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,680 that God doesn't just give cities to churches, which is 41 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:41,080 great, but he gives churches to cities to impact them with the 42 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,520 gospel. And I'm absolutely convinced if 43 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,520 this is not a man man thing, which it's not if it was, we 44 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,600 appreciate man and all that he's doing, but whatever man 45 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,320 attempts, that's not God is futile and and guaranteed to 46 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,400 fail. And so we don't start churches. 47 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,880 This is a God thing. This is a response to God saying 48 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,160 I want to set up another lampstand in this great city of 49 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,560 South of Adelaide. And we believe this is a God 50 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,800 thing and God is a God of lampstands. 51 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:13,920 He loves this region so much that he gave his Son, but he 52 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:17,200 also gave a lampstand here called the white Church. 53 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:21,200 Just one of many, but absolutely not just to do something, but to 54 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:23,680 serve the plans and purposes of God. 55 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:26,680 We don't just need another church or a great church. 56 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,920 We need a people who truly are committed to God's plan, God's 57 00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:36,840 purpose, to serve in a sense, as in our generation, the purposes 58 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:38,760 and plans of God, which the Bible says. 59 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:43,320 So this church, I believe, has been given by God to the people 60 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,560 to reach these wonderful people that are from all over lost, 61 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:48,840 desperate. Some don't know they lost, 62 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:53,040 others many do know they lost, but God put us here as a people 63 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,560 to shine the light, to shine bright in the darkest. 64 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,120 As the world gets worse, the church should be getting better. 65 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:01,480 And God has a plan with his people. 66 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,800 And so we, we said that last week also talked about that the 67 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,720 church is not the center of God's plan. 68 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,320 Jesus is the center, right? We know that it's we're not 69 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,360 about people. We're a people who are about 70 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:16,640 Jesus. The Bible is very clear. 71 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,680 It all revolves around Christ. It's all around you, Jesus, even 72 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,360 heaven right now worshipping Jesus. 73 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,200 Jesus has been glorified and and so he, he's the center of 74 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,120 everything. But we are the church who are 75 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,840 central to the plan of God and God doesn't have another plan. 76 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:36,000 And I'm sure at times we wish he did. 77 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,840 We would look around and go, God, if only you could do 78 00:04:38,840 --> 00:04:42,320 something else. But God in his wisdom, God in 79 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,600 his, in his understanding of all things said, I'm going to pick. 80 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:51,080 I'm going to handpick men and women of all walks of all life 81 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:53,000 with all their drama and all the issues. 82 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,760 I'm going to handpick them to serve my plan and my purpose in 83 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,400 partnership with me. If I can just say to you, God 84 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:06,040 doesn't need us to do anything. God needs nothing. 85 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:08,560 If he needed something, he would cease to be God. 86 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,560 And I listen to people talk about God needs us and God wants 87 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:13,920 us. And, and I want to say if you 88 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:17,800 look at the original intention of God, if you go back to the 89 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:22,280 beginning, the book of Genesis, in the beginning, God, and this 90 00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:25,760 is God created, God spoke. And then we understand that God 91 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,000 picked us. God chose men and women to work, 92 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,200 not for him, but to work with him. 93 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,360 It's a very different understanding if it's for him, 94 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:38,720 it's just get on with this job, get it done. 95 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,440 But he created us to work with him, in partnership with him. 96 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:46,280 And then people messed it up. And then God didn't put another 97 00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:51,080 plan in place. God put a rescue plan in place 98 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,840 to get us back to the original plan, which is God in 99 00:05:55,840 --> 00:05:58,920 partnership with us. And so we're at church who 100 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,120 partners with God. We're here to serve his plans, 101 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,320 his purposes, and He's called us to work with him. 102 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,480 And so we are central to his plan, but we're not the center 103 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,600 of it. It's not all about us, it's all 104 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,040 about him. And He's included us. 105 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,400 And we mentioned last week again, and this is a kind of 106 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:18,800 last reference I want to make to then move into what I want to 107 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:22,680 share this morning is that it was said by Martin Luther that 108 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:28,040 wherever God's building his church, the devil is building 109 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:32,720 his Chapel or a Chapel. In other words, what does that 110 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,280 mean? It means that wherever God's 111 00:06:34,280 --> 00:06:39,360 creating and doing things, the devil is counteracting or 112 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,240 bringing a fake or the imitation of the real. 113 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:45,640 The devil's not a creator. He cannot create. 114 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:50,040 So he just imitates with the counterproductive, the wannabe, 115 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:52,720 not the real thing. And so wherever God is building 116 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,120 his church, and I'm convinced this is part of his call, here 117 00:06:55,360 --> 00:07:00,560 is Jesus said, I will build my church, he's building his 118 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:02,240 church. And while he's building that, 119 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,800 the devil is imitating and bringing something not of an 120 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:09,400 opposition, but almost a joining and imitating. 121 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,760 So we get busy with stuff, church stuff, good stuff, 122 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:18,480 cultural stuff at the expense of what God has intended from the 123 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:20,280 art set. And so we got to keep coming 124 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:23,840 back to that. I I don't believe that the devil 125 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:33,080 has the power to destroy us. And I know that Siri just 126 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:34,840 disagreed with me, but that's OK. 127 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:40,040 God does not. I mean, the devil does not have 128 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:46,920 the power to destroy him, right? But he has got the power to 129 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:51,680 distract us. So you know how he destroys us? 130 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:59,320 By distracting us, by getting us busy with many things, as long 131 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:02,880 as they're not God things and as long as God's not in it, the 132 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:06,520 devil's got nothing to fear. And so here we got a description 133 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,440 in first Peter chapter 1. And I want to read quite a few 134 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,320 verses and just highlight some of the things that God has to 135 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:17,200 say about his church through the Holy Spirit, right? 136 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:20,280 Peter has highlighted some description of what is it many 137 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,120 texts that we could look at this morning that describe the 138 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,840 church. I was just taken to this again. 139 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:28,400 I feel like it's just great to start here and then we're going 140 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,600 to make a few comments and then we'll be done for the day. 141 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,919 But first Peter chapter 1 and for we'll pick up in verse 23 142 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:39,120 Peter Rice and he says for you have been born again. 143 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:43,120 And can I just say that that born again means this 144 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:51,280 spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His 145 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:55,960 purpose? Born again is not just now that 146 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:57,360 I'm saved, I'm headed for heaven. 147 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:59,320 That's awesome. But we're still here on earth, 148 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:06,080 and God saves us and sets us apart to serve His purpose while 149 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:10,040 we're on this planet. It's not what is your purpose 150 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:14,880 for my life. It's what is my life, my life 151 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:18,640 for your purpose. When we say what is your purpose 152 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,400 for my life, we will find a purpose, maybe, probably the 153 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:26,440 imitation and give our lives to stuff that people endorse, that 154 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:29,120 the church says it's good, our government says it's good, our 155 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,560 family says it's good. And we will miss the very reason 156 00:09:32,560 --> 00:09:36,120 God put us on this plan. I'm convinced it's not what is 157 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,480 your will for me, it's what is your will and how do I fit into 158 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:42,280 your will? What is your purpose and how do 159 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:46,080 I fit into your purpose in the things that you've called us to? 160 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,720 Peter Wright says is not of perishable seed, but of 161 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:57,560 imperishable through the living and enduring Word of God. 162 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,960 For all people are like grass, and their glory is like the 163 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:05,840 flowers of the field. The grass Withers and the flower 164 00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:11,440 fall, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. 165 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:14,800 And this is the word that was preached to you. 166 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:16,720 Verse chapter 2. Verse one. 167 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:22,480 Therefore rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, 168 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:29,280 hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind, like newborn babies 169 00:10:29,560 --> 00:10:35,400 crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in 170 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:40,400 your salvation. Last week we mentioned that God 171 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:45,200 is working on us while He's working through us, that God is 172 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,680 committed to bringing us to Him. We are His mission while we are 173 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:52,360 on His mission. And I don't like to be worked 174 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,160 on. I like to be worked through. 175 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:57,000 I like God using me. I don't like God working on me. 176 00:10:57,000 --> 00:10:59,800 But we are to grow up in our salvation. 177 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:03,400 We are to mature and be ready for the return of cheese. 178 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,680 And so he's working on us while he's working through us and 179 00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:09,920 that's what we see and that you've tasted and that you may 180 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,520 grow up in your salvation. Verse 3. 181 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:20,520 Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good as you come to 182 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:22,400 him. The living stone rejected by 183 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,600 men, but chosen by God and precious to him. 184 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:30,440 You also, like living stones are being built into a spiritual 185 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:37,040 house to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices 186 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:39,640 acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 187 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:44,720 For in Scripture it says, see I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen 188 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:49,320 and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will 189 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,840 never be put to shame. Now to you who believe the stone 190 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,120 is precious, May, may I just pause and say this. 191 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:59,080 The church that Jesus is building cannot and will not 192 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:02,960 fail. Many churches are failing 193 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:06,480 because they're not being built by Jesus and the cornerstone has 194 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,480 not been Christ. And the moment we move from the 195 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,480 cornerstone, the chief cornerstone, we begin to lose 196 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:14,800 our way, lose our vision, lose our foundation. 197 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:20,080 Christ is the foundation and we understand that His church will 198 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:25,720 be successful because he's the chief cornerstone, the rock. 199 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:29,360 The church is built on the rock, Jesus being the rock, and so it 200 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:32,360 cannot fail if that's true. But to those who do not believe, 201 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:36,400 the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone and a 202 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:40,480 stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. 203 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:44,160 They stumble because they disobey the message, which is 204 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:45,880 also what they were destined for. 205 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:51,800 All right, verse 9, here we go. But you are a chosen people. 206 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:57,800 We're talking about how God sees his church, how He describes us, 207 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,520 His people. You might not feel like you've 208 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,600 chosen this morning. Straight up I wouldn't choose 209 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,360 you. Straight up you wouldn't choose 210 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:09,640 me. But the fact is, we are chosen 211 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:13,560 by him, chosen people. Let that sink in. 212 00:13:13,560 --> 00:13:17,000 How can we reach them if we don't believe God loves us? 213 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:21,480 We love to talk about how God so loved them, but we forget God so 214 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:26,040 loved us. He handpicked us for such a time 215 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:29,480 as this in all the stuff with all the things we carry. 216 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:33,800 But you are a chosen people that speaks of dignity. 217 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,800 You literally means a select race, an elect race. 218 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:44,360 This is how God sees us. A royal priesthood speaks of 219 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:49,720 destiny. A holy nation speaks of 220 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:52,920 distinct. Can I say we are holy people and 221 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:56,640 people set apart different to everyone else? 222 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,560 And I've watched many people say I'm just not happy in this 223 00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:02,080 church and I'm happy at that church. 224 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:09,640 And can I say the church's role is not to make us happy, it's to 225 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:16,280 help us be more holy, which sometimes makes us unhappy 226 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:22,360 because he's working on us. And I don't like to be worked 227 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:24,000 on. So let me go find a church where 228 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:27,480 they don't work on us. They just tell us how great we 229 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,640 are. It's about maturing, growing up. 230 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:33,160 My sons, two of our sons are in this room. 231 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:35,600 And they never least in love it when they're growing up that I 232 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,960 would tell them, grow up, son. They wouldn't be our. 233 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:39,400 Thanks, Dad. Great word. 234 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,400 I appreciate it. No one wants to be told to grow 235 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:44,480 up, but that's the reality, friends. 236 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:49,400 God's making us a holy people, a people separate, not of this 237 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:52,000 world, still in it, but not of it. 238 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:59,280 And then it goes on and says a people belonging to God, a 239 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:04,760 people for God's own possession is what it speaks of, That you 240 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:09,400 may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness 241 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:14,760 into his wonderful light. Our call is to declare, and I 242 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:18,640 said this last week that the church has never been louder, 243 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:23,400 but we've never said less that our message is confusing. 244 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:26,360 We confuse by ourselves and we confusing the world by the 245 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:29,240 things we declare. We called to be a people who 246 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:32,720 speak and declare what it is God's called us. 247 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,360 Someone said the church is not the way to heaven, which we 248 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:37,480 know. The Church is the sign that 249 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:42,200 points to Him. We are to proclaim His wondrous 250 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:46,240 deeds, to show forth the glory of the Lord, and to make known 251 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,240 His gracious dealings with His people. 252 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:53,520 Do you know that word declare actually means to advertise? 253 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:59,320 Do you know that we are walking billboards? 254 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,840 Not Sunday, not this. The last billboards you got out 255 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:06,600 the front. Every day you and I are 256 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:10,960 billboards declaring something, and our role is to declare the 257 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:16,080 goodness, the gracious dealings of God in our lives, the stuff 258 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:18,880 God's working on. It's this understanding of how 259 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:23,720 great God is, how merciful, how kind, how gracious he is. 260 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:25,920 And we've met Christians. Again, we're not talking to this 261 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:27,560 church, but every other church out there. 262 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:30,800 We've met grumpy Christians, always grumpy and say what's 263 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:32,400 wrong? God's dealing with me. 264 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:37,880 Your declaration is not helping because God's not harsh in his 265 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,400 dealings. He's kind and it's gracious, but 266 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:43,040 you know, we don't turn it on and off. 267 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:47,360 We always billboards and I wonder what people know. 268 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:50,240 What do we want them to see? What are they seeing in my life? 269 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:53,280 Not Sunday here, every day, wherever we're at. 270 00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:55,000 God's called us to be billboards. 271 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:58,560 You know, I we live in the US and whatever you think of that, 272 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,040 that's the way it is. And I've watched your news. 273 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:03,160 You're very negative about us. It's easy to blame us. 274 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:04,960 We could talk about your nature, but we won't. 275 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:08,760 We'll just move on. And but, but America is an 276 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,000 incredible place. And if you've ever been there 277 00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:14,520 and I get to minister all over the US, but you know, when you 278 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,079 travel, I go minister in New York, for example, when you 279 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:22,280 land, there's a, there's a, if you go to New York, it's the 280 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,480 most incredible city. I mean, I wouldn't want to live 281 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:26,000 there, but the city is overwhelming. 282 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:28,400 It's beautiful. It's it's got history, it's got 283 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,160 buildings. But wherever you go, you can 284 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:33,400 find nowhere. Times Square is you can see it 285 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,400 from anywhere. In actual fact, I landed in New 286 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:40,040 Jersey, which is a different state, and I looked across the 287 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:45,400 Hudson River and I could see the Times Square from another state 288 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,360 because of how lit up it is. Its the Billboard capital of the 289 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:52,760 world, the lights shining nonstop day and night. 290 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:56,120 Its lit up with billboards and when we land. 291 00:17:56,120 --> 00:18:00,000 I landed recently a while ago in New York, New Jersey. 292 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:01,400 I felt the Lord said that is the church. 293 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:03,520 As I looked out my the window of the aeroplane when we were 294 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:06,800 landing in another state. I could see this lit up 4:00 AM 295 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:11,520 lit up of New New York Times Square and I felt the Lord 296 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:15,960 remind me that's my church. You always shining and people 297 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:20,080 are always looking regardless of the time of day or where you're 298 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:21,920 at. And that's not an accusation. 299 00:18:21,920 --> 00:18:28,280 That's a challenge God wants us to declare to the world to 300 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:32,200 advertise the goodness of our God no matter what we're going 301 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:33,440 through. Amen. 302 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:39,080 CS Lewis says the church exists for nothing else but to draw 303 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:43,560 people into Christ. Verse 10. 304 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:49,160 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. 305 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:53,520 Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 306 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,600 We have been delivered. God looks at us and says you've 307 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:58,160 been delivered. Have we? 308 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:01,480 I also want to say that the church is the great lost and 309 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:08,240 found department. When you people are lost and 310 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:12,080 they're called to be found, we God's people are the great lost 311 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:16,480 and found department. Let them come and be found 312 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:20,400 because we're here, because we serve in the plans and purposes 313 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,640 of God. Verse 11 Dear friends, I urge 314 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:26,080 you as aliens and strangers in this world to abstain from 315 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:28,920 sinful desires which war against your soul. 316 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:34,360 Live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse 317 00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:40,040 you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God 318 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,800 on the day he visits it. God wants us to be a people 319 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:45,320 devoted to him. And there's been a lot of talk 320 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:48,760 around the the the rapture and the rapture. 321 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:50,400 And I don't know what your take is on all that. 322 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:52,480 I'm not going to talk about that, the rapture here this 323 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:54,320 morning. But what I do want to say is it 324 00:19:54,320 --> 00:19:58,120 does seem like many of the Church want to be raptured from 325 00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:01,640 our responsibility here on it. We're just me and the Lord. 326 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:02,880 We don't care about anything else. 327 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,360 I don't want to say I just want to be taken and be wrapped it 328 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:07,640 from what I've been put. We're on this planet. 329 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:11,960 This church has been birthed by God to serve his plans and 330 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:15,720 purposes and that's awesome. That's good news and we are 331 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:18,640 called to be devoted to him. So there's one text we've just 332 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:20,440 read. I want to just for the few 333 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:24,960 moments that I have left, just highlight some cultures that I 334 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:28,360 believe that if we contend for that, if we create and we 335 00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:30,920 cultivate, how many of you know that culture has got to be 336 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:33,600 cultivated? You can lose culture and you 337 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,200 inherit culture like this. And if we don't cultivate it, 338 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,880 then can I suggest we will become the Chapel, even in good 339 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,640 intentions, even with a couple of years in as a church plant, 340 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,200 it's very easy to just get busy with the other stuff. 341 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:50,800 And, and I'm looking at scripture saying, Lord, I don't 342 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:54,240 want to waste one second of my life, not one minute, not, not 343 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,400 $1.00, one dime, whatever. You have your sense. 344 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:00,360 I don't want to lose it. I don't want to waste it on 345 00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:03,720 something that seemed to be. I don't want to sew my children 346 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:07,200 into something that's church rather than king Kingdom. 347 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:10,560 I don't want to miss. I want to serve your plans. 348 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:13,320 And I don't want to give the devil one minute of my life 349 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:15,040 because he had my life for some years. 350 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,760 And so there is a guarantee from Scripture that we can come back 351 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:21,920 to these things. And if we contend for these 352 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:25,080 things and if we create and cultivate these things, then we 353 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:29,160 will never be a Chapel. And it's not up to elders of 354 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,040 David. It's up to all of us to carry 355 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:33,960 this in our hearts, regardless of where we serve God or even 356 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:38,280 how we serve him, to make sure these cultures are being created 357 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,000 and and understood. What's interesting about culture 358 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:45,640 it it comes through communication and what we 359 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,560 celebrate. The culture is learnt. 360 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:51,160 It shocked me when I looked this up. 361 00:21:51,360 --> 00:21:55,440 It's not natural and it's transferred through generations 362 00:21:55,440 --> 00:22:01,280 via imitation and observation. Two of our boys are in this 363 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:03,280 room. They get a lot of good from 364 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:04,560 their mom. None. 365 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,120 And some not good from me. That the the times I look at my 366 00:22:08,120 --> 00:22:10,400 son and I go, Oh my word, that's me. 367 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:13,520 But that's not the good me. That's me. 368 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:16,000 Where did you get that? You sound like me. 369 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,440 You look at you're acting and and you know what? 370 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,440 They're imitating me. They caught it from us. 371 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:26,320 Just think about that. I know that there's some seniors 372 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:29,240 in this room, senior campaigners, seasoned 373 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:32,640 campaigners in this room and and we're grateful for your life and 374 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,000 that. But you're not done and God's 375 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:39,040 not finished with anyone in this room, otherwise you'd be with 376 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:42,480 him right now and you know, So live it out, be it. 377 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:45,800 But know this, that what you're investing now, you're leaving 378 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:51,440 for generations, you inherit that what you highlight or low 379 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:55,440 light or devalue or value as a people, you actually understand 380 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,840 this generations, kids, babies and those gods adding to this 381 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:02,680 church who are going to embrace and simply by imitation and 382 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:04,360 observation, do it because you did. 383 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:09,400 And that freaks me out that people will just take on what 384 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:11,680 we're doing regardless of whether it's in the Bible or 385 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:14,520 not. So I want to make sure these 386 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,360 cultures are real, that they're biblical. 387 00:23:17,360 --> 00:23:22,160 See, culture encompasses the shared behaviours, the beliefs 388 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,320 and values that characterize a particular group of people. 389 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:27,480 What are these things from Scripture? 390 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,920 Find the freedom to express them the way God wants you to. 391 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,840 But we've got to cultivate these if we're going to be a people 392 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,040 who really are serving the plans and purposes of God. 393 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:44,040 So #1 and I'm sure you knew this was coming first and foremost, a 394 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:49,800 culture of Christ. A culture of Christ, not of 395 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,440 Christianity, not of biblical teaching. 396 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,560 No, a culture of Christ first in everything. 397 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:59,600 How do we make sure Christ is being their culture, is being 398 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:03,840 created? We glorify Him in everything and 399 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:10,280 every song, declaration, truth, preach, or everything else in 400 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:12,400 our lives. Christ first in everything. 401 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:13,800 That's what the Bible teaches us. 402 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:16,640 We said this last week. Many are raised in the church 403 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:19,040 but are not raised in Christ. Why is that? 404 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:22,080 Because church became the focus at the expense of the head. 405 00:24:22,360 --> 00:24:29,240 A body without is a head is is a corpse, but a a head without a 406 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:33,440 body is irrelevant. And God made it where Jesus is 407 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:36,280 the head and we are the body. We work hand in hand, but he's 408 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:40,160 the head and my body does what my head tells it what to do. 409 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:42,680 My body doesn't tell my brain what to do. 410 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:44,240 Would you agree? I hope that's true. 411 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:46,640 That's should be otherwise things are wrong. 412 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:51,360 And so I'm convinced of this, that our view of Jesus with our 413 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:55,400 view of Jesus is wrong. Our view of everything else is 414 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,480 wrong. Everything else is wrong when 415 00:24:58,480 --> 00:24:59,960 you don't understand, we don't see it. 416 00:24:59,960 --> 00:25:03,240 And that's where I think the devils come in and just get in 417 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:08,240 Jesus and see, I have found, and I've got some passions out there 418 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,680 and I've got some stuff that I believe biblical gods coming to 419 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:15,200 when Jesus and that thing becomes together, that thing 420 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:19,360 always takes the place of Jesus. Jesus and justice. 421 00:25:19,360 --> 00:25:22,280 If you hear this morning all about justice, I'm telling you 422 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,400 this, if it's next to Christ, you're going to become about 423 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:27,200 justice at the expense of Christ. 424 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:35,520 If it's Jesus and whatever it's Jesus, then justice, because 425 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,120 that's what gives you the absolute value of what you 426 00:25:38,120 --> 00:25:40,440 called. So don't make a Jesus. 427 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:44,120 And it's Jesus and it's not. Yeah, OK. 428 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:46,200 Do you understand what I'm saying here? 429 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,840 Jesus. It's not Jesus and anything. 430 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:53,440 It's Jesus, then everything. And that's where your value 431 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:54,640 comes. But we've got to build that 432 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:57,760 revelation and understand it. In Colossians chapter 1. 433 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,600 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together and 434 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:05,280 he's the head, the life source and leader of the body, the 435 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:07,480 church. He is the beginning and the 436 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:12,920 first born from among the dead, so that in everything, all 437 00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:19,120 things, he will have supremacy. First place in everything. 438 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:22,440 Jesus has been given first place in everything. 439 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:25,240 The question I asked this morning to us, does he have 440 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:31,960 first place in your life? Is he still #1 Jesus Christ? 441 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:36,280 He will stand supreme and preeminent in everything the 442 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,680 Bible says. See, modern Christianity wants 443 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:45,360 Jesus as a therapist to heal their trauma, but not Jesus as 444 00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:49,080 Lord to lead their life. And I want to suggest you cannot 445 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:53,680 have one without the other. The real question is, do we want 446 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:57,200 him or do we want what he can do for us? 447 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,160 You know, Jesus is the reason for everything. 448 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:04,680 That's not a cliche, that's fact. 449 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:06,800 We gathered this morning because of him. 450 00:27:07,400 --> 00:27:10,280 This church exists for him. We don't go and do stuff for 451 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:11,720 people, for the leaders, for each other. 452 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,920 We do it for him. He is the reasons hard to lose 453 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:18,320 your way when you realize he is the reason for it all. 454 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:22,200 He's the why to it all. And honestly, as a leader, I've 455 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:25,800 got busy and I lose my my heart for people when it becomes about 456 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,080 I'm doing it for them. I'm travelling for that nation, 457 00:27:28,080 --> 00:27:31,320 I'm going to this region. It's not for them, it's for him. 458 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:34,840 And it's hard to lose your way when you lose your why, when you 459 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:36,960 when you don't lose your why, When you lose your why, you lose 460 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:39,400 your way. So I wanted to say to you this 461 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:41,240 morning, the reason we're here is for Jesus. 462 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,680 The reason you do what you do out there is for him. 463 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:47,000 And that's why we celebrate each other. 464 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,120 But can I say it's not just the reason? 465 00:27:49,120 --> 00:27:55,440 He's the reward. So many people get so busy for 466 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,040 him, they forget about him. And that happened in the Book of 467 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:02,000 Revelation where he addresses the church in emphasis. 468 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,440 He says, hey, you've done all these great things for me, but I 469 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,400 have this one thing against you. What about me? 470 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:11,000 You did it for me, but you forgot about me. 471 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,360 You and I can make him the reason and forget he's still the 472 00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:19,320 reward. Everything is about reward for 473 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:20,320 people. I mean, I read that. 474 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:21,800 I forgive. Forgive me, those of you who 475 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:25,560 don't believe in this, but I still sometimes read the Bible 476 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:29,720 of my app, one of my Bible apps, because it's more convenient 477 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:31,720 when I travel in there. And here's what happens. 478 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,160 The more you read, they give you a badge. 479 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:37,040 I've got a badge for reading so much. 480 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:40,320 My reward is a badge, an electronic badge that means 481 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:44,960 nothing. Can I say the reward is Christ 482 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:47,800 in everything? We don't need these other little 483 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:49,240 accuser. Well done. 484 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:51,200 Pat on the back. You've the reward. 485 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:55,120 Don't get busy for Him. He is the reward. 486 00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:58,720 He's our reward, He's our great reward. 487 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,600 Not just the reward. He's my great reward and I don't 488 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:04,080 get stuff from him. I get more of him. 489 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:07,920 That's got to be the culture that's been developed here more 490 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:09,480 and more. The main thing is keeping the 491 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:14,440 main one, the main thing I've watched people lose their way 492 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:16,240 and I'll tell you why. Because they had faith in 493 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,080 leaders, they had faith in ministries, they've had faith in 494 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:21,120 the church. There are people all over 495 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:24,320 Adelaide that have faith in the church and had made in ministry 496 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,680 and leaders and pastors who have lost their way and now they 497 00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:29,880 blame God and are serving, not interested. 498 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:33,200 Why is there? Because they had faith in 499 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:37,480 people, not faith in Christ. And I want to say to us this 500 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:39,880 morning, people are going to come into this church and people 501 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:42,480 are going to leave this church. And some will come really well 502 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,040 and leave very well. Others will come badly and leave 503 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:46,880 badly. And I want to say this, have 504 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:50,280 faith for everyone, but have faith only in Christ. 505 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:56,680 Don't have faith in anyone, Only faith for everyone but faith in 506 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:58,800 Christ. Hebrews 13, verse 8. 507 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:01,360 Nobody. Jesus Christ is the only one who 508 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:04,280 never changed. He's the same yesterday, today 509 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:10,600 and forever more. You with me faithful and faith 510 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:15,360 in Don't get those mixed up. Only faith in Jesus. 511 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,760 Secondly, we need a culture of conviction, a culture of 512 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:22,080 conviction. It's like people are just I'm 513 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:27,120 shocked how people who I've admired followed not faith in 514 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:31,200 faithful but learn stuff from in ministry who just losing their 515 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:34,400 conviction. It's like when you hit trauma or 516 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:37,320 crisis, you just stop believing truth and stop. 517 00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:40,520 And we're allowing what we go through to determine what we 518 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:44,720 believe. We can't allow circumstances to 519 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:48,320 determine our theology. Friends, the word of God doesn't 520 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:50,240 change based on what we go through. 521 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,080 It's God's word. It's unchanging and and you 522 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:55,720 don't really know what you believe till you test it and go 523 00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:58,080 through stuff. And many people borrow truth, 524 00:30:58,080 --> 00:30:59,520 but they don't have their own revelation. 525 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:02,760 So I want to just cheer us this morning to say this. 526 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:07,160 We need a culture of conviction, whether it's acceptable to our 527 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:09,560 culture, whether people like it or not. 528 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:13,720 You know, the world is so fallen in love with lies that truth is 529 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:21,000 now offensive and hate speech and the church has become quiet. 530 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:24,720 I don't want to like look like I hate speak truth in love, but 531 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:28,880 truth is still truth carry conviction, even if it's not 532 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:32,080 popular because God's looking for his church to be a pillar of 533 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:35,120 truth. And we need a culture of total 534 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:37,280 conviction. We love all people, but we don't 535 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,720 just accept their lifestyle because it's more relevant 536 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:42,400 today. It's not up to us, it's up to 537 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,320 him, and we need the word of God. 538 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:48,280 Someone said this to a church without mixture, God will pour 539 00:31:48,280 --> 00:31:52,360 out His spirit without measure. Mixture. 540 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,800 We got a bit of political, we got a bit of cultural, we got a 541 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,360 bit of my history, your history. We put it all together. 542 00:31:57,360 --> 00:31:59,920 Say God blow wind on it. The laws of blame wind on our 543 00:31:59,920 --> 00:32:03,920 stuff. The Lord is empowering us with 544 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,080 His truth. So we don't want to mix, we want 545 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:08,520 truth. Are you with me, friends? 546 00:32:08,920 --> 00:32:11,320 That's the church Jesus is looking to build and that's what 547 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:13,800 I believe. It's Word and Spirit. 548 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:17,040 It's together. Those someone said the Word 549 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:21,480 without the Spirit is powerless and the Spirit without the Word 550 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:25,360 is weaponless. We need both word and Spirit. 551 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:28,040 Can I just say a couple of things about the Word? 552 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:31,280 You know, when you open your Bible, don't forget this. 553 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:36,840 God opens his mouth and speaks. And I love the many things about 554 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:39,360 the Word of God, but one of the best things is that God, the 555 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:43,360 author, is always present when you're reading His Word. 556 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:47,160 He's always with you speaking. I have found that the greatest 557 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,080 threat to God's word are not those who outrightly oppose it. 558 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:52,360 It's those who claim to believe it. 559 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:54,160 But I don't know actually what it says. 560 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:57,600 There's many of us, maybe not in this room, but every other 561 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:00,280 church, they claim we believe the Bible. 562 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:02,840 We believe it, and we don't know what it says. 563 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:04,480 How Can you believe something you don't know? 564 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:08,240 That's a danger phrase. And we need to come back to 565 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,280 making sure we know what the Bible says. 566 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:14,920 We've often heard about the meat of the Word and the milk of the 567 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:15,920 Word. Have you heard about that? 568 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:17,880 What's the difference between the meat of the Word and the 569 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:21,240 milk of the Word? Well, milk is a result of food 570 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:26,640 digested by someone else. Meat is something you get to 571 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:29,920 process for yourself. That's maturity. 572 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:32,880 And that's what God's calling of us to obviously come and hear 573 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:35,280 the Word of God preach and thank God for these men and women who 574 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,000 unpack Scripture. But this isn't where you get it. 575 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,960 This is a stirring to go read it for yourself. 576 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:43,600 If I can convince you of something, someone can 577 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:46,400 unconvince you of something and I've seen it. 578 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:49,320 But when you get it for yourself, friend, you carry that 579 00:33:49,320 --> 00:33:51,400 conviction. And that's why we all have the 580 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:55,200 Word of God for ourselves. We don't challenge the Word of 581 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:58,440 God, we let it challenge us. Let me step on your toes. 582 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:02,320 If I haven't, here it is. When last did you allow God's 583 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:05,960 Word to challenge you, Not just encourage? 584 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:14,239 And I think I am encouraged by the challenge, but you can't 585 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:17,320 just read God's word for encourage me, Lord, because if 586 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:20,120 you're reading it for what it really says, He's challenging 587 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:23,080 us. So be challenged and encouraged, 588 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:24,679 but that's how we carry conviction. 589 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:29,520 Read it, learn it, live it, pray it, teach it and die to it. 590 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:31,480 Wherever your life comes across God's word. 591 00:34:31,480 --> 00:34:34,400 Can I suggest your life must change, not the word of God, 592 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:40,080 Word and Spirit. John 16 Go read what Jesus, the 593 00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:43,280 word of God has to say about the Holy Spirit. 594 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:47,480 And in John 16, Jesus teaches us that the word, the Holy Spirit 595 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,239 is the one who brings conviction. 596 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:51,840 He's the teacher, He's the great reveal. 597 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,840 He actually, Jesus said he will teach things that I've taught 598 00:34:56,040 --> 00:35:00,200 and make them known to you. If you're just reading the Bible 599 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,920 without the Holy Spirit, friends, you won't carry 600 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:05,760 conviction. But when the Holy Spirit 601 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:10,080 convinces you of truth, guides us into truth, makes known these 602 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:12,800 truths very hard to lose your convicts. 603 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:16,840 So I'm challenging me and us. Don't just read the Bible like a 604 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:19,160 book. Let the Holy Spirit convince you 605 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:21,600 of truth. That changes the way we live, 606 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:25,360 but also we hold true to regardless of what others are 607 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:26,720 telling us. Amen. 608 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:31,920 I don't think the great challenge we're facing is the 609 00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:34,760 self indulgent culture of other people out there. 610 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:38,560 That's not that's not hindering the progress of the gospel. 611 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:41,400 I think there's a greater challenge. 612 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:44,960 It's the self-sufficient mentality of the believers in 613 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:49,280 this room, not you. Again, other churches. 614 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,840 Sorry, my bad. Seriously, it's almost like we 615 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,560 could say I got this. Lord, I've served you long 616 00:35:56,560 --> 00:36:00,280 enough, I know how this works. I know what the Bible says, I've 617 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:02,240 got this. We would never say that, but we 618 00:36:02,240 --> 00:36:05,000 can live like that. You've got nothing. 619 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:08,640 We've got nothing if we're not relying on the Holy Spirit. 620 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:12,040 Friends, He's not an optional extra for deluxe Christians. 621 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,200 He's the one who empowers us, he's the one who helps us, he's 622 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:19,760 the one who teaches us. He's the anointed, the one who 623 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:21,800 annoyed. And we need to come back to 624 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,280 understanding our need for the Holy Spirit. 625 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,760 Couple of years ago, Chinese Christians returned to China 626 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:34,160 after surveying the Western Church for some time and when 627 00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:36,600 they were asked what's the most profound thing they'd learned 628 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:39,280 from the Western church. So they left China, they came to 629 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:42,560 the Western culture and they studied to come learn that what 630 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:44,960 the church is doing in the in the West. 631 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:48,640 This is their great I quote. This was their great response 632 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:51,560 and lesson. It's amazing how many things 633 00:36:51,720 --> 00:36:56,720 Western Christians do for God, separate and apart from the Holy 634 00:36:56,720 --> 00:37:00,440 Spirit and His power. They take away from learning 635 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,400 from the Western churches. The church is so busy doing 636 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:06,200 things without God's touch, without the Holy Spirit, and 637 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:10,080 without power. Friends, not them, us. 638 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:16,040 Let this church never operate in flesh and become so good at what 639 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:18,360 we do, we forget the need of God. 640 00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:20,920 The Holy Spirit is essential in US. 641 00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:23,320 And let me just tell you, the Holy Spirit doesn't just enable 642 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:25,920 us to speak in tongues. He doesn't just enable us to lay 643 00:37:25,920 --> 00:37:27,680 hands on the sick and recovering miracles. 644 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:30,840 He also teaches us to be quiet, to apologize. 645 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:34,200 It's the same Holy Spirit. Many of us want the power of the 646 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:35,400 Holy Spirit. We're not interested in the 647 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:37,760 fruit of the Holy Spirit. It's both. 648 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:41,440 He is holy and will always be holy. 649 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:44,960 I just want to say we don't need the Holy Spirit to come again. 650 00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:46,880 We don't need Pentecost to happen again. 651 00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:51,080 Pentecost happened. We need to acknowledge it, make 652 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:52,960 room. And the Holy Spirit doesn't need 653 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:55,720 an invitation. He just needs to be honoured. 654 00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:58,080 Not in our gatherings, in our lives. 655 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:02,080 But he's the great convincer. Let him convince you #3 quickly. 656 00:38:02,720 --> 00:38:05,760 A culture of community, Community. 657 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:06,880 And there is that. Yeah. 658 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:08,360 And I love that. But let me just say this. 659 00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:12,160 You cannot be connected to Jesus and separated from his body. 660 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:15,560 And there are many who believe that they've been hurt by the 661 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:18,040 church or can't get to a meeting and gathering. 662 00:38:18,040 --> 00:38:19,680 It's so much easier online. Everything. 663 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:22,640 And and I understand that, but God's desire for his people is 664 00:38:22,640 --> 00:38:25,880 to be together. And it's not because you need to 665 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:27,480 be here to hear Dave or me preach. 666 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:29,720 It's because God put us in a family together. 667 00:38:29,720 --> 00:38:31,200 Now. Now please know this. 668 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:35,800 It's interesting how he uses family, not friends. 669 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:39,480 I've got to be careful because I've got a lot of my family 670 00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:42,160 sitting in the room here. I did not choose my family. 671 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:48,600 I mean, the only one in this here is the my wife. 672 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:51,280 I chose my wife and I kind of think God help me choose big 673 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:55,240 time but and bless me, but the only one seated here is that I 674 00:38:55,240 --> 00:38:59,160 really chose was Nicole. I had a big role to play. 675 00:38:59,160 --> 00:39:01,560 I'll just say that in my children, but I never chose boy, 676 00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:04,440 boy, boy. Try all the tricks. 677 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:08,040 You don't get to choose. And I never was chosen. 678 00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:10,560 I never chose to be born into the family of my parents. 679 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:13,320 And so the point I'm trying to make is you don't get to pick 680 00:39:13,320 --> 00:39:17,560 where you put yeah, we pick where we go. 681 00:39:17,600 --> 00:39:19,880 I'm not happy, I'm not happy. I'm looking for happiness. 682 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:21,280 I'm looking for a bunch of friends. 683 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:23,480 Well, this is not about friendship because friendship 684 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:26,680 can disagree at every level and go about our own ways. 685 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:29,080 Family is a different thing all together. 686 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:32,840 And what I've watched even with my two brothers, which I love 687 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:35,800 dearly, I say that mom and dad, we are so different. 688 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:40,240 We with this a likeness, but we are like very different. 689 00:39:40,720 --> 00:39:43,080 And that's what God does. He puts you in families. 690 00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:49,160 The Bible says in Psalm 68, God puts the lonely in families and 691 00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:52,960 God puts us in with people that don't look like us, act like us, 692 00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:57,840 and maybe irritate us. And the reason he puts you in a 693 00:39:57,840 --> 00:40:01,560 family is to help you grow up, not a bunch of friends who love 694 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:03,840 each other and cheer each other all the time. 695 00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:06,600 Are you there? It's not looking for friends and 696 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:09,560 I hope family can be friends, but this is a family, not a 697 00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:12,640 friendship gathering. And there's nothing natural 698 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:15,040 about this. And if it's natural, best you 699 00:40:15,040 --> 00:40:16,960 get out of here because you don't want to be in a natural 700 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:18,720 church. You want to be in a 701 00:40:18,720 --> 00:40:21,600 supernatural. The Bible's very clear in, in 702 00:40:21,760 --> 00:40:26,200 Isaiah, he says that I'll put the, the, the, the case here and 703 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:29,040 the motel, the Oliver that put all these trees and shrubs and 704 00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:32,720 bushes that don't belong in the desert and that don't belong 705 00:40:32,720 --> 00:40:34,200 together. And he says, I'm going to put 706 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:37,520 them together in the desert. And then he goes on, he says, 707 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:41,160 said people may see, consider and understand. 708 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:43,880 It's the hand of the Lord that has done this. 709 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:47,080 In other words, not good strategy, clever preaching, 710 00:40:47,080 --> 00:40:50,360 great facilities. I'm going to take what doesn't 711 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:52,120 belong. I'm going to put them together 712 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:54,200 to belong because I'll make them belong. 713 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:56,480 And people are going to look around and go, this is a 714 00:40:56,480 --> 00:41:01,600 miracle, Let this keep being a miracle by you being part of the 715 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:05,160 miracle and not our issues with one another that we have, but we 716 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:08,120 work it out rather than we up and leave because I can't be 717 00:41:08,120 --> 00:41:10,600 friends with you. I look at the guys that I'm part 718 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:13,320 of, the leadership, the team that I get to lead. 719 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:15,960 Honestly, I love the team I'm leading, but the majority of 720 00:41:15,960 --> 00:41:20,280 guys I would naturally never have a coffee with if it was not 721 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:23,000 the call of God together. And it's not. 722 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:25,560 That's weird. It's because we put together for 723 00:41:25,560 --> 00:41:29,000 the plans and purposes of God. So I choose to work with these 724 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:32,600 people, not let's be best mates. Am I? 725 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:33,440 Am I? Making sense? 726 00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:36,920 The church, Adelaide has been known as the city of churches. 727 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:40,720 It's become very dark. Yeah. 728 00:41:40,720 --> 00:41:43,880 Anyway, not other churches. They're not getting along too 729 00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:44,840 well. And why is that? 730 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:49,400 I think it's because we're getting too natural, too natural 731 00:41:49,400 --> 00:41:51,400 in our thinking. What suits me? 732 00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:53,320 What's in it for me? What about me? 733 00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:55,920 Rather than how do we serve with people? 734 00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:58,560 God's put us. And when God moves us on, go 735 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:03,200 quietly, go well. Celebrate what you were part of 736 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:06,160 rather than slash it and slag it while you leave. 737 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:08,920 Because you're not helping the 'cause you're not helping the 738 00:42:08,920 --> 00:42:10,520 Kingdom. Are you there? 739 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:13,960 You OK? We're friends still. 740 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:18,640 They're friends. Schaeffer said this and family 741 00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:24,200 OK, Francis Schaefer said this. He said that Christian community 742 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:31,040 is the final apologetic. See, Francis Schaefer was an 743 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:34,120 apologist who went out and proved things from scripture 744 00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,120 that the death of Christ happened, that the resurrection 745 00:42:37,120 --> 00:42:40,760 happened, some of the sea scroll, the Dead Sea Scrolls. 746 00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:44,560 He proved what the Bible, not that it needs proof, but he went 747 00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:48,240 out to prove it and he came to the conclusion there's one final 748 00:42:48,240 --> 00:42:50,480 apologetic that truly proves Jesus, Israel. 749 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:54,200 The world will judge us by the way we treat each other. 750 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:59,120 All these other things can be proved right, but we are the 751 00:42:59,120 --> 00:43:03,680 final apologetic and we trash each other, destroy each other. 752 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:06,360 Can I, can I say this? We got to speak for truth and we 753 00:43:06,360 --> 00:43:10,360 got to call things out. But division is not bad. 754 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:19,120 It's Antichrist. It's Antichrist Jesus and John 755 00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:22,440 17 prayed that the father be 1 and said and he said make our 756 00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:25,040 disciples one as we are one that the world we're not friends when 757 00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:28,040 we begin to and again it's cool to have issues and work them out 758 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:32,680 but when we beating and dividing and man it's against Christ. 759 00:43:33,800 --> 00:43:37,200 Yet the church loves to do it on social media anyway not you the 760 00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:42,000 other churches so be free but don't go there please quickly a 761 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:45,440 culture of calling. We need to grow, see we count 762 00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:50,960 success, but God, why is it maturity and multiplication? 763 00:43:50,960 --> 00:43:53,480 God's called this church to multiply and grow up. 764 00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:56,760 And I want to encourage you that God's called you to multiply, 765 00:43:56,760 --> 00:43:58,800 not David. And all of us have a role to 766 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:00,920 play this church. As I said last week, it might be 767 00:44:00,920 --> 00:44:03,800 offensive, but you need to be planting churches out of this 768 00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:06,040 church. It's God's you birth churches to 769 00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:09,240 plant, churches to multiply, not so we can have more churches so 770 00:44:09,240 --> 00:44:13,920 we can have greater impact for the gospel, a culture of caring. 771 00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:16,560 We've got to care. How do you know people care? 772 00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:22,160 By giving not financially every for God so loved the world that 773 00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:25,880 he he could have looked from heaven and going I love you 774 00:44:25,880 --> 00:44:30,560 guys, but work it out. He gave so you can love without 775 00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:35,640 giving, but you can't give without love and we've got to be 776 00:44:35,640 --> 00:44:39,040 a people who give time and treasure and tell it not to the 777 00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:41,800 church to the king of how we can serve together. 778 00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:44,040 It's not for these guys, it's not for each other. 779 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:47,080 It's for him. One of the defining marks of a 780 00:44:47,080 --> 00:44:52,080 follower of Jesus is generosity. Every area. 781 00:44:52,120 --> 00:44:56,560 Generous with our time, generous with our talents, our gifts, 782 00:44:57,720 --> 00:44:59,800 generous with our treasures, our finances. 783 00:44:59,800 --> 00:45:00,840 You know what? Let me just say this. 784 00:45:01,080 --> 00:45:07,560 God does not oppose wealth, but he does command generosity. 785 00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:14,880 There's a devotional called God's Calling 2 Old Ladies about 786 00:45:14,880 --> 00:45:18,120 100 years ago, very wealthy, and they prayed. 787 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:21,000 Jesus spoke to them and they wrote down what he said. 788 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:23,480 This is what he said about their resources. 789 00:45:23,480 --> 00:45:25,760 They had lots of resources and they prayed, Lord, what would 790 00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:27,760 you want us to do? And they wrote it down. 791 00:45:27,920 --> 00:45:31,720 This is what God said. Don't be afraid of poverty. 792 00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:37,160 Let resources flow freely. I will let in. 793 00:45:37,240 --> 00:45:40,040 I will let it flow in, but you must let it flow out. 794 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:46,720 I never send resources to stagnate, only to those who pass 795 00:45:46,720 --> 00:45:50,080 it on. Keep nothing for yourself, hoard 796 00:45:50,080 --> 00:45:53,480 nothing. Only have what you need and use. 797 00:45:53,840 --> 00:45:58,960 This is the my law of disciples. It's not bad to have God gave 798 00:45:58,960 --> 00:46:01,320 you what you've got. Don't apologize, but don't hold 799 00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:04,560 on to it and expect God to keep giving because he doesn't send 800 00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:08,400 to stagnation. If you keep releasing, God says 801 00:46:08,400 --> 00:46:12,040 I'll keep resourcing in every area of our lives. 802 00:46:12,560 --> 00:46:15,120 The last thing I want to say is this a culture of Commission. 803 00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:19,520 Go see. We will not impact the world by 804 00:46:19,520 --> 00:46:24,840 only faithfully going to church, but we will impact the world by 805 00:46:24,840 --> 00:46:28,440 faithfully being the church. When we go out into the world, 806 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:31,400 the church is not a waiting room for heaven. 807 00:46:32,720 --> 00:46:34,680 We've made it there. Like kind of let's just have a 808 00:46:34,680 --> 00:46:36,280 holy huddle and hang on and wait. 809 00:46:36,720 --> 00:46:39,920 God put us here to serve his plans to go and be the church, 810 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:43,280 not on Sunday every day. And these gatherings are 811 00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:44,960 essential, but it doesn't happen here. 812 00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:47,080 It happens being the church wherever we go. 813 00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:52,360 And I'll close with this story if I can just it hopefully stirs 814 00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:54,120 you. It challenges me, excites me. 815 00:46:55,280 --> 00:47:02,600 I hope it won't offend you, but there was this missionary in, 816 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:06,640 in, in, in, in Europe and God told him to go to a certain 817 00:47:06,640 --> 00:47:10,080 church and he was ministering and working in Africa. 818 00:47:10,080 --> 00:47:12,320 And God told him, I want you to go to this church on that 819 00:47:12,320 --> 00:47:13,960 weekend. And I want you to challenge 820 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:17,600 those people to come help him. And so he gets a hold of the 821 00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:19,600 leader of that church and says, I feel like the law is saying I 822 00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:20,680 need to come challenge your church. 823 00:47:20,680 --> 00:47:23,280 The guys like will come. So he walks in on the Sunday 824 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:26,160 morning and there's a bunch of really old people. 825 00:47:26,160 --> 00:47:32,520 I mean, like, right, not not listen, right, Don't get 826 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:34,840 offended, right. Way older than you guys. 827 00:47:34,840 --> 00:47:38,760 OK, And it's just old. Don't know because it's getting 828 00:47:38,760 --> 00:47:40,240 a full flat. If you think I'm talking to you, 829 00:47:40,240 --> 00:47:41,560 I'm not. It's a story you can read. 830 00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:45,760 And he walks in and the whole building's full of old people 831 00:47:45,760 --> 00:47:49,120 who can't walk. And he's saying, and then he 832 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:51,560 felt the Lord say, I want you to go to this church and I want you 833 00:47:51,560 --> 00:47:55,360 to challenge them to come help you in the in the getting the 834 00:47:55,360 --> 00:47:58,000 gospel out in Africa. So he walks in and he sees these 835 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:01,240 people and he goes, Oh, no, this isn't this is I must have missed 836 00:48:01,240 --> 00:48:02,680 it. So he says, no, I'm not going to 837 00:48:02,680 --> 00:48:04,000 do that. Lord said, I told you what to 838 00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:05,000 do. I want you to do that. 839 00:48:05,760 --> 00:48:08,560 He goes, well, Lord, I mean, anyway, he looks at the past, 840 00:48:08,560 --> 00:48:09,880 the past goes, go ahead. So he stands up. 841 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:13,200 He says, he tells some stories and he says, I've got a 842 00:48:13,200 --> 00:48:16,320 challenge from the Lord, who will go, who will go, who will 843 00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:18,880 go? And I mean, he's thinking, like, 844 00:48:18,880 --> 00:48:21,320 looking around these poor people struggling to walk out of the 845 00:48:21,320 --> 00:48:23,680 building, How they going to? And there was a little boy on 846 00:48:23,680 --> 00:48:26,760 the stage who was helping the lady with the piano or the 847 00:48:26,760 --> 00:48:29,240 organ. And he said, I will go, I will 848 00:48:29,240 --> 00:48:31,920 go, I will go. And they looked over and they 849 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:33,360 said, well, OK, but you're very young. 850 00:48:33,360 --> 00:48:36,080 So they trained him up to be a doctor to go to Africa. 851 00:48:36,080 --> 00:48:42,760 His name was David Livingstone. David Livingstone was a little 852 00:48:42,760 --> 00:48:45,320 boy on the stage and a whole bunch of older people. 853 00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:46,960 Where was that? And God said, I want you to go 854 00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:49,840 to that place and mobilize and I'm going to speak to that young 855 00:48:49,840 --> 00:48:51,600 boy. They got him ready. 856 00:48:51,600 --> 00:48:54,000 He went as a doctor and he went and then the story goes on there 857 00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:57,480 when he got to to Africa and he was ministering, they began to 858 00:48:57,480 --> 00:49:00,200 have a bit of breakthrough with some of the tribes in there. 859 00:49:00,200 --> 00:49:03,440 But there was a tribe and a chief of the tribe who didn't 860 00:49:03,440 --> 00:49:07,200 like David Livingstone. And so he'd said to David to, to 861 00:49:07,400 --> 00:49:11,320 he sent a messenger to tell David Livingstone that tonight 862 00:49:11,320 --> 00:49:14,560 I'm coming with my my tribe and we're going to kill you and all 863 00:49:14,560 --> 00:49:17,400 your people. And so David Livingston heard 864 00:49:17,400 --> 00:49:18,840 that message and was freaking out. 865 00:49:18,840 --> 00:49:20,920 God, how can you do this? Look at the people we're 866 00:49:20,920 --> 00:49:23,920 beginning to see breakthrough. Please, Lord, would you save us? 867 00:49:23,920 --> 00:49:26,400 Please help us. Anyway, that night, nothing 868 00:49:26,400 --> 00:49:29,760 happened. And so David Livingston was 869 00:49:29,760 --> 00:49:33,680 rejoicing and happy about them. A few years later, David 870 00:49:33,680 --> 00:49:36,240 Livingston goes back to the church where he was sent out 871 00:49:36,240 --> 00:49:39,320 from and he's giving the testimony of what happened. 872 00:49:39,320 --> 00:49:42,080 And he said, you know, we, we had this pro thing happen and 873 00:49:42,080 --> 00:49:43,440 then no one came and we'd grateful. 874 00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:48,080 Oh, no, sorry, sorry, I'm sorry. He he ends up beating the chief 875 00:49:48,080 --> 00:49:52,400 years later, leads the chief to the Lord and many people in that 876 00:49:52,400 --> 00:49:55,040 tribe got saved. He said to the chief, the chief, 877 00:49:55,400 --> 00:49:57,280 why did you not? We heard you were going to come 878 00:49:57,280 --> 00:49:58,520 kill us and we're glad you didn't. 879 00:49:58,520 --> 00:50:01,240 But why didn't you come? The chief said, no, we did come. 880 00:50:01,480 --> 00:50:05,280 We showed up and there were 37 giants standing outside of your, 881 00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:09,360 your camp. So we ran away, thought we're 882 00:50:09,360 --> 00:50:11,400 not fighting these cars. David thought, Gee, that's 883 00:50:11,400 --> 00:50:12,280 amazing. Wow. 884 00:50:13,000 --> 00:50:16,200 So anyway, years later, David's Livingston's back at the church 885 00:50:16,200 --> 00:50:18,040 giving a testimony of what happened. 886 00:50:19,120 --> 00:50:21,680 After the meeting, the secretary of the church comes in and says, 887 00:50:21,680 --> 00:50:24,600 David, do you remember the date of when that happened? 888 00:50:24,600 --> 00:50:27,640 He said, of course I do. He gives him the date they open 889 00:50:27,640 --> 00:50:33,480 the the the the the Ledger book and in it that day 37 old people 890 00:50:33,480 --> 00:50:38,240 showed up to pray for David Livingstone and his people, 37 891 00:50:38,240 --> 00:50:42,080 people prayed in Scotland and 37 giants were standing in Africa 892 00:50:42,080 --> 00:50:46,160 protecting You can't tell me coincidence. 893 00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:50,760 God has called us to partner with him and to obey him and do 894 00:50:50,760 --> 00:50:53,880 what he says, even when it makes no sense. 895 00:50:53,880 --> 00:50:56,200 God is controlling the narrative. 896 00:50:56,400 --> 00:50:58,360 If we will just stay on board with what cost. 897 00:51:00,840 --> 00:51:03,080 And so you, I know friends, I mean, I'm just going to be 898 00:51:03,080 --> 00:51:04,480 honest. I know that a bunch of people in 899 00:51:04,480 --> 00:51:07,640 this room, seasoned campaigners, you've run your race, you've 900 00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:10,360 you've done stuff. I we walking in a blessing 901 00:51:10,360 --> 00:51:12,000 because of your faithfulness to God. 902 00:51:12,640 --> 00:51:16,480 But I just sense again, not in the flesh, in the spirit. 903 00:51:17,040 --> 00:51:20,640 It's not done and your role's not over and you're not hanging 904 00:51:20,640 --> 00:51:24,200 on till he comes back. There's a major role still to be 905 00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:28,880 played in the economy of heaven. As God puts you in the places 906 00:51:28,880 --> 00:51:30,640 you got to go. Maybe things will change on how 907 00:51:30,640 --> 00:51:33,360 you've done things, but He has not finished with you. 908 00:51:33,360 --> 00:51:37,560 Friends, don't become part of a Chapel in your waiting. 909 00:51:38,320 --> 00:51:42,360 Stay true to being the church in your role and responsibility. 910 00:51:42,360 --> 00:51:47,440 As God opens doors, keeps keep obeying Him in the things God's 911 00:51:47,440 --> 00:51:49,000 called you to. Can I praise are you good? 912 00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:50,560 Are you good? Can you close your eyes for a 913 00:51:50,560 --> 00:51:55,080 minute, please? And we're not closing our eyes 914 00:51:55,080 --> 00:51:59,920 to get all spiritually as to simply just for a moment pause. 915 00:52:01,760 --> 00:52:04,240 And whenever God speaks, it's always for a response. 916 00:52:04,240 --> 00:52:07,840 It's not just for talking, it's for responding. 917 00:52:08,840 --> 00:52:11,440 And I realized that many of you in different places and you 918 00:52:11,440 --> 00:52:14,560 probably think you're tired and you don't understand my context. 919 00:52:14,560 --> 00:52:17,360 And no, I don't. But God has, God doesn't. 920 00:52:17,360 --> 00:52:21,120 God brought me here from the United States to tell you this 921 00:52:21,120 --> 00:52:24,280 this morning. Keep doing what I've told you to 922 00:52:24,280 --> 00:52:26,400 do. It's not for you. 923 00:52:26,400 --> 00:52:28,160 It's not even for the people around you. 924 00:52:28,160 --> 00:52:32,560 It's going to be for nations and regions and generations. 925 00:52:33,440 --> 00:52:35,200 And God knows exactly what he's doing. 926 00:52:36,440 --> 00:52:39,240 So don't question, just respond and obey. 927 00:52:40,200 --> 00:52:44,200 Keep doing this with him and for him. 928 00:52:45,200 --> 00:52:51,440 Keep stepping out, stepping in, doing what you can do, and watch 929 00:52:51,440 --> 00:52:54,400 what God says He will do. But he will not exclude us. 930 00:52:55,440 --> 00:52:58,040 He's included us. He's chosen it that way. 931 00:52:58,480 --> 00:53:06,000 Your and mine, 0.1%, His 99.9% makes 100% of partnership. 932 00:53:08,080 --> 00:53:11,120 And so, Father, I just just thank you for these wonderful 933 00:53:11,120 --> 00:53:14,480 pioneers, men and women who've sown, who've served. 934 00:53:16,480 --> 00:53:19,760 They've experienced your hand and provision and protection. 935 00:53:21,040 --> 00:53:24,760 They've experienced the gracious dealings of God that they've 936 00:53:24,760 --> 00:53:26,400 shot. We've drank from their 937 00:53:26,440 --> 00:53:29,720 fountains. But Lord, would you keep filling 938 00:53:29,720 --> 00:53:33,800 their fountains? Would you keep using them and 939 00:53:33,800 --> 00:53:35,400 not getting them to question how? 940 00:53:35,400 --> 00:53:39,880 But just simply trusting each step matters to you. 941 00:53:40,960 --> 00:53:43,040 And it's not survival, it's empowered. 942 00:53:43,040 --> 00:53:47,920 This morning, I pray you would empower us afresh with Your Holy 943 00:53:47,920 --> 00:53:53,920 Spirit, not by might nor by power, but by Your Spirit. 944 00:53:55,920 --> 00:53:59,200 Beyond what we can come up on, beyond what we've walked in 945 00:54:00,280 --> 00:54:07,680 truly trusting till the very end and being a church, the church 946 00:54:08,280 --> 00:54:11,760 never settling for being a Chapel that might experience 947 00:54:11,760 --> 00:54:13,800 growth but is no longer serving Your plan. 948 00:54:14,480 --> 00:54:21,400 We want to serve you till we go. So bring that revelation afresh. 949 00:54:21,400 --> 00:54:23,840 Stir these people. Bless this church, bless the 950 00:54:23,840 --> 00:54:26,360 friendship and the families in this. 951 00:54:27,040 --> 00:54:31,560 Keep bringing more people in and keep sending more people out as 952 00:54:31,560 --> 00:54:34,400 you keep multiplying. Your lamp stands wherever you 953 00:54:34,400 --> 00:54:37,200 desire for the people that are King. 954 00:54:37,240 --> 00:54:41,040 Jesus can come back soon. We honor you King, we bless you, 955 00:54:41,320 --> 00:54:43,520 we thank you. The guarantee is you are 956 00:54:43,520 --> 00:54:46,960 building your church. That's our guarantee. 957 00:54:46,960 --> 00:54:50,800 We don't look to man, we look to you and say it will succeed. 958 00:54:51,160 --> 00:54:54,040 That's your promise and we give you all the praise. 959 00:54:54,040 --> 00:54:57,720 That's where our faith is in Jesus name, Amen. 960 00:55:02,360 --> 00:55:04,720 Thank you so much, Ty. Thank you, Nicole. 961 00:55:05,680 --> 00:55:07,160 Thank you, Jude. Thank you, Joel. 962 00:55:07,160 --> 00:55:10,840 Thank you guys for being here. You know, we started out last 963 00:55:10,840 --> 00:55:15,360 week and and just spoke about, you know, we're believing that 964 00:55:15,400 --> 00:55:20,360 God's going to impart here and I believe that he has. 965 00:55:21,600 --> 00:55:25,680 And this is such an exciting time because it's the beginning 966 00:55:25,680 --> 00:55:28,960 of the year. There's such a freshness about 967 00:55:28,960 --> 00:55:33,680 this year that we're started and we're stepping into and embrace 968 00:55:33,680 --> 00:55:37,280 that and run with that and let's just trust that God's doing 969 00:55:37,280 --> 00:55:40,440 amazing things in US and through us and with us. 970 00:55:40,440 --> 00:55:42,720 And but all for him. You know, there was that 971 00:55:42,720 --> 00:55:46,840 question is, you know, is, does he still have first place? 972 00:55:47,520 --> 00:55:51,000 Is he at first place? I think that's that's the 973 00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:54,680 starting point for me in every area of life. 974 00:55:54,680 --> 00:55:56,880 Does does Jesus have first place? 975 00:55:56,880 --> 00:56:02,320 Is does the gospel, you know, speak into every area of your 976 00:56:02,320 --> 00:56:05,040 life? And I'm not going to say much 977 00:56:05,080 --> 00:56:08,000 more of that, but let's just leave this place and run and, 978 00:56:08,480 --> 00:56:11,520 and trust that we're all here for a reason and we're cold. 979 00:56:11,520 --> 00:56:16,560 And thank you again, guys. We, we love you, Lord, thank you 980 00:56:16,560 --> 00:56:18,120 for this day. Amen. 981 00:56:18,160 --> 00:56:21,720 Enjoy. Thank you for joining us for 982 00:56:21,720 --> 00:56:24,120 today's message. For more information about The 983 00:56:24,120 --> 00:56:28,480 Way Church, please visit ourwebsite@thewaychurch.com dot 984 00:56:28,520 --> 00:56:29,720 AU. Have a blessed day.