1 00:00:06,510 --> 00:00:08,980 We Father, we thank you, we think you was wonderful time 2 00:00:08,990 --> 00:00:12,240 we've had to bring our praise and our worship to you. 3 00:00:12,310 --> 00:00:14,940 Lord, we thank you. That is part of our worship. 4 00:00:14,950 --> 00:00:17,270 We thank you for the offerings that have been given. 5 00:00:17,590 --> 00:00:21,360 Lord, you are the one who provides all that we have and 6 00:00:21,430 --> 00:00:24,720 our offerings are just a small part of our worship. 7 00:00:24,770 --> 00:00:28,080 Back to you, Lord, we thank you for those that distribute that 8 00:00:28,090 --> 00:00:31,860 may it be used wisely, may be used for your glory and for your 9 00:00:31,870 --> 00:00:33,870 Kingdom. Father, we thank you for our 10 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,580 Sunday school children. We thank you for the blessing 11 00:00:36,590 --> 00:00:40,070 they are to us, the church and to our families. 12 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:42,730 Lord, we just pray your hand upon them as they go out to 13 00:00:42,740 --> 00:00:46,550 Sunday school and also our team class Lord that you will work in 14 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,650 their hearts. Continue to draw them closer to 15 00:00:49,660 --> 00:00:51,490 you. Let me thank you for the love 16 00:00:51,500 --> 00:00:54,770 you have for them and Lord, may they know you each each of them 17 00:00:54,780 --> 00:00:57,820 know you as their own personal Lord and Saviour at some point. 18 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:00,030 Father, we thank you for our Sunday School teachers. 19 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,850 We thank you for the diligence and bringing your word to our 20 00:01:02,860 --> 00:01:04,849 children. Look, give them the words to say 21 00:01:04,860 --> 00:01:08,170 in the words to Shia today. We pray and we thank you for 22 00:01:08,180 --> 00:01:10,030 Jeff. We thank you for the message 23 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,990 you've laid on us heart. We thank you for the opportunity 24 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,510 we have to be able to sit under the word of God in law. 25 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:19,340 We just pray that our hearts will be open to that Lord, that 26 00:01:19,350 --> 00:01:23,120 won't just be words that we hear, but words that change us 27 00:01:23,190 --> 00:01:25,720 and we'll we'll draw us closer to you. 28 00:01:25,830 --> 00:01:28,500 O Lord, we just pray for Jeff and bring him to your hand too. 29 00:01:28,650 --> 00:01:31,670 So we thank you for this time and we committed into you now 30 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:33,980 and your hand in Jesus name, Amen. 31 00:01:35,010 --> 00:01:37,940 I've got to say, you look a lot better from up here than you do 32 00:01:37,950 --> 00:01:42,360 from the back. Pity. 33 00:01:42,370 --> 00:01:49,750 It's not reciprocal, isn't it? It's a delight to be with you 34 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:56,040 always and I'm glad to be here in my condition. 35 00:01:56,050 --> 00:02:01,660 I'm glad to be anywhere, but I'm particularly delighted to be 36 00:02:01,670 --> 00:02:06,270 with you this morning if you have your Bibles with you. 37 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,690 Where? In the Gospel of Luke, page 38 00:02:08,699 --> 00:02:13,700 1410. Don't you wish you'd bought a 39 00:02:13,710 --> 00:02:19,210 better Bible? Matthew, Mark, Luke chapter 5 40 00:02:20,850 --> 00:02:28,990 and we're bringing our thinking to this important paragraph in 41 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,090 the Gospel of Luke. One day as Jesus was standing by 42 00:02:33,100 --> 00:02:38,310 the lake of Guinness, Alright with the people crowding around 43 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:45,530 him and listening to the Word of God, he swore at the waters 44 00:02:45,540 --> 00:02:50,560 edge. 2 boats. There's a reason, of course, why 45 00:02:50,630 --> 00:02:54,840 there was a crowd pressing around Jesus, and you only have 46 00:02:54,850 --> 00:02:59,150 to back up into chapter 4 to find the reason. 47 00:03:00,900 --> 00:03:06,050 In verse 31, He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, 48 00:03:06,060 --> 00:03:08,910 and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. 49 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:14,530 They were amazed at his teaching because His message had 50 00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:19,370 authority. It wasn't the rabbis discussing 51 00:03:19,380 --> 00:03:27,430 who said what and how Jesus was unfolding the word of God with 52 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:31,430 authority and declaring what it meant. 53 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:36,890 And the crowd was so impressed they pressed down toward him. 54 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:39,310 Have a look at chapter 4, verse 33. 55 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:43,070 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil 56 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:48,580 spirit, and Jesus cast the evil spirit out. 57 00:03:48,750 --> 00:03:52,620 If you have a look at verse 36, all the people were amazed and 58 00:03:52,630 --> 00:03:55,180 said to each other, what is this teaching? 59 00:03:55,310 --> 00:03:59,020 With authority and power? He gives orders to evil spirits 60 00:03:59,030 --> 00:04:03,880 and they come out and then you go down to verse 38. 61 00:04:03,890 --> 00:04:07,420 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. 62 00:04:07,610 --> 00:04:11,810 Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever and 63 00:04:11,820 --> 00:04:16,149 they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked 64 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,070 the fever and it left her. She got up at once and began to 65 00:04:20,079 --> 00:04:24,990 wait on them. And then you find in verse 40 66 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:29,910 onwards, further casting out of demons. 67 00:04:29,980 --> 00:04:34,600 No wonder there's a crowd pressing around Jesus that the 68 00:04:34,610 --> 00:04:37,160 nation hadn't seen this kind of action. 69 00:04:38,310 --> 00:04:44,030 It was unique, to say the least. So we're back in Chapter 5. 70 00:04:44,930 --> 00:04:50,580 He saw at the water's edge 1st 22 boats left there by the 71 00:04:50,590 --> 00:04:53,270 fishermen who were washing their Nets. 72 00:04:54,350 --> 00:04:57,700 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and 73 00:04:57,710 --> 00:05:00,470 asked him to put out a little from the shore. 74 00:05:01,650 --> 00:05:05,880 Then he sent down and taught the people from the boat. 75 00:05:06,810 --> 00:05:11,840 When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, put out into deep 76 00:05:11,850 --> 00:05:16,490 water and let down the Nets for a catch. 77 00:05:18,280 --> 00:05:21,020 Well, here's Simon Peters, response. 78 00:05:21,710 --> 00:05:27,080 Master, we have worked hard all night and haven't caught 79 00:05:27,090 --> 00:05:33,690 anything, but because you say so, I will let down the Nets. 80 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,060 Now Jesus is talking to him in the middle of the day. 81 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:43,140 Launch out into the deep and get ready for a catch. 82 00:05:44,140 --> 00:05:48,070 And Peter comes back and says, Lord, we have been fishing all 83 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,390 night. And there's a reason why there 84 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:55,050 were fishing all night because at night the insects came out. 85 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:59,250 And when the insects came out, the fish came to the surface to 86 00:05:59,260 --> 00:06:03,090 grab the insects so that they would be free from any other 87 00:06:03,100 --> 00:06:07,230 predators in the lake. Now Jesus is telling them to do 88 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:10,800 something quite strange. He says don't go fishing at 89 00:06:10,810 --> 00:06:14,070 night in the middle of the day. I'm telling you, go out into the 90 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,240 deep well in the middle of the day. 91 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:17,980 The fish are right at the bottom. 92 00:06:19,510 --> 00:06:23,170 It's only at night they come to the surface for the insects. 93 00:06:25,190 --> 00:06:32,520 And Peter can't figure this and he looks at Jesus and says, now 94 00:06:32,530 --> 00:06:39,080 look here, you're a Carpenter, you stay with the tools. 95 00:06:40,430 --> 00:06:47,570 I'll look after the fish, but Peter has known a thing or two 96 00:06:47,580 --> 00:06:50,280 about Jesus. This is not his first encounter 97 00:06:50,290 --> 00:06:53,990 with Christ. In fact, it's probably the third 98 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,300 encounter Peter has had with the Lord Jesus. 99 00:06:58,250 --> 00:07:02,900 And he says, nevertheless, at your word I will let down the 100 00:07:02,910 --> 00:07:08,960 Nets. We are in verse 6. 101 00:07:08,970 --> 00:07:12,560 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of 102 00:07:12,570 --> 00:07:15,640 fish that their Nets began to break. 103 00:07:17,470 --> 00:07:21,220 So they signalled their partner in the other boat to come and 104 00:07:21,230 --> 00:07:26,960 help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that 105 00:07:26,970 --> 00:07:32,870 they began to sink. The miracles of Jesus are never 106 00:07:33,620 --> 00:07:39,590 in the half measure. And so he tells them, launch out 107 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:43,950 into the deep and suddenly they've got so many fish that 108 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:48,710 number one, according to verse 6, the net to breaking number 2, 109 00:07:48,780 --> 00:07:51,670 they need to call their partners to come and help. 110 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:55,630 And #3 when they do come and help and load the fish into the 111 00:07:55,640 --> 00:08:03,400 boat, both boats begin to sink. Some fishing trip you will find 112 00:08:03,410 --> 00:08:06,460 Christians telling you this kind of thing happens on the white 113 00:08:06,470 --> 00:08:14,270 matter and when they do remember that Bible verse. 114 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:16,830 All men are liars, especially fishermen. 115 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:28,070 When Jesus fed the 5000 men, besides women and children, with 116 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:33,500 the five loaves and two fish, there were 12 basketfuls left 117 00:08:33,510 --> 00:08:39,330 over. Those baskets were the size of a 118 00:08:39,340 --> 00:08:43,000 basket a man could fit in, and when they left Paul over the 119 00:08:43,010 --> 00:08:48,940 wall to escape, he got into a basket big enough to hold a man. 120 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:55,440 12 of them left over and then when he fed the 4000 there were 121 00:08:55,450 --> 00:09:01,150 7 basketfuls left over. Now, what's the significance of 122 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:07,480 this miracle? Have you noticed the miracles of 123 00:09:07,490 --> 00:09:12,720 Jesus are quite narrow and defined in their purpose? 124 00:09:13,830 --> 00:09:20,000 Jesus isn't running around and grabbing a a blow fly, wiggling 125 00:09:20,010 --> 00:09:23,080 his nose and turning it into an A380. 126 00:09:24,410 --> 00:09:27,300 Now could he have done that? Of course he could have done 127 00:09:27,310 --> 00:09:30,960 that. He's God in human flesh. 128 00:09:31,010 --> 00:09:35,680 But he didn't. He didn't grab a donkey up one 129 00:09:35,690 --> 00:09:39,940 of the little lanes in Nazareth and turn it into a red hot 130 00:09:39,950 --> 00:09:43,380 Lamborghini. Now could he have done that? 131 00:09:43,390 --> 00:09:44,830 Of course he could have done that. 132 00:09:46,670 --> 00:09:51,710 But the miracles of Jesus are not random acts of power. 133 00:09:53,900 --> 00:09:57,950 They are miracles with a message. 134 00:10:00,090 --> 00:10:04,610 This is the second episode in the ministry of Jesus where he 135 00:10:04,620 --> 00:10:09,980 turns a them to to a large amount of fish. 136 00:10:10,810 --> 00:10:16,040 Second one is in John chapter 21, and the reason this becomes 137 00:10:16,050 --> 00:10:21,790 a miracle is because back in the prophecy of Ezekiel chapter 47, 138 00:10:23,010 --> 00:10:29,250 when Messiah comes, there's gonna be so many fish in the 139 00:10:29,260 --> 00:10:34,070 waters of Israel that the fishermen will be camping along 140 00:10:34,110 --> 00:10:40,050 the the lake and along the river Jordan and down into the Dead 141 00:10:40,060 --> 00:10:44,460 Sea and it will be alive with marine life. 142 00:10:46,090 --> 00:10:49,620 That's why Peter suddenly says goodnight nurse. 143 00:10:49,630 --> 00:10:56,020 Not in the text, but he meant to say that, and because now he 144 00:10:56,030 --> 00:11:00,680 sees this huge number of fish. It would have been a miracle 145 00:11:00,690 --> 00:11:06,470 just to get a dozen, but you've got the Nets breaking and two 146 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:10,990 boats virtually sinking with this huge number of fish. 147 00:11:12,290 --> 00:11:16,300 And any Jew who saw a miracle like that would be racing back 148 00:11:16,310 --> 00:11:20,530 into the prophecy of Ezekiel and say this must be the Messiah, 149 00:11:22,810 --> 00:11:25,840 that this must be the one who can change things. 150 00:11:25,890 --> 00:11:29,240 This must be the one who can bring in the prophesied Kingdom. 151 00:11:30,650 --> 00:11:34,840 And that's why all the miracles of Jesus have to do with the 152 00:11:35,090 --> 00:11:39,480 features of the coming Kingdom. When Christ returns to earth, no 153 00:11:39,490 --> 00:11:43,300 one will be hungry. Can that man remove famine? 154 00:11:43,410 --> 00:11:48,230 Can he remove hunger? You, Betty, can look what he can 155 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:50,180 do with five loaves and two fish. 156 00:11:51,500 --> 00:11:55,250 But can he change the climate? You bet he can. 157 00:11:55,260 --> 00:11:58,830 He stands up in a boat and says to the wind and the hurricane, 158 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,830 Sit down and be quiet and be still, and immediately the wind 159 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:08,110 stops. But, but can he extend life? 160 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:11,210 You bet he can. He can heal. 161 00:12:11,300 --> 00:12:14,260 He can even bring the dead back to life. 162 00:12:15,470 --> 00:12:19,740 But can he get rid of evil? That's what's plaguing our 163 00:12:19,750 --> 00:12:22,860 planet. Can he deal with the devil? 164 00:12:22,910 --> 00:12:24,980 You bet your bottom dollar he can. 165 00:12:25,050 --> 00:12:29,620 One exorcism after another. Who is this prophet from 166 00:12:29,630 --> 00:12:32,150 Nazareth? He is the Messiah. 167 00:12:33,520 --> 00:12:38,950 And now Peter sees this. His mind has gone back to 168 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:43,850 Ezekiel chapter 47 and the idyllic situation that the Lord 169 00:12:43,860 --> 00:12:47,370 is going to create when he establishes his Kingdom. 170 00:12:47,460 --> 00:12:51,970 And he falls down on his knees either in the boat or on the 171 00:12:51,980 --> 00:12:54,850 shore. If it's in the boat, who would 172 00:12:54,860 --> 00:12:58,210 have been a wobbly fool because all of the mullet would have 173 00:12:58,220 --> 00:13:02,430 been underneath his knees and maybe he waited till on the 174 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:07,370 shore and he falls at the feet of Jesus and says depart from 175 00:13:07,380 --> 00:13:09,770 me. I am a sinful man. 176 00:13:10,810 --> 00:13:14,750 I know who you are. You are the Messiah. 177 00:13:15,660 --> 00:13:20,640 You are the Son of God and I'm a sinful individual. 178 00:13:21,270 --> 00:13:24,730 Depart from me. This is too much for me to 179 00:13:24,740 --> 00:13:27,160 handle. It's interesting with Peter, 180 00:13:27,170 --> 00:13:29,920 isn't it? And one moment he sang, depart 181 00:13:29,930 --> 00:13:33,420 from me, and the next minute he leaves his Nets and the fishing 182 00:13:33,430 --> 00:13:41,110 business and follows Christ. We're back into chapter 5, verse 183 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:43,290 8. When Simon saw this, he fell at 184 00:13:43,300 --> 00:13:48,090 Jesus knees and said, Go away from me, Lord, I am a sinful 185 00:13:48,100 --> 00:13:50,750 man. For he and all his companions 186 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:54,570 were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken. 187 00:13:55,250 --> 00:13:59,200 And so with James and John, the sons of Zebedee Simon's 188 00:13:59,210 --> 00:14:04,770 partners, we're not to think that Simon Peter and these boys 189 00:14:04,780 --> 00:14:09,670 were just on a vacation. These were merchant fishermen 190 00:14:09,940 --> 00:14:15,090 who were in a a good business and they were partners and their 191 00:14:15,100 --> 00:14:20,110 business was very successful. Then Jesus said to Simon, don't 192 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:24,470 be afraid, from now on you will catch men. 193 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:30,280 And this is anticipating the vital move that Peter will have 194 00:14:30,340 --> 00:14:36,730 in the church and Acts chapter 23000 individuals on one day 195 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,910 will come to faith in Christ through Peter. 196 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,690 You're not going to be catching these fish anymore. 197 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:47,050 You're going to be a Fisher of men. 198 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:52,210 It anticipates not only Acts chapter 2, but Acts chapter 10 199 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:57,390 when Peter leads Cornelius to faith in Christ and opens the 200 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:01,060 door of the gospel to the whole Gentile world. 201 00:15:02,290 --> 00:15:05,560 Peter has a strategic role to play. 202 00:15:07,350 --> 00:15:12,980 And then it says in verse 11, So they pulled their boats up on 203 00:15:12,990 --> 00:15:18,120 shore, left everything and followed him. 204 00:15:20,570 --> 00:15:24,610 And this is where my message begins. 205 00:15:26,060 --> 00:15:30,280 They left everything and followed him. 206 00:15:31,180 --> 00:15:33,340 Tuck that thought away for a moment. 207 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:38,170 I want to think with you through the implications of this 208 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:43,150 passage. This morning Peter and his 209 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:47,110 contemporaries left everything and followed Christ. 210 00:15:50,570 --> 00:15:57,270 Back in the day, you know, if someone became a Christian, they 211 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:03,480 would talk about being saved. My grandfather was a drunk. 212 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:10,570 He used to drink up large at the Criterion Hotel in Otahu. 213 00:16:11,750 --> 00:16:16,000 None is way home one night after the 6:00 swill. 214 00:16:16,710 --> 00:16:20,100 Those of you old enough will remember the pubs all closed at 215 00:16:20,110 --> 00:16:24,850 six about 5:45. You gotta Rev up from the barman 216 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,330 saying you better drink up, we're about to close. 217 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:33,290 Then after six, my grandpa would be staggering back home to his 218 00:16:33,300 --> 00:16:36,710 wife and children, and the Baptist Church were having an 219 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,990 opener on the corner, and the old man leaned against the 220 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,280 lampost a bit the worse for wear. 221 00:16:44,490 --> 00:16:50,280 And he heard the gospel and he got saved, and he went home to 222 00:16:50,290 --> 00:16:53,980 tell his wife that he got saved. And she thought that was a 223 00:16:53,990 --> 00:16:58,220 really strong brew, but it was true. 224 00:16:59,260 --> 00:17:01,520 And in the morning he was still saved. 225 00:17:02,870 --> 00:17:07,319 And he had this insatiable hunger for the Bible. 226 00:17:08,220 --> 00:17:11,010 He got saved. Well, it wasn't too long before 227 00:17:11,020 --> 00:17:15,290 he led my grandma to Christ and her four daughters to Christ, 228 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,750 one of whom was my mum. And we grew up under the sound 229 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:21,940 of the good news of Jesus Christ. 230 00:17:23,250 --> 00:17:27,369 He got saved. It's a good word, that word you 231 00:17:27,380 --> 00:17:32,940 know. It's a good word, for by grace 232 00:17:33,770 --> 00:17:40,070 you have been saved. Not of words, lest any man 233 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:48,040 should boast, Titus says. Not according to our own works. 234 00:17:48,350 --> 00:17:52,610 He saved us. It's a good New Testament word. 235 00:17:53,380 --> 00:17:57,900 If your house is burning and and and you're in danger of dying 236 00:17:57,910 --> 00:18:02,140 and a fireman bursts in through the door and grabs you and takes 237 00:18:02,150 --> 00:18:05,310 you outside, well you just got saved. 238 00:18:06,580 --> 00:18:09,810 If you're drowning in the White Shadow River and someone sees 239 00:18:09,820 --> 00:18:16,300 you and and throws in a a a rope and you grab it, they pull you 240 00:18:16,310 --> 00:18:20,030 to shore and you've been saved, it's a good word. 241 00:18:21,210 --> 00:18:25,120 You're going to the wall. Financially things are 242 00:18:25,130 --> 00:18:30,060 absolutely hopeless and the good friend steps in with the fat 243 00:18:30,070 --> 00:18:34,080 chequebook and he saves you at the last moment. 244 00:18:35,050 --> 00:18:38,760 Isn't it a good word? And the Bible tells us we need 245 00:18:38,770 --> 00:18:46,790 to be saved. Saved from the holy wrath of God 246 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:52,610 upon sin. We need to be saved not just 247 00:18:52,620 --> 00:19:00,130 from the consequences of sin, but from God Himself, who is so 248 00:19:00,140 --> 00:19:06,950 holy He cannot tolerate sin. And the Bible is very clear 249 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,700 about the dreadful day of judgement that is to come. 250 00:19:10,390 --> 00:19:12,800 Yeah, we used to be talking about getting saved. 251 00:19:13,330 --> 00:19:17,080 I remember going to the Century Plaza to watch Sound of Music 252 00:19:17,090 --> 00:19:21,420 down in Queen Street when I was a youngster and the lady came 253 00:19:21,430 --> 00:19:23,650 along and there was an empty seat next to me. 254 00:19:23,660 --> 00:19:28,770 She said, is this seat saved? I said no, but I am and, and, 255 00:19:28,780 --> 00:19:31,730 and she took off the other side of the theatre. 256 00:19:33,070 --> 00:19:36,110 We used to talk about being safe and then that got a bit 257 00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:39,250 embarrassing, you know, a bit fundamentalist. 258 00:19:39,260 --> 00:19:43,260 So in the early 60's the lingo changed. 259 00:19:43,730 --> 00:19:46,910 Have you been converted? Ohh, you're going to be 260 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:50,500 converted. Billy Graham helped us with that 261 00:19:50,510 --> 00:19:55,740 one. So we left being saved back in 262 00:19:55,750 --> 00:19:59,300 the dark days of fundamentalism and we got with neo 263 00:19:59,310 --> 00:20:02,870 evangelicalism and we started talking about being converted. 264 00:20:04,810 --> 00:20:09,520 Then when we got to the 70s, things moved again and we talked 265 00:20:09,530 --> 00:20:13,550 about have you made a commitment to Jesus Christ? 266 00:20:14,620 --> 00:20:17,310 And that's the way the gospel was presented. 267 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:20,610 You need to commit your life to Jesus Christ. 268 00:20:21,730 --> 00:20:27,520 When we got into the 90s, thanks to Bill Hybels, we talked about 269 00:20:27,530 --> 00:20:34,200 becoming a follower of Christ. Now I wonder if you can see the 270 00:20:34,210 --> 00:20:38,600 change in the language. We've gone from being saved to 271 00:20:38,610 --> 00:20:41,800 being converted to making a commitment to becoming a 272 00:20:41,810 --> 00:20:44,630 follower. I don't know if you've got the 273 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:51,520 drift, but we've moved from God doing something to rescue us to 274 00:20:51,580 --> 00:20:54,370 us now making a commitment to God. 275 00:20:54,820 --> 00:20:59,570 Can you see the shift? And we've got over being saved. 276 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:09,070 And so when people read Luke chapter 5 verses 1 to 11, they 277 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:15,810 get to verse 11 and Peter left the Nets and the boats and the 278 00:21:15,820 --> 00:21:19,810 family. He left everything and he 279 00:21:19,820 --> 00:21:26,600 followed Christ and we think at that point Peter got saved. 280 00:21:28,190 --> 00:21:32,010 But Peter came to a saving knowledge of Christ a lot 281 00:21:32,020 --> 00:21:38,680 earlier. He he in John chapter 1, his 282 00:21:38,690 --> 00:21:42,660 brother Andrew brought him to Christ. 283 00:21:43,870 --> 00:21:47,920 Now if you read John chapter 1, you find out what was involved 284 00:21:47,930 --> 00:21:52,100 in Andrew's pilgrimage to faith. He believed in the word that 285 00:21:52,110 --> 00:21:55,660 John the Baptist had spoken. He believed what John the 286 00:21:55,670 --> 00:21:59,220 Baptist said about Messiah being the Lamb of God. 287 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:04,110 He believed that Jesus was the Messiah. 288 00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:07,490 And John tells us these things are written that you might 289 00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:11,630 believe that Jesus is the Messiah and believing you might 290 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,710 have life in his name. So I have a hunch that when 291 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:20,770 Andrew got saved through faith in Messiah, he led his own 292 00:22:20,780 --> 00:22:24,990 brother to the Lord in the same way that he came to faith in 293 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:29,550 Messiah. So I think Peter was a saved man 294 00:22:29,620 --> 00:22:34,690 way long before this, but he's growing in his understanding of 295 00:22:34,700 --> 00:22:38,010 the Lord Jesus. And now after this miracle 296 00:22:38,100 --> 00:22:43,310 continent, continent, right back to his Ezekiel chapter 47 and 297 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:46,190 the vision of marine life in the coming Kingdom. 298 00:22:46,260 --> 00:22:49,770 And then he sees this amazing miracle that Jesus did. 299 00:22:49,890 --> 00:22:57,370 He says, wow, see, now, now I'm I'm totally convinced. 300 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:07,890 Back in the day, everyone was a disciple of someone you know. 301 00:23:07,900 --> 00:23:11,050 Moses had disciples back in the day. 302 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:17,460 Back in the day, the Pharisees had disciples. 303 00:23:18,130 --> 00:23:22,160 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. 304 00:23:22,210 --> 00:23:25,000 Some people came and asked Jesus. 305 00:23:25,010 --> 00:23:29,580 How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the 306 00:23:29,590 --> 00:23:32,780 Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not? 307 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:37,600 Three lots of disciples, John's disciples, the Pharisees 308 00:23:37,610 --> 00:23:41,700 disciples, and Jesus disciples. What does it mean to be a 309 00:23:41,710 --> 00:23:45,060 disciple? It means to be a follower means 310 00:23:45,070 --> 00:23:49,970 to be a student, means to you're learning from whoever you are 311 00:23:49,980 --> 00:23:53,190 following. And for some that was John the 312 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,930 Baptist, for others it was the Pharisees, and for others it was 313 00:23:56,940 --> 00:24:01,710 Jesus. John the Baptist had disciples, 314 00:24:02,020 --> 00:24:05,770 and you know what? Jesus had disciples. 315 00:24:05,940 --> 00:24:09,710 And the two of them stopped following John the Baptist and 316 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:16,070 followed the Lord Jesus instead. There is a confusion today over 317 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:21,890 what it means to be saved and what it means to be a disciple. 318 00:24:23,380 --> 00:24:30,240 It's a serious confusion. Here's something scary. 319 00:24:31,130 --> 00:24:34,120 You can munch on it while you have your lunch. 320 00:24:36,300 --> 00:24:40,430 He called the 12 disciples to him and gave them authority to 321 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:44,790 drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 322 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:49,990 These are the names of the 12 apostles. 323 00:24:51,780 --> 00:24:56,230 Go to the end after listing all the apostles. 324 00:24:56,420 --> 00:25:04,740 Look who's in there. Judas is scarier. 325 00:25:05,580 --> 00:25:09,830 Who betrayed him could not nurse. 326 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:18,010 He was a disciple then Jesus replied, Have I not chosen you 327 00:25:18,060 --> 00:25:21,100 the 12 yet? One of you is a devil. 328 00:25:22,610 --> 00:25:28,160 He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the 329 00:25:28,170 --> 00:25:32,930 12, was to later betray him. See, here's the deal. 330 00:25:34,580 --> 00:25:42,710 You can be Judas and not be saved but still be a disciple. 331 00:25:44,360 --> 00:25:47,790 And it seems to me from that text that Judas had the same 332 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:52,830 power that the apostles had to heal and to do miracles, but he 333 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:58,480 wasn't saved. He was the son of Perdition, the 334 00:25:58,490 --> 00:26:03,380 son of the devil. Was he a follower of Jesus? 335 00:26:03,450 --> 00:26:05,580 Yes. What did it mean to follow 336 00:26:05,590 --> 00:26:07,700 Jesus? Well, he was an itinerant 337 00:26:07,710 --> 00:26:10,310 teacher. See you and I've got it wrong. 338 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:15,490 We keep loading following with all this moral conformity to 339 00:26:15,500 --> 00:26:18,310 Christ. Now, back in the day, to be a 340 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:22,290 follower of Jesus meant you had to leave your father and mother, 341 00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:24,710 you had to leave your wife and your children. 342 00:26:24,780 --> 00:26:28,320 You had to leave your brother and sister and follow Jesus 343 00:26:28,330 --> 00:26:31,570 because next day he was going to be in a different village, and 344 00:26:31,580 --> 00:26:34,270 the day after that he'd be in a different town. 345 00:26:34,340 --> 00:26:38,490 He was an itinerant teacher, and so you followed him from place 346 00:26:38,500 --> 00:26:41,330 to place to place. That's what it meant to follow 347 00:26:41,340 --> 00:26:45,360 Christ. It wasn't spiritual conformity. 348 00:26:45,430 --> 00:26:49,500 It was just you were moving geographical location to keep 349 00:26:49,510 --> 00:26:52,900 listening to the teacher. You were a student. 350 00:26:52,910 --> 00:26:56,540 You were a follower. When you look at the New 351 00:26:56,550 --> 00:26:59,460 Testament, there are three kinds of disciples. 352 00:26:59,470 --> 00:27:03,560 There are the curious ones and they're following Jesus. 353 00:27:03,570 --> 00:27:08,130 And when they saw him with the five loaves and the two fish and 354 00:27:08,140 --> 00:27:12,040 they all felt they'd been to Maccas for the afternoon and got 355 00:27:12,050 --> 00:27:14,820 a free dinner, well, they kept following. 356 00:27:15,230 --> 00:27:18,300 Then when Jesus said, listen, I'm up to you guys, you're 357 00:27:18,310 --> 00:27:22,720 following me for a free feed. But I tell you, unless you eat 358 00:27:22,730 --> 00:27:25,740 my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you. 359 00:27:25,750 --> 00:27:27,820 And they said, we're out of here. 360 00:27:28,830 --> 00:27:32,940 This is this is too much. We're out of here now. 361 00:27:32,950 --> 00:27:37,510 They were disciples. They were following, but when he 362 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:41,040 said that, they drew back and they didn't follow anymore. 363 00:27:41,910 --> 00:27:47,690 They remained curious. Then you have people who are 364 00:27:47,700 --> 00:27:54,670 disciples who are convinced, and these are the people who are 365 00:27:55,400 --> 00:27:58,930 absolutely convinced that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the 366 00:27:58,940 --> 00:28:03,440 living God. Then you have people who are 367 00:28:03,510 --> 00:28:09,370 committed. Unless you hate your father and 368 00:28:09,380 --> 00:28:14,920 mother, your brother and sister, your wife and your children, and 369 00:28:14,930 --> 00:28:21,540 leave them behind and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. 370 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:27,340 Unless you take up your cross and follow me, you cannot be my 371 00:28:27,390 --> 00:28:34,240 disciple. And that's the truth that Jesus 372 00:28:34,250 --> 00:28:38,660 unloads later in the Gospel of Luke in chapter 14. 373 00:28:39,750 --> 00:28:48,340 Let me help you a little more by making some comparisons. 374 00:28:50,430 --> 00:28:54,930 Now someone's going to have to read because discipleship means 375 00:28:55,340 --> 00:28:59,130 following, right? I can hardly see it. 376 00:28:59,140 --> 00:29:02,790 The colours are too light. But when you're talking about 377 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:05,070 salvation, you're talking about trusting. 378 00:29:05,500 --> 00:29:09,300 These are two different things and disciple follows. 379 00:29:10,050 --> 00:29:15,070 A believer trusts in discipleship. 380 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:19,550 Jesus is the teacher in salvation. 381 00:29:20,770 --> 00:29:26,490 Jesus is the Saviour, but can you really have Jesus as a 382 00:29:26,500 --> 00:29:31,630 teacher and not as a Saviour? You bet your life you can look 383 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:36,370 at the people who had Jesus as a teacher and then turned back and 384 00:29:36,380 --> 00:29:42,670 followed him no more. These are two different things. 385 00:29:43,330 --> 00:29:50,040 Discipleship is a process. Salvation happens in a moment of 386 00:29:50,050 --> 00:29:53,980 time. You know John chapter 5 says you 387 00:29:53,990 --> 00:30:00,430 pass from death to life. That happens instantaneously. 388 00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:06,910 You, you, you're here. 1 moment you come to faith and next 389 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:10,630 moment you're here. You, you're born of the flesh. 390 00:30:10,700 --> 00:30:15,010 Here you're born of the Spirit. And it happens instantaneously 391 00:30:15,070 --> 00:30:20,150 in a moment when you trust Jesus Christ to be your personal 392 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:24,900 Saviour from sin. And that's where the transaction 393 00:30:24,990 --> 00:30:27,100 happens. See, we've got caught up in 394 00:30:27,110 --> 00:30:27,820 this. Ohh. 395 00:30:27,830 --> 00:30:29,440 You gotta follow, you gotta follow. 396 00:30:29,450 --> 00:30:33,530 You gotta you gotta become a, a, a proper follower. 397 00:30:34,610 --> 00:30:37,820 Back in the day when we were singing hymns before we got into 398 00:30:37,830 --> 00:30:42,340 the nursery rhymes that were thankfully emerging from OHH. 399 00:30:42,350 --> 00:30:47,480 Happy day that fixed my choice on thee, my saviour and my God. 400 00:30:47,530 --> 00:30:50,680 I can remember as a teenager singing this song. 401 00:30:50,820 --> 00:30:54,090 You know you forget all the sermons in your life but you 402 00:30:54,100 --> 00:30:58,360 never forget the songs. They keep coming back. 403 00:30:58,430 --> 00:31:02,880 Tis done, the great transactions done. 404 00:31:02,970 --> 00:31:09,040 I am my Lords, and he is mine. It's a pity we don't sing that 405 00:31:09,050 --> 00:31:12,820 stuff now, because we would understand there is a moment, 406 00:31:12,890 --> 00:31:16,900 there is a transaction that takes place when I pass from 407 00:31:16,910 --> 00:31:20,100 darkness into light, that salvation. 408 00:31:20,170 --> 00:31:25,270 Now, discipleship is a process, and that can be a lifelong 409 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:28,730 process. Salvation happens in an instant. 410 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:36,330 Discipleship is about learning. It's about getting an education. 411 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:41,020 It's about listening. Salvation is about being saved. 412 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:44,450 It's not about getting an education. 413 00:31:44,500 --> 00:31:49,900 It's about taking Christ to be our Saviour. 414 00:31:51,390 --> 00:31:55,180 Discipleship will cost you, cost you your wife, cost you your 415 00:31:55,190 --> 00:31:58,120 children, cost you your business, cost you the fishing 416 00:31:58,130 --> 00:32:02,140 boats, cost you the Nets, cost you all the income from those 417 00:32:02,150 --> 00:32:05,900 fish that Jesus miraculously put into your boat. 418 00:32:05,950 --> 00:32:10,890 You have to leave it all behind. It's going to cost, but 419 00:32:10,900 --> 00:32:18,510 salvation is a free gift. The wages of sin is death, but 420 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:23,550 the free gift of God is eternal life. 421 00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:27,200 And they're beautiful. You can't buy it, you know. 422 00:32:28,290 --> 00:32:33,770 It's a free gift. I was visiting my cardiologist 423 00:32:33,780 --> 00:32:36,740 on Friday. He he's a wonderful man. 424 00:32:36,750 --> 00:32:42,800 He's kept me alive for the last 15 years and I celebrated. 425 00:32:42,810 --> 00:32:49,300 I took him to Fat Angus Burgers, dripping with the best fat in 426 00:32:49,310 --> 00:32:55,500 the world from Waikato Farms. And not really where we got 427 00:32:55,510 --> 00:32:57,340 talking. And he said, now how old are 428 00:32:57,350 --> 00:33:00,030 you? So I fessed up. 429 00:33:00,780 --> 00:33:06,100 I said I'm 29. He said how old are you? 430 00:33:06,110 --> 00:33:09,000 I said I'm 72. Ohh, you don't look 72. 431 00:33:10,250 --> 00:33:12,800 He wanted me to return the favour but I didn't. 432 00:33:12,870 --> 00:33:20,410 I just be quiet, he said. How are you enjoying retirement? 433 00:33:20,420 --> 00:33:24,890 I said, what's retirement? I'm not retired, he said. 434 00:33:24,900 --> 00:33:27,730 What kind of work are you doing? I said I'm involved with the 435 00:33:27,740 --> 00:33:31,310 church. I'm a I'm in teaching and, and 436 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:36,460 Christian education and I'm ohh, well that's good. 437 00:33:36,470 --> 00:33:39,460 You see, he said. I'm not really looking forward 438 00:33:39,470 --> 00:33:42,190 to retirement, I said. Why is that? 439 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:44,330 He said. Well, for you, you're working 440 00:33:44,340 --> 00:33:47,820 your way to heaven, and for me, I'm just working for money. 441 00:33:49,460 --> 00:33:52,080 I said well don't let it phase you, we can swap. 442 00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:01,040 I said, Doctor Patel, you're a Hindu. 443 00:34:01,710 --> 00:34:05,550 I'm gonna leave the working to get to heaven to you. 444 00:34:06,130 --> 00:34:08,409 I've already been shouted a free trip. 445 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:18,610 I'm going gratis first class. Someone has already paid for the 446 00:34:18,620 --> 00:34:23,199 trip. He didn't know quite what to do 447 00:34:23,210 --> 00:34:27,790 with that. But salvation is a free gift. 448 00:34:29,210 --> 00:34:33,840 You receive it in a moment, the moment you trust Christ to be 449 00:34:33,850 --> 00:34:39,050 your personal Saviour. Discipleship is about getting 450 00:34:39,060 --> 00:34:43,550 knowledge. Salvation is about obtaining 451 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:47,590 life. Discipleship is about taking up 452 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:52,320 our cross. Salvation is about His cross. 453 00:34:53,790 --> 00:34:55,980 Listen to the words of an old theologian. 454 00:34:55,989 --> 00:35:00,970 PPT Forsyth It's not about the sacrifice we make. 455 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:04,650 It's about the sacrifice we trust. 456 00:35:06,530 --> 00:35:08,750 That's why we've taken communion this morning. 457 00:35:11,090 --> 00:35:16,400 Our internal wellbeing does not depend on our performance, it 458 00:35:16,410 --> 00:35:21,450 depends on the shed blood of the Lord Jesus who on the cross took 459 00:35:21,460 --> 00:35:26,340 the punishment for our sin. Discipleship is about the work 460 00:35:26,350 --> 00:35:30,840 we do. Salvation happens through faith 461 00:35:30,850 --> 00:35:33,000 alone. Can you see the difference? 462 00:35:34,090 --> 00:35:38,560 It's a big difference, isn't it? So you can be a disciple and not 463 00:35:38,570 --> 00:35:45,300 be saved, and you can be saved and not be a disciple. 464 00:35:46,540 --> 00:35:51,440 You know that those are those arid, dry moments in your 465 00:35:51,450 --> 00:35:54,620 Christian experience where you're going nowhere. 466 00:35:55,540 --> 00:35:59,120 Are you saved? You bet your bottom dollar saved 467 00:35:59,130 --> 00:36:03,470 by the blood of Jesus Christ. But are you a disciple? 468 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:08,260 You're not following, you're not going, You're not even moving. 469 00:36:09,470 --> 00:36:13,610 So you can be saved and not be a disciple, and you can be a 470 00:36:13,620 --> 00:36:19,350 disciple and not be saved. So I have two questions for you. 471 00:36:20,750 --> 00:36:23,780 Have you been saved? You said. 472 00:36:23,790 --> 00:36:25,620 Well, why else would I be in church? 473 00:36:25,630 --> 00:36:32,570 Or let me tell you, you can be in church and not be safe. 474 00:36:36,130 --> 00:36:41,510 You say, how in the world do I get saved by receiving Christ as 475 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:46,810 your personal saviour, by ceasing all of your human hope 476 00:36:46,820 --> 00:36:52,690 on your own ability and casting all of your trust entirely on 477 00:36:52,700 --> 00:36:55,770 the person of Jesus. You say, how in the world do I 478 00:36:55,780 --> 00:36:56,970 do that? Do you know? 479 00:36:56,980 --> 00:36:59,410 It's really simple. We try and make it so 480 00:36:59,420 --> 00:37:06,380 complicated, but it's so simple. You ladies out there, you, you 481 00:37:06,390 --> 00:37:11,640 got a beautician? Well, probably not, but have you 482 00:37:11,650 --> 00:37:14,160 got a hairdresser? You say I've got a hairdresser. 483 00:37:14,610 --> 00:37:16,540 How did you get your hairdresser? 484 00:37:16,970 --> 00:37:19,780 Well, you know, I rocked down the road and I rocked up to the 485 00:37:19,790 --> 00:37:24,100 salon and I said I need someone who can fix this, can you do it? 486 00:37:24,110 --> 00:37:26,860 And they said yes. And you were so impressed. 487 00:37:26,910 --> 00:37:30,540 You keep going back there time and time and time again. 488 00:37:30,610 --> 00:37:35,200 You got yourself a hairdresser? Have you got yourself a doctor? 489 00:37:37,990 --> 00:37:40,260 See here. He's an important person in my 490 00:37:40,270 --> 00:37:42,600 life. I rock up to the surgery and I 491 00:37:42,610 --> 00:37:50,150 say to my GP will you be my GP? And the GP says yes I will. 492 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:56,270 And I got myself a GP. I've got myself a mechanic up at 493 00:37:56,280 --> 00:37:59,190 West Auto. I have a mechanic and when 494 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:02,430 something needs doing to my car I go to that mechanic. 495 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,610 I don't wander around Auckland looking for a mechanic, I've 496 00:38:05,620 --> 00:38:08,770 already got one. I sat down with him one day and 497 00:38:08,780 --> 00:38:12,010 said can I rely on you to be my mechanic? 498 00:38:12,020 --> 00:38:16,210 Will you commit yourself to servicing my vehicle and and 499 00:38:16,220 --> 00:38:19,970 working repairs? Yes, I will see how simple it 500 00:38:19,980 --> 00:38:22,490 is. Have you got a personal trainer 501 00:38:22,500 --> 00:38:25,450 at the gym? I haven't, but you might have 502 00:38:25,460 --> 00:38:31,660 one. My doctor the other day said do 503 00:38:31,670 --> 00:38:35,120 you have regular exercise? I said I go to the fridge 39 504 00:38:35,130 --> 00:38:38,300 times a day, what else do you want? 505 00:38:39,740 --> 00:38:42,170 He said, Do you snack at night? I said yes, I do. 506 00:38:42,180 --> 00:38:43,720 He said you gotta stop that. I said. 507 00:38:43,730 --> 00:38:46,190 Then why did they put a light in the refrigerator? 508 00:38:48,060 --> 00:38:51,850 That's from midnight Snow. But I've got a GP. 509 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:55,710 Have you got a mortgage broker? Yes, I have. 510 00:38:55,720 --> 00:38:57,810 How did you get them? You got on the phone and said 511 00:38:57,820 --> 00:39:01,100 will you be my mortgage? But now listen, out of all the 512 00:39:01,110 --> 00:39:07,520 religious leaders in the world, have you ever gone to Jesus 513 00:39:07,530 --> 00:39:12,910 Christ and said, I want you to be my saviour? 514 00:39:14,350 --> 00:39:17,880 See, that's that's the moment when the great transaction is 515 00:39:17,890 --> 00:39:20,940 done. And he says, why else do you 516 00:39:20,950 --> 00:39:24,060 think I died? I've been waiting for you all 517 00:39:24,070 --> 00:39:26,970 this time. Come on home. 518 00:39:28,940 --> 00:39:34,150 And as many as received him, to them he gave the right to be 519 00:39:34,160 --> 00:39:38,790 called the children of God. But are you a disciple? 520 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:47,540 See, Peter got saved a long time ago, but now he's following from 521 00:39:47,550 --> 00:39:52,540 one town to another to another, and he's committed himself to 522 00:39:52,550 --> 00:39:58,540 learning from the Master to be saved as wonderful. 523 00:40:00,210 --> 00:40:05,830 To be a disciple is so refreshing because you keep on 524 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:09,140 growing and growing and learning and learning. 525 00:40:10,510 --> 00:40:12,660 There's a world of difference between the two. 526 00:40:13,950 --> 00:40:16,600 If you're here this morning and you've been hanging around 527 00:40:16,610 --> 00:40:21,010 church forever but you haven't been saved, take a moment and 528 00:40:21,020 --> 00:40:24,130 say Lord Jesus, I've got a banker, I've got a personal 529 00:40:24,140 --> 00:40:28,680 trainer, I've got a mechanic, I've got a hairdresser, but I 530 00:40:28,690 --> 00:40:32,810 haven't gotta save you. I'm coming to you. 531 00:40:34,130 --> 00:40:37,580 I'm asking you, I'm depending on you. 532 00:40:38,530 --> 00:40:41,560 I'm receiving you to be my saviour. 533 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:46,200 Now, for those of us that are stagnating in the wilderness, 534 00:40:47,500 --> 00:40:55,480 don't you think it's time to follow and to be a disciple, to 535 00:40:55,490 --> 00:41:00,270 be a learner? You know, the big trouble is a 536 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:04,020 lot of us Christians don't go far enough for the fun. 537 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:12,620 We're hanging around in the shallows and we're bored to 538 00:41:12,630 --> 00:41:18,330 tears, but we won't make the commitment to go deeper, to go 539 00:41:18,340 --> 00:41:24,330 further, to take it seriously, to get into your Bible in depth 540 00:41:24,610 --> 00:41:30,180 and grow so that the Christian life becomes an adventure. 541 00:41:33,130 --> 00:41:40,240 Father, by the gracious ministry of Your Spirit, illuminate our 542 00:41:40,250 --> 00:41:43,670 hearts to the Word You have given us. 543 00:41:44,790 --> 00:41:47,430 In Jesus name we pray, Amen.