1 00:00:06,500 --> 00:00:11,300 Hello everyone. Hey, thanks for tuning in to us. 2 00:00:11,300 --> 00:00:14,400 All the HBC family. It's really great that you can 3 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:20,000 join us. This is my first time doing a 4 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:26,700 YouTube clip and it's not that exciting looking at myself 5 00:00:26,900 --> 00:00:29,300 reflecting back at me. So it's like, I'm speaking to 6 00:00:29,300 --> 00:00:33,500 myself. And so it's quite different than 7 00:00:33,500 --> 00:00:35,600 speaking. Normally at church. 8 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,200 Thank you though for joining us. I hope all things are going 9 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,800 really well, at through this lockdown period, that we're 10 00:00:43,808 --> 00:00:49,200 going through just before I just want to do a devotion today. 11 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:53,300 I don't want to do a long Sermon, Just to encourage you 12 00:00:53,300 --> 00:00:58,900 just to enjoy to challenge you, but before we do, just remember 13 00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:00,700 the HPC. Emily. 14 00:01:00,900 --> 00:01:03,900 Just encourage you to give, you know, maybe a couple of phone 15 00:01:03,900 --> 00:01:07,300 calls a day, maybe two people who you don't, normally actually 16 00:01:07,300 --> 00:01:10,100 speak to be great to contact them. 17 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:11,900 Just give them a call. See how they're doing. 18 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,600 I know we've got teams and the leadership ringing around, 19 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,300 emailing texting and messaging, but it'd be great. 20 00:01:19,300 --> 00:01:23,300 If you could do that too. And just keep in touch with 21 00:01:23,300 --> 00:01:26,800 people because this is an unusual time that we're going 22 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:29,900 through through this lockdown. That would be fantastic. 23 00:01:30,100 --> 00:01:33,200 And before I start my devotion, probably one of the things that 24 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:39,900 I'm really feeling, this is really unusual for me, is the 25 00:01:39,900 --> 00:01:42,500 missing off of meeting on Sunday. 26 00:01:43,500 --> 00:01:48,200 Probably, for me, taken for granted that we're able to just 27 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:50,300 turn up at church on a Sunday morning. 28 00:01:50,700 --> 00:01:55,500 See, everybody greet everybody. And it's just such a fantastic 29 00:01:55,500 --> 00:02:00,000 time to, to worship to read God's word, to listen to us. 30 00:02:00,100 --> 00:02:03,300 In to remember the Lord. And through this time, when 31 00:02:03,300 --> 00:02:06,100 you're not allowed to do that, it's really interesting that. 32 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,699 Yeah, these are the things we now miss, and that's life, isn't 33 00:02:09,699 --> 00:02:12,300 it? That I found that when 34 00:02:12,300 --> 00:02:16,900 something's taken off you maybe it could be like Sunday morning 35 00:02:16,900 --> 00:02:20,000 or even a loved one. You really miss it when you have 36 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,800 no choice. So it's a real good lesson for 37 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,300 me. That I've taken Sunday mornings 38 00:02:26,300 --> 00:02:29,500 for granted and I can't wait till this is over. 39 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,800 And And we get back into it and we were able to Worship the Lord 40 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,900 together. So don't forget one another and 41 00:02:37,900 --> 00:02:41,600 will be great when we can get back together and meet together. 42 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:46,400 Hey, my devotion today is just I read a book. 43 00:02:46,700 --> 00:02:50,100 I've read a few now in this lockdown period, but the first 44 00:02:50,100 --> 00:02:56,000 one I read was a book called competing spectacles competing 45 00:02:56,300 --> 00:02:58,300 spectacles. It was written by a guy called 46 00:02:58,300 --> 00:03:00,600 Tony rinkie. Author. 47 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,600 I hadn't read before, but it's his subtitle that actually 48 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:09,100 caught my eye, and it's an under competing spectacles, was the 49 00:03:09,100 --> 00:03:14,900 subtitle of treasuring Christ in the media age, treasure in 50 00:03:14,900 --> 00:03:19,100 Christ, in the media age. And we're in the media rage. 51 00:03:19,100 --> 00:03:23,300 Obviously, we can see everything that's going on in the world 52 00:03:23,300 --> 00:03:26,800 through media. And so, I bought that book. 53 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,900 And really, the devotion. Today is just a few thoughts. 54 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,900 And challenges that that book bought to me. 55 00:03:34,300 --> 00:03:38,100 Proverbs 27 says, Never Satisfied are the eyes of, man, 56 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:43,100 never satisfied. Otherwise of man, and no, so 57 00:03:43,100 --> 00:03:47,300 more today. And what in the time period, 58 00:03:47,300 --> 00:03:52,100 we're living it. And so, I just want to kind of 59 00:03:52,100 --> 00:03:55,000 just do a. We reflection on some of the 60 00:03:55,000 --> 00:04:00,000 things that I read these two definitions for the word. 61 00:04:01,300 --> 00:04:04,500 One is my glasses that I wear the dictionary. 62 00:04:04,500 --> 00:04:09,300 Oxford dictionary tells us, that is a spectacle means to sharpen 63 00:04:09,300 --> 00:04:11,500 one's vision. And of course, I normally wear 64 00:04:11,500 --> 00:04:14,400 glasses, but now I'm so close to this phone that I don't have to. 65 00:04:16,100 --> 00:04:19,300 And so there's one definition, but competing spectacles. 66 00:04:19,300 --> 00:04:22,700 This is the second definition, and the second definition means 67 00:04:22,700 --> 00:04:26,500 this, the Oxford dictionary sees this, it is a moment of time of 68 00:04:26,500 --> 00:04:30,000 varying lengths than which are collective gaze is fixed on. 69 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:36,200 Suffolk image event or moment. And so that's what this book is 70 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:43,000 about competing spectacles. What is our constant gaze fixed 71 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,000 on? Whether it's an event, where 72 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:49,000 it's a moment, whether it's a certain image. 73 00:04:49,900 --> 00:04:54,800 And so, I just want to challenge you with this on, what you are 74 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,300 fixing your Gaze on in this media age, and especially this 75 00:04:58,300 --> 00:05:03,100 lockdown period, where we actually, Actually have time to 76 00:05:03,100 --> 00:05:04,700 ponder. What is good. 77 00:05:05,100 --> 00:05:09,500 What is right? And what is just and so that's 78 00:05:09,500 --> 00:05:13,600 my challenge for today because this world is constantly 79 00:05:14,100 --> 00:05:19,600 constantly after our attention. It is constantly trying to grab 80 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:25,000 our gaze away from the one whom we love, which is Christ two 81 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:29,400 different things. Just think of the things that we 82 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:33,300 have. To watch two guys to fix our 83 00:05:33,300 --> 00:05:36,500 Gaze on. I mean, just in our household 84 00:05:36,500 --> 00:05:38,600 alone. So we've got light box. 85 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,500 We've got Disney, some of you will have sky on your 86 00:05:42,500 --> 00:05:47,100 televisions TV on demand, you'll have your cell phone that you 87 00:05:47,100 --> 00:05:50,600 can flick through constantly. You have live streaming, we have 88 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:56,300 the movies and it just goes on and on and on on what we can 89 00:05:56,300 --> 00:06:00,500 watch. And so think of the things I'm 90 00:06:00,500 --> 00:06:01,700 not. Not saying all these things a 91 00:06:01,700 --> 00:06:05,600 bit, but I think of the things that media is his kind of etched 92 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,800 into your mind and these aren't bad. 93 00:06:08,500 --> 00:06:12,300 Some of the things aren't bad. Like the older generation were 94 00:06:12,300 --> 00:06:17,400 able to see for instance, JFK the assassination of JFK, and 95 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:22,000 you could see constantly reap a constant replays of that, assess 96 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:25,000 a nation and now, and the digital age that I live in. 97 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:29,700 I can go to YouTube and constantly see all the theories 98 00:06:29,700 --> 00:06:32,700 of what people If and how he was killed, one should have to 99 00:06:32,700 --> 00:06:35,400 should. But in my generation, I think of 100 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,700 the things that media has etched into my mind. 101 00:06:38,700 --> 00:06:44,700 If you like a car crash of Princess Diana, was one. 102 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:47,800 The second big one. In my lifetime was the Twin 103 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:52,600 Towers seeing time after time. As you turn the TV on two 104 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:57,100 massive airplanes crashing into two skyscrapers to skyscrapers 105 00:06:57,100 --> 00:07:00,100 that I didn't even know existed at the time. 106 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:05,000 And so these are etched into our minds through media. 107 00:07:05,100 --> 00:07:09,000 But now, when you turn on the TV, it's covid-19. 108 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,400 That's all that's happening with this. 109 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,600 The number of deaths. The number of people who have 110 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:17,200 caught the virus through the world and through New Zealand. 111 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:20,700 And so these are these things are all going through our minds 112 00:07:20,700 --> 00:07:24,100 and etched into our minds and so media is great like that. 113 00:07:24,100 --> 00:07:28,300 But the problem is, is that we constantly watch it. 114 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:32,200 Do we constantly look at it because Cause of media, it is 115 00:07:32,700 --> 00:07:36,400 always on tap. If it were, I was always there 116 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:40,000 for our, or for our entertainment, for our pleasure, 117 00:07:40,300 --> 00:07:42,500 for our joy, for our satisfaction. 118 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,200 It is one thing that is always before us, and especially with 119 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,300 cell phones. It's just before our eyes 120 00:07:50,300 --> 00:07:52,700 constantly. And I know I can flick through 121 00:07:52,700 --> 00:07:58,200 YouTube, just as good and as just as much as anybody and so 122 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,400 just a few figures that came. Which was startling to me 123 00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:06,600 through this book. I was reading like Tony and one 124 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:08,700 of the things we'll start then was in the last. 125 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:15,400 It was from 2015 back with the top 30 movies that came out the 126 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:20,000 top 30 earned over a hundred million dollars each, but now in 127 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:25,500 my age and 20, 18, 19 and 20, we have movies like The Avatar and 128 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:30,200 an in-game. Now, they produced and made at 129 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:34,500 the Box. Box office over 2.7 billion 130 00:08:34,500 --> 00:08:38,799 dollars as the number of people that are going to see these 131 00:08:38,799 --> 00:08:42,500 movies, which is unreal. If you look at TV in the 132 00:08:42,500 --> 00:08:47,900 statistics through there, we have the TV producers in the 133 00:08:47,900 --> 00:08:53,100 series in the United States alone and 2009. 134 00:08:53,100 --> 00:08:59,400 They were 200 and teen series produced in the States, but in 135 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:06,700 2014. 2015. They were 455 TV series produced 136 00:09:06,700 --> 00:09:13,400 in the states alone. And on top of that, 750, reality 137 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:17,800 TV shows, produced in the state and it's keeping on going as we 138 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:23,700 go into 20 2020 and 2021. And so, they're just constantly 139 00:09:23,700 --> 00:09:26,300 bringing out stuff of what surprised me and because I watch 140 00:09:26,300 --> 00:09:29,400 a lot of YouTube clips was YouTube itself. 141 00:09:31,500 --> 00:09:38,900 I think it is that every Every twenty four thousand minutes is 142 00:09:38,900 --> 00:09:44,000 loaded onto YouTube, every minute of every day for 24 143 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,800 hours. So if you do the math and I 144 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:48,800 didn't do the math because I'm not very good at it. 145 00:09:49,900 --> 00:09:51,700 So it was done for me via this book. 146 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:58,100 The uploads on YouTube, over the last two and a half days. 147 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:03,800 If I were to watch them it would take me 80 years of non-stop 148 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:07,500 View. To watch the last two and a half 149 00:10:07,500 --> 00:10:12,700 days of YouTube. That's what's getting uploaded 150 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:16,300 to YouTube. Every two and a half days, 80 151 00:10:16,300 --> 00:10:20,400 years worth of watching and at speeding up. 152 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:27,800 So, everything is the everything is for us to see on social media 153 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,700 or the media, as a whole, which is a scary thought, but there's 154 00:10:31,700 --> 00:10:33,500 also great stuff on there as well. 155 00:10:34,700 --> 00:10:37,600 But there's also good news and this is what the challenge for 156 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:41,300 us as Believers in 2020. And and through this lockdown 157 00:10:41,300 --> 00:10:44,500 period that we're going through, there is good news and there is 158 00:10:44,500 --> 00:10:49,300 a challenge for us. And that is that even though 159 00:10:49,300 --> 00:10:54,400 we're living in a spectacle, loving world with spectacle 160 00:10:54,400 --> 00:10:58,000 makers, and the spectacle industries that are coming out, 161 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:01,800 constantly loading up that individuals and and Hollywood, 162 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:04,100 but there is Good. Will good news. 163 00:11:04,300 --> 00:11:09,200 Was the greatest Victor colorful the greatest one is the Divine 164 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:14,600 spectacle of the Life of Christ. Now the death of Christ, the 165 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:19,400 resurrection of Christ, and therefore the coming again, 166 00:11:19,500 --> 00:11:22,600 often. And this I want to say to you 167 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:26,000 and to challenge you that this is worth meditating. 168 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,700 On more thinking of more fixing our Gaze. 169 00:11:29,700 --> 00:11:34,100 On more is the life, the death and the resurrection. 170 00:11:34,500 --> 00:11:37,700 Of our savior because we've got time to do it. 171 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,500 There's no excuse. And this time, I've locked down 172 00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:44,100 period unless you're a nurse, unless you're in certain 173 00:11:44,100 --> 00:11:50,700 services that you're called out to, we have time to refocus on 174 00:11:50,700 --> 00:11:54,000 Christ. We also have an option of 175 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,400 spending most of our day on media as well. 176 00:11:57,700 --> 00:12:01,500 And that's the challenge for us. And so I was want to challenge 177 00:12:01,500 --> 00:12:05,000 you that either the death of life for the Resurrection of 178 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,500 Christ is what we should be meditating on. 179 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:14,700 It's like this, this is come to us as like, God could say this 180 00:12:14,700 --> 00:12:19,600 is my beloved Son in whom. I gave to you who was crucified 181 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:24,400 who died for you. This is enough. 182 00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:29,500 This is a spectacle enough to capture your heart forever for 183 00:12:29,500 --> 00:12:32,100 the time. I've given you on Earth. 184 00:12:32,900 --> 00:12:36,000 I remember the quote from Martin lloyd-jones and Martyn, 185 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:41,300 lloyd-jones died in 1981. So he Around and a time where 186 00:12:41,300 --> 00:12:45,000 the internet wasn't actually invented. 187 00:12:45,700 --> 00:12:47,500 But he said this and this is his quote. 188 00:12:47,500 --> 00:12:51,200 He said we are living in an age where very fond of spectacles, 189 00:12:51,500 --> 00:12:58,300 some good, some bad. But for believers, our spectacle 190 00:12:58,500 --> 00:13:03,900 is the glories of Christ that we should be looking at him more 191 00:13:03,900 --> 00:13:06,700 often than the spectacles of the world. 192 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:08,600 And he asked the question. Why? 193 00:13:09,100 --> 00:13:10,900 Why? Because the more that we look at 194 00:13:10,900 --> 00:13:14,400 Christ, we more that we look at his life and his death and his 195 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:19,000 resurrection through his word. The more we see of the glory of 196 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,500 God. And so that's our challenge. 197 00:13:22,100 --> 00:13:24,900 Just reading this week, Sam, through the sounds. 198 00:13:25,300 --> 00:13:30,200 And I happened to know to Psalms Psalm 101 and verse 33. 199 00:13:30,500 --> 00:13:33,400 And it says us. David saying this, I will not 200 00:13:33,700 --> 00:13:37,600 sit before my eyes. Anything that is worthless. 201 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,200 I will knit not set before my eyes. 202 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,000 Anything that is worthless. It would worthless could be 203 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,700 translated to Wicked or unprofitable. 204 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:51,700 That means David is saying, I don't want to see anything that 205 00:13:51,700 --> 00:13:54,900 is unprofitable for me and my relationship. 206 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:59,200 A ship with God, he repeats it in Psalm 119. 207 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,000 In fact, I'll just quote it properly because it's slightly 208 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,300 longer and Psalm 119 and verse 37. 209 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:10,500 This is David saying talking about what he wants to see says 210 00:14:10,500 --> 00:14:14,300 this in verse 37, turn away my eyes from looking at worthless 211 00:14:14,300 --> 00:14:19,000 things, and revive me in your way, or some version says, or 212 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:25,000 take my life in your way. Lord grab my head and turn my 213 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:27,500 eyes to the things that matter, the things that aren't 214 00:14:27,500 --> 00:14:30,900 worthless. And what isn't worthless. 215 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,900 Well, the Gaze of Christ, The Gaze of God, and what he has 216 00:14:34,900 --> 00:14:39,700 done, and what he will do in the future and so HBC. 217 00:14:39,700 --> 00:14:43,700 I just want to challenge us young and old through this 218 00:14:43,700 --> 00:14:46,500 lockdown period. And what are we gazing on? 219 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:53,200 What are we meditating on? And what is our Focus because we 220 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:57,900 have time? And I pray, I pray that will 221 00:14:57,900 --> 00:15:02,400 take up this challenge that we Waste our time, but we spend 222 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,900 more time gazing at our lovely savior. 223 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,700 So thank you for listening and keep safe. 224 00:15:11,100 --> 00:15:16,300 Be good and on behalf of all the elders in the leadership of HPC. 225 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,600 Any problems. Just just you want to talk. 226 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:20,900 Please. Give us a call. 227 00:15:21,300 --> 00:15:24,400 Thanks again, and until next time we'll see you.