1 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:12,600 Hi and welcome to the Via Zion Sermon podcast. 2 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:15,840 We are a local church based here in Chennai, India. 3 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,200 We are so glad you are with us and hope that this will 4 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:23,440 encourage, inspire and instill fresh faith in you. 5 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:28,160 We continue our series titled All Roads Lead to Rome, which is 6 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:31,960 a study in the book of Romans. As we study this letter written 7 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,160 to the Jewish and Gentile believers in the city of Rome, 8 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,520 we ask that you put yourself in their shoes, for our context is 9 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:43,200 not that different after all. Our hope is that through this 10 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,280 series you would experience the fullness of knowing who God is, 11 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:50,880 what He did for you through Jesus, and how you can live a 12 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,320 life that honours Him and blesses others. 13 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,840 Hi Church, it's my joy to bring to you part seven of all Roads 14 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,520 lead to Rome, a study in the book of Romans. 15 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:04,599 As you know, we've been looking at the book of Romans chapter by 16 00:01:04,599 --> 00:01:08,280 chapter, looking at pivotal verses and strong themes that 17 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,600 have been emerging from it are that we are set apart for God, 18 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,800 that we stand justified because of our faith in God, that we are 19 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,560 counted as righteous just like Abraham was. 20 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,400 We looked at how God is the one who judges. 21 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,720 We looked at also how we have a new life in Christ and how we 22 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,600 are dead to sin and alive in Christ. 23 00:01:27,960 --> 00:01:30,800 We also looked at what it was like to walk in step of the 24 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,080 Spirit by the resurrection power of the Spirit. 25 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,600 And last week we looked at how we can learn from Israel's 26 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:41,000 unbelief and arrogance and live differently in order to really 27 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:43,200 inherit the promises that are kept for us. 28 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,760 And so today we're going to be looking at Romans chapter. 12 29 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,320 Which on the surface of it is is an exciting chapter to read 30 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:55,040 because we all know Romans 12/2 that you know, we need to live 31 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:56,760 transformed by the renewing of our mind. 32 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,840 We all know this, but as we look at this chapter, there is 33 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,520 greater depth to it. There is a lot of meaning, and 34 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,840 this is the beginning of the application part of Romans. 35 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,400 Romans 12 to 16 is where Paul actually gives us the practical 36 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:12,320 outworking of our faith in Jesus. 37 00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:15,640 Our faith in Jesus cannot just be a theology, just cannot be a 38 00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:18,320 doctrine that we believe in, but it has to be worked out in our 39 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,240 everyday life so that it's evident to the watching world. 40 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:23,680 And so that's what we're going to be looking at from Romans 41 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:25,680 chapter 12 today. We're going to be first starting 42 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,720 with Romans chapter 12, verses one and two. 43 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:30,800 This is what it says. Therefore, I urge you, brothers 44 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,280 and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies, 45 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:38,480 dedicating all of yourselves set apart as a living sacrifice, 46 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:42,920 holy and well pleasing to God, which is your rational, logical, 47 00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:46,360 intelligent act of worship. And do not be conformed to this 48 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,800 world any longer with its superficial values and customs, 49 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,640 but be transformed and progressively changed as you 50 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:56,400 mature spiritually by the renewing of your mind, focusing 51 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:00,480 on godly values and ethical attitudes, so that you may prove 52 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,600 for yourselves what the will of God is, that which is good and 53 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:08,560 acceptable and perfect in His plan and purpose for you. 54 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:12,880 I think it was DL Moody who said the problem with living 55 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,360 sacrifices is that they wander off the altar. 56 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:20,120 And here Paul is asking every single Christian brother and 57 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,440 sister who he's writing this to saying, I ask that you will 58 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,360 offer yourselves as a living sacrifice. 59 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,880 This is not in the literal sense of child sacrifice or human 60 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,000 sacrifices, but this is in the spiritual sense of offering our 61 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,760 entire selves to God. In the Old Testament, when we 62 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,480 look at it, you know, through Leviticus and Numbers, we 63 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,480 talked, we saw how different offerings were expected from the 64 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:45,680 people. A burnt offering, a grain 65 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,680 offering, a gilt offering, and all of these offerings were 66 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:54,000 placed on an altar of uncut stone and subject to fire. 67 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:58,720 And that's when they were made acceptable to God and it worked 68 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,960 on on the behalf of the offerer. It it, you know, covered their 69 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,280 guilt, it covered their shame. It was an atonement. 70 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,280 It was something that they brought as their first fruits. 71 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:10,320 Sometimes it was a tithe. It was an offering. 72 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,760 So when we bring our lives as a living sacrifice, what we are 73 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:17,839 basically doing is taking all of ourselves and giving it to God. 74 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,480 And he says, I want you to offer your bodies, which symbolizes 75 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,960 everything that is valuable to us, everything that concerns us. 76 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,560 It could be our desires, our needs, our sexuality, our 77 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:32,400 health, our intelligent, our intelligence, our emotions, our 78 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:36,400 will, our attitudes, everything, our upbringing, our backgrounds, 79 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:41,400 our childhood, our adulthood, every part of it is brought and 80 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,880 literally laid on that altar before God. 81 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,520 Now I have to ask you, is is being a living sacrifice scary? 82 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,440 Yes, it is. But is it necessary? 83 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:53,760 I believe so. Why is it necessary? 84 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:58,880 Because when we talked about this new life in Christ, the old 85 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,920 man tends to keep coming back. The old woman keeps tending to 86 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:03,920 come back, even though I've accepted Jesus. 87 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,760 That tendency to lie, that tendency to slander, that 88 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,040 tendency to back. By that tendency to steal, all 89 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:12,720 of that still remains. But in order for me to live the 90 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:16,200 new life, there needs to be something that changes, and 91 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,920 that's what we're talking about in this portion. 92 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:21,320 He says do not be conformed to the world. 93 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:23,560 The world is changing as we know it. 94 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:25,920 Traditions are changing, trends are changing. 95 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:28,840 It's very obvious when you're watching reels that the trends 96 00:05:28,840 --> 00:05:32,040 are changing every week. Fashion that was fashionable in 97 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:37,880 the 70s is coming back now. Do not be conformed, but be 98 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:39,720 transformed. So if I had to put a title for 99 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:42,560 this week's sermon, it would be conformed to transformed. 100 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,560 What is being conformed mean? If you've had a child or you 101 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,360 have a grandchild or you have a friend who has a kid, when they 102 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,520 play with clay, what they do is they take the play DoH and then 103 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,320 they mold it in their hands. And then along with these play 104 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,600 DoH sets, they'll give you a series of molds. 105 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:00,320 And these molds have predetermined shapes and the 106 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,120 clay can be put in it, pressed into the shape, and then 107 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:05,000 eventually you get the shape of the mold. 108 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:08,240 That's what it means to be conformed, external pressures 109 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,440 applied in order to shape something into the mould of 110 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,280 something else. And that's what sometimes the 111 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:16,640 world does to us when you work in the corporate set up, when 112 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:19,280 you live in a neighbourhood with those who don't know the Lord. 113 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,160 You tend to get conformed to their ways of thinking, their 114 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,560 ways of being, their ways of leading their marriage, their 115 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,880 ways of bringing up kids. But here Paul is saying don't be 116 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,480 conformed any longer, but I want you to be transformed. 117 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,120 And transformation, the word, the root word for it is 118 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,160 metamorphosis. It's a complete change. 119 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,240 How you are now in Christ will not resemble who you once were 120 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,240 before Christ. It is literally the 121 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:47,680 transformation of a little Caterpillar into a beautiful 122 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,240 butterfly. The Caterpillar is grubby, furry 123 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:54,640 and and without it lacks lustre. But the butterfly is brilliantly 124 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:58,800 hued, has completely different modes of locomotion, completely 125 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,520 different creature almost. And this is what it indicates to 126 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,320 be transformed, a complete change. 127 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,000 But it starts inside, it is not from outside. 128 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,920 Many of us think that when we become believers that behaviour 129 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:15,280 modification is the key. Behavior modification is nothing 130 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,840 if there is no heart change. It begins from inside out. 131 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:23,000 Like we heard last week. God transforms us from the 132 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:24,640 inside out. And many of us are very 133 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:27,960 comfortable with conforming because conforming requires 134 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,760 little or no effort. What others tell you to do, you 135 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:33,040 do it. They tell you to do a business. 136 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:34,160 Transaction. It worked for me. 137 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,240 Do it this way you do it. They ask you to just step in 138 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,320 line at work. Do what the boss says, even if 139 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:41,320 it's unethical. Well, you're not ruffling any 140 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:42,880 feathers. It's the easiest thing. 141 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:46,920 Conforming is easy. Transforming is hard because it 142 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:51,360 takes a lot out of you. And the problem with conforming 143 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,600 is that you will never be set apart if you're a conformer, if 144 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,680 you just get conformed by what the dictates of the world and 145 00:07:57,680 --> 00:07:59,800 culture, you will never be set apart. 146 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,400 You will never stand out because you're so busy fitting in. 147 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:06,160 And I want to ask you today, has that been you? 148 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:10,240 Have you been someone who's been so busy fitting in that you've 149 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,280 forgotten to stand out for Jesus? 150 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:16,280 God is calling you to live a transformed life by the renewing 151 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:18,360 of your mind. So before you even think about 152 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:22,040 behaviour modification, step one of renewal is your mind. 153 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,720 Because the mind drives everything else. 154 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:28,400 Our thoughts, our attitudes, everything is birthed in the 155 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,240 mind. And he says you renew your mind, 156 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,480 transformation begins, and the renewal of the mind is the job 157 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:36,600 of the Holy Spirit. But it happens with the 158 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:38,880 consensus that you and I give the Holy Spirit. 159 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:43,000 He can give us that nudge that you know what, you used to do it 160 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,120 this way, but I want you to do it differently. 161 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,960 But it's up to me whether I really lean into his nudging and 162 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:53,800 do what he says. When you think about all the 163 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:56,360 stuff that is in your mind going on in your mind, your 164 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,160 assumptions about people, your thoughts about a certain 165 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,280 situation, your affections, they're all birthed in your mind 166 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:04,600 1st. And he's saying I want you to 167 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:07,400 renew that. And why is renewal of the mind 168 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:09,960 so important? Because if you look at that 169 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:14,600 verse, he explains it. He says so that you may prove 170 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,520 what the will of God is, the good, pleasing and perfect will 171 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:20,280 of God. What does that look like? 172 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:24,280 When your mind is transformed or begins to get transformed, you 173 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,680 begin to have the mind of Christ. 174 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,160 When you have the mind of Christ, you begin to know the 175 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:35,320 will of your Father for you. When Jesus walked on earth, he 176 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,040 will often say this to his disciples. 177 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:40,520 I'm doing the will of my Father. My bread is to do the will of my 178 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,120 Father. When he met with people like the 179 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:46,640 Samaritan woman or someone else, he knew that he was living at 180 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:50,600 his fullest capacity because he was in line with what God the 181 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,680 Father had asked him to do. Today, if you and I want to know 182 00:09:53,680 --> 00:09:56,040 what God's will is, too many of us are still stuck in. 183 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:57,800 I don't know what God's will is for me. 184 00:09:57,960 --> 00:09:59,280 I don't know who he wants me to marry. 185 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:00,400 I don't know what job I should take. 186 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:01,560 I don't know what I should study. 187 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,480 But if you were to allow your mind to be transformed, you 188 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:07,240 begin to have the mind of Christ. 189 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,160 And the mind of Christ will give you direct understanding of what 190 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:14,560 the will of the Father is. He will help you understand why 191 00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:16,240 you're in that particular position. 192 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,120 He will show you what to do next. 193 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:22,840 Too many of us are living with unrenewed minds, minds that are 194 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,600 full of darkness, minds that are clouded by doubt, minds that 195 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:30,800 have become dirtied with cultural norms and tradition, 196 00:10:31,560 --> 00:10:35,280 minds that have been corrupted by the things of the enemy and 197 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:36,760 the things of the Kingdom of darkness. 198 00:10:36,920 --> 00:10:39,200 But God is saying, I want to renew your mind first. 199 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:43,760 I want to open up your mind. I want to clear your mind up. 200 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:45,960 So that it's. Filled with the things of God. 201 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,720 It is filled with the things that the Father wants you to be 202 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:53,040 thinking on. When your mind is renewed, you 203 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,160 start seeing things from the perspective of Jesus himself. 204 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:58,880 So you don't look at your, you know, your temporary things as 205 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:02,400 just futile and and failed, but you look at it through the eyes 206 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:04,160 of Jesus who can redeem anything. 207 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,440 You see it and say there's possibility, there's opportunity 208 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,880 in this. Now there's an important element 209 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:13,760 to this living sacrifice idea. You know the the fact that we 210 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,240 are a living sacrifice. The minute you mention 211 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:18,880 sacrifice, there's an element that comes in which is fire, 212 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,880 because no sacrifice can be actually made accessible to God 213 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:26,320 without the fire. The fire is an essential part of 214 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:27,920 it. In fact, it says that Aaron and 215 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:32,240 his sons had to light the fire up, then do the sacrifice, shed 216 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:36,120 the blood, do the bloodletting, then cut the pieces of the bull 217 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:38,800 or the ram, and then arrange it in the fire. 218 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,320 Fire is essential for any sacrifice, and I want to 219 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:44,840 encourage you with this one thing. 220 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:48,280 Don't get scared at what we're going to understand next, 221 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:52,240 because this is a very essential part for every Christian's life. 222 00:11:52,680 --> 00:11:55,200 Everyone of us need to understand that this was God's 223 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:58,120 will for us. Matthew chapter 3, verses 11 to 224 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:00,880 12. This is a conversation which the 225 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,520 public is having with John the Baptist, and they're asking him 226 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,960 if he's the Christ. And he very clearly, you know, 227 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:09,640 distinguishes his ministry and Christ's ministry. 228 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:12,840 This is what he says. I'm baptizing you here in the 229 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,840 river. Turning your old life in for a 230 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:18,720 Kingdom life. The real action comes next. 231 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:20,840 The main character in this drama. 232 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:23,960 Compared to him, I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the 233 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:27,560 Kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit 234 00:12:27,560 --> 00:12:29,480 within you, changing you from the inside out. 235 00:12:29,680 --> 00:12:32,760 He's going to clean house, make a clean sweep of your lives. 236 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:36,160 He plays everything true in its proper place before God. 237 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:39,200 Everything falls. He put out with the trash to be 238 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:42,400 burnt. Fire. 239 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:45,480 The purpose of fire, the fire that God brings and allows in 240 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:47,760 our life is to cleanse and purify us. 241 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:51,640 Look at this, it says He will clean house this temple. 242 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:56,760 He will cleanse with fire. Illness, setbacks, failures, 243 00:12:57,040 --> 00:13:01,960 relationship hurt. All of it will be fires that the 244 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:06,800 Lord uses in order to purify and cleanse us. 245 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,120 One Corinthians chapter 3, verses 11 to 15. 246 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:14,200 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one 247 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:16,400 already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 248 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,720 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, 249 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:23,680 costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, their work will be shown 250 00:13:23,680 --> 00:13:26,040 for what it is because the day will bring it to light. 251 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:28,880 It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the 252 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:32,800 quality of each person's work. If what has been built survives, 253 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:34,680 the builder will receive a reward. 254 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:39,480 If it is burnt up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be 255 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:42,160 saved even though as only one escaping through the flames. 256 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,400 The last part of that was. I'll explain at the end of this 257 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:48,120 but I want you to look at this. It says it will be revealed. 258 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,640 Work will be revealed for what it is with fire. 259 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:55,920 Fire will test the quality of each person's work. 260 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:00,960 Fire cleanses and purifies fire. Test the quality and proves what 261 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:04,080 is valuable. I want to think, want you to 262 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:05,840 think about it. If you offer yourself as a 263 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:09,600 living sacrifice, the fire of God is imminent because Jesus 264 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,560 himself has come with the Holy Spirit and with fire to baptize 265 00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:16,280 us, to cleanse us, purify us, and make us ready for him. 266 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:19,360 So is living being a living sacrifice? 267 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:20,960 Hard, yes. Is it necessary? 268 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:26,840 Absolutely is. Fire refines us, it purifies us, 269 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,240 it sets us apart. The things in our life that 270 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:32,280 don't need to exist anymore, That old addiction, that old 271 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:36,280 anger problem, that old abusive tendency, that all triggered 272 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:38,400 self, He wants to burn it out of us. 273 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:43,120 He wants to get it out of us. So don't despise the fires that 274 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,160 God allows in our life. What are some of the fires that 275 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:46,960 we experience? We experience when we're 276 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:50,720 confronted by people's wickedness, their unkindness, 277 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:54,680 injustice, bad attitudes. Sometimes fire is when we have 278 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:59,760 illnesses, obstacles, huge mountains facing us. 279 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:04,200 Sometimes fires are when we face face persecution, slander, 280 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:08,640 unjust accusations. I don't know what your fire has 281 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:10,600 been. Maybe you're currently walking 282 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:14,320 through a fire, but can I encourage you that the God who 283 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:17,560 was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when they came out of 284 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:20,040 that fire, it said their head and smell of fire. 285 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:22,680 They clothed in smell of fire. That is the God that we serve. 286 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,000 He will bring you through, but you need to stay because He's 287 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:27,880 with you. He's never left you. 288 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:34,000 Every one of us who walked through this fire can be assured 289 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,200 that God is bringing about a transformation. 290 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,680 The thing about fire is this, it changes what touches it. 291 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:42,520 Fire never leaves anything the same way. 292 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:46,160 It changes it completely. And that is the purpose of the 293 00:15:46,160 --> 00:15:50,200 fires of life, to transform us into the likeness of Jesus. 294 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:53,800 We are being transformed and I believe there are three ways 295 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:56,680 from Romans chapter 12. There are three distinct ways in 296 00:15:56,680 --> 00:16:01,080 which the fire changes us. The fire that God allows, the 297 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:04,680 fires, the different fires that I mentioned, three ways in which 298 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:08,200 transforms us. The 1st way it transforms the 299 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:12,400 way we serve the body of Christ. Romans 12 versus 3 to 8 says 300 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:16,280 this. 4th By the grace given me, I say to everyone of you, do not 301 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:19,400 think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think 302 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,280 of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the faith. 303 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,160 God is distributed to each of you for justice. 304 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:28,800 Each one of us has one body with many members, and these members 305 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:30,360 do not all have the same function. 306 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:35,000 So in Christ we though many from one body, and each member 307 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,920 belongs to all the others. We have different gifts 308 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:39,760 according to the grace given to each of us. 309 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,000 If your gift is prophesying, then prophecy in accordance with 310 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,200 your faith. If it is serving, then serve. 311 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:48,600 If it is teaching, then teach. If it is to encourage, then give 312 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:50,920 encouragement. If it is giving, then give 313 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,400 generously. If it is to lead, do it 314 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:56,120 diligently. If it is to show mercy, do it 315 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:59,240 cheerfully. I was reading the story this 316 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,680 week in the Daily Bread and it talked about this very same 317 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:06,119 passage and explained how. This is lived out in our 318 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,079 everyday. There's a story of two friends 319 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:13,960 and it's a true story. Both of them love to hike in the 320 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:16,079 wilderness and the Wilds of Colorado. 321 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,079 The only problem was both of them were disabled in their own 322 00:17:19,079 --> 00:17:21,599 way. The woman had spina bifida 323 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:24,839 because of which she couldn't walk and the man had glaucoma. 324 00:17:24,839 --> 00:17:26,760 He had lost his eyesight due to glaucoma. 325 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,720 He couldn't see. So what they would do is they 326 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:32,360 would go trekking everywhere together, but this is how they 327 00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:34,640 would do it. He would carry her on his 328 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:38,240 shoulders because she cannot walk, and she would be his eyes 329 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,400 because she would be on his back directing his footsteps. 330 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:44,720 And that's not an image of the body of Christ. 331 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,480 I don't know what is, because each of us will come in to the 332 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:50,240 body of Christ with our lack, with our inabilities. 333 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:52,760 But God has graced us with certain abilities. 334 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:57,480 And each of my gifts and each of your gifts work together. 335 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:00,760 They complement each other. We need to use our gifts not for 336 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:03,680 ourselves, not to create a platform for ourselves, not to 337 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,240 create name for ourselves, but instead to serve each other. 338 00:18:07,360 --> 00:18:13,040 When my mind has been renewed, I begin to think of myself in just 339 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,000 measure. I don't think of myself more 340 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,200 than I need to. I don't assume I'm a better off 341 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,520 person than others. I look at myself through the 342 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:22,600 lens of Jesus. I see myself as forgiven. 343 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:26,320 I see myself as being restored, and I look at people in the same 344 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,760 way. And when we do that, it changes 345 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:31,360 the way we serve the body of Christ. 346 00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:34,400 I no longer live for myself. My gifting was given for the 347 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:37,640 edification of everyone. My gifting was given to build 348 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:42,040 others up, not just myself. Personal agendas won't stand a 349 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:44,880 chance because my mind is being renewed and I know I can 350 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:47,480 identify selfishness even before it starts to take root. 351 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:51,400 And I say no, I want to value others more than I value myself. 352 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,920 We live in a culture that glorifies self-awareness, that 353 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:58,240 glorifies self expansion and promotion. 354 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:00,680 But that was not the way of Jesus. 355 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:03,120 He asked us to honor others over ourselves. 356 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,840 Will I serve someone in the body of Christ even when I don't 357 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:11,280 receive anything in return? Can I serve them just because 358 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:12,680 it's what Jesus would want me to do? 359 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,760 Can I give generously without expecting a name tag attached to 360 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:19,400 it, without it being blazed in shiny gold? 361 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:23,680 Can I do what I'm called to do just because it was given to me 362 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:25,000 freely? I'll give it back. 363 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:28,920 When you look at the different gifts, he says just do it. 364 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,960 Do it to the best of your ability because you do it unto 365 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,640 the Lord. But as we do it unto the Lord, 366 00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:38,520 we need to be so confident that God has given us this for 367 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,080 blessing others. So often we make our gift about 368 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:44,360 ourselves, but he's saying I've given it for the common good. 369 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,440 And the important thing is this, that we, when we have a renewed 370 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:49,960 mind, we're no longer comparing ourselves with someone else. 371 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:51,400 Oh, I wish I was a worship leader. 372 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:52,960 I wish I was this. I wish I was that. 373 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:55,400 What am I? I'm an usher. 374 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,600 I will do with the best. I'm a wiper of chairs. 375 00:19:57,800 --> 00:19:59,960 I will do it amazingly. I look after kids. 376 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:02,440 That's the future generation. I want to do it to the best of 377 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:07,680 my ability. If each of us chose to do this, 378 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,040 can you picture the kind of reach we would have as the body 379 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:12,800 of Christ? Can you picture the kind of 380 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:16,680 unity and harmony we would have? Too many of us have lived 381 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,280 comparing ourselves. Too many of us are living for 382 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,000 ourselves. I will come if this works for 383 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:23,320 me. I will do this. 384 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:25,400 If it benefits me and my children. 385 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:28,720 But what about the Kingdom? What about the body? 386 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:33,080 It's the body of Christ. He was so sacrificial in how He 387 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:35,400 served me. The least I can do is be 388 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,280 sacrificial in how I serve others. 389 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:40,280 That's the first thing. The first thing that changes is 390 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,600 the way I serve the body. The second thing is the way we 391 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:47,120 love people. This has been a very hard sermon 392 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:50,720 for me to prepare because practicing this in reality is 393 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:53,360 very hard. I was reading the book of Luke 394 00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:57,040 this week and Luke five and six undid me because it's talking 395 00:20:57,040 --> 00:20:59,440 about turning the other cheek and giving away a quote. 396 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:03,440 And here I'm I'm, you know, I'm a self preserver. 397 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:06,880 I protect myself. That is my innate tendency. 398 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:10,560 I protect those I love. And yet Jesus is calling us to 399 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:14,240 live in this radical way of obedience where he says love 400 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:19,680 with abandoned Romans chapter 12 verses 9 to 10 says love is to 401 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:23,720 be sincere and active, the real thing without guile and 402 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,720 hypocrisy. Hate what is evil, detest all 403 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,200 ungodliness. Do not tolerate wickedness. 404 00:21:29,360 --> 00:21:32,800 Hold on tightly to what is good be devoted to one another with 405 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:36,960 authentic brotherly affection as members of one family, give 406 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,760 preference to one another in honour. 407 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:42,280 So I love this because, you know, when I was reading it, I 408 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:46,520 went to the Strong's Concordance just to see the original text, 409 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:47,880 right? And it talks about the first 410 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:49,440 love. Love is to be sincere and active 411 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:52,680 is agape. And agape love is the love that 412 00:21:52,680 --> 00:21:55,640 God shows us. It is beyond our reach in the 413 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:59,120 sense we could try, but we always have something painting 414 00:21:59,120 --> 00:22:00,840 our love. There'll be some motive, some 415 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:04,680 agenda, some condition, but God's love is, is so pure. 416 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:07,760 And so it says over there, love is to be sincere and active. 417 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:11,360 That is the goal that all of our love will be so. 418 00:22:11,360 --> 00:22:13,560 Sincere without evil, without hypocrisy. 419 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,320 There's no double standards. But then he comes down and he 420 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:19,960 says be devoted to one another with authentic brotherly 421 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,040 affection. And that word there is Filio. 422 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:25,520 It's the love that you and I have for someone that we love, 423 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,520 someone that. We care about deeply, and he 424 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:31,560 says be utterly devoted in that because the agape sometimes 425 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:33,800 feels too much, he says. That's the. 426 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:35,360 That's the bar I'm setting for you. 427 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:38,240 But this is what I want you to do. 428 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:42,080 Practically be devoted in authentic love. 429 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:44,160 I know the song that the Bee Gees wrote. 430 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:45,640 I don't know if you like the Bee Gees. 431 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:47,800 I used to like them. They wrote the song called How 432 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:49,000 Deep is Your Love? And I was. 433 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,240 Looking for the lyrics and I was just thinking, this is 434 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:52,680 ridiculous. They're talking about a love 435 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,280 between a man and a woman. And the man seems to be 436 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:58,400 questioning the woman's love and he talks about how he's a 437 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:00,080 saviour. And you know, the words are so 438 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:03,520 interesting. But I want to ask you, I'm not 439 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:04,880 going to ask you, how deep is your love? 440 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:06,760 How authentic is your love for people? 441 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:11,320 Maybe on a scale of one to 10 you feel your love for people is 442 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:13,600 at 2. But even at that level of two, 443 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:16,760 how deeply authentic is it when you talk to someone, when you 444 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:18,920 listen to someone, when you want to pray for someone? 445 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:23,400 Is your love real or does it have a mask on it where you 446 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:25,240 don't show your true self to people? 447 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:28,040 Where you cannot let your guard down with them? 448 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,760 Where there is a condition that if they do such and such, you 449 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:35,160 will love them. God is calling us into a place 450 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:38,400 of loving each other with great devotion and great compassion 451 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:41,800 and genuinity. But there's also the subtext. 452 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:45,640 If you look in the middle of that, it says hate what is evil? 453 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:49,360 True love. That agape love of God has 454 00:23:49,360 --> 00:23:53,320 holiness tinged on it, fixed on it, and it's basically it will 455 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:57,760 not be able to love that which is evil and it will detest all 456 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:00,360 that is evil. It will love that which is good. 457 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,880 So in our quest for love, so many times we are condoning the 458 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,240 things that God absolutely, absolutely doesn't condone. 459 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:11,600 In our quest for love, in our hunger for love, we are 460 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:13,920 tolerating stuff that God would not tolerate. 461 00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:16,840 But God is calling us into a purity in this love. 462 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:21,160 And that happens when our mind is being renewed because when we 463 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:23,360 are thinking on the things that the Holy Spirit leads us to 464 00:24:23,360 --> 00:24:27,080 think on, the way I emote and show affection or demand 465 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,480 affection changes. I first of all realized how loud 466 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:32,120 I am. So I'm not going to be leeching 467 00:24:32,120 --> 00:24:35,000 off someone else for that love, but it changes the way I emote 468 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,800 and show love to others as well. It is deeply real. 469 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:42,040 It is deeply authentic. And I love what the Passion 470 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:44,240 translation says. It says that let the inner 471 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:48,240 movement of your heart always be to love one another and never 472 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:51,280 play the role of an actor wearing a mask. 473 00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:54,680 How scary is that? Because many, many of us 474 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,920 believers feel that when we step into church, we need to. 475 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:00,920 Put on a mask. Let them not see me on my other 476 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:04,480 side. While that makes for very 477 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:07,480 sanitized conversations, it's not the truth. 478 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:09,960 And I believe I was. As I was reading that, I felt so 479 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:14,800 convicted because I'm someone who avoids speaking the truth in 480 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:17,880 love because it always gets misunderstood. 481 00:25:18,360 --> 00:25:20,920 The love part gets diluted and only the truth goes out. 482 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,200 But God is calling us into a place where you remove the mask. 483 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:26,280 You need to set those boundaries in love. 484 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,160 You need to say no in love. You need to speak the truth in 485 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:31,960 love. Love must be tough sometimes. 486 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:34,600 Don't. Don't keep entertaining the 487 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:36,160 things that God would never entertain. 488 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,960 Don't keep endorsing the things God would never endorse in the 489 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:45,560 name of love. And I pray that as we start to 490 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:49,320 have this transformation happen, the way we demonstrate love to 491 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:51,480 people will become more Christ like. 492 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:53,960 Where we can call a spade a spade with love. 493 00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:57,080 Where we can love people beyond the boundaries that we had 494 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:01,360 thought we needed to have, that we can be full of wisdom and 495 00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:03,080 discernment in how we love people. 496 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:05,080 That is important. So the second kind of 497 00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:07,440 transformation which happens is in the way we love people. 498 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:13,000 And the 3rd way is in the way we respond to evil, the way we 499 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:18,240 respond to evil. Romans 12, verse 14 and then 17 500 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:19,560 to 21. That's what I'm going to be 501 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:20,800 reading. It says bless those who 502 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,240 persecute you. Bless and do not curse. 503 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,520 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. 504 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,080 Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone if it is 505 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:31,160 possible. As far as it depends on you, 506 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,880 live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear 507 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:38,000 friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written 508 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,920 as mine. To avenge, I will replace as the 509 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:43,440 Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy 510 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,320 is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him 511 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,400 something to drink. In doing this, you will keep 512 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:53,240 burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but 513 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:57,120 overcome evil with good. This is one of the hardest 514 00:26:57,120 --> 00:27:00,320 things I have had to digest this week. 515 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:02,840 Because you know, the tendency is when we are persecuted, when 516 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:07,000 we are cursed or slandered unjustly, our tendency is to 517 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,000 lash out. It's to respond. 518 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,240 It's to send that text back. It's to put that, you know, the 519 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:15,720 reciprocal story on WhatsApp or whatever. 520 00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:19,800 Our tendency as humans is to come back, to have a comeback. 521 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,200 But here it's a diametrically opposite thing. 522 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:25,200 It's it's in line with what Jesus said. 523 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,160 You heard that it said eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, but 524 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:30,160 now it's different. You show them the other cheek 525 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:32,640 and what was God actually saying? 526 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:36,800 He was saying don't become the judge and arbitrator of your own 527 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:39,240 revenge. I will work for you. 528 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:43,240 It comes down to my faith in God that if he allowed this fire, if 529 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,520 he allowed this opposition, if he allowed this painful, painful 530 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:51,400 situation, He will fight for me. He will bring me out of this 531 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:55,840 fire unscathed if I keep my mouth shut, if I keep my hands 532 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:59,520 to myself, if I don't retaliate, He fights for me. 533 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,920 I've seen this again and again in our lives when we have 534 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,960 silenced ourselves. We have kept quiet when we have 535 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,400 just torn down. Every impulse said, take that 536 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:09,960 phone and give them a tongue lashing. 537 00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:12,640 Every impulse said you know what, you should write something 538 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:14,520 back. The Holy Spirit kept saying stay 539 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,760 quiet. I can fight only if you are 540 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:19,040 quiet. I can fight only if you don't 541 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,960 slander. I cannot fight for you if you 542 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:26,320 will fight for yourself. My daughter has made this lovely 543 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:30,440 little painting for me which I keep on my desk and I look at it 544 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:33,520 every day. It says be still, the Lord will 545 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:35,800 fight for you. It's Exodus 1414 and it's a word 546 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:39,320 for someone today. Stop waiting for revenge. 547 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:43,240 Stop plotting it, stop planning it, stop scheming about it 548 00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:45,800 because God is saying I will fight for you if you keep your 549 00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:49,240 hands clean, if you keep your tongue clean, I can fight for 550 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:53,760 you. I'm thinking also of Graham 551 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:56,760 Stains, the missionary and his sons who were burnt at the 552 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:01,240 stake. His wife, within a few weeks 553 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:05,120 when they interviewed her, said I forgive the men who did this 554 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:10,240 to my family as a wife, as a mother, I don't know how she did 555 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:12,560 it. I truly don't know how she did 556 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:16,920 it. But obviously as a spirit filled 557 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:20,880 woman, as someone who loved the Lord so much, that was her 558 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:23,560 conscious choice and response she made. 559 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:26,280 And I, I just felt when I was reading this, I said I was 560 00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:29,120 thinking, she lived it out. She lived it out. 561 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:31,440 She blessed those who persecuted them. 562 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:36,040 She blessed those who killed her family in cold blood. 563 00:29:36,560 --> 00:29:40,320 What greater testimony than to live in that place of 564 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:43,040 forgiveness, to live in that place of trust that God, you've 565 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:45,840 got this, you allowed it. I don't know why, but I trust 566 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:49,440 you. And so I want to just ask you, 567 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,240 what is your response to evil? Has evil touched you? 568 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:56,120 I'm sure it has. I'm sure it's touched you in 569 00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:59,480 different aspects of your life. But here's the thing, evil is 570 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:04,160 real, but our God is real as well, and he's powerful. 571 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,880 He is fighting for us. Is there a season when we have 572 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:11,360 to endure the evil? Yes. 573 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:13,800 Is there a season when things don't make sense at all? 574 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:17,080 When, when the injustice around us, the corruption that has 575 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,880 touched us feels like it will defile us, but God is saying, I 576 00:30:20,880 --> 00:30:23,800 will fight. I don't want you to be overcome 577 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,320 by evil because evil has that problem where it sometimes feels 578 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:30,040 like it will overwhelm you and turn you into a perpetrator. 579 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,520 But he's saying, no, I want you to overcome evil with good. 580 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:38,880 It's so important that we realize transformation even 581 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:40,920 happens there. The way we start looking, we 582 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:43,720 don't tolerate evil, but we don't go and attack it. 583 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:46,320 We don't go and become. We don't start stepping into 584 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:48,640 spaces that are not even meant for us, where there is no grace 585 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:53,800 for us. Ironically, as we start offering 586 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:56,440 ourselves as a living sacrifice to God, when the fire of 587 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:59,480 situations come around us, when the Holy Spirit begins its 588 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:03,600 transformation work, sometimes we start to burn out. 589 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:06,480 We use phrases. Like I'm exhausted, I don't know 590 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:08,480 how much more I can do. I've been fighting for so long. 591 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,640 I feel like I'm the candle is burning at both ends. 592 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:16,000 We feel like we lose our passion for God. 593 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:19,080 And I see many people like this because they've walked through 594 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:21,240 years of fire, fiery experiences. 595 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:26,760 They don't want to serve. They don't want to latch onto 596 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:29,160 the promises of God anymore. They they, they're starting to 597 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:30,440 backslide. They're starting to distance 598 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:33,680 themselves and say we don't want this because I've been through 599 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:35,400 the fire and I don't know if I can do more. 600 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:41,240 But that's where Romans 12 verse 11 comes in to just give us a 601 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:43,160 sneak peek into what we need to do. 602 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:49,920 It says don't burn out, keep yourselves fuelled and aflame. 603 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:53,960 It's so important that we remember that as much as the 604 00:31:53,960 --> 00:32:00,560 fire of fires of life threatened to overwhelm us, that the Spirit 605 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:02,840 of God is within us keeping us aflame. 606 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:06,720 He refueled us. No matter what the struggle is, 607 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,520 it'll be uncanny how you have strength to face the day. 608 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:13,040 It'll be uncanny how you have a peace in the hardest situations. 609 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:16,400 It'll be uncanny how you can laugh in joy even at that 610 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:18,920 diagnosis because you know your God has a hand in it. 611 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:21,360 He's looking after you. He's looking out for you. 612 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,880 And I want to leave. Just a few quick thoughts on how 613 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:31,000 we can stay fuelled in A and a flame in Romans 12 verses 12 to 614 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:32,880 13. It's just one line in the NIV, 615 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:36,120 but it just caught my attention. It says be joyful and hope 616 00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:40,400 patient and affliction, faithful in prayer, share with the Lord's 617 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:42,960 people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 618 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:46,600 The message that says be inventive in your hospitality. 619 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:52,560 How do you and I prevent burnout because the fires can tend to do 620 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:54,880 that to us. Sometimes you think Lord, when 621 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:56,400 is this ending? Will this ever end? 622 00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:59,760 But stay fueled. Stay aflame. 623 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:02,160 How do you do that? You need to keep choosing joy. 624 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:05,760 Joy is a choice. It's a choice. 625 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:08,080 It's a fruit of the Spirit. It is being born in you. 626 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:10,360 But it is a choice for you to exhibit that joy. 627 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:13,080 Because Paul keeps writing. Rejoice in the Lord again. 628 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,320 I say rejoice. He's writing it when he's in 629 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:18,760 chains. And I want you to remember this, 630 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:23,160 that joy is a choice. It is not based on your 631 00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:25,360 circumstances. It's beyond your circumstances. 632 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:27,960 And will you choose it? Why should you choose joy? 633 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,080 Because of the joy that is the hope that is set before you. 634 00:33:31,320 --> 00:33:35,160 I love that verse which says Jesus endured the cross because 635 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:37,800 of the joy set. Before him, what was that joy? 636 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:41,040 That the whole world would receive salvation and that he 637 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:43,520 would be reunited with his father, and many sons and 638 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:46,160 daughters will be added in. That was the joy, that was the 639 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:49,160 hope, and so he endured. So it comes to the second thing, 640 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:50,560 which says patient and affliction. 641 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:55,000 You're walking through a fire. Stay patient because remember, 642 00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:57,280 joy is coming. Hope is there. 643 00:33:57,280 --> 00:33:59,760 There is hope. You're saying you can't see 644 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:01,880 light at the end of the tunnel. Be assured there is the light at 645 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:05,600 the end of the tunnel. Be assured that joy comes in the 646 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:10,600 morning. Choose to wait patiently because 647 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:13,280 in the wait, your character is being shaped. 648 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:15,560 Our character is not shaped only in the good times. 649 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:17,440 It is shaped in the hardest of seasons. 650 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:22,199 So as you endure and you wait in this fiery season, remember he's 651 00:34:22,199 --> 00:34:25,280 shaping your character. He's like this, you know, metal 652 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:31,480 Smith this, this skilled worker who has this gold in the fire. 653 00:34:31,639 --> 00:34:34,560 He has a metal in the fire. There is gold in this, but he 654 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,840 has to keep it long enough to in the fire for all the impurities 655 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:39,400 to melt. And then he shapes it. 656 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:41,760 And every part of this process is painful. 657 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:45,600 But remember this, you're in the hands of a master Craftsman, the 658 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:49,159 one who created you to begin with, the one who had a purpose 659 00:34:49,159 --> 00:34:50,639 for you. He knows what he's doing. 660 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:54,400 Some of us feel like we were in the fire, taking on them back in 661 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:55,800 the fire. Some of us feel like we're being 662 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:58,800 whacked. But all of that is being done 663 00:34:59,240 --> 00:35:03,600 with the purpose of preserving and protecting us, of setting us 664 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:06,840 apart. He talks about being faithful in 665 00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:08,440 prayer. All of these three, if you 666 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:11,960 notice, are fruit of the Spirit, joy, patience and faithfulness. 667 00:35:12,240 --> 00:35:15,720 But I believe that prayer is all important to keeping us fuelled 668 00:35:15,720 --> 00:35:17,760 and a flame. Because if I'm not praying 669 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:21,320 constantly, the enemy is filling my mind with thoughts and doubts 670 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:23,240 that are contrary to God's will for my life. 671 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:25,440 He's telling me no. But this can't be happening the 672 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:27,520 way you know God wants. This is probably what you should 673 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:30,080 do. He fills my my mind with 674 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:33,200 negativity. He fills my mind with with lies. 675 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:37,560 But when I'm praying, my spirit and God's Spirit are connected 676 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:41,760 and he's filling me up. As I pour out, He fills me up. 677 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:45,840 Prayer is so important because it keeps me in close communion 678 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:49,400 with God Himself. There is no other source for us 679 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:53,640 to be fuelled in a flame. And then, as much as you choose 680 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:56,480 joy, as much as you choose to wait, as much as you choose to 681 00:35:56,480 --> 00:35:59,280 pray, you must choose to live generously. 682 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:04,360 Too many of us, the minute the fire starts, close our fists, 683 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:06,840 bow our head down and just crumble. 684 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:10,960 We are unavailable to the ones we love, the ones that love us. 685 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:12,880 We are unavailable to the body of Christ. 686 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:16,080 We shrink away from anything remotely community driven. 687 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:18,000 Oh, I can't face people, I can't do this. 688 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:22,160 We use a whole bunch of jargon that psychologists have thrown 689 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:25,000 out there, but the truth is God is calling you back into 690 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:27,720 community because as you are in the fire, you will identify 691 00:36:27,720 --> 00:36:29,840 there are many others in fires as well. 692 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:33,920 And you learn to live generously right from where you're at. 693 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:37,040 You give off your time, you give off your resources, you give off 694 00:36:37,040 --> 00:36:42,920 your of your energies. You cannot help but choose 695 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:45,680 generosity because you realize there are many others who are 696 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:51,480 walking through similar seasons. Don't worry if this process of 697 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:54,120 transformation looks slow. Feel slow. 698 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:56,760 You're like, God, I don't know if my character is changing, but 699 00:36:56,760 --> 00:37:01,200 it's amazing how you see over a season that something changes, 700 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:05,000 that discontent has gone. You've come to this place of 701 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:09,080 contentment with where you are at that seething. 702 00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:14,040 Under the surface, anger has gone and you have a calmness 703 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:18,960 that others are noticing That tendency to grasp and and and 704 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:21,160 take things for yourself is slowly letting go. 705 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:24,280 You've you've found that things come to you when you rest. 706 00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:28,160 You see that's transformation and it's a lifelong process. 707 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:29,800 Still, we close our eyes and meet Jesus. 708 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:31,000 Transformation is going to happen. 709 00:37:31,720 --> 00:37:37,200 It's a long winded process, but I'm going to ask you again, will 710 00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:40,360 you choose to renew your mind? Will you allow the Holy Spirit 711 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:43,720 to renew your mind? Will you offer yourself as a 712 00:37:43,720 --> 00:37:46,040 living sacrifice? That's the question. 713 00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:50,360 As I close, I want to just leave Mark 9 verse 49. 714 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:56,520 It says everyone will be salted with fire and that just didn't 715 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:58,880 leave me. This this verse has not left me 716 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:02,800 and I was reading the Old Testament to understand what the 717 00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:05,400 background on it is. But this is a stand alone verse 718 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:09,120 with Jesus himself is talking to his people and he's saying, you 719 00:38:09,120 --> 00:38:12,000 know what, salt is good, but if salt loses its saltiness is of 720 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,120 no use. He says preserve the peace 721 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:18,240 amongst you. The important thing to 722 00:38:18,240 --> 00:38:21,800 understand here is every one of us will be salted with fire. 723 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:24,040 And you know what the encouraging thing about that is 724 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:28,320 salted with fire indicates that the fires you and I walk through 725 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:31,240 on this side of eternity are meant to preserve and not to 726 00:38:31,240 --> 00:38:33,480 destroy. Whereas the the fire on the 727 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:36,360 other side of eternity, you know, Hell's fire is meant to 728 00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:38,680 destroy and damage, and it's destructive. 729 00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:41,800 It's eternal pain. But the fire on this side of 730 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:44,760 eternity that you and I walk through, those diseases, those 731 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:48,400 ailments, those struggles, those setbacks, those terrible 732 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:52,400 obstacles, all of that is assaulting with fire because 733 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:56,680 salt preserves this fire will preserve you when you emerge 734 00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:59,960 from it. You might feel a bit scarred, 735 00:38:59,960 --> 00:39:03,200 you might feel a bit tentative, but you were preserved for 736 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:08,120 eternity. So I want to encourage you that 737 00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:12,120 this fire that God allows in our lives, these fires so to speak, 738 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:16,400 they will preserve you, they will purify you, they will 739 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,200 refine you, they will cleanse you. 740 00:39:18,720 --> 00:39:21,240 They will test the metal of your faith. 741 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:25,320 They will test whether at the centre of your universe, is it 742 00:39:25,320 --> 00:39:28,280 Jesus or is it you. At the centre of your universe, 743 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:32,520 is it your spouse or your parent or your money or is it Jesus? 744 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:36,880 That's what these fires do. They test the metal and quality 745 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:38,800 of your faith. And at the end of our lives 746 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:41,960 it'll be amazing, I'm sure when we close our eyes, whenever that 747 00:39:41,960 --> 00:39:43,360 you know, the end date is marked. 748 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:48,160 Like that initial verse which said he will make a clean sweep. 749 00:39:48,160 --> 00:39:50,760 He will take out the junk and leave it where it needs to be 750 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:53,680 thrown. But what remains will be worth 751 00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:55,760 it. What remains will be invaluable. 752 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:00,080 And that's the purpose of being a living sacrifice, so that 753 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,920 whatever doesn't need to stay. Will be removed. 754 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:05,240 What one needs to stay will stay. 755 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:08,800 So I want to ask you, will you invite Gordon? 756 00:40:09,000 --> 00:40:12,880 Will you say, Lord, I'm here? Ioffer myself as a living 757 00:40:12,880 --> 00:40:14,840 sacrifice. I don't want that eternal fire. 758 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:17,200 I want. I'm OK with the fire now because 759 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:19,280 I know you will preserve me through it. 760 00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:22,880 So as we pray, can I just pray that for you, for those of you 761 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,320 who are walking through a fire right now, that you will keep 762 00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:29,520 yourself of flame and fuel. Don't think someone else should 763 00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:31,160 do that. Oh, I need an encouraging word. 764 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:33,640 That's how I'll stay fuel or if I get you know that 765 00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:37,160 encouragement. If I get that was you need to 766 00:40:37,160 --> 00:40:38,920 work on that with the Holy Spirit yourself. 767 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:40,760 You need to take the time to choose joy. 768 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:43,000 You need to take the time to pray. 769 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:45,520 Don't don't outsource prayer to someone else. 770 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:48,720 Don't look only to Netflix to provide you with joy. 771 00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:52,600 Don't look to someone else to help you walk through a fiction. 772 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:54,520 The Holy Spirit is your companion. 773 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:56,720 He's with you. He's saying I'm with you. 774 00:40:56,880 --> 00:41:01,200 Choose joy, choose patience, choose prayer, choose 775 00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:03,520 generosity. It's on you. 776 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:08,320 So as I pray, can we just agree together, each of us here 777 00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:11,760 without us knowing it? Probably we have been living 778 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:14,280 sacrifices and God has been doing his work. 779 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:17,800 And Lord, we just thank you because you are so magnificent, 780 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:20,520 you are so kind, you are so good. 781 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:23,320 And we thank you for the fires that you walked, allowed us to 782 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:27,800 walk through, fires of ill health, fires of slander, fires 783 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:34,000 of of loss and grief, fires of financial damage. 784 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:37,000 God, we are thankful for every fire for we have emerged 785 00:41:37,240 --> 00:41:40,000 differently from it. We have emerged transformed. 786 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:42,440 And Lord, if we haven't, we are sorry. 787 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:44,880 We pray that you will complete your work in US. 788 00:41:45,640 --> 00:41:47,240 Thank you that you're shaping our hearts. 789 00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:48,760 Thank you that you're shaping our character. 790 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:51,320 Thank you that you're shaping our attitudes. 791 00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:54,320 And God, we just submit ourselves one more time to you, 792 00:41:54,520 --> 00:41:59,960 that God, we will allow you to work in US so that your glory is 793 00:41:59,960 --> 00:42:04,280 revealed through us. God, I pray right now for anyone 794 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:09,920 who has not chosen Jesus, who doesn't know him for who he is. 795 00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:13,080 I pray that today they will make a decision and say I will follow 796 00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:15,480 Jesus. That they will confess their 797 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:18,920 sins before you and they will accept you into their hearts. 798 00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:23,480 God and I thank you that the Holy Spirit is such a gentle 799 00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:26,840 counsellor and guide and how he walks with us. 800 00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:29,400 We thank you for that. And I pray that God, you will 801 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:32,680 help us to stay fuelled in a flame. 802 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:36,520 If any of us, if the flame of love for you, if our passion for 803 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:40,720 you has diminished, forgive us. Holy Spirit, will you light the 804 00:42:40,720 --> 00:42:43,240 flame again? Will you fill us for a passion 805 00:42:43,240 --> 00:42:45,200 for God? Will you fill us with a passion 806 00:42:45,200 --> 00:42:47,400 for His Word? Will you fill us with a passion 807 00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:52,040 for His Kingdom? Come Holy Spirit, we need you, 808 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:55,760 we need you. Jesus, we thank you for the 809 00:42:56,960 --> 00:43:01,640 perfect sacrifice that you wear. I thank you that you have been 810 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:05,800 our atonement and I pray that Lord, we will just come to you 811 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:10,120 with boldness today. We will come to you and say, 812 00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:12,920 Lord, I'm here. I Ioffer myself to you. 813 00:43:14,240 --> 00:43:15,920 Will you do with us as you see fit? 814 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:19,640 We pray all this in your name, Amen. 815 00:43:20,200 --> 00:43:22,760 Amen. As you get into this week and in 816 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,800 the rest of the months of this year, can I ask you to make it 817 00:43:25,800 --> 00:43:28,400 an everyday thing? If you put put it on your notes, 818 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:30,480 if you could put it on your phone screen or you put it above 819 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:35,880 your, you know, cubicle at work. I'm a living sacrifice because 820 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:38,200 it reminds you that everything you're walking through has an 821 00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:40,080 end purpose. The goal is transformation. 822 00:43:40,320 --> 00:43:41,840 The goal is the likeness of Jesus. 823 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:45,600 It will make the present not just tolerable, it may even make 824 00:43:45,600 --> 00:43:48,960 it enjoyable. So I encourage you not to 825 00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:51,760 burnout, but keep yourselves fuelled in a flame. 826 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:54,760 God bless you. Thanks for listening to this 827 00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:57,080 message. We hope you were blessed. 828 00:43:57,440 --> 00:44:01,600 To hear more messages like this, make sure to subscribe and check 829 00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:04,280 out our podcast channel for past episodes. 830 00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:08,040 If you like what you are hearing, consider rating us, 831 00:44:08,200 --> 00:44:11,240 subscribing and even sharing it with friends. 832 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:15,920 That would really help us. For more content from Via Zion 833 00:44:16,240 --> 00:44:20,440 and to connect with us, go to Via Zion dot in. 834 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:24,520 Remember, whoever finds Jesus finds life.