1 00:00:00,390 --> 00:00:05,240 Well, it is my pleasure to introduce to you Rob Lodge, who 2 00:00:05,290 --> 00:00:07,700 will be bringing God's word to us this morning. 3 00:00:07,810 --> 00:00:11,520 Rob and his wife Louise and their lovely family have been 4 00:00:11,530 --> 00:00:15,520 part of this church fellowship for I guess about a year and a 5 00:00:15,530 --> 00:00:17,940 half. And it has just been a delight 6 00:00:17,950 --> 00:00:22,640 to get to know them and to serve along with them and to love them 7 00:00:22,650 --> 00:00:24,760 and to receive the love of God through them. 8 00:00:24,770 --> 00:00:27,070 It's just been, it's just been fantastic. 9 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:31,650 Rob is a is a businessman, but he knows that as primary 10 00:00:31,660 --> 00:00:33,310 business, as the father's business. 11 00:00:33,700 --> 00:00:37,970 And so he has committed even in business to bringing the love of 12 00:00:37,980 --> 00:00:42,050 Christ to this world and seeing his Kingdom, God's Kingdom 13 00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:46,550 expand. Rob leads a life group and Co 14 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,190 leads another life group. And as part of the men's group, 15 00:00:49,420 --> 00:00:51,630 he's getting more and more involved in ministry. 16 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:56,600 He has just recently come on as a volunteer intern at Forest 17 00:00:56,610 --> 00:00:58,670 View. And today, he's going to be 18 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:01,450 preaching his first message to us, to this church. 19 00:01:02,170 --> 00:01:07,220 And so lean in, get ready, and let's give Rob a warm welcome as 20 00:01:07,230 --> 00:01:09,080 he comes up here. To bring it in. 21 00:01:21,220 --> 00:01:22,560 My own Rich. There we go. 22 00:01:24,650 --> 00:01:26,540 Thanks, John. I was gonna introduce myself a 23 00:01:26,550 --> 00:01:28,550 little bit, but I wouldn't do such a good job. 24 00:01:30,540 --> 00:01:33,210 So if you can all reduce your expectations a little bit based 25 00:01:33,220 --> 00:01:37,760 on that, we'll be just fine. Yeah, I'm going to put a timer 26 00:01:37,770 --> 00:01:40,660 on too, like Tim said. Not the same reason that Louise 27 00:01:40,670 --> 00:01:44,310 will tell me off for going on too long, but want to get to 45 28 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:48,160 minutes, I'll start wrapping up. That's what you said, right? 29 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,040 New beginnings. My half my sermons been done by 30 00:01:52,050 --> 00:01:53,370 the children's message. Really. 31 00:01:53,380 --> 00:01:56,370 But new beginnings, what do we think of when we think of new 32 00:01:56,380 --> 00:01:58,210 beginnings? Don't worry, it's not 33 00:01:58,220 --> 00:02:01,560 interactive. Don't shut out New Year's 34 00:02:01,570 --> 00:02:03,850 resolutions you've heard about in January, February 1st. 35 00:02:03,860 --> 00:02:06,190 So I know you've nailed those. Those are done. 36 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:11,430 Pick them up again next year or not, but we have different types 37 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,500 of new beginnings. We typically think positive and 38 00:02:13,510 --> 00:02:16,710 know that, you know, it's like that clean slate, fresh start, 39 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,000 new beginning. Lots of those happened in this 40 00:02:20,010 --> 00:02:24,770 church that over the last year. New babies, marriage, maybe you 41 00:02:24,780 --> 00:02:28,060 moved to a new house, maybe got a new job and maybe all those 42 00:02:28,070 --> 00:02:31,600 have been positive. The small stuff too we got. 43 00:02:31,610 --> 00:02:33,700 Maybe you changed your car, maybe you've decided to walk to 44 00:02:33,710 --> 00:02:36,320 work everyday or whatever it is. There's lots of small new 45 00:02:36,330 --> 00:02:39,540 beginners happened to, but we could have negative new 46 00:02:39,550 --> 00:02:41,150 beginnings too. I've already mentioned new job, 47 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,160 but that could be negative too. Maybe you didn't plan on 48 00:02:43,170 --> 00:02:45,900 changing that new job, maybe you did and it's terrible. 49 00:02:45,990 --> 00:02:49,220 So we did. We go into new beginnings not 50 00:02:49,230 --> 00:02:52,300 knowing sometimes if they're going to be as positive as we 51 00:02:52,310 --> 00:02:55,000 think they are. Maybe you're looking for a new 52 00:02:55,010 --> 00:02:57,380 beginning. Maybe that's you're searching 53 00:02:57,390 --> 00:02:59,060 for something right now and you're looking for that. 54 00:02:59,190 --> 00:03:01,920 Maybe you're avoiding one. Maybe you know, you're supposed 55 00:03:01,930 --> 00:03:03,980 to be going towards 1 and you'll say no. 56 00:03:05,620 --> 00:03:08,330 Either way, lots are expected. So all the things we've spoken 57 00:03:08,340 --> 00:03:12,170 about getting married, you expect that you've got a date, 58 00:03:12,180 --> 00:03:15,190 you're aiming towards it, have having a baby, I hope it's 59 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,190 expected and you've got a date and you're working towards that. 60 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,190 You're moving house. You know they're expected. 61 00:03:20,420 --> 00:03:23,710 But we also have non unexpected new beginnings. 62 00:03:24,100 --> 00:03:26,420 We have lots of those and that's kind of more what we're going to 63 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:31,440 looking at and how God uses those or how maybe He instigates 64 00:03:31,450 --> 00:03:33,910 them. So let's pray as we go into His 65 00:03:33,920 --> 00:03:36,240 Word. Lord, thank you that we can come 66 00:03:36,250 --> 00:03:40,820 together in your house freely Lord, to worship and to look 67 00:03:40,830 --> 00:03:43,480 into your word. We pray you bless this time. 68 00:03:43,750 --> 00:03:45,420 Help us to hear your word clearly. 69 00:03:45,430 --> 00:03:49,830 Lord in Jesus name, Amen. We're gonna be looking in 70 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:55,930 Cheerful Book of Lamentations. This is where you do need this 71 00:03:55,940 --> 00:03:57,890 index. John puts it up often, but 72 00:03:57,900 --> 00:04:00,320 unless you're always in there, I don't think many of you were 73 00:04:00,330 --> 00:04:02,410 going Lamentations every day. But maybe you are. 74 00:04:02,500 --> 00:04:04,690 So there it is. After Jeremiah, before Ezekiel. 75 00:04:04,820 --> 00:04:07,710 We're going to be in chapter 3. But what is it to lament? 76 00:04:07,780 --> 00:04:12,170 Let's talk about that for a second before not a word you 77 00:04:12,180 --> 00:04:14,120 hear people use very often. And I would have said that. 78 00:04:14,130 --> 00:04:16,790 And then last week I got a phone call from someone and they used 79 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,180 it normally in a sentence which surprised me, but they for they 80 00:04:20,190 --> 00:04:21,209 did. So what is it? 81 00:04:21,220 --> 00:04:25,260 What does it mean to lament? What is lamenting complaining of 82 00:04:25,270 --> 00:04:27,720 sorts? Complaining is not lamenting. 83 00:04:27,730 --> 00:04:33,500 Complaining is making noise about your circumstance or 84 00:04:33,510 --> 00:04:36,670 someone else's circumstance. Just you know what complaining 85 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:38,570 means. But without solution normally 86 00:04:38,580 --> 00:04:40,780 right, you're just making noise about what's going on. 87 00:04:41,660 --> 00:04:45,860 Lamentin could be complaining, but it's complaining with 88 00:04:45,870 --> 00:04:50,140 grieving, with sorrow, and not without solution. 89 00:04:50,150 --> 00:04:53,040 Without our solution, maybe, but it's where we lament. 90 00:04:53,050 --> 00:04:57,280 We lean into God for his solution. 91 00:04:57,350 --> 00:04:59,560 That's that's what it is to lament. 92 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,350 So it is an expression of deep pain and sorrow, and that's the 93 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:08,960 way we get to express it. Traditional belief is that 94 00:05:08,970 --> 00:05:11,080 Jeremiah wrote the book of Lamentations. 95 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,650 He prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and he was there for 96 00:05:16,660 --> 00:05:18,630 it. So he lived through it, and this 97 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:23,590 is his our writings in poem form through that time. 98 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:30,540 It was a single scroll made-up of five chapters, books, poems, 99 00:05:30,550 --> 00:05:34,860 5 poems and each of them in acrostics. 100 00:05:34,870 --> 00:05:38,680 So if you I'm sure you know acrostic is but a passage or a 101 00:05:38,690 --> 00:05:45,510 poem laid out with the 1st letter of each line as makes up 102 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:46,990 a word. In this case it's the Hebrew 103 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,520 alphabet. So 22 letters in the Hebrew 104 00:05:49,530 --> 00:05:55,750 alphabet, 22 verses in each poem in line with the Hebrew 105 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,750 alphabet, other than chapter 3 which is 3 lines per letter of 106 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:03,310 the alphabet given us 66. Just a bit of education for you 107 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:04,650 here. This is what I learned, so I'm 108 00:06:04,660 --> 00:06:09,470 sharing it. So we are going right into the 109 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:11,870 heart of that now. This, if you haven't read 110 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:15,050 Lamentations lately, I'll talk more about in a second, but just 111 00:06:15,100 --> 00:06:17,950 some awful stuff in there like the the Jerusalem has been 112 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:22,270 destroyed, people without their homes, they are in starvation. 113 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:27,150 And here Jeremiah is trying to make some sense of that and 114 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:31,130 putting it in some kind of order actually with the the poem form. 115 00:06:31,140 --> 00:06:34,620 But we're right in the middle. So I said 5 poems were in the 116 00:06:34,630 --> 00:06:37,080 middle one and we're right in the middle of that poem. 117 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:38,430 That's the reason why I'm saying that. 118 00:06:38,540 --> 00:06:43,030 And we are going to verse 19. So we are right in the centre of 119 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,340 the Book of Lamentations, starting at verse 19. 120 00:06:46,350 --> 00:06:50,960 We'll go to 24. I remember my affliction and my 121 00:06:50,970 --> 00:06:53,270 wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 122 00:06:53,410 --> 00:06:56,770 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 123 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,690 Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. 124 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,380 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His 125 00:07:03,390 --> 00:07:06,890 compassions never fail. They are new every morning. 126 00:07:06,900 --> 00:07:10,590 Great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, the Lord is my 127 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:13,330 portion. Therefore I will wait for Him. 128 00:07:14,810 --> 00:07:18,230 So first thing to note, although I notice is in verse 20 or or 129 00:07:18,290 --> 00:07:20,100 all of it really, it's it's in present tense. 130 00:07:20,410 --> 00:07:23,960 Yet this I call to mind my soul is downcast. 131 00:07:24,130 --> 00:07:27,440 He's there. It's not this isn't a hindsight 132 00:07:27,450 --> 00:07:30,820 recollection of what happened. He's in this my soul is that I 133 00:07:30,830 --> 00:07:35,910 am downcast. But then he goes on to say his 134 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:39,070 compassions, though, never fail. And he said compassions, which 135 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,590 intrigued it was plural. So I looked at the original word 136 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,590 in the Hebrew Scripture and it was it's Raheem. 137 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,010 I'm not going to try and say it totally properly because I don't 138 00:07:49,020 --> 00:07:52,340 want to spit on you. John more embarrassed myself. 139 00:07:52,350 --> 00:07:55,190 But it's Reham, which means actually means womb and it but 140 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:59,610 in this context, it means that all-encompassing compassion of 141 00:07:59,620 --> 00:08:01,690 God, like the tender love of a mother. 142 00:08:01,700 --> 00:08:04,210 That's the full description. So it's big. 143 00:08:04,260 --> 00:08:06,470 It's it's compassion, but it's more than that. 144 00:08:06,860 --> 00:08:11,890 And he's saying compassions and he's in the middle of this. 145 00:08:12,020 --> 00:08:13,600 I said things were bad at that time. 146 00:08:13,610 --> 00:08:16,450 They were awful. Like if you read some of this, 147 00:08:16,460 --> 00:08:19,800 it talks about cannibalism for people to survive. 148 00:08:19,810 --> 00:08:22,310 It's horrendous. There's just awful stuff going 149 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:23,670 on. And then right in the middle of 150 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:29,040 that, Jeremiah is able to say, yet this, yet this I call to 151 00:08:29,050 --> 00:08:34,690 mind, and therefore I have hope. His compassions never fail, so 152 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:39,799 how was he able to say that he had experience? 153 00:08:39,809 --> 00:08:41,340 We know that. We know some of Jeremiah's 154 00:08:41,350 --> 00:08:44,930 story, so we know he knew God. We know he was close to him. 155 00:08:44,940 --> 00:08:49,010 Was he experienced in God's compassions himself in that 156 00:08:49,020 --> 00:08:51,600 moment? Was he recollecting stuff? 157 00:08:51,610 --> 00:08:56,440 I'm sure it was a bit of both, but really to the first touch of 158 00:08:56,450 --> 00:09:01,700 the word new beginnings. I think suffering initiates new 159 00:09:01,710 --> 00:09:05,140 beginnings and I believe that strongly. 160 00:09:05,150 --> 00:09:07,230 I I know that's true. And I've got that a, a story of 161 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:10,080 that in my life, which I'm gonna share, which happened just about 162 00:09:10,090 --> 00:09:14,940 a year and a half ago where God came into suffering to, to start 163 00:09:14,950 --> 00:09:18,050 a new beginning, which is why I'm stood here. 164 00:09:19,510 --> 00:09:23,900 I was in a John already shared having a business locally. 165 00:09:24,090 --> 00:09:26,270 And we're in a tough spot. We're in a really tough spot. 166 00:09:26,310 --> 00:09:28,600 But I thought to the point where I thought that could be it. 167 00:09:28,610 --> 00:09:30,930 We we could be done. And we had about 70 people 168 00:09:30,940 --> 00:09:33,600 working for us at the time. There were several things 169 00:09:33,610 --> 00:09:35,700 happening. But the biggest thing, and 170 00:09:35,710 --> 00:09:38,060 without going into detail with I told you he's given, that's not 171 00:09:38,070 --> 00:09:39,990 suffering. Well, it was I was suffering. 172 00:09:40,130 --> 00:09:42,750 I didn't know how to function. I couldn't function. 173 00:09:42,990 --> 00:09:45,980 I would go to work and I would say to the guy who runs things 174 00:09:45,990 --> 00:09:48,260 for me, I gotta go home. I just can't make a decision. 175 00:09:48,270 --> 00:09:50,290 I can't function. So I was at breakdown point. 176 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:55,060 If you ask guys, if he says I did breakdown, but I, I was at 177 00:09:55,070 --> 00:09:57,610 that breakdown point and I didn't know what to do and I was 178 00:09:57,620 --> 00:10:00,810 driving to work and I was listening to my devotion that 179 00:10:00,820 --> 00:10:04,070 morning. I and it was about love and it 180 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:10,670 it finished and then I had this just overwhelming presence of 181 00:10:10,680 --> 00:10:13,150 God. And he said as clear as 182 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:15,490 anything, I love you and it's all you need to know. 183 00:10:15,560 --> 00:10:19,030 And it was as simple as that. Now, if you've experienced 184 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:20,990 anything like that, you'll know what I mean by this. 185 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,590 It wasn't like I could recognize his voice and in an audible way, 186 00:10:24,860 --> 00:10:28,460 but that's what he said. And whenever I look back at that 187 00:10:28,470 --> 00:10:30,830 moment, that's what he said. I love you and it's all you need 188 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:32,570 to know. But it was what he did with 189 00:10:32,580 --> 00:10:35,040 that. That was the powerful bit. 190 00:10:35,100 --> 00:10:41,240 He moved me to a new beginning and to illustrate where he put 191 00:10:41,250 --> 00:10:44,690 me, God used something else. A few weeks later I was watching 192 00:10:44,700 --> 00:10:46,920 the King of Kings animation. If any of you have seen that. 193 00:10:46,970 --> 00:10:49,720 Like Christmas before last, I think it came out. 194 00:10:49,910 --> 00:10:53,410 And there's a bit in there where that disciples getting the boat 195 00:10:53,420 --> 00:10:55,670 without Jesus, you know the story and they're going across 196 00:10:55,680 --> 00:10:58,040 the lake and they start getting tossed around in the storms. 197 00:10:59,140 --> 00:11:01,290 And the animation does a pretty good job of making that look 198 00:11:01,300 --> 00:11:03,970 pretty dramatic. And they don't know what to do. 199 00:11:03,980 --> 00:11:06,730 And then they see something and it's Christ and he's on the 200 00:11:06,740 --> 00:11:08,210 water. And this is, you know, the story 201 00:11:08,220 --> 00:11:11,060 where Peter wants to get out and say, God, if it's you, Lord of 202 00:11:11,070 --> 00:11:14,150 it's you, let me come. And but it was that moment. 203 00:11:14,220 --> 00:11:17,670 It was that moment and that visual and that picture that I'm 204 00:11:17,680 --> 00:11:22,080 talking about at that moment in the car where I was in that 205 00:11:22,130 --> 00:11:27,710 place in that perfect calmness with Christ, but could still see 206 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:32,120 all the storm like, but the storm didn't matter And it 207 00:11:32,130 --> 00:11:34,880 wasn't like anything changed because I didn't get to work. 208 00:11:34,890 --> 00:11:36,550 I was on my way to work. I didn't get there and everyone 209 00:11:36,560 --> 00:11:38,120 was waiting at the door and said, Rob, you're not gonna 210 00:11:38,130 --> 00:11:40,060 believe it's a miracle. All the problems have gone away. 211 00:11:40,210 --> 00:11:43,860 None of that happened, but it didn't matter anymore. 212 00:11:43,870 --> 00:11:46,140 Of course it still mad and I'm not saying we don't pray for 213 00:11:46,150 --> 00:11:47,230 change. We don't pray for healing all 214 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:52,280 those things, but it was where I was at in that moment that made 215 00:11:52,290 --> 00:11:56,040 all the difference. Dave Snow, I don't know. 216 00:11:56,050 --> 00:11:59,260 Obviously I can't see him, but he shared that two weeks ago 217 00:11:59,270 --> 00:12:02,600 when he came up and shared some of his story with us where he's 218 00:12:02,610 --> 00:12:06,060 in a point of suffering. He's suffering, but his 219 00:12:06,070 --> 00:12:09,080 testimony was fantastic. He's I'm good, I'm good. 220 00:12:09,090 --> 00:12:11,560 And he said I, I don't know about the healing. 221 00:12:11,630 --> 00:12:14,200 I'm good. He was, he's, he's in that 222 00:12:14,210 --> 00:12:16,240 place. Which is more important? 223 00:12:17,020 --> 00:12:18,450 I'm not diminishing the suffering. 224 00:12:18,460 --> 00:12:20,070 I'm not. I'm not taking away from that. 225 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:23,590 But I'm saying that new beginning that God can create 226 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:29,290 through suffering is something else and and it's and it's 227 00:12:29,300 --> 00:12:32,530 guarantee. It's written many times, the 228 00:12:32,540 --> 00:12:35,050 sufferings guaranteed. If you're not in it, you're 229 00:12:35,060 --> 00:12:39,720 gonna get it. So we want him to use it, right? 230 00:12:39,730 --> 00:12:42,890 We do want him to use it. And I and the new beginning that 231 00:12:42,900 --> 00:12:46,230 was starting to meet literally to make being stood here today 232 00:12:46,340 --> 00:12:52,040 is been incredible. I'm gonna use this moment just I 233 00:12:52,050 --> 00:12:54,080 would be remiss to mention Linda, I know you mentioned 234 00:12:54,090 --> 00:12:57,060 Linda Fraelich, but those of you that knew her and I 235 00:12:57,130 --> 00:13:00,430 unfortunately know well, but those of you that did know this 236 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:02,680 is true of her too. That in our moment of suffering, 237 00:13:02,690 --> 00:13:05,540 she honoured Christ. She was suffering in Christ and 238 00:13:05,830 --> 00:13:11,190 and her testimony goes on honoring Christ because of the 239 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:13,530 way she was able to suffer with Him. 240 00:13:14,220 --> 00:13:17,490 And I think that's just a a good example of of that too. 241 00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:20,200 And of course, we continue to pray for Gary and the family as 242 00:13:20,210 --> 00:13:22,610 they go through their moment of suffering now. 243 00:13:22,680 --> 00:13:25,690 And we pray that they they meet him right there too. 244 00:13:28,230 --> 00:13:32,280 Romans 8 talks about this, talks about suffering, and if you 245 00:13:32,290 --> 00:13:34,500 wanna, I'm not gonna go right to it, but if you wanna read from 246 00:13:34,570 --> 00:13:37,010 verse 18 in your own time, it says a lot about that and 247 00:13:37,020 --> 00:13:39,340 there's a lot in it. But what it concludes with 248 00:13:39,350 --> 00:13:42,080 really is 828, which Louise's favorite verse actually. 249 00:13:42,090 --> 00:13:45,650 And we know that it wasn't all things God works for the good of 250 00:13:45,660 --> 00:13:48,060 those who love him have been called according to His purpose. 251 00:13:49,170 --> 00:13:53,850 So I'll conclude that little bit with that. 252 00:13:54,020 --> 00:13:56,090 I mean, there's enough to know that God uses it. 253 00:13:56,100 --> 00:14:00,400 He does. He does that was first 22. 254 00:14:00,410 --> 00:14:03,190 His compassions never failing. We moved verse 23. 255 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:07,950 They are new every morning. So talk about everyday new 256 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:09,920 beginnings not in regular everyday new things. 257 00:14:09,930 --> 00:14:12,170 Everyday new beginnings spoken about just now in the children 258 00:14:12,180 --> 00:14:15,290 message. We have this perfect privilege 259 00:14:15,300 --> 00:14:17,910 is believers that every day we can renew. 260 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:23,130 We have this infinite amount of times we we get to renew with 261 00:14:23,140 --> 00:14:26,110 Christ doesn't mean you know John's been talking about this 262 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,680 with the death to life and living the life we don't get to 263 00:14:29,690 --> 00:14:34,350 forget it. We don't get to erase what we've 264 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:38,480 been through, but we get to use it and remember it and remember 265 00:14:38,490 --> 00:14:40,180 what Christ has done for us through it. 266 00:14:42,850 --> 00:14:47,940 So what a incredible God we have that every morning we can come 267 00:14:47,950 --> 00:14:50,640 back to him and do that with this guilt free walk. 268 00:14:50,650 --> 00:14:52,500 There's no condemnation. We don't look back with 269 00:14:52,510 --> 00:14:54,230 condemnation. We look back with thank you, 270 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:56,600 God, you did it for me again. But it's better than that. 271 00:14:56,610 --> 00:14:59,900 It's not every morning, it's anytime it's throughout the day. 272 00:14:59,910 --> 00:15:01,740 It's not you don't have to wait till the morning. 273 00:15:02,150 --> 00:15:04,080 You certainly don't have to wait till the new year for your 274 00:15:04,090 --> 00:15:09,450 resolution. It's it's any time I, you know 275 00:15:09,460 --> 00:15:12,760 the story, we know what Peter goes up to Jesus and asks how 276 00:15:12,770 --> 00:15:14,310 many times should we forgive our brother? 277 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:16,850 7 times. And I kind of like the sound of 278 00:15:16,860 --> 00:15:20,110 that having a tally mark. You're up to three today. 279 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:22,690 Just letting you know, like Randy, you up to 4. 280 00:15:22,700 --> 00:15:24,490 Like, you know, having a televised with, well, you know 281 00:15:24,500 --> 00:15:27,730 the answer Jesus gives us that it's 70 * 7. 282 00:15:28,390 --> 00:15:30,610 I don't know what the math is. Someone can shout that number if 283 00:15:30,620 --> 00:15:32,490 they've got it. Or is it 490? 284 00:15:32,540 --> 00:15:36,450 The point is if you're getting up to 490 sins against just one 285 00:15:36,460 --> 00:15:38,520 of your brothers against me, then there's a different problem 286 00:15:38,530 --> 00:15:42,090 we need to deal with. But the point is Jesus saying 287 00:15:42,100 --> 00:15:45,610 that there's no number. You continuously forgive each 288 00:15:45,620 --> 00:15:48,730 other, and the great thing about that, that's talking about you 289 00:15:48,740 --> 00:15:51,490 and I. So we don't understand God's 290 00:15:51,500 --> 00:15:55,120 love, and how much more does He forgive us? 291 00:15:57,430 --> 00:16:02,900 So we get to come to Him any moment in time. 292 00:16:03,670 --> 00:16:05,400 God, I'm sorry I've messed up again. 293 00:16:05,470 --> 00:16:06,920 God, I'm sorry I've done it again. 294 00:16:07,150 --> 00:16:09,280 We don't have to all tomorrow. I'll do better now. 295 00:16:09,290 --> 00:16:13,580 Right now, right now, any moment in time, we get to renew and 296 00:16:13,590 --> 00:16:18,470 restart with Him. Salvation is one time, but the 297 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:20,840 renewing with Him is constant and ongoing. 298 00:16:21,780 --> 00:16:25,670 That growing in sanctification is is a process of new 299 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:33,940 beginnings throughout. I think I'm going fast, might be 300 00:16:33,950 --> 00:16:40,870 less than 45 minutes. So the we have to talk about the 301 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:46,290 greatest new beginning, which is salvation becoming a Christian, 302 00:16:46,380 --> 00:16:51,290 death to life, crossing the line, being born again. 303 00:16:53,170 --> 00:16:56,040 When we become aware of our sin and that need for our salvation, 304 00:16:56,050 --> 00:16:58,550 then we get, we get, have it and we had it. 305 00:16:59,590 --> 00:17:04,000 Um, but it's also the start of many new beginnings. 306 00:17:04,010 --> 00:17:06,980 Like it's actually exactly what Sandra said at the in the 307 00:17:06,990 --> 00:17:08,720 children's message. It's, it's, it's the one 308 00:17:08,730 --> 00:17:10,880 greatest big beginning you can have, but it's the start of 309 00:17:10,890 --> 00:17:12,750 many. I remember when I became a 310 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:17,740 Christian, I'm going back to when I was I think 19 and I was 311 00:17:17,930 --> 00:17:20,099 a bad lad for a while. I was, I was involved in all 312 00:17:20,109 --> 00:17:22,119 sorts of drugs, drinks, I was selling drugs. 313 00:17:22,130 --> 00:17:25,119 I was in a bad spot and I had quite the dramatic salvation. 314 00:17:25,130 --> 00:17:28,339 My moment of that crossing the line was was dramatic and 315 00:17:28,349 --> 00:17:30,890 happened instantly. But because I had a lot of 316 00:17:30,900 --> 00:17:35,120 things wrong, I felt I knew what I needed to be done next, right? 317 00:17:35,130 --> 00:17:37,950 I had, I know this is bad. I need to stop doing that. 318 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:39,620 I need to stop doing that. This isn't a good look. 319 00:17:39,630 --> 00:17:41,540 I need, you know, I had all these things that I remember and 320 00:17:41,550 --> 00:17:45,880 I remember clearly get into a a moment of realization with that, 321 00:17:45,890 --> 00:17:49,100 that I was trying to instigate my new beginnings. 322 00:17:49,110 --> 00:17:51,280 I don't know that I would have given it that phrase then, but I 323 00:17:51,290 --> 00:17:56,110 remember realizing I was trying to fix things and God needed to 324 00:17:56,120 --> 00:18:00,290 do it and and when he did, He dealt with the root of that 325 00:18:00,350 --> 00:18:05,990 rather than the face of that. And I feel like actually, since 326 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:08,110 my story I shared earlier on, I feel like I've been going 327 00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:11,630 through that again a little bit. I've realizing that we try and 328 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:14,010 do it ourselves. We gotta let him have it. 329 00:18:14,180 --> 00:18:17,650 We've gotta let him have it. We gotta let him show us where 330 00:18:17,660 --> 00:18:21,150 we need a new beginning. Not thinking we've got it nailed 331 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:23,430 because we never do. Which is frustrating, I know, 332 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:32,670 but we never have it nailed. So my favorite new beginning in 333 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:34,330 the Bible is the thief on the cross. 334 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,750 I just think it demonstrates everything that we need to know 335 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:45,880 with Salvation is you've got he's tends to Jesus, Jesus 336 00:18:45,890 --> 00:18:49,990 Remember Me and Jesus says yes and he can't do a thing. 337 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:52,370 He I mean, he's pinned right. He's nailed. 338 00:18:52,380 --> 00:18:54,590 He can't move, he can't go anywhere. 339 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,290 He can't prove his new beginning to anyone. 340 00:18:57,300 --> 00:19:00,830 He can't go and repair any damage he's done to others. 341 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:02,700 He can't ask for forgiveness from anyone. 342 00:19:02,710 --> 00:19:06,470 He can't do anything. He's hours from death and he 343 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:09,910 starts a new life in Christ. Like how incredible, how 344 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:14,430 incredible, and how complicated we can make that, but it's so 345 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:17,930 simple. It's so simple that we can just 346 00:19:17,940 --> 00:19:22,160 accept that moment of salvation and on we go. 347 00:19:22,750 --> 00:19:26,100 There's nothing like it and I just, that's why it's my 348 00:19:26,110 --> 00:19:28,240 favorite new beginning. It's just, it's, it says it all 349 00:19:28,250 --> 00:19:29,960 without having to say anything. It's great. 350 00:19:30,710 --> 00:19:40,900 SO application stuff, well, Sunday school answers easy. 351 00:19:40,910 --> 00:19:42,830 Pray and read your Bible more, right? 352 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:44,100 Those are good things. Do them. 353 00:19:44,150 --> 00:19:47,710 But I can't tell you to go get suffering. 354 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:49,610 And I, like I already said, you're already gonna have that. 355 00:19:49,620 --> 00:19:52,420 You're already either you're in it, you've had some, you're 356 00:19:52,430 --> 00:19:55,770 gonna have some, you know, and, and allow God to use you through 357 00:19:55,780 --> 00:19:56,960 it. And I know that's easier said 358 00:19:56,970 --> 00:20:00,030 than done. My moment that I described 359 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,310 wasn't expected. I wasn't going away. 360 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,460 Well, this is the morning. God's going to sort me out this 361 00:20:04,470 --> 00:20:05,470 morning. Everything's going to come. 362 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:08,630 I didn't know that, but. I was crying out to him for 363 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:10,130 sure. So we keep doing that. 364 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:15,180 We keep looking to Him, but there are a couple applications 365 00:20:15,190 --> 00:20:18,280 verses verse 2021. My soul is downcast within me, 366 00:20:18,290 --> 00:20:22,150 yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. 367 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:24,370 Well, what is he calling to mind? 368 00:20:24,460 --> 00:20:27,820 What is he calling to mind? What can we call to mind when 369 00:20:27,830 --> 00:20:32,090 we're in those times? Anything that reminds us of His 370 00:20:32,100 --> 00:20:35,110 faithfulness. Anything, however small or big, 371 00:20:35,890 --> 00:20:40,560 just call it to mind. Maybe write it down daily. 372 00:20:40,610 --> 00:20:43,740 Maybe remind yourself of the things he's done during that 373 00:20:43,750 --> 00:20:45,700 day, the things we can be thankful for. 374 00:20:45,710 --> 00:20:47,580 And when we realize they're there during that day, they're 375 00:20:47,590 --> 00:20:49,980 probably things that he's kind of nudging the new beginning. 376 00:20:49,990 --> 00:20:52,400 They always are. And then we got the big things. 377 00:20:52,410 --> 00:20:53,960 We got the big story that I shared. 378 00:20:53,970 --> 00:20:55,200 I should write. I have written it down. 379 00:20:55,210 --> 00:20:59,610 Now. There we go, but we're so prone 380 00:20:59,620 --> 00:21:03,340 to forget. And it reminded me as I thought 381 00:21:03,350 --> 00:21:04,760 about that. I mean, even thinking through 382 00:21:04,770 --> 00:21:07,010 like I've been reading the Bible again in a year and I'm in 383 00:21:07,070 --> 00:21:11,060 Exodus, They walked through the Red Sea with a wall of water 384 00:21:11,070 --> 00:21:13,190 each side of them. And how soon after they've 385 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:15,840 forgotten. So we're the same. 386 00:21:15,910 --> 00:21:18,120 We forget, so we need to write it down. 387 00:21:18,130 --> 00:21:20,950 We need to remind ourselves. We need to call to mind what 388 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:24,120 he's done and what he's doing, what we've seen him do in other 389 00:21:24,130 --> 00:21:31,120 people's lives with just need to keep recalling that and when we 390 00:21:31,130 --> 00:21:34,080 look what he's done, other people's lives, sometimes that's 391 00:21:34,090 --> 00:21:35,500 an easier way to see it, I think. 392 00:21:35,510 --> 00:21:38,230 I don't know why that is, but it's a good reminder too. 393 00:21:38,970 --> 00:21:41,910 It's not always about us. It's not always about me. 394 00:21:42,810 --> 00:21:45,720 I could be in the midst of someone else's new beginning and 395 00:21:45,730 --> 00:21:47,700 being mindful of that. And I'm going to talk about 396 00:21:47,710 --> 00:21:51,480 myself again for that. The story I gave and the the the 397 00:21:51,490 --> 00:21:52,800 tough night. Better not look at the family 398 00:21:52,810 --> 00:21:53,850 cause that's why I get emotional. 399 00:21:53,860 --> 00:21:57,490 But OHP there's a new beginning. I wasn't planning on talking 400 00:21:57,500 --> 00:22:05,030 about this when I turned 50I cry at everything now my kids will 401 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:06,410 tell you. You can ask him yourself. 402 00:22:06,420 --> 00:22:10,110 I they had never seen me shed a tear until I was their age and 403 00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:13,960 now I cry at everything. Don't worry if you're not 50. 404 00:22:13,970 --> 00:22:18,410 I don't think it happens to everybody, but I say maybe you 405 00:22:18,420 --> 00:22:21,680 don't care. I just I still I'm still getting 406 00:22:21,690 --> 00:22:24,420 used to it 52. I'm still trying to figure it 407 00:22:24,430 --> 00:22:27,420 out. Anyway, now I've lost myself. 408 00:22:27,490 --> 00:22:31,420 No, not being about us. So when I was going through that 409 00:22:31,430 --> 00:22:34,080 stuff, I don't think they were all aware they were fantastic, 410 00:22:34,090 --> 00:22:35,650 right? Everyone of my family around me 411 00:22:35,660 --> 00:22:37,090 were. Just knew there was something 412 00:22:37,100 --> 00:22:44,190 they needed to do different, but they didn't think, see, see what 413 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:45,240 I mean? It's ridiculous. 414 00:22:46,460 --> 00:22:52,010 OHP My goodness, they didn't No. Oh, this is a point of Rob's new 415 00:22:52,020 --> 00:22:53,390 beginning. This is point of Dad's new 416 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,110 beginning. They weren't thinking that way, 417 00:22:55,180 --> 00:22:57,050 but they knew there was a way to deal with me. 418 00:22:57,060 --> 00:22:58,370 It's a little bit differently, right? 419 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:01,260 They could see needed to give me a little bit of slack. 420 00:23:01,270 --> 00:23:02,980 They could see there was a little bit of understanding. 421 00:23:02,990 --> 00:23:04,550 They could maybe I need a little bit of extra prayer. 422 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:06,390 I don't know, but I could feel it. 423 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:09,210 I could see it. So I would say something or they 424 00:23:09,220 --> 00:23:11,700 would say something that they would always say and they would 425 00:23:11,710 --> 00:23:15,270 see my reaction and and Oh yeah, we need to be a bit different 426 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,120 around. So let's, I think there's an 427 00:23:18,130 --> 00:23:19,710 application there. We need to remember that in 428 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,270 other people it's not always about me. 429 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:30,010 And then final application, really the greatest new 430 00:23:30,020 --> 00:23:34,190 beginning I mentioned of coming to him for the first time. 431 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,540 If you haven't asked him to do that, if you don't know him, if 432 00:23:38,550 --> 00:23:42,210 you haven't gone from that death to life, if that isn't something 433 00:23:42,220 --> 00:23:44,390 you feel you've experienced now, well, don't wait. 434 00:23:44,750 --> 00:23:47,520 I always remember my my dad became a Christian a little bit 435 00:23:47,530 --> 00:23:52,650 later on after I did and he would tell me about times we'd 436 00:23:52,660 --> 00:23:55,620 be sat in church before being a Christian and have that 437 00:23:55,630 --> 00:23:58,200 conviction and just knew there was the truth there. 438 00:23:58,470 --> 00:24:00,940 No, I need to go and fix this. I need to change this first. 439 00:24:00,950 --> 00:24:04,740 I need to do this first. Well, there's missing the point, 440 00:24:04,750 --> 00:24:07,100 right? We don't, we don't plan it. 441 00:24:07,110 --> 00:24:10,000 It's not we can't put anything right. 442 00:24:10,190 --> 00:24:11,540 Go back to the thief on the cross. 443 00:24:11,550 --> 00:24:15,330 This is the moment you just accept and then let Christ walk 444 00:24:15,340 --> 00:24:17,340 alongside you for that greatest new beginning you could 445 00:24:17,350 --> 00:24:19,020 experience. So if you haven't done that, 446 00:24:19,090 --> 00:24:21,410 don't wait. Do it today, do it now. 447 00:24:22,300 --> 00:24:25,290 We'll pray in a minute and you can do it right now. 448 00:24:25,340 --> 00:24:28,300 Don't leave it, it's too important. 449 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:32,680 And there's two incredible to experience. 450 00:24:32,690 --> 00:24:34,200 You just gotta get him in your life. 451 00:24:36,210 --> 00:24:37,950 Well, like on quicker than I thought, but let's pray. 452 00:24:39,730 --> 00:24:41,930 Dear Lord, thank you for new beginnings. 453 00:24:42,950 --> 00:24:45,860 Thank you for whatever we do, Lord. 454 00:24:45,870 --> 00:24:48,090 You're right there with your hand outstretched for us to 455 00:24:48,100 --> 00:24:52,620 start again daily. But not just daily Lord anytime 456 00:24:54,830 --> 00:24:59,940 and Lord of that greatest new beginning of salvation and I'm 457 00:24:59,990 --> 00:25:01,960 I'm gonna put it out there now with her when everyone's got 458 00:25:01,970 --> 00:25:03,900 their eyes closed. If you're one of those people 459 00:25:03,910 --> 00:25:06,600 who think you need to accept Christ for the first time, then 460 00:25:07,670 --> 00:25:09,620 no one's looking. You could put your arm up and 461 00:25:09,630 --> 00:25:14,740 and acknowledge that so that we know we can pray for you and and 462 00:25:15,010 --> 00:25:16,610 join you in that journey with Christ. 463 00:25:18,930 --> 00:25:22,080 If you don't wanna put your arm up then just do that. 464 00:25:22,090 --> 00:25:26,010 Pretty except Jesus, you won't regret it. 465 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:29,430 So Lord, thank you for this time. 466 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:34,330 Thank you for everything You are to us at all times and bless 467 00:25:34,340 --> 00:25:36,490 this day and make it a new beginning for all of us. 468 00:25:36,500 --> 00:25:38,910 In your name the greatest name there is Jesus. 469 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:39,380 Amen.