1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:07,760 Good morning 3 CI. It is really good to be here. 2 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:14,720 You know when Paul writes, there's times where he he'll say 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:21,200 things like I thank my God for you as he writes to the letter, 4 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,520 Hey, when I walked in here, it was just that phrase that came 5 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:29,840 up. I thank my God for you. 6 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:35,440 And, and it's like, I just feel like I want to say I thank my 7 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:40,080 God for you. You are beautiful. 8 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,440 And and this, this church is so deep in our hearts. 9 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:50,400 And it's, I suppose when we come here, we realize it more than 10 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:55,600 when we're away. But my life was changed. 11 00:00:55,600 --> 00:01:03,400 Yeah. And my family was changed. 12 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,760 Yeah. We we were shaped by the gospel 13 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:12,720 that was preached in this house. And so I thank God for what is 14 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:16,360 meant over the years. And I thank God for what I see 15 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:19,480 here today. I thank my God for you. 16 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:26,320 You know, I think the last time I preached you, I was standing 17 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,720 over there somewhere. I wasn't. 18 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,760 Yeah, it was over there. It was like a circus tent. 19 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,360 Who is who is here for the circus tent? 20 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:40,880 Beautiful. I've always wondered about that. 21 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,480 My departure and that and the bringing down of the circus tent 22 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:52,200 was kind of in the same same time, exactly, but got a little 23 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,280 bit older. I mean, I'm wearing glasses now. 24 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,800 Ayers, man, jeez. Turned 50. 25 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:05,400 You know, there's a story of a lady that I know well, I'm not 26 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,960 going to mention any names, but she went for an eye test and she 27 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,640 very confidently stared into that machine where you got to 28 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:15,520 read like the number, the letters. 29 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:28,040 And so she starts reading BFM and she's going strong Z K32M 30 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:32,960 and she just realised as she's reading these letters art, 31 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,720 there's a little bit of A and the lady that was doing the test 32 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:39,920 had a mouth like a head in front of her mouth. 33 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,240 And so she like kind of came out from this machine that you're 34 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,520 staring into and kind of like did a what's wrong? 35 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,320 She's like Donny Dorsty, no missiony. 36 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,800 It's just letters, no numbers here. 37 00:02:54,880 --> 00:03:00,240 But our, our eyes start to fail as you, as you get a bit older. 38 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,080 And it's a good reminder that life is short. 39 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:09,480 Life is very short. And I mean, six years, I can't 40 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,040 even believe it. You know, so much has happened 41 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:12,560 in six years. It's like just like that. 42 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,120 And I, and I think it's good for us to realise that life is 43 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:19,320 short. It's good for us to think in 44 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,920 these ways. The Bible thinks in that way. 45 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:24,160 Yeah, the Bible writes in that way. 46 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,240 There's geez, darling, how's it been? 47 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:29,800 There's so many faces that I'm seeing. 48 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:35,680 It's beautiful. But I think there's a culture, a 49 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:38,120 culture today which almost realizes that. 50 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,760 And it's kind of like you need to make the most of now, live 51 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,680 your best life now because because life is short. 52 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:49,560 In fact, I think there's a, there's a book like that by a 53 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,720 Christian author. And I think it's wrong because 54 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:55,360 the Bible doesn't tell us to make the best of this life now. 55 00:03:55,360 --> 00:04:00,680 The Bible tells us to live your life now so that you will live 56 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,280 your best life then. It was a different way of 57 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,760 viewing it. And prayer is actually so 58 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:15,240 important to that end. And I want to just speak today 59 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,959 about the fact that we live in light of eternity, which means 60 00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:21,959 we should we should be praying in light of eternity. 61 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:28,280 I want to say prayers is for our benefit. 62 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:32,600 It's not for God's. He can operate without our 63 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,720 praise. He's not tied down where our 64 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:37,880 praise like allow him to do stuff. 65 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:42,760 He can do whatever he wants. Praise for us and pray carries 66 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:46,560 eternal significance. And so I want to just read a 67 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,680 passage that talks about eternity. 68 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:54,080 It talks about us living our lives now in light of eternity. 69 00:04:55,560 --> 00:05:00,440 And then I want to just mention a few things around pray and how 70 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:02,800 God is so wise in how he's given us. 71 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:08,120 Pray to help us in this journey. SO1 Corinthians 3 if you want to 72 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:12,600 turn in your Bible from verse 10 is where I'm going to be reading 73 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:23,000 from. So this is the following. 74 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:28,960 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert 75 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:32,400 builder and someone else is building on it. 76 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,640 But each one should be careful how he builds. 77 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:39,640 So Paul is using picture language. 78 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:45,040 He's talking about the fact that the church can be a likened to a 79 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,200 building and this building has a foundation. 80 00:05:48,840 --> 00:05:51,160 And then we build on top of that foundation. 81 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:55,200 And he's saying he came and he laid the foundation and now it's 82 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,960 up to them as a church to continue to build on that 83 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,840 foundation. But he says be careful about 84 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:04,360 this. The new King James Version 85 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,080 actually uses the phrase take heed. 86 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,640 So quite like each one should take heed how he builds. 87 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:13,920 The fact that he says that means that we can be careless. 88 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,040 If he's saying be careful how you build it means we can be 89 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:22,040 careless. So we got to take this 1st and 90 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:23,800 say, OK, Lord, what are you saying? 91 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:29,400 What does this mean for us? He goes on for no one can lay 92 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,520 any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus 93 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:37,400 Christ. It's one of the marks of Paul 94 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:41,120 and how he writes. He just says, hey man, I'm I'm 95 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:45,920 about Jesus and Jesus crucified. That's what I've come to preach. 96 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,640 That's what I'm proclaiming. That's what I'm going to stick 97 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:50,520 with. There's nothing else that I need 98 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:52,520 to say. I'm proclaiming that message. 99 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:56,440 That's the foundation that I'm bringing to you. 100 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:01,960 And so Jesus is the foundation. Verse 12 Any any man builds on 101 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,240 this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay 102 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,440 or straw. His work will be shown for what 103 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:14,520 it is because the day, the capital DD Day, will bring it to 104 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:17,640 light. It will be revealed with fire, 105 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,280 and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 106 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:26,920 It's quite sobering, right? I mean, it's in the Bible, so we 107 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,640 need to preach it. But there is a day that's 108 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:37,560 coming, the day of the Lord. And for unbelievers, that's not 109 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:42,800 going to be the best day. It will be a day of of 110 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,880 condemnation for them. But for the believer, it's 111 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:50,520 actually a day of commendation, not condemnation. 112 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:55,560 It's commendation like there's reward ceremony that's going to 113 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,000 take place. We're not facing judgement. 114 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,800 We're on the other side of judgement as believers, you, you 115 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,880 just therefore reward for reward ceremony. 116 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:13,360 For unbelievers, different story, amazing high in verse 13, 117 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,080 it just it mentions three times in one verse that it's going to 118 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:18,560 be shown, it's going to be shown, it'll be brought to light 119 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,960 and it'll be revealed by fire, but by God's holiness, by his 120 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:28,320 glory, it will be tested the authenticity of the work. 121 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:32,159 And so there's two potential outcomes for believers when it 122 00:08:32,159 --> 00:08:35,159 comes to reward. The 1st is in verse 14, it says 123 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,480 if what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 124 00:08:41,159 --> 00:08:44,440 What is that reward you ask? Well, the Bible doesn't give us 125 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:48,200 too much in terms of the detail of that, but certainly the 126 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:53,240 eternal validation of God, the words from Christ, well done, 127 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:57,520 good and faithful servant, that just echoes into eternity. 128 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:00,560 There might be privileged, there might be authority. 129 00:09:00,560 --> 00:09:02,000 We're going to rule and reign in heaven. 130 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:10,560 So there's reward and God wants to give us reward and that's if 131 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:15,600 we've built well, then verse 15 gives us the second option if it 132 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,560 is burnt up. So he's listed the whole, you 133 00:09:18,560 --> 00:09:25,280 know, it's gold and and silver costly stones, wood, hay, straw. 134 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:30,640 So the wood, hay, straw that that's going to be burnt up, the 135 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:34,200 gold, silver, costly stones that'll be refined by that file. 136 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:39,200 The beauty will come through. But if it is burned up, he will 137 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:44,480 suffer loss, which is why Paul's saying be careful how you build. 138 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,960 Take heed. This is, this is, this is in the 139 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:50,520 Bible. This is real. 140 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:55,200 Like we're going to, we're going to walk this walk with something 141 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,080 of it. We must be careful how we live. 142 00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:02,320 Careful how we, we, we live out this incredible salvation that 143 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:08,560 God has given us. If it is burned out, people 144 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:10,800 suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but 145 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,440 only as one escaping through the flames. 146 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:16,360 I love Paul's picture language that he uses. 147 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,400 Can you see it? Can you see a house on fire and 148 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,080 a guy just like jumping out, like he's just made it like all 149 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:25,960 of his possessions gone poof, but he's made it. 150 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:30,880 He's OK, he's saved. And, and so that's the other 151 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,880 option. The other outcome is that 152 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:38,600 everything will be burnt, but you yourself will be saved. 153 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:43,720 So, so be be comforted by the fact that the gospel means that 154 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:47,240 if you're a believer, if you're a believer in Christ, you will 155 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:51,120 be saved come what may. But there is something of a 156 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,800 reward. There is something of us wanting 157 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:56,480 to live our lives for this reward. 158 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:02,200 We we should have it in mind and we should be careful about it. 159 00:11:03,880 --> 00:11:09,520 So let's talk about the promises that we we see in this passage, 160 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:11,240 because there's two promises that come through. 161 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:15,200 The 1 is a promise of eternal life and the other is a promise 162 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:19,080 of eternal reward. So eternal life is you're going 163 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,360 to be saved with reward or you're going to be saved without 164 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,840 reward. And there's degrees of reward. 165 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:27,480 One star differs from another in glory. 166 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,280 So it will be with the resurrection of the day, the 167 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:32,600 Bible says. So there's there's differences, 168 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:37,560 but you'll be saved, You will have eternal life. 169 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,840 That is not within question, that is rock solid. 170 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:47,120 It's a certainty. But there is this other aspect 171 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:52,120 of reward where there's a measure of divine scrutiny, like 172 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:55,600 God is going to test the work and he'll reward you 173 00:11:55,960 --> 00:12:00,600 accordingly. So eternal life is the one, 174 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:05,560 eternal reward is the other, and God promises both. 175 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:11,640 But I think the best way to make sense of the promises of God is 176 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:15,560 to know that there's there's a pathway that needs to be walked 177 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:22,000 towards every promise. That pathway is either going to 178 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:26,320 be walked by Jesus or has been walked by Jesus, or it's walked 179 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:29,960 by us. So often we read of promises in 180 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:33,400 Scripture and we don't really know that we need to discern 181 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,640 between what was Jesus walk and what was ours, what has to be 182 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:44,120 ours. And so Jesus came to walk the 183 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:49,160 pathway of eternal life. He came to walk that. 184 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:52,480 So if this is a pathway, yeah. And at the end of that is 185 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,000 eternal life. Jesus came to earth. 186 00:12:55,680 --> 00:13:01,440 He lived a perfect life, perfect obedience, perfect godliness, 187 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,080 perfect righteousness. He lived it. 188 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:08,960 Then He died a death that is actually ours to die. 189 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:17,920 It was meant for us, but He came as a substitute, and He died on 190 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:22,200 our behalf. And so He takes all of our sin 191 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,360 upon himself. He bears the weight of that 192 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:31,440 judgement, takes the punishment for it, dies a cruel death, and 193 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:35,720 then he's raised again three days later with a resurrected 194 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:38,920 body, and he is resurrected in heaven today. 195 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:44,920 He's our only man in heaven, and he walked that path. 196 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:50,400 Now, the path that we're walking on outside of Jesus before we 197 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:54,360 come to know him is in the complete opposite direction. 198 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,960 It doesn't matter how religious you are, it doesn't matter how 199 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,680 often you go to church, doesn't matter how often you read your 200 00:14:00,680 --> 00:14:04,600 Bible, It doesn't matter if it is excluding Jesus. 201 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:08,320 You're on the wrong pathway. If you think you're going to be 202 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:11,200 doing this in your strength, you're on the wrong pathway. 203 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:17,960 And this pathway is a pathway of sin in our lives, and that sin 204 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:22,480 translates to eternal destruction, eternal torment. 205 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:32,280 Now we get to hear about this message of the Gospel where 206 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:36,280 Jesus walked a pathway that led to the promise of eternal life 207 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:39,720 on our behalf. And what happens while we 208 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,280 walking this pathway of complete destruction? 209 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:44,600 What's what's lying ahead? It's bad news. 210 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:47,280 And we need to know that it's bad news because the greater the 211 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:49,040 bad news is, the better the good news is. 212 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:54,400 Like, if we don't understand how vast a problem this is, we'll 213 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,440 never fully appreciate the gospel. 214 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,160 But we're on a pathway of destruction here. 215 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:08,560 And then God opens our eyes. He brings life in our hearts 216 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:12,920 because the Bible describes us as being completely dead to him. 217 00:15:13,920 --> 00:15:17,160 And our status on this pathway is that we're enemies of God. 218 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:20,760 You know, some people think, oh, I was born in a Christian home. 219 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:26,800 That doesn't make you a child of God until you put your faith in 220 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:30,560 Jesus, you're an enemy. There's hostility between you 221 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:34,080 and him. And and God opens our eyes and 222 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:38,440 he softens our hearts. And the Spirit of God comes and 223 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:42,880 does a work in US, brings life here because we were previously 224 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,200 dead. And we get to see that we're on 225 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:50,440 a pathway that means trouble and that the sin in our lives is in 226 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,960 desperate need of attention and, and, and there's a solution. 227 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:59,240 We hear the message of the gospel and, and we turn from 228 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,320 this pathway and we look to Jesus. 229 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,880 That's called repentance. It's like I'm going to let go of 230 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:10,120 this life that I'm living. This is getting me nowhere other 231 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:13,560 than destruction. I can't fix this. 232 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:16,800 The sin in my life is too big for me. 233 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,960 But I can turn to the one who walked a pathway that secures 234 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,600 eternal life for me, and I will look to him and look to no 235 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:30,280 other, and I will believe. I will believe that this is what 236 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:35,280 God meant when He sent Jesus was that he would send him to walk 237 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,520 the pathway that would give us eternal life. 238 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:45,320 And through repentance and faith, I get united to Christ in 239 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,840 a way where I am with him, where He is now. 240 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,280 I have eternal life. I'm there. 241 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,640 I mean, the Bible talks about us as believers, as being citizens 242 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,400 of heaven. We are seated with him in 243 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:02,800 heavenly places. Eternal life is secured through 244 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,960 repentance and faith. And if you think that that's too 245 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,440 good to be true, welcome to the gospel. 246 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:13,160 Like that's why it's good news. Like what's required? 247 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:18,680 Do I need to be obedient? No, the gospel doesn't require 248 00:17:19,079 --> 00:17:21,599 obedience. It produces obedience, but it 249 00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:25,760 doesn't require it. Do I not need to be more godly? 250 00:17:26,440 --> 00:17:27,839 Now? The gospel doesn't require 251 00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:34,480 godliness, just produces it. But he walked this path for us. 252 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:39,400 Do you realise, do you realise just how amazing that is? 253 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:44,840 He, he lived the life that we would never be able to live. 254 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:47,760 He died the death that was actually meant for us. 255 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:51,840 He was raised to life with the resurrection body. 256 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:56,600 And that puts us with him. When we put our faith in him in 257 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:59,680 a, in a moment, it's just an instant, like when our hearts 258 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:03,040 are turned to him and we put our faith in him, our lives are 259 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:05,920 changed forever. And in an instant we have a new 260 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:08,120 identity. We're no longer an enemy of God. 261 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:14,120 We're now a child of God. It's changed and, and, and we 262 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:16,000 have right standing with the Father. 263 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:20,600 The, the, the Bible uses the word justified. 264 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:24,920 We've been justified. And you know, I got saved 35 265 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,680 years ago. I'm no more justified today than 266 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:32,400 I was the day I got saved because it's a completed work 267 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:35,040 and it comes through repentance in the place. 268 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,280 It's like in an instant, I will never be more justified than I 269 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:41,120 am today. I'm not more justified than 270 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:43,520 Stephen. Like this is this common 271 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:46,600 salvation that the Bible talks about because of what Jesus did 272 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:49,480 and because of our repentance and faith, When we put up a 273 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,800 faith in Him, we get taken to that place and it is fully 274 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,760 secure and it's the status we have new status. 275 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:01,240 We are children of God and as far as heaven is concerned, we 276 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:05,680 are fully redeemed. We have, right standing with God 277 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:08,560 in a moment where we just put our faith in Him. 278 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:13,880 I am so excited. I could punch an elephant. 279 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:22,880 So what about this other promise? 280 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:29,200 So there's a promise of eternal reward. 281 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:33,160 But let's say that's a different pathway that we're now walking. 282 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:36,440 And Jesus walked that pathway for us so that we can walk this 283 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:39,520 pathway. We don't walk that pathway that 284 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,400 He walked. Can I tell you what it means 285 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,600 when you walk on this pathway that Jesus walked? 286 00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:49,160 Can I tell you what it's called? Religion. 287 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:52,560 When you try and live your life in a way that you're trying to 288 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:56,800 please God and find favour with him, that's called religion. 289 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:00,920 That's you being legalistic. If you live your life in a way 290 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:04,720 where there's some of the old things that's coming, even 291 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:07,360 though you're on this new pathway, but you actually look 292 00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:09,720 like the rest of the world, that's called licentiousness. 293 00:20:10,360 --> 00:20:12,520 But but you can't walk on this pathway. 294 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:16,840 It's already been walked. You know what the how liberating 295 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:20,600 that is. I don't have to walk this 296 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:22,600 pathway. It's been walked. 297 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,880 Jesus has walked it. Eternal life has been secured. 298 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:30,920 Now I get qualified for a race, I get put on a new pathway and 299 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:33,480 on the end of that is eternal reward. 300 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,480 And what is this? Well, this is a, a life that is 301 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:44,480 Christ like and becoming more like him and, and becoming like 302 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:49,000 missional in our hearts doing the work of the Father. 303 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,080 Like that's what Jesus I came to do the work of the Father. 304 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:54,600 So if we're going to become like Christ, well, we, we're doing 305 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:57,040 his work. So we're becoming missional. 306 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:00,200 We're becoming people who are gripped with the Kingdom of God. 307 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,120 We're changed, we're forever changed. 308 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:05,640 We're no longer living this old life. 309 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,800 This, this is one of rescue. We've been rescued. 310 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:17,920 This pathway is one of renewal. It's like we, you know, when you 311 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:21,360 get saved, you're fully saved. But then for the rest of your 312 00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:24,800 Christian life, you're just catching up with your 313 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:27,080 Christianity. Do you understand what I mean? 314 00:21:28,480 --> 00:21:33,880 Like Rosie once broke her foot, fractured her foot playing rugby 315 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,640 with the boys. That's why she's tough today. 316 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,680 But we, we go to the hospital and they take an extra and that 317 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,840 shows the fracture in a, in a foot. 318 00:21:43,360 --> 00:21:45,360 They put a half cost like at the back. 319 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:48,000 And this is just before our December holiday. 320 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,160 We're like, oh, the timing couldn't have been worse. 321 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:53,760 But I, I said something, Hey, let's just pray that God's going 322 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,600 to heal her. So we prayed and we go back a 323 00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:01,160 week later for them to check. They do another scan gone, 324 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,800 fracture's gone. So instead of putting a full 325 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:06,840 cast on, they take the half cost off. 326 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:13,240 Instead of her walking out with crutches, they say, no, it's 327 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:16,200 fine, you can go. But did she walk out without 328 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:18,680 crutches? No, she walked out with crutches 329 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:21,600 because she spent the whole of the last week walking with 330 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:25,840 crutches because her foot's broken, There's a fracture. 331 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:30,120 So now she experiences healing and it's whole, it's, it's 332 00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:32,480 complete. But in her mind, in her heart, 333 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:34,000 she's still, she's got to catch up to it. 334 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:35,480 We're saying, hey, Rosie, it's fine. 335 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:38,200 You can put the crutches down. You, you, you're OK. 336 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,400 And slowly but surely she went from 2 crutches to 1 crutches 337 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,520 and, you know, crutch. And she was like limping. 338 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:45,920 And then she started to walk and, and eventually she was 339 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:49,040 like, oh, OK, this is all good. Let's go have a holiday. 340 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:52,320 But it took her a whole week to realize now you're healed. 341 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,720 That's what I mean. Like we're saved in a way where 342 00:22:55,720 --> 00:23:00,320 it is complete. Like we, we have been redeemed 343 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:03,280 because it's based on the work of another. 344 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:05,840 It's based on the life of another. 345 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,160 His name is Jesus, and that is the foundation that we live 346 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:14,560 upon. And then we walk this life with 347 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:21,840 God in fellowship with him, and we become more on earth of the 348 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:27,240 status that we carry in heaven. But so often we're so consumed 349 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:30,680 with feelings and experiences and how we're doing that we 350 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,120 start to think differently about whether we actually are saved or 351 00:23:34,120 --> 00:23:36,320 not. But you see, you're putting 352 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:42,960 yourself in the picture. When we stand before God, we 353 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,280 have the choice of either standing there on the merit of 354 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:50,840 our own life and what we've done with our lives, or we get to 355 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:55,200 stand before Him on the merit of what Jesus did with his life. 356 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,480 And that's why Paul says, I've laid a foundation. 357 00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:01,800 You can't lay this foundation again. 358 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,440 Stop trying to lay it again. Build on top of it. 359 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:10,240 And as you do, you will spend your life in a way with complete 360 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,840 liberty and absolute certainty, knowing that you are saved 361 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,120 forever and that liberty allows you to live differently. 362 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:22,240 And there you will be building onto this foundation being used 363 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:24,840 of God, not wasting your time trying to walk a pathway that's 364 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:30,160 already been walked for you. I thought I looked at my notes 365 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:31,840 and I can see it's going to become a problem. 366 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:38,600 Yeah. I didn't mean to talk and pray, 367 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:44,240 but you know, the, the, the middle phrase of this incredible 368 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:48,400 prayer that Jesus gives us is on earth as it is in heaven. 369 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:58,960 Walk this pathway here on earth in line with your status in 370 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:03,400 heaven, on earth as it is in heaven. 371 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:11,040 We need to be so clear on this. You know, the the gospel is, is 372 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,280 this object of truth. It's factual. 373 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:19,920 Jesus died like we're not, we're not trying to figure out what's 374 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:23,040 what, what was this all about? We, we need to be sure about 375 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:25,960 what it is we, we need to be grounded in the gospel. 376 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:30,560 We need to know and, and the more we know the gospel, the 377 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:35,160 more we live with this absolute freedom and, and like we need to 378 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:38,360 become resolute with us. We need to know this is the path 379 00:25:38,360 --> 00:25:40,600 that I was on. This is the path that Jesus 380 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:44,000 walked for me, which then qualifies me through repentance 381 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:45,560 and faith. That puts me on a whole new 382 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:48,640 trajectory where I don't just get eternal life, which is 383 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:52,520 absolutely secure. There's this promise of reward 384 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,760 and it's like there's good news, but there's a but wait, there's 385 00:25:55,760 --> 00:26:02,920 more. It's like we we got to we got to 386 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:09,160 be so resolute in this, like, you know, like when you when 387 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,520 you're trying to make the decision for your, your son as 388 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:13,520 to whether he must play rugby or football. 389 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:15,120 Have you ever had that challenge? 390 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:17,840 I'm going to give you a tip. This is how you do it. 391 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:20,520 You put a ball on the ground. This is like when he's a lighty. 392 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:24,760 If he goes up to the ball, picks the ball up and runs with it, 393 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:29,840 it's rugby. If he goes to the ball and kicks 394 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:36,040 it, it's fly off, no questions asked. 395 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:40,640 Hey, TomTom, simple. Why are we complicating this? 396 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:44,840 Why are we making this so hard for ourselves? 397 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:50,120 It's settled, you know, I mean, we sing these songs. 398 00:26:50,120 --> 00:26:56,000 Christ is our firm foul. Is he like I know he is, but 399 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:57,880 sometimes our lives would suggest something else. 400 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:03,240 It's one thing to sing it when it's know it in our hearts. 401 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:08,440 Live it out and and you see, yes, we're the beauty of the 402 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:14,200 Lord's pray comes in because God in his wisdom has grounded us. 403 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:19,240 He grounds us in the gospel. You know, like we need we need a 404 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:22,160 confidence. Think about the very first line 405 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:25,440 of the Lord's pray our Father in heaven. 406 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:33,520 The best way to pray the Lord's pray is to not say that much. 407 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:35,520 In fact, Jesus said don't, don't Babble. 408 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:41,280 It's like declare the words of the pray and then just let it 409 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:48,920 marinate. How farther I've had times where 410 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:52,520 I've I haven't got through the whole of the Lord's pray, but 411 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:56,760 I've spent a significant time just on the first line and I was 412 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:58,400 like, oh jeez, I need to go. Off you go. 413 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:02,040 It's like sometimes you just need to stay there, but it's 414 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,400 like, what? I was an enemy of God. 415 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:06,440 What am I now? I'm a child. 416 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:12,600 I'm a child. How's this even possible? 417 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:18,360 Through through faith, through me just coming to a point of 418 00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:22,920 realizing that Jesus has done it all and that I'm living my life 419 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:27,680 on the merit of his life that I I don't, I won't just stand 420 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,960 before God one day on the merit of what he did with his life. 421 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,920 I come into the presence of God on the merit of what he did with 422 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:36,760 his life. That's what allows me to come 423 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,080 into his presence. You know, sometimes we, we 424 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:43,520 struggle with prayer because we don't know if we even deserve to 425 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,720 be in his presence. You've never deserved it. 426 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:50,080 That's why it's grace. That's why it's called grace 427 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:51,720 because you've never deserved it. 428 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:56,120 This is this was your old life. Jesus comes, gives you a 429 00:28:56,120 --> 00:29:00,440 resurrection life. He sees you in heavenly places. 430 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:04,280 It's because He's done it and just because we get to pray our 431 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:08,680 Father. It's just, you see, the wisdom 432 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:12,040 of God, He puts the foundation of the gospel there. 433 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:18,520 He allows us in a simple prayer of seven lions to know every day 434 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:24,120 Jesus has done it for me. This is how I get to be in your 435 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:26,800 presence. This is how I get to address you 436 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:30,880 as my Father. You're our Father in heaven, 437 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:35,560 which speaks of His vastness but also His nearness, like heaven 438 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:39,440 came to earth, right? Too many of us are thinking that 439 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:43,080 life is this linear path that we need to walk, and at the end of 440 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:45,880 it, God's going to assess whether we've done OK or not. 441 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,600 That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says heaven came to 442 00:29:50,600 --> 00:29:52,720 us. His name is Emmanuel. 443 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,920 He dwelt with us. He lived the life on our behalf. 444 00:29:57,280 --> 00:29:59,000 He gave us perfect righteousness. 445 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:02,800 He took our sin and He dealt with it with this atoning death. 446 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,840 We just receive it. It just becomes ours through 447 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:13,400 believing and and through the simple faith that this is now 448 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,640 ours. Our Father in heaven. 449 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:20,160 What wisdom that God gives us that we can pray a prayer like 450 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,400 that and in an opening line can just stay there. 451 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:29,440 And John Piper said, preach the gospel to yourself every day. 452 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:33,200 If you want to know how to do that, pray our Father and then 453 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:36,320 just sit there. How's this even possible? 454 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:44,400 It's possible because of Jesus. We need to live this life with 455 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:49,120 humility, right? I mean, because as we walk this 456 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:53,120 pathway, what will be rewarded is when we make much of him 457 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:58,200 where it's not about us. You know, like the world was 458 00:30:58,200 --> 00:30:59,520 saying, no, you ought to promote yourself. 459 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:06,640 No, the Christianity is like deny yourself and how how prone 460 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:11,360 are we to make much of our name and look after our name and and 461 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:13,360 try and get our name to be lifted? 462 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:18,200 And what does God give us in this pray hallowed be your name. 463 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:22,360 You see, when I pray that pray, it reminds me that this life 464 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:24,920 that I am living is not for my name. 465 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:29,800 It's to point people to him. It's to make much of him. 466 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:32,760 And God gives us this incredible line, hallowed be your name, 467 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:37,480 when we get to pray a prayer that grounds us in the humility 468 00:31:37,480 --> 00:31:40,680 of the gospel because it's not about us, it's about him. 469 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:50,640 What about Kingdom values? Just living with the priority of 470 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:53,080 the Kingdom of God, your Kingdom come. 471 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:56,520 You know what you're saying? You're saying, yes, Lord, you 472 00:31:56,520 --> 00:32:00,000 are my savior, but I want you to be Lord. 473 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:05,280 Too many Christians today want him a saviour, but they're not 474 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,080 so sure about whether they want him as Lord. 475 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:11,560 Lord, would you be Lord over every aspect of my life? 476 00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:15,080 Your Kingdom come over my finances, Your Kingdom come over 477 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:18,040 my time. Your Kingdom come over the gifts 478 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:20,400 that you've given me, the talents that I have. 479 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:23,520 It's yours. You be Lord over it. 480 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:28,880 Do you see how that pushes you on the right pathway? 481 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:32,760 Because you're praying the right pray your Kingdom come in the 482 00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:34,240 hearts of people that don't know you. 483 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:38,040 All of a sudden, you're starting to pray for all the people that 484 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:43,680 you know your Kingdom come in their hearts, Your Kingdom come 485 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:46,720 in their hearts, and you can list the names and you know 486 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:54,720 what, as you do that 12:50, God will use you to be the vessel to 487 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:58,960 bring them to faith. It's like we want to do a course 488 00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:02,840 on how to witness. No, just pray your Kingdom come 489 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:05,680 in the hearts of those who don't know you. 490 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,760 And all of a sudden the missional realities of the 491 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:11,560 Kingdom start to work in you because now you're conscious of 492 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:12,840 these people that you're praying for. 493 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:15,280 Just praying for His second coming. 494 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:18,240 Your Kingdom come changes your entire posture. 495 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:21,680 I want to live in light of eternity. 496 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:32,000 I've run out of time. Your will be done. 497 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:39,480 Not my will, your will. I mean, if God's prepared good 498 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:43,000 works for us, best we ask Him what those are. 499 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:46,600 Your will be done. You know I don't want you to 500 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:49,360 bless my life and my plans. I just want to know what are 501 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:51,320 those works that you have prepared for me? 502 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,840 Your will be done. You know when you pray, pray 503 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:58,920 those three prayers. It's God's prayer list. 504 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:04,520 It kind of reshapes what comes after that because then when 505 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:07,480 you're praying for daily bread, you just say, Lord, you give me 506 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:09,960 whatever I need to live that life. 507 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:15,679 You're not praying, Lord, I want that holiday home and I want 508 00:34:15,679 --> 00:34:18,440 that car. You know, you're not praying 509 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:20,000 that. Like what's that going to do as 510 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,639 far as this pathway? Like if God blesses you with 511 00:34:22,639 --> 00:34:27,480 those things, wonderful. But you see how it shapes your 512 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:30,600 pray give us this daily breach. Just give me what I need to live 513 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:36,440 that life. I might be end with this. 514 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:41,719 We need to live our lives in a way where we do it as a family. 515 00:34:43,880 --> 00:34:47,880 Our inheritance, that reward is actually locked in one another, 516 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:52,080 which is why we need to actually be as a family. 517 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:58,920 Why the word of God speaks so strongly about not neglecting 518 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:05,720 our gathering to to be together. There's A1 anotherness in the 519 00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:11,600 New Testament and and the more we want another, the more we on 520 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:16,440 a pathway that brings reward. Think about the Lord's Prayer. 521 00:35:17,600 --> 00:35:24,000 Our Father give us Our Daily Bread deliver us. 522 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:30,360 I'm still challenged by that. I I find myself praying, you 523 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:35,240 know, well to start and then it becomes about me. 524 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:38,200 But you see how God grounds us in community. 525 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:41,200 We need to be us, our Christians, not me, my 526 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:45,000 Christians. All of what God has given us 527 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:49,160 allows us to know that this is the solid foundation that has 528 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:52,440 already been laid and we have eternal life. 529 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:57,840 And as we pray, God molds and shapes our thinking, our heart, 530 00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:01,880 our priorities, all in line with a life where we will have 531 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:05,960 eternal reward. Paul says take heed how you 532 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:10,000 build on this foundation. We can't do it on our own. 533 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:13,440 It comes through coming to God in prayer. 534 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:17,760 And as we pray the the prayer that he taught us to pray, our 535 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:24,280 lives get shaped for a life that will be rewarded and where we 536 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:28,320 will live our best life then, as opposed to getting caught up 537 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:30,840 with what this world has to offer and trying to live our 538 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:33,120 best life now. Amen.