1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:10,760 Welcome, welcome to 2026. This preach is it's kind of the 2 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,840 the Christmas leftovers. We went away as a as a family 3 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,600 and on the last day of holiday, we we're a couple dozen people. 4 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:23,280 And so on the last day, last full day, we go to the fridge 5 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:26,200 and you take everything that has been cooked and not eaten and 6 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,440 you put it out and then everyone must just eat because we need to 7 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:31,880 empty the fridge. And so this preach feels a 8 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:33,720 little bit like that. And so it's going to be a little 9 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:37,520 bit all over the place because in my holiday, I've been 10 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:41,720 reflecting on 2025, reflecting on some of what I think some of 11 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,840 the best preaching series I've ever listened to, reflecting on 12 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:47,960 Ecclesiastes, on Romans 8, on Ruth. 13 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:50,040 And there's a whole bunch in there. 14 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:54,440 And, and I guess what happens over this New Year's Christmas 15 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,360 time is that even if you don't do New Year's resolutions, and 16 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:59,720 disclaimer, I don't have a list of New Year's resolutions, 17 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,720 somehow you reflect on the year that's gone past and you think 18 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,800 about the year that's coming. And I guess let's think about 19 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:08,360 this. There's probably 3 occasions in 20 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,480 your life or scenarios where you do that, where you actually take 21 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,800 a little time to, to stop and think. 22 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:15,280 And what 1 is this sort of break? 23 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,440 And it's just an arbitrary change in the date, but somehow 24 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,320 you, you, you, you want closure on the year that's gone and you 25 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:24,440 want and you want a fresh start on the year that's coming. 26 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,760 The other two would probably be weddings and funerals. 27 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:29,760 At a wedding, you sit there and you think, you think about your 28 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:31,920 own marriage, you think about your wife, you think about your 29 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,200 kid, you think about everything. And funerals, you, you do a 30 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:36,480 similar thing. And I guess it's because there 31 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:38,920 is this fresh start, there is this newness. 32 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:43,280 It was 2025 and now it's 2026. There's a symbolic changing. 33 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,080 There's a desire to close out the year that's gone past. 34 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:47,640 If it's a Goodyear, it's a bad year. 35 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,320 You want to analyze it. So we had this two week holiday 36 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,280 and we drove from here to Durban, from Durban to Ports and 37 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,200 Johns, ports and Johns to the Burg and from the Burg backyard. 38 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:01,000 And eventually my wife and I, we always see you talk and on the 39 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,720 way back here, she says, you know, actually 2025 was a good 40 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:05,360 year. And I was like, finally after 41 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,960 all this driving, we've come to the conclusion that it wasn't 42 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,640 such a bad year. There's also a desire for 43 00:02:11,640 --> 00:02:15,680 control and a desire to set our own identity. 44 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:18,640 If you look at New Year's resolutions, and I'll ask 45 00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:20,600 ChatGPT because that's what we all do these days. 46 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,400 What are the most common New Year's resolutions? 47 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:30,840 Exercise, the way we eat, sleeping, reducing stress, 48 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,120 removing bad habits, financial saving, improving our finances. 49 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,520 Learn a new skill, learn a new hobby, Take up a new hobby. 50 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,320 Better time management, more productivity, more time with 51 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,520 family and friends, more travel, more experiences in life. 52 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:49,480 And there's a common theme in here. 53 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:56,000 It's all comes down to I want to be a healthier person, a more 54 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,480 productive person, a financially more secure. 55 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,200 It all comes down to I want to be a something. 56 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:08,160 And there's a weird thing here because nothing prevented you 57 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:13,160 from being those things in 2025. But somehow we are overly 58 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:18,000 optimistic about future Matt's ability to be self disciplined, 59 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:24,720 have more time, more energy than I had in the past, be less 60 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,920 resistant to change. And so we can look at Matt in 61 00:03:27,920 --> 00:03:31,560 November 2026 and say, oh, by then Matt's running marathons 62 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,440 and he is working 20 hours a day and sleeping 8 hours a day. 63 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:40,840 Don't, don't make that not make sense in your mind, but somehow 64 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,600 we get there and then, then, then we look at the other side. 65 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,240 So ChatGPT, what's the probability of success on a New 66 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,000 Year's resolution? And I don't know if these are 67 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:58,240 true, but chat TBT says they are 8% of New Year's resolutions 68 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,800 have a long term impact. I don't know what that means. 69 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,520 In fact, 80 to 90% of new resolutions will not see 70 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:09,680 February. And I learnt a whole new day of 71 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:11,280 the year, it's called Quitters day. 72 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:17,320 Statistically, the second Friday of the year is the most likely 73 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:19,440 day that you'll quit your New Year's resolution. 74 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:24,800 That's January 9th. You're just a couple of days 75 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:27,320 away. If your New Year's resolution 76 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:29,280 was to come to church, hopefully we'll see you next week. 77 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,280 You see, we actually don't know ourselves. 78 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:37,320 We don't know who we are very well. 79 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:39,440 There's the biblical principle in here. 80 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:44,840 Jesus tells us we're blind, not physically blind, but 81 00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:50,560 spiritually blind. You see, I've lost my place, my 82 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:52,920 nuts. Matthew 1313. 83 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,440 Jesus says this to his disciples. 84 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,920 I speak to them in paradors because seeing, they do not see, 85 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,520 hearing that do not hear, nor do they understand. 86 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,480 He's quoting Isaiah that although we see with our eyes, 87 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:09,320 we cannot see it. We somehow we miss the wood from 88 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:11,160 the trees. We look at ourselves and we 89 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,480 don't even see ourselves clearly, let alone the scenario 90 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,760 in which we're in. John the Baptist in a moment of 91 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:18,880 doubt, sends one of his disciples to Jesus and says, are 92 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,280 you really the Messiah or are we waiting for someone else? 93 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:24,800 And Jesus says to him, tell them what you see. 94 00:05:24,840 --> 00:05:29,560 The blind see, the lepers are healed, the lame walk, the 95 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:33,320 gospel has preached to the poor. Part of what Jesus does is he 96 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,520 heals the physical blind, but he heals spiritual blindness too. 97 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:40,920 And as we think about, I was thinking about, I came across 98 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:43,640 this study a while ago and I don't know if you've ever had 99 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:45,160 the shower thought. Do you know what a shower 100 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,160 thought is? It's like a deep philosophical 101 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:48,600 thought that you have in the shower. 102 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:52,520 Does everyone see the same colours? 103 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:54,320 I see. Has anyone had that thought? 104 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:56,600 Some of you are looking at me like you've never had that 105 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,960 thought. I'm so sorry, but like, sure 106 00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:02,920 this is white and this is red, but does everyone see the same 107 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,000 red or have we all just learnt that this is, you know, You know 108 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,120 when you see like the inverted hue of a picture? 109 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,400 Are there people that see that and then have just learnt 110 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,320 different colours? Have you ever had that thought? 111 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:16,040 Just me, I'm crazy. Turns out I'm not the only 112 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:19,880 person and they are in fact, you can see the world differently 113 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,000 and science has proven this Where you put that slide up? 114 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:29,600 So the Himba people in Namibia, if you show them that slide, all 115 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:31,360 of you go. I can see the different one. 116 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:34,120 There it is Axiom there is he's blue. 117 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:40,680 They point to a different dot. It's weird, huh? 118 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:46,560 So they did the study because they use different words for 119 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:48,640 different colors. It's not like blue and blue. 120 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:51,520 It's just like completely different way of seeing the 121 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:54,040 world with their language and colors. 122 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:59,880 If you show them the circle on the left, they'll pick the spot 123 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:01,560 immediately. They can see the different one. 124 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:07,080 And if you show them the circle on the right, they look for a 125 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:10,360 while and they do come to the dot. 126 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:14,400 That's different, but it takes a little bit in the same way that 127 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:16,800 if you look closely at the one on the left, you can see that 128 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:18,160 there is one that's slightly different. 129 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:23,320 I'll put you out of your misery. It's the same as the blue. 130 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:25,040 It's that sort of nine, 10:00 there. 131 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:29,040 It's a slightly different green. But for them, they will look at 132 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,240 that and go there it is there it is top, top left there left one, 133 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:34,360 top one. And they'll take a little bit of 134 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,760 time to spot the blue one. Weird, Hey. 135 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:41,720 And you see, there is a spiritual principle in here 136 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:45,040 because we can look at the same thing that everyone else looks 137 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:47,760 at and it might something we can see it. 138 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,920 It's not like they can't see the the the different colors we see, 139 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,760 but it takes a while to differentiate between two things 140 00:07:54,760 --> 00:08:01,080 that are different. It takes us a bit from Romans 8. 141 00:08:01,320 --> 00:08:07,640 We read Romans 8 verse 5 to put up on the screen for those who 142 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,440 live according to their flesh set their minds on the things of 143 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,520 the flesh. And those who live according to 144 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:17,200 the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit that 145 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,440 set their minds on the things of the Spirit, set their minds on 146 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:22,920 what the Spirit desires. Or some other translations. 147 00:08:23,240 --> 00:08:25,520 For to set the mind on the flesh is death. 148 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,080 That's quite extreme. It's not like you know, it's 149 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:29,880 death. But to set the mind on the 150 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:34,880 Spirit is life and peace for those who've set for, for the 151 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:39,880 mind that is set on flesh is hostile to God, for it does not 152 00:08:40,039 --> 00:08:42,440 submit to God's law. Indeed it cannot. 153 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,880 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 154 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:52,040 When I say the word flesh, you see a dot, but you miss other 155 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:58,280 dots you see. What does that word flesh mean 156 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:01,080 to you? Picture a person in your mind, 157 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,000 someone that lives according to the desire of the flesh. 158 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,360 What do you see? What does their life look like? 159 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:09,840 And there's a picture of flesh that Paul is talking about, 160 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:13,440 which we miss because we have two competing visions for our 161 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,880 lives and we tend to weigh them against each other. 162 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,320 And we seem to see the one as the flesh and not the other. 163 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,960 Let me explain it like this. There's one side of us that we 164 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:31,760 understand that, that we, if we approach our life with a degree 165 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:35,640 of dedication and devotion, we pick up our obligations. 166 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:39,440 We act like an adult. We, you know, we do those three 167 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,280 exercises a week. We spend more time with family. 168 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:46,200 We, we pay down the bond. You, you, you wise that actually 169 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:48,000 that sacrifice leads to fruitfulness. 170 00:09:48,560 --> 00:09:51,960 We understand that there is this obligation on our lives and to 171 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:55,400 the extent that we can meet that and exceed it, we will do well. 172 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:59,800 Work leads to a reward. And the opposite of that, of 173 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,040 course, is foolishness. Foolishness has a price. 174 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,680 Typically it results in panic and chaos. 175 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:11,280 Maybe you're 2025 was a degree of panic and chaos and now we're 176 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:13,920 going into 2026 and we said we don't want panic and chaos. 177 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:16,880 We want the word is peace. We want peace. 178 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,600 We want peace in our finances. We want peace in our sexuality, 179 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,440 we want peace in our home. We want peace in our career. 180 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,880 We want peace, we want order. And that's one side. 181 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,160 There's an instinct there. We want that, but there's a 182 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:31,960 second side of it. We also want freedom and 183 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:35,760 expression. You see, freedom leads to life. 184 00:10:37,680 --> 00:10:41,600 We were sitting in the Berg and looked up at a mountain and it's 185 00:10:41,680 --> 00:10:44,240 3000 meters, the peak. And then I was like, we're going 186 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,000 to climb the mountain, we're going to do it, let's go. 187 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:49,920 So we waited for the weather to be OK and we climbed it and it's 188 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,360 freedom. Top of the mountain, 3000 189 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:55,240 meters. And then for three days I didn't 190 00:10:55,240 --> 00:11:01,960 want to walk anywhere. You see, We understand that also 191 00:11:02,680 --> 00:11:06,120 when we remove restraint, when we express ourselves, we 192 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:10,080 experience a degree of life, that life is not just about 193 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:13,000 obligation and devotion. We did Ecclesiastes last year. 194 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:15,920 It is a painful thing. You go read the words. 195 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,000 It's like you live, you work, you die. 196 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:21,480 That's Ecclesiastes. It's more than that, but there's 197 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:24,760 also a part of it. And So what I've explained to 198 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,360 you, I've deliberately not used the biblical language because I 199 00:11:27,360 --> 00:11:30,240 don't want you to immediately click into a way of thinking 200 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:35,000 where you only see the one dot. But I want to take these two. 201 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:39,040 There's devotion, dedication, obligation, which leads to 202 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,560 fruitfulness and peace. And the other side is there's 203 00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:45,120 this expression and there's creativity and dreaming big and 204 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:46,680 going for it, which leads to life. 205 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:50,680 And we chase these two things and somehow they compete. 206 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:54,280 Because I can tell you about a 2026 that I can have that is 207 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:56,560 full of life, full of expression. 208 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,920 The only problem is that in 2027, the bank is coming for me. 209 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:04,560 We also know that those two compete. 210 00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:07,200 You can't have both. You can't eat all the cake you 211 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:13,120 want and be fit. And we're going to turn now to 212 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:17,200 Luke 15, the the prodigal son, because some of you maybe have 213 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,040 been in church for too long and you read this and you 214 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:21,680 immediately know. But I want you to read it as the 215 00:12:21,680 --> 00:12:27,560 youngest son and the oldest son. The one has a real strong sense 216 00:12:27,560 --> 00:12:30,720 of obligation and devotion, the other one of expression and 217 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:36,680 freedom. So Luke 15, verse 12 or verse 218 00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:41,800 11, there was a man who had two sons, and the younger of them 219 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:45,320 said to his father, Father, give me the share of of the property 220 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:49,680 that is coming to me. And he divided his property 221 00:12:49,680 --> 00:12:52,600 between them. Not many days later, the young 222 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,440 son gathered all that he had took a journey into a far 223 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,280 country and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 224 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:02,800 Once he had spent everything, he ends up living in a pig star 225 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,480 with pigs feeding pigs, hoping that someone would give him the 226 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:11,320 food that the pigs are eating. Jump to verse 25 now. 227 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,200 Now his oldest son was in the field. 228 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,880 So the youngest son comes home and they they throw a party from 229 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:18,200 him. He's welcomed home, ring on the 230 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,920 finger robe, sandals on the feet, and they and they 231 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:23,840 slaughter fattened calf and they and they're throwing a big 232 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:25,240 party. And the oldest son who's been 233 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:29,320 working comes in from the field. And he came in and drew near to 234 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:31,040 the house and he heard music and dancing. 235 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:34,440 And he called one of the servants and he asked them what 236 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,240 these things meant. And he said to him, your brother 237 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,640 has come home and your father has killed the fattened calf 238 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:40,760 because he has received them back safe and sound. 239 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:43,240 But he was angry and he refused to go in. 240 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,160 His father came out to entreat him, but he answered his father. 241 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:51,520 Look, these many years I have served you and I've never 242 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,880 disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat that 243 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:56,480 I might celebrate with my friends. 244 00:13:57,640 --> 00:14:00,760 But when the son of yours came, who have, who has devoured your 245 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:04,800 property with prostitutes, you killed the fat and car firm and 246 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:09,440 you said to him, Son, you are always with me and all that is 247 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:11,560 mine is yours. In my Bible that's underlined. 248 00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:14,200 Son, you are always with me and all that I have is yours. 249 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:18,200 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for the son of yours 250 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,080 was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found. 251 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:24,520 If you go read the whole of Luke 15, you'll see Jesus is telling 252 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:28,520 this parable to Pharisees and the first story he tells is the 253 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:30,240 lost queen. Then he tells of the lost sheep 254 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:31,520 and then he tells of the lost son. 255 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:35,200 And he's actually the whole story is aimed at the at the 256 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:42,200 older brother and the Pharisees. You see, if I put my shoe myself 257 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,720 in the shoes of the older son and I'll look at the younger 258 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:51,440 brother and I'll say you ran away from all your 259 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:53,000 responsibilities. You ran away from your 260 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,920 obligations and I'll look at you got nothing to show for it. 261 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:00,360 You're living in a pig star. Your life is chaos. 262 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,080 It's a mess. And it's due to the actions that 263 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,400 you've taken. You should have been more 264 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:09,000 responsible. You should have taken up the 265 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:10,360 obligation. There were things that you 266 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:11,880 should have done that you never did them. 267 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:15,040 And now look at you the same way. 268 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,520 If I put myself in the shoes of the younger brother and I look 269 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:23,400 at the older brother, you go read that, Luke, he says. 270 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:25,760 The older brother says to his father, you have never given me 271 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,120 a fattened calf to go and celebrate with my friends. 272 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:32,240 What the older brother is saying is that the party I want to have 273 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:34,600 is without you. I want to go party with my 274 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:36,960 friends, not with you. I'm here out of obligation. 275 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:40,480 I'm serving you. And the father's lying to the 276 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:43,320 older son is he said to him, son, you are always with me. 277 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:47,400 So if I put myself in the shoes of the younger son and I look at 278 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:54,000 the older brother, I say you hate your life, you work, you 279 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:57,640 live to work, you work from day, from morning to evening, It's 280 00:15:57,640 --> 00:15:59,880 flat out. You don't even like your father, 281 00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:02,240 and yet you're still living in your dad's house. 282 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:04,880 All this obligation, where's the life? 283 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,520 Where's the expression where the big dreams? 284 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:10,880 There are none. You see, there is this 285 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:12,560 contradiction. We cannot have both. 286 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:19,680 And yet somehow in Romans 8, the desire of the Spirit gives us 287 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:22,520 peace. What the older brother has, he 288 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:25,560 has peace, but he has no life. And it gives us life what the 289 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,240 younger brother was after, but he had no peace. 290 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:35,000 And in Romans Paul says to us the desire of the Spirit, those 291 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,160 who follow the desire of the Spirit have peace and life. 292 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:43,280 How can you have sacrifice and freedom at the same time? 293 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,680 How can you live a free life full of dreams and big and at 294 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:51,520 the same time sacrifice? These things contradict each 295 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:53,760 other. We cannot have them, but Jesus 296 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:56,800 did. Jesus did. 297 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:06,839 I want to land on on on John 14, Jesus said I am the way, the 298 00:17:06,839 --> 00:17:10,119 truth and the life. No one comes to the Father 299 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:13,319 except through me. You'll note that Jesus didn't 300 00:17:13,319 --> 00:17:15,560 say I am. I can show you the way. 301 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:19,160 I know the truth and let me show you how to have a good time. 302 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,200 He says I am the way, I am the truth. 303 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:26,839 I am the life. If we know Jesus, we know the 304 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:30,320 way. It's not that Jesus will tell us 305 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:32,080 the way. If we know him, we know the way. 306 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:35,760 Jesus says I am the truth. Not that he will tell us the 307 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:38,600 truth, but in him he is the truth. 308 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:42,520 He is the capital T That person of Jesus is the truth and he is 309 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:46,200 the life. The life we are looking for, 310 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:53,800 it's found in Jesus. See that phrase in Romans 8, 8, 311 00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:56,880 verse 5. But those who live in accordance 312 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,760 with the Spirit set their mind and what the Spirit desires. 313 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:06,320 What does the Spirit desire? He sometimes we maybe try to 314 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:08,520 separate the Spirit, the Father, and the Son a little bit too 315 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:10,000 much. I'm not wanting to get into a 316 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:13,360 Trinity discussion, but what the Spirit desires is the same as 317 00:18:13,360 --> 00:18:16,040 what Jesus desires, and it's the same as what the Father desires 318 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:18,000 and the Father and the prodigal son. 319 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:22,120 What he desired was not that his Son would serve him, not that 320 00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:25,680 his son would do everything that he needed to do, but actually 321 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:27,160 that he would have his son with him. 322 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,960 The desire of the Father is not for what the son can do for him. 323 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:35,320 That's what he says to his son. He says I'm always with you and 324 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:37,920 all I have is yours. It's not what you can do for me. 325 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:39,760 It's the fact that you're here is what I want. 326 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:41,920 It's the fact that I can have you. 327 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:44,520 The desire of the Spirit is the same. 328 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:52,960 If you think about what your plans are for 2026, what are the 329 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:57,240 spirits plans for you? What are the spirits desires for 330 00:18:57,240 --> 00:18:59,120 you? And immediately we might click 331 00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:01,000 into and think, well, I need to do this. 332 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,120 And this is all the things. The spirit's desire for you is 333 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:06,600 you. He wants you. 334 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:11,160 You see, we play the oldest son and the youngest son as if 335 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,320 they're the opposites, but they're both expressions of the 336 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:18,960 flesh. Let's read, read Romans 8 verse 337 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:21,320 5 again. And I want you to see that both 338 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,960 of them are chasing their own desires in a different way. 339 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:29,400 And when we read this, we can chase our fleshly desires as an 340 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:31,040 older brother or as a younger brother. 341 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:35,720 So Romans 8 verse 5, those who live according to the flesh have 342 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:37,920 their minds set on what the flesh desires. 343 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:41,600 For those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their 344 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,440 mindset and what the Spirit desires. 345 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,880 The mind governed by the flesh is death and the mind governed 346 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:50,800 by the Spirit is life and peace. I don't want to go through the 347 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:53,320 rest of Romans 8 this morning as well, but if you read through 348 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:57,000 it, I always read through it with the lens of the flesh is 349 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:00,800 that damn younger brother. It's that wild one. 350 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:02,920 It's the one that's not listening properly. 351 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:06,720 It's the one that runs off. But if you read it there, they 352 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:10,400 are verses in Romans 8 that do not make sense unless we also 353 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:11,880 see the flesh as the older brother. 354 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,280 The one that wants what the father has but does not want the 355 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:24,670 father himself. You see, we can draw up a list 356 00:20:24,670 --> 00:20:26,550 of whether you do New Year's resolutions or not. 357 00:20:26,550 --> 00:20:29,030 You can draw up a list. And typically it says I want to 358 00:20:29,030 --> 00:20:34,150 be this type of person. I want to be a better husband. 359 00:20:34,150 --> 00:20:36,110 I want to be fitter. I want to be stronger, 360 00:20:36,110 --> 00:20:39,790 healthier, sleep better. And Paul says to us, these 361 00:20:39,790 --> 00:20:42,270 things are all good for physical training has value. 362 00:20:43,270 --> 00:20:46,270 So to be disciplined to do these things that they are, they are 363 00:20:46,270 --> 00:20:49,800 of value. Spiritual training is of eternal 364 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,240 value. And the spiritual training that 365 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,640 I'm asking for us is actually if we train our hearts. 366 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:00,600 There's a verse in Ephesians where we're Paul in the 367 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:05,120 Ephesians one, he's talking to the Ephesians and he's talking 368 00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:08,600 about his prayer over them. And he says, my hope is that the 369 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:13,320 eyes of your heart would be opened to what God is calling 370 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:17,040 you to, to the eternal riches of what he's calling you to. 371 00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:25,360 I want to end with two other bits out of Romans 8 and we'll 372 00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:27,160 close and I'll hand my back back to Damien. 373 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:37,080 The sections of Romans 8 verse, verse 17 says now we are 374 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:39,760 children then. Now if we are children, then we 375 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:44,040 are heirs, heirs of God and Co heirs with Christ, if indeed we 376 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:50,720 share in his, if we share in his suffering in order that we may 377 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:55,920 share in his glory. If we jump then also to the end, 378 00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:02,040 verse 32, He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for 379 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:06,720 us, how will he not also along with him graciously give us all 380 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,040 things? There's this promise that God 381 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,560 gives us. We can pursue whatever ends we 382 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,920 want, and we might be good at it, we might be bad at it. 383 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:19,040 We might have had a good 2025, we might have a good 2026 that 384 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:23,040 we can pursue anything we want. Anything our hearts desire we 385 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:25,920 can run after. But there's a promise that God 386 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:31,600 gives us that if we allow the spirits desire to fill us, and 387 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:36,840 his desire is that we are sons of the Father, we get to know 388 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,920 our heavenly Father. The promise of Romans 8, one of 389 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:44,560 the promises is that he who did not spare his own son, would he 390 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:49,240 not give us all things. The promise of Romans 8 is that 391 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:52,880 those that fill their minds with what the spirit desires, there 392 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:57,240 is life and peace. We can chase anything on a 393 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,600 bicycle this year. We can, we can become an 394 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:02,760 athlete. We can, we can shoot the lights 395 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:07,040 out in our career. But Jesus promises us life and 396 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:10,240 peace in all circumstances, whether we're suffering or we're 397 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:13,080 doing well. I want to ask you this year, 398 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:18,560 would you open the eyes of your heart that actually there's a, 399 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:24,680 there's this default we have, we see, we see either as the 400 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:27,440 younger or the older brother. And this year would we see that 401 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:34,160 actually the one that has the Father had has it all after 402 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:35,840 Jesus says I'm the way the truth and the life. 403 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:39,160 Philip Austin makes the statement one of his disciples. 404 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:43,240 He says to Jesus in that very same section John 14 show us the 405 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:44,760 father and that will be enough for us. 406 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:48,480 Whoever has the father has it all. 407 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,640 They have everything life and peace and there's no other way 408 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,800 to have both. I hope you have an excellent 409 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:57,560 2026.