1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,520 We are together here and we are continuing in our course series, 2 00:00:04,520 --> 00:00:07,040 and what a series has been. I've been grateful to the Lord 3 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:10,720 for the opportunity that I've had as I've studied His word 4 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:15,440 each week in terms of what God is speaking to us and teaching 5 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,120 to us. And before we get into this 6 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:22,520 week, I want to say that when we talk about the call, of course 7 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,680 it relates to us individually that we have a call that God has 8 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:30,670 placed on us individually to walk in the gifts that He's 9 00:00:30,670 --> 00:00:35,550 poured upon us. Excuse me, but of course each 10 00:00:35,670 --> 00:00:38,390 church has a call as well. Do you know that that as the 11 00:00:38,390 --> 00:00:41,870 body corporately, we are called to extend His Kingdom, that the 12 00:00:41,870 --> 00:00:47,430 church is the way in which God extends His Kingdom here on 13 00:00:47,430 --> 00:00:48,430 earth? Excuse me. 14 00:00:52,070 --> 00:00:55,910 And and you know, we have been on a journey this call for the 15 00:00:55,910 --> 00:00:59,510 past 35 years. This church was founded 35 years 16 00:00:59,510 --> 00:01:02,270 ago by founding passes Chris and Flis Lane in their lounge. 17 00:01:02,270 --> 00:01:06,430 And here we are today, 35 years later meeting across three sites 18 00:01:06,710 --> 00:01:10,150 here Hatfield and the Mounts and what a journey it's been, but 19 00:01:10,150 --> 00:01:12,310 the best is yet to come. Ladies and gentlemen. 20 00:01:13,190 --> 00:01:15,550 God has done a tremendous work this year. 21 00:01:15,550 --> 00:01:18,350 It's been so exciting to see what the Lord's doing as we 22 00:01:18,350 --> 00:01:22,350 launch reach 23 last year. And as we hold on what you're in 23 00:01:22,350 --> 00:01:24,510 now reached 22 last year, is that correct? 24 00:01:24,830 --> 00:01:28,750 Reached 23 this year and we've got some exciting developments 25 00:01:28,750 --> 00:01:32,390 for Reach next year as well. But I want to invite you to 26 00:01:32,390 --> 00:01:34,350 November the 5th. On Sunday. 27 00:01:34,550 --> 00:01:38,190 We have a very special Sunday morning service, in fact, all of 28 00:01:38,190 --> 00:01:40,910 our sites except for the Mount of course. 29 00:01:40,910 --> 00:01:42,750 And if you're wondering why I said that, the Mount is our 30 00:01:42,750 --> 00:01:47,670 prison site where we have almost 70 guys every Sunday. 31 00:01:47,670 --> 00:01:49,270 They're meeting at the moment. Isn't that beautiful? 32 00:01:49,630 --> 00:01:50,750 Worshipping. God. 33 00:01:51,430 --> 00:01:52,790 I just feel like I want to pray for them. 34 00:01:52,790 --> 00:01:55,070 And we're going to say thank, Thank you for our Mount site. 35 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,520 We thank you for those guys that are hungry for you, for the 36 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:00,920 worship team that's there of inmates, Lord, that are 37 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,400 passionate about you. We just pray your blessing upon 38 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,320 them as they meet, as we meet together, as one church across 39 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:09,280 multiple sites. Would you bless them and bless 40 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:11,880 Hatfield as well as they meet together this morning? 41 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:13,280 Thank you, Jesus. Amen. 42 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,920 And so on November the 5th, Hatfield and St. 43 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:19,880 Albans will be here. We have two very important 44 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:24,480 announcements as we continue on the call that the Lord has 45 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,880 placed on us as a church. You know I I said just before 46 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,680 COVID hit, I said I feel the Lord is saying that we're going 47 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,120 to look different, sound different, feel different and 48 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:35,880 smell different. Do you remember that? 49 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:40,360 And that has certainly been the, the process and the journey that 50 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,480 we've been on. And so I want you to be here on 51 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:50,130 November 5th to hear from me about some important 52 00:02:50,130 --> 00:02:52,370 developments and announcements in the life of our church. 53 00:02:52,370 --> 00:02:53,730 OK. So it's November 5th, You got 54 00:02:53,730 --> 00:02:55,090 that? It's in your diary. 55 00:02:55,250 --> 00:02:57,330 You're going to be here, right? Fantastic. 56 00:02:57,330 --> 00:02:59,090 Good. Well, with that, guys, I'm just 57 00:02:59,090 --> 00:03:02,650 going to pause and pray and we're going to get in the word 58 00:03:02,650 --> 00:03:05,850 for this morning, Lord, we say we want to say thank you. 59 00:03:05,850 --> 00:03:12,050 We want to say thank you for speaking to us so clearly these 60 00:03:12,050 --> 00:03:17,760 past number of weeks and just challenging us, Lord, to move 61 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,800 from those shallow places into the deep with you that you are 62 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:28,720 calling us to move away from the metaphorical splash park into 63 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,840 the deep, deep ocean with you, Lord God. 64 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:35,880 Because there is a promise there of blessing. 65 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,240 There is a promise of newness of life in that place. 66 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,160 There was a promise of meeting you in a new way in that place. 67 00:03:43,890 --> 00:03:46,290 So, Lord, I pray this morning that as I speak, you would just 68 00:03:46,290 --> 00:03:47,890 help me. Lord God, give me the words that 69 00:03:47,890 --> 00:03:50,130 I need. That which is not of you would 70 00:03:50,130 --> 00:03:52,850 just fall away. And what I pray that each one of 71 00:03:52,850 --> 00:03:55,490 us, as we hear these words, you would just prepare our hearts. 72 00:03:55,530 --> 00:03:59,890 It would be fertile soil. And that these words would bear 73 00:03:59,890 --> 00:04:02,450 fruit. Lord, I pray in your precious 74 00:04:02,450 --> 00:04:03,650 name. Amen. 75 00:04:06,210 --> 00:04:09,630 Well, there's a way of recap. We have been in the core series 76 00:04:09,630 --> 00:04:12,950 and just in case you've missed any of those, you can catch up 77 00:04:12,950 --> 00:04:15,910 on our YouTube channel. If you're watching right now, 78 00:04:16,149 --> 00:04:18,950 hit the subscribe button and that Bell notification to get 79 00:04:18,950 --> 00:04:21,230 important updates for all the new content that we'll be 80 00:04:21,230 --> 00:04:23,910 releasing during the week. Got it done. 81 00:04:24,590 --> 00:04:27,190 Hit that subscribe. But you can catch up there. 82 00:04:27,190 --> 00:04:29,590 There's a lot of heckling going on by our worship pastor over 83 00:04:29,590 --> 00:04:30,310 there. Thank you, brother. 84 00:04:30,310 --> 00:04:32,230 I appreciate it. Thank you for the encouragement. 85 00:04:33,810 --> 00:04:36,850 And we've been looking at the story when Jesus calls the first 86 00:04:36,850 --> 00:04:39,970 disciples and when Jesus gets into the boat with Simon and he 87 00:04:39,970 --> 00:04:43,730 says push away from from the shore, they go there, Jesus 88 00:04:43,730 --> 00:04:45,490 speaks to the people. Then he says, right, let's go 89 00:04:45,490 --> 00:04:49,010 into the deep and throw your Nets over, do you remember this? 90 00:04:49,010 --> 00:04:53,010 And we've been looking at that call, the way it represents that 91 00:04:53,010 --> 00:04:56,130 first before we do anything, we're called to be with Jesus. 92 00:04:56,370 --> 00:04:59,090 That before we're called to do something, we're called to be 93 00:04:59,090 --> 00:05:01,930 with someone. Because often time in our modern 94 00:05:01,930 --> 00:05:05,290 lives we think when we hear the call that I'm called to do 95 00:05:05,290 --> 00:05:08,290 something. But fundamentally the priority 96 00:05:08,290 --> 00:05:11,050 with our walk with Jesus is the call to be with him. 97 00:05:12,050 --> 00:05:14,850 And it is from that place of being that the doing comes. 98 00:05:15,010 --> 00:05:17,930 It is a fruit. The doing is a fruit of 99 00:05:17,930 --> 00:05:21,890 relationship with Christ. And then we looked at when they 100 00:05:21,890 --> 00:05:25,050 moved away from the multitude, We looked at how that is a 101 00:05:25,090 --> 00:05:29,730 picture of separation of a holiness, being separated from 102 00:05:29,730 --> 00:05:31,970 the world and being consecrated to him. 103 00:05:31,970 --> 00:05:34,970 We unpacked that and then we looked at the doing bit and 104 00:05:34,970 --> 00:05:40,250 we're unpacking the 10 hallmarks. 10 hallmarks of the 105 00:05:40,250 --> 00:05:45,570 call of God upon our lives. And we looked at God number one. 106 00:05:45,570 --> 00:05:49,090 God calls us at the point where we feel weak and tired, #2 it 107 00:05:49,090 --> 00:05:52,490 will require us to go deeper than we did before, and #3 it 108 00:05:52,490 --> 00:05:57,290 doesn't always seem to make sense to us and we unpack those 109 00:05:57,290 --> 00:05:58,410 together. And so that brings us to 110 00:05:58,410 --> 00:06:03,250 Hallmark #4 and why don't we turn together to Luke chapter 5, 111 00:06:03,250 --> 00:06:07,890 which we've been spending much time in and hopefully benefiting 112 00:06:07,890 --> 00:06:10,690 from. Let's look at verses 1 to 11 and 113 00:06:11,570 --> 00:06:17,920 what I want to do is zoom into verse 5 and it says this and 114 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,040 this is when Jesus says go into the deep and throw your Nets 115 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:22,440 over him and see what Simon Says. 116 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:27,360 This Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing and we 117 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,400 unpacked what that looked like a couple of weeks ago. 118 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:34,200 Nevertheless, that's an important word. 119 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:38,480 Nevertheless, at your word I will let down the net. 120 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:40,840 Now what happens when he lets down the net? 121 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:46,600 Does it come up empty or full? Does he have to get his friends 122 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:48,280 to help him? Yes. 123 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,840 Now this brings us to Hallmark #4 and it is this. 124 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:59,120 The call requires us to be obedient to His word. 125 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:03,760 The call requires obedience to His word. 126 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,800 Now what do you think when you hear the word obedient, what 127 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,240 does it conjure up for you? But think about it. 128 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,000 Obedience. Well, I think for many of us it 129 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,400 may be it triggers some negative feelings. 130 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,080 Got some nodding heads. I know. 131 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,920 For me, when I hear obedient, I have visions of my father 132 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:27,640 telling my brother and I off. To be fair, we needed to be told 133 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:29,240 off. We were rascals. 134 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:34,240 You need to be obedient, Mark. Anyone heard that? 135 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:38,520 Well, maybe for you it's Eat your greens, sit up straight, 136 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:41,280 brush your teeth. Be quiet. 137 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:47,220 You see, what happens is is that our notion of obedience in 138 00:07:47,220 --> 00:07:51,380 adulthood is often formed by our childhood experiences, right? 139 00:07:51,780 --> 00:07:56,020 I mean, who knows that we bring from our childhood baggage into 140 00:07:56,020 --> 00:07:57,700 our adulthood? Do we know that for sure? 141 00:07:57,700 --> 00:08:02,580 Yeah, But not only do we bring baggage, those issues that we 142 00:08:02,580 --> 00:08:06,300 struggle with in our adulthood, these issues become lenses by 143 00:08:06,300 --> 00:08:11,500 which we perceive truth. So when we hear obedience, the 144 00:08:11,500 --> 00:08:18,360 lens by which we understand that word is baggage and negativity. 145 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:24,760 We think that obedience means some submission against our 146 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:28,720 will, and it's not very fun. Is that a fair sum up for most 147 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:35,880 of us when we hear obedience? But that's not the case 148 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,840 necessarily, and certainly within this context. 149 00:08:40,039 --> 00:08:43,080 What if we have it wrong when it comes to obedience? 150 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,840 What if obedience was something positive rather than negative? 151 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:54,760 What if obedience was a doorway into blessing rather than a 152 00:08:54,760 --> 00:09:01,920 place of feeling that you need to submit against your will and 153 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,320 that you'd rather not do it? What if blessings came from 154 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:08,120 obedience? Well, that's exactly what we're 155 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:12,790 going to see this morning. And for us, we need to look with 156 00:09:12,790 --> 00:09:16,270 a different lens. When we hear about obedience, we 157 00:09:16,270 --> 00:09:20,110 need to look at it at a lens through which God looks at it. 158 00:09:20,110 --> 00:09:21,990 And that's what I want us to do this morning. 159 00:09:22,870 --> 00:09:25,470 You see, what does it mean to be obedient? 160 00:09:25,470 --> 00:09:29,070 Well, in simple terms and in in a general sense, and within this 161 00:09:29,070 --> 00:09:32,270 context, it means hearing the word of God and acting on it. 162 00:09:33,910 --> 00:09:37,870 That is simply what it means to to be obedient to God, hearing 163 00:09:37,870 --> 00:09:41,590 His word and acting upon it. Another way you could look at 164 00:09:41,590 --> 00:09:43,990 the word obedience is that it is an action word. 165 00:09:45,510 --> 00:09:49,510 Obedience needs to result in an action, right? 166 00:09:50,870 --> 00:09:54,230 Is that fair? You can feel free to respond if 167 00:09:54,230 --> 00:09:59,830 you wish, Don't need to be obedient to that, by the way, 168 00:09:59,830 --> 00:10:02,430 you know. It's just a suggestion. 169 00:10:05,270 --> 00:10:08,940 You know, so far in these three hallmarks, we've seen how God 170 00:10:08,940 --> 00:10:12,060 works towards us, right? Listen, He calls us to the point 171 00:10:12,060 --> 00:10:15,820 where we feel weak and tired. He calls us to go deeper than 172 00:10:15,820 --> 00:10:18,940 we've been before. He his call doesn't seem to make 173 00:10:18,940 --> 00:10:21,620 sense to us. And then we come to this 174 00:10:21,620 --> 00:10:24,620 hallmark and it's now all about how we respond. 175 00:10:25,660 --> 00:10:27,380 It's about us and the choice we make. 176 00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:31,400 Now when you think about the call of God upon your lives, 177 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:35,920 this is a pivotal point because at this point you can either 178 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:41,560 say, I'm not going to put those Nets in, I am tired, It doesn't 179 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:44,520 make sense. I am feeling weak, therefore no. 180 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,640 And then there's no point in listening to the rest of the 181 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:52,040 hallmarks. You see, Hallmark #4 represents 182 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:56,120 a decision marker in the call with God. 183 00:10:56,860 --> 00:11:01,140 It represents a decision that we need to take whether or not 184 00:11:01,140 --> 00:11:06,220 we're going to move in what God has for us or stay in that boat 185 00:11:06,580 --> 00:11:08,780 and decide to go back to the shore. 186 00:11:08,860 --> 00:11:10,340 And what happens when you do that? 187 00:11:11,060 --> 00:11:15,060 You miss out on the fish. You miss out on the fish. 188 00:11:15,340 --> 00:11:18,420 And I believe that some of you here this morning, you're almost 189 00:11:18,420 --> 00:11:20,860 up to Hallmark, You are up to Hallmark #4. 190 00:11:23,380 --> 00:11:26,460 You've yet to be obedient. You've yet to say yes. 191 00:11:27,190 --> 00:11:30,110 You've heard God clearly. You're in the boat with Him. 192 00:11:30,830 --> 00:11:35,870 You've seen him move. You feel weak and tired. 193 00:11:37,910 --> 00:11:41,670 You hear the call to go deeper. It doesn't seem to make sense to 194 00:11:41,670 --> 00:11:50,710 you, and therefore you say no. But you see, Hallmark #4 is not 195 00:11:50,710 --> 00:11:54,350 about saying no. It's about obedience to His 196 00:11:54,350 --> 00:11:57,440 word. And I want to look at, well, 197 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:59,040 let's look at this. What? 198 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:01,760 What is obedience? And what is the blessing of 199 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:03,680 obedience? Let's look at this first one. 200 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:06,000 Obedience is an act of surrender. 201 00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:11,560 It is an act of surrender. And there's a keyword in this 202 00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:12,640 verse. Maybe we'll get it back up. 203 00:12:12,680 --> 00:12:14,320 There you go. Let's have it up. 204 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:16,320 The previous verse actually, that we looked at, There's a 205 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,840 keyword in this verse and it is this word. 206 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:24,420 Nevertheless, this is an extremely important word. 207 00:12:24,740 --> 00:12:27,300 This is the pivot word. This is the word. 208 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:33,060 Nevertheless, it means in spite of what I think, in spite of 209 00:12:33,060 --> 00:12:37,420 what I know, in spite of what I feel. 210 00:12:37,860 --> 00:12:43,420 Never the less, this is the moment of decision. 211 00:12:43,700 --> 00:12:48,980 Nevertheless is the moment where obedience becomes action. 212 00:12:51,060 --> 00:12:55,540 And you see, obedience requires us to say nevertheless. 213 00:12:55,780 --> 00:12:58,100 Why? Because nevertheless is an act 214 00:12:58,100 --> 00:13:01,700 of surrender. Who to? 215 00:13:03,620 --> 00:13:08,740 What did Simon say? Master, we have toyed all night. 216 00:13:11,300 --> 00:13:19,580 We surrender to our Master. We surrender to our overseer. 217 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:27,200 We surrender to our Lord and Saviour who is enthroned on 218 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:31,960 high. And here's the thing you see. 219 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:36,200 Why is it important that we are with Him before we do it? 220 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:38,840 Because we need to. We need to know the Master 221 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:45,640 before we can surrender fully. I said that doing came out of 222 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:48,160 relationship. It comes out of a relationship 223 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:53,440 and an understanding that he is our master and we are his. 224 00:13:53,680 --> 00:13:57,400 The biggest thing that will stop you from saying nevertheless is 225 00:13:57,560 --> 00:14:02,560 I am the master. You're not the master. 226 00:14:02,680 --> 00:14:05,600 I'm the master. I mean, that's just a definition 227 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:10,400 of pride, isn't it? And a definition of humility is 228 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:15,010 an understanding that he is the Master and we are his. 229 00:14:15,770 --> 00:14:18,050 That is what it means to be humble. 230 00:14:18,730 --> 00:14:21,250 And as at the start of this series I quoted Timothy Keller 231 00:14:21,250 --> 00:14:23,970 who, a great theologian and pastor, he passed away last 232 00:14:23,970 --> 00:14:26,530 year, I believe. He says the heart of the call of 233 00:14:26,530 --> 00:14:28,770 God is the surrender of the will. 234 00:14:31,370 --> 00:14:35,170 It is the place. And and I, I, I, I see what 235 00:14:35,170 --> 00:14:39,250 Timothy Keller is saying here. You see, nevertheless, it is a 236 00:14:39,250 --> 00:14:41,570 word of surrender. It is a place where you let go 237 00:14:41,570 --> 00:14:49,010 of something you've you've held and embraced on, and then go and 238 00:14:49,010 --> 00:14:51,890 embrace the word of God that he has spoken because you're 239 00:14:51,890 --> 00:14:53,410 embracing him. You see that? 240 00:14:54,690 --> 00:14:58,930 Surrender of our will, surrender of our desires, surrender of our 241 00:14:58,930 --> 00:15:02,450 experiences, surrender of our expectations, surrender of our 242 00:15:02,450 --> 00:15:06,970 own views, surrender of our fear of what others may think about 243 00:15:07,130 --> 00:15:15,030 us, and surrender to the one who loves us to our master. 244 00:15:15,990 --> 00:15:21,870 That is what nevertheless means, because Simon in this story knew 245 00:15:21,950 --> 00:15:23,630 how to fish. And we looked at this a couple 246 00:15:23,630 --> 00:15:26,150 of weeks ago. He knew that you needed to fish 247 00:15:26,150 --> 00:15:29,470 at night because their Nets were made out of linen, and so the 248 00:15:29,470 --> 00:15:33,190 fish would see during the day. And he thought he knew it. 249 00:15:33,950 --> 00:15:36,710 He was a professional after all, and Jesus wasn't. 250 00:15:37,380 --> 00:15:38,460 How many times have we said this? 251 00:15:38,460 --> 00:15:40,020 Well, Jesus, I'm the professional here. 252 00:15:40,460 --> 00:15:43,340 You don't know my job. We don't use those words, but we 253 00:15:43,340 --> 00:15:44,980 imply it. I'm like I'm the God of the 254 00:15:44,980 --> 00:15:49,580 universe. But you see what happens here is 255 00:15:49,580 --> 00:15:54,380 that Simon surrenders his experience and his 256 00:15:54,380 --> 00:15:58,500 professionalism and his view of doing things and says 257 00:15:59,020 --> 00:16:03,980 nevertheless, nevertheless, I would choose to surrender to 258 00:16:03,980 --> 00:16:07,740 you. And so maybe this morning you 259 00:16:07,740 --> 00:16:10,220 need to proclaim to God nevertheless. 260 00:16:10,860 --> 00:16:15,420 Maybe that word nevertheless is the word of the season for you, 261 00:16:15,620 --> 00:16:22,780 because nevertheless is a doorway into walking into the 262 00:16:22,780 --> 00:16:27,860 call that God has for you #2. Obedience, while it is also 263 00:16:27,860 --> 00:16:30,100 surrender, is an outworking of our love. 264 00:16:30,740 --> 00:16:36,340 You see, our obedience to Him should be motivated by our love 265 00:16:36,340 --> 00:16:39,300 for the Master. And we see this throughout the 266 00:16:39,300 --> 00:16:43,220 scriptures. John 1415 is a very, very famous 267 00:16:43,220 --> 00:16:46,820 verse. If you love me, Jesus says you 268 00:16:46,820 --> 00:16:49,540 will what? Obey my commands. 269 00:16:51,460 --> 00:16:53,540 You see, love is another doing word, isn't it? 270 00:16:54,820 --> 00:16:56,700 We often think that love is a feeling. 271 00:16:56,700 --> 00:16:59,660 And of course there is an emotional element to how we 272 00:16:59,660 --> 00:17:04,650 experience love. But love has an outworking love 273 00:17:04,650 --> 00:17:07,810 is a doing word. And you see, the connection 274 00:17:07,810 --> 00:17:11,250 between love for Christ and obedience to him is a theme that 275 00:17:11,250 --> 00:17:13,690 we see throughout the New Testament and specifically with 276 00:17:13,690 --> 00:17:16,569 John's writings. Let's look at one John 5. 277 00:17:16,569 --> 00:17:20,890 Two to three says this. This is how we know that we love 278 00:17:20,890 --> 00:17:25,290 the children of God by loving God and what carrying out his 279 00:17:25,290 --> 00:17:29,290 commandments. In fact, he says this is love 280 00:17:29,290 --> 00:17:31,490 for God to keep his commandments. 281 00:17:32,860 --> 00:17:37,860 I meet so many Christians who say I love Jesus and in the next 282 00:17:37,860 --> 00:17:40,820 moment say but I'm going to carry on doing what I know God 283 00:17:40,820 --> 00:17:46,180 doesn't approve of. I respectively say you might 284 00:17:46,180 --> 00:17:49,740 feel an emotion of love towards God and I don't want to minimize 285 00:17:49,740 --> 00:17:52,300 that. But the type of love that the 286 00:17:52,300 --> 00:17:56,060 Bible talks about, a love where we give him our all, that we 287 00:17:56,060 --> 00:17:58,500 surrender to him, that we recognize the work that he's 288 00:17:58,500 --> 00:18:04,720 done on the cross, that love has a response, That love is that we 289 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:06,680 follow his commands and his word. 290 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,000 Feel like I want to go a bit deeper in that I don't want to 291 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:17,240 offend you guys. But like we got to take sin 292 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,160 seriously here because if Jesus so loved, if the if God the 293 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:25,040 Father so loved the world that he what gave. 294 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:28,440 In other words, his love had an action, right? 295 00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:31,840 But God so loved the word that he sent his only begotten Son 296 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,320 that whoever should believeth in him will not perish but have 297 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:36,160 eternal life. And So what did Jesus do? 298 00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:39,200 Because of his great love? He died on the cross for our 299 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:44,080 sin, right? So what is that like when then 300 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:47,400 we turn around, say, Jesus, I love you, but I'm going to put 301 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:49,840 you back on the cross again by sinning all the time, because 302 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:52,880 that's what we're doing. You hear me? 303 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:57,800 If he so loved us that he died on the cross for that sin and 304 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,970 that stuff, is not our response. That we should offer ourselves 305 00:19:01,970 --> 00:19:05,610 as a living sacrifice to him? That if we want to take 306 00:19:05,610 --> 00:19:09,330 seriously the work of the cross and worship him for that and 307 00:19:09,330 --> 00:19:13,210 thank him for that and love him for that, that we should walk in 308 00:19:13,210 --> 00:19:17,530 the freedom that Jesus purchased on the cross for us. 309 00:19:17,850 --> 00:19:22,330 Now, I'm not suggesting that it's easy to die to self and to 310 00:19:22,410 --> 00:19:25,010 walk away from sin. I know it's not. 311 00:19:25,290 --> 00:19:27,770 We have the world, the enemy, and our flesh. 312 00:19:29,310 --> 00:19:33,910 But what I'm talking about is not not not moving in and out of 313 00:19:33,910 --> 00:19:35,470 sin. What I'm talking about is making 314 00:19:35,470 --> 00:19:38,390 a decision not to move out of that sin. 315 00:19:38,390 --> 00:19:39,790 That's what I'm focusing on here. 316 00:19:40,790 --> 00:19:43,270 But it's in that place we say, Lord Jesus, I love you. 317 00:19:43,390 --> 00:19:47,070 And so I'm going to say even though I love this sin, even 318 00:19:47,070 --> 00:19:49,590 though it makes me feel good, even though I don't know a way 319 00:19:49,590 --> 00:19:53,430 out, even though my friends will think I'm crazy, even though 320 00:19:53,430 --> 00:19:56,190 it's going to cause issues. Nevertheless. 321 00:19:57,780 --> 00:20:00,660 Why? Because I love you, and I want 322 00:20:00,660 --> 00:20:04,580 to demonstrate that love to you. Just how you demonstrated that 323 00:20:04,580 --> 00:20:07,260 love to me. And that's the heart of it, you 324 00:20:07,260 --> 00:20:11,460 know, as we walk with the Lord, as we become mature in Him, as 325 00:20:11,460 --> 00:20:16,020 we spend time in the boat with the Master, His love changes us 326 00:20:16,020 --> 00:20:18,380 from the inside out. And guess what? 327 00:20:18,380 --> 00:20:21,580 We want to obey Him. We want to. 328 00:20:22,190 --> 00:20:25,830 And as we grow in our love for him, we see that it becomes 329 00:20:25,830 --> 00:20:31,550 easier and easier to say. Nevertheless, seemingly he gives 330 00:20:31,550 --> 00:20:33,790 us bigger things to say nevertheless about. 331 00:20:36,070 --> 00:20:39,830 And so I want to encourage us all to say, listen, let's not 332 00:20:39,830 --> 00:20:43,390 just use that word. Love glibly like the world does. 333 00:20:44,030 --> 00:20:50,550 Love island flock. Do not watch it. 334 00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:03,660 Protect your eyes, people. Don't let the enemy twist love. 335 00:21:04,820 --> 00:21:06,060 Anyway, I'm not going to go there. 336 00:21:07,700 --> 00:21:09,100 Haven't got the time or the energy. 337 00:21:12,180 --> 00:21:16,980 Let's not use love glibly. Let's think about what we're 338 00:21:16,980 --> 00:21:18,940 saying when we say we love you, Jesus. 339 00:21:19,580 --> 00:21:23,670 Let's have a life that reflects that love, a life that is one 340 00:21:23,670 --> 00:21:27,550 that says I want to obey you. Why? 341 00:21:27,550 --> 00:21:30,870 And I'll give you a a little peek into next week's hallmark 342 00:21:31,350 --> 00:21:33,150 because there's blessing and obedience. 343 00:21:34,110 --> 00:21:39,160 He's He is so wanting to give you all those fish saying 344 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:41,680 listen, being obedient is really good for you. 345 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:44,240 My commands to you. This is another thing. 346 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:46,840 You see, we have a negative connotation of command. 347 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:48,720 We think it's a negative thing, don't we? 348 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,360 Most of the time, a command is a direction that we have to 349 00:21:52,360 --> 00:21:54,720 follow. What if that is not so? 350 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:59,160 What if God commands a life giving words of truth that he 351 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:02,120 wants us to walk in? Would you not listen to it 352 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:04,840 differently? Would you not want to say I want 353 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:07,880 to obey you, Lord be God? Because, quite frankly, that's 354 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:10,440 the place of freedom. That's the place of blessing. 355 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:13,240 That's the place of truth. That's the place of healing. 356 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:15,200 That's the place where I meet with you. 357 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:16,840 That's the place that I honour you. 358 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:18,600 That's the place that I worship you. 359 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:20,480 That's the place that I experienced you. 360 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:22,920 That's the place that brings you glory. 361 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:35,400 And that brings me to point #3. Obedience is a result of faith. 362 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:37,920 It's a it's a place of surrender. 363 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,760 It's an outworking of love. And it is also a result of 364 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,600 faith. You see, obedience is a 365 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:50,440 demonstration of our faith in the one who spoke Hebrews 11/6. 366 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:56,520 This with Hebrews 11/6 says this thank you and without faith it 367 00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:02,200 is what to what please him? What really. 368 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:04,520 Wow. You mean God can be pleased or 369 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,040 not pleased with us. But I thought he loved us no 370 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:08,640 matter what. Of course he loves you no matter 371 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:10,640 what, but he doesn't always have to be pleased with you. 372 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:14,080 I mean, I love my children no matter what. 373 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:15,760 But I'll tell you, there's some moments when I'm not very 374 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:19,280 pleased with their behavior. And I know you are the parents 375 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,000 out there who can heal. Feel me right. 376 00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:26,480 God says listen, I love you so much. 377 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:29,240 I just you are the best thing since sliced bread. 378 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:32,280 In fact, I knitted you together in your mother's womb. 379 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:33,760 In fact, you're fearfully and wonderfully made. 380 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:35,440 In fact, I dance over you and sing over you. 381 00:23:36,140 --> 00:23:38,660 And I'm not very pleased with you right now, because you're 382 00:23:38,660 --> 00:23:41,100 not walking in the faith, the gift that I've given you. 383 00:23:43,260 --> 00:23:46,500 I want to please God. I want to please Him. 384 00:23:47,420 --> 00:23:49,420 Without faith, it's impossible to please him. 385 00:23:49,420 --> 00:23:52,700 For whoever would draw near to God, listen, must believe that 386 00:23:52,700 --> 00:23:57,020 he exists and listen to this, that he rewards those who seek 387 00:23:57,020 --> 00:23:59,180 him. Ah, the blessing is there in 388 00:23:59,180 --> 00:24:04,780 that place Absolutely. And you see, nevertheless is a 389 00:24:04,780 --> 00:24:07,830 doorway into pleasing our Father. 390 00:24:08,710 --> 00:24:13,150 Nevertheless is a doorway into the rewards that he's waiting 391 00:24:13,150 --> 00:24:15,110 for us. I want to say, Nevertheless, 392 00:24:15,110 --> 00:24:17,710 many times today I feel, I feel like I want to say nevertheless. 393 00:24:18,430 --> 00:24:20,270 Give me an opportunity, Lord, to say, actually, you've got to be 394 00:24:20,270 --> 00:24:23,630 careful with that prayer. Be careful what you pray for. 395 00:24:26,590 --> 00:24:30,310 So obedience, the outworking of obedience, is a demonstration of 396 00:24:30,310 --> 00:24:32,270 our faith in the one who spoke the Word. 397 00:24:32,630 --> 00:24:36,400 Yeah, but obedience is also a demonstration of our faith in 398 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:39,960 his ability to be true to His word, right? 399 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:44,680 Why? Because when we say 400 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,520 nevertheless, we are choosing to trust God in the call, even if 401 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,840 it looks impossible in the Nevertheless, we're making a 402 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,440 choice to say your word above my word. 403 00:24:55,560 --> 00:25:01,640 It says in Two Corinthians 574, we walk by, Not by rights. 404 00:25:02,780 --> 00:25:07,260 They've ever tried doing that. Everyone's going to go home and 405 00:25:07,260 --> 00:25:08,980 turn the lights off and put a thing on the sidewalk. 406 00:25:09,540 --> 00:25:13,020 This is really difficult. We want to have sight. 407 00:25:13,020 --> 00:25:16,220 We want to know what happens. We want to have a certainty that 408 00:25:16,220 --> 00:25:18,060 we have figured it out and then we'll do it. 409 00:25:18,060 --> 00:25:20,500 But what? But what God is calling us is to 410 00:25:20,500 --> 00:25:25,820 live a life where our sight is in His word and His Word alone. 411 00:25:27,530 --> 00:25:29,410 Proverbs 3/5 and six. You've heard this from this 412 00:25:29,410 --> 00:25:32,370 pulpit many a time. Trust in the Lord with all your 413 00:25:33,090 --> 00:25:37,130 and do not lean on your own. Well done, All in all your ways. 414 00:25:37,130 --> 00:25:40,570 Acknowledge Him, and He will do what exactly? 415 00:25:40,570 --> 00:25:43,730 Make your path straight. You see that is a nevertheless 416 00:25:43,730 --> 00:25:44,730 first right? Right. 417 00:25:44,730 --> 00:25:47,570 There's a nevertheless 1 Nevertheless. 418 00:25:48,210 --> 00:25:56,330 Nevertheless you know. It says in James 226 that 419 00:25:56,530 --> 00:26:00,440 without that, faith, without works is dead. 420 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:03,960 Now we have to be very careful when we quote this scripture, 421 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,880 because some have turned this to say that your faith comes by 422 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:08,320 works. It's not what it's saying. 423 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:13,280 Our salvation is a gift of God. It's by grace, not by works. 424 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:16,600 Lest any man should boast right. You can't earn your salvation. 425 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,480 You come as you are and you just say yes to Jesus and he does it 426 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:22,720 for you by the power of His spirit. 427 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:26,440 Yes, we then once we justify just if I'd have been on that 428 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:29,590 cross, we then need to walk in what's called sanctification, 429 00:26:29,590 --> 00:26:33,950 which is a partnership between US and God to say change me and 430 00:26:33,950 --> 00:26:35,070 conform me to the likeness of His sun. 431 00:26:35,070 --> 00:26:37,510 That's sanctification. And then the good news is 432 00:26:37,510 --> 00:26:40,150 there'll come the glorification where we're raised again with 433 00:26:40,150 --> 00:26:40,950 Christ. Amen. 434 00:26:42,950 --> 00:26:45,430 But what it's saying here is that process of sanctification 435 00:26:45,430 --> 00:26:48,240 and we're in that journey. This is the Corbet is to say, 436 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:52,520 listen, there is no faith in Jesus, no saving faith if there 437 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:55,080 is no words. In other words, a saving faith 438 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:59,640 in Christ will demonstrate itself in godly works, right? 439 00:27:00,360 --> 00:27:05,920 Because this is what it means. If you believe, IE, that he died 440 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:09,920 on the cross, that he saved you, that he is eternal, that he is 441 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,480 God, then surely that therefore means that we will put our trust 442 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,060 in Him. I mean, it sounds so simple when 443 00:27:16,060 --> 00:27:17,180 I say it like that, but who knows? 444 00:27:17,180 --> 00:27:18,740 It's not easy to walk like that, right? 445 00:27:20,620 --> 00:27:24,660 But you see, what it should, what it should be is that our 446 00:27:24,660 --> 00:27:29,820 saving faith enables us to trust in Him and His Word and say 447 00:27:29,820 --> 00:27:34,300 nevertheless, nevertheless, and in a moment we're going to pray. 448 00:27:34,300 --> 00:27:37,300 And I want to pray in this House for a gift of faith. 449 00:27:38,220 --> 00:27:42,540 I want us to be a people of faith, a people that can say 450 00:27:42,540 --> 00:27:45,850 boldly nevertheless, that doesn't even think twice. 451 00:27:46,050 --> 00:27:49,290 That says nevertheless, if you have called me, if, even though 452 00:27:49,290 --> 00:27:52,210 I feel weak and tired, even though Lord, it doesn't make 453 00:27:52,210 --> 00:27:56,290 sense to me nevertheless, nevertheless, nevertheless, 454 00:27:56,410 --> 00:28:00,610 because that is a doorway into the blessings that God has for 455 00:28:00,610 --> 00:28:04,610 us. So that's obedience. 456 00:28:04,730 --> 00:28:06,970 Just there are only three points. 457 00:28:06,970 --> 00:28:10,030 There are many more. With the time that's given to me 458 00:28:10,230 --> 00:28:12,510 and the focus that I felt the Lord wanted to give. 459 00:28:12,710 --> 00:28:14,390 Obedience is an act of surrender. 460 00:28:15,310 --> 00:28:18,470 Obedience is an outworking of our love and obedience as a 461 00:28:18,470 --> 00:28:26,030 result of faith and what I want to find, finish on and I've been 462 00:28:26,030 --> 00:28:28,110 implicit in this throughout the talk. 463 00:28:28,110 --> 00:28:31,470 But let me be more specific. Obedience to what? 464 00:28:31,590 --> 00:28:35,510 And more specifically, to whom? Obedience to His Word and 465 00:28:35,510 --> 00:28:40,760 therefore to God Himself. The Greek word used in this 466 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:49,520 story is the word Rhema Word that is the spoken word of God. 467 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:55,960 And what that means is His word is living and His Word is alive, 468 00:28:56,560 --> 00:29:00,120 that His word is life. His word brings correction. 469 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:05,000 His word brings blessing. We can trust His word because we 470 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:11,770 can trust God says in Numbers 2319, God is not man, that he 471 00:29:11,770 --> 00:29:17,450 should lie. Maybe for some of us, our 472 00:29:17,450 --> 00:29:20,930 heavenly Father, our earthly fathers, you know, we have an 473 00:29:20,930 --> 00:29:23,610 issue with trusting because of our earthly fathers. 474 00:29:23,610 --> 00:29:26,250 And no father is perfect. I'm certainly not perfect. 475 00:29:26,250 --> 00:29:27,850 And there are times where I've let my kids down. 476 00:29:28,970 --> 00:29:31,210 And I say to them, listen. I want to say to them, listen, 477 00:29:31,210 --> 00:29:33,050 Your heavenly Father will never let you down. 478 00:29:33,830 --> 00:29:36,590 When your Heavenly Father says something unlike your earthly 479 00:29:36,590 --> 00:29:39,870 father, he'll keep his word because God is not a man that he 480 00:29:39,870 --> 00:29:42,790 should lie, nor the Son of Man that he should change his mind. 481 00:29:43,550 --> 00:29:48,270 We're not saying nevertheless to a God that will be really 482 00:29:48,270 --> 00:29:50,550 focused on one thing and then next week say, sorry, what was 483 00:29:50,550 --> 00:29:51,750 that? I know you said nevertheless, 484 00:29:51,750 --> 00:29:53,430 but I've. I've changed my mind about that. 485 00:29:53,870 --> 00:29:56,950 I think it was a mistake on hindsight, you know, God doesn't 486 00:29:56,950 --> 00:30:01,670 turn around and say, yeah, I actually, upon reflection, you 487 00:30:01,670 --> 00:30:03,190 really shouldn't have said, nevertheless, I'm really sorry 488 00:30:03,190 --> 00:30:04,190 about that. Would you forgive me? 489 00:30:04,430 --> 00:30:07,190 God doesn't do that. He doesn't change his mind and 490 00:30:07,190 --> 00:30:12,070 he doesn't lie. Or has he not spoken? 491 00:30:12,070 --> 00:30:15,910 Will he not fulfill it? We can trust him because he 492 00:30:15,910 --> 00:30:18,670 doesn't lie. He doesn't change his mind and 493 00:30:18,670 --> 00:30:26,150 he will fulfill his word. When God says go, you say yes. 494 00:30:27,030 --> 00:30:30,470 When God says I will do it, you say Amen. 495 00:30:31,170 --> 00:30:35,010 When God says this is what I'm saying now, you can be confident 496 00:30:35,010 --> 00:30:37,010 that he won't change his mind tomorrow. 497 00:30:37,730 --> 00:30:43,610 That is the God who we trust. We trust the God that never 498 00:30:43,610 --> 00:30:47,410 changes. But I want to say there's 499 00:30:47,410 --> 00:30:50,730 another dynamic to this. It is this. 500 00:30:51,690 --> 00:30:57,410 The word of God is Jesus. John Chapter one in the 501 00:30:57,410 --> 00:31:02,860 beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. 502 00:31:03,540 --> 00:31:07,860 The Word was God and the Word became flesh. 503 00:31:08,420 --> 00:31:11,740 Jesus, And you know what happened says in Revelation 504 00:31:11,740 --> 00:31:15,140 12/13 about Jesus at the second coming. 505 00:31:15,140 --> 00:31:18,700 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many 506 00:31:18,700 --> 00:31:22,020 Diademes, and he has a name written that no one knows but 507 00:31:22,020 --> 00:31:25,550 himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped 508 00:31:25,590 --> 00:31:32,230 in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God. 509 00:31:36,230 --> 00:31:40,590 Why can we trust his word? Because we can trust our master 510 00:31:41,550 --> 00:31:48,670 in the boat with us. I want to end by asking a 511 00:31:48,670 --> 00:31:52,460 question that maybe you're asking yourself, but I certainly 512 00:31:52,500 --> 00:31:55,180 ask myself when it comes to the nevertheless, nevertheless, 513 00:31:55,180 --> 00:31:58,820 moment. God, this is really hard. 514 00:32:00,420 --> 00:32:03,300 I'm not wanting to suggest to you that this is really easy. 515 00:32:04,540 --> 00:32:09,020 I want to suggest to you that actually it's not that the enemy 516 00:32:09,020 --> 00:32:11,780 would tempt you to question his call. 517 00:32:12,220 --> 00:32:15,180 The enemy would tempt you to question the character of God. 518 00:32:15,580 --> 00:32:19,460 The enemy would come to tempt you, to question your ability 519 00:32:20,020 --> 00:32:29,910 even to say yes. But we have good news because 520 00:32:29,910 --> 00:32:33,270 when Jesus went to be glorified with the Father, what did he 521 00:32:33,270 --> 00:32:35,590 say? I'm going to leave you. 522 00:32:35,590 --> 00:32:38,270 And you can imagine the disciples like that is bad news. 523 00:32:38,910 --> 00:32:41,750 Please stay. So no, it's good news because 524 00:32:41,750 --> 00:32:43,710 I'm going to be the Father and he is going to send the Holy 525 00:32:43,710 --> 00:32:48,470 Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is going to guide you and comfort 526 00:32:48,470 --> 00:32:52,590 you and strengthen you, and he's going to walk with you and equip 527 00:32:52,590 --> 00:32:53,790 you and give everything you need. 528 00:32:55,180 --> 00:32:57,820 You see, we don't need to be obedient on our own. 529 00:32:59,140 --> 00:33:01,420 The Holy Spirit is here to help us, to say. 530 00:33:01,700 --> 00:33:05,380 Nevertheless, I'd like us all to stand now.