1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,120 It was a privilege 4 months ago to be standing on the stage with 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:08,920 you as we celebrated Mark and Steph Helvagin, who had LED you 3 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,680 so faithfully over so many years, as your pastors. 4 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,800 And we are delighted to be here today, participating in this key 5 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,640 moment in the life of your church as we commissioned Chuck 6 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,000 and Taran to lead you into the future. 7 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:25,880 Over the years, Debbie and I have had the privilege of 8 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:29,280 working quite closely with Chuck and Taran, especially on the 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:34,800 Vineyard leadership team and on the core of that team as two of 10 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,960 our four associate national directors. 11 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,960 And their contributions to the movement are incalculable. 12 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,760 We have admired their leadership, their passion for 13 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,280 the Kingdom of God, their heart for the church, the way they 14 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:52,520 faithfully serve Jesus, and they are very dear friends of ours. 15 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:56,760 And we're excited for you as you move into this coming chapter 16 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:01,040 together, convinced that the Lord has some great things in 17 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:06,440 store for you on this very significant day in the life of 18 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:09,040 this church. I want to spend some time today 19 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:13,760 thinking about the church. I wonder what you think of with 20 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:15,920 that word church when you hear that. 21 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:20,280 Some of us might think of a particular building or an 22 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,880 extended family or coming together for Sunday services, 23 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,640 worship, teaching, ministries that reach out to others. 24 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:32,360 Some of you may be very new to all this, having only stepped 25 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,120 into a church recently. Maybe this today is your first 26 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:39,480 time and you may have perceptions about what churches 27 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:44,360 are and what they do. I love how Webster's dictionary 28 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:49,640 describes the church. The church is God's creation and 29 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,720 design. It is His method of providing 30 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,400 spiritual nurture for the believer and a community of 31 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,240 faith through which the gospel is proclaimed and His will is 32 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:04,720 advanced in every generation. As I've thought about how 33 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,520 Vineyard churches all over the UK and Ireland might reflect 34 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:10,759 this description, over the years, I've read my share of 35 00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:14,000 books. I've attended many seminars and 36 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,640 conferences. I've had countless conversations 37 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,960 with other pastors on growing healthy churches. 38 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,000 I've also looked at examples of great churches, including Verso 39 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,800 Vineyard, and have been inspired and encouraged. 40 00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:32,320 But I'm convinced that the best examples of the type of church 41 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:38,800 God wants to build are actually to be found in a book, A book 42 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:41,440 with which some of us will be familiar, and particularly in 43 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:46,320 one of the books within here, the book of Acts. 40 years ago, 44 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,240 before Debbie and I ended up in the Vineyard, I was working in 45 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:54,280 Nottingham for an organization that looked after homeless young 46 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:59,120 people, and my heart broke as I heard stories of how some of 47 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,120 them felt that church was not a place they thought they would 48 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,000 ever feel welcome. They would never even dare to 49 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,520 set foot. I think somebody once said they 50 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:12,800 thought they might catch on fire just coming into the presence of 51 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,440 God or coming into the presence of a people who were apparently 52 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:17,880 so holier than thou that they would be excluded. 53 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:21,320 And I remember thinking, would there ever be a church where 54 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,920 those friends could ever find a spiritual home? 55 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,160 Where anyone, no matter what their life experience, their 56 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:33,280 background, could belong to a community of faith and be 57 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,760 transformed by the love of Jesus? 58 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,240 Where people from privileged backgrounds like me could get 59 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:44,240 involved in caring for those in need, where people encountered 60 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,480 God in worship, in prayer, through the gifts of the Holy 61 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:49,440 Spirit. Basically all the things that we 62 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:55,080 read about in the book of Acts, particularly in Acts chapter 2. 63 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:57,560 And so we're going to look today at a short passage together, 64 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:02,800 which just in a cameo summarizes what was happening in the very 65 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,040 first church. That was a church in Jerusalem 66 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:09,480 2000 years ago. We see the things that the 67 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:14,920 believers did, which we are also called to do now. 68 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,560 It doesn't include everything a church should be, nor does it 69 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:19,720 describe actually the ideal church. 70 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,680 As a significant portion of the New Testament shows, the early 71 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:26,240 church was very far from perfect, with many of its pages 72 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,480 devoted to correcting where things were actually going 73 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:31,560 wrong. But there are characteristics 74 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,840 which the early believers exhibited in the Book of Acts 75 00:04:34,840 --> 00:04:39,640 which we can learn from today. It might be easy on a day like 76 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:45,520 today to focus on what you hope Chuck and Taryn might do as they 77 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:47,000 take on the mantle of leadership. 78 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:51,320 As your pastors, you will have expectations about how they will 79 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:56,080 shape Verso Vineyard's future as they bring their energy, their 80 00:04:56,080 --> 00:05:00,080 experience, their anointing, their passion to this role. 81 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:03,240 And of course, some of today is about that. 82 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,240 But as we look at the characteristics we find among 83 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:09,920 those early believers, can I encourage you this morning not 84 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:14,800 to think of Verso Vineyard as being a church Chuck and Taran 85 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:19,960 are responsible for, or as a church that you go to, or as an 86 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,680 organization which should do the things the Bible describes as 87 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:29,520 things churches should do. But rather, think of it as you 88 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,920 and you and you and you and you and you. 89 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:38,800 You are Verso vineyard. So what the church does and is 90 00:05:38,840 --> 00:05:42,400 is essentially what each of you do and are. 91 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:47,080 The church ultimately is simply an expression of each and every 92 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:51,480 one of its members. As we look at what the early 93 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:56,080 believers in Jerusalem did, what we might call Acts from Acts, 94 00:05:56,480 --> 00:06:01,160 let me encourage you to consider at least one of these Acts that 95 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,320 you can personally invest in more than you currently are in 96 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:08,040 the coming weeks and months to help this expression of God's 97 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:12,680 church grow even more into the church God is calling you to be 98 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,040 in this new season. So if you have a Bible or a 99 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,480 device, you can turn to Acts chapter 2. 100 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:26,360 Let's look at this together. Acts chapter 2 and verse 42 and 101 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:34,800 following. They devoted themselves to the 102 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:39,520 apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of 103 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:44,040 bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with ore at 104 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,440 the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 105 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:51,440 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 106 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:56,240 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone 107 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,920 who had need. Every day they continued to meet 108 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:04,200 together in the temple courts, they broke bread in their homes 109 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:09,760 and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and 110 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:11,600 enjoying the favour of all the people. 111 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:15,640 And the Lord added to their number daily those who were 112 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:20,240 being saved. So what can we learn about the 113 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,640 characteristics of the early church which might shape us 114 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,200 today? Well, first of all, the church 115 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:28,080 in Acts was characterized by acts of devotion. 116 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,080 We read there that the early church devoted themselves to a 117 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,040 number of things, to the apostles teaching, to 118 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,720 fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 119 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,080 The first thing they devoted themselves to was the apostles 120 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:45,040 teaching, which at that time was yet to be written down, of 121 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:48,120 course, but became the beginnings of the New Testament. 122 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:52,520 Today we have the Bible, the treasures of which are deeper 123 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:56,400 than we could grasp in a lifetime of reading and studying 124 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:59,800 it. Encouragingly, recent research 125 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:05,480 shows that in the UK Bible sales have grown by 87% in the last 126 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:10,480 five years, and that is in the context of falling interest in 127 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:14,160 non fiction books. So it's amazing, 87% in five 128 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:15,680 years. The Lord is stirring something 129 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:21,560 up here and these sales are partially driven by many being 130 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:27,560 bought by Generation Z or Z who seem to be seeing the value of 131 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,960 this ancient text providing answers in this uncertain and 132 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,600 ever changing world. Whether you have a paper copy or 133 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:37,799 you have it on your phone or you have it in some other format, 134 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:41,280 the more we ingest the content of the scriptures, the more we 135 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:46,080 will understand God and the best way to live. 136 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,960 I'm really enjoying using the Bible app, which is the quickest 137 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,520 way on my phone to find or read a passage. 138 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:58,160 I've done the Bible in one year being read to me by David Suchet 139 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,760 and then with Nicky Gumbel commenting on it a few years 140 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:03,240 ago. Actually, that app, if you never 141 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:05,880 used it, I'd encourage you. That app revolutionized the 142 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:08,760 regularity of me personally engaging with the Bible. 143 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,040 So I've always been someone who read the Bible in chunks 144 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:18,080 somewhat sporadically, but with this app, like 365 days, it was 145 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:20,960 like, I mustn't get behind, I'm going to stay with this. 146 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,440 And I actually only missed one day in the 365. 147 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:26,400 It was really revolutionary. So if you're a bit sporadic, I'd 148 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,080 encourage you. That is a great one to get. 149 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:32,960 I currently enjoy Lectio 365 with different contributors 150 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:35,920 leading devotions based on themes and Bible texts. 151 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:37,560 And there are other tools out there, but I really would 152 00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:40,440 encourage you. I love the Bible Project as 153 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:41,480 well. That's awesome. 154 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,880 Devoting ourselves to the teaching of the Bible is a lot 155 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:48,840 more, of course, than reading it and understanding it. 156 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:54,200 It means living out God's truth. A biblical church is a church 157 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,680 that is filled with people who, as the apostle James says, are 158 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:04,520 doers of the Word and not hearers, only people who apply 159 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:07,120 the Bible to their daily lives, not just the bits that they're 160 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,840 comfortable with. And just imagine, what would St. 161 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:15,040 Albans, Hatfield and Hemel and Hertfordshire look like in a 162 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:19,880 year's time if everyone in this church devoted themselves to not 163 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:23,440 just reading the Bible, but working to understand what it 164 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,640 means not just as an intellectual exercise, but 165 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:30,720 actually as a toolkit for life? If the members of Versa Vineyard 166 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:35,680 embodied the characteristics that this book encourages us to 167 00:10:35,680 --> 00:10:41,280 grow in, Secondly, they devoted themselves to prayer. 168 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:44,800 Prayer is the main way we connect with God in our personal 169 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,880 relationship. It is also vital in seeing God 170 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:50,920 move powerfully among us as a church. 171 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:54,240 Richard Foster said this in the ongoing work of the Kingdom of 172 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:58,080 God. Nothing is more important than 173 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:02,800 intercessory prayer. Prayer releases God to do what 174 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:06,680 He wants to do in the church, the city, the nation, and beyond 175 00:11:06,680 --> 00:11:09,760 in a way that no amount of effort ever can. 176 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:14,720 Without prayer, we'll miss out on the incredible unleashing of 177 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,320 the power of God propelling the work we do to achieve 178 00:11:18,680 --> 00:11:23,120 supernatural results. The time spent alone or with 179 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:28,520 others praying multiplies the effectiveness of the hours spent 180 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,280 doing. A church which is devoted to 181 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:36,400 prayer will see God answering prayer in just incredible ways. 182 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:40,680 You think back to like the Hebrides, the Hebridean revival. 183 00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:44,120 2 elderly sisters, Peggy and Christine Smith. 184 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:48,160 One was blind, the other was crippled by by arthritis, had a 185 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:53,720 vision of the churches crowded with young people and they began 186 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:57,480 praying that God would move there in the Outer Hebrides. 187 00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:59,920 And then a small group of church leaders joined in. 188 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:04,280 Many people came to faith. The towns in the Isle of Lewis 189 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,520 and all over the Hebrides were utterly transformed. 190 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:13,200 Prayer is so powerful. So the first two acts from Acts 191 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:17,240 are devotion to the Bible and to prayer. 192 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:21,040 Secondly, the church in Acts was characterized by acts of 193 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:24,600 evangelism. Evangelism is simply a word 194 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,920 which means sharing the evangel, the gospel, the Christian 195 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,680 gospel, the good news of Jesus. And as individuals responded to 196 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:37,880 that invitation, they joined the church, verse 47 here, and the 197 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,160 Lord added to their number daily. 198 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:44,080 Those who are being saved. We see throughout the book of 199 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:47,520 Acts the church getting out there, talking to those who 200 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:50,400 don't know Jesus, communicate in the gospel through their 201 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:55,760 actions, sending teams to other cities, other countries, and 202 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,480 God's invitation to us is the same. 203 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:03,400 And though for Verso Vineyard it may not be daily, the reality is 204 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,800 that the Lord is adding to your number regularly. 205 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,800 Those who are being saved, for instance, through events like 206 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:14,880 Love Your Street in the summer. Over that month, I understand 207 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:20,120 you racked up someone carefully counted 1836 hours of service 208 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:24,240 and mission activity including barbecues, litter pics, coffee 209 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:28,720 dates, creating opportunities for conversations, invitations 210 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:32,160 to church, and praying for people who didn't know Jesus. 211 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,280 And I'm told that the a number of people came to faith through 212 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,760 that time. We celebrate every individual 213 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,480 finding faith in Jesus and with you. 214 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:45,720 We long to see many more people come to know Him. 215 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,360 Thirdly, the ACT. The church in Acts was 216 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:55,480 characterized by acts of worship as they shared meals together. 217 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,440 Verse 42, they devoted themselves to the breaking of 218 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,760 bread as an act of worship at the Last Supper. 219 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:07,640 Jesus said, do this as often as you eat it in remembrance of me. 220 00:14:08,560 --> 00:14:11,720 The Lord's Supper is celebrated to remind us of what Jesus has 221 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:16,200 done for us and to look forward to what He will do, and verse 46 222 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:18,920 extends that description. They broke bread in their homes 223 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,960 and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. 224 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:27,480 Praising God verse 42, remembering Jesus verse 46 and 225 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:32,960 praising God worship. You know, it is possible to do 226 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,240 all manner of things that the church is supposed to be doing 227 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:42,440 and yet lose focus on who the church is all about, somehow 228 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:46,600 forgetting Jesus in the process. He said, you know, do this 229 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:50,520 remember, remember Jesus. This is all about the most 230 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:54,800 beautiful and wonderful person in the universe, God the Father, 231 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:59,000 Son and Holy Spirit, and worshipping Him is our highest 232 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,440 priority. And you're a church that's known 233 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:05,040 for its worship. We've enjoyed a wonderful 234 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:09,120 example of that this morning. A number of your team have not 235 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:13,640 just blessed this church, but at the wider Vineyard movement, as 236 00:15:13,640 --> 00:15:16,400 some of them have served at events like the Vineyard Leaders 237 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:20,720 Gathering and you've hosted live recording recordings of worship 238 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,480 as you did last year. But like the church in Acts, 239 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:27,120 your vision isn't just to kind of make good music, sing nice 240 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,840 songs. It is to create places and 241 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:35,760 spaces to host God's presence and create songs that are an 242 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:39,440 outworking of your encounters with God. 243 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:44,760 The church in Acts was characterized fourthly by Acts 244 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:50,160 of Wonder, verse 43. Everyone was filled with awe at 245 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,840 the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 246 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,320 They were filled with awe because the experience of being 247 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:02,520 in that church was awesome. Signs and wonders, miracles 248 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,120 happened in the early church and not just through the apostles, 249 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:06,880 but through many of the believers. 250 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:11,120 We read about people being healed, even people being raised 251 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:15,240 from the dead, people being miraculously set free from 252 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,720 prison. On one occasion. 253 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:20,320 The presence of the Holy Spirit was so powerful, the place where 254 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:24,440 they were meeting shook. It's not surprising that people 255 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:29,200 were filled with awe and wonder. And I know that you've seen God 256 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:33,200 move powerfully here at verse. So for instance, a number of 257 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:35,040 people being healed over the years. 258 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,160 For instance, in July, someone here shared this. 259 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:41,320 I pulled a tendon in my left foot over a year ago and it's 260 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,000 been especially bad for the last week or so, limiting my 261 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:47,480 activities. Yesterday I was really 262 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:50,280 struggling to get to church, both physically and mentally. 263 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:52,920 I didn't want to go, but from years of experience knew that 264 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,760 when I feel like that I need to be here. 265 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,160 After a really great talk we were encouraged to let go and 266 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:03,280 shout the name of Yahweh, during which I felt the Lord telling me 267 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:06,839 to stand on tiptoe, something I haven't been able to do without 268 00:17:06,839 --> 00:17:10,599 pain for a year. And after doing so I realized I 269 00:17:10,599 --> 00:17:13,200 had in capitals no pain in my foot. 270 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:15,640 Hallelujah. She says it is still pain free 271 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,720 today. Amazing things are happening, 272 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,560 but there is so much more we have yet to see. 273 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:27,200 The church in Acts was characterized by acts of 274 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:31,560 hospitality, the passage tells us in verse 46. 275 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:33,920 Every day they continued to meet together. 276 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,640 They broke bread in their homes and ate together. 277 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,360 They met together in the temple courts and in their homes. 278 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:43,440 The large setting and the smaller settings because 279 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,960 churches a lot more than just being together for a couple of 280 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:51,160 hours on a Sunday. Through Verso groups, people 281 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:56,040 have been supported through meals and care and prayer. 282 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,600 Care during emergency and other schedule operations. 283 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:02,400 Losses. New babies. 284 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,520 One group member whose group organized the baby shower for 285 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:09,760 them shared this. As I don't have any family here 286 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,640 in England, this meant more to me than I can easily put into 287 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:15,240 words. The group went out of their way 288 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:19,720 to plan everything, make it special, and celebrate this new 289 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:23,120 season with me. I felt so loved, cared for, and 290 00:18:23,120 --> 00:18:25,960 seen. Their kindness reminded me that 291 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:29,560 even though my family's far away, I am not alone here. 292 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:33,640 I'm incredibly grateful for the time, effort, and thought they 293 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:35,640 put into making the day so special. 294 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:40,080 Special and for the sense of family and belonging our group 295 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:46,520 has given me. Whether it's sharing a meal 296 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:51,040 together, putting on a baby shower or simply chatting to a 297 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:55,000 new person on a Sunday, hospitality can have a huge 298 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,840 impact. We don't know exactly what it 299 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,320 was like when the believers got together in the early church, 300 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:04,880 but we know that the church consisted of people of every age 301 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:07,920 and experience because we're told that whole households came 302 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,760 to faith and also there are people of different generations 303 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:15,400 and also different backgrounds coming together. 304 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:20,600 The church in Acts was characterized also by acts of 305 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,920 generosity. Says in verse 44, all the 306 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:27,080 believers were together and had everything in common. 307 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:30,880 They sold property and possessions to give. 308 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:36,040 The church had caught a glimpse of God's amazing generosity in 309 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:40,720 His Son Jesus and responded with what can only be described as 310 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:44,280 extravagant generosity. If there was a need, if they had 311 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:49,560 it to give, they gave. We see later in Acts that people 312 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:54,360 still owned houses and land, but from time to time voluntarily 313 00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:58,120 sold them and generously gave the money to the church. 314 00:19:59,360 --> 00:20:01,840 Now your journey as a church has been marked. 315 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:07,040 By extravagant generosity. This amazing building, 1 of the 316 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:11,560 finest church buildings in this nation, exists because of the 317 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:15,480 extravagant generosity of its members over many years. 318 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:20,760 God into the funding of all you do as a church is testament to 319 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:25,000 your generous giving, as is your having sent out and resourced 320 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,920 church plants and sites over the years. 321 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:34,160 God is an extravagant giver. Many people in the church in the 322 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:38,000 book of Acts were extravagant givers and as his church learns 323 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,880 to give like that, the favour of God will be upon it. 324 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:45,600 The picture that Luke paints in this passage is of people 325 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:50,280 holding their own material wealth with an open hand such 326 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,680 that when they saw a need they met it. 327 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:57,880 Verse 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone 328 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:01,400 who had need. As churches in the western world 329 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:05,000 go, Verso Vineyard is a church where this is happening. 330 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:10,520 For instance, through Verso care, almost 1500 individuals 331 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:16,280 and 500 families have been supplied with food and over 350 332 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:21,920 families have visited kit. This Christmas over 100 families 333 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:26,160 including over 200 children were served in the Christmas Toy 334 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:31,680 shop, giving away over 1500 individual gifts that were 335 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:35,440 opened on Christmas Day. One mum came to the Christmas 336 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,720 shop with her daughter. A little girl mentioned that it 337 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:42,440 was Christmas Jumper Day but she didn't have one because her mum 338 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:46,240 couldn't afford one. The kit shop had pre loved 339 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:50,160 jumpers and had one the perfect size for her along with a new 340 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:54,640 sparkly Christmas hat. So this five year old stood 341 00:21:54,640 --> 00:22:00,200 proudly in front of the mirror, tears in arise and said, you've 342 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:04,080 made this the best day ever. Now I'm going to be like 343 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,600 everybody else at school. Thank you. 344 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:13,160 Generosity is a hallmark of Verso Vineyard, And as you step 345 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:17,600 into this next chapter as a church, I believe the Lord is 346 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:21,960 inviting those of you who are not yet financially committed to 347 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,600 get involved in acts of generosity. 348 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,440 Can I encourage you to begin with giving a portion of your 349 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:33,600 income regularly to this church and then give to other needs as 350 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:39,720 you feel LED on top of that? The church in Acts was also 351 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:46,240 characterized by acts of unity. In verse 4242, they devoted 352 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:51,120 themselves to fellowship. Verse 44, all the believers were 353 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:53,920 together and had everything in common. 354 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,560 I think I just spotted the word together three times in that 355 00:22:56,560 --> 00:23:00,120 little passage. I think it's at least 2, but I 356 00:23:00,120 --> 00:23:02,160 think I spotted 3 as I was reading it just then. 357 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:07,120 They really shared their lives. You know, the Greek word for 358 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:10,680 fellowship comes from another Greek word, coynos, which means 359 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:14,960 common or sharing. Fellowship is not just about 360 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,160 making small talk over a cup of church coffee. 361 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,840 It is opening up our lives, getting under each other's 362 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:26,080 masks. It's one of the reasons everyone 363 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,640 here is encouraged to be part of a small group where you can get 364 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:34,080 to know and be known by a group of people who share life 365 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:37,720 together, deeply knowing and caring for one another. 366 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:41,720 Unity doesn't necessarily mean agreeing on everything. 367 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:45,040 You know, just as here at Versa, there will be many different 368 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:49,120 experiences and views. We read later on in the book of 369 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:52,080 Acts that the early church didn't necessarily agree on 370 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:56,920 everything, but they were united by their shared belief in Jesus 371 00:23:57,360 --> 00:24:02,720 as so they made every effort to seek harmony, to seek unity. 372 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,200 Unity doesn't mean uniformity. You know, even within the 373 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:09,680 overall vision and life of Versa Vineyard, there are different 374 00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:14,200 physical expressions of that life here in Saint Albans, in 375 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:19,000 Hatfield, in Hemel, a Verso local to you. 376 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:24,160 There's diversity, geography geographically, as it were. 377 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:26,400 But there's something very beautiful about the church's 378 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:30,280 diversity where you find people of different backgrounds, 379 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,280 experience, ethnic groups coming together. 380 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,200 Like I said in my introduction that people who don't really fit 381 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:38,720 in a church can find a home here at Versa. 382 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:41,360 That's the miracle of the church. 383 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:44,400 Not just this church, but the church, the wider church, and 384 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,960 where there is unity, God loves to bless. 385 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:52,760 One of the ways the enemy attacks the church is by sowing 386 00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:58,040 division and dissension. I would encourage you all to do 387 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:04,280 all you can to unite around what is most important and do all you 388 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:08,720 can to protect the unity which God loves to see and is 389 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:15,080 delighted to bless. Now the church described in this 390 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:20,200 little passage grew like wildfire out of Jerusalem. 391 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,480 That church spread across the globe. 392 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:29,400 Later in Acts, those who opposed the church, alarmed at the 393 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:34,360 disruption it caused, described it as having quotes turned the 394 00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:38,520 world upside down. Wouldn't it be wonderful if 395 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:43,760 those who oppose or ignore the church across this land would 396 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:49,160 one day be alarmed at the disruption Verso Vineyard, other 397 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,000 Vineyard churches, and churches of every denomination were 398 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,200 causing? So much so that they described 399 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:59,280 the Christian Church as having turned England upside down. 400 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:06,600 God wants every follower of Jesus in every church, including 401 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:10,280 this one, to be characterized by. 402 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:12,200 And can it come up on this thing there? 403 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:18,040 Acts of devotion, acts of evangelism, acts of of worship, 404 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:24,360 acts of wonder, acts of hospitality, acts of generosity, 405 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:30,040 and acts of unity. In this time of change for you 406 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,920 as a church, there are some things to hold on to, good 407 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:39,040 stable things to hold on to, and perhaps today there's one or two 408 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:42,760 particular errors as you look at that list, you feel the Lord 409 00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:45,560 prompting you personally to grow in. 410 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,640 As we look at that list on the screen, let's just take a 411 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,920 moment, just a moment with the Lord to ask Him. 412 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:56,400 Would you, each of you, ask Him which of those things He is 413 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:01,120 asking you to deepen in your own life in this next season? 414 00:27:10,950 --> 00:27:13,150 If you ask Him, he will speak to you. 415 00:27:15,350 --> 00:27:16,870 There's something. He's challenging you. 416 00:27:16,870 --> 00:27:20,910 I'm just prodding you in. I'm not sure I'm doing that the 417 00:27:20,910 --> 00:27:21,990 way that all might have me do it. 418 00:27:21,990 --> 00:27:35,390 Let me encourage you all to take a step into that this week and 419 00:27:35,390 --> 00:27:39,710 consider how you will play your part in what God is going to do 420 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:44,240 with and through your church in this new chapter. 421 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:59,260 God bless you all. So we are now going to 422 00:27:59,260 --> 00:28:01,900 Commission Chuck and Taran. So Chuck and Taran, if you'd 423 00:28:01,900 --> 00:28:04,740 like to come up here, someone can move this table. 424 00:28:04,740 --> 00:28:23,460 Debbie's coming as well. Chuck those out of the way. 425 00:28:23,620 --> 00:28:27,740 Well, they're all right. OK, OK, sure. 426 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:36,920 Whatcha great to see you? Wow, this is so, so precious. 427 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,760 Well, Chuck and Taran, as your national directors, we are 428 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:46,600 commissioning you. We're installing you as senior 429 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:53,360 pastors of Verso Vineyard. It's evident to us and to all of 430 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:56,200 us who've been part of the discernment process. 431 00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:59,640 It's been quite a journey. It's been quite fast, you know, 432 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,120 this time last year, goodness me. 433 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:08,800 But the Holy Spirit has clearly spoken and it's his desire that 434 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:13,880 you be set apart and that for this work that the Lord has 435 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:18,120 called you to. Much prayer has gone into this 436 00:29:18,120 --> 00:29:23,600 decision and we know that this is God's idea and it's our job, 437 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:27,880 all of our jobs to recognise. And we're going to be laying 438 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:29,760 hands on you. We're going to be commissioning 439 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:33,920 you with our blessing. And we're now going to ask you, 440 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:38,280 Chuck and Taran, a number of questions in the presence of God 441 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:42,400 and this congregation and which we invite you to respond. 442 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,560 Chuck and Taran, do you sincerely believe that you've 443 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:51,360 been called by God to become the senior pastors of Versovignon? 444 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:56,200 We do. Chuck and Talon will you, to the 445 00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:00,360 best of your ability, faithfully carry out this calling we. 446 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:05,320 Will will you commit yourself to the outworking of what God has 447 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:07,640 called this community of faith to be? 448 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:12,040 And do we? Will as you lead this church, 449 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:16,240 will you be accountable to the trustees and submitted to the 450 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,960 leadership of the wider Vineyard family? 451 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:25,160 We will. If this is your church, we now 452 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:28,640 want to invite you to commit to being part of this next leg of 453 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:32,880 Versa's journey and to support Chuck and Taron as they lead you 454 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:34,600 in it. So we'd like to invite you, if 455 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:37,560 you would, to stand if you're able. 456 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:40,760 As we make these commitments together. 457 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:44,040 The words will come up on the screen. 458 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:49,080 And if you wish to, then please respond with we will. 459 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:53,080 So Verso Vinia, do you recognize Chuck and Taryn's call to be 460 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:55,680 your senior pastors? And will you commit to 461 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,240 supporting them as they lead this church? 462 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:12,880 Oh yes. OK, sorry, will you do what the 463 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:16,440 Lord asks of you, contributing to your your unique gifts, 464 00:31:16,680 --> 00:31:20,760 experiences, and resources to help this beautiful expression 465 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:24,040 of the body of Christ be all that the Lord has called it to 466 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:31,160 be? Chuck and Tarry and we have 467 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:35,400 seen, if I may just step across here, your dedication to serving 468 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:39,240 the Lord as you have led Catalyst Vineyard and serve the 469 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:43,000 wider Vineyard movement. Vineyard churches across the UK 470 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,840 and Ireland, as well as the wider body of Christ beyond 471 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:49,120 these nations have been the recipients of great blessing 472 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:52,680 because of the tireless effort you have invested in God's 473 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:55,600 Kingdom. We recognize that the Lord has 474 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:59,920 called you to step into the role of Versos senior pastors and we 475 00:31:59,920 --> 00:32:04,040 wish you every blessing as you take this step of obedience and 476 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:08,840 faith. God is on a mission to extend 477 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:14,440 His beautiful rule, His perfect Kingdom, His will being done on 478 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:19,040 earth as it is in heaven, and to reconcile every individual on 479 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:23,080 the planet back to Him. And as each of us comes into 480 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:27,920 submission to His mission, He gives us a Commission. 481 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:31,800 He is about His work, and we get to join in. 482 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:36,400 In Matthew 28 we have what is known as the Great Commission. 483 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:41,880 The Great Commission. Jesus said to his followers, go 484 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:44,600 and make disciples of all nations. 485 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:48,040 Go where I lead you. Go to the particular people that 486 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:51,360 I've called you to and make disciples. 487 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:55,920 Communicate the gospel not just with words, but with every 488 00:32:55,920 --> 00:33:00,040 action, every conversation, every waking moment. 489 00:33:00,240 --> 00:33:03,640 Be an ambassador of Christ Jesus. 490 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:08,320 Jesus continued teaching them to obey everything I've commanded 491 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:11,280 you. Whether those you minister to 492 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:14,920 are already believers or prodigals returning to faith or 493 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:18,960 unbelievers, the task is actually the same, to teach them 494 00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:22,280 to obey all that Jesus commanded his disciples to do. 495 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:26,520 Always submitted to God's revealed will in the Scriptures. 496 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,960 Equip the Saints for service. Release people to use their 497 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,720 gifts for the extending of God's Kingdom. 498 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:39,040 Lead them as under shepherd, under shepherds of your portion 499 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:42,800 of the flock of God, always mindful of the incredible 500 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:48,240 privilege entrusted to you, the care of the flock which He 501 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:52,920 purchased with His own blood. And then Jesus concluded by 502 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:57,440 saying this. And surely I am with you always 503 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:01,520 to the very end of the age. And as long as we are doing what 504 00:34:01,520 --> 00:34:06,160 God calls us to do, we can rest in the assurance that he's with 505 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:09,120 us. He's with you every step of the 506 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:11,520 way. So today, Chuck and Taran, we 507 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:16,560 recognize your Commission to lead Versa Vineyard. 508 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:20,040 We join the Lord in commissioning you as Versa 509 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:24,199 Senior Pastors. Rest in the knowledge that God 510 00:34:24,199 --> 00:34:27,560 has called you. He will be faithful in equipping 511 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:30,520 you and anointing you to do this. 512 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:36,360 King David commissioned his son Solomon with the daunting task 513 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:41,000 of building the first temple, and we can parallel his words to 514 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,120 Solomon here. As you continue the building of 515 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:47,600 this church. One Chronicles 28, verse 20. 516 00:34:49,199 --> 00:34:52,440 Be strong and courageous and do the work. 517 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:58,280 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is 518 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:02,040 with you. He will not fail you or forsake 519 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:05,680 you until all the work for the service of the temple of the 520 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:12,000 Lord is finished. Can I invite? 521 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,080 We've got a pastor and a trustee joining us. 522 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:17,880 You come up as well, one of the pastors, trustee. 523 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:19,040 I think we've got a couple of people. 524 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:23,120 Why don't we have your guys come from Scotland? 525 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:26,800 Yeah, James and Torn. Why don't you come up as well? 526 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:31,640 Be lovely to have folks who are with you up there for all those 527 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:38,880 years, just with us in this. So let's lay hands on them, pray 528 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:52,920 for them. Father, Lord, with joy and 529 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:59,080 delight, we give you thanks for the gift that you have given us 530 00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:06,240 in Chuck and Taron as a church. Lord, before we even prayed, 531 00:36:06,240 --> 00:36:11,880 before we even knew what to ask for, before we even got our 532 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:16,880 heads around the change that was coming, Lord, you answered in 533 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:21,880 abundant generosity. We thank you for the giftings 534 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:26,520 that Chuck and Taron bring. And our prayer, Lord, is that 535 00:36:27,240 --> 00:36:30,880 you will knit our hearts together in the way that Paul 536 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:35,480 prayed over the Colossians. That we will be united in 537 00:36:35,480 --> 00:36:43,760 purpose, Lord, That we will all grow in the the fruit of the 538 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:47,280 Holy Spirit. That our interactions together 539 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:52,360 will be with love and joy and peace and patience and kindness 540 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:57,640 and gentleness and goodness and faithfulness and self-control. 541 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:03,000 And that Lord, as you knit us together in love as one, that we 542 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:06,800 will work together to do your mission. 543 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:13,720 Lord, thank you for answering our prayers so abundantly. 544 00:37:13,720 --> 00:37:17,680 And thank you for the giftings that Chuck and Taran bring. 545 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:23,520 We honor you Lord, and praise you because you are building 546 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:41,640 your church in Jesus name, Amen. We thank you, Lord, for the 547 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:47,280 experience you've given them the wisdom you've given them the the 548 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:52,760 gifting over many years through thick and thin. 549 00:37:56,160 --> 00:38:01,800 And we ask Lord that you will not only continue to bless them 550 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:08,680 and to use them, but the the reach, the extent of their 551 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:15,800 leadership and blessing to the church may increase across this 552 00:38:15,800 --> 00:38:18,720 part of the country. And no doubt beyond that. 553 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:31,640 You will encourage, you will strengthen, you'll build people 554 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:36,760 up. You'll find and train and and 555 00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:43,520 Commission new leaders of all ages, of all types and 556 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:51,520 backgrounds of alongside to enrich the church that is so 557 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:59,120 precious to all of us. Give them peace. 558 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:10,520 Give them a sense of your presence with them, lift off 559 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:14,320 pressure that comes from themselves and from others with 560 00:39:14,320 --> 00:39:21,400 it isn't from you, and give them great delight and great joy in 561 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:24,480 doing this together with the team here. 562 00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:39,160 Amen. I had a picture and it made me 563 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:43,200 smile and it was you guys in the middle of a big party. 564 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:46,120 And I don't know if you've seen that Christmas game where people 565 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:49,040 line up lights and they breathe and they say a word like happy 566 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:52,320 Christmas down a row and it and it and it hits every light. 567 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:57,200 And, and then and my sense as I sat in the picture, I was like, 568 00:39:57,200 --> 00:39:59,200 what you're saying? And I I just sensed this season 569 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:02,360 is going to be a season of joy. It's going to be a season of 570 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:06,440 celebration, of lightness, of spirit, and there's going to be 571 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:08,920 no weight on your shoulders in that sense. 572 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:13,320 The Holy Spirit, it's got the weight, A season of deep 573 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:17,720 community and friendship like you've not known before. 574 00:40:18,440 --> 00:40:24,240 And, and also my mind was taken to Ezekiel 37 and that vision of 575 00:40:24,240 --> 00:40:26,440 the dry bones. And there was a rattling. 576 00:40:26,760 --> 00:40:29,320 And there's a rattling in our midst, in our world right now. 577 00:40:29,720 --> 00:40:32,600 And I sense the Lord in that picture as you were breathing 578 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:35,960 down that line of lights. Actually, what it was is you are 579 00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:38,440 stewards of the Holy Spirit and the breath of God. 580 00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:42,120 And I want to prophecy over both of you that you would. 581 00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:47,280 You know it deep in your spirit. You know that the Spirit of God 582 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:49,160 is the only thing that grows his church. 583 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:51,600 And he trusts you, Chuck and Taran, with that. 584 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:54,720 He trusts you. And so I just want to speak that 585 00:40:54,720 --> 00:40:58,280 nothing will ever like turn you to the left or the right from 586 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:00,360 that place. That you would continue just to 587 00:41:00,360 --> 00:41:02,760 be stewards of the breath of God in this place. 588 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:06,520 And that you would breathe the Spirit of God in this church and 589 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:09,360 outside of these walls. And that hundreds and thousands 590 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:13,240 in that valley of dry bones would rise up and be found in 591 00:41:13,240 --> 00:41:16,480 Christ Jesus once again through your leadership in this place. 592 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:20,960 So we bless them now in the name of Jesus, to be who they are, to 593 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:23,920 stand strong in who they are, because they stand strong in who 594 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:39,520 you are, in Jesus name, Amen. Chuck and Taran, we have loved 595 00:41:39,560 --> 00:41:45,080 you and before the Lord. Today we release you into God's 596 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:47,880 hands and into this new church family. 597 00:41:49,040 --> 00:41:53,760 So go with our blessing, go with our blessing and the blessing of 598 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:59,320 the Lord Jesus Christ. Go in strength and peace and joy 599 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:02,760 and know that we are with you in heart and in prayer. 600 00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:09,280 And from our family to your next church family, go and have fun. 601 00:42:10,120 --> 00:42:17,040 In the name of Jesus, have fun. Says in Luke, Jesus came out of 602 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:21,400 the wilderness in the power of the Holy Spirit, and so we just 603 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,400 pray for that in this next season. 604 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:30,720 The power, the power of the Holy Spirit be upon you my friends, 605 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:34,040 the power of God in Jesus name, Amen. 606 00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:35,680 Signs and wonders. You go for a second. 607 00:42:43,240 --> 00:42:47,680 No, we pray for a season, a season of signs and wonders 608 00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:51,680 emanating from this place. Lord, we ask for nothing less. 609 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:56,120 It is how we were born at the vineyard, was born into signs 610 00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:58,280 and wonders. And Lord, we pray for an 611 00:42:58,320 --> 00:43:01,480 increase of that. We pray for souls to be saved, 612 00:43:01,680 --> 00:43:04,720 bodies to be healed, demons to be sent packing. 613 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:09,640 Lord, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ for a seasons of 614 00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:13,880 signs and wonders. And I would remind you too that 615 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:16,760 at the early, early days, Carol Wimber when they started the 616 00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:20,000 Vineyard movement, she said God's leaders are his greatest 617 00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:22,640 gift to the church. And that is who you are. 618 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:26,240 And this is the line in which you have been born into. 619 00:43:27,080 --> 00:43:31,400 And we bless you with all the blessing that God has poured out 620 00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:34,280 on this movement from one end of the earth to the other. 621 00:43:34,760 --> 00:43:38,200 And it's not that we're the best, but we are who we are, and 622 00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:40,000 we are proud and thrilled to be that. 623 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:43,880 And we bless them. We bless them with the anointing 624 00:43:43,880 --> 00:43:47,480 that was there from the very beginning, to preach the gospel, 625 00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:51,560 to plant churches, and to see signs and wonders everywhere 626 00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:52,040 they go.