1 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:05,760 You've tuned into a mega church. We are people hungry to 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,720 encounter God through worship and His Word being witnesses to 3 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,280 the world around us. We pray this teaching blesses 4 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:13,840 you and trust God will reveal Himself to you in a new way 5 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:14,200 today. And. 6 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,520 If you need prayer for healing or breakthrough ought to find 7 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,600 out more about Omega, get to our website or Facebook page through 8 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:27,280 the links below. Yeah, she's so cute. 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,680 We haven't seen her. The juniors can go in the 10 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:35,200 program and intermediates in the service. 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:40,560 And we have the pleasure of Alexis bringing the word of God 12 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,440 today with us. And I invite Alex, please. 13 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:52,360 Thank you for that generous welcome. 14 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,640 But we do have to do a technical switch over which John will do 15 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,120 for me. So we have two laptops running 16 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:09,480 and SO1 laptop is mine while John is doing that. 17 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,480 Some of you may have been to my house and seen this. 18 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:23,280 Has anyone seen that? Yes, yes, I believe that people 19 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,760 know and have been taught quite a bit about faith. 20 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,240 I believe they know quite a bit about love. 21 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,640 And today you're going to learn quite a bit about hope. 22 00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:39,320 I can tell you that we had some pet animals. 23 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:45,760 We had a dog called Faith, We had a cat called and we had a 24 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:50,360 mouse, so we had a rabbit called Caston. 25 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:53,880 Where that came from, I'm not sure. 26 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,360 Another. Cat called Patience. 27 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,920 We had a cat called Patience and it tested the Jenny's patience. 28 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,640 I like the cat, I think more than Jenny did. 29 00:02:22,450 --> 00:02:24,170 Oh, I knocked it out. Look at this. 30 00:02:24,170 --> 00:02:28,050 It all happens. So the readings this morning are 31 00:02:28,130 --> 00:02:37,320 are from one Peter 13 to 6:00 and from Proverbs 1312. 32 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:44,400 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 33 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:45,960 Now that's the greeting, isn't it? 34 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:54,920 According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again. 35 00:02:55,200 --> 00:03:00,560 To say it with me living hope. What is a living hope? 36 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:06,640 Or ask the question better who is the living hope? 37 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,200 Jesus. Jesus is living. 38 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,920 Did you all know that? Did some of you think he stayed 39 00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:17,680 on the crucifix and didn't get off? 40 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,600 Know what I mean? He's been on the cross, but he 41 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,520 got off. He doesn't permanently stay 42 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,640 dead. He's a living Jesus. 43 00:03:28,640 --> 00:03:32,800 Plus, He has paid the price for our sins. 44 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:43,760 He has created for us a hope we have, a place to go, a house 45 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:48,280 being prepared for us, a destination beyond this life 46 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:53,360 that Jesus is waiting to welcome us to it. 47 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:58,200 Do you know that the Salvation Army had a saying for when 48 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,000 someone died? It wasn't. 49 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,680 They passed away or whatever. They said it much more 50 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,080 positively. Do you know what the Salvation 51 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:11,720 Army General Booth called it? Promotion to glory. 52 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,920 We're being promoted from this ordinary world, which we think's 53 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:21,000 OK, to a higher world, which is much better. 54 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,320 Promotion to glory. For someone who is a believer, 55 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,320 death is not the end. We have a living hope called 56 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,960 Jesus through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 57 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,400 because he was resurrected from the dead. 58 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,840 We are resurrected from the dead, an inheritance that is 59 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:48,320 imperishable, undefiled, unfading, and it's kept for you 60 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:53,400 in heaven, who by God's power are being guarded through faith 61 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,360 for our salvation. So God's on your side. 62 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:02,360 He's backing you for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last 63 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:04,000 time. Does anyone feel like we're in 64 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,880 the last times? Yes, that's that's another 65 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:12,480 topic. But our salvation waiting for us 66 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:18,760 in this, you rejoice. And so we take our salvation for 67 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:23,000 granted, but we are being exhorted to rejoice that we have 68 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,400 an exciting future. We have an exciting life here on 69 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:28,800 earth because we have Jesus with us. 70 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:30,680 We are guided by the Holy Spirit. 71 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:38,800 We can't be on our own only if we choose to, but for a little 72 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:41,880 while, if necessary. You may, you have been grieved 73 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,040 by various trials. Does anyone notice that? 74 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,680 That on earth you have some trials, temptations, 75 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:54,800 disappointments, sickness. Anyone notice that? 76 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:57,840 Good news in heaven, you don't have that? 77 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,600 Yeah, Heaven's a much better place. 78 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:06,160 But we will be tested. And when we are tested, what do 79 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:08,400 we do? Grumble. 80 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:15,720 Blame God, all those things. Actually, it's a refining of us, 81 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,200 more precious than gold. That perishes, though it's 82 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:24,280 tested by fire, may be found to result in the praise and glory 83 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:28,120 and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 84 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:33,680 So I believe that when we overcome the the trials of this 85 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:37,800 life, then the glory of God is reflected through us. 86 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,240 We honour Him because of his glory and because of what he's 87 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,200 done. We can be carried through the 88 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,360 trials. We don't be defined by them. 89 00:06:48,280 --> 00:06:50,880 I know some people have had a set back in life and they're 90 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:52,400 grumpy for the rest of their life. 91 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,800 Do you know those people? Is there anyone here in the room 92 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,240 like that? Do I see a hand? 93 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,000 Don't let the trials define you. We'll get on to that. 94 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:08,440 Let's look at Proverbs 1312. Hope deferred makes the heart. 95 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:14,240 If it makes the heart sick, it'll make you sick. 96 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:19,560 If you become mentally and emotionally screwed with this 97 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:23,400 negativity and sadness and victim mentality, eventually 98 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:27,280 your body will join it. You will end up in hospital with 99 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:29,200 a sickness or a disease. Why? 100 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:34,120 Because the scripture tells us if your heart condition isn't 101 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,840 right, you're likely to become sick. 102 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,040 But a life, but a longing fulfilled. 103 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:46,440 Is the tree of life a longing fulfilled? 104 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:50,480 Do you have a longing? Do you have a dream? 105 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:54,160 Do you have a goal? Do you have a purpose in this 106 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:56,720 life? Do you know what you're going? 107 00:07:56,920 --> 00:07:59,600 And if other things come along that don't line up with that 108 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,600 goal, you don't follow them because you're not distracted. 109 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:06,440 You have a purpose. God's given you a purpose. 110 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:10,640 It's in its Word, His Word, the Bible, but it's also in us as 111 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:12,680 well. We have an understanding of who 112 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:18,000 we are, what we were created for, and what we're supposed to 113 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:22,280 do with it. And the tree of life speaks of 114 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:24,080 nourishment. We'll look at a bit more of that 115 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:28,560 in the moment. So if we talked about hope, 116 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:31,560 faith, and love, retain your hope. 117 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:34,640 Don't lose your hope. What? 118 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:37,000 What happens when you lose your hope? 119 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,440 What do you become? What's a word? 120 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,600 Hopeless. Do you want to be known as 121 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:47,520 hopeless Christians? No, it doesn't fit. 122 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:51,280 Don't be hopeless. Be filled with love. 123 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,480 Do you know some Christians who've got no love? 124 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,320 Their eyes don't sparkle like Rawls. 125 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,760 When he smiles, he smiles with his whole face. 126 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:04,680 Absolutely. Did you know that role? 127 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:07,680 Go ahead and look in the mirror. It's true. 128 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,080 You can't be a loveless Christian. 129 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,920 It doesn't work. It's not a witness to God. 130 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:17,800 There's no glory of God. And being a loveless Christian, 131 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:21,280 you might be right. You might know a whole lot of 132 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:25,120 Scriptures, but if you can't love anybody, you'll push them 133 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:29,920 away, you'll burn them off, you will judge them because you 134 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:34,160 don't have a heart of love. Acting in faith. 135 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:38,760 Sometimes we do. We are called to do things which 136 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,520 we don't know if they're going to work or not, but we don't 137 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:44,840 care. We just step over the line and 138 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,800 do it anyway. We embarrass ourselves for God 139 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,480 if we have to. Faith is like that, where you 140 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:55,000 step out in faith believing that God is with you. 141 00:09:56,200 --> 00:10:02,400 So when you have faith, you can move mountains, you can bring 142 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,920 changes on this earth that other people can't imagine. 143 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,240 I've got some stories later to share with you. 144 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:15,520 I found that that church poster quite funny. 145 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:20,120 Prevent tooth decay. Brush up on your Bible. 146 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:30,680 So if you brush up on your Bible, you stay healthy. 147 00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:35,200 And I had something I was going to do, and now that I'm here, I 148 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:41,640 haven't done it. OK, So tooth decay. 149 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:49,160 Tooth decay rots your teeth. Bible decay rots your faith. 150 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,840 Is there any diagnosis of Bible decay in the room this morning? 151 00:10:55,560 --> 00:11:01,000 I hope not. I've got another Oops, No, 152 00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:06,320 another one for you. Lord, help us to be the people 153 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:11,760 our dogs think we are. What have you noticed about 154 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:16,560 dogs? They are what they are, 155 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:22,480 faithful. We called our dog Faith because 156 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,640 it was faithful. Dogs always smile. 157 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,520 It doesn't matter whether you treat them well, whether you are 158 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,600 polite to them, whether you are having a bad day. 159 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:33,720 The dog's always pleased to see you. 160 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,440 It doesn't care. It's consistent. 161 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:41,040 I know some people who have got rid of their spouses and 162 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:47,040 replaced them with a dog because the dog's much more compliant. 163 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,320 How stupid? How are you going to grow and be 164 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:54,840 challenged if you only have a dog to hold you to account? 165 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:01,400 So dogs think we're wonderful. This is what dogs do. 166 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,240 They almost think that we are their God. 167 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:08,000 Hear it, bit of idolatry thing going on here. 168 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:10,920 So dogs look up to us. So we like the hero worship. 169 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:16,640 I'm not against dogs. At one point I had eight dogs 170 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:19,920 and at that point Jenny says get rid of the dogs. 171 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:27,080 I had them for work, but they were noisy. 172 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:32,760 So I put the scripture there again, which I've talked about 173 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:36,080 mostly already. What I'm talking about here is 174 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:39,640 you combine these two scriptures, which are one, Peter 175 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:48,520 and Proverbs 13, and what you have is a combination of if you 176 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,320 lose your trust in Jesus, you'll be sick. 177 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:58,600 And I'm wondering whether in the West, in the civilized world 178 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:06,320 that we live in, that we have a faith or a belief or a, I'm not 179 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:12,920 sure what it is, an identity as a Christian, but it's not the 180 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:16,200 same as it is in an oppressed countries. 181 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:20,480 If you talk to a Christian in China or Iran at the moment, 182 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:26,240 they would die for their faith because they've had a miraculous 183 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,520 and supernatural encounter with Jesus. 184 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:32,800 Many Muslim people in Iran are woken up with dreams in the 185 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:38,280 night, the visitations of Jesus. Jesus appears to them, speaks to 186 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:44,200 them, says a word of knowledge that just rivets, goes into 187 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,040 their they're deep into their spirit and they're completely 188 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:49,640 undone. All they've believed doesn't 189 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:51,440 work anymore. They've met Jesus. 190 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:56,400 Jesus knows them, says the word, and they're hooked for life and 191 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,280 they're committed. They are, if you like, deep in 192 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:01,720 their faith because nothing can shake them. 193 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:05,800 Once you've met Jesus personally, you are never, ever 194 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,080 the same. You can't deny it happened. 195 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:12,400 Someone said to a person who was tortured and he had crisscross 196 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:18,160 stripes on his back. Is he? 197 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:23,240 Have you heard the story before and what had happened? 198 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:27,880 They had tortured him on a wire bed frame, the old bed frames 199 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:32,200 with the crisscross metal. They'd hooked up electrodes to 200 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,840 that metal and shocked him and then scarred his back. 201 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:43,480 That the story different one and then that he was in immense pain 202 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:47,280 with electricity going through, burning the flesh off his back. 203 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,400 And the torturers said, why won't you give up this Jesus? 204 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:58,120 Why won't you just say yes or no, whatever the word is, and 205 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,960 we'll let you go? And he says, because I know what 206 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:05,440 I've who I've met and I can't lie for Jesus. 207 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:18,880 I can't lie, I've met Jesus. Hope comes from believing the 208 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:24,240 promises of God. And God gives us promises in his 209 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:29,200 Word, and he speaks to us even through circumstances that 210 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:32,880 confirm His Word. It won't go against what the 211 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,520 Word says. It will add to or be confirmed 212 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,480 by it. Now, hope is not like me saying 213 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:43,880 in an earthly sense, I hope it doesn't rain today and the 214 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:48,080 washing will get wet. That's not biblical hope. 215 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:53,640 That's just wishing, wishful thinking, or if you like, 216 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,520 guessing what might happen. Hope is certain. 217 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:02,720 Hope is unchanging. It's not what's just a temporary 218 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,320 thing that might be easier for us. 219 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:13,080 It's not like that at all. I have a friend who a long time 220 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:19,120 ago gave birth to a a baby boy and until the baby was born she 221 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:21,840 had no knowledge it was going to be a spina bifida. 222 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:26,600 And so when she saw the baby she got this immense shock. 223 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:32,640 This is not what I wanted. And she went through a full 224 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:39,080 spectrum of emotions, disbelief but mostly anger at God. 225 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:41,160 How could you have given this to me? 226 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:45,040 Why has this happened? And she was really agitated for 227 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:50,920 the next few days and she told me the story and someone wise in 228 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:55,040 the church said to her, well you've actually only got 2 229 00:16:55,120 --> 00:17:01,480 choices. You become bitter and blame God 230 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:06,440 and struggle through life with this burden or you dig in closer 231 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:10,119 to God, He will empower you and you will cope with this 232 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:15,040 gloriously and succeed. And the lady said, I've got no 233 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:21,480 choice, I've got no choice. I need God more, not less. 234 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:29,640 Do you hear me? There was a very famous civil 235 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:33,480 rights activist who was a Baptist preacher called Martin 236 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,440 Luther King. Anyone remember him? 237 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:39,880 Anyone. Maybe over 50? 238 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:47,200 I want to share 2 quotes that he had. 239 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:53,560 Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your life. 240 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:58,720 Is that the same for us? What shapes our life? 241 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:04,560 Our hopes or our hurts? Which do we choose? 242 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:11,880 Because he had lots of abuse for doing what he was doing. 243 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:16,920 Death threats. They actually killed him before 244 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:21,320 he saw his hope realized. So what he hoped for happened. 245 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:25,600 The laws changed. But he had a famous speech and I 246 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:30,280 won't read you the speech, but the opening line was, I have a 247 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:35,560 dream. Is that a a good accent to use? 248 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:40,480 I'm not sure whether it fits a bit that one day there will be 249 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:43,040 this change. And he had this dream and he 250 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:48,560 shared this dream and he sowed the dream into a nation and the 251 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:53,120 dream came to pass. He had his hope, he released it, 252 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:56,120 but he wasn't, if you like, alive to see it. 253 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,920 Biblical hope is forward-looking faith. 254 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,880 It is a confident belief based on things experience, not on 255 00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:10,760 things experienced, but it's based on the Word of God that 256 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:15,760 the future he says will happen. Hope is a future certainty that 257 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:20,240 gives joy, peace and patience in the Presence. 258 00:19:33,850 --> 00:19:44,490 Romans 824 Now hope that is seen is not hope for who hopes for 259 00:19:44,490 --> 00:19:50,050 what he sees? But if we hope for what we do 260 00:19:50,050 --> 00:19:54,490 not see, we wait for it with patience. 261 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:59,200 It's a bit like saying to a woman who is carrying a child 262 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:05,760 that she doesn't have a baby. You can't see the baby, she 263 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:10,720 can't show you the baby, but she has a hope that the baby will be 264 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:13,600 born and delivered. So what's that about? 265 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:17,040 You don't have to see it to know it's true. 266 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:21,440 And it will come to pass. You have an absolute certainty. 267 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:25,800 I like this thing, which is the concept that Scripture tells us 268 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:30,840 that hope will bring us joy. Because you can't be a joyless 269 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:33,120 Christian. Has anyone noticed? 270 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:38,480 I gravitate towards people who are fun, which is all you guys, 271 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:44,680 of course. But yeah, so when you have hope, 272 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,520 one of the fruit will be you will light up. 273 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,360 You will have joy. Yeah. 274 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,440 But if you don't have a hope, you just have information. 275 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:01,600 And I like this picture. Joy helps unlock love. 276 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,680 Yeah. When you're joyful, you attract 277 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:12,120 people. Yeah, And so attracting people 278 00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:14,000 is actually what we're called to do. 279 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:17,920 If we don't have the joy and the love on us, we're not as 280 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:21,560 attractive to the other people. Max Liccardo is a Christian 281 00:21:21,560 --> 00:21:23,720 author. Anyone heard of Max Liccardo? 282 00:21:25,560 --> 00:21:28,600 He's an American man. He said this. 283 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:33,080 Feed your fears and your faith will starve. 284 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:39,480 Feed your faith and your fears will starve. 285 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:47,920 Do you like that? What we feed will grow and 286 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:50,280 sometimes we feed the wrong things. 287 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:58,120 What will happen is that we will watch social media and social 288 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:01,240 media will watch us. Have you noticed? 289 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:06,920 And then it will have the algorithms. 290 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:09,360 Someone knew how to say that. Thank you algorithms. 291 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:13,720 It'll give us more of the same. So if we tend to look at 292 00:22:13,720 --> 00:22:17,200 negative things and critical things, guess what will come 293 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:21,360 next week into our feeds and it will grow the same. 294 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:25,160 So what are we watching? What are we allowing into our 295 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:31,760 heads that we are feeding? That changes who we are because 296 00:22:31,760 --> 00:22:37,920 what we accept from social media may not be what God wants us to 297 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:42,760 feed. It's a wee warning there, one 298 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:46,840 John 418. There is No Fear in love because 299 00:22:46,840 --> 00:22:51,680 perfect love drives out those of you who want to hold on to your 300 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:55,160 fear. All you have to do is get back 301 00:22:55,160 --> 00:23:00,480 into love, accept love, give love, feel loved by God, get the 302 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:05,080 concept of love settled in you so it becomes your identity, and 303 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:09,760 you won't give in to fear. Because I have a hope that this 304 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:13,240 scripture is true. I am believing it, whether I 305 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,680 understand it or not, in its depth. 306 00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:19,000 Because perfect love drives out fear. 307 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:22,760 I am driving out fear and I am going to live in perfect love. 308 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:26,000 It's a much better option, really. 309 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:35,400 Here's an interesting one. Dishonor robs us of vision, so 310 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:39,320 our vision and our hope can be the same dishonor. 311 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:43,640 And we do it by criticizing politicians. 312 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:51,600 We do it by correcting people and embarrassing them when we 313 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:54,680 think they need, if you like a straighten up. 314 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,280 We do it when we gossip behind their backs. 315 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:04,200 We do it when we say yes to their face and no behind their 316 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:08,640 back. Has anyone done that dishonor? 317 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:17,040 If we take our eyes off our vision and we acted 318 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:22,240 dishonorably, we open ourselves up for disappointment and 319 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:25,880 discouragement, cutting ourselves off from the blessings 320 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:27,840 of God. Why would you want that? 321 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,400 Why would you cut yourself off from the blessings? 322 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:39,360 The the basic root of dishonor, of course, is pride, and the 323 00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:42,720 spiritual force that will come against you is called Leviathan. 324 00:24:44,120 --> 00:24:48,040 That's something for nothing, so if you're into dishonouring, it 325 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:52,960 needs to stop. Hope deferred makes the heart 326 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:55,600 sick. But when desire comes, it is 327 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:58,440 like the tree of life. Now there's two trees in the 328 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:00,560 picture. You can see one tree looks a 329 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:04,320 little. What's the word for that tree? 330 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:11,480 Sorry, dead is a good word, barren or sterile or unhealthy. 331 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:17,320 And one tree looks vibrant. It has a root system and it has 332 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,240 multiple leaves and it will have fruit on it. 333 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:23,000 It's a picture of people's lives, actually. 334 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:27,520 But let's just ask the question, what does hope deferred mean? 335 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:30,880 If I said something is deferred to Jaunty, what would he tell 336 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:34,200 me? If something's deferred? 337 00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:36,480 It's like not a word we use all the time. 338 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:39,520 Give me some feedback. What other words could you use? 339 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:44,160 Sorry, hadn't been received. Good. 340 00:25:44,920 --> 00:25:52,640 Delayed another one. What about postponed? 341 00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:59,040 What about replaced, lost. Given up. 342 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:07,120 If you give up your hope you've it's deferred and what you have 343 00:26:07,120 --> 00:26:11,280 is a second class life. You will exist, you will have 344 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:14,160 whatever life it throws at you, but you won't have the 345 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:17,600 nourishment that the word of God is supposed to give you. 346 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:20,680 You'll become vulnerable to disease. 347 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:25,920 You will be overcome or sub subject to feelings of 348 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:34,600 hopelessness overwhelming you. The tree of life is mentioned 349 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,760 three times in the Bible. The first time is in Genesis, 350 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:43,160 and it's saying what was, if you like, God's original plan in 351 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:44,920 Proverbs. We're using it now. 352 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:51,760 It's exhorting us to be used to use this and to feed and improve 353 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:55,560 ourselves by encouraging us to grow our hope. 354 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:00,320 But in Revelation, hope start again, the tree of life is also 355 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:04,920 mentioned in Revelation and it's what is to come and it's a very 356 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:08,920 good what is to come. So the tree of hope, sorry, the 357 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:16,400 tree of life keeps coming up. And I believe that when we act 358 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:23,280 on in hope, we tap into the tree of life and we will be fruitful 359 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:26,680 and successful, which again brings glory to God. 360 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:31,640 So we know that hope deferred makes the heart sick. 361 00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:34,560 But I want to share that sometimes there are things that 362 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,880 happen to us that are trials that can be reversed. 363 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:42,400 In other words, things look really dark and really black and 364 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:47,160 there is no hope. But if we hold them there and 365 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:51,440 wait long enough, maybe even for 40 years like some biblical 366 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:56,800 characters had to do, then there is a sudden, miraculous, 367 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:01,040 supernatural turn around and we're blessed beyond measure. 368 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:03,680 Compare Job in the Old Testament. 369 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,200 He lost everything. He was sick and it would be 370 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:13,360 easier to have died, but God restored him more than what he 371 00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:16,040 had before. What about Esther? 372 00:28:16,360 --> 00:28:24,440 What about her nation was going to be slaughtered and then God 373 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:27,560 reversed it, and those who were planning the slaughter were the 374 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:31,920 ones who died. God can do it in an instant by 375 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:34,800 turning it around. And we'd look at Jesus being 376 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:38,880 dead for three days. The disciples were, if you like, 377 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,000 losing hope because this is like an impossible thing. 378 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:48,560 Their dream had been lost. But that's not the end of the 379 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:52,840 story. Jesus is able to miraculously 380 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:56,560 and supernatural turn it to God's advantage and God's glory. 381 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:00,680 God can turn it around. God can turn us around. 382 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:07,800 So we look at those disciples and in the scriptures I can only 383 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:11,640 find 3 names mentioned who were with Jesus right at the end when 384 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:16,120 he was crucified and buried? Where were his loyal followers? 385 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:22,800 Joseph. Joseph of Arimathea is 386 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:28,040 mentioned, Nicodemus is mentioned, and John is 387 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:30,080 mentioned. Where were the rest? 388 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:38,880 I'm suspicious they were. They lost hope. 389 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,800 Absolutely they did. Absolutely they did. 390 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:48,360 I'm assuming that fear, shock, disbelief, all their emotions 391 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:51,320 overwhelmed them and they were trying to save their skins by 392 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:54,360 hiding. We wouldn't do that, would we? 393 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,560 We wouldn't save our skins by hiding, would we? 394 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:05,600 So they were tested, lost their hope. 1 Thessalonians 1/3 We 395 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,880 remember before our God and Father, your work produced by 396 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:16,360 faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance 397 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:20,480 inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 398 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:25,200 So hope is about endurance, staying to the end, not giving 399 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:27,520 up because the breakthrough is coming soon. 400 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:32,240 Just wait for it. Hope motivates, hope energizes 401 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:35,720 hope for the future, sustains us through the hard times. 402 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:41,560 This too will pass as a saying. Let's look at list here. 403 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:46,200 And it's a criteria or a system that happens when hopelessness 404 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:49,760 overwhelms you. Firstly, you might feel easily 405 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:52,360 discouraged. Has anyone felt discouraged at 406 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:55,920 times as part of the human condition? 407 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,360 The good news is that something that's easily, if you like, got 408 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:00,880 rid of. It's a temporary state. 409 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:05,520 But after a while, if you feed that, you'll grow into confusion 410 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:08,920 and you're not sure what to do. You become indecisive. 411 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:14,360 We don't want that. Then we go into this thing of 412 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:21,200 questioning God, if God is real, why or how, and so unbelief 413 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:25,560 becomes a possibility for us. We get disillusions. 414 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,040 We think, well, I've done all this, no one cares, I'll just 415 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:33,600 give up. Then the next stage is 416 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:38,480 bitterness, where it's like you are a little critical or 417 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:43,160 negative towards other people maybe who are doing better than 418 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:46,920 you or more successful than you. And the last stage is cynicism. 419 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:52,960 I have this belief or vow that I don't want to be known as a 420 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:59,040 cynical old man. I remember people who were in 421 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:01,280 that generation when I was growing up, they were cynical 422 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:03,600 old men. They were grumpy sods. 423 00:32:05,520 --> 00:32:08,800 They didn't smile much, they probably are full of arthritis 424 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:12,120 and pain and all sorts of things they've been through, but it had 425 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:15,720 leaked through into their personality and they were not a 426 00:32:15,720 --> 00:32:18,680 good witness. Has anyone got any of those 427 00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:24,920 symptoms on the list? I see, sorry. 428 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:29,280 Off and on. I think we all do and it's what 429 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:32,280 we feed will grow. So the secret? 430 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:43,440 Don't feed them. Yes, the flesh takes us to those 431 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:47,400 places. That is correct, whereas the 432 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,440 Word of God takes us out of those places. 433 00:32:59,360 --> 00:33:03,600 It's interesting when things go wrong, people have this fleshly 434 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:07,200 reaction in. They have this question, why did 435 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:11,640 God do this to me? I've got a better statement, 436 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:17,160 statement to replace that. Why has the enemy done this to 437 00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:19,760 me? And the next question is, how 438 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:22,400 have I let the enemy do this to me? 439 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:26,560 That's much more productive. Don't blame God, blame the 440 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:29,520 source and attack the source. Shut the door. 441 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:37,160 And so we can actually make much more progress by re engaging 442 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:40,720 God, confessing, repenting, changing our attitude or 443 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:44,480 lifestyle, and creating an atmosphere where healing can 444 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:47,160 take place. And the miraculous of God can, 445 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:54,200 if you like, solve the problem and bless you much more than you 446 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:57,160 think or imagine. I want to tell you 3 quick 447 00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,680 stories. The first one is about Jim. 448 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:03,640 And I've known Jim for 20 years. He's a big guy and he was a bit 449 00:34:03,640 --> 00:34:07,240 of a goofy guy in some ways. He was bullied at school, so he 450 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:09,400 wasn't the world's brightest scholar. 451 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:13,719 And he was an addict. He was my client. 452 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:19,159 So sometimes the the work site would ring up and say Jim's in a 453 00:34:19,159 --> 00:34:20,639 depressed state. Can you come? 454 00:34:22,199 --> 00:34:25,560 And so I knew what was going on. So I would make a smoothie at 455 00:34:25,560 --> 00:34:31,159 home with bananas and electrolytes and blueberries and 456 00:34:31,159 --> 00:34:35,719 mix up the smoothie and take it to gym because there's no point 457 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,400 in giving him money because he would gamble it. 458 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:42,679 He was paid on Tuesday. By Thursday lunchtime, he had no 459 00:34:42,679 --> 00:34:47,840 money left at his work site. At morning tea smoko, he would 460 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:50,639 be gambling on his phone. He wouldn't be eating and he 461 00:34:50,639 --> 00:34:54,600 would get rid of his wages within two days and he had no 462 00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:56,360 food left. And then he'd feel bad about 463 00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:58,320 himself. So the first thing I had to do 464 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:01,720 was feed him because because he he was just like vacant. 465 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:08,440 So one day this things got pretty bad for Jim and I spent a 466 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:10,680 bit of time in his house listening to his stories and 467 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:14,760 hearing Harry got into the mess that he got into and he had a 468 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:17,840 suicide attempt. And so the work sent me there 469 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:19,880 and knocked on the door and he wouldn't answer or couldn't 470 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:22,640 answer. So that ended up the police 471 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:27,000 came, smashed the door down and there he was on the floor. 472 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:32,640 He'd stabbed himself in the stomach if he wasn't dead, he 473 00:35:32,640 --> 00:35:36,680 was just a bit comatose. So they took him away, stitched 474 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:40,520 him up, emergency surgery and he was put in the the mental 475 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:43,560 hospital. So I visited him in the mental 476 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:53,080 hospital and I took him a Bible, and I took him two small 477 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:57,040 paperback books of testimonies of about 3 pages each of 478 00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:00,280 people's lives who have had disaster happen, that God's 479 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:03,240 turned around disaster, that God's turned for his glory. 480 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:07,520 And Jim said, well, I'm not very good at reading that Bible's too 481 00:36:07,520 --> 00:36:11,120 big, but I'll have a go at these other ones. 482 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:18,960 And anyway, I come back a few days later next week and Jim's a 483 00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:21,480 bit brighter. He's in the mental ward. 484 00:36:21,480 --> 00:36:22,960 And you got to understand how it's shaped. 485 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:26,680 They have a new building which has got a huge common room in 486 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:30,640 the middle and doors all the way around opening up into the rooms 487 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:34,200 where the patients sleep. So you can see into the rooms 488 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:37,080 from the main common room. And the the nurses and doctors 489 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:40,000 are in the common room. And I'm visiting Jim in his in 490 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:45,080 his room and Jim's sitting on the edge of his bed, sitting 491 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:47,200 sideways on the inside of his bed. 492 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:52,080 And he said to me far out, he says, these guys that you are 493 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:56,760 showing me these books, they were in a real mess. 494 00:36:56,880 --> 00:37:00,600 A their lives were, were, were much worse than mine. 495 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:03,560 Actually they weren't. They weren't. 496 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:07,600 He just didn't know how bad his was far out, he says, but 497 00:37:07,720 --> 00:37:10,320 there's something I don't get. He says they talk about the Holy 498 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:13,200 Spirit. They said the Holy Spirit came 499 00:37:13,560 --> 00:37:16,960 and it kind of changed them. I said, that's right, Jim. 500 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:19,960 He said, how do you get the Holy Spirit? 501 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:23,440 I said, wait there. So he's sitting on the side of 502 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:26,720 his bed. I lay my hands on his stomach. 503 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:29,360 Well, not where his wound was, but in his chest. 504 00:37:30,120 --> 00:37:34,520 And I pray God come and fill up Jim with your Holy Spirit. 505 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:42,720 In an instant, Jim fell flat on his back, across his bed 506 00:37:42,720 --> 00:37:48,360 sideways, his head dangling over the edge and his feet over the 507 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:51,240 other edge. And he's struck down by the 508 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:53,880 presence of God and people looking in the door. 509 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:56,920 He's all right. You know, I thought, what have I 510 00:37:56,920 --> 00:37:59,640 done? I'm going to be arrested for 511 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:04,040 anyway. And after about 5 or 6 minutes, 512 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:07,520 Jim sort of sits up on the bed. He says far out. 513 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:10,120 He says that's the best trip I've ever been on. 514 00:38:11,560 --> 00:38:13,960 And he'd been on lots of trips and I don't, I don't have been 515 00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:17,480 travelling. He'd had chemically induced 516 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:20,160 trips. And he says why I feel so 517 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:22,000 different. I said it's the Holy Spirit. 518 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,760 Oh, he says, I want more of that. 519 00:38:26,520 --> 00:38:30,720 Jim became a Christian. Jim quit his high paying job 520 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:34,040 because Jim told me no point in having a lot of money because I 521 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:37,160 just spend it. He went home, went on the 522 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:40,480 benefit and looked over after his sick parents and was their 523 00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:44,720 caregiver. We went to Dunedin last time, 524 00:38:44,720 --> 00:38:47,000 Jenny and I, we, we drove down the Main St. 525 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:48,600 Dunedin. A man crossed the road. 526 00:38:48,600 --> 00:38:52,640 It was Jim of all the people in Dunedin, and we had this big 527 00:38:52,640 --> 00:38:55,600 catch up with Jim, how happy he was, how settled he was. 528 00:38:55,720 --> 00:39:00,640 And he's not gambling. Yeah, that's Jim. 529 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:03,440 But it took 20 years for that to actually happen. 530 00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:07,320 I want to tell the story about a lady I thought about in the 531 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:10,320 shower. And so not well, I didn't think 532 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:12,960 about it, but God spoke to me in the shower but on a Sunday 533 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:15,400 morning. So sometimes on a Sunday 534 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:17,480 morning, I don't know whether Ramana does this. 535 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:20,640 When I have a shower on a Sunday morning and I have to preach, 536 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:25,080 I'm sort of like praying God show up this morning because I 537 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,200 don't want to be embarrassed on my own. 538 00:39:28,720 --> 00:39:33,040 And I believe I had this instant answer. 539 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:37,720 You have to sing the song as a solo in church this morning. 540 00:39:38,520 --> 00:39:40,480 I said, God, I don't think that's a good idea. 541 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:44,880 They don't want to hear that. So anyway, it wouldn't leave me. 542 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:47,600 It's like you get the hot, agitated feeling until you 543 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:49,280 agree. And then when you agree, the 544 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:54,480 agitated feeling drops off. So there I am thinking, OK, I'm 545 00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:56,720 going to go to church. So we did the worship and 546 00:39:56,720 --> 00:39:58,640 everyone sat down. I said, I've got this one song 547 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:01,600 to sing to you. I sang it very quietly. 548 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:05,520 A sea of blank faces looked back at me. 549 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:08,880 Someone said to me afterwards, why did you do that? 550 00:40:09,240 --> 00:40:12,640 That's not normal. Like, yeah, that's not we, you 551 00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:15,560 know, is there a reason? And I thought that I am stupid. 552 00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:20,520 I thought I heard God. I must have mistaken the voice. 553 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:25,800 3 or 4 * a year. An elderly couple in the late 554 00:40:25,840 --> 00:40:28,880 80s would pop into church. They had a batch in the area and 555 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:32,720 they'll be on holiday and they'd come into our church but I never 556 00:40:32,720 --> 00:40:36,200 knew when they were coming. So this lady came in the mid 80s 557 00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:41,720 and she and her husband sat at the back and after church she 558 00:40:41,720 --> 00:40:46,240 was the last person to come up to me and she said, Alex, thank 559 00:40:46,240 --> 00:40:51,240 you for singing that song. I said why? 560 00:40:51,360 --> 00:40:56,400 She said when I was a young girl, I nearly drowned in the 561 00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:58,800 beach in Dunedin. I had to be rescued and 562 00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:02,720 resuscitated. Ever since that experience of 563 00:41:02,720 --> 00:41:06,480 being under the water, I have a phobia of water. 564 00:41:08,200 --> 00:41:13,640 I can never have never since that drowning experience been 565 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:19,880 able to have a shower in the bathroom when you sing the song 566 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:25,160 something broke off my life. I'm going home right now to have 567 00:41:25,160 --> 00:41:33,040 a shower. I'm healed of my phobia took 568 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:38,200 took maybe 60 years for that to happen, but God got the glory 569 00:41:39,200 --> 00:41:42,200 and the last one one or two people know the story. 570 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:47,320 I got a, a text message this this week from Otago. 571 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:51,960 So they, a pastor's wife and I prayed for this lady in her mid 572 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:57,000 30s in her home. And she asked the question about 573 00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:59,040 what does it take to be a Christian? 574 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:05,160 And so we shared with her for maybe 3540 minutes and we said, 575 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:08,800 would you like us to pray for you to receive Jesus? 576 00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:12,160 And she said, no, no, the timing's not right. 577 00:42:12,160 --> 00:42:15,960 No, I hear you and it makes sense, but I'm not ready. 578 00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:21,280 Don't you get frustrated? And she left and it's like one 579 00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:25,440 of those moments. She sends me a message this week 580 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:30,080 to say at the end of last year, I made a decision to follow 581 00:42:30,080 --> 00:42:34,840 Jesus. So Fast forward three years and 582 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:38,120 out of it was her father was dying of a brain tumor. 583 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:42,240 She was helping to nurse him, and since she's received Jesus, 584 00:42:42,240 --> 00:42:45,840 she's got strength in the peace about watching her father die. 585 00:42:47,720 --> 00:42:52,560 But the story's bigger than that because her father had scheduled 586 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:57,640 for next Monday, tomorrow, to be euthanized. 587 00:42:59,440 --> 00:43:01,560 He wanted to be medically turned off. 588 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:04,520 He had booked the appointment to die on Monday. 589 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:09,120 Exactly. That's not a great thing. 590 00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:16,240 But God took him five days earlier because someone in the 591 00:43:16,240 --> 00:43:21,600 rest home had asked him about his faith, prayed with him. 592 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:23,600 He'd received Jesus, and he died that night. 593 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:28,480 So God intervened, honored the prayer. 594 00:43:29,640 --> 00:43:32,520 Aren't those good stories? So that's what God can do. 595 00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:36,640 He can turn what could be a disastrous event for his glory. 596 00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:42,440 Isn't that exciting? So we will be consumed by what 597 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:45,880 we choose to consume. So don't consume what the media 598 00:43:46,040 --> 00:43:48,800 wants us to consume. Be consumed with the love of 599 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:53,000 Jesus, the faith of Jesus, and the hope that He gives us. 600 00:43:57,280 --> 00:44:02,600 Faith empowers, hope expects and love niches. 601 00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:05,680 Jesus operated from this foundation. 602 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:08,960 I believe it's the foundation we need to operate from as well 603 00:44:10,560 --> 00:44:17,120 because hope expects if our expectations are low, our 604 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:21,520 results will be low. But if we have a biblical hope, 605 00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:25,480 then our expectations are immovable. 606 00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:31,040 We're going to spend a few moments to talk to Jesus now. 607 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:36,040 Lord, I pray you'd send Your Holy Spirit to minister to every 608 00:44:36,040 --> 00:44:39,360 heart in this room. And the sound of my voice that 609 00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:42,480 You would show us where we are at with our hope. 610 00:44:43,880 --> 00:44:48,080 Have we lost some of our hope? How would that happen? 611 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:55,080 How do we get it back? And I'm going to ask you to ask 612 00:44:55,160 --> 00:45:04,680 Jesus to show you or to receive from him the healing that fills 613 00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:08,120 in those areas where our emotions have been. 614 00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:12,560 If you like, stretched or drifted away from God's standard 615 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:19,280 to spend this time and ask those questions for yourself now. 616 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:25,600 It's your blood that gives me life. 617 00:45:27,240 --> 00:45:38,240 It's your blood that took my place in redeeming sacrifice. 618 00:45:39,160 --> 00:45:55,400 Washes me whiter than the snow, O than the snow, my Jesus, God's 619 00:45:55,400 --> 00:46:00,800 precious sacrifice. I had a message this morning of 620 00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:08,160 my messenger feed from Jennifer Leclair Ministries and it was 621 00:46:08,280 --> 00:46:12,280 encouraging us to war against hopelessness. 622 00:46:14,200 --> 00:46:16,520 You can stay with your eyes shut or you can join me. 623 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:21,160 And this is the prayer that I received this morning by 624 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:25,600 accident, which I believe God sent for us this morning in 625 00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:28,600 Jesus name. I come against the spirit of 626 00:46:28,600 --> 00:46:31,800 hopelessness with the anchor of God's word. 627 00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:39,520 I declare hope is a weapon and I am picking it up right now. 628 00:46:40,080 --> 00:46:45,680 The God of hope is filling me with all joy and peace in 629 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:51,040 believing hopelessness has no claim on my future. 630 00:46:51,160 --> 00:46:53,360 I press forward. Amen. 631 00:46:54,720 --> 00:46:56,680 Amen. I love that picture. 632 00:46:57,280 --> 00:47:01,160 There are promises all through Scripture about God's 633 00:47:01,160 --> 00:47:06,680 deliverance for us, and that is Psalm 32. 634 00:47:06,680 --> 00:47:08,960 Seven. You're my hiding place. 635 00:47:08,960 --> 00:47:12,160 You'll protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of 636 00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:16,320 deliverance. So let's say this together, may 637 00:47:16,320 --> 00:47:23,080 the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust 638 00:47:23,080 --> 00:47:29,520 in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the 639 00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:31,600 Holy Spirit. Amen. 640 00:47:31,600 --> 00:47:37,800 Amen. Thanks for joining us at Omega. 641 00:47:38,000 --> 00:47:41,000 If you need prayer for healing or breakthrough, or simply to 642 00:47:41,000 --> 00:47:44,000 find out more, please head to our website or Facebook page in 643 00:47:44,000 --> 00:47:44,760 the links below.