1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,080 We are one church. We love God, love people, love 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,000 His mission, and love His church. 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,560 Welcome to the One Church podcast and. 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:20,440 If you've ever thought about how rarely anything is absolutely 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:24,840 completely anything in life, so have you? 6 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,000 Have you ever been completely happy, for example, or 7 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:33,440 absolutely sad with not even a glimpse of joy, or completely 8 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:38,560 fulfilled or completely healthy? There's always 1 little tiny 9 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:42,440 niggle or something or scratch or something or other completely 10 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:48,160 bad, completely good life in the human world is really never 11 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:53,040 absolute or complete. The perfect day in case you I'm 12 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,800 sorry to disappoint you, but the perfect day you might have been 13 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,120 hoping for all your life doesn't exist. 14 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,800 There's always something, some little speck on the horizon, 15 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,640 some tiny fallout in the family or something that means the 16 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,720 perfect day doesn't exist. The perfect holiday marriage, 17 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,720 the perfect moment. They're not real. 18 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,160 But increasingly, it seems that people are looking for 19 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:19,520 absolutes, that they're looking for something for somebody who 20 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:21,640 is completely and utterly worth living for. 21 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:24,680 For perfection, for absolute truth. 22 00:01:25,960 --> 00:01:29,560 Many people, as it's already been hinted at through this 23 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,000 meeting, believe that God is working powerfully in Britain at 24 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:37,160 this time. We're seeing glimpses and as 25 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,520 Alice said, it's not everything, but it is something. 26 00:01:39,960 --> 00:01:41,360 It's not everything we're hoping for. 27 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,240 It's something. It could just be the breath, a 28 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:48,440 deep breath before the dive. It could be just be the moment 29 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:51,440 before the move. Let's pray that it is. 30 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,360 Some people, especially younger people, are turning back to 31 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,520 church. More people are reading the 32 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,160 Bible, searching. People especially want to know 33 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,080 that there's a God, that he exists, that he's completely 34 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,039 good, that he's completely powerful, that he's absolutely 35 00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:11,200 supreme. And today, as we continue our 36 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,840 series that we started two weeks ago in the letter that Paul 37 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,600 wrote, one of the early church leaders, two people in a place 38 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,240 called Colossae, the Colossians, then we're going to see all 39 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:22,680 this. So if you're looking for that, 40 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,320 then listen in. Today we're going to focus again 41 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,080 on the one who stands above it all. 42 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,600 And we see that it's all completely and utterly Jesus 43 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,800 because in him there are absolutes and there is a 44 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,320 complete and there is an utter truth. 45 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,400 Two weeks ago we saw there are two opposing kingdoms and that 46 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:46,720 Jesus is the one who rescues us, transforms us from darkness to 47 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,440 his Kingdom. Last Sunday we studied an 48 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:53,480 amazing passage exploring the supremacy of Christ. 49 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:58,320 He's over all, He's in all, He's through all and he holds all 50 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,800 things together. So how could he not hold your 51 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,840 life and my life now? A few months ago, David and 52 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,560 spent a few hours in Doha airport in Qatar. 53 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,440 Has anybody been there? It's an amazing huge airport. 54 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:16,840 34.5 million passengers a year pass through that airport, 100 55 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:18,600 planes land or take off every hour. 56 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:23,040 The passenger terminal is huge. It's got 130 plus shops, many 57 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:24,880 cafes and restaurants, play areas. 58 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,520 There's even this fake forest where you can wander around and 59 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:29,720 people were having sleeps or having a picnic. 60 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:32,720 It was very bizarre. There are lights, LED screens, 61 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:35,360 there's pieces of massive art, sculptures. 62 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,760 It's overwhelming. It's easy to lose your way, and 63 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,240 that's for normal people because for David and I, it's very easy 64 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,680 to lose our way anywhere that we are basically. 65 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:45,720 And what do you need? You need a map. 66 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:47,840 You need that map that says here we are. 67 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,040 Here's these shops, here's this cafe, here's this terminal. 68 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,240 And there's the little red dot. And it says you are here. 69 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:56,880 You know, it's got Alaro and it says you are here. 70 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:00,160 And Paul basically is doing that in these verses we're going to 71 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:04,360 look at today because he's just set out this huge, overwhelming 72 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,400 poem of the greatness of Christ. He's the image of the invisible 73 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:12,120 God, the first born over all. And now he shows us a little red 74 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:17,360 dot and he says, let's ground this because you are here today. 75 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:22,200 We're going to see the absolute, complete, utter opposites of two 76 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,480 possible states of a person. There's only two things that a 77 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:30,680 person can be either lost or saved and the absolute complete 78 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:35,520 finished work of Jesus and the absolute complete response that 79 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,280 will be ignited in you and me if we understand the depths of all 80 00:04:39,280 --> 00:04:41,280 this. And Paul brings it all home to 81 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,680 us. Once you were alienated from God 82 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,560 and we're enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour. 83 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:53,360 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through 84 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,960 death, to present you wholly in his sight, without blemish and 85 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:01,480 free from accusation. If you continue in your faith 86 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,800 established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in 87 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:09,600 the gospel, this is the gospel that you heard and that has been 88 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,360 proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, 89 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,920 Paul, have become a servant. Amen. 90 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,080 Thank you for the word of God. Lord, we ask you to speak to us, 91 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:22,880 Jesus name. In this passage. 92 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:27,200 We see there's no middle ground. There's no sort of salvation in 93 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:29,240 the Kingdom of God. There are absolutes. 94 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:33,280 It's darkness or light, it's alienated or reconciled, it's 95 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:37,200 enemies or friends, it's evil or good in God's eyes. 96 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,680 Everyone in this room, everyone across history has been one or 97 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:46,280 the other will die or has died in one state or the other. 98 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:51,200 So let's look at them completely and utterly lost. 99 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,920 Once you are alienated from God and we're enemies in your minds 100 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:59,720 because of your evil behaviour. Have you ever experienced being 101 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:04,080 separated from someone you love or someone who loves you, even 102 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,320 temporarily? When our eldest son Sam was 103 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:09,840 about, I think he was about two or three years old, he was only 104 00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:13,560 very small. He started and the rest of the 105 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:17,120 cousins we used to gather for Sunday lunch at David's mum and 106 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,880 dad's, their grandma and granddad's and great grandma 107 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:22,720 would come as well, and auntie and uncle cousins and so on. 108 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:26,840 And they started being given pocket money by grandma and 109 00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:30,960 granddad, a pound from Grandma and granddad, 20P from great 110 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,920 Grandma. After lunch one Sunday, not long 111 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:38,400 after they started being given this money, we noticed that 112 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,440 Samuel wasn't there. Oh no where Samuel? 113 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,280 We were also sat relaxing after Sunday lunch, feeling a little 114 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:47,080 bit, you know, you feel quite full, so quite sleepy. 115 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:52,160 And then somebody remembered because we saw that Samuel's 20P 116 00:06:52,280 --> 00:06:56,400 had gone from the sideboard and we remember that he loved the 117 00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:00,040 horse by the Co-op, this little mechanical horse that you could 118 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,720 put 20P in and have a ride. Not for very long and not very 119 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:05,680 exciting in my view, but he liked it. 120 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:08,720 And so we ran out the whole family. 121 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,240 Because he was only small, we ran out over the whole village. 122 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,240 There was quite a main road nearby, so we were quite 123 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:18,280 worried, and sure enough we saw him trotting back across the 124 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:20,920 village green, NO20P in his hand. 125 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:24,200 He'd obviously been on the horse, had a ride on his own and 126 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,280 was walking back home looking very proud of himself. 127 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:29,680 That was only a temporary separation. 128 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,240 We were soon reconciled. But what about the deeply 129 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:37,560 wounding impact of being wrenched away from our home? 130 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,640 Some of us in our church have experienced these things, 131 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,720 leaving a country, leaving a family, not knowing if we'll 132 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:49,200 ever see that family again. Even for some of us, being sent 133 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:53,040 away, maybe to school or to live with another member of the 134 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,800 family when we were small and not understanding why these 135 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:58,960 things have an impact. Or maybe for some of us, it was 136 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:02,320 somebody who left us. Our father or our mother walked 137 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,680 out of the family. For example. 138 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:10,000 Separation brings pain, and Paul uses this picture to describe 139 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,000 the state of somebody who is apart from God. 140 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:17,760 This is how the new Christians he's writing to were not so long 141 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:20,160 ago. They were completely and utterly 142 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:22,440 lost, he says. They were enemies in their 143 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:25,040 minds. When we're away from God, 144 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:26,560 there's a tug of war in the head. 145 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:28,800 Will I surrender? No, I'll go my own way. 146 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:31,120 Evil behaviour, sin, selfishness. 147 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,840 We can say oh, it's just a little white lie or it's just a 148 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:36,880 little bit naughty or it's slightly wrong. 149 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:43,080 But if God is perfect and the past mark is 100 a 100%, then 150 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:47,240 all sin is devastating. It's why we need the grace found 151 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:50,640 at the cross and then think about beyond this life. 152 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,160 Because while we're on this earth, there's something that we 153 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,640 might call general grace, where God is still active in the world 154 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,520 today. There's still beauty, there's 155 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,640 still goodness, there's still God's hand all around us for 156 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:06,000 everybody. As the Bible says, the sun 157 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,440 shines on the righteous and the unrighteous. 158 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:13,480 But what will it be like after this life for those who die 159 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:17,080 without Christ? Complete and utter darkness, 160 00:09:17,560 --> 00:09:21,920 Lostness, no hope of escape. Bearing the weight of our own 161 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:25,480 sin because we chose to reject the offer of Jesus. 162 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:31,360 Salvation, eternity lost, alone, alienated, punished. 163 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:36,360 Where will you spend forever? Because we all spend it 164 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:40,560 somewhere with God, with everything restored as it always 165 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:44,280 was, meant to be, in perfect peace, joy, worship, 166 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:47,760 relationship with the God who loves you, a new heavens, new 167 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:53,400 earth, all completely separated from God, forever lost in the 168 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:58,000 dark, bearing the consequences of our own sin in excruciating 169 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,760 agony. There are only two options, 170 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:05,440 absolutely and completely. And the only difference is 171 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,720 saying yes to Jesus. Because it's all grace. 172 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:13,200 It's all undeserved, a free gift of forgiveness, open to all of 173 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:17,600 US1 Completely on the cross. So Paul is writing to those who 174 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:19,000 can say they were once like that. 175 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:22,080 This is how you once were. And are you glad in this room, 176 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:26,360 if you've been rescued, that you were rescued today? 177 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,160 We were. We're surrounded as well by 178 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:30,960 people who are completely and utterly lost. 179 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,040 Some in this room might, you might know that's where I am 180 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,280 right now. Because there's only in or out, 181 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:42,680 alive or dead, lost or found. And This is why we must never 182 00:10:42,680 --> 00:10:46,600 stop reaching people. You know, if you're still there, 183 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,880 if you're still lost, the transfer window, as it were, is 184 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:54,360 still open from one Kingdom to the other Kingdom, who knows for 185 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,320 how long. And it's urgent that you make a 186 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:01,640 decision. So there's one way to be 187 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,560 completely, utterly lost, and that's just to say no to Jesus. 188 00:11:05,560 --> 00:11:09,080 But there's one way as well to be completely and utterly saved. 189 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:12,760 But now, says Paul, he has reconciled you by Christ's 190 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:16,160 physical body through death, to present you wholly in his sight, 191 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,960 without blemish and free from accusation. 192 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,000 If we could only see what actually happens. 193 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:26,160 The moment that we say yes to Jesus, the moment that we invite 194 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:30,040 Jesus into our life, that we receive forgiveness, we pass 195 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:33,360 from darkness to light. Was thinking about the day I 196 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:37,480 often think about it, the day I asked Jesus into my life, the 197 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:41,720 day I said yes, the day I understood age 14, nearly 15, 198 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:46,080 that the cross was for me, and the day I said be my Lord. 199 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,280 It seemed a really normal quiet day in a way. 200 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:50,920 I went to this meeting. It was the first time I'd really 201 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:55,480 heard the good news shared. Somebody shared about the cross 202 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,160 and how the cross was the only way that I could be forgiven. 203 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:02,000 And I just said yes in my heart. I don't think I even responded 204 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:03,240 outwardly. I don't think there was an 205 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:07,080 opportunity to respond outwardly, but I went home, drew 206 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:11,240 this little cross in my diary and the next day I got up Monday 207 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:13,720 morning because that was a Sunday night, and went to school 208 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:15,840 as normal, had my school dinner and so on. 209 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:18,840 I had no idea everything had changed in my life. 210 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:26,040 My life was forever transformed. I only realised how lost I'd 211 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:30,480 been really when I was found. Do you know this is no small 212 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:35,240 salvation if you can be blase about this today, Let's think 213 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:38,440 again, because this is no small salvation, this complete and 214 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:41,640 utter salvation. This is what we can be so 215 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:45,640 grateful for today and what we can rejoice in and what we all 216 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:47,240 have. Complete salvation. 217 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:49,200 Now. He's reconciled you by Christ's 218 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:51,840 physical body. Through Christ, every part of a 219 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:56,360 spirit, body, mind, soul is regenerated, is restored. 220 00:12:56,920 --> 00:12:59,640 We have purpose in him now, in our lives. 221 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:01,560 Isn't that amazing? We can wake up in the morning 222 00:13:01,560 --> 00:13:04,320 and know I've got a reason to be here on this earth. 223 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:07,840 Our relationships. We have a huge life to live now. 224 00:13:08,560 --> 00:13:11,520 If we give our all for Jesus, we have the most exciting, 225 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:15,040 wonderful life. Sometimes people say to me, 226 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:16,960 well, how have you gone to all these places in the world? 227 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:18,720 What's what? How come all this has happened 228 00:13:18,720 --> 00:13:20,880 in your life? It's only because of following 229 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:26,600 Jesus and in the future, in eternity, wholly in his sight, 230 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:30,480 without blemish, free from accusation, forever made new. 231 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:35,600 This is once for all time, completely and utterly lost 232 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:39,200 before we encounter Him. But once we've encountered him 233 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,880 at the cross, completely and utterly saved. 234 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:48,840 And yet many ask a question. Will I get to the heavenly 235 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,960 reception desk? And here, no place for you. 236 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:57,200 How can I know that I'm saved if I forget God? 237 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,840 Does he forget me? Let's remember what happens to 238 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:04,080 us when we become Christians. I haven't got time to read all 239 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:05,880 the scriptures. I'll just shout them out so that 240 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:08,800 you know they're in the Bible. And if you want them, you can 241 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,160 ask me later. So what does the Bible say? 242 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:15,280 We're sealed. Ephesians 113 to 14 we are 243 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:17,840 saved. Ephesians 28 to 9:00 we are 244 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,360 secure. One Peter 1/3 to five, we are 245 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:24,560 sons and daughters. Romans 815 to 16 we are sealed, 246 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:27,200 saved, secure. We're children of God, we are 247 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:30,160 safe. John 316 And then listen to this 248 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:32,960 from Jesus. Jesus himself said, I give them 249 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:35,080 eternal life, and they shall never perish. 250 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:37,000 No one can snatch them out of my hand. 251 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,720 My Father has given them to me, and he is greater than all. 252 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:43,480 No one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 253 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:45,680 In the Greek, that is a double negative. 254 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:50,000 Never, never is the strongest way to say never is never, 255 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:54,120 Certainly not, not at all. By no means, if you're saved 256 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:57,200 will you become unsaved. David and I believe the Bible 257 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:00,400 makes it really clear salvation is not a repeated thing. 258 00:15:00,960 --> 00:15:04,360 You can't get saved again. It's once for all, ever, 259 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,840 completely, utterly. And yet if we are saved and we 260 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,120 walk away, there is a lot we can lose. 261 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,720 This is what we can lose. We can lose our reward in heaven 262 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,360 and be saved as if through the flames, as it says in the Bible. 263 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:20,200 We can lose our fellowship with God. 264 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:22,520 We can use joy. We can lose the fruit of the 265 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,400 Holy Spirit in our life. Joy, peace, love, patience, 266 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:28,680 kindness, all those things. We can lose direction and 267 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:30,880 meaning in our life. We can lose our testimony. 268 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,880 We can even lose the ministry that God may have had for us. 269 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:36,480 We can lose victory over the world. 270 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,120 We can lose spiritual stability. We can lose growth. 271 00:15:41,120 --> 00:15:44,320 These are serious losses, but we never lose him. 272 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,760 There's hope in this room. If you're believing for 273 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,000 prodigals to come back, there's hope for prodigals. 274 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:54,920 Max Liccardo tells the story of two young girls, sisters who 275 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,440 were abducted from their family with other children in a war 276 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:01,160 situation. They were carried off into the 277 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:03,040 wilderness. They were indoctrinated into 278 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:05,920 another way of life, and they forgot their language. 279 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:08,840 They forgot their past. They forgot everything. 280 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:13,120 One of them escaped and did get back to her family. 281 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:15,960 But she never stopped praying for her sister. 282 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,200 And one day she and her mother heard that a large group of 283 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,720 these children had been rescued. They walked up and down the 284 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:25,880 lines of the faces. By now these children had grown 285 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,480 into young men and women. They tried to recognise their 286 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,920 sister, their daughter. The children, though, were 287 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:38,160 unresponsive. No one responded, no face smiled 288 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:40,440 or or made any sense of recognition. 289 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,440 And when they called their daughter their sister's name, 290 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:49,160 Beatrice, nobody responded. Which one was theirs? 291 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:52,560 And the police guard said, is there a birthmark on her or some 292 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:55,160 way to recognise her, something that might jog her memory? 293 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,200 And then suddenly one the other daughter remembered. 294 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:03,520 What about the song that our mother used to sing to us when 295 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:05,560 we went to bed? What about the song you sang to 296 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:07,960 us, Mum? And in their own language, they 297 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:11,359 began to sing a simple Christian lullaby as loud as they could. 298 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:14,280 And suddenly there was a cry and a girl stood up from the group, 299 00:17:14,319 --> 00:17:17,440 rushed over to them and hugged them and sang along. 300 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:21,760 She'd forgotten her name, she'd forgotten her language, so many 301 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:23,319 things. But something woke up when she 302 00:17:23,319 --> 00:17:27,440 heard the familiar song. You know, Psalm 40 verse 3 says 303 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:30,000 he has put a new song in my life. 304 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:34,440 And God places a song in the hearts of his children too, A 305 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:37,800 song of hope, a song of life. Some Christians, and I hope 306 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:40,720 we're all going to be those, they sing this song loud. 307 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:44,440 They sing this song long for every single day that they live 308 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:48,800 on the earth. Other people have some things 309 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,120 happen to them, or the song falls silent. 310 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,120 Life's hurts and happenings. They just mute the music inside. 311 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:59,720 And long seasons past when God's past, when God's song is not 312 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:02,480 sung. The truth is, we don't always 313 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,880 know if someone has trusted God's grace. 314 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:07,840 A person may have feigned belief and not meant it. 315 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:11,440 It isn't ours to know. But we do know this. 316 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:15,000 Where there is genuine conversion, there is eternal 317 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:17,880 salvation. Our task is to trust God's 318 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:20,520 ability to call his children home. 319 00:18:21,120 --> 00:18:24,160 We join God as he walks among his wayward children, as he 320 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:27,840 walks among the children who have maybe got that bit lost 321 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:32,960 singing, and eventually his own will hear his voice and 322 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:34,600 something within them will wake up. 323 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,680 And when it does, they'll begin to sing again. 324 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:41,760 Let's just say, Lord, sing your song again out loud over the 325 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:45,600 prodigal children. Sing your song over them this 326 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:49,760 week. So in the light of all this, let 327 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:53,000 us all be completely and utterly committed to continue. 328 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:57,520 Paul goes on to say, if you continue in your faith, 329 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:01,920 established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in 330 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:05,880 the gospel, surely our response to this complete and utter 331 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:10,800 salvation is to give our lives completely to the one who gave 332 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:15,480 us this doorway into life, the one who gave it all, our Lord 333 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,120 Jesus Christ. Let's commit again to continue 334 00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:24,080 established firm do not move from the hope held out in the 335 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:27,680 gospel. Continue to let him work in our 336 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:33,400 lives, change us, mould us, whatever stage of life we're at 337 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:37,280 to be constantly saying Lord, whatever the question is before 338 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,600 I even know what you're asking me, I'm going to say yes. 339 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:42,760 I'm going to say yes to you. I'm willing to change. 340 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:44,680 I'm willing to do what you want me to do. 341 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:48,120 Continue to be faithful to him. Say Jesus over everything. 342 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:51,600 Continue to live wide open for all he wants us to do. 343 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:56,840 You know, for this we need fresh water, we need an altar in our 344 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:01,800 lives where we go and we receive from him and we, we worship him. 345 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:04,800 And can I say come to our breakthrough nights? 346 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:08,360 Yes, come and bring people. Yes, come and bring somebody a 347 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:12,480 prodigal or somebody, you know, who needs a miracle because 348 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:14,600 we're going to pray for breakthrough miracles. 349 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,960 But also come for you, come for you, come to come to the altar 350 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:22,680 yourself, come to bring yourself, and to be set on fire 351 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:25,240 again. With a fresh fire, I believe if 352 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:28,320 we come even to several of those nights and just dedicate 353 00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:32,000 ourselves, change our Diaries for it, we will receive from God 354 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,560 and we will be fired up for the next season of our lives. 355 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,080 Because I don't believe this is time to hold back. 356 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:41,680 It's not time to sit on the sidelines and just watch what's 357 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:44,560 happening. We need to make a fresh decision 358 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,640 to be all in. There's one life to live and 359 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:50,640 I'll live it for Jesus. I know our young people are here 360 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,040 in here this morning. Can I just say to young people, 361 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:57,880 young adults right now, choose who you're going to serve for 362 00:20:57,880 --> 00:20:59,960 your life. Who are you going to put first 363 00:20:59,960 --> 00:21:02,400 in your life? What are you going to seek 364 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:04,360 after? What are you going to do? 365 00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:08,280 And Jesus promises. He's got an amazing promise if 366 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,600 you seek first His Kingdom. And here's righteousness. 367 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:15,320 If you put those first, then everything you need will be 368 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:17,760 given to you as well. It's an upside down Kingdom. 369 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:22,280 We seek Him first and He will give us everything we need. 370 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:25,320 All will follow. Decide now. 371 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:27,880 You're not going to marry anybody if you can't marry 372 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:31,320 somebody who will be, somebody who will inspire you in your 373 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:35,640 faith, Somebody who will walk with you, run with you through 374 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:39,080 life. So make right choices right now 375 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:41,520 while you're young. And for all of us today, if 376 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:44,120 we've not already made the best choices, there is a way back. 377 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:46,320 There's always a way back with Jesus. 378 00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:50,320 Don't sit in shame. Confess, receive and make a new 379 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:52,160 commitment. Even this morning. 380 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,120 And when Paul says to continue, he's not as well talking. 381 00:21:56,120 --> 00:21:58,280 This is really good because he's not talking to one person. 382 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,480 He's not saying, oh, Charlie, who lives in Colosse, you know, 383 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:04,960 you carry on, you continue. He's saying to all of them. 384 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:09,760 He's saying the church continue, praise Jesus, that we are 385 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:12,760 completely and utterly committed to continue, but also as a 386 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,480 church together. He puts us together. 387 00:22:15,480 --> 00:22:18,680 We don't do it alone. It's all our hearts joined 388 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:23,600 together, our commitment united, our gifts which are varied, used 389 00:22:23,600 --> 00:22:27,880 to serve, surrendered to Him, and then we can help those 390 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:32,920 coming in to grow. Then we can plant again as a 391 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:35,080 church. Then we can care for those in 392 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:38,120 our church family. Well, I wonder, are we willing 393 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,400 just to say yes to Jesus? Because that's all he needs. 394 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:47,000 He just needs our willingness. And finally, may we have more 395 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:48,720 confidence in the wonderful gospel. 396 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:55,160 This message has changed us. Yes, completely and utterly. 397 00:22:55,360 --> 00:22:58,400 We have no idea how much it's changed us. 398 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:00,800 If we could only see what went on inside us. 399 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,160 It has worked and it will always work and it's at work today 400 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:06,640 around the world. It's the complete and utter 401 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,880 finished work of Christ. This is the gospel Paul says 402 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:12,560 that you heard and has been proclaimed to every creature 403 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:15,800 under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. 404 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,600 You know, a few years ago, David and I travelled up to the 405 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:22,120 northeast, which is where my all my side of the family came from. 406 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:26,360 David preached from John 14 on that day and he was very clear 407 00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:28,840 about Jesus being the way, the truth and the life being the 408 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:32,400 only way to eternal life. And afterwards Brenda came 409 00:23:32,400 --> 00:23:35,080 running up. Now Brenda was the secretary at 410 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:39,840 the school where my uncle was a head teacher and she always was 411 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:43,120 a great witness to him. She is a lovely Christian and 412 00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:48,360 even after my Uncle Leonard and Auntie Elsie retired, she looked 413 00:23:48,360 --> 00:23:50,960 after them with great diligence. And even now she'll go and see 414 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:52,800 my uncle, I think, nearly every day. 415 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:55,840 She's fervent in her faith. And she was delighted and all 416 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:59,040 she kept saying she came up to David and she kept going, EE, 417 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,880 that's the gospel. EE, that's the gospel. 418 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:06,640 That's the real gospel. That is, the Colossians had 419 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:09,960 heard this gospel and it saved them the finished work of 420 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:12,440 Christ. Here lies all our hopes, says 421 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:14,520 Paul. The gospel, you heard it and 422 00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:17,040 it's being proclaimed now all over the world. 423 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:19,680 And he says something which I'd never noticed before. 424 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:24,200 He says he has become a servant of this gospel, this gospel of 425 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:25,960 which I, Paul, have become a servant. 426 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:29,560 The work of Christ in salvation is completely finished. 427 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:32,040 Jesus said on the cross, it is finished. 428 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:36,680 It was a cry of victory. It is finished, it's done, but 429 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:40,360 the task is not. This is where we come in. 430 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:44,120 Jesus said to his disciples, as the Father sent me, so I send 431 00:24:44,120 --> 00:24:46,560 you. We're privileged to join in 432 00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:50,760 Jesus mission in the earth. The Father sends him, He sends 433 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:53,560 us, and the call has not been revoked. 434 00:24:53,560 --> 00:24:55,760 Paul heard it. We hear it today. 435 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:59,520 We're sent so that the gospel will be proclaimed to every 436 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:03,400 nation on earth. And then as Jesus said, the end 437 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,720 will come to every nation. So all we need to be asking is, 438 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:12,080 where will Jesus send me? Where am I sent right now? 439 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:18,640 And this is the gospel, the unchanging, wonderful truth that 440 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:22,000 each precious person is completely and utterly alive or 441 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:26,680 dead, lost or found in their sin or forgiven, standing alone or 442 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:30,240 covered by the blood of Jesus. And there's only one way to go 443 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:33,120 from one to the other, and that is the precious blood of Jesus 444 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,640 shed on the cross for you and for me. 445 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:38,520 And we believe the power of this message. 446 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:42,360 So one church, I just want to say, prepare your hearts for a 447 00:25:42,360 --> 00:25:46,400 week of breakthrough. Change your plans, come bring 448 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,480 your family, bring your friends, your neighbour, your someone who 449 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:51,680 needs a miracle. Get involved with the sessions, 450 00:25:51,920 --> 00:25:56,120 get involved with the times on the street with Mission 2014. 451 00:25:56,120 --> 00:25:59,560 And let's remember from these verses, once you are alienated 452 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,400 from God and we're enemies in your minds because of your evil 453 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,160 behaviour. Without Christ we are completely 454 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:09,440 and utterly lost. But now He has reconciled you by 455 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,920 Christ's physical body through death, to present you wholly in 456 00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:15,800 his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. 457 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:19,280 With Christ we are completely and utterly saved. 458 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:23,200 If you continue in your faith, establish and affirm, and do not 459 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:25,160 move from the hope held out in the gospel. 460 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,400 Therefore, we will be completely and utterly committed to 461 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,800 continue. This is the gospel that you 462 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,360 heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature 463 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:38,320 under heaven and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. 464 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:42,040 And we'll remember it's not our work, it's the complete and 465 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:47,120 utter work of Christ. We just proclaim and serve this 466 00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:51,880 message. The Lord bless you and keep you. 467 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:55,680 The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 468 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:59,600 The Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.