1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:04,560 Do you know what's sweet? It's getting to share your 2 00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:07,240 victories with people. Who care about you? 3 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,240 It's been. Said that the worst solitude. 4 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,400 Is to be destitute. Of sincere friendship. 5 00:00:28,900 --> 00:00:34,700 That's the worst kind of poverty is to have no friends. 6 00:00:36,480 --> 00:00:39,200 Some of us have been in moments where we experienced. 7 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:44,320 That and felt it. Unfortunately, university 8 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:49,520 doesn't really teach you. How to have friends Some of us 9 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:51,520 were like I'm. Looking forward to going to 10 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,360 university because maybe. There I will make some friends. 11 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,560 I'm the nerd. In my high school and I'm going 12 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:00,000 to go. To a university. 13 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,760 Full of other nerds. Maybe I'll go to a Church of 14 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:09,400 nerds and we will have friendship. 15 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,760 There we'll be friends. Cassius Clay, who was. 16 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,120 Known as Muhammad Ali. Said it's the hardest thing in 17 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,480 the. World to explain friendship. 18 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:24,680 It's not something you learn in school, but if you haven't 19 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,000 learned. The value of friendship. 20 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,600 You haven't learned anything at all. 21 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,160 I wonder why none of. Us run around with a Got Milk 22 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:45,800 shirt that says Got friends. We just don't want to appear 23 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,840 that desperate. Got friends? 24 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,720 CS Lewis said that friendship is born the moment when one. 25 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,840 Person says to another. What you 2? 26 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,120 I thought I was the only one, he says. 27 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:05,320 That is the spark from which friendship? 28 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:10,720 Can be birthed you were born for more friends. 29 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:21,840 Jesus actually shows us this and that he had friends, and that 30 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,080 Jesus wanted to share his greatest victory. 31 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:35,520 With his friends to. Me is a beautiful thing that he 32 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:40,040 wasn't embarrassed at all to share his wins and to share a 33 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,440 win with. His friends. 34 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:48,800 He even invited this group of disciples who were around him to 35 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,040 to come at times and share about the wins they experienced. 36 00:02:52,040 --> 00:03:00,760 When they went out in his name. In the scripture we have 3. 37 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,840 Appearances in John of Jesus to his disciples, and we're going 38 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:09,120 to read of one of them. This is in John chapter 21. 39 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:10,960 So if you have the Bible, open it. 40 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,880 And it's Jesus seeking out his friends. 41 00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:20,280 He had told and sent a message via Mary to say Go and tell my 42 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,640 brothers to go to Galilee and I will. 43 00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:26,480 Meet them there. They were a little slow on the 44 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:30,840 uptake of that message. So this is his. 3rd appearance, 45 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:35,640 but finally they're in Galilee. The scripture says this. 46 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:40,160 Afterwards, Jesus appeared. Again to his disciples. 47 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,800 By the Sea of Galilee it happened this way. 48 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:52,400 Simon Peter Thomas also. Known as Didymus Nathaniel. 49 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:57,120 From Cana in Galilee. The sons of Zebedee and Two. 50 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:03,160 Other disciples were together. I'm going out to fish, Simon 51 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:06,080 Peter told them. And they said. 52 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:10,480 We'll go with you. So they went out and got into 53 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:14,640 the boat. But that night they caught 54 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:20,399 nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus 55 00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:24,880 stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that 56 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:28,080 it was Jesus. He called out to them. 57 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:34,920 Friends, haven't you any fish? No. 58 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,400 They answered, you know. They're out in a. 59 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,640 Boat on the lake. He's on the. 60 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:47,280 Shore he actually was. Shouting friends. 61 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:52,480 Do you have any fish? He asked in the negative. 62 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:59,400 Haven't you any fish? No, no, no. 63 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,720 All seven of them. No, no, the grumpy. 64 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:11,120 No, no, no fish. Can't you imagine this? 65 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:14,600 Do you have any scriptural imagination? 66 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:21,680 Come to my Imagination Station and we'll go on an adventure. 67 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:28,320 He said throw your net on the right side of the boat, he's 68 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:31,600 yelling at them and you will find some. 69 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:37,760 And when they did, they were unable to haul the net in 70 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,240 because of the large number of fish. 71 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,760 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter. 72 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,200 It's the Lord. And as soon as Simon Peter heard 73 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:53,640 him say it's the Lord, he wrapped his outer. 74 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:55,360 Garment around him, for he had taken. 75 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:57,880 It off and he jumped into the water. 76 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:03,320 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of 77 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,400 fish, for they were not. Far from the shore. 78 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:12,840 About 100 yards. When they landed, they saw a. 79 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:18,920 Fire of burning coals there with fish on it and some bread. 80 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,080 Jesus said to them. Bring some of the fish you have 81 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,440 just caught. Simon Peter climbed back into 82 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,520 the boat and dragged the net ashore. 83 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,200 It was. Full of large fish. 84 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,760 But even with so many, the net was not torn. 85 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:42,920 Jesus said to them, Come and have breakfast. 86 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,680 None of the disciples dared ask him who. 87 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:53,000 Are you? They knew it was the Lord Jesus 88 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,200 came, took the bread and gave it to them. 89 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:01,960 And did the same with the fish. This was now the third time. 90 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,040 Jesus. Appeared to his disciples. 91 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,720 After he was raised. From the dead. 92 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,920 It's the third time he's appeared. 93 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:17,400 Last Sunday we were celebrating the Resurrection Sunday and in 94 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:21,120 the evening after he had appeared to the women, he 95 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:24,840 appeared to. Them and said. 96 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:27,880 Peace be upon you, receive the Holy Spirit. 97 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,760 And and he. Tried to show that he was really 98 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:36,720 there he was really alive and Thomas didn't believe this 99 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:42,240 Thomas says I won't I won't believe unless I see so Jesus 100 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:47,680 appeared again about a week later and he says look, look at 101 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:56,040 me, see the holes, see the wounds, give me bread, give me 102 00:07:56,040 --> 00:08:03,880 fish and he ate and so the proof was already there they already. 103 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,360 Knew that Jesus is. Alive, the gospel preached. 104 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:10,640 To us by the women is true. He has risen. 105 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:15,800 He is alive. What it all meant they hadn't 106 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:20,200 completely worked out, even though Cloepas and his wife had 107 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:24,400 had a walk with Jesus in which he taught them from the 108 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,600 Scripture and they had come back and said he's alive. 109 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:32,720 He's alive now, the disciples. Had made their way to Galilee. 110 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:36,919 They had sort of gone home and they're just hanging. 111 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:41,159 Out Jesus. Their friend, their Lord. 112 00:08:41,159 --> 00:08:46,680 Has experienced the greatest victory, but they're going back. 113 00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:49,760 To real life. We got to eat. 114 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,640 Our families need to eat. We're at a different season of 115 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,160 our life. We don't really understand this 116 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:56,040 season. Of our life. 117 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:00,000 And Peter, he's. Such a person of action. 118 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:06,200 I'm going fishing. When you imagine fishing, what 119 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:10,520 do you? Imagine casting a little. 120 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:14,760 A little rod and. That was my first fishing 121 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,040 experience. I caught no fish. 122 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:20,480 I think I have something in common with the. 123 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,680 Disciples. But when they fish, they were 124 00:09:23,680 --> 00:09:27,880 spending the night in a boat together, seven of them, and 125 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,000 they were throwing these Nets out into the water. 126 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,520 Which would open up. And then had weights which would 127 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:38,640 sink down, and so now that that net would be. 128 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:43,400 Drawn, and they would. Draw that net gently closed. 129 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,240 So that the fish. Wouldn't swim out and it would 130 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,600 come in around them. And they would pull it back in 131 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,680 and then they do it again. It's a great. 132 00:09:52,680 --> 00:09:55,600 Bicep workout. I think obliques, you know, 133 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:57,840 they're getting the whole deal. Getting their. 134 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:06,480 Workout over and over and over. Can't you hear the? 135 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:12,360 Ribbing Whose boat is this? It's James and John's old boat. 136 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:15,840 You know, they, they sort of retired from. 137 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:17,600 Fishing and came to hang out with Jesus. 138 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:19,640 They were never good fisherman's. 139 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,120 Maybe this boat is jinxed. Can't. 140 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,120 Catch any fish. What's happened to this boat? 141 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:30,880 And on through the night, they did that routine over and over 142 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:32,400 and. Over no fish. 143 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:39,920 It would have been a familiar moment. 144 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:49,040 Hey lads, hey friends, Hey guys, haven't you any fish? 145 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:55,160 And the question came to them, and in that moment there was 146 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:59,720 recognition. Jesus calling out to his 147 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:05,240 friends, created a recognition in the. 148 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:07,920 Beloved Disciple, this would. Have been John, one of the 149 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:11,960 youngest, the writer. Of the Gospel of John, who 150 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:13,040 becomes the. Elder. 151 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,880 John, if you accept that whole stream that he was. 152 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:22,040 So close and dear to Jesus that Jesus had this sort of expansive 153 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,440 circle of. Relationships from the crowd. 154 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:31,600 To the 120, to the 72, to the 32, to the 8. 155 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:38,080 To the three, to the one. Close friend. 156 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:45,880 So it was not just a expanding. Circle of relationships, but it 157 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:49,200 was a circle of relationships that also got smaller. 158 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:52,080 We all need that in our. Lives. 159 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,840 They say that as you get older, it's more difficult. 160 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,600 To have friends, it's more difficult to make friends. 161 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,760 It's more difficult to keep. Friends, how many of? 162 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:07,480 You. Feel like that's bad? 163 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:12,600 News. Plenty of studies. 164 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:16,240 Out there that actually. The making of friends. 165 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:21,440 Requires some effort. You know, Jesus was a very 166 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:24,000 healthy human though he was. God. 167 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:28,120 As a healthy human, it says that since the children have flesh 168 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,240 and blood, he too shared in their humanity, so that by his 169 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:36,360 death he might break the power of him who holds the power of. 170 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:41,280 Death, that is the devil. But Jesus had flesh and blood, 171 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:45,320 and so in that life of flesh and blood, Jesus also sought to do 172 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,120 what God has always done, and that is. 173 00:12:48,680 --> 00:12:53,720 To have friends. In your imagination of God, is 174 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:59,480 God the God of friendship? Is God the one who seeks to make 175 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:03,400 friends? Is he the God of Abraham whom he 176 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:11,440 called the friend of God or not? So Jesus comes, and he makes. 177 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:15,480 Friends, in fact. In Matthew, his move towards 178 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:19,960 friendship was so extraordinary that those who accused him of 179 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:29,000 being questionable noted his friends and said he's a friend. 180 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:33,480 Of sinners. He's a friend of. 181 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:36,840 People on the margins. He's a friend of those who are 182 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,320 fringe. He's the friend of those who are 183 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,000 not loyal to Israel and betrayed our people. 184 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,320 He's a friend. To those who have no friends, 185 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,800 he's a friend. Of sinners this is. 186 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:54,640 What they said of Jesus. He's showing us how to be a good 187 00:13:54,640 --> 00:14:00,520 human just in the way he is, and he's showing. 188 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:05,280 US. What God is all about that God 189 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:10,960 is about friendship in. Fact in John chapter 15 Jesus 190 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,440 says I no longer call you that is. 191 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,040 His 12 disciples, of whom the seven would have been in the 192 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,520 mix. I no longer call you servants, 193 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:22,720 which would have been a typical rabbi relationship. 194 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,800 The rabbi relationship to the disciple is that the disciples 195 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:28,920 wanted to be so. Close to their rabbi. 196 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:33,320 That they would do whatever the rabbi said. 197 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:37,600 But Jesus never sought to be a Gentile. 198 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,240 Teacher or ruler and Lord it over? 199 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:43,400 Them he never. Sought to actually. 200 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:48,000 Generate a kind of. Power that squashed the 201 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,240 uniqueness of his own disciples and their personhood. 202 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:56,640 Instead, he's looking to pump them up and fill them up. 203 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:01,040 With real solidness. Of a person. 204 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:05,240 And so he says. I don't call you servants or 205 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,720 slaves. Because a servant or slave 206 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,200 doesn't know their master's business. 207 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:13,360 But my father. Everything my father has 208 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,800 revealed to me about the business of my life, I have 209 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:23,640 revealed it to you. And so I call you friends. 210 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,040 A friend. Knows about your life. 211 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:31,160 A friend. Knows what you're about. 212 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:37,720 A friend knows what you value. A friend might even help you 213 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:42,360 figure it out. These are. 214 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:48,840 The friendships of Jesus. Jesus has experienced his 215 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:52,680 greatest victory, and he comes to enjoy and celebrate it with 216 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:55,760 them. This is the second Sunday of 217 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:59,480 resurrection. Christ has risen. 218 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,000 Every Sunday after is still a celebration of the resurrection. 219 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,320 Of Jesus. It's the first day of the week 220 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:12,600 and. Here, in the midst of his 221 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:17,440 ongoing celebrations, he has to. Find them. 222 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:22,240 They've got out fishing, they're not aware that the party is 223 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:26,400 still on. And so he makes. 224 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,760 A breakfast party he serves them. 225 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,920 This is one of my favorite images of. 226 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:36,600 Jesus in the scripture. Is Jesus making breakfast? 227 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,320 I want you to think of your favorite breakfast. 228 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,040 You got it. Tell your neighbor. 229 00:16:43,040 --> 00:17:04,200 What's your favorite breakfast? OK, now I want you to imagine 230 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:09,720 Jesus is in the kitchen making breakfast for you. 231 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:18,920 He's got that kanji going, he's got that waffle iron going. 232 00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:22,680 He's got the biscuits and the grits going. 233 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:24,319 Oh, you all don't know about that? 234 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,079 He's flipping those eggs. He's got the waffles and 235 00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:33,440 chicken, whatever it is. He's got your breakfast going 236 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:36,960 and he's like, hey. Come and have breakfast. 237 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:43,440 Come and have breakfast. This is what Jesus wants. 238 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,720 He wants you to come and be with him and enjoy. 239 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:51,400 The celebration of his. Greatest moments what he's been 240 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:57,000 looking forward to since Adam and Eve broke his word. 241 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:00,760 In the garden and ate of that fruit. 242 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:06,560 He's been looking forward to breakfast with his disciples. 243 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:17,560 Do you know what is what is friendship? 244 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:21,440 Allen Levy, who? Who wrote the book Theo of 245 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:23,680 Golden? Also wrote another book called 246 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:28,360 the The Last Sweet Mile and it was about his journey with his 247 00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:31,720 brother. As his brother was passing away 248 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:36,480 and dying, and their recollections together as his 249 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:39,680 brother passed from this life into the next. 250 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:44,880 And he says, what is friendship rightly lived, but the unheroic 251 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:49,360 call to 1000. Small conversations, countless 252 00:18:49,360 --> 00:18:52,000 prayers. And a myriad of encouraging 253 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:54,560 words from one person to another. 254 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:59,000 Over a lifetime. What is it but the bearing of 255 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:05,120 burdens, the sharing of gifts, the asking of uncomfortable 256 00:19:05,120 --> 00:19:08,720 questions? And the possible discomfort? 257 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:12,000 Of. Necessary confrontation. 258 00:19:13,120 --> 00:19:19,120 This is friendship, and Jesus calls you friend. 259 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:26,360 Do you call Jesus friend? The disciples in the boat and 260 00:19:26,360 --> 00:19:31,160 even John, his closest friend, still said he's the. 261 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:34,400 Lord. And it's true we hold these two 262 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:36,960 intention. He is Lord and He is friend. 263 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:42,840 He is. Lord, his friend and we. 264 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:47,560 Hold this intention in our relationship with Jesus. 265 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:51,840 But we must. Enter into that a kind of 266 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:54,600 tension in our friendship with each other. 267 00:19:56,080 --> 00:20:00,200 And that the sharing of our lives is not always so easy. 268 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,240 Even at breakfast. Even in our greatest. 269 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:07,720 Victories 'cause there's also. Great losses, I love this. 270 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:13,360 Description in Theo of Golden as. 271 00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:17,800 Theo has met the. Artist who's painted all these 272 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:21,560 portraits, that's in the the coffee shop called the Chalice. 273 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:25,960 And he's long to get to meet. Asher. 274 00:20:27,480 --> 00:20:31,880 He had studied. All of the portraits and he 275 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:35,200 says. Asher in every. 276 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:40,240 Face I detect sadness. A crease of curiosity formed 277 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,600 between Asher's eyes. Why do you say that? 278 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:48,840 Well, it is subtle, and maybe it takes an old man, an expert in 279 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:54,240 sadness, to to see it, but it is there in every portrait, and 280 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:58,280 some more than others. It's not gloomy or angry or even 281 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:03,040 terribly obvious. It's like a weariness or an 282 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:05,800 unmet. Longing or a disappointment? 283 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,720 Something we inherit from those who live. 284 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:11,480 Before us. But to these old. 285 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:13,920 Eyes. It is in every. 286 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:20,920 Face the universal affliction. It is what gives such. 287 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:25,720 Gravitas to your portraits. And makes them so. 288 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,960 Believable. Even when your subjects are 289 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:34,120 smiling, the shadow of. Sadness is there. 290 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:38,480 I I never really thought of it that way. 291 00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:41,360 I certainly don't do. Sadness. 292 00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:45,080 Intentionally. Theo nodded. 293 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:48,400 Nodded his. Affirmation. 294 00:21:49,120 --> 00:22:02,520 The mystery of art. The mystery of friendship is 295 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,080 that even in our greatest moments. 296 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:10,840 We're not always asking our friends to serve us, but we 297 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:23,160 serve our friends, Eleanor Roosevelt said. 298 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:28,280 Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true 299 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:34,360 friends will leave footprints. On the Heart isn't that good? 300 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,520 I'll read it again. Many people will walk in and out 301 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,160 of your life. They will come into your life 302 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:44,080 and they'll be first years, they'll be fourth years, they'll 303 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:47,640 be 12th years, but then they walk out of your life. 304 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:53,520 True friends. Only true friends will leave. 305 00:22:53,520 --> 00:23:05,300 Footprints in your heart. Do you know Jesus is enfolding 306 00:23:05,300 --> 00:23:08,840 his? Friends into a meaningful life I 307 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:12,080 really struggled with how to how to say this because. 308 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,200 We like this passage. In the Psalms that. 309 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaks of how Israel went wrong. Israel went wrong when they did 310 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,840 not wait for God to unfold his plan. 311 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:29,320 But now in Christ Jesus, His plan is unfolded. 312 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:34,240 It's like origami undone. It's just out and about. 313 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:38,240 But now he's looking to fold us. Into it. 314 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:42,280 And it has a. Cruciform shape, dear friends. 315 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:48,560 And he seeks to fold us in. He says bring some of them, he 316 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:50,480 said to them. Bring some of the fish you have 317 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:53,880 just caught. And Simon Peter, who had rushed 318 00:23:53,880 --> 00:23:59,360 to the shore and shown his great agility at swimming, now ran 319 00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:03,680 back and adds his muscle. To the moment. 320 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:11,360 And helps pull that net ashore. It was full of large fish, but 321 00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:16,200 even with so many, the net. Was not torn. 322 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:20,520 Dear friends, a meaningful life is a. 323 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:33,670 Life with mystery. It goes on to say that they they 324 00:24:33,670 --> 00:24:36,670 were so astonished that Jesus being with them, but none of 325 00:24:36,670 --> 00:24:38,430 them dared say, Is it really you? 326 00:24:39,710 --> 00:24:42,550 There was mystery even in that moment. 327 00:24:43,070 --> 00:24:48,280 Is this really you? And friendship itself must have 328 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:55,600 space for mysterious moments. And some of you. 329 00:24:55,880 --> 00:25:01,320 Are really puzzled about this. In fact, our brains are being 330 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:06,000 changed and trained away from mystery, away from the 331 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:10,640 enchantment of this world, away from the miraculous of Jesus. 332 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:17,680 We we've had lots of studies that sort of put a strict line 333 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:19,600 down the middle. Of our brains between. 334 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:26,480 Right hemisphere and left and it was Ian Mcgilchrist who in the 335 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:32,320 late 2. 1009, 2010, 2011. Reintroduced to psychology to 336 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,840 say, hey, wait a minute, wait a minute, there really is 337 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:40,400 something going on different on either side of our brains and 338 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:44,320 our world is becoming more trained on the left. 339 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:49,520 Side and friends, if you've got one of these, you are training 340 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:58,720 your brain to the left side. To narrow your thinking to 341 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,680 narrow. Your focus to have attention to 342 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:06,600 detail and to press in and the right. 343 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:12,200 Side is this sustained, broad, open, vigilant awareness. 344 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:15,600 It's the kind of awareness that that opens you up. 345 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:17,720 To the fact that. Oh, there's something here I 346 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:21,800 don't quite. Oh, there's some mysterious 347 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:26,120 presence of God. It's that sense of being in the 348 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:31,000 presence of God where you are like, oh, I'm at peace. 349 00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:33,680 Or oh, I'm, I'm stirred up. I'm a little. 350 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:38,960 Convicted or oh, I? I don't know what I have here. 351 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,000 I'm. I'm searching for some sense of 352 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:46,640 meaning in my life and when we have meaning of life questions 353 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:51,440 now we're we're being prompted and trained to to go to the left 354 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:55,960 side and ask ChatGPT what is the meaning of life. 355 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:02,280 It will tell you something if it knows you on that Channel for a 356 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:03,800 while. It will say, oh, that's such. 357 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:07,200 A good question. You're such a bright. 358 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:12,360 Person for asking that. And it will affirm you, and 359 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:14,920 it'll give you. Gobbledygook. 360 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:21,040 It'll give you nothing about the meaning of your life. 361 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:27,040 For the meaning of your life is going to be centered not on just 362 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:31,280 attending to this left side detail oriented of your brain 363 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,560 and your career, but it's going to be more on this sense of. 364 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:39,840 Mystery. And experience and relationship. 365 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,120 In the real. You can find relationships off 366 00:27:43,120 --> 00:27:48,280 the screen, you can have an AI girlfriend, but your brain still 367 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:52,000 knows this is not real and you will be. 368 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:56,680 Depressed. Come to church. 369 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:01,000 And meet a real girl. Right. 370 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:04,480 Thank you. Come to church and meet a real 371 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:06,760 guy. Come on. 372 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:16,600 This is real and it often starts with friendship. 373 00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:21,280 This is the mystery. It starts with going on a date 374 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:25,080 and having breakfast. Wow, you both got up early. 375 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,160 Breakfast at 11:30. Sweet. 376 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:35,560 This is so good. Friendship, shared experiences, 377 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:40,840 real life. This is how we enter into and. 378 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:44,720 Find some sense of. Meaning in life also by being 379 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:49,520 bored. This is your medicine against 380 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:55,760 being bored and so there you are scrolling and the bus just rolls 381 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:57,400 by. You were waiting for it, but. 382 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:01,920 Whoosh. It went by 'cause you had been 383 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:05,520 sucked into the matrix, you were living a simulated. 384 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:13,950 Life for a moment. We laughed, 'cause we know it's 385 00:29:13,950 --> 00:29:17,470 real. This is what we're doing to 386 00:29:17,470 --> 00:29:24,830 ourselves. It's not a new problem, it's an 387 00:29:24,830 --> 00:29:27,790 old problem been described by. Philosophers forever. 388 00:29:28,110 --> 00:29:30,270 That really, we hate to be bored. 389 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:34,120 Some of us hate to be bored so much that we will hurt ourselves 390 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:39,240 in those moments just to feel something and not have to listen 391 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:40,480 to our own. Thoughts. 392 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:44,120 Not have to be still. Enough, long enough to. 393 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:48,560 Actually hear our own thoughts to actually wait and call out to 394 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:50,560 God. Oh God, are you there? 395 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:56,520 And then wait. Oh Jesus, are you my friend? 396 00:29:56,520 --> 00:30:00,720 I've been a Sinner. Come, Lord Jesus, have mercy. 397 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:04,000 On me, a Sinner. And then wait. 398 00:30:10,210 --> 00:30:12,250 So the problem with boredom is not new. 399 00:30:12,250 --> 00:30:15,650 My mom used to have. She was a biology. 400 00:30:15,650 --> 00:30:22,050 Teacher I had my mother twice for biology, once in grade 10 401 00:30:22,090 --> 00:30:25,010 and then second time in grade 12 for AP Biology. 402 00:30:25,290 --> 00:30:27,370 She had a big. Sign up on the wall that said 403 00:30:27,370 --> 00:30:30,370 boredom. Is a self-inflicted wound. 404 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:33,240 And I always thought, Mom, that is not helpful. 405 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:37,600 But people would say in class, oh I'm so bored. 406 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:40,840 And she said that's a self-inflicted wound and 407 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,880 otherwise the remedy is inside of you. 408 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:49,960 The remedy isn't attending. To what's? 409 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:53,040 Going on in this. Moment and in just being. 410 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,520 If it's a self-inflicted wound, it's one to which you can find a 411 00:30:58,520 --> 00:31:03,240 solution. Here's a picture of Jesus. 412 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:06,520 I love this picture. I love this moment. 413 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:09,320 I don't think it's famous art. I think someone created it. 414 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:15,880 I don't know how they did it. Couldn't find any great titles 415 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:20,640 to it. We'll just call it Jesus Cooking 416 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:26,720 breakfast. Can you hear? 417 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:39,530 The crackle of the coals. Can you hear the? 418 00:31:39,530 --> 00:31:43,170 Fish, their scales, their skin drying up. 419 00:31:47,530 --> 00:31:55,410 Can you smell it? Can you feel the breeze coming 420 00:31:55,410 --> 00:31:58,770 off the Sea of Galilee? And the coolness of that 421 00:31:58,770 --> 00:31:59,690 morning. Can you feel the? 422 00:31:59,690 --> 00:32:02,040 Heat. Coming off the fire. 423 00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:10,960 Can you hear the? Splashing of the disciples as I. 424 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:16,840 Threw that net. Out one more time, and then as 425 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:20,760 they began to pull it up. Whoa, whoa. 426 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:26,400 And they're pulling it up, John says. 427 00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:27,320 It's the. Lord. 428 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:33,480 And Peter says nothing, just puts on his shirt and jumps in. 429 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:39,160 Splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, 430 00:32:39,320 --> 00:32:45,040 splash, splash. 100 yards. He gets to shore, runs up to 431 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:53,720 Jesus, sees the breakfast. We don't know what was said 432 00:32:53,720 --> 00:33:02,000 next. It was their private moment. 433 00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:13,980 We don't know what was said. Jesus wants to be this kind of 434 00:33:13,980 --> 00:33:19,900 friend in your life for all of you graduates. 435 00:33:20,340 --> 00:33:23,100 The greatest thing you. Can carry from UBC, is to say. 436 00:33:24,340 --> 00:33:26,940 UBC was the origin of a greater faith. 437 00:33:26,940 --> 00:33:31,740 In my life, in Christ Jesus. I built some friendships. 438 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:34,240 I'm going to carry them with them. 439 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:39,120 They put footprints in my heart even as Jesus put. 440 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:41,440 Footprints in the sand of my life. 441 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:50,120 See friendship, like discipleship, has a lag 442 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:55,720 experience. Next slide, we have a, we have a 443 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:59,560 lag in fellowship at times. Jesus was having a. 444 00:33:59,560 --> 00:34:01,680 Lag in his friendship with his friends. 445 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:05,080 They weren't really celebrating him yet, and fully. 446 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:07,120 In fact, they're. They're going to go back to 447 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:08,719 Jerusalem. And they're going to huddle in 448 00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:10,320 fear. That doesn't sound like 449 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:12,480 friendship. Hand huddling in fear. 450 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:19,120 Jesus has to call them out of that holy huddle with the gift 451 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:21,159 of the Spirit. And we are those who've got the 452 00:34:21,159 --> 00:34:24,000 gift of the Spirit. But until we actually live. 453 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:26,920 Into that faith our. Friendships are just a little 454 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:29,639 diminished. They're not up to their ultimate 455 00:34:29,639 --> 00:34:33,000 meanings yet. In friendship, you may 456 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:36,000 experience a lag and be like, well, why doesn't anybody ever 457 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:36,880 call? Me. 458 00:34:40,639 --> 00:34:43,679 I don't know. Just be the friends you want to 459 00:34:43,679 --> 00:34:51,159 be and you give the call. There's a lag in friendship, as 460 00:34:51,159 --> 00:34:53,880 in discipleship. Sometimes Jesus gives us a word 461 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:56,719 and we're slow to. Respond Jesus says if you really 462 00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:58,720 love me, you'll do it, I command. 463 00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:02,360 But so many times we are lagging in our friendship with Jesus. 464 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:09,800 In friendship, we as in discipleship, we actually share 465 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:12,520 our wins and our. Losses and we're going to get to 466 00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:16,680 1 of. Peter's greatest, Lowest. 467 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:21,320 Moments next week in his friendship with Jesus. 468 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:26,280 But Jesus turns it into his greatest moment and calling. 469 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:31,400 In friendship, as in discipleship, we form the 470 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:38,720 meaning of our lives. So what we'd. 471 00:35:38,720 --> 00:35:45,800 Encourage you to do 1 trade. Trade constant occupation for 472 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:47,800 boredom. You'll appreciate your friends 473 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:50,520 better if you're bored a little bit in life. 474 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:55,360 You'll appreciate Jesus more. You'll actually give greater. 475 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:57,920 Value to the word. Of God in your life, if you will 476 00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:01,520 let yourself be bored. Oh parents, let your children be 477 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:04,480 bored. When they say, oh, I'm so bored. 478 00:36:04,480 --> 00:36:06,480 You say this is the greatest moment in your life. 479 00:36:07,720 --> 00:36:14,880 They said so at church, trade simulation for real presence, 480 00:36:23,530 --> 00:36:27,730 and then finally treat knowing God as the ultimate meaning. 481 00:36:27,730 --> 00:36:32,090 Of your life. You can build some great meaning 482 00:36:32,090 --> 00:36:34,890 and, and there's some good research now and coming on how 483 00:36:34,890 --> 00:36:37,610 to build meaning in your life. Arthur Brooks has written a 484 00:36:37,610 --> 00:36:40,880 nice. Book The Meaning of your life it 485 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:44,960 can lead you through some really proven steps for sorting out 486 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:47,400 this question of the meaning of your life. 487 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:51,760 But Arthur Brooks is a follower of Jesus, and here's what he 488 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:53,880 says. I don't care what else you do. 489 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:57,960 For the Christian, the ultimate meaning of our. 490 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:08,040 Lives is knowing God and I would add and being known by God. 491 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:13,200 Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we come today 492 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,480 and we say. Thank you for making friends 493 00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:19,960 with us. We confess that we are not. 494 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:24,040 The best of friends. We're not the greatest friend. 495 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:29,880 We forget your word. We forget the dates. 496 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:32,760 We triple. Booked our lives from. 497 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:34,800 Having any time and. Breakfast with you. 498 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:38,640 And so we. Just confess, Lord our. 499 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:41,000 Minds and hearts are. So often so. 500 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:45,600 Preoccupied that we miss your still. 501 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:52,760 Small voice and invitation. Would you call us again? 502 00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:55,880 Come and have breakfast. Come and have lunch. 503 00:37:55,880 --> 00:38:00,120 Come and have third tea. Come and have high tea. 504 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:03,600 Come and have dinner. Come have a midnight snack. 505 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:09,200 You're always. Inviting us, Lord Jesus, into 506 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:13,360 your presence and we just say thank you again today. 507 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:19,680 For those of us who say I'm not, I'm just not sure yet that that 508 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:23,160 God is actually in my life, or God knows me, or God. 509 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:27,440 Cares about me. Would you just pause and say? 510 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:33,280 OK, God, if you're. There would you begin to. 511 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:39,920 Show yourself to me. I want to know you as friend. 512 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:50,320 Let's all stand together. We're going to come to the 513 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:50,680 table.