1 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,360 We're going to read the first 11 verses today, but I'm going to 2 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:14,440 just read the first two and then stop and talk about them a bit. 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:15,600 But they'll come up on the screen. 4 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:18,840 But it's always good to follow on and have it open with you as 5 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,360 well. So it says Paul, an apostle of 6 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:27,600 Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother to the 7 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,200 Church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy 8 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:36,360 people throughout Akaya peace, grace and peace to you from God 9 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,720 our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 10 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:48,120 So what I, what I believe that God wants to pull out of this, 11 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,920 these, these first few verses of Corinthians, I think there's 12 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,000 plenty of stuff that you can get out of this. 13 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,040 But there's two things that as I was reading this through the 14 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,720 past couple of weeks that I believe God wants to speak to 15 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:00,480 us. Two very clear things. 16 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,240 I think he wants to speak to us through the words of it says 17 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:07,720 Paul and Timothy. And the first thing is, is that 18 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:14,160 God wants to change you. God's desire is to make us more 19 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,920 like Christ, and he does that through his church. 20 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,880 He does that through men and women filled with the presence 21 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:29,200 of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we need each other. 22 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:35,080 You need me and I need you. We need each other. 23 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:39,640 I love how you all didn't say yes when I said I you need me. 24 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:46,000 Silence, I need you. Yes you do and we need to be a 25 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:49,280 people that are full of the Holy Spirit. 26 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,680 So number one, God changes us through his Holy Spirit filled 27 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:57,200 church. Secondly, and this is where this 28 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:01,560 morning has come in so beautifully is that God through 29 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,600 his Holy Spirit works through our brokenness. 30 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:12,360 That doesn't just mean that he is able to help us through 31 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:17,200 storms and testings and trials. What actually means is God is, 32 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:22,360 yes, He's able to do that, but He is able to redeem our 33 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,080 troubles. He's able to redeem our storms 34 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:29,000 and our brokenness and use as we're going to read about Paul 35 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:34,480 and Timothy, He's able to use our brokenness for his glory and 36 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:41,800 those around us their goods. So this this book, this letter 37 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,240 to the Corinthian church. We know it as two Corinthians or 38 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,200 if you're American, it's second second letter to the 39 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,200 Corinthians, which I'm not a fan of because as you read through 40 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:57,320 the book, it's not the second letter that Paul ever wrote to 41 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,320 the Corinthian church. Actually, we we tell this hints 42 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,520 that there were plenty of other letters that Paul wrote to the 43 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:08,480 church in in Corinth, but through God's Providence, 44 00:03:08,640 --> 00:03:13,320 through his Holy Spirit, we have in our Bibles that not today, 1 45 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:17,120 Corinthians and Two Corinthians. And you can read, and I 46 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:22,200 encourage you to read this week Acts 18 where it talks about 47 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:26,200 Paul planting the church, starting the church in Corinth 48 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,680 and how that happened. And we read actually earlier on 49 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,000 this year, we went through the book of 1 Corinthians and in One 50 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,680 Corinthians we read that it was, it was written by Paul and 51 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:40,520 Sosthenes. And they had multiple things 52 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,720 that they had to address in that church, multiple things that 53 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,240 led. Ultimately, the big things were 54 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:54,000 sexual immorality and brokenness in the sense of disunity and 55 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,120 infighting. I follow this person. 56 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,720 You follow that person. I don't like you because you're 57 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,360 different than me. And what Paul and Saussenese 58 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,920 they did through the the letter, they would remind the church 59 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:10,880 constantly that despite their sin, despite their mess, we 60 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:16,880 worship a God who stepped down into our mess to lift us up. 61 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,880 And then about a year later, scholars reckon that Paul and 62 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:27,680 Timothy write this this letter to the Corinthian church from 63 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:33,880 Macedonia in about 56 AD. And like I said, the first point 64 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,960 I want us to look at this morning is the fact that God 65 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:41,640 changes us. He changes you and me through 66 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,240 his Holy Spirit filled church, through each other. 67 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:49,840 We need each other. You see, Paul is going to Paul 68 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:55,800 and Timothy are going to be used by gods to help grow this 69 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:57,520 church. And I want you to, I mentioned 70 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:00,640 this in the first message we did in One Corinthians, but I want 71 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:04,800 you to message, remember again that this letter is written from 72 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,480 Paul and Timothy. We will quite often just say, 73 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:10,320 you know, Paul says this and Paul says that, but actually 74 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,200 it's Paul and Timothy. And I just wanted to remind you 75 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,960 of that because Jesus isn't about super Christians. 76 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:22,440 Jesus isn't about one man or one woman prophet or or apostle or 77 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,280 or one, you know, one super teacher that we all gather 78 00:05:26,280 --> 00:05:28,000 round. It's about the body. 79 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:33,040 It's about the church together. And Paul is going to use, so God 80 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:37,880 is going to use Paul and Timothy, their words to change 81 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,560 and mould and make more like him. 82 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,920 Those in the church in Corinth and us here who listen to him, 83 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,600 Jesus said in Matthew chapter 13. 84 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:58,040 He said a farmer went out to sow seeds. 85 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,240 As he was scattering the seeds, some fell on the path and the 86 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:07,280 birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places where 87 00:06:07,280 --> 00:06:11,760 it did not have much soil. It sprang up and quickly became 88 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:14,200 quickly because the soil was shallow. 89 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:18,440 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and they 90 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:20,840 withered because they had no root. 91 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:25,360 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the 92 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,800 plants. Still other seeds fell on fell 93 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:33,520 on good soil, where it produced a crop 160 thirty times what it 94 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,920 sowed. Whoever has ears to hear, let 95 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:42,440 them hear. You see, Jesus desire is for you 96 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,480 to grow. His desire is for you to produce 97 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,320 fruit. And what I mean by fruit, what 98 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:52,880 Jesus means by fruit is that we become basically more like him, 99 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:57,200 that we act in our everyday lives like he would act if he 100 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,520 was in your situation. That we we bear fruit means that 101 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,520 we become more loving and kind and patient. 102 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:09,960 It also means that we are people who speak words of life, that we 103 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:14,920 are people who speak words of healing and release from demonic 104 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:17,040 strongholds, just like Jesus did. 105 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,520 But to grow, what does the parable say? 106 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:25,880 To grow, we need what? What do we need? 107 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:32,560 We need good soil, and we all need good soil to grow. 108 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:38,520 And we get good soil by reading Scripture, by immersing 109 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,400 ourselves in the Word, by sitting under good teaching, by 110 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:47,720 praying in the Spirit, but also by spending time with each 111 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:51,920 other. If you spend time with God's 112 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:56,480 church, with men and women, filled with the Holy Spirit, 113 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:00,560 they will produce in you good soil. 114 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:05,000 See through the words of Paul and Timothy. 115 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:10,120 God is desiring to produce good soil in this messed up, broken 116 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:16,160 church in Corinth. For those who receive his plan, 117 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,000 those who listen, those who take to heart what Paul and Timothy 118 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,760 have to say, God says through Jesus. 119 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:27,640 He said Jesus says that they will produce a harvest 100 times 120 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:32,039 what they have received. That's God's heart for us. 121 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:40,360 See, God has placed you within a church community so that you can 122 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:45,120 produce good soil in others and they can produce good soil in 123 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:49,440 you. God changes us through His Holy 124 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,080 Spirit filled church. That's .1. 125 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:58,320 Let's carry on reading. He says Praise be to the God and 126 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:03,040 Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the 127 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:07,400 God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that 128 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:11,640 we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we 129 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:16,120 ourselves receive from gods. For just as we share abundantly 130 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:21,120 in the sufferings of Christ, also, so also our comfort 131 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:25,040 abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for 132 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:29,120 your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for 133 00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:33,480 your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the 134 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:39,120 same sufferings we suffer. We and our hope for you is firm 135 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:44,400 because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also 136 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,520 you share in our comfort. We do not want you to be 137 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:50,880 uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we 138 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:52,760 experienced in the province of Asia. 139 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:57,480 We, we were under great pressure, far beyond our ability 140 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,800 to ensure so that we despaired of life itself. 141 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,720 Indeed, we felt we had received a sentence of death. 142 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:08,800 But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on 143 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:14,680 God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such 144 00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:18,760 deadly peril and He will deliver us again on Him. 145 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:23,640 We have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us as 146 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:28,400 you help us in our prayers there many will give thanks on our 147 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:32,920 behalf for the gracious favour granted us in the answer to many 148 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:39,720 prayers. See, God changes us through His 149 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:46,280 Holy Spirit filled church and Christ's Spirit works through 150 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:52,080 our brokenness. You see, many of you, many of 151 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,640 you have stories of brokenness. Many of you have stories of 152 00:10:55,640 --> 00:11:01,120 testings, of trials, of, of being passed over by promotion, 153 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:05,680 by by losing your job, by having to flee the nation that you grew 154 00:11:05,680 --> 00:11:09,200 up in, by losing your health, by losing friends, by losing 155 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,400 family, by losing a spouse, by losing children. 156 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:18,800 Many of you have gone through extreme trials, extreme storms, 157 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:22,960 and you understand you can stand with Paul and Timothy when they 158 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:25,840 write. We were under great pressure, 159 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,280 far beyond our ability to endure, so that we were 160 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:36,000 despairing of life itself. Has anyone felt weak? 161 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:44,960 Does anyone feel weak? Now you see the church in 162 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:49,040 Corinth at the writing of Two Corinthians. 163 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:54,520 It had some issues. It had issues. 164 00:11:54,520 --> 00:11:57,600 It probably had some of the same issues of the writing of 1 165 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,400 Corinthians, but it had a few new ones as well. 166 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:07,200 And one of the threads that runs through this letter is a thread 167 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:11,600 that what I'd say is it is a thread of prosperity gospel 168 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:17,120 thinking, which is a false gospel that teaches if you are 169 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,880 healthy, if you are wealthy, if you are influential and 170 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:23,760 powerful, it is because God is happy with you. 171 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:29,880 And if you are poor and if you are sick, and if you are 172 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:34,480 unimportant, it's because God doesn't like you, because God 173 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,720 despairs about, because God is judging you. 174 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:48,400 Therefore what's which is an evil, evil doctrine. 175 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,840 But the church in Corinth, they had grasped hold of this. 176 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:56,960 And we're going to read later on that they had elevated these men 177 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:59,360 and women who they called super apostles. 178 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,520 Now, these were people who looked beautiful. 179 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:06,360 These are people who are charismatic, amazing teachers. 180 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,480 These are people who are rich. These are people who had 181 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,960 influence in the empire. And so the church in Corinth 182 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:15,040 said they must be blessed of God. 183 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:17,200 They're the ones we have to follow. 184 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:23,840 Paul, on the other hand, well, Scripture kind of gives us a 185 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:26,280 sense that Paul wasn't that pretty. 186 00:13:27,560 --> 00:13:32,720 Paul, he wasn't that amazing charismatic preacher, yes, and 187 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:36,760 he had a mind that was awesome and was able to apply the truths 188 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:40,320 that he had learnt in his upbringing to now being in 189 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,840 Christ. But actually, he was a sort of 190 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:44,400 preacher who sent people to sleep. 191 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,360 And we read about him in the book of Acts that he's preaching 192 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,000 one day and someone falls out the window asleep and dies on 193 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,040 the floor. I mean, he wasn't the kind of 194 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,520 charismatic preacher that everyone's sitting on the edge 195 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:57,360 of their seat waiting to listen to. 196 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:00,080 We read that he will say he has struggles. 197 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,920 He has a thorn in the flesh, which he doesn't expound on. 198 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:06,520 But many people would believe that there's some sort of 199 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:11,520 physical or mental disability that he carries at all, which 200 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:13,440 leads the church in Corinth to go. 201 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:19,080 Paul's not very impressive. Maybe his leadership, maybe his 202 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:24,040 gifting is illegitimate because God obviously doesn't like him 203 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:27,800 too much. God obviously is a cross with 204 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:32,080 him. But what does Jesus say? 205 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:36,120 What does Jesus say? In Matthew 5? 206 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,520 Jesus says he that is God the Father. 207 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:43,880 He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good. 208 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:48,040 He sends the rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 209 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:55,880 Jesus does good to us. When we receive good things, it 210 00:14:55,880 --> 00:15:00,240 is not because we have been good, It is because Jesus is 211 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:04,880 good to us. He is not good to you because 212 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,120 you've earned it. He's good to you because he is 213 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:10,800 good. And you know what? 214 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:14,840 When bad things happen, yeah, sometimes bad things happen to 215 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:18,640 us because we make stupid decisions and we have to deal 216 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:23,160 with the fallout of that. But sometimes bad things happen 217 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,120 because we live in a fallen world which is still under the 218 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,680 curse and we have bodies which though one day will be 219 00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:35,400 glorified, still live with the reality of sickness and death. 220 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:42,120 It's the world that we live in. But at times, I don't know if 221 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:45,320 you can, you can, you can, you can sympathise with this. 222 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:49,800 But at times, these storms, these trials, these testings 223 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:55,640 that God puts us through, they can feel beyond our ability, our 224 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:59,920 ability to endure. They can feel like we start to 225 00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:03,920 question, is God really good? Is God really? 226 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:12,160 For me, however, Scripture constantly reminds us that our 227 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:15,480 sufferings are not a sign of God's displeasure. 228 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:21,320 Rather, they are an opportunity to trust in Jesus. 229 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,320 Does anyone feel like they're going through a storm? 230 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:27,480 You don't need to put your hands up. 231 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:34,800 Yeah. I mean, sometimes the Bible 232 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,280 calls it a storm. Jesus calls it storms, But 233 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:41,680 actually sometimes it's. Bible says God tests us. 234 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:44,240 Anyone. Come on, This is open to 235 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:47,560 everyone. Anyone Old Testament heroes that 236 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,880 were tested by gods? Abraham. 237 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:55,680 Yeah, Abraham, He's waited his whole life for a son. 238 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:58,240 He's waited his whole life for a son. 239 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,240 And then all of a sudden God says, you know, God says, yes, I 240 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:04,160 will give you a son. And then he has to wait several 241 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:06,599 years for that to happen. And then all of a sudden he gets 242 00:17:06,599 --> 00:17:09,720 a son. And God says, I want you to 243 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:14,440 sacrifice your son to me. What's Abraham going to do? 244 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:20,040 Is he going to trust God or is he going to go his own way? 245 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:21,960 Is he going to run away from Yahweh? 246 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:23,800 Or? The Bible says actually in the 247 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:28,760 book of Hebrews that Abraham trusted God so much that he 248 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:32,600 believed that even if Isaac was to die, God was able to raise 249 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:36,640 him up to life again. Anyone else who was tested in 250 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:40,760 Scripture? Job Yes, a man who's got 251 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,960 everything, who's you know, who's got the family, he's got 252 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,520 the business, he's got the land, he's got wealth. 253 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:50,680 And then all of a sudden we get invited into God's heavenly 254 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:55,280 throne room and Satan comes and says, my paraphrase, the only 255 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:59,480 reason why Job worships you God is because his life is so good. 256 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:04,280 And God's like, OK, don't kill him, but take it all away. 257 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:10,080 Will Job curse God because everything's left his life? 258 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:14,920 Or will he trust Gods? Will he listen to his friends 259 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:18,160 that he's the problem? Will he listen to his wife who 260 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:20,680 just says curse God and die? What a wonderful woman. 261 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:26,040 No, he trusts Gods. He passed the test. 262 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:30,240 Anyone else? Oh, Mary. 263 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:32,400 Well, yeah. Well, she had to, Yeah. 264 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:33,760 I mean, she is. She has to. 265 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,520 There's so many with Mary. But, you know, she she is told, 266 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:42,600 this teenage girl is told you are going to give birth to the 267 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:46,840 savour of the world. And she, I mean, she was 268 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:49,840 unmarried. She was. 269 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:56,360 She'd never been with a man, but she knew in her culture how she 270 00:18:56,360 --> 00:18:59,520 would have been ridiculed, how she would, how she could have 271 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:07,080 even been put to death herself. But she says glory to God, she 272 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:10,440 trusts him completely. Anyone else? 273 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,720 David. Does someone say, yeah, David. 274 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:19,040 I've just been reading the other day about David and what an 275 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:20,600 amazing story. Actually, David. 276 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,120 He's on the run from gods. No, not from gods. 277 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:25,160 He's on the run from Saul. Sorry. 278 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,520 And there's this amazing funny story in the book of Samuel 279 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:33,960 where Saul goes to use take a bathroom break, doesn't he? 280 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,240 And he goes and he goes and crouches down in a cave where 281 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:40,040 David is. And David's men are like, here's 282 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:44,240 a spear, kill him. Then you can be king and we can 283 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:48,440 get out of this place. And David says, no, I'm not 284 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:51,800 going to kill him. I'm going to let God be the one. 285 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,560 I'm not going to take things into my own hand. 286 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:57,960 This man may have been awful to me, but he is God's chosen. 287 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,800 And I will, I will take my place when God allows me to. 288 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:03,800 David has for years. He's he. 289 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:07,480 Unbeknown to most people, he is the anointed king of Israel. 290 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,840 But he chooses not to grab it. And actually even later on, 291 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:16,080 David has to run away from Saul and he he finds himself in the 292 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:17,800 land of the Philistines, the enemy. 293 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,800 He manages to trick them and they allow him to stay there. 294 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:24,840 And then all of a sudden they they plan to March on King Saul 295 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:29,320 to to take over Israel. And the king wants David to come 296 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:34,000 and, and fight with him. But all the other soldiers, they 297 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,880 say we don't trust David, leave him here. 298 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,360 And amazingly, God removes David from that battle. 299 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:44,200 And it is that battle where King Saul and his sons are killed, 300 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:47,520 which then allows David to become king. 301 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:51,800 I mean, think of Joseph. Joseph, he has a dream, doesn't 302 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:53,640 he? The whole world is going to bow 303 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:56,200 down to me. And then where's he find 304 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,560 himself? In a pit waiting to be sold by 305 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:04,920 his brothers, He then he, then. He then is put as a servant, as 306 00:21:04,920 --> 00:21:09,600 a slave in Potiphar's house. Will he serve Well? 307 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:14,080 Yes. Potiphar's wife throws herself 308 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:16,320 at him. Will he stay pure? 309 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:20,320 Will he stay loyal to gods? Yes, he does. 310 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:22,080 What is he getting? Rewards? 311 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:28,640 He gets thrown in a dungeon. But then gods, he raises him up, 312 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:32,600 and one day he raises him up from the bottom of the bottom to 313 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:36,200 the top to one of the most important men in the entire 314 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:40,520 world. How about Shadrach, Meshach and 315 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:42,240 Abednego? I love that story. 316 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:47,080 The king of Babylon says worship, bow down and worship my 317 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:51,520 gods. And they say, no, you can kill 318 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:56,400 us, but we believe in a God who's able to rescue us. 319 00:21:56,560 --> 00:22:02,480 And even if he doesn't, and that's really important line 320 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,920 because there are many people who've been burnt for their 321 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:12,120 faith and they weren't rescued. But they say even if he doesn't 322 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:16,720 rescue us, we will never bow the knee to your gods. 323 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,160 And you know the story. Amazingly, they are thrown in 324 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,200 the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar's guards die as 325 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:25,920 they throw them in, but they survive as as God appears in the 326 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:32,880 furnace and rescues them. You see, God does, he allows us 327 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:39,480 to go through trials. And what I want is, is for us to 328 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:44,520 not think of trials as being something that God is ski up. 329 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,000 They're scheming in heaven, thinking, how can I trip these 330 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:50,600 people up? How can I prove to them they're 331 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:52,400 not as special as they think they are? 332 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:58,000 Rather, I would love you to think of of trials as storms, as 333 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:02,200 as tests that we go through. This is an imperfect analogy, 334 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:06,960 but go with it as a driving instructor, OK, You're thinking 335 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:11,400 how on earth does that go with God's testing us a driving 336 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:14,040 structure? You see any of you who've learnt 337 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:17,560 to drive or maybe learning to drive, you get into a car with 338 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,800 someone, they teach you to drive and now what? 339 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:24,040 They don't do or mind in anyway. So I assume it's the same with 340 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:26,360 you. They don't go right, OK, you 341 00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:30,080 can't drive, but I'm going to put you with the examiner who's 342 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:31,520 going to see if you can drive or not. 343 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,520 That's not what they do. They say, I know you can drive, 344 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:38,720 Now go and show the examiner that you can drive. 345 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,640 You are ready to drive. Now go and show the examiner 346 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:46,320 that you can do it. And that's what God does. 347 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:49,440 That's what God does. You see, think of Abraham. 348 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,760 Abraham he is, he's on the top of Mount Moriah. 349 00:23:54,440 --> 00:24:01,240 And when he passes the test, God says, now I know, I know your 350 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:03,560 heart, I know that you are faithful. 351 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,240 Did God need Abraham to go through a test to know his 352 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:12,280 heart? No, but the next line, the next 353 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:17,920 line, it says that Abraham, he then called that place Yahweh, 354 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:21,440 Jireh. And many of you, we've heard it 355 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:27,360 is you the Lord who provides. What's it More accurately 356 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:30,560 translated, it is the Lord who will see to it. 357 00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:34,280 It's the, it's not just the God who provides things. 358 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:36,800 It's the God who will make it happen. 359 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:39,400 If he said he'll do it, he will do it. 360 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:45,080 You see, the reason for Abraham going through that test wasn't 361 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:47,960 so much for God to know. Oh, now I know what Abraham's 362 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,240 like. No, it was so Abraham could know 363 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:55,920 more of who God was. Like, it was for that very 364 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:59,760 reason. You see, that's what trials and 365 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:06,720 storms are there for, there for us when we lean on Christ, for 366 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:11,640 us to know in a deeper way who Jesus is. 367 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:15,000 I mean, do we want to go through storms? 368 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,400 No. Who wants to go through a storm? 369 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:19,600 Who wants to go through a trial? No one. 370 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:25,240 But but as Paul says in this this passage, he says, but this 371 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:32,840 happened to us that we might not rely on ourselves, but on gods. 372 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:37,960 This happened so we could actually put into practise what 373 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:44,720 God has said to us. You see, Jesus tells a a story 374 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:54,720 of of two men and one builds a house on rock and the other 375 00:25:54,800 --> 00:26:00,800 builds a house on sand. Both experience storms. 376 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:04,920 These promises we will all experience trouble. 377 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:10,520 We will all experience things that hurt us that we struggled 378 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:14,000 through. But the one who built his house 379 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:19,320 on the on the stone, on the rock, when the storm came, he 380 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:22,760 endured. Actually, the sense is that when 381 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:26,640 the trials come, those who build their house on Jesus, they will 382 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,320 endure forever. Where those who build their 383 00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:33,880 house on the sand, their lives will be ripped apart. 384 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,160 But we know not everyone passes the test. 385 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:43,800 You know you've not always passed the test. 386 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:47,640 You know, you have not always trusted in gods that you have 387 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:49,960 not always been. And you know, you read the story 388 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:53,160 and I love the Bible how how true it is. 389 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:57,920 Because you read the stories of, of Abraham and, and, and all the 390 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:01,160 other Old Testament Saints and you see that they are messed up 391 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:05,240 people who sometimes did really well. 392 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,480 And in the book of Hebrews, it picks up not on all the stuff 393 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:12,760 they did wrong, not on all the times they fell flat on their 394 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:16,440 face, not the times when Abraham was going to Egypt. 395 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:18,680 He decided he was too scared that he'd tell his wife to 396 00:27:18,680 --> 00:27:22,040 pretend he wasn't his wife so no one would kill him and go and 397 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:23,880 marry Pharaoh or whatever. Like he doesn't, He doesn't 398 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:27,600 share those things. In Hebrews, God remembers the 399 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:33,040 act of faith that Abraham has. And it's the same for us. 400 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:38,760 You see Peter, Peter, remember Peter, at the end, near the end 401 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:42,840 of the Gospels, Jesus says to all his disciples, you're all 402 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:46,040 going to deny me, you're all going to fail me, you're all 403 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:48,960 going to let me down. Peter says not me. 404 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:52,720 I can believe the rest of these, not woods, but not me. 405 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,640 I'm never going to fail you. I'm never going to let you down 406 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:00,240 Jesus, I'm always going to do exactly what you tell me to do. 407 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:06,240 And Jesus looks back at him and goes Peter, Peter, today before 408 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:10,400 the cockerel crows, you will deny me 3 times. 409 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:13,960 And then, you know, Peter's there. 410 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,240 He's trying to earwig on what's happening with the trial of 411 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:21,120 Jesus in the temple court. And this young woman comes up to 412 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:23,920 him. You're one of those Galileans. 413 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:27,920 No, it's not me. No, no, no, I recognise your 414 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:31,120 accent. You're with Jesus, not me. 415 00:28:31,120 --> 00:28:33,760 Yeah, I'm sure I've seen you with Jesus. 416 00:28:33,840 --> 00:28:36,640 I don't even know the man in curses. 417 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:40,080 And then the cockerel crows and he's broken. 418 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,880 I'm not perfect. I've failed. 419 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:52,480 I've failed the test. But wonderfully, when we pass 420 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,000 the test, we get to see Jesus in a new light. 421 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:02,400 But also when we fail, we also get to see Jesus in a new and 422 00:29:02,400 --> 00:29:04,680 better light. Do you think the end of John's 423 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:08,320 gospel? It tells us that one day Peter 424 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:11,360 and the others, they're fishing and Jesus appears to him, 425 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:14,680 appears to them on the shore. Peter could have turned the boat 426 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:16,600 around and said, right, we're we're going away from here. 427 00:29:16,760 --> 00:29:18,920 I don't want to see Jesus. I let him down. 428 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,000 I can't be in his presence anymore. 429 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:25,480 No, they turn the boat around. Peter jumps in the water. 430 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:29,600 He swims to Jesus, and Jesus forgives him. 431 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:34,800 He is reconciled with him. And not only does he do that, he 432 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:38,480 actually commissions him and sends him out to go again. 433 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:42,760 That is the mercy and grace that God shows us. 434 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:50,320 See, where are you being tested right now? 435 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,400 Where are you suffering right now? 436 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:57,680 I mean, this is what came through our Tyre worship. 437 00:29:57,680 --> 00:29:58,960 Where are you? Where are you? 438 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:03,880 You feeling weak? I, I'd love to pray for some of 439 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:08,440 you afterwards, but I'd love just to pray for us all right 440 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:11,560 now and just take a moment just to pray for us all. 441 00:30:11,560 --> 00:30:15,800 And so if you're, if you're suffering, if you feel that life 442 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:19,440 is heavy right now, if you feel like you're going through a 443 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,520 storm, I just encourage you, just close your eyes, hold out 444 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,200 your hands. It's a sign of I want to receive 445 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:25,520 from God and I'm just going to pray. 446 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:27,840 And I encourage you just to pray along with me. 447 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:31,240 And we're going to ask for Jesus help in our situations. 448 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:41,160 So Jesus God, you, you know our hearts, God, you know every 449 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:45,280 burden, every storm, every trial that we go through. 450 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:52,960 And I want to thank you for your unfailing love and your constant 451 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:56,400 presence in our lives. Lord Jesus, I want to pray. 452 00:30:56,400 --> 00:31:00,560 Lord God, in those moments when we feel weak, where life feels 453 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:04,440 too heavy, I pray, Lord God, that you would give us the 454 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:08,600 strength to trust in you. Lord God, I pray that you would 455 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:12,520 fill me with your strength. I pray, Holy Spirit, that you 456 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:15,640 would fill us right now, that we would be able, that you would 457 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:19,840 enable us to be able to choose you and flee from sin. 458 00:31:20,960 --> 00:31:24,920 Lord God, I pray that you would teach us to lean not on our own 459 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:30,120 abilities, but on you and your power and strength. 460 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:32,960 Amen. Amen. 461 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:39,040 How about winning? Where are you winning? 462 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:41,160 I mean, some of you, that's a really hard question, 'cause 463 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:44,960 you're like, I ain't winning anything, but are you to really 464 00:31:44,960 --> 00:31:47,720 try hard? I mean, it might not be a 465 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,800 massive thing where you think I've just got life sorted, I'm 466 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:53,000 winning now. It might just be actually 467 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:57,240 earlier on this year I was falling flat on my face and 468 00:31:57,240 --> 00:31:59,400 sinning in these areas every single time. 469 00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:03,080 Now I only fall flat on my face and sin on in these areas. 470 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:06,280 Sometimes that's a win. That's you. 471 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:10,200 That's you becoming and growing more like Jesus. 472 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:16,400 So where are you winning? I just want to give a moment for 473 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:23,720 you just to think and just thank God for be, for being, for 474 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:28,240 working in your life, for that. You know, you may have never 475 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:30,880 shared the gospel with someone, but you've managed to share it 476 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:34,280 once this week with someone. That's a massive win. 477 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:37,680 Where's God? Where's God winning? 478 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:39,720 Where is he doing stuff in your life? 479 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:42,800 I just want us to take a moment just to thank him. 480 00:32:53,290 --> 00:32:58,210 Yeah, Jesus, I am so grateful. I'm so grateful that even though 481 00:32:58,210 --> 00:33:03,170 we fail so often that you are bringing victories in our lives. 482 00:33:03,730 --> 00:33:06,730 God, I thank you for opportunities that we have taken 483 00:33:06,730 --> 00:33:11,200 to share your name, opportunities to live for you. 484 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:14,040 I thank you for increased faith in this room. 485 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:18,240 God, I thank you that every trial that we have been through, 486 00:33:18,320 --> 00:33:22,400 that you have carried us, Lord God, and we are able to see that 487 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:25,200 now. Lord Jesus, I pray, Lord God, 488 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:28,480 that you will help us to continue to trust in you. 489 00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:33,200 Amen. All right, just one thing to end 490 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:40,640 on. You know, Paul says that Paul 491 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:46,560 says, he says praise be to the Father, the God and Father of 492 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:51,200 our Lord Jesus Christ for our for the Father of compassion and 493 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:54,840 the God of all comfort who comforts us in our troubles. 494 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:59,480 See we can do that right now. When you are overwhelmed, when 495 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:01,800 you are in trouble, Jesus says come to me. 496 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:06,800 Paul says come to the Father. That is who I have received 497 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,679 help, that's who I've received comfort from. 498 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:10,560 That is who I've received love from. 499 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:14,040 But church, it doesn't end there, he says. 500 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:18,440 He says we come to you for comfort for all our troubles, so 501 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:23,920 that we can be a comfort for those in their troubles. 502 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:28,400 As we have received Gods, we can give away. 503 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:31,159 We come. We receive from God when we are 504 00:34:31,159 --> 00:34:34,880 in trouble, not to keep it be like I'm OK now, but so we can 505 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:38,679 give away to those who are going through troubles themselves. 506 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:40,080 I mean, this is what he's saying. 507 00:34:40,080 --> 00:34:44,960 He's saying in life we all have trouble, but don't please wallow 508 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:47,600 and mope and wail about your troubles. 509 00:34:48,159 --> 00:34:54,199 Instead, come to God, come to Jesus and find comfort. 510 00:34:54,920 --> 00:35:02,400 Receive grace that will sustain you so that you then can give 511 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:07,360 grace and mercy to those around you. 512 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:11,560 So you can. So you let Jesus produce good 513 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:16,600 soil in you, so you can produce good soil in others. 514 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:24,880 You see what Paul is arguing here is that in Corinth they 515 00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:27,120 look to these super apostles that have got everything 516 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:28,680 together. They're smart and they're 517 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,960 they're intelligent and they're great speakers and they're rich 518 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:36,280 and influential. What Paul is arguing is that he 519 00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:44,040 is more equipped to help produce good soil in them because he has 520 00:35:44,240 --> 00:35:49,240 no trouble. He is more equipped because he 521 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:54,200 has no trouble. Church life is full of storms 522 00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:58,600 and sadly many people are derailed. 523 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:04,080 Many people don't find the comfort of Jesus. 524 00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:09,680 I was looking at some stats earlier on this summer and it's 525 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:14,960 said that it was talking about children who grow up in 526 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:19,040 Christian homes. And what was the difference 527 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:23,080 between children who grow up in Christian homes who leave home 528 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:27,920 in their 20s or whatever and run for Jesus, and children who grow 529 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:31,920 up in Christian homes who leave home and aren't really bothered 530 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:35,880 or aren't on fire for gods or even choose to go a different 531 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:38,240 way? What was the key factor? 532 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:41,320 They've all got Christians, their parents. 533 00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:47,240 And the study said the key factor was that in these young 534 00:36:47,240 --> 00:36:50,240 people's lives, as they were teenagers, as they were 535 00:36:50,240 --> 00:36:56,400 children, they could count at least five adults who spoke 536 00:36:56,400 --> 00:37:03,880 truth, who spoke love into them. And because of that, because of 537 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:09,120 not just their parents, because of other adults speaking truth, 538 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:12,680 speaking life, Holy Spirit, men and women feel men and women 539 00:37:12,680 --> 00:37:14,560 speaking truth and love into their life. 540 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:18,560 Good soil was produced to them at such a young age that when 541 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:22,120 they left home, they flew. They flew. 542 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:25,440 That's what we want. That's what we want. 543 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:28,160 And we say, can you be that adult? 544 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:33,080 Can you be that adult now? I can. 545 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:37,600 I can think of easily five adults in my teenage lives who 546 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:43,360 not related to me, who spoke into me, who helped produce good 547 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:48,360 soil in my life. You can be that person. 548 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:52,760 You can be that person. Let me encourage you parents, 549 00:37:54,880 --> 00:38:00,520 put good spirit filled Christians in your kids lives. 550 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:05,560 Let them speak in tonight. We've got youth group, the first 551 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:10,560 youth group back after summer. Youth group is a priority in my 552 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:13,200 house. Not because it's you have to go 553 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:16,600 to church boys. No, it's because we've got Isaac 554 00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:20,920 and Lizzie who are spirit filled, wonderful human beings, 555 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:24,320 followers of Jesus. And I want my boys to spend as 556 00:38:24,320 --> 00:38:29,920 much time with them as possible. I want them to spend as much 557 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:32,840 time as possible. You know, after after October, 558 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:35,640 Hannah's going to be coming back in and helping out with youth. 559 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:39,160 She is a wonderful woman, a spirit filled woman. 560 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,800 And I want my kids spending as much time with her as possible. 561 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:45,080 Joanne is going to be helping as well. 562 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:49,280 She I want, I want people spending time with her. 563 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:54,040 I want because the more adults who love Jesus, who spend time 564 00:38:54,040 --> 00:38:58,640 with my kids, the statistics tell me, the more likely it is 565 00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:02,600 that when they leave home, they are going to run full pelp for 566 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:04,760 Jesus. And I want that. 567 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:11,240 I want that. And let's just imagine, I'm not 568 00:39:11,240 --> 00:39:13,520 seeing any stats on it, but let's just imagine that adults 569 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:18,200 are just the same as teenagers. That means that each one of us 570 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:23,080 probably needs a few adults who we allow speak into our lives to 571 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:28,760 produce good soil. Who is speaking into you? 572 00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:31,600 Who are you allowing to speak into you? 573 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:35,400 For some of you, maybe you need to grab someone and say I want 574 00:39:35,400 --> 00:39:39,240 to get together with you. Who is speaking into you? 575 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:44,920 And if it takes five adults to speak into one person, that 576 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:48,600 means each of us needs to be speaking into someone else. 577 00:39:50,360 --> 00:39:54,080 We all need to be filled with the Spirit and speaking in to 578 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:55,080 others. And we think, well, I'm in 579 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:58,080 equipped. I don't know much if you saw my 580 00:39:58,080 --> 00:39:59,800 life. It's a complete mess. 581 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:05,520 That's what Paul writes here in Two Corinthians. 582 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:13,040 Those of us who are the most messed up but trust in Jesus are 583 00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:19,160 the most qualified to speak truth and love in to others. 584 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:25,800 So who is speaking into you and who can you speak into? 585 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:31,840 God changes us, His ideal, His love. 586 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:35,680 He loves to change us through you guys, through His Holy 587 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:41,240 Spirit filled church and his Spirit loves to work through our 588 00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:43,800 brokenness. Let's pray. 589 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:51,080 Lord God, I thank you for your Holy Spirit inspired words. 590 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:56,880 I want to thank you for these words of Paul and Timothy that 591 00:40:56,880 --> 00:41:02,280 have survived the, the, the, the the test of time and are just as 592 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:07,880 true for the church in Blackpool here as it is to the church in 593 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:13,720 Corinth 2000 years ago. Lord Jesus, I pray God that we 594 00:41:13,720 --> 00:41:17,560 would be men and women who are filled by your Holy Spirit. 595 00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:23,360 God, we will be people who long to and love to speak into one 596 00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:25,920 another to help produce good soil. 597 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:30,960 God, we would turn up, we'd be around others and we would allow 598 00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:34,360 others to produce good soil in US. 599 00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:39,640 God, I ask you even now that you'd put on our heart people 600 00:41:40,160 --> 00:41:44,760 that we can be friends, that the Holy Spirit can use to bless 601 00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:48,560 through us. And I pray for people that we 602 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:53,360 may want to ask, we want to give permission to speak into our 603 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:57,120 lives right now. Lord Jesus, we thank you for all 604 00:41:57,120 --> 00:41:58,840 that you are. Amen. 605 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:00,560 Amen.