1 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:11,960 Thank you. Oh it's great to come again, 2 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,360 isn't it see all your ugly, your lovely faces. 3 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,560 Sorry to see what God's doing amongst you had had a week of 4 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:21,000 prayer. So I've caught up with all the 5 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,440 stuff in of the church. This is lovely. 6 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:27,040 I have survived Skip and Julie for the week. 7 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:29,680 As you know, there's a lot of prayer, that kind of thing 8 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,320 really, you know, and they won't change. 9 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,280 God can change them, but I don't. 10 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:41,600 It's quite interesting. I had this dream of Skip and 11 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:47,720 Julie and they're both 60 and I had this, he had the, you know, 12 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:52,080 I had this dream and the fairy godmother turned up and the 13 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,960 fairy godmother said, I'll give you 1 wish wish each. 14 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:01,800 So Julie thought, oh, I know I'll, I'll some tickets to go 15 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,160 round the world to world round the world cruise tickets. 16 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,720 And the the fairy went poof. And there were the tickets. 17 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:13,960 And then Skip thought, well, I'd like a wife 30 years younger 18 00:01:13,960 --> 00:01:17,480 than me. And so the fairy godmother went 19 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:28,280 poof and Skip was 90. OK, OK, this this would be 20 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,280 interesting if I got it the right way up for a start. 21 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:37,320 All right, good. A short passage in one John 1, 22 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,760 which goes into chapter 2. OK, you don't need your Bible 23 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:52,720 because it's here for you. So this is one of Jesus's best 24 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,600 friends, John. He wrote the Gospel of John. 25 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,800 He wrote 3 letters in the Bible and this is the first letter he 26 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:00,960 wrote. And he says this, this is the 27 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:05,320 message we have heard from him and proclaim to you that God is 28 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,360 light and him him is no darkness at all. 29 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,880 If we say we have fellowship or friendship with him while we 30 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,240 walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth. 31 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,560 But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have 32 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,400 fellowship with one another and the blood of his of Jesus Son 33 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,840 cleanses us from all sin. Now that Greek word actually is, 34 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:32,280 is a past continuous, present continuous, which means he goes 35 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:39,240 on cleansing you from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we 36 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,280 deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 37 00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:45,720 If we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us 38 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,960 our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 39 00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:53,080 If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar. 40 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:57,360 His word is not in US. My little children, I'm writing 41 00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,960 these things to you so that you may not sin. 42 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:04,120 But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, 43 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,280 Jesus Christ the Righteous. He is the propitiation for our 44 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,000 sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole 45 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,760 world. And by this we know that we have 46 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,160 come to know Him if we keep His commandments. 47 00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:19,640 Whoever says I know him but doesn't keep his commandments, 48 00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:22,160 he's a liar. And the truth is not in him. 49 00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:25,200 But whoever keeps his word in him. 50 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,480 Truly the love of God is perfected. 51 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,520 By this. We may know that we are in Him. 52 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:36,120 Whoever says He abides in him ought to walk in the same way in 53 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,680 which he walked. OK, that's our reading. 54 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,480 You'll find that in chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter 2. 55 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:44,640 Now why was John writing this letter? 56 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,560 He says in this passage that this is what he says. 57 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,320 My children, I'm writing these things so that you may not sin. 58 00:03:53,360 --> 00:04:00,520 But hold on, John, I try to be good, but is God expecting me to 59 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,440 live a perfect life every moment of every day? 60 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,240 Well, obviously the answer is no because he's just said this. 61 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,400 He said if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. 62 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:16,079 The truth isn't in US. See, God knows what you're like 63 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,160 and He still loves you for goodness sake. 64 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:21,000 I don't know why. Wow. 65 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:25,800 You see, He's not looking for us to perform for him. 66 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:30,680 He's looking to relate to him. Got that difference? 67 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:35,880 I'll say it again, He's not looking us to perform for Him, 68 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:41,120 but to relate to Him. We couldn't live a perfect life, 69 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,000 so Jesus did for us. Isn't that great? 70 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,400 And the good news is that he's made a way for us to be friends 71 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,680 with God, to relate to Him in spite of our sin. 72 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:57,120 And it's through the cross. It's where we are reconciled 73 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:01,840 back to God as we trust Jesus, put our faith in him. 74 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,120 We're justified. We're just as if I'd never 75 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,480 sinned. We're forgiven, we're cleansed. 76 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,320 Paul says it like this. Since we've been justified, made 77 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:16,400 right with God by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord 78 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,840 Jesus Christ. That's what you talked about 79 00:05:18,840 --> 00:05:20,640 Karina talk about that peace, didn't you? 80 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,280 That comes from God's. It's not like the world gives 81 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:26,360 peace. Jesus I my peace isn't like the 82 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:31,280 world's peace. He wants God wants to enjoy an 83 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:33,920 honest, open relationship with you. 84 00:05:35,840 --> 00:05:38,200 He wants to put up with me for eternity. 85 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,120 He wants to put up with you for eternity. 86 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:44,920 He wants to put up with skip for eternity. 87 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,680 I mean, that is grace. Such grace. 88 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:53,600 That is. It's so, it's so humbling. 89 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:57,160 Isn't it humbling. We should never be judgmental. 90 00:05:57,840 --> 00:06:00,560 I can't understand a Christian or churches that are just 91 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,400 mental. I'm just so glad he loves me. 92 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:07,120 Why should he put up with me? Wow. 93 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:11,800 Now in the Bible he often talks about being his friend with 94 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:16,720 walking together. It's what's in this passage, you 95 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:18,640 know, there's something special about walking with a friend, 96 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,640 isn't there? I know as how I got chatting up 97 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:26,040 my wife rambling through Surrey woods with the youth group. 98 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:27,280 I thought, oh, she's a bit more right. 99 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,240 And you know, you start singing some Beatles songs and chatting 100 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,240 and so it's amazing what comes out when you're talking. 101 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:36,960 You begin to share your thoughts, your aspirations, your 102 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:40,800 joys, even your fears. My next door neighbour Liz is a 103 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,200 member of the Wellington Walkers. 104 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,920 Now I live in a place called Rockwell Green, which was part 105 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,760 of Wellington. It's near Taunton and she goes 106 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:52,640 to a group called the Wellington Walkers that meet each Friday. 107 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,040 Libby would say this. Thanks for helping me remember 108 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:59,960 where I'm going in life. I'm sure you've noticed I have a 109 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:02,960 tendency to get lost sometimes. You're very patient with me. 110 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,360 I hope I can show you the same love in return. 111 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:09,440 The walk is not always easy, but it's better with you, my friend. 112 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:12,920 That's what Libby said. This comes from Casey Mclean's 113 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,600 blog on on the website it's called Unveiling the story The 114 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:19,880 Teller Within, and she's got a whole collection of comments 115 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,280 from her walkers who find it does them good. 116 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,640 She's got this one says it allows for shared laughter, 117 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,440 support during tough times, and a chance to celebrate each 118 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:30,800 other's victories, big and small. 119 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,840 The act of walking fosters connection, both physically and 120 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:37,160 emotionally. It allows for shared laughter, 121 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,000 which I've just said already. Then he says this as we walk 122 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,200 together as friends on the path. I get a feeling that everything 123 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,560 is OK. I'm so happy to have your 124 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:47,880 friendship. It helps me let go of so many 125 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,880 fears when you're by my side. Another comment. 126 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,560 Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty. 127 00:07:57,080 --> 00:08:00,480 See, God loves to walk with his children through life. 128 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:03,440 The Bible is full of characters who walk with Jesus. 129 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,040 Sorry about the slide here, but he says Adam Leve. 130 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:08,520 They heard the sound of the little gob walking in the garden 131 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,440 right in the beginning. Adam Leve used to walk with the 132 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:15,000 Lord in the in the call of the evening. 133 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,000 Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him. 134 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:23,400 I always used to laugh as a kid. He God so enjoyed his company. 135 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:25,520 He's although this I'm having you now. 136 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:29,000 Probably Jane's chatting to him at the moment. 137 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:32,120 He says no, Oh, walk with God, but the rest of the world 138 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,000 didn't. All those people, you can't even 139 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,799 see anything. Abraham, old Daniel, David, they 140 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,760 all walk with God. And then this, this promise, a 141 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:44,720 prophetic promise from God as we go through the Old Testament, 142 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:46,760 towards the end of the Old Testament, you'll find it in 143 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,840 Micah. He says, this God has told you, 144 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:53,240 O man, what is good? What does the law require of you 145 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,920 but to do justice, you know, be fair everywhere to love kindness 146 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,960 and to walk humbly with your God. 147 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:06,280 Wonder wasn't it? And because Jesus himself said 148 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:11,640 to the disciples, come follow me, didn't say go to to kind of 149 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,800 college or office. He said, no, just walk with me. 150 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:18,120 You're going to learn from me as we walk and we we eat together 151 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:20,840 and sleep together, you know, have troubles together. 152 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:23,560 Wow. Now, of course we want to walk 153 00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:26,720 with God, don't we? But if we want to walk with God, 154 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,920 we need to know where he walks and where does he walk. 155 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,920 Does it say, Well, if we say we have fellowship with him while 156 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:37,120 we walk in the darkness, well, that's not going to do much 157 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,800 good, is it? But he says if we walk in the 158 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:43,840 light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one 159 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:46,080 another. And the blood of Jesus's Son 160 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,560 goes on, goes on cleansing and cleansing us from all sin. 161 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,720 When he says walking in the light, you know what you're 162 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,160 saying. He wants you to be thoroughly 163 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:02,480 honest with Him. We want you to be open about 164 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:04,440 your failings, your fears, your worries. 165 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,360 If not, you're hiding by Adam and Eve in the garden. 166 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:11,160 When they sinned, they didn't walk with him. 167 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:16,000 They got in the bushes and hid. And God's saying, look, I want 168 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,480 fellowship with you, but you can only have fellowship with me if 169 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,200 you will walk in the light openly and honest. 170 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:25,880 And it is a fact, actually, when you become a Christian, that 171 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:28,240 immediate joy and wonder of being forgiven. 172 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:29,200 There's nothing like it, is there? 173 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,240 You know a piece like you've never known before. 174 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:34,920 But then as you begin to mature, you think, I don't think that 175 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:37,480 was very good. I'll swear in a bit too much. 176 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:42,360 Or it's quite interesting that you become a bit more aware or 177 00:10:42,360 --> 00:10:44,680 more aware of your sinful, selfish nature. 178 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:46,760 Would you agree? Some of you've been Christian on 179 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:48,280 the road. Sometimes people think am IA 180 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:49,720 Christian at all. Well, of course you are 181 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:55,240 actually, it's evidence that the Holy Spirit's working in you to 182 00:10:55,240 --> 00:11:00,080 try to make you like Jesus. The very awareness and sometimes 183 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,080 disappointment with ourselves, we feel ashamed sometimes, don't 184 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:05,920 we? But it's evidence that God is 185 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,880 wanting to make us like his Son. The Holy Spirit's in US. 186 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,920 See, God knows what you're like. He knows what you were like when 187 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:16,400 he called you. So what you're calling him for, 188 00:11:16,680 --> 00:11:20,760 be totally honest. See, Jesus came to his own, it 189 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,160 says, and his own people didn't receive him. 190 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:27,600 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he 191 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:30,840 gave the right to become children of God who were born 192 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,320 not of blood or the will of the flesh or the will of a man, but 193 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,600 born of God. If you put your faith in Jesus 194 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:41,440 and received him, whatever state you're in, you become his child. 195 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:43,600 You have the right to be his child. 196 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,880 Wonderful, isn't it? Oh, and how he loves us, she if 197 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:50,400 you give your love to Jesus, he loves it. 198 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:54,720 Look at that middle one there. If anyone loves me, he'll keep 199 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,200 my word. My Father will love him. 200 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,920 We will come to him and make our home with him. 201 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:06,000 I've seen some really awful people and God said I'm making 202 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,920 my home in them and he starts to changing from inside out. 203 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:12,520 It's not I've got to start to perform. 204 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:18,400 I start to relate and many Christians, I'm losing the 205 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:20,760 relationship because I think they've got to perform to get 206 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,080 the relationship. You have the relationship. 207 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:36,040 Calm down the enemy. Your soul must be worth a lot 208 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:38,680 because the enemy wants it, but Jesus died for it. 209 00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:41,160 Isn't that glorious? That's how much He loves you and 210 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,320 wants you and because he gave his blood for you. 211 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:48,120 So at the Last Supper he says these words in the same way. 212 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:51,040 After supper he took the cup saying this is the new covenant 213 00:12:51,560 --> 00:12:57,360 in my blood, not on stone 10 commandments or on paper, the 214 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:03,200 comparison burn, but in my blood, wow, it's poured out for 215 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,760 you. Listen, if you're a Christian 216 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:07,360 today, you've given life to Jesus. 217 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:11,480 God is committed to you in an unbreakable covenant. 218 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,080 Have you got that? You've gone quiet on me. 219 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:21,320 It's an unbreakable covenant because it's in His blood. 220 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:26,120 He's taken you for better, for worse, for take it for me. 221 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:27,760 He's taken me for worse and worse. 222 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,320 Now actually take me worse and a bit better. 223 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:36,280 I have changed by His grace. See, He's faithful towards you. 224 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,080 You're committed to him. He's never going to let you go. 225 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:41,880 Jesus said whoever comes to me, I will never cast out. 226 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:43,000 Yeah, but you don't know what I'm like. 227 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:45,680 No, I will never cast you out. Yeah, but I've not prayed. 228 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:47,480 I'll never cast you out. Yeah, but I've. 229 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:49,200 I've Sween. I've touched them Pornography. 230 00:13:49,680 --> 00:13:52,280 I'll never cast you out. You're mine. 231 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:56,240 I take you as you are. But I change you not by you 232 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:00,760 performing, but by you relating to me being honest about those 233 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:06,680 things. Moses wanted to know about God 234 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,200 and he, he said, I want to know you more God. 235 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:12,400 And he knew a lot of powerful things about God, didn't he? 236 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:16,560 I said, can I see your glory? And God said, well, I if I show 237 00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:20,880 you my glory, it will kill you. So I'll hide you in a rock, I'll 238 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,360 pass by, I'll let you see a glimpse of my back. 239 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:30,160 And then God said this, I'll tell you what I am like. 240 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:37,040 And he says this, this is God's. I am the Lord, the Lord, a God 241 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:43,520 merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast 242 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:48,560 love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, 243 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:52,080 forgiving iniquity and transgressions that should be 244 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:55,840 there, and sins, but who will by no means clear the guilty. 245 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:58,240 He then says that those who don't come to me don't want me. 246 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:00,920 I can't clear their sin away. They've not come and trusted in 247 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:03,720 my Son's blood. But can you see who he is? 248 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:07,560 He's not a judge, mental God who chooses to love. 249 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:13,480 He's a loving God who has to be provoked and then provoked again 250 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:17,280 before he has to judge. And we're so glad he does judge 251 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:20,240 evil, don't we? We don't like it when people do 252 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,200 things and get away with them. Epstein and others of others. 253 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:29,840 And in the cross, God satisfied both His justice of having to 254 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,360 put things right and His love. Wow. 255 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:38,600 God was so just and desirous to judge the sin and evil in men's 256 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:42,960 hearts that Jesus had to die for us in our place. 257 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:48,600 But he was so loving and desirous of our salvation that 258 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:53,600 Jesus was glad to die for us. We can also see some of his 259 00:15:53,600 --> 00:16:00,440 character in this prophecy from Jeremiah, Israel, or he calls 260 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:03,600 them Ephraim. Sometimes that's the one of the 261 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,840 sons of Joseph. So see, sometimes Ephraim is the 262 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:09,280 same as Israel. And they kept turning away from 263 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:12,120 God, going out their idols, putting 2 fingers up to God 264 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:13,960 actually said we're not going to follow you. 265 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:18,480 And it went on and on and on. God said if you don't go that 266 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:21,120 you're, I can't bless you, I can't protect you. 267 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:23,960 That's why so many people muck up their lives. 268 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,360 The Old Testament is question. I can bless you, but if you 269 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:30,040 don't come my way, I can't bless you and therefore you come under 270 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,480 judgement and he's saying this is Ephraim or Israel. 271 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:37,280 Is it my is he my dear son? Is he my darling child? 272 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:42,160 This is God Almighty talking about this rebellious people for 273 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,560 as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. 274 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:47,760 Therefore my heart yearns for him. 275 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:53,240 I will surely have mercy on him declared the Lord my heart, by 276 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,680 the way, that's that's God's like inner being. 277 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,520 It's like in the Old Testament would be the bowels. 278 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,560 My my insides are yearning. That means there's a roaring of 279 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:08,960 love and for the in the Old Testament, God loved his people. 280 00:17:09,319 --> 00:17:12,000 They were special to him. And as he went away, he said, 281 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:14,720 and by the way, the word remember there doesn't mean he 282 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:17,960 forgets things. It's really, it's an expression 283 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:21,960 really of how he actually wants to, you know, he wants to 284 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,160 reaffirm his covenant. Of course, I won't forget you. 285 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:27,760 How can I forget you? I made a covenant with you. 286 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,600 It was in the 10 commandments and through sacrificial death. 287 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,720 Now, if it was like that with the Old Testament, what's it 288 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:36,680 like with us? You put our faith in Jesus. 289 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:42,080 Listen his, his heart towards you in your fullness and in your 290 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,080 mucking up and in your laziness and your sin at times, your 291 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,720 heart, his heart towards you is he yearns for you. 292 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:55,120 He loves you. He wants your friendship. 293 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:00,200 Yes, yours. He's not put off by those things 294 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,440 that you think are going to disqualify me. 295 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:05,560 He's full of love for you. He comes naturally to him. 296 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:07,680 He has to be provoked to be angry. 297 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:11,480 Love is natural to him. Mercy is natural to him. 298 00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:14,400 He's long-suffering, not like us at all. 299 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:19,000 That's his nature. And he gets such bad press. 0 300 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:20,360 Give thanks to the Lord. Why? 301 00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:25,000 For he is, yeah, steadfast love it go goes on and on on. 302 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:29,480 He's I got saved 8. He's he's put up with he's he's 303 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,440 not put up with me. He loves me for what, 70 I'm 304 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:36,040 7688 years. It goes on and on. 305 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:37,840 Oh no, go back to that one again. 306 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:39,160 That's another one there, isn't it? 307 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:40,720 No, it's not. What about this one? 308 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:42,600 Bless the Lord, O my soul, oh within me. 309 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:44,680 Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my. 310 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:48,400 By the way, notice, wait, pray God bless that what we were 311 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:50,240 singing. Praise the Lord. 312 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:54,320 Oh my, what we're doing, we're telling ourselves to praise him 313 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:58,040 because everything in the world, in even our education and those 314 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:00,840 voices you hear in the morning or at night are saying, oh, it's 315 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,520 hopeless. No, no, no soul, you praise the 316 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,800 Lord. And here, here the psalmist is 317 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,280 saying, come on, my soul. So come on. 318 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,240 Remember, don't forget all the things he's done. 319 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,000 He lists some there, didn't He forgives your iniquity, who's 320 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:16,680 your diseases, redeems your life from the pit. 321 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:18,680 So on. He remembers, He shows 322 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:20,920 compassion. Do you see this God that has a 323 00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:24,480 bad press? Your God who loves you is 324 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:25,800 compassionate. He's good. 325 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:27,720 He's faithful. Yes. 326 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:30,960 And you think, oh, dear. Yeah, but yeah, but but. 327 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:33,960 And he's saying I want to walk with you. 328 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,440 I want you to be walking in the light with me. 329 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:39,800 I want you to be honest. When you muck up, tell me 330 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,680 straight away, oh Lord, that's That wasn't right. 331 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:43,920 It wasn't good. I'm sorry. 332 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:46,640 OK. You confess your sin. 333 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,480 I'm faithful and just. I forgive you. 334 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:53,400 But let's get on. We say we have fellowship with 335 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,440 him while we walk in the darkness. 336 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,880 We don't practise the truth. And what happens sometimes when 337 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:03,600 you fail in sin, you don't go to God, you hideaway and therefore 338 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:05,680 you don't change. You start to dwell in it. 339 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:09,560 You get condemned. He said when you muck up, come 340 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:13,360 straight to me. I'm not surprised I saw you 341 00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:15,160 doing it. I even know why you did it. 342 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:22,600 Oh the relief and healing that there is being utterly open to 343 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:27,560 my father. Oh, taking off the masks, daring 344 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,920 to let his light surge me. Lord, this is what I'm like 345 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:31,920 without you. And yet you love me and you 346 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:34,480 forgive me. Not the you that you wish you 347 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,720 were, but the real you, the psalmist were not backward in 348 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:40,880 singing and saying how they felt. 349 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:43,520 They laid bare all their confusion, all their 350 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:45,640 disappointment, their fears, their joys as well. 351 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:47,960 Of course. And thanks, God will say to you 352 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,800 this morning, hey, I know what you're thinking. 353 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:57,400 I know why you're doing the things you're doing in the book 354 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:01,880 of Job. If you read Job, God, dear me, 355 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:04,760 he's having a wind and a moan, isn't he? 356 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,760 All the way through about 30 chapters. 357 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,520 So he's like, thank God, because he's lost his family, he's lost 358 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:15,800 his, his children, he's lost his livelihood and he's now covered 359 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,080 in boils. And I have some Christians 360 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:20,320 saying, oh, I don't feel very well. 361 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,440 What's God doing? Oh, for goodness sake? 362 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:24,720 And because he never knows why he's having those things. 363 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:27,840 We know because we read the first chapter and he's moaned. 364 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:30,080 God, what Godfather, what are you doing? 365 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:34,040 You know, and he's got these custom, sorry comforters. 366 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:37,240 Come mates and all they do is come out with Christian cliche. 367 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,360 Well, Jewish cliches. Do you know the kind of people 368 00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:41,760 you go through a bad time, they throw a verse at you or they 369 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:44,720 they say thanks very much. You don't know what I'm feeling. 370 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:48,600 You know, all right. And at the end of the about 371 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:53,160 chapter 30 odd, suddenly Joe's been asking all these questions. 372 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:57,160 Suddenly God says, well, stop, I'm going to ask you a few 373 00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:59,880 questions and he starts asking questions. 374 00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:02,480 Were you there when I made this, when I did the other stars? 375 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:10,480 And Jonah's going and he repents because Job suddenly repents of 376 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:12,760 ever thinking he could know the mind of God. 377 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:17,760 You can't know the mind of God. He knows things about your life 378 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:20,720 and your future and those around you that you will never 379 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,320 understand. But he says, trust me as we walk 380 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:27,360 together. But at the end of Job, God says 381 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:31,040 this and he's angry with these comforters who tried to cheer 382 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,360 him up. And he said my anger burns 383 00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:35,960 against you for you've not spoke of me. 384 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:40,400 What is right as my servant Job has now therefore offer a burnt 385 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,560 offering for yourselves and my servant Job shall pray for you 386 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:47,160 for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to 387 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:49,520 your folly. And you think, hold on, what 388 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:52,240 does God mean that Job what Job has said is right. 389 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:56,760 He's he's been chapter just expressing his confusion and his 390 00:22:56,760 --> 00:23:00,560 pain. The reason is this that Job 391 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:06,920 never once stopped believing in God, never once turned away from 392 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:10,800 God. Actually, he bared his very soul 393 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,400 with God. He walked in the light with God 394 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:20,240 and he didn't know why, but he still said, even if you slay me, 395 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:23,320 I'll trust you. Wow, isn't that wonderful? 396 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,720 We walk in the light as he is in the light. 397 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,040 We have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus 398 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:32,000 his Son cleanses us from all sin. 399 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:34,920 See, Christian life is 1 of every day. 400 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:40,920 Repentance, forgiveness, acceptance, victory. 401 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:46,600 Oh, I've mucked up. Oh, Lord, I confess that that's 402 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:48,200 all right. We agree. 403 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:50,000 That's wrong. I die for you. 404 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,560 I forgive you. I accept you. 405 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:54,120 My son, my daughter. Come on. 406 00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:58,440 Let's go on in victory. Many of us kind of fell up 407 00:23:58,440 --> 00:23:59,560 there. Oh, I can't look at God now. 408 00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,360 I can't pray for anything as if our prayer was anything to do 409 00:24:02,360 --> 00:24:05,080 with us. It's to do with Jesus blood and 410 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:11,680 his victory over sin for us. Dane Altman has written a very 411 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:17,720 good book called Gentlemen lowly and commenting on Jeremiah's 412 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:19,960 prophecy and I have God yearns for us. 413 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:23,480 He writes this. Whom do you perceive God to be 414 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:28,160 in your sin, in your suffering? In other words, when you're 415 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,280 you've been sinful or when you've been suffering, who do 416 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:34,040 you think God is? Not just on paper, but in the 417 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:35,880 kind of person you believe he is? 418 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:40,000 When hearing you pray, how does he feel about you? 419 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,200 His saving of us is not cool and calculating. 420 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:48,600 It's a matter of yearning. Not yearning for the Facebook 421 00:24:48,600 --> 00:24:51,120 you. The you that you project to 422 00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:53,680 everyone around you. Not the you that you wish you 423 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:56,760 were, but yearning for the real you. 424 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,960 The you underneath everything you present to others. 425 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:05,600 See, we're the cool, hard ones. He's open. 426 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,040 He's full of mercy. New every morning. 427 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,600 Every morning comes to you. You know, if you've sinned, get 428 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:13,400 it dealt with. Why wait until I feel a bit 429 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:13,960 better? I'll. 430 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:17,080 I'll say sorry now. Oh, you're not walking in light 431 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:19,800 with him. Of course. 432 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,280 We all fail and sin sometimes. Sadly. 433 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,000 We do it deliberately, don't we? Yes. 434 00:25:26,120 --> 00:25:32,640 Come on, Be honest, sin. Sin is like leprosy of the soul 435 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:36,600 in a Christian. As Jesus was drawn not it wasn't 436 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:41,840 repulsed by a leper. He was drawn to the person in 437 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:45,640 that awful skin with love, compassion. 438 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:51,760 And so Jesus is drawn to us who are His, even when we fail and 439 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:55,960 fall with a spiritual disease while we're being changed, He is 440 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:58,640 drawn to us, not pushes away from us. 441 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:02,880 Yes, He hates the disease, but loves the one who is suffering 442 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:07,240 even more so as it affects the sufferer. 443 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:11,600 You know sin makes you ugly, doesn't it? 444 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:15,040 Selfishness. Sin makes you ugly, not nice to 445 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:15,920 live with. Actually. 446 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:21,160 Sin can go down sweet, but makes you sick. 447 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:25,720 Inside our sins, rather than putting off having fellowship 448 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:29,480 with us, move His inner being with compassion and mercy 449 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,480 towards us. And He wants to work in us to 450 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:35,640 help change things. He feels anger at the disease of 451 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:39,400 sin, like he did with leprosy. Some of it's self afflicted for 452 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:42,720 us of course. Yet always He's considering us 453 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,000 His dear children. Amen. 454 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:49,160 Even when you muck up and do the things you shouldn't do, You're 455 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:52,480 His dear children and he'll speak to you about it. 456 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:55,840 But he just wants you, love. He wants to walk in the light. 457 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:00,320 How we need our understanding of who is to be changed. 458 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,040 The truth is shockingly wonderful. 459 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:06,920 People say what is about you and I said it's about him. 460 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,880 I have a relationship with him all the time. 461 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:15,720 I say how I am, how I feel. And often he says, that's a bit 462 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:18,080 out of order, isn't it, son? Yeah, OK. 463 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,360 And I read the Scripture. I think, wow, I need to adjust. 464 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:25,080 But it's always with love. And this great verse, it's a 465 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:28,480 terrific verse, isn't it? 1 John one verse 9. 466 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:34,040 If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us, 467 00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:37,520 cleanse us from one. It doesn't say if we go about 468 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:40,640 feeling sorry for our sin, if we really think, oh, that was 469 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,080 terrible what I did. Oh, I've got to feel remorse. 470 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:45,600 I've got to whip myself. I've got to say 5 almarys or 471 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:47,760 where he is. You know, it's ridiculous, isn't 472 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:49,680 it? He said, look, just confess it. 473 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:50,960 Just agree. Oh, we agreed. 474 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,600 That was out of order. Yeah, Father. 475 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:54,520 Oh, good. OK. 476 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:58,520 Now, what should we do about it? All right. 477 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:00,800 I'll put my trust in you, Lord. Yes. 478 00:28:01,360 --> 00:28:04,160 I'm faithful. And I'm just, why am I just? 479 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:06,320 Jesus has paid for your sin already. 480 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:08,960 It's, it's wrong that you should suffer for your sin. 481 00:28:10,360 --> 00:28:13,840 That's shocking, isn't it? Jesus has already suffered for 482 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,000 it. Therefore it will be unjust to 483 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:20,600 God to punish you if you're putting your faith in Christ. 484 00:28:21,120 --> 00:28:25,240 Yes, Well, making sense. But our brains don't compute. 485 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:28,160 We think, oh, I've mucked up. Oh, how can I? 486 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:33,440 He's not like us. Thankfully, he's holy, separate. 487 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:36,480 If we confess our sins, say Lord. 488 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:38,480 Oh, and sooner we do it the better. 489 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:40,840 Because he wants to walk in the light, nothing hidden. 490 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:43,640 He's. He will not only forgive us, 491 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:49,080 notice, He will cleanse us, wash us clean for the rubbish. 492 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:51,200 You know, I love it when the dust. 493 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:53,280 I hate to live in Birmingham at the moment, wouldn't you? 494 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,760 They've had this dustbin strike, piling up. 495 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,280 Rubbish, rats everywhere. Terrible. 496 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,680 God Forgives and he cleanses, washes it away. 497 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:08,000 The tides come in and work. Wash all the detritus off the 498 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:11,800 beach and it's a nice beach for me to walk on with the Father. 499 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:17,840 And all I've done is admit, Lord, I need a change and you 500 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:19,080 die for me. Hallelujah. 501 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:22,000 Isn't it great? He will convict us when we go 502 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:28,560 wrong, not to punish us, but to bring us to repentance and to 503 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:33,280 reality and actually bring Him into a place where we can be a 504 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:39,080 blessing to others. He is faithful and just and will 505 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:41,800 forgive and cleanse us. John Newton, you know, the 506 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:47,000 writer of Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace, you know, he was 507 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,040 a slave trader and then got saved. 508 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,880 He wrote this. He said our sins are many, but 509 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:58,280 His mercies are more. Our sins are greater, but His 510 00:29:58,280 --> 00:30:03,480 righteousness is greater. We are weak, but He is power. 511 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:07,240 Then He says this. Most of our complaints are owing 512 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:10,760 to unbelief. And the remainder of a legal 513 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:13,360 spirit. What does Newton mean there? 514 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:17,280 The remainder of a legal spirit? One, I'm sure he means this, 515 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:22,520 that even after we're saved by grace and grace alone, born 516 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:26,760 again, filled with the Spirit, all of us tend to feel we're not 517 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:30,440 quite good enough to enjoy God's favour and blessings. 518 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:36,600 Still not quite got there yet. That's why Paul warns us all who 519 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:40,200 rely on works doing things are under a curse. 520 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:46,040 Lawishness he calls it, You know, the legal spirit being 521 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:49,840 legal religious, I call it being religious, trying to do things 522 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:52,840 to earn God's blessing. They need to be dealt with. 523 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:57,120 We still feel we have to earn His approval and His love. 524 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:00,360 We actually are saying that Jesus death was not enough to 525 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,520 secure our salvation. What an insult. 526 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:05,240 If you really knew what I was like. 527 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,440 Lord, I know what you like and I love you and I'll change you. 528 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,560 Only you are worthy. We sing of Jesus. 529 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,160 He was worthy for us. We couldn't keep the 10 530 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:22,320 commandments, He kept them for us. 531 00:31:22,320 --> 00:31:24,800 Isn't that good news? You put your faith in Jesus. 532 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:26,720 He kept in 10 commandments for us. 533 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:29,880 Forget about your religious performance. 534 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:32,080 How many times have I read the Bible this week? 535 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:33,960 What's my prayer life? Have I give all that? 536 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:38,600 Forget about your performance. Now consider your heart 537 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:42,400 relationship because that's the whole difference. 538 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:46,120 That will change you. The religious performance won't 539 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:51,640 change you. It's very sad on Judgement Day, 540 00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:55,480 Jesus is going to say some awful things. 541 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:58,600 Really. How about these ones talk about 542 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:00,000 Judgement day. We've all died. 543 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,640 We're on for the judgement seat of Christ on that day. 544 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:06,240 Many will say to me, Lord, Lord, didn't we prophecy in your name 545 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:10,000 and cast out demons in your name and do mighty works, many mighty 546 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,920 works in your name. And then I would declare to 547 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:18,960 them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of 548 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:22,640 lawlessness. Now, when I read that when I was 549 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:24,800 younger, I thought to me, you, you never knew me. 550 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:27,320 You know everything God. You know everything God. 551 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,520 What he's saying is you've never shared everything about you with 552 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:33,240 me. You've not you've not been 553 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:36,840 humbled to ask for salvation. You've not been honest with 554 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:38,400 what? What state you really are, how 555 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:41,000 selfish you are. You know you. 556 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:43,920 You've hidden yourself from me like Adam and Eve. 557 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:48,640 How awful, don't you think? And some of these are religious. 558 00:32:48,880 --> 00:32:51,480 Well, they're done. There's many religious people 559 00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:54,560 who look at their religion and their works and think that's 560 00:32:54,560 --> 00:32:57,520 going to do anything for them. It won't do a thing for them. 561 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,000 It's a finished work of Christ and the cross, isn't it? 562 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:03,600 How unfair it would be. You know, if I've been brought 563 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:07,840 up in a rough home, terrible time and I've been in gangs and 564 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:11,160 everything, I'd never have a chance to get to heaven compared 565 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:14,120 with someone who's brought in a very nice home and full of godly 566 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:16,640 stuff. No, it's irrelevant. 567 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:21,480 Many will say, didn't we do this? 568 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:23,800 Didn't we? They and say, but I never knew 569 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:28,720 you, you were just religious. If I didn't just I wanted to 570 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:31,000 know you. I want you to give your heart to 571 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:32,680 me, your life to me, your soul to me. 572 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:35,280 Has he got your heart and soul today? 573 00:33:35,880 --> 00:33:39,600 Are you honest with him? If you're not, you're in 574 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:41,320 darkness, you know, walking in darkness. 575 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:45,640 And if you're a Christian, you're not coming into the light 576 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:48,840 where you need to be. I don't hide anything from God. 577 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:54,800 Do you? I'm wise if you do. 578 00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:58,880 I never knew you. Wow. 579 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:08,000 Well, frightening. Have you shared your innermost 580 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:11,880 thoughts, dreams, concerns, feelings? 581 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:15,639 Have you given those with Jesus? He's not like us. 582 00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:21,360 He always stands at the door and knocks and he waits for you to 583 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,400 open the door. He's doing that now and we might 584 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:27,159 not even know him. I've met some people who've come 585 00:34:27,159 --> 00:34:28,920 to know the Lord Jesus. They've been in a meeting like 586 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,560 this, said I'm feeling something stirring in me. 587 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:37,239 God's calling me and I, I know he's knocking on the door of my 588 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:41,760 heart if I dare open it. He says, behold, I stand at the 589 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:44,199 door, knock. If anyone hears my voice and 590 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:48,679 opens the door, I will come in and feast with you. 591 00:34:48,679 --> 00:34:52,320 And I'll clean the place up with a Hoover and I'll open the 592 00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:55,480 windows and draw the curtains back and make your mind clear 593 00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:59,280 and I'll save you thoroughly if not. 594 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:02,960 If we're religious, someone said to help the gospel is to lose 595 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:05,880 the gospel. It's just trusting in Jesus. 596 00:35:06,240 --> 00:35:08,000 And so he ends the reading here, but nearly there. 597 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:10,840 Well done. He says this, my little 598 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:13,240 children, we wrote, read this. I'm writing these things that 599 00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:18,080 you may not sin, but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate 600 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:21,200 with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 601 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:25,520 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but 602 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:27,240 also for the sins of the whole world. 603 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:32,400 Listen, Jesus is our advocate. When is he our advocate there? 604 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:37,040 Tell me when is he sorry when we mess up? 605 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:41,400 Look, he said, if anyone does sin, we have an advocate. 606 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:44,600 In other words, if you muck up, which you will this week, in 607 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:50,240 some ways, this today, you might even actually when you're in 608 00:35:50,240 --> 00:35:53,000 that state, you have an advocate. 609 00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:58,600 Wow, an advocate is good news. What is an advocate? 610 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:05,480 Well, an advocate is 1, like a lawyer in a court of law who 611 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:10,280 comes alongside you and presents your case to the judge. 612 00:36:11,240 --> 00:36:14,360 Now our case is a strong one. If you look at the brochure, 613 00:36:14,400 --> 00:36:17,160 what a case, what a case we've got. 614 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:22,160 Jesus has died for all my sins. Wow, I'm reconciled. 615 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,240 I've been ransomed by Him, paid for by his blood. 616 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:29,280 I've been justified. What a case we've got. 617 00:36:29,720 --> 00:36:33,480 So his blood has been shed is such a strong case. 618 00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:38,760 And what is wonderful is the Father, he's pleased to grant us 619 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:41,600 complete forgiveness. He's just waiting there for it. 620 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:43,600 Come on, son. Come on, bring the case. 621 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:45,800 They, they confess. They're putting their trust in. 622 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:49,720 You. See, when we sin and fail, we 623 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:53,080 instinctively, like Adam and Eve, try to hide, try to excuse 624 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:56,080 our failings. We we shift the blame elsewhere. 625 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:00,840 We try to be our own advocates. But John is saying you don't 626 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:02,680 need to try to justify your sins. 627 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:07,680 Stop excusing yourself. It was your bad temper or it was 628 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:11,120 your lust, whatever it was. Dane Alton again, he says. 629 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:14,400 What if we never needed to advocate for ourselves because 630 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:18,320 another had undertaken to do so? What if that advocate knew 631 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,920 exhaustively just how fallen we are and yet at the same time was 632 00:37:21,920 --> 00:37:24,720 able to make a better defence for us than we ever could? 633 00:37:25,240 --> 00:37:29,720 No blame shifting or excuses the way outs our self advocacies 634 00:37:29,720 --> 00:37:34,160 tend to operate but perfectly just pointing to his all 635 00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:37,040 sufficient sacrifice and his suffering on the cross. 636 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:39,560 In our place we will be free. Amen. 637 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:45,000 We need to be free to defend ourselves, give up making 638 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:49,760 excuses to say Lord this is what I am without you Lord He says I 639 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:53,760 know I knew what you like when I took you on, I love you, I yearn 640 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:55,440 for you. Come on let's get back into a 641 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:58,040 relationship. We will need to admit and 642 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:02,400 confess our need of a defence, but then leave the defence to 643 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,120 Jesus. Just put your trust in Jesus. 644 00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:09,200 He'll make the case for you. He is the propitiation for our 645 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:12,840 sins and not for ours only, but for all the sins of the world. 646 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:17,560 It says propitiation is the turning away of the wrath of God 647 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:21,960 as the just judgement of our sin by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ 648 00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:24,200 on the cross. So if, if the judgement of God 649 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,400 which needs to come will come towards us, suddenly Jesus comes 650 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:29,640 in a way. Isn't that lovely? 651 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:32,280 I haven't got to suffer for my sins at all. 652 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:37,520 It's outrageous, isn't it? But you've got to get it. 653 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:40,240 It's so, it's so counter intuitive. 654 00:38:40,720 --> 00:38:43,960 I've got hundreds of thousands of Christians who don't grasp 655 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:46,360 this. They can't live in the right 656 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:50,280 relationship with God, living in the light which makes you 657 00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:52,920 joyful. What a saviour. 658 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:55,360 He's our advocate, he's our propitiation. 659 00:38:55,480 --> 00:38:57,120 He will never leave us. Leave. 660 00:38:57,240 --> 00:38:59,960 Despite all the reasons we give him to, He won't leave you. 661 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:03,800 You have plenty of reasons you think you could do so He refuses 662 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:06,760 to even think for a moment of turning away from you because 663 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:09,600 you're his. You who deserve to be pushed 664 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:11,080 away. No. 665 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:14,720 He holds you to himself. And when I fail and I come say, 666 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:22,080 oh Lord, I find his hug there. Yes, I want you to get this. 667 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:23,520 How do you spell? Open our eyes. 668 00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:26,080 This is what he's like. He's good. 669 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:30,800 He's gracious, easy to please. I got it all wrong. 670 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:35,080 It takes sometimes a few years where people just suddenly say, 671 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:37,440 oh, you really? You really like that? 672 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:40,560 I'm never condemned. No, there's no condemnation 673 00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:42,440 version in Christ Jesus. I convict you. 674 00:39:42,440 --> 00:39:44,440 He's honest and true. You say that's no way to carry 675 00:39:44,440 --> 00:39:46,480 on, Andy. I say, oh, OK, fine. 676 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:48,920 Sorry, Lord, You're right. OK. 677 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:50,080 Forgive. Yeah. 678 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:52,320 And sometimes go and apologise to Jane. 679 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:56,600 I can't apologise to Jane now she's with the Lord. 680 00:39:56,600 --> 00:39:59,240 But there's sometimes a practical application. 681 00:39:59,240 --> 00:40:03,400 So to finish as we're landing now, how do we walk in victory? 682 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:07,520 Paul says to Titus. The grace of God has appeared 683 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,480 that offers salvation to all people. 684 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:14,800 It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions 685 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:18,800 and to live self controlled, upright and godly lives. 686 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:23,960 In the present age, what's going to change your behaviour is the 687 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:27,800 grace of God. Walking with him because grace 688 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:29,200 means you don't deserve any of it. 689 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:35,280 But walking with him, being open with him, suddenly I don't want 690 00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:39,560 to make a shipwreck of my life. I don't want to be a slave to 691 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:42,520 any habit. I want to be with you, CLO Lord 692 00:40:42,520 --> 00:40:43,880 on. And if I've got the habit, I 693 00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:46,280 want to walk with you as I I'm going towards this habit. 694 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:47,880 Lord, could you help me with this? 695 00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:53,840 Yes. And the only way will be changed 696 00:40:54,240 --> 00:40:59,280 is as we walk daily with Him in the light, being open and honest 697 00:40:59,280 --> 00:41:04,840 with Him, receiving His grace, refusing to listen to our past 698 00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:08,000 and the lies of legalism. Say no, no, no, no. 699 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:12,280 You love me in spite of my sin, in the midst of my sin. 700 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:15,080 You're my advocate. You're my loving father. 701 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:18,320 You're walking life with me. And life's pretty tough and 702 00:41:18,320 --> 00:41:20,240 you're walking the road of life with me. 703 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:24,560 And when we hurt him, he refuses to act towards us in any other 704 00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:26,120 way than that which is his nature. 705 00:41:26,640 --> 00:41:31,960 Truthful, honest with us, firm in what is right and wrong, but 706 00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:35,880 always kind, always ready to wrap us in his arms again. 707 00:41:35,880 --> 00:41:39,120 Compassionate, faithful. Neither will remember him. 708 00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:42,960 We're dust. So my last comment is this. 709 00:41:45,360 --> 00:41:48,720 This is the God who invites us to walk with him. 710 00:41:49,240 --> 00:41:53,480 He would say to you this morning, come walk with me, 711 00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:58,080 let's fellowship together. Let me change you on the way. 712 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:00,000 Amen. Let's pray. 713 00:42:02,440 --> 00:42:05,240 Lord, it blows our minds that you should want friendship with 714 00:42:05,240 --> 00:42:08,200 us. You're the eternal God, the 715 00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:11,640 pure, and yet you've made a way through Jesus where we can be 716 00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:16,040 completely forgive him and could be loved by you, accepted by 717 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:17,840 you. And Lord, I thank you. 718 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:22,200 You love us in our fallenness, you love us in our failings. 719 00:42:22,560 --> 00:42:25,800 And they're no, no reason for us to excuse who we are. 720 00:42:26,240 --> 00:42:28,600 But Lord, that doesn't make us want to sin more. 721 00:42:29,120 --> 00:42:31,280 The grace of God makes us want to change. 722 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:35,640 And I pray for my friends here. May they understand who you are 723 00:42:35,640 --> 00:42:41,040 more and more and push away these lies that you, you find it 724 00:42:41,040 --> 00:42:42,840 hard and you turn your nose up at us and so on. 725 00:42:42,880 --> 00:42:46,160 Well, you don't do that at all. And if there's someone here 726 00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:49,840 today who's never given their life to Jesus, never said I, I 727 00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:52,520 think I need to respond this morning, please. 728 00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:56,160 Would you in your heart now say, Jesus, you're knocking on the 729 00:42:56,160 --> 00:42:57,680 door. In my heart, I can sense it. 730 00:42:57,680 --> 00:43:00,920 I can feel it. It's a bit disturbing and I 731 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:04,640 don't want to miss this moment. I pray that you would now say 732 00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:07,320 door. Jesus, I, I give you permission. 733 00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:12,440 I, I dare to open the door. Come on in, come in, heal me, 734 00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:15,720 forgive me, feast with me, walk with me for the rest of these 735 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:19,120 years. I've got Amen, Amen.