1 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:10,880 Right. So if you've got a Bible, if you 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:17,680 want to find Malachi chapter 3, so it says verse chapter chapter 3 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:22,640 3, verse 16, it says those who feared Yahweh. 4 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:28,120 And I'm just going to pause that because I'm actually reading 5 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:33,400 from the Liv and in the NIV, probably like most of your 6 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:36,920 Bibles, whether you're reading the NIV or the ESV or whatever 7 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,600 Bible translation you use, it will probably say then those who 8 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:47,520 feared the Lords and the Lord is in capital letters. 9 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,880 And I know I've said this before, but I'm going to just 10 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:56,840 say it again that I like using Yahweh because Yahweh is God's 11 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,040 name. It's his personal covenant name. 12 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,440 And when in, especially in the Old Testament, when we see the 13 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:06,280 Lord and it's all capitalised, it's, it is a replacement. 14 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:08,760 It's what those who have translated the Bible into 15 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,080 English, I didn't actually check. 16 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:12,640 I don't know if any of you know this. 17 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:14,520 If you've got Bibles in different languages, I don't 18 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,200 know if other languages do the same thing, but in English, 19 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:19,560 Shagan's give me a nod. So I'm going to go with that. 20 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:25,240 That's our translators choose generally to translate the word 21 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:29,560 Yahweh into the Lords. And I'm not going to get into 22 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,920 why that is right now, but I like saying Yahweh because 23 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:39,720 there's power in God's name. There is power in declaring 24 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,960 which God we are talking about that we are talking about 25 00:01:43,960 --> 00:01:48,480 Yahweh, the covenant gods, Yahweh who who stepped into 26 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,480 human history and became the man who we call Christ Jesus. 27 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:56,200 We're talking about that got I mean, I was talking to Isaac a 28 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,160 couple of months ago about. So Isaac works with, with 29 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,520 footballers who have a faith in, in Christ. 30 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:08,800 And I remember you saying that if you ever watch TV and a 31 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,680 footballer or an athlete who is a Christian, they do really 32 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:12,800 well. And they're, so they're 33 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,560 interviewed and they might say sometimes like praise, praise 34 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,800 God, praise God. And the authorities, those who 35 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,080 are over what we are able to see on telly, they're, I mean, 36 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,800 they're not ecstatic, but they're quite happy with someone 37 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:32,440 saying praise God because to be honest, we all know which God 38 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,960 they're talking about, but they could be talking about any God. 39 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,320 But when they say, I want to just thank Jesus, I want to 40 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:42,520 thank my Lord and Saviour, that's when that gets cut. 41 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:47,320 That's when you don't see it because Jesus, there is power in 42 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,760 his name. When he is declared the 43 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:55,240 authorities, the principalities of this world, they tremble, 44 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,760 they fear, and so therefore they want to rid his name. 45 00:02:59,920 --> 00:03:03,160 They're quite happy for us to talk about God or or the 46 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,840 universe or or we just we just want to pray. 47 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,440 But as soon as we say Jesus Christ, they are fearful, they 48 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,320 tremble. Think of the the the the people 49 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,880 in in Jesus when Jesus walked the earth, the people who are 50 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:18,920 filled with the unclean spirits, who would the spirits were 51 00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:23,640 terrified when Jesus walked in the place they were terrified. 52 00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:27,880 No other gods, no other spiritual being creates so much 53 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,240 terror in evil than Jesus Christ. 54 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:35,200 There is power in his name. So therefore when we pray, we 55 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,080 pray in the name of Jesus. You don't need to say in Jesus 56 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,600 name, end your prayers, but we pray in his name. 57 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:45,120 We pray to him and I encourage you, use his name, use his name, 58 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,360 use his name because there is power in the name of Jesus. 59 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:53,760 So let's read it. It says so every time in my 60 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,600 Bible it says the Lord. I'm replacing that with Yahweh. 61 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:03,080 So then those who feared Yahweh talked to each other and Yahweh 62 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,720 listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was 63 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:11,280 written in His presence concerning those who feared 64 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,400 Yahweh and honoured His name. On the day. 65 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,360 When I act, says Yahweh Almighty, they will be my 66 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:23,160 treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a 67 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,560 father has compassion and spares his Son who serves him. 68 00:04:27,840 --> 00:04:33,120 And you will again see and distinction, see a distinction 69 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,680 between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve 70 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,840 God and those who do not. Surely the day is coming. 71 00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:44,080 It will. It will burn like a furnace. 72 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:49,920 All the arrogant and evil doer will be stubble, and the day 73 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:54,720 that is coming will set them on fire, says the says Yahweh. 74 00:04:55,160 --> 00:05:00,440 Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 75 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:05,400 But for you who Revere my name, the sun of righteousness will 76 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:10,880 rise with healing in its rays, and you will go out and frolic 77 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,400 like well fed calves. I love that sentence. 78 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:18,520 Then you will trump, Then you will trample on the wicked. 79 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,840 They will be ashes under the soles of your feet. 80 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:26,440 On the day I act, says Yahweh Almighty, remember the law of My 81 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:31,080 servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave to him on Horeb for 82 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,760 all Israel. See, I will send the prophet 83 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:38,240 Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of Yahweh. 84 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:42,920 He will come, He will turn the hearts of the parents, their 85 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,400 children, and the hearts of the children to their parents, or 86 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:51,640 else I will come and strike the land with total destruction. 87 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,280 Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we thank you. 88 00:05:54,280 --> 00:05:57,640 Lord God, that you are an awesome God. 89 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,960 Jesus, there is nothing that you cannot do Lord God, I thank you 90 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,280 that you have won every single victory. 91 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,480 Lord Jesus, I thank you that you have done it all. 92 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:13,360 You have paid the price, Lord Jesus, and I thank you that you 93 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,320 have enabled us. You beckon us into your 94 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:21,320 presence, that you listen to us, that you are concerned with with 95 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:24,320 with what we're thinking, what we're doing, Lord Jesus. 96 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:30,880 And I pray that today you would set us on fire again, Lord God, 97 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,800 that we would truly understand again how amazing what a 98 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:39,040 privilege it is to be called your treasured possession, to be 99 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,000 called your delight, the apple of your eye. 100 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:44,720 Amen. Amen. 101 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,280 I don't miss this. I'm just going to read that 102 00:06:50,280 --> 00:06:53,320 first line again. It says those who feared Yahweh 103 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,120 talk to each other and Yahweh listened. 104 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:02,560 He heard not only that a scroll of remembrance was written in 105 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,880 the presence concerning those who feared Yahweh and honoured 106 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:11,240 His name. See here we are given a glimpse. 107 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:16,600 We're given a window to look into the throne room of heaven. 108 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:21,920 And what we see is that when you speak, when you utter your words 109 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:27,160 of concern, when you say, Jesus, Jesus, what's going on? 110 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:30,560 Jesus, I'm really worried about what's going to happen tomorrow. 111 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:32,640 Jesus, I'm going for that job interview. 112 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,440 Lord Jesus, there, there's stuff happening at my school. 113 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,440 Lord Jesus, there's, there's people who I'm really worried 114 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,920 about. He doesn't ignore you. 115 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,800 He doesn't just get on with everything else he's doing. 116 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,240 I mean, we worship of gods who created the entire universe. 117 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:54,080 The Bible teaches us that the the only reason why the the 118 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,680 earth goes around the sun and the moon goes around the earth 119 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,040 and the whole universe keeps in its its position is because God 120 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:02,400 sustains it. He does it. 121 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:05,560 I mean, the, the reason why the grass grows, the trees grow, the 122 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,600 reason why why why there's plants and animals is because 123 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:10,720 God sustains them. The reason why you're able to 124 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:14,240 breathe right now and your heart is still beating is because God 125 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,720 is sustaining that. And whilst he is doing all of 126 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:23,280 that, when you come and you used to come to him and you say God, 127 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,480 I don't like this God, I'm worried. 128 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:34,080 He cups his ear, he bends down and he listens to you. 129 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:40,039 He listens to you. Not only that, he writes it out. 130 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,919 He writes our church. What are you worried about? 131 00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:46,120 I mean, it starts to come out on our worship at the end, but what 132 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:49,960 are you worried about? What are your concerns? 133 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:53,880 See me. I was. 134 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:59,760 I don't know if anyone else can get, can sympathise with this, 135 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:03,480 but the other day I was, I was scrolling social media and I'm 136 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:07,320 seeing a load of stuff come up in my news feed about what the 137 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:09,800 government's doing, what's going on in the world. 138 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,720 And you know, I don't know if any of you've seen this, that 139 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,800 the government's trying to put through this Islamophobia law 140 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:19,000 where it's going to be illegal to talk about anything negative 141 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:23,040 about Islam, which also can mean that is Muslims can come up to 142 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,920 Christians and say, you're offending me and you must stop 143 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:29,760 doing what you're doing. And I'm, I'm starting to, to, to 144 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:31,840 starting to worry what was going on Gods. 145 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:36,840 And then I kind of came to my senses and I was like, I can't 146 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:38,760 change anything by doing what I'm doing. 147 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,080 Really. I have little ability to change 148 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:45,120 anything anyway. So I threw my phone away, put on 149 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:49,600 some worship music, worshipped gods and just started telling 150 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,760 him, Jesus, I don't like this in our culture. 151 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:56,480 Jesus, I don't like this Lord God, I pray, Lord Jesus, for 152 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:59,200 your blessing over my family. I pray for your blessing over 153 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:03,440 our nation, Lord Jesus. And you know what it felt really 154 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:08,840 good if I felt that kind of burden that weight lifts. 155 00:10:09,680 --> 00:10:12,840 Is he church? God hears. 156 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:16,920 He hears your worries. He hears your concerns. 157 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:19,680 He hears your pain, your frustration. 158 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,440 You are not alone in your suffering or your worries. 159 00:10:23,560 --> 00:10:26,840 It says that he writes them down and he doesn't write them down 160 00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:29,840 because, you know, we need to write down that today's Mother's 161 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,160 Day, otherwise we'd forget it. But it's not, he's not like 162 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,160 that. This isn't, this isn't about God 163 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,200 being forgetful. I've got so many plates that I'm 164 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,240 juggling at the moment. I need to write down what Ben is 165 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:40,400 saying. Otherwise I'm going to forget 166 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:42,320 it. No, no, this is a, this is a 167 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,920 window into the fact that God is saying it's, it's a poetic 168 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,440 imagery. It's saying that God, he cares 169 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:52,960 about what you say so much that he is writing your prayers down. 170 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,240 He's filling a book with your prayers. 171 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,440 It's just like in Revelation, John has this image of our 172 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:02,800 prayers, of the things that we're saying to God being like 173 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:08,360 drops of incense filling a bowl. But one day that bowl will be 174 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:12,960 full and he will empty it. One day that book that he is 175 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:17,000 writing of our prayers, of our concerns, of our, of our praises 176 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,320 will be full. And Malachi writes, on that day 177 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:27,120 I will act. They will be my treasured 178 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,080 possession. On that day, I'll act. 179 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:34,000 And they who's they? It's you, It's me, it's His 180 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:39,920 church, it's his chosen people, it's those who He has loved. 181 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,520 See the Creator of the universe, the one who has architected 182 00:11:42,680 --> 00:11:46,160 every single atom, who has placed every single proton and 183 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:52,520 neutron electron in its place. He chooses broken, flawed, 184 00:11:52,760 --> 00:12:01,520 sinful, filthy men and women like you and me and he says you 185 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:09,240 are precious to me, you're precious to me, I want you, I 186 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:15,440 value you, I want to enjoy you. See in Christ. 187 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,120 So This is why Jesus came. Jesus heart came so that he 188 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,960 could obtain you, so we could have you, so that he could 189 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:24,040 forgive you. See, the Bible tells you it's 190 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:28,680 just that the only God can forgive sins and Jesus over all 191 00:12:28,680 --> 00:12:31,320 of us. He says if you come to him in 192 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:35,600 repentance, you are given forgiveness by his blood. 193 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,360 We are washed clean, we were washed pure, and in the Old 194 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:41,840 Testament they were washed pure by the blood so that the high 195 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:44,440 priest could enter in. Once a year into the Holy of 196 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:48,640 Holies, we have the blood of Christ that comes over us, not 197 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:52,560 so that we get to enter in, but actually so that the Holy of 198 00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:54,480 Holies comes and dwells within us. 199 00:12:55,680 --> 00:12:57,480 The Holy of Holies comes into us. 200 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:02,280 God himself, the Spirit of Christ, dwells in US. 201 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:07,200 So you are not a burden. You are not something that God 202 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:12,240 tolerates, that he wishes that he had something else. 203 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:18,920 No, you are something that God treasures beyond anything else. 204 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,320 Maybe imagine right now something that you feel like I 205 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:25,080 could not live without. I treasure this so much. 206 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:29,320 I love this so much. Multiply that by Infinity and 207 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:37,840 that is how God feels about you. God treasures you, God loves 208 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:42,040 you, He wants you. So my question is, if God 209 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:48,080 treasures you and he has made himself on offer to us, why 210 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:49,920 would we treasure anything other than him? 211 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,320 Why would we look to put our satisfaction? 212 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,760 Why would we look to be satisfied by anything else but 213 00:13:56,840 --> 00:13:58,800 him? You see, this is what Malachi 214 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:02,520 has been rebuking the Jewish people for the for the for all 215 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:07,040 four chapters that they have grown cold, that they've grown 216 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:10,240 weary of worshipping their God. We looked it straight away in 217 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:12,160 chapter 1. We looked at how that how that 218 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,080 they had become half hearted in their worship, that they had 219 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:18,400 brought blind and lame lambs to him. 220 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:22,520 We saw that that they had they'd broken their marriage covenants, 221 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:24,120 that they didn't love one another. 222 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:27,120 They didn't love the poor. They weren't pursuing justice. 223 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:30,760 We saw that they trusted in their money, in their 224 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:35,120 possessions, in their talents over God, so much so that Yahweh 225 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:38,600 would say, will you rob me? Will you rob me? 226 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:46,280 But listen, their sin, their disobedience, their growing 227 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:49,840 weary of God wasn't due to lack of effort. 228 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:57,120 See, God doesn't come to us and say try harder, do better. 229 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:02,880 No, no, no, their, their, their, their sin, their lack of 230 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:07,080 trusting in God came from the fact that they had forgotten 231 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:13,120 what it meant to truly gaze upon the beauty of Jesus, to gaze 232 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,720 upon the beauty of their Lord and savour to, to, to bring a 233 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:22,440 habit of awe and wonder of their gods. 234 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:31,160 See, some, some of us are caught up in sinful habits, sinful 235 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:35,560 patterns, Some of us are caught up in worry and anxiety. 236 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:47,160 And Jesus is telling us this morning not to do better, but to 237 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:52,800 gaze upon him, to gaze upon his glory and ask that wonderful 238 00:15:52,800 --> 00:16:00,280 hymn it says as we turn our eyes upon Jesus, as we look on his 239 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:06,760 wonderful face, the things of earth will grow strangely dim in 240 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:10,880 the light of his glory and grace. 241 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:15,640 Church, when did you last gaze upon the face of Jesus? 242 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:20,560 When did you last gaze upon him? Drink him in. 243 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:24,640 When did you truly encounter his presence? 244 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:29,000 When did you get lost in wonder of the majesty of our gods? 245 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:31,800 When did, when did the scales fall off your eyes? 246 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,600 And you saw how truly magnificent, how wonderful this 247 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:39,440 treasure that is on offer to us, this Pearl of great price. 248 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:44,320 See, when we encounter Jesus, when we gaze upon his face, it's 249 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,040 not about trying harder to improve ourselves. 250 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:52,200 We just change, we just become more like the one who we 251 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,840 treasure well as we bathe in his presence, as she says, in the 252 00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:00,160 light of Jesus Christ, in the light of our the glory of our 253 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:04,319 God. Worry goes, worry goes when we 254 00:17:04,319 --> 00:17:08,680 when we bathe in the richness of his beauty, our appetite for him 255 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,200 increases and a desire for sin decreases. 256 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:18,599 It's really simple maths. See our our desire, our desire 257 00:17:18,599 --> 00:17:21,680 becomes rather than to satisfy, satisfy ourselves. 258 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:25,520 It becomes that we want to bring glory to Jesus. 259 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,720 Who wants to be satisfied? Who wants to find joy? 260 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:34,360 Anyone. A few of you well done. 261 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:38,160 I do. But the problem is, isn't it 262 00:17:38,360 --> 00:17:40,760 that we look for it in all the wrong places? 263 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:44,840 We even today, we're going to forget and we're going to, we're 264 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:48,000 going to try and look for joy in how many followers we've got on 265 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:49,240 social media. We're going to have to, we're 266 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:52,400 going to look for joy in, in who's commented on stuff that 267 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:54,440 we've done, who recognises the things that we go. 268 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:58,040 We look for joy in job promotions or money that we're 269 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:01,000 getting in or children or or whatever. 270 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:06,200 All can bring us joy, but it's fleeting. 271 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,720 I ask you again, do you want true satisfaction and true joy? 272 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:16,200 Yes, true joy, true to satisfaction is found in only 273 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:18,480 who? Jesus. 274 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:22,400 So we all know it. Let's practise it. 275 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:25,840 We all know that true joy and true satisfaction comes from 276 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:28,760 only Jesus. So I ask you again, when did you 277 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:34,440 last spend time give yourself over to gazing at the face of 278 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,160 our Lord and Saviour? When did you do that? 279 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:43,320 See. Because when we spend time with 280 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:47,920 him, we want to give him glory. And the truth of scripture is 281 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:52,760 that the more glory we give him, the more satisfied, the more joy 282 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:56,680 we feel. We feel we are filled with more 283 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:00,400 joy and more, more satisfaction. The more we worship, the more we 284 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:03,800 give joy and the more we we we thank our Lord and Saviour. 285 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,000 Anyway, it's what and the Westminster Catechism wrote, 286 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:12,720 wrote down 400 years ago that the chief end of man is to give 287 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,560 glory to God and enjoy him forever. 288 00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:19,200 It's what we were made for. John Piper, you know, modernised 289 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:23,160 it and said God is most glorified in us when we are most 290 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:27,920 satisfied in him. Do you want to bring Christ 291 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:30,640 glory? Put your hands up if you want to 292 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:35,440 bring Christ glory. Yeah, it's bringing Christ 293 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:39,320 glory. Bring him glory. 294 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:44,080 The more we glorify Him, the more we worship him, the more we 295 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,840 we dedicate our time and our money and our possessions for 296 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:56,520 his glory, the more wonderfully satisfied and full of joy we 297 00:19:56,520 --> 00:20:01,480 become. See, See God, He is completely 298 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:06,400 beyond our comprehension. And when we realise that nothing 299 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:12,120 that we pursue on earth can even come close to Him, can touch His 300 00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:16,000 glory, He and He alone is the answer to every single longing, 301 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,640 every single groan, every single every, every single shortfall 302 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:25,320 that we feel in our lives. When we realise that He is the 303 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:30,120 answer to everything, but most wonderfully of all that He has 304 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:34,600 made a way that we can come and be with Him, that he is 305 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:39,360 available to us. How wonderful. 306 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,160 See, this is the cry of Malachi. This is the cry of the four 307 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:47,200 chapters of Malachi. It says you have been chosen, 308 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:51,320 you have been chosen, Church, you have been chosen. 309 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:56,840 That God's goodness has been revealed to you and he is the 310 00:20:56,840 --> 00:21:00,600 greatest treasure that we could possibly imagine. 311 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:06,720 And that treasure has been available to you and that you 312 00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:11,040 are his treasure. See, we are his treasure not 313 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:16,480 because you're impressive. We are not his treasure because 314 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:20,440 we have done impressive things. We are not his treasure because 315 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:24,760 we might do impressive things. He doesn't pick us up and go, 316 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:26,840 oh, just a bit of spit and Polish. 317 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,400 You'd be beautiful. No, no, no, no. 318 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:37,320 He looks at you, he saves you, he places this spirit inside 319 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:41,360 you, the most infinitely valuable thing in all of the 320 00:21:41,360 --> 00:21:47,760 universe, and he looks at you and loves you because he chooses 321 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:56,000 to love you. How, how, when we get this deep 322 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,520 inside us, how can we? How can we, as Malachi says, how 323 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:04,520 can we offer blind and whatever lame sheep as worship? 324 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:09,160 How can we be half hearted in we are worship when we see the 325 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:13,000 infinite value of gods, you know, how can how can we do 326 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,760 anything but give our all for him who gave our us everything? 327 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,160 Surely anything less than giving God our all is an insult. 328 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:21,960 It's an insult to Him. See. 329 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:24,760 How can we stand back and throw insults? 330 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,120 How can we critique God's church, his bride, from the 331 00:22:28,120 --> 00:22:32,920 sidelines when she is who God loves above or anything else? 332 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,280 How can we do that? How can we try and pull down 333 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,160 other Christians, pull down His bride? 334 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:45,720 Surely when we grasp how amazing God is, how wonderful He is, we 335 00:22:45,720 --> 00:22:48,600 want to get on board and love who He loves. 336 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:52,840 Love His church. Build her up, desire for her and 337 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:56,160 those Christians around you the best that they can possibly 338 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:58,640 have. How can we stay silent in the 339 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:03,880 face of justice or not speak out truth and love Christ? 340 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:07,680 He loves the broken, He loves the down hearted. 341 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,400 So therefore, how can we not speak truth? 342 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,520 How can we not love those who are broken, love those who are 343 00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:16,520 oppressed and vulnerable, the widow, the orphan, and share 344 00:23:16,520 --> 00:23:19,320 with them the good news that is Christ Jesus? 345 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,040 How can we withhold our time, our money, our possessions, our 346 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:26,440 talents from Him? You see, when you invest in the 347 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,200 Kingdom, it's the only thing in the universe that you're not 348 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:34,040 going to lose. Everything else that you invest 349 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,480 in, everything else you buy, everything else you spend your 350 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:43,760 time on will rust, will get mouldy, has an expiry date to 351 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:48,160 it. Jesus Christ investing in him 352 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:51,400 and his Kingdom. There is no expiry date. 353 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:57,680 So in in 100 years, no one is going to care how expensive your 354 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,200 clothes were today. No one's going to care how many 355 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:04,560 people liked the latest TikTok video you had. 356 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:08,240 No one's going to care what type of house you had. 357 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:13,760 But in 100 years time, and I say 100 years time because probably 358 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,600 unless we've got some really longevity in this room, we're 359 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:19,280 all going to be dead. OK? 360 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:26,720 Some of them might be, yeah. But in 100 years time, OK, we 361 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,760 will be in heaven unless he's come back and we're reigning 362 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:32,080 with him on earth, we will be with him. 363 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:35,360 And the only thing that will matter is, is what did you 364 00:24:35,360 --> 00:24:40,840 invest in the Kingdom right now? What did you invest for Jesus? 365 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:45,400 What do you invest for his church, for his Kingdom that he 366 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:49,720 says gains interest and produces glory forevermore? 367 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:54,800 The church, He says, He says this is serious. 368 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:59,080 He says surely the day of the Lord is coming. 369 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:05,080 It will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evil 370 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:11,560 evil doer will be stubble and the day is coming and the day is 371 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:13,680 coming. We'll set them on, set them on 372 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:19,160 fire, says Yahweh Almighty. Not a root or a branch we left 373 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:20,600 to them. Just pause them there and see. 374 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:25,520 See, this is serious. See, no one is forcing you to 375 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:29,600 submit to Jesus Christ. No one is forcing you to follow 376 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,160 Him. No one is forcing you to live 377 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:36,720 for His Kingdom. What he's saying is, is for 378 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:41,920 those who pursue other things. Yes, there's joy, but it is 379 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:46,000 fleeting. He likens it to stubble, which 380 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:49,720 is when you, when you bring in the harvest, you, you have all 381 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:53,600 these stalks of grass and you collect in the grain and the 382 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:56,320 stubble is the stalks which are leftover. 383 00:25:57,120 --> 00:26:02,680 It's the dry bits of grass which has no use other than to be 384 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:06,040 burnt and thrown away. And that's where he says, all 385 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:10,200 these fleeting joys that we look for, everything we looked for 386 00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:14,480 that isn't building the Kingdom, it's going to be stubble. 387 00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:17,400 It's going to be burnt away at the end. 388 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:22,640 So no one's forcing you. But what are you choosing? 389 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:28,600 To live a life for him or to live a life for yourself? 390 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,440 He says. He continues says, But for you 391 00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:38,600 who Revere my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with 392 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:44,840 healing in its rays, and you will go out and frolic like well 393 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:49,040 fed calves. So we have two choices, to live 394 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:55,280 for ourselves which leads to destruction, or to live for 395 00:26:55,280 --> 00:27:01,040 Christ, to Revere him, to esteem him, to idolise him, to exalt 396 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:08,760 him, to worship and adore him. And when we do that, when we 397 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:15,480 adore King Jesus, when we live for him, it leads to unbridled 398 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:20,840 joy, satisfaction that has no ends. 399 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:23,840 I mean, I don't suppose you've ever met a miserable Christian? 400 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,520 I see. Again, I'm talking about like a 401 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:37,600 real mood sucker. It just like sucks the joy out 402 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:42,120 of A room. Jesus said we shouldn't be like 403 00:27:42,120 --> 00:27:45,760 that because because that when we're like that, the the reason 404 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:49,200 for that is it's an outworking of the fact that we're not 405 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:53,880 spending time adoring Christ. Now, I'm not saying as a 406 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:56,680 Christian we shouldn't get sad. You know, there's times to be 407 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:58,720 sad. We've lost someone, something 408 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,120 tragic happens. That's good to be sad. 409 00:28:02,360 --> 00:28:06,920 But actually, Christ says that, that through the pain, through 410 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:11,320 the suffering, there is a joy that goes beyond understanding. 411 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:14,120 Now I say, have you ever met someone? 412 00:28:14,120 --> 00:28:16,280 I mean, that's a bit like, that's a bit impersonal, isn't 413 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:19,520 it? Have you ever been that person? 414 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:22,160 I mean, believe it or not, I have. 415 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,560 I know it's shocking, but I have. 416 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:30,400 I've been that person and I can blame it on being tired, I can 417 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:35,680 blame it on, I can blame it on feeling my body's in pain, I can 418 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:40,080 blame it on all sorts of things. And yes, they are real. 419 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:43,640 Yes they do. It does hurt and it does. 420 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:47,960 It can bring you down, but ultimately that's not the reason 421 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:52,720 for me lacking in joy. The reason for me lacking in joy 422 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:58,120 in those moments is the fact that I have failed to adore 423 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:00,720 Christ. Think of Jesus. 424 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:04,560 I mean, ever since I've had Emmy, this is just flabbergasted 425 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:11,000 me about Jesus. Jesus, when he was crucified, he 426 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:15,600 had been up for hours and hours days, You know, he was 427 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:18,800 exhausted. You know, we think, well, well, 428 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,080 I'm just in a bad mood because I'm tired. 429 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,240 Jesus was tired. I'm I'm just in a bad mood 430 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:26,800 because, because because it because I'm in pain right now. 431 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:28,560 Well, Jesus was definitely in pain. 432 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:33,240 I'm just in a bad mood because XYZ them over there, they said 433 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:36,360 some stuff which has really annoyed me and got me down. 434 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:38,920 Oh, yeah, Jesus might have felt that too. 435 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:46,480 But Jesus never lost that joy. He never sinned because he never 436 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:52,640 failed to adore the Father, to draw his strength rather than 437 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:56,600 from his circumstances, but from the love of Gods. 438 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:02,280 I see, Church, We need to be a people that build in a habit in 439 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:07,760 our lives of adoring, adoring our Lord and Saviour through all 440 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,160 circumstances. See, each one of us has been 441 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:14,040 called. Each one of us has been chosen. 442 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,600 If some of us have never been chosen for anything, Some of us, 443 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:20,200 you know, you went through the whole of school sports, no one 444 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:22,800 wanted you on their team. Some of you, you've been passed 445 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:25,120 over for promotion. Some of you've been passed over 446 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:27,200 all sorts of things. No, you know, you feel like no 447 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,880 one really wants you, OK? God wants you. 448 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:36,560 God desires you. Before you did anything, good or 449 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:39,120 bad, he said. I want you. 450 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:43,120 I want you to be my child. I want you as my precious 451 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:46,400 possession, that I can adore and enjoy. 452 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:52,200 That you can adore and enjoy me, He says. 453 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:57,040 He says that when we get that, that we have been chosen, that 454 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:00,160 we are His, that he treasures us. 455 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:04,800 He says the result of that is that we become like frolicking 456 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:07,720 calves. I love that it's, it's the image 457 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,480 of a calf like jumping around in a circle and feeling like if 458 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:12,760 you've ever seen that, it's an amazing, amazing image. 459 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:16,160 Our dog does this. Nala does it when it's dinner 460 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:20,640 time, we keep her dinner in the garage and she will she runs, 461 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:23,280 she bolts it out of the house when it's dinner time and she 462 00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:25,600 literally just jumps, you know, all four legs off the floor 463 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:28,280 right around around the circles. It's just just just 464 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:32,080 uncontainable joy that she's going through that she's going 465 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:34,760 to get something to eat. And this is what this is what 466 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:36,680 she's saying. This is what Malachi saying that 467 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:40,760 when we get, when we adore, when we spend time in the presence of 468 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:43,960 the Lord, that we we are filled with such joy, such satisfaction 469 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:47,880 that we can't contain it, that it just comes out of us. 470 00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:51,320 That even when we're going through horrific circumstances, 471 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:55,960 the joy of God persevere penetrates through that. 472 00:31:55,960 --> 00:32:00,800 You see, I've said that I said that quite often worry, worry 473 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:04,720 can steal our joy. But then there's other things 474 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:07,560 that God says can steal our joy. One is laziness. 475 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:10,320 Throughout Scripture, it talks about the sluggards. 476 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:14,560 I mean, when you gaze upon the wonder of Christ and you're 477 00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:16,920 filled with joy like a frolicking calf. 478 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:21,080 I mean, how can you be lazy? How can you worry? 479 00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:24,120 Because because God is in you and you're just the way you can 480 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:27,360 see it in someone, You can see in someone who's spent time with 481 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:28,680 God. They're just like, I'll do that, 482 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:30,760 I'll do that. That's going to cost you. 483 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:32,000 Yeah, it doesn't matter. I'll do it. 484 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:36,280 I want to do it because the love of God is so, so penetrating 485 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:39,840 into their very core that they just can't, can't hold it in, 486 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:42,600 you know, another one, another one that that God says can 487 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:44,720 steal. Our joy is when we look to 488 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:49,200 place, when we look to, to place our satisfaction in ourselves. 489 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:52,240 It's the sin of Babel. I want to, I want to make a 490 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:55,280 name. I want to be great, not for God, 491 00:32:55,280 --> 00:33:03,000 but for myself. But how, how can we, how can we 492 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:07,040 do that? How can we live for ourselves 493 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:10,680 when we've seen the wonder of our King? 494 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:15,480 See, Jesus, actually, he doesn't tell us that there's anything 495 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:18,640 wrong with wanting to be great. Actually, Jesus tells us that 496 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:22,240 it's good to want to be great. It's just there's a problem with 497 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:25,760 what we think is great. I mean, for example, like this, 498 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:29,240 this, this, this passage, and quite a lot of Malachi is 499 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:32,840 talking about a particular person 400 years later, who 500 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:36,360 would live, who'd be born about six months before Jesus was. 501 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:39,000 Anyone know his name? John. 502 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:40,640 Yeah. John. 503 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:43,760 It's John. Jesus said about John. 504 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:48,520 No one born of a woman fitting for Mother's Day. 505 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:53,280 No one born of a woman, and that's all of us is greater than 506 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:55,720 John. And see, Jesus. 507 00:33:56,000 --> 00:34:00,880 Jesus, it commended us to be great, but John wasn't great 508 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:05,400 because he lived in a desert and he wore camel clothes in 8 509 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:07,320 bucks. May thank God that wasn't what 510 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:12,800 made him great. John was great because he led 511 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:19,040 people back to the presence of gods, because he was at that 512 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:25,719 voice in the wilderness shouting the way, saying come, come, come 513 00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:30,880 and meet your Saviour, come and me are gods. 514 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:39,760 So he was that one who was who through Christ was turning men 515 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,080 and women towards one another far as to sons, sons, to 516 00:34:43,080 --> 00:34:46,199 fathers, daughters to mothers. He was that one. 517 00:34:46,199 --> 00:34:50,280 You see, that is how we are great. 518 00:34:50,639 --> 00:34:53,520 It's actually Jesus goes on and he says John is the greatest, 519 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:58,920 but actually those who are those of us who serve for the Kingdom, 520 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:04,400 those of us who are least in the Kingdom, they will be greater 521 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:08,440 still. See church, we are called out. 522 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:12,360 You have been chosen. You have been called out of this 523 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:18,440 world so that others. This is this how I'm ending it. 524 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:25,360 This is how Scripture ends it that we are called out not so 525 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:28,920 that we could have some sort of holy huddle and have a nice time 526 00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:35,840 enjoying Jesus. We are called out so that others 527 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:40,760 may be called in. Jacob right at the beginning of 528 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:43,000 this chapter, not at the beginning of this book. 529 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:47,000 God says I loved Jacob, I chose Jacob but I didn't Esau. 530 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:51,560 But actually the whole reason for him choosing Jacob, who was 531 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:56,160 flawed, who was a pathetic human being, let's be honest, God 532 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:59,360 chose him. God chose to show him love, to 533 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:05,880 show him favour so that the nations would be called in and 534 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:11,000 worship their gods. Let that be an encouragement to 535 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,120 you. Doesn't matter how amazing you 536 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:16,160 or unamazing you think you were. Jacob was probably worse. 537 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:26,200 OK, but we have been called in so that others may see, so that 538 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:29,760 the world may see, so the nations may see. 539 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:33,240 They may see you in good times, they may see you in bad times, 540 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:36,440 and they may see you no matter what season of life you're in, 541 00:36:36,640 --> 00:36:39,960 joyous in the Lords, and they may cry out. 542 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:44,640 How can we have what you have? How can we know what you have, 543 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:47,520 Church? We are not a private club, we 544 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:53,560 are a rescue party. We are called to go out and find 545 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:57,880 stubble and introduce it to Jesus who will make it into 546 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:02,840 gems. We are called to find orphans 547 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:10,840 and show them the Father so that they may bring glory to Him, 548 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:16,520 that they may find the true treasure that is in Jesus 549 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:19,640 Christ. And it all starts with us 550 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:27,160 learning to treasure our gods. I'm going to pray and I want us 551 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:31,160 to receive from God right now because I want us to really just 552 00:37:31,160 --> 00:37:36,240 gaze again. I want us to have a hunger for 553 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:39,800 our gods because this world is evil. 554 00:37:40,720 --> 00:37:44,160 This world is wicked and it seems to be getting wickeder and 555 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:47,960 wickeder every single day. And the only hope for it is not 556 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:55,480 made is not well meaning people. It's only hope is spirit filled 557 00:37:55,480 --> 00:37:59,560 believers who are filled with the presence of God, who's who 558 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:04,760 have, who have, who are captivated by him and show the 559 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:09,960 world what it means to know A to know a God, to know Jesus who 560 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:14,960 loves them. So Jesus, God, I pray that you 561 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:22,560 would fill us right now. God, we are your people and when 562 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:26,040 we ask you to fill us, you fill us graciously. 563 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:31,640 Lord God, I pray, Lord God, that you would give every single one 564 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:36,080 of us an increased hunger to be in your presence. 565 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:43,000 God, God, let us be a people who make a habit of spending time 566 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:47,560 with you. Lord God, of being in Home 567 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:51,480 group, of being here on a Sunday says you say don't give up the 568 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:53,960 habit of meeting together because when two or three are 569 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:57,680 gathered there, I am in power in your midst, Lord Jesus. 570 00:38:57,680 --> 00:39:01,680 And I pray, Lord God, you'd make us hungry, that we'd be hungry, 571 00:39:01,680 --> 00:39:05,160 Lord Jesus, to be wherever you are, to find ourselves there, 572 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:09,480 Lord Jesus, I pray, Lord God, if there's there's anyone here, 573 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:13,800 Lord Jesus, that's struggling with worry, that's struggling 574 00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:17,200 with, with bitterness, Lord Jesus, with the struggling with, 575 00:39:17,240 --> 00:39:21,120 with laziness, Lord Jesus, I pray, Lord God, that you would 576 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:25,200 touch them right now, Lord God. And that worry would be gobbled 577 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:30,640 up, that bitterness would go. Lord Jesus, I pray, Lord God, 578 00:39:31,240 --> 00:39:35,920 that you would take all barriers from us, anything that has been 579 00:39:35,920 --> 00:39:40,720 placed in the way to let us enjoy your glory, Lord Jesus. 580 00:39:41,840 --> 00:39:44,040 Lord God. And we do it, Lord Jesus, we do 581 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:47,400 it because it is the best. It is the best thing for us. 582 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:51,040 It's what we were created for. Lord God, we pray that as we 583 00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:57,120 treasure you more, this world would see and know that you are 584 00:39:57,120 --> 00:39:59,040 God. Lord God, that even this week we 585 00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:02,040 would have men and women come up to us and say, what have you 586 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:05,400 got? I want what you've got. 587 00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:11,360 I want that joy that seems to pour out of you. 588 00:40:12,720 --> 00:40:15,480 Fear us, Lord Jesus. Amen. 589 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:17,080 Amen.