1 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:14,600 I almost thought I could get away without preaching this 2 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:21,600 morning because what's been said this morning during worship has 3 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:26,800 already laid the groundwork of what I was going to be speaking 4 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,640 about this morning. So we're continuing our our 5 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:37,200 value series. We're talking about a metaphor 6 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:43,880 about a lifeboat and about how it relates to the Christian life 7 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:51,400 and in particular to our values. So we have these five values 8 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:53,720 here. We love biblical truth. 9 00:00:54,160 --> 00:01:01,120 We love having God's presence. We want to proclaim Christ, we 10 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:06,920 want to humbly serve both in here and out there, and we want 11 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,680 a community that's authentic, that's real with one another. 12 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:16,120 And so for a couple of times a year, we'll sort of go through 13 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:21,080 these values because we have people join us, but also it's 14 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:26,960 just good to re drum into us these things about what we stand 15 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:31,880 for. So last week Ben talked about 16 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:36,040 this amazing lifeboat and in them these days they come with 17 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:41,800 all these really expensive GPS systems and they come with the 18 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:46,800 most amazing digital charts that lay out the groundwork. 19 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:53,440 And we were relating that to how the Bible is just key to 20 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:58,920 Christians. So these lifeboats are just 21 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:01,400 amazing. You know, they've got sort of 22 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,840 this GPS system, they've got these powerful engines to cut 23 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:10,639 through the waves, they've got sleek hull that allows them to 24 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:17,280 just keep moving and so forth. And they're built to go out into 25 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:22,040 the chaos and to rescue those in trouble. 26 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:31,120 We're called to go out into the world by Jesus. 27 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:36,480 We're called to go and see people's lives rescued and 28 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:41,320 transformed. And people get to know about 29 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,240 that. They get to know about it. 30 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:49,760 And that's why Frank's testimony has such an impact that people 31 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,200 go something happened in the past. 32 00:02:54,760 --> 00:03:02,760 And when Frank prays, when we pray, something happens and then 33 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,440 we reach out, holding on to these things. 34 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:12,840 As a church, we're pursuing Jesus, we're pursuing his 35 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,720 teachings, we're pursuing his presence. 36 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,800 We're looking to serve one another. 37 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,240 We're looking to share what we've lost. 38 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:30,360 Sorry, we're looking to share to a lost and broken world. 39 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,840 And it's not because we're any different from them. 40 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:39,480 It's not that we're better than them, but it's because we've 41 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:45,000 found a better way. We were once lost and broken, 42 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:53,720 but now we are whole and we are being made whole together. 43 00:03:55,760 --> 00:04:00,040 Today we're looking at those beautiful engines and 44 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,200 particularly the fuel that feeds them. 45 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:08,440 Imagine with me that you're on the lifeboat, you're rolling 46 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:14,040 down the Causeway and off into the sea and we go out and we get 47 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:17,200 about a mile out and the engines cut out. 48 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:25,320 That's pretty serious. I'm you're now at the mercy of 49 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:31,840 the wind and of the waves. The risk of capsizing is huge 50 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:37,080 and OK, these boats self right, but it's not a pleasant 51 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:42,680 experience being capsized. I'm sure panic would set in. 52 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:49,600 In fact, the disciples experience something really akin 53 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:53,280 to this, Matthew records in Matthew 8. 54 00:04:54,400 --> 00:05:00,240 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves 55 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:04,600 swept over the boat, But Jesus was sleeping. 56 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:11,680 The disciples went and woke him up saying, Lord, save us, we're 57 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:17,800 going to drown. See, the reason the engines have 58 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:22,480 stopped probably is because somebody forgot to fill it with 59 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:26,200 fuel. You could just imagine if there 60 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,400 were diesel engines around when the disciples were around there, 61 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:34,600 they'd be bickering and sort of saying, Simon, you're the boss. 62 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,520 You were supposed to make sure that those engines got filled 63 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,560 with fuel. Perhaps Simon would say, Andrew, 64 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:49,800 I delegated that to you and Andrew goes, well, Judas has all 65 00:05:49,800 --> 00:06:00,040 the money, it's easy to pass the buck, but suddenly that amazing 66 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:05,600 boat that has a specific purpose is awash at sea. 67 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:13,360 See, you can have the best, most steadfast boat with the most 68 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:20,760 amazing GPS and detailed charts with a clear goal, a vision and 69 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:28,000 the direction set out, but without being full of fuel, it's 70 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:33,040 almost worthless. See a Christian who knows his 71 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:41,080 Bible inside out those charts, but he lacks the Holy Spirit, 72 00:06:42,840 --> 00:06:48,720 the fuel. He's technically correct, but 73 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:54,880 he's practically powerless. To live the life Christ has 74 00:06:54,880 --> 00:07:01,680 called us to live, we must be filled and stay filled with the 75 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:06,920 power of the Holy Spirit in John. 76 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:13,280 John records Jesus speaking to his disciples in John 16, and 77 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,160 this is just before Jesus is going up to heaven. 78 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:22,520 And he says, but very truly I tell you, it is for your good 79 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:28,040 that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate, 80 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,560 that's the Holy Spirit will not come to you. 81 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:38,680 But if I go, I will send him to you a few verses later on. 82 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:46,880 But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into 83 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:51,720 all the truth. He will not speak on His own. 84 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:58,840 He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what 85 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:05,040 is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is 86 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:10,760 from me that he will receive what He will make known. 87 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:15,040 All that belongs to the Father is mine. 88 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:22,200 That is why I say that is why I said the Spirit will receive 89 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:26,280 from me what he will make known to you. 90 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:34,640 Isn't that amazing? Jesus says I will give you my 91 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:37,679 Spirit, I will send him with you. 92 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:45,640 It wouldn't be me if we didn't get into some theology and 93 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:50,280 thinking about these things. And why do we need the Holy 94 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,280 Spirit? Why do we need the fuel? 95 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,040 Well, we live in a chaotic world. 96 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:03,480 It's always been that way. Life is hard and being a 97 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:05,800 Christian doesn't make it any easier. 98 00:09:07,680 --> 00:09:13,560 The waters, the sea, the ocean. They first mentioned in Genesis 99 00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:17,560 1. And when you read the Bible you 100 00:09:17,560 --> 00:09:20,920 talk about first mentions because quite often that's where 101 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,440 things are established and rooted. 102 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:28,600 And here in Genesis 1, it talks about the chaos of the natural 103 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:33,560 world, and it describes it as being empty and dark. 104 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:43,400 And yet, and yet, God's Spirit is present, hovering, ready to 105 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:51,240 bring order to the chaos. Culture here in the UK is 106 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:57,880 shifting to stay on course against the wind. 107 00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:03,840 You don't need just good charts, you need propulsion. 108 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:11,920 Further on in Genesis, in Genesis 6 and 9A, flood comes to 109 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:16,320 the world. It's linked again with the chaos 110 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:23,320 coming back in to the world and it looks at God's judgement and 111 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:31,720 the consequence of destruction. And yet, and yet, God's Spirit 112 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:39,520 moves Noah to build an ark. In Exodus, we hear God's 113 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:44,640 deliverance of the Israelite nation through the parting of 114 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:49,000 the Red Sea. The chaotic seas, the chaotic 115 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:55,000 waters are parted, allowing Israel to pass from slavery, 116 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,760 from their life of chaos over to freedom. 117 00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:05,040 They're lives of order. In lots of other places in the 118 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:09,880 Bible, in the Old Testament, we read about the sea and it's 119 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:15,080 personified, it's given these attributes of being a hostile 120 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:22,000 force, an enemy of God. And so you can find in the 121 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:26,800 Psalms about the Leviathan, if you thought that was just a old 122 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,560 Greek myth, it isn't. It's in there in the Bible. 123 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:37,360 In the New Testament, we read about how Jesus walks on the 124 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:42,040 water, about how he calms the storm. 125 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:50,840 See, He has sovereignty over the chaos, and it identifies him 126 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:57,280 with the Creator God, the creator God of Genesis. 127 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:04,120 Do you feel like you're living in a world that's a little 128 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:09,880 difficult to get a handle on? How life feels like being tossed 129 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:16,040 from one wave to another, like you're at risk of being capsized 130 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:21,400 at any moment? The Holy Spirit is here to help 131 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:25,000 you. He assists with the navigation 132 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:30,280 of the charts. He gives us the grit to stay out 133 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:37,560 in the storm. He changes the atmosphere was 134 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:42,120 blown away by this. He changes the atmosphere in 135 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,680 Galatians 5. Paul writes to the at church in 136 00:12:45,680 --> 00:12:52,640 Galatia and he says, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, 137 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:58,360 joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, 138 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,760 faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 139 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:06,680 Against these things there is no law. 140 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:16,560 See in the middle of the storm we can experience Lovejoy peace. 141 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:24,800 Continuing on in the Bible, even the last book Revelation where 142 00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:29,200 John is writing about a vision that he has and in one of the 143 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:33,840 last chapters, chapter 21, John describes a new world. 144 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,160 Listen to this Revelation 21 one. 145 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:44,280 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the 1st heaven and 146 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:50,440 the first earth had passed away and there was no longer any sea, 147 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:57,920 no longer any chaos. God's rule becomes complete. 148 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:02,680 It's amazing what the Holy Spirit brings. 149 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:11,720 We were created to be dependent on God. 150 00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:17,720 God always intended to live amongst his people. 151 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:23,560 We were designed to be led by the Holy Spirit. 152 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:30,880 The last couple of weeks I've been doing something new. 153 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:36,640 I've been I've installed an app on my phone, it's called Lectio 154 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:44,240 365 and what I'm trying to do is find space in my day to recenter 155 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:49,400 on God, to make space for the Holy Spirit to speak. 156 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:55,160 I'm trying to stop at lunch because too frequently I blast 157 00:14:55,160 --> 00:15:01,120 through lunch eating it while I do things, try to recharge. 158 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:06,320 Now, you may think that sounds like I'm trying to be some super 159 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:13,240 Christian, but here's the thing. Maybe it sounds that way because 160 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:17,560 it's countercultural. Maybe we're taking things on 161 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:22,960 from our culture where it's get on, go, go, go, go, go, go. 162 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:30,000 And actually, God is saying, no, spend time with me. 163 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:40,440 See, there are jobs that I end up doing things like walking the 164 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,920 dog, mowing the lawn, washing the car. 165 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:51,840 And if I just focus on those jobs, they're a task to do. 166 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:58,040 But actually what I'm being challenged now to do is when I 167 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:02,000 take the dog out for a walk, spend time looking at God's 168 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:06,080 creation, let his Holy Spirit speak to me. 169 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:12,320 When I've got to mow the lawn, spend it talking with God. 170 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:19,640 It really effects how you view things. 171 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:26,360 You can either get stuck in doing the task or you can focus 172 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:31,120 and say this is an opportunity to spend time with God, bring 173 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:36,360 Jesus, bring the Holy Spirit into your life in the here and 174 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:42,280 now. See, when we submit our lives to 175 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:48,720 Jesus, to the Holy Spirit, effectively our lives are no 176 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:55,560 longer ours. We have choices that Jesus can 177 00:16:55,560 --> 00:17:00,800 tell us how to live, when to go this way, when to speak out 178 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:06,440 about what Jesus has done healing wise to people, and 179 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:08,760 you're not even aware that they're really listening. 180 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:16,800 We can't go through a life and live it well enough. 181 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:22,040 Rowing. It's not going to be good enough 182 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:27,599 for God. We need the Holy Spirit in our 183 00:17:27,599 --> 00:17:33,680 lives to drive us forward, to pitch into those waves. 184 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:41,880 It's so key that we have God's presence in our lives. 185 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:50,680 In Acts One we read again, just before Jesus is going back to 186 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:55,480 heaven, he's speaking to the disciples and he says, but you 187 00:17:55,480 --> 00:18:01,040 will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you 188 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:05,680 will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and 189 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:08,440 Samaria and to the ends of the earth. 190 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:15,840 See, Jesus didn't say to his disciples, just try your best, 191 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:18,120 it'll be all right. It'll work out. 192 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:23,880 He didn't send them out with just their cloaks and their 193 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:29,440 shoes on their feet. No, he sent them the Holy 194 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:34,560 Spirit. And more than that, he said you 195 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:40,120 will not. If you asked 10 times, I might 196 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:42,360 consider giving you the Holy Spirit. 197 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:50,720 No, you will receive the power and that word Power. 198 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:57,560 The Greek word is dunamis, and from it we get the word dynamite 199 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:03,480 and we get the word dynamic. It's not a little inty bit of 200 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,800 power. It's not enabling you to crawl 201 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:10,000 forward. It's an explosion. 202 00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:15,560 Sorry, I get carried away. Never mind. 203 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,040 But you get it. Yeah. 204 00:19:19,360 --> 00:19:25,640 God's power, all of his power that he created the heavens and 205 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:32,640 the earth, it's yours. It's the power to allow you to 206 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:40,280 pitch into the waves to not get rolled by them, but to be on 207 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,440 point with where God is leading you to go. 208 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:55,880 I watch a lot of YouTube car videos when someone wants to 209 00:19:55,880 --> 00:20:00,920 check an engine isn't seized when they are trying to get it 210 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:04,840 started. Sometimes they'll manually 211 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:12,000 inject fuel into the engine. If they're really crazy, they'll 212 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:17,800 inject ether into the air intake which creates a loud bang. 213 00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:26,120 But the car was never designed to just run on that on that 214 00:20:26,120 --> 00:20:28,480 small amount of fuel on that ether. 215 00:20:29,360 --> 00:20:34,680 It was designed to have a fuel tank and a pump that takes the 216 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:40,240 fuel from the tank to the engine and a philtre to stop it getting 217 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:44,200 clogged up and checking the pipes that they are clear. 218 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:52,400 See, the Holy Spirit comes and he prepares a person's heart for 219 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:59,120 salvation, for being rescued. See, there's nothing we can do 220 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:07,840 to save someone's life. Yeah, all, all that we get to do 221 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,880 is to be a part of it. I forget who prayed that this 222 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:17,560 morning, but we get to help the Holy Spirit. 223 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:23,360 We get to be an audible voice. We get to be the hands and the 224 00:21:23,360 --> 00:21:31,480 feet of God starting something. But that exposure that the Holy 225 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:37,080 Spirit provides was never meant to last a lifetime. 226 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:43,160 It shows that the engine will turn over. 227 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:49,080 It starts the process of the engine running, but the intent 228 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:54,720 was always that there would be fuel on tap in a tank. 229 00:21:56,760 --> 00:22:01,520 See in Ephesians 5. Paul writes to the church in 230 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:06,880 Ephesus and he says do not get drunk on wine, which leads to 231 00:22:07,120 --> 00:22:11,480 debauchery. Instead, be filled with the 232 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:19,240 Spirit. Now firstly, we recognise that 233 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:25,160 we need fuel. Yeah, we eat food, we drink wine 234 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:30,840 and in Paul's case he's drawing attention to it and saying don't 235 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:35,440 drink too much. Perhaps your issue is don't eat 236 00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:43,600 too much chocolate. Saying nothing and but the point 237 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:50,680 is that we are physical beings, yes, but we have a spiritual 238 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:55,680 part to us as well. And it's just as important if 239 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,760 not more important that that gets fed. 240 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:07,280 The second thing is from what Paul is telling the church, he 241 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:13,320 says be filled. Now that is a slight miss. 242 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:19,440 Well, it leads to confusion in our translation because that's 243 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:24,920 kind of a one off event, right? But actually in the Greek, it's 244 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:32,480 written in present imperative. All of that is it's a posh way 245 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:39,920 of saying it's a ongoing thing. Be filled and keep being filled. 246 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:42,120 Be filled. Keep being filled. 247 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:49,240 It's ongoing. We were intended to have a 248 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:59,480 continuous filling from the Holy Spirit In Luke 5, Luke records 249 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:06,200 that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. 250 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:12,040 See, we're called Christians. We're called to imitate Christ. 251 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:17,640 We're called to follow him and do what he did. 252 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:25,720 So we should be seeking to find time to withdraw, to pray, to 253 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:32,080 replenish our fuel. I was listening earlier to this 254 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:40,200 earlier this week to my Bible app and it was the session of 255 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:45,640 the Garden of Gethsemane. And I really feel for the 256 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:51,680 disciples who just kept falling asleep and Jesus goes, can you 257 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:59,200 even just stay awake and pray with me, See all too often late 258 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:03,000 at night. Last thing, I intend to speak 259 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:08,720 with God and tend to set time aside to refuel to finish the 260 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:16,200 day appropriately and before I know it I've fallen asleep and 261 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:22,880 it's the morning. I feel for the disciples, but 262 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:28,960 because it's me, the answer to that is don't do it. 263 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:36,320 Last thing, keep being filled. Ben mentioned last night last 264 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:42,120 week about the ability of burnout, the risk of it, and 265 00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:50,920 about when we try to do church, when we try to do life, when we 266 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:57,600 live on just the fumes. We don't just slow down, we 267 00:25:57,600 --> 00:25:59,880 stop. We burnout. 268 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:05,280 Legalism is trying to sail without fuel. 269 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:16,160 Exhaustion is the result. I put in a picture here of a 270 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:21,120 fuel lid on fuel tank, and it's closed. 271 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:26,440 And The thing is, make sure the lid's open. 272 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:34,520 Now, that might seem like a duh, really, but it's easy to forget 273 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,080 that this is all a metaphor. Yeah. 274 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:42,600 And when we translate that into our Christian lives, we need to 275 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:49,000 be open to God refuelling us. John 15. 276 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:53,640 Jesus is speaking with his disciples and he says I am the 277 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:59,960 vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in 278 00:26:59,960 --> 00:27:05,360 you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do 279 00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:10,400 nothing. We must open our lives daily. 280 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:17,080 The other thing to say is refuelling takes time. 281 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:21,560 Sometimes that means being patient. 282 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:28,640 In Psalms 27, the writer says, wait for the Lord. 283 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:36,000 Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. 284 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:43,040 In our culture, we race. Waiting is a dying art. 285 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:49,120 The lifeboat isn't out at sea all the time. 286 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:54,560 It's got to return to its base. It's got to return to the 287 00:27:54,560 --> 00:28:01,040 source. If we neglect refuelling, we'll 288 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:05,680 end up being stranded. We'll fail our mission. 289 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:10,520 We can't rescue anyone if we're drifting. 290 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:20,360 Are you feeling exhausted? Are you feeling overwhelmed? 291 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:29,280 Are you running on fumes? Spend time in God's presence. 292 00:28:30,120 --> 00:28:33,400 Refuel. That's my encouragement to you. 293 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:40,200 Find those around you who can help you, who can encourage you. 294 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:48,360 Proverbs 27 says as iron sharpens iron, so one person 295 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:53,720 sharpens another. The other thing I want to say, 296 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:58,680 and you'll hear this reflected again and again, that the 297 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:05,200 lifeboat lifeboat has a purpose. There aren't any passengers on 298 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:10,680 board the lifeboat. Everyone on board has a job to 299 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:16,560 do, serving together so that together we can be effective for 300 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:24,360 God's Kingdom. Imagine now that the church is a 301 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:31,480 fleet of lifeboats, all fully fuelled, engine drawing charts 302 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:37,600 at the ready, ready to head out into the dark to find the lost. 303 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:44,560 Let me just finish and encourage you, Romans 15 says. 304 00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:53,560 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you 305 00:29:53,880 --> 00:30:03,560 trust in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power 306 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:08,600 of the Holy Spirit. These are things that Frank and 307 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:12,400 Bev are demonstrating. We're all demonstrating when 308 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:18,480 we're out there that we overflow with the hope that the Holy 309 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:23,800 Spirit has given us. Again, I was reminded of Exodus 310 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:28,600 37, sorry, not Exodus, Ezekiel 37. 311 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:31,760 Exodus would lead us somewhere different, no doubt. 312 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:40,440 Ezekiel 37 tells us of a vision that Ezekiel had a valley of dry 313 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:47,400 bones that came to life because the four winds the Holy Spirit 314 00:30:47,880 --> 00:30:54,080 blows on them. There are amazing things coming 315 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:58,880 when we are soaked in the presence of the Holy Spirit. 316 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:04,640 My prayer is that we will go from strength to strength in our 317 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:10,400 experience of the Holy Spirit, that we will know His presence 318 00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:15,600 tangibly, and that when people come amongst us, they will 319 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:24,400 experience God's presence. I'm going to pray the last bit 320 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,400 of my prayer. I'm just going to add 3 lines 321 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:32,560 from this lectio wrap because they really struck me and they 322 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:38,880 just keep coming every evening. These three lines are just 323 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:42,400 repeated again and again, so I'll finish my prayer with that. 324 00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:47,800 Lord. God, you're an amazing God. 325 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:55,520 Lord, you deserve all the glory. Lord, that you would know each 326 00:31:55,520 --> 00:32:01,120 one of us and put us together. It's just amazing, Lord, that 327 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:07,320 you delight in each one of us. Lord that you know the storms 328 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:12,120 we're going through, but Lord, that you would send your Holy 329 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:16,840 Spirit hovering, waiting, ready to bring order. 330 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:21,200 Lord, we thank you for that. Lord, you're amazing. 331 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:29,040 Lord, may your presence amongst us be known to Blackpool, to the 332 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:35,840 files and to the world. Lord, come Holy Spirit, to my 333 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:44,000 mind, I receive your comfort. Come, Holy Spirit, to my heart, 334 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:52,920 I receive your peace. Come, Holy Spirit to my soul, I 335 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:55,800 receive the Father's love for me.