1 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:13,160 Right as you start making your way back, let me introduce we 2 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:15,280 are starting a brand new series today. 3 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,880 We are starting a series called Lifeboat. 4 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,160 And when you as you think a lifeboat, that is the sort of 5 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:24,760 thing I want you to be thinking of. 6 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:27,520 Not these kind of little rubber dinghies that are on the side, 7 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:30,400 big cruise ships. I want to be thinking of a 8 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:35,560 search and rescue crew who are going through the stormy seas to 9 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:40,640 rescue, to search for people. And over the next 5 weeks, we 10 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:45,400 are going to be embarking on a journey through our 5 core 11 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:47,240 values. We like to revisit this this 12 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,680 every, every so often going through our 5 core values. 13 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:54,480 And we're going to look at our 5 core values through the lens 14 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,400 that the church, that we as the church are called to be our 15 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,840 lifeboats. We are called to be a rescue 16 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,160 team. And so as we look through our 17 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,120 five values, each week, we're going to be looking at a 18 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:11,040 different aspect of a lifeboat and then using that as a 19 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,000 metaphor to describe one of our five values. 20 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,200 And this week, we're going to be doing our first value, which is 21 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:19,640 biblical truth. And I want to think I want you 22 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:24,320 to think of biblical truth as the as the navigational system 23 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,040 or on a boat. You see, we have been we've been 24 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:33,960 designed, we've been designed to go into the storms of this 25 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:37,280 world. We've been designed as a church 26 00:01:37,320 --> 00:01:41,200 to go in as as Kofu ended our time of worship saying that 27 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:46,400 actually that we want to pray that how we act when we love 28 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:51,440 Jesus, when we put him first, that positively effects those 29 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,080 around us because that's what we're designed to do. 30 00:01:55,240 --> 00:02:00,560 We are designed to to to go into the storms of this world and be 31 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:03,520 rescuers. We're designed and the way that 32 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:09,280 we are kept on course, the way that we we navigate this world 33 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,200 is through this through his scripture. 34 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:21,600 You see, Jesus tells us, he asks us to listen and obey his words 35 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:24,480 in the Great Commission. He tells us to go into all the 36 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:31,000 world and tell everyone what I told you, what I told you, and 37 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,880 so that they would obey it. And Jesus designed us, has 38 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:39,960 designed us, not to be on our own, but to be part of a crew, 39 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,600 to live our lives as part of a crew, to live our lives in, in 40 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,880 community to we are designed to live, to live in membership. 41 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:52,280 We are designed to be joined to a local church that we are 42 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:57,360 designed to do life together and, and, and for us what, what 43 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:00,520 it means to be in membership of this church. 44 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,840 Actually, what we do quite often is is Jen and I, we, we've done 45 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:08,080 several, we call it foundations courses where we take people for 46 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,760 several weeks and we just go through our vision and values as 47 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:13,640 a church. And at the end of that we say, 48 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:16,920 are you on board? Do you want to sign up to that? 49 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,680 And now we haven't been able to do that last term. 50 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,680 And actually what we're going to do, we haven't got a date yet 51 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,720 set, but at some point this, this term, over the next few 52 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,200 weeks, what we're going to do is we're going to say, if you are 53 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,800 new to this church, if you've, if you've been around me for the 54 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,280 last few months to a year and we haven't done foundations with 55 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,640 you, we're going to invite you to come back for, for lunch 56 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,560 afterwards. And then I'm going to just 57 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,600 expound a bit more on what it means to be a member of this 58 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,680 church and then ask you to say, are you in or not? 59 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,320 Because basically what it means to be a member, what it means to 60 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:54,640 be a member of anything, but what it means to be a member of 61 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:58,600 this church is that you are a Christian who is committed to 62 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,160 serving the body. And it means you want to. 63 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,000 And now that looks differently, different people in different 64 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,600 situations. Some of us are more able than 65 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:07,800 others. Some of us are in different 66 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:09,760 seasons and we're able to do more and some are able to do 67 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:12,000 less. But the commitment is there that 68 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,040 you're, you want to serve the body. 69 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,160 Secondly, that you are committed to give that you want to give 70 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:22,079 finances, you want to trust God with your, with part of your 71 00:04:22,079 --> 00:04:25,200 finances to, to this this church. 72 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:29,600 Thirdly, that you are committed to unity, that you that the 73 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,360 Bible says that we are to use our our mouths, use our voices 74 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,480 for the good of others to speak well of others, not not fluff 75 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,600 them up, but actually to speak, speak truth to one another, to 76 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,960 encourage one another. And fourthly, that we're 77 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,520 committed to showing up. We're committed to being around 78 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,720 one another, to being here. And it's really hard to be to be 79 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:54,520 in a community if you're never actually in that community. 80 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:58,400 So we we say, and I will talk about this more for those of you 81 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,760 who who are able to come, but we're committed to serve, 82 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,960 committed to give, committed to unity and committed to show up. 83 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:09,320 You see, being part of a church is like being part of a crew on 84 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:13,280 a lifeboat that we are. We're not here on Pamper Cruise. 85 00:05:14,280 --> 00:05:17,320 We're here. We're designed to be deployed, 86 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,560 to be launched into the churning, shundering sea. 87 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,800 And our mission, every single one of us, our mission is to, is 88 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:31,240 to embark into these waters to find lost people, people who are 89 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:35,880 drowning, who are, who are cast adrift, who are in the sea, who 90 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:41,080 are hopeless. And the problem is if we just 91 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,440 set out is that as our mission, but we have no, no anchor 92 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,120 points, no, no navigational system. 93 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:50,920 Those of you who've been on boats, those of you who maybe 94 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,880 you've done a cross channel crossing, maybe to Ireland or to 95 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:57,600 Man or to France, or maybe you've even been fortunate 96 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:00,720 enough to go on a cruise. You all know that it doesn't 97 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:05,560 take too long before 1:00 on that boat when there are no 98 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:09,440 landmarks, the shoreline disappears completely. 99 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:14,040 And you have no idea. And especially if it's if it's a 100 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:19,200 grey day, if it's stormy, there is no way of telling which ways, 101 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,360 which which ways. NE southwest. 102 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:23,680 Where's land, Where's shallow water? 103 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:28,040 Where's, where's rocky seas? There's no way of telling. 104 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:32,960 And to the sailor, they depend on their navigational system to 105 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,120 guide them through these these these seas. 106 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:40,880 And if they ignore it, they have a very real risk of being 107 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,200 completely shipwrecked or being lost at sea. 108 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:50,720 You see, taking God's word seriously isn't optional for us 109 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:52,960 as Christians. It is. 110 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,720 It's not a case of, well, I might have or I might not. 111 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,080 Actually taking God's word seriously actually is a matter 112 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:03,080 of life and death for us. It is our navigational system. 113 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:07,840 And so quick throw out there, when did you last look at it? 114 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:14,480 When did you last spend time poring over it, studying it, 115 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:18,120 taking time to let it influence you? 116 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,960 When did you last take time to maybe just even just listen to 117 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:27,240 it being read to you? And today I want to, I want to 118 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,400 look at Luke chapter 8. But before I get there, I'm 119 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:37,080 going to go a page before in my Bible, Luke chapter 6, and it 120 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:42,680 says this about the words it says Jesus says why do you call 121 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:49,200 me Lord, Lord and not to what I say that might be some of us 122 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,280 here, we will tell people I'm a Christian. 123 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,720 We say here what, Yeah, I'm a Christian, but Jesus, but you 124 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,880 don't do what I ask you to. You ignore my words. 125 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:03,640 You haven't even looked at it. He says, As for As for everyone 126 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:07,760 who comes to me and hears my word and puts it into practise, 127 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:09,480 I will show you what they are like. 128 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:14,440 They are like a man building a house who dug down deep and lay 129 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:20,280 the foundations on a rock, when a flood came and the torrent 130 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:25,160 struck that house, but it could not shake it because it was well 131 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,400 built. But the one who hears my words 132 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,840 and does not put them into practise is like the man who 133 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:35,480 built a house on the grounds without foundation. 134 00:08:35,919 --> 00:08:40,280 The moment the torrent struck the house, it collapsed and the 135 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:47,000 destruction was complete. See his words, they're not just 136 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,680 suggestions. And when Jesus says those who 137 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:53,680 obey my word, I don't know if you've any of you've got a Bible 138 00:08:53,680 --> 00:08:56,800 like this. You see in my Bible, I'm opening 139 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,120 the Gospels and you see there's black words and there's red 140 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,640 words. Now, someone decided at some 141 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:08,120 point that the words that they deemed that Jesus actually said 142 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:12,080 that came out of his mouth as he was going around Galilee and 143 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:16,480 Judea and all their surrounding areas, those we'd write in red 144 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:20,680 and the rest of the Bible will write in black as if they're 145 00:09:20,680 --> 00:09:23,280 more important. We need to listen to these words 146 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:24,880 more than we do the rest of the Bible. 147 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:27,280 And that's not true. That's not true. 148 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:32,520 Every single word in our Bibles from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 149 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,120 is inspired by God. It is his word, and it is there 150 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,080 for our instruction. It is there for our correction. 151 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,000 It's there for our for for our encouragement. 152 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:47,800 Peter tells Timothy, See, we are called to study it, to look at 153 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:52,400 it, to read it, to be in it and and, you know, put Paul and not 154 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:54,960 Paul, Peter would say of Paul in Scripture. 155 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,560 Some of it's really hard to understand, especially some of 156 00:09:58,560 --> 00:10:01,760 that stuff that Paul writes. It's really hard to understand. 157 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:03,920 But that doesn't mean that we shelve it. 158 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:09,320 It means that we have to take extra care to study it, extra 159 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:13,400 care to, to ask questions of it, to ask others about what, what, 160 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:15,720 what is it talking about? I don't really understand. 161 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:17,640 It seems to say this thing here and it seems to say another 162 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:19,920 thing over here. What, what, what is going on? 163 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:26,880 It just takes a bit more work. You see, most people, 164 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:32,680 unfortunately, Christians included, don't live their lives 165 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:37,160 on the rock, don't live their lives on the word that Jesus 166 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:41,560 spoke. They lived their lives on what 167 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:43,640 we use with our analogy, we'll use the waves. 168 00:10:44,560 --> 00:10:48,480 Culture, Jesus might say shifting sands. 169 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:52,280 See, waves are never the same. They're always moving. 170 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:56,960 Culture, it's always changing. And if we try and gauge what is 171 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:00,120 true, what is right, if we build ourselves, we build our lives, 172 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:05,200 we build church upon what culture says is good and true, 173 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,080 we're lost. We're going to be running around 174 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:10,400 in circles. We're going to run out of 175 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:11,920 energy. We're just going to be lost 176 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,520 completely at sea because because it changes all the time. 177 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:19,840 Think of some of the stuff, crazy stuff that our government 178 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:22,840 thinks is good and true. Now you go about 20 years ago, 179 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:25,720 no one even thought like that thing. 180 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:30,320 The culture is changing all the time, but this does not. 181 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,000 People also they, they, they. Rather than building their life 182 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,960 upon the work of Scripture, upon Jesus in His Word, we build our 183 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:43,160 lives on our guts. Follow your heart. 184 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:46,040 How? What does it say? 185 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,280 Follow your emotions. Well, the trouble is that if 186 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:54,280 you're in a stormy sea, your emotions quite often are jump 187 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:57,160 overboard, which is an awful thing to do. 188 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:00,800 I mean, we are to build our lives on something that is firm. 189 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:05,160 You know, we've had Tomi Tolu recently, have given birth to 190 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:09,200 two wonderful babies. And now if you know, if anyone 191 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:14,240 who's had had children, you know that that before that child is 192 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,720 born, when there are no problems, when everything's 193 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:21,640 calm, when you're thinking clearly, you make a birth plan, 194 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:25,000 don't you? You say, this is what I want. 195 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:27,920 This is what's going to happen. You know, at this stage, we're 196 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:29,560 going to go to the hospital. We're not going to go to the 197 00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:30,800 hospital. We're going to ring the midwife. 198 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,720 We're going to do XYZI want I want it to happen this way. 199 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:38,280 I want this, that and the other. And if if things go wrong, well, 200 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:43,480 maybe do this and you make those decisions in the calmness 201 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:48,200 because when you're about to give birth is not a good time to 202 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,840 decide life and death situations. 203 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,080 It's not you you need to do make it in the calmness. 204 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:57,640 And then then, and it's the same thing with life. 205 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:00,280 We need to build our life on this. 206 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:05,120 And then when things go wrong, when the storms come, we're 207 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,920 already on good foundations rather than going, oh, oh, I 208 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:11,080 never thought about this. My gut says I should do this. 209 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,360 Let's go that way. And we end up falling overboard. 210 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:21,640 See, the truth is though, that when we ignore God's words, when 211 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:25,400 we ignore the navigational system, quite often what happens 212 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:28,120 is we don't straight away go onto the rocks. 213 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:33,240 More often than not we will find ourselves a couple of degrees of 214 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:39,000 course, and before we know it we are miles and miles and miles 215 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:42,920 away from what God had for his best for us. 216 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:48,560 I mean, think of you can name church movements, churches that 217 00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:53,160 started off so well and then they started basing their truth 218 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:57,080 not on this, but on what culture said was true, what their gut 219 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:02,120 said was true and they end up being miles away. 220 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,640 They even have sometimes have people follow them. 221 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:08,640 But Jesus says that is awful. That is awful when people follow 222 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:09,960 them. He says to the Pharisees, 223 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:13,240 actually he says the same thing. He says woe to you, teach to the 224 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,760 law and Pharisees, you hypocrites, you shut the door of 225 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,360 the Kingdom of heaven in people's faces. 226 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:23,880 You yourselves do not enter, nor you let anyone else, anyone 227 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:27,160 enter who is trying to. Woe to teach to the law of 228 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:29,560 Pharisees, you hypocrites. You travel. 229 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:32,080 This is where we can get if we're not following His words. 230 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:37,480 You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when 231 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:41,600 you have succeeded, you make them twice a child of hell as 232 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:46,320 you are. Woe to you, you blind guides. 233 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,680 See what she's saying is that if we ignore His word, we might 234 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:53,640 have a real heart for the lost. We might have a real heart to 235 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:55,680 see people saved. He wants people to go to heaven. 236 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:57,680 We want people to, to live for eternity. 237 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,880 But if we're not following his words, then we might speak to 238 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:01,880 people. They might love what we're 239 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,800 saying, but we're, we're, we're, we're not just leading our, 240 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:10,640 we're leading ourselves to death and them because this is true 241 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:16,720 and not what the world says. So I said, I want to, I want to 242 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,840 read Luke 8 to you. And so I'm going to open it. 243 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:27,040 It says, it says, it says, it says. 244 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:35,680 While a large crowd was gathering and the people were 245 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:39,840 coming to Jesus from town after town, he told them this parable. 246 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,800 A farmer went to sow his seed. Some fell along the path. 247 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:47,960 It was trampled on and the birds ate it up. 248 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:52,200 Some fell on rocky grounds, and when it came up the plants 249 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,760 withered because they had no moisture. 250 00:15:55,000 --> 00:16:00,200 Other seed fell among thorns which grew up with it and choked 251 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,480 the plants. Still other seed fell on good 252 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:05,840 soil. It came up and yielded A crop 253 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:10,800 100 times more than was sown. When he had said this, he called 254 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:12,960 out. Whoever has ear to ears to hear, 255 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:16,400 let them hear. His disciples asked him what 256 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:20,400 this parable meant. He said the knowledge of the 257 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:25,320 secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others 258 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:30,200 I speak in parables so that though seeing they may not see, 259 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:33,080 and though hearing they may not understand. 260 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:35,960 This is the meaning of the parable. 261 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:41,160 The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the 262 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:45,880 ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the 263 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:50,320 words from from their hearts so that they may not believe and be 264 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,800 saved. Those on the rocky ground are 265 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:57,000 the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but 266 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,480 they hear it but they have no root. 267 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:03,240 The ones who receive the word, no sorry. 268 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:07,839 They believe for a while, but in time of testing they fall away. 269 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:12,200 The seed that fell among the thorns stands for those who 270 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:17,440 hear, but they go on their way. They are choked by life's 271 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:21,000 worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 272 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:25,599 But the seed on the good soil stands with those with no, with 273 00:17:25,599 --> 00:17:31,080 a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by by 274 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:38,760 persevering produce a crop. See, Jesus begins this parable 275 00:17:38,840 --> 00:17:42,280 by saying there's a farmer and he's scatter seed. 276 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:46,840 Now in the, in the, in the Greco Roman world, they didn't have, 277 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,320 obviously they didn't have machines like we have, which 278 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,400 plant seeds perfectly in the right place to produce the 279 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:54,880 maximum amount of yield for their crop. 280 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:58,360 They just had a guy with a bag and he just threw it, just threw 281 00:17:58,360 --> 00:18:00,240 it randomly, randomly all around. 282 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,920 And you know, you'd get patched of seeds going in some places. 283 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:05,120 You get no seed in another place. 284 00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:08,000 Some seed like you said here, some seed would fall on Stony 285 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,840 grounds, fall on a path. Some seed would would fall among 286 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:17,840 weeds and a bit a bit would fall among on the good soil. 287 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:21,960 I think it was from reading some stuff on ancient cultures, I 288 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,200 think it was about 1/4 of the seed that was actually sown 289 00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:28,760 actually made onto good soil and actually produced a harvest. 290 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,480 So they weren't indiscriminate of where they put it. 291 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:35,760 And what Jesus says is the seed. It is his words. 292 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:40,640 It's his words. Jesus gives it freely to all. 293 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:43,800 We all can receive his word. We can all receive. 294 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:51,040 We can all hear from God, but the the different soils they are 295 00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:55,520 how our heart responds to that word. 296 00:18:56,160 --> 00:19:00,720 So Jesus identifies his his his word, his word. 297 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:04,920 It's it's like the the data that you input into your into your 298 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,080 navigational system. It's good, it's pure, it's 299 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:12,840 perfect. But the soil is like us looking 300 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:18,000 at that navigational system and we either ignore it, pay a 301 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,600 little attention to it, or we focus in on it and learn 302 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:24,920 everything about it. And he says that there's four 303 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:28,960 different types of ways that people respond to his word. 304 00:19:30,360 --> 00:19:35,080 He says first, the hard path. He says that's the the closed 305 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:37,320 system. Is it though, that these are 306 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:44,080 people who hear the truth, but due to life circumstances, due 307 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:48,600 to their attitude, it doesn't penetrate even an inch into 308 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:53,960 their hearts? These are those who have the 309 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:57,320 navigational system, but they've switched it off. 310 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:01,520 We believe that we know how to navigate the dangerous seas 311 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:07,320 better than the Creator does, and the result in that is death. 312 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,240 There is no life in that response. 313 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:15,720 The second response, he says there's rocky soil and that's 314 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:17,600 the that's as we've looked at a bit already, that's the 315 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:22,240 emotional navigator. This is the one who who 316 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:27,160 navigates by their guts, their, their, their, their, they love 317 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:30,720 it. Sailing's amazing, Sun's out, 318 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,760 calm breeze. It's amazing. 319 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,280 I'll do this all my life. I'll live for you, Jesus, 320 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:38,440 forever. And then the waves get up and 321 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:40,800 the winds start blowing in and it's like, no, I'm not doing 322 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:42,360 this anymore. There's nothing. 323 00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:43,680 I'm not. I'm not going for this. 324 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:47,680 And there's no life in that. There's no life. 325 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:51,440 The third soil is the thorny soil. 326 00:20:51,440 --> 00:20:55,200 I want to spend a bit of time on this one because this represents 327 00:20:55,200 --> 00:21:01,000 the distracted crew member. And I think that sums up a lot 328 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:05,480 of the church in our nation, the distracted crew member. 329 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:09,880 These are these are those who who might hear God's words. 330 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:13,680 You know, they might, might even read it from time to time. 331 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:19,560 But honestly, most of the time they're looking at social media 332 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:24,040 with a compass in their hand. You're getting completely 333 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:25,800 distracted. Now this is this is, this is the 334 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:33,440 person who knows that God's word says your energy, your time is a 335 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:38,520 gift from me. And you know, that's true, but 336 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:42,400 I'm tired and I don't really want to serve. 337 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,760 And so I'm not. So I'm not. 338 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:50,560 This is the person who says, who says, I know that everything 339 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:53,280 I've given my job comes from you, God. 340 00:21:55,160 --> 00:22:00,280 But fuel prices have gone up. You know that car insurance is 341 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:03,720 due. And I really like my sky 342 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,280 package. And God will understand. 343 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:10,600 God understands. And so you don't use what God 344 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:16,800 has given you for His Kingdom. This is those who when someone 345 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:21,720 hurts you, when someone says something, rather than 346 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:24,960 forgiving, you choose not to forgive. 347 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:28,360 Actually, when someone else says something negative about them, 348 00:22:28,360 --> 00:22:30,640 you join in. You join in. 349 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:32,360 You join in to bring people down. 350 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:34,080 You know who should lift people up? 351 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,240 You know should concourage, You know who should challenge poor 352 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:39,040 behaviour. But you don't do any of that. 353 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,880 It's easier just to in little circles to find people who you 354 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:46,000 can, who who think the same as you and bring others down. 355 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,160 You know that leads to death, but it's easier. 356 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:56,400 This is the person who who knows that God calls us to live in 357 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:01,280 community, that the early church's example model to us is 358 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:04,880 they met together in each other's homes and then on the 359 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:07,600 first day of the week, Sunday, they came together and 360 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:11,120 worshipped God. This is the person who says, 361 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:17,480 well, I've, I've got stuff on. I really can't move that class. 362 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:24,640 That's on a Wednesday night now Sunday's my only day off, rather 363 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,400 than I'm going to give that to God. 364 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:34,360 You see, the reason why we do that, the reason why we ignore 365 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:36,920 his book, the reason why we ignore what Jesus says, the 366 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:39,920 reason why we quite often choose decisions that lead to death 367 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:45,960 rather than life, is because we've forgotten who we are. 368 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:49,640 We've forgotten who Jesus has created us to be. 369 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,000 We've forgotten our very reason for being. 370 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,920 And I love it. In one pizza Peter tells us, he 371 00:23:55,920 --> 00:23:59,520 tells us straight, this is who you have been created to be. 372 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:05,320 In one Peter 2 Peter says this. He says, now to you who believe 373 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,440 this stone is precious, there's Jesus in his word. 374 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:10,720 He's talking about this stone is precious. 375 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:15,280 So if you believe in Jesus, he's saying he should be precious to 376 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:17,200 you. He is precious to you. 377 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:21,440 And therefore everything that he has said should be precious to 378 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,360 you, he says. But to those who do not believe 379 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:28,880 the stone the builders have rejected has become a has become 380 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:33,240 the cornerstone and a stumbling that causes people to stumble 381 00:24:33,360 --> 00:24:37,880 and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they 382 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:44,120 disobey his words. They disobey the message, which 383 00:24:44,120 --> 00:24:48,000 is also what we were designed for, he's saying. 384 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,920 People wonder why, why life isn't working out for them. 385 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,560 They wonder why, think why they keep stumbling. 386 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,400 It's because they're ignoring his words. 387 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:02,280 His very word has become a stumbling block to them, he 388 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:07,080 says, But you, those who have placed their their lives in 389 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:10,680 Jesus hand, those who have have said, Jesus, you are my Lord and 390 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:14,000 Saviour. Peter says you are a chosen 391 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:18,080 people, you're a royal priesthood, a holy nation. 392 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:23,520 You are God's special possession that you may declare the praises 393 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:27,880 of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful 394 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:30,520 light. Once you were not a people, but 395 00:25:30,520 --> 00:25:34,960 now you are the people of God. Once you had not receive mercy, 396 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:40,520 but now you have received mercy. See if if Jesus is your Lord, if 397 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,720 Jesus is your Saviour, he says, he says that there's no 398 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:48,000 obligation to read his words. There's no, there's no 399 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,640 obligation to live how he calls you to. 400 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:58,160 It's actually we get to, we get to, we get to live for him and 401 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:00,160 we get to, we get to live for him because it's who we were 402 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:04,320 created to be that actually we get to And as we do, as we've 403 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:07,400 brought in that word, as we as we do, as we, as we live for 404 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:11,360 him, others are affected. Others are affected with where 405 00:26:11,360 --> 00:26:16,040 they're called to share his wonderful light in this Dark 406 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:19,880 World, in the, in the shunnering waters of the dark sea. 407 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:23,040 We are called to share his word and that that can be with our 408 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:28,520 voices, but that can also just be being living as Christ, as 409 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:32,680 your Lord and Saviour. Others see, and I just want to 410 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:35,000 give a really quick example on that. 411 00:26:36,640 --> 00:26:38,680 I was, I was reminded of this the other week. 412 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:40,120 I don't know if anyone's ever seen this. 413 00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:45,080 It's a couple years old now this study, but it's it's a study on 414 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:51,880 Christian parents and how how they live effects their 415 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:54,640 children. Now, you may be there thinking, 416 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,520 I am not a parent. How does it affect me? 417 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:01,720 Well, look at it this way. The way that you live, the way 418 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:05,760 that you conduct yourself, the way that you take this seriously 419 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:11,240 effects those closest to you. It really does. 420 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,240 And it says, you know, it says here for Christian parents, 421 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,880 people who call themselves Christians when neither parent 422 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:19,880 is active. What I mean by active, what it 423 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,560 means by active is they're not serving, they're not giving, 424 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,440 they're they're not not regularly attending a a church, 425 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:32,000 they're not part of a church. For them, the study found 0% of 426 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:38,080 their children grew up as sold out loving Jesus. 427 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:44,000 Now 19% would say they love Jesus, they follow him, but zero 428 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:48,320 percent, The percent that we actually want, 0% actually end 429 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:50,640 up following because they've not been modelled it. 430 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,520 For those with with a mum who is active, who's loving who's 431 00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:00,600 who's, who's active in the church, but dad is completely 432 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:05,160 absent. We see that 2% in this study 433 00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:10,840 found were were committed to Jesus, 37% might go to church 434 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,560 but only 2% are committed, sold out for Christ. 435 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:19,600 For those where it is, where the dad is committed but mum isn't, 436 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:26,240 interestingly jumps up to 44%. And I just want to just make a 437 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:31,480 note here. OK guys, You are called in 438 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:35,000 scripture to be the spiritual head of your home. 439 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:39,720 And now the world might tell you that what you do and say doesn't 440 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:42,480 matter. What business is it of yours, 441 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:45,560 what your children are doing? What business is it, what 442 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:46,840 they're looking at on their phones? 443 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:48,960 What business is it of yours? What they're, what they're 444 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:50,480 watching, who they're hanging out with. 445 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:55,720 Well, this study says actually men, especially if you are 446 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:59,960 leading your home, if you're showing them how to follow 447 00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:04,520 Christ, that has a massive impact on your family. 448 00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:11,160 And then if both parents are sold out following Jesus, it 449 00:29:11,160 --> 00:29:14,880 says 80% will say that they're Christians. 450 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:19,240 Interestingly, 33% it goes down a bit and now the reason for 451 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,320 that, I looked that up, I want to know why does it go down? 452 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:25,120 Surely it should go up the RE and I'm sure it's maybe the 453 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:30,960 reason for that is, is that unfortunately many Christians 454 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:35,160 are sold out for Jesus, but they don't tell their kids why. 455 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:39,280 And that what this is the reason why that goes down when both 456 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:42,920 parents is, is because when dad chooses to, but mom doesn't or 457 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:45,440 mom choose to and dad doesn't, the children see that there's a 458 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,360 choice. There's a choice in life. 459 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:48,680 We get to follow Jesus or we don't. 460 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:53,440 Where when both it's where, if in your family, it's you go to 461 00:29:53,440 --> 00:29:57,920 church because you have to what, why, why? 462 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:00,160 And there's no teaching. There's no saying we, we go to 463 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:03,040 church because we love his family, because we love Jesus. 464 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:04,840 We want to be there and worship with him. 465 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:07,240 We, we give, you know, we give our money. 466 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:09,640 You know, we give up. Tell your kids that you give, 467 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:11,800 tell them. I mean, if you don't, don't tell 468 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,880 them you give don't like them. But you know, if you give, tell 469 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,560 them that you give and say why, why, why? 470 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:20,160 You know, because, because actually, you know, I know that 471 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,600 we say that we struggle with money sometimes, but actually we 472 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:26,480 trust God more than we trust our bank accounts. 473 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:30,080 That has a massive impact. And that's the the reason for 474 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:32,520 that drop is for parents who follow Jesus. 475 00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:35,880 It's kind of the typical missionary family who are sold 476 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:38,520 out for Jesus, but they lose. They don't evangelise their 477 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:41,040 kids. So don't be that. 478 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:47,640 Is it the reason why this matters is because if we are not 479 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:52,920 following the word of God for not following his words, we not 480 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:58,360 only will end up cast adrift shipwrecking our lives, the ones 481 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:02,880 we most love will also be shipwrecked as well. 482 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:10,800 You see in in sailing before they had had GPS in modern 483 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:15,880 navigational systems, how did sailors defined which way was N 484 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:21,280 SE, W the stars? Yes, and especially the North 485 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:22,200 Star. Why? 486 00:31:24,280 --> 00:31:30,080 Because it's north. Why the North Star in 487 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:32,320 particular? What doesn't it do that the 488 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:35,760 other stars do in the night sky? It doesn't change. 489 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:38,760 It's always north as you go through the seasons. 490 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:41,040 Obviously it's because we're moving through the, you know, 491 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:43,760 the universe, whatever. But yeah, as you go through the 492 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:45,960 seasons, as you go through the day, you go through the night. 493 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:47,720 The stars, they move around, don't they? 494 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:51,440 But the North star, it stays in the same point. 495 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:54,080 And so to navigate, they needed a fixed point. 496 00:31:54,160 --> 00:32:00,160 This is our fixed point. When we feel bad or good. 497 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:03,720 It does not change when politicians change. 498 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:06,760 This does not change when our bank account is good. 499 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:10,360 When our bank account is bad, it doesn't change when we get good 500 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:13,560 news from the doctor or where we get bad news from the doctor. 501 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:19,560 This book does not change, you see, and we are called to take 502 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:22,720 it seriously, which means that we trust it. 503 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:27,280 We are called to be a sailor who despite what they see outside 504 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:30,680 with the storm raging in the that the waves rolling over the 505 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:35,040 deck, we are called to take this seriously and follow it. 506 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:38,560 That means that that when you look at your bank statements, 507 00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:41,400 you go, there's not much in that God, I'm going to give you a 508 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:46,640 pass this month. We go, no, this book says I'm to 509 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:50,560 be generous. And so we give and it'll be 510 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:54,080 hard, but we know that that's the road that leads to life. 511 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:59,800 When someone really annoys us and we just want to hate them, 512 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:03,680 we say no. That's my gut talking. 513 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:07,800 That's not God's words. If I, if I, if I hate them, if I 514 00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:09,880 don't forgive them, that road leads to death. 515 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:16,320 But if I forgive them, if I, if I work things out, the scripture 516 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:18,800 tells me that road leads to life. 517 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:25,480 See, when we, when we follow Jesus, when we follow him, we 518 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:28,040 are called to be those of the last soil. 519 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:33,240 We're called to be good soil. We're called to be good soil. 520 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:42,040 We're called to be people who trust, who trust this, who trust 521 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:44,280 what God says, who trust God's words. 522 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:49,840 You see, when, when we follow Jesus and his words, what Jesus 523 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:55,840 is saying is, is that we produce fruit, that there are effects, 524 00:33:56,600 --> 00:33:59,640 there are ripples from us following Jesus. 525 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:01,120 Then it's, it's bigger than just us. 526 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,800 It says that that those those who were the sea, those who were 527 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:07,960 the ground, whether who received the word that they they they 528 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:12,719 grew up and they produced a crop 100 times more. 529 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:17,280 I mean that seems impossible. What he's saying is is that that 530 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:21,639 when we follow Jesus, when we stay true to his word, God is 531 00:34:21,639 --> 00:34:25,440 producing fruit through you. And yet some of that you will 532 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:29,480 see some of it you may never see until eternity. 533 00:34:30,679 --> 00:34:32,040 I there. I believe there'll be many 534 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:36,520 conversations in eternity. That's where we realise that 535 00:34:36,520 --> 00:34:40,199 thing we did that affected someone we never knew, that 536 00:34:40,199 --> 00:34:42,920 might have even affected generations later. 537 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:47,800 We were talking yesterday and I was just noting that there are 538 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:53,840 churches in London now, in South London, who are still benefiting 539 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:58,720 from Spurgeon. I mean what, 100 and 5200 years 540 00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:01,360 ago. I mean a long time ago him and 541 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:04,520 him and his ministry was about. But there are people still 542 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:08,360 benefiting. I believe if we follow this and 543 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:11,880 then we will find people in eternity who in 100 years time 544 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:15,600 are still benefiting from the fruit that has been reaped from 545 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:17,800 what we have, the lives that we have LED. 546 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,280 You see, see, don't, don't mishear me. 547 00:35:21,720 --> 00:35:24,480 We are not saved because we read this. 548 00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,320 We're not saved because we produce fruit. 549 00:35:28,160 --> 00:35:31,240 Jesus says that we are saved. And using this this lifeboat 550 00:35:31,240 --> 00:35:34,400 analogy, we are saved because Once Upon a time we were lost at 551 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:37,360 sea. We were drowning, we had no 552 00:35:37,360 --> 00:35:42,080 hope, but Jesus came and he sent his lifeline and he pulled us 553 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:44,920 ashore. That is how we are saved. 554 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:47,960 We are saved because of Christ, not because of what we did or 555 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:50,800 because of what we will do, but because of what Christ has done 556 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,160 and who he is. No other reason. 557 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:56,520 We are saved through Jesus Christ and Christ alone. 558 00:35:56,760 --> 00:36:01,920 But just like this, this piece of barley that's been planted by 559 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:07,680 this seed, barley naturally produces a head of a head of 560 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:09,720 corn. It naturally produces fruits. 561 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:15,760 And So what Jesus saying is, is that if we follow him, we're not 562 00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:21,000 saved because we do good works, because we produce fruits. 563 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:24,880 If we follow him, we will just produce good fruits. 564 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:28,480 It's who we are. It's who who we're called to be. 565 00:36:28,480 --> 00:36:32,040 It's what we do. You see, we we're just like a an 566 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:35,120 apple tree. An apple tree produces apples 567 00:36:35,240 --> 00:36:39,760 because it's an apple tree. Christian you are called to. 568 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:43,360 You will produce fruit because you're a Christian. 569 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:47,040 If you are say there's not and Jesus doesn't say there are some 570 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:53,240 Christians who are fruitless and they're a waste of space really. 571 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:56,720 And, and there are other Christians who produce fruit. 572 00:36:56,720 --> 00:36:59,280 No, no, what you're saying is if you're a Christian, if you 573 00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:04,720 follow him, if you, if you study his word, you will just produce 574 00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:09,080 fruit because it's who you are. It's who you are called to be. 575 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:13,520 You know, and, and, and life may get hard at times and if things 576 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:16,440 get expensive, time may be short. 577 00:37:17,240 --> 00:37:24,080 But we worship a God revealed in his scriptures who has not just 578 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:28,440 overcome the world. We have an amazing illustration 579 00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:34,680 in Scripture of the the chaos waters and a boat really 580 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:36,920 struggling in those chaos waters. 581 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:41,800 And then we have Jesus, our God who hasn't just overcome. 582 00:37:42,280 --> 00:37:44,000 He just walks on the chaos waters. 583 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:50,360 He takes a stroll on them, all evil, all injustice. 584 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:56,600 He tramples it under his feet, but he not only walks on it. 585 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:04,840 If we follow him, he says, take my hand and we get to walk on it 586 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:06,720 too. That doesn't mean we don't go 587 00:38:06,720 --> 00:38:10,280 through hard times. That means that we are more than 588 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:13,560 conquerors. It means that we get to 589 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:15,640 overcome. It means that when money is 590 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:21,160 tight, we can trust. We can supernaturally trust when 591 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:24,920 energy is short. We can supernaturally trust when 592 00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:30,600 all you have in your own self it is tiredness and you're not 593 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:32,720 really wanting to be around people today. 594 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:38,000 Actually, God, the hope of glory is in you and you are able to 595 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:42,760 encourage and love, not because you're good, but because the 596 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:47,920 King lives in you. He has enabled us to overcome. 597 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:51,800 See, we are called to bring life to this lost and broken worlds. 598 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:57,600 But what we're going to be looking at in this series is, is 599 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:02,120 we don't just save people so they can have a nice time on the 600 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:06,440 beach. You are saved people and saved 601 00:39:06,440 --> 00:39:11,880 people saved people as what we are called to do and we can we 602 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:16,360 start by knowing what we're saving them to by knowing the 603 00:39:16,360 --> 00:39:21,680 Saviour, by knowing his word, by focusing on his navigational 604 00:39:21,680 --> 00:39:24,720 system. Like I said, our first value is 605 00:39:24,720 --> 00:39:27,800 biblical truth. That this that I want to be a 606 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,240 person. I want you to be people. 607 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:35,840 I want this to be a church that that that bases its life upon 608 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:39,960 his scriptures. And maybe you're sat here today 609 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:42,680 and you know that you're not building your life on these 610 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:45,160 scriptures. Maybe you know that you haven't 611 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:51,520 lived your life on Christ the rock and you're adrift today. 612 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:55,680 You can find mercy today. You can find grace today you can 613 00:39:55,680 --> 00:39:58,880 say, Jesus, I want to follow you on and put my life upon you, 614 00:40:00,240 --> 00:40:05,200 upon your foundation. And for the rest of us, like I 615 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:08,160 said, to be we're, we're, we want. 616 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:13,800 I don't want just a load of people sat in seats coming every 617 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:16,120 Sunday. I want people who say I'm on 618 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:19,960 mission with you. I want to, I want to give, I 619 00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:22,240 want to serve. I want to, I want to be united 620 00:40:22,240 --> 00:40:23,880 with you. I want to show up. 621 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:30,600 But regardless of how you feel, where you think, think that you 622 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:35,000 are, whether that's for you right now, every single one of 623 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:40,320 us today, Jesus saying, will you commit to building your life 624 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:44,760 upon his words? Will you commit to building your 625 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:47,600 life upon the truth revealed in Scripture? 626 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:53,040 Don't just read it. Don't just hear it, but live it 627 00:40:53,320 --> 00:40:58,640 out. Study its coordinates, trust the 628 00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:04,040 instrument, and you will not only avoid going, being cast 629 00:41:04,040 --> 00:41:09,080 adrift, shipwrecked on rocks, but you will lead yourself into 630 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:13,320 the life that Jesus has for you and many, many others. 631 00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:16,680 Can we pray? Let's pray. 632 00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:20,320 Lord Jesus, I want to thank you for your word. 633 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:24,960 God, I want to thank you that even though some of it is really 634 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:28,920 hard to understand, Lord Jesus, some of it we need to, we need 635 00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:32,600 to, we need to Mull over and Mull over Lord Jesus, Lord God. 636 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:35,400 But the fact remains that it is good. 637 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:41,000 Lord Jesus, it is your very word spoken to us, Lord Jesus, and I 638 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:45,200 want to thank you that you have given us this word so that we 639 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:49,480 can build our lives on the firm foundation, Lord Jesus. 640 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:52,920 And I pray, Lord God, if there's any here that haven't built 641 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:56,000 their lives on your firm foundation, Lord Jesus, if 642 00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:00,520 there's any here who once wanted to, but if but have gone astray, 643 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:04,720 maybe those who've got and got distracted by the wind and the 644 00:42:04,720 --> 00:42:08,760 waves, who've been choked out by the weeds or God, what they've 645 00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:14,360 become more interested in, in, in money and job and, and other 646 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:15,840 things. Or Jesus, I pray, Lord God, that 647 00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:17,600 you would bring them back to you today. 648 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:22,200 Lord Jesus, I pray, Lord God, that we would be a church that 649 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:28,720 is united after you, Lord God, and as we prioritise getting to 650 00:42:28,720 --> 00:42:32,640 know you through your scriptures, that we as a church, 651 00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:37,920 we as a people would produce a harvest 100 times greater than 652 00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:39,600 we are. Amen. 653 00:42:40,600 --> 00:42:41,120 Amen.