Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/ubc/sermons/89225/you-belong-to-jesus/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] Welcome, Nazareth, in the turning arms of my first King. There is peace that I'm blessed, God.

[0:39] Hope that's in the blood. There's future grace that's mine today. That Jesus Christ was born.

[0:53] So I can face tomorrow. For tomorrow's in your hands. All I need you will provide.

[1:07] This I do always have. No matter what time's that way. You've already won.

[1:21] No matter what time's that way. I'll never come.

[1:31] Don't know what you'll do. But I know what you'll do. I'll find you that you'll do.

[1:45] I'll never see.

[1:57] I'll never see. I'll never see. You'll still need me. You'll still need me.

[2:08] You'll still need my help. You'll fix my eyes. Thank you.

[2:45] Thank you.

[3:15] Thank you.

[3:45] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[3:57] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[4:09] Thank you. Thank you. I know. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[4:21] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[4:31] You must save your mighty face. No more being in life for death.

[4:49] Oh, I know how the story ends. We will believe you. We will believe you again.

[5:02] You're my Savior. You're my Savior. You're my Jesus. No more fear. No more fear, I know.

[5:17] I know how the story ends. Oh, we know, we know how it is.

[5:27] I'm not in your body. You're nowhere to go. No matter what comes that way.

[5:42] I will know. I know, we don't know what you're doing. I know what you're doing for.

[5:53] I'm not in your body. I will be here anymore. I'm fighting a battle.

[6:16] I'm fighting a battle. You've already won. I know, we don't know what you're doing. No matter what comes my way.

[6:30] I will hold a call. I don't know what you're doing. But I know what you've done.

[6:42] I'm fighting a battle. I know what you've already won. I know what you've done. I know what you've done.

[6:53] Good morning, everybody. Good morning. Good morning to you all. Very warm welcome to Union Baptist Church. It's great to see you all for this time together. My name's Andrew.

[7:04] I'm one of the pastors here. It's my pleasure to welcome you. Welcome to those who are joining us on the live stream this morning. And welcome to those who are with us here in person. For those who are with us here in person, we have an opportunity to spend an extended time together this morning as we're going to share a lunch after the service.

[7:22] And then we're going to have an open meeting to explore our vision and strategy for the year ahead. So we do hope that most of you can join us for that time after the service. This part of our time together is an opportunity for us to praise God, to listen to what he has to say to us through his word, to receive from him and to respond to him as we share around the communion table later in the service.

[7:46] Our children, young people are going to be with us for the first part of the service. And then we'll pray for them before they go out to their various groups and activities in the rooms behind me. As we prepare to worship now, let's just pause for a moment and focus our thoughts on God.

[8:02] And then I'll lead us in a prayer. Lord God, we come to you and we're thankful for the privilege it is to be able to come to this place to meet with you.

[8:26] We pray that you would help us to put you at the center of everything that we do here today. May our worship be pleasing to you. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. And then I invite you to stand if you're able and our music group are going to lead us as we praise God together.

[8:41] Amen. Amen.

[8:56] Thank you.

[9:26] Thank you.

[9:56] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[10:08] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[10:24] Forever God is strong, forever God is weak, forever. Forever God is faithful, forever God is strong, forever God is weak, forever.

[10:54] Forever. From the rising to the setting sun, His love enters forever.

[11:09] On the grace of God, we will carry on, His love enters forever. Sing praise, sing praise.

[11:27] Sing praise, sing praise. Sing praise, sing praise.

[11:40] Sing praise, sing praise. Forever God is strong, forever God is weak, forever.

[11:51] Forever God is faithful, forever God is strong, forever God is with us, forever.

[12:09] Forever God is strong, forever God is with us, forever God is with us, forever God is with us, forever. We thank you, Lord, that you are the same yesterday, today, and forever.

[12:23] Even though our situations may change, often change, we don't know what's going to happen one day to the next. But we thank you for the assurance that you give us that you are the same.

[12:35] You will be tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and you will be forever. And we want to praise you, not just with our song, but with our devotion to you in our whole lives.

[12:45] Let's receive our lives as an offering, and yeah, the sound of our voices as a token of our praise to you this morning. Thank you for how great you are. Amen. Let's continue to worship God.

[12:56] This is an action song, so please follow Bethany. She leads us in the actions, and we're going to praise God together with our whole bodies. Lord, I hope to sing your praises.

[13:36] I'm so glad you're in my life. I'm so glad you came to save us.

[13:47] You came from heaven to earth, to show the way, from the earth to the cross. I let you pay, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky.

[14:05] Lord, I lift your name, O Lord. Lord, I lift your name, O Lord.

[14:17] Lord, I love to sing your praises. I'm so glad you're in my life.

[14:28] I'm so glad you came to save us. You came from heaven to earth, to show the way, from the earth to the cross.

[14:44] My death to break, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky. Lord, I lift your name, O Lord.

[14:56] Amen. Deeply sit down. Amen. Now, I just want to share a few notices of things which are coming up.

[15:09] The first one, most important, I've already mentioned, but in case you missed that at the start. Today, following the service, we have a lunch, and you're all welcome. Thank you for those who've signed up already, but I'm sure if it's the first time you've heard about it, you'd be very, very welcome to join us.

[15:25] I'll give you further instructions after the service, but we're going to be up in the rooms in the hub behind me. So we look forward to spending that time together. And that'll be followed by an interactive meeting, about an hour long, just to share about our vision and our plans for the year ahead.

[15:41] So we do hope you can join us for that time. Great opportunity to get to know one another as well. Next Sunday is a guest service, and we're going to be looking at the topic of big questions.

[15:53] So this is an ideal service to invite your friends to, your family, family members, neighbors, colleagues, particularly if people kind of got questions about the Christian faith.

[16:04] And we're going to be looking at this question of how can we trust the Bible. So I do commend that to you, and please think about who you could invite along to that service next week. A couple of things happening very soon that we commend to you as well to invite people to.

[16:18] The first one is that we have a new course of the Job Club Steps to Employment course, which is going to be starting on the 28th of January. This is an ideal course for anyone who is looking at a change of employment or looking at exploring different options, or for anyone who's been out of work for some time, it's a great opportunity to give you skills, give you ideas, and give you confidence for that next step in your journey, whether that's towards employment or seeking volunteering opportunities or training opportunities.

[16:46] So please grab a leaflet, which looks like that. They're through in the information welcome area. Do please grab one of them. And that's starting a week on Wednesday. And the other thing that's starting a week on Wednesday is the Alpha course.

[16:59] So we've currently got an evening Alpha course, which is still continuing, but we're starting a new Daytime Alpha course, which will be running on Wednesday mornings, 10.30 till 12. It's a great opportunity to ask questions, explore the big questions of what's the meaning of life?

[17:14] Does God exist? How does he fit into that? What do Christians believe? And a really informal atmosphere where you can ask any questions. We do commend that to you. Please sign up online and think about who you could invite along to that.

[17:28] Now, we encourage those who worship with us regularly to pray about giving as part of our worship. And we'll share more about how to do that later. I'm going to say a prayer now to give thanks to God for the gifts that we present to him, however we do that throughout the week and throughout the month.

[17:43] Let's pray. Father God, we thank you for your abundant provision to us. Help us to put you first in everything, including what we do with our time and with our money.

[17:55] Please use the gifts that we present to you to build your kingdom here in High Wycombe and beyond. Amen. Amen. Now, in a moment, the children and young people are going to be going to their groups.

[18:06] If you haven't already registered your child or young person, please, can you accompany them through to the registration desk in the welcome area? And our team there will get you registered and show you where to go.

[18:17] Just to say, Navigators and Trailblazers are meeting in the Memorial Hall today, up on the top in the big hall, because where you normally are is set up for lunch. So we do hope that you have a good time.

[18:27] Now, I'm going to pray for our children and young people, and then they'll go out as we sing the next song. Let's pray. Father God, we thank you for our children and young people and for all the life and energy and enthusiasm and love that they bring to our church family.

[18:44] We pray for them now as they go to spend time in their groups, and we pray for those who are going to be leading them, that you'll bless them. I pray that they'll all have a sense of your Holy Spirit at work, and we pray that they will grow closer to each other and closer to you during this time.

[18:58] We pray that in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. So we're going to stand and sing. Who am I that the highest king? And as we sing, children and young people, you can go through to your groups.

[19:10] Let's stand and praise God together. Amen. Amen. Sorry.

[19:31] Sorry. Can we start again? Sorry. Sorry.

[19:43] Who am I that the highest King would welcome me?

[20:01] I was lost but He brought me His love for me, all His love for me.

[20:14] O'er the sun sets free, O we spring deep, I am child of God, yes I am.

[20:31] Free and lost He has ransomed me, His grace does be. While I was a slave to sin, Jesus died for me, yes He died for me.

[20:54] O'er the sun sets free, O we spring deep, I am child of God, yes I am.

[21:11] In my mother's house, there's a place for me, I am child of God, yes I am.

[21:28] I am chosen, not forsaken, I am who you say I am. You are for me, not against me, I am who you say I am.

[21:46] You are for me, not against me, I am who you say I am. You are for me, not against me, I am who you say I am.

[22:04] I am who you say I am. The sun sets free, O we spring deep, I am child of God, yes I am.

[22:24] In my father's house, there's a place for me, I am child of God, yes I am.

[22:41] In my father's house, there's a place for me, I am child of God, yes I am.

[23:00] In my father's house, there's a place for me, I am child of God.

[23:21] of God. Isn't that lovely? What a wonderful words there are there. And it's as his children. Let's come before him in prayer. Father God, because we are your children, we can call you our Father.

[23:41] We thank you that we can come to you and you're a good, good Father. You only want the best for us and you give us the best. You have a future for us that you know about that is the best place that we can be.

[23:57] And we want to thank you that you're preparing it for us. Father God, I have the privilege of coming and bringing our prayers of intercession to you today as your church, Lord.

[24:08] There are so many concerns we have. But first, we want to acknowledge you as our Father. We want to acknowledge you that your name is holy and we don't want to misuse it in any way.

[24:21] We thank you that we're called by you to be your children. We've been chosen by you. We have a place in your church, Lord. We are part of the bride that will be presented to the Lord Jesus.

[24:35] And we want to thank you. We pray that your will might be done on earth as it is in heaven. And we're sorry when we don't work to do your will. We pray for so many situations in the world.

[24:48] There are certain ones that we'd really want to bring to you, Lord. You know what you're doing. But we don't understand what's happening between America and Greenland, between Russia and Ukraine, what's happening in Iran, what's happening with America and Venezuela, what's happening in Africa, in the Sudan, in Yemen, in what's happening in Palestine with the Israelis.

[25:17] Oh, Father, this is all too much for us. We thank you that you have a plan and a purpose. And nothing can happen without your plan being accomplished. And we thank you for that. We trust you for the future in those areas.

[25:30] Father God, we want to thank you that not only is Jesus at your right hand interceding for us, so is the Holy Spirit, Lord. Even with groans when we don't know what to pray, he knows how to interpret them.

[25:43] So you know what's on each of our minds, what we would like to bring to you today. And we ask, Lord, that the things that we bring to you are great big things that we don't seem to be able to do anything about, but we know that you can.

[25:57] So in just a minute's quiet, Lord, there may be one thing on each of our minds that we want to bring to you that would seem impossible. But you're a great God. There's nothing impossible for you.

[26:08] Would you hear our prayers individually as we bring them to use quietly? May there be one prayer brought to you, Lord, our Father, for you to have your will.

[26:19] We offer you our lives this morning too. So in this quiet time, Lord, hear our prayers. Father, it hurts us to see so much killing in the world today.

[26:53] What it must do for yours. You created us, Lord, in your image, and we don't seem to be behaving in that way. We ask you to forgive us our sins and help us to forgive those who upset us, who hurt us, who sin against us.

[27:12] Help us to be a forgiving people. We ask you to lead us away from testing and temptations where we might fail. We ask for your will to be done in our lives.

[27:25] We ask you to deliver us from anything that is evil in our lives today and draw us close to you. We pray for your church here, Lord. You know the plans that we have, but we want those plans to be your plans.

[27:40] So I ask you to make it clear to the church and the leadership your plans for the future here. We commit all the meetings that are coming up that you will be the priority in our meetings.

[27:52] It will be your will that we want done. So hear our prayers, Father, and answer them according to your will and your purpose because you know what's best for us. Thank you that you promise to hear our prayers and answer them in the time that you choose.

[28:10] Hear our prayer in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Good morning.

[28:30] If you would like to follow this morning's reading using the church Bibles, you'll find it on page 1149. Last week we resumed our exploration of 1 Corinthians in chapter 7 with the first 16 verses.

[28:51] Today's reading follows on from that and from the very first word it has a continuing link from that passage we read last week.

[29:02] So 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verses 17 to 40. Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them just as God has called them.

[29:24] This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised.

[29:36] Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts.

[29:51] Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you.

[30:03] Although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord's freed person.

[30:13] Similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price. Do not become slaves of human beings.

[30:27] Brothers and sisters, each person as responsible to God should remain in the situation they were in when God called them. Now about virgins, I have no command from the Lord but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy.

[30:46] Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released.

[30:58] Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.

[31:12] But those who marry will face many troubles in this life. And I want to spare you this. What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short.

[31:24] From now on, those who have wives should live as if they do not. Those who mourn as if they did not. Those who are happy as if they were not.

[31:36] Those who buy something as if it were not theirs to keep. Those who use the things of the world as if it not engrossed in them.

[31:47] For this world in its present form is passing away. I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs.

[32:01] How he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world. How he can please his wife. And his interests are divided.

[32:12] An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs. Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world.

[32:27] How she can please her husband. I'm saying this for your own good. Not to restrict you. But that you may live in a right way.

[32:38] In undivided devotion to the Lord. If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably towards the virgin he is engaged to.

[32:49] And if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry. He should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married.

[33:01] But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind. Who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will. And who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin.

[33:13] This man also does the right thing. So then. He who marries the virgin does right. But he who does not marry her does better.

[33:26] A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies. She is free to marry anyone she wishes. But he must belong to the Lord.

[33:40] In my judgment. She is happier if she stays as she is. And I think that I too have the spirit of God. We thank the Lord for his precious word.

[33:51] Amen. Amen. Thanks so much Bill for that.

[34:07] Let's pray together. Father as we come into your presence again. God we pray that you will open our eyes and ears. And yeah hear what.

[34:17] Help us to hear what we need to hear. Put aside what we don't need to hear. Father speak clearly to us I pray in your name. Amen. Good morning. Great to be together again this morning.

[34:31] My name is Andy. For those who do not know who I am. And this morning we're continuing on through our sermon series. That we started back in September.

[34:42] On being his loving servant and worshipping church. Taken from our vision statements behind me. And we've been using the book of 1 Corinthians.

[34:53] To help us explore this calling. It's a letter from the Apostle Paul. To the Christian church in the city of Corinth. Addressing deep divisions. Divisions.

[35:04] Sexual immorality. Disputes over idols. And disorder in worship. And as we've learned already. It doesn't shy away from the hard issues.

[35:16] And as a result. There are parts of this letter. That we'd often prefer to avoid. Because well. We don't speak about that in church do we? The reality is though.

[35:28] And as we've been hearing. From our life groups. And as we've been hearing. Some of the discussion. In and around these passages each week. The reality is.

[35:38] It turns out. We do actually like to talk about this stuff. And what a privilege it is. As a church family. To wrestle with these issues.

[35:49] To journey together. In learning and allowing God. Not the world. To shape us into the church. That he wants us to be. So today we're looking at the second half.

[36:02] Of chapter 7. After Andrew took us through the first half. Last week. And we'll be learning something very. Very significant. It's a truth that steadies the Christian life.

[36:14] It's a truth that anchors us. In every season. And it should guide every decision. And comfort us. In every struggle. And it is this. That you belong to Jesus.

[36:29] Paul reminds the Corinthians. That the most important thing. About any of us. Isn't our relationship status. It isn't our background. Or even the plans we've mapped out before us.

[36:40] Or maybe even our ability to play football. As the images here might show. The most important thing. Like these players are trying to tell us. Is that we belong to Jesus.

[36:55] Paul's writing here to believers. Who are confused. Anxious. Overwhelmed. And unsure what to do with their lives. Marriage. Singleness. Calling. Work. Culture. Identity.

[37:06] And right in the middle of all of those questions. And concerns. Paul's message is simple. Your circumstances don't define you.

[37:17] Christ does. Where you are is not random. Who you are is not accidental. You belong to Jesus. And those amazing four words.

[37:28] Should shape everything. Today we're going to explore three truths. From this passage. That can help us in our ongoing journey. To becoming.

[37:39] His loving. Serving. And worshiping church. And the first truth is this. That you belong to Jesus. Right where you are. I'm sure many of us.

[37:50] At some stage of our lives. Have asked a question. Along the lines of. Does my life matter. The way it is right now. As teenagers.

[38:00] We might ask that question. When we feel overlooked. Or maybe unsure where we fit. As young adults. We might ask it. When life feels a little bit uncertain. Delayed or off schedule.

[38:13] As grown adults. We might ask it. Maybe when we're feeling stretched thin. Or exhausted. Or when we feel unseen. Or misunderstood. As older adults. We might ask.

[38:25] When we wonder what chapter we're in. Right now. Different ages. Different seasons. But the same question. And the church in Corinth.

[38:35] Was asking this question too. They were believers. Saved. Sincere. Growing. But they were unsettled. With their lives. And our passage today.

[38:45] The Apostle Paul speaks directly. Into that uncertainty. With a message. That is both grounding. And freeing. If you belong to Jesus.

[38:57] Your life has meaning. Right where you are. Right now. And because of that. Your calling isn't postponed. By your circumstances. God's not waiting for you.

[39:09] To improve. Or change. Before he works. Through you. God calls us. In real life. Not ideal.

[39:19] Life. And it's an important message. That Paul is using here. That underpins. What we learned last week. And what we're looking at this week. Found here.

[39:30] In verse 17. Each person should live as a believer. In whatever situation. The Lord has assigned them to. Just as God has called them. A command he repeats three times.

[39:42] In this chapter. Adding the phrase. Remain in. As we see in verses 20. And 24. Now what he's not saying here.

[39:53] Is by remaining. Is that you should never change. Anything about your life. He's not saying we should never change jobs. Move house. Accept that promotion.

[40:04] Start a family. I mean after all. Paul's circumstances. Certainly changed. When he met. The risen Christ. What he is saying. Is that our spiritual identity.

[40:14] Is not defined. By changing. Our earthly context. And therefore. As followers of Jesus. We shouldn't allow. Social pressures. Of whatever sort.

[40:26] Force us into thinking. That the most important thing. Or our priority. Is change. Our status. Paul gives us two examples. To explain this.

[40:38] In verse 19. We read. Circumcision is nothing. And uncircumcision is nothing. Keep God's commands. Is what counts. Paul's point. Is that social.

[40:49] Cultural. Ethnic. Or even gender distinctions. Are nothing. Compared to the new life. In which through the gospel. All Christians. Are brought together.

[40:59] As one. As we've already learned. Earlier. In this series. And none. Of these other things. Determine. Your standing. With God.

[41:10] What matters. Is obedience. To God. Not human. Labels. You. Belong. To Jesus. Not. Your culture. Imagine.

[41:21] You're at an airport. I'm sure. Many of us. Are dreaming of that. Right now. Dreaming of that. Warmer. Climate. And I've always wondered. When we check in. Where my case disappears.

[41:32] To. It shoots off. Through that conveyor belt. It gets tossed around. It goes into places. You'll never see. It may be moved. It may get delayed. It may get rerouted.

[41:43] To the wrong airport. But we hope not. But one thing. That stays the same. The name. On the tag. No matter where the suitcase goes. The tag declares. This belongs.

[41:54] To someone. This isn't lost. Your circumstances. May shift. But the tag. On your life. Always says. Belongs. To Jesus. You are never.

[42:05] Lost. Never. Ownerless. Never. Abandoned. And his next example. Is slave or free. As he refers. In verses. 21 to 23.

[42:15] Paul says. Even. If someone. Were a servant. In the first century. They could still. Live. As a free person. In Christ. And if someone. Was socially free. They were still.

[42:26] Christ's servant. Why? Because Jesus. Purchased them. With his blood. The world. Might try to shame us. Our past.

[42:36] Might try. To shame us. Our circumstances. Might try. To limit us. But Jesus says. You are mine. God uses us. Wherever.

[42:47] We are. I mean. Imagine. The potter's. Table. The potter's. Clay. The clay. Doesn't choose. Its position. On the wheel. Does it? It doesn't say. Put me on a different wheel.

[42:58] It simply. Submits. To the potter's. Hands. Right where it is. Already placed. The beauty. Is not in the clay situation. But in the potter's. Skill.

[43:09] You are not. Where you are. By accident. You are on. The potter's. Wheel. And the potter. Knows exactly. What he is. Shaping. Stay. In the place.

[43:20] God has assigned. He tells us. And it tells us. That we then. Therefore. Fit. God's. Kingdom. Plan. Now. Exactly. Where we are.

[43:32] Because. Where you are. Is where God. Can work. Who you are. Is who God. Can use. Why? I hope you're getting the message. This morning. Because you.

[43:43] Belong. To Jesus. Our second truth. This morning. Is you belong to Jesus. Through every. Relationship. The Corinthians. Had major questions. About marriage.

[43:53] And singleness. The culture. Was confused. About relationships. Much like ours. Is today. And Paul. Gives gentle. Pastoral. Guidance.

[44:03] And advice. And builds. On the advice. That he's given. In the previous. Verses. Firstly. He tells them. If you are single. You belong to Jesus. Paul.

[44:13] Says. Singleness. Can be a gift. Not a curse. Not a failure. Not a waiting room. For real life. Why? He says. Because being single. Allows for a unique. Kind of devotion.

[44:24] To Christ. That it was a message. That really resonated. With the Christians. In Corinth. At the time. And particularly. The young women. Who were under massive. Pressure to marry.

[44:36] And have children. Who you are. As a Christian. He's telling them. Is more important. Than your changing. Social status. Because your life. Can be undivided.

[44:46] In its focus. Your energy. Can be centered. On the things of God. Your identity. Is rooted in Christ. Not romance. Hear this. Clearly. Singleness.

[44:56] Doesn't make you less. Marriage. Doesn't make you more. Christ. Makes you whole. And we can trust. Our current lives. And circumstances. To him. Because God.

[45:06] Knows us. More than we know us. God loves us. More than we love us. God is more committed. To our ultimate joy. Than we are.

[45:17] And so. We can trust. In him. Paul then. Affirms marriage. As well. We learn that marriage. Is honorable. It is good. It is blessed.

[45:27] By God. But again. He tells us. Marriage is not our source. Of identity. Jesus is. Marriage is a gift. Not a God. Sam Albury.

[45:38] In his book. Seven Myths About Singleness. Writes. The issue is not whether. This path. Or that path. Is better. Whether singleness. Or marriage. Would bring me more good. The issue is God.

[45:50] And whether I will plunge myself. Into him. Trusting him. Every day. David famously reminds us. In Psalm 23. Six. That surely goodness. And mercy. Shall follow me.

[46:00] All the days of my life. A more literal translation. Of follow. Is the word pursue. We're not going to be able. To get away. From God's goodness.

[46:11] And mercy. He says. The like. A spiritual motorcade. That will always. Accompany us. The more we grasp this. The less. Either marriage. Or singleness.

[46:21] Should ultimately. Matter to us. Let's aim. For more of God. Assured that. Whatever happens. We will never. Outpace. His kindness. As I mentioned.

[46:31] Back in November. When we looked. At the whole. Subject of identity. Children. Who are adopted. Don't stumble. Into a family. They are chosen.

[46:42] Loved on purpose. Brought home. Intentionally. Given a new name. And identity. When Paul says. You were bought. With a price.

[46:53] He's using. Adoption. Language. You're in God's family. Not by accident. But by deliberate love. Whether single. Or married. Our core identity.

[47:03] Is belonging. And as a result. This reshapes. How we date. How we marry. How we love. How we commit. How we view family. How we handle seasons.

[47:13] Of longing. And loneliness. Our relationship status. Is not our identity. Christ is. Because we. Belong. To Jesus. The final truth.

[47:25] From this passage. This morning. Is that you belong. To Jesus. For purpose. And glory. Paul ends this section. By reminding them. That this world. Is passing away. That doesn't mean.

[47:37] Life and the world. Around us. Doesn't matter. But it does mean. That Christ. Matters more. And in our passage. Paul offers. Three reminders. To help us. Understand this.

[47:48] Firstly. Time is short. In verse 29. He says this. Not to create fear. But to create. Focus. Don't live. Distracted. Don't chase.

[47:59] What won't last. If you belong to Jesus. You live. With eternal. Purpose. Keep your eyes. Fixed. On him. The world.

[48:10] Is temporary. It's something else. He says. Verse 31. Success fades. Beauty fades. Wealth fades. Human applause. Will also. Fade. But the one.

[48:21] Who belongs to Jesus. Lives for something. Beyond. The temporary. And as a result. We live. Differently. Living lives. In which our situation.

[48:32] Doesn't hold us. It's amazing. When you watch. Moored. Or anchored. Boats. Bouncing around. In a storm. Tossed around.

[48:42] By the big waves. It's amazing. That they don't sink. So often. An anchor. Holds them steady. Not by removing. The waves. But by.

[48:53] But by providing. Something deeper. Than the storm. Your job. Your relationship. Status. Your seasons. Of life. Are not. The anchor.

[49:04] Jesus. Is. Because you. Belong to him. Your anchor. Holds. Even when. The storm. Rises. He also. Tells us.

[49:14] That devotion. To Christ. Therefore. Is the priority. It's like. The story. Of Mary. And Martha. From Luke 10. That the youth. Here. At UBC.

[49:25] Looked at. On Friday night. Where two sisters. Were visited. By Jesus. And Mary. Spent time. At Jesus. Feet. Listening. Whereas Martha. Was busy. Cooking.

[49:35] And cleaning. And then Martha. Got upset. About this. And complained. To Jesus. And he replies. Martha. You're worried. About many things. Mary chose. What is better. Martha's problem.

[49:47] Wasn't busyness. It was priority. Martha. Was doing good things. But Mary chose. The best thing. And we can fill our lives. With what we think.

[49:58] Are important things. And they do have importance. But let's not let good things. Distract us. From the best thing. The goal is not a particular lifestyle.

[50:09] The goal is a life. Centered on Jesus. Whatever your season. Whatever your calling. Your purpose. Is to glorify Jesus.

[50:19] Your identity. Is found in Jesus. Your future. Is secure. Is secure. In Jesus. Because you belong. To him. This passage. Paul doesn't give a long list.

[50:30] Of rules for us. It gives a new way. To see. Life. Instead. You're not defined. By your background. Your circumstances. Your relationship status.

[50:41] Your job. Or your past. You're defined by Jesus. You belong to him. Because he. Created you. He. Called you. He bought you.

[50:51] With a price. Because. He loves you. And he's not letting you go. If you. Belong to Jesus. You are loved. You are secure.

[51:02] You are chosen. And you are called. You. Are. His. Please let that settle. Deep. Into your hearts today. We.

[51:13] Belong. To Jesus. And that. Changes. Everything. Let's pray. Father. We thank you.

[51:23] That we. Belong. To you. Together. We ask. For your guidance. In this season. Of our lives. Whatever.

[51:34] That looks like. Help us. To trust. You. With our. Relationships. With our work. With our decisions. And with. Our future. Give us wisdom.

[51:46] Peace. And courage. As we follow you. And your will. For our lives. Day. By day. Keep our hearts. Focused. On you.

[51:57] Above. Everything. Else. As we seek. To become. The loving. Serving. Worshipping. Church. That you. Have called us. To be. Jesus.

[52:08] We. Are yours. Amen. Thank you.

[52:28] Thank you so much. Andy. We're going to have some time. To. Reflect. on that message now and as we prepare to come to the communion table and share that time of communion we can remember and we can respond in receiving communion to that wonderful truth that we belong to Jesus because we were bought by him at a price and that price has been paid by his body and his blood.

[52:56] As we prepare to come to the Lord's table we're going to sing take my life and let it be and I just encourage you to let this be your prayer of response to God in response to his word to us.

[53:10] Let's stand and sing together. Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee Take my long and spend my days Let them flow in ceaseless praise Take my hands and hand and move

[54:18] Take my voice and let them be Take my feet and let them be Swift and beautiful for me Take my voice and let me sing Always only for my King Take my voice and let them be Take my voice and let them be Take my voice and let them be Take my voice and let them be Filled with messages of thee Take my spirit and my voice

[55:20] Take my voice and let them be Take my voice and let them be Take my voice and let them be I hear you and head and use Every blood of Christ love shall do Take my hand and take me time It shall be no longer mine Take my heart and take things I know It shall be my royal throne

[56:21] Take my heart and my Lord And I feed His precious soul Take in myself and I will be And I will be my Lord Amen. Do please sit down.

[57:00] If I can ask those who are helping to serve communion down here to come and join me at the table. Thank you. So as we come to share in communion together we remember that Jesus shared a meal with His disciples the night before He died.

[57:32] And as He shared bread He said this is my body for you and as He shared a cup of wine He said this is my covenant a new covenant that I'm making with you in my blood. And He told us to break bread and share wine in a similar way to remember this and remember what He's done for us.

[57:53] As we prepare for this time let's take a moment to examine ourselves and confess to God the ways that we've let Him down before we come to share in this meal. Let's pray together.

[58:09] Lord we look at our own lives and we realize we don't deserve to come close to you. We are sorry for the ways that our hearts have been against you and not for you.

[58:21] We've sometimes chosen to join in with those around us rather than being obedient to you. We have sometimes wished for something other than what you've given us. We have sometimes wished to be like somebody else.

[58:34] We have sought identity in things other than in being your sons and daughters. But we thank you that you give us a new start. You give us new life.

[58:46] You give us forgiveness. And you give us a family. We're so thankful that you have done this for us through the death of your son Jesus. In His name.

[58:59] Amen. This meal is a celebration of the fact that we're put right with God by the grace that He's shown to us in Jesus.

[59:10] We celebrate the love that God has shown to us in sending His son Jesus to make the sacrifice for our sins, paying the penalty that should be ours to pay.

[59:22] What we'll do in a moment after we've given thanks is to pass around plates of bread and invite you, if you're taking part in this meal, to each take a piece of bread and eat it as you receive it as a reminder that Jesus has died for each one of us as individuals.

[59:42] On each plate of bread, excuse me, there is a smaller metal dish with gluten-free bread in it, so please take that one if you prefer. Afterwards, we'll pass around the trays which have small cups of non-alcoholic wine and when you receive that, we ask you to hold on to it and wait until we've served everybody and then we'll wait when everyone's been served, we'll drink together as a reminder that we've been saved into this wonderful new family of God.

[60:14] Sharing in Holy Communion is something that we take part in as individuals who've decided to follow Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. that's between us and God and if that's something that you're not sure about or haven't made a decision about yet or not ready for yet, then please feel free just to let the trays pass you by but take this time just to be quiet and to listen and watch and observe and listen to what God may be saying to you as we share in this time.

[60:45] Let's pray as we give thanks for what we're sharing here. Lord, we come to your table for this small meal and we thank you for the reminder of the new covenant which was sealed in Jesus' blood.

[61:00] Thank you that we were bought as a price, at a price so that we can be called your own. Thank you for the gift of faith and this outward faith, this outward sign of us exercising that gift, trusting that we are put right with you by your sacrifice.

[61:18] help us to remember what you've done for us with thankfulness. Amen. So remember that Jesus, as he broke the bread, he said, this is my body which is for you.

[61:34] Do this in remembrance of me. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[61:45] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[62:48] Amen. Amen.

[63:48] Amen. Amen.

[64:19] the new covenant sealed by my blood. Whenever you drink this, do this in memory of me.

[65:18] Do this in memory of me.

[65:48] Do this in memory of me.

[66:18] Do this in memory of me.

[66:48] Do this in memory of me.

[67:18] Do this in memory of me.

[67:48] Do this in memory of me.

[68:14] Let's drink together, remembering the new covenant that Christ has sealed for us. Let's pray.

[68:31] Amen.

[69:03] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[69:15] Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you.

[70:19] Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my soul.

[70:31] This whole, this whole, this whole, it come. Fall through the forces, drought and storm.

[70:44] While there's a love, what there's a peace. When fear I steal, when strivings cease.

[70:56] By comfort, by O-I-O. Here in the love of Christ I stand.

[71:08] In Christ alone, we're to confluence.

[71:26] Oh, less of God in helpless pain. This fear of love and righteousness.

[71:39] Scorned by the ones he came to save. Till of that cross, as Jesus died.

[71:50] Thereof a God was satisfied. For every sin on him was made.

[72:02] Here in the death of Christ I stand. Here in the love of Christ I stand.

[72:20] Here in the love of Christ I stand. Here in the love of God. Light up the world by darkness slain Then thirsting for him glorious day Up from the grave he rose again And as he stands in victory Since Christ has lost his grip on me For I am his and he is mine Born with the precious blood of Christ No guilt in life, no fear in death

[73:24] This is the power of Christ in me No place but cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no sleep of man Can ever love me from his hand Till he returns, no hope but cry to final breath Here in the power of Christ in me No power of hell, no sleep of man No power of hell, no sleep of man Till he returns, no hope but cry to final breath Amen

[74:36] Amen Do please sit down Just like to explain to you briefly What's going to happen next To some of the brothers something you'd like to talk through that's going on right now for you or something that you've sense God is prompting you, speaking to you through the passage that's been shared today, we'd love to talk that through with you and pray with you. So do please take that opportunity.

[75:42] After you've had a coffee, please make your way up to the main hall and the memorial lounge. That's in the hub. And if you're new to us and you don't know your way around this building, please just ask someone and follow other people. They'll be walking up that way. We're going to have lunch in the main hall, which is the one with the blue carpet, the big one, and in the memorial lounge, which is the one with the grey floor. And there's tables set out there. What we're going to ask you to do is sit at a table. What we're going to ask you to do is to please sit with people that you don't know, because part of the aim of what we're doing today, this lunch, this time together, is to help us to get to know each other. Now some caveats to that, if you're here caring for someone, please make sure you sat with the person that you're caring for.

[76:22] If you're a parent of primary school children or younger, please make sure you're sat with your children so you can supervise them and look after them. But we encourage everyone to sit with people that they don't know. So please don't just gravitate to the people that you see. Just wave to them and say hi, and then sit with people that you don't know so you can get to know them. There should be some sticky name labels on the table so you can write your name, stick it on, and that'll help us to get to know each other's names as well. And there's one name place already on the table.

[76:51] That's for the table host. The table host is someone I've already spoken to that's going to kind of be one on each table, and they're going to look after the tables. And if you're a table host, look for the signs on the doors that shows you which table that you're on, and they'll be able to locate your table. Sorry, there's a few logistics, but we're getting there. The table hosts will fetch the food for your table, unless you've got dietary requirements, and then you'll follow the instructions. There'll be separate instructions for you to go to the hatch to get your food.

[77:24] For the lunch, we're not charging for the food today. However, if you'd like to make a donation towards the meal, we have a card reader, which is currently in the welcome area that will be up in the main hall later on. We also have a cash offertory box, which is here on your way out of the chapel. Do feel free to make use of that if you'd like to make a donation.

[77:44] After the lunch, we're going to leave the tables in the memorial lounge, the smaller of the two rooms. We're going to pack up the tables in the main hall, because we're going to have our meeting in there. So in the main hall, we're going to stay in there for our meeting. We'll pack up the tables after the lunch and rearrange the seats. And then we'll have our open meeting, which is open to everyone. We're going to explore the vision and the strategy for this year. It's going to last about an hour. It'll be an interactive time. Do commend that to you, so I hope you can stay for that.

[78:11] I'm going to say a prayer to round up this part of our time and also to give thanks for the food that we will be sharing shortly. Let's pray. Lord God, we thank you for meeting with us.

[78:24] Thank you for the time that we can spend together now. We give you thanks for the food that we're about to eat and for the work of those who have prepared it. Please bless it to us. Help us to get to know one another and be a blessing to those we spend time with now. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. God bless and hopefully see you over coffee and then lunch.