WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.179 today we will explore more closely at the why, the what and the how of change. The deep spiritual 00:00:11.179 --> 00:00:20.900 change that brings our character more and more in line with God's character. Well, why are we 00:00:20.900 --> 00:00:29.320 concerned about change? We are made in the image of God. We were made to be God's image on earth. 00:00:29.320 --> 00:00:38.140 We are God's representatives. We are to display his likeness. God created man in his own image. 00:00:38.299 --> 00:00:45.299 In the image of God, he created them. Male and female, he created them. But there's a problem, 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:54.620 isn't there? Because the problem is that we now have a broken image because humanity has rejected 00:00:54.619 --> 00:01:06.920 God. So we try to live our lives our way and we mess things up. We struggle to be God's image on earth. 00:01:07.959 --> 00:01:16.799 And God's verdict is all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Then enter in Jesus. 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:23.640 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 00:01:25.219 --> 00:01:32.120 Scripture tells us the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, 00:01:32.280 --> 00:01:41.140 the glory of the one and only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus is the glory 00:01:41.140 --> 00:01:53.340 of the Father. He makes God known in this world. He is God in human form. And so he shows us what it 00:01:53.340 --> 00:02:02.359 means to be the image of God and to reflect God's glory, to reflect his love, his goodness, his beauty, 00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:12.800 his purity, his judgment, his splendor, his power, his wisdom and his majesty. Jesus reflected all of these 00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:24.439 things in his actions, in his attitudes and in his thoughts. Now I know that many of you here would love to 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:33.960 reflect the image of Jesus in what you say and do and in your attitudes. But many of us also understand 00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:44.840 there is a problem and we cannot do so on our own. Now many of you would actually know that I have been 00:02:44.840 --> 00:02:53.819 learning ballroom dancing for some years. The world ballroom champions, Arunas and Katusha, 00:02:54.439 --> 00:03:01.680 I say that specifically for Sam for a way that he pronounced it this morning. Arunas and Katusha, 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:12.680 for me to watch Arunas and Katusha glide around a dance floor or to watch the power and the intricacy 00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:23.020 of their quick step, the speed of which they go, for me is absolutely fantastic. Now I appreciate 00:03:23.020 --> 00:03:30.080 that not everybody likes ballroom dancing. But let me share with you that the point here 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:40.879 is I have watched Arunas and Katusha for hours, not all at once. But I have watched videos of them, 00:03:41.260 --> 00:03:46.719 I have watched their footwork, so I'd concentrate watching their routines and watch their footwork. 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:51.780 I have then watched their footwork. I have watched their footwork. I have watched their footwork. I have 00:03:51.780 --> 00:03:59.300 watched the videos, how they use their body to sway. All of this I know is very foreign to all of you, 00:03:59.479 --> 00:04:06.060 but these are all very, very important if you're doing ballroom dancing. Now I have also listened to their 00:04:06.060 --> 00:04:16.259 lectures. I've learned a huge amount. I've actually watched their choreography. I've also watched their 00:04:16.259 --> 00:04:24.519 musicality, which is actually how they interpret the music in their dance. Just as a side issue, 00:04:25.259 --> 00:04:30.560 dancing is the visual of the music that you're listening to. That's what it's meant to be. 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:36.259 So now you can watch some dancing and have a different view of it. But that's what it's 00:04:36.259 --> 00:04:41.220 meant to be. And I've watched their musicality and I've learned heaps and heaps and heaps from 00:04:41.220 --> 00:04:50.720 Arunas and Katusha. The problem is I will never dance like Arunas and Katusha as much as I can watch 00:04:50.720 --> 00:05:00.540 them for hours and hours. I also would like to be like Jesus. I can observe him in my life. 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:10.000 In action in the gospels. I can study his life, the life he lived. I can look at the way he loved. 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:21.060 I could try very hard to imitate Jesus. But at best, that would lead only to a small, 00:05:21.060 --> 00:05:29.920 short-lived improvement. And even then, I suspect that the short-lived improvement, 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:39.899 self-improvement, I might add, will cause me to be very proud. I need help. Trying to imitate Jesus 00:05:39.899 --> 00:05:50.040 on my own will only leave me feeling like a failure. I can't be like him on my own. I can't match up. 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:59.340 I need rescuing and I need forgiveness. The great news is that Jesus is not 00:05:59.340 --> 00:06:09.800 only my example. Jesus is my redeemer. He is the one who actually can make me new. 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:19.540 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone. The new has come. Well, what does this 00:06:19.540 --> 00:06:29.860 mean? It means that we are recreated in the image of God. It means in this new life that we all have, 00:06:29.860 --> 00:06:39.139 we have been given, we can grow like Jesus, reflecting God's glory, because God is in the 00:06:39.139 --> 00:06:45.860 business of change. It's not going to happen overnight, but that's the business that God's in. 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:57.280 All the good effort that we can muster and all the obeying sets of rules will not bring lasting change, 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:02.119 but change comes from when we're turning to Jesus and obeying him. 00:07:03.539 --> 00:07:10.179 So we understand the why we need to change. It's because we are made in the image of God, 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:19.439 that we are the image bearers of the creator God. But left to ourselves, we are unable to make 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:31.160 any long-lasting changes that would reflect God's glory. So what then stops us? Well, for us to be 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:41.199 growing in the image of God will mean that we need to understand ourselves and our own motives before 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:51.599 long-lasting change can occur. Ask yourself, why do you want to be a better person? Why do you want to 00:07:51.599 --> 00:07:59.800 be a better parent, a better spouse? You want to hold your temper? You might want to have more compassion? 00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:09.439 Of course, the righteous answer would be, because I want to reflect God's glory. I want to be like 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:18.680 Jesus. And we all know that with our head. But let's just be truly honest between you and me and each 00:08:18.680 --> 00:08:27.759 other. Let's be truly honest with ourselves just for a moment and examine whether there might be 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:39.340 another reason why we want change. Is it to prove yourself to God? For God to give you 00:08:39.340 --> 00:08:48.160 his approval and to say that you are a good person? That God would bless you in a special way 00:08:48.160 --> 00:08:59.480 because of the good that you do? There are many in this world that believe just being a good person 00:08:59.480 --> 00:09:04.780 is sufficient to God to welcome you into his kingdom. 00:09:04.779 --> 00:09:16.059 Or you may well know that we have been saved by grace alone, but by doing some extra good things, 00:09:16.740 --> 00:09:22.579 somehow God is going to love you that little bit more. 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:33.899 I cannot tell you how many times throughout the years of doing ministry where I have sat one-to-one 00:09:33.899 --> 00:09:43.199 with people talking about the gospel. And I asked the question, why do you think God would let you 00:09:43.199 --> 00:09:51.159 into his kingdom? I cannot tell you how many times people have said to me, because I am a good person 00:09:51.159 --> 00:09:56.980 and I have kept the Ten Commandments. Now, when people say they have kept the Ten Commandments, 00:09:57.059 --> 00:10:01.379 what they're actually saying is, I have not murdered anybody. Because seemingly, 00:10:01.379 --> 00:10:10.379 the only commandment people actually remember is, thou shalt not murder. Sadly, what they don't 00:10:10.379 --> 00:10:16.360 ever, I have never in all the years I've done ministry, I've never had somebody say, 00:10:16.939 --> 00:10:22.960 I have kept commandment number one, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:28.279 and all your mind. I've done that perfectly. I've never heard somebody say that. In actual fact, 00:10:28.279 --> 00:10:37.199 it never gets mentioned. Now, you might want to change and be a better person so that you can prove 00:10:37.199 --> 00:10:49.399 yourself to others. You might be a people pleaser, unable to say no. You hate people thinking ill of you, 00:10:49.399 --> 00:10:58.720 and so you work very hard for people to love you and affirm you, but then behind closed doors 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:07.240 and with your family, you behave in a different manner. Consider a Christian who goes to a prayer 00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:15.179 meeting. They go to the prayer meeting because it's expected of them. They might go to the prayer 00:11:15.179 --> 00:11:21.779 meeting because they don't want to be rebuked by their friends who are also at the prayer meeting. 00:11:22.379 --> 00:11:27.199 And really, what they really, really want to be doing is they want to be at home watching TV 00:11:27.199 --> 00:11:35.479 and not being at the prayer meeting. Now, do you think God is actually going to know the heart of 00:11:35.479 --> 00:11:40.620 that person and whether they really should be at the prayer meeting or should be back home 00:11:40.620 --> 00:11:49.679 watching TV because their motive is not with pleasing God. Their motive is with pleasing the 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:56.639 people around them. You might want to change so that you prove something to yourself. 00:11:57.600 --> 00:12:04.539 You want to tell yourself that you're a good person, but your sin causes you to be ashamed 00:12:04.539 --> 00:12:13.039 because you expect something better of yourself. For example, if you have a problem with anger and when 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:23.339 you get angry, the sin is an offence against you, against your own self-esteem. It is not an offence 00:12:23.339 --> 00:12:34.519 against God. To want to change for these reasons will not bring lasting change. Trying to impress God, 00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:44.819 trying to impress others or just trying to impress yourself puts you at the centre of the change. 00:12:45.819 --> 00:12:58.720 It makes change all about me looking good. It's about my glory, not God's. And that is pretty much 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:11.420 the essence of sin. Sin is living life my way for me instead of living God's way for God. 00:13:13.160 --> 00:13:23.899 You see, behaviour can change, but the motives and the desires may be unchanged. That is not holiness. 00:13:23.899 --> 00:13:33.819 Often it means rejecting God as Lord and wanting to be our own Lord or wanting to be our own saviour. 00:13:35.100 --> 00:13:44.459 Pharisees do good works. They reject bad works. And does that save them? Let's read out of Luke. 00:13:44.840 --> 00:13:49.539 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, 00:13:49.539 --> 00:13:56.419 Jesus told this parable. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax 00:13:56.419 --> 00:14:02.079 collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, God, I thank you that I am not like other people, 00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:09.740 robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of 00:14:09.740 --> 00:14:18.180 all I get. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, 00:14:18.180 --> 00:14:25.960 but he beat his breast and he said, God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that this man, 00:14:26.419 --> 00:14:32.560 rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:42.439 will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted. And when you pray, do not be like 00:14:42.439 --> 00:14:48.739 the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen 00:14:48.739 --> 00:14:58.739 by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. Gospel repentance includes 00:14:58.740 --> 00:15:11.180 repenting of good works done for wrong reasons. Allow me to say it again. Gospel repentance includes 00:15:11.180 --> 00:15:21.080 repenting of good works that have been done for wrong reasons or with wrong motives. We need to repent 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:30.160 repenting of trying to please ourselves and to become our own saviour. We all would love 00:15:30.160 --> 00:15:39.100 to follow a list, a tick-the-box type of Christian life, but that would be called legalism, 00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:50.340 not discipleship. Legalism is attractive for two reasons. First, it makes holiness manageable. 00:15:51.080 --> 00:15:57.200 A heart wholly devoted to God is a tough demand. 00:15:58.580 --> 00:16:05.020 But a list of 10 rules that we just do and tick off, we can cope with that. 00:16:06.300 --> 00:16:11.000 And second, legalism makes holiness an achievement on our part. 00:16:11.259 --> 00:16:15.460 You might say, yes, I was saved by grace. 00:16:15.460 --> 00:16:26.960 But I am the godly person that I am today because I have kept all these spiritual disciplines or a code of conduct. 00:16:28.220 --> 00:16:33.180 No one likes to think that they are a legalist. 00:16:34.400 --> 00:16:39.139 But I can tell you all of us struggle in this way somehow. 00:16:40.180 --> 00:16:43.220 So we know what stops us from change. 00:16:43.220 --> 00:16:45.580 It's our motives. 00:16:45.920 --> 00:16:46.879 It's our sin. 00:16:47.899 --> 00:16:50.580 So how then does change occur? 00:16:50.660 --> 00:16:52.320 Because that's what we really want. 00:16:53.740 --> 00:16:55.660 How do we encourage change? 00:16:55.840 --> 00:17:04.339 Well, we have to take seriously our sinful nature and seriously our need for the Saviour. 00:17:05.500 --> 00:17:07.339 Look with me at Psalm 32. 00:17:08.019 --> 00:17:12.200 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:19.539 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 00:17:20.660 --> 00:17:25.200 David knew the freedom that comes from knowing his sins are forgiven. 00:17:26.100 --> 00:17:33.000 We have the added blessing of understanding more fully that it was the blood of Jesus 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:40.500 who came into the world to deal with our sin because we could not and cannot save ourselves. 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:49.700 Our sinful nature, our wrong motives, our self-reliance is all dealt with at the cross. 00:17:49.700 --> 00:18:03.680 And whether we like it or not, our sin will cripple us and hinder how we live each day if it is left unrepentant. 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:06.400 Look at verse 3 and 5. 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:36.340 We learn from these verses that confession of our sin is essential. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:42.019 Here was a man who was chosen by God to be the king of Israel. 00:18:42.019 --> 00:18:45.460 A man after God's own heart. 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:55.100 A man who was loved by God and protected by him when he was pursued by King Saul who wanted to kill him. 00:18:55.860 --> 00:18:57.140 What does he do? 00:18:57.140 --> 00:19:06.100 He commits adultery and then he lies about it and then he tries to cover up his sin. 00:19:07.100 --> 00:19:09.460 He then has a man killed. 00:19:10.460 --> 00:19:13.220 David knew what it was like to be lost. 00:19:14.460 --> 00:19:19.080 But he also knew what it was like to be forgiven. 00:19:20.220 --> 00:19:25.300 Friends, we need to be careful not to minimise any of our sin. 00:19:25.299 --> 00:19:30.759 We can fall into the trap of thinking, it's not too bad. 00:19:31.720 --> 00:19:34.579 There are other sins that are far worse than mine. 00:19:35.720 --> 00:19:41.059 And so we would never take the responsibility for our own sin. 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:45.079 You might not have the same sins as King David, 00:19:45.079 --> 00:19:52.619 but any sin will inhibit the change that we are longing for in this new year. 00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:57.139 True repentance grieves over sin. 00:19:57.299 --> 00:20:02.500 It will never minimise the sin and it will never blame others. 00:20:03.019 --> 00:20:05.079 It is ownership 100%. 00:20:05.079 --> 00:20:11.460 We also need to be careful of not wanting to hide our sin. 00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:19.480 As we see in the psalm, David physically was ill because of keeping silent. 00:20:20.439 --> 00:20:25.579 Unfortunately, hiding our sin is due to our pride. 00:20:26.559 --> 00:20:27.419 Another sin. 00:20:28.279 --> 00:20:30.279 Sin begets sin begets sin. 00:20:30.279 --> 00:20:36.039 We hide, we pretend, and we don't seek help. 00:20:36.579 --> 00:20:38.440 It's self-reliance. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:45.859 The real problem is we love our reputation more than we hate our sin. 00:20:47.059 --> 00:20:50.579 True repentance lets nothing get in the way. 00:20:52.579 --> 00:20:59.859 Allow me to give you one last reason why we might not wish to repent and change. 00:21:00.279 --> 00:21:04.119 And basically, it's because we don't want to. 00:21:05.500 --> 00:21:11.579 Truth is, sometimes we want the consequences of our sin to disappear, 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:15.420 but we want to hold on to the sin itself. 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:25.480 Now, I know a family close to our family that are in a really difficult financial situation. 00:21:26.660 --> 00:21:28.299 There is much debt. 00:21:28.299 --> 00:21:31.680 There is mismanagement with money. 00:21:32.139 --> 00:21:33.919 There is compulsive purchasing. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:36.299 There is addictions attached to it. 00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:41.740 There is a desire for the change to be out of debt, 00:21:41.740 --> 00:21:45.920 but when there are solutions put before them, 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:51.319 and where hard decisions have to be made to cut back, 00:21:52.740 --> 00:21:54.400 change does not come. 00:21:55.900 --> 00:21:57.039 They're not made. 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:01.420 Because the change of the situation is wanted, 00:22:01.579 --> 00:22:03.880 but without any change in behaviour. 00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:11.360 They want all the bills to disappear with no change in the way that they are living life, 00:22:11.840 --> 00:22:14.120 or no change in the way that they shop, 00:22:14.200 --> 00:22:16.360 or no change in the hobbies that they have. 00:22:16.900 --> 00:22:18.560 But they want the bills to go. 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:25.460 The key to change is continually returning to the cross. 00:22:26.179 --> 00:22:31.119 A changing life is a cross-centred life. 00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:33.839 In Colossians we read, 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:38.359 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death, 00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:41.039 to present you wholly in his sight, 00:22:41.379 --> 00:22:44.159 without blemish and free from accusation. 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:47.519 At the cross we find hope, 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:52.099 for we see the power of sin has been broken, 00:22:52.099 --> 00:22:54.619 and the old nature has been put to death. 00:22:54.619 --> 00:23:00.819 At the cross we find grace, power and delight in God, 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:04.079 who we need to overcome our sin. 00:23:05.059 --> 00:23:07.199 And here at St Paul's, 00:23:07.579 --> 00:23:11.039 we have been encouraged time and time again 00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:14.219 to preach the gospel to ourselves daily. 00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:16.919 When we go to the cross, 00:23:17.299 --> 00:23:21.439 we see that God died for us. 00:23:22.099 --> 00:23:25.740 And if you live for people's approval, 00:23:26.399 --> 00:23:27.639 or for your career, 00:23:27.980 --> 00:23:29.219 or for your possessions, 00:23:29.480 --> 00:23:32.359 or control of anything else, 00:23:32.980 --> 00:23:34.659 and you don't make it, 00:23:35.019 --> 00:23:36.199 or you mess up, 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:39.079 then you will be left feeling afraid, 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:41.339 downcast, or bitter. 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:46.719 But when you let Christ down, 00:23:46.939 --> 00:23:48.039 as we do, 00:23:49.219 --> 00:23:50.919 he loves us still. 00:23:50.920 --> 00:23:53.920 He doesn't beat us up, 00:23:54.560 --> 00:23:56.779 because he has died for us. 00:23:56.960 --> 00:23:58.080 He died for you, 00:23:58.160 --> 00:23:59.539 and he's died for me. 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:02.000 The secret of change 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:05.820 is to renew your love for Christ, 00:24:06.180 --> 00:24:09.380 as you see him crucified in your place. 00:24:09.380 --> 00:24:15.020 How are you going to encourage this change? 00:24:15.740 --> 00:24:18.540 Well, fortunately for us here at St Paul's, 00:24:18.620 --> 00:24:21.880 all we need to do is to look at our core values. 00:24:22.120 --> 00:24:23.740 That's where change occurs. 00:24:24.840 --> 00:24:27.540 We need to spend time in God's word, 00:24:27.900 --> 00:24:30.160 and to allow God to speak to us, 00:24:30.220 --> 00:24:33.780 and to transform us into his image. 00:24:33.779 --> 00:24:38.559 Prayer needs to be our priority, 00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:42.599 over and above other activities we choose. 00:24:43.639 --> 00:24:49.000 When we realise that God is the great change agent 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:50.720 in our lives, 00:24:50.839 --> 00:24:53.599 then prayer will move up the priority list. 00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:57.819 Prayer needs to be our reflexive voice 00:24:57.819 --> 00:24:59.899 when temptation comes. 00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:04.899 Just when a child is playing by themselves, 00:25:05.460 --> 00:25:08.559 they're very happy in their own little world. 00:25:09.359 --> 00:25:11.359 But when danger comes, 00:25:11.720 --> 00:25:13.639 the first thing that child will do 00:25:13.639 --> 00:25:15.740 is to look for mum or dad 00:25:15.740 --> 00:25:18.399 to make sure that they're safe. 00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:22.780 The same has to happen with us. 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:24.820 When temptation comes our way, 00:25:25.300 --> 00:25:27.620 what we reflexively need to do 00:25:27.620 --> 00:25:29.259 is to look to the Father 00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:31.860 to see that we're safe. 00:25:38.040 --> 00:25:40.259 Treasuring Jesus together 00:25:40.259 --> 00:25:44.680 will also inevitably help us change 00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:46.920 by reminding us, 00:25:46.920 --> 00:25:49.400 reminding one another of the truth, 00:25:49.840 --> 00:25:52.180 by modelling Christian change 00:25:52.180 --> 00:25:54.120 and holiness for one another. 00:25:54.220 --> 00:25:55.539 We've got a responsibility 00:25:55.539 --> 00:25:57.720 to live holy lives 00:25:57.720 --> 00:26:01.019 because my life is going to help you 00:26:01.019 --> 00:26:03.039 live your life and vice versa. 00:26:06.140 --> 00:26:09.480 God is at work in each of us. 00:26:11.080 --> 00:26:13.900 And so we can encourage each other. 00:26:14.539 --> 00:26:16.480 We can provide accountability 00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:18.079 for one another. 00:26:19.460 --> 00:26:21.279 And when we worship God together, 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:23.740 we are reminding ourselves 00:26:23.740 --> 00:26:27.579 that God is bigger and better 00:26:27.579 --> 00:26:32.160 than anything that sin offers. 00:26:33.160 --> 00:26:35.880 Worship isn't just affirmation 00:26:35.880 --> 00:26:37.720 that God is good. 00:26:38.660 --> 00:26:42.120 It's an affirmation that God is best. 00:26:42.119 --> 00:26:45.959 We remind our hearts of God's goodness, 00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:47.299 his majesty, 00:26:47.500 --> 00:26:48.079 his love, 00:26:48.179 --> 00:26:48.699 his grace, 00:26:48.799 --> 00:26:49.319 his holiness, 00:26:49.479 --> 00:26:50.239 and his power. 00:26:50.479 --> 00:26:51.639 That's what happens 00:26:51.639 --> 00:26:53.919 when we meet together here on a Sunday. 00:26:54.379 --> 00:26:56.759 All of that is happening all at once. 00:26:56.959 --> 00:26:57.579 How wonderful. 00:26:58.719 --> 00:27:01.979 And we also have the opportunity to serve. 00:27:02.639 --> 00:27:04.739 Now, we often make the mistake 00:27:04.739 --> 00:27:08.419 of thinking that fulfilling an act of service 00:27:08.420 --> 00:27:11.100 shows change in our hearts. 00:27:11.100 --> 00:27:12.560 But in fact, 00:27:12.920 --> 00:27:14.640 it's a means of grace 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:17.700 that God uses to change us. 00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:20.759 Serving God and others 00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:24.480 help redirect us outwards. 00:27:24.480 --> 00:27:28.299 And it takes the attention away from ourself 00:27:28.299 --> 00:27:30.339 as we focus on another. 00:27:31.980 --> 00:27:34.339 Friends, change is possible. 00:27:34.900 --> 00:27:37.720 And it's possible because of Jesus. 00:27:39.039 --> 00:27:41.680 May this 2016 00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:44.279 be a year 00:27:44.279 --> 00:27:47.019 where all of us here at St. Paul's 00:27:47.019 --> 00:27:49.660 grow and change 00:27:49.660 --> 00:27:52.360 into the likeness of Jesus. 00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:53.639 Amen.