WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.419
 Whatever you set your mind to, you can do it.

00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:02.379
 You can change the world.

00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:06.060
 And so you have this desire to be able to change the world.

00:00:06.060 --> 00:00:10.519
 If, however, you're a parent of a millennial,

00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:12.859
 most likely you're a baby boomer or something like that,

00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:16.019
 your big desire right now is to leave a legacy.

00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:17.320
 That's all you're thinking about, death.

00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:20.160
 And what's my mark on the world?

00:00:20.219 --> 00:00:22.500
 And you're starting to get kind of depressed and everything like about it.

00:00:22.500 --> 00:00:29.300
 But on the whole, most of us have to come to grips with

00:00:29.300 --> 00:00:34.039
 that is that our individual actions are a bit like stones

00:00:34.039 --> 00:00:35.679
 tossed into a very large lake.

00:00:37.120 --> 00:00:40.240
 The reality is we are remembered by just a few.

00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:46.159
 And our contribution to humanity is remembered by even less.

00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:51.859
 Most of us have to face the fact that we will drop the little pebble of our lives

00:00:51.859 --> 00:00:54.560
 into the turbulent ocean of world events.

00:00:54.679 --> 00:00:59.600
 And in no time at all, the surface will bear no trace of our passing.

00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:03.439
 That's kind of depressing, especially if you're a millennial

00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:04.739
 and you're kind of positive right now.

00:01:06.039 --> 00:01:10.939
 But it is this sense of purposelessness

00:01:10.939 --> 00:01:15.219
 that is one of the chief anxieties of life.

00:01:15.340 --> 00:01:17.060
 What is the purpose of life?

00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:19.180
 Big, big anxiety.

00:01:19.180 --> 00:01:20.180
 Big, big anxiety.

00:01:20.180 --> 00:01:20.640
 Big, big anxiety.

00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:22.200
 So if you've just tuned in today,

00:01:23.220 --> 00:01:25.220
 then you've arrived at Vision Sunday.

00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:27.220
 And it's the climax of our Vision series.

00:01:27.700 --> 00:01:30.560
 And this year we've been discovering or rediscovering

00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:34.100
 or aligning ourselves to God's purpose.

00:01:34.260 --> 00:01:35.880
 We've called this whole series,

00:01:36.040 --> 00:01:37.860
 His Purpose, Our Purpose, My Purpose.

00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:41.160
 In week one, we asked the question,

00:01:41.240 --> 00:01:42.200
 what's the purpose of life?

00:01:42.200 --> 00:01:45.579
 And we saw that God created all things

00:01:45.579 --> 00:01:48.560
 and that He saved us for His glory.

00:01:48.659 --> 00:01:52.820
 And we used the word magnification to summarize that purpose.

00:01:53.719 --> 00:01:55.240
 In week two, we narrowed it down.

00:01:55.320 --> 00:01:56.939
 What's the purpose of the church,

00:01:57.000 --> 00:01:58.280
 the people that He saved?

00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:00.640
 And we saw that God has gathered us together

00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:04.180
 as a new people, a new humanity for His glory.

00:02:04.300 --> 00:02:05.079
 We do it together.

00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:08.639
 And we used the word membership to describe that.

00:02:09.300 --> 00:02:12.379
 Week three, we investigated what is God's purpose for us

00:02:12.379 --> 00:02:13.840
 as He's gathered people.

00:02:14.359 --> 00:02:16.560
 And we discovered it was to transform us

00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:19.280
 into the image of His true Son, the Lord Jesus Christ,

00:02:19.539 --> 00:02:22.759
 because God desires to have children in His own image.

00:02:23.020 --> 00:02:26.439
 And we used the word maturity to summarize all that.

00:02:26.860 --> 00:02:28.079
 So God has created us.

00:02:28.120 --> 00:02:28.680
 He saved us.

00:02:28.740 --> 00:02:29.419
 He's gathered us.

00:02:29.460 --> 00:02:30.180
 He's growing us.

00:02:30.180 --> 00:02:33.900
 And last week, we saw that He's not just growing us,

00:02:33.980 --> 00:02:36.240
 but He's giving us a job to do.

00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:39.200
 And that job is to serve Him in the world.

00:02:39.580 --> 00:02:43.060
 And we used the word ministry to summarize all of that.

00:02:44.099 --> 00:02:46.900
 Today, we're looking at what is the work

00:02:46.900 --> 00:02:50.319
 that God has called us to do in His world.

00:02:50.580 --> 00:02:53.300
 And we're summarizing this with our final M,

00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:54.480
 and that's mission.

00:02:54.780 --> 00:02:57.000
 So I'm up to point number one, what is God's mission?

00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:01.460
 See, one of the ways we discover what is God's mission

00:03:01.460 --> 00:03:05.539
 is to, that is, what is the work that God's doing in the world,

00:03:05.860 --> 00:03:09.439
 is to look at the end of history as God describes it.

00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:11.979
 Well, you know, therefore the goal of all things.

00:03:12.599 --> 00:03:15.280
 And we can learn our purpose for being

00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:19.180
 just by looking at what is God's goal in all time and eternity.

00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:22.780
 And what we discover, it's kind of like a finish line

00:03:22.780 --> 00:03:24.199
 that we're running towards.

00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:27.979
 But before we go to the end of all things,

00:03:28.259 --> 00:03:31.919
 let's go back to the beginning of what God's work is in this world.

00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:33.000
 This is God's story.

00:03:33.139 --> 00:03:35.459
 It's His mission, His work in His world.

00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:40.199
 God's storyline has four main chapters to it.

00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:44.039
 Creation, new creation,

00:03:44.299 --> 00:03:46.039
 for redemption and new creation.

00:03:46.179 --> 00:03:48.560
 So let's look at those four things really quickly.

00:03:48.699 --> 00:03:51.839
 This is time and eternity, history, everything,

00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:53.200
 as God sees it.

00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:55.599
 So creation, Genesis 1,

00:03:55.700 --> 00:04:00.500
 is the God who stands outside of all that's created.

00:04:01.699 --> 00:04:04.300
 The God who always existed from everlasting to everlasting,

00:04:04.480 --> 00:04:06.939
 created all things by speaking them into existence.

00:04:07.080 --> 00:04:09.180
 You see that in Genesis 1 and 2.

00:04:09.780 --> 00:04:11.719
 He made the first people, Adam and Eve,

00:04:12.020 --> 00:04:13.000
 in His image.

00:04:13.620 --> 00:04:16.560
 All people from Adam and Eve also bear the image of God.

00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:18.319
 We saw that earlier on in this series.

00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:22.439
 The great American theologian, Jonathan Edwards,

00:04:22.680 --> 00:04:25.980
 wrote a booklet, a paper called

00:04:25.980 --> 00:04:30.360
 A Dissertation Concerning the End for Which God Created the World.

00:04:30.420 --> 00:04:31.300
 That's the shortened version.

00:04:31.420 --> 00:04:33.959
 He's much longer versions in terms of the titles.

00:04:35.180 --> 00:04:38.699
 And he says there that the only reason

00:04:38.699 --> 00:04:43.019
 that God would have created us

00:04:43.019 --> 00:04:48.099
 was not to get the cosmic love and joy for relationship.

00:04:48.379 --> 00:04:51.060
 That is, God wasn't hungering for relationship

00:04:51.060 --> 00:04:54.639
 as some people hunger to be loved by someone

00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:55.699
 so they go and have a baby.

00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:57.240
 It's not that kind of an idea.

00:04:57.899 --> 00:04:59.240
 But the only reason

00:04:59.240 --> 00:05:03.219
 is to share the cosmic love and joy

00:05:03.219 --> 00:05:04.399
 that He already had

00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:06.419
 within Himself in the Trinity,

00:05:06.659 --> 00:05:07.879
 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

00:05:07.879 --> 00:05:10.459
 And so the storyline of the Bible

00:05:10.459 --> 00:05:14.659
 contains the only storyline in history

00:05:14.659 --> 00:05:18.480
 where there is a divine creator

00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:23.620
 who creates everything motivated by love.

00:05:25.180 --> 00:05:30.480
 God's design is to have children in His own image

00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:33.819
 sharing in His perfect relationship.

00:05:33.819 --> 00:05:38.139
 sharing in His perfect love.

00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:39.779
 So that's creation.

00:05:40.060 --> 00:05:40.319
 Fall.

00:05:41.659 --> 00:05:43.579
 There is solidarity in the image of God.

00:05:43.740 --> 00:05:45.219
 All people bear the image of God,

00:05:45.339 --> 00:05:47.420
 but there's also solidarity in sin.

00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:50.420
 Genesis 3, Adam and Eve reject God.

00:05:50.500 --> 00:05:52.300
 They decide, well, we want to do things our way.

00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:55.180
 All people have followed suit

00:05:55.180 --> 00:05:57.899
 since Adam and Eve living life

00:05:57.899 --> 00:05:59.399
 with no consideration for God.

00:05:59.500 --> 00:06:01.279
 We assume right from the very beginning

00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:04.579
 that God hasn't got love as His main motive.

00:06:05.639 --> 00:06:09.459
 That God is not actually ultimately loving.

00:06:09.659 --> 00:06:12.239
 That He's actually holding back on us in some way.

00:06:12.500 --> 00:06:15.119
 He's not giving us everything that we should have.

00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:17.079
 He's put constraints around us

00:06:17.079 --> 00:06:18.339
 and we don't like constraints.

00:06:19.319 --> 00:06:22.059
 And because of our special dignity

00:06:22.059 --> 00:06:24.139
 as people made in the image of God,

00:06:24.259 --> 00:06:25.039
 image bearers,

00:06:25.139 --> 00:06:27.759
 God holds us especially accountable

00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:29.939
 in a way that He doesn't hold

00:06:29.939 --> 00:06:32.599
 the rest of the universe accountable.

00:06:33.399 --> 00:06:36.879
 And we see Him handing His people over for judgment.

00:06:38.060 --> 00:06:40.019
 Judgment in Genesis 3,

00:06:40.379 --> 00:06:41.480
 sorry, Genesis 11,

00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:42.980
 as it is in Genesis 4,

00:06:43.259 --> 00:06:45.439
 is He scatters people from His presence.

00:06:45.819 --> 00:06:46.680
 Right throughout the Bible,

00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:48.439
 God's judgment is to scatter them

00:06:48.439 --> 00:06:49.860
 away from relationship with Him.

00:06:50.219 --> 00:06:51.139
 So in Genesis 11,

00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:52.599
 He scatters people across the earth.

00:06:52.600 --> 00:06:54.640
 He confuses all of their language

00:06:54.640 --> 00:06:56.320
 so they would not work together

00:06:56.320 --> 00:06:58.120
 and certainly not work together

00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:00.000
 in order to depose God.

00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:03.960
 So relationship with God

00:07:03.960 --> 00:07:06.400
 and relationship with each other

00:07:06.400 --> 00:07:07.800
 and in fact the created order

00:07:07.800 --> 00:07:09.460
 is deeply fractured

00:07:09.460 --> 00:07:10.760
 because of the fall.

00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:12.360
 Then we've got redemption.

00:07:12.980 --> 00:07:13.840
 Chapter number 3.

00:07:14.900 --> 00:07:17.820
 But God doesn't just act in judgment.

00:07:17.960 --> 00:07:19.920
 He also has the plan to reverse everything.

00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:21.480
 In Genesis chapter 12,

00:07:21.860 --> 00:07:23.199
 to understand your Bible,

00:07:23.319 --> 00:07:24.140
 you've got 11 chapters

00:07:24.140 --> 00:07:25.759
 and then you've got Genesis chapter 12.

00:07:25.840 --> 00:07:26.560
 And Genesis chapter 12

00:07:26.560 --> 00:07:28.319
 is where the hinge of the Bible,

00:07:28.460 --> 00:07:29.680
 it's where everything hinges here.

00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:31.120
 This is the beginning

00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:34.759
 of the chapter of redemption.

00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:36.800
 This is the turning point of the Bible.

00:07:37.780 --> 00:07:40.060
 It's the beginning of God's plan of redemption

00:07:40.060 --> 00:07:41.900
 that began with a promise to Abraham

00:07:41.900 --> 00:07:43.280
 that all peoples on earth

00:07:43.280 --> 00:07:44.680
 would be blessed through Abraham.

00:07:45.160 --> 00:07:48.040
 God's intention is to reverse judgment.

00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:51.300
 It's a plan that's worked out through history,

00:07:51.660 --> 00:07:52.800
 finds its culmination

00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:54.540
 in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

00:07:55.020 --> 00:07:57.060
 And this is how Galatians 3 puts it

00:07:57.060 --> 00:07:57.900
 in the New Testament.

00:07:58.400 --> 00:08:00.120
 You are all sons of God

00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:01.920
 through faith in Christ Jesus.

00:08:02.320 --> 00:08:03.600
 There is neither Jew nor Greek,

00:08:03.740 --> 00:08:04.580
 slave nor free,

00:08:05.140 --> 00:08:06.060
 male nor female,

00:08:06.220 --> 00:08:08.379
 for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

00:08:08.939 --> 00:08:10.600
 If you belong to Christ,

00:08:10.740 --> 00:08:12.340
 then you are Abraham's seed.

00:08:12.500 --> 00:08:14.420
 You're someone who's inherited his promise

00:08:14.420 --> 00:08:17.879
 and heirs according to the promise.

00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:22.439
 So Jesus takes the judgment of God

00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:24.280
 for our sin upon himself.

00:08:24.840 --> 00:08:26.819
 He dies the death that we should have died,

00:08:27.140 --> 00:08:30.480
 but he rises victorious over sin

00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:33.379
 so that everyone who puts their trust in Jesus

00:08:33.379 --> 00:08:36.379
 is now gathered back into relationship with God

00:08:36.379 --> 00:08:37.259
 and to each other.

00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:39.379
 Jesus forms a new community,

00:08:39.560 --> 00:08:40.399
 a new humanity,

00:08:40.560 --> 00:08:41.440
 a new people for God,

00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:43.019
 new sons and daughters

00:08:43.019 --> 00:08:44.199
 made in the image of God,

00:08:44.279 --> 00:08:46.199
 not just in a physical sense

00:08:46.199 --> 00:08:47.139
 or relational sense,

00:08:47.199 --> 00:08:49.639
 but in a deeply connected sense,

00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:52.240
 doing what our Father wants us to do.

00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:54.279
 He calls it the church.

00:08:55.579 --> 00:08:57.759
 So all the former divining walls of hostility

00:08:57.759 --> 00:08:59.539
 between God have been broken down

00:08:59.539 --> 00:09:01.779
 as they have also with God.

00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:06.399
 And as a result of Jesus' work of reconciliation,

00:09:06.919 --> 00:09:08.079
 calling people back to each other

00:09:08.079 --> 00:09:08.779
 and back to God,

00:09:09.159 --> 00:09:10.720
 Jesus calls his church

00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:13.340
 to take this good news of reconciliation

00:09:13.340 --> 00:09:14.700
 through the Lord Jesus

00:09:14.700 --> 00:09:16.180
 to the ends of the earth,

00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:18.340
 making disciples of every nation,

00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:19.340
 people and language.

00:09:21.680 --> 00:09:25.720
 That is how we take part in God's work,

00:09:26.100 --> 00:09:27.320
 his story,

00:09:27.899 --> 00:09:30.100
 his mission in the world.

00:09:30.100 --> 00:09:34.300
 And if you're sitting here right now,

00:09:34.399 --> 00:09:37.480
 you are currently in chapter three.

00:09:37.620 --> 00:09:38.740
 We're all in chapter three.

00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:40.860
 But there's a chapter four.

00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:43.100
 And chapter four of God's story

00:09:43.100 --> 00:09:45.779
 is not the end of it.

00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:51.220
 It's actually the beginning of a new story.

00:09:51.220 --> 00:09:54.940
 As C.S. Lewis wrote,

00:09:55.100 --> 00:09:56.480
 and I'm going off the top of my head here,

00:09:56.980 --> 00:10:00.200
 C.S. Lewis wrote in his booklet,

00:10:00.440 --> 00:10:01.800
 The Last Battle Cry,

00:10:02.680 --> 00:10:05.300
 he said the final chapter is in fact

00:10:05.300 --> 00:10:09.040
 the actual story.

00:10:10.160 --> 00:10:12.120
 It's like everything to open

00:10:12.120 --> 00:10:13.440
 the final chapter of the book,

00:10:13.620 --> 00:10:15.019
 your whole lives have been waiting

00:10:15.019 --> 00:10:16.460
 for the final chapter to open,

00:10:16.740 --> 00:10:18.980
 and it is a chapter that never closes.

00:10:18.980 --> 00:10:22.500
 Everything is preparation for chapter four.

00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:28.379
 It's a chapter where God reigns forever.

00:10:29.300 --> 00:10:30.519
 There's no more evil.

00:10:30.680 --> 00:10:31.980
 There's no more sin, carnage.

00:10:32.800 --> 00:10:33.779
 There's no more death.

00:10:33.860 --> 00:10:34.720
 There's no more mourning.

00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:36.139
 There's no more tears.

00:10:37.639 --> 00:10:38.940
 In Revelation five,

00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:40.379
 we get a glimpse of how

00:10:40.379 --> 00:10:44.100
 Jesus brings history to its final goal.

00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:45.580
 In verse nine,

00:10:46.139 --> 00:10:48.920
 John tells us why Jesus is worthy to open,

00:10:48.980 --> 00:10:50.320
 the book of the end of history,

00:10:50.460 --> 00:10:52.659
 so that things unfold according to the plan of God.

00:10:53.480 --> 00:10:53.759
 It says,

00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:56.019
 Jesus is worthy because of how his death

00:10:56.019 --> 00:10:59.279
 relates to all peoples of earth.

00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:01.360
 You are worthy to take the scroll,

00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:02.360
 to open its seals,

00:11:02.420 --> 00:11:03.519
 because you were slain,

00:11:03.560 --> 00:11:05.899
 and with your blood you purchased men for God

00:11:05.899 --> 00:11:07.759
 from every tribe and language

00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:08.720
 and people and nation.

00:11:09.379 --> 00:11:11.259
 You have made them to be

00:11:11.259 --> 00:11:13.399
 a kingdom of priests

00:11:13.399 --> 00:11:15.159
 to serve our God,

00:11:15.320 --> 00:11:17.300
 and they will reign on the earth.

00:11:17.299 --> 00:11:18.599
 You see,

00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:20.459
 the reason Jesus has the right

00:11:20.459 --> 00:11:22.339
 to open the book of history

00:11:22.339 --> 00:11:24.439
 is that by his death,

00:11:24.799 --> 00:11:27.579
 he has ransomed people for God,

00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:29.399
 for the glory of God

00:11:29.399 --> 00:11:30.859
 and the worship of God

00:11:30.859 --> 00:11:32.719
 from every tribe and language

00:11:32.719 --> 00:11:33.899
 and people and nation.

00:11:34.279 --> 00:11:35.599
 It was God's design

00:11:35.599 --> 00:11:37.779
 in the death of Jesus

00:11:37.779 --> 00:11:39.799
 to ransom some

00:11:39.799 --> 00:11:42.259
 from every kind of race

00:11:42.259 --> 00:11:43.139
 and language

00:11:43.139 --> 00:11:44.399
 and make them into

00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:45.639
 one people,

00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:46.620
 a new kingdom,

00:11:47.199 --> 00:11:49.259
 his much-loved children.

00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:51.740
 And his much-loved children

00:11:51.740 --> 00:11:54.120
 will have one king over them,

00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:55.039
 that is,

00:11:55.100 --> 00:11:56.279
 they would live with Jesus

00:11:56.279 --> 00:11:57.840
 as their supreme treasure

00:11:57.840 --> 00:11:58.759
 and Lord.

00:11:59.580 --> 00:12:00.259
 Jesus is the one

00:12:00.259 --> 00:12:01.240
 who unites them.

00:12:01.439 --> 00:12:01.919
 Jesus is the one

00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:03.000
 to whom they live for.

00:12:04.059 --> 00:12:05.620
 And they will all be priests.

00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:07.080
 They will be full-time,

00:12:07.159 --> 00:12:08.139
 this is what we saw last week,

00:12:08.139 --> 00:12:09.559
 they'll be full-time worshippers

00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:11.919
 and servants of Jesus.

00:12:14.100 --> 00:12:15.580
 Jesus died to ransom

00:12:15.580 --> 00:12:16.799
 subjects for the king

00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:18.159
 and worshippers for the king

00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:20.980
 from every people group

00:12:20.980 --> 00:12:22.139
 in history.

00:12:24.220 --> 00:12:25.779
 All the scattered ones,

00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:27.659
 all the ones once separated

00:12:27.659 --> 00:12:28.360
 from God

00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:29.080
 and from each other

00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:29.899
 are now brought together

00:12:29.899 --> 00:12:31.519
 under the reign of Jesus

00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:33.819
 in finding God's blessing

00:12:33.819 --> 00:12:35.700
 as promised to Abraham.

00:12:35.700 --> 00:12:38.620
 And so God's big story,

00:12:38.820 --> 00:12:40.240
 his mission,

00:12:41.040 --> 00:12:42.580
 his work in the world

00:12:42.580 --> 00:12:45.379
 through all time and space

00:12:45.379 --> 00:12:47.960
 is for people to come

00:12:47.960 --> 00:12:49.920
 under the authority of Jesus

00:12:49.920 --> 00:12:52.259
 to turn to him

00:12:52.259 --> 00:12:53.960
 in repentance and faith

00:12:53.960 --> 00:12:56.420
 and receive forgiveness of sins

00:12:56.420 --> 00:12:57.580
 and eternal life

00:12:57.580 --> 00:13:00.220
 and live for the honour

00:13:00.220 --> 00:13:02.220
 of Jesus forever.

00:13:03.580 --> 00:13:04.940
 That's God's big plan.

00:13:05.700 --> 00:13:08.460
 God's purpose for all things,

00:13:09.720 --> 00:13:11.840
 as revealed in the biblical storyline,

00:13:12.620 --> 00:13:13.879
 is the reason why

00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:15.500
 this church has a purpose statement

00:13:15.500 --> 00:13:16.379
 that says

00:13:16.379 --> 00:13:18.160
 we exist to,

00:13:18.620 --> 00:13:19.759
 we're treasuring Jesus

00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:21.460
 for God's glory

00:13:21.460 --> 00:13:23.280
 and the joy of all peoples.

00:13:24.820 --> 00:13:26.580
 And this vision series

00:13:26.580 --> 00:13:27.900
 over these five weeks

00:13:27.900 --> 00:13:29.540
 is an attempt

00:13:29.540 --> 00:13:31.140
 to get greater clarity

00:13:31.139 --> 00:13:32.019
 and alignment

00:13:32.019 --> 00:13:32.600
 between,

00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:34.340
 alignment behind

00:13:34.340 --> 00:13:35.580
 God's vision

00:13:35.580 --> 00:13:36.460
 in the world

00:13:36.460 --> 00:13:37.559
 as it's worked out

00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:38.480
 in this church.

00:13:39.100 --> 00:13:39.960
 How we do it.

00:13:43.720 --> 00:13:44.240
 Okay.

00:13:45.240 --> 00:13:46.120
 That's point one.

00:13:46.819 --> 00:13:48.559
 That's God's mission.

00:13:48.819 --> 00:13:50.580
 That's how he's designed

00:13:50.580 --> 00:13:51.720
 time and eternity.

00:13:51.860 --> 00:13:52.580
 That's his purposes.

00:13:53.939 --> 00:13:55.000
 Point two

00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:56.600
 is

00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:58.340
 what does it look like

00:13:58.340 --> 00:13:59.080
 to be captured

00:13:59.080 --> 00:14:00.399
 by God's work

00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:01.019
 in the world?

00:14:02.360 --> 00:14:03.379
 So if you've got

00:14:03.379 --> 00:14:04.060
 someone beside you

00:14:04.060 --> 00:14:04.740
 who's going to sleep

00:14:04.740 --> 00:14:05.279
 right now,

00:14:05.540 --> 00:14:06.620
 give them a

00:14:06.620 --> 00:14:07.700
 loving,

00:14:07.920 --> 00:14:08.240
 gentle,

00:14:08.860 --> 00:14:09.899
 but firm

00:14:09.899 --> 00:14:10.480
 elbow

00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:11.200
 in the ribs.

00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:13.620
 If you're distracted

00:14:13.620 --> 00:14:14.420
 by Facebook

00:14:14.420 --> 00:14:16.019
 or by something else,

00:14:16.440 --> 00:14:17.500
 have your moment,

00:14:18.159 --> 00:14:19.100
 turn it off

00:14:19.100 --> 00:14:20.700
 and listen to this.

00:14:20.700 --> 00:14:23.100
 This is so,

00:14:23.480 --> 00:14:24.420
 so important

00:14:24.420 --> 00:14:25.640
 that you get this.

00:14:26.680 --> 00:14:28.160
 What does it look like

00:14:28.160 --> 00:14:29.640
 to live

00:14:29.640 --> 00:14:31.020
 with God's mission

00:14:31.020 --> 00:14:33.240
 as the driving

00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:33.840
 force

00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:35.040
 of your life?

00:14:38.780 --> 00:14:39.920
 When his first

00:14:39.920 --> 00:14:40.580
 disciples,

00:14:40.780 --> 00:14:41.840
 Jesus walks along,

00:14:42.259 --> 00:14:42.520
 says,

00:14:42.620 --> 00:14:43.020
 hey you,

00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:44.180
 come follow me.

00:14:45.140 --> 00:14:46.060
 And he calls

00:14:46.060 --> 00:14:46.940
 his first disciples

00:14:46.940 --> 00:14:47.440
 and they drop

00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:48.480
 their nets on the beach

00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:49.020
 and they left

00:14:49.020 --> 00:14:50.520
 their taxation tables.

00:14:50.700 --> 00:14:52.420
 to follow Jesus.

00:14:52.840 --> 00:14:54.140
 He wasn't asking

00:14:54.140 --> 00:14:55.440
 them to come

00:14:55.440 --> 00:14:56.020
 with him

00:14:56.020 --> 00:14:56.940
 on a gap year

00:14:56.940 --> 00:14:57.379
 of travel

00:14:57.379 --> 00:14:58.340
 around the Holy Land.

00:14:59.660 --> 00:15:00.520
 It wasn't a

00:15:00.520 --> 00:15:01.600
 three year sabbatical.

00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:04.480
 It wasn't a gap year

00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:05.440
 before you head off

00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:07.259
 to university

00:15:07.259 --> 00:15:08.660
 in Jerusalem

00:15:08.660 --> 00:15:09.560
 and study

00:15:09.560 --> 00:15:10.540
 a master's

00:15:10.540 --> 00:15:11.060
 in shepherding

00:15:11.060 --> 00:15:11.740
 or whatever it is

00:15:11.740 --> 00:15:12.259
 they did back

00:15:12.259 --> 00:15:12.900
 in those days.

00:15:13.740 --> 00:15:14.900
 They signed

00:15:14.900 --> 00:15:15.980
 up for Jesus

00:15:15.980 --> 00:15:18.060
 to reign over

00:15:18.060 --> 00:15:19.200
 the course

00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:20.440
 of their lives.

00:15:20.700 --> 00:15:23.780
 And we see

00:15:23.780 --> 00:15:24.300
 that

00:15:24.300 --> 00:15:25.820
 clearly

00:15:25.820 --> 00:15:26.660
 with the disciples

00:15:26.660 --> 00:15:27.660
 and we see it

00:15:27.660 --> 00:15:29.580
 with the Apostle Paul

00:15:29.580 --> 00:15:30.160
 who I want to

00:15:30.160 --> 00:15:31.020
 take to now.

00:15:31.180 --> 00:15:31.980
 So Acts 20

00:15:31.980 --> 00:15:32.560
 which was just

00:15:32.560 --> 00:15:33.120
 read out to us

00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:34.100
 it's in your service

00:15:34.100 --> 00:15:35.759
 sheet in front of you.

00:15:37.040 --> 00:15:38.080
 In Acts 20

00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:39.560
 the Apostle Paul

00:15:39.560 --> 00:15:40.920
 gathers the Ephesian

00:15:40.920 --> 00:15:41.340
 elders,

00:15:41.540 --> 00:15:42.340
 the elders from the

00:15:42.340 --> 00:15:43.080
 church at Ephesus

00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:43.520
 together,

00:15:43.620 --> 00:15:44.520
 have a chat with them.

00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:46.419
 So these verses

00:15:46.419 --> 00:15:47.840
 are first and foremost

00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:48.840
 primarily directed

00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:49.439
 to the leaders

00:15:49.439 --> 00:15:50.139
 of the church

00:15:50.139 --> 00:15:51.059
 but on the whole

00:15:51.059 --> 00:15:52.139
 they're applicable

00:15:52.139 --> 00:15:53.199
 to every disciple.

00:15:53.340 --> 00:15:53.860
 And we see the

00:15:53.860 --> 00:15:54.579
 importance of this

00:15:54.579 --> 00:15:55.699
 chat when you look

00:15:55.699 --> 00:15:56.620
 at verse 25

00:15:56.620 --> 00:15:57.379
 where it says

00:15:57.379 --> 00:15:58.620
 now I know

00:15:58.620 --> 00:16:00.079
 that none of you

00:16:00.079 --> 00:16:01.019
 among whom I have

00:16:01.019 --> 00:16:01.799
 gone about preaching

00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:02.340
 the kingdom

00:16:02.340 --> 00:16:03.539
 will ever see me

00:16:03.539 --> 00:16:04.039
 again.

00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:06.279
 So this is Paul's

00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:06.659
 if you like

00:16:06.659 --> 00:16:07.360
 final

00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:08.860
 final chat.

00:16:08.860 --> 00:16:10.860
 This is the end

00:16:10.860 --> 00:16:11.639
 of his missionary

00:16:11.639 --> 00:16:12.960
 journeys in fact.

00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:15.440
 And as with any

00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:16.700
 final farewells

00:16:16.700 --> 00:16:18.120
 it is the perfect

00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:19.180
 opportunity to talk

00:16:19.180 --> 00:16:20.039
 about what matters

00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:21.240
 actually matter most.

00:16:22.759 --> 00:16:23.980
 In 2010

00:16:23.980 --> 00:16:25.460
 a dear friend of mine

00:16:25.460 --> 00:16:26.220
 and Natalie's

00:16:26.220 --> 00:16:27.759
 was near death.

00:16:28.980 --> 00:16:30.180
 I went to visit her

00:16:30.180 --> 00:16:30.720
 in hospital

00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:31.779
 for the last time.

00:16:31.879 --> 00:16:32.340
 I knew it was going

00:16:32.340 --> 00:16:33.060
 to be the last time

00:16:33.060 --> 00:16:33.620
 I knew she had

00:16:33.620 --> 00:16:35.460
 literally hours

00:16:35.460 --> 00:16:36.779
 if you know

00:16:36.779 --> 00:16:38.019
 maybe days to live.

00:16:38.860 --> 00:16:40.980
 when I went

00:16:40.980 --> 00:16:41.740
 and visited her

00:16:41.740 --> 00:16:42.480
 she was slipping

00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:43.220
 in and out

00:16:43.220 --> 00:16:44.080
 of consciousness

00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:45.300
 and I had

00:16:45.300 --> 00:16:46.279
 10 to 15 minutes

00:16:46.279 --> 00:16:46.740
 you know

00:16:46.740 --> 00:16:47.180
 with her.

00:16:48.220 --> 00:16:49.120
 We didn't talk

00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:49.759
 about the weather.

00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:51.080
 We didn't talk

00:16:51.080 --> 00:16:52.039
 about house prices.

00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:54.500
 We didn't talk

00:16:54.500 --> 00:16:55.379
 what was on the

00:16:55.379 --> 00:16:55.820
 front page

00:16:55.820 --> 00:16:56.440
 of the City Morning

00:16:56.440 --> 00:16:56.820
 Herald.

00:16:58.820 --> 00:16:59.779
 We didn't talk

00:16:59.779 --> 00:17:01.200
 trivia at all.

00:17:01.539 --> 00:17:02.340
 It was straight

00:17:02.340 --> 00:17:03.139
 down to business.

00:17:05.099 --> 00:17:06.220
 I read the Bible

00:17:06.220 --> 00:17:07.460
 to her.

00:17:07.660 --> 00:17:08.180
 That was the most

00:17:08.180 --> 00:17:09.019
 important thing

00:17:09.019 --> 00:17:09.600
 or walked

00:17:09.600 --> 00:17:10.220
 straight in

00:17:10.220 --> 00:17:10.799
 said Yvonne

00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:11.380
 love you

00:17:11.380 --> 00:17:12.140
 let me open

00:17:12.140 --> 00:17:12.440
 the Bible

00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:12.799
 and read

00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:13.580
 before you

00:17:13.580 --> 00:17:14.220
 lose consciousness.

00:17:15.180 --> 00:17:15.799
 Read the Bible

00:17:15.799 --> 00:17:16.320
 with her.

00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:16.820
 We talked

00:17:16.820 --> 00:17:17.299
 about hope

00:17:17.299 --> 00:17:17.779
 in Christ.

00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:18.060
 We talked

00:17:18.060 --> 00:17:18.340
 about the

00:17:18.340 --> 00:17:18.720
 resurrection

00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:19.240
 of the body

00:17:19.240 --> 00:17:20.180
 and when

00:17:20.180 --> 00:17:20.660
 the opportunity

00:17:20.660 --> 00:17:21.299
 came I talked

00:17:21.299 --> 00:17:21.840
 about what

00:17:21.840 --> 00:17:22.880
 she meant

00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:23.299
 to me

00:17:23.299 --> 00:17:24.060
 and what

00:17:24.060 --> 00:17:24.320
 she meant

00:17:24.320 --> 00:17:24.980
 to my family

00:17:24.980 --> 00:17:25.840
 and vice versa.

00:17:26.519 --> 00:17:26.880
 We then

00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:27.680
 very quickly

00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:29.060
 planned her

00:17:29.060 --> 00:17:29.620
 funeral

00:17:29.620 --> 00:17:30.480
 and her

00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:31.320
 instructions

00:17:31.320 --> 00:17:32.039
 to me

00:17:32.039 --> 00:17:33.140
 were very

00:17:33.140 --> 00:17:33.799
 very clear.

00:17:34.539 --> 00:17:35.340
 Put Christ

00:17:35.340 --> 00:17:36.039
 on display.

00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:36.920
 don't you

00:17:36.920 --> 00:17:37.440
 dare tell

00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:37.740
 people

00:17:37.740 --> 00:17:37.980
 that I

00:17:37.980 --> 00:17:38.180
 was a

00:17:38.180 --> 00:17:38.279
 good

00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:38.700
 person.

00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:41.500
 I said

00:17:41.500 --> 00:17:41.839
 no fear

00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:42.139
 of that.

00:17:46.899 --> 00:17:47.500
 She left

00:17:47.500 --> 00:17:47.819
 me with

00:17:47.819 --> 00:17:48.259
 some parting

00:17:48.259 --> 00:17:48.740
 advice.

00:17:49.659 --> 00:17:50.079
 We cried

00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:50.440
 and kissed

00:17:50.440 --> 00:17:50.579
 her,

00:17:50.639 --> 00:17:50.980
 walked away

00:17:50.980 --> 00:17:51.319
 never to

00:17:51.319 --> 00:17:51.619
 see her

00:17:51.619 --> 00:17:51.940
 again

00:17:51.940 --> 00:17:52.379
 in this

00:17:52.379 --> 00:17:52.819
 life.

00:17:55.099 --> 00:17:55.500
 So

00:17:55.500 --> 00:17:56.059
 this is

00:17:56.059 --> 00:17:56.940
 this moment

00:17:56.940 --> 00:17:57.379
 for Paul.

00:17:57.379 --> 00:17:57.779
 What

00:17:57.779 --> 00:17:58.619
 matters

00:17:58.619 --> 00:17:59.879
 most to

00:17:59.879 --> 00:18:00.299
 him

00:18:00.299 --> 00:18:02.420
 is key.

00:18:02.420 --> 00:18:04.400
 Now

00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:04.700
 there is

00:18:04.700 --> 00:18:05.039
 so much

00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:05.480
 more that

00:18:05.480 --> 00:18:05.779
 could be

00:18:05.779 --> 00:18:06.279
 gleaned

00:18:06.279 --> 00:18:06.700
 from this

00:18:06.700 --> 00:18:07.240
 passage than

00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:07.480
 what I'm

00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:07.700
 going to

00:18:07.700 --> 00:18:08.220
 look at

00:18:08.220 --> 00:18:09.160
 tonight

00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:09.680
 but I

00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:09.860
 want to

00:18:09.860 --> 00:18:10.279
 focus on

00:18:10.279 --> 00:18:10.539
 something

00:18:10.539 --> 00:18:11.039
 important.

00:18:12.560 --> 00:18:12.840
 What

00:18:12.840 --> 00:18:13.779
 Paul wants

00:18:13.779 --> 00:18:14.500
 for these

00:18:14.500 --> 00:18:15.400
 Ephesian

00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:15.940
 elders

00:18:15.940 --> 00:18:17.820
 is for

00:18:17.820 --> 00:18:18.500
 them

00:18:18.500 --> 00:18:19.460
 to

00:18:19.460 --> 00:18:20.279
 emulate

00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:20.800
 his

00:18:20.800 --> 00:18:21.400
 life.

00:18:22.120 --> 00:18:22.500
 That's

00:18:22.500 --> 00:18:22.759
 what he

00:18:22.759 --> 00:18:23.120
 says.

00:18:24.320 --> 00:18:25.279
 I want

00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:25.759
 you

00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:27.500
 to

00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:28.100
 emulate

00:18:28.100 --> 00:18:28.700
 my

00:18:28.700 --> 00:18:29.800
 God's

00:18:29.800 --> 00:18:30.700
 mission

00:18:30.700 --> 00:18:31.680
 shaped

00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:32.340
 life.

00:18:32.420 --> 00:18:33.300
 God's

00:18:33.300 --> 00:18:34.259
 storyline

00:18:34.259 --> 00:18:34.940
 shaped

00:18:34.940 --> 00:18:35.300
 life.

00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:35.700
 God's

00:18:35.700 --> 00:18:36.080
 work in

00:18:36.080 --> 00:18:36.240
 the

00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:36.620
 world

00:18:36.620 --> 00:18:37.120
 shaped

00:18:37.120 --> 00:18:37.460
 life.

00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:37.580
 I

00:18:37.580 --> 00:18:37.720
 want

00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:37.820
 you

00:18:37.820 --> 00:18:38.140
 to

00:18:38.140 --> 00:18:38.580
 emulate

00:18:38.580 --> 00:18:39.080
 that.

00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:40.060
 And

00:18:40.060 --> 00:18:40.600
 it's

00:18:40.600 --> 00:18:41.160
 not

00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:41.500
 unusual

00:18:41.500 --> 00:18:41.740
 because

00:18:41.740 --> 00:18:41.860
 he

00:18:41.860 --> 00:18:42.080
 said

00:18:42.080 --> 00:18:42.200
 it

00:18:42.200 --> 00:18:42.580
 before

00:18:42.580 --> 00:18:42.860
 1

00:18:42.860 --> 00:18:43.259
 Corinthians

00:18:43.259 --> 00:18:44.539
 11

00:18:44.539 --> 00:18:44.980
 1

00:18:44.980 --> 00:18:45.200
 he

00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:45.440
 says

00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:45.720
 follow

00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:46.000
 me

00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:46.140
 as

00:18:46.140 --> 00:18:46.259
 I

00:18:46.259 --> 00:18:46.460
 follow

00:18:46.460 --> 00:18:46.880
 Christ.

00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:46.980
 You

00:18:46.980 --> 00:18:47.080
 want

00:18:47.080 --> 00:18:47.140
 to

00:18:47.140 --> 00:18:47.259
 know

00:18:47.259 --> 00:18:47.380
 what

00:18:47.380 --> 00:18:47.500
 it

00:18:47.500 --> 00:18:47.720
 looks

00:18:47.720 --> 00:18:48.160
 like

00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:48.519
 to

00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:48.640
 have

00:18:48.640 --> 00:18:48.779
 your

00:18:48.779 --> 00:18:49.160
 life

00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:49.700
 captured

00:18:49.700 --> 00:18:50.100
 by

00:18:50.100 --> 00:18:50.860
 God's

00:18:50.860 --> 00:18:51.360
 mission

00:18:51.360 --> 00:18:51.660
 in

00:18:51.660 --> 00:18:51.779
 the

00:18:51.779 --> 00:18:52.100
 world

00:18:52.100 --> 00:18:52.320
 then

00:18:52.320 --> 00:18:52.519
 you

00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:52.660
 look

00:18:52.660 --> 00:18:52.779
 at

00:18:52.779 --> 00:18:53.039
 me

00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:53.160
 and

00:18:53.160 --> 00:18:53.300
 you

00:18:53.300 --> 00:18:53.480
 watch

00:18:53.480 --> 00:18:53.660
 my

00:18:53.660 --> 00:18:54.039
 life.

00:18:55.660 --> 00:18:56.240
 In

00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:56.640
 verse

00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:57.160
 24

00:18:57.160 --> 00:18:58.259
 we

00:18:58.259 --> 00:18:58.900
 see

00:18:58.900 --> 00:18:59.660
 his

00:18:59.660 --> 00:19:00.240
 vision

00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:00.579
 for

00:19:00.579 --> 00:19:00.799
 his

00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:01.299
 life.

00:19:02.359 --> 00:19:02.519
 This

00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:02.660
 is

00:19:02.660 --> 00:19:03.400
 what's

00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:03.660
 happened

00:19:03.660 --> 00:19:03.900
 to him

00:19:03.900 --> 00:19:04.039
 ever

00:19:04.039 --> 00:19:04.259
 since

00:19:04.259 --> 00:19:04.420
 he

00:19:04.420 --> 00:19:04.640
 met

00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:05.140
 Jesus.

00:19:05.740 --> 00:19:05.779
 I

00:19:05.779 --> 00:19:06.200
 consider

00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:06.420
 my

00:19:06.420 --> 00:19:06.759
 life

00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:07.059
 worth

00:19:07.059 --> 00:19:07.680
 nothing

00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:07.940
 to

00:19:07.940 --> 00:19:08.259
 me

00:19:08.259 --> 00:19:08.779
 if

00:19:08.779 --> 00:19:09.220
 only

00:19:09.220 --> 00:19:09.420
 I

00:19:09.420 --> 00:19:09.559
 may

00:19:09.559 --> 00:19:10.039
 finish

00:19:10.039 --> 00:19:10.220
 the

00:19:10.220 --> 00:19:10.559
 race

00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:11.039
 and

00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:11.559
 complete

00:19:11.559 --> 00:19:11.980
 the

00:19:11.980 --> 00:19:12.379
 task

00:19:12.379 --> 00:19:12.579
 the

00:19:12.579 --> 00:19:12.819
 Lord

00:19:12.819 --> 00:19:13.160
 Jesus

00:19:13.160 --> 00:19:13.440
 has

00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:13.680
 given

00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:14.019
 me.

00:19:14.700 --> 00:19:14.779
 And

00:19:14.779 --> 00:19:15.000
 what's

00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:15.119
 the

00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:15.480
 task?

00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:16.519
 I

00:19:16.519 --> 00:19:16.700
 might

00:19:16.700 --> 00:19:17.339
 do

00:19:17.339 --> 00:19:17.519
 the

00:19:17.519 --> 00:19:17.900
 ministry

00:19:17.900 --> 00:19:18.079
 that

00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:18.259
 God

00:19:18.259 --> 00:19:18.379
 has

00:19:18.379 --> 00:19:18.519
 given

00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:18.640
 me.

00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:18.900
 What's

00:19:18.900 --> 00:19:19.039
 this

00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:19.460
 ministry?

00:19:20.359 --> 00:19:20.599
 The

00:19:20.599 --> 00:19:20.960
 task

00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:21.160
 of

00:19:21.160 --> 00:19:21.980
 testifying

00:19:21.980 --> 00:19:22.619
 to

00:19:22.619 --> 00:19:22.839
 the

00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:23.440
 gospel

00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:23.680
 of

00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:24.180
 God's

00:19:24.180 --> 00:19:24.660
 grace.

00:19:26.660 --> 00:19:27.240
 That's

00:19:27.240 --> 00:19:29.180
 the

00:19:29.180 --> 00:19:29.299
 mission.

00:19:30.059 --> 00:19:30.420
 My

00:19:30.420 --> 00:19:30.740
 mission

00:19:30.740 --> 00:19:30.940
 in

00:19:30.940 --> 00:19:31.359
 life

00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:32.359
 is

00:19:32.359 --> 00:19:32.519
 to

00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:32.700
 do

00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:33.180
 God's

00:19:33.180 --> 00:19:33.519
 mission

00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:34.500
 in

00:19:34.500 --> 00:19:34.900
 life.

00:19:37.180 --> 00:19:37.700
 The

00:19:37.700 --> 00:19:38.160
 gospel

00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:38.359
 of

00:19:38.359 --> 00:19:38.660
 God's

00:19:38.660 --> 00:19:39.039
 grace

00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:39.259
 is

00:19:39.259 --> 00:19:39.420
 what

00:19:39.420 --> 00:19:39.700
 turned

00:19:39.700 --> 00:19:40.099
 Paul's

00:19:40.099 --> 00:19:40.440
 life

00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:41.120
 upside

00:19:41.120 --> 00:19:41.460
 down

00:19:41.460 --> 00:19:41.620
 and

00:19:41.620 --> 00:19:41.900
 inside

00:19:41.900 --> 00:19:42.220
 out.

00:19:42.380 --> 00:19:42.819
 This

00:19:42.819 --> 00:19:43.099
 is

00:19:43.099 --> 00:19:43.220
 the

00:19:43.220 --> 00:19:43.420
 guy

00:19:43.420 --> 00:19:43.579
 who

00:19:43.579 --> 00:19:43.779
 once

00:19:43.779 --> 00:19:44.099
 described

00:19:44.099 --> 00:19:44.359
 himself

00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:44.480
 as

00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:44.599
 the

00:19:44.599 --> 00:19:44.819
 chief

00:19:44.819 --> 00:19:44.980
 of

00:19:44.980 --> 00:19:45.279
 sinners,

00:19:45.779 --> 00:19:45.940
 a

00:19:45.940 --> 00:19:46.640
 blasphemer,

00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:46.859
 a

00:19:46.859 --> 00:19:47.359
 persecutor

00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:47.519
 of the

00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:47.680
 Lord

00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:48.019
 Jesus

00:19:48.019 --> 00:19:48.359
 and

00:19:48.359 --> 00:19:48.539
 his

00:19:48.539 --> 00:19:48.880
 church.

00:19:49.180 --> 00:19:49.240
 He

00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:49.599
 consented

00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:49.759
 to

00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:49.920
 the

00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:50.180
 murder

00:19:50.180 --> 00:19:50.319
 and

00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:50.440
 the

00:19:50.440 --> 00:19:50.980
 beatings

00:19:50.980 --> 00:19:51.279
 and

00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:51.420
 the

00:19:51.420 --> 00:19:51.640
 false

00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:52.319
 imprisonments.

00:19:52.740 --> 00:19:53.059
 Jesus

00:19:53.059 --> 00:19:54.740
 rescued

00:19:54.740 --> 00:19:55.099
 him

00:19:55.099 --> 00:19:55.420
 from

00:19:55.420 --> 00:19:55.940
 all of

00:19:55.940 --> 00:19:56.100
 that

00:19:56.100 --> 00:19:56.820
 miraculously,

00:19:57.820 --> 00:19:58.259
 from all

00:19:58.259 --> 00:19:58.680
 the guilt

00:19:58.680 --> 00:19:58.920
 and the

00:19:58.920 --> 00:19:59.539
 condemnation

00:19:59.539 --> 00:19:59.920
 that went

00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:00.460
 with that

00:20:00.460 --> 00:20:00.900
 life of

00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:01.519
 wickedness.

00:20:02.600 --> 00:20:02.860
 He was

00:20:02.860 --> 00:20:03.279
 forgiven.

00:20:03.420 --> 00:20:04.019
 His debt

00:20:04.019 --> 00:20:04.820
 was wiped

00:20:04.820 --> 00:20:05.480
 clean.

00:20:05.960 --> 00:20:06.560
 He was set

00:20:06.560 --> 00:20:06.960
 free.

00:20:07.060 --> 00:20:07.420
 He's made

00:20:07.420 --> 00:20:07.880
 right with

00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:08.039
 God.

00:20:08.100 --> 00:20:08.320
 He's been

00:20:08.320 --> 00:20:08.940
 gathered back

00:20:08.940 --> 00:20:09.519
 into relationship

00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:10.080
 with God.

00:20:10.320 --> 00:20:10.600
 He's been

00:20:10.600 --> 00:20:11.320
 given eternal

00:20:11.320 --> 00:20:13.539
 life all

00:20:13.539 --> 00:20:14.180
 by grace.

00:20:14.320 --> 00:20:14.560
 God's

00:20:14.560 --> 00:20:15.480
 favor rested

00:20:15.480 --> 00:20:16.259
 on him.

00:20:16.259 --> 00:20:18.259
 God's

00:20:18.259 --> 00:20:19.119
 sin.

00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:20.480
 How's

00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:20.599
 that

00:20:20.599 --> 00:20:21.000
 possible?

00:20:21.160 --> 00:20:22.019
 Verse 28,

00:20:22.700 --> 00:20:22.839
 the

00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:23.259
 church

00:20:23.259 --> 00:20:23.859
 of God

00:20:23.859 --> 00:20:24.220
 which he

00:20:24.220 --> 00:20:24.480
 bought

00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:24.799
 with the

00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:25.039
 blood

00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:25.640
 of his

00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:26.079
 own.

00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:27.279
 The

00:20:27.279 --> 00:20:27.460
 Lord

00:20:27.460 --> 00:20:27.879
 Jesus

00:20:27.879 --> 00:20:28.519
 shed

00:20:28.519 --> 00:20:28.859
 his

00:20:28.859 --> 00:20:29.420
 blood

00:20:29.420 --> 00:20:30.480
 for the

00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:31.000
 sins

00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:31.319
 of the

00:20:31.319 --> 00:20:31.720
 world.

00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:33.339
 And

00:20:33.339 --> 00:20:33.940
 it is

00:20:33.940 --> 00:20:34.379
 the

00:20:34.379 --> 00:20:34.819
 act

00:20:34.819 --> 00:20:35.480
 that

00:20:35.480 --> 00:20:36.240
 changes

00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:36.519
 the

00:20:36.519 --> 00:20:36.799
 course

00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:36.960
 of

00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:37.579
 history

00:20:37.579 --> 00:20:42.940
 and

00:20:42.940 --> 00:20:43.079
 that

00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:43.319
 changed

00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:43.480
 the

00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:43.660
 course

00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:43.819
 of

00:20:43.819 --> 00:20:44.059
 Paul's

00:20:44.059 --> 00:20:44.379
 life.

00:20:44.380 --> 00:20:46.340
 Paul

00:20:46.340 --> 00:20:46.560
 was

00:20:46.560 --> 00:20:47.040
 included

00:20:47.040 --> 00:20:47.280
 in

00:20:47.280 --> 00:20:47.600
 God's

00:20:47.600 --> 00:20:48.020
 mission

00:20:48.020 --> 00:20:48.360
 of

00:20:48.360 --> 00:20:48.920
 redemption.

00:20:50.780 --> 00:20:51.500
 And

00:20:51.500 --> 00:20:51.760
 being

00:20:51.760 --> 00:20:52.300
 captured

00:20:52.300 --> 00:20:52.600
 by

00:20:52.600 --> 00:20:53.080
 God's

00:20:53.080 --> 00:20:53.500
 mission

00:20:53.500 --> 00:20:54.620
 he

00:20:54.620 --> 00:20:54.840
 was

00:20:54.840 --> 00:20:55.200
 able

00:20:55.200 --> 00:20:55.440
 to

00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:55.700
 say

00:20:55.700 --> 00:20:56.020
 I

00:20:56.020 --> 00:20:56.580
 consider

00:20:56.580 --> 00:20:56.920
 my

00:20:56.920 --> 00:20:57.320
 life

00:20:57.320 --> 00:20:57.760
 worth

00:20:57.760 --> 00:20:58.340
 nothing

00:20:58.340 --> 00:20:58.940
 to

00:20:58.940 --> 00:20:59.300
 me.

00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:01.360
 If

00:21:01.360 --> 00:21:01.720
 only

00:21:01.720 --> 00:21:02.020
 I

00:21:02.020 --> 00:21:02.220
 may

00:21:02.220 --> 00:21:02.600
 finish

00:21:02.600 --> 00:21:02.820
 the

00:21:02.820 --> 00:21:03.200
 race

00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:03.980
 and

00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:04.360
 complete

00:21:04.360 --> 00:21:04.580
 the

00:21:04.580 --> 00:21:04.920
 task

00:21:04.920 --> 00:21:05.140
 the

00:21:05.140 --> 00:21:05.340
 Lord

00:21:05.340 --> 00:21:05.580
 has

00:21:05.580 --> 00:21:05.820
 given

00:21:05.820 --> 00:21:06.160
 me.

00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:11.160
 You

00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:11.240
 see

00:21:11.240 --> 00:21:11.400
 the

00:21:11.400 --> 00:21:11.680
 pattern

00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:11.860
 of

00:21:11.860 --> 00:21:12.160
 Paul's

00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:12.680
 life

00:21:12.680 --> 00:21:13.180
 ever

00:21:13.180 --> 00:21:13.920
 since

00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:14.360
 becoming

00:21:14.360 --> 00:21:14.580
 a

00:21:14.580 --> 00:21:14.880
 Christian

00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:15.279
 was

00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:15.940
 commitment

00:21:15.940 --> 00:21:16.360
 to

00:21:16.360 --> 00:21:16.920
 Christ

00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:17.539
 that

00:21:17.539 --> 00:21:18.259
 superseded

00:21:18.259 --> 00:21:18.880
 self

00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:19.440
 interest.

00:21:20.039 --> 00:21:20.200
 He

00:21:20.200 --> 00:21:20.519
 had a

00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:20.700
 job

00:21:20.700 --> 00:21:20.900
 to

00:21:20.900 --> 00:21:21.180
 do.

00:21:21.660 --> 00:21:21.900
 He's

00:21:21.900 --> 00:21:22.580
 preoccupied

00:21:22.580 --> 00:21:22.779
 with

00:21:22.779 --> 00:21:23.340
 something

00:21:23.340 --> 00:21:24.440
 better

00:21:24.440 --> 00:21:24.920
 than life

00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:25.420
 itself

00:21:25.420 --> 00:21:25.740
 in the

00:21:25.740 --> 00:21:25.920
 Lord

00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:26.279
 Jesus.

00:21:26.700 --> 00:21:27.000
 He's

00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:27.140
 not

00:21:27.140 --> 00:21:27.380
 being

00:21:27.380 --> 00:21:27.779
 reckless.

00:21:27.940 --> 00:21:28.060
 He's

00:21:28.060 --> 00:21:28.200
 not

00:21:28.200 --> 00:21:28.420
 being

00:21:28.420 --> 00:21:29.060
 irresponsible.

00:21:29.320 --> 00:21:29.400
 He's

00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:29.539
 not

00:21:29.539 --> 00:21:29.900
 being

00:21:29.900 --> 00:21:30.900
 suicidal

00:21:30.900 --> 00:21:31.160
 when

00:21:31.160 --> 00:21:31.279
 he

00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:31.460
 says

00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:31.620
 that

00:21:31.620 --> 00:21:31.680
 he

00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:32.039
 considers

00:21:32.039 --> 00:21:32.279
 his

00:21:32.279 --> 00:21:32.560
 life

00:21:32.560 --> 00:21:33.200
 worth

00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:33.740
 nothing.

00:21:34.180 --> 00:21:34.279
 He

00:21:34.279 --> 00:21:34.480
 is

00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:34.759
 simply

00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:35.100
 saying

00:21:35.100 --> 00:21:35.300
 that

00:21:35.300 --> 00:21:35.580
 Jesus

00:21:35.580 --> 00:21:35.800
 is

00:21:35.800 --> 00:21:36.160
 greater

00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:36.740
 than

00:21:36.740 --> 00:21:36.960
 my

00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:37.460
 career,

00:21:37.940 --> 00:21:38.120
 than

00:21:38.120 --> 00:21:39.060
 my

00:21:39.060 --> 00:21:39.620
 ministry,

00:21:39.779 --> 00:21:39.860
 than

00:21:39.860 --> 00:21:40.080
 my

00:21:40.080 --> 00:21:40.620
 success,

00:21:40.779 --> 00:21:40.880
 than

00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:41.460
 my

00:21:41.460 --> 00:21:41.779
 money,

00:21:41.940 --> 00:21:42.079
 my

00:21:42.079 --> 00:21:42.519
 possessions,

00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:42.840
 my

00:21:42.840 --> 00:21:43.180
 holidays,

00:21:43.420 --> 00:21:43.559
 my

00:21:43.559 --> 00:21:44.400
 children,

00:21:44.539 --> 00:21:44.660
 my

00:21:44.660 --> 00:21:44.960
 body,

00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:45.460
 my

00:21:45.460 --> 00:21:45.900
 significance,

00:21:46.180 --> 00:21:46.380
 my

00:21:46.380 --> 00:21:46.960
 fulfillment,

00:21:47.100 --> 00:21:47.200
 my

00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:47.559
 preservation,

00:21:47.980 --> 00:21:48.120
 my

00:21:48.120 --> 00:21:48.640
 life.

00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:52.440
 The

00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:52.640
 same

00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:52.980
 commitment

00:21:52.980 --> 00:21:53.320
 was

00:21:53.320 --> 00:21:54.040
 beautifully

00:21:54.040 --> 00:21:54.560
 evident

00:21:54.560 --> 00:21:55.040
 in the

00:21:55.040 --> 00:21:55.640
 life of

00:21:55.640 --> 00:21:55.900
 one

00:21:55.900 --> 00:21:56.420
 Iranian

00:21:56.420 --> 00:21:57.040
 pastor

00:21:57.040 --> 00:21:58.040
 who

00:21:58.040 --> 00:21:58.340
 was

00:21:58.340 --> 00:21:59.100
 imprisoned

00:21:59.100 --> 00:21:59.640
 on

00:21:59.640 --> 00:22:00.100
 charges

00:22:00.100 --> 00:22:00.300
 of

00:22:00.300 --> 00:22:00.960
 apostasy

00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:01.220
 in

00:22:01.220 --> 00:22:02.140
 1984.

00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:04.140
 He

00:22:04.140 --> 00:22:04.300
 was

00:22:04.300 --> 00:22:05.100
 on

00:22:05.100 --> 00:22:05.380
 death

00:22:05.380 --> 00:22:05.660
 row

00:22:05.660 --> 00:22:05.880
 for

00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:06.120
 nine

00:22:06.120 --> 00:22:06.520
 years

00:22:06.520 --> 00:22:07.420
 before

00:22:07.420 --> 00:22:07.680
 he

00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:08.060
 finally

00:22:08.060 --> 00:22:08.280
 got

00:22:08.280 --> 00:22:08.520
 his

00:22:08.520 --> 00:22:08.780
 day

00:22:08.780 --> 00:22:08.980
 in

00:22:08.980 --> 00:22:09.320
 court.

00:22:09.800 --> 00:22:10.120
 On

00:22:10.120 --> 00:22:10.280
 the

00:22:10.280 --> 00:22:10.520
 3rd

00:22:10.520 --> 00:22:10.960
 December

00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:11.740
 1993

00:22:11.740 --> 00:22:12.220
 he

00:22:12.220 --> 00:22:12.560
 wrote

00:22:12.560 --> 00:22:12.700
 a

00:22:12.700 --> 00:22:13.060
 defense

00:22:13.060 --> 00:22:13.259
 to

00:22:13.259 --> 00:22:13.420
 the

00:22:13.420 --> 00:22:13.680
 Sari

00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:13.980
 Court

00:22:13.980 --> 00:22:14.120
 of

00:22:14.120 --> 00:22:14.460
 Justice

00:22:14.460 --> 00:22:14.680
 and

00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:14.820
 this

00:22:14.820 --> 00:22:14.940
 is

00:22:14.940 --> 00:22:16.100
 part

00:22:16.100 --> 00:22:16.200
 of

00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:16.300
 what

00:22:16.300 --> 00:22:16.400
 he

00:22:16.400 --> 00:22:16.620
 wrote.

00:22:17.620 --> 00:22:17.820
 He

00:22:17.820 --> 00:22:18.380
 summarized

00:22:18.380 --> 00:22:18.580
 his

00:22:18.580 --> 00:22:18.840
 life

00:22:18.840 --> 00:22:19.020
 with

00:22:19.020 --> 00:22:19.280
 these

00:22:19.280 --> 00:22:19.700
 words.

00:22:20.300 --> 00:22:20.500
 I'm

00:22:20.500 --> 00:22:20.640
 a

00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:21.000
 Christian.

00:22:21.820 --> 00:22:22.100
 As

00:22:22.100 --> 00:22:22.400
 a

00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:22.620
 sinner

00:22:22.620 --> 00:22:23.080
 I

00:22:23.080 --> 00:22:23.840
 believe

00:22:23.840 --> 00:22:24.260
 Jesus

00:22:24.260 --> 00:22:24.520
 has

00:22:24.520 --> 00:22:24.720
 died

00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:24.860
 for

00:22:24.860 --> 00:22:25.040
 my

00:22:25.040 --> 00:22:25.260
 sins

00:22:25.260 --> 00:22:25.400
 on

00:22:25.400 --> 00:22:25.540
 the

00:22:25.540 --> 00:22:25.840
 cross

00:22:25.840 --> 00:22:26.040
 and

00:22:26.040 --> 00:22:26.480
 by

00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:26.720
 his

00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:27.220
 resurrection

00:22:27.220 --> 00:22:27.480
 and

00:22:27.480 --> 00:22:27.760
 victory

00:22:27.760 --> 00:22:28.000
 over

00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:28.340
 death

00:22:28.340 --> 00:22:28.980
 has

00:22:28.980 --> 00:22:29.280
 made

00:22:29.280 --> 00:22:29.480
 me

00:22:29.480 --> 00:22:29.920
 righteous

00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:30.260
 in

00:22:30.260 --> 00:22:30.420
 the

00:22:30.420 --> 00:22:30.740
 presence

00:22:30.740 --> 00:22:30.980
 of

00:22:30.980 --> 00:22:31.140
 the

00:22:31.140 --> 00:22:31.360
 holy

00:22:31.360 --> 00:22:31.740
 God.

00:22:32.420 --> 00:22:32.700
 In

00:22:32.700 --> 00:22:33.240
 response

00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:33.640
 to

00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:34.320
 this

00:22:34.320 --> 00:22:34.860
 kindness

00:22:34.860 --> 00:22:36.040
 he

00:22:36.040 --> 00:22:36.300
 has

00:22:36.300 --> 00:22:36.720
 asked

00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:36.920
 me

00:22:36.920 --> 00:22:37.120
 to

00:22:37.120 --> 00:22:37.380
 deny

00:22:37.380 --> 00:22:38.040
 myself

00:22:38.040 --> 00:22:38.440
 and

00:22:38.440 --> 00:22:38.640
 be

00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:38.900
 his

00:22:38.900 --> 00:22:39.460
 fully

00:22:39.460 --> 00:22:40.440
 surrendered

00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:40.980
 follower

00:22:40.980 --> 00:22:41.680
 and

00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:41.880
 not

00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:42.120
 to

00:22:42.120 --> 00:22:42.320
 fear

00:22:42.320 --> 00:22:42.760
 people

00:22:42.760 --> 00:22:43.160
 even

00:22:43.160 --> 00:22:43.380
 if

00:22:43.380 --> 00:22:43.560
 they

00:22:43.560 --> 00:22:43.780
 should

00:22:43.780 --> 00:22:44.060
 kill

00:22:44.060 --> 00:22:44.260
 my

00:22:44.260 --> 00:22:44.560
 body.

00:22:45.400 --> 00:22:45.860
 Life

00:22:45.859 --> 00:22:46.039
 for

00:22:46.039 --> 00:22:46.279
 me

00:22:46.279 --> 00:22:46.539
 is

00:22:46.539 --> 00:22:46.639
 an

00:22:46.639 --> 00:22:46.959
 opportunity

00:22:46.959 --> 00:22:47.240
 to

00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:47.519
 serve

00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:47.899
 him

00:22:47.899 --> 00:22:48.799
 and

00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:49.179
 death

00:22:49.179 --> 00:22:49.459
 is

00:22:49.459 --> 00:22:49.639
 a

00:22:49.639 --> 00:22:49.919
 better

00:22:49.919 --> 00:22:50.339
 opportunity

00:22:50.339 --> 00:22:50.500
 to

00:22:50.500 --> 00:22:50.639
 be

00:22:50.639 --> 00:22:50.919
 with

00:22:50.919 --> 00:22:51.379
 Christ

00:22:51.379 --> 00:22:52.039
 therefore

00:22:52.039 --> 00:22:52.679
 I'm

00:22:52.679 --> 00:22:52.839
 not

00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:53.199
 only

00:22:53.199 --> 00:22:54.039
 satisfied

00:22:54.039 --> 00:22:54.419
 to be

00:22:54.419 --> 00:22:54.619
 in

00:22:54.619 --> 00:22:55.000
 prison

00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:55.299
 for

00:22:55.299 --> 00:22:55.439
 the

00:22:55.439 --> 00:22:55.639
 honor

00:22:55.639 --> 00:22:55.759
 of

00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:55.879
 his

00:22:55.879 --> 00:22:56.099
 holy

00:22:56.099 --> 00:22:56.539
 name

00:22:56.539 --> 00:22:57.139
 but

00:22:57.139 --> 00:22:57.359
 I'm

00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:57.539
 ready

00:22:57.539 --> 00:22:57.859
 to

00:22:57.859 --> 00:22:58.199
 give

00:22:58.199 --> 00:22:58.479
 my

00:22:58.479 --> 00:22:58.879
 life

00:22:58.879 --> 00:22:59.119
 for

00:22:59.119 --> 00:22:59.279
 the

00:22:59.279 --> 00:22:59.519
 sake

00:22:59.519 --> 00:22:59.759
 of

00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:00.139
 Jesus

00:23:00.139 --> 00:23:00.719
 my

00:23:00.719 --> 00:23:01.099
 Lord

00:23:01.099 --> 00:23:01.359
 and

00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:01.719
 enter

00:23:01.719 --> 00:23:02.019
 his

00:23:02.019 --> 00:23:02.419
 kingdom

00:23:02.419 --> 00:23:03.199
 sooner

00:23:03.199 --> 00:23:04.000
 the

00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:04.379
 place

00:23:04.379 --> 00:23:04.579
 where

00:23:04.579 --> 00:23:04.740
 the

00:23:04.740 --> 00:23:05.039
 elect

00:23:05.039 --> 00:23:05.219
 of

00:23:05.219 --> 00:23:05.539
 God

00:23:05.539 --> 00:23:06.019
 enter

00:23:06.019 --> 00:23:06.699
 everlasting

00:23:06.699 --> 00:23:07.359
 life.

00:23:10.699 --> 00:23:11.339
 Finally

00:23:11.339 --> 00:23:11.819
 the

00:23:11.819 --> 00:23:13.019
 charges

00:23:13.019 --> 00:23:13.639
 of

00:23:13.639 --> 00:23:14.259
 apostasy

00:23:14.259 --> 00:23:14.659
 were

00:23:14.659 --> 00:23:15.259
 removed

00:23:15.259 --> 00:23:17.039
 he

00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:17.220
 was

00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:17.519
 released

00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:17.740
 from

00:23:17.740 --> 00:23:18.039
 prison

00:23:18.039 --> 00:23:18.339
 in

00:23:18.339 --> 00:23:19.279
 1994

00:23:19.279 --> 00:23:20.920
 but

00:23:20.920 --> 00:23:21.140
 what

00:23:21.140 --> 00:23:21.359
 was

00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:21.619
 not

00:23:21.619 --> 00:23:22.180
 removed

00:23:22.180 --> 00:23:22.500
 was

00:23:22.500 --> 00:23:22.660
 the

00:23:22.660 --> 00:23:22.879
 death

00:23:22.879 --> 00:23:23.400
 sentence.

00:23:24.059 --> 00:23:24.379
 Three

00:23:24.379 --> 00:23:24.700
 days

00:23:24.700 --> 00:23:25.200
 after being

00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:25.559
 released

00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:25.779
 from

00:23:25.779 --> 00:23:26.079
 prison

00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:26.259
 he

00:23:26.259 --> 00:23:26.420
 was

00:23:26.420 --> 00:23:26.980
 abducted

00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:27.339
 murdered

00:23:27.339 --> 00:23:27.539
 and

00:23:27.539 --> 00:23:27.680
 his

00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:27.920
 body

00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:28.119
 was

00:23:28.119 --> 00:23:28.339
 thrown

00:23:28.339 --> 00:23:28.500
 in

00:23:28.500 --> 00:23:28.619
 a

00:23:28.619 --> 00:23:28.980
 park.

00:23:32.779 --> 00:23:33.039
 See

00:23:33.039 --> 00:23:33.379
 Paul's

00:23:33.379 --> 00:23:33.619
 vision

00:23:33.619 --> 00:23:33.940
 shaped

00:23:33.940 --> 00:23:34.319
 life

00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:34.519
 is

00:23:34.519 --> 00:23:34.660
 on

00:23:34.660 --> 00:23:34.920
 full

00:23:34.920 --> 00:23:35.440
 display

00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:35.799
 he's

00:23:35.799 --> 00:23:35.980
 saying

00:23:35.980 --> 00:23:36.220
 by

00:23:36.220 --> 00:23:36.460
 my

00:23:36.460 --> 00:23:36.900
 life

00:23:36.900 --> 00:23:37.160
 I'm

00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:37.579
 showing

00:23:37.579 --> 00:23:37.940
 you

00:23:37.940 --> 00:23:38.379
 that

00:23:38.379 --> 00:23:38.879
 my

00:23:38.879 --> 00:23:39.500
 life

00:23:39.500 --> 00:23:39.779
 is

00:23:39.779 --> 00:23:40.180
 caught

00:23:40.180 --> 00:23:40.539
 up

00:23:40.539 --> 00:23:40.819
 in

00:23:40.819 --> 00:23:41.420
 God's

00:23:41.420 --> 00:23:41.759
 story

00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:42.220
 the

00:23:42.220 --> 00:23:42.519
 story

00:23:42.519 --> 00:23:42.680
 of

00:23:42.680 --> 00:23:42.900
 my

00:23:42.900 --> 00:23:43.259
 life

00:23:43.259 --> 00:23:43.619
 is

00:23:43.619 --> 00:23:43.859
 caught

00:23:43.859 --> 00:23:44.059
 up

00:23:44.059 --> 00:23:44.259
 in

00:23:44.259 --> 00:23:44.720
 God's

00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:45.039
 story

00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:45.299
 of

00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:45.440
 the

00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:45.740
 world

00:23:45.740 --> 00:23:46.140
 he

00:23:46.140 --> 00:23:46.380
 says

00:23:46.380 --> 00:23:46.519
 in

00:23:46.519 --> 00:23:46.720
 verse

00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:47.079
 18

00:23:47.079 --> 00:23:47.299
 you

00:23:47.299 --> 00:23:47.700
 know

00:23:47.700 --> 00:23:47.900
 how

00:23:47.900 --> 00:23:48.079
 I

00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:48.319
 lived

00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:48.460
 the

00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:48.620
 whole

00:23:48.620 --> 00:23:48.880
 time

00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:49.019
 I

00:23:49.019 --> 00:23:49.200
 was

00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:49.660
 with

00:23:49.660 --> 00:23:49.839
 you

00:23:49.839 --> 00:23:50.620
 I

00:23:50.620 --> 00:23:51.000
 served

00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:51.160
 the

00:23:51.160 --> 00:23:51.360
 Lord

00:23:51.360 --> 00:23:51.579
 with

00:23:51.579 --> 00:23:52.120
 great

00:23:52.120 --> 00:23:52.620
 humility

00:23:52.620 --> 00:23:53.420
 and

00:23:53.420 --> 00:23:53.660
 with

00:23:53.660 --> 00:23:54.200
 tears

00:23:54.200 --> 00:23:54.519
 although

00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:54.779
 I

00:23:54.779 --> 00:23:54.980
 was

00:23:54.980 --> 00:23:55.579
 severely

00:23:55.579 --> 00:23:56.019
 tested

00:23:56.019 --> 00:23:56.220
 by

00:23:56.220 --> 00:23:56.380
 the

00:23:56.380 --> 00:23:56.620
 plots

00:23:56.620 --> 00:23:56.720
 of

00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:56.860
 the

00:23:56.860 --> 00:23:57.200
 Jews

00:23:57.200 --> 00:23:57.519
 and

00:23:57.519 --> 00:23:57.640
 then

00:23:57.640 --> 00:23:57.799
 down

00:23:57.799 --> 00:23:57.920
 in

00:23:57.920 --> 00:23:58.120
 verse

00:23:58.119 --> 00:24:28.119


00:24:28.119 --> 00:24:28.319
 things

00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:29.799
 humility

00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:30.839
 humility

00:24:30.839 --> 00:24:31.559
 honesty

00:24:31.559 --> 00:24:31.619
 honesty

00:24:31.619 --> 00:24:32.399
 industry

00:24:32.399 --> 00:24:32.959
 hard

00:24:32.959 --> 00:24:33.379
 work

00:24:33.379 --> 00:24:34.039
 meeting

00:24:34.039 --> 00:24:34.539
 needs

00:24:34.539 --> 00:24:35.379
 generosity

00:24:35.379 --> 00:24:36.079
 characterized

00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:36.519
 his

00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:36.959
 life

00:24:36.959 --> 00:24:38.379
 and

00:24:38.379 --> 00:24:38.719
 verse

00:24:38.719 --> 00:24:39.139
 20

00:24:39.139 --> 00:24:40.779
 is

00:24:40.779 --> 00:24:40.979
 the

00:24:40.979 --> 00:24:41.559
 work

00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:42.059
 that

00:24:42.059 --> 00:24:42.279
 he

00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:43.159
 especially

00:24:43.159 --> 00:24:43.679
 labored

00:24:43.679 --> 00:24:44.139
 hard

00:24:44.139 --> 00:24:44.599
 in

00:24:44.599 --> 00:24:45.579
 again

00:24:45.579 --> 00:24:46.039
 you

00:24:46.039 --> 00:24:46.439
 know

00:24:46.439 --> 00:24:47.659
 again

00:24:47.659 --> 00:24:48.039
 guys

00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:48.439
 look

00:24:48.439 --> 00:24:48.559
 at

00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:48.699
 me

00:24:48.699 --> 00:24:48.899
 you

00:24:48.899 --> 00:24:49.199
 know

00:24:49.199 --> 00:24:49.679
 that

00:24:49.679 --> 00:24:49.839
 I

00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:50.059
 have

00:24:50.059 --> 00:24:50.339
 not

00:24:50.339 --> 00:24:51.099
 hesitated

00:24:51.099 --> 00:24:51.359
 to

00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:51.679
 preach

00:24:51.679 --> 00:24:52.419
 anything

00:24:52.419 --> 00:24:53.299
 that

00:24:53.299 --> 00:24:53.579
 would

00:24:53.579 --> 00:24:53.779
 be

00:24:53.779 --> 00:24:54.079
 helpful

00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:54.339
 to

00:24:54.339 --> 00:24:54.659
 you

00:24:54.659 --> 00:24:55.219
 but

00:24:55.219 --> 00:24:55.419
 have

00:24:55.419 --> 00:24:55.799
 taught

00:24:55.799 --> 00:24:56.000
 you

00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:56.559
 publicly

00:24:56.559 --> 00:25:00.319
 and from house to house, I have declared to both Jews and Greeks,

00:25:00.399 --> 00:25:04.519
 in other words, everyone, that they must turn to God in repentance

00:25:04.519 --> 00:25:06.359
 and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

00:25:08.099 --> 00:25:11.379
 And so Paul's mission-shaped life

00:25:11.379 --> 00:25:17.379
 meant he discharged his duty to make the good news of God's grace

00:25:17.379 --> 00:25:20.579
 in Jesus Christ be known to all.

00:25:20.579 --> 00:25:26.919
 In fact, so thoroughly was his discharging of this duty

00:25:26.919 --> 00:25:29.740
 that he says in verse 26,

00:25:29.919 --> 00:25:43.299
 In other words, I have not failed to discharge that duty.

00:25:43.299 --> 00:25:51.639
 See, in the gospel of the Lord Jesus, Paul discovered a greater treasure than himself.

00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:56.519
 And it resulted in a gospel-shaped life,

00:25:57.119 --> 00:26:01.700
 both in its authenticity and in its attention to focus

00:26:01.700 --> 00:26:05.079
 on proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ

00:26:05.079 --> 00:26:07.700
 from a heart of love and acts of service.

00:26:07.700 --> 00:26:15.039
 And so, having said that, the apostle Paul left the Ephesian elders.

00:26:15.180 --> 00:26:18.340
 He sailed off to keep giving his life to God's mission.

00:26:19.080 --> 00:26:21.960
 He was arrested in Jerusalem, as he knew he would be.

00:26:22.380 --> 00:26:28.220
 And by the providence of God, he ended up being transferred to Rome under God.

00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:31.819
 He's like, he's gone to head office now.

00:26:31.819 --> 00:26:41.859
 And the final two verses of the Acts of the Apostles says this.

00:26:42.879 --> 00:26:46.259
 You know, like, now that he's arrested, has he lost his focus?

00:26:47.319 --> 00:26:48.599
 Here's the final two verses.

00:26:49.299 --> 00:26:53.159
 For two whole years, Paul stayed there in his own rented house

00:26:53.159 --> 00:26:55.859
 and welcomed all who came to see him.

00:26:56.759 --> 00:26:58.799
 Boldly and without hindrance,

00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:01.119
 he preached the kingdom of God

00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:03.799
 and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

00:27:06.019 --> 00:27:07.440
 Right to the very end.

00:27:10.220 --> 00:27:12.299
 Although he's bound by house arrest,

00:27:13.099 --> 00:27:16.200
 what this is saying here is that the word of God wasn't.

00:27:17.480 --> 00:27:20.379
 This servant of the gospel of the Lord Jesus

00:27:20.379 --> 00:27:23.059
 will soon lose his life,

00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:27.539
 but the gospel will keep on advancing to the ends of the earth.

00:27:27.539 --> 00:27:29.579
 Paul will be dead,

00:27:29.859 --> 00:27:31.599
 but Jesus is still alive.

00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:36.859
 And when we commit ourselves to the Lord Jesus and his gospel,

00:27:37.500 --> 00:27:41.659
 we are committing to God's unstoppable, eternal purposes.

00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:45.559
 The ripple effects of God's mission

00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:49.159
 will only grow in magnitude for all of eternity.

00:27:50.440 --> 00:27:53.899
 Who would have thought that 2,000 years later,

00:27:53.900 --> 00:27:56.140
 we would be talking about the apostle Paul

00:27:56.140 --> 00:27:58.960
 in a country that he never knew existed.

00:28:00.200 --> 00:28:01.960
 You want impact for your life?

00:28:02.120 --> 00:28:02.720
 There's impact.

00:28:02.860 --> 00:28:03.900
 You want to leave a legacy?

00:28:04.360 --> 00:28:05.120
 There's a legacy.

00:28:05.119 --> 00:28:13.119
 In the past couple of weeks,

00:28:13.199 --> 00:28:14.819
 you've potentially seen in the media

00:28:14.819 --> 00:28:18.419
 about a young American missionary,

00:28:18.699 --> 00:28:19.719
 26 years of age,

00:28:19.779 --> 00:28:22.159
 went to North Centauri Islands

00:28:22.159 --> 00:28:24.679
 in the Indian Ocean

00:28:24.679 --> 00:28:26.439
 and was killed.

00:28:26.440 --> 00:28:32.240
 Just nod your head if you've seen that.

00:28:33.940 --> 00:28:38.340
 I have seen secular media just cane this guy.

00:28:38.519 --> 00:28:40.559
 What an idiot throwing his life away like that.

00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:46.000
 I've seen Christians saying exactly the same thing.

00:28:46.580 --> 00:28:47.640
 What a waste of life.

00:28:47.640 --> 00:28:53.580
 Is it?

00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:01.180
 We Christians have got a tendency to say the same thing

00:29:01.180 --> 00:29:02.860
 as the world.

00:29:03.620 --> 00:29:05.120
 And we don't learn from history.

00:29:06.180 --> 00:29:07.800
 In the 1800s,

00:29:08.180 --> 00:29:11.400
 two men went to a place called New Hebrides,

00:29:11.500 --> 00:29:12.620
 which is now called Vanuatu.

00:29:13.880 --> 00:29:16.780
 John Williams and James Harris.

00:29:16.779 --> 00:29:18.579
 First two missionaries

00:29:18.579 --> 00:29:20.240
 out of the London Missionary Society

00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:21.639
 got on a boat,

00:29:21.859 --> 00:29:22.960
 went to the New Hebrides,

00:29:23.639 --> 00:29:24.859
 walked on a beach,

00:29:25.319 --> 00:29:27.299
 and within 10 minutes of walking on the beach,

00:29:27.399 --> 00:29:28.599
 both of them were clubbed to death.

00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:30.379
 They were cooked and eaten

00:29:30.379 --> 00:29:32.059
 before the ship had pulled anchor and left.

00:29:33.940 --> 00:29:36.180
 You go back to the church in Scotland

00:29:36.180 --> 00:29:37.099
 where they came from

00:29:37.099 --> 00:29:37.599
 and they said,

00:29:37.700 --> 00:29:38.480
 what a wasted life.

00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:39.700
 Two young men,

00:29:39.799 --> 00:29:40.420
 lives are gone.

00:29:40.519 --> 00:29:41.440
 What a wasted life.

00:29:43.019 --> 00:29:44.799
 Within 15 years,

00:29:44.879 --> 00:29:46.200
 a man named John Patton said,

00:29:46.200 --> 00:29:47.019
 I'll be the next.

00:29:49.019 --> 00:29:50.400
 John Patton goes down there

00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:51.600
 and the church in Scotland said,

00:29:51.660 --> 00:29:52.140
 don't do it,

00:29:52.180 --> 00:29:52.640
 don't do it,

00:29:52.660 --> 00:29:53.279
 they'll eat you.

00:29:56.180 --> 00:29:57.620
 Patton walked onto the beach

00:29:57.620 --> 00:30:01.720
 and after 30 odd years of ministry,

00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:05.059
 the whole island of Inewa

00:30:05.059 --> 00:30:06.180
 was converted.

00:30:06.180 --> 00:30:09.560
 And today,

00:30:09.560 --> 00:30:13.500
 60% of Vanuatu

00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:14.960
 declares itself to be Christian.

00:30:16.500 --> 00:30:18.160
 And John Patton says,

00:30:19.740 --> 00:30:21.600
 the way was opened by God

00:30:21.600 --> 00:30:23.000
 through the blood of two men.

00:30:25.180 --> 00:30:27.160
 And I've just mentioned

00:30:27.160 --> 00:30:28.320
 John Williams

00:30:28.320 --> 00:30:30.500
 and James Harris

00:30:30.500 --> 00:30:33.259
 who are still known in the history books,

00:30:33.259 --> 00:30:36.900
 who still leave a lasting legacy

00:30:36.900 --> 00:30:39.740
 even though their lives were cut short.

00:30:41.240 --> 00:30:43.299
 Who knows what God is going to do

00:30:43.299 --> 00:30:45.140
 in the North Sentinelese Islands

00:30:45.140 --> 00:30:47.940
 as he by his Holy Spirit

00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:49.420
 could convict people

00:30:49.420 --> 00:30:51.079
 for the atrocity they've committed

00:30:51.079 --> 00:30:52.240
 against another human being.

00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:56.440
 We don't know.

00:30:58.079 --> 00:31:00.440
 And the only reason you would say

00:31:00.440 --> 00:31:01.839
 that life's a wasted life

00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:02.859
 is because you've been captured

00:31:02.859 --> 00:31:04.779
 by a different story.

00:31:09.660 --> 00:31:11.160
 See, God's story,

00:31:11.740 --> 00:31:13.180
 his mission in the world

00:31:13.180 --> 00:31:14.460
 is what I've just said.

00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:15.460
 But there's another story

00:31:15.460 --> 00:31:16.160
 that's arisen

00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:18.240
 in the last couple of hundred years

00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:19.920
 and it's taken up residence

00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:22.180
 in the soul of the Western world.

00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:24.660
 And it's becoming

00:31:24.660 --> 00:31:26.000
 more and more dominant

00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:27.920
 and it's very dominant now.

00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:32.120
 It's become the purpose of life

00:31:32.120 --> 00:31:34.339
 for much of the Western world

00:31:34.339 --> 00:31:36.799
 and the technical term for it

00:31:36.799 --> 00:31:38.460
 is philosophical naturalism.

00:31:39.980 --> 00:31:41.839
 That's a fancy name

00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:44.359
 for materialism.

00:31:45.480 --> 00:31:47.480
 And it's worth comparing

00:31:47.480 --> 00:31:50.240
 the story of philosophical naturalism

00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:52.240
 which is in our lifeblood

00:31:52.819 --> 00:31:55.279
 in this society

00:31:55.279 --> 00:31:57.380
 to God's story.

00:31:57.880 --> 00:31:59.500
 This is a three-chapter story.

00:32:00.940 --> 00:32:02.140
 Philosophical naturalism,

00:32:02.279 --> 00:32:03.900
 materialism is a three-chapter story.

00:32:04.200 --> 00:32:05.140
 It goes like this.

00:32:05.400 --> 00:32:07.819
 Big bang, evolution, nothing.

00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:11.920
 In the big bang,

00:32:12.240 --> 00:32:13.599
 there's no supernatural

00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:14.720
 or spiritual power.

00:32:14.819 --> 00:32:15.579
 There's no creator.

00:32:15.579 --> 00:32:17.819
 There's nothing that rules

00:32:17.819 --> 00:32:18.980
 the physical universe.

00:32:19.220 --> 00:32:20.480
 Everything that can be seen

00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:21.240
 and measured

00:32:21.240 --> 00:32:22.220
 is a,

00:32:22.379 --> 00:32:24.039
 which is the only thing that exists,

00:32:24.139 --> 00:32:25.119
 only things that can be seen

00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:25.539
 and measured

00:32:25.539 --> 00:32:28.779
 is a result of an explosion

00:32:28.779 --> 00:32:31.759
 that appeared out of nothing

00:32:31.759 --> 00:32:33.559
 billions of years ago.

00:32:34.839 --> 00:32:35.879
 That's chapter one.

00:32:36.759 --> 00:32:37.279
 Random.

00:32:38.659 --> 00:32:39.099
 Boom.

00:32:39.099 --> 00:32:39.139
 Boom.

00:32:40.179 --> 00:32:40.980
 Chapter two.

00:32:42.319 --> 00:32:43.639
 Is that this earth,

00:32:43.819 --> 00:32:45.959
 which is a result of that boom,

00:32:46.740 --> 00:32:50.500
 is in exactly the right place,

00:32:51.339 --> 00:32:52.759
 revolving around the sun

00:32:52.759 --> 00:32:54.839
 at exactly the right speed

00:32:54.839 --> 00:32:58.079
 in order for life to evolve.

00:33:00.459 --> 00:33:02.199
 Against all the odds,

00:33:02.679 --> 00:33:05.199
 humanity has evolved

00:33:05.199 --> 00:33:06.939
 from prehistoric soup

00:33:06.940 --> 00:33:09.279
 to be the dominant species

00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:10.740
 on the earth

00:33:10.740 --> 00:33:12.980
 for the time being.

00:33:15.059 --> 00:33:17.380
 And despite what people might think,

00:33:18.140 --> 00:33:19.700
 despite what they might feel,

00:33:20.900 --> 00:33:22.779
 there is no such thing

00:33:22.779 --> 00:33:24.920
 as absolute right or wrong.

00:33:25.299 --> 00:33:26.539
 If you happen to feel

00:33:26.539 --> 00:33:28.120
 that there is an absolute right or wrong,

00:33:28.279 --> 00:33:30.340
 it's because there's a chemical reaction

00:33:30.340 --> 00:33:31.240
 in your brain

00:33:31.240 --> 00:33:33.180
 as a result of evolution.

00:33:33.320 --> 00:33:34.519
 But you've just got to ignore that

00:33:34.519 --> 00:33:35.519
 because it's just not true.

00:33:36.940 --> 00:33:39.080
 Because everything is an accident

00:33:39.080 --> 00:33:40.320
 and it's random,

00:33:40.680 --> 00:33:43.400
 then there is no absolute purpose in life.

00:33:43.559 --> 00:33:45.019
 You can create purpose for life.

00:33:45.080 --> 00:33:46.240
 You can create your own purpose

00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:47.019
 if you want to,

00:33:47.340 --> 00:33:48.180
 but that's something

00:33:48.180 --> 00:33:49.380
 that you have created

00:33:49.380 --> 00:33:50.640
 as a finite being.

00:33:51.200 --> 00:33:52.640
 And that's what you'd need

00:33:52.640 --> 00:33:53.860
 in order to exist in life,

00:33:53.920 --> 00:33:54.480
 then that's fine,

00:33:54.559 --> 00:33:56.240
 but it's not real.

00:33:56.240 --> 00:34:00.380
 And so,

00:34:00.620 --> 00:34:03.099
 that means that this life

00:34:03.099 --> 00:34:05.240
 is all you have,

00:34:05.460 --> 00:34:07.019
 make the most of it,

00:34:07.180 --> 00:34:09.440
 and the goal of this life

00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:11.420
 is for you to be as happy

00:34:11.420 --> 00:34:13.179
 as you possibly can be.

00:34:16.139 --> 00:34:18.179
 And to be as happy

00:34:18.179 --> 00:34:19.900
 as you possibly can be,

00:34:20.300 --> 00:34:23.239
 you must consume experiences

00:34:23.239 --> 00:34:25.379
 and accumulate things.

00:34:29.299 --> 00:34:31.519
 And the reason you must do that

00:34:31.519 --> 00:34:35.139
 is because chapter three is there.

00:34:35.979 --> 00:34:37.859
 And it could happen at any time.

00:34:38.799 --> 00:34:41.000
 The sun is just going to burn up.

00:34:41.579 --> 00:34:43.139
 We're going to slip our axis

00:34:43.139 --> 00:34:47.099
 and spin off into the Netherlands.

00:34:47.099 --> 00:34:50.940
 Humanity will become extinct.

00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:53.119
 There's no form of afterlife.

00:34:53.539 --> 00:34:55.339
 There's no survival of the conscience.

00:34:56.839 --> 00:34:59.259
 The story of materialism

00:34:59.259 --> 00:35:02.099
 is that this life is it.

00:35:03.679 --> 00:35:06.659
 Which is why when a 26-year-old

00:35:06.659 --> 00:35:08.440
 throws his life away,

00:35:08.839 --> 00:35:09.339
 we go,

00:35:09.659 --> 00:35:10.380
 what an idiot.

00:35:12.880 --> 00:35:15.420
 We call that a wasted life.

00:35:17.099 --> 00:35:20.980
 Where materialism says

00:35:20.980 --> 00:35:22.019
 everything is random,

00:35:22.139 --> 00:35:23.019
 there's no good or evil,

00:35:23.139 --> 00:35:24.400
 there's nothing to hope for,

00:35:25.159 --> 00:35:26.279
 the biblical storyline

00:35:26.279 --> 00:35:28.119
 is that we have a loving creator

00:35:28.119 --> 00:35:30.039
 who has triumphed over evil

00:35:30.039 --> 00:35:31.360
 at great cost to himself

00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:32.639
 to love you dearly.

00:35:33.019 --> 00:35:34.420
 And we look forward to a day

00:35:34.420 --> 00:35:35.759
 when everything that's wrong

00:35:35.759 --> 00:35:37.019
 is going to be made right.

00:35:37.659 --> 00:35:39.139
 And we will live with him

00:35:39.139 --> 00:35:40.319
 in blissful joy

00:35:40.319 --> 00:35:41.319
 for all of eternity.

00:35:42.420 --> 00:35:43.519
 I've got to tell you,

00:35:43.980 --> 00:35:45.440
 the biblical storyline

00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:47.700
 just seems so much more compelling.

00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:51.579
 And it's not just compelling.

00:35:53.659 --> 00:35:56.039
 If you're not convinced by it,

00:35:57.039 --> 00:35:58.700
 it is true

00:35:58.700 --> 00:36:00.880
 and I can show you how it's true.

00:36:01.880 --> 00:36:02.800
 I can tell you

00:36:02.800 --> 00:36:03.980
 that it is more reasonable

00:36:03.980 --> 00:36:05.119
 than every other

00:36:05.119 --> 00:36:06.200
 of the grand narratives

00:36:06.200 --> 00:36:07.099
 that are out there.

00:36:07.380 --> 00:36:08.360
 And if you're not a Christian,

00:36:08.460 --> 00:36:09.780
 I'd invite you to jump on board

00:36:09.780 --> 00:36:10.179
 with this

00:36:10.179 --> 00:36:11.639
 and start investigating

00:36:11.639 --> 00:36:12.720
 the claims of Jesus

00:36:12.719 --> 00:36:14.359
 and his worldview today.

00:36:17.739 --> 00:36:18.959
 But here's the thing.

00:36:20.980 --> 00:36:22.059
 Philosophical naturalism

00:36:22.059 --> 00:36:23.559
 or God's biblical storyline,

00:36:24.419 --> 00:36:25.980
 whichever one you choose,

00:36:27.779 --> 00:36:29.259
 it will require

00:36:29.259 --> 00:36:31.559
 demand of you,

00:36:32.259 --> 00:36:32.980
 your time,

00:36:33.419 --> 00:36:34.019
 your talents,

00:36:34.319 --> 00:36:35.059
 and your treasures.

00:36:37.319 --> 00:36:38.799
 Whichever one you serve,

00:36:39.659 --> 00:36:40.539
 you're serving it.

00:36:40.539 --> 00:36:48.039
 And that's why I'm calling you today

00:36:48.039 --> 00:36:49.480
 to serve the biblical.

00:36:50.440 --> 00:36:51.400
 Don't keep a foot

00:36:51.400 --> 00:36:52.300
 in both worlds.

00:36:53.380 --> 00:36:53.900
 I'm calling you

00:36:53.900 --> 00:36:54.679
 to jump on board

00:36:54.679 --> 00:36:55.779
 with God's storyline.

00:36:57.960 --> 00:36:58.739
 One of the things

00:36:58.739 --> 00:37:00.019
 we're doing practically tonight

00:37:00.019 --> 00:37:00.880
 is pledging.

00:37:02.360 --> 00:37:04.159
 We do this every year.

00:37:05.579 --> 00:37:06.320
 One of the things

00:37:06.320 --> 00:37:07.259
 that I do

00:37:07.259 --> 00:37:08.340
 is I declare

00:37:08.340 --> 00:37:09.620
 what Natalie and I

00:37:09.620 --> 00:37:10.200
 and the kids

00:37:10.200 --> 00:37:10.579
 are giving

00:37:10.579 --> 00:37:11.880
 to this mission

00:37:11.880 --> 00:37:13.600
 in this church.

00:37:14.460 --> 00:37:14.980
 And staff

00:37:14.980 --> 00:37:15.740
 and parish council

00:37:15.740 --> 00:37:16.280
 follow me.

00:37:16.360 --> 00:37:16.920
 I get this from

00:37:16.920 --> 00:37:17.840
 1 Chronicles 29.

00:37:18.079 --> 00:37:18.880
 I've written about this

00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:19.559
 a number of times.

00:37:20.200 --> 00:37:21.120
 Staff and parish council

00:37:21.120 --> 00:37:21.780
 follow me

00:37:21.780 --> 00:37:23.000
 and then I invite

00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:23.600
 the rest of you

00:37:23.600 --> 00:37:24.000
 to follow.

00:37:26.360 --> 00:37:27.440
 For next year,

00:37:27.820 --> 00:37:28.260
 Natalie and I

00:37:28.260 --> 00:37:28.460
 are giving

00:37:28.460 --> 00:37:30.000
 $350 a week

00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:32.039
 to God's mission

00:37:32.039 --> 00:37:33.780
 in St. Paul's.

00:37:34.820 --> 00:37:35.740
 Our giving to poor

00:37:35.740 --> 00:37:36.140
 and mission

00:37:36.139 --> 00:37:37.339
 is on top of that.

00:37:39.699 --> 00:37:41.019
 Staff and parish council

00:37:41.019 --> 00:37:41.739
 have in this week

00:37:41.739 --> 00:37:42.500
 followed suit

00:37:42.500 --> 00:37:44.139
 and they have pledged

00:37:44.139 --> 00:37:47.019
 $3,823 per week

00:37:47.019 --> 00:37:47.719
 between them.

00:37:48.440 --> 00:37:49.599
 That's 40%,

00:37:49.599 --> 00:37:51.440
 almost 40%

00:37:51.440 --> 00:37:52.420
 of our target

00:37:52.420 --> 00:37:52.920
 that we're hoping

00:37:52.920 --> 00:37:53.359
 to reach

00:37:53.359 --> 00:37:54.119
 just from staff

00:37:54.119 --> 00:37:54.799
 and parish council.

00:37:56.159 --> 00:37:57.460
 They've also contributed

00:37:57.460 --> 00:37:59.219
 $16,170

00:37:59.219 --> 00:38:01.279
 to our 50,000

00:38:01.279 --> 00:38:02.599
 project

00:38:02.599 --> 00:38:03.319
 for our local

00:38:03.319 --> 00:38:04.039
 mission project

00:38:04.039 --> 00:38:05.199
 for our next gen ministries.

00:38:05.199 --> 00:38:06.379
 That's 30%

00:38:06.379 --> 00:38:06.980
 that's been raised

00:38:06.980 --> 00:38:07.839
 from parish council

00:38:07.839 --> 00:38:08.439
 and staff

00:38:08.439 --> 00:38:09.960
 and they have

00:38:09.960 --> 00:38:10.559
 contributed

00:38:10.559 --> 00:38:11.559
 $2,450

00:38:11.559 --> 00:38:13.139
 towards the

00:38:13.139 --> 00:38:15.059
 Ropes Crossing

00:38:15.059 --> 00:38:16.179
 Global Mission Project.

00:38:16.699 --> 00:38:17.719
 Staff and parish council

00:38:17.719 --> 00:38:18.659
 have put 50%

00:38:18.659 --> 00:38:19.599
 towards that one

00:38:19.599 --> 00:38:20.379
 already.

00:38:22.579 --> 00:38:23.819
 What I'm calling you

00:38:23.819 --> 00:38:24.239
 to do

00:38:24.239 --> 00:38:25.699
 is to play your part

00:38:25.699 --> 00:38:27.039
 in God's mission

00:38:27.039 --> 00:38:28.000
 and to do it

00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:28.799
 on purpose here.

00:38:29.259 --> 00:38:29.980
 God's mission

00:38:29.980 --> 00:38:31.359
 is to overthrow

00:38:31.359 --> 00:38:31.899
 Satan

00:38:31.899 --> 00:38:33.279
 gathering people

00:38:33.279 --> 00:38:33.699
 to himself

00:38:33.699 --> 00:38:34.500
 through the Lord Jesus

00:38:34.500 --> 00:38:35.159
 so that they

00:38:35.159 --> 00:38:36.659
 might live forever

00:38:36.659 --> 00:38:38.000
 in his presence

00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:39.239
 as his much-loved

00:38:39.239 --> 00:38:39.599
 children.

00:38:39.760 --> 00:38:40.219
 God's plan

00:38:40.219 --> 00:38:40.679
 is to gather

00:38:40.679 --> 00:38:41.579
 children to himself

00:38:41.579 --> 00:38:43.800
 to be in the likeness

00:38:43.800 --> 00:38:44.480
 of his true son

00:38:44.480 --> 00:38:45.079
 the Lord Jesus

00:38:45.079 --> 00:38:45.840
 remember he tribe,

00:38:45.960 --> 00:38:46.639
 language, nation

00:38:46.639 --> 00:38:47.119
 and people.

00:38:48.460 --> 00:38:49.519
 How do you purposely

00:38:49.519 --> 00:38:50.599
 play your part

00:38:50.599 --> 00:38:51.300
 in God's mission

00:38:51.300 --> 00:38:51.900
 in this world?

00:38:52.380 --> 00:38:53.320
 Very simply

00:38:53.320 --> 00:38:54.579
 by surrendering

00:38:54.579 --> 00:38:55.159
 your time,

00:38:55.280 --> 00:38:55.699
 your talents

00:38:55.699 --> 00:38:56.280
 and your treasures

00:38:56.280 --> 00:38:57.260
 to the cause of Christ

00:38:57.260 --> 00:38:58.079
 in such a way

00:38:58.079 --> 00:38:58.679
 that it makes

00:38:58.679 --> 00:39:00.619
 Jesus look magnificent.

00:39:02.839 --> 00:39:04.399
 It makes your life

00:39:04.399 --> 00:39:05.119
 look like

00:39:05.119 --> 00:39:06.440
 it is out of step

00:39:06.440 --> 00:39:08.099
 with philosophical

00:39:08.099 --> 00:39:08.759
 naturalism.

00:39:09.779 --> 00:39:11.279
 We don't live for that.

00:39:12.179 --> 00:39:13.059
 We live for this.

00:39:16.259 --> 00:39:16.940
 And it means

00:39:16.940 --> 00:39:17.859
 things like

00:39:17.859 --> 00:39:19.139
 as we pull in

00:39:19.139 --> 00:39:19.599
 the whole series

00:39:19.599 --> 00:39:19.779
 together,

00:39:19.879 --> 00:39:20.619
 we grow up in the

00:39:20.619 --> 00:39:21.339
 character of the Lord

00:39:21.339 --> 00:39:22.460
 Jesus so that

00:39:22.460 --> 00:39:23.639
 our motive to see

00:39:23.639 --> 00:39:24.579
 God glorified

00:39:24.579 --> 00:39:25.659
 is love

00:39:25.659 --> 00:39:26.559
 and our actions

00:39:26.559 --> 00:39:27.819
 are service of others.

00:39:27.820 --> 00:39:29.160
 We pray that God

00:39:29.160 --> 00:39:30.260
 will open the eyes

00:39:30.260 --> 00:39:31.800
 and transform hearts

00:39:31.800 --> 00:39:32.800
 that people might see

00:39:32.800 --> 00:39:33.340
 the beauty

00:39:33.340 --> 00:39:34.160
 and the glory

00:39:34.160 --> 00:39:34.980
 and the worth

00:39:34.980 --> 00:39:35.640
 of Christ.

00:39:36.140 --> 00:39:36.700
 We proclaim

00:39:36.700 --> 00:39:37.320
 the good news

00:39:37.320 --> 00:39:38.620
 that Jesus died

00:39:38.620 --> 00:39:39.700
 for sins.

00:39:39.840 --> 00:39:41.340
 He's risen triumphant

00:39:41.340 --> 00:39:42.500
 over all evil

00:39:42.500 --> 00:39:43.420
 and reign supreme

00:39:43.420 --> 00:39:44.140
 as Lord of all.

00:39:44.340 --> 00:39:45.380
 And we do it together

00:39:45.380 --> 00:39:46.260
 as his people.

00:39:46.740 --> 00:39:47.900
 We do it by supporting

00:39:47.900 --> 00:39:49.100
 what God has been doing

00:39:49.100 --> 00:39:50.000
 and is doing

00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:50.539
 at the moment

00:39:50.539 --> 00:39:51.360
 around the world.

00:39:51.700 --> 00:39:52.200
 We do it

00:39:52.200 --> 00:39:53.200
 wherever God

00:39:53.200 --> 00:39:54.100
 has placed us

00:39:54.100 --> 00:39:55.200
 as his ambassadors

00:39:55.200 --> 00:39:56.200
 in societies.

00:39:56.200 --> 00:39:56.780
 We heard from

00:39:56.780 --> 00:39:58.140
 Coe earlier

00:39:58.140 --> 00:39:59.780
 about being at school.

00:40:00.900 --> 00:40:01.740
 I want to ask you

00:40:01.740 --> 00:40:02.640
 as we come

00:40:02.640 --> 00:40:03.000
 to the end

00:40:03.000 --> 00:40:03.660
 of this series,

00:40:04.300 --> 00:40:05.100
 how have you been

00:40:05.100 --> 00:40:05.780
 going with your

00:40:05.780 --> 00:40:06.480
 My Purpose

00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:07.220
 Health Checkup?

00:40:08.340 --> 00:40:10.160
 What is the next step?

00:40:10.380 --> 00:40:12.260
 Don't just sit here

00:40:12.260 --> 00:40:13.040
 and absorb

00:40:13.040 --> 00:40:13.660
 and absorb

00:40:13.660 --> 00:40:14.140
 and absorb

00:40:14.140 --> 00:40:15.300
 but don't do anything.

00:40:15.840 --> 00:40:16.940
 What is the next step

00:40:16.940 --> 00:40:17.860
 you need to take?

00:40:18.320 --> 00:40:19.480
 I plead with you

00:40:19.480 --> 00:40:20.680
 not just sit

00:40:20.680 --> 00:40:21.320
 comfortable.

00:40:22.960 --> 00:40:23.760
 Is it a crawl?

00:40:23.840 --> 00:40:24.380
 Is it a walk?

00:40:24.440 --> 00:40:24.920
 Is it a run?

00:40:24.920 --> 00:40:26.000
 Do you need to take

00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:26.599
 the first step

00:40:26.599 --> 00:40:26.940
 in fact

00:40:26.940 --> 00:40:27.800
 and start following

00:40:27.800 --> 00:40:29.240
 Jesus tonight?

00:40:29.440 --> 00:40:29.980
 Do you need to

00:40:29.980 --> 00:40:31.840
 increase the regularity

00:40:31.840 --> 00:40:32.599
 that you have at church?

00:40:32.700 --> 00:40:34.099
 Do you need to prepare

00:40:34.099 --> 00:40:34.740
 your heart

00:40:34.740 --> 00:40:35.639
 for corporate worship

00:40:35.639 --> 00:40:36.280
 so that you don't

00:40:36.280 --> 00:40:37.099
 just turn up

00:40:37.099 --> 00:40:38.960
 when the music starts

00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:39.579
 but you're actually

00:40:39.579 --> 00:40:40.559
 ready to engage

00:40:40.559 --> 00:40:41.059
 to sing,

00:40:41.139 --> 00:40:41.619
 to pray,

00:40:42.039 --> 00:40:43.360
 to listen to God,

00:40:43.440 --> 00:40:44.680
 to engage with others?

00:40:45.039 --> 00:40:45.720
 Do you need to

00:40:45.720 --> 00:40:46.720
 join a community group?

00:40:46.840 --> 00:40:47.079
 Do it.

00:40:47.159 --> 00:40:47.960
 Sign up at the table

00:40:47.960 --> 00:40:48.460
 tonight.

00:40:48.860 --> 00:40:49.539
 Do you need to

00:40:49.539 --> 00:40:50.740
 start serving

00:40:50.740 --> 00:40:51.840
 and join a ministry team?

00:40:51.960 --> 00:40:52.760
 Sign up at the table

00:40:52.760 --> 00:40:53.160
 tonight.

00:40:53.560 --> 00:40:54.160
 Do you need to

00:40:54.160 --> 00:40:54.980
 take further steps

00:40:54.980 --> 00:40:56.000
 towards radical

00:40:56.000 --> 00:40:57.220
 generosity with your

00:40:57.220 --> 00:40:57.660
 resources?

00:40:57.880 --> 00:40:58.680
 Do that tonight.

00:40:59.000 --> 00:40:59.800
 Do you need to

00:40:59.800 --> 00:41:00.740
 start praying for

00:41:00.740 --> 00:41:01.680
 someone to know

00:41:01.680 --> 00:41:02.580
 the truth and for

00:41:02.580 --> 00:41:03.540
 opportunities for you

00:41:03.540 --> 00:41:04.580
 to speak the truth?

00:41:04.880 --> 00:41:05.440
 Do you need,

00:41:05.600 --> 00:41:06.180
 first of all,

00:41:06.280 --> 00:41:07.160
 just to learn what

00:41:07.160 --> 00:41:08.080
 the truth is and

00:41:08.080 --> 00:41:09.180
 how to speak it well?

00:41:09.560 --> 00:41:10.700
 What is the next

00:41:10.700 --> 00:41:11.060
 step?

00:41:12.460 --> 00:41:14.000
 That your life

00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:16.820
 might be on

00:41:16.820 --> 00:41:17.360
 purpose,

00:41:19.040 --> 00:41:19.760
 aligned

00:41:19.760 --> 00:41:21.900
 to God's

00:41:21.900 --> 00:41:22.240
 purpose,

00:41:22.400 --> 00:41:23.040
 to God's

00:41:23.040 --> 00:41:23.880
 story?

00:41:24.180 --> 00:41:25.060
 What do you

00:41:25.060 --> 00:41:25.960
 need to do

00:41:25.960 --> 00:41:27.240
 to take the

00:41:27.240 --> 00:41:27.840
 next step

00:41:27.840 --> 00:41:28.820
 to jump into

00:41:28.820 --> 00:41:29.820
 God's storyline

00:41:29.820 --> 00:41:31.540
 and find

00:41:31.540 --> 00:41:32.380
 real impact,

00:41:32.960 --> 00:41:33.720
 real legacy?