WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.320 Those of you who come along each week will know that over the past two months or so in 00:00:05.320 --> 00:00:10.599 our morning services we have been thinking about discipleship, about how we are to live 00:00:10.599 --> 00:00:13.759 our lives as followers of Jesus. 00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:19.719 And today we come to the final part of our series, but our hope is that discipleship 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:25.719 is something that we will always be thinking about as we go on in our lives as followers 00:00:25.719 --> 00:00:27.620 of our Savior. 00:00:27.620 --> 00:00:33.200 In order to help us think about discipleship we've been using the image of the tree. 00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:37.640 And this is a theme that runs through the whole of Scripture. 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:42.520 If you remember way back to the beginning of our series we looked at the words of Jeremiah 00:00:42.520 --> 00:00:48.280 chapter 17 which say, Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:53.880 He's like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:59.080 when heat comes, for its leaves remain green and it is not anxious in the year of drought, 00:00:59.080 --> 00:01:02.680 for it does not cease to bear fruit. 00:01:02.680 --> 00:01:06.420 The tree image is one that runs through the whole of the Bible as a picture to help us 00:01:06.420 --> 00:01:12.280 understand what our lives should look like as God's people. 00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:16.840 And in order to try and unpack this a little bit more and apply it to our lives we've identified 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:21.640 five key areas that arise from this image. 00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:25.920 These are summarized in the image on the screen and also on little cards that we gave out 00:01:25.920 --> 00:01:29.480 at the start of the series which if you didn't get one there's still lots of them available 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:31.840 on the table at the back. 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:36.799 These are the five things that we've looked at together over the past couple of months. 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:40.680 As disciples first and foremost we are rooted and living in Christ. 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:44.640 That's the whole basis of our status as Christians. 00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:52.000 We are united to Jesus by faith and we live in and through our connection to Him. 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:54.680 As disciples we are learning and growing together. 00:01:54.680 --> 00:01:58.879 That's what the word disciple means to be a learner. 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:05.359 We learn from what Jesus said and from his example and as a result our minds are being 00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:08.800 transformed and renewed. 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:12.879 As disciples we are striving to serve together in unity. 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:16.639 So discipleship is not just some theoretical thing, it's not something that we just keep 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:17.639 in our minds. 00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:24.240 It has very practical outworking in our lives as we seek to obey Jesus as our Lord and as 00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:28.000 we seek to use our gifts to serve Him. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:31.680 As disciples we are to be loving and protecting one another. 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:34.159 We're never disciples in isolation. 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:36.680 It's not an individualistic thing. 00:02:36.680 --> 00:02:43.319 One of our key priorities is to love one another and to protect one another as friends, as brothers 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:46.920 and sisters in God's family. 00:02:46.920 --> 00:02:51.080 I think it was last week or the week before, it would have been the week before, and Derek 00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:56.600 looked at the fact that as disciples we are seeking to bear fruit for others. 00:02:56.600 --> 00:03:01.360 We never want to keep our discipleship, our relationship with Jesus, a secret. 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:07.180 We want it to be shown outwardly so that it's visible and real and other people can see 00:03:07.180 --> 00:03:13.320 it and can benefit from the good that we seek to do as we follow Jesus. 00:03:13.320 --> 00:03:17.160 And all these aspects of discipleship are captured very well by the tree image. 00:03:17.160 --> 00:03:21.920 We are rooted in Jesus, just as a tree has roots going into the ground. 00:03:21.920 --> 00:03:26.040 We serve together, so a tree has lots and lots of different branches, none of them that 00:03:26.039 --> 00:03:31.560 look the same, but they all function as one to serve a purpose. 00:03:31.560 --> 00:03:36.919 A tree is a brilliant place to find shelter and protection, and that's a great picture 00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:41.039 of the love and care that we should show towards one another. 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:48.239 And of course, a tree bears fruit for others to benefit from. 00:03:48.239 --> 00:03:55.239 But there's one more aspect of the tree image that is crucial for our discipleship. 00:03:55.240 --> 00:04:03.439 A tree draws from its roots, it grows together, each part serves, it provides firm, stable, 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:05.600 reliable protection, and it bears fruit. 00:04:05.600 --> 00:04:13.120 There's this great movement from the roots outwardly to the fruit. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:20.579 But we have to ask the question, what's the primary purpose of the fruit of a tree? 00:04:20.579 --> 00:04:28.519 What do you find in the middle of an apple, or a plum, or an orange? 00:04:28.519 --> 00:04:31.479 You find a seed. 00:04:31.479 --> 00:04:39.199 And the great aim is that that seed will fall into the ground and grow into another tree. 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:43.159 And this is giving us a crucial lesson for our own discipleship, because that's the goal 00:04:43.159 --> 00:04:48.719 too, that as disciples we would grow, that we would serve, that we would learn, that 00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:56.720 we would bear fruit, but we want that fruit to sow seeds in the lives of other people. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:02.080 In other words, the goal is not that we would just stand strong as individual disciples on 00:05:02.080 --> 00:05:03.240 our own. 00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:11.840 The goal is that we would be a growing forest with more and more people coming in. 00:05:11.840 --> 00:05:17.840 And all of this is reminding us that there's a crucial link between discipleship and evangelism. 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:21.839 So when we are talking about discipleship, we must not think that that's just improving 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:25.000 ourselves as followers of Jesus. 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:30.599 It's not exclusively about me growing in my faith, or about us maturing as a church. 00:05:30.599 --> 00:05:32.639 That's part of it, but it's not all of it. 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:40.239 At the heart of discipleship is also a burning desire that others would become disciples 00:05:40.239 --> 00:05:42.839 as well. 00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:46.839 And that means that if you're not a Christian yet here today, or if you're not sure, please 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:51.799 know that the one thing we want for you more than anything else is that you will become 00:05:51.799 --> 00:05:55.599 a disciple of Jesus too. 00:05:55.599 --> 00:06:03.120 Jesus has given us an incredible peace and joy and hope, and we want you to have that 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:05.759 too. 00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:11.239 And over the past couple of months or so, there's some people who've become Christians 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:18.879 here in our congregation, and it is just the most absolutely brilliant news to hear. 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:22.560 When someone comes to you and says, oh, do you know that so-and-so has become a Christian? 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:25.240 It is just absolutely brilliant. 00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:26.240 It is so thrilling. 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:32.360 It is the most amazing thing that you can hear, because sometimes you look at people 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:37.840 and you think, oh man, would they ever become Christians? 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:43.719 There was a guy who lived, who still lives in Carlyway, which is where I used to be a 00:06:43.719 --> 00:06:45.359 minister. 00:06:45.359 --> 00:06:50.439 And he had his struggles in life. 00:06:50.439 --> 00:06:57.799 He struggled with alcohol, and in many ways he was very hostile to the church. 00:06:57.799 --> 00:07:01.759 Not hostile to the church, but he just seemed kind of a difficult person to approach in 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:02.759 terms of the gospel. 00:07:02.759 --> 00:07:08.680 And a predecessor in Carlyway once saw him at a funeral, and he said to himself when 00:07:08.680 --> 00:07:15.800 he saw him, he said, oh, he's a hard nut to crack. 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:21.240 I ordained that man as an elder in Carlyway Free Church. 00:07:21.240 --> 00:07:24.319 It's just amazing what God can do. 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:29.839 And there's nothing more brilliant than hearing that someone has come to faith. 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:34.759 And the joy that we feel is just a fraction of the joy that just bursts through heaven 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:37.879 over every single sinner who repents. 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:39.359 That's what we long for. 00:07:39.359 --> 00:07:43.719 And even more importantly, it's what Jesus longs for as well. 00:07:43.719 --> 00:07:50.319 It's all a great reminder that discipleship and evangelism go hand in hand. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:54.359 And that's what I want us to think about today as we bring this series to a close. 00:07:54.359 --> 00:07:58.439 And to do so, we're going to look together at the words at the end of Matthew chapter 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:01.079 28, the words of the Great Commission. 00:08:01.079 --> 00:08:07.120 Now, the 11 disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:10.879 And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:16.040 And Jesus came and said to them, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 00:08:16.040 --> 00:08:20.759 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, 00:08:20.759 --> 00:08:25.519 and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:26.519 you. 00:08:26.519 --> 00:08:33.759 And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:38.199 These words of Jesus are very famous, and rightly so, because they come at a crucial 00:08:38.199 --> 00:08:39.360 moment in history. 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:44.319 In many ways, we could almost say that this is the turning point of history. 00:08:44.319 --> 00:08:46.720 Jesus has been crucified. 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:49.960 He is now risen and exalted as Lord over all. 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:55.600 As he says himself, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:59.800 And he's completed his mission to defeat sin. 00:08:59.800 --> 00:09:04.759 And now he begins his mission to restore humanity. 00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:09.399 Now, when we look at the Bible, we tend to divide it into two parts, the Old Testament 00:09:09.399 --> 00:09:12.200 and the New Testament, and that's a very, very helpful division. 00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:20.160 But there's another sense in which we could divide it into the old and the new humanities. 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:26.039 Because the old humanity was created by God to be good, but it fell. 00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:33.199 And as a result of sin, the old humanity was alienated from God and became broken. 00:09:33.199 --> 00:09:39.159 In contrast to that is the new humanity who are being rescued from sin and who are being 00:09:39.159 --> 00:09:46.079 united to God, not alienated, united to Him, and who are being restored into the image 00:09:46.079 --> 00:09:47.639 of God. 00:09:47.639 --> 00:09:52.480 We can still see all the effects of the brokenness of the old humanity around us. 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:54.720 We can still see it in ourselves. 00:09:54.720 --> 00:10:01.840 But Jesus is calling us into a new humanity, a humanity that's united to Him, a humanity 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:06.159 that's no longer broken, a humanity that is being restored. 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:09.199 This humanity was anticipated in the Old Testament. 00:10:09.199 --> 00:10:14.480 It was foreshadowed among the people of Israel, particularly through their descendancy from 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:15.480 Abraham. 00:10:15.480 --> 00:10:22.680 And now, from this moment onwards, it's being realized for all nations through the death 00:10:22.680 --> 00:10:25.960 and resurrection of Jesus. 00:10:25.960 --> 00:10:30.240 And the fundamental difference between the old humanity and the new humanity is this. 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:35.920 The old humanity is on a path to death. 00:10:35.920 --> 00:10:40.879 The new humanity is on a path to life. 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:46.240 And the great proof of that is that the head of the new humanity, Jesus Christ, has risen 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:49.559 from the dead, as Matthew 28 tells us. 00:10:49.559 --> 00:10:55.559 And just as He has overcome death and is alive forever, that new resurrection life is shared 00:10:55.559 --> 00:10:59.559 with all who are united to Him in faith. 00:10:59.559 --> 00:11:01.559 His resurrection is the first fruits. 00:11:01.559 --> 00:11:07.159 It's the foretaste, the forerunner of what is going to happen to all who become part 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:08.879 of His new humanity. 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:12.519 That's why the promise of the gospel is what? 00:11:12.519 --> 00:11:15.240 It's eternal life. 00:11:15.240 --> 00:11:22.639 Jesus is rescuing us from a pathway to death and placing us on a pathway to life. 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:29.840 And it's crucial that we remember that that is what God has always wanted for humanity. 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:31.960 Humanity was not created to die. 00:11:31.960 --> 00:11:33.720 Humanity was created to live. 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:39.800 And that is why death is the most horrible enemy that we have. 00:11:39.800 --> 00:11:43.480 And that's why death is something that we recoil from more than anything else because 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:45.960 it is wrong. 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:50.600 It is not something that is meant to be there. 00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:54.560 And all of this is teaching us something very important about the resurrection of Jesus. 00:11:54.560 --> 00:11:59.399 At one level, the resurrection of Jesus is utterly unique. 00:11:59.399 --> 00:12:02.040 It's a complete one-off in history. 00:12:02.039 --> 00:12:04.079 It's a stunning event. 00:12:04.079 --> 00:12:08.679 It's unprecedented, unrepeated, absolutely astonishing. 00:12:08.679 --> 00:12:10.199 People don't rise from the dead. 00:12:10.199 --> 00:12:12.959 This is absolutely unique. 00:12:12.959 --> 00:12:18.719 The resurrection is astounding. 00:12:18.719 --> 00:12:24.919 But at another level, and I want to say this with, I hope I don't in any way sound irreverent 00:12:24.919 --> 00:12:31.639 saying this because I don't mean it in that way, there is another level in which the resurrection 00:12:31.639 --> 00:12:35.879 is actually completely normal. 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:39.080 Now you might think, Thomas, you have gone mad. 00:12:39.080 --> 00:12:42.799 But I think that we can say that. 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:48.840 We can say that the resurrection is normal because, true, normal, God created humanity 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:52.159 was never meant to die. 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:58.360 And the fact that Jesus has risen again, never to die again, is bringing humanity back to 00:12:58.360 --> 00:13:00.519 what it was always meant to be. 00:13:00.519 --> 00:13:02.360 God did not create us to die. 00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:04.039 He created us to live. 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:09.159 Death is a horrible, hideous intrusion that is not meant to be there. 00:13:09.159 --> 00:13:16.960 We are so used to it that to us it seems normal, but to God, death is utterly abnormal. 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:20.840 And it's completely wrong. 00:13:20.840 --> 00:13:24.240 I was trying to think how to illustrate this. 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:26.720 And I thought of birds. 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:30.480 So imagine a massive pet shop full of birds. 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:37.360 Imagine like the sort of giant Walmart of bird shops. 00:13:37.360 --> 00:13:45.440 And they're all in cages, small cages, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of birds in 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:47.279 these little cages. 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:50.080 And there's no room for them to fly. 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:52.120 And that's all that they've ever known. 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:54.440 There's thousands of them. 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:59.159 But to them, life in a cage is just the way it is. 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:06.759 And then one day, one of these birds is released and it flies out of its cage, flies out the 00:14:06.759 --> 00:14:10.519 window and soars into the sky. 00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:16.159 And you have in your minds thousands and thousands of birds stuck in cages, one soaring through 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:17.120 the air. 00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:21.719 Which one is normal? 00:14:21.719 --> 00:14:26.839 It's the one that's soaring through the sky because that is what birds are meant to do. 00:14:26.839 --> 00:14:28.639 And the same is true of humanity. 00:14:28.639 --> 00:14:30.159 We're not created to die. 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:32.559 We're not created to be on a path to death. 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:34.120 We are created to live. 00:14:34.120 --> 00:14:36.559 God is the great giver of life. 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:43.080 And to God, the humanity that lives and never dies is normal humanity. 00:14:43.080 --> 00:14:50.279 The resurrected Jesus is a return to what humanity is always meant to be. 00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:54.840 But the incredible thing about Jesus is that if we imagine that he's that one bird that 00:14:54.840 --> 00:14:58.360 gets to fly out the window and soar into the sky, the incredible thing about him is that 00:14:58.360 --> 00:15:03.639 he doesn't soar off into the distance and leave every bird behind. 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:06.080 No, he goes back into the shop. 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:13.320 He smashes every cage door off and he says to everyone, come with me. 00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:16.519 And that is what he's doing in these verses. 00:15:16.519 --> 00:15:23.879 He is sending out his disciples to call all nations, to come with him and to come into 00:15:23.879 --> 00:15:25.560 his new humanity. 00:15:25.560 --> 00:15:27.000 No one is excluded. 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:28.279 No one is barred. 00:15:28.279 --> 00:15:33.559 Just for all peoples, all nations, Jesus wants all to be saved. 00:15:33.559 --> 00:15:41.399 He is calling all nations and he is calling you. 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:48.839 And this great commission that he's giving is emphasizing the crucial link between discipleship 00:15:48.839 --> 00:15:51.079 and evangelism. 00:15:51.079 --> 00:15:55.000 And as we think about that a wee bit more, I want us just to notice two really important 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:58.679 points that are emphasized by Jesus. 00:15:58.679 --> 00:16:01.840 We'll focus mostly on the first one, but they're both important. 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:06.320 Number one, and thinking about the link between discipleship and evangelism, we want to say 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:11.279 that evangelism is aiming to make disciples. 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:17.879 And then secondly, we want to say that discipleship is aiming to make evangelists. 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:21.879 And hopefully I'll make that a bit clearer as we go on. 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:26.840 So first of all, evangelism is aiming to make disciples. 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:31.960 That's what Jesus says as he sets out this great mission for the church in these verses. 00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:34.799 His command is not to go and conquer the world with military force. 00:16:34.799 --> 00:16:38.960 It's not to go and take over the government of nations. 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:44.559 No, the command is to go and make disciples of all nations. 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:48.000 You can see it there in verse 19. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:53.480 The aim of evangelism is that people all over the world would turn to Jesus, follow him, 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:56.279 and live as his disciples. 00:16:56.279 --> 00:17:02.919 And all who do become part of the new humanity that is united to Jesus. 00:17:02.919 --> 00:17:07.680 But we have to ask ourselves, well, what does that new humanity look like? 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:12.920 And I think that we can say four things, all of which that I think are actually either 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:18.519 directly said or indirectly implied in the verses before us. 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:24.840 First of all, we can say that this new humanity is a humanity that is learning and growing 00:17:24.840 --> 00:17:26.039 together. 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:28.560 Look at the first word of verse 20. 00:17:28.560 --> 00:17:32.400 A key part of the Great Commission is teaching. 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:38.519 As people are called into this new humanity, they are to be taught. 00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:40.720 In other words, they are to be learners. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:47.880 And as we've seen as disciples, we learn from Jesus, from his words, his actions, his example. 00:17:47.880 --> 00:17:53.120 And there's a huge amount that we can learn from Jesus, but we can sum up all the teaching 00:17:53.120 --> 00:17:56.440 from Jesus in one word. 00:17:56.440 --> 00:17:59.759 What is it that Jesus teaches us? 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:04.600 He teaches us the truth. 00:18:04.600 --> 00:18:08.319 Jesus teaches us what's true. 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:12.599 And that applies in lots of ways. 00:18:12.599 --> 00:18:19.679 It applies in a sort of negative sense in that Jesus teaches us the truth about what's 00:18:19.679 --> 00:18:22.119 wrong with the world. 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:26.039 And this is what's fascinating is that if you look at the old humanity around us, the 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:30.679 humanity that is not following Jesus, and you ask that humanity, what's wrong with 00:18:30.679 --> 00:18:32.639 the world? 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:39.680 The old humanity almost always concludes that our biggest problem is other people. 00:18:39.680 --> 00:18:42.840 And it manifests itself in loads of different ways. 00:18:42.840 --> 00:18:48.560 So for the people who don't want Brexit, the people in power in Westminster who do want 00:18:48.560 --> 00:18:50.360 Brexit, they are the problem. 00:18:50.360 --> 00:18:51.880 Likewise, the opposite is true. 00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:55.960 For the people who do want Brexit, the people in power in Brussels are the problem. 00:18:55.960 --> 00:18:58.240 For some people, immigrants are the problem. 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:03.599 For others, people who don't share their views on certain things are the problem. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:07.319 For environmentalists, people who are damaging the world are a problem. 00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:09.319 For some, capitalists are the problem. 00:19:09.319 --> 00:19:11.759 For others, socialists are the problem. 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:17.400 For some people, it's just another group of football supporters who are the problem. 00:19:17.400 --> 00:19:22.920 The old humanity is always dividing itself into groups and parties where other people 00:19:22.920 --> 00:19:25.359 are the problem. 00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:30.679 And sometimes it can be so intense that it needs to violence and war. 00:19:30.679 --> 00:19:36.519 And sometimes it can turn inwardly where we look at ourselves and we see ourselves as 00:19:36.519 --> 00:19:37.519 the biggest problem. 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:42.199 And behind it all lies a negative view of certain people. 00:19:42.199 --> 00:19:45.919 Jesus teaches us the truth. 00:19:45.919 --> 00:19:51.399 And he teaches us that humanity's problem is not other people. 00:19:51.399 --> 00:19:54.559 Humanity's problem is sin. 00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:57.919 Sin is the hideous intrusion into humanity. 00:19:57.919 --> 00:19:59.519 Sin has left us broken. 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:00.599 Sin is the problem. 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:02.119 Sin is the common enemy. 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:03.839 Sin has wrecked the world. 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:07.720 So often humanity turns on itself and sees other people as the problem. 00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:11.119 And it's tragic throughout the whole history of humanity. 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:13.359 But Jesus tells us the truth. 00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:14.839 Humanity is not the problem. 00:20:14.839 --> 00:20:20.559 That is why Jesus, unlike pretty much every other major leader in the history of humanity, 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:26.759 did not engage with conflict with other humans. 00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:31.960 He engaged in conflict with sin. 00:20:31.960 --> 00:20:35.759 And he won. 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:38.799 He dealt with the real problem that we face. 00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:44.839 And that's why he's calling us into a restored humanity that turns away from sin and follows 00:20:44.839 --> 00:20:48.000 him instead. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:51.519 But not only does Jesus teach us that other humans are not the problem. 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:53.599 He teaches us something else incredible. 00:20:53.599 --> 00:21:03.319 He actually teaches us that other humans are worth dying for. 00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:07.599 And that's the real truth about you as a human. 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:15.279 That to Jesus you are worth dying for. 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:19.440 And I don't know of anything else that comes even remotely close to telling you how precious 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:22.519 you are. 00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:27.879 That's what you're really worth in Jesus' eyes. 00:21:27.879 --> 00:21:28.879 But it's not only you. 00:21:28.879 --> 00:21:32.759 It's not only people of Edinburgh, people of Scotland who are worth dying for. 00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:33.839 Everyone is worth dying for. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:39.960 That's why Jesus is saying go to all nations and call them into my kingdom. 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:45.240 And again, that's absolutely incredible because does anybody else call all nations to come 00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:48.039 and benefit from the resources that they have? 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:51.880 So does Scotland say to the whole of the rest of the world, we've got loads of oil, come, 00:21:51.880 --> 00:21:53.880 help yourselves? 00:21:53.880 --> 00:21:58.359 Does America say, come everyone, we've got all this software that we've developed, come, 00:21:58.359 --> 00:22:00.279 take it for free? 00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:05.039 Did Japan and China say we've got all this technology and an astoundingly skilled workforce, 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:06.680 come and just use it for nothing? 00:22:06.680 --> 00:22:09.319 No, nobody ever says that. 00:22:09.319 --> 00:22:20.240 Jesus says, come all nations and I will give you eternal life for free. 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:23.240 Jesus will teach you the truth. 00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:29.960 Becoming if you become a disciple of Jesus, you will learn amazing things. 00:22:29.960 --> 00:22:33.839 So it's a humanity that's learning together. 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:40.720 It's also humanity that is serving in unity, the Great Commission speaks about authority 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:45.199 in verse 18, it speaks about commandments in verse 20. 00:22:45.199 --> 00:22:48.159 The risen Jesus is our Lord and our King. 00:22:48.159 --> 00:22:54.599 He has authority over us and his commands are to be obeyed as disciples we are to serve 00:22:54.599 --> 00:22:55.599 him. 00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:59.159 Now we can immediately recoil from that kind of language because we don't really like the 00:22:59.159 --> 00:23:02.439 idea of obeying anyone. 00:23:02.440 --> 00:23:08.240 But so people will talk about, well, Jesus is going to be Lord, we're going to obey him 00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:13.200 and tie and keep his commandments in their lives and we think, I don't want to do that, 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:15.200 I don't want to obey anybody. 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:22.240 But of course that kind of reaction is a wee bit silly because we actually obey people all 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:24.920 the time. 00:23:24.920 --> 00:23:31.600 So there's a roadblock, just 100 yards down from the church just now, which is a massive 00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:34.199 inconvenience for getting to church today. 00:23:34.199 --> 00:23:41.519 How many of you just smashed through it and thought, I'm just going to park at church? 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:44.959 How many of you have kind of wandered down to the bottom of the royal mile and knocked 00:23:44.959 --> 00:23:48.679 on the parliament door and said, see this council tax bill, you can keep it, I'm not 00:23:48.679 --> 00:23:51.119 paying? 00:23:51.119 --> 00:23:52.359 None of us. 00:23:52.359 --> 00:23:58.799 We actually all obey people all the time because obedience is not a great restriction, obedience 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:04.839 actually gives freedom, obedience to authority is essential to order and peace and stability. 00:24:04.839 --> 00:24:13.200 That's why civil disobedience on a large scale is never called freedom, it's called rioting. 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:16.960 And ultimately, all authority belongs to Jesus. 00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:23.559 But the amazing thing about Jesus is that he has absolute authority and he is absolutely 00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:25.559 good. 00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:30.279 John summarized that beautifully in his prayer where he said that Jesus is worthy of the 00:24:30.279 --> 00:24:32.399 authority that he has. 00:24:32.399 --> 00:24:35.919 And that's because he is so good. 00:24:35.919 --> 00:24:40.399 Following his commandments, serving him in obedience is not going to make life worse, 00:24:40.399 --> 00:24:44.240 it's only ever going to make life better. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:48.200 So we have lots of examples set before us in the Bible. 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:54.119 When somebody hurts you, the old humanity will say, get them back. 00:24:54.119 --> 00:24:59.039 In the new humanity, Jesus says, forgive them. 00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:04.399 When someone provokes you in the old humanity, you'll be told, show them who's boss. 00:25:04.399 --> 00:25:08.879 In the new humanity, Jesus says, turn the other cheek. 00:25:08.879 --> 00:25:13.439 When you see someone in need, the old humanity will often say, I'm too busy. 00:25:13.439 --> 00:25:17.839 In the new humanity, Jesus says, you need to help them. 00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:23.599 When someone is your enemy, the old humanity will say, hate them. 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:29.519 In the new humanity, Jesus says, you need to love them. 00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:33.039 Which humanity is better? 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:38.879 And not only that, serving and obeying Jesus gives us purpose in our lives. 00:25:38.879 --> 00:25:43.839 So if you become a disciple of Jesus, you have a new master and a new purpose, which 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:47.599 means instead of going through every day and every week doing the same old job and the same 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:52.839 old routine and the same old grind, you get to live every single day for Jesus. 00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:56.439 And that means that even if you give someone a cup of water or if you say a prayer for 00:25:56.439 --> 00:26:00.879 a struggling friend, if you give to help someone who's in need, if you try to encourage your 00:26:00.879 --> 00:26:04.759 colleague who is struggling, maybe nobody in the whole world will notice. 00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:12.959 But the king of the universe, Jesus Christ is watching you and he says, good on you. 00:26:12.959 --> 00:26:16.039 That's exactly what I want you to be doing. 00:26:16.039 --> 00:26:20.959 The new humanity is one that's serving in unity. 00:26:20.960 --> 00:26:25.920 It's also a humanity that is loving and protecting one another. 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:31.440 In verse 19, Jesus emphasizes that a key part of the church's great mission is that 00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:35.279 disciples are to be baptized. 00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:39.200 And part of the purpose of baptism is that it's the great outward sign that somebody 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:42.079 has become part of the new humanity. 00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:45.240 If you read through the book of Acts, which will tell you the story of the first 30 years 00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:50.319 or so of the Christian church, you'll see that all the people who became disciples are 00:26:50.319 --> 00:26:51.839 baptized. 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:57.000 It's an outward sign of membership of the church, of membership of the new humanity, 00:26:57.000 --> 00:27:06.319 which our new Catholicism for today so wonderfully and synchronizingly reinforced for us. 00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:08.439 Baptism is not what brings you into the new humanity. 00:27:08.439 --> 00:27:11.159 It's a sign that you are part of it. 00:27:11.159 --> 00:27:16.399 And in serving that purpose, it's a great symbol of community. 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:23.040 It's a shared sign that all disciples have to show that we're united as a community in 00:27:23.040 --> 00:27:24.040 Jesus. 00:27:24.040 --> 00:27:29.720 And that's pointing us to the fact that this new humanity is a beautiful, united community 00:27:29.720 --> 00:27:34.519 that loves one another, cares for one another, and protects one another. 00:27:34.519 --> 00:27:39.080 Now, you and I know that there are so many times that the church has failed in that area, 00:27:39.080 --> 00:27:40.519 and that's a desperate tragedy. 00:27:40.519 --> 00:27:46.960 And it's tragic because the humanity that Jesus is calling us into is one where rule 00:27:46.960 --> 00:27:52.400 number one is that we are to love God and love one another. 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:56.240 And as disciples, we want to live in such a way that the defining characteristic of 00:27:56.240 --> 00:28:01.839 our lives is that the people who know us can look at us and say, that person loves God 00:28:01.839 --> 00:28:05.160 and they love me. 00:28:05.160 --> 00:28:09.119 And that's one of the amazing things that Jesus does when we become His disciples. 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:13.519 He takes a whole host of men and women, boys and girls who are completely different. 00:28:13.519 --> 00:28:18.599 So you've got rich, poor, urban, rural, different nationalities, different personalities, different 00:28:18.599 --> 00:28:22.519 gifts, different strengths, weaknesses, fears, failures. 00:28:22.519 --> 00:28:29.839 Jesus brings all these completely incompatible people together, and they love each other. 00:28:29.839 --> 00:28:36.399 As disciples, we are united and baptized into one brilliant family that stretches across 00:28:36.399 --> 00:28:38.399 the nations. 00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:42.240 And the door is always open for more. 00:28:42.240 --> 00:28:46.600 It's a humanity that's loving and protecting one another. 00:28:46.600 --> 00:28:50.360 And it's a humanity that is bearing fruit. 00:28:50.360 --> 00:28:53.600 In many ways, that's what defines the new humanity in Jesus. 00:28:53.600 --> 00:28:55.860 We are to bear fruit. 00:28:55.860 --> 00:29:01.920 So as we go out into the world, as Jesus commands us, in our going at the start of verse 19, 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:05.000 we are to go and bear good fruit. 00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:09.680 And in evangelizing, we long to see others become disciples so that they will bear fruit 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:10.920 too. 00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:17.920 And the result is that the new humanity that Jesus is creating is a humanity of good fruit. 00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:22.599 Now you can look back over history and you can look out over the world today, and you 00:29:22.599 --> 00:29:31.480 can see that there is a lot of bad, rotten, horrible fruit in people's lives. 00:29:31.480 --> 00:29:36.519 But you can also look back over history and look over the world today and see that where 00:29:36.519 --> 00:29:44.640 Jesus is being followed, there you will find amazing good fruit. 00:29:44.640 --> 00:29:48.920 And I saw an astounding example of this this week. 00:29:48.920 --> 00:29:53.680 I'm sure many of you will have seen this, a video that was shared through various news 00:29:53.680 --> 00:29:56.360 outlets of this man. 00:29:56.359 --> 00:30:02.240 His name is Brant Jean, or Jean, I don't know how to pronounce it. 00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:07.639 He lives in the US and his brother was killed. 00:30:07.639 --> 00:30:11.719 His brother was killed by a police officer who mistook him for an intruder and shot him 00:30:11.719 --> 00:30:12.839 dead. 00:30:12.839 --> 00:30:21.559 And that man sitting there at the court case for this police officer who had killed his 00:30:21.559 --> 00:30:23.279 brother. 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:29.519 And you can search it on YouTube, it's quite easy to find, if you just type in Brant, B-R-A-N-D-T, 00:30:29.519 --> 00:30:33.519 Jean, G-E-A-N, I'm sure you'll find it. 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:40.559 And this man sat there and spoke to the police officer, the woman who had killed his brother, 00:30:40.559 --> 00:30:51.039 and he said, I forgive you, and I want nothing but good for you. 00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:57.720 And he said, in fact, I want the best for you. 00:30:57.720 --> 00:31:05.200 And the best that can happen for you is for you to come to Jesus because I forgive you 00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:07.319 and he will forgive you. 00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:15.319 He said, I don't even want you to go to jail, I just want the best for you. 00:31:15.319 --> 00:31:20.240 And he says, I know that that's what my brother would say as well. 00:31:20.240 --> 00:31:24.799 And then he turned to the judge and he said, I don't know if this is allowed, but can I 00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:28.680 go and give her a hug? 00:31:28.680 --> 00:31:34.079 And he went and embraced this woman who had shot his brother dead. 00:31:34.079 --> 00:31:45.319 It's a brilliant example of the new humanity that Jesus is calling us into. 00:31:45.319 --> 00:31:49.559 It's a great reminder that when it comes to evangelism, Jesus is not wanting us to join 00:31:49.559 --> 00:31:51.799 a club or pledge allegiance. 00:31:51.799 --> 00:31:58.720 Jesus is wanting to transform us, to transform you and me and everyone else into a new humanity 00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:04.039 where we become everything that God made us to be. 00:32:04.039 --> 00:32:08.319 And if you go back to the illustration we had of the birds and the cages, Jesus doesn't 00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:13.240 just smash open the doors and call us out of our cages. 00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:19.680 Jesus also teaches humanity to really fly. 00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:24.559 The aim of evangelism is to make disciples. 00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:28.400 If we are trees, we are not standing on our own. 00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:32.559 We want to be part of a growing forest. 00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:35.920 And the fact that we want to be part of that growing forest means that we want to reach 00:32:35.920 --> 00:32:36.920 out to others. 00:32:36.920 --> 00:32:39.720 That's how seeds get planted. 00:32:39.720 --> 00:32:45.279 And all of us, that means that not only is evangelism aiming to make disciples, briefly 00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:51.640 we also have to say that discipleship is aiming to make evangelists. 00:32:51.640 --> 00:32:56.079 So in all the study that we've done over the past few weeks of our discipleship, we must 00:32:56.079 --> 00:33:01.079 never think that that's just about all about how we grow as individuals. 00:33:01.079 --> 00:33:06.720 It's also about how we grow as a community of believers as we seek to share the gospel 00:33:06.720 --> 00:33:13.400 and call people in to our church and into Jesus' new humanity. 00:33:13.400 --> 00:33:17.240 And yet often this is the area we struggle with most. 00:33:17.240 --> 00:33:22.680 Some people are very gifted at sharing their faith and it's a brilliant gift to have. 00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:27.920 But most of us, and myself included, find it very hard. 00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:32.039 And yet the Great Commission is given to us all. 00:33:32.039 --> 00:33:39.359 We are all to be disciples who are seeking to make other disciples. 00:33:39.359 --> 00:33:43.639 And the question we need to ask is, well, how do we do it? 00:33:43.639 --> 00:33:45.039 Where do we start? 00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:46.519 I want to be a better evangelist. 00:33:46.519 --> 00:33:49.720 I'm sure you all want to be better evangelists as well. 00:33:49.720 --> 00:33:52.079 What do we need to do? 00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:55.879 And I was thinking maybe we need a card for evangelism as well. 00:33:55.879 --> 00:34:01.720 So we made a card for discipleship, which has these five things. 00:34:01.720 --> 00:34:06.920 I was thinking it would be really good to have a card for evangelism as well, wouldn't it? 00:34:06.920 --> 00:34:09.280 What will we put on it? 00:34:09.280 --> 00:34:14.639 Well the New Testament teaches various things about evangelism, which we could summarize 00:34:14.639 --> 00:34:17.720 and put on a card about evangelism. 00:34:17.720 --> 00:34:22.760 For example, in 1 Peter 3 we're told that we should be ready to give an answer for the 00:34:22.760 --> 00:34:24.119 hope that we have. 00:34:24.119 --> 00:34:28.920 In other words, in sharing the gospel we want to be able to explain the gospel if people 00:34:28.920 --> 00:34:29.920 have questions. 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:33.599 We won't have all the answers, but we do need to be able to clearly explain the key 00:34:33.599 --> 00:34:35.200 truths of the gospel. 00:34:35.200 --> 00:34:39.280 As Jesus says in that great commission, we need to teach others. 00:34:39.280 --> 00:34:48.559 So that means that our evangelist card should say something like learning and growing together. 00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:53.200 In Matthew 5 Jesus says that we want the world to see our good works and as a result they'll 00:34:53.200 --> 00:34:54.700 glorify God. 00:34:54.700 --> 00:34:58.400 And there's many other places in the New Testament where we're told how important it 00:34:58.400 --> 00:34:59.880 is to serve one another. 00:34:59.880 --> 00:35:04.760 That's one of the great evangelistic tools of the church to show kindness, care and generosity 00:35:04.760 --> 00:35:06.599 to the world around us. 00:35:06.599 --> 00:35:09.160 We do that because we're not serving ourselves. 00:35:09.160 --> 00:35:12.640 Together we are serving Jesus, our Lord and King. 00:35:12.640 --> 00:35:18.880 So our evangelism card should say something like serving in unity. 00:35:18.880 --> 00:35:25.599 John 13 Jesus says that the ultimate defining discipleship characteristic is to love one 00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:26.599 another. 00:35:26.599 --> 00:35:28.280 That's how the world is going to recognize us. 00:35:28.280 --> 00:35:31.360 That's how the world will be attracted to us. 00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:36.519 No matter how broken someone is, they should know that they can come to us and be loved 00:35:36.519 --> 00:35:38.200 and cared and protected. 00:35:38.200 --> 00:35:40.400 That's an incredibly powerful witness. 00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:46.560 So our evangelism card should say something like loving and protecting each other. 00:35:46.560 --> 00:35:49.720 And in Galatians 5 Jesus talks about the fruit of the Spirit. 00:35:49.720 --> 00:35:56.280 Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 00:35:56.280 --> 00:35:59.880 These are the great characteristics that disciples should display. 00:35:59.880 --> 00:36:07.840 They're the visible outward fruit that should back up the confession we make with our lips. 00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:15.040 And if we say we are disciples and if we live out lives that bear fruit to back it up, it's 00:36:15.040 --> 00:36:18.360 an incredibly powerful witness. 00:36:18.360 --> 00:36:24.800 So our evangelism card should say something like bearing fruit for others. 00:36:24.800 --> 00:36:28.360 And I'm sure you can see what I'm trying to say. 00:36:28.360 --> 00:36:35.880 The key point is that the things that make us effective disciples will also make us effective 00:36:35.880 --> 00:36:38.280 evangelists. 00:36:38.280 --> 00:36:40.960 Evangelism and discipleship go hand in hand. 00:36:40.960 --> 00:36:45.519 And when it comes to evangelism over it all is the most important truth of all. 00:36:45.519 --> 00:36:50.080 The fact that in everything we do as we seek to evangelize and share the gospel, we do 00:36:50.080 --> 00:36:53.320 it rooted and living in Christ. 00:36:53.320 --> 00:37:00.600 That's why Jesus says at the very end of his great commission, I am with you always to 00:37:00.600 --> 00:37:02.160 the end of the age. 00:37:02.160 --> 00:37:08.080 Now the word always is literally all the days or every day. 00:37:08.080 --> 00:37:11.880 Jesus is saying I am with you every day. 00:37:11.880 --> 00:37:16.000 So every day you go to work, every day you try to witness to your colleagues, to your 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:20.240 conduct, your attitude, your conversations, every day in school or uni or in your community 00:37:20.240 --> 00:37:21.480 or in your home. 00:37:21.480 --> 00:37:26.240 You are there, whoever you are as a Christian, you are there as an evangelist because you 00:37:26.240 --> 00:37:32.400 are rooted and living in Christ and he is with you every single day. 00:37:32.400 --> 00:37:37.960 And that's a huge encouragement to us because ultimately evangelism is not about us working 00:37:37.960 --> 00:37:39.679 for Jesus. 00:37:39.679 --> 00:37:45.559 Evangelism is about Jesus working through us. 00:37:45.559 --> 00:37:52.239 Have you ever noticed who the great commission is given to? 00:37:52.239 --> 00:37:57.279 You might say, well, it's given to disciples and that's obvious but Matthew 28 gives us 00:37:57.279 --> 00:37:59.759 a bit more detail than that. 00:37:59.759 --> 00:38:04.480 Who is the great commission given to? 00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:07.880 The answer is in verse 17. 00:38:07.880 --> 00:38:13.440 It's given to doubters. 00:38:13.440 --> 00:38:18.280 These disciples worship Jesus but some doubt it. 00:38:18.280 --> 00:38:26.440 So Jesus then speaks to them and he says the words that we've been studying this morning. 00:38:26.440 --> 00:38:31.480 And for that reason, I'm not actually sure that great commission is the best name for 00:38:31.480 --> 00:38:32.920 these verses that are on the screen. 00:38:32.920 --> 00:38:36.599 That's what everyone calls it but I'm going to stick my neck out and say I don't think 00:38:36.599 --> 00:38:42.440 it's the best name because I think it should actually be called the great reassurance. 00:38:42.440 --> 00:38:51.440 Because we are here as weak, nervous, stumbling and often doubting disciples. 00:38:51.440 --> 00:38:53.559 We long to witness. 00:38:53.559 --> 00:39:04.559 We don't know where to start and Jesus says, go and I am with you every day forever. 00:39:04.559 --> 00:39:07.360 Let's pray. 00:39:07.360 --> 00:39:18.160 Father, we thank you so much for these amazing words of your son, our Savior Jesus. 00:39:18.160 --> 00:39:22.200 And we long to be disciples. 00:39:22.200 --> 00:39:24.760 We long to be evangelists. 00:39:24.760 --> 00:39:29.480 And we pray that all we've studied over these recent weeks would stay with us. 00:39:29.480 --> 00:39:34.680 That we would never forget that we are rooted and living in Jesus. 00:39:34.679 --> 00:39:40.519 That we would learn and grow together, that we'd serve in unity, that we'd love and protect 00:39:40.519 --> 00:39:45.159 one another and that we would bear fruit for others. 00:39:45.159 --> 00:39:53.119 And we pray, oh God, for any here who maybe aren't yet disciples, please Lord, be at work. 00:39:53.119 --> 00:40:02.159 Just as you worked in our hearts, please work in their hearts so that even today they will 00:40:02.159 --> 00:40:09.559 be joy in St. Columbus and joy in heaven over sinners who come to faith in Jesus. 00:40:09.559 --> 00:40:35.559 Amen.