WEBVTT

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 Today's scripture reading is taken from Acts 13, verses 1-12.

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 Please follow along your Bible.

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 If you don't have a Bible, please do still grab them from the front of the stage or at the back near the door.

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 Our passage is on page 866 in the Church Bible.

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 866.

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 966.

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 Hear then God's word to us today.

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 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon, who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manan, a lifelong friend of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.

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 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,

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 Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

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 Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

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 So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

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 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they had John to assist them.

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 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.

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 He was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

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 But Elimus the magician, for that is the meaning of his name, opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

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 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said,

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 You son of a devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight path of the Lord?

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 And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.

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 Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.

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 Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

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 Let us believe and respond to God's true and living word.

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 Amen.

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 Hey, it is a genuine joy to be together in this room.

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 Like I said, in a couple of hours, there will be a bunch of people, your brothers and sisters, your family,

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 that will gather together in Mumbai, praying for you.

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 One of the things that I am really looking forward, just like you, when I die and go to heaven,

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 through the work of Jesus, is to see him face to face.

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 But along with that, I'm also excited to see many brothers and sisters that we may not meet on this side of eternity,

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 that has actually carried us in prayer.

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 And today, I actually get a foretaste of that reality as I'm standing here.

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 So thank you for having us here.

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 Thank you for hosting us.

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 I know that hosting comes with its own challenges.

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 We really enjoyed your city.

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 We went to a Japanese restaurant a couple of days ago, and I had a foretaste of heaven as well there.

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 So it is great.

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 It is really great to be here.

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 Hey, let me just give my heart to the Lord before we start.

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 Father, would you help us, Lord God, to enjoy Jesus this morning?

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 Would you help us, Lord, all the things we know in our head and believe, I pray, would explore as worship in our heart?

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 And Holy Spirit of God, would you help me today to lay aside all of my insecurities and teach and preach to the joy of my Heavenly Father?

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 In Jesus' name we pray.

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 To be plainly instructed and consider well that the main end of your life and studies is to know God and know Jesus Christ.

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 Now, believe it or not, my friends, this is the mission statement of Harvard University when it was originally founded in 1636.

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 Can you imagine a mission statement like this in one of the educational institutions in today's world?

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 It's hard to do that, right?

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 But yet, this is the reason why this school existed.

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 Harvard was started with the vision of forming character above all else, existing largely to raise up ministers of the gospel who would carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.

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 In fact, I don't know if you knew this, but the diplomas awarded during that time had a seal which led in Latin, truth for Christ and truth for the church.

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 Now, about 80 years later, a few New England pastors got together and they started feeling that Harvard has started to move away from this vision or this mission.

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 And so they decided that they're going to start Yale with an even more explicit commitment to Christ and his gospel.

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 Now, today, I think it's fair to say that we can all perhaps agree in this room that these two institutions are not the bastions of the Christian faith that it once was started to be.

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 So what really happened?

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 What really happened?

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 Friends, what happened to Harvard and Yale could be called missional drift.

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 Missional drift.

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 Now, the thing about missional drift is that it doesn't happen overnight.

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 Nobody wakes up one fine morning and decides to throw away everything that you value in your life.

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 Drift happens much more subtle than that.

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 Drift happens, missional drift happens when other things, when a multitude of different things starts to crowd out the things that we once valued in our heart.

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 Comfort and preference and approval and familiarity and control and anxiety, little by little, these things start to crowd out the things that we once valued in our heart.

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 Now, the thing about drift is that drift doesn't happen to just institutions.

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 Drift happens to the very best of us.

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 In fact, I would say that drift is probably the natural regression of life in a broken world.

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 Think about it.

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 In the world that we live in, nothing moves from chaos into order on its own.

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 Nothing moves from confusion to clarity on its own.

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 Drift happens to the very best of us.

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 Let me give you a couple of examples.

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 It happens to our bodies.

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 All you need to do is just gorge on that shrimp tempura and just forget that anything else exists in this world.

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 Right?

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 Stop exercising.

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 Right?

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 Stop, ignore, I mean, ignore rest completely and your bodies will remind you that missional drift is real.

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 Right?

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 Same thing happens to our bank account.

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 Like, stop balancing the checkbook.

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 You know, I mean, stop paying attention to inflows and outflows and before you know your bank account drifts into zero.

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 Our relationship drifts into distance.

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 Our homes drift into clutter.

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 Order requires effort.

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 Disorder and drift are simply the default mode.

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 But here is the good news that I want to share this morning.

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 The same God who calls our heart to himself also calls our drifting hearts back to himself.

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 Right?

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 Drift is real, but so is the grace of God that meets us in our drift and restores us back to the grace of God.

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 Now, the church of Jesus has faced all kinds of drifts all through her existence in history.

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 Right?

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 Throughout every cultural shift, every kind of pushback that the church has faced, the church has had to do the same essential work throughout history.

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 And it's not the work of reinventing herself or it's not the work of coming up with something really trendy or cutting edge.

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 But it's the work of going back to that sacred identity that Jesus has purchased for her and that sacred calling that has been entrusted to her.

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 So today, I want to take the rest of our time together to look at one of my favorite passages from Scripture that gives us a beautiful, healthy vision of who we are and why we exist.

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 A healthy vision that comes together to remind us our sacred identity and the sacred calling that has been entrusted to us.

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 And for that, we can go to all kinds of places in Scripture.

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 But we're going to zero in in Acts chapter 13, the passage that we just read this morning.

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 Now, as we get there, let me lay a little bit of context.

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 If you're new to the Bible, the Bible can be approached as a library of six to six different books.

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 And the New Testament tells us the story of Jesus and the story of the early church.

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 And Acts of the Apostle is found in the New Testament, 28 chapters.

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 And from chapter 1 to chapter 28, there's a 30-year span of time that is passing.

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 And in this 30-year span of time, the movement of Jesus moves from a small ragtag group of 120 people gathered in an upper room

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 all the way into thousands upon thousands of followers of Jesus into the very heart of the Roman Empire.

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 And right in the middle of all of that action, we see this small church called the Church in Antioch

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 that gives us the most clear picture of what a gospel community looks like and why we exist.

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 So today, four things that I want to show us from this passage that hopefully helps us to not only remember,

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 but also rehearse the beautiful vision of gospel community.

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 I'm going to just read a couple of verses at a time and then we'll work through this passage.

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 Picking it up in verse 1.

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 Now they were in the church at Antioch, prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,

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 Lucius of Cyrene, Manan, a lifelong friend of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.

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 So here's the first thing that we see from this passage.

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 A gospel community exists because of Jesus.

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 A gospel community exists because of Jesus.

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 Friends, here's why I'm saying that.

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 The community at Antioch makes zero sense apart from the gospel.

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 Imagine sitting in for one of their leadership meetings.

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 You got a Jewish man called Barnabas on one side,

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 and right across him is an African man called Simeon,

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 and a Roman non-Jewish Gentile called Lucius.

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 And all of this is happening, by the way, in a society that is so segregated, right?

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 And you have a guy called Manan,

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 and Luke, the author of Acts of the Apostle, throws in an extra detail there,

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 and reminds us that this is the man who grew up with a guy called Herod Antipas.

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 Now Herod Antipas, his dad is the one who tried to kill Jesus when Jesus was born.

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 And this Herod Antipas that Manan grew up with before he encountered Jesus,

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 is the same Herod Antipas who beheaded Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist, right?

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 And then, of course, in the midst of all of that, you have Saul.

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 You know, you have Paul, the Apostle Paul, who used to be called Saul

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 because he was terrorizing the church, kicking open doors,

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 and arresting people and persecuting people for their faith in Jesus.

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 What a wildly, wildly diverse bunch of leaders, right?

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 This is not the kind of leaders that LinkedIn will put together in an organization, right?

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 It's not going to go well, right?

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 Different backgrounds, different cultures, different stories, different experiences,

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 yet somehow Jesus brings all of them together and makes them one family.

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 One family.

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 Now this is hard at times, and we'll talk about that in a second,

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 but it's also beautiful, right?

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 It's also beautiful.

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 Friends, how are we supposed to grow if everyone around us thought like us,

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 talked like us, right, saw life the same way that we did

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 and agree with everything that we agree upon?

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 Like we have gospel communities just like you guys have gospel communities.

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 And I want you to imagine this.

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 Imagine if everybody in your gospel community had the same background,

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 same opinions, same personalities, same giftings,

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 the same way of seeing things.

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 And some of you are like, that is awesome, right?

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 Some of you are like, that's our dream, right?

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 Well, that's going to be awesome for like five minutes, right?

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 Jesus draws together a diverse bunch of people

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 and uses those differences to expose our blind spots,

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 to challenge our assumptions,

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 to teach us what it means to be patient,

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 and to help us to see things that you and I would never see on our own.

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 This is what makes the church at Antioch so beautiful.

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 The gospel does not erase their differences.

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 The gospel does not make them like a monochromatic blob, right?

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 The gospel does not erase their differences.

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 It brings their differences together under one Lord and one mission.

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 Friends, this is not just a historical commentary that we are reading this morning.

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 This is what Jesus is doing in this room.

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 This is not just true about the church of Antioch back in the day.

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 This is true about you and this is true about me

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 and this is true about our gathering in Mumbai, right?

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 Think of it like this.

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 With all the different personalities, interests, and stories,

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 this is actually what makes our gospel communities a unique offering to our watching world, right?

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 We are learning to put Jesus at the center.

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 We are allowing Jesus to teach us how to love people who are not like us

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 and how to move towards people who are completely different than us.

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 And it's going to be uncomfortable at times.

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 And here's why it gets uncomfortable at times, right?

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 Sometimes when you sit across people who think differently than you,

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 who communicate differently than you,

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 this is the perennial struggle of my marriage.

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 My wife is a three-point communicator.

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 She dreams in PDF, you know?

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 And for me, it takes an hour before I warm up to my first point.

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 In fact, Kevin has kept my passport and said that if I don't preach in a reasonable time,

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 I'll have to walk back to Mumbai.

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 So I'm going to be careful here.

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 What happens when the people who talk in points, three points,

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 and the person who's a storyteller,

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 usually both of them are in the same community group, right?

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 And what happens when they come together?

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 When they come together, everything in you will feel like,

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 man, I just need to fix this problem, right?

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 In the first three years of our marriage,

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 I was like, man, if only Cheryl can be a little bit more like me,

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 then all of the problems of our life would be solved, right?

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 But unfortunately, she was also having the same thought, right?

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 This is not a problem to solve.

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 Look, this is part of being, this is the whole point of being a gospel community.

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 I love how Dietrich Bonhoeffer captures this in his book, Life Together.

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 Here's what he says.

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 He says,

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 Christian community is not an ideal which we must realize.

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 It is rather a reality created by God in Christ

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 that we've been invited to participate in.

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 The more clearly we learn to recognize that the ground and strength and promise

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 of all our fellowship is in Jesus Christ alone,

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 the more sober-minded, the more serenely shall we think of our fellowship

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 and pray and hope for it.

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 Church, here's why this matters.

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 You and I find ourselves living in a world that is increasingly getting divided.

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 The promise of connectivity,

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 the promise that we'll all be more connected with social media

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 and all the other things have kind of, in one sense, failed us.

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 The world is becoming increasingly more tribal, right?

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 Even in the last one year.

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 We're all encouraged to find our people, our side, people that agree with us

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 and then find your group, find your people and then draw lines between,

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 you know, dividing lines between them.

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 And that is happening in a culture that says that who we are is found in what we look like,

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 how much accomplishments that we have, what we studied, right?

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 What kind of resume that we have.

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 I don't know about the context here, but back home it is like,

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 which part of the city you live from, what kind of vehicle you drive.

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 Like, this is the culture, this is the world that we live in.

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 And while those things can maybe, some of those things can maybe tell part of our story,

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 none of those things were meant to tell us

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 or meant to be the deepest part of our identity, right?

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 So the church actually has the opportunity, through the work of Christ,

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 to offer the world a different vision of community

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 because our deepest identity is not found in what we have or what we've accomplished.

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 It is actually settled and secure in the accomplishment of another,

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 in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

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 We're a diverse group of people being brought together.

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 We're learning what it means to grow together.

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 We're learning what it means to be loving and patient towards one another

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 because Christ has made us siblings in his family.

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 The eternal siblinghood of Jesus has been given to us, right?

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 This is what we've been called to practice.

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 So this means that when conflict comes,

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 when relational tension comes,

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 when we feel stretched,

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 we don't get to take our ball and go home, right?

00:16:59.100 --> 00:17:02.220
 We're not like the kid that takes his ball and goes home.

00:17:02.740 --> 00:17:04.460
 We don't get to run away.

00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:06.039
 We don't get to triangulate.

00:17:06.140 --> 00:17:07.099
 We don't get to slander.

00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:09.259
 We don't get to say things like,

00:17:09.339 --> 00:17:11.059
 well, if that's how it's going to be,

00:17:11.299 --> 00:17:14.059
 then I'm just going to not involve or get engaged

00:17:14.059 --> 00:17:17.700
 because that's not how Jesus is moving towards you and I, right?

00:17:17.700 --> 00:17:20.900
 Even with all the things that we don't get right,

00:17:21.420 --> 00:17:25.340
 even with all the things that we drop constantly,

00:17:25.900 --> 00:17:28.600
 Jesus is patiently moving towards his bride.

00:17:29.299 --> 00:17:30.380
 And because of that,

00:17:30.819 --> 00:17:32.559
 he's inviting us in his strength

00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:37.799
 to do the hard work of moving towards each other humbly and by faith.

00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:40.279
 This means that we stay in conversation.

00:17:40.539 --> 00:17:41.420
 We listen.

00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:43.319
 We listen to own our part.

00:17:43.420 --> 00:17:44.559
 We give the benefit of doubt.

00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:48.500
 We honor, we outdo each other in showing honor, right?

00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:50.440
 Even when things are uncomfortable,

00:17:51.019 --> 00:17:54.099
 we do this because we know that Christ is at work.

00:17:54.659 --> 00:17:55.419
 And for some of us,

00:17:55.460 --> 00:17:57.579
 I think it's helpful to hear this this morning.

00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:00.960
 Sometimes the very tension that we are trying to avoid

00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:04.079
 is where God is doing his best work, right?

00:18:05.019 --> 00:18:06.759
 Because that's where we are learning to be patient.

00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:09.480
 That's where we are learning to give grace.

00:18:09.779 --> 00:18:12.819
 We can sing about grace and we love grace,

00:18:12.819 --> 00:18:14.980
 but then when you have to give grace

00:18:14.980 --> 00:18:16.720
 and when you have to offer grace,

00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:17.740
 that's when,

00:18:18.259 --> 00:18:21.139
 that's a big difference between learning how to swim through a PowerPoint

00:18:21.139 --> 00:18:23.319
 and somebody throwing you in the water, right?

00:18:23.579 --> 00:18:24.960
 Those are two different things, right?

00:18:25.299 --> 00:18:27.619
 Grace is not just a theological construct,

00:18:28.019 --> 00:18:29.359
 but it's an experience reality

00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:31.899
 in the broken community of God's people.

00:18:32.919 --> 00:18:35.299
 So here's a question that's worth sitting with this morning.

00:18:35.299 --> 00:18:41.619
 Is Jesus truly the deepest reason that we belong to his church?

00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:44.779
 Or are we here because of our preference,

00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:46.059
 because of our comfort,

00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:47.500
 because of our friendships,

00:18:47.859 --> 00:18:48.720
 or because of familiarity?

00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:52.539
 Friendships and familiarity and comforts are not bad things,

00:18:52.899 --> 00:18:54.799
 but they're not ultimate things, right?

00:18:55.700 --> 00:18:58.700
 A gospel community exists because of Jesus.

00:18:59.700 --> 00:19:00.619
 Point number two,

00:19:00.619 --> 00:19:04.639
 a gospel community exists under the authority of Jesus.

00:19:04.899 --> 00:19:07.299
 A gospel community exists under the authority of Jesus.

00:19:07.399 --> 00:19:08.619
 Look at the next couple of verses.

00:19:09.279 --> 00:19:11.059
 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,

00:19:11.239 --> 00:19:12.159
 the Holy Spirit said,

00:19:12.599 --> 00:19:14.439
 Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul

00:19:14.439 --> 00:19:16.559
 for the work to which I have called them.

00:19:17.059 --> 00:19:18.479
 Then after fasting and praying,

00:19:18.979 --> 00:19:21.819
 they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

00:19:22.339 --> 00:19:24.119
 I love what's happening in this passage.

00:19:25.399 --> 00:19:27.839
 Acts 13 shows us that these believers,

00:19:28.479 --> 00:19:29.559
 followers of Jesus Christ,

00:19:29.559 --> 00:19:31.779
 were worshiping the Lord and fasting.

00:19:32.299 --> 00:19:34.279
 The striking thing about this group of people

00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:37.039
 is that their worship goes way beyond singing songs, right?

00:19:37.419 --> 00:19:39.079
 They're worshiping the Lord

00:19:39.079 --> 00:19:42.139
 by obeying him as Lord in worship.

00:19:42.659 --> 00:19:43.700
 And here's how we know that.

00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:45.339
 In the middle of their worship service,

00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:46.159
 can you imagine this?

00:19:46.179 --> 00:19:47.919
 In the middle of the worship service,

00:19:48.299 --> 00:19:49.460
 the Holy Spirit speaks,

00:19:49.740 --> 00:19:50.139
 and he says,

00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:52.119
 Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul.

00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:55.799
 Now there's a little bit detail in there.

00:19:56.139 --> 00:19:58.740
 It says that there were teachers and prophets present there.

00:19:58.740 --> 00:20:00.299
 That's like a unique community, right?

00:20:00.339 --> 00:20:01.940
 I imagine that the Holy Spirit is speaking

00:20:01.940 --> 00:20:02.700
 through the prophets.

00:20:03.259 --> 00:20:04.819
 Again, in today's context,

00:20:05.299 --> 00:20:06.980
 it's very rare when teachers and prophets

00:20:06.980 --> 00:20:08.160
 are working together, right?

00:20:08.380 --> 00:20:10.920
 Yet that is what is being seen in this community.

00:20:11.380 --> 00:20:13.039
 So the Spirit asks them to release

00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:14.339
 two of their best leaders,

00:20:15.019 --> 00:20:16.299
 and how does the church respond?

00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:18.359
 The church sets apart a committee,

00:20:18.940 --> 00:20:19.700
 and the church says that,

00:20:19.779 --> 00:20:21.140
 hey, let's actually talk about the merits

00:20:21.140 --> 00:20:21.680
 and the demerits,

00:20:21.799 --> 00:20:22.900
 commissions the committee and say,

00:20:23.259 --> 00:20:24.920
 give us a report in one week, right?

00:20:24.920 --> 00:20:26.779
 Let's talk about the merits and demerits

00:20:26.779 --> 00:20:28.200
 of what God is asking us to do.

00:20:28.880 --> 00:20:30.220
 That's not what happened, right?

00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:33.420
 The church responds in obedience.

00:20:34.500 --> 00:20:36.100
 The church responds and says,

00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:36.740
 yes, Lord.

00:20:37.620 --> 00:20:39.440
 And this is simple obedience,

00:20:39.800 --> 00:20:41.200
 but this is a costly obedience.

00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:42.700
 This is the kind of obedience

00:20:42.700 --> 00:20:44.300
 that's going to cost them something, right?

00:20:44.779 --> 00:20:46.800
 Two of their best leaders have been set apart.

00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:49.820
 They're willing to part with two of their best leaders,

00:20:50.200 --> 00:20:51.900
 and this is going to cost them something.

00:20:51.900 --> 00:20:55.000
 And this is one thing that I love about this passage.

00:20:55.560 --> 00:20:57.460
 I think this passage shows us the difference

00:20:57.460 --> 00:21:00.480
 between admiring Jesus and submitting to Jesus.

00:21:01.019 --> 00:21:02.259
 Two different things, right?

00:21:02.540 --> 00:21:04.380
 It's one thing to say that I really like

00:21:04.380 --> 00:21:05.780
 some of the things that Jesus says,

00:21:06.120 --> 00:21:08.140
 but it's a completely different thing to say he's Lord,

00:21:08.540 --> 00:21:10.840
 and his voice carries authority in my life.

00:21:11.560 --> 00:21:13.560
 And if you look at the ministry of Jesus,

00:21:13.660 --> 00:21:16.380
 he's always upfront about the cost of following him.

00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:19.680
 He's not building an MLM, you know, scheme.

00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:21.680
 That he's not trying to sell us

00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:23.840
 like some kind of a ponzi, bait and switch scheme.

00:21:24.180 --> 00:21:27.640
 He's always been upfront about the cost of following him.

00:21:28.100 --> 00:21:30.380
 Listen to his voice in Mark chapter 8.

00:21:30.860 --> 00:21:32.960
 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples,

00:21:33.299 --> 00:21:34.200
 Jesus said to them,

00:21:34.620 --> 00:21:36.259
 if anyone would come after me,

00:21:36.340 --> 00:21:38.600
 let him deny himself and take up his cross

00:21:38.600 --> 00:21:40.400
 and follow me, right?

00:21:41.580 --> 00:21:43.560
 If anyone would come after me,

00:21:44.080 --> 00:21:47.019
 anyone means that it's a completely inclusive call.

00:21:47.019 --> 00:21:50.039
 Invitation is wide open to anyone who would hear,

00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:52.519
 anyone who is willing to follow Jesus,

00:21:52.920 --> 00:21:55.579
 but then he's also honest about what that'll cost.

00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:57.740
 Let him deny himself and take up his cross

00:21:57.740 --> 00:21:59.299
 and follow me, right?

00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:03.319
 This is why I believe true gospel community

00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:06.480
 exists under the authority of God.

00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:09.859
 It means true gospel community,

00:22:10.119 --> 00:22:12.960
 trust that God knows how we were made to live

00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:13.680
 better than we do.

00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:15.920
 That God gets to call balls and strikes.

00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:17.380
 He's made us and created us

00:22:17.380 --> 00:22:19.900
 and he knows how best human beings will flourish

00:22:19.900 --> 00:22:21.680
 on this side of eternity, right?

00:22:22.340 --> 00:22:24.259
 This means that the voice of Jesus

00:22:24.259 --> 00:22:26.320
 gets to shape what we believe,

00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:28.880
 how we live and how we treat one another,

00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:32.180
 even when we have to handle our differences.

00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:35.000
 This is what makes real Christianity different

00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:38.600
 from whatever that is heart and culture for a minute, right?

00:22:40.360 --> 00:22:42.800
 Gospel community is one way we say

00:22:42.800 --> 00:22:43.920
 we belong to Jesus,

00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:45.779
 we live under his authority

00:22:45.779 --> 00:22:48.060
 and because we belong to Jesus,

00:22:48.259 --> 00:22:49.360
 we belong to each other.

00:22:50.060 --> 00:22:52.259
 This means that between my brother Kevin and I

00:22:52.259 --> 00:22:53.039
 stands Jesus.

00:22:53.779 --> 00:22:55.960
 Like when I have to approach him,

00:22:56.160 --> 00:22:58.340
 I can't approach him outside of Jesus.

00:22:59.100 --> 00:23:01.539
 The same grace that God has offered me

00:23:01.539 --> 00:23:02.620
 is offered to him.

00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:05.840
 There is something about relating to each other

00:23:05.840 --> 00:23:09.539
 as Jesus being the mediator of the new covenant,

00:23:09.539 --> 00:23:12.059
 between each other in community.

00:23:12.460 --> 00:23:13.960
 That leads me to the third thing

00:23:13.960 --> 00:23:15.559
 that I wanted to see from this passage.

00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:19.519
 Not only is gospel community because of Jesus

00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:23.159
 and existing under the authority of Jesus,

00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:26.259
 a gospel community exists for the sake

00:23:26.259 --> 00:23:27.859
 of the mission of Jesus.

00:23:28.680 --> 00:23:29.779
 Look at verse 4 and 5.

00:23:29.779 --> 00:23:44.000
 Friends,

00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:47.680
 this church community had some really beautiful things

00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:48.819
 going on for them, right?

00:23:49.659 --> 00:23:51.740
 They had a beautiful community.

00:23:51.879 --> 00:23:52.939
 They were united together.

00:23:53.539 --> 00:23:54.179
 I mean, imagine,

00:23:54.419 --> 00:23:56.439
 they worked through their differences, right?

00:23:56.539 --> 00:23:57.000
 They had,

00:23:57.419 --> 00:23:59.599
 their diversity is seen in their leadership team

00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:00.819
 and the leadership team represents

00:24:00.819 --> 00:24:01.839
 different communities

00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:03.259
 that is a part of this church.

00:24:03.419 --> 00:24:05.179
 So they've done the hard work

00:24:05.179 --> 00:24:06.839
 and they've built something beautiful

00:24:06.839 --> 00:24:08.759
 and the easiest thing to do

00:24:08.759 --> 00:24:09.460
 would be to say,

00:24:09.559 --> 00:24:11.099
 hey, let's build a fence around this thing

00:24:11.099 --> 00:24:13.000
 and let's protect this, right?

00:24:13.099 --> 00:24:14.240
 Let's protect this.

00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:16.599
 But the Holy Spirit interrupts their comfort.

00:24:16.599 --> 00:24:17.779
 The Holy Spirit says,

00:24:17.939 --> 00:24:19.439
 set apart for me Barnabas and Saul.

00:24:20.059 --> 00:24:22.119
 So the Spirit's first command to this church

00:24:22.119 --> 00:24:24.019
 was not keep your best leaders to yourself

00:24:24.019 --> 00:24:26.000
 but send out your best leaders.

00:24:26.699 --> 00:24:27.379
 In many ways,

00:24:27.480 --> 00:24:28.799
 you and I are sitting here on the shoulders

00:24:28.799 --> 00:24:30.619
 of what this church did, right?

00:24:30.659 --> 00:24:34.279
 When this church sent out Paul and Barnabas,

00:24:34.779 --> 00:24:36.759
 this church had no idea

00:24:36.759 --> 00:24:38.819
 that God, the Holy Spirit,

00:24:38.899 --> 00:24:41.579
 would use Paul to write half of the New Testament, right?

00:24:43.219 --> 00:24:45.339
 And all of this should not surprise us.

00:24:45.399 --> 00:24:46.419
 If you've read our Bible,

00:24:46.599 --> 00:24:48.759
 this is the same pattern that God does.

00:24:49.259 --> 00:24:50.339
 God is ascending God.

00:24:50.619 --> 00:24:51.740
 The Father sends the Son.

00:24:52.199 --> 00:24:53.240
 The Son sends the Spirit.

00:24:53.679 --> 00:24:55.000
 The Spirit sends the church.

00:24:55.379 --> 00:24:56.899
 So this should not surprise us

00:24:56.899 --> 00:24:58.139
 that gospel communities

00:24:58.139 --> 00:24:59.659
 are never meant to become

00:24:59.659 --> 00:25:00.799
 this place of comfort

00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:01.459
 where we say that,

00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:03.639
 look, I've found finally my people.

00:25:04.500 --> 00:25:06.039
 Gospel goodbyes are hard, right?

00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:07.879
 Can we say that I've done gospel goodbyes?

00:25:08.679 --> 00:25:10.379
 Mumbai is a transient culture

00:25:10.379 --> 00:25:13.299
 and it seems like we do gospel goodbyes

00:25:13.299 --> 00:25:14.319
 every couple of months, right?

00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:16.919
 But here is why gospel communities are worth it

00:25:16.919 --> 00:25:19.539
 because this is the heart of God, right?

00:25:19.539 --> 00:25:20.659
 This is the heart of God.

00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:23.939
 It is never meant to be about our comfort.

00:25:24.099 --> 00:25:25.939
 It is never meant to be about saying,

00:25:26.299 --> 00:25:28.079
 look, it's us four and no more, right?

00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:30.359
 I love how Christopher Wright puts this

00:25:30.359 --> 00:25:32.039
 in his wonderfully dense book,

00:25:32.179 --> 00:25:33.279
 Mission of God, right?

00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:34.099
 Here is what he says.

00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:34.759
 He says,

00:25:34.819 --> 00:25:36.119
 it is not so much the case

00:25:36.119 --> 00:25:37.519
 that God has a mission

00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:38.899
 for his church in the world

00:25:38.899 --> 00:25:40.700
 as that God has a church

00:25:40.700 --> 00:25:42.920
 for his mission in the world, right?

00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:44.000
 It's not that God has a mission

00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:44.639
 for the church.

00:25:45.299 --> 00:25:46.079
 God has a mission

00:25:46.079 --> 00:25:47.079
 and he has a church

00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:48.940
 to advance that mission.

00:25:49.539 --> 00:25:50.639
 So whether in Hong Kong

00:25:50.639 --> 00:25:51.299
 or Mumbai

00:25:51.299 --> 00:25:52.559
 or Oklahoma City,

00:25:53.259 --> 00:25:54.599
 God keeps sending people.

00:25:55.420 --> 00:25:56.200
 Between Sundays,

00:25:56.339 --> 00:25:57.799
 God keeps sending his people

00:25:57.799 --> 00:25:58.339
 to neighborhoods

00:25:58.339 --> 00:25:59.259
 and universities

00:25:59.259 --> 00:26:01.160
 and food courts

00:26:01.160 --> 00:26:01.940
 and families

00:26:01.940 --> 00:26:02.859
 and communities

00:26:02.859 --> 00:26:04.220
 so that more people

00:26:04.220 --> 00:26:05.180
 can hear the gospel,

00:26:05.720 --> 00:26:06.259
 the more people

00:26:06.259 --> 00:26:07.460
 can encounter Jesus

00:26:07.460 --> 00:26:08.579
 and be welcomed

00:26:08.579 --> 00:26:10.420
 into the family of God.

00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:12.779
 And this has always been God's plan.

00:26:13.400 --> 00:26:14.220
 I love this verse

00:26:14.220 --> 00:26:15.759
 in Revelation 21.

00:26:16.180 --> 00:26:18.099
 Listen to this verse.

00:26:18.839 --> 00:26:20.099
 And I heard a loud voice

00:26:20.099 --> 00:26:21.099
 from the throne saying,

00:26:21.799 --> 00:26:22.119
 behold,

00:26:22.259 --> 00:26:23.379
 the dwelling place of God

00:26:23.379 --> 00:26:23.920
 is with man.

00:26:24.519 --> 00:26:26.119
 He will dwell with them

00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:27.440
 and they will be his people

00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:28.980
 and God himself

00:26:28.980 --> 00:26:30.200
 will be with them

00:26:30.200 --> 00:26:31.019
 as their God.

00:26:31.599 --> 00:26:32.779
 Until that day coming,

00:26:33.220 --> 00:26:34.140
 until that day comes,

00:26:34.279 --> 00:26:35.160
 there's a day coming

00:26:35.160 --> 00:26:36.480
 where God will make

00:26:36.480 --> 00:26:36.940
 his dwelling

00:26:36.940 --> 00:26:38.160
 amongst his people.

00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:39.640
 And until that day comes,

00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:40.660
 Jesus is redeeming,

00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:41.759
 reconciling,

00:26:42.120 --> 00:26:43.240
 restoring all things

00:26:43.240 --> 00:26:43.839
 to himself

00:26:43.839 --> 00:26:45.120
 and in his wisdom,

00:26:45.339 --> 00:26:46.039
 in his providence

00:26:46.039 --> 00:26:46.880
 and in his grace,

00:26:47.360 --> 00:26:48.120
 he's called you

00:26:48.120 --> 00:26:49.099
 and he's called me,

00:26:49.420 --> 00:26:49.960
 his church,

00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:51.620
 to be a part of this work.

00:26:52.420 --> 00:26:53.360
 Now here's what happens

00:26:53.360 --> 00:26:54.360
 when we drift

00:26:54.360 --> 00:26:55.380
 and lose sight

00:26:55.380 --> 00:26:56.680
 of this mission of God.

00:26:57.299 --> 00:26:58.319
 We become bored

00:26:58.319 --> 00:26:59.559
 and we become

00:26:59.559 --> 00:27:00.519
 inward focused.

00:27:01.579 --> 00:27:02.299
 A bored Christian

00:27:02.299 --> 00:27:03.220
 is a dangerous thing.

00:27:04.279 --> 00:27:04.319
 Right?

00:27:04.639 --> 00:27:05.139
 And here's why

00:27:05.139 --> 00:27:05.659
 a bored Christian

00:27:05.659 --> 00:27:06.480
 is a dangerous thing.

00:27:06.839 --> 00:27:08.299
 When we encounter Jesus,

00:27:08.399 --> 00:27:08.899
 when our hearts

00:27:08.899 --> 00:27:09.859
 come alive to Jesus,

00:27:10.200 --> 00:27:11.319
 our heart comes alive

00:27:11.319 --> 00:27:12.220
 to the mission of God.

00:27:12.639 --> 00:27:12.779
 Right?

00:27:12.839 --> 00:27:14.299
 There is faith

00:27:14.299 --> 00:27:15.639
 and there is passion

00:27:15.639 --> 00:27:17.179
 and there is energy,

00:27:17.379 --> 00:27:18.079
 that missional energy

00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:18.839
 that God,

00:27:18.919 --> 00:27:19.359
 the Holy Spirit

00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:20.200
 puts in our heart.

00:27:20.439 --> 00:27:21.379
 And all of that

00:27:21.379 --> 00:27:22.359
 is supposed to lean outward.

00:27:22.839 --> 00:27:23.000
 Right?

00:27:23.399 --> 00:27:24.960
 And when we lose sight

00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:25.939
 of the mission of God,

00:27:25.939 --> 00:27:26.819
 all of that starts

00:27:26.819 --> 00:27:27.480
 to lean inward.

00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:27.939
 Right?

00:27:28.299 --> 00:27:28.759
 Then we,

00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:30.200
 when we start

00:27:30.200 --> 00:27:31.179
 to lose sight

00:27:31.179 --> 00:27:32.259
 of the mission of God,

00:27:32.639 --> 00:27:33.619
 the kingdom of God

00:27:33.619 --> 00:27:34.500
 starts to shrink

00:27:34.500 --> 00:27:36.079
 and the kingdom of self

00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:37.059
 starts to expand.

00:27:37.220 --> 00:27:37.379
 Right?

00:27:37.859 --> 00:27:38.539
 Then we are caught up

00:27:38.539 --> 00:27:39.960
 so much in our little trinkets

00:27:39.960 --> 00:27:40.759
 and our little kingdom.

00:27:41.399 --> 00:27:41.539
 Right?

00:27:41.579 --> 00:27:42.240
 This is when

00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:43.179
 our imagination

00:27:43.179 --> 00:27:44.659
 is no longer captivated

00:27:44.659 --> 00:27:46.339
 by the glorious calling

00:27:46.339 --> 00:27:47.399
 of the mission of God.

00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:49.059
 Everything starts

00:27:49.059 --> 00:27:50.220
 to revolve around us.

00:27:50.700 --> 00:27:50.879
 Right?

00:27:51.419 --> 00:27:51.939
 We become,

00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:52.839
 this is when we become

00:27:52.839 --> 00:27:53.480
 easily offended.

00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:55.380
 This is when we start

00:27:55.380 --> 00:27:56.779
 to chase all kinds

00:27:56.779 --> 00:27:57.319
 of things

00:27:57.319 --> 00:27:58.220
 that promises

00:27:58.220 --> 00:27:59.599
 all kinds of things

00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:01.099
 but fails in the end.

00:28:01.539 --> 00:28:01.640
 Right?

00:28:01.660 --> 00:28:02.400
 This is when we,

00:28:02.440 --> 00:28:04.559
 we have voracious appetites

00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:05.319
 to consume

00:28:05.319 --> 00:28:06.880
 but it's never satisfied

00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:08.599
 because we were meant

00:28:08.599 --> 00:28:11.120
 to be advancing

00:28:11.120 --> 00:28:12.240
 the kingdom of God

00:28:12.240 --> 00:28:12.880
 by the power

00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:14.180
 and work of the Holy Spirit.

00:28:14.819 --> 00:28:15.740
 This is when we start

00:28:15.740 --> 00:28:16.220
 to look at,

00:28:16.339 --> 00:28:17.259
 compare our ministries

00:28:17.259 --> 00:28:18.059
 with other ministries.

00:28:18.539 --> 00:28:19.440
 This is when we start

00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:20.599
 to think about

00:28:20.599 --> 00:28:21.700
 our giftings,

00:28:22.200 --> 00:28:23.299
 shrink our giftings

00:28:23.299 --> 00:28:23.879
 as related to

00:28:23.879 --> 00:28:24.980
 somebody else's gifting.

00:28:25.720 --> 00:28:25.879
 Right?

00:28:26.339 --> 00:28:27.319
 It's a dangerous thing

00:28:27.319 --> 00:28:27.980
 to lose sight

00:28:27.980 --> 00:28:28.919
 of the mission of God.

00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:30.319
 I remember

00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:31.899
 hearing the story,

00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:32.879
 I actually met the person,

00:28:33.819 --> 00:28:34.379
 this person

00:28:34.379 --> 00:28:34.859
 who has been

00:28:34.859 --> 00:28:35.619
 a follower of Jesus

00:28:35.619 --> 00:28:36.879
 for over 40 years

00:28:36.879 --> 00:28:38.879
 who almost split a church

00:28:38.879 --> 00:28:39.579
 because somebody

00:28:39.579 --> 00:28:40.899
 asked him to sit,

00:28:41.339 --> 00:28:42.680
 scoot one space over

00:28:42.680 --> 00:28:44.000
 for a new family

00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:44.619
 that is visiting.

00:28:45.500 --> 00:28:46.180
 Like what happened?

00:28:46.259 --> 00:28:47.079
 He didn't start there.

00:28:48.039 --> 00:28:48.740
 Over time,

00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:50.039
 he lost sight

00:28:50.039 --> 00:28:50.960
 of the mission of God

00:28:50.960 --> 00:28:52.159
 and life started

00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:52.680
 to become

00:28:52.680 --> 00:28:54.100
 about our convenience,

00:28:54.420 --> 00:28:55.360
 our preference.

00:28:56.019 --> 00:28:57.040
 The self started

00:28:57.040 --> 00:28:58.200
 to be enthroned.

00:28:59.320 --> 00:28:59.440
 Right?

00:28:59.500 --> 00:29:00.420
 This is a dangerous thing.

00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:03.240
 So where has

00:29:03.240 --> 00:29:04.600
 our sense of mission

00:29:04.600 --> 00:29:06.220
 quietly shrunk down

00:29:06.220 --> 00:29:08.560
 to just our own comfort

00:29:08.560 --> 00:29:10.540
 and our own preference

00:29:10.540 --> 00:29:12.380
 and our own schedules?

00:29:13.940 --> 00:29:14.820
 And notice what happens

00:29:14.820 --> 00:29:15.320
 when the church

00:29:15.320 --> 00:29:16.180
 is sent out on mission.

00:29:16.440 --> 00:29:16.860
 Look at the rest

00:29:16.860 --> 00:29:17.440
 of the passage.

00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:18.920
 When they had gone

00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:19.960
 through the whole island

00:29:19.960 --> 00:29:21.140
 as far as Paphos,

00:29:22.100 --> 00:29:22.799
 they came upon

00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:23.580
 a certain magician,

00:29:23.720 --> 00:29:24.759
 a Jewish false prophet

00:29:24.759 --> 00:29:25.580
 named Bar-Jesus.

00:29:26.180 --> 00:29:27.420
 He was with the proconsul,

00:29:27.559 --> 00:29:28.340
 Sergius Paulus,

00:29:28.380 --> 00:29:29.160
 a man of intelligence,

00:29:29.700 --> 00:29:30.360
 who summoned

00:29:30.360 --> 00:29:31.380
 Barnabas and Saul

00:29:31.380 --> 00:29:32.200
 and sought to hear

00:29:32.200 --> 00:29:32.920
 the word of God.

00:29:33.360 --> 00:29:33.940
 But Elimus,

00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:34.539
 the magician,

00:29:34.860 --> 00:29:35.420
 for that is the meaning

00:29:35.420 --> 00:29:36.000
 of his name,

00:29:36.420 --> 00:29:37.160
 opposed them,

00:29:37.640 --> 00:29:38.400
 seeking to turn

00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:39.360
 the proconsul away

00:29:39.360 --> 00:29:39.900
 from the faith.

00:29:40.299 --> 00:29:40.799
 But Saul,

00:29:40.900 --> 00:29:42.100
 who was also called Paul,

00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:43.200
 filled with the Holy Spirit,

00:29:43.320 --> 00:29:44.360
 looked intently at him

00:29:44.360 --> 00:29:44.740
 and said,

00:29:44.740 --> 00:29:45.880
 you son of the devil,

00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:47.500
 you enemy of all righteousness,

00:29:47.980 --> 00:29:49.200
 full of all deceit

00:29:49.200 --> 00:29:49.779
 and villainy,

00:29:50.039 --> 00:29:51.200
 will you not stop

00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:51.880
 making crooked

00:29:51.880 --> 00:29:52.559
 the straight paths

00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:52.960
 of the Lord?

00:29:53.339 --> 00:29:54.120
 So the moment

00:29:54.120 --> 00:29:55.140
 Barnabas and Saul

00:29:55.140 --> 00:29:56.720
 are sent out on mission,

00:29:57.180 --> 00:29:57.720
 what happens?

00:29:57.819 --> 00:29:59.120
 They encounter opposition.

00:29:59.819 --> 00:30:00.579
 And friends,

00:30:00.660 --> 00:30:01.700
 this is not an interruption

00:30:01.700 --> 00:30:02.500
 to the mission.

00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:03.440
 It is actually part

00:30:03.440 --> 00:30:03.900
 of the mission.

00:30:04.519 --> 00:30:05.339
 It is actually part

00:30:05.339 --> 00:30:05.799
 of the mission.

00:30:06.599 --> 00:30:07.380
 Have you ever felt this?

00:30:07.420 --> 00:30:08.559
 The moment you step out

00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:10.120
 in obedience to Jesus,

00:30:10.819 --> 00:30:12.380
 resistance starts to show up.

00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:13.920
 Resistance starts to show up.

00:30:13.920 --> 00:30:15.300
 We've experienced this

00:30:15.300 --> 00:30:17.220
 throughout every season

00:30:17.220 --> 00:30:17.700
 of planting

00:30:17.700 --> 00:30:18.759
 in Cornerstone,

00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:19.300
 in Mumbai.

00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:21.740
 Kevin alluded to how

00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:22.620
 we showed up

00:30:22.620 --> 00:30:23.440
 with a lot of joy,

00:30:23.560 --> 00:30:24.279
 a lot of excitement

00:30:24.279 --> 00:30:25.440
 to be faced

00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:26.900
 with a global pandemic.

00:30:27.140 --> 00:30:28.120
 Like nobody even knows

00:30:28.120 --> 00:30:29.220
 what is going on, right?

00:30:29.740 --> 00:30:30.880
 But Jesus' plans

00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:31.980
 cannot be thwarted.

00:30:32.080 --> 00:30:32.980
 Even a global pandemic

00:30:32.980 --> 00:30:33.940
 cannot stand in the way.

00:30:34.580 --> 00:30:35.300
 And then throughout

00:30:35.300 --> 00:30:36.660
 the seasons of planting,

00:30:37.180 --> 00:30:38.480
 there has been many moments

00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:39.220
 when we've looked

00:30:39.220 --> 00:30:40.019
 at each other

00:30:40.019 --> 00:30:41.300
 and we've talked to us,

00:30:41.320 --> 00:30:41.980
 God, we know

00:30:41.980 --> 00:30:42.920
 you've called us,

00:30:42.920 --> 00:30:43.940
 but why does this

00:30:43.940 --> 00:30:44.820
 feel so hard?

00:30:45.539 --> 00:30:46.700
 Why does this feel so hard?

00:30:47.360 --> 00:30:48.039
 There have been seasons

00:30:48.039 --> 00:30:49.220
 of disappointments

00:30:49.220 --> 00:30:50.360
 and misunderstandings

00:30:50.360 --> 00:30:51.420
 and relational tensions

00:30:51.420 --> 00:30:52.160
 and loneliness,

00:30:52.880 --> 00:30:53.880
 many, many moments

00:30:53.880 --> 00:30:54.620
 when we wondered

00:30:54.620 --> 00:30:55.320
 if the cost

00:30:55.320 --> 00:30:56.600
 was even worth it.

00:30:57.259 --> 00:30:58.220
 And it's not just us.

00:30:58.380 --> 00:30:59.180
 You have your own

00:30:59.180 --> 00:31:00.519
 versions of that, right?

00:31:01.560 --> 00:31:02.440
 But here is what

00:31:02.440 --> 00:31:03.840
 I want you to remember

00:31:03.840 --> 00:31:04.620
 this morning.

00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:06.000
 Opposition doesn't

00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:06.759
 always mean

00:31:06.759 --> 00:31:07.200
 that you're

00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:08.680
 on the wrong path, right?

00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:09.720
 Sometimes it's evidence

00:31:09.720 --> 00:31:11.019
 that you're moving

00:31:11.019 --> 00:31:12.339
 exactly where God

00:31:12.339 --> 00:31:13.440
 has called you to move.

00:31:13.960 --> 00:31:14.480
 That brings me

00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:15.240
 to the last thing

00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:16.120
 that I want us to see

00:31:16.120 --> 00:31:16.900
 from this passage.

00:31:17.839 --> 00:31:18.720
 A gospel community

00:31:18.720 --> 00:31:20.120
 exists to confront

00:31:20.120 --> 00:31:20.660
 darkness

00:31:20.660 --> 00:31:21.940
 in the power

00:31:21.940 --> 00:31:22.720
 of the Spirit.

00:31:23.339 --> 00:31:23.920
 Let me say that again.

00:31:23.980 --> 00:31:24.799
 A gospel community

00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:26.500
 exists to confront

00:31:26.500 --> 00:31:26.980
 darkness

00:31:26.980 --> 00:31:27.900
 in the power

00:31:27.900 --> 00:31:28.900
 of the Holy Spirit.

00:31:29.579 --> 00:31:30.339
 Look at the language

00:31:30.339 --> 00:31:31.279
 Paul is using here.

00:31:31.279 --> 00:31:32.559
 A son of the devil,

00:31:33.360 --> 00:31:34.279
 an enemy of all

00:31:34.279 --> 00:31:34.960
 righteousness,

00:31:35.980 --> 00:31:36.880
 full of deceit

00:31:36.880 --> 00:31:37.680
 and villainy

00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:39.400
 making crooked

00:31:39.400 --> 00:31:40.460
 the straight paths

00:31:40.460 --> 00:31:41.000
 of the Lord.

00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:41.420
 I'm like,

00:31:41.480 --> 00:31:42.640
 Paul, what is going on?

00:31:43.160 --> 00:31:43.880
 Like, why are you

00:31:43.880 --> 00:31:44.940
 so mad, right?

00:31:45.700 --> 00:31:46.840
 Who is Paul speaking to?

00:31:46.920 --> 00:31:47.560
 Is he speaking

00:31:47.560 --> 00:31:48.660
 to just a fellow believer?

00:31:49.380 --> 00:31:50.120
 Or is he speaking

00:31:50.120 --> 00:31:52.140
 to a difficult person,

00:31:52.380 --> 00:31:53.100
 dealing with a difficult

00:31:53.100 --> 00:31:54.400
 person in this community?

00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:55.540
 No, my friends,

00:31:55.580 --> 00:31:56.140
 that's not what's

00:31:56.140 --> 00:31:56.720
 happening here.

00:31:57.240 --> 00:31:58.160
 Paul is confronting

00:31:58.160 --> 00:31:59.940
 a deeper spiritual reality,

00:32:00.520 --> 00:32:00.680
 right?

00:32:01.060 --> 00:32:01.700
 This is what

00:32:01.700 --> 00:32:02.760
 spiritual warfare

00:32:02.760 --> 00:32:04.340
 and spiritual resistance

00:32:04.340 --> 00:32:05.760
 look like in this context.

00:32:05.759 --> 00:32:07.900
 Throughout the book of Acts,

00:32:08.079 --> 00:32:08.980
 the mission of Jesus

00:32:08.980 --> 00:32:11.299
 is not seen as just a

00:32:11.299 --> 00:32:12.279
 battle against

00:32:12.279 --> 00:32:13.480
 difficult situations

00:32:13.480 --> 00:32:14.680
 and difficult people.

00:32:15.319 --> 00:32:15.960
 There's a real

00:32:15.960 --> 00:32:17.119
 spiritual enemy

00:32:17.119 --> 00:32:17.960
 who opposes

00:32:17.960 --> 00:32:19.460
 the advance of the gospel,

00:32:19.960 --> 00:32:20.140
 right?

00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:21.059
 And I get it.

00:32:21.119 --> 00:32:21.680
 That can sound

00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:22.460
 a little strange,

00:32:22.740 --> 00:32:22.960
 right?

00:32:23.160 --> 00:32:23.759
 But depending on

00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:24.720
 where we are coming from,

00:32:25.180 --> 00:32:26.160
 this is 2026.

00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:26.900
 We are living in

00:32:26.900 --> 00:32:27.660
 global cities.

00:32:27.940 --> 00:32:28.740
 Like, it is hard

00:32:28.740 --> 00:32:29.579
 to think about things

00:32:29.579 --> 00:32:30.460
 that we can't see,

00:32:30.819 --> 00:32:31.700
 things that we can't

00:32:31.700 --> 00:32:32.079
 quantify,

00:32:32.579 --> 00:32:33.420
 things that we cannot

00:32:33.420 --> 00:32:34.559
 logically explain.

00:32:34.559 --> 00:32:36.099
 But the Bible is clear.

00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:38.059
 The same Paul who wrote

00:32:38.059 --> 00:32:39.779
 a dense theological treatise

00:32:39.779 --> 00:32:40.740
 like Romans

00:32:40.740 --> 00:32:41.659
 also wrote

00:32:41.659 --> 00:32:42.679
 Ephesians 6.

00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:44.000
 And listen to his words.

00:32:44.480 --> 00:32:45.559
 For we do not wrestle

00:32:45.559 --> 00:32:46.700
 against flesh and blood,

00:32:47.139 --> 00:32:48.099
 but against the rulers,

00:32:48.440 --> 00:32:49.240
 against the authorities,

00:32:49.559 --> 00:32:51.039
 against the cosmic powers

00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:52.619
 over this present darkness,

00:32:53.139 --> 00:32:54.440
 against the spiritual forces

00:32:54.440 --> 00:32:54.980
 of evil

00:32:54.980 --> 00:32:56.200
 in the heavenly places.

00:32:56.980 --> 00:32:57.220
 Friends,

00:32:57.279 --> 00:32:57.980
 the book of Acts

00:32:57.980 --> 00:32:58.679
 shows us

00:32:58.679 --> 00:33:00.299
 that the Holy Spirit

00:33:00.299 --> 00:33:01.559
 repeatedly empowers

00:33:01.559 --> 00:33:03.159
 the church

00:33:03.159 --> 00:33:04.559
 to do something

00:33:04.559 --> 00:33:05.559
 that we can't do

00:33:05.559 --> 00:33:06.139
 on our own.

00:33:06.659 --> 00:33:07.339
 Like, we need

00:33:07.339 --> 00:33:07.899
 the empowerment

00:33:07.899 --> 00:33:08.619
 of the Holy Spirit

00:33:08.619 --> 00:33:09.919
 throughout the history

00:33:09.919 --> 00:33:10.500
 of the church.

00:33:10.579 --> 00:33:11.159
 Even today.

00:33:11.799 --> 00:33:12.379
 It doesn't matter

00:33:12.379 --> 00:33:13.500
 if it's the most resourceful

00:33:13.500 --> 00:33:14.200
 place in the world

00:33:14.200 --> 00:33:15.460
 or the most under-resourced

00:33:15.460 --> 00:33:16.240
 place in the world.

00:33:16.700 --> 00:33:18.059
 We have been given

00:33:18.059 --> 00:33:18.980
 a mission.

00:33:19.399 --> 00:33:20.339
 We've been entrusted

00:33:20.339 --> 00:33:20.980
 a task

00:33:20.980 --> 00:33:22.079
 that we can't complete

00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:22.579
 on our own.

00:33:23.299 --> 00:33:24.720
 We need the power

00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:25.700
 and the presence

00:33:25.700 --> 00:33:27.119
 of the living God

00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:27.799
 through the work

00:33:27.799 --> 00:33:28.419
 of the Holy Spirit

00:33:28.419 --> 00:33:28.980
 for this.

00:33:29.379 --> 00:33:29.539
 Right?

00:33:29.539 --> 00:33:31.859
 I'm not persuasive enough.

00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:33.759
 Our team is not

00:33:33.759 --> 00:33:34.759
 strategic enough.

00:33:35.319 --> 00:33:36.019
 We don't have

00:33:36.019 --> 00:33:37.039
 enough resources.

00:33:37.859 --> 00:33:38.440
 We don't know

00:33:38.440 --> 00:33:39.220
 all things

00:33:39.220 --> 00:33:40.259
 to actually

00:33:40.259 --> 00:33:41.920
 get behind

00:33:41.920 --> 00:33:42.639
 the advance

00:33:42.639 --> 00:33:43.899
 of gospel mission

00:33:43.899 --> 00:33:44.319
 in Mumbai.

00:33:44.799 --> 00:33:45.399
 But yet,

00:33:46.019 --> 00:33:46.960
 one thing we know

00:33:46.960 --> 00:33:47.920
 is that the spirit

00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:48.839
 of the living God

00:33:48.839 --> 00:33:49.720
 is fulfilling

00:33:49.720 --> 00:33:50.879
 the promise of Jesus

00:33:50.879 --> 00:33:52.099
 whether it's in Hong Kong

00:33:52.099 --> 00:33:52.619
 or Mumbai.

00:33:53.019 --> 00:33:53.720
 Jesus promised

00:33:53.720 --> 00:33:55.059
 he will build a church

00:33:55.059 --> 00:33:56.460
 and the gates of hell

00:33:56.460 --> 00:33:57.079
 will not prevail

00:33:57.079 --> 00:33:57.619
 against her.

00:33:57.839 --> 00:33:57.940
 Right?

00:33:58.099 --> 00:33:59.059
 And the spirit of God

00:33:59.059 --> 00:33:59.940
 is actually bringing

00:33:59.940 --> 00:34:00.720
 that promise

00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:01.299
 to pass

00:34:01.299 --> 00:34:02.299
 through the church.

00:34:02.599 --> 00:34:02.819
 Right?

00:34:03.019 --> 00:34:03.899
 Through his working.

00:34:04.359 --> 00:34:04.960
 Through his power.

00:34:05.179 --> 00:34:05.879
 Like it's not

00:34:05.879 --> 00:34:07.159
 up to us.

00:34:07.559 --> 00:34:07.679
 Right?

00:34:07.779 --> 00:34:08.880
 In one sense

00:34:08.880 --> 00:34:09.579
 it is.

00:34:09.679 --> 00:34:10.320
 Like by faith

00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:10.980
 we stand

00:34:10.980 --> 00:34:12.500
 but we also stand

00:34:12.500 --> 00:34:13.840
 depending on the spirit.

00:34:13.960 --> 00:34:15.059
 Like we lean

00:34:15.059 --> 00:34:16.079
 on the spirit

00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:17.119
 to have him

00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:18.079
 complete this work.

00:34:18.460 --> 00:34:19.279
 Like no one can

00:34:19.279 --> 00:34:22.039
 help us see Jesus

00:34:22.039 --> 00:34:22.880
 like the spirit can.

00:34:23.460 --> 00:34:23.619
 Right?

00:34:23.659 --> 00:34:24.400
 So we need

00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:25.920
 his presence.

00:34:26.239 --> 00:34:26.619
 We need

00:34:26.619 --> 00:34:27.699
 his work.

00:34:27.699 --> 00:34:29.399
 So friends

00:34:29.399 --> 00:34:30.739
 where do we go

00:34:30.739 --> 00:34:31.179
 from here?

00:34:32.219 --> 00:34:33.099
 The gospel community

00:34:33.099 --> 00:34:34.419
 is together

00:34:34.419 --> 00:34:35.279
 because of Jesus

00:34:35.279 --> 00:34:36.859
 together under

00:34:36.859 --> 00:34:37.659
 the authority

00:34:37.659 --> 00:34:38.219
 of Jesus.

00:34:39.500 --> 00:34:40.319
 It's together

00:34:40.319 --> 00:34:40.819
 for the sake

00:34:40.819 --> 00:34:41.439
 of his mission

00:34:41.439 --> 00:34:43.019
 and we are together

00:34:43.019 --> 00:34:43.819
 to confront

00:34:43.819 --> 00:34:44.439
 darkness

00:34:44.439 --> 00:34:45.199
 in the power

00:34:45.199 --> 00:34:45.980
 of his spirit.

00:34:46.939 --> 00:34:47.779
 So today

00:34:47.779 --> 00:34:49.039
 can we take

00:34:49.039 --> 00:34:49.379
 a moment

00:34:49.379 --> 00:34:50.519
 of honesty?

00:34:51.439 --> 00:34:52.439
 Where do we need

00:34:52.439 --> 00:34:53.000
 grace?

00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:54.300
 When you think

00:34:54.300 --> 00:34:54.699
 about these

00:34:54.699 --> 00:34:55.300
 four things

00:34:55.300 --> 00:34:57.360
 where do we

00:34:57.360 --> 00:34:58.019
 experience

00:34:58.019 --> 00:34:59.360
 missional drift

00:34:59.360 --> 00:35:01.079
 in these four areas?

00:35:01.860 --> 00:35:02.880
 Where do we need

00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:03.699
 God's help

00:35:03.699 --> 00:35:04.480
 this morning?

00:35:05.079 --> 00:35:05.739
 One of the greatest

00:35:05.739 --> 00:35:06.639
 gifts the gospel

00:35:06.639 --> 00:35:07.619
 offers us

00:35:07.619 --> 00:35:08.699
 is the gift

00:35:08.699 --> 00:35:09.739
 to come to God

00:35:09.739 --> 00:35:10.420
 needy

00:35:10.420 --> 00:35:11.280
 and honest.

00:35:12.280 --> 00:35:12.739
 I realize

00:35:12.739 --> 00:35:13.260
 that sometimes

00:35:13.260 --> 00:35:14.079
 I avoid the very

00:35:14.079 --> 00:35:14.559
 things

00:35:14.559 --> 00:35:15.800
 that makes me

00:35:15.800 --> 00:35:16.980
 that poises me

00:35:16.980 --> 00:35:17.519
 my heart

00:35:17.519 --> 00:35:18.000
 to receive

00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:18.659
 God's grace.

00:35:18.920 --> 00:35:19.039
 Right?

00:35:19.780 --> 00:35:20.860
 Beautiful gift

00:35:20.860 --> 00:35:21.980
 that the gospel

00:35:21.980 --> 00:35:22.519
 gives us

00:35:22.519 --> 00:35:23.360
 is the freedom

00:35:23.360 --> 00:35:24.900
 to come to Jesus

00:35:24.900 --> 00:35:26.019
 needy

00:35:26.019 --> 00:35:26.940
 and dependent.

00:35:27.680 --> 00:35:28.720
 So here's my question.

00:35:29.340 --> 00:35:30.340
 Where do you need

00:35:30.340 --> 00:35:30.880
 God's grace

00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:31.380
 this morning?

00:35:32.120 --> 00:35:32.980
 Where do we need

00:35:32.980 --> 00:35:33.680
 God's grace

00:35:33.680 --> 00:35:34.320
 this morning?

00:35:34.960 --> 00:35:35.599
 For those of us

00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:36.280
 who can honestly

00:35:36.280 --> 00:35:37.519
 name a couple of areas

00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:39.180
 I have good news

00:35:39.180 --> 00:35:39.720
 for you.

00:35:40.360 --> 00:35:41.220
 The same God

00:35:41.220 --> 00:35:42.559
 who called

00:35:42.559 --> 00:35:43.360
 you and I

00:35:43.360 --> 00:35:44.360
 is calling

00:35:44.360 --> 00:35:45.599
 our drifting hearts

00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:46.620
 back to himself.

00:35:47.559 --> 00:35:47.980
 And here's the

00:35:47.980 --> 00:35:48.480
 beautiful thing.

00:35:48.720 --> 00:35:49.599
 We don't have to

00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:50.180
 do this alone.

00:35:50.179 --> 00:35:51.679
 You get to do it

00:35:51.679 --> 00:35:52.579
 with the people

00:35:52.579 --> 00:35:53.419
 sitting to your right

00:35:53.419 --> 00:35:54.319
 and the people

00:35:54.319 --> 00:35:55.399
 sitting to your left.

00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:56.679
 You get to do it

00:35:56.679 --> 00:35:57.139
 together

00:35:57.139 --> 00:35:58.379
 as we gather

00:35:58.379 --> 00:35:58.919
 on Sundays

00:35:58.919 --> 00:36:00.279
 and as we scatter

00:36:00.279 --> 00:36:01.440
 all across

00:36:01.440 --> 00:36:02.139
 Hong Kong

00:36:02.139 --> 00:36:02.940
 and Mumbai

00:36:02.940 --> 00:36:04.299
 between Sundays

00:36:04.299 --> 00:36:05.099
 in community.

00:36:05.879 --> 00:36:06.460
 And here is why

00:36:06.460 --> 00:36:07.579
 we can step towards

00:36:07.579 --> 00:36:08.199
 this in both

00:36:08.199 --> 00:36:08.699
 confidence

00:36:08.699 --> 00:36:09.579
 and humility.

00:36:10.279 --> 00:36:10.719
 Wherever

00:36:10.719 --> 00:36:12.159
 we fall

00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:13.099
 short of this

00:36:13.099 --> 00:36:14.659
 Jesus has already

00:36:14.659 --> 00:36:15.559
 done the work

00:36:15.559 --> 00:36:16.039
 perfectly

00:36:16.039 --> 00:36:17.000
 on our behalf.

00:36:17.779 --> 00:36:17.919
 Right?

00:36:18.599 --> 00:36:19.299
 There's never been

00:36:19.300 --> 00:36:20.200
 a moment in his

00:36:20.200 --> 00:36:20.860
 life where

00:36:20.860 --> 00:36:21.360
 Christ has

00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:21.800
 drifted.

00:36:22.460 --> 00:36:22.980
 He has stood

00:36:22.980 --> 00:36:23.860
 firm and

00:36:23.860 --> 00:36:24.539
 completed the

00:36:24.539 --> 00:36:25.080
 will of God

00:36:25.080 --> 00:36:25.940
 in our place

00:36:25.940 --> 00:36:27.019
 and he invites

00:36:27.019 --> 00:36:27.920
 us today to

00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:28.720
 simply come

00:36:28.720 --> 00:36:29.760
 in faith

00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:30.680
 and repentance

00:36:30.680 --> 00:36:31.640
 and stand

00:36:31.640 --> 00:36:32.160
 in his work.

00:36:32.720 --> 00:36:33.680
 Stand in his work.

00:36:33.820 --> 00:36:33.960
 Right?

00:36:34.340 --> 00:36:35.120
 For all the ways

00:36:35.120 --> 00:36:35.800
 that you and I

00:36:35.800 --> 00:36:36.800
 attempted to look

00:36:36.800 --> 00:36:37.760
 towards familiarity,

00:36:38.220 --> 00:36:38.800
 move towards

00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:39.600
 people that we

00:36:39.600 --> 00:36:40.440
 are familiar with,

00:36:40.840 --> 00:36:41.360
 move towards

00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:41.880
 comfort,

00:36:42.500 --> 00:36:42.660
 right?

00:36:42.860 --> 00:36:43.340
 Move towards

00:36:43.340 --> 00:36:43.860
 people who are

00:36:43.860 --> 00:36:44.660
 just like us,

00:36:44.980 --> 00:36:45.539
 Christ has

00:36:45.539 --> 00:36:46.580
 left behind

00:36:46.579 --> 00:36:47.199
 the comfort

00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:47.940
 of heaven

00:36:47.940 --> 00:36:48.699
 and the

00:36:48.699 --> 00:36:49.099
 familiarity

00:36:49.099 --> 00:36:49.799
 of heaven

00:36:49.799 --> 00:36:50.460
 and he's

00:36:50.460 --> 00:36:51.099
 moved towards

00:36:51.099 --> 00:36:51.539
 the people

00:36:51.539 --> 00:36:51.840
 who are

00:36:51.840 --> 00:36:52.440
 nothing like

00:36:52.440 --> 00:36:52.659
 him.

00:36:53.139 --> 00:36:53.279
 Right?

00:36:53.860 --> 00:36:54.420
 And in doing

00:36:54.420 --> 00:36:54.900
 so,

00:36:55.259 --> 00:36:55.779
 he's moved

00:36:55.779 --> 00:36:56.440
 towards you

00:36:56.440 --> 00:36:56.920
 and I

00:36:56.920 --> 00:36:57.880
 in all of

00:36:57.880 --> 00:36:58.960
 our imperfection,

00:36:59.559 --> 00:37:00.079
 in all the

00:37:00.079 --> 00:37:00.539
 ways that we

00:37:00.539 --> 00:37:01.259
 experience the

00:37:01.259 --> 00:37:01.619
 weight of

00:37:01.619 --> 00:37:02.319
 brokenness and

00:37:02.319 --> 00:37:02.639
 sin,

00:37:02.920 --> 00:37:03.840
 and he makes

00:37:03.840 --> 00:37:04.840
 us family

00:37:04.840 --> 00:37:05.599
 through his

00:37:05.599 --> 00:37:06.519
 finished work.

00:37:07.759 --> 00:37:08.019
 Church,

00:37:08.059 --> 00:37:08.500
 for all the

00:37:08.500 --> 00:37:09.119
 ways that you

00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:09.539
 and I have

00:37:09.539 --> 00:37:10.199
 failed to

00:37:10.199 --> 00:37:10.799
 submit to the

00:37:10.799 --> 00:37:11.420
 authority of

00:37:11.420 --> 00:37:11.779
 God,

00:37:12.199 --> 00:37:13.279
 Jesus perfectly

00:37:13.279 --> 00:37:14.039
 submitted to the

00:37:14.039 --> 00:37:14.960
 Father's voice

00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:16.159
 in joyful

00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:17.059
 obedience,

00:37:18.139 --> 00:37:18.800
 obedience even

00:37:18.800 --> 00:37:19.360
 to the point

00:37:19.360 --> 00:37:19.800
 where he's

00:37:19.800 --> 00:37:20.420
 embraced the

00:37:20.420 --> 00:37:21.079
 Father's mission

00:37:21.079 --> 00:37:21.519
 of seeking

00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:22.079
 and saving

00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:22.659
 the lost,

00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:23.559
 even to the

00:37:23.559 --> 00:37:24.019
 point of

00:37:24.019 --> 00:37:24.579
 being broken

00:37:24.579 --> 00:37:25.759
 apart on a

00:37:25.759 --> 00:37:26.460
 Roman cross

00:37:26.460 --> 00:37:26.940
 in our

00:37:26.940 --> 00:37:27.980
 place for

00:37:27.980 --> 00:37:28.500
 our sins.

00:37:29.380 --> 00:37:29.699
 And in

00:37:29.699 --> 00:37:30.219
 doing so,

00:37:30.320 --> 00:37:31.500
 Jesus confronts

00:37:31.500 --> 00:37:32.639
 the deepest

00:37:32.639 --> 00:37:33.440
 darkness of

00:37:33.440 --> 00:37:34.039
 our hearts

00:37:34.039 --> 00:37:35.420
 and by the

00:37:35.420 --> 00:37:35.880
 power of the

00:37:35.880 --> 00:37:37.059
 Spirit who

00:37:37.059 --> 00:37:37.559
 raised him

00:37:37.559 --> 00:37:37.820
 from the

00:37:37.820 --> 00:37:38.239
 dead on the

00:37:38.239 --> 00:37:38.800
 third day,

00:37:39.219 --> 00:37:40.059
 he establishes

00:37:40.059 --> 00:37:41.279
 dominion over

00:37:41.279 --> 00:37:41.739
 death,

00:37:42.259 --> 00:37:42.900
 over sin,

00:37:43.340 --> 00:37:43.800
 and over

00:37:43.800 --> 00:37:44.080
 Satan.

00:37:45.220 --> 00:37:45.480
 And he

00:37:45.480 --> 00:37:46.200
 does that

00:37:46.200 --> 00:37:47.280
 so that this

00:37:47.280 --> 00:37:47.680
 morning,

00:37:48.420 --> 00:37:48.880
 none of those

00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:49.420
 things have the

00:37:49.420 --> 00:37:50.300
 last word over

00:37:50.300 --> 00:37:50.900
 God's people.

00:37:51.700 --> 00:37:52.340
 Jesus has the

00:37:52.340 --> 00:37:53.140
 last word over

00:37:53.140 --> 00:37:53.660
 his church.

00:37:54.500 --> 00:37:54.780
 Today,

00:37:54.920 --> 00:37:55.620
 he's both our

00:37:55.620 --> 00:37:57.019
 substitute and

00:37:57.019 --> 00:37:57.680
 our example,

00:37:58.340 --> 00:37:58.960
 and he offers

00:37:58.960 --> 00:37:59.840
 us a real

00:37:59.840 --> 00:38:00.980
 power to

00:38:00.980 --> 00:38:01.840
 repent from

00:38:01.840 --> 00:38:02.360
 our drifting

00:38:02.360 --> 00:38:03.700
 and experience

00:38:03.700 --> 00:38:04.300
 a renewal

00:38:04.300 --> 00:38:05.539
 to be the

00:38:05.539 --> 00:38:06.039
 kind of

00:38:06.039 --> 00:38:06.960
 gospel community

00:38:06.960 --> 00:38:07.680
 that he's

00:38:07.680 --> 00:38:08.560
 already made

00:38:08.560 --> 00:38:09.000
 us to be.

00:38:09.660 --> 00:38:09.800
 Right?

00:38:09.880 --> 00:38:10.360
 He's already

00:38:10.360 --> 00:38:11.000
 made us to be.

00:38:11.160 --> 00:38:11.600
 So today,

00:38:11.700 --> 00:38:12.260
 as we close,

00:38:12.260 --> 00:38:14.240
 where do

00:38:14.240 --> 00:38:14.660
 we need

00:38:14.660 --> 00:38:15.000
 God's

00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:15.360
 grace?

00:38:16.200 --> 00:38:16.560
 Where do

00:38:16.560 --> 00:38:16.880
 we need

00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:17.200
 God's

00:38:17.200 --> 00:38:17.460
 grace?

00:38:18.140 --> 00:38:18.600
 If you're

00:38:18.600 --> 00:38:19.800
 today here

00:38:19.800 --> 00:38:20.400
 and you're

00:38:20.400 --> 00:38:20.840
 not sure

00:38:20.840 --> 00:38:21.300
 about what

00:38:21.300 --> 00:38:21.720
 you believe

00:38:21.720 --> 00:38:22.480
 or maybe

00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:22.760
 you are

00:38:22.760 --> 00:38:23.260
 hearing all

00:38:23.260 --> 00:38:23.540
 of this

00:38:23.540 --> 00:38:23.740
 and you

00:38:23.740 --> 00:38:23.960
 say,

00:38:24.100 --> 00:38:24.260
 look,

00:38:24.320 --> 00:38:25.220
 I resonate

00:38:25.220 --> 00:38:25.740
 with some

00:38:25.740 --> 00:38:26.060
 parts,

00:38:26.140 --> 00:38:26.300
 but I'm

00:38:26.300 --> 00:38:26.820
 not sure

00:38:26.820 --> 00:38:27.640
 if I'm

00:38:27.640 --> 00:38:28.580
 yet in a

00:38:28.580 --> 00:38:29.060
 place to

00:38:29.060 --> 00:38:29.320
 be a

00:38:29.320 --> 00:38:29.720
 follower of

00:38:29.720 --> 00:38:30.020
 Jesus.

00:38:30.340 --> 00:38:30.740
 I'm so

00:38:30.740 --> 00:38:31.160
 glad that

00:38:31.160 --> 00:38:31.620
 you're here.

00:38:32.220 --> 00:38:32.360
 Right?

00:38:32.440 --> 00:38:32.760
 I'm so

00:38:32.760 --> 00:38:33.160
 glad that

00:38:33.160 --> 00:38:33.600
 you're here.

00:38:34.140 --> 00:38:34.540
 I want to

00:38:34.540 --> 00:38:35.100
 say this.

00:38:35.260 --> 00:38:35.780
 I want to

00:38:35.780 --> 00:38:36.340
 say this on

00:38:36.340 --> 00:38:36.900
 behalf of this

00:38:36.900 --> 00:38:37.300
 community,

00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:38.040
 that you're

00:38:38.040 --> 00:38:38.620
 among friends.

00:38:39.320 --> 00:38:39.680
 You're among

00:38:39.680 --> 00:38:40.080
 friends.

00:38:40.480 --> 00:38:40.900
 You're not

00:38:40.900 --> 00:38:41.740
 among people

00:38:41.740 --> 00:38:42.220
 who figured

00:38:42.220 --> 00:38:42.500
 it all

00:38:42.500 --> 00:38:42.760
 out.

00:38:43.420 --> 00:38:44.039
 You're among

00:38:44.039 --> 00:38:44.500
 friends.

00:38:44.960 --> 00:38:45.420
 We don't

00:38:45.420 --> 00:38:45.780
 have to

00:38:45.780 --> 00:38:46.300
 pretend that

00:38:46.300 --> 00:38:46.680
 we figured

00:38:46.680 --> 00:38:47.000
 it all

00:38:47.000 --> 00:38:47.300
 out.

00:38:47.800 --> 00:38:48.200
 Today,

00:38:48.920 --> 00:38:49.519
 the offer

00:38:49.519 --> 00:38:50.320
 of grace

00:38:50.320 --> 00:38:51.039
 stands true

00:38:51.039 --> 00:38:51.700
 for every

00:38:51.700 --> 00:38:52.340
 single one

00:38:52.340 --> 00:38:52.820
 of us.

00:38:53.440 --> 00:38:53.800
 Even in

00:38:53.800 --> 00:38:54.139
 the preaching

00:38:54.139 --> 00:38:54.639
 of God's

00:38:54.639 --> 00:38:54.820
 word,

00:38:54.920 --> 00:38:55.220
 God is

00:38:55.220 --> 00:38:55.820
 moving towards

00:38:55.820 --> 00:38:56.039
 us.

00:38:56.079 --> 00:38:56.340
 He's not

00:38:56.340 --> 00:38:56.860
 leading away

00:38:56.860 --> 00:38:57.500
 from us.

00:38:58.220 --> 00:38:58.519
 So let's

00:38:58.519 --> 00:38:59.240
 take a couple

00:38:59.240 --> 00:38:59.700
 of minutes.

00:39:00.900 --> 00:39:01.340
 Let's quiet

00:39:01.340 --> 00:39:01.920
 our hearts.

00:39:02.720 --> 00:39:03.220
 Let's bring

00:39:03.220 --> 00:39:03.780
 our hearts

00:39:03.780 --> 00:39:04.700
 before God.

00:39:05.300 --> 00:39:06.039
 Where do

00:39:06.039 --> 00:39:06.539
 we need

00:39:06.539 --> 00:39:07.579
 God's grace

00:39:07.579 --> 00:39:08.380
 this morning?

00:39:09.780 --> 00:39:10.320
 Would you

00:39:10.320 --> 00:39:10.619
 pray with

00:39:10.619 --> 00:39:10.740
 me?

00:39:10.739 --> 00:39:11.019
 Father,

00:39:11.099 --> 00:39:11.579
 we thank

00:39:11.579 --> 00:39:12.000
 you so

00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:12.559
 much for

00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:13.039
 the real

00:39:13.039 --> 00:39:13.459
 work of

00:39:13.459 --> 00:39:13.919
 your spirit

00:39:13.919 --> 00:39:14.579
 that calls

00:39:14.579 --> 00:39:15.159
 our hearts

00:39:15.159 --> 00:39:15.719
 back to

00:39:15.719 --> 00:39:16.139
 yourself.

00:39:17.039 --> 00:39:17.319
 Would you

00:39:17.319 --> 00:39:17.759
 help us,

00:39:17.879 --> 00:39:18.279
 Lord God,

00:39:18.379 --> 00:39:20.959
 to remember

00:39:20.959 --> 00:39:22.019
 who we

00:39:22.019 --> 00:39:22.319
 are?

00:39:22.779 --> 00:39:23.079
 Would you

00:39:23.079 --> 00:39:23.519
 help us,

00:39:23.659 --> 00:39:24.039
 Lord God,

00:39:24.139 --> 00:39:25.099
 to walk

00:39:25.099 --> 00:39:25.559
 out our

00:39:25.559 --> 00:39:25.939
 calling?

00:39:26.179 --> 00:39:26.399
 Would you

00:39:26.399 --> 00:39:26.839
 help us,

00:39:26.959 --> 00:39:27.359
 Lord God,

00:39:27.439 --> 00:39:28.019
 to remember

00:39:28.019 --> 00:39:29.579
 that you

00:39:29.579 --> 00:39:31.619
 have anchored

00:39:31.619 --> 00:39:32.439
 us in you?

00:39:33.059 --> 00:39:33.719
 In a million

00:39:33.719 --> 00:39:34.879
 years from

00:39:34.879 --> 00:39:35.339
 now, the

00:39:35.339 --> 00:39:35.959
 most true

00:39:35.959 --> 00:39:36.500
 thing about

00:39:36.500 --> 00:39:37.019
 us is that

00:39:37.019 --> 00:39:37.559
 we are loved

00:39:37.559 --> 00:39:38.519
 by God

00:39:38.519 --> 00:39:39.219
 through Jesus,

00:39:39.219 --> 00:39:40.259
 that we

00:39:40.259 --> 00:39:40.839
 are siblings,

00:39:41.079 --> 00:39:41.579
 brothers and

00:39:41.579 --> 00:39:42.299
 sisters brought

00:39:42.299 --> 00:39:43.079
 into a family

00:39:43.079 --> 00:39:43.980
 by the

00:39:43.980 --> 00:39:44.439
 finished work

00:39:44.439 --> 00:39:44.839
 of Jesus.

00:39:45.799 --> 00:39:46.239
 So today,

00:39:46.319 --> 00:39:46.699
 Lord God,

00:39:46.759 --> 00:39:46.959
 would you

00:39:46.959 --> 00:39:47.419
 help us,

00:39:47.480 --> 00:39:47.699
 would you

00:39:47.699 --> 00:39:48.059
 help us,

00:39:48.139 --> 00:39:48.539
 Holy Spirit

00:39:48.539 --> 00:39:49.019
 of God,

00:39:49.099 --> 00:39:50.119
 to remember

00:39:50.119 --> 00:39:50.819
 this reality,

00:39:50.939 --> 00:39:51.439
 not just in

00:39:51.439 --> 00:39:51.919
 this moment,

00:39:52.059 --> 00:39:52.779
 but when the

00:39:52.779 --> 00:39:54.919
 mundane things

00:39:54.919 --> 00:39:55.759
 of Wednesday

00:39:55.759 --> 00:39:56.859
 starts to move

00:39:56.859 --> 00:39:57.500
 our hearts to

00:39:57.500 --> 00:39:57.939
 boredom,

00:39:58.000 --> 00:39:58.980
 would you bring

00:39:58.980 --> 00:39:59.559
 our hearts to

00:39:59.559 --> 00:39:59.959
 remember,

00:40:00.159 --> 00:40:00.299
 Lord,

00:40:00.339 --> 00:40:00.899
 who we are

00:40:00.899 --> 00:40:01.500
 and what we've

00:40:01.500 --> 00:40:01.879
 been called

00:40:01.879 --> 00:40:02.259
 to do?

00:40:02.879 --> 00:40:03.199
 Would you

00:40:03.199 --> 00:40:03.579
 help us,

00:40:03.679 --> 00:40:04.059
 Lord God,

00:40:04.159 --> 00:40:05.119
 to submit

00:40:05.119 --> 00:40:05.639
 your word?

00:40:05.639 --> 00:40:06.279
 We thank

00:40:06.279 --> 00:40:06.579
 you that

00:40:06.579 --> 00:40:07.359
 your word

00:40:07.359 --> 00:40:07.859
 is authority

00:40:07.859 --> 00:40:08.460
 over us.

00:40:08.779 --> 00:40:09.000
 Would you

00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:09.559
 shape us

00:40:09.559 --> 00:40:10.139
 and form

00:40:10.139 --> 00:40:10.400
 us?

00:40:10.779 --> 00:40:11.079
 We pray,

00:40:11.199 --> 00:40:11.639
 Lord God,

00:40:11.739 --> 00:40:12.460
 that you

00:40:12.460 --> 00:40:13.359
 would light

00:40:13.359 --> 00:40:13.699
 up our

00:40:13.699 --> 00:40:14.219
 devotions,

00:40:14.379 --> 00:40:14.659
 Lord God,

00:40:14.699 --> 00:40:14.980
 as we

00:40:14.980 --> 00:40:16.500
 open God's

00:40:16.500 --> 00:40:16.779
 word,

00:40:16.859 --> 00:40:17.079
 would you

00:40:17.079 --> 00:40:17.539
 help us,

00:40:17.599 --> 00:40:18.000
 Holy Spirit

00:40:18.000 --> 00:40:18.379
 of God,

00:40:18.440 --> 00:40:18.859
 to cherish

00:40:18.859 --> 00:40:19.379
 and treasure

00:40:19.379 --> 00:40:19.779
 Jesus?

00:40:20.500 --> 00:40:20.819
 As we

00:40:20.819 --> 00:40:21.199
 read your

00:40:21.199 --> 00:40:21.539
 word,

00:40:21.619 --> 00:40:21.839
 would you

00:40:21.839 --> 00:40:22.239
 help your

00:40:22.239 --> 00:40:22.619
 word to

00:40:22.619 --> 00:40:23.039
 read us?

00:40:23.940 --> 00:40:24.199
 Would you

00:40:24.199 --> 00:40:24.579
 help us,

00:40:24.679 --> 00:40:25.079
 Lord God,

00:40:25.159 --> 00:40:26.579
 to remember

00:40:26.579 --> 00:40:27.339
 the calling

00:40:27.339 --> 00:40:28.019
 to be a

00:40:28.019 --> 00:40:28.400
 part of your

00:40:28.400 --> 00:40:28.739
 mission?

00:40:29.119 --> 00:40:29.319
 Would you

00:40:29.319 --> 00:40:29.599
 give us

00:40:29.599 --> 00:40:30.139
 boldness?

00:40:30.739 --> 00:40:31.039
 Would you

00:40:31.039 --> 00:40:31.339
 give us

00:40:31.339 --> 00:40:31.819
 grace?

00:40:32.139 --> 00:40:32.339
 Would you

00:40:32.339 --> 00:40:32.619
 give us

00:40:32.619 --> 00:40:33.139
 creativity?

00:40:33.960 --> 00:40:34.259
 Would you

00:40:34.260 --> 00:40:34.600
 give us,

00:40:34.740 --> 00:40:35.160
 Lord God,

00:40:35.280 --> 00:40:35.600
 wisdom,

00:40:35.960 --> 00:40:36.140
 Father,

00:40:36.300 --> 00:40:37.420
 to proclaim

00:40:37.420 --> 00:40:38.280
 the gospel

00:40:38.280 --> 00:40:40.100
 and demonstrate

00:40:40.100 --> 00:40:40.700
 your kingdom

00:40:40.700 --> 00:40:41.180
 wherever you

00:40:41.180 --> 00:40:41.540
 have planted

00:40:41.540 --> 00:40:41.860
 us?

00:40:42.400 --> 00:40:42.820
 And finally,

00:40:42.920 --> 00:40:43.080
 Lord,

00:40:43.140 --> 00:40:43.560
 we pray,

00:40:43.700 --> 00:40:43.880
 God,

00:40:43.940 --> 00:40:44.260
 that we

00:40:44.260 --> 00:40:44.880
 do acknowledge

00:40:44.880 --> 00:40:45.200
 that we

00:40:45.200 --> 00:40:45.560
 can't do

00:40:45.560 --> 00:40:45.860
 this on

00:40:45.860 --> 00:40:46.180
 our own.

00:40:46.260 --> 00:40:46.580
 We need

00:40:46.580 --> 00:40:46.760
 you.

00:40:47.400 --> 00:40:47.700
 So we

00:40:47.700 --> 00:40:47.940
 pray,

00:40:48.080 --> 00:40:48.260
 God,

00:40:48.300 --> 00:40:48.640
 that you

00:40:48.640 --> 00:40:49.340
 would push

00:40:49.340 --> 00:40:49.940
 back against

00:40:49.940 --> 00:40:50.420
 everything

00:40:50.420 --> 00:40:50.960
 that pushes

00:40:50.960 --> 00:40:50.960


00:40:51.740 --> 00:40:52.740
 against the

00:40:52.740 --> 00:40:53.220
 advance of

00:40:53.220 --> 00:40:53.600
 the gospel

00:40:53.600 --> 00:40:53.960
 in Hong

00:40:53.960 --> 00:40:54.180
 Kong.

00:40:54.680 --> 00:40:54.960
 Would you

00:40:54.960 --> 00:40:55.220
 use

00:40:55.220 --> 00:40:55.660
 Watermark

00:40:55.660 --> 00:40:55.960
 Church,

00:40:56.100 --> 00:40:56.480
 Lord God?

00:40:56.860 --> 00:40:57.260
 I pray,

00:40:57.420 --> 00:40:57.560
 Father,

00:40:57.620 --> 00:40:57.900
 that our

00:40:57.900 --> 00:40:58.340
 story would

00:40:58.340 --> 00:40:58.740
 be such

00:40:58.740 --> 00:40:59.120
 that there

00:40:59.120 --> 00:40:59.440
 will be a

00:40:59.440 --> 00:41:00.960
 day when

00:41:00.960 --> 00:41:01.620
 we stand

00:41:01.620 --> 00:41:02.020
 in your

00:41:02.020 --> 00:41:02.420
 presence,

00:41:02.660 --> 00:41:02.880
 when we

00:41:04.260 --> 00:41:04.520
 say,

00:41:04.840 --> 00:41:05.280
 because of

00:41:05.280 --> 00:41:05.740
 your prayer,

00:41:06.040 --> 00:41:06.460
 because of

00:41:06.460 --> 00:41:06.860
 your willingness

00:41:06.860 --> 00:41:07.440
 to send,

00:41:07.580 --> 00:41:07.960
 because of

00:41:07.960 --> 00:41:08.340
 your willingness

00:41:08.340 --> 00:41:08.800
 to open

00:41:08.800 --> 00:41:09.260
 your mouth

00:41:09.260 --> 00:41:11.200
 and advance

00:41:11.200 --> 00:41:11.820
 the gospel,

00:41:12.160 --> 00:41:12.500
 I'm here.

00:41:13.360 --> 00:41:13.680
 I pray,

00:41:13.800 --> 00:41:13.940
 God,

00:41:13.960 --> 00:41:14.220
 that that

00:41:14.220 --> 00:41:14.440
 would be

00:41:14.440 --> 00:41:14.900
 our story.

00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:15.100
 Lord,

00:41:15.140 --> 00:41:15.520
 we love

00:41:15.520 --> 00:41:15.740
 you.

00:41:15.880 --> 00:41:16.300
 We love

00:41:16.300 --> 00:41:16.420
 you.

00:41:16.460 --> 00:41:16.860
 We thank

00:41:16.860 --> 00:41:16.980
 you.

00:41:17.240 --> 00:41:17.580
 It's

00:41:17.580 --> 00:41:18.080
 amazing,

00:41:18.240 --> 00:41:18.320
 Lord,

00:41:18.360 --> 00:41:18.760
 that you've

00:41:18.760 --> 00:41:19.140
 called us

00:41:19.140 --> 00:41:19.460
 to your

00:41:19.460 --> 00:41:19.780
 work.

00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:20.620
 And would

00:41:20.620 --> 00:41:21.040
 you help

00:41:21.040 --> 00:41:21.220
 us,

00:41:21.320 --> 00:41:21.580
 Lord God,

00:41:21.640 --> 00:41:21.840
 would you

00:41:21.840 --> 00:41:22.220
 fill us

00:41:22.220 --> 00:41:22.480
 with your

00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:23.360
 spirit and

00:41:23.360 --> 00:41:23.780
 send us

00:41:23.780 --> 00:41:24.040
 out of

00:41:24.040 --> 00:41:24.220
 here,

00:41:24.300 --> 00:41:24.660
 Lord God,

00:41:24.700 --> 00:41:25.400
 with boldness,

00:41:25.900 --> 00:41:26.320
 humility,

00:41:26.980 --> 00:41:27.320
 joy,

00:41:27.860 --> 00:41:28.380
 and courage.

00:41:28.800 --> 00:41:29.160
 In Jesus'

00:41:29.320 --> 00:41:29.560
 name we

00:41:29.560 --> 00:41:29.720
 pray.

00:41:29.719 --> 00:41:31.799
 may may

00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799


00:41:31.799 --> 00:41:31.799