WEBVTT

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 Wonderful. Well, sorry for the small delay as we got our technology to work.

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 This is our fourth session asking the question, what is worship?

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 And each week I've tried to draw our attention to a particular picture or metaphor

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 which might help us think about what it is we contribute to Sunday worship

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 and what it is we might benefit from Sunday worship.

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 This week our theme is worship is a gym.

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 For some of us that will be an attractive image, for others on Sunday morning not particularly attractive at all.

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 So let me pray for us and then I'll ask us perhaps to reflect on the last few weeks.

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 Our dear God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we thank you so much for these weeks to talk and to listen

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 and to learn to reflect on our lives before you and particularly our life in Sunday worship.

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 So please help us again this morning.

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 Give to us, as we don't deserve, that we might know better how to serve you in this world for Christ's sake.

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 Amen.

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 Okay, so perhaps some initial reflections on the last few weeks.

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 Are there images or thoughts or questions which have arisen for you between Sundays?

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 This is my adult teaching methodology that recalling last time's class can actually long-term be of educational value.

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 So I'll give you a shot at it anyway.

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 Yes, please.

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 After last week, I thought of the idea that it doesn't seem to you or to me to be biblical

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 to think that if we just get our emotions or sing correctly, or emotions up to a certain level

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 or sing correctly up to a certain level, then that will result in God's presence among us.

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 Sure.

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 I wonder if some churches have a different temptation to think if we just get our thinking

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 correct enough or our theology up to a certain level of correctness, then God will show up in us.

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 Yeah, sure.

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 So for those of you at the back who might not have heard, the question was, okay, we might

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 agree that God doesn't arrive in church when we've reached a certain level of emotional intensity.

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 But is it also true that God doesn't arrive in church just because we've reached a certain level of intellectual capacity?

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 And of course that's right.

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 We are not saved by having right doctrine.

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 We're saved through the merits of Jesus Christ.

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 And correct doctrine guards our experience of salvation.

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 It helps us to know that the salvation we've received is to be rightly understood or appropriated, right?

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 But we're not saved by having right thoughts.

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 Otherwise, only the really smart or the people who think they're really smart could be Christians.

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 So no, it's not that we need to aim at a high intellectual capacity in church either.

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 That's quite true.

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 And it probably showed the kinds of experiences I have in places that I biased my presentation last week to one side rather than the other.

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 Thank you.

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 Well, this week our theme is the gym.

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 Not that the word gym is used in the scriptures as far as I can find.

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 But you might like to share out loud some of the sporting or physical pictures of the Christian life which the New Testament or indeed the Old presents to us.

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 So a time of open sharing.

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 What are some of the texts or themes which pick up sporting or physical imagery?

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 Yes.

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 Running a race.

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 We're running a race which probably is Hebrews 12, right?

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 We fix our eyes on Jesus who's run the race before us.

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 Yep.

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 Boxing.

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 Boxing, yes.

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 In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul says we do not box as though we're just hitting the air.

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 Yep.

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 Yep.

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 The crown of righteousness.

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 Correct.

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 That's right.

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 So there's those kinds of pictures about sporting events even if they're not describing a particular sport.

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 Or competing according to the rules.

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 Competing according to the rules of the race.

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 Yeah, that's right.

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 That you might win the crown.

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 Correct.

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 Wrestling.

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 Wrestling, yeah, indeed.

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 Like in Colossians 4 where Paul describes wrestling in prayer.

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 And interestingly in that one, there's two different kinds of wrestling in the ancient world.

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 And the wrestling that Paul's referring to in Colossians 4 is the close combat wrestling,

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 the kind of every tiny manoeuvre is important in the bout, as every tiny prayer is important for the Lord.

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 And there's a classic one.

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 And there's a classic one that is actually my scene.

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 That is walking.

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 Walking according to the gospel.

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 Walking, which is actually one of the most used images to describe the Christian life.

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 It's not spectacular.

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 And you might not think it's a sport.

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 But in my world, it's the most sporting I ever become.

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 And it's a pretty important image because it's a slow and steady, slow and steady image.

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 It's not fast and heavy exertion.

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 It's kind of keeping on, keeping on, which I think for most of us, right, is a pretty important reminder and image of what the challenges of living as a Christian.

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 There's also in 1 Timothy, Paul describes us training.

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 That is, godliness, to be trained in godliness has value in all things.

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 Those physical sports might have value in some things.

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 So there is the language of training used there and in other places too.

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 So it's not inappropriate for me to say that Christian worship, Christian living more generally, Christian worship in particular, is a gym.

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 Now I want to explain this just a little more.

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 Oh, brother, yes.

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 Hey, where do I find that rustling at in the Bible?

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 Colossians 4, where Paul describes the believers as, or not even the believers, it might be one individual wrestling in prayer.

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 I'm the name of the person who's been praying, wrestling in prayer escapes me.

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 That we wrestle not.

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 Oh, see, I beg your pardon.

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 Yeah, sure, sure, that's right, that's right.

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 Yep, yep.

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 But we take every thought captive, which might be a sporting imagery as well.

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 Can you express it a match between Jacob and God?

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 Yes, thank you, sure, great.

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 And Jacob came out of that not so well off, right?

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 The reason I use the language of Jim, or the picture of Jim, to describe church,

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 is that there are two ways of thinking about what we do on Sundays,

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 and both of them relate to that image.

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 You could come to church to have one spiritual muscle exercised,

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 or you could come to church to have multiple spiritual muscles exercised.

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 And this has been a big debate, particularly in America, for the last 150 years.

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 Do you come to church just to do one thing well,

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 or do you come to church to do five different things?

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 None of them might be done as well, but nonetheless, all are important for your Christian life.

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 Or, to sharpen a little bit further,

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 do you come to church to learn how to make decisions for the Lord,

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 to be challenged, to decide, to follow,

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 in which case the only muscle that's getting a workout is your willpower?

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 Or do you come to church to have multiple spiritual muscles exercised,

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 that your will, and your mind, and your imagination,

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 and your praying, and your serving are all stretched as well?

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 So, about 100 and...

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 It's almost 200 years ago now, I suppose,

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 in the United States, there was a second great awakening.

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 The phrase might be familiar to some of you.

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 And it was decided that when you're out in the fields or in the camps on the frontier,

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 you'd preach, but you'd preach with one particular goal,

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 and that is to win people to Christ,

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 to call people to make a decision for the Lord.

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 It's not a bad thing to do.

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 You must do it.

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 However, what happened then was that experience on the frontier

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 was taken into Sunday church services too,

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 so that Sunday church services became more and more just about winning people to Christ,

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 calling for people to make a decision for the Lord.

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 See, traditionally, church services had multiple features.

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 You'd go to church to listen to a sermon,

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 to read the scriptures, to say a psalm,

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 to sing hymns or songs,

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 to take communion.

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 You'd go to church to learn to serve your community

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 or to serve those who are present in the building.

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 You'd have lots of goals.

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 But from that awakening,

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 the goals for church were narrowed

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 till they were really just one kind of goal.

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 So I go to a church in Melbourne

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 which meets in a cinema.

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 That's fine.

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 And its services have one goal each week.

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 It's basically a few songs in a sermon that goes for an hour.

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 And the last five minutes of the sermon,

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 it's almost always,

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 come to the Lord,

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 make a decision for Christ.

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 That's fine as far as it goes.

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 But can you see what's happened?

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 What once was evangelism in a camp on the frontier

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 has now become the regular practice in Sunday meetings.

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 So we don't pray in our church services

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 where I go to church.

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 And we take communion very infrequently.

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 We never confess our sins.

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 Now, I go there because I'm wanting to encourage the leadership, right?

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 They're a young crew and that's my job in the fellowship.

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 And they know that I find this difficult.

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 And they know how I've explained

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 why I think church should be about exercising

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 five or ten spiritual muscles,

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 not just one.

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 But the pastoral team are basically evangelists.

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 And so they can't see past the importance

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 at every opportunity of calling people to Christ.

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 Now, if I had a blackboard or a whiteboard

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 or some kind of visual help,

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 I'd, at this stage, draw a graph.

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 And for those kind of services

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 that just have one spiritual muscle

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 that's being worked out,

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 basically, if you drew a graph,

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 it would be a straight line.

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 At the beginning of the service,

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 it would be kind of down at the crossing

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 of the X and Y axis.

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 And the end of the service,

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 you'd have risen up to a high intensity.

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 It's a straight line.

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 Everything is aimed towards the final five minutes

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 of the service when you call people to faith in Christ.

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 That's the kind of one spiritual muscle model.

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 Whereas at Trinity or elsewhere,

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 in more classically defined churches,

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 there's five or ten things,

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 ten goals for the Sunday meeting, right?

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 Now, that kind of graph,

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 if you were to draw it,

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 would have lots of ups and downs.

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 A bit of intensity.

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 You'd lose some intensity

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 because people close their eyes

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 and fall asleep during the prayers.

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 And then a little bit more intensity

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 as the Bible reader gets fired up.

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 And a little bit less intensity

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 when the preacher loses you in that story.

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 And then,

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 and so you see what I'm saying?

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 It's kind of,

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 it's up and down.

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 So it's less kind of neat.

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 But we're getting an all-bodied tone.

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 Not many people go to the gym to say,

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 I'm going to go to the gym for the rest of my life

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 only to work on my arms.

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 Well, there might be some weird people like that.

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 But you kind of,

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 you kind of cycle through,

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 I don't know these things,

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 I'm just making it up really.

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 But you kind of cycle through the apparatus, right?

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 So that you exercise your legs

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 or your upper body strength

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 or, I don't know,

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 your ears or whatever you do.

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 That's the way you go to the gym

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 to work out a series of muscles.

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 And it seems to me

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 that's what we should be doing in church as well,

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 working out a series of spiritual muscles.

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 So the revivalist model

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 is the one where only one spiritual muscle

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 is being stretched.

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 And the more classical church model

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 is where several spiritual muscles

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 are being trained.

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 Now, I get that there's a point

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 to calling people to Christ in Sunday worship,

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 and often our pastors can do a good job of that.

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 And I don't mind if that happens occasionally,

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 that you design the whole service

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 around inviting guests.

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 However, it seems to me that

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 our own life as a Christian

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 is probably jeopardised.

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 That's probably too strong a word.

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 Our life as a Christian at least

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 faces extra challenges

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 if we're not exercising

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 several spiritual muscles

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 on Sundays.

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 Can you see my point?

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 There's, not for now,

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 but there's also a handout

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 in your packet there

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 on something I wrote a few years ago

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 on two ways to worship.

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 Picking up this very idea

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 is worship about one spiritual muscle

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 or several spiritual muscles,

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 which you can read

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 and over Sunday lunch.

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 Let me make one more point

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 and then I'll open

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 for questions or comments.

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 It seems to me that this idea

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 that our Christian worship exercises

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 several spiritual muscles

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 picks up a theme

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 throughout the scriptures

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 that our spirituality

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 should be integrated.

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 That each part of your life

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 touches every other part of your life,

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 every area of your spiritual existence

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 is going to impact

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 other parts of your living.

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 So, for example,

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 on your sheet,

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 in 1 Thessalonians 5.23,

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 Paul prays that

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 at the return of the Lord,

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 the Thessalonian believers

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 might be sanctified

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 in body, mind and spirit.

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 That all of them

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 has to get ready for the Lord,

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 not just their willpower.

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 Right?

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 We remind in Romans 12

00:16:38.739 --> 00:16:41.379
 that Paul is asking for them to,

00:16:42.439 --> 00:16:44.819
 he's encouraging them

00:16:44.819 --> 00:16:46.979
 to think about their spiritual worship

00:16:46.979 --> 00:16:48.439
 and their spiritual worship

00:16:48.439 --> 00:16:51.199
 involves their bodies.

00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:54.019
 All of them,

00:16:54.779 --> 00:16:57.379
 not just their willpower.

00:16:57.379 --> 00:17:00.019
 In Matthew 22,

00:17:00.740 --> 00:17:02.840
 Jesus asks us

00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:04.599
 to worship the Lord

00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:06.200
 with mind,

00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:07.880
 soul and strength.

00:17:09.660 --> 00:17:10.059
 And indeed,

00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:11.160
 in Acts chapter 2,

00:17:11.259 --> 00:17:12.660
 when the believers assemble,

00:17:13.460 --> 00:17:14.500
 they commit themselves

00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:15.900
 to four things

00:17:15.900 --> 00:17:17.119
 in their church service.

00:17:17.859 --> 00:17:19.059
 Let me just get this right

00:17:19.059 --> 00:17:20.220
 because I always forget the order.

00:17:22.220 --> 00:17:24.799
 Acts 2.42,

00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:28.079
 they devoted themselves

00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:29.559
 to the apostles' teaching

00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:31.000
 and fellowship,

00:17:31.480 --> 00:17:33.500
 to the breaking of bread

00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:35.279
 and the prayers.

00:17:36.159 --> 00:17:37.799
 So they devoted themselves

00:17:37.799 --> 00:17:39.220
 to teaching,

00:17:40.399 --> 00:17:42.319
 Bible reading and sermon,

00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:42.980
 presumably.

00:17:43.559 --> 00:17:44.819
 They devoted themselves

00:17:44.819 --> 00:17:45.899
 to fellowship.

00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:47.319
 They were engaged

00:17:47.319 --> 00:17:49.680
 at quite a deep level

00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:52.399
 with those in the group.

00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:54.140
 They devoted themselves

00:17:54.140 --> 00:17:55.180
 to the breaking of the bread,

00:17:55.280 --> 00:17:56.380
 which I take

00:17:56.380 --> 00:17:57.740
 as the Lord's Supper

00:17:57.740 --> 00:17:59.800
 because it's not just

00:17:59.800 --> 00:18:01.040
 to breaking bread,

00:18:01.860 --> 00:18:03.519
 it's to the breaking

00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:04.759
 of the bread.

00:18:05.780 --> 00:18:06.560
 It's not like

00:18:06.560 --> 00:18:07.300
 they became Christians

00:18:07.300 --> 00:18:07.540
 and said,

00:18:07.600 --> 00:18:08.440
 oh, we've got to eat now.

00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:09.259
 We've never thought

00:18:09.259 --> 00:18:10.080
 about eating before,

00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:10.980
 but now we're Christians

00:18:10.980 --> 00:18:11.640
 and we're turning up

00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:12.600
 to Sunday worship.

00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:13.640
 We need to break bread.

00:18:14.280 --> 00:18:15.380
 No, of course they were eating

00:18:15.380 --> 00:18:16.519
 before they were Christians.

00:18:16.980 --> 00:18:18.160
 But now they're committed

00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:19.340
 to the breaking

00:18:19.340 --> 00:18:20.680
 of the bread together,

00:18:20.680 --> 00:18:21.780
 to the Lord's Supper.

00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:24.720
 And to the prayers,

00:18:24.800 --> 00:18:26.680
 again with the article.

00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:28.440
 I think they had

00:18:28.440 --> 00:18:29.960
 a set form of prayers

00:18:29.960 --> 00:18:30.720
 that they used

00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:31.840
 just like they did

00:18:31.840 --> 00:18:32.420
 in the synagogue.

00:18:34.500 --> 00:18:36.700
 So my basic idea

00:18:36.700 --> 00:18:37.320
 this morning

00:18:37.320 --> 00:18:38.360
 that we'll unpack now

00:18:38.360 --> 00:18:39.080
 a little more

00:18:39.080 --> 00:18:40.040
 through conversation

00:18:40.040 --> 00:18:42.540
 is that church

00:18:42.540 --> 00:18:43.560
 is like a gym.

00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:46.820
 It's like a gym

00:18:46.820 --> 00:18:47.620
 where we try

00:18:47.620 --> 00:18:48.400
 and exercise

00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:50.620
 multiple spiritual muscles.

00:18:50.619 --> 00:18:54.019
 It probably means

00:18:54.019 --> 00:18:54.839
 that we don't do

00:18:54.839 --> 00:18:56.619
 any of the exercises

00:18:57.439 --> 00:18:58.359
 quite as well

00:18:58.359 --> 00:18:58.979
 as if we only

00:18:58.979 --> 00:19:00.319
 did one exercise.

00:19:02.599 --> 00:19:03.559
 It means that

00:19:03.559 --> 00:19:04.639
 the guy sitting next to you,

00:19:04.679 --> 00:19:05.919
 the gal sitting next to you,

00:19:06.099 --> 00:19:07.939
 is better at that apparatus

00:19:07.939 --> 00:19:09.000
 than I am.

00:19:09.939 --> 00:19:10.419
 That is,

00:19:10.639 --> 00:19:12.539
 it's a less neat way

00:19:12.539 --> 00:19:13.599
 of thinking about

00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:14.419
 Sunday worship

00:19:14.419 --> 00:19:16.639
 with lots of different

00:19:16.639 --> 00:19:17.619
 kinds of activities,

00:19:17.619 --> 00:19:19.159
 with lots of different

00:19:19.159 --> 00:19:20.099
 kinds of people

00:19:20.099 --> 00:19:20.699
 around us

00:19:20.699 --> 00:19:21.759
 exercising in them.

00:19:22.279 --> 00:19:23.059
 But nonetheless,

00:19:23.239 --> 00:19:24.019
 it seems to me

00:19:24.019 --> 00:19:24.699
 to be the more

00:19:24.699 --> 00:19:27.039
 appropriate picture

00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:28.179
 of our Christian

00:19:28.179 --> 00:19:28.979
 living generally

00:19:28.979 --> 00:19:31.139
 and our Sunday

00:19:31.139 --> 00:19:32.479
 worship in particular.

00:19:34.399 --> 00:19:34.839
 Now,

00:19:34.899 --> 00:19:35.639
 I wonder if you might

00:19:35.639 --> 00:19:37.279
 share some thoughts

00:19:37.279 --> 00:19:37.979
 or comments,

00:19:38.979 --> 00:19:39.619
 reactions

00:19:39.619 --> 00:19:41.159
 as we take

00:19:41.159 --> 00:19:41.639
 a breather.

00:19:50.439 --> 00:19:51.459
 It strikes me

00:19:51.459 --> 00:19:52.259
 that this

00:19:52.259 --> 00:19:53.419
 exercising

00:19:53.419 --> 00:19:54.379
 multiple muscles

00:19:54.379 --> 00:19:55.339
 approach to worship

00:19:55.339 --> 00:19:55.939
 is almost

00:19:55.939 --> 00:19:57.159
 painting

00:19:57.159 --> 00:19:59.139
 in an evangelistic

00:19:59.139 --> 00:19:59.419
 way

00:19:59.419 --> 00:20:00.179
 a more

00:20:00.179 --> 00:20:01.079
 whole picture

00:20:01.079 --> 00:20:01.779
 of what it is

00:20:01.779 --> 00:20:02.259
 to be Christian.

00:20:02.259 --> 00:20:02.619
 Interesting,

00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:03.199
 yes,

00:20:03.259 --> 00:20:03.679
 of course.

00:20:03.699 --> 00:20:04.259
 There is a sort

00:20:04.259 --> 00:20:05.839
 of hospitality

00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:07.059
 and call

00:20:07.059 --> 00:20:07.959
 innate.

00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:09.100
 implicit in them.

00:20:09.220 --> 00:20:09.360
 Yes,

00:20:09.400 --> 00:20:10.500
 it's a great point

00:20:10.500 --> 00:20:12.160
 that we could think

00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:13.360
 that to do evangelism

00:20:13.360 --> 00:20:14.019
 in church

00:20:14.019 --> 00:20:15.299
 is only to have

00:20:15.299 --> 00:20:15.960
 a sermon

00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:17.140
 with a particular

00:20:17.140 --> 00:20:17.980
 kind of last

00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:18.799
 five minutes

00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:20.279
 that calls people.

00:20:20.840 --> 00:20:21.620
 But actually,

00:20:21.880 --> 00:20:22.960
 it might be

00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:24.059
 in our world

00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:25.779
 also evangelism

00:20:25.779 --> 00:20:26.779
 to show people

00:20:26.779 --> 00:20:27.640
 what living

00:20:27.640 --> 00:20:28.140
 as a Christian

00:20:28.140 --> 00:20:28.819
 is like

00:20:28.819 --> 00:20:29.980
 when we say

00:20:29.980 --> 00:20:30.539
 our prayers

00:20:30.539 --> 00:20:31.299
 or when we gather

00:20:31.299 --> 00:20:32.819
 to eat and drink

00:20:32.819 --> 00:20:33.720
 together in the supper

00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:34.940
 or as we

00:20:34.940 --> 00:20:36.860
 lament.

00:20:36.859 --> 00:20:37.779
 Yeah,

00:20:37.919 --> 00:20:38.119
 yeah,

00:20:38.199 --> 00:20:38.539
 thank you.

00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:39.219
 That's a good point.

00:20:40.339 --> 00:20:40.879
 It's a kind of

00:20:40.879 --> 00:20:41.579
 narrow definition

00:20:41.579 --> 00:20:42.359
 of evangelism

00:20:42.359 --> 00:20:42.779
 as well.

00:20:43.099 --> 00:20:43.219
 Yeah,

00:20:43.299 --> 00:20:43.459
 yeah.

00:20:47.619 --> 00:20:48.639
 What's your thinking

00:20:48.639 --> 00:20:50.019
 on the importance

00:20:50.019 --> 00:20:51.259
 or not importance

00:20:51.259 --> 00:20:53.879
 of posture

00:20:53.879 --> 00:20:55.659
 that we are

00:20:55.659 --> 00:21:00.099
 to Sunday worship service?

00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:00.699
 Yeah,

00:21:00.740 --> 00:21:01.279
 it's interesting

00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:03.439
 that in some

00:21:03.439 --> 00:21:05.359
 Pentecostal circles,

00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:07.099
 kneeling has become

00:21:07.099 --> 00:21:08.079
 a thing again,

00:21:08.659 --> 00:21:09.599
 at least in Australia.

00:21:09.799 --> 00:21:10.039
 I don't know

00:21:10.039 --> 00:21:10.699
 how it works here.

00:21:12.099 --> 00:21:13.259
 That's one example

00:21:13.259 --> 00:21:13.839
 of posture

00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:14.919
 where you reinforce

00:21:14.919 --> 00:21:15.959
 with your body

00:21:15.959 --> 00:21:17.719
 an attitude

00:21:17.719 --> 00:21:18.439
 of spirit

00:21:18.439 --> 00:21:20.099
 and if the Lord

00:21:20.099 --> 00:21:21.879
 is our master

00:21:21.879 --> 00:21:23.039
 then it's appropriate

00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:23.759
 to kneel

00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:24.579
 before him,

00:21:24.679 --> 00:21:25.240
 that kind of thing.

00:21:25.619 --> 00:21:26.959
 It doesn't do much

00:21:26.959 --> 00:21:27.399
 for me,

00:21:27.479 --> 00:21:28.259
 I must say.

00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:29.479
 However,

00:21:29.539 --> 00:21:30.059
 I understand

00:21:30.059 --> 00:21:31.579
 that putting your body

00:21:31.579 --> 00:21:32.219
 on the line

00:21:32.220 --> 00:21:33.720
 and expressing

00:21:33.720 --> 00:21:35.579
 in bodily terms

00:21:35.579 --> 00:21:37.000
 what's going on

00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:37.839
 internally

00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:38.940
 might well

00:21:38.940 --> 00:21:40.400
 prove valuable

00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:41.000
 for some.

00:21:43.839 --> 00:21:44.259
 And of course

00:21:44.259 --> 00:21:44.799
 Pentecostals

00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:45.579
 might raise their

00:21:45.579 --> 00:21:46.200
 arms in the air

00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:46.720
 as well

00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:47.740
 and not just

00:21:47.740 --> 00:21:48.720
 Pentecostals perhaps

00:21:48.720 --> 00:21:50.680
 which I'm

00:21:50.680 --> 00:21:52.579
 not so used

00:21:52.579 --> 00:21:53.039
 to doing.

00:21:54.299 --> 00:21:55.039
 There's nothing

00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:55.480
 wrong with it.

00:21:55.480 --> 00:21:57.339
 In fact,

00:21:58.480 --> 00:21:59.440
 in 1 Timothy 2

00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:00.180
 quite a controversial

00:22:00.180 --> 00:22:00.599
 text.

00:22:00.759 --> 00:22:01.019
 Nonetheless,

00:22:01.339 --> 00:22:01.960
 the men are told

00:22:01.960 --> 00:22:02.579
 to raise their

00:22:02.579 --> 00:22:03.240
 hands in holy

00:22:03.240 --> 00:22:03.579
 prayer

00:22:03.579 --> 00:22:04.720
 and we don't

00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:05.539
 do that so often

00:22:05.539 --> 00:22:06.240
 as a command.

00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:14.579
 Please brother.

00:22:16.180 --> 00:22:17.019
 Somewhat outside

00:22:17.019 --> 00:22:17.559
 of the worship

00:22:17.559 --> 00:22:18.339
 context,

00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:20.360
 I feel like

00:22:20.360 --> 00:22:21.900
 at least the part

00:22:21.900 --> 00:22:22.599
 of the evangelical

00:22:22.599 --> 00:22:23.339
 church that I'm

00:22:23.339 --> 00:22:24.019
 familiar with

00:22:24.019 --> 00:22:25.940
 has overemphasized

00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:27.559
 will in

00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:28.460
 sanctification

00:22:28.460 --> 00:22:29.779
 and growing

00:22:29.779 --> 00:22:30.639
 in Christ

00:22:30.639 --> 00:22:31.359
 and holiness.

00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:34.180
 As if we just

00:22:34.180 --> 00:22:35.460
 decide hard enough

00:22:35.460 --> 00:22:37.220
 at this particular

00:22:37.220 --> 00:22:37.720
 point,

00:22:38.059 --> 00:22:39.000
 that will carry us

00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:39.220
 through.

00:22:39.299 --> 00:22:39.500
 Yeah,

00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:39.879
 sure.

00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:42.359
 There's a reaction

00:22:42.359 --> 00:22:42.980
 going on,

00:22:43.019 --> 00:22:43.480
 isn't there,

00:22:43.740 --> 00:22:45.339
 in evangelical

00:22:45.339 --> 00:22:46.240
 churches that I

00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:47.039
 visit where

00:22:47.039 --> 00:22:48.879
 we've become

00:22:48.879 --> 00:22:50.039
 so slack

00:22:50.039 --> 00:22:51.299
 in our Christian

00:22:51.299 --> 00:22:52.180
 obedience that

00:22:52.180 --> 00:22:52.740
 the preacher

00:22:52.740 --> 00:22:53.539
 often will call

00:22:53.539 --> 00:22:54.039
 for us to

00:22:54.039 --> 00:22:55.059
 make decisions

00:22:55.059 --> 00:22:56.519
 but I think

00:22:56.519 --> 00:22:56.920
 you're right,

00:22:57.019 --> 00:22:58.240
 becoming more

00:22:58.240 --> 00:22:59.220
 like Christ

00:22:59.220 --> 00:23:00.980
 involves making

00:23:00.980 --> 00:23:02.000
 decisions but

00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:03.279
 involves other

00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:06.240
 facets of my

00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:07.399
 walk as well.

00:23:08.539 --> 00:23:09.599
 So we don't,

00:23:09.960 --> 00:23:10.359
 it's not that we

00:23:10.359 --> 00:23:11.079
 want to stop

00:23:11.079 --> 00:23:11.779
 calling people to

00:23:11.779 --> 00:23:12.500
 make decisions

00:23:12.500 --> 00:23:14.200
 because there's

00:23:14.200 --> 00:23:15.440
 lots of commands

00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:15.940
 in the scripture

00:23:15.940 --> 00:23:16.519
 that we just have

00:23:16.519 --> 00:23:17.079
 to obey it,

00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:18.259
 just obey it,

00:23:18.339 --> 00:23:18.500
 okay,

00:23:18.579 --> 00:23:18.920
 because that's

00:23:18.920 --> 00:23:19.319
 what the Lord

00:23:19.319 --> 00:23:19.720
 says.

00:23:19.720 --> 00:23:21.180
 but there

00:23:21.180 --> 00:23:21.660
 are other

00:23:21.660 --> 00:23:22.519
 ways that the

00:23:22.519 --> 00:23:23.400
 scriptures encourage

00:23:23.400 --> 00:23:24.740
 or motivate us

00:23:24.740 --> 00:23:26.160
 to obedience as

00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:26.380
 well.

00:23:26.579 --> 00:23:27.100
 One of the great

00:23:27.100 --> 00:23:27.480
 things about

00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:27.720
 reading,

00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:28.000
 say,

00:23:28.120 --> 00:23:29.339
 Proverbs 1-8,

00:23:29.559 --> 00:23:30.420
 so Proverbs 1-8,

00:23:30.500 --> 00:23:31.960
 Proverbs 1-9 has

00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:33.160
 general principles

00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:34.180
 and Proverbs

00:23:34.180 --> 00:23:35.240
 chapter 9 forward

00:23:35.240 --> 00:23:35.740
 for the rest of

00:23:35.740 --> 00:23:36.140
 the book are

00:23:36.140 --> 00:23:37.519
 individual Proverbs.

00:23:38.039 --> 00:23:38.680
 So you don't get

00:23:38.680 --> 00:23:40.079
 the chapter 9 on

00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:40.839
 unless you first

00:23:40.839 --> 00:23:41.559
 understood chapters

00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:42.140
 1-8.

00:23:42.339 --> 00:23:43.360
 Chapters 1-8 is

00:23:43.360 --> 00:23:44.000
 all about

00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:46.960
 motivations for

00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:47.980
 an obedient

00:23:47.980 --> 00:23:48.779
 lifestyle.

00:23:50.259 --> 00:23:50.840
 And there's a

00:23:50.840 --> 00:23:51.720
 stack of,

00:23:51.940 --> 00:23:52.539
 I think it's

00:23:52.539 --> 00:23:53.220
 in Australianism,

00:23:53.299 --> 00:23:53.440
 right?

00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:54.480
 There's a whole

00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:55.600
 list of different

00:23:55.600 --> 00:23:56.380
 kinds of

00:23:56.380 --> 00:23:57.519
 motivations in

00:23:57.519 --> 00:23:58.500
 Proverbs 1-8

00:23:58.500 --> 00:23:59.420
 which are more

00:23:59.420 --> 00:24:00.220
 than just appealing

00:24:00.220 --> 00:24:00.819
 to the will.

00:24:10.500 --> 00:24:11.100
 Sister?

00:24:12.100 --> 00:24:14.400
 I'm thinking

00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:15.059
 that the

00:24:15.059 --> 00:24:15.579
 service,

00:24:15.579 --> 00:24:17.199
 that exercises

00:24:17.199 --> 00:24:17.899
 all the

00:24:17.899 --> 00:24:19.139
 muscles

00:24:19.139 --> 00:24:20.599
 is like a

00:24:20.599 --> 00:24:21.399
 panoply of

00:24:21.399 --> 00:24:21.980
 colours.

00:24:22.379 --> 00:24:22.759
 Yes.

00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:24.179
 You know,

00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:24.799
 all different

00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:25.339
 colours.

00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:25.939
 Yep, yep.

00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:27.399
 What comes to

00:24:27.399 --> 00:24:27.759
 my mind.

00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:28.279
 Yes, sure,

00:24:28.399 --> 00:24:28.699
 sure.

00:24:28.980 --> 00:24:29.279
 And you

00:24:29.279 --> 00:24:29.659
 mentioned,

00:24:29.899 --> 00:24:30.179
 I think it

00:24:30.179 --> 00:24:30.899
 was last

00:24:30.899 --> 00:24:31.159
 week,

00:24:31.220 --> 00:24:31.480
 how you

00:24:31.480 --> 00:24:32.019
 often think

00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:33.399
 with pictures

00:24:33.399 --> 00:24:33.960
 and with,

00:24:34.139 --> 00:24:34.259
 yeah.

00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:34.879
 And I think

00:24:34.879 --> 00:24:35.279
 that's right

00:24:35.279 --> 00:24:37.339
 that this

00:24:37.339 --> 00:24:37.879
 is a

00:24:37.879 --> 00:24:39.359
 multi-coloured

00:24:39.359 --> 00:24:40.279
 tapestry

00:24:40.279 --> 00:24:40.899
 we're weaving.

00:24:41.220 --> 00:24:41.439
 I think

00:24:41.439 --> 00:24:42.319
 what happens,

00:24:42.419 --> 00:24:42.779
 interesting,

00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:43.500
 churches that

00:24:43.500 --> 00:24:44.019
 are more

00:24:44.019 --> 00:24:44.679
 focused on

00:24:44.679 --> 00:24:45.119
 calling for

00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:45.479
 decision,

00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:46.500
 is that

00:24:46.500 --> 00:24:47.119
 they actually

00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:47.819
 do use

00:24:47.819 --> 00:24:48.239
 lots of

00:24:48.239 --> 00:24:48.879
 colours in

00:24:48.879 --> 00:24:49.039
 their

00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:49.479
 building,

00:24:50.500 --> 00:24:50.759
 literally

00:24:50.759 --> 00:24:51.139
 with their

00:24:51.139 --> 00:24:51.659
 lighting,

00:24:52.459 --> 00:24:53.199
 or the,

00:24:53.799 --> 00:24:54.699
 so I think

00:24:54.699 --> 00:24:54.939
 they,

00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:56.000
 there's a

00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:56.319
 kind of

00:24:56.319 --> 00:24:56.939
 compensation

00:24:56.939 --> 00:24:58.099
 going on

00:24:58.099 --> 00:24:59.199
 within the

00:24:59.199 --> 00:24:59.739
 space,

00:24:59.739 --> 00:25:00.839
 that there's

00:25:00.839 --> 00:25:01.599
 more video

00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:02.219
 production,

00:25:02.459 --> 00:25:02.919
 which will

00:25:02.919 --> 00:25:03.479
 involve

00:25:03.479 --> 00:25:04.339
 colours.

00:25:04.500 --> 00:25:04.859
 There'll be

00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:05.279
 actual

00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:05.819
 different

00:25:05.819 --> 00:25:06.419
 lighting

00:25:06.419 --> 00:25:07.539
 gantries

00:25:07.539 --> 00:25:08.079
 or

00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:10.239
 ways of

00:25:10.239 --> 00:25:10.699
 colouring

00:25:10.700 --> 00:25:12.039
 the space

00:25:12.039 --> 00:25:12.680
 itself.

00:25:15.259 --> 00:25:16.080
 But you're

00:25:16.080 --> 00:25:16.279
 right,

00:25:16.759 --> 00:25:17.920
 it's a

00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:19.880
 multi-coloured

00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:21.059
 way of

00:25:21.059 --> 00:25:21.880
 thinking about

00:25:21.880 --> 00:25:22.279
 Sunday

00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:22.700
 worship.

00:25:22.700 --> 00:25:23.039
 Yeah.

00:25:24.920 --> 00:25:25.640
 I remember

00:25:25.640 --> 00:25:26.500
 when I first

00:25:26.500 --> 00:25:26.900
 started coming

00:25:26.900 --> 00:25:27.319
 to Trinity,

00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:27.799
 I had come

00:25:27.799 --> 00:25:28.160
 from a

00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:28.580
 church that

00:25:28.580 --> 00:25:29.100
 was much

00:25:29.100 --> 00:25:30.440
 like what

00:25:30.440 --> 00:25:31.340
 you described,

00:25:31.460 --> 00:25:32.500
 not necessarily

00:25:32.500 --> 00:25:33.100
 evangelistic,

00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:33.860
 but just

00:25:33.860 --> 00:25:34.400
 singing

00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:35.180
 sermons.

00:25:35.180 --> 00:25:37.480
 And when I

00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:37.960
 first came

00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:38.140
 here,

00:25:38.220 --> 00:25:38.500
 I felt

00:25:38.500 --> 00:25:38.960
 like I

00:25:38.960 --> 00:25:39.220
 was,

00:25:39.340 --> 00:25:40.360
 I was

00:25:40.360 --> 00:25:40.740
 given a

00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:41.120
 feast.

00:25:41.640 --> 00:25:42.080
 Interesting.

00:25:42.080 --> 00:25:43.140
 And not

00:25:43.140 --> 00:25:43.660
 just,

00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:44.200
 you know,

00:25:44.259 --> 00:25:44.700
 cookies and

00:25:44.700 --> 00:25:44.880
 milk.

00:25:45.240 --> 00:25:46.240
 How lovely.

00:25:47.080 --> 00:25:47.500
 I hope the

00:25:47.500 --> 00:25:47.980
 pastors are

00:25:47.980 --> 00:25:48.480
 hearing that.

00:25:50.539 --> 00:25:51.660
 Yeah,

00:25:51.779 --> 00:25:51.940
 sure,

00:25:52.039 --> 00:25:52.200
 sure.

00:25:52.320 --> 00:25:53.320
 I felt so

00:25:53.320 --> 00:25:55.140
 fed and

00:25:55.140 --> 00:25:55.920
 nourished.

00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:56.180
 Yeah,

00:25:56.259 --> 00:25:56.580
 sure.

00:25:56.700 --> 00:25:57.000
 And I

00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:57.700
 think that's

00:25:57.700 --> 00:25:58.480
 sort of what

00:25:58.480 --> 00:25:58.840
 you're saying.

00:25:58.840 --> 00:25:59.000
 Yeah,

00:25:59.100 --> 00:25:59.200
 yeah.

00:25:59.200 --> 00:25:59.480
 It's a

00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:00.940
 multi-level,

00:26:01.140 --> 00:26:01.720
 many different

00:26:01.720 --> 00:26:02.060
 things.

00:26:02.140 --> 00:26:02.600
 That's right.

00:26:02.680 --> 00:26:03.220
 Words in the

00:26:03.220 --> 00:26:03.920
 songs or the

00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:04.480
 sermon or

00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:05.140
 whatever.

00:26:05.420 --> 00:26:05.560
 Yeah,

00:26:05.620 --> 00:26:05.860
 yeah.

00:26:06.779 --> 00:26:07.220
 Yes,

00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:07.660
 that's right.

00:26:07.940 --> 00:26:10.140
 It's long

00:26:10.140 --> 00:26:10.700
 term,

00:26:11.120 --> 00:26:11.820
 I think it's

00:26:11.820 --> 00:26:12.539
 actually better

00:26:12.539 --> 00:26:13.320
 for our

00:26:13.320 --> 00:26:14.960
 spiritual health

00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:16.160
 to have

00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:17.279
 those different,

00:26:18.700 --> 00:26:19.360
 for the

00:26:19.360 --> 00:26:19.640
 Lord to

00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:20.340
 address us

00:26:20.340 --> 00:26:20.880
 in different

00:26:20.880 --> 00:26:22.060
 ways during

00:26:22.060 --> 00:26:22.519
 worship.

00:26:22.700 --> 00:26:22.820
 Yeah,

00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:23.000
 that's

00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:23.380
 correct.

00:26:28.060 --> 00:26:28.620
 Sometimes

00:26:28.620 --> 00:26:29.680
 I do this,

00:26:29.779 --> 00:26:30.640
 I run the

00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:31.400
 chapel services

00:26:31.400 --> 00:26:32.019
 every day

00:26:32.019 --> 00:26:32.799
 where I

00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:33.380
 teach at

00:26:33.380 --> 00:26:33.660
 Ridley.

00:26:34.279 --> 00:26:34.680
 And every

00:26:34.680 --> 00:26:35.160
 so often

00:26:35.160 --> 00:26:35.640
 when we

00:26:35.640 --> 00:26:35.860
 have

00:26:35.860 --> 00:26:36.519
 communion,

00:26:37.120 --> 00:26:37.620
 I get

00:26:37.620 --> 00:26:38.100
 people to

00:26:38.100 --> 00:26:38.580
 bring in

00:26:38.580 --> 00:26:39.299
 a whole

00:26:39.299 --> 00:26:39.759
 lot of

00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:40.779
 food and

00:26:40.779 --> 00:26:41.840
 drink to

00:26:41.840 --> 00:26:42.180
 put on

00:26:42.180 --> 00:26:42.660
 the communion

00:26:42.660 --> 00:26:43.160
 table.

00:26:43.500 --> 00:26:44.180
 So some

00:26:44.180 --> 00:26:44.600
 bottles of

00:26:44.600 --> 00:26:44.980
 wine,

00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:46.500
 some fruit,

00:26:46.660 --> 00:26:47.299
 some cheese,

00:26:47.420 --> 00:26:48.019
 some meat,

00:26:48.460 --> 00:26:49.700
 to remind us

00:26:49.700 --> 00:26:50.220
 that actually

00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:51.019
 though week

00:26:51.019 --> 00:26:51.779
 by week the

00:26:51.779 --> 00:26:52.660
 bread and the

00:26:52.660 --> 00:26:53.299
 wine are kind

00:26:53.299 --> 00:26:53.880
 of morsels,

00:26:54.080 --> 00:26:54.360
 they're very

00:26:54.360 --> 00:26:55.299
 tiny morsels.

00:26:56.100 --> 00:26:56.580
 Nonetheless,

00:26:57.279 --> 00:26:58.080
 God is offering

00:26:58.080 --> 00:26:59.920
 us eternally a

00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:00.400
 feast,

00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:00.460
 feast,

00:27:00.840 --> 00:27:02.259
 and that

00:27:02.259 --> 00:27:03.060
 filling the

00:27:03.060 --> 00:27:03.540
 table with

00:27:03.540 --> 00:27:04.000
 other food

00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:04.600
 stuffs can

00:27:04.600 --> 00:27:05.259
 perhaps remind

00:27:05.259 --> 00:27:06.380
 us of what

00:27:06.380 --> 00:27:06.940
 we're waiting

00:27:06.940 --> 00:27:07.340
 for,

00:27:07.840 --> 00:27:08.259
 and then at

00:27:08.259 --> 00:27:08.519
 the end of

00:27:08.519 --> 00:27:08.860
 the service

00:27:08.860 --> 00:27:09.340
 get people to

00:27:09.340 --> 00:27:09.800
 come and take

00:27:09.800 --> 00:27:11.060
 away whatever

00:27:11.060 --> 00:27:11.460
 it is they

00:27:11.460 --> 00:27:11.700
 want.

00:27:12.360 --> 00:27:12.920
 It doesn't

00:27:12.920 --> 00:27:13.280
 happen very

00:27:13.280 --> 00:27:13.500
 often,

00:27:13.620 --> 00:27:13.980
 but it does

00:27:13.980 --> 00:27:14.380
 happen often

00:27:14.380 --> 00:27:15.019
 enough that we

00:27:15.019 --> 00:27:15.840
 can be reminded

00:27:15.840 --> 00:27:16.640
 of the feast

00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:17.519
 that we've come

00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:18.100
 to celebrate.

00:27:18.099 --> 00:27:26.379
 Well, I

00:27:26.379 --> 00:27:28.980
 think organising

00:27:28.980 --> 00:27:30.519
 worship and

00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:31.740
 conducting

00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:32.639
 worship is an

00:27:32.639 --> 00:27:33.339
 extraordinarily

00:27:33.339 --> 00:27:34.539
 difficult skill,

00:27:34.919 --> 00:27:36.559
 especially if you

00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:37.879
 think that

00:27:37.879 --> 00:27:38.939
 Sunday worship

00:27:38.939 --> 00:27:41.199
 should be a

00:27:41.199 --> 00:27:42.099
 workout for

00:27:42.099 --> 00:27:43.579
 multiple spiritual

00:27:43.579 --> 00:27:44.059
 muscles.

00:27:44.199 --> 00:27:44.779
 It's kind of a

00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:46.059
 bit easier if

00:27:46.059 --> 00:27:46.359
 you know there's

00:27:46.359 --> 00:27:47.079
 only one spiritual

00:27:47.079 --> 00:27:47.519
 muscle you're

00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:47.699
 doing,

00:27:47.700 --> 00:27:48.140
 and then the

00:27:48.140 --> 00:27:48.840
 music for the

00:27:48.840 --> 00:27:49.360
 first half of

00:27:49.360 --> 00:27:50.440
 the service is

00:27:50.440 --> 00:27:51.120
 just loosening

00:27:51.120 --> 00:27:51.720
 you up so

00:27:51.720 --> 00:27:52.220
 that the one

00:27:52.220 --> 00:27:52.779
 muscle that

00:27:52.779 --> 00:27:53.840
 then is exercised

00:27:53.840 --> 00:27:54.440
 during or at

00:27:54.440 --> 00:27:54.880
 the end of the

00:27:54.880 --> 00:27:55.559
 sermon can be

00:27:55.559 --> 00:27:57.000
 better applied.

00:27:57.220 --> 00:27:57.799
 But leading

00:27:57.799 --> 00:27:58.740
 service or organising

00:27:58.740 --> 00:27:59.500
 worship is a

00:27:59.500 --> 00:28:00.740
 massively difficult

00:28:00.740 --> 00:28:01.480
 project,

00:28:01.660 --> 00:28:03.100
 especially if you

00:28:03.100 --> 00:28:04.400
 want to exercise

00:28:04.400 --> 00:28:05.160
 multiple spiritual

00:28:05.160 --> 00:28:05.500
 muscles.

00:28:05.640 --> 00:28:06.400
 So I've got

00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:07.759
 there a random

00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:10.340
 chart of the

00:28:10.340 --> 00:28:10.940
 kinds of things

00:28:10.940 --> 00:28:11.640
 we might do in

00:28:11.640 --> 00:28:12.720
 church, and I

00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:13.220
 haven't done the

00:28:13.220 --> 00:28:14.740
 maths, but the

00:28:14.740 --> 00:28:15.480
 permutations and

00:28:15.480 --> 00:28:16.160
 combinations on

00:28:16.160 --> 00:28:16.740
 each of these

00:28:16.740 --> 00:28:17.580
 elements interacting

00:28:17.579 --> 00:28:18.579
 with the others

00:28:18.579 --> 00:28:19.299
 in other columns

00:28:19.299 --> 00:28:20.059
 is just massive.

00:28:20.679 --> 00:28:22.679
 So for church

00:28:22.679 --> 00:28:23.179
 on Sundays we

00:28:23.179 --> 00:28:23.879
 gather, we

00:28:23.879 --> 00:28:24.639
 read, we

00:28:24.639 --> 00:28:25.399
 hear a sermon,

00:28:25.659 --> 00:28:26.480
 we sing, we

00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:27.539
 pray, we

00:28:27.539 --> 00:28:28.259
 might well say

00:28:28.259 --> 00:28:28.819
 a creed,

00:28:28.919 --> 00:28:29.460
 participate in

00:28:29.460 --> 00:28:30.099
 the sacraments,

00:28:30.179 --> 00:28:30.659
 there might be

00:28:30.659 --> 00:28:31.839
 some testimonies

00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:32.519
 or interviews,

00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:34.299
 occasionally you'll

00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:34.960
 find wedding

00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:36.819
 vows, committal

00:28:36.819 --> 00:28:37.740
 prayer, burial,

00:28:38.019 --> 00:28:39.199
 notices and a

00:28:39.199 --> 00:28:39.619
 dismissal.

00:28:39.720 --> 00:28:40.619
 The actual

00:28:40.619 --> 00:28:41.399
 elements of

00:28:41.399 --> 00:28:41.879
 the verse.

00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:43.980
 And then if

00:28:43.980 --> 00:28:45.960
 you multiply

00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:46.740
 those elements

00:28:46.740 --> 00:28:47.280
 by the

00:28:47.280 --> 00:28:47.900
 different kinds

00:28:47.900 --> 00:28:48.520
 of dimensions

00:28:48.520 --> 00:28:49.380
 of each of

00:28:49.380 --> 00:28:49.960
 the elements,

00:28:50.660 --> 00:28:51.960
 sometimes the

00:28:51.960 --> 00:28:52.860
 element is

00:28:52.860 --> 00:28:53.740
 directed upwards,

00:28:54.040 --> 00:28:54.820
 sometimes it's

00:28:54.820 --> 00:28:55.540
 directed to

00:28:55.540 --> 00:28:56.420
 those around

00:28:56.420 --> 00:28:57.440
 us horizontally.

00:28:57.980 --> 00:28:58.960
 Sometimes you're

00:28:58.960 --> 00:28:59.660
 stressing the

00:28:59.660 --> 00:29:01.260
 objective gift or

00:29:01.260 --> 00:29:02.000
 the objective

00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:03.000
 promise of God,

00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:03.820
 and sometimes

00:29:03.820 --> 00:29:04.720
 you're cultivating

00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:05.940
 the subjective,

00:29:06.740 --> 00:29:07.600
 emotional,

00:29:07.820 --> 00:29:08.840
 personal dimension.

00:29:08.839 --> 00:29:10.639
 sometimes you're

00:29:10.639 --> 00:29:11.299
 referring to the

00:29:11.299 --> 00:29:12.000
 past or the

00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:12.699
 present or the

00:29:12.699 --> 00:29:14.159
 future, sometimes

00:29:14.159 --> 00:29:15.439
 the song is more

00:29:15.439 --> 00:29:16.459
 individual, sometimes

00:29:16.459 --> 00:29:17.399
 more corporate,

00:29:18.119 --> 00:29:18.959
 sometimes you're

00:29:18.959 --> 00:29:20.359
 drawing out kind of

00:29:20.359 --> 00:29:21.119
 thoughts or

00:29:21.119 --> 00:29:21.980
 intellect, sometimes

00:29:21.980 --> 00:29:24.199
 emotions, sometimes

00:29:24.199 --> 00:29:25.099
 you're calling

00:29:25.099 --> 00:29:26.259
 people to act,

00:29:26.419 --> 00:29:27.240
 sometimes you're

00:29:27.240 --> 00:29:28.079
 asking people to

00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:28.599
 reflect.

00:29:29.899 --> 00:29:32.079
 Sometimes sight is

00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:32.899
 the important

00:29:32.899 --> 00:29:34.819
 feature, you

00:29:34.819 --> 00:29:35.539
 gather the kids

00:29:35.539 --> 00:29:36.179
 around the

00:29:36.179 --> 00:29:37.599
 baptismal pool so

00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:38.539
 they can see and

00:29:38.539 --> 00:29:39.740
 feel some of the

00:29:39.740 --> 00:29:40.440
 water splashing

00:29:40.440 --> 00:29:41.839
 over the edge, but

00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:43.259
 sometimes hearing is

00:29:43.259 --> 00:29:44.159
 the more appropriate

00:29:44.159 --> 00:29:46.460
 sense.

00:29:47.099 --> 00:29:47.700
 Sometimes we

00:29:47.700 --> 00:29:48.680
 stress space,

00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:50.000
 sometimes time,

00:29:50.519 --> 00:29:51.579
 sometimes repetition,

00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:54.359
 sometimes a unique

00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:55.240
 event that's only

00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:55.720
 going to ever happen

00:29:55.720 --> 00:29:56.619
 once for a person

00:29:56.619 --> 00:29:57.420
 like their baptism.

00:29:58.279 --> 00:29:59.779
 Sometimes it's a

00:29:59.779 --> 00:30:00.519
 serious moment,

00:30:00.639 --> 00:30:01.700
 sometimes more

00:30:01.700 --> 00:30:02.299
 humorous.

00:30:03.059 --> 00:30:04.659
 Sometimes you're

00:30:04.659 --> 00:30:06.039
 speaking for

00:30:06.039 --> 00:30:06.920
 motivation,

00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:07.980
 sometimes you're

00:30:07.980 --> 00:30:08.720
 speaking for

00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:09.460
 information.

00:30:10.339 --> 00:30:11.019
 There's tension

00:30:11.019 --> 00:30:12.559
 release, lament

00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:13.660
 and praise, gift

00:30:13.660 --> 00:30:14.960
 and demand, or

00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:16.720
 silence compared

00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:17.180
 with words.

00:30:17.259 --> 00:30:18.500
 So there's, each

00:30:18.500 --> 00:30:20.279
 of the elements can

00:30:20.279 --> 00:30:22.240
 connect with several

00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:23.400
 of those dimensions,

00:30:23.539 --> 00:30:23.680
 right?

00:30:23.720 --> 00:30:24.360
 It's actually very

00:30:24.360 --> 00:30:25.099
 complicated.

00:30:25.920 --> 00:30:26.519
 Have we had

00:30:26.519 --> 00:30:27.980
 enough of the

00:30:27.980 --> 00:30:29.400
 vertical so far in

00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:29.880
 the service?

00:30:29.960 --> 00:30:30.460
 Have we had

00:30:30.460 --> 00:30:31.380
 enough of the

00:30:31.380 --> 00:30:32.480
 intellectual?

00:30:32.680 --> 00:30:33.039
 Have we had

00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:34.079
 enough of the

00:30:34.079 --> 00:30:34.900
 praise?

00:30:34.900 --> 00:30:37.360
 And in any

00:30:37.360 --> 00:30:37.980
 service, I want

00:30:37.980 --> 00:30:38.640
 to come away and

00:30:38.640 --> 00:30:39.500
 ask the question,

00:30:39.980 --> 00:30:40.780
 have the people

00:30:40.780 --> 00:30:41.480
 today been asked

00:30:41.480 --> 00:30:42.420
 to do something,

00:30:42.920 --> 00:30:44.080
 to feel something,

00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:45.100
 and to think

00:30:45.100 --> 00:30:45.580
 something?

00:30:46.120 --> 00:30:47.300
 I ask myself the

00:30:47.300 --> 00:30:48.300
 same from sermons.

00:30:48.820 --> 00:30:49.860
 Have I, in my

00:30:49.860 --> 00:30:50.940
 sermon, asked

00:30:50.940 --> 00:30:51.480
 people to do

00:30:51.480 --> 00:30:52.340
 something, to feel

00:30:52.340 --> 00:30:53.180
 something, and to

00:30:53.180 --> 00:30:53.800
 think something?

00:30:56.300 --> 00:30:57.580
 My basic point is

00:30:57.580 --> 00:30:58.960
 that organising and

00:30:58.960 --> 00:30:59.640
 participation in

00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:01.360
 worship is actually

00:31:01.360 --> 00:31:04.680
 a really significant

00:31:04.680 --> 00:31:05.840
 and complicated

00:31:05.840 --> 00:31:06.980
 task.

00:31:08.500 --> 00:31:09.759
 But I figure that

00:31:09.759 --> 00:31:10.660
 that's still the

00:31:10.660 --> 00:31:12.560
 better option if

00:31:12.560 --> 00:31:14.259
 worship is a gym in

00:31:14.259 --> 00:31:15.560
 which we're exercising

00:31:15.560 --> 00:31:16.700
 several different

00:31:16.700 --> 00:31:18.200
 spiritual muscles.

00:31:21.940 --> 00:31:22.860
 But I have another

00:31:22.860 --> 00:31:23.980
 point to make, which

00:31:23.980 --> 00:31:24.759
 would normally be a

00:31:24.759 --> 00:31:25.600
 whole other session,

00:31:26.320 --> 00:31:26.980
 but Nick encouraged

00:31:26.980 --> 00:31:27.680
 me to do it just

00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:28.420
 briefly at the end

00:31:28.420 --> 00:31:29.019
 of this morning.

00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:32.259
 I think church is

00:31:32.259 --> 00:31:32.620
 weird.

00:31:34.019 --> 00:31:36.080
 If you're new at

00:31:36.080 --> 00:31:37.039
 the faith, or if

00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:37.720
 you've never been to

00:31:37.720 --> 00:31:40.000
 church before, we do

00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:40.980
 lots of things that

00:31:40.980 --> 00:31:42.480
 are very strange.

00:31:43.480 --> 00:31:44.200
 And you know what?

00:31:44.600 --> 00:31:46.320
 That's perfectly fine.

00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:48.779
 Because, in the end,

00:31:49.539 --> 00:31:51.640
 church is a dress

00:31:51.640 --> 00:31:53.860
 rehearsal for heaven.

00:31:53.859 --> 00:31:57.039
 Of course non-Christians

00:31:57.039 --> 00:31:57.659
 are going to find

00:31:57.659 --> 00:31:58.879
 stuff strange in our

00:31:58.879 --> 00:31:59.839
 fellowship, because

00:31:59.839 --> 00:32:02.599
 we're training for our

00:32:02.599 --> 00:32:04.240
 heavenly destination,

00:32:05.299 --> 00:32:08.179
 and to reach that

00:32:08.179 --> 00:32:09.299
 kind of destination

00:32:09.299 --> 00:32:10.519
 does require us doing

00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:11.500
 something that our

00:32:11.500 --> 00:32:12.699
 non-Christian family or

00:32:12.699 --> 00:32:13.799
 friends do find weird,

00:32:13.919 --> 00:32:14.979
 or that haven't

00:32:14.979 --> 00:32:16.459
 crossed their minds to

00:32:16.459 --> 00:32:17.139
 undertake.

00:32:17.140 --> 00:32:20.420
 So in a sense,

00:32:20.600 --> 00:32:24.520
 church could be a

00:32:24.520 --> 00:32:26.520
 classroom, or a

00:32:26.520 --> 00:32:28.060
 gym, or a

00:32:28.060 --> 00:32:28.620
 compass.

00:32:29.460 --> 00:32:30.040
 I think I said

00:32:30.040 --> 00:32:30.680
 something else in the

00:32:30.680 --> 00:32:31.420
 last few weeks as

00:32:31.420 --> 00:32:31.640
 well.

00:32:32.480 --> 00:32:34.000
 But certainly it's a

00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:35.160
 dress rehearsal,

00:32:36.060 --> 00:32:37.700
 because we're training

00:32:37.700 --> 00:32:39.020
 for the main event,

00:32:39.100 --> 00:32:39.840
 which is heaven.

00:32:39.839 --> 00:32:43.779
 So I think actually

00:32:43.779 --> 00:32:46.439
 church is heaven

00:32:46.439 --> 00:32:47.439
 brought forward.

00:32:49.639 --> 00:32:52.019
 Not because church

00:32:52.019 --> 00:32:53.419
 is perfect, like

00:32:53.419 --> 00:32:54.299
 heaven is perfect.

00:32:55.079 --> 00:32:55.819
 Of course we all

00:32:55.819 --> 00:32:56.619
 recognize that.

00:32:57.659 --> 00:32:59.039
 But what God has

00:32:59.039 --> 00:32:59.959
 done by giving us

00:32:59.959 --> 00:33:01.919
 his spirit is to

00:33:01.919 --> 00:33:03.500
 bring forward for

00:33:03.500 --> 00:33:06.980
 believers the

00:33:06.980 --> 00:33:09.299
 spiritual destination,

00:33:09.299 --> 00:33:10.240
 or in Acts chapter

00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:12.359
 2, when the

00:33:12.359 --> 00:33:13.139
 spirit is poured out

00:33:13.139 --> 00:33:13.619
 on the day of

00:33:13.619 --> 00:33:14.200
 Pentecost.

00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:16.019
 This was fulfilling

00:33:16.019 --> 00:33:17.019
 a prophecy of Joel,

00:33:17.079 --> 00:33:17.680
 of course, in Joel

00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:19.119
 chapter 2, that on

00:33:19.119 --> 00:33:20.359
 the last day God

00:33:20.359 --> 00:33:21.200
 would pour out his

00:33:21.200 --> 00:33:21.419
 spirit.

00:33:21.659 --> 00:33:22.980
 The spirit coming is a

00:33:22.980 --> 00:33:24.200
 sign of the end of

00:33:24.200 --> 00:33:25.019
 the world coming.

00:33:26.279 --> 00:33:27.500
 It's just that when

00:33:27.500 --> 00:33:28.680
 it did come in Acts

00:33:28.680 --> 00:33:31.059
 chapter 2, it was

00:33:31.059 --> 00:33:32.019
 discovered that the

00:33:32.019 --> 00:33:32.500
 end of the world

00:33:32.500 --> 00:33:33.659
 comes in two parts.

00:33:34.839 --> 00:33:36.419
 Jesus' first coming

00:33:36.419 --> 00:33:37.680
 and ultimately his

00:33:37.680 --> 00:33:38.839
 second coming, his

00:33:38.839 --> 00:33:39.339
 return.

00:33:40.740 --> 00:33:41.679
 So in the meantime,

00:33:41.819 --> 00:33:42.639
 because we have the

00:33:42.639 --> 00:33:44.119
 spirit, because we are

00:33:44.119 --> 00:33:45.220
 the body of Christ and

00:33:45.220 --> 00:33:46.319
 the spirit is with us,

00:33:46.859 --> 00:33:49.199
 we are a down payment

00:33:49.199 --> 00:33:49.779
 on heaven.

00:33:49.939 --> 00:33:51.079
 We are a bit of heaven

00:33:51.079 --> 00:33:51.899
 brought forward.

00:33:52.659 --> 00:33:53.939
 Church on Sundays is a

00:33:53.939 --> 00:33:56.199
 dress rehearsal for the

00:33:56.199 --> 00:33:56.899
 main event.

00:33:56.900 --> 00:34:03.600
 as an extra reason why I

00:34:03.600 --> 00:34:05.420
 think it's okay to have

00:34:05.420 --> 00:34:07.400
 several different spiritual

00:34:07.400 --> 00:34:08.940
 muscles being exercised.

00:34:09.160 --> 00:34:10.160
 Whatever it takes,

00:34:10.280 --> 00:34:10.920
 brothers and sisters, to

00:34:10.920 --> 00:34:12.260
 get you to heaven, that's

00:34:12.260 --> 00:34:13.079
 what I think we need to be

00:34:13.079 --> 00:34:13.780
 doing in our Sunday

00:34:13.780 --> 00:34:14.220
 worship.

00:34:17.680 --> 00:34:19.400
 And so, because human

00:34:19.400 --> 00:34:20.340
 beings are complicated,

00:34:21.680 --> 00:34:23.860
 bodies and minds and

00:34:23.860 --> 00:34:25.260
 souls and spirit, then I

00:34:25.260 --> 00:34:26.200
 think it takes a number

00:34:26.200 --> 00:34:27.420
 of different elements

00:34:27.420 --> 00:34:30.520
 to rightly stretch us

00:34:30.520 --> 00:34:33.820
 and exercise us for the

00:34:33.820 --> 00:34:34.480
 main event.

00:34:38.920 --> 00:34:40.480
 If I push back a little

00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:41.780
 bit further, I'd say this.

00:34:42.740 --> 00:34:44.460
 What's the purpose of the

00:34:44.460 --> 00:34:44.820
 universe?

00:34:45.240 --> 00:34:46.360
 Now I'm getting, this is

00:34:46.360 --> 00:34:47.140
 kind of big for Sunday

00:34:47.140 --> 00:34:47.700
 morning, right?

00:34:47.699 --> 00:34:50.839
 Well, the whole purpose of

00:34:50.839 --> 00:34:51.960
 the universe is for the

00:34:51.960 --> 00:34:53.859
 Father to give a bride to

00:34:53.859 --> 00:34:56.779
 the Son, and for the Son to

00:34:56.779 --> 00:34:58.039
 return the bride as the

00:34:58.039 --> 00:34:59.059
 kingdom to the Father.

00:35:00.319 --> 00:35:01.579
 The whole purpose of the

00:35:01.579 --> 00:35:03.699
 universe is for the Father to

00:35:03.699 --> 00:35:06.099
 give a bride to the Son, and

00:35:06.099 --> 00:35:07.399
 for the Son, according to 1

00:35:07.399 --> 00:35:08.779
 Corinthians 15, to give the

00:35:08.779 --> 00:35:10.039
 kingdom back to the Father.

00:35:12.919 --> 00:35:15.599
 So, if we are the bride, if

00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:17.319
 the church is the bride that

00:35:17.320 --> 00:35:18.660
 the Father gives to the Son,

00:35:18.700 --> 00:35:20.300
 and we are the kingdom that

00:35:20.300 --> 00:35:21.640
 the Son returns to the

00:35:21.640 --> 00:35:24.120
 Father, then us, the church,

00:35:25.220 --> 00:35:28.420
 are not just a sideline in

00:35:28.420 --> 00:35:30.120
 God's plans for the cosmos.

00:35:30.600 --> 00:35:32.880
 We are at the heart of God's

00:35:32.880 --> 00:35:34.300
 purposes for the cosmos.

00:35:35.340 --> 00:35:36.840
 Because we are the bride that

00:35:36.840 --> 00:35:38.220
 he gives to the Son, and we

00:35:38.220 --> 00:35:39.360
 are the kingdom that the Son

00:35:39.360 --> 00:35:42.000
 returns to the Father at the

00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:42.700
 last day.

00:35:42.699 --> 00:35:48.039
 And if the church has that kind

00:35:48.039 --> 00:35:52.239
 of eternal, deliberate role in

00:35:52.239 --> 00:35:55.000
 God's purposes, then our Sunday

00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:59.399
 worship, of course, has to reflect

00:35:59.399 --> 00:36:01.599
 those big cosmic themes.

00:36:02.439 --> 00:36:05.619
 We are the bride, and we are the

00:36:05.619 --> 00:36:05.960
 kingdom.

00:36:05.960 --> 00:36:11.720
 That's trying to back out from the

00:36:11.720 --> 00:36:15.780
 nitty-gritty of particular elements

00:36:15.780 --> 00:36:18.179
 in a Sunday service to remind us of

00:36:18.179 --> 00:36:21.119
 the big story of the universe.

00:36:22.699 --> 00:36:24.559
 Unbelievably, right, that we are at

00:36:24.559 --> 00:36:25.400
 the heart of.

00:36:26.920 --> 00:36:27.880
 It's extraordinary.

00:36:27.880 --> 00:36:33.320
 Perhaps some thoughts or questions,

00:36:33.480 --> 00:36:33.660
 then.

00:36:38.519 --> 00:36:44.480
 I think the folks that strip elements

00:36:44.480 --> 00:36:47.200
 out of services and tend to focus on

00:36:47.200 --> 00:36:49.559
 maybe just a few things, one of their

00:36:49.559 --> 00:36:52.320
 critiques of, historically, of the

00:36:52.320 --> 00:36:54.320
 churches that keep multiple elements

00:36:54.320 --> 00:37:00.700
 is that joy and atoning rejoicing

00:37:00.700 --> 00:37:04.780
 kind of gets lost sometimes at

00:37:04.780 --> 00:37:06.760
 churches that are trying to be

00:37:06.760 --> 00:37:08.220
 faithful to all these multiple

00:37:08.220 --> 00:37:08.980
 elements.

00:37:10.100 --> 00:37:12.000
 And I think they might hear you say,

00:37:12.240 --> 00:37:14.640
 this should be a foretaste of heaven,

00:37:14.760 --> 00:37:16.039
 and I think they would be nodding

00:37:16.039 --> 00:37:16.660
 vigorously.

00:37:16.740 --> 00:37:17.160
 Yes.

00:37:17.559 --> 00:37:19.220
 And I think they would say, yes,

00:37:19.500 --> 00:37:21.420
 this is a foretaste of heaven, so

00:37:21.420 --> 00:37:23.039
 what's going to happen when Jesus

00:37:23.039 --> 00:37:23.539
 returns?

00:37:23.539 --> 00:37:25.880
 We're going to be hopping around like

00:37:25.880 --> 00:37:27.820
 wild animals and slamming that.

00:37:27.980 --> 00:37:28.759
 Yes, sure, sure, sure.

00:37:29.779 --> 00:37:30.460
 Slamming that.

00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:36.480
 So how do you respond to that?

00:37:36.739 --> 00:37:38.659
 So there are two ways of responding.

00:37:38.759 --> 00:37:40.400
 The first is to say, is heaven just

00:37:40.400 --> 00:37:41.539
 about singing songs?

00:37:42.880 --> 00:37:44.900
 Or is heaven about serving the Lord?

00:37:47.019 --> 00:37:49.860
 Of course, in Revelation 4 and 5,

00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:51.800
 the people sing a song.

00:37:51.800 --> 00:37:54.980
 In Revelation 4, it's about the creator.

00:37:55.280 --> 00:37:57.000
 And in Revelation 5, it's about the

00:37:57.000 --> 00:37:57.420
 redeemer.

00:37:58.080 --> 00:37:59.220
 So I'm not saying that heaven doesn't

00:37:59.220 --> 00:37:59.880
 involve worship.

00:38:00.080 --> 00:38:02.480
 But actually, I do want to argue that

00:38:02.480 --> 00:38:07.920
 Revelation 4 and 5 are about life after

00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:10.960
 death, but not about life after life after

00:38:10.960 --> 00:38:11.340
 death.

00:38:11.340 --> 00:38:15.720
 What heaven's going to be like is Revelation 21 and 22.

00:38:17.120 --> 00:38:21.500
 And Revelation 4 and 5 are the description of heaven

00:38:21.500 --> 00:38:23.740
 until the Lord returns to the earth.

00:38:23.739 --> 00:38:28.219
 That is, we look at Revelation 4 and 5, we say, heaven's about singing,

00:38:28.919 --> 00:38:30.399
 therefore let's do church about singing.

00:38:31.459 --> 00:38:36.859
 I think actually, Revelation 4 and 5 are about the kind of experience those

00:38:36.859 --> 00:38:38.799
 who've died in the Lord are having now.

00:38:39.799 --> 00:38:42.739
 But that's not actually the ultimate goal.

00:38:42.739 --> 00:38:47.839
 The ultimate goal is Revelation 21 and 22, the making of new heavens and earth in which

00:38:47.839 --> 00:38:49.359
 righteousness dwells.

00:38:50.239 --> 00:38:53.719
 So that's my first point, that actually, heaven's about more than singing.

00:38:53.859 --> 00:38:54.639
 It's about serving.

00:38:56.559 --> 00:39:00.859
 And secondly, the danger is, of course, in having multiple elements in our church

00:39:00.859 --> 00:39:04.059
 service, that we don't do any of them so well.

00:39:04.719 --> 00:39:11.339
 It takes lots of skills, lots of organisation, lots of different kinds of apparatuses in the

00:39:11.340 --> 00:39:11.559
 gym.

00:39:12.400 --> 00:39:16.660
 And in a sense, it would be easy to put all our time and energy into just having

00:39:16.660 --> 00:39:18.100
 kind of excellent music.

00:39:20.340 --> 00:39:21.940
 That's, of course, the downside.

00:39:23.180 --> 00:39:27.260
 That sometimes services that do a bit of everything feel a little less professional,

00:39:28.300 --> 00:39:30.940
 a little bit less kind of excellent.

00:39:32.519 --> 00:39:33.680
 I'm happy to put up with that.

00:39:35.840 --> 00:39:40.240
 What would you say to someone who said, yes, we should exercise everything,

00:39:40.239 --> 00:39:42.859
 but Sunday we do this muscle.

00:39:43.339 --> 00:39:44.219
 Wednesday we have the prayers.

00:39:44.359 --> 00:39:44.839
 Oh, yes.

00:39:45.059 --> 00:39:45.579
 Yes, sure.

00:39:45.579 --> 00:39:46.099
 I'd say that muscle.

00:39:46.279 --> 00:39:46.459
 Sure.

00:39:47.219 --> 00:39:51.159
 Well, first of all, I'd be glad that they're thinking in terms of multiple spiritual muscles,

00:39:51.339 --> 00:39:52.699
 so that's a step forward.

00:39:53.439 --> 00:39:59.019
 But it could be as well that in a church service, we exercise three particular muscles this Sunday,

00:39:59.679 --> 00:40:03.979
 but next Sunday we're aware of we want to concentrate on a different three.

00:40:03.980 --> 00:40:11.360
 I'm not saying that all 75 spiritual muscles have to be exercised in every Sunday service,

00:40:11.420 --> 00:40:11.619
 right?

00:40:12.059 --> 00:40:17.139
 And we can, through good planning and so on, make some choices.

00:40:18.280 --> 00:40:20.960
 We only have 90 minutes after all.

00:40:20.960 --> 00:40:30.920
 But I'd still say, is the spiritual muscle you're exercising on Wednesday night in your Bible study group

00:40:30.920 --> 00:40:35.840
 really seen then as a spiritual muscle that all of us need to exercise

00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:40.860
 or just for the elite who can find the time and the space to get out on Wednesday night?

00:40:41.019 --> 00:40:41.179
 Sorry.

00:40:41.179 --> 00:40:47.259
 Yes, sir.

00:40:48.679 --> 00:40:50.319
 75 spiritual muscles?

00:40:50.460 --> 00:40:51.639
 Where do you find this, that you find?

00:40:52.739 --> 00:40:54.159
 I could have said 78.

00:40:54.279 --> 00:40:55.319
 I was just making it up.

00:40:57.339 --> 00:41:00.519
 Because I backed up what you said, going back to where it got.

00:41:00.619 --> 00:41:01.179
 Yeah, sure.

00:41:01.239 --> 00:41:02.359
 Everything there is true.

00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:03.339
 Sure, sure.

00:41:03.699 --> 00:41:05.319
 Well, we can start making a list.

00:41:05.579 --> 00:41:08.699
 I can't promise it will be 75, but there's a whole lot of them there.

00:41:09.799 --> 00:41:10.859
 Where can I find them?

00:41:12.179 --> 00:41:14.000
 Start reading with Matthew chapter 1.

00:41:18.319 --> 00:41:24.719
 But I don't want to finish this series of studies just talking about our Sunday worship.

00:41:24.859 --> 00:41:30.199
 I want us to pray this hymn out loud together.

00:41:30.859 --> 00:41:34.000
 We won't have music, but I think we can afford to say it out loud anyway.

00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:37.759
 Which reminds us that though we worship in church on Sundays,

00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:45.820
 In the end, our worship in the world is of great importance to the Lord as well,

00:41:45.820 --> 00:41:50.640
 As we pursue our heavenly goal, our destination in heaven.

00:41:50.639 --> 00:41:56.299
 So let's say this hymn as a prayer out loud together.

00:41:56.300 --> 00:42:03.580
 Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go, my daily labour to pursue,

00:42:04.360 --> 00:42:10.100
 Thee only thee resolve to know, in all I think or speak or do.

00:42:10.099 --> 00:42:16.440
 The task thy wisdom hath assigned, O let me cheerfully fulfill,

00:42:16.440 --> 00:42:22.779
 In all my works thy presence find, and prove thy good and perfect will.

00:42:23.639 --> 00:42:29.319
 Preserve me from my calling snare, and hide my simple heart above,

00:42:29.900 --> 00:42:35.480
 Above the thorns of choking care, the gilded baits of worldly love.

00:42:35.480 --> 00:42:42.719
 Thee may I set at my right hand, whose eyes my inmost substance see,

00:42:43.380 --> 00:42:48.639
 And labour on thy command, and offer all my works to thee.

00:42:49.340 --> 00:42:55.079
 Give me to bear thy easy yoke, and every moment watch and pray,

00:42:55.760 --> 00:43:01.219
 And still to things eternal look, and hasten to thy glorious day.

00:43:01.219 --> 00:43:07.480
 For thee delightfully employ, whate'er thy bounteous grace hath given,

00:43:08.159 --> 00:43:13.559
 And run my course with even joy, and closely walk with thee to heaven.

00:43:14.179 --> 00:43:15.379
 So let me pray.

00:43:16.159 --> 00:43:20.139
 Please, Lord, help us this morning in our worship, every day in our worship,

00:43:20.839 --> 00:43:24.000
 That we might be rightly exercised,

00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:29.079
 That we might know your care and your provision,

00:43:29.599 --> 00:43:33.440
 To help us arrive safely on the shores of heaven.

00:43:34.480 --> 00:43:36.739
 Thank you for these, my brothers and sisters at Trinity,

00:43:36.920 --> 00:43:39.539
 And this opportunity to talk and to share.

00:43:40.639 --> 00:43:42.280
 Please keep us safe.

00:43:42.980 --> 00:43:45.840
 In your word, for your son's sake.

00:43:46.659 --> 00:43:47.019
 Amen.