WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.200 My 00:00:02.200 --> 00:00:05.000 novel 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:06.360 stirring 00:00:06.360 --> 00:00:08.439 peacefully 00:00:08.439 --> 00:00:15.620 sets 00:00:15.620 --> 00:00:21.000 in 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:29.679 the 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:59.659 Thank you. 00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:29.659 Thank you. 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:59.660 Thank you. 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:29.659 Thank you. 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:59.659 Thank you. 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:29.659 Thank you. 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:59.659 Thank you. 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:29.660 Thank you. 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:59.660 Thank you. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:01.680 Thank you. 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:10.740 As we gather for worship, let's come away from rush and hurry into the stillness of God's peace. 00:05:10.740 --> 00:05:11.740 Let's rise and sing. 00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:41.740 00:05:41.740 --> 00:06:11.740 00:06:11.740 --> 00:06:41.740 00:06:41.740 --> 00:07:11.740 00:07:11.740 --> 00:07:13.740 Thank you. 00:07:13.740 --> 00:07:15.740 Thank you. 00:07:15.740 --> 00:07:17.740 Thank you. 00:07:17.740 --> 00:07:47.740 00:07:47.740 --> 00:07:49.740 He alone will satisfy. 00:07:49.740 --> 00:08:19.740 00:08:19.740 --> 00:08:23.740 Hello, good morning, God, we gladly die. 00:08:49.740 --> 00:08:51.740 My name is Tommy. 00:08:51.740 --> 00:08:53.740 And I'm glad we're going to have a little bit of a prayer. 00:08:53.740 --> 00:08:55.740 We're going to have a little bit of a prayer. 00:08:55.740 --> 00:08:57.740 We're going to have a little bit of a prayer. 00:08:57.740 --> 00:08:59.740 But we're going to have a prayer. 00:08:59.740 --> 00:09:01.740 And we're going to have a prayer. 00:09:01.740 --> 00:09:03.740 We're going to have a prayer. 00:09:03.740 --> 00:09:05.740 And we're going to have a prayer. 00:09:05.740 --> 00:09:07.740 We're going to have a prayer. 00:09:07.740 --> 00:09:09.740 We're going to have a prayer which vai to go to Dr quote, towns, we'll have a prayer for the 00:09:09.740 --> 00:09:12.740 nt Sites Saint John's foot and down on path. 00:09:12.740 --> 00:09:13.740 We're Ele stell willов…. 00:09:13.740 --> 00:09:13.779 There sound of a prayer that we'll have I?, the first medication and there's a prayer that we're youண, whether we're her and I didn't. 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:15.740 So, we'll just rooms and we're going to have Ma'am. 00:09:15.740 --> 00:09:17.580 Are you all right? 00:09:17.580 --> 00:09:21.820 bit later in the service, we'll dismiss kids ages three and four to go to children's worship, 00:09:22.400 --> 00:09:27.040 and then we'll have them return just before the baptism because we like to give our chance 00:09:27.040 --> 00:09:33.139 to kids to see and celebrate baptism with us. Let's worship the Lord together. 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:41.300 Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Blessed be his kingdom now and forever. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:49.599 Amen. Let's pray this prayer together. Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, 00:09:49.599 --> 00:09:55.939 and from you no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of 00:09:55.939 --> 00:10:03.439 your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name through Christ 00:10:03.439 --> 00:10:11.219 our Lord. Amen. Now hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says. You shall love the Lord your God with all of 00:10:11.220 --> 00:10:17.240 your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind. This is the first and the great commandment, 00:10:17.300 --> 00:10:23.720 and the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:29.779 law and the prophets. Therefore, when we hear these words and we consider the truth of our own hearts, 00:10:29.779 --> 00:10:39.419 we can only cry out, Lord have mercy upon us. Lord have mercy upon us. 00:10:59.779 --> 00:11:19.799 What gift of grace is Jesus, my Redeemer? There is no more for heaven now to give. He is my joy, 00:11:19.799 --> 00:11:33.659 my righteousness and freedom, my steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace. To this I hold, 00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:49.779 my hope is only Jesus, for my life is only bound to His. Oh, how strange and divine I can see, 00:11:49.779 --> 00:12:14.659 all is mine, yet not I, but through Christ in me. The night is dark, but I am not forsaken. 00:12:14.659 --> 00:12:42.659 For by my side, the Savior, He will stay. I labor on, and I listen and rejoice. For in my need, His power is made. To this I hold, my shepherd will defend me. 00:12:42.659 --> 00:13:01.659 Through the deepest valley, through the deepest valley, believe. Oh, the night has been won, and I shall overcome. Yet not I, but through Christ in me. 00:13:01.659 --> 00:13:31.639 The future is short. The price it has been paid. For Jesus bled and suffered for me. 00:13:31.639 --> 00:14:00.639 For my part, and He was raised. Jesus, I hope. My sin has been defeated. Jesus now and ever is my feet. Oh, the chains are released. I can see that I am free. 00:14:00.639 --> 00:14:05.639 I am free of my life, but through Christ in me. 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:07.639 With every bed, I know He will bring me home. 00:14:07.639 --> 00:14:17.639 With every bed, I long to follow Jesus. For He has said that He will bring me home. 00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:43.639 And day by day, I know He will bring me home. And day by day, I know He will renew me. Until I stand with joy before the throne. 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:56.639 Till as I hold, my hope is only Jesus. All the glory evermore to Him. 00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:58.639 When the grace is complete. 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:09.639 When the grace is complete. Still my lips shall repeat. Yet not I, but through Christ in me. 00:15:09.639 --> 00:15:29.639 Yet not I, but through Christ in me. Yet not I, but through Christ in me. 00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:50.139 Amen. The Lord be with you. And the Lord be with you. 00:15:50.139 --> 00:15:51.139 Let us pray. 00:15:51.139 --> 00:15:52.139 Let us pray. 00:15:52.139 --> 00:16:00.139 O Lord God, grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. 00:16:00.139 --> 00:16:03.139 And with pure hearts and minds to follow you. 00:16:03.139 --> 00:16:14.139 The only God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. 00:16:14.139 --> 00:16:20.139 This time, we're going to dismiss kids ages 3 and 4, so I invite them to gather in the aisles. 00:16:20.139 --> 00:16:24.139 You'll see processional crosses in the back of the aisles. 00:16:24.139 --> 00:16:28.139 The kids can follow them down to children's worship. 00:16:28.139 --> 00:16:30.139 Let's pray together for our children. 00:16:30.139 --> 00:16:37.139 Almighty God, Heavenly Father, you've blessed our congregation with the joy and the care of children. 00:16:37.139 --> 00:16:44.139 Give us courage, patience, and wisdom as we bring them up in the faith, that they might never know a day apart from you. 00:16:44.139 --> 00:16:48.139 Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 00:16:48.139 --> 00:16:57.139 Open up our ears to listen. Open up our eyes to see. 00:16:57.139 --> 00:17:04.139 Plant the seed of understanding. Grow it up like the tallest tree. 00:17:04.139 --> 00:17:17.139 Pull the blinds, open wide all the windows. Fill our hearts with the light of your truth. 00:17:17.140 --> 00:17:26.140 Open up our ears to listen. Open up our eyes to see. 00:17:26.140 --> 00:17:34.140 Plant the seed of understanding. Grow it up like the tallest tree. 00:17:34.140 --> 00:17:39.140 Open up our eyes to see. 00:17:39.140 --> 00:17:43.140 You may be seated. 00:17:43.140 --> 00:17:53.140 The New Testament lesson this morning comes from Acts chapter 21, 37 to 22, verse 16. 00:17:53.140 --> 00:17:59.140 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, may I say something to you? 00:17:59.140 --> 00:18:02.140 And he said, do you know Greek? 00:18:02.140 --> 00:18:09.140 Do you not the Egyptian then who recently stirred up a revolt and led the 4,000 men of the assassins out into the wilderness? 00:18:09.140 --> 00:18:15.140 Paul replied, I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. 00:18:15.140 --> 00:18:18.140 I beg you, permit me to speak to the people. 00:18:18.140 --> 00:18:23.140 And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. 00:18:23.140 --> 00:18:28.140 And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying, 00:18:28.140 --> 00:18:32.140 Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you. 00:18:32.140 --> 00:18:37.140 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. 00:18:37.140 --> 00:18:44.140 And he said, I am a Jew born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel, 00:18:44.140 --> 00:18:50.140 according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as of all of you are this day. 00:18:50.140 --> 00:18:56.140 I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 00:18:56.140 --> 00:19:00.140 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. 00:19:00.140 --> 00:19:05.140 From then, I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there 00:19:05.140 --> 00:19:09.140 and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. 00:19:09.140 --> 00:19:16.140 As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon, a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 00:19:16.140 --> 00:19:20.140 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 00:19:20.140 --> 00:19:24.140 Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 00:19:24.140 --> 00:19:27.140 And I answered, Who are you, Lord? 00:19:27.140 --> 00:19:31.140 And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. 00:19:31.140 --> 00:19:37.140 Now those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:40.140 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? 00:19:40.140 --> 00:19:46.140 And the Lord said to me, Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do. 00:19:46.140 --> 00:19:53.140 And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand of those who were with me and came into Damascus. 00:19:53.140 --> 00:19:59.140 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 00:19:59.140 --> 00:20:06.140 came to me and standing by me said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight. 00:20:06.140 --> 00:20:10.140 And at that very hour, I received my sight and saw him. 00:20:10.140 --> 00:20:17.140 And he said, The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the righteous one, and to hear a voice from his mouth. 00:20:17.140 --> 00:20:22.140 For you will be a witness for him to every one of what you have seen and heard. 00:20:22.140 --> 00:20:24.140 And now why do you wait? 00:20:24.140 --> 00:20:30.140 Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name. 00:20:30.140 --> 00:20:32.140 The word of the Lord. 00:20:32.140 --> 00:20:42.140 Thanks be to God. 00:20:42.140 --> 00:20:47.140 Please stand for the reading of the gospel. 00:20:51.140 --> 00:20:56.140 This is the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark. 00:20:56.140 --> 00:20:59.140 Glory to you, Lord Christ. 00:20:59.140 --> 00:21:06.140 And he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee in the region of Decapolis. 00:21:06.140 --> 00:21:10.140 And they brought him to a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. 00:21:10.140 --> 00:21:13.140 And they begged him to lay his hand on him. 00:21:13.140 --> 00:21:18.140 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears. 00:21:18.140 --> 00:21:22.140 And after spitting, touched his tongue. 00:21:22.140 --> 00:21:25.140 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, 00:21:25.140 --> 00:21:28.140 Atfada, that is, be opened. 00:21:29.140 --> 00:21:32.140 And his ears were opened and his tongue was released. 00:21:32.140 --> 00:21:34.140 And he spoke plainly. 00:21:34.140 --> 00:21:37.140 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. 00:21:37.140 --> 00:21:41.140 But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 00:21:41.140 --> 00:21:44.140 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, 00:21:44.140 --> 00:21:46.140 He has done all things well. 00:21:46.140 --> 00:21:51.140 He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak. 00:21:51.140 --> 00:21:53.140 The gospel of the Lord. 00:21:53.140 --> 00:21:55.140 Praise to you, Lord Christ. 00:21:55.140 --> 00:21:57.140 Please be seated. 00:21:57.140 --> 00:22:12.140 Again, let me say welcome to all of you. 00:22:12.140 --> 00:22:17.140 I haven't yet started taking for granted our ability to be together. 00:22:17.140 --> 00:22:19.140 And so I just love it. 00:22:19.140 --> 00:22:23.140 And I love especially seeing some of you whom I haven't seen in a very long time. 00:22:23.140 --> 00:22:27.140 It's just an absolute delight. 00:22:27.140 --> 00:22:31.140 In light of everything that's happened over the last couple of years, 00:22:31.140 --> 00:22:34.140 I've been thinking a lot about this truth. 00:22:34.140 --> 00:22:37.140 The truth that crisis reveals character. 00:22:37.140 --> 00:22:40.140 The crisis reveals character. 00:22:40.140 --> 00:22:43.140 You know, when your life is calm, when things are stable, 00:22:43.140 --> 00:22:45.140 when things are fairly predictable, 00:22:45.140 --> 00:22:47.140 when things are supposed to happen, happen, 00:22:47.140 --> 00:22:50.140 and things that aren't supposed to happen don't happen, 00:22:50.140 --> 00:22:54.140 you can pretend to be pretty much whoever you want. 00:22:54.140 --> 00:22:57.140 But when the crisis comes, 00:22:57.140 --> 00:23:04.140 then we begin to see more of the truth of who we really are on the inside. 00:23:04.140 --> 00:23:07.140 You know, I think the temptation is to convince ourselves, 00:23:07.140 --> 00:23:11.140 oh, well, I was just under a lot of pressure. 00:23:11.140 --> 00:23:13.140 That's not what I'm normally like. 00:23:13.140 --> 00:23:17.140 I actually think it's probably the reverse, 00:23:17.140 --> 00:23:20.140 as much as we don't like to admit it, 00:23:20.140 --> 00:23:22.140 that under pressure in times of crisis, 00:23:22.140 --> 00:23:28.140 we actually do get to see who we really are and what we're really like. 00:23:28.140 --> 00:23:32.140 And I think that that's certainly been true over the last year and a half, 00:23:32.140 --> 00:23:36.140 as we've faced a number of crises, 00:23:36.140 --> 00:23:39.140 not the least of which has been this COVID pandemic. 00:23:39.140 --> 00:23:43.140 I think we've seen things about ourselves that maybe we would prefer not to see. 00:23:43.140 --> 00:23:49.140 And this is also true of the Apostle Paul in the Book of Acts. 00:23:50.140 --> 00:23:54.140 This idea that when we see someone facing a crisis, 00:23:54.140 --> 00:23:56.140 we get to see some of who they really are, 00:23:56.140 --> 00:24:00.140 that is absolutely what happens in Paul's life. 00:24:00.140 --> 00:24:04.140 We've been in this study of the Book of Acts for the entire summer, 00:24:04.140 --> 00:24:08.140 and we're coming now to this last section of the Book of Acts. 00:24:08.140 --> 00:24:11.140 It's a huge section, chapters 21 through 28, 00:24:11.140 --> 00:24:14.140 that's really all about Paul. 00:24:14.140 --> 00:24:17.140 And it's basically Paul in crisis. 00:24:17.140 --> 00:24:19.140 He's facing a series of threats. 00:24:19.140 --> 00:24:23.140 He's having to endure violence, imprisonment, 00:24:23.140 --> 00:24:26.140 the very likely possibility that he's going to die, 00:24:26.140 --> 00:24:31.140 a series of legal trials where he has to stand before leaders 00:24:31.140 --> 00:24:35.140 who have authority to end his life at any moment. 00:24:36.140 --> 00:24:38.140 And it's here in this last section of Acts 00:24:38.140 --> 00:24:42.140 that we actually see Paul's true character emerge. 00:24:43.140 --> 00:24:44.140 And so that's what we're going to look at. 00:24:44.140 --> 00:24:47.140 We're going to look at specifically chapter 21, verse 37, 00:24:47.140 --> 00:24:50.140 through chapter 22, verse 16. 00:24:50.140 --> 00:24:52.140 We're going to see Paul's character. 00:24:52.140 --> 00:24:56.140 What is it that emerges when he endures these crises? 00:24:56.140 --> 00:24:58.140 And then we're going to talk about our own character. 00:24:58.140 --> 00:25:00.140 Where does a character like this come from, 00:25:00.140 --> 00:25:04.140 and how do we go about cultivating this kind of character in our own lives? 00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:07.140 So Paul's character and then our character. 00:25:07.140 --> 00:25:09.140 Let's pray. 00:25:09.140 --> 00:25:11.140 Lord, we thank you for your word. 00:25:11.140 --> 00:25:15.140 We thank you for the gathering of God's people that we have, 00:25:15.140 --> 00:25:19.140 both in person here and those joining online. 00:25:19.140 --> 00:25:21.140 Lord, we thank you that in a few moments 00:25:21.140 --> 00:25:23.140 we're going to celebrate these baptisms together. 00:25:23.140 --> 00:25:25.140 What a joy that's going to be. 00:25:25.140 --> 00:25:28.140 Now we turn our attention to your word, 00:25:28.140 --> 00:25:32.140 and we pray that you would do your work through your word 00:25:32.140 --> 00:25:35.140 in each one of us this morning. 00:25:35.140 --> 00:25:36.140 In ways only you can. 00:25:36.140 --> 00:25:39.140 In the power of your spirit, in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. 00:25:39.140 --> 00:25:40.140 Amen. 00:25:40.140 --> 00:25:43.140 So first of all, I want to walk through this passage a bit 00:25:43.140 --> 00:25:47.140 and say a few things about Paul's character. 00:25:47.140 --> 00:25:51.140 Paul in this section is confronting an angry mob. 00:25:51.140 --> 00:25:53.140 And they want to kill him. 00:25:53.140 --> 00:25:55.140 And they are literally beating him. 00:25:55.140 --> 00:25:59.140 And as he confronts this angry mob, 00:25:59.140 --> 00:26:04.140 we see these three characteristics emerge in Paul's character. 00:26:04.140 --> 00:26:08.140 One, we see tremendous courage in Paul. 00:26:08.140 --> 00:26:11.140 When Paul came into Jerusalem, as we saw last week, 00:26:11.140 --> 00:26:13.140 for those of you who were here, 00:26:13.140 --> 00:26:16.140 Paul does everything he can possibly do 00:26:16.140 --> 00:26:20.140 to make peace with the Jewish Christian converts. 00:26:20.140 --> 00:26:24.140 He subjects himself to their purification rites, 00:26:24.140 --> 00:26:26.140 even though he doesn't believe they're necessary, 00:26:26.140 --> 00:26:29.140 which shows that Paul is willing to go the extra mile 00:26:29.140 --> 00:26:34.140 to build bridges into the lives of other people. 00:26:35.140 --> 00:26:38.140 Nevertheless, some Jews, these are not Jewish Christians, 00:26:38.140 --> 00:26:41.140 these are Jews, come down from Asia. 00:26:41.140 --> 00:26:43.140 The Bible calls them Asian Jews. 00:26:43.140 --> 00:26:45.140 And they got people worked up. 00:26:45.140 --> 00:26:48.140 They start to rile people up against Paul. 00:26:48.140 --> 00:26:50.140 They basically start saying to everybody, 00:26:50.140 --> 00:26:51.140 this man is a threat. 00:26:51.140 --> 00:26:52.140 This man is dangerous. 00:26:52.140 --> 00:26:54.140 This man needs to be stopped. 00:26:54.140 --> 00:26:56.140 It says in verse 28 of chapter 21, 00:26:56.140 --> 00:27:02.140 he's teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and the temple. 00:27:02.140 --> 00:27:07.140 So they're basically saying Paul is here to subvert the entire Jewish way of life. 00:27:07.140 --> 00:27:08.140 He's an existential threat. 00:27:08.140 --> 00:27:10.140 He needs to be stopped. 00:27:10.140 --> 00:27:12.140 So this is the message that goes out. 00:27:12.140 --> 00:27:14.140 A riot breaks out. 00:27:14.140 --> 00:27:15.140 People get angry. 00:27:15.140 --> 00:27:17.140 A lot of people don't even really know why they're rioting. 00:27:17.140 --> 00:27:19.140 They just see a whole bunch of people running that way, 00:27:19.140 --> 00:27:21.140 and they grab a stick and they start running that way. 00:27:21.140 --> 00:27:23.140 So it's this very confusing situation. 00:27:23.140 --> 00:27:25.140 Thousands of people rioting. 00:27:25.140 --> 00:27:28.140 Verse 31 makes it clear though, they're going to kill him. 00:27:28.140 --> 00:27:29.140 They want his blood. 00:27:29.140 --> 00:27:31.140 They want his head. 00:27:31.140 --> 00:27:34.140 Now Claudius Lysias is the Roman tribune. 00:27:34.140 --> 00:27:37.140 That's like a high ranking military official. 00:27:37.140 --> 00:27:40.140 And he's the one who's in charge of the Roman garrison. 00:27:40.140 --> 00:27:42.140 Could have been something like a thousand troops. 00:27:42.140 --> 00:27:45.140 And that was located right next to the temple grounds. 00:27:45.140 --> 00:27:48.140 So basically they're sitting there in the office. 00:27:48.140 --> 00:27:49.140 They look out. 00:27:49.140 --> 00:27:50.140 They see this riot breaking out. 00:27:50.140 --> 00:27:53.140 And he says, you know, troops with me. 00:27:53.140 --> 00:27:57.140 And they go out to try to quell this uprising. 00:27:57.140 --> 00:27:58.140 Right? 00:27:58.140 --> 00:28:03.140 And they see Paul and they realize that Paul is the kind of center of the disturbance. 00:28:03.140 --> 00:28:05.140 He's the eye of the storm. 00:28:05.140 --> 00:28:08.140 And so they all go, they grab Paul, and they start to try to pull him out of this mob. 00:28:08.140 --> 00:28:10.140 But everybody's trying to get a whack in. 00:28:10.140 --> 00:28:13.140 And so they actually have to carry him to get him out of the crowd. 00:28:13.140 --> 00:28:19.140 Now you would think at this point when the soldiers show up, they put their riot shields down. 00:28:19.140 --> 00:28:20.140 They grab Paul. 00:28:20.140 --> 00:28:23.140 They say, let's get this guy out of here and figure out what's going on. 00:28:23.140 --> 00:28:28.140 That Paul would immediately begin hurling threats and curses at these people who were beating him. 00:28:28.140 --> 00:28:29.140 Right? 00:28:29.140 --> 00:28:30.140 How dare you? 00:28:30.140 --> 00:28:32.140 Don't you know who I am? 00:28:32.140 --> 00:28:33.140 Now you're in trouble. 00:28:33.140 --> 00:28:35.140 But that's not what Paul does. 00:28:35.140 --> 00:28:45.140 Instead, Paul stops the tribune and he asks very politely if he can address the crowd, this angry mob. 00:28:45.140 --> 00:28:50.140 And this sheer fact that Paul doesn't say, get me out of here right now. 00:28:50.140 --> 00:28:53.140 But instead he wants a chance to speak to the crowd. 00:28:53.140 --> 00:28:56.140 Commentators agree this shows tremendous courage. 00:28:56.140 --> 00:28:58.140 His life is hanging in the balance. 00:28:58.140 --> 00:29:06.140 So there's this moment of unbelievable courage in the face of suffering, violence, and likely death. 00:29:06.140 --> 00:29:11.140 The second thing that we see in Paul is we see that he's extremely competent. 00:29:11.140 --> 00:29:14.140 He's extremely competent. 00:29:14.140 --> 00:29:19.140 The tribune assumes that Paul is this local Egyptian rabble rouser. 00:29:19.140 --> 00:29:23.140 A guy who led a revolt about three years earlier. 00:29:23.140 --> 00:29:28.140 He's a kind of wanted felon and authorities have been trying to find him. 00:29:28.140 --> 00:29:29.140 He's been eluding capture. 00:29:29.140 --> 00:29:31.140 They assume that they've got him. 00:29:31.140 --> 00:29:34.140 So the tribune's probably thinking, I might get a promotion. 00:29:34.140 --> 00:29:35.140 I just caught this guy. 00:29:35.140 --> 00:29:37.140 And so that's who they think. 00:29:37.140 --> 00:29:39.140 It's a case of mistaken identity. 00:29:39.140 --> 00:29:44.140 But then Paul turns to the tribune and he speaks to him in high Greek. 00:29:44.140 --> 00:29:49.140 Now it's hard to pick this up in the English translation, but he speaks to him in high Greek. 00:29:49.140 --> 00:29:54.140 It's a very formal, very stylized version of Greek. 00:29:54.140 --> 00:29:59.140 It's very impressive when somebody speaks this high Greek as opposed to Koine Greek. 00:29:59.140 --> 00:30:06.140 And he addresses this tribune and he says, I'm a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia. 00:30:06.140 --> 00:30:09.140 And now when he says that, he's kind of name dropping. 00:30:09.140 --> 00:30:15.140 In, you know, Tarsus in Cilicia, that's a very well-known university town. 00:30:15.140 --> 00:30:16.140 It's an intellectual center. 00:30:16.140 --> 00:30:19.140 It's a center of high culture and a lot of wealth. 00:30:19.140 --> 00:30:24.140 And in the ancient world, people's status was often associated with their hometown. 00:30:26.140 --> 00:30:31.140 And so when Paul says this, it's very impressive, right? 00:30:31.140 --> 00:30:33.140 He's from a very well-known city. 00:30:33.140 --> 00:30:38.140 And then in a very respectful way, as I said, he asks permission to formally address the crowd. 00:30:38.140 --> 00:30:41.140 And then when he turns to the crowd, he makes a gesture. 00:30:41.140 --> 00:30:43.140 Now this is an orator's gesture. 00:30:43.140 --> 00:30:45.140 We don't really have anything like this in our culture. 00:30:45.140 --> 00:30:50.140 But in the ancient world, being a professionally trained orator, public speaker, 00:30:50.140 --> 00:30:54.140 was something that people did. 00:30:54.140 --> 00:30:58.140 And you could sort of signal to the crowd that you were trained to be a public speaker 00:30:58.140 --> 00:31:03.140 by giving an orator's gesture and people say, okay, quiet down, quiet down. 00:31:03.140 --> 00:31:07.140 This guy actually has something to say. 00:31:07.140 --> 00:31:12.140 And then later in the chapter, he actually goes on and tells the Tribune that he's a Roman citizen, 00:31:12.140 --> 00:31:15.140 which strikes fear into their hearts because they've done a lot of things to Paul 00:31:15.140 --> 00:31:17.140 that you shouldn't do to a Roman citizen 00:31:17.140 --> 00:31:22.140 because citizens have a lot of privileges that non-citizens don't have. 00:31:22.140 --> 00:31:27.140 So in all of these ways, Paul is signaling to the Romans that he's a person of high status, 00:31:27.140 --> 00:31:30.140 that he's well-educated, that he's culturally savvy, 00:31:30.140 --> 00:31:33.140 that he's a citizen with all of the privileges that come with that. 00:31:33.140 --> 00:31:36.140 He's essentially saying, no, no, no, no, I'm one of you. 00:31:36.140 --> 00:31:38.140 Now that's very important. 00:31:38.140 --> 00:31:39.140 I'm one of you. 00:31:39.140 --> 00:31:41.140 Because then what does he do? 00:31:41.140 --> 00:31:48.140 Then he turns to the crowd of Jews and he addresses them in a totally different way. 00:31:48.140 --> 00:31:52.140 He switches from high Greek to Aramaic, 00:31:52.140 --> 00:31:56.140 which was the sort of street language of the Jewish diaspora. 00:31:56.140 --> 00:31:59.140 You had a lot of Jews who lived in other parts of the world. 00:31:59.140 --> 00:32:00.140 They didn't speak Hebrew. 00:32:00.140 --> 00:32:05.140 So the common vernacular street language that allowed everybody to communicate was Aramaic. 00:32:05.140 --> 00:32:09.140 And so he's sort of speaking the language of the street to them. 00:32:09.140 --> 00:32:12.140 And then he addresses them in a very different way than he does the Romans. 00:32:12.140 --> 00:32:15.140 He addresses them brothers and fathers. 00:32:15.140 --> 00:32:17.140 That's a very Jewish thing to say. 00:32:17.140 --> 00:32:20.140 And then he immediately gives his Jewish credentials. 00:32:20.140 --> 00:32:25.140 I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, 00:32:25.140 --> 00:32:29.140 being zealous for God as all of you are to this day. 00:32:29.140 --> 00:32:30.140 What's he saying to the Jews? 00:32:30.140 --> 00:32:32.140 I'm one of you. 00:32:32.140 --> 00:32:33.140 Right? 00:32:33.140 --> 00:32:35.140 To the Romans, I'm one of you. 00:32:35.140 --> 00:32:39.140 To the Jews, I'm also one of you. 00:32:39.140 --> 00:32:43.140 So this shows tremendous competence in Paul. 00:32:43.140 --> 00:32:49.140 He is literally code-switching between two diametrically opposed people groups. 00:32:49.140 --> 00:32:51.140 Oppressors, oppressed. 00:32:51.140 --> 00:32:57.140 And Paul is speaking and relating on their cultural terms to both groups. 00:32:57.140 --> 00:32:58.140 Incredible competence. 00:32:58.140 --> 00:32:59.140 We'll come back to that. 00:32:59.140 --> 00:33:03.140 The third quality we see in Paul is compassion. 00:33:03.140 --> 00:33:11.140 Most people, if they had just been dragged into the street, beaten, and assaulted by an angry mob, 00:33:11.140 --> 00:33:17.140 bent on their destruction, as I said earlier, they would be hurling all kinds of threats, all kinds of insults. 00:33:17.140 --> 00:33:20.140 Paul's doing none of this. 00:33:20.140 --> 00:33:23.140 Paul wants to share his testimony. 00:33:23.140 --> 00:33:27.140 He wants to share his encounter with Jesus. 00:33:27.140 --> 00:33:31.140 And what this shows us about Paul is something that you see all through the New Testament. 00:33:31.140 --> 00:33:34.140 That Paul is willing to risk suffering. 00:33:34.140 --> 00:33:39.140 He's willing to risk his life to tell people about Jesus. 00:33:39.140 --> 00:33:44.140 To reach people who moments ago wanted his blood. 00:33:44.140 --> 00:33:45.140 Right? 00:33:45.140 --> 00:33:46.140 So just think about this. 00:33:46.140 --> 00:33:47.140 Right? 00:33:47.140 --> 00:33:55.140 In the face of imminent danger, as Paul kind of comes into this massive crisis, 00:33:55.140 --> 00:33:58.140 could be his final moments on earth. 00:33:58.140 --> 00:34:01.140 We get a glimpse of who Paul really is. 00:34:01.140 --> 00:34:02.140 Right? 00:34:02.140 --> 00:34:04.140 Crisis reveals Paul's character. 00:34:04.140 --> 00:34:12.140 And we see that Paul, on the inside, is a man of tremendous courage, impressive competence, and genuine compassion. 00:34:12.140 --> 00:34:13.140 Right? 00:34:13.140 --> 00:34:18.140 So this raises the question for us, where do qualities like this come from? 00:34:18.139 --> 00:34:30.139 You know, I read this and I think, would I be this courageous, this competent, this compassionate, in this kind of crisis or not? 00:34:30.139 --> 00:34:39.139 How do we begin to develop a character like Paul has, so that when we face crisis, similar qualities might emerge in us? 00:34:39.139 --> 00:34:43.139 And we see the answer to this question, where does he get this kind of character? 00:34:43.139 --> 00:34:52.139 We see the answer to this as Paul begins to address the crowd and he shares the story of his conversion, his encounter with Jesus. 00:34:52.139 --> 00:35:00.139 And the short answer to the question is this, the reason that Paul is able to have such courage and competence and compassion, even in the face of death, 00:35:00.139 --> 00:35:07.139 is that Paul has a Jesus-centered view of his own life. 00:35:07.139 --> 00:35:12.139 He has a Jesus-centered view of his own life. 00:35:12.139 --> 00:35:15.139 And I want to walk through each of these characteristics and show you what I mean. 00:35:15.139 --> 00:35:21.139 Paul's courage came from a Jesus-centered view of his future. 00:35:21.139 --> 00:35:25.139 You know, Paul tells the crowd about his early life. 00:35:25.139 --> 00:35:27.139 He says, you know, I was a strict follower of the law. 00:35:27.139 --> 00:35:29.139 I was zealous for God. 00:35:29.139 --> 00:35:36.139 And, you know, like most people, Paul had hoped and he had assumed that if he lived a good enough life, that he worked hard enough, 00:35:36.139 --> 00:35:41.139 if he proved his devotion to God, that one day he might get to be with God. 00:35:41.139 --> 00:35:43.139 And that's essentially what most religions say. 00:35:43.139 --> 00:35:51.139 If you work hard enough, if you prove your devotion, then one day, when you die, you might get to be with your Maker. 00:35:51.139 --> 00:35:52.139 That's how Paul lived. 00:35:52.139 --> 00:35:57.139 But then, Paul meets Jesus face-to-face on the road. 00:35:57.139 --> 00:36:04.139 And Paul does what anybody does in the Bible when they come face-to-face with the glory of God himself. 00:36:04.139 --> 00:36:07.139 He immediately falls to the ground on his face. 00:36:07.139 --> 00:36:13.139 And Paul realizes one of the great truths of the Gospel. 00:36:13.139 --> 00:36:21.139 That our hope is not to one day climb our way up to reach God. 00:36:21.139 --> 00:36:23.139 That the great hope of the Gospel is the opposite. 00:36:23.139 --> 00:36:28.139 It's that the God came down to meet us. 00:36:28.139 --> 00:36:34.139 And as he sees Jesus, and he sees the glory of the Father shining through the face of his Son, 00:36:34.139 --> 00:36:36.139 that's the only explanation. 00:36:36.139 --> 00:36:38.139 God has come to me. 00:36:38.139 --> 00:36:49.139 So, Paul realizes this, and then from that moment on, the thing that mattered most to Paul was being with Jesus. 00:36:49.139 --> 00:36:50.139 Being with Jesus. 00:36:50.139 --> 00:36:51.139 It didn't matter where. 00:36:51.139 --> 00:36:52.139 It didn't matter how. 00:36:52.139 --> 00:36:54.139 It didn't matter when. 00:36:54.139 --> 00:36:56.139 He just wanted to be with Jesus. 00:36:56.139 --> 00:37:01.139 Once he saw him, that became his top priority. 00:37:01.139 --> 00:37:04.139 So, he writes in his letter to the Philippians from prison. 00:37:04.139 --> 00:37:09.139 And another time in his life when he's facing the very likely threat of execution. 00:37:09.139 --> 00:37:12.139 And in chapter 1, he basically says, 00:37:12.139 --> 00:37:17.139 It doesn't really matter if I live or if I die. 00:37:17.139 --> 00:37:19.139 Because everything that is happening to me. 00:37:19.139 --> 00:37:23.139 The fact that I'm in prison, and people are making fun of me and mocking me, 00:37:23.139 --> 00:37:26.139 and false teachers are coming in to try to replace me. 00:37:26.139 --> 00:37:31.139 If the gospel is being preached, that's all I care about. 00:37:31.139 --> 00:37:33.139 Because I get to be with Jesus. 00:37:33.139 --> 00:37:39.139 And he goes on to say, you know, I can't decide if I want to go on living or if I want to die. 00:37:39.139 --> 00:37:41.139 Now, he's not being suicidal. 00:37:41.139 --> 00:37:42.139 What he's saying is this. 00:37:42.139 --> 00:37:46.139 You know, if I live, I get to go on talking about Jesus, and that's amazing. 00:37:46.139 --> 00:37:48.139 And I know Jesus will be with me in that. 00:37:48.139 --> 00:37:51.139 But if I die, I actually get to see Jesus again. 00:37:51.139 --> 00:37:52.139 Face to face. 00:37:52.139 --> 00:37:54.139 I get to be with him for eternity. 00:37:54.139 --> 00:37:57.139 He says, I'm honestly kind of divided on this. 00:37:57.139 --> 00:37:59.139 Because that's what his priority was. 00:37:59.139 --> 00:38:04.139 The thing that we need to see with regard to courage is death no longer has any hold over Paul. 00:38:07.139 --> 00:38:11.139 The gospel says that God has come to us in the flesh, 00:38:11.139 --> 00:38:16.139 and that if you give your life to Jesus, he's going to be with you always. 00:38:16.139 --> 00:38:26.139 And what that means is that death itself simply becomes a gateway into the presence of Jesus. 00:38:26.139 --> 00:38:33.139 And you know, I've lost three people who were people I knew, friends, family, people who are close to me. 00:38:33.139 --> 00:38:36.139 And I've been thinking a lot about death. 00:38:36.139 --> 00:38:45.139 And I've been thinking about, over these last few weeks, these three deaths, and I've been thinking a lot about what death is for the Christian who belongs to Jesus. 00:38:45.139 --> 00:38:48.139 And it's this gateway into the presence of our Lord. 00:38:48.139 --> 00:38:58.139 So take a moment and imagine, what would your life look like if you believed that on a deep down, flesh and blood, DNA kind of level? 00:38:58.139 --> 00:39:04.139 You know, there are so many choices that we make in our lives, if you're, if, I think if we're honest, if you're anything like me, 00:39:04.139 --> 00:39:09.139 there are so many choices that I make that are probably motivated primarily by self-preservation. 00:39:09.139 --> 00:39:11.139 I'm avoiding discomfort. 00:39:11.139 --> 00:39:13.139 I'm avoiding inconvenience. 00:39:13.139 --> 00:39:15.139 I'm avoiding suffering. 00:39:15.139 --> 00:39:17.139 Certainly, I'm avoiding death. 00:39:18.139 --> 00:39:25.139 Imagine how different your life would be if you had a Jesus-centered view of your future. 00:39:25.139 --> 00:39:29.139 I'll tell you this before we move on. 00:39:29.139 --> 00:39:36.139 The most dangerous person there is, is the person who has reckoned with their own death. 00:39:36.139 --> 00:39:39.139 Because that person can do anything. 00:39:39.139 --> 00:39:41.139 That person will do anything. 00:39:41.139 --> 00:39:46.139 So this is the first thing, a Jesus-centered view of our future. 00:39:46.139 --> 00:39:49.139 That's what gives rise to that kind of courage we see in Paul. 00:39:49.139 --> 00:39:54.139 Now, I say, well, where did this competence come from? 00:39:54.139 --> 00:40:00.139 And Paul's competence came from a Jesus-centered view of his resources. 00:40:00.139 --> 00:40:02.139 And I want to help you understand what I mean by that. 00:40:02.139 --> 00:40:07.139 Paul basically says to this crowd that in his early years, his life was all about him. 00:40:07.139 --> 00:40:09.139 You know, he was full of zeal. 00:40:09.139 --> 00:40:10.139 He was full of ambition. 00:40:10.139 --> 00:40:12.139 He was the rising star. 00:40:12.139 --> 00:40:15.139 He was on track to be among the greatest of the Pharisees. 00:40:15.139 --> 00:40:17.139 He had a fine pedigree. 00:40:17.139 --> 00:40:19.139 He was impressive on every level. 00:40:19.139 --> 00:40:21.139 But then he meets Jesus. 00:40:21.139 --> 00:40:22.139 Right? 00:40:22.139 --> 00:40:28.139 And all he can say to Jesus, what shall I do, Lord? 00:40:28.139 --> 00:40:31.139 Everything I thought my life was about is now gone. 00:40:31.139 --> 00:40:32.139 Right? 00:40:32.139 --> 00:40:34.139 Now you tell me what to do. 00:40:34.139 --> 00:40:36.139 What shall I do, Lord? 00:40:36.139 --> 00:40:40.139 And then Jesus gives him a new purpose for his life. 00:40:40.139 --> 00:40:45.139 And he gives this to him through Ananias and the words of Ananias. 00:40:45.139 --> 00:40:50.139 Paul's aim up to that point had been to be the best Pharisee he could be. 00:40:50.139 --> 00:40:51.139 To blow everybody else away. 00:40:51.139 --> 00:40:53.139 He was like an Enneagram 3 probably. 00:40:53.139 --> 00:40:54.139 I don't know. 00:40:54.139 --> 00:40:56.139 And just wanted to achieve. 00:40:56.139 --> 00:40:57.139 Right? 00:40:57.139 --> 00:41:01.139 And then he meets Jesus and he gets a new mission for his life. 00:41:01.139 --> 00:41:02.139 Ananias says, 00:41:02.139 --> 00:41:08.139 The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the righteous one, and to hear a voice from his mouth. 00:41:08.139 --> 00:41:15.139 For you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. 00:41:16.139 --> 00:41:18.139 So Jesus says, here's the aim of your life. 00:41:18.139 --> 00:41:20.139 You're going to be my witness. 00:41:20.139 --> 00:41:22.139 And I'm going to send you to the Gentile world. 00:41:22.139 --> 00:41:26.139 You're going to be a Jew and I'm going to send you to the Gentiles. 00:41:26.139 --> 00:41:30.139 Paul gets the real purpose of his life. 00:41:30.139 --> 00:41:37.139 And then once Paul knows the purpose of his life, it begins to transform the way he makes sense of his life up to that point. 00:41:37.139 --> 00:41:38.139 So think about this. 00:41:39.139 --> 00:41:40.139 Paul's hometown. 00:41:40.139 --> 00:41:42.139 Paul's family. 00:41:42.139 --> 00:41:43.139 Paul's education. 00:41:43.139 --> 00:41:44.139 His culture. 00:41:44.139 --> 00:41:46.139 His ethnicity. 00:41:46.139 --> 00:41:47.139 His language. 00:41:47.139 --> 00:41:48.139 His social class. 00:41:48.139 --> 00:41:49.139 His money. 00:41:49.139 --> 00:41:50.139 His privilege. 00:41:50.139 --> 00:41:55.139 He begins to see all of these things as resources to be used in so many ways. 00:41:55.139 --> 00:41:58.139 Be used in service of the mission that Jesus had given him. 00:41:58.139 --> 00:41:59.139 Right? 00:41:59.139 --> 00:42:01.139 He begins to realize, oh, it made sense why I was born there. 00:42:01.139 --> 00:42:04.139 It makes sense why I speak multiple languages. 00:42:04.139 --> 00:42:07.139 It makes sense why I might be able to be a citizen. 00:42:07.139 --> 00:42:08.139 It makes sense why all of these. 00:42:08.139 --> 00:42:10.139 I had the education I had. 00:42:10.139 --> 00:42:11.139 I had the. 00:42:11.139 --> 00:42:12.139 You know, he begins to see all. 00:42:12.139 --> 00:42:17.139 God was equipping me to do the thing that he put me here to do. 00:42:17.139 --> 00:42:20.139 To be a witness to the Gentiles about Jesus. 00:42:20.139 --> 00:42:23.139 To be a gateway between two worlds. 00:42:23.139 --> 00:42:29.139 The world of the Jewish diaspora and the world of the Gentiles, particularly the Roman occupiers. 00:42:30.139 --> 00:42:32.139 For the sake of the gospel. 00:42:33.139 --> 00:42:39.139 Now, have you ever heard the old saying, God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called? 00:42:39.139 --> 00:42:44.139 You know, it's kind of a meme that gets passed around. 00:42:44.139 --> 00:42:47.139 But that's what comes to mind as we think about this. 00:42:47.139 --> 00:42:50.139 You know, God had a purpose in mind for Paul. 00:42:50.139 --> 00:42:53.139 Paul didn't know that purpose until he was an adult. 00:42:53.139 --> 00:43:00.139 But everything that God did in Paul's life, all of those things weren't random. 00:43:00.139 --> 00:43:04.139 They actually became resources that Paul needed to fulfill that purpose. 00:43:04.139 --> 00:43:11.139 And when he understood the aim of his life, he could then begin to make sense of the course his life had taken up to that point. 00:43:11.139 --> 00:43:12.139 Right? 00:43:12.139 --> 00:43:17.139 And the reason this is important is the same thing is true for every single person in this room. 00:43:18.139 --> 00:43:20.139 For every single person in this room. 00:43:20.139 --> 00:43:24.139 You know, your purpose may not be Paul's purpose to be a witness to the Gentiles. 00:43:24.139 --> 00:43:26.139 Right? As a Jew going to the Romans. Right? 00:43:26.139 --> 00:43:28.139 Probably not your purpose. 00:43:28.139 --> 00:43:31.139 But I guarantee you there are things that God put you on this earth to do. 00:43:31.139 --> 00:43:33.139 Reasons that you are here. 00:43:33.139 --> 00:43:35.139 Things that God maybe can only do through you. 00:43:38.139 --> 00:43:44.139 And God has given you this life, the one that you have lived up to this point, 00:43:44.139 --> 00:43:48.139 in order to give you the resources you need to fulfill that purpose. 00:43:48.139 --> 00:43:53.139 If you go out and try to fulfill Paul's purpose, you might not succeed. 00:43:53.139 --> 00:43:56.139 So the key is understanding why am I here? 00:43:56.139 --> 00:43:57.139 What is God calling me to do? 00:43:57.139 --> 00:43:58.139 What is my vocation? 00:43:58.139 --> 00:44:03.139 And then how has my life prepared me to do what God has called me to do? 00:44:04.139 --> 00:44:05.139 Right? 00:44:05.139 --> 00:44:12.139 Paul actually says in Acts chapter 17, a few chapters ago, that God determines allotted periods and the boundaries of our dwelling places. 00:44:12.139 --> 00:44:14.139 So God chose your birthplace. 00:44:14.139 --> 00:44:16.139 God chose your mom and your dad. 00:44:16.139 --> 00:44:18.139 He chose your body. 00:44:18.139 --> 00:44:20.139 He chose your temperament. 00:44:20.139 --> 00:44:26.139 He chose your culture and your race and your ethnicity, the languages that you speak, your social class. 00:44:26.139 --> 00:44:27.139 Right? 00:44:27.139 --> 00:44:28.139 Are you educated or uneducated? 00:44:28.139 --> 00:44:29.139 Do you have wealth? 00:44:29.139 --> 00:44:30.139 Do you not have wealth? 00:44:30.139 --> 00:44:31.139 And you're poor, right? 00:44:31.139 --> 00:44:37.139 Whatever circumstances you have grown up in, God has allotted those things. 00:44:37.139 --> 00:44:43.139 And they're connected to the purpose that God has in mind for you. 00:44:43.139 --> 00:44:47.139 These are resources that God has given you. 00:44:47.139 --> 00:44:48.139 Right? 00:44:48.139 --> 00:44:52.139 Sometimes we look at our life and some people sort of ignore the fact that they have privilege. 00:44:52.139 --> 00:44:54.139 They say, well, I've done all this myself. 00:44:54.139 --> 00:44:59.139 Or they want to go out and use the things like that to sort of benefit themselves even at other people's expense. 00:45:01.139 --> 00:45:02.139 Right? 00:45:02.139 --> 00:45:03.139 They resent their family. 00:45:03.139 --> 00:45:04.139 They resent their upbringing. 00:45:04.139 --> 00:45:06.139 And they wish like crazy. 00:45:06.139 --> 00:45:08.139 They feel like God made huge mistakes. 00:45:08.139 --> 00:45:11.139 And they say, well, why couldn't I have lived her life? 00:45:11.139 --> 00:45:12.139 Why couldn't I have lived his life? 00:45:12.139 --> 00:45:15.139 Why did I have to live my life? 00:45:15.139 --> 00:45:19.139 And then other people sort of, if they have wealth, if they have privilege and they're Christians, 00:45:19.139 --> 00:45:22.139 they feel like the only thing they can do with that is just self-flagellate. 00:45:22.139 --> 00:45:24.139 Right? 00:45:24.139 --> 00:45:26.139 Talk about how guilty they feel about it. 00:45:26.139 --> 00:45:33.139 It's like, no, none of these things recognize that God doesn't make mistakes. 00:45:33.139 --> 00:45:37.139 That God had reasons in mind why he gave you the life that he gave you. 00:45:37.139 --> 00:45:40.139 And I guarantee you they're connected to the reason that you're here. 00:45:40.139 --> 00:45:42.139 And the purpose that God has in mind for you. 00:45:43.139 --> 00:45:49.139 So instead of ignoring or taking advantage of or taking for granted or resenting these things about ourselves, 00:45:49.139 --> 00:45:54.139 stop and ask God, what purpose did you have in mind for me 00:45:54.139 --> 00:45:58.139 when you gave me the life that you gave me? 00:45:59.139 --> 00:46:03.139 How do these things become resources to fulfill your will for my life? 00:46:05.139 --> 00:46:06.139 Right? 00:46:06.139 --> 00:46:08.139 So that's how Paul's competence is to be understood. 00:46:08.139 --> 00:46:13.139 Once he understood the aim of his life, he could begin to make sense of the course of his life. 00:46:13.139 --> 00:46:18.139 And then the third characteristic in Paul is his compassion. 00:46:18.139 --> 00:46:30.139 And Paul's compassion came from a Jesus-centered view of himself and his own sin. 00:46:30.139 --> 00:46:32.139 A Jesus-centered view of himself and his own sin. 00:46:32.139 --> 00:46:38.139 One of the pillars of the Jewish worldview was the idea that Jews were clean before God, 00:46:38.139 --> 00:46:42.139 but Gentiles were unclean and defiled. 00:46:42.139 --> 00:46:48.139 So whenever a Gentile, God-fearer, wanted to come in and become Jewish, 00:46:49.139 --> 00:46:51.139 the Gentile had to be washed. 00:46:51.139 --> 00:46:53.139 They had to be baptized. 00:46:54.139 --> 00:46:56.139 Because they were unclean. 00:46:56.139 --> 00:47:00.139 But Jews didn't need to be baptized because Jews were already clean. 00:47:00.139 --> 00:47:02.139 They were God's chosen people. 00:47:03.139 --> 00:47:05.139 That was a cornerstone of the Jewish worldview. 00:47:05.139 --> 00:47:10.139 But Paul says, you know, I was not just a Jew. 00:47:10.139 --> 00:47:11.139 I was the Jew. 00:47:11.139 --> 00:47:14.139 He basically says, I was the Jew of Jews. 00:47:14.139 --> 00:47:15.139 I was the archetype. 00:47:16.139 --> 00:47:18.139 All Jews wanted to be me. 00:47:18.139 --> 00:47:19.139 Right? 00:47:19.139 --> 00:47:22.139 And he says, you know, I was the Jew of Jews. 00:47:22.139 --> 00:47:25.139 And yet I also had to be baptized. 00:47:26.139 --> 00:47:28.139 I met Jesus. 00:47:28.139 --> 00:47:34.139 Once I saw Jesus, I realized, I'm no more clean than anyone. 00:47:35.139 --> 00:47:36.139 Right? 00:47:36.139 --> 00:47:40.139 Compared to this glory, compared to this radiance, I'm in filthy rags. 00:47:41.139 --> 00:47:42.139 Right? 00:47:42.139 --> 00:47:48.139 And so in verse 16, he says, Ananias then said to me, be baptized and wash your sins away. 00:47:48.139 --> 00:47:51.139 This would have been scandalous to his Jewish audience. 00:47:52.139 --> 00:47:55.139 And I think this is partly why they then react so violently. 00:47:56.139 --> 00:47:57.139 Right? 00:47:57.139 --> 00:47:59.139 In other words, Paul is saying, you know, here's what I had to realize. 00:47:59.139 --> 00:48:01.139 And he writes about this in places like Romans 1 and 2. 00:48:02.139 --> 00:48:03.139 Romans 1, 2, and 3. 00:48:03.139 --> 00:48:08.139 He says, you know, I realized actually there's no difference between Jews and Gentiles. 00:48:09.139 --> 00:48:11.139 I realized that we're all unclean. 00:48:11.139 --> 00:48:13.139 We're all defiled. 00:48:13.139 --> 00:48:19.139 And that the only way to become clean is to call on the name of Jesus and be baptized in his name. 00:48:19.139 --> 00:48:21.139 I need to be washed. 00:48:22.139 --> 00:48:23.139 But in his name. 00:48:24.139 --> 00:48:25.139 And then I'll be clean. 00:48:26.139 --> 00:48:28.139 Because of his grace and the blood of the cross. 00:48:28.139 --> 00:48:35.139 See, I think most of us tend either towards superiority or inferiority. 00:48:36.139 --> 00:48:43.139 You know, most of us sort of tend to live life assuming that on balance, I'm probably better than most people. 00:48:43.139 --> 00:48:45.139 Now, you'd never admit that. 00:48:45.139 --> 00:48:48.139 But I think there are some people that sort of live that way. 00:48:48.139 --> 00:48:51.139 On balance, I'm probably living a better life than most people. 00:48:51.139 --> 00:48:53.139 There are other people who have the exact opposite tendency. 00:48:53.139 --> 00:48:56.139 They always compare themselves to other people unfavorably. 00:48:56.139 --> 00:48:58.139 She's so much prettier. 00:48:58.139 --> 00:48:59.139 He's so much stronger. 00:48:59.139 --> 00:49:00.139 He's so much better looking. 00:49:00.139 --> 00:49:02.139 She's so much more successful. 00:49:02.139 --> 00:49:03.139 Right? 00:49:03.139 --> 00:49:04.139 They're so much smarter. 00:49:04.139 --> 00:49:07.139 And you're always focusing on the ways that you fall short. 00:49:08.139 --> 00:49:11.139 And you know, honestly, both are equally self-focused. 00:49:12.139 --> 00:49:14.139 Both are equally selfish. 00:49:15.139 --> 00:49:16.139 Both are equally self-absorbed. 00:49:16.139 --> 00:49:22.139 And if you're focusing either on your superiority or your inferiority, you're not really going to be capable of genuine compassion. 00:49:22.139 --> 00:49:23.139 Why? 00:49:23.139 --> 00:49:26.139 Because compassion requires that you focus on someone else. 00:49:28.139 --> 00:49:29.139 Right? 00:49:29.139 --> 00:49:30.139 I remember this thing. 00:49:30.139 --> 00:49:31.139 I heard it and I love it. 00:49:31.139 --> 00:49:35.139 You know, it says when you're in your 20s, you worry what everybody's thinking about you. 00:49:35.139 --> 00:49:38.139 When you're in your 40s, you stop caring what people are thinking. 00:49:38.139 --> 00:49:41.139 And when you're in your 60s, you realize nobody was ever thinking about you. 00:49:41.139 --> 00:49:42.139 They were only ever thinking about themselves. 00:49:43.139 --> 00:49:45.139 And I love that because it's really true. 00:49:45.139 --> 00:49:46.139 Right? 00:49:46.139 --> 00:49:52.139 If you're focusing on how you rank compared to other people, you're not going to really ever think about them. 00:49:52.139 --> 00:49:55.139 You're only thinking about them through the lens of yourself. 00:49:56.139 --> 00:49:58.139 But the gospel is profoundly equalizing. 00:49:59.139 --> 00:50:05.139 Because on the one hand, it says to the people who think they're superior, no, you're not. 00:50:06.139 --> 00:50:07.139 How dare you think that? 00:50:07.139 --> 00:50:09.139 We are all unclean. 00:50:09.139 --> 00:50:10.139 We are all defiled. 00:50:10.139 --> 00:50:15.139 We all in the presence of Jesus are covered in filthy rags. 00:50:15.139 --> 00:50:19.139 How dare you think yourself any better than anyone? 00:50:20.139 --> 00:50:24.139 But then it says to the people who think that they are inferior, oh, no, you're not. 00:50:24.139 --> 00:50:26.139 How dare you think that? 00:50:26.139 --> 00:50:30.139 How dare you think that you are any less than any other image bearer? 00:50:31.139 --> 00:50:36.139 How dare you think that you're any less than any other human being for which Jesus gave his life to save? 00:50:36.139 --> 00:50:37.139 How dare you? 00:50:37.139 --> 00:50:43.139 How dare you call God a liar when he says that you are of infinite value to him? 00:50:43.139 --> 00:50:52.900 you to him. So it's this profoundly equalizing truth that recalibrates the way we see ourselves 00:50:52.900 --> 00:51:03.119 and other people. And that sets us free to simply stop thinking about ourselves and to begin to 00:51:03.119 --> 00:51:08.440 actually notice and see and cultivate compassion for other people. No one's any better than you, 00:51:08.440 --> 00:51:15.059 no one's any worse than you. We're all sinners, we're all born slaves to sin, and only by the 00:51:15.059 --> 00:51:24.659 unmerited grace of Jesus do any of us get set free. So if you want character like Paul, if you want to 00:51:24.659 --> 00:51:30.119 know that you're the kind of person who when you face crisis, when the bottom drops out in your life, 00:51:30.579 --> 00:51:34.159 you're going to have these kind of characteristics. You're going to be the person who has courage 00:51:34.159 --> 00:51:39.619 and the person who has a kind of unique competence that fits the situations that God puts you in, 00:51:40.519 --> 00:51:43.059 that you know that you're going to be a person who responds with compassion. 00:51:44.960 --> 00:51:52.000 Right? It begins with having a Jesus-centered view of your life. A Jesus-centered view of your life is 00:51:52.000 --> 00:52:01.399 the seedbed from which this kind of character emerges. To put a little bit more of a point on it, 00:52:01.400 --> 00:52:07.260 your life is not about you. And until we realize that, very little in our lives is going to make 00:52:07.260 --> 00:52:14.519 sense. It's not about us, it's about Jesus. And this is why it is so vital for us to gather together 00:52:14.519 --> 00:52:20.840 and worship each week, because we come together to sing and to pray and to read scripture and to 00:52:20.840 --> 00:52:24.760 confess the creeds and to share in the sacraments. Days like today we get to do both. 00:52:24.760 --> 00:52:33.120 The focus of all of this is on that message. All of these things are ways that we recenter ourselves 00:52:33.120 --> 00:52:40.480 away from ourselves and to Jesus Christ. So that's why it's important that we gather. And the more that 00:52:40.480 --> 00:52:48.200 we focus on him, the more we focus on Jesus, the more truly human we actually become. Let's pray. 00:52:48.199 --> 00:52:53.519 Lord, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the power of your spirit. 00:52:55.839 --> 00:52:58.079 Lord, we pray for your word to do your work in us. 00:53:00.599 --> 00:53:07.119 That those who are feeling timid and afraid and beset and dominated by fear and anxiety, 00:53:08.199 --> 00:53:11.539 that in the name of Jesus Christ you would give them courage. 00:53:11.539 --> 00:53:20.460 Those who are feeling bitter, angry, resentful, an unwillingness to forgive, 00:53:22.219 --> 00:53:25.059 that you would give them the compassion 00:53:25.059 --> 00:53:32.779 of Jesus Christ. And that those who are struggling, feeling like they don't know what their life is 00:53:32.779 --> 00:53:35.800 about, they don't know what the aim of their life is, they don't know how to make sense of their 00:53:35.800 --> 00:53:40.880 experiences of their childhood, that you would give them a vision of why they're here, that they would 00:53:40.880 --> 00:53:45.400 know their purpose, and that they would begin to make sense of their lives in light of why you've 00:53:45.400 --> 00:53:49.780 put them on this earth. We pray that in all these ways, Lord, you would make us into a people who 00:53:49.780 --> 00:53:56.240 glorify you, who resemble you, and who are salt and light in this world. For your name's sake, 00:53:56.519 --> 00:53:58.140 in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. 00:53:58.139 --> 00:54:12.799 Let's now ask God to give us a Jesus-centered vision by singing this prayer together. Let's stand. 00:54:12.799 --> 00:54:28.119 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart. Not be all else's vision. 00:54:28.119 --> 00:54:58.099 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word. 00:54:58.119 --> 00:55:19.319 I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord. Thou my great Father, I thy true Son. Thou in me dwelling, 00:55:19.320 --> 00:55:41.320 and I with thee one. Riches I heed not, nor man empty praise. Thou mine inheritance, now and always. 00:55:41.320 --> 00:56:03.200 Thou and thou only first in my heart. High King of heaven, my treasure thou art. High King of heaven, 00:56:03.199 --> 00:56:24.359 my victory one. May I reach heaven's joys, O bright and sun. Heart of my own heart, whatever befall. 00:56:24.360 --> 00:56:34.360 Still be my vision, O ruler of all. 00:56:36.360 --> 00:56:38.360 You may be seated. 00:56:38.360 --> 00:56:45.720 Now, as promised, we have an opportunity to celebrate these baptisms together. So I'd like to ask 00:56:45.720 --> 00:56:51.960 the parents and godparents and children being baptized, if you could gather here on the floor 00:56:51.960 --> 00:56:56.160 in front of the Lord's table across here so people can see you. 00:56:56.159 --> 00:57:07.099 I love opportunities to celebrate baptism, to welcome people into our church family, 00:57:07.539 --> 00:57:12.779 to remember that all of these symbols throughout Scripture, 00:57:12.780 --> 00:57:21.760 the flood and Noah being preserved through the flood, the parting of the sea and God's people 00:57:21.760 --> 00:57:26.740 passing through on dry ground, that all of these symbols point us to what we're now going to celebrate 00:57:26.740 --> 00:57:30.540 together. This is really the fulfillment of all of those things. 00:57:32.420 --> 00:57:39.420 And so what I'm going to do, moms, dads, grandparents, or parents, godparents, whoever's up here, I'm going to 00:57:39.420 --> 00:57:45.340 ask you to answer a series of questions and make a series of professions of faith on behalf of your 00:57:45.340 --> 00:57:51.260 children until they're old enough to do so for themselves. And then one at a time, we're going to 00:57:51.260 --> 00:57:54.460 have each family come up here when it's actually time to do the baptism. 00:57:56.099 --> 00:58:01.960 Dearly beloved, Scripture teaches that we are all dead in our sins and trespasses, but by grace we may be 00:58:01.960 --> 00:58:09.019 saved through faith. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, said, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, 00:58:09.019 --> 00:58:14.119 he cannot enter the kingdom of God. And he commissioned the church to make disciples of all 00:58:14.119 --> 00:58:18.639 nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 00:58:19.259 --> 00:58:24.679 Here we ask our Heavenly Father that these candidates, being baptized with water, may be filled with the 00:58:24.679 --> 00:58:30.539 Holy Spirit, born again, and received into the church as living members of Christ's body. 00:58:31.420 --> 00:58:35.320 Therefore, I urge you to call upon God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:58:35.320 --> 00:58:40.240 that of his abundant mercy he will grant to these candidates that which by nature they cannot 00:58:40.240 --> 00:58:46.019 have. The candidates for holy baptism will now be presented. 00:58:46.019 --> 00:59:08.340 Excellent. 00:59:08.340 --> 00:59:20.260 Excellent. Today on behalf of these children, you shall make vows to renounce the devil and all his 00:59:20.260 --> 00:59:27.680 works and to trust God wholeheartedly and to serve him faithfully. It is your task to see that 00:59:27.680 --> 00:59:33.760 this child is taught as soon as he is able to learn the meaning of all of these vows and of 00:59:33.760 --> 00:59:38.680 the faith that you will profess as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. They must come to put their 00:59:38.680 --> 00:59:43.720 faith in Jesus Christ and learn the creeds, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and all 00:59:43.720 --> 00:59:48.280 other things that a Christian ought to know, believe, and do for the welfare of their souls. 00:59:49.020 --> 00:59:53.460 When they have embraced all these, they are to come to the bishop to be confirmed, that they may 00:59:53.460 --> 00:59:58.380 publicly claim the faith for their own and be further strengthened by the Holy Spirit to serve 00:59:58.380 --> 01:00:05.420 Christ and his kingdom. Are you willing and ready to undertake this? 01:00:10.440 --> 01:00:15.019 Now I'm going to ask you to make a series of renunciations on behalf of these candidates. 01:00:15.019 --> 01:00:19.880 Do you renounce the devil and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God? 01:00:21.619 --> 01:00:26.860 Do you renounce the empty promises and deadly deceits of this world that corrupt and destroy 01:00:26.860 --> 01:00:32.980 the creatures of God? Do you renounce the sinful desires of the flesh that draw you from the 01:00:32.980 --> 01:00:40.860 love of God? Almighty God, deliver you from the powers of darkness and evil and lead you into the 01:00:40.860 --> 01:00:47.360 light and obedience of the kingdom of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Now do you turn to 01:00:47.360 --> 01:00:54.140 Jesus Christ and confess him as your Lord and Savior? Do you joyfully receive the Christian faith 01:00:54.139 --> 01:01:00.339 as revealed in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments? Will you obediently keep God's 01:01:00.339 --> 01:01:08.920 holy will and commandments and walk in them all the days of your life? Now I'm going to ask all of 01:01:08.920 --> 01:01:13.960 you to take a vow. And this is something we take seriously in our church, that we believe that it's 01:01:13.960 --> 01:01:19.000 our collective responsibility to raise these kids in the faith, to do all we can to support and nurture 01:01:19.000 --> 01:01:24.159 their relationship with Jesus. If you agree with what I'm about to say, answer we will. 01:01:25.320 --> 01:01:30.780 Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these children in their life in Christ? 01:01:31.579 --> 01:01:37.860 We will. Excellent. Now let's join together with these candidates and proclaim our faith using the 01:01:37.860 --> 01:01:43.880 words of the ancient baptismal confession, the Apostles' Creed. I invite you to please stand. 01:01:43.880 --> 01:01:50.920 Do you believe and trust in God the Father? 01:01:52.160 --> 01:01:57.260 I do. I believe in God the Father, I believe, and here I am. 01:01:57.740 --> 01:02:00.059 Do you believe and trust in Jesus Christ? 01:02:00.200 --> 01:02:07.680 I do. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son and our Lord. He was the seed of the Holy Spirit, 01:02:08.000 --> 01:02:13.380 the born and the virgin here. He suffered and not just died. The Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, 01:02:13.380 --> 01:02:19.280 the life of God and the Holy Spirit. He descended into heaven. On the third day he rose again, 01:02:19.760 --> 01:02:25.320 He descended into heaven, and he received the right hand of the Father. He was the only man 01:02:25.320 --> 01:02:27.039 who was the living in the dead. 01:02:27.660 --> 01:02:29.619 Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit? 01:02:30.240 --> 01:02:37.700 I do. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness 01:02:37.700 --> 01:02:41.980 of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life of the cross. 01:02:41.980 --> 01:02:47.599 Amen. Let's now pray for these candidates who are to receive the sacrament of baptism. 01:02:47.599 --> 01:02:50.800 After each petition, you may respond by saying, 01:02:50.920 --> 01:02:53.000 We beseech you to hear us, good Lord. 01:02:54.079 --> 01:02:58.880 That these children may come to confess their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 01:02:59.740 --> 01:03:02.119 We beseech you to hear us, good Lord. 01:03:02.260 --> 01:03:05.780 That all these candidates may continue in the Apostles' teaching and the fellowship 01:03:05.780 --> 01:03:07.900 and the breaking of bread and the prayers. 01:03:07.900 --> 01:03:10.780 We beseech you to hear us, good Lord. 01:03:11.260 --> 01:03:14.960 That they may walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which they have been called, 01:03:15.280 --> 01:03:17.880 ever growing in faith and all heavenly virtues. 01:03:18.619 --> 01:03:20.720 We beseech you to hear us, good Lord. 01:03:20.900 --> 01:03:25.579 That they may persevere in resisting evil and whenever they fall into sin, 01:03:26.039 --> 01:03:27.639 repent and return to the Lord. 01:03:27.900 --> 01:03:30.700 We beseech you to hear us, good Lord. 01:03:30.840 --> 01:03:36.680 That they may proclaim by word and deed the good news of God in Christ Jesus to a lost and broken world. 01:03:36.679 --> 01:03:39.599 We beseech you to hear us, good Lord. 01:03:39.899 --> 01:03:45.739 That as living members of the body of Christ, they may grow up in every way into him who is the head. 01:03:46.519 --> 01:03:48.699 We beseech you to hear us, good Lord. 01:03:48.899 --> 01:03:52.699 That looking to Jesus, they may run with endurance the race set before them 01:03:52.699 --> 01:03:56.000 and at the last receive the unfading crown of glory. 01:03:56.000 --> 01:03:59.000 We beseech you to hear us, good Lord. 01:03:59.559 --> 01:04:00.500 Let us pray. 01:04:00.500 --> 01:04:09.239 Almighty and everlasting Father, in your great mercy you saved Noah and his family in the ark from the destruction of the flood, 01:04:09.840 --> 01:04:12.280 prefiguring the sacrament of holy baptism. 01:04:12.880 --> 01:04:15.199 Look mercifully upon these, your servants. 01:04:15.860 --> 01:04:18.519 Wash and sanctify them through your Holy Spirit, 01:04:18.940 --> 01:04:23.539 that they may be delivered from destruction and received into the ark of Christ's church, 01:04:23.920 --> 01:04:28.599 being steadfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in love. 01:04:28.599 --> 01:04:32.380 They may pass through the turbulent floods of this troublesome world 01:04:32.380 --> 01:04:35.000 and come into the land of everlasting life. 01:04:35.139 --> 01:04:36.900 Through Jesus Christ our Lord. 01:04:37.440 --> 01:04:37.960 Amen. 01:04:38.920 --> 01:04:41.980 You may be, actually remain standing for a moment, 01:04:42.619 --> 01:04:43.799 and then you may be seated. 01:04:43.800 --> 01:04:50.440 The Lord be with you. 01:04:50.940 --> 01:04:51.880 And also with you. 01:04:51.960 --> 01:04:52.840 Lift up your hearts. 01:04:53.240 --> 01:04:54.120 Lift up your hearts. 01:04:54.400 --> 01:04:56.420 Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. 01:04:56.640 --> 01:04:59.060 It is right to give Him thanks and praise. 01:05:01.019 --> 01:05:03.720 We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. 01:05:04.900 --> 01:05:07.680 Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. 01:05:08.500 --> 01:05:11.620 Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt, 01:05:11.619 --> 01:05:12.980 into the land of promise. 01:05:13.719 --> 01:05:17.359 In it your Son Jesus received the baptism of John in the river Jordan 01:05:17.359 --> 01:05:20.699 when the Holy Spirit descended upon him as a dove. 01:05:21.319 --> 01:05:23.839 We thank you, Father, for the water of baptism. 01:05:24.319 --> 01:05:26.719 In it we are buried with Christ in His death. 01:05:27.179 --> 01:05:29.059 By it we share in His resurrection. 01:05:29.739 --> 01:05:32.159 Through it we are made regenerate by the Holy Spirit. 01:05:33.119 --> 01:05:35.139 Therefore, in joyful obedience to your Son, 01:05:35.139 --> 01:05:38.199 we bring into His fellowship those who come to Him in faith, 01:05:38.599 --> 01:05:40.579 baptizing them in the name of the Father, 01:05:41.019 --> 01:05:41.759 and of the Son, 01:05:42.179 --> 01:05:43.119 and of the Holy Spirit. 01:05:44.759 --> 01:05:45.679 Now, Father, 01:05:46.579 --> 01:05:48.059 sanctify this water, 01:05:48.239 --> 01:05:49.980 and by the power of your Holy Spirit, 01:05:50.599 --> 01:05:52.259 may all who are baptized here 01:05:52.259 --> 01:05:53.819 be cleansed from sin, 01:05:54.359 --> 01:05:55.000 born again, 01:05:55.139 --> 01:05:56.599 and continue forever faithful 01:05:56.599 --> 01:05:58.859 in the risen life of Jesus Christ our Savior. 01:05:59.359 --> 01:06:00.460 To Him, to you, 01:06:00.519 --> 01:06:01.500 and to the Holy Spirit, 01:06:01.839 --> 01:06:03.159 be all honor and glory, 01:06:03.159 --> 01:06:04.420 now and forever. 01:06:05.159 --> 01:06:05.599 Amen. 01:06:06.839 --> 01:06:09.480 Now I invite the congregation to be seated 01:06:09.480 --> 01:06:11.639 and the first family 01:06:11.639 --> 01:06:13.539 to join me up here. 01:06:21.099 --> 01:06:21.940 That's great. 01:06:33.159 --> 01:06:35.159 Amen. 01:06:49.799 --> 01:06:50.199 Hello. 01:06:52.199 --> 01:06:52.599 Hello. 01:06:53.019 --> 01:06:53.659 How are you? 01:06:54.659 --> 01:06:55.399 Oh, Jesus, 01:06:55.539 --> 01:06:57.079 I pray that you would heal this finger. 01:06:58.000 --> 01:06:59.739 I pray that you would help it to feel better 01:06:59.739 --> 01:07:00.759 and take away all the pain. 01:07:02.179 --> 01:07:02.819 Come here. 01:07:03.819 --> 01:07:04.619 Come here. 01:07:04.920 --> 01:07:05.480 I know. 01:07:06.480 --> 01:07:07.399 I know. 01:07:07.920 --> 01:07:09.000 Scary man with a mask. 01:07:09.059 --> 01:07:09.940 You want to just hold her? 01:07:10.519 --> 01:07:11.519 Let's bring her over here. 01:07:14.219 --> 01:07:15.299 Name this child. 01:07:16.159 --> 01:07:18.539 Lillian Kathleen Netzel Hall. 01:07:19.839 --> 01:07:21.839 Lillian Kathleen Netzel Hall, 01:07:21.960 --> 01:07:23.119 I baptize you 01:07:23.119 --> 01:07:24.480 in the name of the Father, 01:07:25.539 --> 01:07:27.359 and of the Son, 01:07:27.360 --> 01:07:30.500 and of the Holy Spirit. 01:07:31.680 --> 01:07:32.240 Amen. 01:07:33.240 --> 01:07:36.180 You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism 01:07:36.180 --> 01:07:38.880 and marked as Christ's own forever. 01:07:39.740 --> 01:07:40.200 Amen. 01:07:41.200 --> 01:07:42.019 Good job. 01:07:42.019 --> 01:07:43.019 Hey. 01:07:43.559 --> 01:07:44.079 Hey. 01:07:44.639 --> 01:07:45.099 Hey. 01:07:48.940 --> 01:07:55.340 All right. 01:07:55.420 --> 01:07:56.000 The Lairds. 01:07:56.000 --> 01:08:09.940 oh yes there we go 01:08:09.940 --> 01:08:12.119 here I've got her 01:08:12.119 --> 01:08:16.479 there 01:08:16.479 --> 01:08:20.640 here 01:08:20.640 --> 01:08:23.979 you know we love you 01:08:23.979 --> 01:08:25.399 we are all crazy about you 01:08:25.399 --> 01:08:26.719 because you're absolutely beautiful 01:08:26.719 --> 01:08:29.439 but the one who loves you the most 01:08:29.439 --> 01:08:30.139 is Jesus 01:08:30.139 --> 01:08:32.879 it's actually because of his love 01:08:32.879 --> 01:08:34.299 that we baptize you now 01:08:34.299 --> 01:08:36.379 y'all come over here 01:08:36.379 --> 01:08:38.099 name this child 01:08:38.099 --> 01:08:42.920 Eve Elizabeth Laird 01:08:42.920 --> 01:08:45.279 I baptize you 01:08:45.279 --> 01:08:46.699 in the name of the Father 01:08:46.699 --> 01:08:49.519 and the Son 01:08:49.519 --> 01:08:55.379 and the Holy Spirit 01:08:55.380 --> 01:09:00.720 you are sealed by the Holy Spirit 01:09:00.720 --> 01:09:01.380 in baptism 01:09:01.380 --> 01:09:03.180 and marked as Christ's own 01:09:03.180 --> 01:09:04.199 forever and ever 01:09:04.199 --> 01:09:05.500 amen 01:09:05.500 --> 01:09:07.520 here 01:09:07.520 --> 01:09:09.980 here 01:09:09.980 --> 01:09:14.539 there we go 01:09:14.539 --> 01:09:19.680 there you go 01:09:19.680 --> 01:09:20.159 good 01:09:20.159 --> 01:09:40.260 all right 01:09:40.260 --> 01:09:43.500 hey 01:09:43.500 --> 01:09:44.699 hey 01:09:44.699 --> 01:09:47.079 hey beautiful 01:09:47.079 --> 01:09:49.479 hey you guys 01:09:49.479 --> 01:09:50.059 come over here 01:09:50.059 --> 01:09:51.179 so everybody can see 01:09:51.179 --> 01:09:54.779 you also are here 01:09:54.779 --> 01:09:55.279 and you are 01:09:55.279 --> 01:09:56.380 greatly loved 01:09:56.380 --> 01:09:59.800 the one who loves you the most 01:09:59.800 --> 01:10:00.279 is Jesus 01:10:00.279 --> 01:10:01.760 and it's because of the love of Jesus 01:10:01.760 --> 01:10:03.880 that we're going to baptize you 01:10:03.880 --> 01:10:06.119 you're going to make lots of promises 01:10:06.119 --> 01:10:07.859 and you're probably going to break most of them 01:10:07.859 --> 01:10:08.819 if you're anything like me 01:10:08.819 --> 01:10:11.539 but Jesus never breaks his promises 01:10:11.539 --> 01:10:14.099 and when Jesus loves you 01:10:14.099 --> 01:10:15.539 and he promises to be with you 01:10:15.539 --> 01:10:18.099 he will always keep that promise 01:10:18.099 --> 01:10:19.699 name this child 01:10:19.699 --> 01:10:21.939 Alexander Francis Haig 01:10:21.939 --> 01:10:23.880 Alexander Francis Haig 01:10:23.880 --> 01:10:26.980 I baptize you in the name of the Father 01:10:26.980 --> 01:10:29.659 and the Son 01:10:29.659 --> 01:10:35.579 and the Holy Spirit 01:10:35.579 --> 01:10:41.440 you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism 01:10:41.440 --> 01:10:44.119 and you are marked as Christ's own 01:10:44.119 --> 01:10:45.500 forever and ever 01:10:45.500 --> 01:10:48.180 Amen 01:10:48.180 --> 01:10:54.720 There you go 01:10:54.720 --> 01:11:19.159 Hey 01:11:19.159 --> 01:11:20.440 Hey 01:11:20.440 --> 01:11:22.240 Hey cutie 01:11:22.240 --> 01:11:23.579 say hi to everybody 01:11:23.579 --> 01:11:26.340 hi 01:11:26.340 --> 01:11:28.019 yeah 01:11:28.019 --> 01:11:32.779 we love you very much 01:11:32.779 --> 01:11:34.079 but Jesus loves you the most 01:11:34.079 --> 01:11:36.059 and it's because of Jesus 01:11:36.059 --> 01:11:37.079 that you're here today 01:11:37.079 --> 01:11:39.720 name this child 01:11:39.720 --> 01:11:42.000 Polly Adair Sayo 01:11:42.000 --> 01:11:44.260 Polly Adair Sayo 01:11:44.260 --> 01:11:48.180 I baptize you in the name of the Father 01:11:48.180 --> 01:11:51.300 and of the Son 01:11:51.300 --> 01:11:55.000 and of the Holy Spirit 01:11:55.000 --> 01:11:58.960 you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism 01:11:58.960 --> 01:12:01.180 and you are marked as Christ's own 01:12:01.180 --> 01:12:02.119 forever and ever 01:12:02.119 --> 01:12:03.920 Amen 01:12:03.920 --> 01:12:08.800 Here you go 01:12:08.800 --> 01:12:11.380 Okay 01:12:11.380 --> 01:12:13.420 Alright 01:12:13.420 --> 01:12:23.500 Heavenly Father we thank you that by water and the Holy Spirit 01:12:23.500 --> 01:12:28.000 you have bestowed upon these your servants the forgiveness of sin 01:12:28.000 --> 01:12:30.880 received them as your own children by adoption 01:12:30.880 --> 01:12:33.199 made them members of your Holy Church 01:12:33.199 --> 01:12:35.760 and raised them to new life in grace 01:12:35.760 --> 01:12:38.539 sustain them O Lord in your Holy Spirit 01:12:38.539 --> 01:12:42.520 that they may enjoy everlasting salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord 01:12:42.520 --> 01:12:43.659 Amen 01:12:43.659 --> 01:12:50.579 Now we're going to have a presentation of gifts that each of our newly baptized members 01:12:50.579 --> 01:12:51.460 receives 01:12:51.460 --> 01:12:57.079 We are so excited and glad to welcome these newly baptized children into our family 01:12:57.079 --> 01:13:00.880 We have a few gifts from our family ministries and also from our congregation as a whole 01:13:00.880 --> 01:13:02.559 The first is a baptism certificate 01:13:02.560 --> 01:13:08.120 We also provide a book that explains baptism at a level appropriate to a child's age 01:13:08.120 --> 01:13:13.240 and then finally a baptism candle that can be lit on the anniversary of your child's baptism each year 01:13:13.240 --> 01:13:17.340 So now we're going to do something that's a tradition in our church 01:13:17.340 --> 01:13:19.500 and that is to mark this moment 01:13:19.500 --> 01:13:22.020 the beginning of their education as Christians 01:13:22.020 --> 01:13:23.620 by singing a song to them 01:13:23.620 --> 01:13:27.039 Instead of singing Jesus Loves Me 01:13:27.039 --> 01:13:29.760 we're going to sing Jesus Loves You 01:13:29.760 --> 01:13:31.880 And we're going to go through it a couple of times 01:13:31.880 --> 01:13:34.600 because we're actually going to recess out of the sanctuary 01:13:34.600 --> 01:13:36.380 and then we're going to come back in 01:13:36.380 --> 01:13:40.600 and that marks their formal entry into the family of God 01:13:40.600 --> 01:13:44.060 So as we recess and precess, let's sing together 01:13:44.060 --> 01:13:49.659 Jesus loves you this time 01:13:59.760 --> 01:14:05.860 Jesus loves you this time 01:14:05.880 --> 01:14:11.159 So as we guest leaders here 01:14:11.159 --> 01:14:15.480 Jesus loves you this time 01:14:15.480 --> 01:14:17.800 Jesus loves you this time 01:14:17.800 --> 01:14:19.560 Jesus loves you this time 01:14:19.560 --> 01:14:22.500 Jesus loves you this time 01:14:22.500 --> 01:14:51.720 He is strong 01:14:52.500 --> 01:14:56.819 Yes, Jesus loves you 01:14:56.819 --> 01:15:02.399 Yes, Jesus loves you 01:15:02.399 --> 01:15:08.060 Yes, Jesus loves you 01:15:08.060 --> 01:15:13.760 The Bible tells me so 01:15:13.760 --> 01:15:20.100 Let's say these words together and welcome the newly baptized. 01:15:20.100 --> 01:15:33.980 We receive you into the fellowship of the church, confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in the royal priesthood of all of his people. 01:15:33.979 --> 01:15:36.819 I invite everybody to stand. 01:15:38.919 --> 01:15:42.059 May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be always with you. 01:15:43.719 --> 01:15:50.000 Let us greet one another with the peace of Christ and let's give thanks for these new members of our family. 01:15:50.339 --> 01:15:51.059 Praise the Lord. 01:15:51.060 --> 01:15:56.900 Now please greet one another with the peace of Christ. 01:15:56.899 --> 01:16:26.879 Thank you. 01:16:26.899 --> 01:16:28.899 Thank you. 01:16:28.899 --> 01:16:29.899 Thank you. 01:16:29.899 --> 01:16:30.899 Thank you. 01:16:30.899 --> 01:16:31.899 Thank you. 01:16:31.899 --> 01:16:32.899 Thank you. 01:16:34.899 --> 01:16:38.319 All right. 01:16:38.339 --> 01:16:39.479 If you could please be seated. 01:16:42.420 --> 01:16:45.479 Once again, we wanted to welcome you to our church, the Church of the Advent. 01:16:45.479 --> 01:16:50.079 And we know we have many newcomers today for the baptisms and other newcomers as well. 01:16:50.159 --> 01:16:51.500 So thanks for worshiping with us. 01:16:51.859 --> 01:16:56.799 If you would like some more information about our church and just let us know that you're here, you can fill out our digital welcome card. 01:16:57.500 --> 01:17:00.479 And you can text the word connect to the number that you see on the screen. 01:17:00.479 --> 01:17:03.119 We also have it on our homepage of our website at the bottom. 01:17:03.259 --> 01:17:04.859 You can click on there and fill it out as well. 01:17:04.979 --> 01:17:09.519 But that just gives us a chance to send you some information and find ways to get you connected to our church. 01:17:09.619 --> 01:17:11.119 So thanks for being with us this morning. 01:17:12.159 --> 01:17:13.199 Just a few announcements. 01:17:13.419 --> 01:17:15.199 First of all, children's ministry. 01:17:15.199 --> 01:17:17.859 This week is the last week of our summer programming. 01:17:18.059 --> 01:17:23.939 So that's we've also we've had nursery for two and under and preschool worship and play for threes and fours. 01:17:24.099 --> 01:17:30.139 We are planning to launch our full fall in-person programming for nursery through eighth grade next week. 01:17:30.539 --> 01:17:37.559 And so just a reminder that if your child plans to participate even occasionally this fall, then we would ask that you register them so that we can plan ahead for that. 01:17:37.560 --> 01:17:41.900 Registration for our fall core groups is open. 01:17:42.280 --> 01:17:45.260 And you can view all of these on our website under the tab connect. 01:17:45.600 --> 01:17:46.700 And I wanted to encourage you. 01:17:46.820 --> 01:17:50.940 I know if you're new, this is a great way to just plug in immediately and get to know people. 01:17:51.360 --> 01:17:54.800 I know for some people you might feel like, you know, I'm really busy. 01:17:55.039 --> 01:17:56.660 It's hard to get involved. 01:17:56.800 --> 01:17:58.460 But I would just encourage you to look at the list. 01:17:58.840 --> 01:18:00.800 We have, of course, groups that meet every week in person. 01:18:00.900 --> 01:18:05.120 But we also have groups that meet online, different frequencies every other week, once a month. 01:18:05.600 --> 01:18:06.740 Groups for men, for women. 01:18:06.739 --> 01:18:09.539 So just check it out and see if there might be a group that would work for you. 01:18:09.599 --> 01:18:12.239 We'd really encourage you to get involved in a core group this fall. 01:18:12.659 --> 01:18:14.880 Core groups are going to begin meeting after Labor Day. 01:18:15.279 --> 01:18:17.579 So after next week. 01:18:18.000 --> 01:18:19.059 Some groups have caps. 01:18:19.199 --> 01:18:21.479 And so be sure to, if you want to sign up for one, sign up soon. 01:18:21.699 --> 01:18:24.579 I'd like to invite up a couple of core group leaders who are going to be sharing. 01:18:25.000 --> 01:18:27.039 Sarah Das, Chris, and Robert. 01:18:32.760 --> 01:18:34.939 They are going to be sharing about their groups specifically. 01:18:34.939 --> 01:18:36.859 Hey, y'all. 01:18:37.079 --> 01:18:39.319 I just wanted to share about the women's core group. 01:18:39.419 --> 01:18:40.759 I did this group last year. 01:18:40.859 --> 01:18:45.839 It was a real blessing and a gift to me at a time when I was feeling pretty isolated and lonely. 01:18:46.039 --> 01:18:47.739 So we are going to meet Wednesday nights. 01:18:48.299 --> 01:18:49.519 We'll do Compline. 01:18:49.599 --> 01:18:53.079 It will be in Darlene Malden's beautiful backyard in Riverdale. 01:18:53.159 --> 01:18:54.679 I really hope you'll join us. 01:18:55.739 --> 01:18:56.000 Yeah. 01:18:56.199 --> 01:18:56.899 Hope to see you there. 01:18:56.899 --> 01:18:59.759 Hi there. 01:18:59.960 --> 01:19:00.799 I'm Chris Holby. 01:19:00.939 --> 01:19:02.039 This is Robert Gunter. 01:19:02.879 --> 01:19:04.979 We'll be leading the men's core group. 01:19:05.559 --> 01:19:06.920 This is a new group. 01:19:07.059 --> 01:19:18.460 It's inspired by some men that have been leading the men's ministry, as well as some other guys at Advent who have been looking for a group focused on male fellowship for some time. 01:19:18.460 --> 01:19:36.960 I should say this group is open to all adult men, my own children who won't go to bed, notwithstanding, and newbies, oldies, everybody at Advent, and also men outside of Advent. 01:19:37.279 --> 01:19:39.100 We'd like it to be an open door. 01:19:39.100 --> 01:19:50.280 We'll meet for food, discussion of the word, Tommy's sermons, really whatever we feel like discussing, and prayer. 01:19:51.039 --> 01:19:52.860 So I hope you'll join us. 01:19:53.000 --> 01:19:53.400 I'll pass it right. 01:19:54.640 --> 01:19:56.260 And then a few quick logistics. 01:19:56.700 --> 01:20:00.320 We'll be at the Holby's house in Edgewood on their back patio. 01:20:00.960 --> 01:20:03.440 It will be the first and third Wednesdays of every month. 01:20:03.640 --> 01:20:06.700 So the 15th, not this Wednesday, but the next will be our first meeting. 01:20:06.699 --> 01:20:13.500 I think 730, we'll have food provided, about 45 minutes or so of that, and then the discussion afterwards. 01:20:13.779 --> 01:20:23.599 And if you have questions, myself, Chris, Chad McCracken, Josh Britton, Ben Evans, Jeff Simpson, Mike Preston are guys you can go to for more info. 01:20:23.960 --> 01:20:28.000 And we'll be out in front of the church by the benches after the service to answer any questions. 01:20:28.340 --> 01:20:28.659 Thanks. 01:20:29.679 --> 01:20:30.239 All right. 01:20:30.279 --> 01:20:32.279 Thanks so much, Serdas, Chris, Robert. 01:20:32.279 --> 01:20:42.439 On Friday, we sent out a Rector's Video update announcing an event that's coming up that we are going to be co-hosting with the Trinity Forum. 01:20:42.579 --> 01:20:45.179 Those of you who have been around, we've co-hosted events in the past. 01:20:45.579 --> 01:20:54.039 COVID put a little bit of a pause on that, but we have a grant and are going to be co-hosting and then putting on events with follow-up dinner discussions of those events. 01:20:54.039 --> 01:20:56.199 And so we have an event coming up. 01:20:56.300 --> 01:20:57.939 It's this coming Friday at 1.30. 01:20:57.960 --> 01:21:01.220 It's online, and it is on the topic of transhumanism. 01:21:01.479 --> 01:21:06.060 So these are events that kind of are around subjects of science and faith. 01:21:06.180 --> 01:21:10.859 So if you did not know what transhumanism is and you had to look that up, then you're not the only one. 01:21:11.180 --> 01:21:18.319 So this is exploring the question of artificial inheritance, artificial intelligence, and how this shapes our vision of what it means to be human. 01:21:18.319 --> 01:21:22.340 And so we have a couple, a theologian and a scientist who will be discussing that on Friday. 01:21:22.519 --> 01:21:27.739 And then there will be a follow-up dinner discussion on Sunday night at the Tacoma Busboys and Poets. 01:21:27.779 --> 01:21:33.699 We have a cap of 30 for that, but Pastor Tommy will be leading that discussion and talking about this event. 01:21:33.799 --> 01:21:37.599 So if you can't participate on Friday, it will be recorded and put out the next day. 01:21:37.719 --> 01:21:41.599 So as long as you can watch it in advance, you could participate in that dinner discussion. 01:21:42.159 --> 01:21:43.880 And then this is just also a great opportunity. 01:21:43.880 --> 01:21:49.539 If you know people who might not come to church but might be interested in talking about science and faith and are exploring that, 01:21:49.619 --> 01:21:51.640 then this would be a great thing to invite them to as well. 01:21:56.039 --> 01:22:00.079 Now we have an opportunity just to recognize a couple of people before we come to the Lord's table. 01:22:00.500 --> 01:22:07.739 We've got a, there's a few people that we just need to, we need to mark that they were here and mark how God has used them in our community. 01:22:07.739 --> 01:22:21.539 The first is Pastor Anwar, who if you've been around any this summer, you know, you know what Anwar has meant to us. 01:22:21.719 --> 01:22:27.119 He is a pastor at Tacoma Park, Seventh-day Adventist Church, our wonderful friends here. 01:22:27.119 --> 01:22:34.500 When we knew the Beelmans were going to be going on sabbatical, we wanted someone who could come in and really just sort of take the lead 01:22:34.500 --> 01:22:36.800 and basically be an interim worship pastor for the summer. 01:22:37.420 --> 01:22:41.199 And we asked Anwar and praise the Lord, he said yes. 01:22:41.340 --> 01:22:52.699 And I know I speak for everybody when I say it's just been an absolute tremendous joy to serve with you, to worship under your leadership. 01:22:52.699 --> 01:23:00.639 All of the time that we've gotten to spend before service, just sort of setting up, getting to know each other, just for me personally, has just been extraordinarily rich. 01:23:01.019 --> 01:23:02.859 And I think he's brought a lot to our community. 01:23:02.859 --> 01:23:07.019 And he says that he'll be willing to come back from time to time. 01:23:07.019 --> 01:23:14.979 And there might be some ways that we do, that we swap Dan and Anwar, that we hope still to bring in Pastor Nixon to preach. 01:23:15.399 --> 01:23:19.880 And I hope for an opportunity maybe to go and greet their people with God's word as well. 01:23:19.880 --> 01:23:22.579 So we're looking forward to future opportunities for collaboration. 01:23:22.720 --> 01:23:27.640 But I just want to join together and give thanks for Anwar and all of the blessings that he has been. 01:23:38.119 --> 01:23:40.539 Next, I'd love to invite Luke and Jill to join me up here. 01:23:41.699 --> 01:23:47.100 You know, D.C. being what it is, we have people coming and going on a pretty regular basis. 01:23:47.100 --> 01:23:52.840 And honestly, we don't take time in the service to recognize a lot of people when they leave. 01:23:52.840 --> 01:23:57.160 Not because we don't love them, but simply because if we did that, we would be doing it every week all the time. 01:23:57.780 --> 01:24:01.060 But every now and then, we sort of break out of the norm. 01:24:01.180 --> 01:24:05.000 And we want to just take a moment to mark when certain people leave. 01:24:05.079 --> 01:24:07.860 And typically, these are people who have just been very instrumental. 01:24:08.380 --> 01:24:10.539 Often people who have been working behind the scenes. 01:24:10.920 --> 01:24:13.200 People who do a lot to make our church work. 01:24:13.199 --> 01:24:16.319 But maybe you don't see them because they're not up front often. 01:24:16.500 --> 01:24:21.699 And these are some of our most important people because they're really the key to our church operating. 01:24:22.000 --> 01:24:24.960 And to us being able to come together and worship the way we have. 01:24:25.159 --> 01:24:29.359 You know, Luke and Jill have been around Advent for five years. 01:24:29.460 --> 01:24:31.739 They've led several core groups together. 01:24:32.439 --> 01:24:35.779 Luke jumped in and started running sound. 01:24:35.979 --> 01:24:39.300 And has since been serving as our production ministry head. 01:24:39.300 --> 01:24:41.180 Which is a high pressure role. 01:24:41.539 --> 01:24:42.380 Let me tell you. 01:24:42.500 --> 01:24:45.739 It takes a certain kind of person to be able to do that. 01:24:46.180 --> 01:24:48.480 He's been doing that for almost three years. 01:24:48.579 --> 01:24:51.400 I'm not sure what the average lifespan of somebody in that role is. 01:24:51.579 --> 01:24:52.739 But he's been doing it for three years. 01:24:52.779 --> 01:24:53.619 Which is pretty amazing. 01:24:54.500 --> 01:24:57.199 He's also been our resident statistician. 01:24:57.579 --> 01:24:58.860 So he looks at all of our numbers. 01:24:58.980 --> 01:25:03.720 And helps us predict what current and future giving trends might look like. 01:25:03.739 --> 01:25:05.960 Which is very important as we on the parish council. 01:25:05.960 --> 01:25:09.460 Our planning, spending, and budgets for the coming years. 01:25:11.380 --> 01:25:14.960 Jill has served on our prayer team. 01:25:15.060 --> 01:25:16.579 Leading us in the prayers of the people. 01:25:17.020 --> 01:25:18.960 She's led us in the reading of scripture. 01:25:19.279 --> 01:25:21.480 On the Eucharistic prayer ministry team. 01:25:22.020 --> 01:25:24.420 And the Shemiks are now headed to Charlottesville. 01:25:24.600 --> 01:25:30.140 Where Luke's going to be doing a postdoc in the Democratic Statecraft Lab at UVA. 01:25:30.480 --> 01:25:33.420 Jill's going to continue working with IU admissions. 01:25:33.420 --> 01:25:36.579 So she will be passing through D.C. from time to time. 01:25:36.699 --> 01:25:41.859 So we will hopefully see you here and there when you're visiting schools in the DMV area. 01:25:42.819 --> 01:25:45.859 They obviously, these are huge shoes to fill. 01:25:46.020 --> 01:25:51.859 And we're praying now for who might step up into the very important role that they have served in our church. 01:25:51.940 --> 01:25:57.440 But I just want to take a moment to give thanks to God for these amazing people. 01:25:57.560 --> 01:25:58.960 And to bless them on their journey. 01:25:59.100 --> 01:25:59.840 So let's give thanks. 01:25:59.840 --> 01:25:59.899 Thank you. 01:25:59.899 --> 01:25:59.940 Thank you. 01:25:59.940 --> 01:25:59.980 Thank you. 01:25:59.980 --> 01:26:00.039 Thank you. 01:26:03.420 --> 01:26:07.940 And I just want to pray. 01:26:08.460 --> 01:26:11.119 If we could just join together and pray for this transition. 01:26:13.000 --> 01:26:14.480 Lord, we thank you. 01:26:15.199 --> 01:26:17.539 I'm reminded how you say in scripture. 01:26:17.699 --> 01:26:22.319 You say in Ephesians 4 that Jesus sets people free from captivity. 01:26:22.800 --> 01:26:24.940 And that he gives them as gifts to the church. 01:26:24.939 --> 01:26:30.939 That the spoils of war are actually people who have been set free from sin and death. 01:26:31.019 --> 01:26:34.979 Whom you give to your church as gifts to do what only they can do. 01:26:35.539 --> 01:26:39.719 Lord, and I think about the way that Jill and Luke have served. 01:26:40.099 --> 01:26:41.479 Often selflessly, Lord. 01:26:41.579 --> 01:26:44.139 Often at great sacrifice to themselves. 01:26:44.359 --> 01:26:46.500 And often behind the scenes, Lord. 01:26:46.500 --> 01:26:48.960 In ways that have really been central to the life of our church. 01:26:48.960 --> 01:26:52.680 I ask that you would bless them now as they transition to Charlottesville. 01:26:52.840 --> 01:26:54.720 As Luke starts this new program, Lord. 01:26:54.779 --> 01:26:58.239 I pray that you would provide them a wonderful place to live. 01:26:58.439 --> 01:26:59.779 That you would provide community. 01:27:00.180 --> 01:27:02.300 That you would provide them a church to worship in. 01:27:02.600 --> 01:27:04.140 That you would provide them friends. 01:27:04.420 --> 01:27:08.239 That you would provide them everything they need, Lord, for this next chapter of their life. 01:27:08.619 --> 01:27:10.159 I ask that you would bless them. 01:27:10.640 --> 01:27:11.520 Provide for them. 01:27:11.640 --> 01:27:13.819 And continue to lead them in all that they do. 01:27:13.819 --> 01:27:17.039 And I ask this in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 01:27:17.579 --> 01:27:17.859 Amen. 01:27:18.500 --> 01:27:18.939 Amen. 01:27:27.500 --> 01:27:29.059 Alright, another thank you. 01:27:30.119 --> 01:27:34.639 This is our last Sunday doing our summer programming with our kids. 01:27:34.979 --> 01:27:36.380 Ages four and under. 01:27:36.519 --> 01:27:41.039 And I just want to say how thankful we are for the volunteers who made this possible. 01:27:41.039 --> 01:27:45.779 You know, COVID was a time when it was very easy just to turn inward and to go into survival mode. 01:27:46.519 --> 01:27:50.019 And there were some people who really were willing to step up and say, 01:27:50.159 --> 01:27:53.500 Whatever you guys need, we're here. 01:27:53.819 --> 01:27:54.359 We will do it. 01:27:54.420 --> 01:27:54.960 We will serve. 01:27:55.079 --> 01:27:55.880 We will make it happen. 01:27:56.279 --> 01:27:58.319 And with our kids, that was particularly important. 01:27:58.640 --> 01:28:06.560 We had about 30 volunteers who served in nursery and in preschool worship and play in this last season of children's ministry. 01:28:06.979 --> 01:28:09.199 And that included five student volunteers. 01:28:09.199 --> 01:28:13.319 So, if you're one of those 30, could you please just stand where you are? 01:28:13.619 --> 01:28:16.720 If you served with our kids during this last season. 01:28:16.800 --> 01:28:17.340 There we go. 01:28:17.460 --> 01:28:18.000 There's some of them. 01:28:18.119 --> 01:28:18.619 Stand up. 01:28:25.159 --> 01:28:33.420 Now, they stepped up at a point of transition to lead and to serve children who were truly learning to be in church together. 01:28:33.420 --> 01:28:36.940 A lot of these kids had never been to church before. 01:28:37.819 --> 01:28:44.859 Our nursery volunteers had to engage and comfort extra fussy babies and toddlers. 01:28:45.060 --> 01:28:55.720 And our preschool volunteers were able to create a safe and welcoming and joyful space outside for our three- and four-year-olds to worship together for the first time since they were babies. 01:28:55.720 --> 01:29:01.480 And so, I'm just, I'm absolutely staggered anytime I see people step up and serve that way. 01:29:01.539 --> 01:29:03.159 I mean, that is the church being the church. 01:29:03.600 --> 01:29:06.020 And I just want to say an extra special thank you. 01:29:06.340 --> 01:29:17.039 And if these people would please stand, should go out to Megan Moore, Alison Manuel, Sarados Holby, and Audrey Adams, who really stepped up with creativity and leadership. 01:29:17.039 --> 01:29:19.779 So, give thanks for them. 01:29:26.000 --> 01:29:28.439 So, this posture of gratitude is very appropriate. 01:29:28.579 --> 01:29:29.899 We're about to come to the Lord's table. 01:29:30.380 --> 01:29:34.439 And it's appropriate that we take a moment and reflect on the blessings of God in our lives. 01:29:34.979 --> 01:29:40.319 And for those who would like to give an offering as an act of worship, there are several ways that you can do that. 01:29:41.060 --> 01:29:43.119 Three of them are listed on the screen behind me. 01:29:43.119 --> 01:29:53.479 And then for those of us who are here in person, you can give an offering by coming up and putting an offering in the offering boxes as you come up to receive the Lord's Supper. 01:29:53.880 --> 01:29:57.159 At this time, we're going to come down and we're going to celebrate at this table. 01:29:57.260 --> 01:30:00.899 So, I'm going to say farewell to our people who are joining in via live stream. 01:30:01.220 --> 01:30:04.279 I ask God's blessing and protection and provision on your life. 01:30:04.680 --> 01:30:09.239 And we look forward to seeing you or joining with you virtually again next week. 01:30:09.239 --> 01:30:19.659 Now, as we prepare to come to the Lord's table, I want to make it clear that this is not the table of Church of the Advent. 01:30:19.840 --> 01:30:20.239 This is...