WEBVTT

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 Good morning, everybody. My name is Jenny and I'm a member at Brantsfield Evangelical Church.

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 Welcome to our service today. I'm going to read from Acts chapter 19.

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 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus.

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 There he found some disciples and asked them,

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 Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?

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 They answered, No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.

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 So Paul asked, Then what baptism did you receive?

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 John's baptism, they replied.

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 Paul said, John's baptism was a baptism of repentance.

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 He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.

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 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

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 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

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 There were about twelve men in all.

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 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.

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 But some of them became obstinate.

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 They refused to believe and publicly maligned the way.

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 So Paul left them.

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 He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

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 This went on for two years,

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 so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

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 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,

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 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to those who were ill,

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 and their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them.

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 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus

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 over those who were demon-possessed.

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 They would say,

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 In the name of the Lord Jesus,

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 whom Paul preaches,

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 I command you to come out.

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 Seven sons of Siva,

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 a Jewish chief priest,

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 were doing this.

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 One day the evil spirit answered them,

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 Jesus I know,

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 and Paul I know about,

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 because who are you?

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 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all.

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 He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house,

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 naked and bleeding.

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 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus,

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 they were all seized with fear,

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 and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.

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 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.

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 A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly.

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 When they calculated the value of the scrolls,

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 the total came to 50,000 drachmas.

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 In this way,

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 the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

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 After all this had happened,

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 Paul decided to go to Jerusalem,

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 passing through Macedonia and Achaia.

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 After I have been there,

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 he said,

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 I must visit Rome also.

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 He sent two of his helpers,

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 Timothy and Erastus,

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 to Macedonia,

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 while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer.

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 About that time,

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 there arose a great disturbance about the way.

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 A silversmith named Demetrius,

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 who made silver shrines of Artemis,

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 brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.

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 He called them together,

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 along with the workers in related trades,

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 and said,

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 You know, my friends,

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 that we receive a good income from this business.

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 And you see and hear how this fellow,

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 Paul,

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 has convinced and led a stray large numbers of people here in Ephesus,

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 and in practically the whole province of Asia.

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 He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.

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 There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name,

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 but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited,

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 and the goddess herself,

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 who is worshipped throughout the province of Asia and the world,

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 will be robbed of her divine majesty.

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 When they heard this,

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 they were furious and began shouting,

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 Great is Artemis of Ephesians,

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 Soon the whole city was in an uproar.

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 The people seized Gaius and Arasarchus,

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 Paul's travelling companions from Macedonia,

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 and all of them rushed into the theatre together.

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 Paul wanted to appear before the crowd,

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 but the disciples would not let him.

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 Even some of the officials of the province,

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 friends of Paul,

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 sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theatre.

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 The assembly was in confusion.

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 Some were shouting one thing,

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 some another.

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 Most of the people did not even know why they were there.

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 The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front,

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 and they shouted instructions to him.

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 He motioned for silence in order to make a defence before the people.

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 But when they realised he was a Jew,

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 they all shouted in unison for about two hours,

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 Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.

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 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said,

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 Fellow Ephesians,

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 doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus

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 is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis

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 and of her image,

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 which fell from heaven?

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 Therefore,

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 since these facts are undeniable,

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 you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.

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 You have brought these men here,

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 though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.

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 If then,

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 Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody,

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 the courts are open,

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 and there are pro-consuls.

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 They can press charges.

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 If there is anything further you want to bring up,

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 it must be settled in a legal assembly.

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 As it is,

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 we are in danger of being charged with rioting

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 because of what happened today.

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 In that case,

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 we would not be able to account for this commotion

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 since there is no reason for it.

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 After he had said this,

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 he dismissed the assembly.

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 Let us pray.

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 Lord, we thank you that we are able to meet like this

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 and read this passage together

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 and hear the message from Graham.

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 We ask that you'll give us receptive hearts

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 and will help us to listen to what you have to say to us

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 via the message.

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 We pray that as well as listening to it

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 and enjoying the message,

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 we might also meditate and think about it

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 and also apply it to our own lives

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 in the weeks ahead.

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 Amen.

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 Well, good morning, everyone.

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 It's wonderful to have you with us.

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 Please can I encourage you to grab a Bible

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 and come with me to Acts chapter 19.

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 It's so important that we have the word of God

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 open in front of us

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 so we can hear his voice.

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 So get Acts chapter 19 open in front of you.

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 We're going to finish this morning

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 a little series that we've been in

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 over the last few weeks

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 looking at what happened

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 when the gospel,

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 the message of Jesus,

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 what happened when it first hit Europe.

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 Now, to get us into this today,

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 let me take you back to your childhood.

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 I wonder if you were like me.

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 I wonder if you ever found yourself

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 playing this game called Pooh Sticks.

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 No one ever explained to me

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 why it was called that.

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 To this day, it's still a mystery,

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 but that's what we called it.

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 It was called Pooh Sticks.

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 And it wasn't the most complicated of games, really.

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 You found yourself a bridge.

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 You found yourself a mate.

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 You found yourself a stick.

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 And what happened is

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 you both dropped your sticks

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 into the river at one side

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 and then you legged it

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 to the other side of the bridge

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 to see whose stick was the first

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 to come out the other side of the bridge.

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 Right?

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 Told you it wasn't the most complicated of the games.

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 But here was the science behind the game.

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 Really simply,

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 your stick always went

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 with the flow of the river.

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 Right?

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 And we sometimes use that phrase,

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 don't we, to describe

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 how somebody is living.

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 We talk about somebody

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 who just goes with the flow.

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 They're happy to drift along

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 in the same direction

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 that everyone else seems to be going.

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 They're happy to think the same things,

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 to behave the same way,

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 to have the same dreams,

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 just following the flow

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 of the cultural river

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 as a cultural poo stick.

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 So here we are in Acts chapter 19.

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 Paul has arrived in the city of Ephesus.

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 And let me show you the flow

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 of the cultural river of Ephesus.

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 You see, your lonely planet guide to Ephesus

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 is dominated by one thing.

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 The Ephesus tour bus stops in one place.

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 Right?

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 Edinburgh has the castle.

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 Paris has the Eiffel Tower.

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 Pisa has the leaning tower.

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 Ephesus, in the first century,

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 has the great temple of Artemis.

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 She is the goddess, if you like,

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 of life and health.

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 And she's said to live

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 in this huge pillared temple

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 which dominates the city's skyline.

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 In fact, it is one of the seven wonders

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 of the ancient world.

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 It's an incredible thing to look at.

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 And people flock from all over

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 to see the temple of Artemis,

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 not just because of how it looks,

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 but they come here

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 to see what the whole setup is about.

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 What does the whole setup represent in Ephesus?

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 Health, wealth, and happiness.

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 Happiness.

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 That's what the people in Ephesus,

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 they love.

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 Right?

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 They love those things.

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 Health, wealth, and happiness.

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 See, if ever any of those things

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 is in jeopardy,

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 boy, they will come out swinging and fighting.

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 So here's the song that you'll hear

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 on every jukebox in Ephesus.

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 Here's the chant that you'll hear

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 on the streets from the people.

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 We get it twice in our passage.

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 Look with me.

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 Verse 28 is the first time we get it.

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 Right?

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 Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.

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 And again, verse 34.

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 Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.

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 Except they go on this time for two hours.

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 That's an awful lot of chanting.

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 They love Artemis.

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 That's the flow of the cultural river of Ephesus.

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 Just worshipping Artemis.

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 And the thing to see is it's a city full of poo stick people.

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 And your boy Paul turns up in this city.

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 And he starts preaching about Jesus.

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 This God man sent to earth from a loving heavenly father

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 who came and lived perfectly,

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 who died unjustly on the cross

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 as a perfect substitute for the sin in our lives

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 that's offended our creator.

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 And he rose and he lives and he offers forgiveness

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 and he offers hope and he offers newness of life

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 to all those who would humble themselves,

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 look to him, behold him, and believe.

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 And this same Jesus one day will return to judge the world.

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 On the basis of what?

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 On the basis of how they have responded to him.

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 That's the message.

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 His audience?

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 The people going with the flow of the cultural river of Ephesus.

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 Paul is preaching in the synagogue.

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 Paul is teaching in the public lecture hall.

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 And he's doing it consistently over a period of time.

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 And all of a sudden what seems to happen by the grace of God

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 is that salmon start appearing in the Ephesian river.

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 Right?

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 Those who listen, who believe, who repent,

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 just means turn around, do a 180,

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 and they start swimming upstream.

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 Now how has that happened?

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 Come with me.

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 It has happened through the word of the Lord.

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 Let me just pick out two verses for you.

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 Come with me where Luke shows us this.

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 In fact, I think this is his big thing that he wants us to see

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 as he records this episode in Acts chapter 19.

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 See what's happening here.

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 Verse 10.

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 This went on for two years,

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 so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia

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 heard, heard what?

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 Heard the word of the Lord.

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 And then verse 20.

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 In this way, the word of the Lord spread widely,

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 and it grew in power.

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 So what's happening here is Paul is just opening the scriptures.

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 He's explaining Jesus,

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 and the Holy Spirit is moving in power

00:13:30.280 --> 00:13:31.720
 through the word of the Lord

00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:33.600
 and impacting people's lives,

00:13:34.940 --> 00:13:36.639
 penetrating people's souls,

00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:38.420
 bringing this deep conviction

00:13:38.420 --> 00:13:42.759
 of sin that I am not right with my creator God,

00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:48.399
 exposing the darkness and the darkness of the human heart,

00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:53.120
 and shining brightly on Christ,

00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:55.059
 and saying,

00:13:55.419 --> 00:13:57.700
 behold the Lamb of God.

00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:01.539
 Behold the beauty of Jesus Christ.

00:14:01.539 --> 00:14:08.379
 And that is making a seismic impact on people's lives.

00:14:09.980 --> 00:14:12.059
 Which is why, as a side note,

00:14:12.139 --> 00:14:15.959
 if ever our friends and our family members who we love

00:14:15.959 --> 00:14:18.740
 are ever to come to meet Jesus for themselves,

00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:21.099
 friends, it is going to happen through us opening

00:14:21.099 --> 00:14:22.459
 the word of the Lord

00:14:22.459 --> 00:14:25.939
 and allowing the Holy Spirit to take these words

00:14:25.940 --> 00:14:27.340
 and impact their lives.

00:14:30.020 --> 00:14:33.160
 The word of the Lord is bringing radical

00:14:33.160 --> 00:14:37.200
 and holistic change into people's lives.

00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:41.300
 This God is into the business of transformation

00:14:41.300 --> 00:14:42.980
 by his grace.

00:14:43.980 --> 00:14:44.600
 And you say,

00:14:44.680 --> 00:14:46.660
 well, in what ways have people been changed?

00:14:46.740 --> 00:14:48.500
 Let me just pick out two ways here

00:14:48.500 --> 00:14:51.500
 how people have been changed by the word of the Lord.

00:14:53.659 --> 00:14:54.059
 Firstly,

00:14:54.539 --> 00:14:57.779
 in terms of the affection of their hearts.

00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:00.379
 Because here is what we find out.

00:15:00.419 --> 00:15:01.080
 If you come with me,

00:15:01.559 --> 00:15:03.840
 here's what we find out about the people in Ephesus

00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:05.379
 in verses 11 to 20.

00:15:06.500 --> 00:15:10.059
 It appears that many of them are caught up in the occult.

00:15:11.700 --> 00:15:13.399
 We get mentioned here of witchcraft,

00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:14.580
 of magic arts,

00:15:14.600 --> 00:15:16.519
 of sorcery, right?

00:15:16.620 --> 00:15:17.700
 Today, what you're looking at,

00:15:17.700 --> 00:15:18.940
 you're looking at Ouija boards,

00:15:19.100 --> 00:15:19.720
 tarot cards,

00:15:19.860 --> 00:15:20.600
 horoscopes.

00:15:20.720 --> 00:15:21.759
 And just in case you think

00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:23.220
 we're in a far off land here,

00:15:23.920 --> 00:15:25.280
 let me just say that in our city,

00:15:25.520 --> 00:15:28.040
 one of the most popular things to do in Edinburgh

00:15:28.040 --> 00:15:30.940
 is take the walking ghost tour of the city, right?

00:15:31.040 --> 00:15:32.400
 Past our house every night,

00:15:32.520 --> 00:15:33.580
 going up to the depot,

00:15:33.879 --> 00:15:35.320
 is the ghost bus tours.

00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:37.960
 This stuff is alive and well.

00:15:38.820 --> 00:15:40.540
 And it's real and it's dangerous.

00:15:40.740 --> 00:15:42.040
 And do you see how it's got a hold

00:15:42.040 --> 00:15:44.700
 on many people in Ephesus?

00:15:45.060 --> 00:15:46.340
 They're gripped by this stuff.

00:15:47.700 --> 00:15:48.920
 But verse 11,

00:15:49.020 --> 00:15:49.700
 do you see what's going on?

00:15:49.780 --> 00:15:52.660
 God is doing extraordinary miracles

00:15:52.660 --> 00:15:53.960
 by the hands of Paul.

00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:56.460
 What's going on here is he's confirming,

00:15:56.660 --> 00:15:57.840
 God confirming to the world

00:15:57.840 --> 00:15:59.520
 this one crucial moment

00:15:59.520 --> 00:16:01.259
 that Paul and his message

00:16:01.259 --> 00:16:03.180
 are the real deal.

00:16:03.379 --> 00:16:05.240
 And so here is what people begin to realize

00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:05.840
 in Ephesus.

00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:08.720
 That God's power

00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:10.860
 is so much greater

00:16:10.860 --> 00:16:13.680
 than the powers of the occult.

00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:16.479
 Verse 17,

00:16:16.599 --> 00:16:18.179
 do you see as they respond to this,

00:16:18.239 --> 00:16:18.859
 what happens?

00:16:19.459 --> 00:16:21.219
 Luke tells us that great fear

00:16:21.219 --> 00:16:23.219
 falls on the people.

00:16:24.659 --> 00:16:25.439
 Fear being

00:16:25.439 --> 00:16:28.379
 just that rightful recognition

00:16:28.379 --> 00:16:30.679
 of who God is.

00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:32.739
 And in response to that,

00:16:33.439 --> 00:16:34.579
 who I am.

00:16:35.319 --> 00:16:36.859
 Just reorientating our lives

00:16:36.859 --> 00:16:38.839
 towards who God is.

00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:40.120
 And great fear

00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:41.759
 falls upon

00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:43.180
 these people.

00:16:43.800 --> 00:16:44.700
 And not just that,

00:16:44.780 --> 00:16:45.399
 do you see how

00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:46.820
 the name of Jesus

00:16:46.820 --> 00:16:47.460
 is being,

00:16:47.540 --> 00:16:48.379
 and what is the word here?

00:16:49.060 --> 00:16:49.620
 Extolled.

00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:50.639
 Right?

00:16:50.780 --> 00:16:51.440
 Greek word here

00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:53.060
 just means magnified,

00:16:53.420 --> 00:16:54.540
 put in lights,

00:16:55.259 --> 00:16:56.200
 lifted high.

00:16:57.960 --> 00:16:58.899
 Whereas before,

00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:00.560
 there was a love for self

00:17:00.560 --> 00:17:02.780
 in these people's hearts.

00:17:02.860 --> 00:17:03.560
 All of a sudden,

00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:04.059
 now,

00:17:04.200 --> 00:17:05.720
 there is a new affection

00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:08.159
 that's been replaced

00:17:08.159 --> 00:17:09.000
 by a love

00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:10.399
 for Jesus.

00:17:12.579 --> 00:17:13.779
 In the words of Augustine,

00:17:13.799 --> 00:17:14.200
 he was a man

00:17:14.200 --> 00:17:15.779
 from the 5th century

00:17:15.779 --> 00:17:16.200
 who

00:17:16.200 --> 00:17:18.079
 previously lived

00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:19.379
 a life of pleasure-seeking

00:17:19.379 --> 00:17:20.279
 before he came

00:17:20.279 --> 00:17:21.319
 to meet Jesus.

00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:22.679
 Here's how he puts it

00:17:22.679 --> 00:17:23.599
 in his own words.

00:17:24.659 --> 00:17:25.259
 He says this,

00:17:25.319 --> 00:17:25.859
 how sweet

00:17:25.859 --> 00:17:26.619
 all at once

00:17:26.619 --> 00:17:27.500
 it was for me

00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:28.500
 to be rid of

00:17:28.500 --> 00:17:29.740
 those fruitless joys

00:17:29.740 --> 00:17:31.179
 which I had once

00:17:31.179 --> 00:17:32.500
 feared to lose.

00:17:32.500 --> 00:17:34.039
 You, Lord,

00:17:34.140 --> 00:17:35.440
 drove them from me.

00:17:35.539 --> 00:17:36.420
 You who are

00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:37.420
 the true,

00:17:37.859 --> 00:17:39.220
 the sovereign joy.

00:17:39.660 --> 00:17:40.240
 And get this,

00:17:40.579 --> 00:17:42.140
 you drove them from me

00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:44.799
 and you took their place.

00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:46.500
 O Lord,

00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:47.339
 my God,

00:17:47.700 --> 00:17:48.500
 my light,

00:17:48.660 --> 00:17:49.400
 my wealth,

00:17:49.539 --> 00:17:51.460
 and my salvation.

00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:52.640
 Jesus has taken

00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:53.319
 the place

00:17:53.319 --> 00:17:55.059
 of the highest affection

00:17:55.059 --> 00:17:56.200
 in these people's hearts.

00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:56.920
 He's become

00:17:56.920 --> 00:17:57.900
 the great treasure

00:17:57.900 --> 00:17:59.599
 of their souls.

00:18:01.339 --> 00:18:01.839
 It's amazing

00:18:01.839 --> 00:18:02.659
 every week of the Gospels

00:18:02.659 --> 00:18:03.799
 how often you find Jesus

00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:05.299
 talking about this kind of thing.

00:18:05.679 --> 00:18:06.480
 Talking about the kingdom

00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:07.720
 of heaven is like.

00:18:08.959 --> 00:18:09.819
 It's like a pearl

00:18:09.819 --> 00:18:11.099
 of great price.

00:18:12.259 --> 00:18:13.000
 It's like a man

00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:14.000
 finding treasure

00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:14.579
 in a field

00:18:14.579 --> 00:18:15.339
 and he sells everything

00:18:15.339 --> 00:18:15.899
 that he has

00:18:15.899 --> 00:18:16.779
 so he can buy the field

00:18:16.779 --> 00:18:17.659
 and get the treasure.

00:18:17.779 --> 00:18:18.879
 That's what it's like.

00:18:19.779 --> 00:18:21.059
 When Jesus becomes

00:18:21.059 --> 00:18:22.220
 the most precious

00:18:22.220 --> 00:18:23.339
 thing

00:18:23.339 --> 00:18:24.480
 in your

00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:25.519
 life.

00:18:28.299 --> 00:18:29.039
 And you see

00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:29.980
 how some in Ephesus,

00:18:30.299 --> 00:18:30.980
 some of these people,

00:18:30.980 --> 00:18:31.759
 they clearly want

00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:32.519
 to mark

00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:34.079
 and make

00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:35.559
 that decisive

00:18:35.559 --> 00:18:36.299
 break

00:18:36.299 --> 00:18:37.539
 from their

00:18:37.539 --> 00:18:38.539
 former ways

00:18:38.539 --> 00:18:39.180
 of thinking

00:18:39.180 --> 00:18:39.880
 and living.

00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:41.500
 And so what do they do?

00:18:41.559 --> 00:18:42.120
 They take their

00:18:42.120 --> 00:18:43.079
 occultic books,

00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:43.839
 the things that used

00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:44.759
 to dominate them,

00:18:44.860 --> 00:18:45.460
 the things that they

00:18:45.460 --> 00:18:46.039
 used to look to

00:18:46.039 --> 00:18:47.599
 for guidance

00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:48.360
 and meaning

00:18:48.360 --> 00:18:49.059
 and hope

00:18:49.059 --> 00:18:50.279
 and what do they do?

00:18:50.360 --> 00:18:51.180
 They chuck them down,

00:18:51.259 --> 00:18:52.319
 they strike up a match

00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:53.220
 and hey presto

00:18:53.220 --> 00:18:54.299
 is bonfire night.

00:18:56.519 --> 00:18:57.240
 And Luke wants us

00:18:57.240 --> 00:18:57.599
 to know

00:18:57.599 --> 00:18:58.259
 that this isn't

00:18:58.259 --> 00:18:59.380
 just a couple of books

00:18:59.380 --> 00:19:00.200
 on the fire here.

00:19:00.340 --> 00:19:01.540
 This is 50,000

00:19:01.540 --> 00:19:02.440
 pieces of silver

00:19:02.440 --> 00:19:03.600
 which is some serious

00:19:03.600 --> 00:19:05.200
 dough in this day.

00:19:05.340 --> 00:19:06.360
 Some commentators

00:19:06.360 --> 00:19:06.840
 put it

00:19:06.840 --> 00:19:07.660
 at almost

00:19:07.660 --> 00:19:09.500
 six million dollars

00:19:09.500 --> 00:19:10.380
 worth of books

00:19:10.380 --> 00:19:11.980
 which shows you

00:19:11.980 --> 00:19:12.920
 there's some serious

00:19:12.920 --> 00:19:13.700
 cash kicking

00:19:13.700 --> 00:19:14.580
 about this city.

00:19:16.540 --> 00:19:17.500
 But here are people

00:19:17.500 --> 00:19:18.660
 publicly saying

00:19:18.660 --> 00:19:20.920
 that stuff

00:19:20.920 --> 00:19:23.280
 it's worthless,

00:19:23.540 --> 00:19:24.260
 it's shallow,

00:19:24.560 --> 00:19:25.520
 it's dangerous

00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:26.680
 and most importantly

00:19:26.680 --> 00:19:27.160
 it doesn't have

00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:28.220
 a hold on me anymore

00:19:28.220 --> 00:19:29.139
 because I found

00:19:29.139 --> 00:19:30.559
 something greater

00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:31.180
 and better.

00:19:32.359 --> 00:19:32.740
 Jesus

00:19:32.740 --> 00:19:33.980
 fills

00:19:33.980 --> 00:19:35.579
 and thrills

00:19:35.579 --> 00:19:36.879
 my soul.

00:19:38.660 --> 00:19:39.440
 And I love this,

00:19:39.859 --> 00:19:40.599
 I remember my friend

00:19:40.599 --> 00:19:41.099
 Paul

00:19:41.099 --> 00:19:42.460
 years ago

00:19:42.460 --> 00:19:43.039
 when he became

00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:43.519
 a Christian,

00:19:43.639 --> 00:19:43.779
 do you know

00:19:43.779 --> 00:19:44.319
 what he did?

00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:46.299
 He gave away

00:19:46.299 --> 00:19:47.019
 the clothes

00:19:47.019 --> 00:19:47.740
 in his wardrobe

00:19:47.740 --> 00:19:49.859
 because he was

00:19:49.859 --> 00:19:51.000
 into his designer gear,

00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:51.200
 right,

00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:51.960
 he spent tons

00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:52.660
 of money on it,

00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:53.519
 he wanted to look

00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:53.960
 good,

00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:54.960
 dressed to impress,

00:19:55.220 --> 00:19:56.059
 be in the right places

00:19:56.059 --> 00:19:56.900
 with the right people

00:19:56.900 --> 00:19:58.740
 and I think

00:19:58.740 --> 00:19:59.359
 it was a lifestyle

00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:00.359
 that he realized

00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:02.019
 was all too readily

00:20:02.019 --> 00:20:03.139
 calling the shots

00:20:03.139 --> 00:20:03.940
 in his life

00:20:03.940 --> 00:20:06.019
 and it was his way

00:20:06.019 --> 00:20:06.440
 of saying

00:20:06.440 --> 00:20:07.339
 that that stuff

00:20:07.339 --> 00:20:08.519
 it just doesn't

00:20:08.519 --> 00:20:09.079
 have a hold

00:20:09.079 --> 00:20:09.960
 on me anymore.

00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:11.839
 Jesus is worth

00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:12.619
 more to me

00:20:12.619 --> 00:20:14.200
 than that way

00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:14.839
 of life.

00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:17.480
 I love the old hymn

00:20:17.480 --> 00:20:18.319
 by Charles Wesley,

00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:19.319
 he puts it like this,

00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:20.339
 talking of Jesus,

00:20:20.819 --> 00:20:21.779
 he breaks

00:20:21.779 --> 00:20:22.559
 the power

00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:23.960
 of cancelled sin,

00:20:24.579 --> 00:20:25.519
 he sets

00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:26.599
 the prisoner free,

00:20:26.740 --> 00:20:27.579
 his blood

00:20:27.579 --> 00:20:28.179
 can make

00:20:28.179 --> 00:20:29.019
 the foulest

00:20:29.019 --> 00:20:29.419
 clean,

00:20:29.819 --> 00:20:30.559
 his blood

00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:31.799
 availed

00:20:31.799 --> 00:20:32.759
 for me.

00:20:33.639 --> 00:20:34.000
 Friends,

00:20:34.019 --> 00:20:34.799
 let me ask you,

00:20:34.899 --> 00:20:35.279
 as the word

00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:35.899
 of the Lord

00:20:35.899 --> 00:20:37.039
 comes to you today,

00:20:37.139 --> 00:20:37.700
 is there something

00:20:37.700 --> 00:20:38.539
 that's got a grip

00:20:38.539 --> 00:20:39.299
 on your soul

00:20:39.299 --> 00:20:39.980
 and your life?

00:20:41.639 --> 00:20:42.539
 What is it?

00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:43.940
 Things that's

00:20:43.940 --> 00:20:44.879
 dominating you,

00:20:44.940 --> 00:20:45.319
 maybe you want

00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:45.879
 to get in touch

00:20:45.879 --> 00:20:46.480
 today and I'd love

00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:47.279
 to chat

00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:48.059
 and chat this out

00:20:48.059 --> 00:20:48.579
 and meet with you

00:20:48.579 --> 00:20:49.440
 and pray with you.

00:20:50.819 --> 00:20:51.659
 Jesus breaks

00:20:51.660 --> 00:20:52.340
 the power

00:20:52.340 --> 00:20:53.980
 of cancelled

00:20:53.980 --> 00:20:54.480
 sin.

00:20:55.040 --> 00:20:55.500
 The old

00:20:55.500 --> 00:20:56.180
 has gone,

00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:56.720
 the new

00:20:56.720 --> 00:20:57.519
 has come

00:20:57.519 --> 00:20:58.480
 and the word

00:20:58.480 --> 00:20:59.060
 of the Lord

00:20:59.060 --> 00:21:00.040
 continues to

00:21:00.040 --> 00:21:00.720
 increase

00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:02.040
 and prevail

00:21:02.040 --> 00:21:03.340
 mightily.

00:21:04.180 --> 00:21:05.160
 People are being

00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:06.440
 changed in Ephesus.

00:21:08.080 --> 00:21:09.060
 The affections

00:21:09.060 --> 00:21:09.840
 of the heart

00:21:09.840 --> 00:21:11.640
 and secondly,

00:21:11.800 --> 00:21:12.480
 the direction

00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:13.200
 of the mind.

00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:14.860
 See,

00:21:14.920 --> 00:21:15.460
 as time ticks

00:21:15.460 --> 00:21:16.180
 on in Ephesus,

00:21:16.820 --> 00:21:17.460
 it seems that

00:21:17.460 --> 00:21:17.920
 more and more

00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:18.880
 people are responding

00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:19.720
 to the message

00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:20.300
 of Jesus

00:21:20.300 --> 00:21:22.180
 and as more

00:21:22.180 --> 00:21:22.740
 and more people

00:21:22.740 --> 00:21:23.560
 as they start

00:21:23.560 --> 00:21:25.460
 swimming against

00:21:25.460 --> 00:21:26.140
 the flow

00:21:26.140 --> 00:21:27.260
 of the Ephesian

00:21:27.260 --> 00:21:27.660
 river

00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:28.520
 and if they begin

00:21:28.520 --> 00:21:29.300
 to question

00:21:29.300 --> 00:21:30.000
 the way of

00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:31.080
 thinking in Ephesus

00:21:31.080 --> 00:21:31.500
 saying,

00:21:31.700 --> 00:21:32.120
 is there more

00:21:32.120 --> 00:21:32.680
 to life

00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:33.420
 than this?

00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:35.640
 Verse 23,

00:21:35.800 --> 00:21:36.060
 do you see

00:21:36.060 --> 00:21:36.700
 how tensions

00:21:36.700 --> 00:21:38.080
 reach boiling point

00:21:38.080 --> 00:21:38.680
 which tells you

00:21:38.680 --> 00:21:39.040
 this is,

00:21:39.360 --> 00:21:39.960
 there's a lot

00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:40.320
 of people

00:21:40.320 --> 00:21:40.940
 who are questioning

00:21:40.940 --> 00:21:41.740
 this way of life

00:21:41.740 --> 00:21:42.040
 here.

00:21:42.760 --> 00:21:43.920
 Reaches boiling point,

00:21:43.980 --> 00:21:45.000
 it all kicks off

00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:46.960
 because as Paul

00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:47.420
 preaches,

00:21:47.539 --> 00:21:48.279
 people in the city

00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:48.759
 are beginning

00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:49.440
 to think

00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:51.420
 and here's

00:21:51.420 --> 00:21:52.240
 how they report

00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:52.539
 it,

00:21:52.779 --> 00:21:52.920
 right?

00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:53.759
 Verse 26,

00:21:54.660 --> 00:21:55.380
 and you see

00:21:55.380 --> 00:21:55.759
 in here

00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:56.759
 how this fellow

00:21:56.759 --> 00:21:57.359
 Paul

00:21:57.359 --> 00:21:58.680
 has convinced

00:21:58.680 --> 00:21:59.779
 and led astray

00:21:59.779 --> 00:22:01.259
 large numbers

00:22:01.259 --> 00:22:01.819
 of people

00:22:01.819 --> 00:22:02.720
 here in Ephesus

00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:03.980
 and in practically

00:22:03.980 --> 00:22:05.019
 the whole province

00:22:05.019 --> 00:22:05.579
 of Asia

00:22:05.579 --> 00:22:06.119
 and here's

00:22:06.119 --> 00:22:06.839
 what he's saying,

00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:08.599
 he says

00:22:08.599 --> 00:22:09.920
 that gods

00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:10.720
 made

00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:12.059
 by human hands

00:22:12.059 --> 00:22:13.440
 are no

00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:14.339
 gods

00:22:14.339 --> 00:22:15.720
 at all.

00:22:17.799 --> 00:22:18.019
 Right,

00:22:18.099 --> 00:22:18.500
 think of it

00:22:18.500 --> 00:22:19.039
 like this,

00:22:20.799 --> 00:22:21.339
 I wonder if you

00:22:21.339 --> 00:22:22.119
 remember watching

00:22:22.119 --> 00:22:23.480
 Heartbeat on telly

00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:24.459
 back in the 90s,

00:22:25.539 --> 00:22:25.679
 right?

00:22:25.699 --> 00:22:26.099
 You remember that

00:22:26.099 --> 00:22:26.959
 art show

00:22:26.959 --> 00:22:28.119
 with Tony Hart

00:22:28.119 --> 00:22:29.599
 who was a presenter

00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:30.099
 and he'd

00:22:30.099 --> 00:22:31.519
 got this little man,

00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:32.259
 this little helper

00:22:32.259 --> 00:22:33.099
 that he'd formed

00:22:33.099 --> 00:22:33.859
 out of clay

00:22:33.859 --> 00:22:35.519
 called Morph.

00:22:36.299 --> 00:22:37.119
 I remember as a

00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:37.419
 child,

00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:38.039
 they kind of freaked

00:22:38.039 --> 00:22:38.419
 me out,

00:22:38.500 --> 00:22:38.919
 couldn't look at

00:22:38.919 --> 00:22:39.679
 Play-Doh the same

00:22:39.679 --> 00:22:40.079
 again,

00:22:40.619 --> 00:22:40.959
 but he had

00:22:40.959 --> 00:22:41.699
 a little Morph

00:22:41.699 --> 00:22:42.119
 and they used

00:22:42.119 --> 00:22:42.720
 to do stuff

00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:43.099
 together

00:22:43.099 --> 00:22:43.539
 and create

00:22:43.539 --> 00:22:44.299
 things together.

00:22:44.339 --> 00:22:45.799
 So you know

00:22:45.799 --> 00:22:46.319
 in all my times

00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:47.399
 watching Heartbeat,

00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:47.859
 here's what I

00:22:47.859 --> 00:22:48.539
 never saw.

00:22:50.199 --> 00:22:51.000
 I never saw

00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:51.759
 Tony Hart

00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:52.480
 bow down

00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:53.959
 and start

00:22:53.959 --> 00:22:55.099
 worshipping Morph.

00:22:57.319 --> 00:22:57.559
 See,

00:22:57.639 --> 00:22:58.319
 that really

00:22:58.319 --> 00:22:59.000
 simply is

00:22:59.000 --> 00:22:59.579
 essentially

00:22:59.579 --> 00:23:00.359
 Paul's logic

00:23:00.359 --> 00:23:00.740
 here.

00:23:01.959 --> 00:23:03.000
 Follow with me,

00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:04.079
 follow Paul.

00:23:05.299 --> 00:23:05.779
 How can

00:23:05.779 --> 00:23:06.519
 something made

00:23:06.519 --> 00:23:07.459
 with human hands

00:23:07.459 --> 00:23:08.299
 be a god?

00:23:09.480 --> 00:23:10.379
 If something

00:23:10.379 --> 00:23:11.220
 is man-made,

00:23:11.220 --> 00:23:12.460
 if something

00:23:12.460 --> 00:23:13.120
 can be so

00:23:13.120 --> 00:23:14.400
 easily destroyed,

00:23:15.400 --> 00:23:16.120
 if something

00:23:16.120 --> 00:23:17.779
 can come

00:23:17.779 --> 00:23:18.180
 and go

00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:18.579
 and rise

00:23:18.579 --> 00:23:19.000
 and fall

00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:19.299
 with the

00:23:19.299 --> 00:23:20.019
 ever-changing

00:23:20.019 --> 00:23:20.839
 seasons of

00:23:20.839 --> 00:23:21.200
 life,

00:23:21.259 --> 00:23:21.700
 if something

00:23:21.700 --> 00:23:22.759
 is here

00:23:22.759 --> 00:23:23.240
 one minute

00:23:23.240 --> 00:23:23.620
 and gone

00:23:23.620 --> 00:23:24.319
 the next,

00:23:24.860 --> 00:23:25.500
 then surely

00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:26.019
 that makes

00:23:26.019 --> 00:23:26.680
 for a pretty

00:23:26.680 --> 00:23:27.579
 lousy god.

00:23:29.539 --> 00:23:30.220
 Surely the

00:23:30.220 --> 00:23:31.039
 very definition

00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:32.319
 of a god

00:23:32.319 --> 00:23:33.519
 is that

00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:34.400
 it is the

00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:34.980
 creator

00:23:34.980 --> 00:23:36.240
 rather than

00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:36.819
 the created.

00:23:36.819 --> 00:23:39.339
 that it

00:23:39.339 --> 00:23:40.240
 stands unchanging

00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:41.019
 above the

00:23:41.019 --> 00:23:41.919
 things of us

00:23:41.919 --> 00:23:42.200
 and the

00:23:42.200 --> 00:23:42.819
 things of

00:23:42.819 --> 00:23:43.899
 this earth.

00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:46.179
 That would

00:23:46.179 --> 00:23:46.559
 be a better

00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:47.220
 definition of

00:23:47.220 --> 00:23:47.539
 a god.

00:23:48.679 --> 00:23:49.099
 And what's

00:23:49.099 --> 00:23:49.659
 happening is

00:23:49.659 --> 00:23:50.019
 that people

00:23:50.019 --> 00:23:50.359
 are beginning

00:23:50.359 --> 00:23:51.740
 to stop

00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:52.460
 in Ephesus

00:23:52.460 --> 00:23:54.279
 and to

00:23:54.279 --> 00:23:55.039
 think about

00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:55.939
 what Paul

00:23:55.939 --> 00:23:56.579
 is saying

00:23:56.579 --> 00:23:58.119
 and it

00:23:58.119 --> 00:23:58.700
 seems to

00:23:58.700 --> 00:23:59.159
 be making

00:23:59.159 --> 00:23:59.899
 sense in

00:23:59.899 --> 00:24:00.619
 their minds.

00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:02.000
 And as

00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:02.759
 people become

00:24:02.759 --> 00:24:03.240
 Christians,

00:24:03.419 --> 00:24:03.740
 there's a

00:24:03.740 --> 00:24:04.240
 change in

00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:04.899
 the direction

00:24:04.899 --> 00:24:05.319
 of their

00:24:05.319 --> 00:24:05.700
 mind.

00:24:06.159 --> 00:24:06.579
 Health,

00:24:06.579 --> 00:24:07.179
 wealth and

00:24:07.179 --> 00:24:07.799
 happiness,

00:24:08.399 --> 00:24:09.619
 they make

00:24:09.619 --> 00:24:10.319
 terrible things

00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:10.699
 to spend

00:24:10.699 --> 00:24:11.039
 your life

00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:11.439
 pursuing.

00:24:12.500 --> 00:24:13.019
 Why?

00:24:14.419 --> 00:24:15.179
 Because looks

00:24:15.179 --> 00:24:15.799
 will fade.

00:24:17.159 --> 00:24:17.319
 Right?

00:24:17.439 --> 00:24:18.139
 Money will

00:24:18.139 --> 00:24:18.939
 rise and

00:24:18.939 --> 00:24:19.720
 fall as

00:24:19.720 --> 00:24:20.699
 markets dip

00:24:20.699 --> 00:24:21.679
 in and

00:24:21.679 --> 00:24:22.099
 out,

00:24:22.579 --> 00:24:23.419
 rise up

00:24:23.419 --> 00:24:23.819
 and down.

00:24:23.960 --> 00:24:24.399
 Happiness

00:24:24.399 --> 00:24:25.619
 will come

00:24:25.619 --> 00:24:26.000
 and go.

00:24:26.119 --> 00:24:26.240
 Friends,

00:24:26.279 --> 00:24:26.639
 we know

00:24:26.639 --> 00:24:26.980
 what our

00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:27.399
 moods are

00:24:27.399 --> 00:24:27.939
 like.

00:24:29.199 --> 00:24:29.639
 Seems to

00:24:29.639 --> 00:24:30.079
 me we need

00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:30.779
 something far

00:24:30.779 --> 00:24:31.659
 more stable

00:24:31.659 --> 00:24:32.720
 and far

00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:33.839
 more unchanging,

00:24:34.019 --> 00:24:34.639
 something far

00:24:34.639 --> 00:24:35.500
 more secure

00:24:35.500 --> 00:24:36.019
 in which to

00:24:36.019 --> 00:24:36.920
 place our

00:24:36.920 --> 00:24:37.599
 trust.

00:24:38.259 --> 00:24:38.420
 Right?

00:24:38.460 --> 00:24:38.639
 I remember

00:24:38.639 --> 00:24:39.220
 reading a

00:24:39.220 --> 00:24:39.740
 book back

00:24:39.740 --> 00:24:40.160
 in the early

00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:41.160
 2000s just

00:24:41.160 --> 00:24:41.700
 to illustrate

00:24:41.700 --> 00:24:42.700
 this that

00:24:42.700 --> 00:24:43.759
 simply said

00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:44.740
 when he was

00:24:44.740 --> 00:24:45.180
 at the height

00:24:45.180 --> 00:24:45.440
 of his

00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:45.799
 power,

00:24:46.240 --> 00:24:46.960
 simply said,

00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:47.859
 do you know

00:24:47.859 --> 00:24:48.039
 what?

00:24:48.099 --> 00:24:48.500
 There will

00:24:48.500 --> 00:24:49.059
 come a day

00:24:49.059 --> 00:24:49.740
 when Tiger

00:24:49.740 --> 00:24:50.359
 Woods will

00:24:50.359 --> 00:24:50.960
 not win.

00:24:52.200 --> 00:24:52.500
 I remember

00:24:52.500 --> 00:24:52.900
 reading that

00:24:52.900 --> 00:24:53.519
 as a teenager

00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:53.900
 and thinking,

00:24:54.059 --> 00:24:54.940
 this guy

00:24:54.940 --> 00:24:55.420
 clearly knows

00:24:55.420 --> 00:24:56.019
 nothing about

00:24:56.019 --> 00:24:56.460
 golf.

00:24:57.460 --> 00:24:57.599
 Right?

00:24:57.660 --> 00:24:57.819
 He just

00:24:57.819 --> 00:24:58.220
 didn't have

00:24:58.220 --> 00:24:59.639
 the comprehension

00:24:59.639 --> 00:25:00.660
 to think 30,

00:25:00.740 --> 00:25:01.559
 40 years down

00:25:01.559 --> 00:25:02.079
 the line and

00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:02.619
 to think about

00:25:02.619 --> 00:25:03.099
 the fact that

00:25:03.099 --> 00:25:04.000
 that might be

00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:04.460
 true.

00:25:06.759 --> 00:25:07.319
 Looks will

00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:07.720
 fade,

00:25:08.019 --> 00:25:08.519
 talent will

00:25:08.519 --> 00:25:08.920
 go,

00:25:10.099 --> 00:25:10.839
 strength will

00:25:10.839 --> 00:25:11.319
 fall.

00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:12.200
 Paul says

00:25:12.200 --> 00:25:13.079
 gods made

00:25:13.079 --> 00:25:13.700
 by human

00:25:13.700 --> 00:25:14.339
 hands are

00:25:14.339 --> 00:25:14.980
 no gods

00:25:14.980 --> 00:25:15.519
 at all.

00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:18.000
 And do you

00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:18.440
 see this is

00:25:18.440 --> 00:25:19.220
 terrible news

00:25:19.220 --> 00:25:19.839
 for trade in

00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:20.299
 the city?

00:25:21.500 --> 00:25:22.140
 We meet

00:25:22.140 --> 00:25:22.980
 this man

00:25:22.980 --> 00:25:23.319
 called

00:25:23.319 --> 00:25:24.059
 Demetrius

00:25:24.059 --> 00:25:25.079
 who's realized

00:25:25.079 --> 00:25:25.599
 that people

00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:26.079
 have stopped

00:25:26.079 --> 00:25:26.720
 buying the

00:25:26.720 --> 00:25:27.660
 little figurines

00:25:27.660 --> 00:25:28.900
 of Artemis

00:25:28.900 --> 00:25:29.680
 that he sells,

00:25:29.799 --> 00:25:30.240
 that's how he

00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:30.660
 gets his

00:25:30.660 --> 00:25:31.019
 income.

00:25:32.059 --> 00:25:32.579
 He sells them

00:25:32.579 --> 00:25:32.879
 that people

00:25:32.879 --> 00:25:33.299
 can buy

00:25:33.299 --> 00:25:33.460
 them,

00:25:33.559 --> 00:25:33.859
 take it

00:25:33.859 --> 00:25:34.199
 home and

00:25:34.199 --> 00:25:34.399
 have a

00:25:34.399 --> 00:25:34.799
 little worship

00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:35.519
 session in

00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:35.960
 their home,

00:25:36.460 --> 00:25:36.740
 put it on

00:25:36.740 --> 00:25:37.539
 the mantelpiece

00:25:37.539 --> 00:25:38.079
 front of the

00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:38.519
 living room

00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:38.899
 and there we

00:25:38.899 --> 00:25:39.199
 go.

00:25:40.019 --> 00:25:40.139
 Right?

00:25:40.179 --> 00:25:40.460
 He's a

00:25:40.460 --> 00:25:41.079
 Jerry Maguire

00:25:41.079 --> 00:25:41.740
 kind of guy,

00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:42.019
 right?

00:25:42.099 --> 00:25:42.759
 Show me the

00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:42.960
 money.

00:25:43.019 --> 00:25:43.639
 I'm interested

00:25:43.639 --> 00:25:44.279
 in the money.

00:25:45.259 --> 00:25:45.779
 He's totally

00:25:45.779 --> 00:25:46.279
 bought into

00:25:46.279 --> 00:25:46.879
 the Ephesian

00:25:46.879 --> 00:25:47.299
 dream.

00:25:48.579 --> 00:25:49.299
 And he gets

00:25:49.299 --> 00:25:49.799
 his fellow

00:25:49.799 --> 00:25:50.819
 sellers together

00:25:50.819 --> 00:25:51.559
 and tries to

00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:52.220
 rally them to

00:25:52.220 --> 00:25:52.939
 put a stop

00:25:52.939 --> 00:25:53.500
 to this,

00:25:53.960 --> 00:25:54.439
 to do

00:25:54.439 --> 00:25:54.899
 something.

00:25:55.019 --> 00:25:55.659
 They drag

00:25:55.659 --> 00:25:56.259
 the men

00:25:56.259 --> 00:25:56.559
 who they

00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:56.919
 know are

00:25:56.919 --> 00:25:57.379
 into this

00:25:57.379 --> 00:25:57.720
 stuff.

00:25:57.819 --> 00:25:58.559
 Verse 29,

00:25:58.819 --> 00:25:59.240
 Gaius

00:25:59.240 --> 00:26:00.480
 and Aristarchus

00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:02.079
 who are

00:26:02.079 --> 00:26:02.559
 willing to

00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:03.019
 stand with

00:26:03.019 --> 00:26:03.480
 Paul in

00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:03.819
 this one,

00:26:03.880 --> 00:26:04.480
 they drag

00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:04.920
 them into

00:26:04.920 --> 00:26:05.440
 the assembly.

00:26:05.579 --> 00:26:05.860
 And here's

00:26:05.860 --> 00:26:06.140
 the thing

00:26:06.140 --> 00:26:06.559
 to know

00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:07.059
 about the

00:26:07.059 --> 00:26:08.759
 crowd that

00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:09.380
 gets swept

00:26:09.380 --> 00:26:09.880
 up in

00:26:09.880 --> 00:26:10.140
 this.

00:26:10.299 --> 00:26:11.000
 Verse 32,

00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:11.380
 and this

00:26:11.380 --> 00:26:12.220
 is fascinating.

00:26:14.599 --> 00:26:15.220
 Most of

00:26:15.220 --> 00:26:16.059
 them didn't

00:26:16.059 --> 00:26:17.079
 even know

00:26:17.079 --> 00:26:18.700
 why they

00:26:18.700 --> 00:26:19.500
 had come

00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:20.220
 together.

00:26:21.740 --> 00:26:22.319
 In other

00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:22.519
 words,

00:26:22.579 --> 00:26:22.980
 see if you're

00:26:22.980 --> 00:26:23.660
 a roaming

00:26:23.660 --> 00:26:24.620
 news correspondent

00:26:24.620 --> 00:26:25.200
 doing the

00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:25.599
 rounds in

00:26:25.599 --> 00:26:25.980
 Ephesus,

00:26:26.420 --> 00:26:26.620
 right?

00:26:26.660 --> 00:26:26.980
 There's a

00:26:26.980 --> 00:26:27.460
 bit of news

00:26:27.460 --> 00:26:27.940
 going on

00:26:27.940 --> 00:26:28.200
 here,

00:26:28.299 --> 00:26:28.599
 there's a

00:26:28.599 --> 00:26:28.880
 riot,

00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:29.400
 I'm there

00:26:29.400 --> 00:26:30.019
 covering it.

00:26:30.019 --> 00:26:30.359
 And you're

00:26:30.359 --> 00:26:31.619
 running around

00:26:31.619 --> 00:26:32.059
 with your

00:26:32.059 --> 00:26:32.579
 microphone,

00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:32.980
 and you're

00:26:32.980 --> 00:26:33.519
 asking the

00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:33.799
 crowd,

00:26:33.940 --> 00:26:34.160
 saying,

00:26:34.339 --> 00:26:35.259
 why are

00:26:35.259 --> 00:26:35.779
 you here?

00:26:36.940 --> 00:26:37.319
 What's

00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:37.900
 going on?

00:26:39.859 --> 00:26:40.220
 They

00:26:40.220 --> 00:26:40.480
 couldn't have

00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:40.900
 told you.

00:26:42.119 --> 00:26:42.619
 I don't

00:26:42.619 --> 00:26:42.960
 really know

00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:43.279
 why I'm

00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:43.480
 here,

00:26:43.559 --> 00:26:44.000
 just kind of

00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:44.599
 everyone else

00:26:44.599 --> 00:26:45.019
 was doing

00:26:45.019 --> 00:26:45.139
 it,

00:26:45.200 --> 00:26:45.319
 and I

00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:45.500
 kind of

00:26:45.500 --> 00:26:45.859
 got swept

00:26:45.859 --> 00:26:46.220
 up in

00:26:46.220 --> 00:26:46.319
 it,

00:26:46.359 --> 00:26:46.619
 and I'm

00:26:46.619 --> 00:26:46.940
 somehow

00:26:46.940 --> 00:26:47.599
 over there.

00:26:48.660 --> 00:26:48.879
 Do you

00:26:48.879 --> 00:26:49.160
 see how

00:26:49.160 --> 00:26:49.579
 their poo

00:26:49.579 --> 00:26:50.000
 sticks just

00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:50.240
 go in

00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:50.420
 with the

00:26:50.420 --> 00:26:50.660
 flow?

00:26:53.879 --> 00:26:54.339
 Let me

00:26:54.339 --> 00:26:54.779
 just ask

00:26:54.779 --> 00:26:54.980
 you when

00:26:54.980 --> 00:26:55.440
 last time

00:26:55.440 --> 00:26:56.460
 it was

00:26:56.460 --> 00:26:56.839
 that you

00:26:56.839 --> 00:26:57.460
 stopped to

00:26:57.460 --> 00:26:59.420
 think about

00:26:59.420 --> 00:27:00.019
 why you

00:27:00.019 --> 00:27:01.400
 believe what

00:27:01.400 --> 00:27:02.120
 you believe,

00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:04.259
 and stop to

00:27:04.259 --> 00:27:04.820
 think about

00:27:04.820 --> 00:27:05.700
 why you do

00:27:05.700 --> 00:27:06.259
 the things

00:27:06.259 --> 00:27:06.800
 you do

00:27:06.800 --> 00:27:08.180
 in life.

00:27:09.240 --> 00:27:09.960
 This lockdown

00:27:09.960 --> 00:27:10.640
 has provided

00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:11.400
 many of us

00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:12.060
 just with a

00:27:12.060 --> 00:27:12.700
 chance to

00:27:12.700 --> 00:27:14.720
 stop and

00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:15.400
 to think about

00:27:15.400 --> 00:27:16.000
 the things that

00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:16.560
 we're pursuing

00:27:16.560 --> 00:27:16.940
 with our

00:27:16.940 --> 00:27:17.320
 lives.

00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:19.080
 We've maybe

00:27:19.080 --> 00:27:19.460
 been a little

00:27:19.460 --> 00:27:20.100
 bit exposed,

00:27:20.300 --> 00:27:20.660
 haven't we,

00:27:20.700 --> 00:27:21.100
 as to the

00:27:21.100 --> 00:27:21.759
 things that we

00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:22.380
 perhaps have

00:27:22.380 --> 00:27:22.980
 been trusting

00:27:22.980 --> 00:27:24.400
 in our lives,

00:27:24.460 --> 00:27:24.920
 the things that

00:27:24.920 --> 00:27:25.660
 we're dreaming

00:27:25.660 --> 00:27:26.779
 of, hoping

00:27:26.779 --> 00:27:27.400
 will happen,

00:27:27.519 --> 00:27:27.880
 the things

00:27:27.880 --> 00:27:28.200
 that we

00:27:28.200 --> 00:27:29.380
 were gutted

00:27:29.380 --> 00:27:30.040
 were missing.

00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:32.560
 We often

00:27:32.560 --> 00:27:33.100
 talk about

00:27:33.100 --> 00:27:33.660
 keeping up

00:27:33.660 --> 00:27:33.900
 with the

00:27:33.900 --> 00:27:34.400
 Joneses.

00:27:34.440 --> 00:27:34.680
 These are

00:27:34.680 --> 00:27:35.240
 phrases that

00:27:35.240 --> 00:27:35.640
 we use in

00:27:35.640 --> 00:27:36.200
 our culture.

00:27:36.580 --> 00:27:36.900
 Keeping up

00:27:36.900 --> 00:27:37.080
 with the

00:27:37.080 --> 00:27:37.519
 Joneses,

00:27:37.580 --> 00:27:37.900
 we talk

00:27:37.900 --> 00:27:38.720
 about being

00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:39.200
 caught up

00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:39.480
 in the

00:27:39.480 --> 00:27:40.440
 rat race.

00:27:41.779 --> 00:27:42.200
 Phrases

00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:42.500
 like,

00:27:42.600 --> 00:27:42.900
 each to

00:27:42.900 --> 00:27:43.259
 their own,

00:27:43.320 --> 00:27:43.600
 they just

00:27:43.600 --> 00:27:44.180
 fall off

00:27:44.180 --> 00:27:44.620
 her tongue

00:27:44.620 --> 00:27:44.920
 without

00:27:44.920 --> 00:27:45.680
 really thinking

00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:46.160
 about what

00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:46.660
 it means.

00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:46.880
 And we

00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:47.500
 find ourselves

00:27:47.500 --> 00:27:48.160
 singing along

00:27:48.160 --> 00:27:48.660
 with Lady

00:27:48.660 --> 00:27:49.060
 Gaga,

00:27:49.500 --> 00:27:50.100
 don't hide

00:27:50.100 --> 00:27:50.700
 yourself in

00:27:50.700 --> 00:27:51.140
 regret,

00:27:51.460 --> 00:27:52.000
 just love

00:27:52.000 --> 00:27:52.640
 yourself and

00:27:52.640 --> 00:27:53.060
 you're set,

00:27:53.140 --> 00:27:53.580
 I'm on the

00:27:53.580 --> 00:27:54.220
 right track,

00:27:54.360 --> 00:27:54.600
 baby,

00:27:54.599 --> 00:27:55.000
 I was

00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:56.240
 born this

00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:56.599
 way.

00:27:56.639 --> 00:27:56.839
 And we

00:27:56.839 --> 00:27:57.039
 think,

00:27:57.159 --> 00:27:57.619
 why are we

00:27:57.619 --> 00:27:58.139
 singing these

00:27:58.139 --> 00:27:58.619
 things?

00:27:59.859 --> 00:28:00.519
 And all of a

00:28:00.519 --> 00:28:00.799
 sudden we

00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:01.399
 begin to see

00:28:01.399 --> 00:28:02.000
 ourselves and

00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:02.519
 the people of

00:28:02.519 --> 00:28:03.279
 this crowd who

00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:03.859
 are shouting,

00:28:04.119 --> 00:28:04.719
 who are coming

00:28:04.719 --> 00:28:05.179
 together,

00:28:05.299 --> 00:28:05.919
 who are making

00:28:05.919 --> 00:28:06.419
 a racket,

00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:06.959
 and yet they

00:28:06.959 --> 00:28:08.079
 cannot articulate

00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:10.059
 why they're

00:28:10.059 --> 00:28:10.419
 doing the

00:28:10.419 --> 00:28:10.740
 things that

00:28:10.740 --> 00:28:11.179
 they're doing.

00:28:13.939 --> 00:28:14.679
 And back in

00:28:14.679 --> 00:28:15.059
 the scene,

00:28:15.279 --> 00:28:16.099
 they drag these

00:28:16.099 --> 00:28:16.819
 Christians before

00:28:16.819 --> 00:28:17.679
 the town clerk

00:28:17.679 --> 00:28:18.319
 and they bring

00:28:18.319 --> 00:28:18.959
 the charges

00:28:18.959 --> 00:28:19.579
 against this

00:28:19.579 --> 00:28:20.359
 new teaching.

00:28:20.500 --> 00:28:20.719
 Would you

00:28:20.719 --> 00:28:21.259
 deal with it?

00:28:21.299 --> 00:28:21.699
 That's what they

00:28:21.699 --> 00:28:22.179
 ask them.

00:28:22.859 --> 00:28:23.699
 Town clerk sees

00:28:23.699 --> 00:28:24.459
 nothing in it.

00:28:24.599 --> 00:28:25.059
 says,

00:28:25.179 --> 00:28:25.719
 if you guys

00:28:25.719 --> 00:28:26.159
 want to take

00:28:26.159 --> 00:28:26.539
 it to the

00:28:26.539 --> 00:28:26.839
 courts,

00:28:26.899 --> 00:28:27.139
 you are

00:28:27.139 --> 00:28:27.539
 welcome,

00:28:27.799 --> 00:28:28.139
 and they

00:28:28.139 --> 00:28:28.759
 don't because

00:28:28.759 --> 00:28:29.379
 they realize

00:28:29.379 --> 00:28:29.740
 that if they

00:28:29.740 --> 00:28:30.199
 did that,

00:28:30.259 --> 00:28:30.559
 it would get

00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:31.139
 chucked out

00:28:31.139 --> 00:28:31.759
 because it's

00:28:31.759 --> 00:28:32.399
 baseless.

00:28:33.859 --> 00:28:34.259
 And the

00:28:34.259 --> 00:28:34.980
 irony being

00:28:34.980 --> 00:28:35.399
 that they

00:28:35.399 --> 00:28:35.899
 are actually

00:28:35.899 --> 00:28:36.559
 the ones

00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:36.799
 who are

00:28:36.799 --> 00:28:37.379
 causing the

00:28:37.379 --> 00:28:38.659
 scene and

00:28:38.659 --> 00:28:39.159
 the riot

00:28:39.159 --> 00:28:39.579
 here,

00:28:39.799 --> 00:28:40.939
 not the

00:28:40.939 --> 00:28:41.480
 Christians.

00:28:43.119 --> 00:28:43.699
 But again,

00:28:43.779 --> 00:28:44.299
 just see,

00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:44.740
 if you remember

00:28:44.740 --> 00:28:45.480
 last week,

00:28:45.539 --> 00:28:46.179
 what we saw

00:28:46.179 --> 00:28:46.779
 in the previous

00:28:46.779 --> 00:28:47.659
 chapter of Acts,

00:28:47.719 --> 00:28:48.099
 who's in

00:28:48.099 --> 00:28:48.959
 control in

00:28:48.959 --> 00:28:49.379
 Ephesus?

00:28:50.719 --> 00:28:51.139
 What was the

00:28:51.139 --> 00:28:51.859
 same person who

00:28:51.859 --> 00:28:52.179
 was in

00:28:52.179 --> 00:28:52.799
 control in

00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:53.179
 Corinth?

00:28:53.180 --> 00:28:55.299
 Jesus is in

00:28:55.299 --> 00:28:55.960
 control in

00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:56.320
 Ephesus.

00:28:56.539 --> 00:28:56.960
 He is

00:28:56.960 --> 00:28:57.440
 sovereign.

00:28:57.680 --> 00:28:58.060
 He is

00:28:58.060 --> 00:28:58.480
 good.

00:28:58.600 --> 00:28:58.880
 He is

00:28:58.880 --> 00:28:59.700
 watching over

00:28:59.700 --> 00:29:00.860
 this situation.

00:29:02.620 --> 00:29:03.120
 But as he was

00:29:03.120 --> 00:29:03.539
 happening,

00:29:03.660 --> 00:29:04.380
 as the word of

00:29:04.380 --> 00:29:05.759
 God is

00:29:05.759 --> 00:29:07.140
 penetrating this

00:29:07.140 --> 00:29:07.640
 city,

00:29:07.820 --> 00:29:08.740
 is impacting

00:29:08.740 --> 00:29:09.740
 these people,

00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:11.420
 what's happening

00:29:11.420 --> 00:29:12.080
 is that people are

00:29:12.080 --> 00:29:12.759
 becoming followers

00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:13.360
 of Jesus.

00:29:14.840 --> 00:29:15.640
 What's happening

00:29:15.640 --> 00:29:16.420
 is that there's a

00:29:16.420 --> 00:29:17.140
 change in the

00:29:17.140 --> 00:29:17.840
 affection of

00:29:17.840 --> 00:29:18.720
 people's hearts,

00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:18.779
 lives,

00:29:19.819 --> 00:29:20.279
 and there's a

00:29:20.279 --> 00:29:20.940
 change in the

00:29:20.940 --> 00:29:21.620
 direction of

00:29:21.620 --> 00:29:22.539
 people's minds.

00:29:24.680 --> 00:29:25.360
 Life's heading

00:29:25.360 --> 00:29:26.059
 one way as a

00:29:26.059 --> 00:29:26.579
 poo stick,

00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:27.140
 now all of a

00:29:27.140 --> 00:29:27.720
 sudden by the

00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:28.740
 sheer grace of

00:29:28.740 --> 00:29:30.319
 God transformed

00:29:30.319 --> 00:29:32.700
 to swim upstream

00:29:32.700 --> 00:29:34.460
 towards knowing

00:29:34.460 --> 00:29:35.880
 and savoring

00:29:35.880 --> 00:29:36.960
 and enjoying

00:29:36.960 --> 00:29:37.960
 our creator,

00:29:39.079 --> 00:29:39.680
 which is the

00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:40.660
 very reason that

00:29:40.660 --> 00:29:41.360
 we were created

00:29:41.360 --> 00:29:42.539
 in the first

00:29:42.539 --> 00:29:43.000
 place.

00:29:43.160 --> 00:29:43.720
 As people's

00:29:43.720 --> 00:29:44.460
 lives are so

00:29:44.460 --> 00:29:45.220
 radically and

00:29:45.220 --> 00:29:45.860
 holistically

00:29:45.860 --> 00:29:47.360
 changed by the

00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:48.779
 Jesus, the

00:29:48.779 --> 00:29:49.619
 risen Jesus,

00:29:49.799 --> 00:29:50.339
 the reigning

00:29:50.339 --> 00:29:51.139
 Jesus who we

00:29:51.139 --> 00:29:51.579
 meet in the

00:29:51.579 --> 00:29:52.279
 pages of

00:29:52.279 --> 00:29:52.839
 scripture.

00:29:54.719 --> 00:29:55.179
 Let me just

00:29:55.179 --> 00:29:55.599
 give you my

00:29:55.599 --> 00:29:56.319
 favorite example

00:29:56.319 --> 00:29:57.019
 of this as we

00:29:57.019 --> 00:29:57.439
 close.

00:29:58.919 --> 00:29:59.259
 As you're in

00:29:59.259 --> 00:29:59.819
 lockdown, one of

00:29:59.819 --> 00:30:00.399
 the things that

00:30:00.399 --> 00:30:01.339
 I've loved being

00:30:01.339 --> 00:30:02.000
 able to do is

00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:02.419
 just have a

00:30:02.419 --> 00:30:03.000
 little bit more

00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:03.539
 time to do

00:30:03.539 --> 00:30:04.079
 some reading.

00:30:04.259 --> 00:30:04.639
 And one of the

00:30:04.639 --> 00:30:05.179
 things that I've

00:30:05.179 --> 00:30:06.019
 been reading is a

00:30:06.019 --> 00:30:07.699
 biography of a

00:30:07.699 --> 00:30:08.679
 man called John

00:30:08.679 --> 00:30:09.079
 Newton.

00:30:10.519 --> 00:30:10.679
 Do you know,

00:30:10.740 --> 00:30:11.279
 if ever there was

00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:11.899
 a life that

00:30:11.899 --> 00:30:13.019
 testified to the

00:30:13.019 --> 00:30:14.879
 change in

00:30:14.879 --> 00:30:15.659
 somebody's life

00:30:15.659 --> 00:30:16.579
 that encountering

00:30:16.579 --> 00:30:17.299
 the forgiveness

00:30:17.299 --> 00:30:19.039
 and grace of

00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:20.859
 Jesus makes in

00:30:20.859 --> 00:30:21.579
 somebody's life

00:30:21.579 --> 00:30:22.240
 it is of this

00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:22.720
 guy's.

00:30:23.960 --> 00:30:24.619
 In his former

00:30:24.619 --> 00:30:25.440
 life he worked

00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:26.700
 on slave ships,

00:30:27.879 --> 00:30:29.159
 transporting people

00:30:29.159 --> 00:30:30.240
 back and forth

00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:31.720
 across the seas

00:30:31.720 --> 00:30:33.700
 and loved it,

00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:34.299
 didn't see anything

00:30:34.299 --> 00:30:35.059
 wrong with it,

00:30:35.139 --> 00:30:35.819
 just going along

00:30:35.819 --> 00:30:36.500
 with the flow.

00:30:36.740 --> 00:30:38.399
 And this is what

00:30:38.399 --> 00:30:39.399
 his friends said

00:30:39.399 --> 00:30:40.359
 of John Newton

00:30:40.359 --> 00:30:41.680
 aboard the ship

00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:42.700
 his fellow sailors.

00:30:42.819 --> 00:30:43.359
 Somebody said

00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:43.619
 this,

00:30:43.619 --> 00:30:44.960
 his debaucheries

00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:46.279
 make even the

00:30:46.279 --> 00:30:47.519
 other sailors

00:30:47.519 --> 00:30:48.180
 blush.

00:30:49.099 --> 00:30:49.359
 Right?

00:30:49.420 --> 00:30:50.180
 Another said

00:30:50.180 --> 00:30:51.639
 he is a ring

00:30:51.639 --> 00:30:52.899
 leader for sin.

00:30:55.119 --> 00:30:55.599
 And then John

00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:56.119
 Newton meets

00:30:56.119 --> 00:30:56.539
 Jesus.

00:30:57.779 --> 00:30:58.879
 And he sees

00:30:58.879 --> 00:30:59.720
 all of a sudden

00:30:59.720 --> 00:31:00.879
 the ugliness

00:31:00.879 --> 00:31:01.879
 of what he's

00:31:01.879 --> 00:31:02.559
 doing with his

00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:02.980
 life.

00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:04.420
 And how he's

00:31:04.420 --> 00:31:05.059
 viewing other

00:31:05.059 --> 00:31:05.819
 human beings.

00:31:05.819 --> 00:31:06.500
 And he sees the

00:31:06.500 --> 00:31:07.519
 worthlessness of

00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:08.500
 the things he used

00:31:08.500 --> 00:31:09.259
 to prize.

00:31:09.259 --> 00:31:11.660
 And all of a sudden

00:31:11.660 --> 00:31:12.379
 in the years to

00:31:12.379 --> 00:31:13.480
 come he stops

00:31:13.480 --> 00:31:14.119
 what he's doing.

00:31:14.240 --> 00:31:15.180
 He moves to be a

00:31:15.180 --> 00:31:15.879
 minister and he

00:31:15.879 --> 00:31:16.859
 also moves to

00:31:16.859 --> 00:31:18.519
 work against the

00:31:18.519 --> 00:31:19.759
 very slave trade

00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:20.500
 that he used to

00:31:20.500 --> 00:31:20.859
 love.

00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:23.660
 And he's daily

00:31:23.660 --> 00:31:25.039
 amazed that

00:31:25.039 --> 00:31:26.220
 somebody like him

00:31:26.220 --> 00:31:28.079
 could become a

00:31:28.079 --> 00:31:28.460
 Christian.

00:31:28.579 --> 00:31:29.400
 And he pens the

00:31:29.400 --> 00:31:30.160
 words to the

00:31:30.160 --> 00:31:31.379
 best known song,

00:31:31.640 --> 00:31:32.940
 to the best known

00:31:32.940 --> 00:31:34.900
 tune anywhere in

00:31:34.900 --> 00:31:35.480
 the world.

00:31:35.480 --> 00:31:37.059
 And it goes

00:31:37.059 --> 00:31:37.559
 like this.

00:31:37.559 --> 00:31:38.900
 Amazing grace.

00:31:39.819 --> 00:31:40.720
 How sweet the

00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:42.299
 sound that

00:31:42.299 --> 00:31:43.640
 saved a wretch

00:31:43.640 --> 00:31:44.519
 like me.

00:31:45.460 --> 00:31:46.559
 I once was

00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:48.400
 lost but now

00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:49.160
 I'm found.

00:31:49.819 --> 00:31:51.640
 Was blind but

00:31:51.640 --> 00:31:52.779
 now I see.

00:31:56.140 --> 00:31:56.940
 Friends, Artemis

00:31:56.940 --> 00:31:57.640
 was destroyed

00:31:57.640 --> 00:32:00.440
 just over 300

00:32:00.440 --> 00:32:02.759
 years after this

00:32:02.759 --> 00:32:03.579
 episode in Acts

00:32:03.579 --> 00:32:04.420
 chapter 19.

00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:06.420
 But the word

00:32:06.420 --> 00:32:07.160
 of the Lord,

00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:09.480
 the very fact

00:32:09.480 --> 00:32:09.960
 that we're here

00:32:09.960 --> 00:32:11.599
 today is proof

00:32:11.599 --> 00:32:13.380
 that it continues

00:32:13.380 --> 00:32:14.819
 to increase

00:32:14.819 --> 00:32:16.240
 and mightily

00:32:16.240 --> 00:32:16.940
 prevail.

00:32:17.700 --> 00:32:18.599
 Let's pray.

00:32:21.299 --> 00:32:22.160
 So Father,

00:32:22.279 --> 00:32:22.860
 thank you that

00:32:22.860 --> 00:32:23.420
 you are in the

00:32:23.420 --> 00:32:24.299
 business of

00:32:24.299 --> 00:32:26.279
 transforming lives

00:32:26.279 --> 00:32:27.160
 by your amazing

00:32:27.160 --> 00:32:27.680
 grace.

00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:30.039
 And we pray

00:32:30.039 --> 00:32:30.839
 Father for

00:32:30.839 --> 00:32:32.920
 the affections

00:32:32.920 --> 00:32:33.759
 of our hearts

00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:34.480
 here today.

00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:36.059
 and the

00:32:36.059 --> 00:32:36.759
 direction of

00:32:36.759 --> 00:32:37.180
 our minds

00:32:37.180 --> 00:32:37.839
 here today

00:32:37.839 --> 00:32:38.920
 that you

00:32:38.920 --> 00:32:39.900
 would transform

00:32:39.900 --> 00:32:41.700
 us and help

00:32:41.700 --> 00:32:42.640
 us to treasure

00:32:42.640 --> 00:32:44.380
 Jesus above

00:32:44.380 --> 00:32:45.680
 everything else

00:32:45.680 --> 00:32:46.460
 in this life.

00:32:47.599 --> 00:32:48.160
 And in his

00:32:48.160 --> 00:32:48.759
 precious name

00:32:48.759 --> 00:32:49.180
 we pray.

00:32:49.839 --> 00:32:50.220
 Amen.

00:32:50.220 --> 00:32:54.779
 many thanks

00:32:54.779 --> 00:32:55.059
 Graham.

00:32:56.059 --> 00:32:57.100
 Now, over

00:32:57.100 --> 00:32:57.660
 the last few

00:32:57.660 --> 00:32:58.380
 weeks we've

00:32:58.380 --> 00:32:58.839
 heard from

00:32:58.839 --> 00:32:59.799
 members about

00:32:59.799 --> 00:33:00.700
 how God has

00:33:00.700 --> 00:33:01.160
 worked in

00:33:01.160 --> 00:33:01.700
 their lives.

00:33:02.700 --> 00:33:03.059
 And so just

00:33:03.059 --> 00:33:03.880
 before we have

00:33:03.880 --> 00:33:04.900
 our final song

00:33:04.900 --> 00:33:06.140
 let's hear an

00:33:06.140 --> 00:33:07.240
 inspirational story

00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:08.039
 from John.

00:33:08.039 --> 00:33:10.879
 Hello, my name

00:33:10.879 --> 00:33:11.519
 is John Cameron

00:33:11.519 --> 00:33:12.779
 and it's been

00:33:12.779 --> 00:33:13.680
 suggested that I

00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:14.319
 might spend a

00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:15.159
 few moments just

00:33:15.159 --> 00:33:15.879
 sharing the

00:33:15.879 --> 00:33:16.420
 little of my

00:33:16.420 --> 00:33:16.960
 journey with

00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:17.139
 you.

00:33:18.259 --> 00:33:19.159
 Now, although I

00:33:19.159 --> 00:33:19.720
 live in Edinburgh

00:33:19.720 --> 00:33:20.519
 and have done

00:33:20.519 --> 00:33:21.359
 for many years,

00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:23.079
 I was born and

00:33:23.079 --> 00:33:23.799
 brought up in the

00:33:23.799 --> 00:33:24.240
 Highlands.

00:33:25.139 --> 00:33:25.740
 And for the first

00:33:25.740 --> 00:33:26.519
 seven or eight

00:33:26.519 --> 00:33:27.339
 years of my life

00:33:27.339 --> 00:33:28.659
 I lived in

00:33:28.659 --> 00:33:29.079
 Doors.

00:33:29.920 --> 00:33:31.180
 Now, that's not

00:33:31.180 --> 00:33:32.039
 because I was

00:33:32.039 --> 00:33:32.639
 angriphobic,

00:33:33.220 --> 00:33:34.119
 but because Doors

00:33:34.119 --> 00:33:34.980
 is a little village

00:33:34.980 --> 00:33:35.960
 on the shores

00:33:35.960 --> 00:33:36.680
 of Loch Ness.

00:33:37.519 --> 00:33:37.960
 And that's

00:33:37.960 --> 00:33:38.640
 where I stayed.

00:33:39.960 --> 00:33:41.279
 My early years

00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:42.700
 involved regular

00:33:42.700 --> 00:33:43.559
 activities which

00:33:43.559 --> 00:33:45.059
 included attending

00:33:45.059 --> 00:33:45.940
 church most

00:33:45.940 --> 00:33:46.640
 Sundays with my

00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:46.940
 father.

00:33:48.019 --> 00:33:49.039
 Now, church

00:33:49.039 --> 00:33:49.880
 for us was the

00:33:49.880 --> 00:33:50.620
 local pre-church

00:33:50.620 --> 00:33:51.019
 of Scotland,

00:33:51.839 --> 00:33:52.360
 which was a

00:33:52.360 --> 00:33:53.420
 very small and

00:33:53.420 --> 00:33:54.420
 aged congregation.

00:33:55.519 --> 00:33:56.160
 And in reality,

00:33:56.620 --> 00:33:57.220
 I think the

00:33:57.220 --> 00:33:57.839
 second youngest

00:33:57.839 --> 00:33:58.720
 person there was

00:33:58.720 --> 00:33:59.160
 probably the

00:33:59.160 --> 00:33:59.400
 dad.

00:34:00.599 --> 00:34:01.519
 Because of that,

00:34:01.819 --> 00:34:02.420
 there was no

00:34:02.420 --> 00:34:03.339
 Sunday school or

00:34:03.339 --> 00:34:04.120
 other activities

00:34:04.120 --> 00:34:04.740
 for children.

00:34:04.980 --> 00:34:06.460
 And my parents

00:34:06.460 --> 00:34:08.019
 signed us up for

00:34:08.019 --> 00:34:08.619
 something called

00:34:08.619 --> 00:34:09.280
 the Highlands and

00:34:09.280 --> 00:34:10.039
 Islands Postal

00:34:10.039 --> 00:34:10.519
 Sunday School

00:34:10.519 --> 00:34:10.880
 Service.

00:34:11.800 --> 00:34:13.039
 This was run by

00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:13.719
 a young brethren

00:34:13.719 --> 00:34:15.900
 couple who each

00:34:15.900 --> 00:34:17.079
 month sent out

00:34:17.079 --> 00:34:18.360
 Bible stories and

00:34:18.360 --> 00:34:19.460
 activities to

00:34:19.460 --> 00:34:20.420
 children across

00:34:20.420 --> 00:34:21.039
 the Highlands.

00:34:22.300 --> 00:34:23.039
 And we completed

00:34:23.039 --> 00:34:23.659
 them in our own

00:34:23.659 --> 00:34:24.980
 time, sent them

00:34:24.980 --> 00:34:26.039
 back and received

00:34:26.039 --> 00:34:26.900
 feedback from the

00:34:26.900 --> 00:34:27.360
 following month.

00:34:28.940 --> 00:34:29.679
 One of the

00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:30.420
 highlights of the

00:34:30.420 --> 00:34:31.079
 year was the

00:34:31.079 --> 00:34:31.500
 Sunday school

00:34:31.500 --> 00:34:33.320
 camp, which

00:34:33.320 --> 00:34:34.599
 every summer for

00:34:34.599 --> 00:34:35.159
 two weeks,

00:34:35.319 --> 00:34:36.079
 children gathered

00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:36.860
 from across the

00:34:36.860 --> 00:34:38.400
 Highlands and

00:34:38.400 --> 00:34:39.099
 had the opportunity

00:34:39.099 --> 00:34:40.239
 to enjoy fun

00:34:40.239 --> 00:34:41.559
 activities and

00:34:41.559 --> 00:34:42.199
 Bible teaching.

00:34:43.400 --> 00:34:44.339
 It was at these

00:34:44.339 --> 00:34:45.980
 camps that I

00:34:45.980 --> 00:34:46.719
 experienced the

00:34:46.719 --> 00:34:48.159
 first time people

00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:48.880
 explaining the

00:34:48.880 --> 00:34:49.739
 Bible in a way

00:34:49.739 --> 00:34:50.400
 that was appropriate

00:34:50.400 --> 00:34:51.059
 to a child.

00:34:52.219 --> 00:34:53.199
 I began to

00:34:53.199 --> 00:34:54.199
 realise that this

00:34:54.199 --> 00:34:54.880
 God and this

00:34:54.880 --> 00:34:56.059
 Jesus that I

00:34:56.059 --> 00:34:56.699
 heard about most

00:34:56.699 --> 00:34:58.559
 Sundays actually

00:34:58.559 --> 00:34:59.400
 was relevant to

00:34:59.400 --> 00:34:59.880
 my life.

00:34:59.880 --> 00:35:02.019
 I learned that

00:35:02.019 --> 00:35:02.960
 Jesus came to

00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:04.039
 earth, he

00:35:04.039 --> 00:35:05.880
 lived here, died

00:35:05.880 --> 00:35:07.300
 and rose again

00:35:07.300 --> 00:35:08.500
 to provide a way

00:35:08.500 --> 00:35:09.420
 back to God for

00:35:09.420 --> 00:35:10.099
 people like me.

00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:11.920
 And so as a

00:35:11.920 --> 00:35:13.500
 child, I began to

00:35:13.500 --> 00:35:14.320
 trust and follow.

00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:17.180
 However, it

00:35:17.180 --> 00:35:18.220
 wasn't until I was

00:35:18.220 --> 00:35:19.440
 17 and went to

00:35:19.440 --> 00:35:20.940
 university that I

00:35:20.940 --> 00:35:21.599
 had the opportunity

00:35:21.599 --> 00:35:22.960
 to observe Christians

00:35:22.960 --> 00:35:23.660
 on a day-to-day

00:35:23.660 --> 00:35:24.160
 basis.

00:35:25.340 --> 00:35:25.780
 And through the

00:35:25.780 --> 00:35:26.200
 work of the

00:35:26.200 --> 00:35:26.980
 Christian Union and

00:35:26.980 --> 00:35:27.699
 church that I

00:35:27.699 --> 00:35:29.460
 attended, I

00:35:29.460 --> 00:35:30.980
 soon realised that

00:35:30.980 --> 00:35:31.920
 Christianity wasn't

00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:32.900
 just for holidays and

00:35:32.900 --> 00:35:33.320
 holidays.

00:35:34.280 --> 00:35:34.980
 It was something

00:35:34.980 --> 00:35:35.760
 that I was called

00:35:35.760 --> 00:35:37.000
 to commit to on a

00:35:37.000 --> 00:35:37.860
 day-to-day basis.

00:35:39.119 --> 00:35:39.719
 And so for the

00:35:39.719 --> 00:35:40.619
 last 40 years,

00:35:40.960 --> 00:35:41.800
 that's what I've

00:35:41.800 --> 00:35:42.360
 sought to do.

00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:44.840
 And that kind of

00:35:44.840 --> 00:35:46.599
 brings us to

00:35:46.599 --> 00:35:46.920
 lockdown.

00:35:48.179 --> 00:35:48.980
 A time of

00:35:48.980 --> 00:35:50.219
 challenge, but a

00:35:50.219 --> 00:35:51.679
 time of learning

00:35:51.679 --> 00:35:52.500
 and following.

00:35:53.679 --> 00:35:54.400
 Now just to give

00:35:54.400 --> 00:35:54.980
 you a little bit of

00:35:54.980 --> 00:35:56.599
 background, many of

00:35:56.599 --> 00:35:57.860
 you will know that

00:35:57.860 --> 00:35:59.659
 in early 2018, my

00:35:59.659 --> 00:36:00.559
 wife was diagnosed

00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:01.480
 with dementia.

00:36:02.659 --> 00:36:03.420
 And so shortly

00:36:03.420 --> 00:36:04.860
 thereafter, I took

00:36:04.860 --> 00:36:06.579
 early retirement so

00:36:06.579 --> 00:36:07.719
 that I could focus on

00:36:07.719 --> 00:36:08.679
 being at home and

00:36:08.679 --> 00:36:09.380
 supporting her.

00:36:10.759 --> 00:36:12.079
 This means that for

00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:13.799
 me, lockdown hasn't

00:36:13.799 --> 00:36:14.960
 been the huge up

00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:16.179
 people than it has

00:36:16.179 --> 00:36:16.819
 been for many

00:36:16.819 --> 00:36:17.199
 people.

00:36:18.199 --> 00:36:19.259
 However, that

00:36:19.259 --> 00:36:19.860
 doesn't mean it's

00:36:19.860 --> 00:36:20.619
 been plain sailing.

00:36:22.239 --> 00:36:22.980
 If you know

00:36:22.980 --> 00:36:23.599
 anything about

00:36:23.599 --> 00:36:24.960
 dementia, you'll

00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:25.599
 know that people

00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:26.339
 who suffer from

00:36:26.339 --> 00:36:28.440
 it require support

00:36:28.440 --> 00:36:29.739
 and routine.

00:36:30.860 --> 00:36:31.960
 Any change from

00:36:31.960 --> 00:36:33.480
 that can result in

00:36:33.480 --> 00:36:33.799
 chaos.

00:36:35.420 --> 00:36:36.619
 So for Rosemary,

00:36:37.360 --> 00:36:38.460
 overnight lockdown

00:36:38.460 --> 00:36:39.380
 meant that all

00:36:39.380 --> 00:36:41.099
 external support and

00:36:41.099 --> 00:36:41.860
 all our normal

00:36:41.860 --> 00:36:43.360
 routines were

00:36:43.360 --> 00:36:43.880
 changed.

00:36:44.739 --> 00:36:45.819
 And I expected

00:36:45.819 --> 00:36:46.759
 chaos to follow.

00:36:46.760 --> 00:36:46.820
 people.

00:36:48.620 --> 00:36:49.520
 So the reality has

00:36:49.520 --> 00:36:50.800
 been that during

00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:52.580
 lockdown, Rosemary

00:36:52.580 --> 00:36:53.560
 has experienced a

00:36:53.560 --> 00:36:54.540
 real sense of

00:36:54.540 --> 00:36:56.300
 peacefulness that

00:36:56.300 --> 00:36:57.080
 can only come from

00:36:57.080 --> 00:36:57.360
 God.

00:36:58.880 --> 00:36:59.840
 She hasn't been

00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:00.360
 agitated.

00:37:01.320 --> 00:37:02.220
 She hasn't been

00:37:02.220 --> 00:37:02.540
 worried.

00:37:03.980 --> 00:37:04.940
 She's been genuinely

00:37:04.940 --> 00:37:05.400
 peaceful.

00:37:06.620 --> 00:37:07.500
 And so for us,

00:37:08.200 --> 00:37:10.240
 lockdown has been a

00:37:10.240 --> 00:37:11.380
 time of rest and

00:37:11.380 --> 00:37:13.180
 relaxation that we

00:37:13.180 --> 00:37:13.740
 probably wouldn't

00:37:13.740 --> 00:37:14.280
 have expected.

00:37:14.280 --> 00:37:15.080
 And so for us,

00:37:16.760 --> 00:37:17.820
 another thing that

00:37:17.820 --> 00:37:19.180
 lockdown has

00:37:19.180 --> 00:37:20.960
 brought has been

00:37:20.960 --> 00:37:22.700
 an opportunity to

00:37:22.700 --> 00:37:24.200
 support and share

00:37:24.200 --> 00:37:24.760
 with others.

00:37:25.960 --> 00:37:26.660
 Through our

00:37:26.660 --> 00:37:27.680
 dementia networks,

00:37:28.240 --> 00:37:29.120
 we've got to know

00:37:29.120 --> 00:37:29.840
 quite a number of

00:37:29.840 --> 00:37:31.180
 couples living in a

00:37:31.180 --> 00:37:31.980
 similar situation

00:37:31.980 --> 00:37:32.620
 for ourselves.

00:37:33.800 --> 00:37:35.040
 And sadly, over

00:37:35.040 --> 00:37:35.740
 these past few

00:37:35.740 --> 00:37:37.700
 weeks, a number of

00:37:37.700 --> 00:37:38.300
 the people that we

00:37:38.300 --> 00:37:39.640
 know have suffered

00:37:39.640 --> 00:37:40.440
 from the virus,

00:37:41.380 --> 00:37:43.180
 either at home or

00:37:43.180 --> 00:37:43.920
 in care homes.

00:37:43.920 --> 00:37:44.920
 people.

00:37:44.920 --> 00:37:46.099
 And so I've had

00:37:46.099 --> 00:37:47.920
 the opportunity to

00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:48.840
 just journey with

00:37:48.840 --> 00:37:50.720
 people through that,

00:37:52.039 --> 00:37:53.059
 through the telephone

00:37:53.059 --> 00:37:55.860
 and emails, to be

00:37:55.860 --> 00:37:56.700
 there and to share

00:37:56.700 --> 00:37:57.139
 with people.

00:37:58.380 --> 00:37:59.400
 Now as Christians, we

00:37:59.400 --> 00:38:00.920
 often worry about what

00:38:01.659 --> 00:38:03.200
 to say or what to do

00:38:03.200 --> 00:38:04.780
 in times of distress.

00:38:05.659 --> 00:38:06.720
 But these past few

00:38:06.720 --> 00:38:08.039
 weeks have shown me

00:38:08.039 --> 00:38:10.019
 that actually there are

00:38:10.019 --> 00:38:11.260
 opportunities just to be

00:38:11.260 --> 00:38:12.800
 with people and support

00:38:12.800 --> 00:38:13.160
 people.

00:38:14.280 --> 00:38:16.220
 And thankfully, all of

00:38:16.220 --> 00:38:16.960
 the people that we

00:38:16.960 --> 00:38:17.820
 know that have had

00:38:17.820 --> 00:38:19.200
 the virus have

00:38:19.200 --> 00:38:20.080
 recovered from it.

00:38:21.440 --> 00:38:22.480
 But sharing has been

00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:23.360
 a great opportunity.

00:38:25.420 --> 00:38:26.820
 The third thing that I

00:38:26.820 --> 00:38:27.400
 would draw to your

00:38:27.400 --> 00:38:29.620
 attention that has been

00:38:29.620 --> 00:38:30.300
 brought about by

00:38:30.300 --> 00:38:31.840
 lockdown is the

00:38:31.840 --> 00:38:32.740
 opportunity for prayer.

00:38:33.539 --> 00:38:34.400
 As somebody who's

00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:35.200
 tied to the home,

00:38:36.260 --> 00:38:37.019
 attending the church

00:38:37.019 --> 00:38:38.000
 prayer meeting is not

00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:38.820
 something that's easy.

00:38:40.280 --> 00:38:41.700
 But through our Zoom

00:38:41.700 --> 00:38:42.640
 meetings on a

00:38:42.800 --> 00:38:44.440
 evening, I've had the

00:38:44.440 --> 00:38:45.360
 chance for the first

00:38:45.360 --> 00:38:46.420
 time in a couple of

00:38:46.420 --> 00:38:47.860
 years to join in

00:38:47.860 --> 00:38:48.519
 corporate prayer.

00:38:49.460 --> 00:38:50.480
 And that's been a real

00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:51.260
 joy and a blessing.

00:38:52.760 --> 00:38:53.900
 Now, if you haven't

00:38:53.900 --> 00:38:55.100
 tried the Zoom prayer

00:38:55.100 --> 00:38:56.700
 time, I'd encourage you

00:38:56.700 --> 00:38:57.240
 to do that.

00:38:58.320 --> 00:39:00.080
 Yes, initially it can

00:39:00.080 --> 00:39:01.060
 seem a bit strange.

00:39:02.100 --> 00:39:04.160
 But in reality, when you

00:39:04.160 --> 00:39:05.860
 put your eyes closed and

00:39:05.860 --> 00:39:08.019
 you're praying, you could

00:39:08.019 --> 00:39:08.980
 easily be there in the

00:39:08.980 --> 00:39:10.180
 church and the hall with

00:39:10.179 --> 00:39:10.719
 others.

00:39:11.919 --> 00:39:12.899
 The only difference,

00:39:13.019 --> 00:39:14.519
 probably, is that

00:39:14.519 --> 00:39:15.519
 actually the seeking is

00:39:15.519 --> 00:39:16.039
 more comfortable.

00:39:18.460 --> 00:39:20.299
 So, yes, lockdown has

00:39:20.299 --> 00:39:22.279
 brought challenges and it

00:39:22.279 --> 00:39:23.019
 brings difficulties.

00:39:23.839 --> 00:39:26.039
 But for me, it has also

00:39:26.039 --> 00:39:27.079
 brought opportunities.

00:39:27.799 --> 00:39:29.739
 And it's been a time to

00:39:29.739 --> 00:39:31.379
 rest, enjoy the

00:39:31.379 --> 00:39:33.339
 peacefulness and to give

00:39:33.339 --> 00:39:34.119
 thanks to God.

00:39:34.119 --> 00:39:36.699
 Now, I don't know what

00:39:36.699 --> 00:39:38.980
 the future holds, but I'm

00:39:38.980 --> 00:39:40.019
 sure there'll be plenty

00:39:40.019 --> 00:39:42.179
 more journey for us all

00:39:42.179 --> 00:39:42.679
 to enjoy.

00:39:44.179 --> 00:39:44.659
 Thanks.

00:39:45.659 --> 00:39:46.059
 Goodbye.