WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.720 Good morning, Church of the Advent. My name is Jeff. I'm one of the pastors here. If this is 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:15.980 your first time with us this morning, I just want to say welcome. I hope to meet you soon, 00:00:16.019 --> 00:00:22.240 if I haven't had the privilege yet. I wanted to wish you a happy All Saints Day. I don't know if 00:00:22.240 --> 00:00:27.140 you knew it or not, but Monday, actually, was All Saints Day, and this is the Sunday that we 00:00:27.140 --> 00:00:33.140 celebrate and commemorate All Saints. And All Saints is the day in the church calendar 00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:39.340 when we reflect together on our union together with the whole church, all saints, all believers, 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:45.640 across time and space, language, and culture. And we think back to the Christians across the ages who 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:52.840 have come before us and set an example in the faith. And we also look forward to the day when 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:57.840 we will be united with all believers in the new creation. So multiple times throughout the book 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:03.260 of Revelation, we get this vision of this great multitude from every tribe and tongue and nation 00:01:03.260 --> 00:01:08.020 that no one could count. And that is what we are looking forward to, our communion with saints. 00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:14.960 And so this movement across time and space gives us perspective for the present moment where we 00:01:14.960 --> 00:01:21.640 experience the communion of saints in the church today. That's what All Saints is about, and it's kind 00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:26.859 of captured in this prayer, this colic that we just prayed a few moments ago, which says, 00:01:27.099 --> 00:01:32.500 Almighty God, you have knit us together in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body 00:01:32.500 --> 00:01:40.680 of your Son. But I don't know if you're like me. I get kind of skeptical of stuff that sounds too 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:47.640 ethereal and overly spiritual. You know, is all this talk about communion with the saints across time 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:52.540 and space through Jesus' mystical body? Like, is that too, are we being too spiritual? Are we being 00:01:52.540 --> 00:01:57.560 too ethereal when we talk about those things? You know, sometimes I think Christians can be critiqued 00:01:57.560 --> 00:02:06.859 for being so heavenly minded that they are of what? Of no earthly good. That they are so focused on the 00:02:06.859 --> 00:02:12.599 world to come that they ignore the earthly realities and the problems of this world. And some Christians and 00:02:12.599 --> 00:02:19.560 churches throughout church history have probably been rightly deserving of this critique. But our New 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:26.939 Testament text this morning in Ephesians 1 shows us that if Christians are, in fact, overly unconcerned 00:02:26.939 --> 00:02:31.859 with the earthly realities of this world, it's not because they have thought too much of heaven, 00:02:32.680 --> 00:02:39.099 but too little. But too little. Our New Testament passage helps us to see that what unites us to the 00:02:39.099 --> 00:02:46.659 saints across the ages as our common inheritance in Christ. Through our baptism into Jesus, we have 00:02:46.659 --> 00:02:52.780 been adopted into God's family as his sons and daughters, and therefore we are recipients of a 00:02:52.780 --> 00:03:00.699 gloriously rich inheritance awaiting us in the age to come. And far from making us too heavenly minded 00:03:00.699 --> 00:03:07.780 on ethereal things, this inheritance is actually the only thing that makes us of any earthly good at all. 00:03:07.780 --> 00:03:13.340 And that is because, and this is what we're going to look at this morning, that's because it makes us 00:03:13.340 --> 00:03:22.360 radically secure, deeply loved, and greatly empowered. Radically secure, deeply loved, and greatly empowered. 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:30.039 First of all, Ephesians 1 shows us that our inheritance in Christ makes us radically secure. 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:36.520 The word that Paul here uses in Ephesians 1 for inheritance has a rich Old Testament background. 00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:43.500 In the ancient world, in the Old Testament, inheritance most commonly, most often refers to land. 00:03:44.460 --> 00:03:49.240 The land that you inherited from your parents, from your father, was everything. It was your income, 00:03:49.620 --> 00:03:56.100 it was your savings, it was your retirement plan and 401k, it was your financial and social security. 00:03:56.920 --> 00:04:02.360 And throughout the Old Testament, God promises Israel an inheritance of land from Genesis through 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:07.560 Deuteronomy. And then in Joshua, they actually enter that land. They enter the promised land. 00:04:08.320 --> 00:04:13.460 All throughout the history of Israel, they dwell in the land. Israel grows into a kingdom. 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:19.620 And of course, after many generations of disobedience, they forfeit their right to this inheritance. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:23.379 And so God takes them from their land and sends them into exile. 00:04:23.379 --> 00:04:29.379 And so a live question in the first century in Paul's day was this. 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:33.040 When is God going to restore our land? 00:04:33.159 --> 00:04:37.100 When is he going to restore our inheritance, our security? 00:04:38.339 --> 00:04:41.100 And this is also a question for us today too. 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:46.779 We may not all be looking to purchase a piece of land, but all of us long for security. 00:04:46.779 --> 00:04:51.739 All of us long to know that we're secure because we live in a world that is insecure, 00:04:51.939 --> 00:04:54.159 that threatens to take things from us. 00:04:54.899 --> 00:05:01.179 And so we look for security through financial security, through a stable job, through savings. 00:05:01.979 --> 00:05:07.139 We look for security in relationships by finding emotional security. 00:05:07.819 --> 00:05:12.519 And these are all good things, by the way, but they don't meet our deepest desires. 00:05:12.659 --> 00:05:15.619 They don't meet our deepest longings for security. 00:05:15.620 --> 00:05:20.680 Paul here in Ephesians 1 says that our deepest longings for security are fulfilled 00:05:20.680 --> 00:05:23.740 in the inheritance that we have in Jesus Christ. 00:05:23.860 --> 00:05:24.399 Verse 11. 00:05:25.079 --> 00:05:29.560 Verse 11 says that in him we have obtained an inheritance. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:34.100 This phrase in him is repeated like over a dozen times in Ephesians chapter 1. 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:37.079 And it is a phrase that Paul repeats all throughout his letters. 00:05:37.540 --> 00:05:40.199 In him is this language of union with Christ. 00:05:40.199 --> 00:05:46.620 And the inheritance that we have in Christ is nothing less than the renewal of all creation 00:05:46.620 --> 00:05:48.300 and the resurrection of our bodies. 00:05:49.379 --> 00:05:55.819 Some of us may have grown up with something like a lifeboat theology. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:06:00.620 That the world is kind of this sinking ship that's doomed to destruction. 00:06:00.620 --> 00:06:06.079 And so therefore God's plan of salvation is to get as many souls off this ship and get them into heaven. 00:06:06.699 --> 00:06:10.379 And so it's this view of heaven that's kind of disembodied and ethereal. 00:06:11.100 --> 00:06:15.500 Somewhere where we are up in the sky floating on clouds and playing harps. 00:06:16.060 --> 00:06:17.480 I don't know if this sounds familiar to you or not. 00:06:18.459 --> 00:06:21.319 But in Revelation 21 we see something completely different than this. 00:06:21.319 --> 00:06:26.680 We see Jesus sitting on the throne saying behold I am making all things new. 00:06:27.420 --> 00:06:32.599 And all things means every square inch of the physical material world. 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:40.560 Plants, animals, rainforests, rivers, mountains, flowers, birds and trees and even our own bodies. 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:44.920 Now we don't get a ton of detail about what exactly this looks like. 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:49.920 But what we do get is poetic imagery throughout scripture that stirs our hearts with hope. 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:55.540 So Isaiah talks about the wolf and the lamb who one day are going to lie down together and cuddle. 00:06:56.600 --> 00:07:01.100 That in God's new creation animals will no longer experience the curse of the fall. 00:07:01.939 --> 00:07:05.319 Isaiah also talks about swords being beaten to plowshares. 00:07:05.840 --> 00:07:08.759 That there will no longer be any war or violence or conflict. 00:07:09.700 --> 00:07:14.400 Amos talks about new wine dripping from the mountains and flowing from all the hills. 00:07:14.520 --> 00:07:16.680 Revelation talks about it being a wedding feast. 00:07:16.680 --> 00:07:23.860 This is God's good world being liberated, rescued and redeemed from the effects of sin and the fall. 00:07:24.439 --> 00:07:27.480 And I don't know about you but this is a world that I really want to live in. 00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:33.060 And friends if you're in Christ this is your inheritance. 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:35.300 And this is a hope. 00:07:36.199 --> 00:07:39.340 The hope of this inheritance is radically secure. 00:07:39.899 --> 00:07:40.980 It's radically guaranteed. 00:07:40.980 --> 00:07:44.560 And that's what Paul tries to show us in verses 11 through 14. 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:51.720 That it is an inheritance that is guaranteed both by the eternal purposes of God and by the presence of the Spirit. 00:07:51.840 --> 00:07:54.280 So in verse 11 he says, 00:07:54.480 --> 00:08:02.939 In him we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. 00:08:02.939 --> 00:08:07.860 Paul says here that our inheritance was actually secure before time began. 00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:17.000 Now I think that for some of us, maybe some people we know, this idea of predestination can be troubling or confusing. 00:08:17.779 --> 00:08:24.379 But the Bible almost always talks about predestination as it does here to bring us deep comfort and assurance. 00:08:24.379 --> 00:08:31.159 From time to time I think many of us may kind of doubt the assurance of our salvation. 00:08:31.740 --> 00:08:32.659 I know that I have. 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:35.259 At times I've wondered, am I really a Christian? 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:37.159 Am I really saved? 00:08:37.299 --> 00:08:39.059 Am I really eternally secure? 00:08:39.159 --> 00:08:40.000 Am I really in Christ? 00:08:40.939 --> 00:08:45.659 But often these doubts are usually based on my own feelings. 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:48.080 Like on my own subjective experience. 00:08:48.500 --> 00:08:50.240 Because I don't feel close to God. 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:53.139 Or I don't feel like my faith is active or fruitful. 00:08:53.139 --> 00:08:59.139 But verse 11 reminds us that the security of our inheritance isn't based in our subjective experience. 00:08:59.879 --> 00:09:02.720 But in the objective sovereign plan of God. 00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:06.740 Who works all things according to the counsel of his will. 00:09:07.799 --> 00:09:12.039 And our inheritance is also guaranteed by the presence of the Holy Spirit. 00:09:12.580 --> 00:09:13.939 This is what he says in verse 13. 00:09:14.500 --> 00:09:20.399 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, 00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:23.559 were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. 00:09:24.199 --> 00:09:30.100 Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory. 00:09:30.100 --> 00:09:37.580 This language of being sealed by the Spirit is the language of baptism. 00:09:38.500 --> 00:09:40.480 We're going to do some baptisms in a moment. 00:09:40.920 --> 00:09:44.300 And Tommy is going to say these beautiful words to those being baptized. 00:09:45.040 --> 00:09:50.580 You are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ's own forever. 00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:53.000 That's what Paul is talking about here in Ephesians 1. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:55.580 Through baptism the Holy Spirit says to each of us, 00:09:55.980 --> 00:09:57.220 You are in Christ. 00:09:58.139 --> 00:09:58.940 You're his. 00:09:59.940 --> 00:10:00.080 You're his. 00:10:00.500 --> 00:10:03.460 And there's a lot more where that came from. 00:10:04.940 --> 00:10:07.639 That is what it means to have an inheritance in Christ. 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:13.960 It is the guarantee that though we taste the new creation now through the Holy Spirit, 00:10:15.040 --> 00:10:16.860 one day we're going to feast on it. 00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:22.320 Brian Chappell in his commentary on Ephesians says this, 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:31.400 The Holy Spirit who has already enabled you to taste the sweetness of God in the gospel is giving you a foretaste of the glory that awaits you. 00:10:31.900 --> 00:10:35.820 He is the deposit of God, of the full redemption that is ahead, 00:10:36.280 --> 00:10:40.940 given to assure you that what you face in this world is not without purpose. 00:10:40.940 --> 00:10:43.800 And what you most cherish is not in jeopardy. 00:10:43.800 --> 00:10:49.740 Even when you cannot do everything right, even when things seem all wrong, you are all right with God. 00:10:49.740 --> 00:10:56.799 Because he who chose you is working out everything in conformity with a purpose of his will to the praise of his glory. 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:02.659 And in a world of insecurity, there is no greater assurance than this. 00:11:02.659 --> 00:11:09.459 If you ever doubt the assurance of your own faith, of your own salvation, look not to your own feelings, 00:11:10.139 --> 00:11:14.219 but to the eternal purposes of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit. 00:11:14.959 --> 00:11:19.740 So our inheritance in Christ makes us radically secure. 00:11:20.839 --> 00:11:23.600 And it also makes us deeply loved. 00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:24.980 Deeply loved. 00:11:25.439 --> 00:11:31.659 Paul continues on from talking about the guaranteed assurance of our inheritance to the glorious riches of our future. 00:11:32.659 --> 00:11:34.219 Verse 15 says, 00:11:34.779 --> 00:11:38.959 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 00:11:39.740 --> 00:11:41.679 And then he tells us what he prays for. 00:11:42.419 --> 00:11:44.059 He prays for, verse 17, 00:11:45.059 --> 00:11:51.620 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of him, 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:54.659 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened. 00:11:55.079 --> 00:12:01.439 So this is a prayer for spiritual insight, that the Holy Spirit would open our eyes and give us wisdom, 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:06.120 even though we have the Holy Spirit as a deposit of our inheritance. 00:12:06.280 --> 00:12:11.480 We need the Holy Spirit to continually enlighten our eyes and our hearts to see. 00:12:12.540 --> 00:12:13.280 To see what? 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:16.060 To see verse 18. 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:21.380 To see that you may know the hope to which he has called you. 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:26.780 What are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints? 00:12:26.779 --> 00:12:32.819 This riches here, riches, is inheritance language. 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:34.579 It is cash money. 00:12:35.220 --> 00:12:36.100 That's what he's talking about. 00:12:37.139 --> 00:12:39.779 And it's interesting because in verses 11 through 14, 00:12:39.899 --> 00:12:45.360 Paul is clearly talking about the inheritance that we have obtained in Christ. 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:49.039 But here in verse 18, if you notice, 00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:50.899 here in verse 18 he says, 00:12:51.639 --> 00:12:57.919 I pray that you would know what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:01.279 Of God's inheritance in the saints. 00:13:01.480 --> 00:13:02.120 So which is it? 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:03.919 Is it our inheritance? 00:13:05.259 --> 00:13:06.480 Or is it God's inheritance? 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:09.480 Yes. 00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:11.860 Yes, it's both. 00:13:12.500 --> 00:13:16.060 Throughout scripture we see that God promises inheritance to his people 00:13:16.060 --> 00:13:21.440 and that God's people are his inheritance. 00:13:21.539 --> 00:13:22.720 Let me just give you a few examples. 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:26.500 Exodus 19, God says to Moses on Mount Sinai, 00:13:27.159 --> 00:13:27.960 to the people of Israel, 00:13:29.720 --> 00:13:31.940 if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, 00:13:32.379 --> 00:13:35.440 you will be my treasured possession. 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:39.340 Psalm 78 says that he chose David his servant, 00:13:40.040 --> 00:13:41.740 Israel his inheritance. 00:13:42.560 --> 00:13:45.860 Jeremiah 10 says he is the one who formed all things 00:13:45.860 --> 00:13:51.100 and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance. 00:13:51.480 --> 00:13:54.240 The Old Testament reveals that God's purpose in redemption 00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:58.960 is to form a people who he loves, treasures, and delights in. 00:13:59.500 --> 00:14:00.440 That's your inheritance. 00:14:01.500 --> 00:14:02.540 And then in the New Testament, 00:14:02.539 --> 00:14:05.620 we see that this inheritance centers on Jesus, 00:14:05.980 --> 00:14:07.879 who is the heir of all things. 00:14:08.519 --> 00:14:09.879 Hebrews 1.1 says, 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:13.259 long ago, at many times and in many ways, 00:14:13.719 --> 00:14:15.579 God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 00:14:15.719 --> 00:14:16.759 but in these last days, 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:19.159 he has spoken to us by his son, 00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:22.240 who he appointed heir of all things. 00:14:23.719 --> 00:14:26.259 Through his death, resurrection, and ascension, 00:14:26.439 --> 00:14:29.059 Jesus has rightfully become the king 00:14:29.059 --> 00:14:31.120 and appointed heir of all things. 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:34.919 And as we become united to Jesus by faith through the gospel, 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:40.240 the New Testament teaches that we become co-heirs with Christ. 00:14:40.779 --> 00:14:42.720 Romans 8.16-17 says, 00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:45.879 the Holy Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit 00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:48.000 that we are children of God. 00:14:48.940 --> 00:14:50.799 And if children, then heirs, 00:14:51.460 --> 00:14:54.980 heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. 00:14:54.980 --> 00:15:00.159 What are the riches of God's glorious inheritance? 00:15:01.420 --> 00:15:02.659 It's all the saints. 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:04.180 It's all of us. 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:04.920 It's the church. 00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:08.420 It's the whole church united across time and space, 00:15:08.820 --> 00:15:10.519 ethnicity, language, and culture. 00:15:10.519 --> 00:15:14.559 And this is one of the richest ways 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:17.199 to think about God's love towards us. 00:15:17.480 --> 00:15:18.399 If I'm being honest, 00:15:19.139 --> 00:15:21.220 probably my greatest spiritual struggle 00:15:21.220 --> 00:15:23.679 is believing that God loves me 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:25.819 as much as he says he does in his word. 00:15:26.659 --> 00:15:28.740 There are probably a thousand reasons 00:15:28.740 --> 00:15:31.519 why I doubt, underestimate, and trivialize 00:15:32.079 --> 00:15:33.860 the depth of God's love for me. 00:15:33.860 --> 00:15:38.019 And 999 of them have to do with me. 00:15:38.899 --> 00:15:41.500 But this right here shows us 00:15:41.500 --> 00:15:44.600 that not only do we have a glorious inheritance 00:15:44.600 --> 00:15:45.759 to look forward to, 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:49.580 but also that we are reminded of the depths of God's love, 00:15:49.779 --> 00:15:52.700 that we ourselves are the glorious inheritance 00:15:52.700 --> 00:15:54.639 that God looks forward to. 00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:58.259 The communion of saints is what fills God with delight 00:15:58.259 --> 00:16:00.300 as he thinks about his future. 00:16:00.460 --> 00:16:03.680 He is like a kid on the night before Christmas. 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:04.719 who can't sleep 00:16:04.719 --> 00:16:07.339 because he is so excited about Christmas morning. 00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:10.059 That is how he feels about the church. 00:16:10.359 --> 00:16:12.359 That is how he feels about you. 00:16:12.479 --> 00:16:15.179 He cannot wait to spend all of eternity with us. 00:16:16.139 --> 00:16:18.979 You are his treasured possession. 00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:22.379 You are deeply, deeply loved by God 00:16:22.379 --> 00:16:25.519 because you are a co-heir with Christ. 00:16:27.459 --> 00:16:29.479 Baptism means adoption. 00:16:30.319 --> 00:16:32.539 And adoption means inheritance. 00:16:33.339 --> 00:16:36.659 And inheritance means that God says to you, 00:16:37.599 --> 00:16:39.519 you are my beloved son. 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:41.519 You are my beloved daughter, 00:16:41.659 --> 00:16:43.740 and in you I am well pleased. 00:16:45.019 --> 00:16:47.679 And it is knowing that we are deeply loved 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:49.699 that actually empowers us 00:16:49.699 --> 00:16:51.339 to live out the communion of saints. 00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:54.539 It actually empowers us to treat one another 00:16:54.539 --> 00:16:57.419 as co-heirs with Christ. 00:16:57.419 --> 00:17:01.699 But sometimes loving one another in the church is hard. 00:17:02.419 --> 00:17:05.000 Sometimes we treat one another as less than this, 00:17:05.159 --> 00:17:06.339 as less than co-heirs. 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:10.799 And I think sometimes we treat Christian community 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:12.420 as kind of this zero-sum game 00:17:12.420 --> 00:17:16.720 that I can only gain if you lose. 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:19.700 And therefore, I have to make sure 00:17:19.700 --> 00:17:21.119 that I look better than you. 00:17:21.539 --> 00:17:23.799 It might motivate me to criticize you before others. 00:17:23.799 --> 00:17:27.159 But sins like gossip and slander 00:17:27.159 --> 00:17:29.399 aren't just morally wrong. 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:32.720 They are out of step with our identity 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:35.339 as co-heirs with Christ of the new creation. 00:17:35.339 --> 00:17:39.220 I know this is gonna be cheesy, 00:17:39.379 --> 00:17:40.959 but look to the person on your left. 00:17:41.779 --> 00:17:43.220 Look to the person on your right. 00:17:44.459 --> 00:17:46.059 I know this is a cheesy, awkward moment, 00:17:46.119 --> 00:17:46.619 but just do it. 00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:51.759 That person is God's own inheritance. 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:55.399 That person is God's treasured possession. 00:17:56.759 --> 00:17:58.720 Do we treat one another as if that's true? 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:01.119 Like, do we actually treat one another 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:03.240 as if our brothers and sisters of Christ 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:05.380 are gonna inherit the new creation along with us? 00:18:06.059 --> 00:18:08.240 The basis of our relationship with others in the church 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:09.400 is that we are fellow heirs 00:18:09.400 --> 00:18:10.839 of the same glorious promises, 00:18:11.500 --> 00:18:14.339 that we are deeply loved by God, 00:18:14.700 --> 00:18:16.859 and therefore, we must love one another. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:20.640 So our inheritance in Christ makes us radically secure. 00:18:21.700 --> 00:18:23.700 It makes us deeply loved, 00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:27.339 and it also makes us greatly empowered. 00:18:28.180 --> 00:18:28.940 Greatly empowered. 00:18:28.940 --> 00:18:31.360 Paul continues praying for the Ephesians 00:18:31.360 --> 00:18:33.440 in verses 19 through 23. 00:18:35.059 --> 00:18:35.820 So he says, 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:36.920 I pray that you would know 00:18:36.920 --> 00:18:40.440 the glorious riches of God's inheritance in the saints. 00:18:40.600 --> 00:18:41.180 And then he says, 00:18:41.620 --> 00:18:43.059 and I pray that you would know, 00:18:43.940 --> 00:18:44.680 verse 19, 00:18:45.160 --> 00:18:47.820 what is the immeasurable greatness of his power 00:18:47.820 --> 00:18:50.200 toward us who believe. 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:53.220 According to the working of his great might 00:18:53.220 --> 00:18:54.120 that he worked in Christ 00:18:54.120 --> 00:18:55.279 when he raised him from the dead 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:58.099 and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 00:18:58.519 --> 00:19:00.379 far above all rule and authority 00:19:00.379 --> 00:19:01.279 and power and dominion 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:03.200 and above every name that is named, 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:04.899 not only in this age, 00:19:04.940 --> 00:19:06.139 but also in the one to come. 00:19:07.059 --> 00:19:08.579 And he put all things under his feet 00:19:08.579 --> 00:19:11.759 and gave him as head over all things to the church, 00:19:11.799 --> 00:19:12.639 which is his body, 00:19:13.160 --> 00:19:15.259 the fullness of him who fills all in all. 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:18.779 What in the world is Paul talking about here? 00:19:20.500 --> 00:19:21.680 He's talking about the ascension. 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:25.620 He's talking about the ascension of Christ, 00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:27.700 the exaltation of Jesus 00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:31.220 after his resurrection at the Father's right hand 00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:34.340 where he reigns as king over all creation 00:19:34.340 --> 00:19:37.920 and intercedes for us as our great high priest 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:41.019 and empowers the church by his spirit. 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:44.120 I don't think we think often enough 00:19:44.120 --> 00:19:46.400 about the implications of the ascension 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:47.840 for the Christian life. 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:50.220 There are many, 00:19:50.539 --> 00:19:53.619 but one of the things is that the ascension 00:19:53.619 --> 00:19:56.279 is the objective evidence 00:19:56.279 --> 00:19:59.079 that to be heavenly minded 00:19:59.079 --> 00:20:02.119 is to be, by definition, 00:20:02.919 --> 00:20:04.119 to be of great earthly good. 00:20:05.639 --> 00:20:09.179 The ascension helps us see 00:20:09.179 --> 00:20:10.519 that in heaven 00:20:10.519 --> 00:20:13.859 is one who is fully divine 00:20:13.859 --> 00:20:15.799 and yet fully human. 00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:17.980 Jesus Christ stands 00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:19.599 in the throne room of heaven, 00:20:19.740 --> 00:20:20.359 fully God, 00:20:21.419 --> 00:20:23.819 but with a fully human physical body 00:20:23.819 --> 00:20:25.500 with ears 00:20:25.500 --> 00:20:27.079 and eyes 00:20:27.079 --> 00:20:27.720 and toes 00:20:27.720 --> 00:20:29.119 and a belly button. 00:20:30.399 --> 00:20:31.639 That's what the ascension means. 00:20:32.859 --> 00:20:34.779 This is the greatest affirmation 00:20:34.779 --> 00:20:35.519 of what it means 00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:36.519 to be human, 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:38.000 that the ascended humanity 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:38.740 of Jesus 00:20:38.740 --> 00:20:39.859 in a physical body 00:20:39.859 --> 00:20:41.119 means that the goal 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:42.019 of the Christian life 00:20:42.019 --> 00:20:43.079 is not somehow 00:20:43.079 --> 00:20:44.259 to transcend 00:20:44.259 --> 00:20:45.319 our bodily, 00:20:45.559 --> 00:20:46.460 earthly existence 00:20:46.460 --> 00:20:48.240 for a more spiritual, 00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:49.200 ethereal one, 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:51.480 but that we are to live 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:52.319 our earthly, 00:20:52.579 --> 00:20:53.299 physical life 00:20:53.299 --> 00:20:54.619 empowered by the spirit, 00:20:55.500 --> 00:20:56.000 lived 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:58.639 with the incredible power 00:20:58.639 --> 00:20:59.079 of God 00:20:59.079 --> 00:20:59.740 toward us 00:20:59.740 --> 00:21:00.519 who believe. 00:21:01.980 --> 00:21:02.720 In the midst 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:03.960 of this world, 00:21:04.900 --> 00:21:05.720 God's power, 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:06.900 his immeasurable power 00:21:06.900 --> 00:21:07.900 towards us 00:21:07.900 --> 00:21:08.680 is for us 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:10.120 in embodied life 00:21:10.120 --> 00:21:11.420 in this world, 00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:12.120 in this world 00:21:12.120 --> 00:21:13.480 of diapers 00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:15.180 and email 00:21:15.180 --> 00:21:17.700 and soccer games 00:21:17.700 --> 00:21:18.960 and tacos 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:21.480 and also 00:21:21.480 --> 00:21:22.920 sickness 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:24.540 and suffering 00:21:24.540 --> 00:21:24.940 and pain. 00:21:25.620 --> 00:21:27.040 In every part of life, 00:21:27.120 --> 00:21:27.920 we have access 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:28.980 to the power of him 00:21:28.980 --> 00:21:29.940 who is seated 00:21:29.940 --> 00:21:31.140 at the Father's right hand 00:21:31.140 --> 00:21:31.560 in heaven 00:21:31.559 --> 00:21:33.099 far above all 00:21:33.099 --> 00:21:33.619 authority 00:21:33.619 --> 00:21:34.220 and power 00:21:34.220 --> 00:21:35.299 and dominion. 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:38.079 That is our inheritance, 00:21:38.839 --> 00:21:41.019 that in the ascended Jesus, 00:21:41.859 --> 00:21:44.059 we are radically secure, 00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:47.159 we are deeply loved 00:21:47.159 --> 00:21:49.579 and we are greatly empowered 00:21:49.579 --> 00:21:51.059 and this is a reality 00:21:51.059 --> 00:21:51.639 that shapes 00:21:51.639 --> 00:21:53.119 our everyday life. 00:21:55.740 --> 00:21:57.079 There's so many implications 00:21:57.079 --> 00:21:57.839 that we could talk about 00:21:57.839 --> 00:21:59.079 but I wanna just talk about one 00:21:59.079 --> 00:21:59.659 as we close. 00:21:59.660 --> 00:22:02.220 You know what I've noticed 00:22:02.220 --> 00:22:03.620 about young kids, 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:05.240 especially those 00:22:05.240 --> 00:22:07.279 who can't talk yet? 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:08.480 What I've noticed 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:09.240 about young kids, 00:22:10.800 --> 00:22:12.320 those who know 00:22:12.320 --> 00:22:14.640 that they are deeply secure 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:15.560 and deeply loved. 00:22:16.700 --> 00:22:17.720 You ever seen a kid like that? 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:20.000 What I've noticed 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:21.400 is that those kids 00:22:21.400 --> 00:22:22.980 take risks. 00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:25.940 They try stuff 00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:26.620 they're not good at yet. 00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:29.400 They learn how to walk. 00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:31.480 And they fall a lot. 00:22:33.080 --> 00:22:33.720 They're terrible 00:22:33.720 --> 00:22:34.620 at speaking English 00:22:34.620 --> 00:22:35.980 but they like 00:22:35.980 --> 00:22:36.779 keep trying to talk to people 00:22:36.779 --> 00:22:39.080 because they know 00:22:39.080 --> 00:22:40.759 dad's got me, 00:22:41.860 --> 00:22:43.080 mom's got me 00:22:43.080 --> 00:22:44.920 and I am deeply secure 00:22:44.920 --> 00:22:45.420 in their love 00:22:45.420 --> 00:22:46.160 even though I can't 00:22:46.160 --> 00:22:47.200 fully articulate that yet. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:50.860 How would you live your life 00:22:50.860 --> 00:22:52.700 if you knew 00:22:52.700 --> 00:22:55.600 that you were radically secure 00:22:55.600 --> 00:22:57.400 and deeply loved? 00:22:57.400 --> 00:23:00.100 How would you live 00:23:00.100 --> 00:23:00.900 your life 00:23:00.900 --> 00:23:01.420 if you knew 00:23:01.420 --> 00:23:02.680 that the ascended power 00:23:02.680 --> 00:23:03.259 of Jesus 00:23:03.259 --> 00:23:04.019 was available 00:23:04.019 --> 00:23:05.019 to you 00:23:05.019 --> 00:23:05.759 by the Holy Spirit 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:08.519 right in the midst 00:23:08.519 --> 00:23:09.259 of your ordinary life? 00:23:09.259 --> 00:23:12.220 I think it would lead us 00:23:12.220 --> 00:23:14.220 to live lives 00:23:14.220 --> 00:23:16.359 of redemptive risk. 00:23:17.119 --> 00:23:18.160 To live lives 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:20.000 of redemptive risk. 00:23:20.119 --> 00:23:22.279 This past week 00:23:22.279 --> 00:23:22.960 several of us 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:24.160 traveled to Greensboro, 00:23:24.259 --> 00:23:24.740 North Carolina 00:23:24.740 --> 00:23:25.960 to attend the 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:27.779 convocation and synod 00:23:27.779 --> 00:23:28.440 for our diocese. 00:23:28.539 --> 00:23:29.460 It's the annual gathering 00:23:29.460 --> 00:23:30.839 of the group of churches 00:23:30.839 --> 00:23:32.099 or regional group of churches. 00:23:32.099 --> 00:23:36.480 And we were at this church 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:36.980 in Greensboro, 00:23:37.059 --> 00:23:37.480 North Carolina. 00:23:38.500 --> 00:23:40.240 And it's an all-day conference 00:23:40.240 --> 00:23:41.199 so they got us 00:23:41.199 --> 00:23:42.539 squeezing some coffee 00:23:42.539 --> 00:23:43.279 and bathroom breaks. 00:23:43.939 --> 00:23:45.579 And during one of the coffee breaks 00:23:45.579 --> 00:23:46.899 outside the church, 00:23:47.439 --> 00:23:48.259 I noticed that 00:23:48.259 --> 00:23:51.319 the cardboard sleeves 00:23:51.319 --> 00:23:52.039 for the coffee 00:23:52.039 --> 00:23:53.480 had been colored 00:23:53.480 --> 00:23:54.919 by hand 00:23:54.919 --> 00:23:56.079 with markers 00:23:56.079 --> 00:23:56.599 and pencils. 00:23:56.599 --> 00:23:58.879 And I asked a woman 00:23:58.879 --> 00:23:59.799 behind the counter 00:23:59.799 --> 00:24:00.139 and I said, 00:24:00.219 --> 00:24:00.980 what's the story 00:24:00.980 --> 00:24:02.139 behind these coffee sleeves? 00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:03.839 And she said, 00:24:03.919 --> 00:24:04.139 actually, 00:24:04.299 --> 00:24:05.339 those are colored 00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:06.279 by our employees. 00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:07.879 I'm the founder 00:24:07.879 --> 00:24:08.519 and the president 00:24:08.519 --> 00:24:09.519 of this coffee shop 00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:12.179 and we employ adults 00:24:12.179 --> 00:24:13.059 with physical 00:24:13.059 --> 00:24:13.939 and mental disabilities. 00:24:15.159 --> 00:24:16.019 And I asked her, 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:16.319 I said, 00:24:16.519 --> 00:24:16.659 wow, 00:24:16.699 --> 00:24:17.179 I want to hear more. 00:24:17.259 --> 00:24:18.019 So I asked her more 00:24:18.019 --> 00:24:19.000 of her story 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:19.779 and how it got started 00:24:19.779 --> 00:24:20.459 and she said that 00:24:20.459 --> 00:24:21.539 her teenage son 00:24:21.539 --> 00:24:22.519 has a disability 00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:25.000 and couldn't find a job. 00:24:25.219 --> 00:24:26.379 It's hard for adults 00:24:26.380 --> 00:24:27.040 with disabilities 00:24:27.040 --> 00:24:27.700 to find jobs 00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:28.660 and he was sitting 00:24:28.660 --> 00:24:29.360 at home all day 00:24:29.360 --> 00:24:30.740 watching TV 00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:31.740 but yet she knew 00:24:31.740 --> 00:24:33.440 that her son 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:34.160 could still 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:35.940 contribute meaningfully 00:24:35.940 --> 00:24:36.640 in the world 00:24:36.640 --> 00:24:37.780 and so she just said 00:24:37.780 --> 00:24:39.240 from the Lord, 00:24:39.280 --> 00:24:39.920 she sensed the Lord 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:40.420 was calling her 00:24:40.420 --> 00:24:41.100 to start a business 00:24:41.100 --> 00:24:43.620 to give adults 00:24:43.620 --> 00:24:44.200 with disabilities 00:24:44.200 --> 00:24:44.900 a place to have 00:24:44.900 --> 00:24:45.520 meaningful work. 00:24:46.580 --> 00:24:47.840 And so she started 00:24:47.840 --> 00:24:48.460 a coffee shop 00:24:48.460 --> 00:24:49.340 even though she knew 00:24:49.340 --> 00:24:50.360 nothing about coffee. 00:24:50.680 --> 00:24:51.340 She was a counselor 00:24:51.340 --> 00:24:51.900 by training 00:24:51.900 --> 00:24:53.460 but she thought, 00:24:54.020 --> 00:24:54.220 all right, 00:24:54.280 --> 00:24:54.560 I'm going to learn 00:24:54.560 --> 00:24:55.000 about coffee 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:55.320 and we're going to 00:24:55.320 --> 00:24:55.760 make a coffee, 00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:56.259 we're going to 00:24:56.259 --> 00:24:57.180 grow a coffee shop. 00:24:58.140 --> 00:24:59.059 And the business 00:24:59.059 --> 00:25:00.259 grew and grew 00:25:00.259 --> 00:25:01.240 and now they're 00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:01.799 actually the number 00:25:01.799 --> 00:25:02.559 one coffee shop 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:03.180 in Greensboro 00:25:03.180 --> 00:25:04.619 because they make 00:25:04.619 --> 00:25:05.140 good coffee 00:25:05.140 --> 00:25:06.220 and because people 00:25:06.220 --> 00:25:06.819 love what they do. 00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:08.259 She said, 00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:09.940 we have over 40 employees 00:25:09.940 --> 00:25:12.019 over 90% of which 00:25:12.019 --> 00:25:12.559 are adults 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:13.200 with disabilities. 00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:15.819 And what struck me 00:25:15.819 --> 00:25:17.000 about this woman's story 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:19.200 is the incredible 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:19.900 amount of risk 00:25:19.900 --> 00:25:20.700 this must have taken. 00:25:21.940 --> 00:25:22.759 To know nothing 00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:23.279 about coffee 00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:23.819 and yet to say, 00:25:23.879 --> 00:25:24.160 I'm going to 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:25.039 start a coffee shop. 00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:26.579 to employ 00:25:26.579 --> 00:25:28.420 people who 00:25:28.420 --> 00:25:29.759 aren't often employed. 00:25:30.859 --> 00:25:31.639 But what I couldn't 00:25:31.639 --> 00:25:32.480 help sense 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:33.059 in her voice 00:25:33.059 --> 00:25:33.599 and her story 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:34.519 is that this risk 00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:35.480 was rooted 00:25:35.480 --> 00:25:36.099 in her faith 00:25:36.099 --> 00:25:36.599 in Christ 00:25:36.599 --> 00:25:38.599 and her knowledge 00:25:38.599 --> 00:25:39.720 of her inheritance 00:25:39.720 --> 00:25:40.839 and inheritance 00:25:40.839 --> 00:25:42.399 where she was 00:25:42.399 --> 00:25:43.339 radically secure 00:25:43.339 --> 00:25:44.119 and deeply loved. 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:46.059 And so she was free 00:25:46.059 --> 00:25:47.159 to take a risk 00:25:47.159 --> 00:25:48.460 in this world, 00:25:48.579 --> 00:25:49.960 a redemptive risk. 00:25:49.960 --> 00:25:51.920 How would your life 00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:53.480 look if you knew 00:25:53.480 --> 00:25:53.980 at the core 00:25:53.980 --> 00:25:54.400 of your being 00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:54.799 that you were 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:55.579 radically secure 00:25:55.579 --> 00:25:57.299 and deeply loved? 00:25:57.819 --> 00:25:58.799 What kinds of 00:25:58.799 --> 00:25:59.819 creative work 00:25:59.819 --> 00:26:01.500 and redemptive 00:26:01.500 --> 00:26:02.100 projects 00:26:02.100 --> 00:26:02.880 might God 00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:03.640 call you to do? 00:26:03.640 --> 00:26:06.280 The great witness 00:26:06.280 --> 00:26:07.320 of all the saints 00:26:07.320 --> 00:26:08.100 who have gone 00:26:08.100 --> 00:26:08.740 before us 00:26:08.740 --> 00:26:10.000 is all the risk 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:10.620 they took 00:26:10.620 --> 00:26:11.620 to carry on 00:26:11.620 --> 00:26:12.060 the mission 00:26:12.060 --> 00:26:12.759 of the church 00:26:12.759 --> 00:26:13.320 and to love 00:26:13.320 --> 00:26:13.700 the poor 00:26:13.700 --> 00:26:14.300 and the marginalized 00:26:14.300 --> 00:26:15.200 and their generation. 00:26:15.740 --> 00:26:16.840 To take the gospel 00:26:16.840 --> 00:26:17.740 to unreached places, 00:26:18.259 --> 00:26:19.240 to plant new churches, 00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:20.900 to seek out 00:26:20.900 --> 00:26:21.480 and love 00:26:21.480 --> 00:26:22.100 those who are 00:26:22.100 --> 00:26:22.600 on the fringes 00:26:22.600 --> 00:26:23.200 of society, 00:26:23.420 --> 00:26:24.320 to face suffering 00:26:24.320 --> 00:26:25.140 and imprisonment 00:26:25.140 --> 00:26:25.740 and martyrdom. 00:26:25.740 --> 00:26:27.799 But they did it 00:26:27.799 --> 00:26:28.620 because they knew 00:26:28.620 --> 00:26:30.440 that they had 00:26:30.440 --> 00:26:32.400 a secure inheritance 00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:33.279 in Christ 00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:36.099 and that that inheritance 00:26:36.099 --> 00:26:37.019 empowered them 00:26:37.019 --> 00:26:38.359 by the power 00:26:38.359 --> 00:26:39.380 of the Holy Spirit 00:26:39.380 --> 00:26:40.380 because of the ascended 00:26:40.380 --> 00:26:41.160 Lord who reigns 00:26:41.160 --> 00:26:41.500 in heaven. 00:26:43.059 --> 00:26:43.700 And now 00:26:43.700 --> 00:26:46.279 it's our turn. 00:26:47.140 --> 00:26:47.920 It's us 00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:48.620 as the communion 00:26:48.620 --> 00:26:49.160 of saints 00:26:49.160 --> 00:26:49.759 right now 00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:50.660 to live into 00:26:50.660 --> 00:26:51.319 our inheritance 00:26:51.319 --> 00:26:51.980 today 00:26:51.980 --> 00:26:53.640 which starts 00:26:53.640 --> 00:26:54.359 in our baptism 00:26:54.359 --> 00:26:56.419 and is fulfilled 00:26:56.419 --> 00:26:57.500 in the age to come 00:26:57.500 --> 00:26:58.279 and that plays out 00:26:58.279 --> 00:26:58.740 in the midst 00:26:58.740 --> 00:26:59.459 of our ordinary 00:26:59.459 --> 00:27:00.459 earthly lives. 00:27:01.619 --> 00:27:02.279 And one day 00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:03.559 we will experience 00:27:03.559 --> 00:27:05.119 the glorious riches 00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:05.859 of our inheritance 00:27:05.859 --> 00:27:06.299 in Christ 00:27:06.299 --> 00:27:06.839 that are promised 00:27:06.839 --> 00:27:07.439 to us 00:27:07.439 --> 00:27:09.519 and God 00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:10.219 himself 00:27:10.219 --> 00:27:11.740 will experience 00:27:11.740 --> 00:27:13.099 the glorious riches 00:27:13.099 --> 00:27:14.379 of his inheritance 00:27:14.379 --> 00:27:15.439 in us, 00:27:16.119 --> 00:27:16.539 the church. 00:27:17.399 --> 00:27:18.079 Let's pray. 00:27:20.279 --> 00:27:21.139 Father in heaven, 00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:22.199 thank you for this 00:27:22.199 --> 00:27:24.079 vision 00:27:24.079 --> 00:27:25.019 of what it means 00:27:25.019 --> 00:27:25.480 to be 00:27:25.480 --> 00:27:26.980 radically secure 00:27:26.980 --> 00:27:28.039 and deeply loved 00:27:28.039 --> 00:27:28.539 by you. 00:27:29.960 --> 00:27:30.579 Thank you 00:27:30.579 --> 00:27:31.319 for the inheritance 00:27:31.319 --> 00:27:32.019 that we have 00:27:32.019 --> 00:27:32.519 in Christ. 00:27:33.419 --> 00:27:34.019 Thank you 00:27:34.019 --> 00:27:34.579 for the saints 00:27:34.579 --> 00:27:35.679 who've gone before us. 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:38.279 Lord empower us 00:27:38.279 --> 00:27:39.319 by your spirit 00:27:39.319 --> 00:27:41.779 to live lives 00:27:41.779 --> 00:27:43.359 of love 00:27:43.359 --> 00:27:44.659 towards our brothers 00:27:44.659 --> 00:27:45.559 and sisters in Christ 00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:46.259 to treat them 00:27:46.259 --> 00:27:46.980 as co-heirs 00:27:46.980 --> 00:27:49.019 and to live lives 00:27:49.019 --> 00:27:50.319 of redemptive risk 00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:51.439 on behalf 00:27:51.439 --> 00:27:52.039 of our neighbors 00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:52.539 that we might 00:27:52.539 --> 00:27:53.379 see your church 00:27:53.379 --> 00:27:54.339 grow 00:27:54.339 --> 00:27:55.159 and your kingdom 00:27:55.159 --> 00:27:56.639 advance in this world. 00:27:56.639 --> 00:27:57.940 Amen. 00:27:57.940 --> 00:27:58.059 Amen. 00:27:58.059 --> 00:28:28.039 Thank you.