WEBVTT

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 I'll confess to you, today, this week, I asked the question, and I asked it to Siri, and

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! I said, Siri, when does Lent end this year? And then, Siri is a troll. Siri misheard me and

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 thought I said, when does Lent end next year? And Siri told me Lent ends on April 2nd. And

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 I asked on April 3rd. I was like, what? Let's go. I was like, wait, that doesn't make sense.

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 And then I looked, it was 2026. For those of us who are still fasting, we're nearly there.

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 I think we have a week and a half to go, is what it is. If you didn't fast through this

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 whole time, then actually, it's still not too late. You could still do it now. I was talking

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 to someone, I won't name them today, but who did something else and was kind of like dwindling,

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 because 40 days is a long time. And afterwards, I was like, you know what? Just change it up.

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 Like, that's the whole point is, can we get close to God from this? Not just to kind of

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 hold on to something, uh, just, just through the pain. So anyway, that's what we've been

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 going through for Lent. We're nearly at the end. Next week is our final one on the spiritual

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 disciplines. And we're going to be talking about confession, uh, as we lead up to Good

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 Friday. But we have one here that's just a, um, that we're going to try and cover a lot

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 with. So maybe just a quick recap, a rewind of our minds. What are the spiritual disciplines

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 we've done so far? What have we got? Who remembers the ones that we've done?

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 Scripture. There we go. Pastor's wife. Remember what her husband put to about.

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 Scripture. Shout out to Reverend Gabe. Uh, what are the other ones? Scripture is one of them.

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 Silence, solitude. That was last week. Lamenting was another one. Worship was one. And are we

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 missing any? And of course, fasting. Uh, so all these ones that we've talked about, you

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 can actually do on your own. You can do on your own and they are really inward focusing.

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 They're really focusing you towards God. Uh, I know that, uh, Francis has taken up cycling

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 more recently and I was, I was, I was driving behind a group of cyclists. Um, the, the, the

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 cyclists, cyclists. I just made up a new word, cyclists. Uh, and I was like, oh, this is a

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 very introverted sport. You kind of just, you're on your own and you're just kind of spending that

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 time on your, but actually somehow people still like to do it together. Or sometimes you see

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 people who are riding motorbikes who can go and cruise on their own, but they also like to do

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 together. Runners are the same. You can do it on your own, but you also like to do it together.

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 And the ones that we've done so far, scripture and lamenting and worship, uh, and of course,

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 prayer, you can do those on your own and you can do them together. I'm going to bunch a whole

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 group of other spiritual disciplines together this week and you'll be just forgive me if it's

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 going to be a little bit over ambitious, but it's going to be the spiritual discipline of

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 peopling. I've just made up a new word there again, peopling, because there are some things

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 that you can do on your own and together, but there are some things that you must do with

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 other people. If we're to be disciplined disciples, we also need to learn how to people. We also need

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 to learn how to interact with people, love people, serve people. And there is a, if we're looking at

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 different lists of spiritual disciplines, one of them that keeps coming up is community and

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 fellowship and the need to be together. And we need to be together. John Woodberg was the one who

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 said, we generally sin alone, but we heal together. We generally sin alone, but we heal together.

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 There's something about when we are together that is so important in our healing process,

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 in our redemptive process. Dallas Willard was the one who said, actually, Christian redemption wasn't

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 made, designed for solitary living. It is something that you have to do together. I was talking to

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 Wes about this last week, as I mentioned before. Where is Wes? I can't see Wes.

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 Hiding. Wes. I was talking to him. He hates it when I embarrass him. I was talking to him because he's

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 my physios who've been, you know, physioing, rehabbing my Achilles. And one thing I said to

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 him was actually, I can probably do these things on my own now, but there's something about me going,

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 you know what, if I was going to do it on my own, you know what will really happen? I just won't do

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 it. So I have to call Wes. I go, Wes, I need an appointment. And then I spend that time and I enjoy

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 that time, even though it's painful because it's someone there with me doing it. And he was reflecting

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 with me and going, actually, you know, reading the Bible is hard. Memorizing scripture is hard.

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 And then I said, he said, well, but I want to be able to do it by myself. And I said, yes,

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 that's so true. Just like my physio is hard and I can do it by myself, but there's something

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 that's just so special when we are willing to help each other, when we get together to do it.

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 And after the sermon on scripture, Paul was the one who took the initiative to start this

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 scripture club, which is this WhatsApp group that we've all, well, a few of us have joined

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 in actually helping us memorize scripture. And why, why do we have a WhatsApp group?

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 Because it's better to do it with other people. So shout out to Paul for helping us take initiative.

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 And he actually sends us reminders throughout the week to, hey, get on it. Because memorizing is hard.

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 But when you do it together, when there's incentive, when there's accountability,

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 then it's just much, much better. During COVID, there was, I took part in an activity that I would

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 never usually take part in. And that was the activity of camping. Who likes camping here?

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 Okay. Well, some people, we have, we have a husband who likes it and a wife who doesn't.

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 That's the same as our marriage too. Praying for you as well. But anyway, during COVID,

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 there was nothing else to do. And of course, everyone was like, so I was like, okay, fine,

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 we'll go camping. And of course, part of the camping is that you have to stay warm. And part

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 of the same warm is you've got to go and grab all these branches. And, and there was one spiritually

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 edifying moment for me as I was stood there just watching the fire burn. I was like, these fires

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 will only burn when all these branches have piled on top of each other. If you had one branch that was

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 lit, it will light for a little while, but it won't last forever. Maybe you have been in that place

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 where you actually lived and had a heart for Jesus and been on fire for him, but you were just lit on

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 your own. And inevitably, you'll know at that point, at some point it will burn out. But when you heap

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 them all together, when you pile them all together, when you keep adding, that's when the fire will

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 continue to burn. It reminds me of the quote that I just quoted from Dallas Willard. It says this,

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 the fire of God kindles higher as the brands are heaped together and each is warmed by the other's

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 flame. The members of the body must be in contact if they are to sustain and be sustained by each other.

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 Christian redemption is not devised to be a solitary thing. I think about another movie that was

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 transformative for my life was High School Musical. Wow, the judging face for grace was just there.

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 The church that we were part of, we actually reenacted it, and there is somewhere in the deep ethers of the

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 internet a video of me dancing to the song, but I'm just going to leave it there. Of course, more recently,

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 The Lion King Mufasa has a song called We Go Together, which quotes the African proverb,

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 if you want to go somewhere fast, you go alone, but if you want to go somewhere far, you go together.

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 Hebrews 10 talks about this. He says, hey, this life is a long journey. Don't stop meeting each other.

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 You have to encourage one another. You can't do it on your own. If we're to be disciplined disciples,

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 we need people. We need to learn how to people, because when we know how to people, then we will

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 actually be some good in the world. I finally got around to watching the film with Christina,

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 The Two Popes. It was just interesting dialogue, just having these two popes talking about just

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 their different emphases on life and on ministry. One of the quotes that really hit me was this.

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 One of the outgoing one, Joseph Ratzinger, he said, I was so scared of life, I hid myself in books and

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 theology and doctrine, only to find myself empty and void of the world that the church is supposed to

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 help. My prayer is that as we become disciplined disciples, we don't just focus on the things where

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 we fill our minds with the things of God, but that they would actually drop into our hearts and that

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 it would actually spur us on to living. And it is a discipline to people. It is a discipline to love

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 people. It is a discipline to interact with people because people are hard. People are idiots. People

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 are sheep, as we've just discussed these last few weeks. So I want to kind of fly around a little bit

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 in scripture. Now, I know that sometimes I like to stay in one place, but today we're going to,

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 as I sum up all these different themes, we're actually going to jump around a little bit. So

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 bear with us. Don't worry. Those of us who really like just verse by verse after Easter, we're going

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 to go through the book of Acts and it's just going to be one plume, just plain sailing going through

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 there. But today I'm going to jump around a little bit to really hammer home the point of, wait,

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 what did the Psalms say about us peopling? And what did Jesus show us when it comes to peopling?

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 So we're actually going to read from a different passage and I'm going to invite, I'm going to call you

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 birthday boy, because in some ways the baptism was a birthday. So I'm going to invite Uday up to

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 actually read the scripture for us. And I'm not going through this passage of scripture, but it's

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 a passage that Christina and I were actually talking about yesterday and she was just struck by the

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 tone of it and what it really is. And it's the title of that passage is the marks of a true Christian.

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 And it really just got me thinking about what we were talking about today. So I'm going to invite

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 Uday to read that passage from Romans 12 for us. So can I invite you to stand for the word of the Lord?

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 God, we stand because we are filled with reverence and awe and gratitude that you would speak to us,

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 that you would reach out to us, you would pursue us, and that we would have an avenue,

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 a channel to be able to know you, to learn more about you. And as we continue to ask the question,

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 what does it mean to be a disciple? What does it mean to be a disciplined disciple? What does it mean

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 to be a true Christian? We hang on every word that you say and we pray that you would speak.

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 So Lord, we listen to your word now from Romans 12.

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 So we're reading from Romans 12,

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 verse 9, and this is the ESV translation, if you're following along.

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 Marks of the true Christian.

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 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil. Hold fast to what is good.

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 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

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 Do not be slothful in zeal. Be fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope.

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 Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer.

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 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

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 Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse them.

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 Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.

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 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.

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 Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil,

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 but give thought to what is honorable in the sight of all.

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 If possible, so far as it depends on you,

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 live peaceably with all.

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 Beloved, never avenge yourself, but leave it to the wrath of God,

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 for it is written,

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 Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

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 To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed them.

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 If he is thirsty, give him something to drink,

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 for by doing so, you will heap burning coals on his head.

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 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

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 This is the word of the Lord.

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 Thank you, Ude. Please take a seat.

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 That passage in Romans 12,

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 I would describe it as like the JD of a Christian.

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 If you want to know what it means to be a Christian,

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 if you just read Romans 12, verse 9 to 21,

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 it'll tell you what a mark of a true Christian look like.

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 If you're a follower of Christ, this is what it should look like.

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 This is what you should be doing.

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 You should have a genuine love.

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 You should abhor what is evil.

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 That means you hate what is evil.

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 You should love one another with brotherly affection.

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 Outdo one another.

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 Be patient.

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 Be constant in prayer.

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 Contribute to the needs of the saints.

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 And seek to show hospitality.

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 If you just keep going down that list, it's like, wow,

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 if I am going to be a follower of Christ,

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 it must impact the way I interact with people.

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 That's it.

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 If I love God, if I say I love God,

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 it must translate down and trickle down to how I love people.

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 We can't get away from it.

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 Being a Christian isn't just about,

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 I'm going to get my Jesus on,

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 and I'm going to sit on the top of a mountain.

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 I'm just going to read scripture.

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 I'm going to memorize it.

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 I'm going to pray.

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 I'm just going to just stay there on my own.

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 That is part of it, no doubt.

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 But that can't be all of it.

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 If you want to love God, you must love people.

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 And I'll tell you, and you will all know this,

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 loving people is hard.

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 That's why if you look at the New Testament,

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 what does Jesus keep talking about?

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 He's saying, love one another.

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 Love one another.

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 Go out of your way for one another.

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 What does Paul keep saying?

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 Bear with one another.

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 Be patient.

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 Why?

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 Because when a group of people like this get into a room together

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 and spend time together

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 and start finding each other annoying

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 and start finding the selfishness that exists in each of our hearts,

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 it gets hard.

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 And the first thing you want to do is either fight or just flight

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 and just withdraw.

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 You're like, you know what?

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 People are annoying.

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 The only people that we can't run away from are our families,

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 the ones who live with us.

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 And so we're stuck with them.

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 But we somehow get to choose this,

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 so we instead choose to withdraw.

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 So here I am to tell you that actually there is a huge discipline in peopling.

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 It requires you to go out of your way to actually be in a community.

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 Genesis 1 talks about it.

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 We were created from community.

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 It was when the Trinity, the Godhead said,

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 let us make man in our image.

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 Let us, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

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 let us make man in our image,

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 let us let them basically oversee, have dominion over the world.

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 We were built from community for community.

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 Jesus' last words, just before he leaves,

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 after spending the 33 years on earth,

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 and what does he pray in John 17?

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 He says, can they just be as one?

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 Can they just not bite each other's heads off?

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 Can they not argue about theology?

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 Can they not argue about how to worship,

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 what songs to sing?

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 Can they just not argue about what they think a Christian,

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 looks like a Christian, a true mark of a Christian,

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 one who follows Christ, is one who loves God,

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 but who also loves people.

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 How well do we people?

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 He prays for it, Jesus did in John 17,

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 but then when he actually recruits and does the work,

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 what does he do?

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 He recruits 12 bandits to help him.

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 Imagine Jesus, he could have come in and said,

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 okay, well, I'm going to save the world.

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 I've got a few objectives that I need to hit.

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 I need to upset the Roman Empire, the whole empire.

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 I need to do this.

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 I need to do this.

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 I need to basically shake up the mindset of the Pharisees.

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 I could do this all on my own.

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 And yet he decides, actually, you know what?

00:14:55.019 --> 00:14:57.419
 I'm going to pick 12 people to live with for three years.

00:14:57.879 --> 00:14:58.720
 And I want to walk with them.

00:14:58.779 --> 00:14:59.580
 I want to spend time with them.

00:14:59.740 --> 00:15:01.960
 And even then, once I go, I'm going to say,

00:15:02.019 --> 00:15:03.159
 hey, you guys go two by two.

00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:04.019
 You can't do it alone.

00:15:04.139 --> 00:15:05.340
 You must do it together.

00:15:05.460 --> 00:15:07.460
 There is something about doing it together

00:15:07.460 --> 00:15:09.360
 that is so, so important.

00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:11.460
 We talked maybe at the beginning of the church,

00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:13.860
 of course, if you've come to this church

00:15:13.860 --> 00:15:15.100
 and you read our mission statements,

00:15:15.180 --> 00:15:17.820
 you'll know that we're trying our best to people.

00:15:18.580 --> 00:15:19.660
 We don't succeed.

00:15:19.860 --> 00:15:22.440
 Honestly, often we actually fall short.

00:15:22.740 --> 00:15:23.700
 But we're trying our best.

00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:26.019
 When we first started, we kept asking each other the question,

00:15:26.100 --> 00:15:26.680
 who are your three?

00:15:27.980 --> 00:15:28.860
 Who are your three?

00:15:29.500 --> 00:15:30.120
 Who's your Paul?

00:15:30.180 --> 00:15:30.940
 Who's your Barnabas?

00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:31.780
 Who's your Timothy?

00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:32.340
 Who's your Paul?

00:15:32.400 --> 00:15:32.879
 Who's your mentor?

00:15:32.980 --> 00:15:34.120
 Who's pouring into you?

00:15:34.519 --> 00:15:35.259
 Who's your Barnabas?

00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:36.940
 Who's your friend who's just encouraging you?

00:15:37.040 --> 00:15:37.740
 And who's your Timothy?

00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:38.720
 Who are you pouring into?

00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:40.759
 The idea is to constantly remind ourselves,

00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:42.200
 hey, you can't do this alone.

00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:43.240
 You shouldn't do this alone.

00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:45.399
 It's not a solitary thing.

00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:47.639
 You should find someone to do this with.

00:15:48.019 --> 00:15:49.480
 And now you might not have a clear Paul

00:15:49.480 --> 00:15:50.980
 and a clear Barnabas and a clear Timothy,

00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:53.340
 but hopefully you have people that play different roles

00:15:53.340 --> 00:15:54.940
 that you can call your people.

00:15:55.340 --> 00:15:57.399
 So when you have something that's going on,

00:15:57.620 --> 00:15:59.399
 when you're struggling to fast,

00:15:59.460 --> 00:16:01.080
 when you're struggling with this temptation,

00:16:01.259 --> 00:16:02.800
 you have someone who you can call and go,

00:16:02.860 --> 00:16:03.600
 hey, I'm really struggling.

00:16:03.680 --> 00:16:04.580
 This is a really bad week.

00:16:04.580 --> 00:16:09.280
 Now, often it's been said,

00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:11.759
 and I think I do agree to a certain extent,

00:16:11.980 --> 00:16:13.420
 if you go to a really big church,

00:16:13.580 --> 00:16:15.560
 you can basically go for a whole year

00:16:15.560 --> 00:16:16.940
 and no one knows that you went.

00:16:17.520 --> 00:16:19.660
 You can also not go for a whole year

00:16:19.660 --> 00:16:21.340
 and no one realizes that you haven't been around.

00:16:23.240 --> 00:16:25.000
 But I'm here to tell you something even more scary.

00:16:25.300 --> 00:16:26.460
 I think you could do that here too.

00:16:28.780 --> 00:16:31.060
 Don't trick yourself into coming to the gathering

00:16:31.059 --> 00:16:33.779
 and then make yourself believe that you have gathered

00:16:33.779 --> 00:16:35.979
 when actually no one has really truly known you.

00:16:37.079 --> 00:16:38.539
 It's important to ask that question.

00:16:39.019 --> 00:16:42.879
 Okay, how can I actually know and be known?

00:16:44.019 --> 00:16:45.759
 Why do I need to do this on a Sunday

00:16:45.759 --> 00:16:46.839
 when actually as an introvert,

00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:48.539
 all I want to do is just rest and chill

00:16:48.539 --> 00:16:49.439
 and be on my own?

00:16:50.099 --> 00:16:52.319
 It's because I recognize that there is a need for people.

00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:53.079
 More importantly,

00:16:53.199 --> 00:16:55.139
 if my life is to become more like Christ,

00:16:55.219 --> 00:16:56.859
 the only way I can become more like Christ

00:16:56.859 --> 00:16:59.239
 is if I learn the discipline of peopling.

00:16:59.240 --> 00:17:01.080
 That's the only way.

00:17:01.220 --> 00:17:03.100
 The only way we can become more like Christ,

00:17:03.159 --> 00:17:03.879
 to be sanctified,

00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:05.019
 to be looking like Him

00:17:05.019 --> 00:17:06.900
 is when we have people around us

00:17:06.900 --> 00:17:08.079
 to mold us and shape us.

00:17:08.579 --> 00:17:10.259
 Spiritual formation requires,

00:17:10.519 --> 00:17:14.579
 it is essential to have people around us to do it.

00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:15.859
 Who are your people?

00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:18.599
 For those of us who have been Christians for longer,

00:17:18.859 --> 00:17:19.819
 I think the question is,

00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:22.160
 who are your people and who are you Paul to?

00:17:22.220 --> 00:17:23.480
 Who are you pouring into?

00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:24.759
 2 Timothy 2.2,

00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:25.920
 Paul says this,

00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:27.559
 hey, what I've taught you, Timothy,

00:17:27.559 --> 00:17:28.819
 can you teach to someone else?

00:17:28.859 --> 00:17:29.819
 Who will teach to someone else?

00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:31.440
 And I heard a pastor say this recently,

00:17:31.539 --> 00:17:32.879
 which is every Christian,

00:17:33.019 --> 00:17:35.399
 every believer should be asking and praying God,

00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:37.559
 how can I have my people?

00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:40.179
 How can I go four deep with my people?

00:17:40.279 --> 00:17:41.779
 How can I be Paul to a Timothy

00:17:41.779 --> 00:17:44.259
 who will be then someone else to someone else?

00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:47.159
 How can we be four deep with these people?

00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:49.119
 How can we have people around us?

00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:51.059
 It requires discipline

00:17:51.059 --> 00:17:53.539
 because after a long day of work,

00:17:53.539 --> 00:17:58.220
 all you want to do is go home and rest.

00:17:59.240 --> 00:18:00.559
 Those of you who are in life groups

00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:03.680
 will know the joy of being in community,

00:18:04.099 --> 00:18:05.059
 being with people.

00:18:06.159 --> 00:18:07.099
 But all of you,

00:18:07.220 --> 00:18:09.319
 I have no doubt will have wrestled with

00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:11.639
 on any given Thursday or Wednesday or Tuesday,

00:18:11.740 --> 00:18:12.740
 whenever you have your life group,

00:18:13.220 --> 00:18:13.579
 where you're like,

00:18:13.639 --> 00:18:15.579
 today's not the day.

00:18:16.019 --> 00:18:17.539
 I just want to go home.

00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:18.399
 Have we all,

00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:19.059
 can we just not,

00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:20.159
 if you've been in a life group

00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:22.019
 and you know that feeling, right?

00:18:22.460 --> 00:18:23.960
 I know I should,

00:18:24.560 --> 00:18:25.460
 but I'm really tired.

00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:27.640
 Work's just been really bad

00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:28.759
 and I just want to go.

00:18:29.259 --> 00:18:29.960
 At that moment,

00:18:30.040 --> 00:18:31.100
 when you decide to go,

00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:31.840
 what does that require?

00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:33.779
 That requires discipline.

00:18:34.420 --> 00:18:35.460
 That requires you to say,

00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:35.759
 okay,

00:18:36.180 --> 00:18:37.320
 I'm still going to go.

00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:38.860
 And more often than not,

00:18:38.920 --> 00:18:40.160
 you come out afterwards and go,

00:18:40.259 --> 00:18:40.440
 okay,

00:18:40.860 --> 00:18:42.100
 that was worth it.

00:18:42.580 --> 00:18:43.560
 That was necessary.

00:18:44.040 --> 00:18:44.940
 I needed that.

00:18:45.900 --> 00:18:46.680
 But to get there,

00:18:46.680 --> 00:18:47.840
 it requires discipline.

00:18:48.300 --> 00:18:49.440
 I know some people like Jackie

00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:50.759
 who work in China come back

00:18:50.759 --> 00:18:53.500
 just in time for life group

00:18:53.500 --> 00:18:54.539
 and they have to travel far.

00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:56.720
 Some of us don't even want

00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:57.360
 to cross the harbour.

00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:01.620
 It requires discipline

00:19:01.620 --> 00:19:03.299
 to get us to a place

00:19:03.299 --> 00:19:04.720
 where we can be with people.

00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:05.700
 And when you do,

00:19:06.320 --> 00:19:07.220
 there is beauty.

00:19:09.259 --> 00:19:10.500
 That's when the formation comes.

00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:11.360
 That's where the fruit comes.

00:19:11.460 --> 00:19:12.279
 And you know what?

00:19:12.299 --> 00:19:13.080
 One of my biggest joys,

00:19:13.140 --> 00:19:13.620
 when people ask me,

00:19:13.660 --> 00:19:14.259
 how's the gathering there?

00:19:14.299 --> 00:19:14.519
 I was like,

00:19:14.539 --> 00:19:14.960
 you know what?

00:19:15.620 --> 00:19:15.920
 I don't know.

00:19:16.019 --> 00:19:16.220
 It's really,

00:19:16.320 --> 00:19:17.720
 what are the KPIs of a church?

00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:19.400
 How do you measure disciples?

00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:21.039
 But one thing I do find

00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:22.019
 great encouragement in

00:19:22.019 --> 00:19:23.140
 is that people are connecting

00:19:23.140 --> 00:19:23.799
 with one another.

00:19:24.120 --> 00:19:24.920
 And of those of you

00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:25.940
 who are really connecting

00:19:25.940 --> 00:19:27.180
 in the life groups,

00:19:27.940 --> 00:19:29.339
 I think not a month goes by

00:19:29.339 --> 00:19:30.180
 I hear one group

00:19:30.180 --> 00:19:31.200
 going away on a retreat,

00:19:31.880 --> 00:19:34.900
 going on a ski trip,

00:19:35.559 --> 00:19:36.600
 going to wine tasting,

00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:38.140
 going to Taipei,

00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:38.779
 even though they wanted

00:19:38.779 --> 00:19:39.440
 to go to Bangkok

00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:40.400
 and they knew that Bangkok

00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:41.200
 was a bad idea,

00:19:41.700 --> 00:19:44.279
 going to Bali,

00:19:44.279 --> 00:19:46.440
 going to Saikong.

00:19:47.379 --> 00:19:48.299
 It's really fun

00:19:48.299 --> 00:19:49.259
 to see this happening.

00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:50.720
 I made you a side note here.

00:19:50.779 --> 00:19:51.440
 I realize actually

00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:52.279
 there's some things

00:19:52.279 --> 00:19:52.940
 that I really want

00:19:52.940 --> 00:19:53.759
 to give announcements for,

00:19:53.859 --> 00:19:55.139
 but because I'm at the pulpit,

00:19:55.379 --> 00:19:56.839
 I don't have much of a chance.

00:19:56.899 --> 00:19:57.379
 So I'm going to use

00:19:57.379 --> 00:19:58.039
 this chance today

00:19:58.039 --> 00:19:58.759
 to talk about this.

00:19:59.940 --> 00:20:01.000
 If you have been here

00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:01.500
 for a while

00:20:01.500 --> 00:20:02.480
 and you really want

00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:03.440
 to join a life group,

00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:04.079
 okay,

00:20:04.119 --> 00:20:04.759
 there are different ways

00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:05.119
 to do it.

00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:06.799
 One of the big easiest ways

00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:07.859
 is you just come straight up

00:20:07.859 --> 00:20:08.599
 to me after seven

00:20:08.599 --> 00:20:08.819
 and go,

00:20:08.859 --> 00:20:08.980
 hey,

00:20:09.019 --> 00:20:10.000
 I've been here for a while now.

00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:11.500
 I want to join a life group.

00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:12.539
 Can I join a life group?

00:20:12.779 --> 00:20:13.480
 Let me know you.

00:20:13.539 --> 00:20:14.180
 Let me see your face.

00:20:14.279 --> 00:20:15.279
 One thing that is interesting

00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:16.720
 as I have the honor

00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:17.119
 and privilege

00:20:17.119 --> 00:20:17.759
 of standing here

00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:18.579
 on any given Sunday

00:20:18.579 --> 00:20:20.019
 is I actually get to see

00:20:20.019 --> 00:20:20.500
 who's here.

00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:22.180
 And one thing I often

00:20:22.180 --> 00:20:22.619
 will tell you,

00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:23.019
 if you're here

00:20:23.019 --> 00:20:23.599
 for the first week

00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:24.180
 or the second week

00:20:24.180 --> 00:20:24.700
 or the third week,

00:20:24.740 --> 00:20:24.899
 I'm like,

00:20:24.940 --> 00:20:25.079
 hey,

00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:25.819
 it's really good

00:20:25.819 --> 00:20:26.220
 that you're here.

00:20:26.500 --> 00:20:27.079
 I really want you

00:20:27.079 --> 00:20:28.139
 to be part of a community.

00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:29.460
 But one thing that we do

00:20:29.460 --> 00:20:30.920
 is we just stay,

00:20:31.019 --> 00:20:31.579
 just stick around.

00:20:32.599 --> 00:20:33.259
 Hang out with us.

00:20:33.299 --> 00:20:34.240
 Let us see you more.

00:20:34.619 --> 00:20:35.500
 And once we see you more,

00:20:35.720 --> 00:20:36.940
 then actually it'll take time

00:20:36.940 --> 00:20:37.519
 because the last thing

00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:38.440
 we want is for anyone

00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:39.579
 to come for the second week

00:20:39.579 --> 00:20:40.859
 and we enter into a life group.

00:20:41.079 --> 00:20:41.960
 People don't know you.

00:20:42.200 --> 00:20:42.980
 You join the life group,

00:20:42.980 --> 00:20:44.079
 have one conversation

00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:45.380
 with one person

00:20:45.380 --> 00:20:45.900
 and then afterwards

00:20:45.900 --> 00:20:47.180
 you disappear and you leave.

00:20:47.579 --> 00:20:47.720
 Okay?

00:20:47.779 --> 00:20:48.759
 So what we're trying to do

00:20:48.759 --> 00:20:50.160
 is take that fine line

00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:51.920
 between having community

00:20:51.920 --> 00:20:52.559
 that's intimate,

00:20:52.900 --> 00:20:53.299
 that where people

00:20:53.299 --> 00:20:54.200
 are willing to be vulnerable

00:20:54.200 --> 00:20:55.460
 and who want to go on holiday

00:20:55.460 --> 00:20:56.059
 with each other,

00:20:56.700 --> 00:20:58.380
 but also being welcoming.

00:20:59.079 --> 00:20:59.940
 And I'll tell you,

00:20:59.980 --> 00:21:00.759
 that is a fine line.

00:21:01.319 --> 00:21:02.420
 And I also know,

00:21:03.059 --> 00:21:04.039
 so you can come up to me

00:21:04.039 --> 00:21:04.860
 and talk to me straight away,

00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:05.839
 but I also know

00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:06.460
 there are introverts

00:21:06.460 --> 00:21:06.740
 who are like,

00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:08.839
 this has already been

00:21:08.839 --> 00:21:10.500
 too overwhelming for me.

00:21:10.579 --> 00:21:11.860
 There is social anxiety here.

00:21:11.859 --> 00:21:12.599
 So I can't eat.

00:21:12.919 --> 00:21:14.019
 To have to walk all the way

00:21:14.019 --> 00:21:14.579
 to come and talk to you,

00:21:14.619 --> 00:21:15.179
 that is too much.

00:21:15.459 --> 00:21:16.339
 That's why we created

00:21:16.339 --> 00:21:17.559
 the QR code,

00:21:17.639 --> 00:21:18.759
 which is right behind Rebecca

00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:19.740
 right there.

00:21:20.039 --> 00:21:20.819
 If you're an introvert

00:21:20.819 --> 00:21:21.199
 and you're like,

00:21:21.240 --> 00:21:22.000
 I know I need to talk,

00:21:22.179 --> 00:21:23.159
 but I just physically can't

00:21:23.159 --> 00:21:23.559
 right now,

00:21:24.019 --> 00:21:25.039
 can you please scan the code

00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:25.740
 and actually tell us

00:21:25.740 --> 00:21:26.339
 that you want to talk?

00:21:26.939 --> 00:21:27.539
 And that is a way

00:21:27.539 --> 00:21:28.139
 that we're going to try

00:21:28.139 --> 00:21:28.459
 and do it.

00:21:28.919 --> 00:21:29.500
 Christina and I

00:21:29.500 --> 00:21:30.199
 are actually going to plan

00:21:30.199 --> 00:21:31.759
 to start our own life group.

00:21:32.219 --> 00:21:32.819
 So that's why

00:21:32.819 --> 00:21:33.779
 if you've been coming,

00:21:33.859 --> 00:21:34.419
 umming and ahhing

00:21:34.419 --> 00:21:35.779
 and you have been around

00:21:35.779 --> 00:21:36.199
 for a while,

00:21:36.659 --> 00:21:37.539
 please do let us know

00:21:37.539 --> 00:21:38.439
 because we do want

00:21:38.439 --> 00:21:39.019
 to include you

00:21:39.019 --> 00:21:39.920
 and we do want you

00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:41.359
 to be a part of this

00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:42.200
 because we recognize

00:21:42.200 --> 00:21:43.920
 we need to have people

00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:45.339
 around us.

00:21:45.500 --> 00:21:45.720
 Okay?

00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:47.740
 If you've been here

00:21:47.740 --> 00:21:48.440
 only for a couple weeks,

00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:49.400
 keep coming.

00:21:50.059 --> 00:21:51.099
 I know it's hard.

00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:51.680
 Actually,

00:21:51.720 --> 00:21:53.220
 we had a few people

00:21:53.220 --> 00:21:53.879
 over last week

00:21:53.879 --> 00:21:54.660
 and I was just talking

00:21:54.660 --> 00:21:55.819
 about Therese

00:21:55.819 --> 00:21:56.480
 and actually even,

00:21:56.519 --> 00:21:57.220
 even Jackie

00:21:57.220 --> 00:21:58.180
 makes me think of this.

00:21:58.400 --> 00:21:59.039
 I remember when

00:21:59.039 --> 00:21:59.819
 these two people

00:21:59.819 --> 00:22:00.539
 first came,

00:22:00.920 --> 00:22:01.700
 you came on your own

00:22:01.700 --> 00:22:03.200
 without really anyone around

00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:05.080
 and do you remember

00:22:05.080 --> 00:22:06.200
 how overwhelming it felt?

00:22:06.340 --> 00:22:06.519
 I mean,

00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:07.480
 do you actually,

00:22:07.559 --> 00:22:08.340
 all of us remember

00:22:08.340 --> 00:22:09.600
 when we walk into a place

00:22:09.600 --> 00:22:10.100
 and you're like,

00:22:10.140 --> 00:22:10.700
 oh my goodness,

00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:11.860
 I don't know anyone here.

00:22:12.180 --> 00:22:13.319
 Everyone else here

00:22:13.319 --> 00:22:14.080
 knows everyone.

00:22:14.360 --> 00:22:15.600
 They practically grew up together.

00:22:15.740 --> 00:22:16.600
 They're all besties.

00:22:17.019 --> 00:22:17.620
 I assure you,

00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:18.019
 we're not.

00:22:18.840 --> 00:22:19.799
 But you feel like that

00:22:19.799 --> 00:22:21.059
 because you're new here.

00:22:23.180 --> 00:22:24.019
 And what I witnessed,

00:22:24.140 --> 00:22:25.080
 at least these two examples,

00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:25.580
 and actually there's

00:22:25.580 --> 00:22:26.400
 countless more examples,

00:22:26.620 --> 00:22:27.740
 is you guys just stuck around.

00:22:28.539 --> 00:22:29.580
 Even when it was awkward.

00:22:29.720 --> 00:22:30.340
 Even when Jackie

00:22:30.340 --> 00:22:31.000
 was being awkward.

00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:32.980
 He just stuck around.

00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:33.440
 I was like,

00:22:33.500 --> 00:22:33.920
 wow, Jackie,

00:22:34.039 --> 00:22:35.039
 it still is awkward.

00:22:37.799 --> 00:22:38.559
 And I was just like,

00:22:38.599 --> 00:22:38.799
 oh,

00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:40.240
 credit to you, man.

00:22:40.299 --> 00:22:40.920
 When we say,

00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:41.140
 hey,

00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:42.059
 stay for lunch,

00:22:42.140 --> 00:22:42.960
 you literally stay.

00:22:43.299 --> 00:22:44.299
 And then you just hung around

00:22:44.299 --> 00:22:46.019
 until there's no one left.

00:22:47.420 --> 00:22:48.220
 And the first week

00:22:48.220 --> 00:22:48.779
 was really hard.

00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:50.220
 And there's only so much

00:22:50.220 --> 00:22:51.039
 small talk you can have,

00:22:51.140 --> 00:22:51.360
 right?

00:22:52.220 --> 00:22:52.599
 And it's kind of,

00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:52.779
 hi,

00:22:52.839 --> 00:22:53.440
 so what do you do?

00:22:53.539 --> 00:22:53.720
 Oh,

00:22:53.799 --> 00:22:54.660
 you work in white?

00:22:54.740 --> 00:22:54.900
 Oh,

00:22:54.940 --> 00:22:55.299
 that's cool,

00:22:55.339 --> 00:22:55.500
 cool,

00:22:55.500 --> 00:22:55.680
 cool.

00:22:56.620 --> 00:22:56.900
 So,

00:22:57.380 --> 00:23:00.519
 and there comes the wall.

00:23:00.740 --> 00:23:01.759
 That's the first barrier.

00:23:02.980 --> 00:23:04.240
 And then you push through.

00:23:04.700 --> 00:23:05.559
 And then he shows up

00:23:05.559 --> 00:23:06.240
 the week after again.

00:23:06.339 --> 00:23:06.480
 And we,

00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:07.680
 it was the time when we had,

00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:08.240
 we had volleyball.

00:23:08.380 --> 00:23:08.440
 So,

00:23:08.500 --> 00:23:09.180
 and then he went to volleyball.

00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:10.120
 Then he offered to give rides.

00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:10.480
 And suddenly,

00:23:10.599 --> 00:23:11.339
 because it's like,

00:23:11.380 --> 00:23:11.579
 actually,

00:23:11.660 --> 00:23:11.819
 what,

00:23:11.860 --> 00:23:12.319
 after a while,

00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:12.920
 oh,

00:23:13.360 --> 00:23:14.120
 we know who he is.

00:23:14.459 --> 00:23:14.959
 He's around.

00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:16.659
 He's here to stay.

00:23:17.739 --> 00:23:18.339
 Same with Teresa.

00:23:18.459 --> 00:23:18.879
 She came,

00:23:19.199 --> 00:23:20.719
 we had friends from the UK

00:23:20.719 --> 00:23:21.699
 who had known her,

00:23:21.899 --> 00:23:23.059
 who recommended her to be here.

00:23:23.439 --> 00:23:23.839
 And again,

00:23:23.959 --> 00:23:24.979
 just a girl came in

00:23:24.979 --> 00:23:25.459
 and of course,

00:23:26.179 --> 00:23:26.739
 ends up meeting,

00:23:26.939 --> 00:23:27.559
 seeing an ex

00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:29.019
 in the church

00:23:29.019 --> 00:23:29.799
 that she was at.

00:23:31.659 --> 00:23:32.439
 And then ends up

00:23:32.439 --> 00:23:33.059
 getting back together

00:23:33.059 --> 00:23:33.539
 with the ex.

00:23:33.539 --> 00:23:33.719
 And,

00:23:33.719 --> 00:23:33.799
 and,

00:23:33.799 --> 00:23:42.799
 what I'm telling you

00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:43.440
 is this,

00:23:43.500 --> 00:23:45.159
 to people is hard.

00:23:46.059 --> 00:23:46.980
 It is awkward.

00:23:47.119 --> 00:23:47.819
 It is uncomfortable.

00:23:48.299 --> 00:23:49.359
 But we must do it.

00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:50.919
 Psalm 133 says this,

00:23:51.159 --> 00:23:52.619
 how good and pleasant it is

00:23:52.619 --> 00:23:55.559
 when brothers dwell in harmony.

00:23:56.659 --> 00:23:56.980
 He said,

00:23:57.019 --> 00:23:57.180
 oh,

00:23:57.259 --> 00:23:57.940
 it is so good.

00:23:58.000 --> 00:23:58.839
 It is so special.

00:23:59.079 --> 00:23:59.919
 It is so hard.

00:24:00.059 --> 00:24:01.200
 That's why we have so many commands.

00:24:01.539 --> 00:24:02.599
 How to love one another.

00:24:02.839 --> 00:24:03.579
 How to be,

00:24:03.579 --> 00:24:04.480
 stop talking together.

00:24:04.740 --> 00:24:04.980
 Focus,

00:24:05.059 --> 00:24:05.659
 focus on the sermon.

00:24:09.500 --> 00:24:10.700
 There's a book that I've been reading

00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:11.740
 called The Anxious Generation.

00:24:11.859 --> 00:24:12.480
 Who's read that book?

00:24:13.799 --> 00:24:14.200
 Wow.

00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:15.039
 No one.

00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:15.240
 Good.

00:24:16.039 --> 00:24:17.299
 I can tell you whatever I want

00:24:17.299 --> 00:24:17.759
 about the book.

00:24:17.879 --> 00:24:18.019
 Wow,

00:24:18.039 --> 00:24:18.200
 wow,

00:24:18.200 --> 00:24:18.539
 wow.

00:24:18.980 --> 00:24:20.039
 The Anxious Generation

00:24:20.039 --> 00:24:20.819
 by Jonathan Haidt.

00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:23.539
 His whole premise is that,

00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:24.200
 actually,

00:24:24.819 --> 00:24:26.259
 we have a whole generation now

00:24:26.259 --> 00:24:27.779
 that are incredibly anxious

00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:29.079
 about anything and everything.

00:24:29.240 --> 00:24:30.059
 And his premise is that

00:24:30.059 --> 00:24:30.559
 they are,

00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:32.419
 children growing up in this world

00:24:32.419 --> 00:24:33.720
 now are overprotected

00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:34.419
 in the real world

00:24:34.419 --> 00:24:35.299
 and underprotected

00:24:35.299 --> 00:24:36.180
 in the virtual world.

00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:37.460
 We just,

00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:38.700
 his point,

00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:39.480
 his first example

00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:40.019
 is interesting.

00:24:40.139 --> 00:24:40.339
 He says,

00:24:40.399 --> 00:24:40.500
 hey,

00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:41.639
 if your kid comes home

00:24:41.639 --> 00:24:42.240
 from school and says,

00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:42.420
 hey,

00:24:42.460 --> 00:24:44.160
 I would love to move to Mars.

00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:44.880
 There's a school trip

00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:45.720
 to move to Mars.

00:24:45.779 --> 00:24:46.220
 Can I go?

00:24:46.819 --> 00:24:47.220
 You'd be like,

00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:47.400
 well,

00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:47.980
 obviously no,

00:24:48.180 --> 00:24:48.940
 because you're a child

00:24:48.940 --> 00:24:49.660
 and you won't survive.

00:24:51.380 --> 00:24:52.299
 And we know that

00:24:52.299 --> 00:24:53.319
 and we understand that

00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:53.759
 and yet,

00:24:54.120 --> 00:24:54.859
 we have young people

00:24:54.859 --> 00:24:55.500
 now coming home

00:24:55.500 --> 00:24:55.720
 and go,

00:24:55.799 --> 00:24:55.880
 hey,

00:24:55.920 --> 00:24:56.440
 I'd like to go

00:24:56.440 --> 00:24:57.160
 into the virtual world.

00:24:57.220 --> 00:24:58.019
 Can I go there myself?

00:24:58.700 --> 00:24:59.559
 And parents just like,

00:24:59.620 --> 00:24:59.740
 yeah,

00:24:59.759 --> 00:24:59.880
 sure,

00:24:59.980 --> 00:25:00.240
 go there.

00:25:01.079 --> 00:25:01.940
 And so that we're

00:25:01.940 --> 00:25:02.759
 overprotecting

00:25:02.759 --> 00:25:03.240
 in the real world

00:25:03.240 --> 00:25:03.720
 because now

00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:04.539
 we don't feel safe

00:25:04.539 --> 00:25:05.859
 letting our kids go out,

00:25:06.180 --> 00:25:07.359
 but in the virtual world,

00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:08.140
 there's basically

00:25:08.140 --> 00:25:08.980
 just the Wild West

00:25:08.980 --> 00:25:09.680
 and we let them go.

00:25:10.060 --> 00:25:10.600
 And then we see

00:25:10.600 --> 00:25:11.960
 mental health plummeting

00:25:11.960 --> 00:25:13.820
 and we see people,

00:25:14.360 --> 00:25:15.020
 as I always joke

00:25:15.020 --> 00:25:15.780
 and you've heard me joke,

00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:17.020
 someone who grew up

00:25:17.020 --> 00:25:18.140
 in the late 1900s,

00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:20.540
 what he described

00:25:20.540 --> 00:25:21.400
 my childhood was,

00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:22.060
 was a,

00:25:23.120 --> 00:25:24.660
 I forgot the word now.

00:25:25.540 --> 00:25:25.820
 Well,

00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:26.160
 he says,

00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:27.020
 the current childhood

00:25:27.020 --> 00:25:27.400
 goes through

00:25:27.400 --> 00:25:28.259
 a phone-based childhood,

00:25:28.259 --> 00:25:28.920
 so we go through

00:25:28.920 --> 00:25:29.680
 a play-based one

00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:30.660
 where it's basically,

00:25:31.080 --> 00:25:31.380
 we had,

00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:32.220
 who remembers

00:25:32.220 --> 00:25:33.180
 being out on the street

00:25:33.180 --> 00:25:33.720
 as a child

00:25:33.720 --> 00:25:34.640
 and having to be bored

00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:35.839
 and make things up,

00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:36.740
 make games up.

00:25:37.279 --> 00:25:37.579
 Yeah?

00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:38.600
 Do you remember that?

00:25:39.100 --> 00:25:40.000
 Where you just hung out,

00:25:40.059 --> 00:25:40.660
 when you go and knock

00:25:40.660 --> 00:25:41.579
 on someone at a friend's door

00:25:41.579 --> 00:25:41.980
 and you're just going

00:25:41.980 --> 00:25:42.319
 to hang out,

00:25:42.339 --> 00:25:42.799
 what do you want to do?

00:25:42.839 --> 00:25:43.160
 I don't know,

00:25:43.220 --> 00:25:43.700
 let's just walk.

00:25:44.360 --> 00:25:45.240
 Do you remember that?

00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:46.559
 Do you remember the,

00:25:46.579 --> 00:25:47.559
 do you remember the gift

00:25:47.559 --> 00:25:48.339
 of boredom?

00:25:49.380 --> 00:25:49.640
 Do you remember,

00:25:49.860 --> 00:25:50.660
 do you remember that's where

00:25:50.660 --> 00:25:51.980
 the friendships would come

00:25:51.980 --> 00:25:52.579
 because what do you want to do?

00:25:52.600 --> 00:25:52.980
 I don't know.

00:25:54.980 --> 00:25:55.839
 But now we end up

00:25:55.839 --> 00:25:56.460
 in a place where we're

00:25:56.460 --> 00:25:57.500
 so scared of the real world,

00:25:57.539 --> 00:25:58.380
 we don't even let the kids

00:25:58.380 --> 00:25:58.960
 cross the road

00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:00.700
 without worrying about them.

00:26:01.120 --> 00:26:01.779
 Whereas my parents,

00:26:01.880 --> 00:26:02.100
 we actually,

00:26:02.200 --> 00:26:02.920
 we were just hanging around

00:26:02.920 --> 00:26:03.420
 on the road.

00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:04.600
 I remember using chalk

00:26:04.600 --> 00:26:06.680
 and drawing a badminton court

00:26:06.680 --> 00:26:07.580
 on the road

00:26:07.580 --> 00:26:09.060
 and just playing there.

00:26:09.140 --> 00:26:09.580
 And then of course

00:26:09.580 --> 00:26:10.620
 every type of car goes by,

00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:11.880
 we just have to jump across.

00:26:14.940 --> 00:26:15.779
 We've lost the art.

00:26:15.820 --> 00:26:16.700
 And one of the biggest things

00:26:16.700 --> 00:26:17.560
 that I won't show you

00:26:17.560 --> 00:26:17.920
 the whole book,

00:26:17.980 --> 00:26:18.620
 please do read it,

00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:19.420
 was actually,

00:26:19.500 --> 00:26:20.080
 we've lost the art

00:26:20.080 --> 00:26:21.440
 of synchronous communication.

00:26:22.900 --> 00:26:23.680
 What does that mean?

00:26:23.740 --> 00:26:24.039
 It's when,

00:26:24.200 --> 00:26:25.759
 it's when I'm talking to Josh here,

00:26:26.539 --> 00:26:28.580
 I'm reading his body language,

00:26:29.220 --> 00:26:30.120
 which most of the time

00:26:30.120 --> 00:26:30.759
 is quite serious

00:26:30.759 --> 00:26:31.779
 because he's got his arms crossed

00:26:31.779 --> 00:26:32.900
 because he's a very serious guy.

00:26:32.920 --> 00:26:37.500
 I say something,

00:26:38.380 --> 00:26:39.140
 he responds.

00:26:39.900 --> 00:26:40.820
 I say something,

00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:42.320
 it causes him to have

00:26:42.320 --> 00:26:44.160
 just a reaction to it.

00:26:44.460 --> 00:26:45.240
 And he'll tell me

00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:45.880
 through his body

00:26:45.880 --> 00:26:47.140
 that actually,

00:26:47.640 --> 00:26:47.840
 I mean,

00:26:47.860 --> 00:26:48.600
 he's an Enneagram aide,

00:26:48.660 --> 00:26:49.580
 so he likes to challenge

00:26:49.580 --> 00:26:50.080
 most things.

00:26:50.420 --> 00:26:51.380
 So I say something,

00:26:51.480 --> 00:26:51.660
 he'll be like,

00:26:51.680 --> 00:26:51.820
 oh,

00:26:51.840 --> 00:26:52.759
 I don't know about that.

00:26:53.500 --> 00:26:55.080
 And then we'll have

00:26:55.080 --> 00:26:55.720
 a conversation.

00:26:56.940 --> 00:26:57.200
 Sorry,

00:26:57.279 --> 00:26:57.600
 I keep saying,

00:26:58.160 --> 00:26:59.039
 challenges.

00:27:00.039 --> 00:27:00.879
 We'll have that,

00:27:00.899 --> 00:27:01.740
 we'll have that thought

00:27:01.740 --> 00:27:02.779
 go through in us.

00:27:03.299 --> 00:27:04.319
 But then I learn

00:27:04.319 --> 00:27:05.099
 what he likes.

00:27:05.519 --> 00:27:06.960
 He learns what I like.

00:27:07.299 --> 00:27:07.859
 And we're learning,

00:27:07.960 --> 00:27:09.200
 it's synchronous communication.

00:27:09.399 --> 00:27:10.180
 It's us learning

00:27:10.180 --> 00:27:11.159
 to behave

00:27:11.159 --> 00:27:12.039
 with one another,

00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:14.039
 interact with one another.

00:27:14.159 --> 00:27:14.940
 Even interactions

00:27:14.940 --> 00:27:15.359
 like that

00:27:15.359 --> 00:27:15.960
 is good.

00:27:16.339 --> 00:27:17.420
 But what's the next generation

00:27:17.420 --> 00:27:17.960
 doing now?

00:27:18.039 --> 00:27:18.600
 How are they learning

00:27:18.600 --> 00:27:19.160
 to communicate?

00:27:19.480 --> 00:27:20.279
 It is not synchronous,

00:27:20.420 --> 00:27:21.220
 it is not time-based

00:27:21.220 --> 00:27:22.340
 because you send a message

00:27:22.340 --> 00:27:24.000
 and then you wait

00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:24.700
 for them to respond

00:27:24.700 --> 00:27:25.380
 at another time.

00:27:26.340 --> 00:27:27.340
 So you don't learn

00:27:27.340 --> 00:27:27.880
 the cues.

00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:28.920
 You don't learn

00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:29.960
 when you've upset someone

00:27:29.960 --> 00:27:31.299
 until much later.

00:27:32.519 --> 00:27:33.680
 They just leave you

00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:34.200
 blue ticked

00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:34.920
 and then that's it.

00:27:35.799 --> 00:27:36.759
 And then you're just

00:27:36.759 --> 00:27:37.860
 left with your own thoughts.

00:27:38.779 --> 00:27:39.539
 There's something beautiful

00:27:39.539 --> 00:27:40.380
 about being together

00:27:40.380 --> 00:27:41.880
 where that's how we learn,

00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:43.079
 that's how we are formed.

00:27:43.600 --> 00:27:44.600
 John Mark Homer says this,

00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:45.860
 the radical individualism

00:27:45.859 --> 00:27:47.500
 of Western culture

00:27:47.500 --> 00:27:48.179
 is not only

00:27:48.179 --> 00:27:49.359
 a mental health catastrophe,

00:27:49.579 --> 00:27:50.359
 it's a death blow

00:27:50.359 --> 00:27:52.379
 to any kind of serious formation

00:27:52.379 --> 00:27:53.599
 into Christ-like love

00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:55.659
 because it's in relationships

00:27:55.659 --> 00:27:56.659
 that we are formed

00:27:56.659 --> 00:27:57.919
 and forged.

00:27:58.740 --> 00:27:59.759
 I'll ask you again,

00:27:59.899 --> 00:28:01.539
 how well do you people?

00:28:03.359 --> 00:28:04.559
 How well do you people?

00:28:05.319 --> 00:28:07.059
 Ephesians 4 talks about unity.

00:28:07.939 --> 00:28:08.379
 Paul's saying,

00:28:08.459 --> 00:28:09.639
 hey, just be together.

00:28:09.799 --> 00:28:10.299
 How does he say?

00:28:10.379 --> 00:28:10.519
 He says,

00:28:10.719 --> 00:28:11.659
 bear with one another.

00:28:12.419 --> 00:28:13.179
 Be humble.

00:28:13.759 --> 00:28:14.559
 Be gentle.

00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:16.139
 Be patient.

00:28:16.599 --> 00:28:18.359
 That's how you get unity.

00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:22.059
 But do we do that?

00:28:22.919 --> 00:28:24.000
 You don't learn

00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:24.639
 to be gentle

00:28:24.639 --> 00:28:25.720
 and humble and lowly

00:28:25.720 --> 00:28:26.940
 without having people

00:28:26.940 --> 00:28:27.500
 around you.

00:28:28.759 --> 00:28:29.480
 Another book

00:28:29.480 --> 00:28:30.259
 that I just finished

00:28:30.259 --> 00:28:30.940
 before that

00:28:30.940 --> 00:28:31.980
 was a book by Dane Orland

00:28:31.980 --> 00:28:33.619
 called Gentle and Lowly.

00:28:33.899 --> 00:28:35.159
 It's a fantastic book,

00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:36.919
 just so beautifully written.

00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:37.639
 And one thing

00:28:37.639 --> 00:28:38.299
 that I came away

00:28:38.299 --> 00:28:39.179
 just being challenged

00:28:39.179 --> 00:28:40.299
 by that is,

00:28:40.700 --> 00:28:42.079
 am I gentle and lowly?

00:28:42.079 --> 00:28:44.179
 That's a huge question.

00:28:44.399 --> 00:28:45.000
 You should ask that

00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:45.559
 to yourself.

00:28:46.519 --> 00:28:47.439
 Am I gentle and lowly?

00:28:47.919 --> 00:28:49.339
 His premise is,

00:28:49.679 --> 00:28:50.799
 in all of the Gospels,

00:28:50.939 --> 00:28:51.919
 Jesus only describes

00:28:51.919 --> 00:28:52.839
 his heart once,

00:28:53.179 --> 00:28:54.139
 and that is in Matthew 11,

00:28:54.199 --> 00:28:54.579
 and it says,

00:28:54.699 --> 00:28:55.759
 I am gentle and lowly

00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:56.259
 in heart.

00:28:56.579 --> 00:28:57.500
 And so I ask myself

00:28:57.500 --> 00:28:57.919
 that question.

00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:00.339
 Am I gentle and lowly?

00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:01.079
 Then I realize

00:29:01.079 --> 00:29:02.579
 I can't answer that question

00:29:02.579 --> 00:29:03.379
 by myself.

00:29:03.380 --> 00:29:05.740
 I have to ask others

00:29:05.740 --> 00:29:07.300
 to answer that question

00:29:07.300 --> 00:29:07.780
 for me.

00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:09.920
 And in my world,

00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:10.880
 I, okay,

00:29:10.960 --> 00:29:11.800
 I was just about to say Nathan,

00:29:11.900 --> 00:29:12.840
 but I'm not that gentle

00:29:12.840 --> 00:29:13.660
 to Nathan,

00:29:13.820 --> 00:29:15.080
 but to the most of you

00:29:15.080 --> 00:29:15.840
 who I am gentle

00:29:15.840 --> 00:29:16.500
 and kind with,

00:29:17.040 --> 00:29:19.320
 if I ask you that question,

00:29:19.380 --> 00:29:20.180
 my hope is that you'll say,

00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:20.560
 oh, James,

00:29:20.600 --> 00:29:21.060
 you're pretty good.

00:29:21.100 --> 00:29:21.480
 You're like a,

00:29:22.260 --> 00:29:23.680
 like a nine out of ten,

00:29:23.780 --> 00:29:23.960
 maybe.

00:29:24.140 --> 00:29:24.420
 That's good.

00:29:25.600 --> 00:29:26.340
 Julian's looking at me

00:29:26.340 --> 00:29:26.460
 going,

00:29:26.520 --> 00:29:27.280
 no, you're not, brother.

00:29:28.420 --> 00:29:28.860
 Juju.

00:29:29.140 --> 00:29:29.820
 I've let you off

00:29:29.820 --> 00:29:30.280
 for a lot of weeks.

00:29:30.279 --> 00:29:32.519
 So then I realized

00:29:32.519 --> 00:29:33.059
 there's only really

00:29:33.059 --> 00:29:33.559
 one person,

00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:35.079
 actually maybe three people

00:29:35.079 --> 00:29:36.059
 I should ask that question to.

00:29:36.859 --> 00:29:37.220
 Christina,

00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:37.859
 Ruben,

00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:38.200
 and Alicia.

00:29:39.039 --> 00:29:39.960
 And I couldn't quite bear

00:29:39.960 --> 00:29:40.599
 asking my kids.

00:29:40.740 --> 00:29:42.519
 So it took me a few weeks

00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:43.480
 to really kind of

00:29:43.480 --> 00:29:44.160
 build up the courage

00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:44.799
 to ask Christina.

00:29:44.940 --> 00:29:45.059
 I said,

00:29:45.099 --> 00:29:45.220
 hey,

00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:46.639
 if you had to rank me

00:29:46.639 --> 00:29:47.599
 out of ten,

00:29:48.099 --> 00:29:49.160
 how gentle and lowly

00:29:49.160 --> 00:29:49.839
 I was,

00:29:50.220 --> 00:29:50.980
 what would you say?

00:29:51.799 --> 00:29:52.920
 And she stopped

00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:53.220
 for a bit.

00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:53.500
 She's like,

00:29:53.559 --> 00:29:53.759
 hmm,

00:29:54.480 --> 00:29:57.200
 you're probably five.

00:29:59.119 --> 00:29:59.700
 I was like,

00:29:59.720 --> 00:30:00.000
 oof.

00:30:01.220 --> 00:30:01.539
 She's like,

00:30:01.579 --> 00:30:02.440
 naturally you're a five.

00:30:02.639 --> 00:30:02.899
 Like,

00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:03.519
 you're not very gentle,

00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:04.119
 you're not very lowly.

00:30:04.460 --> 00:30:05.399
 But then she said

00:30:05.399 --> 00:30:06.019
 the next line,

00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:06.279
 which was,

00:30:06.899 --> 00:30:08.220
 but I see that you're trying,

00:30:08.339 --> 00:30:09.359
 so I'll probably rate

00:30:09.359 --> 00:30:10.059
 your intentions

00:30:10.059 --> 00:30:10.899
 ten out of ten.

00:30:11.500 --> 00:30:11.839
 I was like,

00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:12.279
 yo.

00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:20.139
 The discipline

00:30:20.139 --> 00:30:21.420
 of peopling

00:30:21.420 --> 00:30:22.660
 requires us to be gentle,

00:30:23.019 --> 00:30:23.359
 lowly,

00:30:24.059 --> 00:30:24.399
 humble.

00:30:25.180 --> 00:30:26.319
 And we can only learn

00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:26.700
 those things

00:30:26.700 --> 00:30:27.500
 when we are around people.

00:30:28.879 --> 00:30:29.639
 And Dorothy Day

00:30:29.639 --> 00:30:30.160
 says this,

00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:31.420
 if we are to love God,

00:30:31.500 --> 00:30:32.000
 we must learn

00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:32.540
 to love people.

00:30:32.860 --> 00:30:33.340
 If we are,

00:30:33.400 --> 00:30:34.140
 and then I want to add to it,

00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:34.860
 if we are to learn

00:30:34.860 --> 00:30:35.360
 to love people,

00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:36.220
 we must know people.

00:30:36.320 --> 00:30:37.259
 If we want to know people,

00:30:37.340 --> 00:30:38.340
 we must spend time

00:30:38.340 --> 00:30:39.660
 with people.

00:30:40.519 --> 00:30:42.019
 But if we're all honest

00:30:42.019 --> 00:30:42.519
 with ourselves,

00:30:42.600 --> 00:30:42.980
 in Hong Kong,

00:30:43.040 --> 00:30:43.980
 we don't have much time.

00:30:44.680 --> 00:30:45.440
 And so we say

00:30:45.440 --> 00:30:46.259
 we want community,

00:30:46.460 --> 00:30:47.660
 we say we want to be known,

00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:49.540
 but we can't actually

00:30:49.540 --> 00:30:50.920
 handle the time

00:30:50.920 --> 00:30:51.860
 it takes to do it.

00:30:52.800 --> 00:30:53.300
 It's kind of like

00:30:53.300 --> 00:30:54.100
 you want the truth,

00:30:54.140 --> 00:30:54.840
 but you can't handle the truth.

00:30:54.840 --> 00:30:55.660
 If you want community,

00:30:55.660 --> 00:30:57.759
 but you can't handle community

00:30:57.759 --> 00:30:58.500
 because community

00:30:58.500 --> 00:30:59.640
 is hard.

00:30:59.720 --> 00:31:00.900
 It requires discipline.

00:31:01.120 --> 00:31:01.740
 And I'm going to lump in

00:31:01.740 --> 00:31:02.640
 a couple of disciplines here

00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:03.320
 just on that.

00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:04.400
 One of them is hospitality.

00:31:04.840 --> 00:31:05.519
 Psalm 23,

00:31:06.920 --> 00:31:07.660
 my brother last week

00:31:07.660 --> 00:31:08.200
 talked about

00:31:08.200 --> 00:31:09.540
 how he prepares a table

00:31:09.540 --> 00:31:09.920
 for us

00:31:09.920 --> 00:31:10.360
 in the presence

00:31:10.360 --> 00:31:11.040
 of our enemies.

00:31:11.380 --> 00:31:12.500
 He anoints our heads

00:31:12.500 --> 00:31:12.840
 with oil

00:31:12.840 --> 00:31:14.160
 and our cups overflow.

00:31:15.900 --> 00:31:16.840
 Romans 12 here says

00:31:16.840 --> 00:31:17.720
 that we should seek

00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:19.400
 to show hospitality.

00:31:19.400 --> 00:31:19.519
 hospitality.

00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:22.400
 This was something

00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:23.220
 that we were relatively

00:31:23.220 --> 00:31:24.080
 good at in England.

00:31:24.519 --> 00:31:24.840
 Why?

00:31:25.320 --> 00:31:26.500
 Because we had a house

00:31:26.500 --> 00:31:28.720
 and we had a dining table

00:31:28.720 --> 00:31:30.580
 that could fit

00:31:30.580 --> 00:31:32.259
 more than five people.

00:31:34.600 --> 00:31:35.519
 But now we don't.

00:31:36.519 --> 00:31:37.180
 Let me ask you,

00:31:37.240 --> 00:31:38.380
 what are the biggest challenges

00:31:38.380 --> 00:31:39.980
 when it comes to

00:31:39.980 --> 00:31:42.000
 you being hospitable?

00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:43.720
 Here in Hong Kong,

00:31:43.780 --> 00:31:44.200
 you think about

00:31:44.200 --> 00:31:44.740
 your own life.

00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:46.100
 I think about

00:31:46.100 --> 00:31:47.320
 Julian Florence,

00:31:47.400 --> 00:31:47.660
 who actually,

00:31:47.840 --> 00:31:48.519
 that's your heart,

00:31:48.560 --> 00:31:49.240
 you want to be hospitable.

00:31:49.240 --> 00:31:49.960
 One of the challenges

00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:50.720
 that you guys face

00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:52.079
 when you try to be hospitable.

00:31:52.420 --> 00:31:52.620
 Go on.

00:31:53.240 --> 00:31:54.319
 We're in May 4th.

00:31:54.319 --> 00:31:55.279
 You're in May 4th.

00:31:55.759 --> 00:31:56.620
 That is so true.

00:31:56.680 --> 00:31:57.500
 I should introduce you

00:31:57.500 --> 00:31:58.120
 to May 4th.

00:31:58.180 --> 00:31:59.000
 Then you got some people there.

00:31:59.599 --> 00:32:00.000
 May 4th,

00:32:00.039 --> 00:32:00.819
 because people don't want

00:32:00.819 --> 00:32:01.640
 to go to the dark side.

00:32:02.680 --> 00:32:03.000
 Yeah.

00:32:03.660 --> 00:32:04.980
 Because the dark side is dark.

00:32:07.299 --> 00:32:07.940
 You're in May 4th.

00:32:08.460 --> 00:32:10.019
 That's one reason.

00:32:10.819 --> 00:32:14.220
 Why else is hospitality hard?

00:32:15.740 --> 00:32:16.099
 Agnes.

00:32:16.140 --> 00:32:16.660
 Is Agnes here?

00:32:16.720 --> 00:32:17.380
 I think Agnes is hiding

00:32:17.380 --> 00:32:17.700
 in the back.

00:32:17.700 --> 00:32:18.440
 Her and Vincent

00:32:18.440 --> 00:32:19.279
 are probably

00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:20.400
 the most hospitable people

00:32:20.400 --> 00:32:21.240
 that I've met

00:32:21.240 --> 00:32:21.840
 here in Hong Kong.

00:32:22.279 --> 00:32:23.340
 They are just always

00:32:23.340 --> 00:32:24.140
 having people over.

00:32:24.320 --> 00:32:25.840
 If you haven't been invited over,

00:32:25.980 --> 00:32:26.920
 please invite yourself over.

00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:29.480
 Vincent's spiritual gift

00:32:29.480 --> 00:32:31.400
 is called barbecue.

00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:33.259
 Oh,

00:32:33.400 --> 00:32:34.600
 and the tomahawk is good.

00:32:35.360 --> 00:32:36.779
 What makes you be hospitable

00:32:36.779 --> 00:32:38.820
 and what's hard for you?

00:32:38.819 --> 00:32:39.119
 here.

00:32:39.119 --> 00:32:39.819
 Yeah.

00:32:39.819 --> 00:32:39.819


00:32:39.819 --> 00:32:39.819


00:32:39.819 --> 00:33:01.619
 That is so good.

00:33:01.879 --> 00:33:02.379
 Honestly,

00:33:02.480 --> 00:33:03.700
 if you go and you watch them,

00:33:03.980 --> 00:33:04.740
 they are nonstop.

00:33:04.740 --> 00:33:04.900
 Well,

00:33:04.900 --> 00:33:05.079
 actually,

00:33:05.140 --> 00:33:05.819
 Vincent's just stood

00:33:05.819 --> 00:33:06.279
 at the barbecue.

00:33:07.140 --> 00:33:08.799
 Agnes is nonstop

00:33:08.799 --> 00:33:09.640
 just going around.

00:33:11.480 --> 00:33:12.720
 We all tell her,

00:33:12.839 --> 00:33:12.980
 hey,

00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:13.579
 can you sit down

00:33:13.579 --> 00:33:14.700
 and spend time with us?

00:33:14.819 --> 00:33:15.720
 But she enjoys

00:33:15.720 --> 00:33:16.880
 that service,

00:33:16.940 --> 00:33:17.519
 that hospitality.

00:33:18.579 --> 00:33:19.720
 How often do we go

00:33:19.720 --> 00:33:20.440
 out of our way

00:33:20.440 --> 00:33:21.559
 to be hospitable?

00:33:21.700 --> 00:33:22.380
 And I'll challenge you.

00:33:22.460 --> 00:33:23.759
 If you live in a small place,

00:33:24.059 --> 00:33:24.859
 that means you can only

00:33:24.859 --> 00:33:25.500
 invite two people,

00:33:25.579 --> 00:33:26.339
 but it means you can

00:33:26.339 --> 00:33:27.299
 still invite two people.

00:33:28.519 --> 00:33:29.000
 There's something

00:33:29.000 --> 00:33:29.740
 about Starbucks,

00:33:30.440 --> 00:33:31.140
 which is good,

00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:31.920
 and I've met some of you

00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:32.259
 in Starbucks

00:33:32.259 --> 00:33:33.400
 and they're great times

00:33:33.400 --> 00:33:34.460
 because I love matcha lattes.

00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:35.960
 There's something

00:33:35.960 --> 00:33:36.380
 about just going

00:33:36.380 --> 00:33:36.840
 to a restaurant

00:33:36.840 --> 00:33:37.539
 that's nice as well

00:33:37.539 --> 00:33:38.200
 where, hey,

00:33:38.519 --> 00:33:39.300
 you're served

00:33:39.300 --> 00:33:40.380
 and you just kind of

00:33:40.380 --> 00:33:40.820
 have to pretend

00:33:40.820 --> 00:33:41.480
 to fight for the bill

00:33:41.480 --> 00:33:41.840
 at the end.

00:33:44.759 --> 00:33:45.500
 But something about

00:33:45.500 --> 00:33:45.980
 going home

00:33:45.980 --> 00:33:47.779
 that is just so different

00:33:47.779 --> 00:33:50.400
 that I would encourage

00:33:50.400 --> 00:33:50.900
 you to try.

00:33:52.539 --> 00:33:52.900
 And actually,

00:33:52.940 --> 00:33:53.580
 I was unpacking this

00:33:53.580 --> 00:33:54.340
 with Josh earlier

00:33:54.340 --> 00:33:55.140
 this week

00:33:55.140 --> 00:33:55.400
 and I was like,

00:33:55.400 --> 00:33:55.560
 actually,

00:33:55.600 --> 00:33:56.420
 why do people struggle

00:33:56.420 --> 00:33:56.759
 with that?

00:33:57.000 --> 00:33:57.660
 I guess it's because

00:33:57.660 --> 00:33:59.200
 sometimes we don't want

00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:00.100
 people to see

00:34:00.100 --> 00:34:01.320
 the home that we live in.

00:34:01.319 --> 00:34:02.159
 Sometimes we're afraid

00:34:02.159 --> 00:34:02.960
 of what they will see,

00:34:03.039 --> 00:34:03.939
 what we're trying to show.

00:34:04.619 --> 00:34:05.460
 Sometimes we're just afraid

00:34:05.460 --> 00:34:06.379
 of the mess that we live in,

00:34:06.399 --> 00:34:06.919
 in which case

00:34:06.919 --> 00:34:07.799
 we should just tidy up.

00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:09.940
 But there's something

00:34:09.940 --> 00:34:10.440
 about all of this.

00:34:10.599 --> 00:34:11.219
 There's something

00:34:11.219 --> 00:34:12.400
 about just being hospitable

00:34:12.400 --> 00:34:13.500
 that actually requires you

00:34:13.500 --> 00:34:14.619
 to open up your house

00:34:14.619 --> 00:34:15.579
 and go, hey, come.

00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:16.639
 Come hang out.

00:34:16.699 --> 00:34:17.059
 Come have dinner.

00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:17.779
 Let me cook you

00:34:17.779 --> 00:34:19.000
 this very average meal

00:34:19.000 --> 00:34:20.059
 that does not compare

00:34:20.059 --> 00:34:21.279
 to the Hong Kong restaurants

00:34:21.279 --> 00:34:21.719
 outside.

00:34:23.059 --> 00:34:23.960
 But let me get to know you

00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:25.500
 here around the table.

00:34:26.599 --> 00:34:27.360
 I think we've lost

00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:28.059
 the art of being

00:34:28.059 --> 00:34:28.519
 at the table.

00:34:28.599 --> 00:34:29.279
 If I look at Jesus,

00:34:29.639 --> 00:34:30.699
 he spent so much time

00:34:30.699 --> 00:34:30.940
 eating.

00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:31.900
 What does he do

00:34:31.900 --> 00:34:33.080
 after doing the biggest

00:34:33.080 --> 00:34:34.320
 act in the history

00:34:34.320 --> 00:34:34.940
 of the universe,

00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:35.860
 saving mankind

00:34:35.860 --> 00:34:36.780
 and resurrecting again?

00:34:36.840 --> 00:34:37.300
 What does he do?

00:34:37.500 --> 00:34:38.480
 He goes and has breakfast.

00:34:39.860 --> 00:34:40.800
 He goes by the beach

00:34:40.800 --> 00:34:41.700
 and he starts cooking fish.

00:34:42.740 --> 00:34:43.200
 What does he do

00:34:43.200 --> 00:34:44.039
 just before he has

00:34:44.039 --> 00:34:44.640
 to do this act

00:34:44.640 --> 00:34:45.559
 is the last supper

00:34:45.559 --> 00:34:46.320
 he eats.

00:34:46.980 --> 00:34:47.580
 What does he do

00:34:47.580 --> 00:34:47.880
 when he,

00:34:47.960 --> 00:34:48.519
 what does he tell

00:34:48.519 --> 00:34:49.480
 the tax collector Matthew,

00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:50.900
 hey, I'm going to be together.

00:34:50.960 --> 00:34:51.960
 What does he tell Zacchaeus,

00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:53.260
 hey, I'm going to come

00:34:53.260 --> 00:34:54.000
 to your house.

00:34:55.100 --> 00:34:55.920
 What does he do

00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:56.600
 when he walks

00:34:56.599 --> 00:34:57.639
 in Luke 24

00:34:57.639 --> 00:34:58.619
 on the road

00:34:58.619 --> 00:34:59.460
 to Emmaus?

00:34:59.819 --> 00:35:00.519
 He ends up

00:35:00.519 --> 00:35:00.940
 at a place

00:35:00.940 --> 00:35:01.779
 where they break bread

00:35:01.779 --> 00:35:02.579
 and eat together.

00:35:03.719 --> 00:35:04.400
 If you look

00:35:04.400 --> 00:35:04.860
 at the scriptures,

00:35:04.980 --> 00:35:05.500
 you'll see Jesus

00:35:05.500 --> 00:35:06.339
 is always eating.

00:35:07.679 --> 00:35:09.019
 5,000, 4,000.

00:35:09.880 --> 00:35:10.519
 He's eating.

00:35:11.980 --> 00:35:12.599
 There's something

00:35:12.599 --> 00:35:13.299
 about hospitality

00:35:13.299 --> 00:35:15.139
 that we can't lose sight of.

00:35:15.219 --> 00:35:15.639
 There's a pastor

00:35:15.639 --> 00:35:15.960
 in England

00:35:15.960 --> 00:35:16.619
 called Tim Chester

00:35:16.619 --> 00:35:17.259
 and he says this,

00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:19.299
 meals are a microcosm

00:35:19.300 --> 00:35:21.019
 of social reality.

00:35:22.220 --> 00:35:23.580
 They basically symbolize

00:35:23.580 --> 00:35:24.480
 who we are

00:35:24.480 --> 00:35:25.740
 and who we welcome in.

00:35:26.720 --> 00:35:27.660
 Let us be a people

00:35:27.660 --> 00:35:28.260
 who welcome.

00:35:29.300 --> 00:35:30.080
 Let us be a people

00:35:30.080 --> 00:35:31.120
 who actually have

00:35:31.120 --> 00:35:32.000
 a welcoming heart

00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:32.240
 and say,

00:35:32.360 --> 00:35:33.360
 hey, I want to be with you.

00:35:33.400 --> 00:35:34.420
 I want to spend time with you.

00:35:34.460 --> 00:35:35.220
 I want to open up

00:35:35.220 --> 00:35:37.160
 my home to you.

00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:39.840
 But it's hard.

00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:41.519
 It requires a discipline.

00:35:42.460 --> 00:35:42.940
 Shane Clayball

00:35:42.940 --> 00:35:43.519
 and the author says

00:35:43.519 --> 00:35:44.900
 everyone wants

00:35:44.900 --> 00:35:45.420
 a revolution

00:35:45.420 --> 00:35:46.240
 but no one wants

00:35:46.240 --> 00:35:46.900
 to do the dishes

00:35:46.900 --> 00:35:48.660
 because it's hard.

00:35:49.300 --> 00:35:52.400
 But if we put in

00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:53.000
 the hard work,

00:35:53.340 --> 00:35:54.580
 if we put in the effort

00:35:54.580 --> 00:35:55.820
 of opening up our homes

00:35:55.820 --> 00:35:57.220
 and being hospitable,

00:35:57.560 --> 00:35:59.560
 then we'll see relationships

00:35:59.560 --> 00:36:00.420
 that are forged

00:36:00.420 --> 00:36:02.060
 that will bring about

00:36:02.060 --> 00:36:03.640
 change in people's lives.

00:36:06.640 --> 00:36:07.720
 Henry Nouwen says this,

00:36:07.780 --> 00:36:08.580
 that actually hospitality

00:36:08.580 --> 00:36:10.300
 isn't what changes people.

00:36:10.380 --> 00:36:12.180
 It just creates a space

00:36:12.180 --> 00:36:13.380
 for them to change.

00:36:14.320 --> 00:36:15.620
 If we want people to change,

00:36:15.620 --> 00:36:16.440
 if we want to change,

00:36:16.500 --> 00:36:17.700
 we need to create spaces

00:36:17.700 --> 00:36:18.260
 to do that.

00:36:18.340 --> 00:36:19.220
 Can we do that here?

00:36:19.560 --> 00:36:20.420
 And this is why

00:36:20.420 --> 00:36:21.300
 we're so blessed

00:36:21.300 --> 00:36:22.019
 with this place

00:36:22.019 --> 00:36:22.720
 that we can make

00:36:22.720 --> 00:36:23.560
 to feel like a home

00:36:23.560 --> 00:36:24.380
 on a weekday evening

00:36:24.380 --> 00:36:25.300
 when the life groups are here.

00:36:25.580 --> 00:36:26.300
 But there is nothing

00:36:26.300 --> 00:36:27.780
 like going to someone's house

00:36:27.780 --> 00:36:28.360
 and having them

00:36:28.360 --> 00:36:29.820
 just sit around,

00:36:30.400 --> 00:36:32.440
 sit around a couch

00:36:32.440 --> 00:36:32.940
 and a sofa

00:36:32.940 --> 00:36:33.680
 with just tea

00:36:33.680 --> 00:36:34.460
 and coffee table.

00:36:34.740 --> 00:36:35.680
 It's just different.

00:36:37.019 --> 00:36:37.780
 I encourage you,

00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:38.240
 whether you're in

00:36:38.240 --> 00:36:39.039
 a very small place

00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:39.620
 and you can only invite

00:36:39.620 --> 00:36:40.280
 one or two people,

00:36:40.380 --> 00:36:41.480
 whether you're in a huge place

00:36:41.480 --> 00:36:42.140
 and you can invite

00:36:42.140 --> 00:36:43.120
 20, 30 people,

00:36:43.120 --> 00:36:43.760
 you just let us know

00:36:43.760 --> 00:36:44.060
 the date

00:36:44.060 --> 00:36:44.760
 and we'll be there.

00:36:44.760 --> 00:36:49.320
 Hospitality is important.

00:36:49.520 --> 00:36:50.740
 Even communion.

00:36:51.480 --> 00:36:52.480
 1 Corinthians 11

00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:53.940
 is the famous passage,

00:36:54.060 --> 00:36:54.200
 you know,

00:36:54.240 --> 00:36:55.200
 the night that he was betrayed,

00:36:55.340 --> 00:36:55.940
 Jesus took bread

00:36:55.940 --> 00:36:56.460
 and said this

00:36:56.460 --> 00:36:56.980
 and we're going to have

00:36:56.980 --> 00:36:57.700
 communion later too.

00:36:58.060 --> 00:36:59.280
 What was the context of that?

00:36:59.940 --> 00:37:00.340
 Hospitality.

00:37:00.640 --> 00:37:01.040
 Welcome.

00:37:01.220 --> 00:37:01.380
 Why?

00:37:01.480 --> 00:37:02.400
 Because Paul walked

00:37:02.400 --> 00:37:03.599
 into a church in Corinth

00:37:03.599 --> 00:37:04.480
 and he saw

00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:05.420
 the rich people

00:37:05.420 --> 00:37:06.220
 were eating over here

00:37:06.220 --> 00:37:06.840
 and the poor people

00:37:06.840 --> 00:37:07.619
 were eating over here

00:37:07.619 --> 00:37:08.900
 and there wasn't hospitality,

00:37:09.200 --> 00:37:10.320
 there wasn't a time

00:37:10.320 --> 00:37:10.880
 where they were all

00:37:10.880 --> 00:37:12.180
 sharing things together

00:37:12.180 --> 00:37:13.220
 and so that's when

00:37:13.220 --> 00:37:14.380
 he jumped into the spiel

00:37:14.380 --> 00:37:15.079
 about communion.

00:37:16.340 --> 00:37:17.619
 Can we be willing

00:37:17.619 --> 00:37:19.220
 to actually have

00:37:19.220 --> 00:37:20.900
 this hospitable place?

00:37:21.980 --> 00:37:22.480
 And I'll tell you

00:37:22.480 --> 00:37:23.720
 that sometimes here,

00:37:24.320 --> 00:37:25.380
 and many of you

00:37:25.380 --> 00:37:26.180
 may have experienced this,

00:37:27.099 --> 00:37:27.740
 it makes me sad

00:37:27.740 --> 00:37:29.480
 that people don't feel

00:37:29.480 --> 00:37:30.160
 welcomed here.

00:37:31.380 --> 00:37:32.140
 I had friends

00:37:32.140 --> 00:37:32.800
 coming from the UK

00:37:32.800 --> 00:37:33.700
 and they said,

00:37:33.740 --> 00:37:34.539
 oh, the service was great,

00:37:34.599 --> 00:37:35.320
 but we didn't really

00:37:35.320 --> 00:37:35.800
 feel welcomed.

00:37:37.420 --> 00:37:37.800
 And I was like,

00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:38.800
 that sucks.

00:37:40.220 --> 00:37:41.320
 But here's my other stance

00:37:41.320 --> 00:37:42.340
 that maybe is a little bit stubborn.

00:37:42.539 --> 00:37:43.140
 I don't really want

00:37:43.140 --> 00:37:44.300
 to create a welcome team

00:37:44.300 --> 00:37:45.579
 to welcome people.

00:37:46.019 --> 00:37:46.660
 I don't want you

00:37:46.660 --> 00:37:47.619
 to only be welcome

00:37:47.619 --> 00:37:48.700
 when you put on

00:37:48.700 --> 00:37:49.460
 the yellow t-shirt

00:37:49.460 --> 00:37:50.119
 and says,

00:37:50.200 --> 00:37:51.220
 hi, welcome to church.

00:37:52.820 --> 00:37:53.720
 My question is,

00:37:53.800 --> 00:37:55.039
 can we be welcoming

00:37:55.039 --> 00:37:56.640
 just in general?

00:37:57.760 --> 00:37:59.460
 If you are a known member

00:37:59.460 --> 00:38:00.240
 of this community,

00:38:00.240 --> 00:38:01.180
 can you look at someone

00:38:01.179 --> 00:38:01.739
 who you've never seen

00:38:01.739 --> 00:38:02.159
 and go, hey,

00:38:02.779 --> 00:38:04.019
 hey, good to see you.

00:38:04.399 --> 00:38:05.099
 Tell me about you.

00:38:05.119 --> 00:38:05.899
 I don't know about you.

00:38:06.119 --> 00:38:06.500
 And yeah,

00:38:06.619 --> 00:38:07.759
 there'll be embarrassing times

00:38:07.759 --> 00:38:07.980
 where you say,

00:38:08.019 --> 00:38:08.839
 hey, is it your first time?

00:38:08.879 --> 00:38:09.179
 You don't know

00:38:09.179 --> 00:38:10.000
 I've been here for four months.

00:38:10.539 --> 00:38:11.179
 That's okay.

00:38:11.579 --> 00:38:12.379
 I can't believe

00:38:12.379 --> 00:38:13.000
 I haven't seen you.

00:38:13.079 --> 00:38:13.259
 I mean,

00:38:13.359 --> 00:38:14.039
 those Chinese people

00:38:14.039 --> 00:38:15.079
 really do look all the same.

00:38:18.559 --> 00:38:19.799
 But let's not be afraid

00:38:19.799 --> 00:38:20.719
 of those conversations.

00:38:22.619 --> 00:38:23.319
 Let's be willing

00:38:23.319 --> 00:38:24.059
 to be hospitable

00:38:24.059 --> 00:38:25.199
 because it actually goes

00:38:25.199 --> 00:38:27.079
 beyond just eating.

00:38:27.940 --> 00:38:28.679
 It's the spirit

00:38:28.679 --> 00:38:29.399
 of hospitality.

00:38:29.400 --> 00:38:30.539
 Maybe on that note,

00:38:30.579 --> 00:38:31.300
 I'll share a little bit.

00:38:31.440 --> 00:38:31.960
 My next plug

00:38:31.960 --> 00:38:33.019
 is about the cedar meal.

00:38:33.480 --> 00:38:33.639
 Okay.

00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:34.660
 I actually asked Bonnie

00:38:34.660 --> 00:38:35.780
 to put this into the group.

00:38:35.840 --> 00:38:37.220
 The cedar meal on Good Friday,

00:38:37.300 --> 00:38:38.400
 we're going to have a service here,

00:38:39.119 --> 00:38:39.900
 a Good Friday service

00:38:39.900 --> 00:38:40.880
 where it will be interactive

00:38:40.880 --> 00:38:41.900
 and there'll be different stations

00:38:41.900 --> 00:38:42.559
 to reflect

00:38:42.559 --> 00:38:44.260
 and come to the cross together.

00:38:45.039 --> 00:38:45.980
 Straight after that,

00:38:46.380 --> 00:38:47.200
 we're proposing

00:38:47.200 --> 00:38:48.139
 that we have a cedar meal.

00:38:48.940 --> 00:38:49.300
 Now,

00:38:49.860 --> 00:38:51.059
 we can't have everyone,

00:38:51.300 --> 00:38:52.300
 which is why we've got to sign up.

00:38:52.680 --> 00:38:53.420
 But we also know

00:38:53.420 --> 00:38:54.700
 it's hard for you to do it

00:38:54.700 --> 00:38:55.160
 and you forget

00:38:55.160 --> 00:38:55.880
 because so many things

00:38:55.880 --> 00:38:56.260
 are happening

00:38:56.260 --> 00:38:57.420
 during a service.

00:38:57.420 --> 00:38:58.519
 So I've actually asked Bonnie,

00:38:58.680 --> 00:38:59.760
 if you're in our God's Gathering

00:38:59.760 --> 00:39:00.280
 WhatsApp group,

00:39:00.539 --> 00:39:01.400
 I've asked them to send that

00:39:01.400 --> 00:39:02.300
 into the WhatsApp group now.

00:39:02.659 --> 00:39:03.680
 If you want to join us

00:39:03.680 --> 00:39:04.240
 for that time,

00:39:04.380 --> 00:39:05.260
 can you either,

00:39:06.559 --> 00:39:07.500
 I'll even give you permission

00:39:07.500 --> 00:39:07.680
 to,

00:39:07.740 --> 00:39:08.340
 why don't you just fill out

00:39:08.340 --> 00:39:08.740
 the form now?

00:39:09.000 --> 00:39:10.139
 I don't think it's a bit hard form.

00:39:11.019 --> 00:39:12.900
 But if you want to do it later

00:39:12.900 --> 00:39:13.820
 and you want to keep focusing here,

00:39:13.900 --> 00:39:14.740
 can you put a pin in it?

00:39:14.840 --> 00:39:16.039
 Can you pin the message?

00:39:16.599 --> 00:39:17.519
 There is no link here

00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:18.400
 so we don't really need

00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:18.720
 to have that.

00:39:18.880 --> 00:39:20.680
 But the other thing is,

00:39:20.820 --> 00:39:22.099
 if you're in the WhatsApp group,

00:39:22.139 --> 00:39:22.599
 you'll see it.

00:39:22.760 --> 00:39:22.880
 Okay.

00:39:23.340 --> 00:39:24.579
 If you are not in the WhatsApp group

00:39:24.579 --> 00:39:25.200
 and you really want to be

00:39:25.200 --> 00:39:25.639
 in the WhatsApp group,

00:39:25.639 --> 00:39:26.400
 then come and talk to me.

00:39:27.279 --> 00:39:27.960
 Come and find me

00:39:27.960 --> 00:39:28.879
 and get into the WhatsApp group.

00:39:29.400 --> 00:39:29.719
 Of course,

00:39:29.759 --> 00:39:30.219
 if you're a stranger,

00:39:30.319 --> 00:39:30.879
 then I won't let you

00:39:30.879 --> 00:39:31.440
 in the WhatsApp group.

00:39:32.139 --> 00:39:32.900
 But if you've been here

00:39:32.900 --> 00:39:33.339
 for a long time

00:39:33.339 --> 00:39:34.299
 and I recognize your face,

00:39:35.299 --> 00:39:35.619
 then I'll be like,

00:39:35.659 --> 00:39:35.739
 okay,

00:39:35.759 --> 00:39:35.879
 well,

00:39:35.960 --> 00:39:36.819
 come and join us.

00:39:37.559 --> 00:39:37.739
 Okay,

00:39:37.779 --> 00:39:39.259
 so please do sign up to that.

00:39:39.299 --> 00:39:40.519
 I think that is a really good

00:39:40.519 --> 00:39:41.519
 opportunity to have there.

00:39:41.679 --> 00:39:42.199
 One of the visions

00:39:42.199 --> 00:39:43.099
 that I had for this church

00:39:43.099 --> 00:39:44.539
 is that we would be a family

00:39:44.539 --> 00:39:46.299
 that is expecting guests.

00:39:47.299 --> 00:39:48.219
 We would be a family

00:39:48.219 --> 00:39:50.219
 who commit to knowing each other

00:39:50.219 --> 00:39:51.139
 and the discipline

00:39:51.139 --> 00:39:51.759
 that that requires,

00:39:51.920 --> 00:39:53.480
 but that we are also welcoming

00:39:53.480 --> 00:39:55.440
 and expecting guests.

00:39:56.639 --> 00:39:57.539
 And my hope is that

00:39:57.539 --> 00:39:58.379
 every single person

00:39:58.379 --> 00:39:59.299
 that walks through this door

00:39:59.299 --> 00:40:01.039
 will at least feel welcomed.

00:40:01.279 --> 00:40:01.719
 We don't need to have

00:40:01.719 --> 00:40:02.719
 a long walk of conversation

00:40:02.719 --> 00:40:03.759
 because they might be introverts

00:40:03.759 --> 00:40:04.199
 who would just like,

00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:04.900
 just get away from me.

00:40:04.940 --> 00:40:06.359
 I just want to get my Jesus on.

00:40:06.500 --> 00:40:06.980
 That's fine,

00:40:07.059 --> 00:40:09.099
 but at least we can be welcoming

00:40:09.099 --> 00:40:09.639
 to them

00:40:09.639 --> 00:40:12.119
 because it isn't them and us.

00:40:12.500 --> 00:40:13.799
 Romans 15, 7 says this,

00:40:14.039 --> 00:40:15.059
 why do we welcome others?

00:40:15.099 --> 00:40:17.079
 Because Christ welcomed us.

00:40:17.799 --> 00:40:19.099
 I'm not asking us to be

00:40:19.099 --> 00:40:21.980
 basically performing hospitable acts.

00:40:22.420 --> 00:40:24.000
 I'm asking us to be hospitable,

00:40:24.699 --> 00:40:25.800
 to be welcoming.

00:40:26.639 --> 00:40:27.780
 So that's one of the disciplines.

00:40:28.019 --> 00:40:29.159
 Another one is service.

00:40:30.519 --> 00:40:31.460
 Service is actually,

00:40:31.599 --> 00:40:32.780
 if you just look at different

00:40:32.780 --> 00:40:33.659
 spiritual discipline lists,

00:40:33.760 --> 00:40:34.500
 service is probably the one

00:40:34.500 --> 00:40:35.260
 that will come up the most.

00:40:35.599 --> 00:40:36.300
 And what is that one?

00:40:36.500 --> 00:40:37.820
 That is just basically

00:40:37.820 --> 00:40:39.579
 putting someone else's interests

00:40:39.579 --> 00:40:40.519
 above our own.

00:40:41.400 --> 00:40:42.320
 Psalm 100 says this,

00:40:42.380 --> 00:40:43.860
 serve the Lord with gladness.

00:40:45.639 --> 00:40:46.320
 Agnes just said,

00:40:46.420 --> 00:40:47.440
 and I just helped you

00:40:47.440 --> 00:40:50.019
 have a picture of how she serves.

00:40:50.019 --> 00:40:51.519
 Who's been to a barbecue with the lies?

00:40:53.000 --> 00:40:54.759
 Who's witnessed the zipping around

00:40:54.759 --> 00:40:56.000
 constantly moving?

00:40:56.179 --> 00:40:56.420
 Yes.

00:40:57.239 --> 00:40:58.559
 The gladness that she has,

00:40:59.300 --> 00:41:02.940
 the joy that she has in serving.

00:41:05.519 --> 00:41:07.639
 If we are to be devoted followers of Christ,

00:41:07.719 --> 00:41:09.079
 if we are to be disciplined disciples,

00:41:09.320 --> 00:41:11.239
 we must serve other people.

00:41:11.500 --> 00:41:12.380
 Let me ask you another question.

00:41:12.460 --> 00:41:13.199
 When was the last time

00:41:13.199 --> 00:41:14.920
 you did something for someone else?

00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:18.320
 Who isn't your spouse or your child?

00:41:20.019 --> 00:41:22.500
 When was the last time

00:41:22.500 --> 00:41:23.980
 you went out of your way

00:41:23.980 --> 00:41:24.280
 and said,

00:41:24.340 --> 00:41:25.739
 I'm going to serve you.

00:41:27.119 --> 00:41:27.719
 I'm going to call,

00:41:27.780 --> 00:41:28.480
 let me drive you

00:41:28.480 --> 00:41:29.519
 and go out of my way

00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:32.139
 to take you home.

00:41:32.980 --> 00:41:34.239
 I was the beneficiary of that

00:41:34.239 --> 00:41:34.699
 as a youth.

00:41:35.679 --> 00:41:36.480
 As a youth that,

00:41:37.340 --> 00:41:38.380
 I went to a youth group

00:41:38.380 --> 00:41:39.039
 on a Friday night.

00:41:39.980 --> 00:41:40.639
 Then afterwards,

00:41:40.719 --> 00:41:41.380
 because we're in England,

00:41:41.559 --> 00:41:42.219
 there's no MTR.

00:41:42.820 --> 00:41:43.480
 It would be dangerous

00:41:43.480 --> 00:41:44.259
 if I traveled around.

00:41:44.260 --> 00:41:46.780
 My pastor would drive 45 minutes

00:41:46.780 --> 00:41:47.580
 to take me home

00:41:47.580 --> 00:41:49.760
 and another 20 minutes

00:41:49.760 --> 00:41:51.000
 to take another person home

00:41:51.000 --> 00:41:53.700
 and then drive home himself.

00:41:54.980 --> 00:41:55.860
 Ended up pretty much being

00:41:55.860 --> 00:41:56.620
 a two-hour drive

00:41:56.620 --> 00:41:57.460
 on a Friday evening.

00:41:59.480 --> 00:42:00.660
 He was serving me

00:42:00.660 --> 00:42:02.820
 and he was serving me

00:42:02.820 --> 00:42:03.420
 with gladness.

00:42:04.080 --> 00:42:05.120
 When was the last time

00:42:05.120 --> 00:42:06.340
 you went out of your way

00:42:06.340 --> 00:42:07.580
 to do something different

00:42:07.580 --> 00:42:09.000
 for other people?

00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:10.160
 We're in a culture,

00:42:10.440 --> 00:42:11.100
 we're in a city

00:42:11.100 --> 00:42:11.940
 that doesn't do that

00:42:11.940 --> 00:42:12.860
 because we have people

00:42:12.860 --> 00:42:13.559
 to wash our dishes,

00:42:13.700 --> 00:42:14.079
 we have people

00:42:14.079 --> 00:42:14.800
 to do our laundry.

00:42:15.980 --> 00:42:17.039
 One thing that really

00:42:17.039 --> 00:42:17.800
 just blew my mind

00:42:17.800 --> 00:42:18.480
 coming from the UK

00:42:18.480 --> 00:42:19.500
 was that I didn't even need

00:42:19.500 --> 00:42:20.460
 to put petrol into the car

00:42:20.460 --> 00:42:20.920
 by myself.

00:42:21.559 --> 00:42:22.240
 There's someone there.

00:42:23.340 --> 00:42:24.159
 You just sit in the car.

00:42:25.960 --> 00:42:26.840
 In the rest of the world,

00:42:26.900 --> 00:42:27.440
 that does not happen.

00:42:28.880 --> 00:42:30.320
 We are a service-oriented,

00:42:30.500 --> 00:42:32.220
 consumer-oriented culture.

00:42:33.300 --> 00:42:34.679
 Has that seeped into the church?

00:42:35.320 --> 00:42:36.240
 Has that seeped into

00:42:36.240 --> 00:42:37.240
 the way we live?

00:42:37.980 --> 00:42:39.059
 That you've come in here

00:42:39.059 --> 00:42:39.740
 with your arms crossed

00:42:39.740 --> 00:42:40.539
 going, entertain me,

00:42:40.619 --> 00:42:41.619
 lead me in a few songs.

00:42:41.940 --> 00:42:45.559
 Open up the word for me

00:42:45.559 --> 00:42:46.280
 because it's too hard

00:42:46.280 --> 00:42:46.820
 for me to do it.

00:42:46.860 --> 00:42:47.599
 Brackets, I'm too lazy

00:42:47.599 --> 00:42:48.260
 to do it myself.

00:42:50.420 --> 00:42:51.119
 And then I'm done.

00:42:51.220 --> 00:42:52.340
 Oh, that was a good time.

00:42:52.420 --> 00:42:53.200
 That wasn't a good time.

00:42:54.019 --> 00:42:54.260
 I don't know.

00:42:54.380 --> 00:42:56.780
 Worship was a 6 out of 10

00:42:56.780 --> 00:42:57.820
 because Julian was on the keyboard

00:42:57.820 --> 00:42:58.780
 and he wasn't great.

00:43:00.360 --> 00:43:01.000
 I want to go.

00:43:04.280 --> 00:43:05.119
 The only way you're going

00:43:05.119 --> 00:43:06.079
 to be filled is if you give.

00:43:07.159 --> 00:43:07.940
 The only way you're going

00:43:07.940 --> 00:43:10.400
 to feel the Spirit fill you,

00:43:10.659 --> 00:43:11.420
 that you will come here

00:43:11.420 --> 00:43:12.940
 feeling just blessed

00:43:12.940 --> 00:43:14.380
 is if you are willing to give.

00:43:16.200 --> 00:43:17.400
 And so here's the other plug.

00:43:18.220 --> 00:43:19.280
 Honestly, there's no church

00:43:19.280 --> 00:43:20.440
 that I've been to

00:43:20.440 --> 00:43:21.400
 that has never announced this,

00:43:21.460 --> 00:43:22.980
 which is we need AV people.

00:43:23.579 --> 00:43:24.380
 We need sound people.

00:43:24.619 --> 00:43:25.780
 Like if you go to any church,

00:43:25.860 --> 00:43:26.300
 that announcement

00:43:26.300 --> 00:43:26.980
 will probably come up

00:43:26.980 --> 00:43:27.940
 at some point within the year.

00:43:28.519 --> 00:43:28.740
 Why?

00:43:28.840 --> 00:43:29.460
 Because we need someone

00:43:29.460 --> 00:43:30.099
 to click the slides.

00:43:30.800 --> 00:43:31.539
 Because we need someone

00:43:31.539 --> 00:43:33.500
 to serve others

00:43:33.500 --> 00:43:34.559
 so that people can know

00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:34.920
 the lyrics.

00:43:36.280 --> 00:43:37.240
 People can sing along

00:43:37.240 --> 00:43:37.720
 to these songs

00:43:37.720 --> 00:43:38.559
 without being distracted.

00:43:38.559 --> 00:43:40.079
 So actually,

00:43:40.139 --> 00:43:40.440
 if you're like,

00:43:40.500 --> 00:43:40.960
 okay, okay,

00:43:41.000 --> 00:43:41.739
 I should do something.

00:43:41.820 --> 00:43:42.440
 And I know this happened

00:43:42.440 --> 00:43:43.079
 a couple of weeks ago.

00:43:43.299 --> 00:43:43.920
 Then please,

00:43:44.199 --> 00:43:44.940
 then sign up.

00:43:46.099 --> 00:43:46.960
 Sign up to click the slides.

00:43:47.059 --> 00:43:48.199
 You don't need any spiritual gift

00:43:48.199 --> 00:43:49.019
 for that, I can confirm.

00:43:49.219 --> 00:43:50.420
 You do not need a spiritual gift

00:43:50.420 --> 00:43:50.980
 to do slides.

00:43:51.619 --> 00:43:52.599
 You can just do it

00:43:52.599 --> 00:43:53.460
 because you guys are all

00:43:53.460 --> 00:43:54.699
 clicking on computers anyway.

00:43:55.119 --> 00:43:56.019
 You know how to do it.

00:43:58.079 --> 00:43:58.840
 Be of service

00:43:58.840 --> 00:43:59.960
 to other people.

00:43:59.960 --> 00:44:01.579
 Kidswell.

00:44:01.940 --> 00:44:02.260
 Kidswell.

00:44:02.320 --> 00:44:03.000
 That room over there,

00:44:03.079 --> 00:44:03.699
 I mean, not this one,

00:44:03.720 --> 00:44:04.179
 the one back there,

00:44:04.400 --> 00:44:05.860
 it's carnage,

00:44:05.920 --> 00:44:06.340
 it's chaos

00:44:06.340 --> 00:44:07.920
 because they're little humans

00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:09.159
 who lack self-control

00:44:09.159 --> 00:44:11.019
 because their prefrontal cortex

00:44:11.019 --> 00:44:11.780
 isn't developed yet.

00:44:13.119 --> 00:44:13.900
 But we need people

00:44:13.900 --> 00:44:14.340
 to love them,

00:44:14.480 --> 00:44:15.000
 to serve them,

00:44:15.099 --> 00:44:15.820
 to disciple them

00:44:15.820 --> 00:44:17.440
 and serve with gladness.

00:44:17.760 --> 00:44:18.340
 Are we willing

00:44:18.340 --> 00:44:21.119
 to do those kinds of things?

00:44:21.500 --> 00:44:22.320
 Mother Teresa says this,

00:44:22.360 --> 00:44:22.880
 not all of us

00:44:22.880 --> 00:44:23.720
 can do great things,

00:44:23.840 --> 00:44:24.780
 but we can do small things

00:44:24.780 --> 00:44:25.280
 with great love.

00:44:28.599 --> 00:44:29.599
 Can we be a people,

00:44:29.599 --> 00:44:30.360
 actually something else

00:44:30.360 --> 00:44:30.960
 that we need to do

00:44:30.960 --> 00:44:32.000
 is the bin bag.

00:44:32.599 --> 00:44:33.319
 There are a lot of people

00:44:33.319 --> 00:44:34.539
 here eating food afterwards.

00:44:35.239 --> 00:44:36.039
 That bin bag probably

00:44:36.039 --> 00:44:36.819
 needs refreshing

00:44:36.819 --> 00:44:37.980
 every 10, 15 minutes.

00:44:39.019 --> 00:44:39.539
 Challenge yourself.

00:44:39.639 --> 00:44:40.420
 Okay, today I'm going to do

00:44:40.420 --> 00:44:41.659
 one round at least.

00:44:44.420 --> 00:44:45.380
 Let us be people

00:44:45.380 --> 00:44:46.159
 who are willing to serve.

00:44:46.259 --> 00:44:46.779
 You know what?

00:44:46.839 --> 00:44:48.339
 One of the best things

00:44:48.339 --> 00:44:49.400
 that gets my mind

00:44:49.400 --> 00:44:51.299
 kind of focused on worship

00:44:51.299 --> 00:44:52.079
 on a Sunday morning

00:44:52.079 --> 00:44:53.239
 is when I come here

00:44:53.239 --> 00:44:54.159
 at 9 or 10

00:44:54.159 --> 00:44:56.219
 and I watch the life groups

00:44:56.219 --> 00:44:56.699
 take turns

00:44:56.699 --> 00:44:57.559
 to set up the chairs.

00:44:57.559 --> 00:44:59.719
 That is worship.

00:45:01.039 --> 00:45:01.980
 I have never,

00:45:02.679 --> 00:45:04.099
 Melissa is not as focused

00:45:04.099 --> 00:45:04.920
 in my sermons

00:45:04.920 --> 00:45:05.440
 as she is

00:45:05.440 --> 00:45:06.639
 as when she's lining up

00:45:06.639 --> 00:45:07.019
 the chairs.

00:45:08.400 --> 00:45:08.799
 She's,

00:45:08.840 --> 00:45:10.059
 she's got OCD,

00:45:10.380 --> 00:45:11.139
 but she's,

00:45:11.480 --> 00:45:14.380
 and I am so blessed.

00:45:15.519 --> 00:45:16.799
 And I watch her

00:45:16.799 --> 00:45:17.679
 and her group

00:45:17.679 --> 00:45:18.860
 just set up the chairs

00:45:18.860 --> 00:45:19.259
 and I'm like,

00:45:19.320 --> 00:45:19.759
 that is it.

00:45:20.259 --> 00:45:21.219
 And I can sense it.

00:45:21.259 --> 00:45:22.579
 I can see the worship

00:45:22.579 --> 00:45:23.679
 come through.

00:45:24.119 --> 00:45:24.779
 There was another quote

00:45:24.779 --> 00:45:25.380
 that I came across

00:45:25.380 --> 00:45:26.460
 which was services,

00:45:26.599 --> 00:45:27.420
 basically worship

00:45:27.420 --> 00:45:28.460
 in work clothes.

00:45:30.480 --> 00:45:31.920
 When I see each group

00:45:31.920 --> 00:45:32.420
 coming in

00:45:32.420 --> 00:45:34.140
 and setting up the chairs

00:45:34.140 --> 00:45:34.960
 and they look at the picture

00:45:34.960 --> 00:45:35.640
 from the last week

00:45:35.640 --> 00:45:36.860
 because we seem to forget.

00:45:36.940 --> 00:45:37.940
 It's the same every week, guys.

00:45:38.480 --> 00:45:39.460
 But it's,

00:45:40.220 --> 00:45:41.880
 but watching people show up

00:45:41.880 --> 00:45:42.860
 to worship,

00:45:43.860 --> 00:45:44.700
 it was particularly

00:45:44.700 --> 00:45:45.579
 entertaining last week

00:45:45.579 --> 00:45:46.700
 when it was the big guys group

00:45:46.700 --> 00:45:48.740
 and just these huge guys

00:45:48.740 --> 00:45:49.860
 who all look like security guards

00:45:49.860 --> 00:45:51.220
 and they were just like

00:45:51.220 --> 00:45:51.980
 moving the stools around

00:45:51.980 --> 00:45:52.119
 going,

00:45:52.180 --> 00:45:52.280
 oh,

00:45:52.300 --> 00:45:52.860
 where do we put this?

00:45:52.940 --> 00:45:53.460
 Where do we put this?

00:45:53.460 --> 00:45:54.539
 This is so light.

00:45:54.900 --> 00:45:55.800
 This chair is so light.

00:45:56.599 --> 00:45:57.960
 Let's carry 10 together.

00:45:59.720 --> 00:46:00.119
 Oh,

00:46:00.260 --> 00:46:01.000
 the worship

00:46:01.000 --> 00:46:02.220
 that I experienced,

00:46:02.519 --> 00:46:03.380
 that I saw

00:46:03.380 --> 00:46:05.340
 through their service.

00:46:07.519 --> 00:46:08.679
 St. Francis says this,

00:46:08.800 --> 00:46:09.519
 for it is in giving

00:46:09.519 --> 00:46:11.159
 that we receive.

00:46:11.920 --> 00:46:13.179
 Maybe you're sat here going,

00:46:13.320 --> 00:46:13.500
 oh,

00:46:13.619 --> 00:46:14.380
 I don't know

00:46:14.380 --> 00:46:15.220
 if I receive much

00:46:15.220 --> 00:46:15.980
 in church.

00:46:16.280 --> 00:46:17.139
 Maybe I don't feel filled

00:46:17.139 --> 00:46:18.039
 when I come to church.

00:46:19.360 --> 00:46:20.619
 Before I give you

00:46:20.619 --> 00:46:21.300
 any more accusations,

00:46:21.440 --> 00:46:22.380
 maybe my question would be,

00:46:22.480 --> 00:46:22.579
 oh,

00:46:22.619 --> 00:46:22.740
 well,

00:46:22.740 --> 00:46:23.420
 have you given anything?

00:46:24.460 --> 00:46:25.320
 If you don't feel

00:46:25.320 --> 00:46:25.940
 as though you've received

00:46:25.940 --> 00:46:26.460
 anything today

00:46:26.460 --> 00:46:27.460
 it's because your arm,

00:46:27.579 --> 00:46:29.240
 your fists are just clenched up

00:46:29.240 --> 00:46:30.559
 and you've not actually served.

00:46:31.000 --> 00:46:31.679
 In which case,

00:46:31.740 --> 00:46:31.880
 yeah,

00:46:31.940 --> 00:46:32.480
 you're probably not going

00:46:32.480 --> 00:46:33.340
 to receive anything today.

00:46:33.920 --> 00:46:34.980
 But if you give,

00:46:36.059 --> 00:46:37.220
 if you pour yourself out,

00:46:37.880 --> 00:46:40.019
 that is the true blessing.

00:46:41.699 --> 00:46:43.220
 We are part of a much bigger church

00:46:43.220 --> 00:46:44.380
 that has a whole side team

00:46:44.380 --> 00:46:45.740
 that basically sets up the chairs

00:46:45.740 --> 00:46:46.760
 and tidies everything up.

00:46:47.539 --> 00:46:48.179
 And that's one thing

00:46:48.179 --> 00:46:49.280
 that I'm going to keep fighting forever.

00:46:49.900 --> 00:46:51.059
 That we are allowed,

00:46:51.139 --> 00:46:51.940
 we will have the honor

00:46:51.940 --> 00:46:53.320
 to set up our own chairs

00:46:53.320 --> 00:46:55.519
 because it's a blessing.

00:46:57.019 --> 00:46:57.579
 My goodness,

00:46:57.619 --> 00:46:58.619
 that we will be allowed

00:46:58.619 --> 00:47:00.019
 to take our own bin bag out.

00:47:01.240 --> 00:47:03.380
 That we can serve each other

00:47:03.380 --> 00:47:04.019
 and serve God

00:47:04.019 --> 00:47:05.360
 in that way.

00:47:06.179 --> 00:47:07.380
 Can we be people of service?

00:47:07.519 --> 00:47:08.639
 In Matthew 20,

00:47:08.760 --> 00:47:09.260
 there's this mom,

00:47:09.720 --> 00:47:10.400
 caring mom,

00:47:10.539 --> 00:47:11.059
 tiger mom,

00:47:11.159 --> 00:47:12.119
 who goes to Jesus

00:47:12.119 --> 00:47:12.840
 and says,

00:47:12.960 --> 00:47:13.119
 hey,

00:47:13.220 --> 00:47:13.519
 Jesus,

00:47:13.860 --> 00:47:14.940
 you're about to do something

00:47:14.940 --> 00:47:16.079
 and you're about to go into heaven.

00:47:16.679 --> 00:47:17.340
 Quick request,

00:47:17.460 --> 00:47:17.980
 just a small thing.

00:47:18.699 --> 00:47:20.559
 When my sons are up there,

00:47:20.920 --> 00:47:22.420
 can they be your right and left hand?

00:47:22.740 --> 00:47:24.139
 Can they just be at the top with you?

00:47:24.260 --> 00:47:24.719
 Because my sons,

00:47:24.820 --> 00:47:25.039
 you know,

00:47:25.380 --> 00:47:26.420
 my sons are so gifted.

00:47:27.559 --> 00:47:28.280
 They're just so good.

00:47:28.340 --> 00:47:29.300
 They deserve to be there.

00:47:29.340 --> 00:47:30.500
 They will change the world

00:47:30.500 --> 00:47:31.159
 with you together.

00:47:32.019 --> 00:47:33.059
 And then what does Jesus say?

00:47:34.840 --> 00:47:35.719
 What does Jesus say?

00:47:36.380 --> 00:47:36.980
 Turn with me.

00:47:37.059 --> 00:47:37.639
 Matthew 20.

00:47:37.639 --> 00:47:37.699
 Matthew 20.

00:47:37.699 --> 00:47:37.699


00:47:37.699 --> 00:47:37.699


00:47:37.699 --> 00:47:37.699


00:47:37.699 --> 00:47:37.699


00:47:37.699 --> 00:47:39.699
 Matthew 20.

00:47:39.699 --> 00:47:41.699
 Matthew 20.

00:47:41.699 --> 00:47:41.699


00:47:41.699 --> 00:47:43.699
 Matthew 20.

00:47:43.699 --> 00:47:45.699
 Matthew 20.

00:47:45.699 --> 00:47:45.699


00:47:45.699 --> 00:47:45.699


00:47:45.699 --> 00:47:46.699
 Matthew 20.

00:47:46.699 --> 00:47:47.699
 Matthew 20.

00:47:49.779 --> 00:47:50.779
 A mother's request.

00:47:50.960 --> 00:47:51.399
 I love it.

00:47:52.179 --> 00:47:52.599
 Verse 20.

00:47:52.679 --> 00:47:53.980
 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee

00:47:53.980 --> 00:47:55.179
 came up to him with her sons

00:47:55.179 --> 00:47:56.179
 and kneeling before him,

00:47:56.239 --> 00:47:56.879
 she asked him something

00:47:56.879 --> 00:47:57.639
 and he said to her,

00:47:57.679 --> 00:47:58.159
 what do you want?

00:47:58.219 --> 00:47:58.759
 She said to him,

00:47:59.179 --> 00:48:00.519
 say that these two sons of mine

00:48:00.519 --> 00:48:01.639
 are to sit one at your right hand

00:48:01.639 --> 00:48:02.679
 and one at your left in your kingdom.

00:48:02.980 --> 00:48:03.480
 Jesus answered,

00:48:03.819 --> 00:48:05.179
 you do not know what you are asking.

00:48:05.299 --> 00:48:06.279
 Are you able to drink the cup

00:48:06.279 --> 00:48:06.980
 that I am to drink?

00:48:07.059 --> 00:48:07.559
 They said to him,

00:48:07.599 --> 00:48:08.039
 we're able,

00:48:08.259 --> 00:48:08.759
 we're good.

00:48:09.019 --> 00:48:09.519
 Right hand,

00:48:09.619 --> 00:48:09.980
 left hand,

00:48:10.319 --> 00:48:10.799
 we're strong.

00:48:10.799 --> 00:48:11.699
 And he said to them,

00:48:11.839 --> 00:48:12.599
 you will drink my cup,

00:48:12.759 --> 00:48:13.699
 but to sit at my right hand

00:48:13.699 --> 00:48:14.319
 and my left hand

00:48:14.319 --> 00:48:15.099
 is not mine to grant,

00:48:15.099 --> 00:48:16.619
 but it's for those for whom

00:48:16.619 --> 00:48:17.940
 it has been prepared by my father.

00:48:18.559 --> 00:48:19.539
 And when the 10 heard it,

00:48:19.599 --> 00:48:20.199
 they were indignant

00:48:20.199 --> 00:48:20.940
 at the two brothers.

00:48:21.579 --> 00:48:22.739
 But Jesus called them to him

00:48:22.739 --> 00:48:22.980
 and he said,

00:48:23.039 --> 00:48:23.639
 you know that the rulers

00:48:23.639 --> 00:48:24.239
 of the Gentiles

00:48:24.239 --> 00:48:25.019
 lord it over them

00:48:25.019 --> 00:48:25.880
 and their great ones

00:48:25.880 --> 00:48:27.239
 exercise authority over them.

00:48:27.719 --> 00:48:29.119
 It shall not be so among you.

00:48:29.819 --> 00:48:31.059
 This is where he does not conform

00:48:31.059 --> 00:48:32.079
 to the pattern of this world.

00:48:33.360 --> 00:48:35.019
 But whoever would be great among you

00:48:35.019 --> 00:48:35.860
 must be your servant

00:48:35.860 --> 00:48:37.739
 and whoever would be first among you

00:48:37.739 --> 00:48:38.920
 must be your slave.

00:48:39.099 --> 00:48:40.539
 Even as the son of man

00:48:40.539 --> 00:48:41.440
 came not to be served,

00:48:41.539 --> 00:48:42.019
 but to serve

00:48:42.019 --> 00:48:43.280
 and to give his life

00:48:43.280 --> 00:48:44.300
 as a ransom for many.

00:48:45.960 --> 00:48:46.960
 And he drops the hammer.

00:48:47.059 --> 00:48:47.320
 He says,

00:48:47.460 --> 00:48:47.679
 hey,

00:48:47.820 --> 00:48:48.900
 even I didn't come

00:48:48.900 --> 00:48:49.599
 to be served.

00:48:50.159 --> 00:48:51.159
 I'm the VIP of this.

00:48:51.199 --> 00:48:52.159
 I'm the creator of this thing.

00:48:52.880 --> 00:48:53.739
 I'm the OG.

00:48:54.820 --> 00:48:55.280
 And yeah,

00:48:55.280 --> 00:48:55.940
 I'm here to serve.

00:48:56.000 --> 00:48:57.019
 I'm here to wash feet

00:48:57.019 --> 00:48:57.719
 in John 13.

00:48:57.880 --> 00:48:59.940
 I am here to serve.

00:49:00.659 --> 00:49:01.460
 The Gentiles,

00:49:01.579 --> 00:49:02.599
 they will lord it over you.

00:49:03.280 --> 00:49:04.420
 That's the way of our world.

00:49:04.960 --> 00:49:06.360
 When you rise up in department,

00:49:06.420 --> 00:49:07.539
 when you get older and older

00:49:07.539 --> 00:49:09.059
 and people around you

00:49:09.059 --> 00:49:09.920
 and your colleagues leave

00:49:09.920 --> 00:49:10.380
 and die,

00:49:10.380 --> 00:49:11.840
 then you get more

00:49:11.840 --> 00:49:12.440
 and more powerful.

00:49:13.880 --> 00:49:15.300
 You lord it over other people.

00:49:17.019 --> 00:49:18.240
 But the way I do it,

00:49:18.320 --> 00:49:18.820
 Jesus says,

00:49:19.640 --> 00:49:21.240
 is upside down.

00:49:21.400 --> 00:49:22.099
 The first will be last

00:49:22.099 --> 00:49:22.980
 and the last will be first.

00:49:24.019 --> 00:49:25.140
 Would you be like that?

00:49:25.780 --> 00:49:26.860
 One of the other shocks to me

00:49:26.860 --> 00:49:28.539
 when I came to Hong Kong

00:49:28.539 --> 00:49:28.820
 was,

00:49:29.760 --> 00:49:30.920
 sorry doctors here,

00:49:30.980 --> 00:49:32.559
 but when I go into a hospital,

00:49:33.220 --> 00:49:34.380
 the doctors just aren't very nice.

00:49:36.180 --> 00:49:36.920
 I'm just like,

00:49:37.960 --> 00:49:38.840
 what did I do?

00:49:38.840 --> 00:49:41.680
 Why are you so rude?

00:49:43.280 --> 00:49:44.340
 Why don't you smile?

00:49:44.860 --> 00:49:45.720
 These guys smile.

00:49:45.940 --> 00:49:46.620
 Only to each other,

00:49:46.680 --> 00:49:47.240
 but they do smile.

00:49:50.600 --> 00:49:51.400
 And one time,

00:49:51.640 --> 00:49:52.200
 I was annoyed.

00:49:52.579 --> 00:49:55.140
 Alicia had fractured her arm

00:49:55.140 --> 00:49:55.579
 and I was like,

00:49:56.079 --> 00:49:56.820
 by the fourth start,

00:49:56.880 --> 00:49:57.100
 I was like,

00:49:57.140 --> 00:49:57.260
 hey,

00:49:57.340 --> 00:49:58.079
 I'm really sorry.

00:49:58.440 --> 00:49:59.559
 Are you having a really bad day?

00:49:59.960 --> 00:50:00.220
 Like,

00:50:01.200 --> 00:50:02.900
 I don't even need a hello.

00:50:03.039 --> 00:50:04.800
 I just need a human.

00:50:04.800 --> 00:50:06.280
 Of course,

00:50:06.440 --> 00:50:07.519
 I understand the context.

00:50:07.660 --> 00:50:08.440
 Doctors are overworked

00:50:08.440 --> 00:50:09.860
 and they're extremely busy

00:50:09.860 --> 00:50:11.940
 and so they have to be obnoxious

00:50:11.940 --> 00:50:13.320
 to get through,

00:50:13.400 --> 00:50:13.860
 to get through.

00:50:14.800 --> 00:50:15.700
 But I was saying,

00:50:16.140 --> 00:50:16.460
 ah,

00:50:17.620 --> 00:50:19.160
 but I think it's when you're a student,

00:50:19.760 --> 00:50:20.860
 that's how you get kicked

00:50:20.860 --> 00:50:21.840
 as a medical student

00:50:21.840 --> 00:50:23.100
 because your superiors

00:50:23.100 --> 00:50:24.380
 are not very kind to you.

00:50:24.640 --> 00:50:25.720
 And by the time that you get

00:50:25.720 --> 00:50:26.280
 to that point,

00:50:26.720 --> 00:50:28.060
 that's just kind of the default.

00:50:28.059 --> 00:50:30.739
 I think Jesus proposes

00:50:30.739 --> 00:50:31.360
 a different way.

00:50:32.699 --> 00:50:33.179
 Jesus says,

00:50:33.279 --> 00:50:35.019
 as you increase in influence,

00:50:35.619 --> 00:50:38.059
 as you increase in power

00:50:38.059 --> 00:50:38.699
 and authority

00:50:38.699 --> 00:50:39.659
 and in affluence,

00:50:40.860 --> 00:50:43.039
 you get to serve even more.

00:50:44.019 --> 00:50:45.820
 And I'm inspired by this regularly,

00:50:45.960 --> 00:50:47.579
 even on the other side

00:50:47.579 --> 00:50:48.360
 in Kung Fu Church,

00:50:48.739 --> 00:50:49.519
 people who are

00:50:49.519 --> 00:50:51.259
 in the highest echelons of society

00:50:51.259 --> 00:50:52.219
 handing out flyers,

00:50:52.960 --> 00:50:55.659
 handing out just welcome notes

00:50:55.659 --> 00:50:56.679
 in church services.

00:50:56.679 --> 00:50:57.339
 And I'm just like,

00:50:57.399 --> 00:50:57.659
 ah,

00:50:58.159 --> 00:50:59.259
 that is the heart of the servant.

00:51:00.019 --> 00:51:00.480
 And again,

00:51:00.500 --> 00:51:02.039
 I'm not asking for acts of service.

00:51:02.239 --> 00:51:03.759
 I don't need you to go to the bin

00:51:03.759 --> 00:51:03.960
 and go,

00:51:04.019 --> 00:51:04.440
 hey James,

00:51:05.239 --> 00:51:06.259
 taking out the trash,

00:51:06.859 --> 00:51:07.879
 being a great servant,

00:51:08.379 --> 00:51:09.019
 the humblest,

00:51:09.919 --> 00:51:10.579
 here we go.

00:51:11.460 --> 00:51:13.980
 We're not asking for acts of service.

00:51:14.079 --> 00:51:16.480
 We're asking for servant hearts.

00:51:17.000 --> 00:51:17.699
 And there's a difference

00:51:17.699 --> 00:51:18.719
 because if you are committing

00:51:18.719 --> 00:51:20.359
 to just doing acts of service,

00:51:20.519 --> 00:51:21.379
 I'll tell you what it means.

00:51:21.779 --> 00:51:23.039
 And Tim Keller talks a little bit about this.

00:51:23.259 --> 00:51:23.480
 He says,

00:51:23.539 --> 00:51:24.259
 when we are committing

00:51:24.259 --> 00:51:25.179
 to just acts of service,

00:51:25.239 --> 00:51:26.059
 we're basically saying,

00:51:26.059 --> 00:51:27.139
 I'm in control.

00:51:27.299 --> 00:51:28.360
 I will choose

00:51:28.360 --> 00:51:29.759
 what I serve in.

00:51:30.420 --> 00:51:31.659
 And so today I choose

00:51:31.659 --> 00:51:32.480
 to take out the trash.

00:51:32.960 --> 00:51:33.940
 Today I choose

00:51:33.940 --> 00:51:35.860
 to help Danny with the chairs.

00:51:37.539 --> 00:51:38.000
 That's you,

00:51:38.219 --> 00:51:39.719
 that's you basically saying,

00:51:39.820 --> 00:51:41.239
 I will do some acts of service.

00:51:41.360 --> 00:51:42.380
 But the heart of a servant

00:51:42.380 --> 00:51:43.400
 is different.

00:51:43.500 --> 00:51:44.019
 The heart of a servant

00:51:44.019 --> 00:51:45.460
 is I'll do whatever is required.

00:51:46.639 --> 00:51:47.400
 It doesn't matter.

00:51:47.519 --> 00:51:48.900
 It's you surrendering your control

00:51:48.900 --> 00:51:49.159
 and saying,

00:51:49.219 --> 00:51:49.860
 I'm not going to choose

00:51:49.860 --> 00:51:50.500
 what acts of service

00:51:50.500 --> 00:51:50.940
 I'm going to do.

00:51:50.940 --> 00:51:52.460
 I just want to be a servant.

00:51:54.720 --> 00:51:55.159
 Why?

00:51:56.039 --> 00:51:57.300
 Because the Son of Man came

00:51:57.300 --> 00:51:58.800
 not to be served,

00:51:59.079 --> 00:52:00.460
 but to serve.

00:52:02.139 --> 00:52:03.659
 I don't think we as a church

00:52:03.659 --> 00:52:04.980
 do well enough

00:52:04.980 --> 00:52:05.960
 in training people in that.

00:52:07.280 --> 00:52:08.360
 I don't think seminaries

00:52:08.360 --> 00:52:08.840
 do well enough

00:52:08.840 --> 00:52:09.519
 in training pastors.

00:52:11.440 --> 00:52:12.400
 The hour of service.

00:52:15.840 --> 00:52:16.940
 Elizabeth Elliot says this,

00:52:16.960 --> 00:52:17.720
 and this is where I'll close.

00:52:17.719 --> 00:52:21.059
 Our willingness to be inconvenienced

00:52:21.059 --> 00:52:22.079
 is the measure of our love.

00:52:23.500 --> 00:52:24.579
 When was the last time

00:52:24.579 --> 00:52:25.819
 we were inconvenienced?

00:52:25.899 --> 00:52:26.559
 When was the last time

00:52:26.559 --> 00:52:27.939
 we deliberately inconvenienced

00:52:27.939 --> 00:52:30.059
 ourselves as an act of love

00:52:30.059 --> 00:52:30.799
 to help other people?

00:52:31.039 --> 00:52:32.500
 That, brothers and sisters,

00:52:32.719 --> 00:52:34.159
 is the discipline of people.

00:52:36.459 --> 00:52:37.239
 When we say,

00:52:37.639 --> 00:52:38.079
 I love you,

00:52:38.099 --> 00:52:39.379
 or I want to love you,

00:52:39.500 --> 00:52:40.399
 you're really hard to love,

00:52:40.459 --> 00:52:41.519
 but I really want to love you,

00:52:41.779 --> 00:52:42.959
 and I'm going to go out of my way

00:52:42.959 --> 00:52:43.980
 to do this for you.

00:52:44.139 --> 00:52:45.619
 I'm willing to be inconvenienced

00:52:45.619 --> 00:52:45.839
 for you.

00:52:45.839 --> 00:52:46.779
 I'm willing to serve you.

00:52:46.780 --> 00:52:47.920
 I'm willing to be hospitable.

00:52:48.060 --> 00:52:49.240
 I'm willing to welcome you in.

00:52:50.240 --> 00:52:51.560
 I'm willing to give myself

00:52:51.560 --> 00:52:52.780
 so that you will be filled.

00:52:54.940 --> 00:52:55.760
 I don't do anything

00:52:55.760 --> 00:52:56.740
 out of selfish ambition.

00:52:58.400 --> 00:52:59.640
 I consider your interests

00:52:59.640 --> 00:53:00.120
 above mine.

00:53:01.040 --> 00:53:01.700
 I have this mind.

00:53:01.800 --> 00:53:01.980
 Why?

00:53:02.220 --> 00:53:03.200
 Because of Christ Jesus.

00:53:03.920 --> 00:53:04.580
 Though he himself

00:53:04.580 --> 00:53:05.400
 was in the form of God,

00:53:05.460 --> 00:53:06.500
 did not count equality

00:53:06.500 --> 00:53:07.800
 with God a thing to be grasped,

00:53:07.840 --> 00:53:08.840
 but emptied himself.

00:53:09.940 --> 00:53:11.100
 Taking the form of a servant.

00:53:12.740 --> 00:53:14.120
 Being born in the likeness of men.

00:53:14.160 --> 00:53:14.740
 You know how traumatic

00:53:14.740 --> 00:53:15.240
 that would be

00:53:15.240 --> 00:53:16.000
 for the prince of heaven

00:53:16.000 --> 00:53:17.320
 to be born in the likeness of men.

00:53:18.920 --> 00:53:20.079
 To have our limitations.

00:53:20.760 --> 00:53:21.820
 To need to go to the bathroom.

00:53:22.380 --> 00:53:23.219
 The great equalizer.

00:53:26.860 --> 00:53:27.940
 And yet he humbled himself

00:53:27.940 --> 00:53:28.940
 by becoming obedient

00:53:28.940 --> 00:53:29.800
 to the point of death,

00:53:29.880 --> 00:53:30.480
 even death,

00:53:30.719 --> 00:53:31.199
 on a cross.

00:53:31.280 --> 00:53:32.739
 He laid his life down for us.

00:53:32.840 --> 00:53:35.219
 He was willing to sacrifice,

00:53:35.639 --> 00:53:37.099
 inconvenience himself for us.

00:53:37.679 --> 00:53:38.400
 So why not?

00:53:39.079 --> 00:53:40.500
 Why not do the same for others?

00:53:40.500 --> 00:53:42.019
 Why not be those people

00:53:42.019 --> 00:53:43.159
 of discipline?

00:53:44.460 --> 00:53:46.019
 Next time you finish work,

00:53:46.360 --> 00:53:47.679
 next time you come into church

00:53:47.679 --> 00:53:48.320
 and you're like,

00:53:48.500 --> 00:53:50.539
 oh, I'm tired.

00:53:51.320 --> 00:53:52.079
 I've been busy.

00:53:54.079 --> 00:53:55.159
 I pray that the Lord

00:53:55.159 --> 00:53:55.920
 would give you

00:53:55.920 --> 00:53:58.579
 the gift of discipline

00:53:58.579 --> 00:54:01.320
 by loving people,

00:54:01.880 --> 00:54:03.559
 by serving people,

00:54:03.880 --> 00:54:04.840
 by welcoming people,

00:54:04.840 --> 00:54:06.780
 by going out of your way

00:54:06.780 --> 00:54:07.620
 for people,

00:54:07.860 --> 00:54:08.660
 simply because

00:54:08.660 --> 00:54:10.660
 of what he did for us.

00:54:10.840 --> 00:54:12.019
 That itself

00:54:12.019 --> 00:54:13.800
 is enough to compel us

00:54:13.800 --> 00:54:14.360
 to

00:54:14.360 --> 00:54:16.960
 pour out ourselves.

00:54:18.300 --> 00:54:19.440
 The Apostle Paul says this,

00:54:19.440 --> 00:54:20.660
 even if I am poured out

00:54:20.660 --> 00:54:21.400
 as a drink offering

00:54:21.400 --> 00:54:22.700
 upon the sacrificial offering

00:54:22.700 --> 00:54:23.240
 of your faith,

00:54:23.280 --> 00:54:23.800
 I am glad

00:54:23.800 --> 00:54:25.600
 and rejoice with you all.

00:54:26.720 --> 00:54:27.120
 Likewise,

00:54:27.220 --> 00:54:28.059
 you also should be glad

00:54:28.059 --> 00:54:28.880
 and rejoice with me.

00:54:28.880 --> 00:54:29.619
 Let us be people

00:54:29.619 --> 00:54:30.140
 who are willing

00:54:30.140 --> 00:54:31.180
 to pour ourselves out

00:54:31.180 --> 00:54:32.820
 because we serve,

00:54:33.059 --> 00:54:33.640
 we follow,

00:54:33.860 --> 00:54:34.380
 we love,

00:54:34.500 --> 00:54:35.519
 we worship a Savior

00:54:35.519 --> 00:54:37.140
 who poured himself out

00:54:37.140 --> 00:54:38.400
 for us.

00:54:40.240 --> 00:54:40.960
 Can I lead us

00:54:40.960 --> 00:54:41.559
 in a time of prayer?

00:54:48.380 --> 00:54:48.820
 Lord,

00:54:48.860 --> 00:54:49.800
 we seek to be people

00:54:49.800 --> 00:54:52.360
 who pour ourselves out

00:54:52.360 --> 00:54:56.900
 because you poured out for us.

00:54:58.880 --> 00:55:02.280
 And so we want to spend

00:55:02.280 --> 00:55:03.519
 the final few moments now

00:55:03.519 --> 00:55:06.000
 just reflecting on that

00:55:06.000 --> 00:55:07.960
 and praying the same prayer

00:55:07.960 --> 00:55:08.820
 that we would be

00:55:08.820 --> 00:55:09.900
 of the same spirit and mind

00:55:09.900 --> 00:55:11.140
 here as all those

00:55:11.140 --> 00:55:11.599
 who have gathered.

00:55:15.300 --> 00:55:16.039
 That we declare

00:55:16.039 --> 00:55:16.579
 that there is nothing

00:55:16.579 --> 00:55:17.460
 that we hold on to.

00:55:24.240 --> 00:55:25.059
 But we are willing

00:55:25.059 --> 00:55:25.860
 just to give everything

00:55:25.860 --> 00:55:26.860
 that you've given us

00:55:26.860 --> 00:55:27.760
 to be stewards

00:55:27.760 --> 00:55:28.420
 of those things.

00:55:28.880 --> 00:55:31.400
 to be people

00:55:31.400 --> 00:55:32.039
 willing to serve,

00:55:32.619 --> 00:55:33.280
 to be people

00:55:33.280 --> 00:55:33.980
 willing to people.

00:55:39.160 --> 00:55:39.980
 So Holy Spirit,

00:55:40.079 --> 00:55:40.539
 right now,

00:55:40.960 --> 00:55:41.860
 if there is something

00:55:41.860 --> 00:55:43.420
 that you want us to do,

00:55:44.800 --> 00:55:47.380
 would you show us?

00:55:47.380 --> 00:55:54.860
 we'll finish where we started.

00:55:55.099 --> 00:55:56.119
 Romans 12 says,

00:55:56.700 --> 00:55:57.480
 love one another.

00:55:58.579 --> 00:56:00.360
 Outdo one another

00:56:00.360 --> 00:56:01.519
 in showing honor.

00:56:03.019 --> 00:56:03.680
 I'll be honest,

00:56:03.760 --> 00:56:05.140
 you can't hold this bread

00:56:05.140 --> 00:56:08.340
 and then not look

00:56:08.340 --> 00:56:09.340
 to your brother and sister

00:56:09.340 --> 00:56:09.619
 and go,

00:56:09.660 --> 00:56:10.680
 how can I serve you?

00:56:11.300 --> 00:56:12.440
 How can I love you?

00:56:12.440 --> 00:56:13.679
 He said,

00:56:13.760 --> 00:56:14.700
 do this in remembrance

00:56:14.700 --> 00:56:15.360
 of me because

00:56:15.360 --> 00:56:16.920
 remember what I did

00:56:16.920 --> 00:56:17.420
 for you

00:56:17.420 --> 00:56:19.760
 and now go do the same.

00:56:22.760 --> 00:56:23.780
 The beauty is that

00:56:23.780 --> 00:56:24.940
 we don't have to do

00:56:24.940 --> 00:56:26.460
 incredibly great big things.

00:56:26.900 --> 00:56:27.679
 Mother Teresa says,

00:56:27.760 --> 00:56:28.760
 just the small things.

00:56:30.480 --> 00:56:31.420
 And maybe for you today,

00:56:31.500 --> 00:56:33.019
 it's just one thing.

00:56:33.019 --> 00:56:36.920
 The night he died,

00:56:37.400 --> 00:56:39.000
 when he was betrayed,

00:56:39.139 --> 00:56:39.759
 he took this bread

00:56:39.759 --> 00:56:40.280
 and he says,

00:56:40.380 --> 00:56:41.079
 this is my body,

00:56:41.239 --> 00:56:41.920
 which is for you,

00:56:42.880 --> 00:56:43.960
 broken for you.

00:56:44.880 --> 00:56:45.659
 Let us do this

00:56:45.659 --> 00:56:46.820
 in remembrance of him now.

00:56:55.219 --> 00:56:56.360
 And as it says in Hebrews,

00:56:56.500 --> 00:56:57.619
 he is the great high priest

00:56:57.619 --> 00:57:00.800
 paid for our sins

00:57:00.800 --> 00:57:01.699
 once and for all.

00:57:03.019 --> 00:57:04.420
 That we can be in communion

00:57:04.420 --> 00:57:04.960
 with him

00:57:04.960 --> 00:57:06.259
 and with one another now.

00:57:06.659 --> 00:57:07.579
 And this cup

00:57:07.579 --> 00:57:09.259
 is a symbol

00:57:09.259 --> 00:57:09.980
 of the new covenant

00:57:09.980 --> 00:57:10.559
 that we have.

00:57:11.259 --> 00:57:12.039
 Let us learn to love

00:57:12.039 --> 00:57:12.539
 one another

00:57:12.539 --> 00:57:14.039
 and outdo one another

00:57:14.039 --> 00:57:14.480
 in love

00:57:14.480 --> 00:57:15.440
 through this.

00:57:22.300 --> 00:57:22.920
 So Lord,

00:57:22.980 --> 00:57:23.860
 we leave here now

00:57:23.860 --> 00:57:27.179
 and ask that we would be

00:57:27.179 --> 00:57:28.539
 disciplined people

00:57:28.539 --> 00:57:29.139
 of service,

00:57:29.639 --> 00:57:30.219
 of hospitality.

00:57:33.880 --> 00:57:34.759
 that you would live

00:57:34.759 --> 00:57:35.219
 through us,

00:57:35.719 --> 00:57:36.239
 that we would be

00:57:36.239 --> 00:57:37.039
 willing vessels.

00:57:39.119 --> 00:57:40.139
 Thank you for allowing

00:57:40.139 --> 00:57:40.840
 us to be together.

00:57:41.000 --> 00:57:42.119
 Thank you for allowing

00:57:42.119 --> 00:57:42.980
 us to have people

00:57:42.980 --> 00:57:43.599
 around us.

00:57:47.019 --> 00:57:47.759
 Lead the way

00:57:47.759 --> 00:57:48.820
 as we seek to love.

00:57:50.380 --> 00:57:51.320
 In your name we pray.

00:57:52.659 --> 00:57:53.059
 Amen.

00:57:53.059 --> 00:57:53.159
 Amen.