WEBVTT

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 Okay, thank you Alex for running through the mission statement.

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! Everyone's got a seat as more or less? Yes.

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 I see you there, GU people.

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 I heard there's a basketball game later. GU the youth against the adults, the oldies.

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 I love that our 20 plus year olds are now the oldies as well.

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 I heard there's one team that's really, really energetic and has limitless energy.

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 I think his name is Johnny.

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 If we can do man-on-man defense on him, that'd be great.

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 I'm looking forward to that.

00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:34.320
 Yeah, today's gonna be special. I'm Joe. I'm one of the members here at the gathering.

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 We're gonna have a short and interesting message today about Acts 2 42 to 47.

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 For those who are visiting, you're welcome.

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 The mission statement's kind of a reminder, not just for the newcomers, but for us who come regularly, why we gather.

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 As with everything, as humans, it's so easy to forget why we gather.

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 We can come and we can just come religiously out of duty, Sunday after Sunday.

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 So the reason we read this every single week is because we want to know our why.

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 We need to know our why as human beings. We need to know our why as our church.

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 And we've been going through Acts, the book of Acts.

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 We've been looking at the origin of the church, the capital C church that happened 2000 years ago.

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 We just celebrated the ascension. Jesus went back.

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 His mission on earth was completed and the Pentecost came down and Holy Spirit just lit people up.

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 Literally people were on fire, the early church.

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 And we read actually last week, the gospel.

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 James talked about the kerygma, where Peter preached the first sermon in the first church gathering.

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 Three thousand people were added to their numbers.

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 And as the gospel was preached, it not only changed their minds, the gospel changes their hearts and it's changed their lives.

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 And we're going to look at today, Acts 2, 42 to 47, these five verses of what this early community looked like.

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 So there's about 120 people, maybe a little less than what we have here.

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 Peter preached this incredible sermon.

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 Three thousand people added.

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 Imagine three thousand people coming here next week.

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 That's a scary thought. Lord have mercy.

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 It'd be awesome if it happened.

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 But imagine that.

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 And how did this group of people live?

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 They live so uniquely that it changed the world.

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 And today we are an addition, accumulation of that first group of three thousand.

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 So since that day, it's been adding one by one, by one, until you and I standing here today.

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 So we're part of something historic.

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 We're part of something crazy.

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 Way, way bigger than ourselves.

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 This church was not started here.

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 It was started 2000 years ago when Pentecost descended.

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 And we're going to actually look at this snapshot.

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 So imagine if you guys, do you guys know Polaroid camera?

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 For those of you who are older, you know the Polaroid camera.

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 Roger, you know, you take a snapshot.

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 Kind of that's what it looked like at the time.

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 And so imagine as we read this chapter, we read these five verses.

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 It's a Polaroid snapshot of what that early community, the 3,120 people.

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 So it's 120 plus 3,000.

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 I'm Asian, so I know my math.

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 So imagine it's 3,120 people.

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 What did it look like?

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 And what did they say?

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 So we're going to stand and read the word together as we do, as we have a habit of doing.

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 So we stand in reverence and awe of the word of God.

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 As I read this, just try and picture this community of 3,120 people living in this way.

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 Acts 2 verses 42 to 47.

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 And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

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 And awe came upon every single soul and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

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 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

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 They were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need.

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 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.

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 Praising God and having favor with all the people.

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 And the Lord added to their number day by day, those who were being saved.

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 This is the word of the Lord.

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 Please take a seat.

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 Let me say a quick word of prayer.

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 Lord, I thank you for this morning.

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 I thank you that as we read your scripture, as we read the snapshot of what the early church is, as we hear the drilling upstairs, we know that we are still works in progress here.

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 And God, help us connect with us, with the origin, with that first early church.

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 And Lord, help us to understand and discern which things are descriptive, which things are prescriptive.

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 And Lord, help us to be a people that live so on fire for you that people are drawn to you day by day.

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 In Jesus' name we pray.

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 Amen.

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 So James actually, I think in July, for those who don't remember, he preached on this very passage of Acts 2, the fellowship of the believers.

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 And he had a thing of actually, are we devoted to the apostles' teaching, to prayers, to communion, to fellowship?

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 These are the four spiritual pillars that the church did in practice.

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 And we're not going to go through these four things.

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 Actually, we've been through recently, went through these in the spiritual practices of the importance of prayer, importance of scripture.

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 But there's one term that I think is really important, is actually, are we devoted?

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 If people came into this gathering and said, hey, this group of people, they're really devoted to what they believe in.

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 Are we devoted or are we distracted?

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 Are we dabbling?

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 And I just thought, I was at a church once and a pastor read up this kind of modern day version of an early snapshot of the church.

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 And I remember listening to it and thinking, wow, how far have we come from that first early church?

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 How far have, what have we made church?

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 I'm going to read it.

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 This is, again, not targeted to anyone.

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 Please don't take it.

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 If you feel convicted, that might be from the Holy Spirit.

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 It might not be stuff for me.

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 But again, I'm going to read it.

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 It's meant to be a little funny, but it's also sadly true.

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 So this is maybe a snapshot of what a dabbling church would look like today.

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 They devoted themselves to coming together whenever it was convenient in their very busy schedules.

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 When it didn't clash with any of their golf in the mornings, John Z, or tennis, or junk boats.

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 John's a professional golf player, so that's different.

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 He isn't.

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 And then some people would even come to early morning service prayer at 10.30 if they accidentally wake up early before the alarm.

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 And they come to church early.

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 So they might as well stay for prayer.

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 Some people slip into the service.

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 Most people slip into the service during the first or second song of worship.

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 They sit and they listen to someone speak intently for about 40 minutes.

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 And then they stand again for the final song.

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 And immediately after the service, they would head out to the lifts and line up because they have lunch appointments.

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 Some, as they leave, would even say bye to one another.

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 But by the time they read the lift, it's usually awkwardly silent.

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 And by that time, they probably forget everything that message was about.

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 During the week, they would be devoted to prayer and scriptures whenever an inspirational Instagram reel would pop up on their feed.

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 Some would even like it and share it.

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 And share it on WhatsApp into groups so that it looks like they're reading the scripture.

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 But you can only share the five groups maximum.

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 And then they will wait and do it again the next Sunday.

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 Or whenever it would work in their schedule again.

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 And they called it church.

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 That's a snapshot.

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 It's funny, but also sad.

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 And I remember hearing this the first time and thinking, goodness, Lord, what have we done to church?

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 What have we made church?

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 Have we made it to this little activity that we do on a Sunday?

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 So, Lord, help us as we today, we look into this early church, this snapshot of the early church.

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 We're not going to look and practice of everything they're doing and kind of imitate it.

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 No, we're actually going to look at the three characteristics that we recognize in this passage.

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 We recognize the posture of these people's hearts.

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 There's a way that they were living that made them live the way they were living.

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 And so, first one, we recognize that people were living in awe.

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 They were living in awe and wonder.

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 Second, they were living in this deep gratitude that led to generosity.

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 And third, they lived in this audacious and contagious joy that people were just drawn to them.

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 And so, I've invited Gavs, my two dear brothers.

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 These are the brothers that I never had growing up.

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 I just always wanted a good brother.

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 And so, these two are really my brothers here.

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 And Gavs, they're both leaders in their life group.

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 They've just been living this hour in the last seven years that I've known them since I've been in Hong Kong.

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 And so, Gavs is going to touch on the first part, living in awe and wonder.

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 What does that mean?

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 And then Shum's going to come up and talk about gratitude and living in generosity that flows from gratitude.

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 So, Gavs, come on up.

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 Give me a round of applause.

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 Thank you, Gavs.

00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:27.519
 Thank you, Joe.

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 I always find those little digs that you have at James really entertaining.

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 And I'm always trying to find his face, but I didn't know where he was when you were speaking.

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 Where is he?

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 Okay, he's hiding.

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 He knew.

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 He knew.

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 Well, yeah.

00:08:41.700 --> 00:08:42.319
 Thank you, Joe.

00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:42.919
 Thank you, everyone.

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 Really blessed to be up here.

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 So, there's nothing special about what I'll be sharing.

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 Truly.

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 It's just a reflection from the scripture and also how I've seen it play out in my own life.

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 Something, if you had a conversation with me, you know I like to ask questions.

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 So, throughout my sharing, I'm going to be asking you just questions of reflection.

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 Just things to ponder and perhaps to see if God wants to reveal something to your heart today.

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 So, as we were reflecting on the early church and those characteristics, awe was something that marked them.

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 It really, really marked who they were and how they functioned.

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 You know, and for them, it wasn't just a feeling.

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 It was something that shaped who they were, how they saw themselves, how they saw each and every other person around them.

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 It shaped how their community functioned, why they gathered, what that gathering looked like.

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 And it shaped what they chose to do each day.

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 So, the awe shaped all of these core three identities about them.

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 So, let me begin by rereading that passage that I'll be focusing on.

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 So, it's specifically verse 43 and 44.

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 So, I'll read it again.

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 And awe came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

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 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

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 So, before we dive deeper, I'm going to ask you to reflect with me.

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 All right.

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 Have you ever stood before something that was so powerful and overwhelming that it humbled you?

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 Like, you knew it had power over you.

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 You knew it was greater than yourself.

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 You knew that you had no control over this thing.

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 But at the same time, it thrilled you.

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 There was this realization that you could experience something extraordinary through this.

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 Have you ever had that experience of awe?

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 That experience of something so powerful?

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 As I was reflecting on this, I actually had a conversation a few weeks ago with a friend who is a part of the Christian Surfers Ministry.

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 And I remember they actually described being in the ocean like that.

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 They described that being in the ocean was this experience of something so incredible and powerful.

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 It's overwhelming.

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 You know, sometimes it's terrifying.

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 Sometimes you're in the water and you're like, anything could happen in this moment.

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 I could be washed away in an instant.

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 But when they surrendered themselves to it, on their board, obviously, there was this thrill.

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 There was this exhilaration of just like, wow, I would never be given access to this experience if not for this powerful force.

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 As I was thinking about the awe that the church experienced, I couldn't help but think about that conversation I had.

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 This terrifying, powerful thing that has power over us.

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 But at the same time, it could give us access into this realization of a life and an experience that we could have had no access to otherwise.

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 So I'm going to have two key points I'm going to share today.

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 Two key points about how awe defined this early church.

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 The first one being how the devotion of the early church cultivated awe and fellowship, what the Bible calls koinonia.

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 So I'm going to be throwing in some Greek words here and there.

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 The first one is koinonia, which is fellowship.

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 And this koinonia, this awe that they had, shifted the focus away from themselves onto God.

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 So how the awe that was cultivated shifted the focus away from themselves and onto God.

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 So in Acts 2.43, the Greek word for awe is phobos.

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 I'm throwing in another Greek word, I'm sorry.

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 But it's P-H-O-B-O-S.

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 O-B-O-S.

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 Phobos.

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 So while it's translated as fear or awe, it's actually this holy fear, this deep reverence, this respect and this recognition of majesty.

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 Kind of like the ocean, this powerful thing that I have no control over, that I know is more powerful than me.

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 But at the same time, there's a thrill to it.

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 There's an excitement.

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 There's this, wow, this is so powerful for me and that's a great thing.

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 The only thing I can do, recognizing this, is surrender to it.

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 So that's what this word phobos means.

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 It would be a burning reverence that would bring them into a joyful surrender, recognizing that this is where I need to go.

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 This is how I need to respond to this.

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 Because of this awe, the early church devotion, it produced really real and practical results.

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 And we see this.

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 You know, prayer was prioritized.

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 Their family life was completely shifted, completely transformed.

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 Unity of the gathering of the ecclesia flourished.

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 Materialism became second fiddle.

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 It was no longer important.

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 Generosity was overflowing.

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 This awe recognized God as sovereign and mighty, you know, worthy of their full attention.

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 Nothing else was important at that point.

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 It's like, I need to just look at you.

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 And in that same awe that they cultivated, because they were so fixated on God and so fixated on what he was doing,

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 what they desired became what he desired.

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 The things that he loved became what they loved.

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 And what was important to God, it was the building of his church.

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 It was his community.

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 It was his people.

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 So all that was cultivated, it transformed them to put this focus away from themselves and onto the things that God desired and he loved.

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 They also shared everything in common.

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 The Greek word is koina.

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 The in common is koina.

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 Koinonia.

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 And this comes from the same root word as koinonia, which is this deep, intimate fellowship.

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 It wasn't just a casual Sunday friendship.

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 It was shared life, like Joe was mentioning.

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 It was mutual care.

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 It was unity under Christ's headship.

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 It was knowing a person's life and walking with them daily.

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 That's what this all led them to.

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 It was like, because this is important to God, because I know that I just need to surrender to him,

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 I'm seeing that my response needs to be caring and loving what he loves.

00:14:28.779 --> 00:14:41.620
 So first reflection point for you guys is, have I allowed my devotion to cultivate awe that shifts the focus from myself to God and what he loves?

00:14:42.959 --> 00:14:44.399
 Or am I still at the center?

00:14:45.799 --> 00:14:49.839
 Have I allowed my devotion to God to shift my focus to what he loves?

00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:51.679
 Or am I still at the center?

00:14:51.679 --> 00:15:04.539
 The second point, which naturally flows from the first, is how the awe that the early church experienced, it empowered them to live vulnerably, boldly, together.

00:15:05.079 --> 00:15:09.039
 The awe that they experienced empowered them to live vulnerably, boldly, together.

00:15:10.099 --> 00:15:14.299
 So the early church faced very real fears, which Josh will be talking a bit more about in a second.

00:15:14.719 --> 00:15:17.299
 It was persecution, rejection, ridicule.

00:15:17.699 --> 00:15:19.219
 James mentioned a few of these last week.

00:15:19.220 --> 00:15:25.259
 These fears, these barriers were very real and could have stopped them in their tracks.

00:15:25.700 --> 00:15:31.480
 That could have been a very valid reason for them to no longer prioritize this union, to prioritize this community.

00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:34.440
 Today, our fears look a bit different.

00:15:34.860 --> 00:15:36.300
 Maybe there is still a fear of rejection.

00:15:36.779 --> 00:15:39.379
 Maybe there still is a fear of persecution to some extent.

00:15:39.680 --> 00:15:41.340
 Nothing like what the early church experienced.

00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:46.060
 Maybe our fears are things like lacking social capacity.

00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:53.879
 Maybe our fears are things like, I don't have it within me in this week to give that, because I don't know what I'll have left if I give that.

00:15:55.059 --> 00:15:56.159
 Our fears look a bit different.

00:15:57.299 --> 00:15:59.399
 But how did the early church respond to their fears?

00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:06.519
 It was to let the awe that they were cultivating through their devotion lead them into surrender.

00:16:07.939 --> 00:16:09.799
 Boldly to one another and to Christ.

00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:17.379
 Once again, it was as they placed this focus on God, they recognized this is what God cares about.

00:16:17.779 --> 00:16:23.019
 And because he's shown himself to be so present and our provider, I'm going to joyfully surrender.

00:16:23.359 --> 00:16:24.339
 I'm going to ride this wave.

00:16:24.719 --> 00:16:29.240
 I'm going to say, God, what you're doing here, because I've seen you work powerfully, I'm going to submit to this.

00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:33.599
 Because I know that whatever comes out of this is greater than whatever I could have done for myself.

00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:45.120
 So in Hebrews 10, 19, you know, we see in this letter that we are now given this bold access to the throne of God.

00:16:45.620 --> 00:16:55.899
 And this boldness that's been given to us through the sacrifice of Jesus, it puts all of these fears that our focus on ourselves could maybe put at the forefront of our minds.

00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:57.220
 It brings them to the back.

00:16:57.340 --> 00:16:59.879
 Because our focus now is, God, who are you?

00:16:59.960 --> 00:17:00.560
 What have you done?

00:17:00.980 --> 00:17:02.740
 And how can I respond to the things that you love?

00:17:02.740 --> 00:17:08.059
 For me, this was really tangible in my communities.

00:17:08.299 --> 00:17:18.839
 I've had really, really amazing opportunities to have brothers around me as I've lived in Hong Kong who have walked with me and have been the people who point me back.

00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:22.359
 The people who I've been able to experience this awe of God with.

00:17:23.579 --> 00:17:28.839
 One of them being the Browases, which is probably a turn you've heard about, which is when we live together, me, Joe, and Argus.

00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:31.940
 And there's a lot of people who are part of that community in our church now.

00:17:32.740 --> 00:17:35.500
 But a more recent example is my midweek.

00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:40.759
 And I think about my midweek because my midweek is a group of people who were all so different.

00:17:41.339 --> 00:17:42.380
 We're all so, so different.

00:17:42.920 --> 00:17:44.759
 And we went on a retreat recently.

00:17:44.759 --> 00:17:50.700
 And I remember one of the person who was hosting us, when he saw us all together, he kind of looked around at us.

00:17:51.059 --> 00:17:54.160
 And he was like, it's so strange that you're all here together.

00:17:54.220 --> 00:17:54.960
 Why are you friends?

00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:58.960
 And he literally was so confused as to why we were all in the same group.

00:17:59.619 --> 00:18:03.220
 And I think about that community because we've been meeting weekly.

00:18:03.220 --> 00:18:04.900
 We prioritize that time.

00:18:05.019 --> 00:18:09.940
 And in that time, I truly see the way God is moving in each and every one of us.

00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:11.500
 And that encourages my soul.

00:18:12.079 --> 00:18:17.180
 That encourages me to see God and be in awe of him for the way he is powerfully moving.

00:18:17.180 --> 00:18:21.880
 There's another story that I wanted to tell, but I don't think I have time.

00:18:22.019 --> 00:18:22.900
 So I'm going to skip past that.

00:18:23.720 --> 00:18:32.440
 But to really sum up those two points, you know, it's the awe of God that cultivates this fellowship,

00:18:32.980 --> 00:18:36.100
 this koinonia that shifts the spotlight from us to God.

00:18:36.099 --> 00:18:43.159
 And secondly, it's the awe that frees us from fear and empowers us to live vulnerably, boldly, and together.

00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:48.119
 So one more final reflection question for you is,

00:18:48.539 --> 00:18:55.939
 what fears are holding me back from living boldly, vulnerably, and together in community?

00:18:56.379 --> 00:19:01.059
 What fears are holding me back from living boldly and vulnerably together in community today?

00:19:01.059 --> 00:19:08.519
 And how could Phobos, how could this holy fear of God, holy surrendered fear, shift this?

00:19:09.859 --> 00:19:11.319
 So I'm going to end on a quick quote.

00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:16.619
 This is a quote from C.S. Lewis, and I think it's just a really beautiful insight.

00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:17.220
 So it says,

00:19:17.740 --> 00:19:20.679
 By myself, I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity.

00:19:21.240 --> 00:19:24.039
 I want other lights than my own to show all his facets.

00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:30.240
 So Lewis understands that it took a community to fully know another person.

00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:33.220
 So it took other people to know a single person well.

00:19:33.779 --> 00:19:34.740
 So he recognized that.

00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:36.059
 And he said,

00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:38.599
 If it takes a community to know one human,

00:19:39.500 --> 00:19:43.019
 how much more do we need community to know Jesus fully?

00:19:43.460 --> 00:19:48.480
 How much more do we need community to understand him fully,

00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:51.359
 to understand his facets, to understand his characteristics,

00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:57.900
 and to be in awe of him, how to develop that awe that we have in him?

00:19:57.900 --> 00:20:01.460
 So as we cultivate this community and this awe in community today,

00:20:01.840 --> 00:20:05.280
 the Holy Spirit works in us to overcome the fears and the barriers,

00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:07.180
 to live boldly and vulnerably,

00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:10.580
 and to become a church that reflects his heart,

00:20:11.080 --> 00:20:12.940
 and to draw others into that.

00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:14.460
 And that's what we're seeing in the early church.

00:20:15.120 --> 00:20:16.680
 You know, we see that as the Spirit moved,

00:20:17.220 --> 00:20:21.680
 it created a community of awe, unity, and generosity that turned heads and changed lives.

00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:23.720
 So at this point, I'm going to invite up Josh,

00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:29.480
 who's going to be speaking a bit more about the generosity and the radical generosity

00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:30.539
 that was lived out in that community.

00:20:31.019 --> 00:20:31.460
 Thank you.

00:20:32.460 --> 00:20:33.019
 APPLAUSE

00:20:33.019 --> 00:20:42.660
 So, good morning.

00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:46.160
 I'm going to be talking about through verses 45 and 46,

00:20:46.379 --> 00:20:49.099
 but I wanted to start with verse 46.

00:20:49.579 --> 00:20:53.079
 And this is really tagging along some of what Gabriel was saying.

00:20:53.259 --> 00:20:55.799
 So as we read verse 46, it says,

00:20:55.799 --> 00:21:07.839
 I wanted to first start talking about this attending the temple bit,

00:21:07.919 --> 00:21:13.259
 because a bit of a context of this time was these temples were most likely Jewish temples.

00:21:13.539 --> 00:21:17.440
 And not long ago, it was the Jews that actually wanted Jesus on the cross.

00:21:17.579 --> 00:21:24.339
 So there was a religious persecution that these early Christians had attending the temple.

00:21:24.339 --> 00:21:30.359
 And it goes to this holy fear, but also this fearlessness and boldness that Gabriel was talking about.

00:21:30.419 --> 00:21:35.619
 So they were giving up, really, their security, their safety, by even going to the temple daily.

00:21:35.859 --> 00:21:37.000
 And they met in homes.

00:21:37.339 --> 00:21:42.059
 And this talks about the fellowship and the unity that Gabriel was talking about,

00:21:42.059 --> 00:21:45.659
 about the early church, their need to be in unity.

00:21:45.980 --> 00:21:51.240
 And even meeting at homes, there was also a persecution, and that was the Roman Empire.

00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:54.319
 So there was actually, they were very hard pressed.

00:21:54.859 --> 00:22:00.299
 And so meeting in homes was something that could have been risky for this early church.

00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:04.599
 And this actually, you know, we were just reflecting on this yesterday, Gabriel.

00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:06.940
 Like five years ago, we had COVID.

00:22:07.799 --> 00:22:12.380
 And, you know, for those of you that also had COVID, but were attending church before COVID,

00:22:13.099 --> 00:22:18.339
 the one thing that a lot of us had to adapt to was that we had to start doing church in homes.

00:22:18.339 --> 00:22:24.119
 And we were just reminded by this kind of image of just meeting in homes, breaking bread together,

00:22:24.299 --> 00:22:25.139
 worshiping, praying.

00:22:25.480 --> 00:22:28.439
 And, you know, we even saw people being baptized in homes.

00:22:28.579 --> 00:22:34.939
 And, I mean, this kind of reality is something that could still exist today.

00:22:34.939 --> 00:22:38.699
 And even in China, right, we hear about churches meeting in homes.

00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:45.579
 But one thing that was, you know, I think that we also had when we had COVID was social distancing.

00:22:45.579 --> 00:22:49.460
 And when we gather in homes, there was a risk around that as well.

00:22:49.539 --> 00:22:53.359
 There was something that we had to give up in terms of, you know, would someone come up

00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:57.000
 and find out that we had 20 people gathered worshiping together?

00:22:57.539 --> 00:23:02.240
 And so there were two things here that I think really resonate with what Gabriel was sharing,

00:23:02.359 --> 00:23:05.859
 which is this fearlessness and the boldness that the church had

00:23:05.859 --> 00:23:09.679
 and the need to be together and have that fellowship.

00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:14.980
 And it continues to say that they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

00:23:14.980 --> 00:23:19.220
 which brings us to the second theme that we wanted to talk about, which was generosity.

00:23:20.220 --> 00:23:25.539
 And this is where we'll talk about verse 45, which I think a lot of people will look at this

00:23:25.539 --> 00:23:30.240
 and think, wow, this was a beautiful picture of generosity for the first church.

00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:36.359
 It reads here that, and they were with, and they were selling their possessions and belongings

00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:40.059
 and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need.

00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:43.640
 I mean, that's an incredible picture of generosity.

00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:46.460
 No one was in need that all things in common.

00:23:47.160 --> 00:23:51.920
 There's a lot of teaching in the Bible, especially Jesus in the gospels,

00:23:51.980 --> 00:23:58.480
 talking about how we can steward our wealth, how we, you know, how we should be giving to the poor.

00:23:58.480 --> 00:24:05.620
 And, you know, I wanted to talk about generosity and kind of zoom out beyond just the material sharing

00:24:05.620 --> 00:24:07.740
 that the early church had.

00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:12.400
 If we really look back at Acts 2, they were not just sharing their wealth.

00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:16.680
 As I was saying earlier, they were sharing their homes, right?

00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:19.640
 They were opening up their homes, which could risk their own families.

00:24:20.599 --> 00:24:25.480
 They were sharing actually even their own security because they were going into temples waiting.

00:24:25.480 --> 00:24:29.680
 Waiting, you know, I could imagine waiting to go into Jewish temples to share the gospel.

00:24:30.680 --> 00:24:35.400
 And that was something that, you know, they lived their life in a very generous way,

00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:40.440
 not just in how they gave in material wealth, but how they actually gave their life.

00:24:41.400 --> 00:24:45.440
 And this was something that, you know, really spoke to me as we were reflecting that,

00:24:45.620 --> 00:24:49.579
 why did they have this radical generosity with their lives?

00:24:49.640 --> 00:24:50.400
 I mean, it's not normal.

00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:53.440
 It's not normal to give up all of those things.

00:24:54.620 --> 00:24:59.519
 And I think, you know, the author here gives us a clue in verse 46.

00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:02.100
 And I'm going to paraphrase here.

00:25:02.700 --> 00:25:06.360
 It says they received with glad and generous hearts.

00:25:06.359 --> 00:25:12.859
 I think there's something here that I think, you know, when we look at this first church and how they gave,

00:25:12.939 --> 00:25:17.079
 we can't ignore the fact that they received it with a lot of gladness.

00:25:17.979 --> 00:25:22.919
 I don't know if anyone here has, they know their love language, like the five love languages.

00:25:23.979 --> 00:25:27.219
 But for me, my love language is gifting.

00:25:27.220 --> 00:25:33.059
 And this is something that, you know, I think for those who actually resonate with the love language of gifting,

00:25:33.559 --> 00:25:36.519
 you know, when you receive something that you really like, right,

00:25:36.660 --> 00:25:39.420
 the first thing you feel is this deep sense of gratitude.

00:25:40.259 --> 00:25:47.100
 And then naturally, the next thing, you know, love languages are not just receiving, but also giving, right?

00:25:47.160 --> 00:25:51.259
 So you think about then, what can I give this person back, right?

00:25:51.259 --> 00:25:55.640
 So there is this kind of natural element when we think about generosity, there has to,

00:25:55.759 --> 00:25:58.500
 it has to come from this heart of gratitude.

00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:02.720
 And so what did the first church receive, right?

00:26:02.740 --> 00:26:06.319
 We've been talking about Pentecost, the significance of it.

00:26:07.299 --> 00:26:10.140
 And what they received was they received the good news.

00:26:10.920 --> 00:26:15.160
 It was the good news that Jesus died for their sins and he conquered death,

00:26:15.539 --> 00:26:17.779
 paving a way for them to eternity.

00:26:17.779 --> 00:26:21.420
 And they were gifted and anointed by the Holy Spirit.

00:26:22.059 --> 00:26:27.299
 I mean, when you receive something like that, I think James talked about if Moses were to see that to happen,

00:26:27.779 --> 00:26:29.759
 he would be mind blown, right?

00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:32.079
 It's that awe that Gabriel talked about.

00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:36.940
 And what actually comes after that awe is a deep sense of heart changing gratitude.

00:26:37.779 --> 00:26:46.960
 I think the church in the Acts, you know, here recognized that deep sense of gratitude of what they had just received.

00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:49.880
 And that leads to the radical generosity.

00:26:49.880 --> 00:26:55.819
 That leads to the fact that they had everything to give because they just received everything that they wanted.

00:26:55.920 --> 00:26:59.400
 This was prophesied for generations before them.

00:26:59.620 --> 00:27:03.700
 And they realized it had just happened and they had just received that.

00:27:03.819 --> 00:27:08.920
 So if we read back at Acts 2, we see that the first church was teaching.

00:27:09.120 --> 00:27:10.460
 They were performing signs and wonders.

00:27:10.579 --> 00:27:14.460
 They were living with generosity and serving one another in their homes.

00:27:14.460 --> 00:27:22.980
 It really kind of made me think about what Paul wrote in Romans 12 when he talked about the church as one body,

00:27:23.559 --> 00:27:27.620
 serving different functions with the gifts that the Holy Spirit gives us,

00:27:28.140 --> 00:27:35.920
 talking about the gifts of prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, generosity, leadership, and mercy.

00:27:36.420 --> 00:27:39.360
 And if you look back, that is what this first church were exercising.

00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:43.979
 They were exercising the gifts that God and the Holy Spirit gave them.

00:27:44.740 --> 00:27:50.500
 And I think that's something that for me, you know, we were reflecting about what is descriptive,

00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:52.899
 what is prescriptive about Acts 2.

00:27:53.539 --> 00:27:56.379
 And today I just wanted to share around my thought around this.

00:27:56.899 --> 00:28:03.279
 I think what is prescriptive is absolutely what Gabriel was talking about around the heart of this first church.

00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:04.079
 They had awe.

00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:11.720
 They were deeply grateful for what they just received as the good news, and they gave generously.

00:28:11.879 --> 00:28:18.740
 And that is part of the heart of this first church that I think Joe will end up talking about on joy,

00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:24.079
 because this is perhaps probably the most infectious part about the early church,

00:28:24.220 --> 00:28:27.639
 was that they were giving praise to God in verse 47.

00:28:28.099 --> 00:28:29.759
 And back to 46, they were glad.

00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:36.920
 And so this is, so I'm going to pass the time on to Joe to talk about this joy in the first church.

00:28:37.819 --> 00:28:38.660
 Thank you, Josh.

00:28:39.420 --> 00:28:40.200
 Thank you, Shum.

00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:45.519
 I remember meeting Josh when he was still at Hong Kong U seven years ago,

00:28:45.680 --> 00:28:48.819
 and he has grown so much, but he's also not grown at all.

00:28:49.059 --> 00:28:53.779
 But physically, just horizontally maybe.

00:28:54.039 --> 00:28:57.859
 But those who don't know Josh, I think of one word, ohana.

00:28:59.059 --> 00:28:59.460
 Ohana.

00:28:59.759 --> 00:29:03.519
 Has anyone seen Lilo and Stitch this week?

00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:04.140
 He just came out?

00:29:04.259 --> 00:29:05.559
 Yeah, there's a group of you.

00:29:07.180 --> 00:29:10.259
 Josh is very composed and well put together, but if you ever got to go to his home,

00:29:10.879 --> 00:29:12.579
 his room is filled with Lilo and Stitch.

00:29:13.539 --> 00:29:14.500
 And I exaggerate.

00:29:15.180 --> 00:29:15.299
 Maybe.

00:29:15.859 --> 00:29:16.420
 No Lilo.

00:29:16.539 --> 00:29:17.019
 It's just Stitch.

00:29:17.379 --> 00:29:18.240
 He's a huge fan.

00:29:19.640 --> 00:29:20.000
 Yes.

00:29:20.119 --> 00:29:21.420
 So that's just a fun fact.

00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:23.279
 Fun fact about him.

00:29:23.420 --> 00:29:23.519
 Yes.

00:29:23.619 --> 00:29:24.900
 But ohana, what does ohana mean?

00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:26.680
 Family.

00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:34.019
 Family and family means no one gets left behind and all forgotten.

00:29:34.299 --> 00:29:36.299
 Don't get left behind and all forgotten.

00:29:37.060 --> 00:29:38.140
 Family stays together.

00:29:38.140 --> 00:29:45.720
 We heard about the vertical movement and the transformation that goes into our hearts and our minds and our lives.

00:29:46.100 --> 00:29:47.120
 The Holy Spirit came down.

00:29:47.200 --> 00:29:48.040
 The Pentecost happened.

00:29:49.740 --> 00:29:51.180
 Gabs talked about the awe and wonder.

00:29:52.100 --> 00:29:53.520
 Josh talked about this deep gratitude.

00:29:53.759 --> 00:29:56.000
 Today, actually, we're just really linking this axis.

00:29:56.120 --> 00:29:58.340
 If you can just imagine the vertical to the horizontal.

00:29:58.740 --> 00:30:01.540
 What happened vertically has to happen horizontally.

00:30:01.899 --> 00:30:03.159
 It cannot just stay vertical.

00:30:04.299 --> 00:30:07.480
 I think of people who are sometimes like, oh, I have such a good relationship with God.

00:30:08.039 --> 00:30:09.619
 We have such good quiet time with him.

00:30:09.619 --> 00:30:11.139
 I have great quiet time with him every day.

00:30:11.200 --> 00:30:12.940
 But I don't belong to a church.

00:30:13.059 --> 00:30:14.059
 I don't belong to a life group.

00:30:14.839 --> 00:30:15.659
 And I'm like, that's cool.

00:30:15.759 --> 00:30:16.379
 That's interesting.

00:30:16.839 --> 00:30:17.480
 That's really cool.

00:30:18.619 --> 00:30:22.960
 But when I think of someone, probably the person who had the best relationship with God,

00:30:23.899 --> 00:30:25.680
 one-on-one, had all the time in the year.

00:30:26.599 --> 00:30:28.299
 It's not Jesus, obviously, because he's God.

00:30:28.299 --> 00:30:34.700
 But Adam, Adam in the Garden of Eden, he was with God, walking with God all the time in the world.

00:30:34.779 --> 00:30:36.180
 Just this perfect relationship with him.

00:30:36.859 --> 00:30:37.720
 And what did God say?

00:30:38.700 --> 00:30:41.159
 It is not good for you to be alone.

00:30:42.399 --> 00:30:43.799
 It is not good for you to be alone.

00:30:43.940 --> 00:30:47.419
 You and then thus created Eve, thus created humanity.

00:30:47.899 --> 00:30:52.399
 There's something about loving God that has to translate the horizontal axis of loving people.

00:30:52.700 --> 00:30:54.539
 And that's why we have people.

00:30:54.619 --> 00:30:57.299
 That's why we're in this Sunday gathering right now.

00:30:57.299 --> 00:31:02.559
 And so the heart postures of being in awe, the heart posture of being in deep gratitude,

00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:04.859
 it leads to generosity.

00:31:06.099 --> 00:31:10.799
 And as Josh said, glad and sincere hearts, which another word I like to think of is joy.

00:31:11.899 --> 00:31:13.680
 It's contagious joy, audacious joy.

00:31:14.079 --> 00:31:15.859
 When I think of joy, what do you guys think about?

00:31:16.759 --> 00:31:17.599
 I'm going to pick on Liam.

00:31:18.440 --> 00:31:21.279
 Liam, when I say the word joy, what comes to mind?

00:31:21.279 --> 00:31:26.579
 I think joy is finding your people, spending time with those that you love.

00:31:26.579 --> 00:31:29.019
 Joy is finding your people, spending time with those you love.

00:31:29.439 --> 00:31:32.980
 And yeah, finding your community and especially your family.

00:31:33.299 --> 00:31:35.139
 Finding family and community.

00:31:35.679 --> 00:31:35.919
 Ohana.

00:31:36.439 --> 00:31:36.740
 Good.

00:31:37.179 --> 00:31:38.859
 Jackie, what does joy mean to you?

00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:43.460
 Knowing that God has your back.

00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:45.079
 God has your back.

00:31:45.339 --> 00:31:47.419
 He's all been over all your situations.

00:31:47.420 --> 00:31:53.620
 God has your back and he's with you in all the relationships and situations.

00:31:54.840 --> 00:31:55.920
 It's not just effort.

00:31:56.920 --> 00:31:57.279
 Interesting.

00:31:57.759 --> 00:31:58.120
 Interesting.

00:31:58.320 --> 00:32:01.259
 Neither of you said, you fan, what a joy to you.

00:32:01.640 --> 00:32:02.140
 One more.

00:32:02.800 --> 00:32:04.000
 I'd say a light heart.

00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:05.580
 A light heart.

00:32:06.860 --> 00:32:09.920
 It's a light heart knowing that you're loved and belong to the kingdom.

00:32:10.259 --> 00:32:10.600
 It's interesting.

00:32:10.599 --> 00:32:15.000
 All three of them, sorry I asked all guys, but no one said happiness.

00:32:15.859 --> 00:32:18.579
 Is there a difference between happiness and joy?

00:32:20.039 --> 00:32:20.439
 Yes.

00:32:21.319 --> 00:32:23.319
 Joy is not dependent on happiness.

00:32:24.019 --> 00:32:25.759
 And actually all three of you mentioned something about it.

00:32:25.779 --> 00:32:27.059
 So joy is something you've received.

00:32:27.319 --> 00:32:29.939
 Something that happens internally that comes out externally.

00:32:30.059 --> 00:32:30.939
 And you mentioned community.

00:32:31.099 --> 00:32:32.099
 You mentioned family.

00:32:32.699 --> 00:32:36.059
 You mentioned light heartedness.

00:32:36.059 --> 00:32:36.379
 That's right.

00:32:36.440 --> 00:32:36.940
 Sorry, you fan.

00:32:37.619 --> 00:32:38.000
 Good guy.

00:32:38.179 --> 00:32:41.779
 This guy listens to our sermons all the way from the US all year round.

00:32:42.379 --> 00:32:45.819
 You knew exactly the sermon I was talking about when James preached on Acts 2.42.

00:32:45.940 --> 00:32:46.559
 So listen to that.

00:32:46.639 --> 00:32:47.179
 It's from July.

00:32:47.399 --> 00:32:48.059
 Do you know which date?

00:32:49.259 --> 00:32:50.139
 I think you're messing with me.

00:32:50.539 --> 00:32:51.339
 It's in July.

00:32:51.460 --> 00:32:51.980
 Acts 2.42.

00:32:52.099 --> 00:32:52.519
 Look for it.

00:32:53.159 --> 00:32:53.839
 Devoted or dabbling.

00:32:54.159 --> 00:32:55.399
 But yes, light hearted.

00:32:55.480 --> 00:32:56.579
 Joy is something that you have.

00:32:56.599 --> 00:32:57.099
 It's contagious.

00:32:57.960 --> 00:33:01.299
 When I think of joy, when I think of someone living with glad and sincere hearts,

00:33:01.319 --> 00:33:03.700
 when I think of someone that attracts and draws people,

00:33:03.700 --> 00:33:05.119
 I think of one person in particular.

00:33:05.799 --> 00:33:06.919
 And that person is my wife.

00:33:07.779 --> 00:33:09.179
 And I'm not saying this because I have to,

00:33:09.319 --> 00:33:10.859
 but I am saying this because I kind of have to.

00:33:12.459 --> 00:33:15.539
 But she didn't even know I'm sharing.

00:33:15.599 --> 00:33:16.259
 I didn't even know she's here.

00:33:17.459 --> 00:33:19.679
 There was this glimpse that happened a few days ago,

00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:20.959
 and it just caught my attention.

00:33:21.419 --> 00:33:22.599
 And I thought, this relates.

00:33:23.359 --> 00:33:27.179
 So basically, some of you know, we've been staying in a home nearby.

00:33:27.539 --> 00:33:28.759
 We're house-sitting for a family.

00:33:28.839 --> 00:33:30.759
 This is a lovely home we could never afford.

00:33:30.759 --> 00:33:32.699
 And we've been staying there month by month.

00:33:32.759 --> 00:33:34.319
 Any month, we have to leave, and that's okay.

00:33:35.159 --> 00:33:37.779
 And Alex and I said, let's just, as long as we're here,

00:33:37.839 --> 00:33:38.899
 we're going to treat it like our home.

00:33:39.220 --> 00:33:40.939
 We're going to love on the people around us.

00:33:40.960 --> 00:33:41.700
 We're going to love our neighbors.

00:33:41.839 --> 00:33:44.119
 We're going to love our doorman and everyone in the building.

00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:47.700
 And there was one day I was coming home from work to take a nap.

00:33:47.700 --> 00:33:49.660
 As I do.

00:33:49.660 --> 00:33:51.059
 I work very hard for Hope International.

00:33:51.220 --> 00:33:52.319
 Thank you for everyone who supports.

00:33:52.980 --> 00:33:58.319
 As I was going home to take a nap at a siesta, and I walked in, I just see this huge happy birthday sign.

00:33:58.799 --> 00:34:01.500
 And our home was filled with people that I didn't know.

00:34:01.500 --> 00:34:07.460
 It was filled with domestic workers from my building, from the Philippines, who have never seen or met before.

00:34:08.320 --> 00:34:09.400
 And I just left.

00:34:09.579 --> 00:34:11.219
 I was like, okay, Alex is doing her thing.

00:34:11.639 --> 00:34:12.480
 I'm going to step out.

00:34:13.159 --> 00:34:18.760
 And later on, I find out that she was just hosting a birthday party for a helper in our building.

00:34:18.760 --> 00:34:22.020
 And invited all the other helpers in the building to come.

00:34:22.840 --> 00:34:24.240
 And we live in the same building, Stanford.

00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:26.980
 And this is just Alex.

00:34:27.860 --> 00:34:30.000
 Trust me, we didn't even talk about it that night.

00:34:30.260 --> 00:34:31.540
 We've still not talked about it.

00:34:31.740 --> 00:34:32.360
 This is months ago.

00:34:32.780 --> 00:34:33.960
 I didn't even say whose helper was it.

00:34:33.960 --> 00:34:38.100
 I didn't even ask because it's just such a common occurrence in the way that Alex lived.

00:34:38.580 --> 00:34:40.740
 And a few days ago, we walked past helpers.

00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:43.460
 And they'll know Eden by name.

00:34:43.500 --> 00:34:44.280
 They'll know Alex by name.

00:34:44.340 --> 00:34:45.280
 They have no idea who I am.

00:34:45.680 --> 00:34:46.320
 They'll say hi.

00:34:46.840 --> 00:34:49.420
 And she'll be like, ma'am, when are you hiring?

00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:51.820
 I would love to be part of your family.

00:34:52.500 --> 00:34:53.900
 I would love to work for you.

00:34:54.019 --> 00:34:55.460
 And no exaggeration.

00:34:55.500 --> 00:34:57.059
 This has happened dozens of times.

00:34:58.000 --> 00:34:59.400
 We don't even have a helper, by the way.

00:35:00.019 --> 00:35:00.220
 Yeah.

00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:06.620
 But I just think of my wife just living the way she does, investing in the community that we have for now, month by month.

00:35:07.260 --> 00:35:08.380
 And people are drawn to her.

00:35:08.620 --> 00:35:09.780
 There's a generosity in her heart.

00:35:09.820 --> 00:35:11.280
 There's a joy in her heart.

00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:13.360
 And for those who've seen her lead worship, it comes out.

00:35:13.400 --> 00:35:15.000
 It's not just on a Sunday when she leads.

00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:16.860
 But it's every single day, for those who know her.

00:35:17.659 --> 00:35:18.539
 Glad and sensitive.

00:35:18.639 --> 00:35:20.639
 Are we living a life, guys, that demands an explanation?

00:35:20.820 --> 00:35:24.960
 Are we living a life that people are drawn to us and say, hey, I want to be a part of this family.

00:35:26.099 --> 00:35:27.440
 I want to be a part of what you're doing.

00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:29.860
 Why do you live the way you do?

00:35:30.920 --> 00:35:34.699
 Psalm 16, it says, in the presence of God, there is fullness of joy.

00:35:35.760 --> 00:35:36.800
 Where does joy come from?

00:35:37.380 --> 00:35:38.320
 It comes from the Holy Spirit.

00:35:38.440 --> 00:35:39.159
 It comes from above.

00:35:39.260 --> 00:35:40.539
 It cannot be mustered up.

00:35:40.539 --> 00:35:43.500
 We can muster ourselves to make ourselves happy.

00:35:44.139 --> 00:35:47.039
 And that's very dependent on our circumstances, on our weather, on the day.

00:35:48.300 --> 00:35:50.699
 Joy is something that you receive and it just outflows.

00:35:51.019 --> 00:35:51.900
 And it's not forced.

00:35:51.980 --> 00:35:52.480
 It's free.

00:35:53.059 --> 00:35:56.079
 And I can tell you guys, in this world, there's a lot of people who are not free.

00:35:56.199 --> 00:36:00.420
 There are people who are stuck, who are weighed down by the stresses, anxieties of this world.

00:36:00.440 --> 00:36:02.900
 And when they see someone that is free, they're drawn to.

00:36:02.980 --> 00:36:03.880
 They run towards it.

00:36:03.880 --> 00:36:09.180
 When there's someone who is joyful, you think, you see and imagine someone who is generous.

00:36:10.519 --> 00:36:12.980
 We're living in a world where people are gathering things up for themselves.

00:36:13.980 --> 00:36:20.160
 But when they see someone just handing out freely, and I see a lot of people in this room who live in that way, people are drawn to that.

00:36:20.180 --> 00:36:23.780
 They ask you, why do you live in such a way?

00:36:24.539 --> 00:36:26.099
 So number one, joy is contagious.

00:36:26.500 --> 00:36:27.579
 Joy is received from the Holy Spirit.

00:36:27.579 --> 00:36:31.579
 Number two, Josh touched on this a little bit on generosity.

00:36:31.579 --> 00:36:36.119
 When we look at this passage, it's easy to be like, oh man, these guys shared everything they had.

00:36:36.179 --> 00:36:37.799
 They sold possessions and gave to one another.

00:36:38.579 --> 00:36:41.279
 When we think of generosity in Hong Kong, we think of money.

00:36:42.420 --> 00:36:45.079
 But the most valuable currency in Hong Kong is not money.

00:36:45.219 --> 00:36:46.960
 It's not the Hong Kong dollar or the U.S. dollar.

00:36:48.119 --> 00:36:48.799
 It's time.

00:36:49.659 --> 00:36:50.400
 It's time.

00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:56.759
 And there's a phrase here that I see in both this passage in 44 and 46 is, day by day, they gathered.

00:36:56.760 --> 00:37:03.440
 And at the end it says, people were added to them day by day.

00:37:04.140 --> 00:37:06.000
 There's something about day by day.

00:37:06.820 --> 00:37:08.720
 Cuba and I agree, we talk about consistency.

00:37:08.900 --> 00:37:10.100
 How do we have a group that's consistent?

00:37:10.140 --> 00:37:11.720
 I wish we didn't have to travel all the time.

00:37:12.480 --> 00:37:16.860
 Are we meeting out of a consistency or is this a convenience fellowship that I read earlier?

00:37:17.200 --> 00:37:18.540
 We join when we don't have anything to do.

00:37:18.600 --> 00:37:19.740
 We join when we're not tired from it.

00:37:19.740 --> 00:37:21.340
 We join when we feel like it.

00:37:22.300 --> 00:37:24.260
 It's not convenience fellowship.

00:37:25.059 --> 00:37:27.400
 Hebrews 10, 25, it has a famous verse.

00:37:28.180 --> 00:37:32.860
 Continues to gather, brothers and sisters, as some are in the habit of not doing so.

00:37:33.559 --> 00:37:38.360
 Sometimes I wish the author of Hebrews would tell us what are the reasons that people are not gathering.

00:37:38.940 --> 00:37:43.200
 Because I can probably assure you that they're probably similar to the reasons that we have now.

00:37:43.960 --> 00:37:46.120
 People are forgetting their why we gather.

00:37:46.120 --> 00:37:47.579
 People are busy.

00:37:48.059 --> 00:37:49.059
 People are tired.

00:37:49.480 --> 00:37:50.780
 People need their alone time.

00:37:51.340 --> 00:37:53.940
 And I wonder if that's happening again today.

00:37:55.800 --> 00:37:57.280
 Generosity is not about money.

00:37:57.460 --> 00:37:58.760
 It's about giving our hearts.

00:37:58.880 --> 00:38:00.039
 God wants our whole lives.

00:38:00.600 --> 00:38:01.519
 And time is a part of that.

00:38:01.640 --> 00:38:02.800
 It doesn't happen overnight.

00:38:02.940 --> 00:38:04.200
 Fellowship doesn't happen overnight.

00:38:04.300 --> 00:38:05.660
 Those who are in life groups, it's great.

00:38:06.260 --> 00:38:07.140
 You come on a Sunday.

00:38:07.260 --> 00:38:08.400
 You come on a Thursday life group.

00:38:08.940 --> 00:38:10.059
 But those who are part of life groups.

00:38:10.140 --> 00:38:15.059
 Sunny, Uday, you guys know that actually the relationships happen outside of the life group.

00:38:15.059 --> 00:38:18.240
 It's on the third day that you meet for breakfast, for lunch, that happens.

00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:22.219
 I think of Godfrey telling me, he goes with Uday to the gym.

00:38:22.919 --> 00:38:25.759
 Going to the gym doesn't automatically make it a fellowship, by the way.

00:38:26.279 --> 00:38:27.339
 But then they share.

00:38:27.519 --> 00:38:30.519
 Apparently after they work out, they talk about what's weighing on their hearts.

00:38:31.699 --> 00:38:33.979
 They share with some confession time at the gym.

00:38:34.179 --> 00:38:35.019
 And then they end up praying.

00:38:35.019 --> 00:38:37.739
 In my mind, that's fellowship.

00:38:38.340 --> 00:38:40.480
 That's fellowship on steroids.

00:38:41.440 --> 00:38:42.320
 When I think of Uday.

00:38:44.300 --> 00:38:45.219
 Not Godfrey.

00:38:45.340 --> 00:38:45.719
 Not Godfrey.

00:38:45.900 --> 00:38:46.059
 Sorry.

00:38:46.800 --> 00:38:47.860
 But that's fellowship, guys.

00:38:47.880 --> 00:38:48.480
 It takes time.

00:38:48.579 --> 00:38:49.559
 It's not just the Sunday.

00:38:49.699 --> 00:38:50.219
 It's not Thursday.

00:38:50.360 --> 00:38:51.139
 It's the extra days.

00:38:51.940 --> 00:38:53.300
 Sundays is great when we gather here.

00:38:53.619 --> 00:38:55.639
 And we get to hear from the scriptures.

00:38:55.880 --> 00:38:57.559
 Gabriel and James preaches from the word.

00:38:58.380 --> 00:39:00.400
 Thursday is where we come and we apply the word.

00:39:00.980 --> 00:39:03.400
 Sunday is where we come and we gather and we lift up his name vertically.

00:39:03.400 --> 00:39:06.280
 But Thursday is when we come and we live out horizontally.

00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:08.599
 And we see God move horizontally where people share.

00:39:09.039 --> 00:39:11.099
 People can cry and pray and encourage one another.

00:39:11.579 --> 00:39:12.559
 They're both complementary.

00:39:12.760 --> 00:39:13.940
 We have to have both.

00:39:14.019 --> 00:39:15.440
 It's a day-by-day commitment.

00:39:15.559 --> 00:39:17.059
 It doesn't happen overnight.

00:39:17.820 --> 00:39:19.619
 We live as a family.

00:39:19.780 --> 00:39:21.180
 We turn up for a family.

00:39:21.500 --> 00:39:23.840
 Finally, joy amidst challenges.

00:39:24.599 --> 00:39:28.579
 There's something about joy that is contagious, that has got nothing to do with circumstances.

00:39:28.880 --> 00:39:32.539
 As Josh and Gabriel already said, this church was not going through easy times.

00:39:32.539 --> 00:39:34.420
 They weren't getting promotion after promotion.

00:39:34.599 --> 00:39:38.659
 They weren't getting, you know, just better houses and better jobs, better lives.

00:39:38.739 --> 00:39:41.940
 No, they were being kicked out of their jobs, of their homes, of their cities.

00:39:42.460 --> 00:39:47.320
 Yet there was this joy because they knew so well that they were part of something bigger.

00:39:47.739 --> 00:39:52.139
 They knew so well that they've been downloaded this fire in their hearts to live out.

00:39:52.679 --> 00:39:55.259
 And they just, it didn't matter what was happening in the world.

00:39:55.320 --> 00:39:56.699
 It didn't matter if it was COVID.

00:39:57.320 --> 00:40:00.679
 They were so focused on God and on each other.

00:40:00.679 --> 00:40:07.259
 And I think of a, finally, a last story is a season of COVID of this term Gabriel talked

00:40:07.259 --> 00:40:07.799
 about, broasis.

00:40:08.899 --> 00:40:12.119
 It happened because I guess termed it as three bros living together.

00:40:12.219 --> 00:40:13.779
 Let's call ourselves the broasis and be cool.

00:40:14.319 --> 00:40:16.619
 And then the girls said, oh no, but what about the females?

00:40:16.679 --> 00:40:19.399
 And they were like, no, it's bro and sis.

00:40:19.400 --> 00:40:25.980
 So we lived in this community for two years and it was one of the most challenging times

00:40:25.980 --> 00:40:26.680
 that we've ever had.

00:40:26.760 --> 00:40:27.059
 Seriously.

00:40:27.260 --> 00:40:28.579
 It was really challenging.

00:40:29.320 --> 00:40:31.940
 But I can tell you, I look back and it's the most joyful season.

00:40:32.139 --> 00:40:33.579
 One of the most joyful seasons of my lives.

00:40:33.700 --> 00:40:35.119
 And a lot of you are part of it.

00:40:35.139 --> 00:40:35.900
 Queenie, you were there.

00:40:36.039 --> 00:40:37.900
 Grace, Danny, Jay, Emily, Uday.

00:40:37.900 --> 00:40:41.119
 Like people were joining and adding to our numbers daily.

00:40:41.760 --> 00:40:43.280
 And that was a season, Liam, was there?

00:40:43.460 --> 00:40:46.440
 It was a season where church stopped as we knew it.

00:40:46.460 --> 00:40:47.539
 We couldn't gather on a Sundays.

00:40:48.260 --> 00:40:51.700
 And so we just did, as Joyce said a few weeks ago, we just said yes to the next thing.

00:40:52.320 --> 00:40:54.039
 We said, yes, let's open our home up.

00:40:54.119 --> 00:40:57.940
 Yes, let's bring people in who don't have a small group to come and eat with us.

00:40:57.960 --> 00:41:00.400
 Yes, let's study the scriptures and eat and have communion and pray.

00:41:01.380 --> 00:41:03.039
 And then the yes has got a bit harder.

00:41:03.160 --> 00:41:06.220
 It's like, yes, let's take in this lady who didn't have a home to stay in.

00:41:06.219 --> 00:41:11.139
 Let's take in these guys who just came out of rehab and prison who had nowhere to go.

00:41:12.319 --> 00:41:14.759
 Let's take in these students who had nowhere to go after class.

00:41:15.419 --> 00:41:17.439
 And so we had this group of five or six of them.

00:41:17.539 --> 00:41:18.980
 And they grew up with 30, 40 people.

00:41:19.099 --> 00:41:20.539
 We're hitting over the COVID restrictions.

00:41:22.039 --> 00:41:23.839
 I don't remember who paid for the meals.

00:41:24.219 --> 00:41:25.319
 Like it didn't matter.

00:41:25.480 --> 00:41:26.259
 We were just gathering.

00:41:26.779 --> 00:41:27.579
 We were just together.

00:41:28.399 --> 00:41:29.139
 But it was hard.

00:41:29.339 --> 00:41:30.279
 It was a hard season.

00:41:30.419 --> 00:41:31.119
 But there was deep joy.

00:41:31.179 --> 00:41:32.759
 There was a lot of conflict with these brothers.

00:41:32.760 --> 00:41:36.140
 Even this week, I was apologizing again for something, asking forgiveness.

00:41:36.320 --> 00:41:38.040
 But we've just grown through that.

00:41:38.120 --> 00:41:40.820
 We continue to grow through conflict.

00:41:40.940 --> 00:41:46.920
 And it was a season where there was just deep generosity of time, generosity of money, and generosity of our lives.

00:41:47.160 --> 00:41:50.760
 And again, it's not that this season was perfect.

00:41:51.120 --> 00:41:52.960
 It was far from it, but it was purposeful.

00:41:52.960 --> 00:41:59.139
 And I think of someone, people, someone told me, we would just walk into our living room at any time.

00:41:59.280 --> 00:42:00.500
 By the way, we didn't lock our living room.

00:42:01.079 --> 00:42:02.300
 John, you remember, you just walk in.

00:42:03.079 --> 00:42:03.599
 It's open.

00:42:04.039 --> 00:42:08.199
 And honestly, if you wanted to break into our house, the first person you'll meet is Gabs.

00:42:08.539 --> 00:42:09.340
 So good luck.

00:42:10.019 --> 00:42:11.059
 It was always open.

00:42:11.300 --> 00:42:13.300
 We'd lock our doors and our bedrooms.

00:42:14.099 --> 00:42:16.260
 But we just don't know who was in our living room when we wake up.

00:42:16.260 --> 00:42:28.500
 And I remember people walking in and they look up on a Thursday and there's barristers, there's actresses, there's people who were at homes, there's addicts and former inmates sitting together, breaking bread equal.

00:42:29.200 --> 00:42:30.900
 No one, there was no difference.

00:42:31.000 --> 00:42:32.880
 It was just so all things in common.

00:42:32.980 --> 00:42:33.980
 It was so united.

00:42:34.800 --> 00:42:42.000
 And I think they came from this posture of awe, of what God has given us, this posture of gratitude.

00:42:42.580 --> 00:42:45.180
 That even in COVID, we have this joy because we're together.

00:42:45.179 --> 00:42:46.419
 We have family.

00:42:46.940 --> 00:42:48.619
 And one thing that worries me is COVID's gone.

00:42:48.960 --> 00:42:49.679
 We can travel again.

00:42:49.739 --> 00:42:50.639
 There's no more quarantine.

00:42:51.159 --> 00:42:55.419
 I fear, one of my worries is that we can easily go back to becoming a dabbling church.

00:42:56.679 --> 00:43:05.259
 When we couldn't fly, we couldn't go anywhere, we just naturally looked for community because we realized COVID revealed that I go to church on a Sunday, but I don't have a community.

00:43:06.059 --> 00:43:06.719
 I'm alone.

00:43:06.879 --> 00:43:08.659
 There's a lot of spiritual orphans in the cities.

00:43:08.759 --> 00:43:13.419
 There's a lot of people who don't have family, real family, where they can share about anything to each other.

00:43:13.420 --> 00:43:17.139
 And I worry that as we get busier, we will lose that.

00:43:17.240 --> 00:43:19.360
 And so I encourage you, let us be a devoted church.

00:43:19.460 --> 00:43:21.599
 Let us not be a dabbling church.

00:43:22.200 --> 00:43:26.180
 Joy amidst all the circumstances, amidst all the challenges.

00:43:26.179 --> 00:43:38.699
 And finally, I think of this picture of charcoal as we, the three of us got together and started, how do we share this message and remind that we're part of something bigger than ourselves, that we have fire in us.

00:43:38.819 --> 00:43:39.899
 James talked about a few weeks ago.

00:43:39.960 --> 00:43:41.919
 We have the burning bush in our hearts.

00:43:42.579 --> 00:43:45.440
 The fire of God, the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is within us.

00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:48.519
 Some of us might feel like a charcoal.

00:43:48.720 --> 00:43:52.019
 And charcoal, when you're left alone, it slowly fizzles out, even if you're warm for a little bit.

00:43:53.039 --> 00:44:05.119
 But what if we could just come together with the little fires that we have in our hearts and set up this beautiful bonfire that lights up the city, that lights up our neighborhood and our communities?

00:44:05.960 --> 00:44:07.700
 We're living in a world that is cold.

00:44:07.860 --> 00:44:08.460
 It's dark.

00:44:08.900 --> 00:44:10.740
 People are drawn and looking for warmth.

00:44:10.840 --> 00:44:11.860
 They're looking for purpose.

00:44:11.860 --> 00:44:27.140
 If we know the fire that we have and we allow it to live out horizontally, I pray that we can actually start changing our communities in a good way, like a wildfire, spread as people come and join.

00:44:28.420 --> 00:44:28.920
 Sound good?

00:44:29.740 --> 00:44:32.059
 As the church, we pray that we can stay devoted.

00:44:32.180 --> 00:44:32.660
 We can pray.

00:44:32.820 --> 00:44:35.079
 We can stay committed and on fire.

00:44:35.900 --> 00:44:36.500
 Let us pray.

00:44:37.840 --> 00:44:38.880
 Father, we thank you.

00:44:38.880 --> 00:44:42.519
 We thank you that the church was added 3,000 by their number that day.

00:44:44.180 --> 00:44:47.460
 And Lord, 3,000 just sounds like a number, but Lord, you know them each by name.

00:44:48.760 --> 00:44:50.660
 You know each and every one of the stories.

00:44:50.800 --> 00:44:56.240
 And you know each and every one that has been added since then to the people in this room.

00:44:58.420 --> 00:45:01.539
 Lord, I might not know every single name in this room, but you do.

00:45:04.240 --> 00:45:07.039
 I won't know every single need in this room, but you do.

00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:10.039
 But I pray that it doesn't stay just with you.

00:45:10.119 --> 00:45:29.320
 I pray that there will be other people in this room who will know each other's names, who will then know each other's needs, who will be able to share life together, recognizing that all we have is yours, recognizing that everything that happens on the inside with you vertically will then be transformed horizontally to the people around us.

00:45:30.860 --> 00:45:32.759
 So Lord, help us to be devoted to you.

00:45:33.420 --> 00:45:34.380
 Lord, we need your help.

00:45:34.940 --> 00:45:35.900
 In Jesus' name we pray.

00:45:35.900 --> 00:45:36.700
 Amen.

00:45:39.099 --> 00:45:40.260
 Thank you, Joe.

00:45:40.700 --> 00:45:41.880
 Thank you, Josh.

00:45:42.019 --> 00:45:43.119
 And thank you, Gabs.

00:45:44.680 --> 00:45:46.039
 Do you believe that?

00:45:47.000 --> 00:45:53.500
 That we're stood or sat here today off the back of other people's devotion.

00:45:55.960 --> 00:45:59.500
 People who devoted themselves to the Lord.

00:46:02.780 --> 00:46:04.480
 What do we do?

00:46:04.480 --> 00:46:04.480


00:46:05.900 --> 00:46:11.200
 We're not here gathering in Hong Kong as English-speaking Chinese.

00:46:11.320 --> 00:46:19.980
 We're not for the fact that they were a group of people time after time after time, year after year after year, generation after generation, devoting themselves to passing this on.

00:46:20.059 --> 00:46:22.119
 Do you recognize how sacred that is?

00:46:22.119 --> 00:46:25.539
 Why we're here?

00:46:25.539 --> 00:46:28.139
 The question is what now?

00:46:28.539 --> 00:46:43.659
 Those people were devoted because they were filled with the Spirit, exposed to the gospel, cut to the heart because of the good news of Jesus Christ in response to the bad news that is them, that is us.

00:46:43.659 --> 00:46:47.420
 And then they were just filled with reverence and all that.

00:46:47.420 --> 00:46:47.920
 What?

00:46:47.920 --> 00:46:48.079
 What?

00:46:48.199 --> 00:46:48.599
 Me?

00:46:48.859 --> 00:46:49.980
 That you died for me?

00:46:50.059 --> 00:46:51.460
 You saved me?

00:46:51.460 --> 00:46:57.559
 Everything I have can now be yours, Lord.

00:46:59.220 --> 00:47:00.880
 It wasn't, oh, but I've still given.

00:47:01.519 --> 00:47:02.220
 I'm still giving.

00:47:02.440 --> 00:47:03.579
 I'm still doing the tithe.

00:47:03.820 --> 00:47:05.480
 If you round up, it's 10%.

00:47:05.480 --> 00:47:08.380
 It's not what we're giving.

00:47:08.539 --> 00:47:09.960
 It's what we're still holding back.

00:47:09.960 --> 00:47:12.220
 And then they just say, just take it all.

00:47:12.320 --> 00:47:12.820
 It's for everyone.

00:47:13.320 --> 00:47:15.960
 When the Holy Spirit comes down vertically, it spreads horizontally.

00:47:16.340 --> 00:47:17.639
 And they are just filled with gladness.

00:47:17.699 --> 00:47:20.900
 And the people outside look and go, what is going on with this group of people?

00:47:22.980 --> 00:47:24.000
 What is going on?

00:47:25.539 --> 00:47:30.980
 And I could think of no better men than the three of them to share that because they've been on that journey.

00:47:31.059 --> 00:47:31.800
 They shared with me yesterday.

00:47:31.900 --> 00:47:35.420
 They were like, I'm just so passionate about what I'm about to share.

00:47:35.420 --> 00:47:40.260
 Oh, that's the commitment that we live out what we preach.

00:47:40.480 --> 00:47:42.099
 In fact, we live it out better than we preach.

00:47:45.019 --> 00:47:49.180
 And there's one final thing that the people did, and that is communion.

00:47:50.159 --> 00:47:54.340
 Imagine we're sat here with no threat to ourselves, with a lot of comfort.

00:47:54.860 --> 00:47:58.599
 But the people that started this, they would go into a room.

00:48:00.599 --> 00:48:02.340
 Maybe their family members wouldn't even know.

00:48:03.420 --> 00:48:04.960
 The Roman authorities wouldn't know.

00:48:05.420 --> 00:48:06.440
 The Jewish leaders wouldn't know.

00:48:06.519 --> 00:48:08.960
 And they would sit and they would say, we must do this.

00:48:08.980 --> 00:48:12.860
 And what must they do as much as they can in remembrance of him?

00:48:13.720 --> 00:48:14.139
 Break bread.

00:48:16.500 --> 00:48:18.860
 And the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11 says this.

00:48:18.920 --> 00:48:21.320
 He says, what I received, I now deliver to you.

00:48:21.579 --> 00:48:23.659
 What I got, I now pass on to you.

00:48:24.820 --> 00:48:27.320
 Which is the day that the Lord Jesus was betrayed.

00:48:28.220 --> 00:48:29.019
 He took bread.

00:48:31.320 --> 00:48:32.820
 And so that's what we're going to do today.

00:48:32.820 --> 00:48:36.900
 We're going to pass the bread round first, guys.

00:48:45.539 --> 00:48:49.480
 For 1,500 years, this was the form, the central part of worship.

00:48:49.900 --> 00:48:54.519
 And so we gather with that rich history and heritage in mind.

00:48:54.519 --> 00:48:59.699
 That people would gather around a table and take communion together.

00:49:01.659 --> 00:49:05.619
 So as the bread gets passed, we might as well pass the wine as well.

00:49:05.619 --> 00:49:09.279
 We can hold one thing in each hand.

00:49:14.659 --> 00:49:21.299
 Let us spend this time now and really ask the Lord, what kind of gathering do we think we are attending here?

00:49:21.900 --> 00:49:24.119
 And what part of the gathering are we?

00:49:24.119 --> 00:49:30.019
 And I'm not even really talking about the name of this church.

00:49:30.059 --> 00:49:32.880
 I'm just talking about just the church since the beginning.

00:49:33.759 --> 00:49:35.059
 What role must I play?

00:49:35.139 --> 00:49:37.759
 What did I receive and what must I pass on?

00:49:37.920 --> 00:49:37.920


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00:49:37.920 --> 00:50:07.900
 Thank you.

00:50:07.920 --> 00:50:37.900
 Thank you.

00:50:37.920 --> 00:50:39.920
 Thank you.

00:50:40.920 --> 00:50:44.800
 And to bridge the gap that we couldn't bridge ourselves.

00:50:47.059 --> 00:50:48.780
 The gap to being with you, Lord.

00:50:48.780 --> 00:50:57.240
 So we thank you, Lord, that this bread is a symbol of your sacrifice for us, Lord.

00:50:57.239 --> 00:51:05.139
 Of everything you've done and the fact that it both changed history but also changes our future.

00:51:05.139 --> 00:51:18.199
 So, Father, even in this moment, would we see this element in our hand as just your true sacrifice for us, Lord, and be reminded of how it changes.

00:51:18.199 --> 00:51:27.419
 Even from this point, what we decide to do next, the conversations we decide to have, the places we decide to go, the way we think, Lord.

00:51:27.420 --> 00:51:31.619
 May this element remind us everything you've done for us, Lord.

00:51:33.599 --> 00:51:34.900
 So we thank you for this element.

00:51:35.119 --> 00:51:36.539
 We thank you for your body broken for us.

00:51:36.940 --> 00:51:37.820
 And we take it in your name.

00:51:38.340 --> 00:51:38.480
 Amen.

00:51:38.639 --> 00:51:40.920
 Let's take the bread.

00:51:41.320 --> 00:51:42.079
 Amen.

00:51:42.079 --> 00:52:05.039
 And as we take this cup, Lord, we just remember the blood that you poured for us,

00:52:05.659 --> 00:52:07.440
 that you've made us white as snow.

00:52:07.440 --> 00:52:12.780
 And Lord, may it represent just the awe in our hearts of what you did for us,

00:52:13.179 --> 00:52:16.099
 the wonderful grace that you've given us.

00:52:17.280 --> 00:52:21.280
 And so, Lord, we take this cup in remembrance that you have made us clean,

00:52:22.139 --> 00:52:24.840
 that you have provided us a way to eternity.

00:52:25.639 --> 00:52:26.840
 So, Lord, we thank you.

00:52:27.880 --> 00:52:29.000
 And may we take this cup together.

00:52:37.440 --> 00:52:50.340
 I said last week, let's not pursue mission and doing good things,

00:52:50.420 --> 00:52:52.480
 and even community out the goodness of our own hearts.

00:52:53.079 --> 00:52:54.400
 That is not why we do it.

00:52:54.659 --> 00:52:55.960
 That's not why you commit to a church.

00:52:56.039 --> 00:52:57.400
 That's not why you do a live group.

00:52:57.760 --> 00:52:59.079
 It's not because you are good.

00:52:59.320 --> 00:53:00.480
 That's the point.

00:53:00.820 --> 00:53:02.880
 There is no good in our hearts.

00:53:02.880 --> 00:53:08.180
 Let us come, as Josh said, with the gratitude, with the gladness in our hearts.

00:53:08.280 --> 00:53:13.220
 And so, we finish now by pointing to, to singing to, to worshiping the only one who is good,

00:53:13.280 --> 00:53:16.920
 the only one who is holy, the one who will be holy forever.

00:53:17.019 --> 00:53:20.059
 Can I invite you to stand as we respond in song?

00:53:26.000 --> 00:53:27.700
 Yes, Lord, you will always be holy.

00:53:28.320 --> 00:53:29.760
 Lord, you are the reason we are here.

00:53:29.820 --> 00:53:31.720
 You are the reason we said everything that we said today.

00:53:31.719 --> 00:53:34.259
 So, I pray there's only one name to be lifted up.

00:53:34.319 --> 00:53:36.119
 There's only one name to be glorified today.

00:53:36.579 --> 00:53:37.299
 It's you, Jesus.

00:53:37.699 --> 00:53:41.939
 So, we lift your name up high, because that's when we feel the most freedom,

00:53:42.359 --> 00:53:45.779
 the most joy, the most gratitude, and the most awe.

00:53:46.099 --> 00:53:46.959
 In Jesus' name we pray.

00:53:47.279 --> 00:53:47.599
 Amen.