WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.000 This thing is growing. 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.000 There's people who are coming in. 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:06.000 We can just switch this off. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:08.000 Thank you, Eunice. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:10.000 There's people that are coming in. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:12.000 People are hearing about this. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:14.000 It's getting a bit crowded. 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:18.000 In fact, people are coming from all different places to come and gather in this place. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:20.000 They're coming with different experiences. 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:22.000 They're coming with completely different backgrounds. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:24.000 They're coming with different theology, 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:28.000 different preferences to the way they even go about faith. 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:33.000 And the problem is as people come in, they come in with their different theologies. 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:40.000 And some of the things that they are starting to teach is starting to compromise a gathering, 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:42.000 compromise the people that are there. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:44.000 They're starting to believe in different things. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:47.000 They're letting the world seep in to the church. 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:52.000 And even though the reputation is growing, there are problems that are growing as well. 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:54.000 What am I talking about? 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:56.000 Of course, I'm talking about the early church. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:57.000 I'm talking about the early church. 00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:02.000 I'm talking about the letter that John writes to in his old age. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:05.000 He's hearing about a church and he's saying, look, you guys are growing. 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:07.000 You guys have people coming. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:10.000 You have friends coming and you have friends inviting their friends who are coming. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:13.000 And you have friends who are inviting their friends who are inviting their friends. 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:16.000 You have second, third, fourth, fifth generation Christians now. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:22.000 But I got to tell you guys, John says, hey, I was with Jesus. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:25.000 I was actually rubbing shoulders of my walk to them. 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:29.000 I knew him and I wish I only wish you would know him too. 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:32.000 And if you did, my joy would be complete. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:36.000 And so then he says, that's my, that's what Gabriel talked about two weeks ago. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:38.000 John just saying, I wish you would know him. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:40.000 And not just know about him. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:43.000 Not just hear from your friends of your friends about this Jesus guy. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:45.000 I wish you would just know him. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:51.000 And then he goes into what we did last week was he starts to tell people about Jesus, about God. 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:52.000 He says, God is light. 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:54.000 And in him, there is no darkness at all. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.000 And if you say you have fellowship with him whilst you walk in darkness, then you're actually lying. 00:01:57.000 --> 00:01:59.000 And then you're not practicing the truth. 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:03.000 And you actually make God out to be a liar because the truth is we are all sinners. 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:04.000 God is light. 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:05.000 And in him, there's no darkness at all. 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:06.000 He is completely pure. 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:08.000 We have compromised him. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:11.000 The people here have compromised him. 00:02:11.000 --> 00:02:12.000 And John's saying, confess. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:15.000 And that's where we landed last week. 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:21.000 And we've lost the art of confession within the church, which is saying, actually, God, I'm far worse than I realized. 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:23.000 That's what Keller said about the gospel, right? 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:27.000 I'm far worse than I realized, but I am far more loved than I ever dared dream. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:33.000 I talked about pick and choose Christianity that we had, which is we love the God that gives us purpose and meaning. 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:36.000 We love the God that makes us feel warm and fuzzy and loved. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:39.000 But we forget that actually this is a holy God. 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:43.000 We can't approach this God without something needing to happen. 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:44.000 And that is confession. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:51.000 And if we confess, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins as cleansers from all unrighteousness. 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:56.000 This pastor, John, then pushes it a bit further into this next chapter here. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:59.000 And he's saying, hey, I tell you the reason why I'm reading this. 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:01.000 And this is where we're going to go from. 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:03.000 And it's one John two. 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:08.000 If you are taking notes, if you are reading your Bible, then I would invite you to get this. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:12.000 And as is custom, we treat this book seriously. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:16.000 We treat, we realize that this book is the one that is perfect for any circumstance in our lives. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:17.000 It gives us life. 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:18.000 It gives us guidance. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:22.000 And so can I invite you to stand for the word of the Lord? 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:27.000 Father, we thank you for this word. 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:31.000 Jesus, we thank you that you are the word became flesh and Holy Spirit. 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:36.000 Would you use this to bring encouragement, to bring conviction, to rebuke, to guide us. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:39.000 We give this time to you. 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:41.000 One John chapter two. 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:46.000 My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you may not sin. 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:51.000 But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:57.000 He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 00:03:57.000 --> 00:03:59.000 And by this, we know that we have come to know him. 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:05.000 If we keep his commandments, whoever says I know him, but does not keep his commandments is a liar. 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:11.000 And the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word in him, truly the love of God is perfected. 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:14.000 By this, we may know that we are in him. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:19.000 Whoever says he abides in him or to walk in the same way in which he walked. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:20.000 This is the word of the Lord. 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:21.000 Thank you. 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:22.000 Please take a seat. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.000 So John saying this, my dear children. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:32.000 So he's, he's, he's saying, man, I love you guys so much. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:34.000 I wish you would know him. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:39.000 And I'm writing this, my dear children, my little children, because I love you. 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:40.000 And so that you won't sin. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:43.000 He's saying, Hey, look, we're all sinners. 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:50.000 And I'm writing this to encourage you so that if you say you're with God, if you say, you know, God, can you have a life to show for it? 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:51.000 And can you not sin? 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:53.000 But the problem here is this. 00:04:53.000 --> 00:04:54.000 We all sin. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:55.000 We all sin. 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:56.000 And what is sin? 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:57.000 What did we say sin was? 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:00.000 Sin was simply just us saying, God, I want to go my own way. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:02.000 I want to choose my way. 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:03.000 I don't trust in you. 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:06.000 And I'm just going to do what I think is best. 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:08.000 That's essentially what sin is. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:15.000 And then John, knowing as the pastor, knowing what his people are like, knowing what we're like, he says, look, I'm saying this to you. 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:17.000 So you won't sin. 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:22.000 But the truth is, even if you did sin, then there is a solution. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:23.000 This is what I said last week. 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:30.000 I said, Christianity is the only religion that takes sin very seriously, but also offers a morally satisfactory solution. 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:35.000 Christianity is the only religion that takes sin very seriously, but then offers you a solution. 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:37.000 And that's what he's actually talking about. 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:40.000 And that's what we're going to look through in this next little passage here. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:46.000 Because he's saying, hey, even if you do sin and that there are consequences to sin, there are consequences. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:49.000 Let's say I come up to you and I wouldn't because you're a lot bigger than me. 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:56.000 But if I come up to you and I punch you in the face, providing I can reach, and then I hit you in the face and then I say, sorry. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:57.000 And then I confess. 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:00.000 Now, there is a consequence to me doing this. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:01.000 Okay. 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:04.000 So, so I say sorry, and I repent, but there is a consequence. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:10.000 This is just, well, maybe not me particularly, but he will be bruised and that face will hurt for a while. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.000 And there's the consequence. 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:15.000 So every sin has a, has a short term consequence, but also has a long term one. 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:22.000 And scripture tells us that when we make actions that are basically our own way, it leads us down a path that ultimately leads to death. 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:23.000 Okay. 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:30.000 And so therefore the Bible here is saying, and John is here saying, look, I'm writing these things because I really hope you don't choose your own way. 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:37.000 But even if you do the consequences that will come, especially the long term consequence of the end, where, because if you choose your own way, one way here, 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:41.000 eventually it will lead you to a place where you're not with God and it leads to death. 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:43.000 But we have a solution. 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:44.000 And what is that solution? 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:45.000 And here it is. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:46.000 It starts off with this. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:49.000 But if anyone does sin, this should give you encouragement. 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:51.000 This should give you comfort. 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:55.000 If anyone does sin, we have an advocate. 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:58.000 And the advocate is Jesus Christ, the righteous. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:00.000 We have an advocate with the father. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:06.000 And I was talking to some people who are in the law profession here because who are much smarter than me. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:11.000 And I was like, Hey, tell me more about what it means for someone to be an advocate. 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:15.000 So I asked Julian first and I said, Hey, Julian, what does it mean to be an advocate? 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:20.000 And then I asked Nathan, who has forgiven me and we're talking once again. 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:24.000 So side note, he's not here today because he's running the marathon. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:28.000 I'll tell you the real reason why Nathan's here. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.000 A couple of months ago, he was not part of this gathering yet. 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:32.000 And I'm saying this because he's not here. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:33.000 So it doesn't embarrass him. 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:37.000 He was, um, yeah, I've lost my thought. 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:40.000 Just because now he was telling me why he's coming to the gathering. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:45.000 And he's saying, actually, I feel the Lord calling me to become a leader. 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:48.000 That's actually why he's here. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:51.000 Cause actually he feels as though the Lord is challenging him. 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:57.000 Now, if you know, Nathan, he's a super laid back kind of guy, super easygoing, not the person who wants to be at the front doing anything. 00:07:57.000 --> 00:08:00.000 And yet he was saying, the Lord is calling me to be a leader. 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:03.000 And I know that the gathering needs leaders. 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:07.000 So it seems right to me that I would come and exercise that gifting. 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:08.000 That's that mission statement too. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:10.000 So that's actually why he's here. 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:15.000 And just a side plug, as we continue to grow and we need more midweek groups and we need more things. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:16.000 Cause we're running more things. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:17.000 What do we need? 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:18.000 Leaders. 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:19.000 Leaders. 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:26.000 And if you're sat here going, I wonder what God's challenges for me this year, then be like Nathan, be like Nathan and heed God's call to be leader. 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:27.000 We need leaders. 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:28.000 Okay. 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:29.000 Anyway, that's a small plug. 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:31.000 Nathan, I hope you're hearing, listening to this. 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:33.000 That is, that is me paying back completely now. 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:34.000 Okay. 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:38.000 So I asked Nathan, what does it mean to be an advocate? 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:47.000 And Queenie, I actually asked, I was talking to Abraham and I asked him to, and the word advocate comes from to call to one's aid, to ask for help. 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:54.000 And this advocate, at least in court, for example, is essentially your defense attorney is your legal proxy. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:57.000 The one who stands in your corner, who completely understands you. 00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:06.000 And then completely understands the circumstances that you're in and completely understands what you did and is standing in your corner and is advocating for you. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:11.000 An advocate has their client's best interests at heart. 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:15.000 It is, you can please correct me if I'm wrong, Queenie, in this. 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:21.000 And then this advocate, whatever they're able to attain for you in court becomes yours. 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:23.000 Whatever they're able to attain, it becomes yours. 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:28.000 And can you imagine having Jesus being the one standing in your corner? 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:38.000 Whoever is a sinner here, whoever has made mistakes and you've had to defend yourself, doesn't it give you comfort that Jesus is standing right next to you and is advocating for you? 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:43.000 There's an interesting element to this that actually Tim Keller talks about. 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:53.000 When you imagine Jesus standing next to you, advocating for you, sometimes you have this idea of Jesus standing next to you, going, hey, look, God, this guy is bad. 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:54.000 He's a bad egg. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:55.000 He's done some things. 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:56.000 He's done some things. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:57.000 He's done some things. 00:09:57.000 --> 00:09:58.000 He's not paid. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:00.000 He's not paid his taxes properly. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:01.000 Or he's done this. 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:02.000 He's cut a few corners. 00:10:02.000 --> 00:10:04.000 But let's just let him off. 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:06.000 Let's just let it slide. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:08.000 Let's just forgive him. 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:11.000 You have this image of that's what Jesus is trying to do. 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:14.000 But actually it's not that because it's not Jesus, the merciful. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:17.000 It's not Jesus, the persuasive. 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:20.000 It's Jesus, the righteous. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:21.000 Why is that? 00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:26.000 Last week, the verse was, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and let him remember. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:29.000 Just wait. 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:35.000 If we confess our sins, the first thing that you think of is someone who is gracious, merciful, who's going to forgive you. 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:37.000 But no, it's he's going to forgive you. 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:37.000 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:40.000 Because he's faithful and just. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:46.000 This changes the changed my mind of what Jesus, the advocate was doing as he's standing next to me. 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:48.000 He's not saying, hey, God, this person's with me. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:50.000 I know he's made a mistake. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:54.000 I know James always makes mistakes, but let's just let him off because we're loving and we're gracious. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:55.000 And that's it. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:58.000 No, he's appealing to God because he's the righteous one. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:10:59.000 What's he saying? 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:04.000 He's saying that he's saying, God, according to your law, James deserves death. 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:07.000 I'm here to tell you as his advocate. 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:09.000 That death has been paid. 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:11.000 That price has been paid. 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:13.000 I have died that death. 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:17.000 And therefore I'm appealing to you, not because of your mercy, not because of your grace. 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:19.000 I'm appealing to you through justice. 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:24.000 And that's different because he has a case. 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:26.000 This defense attorney has a real case. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:27.000 It's not just come on. 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:28.000 Let's just let it slide. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:29.000 That isn't that. 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:32.000 Tim Keller says, actually, there's nothing more infallible than justice itself. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:34.000 And that's the thing that should give us comfort. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:39.000 That actually Jesus is advocating for us, not trying to kind of pull wool over the judge's eyes. 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:45.000 He's saying, look, according to your law, the right way is to condemn this person to death. 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:50.000 Yet my case is not on his righteousness, but on mine. 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:52.000 That's what Jesus is saying. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:56.000 That's why we have an advocate who is Jesus Christ, the righteous. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:01.000 You see, any defense attorney, they can have your best interests at heart. 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:05.000 They can do as much as they can to defend you, understand your situation. 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:11.000 But if you lose the all the liability, as you said, goes on to you. 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:16.000 The defense attorney goes home and pours a glass of wine and it carries on with their lives. 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:21.000 Jesus, as the advocate says, this case is on me. 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:24.000 We're going to win this case and it's going to be the right way. 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:29.000 And it's going to be fair because of my righteousness, because of what I did. 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:33.000 That changes the game people, because we might sit here going, well, we're not that bad. 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:37.000 We've not murdered anyone here. We've not done anything too terrible here. 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:39.000 But here. 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:44.000 Well, when we look at some other people, we are actually demanding that kind of justice onto people. 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:45.000 Are we not? 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:51.000 When we look at the people who have done really bad, we're the ones who are crying out for justice for these things. 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:56.000 And sometimes we don't even turn that onto ourselves because we're not doing the serious ones per se. 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:01.000 I watch a film when we were flying to California. We had lots of time, 16 hours. 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:07.000 I watched the equalizer one, the equalizer two and the equalizer three. 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:09.000 Has anyone watched the equalizer? 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:13.000 Well, if you've watched any Denzel Washington movie, it's basically the same. 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:15.000 He does the same thing. 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:17.000 There are some really bad guys. 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:20.000 And even as a follower of Christ, who should be about grace and mercy, I'm like, kill that. 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:22.000 Kill those people. 00:13:22.000 --> 00:13:23.000 Demanding justice. 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:27.000 And of course, Denzel Washington kills all of them. 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:28.000 It doesn't matter. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:31.000 And then you feel, ah, I'm at ease now. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:36.000 There's something inside us where we just want justice. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:38.000 We just want justice. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:49.000 So therefore, if we spin it back onto us, shouldn't it bring you comfort that our advocate, our defense attorney is actually appealing on behalf of us for justice as well. 00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:53.000 God, I've paid the price for my client here. 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:58.000 So therefore, according to your law, he must go free. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:13:59.000 What is that? 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:00.000 What is that? 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:05.000 That is the term in verse two, propitiation. 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:06.000 Propitiation. 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:07.000 It's a long word. 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:09.000 And if you're like me, you're just skimming those passages. 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:14.000 We're kind of just like, oh, Jesus Christ is the advocate of the Father from the Father and the propitiation for our sins. 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:19.000 And you just completely just skim over it because it's just, it's hard to understand. 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:21.000 But the truth is actually, it's very simple. 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:28.000 The propitiation for our sins simply means actually the propitiation means to satisfy or to appease the wrath of God against sin. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.000 That's what propitiation is. 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:33.000 It's saying, hey, this person deserves death. 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:36.000 And we, because of justice, this person needs to die. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:37.000 There needs to be a death. 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:40.000 And so therefore I'm going to be the one who dies. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.000 That's what Jesus says here. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:45.000 Who's heard of that word propitiation? 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:48.000 Put your hand up if you're brave. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:49.000 There we go. 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:51.000 A couple of brave people. 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:54.000 J.I. Packer has this question for every Christian in the world. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:58.000 He says, does your Christianity have space for propitiation? 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:02.000 Does your Christianity have space for it? 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:04.000 Because we like the purpose. 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:05.000 We love the meaning. 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:06.000 We love the comfort. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:08.000 We love the encouragement. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:11.000 But does your faith have space for propitiation? 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:14.000 Which is, hey, you acknowledge that you have a debt. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:18.000 And then you acknowledge that someone paid your debt. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:24.000 If you're sitting being a Christian, you want to, I don't know if I have the life and the joy that I see other people having. 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:27.000 Maybe the next question is actually, do I truly understand propitiation? 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:30.000 Because imagine if you owed someone a million dollars. 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:33.000 And so I owed Josh Shum a million dollars, let's say. 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:37.000 And then someone comes in and pays him all that money. 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:39.000 And then lets me off the hook completely. 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:42.000 Who's my favorite person in the world right now? 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:45.000 The person who pays Josh Shum. 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:47.000 That's essentially what Jesus did. 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:52.000 If we don't have a theology of propitiation, then maybe that's why we don't have the gratitude and the joy. 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:57.000 And we're still trying to figure our lives out because we don't truly understand the fact that we were in debt. 00:15:57.000 --> 00:15:58.000 That we deserve death. 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:00.000 And yet someone died that death. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:09.000 J.I. Packer was also the one who was asked, hey, if you were to sum up the New Testament, the whole New Testament from Matthew to Revelation in three words, what would it be? 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.000 I want to turn this on you just for a second. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:12.000 Turn to the person next to you. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:16.000 And again, if you don't really know the Bible, then you can say, well, my three words would be, I don't know. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:17.000 And that's fine. 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:26.000 Those of you who read the Bible for a little bit longer, if I want us to reflect on this, if we were to think about what is the New Testament talking about? 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:29.000 What would be three words that would sum up the whole book for you? 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:33.000 Okay, three words to describe what it would be for you. 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:34.000 What would it be? 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:36.000 Because there's no real right answer here necessarily. 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:38.000 But can we have a go at that? 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:39.000 Because I think it's important. 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:40.000 Have a go. 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:41.000 Let's go. 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:42.000 60 seconds. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:43.000 Do it. 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:44.000 Right. 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:45.000 Okay. 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:48.000 Let's gather some answers. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:50.000 Tony, Queenie and Gracie. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:52.000 That's a powerhouse trio right there. 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:54.000 Queenie, three words. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.000 How would you describe it? 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:58.000 Grace, forgiveness, and forgiveness. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:00.000 Grace, forgiveness, and resurrection. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:01.000 That's great. 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:02.000 Grace, forgiveness, and resurrection. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:05.000 Mel's looking at Paul and going, why didn't you think of that? 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:08.000 Mel, what did Paul come up with? 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:09.000 Propitiation. 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:15.000 Propitiation times three. 00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:17.000 That's it. 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:19.000 Oh, my goodness. 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:20.000 Stick to cricket. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:21.000 Stick to cricket. 00:17:21.000 --> 00:17:22.000 All right. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:23.000 We're going to go for one more. 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:24.000 Further. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:26.000 Oh, everyone's avoiding eye contact. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:27.000 That's the best way. 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:28.000 That is the best way. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:29.000 Kara. 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:30.000 Can I give it a go? 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:31.000 Kara. 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:32.000 What's yours? 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:33.000 I love you. 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:34.000 That is so nice. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:35.000 That is so good. 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:36.000 That is so good. 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:37.000 I love you. 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:38.000 Okay. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:48.000 J.I. Packer, the one who asked, does your Christianity have space for propitiation? 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:53.000 His one is adoption through propitiation. 00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:58.000 If you think about the faith, if you think about what the whole New Testament is trying 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:02.000 to say, and of course, summed up probably in one chapter, which is Romans 8. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:05.000 It's, hey, you were orphans. 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:10.000 You have no father, but you've been adopted in through propitiation. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:17.000 That because Christ died for you and took on what you deserve, you now have what he has, which is life. 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:18.000 And you are now co-heirs. 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:21.000 You are now children of God. 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:24.000 Adoption through propitiation. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:25.000 That's cool, right? 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:26.000 That's cool. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:29.000 I hope that helps us understand what the gospel truly is. 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:31.000 But then the passage carries on. 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:37.000 He says propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:41.000 And this is Nathan's reflection because he, and I've got his permission to share this story. 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:45.000 He was in criminal court one time and he was waiting for his case. 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:48.000 And in the courtroom was chaos and mess. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:50.000 There were criminals everywhere. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:51.000 This is the story he shared with you, right? 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:53.000 And there's criminals everywhere. 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:58.000 And there's one guy who's been caught for shoplifting for the 11th time. 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:00.000 There's another who's been gambling. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:05.000 There's another who was charged for sexual assault the third time. 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:07.000 Drugs, violence. 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:10.000 And he was sat in that courtroom and he was just so down. 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:16.000 And you would be because you're just surrounded by just the depravity of man in the world. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:21.000 We don't often see it that much, or at least it's everywhere, but it's just hidden. 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:25.000 And sometimes we just choose not to look at it and we choose not to see it. 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:31.000 But Nathan, for him, he was sat in that courtroom and he was looking and he saw all these people in his heart just sunk. 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:37.000 But then it reminded him of something in this passage that Jesus Christ is our advocate to the father. 00:19:37.000 --> 00:19:43.000 Jesus Christ, the righteous one, but not just for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world. 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:49.000 Does your Christianity have a space for other people other than you? 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:52.000 Because we can go, Jesus, thank you. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:53.000 You love me. 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:54.000 Thank you. 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:55.000 I'm part of the family. 00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:59.000 Thank you that I'm a child of God now that you've forgiven my sins. 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:00.000 And we can stay there. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:02.000 And if we're honest, often we stay there. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:04.000 That God, you love me. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:05.000 And I'm so grateful. 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:15.000 But when you realize when you're faced with the darkness that surrounds us in this world, and you look at the people who need in your eyes, need saving the most without remembering that actually you're one of those people. 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:25.000 You realize that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, not just for us, but for the whole world that changes the way you see the faith that changes the way you live in the way you walk. 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:27.000 It has to, you have no choice to. 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:28.000 That's why we gather. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:33.000 And then we must scatter because there are people out there who are hurting, who are in darkness, who don't know. 00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:35.000 And actually Jesus died for them too. 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:38.000 That Jesus is standing in their corner as their advocate. 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:43.000 And Jesus is appealing to God, the father on the account of justice. 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:46.000 And he died for them. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:53.000 And that's why John the Baptist says, behold, look, see the lamb who takes away the sins of the world. 00:20:53.000 --> 00:20:55.000 So it depends what the challenge is for you. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:21:01.000 If you actually are still struggling to wrestle and understand what it means for Jesus to have died for you, then dwell on that. 00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:04.000 What does it mean to be adopted through propitiation? 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:11.000 I know there's a harder words to understand sometimes, but if you have that, if you're okay with that, then the next challenge is this. 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:14.000 Do you appreciate that it is for the whole world? 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:21.000 And does your eyes allow you to see the darkness that surrounds and let your heart be broken for those things? 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:23.000 Sins of the whole world. 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:26.000 The question then is what now? 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:27.000 So I had two points to this. 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:31.000 This was the first part that we understand what Jesus being the advocate means. 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:32.000 Jesus understood. 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:34.000 We understand what Jesus being the propitiation for our sins means. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:37.000 The question really is then this, fine. 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:38.000 What now? 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:40.000 What now? 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:43.000 How does it impact my life right now? 00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:45.000 And that's where the passage continues. 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:57.000 If you look with me to verse three, he says, and by this, we know that if we, that we have come to know him, if we obey his commandments, if we obey his commandments, what he's saying here is this. 00:21:57.000 --> 00:21:58.000 I want you to know Jesus. 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:01.000 I want you to know God and the joy that comes with that. 00:22:01.000 --> 00:22:02.000 And God is light. 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:05.000 And in him is no darkness at all, that he is faithful and just. 00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:06.000 He is an advocate. 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:08.000 He is the righteous one. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:12.000 Even in those short verses, he's described a lot about God. 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:17.000 And then he says this, if you truly know him, you would keep his commandments. 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:27.000 Actually, this is Henry Blackaby is the one who said, if we knew who God is and how much he loves us, we'd have no problems obeying his commands. 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:30.000 Can we just dwell on that? 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:32.000 That actually, God is light. 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:33.000 God is faithful and just. 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:36.000 He is advocating and standing in your corner. 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:40.000 It would make no sense for us to not listen to what he has to say. 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:41.000 And this is what John is saying here. 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:44.000 If you truly know him, you would keep his commandments. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:48.000 And this is the issue of obedience. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:49.000 This is interesting. 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:53.000 And this is what separates Christianity from the rest of the religions. 00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:55.000 Every religion says this. 00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:59.000 If you obey, you will be saved. 00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:01.000 If you obey, you will be saved. 00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:04.000 Obedience leads to intimacy. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:07.000 But Christianity flips it around and says, you are saved. 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:09.000 Therefore, you obey. 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:10.000 You are saved. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:11.000 Therefore, you obey. 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:14.000 Intimacy with God leads to obedience. 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.000 Not the other way around. 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:23.000 Even as I say that word obey, I think it triggers something inside a lot of us. 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:25.000 That word obey. 00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:28.000 Maybe we've grown up asking questions as a kid. 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:29.000 Why do I have to do that? 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:33.000 And then your parent or your teacher or your pastor just says, oh, you don't have to understand. 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:35.000 Just obey. 00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:39.000 And so therefore, what happens is we reduce Christianity just to simply a set of rules. 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:41.000 And often those rules are what? 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:42.000 Don't do this. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:43.000 Don't do that. 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:44.000 Don't do this. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:45.000 Don't say that. 00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:46.000 Don't look at that. 00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:49.000 And then we think Christianity is just that. 00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:50.000 But that is a religion. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:59.000 Christianity is a relationship where if you are intimate with God, when you know him, you can't help but obey because you know he is always right. 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:04.000 Soren Kierkegaard is the one who said, actually, the root of the gospel's rejection is what? 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:06.000 The dislike of obedience. 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:15.000 If you go all the way back, all the way back to Eve, the root of the gospel's rejection is what Eve did when she disobeyed. 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:19.000 It's a rebellion against authority. 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:21.000 And I want to challenge you today. 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:29.000 If you have that word obey and it gives you certain connotations about the faith, I want you to see if you can rejig it because it's a different kind of obedience that we're talking about here. 00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:37.000 Verse five says this, but whoever keeps his word in him, truly the love of God is perfected. 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:44.000 If he knows God, then the love of God and keeps his word, the love of God is perfected. 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:48.000 This tells me that obedience is not out of duty. 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:53.000 St. Augustine was the one who said wicked men obey from fear. 00:24:53.000 --> 00:24:55.000 Good men obey from love. 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:58.000 Wicked men obey from fear. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:09.000 If you think about all the tyrants or all the authorities that you've not trusted or been burnt over the years, often we obey out of the sense of fear because of the consequences if we don't obey. 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:13.000 Wicked men obey from fear, but good men obey from love. 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:18.000 If we keep his word in him, truly the love of God is perfected. 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:23.000 Obedience starts from love and then is perfected through the love. 00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:27.000 The question for us is as we obey, do we appreciate that? 00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:31.000 When we know him and when we're walking in the light, there should be two things that happen. 00:25:31.000 --> 00:25:33.000 One, it should affect our behavior, our moral actions. 00:25:33.000 --> 00:25:36.000 And two, those moral actions should be filled with love. 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:39.000 When someone looks at the way you live, do they sense that kind of love? 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:41.000 That's what it's about. 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:46.000 But often we don't see those two words together, obedience and love, do we? 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:48.000 We see obedience and duty. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:49.000 We see obedience and consequence. 00:25:49.000 --> 00:25:51.000 We see obedience and fear. 00:25:51.000 --> 00:26:01.000 But when we obey out of an intimacy with God and knowing him, what's perfected is love. 00:26:01.000 --> 00:26:02.000 That's interesting to me. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:05.000 I don't know if it's interesting to you. 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:07.000 And finally, it says this. 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:14.000 Whoever, verse six, whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:21.000 If you're walking in the light, then you will obey his commands and it will be out of love. 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:22.000 And it's walking. 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:23.000 It's walking. 00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:24.000 It's dynamic. 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:25.000 It isn't static. 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:28.000 There are some of us here who've said, God, you're real and I'm going to follow you. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:31.000 And it's a one second decision. 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:35.000 And then the rest of my life doesn't really change at all. 00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:37.000 But that really isn't the Christian faith. 00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:39.000 The Christian faith is one of walking. 00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:40.000 It's dynamic. 00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:41.000 It's continuous. 00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:43.000 It isn't just one decision. 00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:47.000 It's an everyday decision to choose and say, I'm going to walk in the light. 00:26:47.000 --> 00:26:49.000 Like last week, I said, there's ifs everywhere. 00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:53.000 If we confess, if we follow, it's all down to you. 00:26:53.000 --> 00:26:56.000 And it's all down to me as to whether I'm choosing to follow. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:01.000 If, if there is a choice, it is dynamic. 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:02.000 But here's the problem. 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:07.000 That comes at a cost because he says, walk as Jesus walked. 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:10.000 Where did Jesus' walk lead him to in the end, Ellen? 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:12.000 Like, how would you describe it? 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:14.000 He says, walk as Jesus walked. 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:15.000 Where does that lead him to? 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:16.000 Calvary. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:21.000 Bearing death and pain and sorrow. 00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:24.000 Of course, ultimately the life that follows as well. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:27.000 When we commit to walking, there is a cost. 00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:31.000 The question I have for all of us always is, does your faith cost you? 00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:33.000 Does your faith cost you anything? 00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:36.000 As you made that decision at the beginning to follow Christ, 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:39.000 has it changed the way you walk at all? 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:42.000 Those people at the beginning, they weren't called Christians. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:44.000 It was called the way. 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:44.000 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:47.000 Because they were following the way of Jesus. 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:49.000 Therefore, it doesn't, it was only until 100 AD, 00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:55.000 when Ignatius actually recorded down and described them as Christians, as a label. 00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:59.000 But really it was just, oh, are you following the way of Jesus? 00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:04.000 Actually, then it makes even more sense or how more ridiculous it is when people said they were following the way of Jesus, 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:07.000 yet they really were really going their own way. 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:11.000 Because when we actually understand who God is, we can't help but follow his way. 00:28:11.000 --> 00:28:14.000 But we also have to acknowledge that way comes at a cost. 00:28:14.000 --> 00:28:16.000 It must cost you something. 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:18.000 Something must change. 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:21.000 Does it change for you? 00:28:21.000 --> 00:28:24.000 Let's remove the 90 minutes that you're going to spend on a Sunday morning here. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:26.000 Does the rest of your life look any different? 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:28.000 What is obedience? 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:30.000 Obedience is basically surrendering your own will. 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:35.000 It's saying, hey, I'm going to, this is what I want to do, but I'm going to submit to you and I'm going to follow you. 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:37.000 Is there any of that? 00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:41.000 Have you rearranged any of your life around this way that you said that you follow? 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:47.000 For those of us who are playing in the basketball game today who haven't been in shape for many, many years, 00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:51.000 I've decided that changed the way that I live this week. 00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:56.000 So every evening I drag myself down to the court and I'll run like a crazy man and try to, 00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:59.000 because I don't want to, you know, die this afternoon. 00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:02.000 But it changed my way. 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:03.000 It changed my way. 00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:08.000 And of course, you know that we have baby MJ coming in two months time. 00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:10.000 Actually, that's the real name that we have. 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:13.000 Baby MJ is on his way. 00:29:13.000 --> 00:29:15.000 And we have two rooms in our house. 00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:18.000 So we're trying to, and of course we're going to be outnumbered now. 00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:21.000 So we're trying to figure out what to do. 00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:26.000 So we're looking at our room going, how can we change the furniture around? 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:29.000 Or maybe I just have to move out. 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:42.000 But how do we, how do we change the furniture around to accommodate this new selfish sinning being that is going to come and demand everything from our lives? 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:46.000 It's funny because it will change. 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:48.000 The furniture will have to move. 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:50.000 But it's funny, isn't it? 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:54.000 Because some of us invite Jesus into our lives and yet our houses look exactly the same. 00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:57.000 But actually our lives just look exactly the same. 00:29:57.000 --> 00:29:58.000 Jesus come along. 00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:06.000 And then it's just completely, that's the hypocrisy that the people outside, you said that you have invited Jesus into your house. 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:08.000 Yet you have done nothing to accommodate him. 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:09.000 You have not followed him at all. 00:30:09.000 --> 00:30:12.000 There is no obedience in your life for me to look at, to watch. 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:15.000 There's no point following you because you're not following him. 00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:18.000 I might as well continue going my own way. 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:26.000 Did you, have you moved any of your furniture around when you committed to following the way of Jesus? 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:29.000 If you truly knew him, then you would. 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:33.000 That's actually all that John is saying right here. 00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:35.000 So the conclusion here is this. 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:44.000 As we look at our lives, as we truly understand Jesus is the advocate, the righteous one who's appealing to God for justice. 00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:46.000 He's saying, obey. 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:49.000 Not out of duty, not out of fear. 00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:51.000 Obey out of love. 00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:54.000 And would you change your furniture around? 00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:59.000 Would you, would you move your life around so you would follow in his way? 00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:09.000 Francis Chan was the one who said this, that if your life makes sense to everyone else around you, then that's a problem. 00:31:09.000 --> 00:31:16.000 Think about your colleagues or your classmates or your friends or people who don't follow the way. 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:20.000 If your life makes sense to them, then there's something wrong. 00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:27.000 The whole point of the Christian faith is saying, man, I choose to put my trust in something else, in someone else. 00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:28.000 And that way is different. 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:29.000 And I'm going to obey that way. 00:31:29.000 --> 00:31:33.000 And I'm going to submit and I'm going to surrender because I trust that way is better because God is light. 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:37.000 He is faithful and just, he is righteous and he loves me. 00:31:39.000 --> 00:31:41.000 Can we rearrange our furniture? 00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:43.000 Can we change the direction? 00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:44.000 And can we walk? 00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:45.000 Now, here's the question. 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:49.000 I know a lot of you are sincere about your faith and you ask, well, what would a Christian do in this scenario? 00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:54.000 I would, I've got a colleague who's talking smack about me all the time. 00:31:54.000 --> 00:31:55.000 What do I do here? 00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:57.000 Or what do I do about this? 00:31:57.000 --> 00:31:58.000 Or what career choice should I choose here? 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:00.000 Or what spouse should I choose here? 00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:04.000 And we've got all these questions about how to live our lives specifically. 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:08.000 And here's the problem that we have as we look at this book here. 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:09.000 It's dynamic. 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:11.000 It isn't a set of rules. 00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:12.000 That is not what it is. 00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:14.000 C.S. Lewis says this. 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:18.000 We might think that God wanted simply obedience to a set of rules. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:21.000 Whereas he really wants people of a particular sort. 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:25.000 We might think that actually Christianity is, can I do these things? 00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:26.000 How low can I go? 00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:27.000 What are the things that I can do? 00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:28.000 What are the things I can't do? 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:29.000 Whereas that's not what God's heart is. 00:32:29.000 --> 00:32:35.000 C.S. Lewis says, actually, what God is trying to have is raise a people of a particular kind. 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:37.000 And what kind is that? 00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:42.000 It's people who are walking in the light, who are walking towards the light. 00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:44.000 It's not directions he's giving us. 00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:45.000 It's a direction. 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:52.000 That was an example that I had to give that I got to witness firsthand yesterday in my niece Eden. 00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:56.000 We were having dinner together and she's developed this incredible habit. 00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:57.000 Is Alex here? 00:32:57.000 --> 00:33:02.000 Developed this incredible habit where when she's eating at a high chair, she just drops stuff on the floor. 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:07.000 Yeah, it's just, just drop it and then points at her dad and says, pick it up. 00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:08.000 Right. 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:15.000 And then picks it up and then she looks at it again and then just drops it again and pick it up. 00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:19.000 And so when, as adults, we're looking at her going, hey, don't do that. 00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:20.000 That's not cool. 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:26.000 We're not actually just saying, hey, I don't want you to drop your food onto the floor. 00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:28.000 I don't want you to drop your cutlery on the floor. 00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:30.000 It's not quite as simple as that. 00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:38.000 What we're trying to nurture in our kids and those of us who are parents will know this, that we're not just trying to get our kids to obey a set of instructions or directions. 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:41.000 We're trying to form who they're going to become. 00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:50.000 So we're going to become people who understand that there are consequences that when we drop food onto the floor, then things get messy and that someone has to clean up. 00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:54.000 That they understand a bigger picture of what we're trying to form here. 00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:58.000 It isn't just the fact, oh, daddy says I'm not allowed to drop food on the floor. 00:33:58.000 --> 00:34:01.000 Therefore, I'm just going to mindlessly follow it without understanding. 00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:09.000 There is something that my brother and Alex are trying to form in Eden that isn't simply just don't throw food on the floor. 00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:10.000 Do we get that? 00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:12.000 That's what God's trying to do to us. 00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:15.000 It's not just about a set of instructions that we're trying to follow here. 00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:17.000 He's saying, I want you to walk in the light. 00:34:17.000 --> 00:34:25.000 I want you to walk towards the light and you're not going to be perfect, but I want you to think about who you are becoming and where you are walking to. 00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:35.000 It is a direction and the beauty is, and that's where the Christian faith is just so beautiful is we have an advocate who stands right next to us. 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:37.000 Who's also living right within us. 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:40.000 Galatians 2 said, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:47.000 So how we have to live, we just live with open hands going, God, what would you do in this current moment? 00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:49.000 What would you want me to do? 00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:51.000 It may not make sense to my parents. 00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:53.000 It may not make sense to my boyfriend or girlfriend. 00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:57.000 It may not make sense to my boss, but I'm going to do it because I trust you. 00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:58.000 I follow you. 00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:03.000 And I know that you're forming me to eventually be more and more like you. 00:35:03.000 --> 00:35:08.000 It is a direction, not directions or directives or instructions. 00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:11.000 Do we have that trust in him? 00:35:11.000 --> 00:35:12.000 That's the beauty. 00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:13.000 There's this old, old hymn. 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:16.000 This is where I'll finish and we have something special for us today. 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:19.000 There's this old hymn called trust and obey. 00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:21.000 Trust and obey. 00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:25.000 And it's this idea of saying, actually, can we trust in the redemptive work of Jesus? 00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:35.000 That as we stand next to the advocate who's advocating for us, that we are, we just trust in the work that he's going to do. 00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:36.000 It's not on us. 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:37.000 We're just stuck there. 00:35:37.000 --> 00:35:38.000 We're stood there. 00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:39.000 We're just with our heads down. 00:35:39.000 --> 00:35:41.000 Actually, we don't deserve anything. 00:35:41.000 --> 00:35:44.000 We keep choosing our own way and we keep making mistakes. 00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:52.000 But standing next to us is an advocate who says, I've paid everything and I'm going to work with him. 00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:53.000 Judge, I'm going to work with him. 00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:56.000 Not only have I paid everything, but I'm going to guide him and I'm going to mold him. 00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:58.000 And I'm going to be the one that teaches him how to live. 00:35:58.000 --> 00:35:59.000 Doesn't that fill you with faith? 00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:04.000 And doesn't that fill you with comfort and confidence that you trust and obey? 00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:07.000 You trust in the work that this advocate is going to do. 00:36:07.000 --> 00:36:09.000 And then you obey because you would. 00:36:09.000 --> 00:36:17.000 If you did get yourself into legal trouble, if you did get yourself into some kind of issue, I would call Queenie straight away. 00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:21.000 And then I would trust everything that she says and I would obey everything that she says. 00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:22.000 Right? 00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:24.000 Wouldn't you do that? 00:36:24.000 --> 00:36:26.000 Christ is the same. 00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:27.000 Would we trust and obey? 00:36:27.000 --> 00:36:28.000 Let me finish with the lyrics here. 00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:34.000 When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way. 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:40.000 While we do his goodwill, he abides with us still and with all who will trust and obey. 00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:41.000 Trust and obey. 00:36:41.000 --> 00:36:48.000 For there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:53.000 Then in fellowship sweet, we will sit at his feet or we'll walk by his side in the way. 00:36:53.000 --> 00:36:56.000 What he says he, we will do where he sends. 00:36:56.000 --> 00:37:01.000 We will go never fear only trust and obey. 00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:03.000 Let's remember this, this week. 00:37:03.000 --> 00:37:04.000 It's an old hymn. 00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:05.000 It's a very traditional old school hymn. 00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:09.000 I even thought about singing it today, but we're just, we're just going to let that one pass. 00:37:09.000 --> 00:37:13.000 But the words, trust and obey. 00:37:13.000 --> 00:37:17.000 Trust in the redemptive work of Jesus and obey him. 00:37:17.000 --> 00:37:18.000 Out of love. 00:37:18.000 --> 00:37:19.000 Out of love. 00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:23.000 Trusting that he's doing a good work in you and he will bring it to completion. 00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:26.000 There's something I really wanted us to do. 00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:30.000 If you've been part of this gathering for these last few months, we've been trying to figure a lot of things out. 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:31.000 Still are. 00:37:31.000 --> 00:37:35.000 But one of the things that you'll notice that has been missing is communion. 00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:40.000 Partly that is just, we've just been waiting for the denomination that we're part of. 00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:41.000 EFCC. 00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:44.000 Just kind of complete some paperwork and some admin issues here. 00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:47.000 But we are now able to do communion together. 00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:49.000 But actually it's been, it's been good. 00:37:49.000 --> 00:37:53.000 Because something about communion actually weighs very heavily on my heart. 00:37:53.000 --> 00:37:58.000 That goes beyond just getting these little fiddly little cups that we're going to try and peel. 00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:00.000 And then drink and then not think anything about it. 00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:04.000 And if you've taken communion before, you'll know that this is a, this is central. 00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:07.000 Central to the way that Christians have worshipped all the way. 00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:10.000 Since the way of Jesus at the beginning. 00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:11.000 Luke 24. 00:38:11.000 --> 00:38:15.000 The moment after Jesus walks with those two guys in the walk to Emmaus. 00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:16.000 And they sit down and they break bread. 00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:21.000 And there's that verse that just says, and he was made known to them in the breaking of bread. 00:38:21.000 --> 00:38:25.000 There's something sacred about communion. 00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:26.000 That actually I've been okay. 00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:28.000 Well, one hand I've been okay with not doing for a while. 00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:32.000 Cause I really want us just to settle and make sure we're okay. 00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:39.000 And the other hand, it's just been, man, we're not a real church almost until we do this. 00:38:39.000 --> 00:38:46.000 Because in doing this, we join the communion of the saints over these last thousands of years. 00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:47.000 Doing the same thing. 00:38:47.000 --> 00:38:55.000 And actually for many, many years, the central piece of a service was not a guy, a chump standing here talking for about 30, 40 minutes. 00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:56.000 It wasn't that. 00:38:56.000 --> 00:39:01.000 For many, many years, the central component of worship was actually this table. 00:39:01.000 --> 00:39:04.000 And what we're about to partake in. 00:39:04.000 --> 00:39:10.000 I wanted us to share with you a common passage regarding this in one Corinthians 11. 00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:16.000 And I want you to really think about these things and spend some time in reflection. 00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:19.000 One Corinthians 11 says this. 00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:22.000 For I received from the Lord, what I also delivered to you. 00:39:22.000 --> 00:39:26.000 That the Lord Jesus on the night he was, when he was betrayed, took bread. 00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:31.000 And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my body, which is for you. 00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:33.000 Do this in remembrance of me. 00:39:33.000 --> 00:39:38.000 In the same way also, he took the cup after supper saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. 00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:42.000 Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. 00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:48.000 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:55.000 Whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:57.000 Let a person examine himself then. 00:39:57.000 --> 00:40:00.000 And so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:12.000 I want to say one thing about this. 00:40:12.000 --> 00:40:18.000 Why the apostle Paul writes this passage in one Corinthians as we read it. 00:40:18.000 --> 00:40:20.000 Do you know what he saw? 00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:22.000 He saw a church that was divided. 00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:30.000 He saw a church that after the service, they would have lunch together and the poor people would sit on one side and not really have much to eat. 00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:35.000 And then the wealthy people who could afford food sat on the other side eating and drinking. 00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:41.000 And that's what triggered him to write that passage that we all read now. 00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:42.000 Did we realize that? 00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:54.000 That the issue here was unity because he was like, if you guys understood what Christ did for all of you, then you would not be divided like this. 00:40:56.000 --> 00:41:00.000 You cannot be divided by this because of what Christ did. 00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:05.000 So thankfully we don't have the peely little things. 00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:09.000 Thank you, Bonnie and the team for helping us with that. 00:41:09.000 --> 00:41:11.000 But I also can't stress enough what we're about to do. 00:41:11.000 --> 00:41:17.000 And I really want us to carry a somber, a sober heart into this. 00:41:17.000 --> 00:41:27.000 But I also want us to know the people around us, because I think if we don't even know the names of the people around us and we're taking communion, there's something that's just weird about that. 00:41:27.000 --> 00:41:29.000 There's something that doesn't quite make sense. 00:41:29.000 --> 00:41:33.000 How can we commune without knowing each other's names? 00:41:33.000 --> 00:41:35.000 So I wanted us to spend just a moment now. 00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:41.000 Last week we had everyone turn around and just confess whatever it might be that you wanted to confess. 00:41:41.000 --> 00:41:45.000 But today I just want you to turn around and just share with the person next to you. 00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:48.000 Well, first of all, make sure that you do know their name. 00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:53.000 And also to know, is there something that's burdening their heart right now? 00:41:53.000 --> 00:41:54.000 Okay. 00:41:54.000 --> 00:41:56.000 And again, it won't be long. 00:41:56.000 --> 00:42:03.000 I know it's a low bar, but I feel as though if we don't start it this way, then we'll just get caught up in the whole way where we all take communion, not talk to each other. 00:42:03.000 --> 00:42:05.000 And then we all leave and not talk to each other. 00:42:05.000 --> 00:42:07.000 And then I think it's almost meaningless. 00:42:07.000 --> 00:42:08.000 And what we're doing here. 00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:09.000 Does that make sense? 00:42:09.000 --> 00:42:10.000 Is that okay? 00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:15.000 So just the person next to you, whether they're here for the first time or not, just something about their name. 00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:17.000 And if there, is there anything that they're struggling with right now? 00:42:17.000 --> 00:42:22.000 Just to hear that because we're only as strong as our weakest link. 00:42:22.000 --> 00:42:30.000 And we must, if we're to be a gathering that really commits to walking with each other as a family, we at least must know we're not going to solve any problems here. 00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:37.000 We might not even have the time to pray for everyone, but at least we need to make sure that our hearts are inclined in the right way. 00:42:37.000 --> 00:42:40.000 Name and just something that they're burdened with or challenged with. 00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:41.000 And after that, we'll start communion. 00:42:41.000 --> 00:42:42.000 Is that okay? 00:42:42.000 --> 00:42:43.000 Just a few minutes. 00:42:43.000 --> 00:42:44.000 Okay. 00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:45.000 Okay. 00:42:45.000 --> 00:42:46.000 Okay. 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.000 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:48.000 Thank you.