WEBVTT

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 Good morning, church family. We're going to now read God's Word together.

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 There's two passages we're reading from today.

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 So first of all, we're reading 2 Corinthians chapter 3, the first six verses.

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 And then after that, we're turning to Ephesians chapter 4 and reading the first 16 verses.

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 So let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 3 first.

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 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again?

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 Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you?

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 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts to be known and read by all.

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 And you show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God.

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 Not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.

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 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ towards God.

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 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us,

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 but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant,

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 not of the letter, but of the spirit.

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 For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.

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 Let's turn over to Ephesians chapter 4 now.

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 So chapter 4, starting at verse 1.

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 I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

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 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

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 eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

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 There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call.

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 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

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 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

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 Therefore, it says,

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 When he ascended on high, he led a host of captives and he gave gifts to men.

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 In saying he ascended, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?

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 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

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 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,

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 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

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 so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine,

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 by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

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 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head,

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 into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped,

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 when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

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 This is the word of the Lord.

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 Well, good morning, everyone, and good morning to those on Zoom with us this morning.

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 I'm one of the pastors here.

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 My name's David.

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 We're four weeks into exploring God's vision for his church in our teaching series called Church,

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 A Foretaste of Heaven.

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 A pretty ambitious title, is it not?

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 Church, A Foretaste of Heaven.

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 And in four weeks, we've explored how God's church is so precious to him.

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 It's the focus of his work in the world.

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 It's the community in which saved individuals come to spiritual maturity.

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 So the question then that's coming along with us each week is,

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 does your vision of the value and purpose of our local church family,

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 this part that you're here of this morning,

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 does your vision of us align with God's vision?

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 It's quite a challenge for us, really, to think about that.

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 Last week, we started to explore God's agenda for local churches.

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 And we said that to be relevant and contemporary,

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 and that's what we hear all the time these days,

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 people want to be relevant and contemporary.

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 Well, to be relevant and contemporary,

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 we need to follow God's agenda for the church,

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 rather than what society says we should be doing as a church,

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 or perhaps even what our own personal preferences for doing,

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 for what we should be doing as a church might be.

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 Or, in the case of some churches,

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 it would seem like their agenda is just entirely pragmatic.

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 That is, their goal is to get the crowds in,

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 and so they do whatever works.

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 Last week, I suggest there were two big-picture principles

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 that governs the agenda, God's agenda for the church.

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 The first one, be who you are,

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 and we looked at that last week.

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 Our primary agenda is to be who we are.

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 That is, to be the living temple,

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 living stones in the living temple of the living Lord.

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 And the other picture we looked at last week

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 was to be the pillar and foundation of the truth of God's word.

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 This morning, we consider the second principle,

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 which I'm just calling this morning,

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 do what our specialist tools equip us to do.

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 Now, if you enter the workspace of a carpenter,

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 or a plumber, or an engineer,

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 or a medical researcher,

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 or an author, or whatever else,

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 enter their workspace,

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 and you will observe the tools of trade.

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 And the tools of trade make their agenda obvious.

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 Specialist workers need specialist tools,

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 which in turn reflect the specialist nature of their work.

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 And on top of that, then,

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 a good boss will always ensure that his workers

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 have the best tools for the job.

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 The best, we hear today talk about workplaces

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 that are fit for purpose.

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 So that, with the tools provided,

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 and the workplace environment,

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 then the boss can be sure that his business is going to thrive,

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 be successful,

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 and achieve that which he wants his business to achieve.

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 Well, I'm going to say to you this morning

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 that Christ provides us with the very specialist tools

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 we need for our very specialist task,

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 and a workplace fit for purpose.

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 So our agenda, in a sense,

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 one sense is really quite simple,

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 that is, to be skilled

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 in using our specialist spiritual tools

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 for our specialist spiritual task.

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 I won't say that again,

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 because I wasn't even sure we'd get it out once,

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 let alone saying it multiple times,

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 so you'll have to remember it from now on.

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 We start in 2 Corinthians 10, verses 3-5.

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 If you've got time,

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 if you quickly look it up, it'll be good,

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 otherwise just listen up,

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 I'm going to read it to you.

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 Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10, verse 3,

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 For though we walk in the flesh,

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 we are not waging war according to the flesh.

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 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,

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 but have divine power to demolish and destroy strongholds.

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 We destroy arguments,

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 and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God,

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 and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

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 The background story to these verses in the church at Corinth

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 was that there were powerful individuals

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 determined to exert their influence on the church

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 and take the church down a pathway of their choosing.

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 And it was quite a divergent pathway

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 to what Paul had urged on them

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 when he came to them speaking nothing

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 but the gospel of Jesus crucified.

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 And so their strategy was to ridicule

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 Paul's Christ-centered teaching

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 and to mock Paul's character,

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 Christ-centered character,

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 while promoting an alternative gospel

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 and an alternative set of leadership characteristics

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 within the church.

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 And Paul accuses them,

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 it's a pretty harsh accusation,

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 Paul accuses them of being peddlers of God's word,

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 using the tools of the world.

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 Those tools, if you read through the letter of Corinthians,

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 especially to Corinthians,

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 those tools were the tools of self-promotion,

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 the tools of manipulation,

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 pressure,

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 designed to control people

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 and to get the people in the church

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 to do what these leaders wanted them to do,

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 these powerful individuals wanted them to do.

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 They were running their own agenda.

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 In sharp contrast, then,

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 Paul speaks of the specialist spiritual weapons

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 or spiritual tools provided by the Lord

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 and interestingly,

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 these tools are not designed to control

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 or manipulate,

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 but they're designed to get inside and change.

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 Demolishing hardened unbelief

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 and bringing people to God

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 in new attitudes and obedience.

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 What are these tools or weapons?

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 Well, you only need to read through

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 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians

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 and you'll see Paul over and over and over again

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 going back to his primary weapon

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 as the weapon of the gospel,

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 the weapon of God's word.

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 The tool of God's word

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 supernaturally applied by God's Holy Spirit.

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 Now, if you look at 2 Corinthians 3 with me,

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 if you've got your finger in there,

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 2 Corinthians 3 is just one example

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 throughout Paul's ministry

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 of Paul's repeated emphasis

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 on God's word

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 and being applied by God's spirit

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 and the outcome of it.

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 So, in these verses,

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 Paul's really saying,

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 look, at the end of the day,

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 God's word applied by God's Holy Spirit

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 is the only tool

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 capable of producing real change,

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 internal change,

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 a change that brings

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 and is sourced in life,

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 new life, new obedience,

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 new orientation.

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 How does that work?

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 Well, again, the background context,

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 I don't have time to get into it,

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 but it's primarily by regeneration.

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 That is,

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 the word brings people alive

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 to start with.

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 And then,

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 God's spirit applies that word

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 in a process of total renovation

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 from the inside out.

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 At the same point,

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 it's made in the letter to Hebrews,

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 Hebrews 4,

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 verse 12.

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 Let me read that to you as well

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 when I find it.

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 Hebrews 4, verse 12.

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 For the word of God

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 is living and active,

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 sharper than any two-edged sword,

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 piercing to the division

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 of soul and of spirit,

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 of joints and of marrow,

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 and discerning the thoughts

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 and intentions of the heart.

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 What a weapon Jesus has provided

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 for our specialist task,

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 a task that pushes us

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 not to control people

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 from the outside,

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 but to see them changed

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 from the inside.

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 And God's word

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 is that weapon

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 able to slice,

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 and that's the picture.

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 It's a very gruesome picture,

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 but it's able to slice

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 through the hardest

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 of rebellion,

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 getting into our

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 innermost being,

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 and it opens us up

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 in our innermost being

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 to the light of the gospel.

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 And then totally

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 reformats us

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 from our innermost being

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 out

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 to a new love

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 for the Lord.

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 So what does all that mean

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 for Paul?

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 What does that look like

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 on the ground for Paul?

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 Well, very simple, really.

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 Paul was busy doing

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 what he was equipped

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 to do

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 with the tools

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 he was equipped with.

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 That is,

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 he was busy

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 speaking the gospel.

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 He was busy doing

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 what the Lord

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 had equipped him to do,

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 knowing also

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 that the Spirit

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 of the living Lord

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 will do what only

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 he can do,

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 and that is,

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 take that spoken word

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 and make it real,

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 make it new

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 in the lives

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 of those to whom

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 it was spoken.

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 Paul does

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 what he's equipped

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 to do,

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 and is comfortable

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 leaving the Holy Spirit

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 to do what only

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 the Holy Spirit

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 can do,

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 give new life

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 and relationship

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 with God.

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 Then there's

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 the tool of prayer,

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 which Paul

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 repeatedly

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 urges

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 believers

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 to take up

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 and utilize,

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 to be urgent in.

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 Why?

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 Because Paul

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 believed

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 and knew

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 it to be

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 a very powerful,

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 effective tool

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 provided by the Lord

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 Jesus,

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 provided by the Lord,

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 for our use

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 in this spiritual warfare.

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 2 Corinthians

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 chapter 1

00:15:09.659 --> 00:15:10.639
 verse 11.

00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:12.419
 The context

00:15:12.419 --> 00:15:13.080
 of 2 Corinthians

00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:13.879
 chapter 1

00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:14.480
 is Paul

00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:16.299
 just rehearsing

00:15:16.299 --> 00:15:17.879
 some of the struggles

00:15:17.879 --> 00:15:18.719
 and the suffering

00:15:18.719 --> 00:15:19.959
 and the terrible

00:15:19.959 --> 00:15:21.299
 situations he's been

00:15:21.299 --> 00:15:21.699
 through

00:15:21.699 --> 00:15:23.899
 as an ambassador

00:15:23.899 --> 00:15:24.559
 for Jesus.

00:15:26.379 --> 00:15:27.000
 And it's interesting,

00:15:27.159 --> 00:15:27.679
 and you can go

00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:28.539
 and read for yourself

00:15:28.539 --> 00:15:28.799
 again,

00:15:28.859 --> 00:15:29.559
 I don't have time

00:15:29.559 --> 00:15:30.439
 to take it all apart,

00:15:30.559 --> 00:15:32.019
 but Paul's really

00:15:32.019 --> 00:15:32.899
 saying this,

00:15:33.539 --> 00:15:33.759
 he said,

00:15:33.839 --> 00:15:33.959
 look,

00:15:34.819 --> 00:15:35.559
 it's prayer

00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:36.099
 that's got me

00:15:36.099 --> 00:15:36.740
 through this.

00:15:38.839 --> 00:15:39.679
 Your prayer,

00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:40.620
 he says to those

00:15:40.620 --> 00:15:41.019
 he's writing,

00:15:41.139 --> 00:15:41.599
 the Corinthians,

00:15:42.139 --> 00:15:42.759
 and the prayer

00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:43.839
 of many other believers,

00:15:44.079 --> 00:15:44.779
 and my prayer.

00:15:46.299 --> 00:15:51.339
 His prayer

00:15:51.339 --> 00:15:52.259
 that was instrumental

00:15:52.259 --> 00:15:53.819
 in enabling Paul

00:15:53.819 --> 00:15:55.759
 to not only survive

00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:56.959
 the daily struggles,

00:15:57.479 --> 00:15:58.959
 but to thrive

00:15:58.959 --> 00:16:00.139
 and keep going

00:16:00.139 --> 00:16:01.559
 in his proclamation

00:16:01.559 --> 00:16:02.319
 of the gospel

00:16:02.319 --> 00:16:03.699
 through daily struggles.

00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:06.719
 Now friends,

00:16:07.699 --> 00:16:08.559
 across the breadth

00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:09.059
 of scripture,

00:16:09.939 --> 00:16:11.539
 we just get this

00:16:11.539 --> 00:16:13.079
 common refrain,

00:16:13.080 --> 00:16:15.820
 the Lord loves

00:16:15.820 --> 00:16:16.560
 to hear

00:16:16.560 --> 00:16:17.540
 his people pray.

00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:20.840
 The Lord loves

00:16:20.840 --> 00:16:21.379
 to hear

00:16:21.379 --> 00:16:22.259
 his people pray

00:16:22.259 --> 00:16:23.639
 because prayer

00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:24.660
 is simply

00:16:24.660 --> 00:16:25.759
 the expression

00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:26.740
 of our helplessness,

00:16:26.820 --> 00:16:27.460
 the pouring out

00:16:27.460 --> 00:16:28.379
 of our helplessness

00:16:28.379 --> 00:16:29.120
 before the Lord,

00:16:30.120 --> 00:16:31.320
 the pouring out

00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:32.320
 of our sense

00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:33.540
 of total dependence

00:16:33.540 --> 00:16:34.120
 upon him.

00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:38.860
 and in prayer,

00:16:38.980 --> 00:16:39.659
 we're asking

00:16:39.659 --> 00:16:40.259
 the Lord

00:16:40.259 --> 00:16:41.899
 to give us

00:16:41.899 --> 00:16:42.740
 those things

00:16:42.740 --> 00:16:43.500
 which he has

00:16:43.500 --> 00:16:44.299
 already determined

00:16:44.299 --> 00:16:44.779
 to give us,

00:16:44.860 --> 00:16:45.879
 but as a father,

00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:46.879
 delights to hear

00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:47.200
 his children

00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:48.100
 ask for them anyway.

00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:52.240
 Prayer works.

00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:55.639
 The Lord

00:16:55.639 --> 00:16:56.659
 builds his kingdom

00:16:56.659 --> 00:16:57.720
 through the prayers

00:16:57.720 --> 00:16:58.279
 of his people.

00:16:58.460 --> 00:16:59.039
 We're told that

00:16:59.039 --> 00:16:59.519
 repeatedly

00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:00.940
 in the pages

00:17:00.940 --> 00:17:01.399
 of the Bible.

00:17:01.399 --> 00:17:04.039
 And in 2 Corinthians 3,

00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:04.440
 the passage

00:17:04.440 --> 00:17:05.180
 we're just looking

00:17:05.180 --> 00:17:05.559
 at there,

00:17:06.299 --> 00:17:07.039
 prayer results

00:17:07.039 --> 00:17:08.099
 in far more

00:17:08.099 --> 00:17:09.000
 than that.

00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:09.859
 It actually results

00:17:09.859 --> 00:17:11.559
 in more glory

00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:12.099
 and praise

00:17:12.099 --> 00:17:12.720
 for the Lord.

00:17:16.379 --> 00:17:17.420
 Paul says that.

00:17:17.740 --> 00:17:18.500
 Verse 6 there.

00:17:19.639 --> 00:17:20.160
 So,

00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:21.940
 you also

00:17:21.940 --> 00:17:22.639
 must help us

00:17:22.639 --> 00:17:23.059
 by prayer

00:17:23.059 --> 00:17:23.900
 so that many

00:17:23.900 --> 00:17:24.960
 will give thanks

00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:26.400
 on our behalf

00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:27.180
 for the blessing

00:17:27.180 --> 00:17:27.900
 granted us

00:17:27.900 --> 00:17:28.859
 through the prayers

00:17:28.859 --> 00:17:29.180
 of many.

00:17:29.180 --> 00:17:31.320
 it starts

00:17:31.320 --> 00:17:31.960
 a cycle.

00:17:33.320 --> 00:17:34.320
 The more people

00:17:34.320 --> 00:17:34.660
 pray,

00:17:34.740 --> 00:17:35.400
 the more they see

00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:36.960
 their prayers

00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:37.400
 answered

00:17:37.400 --> 00:17:38.279
 and the gospel

00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:38.840
 advanced,

00:17:39.340 --> 00:17:39.940
 Christ honored.

00:17:40.380 --> 00:17:41.279
 The more they pray

00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:42.180
 in thankfulness

00:17:42.180 --> 00:17:44.220
 and so on

00:17:44.220 --> 00:17:44.799
 and so forth.

00:17:48.900 --> 00:17:49.380
 Friends,

00:17:51.380 --> 00:17:52.700
 our God-given

00:17:52.700 --> 00:17:53.519
 task

00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:55.019
 reflected

00:17:55.019 --> 00:17:56.140
 in our God-given

00:17:56.140 --> 00:17:56.820
 tools

00:17:56.819 --> 00:17:58.679
 are designed

00:17:58.679 --> 00:18:00.039
 to affect

00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:00.720
 change

00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:01.240
 from the

00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:02.079
 inside out.

00:18:08.679 --> 00:18:09.439
 Radically

00:18:09.439 --> 00:18:10.299
 changing

00:18:10.299 --> 00:18:11.319
 attitudes,

00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:12.460
 desires,

00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:13.939
 understanding,

00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:15.759
 radically moving

00:18:15.759 --> 00:18:16.319
 people from

00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:16.859
 rebellion

00:18:16.859 --> 00:18:17.799
 against God

00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:18.819
 from a

00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:20.139
 stronghold

00:18:20.139 --> 00:18:20.839
 of autonomy

00:18:20.839 --> 00:18:23.519
 to faithful

00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:23.960
 living

00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:24.599
 under his

00:18:24.599 --> 00:18:24.899
 rule.

00:18:24.900 --> 00:18:28.100
 Now,

00:18:28.540 --> 00:18:29.280
 who's up

00:18:29.280 --> 00:18:29.640
 for that

00:18:29.640 --> 00:18:30.120
 task?

00:18:33.040 --> 00:18:33.519
 Well,

00:18:33.540 --> 00:18:33.780
 the answer

00:18:33.780 --> 00:18:34.640
 is every

00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:35.140
 believer

00:18:35.140 --> 00:18:37.040
 providing

00:18:37.040 --> 00:18:37.840
 we're skilled

00:18:37.840 --> 00:18:39.440
 and equipped

00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:39.740
 with the

00:18:39.740 --> 00:18:40.220
 tools

00:18:40.220 --> 00:18:41.340
 that the

00:18:41.340 --> 00:18:41.640
 Lord has

00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:42.000
 provided

00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:42.759
 because the

00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:43.580
 tools are

00:18:43.580 --> 00:18:43.960
 fit for

00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:44.380
 purpose.

00:18:47.259 --> 00:18:48.160
 We do

00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:48.860
 what the

00:18:48.860 --> 00:18:49.480
 Lord asks

00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:50.100
 us to do,

00:18:50.420 --> 00:18:51.000
 speak the

00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:51.320
 gospel

00:18:51.319 --> 00:18:53.599
 and pray

00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:54.079
 and trust

00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:54.339
 that the

00:18:54.339 --> 00:18:54.619
 Lord will

00:18:54.619 --> 00:18:54.980
 do what

00:18:54.980 --> 00:18:55.399
 only he

00:18:55.399 --> 00:18:55.799
 can do,

00:18:56.799 --> 00:18:57.740
 is make

00:18:57.740 --> 00:18:58.179
 that word

00:18:58.179 --> 00:18:59.899
 alive in

00:18:59.899 --> 00:19:00.299
 the depths

00:19:00.299 --> 00:19:00.579
 of a

00:19:00.579 --> 00:19:00.960
 person's

00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:01.379
 heart and

00:19:01.379 --> 00:19:01.659
 mind.

00:19:04.759 --> 00:19:05.179
 Now,

00:19:05.220 --> 00:19:05.619
 that's a

00:19:05.619 --> 00:19:06.259
 fairly simple

00:19:06.259 --> 00:19:06.819
 agenda in

00:19:06.819 --> 00:19:07.119
 lots of

00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:07.279
 ways,

00:19:07.339 --> 00:19:07.539
 isn't it?

00:19:07.579 --> 00:19:07.700
 Now,

00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:08.019
 there's lots

00:19:08.019 --> 00:19:08.299
 of other

00:19:08.299 --> 00:19:08.859
 complications

00:19:08.859 --> 00:19:09.299
 as you go

00:19:09.299 --> 00:19:10.139
 along the

00:19:10.139 --> 00:19:10.379
 road,

00:19:10.859 --> 00:19:11.700
 but that's

00:19:11.700 --> 00:19:12.099
 not too

00:19:12.099 --> 00:19:12.480
 hard to

00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:13.039
 understand.

00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:15.319
 And yet,

00:19:15.419 --> 00:19:15.819
 the church

00:19:15.819 --> 00:19:16.460
 seems to have

00:19:16.460 --> 00:19:16.759
 found it

00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:17.240
 really,

00:19:17.399 --> 00:19:18.019
 really hard

00:19:18.019 --> 00:19:18.740
 to hang

00:19:18.740 --> 00:19:19.159
 on to

00:19:19.159 --> 00:19:19.439
 and be

00:19:19.439 --> 00:19:19.700
 committed

00:19:19.700 --> 00:19:19.940
 to.

00:19:23.500 --> 00:19:23.980
 See,

00:19:24.299 --> 00:19:25.759
 we look

00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:26.180
 around our

00:19:26.180 --> 00:19:26.620
 world and

00:19:26.620 --> 00:19:26.860
 there are

00:19:26.860 --> 00:19:27.160
 many,

00:19:27.299 --> 00:19:27.400
 many

00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:28.200
 organisations

00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:29.799
 who are

00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:30.440
 doing great

00:19:30.440 --> 00:19:31.059
 things,

00:19:31.940 --> 00:19:35.180
 but a

00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:36.279
 majority of

00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:36.960
 them have

00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:37.580
 to be by

00:19:37.580 --> 00:19:38.340
 virtue doing

00:19:38.340 --> 00:19:38.799
 limited

00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:39.440
 things,

00:19:40.080 --> 00:19:40.940
 because the

00:19:40.940 --> 00:19:41.360
 things they

00:19:41.360 --> 00:19:41.600
 do,

00:19:41.660 --> 00:19:42.140
 while great,

00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:42.539
 are from

00:19:42.539 --> 00:19:43.080
 the outside

00:19:43.080 --> 00:19:43.500
 in.

00:19:44.860 --> 00:19:45.220
 So,

00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:45.420
 there are

00:19:45.420 --> 00:19:46.019
 organisations

00:19:46.019 --> 00:19:47.140
 who can

00:19:47.140 --> 00:19:48.259
 draft new

00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:49.440
 laws to

00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:50.580
 correct injustices,

00:19:51.400 --> 00:19:51.980
 they can

00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:52.980
 bring in

00:19:52.980 --> 00:19:53.779
 new schedules

00:19:53.779 --> 00:19:54.700
 to address

00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:55.259
 corruption,

00:19:56.140 --> 00:19:56.480
 they can

00:19:56.480 --> 00:19:57.400
 educate people

00:19:57.400 --> 00:19:57.940
 in farming

00:19:57.940 --> 00:19:58.600
 techniques,

00:19:59.340 --> 00:20:00.200
 they can

00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:00.980
 come up

00:20:00.980 --> 00:20:01.299
 with new

00:20:01.299 --> 00:20:01.860
 processes

00:20:01.860 --> 00:20:02.460
 to tackle

00:20:02.460 --> 00:20:03.320
 hunger and

00:20:03.320 --> 00:20:03.900
 poverty,

00:20:04.059 --> 00:20:04.440
 and so on

00:20:04.440 --> 00:20:04.759
 and so

00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:05.120
 forth.

00:20:09.320 --> 00:20:10.080
 But that

00:20:10.080 --> 00:20:10.480
 will only

00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:10.840
 ever be

00:20:10.840 --> 00:20:11.559
 limited in

00:20:11.559 --> 00:20:12.120
 its effect.

00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:14.259
 By

00:20:14.259 --> 00:20:15.019
 contrast,

00:20:16.320 --> 00:20:16.700
 God's

00:20:16.700 --> 00:20:17.320
 church

00:20:17.319 --> 00:20:18.379
 is to

00:20:18.379 --> 00:20:19.059
 pursue

00:20:19.059 --> 00:20:20.579
 real

00:20:20.579 --> 00:20:21.099
 change,

00:20:21.559 --> 00:20:21.980
 lasting

00:20:21.980 --> 00:20:22.419
 change,

00:20:22.579 --> 00:20:22.839
 deep

00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:23.419
 change from

00:20:23.419 --> 00:20:23.819
 the inside

00:20:23.819 --> 00:20:24.200
 out.

00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:25.399
 A change

00:20:25.399 --> 00:20:25.639
 that will

00:20:25.639 --> 00:20:25.939
 actually,

00:20:26.099 --> 00:20:26.460
 as Jesus

00:20:26.460 --> 00:20:26.779
 said,

00:20:27.079 --> 00:20:27.659
 dismantle

00:20:27.659 --> 00:20:28.119
 the kingdom

00:20:28.119 --> 00:20:28.679
 of evil,

00:20:29.259 --> 00:20:29.720
 dismantle

00:20:29.720 --> 00:20:30.619
 the self-interested

00:20:30.619 --> 00:20:31.480
 attitudes and

00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:32.000
 thinking of

00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:32.759
 individuals and

00:20:32.759 --> 00:20:33.259
 governments.

00:20:36.579 --> 00:20:37.240
 And that

00:20:37.240 --> 00:20:37.759
 will only be

00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:39.159
 dismantled with

00:20:39.159 --> 00:20:39.639
 the word of

00:20:39.639 --> 00:20:39.980
 God,

00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:41.439
 prayerfully

00:20:41.439 --> 00:20:42.179
 spoken into

00:20:42.179 --> 00:20:42.720
 our world.

00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:44.920
 Now,

00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:45.480
 hear me very

00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:45.940
 carefully at

00:20:45.940 --> 00:20:46.360
 this point,

00:20:46.519 --> 00:20:46.860
 and this

00:20:46.860 --> 00:20:47.319
 sweeps over

00:20:47.319 --> 00:20:47.680
 the last

00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:47.980
 three or

00:20:47.980 --> 00:20:48.460
 four weeks.

00:20:50.620 --> 00:20:51.140
 Individual

00:20:51.140 --> 00:20:52.140
 Christians may

00:20:52.140 --> 00:20:53.259
 well choose

00:20:53.259 --> 00:20:54.000
 to be involved

00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:54.799
 directly in

00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:55.519
 social action

00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:57.960
 or in any

00:20:57.960 --> 00:20:58.640
 number of

00:20:58.640 --> 00:20:59.640
 organizations that

00:20:59.640 --> 00:21:00.259
 are doing good

00:21:00.259 --> 00:21:02.059
 things to

00:21:02.059 --> 00:21:02.559
 change the

00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:03.000
 structure in

00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:03.559
 society and

00:21:03.559 --> 00:21:04.000
 stuff like that.

00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:06.299
 That's perfectly

00:21:06.299 --> 00:21:07.059
 legitimate for

00:21:07.059 --> 00:21:08.140
 any believer to

00:21:08.140 --> 00:21:08.480
 be in.

00:21:09.019 --> 00:21:09.620
 But I'm saying

00:21:09.620 --> 00:21:10.000
 this morning,

00:21:10.059 --> 00:21:11.299
 it's not primarily

00:21:11.299 --> 00:21:12.000
 the role of the

00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:12.380
 church.

00:21:16.940 --> 00:21:17.940
 The role of the

00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:18.480
 church is to

00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:19.259
 have a clear

00:21:19.259 --> 00:21:21.059
 contemporary

00:21:21.059 --> 00:21:22.059
 expression of

00:21:22.059 --> 00:21:22.720
 God's living

00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:24.500
 word, calling

00:21:24.500 --> 00:21:25.500
 people back to

00:21:25.500 --> 00:21:27.819
 God, praying

00:21:27.819 --> 00:21:29.380
 for inside-out

00:21:29.380 --> 00:21:31.279
 change, and

00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:32.480
 modeling the

00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:33.559
 reality of that

00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:35.160
 gospel to change

00:21:35.160 --> 00:21:36.119
 people powerfully

00:21:36.119 --> 00:21:38.099
 in the way we

00:21:38.099 --> 00:21:38.660
 live and treat

00:21:38.660 --> 00:21:39.099
 each other.

00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:43.980
 God's agenda

00:21:43.980 --> 00:21:46.980
 is that when

00:21:46.980 --> 00:21:47.819
 we see God's

00:21:47.819 --> 00:21:48.279
 agenda like

00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:49.779
 that, it

00:21:49.779 --> 00:21:51.059
 doesn't seem as

00:21:51.059 --> 00:21:51.940
 exciting as

00:21:51.940 --> 00:21:53.039
 political activism.

00:21:55.059 --> 00:21:55.900
 Indeed, it may

00:21:55.900 --> 00:21:56.640
 not even seem to

00:21:56.640 --> 00:21:57.740
 achieve as much as

00:21:57.740 --> 00:21:58.660
 political activism.

00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:01.920
 Involvement in a

00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:02.900
 foreign aid program

00:22:02.900 --> 00:22:03.539
 can take you to

00:22:03.539 --> 00:22:05.680
 exotic places and

00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:07.000
 introduce you to a

00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:08.720
 range of wonderful

00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:09.140
 people.

00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:12.880
 But if you look

00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:13.700
 through history and

00:22:13.700 --> 00:22:14.360
 look through history

00:22:14.360 --> 00:22:16.079
 fairly, then you'll

00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:16.680
 see that it's

00:22:16.680 --> 00:22:17.339
 actually been when

00:22:17.339 --> 00:22:18.120
 the word of God

00:22:18.120 --> 00:22:18.839
 has been taken to

00:22:18.839 --> 00:22:21.900
 people, that

00:22:21.900 --> 00:22:22.880
 lasting and

00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:24.240
 substantial change

00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:25.519
 has been brought

00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:26.380
 into God's world.

00:22:26.380 --> 00:22:26.420
 world.

00:22:31.700 --> 00:22:32.600
 All right, second

00:22:32.600 --> 00:22:33.240
 point I want to

00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:33.760
 make this morning

00:22:33.760 --> 00:22:34.520
 then is that the

00:22:34.520 --> 00:22:36.420
 church family is

00:22:36.420 --> 00:22:37.900
 God's fit-for-purpose

00:22:37.900 --> 00:22:40.160
 base for his work in

00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:40.500
 the world.

00:22:42.040 --> 00:22:42.920
 I've already hinted

00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:44.420
 at it, but business

00:22:44.420 --> 00:22:45.420
 operators commonly

00:22:45.420 --> 00:22:46.260
 speak of the

00:22:46.260 --> 00:22:47.200
 importance of having

00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:48.320
 a workspace that is

00:22:48.320 --> 00:22:49.260
 fit-for-purpose,

00:22:49.900 --> 00:22:51.960
 meaning it's designed

00:22:51.960 --> 00:22:53.000
 to maximize the

00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:53.900
 success of a

00:22:53.900 --> 00:22:54.720
 particular business

00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:55.200
 venture.

00:22:56.380 --> 00:22:57.460
 Well, I want you

00:22:57.460 --> 00:22:58.620
 to hear this

00:22:58.620 --> 00:22:59.260
 morning that I'm

00:22:59.260 --> 00:23:01.900
 saying this local

00:23:01.900 --> 00:23:04.080
 church family is

00:23:04.080 --> 00:23:05.980
 God's fit-for-purpose

00:23:05.980 --> 00:23:08.920
 workspace for

00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:09.980
 building his kingdom

00:23:09.980 --> 00:23:10.660
 and his glory.

00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:14.780
 Yep, with all our

00:23:14.780 --> 00:23:16.220
 flaws, with all our

00:23:16.220 --> 00:23:18.000
 failings, with all our

00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:20.640
 insufficiencies, God

00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:22.080
 intends us and has

00:23:22.080 --> 00:23:23.240
 designed us to be a

00:23:23.240 --> 00:23:24.300
 fit-for-purpose

00:23:24.300 --> 00:23:25.340
 workspace.

00:23:26.380 --> 00:23:28.460
 It's quite

00:23:28.460 --> 00:23:29.720
 incredible, really,

00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:31.240
 just to say it like

00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:31.960
 that and think about

00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:32.440
 it for a moment.

00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:37.000
 And it's the base

00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:37.860
 for nurturing the

00:23:37.860 --> 00:23:38.820
 family in the home.

00:23:39.500 --> 00:23:41.000
 Ephesians 4 is where

00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:41.680
 we go to next.

00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:43.540
 We've dipped into

00:23:43.540 --> 00:23:44.820
 that a couple of

00:23:44.820 --> 00:23:45.480
 times over the last

00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:45.920
 few weeks.

00:23:46.120 --> 00:23:47.820
 Ephesians 4, 1-16.

00:23:47.819 --> 00:23:48.819
 Ephesians 4, 1-16.

00:23:48.819 --> 00:23:49.819
 Ephesians 4, 1-16.

00:23:49.819 --> 00:23:51.019
 It picks up there the

00:23:51.019 --> 00:23:52.539
 whole idea of us being

00:23:52.539 --> 00:23:54.720
 the body, identity, we

00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:55.480
 looked at two weeks

00:23:55.480 --> 00:23:55.779
 ago.

00:23:57.720 --> 00:23:58.779
 Our identity, our

00:23:58.779 --> 00:24:00.200
 calling, chapter 4,

00:24:00.259 --> 00:24:02.220
 verse 1, is to

00:24:02.220 --> 00:24:03.879
 demonstrate the wisdom

00:24:03.879 --> 00:24:05.019
 of God's salvation

00:24:05.019 --> 00:24:07.659
 purpose worked out in

00:24:07.659 --> 00:24:09.099
 and through local church

00:24:09.099 --> 00:24:10.480
 families like ours here

00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:10.879
 this morning.

00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:16.460
 Ephesians 4 gives the

00:24:16.460 --> 00:24:17.340
 detail of that

00:24:17.340 --> 00:24:18.560
 calling.

00:24:21.280 --> 00:24:21.860
 And essentially,

00:24:22.300 --> 00:24:24.940
 the detail is that we

00:24:24.940 --> 00:24:26.040
 are to be a gospel

00:24:26.040 --> 00:24:27.800
 revealing community.

00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:30.380
 A gospel revealing

00:24:30.380 --> 00:24:30.940
 community.

00:24:30.940 --> 00:24:36.120
 gospel is God's good

00:24:36.120 --> 00:24:37.559
 news, as Martin had

00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:38.140
 it up on the screen

00:24:38.140 --> 00:24:38.779
 for us this morning.

00:24:40.700 --> 00:24:41.840
 It's God's word.

00:24:42.500 --> 00:24:43.779
 It's God's good news

00:24:43.779 --> 00:24:45.580
 word of forgiveness

00:24:45.580 --> 00:24:47.039
 and new relationship

00:24:47.039 --> 00:24:48.080
 with God in and

00:24:48.080 --> 00:24:48.740
 through Christ.

00:24:50.120 --> 00:24:51.259
 Ongoing renewal from

00:24:51.259 --> 00:24:52.420
 the inside out by the

00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:52.980
 power of the Holy

00:24:52.980 --> 00:24:54.120
 Spirit living within

00:24:54.120 --> 00:24:54.400
 us.

00:24:56.740 --> 00:24:58.799
 So therefore, we ought

00:24:58.799 --> 00:24:59.440
 to be, as I said

00:24:59.440 --> 00:25:00.759
 last week, word,

00:25:00.940 --> 00:25:01.420
 focused.

00:25:02.860 --> 00:25:04.059
 Gospel focused.

00:25:05.700 --> 00:25:07.259
 Since every part of

00:25:07.259 --> 00:25:08.299
 God's written word,

00:25:08.759 --> 00:25:09.559
 every part of the

00:25:09.559 --> 00:25:11.120
 Bible is either

00:25:11.120 --> 00:25:12.759
 speaking about Jesus

00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:14.080
 in the future or

00:25:14.080 --> 00:25:15.180
 reflecting on Jesus

00:25:15.180 --> 00:25:15.920
 now that he's come.

00:25:17.320 --> 00:25:18.620
 We need to be word

00:25:18.620 --> 00:25:19.080
 focused.

00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:24.640
 And we are a gospel

00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:25.920
 revealing community

00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:28.799
 in that you can't

00:25:28.799 --> 00:25:29.960
 really see the gospel

00:25:29.960 --> 00:25:33.900
 except in the people

00:25:33.900 --> 00:25:34.840
 that it's taken hold

00:25:34.840 --> 00:25:35.720
 of and changed.

00:25:36.539 --> 00:25:37.840
 So we're a gospel

00:25:37.840 --> 00:25:38.920
 revealing community

00:25:38.920 --> 00:25:40.819
 in that we make the

00:25:40.819 --> 00:25:41.759
 reality of the

00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:43.059
 changing power of the

00:25:43.059 --> 00:25:46.539
 gospel visible in our

00:25:46.539 --> 00:25:47.799
 world, visible in this

00:25:47.799 --> 00:25:49.980
 community, in our local

00:25:49.980 --> 00:25:50.860
 church family here.

00:25:50.859 --> 00:25:51.859
 community.

00:25:51.859 --> 00:25:55.559
 And that community has a

00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:56.979
 particular shape in its

00:25:56.979 --> 00:25:57.479
 visibility.

00:25:57.799 --> 00:25:58.919
 It's to be marked by

00:25:58.919 --> 00:25:59.339
 holiness.

00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:00.979
 We've seen that in past

00:26:00.979 --> 00:26:01.319
 weeks.

00:26:02.159 --> 00:26:03.779
 Striving to be like our

00:26:03.779 --> 00:26:05.199
 Lord and Savior because he

00:26:05.199 --> 00:26:05.679
 is holy.

00:26:07.099 --> 00:26:08.319
 It's to be marked by

00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:08.799
 unity.

00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:11.359
 Reflecting, again,

00:26:11.439 --> 00:26:12.500
 Ephesians, reflecting the

00:26:12.500 --> 00:26:14.099
 fact that Jesus died to

00:26:14.099 --> 00:26:16.399
 remove old sin-driven

00:26:16.399 --> 00:26:18.000
 walls of hostility,

00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:22.460
 divisions, and create one

00:26:22.460 --> 00:26:25.619
 new humanity that would

00:26:25.619 --> 00:26:28.319
 live gladly and

00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:29.420
 consistently under the

00:26:29.420 --> 00:26:29.980
 Lord's rule.

00:26:31.500 --> 00:26:32.819
 A community that would be

00:26:32.819 --> 00:26:35.259
 marked by love, reflecting

00:26:35.259 --> 00:26:36.380
 the generous, committed,

00:26:37.019 --> 00:26:39.319
 self-sacrificing love we

00:26:39.319 --> 00:26:40.960
 received from God in

00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:41.240
 Jesus.

00:26:41.240 --> 00:26:44.480
 It's there in Ephesians

00:26:44.480 --> 00:26:44.859
 4.

00:26:48.299 --> 00:26:50.200
 We are to be a gospel

00:26:50.200 --> 00:26:51.980
 revealing community.

00:26:54.240 --> 00:26:58.880
 My friends, since the

00:26:58.880 --> 00:27:02.019
 local church is the body

00:27:02.019 --> 00:27:06.599
 of Christ, brought together

00:27:06.599 --> 00:27:09.839
 in such diversity, Ephesians

00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:12.980
 4, and at such great

00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:18.419
 cost, Ephesians 1, then

00:27:18.419 --> 00:27:20.659
 how can we possibly live as

00:27:20.659 --> 00:27:22.199
 disembodied Christians,

00:27:23.199 --> 00:27:26.859
 sitting loose to his died

00:27:26.859 --> 00:27:27.720
 for community?

00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:36.119
 Spiritual health ought to be

00:27:36.119 --> 00:27:37.279
 our primary desire.

00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:41.460
 And this is the compelling,

00:27:41.879 --> 00:27:45.180
 consistent display of being a

00:27:45.180 --> 00:27:46.379
 gospel revealing community.

00:27:47.379 --> 00:27:48.740
 That is our agenda.

00:27:53.420 --> 00:27:54.799
 Mark Davie, in one of his

00:27:54.799 --> 00:27:56.000
 books, says that it's very

00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:57.099
 easy to build community

00:27:57.099 --> 00:27:58.420
 without the gospel.

00:28:00.359 --> 00:28:01.619
 If we build community

00:28:01.619 --> 00:28:03.899
 without the gospel, or build

00:28:03.899 --> 00:28:05.299
 community shaped by things

00:28:05.299 --> 00:28:06.980
 other than the gospel, and

00:28:06.980 --> 00:28:08.240
 you can go and see churches

00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:09.720
 where those communities are

00:28:09.720 --> 00:28:11.460
 built by a sense of shared

00:28:11.460 --> 00:28:14.440
 need, a sense of common

00:28:14.440 --> 00:28:16.240
 cause as we look at the

00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:19.480
 world, a sense of common

00:28:19.480 --> 00:28:20.879
 desire of what we want the

00:28:20.879 --> 00:28:21.700
 world to look like.

00:28:24.200 --> 00:28:26.919
 If we have a community built

00:28:26.919 --> 00:28:28.180
 on things other than the

00:28:28.180 --> 00:28:31.359
 gospel, then we're actually in

00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:34.000
 serious spiritual ill health

00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:36.119
 and in great danger.

00:28:39.719 --> 00:28:41.119
 We need to make sure that our

00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:42.539
 community here is built on the

00:28:42.539 --> 00:28:44.199
 gospel, shaped by the gospel,

00:28:45.879 --> 00:28:48.199
 exists by the gospel and for the

00:28:48.199 --> 00:28:48.539
 gospel.

00:28:51.039 --> 00:28:53.539
 And likewise, if we claim to

00:28:53.539 --> 00:28:54.479
 believe the gospel

00:28:54.480 --> 00:29:00.500
 gospel without overflowing into a

00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:03.900
 gospel revealing community, then

00:29:03.900 --> 00:29:06.819
 we're also very unwell

00:29:06.819 --> 00:29:10.460
 spiritually and in great danger.

00:29:15.819 --> 00:29:18.900
 So it's the base for nurturing the

00:29:18.900 --> 00:29:22.839
 family in the home, but it's also

00:29:22.839 --> 00:29:24.839
 the base for equipping family

00:29:24.839 --> 00:29:26.539
 members to work from home.

00:29:28.259 --> 00:29:29.879
 We're to be a gospel revealing

00:29:29.879 --> 00:29:33.500
 community, but then at the same

00:29:33.500 --> 00:29:34.599
 time we're to be a gospel

00:29:34.599 --> 00:29:36.179
 gossiping community.

00:29:38.119 --> 00:29:39.659
 We've got a sort of double identity.

00:29:39.819 --> 00:29:41.819
 The Lord calls us out of the world.

00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:43.439
 This is John Stott's line.

00:29:44.019 --> 00:29:45.779
 The Lord calls us out of the world,

00:29:46.639 --> 00:29:48.579
 renews us, and then sends us back

00:29:48.579 --> 00:29:51.699
 into the world to be gospel

00:29:51.699 --> 00:29:52.519
 gossipers.

00:29:56.579 --> 00:29:58.240
 Again, if you look at Ephesians 4,

00:29:58.339 --> 00:29:59.879
 9 and 10, a couple of very

00:29:59.879 --> 00:30:01.720
 difficult verses in there, but I

00:30:01.720 --> 00:30:03.960
 think I just want to lift out one

00:30:03.960 --> 00:30:05.699
 thing because it's something similar

00:30:05.699 --> 00:30:07.460
 to the thoughts in Ephesians 1.

00:30:08.159 --> 00:30:10.000
 That is that he might fill all

00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:10.319
 things.

00:30:10.519 --> 00:30:13.179
 In other words, however you think of

00:30:13.179 --> 00:30:15.720
 our world or God's action within the

00:30:15.720 --> 00:30:19.460
 world, everything according to God's

00:30:19.460 --> 00:30:22.700
 purpose is to be filled by Christ.

00:30:28.519 --> 00:30:30.160
 To be filled with the Lordship of

00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:30.539
 Christ.

00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:37.759
 This local church here, 50 years now,

00:30:38.960 --> 00:30:42.160
 exists by the gospel and it exists

00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:46.600
 for the gospel because God's word is a

00:30:46.600 --> 00:30:47.279
 missionary word.

00:30:48.540 --> 00:30:50.080
 A missionary word is the way by which

00:30:50.080 --> 00:30:55.040
 God confronts people in his world and

00:30:55.040 --> 00:30:59.160
 continues to grow his kingdom, continues

00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:01.320
 to bring people into his died-for

00:31:01.320 --> 00:31:03.900
 community, his body, the church.

00:31:06.080 --> 00:31:08.000
 And so again, a proper understanding

00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:09.300
 and experience of the gospel of

00:31:09.299 --> 00:31:12.299
 salvation will overflow naturally into

00:31:12.859 --> 00:31:16.119
 proclaiming the good news of Jesus to

00:31:16.119 --> 00:31:16.480
 others.

00:31:18.299 --> 00:31:21.599
 In other words, if we understand the

00:31:21.599 --> 00:31:25.579
 gospel properly, then naturally we will

00:31:25.579 --> 00:31:27.599
 be a missional community.

00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:31.519
 We will have a missional outlook.

00:31:31.519 --> 00:31:38.039
 And through that, we'll have an incredible

00:31:38.039 --> 00:31:39.759
 impact on the world at large.

00:31:41.980 --> 00:31:44.559
 Paul's own ministry and teaching bears

00:31:44.559 --> 00:31:45.420
 this out in full.

00:31:46.460 --> 00:31:49.519
 Recently, I've been reading, rereading

00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:52.339
 actually, Paul's first letter to the

00:31:52.339 --> 00:31:53.039
 Thessalonians.

00:31:54.200 --> 00:31:55.299
 It's a wonderful letter.

00:31:55.519 --> 00:31:57.200
 I'm seeing stuff in it I've never seen

00:31:57.200 --> 00:31:57.480
 before.

00:31:57.579 --> 00:31:59.039
 I'm not sure how I read it before, but

00:31:59.039 --> 00:32:01.039
 maybe that's the nature of God's spirit

00:32:01.039 --> 00:32:01.399
 working.

00:32:02.920 --> 00:32:07.799
 But it's so chock-a-block full of gospel

00:32:07.799 --> 00:32:10.099
 community, gospel-revealing community,

00:32:10.659 --> 00:32:12.339
 gospel-gossiping community.

00:32:15.099 --> 00:32:16.980
 Because in there we see Paul's missional

00:32:16.980 --> 00:32:20.740
 heart and we see its impact on a wide

00:32:20.740 --> 00:32:21.420
 range of people.

00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:24.720
 And he says in 1 Corinthians 2 that he

00:32:24.720 --> 00:32:27.159
 didn't just share the bare words of the

00:32:27.160 --> 00:32:27.519
 gospel.

00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:28.620
 He did that.

00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:32.759
 But his missional heart overflowed that he

00:32:32.759 --> 00:32:35.779
 shared his life to go alongside those

00:32:35.779 --> 00:32:36.160
 words.

00:32:37.740 --> 00:32:41.440
 And that had a tremendous impact on those

00:32:41.440 --> 00:32:43.600
 people in Thessalonica.

00:32:43.599 --> 00:32:47.559
 Because when they became Christians, they

00:32:47.559 --> 00:32:50.019
 then started to model what Paul had modeled

00:32:50.019 --> 00:32:51.959
 to them as they understood the gospel.

00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:55.399
 And they also then became missional to a

00:32:55.399 --> 00:32:57.219
 wide range of communities beyond their

00:32:57.219 --> 00:32:57.859
 reaches.

00:32:57.859 --> 00:33:10.399
 friends, our local church here is the basis to

00:33:10.399 --> 00:33:11.319
 work from home.

00:33:11.799 --> 00:33:16.539
 That is, we ought to be naturally, not by

00:33:16.539 --> 00:33:20.000
 dint of being flogged out of guilt, but we

00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:22.500
 ought to be naturally a missional community.

00:33:22.500 --> 00:33:26.960
 We ought to be overflowing as we gossip the

00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:28.460
 gospel wherever we find ourselves.

00:33:29.500 --> 00:33:32.799
 Now, that brings us into the fraught issue of

00:33:32.799 --> 00:33:33.500
 evangelism.

00:33:34.740 --> 00:33:36.980
 And I think I'm using the word missional

00:33:36.980 --> 00:33:38.299
 instead of the word evangelism.

00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:40.180
 Because I think sometimes we use the word

00:33:40.180 --> 00:33:42.079
 evangelism these days too narrowly.

00:33:43.660 --> 00:33:47.599
 So we think of evangelism as an event where we

00:33:47.599 --> 00:33:50.680
 proclaim the message of Jesus to workmates or

00:33:50.680 --> 00:33:52.360
 through some other thing that we've

00:33:52.360 --> 00:33:52.840
 organized.

00:33:53.480 --> 00:33:55.180
 And there's real benefit in that.

00:33:55.240 --> 00:33:55.880
 Don't get me wrong.

00:33:58.279 --> 00:34:00.220
 But of itself, that would be quite limited.

00:34:02.980 --> 00:34:05.560
 Sometimes I think we opt for those

00:34:05.560 --> 00:34:08.860
 evangelistic events because they're either

00:34:08.860 --> 00:34:10.260
 a little bit easy.

00:34:10.400 --> 00:34:13.099
 That is, okay, we gear ourselves up for X

00:34:13.099 --> 00:34:14.860
 number of weeks and we run the event and

00:34:14.860 --> 00:34:15.380
 it's all over.

00:34:16.599 --> 00:34:19.440
 Sit down, down and dusted, and then we can

00:34:19.440 --> 00:34:20.260
 go back to sleep again.

00:34:20.679 --> 00:34:25.960
 Sometimes we get involved in evangelism out of

00:34:25.960 --> 00:34:26.699
 a sense of guilt.

00:34:27.980 --> 00:34:29.819
 We sense that Christians should be speaking

00:34:29.819 --> 00:34:33.679
 the gospel and, well, yeah, let's organize it

00:34:33.679 --> 00:34:34.779
 and get on with it.

00:34:37.960 --> 00:34:40.239
 We go for a bare minimum in some ways to

00:34:40.239 --> 00:34:41.079
 solve our conscience.

00:34:42.019 --> 00:34:45.039
 But those things will not exhaust what we're

00:34:45.039 --> 00:34:47.519
 called to here for our agenda is to be

00:34:47.519 --> 00:34:50.320
 missional in outlook, missional in heart.

00:34:51.360 --> 00:34:53.519
 As Christ died for our community.

00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:56.940
 We ought to be overflowing with delight in the

00:34:56.940 --> 00:34:58.000
 gospel, in the Lord Jesus.

00:34:58.380 --> 00:35:00.519
 We ought to be overflowing with desire to

00:35:01.139 --> 00:35:03.380
 gossip that gospel wherever we find ourselves,

00:35:03.460 --> 00:35:06.099
 whether at work or at sports or wherever,

00:35:06.880 --> 00:35:08.119
 buying our groceries or wherever.

00:35:08.119 --> 00:35:11.579
 I was even told this week that when I go to

00:35:11.579 --> 00:35:13.679
 Weewa, I have to go to the barbers.

00:35:13.739 --> 00:35:15.420
 I've never been to the barbers in 40 years.

00:35:15.500 --> 00:35:16.299
 Alison cuts my hair.

00:35:16.339 --> 00:35:17.440
 But I have to go to the barbers,

00:35:17.819 --> 00:35:20.539
 according to Chez, and pay 50 bucks for a haircut

00:35:20.539 --> 00:35:23.519
 because it's a gospel missional environment.

00:35:25.199 --> 00:35:26.539
 I'm still pondering that.

00:35:28.539 --> 00:35:30.799
 Chez might go halves in the cost of that.

00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:33.820
 Or when you see me at Christmas, I might have long hair.

00:35:33.900 --> 00:35:34.280
 I'm not sure.

00:35:34.380 --> 00:35:34.620
 I'll say.

00:35:35.080 --> 00:35:36.500
 I might have dreadlocks or something.

00:35:36.580 --> 00:35:36.800
 We'll say.

00:35:37.680 --> 00:35:39.780
 But we need to be missional wherever we find

00:35:39.780 --> 00:35:42.380
 ourselves, whether it's at the hairdresser or the

00:35:42.380 --> 00:35:44.100
 barber or buying or grocers or wherever.

00:35:48.380 --> 00:35:50.920
 And then we bring those two things together.

00:35:52.120 --> 00:35:55.560
 Gospel gossiping and gospel revealing.

00:35:55.559 --> 00:36:00.299
 We bring those we speak to back into our local community here

00:36:00.299 --> 00:36:04.360
 as a reinforcement of the words we're saying to them.

00:36:07.639 --> 00:36:11.519
 And I'll tell you, that is where the local church is at its best

00:36:11.519 --> 00:36:13.820
 when these two things dovetail.

00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:20.960
 In practice, you see, unbelievers are often attracted

00:36:20.960 --> 00:36:23.539
 to the attractiveness of a community.

00:36:23.539 --> 00:36:27.900
 Before they're attracted to our theology of Jesus.

00:36:29.039 --> 00:36:33.219
 They come into a place like this and they know they're desperate

00:36:33.219 --> 00:36:33.920
 for community.

00:36:34.099 --> 00:36:35.239
 They're desperate for connection.

00:36:35.420 --> 00:36:37.159
 They're desperate for hope in a hopeless world.

00:36:37.779 --> 00:36:40.259
 They're desperate for something different, something substantial.

00:36:41.840 --> 00:36:45.079
 And they may well interact with that as a community first

00:36:45.079 --> 00:36:49.279
 before they then understand the details of the source of that in Christ.

00:36:49.280 --> 00:36:56.120
 And the opposite is also true.

00:36:56.780 --> 00:37:01.840
 In my ministry experience, so many unbelievers I've come across,

00:37:02.080 --> 00:37:06.460
 their first point of rejection has not been the words of Jesus per se,

00:37:07.300 --> 00:37:13.460
 but the lack of consistency in the way they see Christians live.

00:37:13.460 --> 00:37:22.639
 So they reject that before they even start to think about the words of Jesus.

00:37:22.639 --> 00:37:29.980
 So my friends, we need to be bringing these two things together.

00:37:31.980 --> 00:37:39.879
 We need to welcome friends and family and invite them to join our community here.

00:37:39.880 --> 00:37:51.519
 And we need to do that full of confidence that our community as a unit is authentic and compelling and winsome.

00:37:53.380 --> 00:38:03.619
 And we'll actually embellish or endorse what we've been saying to our friends and workmates privately and individually.

00:38:03.619 --> 00:38:15.359
 Nothing will make our impact on society greater when those two things come together really well and really practically.

00:38:17.099 --> 00:38:20.039
 And I can say before you this morning, and I've got to finish on this then,

00:38:20.039 --> 00:38:26.739
 that it's a terrific delight to me, having been here for 23 years,

00:38:27.179 --> 00:38:33.199
 to be able to say with no hesitation at all to anybody I meet wherever,

00:38:33.559 --> 00:38:35.279
 whether it's through email or down the street,

00:38:36.019 --> 00:38:37.340
 I say, just come along.

00:38:38.259 --> 00:38:38.940
 Come and have a look.

00:38:39.320 --> 00:38:39.860
 Have a listen.

00:38:40.099 --> 00:38:40.860
 No questions asked.

00:38:41.199 --> 00:38:43.279
 Just sit, suck it in, look around,

00:38:43.679 --> 00:38:45.920
 and you'll quickly learn what we're all about.

00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:54.519
 I do that into a community that I know is well and truly sinful, like myself.

00:38:55.360 --> 00:38:56.420
 There'll be lots of failings.

00:38:59.780 --> 00:39:05.300
 But I believe this to be a gospel-revealing, gospel-gossiping community.

00:39:05.639 --> 00:39:07.420
 And for that, I'm deeply, deeply thankful.

00:39:07.420 --> 00:39:18.800
 And ultimately, my friends, I think this is a real test of how closely aligned we are to God's agenda.

00:39:18.800 --> 00:39:24.460
 Because the question then to you is,

00:39:24.840 --> 00:39:33.140
 are you happy, keen, willing, confident to invite your friends and family

00:39:33.140 --> 00:39:39.740
 and workmates and sportsmates and whoever else's mates to come along and visit?

00:39:39.739 --> 00:39:51.079
 Are you keen, to go back to the series title,

00:39:51.419 --> 00:39:53.839
 are you keen and confident and saying to your friends,

00:39:53.919 --> 00:40:01.059
 look, come along, come along to our local church for a foretaste of heaven?

00:40:07.299 --> 00:40:09.259
 What a privilege the Lord has put before us.

00:40:09.260 --> 00:40:10.140
 Let's rise to it.

00:40:12.540 --> 00:40:16.240
 Let's struggle all the more to bring these two things together,

00:40:16.340 --> 00:40:18.020
 to be a gospel-revealing community

00:40:18.020 --> 00:40:22.080
 and a gospel-gossiping, missional community.

00:40:25.420 --> 00:40:26.900
 This is God's agenda for us.

00:40:27.620 --> 00:40:32.320
 And ultimately, nothing will secure glory and honor for the Lord more.

00:40:35.480 --> 00:40:36.400
 Let me pray.

00:40:39.260 --> 00:40:54.500
 Lord, we thank you that your commissioning of us is rather simple

00:40:54.500 --> 00:40:59.540
 in terms of your agenda being very clear and precise.

00:40:59.539 --> 00:41:05.719
 that forgive us, Lord, when we've turned away from that agenda,

00:41:06.320 --> 00:41:08.679
 seeking something else of our own preference

00:41:08.679 --> 00:41:12.239
 or being squeezed by our culture.

00:41:12.239 --> 00:41:22.699
 help us, Lord, to be delighted with that notion of our impact as a church here in this community

00:41:22.699 --> 00:41:24.519
 and across the world,

00:41:25.439 --> 00:41:29.099
 being greatest through our being a gospel-revealing community,

00:41:29.519 --> 00:41:32.639
 a community of holiness, unity, and love,

00:41:32.639 --> 00:41:36.059
 word-based, gospel-focused,

00:41:37.199 --> 00:41:38.940
 Holy Spirit-dependent.

00:41:40.619 --> 00:41:42.920
 And help us, Lord, just to overflow with that

00:41:42.920 --> 00:41:46.239
 so that those who come in contact with us might be drawn in

00:41:46.239 --> 00:41:50.519
 and genuinely, through our witness,

00:41:51.279 --> 00:41:53.440
 come to know the Lord Jesus Christ

00:41:53.440 --> 00:41:56.300
 and get a foretaste of heaven.

00:41:57.119 --> 00:41:58.579
 In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

00:41:58.579 --> 00:41:58.659
 Amen.

00:42:01.220 --> 00:42:01.579
 Amen.

00:42:01.579 --> 00:42:01.619
 Amen.

00:42:01.619 --> 00:42:01.679
 Amen.

00:42:01.679 --> 00:42:01.720
 Amen.

00:42:01.720 --> 00:42:01.760
 Amen.

00:42:01.760 --> 00:42:01.800
 Amen.

00:42:01.800 --> 00:42:01.860
 Amen.

00:42:01.860 --> 00:42:01.900
 Amen.

00:42:01.900 --> 00:42:01.920
 Amen.

00:42:01.920 --> 00:42:01.940
 Amen.

00:42:01.940 --> 00:42:02.000
 Amen.

00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:02.059
 Amen.

00:42:02.059 --> 00:42:02.119
 Amen.

00:42:02.119 --> 00:42:02.200
 Amen.

00:42:02.200 --> 00:42:02.260
 Amen.

00:42:02.260 --> 00:42:02.340
 Amen.