WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.620 And I just want to welcome you. My name is Hilary Van Wagenen. I'm one of the pastors here at Church of the Advent. 00:00:06.620 --> 00:00:13.900 And I'm so, so glad you're here this morning. And I would love to meet you if we haven't met. I'll be downstairs after the service. 00:00:14.259 --> 00:00:20.179 There will be coffee. And I just want to invite all of you to come downstairs and have more time to just get to know one another and connect. 00:00:21.240 --> 00:00:21.940 But welcome. 00:00:24.400 --> 00:00:28.760 So this passage this morning, there's this language of kingdom of heaven. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:36.100 And I think our idea of kings and kingdoms is really different from the vision we see in today's gospel reading. 00:00:37.100 --> 00:00:41.920 I think generally Americans tend to react pretty strongly when we hear the words king and kingdom. 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:49.120 As my dear British friend likes to say, you all are celebrating the 250th anniversary of your rebellion this summer. 00:00:50.480 --> 00:00:54.019 Meanwhile, I'm like, we're celebrating our independence. What are you talking about? 00:00:54.020 --> 00:01:01.140 But just think about the recent no kings protests we've been seeing over the past several months throughout the country. 00:01:01.740 --> 00:01:07.600 And whatever side you're on politically, I think these protests reveal something that goes pretty deep in the American psyche. 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:14.020 We tend to be individualists. And we get a little bit twitchy when we think of a king or kingdom being part of a kingdom. 00:01:14.019 --> 00:01:18.979 And again, whoever you voted for, I'm willing to bet this might resonate with you. 00:01:20.259 --> 00:01:21.519 But here's the thing. 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:28.399 For Matthew's audience, living under oppressive Roman rule, the idea of kings and kingdoms was really different. 00:01:28.539 --> 00:01:29.619 They would have heard this differently. 00:01:30.620 --> 00:01:36.640 The idea of being able to live in a different kingdom, of being delivered from their current oppression, 00:01:36.920 --> 00:01:39.140 of having a good king to rule them, 00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:42.120 this was incredibly good news to them. 00:01:43.579 --> 00:01:47.099 And this morning, we're going to talk about why this is good news for us too. 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:49.760 In a city like Washington, D.C. in 2026. 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:54.060 And we'll unpack this concept by answering two questions. 00:01:55.180 --> 00:01:57.079 What does the kingdom of heaven look like? 00:01:57.939 --> 00:02:01.560 And what does it mean to live in the kingdom of heaven? 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:03.939 Would you pray with me? 00:02:03.939 --> 00:02:10.319 Lord, thank you for this invitation this morning by your word. 00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:13.039 We thank you for your word. 00:02:14.359 --> 00:02:15.960 Would you speak through it to us? 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:17.280 Would you teach us this morning? 00:02:20.780 --> 00:02:25.240 Would you be with us, Holy Spirit, to illuminate what you want us to learn? 00:02:27.579 --> 00:02:28.180 Encourage us. 00:02:28.300 --> 00:02:28.919 Convict us. 00:02:29.860 --> 00:02:31.300 Thank you for your presence, Lord. 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:33.199 We just welcome more and more of you. 00:02:33.939 --> 00:02:38.939 And we pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus and under his authority. 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:39.939 Amen. 00:02:42.060 --> 00:02:44.840 So first of all, what does the kingdom of heaven look like? 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:47.859 This is kind of an abstract concept, right? 00:02:48.599 --> 00:02:50.379 So first, just a brief definition. 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:58.180 This phrase, kingdom of heaven, is what Matthew uses to mean the establishment of Jesus' authority and rule throughout the cosmos. 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:03.340 John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard Movement of Churches, defines it this way. 00:03:03.939 --> 00:03:09.199 Jesus is the reign of God to come to claim what is rightfully his. 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:10.599 Let me say that again. 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:15.359 Jesus is the reign of God come to claim what is rightfully his. 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:20.480 So this means coming under the authority and rule of a good king. 00:03:21.100 --> 00:03:22.680 A king who loves us. 00:03:23.020 --> 00:03:24.380 A king who is for us. 00:03:25.060 --> 00:03:25.720 King Jesus. 00:03:25.719 --> 00:03:29.460 And how do we know he's good? 00:03:29.460 --> 00:03:32.000 Why do we need a good king? 00:03:33.060 --> 00:03:36.579 I think the answer starts with this phrase in verse 36. 00:03:37.479 --> 00:03:39.639 He had compassion on them. 00:03:40.919 --> 00:03:41.520 Matthew writes, 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:55.040 So sheep without a shepherd might not mean a ton to us because we don't live in an agrarian society. 00:03:55.580 --> 00:03:59.800 But it's enough to say that when sheep don't have a shepherd, they are a mess. 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:02.219 They serve themselves. 00:04:02.219 --> 00:04:04.240 The results mean disaster. 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:10.520 But before we get too condescending towards sheep, let's just think about our society. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:14.199 Whether we acknowledge it or not, we all follow something. 00:04:15.400 --> 00:04:17.800 And there's a whole online industry built on this. 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:22.000 A world full of influencers who tell you they're the ones who really get it. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:26.420 So just as an example, let's take the concept of looks maxing. 00:04:26.579 --> 00:04:27.480 Have you guys heard of this? 00:04:27.579 --> 00:04:28.220 Looks maxing? 00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:36.939 The looks maxing scale is a tiered rating system used within online self-improvement and manosphere. 00:04:37.220 --> 00:04:39.100 Sorry, I can't say that word without lying. 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:46.240 Manosphere communities to rank facial attractiveness. 00:04:46.939 --> 00:04:49.259 Often employing the PSL. 00:04:49.259 --> 00:04:52.779 PSL is short for perceived sexual levels. 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:55.439 And this is a 1 to 10 metric. 00:04:55.899 --> 00:04:58.939 So 1 is the lowest and 10 is the highest. 00:04:59.159 --> 00:05:04.079 10 is quote unquote sort of, you know, the way they define it is the God tier. 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:08.339 Blessed with perfect facial structure and the golden ratio. 00:05:09.879 --> 00:05:12.099 I'm just saying this is what it said on Google when I Googled it. 00:05:13.480 --> 00:05:17.319 And there are all these YouTube influencers who are having surgery 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:20.500 to adjust their facial structure to get closer to a 10. 00:05:20.579 --> 00:05:25.099 They're banging themselves in the face with hammers to try to like rearrange their cheekbones. 00:05:25.719 --> 00:05:28.099 And there are these AI tools to rate yourself. 00:05:28.219 --> 00:05:29.319 Like what number am I? 00:05:30.060 --> 00:05:31.819 So you know how you need to improve. 00:05:32.819 --> 00:05:34.560 So who's the authority here? 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:35.899 AI? 00:05:36.899 --> 00:05:37.539 The internet? 00:05:37.540 --> 00:05:39.460 The algorithm? 00:05:41.319 --> 00:05:42.379 Sheep without a shepherd? 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:47.980 And maybe you hear this and you say, ah, kids these days. 00:05:48.840 --> 00:05:50.379 And yeah, that is extreme. 00:05:51.080 --> 00:05:52.900 But what are all of us blind to? 00:05:53.860 --> 00:05:54.920 What are we serving? 00:05:56.500 --> 00:05:59.939 Maybe we're working ourselves to death to try to get that promotion. 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:04.340 We're sacrificing our families and our health to make more money. 00:06:04.339 --> 00:06:09.619 Maybe we're slamming a friend behind their back to try to impress someone, 00:06:09.739 --> 00:06:10.679 to try to get a laugh. 00:06:11.879 --> 00:06:13.319 Maybe we drink too much. 00:06:13.919 --> 00:06:14.939 Maybe we eat too much. 00:06:15.019 --> 00:06:16.219 Maybe we shop too much. 00:06:16.620 --> 00:06:20.919 Or maybe we're really self-righteous and condescending because we don't do those other things. 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:26.919 And the point is, this is what happens when the wrong thing has authority in our life. 00:06:27.879 --> 00:06:30.500 This is what being harassed and helpless looks like. 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:32.299 Harassed by what? 00:06:32.300 --> 00:06:35.920 Harassed our own sin by the world, the devil. 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:38.040 And helpless to do what? 00:06:38.740 --> 00:06:40.079 To save ourselves. 00:06:40.939 --> 00:06:42.379 We need a rescue. 00:06:43.180 --> 00:06:43.960 We need a shepherd. 00:06:45.220 --> 00:06:47.740 And into this, Jesus steps. 00:06:48.060 --> 00:06:52.420 He steps into these messy crowds of harassed and helpless people. 00:06:52.819 --> 00:06:55.319 In bondage to brokenness, sin, and trauma. 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:56.900 And he has compassion. 00:06:57.639 --> 00:06:59.360 He steps into our messes. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:01.800 And he says, I am the good shepherd. 00:07:03.960 --> 00:07:09.000 The Greek word for compassion there means he was moved in the depth of his being. 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:11.080 He felt it in his soul. 00:07:12.080 --> 00:07:13.259 He aches at our plight. 00:07:13.259 --> 00:07:16.939 And I want you to note the order here. 00:07:17.939 --> 00:07:23.899 Jesus has compassion while we're stuck in our harassed and helpless state. 00:07:23.899 --> 00:07:29.079 I think a lot of us assume that Jesus is kind of annoyed and angry with us. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.339 Kind of like, oh, you messed up again. 00:07:33.679 --> 00:07:35.259 You made the same mistake again. 00:07:35.319 --> 00:07:36.579 You're still doing that. 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:38.879 You're still having issues. 00:07:39.899 --> 00:07:43.779 But that's not the picture of Jesus we see in Matthew or throughout the Gospels. 00:07:43.779 --> 00:07:50.339 Guys, he has compassion on you and loves you before you realize you're a workaholic. 00:07:50.819 --> 00:07:54.459 He has compassion on you and loves you while you're exploding in anger at someone. 00:07:55.079 --> 00:08:00.259 He has compassion on you and loves you when you wake up in the morning with a hangover because you drank too much. 00:08:00.899 --> 00:08:03.479 And whatever the thing is that you're most ashamed of, 00:08:03.739 --> 00:08:07.239 or the thing you may not even fully be aware that's harming you, 00:08:07.240 --> 00:08:09.139 Jesus sees it fully. 00:08:09.699 --> 00:08:12.160 And he aches with compassion for you. 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.639 And out of that depth of compassion, he goes to work, 00:08:17.280 --> 00:08:21.920 teaching, proclaiming the Gospel, reversing the brokenness of the world. 00:08:23.980 --> 00:08:27.040 And sometimes we joke about the message translation of the Bible 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.259 because it has kind of quirky paraphrasing, 00:08:29.819 --> 00:08:32.759 but I really like the way Eugene Peterson phrases this here. 00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:34.980 He writes, 00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:45.779 So not just physical healing, but healing of the whole person. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:52.480 John Wimber again calls Jesus' ministry power wrapped in love. 00:08:53.420 --> 00:08:54.139 Isn't that beautiful? 00:08:54.680 --> 00:08:56.060 Power wrapped in love. 00:08:57.480 --> 00:09:01.279 And his approach to ministry, this power wrapped in love, 00:09:01.920 --> 00:09:03.279 boils down to three things. 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:07.899 He's proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven starts here and now. 00:09:09.139 --> 00:09:11.500 The Jews thought that the Messiah's entry point 00:09:11.500 --> 00:09:13.539 and establishment of the kingdom of heaven 00:09:13.539 --> 00:09:15.539 was synonymous with the end of the world. 00:09:16.179 --> 00:09:17.959 But Matthew's clarifying that here. 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:22.379 These healings and these deliverances function as foreshadowing 00:09:22.379 --> 00:09:26.000 of the promise of the coming kingdom and redemption. 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:29.459 And in fact, throughout the Gospels and the book of Acts, 00:09:29.460 --> 00:09:32.800 we always see these things working in tandem with one another. 00:09:33.879 --> 00:09:37.759 Teaching and proclaiming with no accompanying physical signs, 00:09:37.920 --> 00:09:40.860 physical reality, that would just be empty words. 00:09:41.820 --> 00:09:46.360 Healings with no preaching and instruction wouldn't have the same meaning. 00:09:47.540 --> 00:09:49.600 Healing in the name of what and why? 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:57.659 And ultimately, Jesus uses healing and deliverance to connect us to himself as the good shepherd. 00:09:57.659 --> 00:10:02.439 The things themselves, these physical signs, aren't the point. 00:10:02.860 --> 00:10:07.740 They're symptoms of the greater reality that Jesus came to bring restoration and wholeness. 00:10:09.659 --> 00:10:12.639 And third, Jesus ministers to the whole person. 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:17.699 Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus both healing and forgiving sins 00:10:17.700 --> 00:10:21.440 in the same episode, in the same act, 00:10:21.920 --> 00:10:26.040 showing that physical brokenness and spiritual darkness are one and the same. 00:10:27.580 --> 00:10:30.879 And I think in our modern era, this is a little bit of a hard concept to grasp. 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:36.660 We tend to kind of separate out like our intellect, our spirit, our emotions, our bodies. 00:10:37.040 --> 00:10:38.780 But that's not what we see in Scripture. 00:10:39.780 --> 00:10:43.820 In Scripture, we see a holistic, fully integrated approach to healing. 00:10:43.820 --> 00:10:50.680 One that starts in the present age, starts now, started with Jesus' incarnation, 00:10:51.320 --> 00:10:54.940 and will be brought to completion in the age to come. 00:10:57.300 --> 00:11:00.060 So the kingdom of heaven is one ruled by a good king. 00:11:00.740 --> 00:11:05.400 One in which we can expect to see the effects of sin and evil reversed 00:11:05.400 --> 00:11:09.340 and brokenness healed in societies and for individuals. 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:12.220 Not only in the future, but in the present. 00:11:12.220 --> 00:11:15.639 And we see this all throughout the Bible, right? 00:11:16.360 --> 00:11:19.740 When we're restored to right relationship with God, we flourish. 00:11:22.180 --> 00:11:28.240 So once that restoration happens, what does it mean to live in the kingdom of heaven? 00:11:29.920 --> 00:11:33.500 Well, number one, it means we get to work alongside Jesus. 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:37.540 When we come to this verse where Jesus says, 00:11:37.539 --> 00:11:40.819 The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 00:11:42.339 --> 00:11:43.740 That's what he's setting up here. 00:11:44.759 --> 00:11:47.079 And the region where Jesus ministered was pretty small. 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:48.779 It was about the size of New Jersey. 00:11:49.699 --> 00:11:52.719 But still, there were more needs than he could meet himself, right? 00:11:53.399 --> 00:11:56.639 Because remember, when Jesus took on humanity, he took on its limits. 00:11:58.120 --> 00:11:59.659 And so when Jesus is saying, 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:02.699 Pray earnestly for workers for the harvest, 00:12:02.700 --> 00:12:05.720 I feel like this is one of those asides in the Gospels. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:08.259 He's kind of trying to get the disciples to clue in. 00:12:08.379 --> 00:12:08.800 He's like, 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:11.040 Where will we find these workers? 00:12:12.360 --> 00:12:14.000 We should pray for them. 00:12:15.160 --> 00:12:20.060 And how many of us decide something is impossible before we pray? 00:12:21.220 --> 00:12:23.960 That co-worker would never listen to me share the gospel. 00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:25.160 They hate Christianity. 00:12:25.159 --> 00:12:29.360 Or this reconciliation with this person is impossible. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:30.240 There's no way. 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:36.059 Or this person's illness is going to debilitate them for the rest of their life. 00:12:36.139 --> 00:12:37.519 There's no way that it will be healed. 00:12:38.899 --> 00:12:43.480 And we immediately slam the door on something that God might want to do. 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:46.079 But Jesus doesn't do that. 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:47.079 He moves to prayer. 00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:51.819 And not just by himself, but he invites his companions into prayer. 00:12:51.820 --> 00:12:51.900 He doesn't despair. 00:12:52.780 --> 00:12:53.960 He doesn't despair. 00:12:54.460 --> 00:12:55.540 He doesn't grieve. 00:12:56.300 --> 00:12:58.879 He looks at them and asks them to pray. 00:12:59.060 --> 00:13:01.200 And the fruit of that prayer is participation. 00:13:04.480 --> 00:13:09.300 So the first workers for the harvest are the disciples, the twelve. 00:13:10.379 --> 00:13:12.260 And they're sent to the lost sheep of Israel. 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:13.080 Now why is that? 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.880 Because Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets. 00:13:16.520 --> 00:13:19.660 So first the disciples are sent to the lost sheep of Israel. 00:13:19.659 --> 00:13:26.219 But very quickly in Matthew 28, we see Jesus extending this call and commission to the whole world. 00:13:27.579 --> 00:13:33.039 And it's noteworthy that Jesus summons his disciples and he gives them authority. 00:13:34.319 --> 00:13:36.039 And even in this he models. 00:13:36.219 --> 00:13:41.139 He says in John 5, I can only do what I see my father doing. 00:13:42.120 --> 00:13:44.220 The call is the same for his disciples. 00:13:45.839 --> 00:13:48.319 This question of kingdom authority really matters. 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:50.120 Remember John Wimber's quote, 00:13:50.280 --> 00:13:52.000 Jesus is the reign of God. 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:54.600 Come to claim what is rightfully his. 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:58.840 And this language of kingdom and kingship is all over the Bible. 00:13:59.680 --> 00:14:01.660 Think about what Paul writes in Colossians. 00:14:02.360 --> 00:14:08.860 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son. 00:14:10.020 --> 00:14:12.060 And these spiritual kingdoms are real. 00:14:12.420 --> 00:14:13.860 They're not just metaphorical. 00:14:14.600 --> 00:14:15.740 There's no middle kingdom. 00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:18.600 It's the kingdom of light or the kingdom of darkness. 00:14:19.740 --> 00:14:21.759 And you can't have a foot in both. 00:14:23.539 --> 00:14:30.379 So the question is, does Jesus' transference of authority to his disciples apply to us too? 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:32.440 Absolutely. 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:38.600 When you have the Holy Spirit, Jesus' power and authority are at work in you. 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:44.720 In fact, Jesus says in John 14, whoever believes in me will do greater works than I do. 00:14:45.259 --> 00:14:46.899 Because I am going to the Father. 00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:54.820 Because Jesus equips and empowers the church, his gospel can spread throughout the whole earth. 00:14:57.320 --> 00:15:01.759 So there are five implications I want to draw out about working alongside Jesus. 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:04.460 The first is this. 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:07.340 We have nothing except what we've been given. 00:15:08.419 --> 00:15:12.340 And everything we do flows from the imitation of Jesus Christ. 00:15:13.319 --> 00:15:15.939 The initiative rests entirely with Jesus. 00:15:16.659 --> 00:15:17.659 He makes the decisions. 00:15:18.220 --> 00:15:19.460 He issues the call. 00:15:19.460 --> 00:15:23.560 So let's just think for a minute about what Matthew doesn't say. 00:15:24.139 --> 00:15:26.320 When he lists the disciples, he doesn't say, 00:15:27.300 --> 00:15:30.920 and then Peter was chosen because Peter was super eloquent and educated. 00:15:31.340 --> 00:15:34.700 And then Matthew was chosen because he was really intelligent. 00:15:35.100 --> 00:15:36.620 No, he doesn't list any of that stuff. 00:15:36.680 --> 00:15:38.980 He doesn't talk about credentials or CVs. 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:39.660 Why? 00:15:40.400 --> 00:15:41.720 Because there aren't any. 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:47.420 The guys were totally unworthy in the eyes of the world. 00:15:48.800 --> 00:15:51.060 And we're unworthy too, but it doesn't matter. 00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:52.519 Because we have the Lord Jesus. 00:15:52.940 --> 00:15:54.019 We have the Holy Spirit. 00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:56.180 What matters is Jesus' will. 00:15:58.899 --> 00:16:00.160 And so we have this. 00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:03.980 And secondly, that means we have to be in a posture of complete dependence. 00:16:05.220 --> 00:16:08.720 And that's the meaning of these directions towards the end of the passage we read about 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:10.000 just take one cloak. 00:16:10.580 --> 00:16:11.700 Don't take any money. 00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:14.460 Because we've been given so abundantly. 00:16:14.820 --> 00:16:16.820 Then freely we give too, right? 00:16:18.680 --> 00:16:20.700 So friends, we need to actually pray. 00:16:21.060 --> 00:16:26.879 We need to ask the Lord to place us in situations and places where we have no choice but to rely on him. 00:16:27.259 --> 00:16:31.340 Because that is when his glory and power are displayed most fully. 00:16:33.019 --> 00:16:35.160 I mean, it's a scary prayer to pray, right? 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:38.779 But what would it mean if we started to pray that as a church? 00:16:38.779 --> 00:16:48.179 We need to learn to listen to him and follow him, even in situations that seem impossible or unlikely. 00:16:48.179 --> 00:16:59.500 Third, we're responsible for how we proclaim the gospel, but we're not responsible for whether someone receives it. 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:02.099 That responsibility rests with the Lord. 00:17:02.100 --> 00:17:07.299 Remember, we're called to speak and act with power wrapped in love. 00:17:07.299 --> 00:17:16.799 And number four, have you ever considered that you might be the answer to someone's prayer? 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:25.659 Have you considered that those of us sitting in this room are the answers to the prayer Jesus asked his followers to pray? 00:17:25.660 --> 00:17:31.480 That we're stepping into that cloud of witnesses as workers for the harvest field? 00:17:32.300 --> 00:17:35.960 That those prayers prayed two millennia ago are still being answered? 00:17:37.060 --> 00:17:42.960 Revelation 5 gives us this awesome image of golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:44.300 Isn't that amazing? 00:17:44.500 --> 00:17:48.640 Every prayer prayed throughout history is recorded in heaven. 00:17:49.060 --> 00:17:51.380 It's collected in the throne room of God. 00:17:51.940 --> 00:17:54.500 How would you live and work and pray if you believed that? 00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:56.319 Your prayers matter. 00:17:58.940 --> 00:18:08.880 And number five, in joining Jesus in his work, the disciples and we are joining him in this task of shepherding 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:14.339 and writing the places where sin and death and decay have held sway. 00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:17.500 So what does that mean? 00:18:18.180 --> 00:18:20.960 Well, it means every kind of restoration. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:25.680 It means that proclaiming the kingdom is linked to wholeness. 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:33.920 That through us, Jesus can bring wholeness to people's bodies and minds that have been marred by illness in the fall. 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:37.200 It means that death is not the final word. 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:45.900 It means that through us, people who are outcasts, who are untouchable and marginalized, can be invited in to family and community. 00:18:47.620 --> 00:18:51.400 And it means that by the authority of Jesus, we can drive out demons. 00:18:52.180 --> 00:18:55.559 Satan has no authority compared to that of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:18:56.080 --> 00:19:01.319 St. Paul writes that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 00:19:01.799 --> 00:19:03.039 And that includes the demonic. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:08.259 In fact, we see in the gospels that demons always know who Jesus is. 00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:09.659 And they're terrified of him. 00:19:10.259 --> 00:19:11.359 And they should be. 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:20.879 Because his authority and greatness are so far above any other power throughout the universe. 00:19:20.880 --> 00:19:27.900 And I think it's a reasonable question as we're talking about this. 00:19:28.660 --> 00:19:35.000 If these things are true, then why is my life and why is the world still broken? 00:19:37.620 --> 00:19:40.400 Another John Wimber analogy I find helpful is D-Day. 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:47.040 So when the allies stormed the beaches at D-Day, that assured victory in World War II. 00:19:48.180 --> 00:19:54.759 But there was still another 11 months of fighting before victory was finally declared, before the war was over. 00:19:58.180 --> 00:20:02.700 Jesus' incarnation, his death, and his resurrection were D-Day. 00:20:02.700 --> 00:20:09.180 Jesus established the kingdom of heaven and broke the power of death and hell and Satan. 00:20:10.340 --> 00:20:13.759 Satan is a defeated foe, just like Nazi Germany. 00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:19.340 But right now, we're still in that in-between time. 00:20:20.420 --> 00:20:24.819 And that means we still have to contend with the world, the flesh, the devil, with brokenness. 00:20:24.819 --> 00:20:28.919 That means we still suffer pain and loss. 00:20:31.159 --> 00:20:38.079 And even those who are miraculously healed in the present day, people who are miraculously healed in Jesus' time, 00:20:38.899 --> 00:20:40.419 will one day grow old and die. 00:20:40.619 --> 00:20:41.619 Think about Lazarus. 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:43.579 Lazarus was raised from the dead. 00:20:43.819 --> 00:20:47.700 Jesus works this incredibly powerful resurrection of Lazarus. 00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:50.720 But he got old and died a second time, right? 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:53.960 But that's not the final word. 00:20:53.960 --> 00:21:01.539 Because Jesus conquered death on the cross, and one day, we will stand in that heavenly city that he has prepared for us, 00:21:02.120 --> 00:21:06.079 finally and fully healed, alive forever. 00:21:06.420 --> 00:21:08.400 And we will see him face to face. 00:21:11.319 --> 00:21:16.960 But until that day, this passage shows us that we can live with hope. 00:21:18.660 --> 00:21:21.460 Friends, we are all called to share the gospel. 00:21:21.460 --> 00:21:24.840 We're all called to pray for healing. 00:21:25.259 --> 00:21:29.480 Because we're all called to image Christ to a hurting and broken world. 00:21:31.319 --> 00:21:37.059 And because Jesus has established his kingdom, we can expect that he will work. 00:21:37.059 --> 00:21:45.440 So we pray in the name of Jesus and with his authority for healing and wholeness in our lives, 00:21:46.440 --> 00:21:48.740 and the lives of our friends and family, of our neighbors. 00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:53.759 We pray for healing and wholeness in our neighborhood, for healing and wholeness in our city, 00:21:54.220 --> 00:21:55.940 in our nation, in the world. 00:21:55.940 --> 00:22:04.480 Francis McNutt, one of my favorite prayer and deliverance teachers, used to like to quote Wayne Gretzky, hockey legend, 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:07.440 when he talked about whether we should pray for healing. 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:11.960 He used to say, you miss 100% of shots you don't take. 00:22:12.980 --> 00:22:13.740 It's true. 00:22:13.740 --> 00:22:19.839 So speaking of taking shots, was anybody watching the NBA finals? 00:22:20.339 --> 00:22:20.900 Yes, thank you. 00:22:20.980 --> 00:22:21.680 I see some hands. 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:22.460 I appreciate that. 00:22:23.900 --> 00:22:28.660 So you might have seen the fourth game when there were just a few seconds on the clock, 00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:33.299 the Knicks were down, and Jalen Brunson takes the ball all the way up. 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:36.980 He shoots a three, and it bounces out, right? 00:22:36.980 --> 00:22:44.420 But then out of nowhere, his teammate, O.G. Ananobi, comes in and tips the ball in, and the Knicks win. 00:22:45.079 --> 00:22:46.940 It was awesome, right? 00:22:48.140 --> 00:22:50.440 And we've heard people tossing this around. 00:22:50.980 --> 00:22:52.279 The Knicks are a team of destiny. 00:22:52.559 --> 00:22:53.700 Look how they've come from behind. 00:22:54.440 --> 00:22:55.279 Look how they've won. 00:22:55.960 --> 00:22:57.660 You know who else is a team of destiny? 00:22:58.059 --> 00:23:01.240 The Holy Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a team of destiny. 00:23:01.740 --> 00:23:02.640 It's true. 00:23:03.579 --> 00:23:04.019 Amen. 00:23:04.019 --> 00:23:08.639 And if we see an opening, Jesus is asking us to take the shot. 00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:11.019 But you're not taking it by yourself. 00:23:11.139 --> 00:23:12.980 You've got teammates surrounding you. 00:23:14.039 --> 00:23:18.920 As Pastor Thomas often says, the church is God's plan A for the world. 00:23:20.019 --> 00:23:21.319 And there is no plan B. 00:23:22.619 --> 00:23:25.200 This is what being part of the kingdom of heaven means. 00:23:28.039 --> 00:23:30.980 So in closing, we're going to do something a little bit different this morning. 00:23:30.980 --> 00:23:36.740 I want to go ahead and invite our prayer ministers to come forward to the front and our worship team. 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:40.380 And we're going to have an extended time of prayer. 00:23:41.180 --> 00:23:44.299 And our worship team is going to play music. 00:23:45.059 --> 00:23:47.120 And we're going to have some prompts on the screen. 00:23:47.860 --> 00:23:50.660 And you're welcome to sit with these prompts. 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:54.400 You're welcome to whatever the Lord is stirring up in you. 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:55.360 You're welcome to pray. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:58.319 You can come forward to receive prayer. 00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:00.700 You can pray at your seat. 00:24:02.519 --> 00:24:08.599 But consider what God is saying both to us as individuals and to us as a church. 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:17.899 And then after about 15 or 20 minutes, I'll come up and we'll close this time with a confession. 00:24:17.900 --> 00:24:26.400 So would you join together in prayer with me? 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:34.100 Come Holy Spirit. 00:24:37.600 --> 00:24:38.600 We welcome you. 00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:40.360 Come Holy Spirit. 00:24:40.360 --> 00:24:40.400 Come Holy Spirit. 00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:40.400 00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:40.400