WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.839 Okay, so we're going to return to Romans chapter 5 where we were unread from Scripture. 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:11.919 It's a standalone sermon today and we'll be, I think, for a number of weeks in the morning 00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:14.720 as we go into the summer. 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:21.879 Now you may look at a section like this and I don't know what you think when you read 00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:23.039 a section like this. 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:29.199 Maybe you pick out words or maybe you think about certain things in the passage that are 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:36.000 definitely some key words in this passage, rejoicing, hope. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:41.039 There are some, the kind of ordinary words, rejoicing, hope, perseverance, peace. 00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:49.759 There's also some Bible kind of words in it, reconciliation, not entirely a Bible word, 00:00:49.759 --> 00:00:54.760 and words like that that come through this passage. 00:00:54.759 --> 00:00:59.920 And what Paul is doing here under the guidance of God's Spirit is that he is setting out fundamental 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:06.000 truths in the letter to the Romans, fundamental truths of the gospel to a young church, the 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.840 young church in Rome that he'd never visited by this point. 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:12.599 But he did know a lot of the people through his various journeys. 00:01:12.599 --> 00:01:19.239 He knew a lot of the battles and the struggles that these young Christians had, not necessarily 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:22.759 young in age, but they hadn't been Christians long. 00:01:22.760 --> 00:01:28.400 And he also knew about the transformed lives that they enjoyed through meeting and coming 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:31.280 to know and trusting in Jesus. 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:36.640 And he could therefore speak into their situation, even though he'd never been there, because 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:38.520 it was the same as every church. 00:01:38.520 --> 00:01:41.880 It was the same as every New Testament church. 00:01:41.880 --> 00:01:44.320 And also it's the same as every church today. 00:01:44.320 --> 00:01:46.520 It's no different. 00:01:46.520 --> 00:01:52.600 The basic characteristics of Christian life aren't any different than as they are now. 00:01:52.599 --> 00:01:58.640 The situations are different, cultures different, scenarios are different, but the human need, 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:05.599 the human hearts, the human struggles are all the same as is the divine answer to us. 00:02:05.599 --> 00:02:10.439 So he shared with them in all the gospels, he shared God's truth and applied it to their 00:02:10.439 --> 00:02:11.439 lives. 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:13.759 That's what Romans is like. 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:21.000 And we need to recognize the same principles that work in our lives spiritually. 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:26.120 We want to be rooted in the truths that enable us to keep going. 00:02:26.120 --> 00:02:30.919 And so that's the title of my sermon this morning, which is, how can we keep going? 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:33.439 How is it that we keep going as Christians? 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:37.360 I'll speak a little bit more into that in a moment. 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:44.719 But it's primarily, you know, we're faced, you know, the Davies is up today and the Watson's 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:48.080 will be leaving soon, both working and preaching here. 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.800 And we've also had, there's many other people leaving. 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:54.240 How can we cope with so much change? 00:02:54.240 --> 00:02:58.400 I'm sorry if you're listening today and you're not part of the congregation, you're visiting 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:03.920 or you're online and you're from Campbelltown, you may think, oh, this is a very focused 00:03:03.920 --> 00:03:05.280 sermon for St. Clummas. 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:11.600 But as I've just said, Paul spoke to the Roman church with the truth of the gospel. 00:03:11.600 --> 00:03:15.800 And so I'm hoping that while it applies to us, it will also apply to everyone who is 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:18.080 here today by God's grace and God's spirit. 00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:20.240 How can we keep going? 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:21.760 That's a really significant question. 00:03:21.760 --> 00:03:26.080 It's been a very hard 18 months for us, hasn't it, in so many ways. 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:29.600 And life has changed at a general level because of the pandemic. 00:03:29.600 --> 00:03:32.520 And I think it's changed forever. 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:34.800 And you're probably sick and tired of hearing about it. 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:37.080 Every sermon you hear always ends up talking about the pandemic. 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:38.520 I don't really want to do that. 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:40.840 But we can't escape from it either, can we? 00:03:40.840 --> 00:03:44.400 It's such a big part of life just now. 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:45.400 And it's there. 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:51.159 Personally, maybe something that's been a big challenge and a big difficulty for you. 00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:54.719 For many of us, it's been manageable. 00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:59.800 But it has still taken an unmeasurable toll on our lives. 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:00.800 It's changed everything. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:02.520 I know I'm changed because of it. 00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:05.840 There's no doubt about that. 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:07.920 I think I'm still working out what that looks like. 00:04:07.920 --> 00:04:09.480 I'm reflecting on that. 00:04:09.480 --> 00:04:13.360 Maybe it's my and maybe it's our priorities that have changed. 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:18.199 Maybe it's our relationship with time that has changed. 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:23.160 Maybe it's the thought of commitments and moving into commitments again that we're concerned 00:04:23.160 --> 00:04:25.639 or anxious about. 00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:29.600 We've found a comfort zone that we really don't want to move from. 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:31.000 Maybe we've lost our confidence. 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:32.280 Maybe it's shattered. 00:04:32.280 --> 00:04:37.920 So there's lots of ways in which we've been changed personally in these last 18 months. 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:39.720 I have no doubt about that. 00:04:39.720 --> 00:04:44.080 And things have changed for us in our gospel community here in St. Columbus over that time. 00:04:44.080 --> 00:04:45.720 It's been a really tough time. 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:51.480 Tough time in minister and a tough time to be minister too in the congregation. 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:55.600 And now our full-time ministry team is about to come to an end. 00:04:55.600 --> 00:05:00.000 And it's been a fruitful and a blessed partnership. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:03.880 We've had three years with Thomas and the family and that's passed in an instance. 00:05:03.880 --> 00:05:04.880 It's been too short. 00:05:04.880 --> 00:05:05.880 It seems like yesterday. 00:05:05.880 --> 00:05:07.720 And that's very hard. 00:05:07.720 --> 00:05:11.040 It's very difficult to deal with. 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:17.480 And that alongside losing, I think it's probably now up to about 40 people this summer. 00:05:17.480 --> 00:05:20.200 Some have already gone and some will be going. 00:05:20.200 --> 00:05:22.680 That's a huge, that's at least a quarter of the congregation. 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:26.400 That's a big family to be losing at one time. 00:05:26.400 --> 00:05:28.160 It's a huge challenge. 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:36.000 And maybe those of us who are still here, who are left, I say, how can we keep going? 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:37.839 How can we keep going again? 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:40.040 I know I've asked that question. 00:05:40.040 --> 00:05:45.480 You know, as we build relationships, as we love people, as we lean on them, as we rely 00:05:45.480 --> 00:05:53.120 on them, as we learn from them, it is difficult and so we feel left behind. 00:05:53.120 --> 00:05:59.959 I don't mean that dispensationally for those of you with an ecclesiastical bent in your 00:05:59.959 --> 00:06:07.159 humour, but I mean that there's that sense sometimes, you know how it is, isn't it? 00:06:07.159 --> 00:06:11.039 It can feel a bit, well, dull to be left behind. 00:06:11.039 --> 00:06:15.599 I always remember, it's not quite the same, but you should remember coming home from summer, 00:06:15.599 --> 00:06:21.639 free church camps, 10 days of absolute mayhem and enjoyment and sleeplessness and fun and 00:06:21.639 --> 00:06:25.639 football and everything else that made life just brilliant, people of your own age and 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:26.639 everything. 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:32.319 And then you came home and it was just your mum and dad in the house. 00:06:32.319 --> 00:06:38.120 And it was so boring and so dull to be back into ordinary life again. 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:42.639 It seemed like you wanted to live in camp existence forever, poor leaders, it must have 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:44.199 been a nightmare for them. 00:06:44.199 --> 00:06:45.759 I know that. 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:53.199 And it's slightly different, but nonetheless it feels like that a little bit, you know, 00:06:53.199 --> 00:07:01.240 you're left behind and it's not just the fact that the Thomas' are, the Davis is even, 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:06.159 sorry, Thomas, the Davis' are leaving and everyone else, but we've lost people who've 00:07:06.159 --> 00:07:10.639 been taken home this summer and this year from the congregation, people that we love 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:15.800 down close to us, Elizabeth and Ivan, and we recognise that loss and there's a great 00:07:15.800 --> 00:07:18.719 challenge for us. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:23.920 A great challenge of building a new community, serving, weakening and weak out, opening our 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:28.280 homes and our hearts again, getting used to new voices in the pulpit, taking part in all 00:07:28.280 --> 00:07:32.160 the organisational steps that lead out of the pandemic. 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:35.920 And along with all that, we see what's happening in society. 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:40.280 A lot of, maybe we struggle with the opposition and the increasing opposition and hostility 00:07:40.280 --> 00:07:45.080 to the Christian faith, that credibility gap that seems to be there between where people 00:07:45.079 --> 00:07:49.839 are at and where we would love them to be if they would come to know Jesus. 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:54.800 Maybe we sense unanswered prayers, lack of evidence of God at work and we're weary of 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:55.800 all that. 00:07:55.800 --> 00:07:58.399 So how do we keep going? 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:03.360 Well, it all adds up to suffering, doesn't it? 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:04.799 And suffering is a reality. 00:08:04.799 --> 00:08:07.879 It talks about suffering in verse 3 and we're going to come back to that. 00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:08.879 But it's difficult. 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:14.199 And even for those who are leaving, it's difficult because there's excitement and there's hope 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:15.839 and there's something new. 00:08:15.839 --> 00:08:20.599 But there's also, I'm sure, a lot of trepidation and moving up into the unknown. 00:08:20.599 --> 00:08:27.199 So that Paul's remedy is the same then, same now as it was then. 00:08:27.199 --> 00:08:30.039 What does he, so what am I focusing on? 00:08:30.039 --> 00:08:37.519 What he says in verse 2, he says, through him, through Christ, we have also obtained 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:41.759 access by faith into this grace in which we stand. 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:47.439 So I've not got anything new to say this morning, but we stand in grace. 00:08:47.439 --> 00:08:51.279 That's what we're going to do and that's what we're going to keep doing. 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:56.679 It's kind of the same thought as you get from Ephesians 3 verse 17, which is going to come 00:08:56.679 --> 00:08:57.679 up. 00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:05.960 And it's one we know well and it's one that's connected to our discipleship model. 00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:09.720 I pray that you being rooted and established in love may have power together with all of 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:14.360 the Lord's holy people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. 00:09:14.360 --> 00:09:18.080 And you remember that picture that we had for our discipleship team? 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:21.399 Rooted and living in Christ from Jeremiah 17. 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:26.320 And that's really the same thing he's saying, stand in grace, stand in that place. 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:30.360 Now, I may be rooted in the power of love. 00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:34.960 Now, some of you are pretty young here, weren't alive in 1984, but there's a very famous song 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:40.519 in 1984 called The Power of Love by Jennifer Rush. 00:09:40.519 --> 00:09:45.360 And it was number one, I think, probably for longer than any other song in a million years. 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:49.960 But I was looking up and it was also sung by Celine Dion. 00:09:49.960 --> 00:09:57.240 And in the YouTube version of Celine Dion's singing of that song, Power of Love, there 00:09:57.240 --> 00:10:03.600 are five billion views, five billion views of that. 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:08.519 And that's not, I mean, it's an awful song. 00:10:08.519 --> 00:10:12.920 It's not just the song. 00:10:12.920 --> 00:10:18.120 It's what it's, you know, it's the message that attracts people, because people know 00:10:18.120 --> 00:10:25.720 that love is a priceless commodity, that it's hugely powerful. 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:30.759 Even in ordinary human terms, if there isn't that love, we know that evil flourishes. 00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:37.279 Obviously opposite of love in their societies is neglect and abuse and greed and the absence 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.840 of humanity and all of this good. 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:45.080 But we need to remind that it's not just working up within ourselves a sense of love that's 00:10:45.080 --> 00:10:46.439 just merely human. 00:10:46.439 --> 00:10:51.039 It's that great and unique gift from God in our lives. 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:52.879 Look at that in verse five. 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:57.759 It says, Our hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out into 00:10:57.759 --> 00:11:02.159 our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 00:11:02.159 --> 00:11:04.519 That's the power of love that we have. 00:11:04.519 --> 00:11:10.039 It's God's power that's in our lives and in our hearts that we will stand in. 00:11:10.039 --> 00:11:12.360 We stand in that grace. 00:11:12.360 --> 00:11:17.759 And verses six to 11 in the passage that we read goes on to explain that in terms of Jesus 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:22.919 and the gospel and the cross and His death and His resurrection and the life He brings. 00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:24.720 That is what we have. 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:27.519 We are reconciled to God. 00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:30.480 We are brought into His company. 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:37.360 We are made right with God through Jesus Christ and it is because He loves us and He 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:39.800 has given Himself for us. 00:11:39.800 --> 00:11:40.879 That's the glory of God. 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:42.680 You wonder what the glory of God is? 00:11:42.680 --> 00:11:43.680 That's the glory. 00:11:43.680 --> 00:11:45.360 A Christ nailed to the cross. 00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:48.080 That's the glory of God. 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:51.560 That is where God's glory is most clearly seen. 00:11:51.560 --> 00:11:53.000 It's not in the holy place. 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:54.440 It's not in the tabernacle. 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:57.480 It's not anywhere else but on the cross. 00:11:57.480 --> 00:12:04.000 That's where God the Father works out our salvation through God the Son and the power 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:08.040 of the Holy Spirit. 00:12:08.040 --> 00:12:15.240 And that being rooted and established in love, standing in grace, what does it give us? 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:19.480 So what does it give us at a time of change and a time of difficulty? 00:12:19.480 --> 00:12:22.720 Well it gives us unexpected peace, doesn't it? 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:23.720 Verse one and two. 00:12:23.720 --> 00:12:27.600 And therefore, since we have a justified by faith, we have peace with God through our 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:29.800 Lord Jesus Christ. 00:12:29.800 --> 00:12:33.680 Peace with God through faith in Him. 00:12:33.680 --> 00:12:34.920 And it's not a blind faith. 00:12:34.920 --> 00:12:40.040 It's faith in the living person of Jesus and His work and in what is revealed in His work. 00:12:40.040 --> 00:12:43.360 And that goes deep into our soul. 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:52.360 It trusts Him even with the deepest questions that we find are not answered. 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:57.000 So we ask for more faith because when we have more faith, which is a gift, we will know 00:12:57.000 --> 00:12:59.560 more peace in our hearts. 00:12:59.560 --> 00:13:06.159 And can I say that that peace is, if you know it, you'll know it because it's counterintuitive. 00:13:06.159 --> 00:13:08.000 It's not just ordinary peace. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:13.399 In other words, I often worry that as Christians we become complacent. 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:15.159 You know, I've got God's peace in my heart. 00:13:15.159 --> 00:13:16.159 Everything's okay. 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:17.159 It's not like that. 00:13:17.159 --> 00:13:25.799 It's not a complacency, but it's knowing that you can't change the world. 00:13:25.799 --> 00:13:31.719 And by grace and with faith, it's knowing you can change your world. 00:13:31.719 --> 00:13:33.600 That's this peace. 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:37.799 It says, you know, we would love to change the world, wouldn't we? 00:13:37.799 --> 00:13:42.799 We're frustrated by all the things we can't change, all the circumstances that are beyond 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:43.799 our control. 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:51.000 It says, my peace I give you is saying that I'm sovereign, but I give you the power to 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:54.919 change your world, the power of the Spirit. 00:13:54.919 --> 00:14:00.759 Means we can wrestle with God about the things that confuse and frustrate and anger us in 00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:05.279 this miserable existence that sometimes it is for us. 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:10.799 And we trust that even though it doesn't look like it, God knows what He's doing. 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:12.439 That's what the peace is. 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:16.160 And it also gives us perspective in our suffering. 00:14:16.160 --> 00:14:20.600 So we come back to that word because I kind of introduced the sermon today in that context. 00:14:20.600 --> 00:14:27.080 We might not have thought of it directly as suffering change, but nonetheless, he goes 00:14:27.080 --> 00:14:35.600 on to say in chapter 5, in verse 3, not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings knowing 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:42.840 that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope. 00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:47.480 So it gives us this standing rooted in grace. 00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:53.320 Standing in grace gives us a perspective on suffering that reminds us it's not random. 00:14:53.320 --> 00:15:01.600 It's certainly not easy, but that in it God has a purpose both globally, locally and personally. 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:06.560 And as a church, God has a purpose for all the change that's happening, for those that 00:15:06.560 --> 00:15:11.320 we are losing, and for all the cost that we feel about that. 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:16.879 And remember, He's not only working in our lives as we lose so many, He's working in 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:19.440 the lives of all those who are leaving. 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:21.240 You know, He's carrying on working in them. 00:15:21.240 --> 00:15:25.680 And we want just to rejoice in that and be part of that. 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:34.439 And we recognize that Christ wants access to our hearts in all our suffering and in 00:15:34.439 --> 00:15:36.039 all our battle. 00:15:36.039 --> 00:15:40.599 And when we give Him access and when we take our suffering and the questions, how can we 00:15:40.599 --> 00:15:46.839 go on to Him, He turns that and changes that. 00:15:46.839 --> 00:15:48.799 And He enables us, what does He say? 00:15:48.799 --> 00:15:52.839 He enables us to have perseverance. 00:15:52.840 --> 00:15:58.160 So that's what I'm saying today, through God, that how can we go on in the suffering and 00:15:58.160 --> 00:15:59.160 the struggles? 00:15:59.160 --> 00:16:03.680 Well, as we take it to God, He will help us persevere and we'll go again. 00:16:03.680 --> 00:16:05.759 St. Columbus will go again. 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:07.360 That's what we'll do. 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:12.800 We'll start again and we'll grow and we'll build and we'll lose people again and we'll 00:16:12.800 --> 00:16:18.720 go again and we'll plant churches again and we'll persevere until He takes us home because 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:20.720 that's what we do. 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:24.560 Suffering's okay, suffering's okay, loss is okay. 00:16:24.560 --> 00:16:29.040 Go back to Him daily because it's not about fortitude. 00:16:29.040 --> 00:16:35.160 It's not just about a sort of stoic attitude. 00:16:35.160 --> 00:16:39.639 It's going back to Him for the strength in order to persevere. 00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:46.519 I know, at 31 years of ministry, I would have crashed and burned every single day without 00:16:46.519 --> 00:16:47.800 going to the source. 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:51.799 And I did crash and burn when I didn't and when we don't. 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:53.719 We know that, don't we? 00:16:53.719 --> 00:16:55.719 He alone enables us to persevere. 00:16:55.719 --> 00:16:56.719 He gives us strength. 00:16:56.719 --> 00:16:58.719 That's what He says. 00:16:58.719 --> 00:17:01.959 That strength, it's supernatural. 00:17:01.959 --> 00:17:06.839 And He gives us character and that's tremendous, isn't it? 00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:11.119 These three things, He sucks, but perseverance, strength and character. 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:14.119 And we know that even people who are not Christians, people who don't believe in God 00:17:14.119 --> 00:17:19.519 or who don't believe in anything beyond themselves, people know, isn't it, that we'd never really 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:24.799 grow in our character without suffering, without battles, without opposition. 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:28.359 You know, that's the principle of life, you know? 00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:30.319 Ask any athlete. 00:17:30.319 --> 00:17:33.199 Ask anyone who's achieved in life where they've got to. 00:17:33.199 --> 00:17:39.839 They will talk about sufferings that built character from a human point of view. 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:43.199 And then the Bible will say, you learn more in the house of mourning than you do in the 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:44.840 house of feasting. 00:17:44.840 --> 00:17:47.039 So God uses that. 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:49.759 He uses it as we learn about ourselves. 00:17:49.759 --> 00:17:54.160 He teaches it about ourselves and about Himself. 00:17:54.160 --> 00:18:01.720 So the difference between merely surviving in a human point of view and persevering and 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:05.519 building character from a Christian point of view is that it's not just about self-reliance, 00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:08.799 not about, you know, finding the inner strength. 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:14.639 It's not just about that, which can be remarkable, the human ability to strongly keep going can 00:18:14.639 --> 00:18:15.639 be remarkable. 00:18:15.639 --> 00:18:17.319 It's not, but it's not just that. 00:18:17.319 --> 00:18:19.039 It's not just gritting your teeth. 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:24.720 It's not just stoic or medicinal or survivalist until heaven. 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:26.680 It's different from that. 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:31.720 It's a perseverance, a strength and a character, and with this I finish. 00:18:31.720 --> 00:18:34.639 It includes rejoicing and hope. 00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:39.280 That's what makes it different from just gritting our teeth and keeping on going. 00:18:39.280 --> 00:18:41.000 That's what makes it miraculous. 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:45.440 And that's what enables us today to say, how can we keep going? 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:50.440 Not only because He gives us strength and will change our character, but He will enable 00:18:50.440 --> 00:18:52.960 us in it to rejoice in hope. 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:57.600 So this small section has rejoicing three times. 00:18:57.600 --> 00:19:03.460 Through Him we have access, having also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we 00:19:03.460 --> 00:19:07.400 stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:10.640 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings. 00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:16.079 And then on to verse 11, more than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:18.519 Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation. 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:21.840 That is unique to the Christian life. 00:19:21.840 --> 00:19:27.160 Not just rejoicing in general, but rejoicing in suffering because we know why. 00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:33.759 Why? Well, we might not know why, but we know who in all. 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:39.480 It's grounded in this recognition of what Christ has already done for us and that we 00:19:39.480 --> 00:19:42.360 have been raised to life in Him, never to die. 00:19:42.360 --> 00:19:49.960 That gives us a perspective that only the Christian can enjoy and see by faith. 00:19:49.960 --> 00:19:53.519 It's not that our rejoicing, therefore, is circumstantial. 00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:56.279 We don't have all the answers. 00:19:56.279 --> 00:19:59.720 We don't know. 00:19:59.720 --> 00:20:03.240 But our suffering is not in vain and it's not empty. 00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:06.319 And we have a relational hope, don't we, in Christ? 00:20:06.319 --> 00:20:09.519 You know, if you start a new job and you've got new colleagues, for example, as Thomas 00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:14.720 will have shortly, maybe not so many colleagues in terms of a team, but you'll start a new 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:19.879 job or maybe just being young and all the friends that you have or moving to a new neighborhood 00:20:19.879 --> 00:20:24.359 with new neighbors or getting married or birth and having a new baby. 00:20:24.359 --> 00:20:31.039 You know, there's anticipatory joy and hope in that, isn't there, in new relationships. 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:40.339 Looking forward to what that means, it gives us great hope and great anticipation, relational. 00:20:40.339 --> 00:20:46.439 And that's very much what we have in Christ, but it's more than that. 00:20:46.439 --> 00:20:50.719 Because it's also, it's not just anticipatory hope, but it's realized hope. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:55.920 That's why we can celebrate when the vaccine started getting rolled out. 00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:58.360 It was a lot of celebration, wasn't it? 00:20:58.360 --> 00:21:00.480 Because it was realized hope. 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:02.160 There's an end to this. 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:07.120 Or remember going back about the junior football team that were trapped in a cave in Thailand 00:21:07.120 --> 00:21:10.920 when they hoped that they would escape from that terrible position. 00:21:10.920 --> 00:21:18.160 And then when they did amazing celebration, or the miners in Chile, or the end of a war, 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:25.040 when that happens, the anticipation changes to celebration because it's hope realized. 00:21:25.040 --> 00:21:27.840 But we have both of these things as Christians. 00:21:27.840 --> 00:21:32.560 Our hope is realized already, but they're still anticipated. 00:21:32.560 --> 00:21:34.160 They're still more to come. 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:36.680 We hope and we rejoice. 00:21:36.680 --> 00:21:38.400 It's tremendous, isn't it? 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:44.920 Because we have in Christ that strength and that spirit of God and that perspective. 00:21:44.920 --> 00:21:48.800 And we have that peace and that perseverance and that strength. 00:21:48.800 --> 00:21:53.320 But we also have great hope moving forward, anticipating. 00:21:53.320 --> 00:21:55.120 And that's wonderful. 00:21:55.120 --> 00:21:57.120 So how we keep going? 00:21:57.120 --> 00:22:01.960 Well, we're going to keep going because we're going to pick it up and we're going to start 00:22:01.960 --> 00:22:06.759 again because we're going to stand in His grace. 00:22:06.759 --> 00:22:07.759 That's what we're going to do. 00:22:07.759 --> 00:22:10.080 We're going to be rooted and established. 00:22:10.079 --> 00:22:15.960 And we have the verse from Jeremiah, which is the verse that went along, didn't it? 00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:18.359 With the tree picture. 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:21.159 Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who is confident in Him. 00:22:21.159 --> 00:22:25.679 He will be like the tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. 00:22:25.679 --> 00:22:28.119 Does not fear when heat comes, it leaves, or always green. 00:22:28.119 --> 00:22:34.439 It has no worries in times of drought and never fails to bear fruit. 00:22:34.439 --> 00:22:37.279 That's what Paul is speaking about here. 00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:39.399 We will stand in grace. 00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:41.640 We will know His peace. 00:22:41.640 --> 00:22:44.920 And we will rejoice and hope that's what we'll do. 00:22:44.920 --> 00:22:47.040 But we'll need to be facing Jesus. 00:22:47.040 --> 00:22:48.920 We'll need to be rooted in Him. 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:51.120 And that's the only way we'll keep going. 00:22:51.120 --> 00:22:54.600 Because otherwise, we would just pack it in, wouldn't we? 00:22:54.600 --> 00:22:58.680 So we keep going because of who Jesus is and because of His promises. 00:22:58.680 --> 00:23:01.160 And that is wonderful and great today. 00:23:01.160 --> 00:23:06.000 And those who have left or who are leaving, who are moving away, who are going to different 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:11.960 places, the Davises and the Watsons and lots of other people within the congregation, they 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:14.480 have that reality as well. 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:16.680 And so that binds us together. 00:23:16.680 --> 00:23:23.640 And we pray and hope that many, many more people will come to know that hope in Edinburgh. 00:23:23.640 --> 00:23:28.599 So we'll plant lots of churches because there's such a great need and because the gospel is 00:23:28.599 --> 00:23:30.000 flourishing. 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:32.640 He will close that credibility gap. 00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:33.640 Let's pray. 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:37.280 Father, God, help us to understand and know who you are. 00:23:37.280 --> 00:23:43.640 Help us to be confident in you and help us to have hope and encouragement. 00:23:43.640 --> 00:23:46.000 And we pray that you would bless us. 00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:53.000 And as we close today by welcoming new members, we rejoice in that, just that gentle reminder 00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:55.840 that the work goes on. 00:23:55.840 --> 00:23:58.560 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:23:58.560 --> 00:24:03.600 So before we have to listen to our last song together, we are welcoming every so often 00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:06.399 we welcome new members into the congregation. 00:24:06.399 --> 00:24:09.919 And isn't that a great kind of just token? 00:24:09.919 --> 00:24:14.480 It wasn't prearranged this way that we would do it this way. 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:18.439 But it's a great way to remind ourselves the work goes on and that there'll be new members, 00:24:18.439 --> 00:24:21.799 new people committing to the life and work of the congregation moving forward. 00:24:21.799 --> 00:24:26.959 So what we do is I'm just going to welcome them, tell you who they are, and then they're 00:24:26.959 --> 00:24:27.959 going to stand up. 00:24:27.959 --> 00:24:33.000 And I'll ask them some questions that just explain a little bit about membership, you 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:36.880 know, what it involves and not not what involves, but why we do it. 00:24:36.880 --> 00:24:41.000 And then I'll ask a question of the congregation to which you reply as well, because it's 00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:42.000 something we do together. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:49.079 We've done it before and we like to recognize that in our lives. 00:24:49.079 --> 00:24:53.319 So first, and we've got their photos up so that you know who they are without their 00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:54.319 masks on. 00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:55.319 Isn't that good? 00:24:55.319 --> 00:24:58.759 So we've got Terence and Emma who we welcome today. 00:24:58.759 --> 00:25:04.000 Terence grew up and became a Christian in Hong Kong, then he went on to study theology 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:08.559 first in Taiwan, then in Princeton and now in New College across the road. 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:14.400 He's married to Emma, who grew up in Taiwan and became a Christian when she was 12. 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:18.799 And like us all, they feel God has been maturing and working in their lives through many different 00:25:18.799 --> 00:25:21.400 ways and different experiences. 00:25:21.400 --> 00:25:23.759 We're delighted that you're with us. 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:29.359 Emma is carrying their first child and we will remember you in our prayers as that time 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:31.640 for arrival gets closer. 00:25:31.640 --> 00:25:37.359 And as you seek to, we will seek to be your family away from family, as we know your own 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:42.960 families are very far away, especially at this exciting and expectant time. 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:47.480 And then we have Kira Marshall, who is also joining us. 00:25:47.480 --> 00:25:51.039 Kira has been with us for over a year in the congregation. 00:25:51.039 --> 00:25:58.319 She originally hails from another kingdom, the kingdom of Fife in Glen Rathis and became 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:02.759 a Christian through a summer holiday club at the church that she had started to attend. 00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:07.639 She works as a nanny here in the city, realizes the importance of being committed to the church 00:26:07.639 --> 00:26:12.480 family and worshiping life through the ups and downs of the Christian walk. 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:19.440 And lastly and very gloriously, photograph of Graham, who doesn't he look sharp there, 00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:20.440 Graham? 00:26:20.440 --> 00:26:22.799 He's plastic in his moderatorial gear. 00:26:22.799 --> 00:26:26.960 It's not moderatorial, it's degree. 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:30.880 Graham's been with us for quite a while and he's finally got round to transferring his 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:34.160 membership from York Baptist Church, where he became a member. 00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:37.160 I became a Christian in his late twenties. 00:26:37.160 --> 00:26:42.480 Graham grew in the faith there and then went on to study theology and then came up to ETS, 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:45.039 which is what brought him to Edinburgh to do a Masters. 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:49.559 And through that God in that time has given him such a great desire to read and to study 00:26:49.559 --> 00:26:52.559 something that he never had before. 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:57.639 And Graham knows and understands the reality of being rooted in prayer and in the word, 00:26:57.639 --> 00:27:02.319 he works as a contractor for HSBC and is a mad sports fan. 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:06.000 So we're very glad to welcome you guys today. 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:07.000 It's great to have you. 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:11.960 We know that some of you have been here for a while, but it's just great to have that 00:27:11.960 --> 00:27:12.960 being brought into membership. 00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:16.440 So I'm going to ask you just to stand, if you will, for a moment. 00:27:16.440 --> 00:27:21.279 And there's four questions that just speak about a little bit about membership, which 00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:24.279 is that you're a committed Christian. 00:27:24.279 --> 00:27:30.400 You recognize the importance of worship coming together, being under the pastoral care of 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:33.320 the spiritual leaders of the church and of serving in the church. 00:27:33.320 --> 00:27:37.759 So do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the only Savior of sinners in whom you 00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:42.240 have put your personal hope and trust as a sinner needing forgiveness, grace and spiritual 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:45.240 life? 00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:49.079 Do you resolve in prayerful alliance on the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit 00:27:49.079 --> 00:27:54.640 to live as a disciple of Christ or continue living as disciples of Christ? 00:27:54.640 --> 00:27:58.519 Do you promise to support this church family and its worship, its work with your gifts 00:27:58.519 --> 00:28:03.440 and graces to the best of your ability as you're doing? 00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:07.120 And do you submit yourself to the pastoral care, teaching and discipline of the spiritual 00:28:07.120 --> 00:28:12.319 leaders of the church and seek its peace and prosperity as we promise to love and care 00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:14.480 for you? 00:28:14.480 --> 00:28:16.720 Because I hope that we've been doing. 00:28:16.720 --> 00:28:23.160 And now as a congregation, do you promise to pray for our friends, to welcome them warmly, 00:28:23.160 --> 00:28:27.000 to keep welcoming them, to love them as part of this church family and together help them 00:28:27.000 --> 00:28:30.599 grow in grace as we all seek to do? 00:28:30.599 --> 00:28:32.440 Excellent. 00:28:32.440 --> 00:28:34.079 Let me pray for you guys. 00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:40.799 Lord God, we thank you for this day and we thank you for the lives of those that are 00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:44.599 standing coming into membership today. 00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:45.879 We pray for Terrence and Emma. 00:28:45.879 --> 00:28:51.799 We pray your blessing on them as they have had to adapt to living in a new country, a 00:28:51.799 --> 00:28:55.359 new culture at a time of pandemic and a new church, a time of pandemic. 00:28:55.359 --> 00:29:02.399 It's so difficult and yet they've done so graciously and so encouragingly and so happily. 00:29:02.399 --> 00:29:07.759 We pray you bless their unborn child and that you would give them great excitement as they 00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:13.599 think of their expanding family and remember them being so far from their own parents and 00:29:13.599 --> 00:29:15.519 all the challenges that that brings. 00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:16.799 Lord God, we pray for them. 00:29:16.799 --> 00:29:21.879 We pray that we would surround them with love and with grace and with any support we can. 00:29:21.879 --> 00:29:25.119 We pray too for Kira. 00:29:25.119 --> 00:29:30.079 We pray your blessing on her in her work and in her life and with her family and as she 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:34.160 continues to be engaged in the work of the congregation here. 00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:36.119 As we pray for Graham, we thank you for him. 00:29:36.119 --> 00:29:41.919 We pray you continue to bless and guide Graham and that you would continue to help them to 00:29:41.919 --> 00:29:45.159 be so important as part of the congregation. 00:29:45.159 --> 00:29:51.959 We thank you for the variety of their lives, their gifts, their abilities and their characters. 00:29:51.959 --> 00:29:56.559 So we thank you that you've worked in their lives sometimes from a long time ago and that 00:29:56.559 --> 00:30:01.199 they are growing in grace and in love for you. 00:30:01.200 --> 00:30:07.240 May that be true of us all as we battle and struggle and rejoice in the Christian life. 00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:08.720 We ask it in Jesus' name. 00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:34.720 Amen.