WEBVTT

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 there's a story told about a preacher who was going on for a very very very long time

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 people were getting bored it was also quite cringy because not only was it very long and

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 very dull but he was throwing his arms in all directions and he's thumping the pulpit and all

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 sorts and after this had gone on for a very long time he accidentally knocked his notes and they

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 went flying all over the place well in a bit of a panic he went down he started picking up the notes

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 then he looked around desperately at his congregation and said where was i and three people in three

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 corners of the room independently said you were just coming towards the conclusion

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 ever had that experience where you just wanted something to happen

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 you're just waiting for it maybe it's a release from a situation maybe it's it it's putting more

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 positive terms it's something that you you're just longing to happen you've been waiting for so so long

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 when we read these words of jesus which talk about the end keep watch and pray as he urges us to be

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 expectant right at the heart of those words is this urge to be expectant but in a positive way

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 that life is not always going to be as we now know it it's going to change and it's going to change

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 so much for the better beyond our imagination so be ready for it be prepared for it be expectant of it

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 keep praying for it keep watching for it

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 as a young christian in my teens i was went to a stage where i was actually quite deeply disturbed

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 over the end of the world and some of the some of the things that scripture said particularly in the

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 book of revelation and uh i actually even had dreams i had nightmares of the world coming to an end

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 and i remember one day talking to a a christian another christian who was much older and very much wiser

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 and they reassured me on a number of counts the first thing they said was that apparently apocalyptic

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 dreams are in fact quite common among teenagers

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 the second thing is that in christ in christ the call to be ready

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 is not about entering a state of psychological dread and terror it's the very opposite that call to be

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 ready is an invitation to be excited to be expectant living like the kingdom is near is is a positive thing

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 it's not about living in dread and terror

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 the third thing that they said after they'd established all of that is they said actually

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 you know whilst we do not know when that end will come and we don't and if we think we do we need to

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 go back to scripture because jesus himself says nobody knows when that end will come

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 we do need to know that it will come it will come and there is a real danger that we can lose sight of

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 that reality because it can seem so when we read scripture and we read of a promised new world where

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 there'll be no more death or dying or pain or suffering and we read of how all the evil will be

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 completely wiped out forever it seems so removed from our daily experience it seems hard to imagine

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 and to talk of jesus returning and there being an end it can seem so implausible

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 but they said this this a very much older wiser christian said to me and it stuck with me that in

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 fact that end is actually very close to every generation ask yourself this as a serious question and it's not

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 meant as a bleak one

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 but how many more years do you honestly expect to have left in this life

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 now if someone was to say that jesus would return by the end of this century

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 we would consider that's quite soon i think in the scheme of things

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 if if the world was going to come to its conclusion and jesus was to return

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 by the end of this century we'd say that's not actually in the scheme of things that far off

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 my guess is is pretty well everybody in this room

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 would have died by then

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 and as i say without wanting to sound bleak

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 the reality is

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 that we will come face to face

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 we will come face to face with ultimate reality

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 with actually only just a few years

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 decades perhaps but it's not that long in the scheme of things

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 if that's not enough to convince us of the the plausibility of the end let me read to you something

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 um by a physicist who died a couple of years ago now but um he he was a great physicist called john

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 polkinghorn um he also was a christian and he was an ordained becker in the church of england

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 and he spent a lot of his academic career um working out the relationship work uh wrestling with the relationship

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 between his uh vocation as a as an academic physicist

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 and also um as a as a christian theologian

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 and a number of years ago he wrote a book called the god of hope and the end of the world

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 fairly early on in that book he actually says that you know whilst we might struggle

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 to imagine as christians an end he said within the sign within the scientific community from a

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 physicist point of view it's a no-brainer it can't go on forever you know the end of the world is not an

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 if it's a when he says this and i personally don't understand everything that he says in this

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 piece i'm about to read to you but it's enough i think perhaps to make the point

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 this pile is is um entitled certain catastrophes

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 it says the sun shines through the effects of its internal nuclear reactions turning its hydrogen

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 into helium in about five billion years time all the core hydrogen that will be exhausted and the sun

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 will be will then swell to become a red giant burning any life surviving on earth into a frazzle

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 in the process our understanding of the course of stellar evolution is good enough

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 to make this prediction absolutely reliable of course by then it is possible that terrestrial life

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 will have migrated elsewhere in the galaxy however the universe itself faces a highly problematic future

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 its long-term history is controlled by the competing effects of expansion the explosive consequences of the big bang

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 and gravity drawing matter together these contrasting tendencies are very evenly balanced and we do not know for certain

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 which will win in the end if expansion predominates the possibility currently favoured by most cosmologists

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 cosmic history will continue forever in a world growing steadily colder and more dilute

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 eventually all will decay into low-grade radiation

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 if gravity predominates

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 the present expansion will one day be halted and reversed

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 what began with the big bang will end with a big crunch

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 as the universe implodes into a cosmic melting pot

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 now the time scales for these processes are immensely long

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 spanning many tens of billions of years

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 but one or other of them is a certain prognostication of the cosmic future

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 however fruitful the universe may seem today

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 its end lies in futility

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 it is perhaps not surprising that the distinguished american theoretical physicist

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 steven weinberg

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 writing within the limited horizon of an atheist physicalism

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 and with science alone as his guide

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 could say that the more he understood the universe

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 the more it seemed to him

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 to be pointless

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 you see the end of the world

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 from a physicist's point of view

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 it's not an if

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 it's a when

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 and if we're left just alone in this world

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 with no sense of conviction

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 that there is a God who is behind all of this

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 what is the point?

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 but that's not where the Bible leads us

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 the Bible talks

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 obviously not in scientific terms

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 but does talk

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 with certainty and with conviction

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 that life will not always be like this

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 that things will come to a conclusion

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 it will come to an end

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 but not in a meaningless futile way

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 with no purpose

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 so we're just here for a few years and then gone

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 although it may feel like that

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 from a human point of view

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 but rather

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 and this is where we come to the words of Jesus

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 we are called to be expectant

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 because

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 God has everything in his hands

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 and he calls us to keep watch

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 and to pray

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 and to be ready

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 and to be tuned into the fragility of life

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 because we do not know when that's going to come to an end

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 as individuals

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 if not cosmologically

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 but to be aware of that mortality

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 and of that finitude

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 but not from a place of despair

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 the very opposite

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 rather to be filled with Holy Spirit hope

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 knowing that that which we know

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 and love

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 and which is good

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 and wholesome

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 and of God

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 and is life-giving

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 and life-transforming

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 in a positive way

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 will be eternal

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 we don't know

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 quite how that will be

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 we don't know when it will be

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 but it will be

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 it's not an if

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 it's a when

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 so I'm going to take a pause

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 now

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 to be still

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 and I'm going to ask you a question

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 and I'm not going to turn

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 ask you to turn to the person next to you

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 to discuss this one

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 I am going to ask all of us

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 and I'm going to join you in this as well

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 to pray

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 and there's a danger

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 that this kind of question

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 can seem like a cliche

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 because it's often trotted off

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 as a cliche

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 almost I think a bit of a cliche question

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 but I mean this is a serious question

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 and the question I want to put to you is this

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 if you knew beyond all doubt

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 and by the way

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 you can't know beyond all doubt

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 but if you did know beyond all doubt

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 that Christ was going to return

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 within the next 24 hours

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 what would you do?

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 that's a serious question

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 and I'm going to invite

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 each of us right now

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 to just pause

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 to be still

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 for about half a minute

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 and just ask ourselves that question

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 and then I'm going to say a prayer

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 Lord God

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 we do not know the day

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 or the hour

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 of your return

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 and we do not know the day

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 or hour

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 of when we will leave this life

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 on earth

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 but help us to be ready

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 and help us to shape

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 the way that we live

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 around a genuine sense of expectation

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 that your kingdom is near

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 Amen

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 Amen

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 We haven't reached the end yet

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 of the talk

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 in case you were thinking

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 there's more to come

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 what does this mean in practical terms?

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 well I want to share with you

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 two thoughts

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 the first thing in practical terms

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 if we're to live

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 like the kingdom is near

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 sorry

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 is that we are to live

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 like the kingdom is near

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 if we are to keep watching

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 to pray

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 it means having that sense

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 of genuine expectation

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 that what we see

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 and experience going on around us

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 does not match

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 what ultimate reality will be

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 according to the promises of God

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 in 1982

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 in Wisconsin

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 there was an American football game

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 taking place

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 and the home team

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 were playing

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 and it was going

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 disastrously wrong

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 it was

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 they were losing

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 by a country mile

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 and yet

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 although as this game

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 was going from bad

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 to even worse

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 to even even worse

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 the crowd gathered

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 seemed remarkably excited

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 and the reason why

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 they were excited

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 was not because

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 the game before them

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 their home team

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 were spectacularly losing

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 right in front of them

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 but 70 miles away

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 their baseball team

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 in another stadium

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 were doing remarkably well

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 now this was in the days

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 before mobile phones

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 and the internet

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 but they did have

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 portable radios

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 and quite a few thousand people

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 in that stadium

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 that day

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 had their portable radios

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 and were following the match

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 not only right in front of them

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 but the one that they were winning

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 70 miles away

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 and so you had this kind of

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 rather bizarre

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 contradictory scene

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 of a match

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 in a stadium

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 that seemed to be going

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 spectacularly badly

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 and yet everybody

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 was cheering

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 excitedly

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 with a sense of victory

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 in the air

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 you see

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 while on the field

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 before them

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 was defeat

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 their attention

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 was on a victory

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 that they could not see

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 but knew

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 was very very real

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 it may not look like it

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 but we are winning

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 and to keep watching

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 to pray expectantly

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 is to live like

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 the kingdom is near

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 that's the first thing

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 I said

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 there were two things

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 here's the second one

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 and the last one

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 to keep watching

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 to pray

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 means to expect

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 God

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 to move

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 in our lives

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 not just in someone else's lives

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 but in our lives

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 not in a way

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 that is contrived

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 or false optimism

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 but a genuine expectation

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 coupled with a bit of mystery

00:16:26.920 --> 00:16:28.259
 that we don't quite know how

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 but nevertheless

00:16:28.960 --> 00:16:31.500
 God will work in us

00:16:31.500 --> 00:16:33.639
 the pastor and writer

00:16:33.639 --> 00:16:35.000
 Rick Warren

00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:35.759
 who was a leader

00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:37.519
 of an enormous church

00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:38.379
 Saddleback Church

00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:39.360
 in America

00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:40.700
 and the writer

00:16:40.700 --> 00:16:42.019
 of the purpose driven life

00:16:42.019 --> 00:16:43.379
 and the purpose driven church

00:16:43.379 --> 00:16:44.240
 was interviewed

00:16:44.240 --> 00:16:45.700
 at a leadership conference

00:16:45.700 --> 00:16:46.679
 a few years ago

00:16:46.679 --> 00:16:47.759
 and was asked

00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:48.860
 what

00:16:48.860 --> 00:16:50.980
 why does God

00:16:50.980 --> 00:16:51.879
 use you

00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:53.879
 and he said

00:16:53.879 --> 00:16:55.919
 in what I think

00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:56.639
 is a genuine

00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:57.720
 genuine, authentic

00:16:57.720 --> 00:16:59.139
 and non-arrogant way

00:16:59.139 --> 00:17:00.659
 he said

00:17:00.659 --> 00:17:01.500
 God uses me

00:17:01.500 --> 00:17:04.799
 because I expect him to

00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:07.460
 now think about that

00:17:07.460 --> 00:17:12.180
 how might you expect

00:17:12.180 --> 00:17:13.160
 God to use you

00:17:13.160 --> 00:17:14.980
 even in this next week

00:17:14.980 --> 00:17:18.339
 I'm going to close

00:17:18.339 --> 00:17:19.200
 with something visual

00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:20.639
 it's not a magic trick

00:17:20.639 --> 00:17:21.460
 just to warn you

00:17:21.460 --> 00:17:22.420
 so don't be disappointed

00:17:22.420 --> 00:17:31.560
 it's such an obvious

00:17:31.560 --> 00:17:32.700
 illustration

00:17:32.700 --> 00:17:33.539
 it's almost

00:17:33.539 --> 00:17:34.640
 too obvious

00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:35.720
 but sometimes

00:17:35.720 --> 00:17:36.680
 the visual things

00:17:36.680 --> 00:17:38.060
 can help us grasp things

00:17:38.060 --> 00:17:39.580
 and I've got here a glove

00:17:39.580 --> 00:17:40.960
 it's a bit of a dirty

00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:41.539
 looking glove

00:17:41.539 --> 00:17:42.880
 because it's a working glove

00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:43.740
 but I'm going to

00:17:43.740 --> 00:17:44.519
 pop it on there

00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:51.500
 and I want that glove

00:17:51.500 --> 00:17:52.099
 to work

00:17:52.099 --> 00:17:55.400
 I want that glove

00:17:55.400 --> 00:17:56.579
 to pick up

00:17:56.579 --> 00:17:57.160
 that Bible

00:17:57.160 --> 00:18:00.140
 and so I'm going to

00:18:00.140 --> 00:18:01.140
 tell the glove

00:18:01.140 --> 00:18:03.279
 to do that

00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:03.960
 here it goes

00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:05.359
 glove

00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:08.500
 lift that Bible

00:18:08.500 --> 00:18:13.200
 and there's not much

00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:13.640
 happening

00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:14.920
 so maybe

00:18:14.920 --> 00:18:15.440
 the glove

00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:16.400
 needs a little bit

00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:17.099
 of encouragement

00:18:17.099 --> 00:18:18.180
 come on glove

00:18:18.180 --> 00:18:18.799
 you can do it

00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:19.420
 come on

00:18:19.420 --> 00:18:20.099
 you know you've got it

00:18:20.099 --> 00:18:20.640
 inside you

00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:21.580
 if you just deep

00:18:21.580 --> 00:18:22.720
 reach deep within

00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:23.300
 you can do it

00:18:23.300 --> 00:18:23.560
 go on

00:18:23.560 --> 00:18:24.140
 pick it up

00:18:24.140 --> 00:18:24.780
 pick up the Bible

00:18:24.780 --> 00:18:25.160
 come on

00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:25.520
 come on

00:18:25.520 --> 00:18:25.920
 come on

00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:31.400
 it's not much

00:18:31.400 --> 00:18:31.759
 is it

00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:33.300
 maybe

00:18:33.300 --> 00:18:34.040
 maybe it needs

00:18:34.040 --> 00:18:34.720
 some training

00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:35.680
 maybe it hasn't

00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:36.600
 been told

00:18:36.600 --> 00:18:37.200
 how to

00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:38.100
 how to do

00:18:38.100 --> 00:18:38.460
 its job

00:18:38.460 --> 00:18:38.860
 glove

00:18:38.860 --> 00:18:39.560
 if you just

00:18:39.560 --> 00:18:40.800
 stretch out

00:18:40.800 --> 00:18:42.040
 your fingers

00:18:42.040 --> 00:18:42.600
 like that

00:18:42.600 --> 00:18:43.160
 and your thumb

00:18:43.160 --> 00:18:43.800
 and just grip

00:18:43.800 --> 00:18:44.240
 them together

00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:44.840
 around the Bible

00:18:44.840 --> 00:18:45.560
 and then lift

00:18:45.559 --> 00:18:47.000
 you can do

00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:47.379
 that

00:18:47.379 --> 00:18:51.339
 that's not

00:18:51.339 --> 00:18:51.960
 really working

00:18:51.960 --> 00:18:53.059
 what this

00:18:53.059 --> 00:18:53.960
 glove needs

00:18:53.960 --> 00:18:54.279
 is some

00:18:54.279 --> 00:18:54.819
 fellowship

00:18:54.819 --> 00:18:55.879
 it needs

00:18:55.879 --> 00:18:56.259
 some other

00:18:56.259 --> 00:18:56.639
 gloves

00:18:56.639 --> 00:18:57.679
 around and

00:18:57.679 --> 00:18:58.279
 about it

00:18:58.279 --> 00:18:59.179
 it needs to

00:18:59.179 --> 00:18:59.740
 be in a

00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:00.379
 home group

00:19:00.379 --> 00:19:00.799
 to give it

00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:01.019
 some

00:19:01.019 --> 00:19:02.579
 it needs to

00:19:02.579 --> 00:19:03.039
 be surrounded

00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:03.759
 by a range

00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:04.139
 of other

00:19:04.139 --> 00:19:05.039
 different

00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:06.500
 types of

00:19:06.500 --> 00:19:06.879
 gloves

00:19:06.879 --> 00:19:08.319
 come on glove

00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:09.559
 you can do it

00:19:09.559 --> 00:19:14.740
 that glove

00:19:14.740 --> 00:19:15.220
 needs to

00:19:15.220 --> 00:19:15.819
 make a

00:19:15.819 --> 00:19:16.480
 recommitment

00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:16.980
 it needs to

00:19:16.980 --> 00:19:17.480
 stretch out

00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:18.000
 its hand

00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:18.659
 it needs to

00:19:18.659 --> 00:19:19.480
 be baptised

00:19:19.480 --> 00:19:20.519
 it needs to

00:19:20.519 --> 00:19:21.440
 make its

00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:21.960
 life

00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:23.019
 explicitly

00:19:23.019 --> 00:19:23.579
 committed

00:19:23.579 --> 00:19:24.440
 come on

00:19:24.440 --> 00:19:26.019
 come forward

00:19:26.019 --> 00:19:26.940
 give it your

00:19:26.940 --> 00:19:27.200
 all

00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:28.679
 no holding

00:19:28.679 --> 00:19:29.059
 back

00:19:29.059 --> 00:19:34.579
 you know

00:19:34.579 --> 00:19:34.859
 as well

00:19:34.859 --> 00:19:35.359
 as I do

00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:35.980
 that that's

00:19:35.980 --> 00:19:36.279
 not going

00:19:36.279 --> 00:19:36.679
 to happen

00:19:36.679 --> 00:19:37.960
 but you also

00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:38.339
 know that

00:19:38.339 --> 00:19:38.819
 that as a

00:19:38.819 --> 00:19:39.259
 work glove

00:19:39.259 --> 00:19:39.879
 was designed

00:19:39.879 --> 00:19:40.339
 with a

00:19:40.339 --> 00:19:40.759
 purpose

00:19:40.759 --> 00:19:41.359
 to work

00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:43.559
 and there's

00:19:43.559 --> 00:19:44.059
 only way

00:19:44.059 --> 00:19:44.779
 one way

00:19:44.779 --> 00:19:45.140
 that that's

00:19:45.140 --> 00:19:45.379
 going to

00:19:45.379 --> 00:19:45.740
 happen

00:19:45.740 --> 00:19:48.059
 it's not

00:19:48.059 --> 00:19:48.319
 going to

00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:48.700
 work by

00:19:48.700 --> 00:19:49.200
 itself

00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:50.920
 it wasn't

00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:51.759
 designed to

00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:52.480
 and neither

00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:52.879
 were you

00:19:52.879 --> 00:19:53.339
 or I

00:19:53.339 --> 00:19:58.480
 we are

00:19:58.480 --> 00:19:59.019
 wired to

00:19:59.019 --> 00:19:59.420
 work in

00:19:59.420 --> 00:19:59.900
 partnership

00:19:59.900 --> 00:20:01.940
 we're

00:20:01.940 --> 00:20:02.579
 called to

00:20:02.579 --> 00:20:03.059
 work in

00:20:03.059 --> 00:20:03.519
 partnership

00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:04.500
 God created

00:20:04.500 --> 00:20:05.000
 us to

00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:05.460
 work in

00:20:05.460 --> 00:20:05.980
 partnership

00:20:05.980 --> 00:20:07.019
 God

00:20:07.019 --> 00:20:08.000
 longs for

00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:08.259
 us to

00:20:08.259 --> 00:20:08.640
 work in

00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:09.099
 partnership

00:20:09.099 --> 00:20:11.240
 to keep

00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:11.819
 watching to

00:20:11.819 --> 00:20:12.339
 pray doesn't

00:20:12.339 --> 00:20:12.659
 mean we

00:20:12.659 --> 00:20:13.279
 step back

00:20:13.279 --> 00:20:13.619
 and we

00:20:13.619 --> 00:20:14.279
 expect God

00:20:14.279 --> 00:20:14.740
 just to

00:20:14.740 --> 00:20:15.599
 step in

00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:15.899
 and do

00:20:15.899 --> 00:20:16.599
 it even

00:20:16.599 --> 00:20:16.939
 though it

00:20:16.939 --> 00:20:17.199
 is all

00:20:17.199 --> 00:20:17.559
 by his

00:20:17.559 --> 00:20:17.959
 strength

00:20:17.959 --> 00:20:18.699
 but to

00:20:18.699 --> 00:20:18.919
 keep

00:20:18.919 --> 00:20:19.419
 watching to

00:20:19.419 --> 00:20:20.240
 pray means

00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:20.559
 to be

00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:21.359
 expectant

00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:24.099
 that the

00:20:24.099 --> 00:20:25.159
 one from

00:20:25.159 --> 00:20:25.639
 without

00:20:25.639 --> 00:20:27.500
 will indeed

00:20:27.500 --> 00:20:29.359
 enter even

00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:30.019
 our

00:20:30.019 --> 00:20:31.259
 lives

00:20:31.259 --> 00:20:32.259
 God's

00:20:32.259 --> 00:20:33.680
 God's

00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:33.700
 God's

00:20:33.700 --> 00:20:33.720
 God's

00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:33.740
 God's

00:20:33.740 --> 00:20:34.220
 God's

00:20:34.220 --> 00:20:34.519
 Holy Spirit

00:20:34.519 --> 00:20:35.339
 is not

00:20:35.339 --> 00:20:35.900
 simply

00:20:35.900 --> 00:20:36.920
 near us

00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:38.220
 or with

00:20:38.220 --> 00:20:38.619
 us or

00:20:38.619 --> 00:20:39.319
 beside us

00:20:39.319 --> 00:20:39.779
 although he's

00:20:39.779 --> 00:20:40.160
 all those

00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:40.579
 things

00:20:40.579 --> 00:20:44.420
 but that he

00:20:44.420 --> 00:20:44.940
 is actually

00:20:44.940 --> 00:20:45.599
 in us

00:20:45.599 --> 00:20:50.440
 and Jesus'

00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:51.819
 call to

00:20:51.819 --> 00:20:52.480
 keep watch

00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:52.900
 and to

00:20:52.900 --> 00:20:53.879
 pray is

00:20:53.879 --> 00:20:54.619
 that invitation

00:20:54.619 --> 00:20:55.079
 that the

00:20:55.079 --> 00:20:55.680
 living God

00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:56.480
 who longs to

00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:57.299
 occupy our

00:20:57.299 --> 00:20:58.460
 lives in a

00:20:58.460 --> 00:20:58.940
 way that will

00:20:58.940 --> 00:20:59.700
 be unique to

00:20:59.700 --> 00:21:00.100
 each and

00:21:00.100 --> 00:21:00.580
 every one

00:21:00.580 --> 00:21:01.080
 of us

00:21:01.080 --> 00:21:03.779
 will fill

00:21:03.779 --> 00:21:04.200
 us

00:21:04.200 --> 00:21:08.440
 and enable

00:21:08.440 --> 00:21:08.920
 us to

00:21:08.920 --> 00:21:09.460
 fulfil that

00:21:09.460 --> 00:21:10.059
 purpose

00:21:10.059 --> 00:21:11.960
 for which

00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:12.319
 he has

00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:12.700
 designed

00:21:12.700 --> 00:21:13.080
 us

00:21:13.080 --> 00:21:15.960
 to keep

00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:16.360
 watch

00:21:16.360 --> 00:21:17.860
 and to

00:21:17.860 --> 00:21:18.180
 pray

00:21:18.180 --> 00:21:20.340
 is to

00:21:20.340 --> 00:21:20.519
 be

00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:21.259
 expectant

00:21:21.259 --> 00:21:22.960
 to be

00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:23.319
 ready

00:21:23.319 --> 00:21:25.039
 that God

00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:25.620
 the author

00:21:25.620 --> 00:21:26.580
 of the

00:21:26.580 --> 00:21:27.279
 universe

00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:28.980
 the giver

00:21:28.980 --> 00:21:30.799
 of salvation

00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:32.759
 can and

00:21:32.759 --> 00:21:33.180
 will

00:21:33.180 --> 00:21:35.240
 enter us

00:21:35.240 --> 00:21:37.279
 and use

00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:38.319
 us in

00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:39.279
 ways that

00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:39.819
 we probably

00:21:39.819 --> 00:21:40.660
 don't imagine

00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:44.220
 so let's

00:21:44.220 --> 00:21:44.819
 pray together

00:21:44.819 --> 00:21:46.279
 now that

00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:46.740
 he will do

00:21:46.740 --> 00:21:47.319
 just that

00:21:47.319 --> 00:21:56.419
 Lord thank

00:21:56.419 --> 00:21:56.700
 you

00:21:56.700 --> 00:21:58.500
 that you

00:21:58.500 --> 00:21:59.159
 call us

00:21:59.159 --> 00:21:59.559
 to be

00:21:59.559 --> 00:22:00.439
 expectant

00:22:00.439 --> 00:22:01.039
 and ready

00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:01.700
 not in a

00:22:01.700 --> 00:22:02.240
 way that

00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:03.720
 lives in

00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:04.139
 dread

00:22:04.139 --> 00:22:05.720
 but that

00:22:05.720 --> 00:22:06.240
 lives in

00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:06.700
 hope

00:22:06.700 --> 00:22:10.379
 Lord help

00:22:10.379 --> 00:22:10.720
 us

00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:11.819
 consciously

00:22:11.819 --> 00:22:12.379
 and

00:22:12.379 --> 00:22:13.619
 subconsciously

00:22:13.619 --> 00:22:14.079
 to be

00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:14.980
 expectant

00:22:14.980 --> 00:22:16.160
 that you

00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:17.000
 can and

00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:17.380
 that you

00:22:17.380 --> 00:22:18.200
 will use

00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:18.579
 us

00:22:18.579 --> 00:22:19.839
 to live

00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:20.319
 like the

00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:20.960
 kingdom is

00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:21.360
 here

00:22:21.360 --> 00:22:23.059
 and to

00:22:23.059 --> 00:22:23.799
 keep watch

00:22:23.799 --> 00:22:24.700
 not in our

00:22:24.700 --> 00:22:25.440
 own strength

00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:26.160
 but in that

00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:27.339
 expectation that

00:22:27.339 --> 00:22:28.120
 you will enter

00:22:28.120 --> 00:22:29.019
 our lives

00:22:29.019 --> 00:22:29.819
 and that you

00:22:29.819 --> 00:22:30.599
 fill us with

00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:31.380
 your power

00:22:31.380 --> 00:22:32.039
 and with your

00:22:32.039 --> 00:22:32.660
 strength

00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:36.600
 so Lord

00:22:36.600 --> 00:22:37.220
 as we

00:22:37.220 --> 00:22:39.660
 seek to

00:22:39.660 --> 00:22:40.259
 keep watch

00:22:40.259 --> 00:22:41.019
 and pray

00:22:41.019 --> 00:22:42.120
 now and

00:22:42.120 --> 00:22:42.440
 as we

00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:42.900
 begin

00:22:42.900 --> 00:22:43.620
 Advent

00:22:43.620 --> 00:22:45.500
 renew us

00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:45.840
 in that

00:22:45.840 --> 00:22:46.759
 expectation

00:22:46.759 --> 00:22:49.600
 Lord we

00:22:49.600 --> 00:22:50.340
 invite your

00:22:50.340 --> 00:22:51.200
 Holy Spirit

00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:52.160
 to enter us

00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:52.600
 like a

00:22:52.600 --> 00:22:53.019
 hand

00:22:53.019 --> 00:22:54.120
 entering a

00:22:54.120 --> 00:22:54.460
 glove

00:22:54.460 --> 00:22:57.080
 Lord be

00:22:57.080 --> 00:22:57.700
 in every

00:22:57.700 --> 00:22:58.560
 conversation

00:22:58.560 --> 00:22:59.380
 in every

00:22:59.380 --> 00:23:00.279
 interaction

00:23:00.279 --> 00:23:01.500
 and move

00:23:01.500 --> 00:23:02.000
 in those

00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:02.579
 things

00:23:02.579 --> 00:23:05.740
 Lord whatever

00:23:05.740 --> 00:23:06.519
 these coming

00:23:06.519 --> 00:23:07.539
 days or

00:23:07.539 --> 00:23:08.140
 weeks

00:23:08.140 --> 00:23:10.279
 have in

00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:11.019
 store for

00:23:11.019 --> 00:23:11.500
 us

00:23:11.500 --> 00:23:13.000
 help us

00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:13.339
 to be

00:23:13.339 --> 00:23:14.119
 ready and

00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:14.940
 expectant

00:23:14.940 --> 00:23:15.619
 for you

00:23:15.619 --> 00:23:16.500
 to move

00:23:16.500 --> 00:23:17.700
 in each

00:23:17.700 --> 00:23:18.480
 and every

00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:19.099
 one of

00:23:19.099 --> 00:23:19.519
 us

00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:27.619
 fill us

00:23:27.619 --> 00:23:28.099
 afresh

00:23:28.099 --> 00:23:28.599
 with your

00:23:28.599 --> 00:23:29.079
 spirit

00:23:29.079 --> 00:23:29.579
 with your

00:23:29.579 --> 00:23:29.980
 power

00:23:29.980 --> 00:23:32.940
 keep us

00:23:32.940 --> 00:23:33.620
 ever more

00:23:33.620 --> 00:23:34.480
 expectant

00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:37.140
 keep us

00:23:37.140 --> 00:23:37.640
 watching

00:23:37.640 --> 00:23:39.740
 keep us

00:23:39.740 --> 00:23:40.200
 praying

00:23:40.200 --> 00:23:42.420
 knowing that

00:23:42.420 --> 00:23:43.059
 your kingdom

00:23:43.059 --> 00:23:44.059
 is coming

00:23:44.059 --> 00:23:46.839
 in Jesus

00:23:46.839 --> 00:23:47.279
 name

00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:49.240
 Amen

00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:51.620
 Amen

00:24:03.620 --> 00:24:03.819
 Amen

00:24:03.819 --> 00:24:05.039
��

00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:05.259
 God

00:24:05.259 --> 00:24:06.180
 valuable

00:24:06.180 --> 00:24:07.460
 God