WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.660 Now it's a special Sunday today come back to church Sunday for 2010 and as Debbie has indicated it's a it's a national initiative 00:00:11.660 --> 00:00:21.980 but it's one that had its origin here at St. Paul's and particularly with the work of Debbie and so there is over 650 people churches involved 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:28.900 and potentially thousands of people coming back to church this Sunday and a lot of it has to do with the work of Debbie 00:00:28.899 --> 00:00:33.439 so I think we should be acknowledging her work across the country so thank you Debbie. 00:00:36.460 --> 00:00:40.780 So it's very exciting for us to be involved in that as a church. 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:49.920 Many many people would have been coming back to church they would have seen something of church in the past experienced something of church in the past. 00:00:50.820 --> 00:00:58.820 This experience may be positive one it may be negative as we just indicated in terms of apologizing for some of the hurts from the past 00:00:58.820 --> 00:01:04.739 or it may be completely neutral back to church and you know whatever I mean it's been here before. 00:01:05.460 --> 00:01:09.900 Whatever your experience of church has been you've been invited to come and experience it again 00:01:09.900 --> 00:01:17.240 and for some there'll be issues which are just purely the same for others things will be different. 00:01:17.239 --> 00:01:25.399 But let me say that more than just coming and checking out church again because you can do that any day 00:01:25.399 --> 00:01:29.019 you can effectively you know any day nine to five you can knock on the office and say 00:01:29.019 --> 00:01:34.060 I want to come and check out church and wander around have a look take some photos if you like 00:01:34.060 --> 00:01:41.219 not terribly exciting but really what we really want you to do is not just to come and have a see 00:01:41.219 --> 00:01:48.420 come and have a look at church but to come and see Jesus. That is exactly what John the Baptist wants you to do 00:01:48.420 --> 00:01:58.680 when he's written these words here. There's this guy John and he wants people to see Jesus. 00:01:59.819 --> 00:02:08.120 That's what those verses are all about. He's drawn a fair bit of attention himself just before Jesus came on the scene 00:02:08.120 --> 00:02:16.740 so much attention in fact that those who thought John himself was the long anticipated Messiah of Israel. 00:02:17.420 --> 00:02:22.259 John the Baptist however referred to his ministry as one as preparing the way for the Lord. 00:02:23.259 --> 00:02:30.480 John openly acknowledged that someone more impressive than John the Baptist was actually going to come 00:02:30.480 --> 00:02:35.780 and so John the Baptist is pointing the way to the anointed one the Messiah. 00:02:35.780 --> 00:02:41.860 So if you like I'd like you to take up that passage which in front of you that was read out. 00:02:42.420 --> 00:02:49.900 These are the sentences that John wants us to see here how great Jesus is. 00:02:50.900 --> 00:02:57.180 He wants us to get that Jesus is in fact the long awaited Messiah not John the Baptist 00:02:57.180 --> 00:03:02.680 and that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah will lovingly rule with all God's authority. 00:03:02.680 --> 00:03:08.920 So there are five things in these sentences that John wants us to come and see and understand 00:03:08.920 --> 00:03:11.920 and believe and know and trust about Jesus. 00:03:12.379 --> 00:03:13.500 So let's do that together. 00:03:13.640 --> 00:03:21.840 First thing is that John wants us to come and see about Jesus is that he is the giver of spiritual insight. 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:24.840 Have a look there at sentence number 38. 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:30.520 Turning around Jesus saw them following and asked what do you want? 00:03:31.300 --> 00:03:35.460 They said Rabbi which means teacher where are you staying? 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:38.900 Come he replied and you will see. 00:03:40.039 --> 00:03:46.620 You see often in John's biography of Jesus there is a multi-leveled meaning to the simple language. 00:03:46.620 --> 00:03:56.680 People talk to Jesus on a simple physical level and Jesus uses their language in order to take them into a deeper spiritual level of understanding. 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:02.700 And so when Jesus asked the question in sentence 38 what do you want? 00:04:02.900 --> 00:04:07.020 He's actually asking something deeper than they think. 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:12.379 You see there were a number of people who followed Jesus and wanting wrong things from Jesus. 00:04:12.379 --> 00:04:16.480 And so he's asking them what do you want? 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:18.719 What do you want? 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:23.159 And what's their reply? 00:04:26.540 --> 00:04:28.480 Where do you live? 00:04:30.060 --> 00:04:31.259 Where do you live? 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:33.159 We want your address Jesus. 00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:40.620 And so Jesus patiently responds to their simple level of understanding with a command and a promise. 00:04:40.620 --> 00:04:43.360 He says come and you will see. 00:04:44.459 --> 00:04:50.000 Now on one level it could simply mean okay dudes follow me and I'll show you where I live. 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:52.399 Just down the street around the corner I'll show you my house. 00:04:53.540 --> 00:05:06.019 But in the mind of Jesus and of John what he really means is if you truly come to me you will see spiritual reality. 00:05:06.019 --> 00:05:11.680 You will get true spiritual insight if you come and follow me. 00:05:12.680 --> 00:05:19.000 The second thing that John wants us to come and see is that in seeing Jesus you find the Messiah. 00:05:19.959 --> 00:05:23.879 So John's two disciples go with Jesus and stay with him the rest of the day. 00:05:24.019 --> 00:05:25.699 They actually do go and follow Jesus. 00:05:25.699 --> 00:05:34.800 And the next two sentences number 1441 show that they have I have indeed seen Jesus as he promised they would. 00:05:35.579 --> 00:05:42.019 Andrew Simon Peter's brother was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:48.000 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him we have found the Messiah. 00:05:48.339 --> 00:05:49.579 That is the Christ. 00:05:49.579 --> 00:05:55.919 So Jesus began in effect by saying what are you guys seeking? 00:05:57.419 --> 00:06:03.680 And now Andrew says to his brother we have found the Messiah. 00:06:04.899 --> 00:06:12.339 As the sentence says the word Messiah means the Christ and the title of Christ means the anointed one. 00:06:12.339 --> 00:06:27.799 You see during the coronation ceremony of kings and priests in Israel they used to pour water sorry oil on the head of the of the person to signify that this person had God's authority to lead. 00:06:28.579 --> 00:06:35.939 The dark side of Israel's history is that the leaders consistently failed to lead the people well. 00:06:35.939 --> 00:06:43.399 And so as God had promised there would be this special anointed one expectation was high. 00:06:44.120 --> 00:06:52.500 God had promised that there would be this Christ this anointed one who would come and he would rescue and rule God's people. 00:06:52.500 --> 00:07:07.420 This anointed one would not be symbolically anointed with oil though but truly anointed with God's own spirit to rule with the absolute authority of God. 00:07:08.699 --> 00:07:14.139 And John wants us to see that Jesus is God's anointed ruler. 00:07:14.139 --> 00:07:21.800 The third thing that John wants us to come and see is that Jesus is the sin removing lamb. 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:24.019 Have a look there at sentence 36. 00:07:24.659 --> 00:07:31.279 When he talking about John saw Jesus passing by he said look the lamb of God. 00:07:31.639 --> 00:07:35.639 And a few sentences earlier John says the same thing in sentence 29. 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:39.919 He says look the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:47.319 Now I can imagine those listening to John would have been baffled by this. 00:07:47.319 --> 00:07:55.620 You see they might get that John was pointing beyond himself forward to Jesus. 00:07:56.200 --> 00:08:02.520 They might get that Jesus is God's anointed and powerful ruler the Christ. 00:08:03.960 --> 00:08:05.360 But a lamb? 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:19.100 I mean the baffling greatness of Jesus is revealed in him being both the Christ, the anointed ruler and the lamb of God. 00:08:19.939 --> 00:08:29.699 In John's time lambs were sacrificed in the temple every day to remind people of the seriousness of sin and the fact that sin needed to be punished. 00:08:29.699 --> 00:08:42.500 And so John picks up this imagery and reveals that Jesus' greatness will be seen in him sacrificing himself to take away the sin of the world. 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:46.279 Jesus is the Christ. 00:08:46.740 --> 00:08:49.379 He has all the authority of God to command. 00:08:49.860 --> 00:08:51.379 He is the ruler of the world. 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:54.279 But this Jesus isn't a corrupt dictator. 00:08:54.620 --> 00:08:56.860 He isn't some sort of power hungry maniac. 00:08:56.860 --> 00:09:03.639 He is compellingly powerful and yet loving and humble and compassionate. 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:12.539 These disciples of John discovered Jesus as the servant, a lamb who dies for the sins of the world. 00:09:13.860 --> 00:09:22.659 The one who leads and has all authority is also the one who cares and loves and provides and sacrifices. 00:09:22.659 --> 00:09:26.659 Jesus is the one who gives spiritual insight. 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:33.500 And that insight leads us to see him as God's anointed ruler. 00:09:34.219 --> 00:09:40.500 As God's anointed ruler, he leads by sacrificing himself for our sin. 00:09:42.259 --> 00:09:47.759 John wants us to come and see how glorious Jesus really is. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:52.120 The fourth thing naturally flows on from that. 00:09:52.659 --> 00:09:56.100 John wants us to come and see that Jesus wants our allegiance. 00:09:57.039 --> 00:09:58.559 Have a look at sentence 43. 00:09:59.480 --> 00:10:02.679 The next day, Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. 00:10:03.179 --> 00:10:06.100 Finding Philip, he said to him, follow me. 00:10:06.100 --> 00:10:16.519 As the Christ, with all the authority of God to rule, Jesus is now taking the initiative and calling people to come and follow him. 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:27.460 As the Christ, he has the authority to call people from every corner of the earth to align themselves with him. 00:10:27.460 --> 00:10:38.980 And as the lamb of God who has sacrificed himself for the sins of the world, he has proven that he is worthy to be aligned to. 00:10:40.440 --> 00:10:44.100 And makes it possible that we might align ourselves with him. 00:10:45.820 --> 00:10:53.120 The final thing that Jesus, about Jesus, that John wants us to come and see, is that Jesus can change your identity. 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:54.960 Have a look there at sentence 42. 00:10:54.960 --> 00:10:58.320 Jesus looked at him and said, you are Simon, son of John. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:02.660 You will be called Cephas, which when translated is Peter. 00:11:04.040 --> 00:11:09.840 There is no explanation here as to why Jesus changed his name, Simon's name, to Peter. 00:11:10.600 --> 00:11:16.800 The point, though, is that Jesus has authority to give you whatever name he pleases. 00:11:17.160 --> 00:11:20.759 And in giving you a name, determine your destiny. 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:24.879 So don't miss the implicit authority in what Jesus does here. 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:27.500 He says to Simon, you are Simon. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:29.659 You're now going to be called Peter. 00:11:30.700 --> 00:11:31.860 End of story. 00:11:33.379 --> 00:11:34.720 Not do you mind? 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:37.919 Not would you prefer to be called Boris? 00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:40.200 It's Peter. 00:11:40.439 --> 00:11:40.919 That's it. 00:11:42.039 --> 00:11:50.379 Jesus here displays his absolute authority to choose Simon, to name Simon and to determine Simon's destiny. 00:11:50.379 --> 00:11:55.840 So don't miss the point of what appears to be a rather simple name change. 00:11:56.600 --> 00:12:00.539 The name change is symbolic of something much deeper that is happening here. 00:12:00.860 --> 00:12:05.259 His whole life has been changed because he has met Jesus. 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:07.419 He has seen Jesus. 00:12:07.419 --> 00:12:16.519 The point is that your life will never be the same again if you come and you follow Jesus. 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:25.579 What we are meant to see is that there is no identity better than the one that Jesus gives you. 00:12:25.580 --> 00:12:37.639 Jesus, the Christ, the all-powerful ruler of God, the anointed one, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, gives us a whole new identity which is at peace with God. 00:12:38.800 --> 00:12:40.220 And John wants us to see that. 00:12:40.800 --> 00:12:45.700 He wants to see the big five things here that reveal how glorious Jesus is. 00:12:46.060 --> 00:12:48.139 He is the one who gives spiritual insight. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:50.600 He is the one who is God's anointed ruler. 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:54.100 He is the ruler who deals with our sin by dying on the cross. 00:12:54.259 --> 00:12:57.519 He is the loving ruler who calls us to follow him. 00:12:57.800 --> 00:13:01.060 He is the loving ruler who gives us new life. 00:13:02.920 --> 00:13:17.480 And John goes on to say a little bit later in his biography of Jesus that he wrote all that he did about Jesus so that people might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:21.659 and that by believing you might have life in his name. 00:13:26.039 --> 00:13:28.200 And so you've come to back to church Sunday. 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:39.140 Let me say that more than anything else, our prayer and our hope is that you haven't just come to check out St. Paul's and see whether or not they've painted the place since you were last here, 00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:48.420 but that you might actually come and see Jesus, the glorious Lord Jesus who offers us a new life in his name. 00:13:48.419 --> 00:13:55.339 But there's something more, a little bit more. 00:13:56.860 --> 00:14:06.279 On Tuesday, Tuesday Sydney time, Monday North America, I flew out back home out of Canada, 00:14:06.479 --> 00:14:14.079 and on the way out through Vancouver Airport, you go through US immigration in Canada. 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:21.860 And so I rocked up to the immigration counter, slapped my passport and my papers on the desk, 00:14:22.740 --> 00:14:27.460 and the guy said there, US customs guys are pretty surly. 00:14:29.139 --> 00:14:35.540 You know, they've got the paramilitary uniform and the guns, and I think they kind of wish they were in Iraq, 00:14:35.539 --> 00:14:42.740 but they're not, and so the best gig they've got is to protect the US-Canadian border, 00:14:43.199 --> 00:14:45.620 which is a great risk, I can tell you. 00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:51.980 And so they're keen to take on anyone, and so I rock in there, 00:14:52.659 --> 00:14:54.939 and the guy said to me, 00:14:55.819 --> 00:14:57.419 says, here, you're a minister. 00:14:58.579 --> 00:14:59.419 Yeah, that's right. 00:15:00.899 --> 00:15:02.319 So, what sort of minister? 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:06.860 I said, oh, I'm minister of an Anglican, I don't care. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:11.000 And of course, in your mind, you're going, 00:15:11.540 --> 00:15:12.980 OK, I haven't got drugs, 00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:16.879 and I don't think it's illegal to be a minister in America. 00:15:18.300 --> 00:15:21.100 But you never know, the rules have been changed. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:23.240 And I said, I'm a, 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:26.200 he said, I don't care. 00:15:26.460 --> 00:15:27.840 He said, are you a Christian minister? 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:30.020 Yes, yes I am. 00:15:30.019 --> 00:15:32.639 And you want to get into America. 00:15:33.620 --> 00:15:35.539 No, actually, I want to go home to Australia, 00:15:35.779 --> 00:15:37.059 is what I really want to do. 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:39.279 Right. 00:15:40.100 --> 00:15:41.779 He said, well, I've got a question for you. 00:15:43.579 --> 00:15:45.639 He said, when someone says to you, 00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:49.039 show me God, and I will believe in him, 00:15:49.059 --> 00:15:49.799 what do you say? 00:15:51.480 --> 00:15:52.639 And you're sort of going, 00:15:53.199 --> 00:15:53.899 oh, man, 00:15:54.299 --> 00:15:55.740 I just want to go home. 00:15:56.580 --> 00:15:58.419 And what do you do with that? 00:15:58.560 --> 00:15:59.320 Do I just go, 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:01.379 do I just go the easy option and go, 00:16:01.899 --> 00:16:02.860 I don't know. 00:16:03.500 --> 00:16:05.419 What should I say to that? 00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:07.960 Or do I just take the guy on? 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:09.799 And so, 00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:12.200 I went for the latter option. 00:16:13.799 --> 00:16:14.639 And I said, 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:15.879 well, Jesus said, 00:16:16.840 --> 00:16:17.620 Jesus said, 00:16:18.060 --> 00:16:19.039 you see me, 00:16:19.379 --> 00:16:20.299 you see God. 00:16:20.699 --> 00:16:22.120 So you've either got to prove 00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:23.539 whether or not Jesus is right or wrong 00:16:23.539 --> 00:16:24.159 on that point. 00:16:24.939 --> 00:16:26.219 But let me say that there were plenty 00:16:26.219 --> 00:16:27.319 who saw Jesus, 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:28.919 saw all the miraculous things 00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:30.479 that he's did in first century Palestine. 00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:32.539 They saw the healings, 00:16:32.579 --> 00:16:34.179 they saw him raise people from the dead, 00:16:34.419 --> 00:16:36.399 and yet they didn't actually believe in him. 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:38.099 What they want to do is kill him instead, 00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:39.819 which is in the end what they did do. 00:16:39.879 --> 00:16:40.879 They stuck him on the cross 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:42.099 for all the things that he did. 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:43.120 So I said, 00:16:43.199 --> 00:16:44.539 don't make the connection 00:16:44.539 --> 00:16:46.559 to think that just because you can see God, 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:47.639 you're going to believe in him, 00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:49.840 because seeing doesn't equal believing. 00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:51.120 In fact, 00:16:51.199 --> 00:16:51.860 Jesus said, 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:52.919 blessed are those 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:56.000 who don't actually see me physically, 00:16:56.220 --> 00:16:57.819 but who believe in me. 00:16:58.139 --> 00:16:58.819 And in fact, 00:16:58.960 --> 00:16:59.699 John wrote 00:16:59.699 --> 00:17:01.779 at the end of his gospel 00:17:01.779 --> 00:17:04.299 that he wrote everything that he did 00:17:04.299 --> 00:17:05.579 about Jesus 00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:06.879 so that we might in fact 00:17:06.879 --> 00:17:08.079 read about Jesus 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:09.859 and actually have life, 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:10.720 believe in him 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:12.059 and have life in his name. 00:17:12.139 --> 00:17:13.960 So my challenge to that person would be 00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:15.579 if you want to see God 00:17:15.579 --> 00:17:16.519 or you want to believe in him, 00:17:16.519 --> 00:17:18.119 read a gospel about Jesus 00:17:18.119 --> 00:17:19.879 and don't just read it though, 00:17:20.220 --> 00:17:21.460 read it and pray, 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:22.000 God, 00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:23.539 help me to see Jesus, 00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:24.940 but more importantly, 00:17:25.339 --> 00:17:27.180 that I might believe in Jesus 00:17:27.180 --> 00:17:28.339 because there's another thing 00:17:28.339 --> 00:17:29.920 which comes into play here. 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:31.819 It's not a matter of just seeing 00:17:31.819 --> 00:17:32.680 who Jesus is, 00:17:32.940 --> 00:17:34.319 but it's actually having the willpower 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:35.639 to actually believe in Jesus. 00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:38.220 And I could present God to you here, 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:38.879 right here, 00:17:39.019 --> 00:17:39.839 right now, 00:17:40.059 --> 00:17:40.960 and you could say, 00:17:41.079 --> 00:17:42.859 I still don't believe in him 00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:44.019 because it's a matter of the heart. 00:17:44.019 --> 00:17:46.559 That's basically what I would say. 00:17:49.819 --> 00:17:52.000 And he slid my passport across 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:53.059 with the immigration papers 00:17:53.059 --> 00:17:54.500 which I grabbed very quickly 00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:55.440 and he said, 00:17:55.720 --> 00:17:57.180 that's interesting 00:17:57.180 --> 00:17:58.339 but I'm not convinced. 00:17:58.779 --> 00:17:59.940 And I grabbed my passport 00:17:59.940 --> 00:18:00.400 and I said, 00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:01.420 that just proves my point. 00:18:01.799 --> 00:18:02.240 And away I went. 00:18:06.180 --> 00:18:06.579 See, 00:18:06.819 --> 00:18:08.480 welcome to Back to Church Sunday. 00:18:08.539 --> 00:18:09.279 We want you to come, 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:10.619 we want you to see Jesus. 00:18:10.619 --> 00:18:12.319 But more than anything, 00:18:12.479 --> 00:18:13.779 we want you to believe in Jesus. 00:18:13.979 --> 00:18:15.739 Come and see and believe 00:18:15.739 --> 00:18:17.639 to put your trust in this Jesus. 00:18:18.359 --> 00:18:19.619 And churches consist, 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:20.500 like this one, 00:18:20.599 --> 00:18:21.579 consist of people 00:18:21.579 --> 00:18:24.559 at all stages of that process 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:26.159 of coming and seeing 00:18:26.159 --> 00:18:27.439 and believing in Jesus. 00:18:27.959 --> 00:18:29.319 What stage are you up to? 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:29.700 Akronism change. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:30.279 Thank you. 00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:30.379 Thank you. 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:31.019 Thank you. 00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:31.279 Thank you. 00:18:33.299 --> 00:18:34.460 Thank you.