WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.200 So our new vision statement starts by saying that we and our family of church plants that we've planted over the past 10 years 00:00:06.759 --> 00:00:09.380 Seek a citywide movement of the gospel 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:13.280 So that'll be our focus a little bit this morning and across the next few weeks 00:00:13.519 --> 00:00:18.760 But it's certainly not our source. So no vision statement is the source from which we teach or preach 00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:25.760 It's not our authority not at all, but it's written only because we we look across the Bible and see God calling us 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:32.079 Towards that mission and so a citywide movement of the gospel is nothing more for us here than revival language 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:34.200 We seek revival we long for it 00:00:34.200 --> 00:00:37.520 We ask God for it a movement of the gospel in our city and so 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:40.400 We're simply saying in that that we hope 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:48.600 We pray that God would offer to this city the good news the pronouncement of what Jesus Christ has done that it's good news 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:51.520 Not good advice and we long to see God work 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:59.160 We think that there are about two percent of Edinburgh that our gospel believing followers of Jesus 00:00:59.160 --> 00:01:05.920 That's about 20,000 people in the metro population of one million people in the city of Edinburgh plus students and 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:11.480 We long we seek we pray right now for a citywide movement of the gospel 00:01:11.800 --> 00:01:16.200 Where two percent in our time and ministry and our generation becomes ten percent? 00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:20.159 And two percent to ten percent would be an extra eighty thousand 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:27.040 Gospel believing people in the city of Edinburgh and so these are the kind of things we long for we pray for and this is what our vision statement 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:33.200 Is all about if you've read much on church history in Scotland and our city God has done this before 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:37.280 And so we're coming in this series to simply say Lord do it again 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:41.719 We ask that God would do it again and so what is a movement of the gospel? 00:01:41.719 --> 00:01:48.079 What is a movement of the gospel? Let me give you a specific way to talk about it a movement of the gospel is an 00:01:48.799 --> 00:01:49.920 intensification 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:51.439 intensification of 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:59.759 the ordinary work of the Holy Spirit through the ordinary ways the Holy Spirit loves to work the preaching of Jesus Christ and 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:04.920 the witness to Jesus out in the city they're talking to people about the gospel and 00:02:04.920 --> 00:02:13.159 Sharing the vision that the light of Christ through compassionate deeds of mercy so it's an intensification of the normal work of 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:19.360 The Holy Spirit that's a movement of the gospel and it's you see it. You know that it's happening 00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:27.639 When nominal Christians are converted people who have often set maybe in church for years and years and not yet believed 00:02:27.840 --> 00:02:31.039 The truth about Jesus nominal Christians are converted 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:35.039 Sleepy Christians are reawakened awakened 00:02:36.079 --> 00:02:41.680 The community outside the church is evangelized and from that there's a plethora of 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:46.919 Perichurch ministries and good works compassionate deeds of mercy that rise up from that 00:02:47.359 --> 00:02:54.280 That's when you see a movement of the gospel. That's how people have typically defined a revival a gospel revival across the city 00:02:54.280 --> 00:02:58.120 And so Martin Lloyd-Jones the great preacher in London in the 20th century 00:02:58.120 --> 00:03:02.800 He says there is no subject of greater importance than revival 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:09.960 It should be the theme of our prayers the theme of our teachings the cry of our hearts and he says 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:12.680 I'm an 18th century man 00:03:13.800 --> 00:03:15.800 and a 00:03:15.879 --> 00:03:22.680 Revival a movement of the gospel is when God first comes down into the life of the church and does these things and 00:03:22.680 --> 00:03:28.439 Then uses the church as an instrument in the city. He sends us out into the city to do this work 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:30.640 And it's all by the power of the Holy Spirit 00:03:30.640 --> 00:03:33.640 And so we get this from places like Matthew 28 00:03:34.040 --> 00:03:38.760 The the final thing Jesus told us as you're going out into Edinburgh make disciples 00:03:39.760 --> 00:03:42.280 baptizing teaching them everything Jesus commanded 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:46.600 Then in Acts chapter 1 Jesus says you will all be my witnesses and 00:03:46.920 --> 00:03:51.800 Jerusalem and then to Judea and to Samaria and to the ends of the earth and Edinburgh is our little end of the earth that 00:03:51.800 --> 00:03:57.560 God has given us and then in Acts 2 the Holy Spirit comes down and thousands of people in the city of Jerusalem 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:05.240 Were cut to the heart and they came to Christ and became members of the church and we see this call for a citywide movement 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:10.240 This request that we make to God today all across the Bible 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:13.160 And so all we want to do today for a few minutes 00:04:13.480 --> 00:04:19.920 Because we'll be talking about this throughout throughout the next couple of months and looking at the different elements that we've got written here on these cards 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:23.040 All we want to do today is ask from the scripture 00:04:23.879 --> 00:04:30.360 What do we need most to seek a citywide movement of the gospel? What do we need most here today? 00:04:31.680 --> 00:04:38.520 Christians to reach this task seek this task pursue this task and we learn about that many places in the Bible 00:04:38.520 --> 00:04:43.520 But one of them is Luke 1941 the passage that for read from for us just a moment ago 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:46.759 Thomas Guthrie you might not know his name 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:53.279 But you have walked by his face many times if you go to church here more than once 00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:57.000 Thomas Guthrie is the statue. He is 00:04:57.800 --> 00:05:01.120 Right at the front door when you walk in St. Columbus. He was our founding pastor 00:05:02.039 --> 00:05:07.639 1845 April this coming Easter will be a hundred and eighty years of St. Columbus history 00:05:08.120 --> 00:05:10.120 And Thomas Guthrie in 1858 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:13.000 preached from right there 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:16.079 three sermons on Luke 1941 and 00:05:17.160 --> 00:05:22.879 He translated that text Jesus beheld the city and he wept and 00:05:23.800 --> 00:05:28.639 Like the period if you've read the Puritans at all if you've read people like Charles Spurgeon 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:31.240 One of the things you know is that in the old older world 00:05:31.480 --> 00:05:35.199 They would take one verse and they would ring it dry 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:39.720 You know, they would take one verse and they would get every drop they could out of it for weeks 00:05:39.720 --> 00:05:43.960 And I know you're thankful maybe that I'm not gonna do that but 00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:51.120 Thomas did that for three weeks. He he rung this verse dry Luke 1941 and one of the things he said 00:05:51.360 --> 00:05:56.720 And that those sermons have been printed in a book called the city it sends and sorrows 00:05:57.760 --> 00:06:05.560 He he said that his ultimate prayer to this this community in 1858 was he said I pray that you will take up the heart of 00:06:05.560 --> 00:06:08.200 Christ for Edinburgh and here we are again 00:06:08.199 --> 00:06:16.399 170 60 years later and it's the same cry. It's the same longing and so let's think just about that today 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:18.519 What do we need most? 00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:25.719 To seek a citywide movement of the gospel we need to take up the heart of Christ for Edinburgh that Christ's heart would become our heart 00:06:26.279 --> 00:06:31.680 For this great city and so let's see that what we're gonna see that in three ways Jesus Christ beheld the city 00:06:32.759 --> 00:06:36.879 Jesus Christ wept for the city and then let's ask how can we? 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:38.879 How can we? 00:06:39.079 --> 00:06:43.120 So first Jesus we see here beheld the city. He looked at it 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:47.879 What did what did Jesus see when he looked out at the city here in Luke 19? 00:06:49.800 --> 00:06:54.719 Most of you probably even if you're a tourist today, you've maybe been on Caughton Hill or 00:06:55.360 --> 00:07:00.839 Arthur's seat or on the Castle Mounds or one of the seven hills of Edinburgh and you've 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:04.600 You've seen the city you've beheld the city 00:07:04.600 --> 00:07:10.200 You've looked at it and it's glory its majesty its beauty all the people scurrying about and 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:16.160 Jesus saw the same thing is happening. He's coming down the backside of the Mount of Olives here 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:19.439 we we saw that in just the previous passage to this one and 00:07:20.040 --> 00:07:23.840 He sees the city you can get a pretty good view of Jerusalem from there 00:07:24.520 --> 00:07:26.520 so he sees the panorama and 00:07:27.200 --> 00:07:29.439 He he he begins to weep 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:37.319 What is he seeing and if you back up if you have a Bible just a couple verses to verse 38 39 40 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:41.000 As he's coming down the backside of the Mount of Olives 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:47.920 The disciples as Jesus enters Jerusalem. They say blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord 00:07:48.680 --> 00:07:53.000 so they pronounce that Jesus is the king coming into the city of David and 00:07:53.000 --> 00:08:01.600 The Pharisees in verse 39 rebuke Jesus and say are you going to tell your followers not to say things like that and 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:09.279 They they think this is blasphemy what they've said about Jesus as he comes down from the Mount of Olives and then in verse 40 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:16.560 Jesus says if they don't say it then the stones are gonna cry out and say it the rocks are gonna say it 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:19.060 So he says if people aren't here to shout 00:08:19.060 --> 00:08:24.019 Hosanna here comes the king into the city of David the rocks and the trees will start to sing it and 00:08:24.780 --> 00:08:31.420 It's at that moment that we say that it's the text then turns and says Jesus looked at the city and he wept 00:08:31.459 --> 00:08:33.460 what was he looking at and 00:08:33.740 --> 00:08:39.779 He was certainly seeing the panorama like you're standing on the top of Colton Hill and seeing the greatness of Edinburgh 00:08:39.779 --> 00:08:41.779 He saw the greatness of Jerusalem 00:08:41.860 --> 00:08:48.100 But one of the things in context there is he's looking straight into the heart of the city of Jerusalem 00:08:48.100 --> 00:08:55.700 And he sees a sampling of that heart through his interaction with the Pharisees who are saying 00:08:55.899 --> 00:09:02.259 What the disciples have just said about you is blasphemy and they say how can how can you let your followers say? 00:09:02.940 --> 00:09:06.980 Blessed is the king who's coming into the city of David in the name of the Lord and 00:09:08.180 --> 00:09:11.820 JC Ryle he when he's writing on this passage he comments like this. He said 00:09:12.540 --> 00:09:16.960 Jesus knew the character of the city. It's inhabitants very well 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:22.720 Their cruelty their self righteousness their stubbornness their obstinate 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:26.960 Prejudice against the truth their proud heart was not hidden from him 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:31.280 He knew only too well what they were gonna do to him a few days from then 00:09:32.360 --> 00:09:34.680 Jesus looked out of the city and he saw the heart 00:09:35.800 --> 00:09:39.560 More than the panorama and he wept for it 00:09:39.560 --> 00:09:44.800 He knew he knew it was in the hearts of the people of the city and in verse verse 42 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:51.399 We read it. We learned a little bit more specifically of what that is. It says they do not know what would make for peace 00:09:52.079 --> 00:09:57.359 So he knew that there were all sorts of people in Jerusalem at the time and in Edinburgh in 00:09:57.639 --> 00:10:04.679 2024 that are walking and looking for peace in the midst of the holiness peace in the midst of turmoil peace in the midst of 00:10:05.079 --> 00:10:09.519 Meaning that they have yet to find and Jesus is there the king standing in front of them 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:11.959 And he says they don't know what makes for peace 00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:17.360 They refuse to look and in rile comments. He says they won't look at the evidence. They won't look at the God 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:19.879 Who's standing right in from their faces. We didn't read 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:27.600 Down to verse 43 and 44, but he goes on to say it goes on to say they did not know the one who had visited them 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:32.759 They did not know the time of their visitation. They didn't know who was standing right in front of them now 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:38.160 Cities across the Bible often have this reputation 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:45.959 Cities in the modern world often have this reputation and the reputation is that the rocks will cry out that 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:49.159 Jesus Christ is God before most of the people will 00:10:49.959 --> 00:10:54.120 The reputation is that many people come to the city from 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:58.000 Maybe a rural setting to sometimes lose their faith 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:01.399 That's been the reputation of the city throughout human history 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:06.720 And so Thomas Guthrie in 1858 when he was teaching on this passage. He said 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:10.800 Great cities many have found to be great curses 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:14.080 That has been well more many 00:11:14.320 --> 00:11:15.360 Let me say that again 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:19.360 It has been well more many an honest country lad and many an 00:11:19.920 --> 00:11:24.200 Unsuspecting young woman with hopes of higher wages and opportunities of fortune 00:11:24.920 --> 00:11:26.519 many a foot 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:29.000 That once lightly pressed upon the heather 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:36.480 Or bush the dewy grass that wearily trodden in darkness and guilt and sin upon these city pavements 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:41.080 Now that's old 19th century English, but what did he say he said many a young man once 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:46.360 Tramped across the heather in the Highlands and many an unsuspecting young woman 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:51.519 Thinking that they would come to the city and find their fortune and instead he says they came and lost their faith and 00:11:51.960 --> 00:11:53.960 so many often 00:11:53.960 --> 00:11:59.920 Times it has been that this has been the reputation of the great world cities that people come to be pulled away 00:12:00.800 --> 00:12:04.879 from worship of the living God and that makes some sense because when you you know 00:12:05.560 --> 00:12:09.639 When you pack a lot of people into a smaller space, what do you expect? 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:15.400 I know that if you've grown up in a rural setting and a suburban setting and a village setting and a hamlet 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:23.320 You'll know that there's a lot of messiness in towns a lot of messiness and sin and suburbs a lot of sin in 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:24.680 villages 00:12:24.680 --> 00:12:26.240 there is and 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:31.360 When you bring all those sinners into smaller spaces 00:12:31.680 --> 00:12:37.000 It just means that you get a lot more of the same a lot more sin densely packed into fewer square meters 00:12:37.000 --> 00:12:39.000 Now let me ask you when you were 00:12:39.560 --> 00:12:41.600 Walking through the city streets during the fringe 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:48.960 Did you feel like as the pavements got more and more crowded that the fruits of the spirit were coming more out of your heart or less? 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:56.600 Right when you pack so many people so many centers into such a small space you find that temptation 00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:59.120 tends to increase that that 00:12:59.400 --> 00:13:06.440 Being moved away from God tends to increase quite often throughout human history and that you know, this is the case in the Bible 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:07.840 so in the Bible 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:11.759 the Bible starts off with a very negative view of cities and 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:19.000 And Kane the very first city was built by Kane and that did not go well and lamek one of his sons 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:21.799 it got worse and worse all the way to 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:29.159 Babel in the scattering of the nations from the group the first great world city the Tower of Babel and remember Sodom and Gomorrah and 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:35.240 Nineveh and so many other places that the Bible doesn't have a positive view of cities at the beginning and 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:39.200 It seems to have the theme that it's the place where faith comes to die 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:42.720 Where the rocks will cry out before the people will 00:13:43.400 --> 00:13:47.440 that Jesus Christ is King like that our God that the Christian God is the real God and 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:50.520 Let me just say what did Jesus do as? 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:57.879 He looked upon a city that largely rejected him and would reject him just a few days later. What did he do? 00:13:58.680 --> 00:14:01.220 He wept he cried and so secondly 00:14:02.280 --> 00:14:06.640 Jesus wept for the city and we don't have to take very long on this to see the point 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:11.639 But when you've got this higher density of people higher volumes of humans sin 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:18.840 So many people in Jerusalem in the first century in Edinburgh in our time rejecting the claims of Christianity 00:14:19.559 --> 00:14:23.879 Jesus looked out and he wept and why and it is because 00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:28.720 His heart that the heart of Jesus Christ is so big and 00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:34.240 So wide that he longs for the entire city to come to him 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:36.240 He loves 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:44.600 every single person in this city and in the city of Jerusalem in the first century and he he longs for all of them to come to him 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:48.000 Now I think our natural instinct 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:55.240 Is to think that when Jesus looks out at a city looks out at a space and he sees so many people rejecting him 00:14:55.320 --> 00:14:58.639 So many people living lives that are far apart from God 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:02.720 When he looks out a city like Edinburgh and he sees the French posters 00:15:02.720 --> 00:15:09.720 Have you seen the French posters? He looks out you the instinct that we have is that he looks out in 00:15:10.160 --> 00:15:12.160 disappointment with a frowny face and 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:15.960 Instead when you come to a passage like this, what do you see is that? 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:21.279 The these are tears of longing and compassion 00:15:23.040 --> 00:15:29.360 That instead of looking out in disappointment he looks down and he weeps because he says I want these people to come to me I 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:34.560 Want them to find I want them to find hope I want them to find what makes for peace he says and 00:15:35.519 --> 00:15:40.480 We read this all across the Gospels Matthew 23 I long to gather you children of Jerusalem 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:44.440 Like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings 00:15:44.440 --> 00:15:51.279 He talks about himself in this maternal image of gathering the people of the city like a mother hen under his wings and 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:59.360 Matthew 11 what does he say come to me come to me all you who are weary and you're burdened and I want to give you rest 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:05.039 I want to offer you rest and so you see all across the Gospels and in this moment this lamb like tenderness 00:16:05.799 --> 00:16:09.720 For people who are looking for hope and peace and haven't yet found it 00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:13.720 We are too you know we 00:16:14.079 --> 00:16:19.839 Jesus what's quite often in the Gospels and we are too stoic for that for him, you know, we're too stoic 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:25.480 Do we look out at this city and have the compassion of Christ? 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:31.720 Lamb like tenderness for the people who are looking for hope and peace 00:16:33.080 --> 00:16:35.800 What do we learn when we can move to the final thing? 00:16:35.800 --> 00:16:41.480 Well, I think we learned simply this that Jesus Christ loves Edinburgh much more than we do 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:46.200 He loves Edinburgh much more than I do and boy that that's good news 00:16:46.200 --> 00:16:51.640 That is isn't that good news. He loves Edinburgh much more than I love it love this great city and 00:16:52.640 --> 00:16:56.920 Who you know think about who came to him in the Gospels? Who did he move towards? 00:16:57.759 --> 00:17:02.840 And you read across the Gospels and you see he moved towards the physically impaired the disabled 00:17:03.280 --> 00:17:07.000 He moved towards the sick. He moved towards the materially poor 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:12.200 He moved towards prostitutes the sexually scandalous in his day 00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:19.360 He moved towards tax collectors who were friendless men of treachery. He moved towards tax collectors who were also short 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:21.440 Which is good. Isn't that good news? 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:24.680 Like Zacchaeus he 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:32.400 He moved towards the Pharisees he did he moved Nicodemus came to him and Joseph of Arimathea and he moved towards 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:36.120 Scholars who think they knew way too much to follow him 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:41.319 The scholars in our city who think they know way too much to follow him he moved towards them and 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:48.599 He moved towards women who were displaced in that particular culture and he they followed him and he honored them and he moved 00:17:48.839 --> 00:17:54.000 Towards Samaritans and Jews and Greeks and Romans and every ethnicity that was represented in that time 00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:57.199 And he moved towards children and boy 00:17:57.879 --> 00:18:01.879 Did he say do not stop the children from coming to me the children of the city? 00:18:01.880 --> 00:18:07.080 He gave a harsh warning do not do not stop the children from coming 00:18:07.080 --> 00:18:12.280 He came to the city he longed for every type of person to gather them all that was his heart for them 00:18:12.280 --> 00:18:15.240 And you see in that Jesus Christ instincts 00:18:16.920 --> 00:18:18.920 Let me move on to the final point, but I 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:27.400 Think if you ask a question like when you read the Gospels would what is the best way to describe the instincts the heart of Jesus Christ? 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:31.080 To describe who he was lots of things we can say 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:36.920 Undoubtedly he was a brilliant theologian right he he was a better theologian 00:18:36.920 --> 00:18:43.019 He knew God better than every single scholar across the street at New College and Edinburgh Theological Seminary 00:18:43.560 --> 00:18:49.800 Right. He was a great scholar himself. He could unpack the Old Testament unlike any anybody, right? 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:52.400 He was an epic teacher 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:58.120 He could gather a crowd and teach better than anybody could much better than Plato or Aristotle ever knew 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:02.040 He was an unbelievable man of wisdom. Yes indeed 00:19:02.040 --> 00:19:09.280 I've read Nietzsche and Plato and Aristotle and Foucault and all the guys and all the great philosophers men and women and 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:14.720 None of them had the wisdom of God in their hearts like Jesus Christ had and does have 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:22.400 but I think if you read across the Gospels the best way to get at the instinct the heart the 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:24.799 reality of who Jesus is for 00:19:25.120 --> 00:19:31.960 The city of Edinburgh for us is to simply say Jesus Christ is the son of God who is a compassionate redeemer 00:19:33.360 --> 00:19:35.360 Jesus a compassionate redeemer and 00:19:36.200 --> 00:19:40.759 There has been no other religious leader in human history who you can say that about 00:19:40.759 --> 00:19:47.839 Many many people have founded great movements, but nobody can be called the compassionate redeemer of 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:50.480 humanity except for this man 00:19:50.559 --> 00:19:52.200 thirdly and finally 00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:57.799 What do we need to seek a citywide movement of the gospel as we step into this vision of value series? 00:19:58.599 --> 00:20:02.420 simple answer the same one that Guthrie gave in 1858 we need 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:09.400 Regular attenders members believers in Christ today. We need the heart of Jesus for Edinburgh 00:20:09.400 --> 00:20:14.360 we need to take on the heart that Christ has for our city and 00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:20.480 We can say today that only God can bring a movement of the gospel to Edinburgh we can 00:20:21.040 --> 00:20:24.320 We could we pray we prevail it we prevail and prayer for this 00:20:24.840 --> 00:20:30.600 But what the Bible does teaches that it's not a zero-sum game only God can bring this movement and 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:33.240 We can build the altar 00:20:34.200 --> 00:20:36.440 Asking that God bring the fire down to our city 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:41.960 That's what we see across the scriptures and so let me just close we're gonna be talking about that for the next couple of months 00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:48.400 Let me just close with two questions to finish and they are simply this why should we long to reach the city of Edinburgh? 00:20:49.120 --> 00:20:54.680 Very briefly and then lastly, let me just ask where can we get the power for this? Where do we get the power? 00:20:55.799 --> 00:20:59.920 Why should we long to reach the city of Edinburgh as a church and as a 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:03.920 Community of gospel churches across our city lots more to come on this 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:09.800 But I just want to quote to you from from Guthrie one more time remember that quote. He said great cities 00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:12.440 Some have found to be great curses 00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:15.480 many a young lad and 00:21:15.880 --> 00:21:21.400 Young woman have come to the city thinking that they would have a great fortune and instead they've lost their faith 00:21:21.400 --> 00:21:23.400 He writes in the 19th century and 00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:28.279 Then I didn't finish the quote because this is what he says right after he says yet. I 00:21:29.080 --> 00:21:31.080 bless God for this city 00:21:31.079 --> 00:21:34.679 That's what he writes and he says the world would not be what it is 00:21:35.199 --> 00:21:40.079 Without the great cities without Edinburgh the disciples were commanded to begin at Jerusalem 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:45.319 Paul and the book of Acts threw himself into the cities of the ancient world 00:21:45.879 --> 00:21:50.119 Cities have been the lamps of light along the pathway of true religion 00:21:50.759 --> 00:21:54.480 Cities have stood on the surface of the earth like the great breakwaters 00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:57.000 Rolling back the tide of oppression 00:21:57.000 --> 00:22:03.599 Cities have been the cradles of human liberty. They have been the radiating centers of almost every church reformation 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:09.759 And he says I have no sympathy with those who regard them as tumors of a disease 00:22:09.759 --> 00:22:12.680 I bless God for this city. He writes 00:22:13.960 --> 00:22:20.400 The Bible has a subversion story when it comes to cities and that subversion story is that in Genesis 11 the Tower of Babel 00:22:20.400 --> 00:22:23.960 The great first world city the first great world city 00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:27.000 I should say it was scattered because it was evil 00:22:27.720 --> 00:22:32.840 So many sinners packed into such a tight space and God sent it out and when you come to Revelation 21 00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:40.400 You see that what's what was once the city of man by the power of the gospel has now in Revelation 21 become the city of God 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:47.640 That God is now re-gathering the nations into a space to dwell together forever in eternity that God takes 00:22:47.640 --> 00:22:55.640 What was broken a city and he flips it on it said through the gospel and he makes it into the city of God ultimately in Revelation chapter 21 and 22 00:22:56.560 --> 00:23:00.320 One day the city the city of God will cry out like the rocks do 00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:03.840 Blessed be the king who enters into Zion 00:23:05.160 --> 00:23:08.080 Lots more to come on that. Let me finish with this. Where do we get the power? 00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:11.200 Where are we gonna get the power? 00:23:11.560 --> 00:23:14.720 It's very difficult to maintain love 00:23:14.720 --> 00:23:16.960 for a city for people as 00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:22.880 Sinners as Christians who are justified yet sinful and where are we gonna get that power? 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:28.120 180 more years we pray that God would use this church community long 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:34.000 After we're gone 180 more years 200 more years of using the free church and other gospel preaching churches in our city 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:37.400 To seek a citywide movement of the gospel, but let me close with this 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:42.039 We read here that Jesus Christ looked out upon Jerusalem and he wept I 00:23:42.039 --> 00:23:46.680 Think in that moment one of the things you can say is that his heart? 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:51.279 Was so wrapped up with our hearts the hearts of humanity 00:23:51.799 --> 00:23:54.879 It was like he tied his heart into a knot 00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:57.599 With the human heart, you know, he became human 00:23:58.519 --> 00:24:00.000 fully human and 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:03.079 When he did that he tied himself to us 00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:06.000 he made himself human and 00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:10.200 in the book of Hebrews we read about the fact that when 00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:14.039 He became human his joy became wrapped up in our joy 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:21.080 So any possibility that his people human beings could have joy became completely wrapped up in his joy 00:24:21.080 --> 00:24:24.920 And his joy can't became completely wrapped up and knotted with our joy 00:24:25.319 --> 00:24:32.840 And you see the writer of Hebrews talk about that all across the book of Hebrews and when he cries here when he weeps 00:24:33.600 --> 00:24:35.600 Tears of compassion tears of longing 00:24:35.599 --> 00:24:40.839 Don't miss this that he is not crying for himself 00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:48.639 He is not crying as he ponders the cross that he's about to face 00:24:49.639 --> 00:24:53.319 That's not what he's crying about here. No when he looks at the city and weeps 00:24:53.559 --> 00:24:58.559 He cries for the people he weeps for the people his compassion is poured out upon them 00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:06.000 Because he wants them to experience the joy and the peace that he has in his own heart 00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:08.720 and in order to do that 00:25:09.679 --> 00:25:15.159 In order to do that the tears in this moment as he enters Jerusalem by Thursday 00:25:15.679 --> 00:25:18.319 Will become the tears that he weeps in the Garden of Gethsemane 00:25:19.319 --> 00:25:24.839 In the Garden of Gethsemane he shrieked he wept and in that moment his tears 00:25:24.839 --> 00:25:31.159 His tears are for something else his tears are for the fact that he knows that his joy is so wrapped up with our joy 00:25:31.159 --> 00:25:36.039 That if we would ever have joy and peace in our lives, he's got to be wrapped up in our misery 00:25:37.240 --> 00:25:41.240 If we would ever experience what makes for peace as he puts it 00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:49.240 He has to experience total unrest a total loss of all peace and so the tears that he offers on this moment for 00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:51.359 Jerusalem for Edinburgh for us 00:25:51.359 --> 00:25:57.479 Become the tears of knowing that he is about to step into the moment where he will cry out my God my God 00:25:57.639 --> 00:25:59.639 Why have you forsaken me? 00:26:00.359 --> 00:26:06.479 He came to be so wrapped up for your joy his joy tied into your joy that he got wrapped up into your misery 00:26:07.879 --> 00:26:13.919 He wants you to have peace to such a degree that he was willing to lose all peace to go to hell for you 00:26:13.919 --> 00:26:17.839 To go to hell for me to go to hell for the people of this city on the cross. I 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:20.799 think one of the ways to say it 00:26:20.799 --> 00:26:23.480 This is not a perfect illustration. They never are 00:26:24.639 --> 00:26:26.240 but 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:28.480 Some of you don't have to imagine this but imagine 00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:31.519 having a desperately sick child and 00:26:33.119 --> 00:26:39.720 I've had very I've had fairly sick kids and I've been in the hospital in hospital with my kids on several occasions 00:26:40.159 --> 00:26:42.159 but never a 00:26:42.159 --> 00:26:44.159 desperately sick child and 00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:47.799 I think anybody in this room who has experienced something like that or 00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:52.559 Has watched somebody else experience something like that knows and would say probably the same thing 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:58.879 You don't have to be a parent to say this you don't have to be a parent in this room today to feel this not at all if you are 00:26:59.639 --> 00:27:02.139 next to the bed of a desperately sick child and 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:09.399 You look at them. I think one of the things probably in all of our hearts. We would say is I would rather it be me 00:27:10.079 --> 00:27:12.839 Right you say I would take your place 00:27:12.839 --> 00:27:19.799 I don't want this for you if I could suffer for you. I would right in Jesus Christ 00:27:19.799 --> 00:27:24.839 He looks out in the city and he weeps. What is he? What is he thinking? What is he weeping the compassion? 00:27:24.839 --> 00:27:26.839 How do you capture it? 00:27:26.919 --> 00:27:32.839 He's looking out at what does he say I'll long to gather you like chicks like children under my wings 00:27:33.159 --> 00:27:36.319 He's looking out and you saying I'd rather it be me. I 00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:40.799 Would rather be the one to die. I would rather be the one to suffer 00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:47.799 I want to take the misery that the justice you deserve into myself so that you could have the peace that I deserve 00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:52.759 He wrapped himself up so much with us like that now listen friends Christians believers 00:27:53.799 --> 00:27:56.079 Maybe if you're not a Christian day a skeptic or you're curious 00:27:56.839 --> 00:27:58.839 Let me just say one thing 00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:01.200 You might come to say you you know 00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:06.879 I've made a shipwreck of my life and it is beyond repair. Let me say Jesus has you right where he wants you in that 00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:13.040 He has a lamb like tenderness towards you. He he says to you today. I want to take your place. He did 00:28:15.040 --> 00:28:19.360 But to the Christians of the believers today the members of this church as we think about the vision 00:28:21.280 --> 00:28:28.400 He became what our city deserves so that so many people in our city could experience the city of God one day and 00:28:29.320 --> 00:28:33.040 That means that to take on the heart of Christ for Edinburgh 00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:37.079 If we're gonna do this if we're gonna take up the heart of Jesus for our city 00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:40.799 We have to look at the heart of Christ for us 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:47.960 You've got to see it. You've got to experience it. You've got to taste it every day the heart of Christ for you 00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:54.000 Is the only way you will ever have the power to have the heart of Christ for this great city 00:28:55.359 --> 00:29:00.440 For a citywide movement of the gospel we pray may his instincts become our instincts 00:29:00.440 --> 00:29:03.320 Let's pray father we ask 00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:10.320 For the instincts of Christ the heart of Christ and we thank you for the heart of Jesus for us at the cross 00:29:10.880 --> 00:29:15.920 So we just plead today Lord that you would change us transform us bring somebody today 00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:19.160 To faith in Jesus for the first time we ask and 00:29:19.759 --> 00:29:25.279 Send us all out strengthened in the mission you've given us for a citywide movement of the gospel 00:29:25.279 --> 00:29:28.539 Not for the glory of St. Columbus or any church or ourselves 00:29:28.539 --> 00:29:35.059 No matter what you do with these institutions Lord. We just simply want to want we want to long 00:29:35.059 --> 00:29:58.980 For the souls of so many like Jesus does and so we pray for this heart in Christ's name. Amen