WEBVTT

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 You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

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 Our passion is to experience and express grace.

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 Join us.

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 Good morning, Southwood.

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 It's good to be with you.

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 Great to be in the great state of Alabama.

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 Again, I married an Alabama girl.

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 Where's Fran?

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 She's in here somewhere, my wife.

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 There she is, right down here.

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 Married a beautiful girl from Birmingham, Alabama.

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 I met her in Christmastime of 1983.

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 We both happened to attend a conference that was put on by Campus Crusade for Christ,

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 CRU it's now known as, and they had a national conference for all college students to come

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 together the week out of Christmas in 1983.

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 It was one of the coldest winters in American history.

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 My diesel car actually froze over while I was there for the week.

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 But we both attended this conference, 20,000 students.

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 I was sitting on the end of the row before the beginning of the first talk in this arena,

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 and this beautiful red-headed girl comes walking down and says,

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 Hey, my friend and I got lost from our group.

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 We ran in from the buses.

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 It's real cold out there.

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 Can we sit next to y'all?

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 I said, Absolutely, you can.

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 I had a good seat that day.

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 God was kind to me.

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 Fran sat down next to me.

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 We listened to Howard Hendricks speak.

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 We did the little prayer group together afterwards, and I invited her with my friends to go to Wendy's.

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 Well, Fran was this pretty redhead.

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 Believe it or not, I had red hair at the time.

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 I have no hair left, but I had very red hair at the time.

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 And so we go to Wendy's, the red-headed restaurant.

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 So there we are, standing in line.

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 We've been there, known each other for about an hour and a half.

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 And she says to me, Hey, you know, if we got married, we'd have all red-headed kids.

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 And we did, and we do.

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 We have four wonderful red-headed children, three daughters and a son.

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 Two of those daughters are married.

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 We have two grandchildren now.

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 We are so thankful.

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 It's fun to sort of be in this middle space of life.

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 That's a euphemism for 55.

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 You're sort of on the back end of things.

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 There are great things about growing older.

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 There are hard things about growing older.

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 One of those is that you write, can read the same book that you've read just a couple years before.

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 And it all seems new to you.

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 Like you don't remember any of the twists or turns or what's going to happen.

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 I recently was on a plane.

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 I didn't have anything to reread.

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 So I looked on my Kindle and I saw The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

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 And so I pulled that down again and reread it.

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 And it all seemed so new to me again.

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 I just read it before.

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 But it's kind of like the main character, Rachel, in the book, who has fuzzy memories.

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 She's trying to call back things.

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 And so the journey of the book is sort of her remembering true things as they are.

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 But there's a key sort of figure in the book.

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 And that is that Rachel rides the train every day from the suburbs into London and back to the suburbs.

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 And it seems the train will stop going to and from at the same juncture.

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 There will be a stoppage almost every day at this spot that's sort of at a low area at the bottom of a subdivision.

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 And she likes to look out the window of the train.

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 And she'll often see early in the morning with them sipping coffee or in the evening with them out on the porch drinking a glass of wine.

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 This couple, she's made up names for them.

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 She calls them Jason and Jess.

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 Jess, Jason has that look of the man that she would want to be with.

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 And she just imagines what kind of a loving, amazing husband Jason is.

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 And Jess is so beautiful and has that kind of figure and sort of manner that you think,

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 Oh, I would love to be like that.

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 And they look so happy together.

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 Oh, Jason and Jess.

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 Well, as the book unfolds, right, things are not as they seem for Jason and Jess.

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 What may look like a good marriage from a distance, right, is not at all.

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 Same can be true with churches, right?

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 You're coming up on 30 years.

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 You've had an amazing story here.

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 You have one of the nicest facilities really in our entire denominational network of the Presbyterian Church in America.

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 You've had great leaders in the past.

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 You have great leaders here now.

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 God has done much through you to promote the gospel going forward in this region.

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 But what does it really look like now at 30, you know, sort of fully matured?

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 What does it look like to be a flourishing church?

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 We won't want to be fooled about that.

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 What's it really look like to flourish as a gospel community?

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 It's an important question to ask when you think about what's going on in the broader church across the board in North America right now.

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 If you think just about evangelical congregations, congregations that promote the gospel of Christ,

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 that are preaching Christ both to Christians and those yet to become Christians in the hope that they will be converted,

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 congregations that believe the Bible is the word of God, that Jesus really is fully God and fully man,

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 that he was born of a virgin, that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, that he died truly, was crucified and buried,

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 and that he rose again from the dead.

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 Evangelical churches.

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 Evangelical churches are suffering in North America.

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 The bellwether leader for the evangelical movement is the Southern Baptist Church.

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 The Southern Baptist Church in the last 10 years has lost a million members in North America.

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 Gone from 16 million to 15 million.

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 I have a friend who heads up missions in the state of Georgia for the Southern Baptist Church.

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 He told me that the most commonly occurring number for Southern Baptist Churches in Georgia,

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 the number of baptisms each year now is zero.

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 It's not the average.

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 It's just the most commonly occurring number.

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 That's troubling.

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 It's troubling if you look at statistics that tell us that 80% of evangelical churches are either plateaued

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 or declining in terms of attendance, in terms of membership, in terms of missional engagement and community,

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 in terms of involvement and discipleship.

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 In the PCA, we have continued a small growth curve across the last five years.

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 We have grown 1%.

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 A year this last year that we have figures for, from 16 to 17, we grew only 0.2%.

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 So our growth curve is slowing down.

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 What does it mean to be a flourishing church?

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 It's really important to ask.

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 I can think of no better place to go than the book of Acts to answer that question.

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 Acts chapter 13, we meet the church in Antioch,

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 and we discover the church that is flourishing and how the gospel is flourishing there

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 and how the gospel flows from the church in Antioch.

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 Let's read these verses together.

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 Acts 13, verses 1 through 12.

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 Hear God's word to you.

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 Now, there were in the church in Antioch prophets and teachers.

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 Barnabas, Simeon, who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,

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 Menaon, a lifelong friend of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.

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 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,

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 Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

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 Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

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 So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia,

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 and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

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 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews,

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 and they had John to assist them.

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 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos,

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 they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.

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 He was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence,

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 who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

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 But Elemas, the magician, for that is the meaning of his name,

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 opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

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 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit,

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 looked intently at him and said,

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 You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness,

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 full of all deceit and villainy,

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 would you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?

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 And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you,

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 and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.

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 Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him,

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 and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.

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 Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had occurred,

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 for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

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 This is the word of the Lord.

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 Thanks be to God.

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 Let's pray together.

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 Father, hear us now.

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 We're asking you.

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 We don't want to be confused, as we so often are, Lord,

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 about what real flourishing is in a marriage,

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 in a family, in a business,

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 in an organization, in a community.

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 Father, especially in a church,

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 show us the flourishing church from here in Acts.

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 Show us the church at Antioch and those who went out from them.

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 Show us the beauty and the flow of the gospel afresh,

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 that we might flourish collectively here at Southwood,

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 that we might flourish individually as your people,

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 in and through and because of the gospel.

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 Lord Jesus, we pray it all in your name.

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 Amen.

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 What does a flourishing church look like?

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 First, it looks like a generous church.

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 The flourishing church is a generous church.

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 If you think about the church at Antioch,

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 when you read in the earlier chapters of Acts,

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 how it gets established,

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 they are started, right,

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 because persecution drives people out of Jerusalem

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 in the earliest days of the church after Pentecost.

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 And people persecuted get scattered,

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 and they begin to drift around the Mediterranean world.

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 And some come to Antioch,

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 and they're preaching to Jewish people

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 the fullness of what Judaism was,

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 the hope in Jesus, the true Messiah.

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 And so Jews who have stayed Jews very culturally,

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 but also Jews that are called Hellenists,

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 those that are either from other parts of the world

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 and have been converted to Judaism,

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 or Jews that have lived in Greek-speaking kinds of places,

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 in Roman kinds of places,

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 and they're called Hellenists.

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 They're called these people

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 that are sort of from outside the normal way of Judaism.

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 All these together are coming and hearing about Jesus,

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 and a church is formed, and it's beautiful.

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 And so the church in Jerusalem

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 sends up one of their leaders, Barnabas,

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 the man who's called the son of encouragement,

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 the one who took a piece of property

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 and sold it all and laid it at the apostles' feet

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 and just said,

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 do whatever you will with this.

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 It's the Lord's to build his kingdom.

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 Barnabas goes,

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 and he goes and helps establish the church there.

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 And as you see the church get going in Antioch,

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 what's so beautiful is,

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 after they're formed

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 and they're first called Christians in that place,

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 Acts tells us earlier,

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 that a prophet stands up,

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 Agabus, you know,

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 Agabus is like a guest preacher.

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 You really don't want Agabus to come to your church.

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 He always says something hard and difficult when he comes.

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 I promise I won't be Agabus.

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 But Agabus stands up and says,

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 there's gonna be a worldwide famine.

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 You know what the response of the church in Antioch was?

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 Let's take up an offering.

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 Not so we can just make sure

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 that we're taking care of ourselves and our people.

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 Let's give it back to the mother church in Jerusalem.

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 They're gonna have greater needs than we do.

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 More people are gonna pass through Jerusalem.

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 There will be greater needs of hospitality.

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 There may be more persecution

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 that comes there alongside of this famine.

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 We need to take our best

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 and give it back somewhere else.

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 This is how the church in Antioch functions

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 from the very beginnings.

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 This is who their founder was in Barnabas.

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 This is who they were even as they got started.

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 But now things get ratcheted up

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 to a whole nother level.

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 This is next level big time.

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 Because what happens is they are worshiping the Lord

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 as they are praying and as they are fasting.

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 What does the Holy Spirit say to them?

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 Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul

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 for the work I have for them

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 to take this gospel to the world.

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 Give me Barnabas.

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 Give me your church planter.

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 Give me this guy who is the son of encouragement.

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 This one is so full, is modeled what generosity is.

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 I'm gonna take him from you.

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 And Saul?

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 You know this guy who is this amazing teacher

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 and preacher and writer and thinker

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 and evangelist and apologist and philosopher

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 and pastor.

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 I want him too.

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 What generosity was required of this church?

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 And they embraced it and welcomed it.

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 How do you do that?

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 How do you give in this way?

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 How do you do like Barnabas did

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 to take a whole piece of property

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 and just give it away?

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 How do you function like the church did in Antioch

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 from the beginnings and saying,

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 here we're gonna take up an offering

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 and we're gonna give it away.

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 We're not worried about us here.

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 We're giving it to where the needs are greater.

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 How can you take in a church

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 that is thriving and growing

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 and is the gateway for the gospel

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 in the whole Mediterranean world,

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 how can you take not just one leader,

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 but both of your leaders

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 and send them away in mission?

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 How do you do that?

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 Only when you're in touch

00:15:04.059 --> 00:15:08.059
 with how God functions through the gospel.

00:15:09.439 --> 00:15:11.700
 How God gives his best away

00:15:11.700 --> 00:15:14.379
 for us and his one and only son.

00:15:14.659 --> 00:15:17.340
 How Jesus gives his position of power

00:15:17.340 --> 00:15:19.200
 and honor away in the heavens

00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:21.559
 considering not equality with God

00:15:21.559 --> 00:15:22.840
 and status with God,

00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:25.200
 something to be grasped and clutched,

00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:26.560
 but humbled himself,

00:15:27.080 --> 00:15:28.580
 taking on human flesh,

00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:29.519
 remaining God,

00:15:29.780 --> 00:15:31.680
 but also becoming fully human

00:15:31.680 --> 00:15:32.940
 like us in every way

00:15:32.940 --> 00:15:34.759
 except for our sins

00:15:34.759 --> 00:15:36.639
 so he could humble himself

00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:39.180
 all the way to the point of death,

00:15:40.440 --> 00:15:42.440
 even death on a cross

00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:45.740
 so he could bear the weight of our sins

00:15:45.740 --> 00:15:48.080
 before a just God

00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:51.120
 so that we could live and know God

00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:54.100
 together with him and the Spirit forever.

00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:58.940
 A God, Father and Son,

00:15:59.000 --> 00:16:00.120
 who give the Spirit,

00:16:00.340 --> 00:16:02.220
 the one who's so much a part of them,

00:16:02.899 --> 00:16:04.759
 the connection of love between them

00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:07.299
 that's so real and so deep,

00:16:07.340 --> 00:16:08.139
 he's a person,

00:16:09.139 --> 00:16:11.399
 to pour out that Holy Spirit

00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:12.899
 to come live in us,

00:16:13.419 --> 00:16:16.399
 broken, sinful, weak,

00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:18.759
 frail people

00:16:18.759 --> 00:16:21.579
 that the light of the glory of God

00:16:21.579 --> 00:16:23.319
 should shine through the cracks

00:16:23.319 --> 00:16:25.659
 of our lives.

00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:29.179
 That's the generosity of God.

00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:31.939
 The only way

00:16:31.939 --> 00:16:35.840
 you can be this kind of people

00:16:35.840 --> 00:16:38.000
 is when you're in touch

00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:39.240
 with God's generosity

00:16:39.240 --> 00:16:40.079
 through the gospel.

00:16:40.620 --> 00:16:41.340
 Like that,

00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:43.139
 it's everywhere in the scriptures,

00:16:43.379 --> 00:16:43.559
 right?

00:16:43.559 --> 00:16:44.759
 It's just everywhere.

00:16:45.219 --> 00:16:45.419
 God,

00:16:45.539 --> 00:16:47.000
 the Psalms we read this morning,

00:16:47.239 --> 00:16:48.679
 God loves to be kind to us.

00:16:48.739 --> 00:16:50.019
 He loves to be generous to us.

00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:51.399
 He loves to welcome us.

00:16:51.719 --> 00:16:53.559
 The stories of the Bible

00:16:53.559 --> 00:16:54.219
 are just full of it.

00:16:54.239 --> 00:16:54.859
 I love the whole,

00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:55.759
 I'm just reading now

00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:56.879
 in my Bible reading plan,

00:16:57.199 --> 00:16:58.219
 the book of Hosea.

00:16:58.339 --> 00:16:59.139
 It's so lovely.

00:16:59.619 --> 00:17:01.139
 God tells Hosea the prophet,

00:17:01.699 --> 00:17:02.619
 go marry a woman

00:17:02.619 --> 00:17:03.699
 who lives on the street.

00:17:05.059 --> 00:17:05.899
 Go marry a woman

00:17:05.899 --> 00:17:07.019
 who's a prostitute.

00:17:07.619 --> 00:17:08.619
 Go marry a woman

00:17:08.619 --> 00:17:10.940
 who's a prostitute,

00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:12.119
 and she's not going to stop

00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:13.199
 being a prostitute

00:17:13.199 --> 00:17:14.799
 after she becomes your wife,

00:17:15.659 --> 00:17:16.979
 but marry her,

00:17:17.419 --> 00:17:18.899
 love her when she goes away.

00:17:19.259 --> 00:17:20.119
 Go find her,

00:17:20.279 --> 00:17:21.139
 and welcome her,

00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:22.579
 and woo her back,

00:17:23.139 --> 00:17:24.739
 and bring her back home,

00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:27.559
 and tell her you love her again.

00:17:28.699 --> 00:17:30.039
 Because that's how much

00:17:30.039 --> 00:17:30.839
 I love Israel.

00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:32.419
 That's how much

00:17:32.419 --> 00:17:33.219
 I love my people.

00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:37.139
 Getting in touch with that,

00:17:37.339 --> 00:17:38.839
 as the church at Antioch did

00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:39.519
 through worship,

00:17:39.859 --> 00:17:40.459
 and prayer,

00:17:40.919 --> 00:17:41.579
 and fasting,

00:17:41.679 --> 00:17:42.959
 is key to being

00:17:42.959 --> 00:17:44.919
 this generous kind of people.

00:17:46.439 --> 00:17:47.740
 So before we move on,

00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:49.459
 where does God want you

00:17:49.459 --> 00:17:52.919
 to show his generosity

00:17:52.919 --> 00:17:53.919
 in fresh ways?

00:17:54.119 --> 00:17:56.019
 As this church is turning 30,

00:17:56.679 --> 00:17:58.559
 where are the fresh ways

00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:01.279
 God wants Southwood

00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:04.259
 to be radically generous,

00:18:04.259 --> 00:18:06.980
 to be giving your best away

00:18:06.980 --> 00:18:08.240
 financially,

00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:09.240
 your best away

00:18:09.240 --> 00:18:10.220
 in terms of time

00:18:10.220 --> 00:18:11.099
 for this community

00:18:11.099 --> 00:18:12.759
 or the broader world.

00:18:13.299 --> 00:18:14.579
 Giving yourselves away

00:18:14.579 --> 00:18:15.359
 in terms of

00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:16.759
 thinking about

00:18:16.759 --> 00:18:19.019
 what does Southwood

00:18:19.019 --> 00:18:20.200
 need to give

00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:21.940
 Huntsville in the region

00:18:21.940 --> 00:18:25.079
 that would radically bless,

00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:26.180
 that would make

00:18:26.180 --> 00:18:27.319
 this region say,

00:18:28.039 --> 00:18:29.879
 we thank God

00:18:29.879 --> 00:18:31.319
 that this church

00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:32.140
 is in our midst.

00:18:32.140 --> 00:18:35.180
 And what does God

00:18:35.180 --> 00:18:36.300
 want each one of you

00:18:36.300 --> 00:18:37.160
 individually

00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:39.100
 to do afresh this fall?

00:18:40.980 --> 00:18:41.900
 Wake me up

00:18:41.900 --> 00:18:43.020
 when September ends,

00:18:43.120 --> 00:18:44.240
 Green Day sings, right?

00:18:45.340 --> 00:18:46.560
 Well, the summer's fully over,

00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:47.200
 the fall is good.

00:18:47.400 --> 00:18:48.280
 Where does God

00:18:48.280 --> 00:18:49.360
 want you to engage

00:18:49.360 --> 00:18:50.460
 to wake up

00:18:50.460 --> 00:18:53.160
 and be generous

00:18:53.160 --> 00:18:55.259
 in fresh ways

00:18:55.259 --> 00:18:57.040
 such that change

00:18:57.040 --> 00:18:58.380
 comes a little of your time

00:18:58.380 --> 00:18:59.320
 to a neighbor

00:18:59.320 --> 00:19:00.080
 that you know

00:19:00.080 --> 00:19:00.860
 is so lonely?

00:19:00.859 --> 00:19:02.859
 engaging someone

00:19:02.859 --> 00:19:04.079
 who's hurt you badly

00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:06.479
 and saying to them,

00:19:06.579 --> 00:19:07.959
 I really do forgive you.

00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:09.240
 I don't want to hold

00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:10.279
 the past over your head.

00:19:10.500 --> 00:19:11.679
 I want to go forward.

00:19:12.139 --> 00:19:12.919
 I want to show you

00:19:12.919 --> 00:19:13.619
 the generosity

00:19:13.619 --> 00:19:15.159
 of love and forgiveness

00:19:15.159 --> 00:19:16.039
 because that's what

00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:16.919
 the Father has done

00:19:16.919 --> 00:19:17.899
 with me and Jesus.

00:19:19.619 --> 00:19:20.339
 Where does God

00:19:20.339 --> 00:19:20.899
 want you to be

00:19:20.899 --> 00:19:21.699
 radically generous?

00:19:21.939 --> 00:19:22.639
 I just want to tell you

00:19:22.639 --> 00:19:23.259
 one story

00:19:23.259 --> 00:19:24.399
 before we move on.

00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:27.099
 Peter mentioned it,

00:19:27.219 --> 00:19:27.339
 but,

00:19:27.339 --> 00:19:28.519
 you know,

00:19:28.679 --> 00:19:29.859
 I not only got to marry

00:19:29.859 --> 00:19:30.659
 a girl from Alabama,

00:19:30.779 --> 00:19:31.819
 I got to live in Alabama

00:19:31.819 --> 00:19:32.579
 for a while,

00:19:32.859 --> 00:19:34.000
 got to work at Auburn

00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:35.519
 with RUF,

00:19:35.799 --> 00:19:37.459
 Reform University Fellowship,

00:19:37.500 --> 00:19:38.139
 if you don't know it,

00:19:38.419 --> 00:19:39.399
 our campus ministry

00:19:39.399 --> 00:19:40.119
 associated with

00:19:40.119 --> 00:19:41.000
 the Presbyterian Church

00:19:41.000 --> 00:19:41.480
 in America,

00:19:41.899 --> 00:19:42.939
 and God blessed

00:19:42.939 --> 00:19:44.579
 our time there richly.

00:19:44.659 --> 00:19:45.059
 We were there

00:19:45.059 --> 00:19:46.099
 in the early 90s.

00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:48.259
 God really began

00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:49.859
 to work a true revival

00:19:49.859 --> 00:19:51.359
 on that campus

00:19:51.359 --> 00:19:52.199
 during our time.

00:19:52.299 --> 00:19:53.059
 It was wonderful.

00:19:53.059 --> 00:19:54.559
 We literally got to work

00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:56.159
 each year with thousands

00:19:56.159 --> 00:19:57.059
 of students

00:19:57.059 --> 00:19:58.319
 talking about

00:19:58.319 --> 00:19:59.279
 the gospel of Jesus.

00:19:59.460 --> 00:20:01.019
 It was an amazing season.

00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:03.139
 But we could never

00:20:03.139 --> 00:20:04.460
 really raise our full support

00:20:04.460 --> 00:20:05.440
 as missionaries.

00:20:06.500 --> 00:20:07.299
 And no matter how many

00:20:07.299 --> 00:20:08.359
 students you work with,

00:20:08.440 --> 00:20:09.539
 they don't pay the budget,

00:20:09.740 --> 00:20:09.980
 right?

00:20:10.980 --> 00:20:12.480
 And so we kept working

00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:13.079
 and working

00:20:13.079 --> 00:20:14.039
 and working with churches

00:20:14.039 --> 00:20:14.759
 and individuals,

00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:16.259
 and we couldn't overcome

00:20:16.259 --> 00:20:17.220
 a huge deficit

00:20:17.220 --> 00:20:17.899
 that we had

00:20:17.899 --> 00:20:19.460
 as we began our time there.

00:20:19.559 --> 00:20:20.399
 And as we were

00:20:20.399 --> 00:20:21.539
 in the middle of our time,

00:20:21.539 --> 00:20:24.399
 we still had a $10,000 deficit,

00:20:24.399 --> 00:20:25.399
 which was about

00:20:25.399 --> 00:20:27.000
 almost half of a year's

00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:28.059
 salary at that time.

00:20:28.460 --> 00:20:29.839
 And we were going to have

00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:30.799
 to look for other work.

00:20:30.899 --> 00:20:32.220
 We just couldn't make it work.

00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:34.420
 And so I'd been

00:20:34.420 --> 00:20:35.399
 to all kinds of churches

00:20:35.399 --> 00:20:36.019
 to people,

00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:36.799
 and we just couldn't

00:20:36.799 --> 00:20:37.579
 close that gap.

00:20:37.960 --> 00:20:39.200
 And I get a phone call

00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:40.579
 one day from a woman

00:20:40.579 --> 00:20:41.220
 named Lee

00:20:41.220 --> 00:20:42.279
 in Selma, Alabama.

00:20:42.279 --> 00:20:43.480
 I'd visited her church

00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:44.059
 previously.

00:20:44.619 --> 00:20:45.859
 And I answer her,

00:20:45.879 --> 00:20:46.279
 and she says,

00:20:46.339 --> 00:20:47.399
 Paul, this is Miss Lee

00:20:47.399 --> 00:20:48.079
 over in Selma.

00:20:48.799 --> 00:20:49.759
 Hey, Miss Lee,

00:20:49.819 --> 00:20:50.440
 how are you?

00:20:51.059 --> 00:20:51.680
 Paul, you know,

00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:52.740
 I work with the women

00:20:52.740 --> 00:20:53.559
 in the church

00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:54.700
 for the region,

00:20:54.860 --> 00:20:55.900
 for the Presbytery,

00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:56.880
 for the Presbytery

00:20:56.880 --> 00:20:57.500
 Women's thing,

00:20:57.640 --> 00:20:59.019
 what we call the Preswick.

00:21:00.420 --> 00:21:01.799
 Yes, Miss Lee, yes.

00:21:02.420 --> 00:21:03.299
 We would like you

00:21:03.299 --> 00:21:03.820
 to come over

00:21:03.820 --> 00:21:05.080
 to Warrior Preswick

00:21:05.080 --> 00:21:06.519
 in Camden

00:21:06.519 --> 00:21:07.340
 this spring

00:21:07.340 --> 00:21:08.000
 and be our

00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:09.059
 Showers of Blessing

00:21:09.059 --> 00:21:09.900
 love speaker.

00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:12.320
 Yes, Miss Lee.

00:21:13.360 --> 00:21:14.279
 And we would like you

00:21:14.279 --> 00:21:15.460
 to bring Fran

00:21:15.460 --> 00:21:16.180
 and your two pretty

00:21:16.180 --> 00:21:16.600
 little girls.

00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:17.539
 Yes, Miss Lee.

00:21:17.720 --> 00:21:18.299
 And I'm thinking,

00:21:18.700 --> 00:21:19.460
 they're going to collect

00:21:19.460 --> 00:21:20.000
 an offering

00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:21.140
 for the Showers

00:21:21.140 --> 00:21:22.120
 of Blessing love gift.

00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:23.039
 And it's not going

00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:24.100
 to pay for our gas

00:21:24.100 --> 00:21:25.079
 to drive to Camden

00:21:25.079 --> 00:21:25.500
 and back.

00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:27.180
 And we're going to have

00:21:27.180 --> 00:21:27.920
 two little girls

00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:28.319
 in the back.

00:21:28.420 --> 00:21:29.079
 It's going to be

00:21:29.079 --> 00:21:29.700
 a long day.

00:21:30.259 --> 00:21:30.500
 Okay.

00:21:30.660 --> 00:21:31.360
 So I never thought

00:21:31.360 --> 00:21:31.980
 about that again

00:21:31.980 --> 00:21:32.940
 until months later

00:21:32.940 --> 00:21:33.860
 when it was the day to go.

00:21:33.980 --> 00:21:35.259
 We pretty up

00:21:35.259 --> 00:21:35.880
 and shine up.

00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:36.600
 We drive over.

00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:37.559
 We get there.

00:21:37.660 --> 00:21:38.940
 And in the Warrior Presbytery

00:21:38.940 --> 00:21:40.880
 women's meetings,

00:21:41.259 --> 00:21:42.220
 they actually had

00:21:42.220 --> 00:21:43.340
 name tags for everybody

00:21:43.340 --> 00:21:43.880
 in the shape

00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:44.720
 of bumblebees.

00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:46.339
 and they sing

00:21:46.339 --> 00:21:47.039
 a Christian bubble

00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:47.579
 and be song.

00:21:47.700 --> 00:21:48.180
 This is true.

00:21:48.640 --> 00:21:49.980
 It's about 1992,

00:21:50.420 --> 00:21:50.720
 circa.

00:21:51.339 --> 00:21:51.720
 Real.

00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:53.799
 And so we had

00:21:53.799 --> 00:21:54.900
 the little breakfast together.

00:21:55.019 --> 00:21:55.860
 I preached the sermon

00:21:55.860 --> 00:21:56.299
 to them.

00:21:56.660 --> 00:21:57.720
 They loved all my wife

00:21:57.720 --> 00:21:58.480
 and little daughters.

00:21:59.039 --> 00:21:59.720
 And then Miss Lee

00:21:59.720 --> 00:22:00.480
 stands up and says,

00:22:00.579 --> 00:22:01.500
 Paul, now it's time

00:22:01.500 --> 00:22:02.519
 for you to receive

00:22:02.519 --> 00:22:04.120
 the Showers of Blessing

00:22:04.120 --> 00:22:04.819
 Love Offering.

00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:07.180
 And she began

00:22:07.180 --> 00:22:07.779
 to describe

00:22:07.779 --> 00:22:08.559
 what they had done.

00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:09.100
 You know,

00:22:09.259 --> 00:22:10.019
 Warrior Presbytery

00:22:10.019 --> 00:22:11.119
 is western Alabama.

00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:13.879
 Warrior Presbytery

00:22:13.879 --> 00:22:14.559
 is the region

00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:15.200
 that covers

00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:16.039
 the poorest part

00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:17.079
 of the United States.

00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:19.480
 Poorer than Appalachia.

00:22:21.139 --> 00:22:22.299
 A lot of the towns

00:22:22.299 --> 00:22:24.180
 where these churches were

00:22:24.180 --> 00:22:25.599
 don't have stoplights.

00:22:26.059 --> 00:22:27.220
 A lot of these congregations

00:22:27.220 --> 00:22:28.139
 don't have pastors

00:22:28.139 --> 00:22:29.139
 because they can't afford

00:22:29.139 --> 00:22:29.740
 to pay them.

00:22:30.599 --> 00:22:31.519
 But she described

00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:32.139
 what the women

00:22:32.139 --> 00:22:33.259
 in these churches did.

00:22:33.639 --> 00:22:34.339
 Bank sales

00:22:34.339 --> 00:22:35.839
 and sewing circles

00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:38.180
 and got their youth

00:22:38.180 --> 00:22:39.339
 to do car washes

00:22:39.339 --> 00:22:41.059
 and special events

00:22:41.059 --> 00:22:42.279
 to raise money

00:22:42.279 --> 00:22:43.959
 for the Shepherds

00:22:43.959 --> 00:22:44.519
 of Blessing

00:22:44.519 --> 00:22:45.459
 Love Offering

00:22:45.459 --> 00:22:46.919
 for Auburn RUF.

00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:47.679
 I know nothing

00:22:47.679 --> 00:22:48.699
 about this going on

00:22:48.699 --> 00:22:49.699
 all year long.

00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:51.720
 And so,

00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:53.319
 I come to this event

00:22:53.319 --> 00:22:54.279
 and I stand up

00:22:54.279 --> 00:22:55.379
 and Miss Lee says,

00:22:55.699 --> 00:22:56.759
 and here is,

00:22:57.139 --> 00:22:57.399
 Paul,

00:22:57.699 --> 00:22:58.220
 our gift

00:22:58.220 --> 00:22:59.379
 and it's $5,000.

00:23:01.019 --> 00:23:02.519
 And I started crying.

00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:04.859
 Every time I tell

00:23:04.859 --> 00:23:05.359
 this story,

00:23:05.439 --> 00:23:05.799
 I cry.

00:23:06.699 --> 00:23:07.579
 And I started weeping.

00:23:07.899 --> 00:23:08.359
 And she said,

00:23:08.399 --> 00:23:09.259
 Paul, don't cry.

00:23:09.619 --> 00:23:10.639
 That's not the surprise.

00:23:12.879 --> 00:23:13.500
 She said,

00:23:13.559 --> 00:23:14.199
 when we started

00:23:14.199 --> 00:23:15.359
 back in 1973

00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:17.240
 when the PCA was formed

00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:19.419
 and we formed

00:23:19.419 --> 00:23:19.859
 the women

00:23:19.859 --> 00:23:21.059
 in the church movement here,

00:23:21.179 --> 00:23:22.579
 we wanted to start

00:23:22.579 --> 00:23:23.359
 an orphanage.

00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:24.359
 And we put aside

00:23:24.359 --> 00:23:25.339
 a CD for that.

00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:26.639
 We realize now,

00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:27.659
 20 years later,

00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:28.579
 we're never going to be able

00:23:28.579 --> 00:23:29.599
 to start an orphanage.

00:23:29.879 --> 00:23:31.139
 We want to take that money

00:23:31.139 --> 00:23:32.079
 and give it to you.

00:23:32.079 --> 00:23:33.459
 And that was $5,000.

00:23:33.460 --> 00:23:35.980
 And I left Camden,

00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:36.539
 Alabama

00:23:36.539 --> 00:23:38.819
 with no deficit,

00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:40.980
 with people who had been

00:23:40.980 --> 00:23:42.400
 radically generous

00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:44.079
 for the mission of God.

00:23:44.279 --> 00:23:45.299
 And I have never

00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:46.420
 been the same.

00:23:48.019 --> 00:23:49.120
 Where does Jesus

00:23:49.120 --> 00:23:50.720
 want to tell stories

00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:52.660
 like that

00:23:52.660 --> 00:23:54.779
 in the next 20 years

00:23:54.779 --> 00:23:56.559
 through you?

00:23:56.559 --> 00:24:00.519
 and in the full seasons ahead.

00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:02.500
 The flourishing church

00:24:02.500 --> 00:24:03.720
 is a generous church.

00:24:04.059 --> 00:24:04.359
 Secondly,

00:24:04.539 --> 00:24:05.139
 think about this.

00:24:05.480 --> 00:24:06.559
 The flourishing church

00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:08.519
 is a creative church.

00:24:10.359 --> 00:24:12.200
 Beautifully and radically creative.

00:24:12.419 --> 00:24:12.559
 You know,

00:24:12.759 --> 00:24:13.899
 so much has been written

00:24:13.899 --> 00:24:15.099
 about the rise

00:24:15.099 --> 00:24:16.299
 of the creative class

00:24:16.299 --> 00:24:16.879
 in our time.

00:24:17.379 --> 00:24:17.899
 A gentleman named

00:24:17.899 --> 00:24:18.619
 Richard Florida

00:24:18.619 --> 00:24:19.919
 wrote a book on this

00:24:19.919 --> 00:24:20.659
 called The Rise

00:24:20.659 --> 00:24:21.740
 of the Creative Class.

00:24:21.740 --> 00:24:24.000
 And Florida talks about

00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:25.400
 how cities like Huntsville

00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:27.700
 are so working

00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:29.299
 to get creative peoples

00:24:29.299 --> 00:24:30.920
 to come live

00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:31.740
 in their communities

00:24:31.740 --> 00:24:32.259
 and they're trying

00:24:32.259 --> 00:24:33.299
 to make that way easy.

00:24:33.579 --> 00:24:34.720
 And Florida writes

00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:35.339
 about the different

00:24:35.339 --> 00:24:36.319
 cross sections

00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:37.720
 of people

00:24:37.720 --> 00:24:39.200
 who are creative

00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:40.140
 types of people,

00:24:40.259 --> 00:24:41.279
 typically entrepreneurial

00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:42.279
 business people.

00:24:42.759 --> 00:24:43.380
 Artists

00:24:43.380 --> 00:24:45.480
 are creative people.

00:24:47.220 --> 00:24:48.220
 Millennials typically

00:24:48.220 --> 00:24:49.079
 are more creative

00:24:49.079 --> 00:24:50.039
 than others of us.

00:24:50.279 --> 00:24:51.120
 How do we get

00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:52.419
 these people groups

00:24:52.419 --> 00:24:53.639
 to come here

00:24:53.639 --> 00:24:54.619
 and live in our city

00:24:54.619 --> 00:24:55.659
 so we can become

00:24:55.659 --> 00:24:57.239
 a creative place?

00:24:58.459 --> 00:24:59.019
 You know what?

00:24:59.059 --> 00:24:59.859
 I've never heard

00:24:59.859 --> 00:25:00.759
 a cross section

00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:01.319
 of people

00:25:01.319 --> 00:25:02.779
 described as creatives

00:25:02.779 --> 00:25:04.639
 as evangelical Christians.

00:25:04.639 --> 00:25:06.559
 By Richard Florida

00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:07.379
 or anybody else.

00:25:09.299 --> 00:25:10.439
 Maybe that's because

00:25:10.439 --> 00:25:11.259
 they're oppressing us

00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:11.899
 or maybe because

00:25:11.899 --> 00:25:12.659
 we just aren't.

00:25:14.579 --> 00:25:15.719
 But the church

00:25:15.719 --> 00:25:16.419
 in Antioch

00:25:16.419 --> 00:25:17.459
 is radically

00:25:17.459 --> 00:25:19.179
 and beautifully

00:25:19.180 --> 00:25:20.920
 creative

00:25:20.920 --> 00:25:21.840
 right from the very

00:25:21.840 --> 00:25:22.200
 beginning.

00:25:22.340 --> 00:25:22.759
 As I said,

00:25:22.799 --> 00:25:23.820
 they took this offering

00:25:23.820 --> 00:25:24.640
 up in generosity

00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:24.960
 and said,

00:25:25.180 --> 00:25:26.180
 let's give it back

00:25:26.180 --> 00:25:27.380
 to the mother church.

00:25:27.460 --> 00:25:28.080
 What we see

00:25:28.080 --> 00:25:29.820
 Saul doing here

00:25:29.820 --> 00:25:30.640
 is changing

00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:31.779
 his name to Paul,

00:25:32.220 --> 00:25:32.980
 moving out

00:25:32.980 --> 00:25:34.279
 of a Hebraic name

00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:35.900
 to a Latin name

00:25:35.900 --> 00:25:36.720
 to say,

00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:38.759
 I want to be

00:25:38.759 --> 00:25:39.360
 all things

00:25:39.360 --> 00:25:40.060
 to all people.

00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:41.160
 I want to connect.

00:25:41.840 --> 00:25:42.600
 The creativity

00:25:42.600 --> 00:25:43.560
 of even changing

00:25:43.560 --> 00:25:44.279
 his name

00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:45.759
 to connect

00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:46.980
 in mission.

00:25:47.160 --> 00:25:47.859
 In Antioch,

00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:48.599
 we learn earlier

00:25:48.599 --> 00:25:49.279
 than Acts

00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:50.700
 that Christians

00:25:50.700 --> 00:25:52.519
 are first named

00:25:52.519 --> 00:25:53.119
 Christians.

00:25:53.640 --> 00:25:54.220
 Do you know

00:25:54.220 --> 00:25:55.099
 why that was?

00:25:55.960 --> 00:25:56.700
 Because there are

00:25:56.700 --> 00:25:57.460
 so many different

00:25:57.460 --> 00:25:58.319
 kinds of people

00:25:58.319 --> 00:25:59.599
 from this Hellenistic

00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:00.940
 Jewish spread

00:26:00.940 --> 00:26:01.400
 of people

00:26:01.400 --> 00:26:02.240
 coming together

00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:03.400
 around the gospel

00:26:03.400 --> 00:26:04.259
 that they couldn't

00:26:04.259 --> 00:26:05.160
 identify them

00:26:05.160 --> 00:26:06.740
 by race or place

00:26:06.740 --> 00:26:07.960
 so they just had

00:26:07.960 --> 00:26:09.299
 to call them

00:26:09.299 --> 00:26:10.759
 by their connection

00:26:10.759 --> 00:26:12.119
 to Jesus Christ

00:26:12.119 --> 00:26:12.779
 the Messiah.

00:26:13.859 --> 00:26:14.660
 And so the first

00:26:14.660 --> 00:26:15.900
 time we're ever

00:26:15.900 --> 00:26:16.900
 labeled Christians

00:26:16.900 --> 00:26:17.880
 is there.

00:26:17.980 --> 00:26:18.759
 The diversity

00:26:18.759 --> 00:26:20.140
 and the beauty

00:26:20.140 --> 00:26:20.920
 of that community.

00:26:21.259 --> 00:26:22.240
 Think about what we know

00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:23.340
 about the early church

00:26:23.340 --> 00:26:24.700
 beyond Antioch.

00:26:24.779 --> 00:26:26.200
 How the church met

00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:27.400
 in the middle of the night

00:26:27.400 --> 00:26:28.460
 at like two or three

00:26:28.460 --> 00:26:29.019
 in the morning

00:26:29.019 --> 00:26:29.920
 creatively.

00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:30.440
 Why?

00:26:31.340 --> 00:26:32.279
 Because there

00:26:32.279 --> 00:26:34.040
 was less risk

00:26:34.040 --> 00:26:36.600
 of being attacked,

00:26:37.080 --> 00:26:38.200
 of being persecuted,

00:26:38.560 --> 00:26:39.440
 of having the meetings

00:26:39.440 --> 00:26:40.200
 broken up.

00:26:41.820 --> 00:26:43.000
 And because

00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:44.440
 so many people

00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:45.420
 who were slaves

00:26:45.420 --> 00:26:46.960
 could come in the

00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:47.660
 middle of the night

00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:49.019
 and worship freely.

00:26:49.160 --> 00:26:49.599
 They had

00:26:49.599 --> 00:26:50.960
 the only space

00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:51.799
 available given

00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:52.359
 to them

00:26:52.359 --> 00:26:53.960
 was that space

00:26:53.960 --> 00:26:54.400
 in the middle

00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:54.819
 of the night

00:26:54.819 --> 00:26:55.359
 and the church

00:26:55.359 --> 00:26:55.779
 just says,

00:26:55.779 --> 00:26:56.960
 let's meet

00:26:56.960 --> 00:26:57.740
 then.

00:26:59.339 --> 00:27:00.519
 You see

00:27:00.519 --> 00:27:01.079
 this church

00:27:01.079 --> 00:27:01.680
 in Antioch

00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:01.980
 here

00:27:01.980 --> 00:27:03.539
 so beautifully

00:27:03.539 --> 00:27:04.680
 laying out

00:27:04.680 --> 00:27:05.660
 a mission strategy.

00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:06.859
 Let's send

00:27:06.859 --> 00:27:07.660
 people out

00:27:07.660 --> 00:27:08.619
 in pairs.

00:27:08.779 --> 00:27:09.259
 Let's send

00:27:09.259 --> 00:27:10.119
 Barnabas and

00:27:10.119 --> 00:27:10.859
 Saul

00:27:10.859 --> 00:27:11.420
 who becomes

00:27:11.420 --> 00:27:11.680
 Paul.

00:27:11.940 --> 00:27:12.440
 Let's send

00:27:12.440 --> 00:27:13.140
 John Mark 2.

00:27:13.240 --> 00:27:13.580
 Let's even

00:27:13.580 --> 00:27:14.120
 send 3.

00:27:14.220 --> 00:27:14.340
 Now,

00:27:14.539 --> 00:27:15.480
 we're so accustomed

00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:15.880
 to that,

00:27:15.940 --> 00:27:16.080
 right,

00:27:16.120 --> 00:27:16.680
 with missionary

00:27:16.680 --> 00:27:17.940
 teams going out.

00:27:18.340 --> 00:27:19.800
 There was no precedent

00:27:19.800 --> 00:27:20.279
 for this

00:27:20.279 --> 00:27:21.160
 other than Jesus

00:27:21.160 --> 00:27:22.180
 sending the disciples

00:27:22.180 --> 00:27:23.519
 out two by two

00:27:23.519 --> 00:27:24.120
 on occasion.

00:27:26.320 --> 00:27:26.840
 Beautiful

00:27:26.840 --> 00:27:27.960
 creativity

00:27:27.960 --> 00:27:29.580
 for the life

00:27:29.580 --> 00:27:30.580
 and mission

00:27:30.580 --> 00:27:31.740
 of the church.

00:27:32.120 --> 00:27:33.039
 Where does God

00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:33.860
 want you,

00:27:33.960 --> 00:27:34.460
 Southwood,

00:27:34.500 --> 00:27:35.160
 at 30?

00:27:37.320 --> 00:27:38.220
 With your roots

00:27:38.220 --> 00:27:38.839
 in the ground,

00:27:39.220 --> 00:27:40.140
 firmly planted,

00:27:40.839 --> 00:27:43.420
 to exercise

00:27:43.420 --> 00:27:44.220
 creativity

00:27:44.220 --> 00:27:45.559
 in fresh ways.

00:27:45.960 --> 00:27:46.620
 What do we know

00:27:46.620 --> 00:27:47.160
 about being

00:27:47.160 --> 00:27:48.039
 and doing church?

00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:49.880
 God wants us

00:27:49.880 --> 00:27:50.460
 to do

00:27:50.460 --> 00:27:51.700
 the word

00:27:51.700 --> 00:27:53.000
 read and preached.

00:27:54.500 --> 00:27:55.460
 God wants us

00:27:55.460 --> 00:27:55.819
 to do

00:27:55.819 --> 00:27:57.140
 the sacraments

00:27:57.140 --> 00:27:58.660
 and baptism

00:27:58.660 --> 00:27:59.400
 and communion

00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:00.360
 regularly

00:28:00.360 --> 00:28:01.460
 for all of us

00:28:01.460 --> 00:28:01.940
 to not only

00:28:01.940 --> 00:28:02.759
 hear the word

00:28:02.759 --> 00:28:03.940
 but to see

00:28:03.940 --> 00:28:04.700
 the gospel

00:28:04.700 --> 00:28:05.779
 lived out

00:28:05.779 --> 00:28:06.440
 to actually be able

00:28:06.440 --> 00:28:07.240
 to feel it

00:28:07.240 --> 00:28:08.200
 and to taste it

00:28:08.200 --> 00:28:09.680
 and to eat it.

00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:12.380
 And God wants us

00:28:12.380 --> 00:28:13.000
 to pray

00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:14.539
 together

00:28:14.539 --> 00:28:16.220
 and individually.

00:28:16.480 --> 00:28:16.820
 Word,

00:28:17.320 --> 00:28:17.720
 sacrament,

00:28:18.039 --> 00:28:18.240
 prayer,

00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:19.259
 those are the things

00:28:19.259 --> 00:28:20.420
 that are never changing

00:28:20.420 --> 00:28:20.980
 in the life

00:28:20.980 --> 00:28:21.620
 of the church.

00:28:22.660 --> 00:28:23.900
 But out of that basis,

00:28:24.299 --> 00:28:24.980
 everything else

00:28:24.980 --> 00:28:25.720
 is blue sky.

00:28:27.220 --> 00:28:27.960
 Everything else

00:28:27.960 --> 00:28:28.559
 is creative.

00:28:29.140 --> 00:28:30.240
 How do you spawn

00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:31.140
 that creativity?

00:28:31.640 --> 00:28:32.580
 How do you grow

00:28:32.580 --> 00:28:32.920
 in that?

00:28:32.980 --> 00:28:33.620
 How do you say,

00:28:33.980 --> 00:28:34.700
 what are the fresh ways?

00:28:34.779 --> 00:28:35.500
 I love what you've

00:28:35.500 --> 00:28:35.960
 sort of done

00:28:35.960 --> 00:28:36.660
 even this fall,

00:28:36.759 --> 00:28:36.920
 right?

00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:38.220
 You sort of said,

00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:40.000
 let's change things over.

00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:41.460
 Let's have worship first

00:28:41.460 --> 00:28:42.920
 so our communities

00:28:42.920 --> 00:28:43.940
 of mission

00:28:43.940 --> 00:28:44.799
 and life together

00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:45.660
 can discuss

00:28:45.660 --> 00:28:46.279
 what we've learned

00:28:46.279 --> 00:28:46.799
 in this sermon

00:28:46.799 --> 00:28:47.799
 and think about

00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:48.680
 how to apply that

00:28:48.680 --> 00:28:50.079
 and carry that forward

00:28:50.079 --> 00:28:51.000
 out into the week.

00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:52.440
 I love that creativity.

00:28:52.900 --> 00:28:53.640
 What are the other

00:28:53.640 --> 00:28:55.279
 creative steps

00:28:55.279 --> 00:28:57.180
 God wants you

00:28:57.180 --> 00:28:58.039
 to take collectively?

00:28:58.460 --> 00:28:59.720
 Where are the creative places

00:28:59.720 --> 00:29:00.539
 God wants you

00:29:00.539 --> 00:29:01.259
 individually

00:29:01.259 --> 00:29:03.740
 to just live

00:29:03.740 --> 00:29:04.620
 out the gospel

00:29:04.619 --> 00:29:05.619
 in fresh ways

00:29:05.619 --> 00:29:06.679
 in his mission?

00:29:07.719 --> 00:29:08.159
 Well, the way

00:29:08.159 --> 00:29:08.879
 you get fueled

00:29:08.879 --> 00:29:09.399
 for that,

00:29:09.659 --> 00:29:10.279
 the way you get

00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:11.279
 energized for that,

00:29:11.679 --> 00:29:13.219
 the way you're

00:29:13.219 --> 00:29:14.159
 mused for that,

00:29:14.199 --> 00:29:14.579
 if you will,

00:29:14.879 --> 00:29:15.959
 is back to the gospel

00:29:15.959 --> 00:29:16.559
 itself.

00:29:18.139 --> 00:29:19.239
 Think about God's

00:29:19.239 --> 00:29:20.500
 creativity in the gospel

00:29:20.500 --> 00:29:22.739
 to say,

00:29:23.239 --> 00:29:24.199
 I will step into

00:29:24.199 --> 00:29:25.659
 the picture myself.

00:29:26.919 --> 00:29:28.479
 The world I have created,

00:29:28.619 --> 00:29:29.299
 the world I am

00:29:29.299 --> 00:29:30.619
 ruling over,

00:29:30.619 --> 00:29:31.419
 I will actually

00:29:31.419 --> 00:29:32.679
 step into it

00:29:32.679 --> 00:29:34.779
 in human likeness

00:29:34.779 --> 00:29:37.359
 to bring renewal

00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:38.239
 and blessing

00:29:38.239 --> 00:29:39.359
 and salvation

00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:40.939
 and forgiveness

00:29:40.939 --> 00:29:42.259
 to it.

00:29:42.379 --> 00:29:43.659
 That is stunning.

00:29:45.179 --> 00:29:46.379
 Don't let the nature

00:29:46.379 --> 00:29:47.259
 of the story,

00:29:47.979 --> 00:29:49.079
 you having heard it before,

00:29:49.500 --> 00:29:50.859
 take away how creative

00:29:50.859 --> 00:29:51.359
 that is.

00:29:51.659 --> 00:29:53.000
 Think about how Jesus

00:29:53.000 --> 00:29:55.399
 exercises his ministry

00:29:55.399 --> 00:29:57.119
 in beautiful ways,

00:29:57.259 --> 00:29:58.359
 connecting with people,

00:29:58.359 --> 00:29:59.779
 telling stories

00:29:59.779 --> 00:30:01.419
 they could understand

00:30:01.419 --> 00:30:03.299
 and yet backdoored them

00:30:03.299 --> 00:30:04.740
 with the surprising

00:30:04.740 --> 00:30:05.859
 wonders of the gospel.

00:30:07.459 --> 00:30:08.959
 Where does the Lord,

00:30:09.799 --> 00:30:11.219
 out of that movement

00:30:11.219 --> 00:30:11.899
 of the gospel

00:30:11.899 --> 00:30:12.819
 and the creativeness,

00:30:13.740 --> 00:30:14.459
 want us to go

00:30:14.459 --> 00:30:16.559
 and be his creative people?

00:30:18.719 --> 00:30:20.079
 The flourishing church

00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:21.019
 is a generous church,

00:30:21.119 --> 00:30:21.939
 the flourishing church

00:30:21.939 --> 00:30:22.959
 is a creative church.

00:30:23.379 --> 00:30:23.740
 Lastly,

00:30:24.740 --> 00:30:25.359
 the flourishing church

00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:27.799
 is a humble church.

00:30:30.539 --> 00:30:31.879
 It's a humble church.

00:30:35.779 --> 00:30:38.240
 As this mission unfolds,

00:30:38.279 --> 00:30:39.500
 as this generosity

00:30:39.500 --> 00:30:41.639
 and creativity flow out,

00:30:41.719 --> 00:30:42.639
 what was required

00:30:42.639 --> 00:30:43.759
 of the church at Antioch?

00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:44.979
 Can you imagine

00:30:44.979 --> 00:30:47.079
 what it would have been like

00:30:47.079 --> 00:30:48.019
 the first Sunday

00:30:48.019 --> 00:30:50.819
 after Paul and Barnabas left?

00:30:50.819 --> 00:30:53.659
 Can you imagine

00:30:53.659 --> 00:30:55.759
 Peter and the whole staff

00:30:55.759 --> 00:30:56.579
 being leaving

00:30:56.579 --> 00:30:57.799
 and sent out on mission

00:30:57.799 --> 00:30:58.519
 in fresh ways

00:30:58.519 --> 00:30:59.399
 and you're going to meet

00:30:59.399 --> 00:31:00.099
 the next Sunday

00:31:00.099 --> 00:31:00.500
 and you go,

00:31:00.679 --> 00:31:02.000
 well, now what?

00:31:03.399 --> 00:31:04.339
 Who are we?

00:31:04.639 --> 00:31:05.619
 How do we do this?

00:31:05.980 --> 00:31:06.720
 We are suddenly

00:31:06.720 --> 00:31:08.220
 not the same church

00:31:08.220 --> 00:31:10.139
 with the same sets

00:31:10.139 --> 00:31:11.240
 of gifts and blessings

00:31:11.240 --> 00:31:12.579
 that we were

00:31:12.579 --> 00:31:13.619
 even a week ago.

00:31:14.359 --> 00:31:15.439
 What do we do?

00:31:17.279 --> 00:31:18.939
 God, you have laid us low.

00:31:18.940 --> 00:31:24.900
 Imagine the humility

00:31:24.900 --> 00:31:25.680
 that was required

00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:26.440
 of Barnabas.

00:31:27.559 --> 00:31:28.660
 He goes out.

00:31:28.820 --> 00:31:30.840
 He's been this key leader

00:31:30.840 --> 00:31:31.480
 in Jerusalem.

00:31:31.680 --> 00:31:32.840
 He's been the planter

00:31:32.840 --> 00:31:35.039
 and leader in Antioch

00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:36.080
 and the Holy Spirit

00:31:36.080 --> 00:31:37.500
 has moved and directed

00:31:37.500 --> 00:31:38.860
 for he and Saul

00:31:38.860 --> 00:31:39.680
 to go out on mission.

00:31:40.100 --> 00:31:40.880
 He was the one

00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:42.200
 who brought Saul

00:31:42.200 --> 00:31:43.220
 to Antioch with him.

00:31:43.440 --> 00:31:44.140
 He was the one

00:31:44.140 --> 00:31:45.559
 who stood up for Saul

00:31:45.559 --> 00:31:47.000
 back in Jerusalem

00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:48.299
 with the leaders there.

00:31:48.940 --> 00:31:49.519
 To tell them

00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:50.519
 you can trust him.

00:31:50.759 --> 00:31:51.559
 When nobody else

00:31:51.559 --> 00:31:52.700
 wanted to trust Saul,

00:31:53.580 --> 00:31:54.400
 Barnabas does.

00:31:54.559 --> 00:31:55.799
 Barnabas trains him.

00:31:57.080 --> 00:31:57.860
 Barnabas gives him

00:31:57.860 --> 00:31:58.820
 every platform

00:31:58.820 --> 00:31:59.600
 Saul has had

00:31:59.600 --> 00:32:00.100
 for ministry

00:32:00.100 --> 00:32:00.840
 to this point

00:32:00.840 --> 00:32:02.860
 and yet as they get started

00:32:02.860 --> 00:32:04.420
 in this missionary journey,

00:32:04.740 --> 00:32:05.400
 right here

00:32:05.400 --> 00:32:06.900
 within the first few verses,

00:32:08.440 --> 00:32:10.279
 Saul begins to lead.

00:32:12.180 --> 00:32:13.559
 Saul begins to become

00:32:13.559 --> 00:32:14.840
 the one through whom

00:32:14.840 --> 00:32:17.039
 God preaches his message.

00:32:17.039 --> 00:32:18.119
 Saul is the one

00:32:18.119 --> 00:32:18.779
 through whom

00:32:18.779 --> 00:32:21.460
 miracles are performed.

00:32:22.859 --> 00:32:24.019
 Soon you're not going

00:32:24.019 --> 00:32:25.220
 to hear very much

00:32:25.220 --> 00:32:27.420
 about Barnabas at all.

00:32:29.619 --> 00:32:31.319
 Where did the first

00:32:31.319 --> 00:32:32.399
 missionary journey

00:32:32.399 --> 00:32:33.099
 take them?

00:32:33.980 --> 00:32:35.480
 Where was their first stop?

00:32:36.319 --> 00:32:36.859
 Cyprus.

00:32:38.440 --> 00:32:40.039
 Cyprus is Barnabas'

00:32:40.259 --> 00:32:41.399
 home island.

00:32:41.400 --> 00:32:44.540
 All of this

00:32:44.540 --> 00:32:45.360
 has been required

00:32:45.360 --> 00:32:45.940
 of him

00:32:45.940 --> 00:32:47.780
 back in his hometown.

00:32:50.519 --> 00:32:51.000
 Humility.

00:32:53.360 --> 00:32:53.840
 Saul,

00:32:54.980 --> 00:32:57.120
 you can really

00:32:57.120 --> 00:32:58.080
 bind up the humility

00:32:58.080 --> 00:32:59.200
 required for Saul

00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:00.780
 in the name change.

00:33:01.140 --> 00:33:02.160
 How many Pauls

00:33:02.160 --> 00:33:03.040
 are here beside me?

00:33:03.160 --> 00:33:03.940
 I'm sure a handful.

00:33:04.420 --> 00:33:05.740
 I'm painfully aware

00:33:05.740 --> 00:33:07.180
 of the etymology

00:33:07.180 --> 00:33:07.720
 of Paul.

00:33:07.840 --> 00:33:08.040
 Do you know

00:33:08.040 --> 00:33:08.820
 what Paul means?

00:33:08.819 --> 00:33:10.319
 little.

00:33:12.019 --> 00:33:13.000
 Would that was more

00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:13.799
 true of my body.

00:33:14.679 --> 00:33:15.179
 Little,

00:33:15.980 --> 00:33:16.579
 tiny,

00:33:17.779 --> 00:33:18.179
 small.

00:33:21.859 --> 00:33:22.839
 Paul is going

00:33:22.839 --> 00:33:23.899
 to take a whole

00:33:23.899 --> 00:33:24.819
 journey forward

00:33:24.819 --> 00:33:25.579
 in his ministry

00:33:25.579 --> 00:33:27.019
 growing down

00:33:27.019 --> 00:33:28.879
 into that name.

00:33:32.059 --> 00:33:32.559
 Suffering.

00:33:34.599 --> 00:33:35.779
 Taking beatings

00:33:35.779 --> 00:33:36.700
 one lash

00:33:36.700 --> 00:33:37.500
 less than that

00:33:37.500 --> 00:33:38.079
 which would kill

00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:38.679
 a person.

00:33:39.339 --> 00:33:39.960
 Beatings with

00:33:39.960 --> 00:33:40.359
 the whip,

00:33:40.500 --> 00:33:41.599
 beatings with rods,

00:33:42.159 --> 00:33:43.039
 being stoned

00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:44.039
 and left for dead

00:33:44.039 --> 00:33:45.539
 multiple times.

00:33:46.579 --> 00:33:47.460
 Near drownings

00:33:47.460 --> 00:33:47.980
 in rivers

00:33:47.980 --> 00:33:49.799
 and near drownings

00:33:49.799 --> 00:33:50.279
 at sea

00:33:50.279 --> 00:33:51.359
 after shipwreck.

00:33:52.839 --> 00:33:53.240
 Fevers

00:33:53.240 --> 00:33:54.279
 and diseases

00:33:54.279 --> 00:33:55.619
 and difficulties.

00:33:55.819 --> 00:33:56.339
 This thorn

00:33:56.339 --> 00:33:57.019
 in the flesh

00:33:57.019 --> 00:33:58.119
 that he lives with

00:33:58.119 --> 00:33:59.159
 all the way through

00:33:59.159 --> 00:33:59.899
 which some believe

00:33:59.899 --> 00:34:00.319
 is either

00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:01.659
 an ongoing

00:34:01.659 --> 00:34:02.740
 fever problem,

00:34:03.199 --> 00:34:03.980
 terrible problems

00:34:03.980 --> 00:34:04.720
 with his eyes,

00:34:04.859 --> 00:34:05.539
 perhaps some kind

00:34:05.539 --> 00:34:07.799
 significant physical

00:34:07.799 --> 00:34:09.199
 deformation

00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:10.259
 in his body.

00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:13.460
 But then

00:34:13.460 --> 00:34:14.460
 Paul says

00:34:14.460 --> 00:34:15.059
 writing about

00:34:15.059 --> 00:34:15.659
 all this,

00:34:16.920 --> 00:34:17.880
 it's all these

00:34:17.880 --> 00:34:18.239
 things,

00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:18.440
 yeah,

00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:19.019
 that are hard

00:34:19.019 --> 00:34:20.019
 but it's my

00:34:20.019 --> 00:34:21.239
 daily concerns

00:34:21.239 --> 00:34:22.159
 for the churches

00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:24.259
 that really make it

00:34:24.259 --> 00:34:24.599
 hard,

00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:25.820
 that really break me.

00:34:28.360 --> 00:34:29.039
 Paul was going

00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:30.119
 to spend a lifetime

00:34:30.119 --> 00:34:31.800
 growing down

00:34:31.800 --> 00:34:34.280
 into that name.

00:34:37.560 --> 00:34:38.880
 How do you do that?

00:34:40.260 --> 00:34:41.100
 As a church

00:34:41.100 --> 00:34:41.640
 collectively,

00:34:41.780 --> 00:34:42.580
 how do we do that

00:34:42.580 --> 00:34:43.860
 as individual Christians

00:34:43.860 --> 00:34:45.080
 like Barnabas

00:34:45.080 --> 00:34:45.740
 and Saul?

00:34:46.220 --> 00:34:47.000
 The only way

00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:47.560
 you do that

00:34:47.560 --> 00:34:48.660
 is by contemplating

00:34:48.660 --> 00:34:49.260
 the gospel.

00:34:50.620 --> 00:34:51.560
 And what you realize

00:34:51.560 --> 00:34:52.320
 when you contemplate

00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:52.740
 the gospel

00:34:52.740 --> 00:34:53.480
 and when you worship

00:34:53.480 --> 00:34:54.180
 and pray

00:34:54.180 --> 00:34:55.200
 and fast

00:34:55.200 --> 00:34:55.800
 the way they were

00:34:55.800 --> 00:34:56.740
 doing in Antioch

00:34:56.740 --> 00:34:57.100
 is,

00:34:58.060 --> 00:34:59.240
 you realize

00:34:59.240 --> 00:35:00.600
 two deep truths

00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:01.779
 is,

00:35:01.779 --> 00:35:02.259
 number one,

00:35:02.460 --> 00:35:03.980
 this is the Jesus way.

00:35:05.599 --> 00:35:07.139
 This is God's way.

00:35:08.059 --> 00:35:08.900
 God's glory

00:35:08.900 --> 00:35:10.960
 is in his humility.

00:35:12.659 --> 00:35:13.440
 Jesus says

00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:14.139
 throughout the whole

00:35:14.139 --> 00:35:15.059
 gospel of John,

00:35:16.199 --> 00:35:17.460
 my time has not yet come,

00:35:17.539 --> 00:35:18.779
 my time has not yet come,

00:35:18.920 --> 00:35:20.360
 my time has not yet come

00:35:20.360 --> 00:35:21.319
 to be fully known

00:35:21.319 --> 00:35:21.900
 and glorified.

00:35:22.239 --> 00:35:23.219
 And suddenly he says

00:35:23.219 --> 00:35:23.900
 in John 12,

00:35:24.299 --> 00:35:25.219
 now is the time,

00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:26.719
 the hour has come

00:35:26.719 --> 00:35:28.079
 and the Son of Man

00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:28.980
 will be glorified

00:35:28.980 --> 00:35:29.980
 and the Father

00:35:29.980 --> 00:35:30.679
 who sent him

00:35:30.679 --> 00:35:31.599
 will be glorified

00:35:31.599 --> 00:35:33.380
 as he is crucified

00:35:33.380 --> 00:35:35.159
 and lifted up

00:35:35.159 --> 00:35:35.780
 from the earth.

00:35:38.059 --> 00:35:39.519
 God's ultimate glory

00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:42.380
 is in his humility.

00:35:48.880 --> 00:35:50.039
 And the other point

00:35:50.039 --> 00:35:51.079
 as you focus

00:35:51.079 --> 00:35:51.719
 on the gospel

00:35:51.719 --> 00:35:52.139
 is

00:35:52.139 --> 00:35:53.760
 that if this is

00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:54.579
 the Jesus way

00:35:54.579 --> 00:35:55.380
 then it's going to be

00:35:55.380 --> 00:35:56.460
 the way of his followers

00:35:56.460 --> 00:35:58.559
 that there is

00:35:58.559 --> 00:35:59.460
 no other way

00:35:59.460 --> 00:36:00.079
 the gospel

00:36:00.079 --> 00:36:01.099
 can go forward

00:36:01.099 --> 00:36:04.380
 except we humble ourselves,

00:36:04.559 --> 00:36:06.679
 except we give our lives away

00:36:06.679 --> 00:36:07.519
 as Paul did,

00:36:08.159 --> 00:36:09.980
 except we are willing

00:36:09.980 --> 00:36:11.480
 to take the back seat,

00:36:11.619 --> 00:36:12.679
 the second chair,

00:36:13.320 --> 00:36:15.360
 to even go off stage left

00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:16.619
 the way Barnabas did,

00:36:16.619 --> 00:36:21.519
 the gospel can't go forward

00:36:21.519 --> 00:36:24.519
 with that kind of humility

00:36:24.519 --> 00:36:26.380
 flowing through us.

00:36:27.559 --> 00:36:28.940
 The gospel demands it.

00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:30.019
 To carry our crosses

00:36:30.019 --> 00:36:31.019
 and follow Jesus

00:36:31.019 --> 00:36:34.480
 means we are humble people.

00:36:35.759 --> 00:36:36.699
 Where does God want

00:36:36.699 --> 00:36:37.920
 to humble you afresh?

00:36:38.920 --> 00:36:40.859
 For you to embrace humility

00:36:40.859 --> 00:36:42.239
 afresh,

00:36:42.239 --> 00:36:46.039
 to give up your power,

00:36:46.179 --> 00:36:47.219
 to give up your position

00:36:47.219 --> 00:36:47.959
 afresh,

00:36:48.479 --> 00:36:51.119
 to just go love

00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:52.719
 in his name,

00:36:53.339 --> 00:36:54.799
 to give up status,

00:36:55.359 --> 00:36:56.419
 to give up the right

00:36:56.419 --> 00:36:57.379
 to hold a grudge,

00:36:58.519 --> 00:37:00.439
 to give up the right

00:37:00.439 --> 00:37:01.899
 of playing the victim card

00:37:01.899 --> 00:37:05.259
 and humble yourself

00:37:05.259 --> 00:37:09.059
 and serve in Jesus' name.

00:37:09.059 --> 00:37:12.940
 This is the hardest part

00:37:12.940 --> 00:37:13.559
 of flourishing,

00:37:14.480 --> 00:37:15.059
 but the creativity

00:37:15.960 --> 00:37:16.880
 and the generosity

00:37:16.880 --> 00:37:18.159
 can't flow

00:37:18.159 --> 00:37:19.400
 except through the channel

00:37:19.400 --> 00:37:21.360
 of our humility.

00:37:23.820 --> 00:37:24.960
 I want to leave you

00:37:24.960 --> 00:37:25.619
 with a story

00:37:25.619 --> 00:37:28.639
 of where I've seen this

00:37:28.639 --> 00:37:29.799
 played out in my life.

00:37:30.639 --> 00:37:31.739
 My wife grew up

00:37:31.739 --> 00:37:32.259
 in Birmingham.

00:37:32.619 --> 00:37:34.059
 Her family were charter members

00:37:34.059 --> 00:37:35.860
 of Briarwood Church.

00:37:36.799 --> 00:37:37.599
 She remembers

00:37:37.599 --> 00:37:39.360
 when Briarwood Church

00:37:39.360 --> 00:37:41.480
 came into the Presbyterian

00:37:41.480 --> 00:37:42.279
 Church in America.

00:37:42.460 --> 00:37:42.900
 She was there

00:37:42.900 --> 00:37:43.519
 for that meeting.

00:37:44.039 --> 00:37:44.819
 She has great memories.

00:37:44.920 --> 00:37:46.199
 She went to Briarwood School

00:37:46.199 --> 00:37:47.679
 growing up.

00:37:48.239 --> 00:37:50.079
 And Fran is,

00:37:50.119 --> 00:37:50.819
 if you get to know her

00:37:50.819 --> 00:37:51.679
 even a little bit today,

00:37:51.779 --> 00:37:52.480
 the kindest,

00:37:52.639 --> 00:37:54.360
 most generous person

00:37:54.360 --> 00:37:55.619
 I've really ever been around.

00:37:55.699 --> 00:37:56.539
 I'm not just saying that.

00:37:56.619 --> 00:37:56.739
 I mean,

00:37:57.159 --> 00:37:58.179
 if I've learned anything

00:37:58.179 --> 00:37:59.559
 about love and generosity,

00:37:59.759 --> 00:38:00.759
 I've learned it through her

00:38:00.759 --> 00:38:01.940
 toward others.

00:38:02.639 --> 00:38:03.639
 But she would tell you

00:38:03.639 --> 00:38:05.000
 that's not the way.

00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:07.719
 Paul's not seeing it all right,

00:38:07.820 --> 00:38:08.280
 number one.

00:38:08.639 --> 00:38:09.400
 But number two,

00:38:09.480 --> 00:38:10.559
 that's certainly not the way

00:38:10.559 --> 00:38:11.360
 I've always been.

00:38:12.460 --> 00:38:13.960
 And growing up,

00:38:14.559 --> 00:38:15.739
 she at Briarwood School,

00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:16.460
 the beautiful little

00:38:16.460 --> 00:38:17.159
 Christian school

00:38:17.159 --> 00:38:18.340
 with a group of girls

00:38:18.340 --> 00:38:19.360
 was sort of

00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:20.760
 in the mean girls pack.

00:38:20.880 --> 00:38:21.860
 If you've ever seen that movie

00:38:21.860 --> 00:38:23.980
 with Lindsay Lohan,

00:38:24.460 --> 00:38:26.019
 she was one of the mean girls,

00:38:26.059 --> 00:38:27.659
 like the Rachel McAdams character

00:38:27.659 --> 00:38:29.119
 who were making life

00:38:29.119 --> 00:38:30.039
 miserable for others

00:38:30.039 --> 00:38:30.860
 that don't fit

00:38:30.860 --> 00:38:31.900
 their model and grid.

00:38:32.139 --> 00:38:33.659
 And she had a couple of friends

00:38:33.659 --> 00:38:34.519
 and they sort of ruled

00:38:34.519 --> 00:38:35.819
 that little Christian school.

00:38:36.619 --> 00:38:36.879
 Well,

00:38:36.960 --> 00:38:38.599
 a new friend came to town

00:38:38.599 --> 00:38:40.000
 somewhere at the end

00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:40.799
 of elementary school,

00:38:40.980 --> 00:38:42.279
 early in middle school,

00:38:42.599 --> 00:38:44.259
 and Fran decided,

00:38:44.500 --> 00:38:45.500
 I want to make

00:38:45.500 --> 00:38:48.519
 Tammy's life miserable.

00:38:48.940 --> 00:38:49.879
 I don't like her.

00:38:51.699 --> 00:38:52.819
 And so I'm going to make it

00:38:52.819 --> 00:38:53.559
 hard on her

00:38:53.559 --> 00:38:54.799
 and I'm going to

00:38:54.799 --> 00:38:55.579
 ignore her.

00:38:55.699 --> 00:38:56.359
 I'm going to be mean.

00:38:56.599 --> 00:38:57.759
 I'm going to orchestrate

00:38:57.759 --> 00:38:59.639
 so that Tammy's life

00:38:59.639 --> 00:39:03.159
 is kind of bad.

00:39:03.659 --> 00:39:06.940
 Well, Tammy's mom

00:39:06.940 --> 00:39:08.559
 kind of watched this play out.

00:39:09.359 --> 00:39:10.079
 Her name's Beth.

00:39:11.519 --> 00:39:12.940
 And Beth decided,

00:39:13.079 --> 00:39:13.219
 you know,

00:39:13.259 --> 00:39:13.759
 if you've ever been

00:39:13.759 --> 00:39:14.339
 in that space,

00:39:14.399 --> 00:39:15.299
 I've been in that space

00:39:15.299 --> 00:39:15.839
 as a parent.

00:39:16.399 --> 00:39:17.179
 You ever been in that space

00:39:17.179 --> 00:39:17.619
 as a parent?

00:39:17.879 --> 00:39:18.679
 What do you want to do

00:39:18.679 --> 00:39:19.319
 to the child

00:39:19.319 --> 00:39:20.480
 that's making your child's

00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:21.299
 life miserable, right?

00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:23.099
 You want to strangle them, right?

00:39:24.819 --> 00:39:25.920
 If your child's ever been

00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:26.639
 bullied at school,

00:39:26.819 --> 00:39:28.000
 like you want to strangle

00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:28.579
 the child.

00:39:29.059 --> 00:39:29.359
 Better,

00:39:29.500 --> 00:39:30.359
 you would love to strangle

00:39:30.359 --> 00:39:31.579
 the parents of the child

00:39:31.579 --> 00:39:33.420
 who's bullying your child, right?

00:39:34.260 --> 00:39:35.519
 Beth did not take

00:39:35.519 --> 00:39:36.119
 that approach.

00:39:37.700 --> 00:39:39.000
 Beth began to try

00:39:39.000 --> 00:39:40.079
 to find out about Fran

00:39:40.079 --> 00:39:40.980
 and her situation

00:39:40.980 --> 00:39:41.680
 to discover

00:39:41.680 --> 00:39:43.019
 that her mom

00:39:43.019 --> 00:39:45.320
 had significant illnesses

00:39:45.320 --> 00:39:46.059
 she was battling

00:39:46.059 --> 00:39:47.599
 that incapacitated her,

00:39:47.860 --> 00:39:49.320
 that Fran's dad

00:39:49.320 --> 00:39:51.559
 was a doctor,

00:39:52.079 --> 00:39:53.519
 a beautiful Christian man,

00:39:53.659 --> 00:39:55.139
 but often absent,

00:39:55.659 --> 00:39:56.380
 chief of staff

00:39:56.380 --> 00:39:57.740
 at a major Birmingham hospital,

00:39:58.079 --> 00:39:59.619
 and that Fran's siblings

00:39:59.619 --> 00:40:00.260
 were older

00:40:00.260 --> 00:40:01.099
 and sort of gone,

00:40:01.099 --> 00:40:01.659
 and that Fran

00:40:01.659 --> 00:40:03.619
 really didn't have anybody.

00:40:05.940 --> 00:40:08.079
 And so Beth decided,

00:40:08.259 --> 00:40:08.839
 I'm going to,

00:40:09.339 --> 00:40:10.039
 instead of hating

00:40:10.039 --> 00:40:10.719
 the daughter,

00:40:11.519 --> 00:40:12.539
 the girl who's making

00:40:12.539 --> 00:40:13.480
 my daughter's life miserable,

00:40:13.480 --> 00:40:14.239
 I'm going to love her.

00:40:14.299 --> 00:40:16.079
 I'm going to humble myself.

00:40:16.880 --> 00:40:17.539
 I'm going to try

00:40:17.539 --> 00:40:18.299
 to be creative.

00:40:18.480 --> 00:40:18.960
 I'm going to try

00:40:18.960 --> 00:40:19.699
 to be generous

00:40:19.699 --> 00:40:21.519
 and just give to her.

00:40:21.699 --> 00:40:22.619
 She found out Fran

00:40:22.619 --> 00:40:24.799
 didn't ever have lunches,

00:40:24.860 --> 00:40:25.440
 so she brought

00:40:25.440 --> 00:40:26.360
 an extra lunch

00:40:26.360 --> 00:40:28.079
 for her

00:40:28.079 --> 00:40:29.360
 as well as for her daughter

00:40:29.360 --> 00:40:30.720
 and stuck it in her locker.

00:40:30.900 --> 00:40:32.620
 She worked

00:40:32.620 --> 00:40:34.120
 so that Tammy and Fran

00:40:34.120 --> 00:40:35.200
 could do things together

00:40:35.200 --> 00:40:36.559
 and after school activities

00:40:36.559 --> 00:40:37.599
 sort of behind the scenes.

00:40:38.019 --> 00:40:38.680
 She then worked

00:40:38.680 --> 00:40:39.180
 in realizing

00:40:39.180 --> 00:40:40.160
 Fran didn't really have

00:40:40.160 --> 00:40:41.039
 a place to eat supper

00:40:41.039 --> 00:40:41.559
 at night

00:40:41.559 --> 00:40:42.860
 and invited her over

00:40:42.860 --> 00:40:44.680
 for dinner often.

00:40:46.840 --> 00:40:47.559
 Invited Fran

00:40:47.559 --> 00:40:48.539
 on family vacations.

00:40:49.240 --> 00:40:49.980
 Fran and Tammy,

00:40:50.200 --> 00:40:50.720
 instead of being

00:40:50.720 --> 00:40:51.440
 these enemies,

00:40:51.620 --> 00:40:53.559
 become best friends.

00:40:53.559 --> 00:40:55.860
 they still are

00:40:55.860 --> 00:40:56.679
 to this day.

00:40:58.940 --> 00:41:00.759
 And Fran would say

00:41:00.759 --> 00:41:01.799
 what she learned

00:41:01.799 --> 00:41:02.599
 about loving

00:41:02.599 --> 00:41:03.559
 in Jesus' name,

00:41:04.539 --> 00:41:05.179
 she learned

00:41:05.179 --> 00:41:06.619
 from reflecting

00:41:06.619 --> 00:41:08.099
 on best love

00:41:08.099 --> 00:41:08.519
 to her

00:41:08.519 --> 00:41:09.239
 when she utterly

00:41:09.239 --> 00:41:10.299
 did not deserve it.

00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:13.500
 Where does God

00:41:13.500 --> 00:41:14.820
 want to write

00:41:14.820 --> 00:41:16.039
 beautiful,

00:41:16.480 --> 00:41:17.860
 fresh stories

00:41:17.860 --> 00:41:19.900
 like best story

00:41:19.900 --> 00:41:20.400
 in Fran,

00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:22.840
 like Fran's story

00:41:22.840 --> 00:41:24.300
 in teaching me?

00:41:24.400 --> 00:41:24.940
 Where does God

00:41:24.940 --> 00:41:25.460
 want to play

00:41:25.460 --> 00:41:26.160
 that forward

00:41:26.160 --> 00:41:27.660
 through you?

00:41:27.740 --> 00:41:28.800
 One thing's for sure,

00:41:29.480 --> 00:41:30.220
 if the church

00:41:30.220 --> 00:41:30.820
 in Antioch

00:41:30.820 --> 00:41:31.720
 didn't function

00:41:31.720 --> 00:41:32.160
 this way

00:41:32.160 --> 00:41:33.119
 with this generosity,

00:41:33.619 --> 00:41:34.380
 this creativity,

00:41:34.519 --> 00:41:35.039
 this humility,

00:41:35.039 --> 00:41:36.579
 if Barnabas and Saul

00:41:36.579 --> 00:41:37.660
 didn't embrace it

00:41:37.660 --> 00:41:38.480
 and embody it,

00:41:39.019 --> 00:41:39.579
 the gospel

00:41:39.579 --> 00:41:40.320
 wouldn't have gotten

00:41:40.320 --> 00:41:41.039
 to us today.

00:41:42.780 --> 00:41:43.599
 This is how

00:41:43.599 --> 00:41:44.099
 the gospel

00:41:44.099 --> 00:41:44.820
 broke out

00:41:44.820 --> 00:41:45.780
 from the Mediterranean

00:41:45.780 --> 00:41:46.480
 world.

00:41:46.780 --> 00:41:47.240
 This is how

00:41:47.240 --> 00:41:47.660
 the gospel

00:41:47.660 --> 00:41:48.340
 began to come

00:41:48.340 --> 00:41:49.139
 to Gentiles.

00:41:50.400 --> 00:41:51.740
 This is the story

00:41:51.740 --> 00:41:54.260
 of the Gentile mission

00:41:54.260 --> 00:41:55.220
 breaking out

00:41:55.220 --> 00:41:55.980
 in fullness.

00:41:57.920 --> 00:41:58.900
 Sergius Paulus,

00:41:58.920 --> 00:41:59.700
 another Paul

00:41:59.700 --> 00:42:01.400
 who Paul connects

00:42:01.400 --> 00:42:01.800
 with,

00:42:02.519 --> 00:42:03.260
 and there'll be

00:42:03.260 --> 00:42:03.680
 many,

00:42:03.860 --> 00:42:04.420
 many,

00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:05.420
 many others.

00:42:05.880 --> 00:42:06.440
 Where does God

00:42:06.440 --> 00:42:07.139
 want to make

00:42:07.139 --> 00:42:08.059
 a new outbreak

00:42:08.059 --> 00:42:08.820
 of the gospel?

00:42:09.900 --> 00:42:10.840
 Through you,

00:42:11.360 --> 00:42:11.840
 collectively

00:42:11.840 --> 00:42:13.160
 and individually

00:42:13.160 --> 00:42:14.980
 as the flourishing

00:42:14.980 --> 00:42:15.660
 people

00:42:15.660 --> 00:42:16.800
 of his gospel.

00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:18.200
 Let's pray together.

00:42:19.160 --> 00:42:19.519
 Father,

00:42:19.519 --> 00:42:20.119
 we thank you

00:42:20.119 --> 00:42:20.780
 for this time.

00:42:20.900 --> 00:42:21.579
 We praise you

00:42:21.579 --> 00:42:22.820
 for your goodness

00:42:22.820 --> 00:42:23.440
 and mercy

00:42:23.440 --> 00:42:23.960
 to us

00:42:23.960 --> 00:42:24.539
 through Jesus.

00:42:26.019 --> 00:42:26.699
 Help us,

00:42:26.940 --> 00:42:27.039
 Lord,

00:42:27.159 --> 00:42:28.300
 to just catch

00:42:28.300 --> 00:42:29.559
 the gospel afresh

00:42:29.559 --> 00:42:32.440
 so that we might

00:42:32.440 --> 00:42:33.480
 see the generosity

00:42:33.480 --> 00:42:33.880
 there,

00:42:33.960 --> 00:42:34.719
 the creativity

00:42:34.719 --> 00:42:35.179
 there,

00:42:35.659 --> 00:42:36.380
 the humility

00:42:36.380 --> 00:42:36.739
 there,

00:42:36.820 --> 00:42:37.000
 Lord,

00:42:37.059 --> 00:42:37.639
 and so that

00:42:37.639 --> 00:42:38.340
 we might live

00:42:38.340 --> 00:42:38.780
 it out.

00:42:39.780 --> 00:42:40.280
 Thank you

00:42:40.280 --> 00:42:41.000
 for Southwood.

00:42:41.099 --> 00:42:41.400
 Thank you

00:42:41.400 --> 00:42:41.920
 for the ways

00:42:41.920 --> 00:42:43.159
 that's marked

00:42:43.159 --> 00:42:44.139
 her across

00:42:44.139 --> 00:42:44.900
 her 30 years,

00:42:45.300 --> 00:42:45.940
 but I pray

00:42:45.940 --> 00:42:47.079
 that like the

00:42:47.079 --> 00:42:48.000
 church at Antioch,

00:42:48.000 --> 00:42:48.840
 there would be

00:42:48.840 --> 00:42:49.599
 a ratcheting

00:42:49.599 --> 00:42:50.539
 up of this,

00:42:51.440 --> 00:42:52.699
 just like we saw

00:42:52.699 --> 00:42:53.260
 a ratcheting

00:42:53.260 --> 00:42:53.980
 up of that

00:42:53.980 --> 00:42:54.440
 in the book

00:42:54.440 --> 00:42:55.019
 of Acts,

00:42:55.719 --> 00:42:56.159
 that there would

00:42:56.159 --> 00:42:56.960
 be a ratcheting

00:42:56.960 --> 00:42:57.639
 up of that

00:42:57.639 --> 00:42:58.039
 here,

00:42:59.239 --> 00:43:00.619
 and that change

00:43:00.619 --> 00:43:01.139
 would come

00:43:01.139 --> 00:43:01.820
 to Huntsville

00:43:01.820 --> 00:43:02.300
 in the world

00:43:02.300 --> 00:43:03.099
 because of it.

00:43:04.380 --> 00:43:04.900
 Please,

00:43:05.059 --> 00:43:05.260
 Lord,

00:43:05.519 --> 00:43:06.519
 do this good work,

00:43:06.599 --> 00:43:07.039
 we pray.

00:43:07.639 --> 00:43:08.539
 In Jesus' name,

00:43:09.260 --> 00:43:09.519
 amen.

00:43:09.519 --> 00:43:09.639
 Amen.

00:43:13.280 --> 00:43:14.780
 For more information,

00:43:15.159 --> 00:43:16.079
 visit us online

00:43:16.079 --> 00:43:17.380
 at southwood.org.