WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.200 at the back and turn to Hebrews chapter 11 and I haven't got a page number but if somebody does 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:12.580 they can tell me what it is and I'll shout it out to help you. 00:00:16.240 --> 00:00:27.719 It's 12.09, 1-2-0-9 if you're using a red covered Bible. 1-2-0-9 Hebrews chapter 11 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:32.339 and we're going to read verses 1 through to 16. 00:00:39.340 --> 00:00:45.439 Hebrews 11, 1 through 16 on page 1209. 00:00:49.739 --> 00:00:55.480 So as we read, remember this is God speaking to us. 00:00:58.339 --> 00:01:03.560 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 00:01:04.519 --> 00:01:07.060 This is what the ancients were commended for. 00:01:07.859 --> 00:01:13.260 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command so that what is seen 00:01:13.260 --> 00:01:16.039 was not made out of what was visible. 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:21.140 By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. 00:01:21.579 --> 00:01:26.560 By faith he was commended as a righteous man when God spoke well of his offerings. 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:30.840 And by faith he still speaks even though he is dead. 00:01:31.579 --> 00:01:36.939 By faith Enoch was taken from this life so that he did not experience death. 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:40.840 He could not be found because God had taken him away. 00:01:40.840 --> 00:01:47.700 For before he was taken he was commended as one who pleased God. 00:01:47.700 --> 00:01:55.600 And without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 00:01:55.600 --> 00:01:59.219 and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 00:01:59.219 --> 00:02:06.840 By faith Noah when warned about things not yet seen in holy fear built an ark to save his family. 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:14.280 By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. 00:02:15.240 --> 00:02:20.280 By faith Abraham when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:24.319 obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going. 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:30.840 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country. 00:02:30.840 --> 00:02:37.219 He lived in tents as did Isaac and Jacob who were heirs with him of the same promise. 00:02:37.219 --> 00:02:42.819 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations whose architect and builder is God. 00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:48.800 By faith Abraham even though he was past age and Sarah herself was barren 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:56.479 was unable to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 00:02:57.740 --> 00:03:02.360 And so from this one man and he as good as dead 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:08.820 came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 00:03:09.540 --> 00:03:14.200 All these people were still living by faith when they died. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:17.160 They did not receive the things promised. 00:03:17.560 --> 00:03:20.460 They only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:24.940 And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 00:03:25.600 --> 00:03:31.560 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 00:03:31.560 --> 00:03:34.379 If they had been thinking of the country they had left 00:03:34.379 --> 00:03:36.860 they would have had opportunity to return. 00:03:37.699 --> 00:03:41.180 Instead they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. 00:03:41.640 --> 00:03:44.740 Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God 00:03:44.740 --> 00:03:47.800 for he has prepared a city for them. 00:03:49.800 --> 00:03:54.539 And please come and speak 00:03:54.539 --> 00:03:57.780 and I'm going to pray for you and then you can carry on. 00:03:57.860 --> 00:03:59.180 So let's just pray together. 00:03:59.340 --> 00:04:01.080 Father again we thank you for your words. 00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:04.280 Thank you that we have it in our language. 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:07.360 Thank you that you've given us the ability to read. 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:11.180 Thank you that you've given us teachers to explain it to us. 00:04:11.939 --> 00:04:14.539 But ultimately we need your Holy Spirit 00:04:14.539 --> 00:04:19.180 and pray that he would be at work through and through us. 00:04:19.560 --> 00:04:22.120 So that we can better comprehend and understand 00:04:22.120 --> 00:04:23.579 that it would change us 00:04:23.579 --> 00:04:27.079 and bring us more on board what you are doing 00:04:27.079 --> 00:04:30.639 and change us to be the people you want us to be. 00:04:31.259 --> 00:04:33.139 In Jesus name we all pray. 00:04:33.859 --> 00:04:34.180 Amen. 00:04:34.180 --> 00:04:36.199 Thank you. 00:04:36.199 --> 00:04:36.259 Thank you. 00:04:37.939 --> 00:04:40.340 Thank you for having us around. 00:04:40.560 --> 00:04:42.740 It's good to meet up with you again 00:04:42.740 --> 00:04:44.480 and thank you for your interest and involvement 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:46.759 in what we're doing in lots of different ways. 00:04:46.860 --> 00:04:49.579 Look forward to chatting with more of you over lunch 00:04:49.579 --> 00:04:51.300 if you're around and able to stay for that as well. 00:04:51.300 --> 00:04:54.340 We're going to have a look this morning 00:04:54.340 --> 00:04:58.020 at some of these verses in Hebrews 11 and 12. 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:01.199 So if you have that on standby we'll be there in a minute. 00:05:01.960 --> 00:05:03.980 But as Johnny said at the beginning 00:05:03.980 --> 00:05:06.340 the Bible is one book isn't it? 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:08.480 With one overarching theme. 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:11.620 And you know wherever you cut the Bible 00:05:11.620 --> 00:05:14.900 you find that it's all about the mission of God. 00:05:14.899 --> 00:05:17.620 It is one book with one complete message in that way. 00:05:17.739 --> 00:05:19.799 Sometimes we might think that there are certain 00:05:19.799 --> 00:05:21.799 kind of mission passages that we think of 00:05:21.799 --> 00:05:23.179 like Acts 1-8 where it says 00:05:23.179 --> 00:05:25.759 go in to be my witnesses in Jerusalem 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:27.979 and Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth. 00:05:28.060 --> 00:05:29.899 Or we might think of Matthew 28 00:05:29.899 --> 00:05:33.199 where Jesus tells his disciples to go into all the world 00:05:33.199 --> 00:05:34.819 and preach the gospel and so on. 00:05:35.779 --> 00:05:38.039 But one of the things that is important for us to realize 00:05:38.039 --> 00:05:40.299 is that because God is a God of mission 00:05:40.299 --> 00:05:44.419 he is on a mission to call and recreate a people for himself 00:05:44.420 --> 00:05:47.340 to forgive us and to fill us with himself 00:05:47.340 --> 00:05:50.439 and to have us live with him and glorify him forever 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:51.720 in a new heaven and a new earth 00:05:51.720 --> 00:05:52.980 because that's his vision. 00:05:53.420 --> 00:05:55.340 That's what the whole Bible is about. 00:05:55.460 --> 00:05:57.300 That's his purpose in this world 00:05:57.300 --> 00:05:59.020 and that's the mission that then 00:05:59.020 --> 00:06:00.900 as we become one of his people 00:06:00.900 --> 00:06:03.120 he calls us to join with him on. 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:06.460 And so when you look at the Bible through those eyes 00:06:06.460 --> 00:06:09.319 you realize the whole thing is about mission. 00:06:10.020 --> 00:06:11.080 It's all about it. 00:06:11.700 --> 00:06:14.280 So from early on after the fall in Genesis 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:16.839 you get that hope held out of the Messiah 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:18.879 who would crush Satan's head 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:19.859 and then you get Abraham 00:06:19.859 --> 00:06:21.739 who's going to have a descendant 00:06:21.739 --> 00:06:23.159 who would bless the whole world 00:06:23.159 --> 00:06:26.259 and you've got then the nation that comes from Abraham 00:06:26.259 --> 00:06:28.699 Israel that is meant to be a light to the nations 00:06:28.699 --> 00:06:30.279 and then Jesus finally comes 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:33.779 and then he dies for the world 00:06:33.779 --> 00:06:35.399 he is risen again 00:06:35.399 --> 00:06:36.859 he's ascended into heaven 00:06:36.859 --> 00:06:38.579 he sends his spirit into his followers 00:06:38.579 --> 00:06:40.199 who then scatter all over the planet 00:06:40.199 --> 00:06:42.319 and you can see it all the way through. 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:45.599 And then when you have all the letters of the New Testament 00:06:45.599 --> 00:06:48.120 that this is the context 00:06:48.120 --> 00:06:49.620 in which all those letters are written 00:06:49.620 --> 00:06:51.639 they're written from people on a mission 00:06:51.639 --> 00:06:53.740 to other people on a mission 00:06:53.740 --> 00:06:55.019 about the mission. 00:06:55.939 --> 00:06:58.379 That's what it's all to do with. 00:06:59.079 --> 00:07:01.699 And then we find ourselves in that era ourselves 00:07:01.699 --> 00:07:03.100 of being in this time where 00:07:03.100 --> 00:07:04.659 Jesus has gone back to heaven 00:07:04.659 --> 00:07:05.480 he sent his spirit 00:07:05.480 --> 00:07:06.659 and we're living in a world 00:07:06.659 --> 00:07:09.800 trying to spread it as far as we can. 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:11.220 It's our turn now if you like. 00:07:11.280 --> 00:07:13.220 The baton is in our hands 00:07:13.220 --> 00:07:15.819 and it's our turn in this generation. 00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:18.560 And we'll think some more about that later. 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:21.620 But the fact is that the need is still massive isn't it? 00:07:22.139 --> 00:07:23.699 It's still a big task. 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:25.860 When Jesus said go and preach the gospel everywhere 00:07:25.860 --> 00:07:29.139 there are some pretty large areas of the world 00:07:29.139 --> 00:07:31.259 that just haven't heard yet. 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:33.259 Of course there's many people in our own countries 00:07:33.259 --> 00:07:34.500 as well aren't there? 00:07:34.500 --> 00:07:37.180 But you start thinking around the planet 00:07:37.180 --> 00:07:40.379 and you look at a website like joshuaproject.net 00:07:40.379 --> 00:07:41.319 if you've never looked at that 00:07:41.319 --> 00:07:41.899 you have a look 00:07:41.899 --> 00:07:43.500 and they reckon that there are 00:07:43.500 --> 00:07:47.060 over 16,000 different people groups in the world 00:07:47.060 --> 00:07:48.740 and as they've done their research 00:07:48.740 --> 00:07:51.680 they reckon that 6,954 of them 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:53.259 are effectively unreached. 00:07:54.439 --> 00:07:57.420 So about 40% of the people groups of the world 00:07:57.420 --> 00:07:59.399 they say are effectively unreached. 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:01.199 There may be one or two Christians in some cases 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:03.680 but there isn't an established indigenous church 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:05.740 in those people groups. 00:08:06.379 --> 00:08:08.579 And they represent about 2.8 billion people 00:08:08.579 --> 00:08:09.279 around the world. 00:08:10.339 --> 00:08:11.899 And then you think about our own countries 00:08:11.899 --> 00:08:14.539 that maybe have something of a Christian heritage 00:08:14.539 --> 00:08:17.199 but they're tough now aren't they? 00:08:17.319 --> 00:08:18.000 They're tough ground 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:19.599 and missionaries are now coming here. 00:08:20.659 --> 00:08:23.519 And so when you think about our job in the world 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:26.279 that we're part of God's people 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:28.180 and we're now joining with him on his mission 00:08:28.180 --> 00:08:29.339 and you start to think 00:08:29.339 --> 00:08:32.259 well what kind of people then does he want us to be? 00:08:33.079 --> 00:08:34.480 What does he want us to be like? 00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:38.120 And having said that the whole Bible is about mission 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:40.059 we could look anywhere in many ways 00:08:40.059 --> 00:08:41.939 but we're going to look at Hebrews chapter 11 00:08:41.939 --> 00:08:45.419 because I think that we're going to find encouragement 00:08:45.419 --> 00:08:47.740 and challenge in this chapter 00:08:47.740 --> 00:08:50.519 to live out what I want to call 00:08:50.519 --> 00:08:54.779 ordinary people taking faith-filled risks for the kingdom. 00:08:55.419 --> 00:08:57.279 If you're going to summarise the whole thing this morning 00:08:57.279 --> 00:08:58.279 you could put that. 00:08:58.659 --> 00:09:01.179 Ordinary people taking faith-filled risks 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:02.459 for the kingdom. 00:09:03.620 --> 00:09:06.059 And to give you a really quick background 00:09:06.059 --> 00:09:09.179 to get up to speed on Hebrews at this point 00:09:09.179 --> 00:09:13.279 this letter is written to a bunch of Jewish Christians 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:15.720 who were finding it really hard to follow Jesus. 00:09:15.980 --> 00:09:17.559 They're living in an environment where 00:09:17.559 --> 00:09:18.720 it was very hostile 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:21.059 people didn't like them being believers 00:09:21.059 --> 00:09:23.379 and they were just finding it difficult 00:09:23.379 --> 00:09:24.939 so that they were tempted to give up. 00:09:24.940 --> 00:09:27.960 They were really tempted to jack it all in 00:09:27.960 --> 00:09:30.400 and go back to how it was before 00:09:30.400 --> 00:09:32.620 thinking maybe that just would have been easier. 00:09:33.760 --> 00:09:35.800 And this letter is written to say 00:09:35.800 --> 00:09:37.860 please don't give up. 00:09:38.700 --> 00:09:39.860 It is worth it. 00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:41.260 Keep on going. 00:09:41.520 --> 00:09:42.140 You can do it. 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:43.740 Jesus is better. 00:09:43.880 --> 00:09:44.740 He is worth it. 00:09:44.820 --> 00:09:46.380 You can keep on trusting him. 00:09:47.060 --> 00:09:50.220 And wants them to persevere right on to the end. 00:09:50.220 --> 00:09:52.940 And so as part of his effort 00:09:52.940 --> 00:09:55.180 to encourage the Christians not to give up 00:09:55.180 --> 00:09:56.720 we then get this chapter 00:09:56.720 --> 00:10:00.519 where he parades all these different people 00:10:00.519 --> 00:10:02.300 from through the Bible 00:10:02.300 --> 00:10:05.700 as examples of people who kept on going 00:10:05.700 --> 00:10:07.540 and kept on following God 00:10:07.540 --> 00:10:08.879 no matter what came their way. 00:10:09.340 --> 00:10:10.340 He's trying to encourage them to say 00:10:10.340 --> 00:10:11.600 look at these people who did it. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:13.800 You can keep on going as well. 00:10:14.879 --> 00:10:17.100 And of course there's so much in here 00:10:17.100 --> 00:10:18.500 that you could spend weeks and weeks 00:10:18.500 --> 00:10:19.700 going through this chapter. 00:10:19.779 --> 00:10:21.139 We're just going to skim over 00:10:21.139 --> 00:10:23.679 and drop in on two or three examples. 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:26.320 And the first one I want us to look at 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:28.799 is Noah in verse 7. 00:10:29.019 --> 00:10:31.299 And have a look at what he has to say about him. 00:10:32.139 --> 00:10:34.159 He says there in verse 7 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:35.899 by faith Noah 00:10:35.899 --> 00:10:38.519 when warned about things not yet seen 00:10:38.519 --> 00:10:39.740 in holy fear 00:10:39.740 --> 00:10:42.059 built an ark to save his family. 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:44.559 By faith he condemned the world 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:46.559 and became heir of the righteousness 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:48.360 that comes by faith. 00:10:48.500 --> 00:10:51.679 And I know when you get 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:52.500 some of these characters 00:10:52.500 --> 00:10:53.919 from a long time ago 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:56.379 you can almost have this feeling 00:10:56.379 --> 00:10:57.480 like they're not quite real. 00:10:58.039 --> 00:10:58.220 You know? 00:10:58.419 --> 00:10:59.539 They're a bit mythical 00:10:59.539 --> 00:11:00.799 you sometimes can feel. 00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:02.720 So I sometimes think 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:03.620 how my kids one minute 00:11:03.620 --> 00:11:04.340 would be playing with 00:11:04.340 --> 00:11:05.279 a little Bob the Builder 00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:06.340 and then they've got 00:11:06.340 --> 00:11:07.340 a little wooden Mr. Noah. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:08.620 And they're sort of, you know, 00:11:08.659 --> 00:11:09.980 together it's almost like 00:11:09.980 --> 00:11:12.320 they didn't feel very real sometimes. 00:11:12.320 --> 00:11:13.920 But we need to try and 00:11:13.920 --> 00:11:15.660 get our head around the fact that 00:11:15.660 --> 00:11:17.000 Mr. Noah 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:18.840 was a real man. 00:11:19.500 --> 00:11:20.560 He was a real bloke 00:11:20.560 --> 00:11:21.500 who lived 00:11:21.500 --> 00:11:22.860 in the real world. 00:11:23.379 --> 00:11:24.340 And just the reality 00:11:24.340 --> 00:11:25.500 of what he faced. 00:11:26.940 --> 00:11:28.640 At the risk of appealing to Hollywood 00:11:28.640 --> 00:11:30.340 to get us back to reality. 00:11:30.340 --> 00:11:32.759 I don't know if you've ever seen 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:33.980 the film Evan Almighty 00:11:33.980 --> 00:11:35.259 but it was the follow-up 00:11:35.259 --> 00:11:36.000 to Bruce Almighty 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:37.300 which was a bit more famous. 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:40.100 And whilst Evan Almighty 00:11:40.100 --> 00:11:41.420 probably isn't going to go down 00:11:41.420 --> 00:11:42.220 in the annals of 00:11:42.220 --> 00:11:43.860 classic cinematography 00:11:43.860 --> 00:11:46.740 I found it quite interesting 00:11:46.740 --> 00:11:47.660 because the idea is 00:11:47.660 --> 00:11:49.000 that this guy 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:51.120 is in 21st century America 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:52.700 but he has like 00:11:52.700 --> 00:11:53.960 a Mr. Noah type experience. 00:11:54.120 --> 00:11:55.360 He has to build a boat 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:57.460 in the middle of nowhere. 00:11:58.440 --> 00:11:59.200 And the thing that I thought 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:00.139 was interesting about the film 00:12:00.139 --> 00:12:02.920 was just how ridiculous 00:12:02.920 --> 00:12:04.200 and embarrassed 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:05.259 he was about doing it. 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:07.080 And the ridicule 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:08.720 that people heaped on him. 00:12:09.420 --> 00:12:10.160 And you think about 00:12:10.160 --> 00:12:11.460 if he actually 00:12:11.460 --> 00:12:12.519 if God actually asked you 00:12:12.519 --> 00:12:13.740 to do something like that 00:12:13.740 --> 00:12:15.360 what that would be like. 00:12:15.620 --> 00:12:16.480 It was just 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:17.720 odd 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:18.440 and embarrassing 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:19.139 and awful 00:12:19.139 --> 00:12:20.120 and we can maybe read back 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:20.740 on the Noah story 00:12:20.740 --> 00:12:21.160 and say oh yeah 00:12:21.160 --> 00:12:21.920 of course he built a boat. 00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:23.080 Of course he did. 00:12:23.700 --> 00:12:25.800 But it was really hard for him. 00:12:25.799 --> 00:12:27.620 It was really hard 00:12:27.620 --> 00:12:28.439 and the film kind of 00:12:28.439 --> 00:12:29.439 portrayed that quite well. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:30.639 It just seemed 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:32.439 unfathomably stupid 00:12:32.439 --> 00:12:34.259 to build a boat. 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:37.219 And the same for the real Noah. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:37.879 It was no different. 00:12:37.979 --> 00:12:39.339 He was an ordinary man. 00:12:39.579 --> 00:12:40.759 It was just as bizarre 00:12:40.759 --> 00:12:41.659 and embarrassing 00:12:41.659 --> 00:12:43.179 for him to do that. 00:12:43.799 --> 00:12:44.199 But 00:12:44.199 --> 00:12:45.120 it says 00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:45.819 when he was warned 00:12:45.819 --> 00:12:47.079 about unseen events 00:12:47.079 --> 00:12:48.479 in holy fear 00:12:48.479 --> 00:12:49.259 he built the ark 00:12:49.259 --> 00:12:49.639 and so 00:12:49.639 --> 00:12:51.039 he saved his family 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:52.359 and condemned the world. 00:12:52.419 --> 00:12:52.859 In other words 00:12:52.860 --> 00:12:54.960 he feared God 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:56.480 more than he feared man 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:58.600 and so he basically said 00:12:58.600 --> 00:12:59.300 to the man around him 00:12:59.300 --> 00:13:00.019 you're wrong 00:13:00.019 --> 00:13:02.100 and so became part of 00:13:02.100 --> 00:13:03.220 the family of God. 00:13:03.300 --> 00:13:04.220 I'm going God's way 00:13:04.220 --> 00:13:05.320 you're not right 00:13:05.320 --> 00:13:06.519 when you ridicule this 00:13:06.519 --> 00:13:08.200 I'm going to do what he says. 00:13:09.779 --> 00:13:10.259 And 00:13:10.259 --> 00:13:11.039 the whole 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:12.600 people pleasing 00:13:12.600 --> 00:13:13.460 thing 00:13:13.460 --> 00:13:14.899 is a tough one 00:13:14.899 --> 00:13:15.440 to overcome 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:16.399 for most of us 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:16.740 isn't it? 00:13:16.800 --> 00:13:17.940 The fear of people. 00:13:18.840 --> 00:13:19.539 It's one of the reasons 00:13:19.539 --> 00:13:20.300 that we don't 00:13:20.300 --> 00:13:21.539 often stick our necks out 00:13:21.539 --> 00:13:22.579 and say some of the things 00:13:22.579 --> 00:13:23.259 that maybe we 00:13:23.259 --> 00:13:24.139 think we should. 00:13:24.599 --> 00:13:25.099 It's just that 00:13:25.099 --> 00:13:26.519 basic instinct that 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:27.919 we don't want to look stupid. 00:13:28.959 --> 00:13:29.759 Most of us have it. 00:13:30.219 --> 00:13:31.159 We want to be liked. 00:13:32.179 --> 00:13:33.039 And it's a big thing 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:34.000 and that's why the Bible 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.439 says so much about 00:13:35.439 --> 00:13:36.339 the fear of other people. 00:13:36.459 --> 00:13:37.279 It's a theme that comes up 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:37.779 quite a lot 00:13:37.779 --> 00:13:38.659 because God knows 00:13:38.659 --> 00:13:40.199 that we're wired that way 00:13:40.199 --> 00:13:41.139 and that it's difficult. 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:42.620 But if you think about 00:13:42.620 --> 00:13:43.179 Noah's life 00:13:43.179 --> 00:13:44.659 if he had not loved 00:13:44.659 --> 00:13:46.860 the affirmation of God 00:13:46.860 --> 00:13:48.659 more than the affirmation 00:13:48.659 --> 00:13:49.120 of the people 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:50.279 who were around him 00:13:50.279 --> 00:13:51.579 he would never have 00:13:51.579 --> 00:13:52.620 filled the boat 00:13:52.620 --> 00:13:52.939 would he? 00:13:53.139 --> 00:13:54.299 He just wouldn't have done it. 00:13:55.480 --> 00:13:56.839 He was more concerned 00:13:56.839 --> 00:13:57.679 about what God 00:13:57.679 --> 00:13:58.379 thought of him 00:13:58.379 --> 00:14:00.059 and seeking his approval 00:14:00.059 --> 00:14:01.639 than he was about 00:14:01.639 --> 00:14:02.699 what anybody else said. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:05.659 An ordinary guy 00:14:05.659 --> 00:14:06.939 with all the same 00:14:06.939 --> 00:14:07.620 kind of hangups 00:14:07.620 --> 00:14:08.139 and emotions 00:14:08.139 --> 00:14:09.459 and life 00:14:09.459 --> 00:14:10.240 as we would have 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:10.899 all the same 00:14:10.899 --> 00:14:11.639 kind of fragilities 00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:13.179 he said 00:14:13.179 --> 00:14:14.079 I'm going to do this thing. 00:14:14.860 --> 00:14:15.459 And he says 00:14:15.459 --> 00:14:16.059 by faith 00:14:16.059 --> 00:14:17.639 he did it. 00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:19.919 Then look at another one 00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:20.980 in verse 8 00:14:20.980 --> 00:14:21.679 another example 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:22.360 look at Abraham. 00:14:23.659 --> 00:14:24.860 So Abraham it says 00:14:24.860 --> 00:14:25.399 in verse 8 00:14:25.399 --> 00:14:26.860 when called to go 00:14:26.860 --> 00:14:27.980 to a place 00:14:27.980 --> 00:14:29.340 he would later receive 00:14:29.340 --> 00:14:30.159 as his inheritance 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:31.720 obeyed and went 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:32.539 even though 00:14:32.539 --> 00:14:33.379 he did not know 00:14:33.379 --> 00:14:34.960 where he was going. 00:14:35.220 --> 00:14:35.620 By faith 00:14:35.620 --> 00:14:36.240 he made his home 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:36.919 in the promised land 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:37.639 like a stranger 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:38.460 in a foreign country 00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:39.699 lived in tents 00:14:39.699 --> 00:14:40.799 as did Isaac and Jacob 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:42.299 who were heirs with him 00:14:42.299 --> 00:14:43.860 of the same promise 00:14:43.860 --> 00:14:44.980 for he was looking forward 00:14:44.980 --> 00:14:45.460 to the city 00:14:45.460 --> 00:14:46.240 with foundations 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:47.420 who's architect 00:14:47.420 --> 00:14:48.000 and builder 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:49.340 is God. 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:50.980 So here's how 00:14:50.980 --> 00:14:52.139 being a faith-filled 00:14:52.139 --> 00:14:52.700 risk taker 00:14:52.700 --> 00:14:53.720 worked out for Abraham. 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:56.000 He obeyed God 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:57.519 and left his home 00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:58.720 even though 00:14:58.720 --> 00:14:59.160 he didn't know 00:14:59.160 --> 00:14:59.820 where he was going. 00:15:01.220 --> 00:15:01.580 Again 00:15:01.580 --> 00:15:02.340 don't just sort of 00:15:02.340 --> 00:15:02.960 categorise this 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:03.680 as a legendary 00:15:03.680 --> 00:15:04.460 Abraham 00:15:04.460 --> 00:15:05.360 of course he would do that 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:06.040 because he was Abraham 00:15:06.040 --> 00:15:07.440 kind of classic story. 00:15:08.180 --> 00:15:09.220 He wasn't superhuman 00:15:09.220 --> 00:15:09.900 he was just 00:15:09.900 --> 00:15:10.780 a mere mortal 00:15:10.780 --> 00:15:12.320 who messed it up 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:12.900 at times 00:15:12.900 --> 00:15:13.800 got it wrong 00:15:13.800 --> 00:15:15.240 sometimes he lied 00:15:15.240 --> 00:15:15.820 under pressure 00:15:15.820 --> 00:15:17.060 we see that in the Bible 00:15:17.060 --> 00:15:17.940 he didn't always 00:15:17.940 --> 00:15:18.879 make the right decisions 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:20.580 but he trusted God 00:15:20.580 --> 00:15:22.200 to physically 00:15:22.200 --> 00:15:23.680 set out on a journey 00:15:23.680 --> 00:15:24.960 without knowing 00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:25.840 where the end point was. 00:15:25.940 --> 00:15:26.060 I mean 00:15:26.060 --> 00:15:26.779 you imagine 00:15:26.779 --> 00:15:28.279 doing that 00:15:28.279 --> 00:15:29.080 you're packing up 00:15:29.080 --> 00:15:29.519 all your stuff 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:30.500 sticking it all in the car 00:15:30.500 --> 00:15:32.320 pack up your house even 00:15:32.320 --> 00:15:33.100 stick it all in the back 00:15:33.100 --> 00:15:33.700 of a lorry 00:15:33.700 --> 00:15:36.279 and you get in 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:37.000 and you're asked 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:37.560 the kids say 00:15:37.560 --> 00:15:38.200 where are we going? 00:15:38.940 --> 00:15:39.139 You say 00:15:39.139 --> 00:15:39.820 don't know 00:15:39.820 --> 00:15:42.360 we're just setting off. 00:15:43.500 --> 00:15:44.500 Imagine if they start saying 00:15:44.500 --> 00:15:45.379 are we there yet? 00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:46.559 Can you say 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:46.940 yeah kids 00:15:46.940 --> 00:15:47.879 you have no idea. 00:15:49.820 --> 00:15:50.539 Of course Abraham 00:15:50.539 --> 00:15:51.220 didn't have any kids 00:15:51.220 --> 00:15:52.080 so he didn't have that trouble 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:52.919 but nevertheless 00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:54.200 it was 00:15:54.200 --> 00:15:54.899 it was 00:15:54.899 --> 00:15:56.159 that weird. 00:15:57.019 --> 00:15:57.820 He didn't know 00:15:57.820 --> 00:15:58.679 where he was going 00:15:58.679 --> 00:16:00.500 but he trusted God 00:16:00.500 --> 00:16:02.100 and went out 00:16:02.100 --> 00:16:03.000 even though 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:03.899 he could not see 00:16:03.899 --> 00:16:05.779 and stepped out 00:16:05.779 --> 00:16:06.139 in faith. 00:16:06.299 --> 00:16:06.980 And verse 17 00:16:06.980 --> 00:16:07.919 has an even more 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:09.100 extreme example of this 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:10.860 as Abraham is tested 00:16:10.860 --> 00:16:11.740 and asked 00:16:11.740 --> 00:16:12.720 to offer Isaac 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:13.720 as he then 00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:14.300 by this point now 00:16:14.300 --> 00:16:15.080 has had a son 00:16:15.080 --> 00:16:16.940 asked to offer Isaac 00:16:16.940 --> 00:16:17.659 as a sacrifice 00:16:17.659 --> 00:16:18.860 and you know 00:16:18.860 --> 00:16:19.539 you read this 00:16:19.539 --> 00:16:20.680 and for any parent 00:16:20.680 --> 00:16:21.379 the thought is just 00:16:21.379 --> 00:16:22.220 gut wrenching 00:16:22.220 --> 00:16:22.960 so again 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:24.659 don't think these people 00:16:24.659 --> 00:16:25.519 were different to us 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:26.080 it would have been 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:27.019 just as hard 00:16:27.019 --> 00:16:27.899 for him 00:16:27.899 --> 00:16:29.300 but he believed 00:16:29.300 --> 00:16:30.480 that God 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:31.480 had said 00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:32.899 God had his original plan 00:16:32.899 --> 00:16:33.220 to say 00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:33.500 you know 00:16:33.500 --> 00:16:34.220 I'm going to give you 00:16:34.220 --> 00:16:34.899 a nation 00:16:34.899 --> 00:16:35.980 make you into a nation 00:16:35.980 --> 00:16:36.920 through Isaac 00:16:36.919 --> 00:16:39.039 and now 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:40.319 he's willing to obey God 00:16:40.319 --> 00:16:41.059 when God says 00:16:41.059 --> 00:16:42.419 I want you to sacrifice 00:16:42.419 --> 00:16:43.000 your son 00:16:43.000 --> 00:16:43.860 and he must have 00:16:43.860 --> 00:16:44.899 scrambled his brain 00:16:44.899 --> 00:16:45.799 really to have 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:46.759 how do these two things 00:16:46.759 --> 00:16:47.360 fit together? 00:16:48.419 --> 00:16:49.179 So verse 18 00:16:49.179 --> 00:16:51.079 it says 00:16:51.079 --> 00:16:53.439 well starting in verse 17 00:16:53.439 --> 00:16:54.319 he who had received 00:16:54.319 --> 00:16:54.879 the promises 00:16:54.879 --> 00:16:56.679 was about to sacrifice 00:16:56.679 --> 00:16:57.639 his one and only son 00:16:57.639 --> 00:16:58.339 even though 00:16:58.339 --> 00:16:59.399 God had said to him 00:16:59.399 --> 00:17:00.779 it is through Isaac 00:17:00.779 --> 00:17:01.620 that your offspring 00:17:01.620 --> 00:17:02.839 will be reckoned. 00:17:03.419 --> 00:17:04.139 But verse 19 00:17:04.139 --> 00:17:04.599 tells us 00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:05.220 how his mind 00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:05.920 was working. 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:07.960 Verse 19 says 00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:09.740 Abraham reasoned 00:17:09.740 --> 00:17:11.019 that God could raise 00:17:11.019 --> 00:17:11.480 the dead 00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:13.380 and figuratively speaking 00:17:13.380 --> 00:17:14.019 he did receive 00:17:14.019 --> 00:17:15.140 Isaac back from death. 00:17:16.180 --> 00:17:17.200 Isn't that great? 00:17:18.800 --> 00:17:19.940 Abraham had never seen 00:17:19.940 --> 00:17:20.460 anyone raised 00:17:20.460 --> 00:17:20.940 from the dead. 00:17:22.220 --> 00:17:22.900 It wasn't that he thought 00:17:22.900 --> 00:17:23.200 oh yeah 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:24.480 this happened 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:26.160 but 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:28.240 he so believed 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:29.660 what God said 00:17:29.660 --> 00:17:31.220 he just simply reasoned 00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:31.680 that if God 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:32.800 actually wanted him 00:17:32.800 --> 00:17:33.900 to sacrifice Isaac 00:17:33.900 --> 00:17:35.320 and he said 00:17:35.319 --> 00:17:36.000 that he was going 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:37.019 to be the means 00:17:37.019 --> 00:17:38.279 to make a whole nation 00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:39.439 God must be planning 00:17:39.439 --> 00:17:40.259 to bring him back 00:17:40.259 --> 00:17:40.619 to life. 00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:43.559 And although 00:17:43.559 --> 00:17:43.899 in the end 00:17:43.899 --> 00:17:44.139 of course 00:17:44.139 --> 00:17:44.960 God didn't 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:45.720 require him 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:46.480 to kill him 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:47.659 that was 00:17:47.659 --> 00:17:48.700 where Abraham 00:17:48.700 --> 00:17:49.319 had got to 00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:50.259 he trusted God 00:17:50.259 --> 00:17:51.220 to that extent 00:17:51.220 --> 00:17:51.679 now I don't think 00:17:51.679 --> 00:17:52.339 that would have 00:17:52.339 --> 00:17:52.939 made it any easier 00:17:52.939 --> 00:17:53.720 to lift a knife 00:17:53.720 --> 00:17:55.439 but 00:17:55.439 --> 00:17:56.720 he believed 00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:57.220 that 00:17:57.220 --> 00:17:58.059 that God 00:17:58.059 --> 00:17:59.000 would do this. 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:02.400 an ordinary man 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:02.859 though he was 00:18:02.859 --> 00:18:03.799 he was full of faith 00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:05.160 in what God said 00:18:05.160 --> 00:18:05.759 and was prepared 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:06.220 to take 00:18:06.220 --> 00:18:07.440 extraordinary risks 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:08.039 there. 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:10.700 Let's zoom in on 00:18:10.700 --> 00:18:11.500 one more as well 00:18:11.500 --> 00:18:13.140 in verse 24 00:18:13.140 --> 00:18:15.500 so verse 24 00:18:15.500 --> 00:18:16.359 talking about Moses 00:18:16.359 --> 00:18:16.980 now it says 00:18:16.980 --> 00:18:17.539 by faith 00:18:17.539 --> 00:18:18.359 Moses 00:18:18.359 --> 00:18:19.940 when he had grown up 00:18:19.940 --> 00:18:21.079 refused to be known 00:18:21.079 --> 00:18:21.759 as the son of 00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:22.500 Pharaoh's daughter 00:18:22.500 --> 00:18:24.119 he chose to be 00:18:24.119 --> 00:18:24.640 ill treated 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:25.920 along with the people 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:26.339 of God 00:18:26.339 --> 00:18:27.900 rather than to enjoy 00:18:27.900 --> 00:18:29.220 the pleasures of sin 00:18:29.220 --> 00:18:30.300 for a short time. 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:32.780 So here's Moses 00:18:32.780 --> 00:18:34.500 there's been the whole 00:18:34.500 --> 00:18:35.360 bulrushes thing 00:18:35.360 --> 00:18:37.040 which leads 00:18:37.040 --> 00:18:38.640 providentially 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:40.259 to him being part of 00:18:40.259 --> 00:18:41.440 the royal household 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:42.220 of Egypt. 00:18:43.140 --> 00:18:43.340 So 00:18:43.340 --> 00:18:44.100 remember 00:18:44.100 --> 00:18:45.240 this is the superpower 00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:46.300 of the day. 00:18:47.380 --> 00:18:48.400 This is a seriously 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:49.000 good deal 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:50.180 he's got here. 00:18:50.860 --> 00:18:52.340 Through an unlikely 00:18:52.340 --> 00:18:53.780 series of events 00:18:53.780 --> 00:18:55.480 he now finds himself 00:18:55.480 --> 00:18:57.640 part of the first family 00:18:57.640 --> 00:18:59.740 of the superpower 00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:00.620 the most powerful 00:19:00.620 --> 00:19:01.580 nation of the world 00:19:01.580 --> 00:19:02.960 but it says 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:04.320 he refused to be known 00:19:04.320 --> 00:19:04.960 as the son of 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:05.840 Pharaoh's daughter 00:19:05.840 --> 00:19:07.120 and chose to be 00:19:07.120 --> 00:19:07.820 ill treated with the 00:19:07.820 --> 00:19:08.380 people of God 00:19:08.380 --> 00:19:08.820 instead. 00:19:10.280 --> 00:19:11.040 Which again 00:19:11.040 --> 00:19:12.120 on the surface of it 00:19:12.120 --> 00:19:12.960 seems ridiculous 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:13.480 you may sort of 00:19:13.480 --> 00:19:14.360 spot the pattern here 00:19:14.360 --> 00:19:15.440 that they're often 00:19:15.440 --> 00:19:16.440 ending up doing 00:19:16.440 --> 00:19:16.860 things that 00:19:16.860 --> 00:19:17.620 seem 00:19:17.620 --> 00:19:18.580 odd. 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:19.820 Why would you 00:19:19.820 --> 00:19:20.259 give up 00:19:20.259 --> 00:19:20.860 comfort 00:19:20.860 --> 00:19:22.200 and ease 00:19:22.200 --> 00:19:23.080 and applause 00:19:23.080 --> 00:19:23.860 in order to be 00:19:23.860 --> 00:19:24.400 beaten up 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:25.180 and despised? 00:19:25.180 --> 00:19:26.539 Why give up 00:19:26.539 --> 00:19:27.200 the celebrity 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:27.900 lifestyle 00:19:27.900 --> 00:19:28.680 for the 00:19:28.680 --> 00:19:29.539 pauper lifestyle? 00:19:29.820 --> 00:19:30.160 Why would 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:31.039 anybody do that? 00:19:32.259 --> 00:19:32.960 It just seems 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:33.539 illogical 00:19:33.539 --> 00:19:34.279 until 00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:35.420 you get to 00:19:35.420 --> 00:19:36.000 the point that 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:36.820 Moses got to 00:19:36.820 --> 00:19:38.160 in verse 26 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:39.580 where it says 00:19:39.580 --> 00:19:40.840 he regarded 00:19:40.840 --> 00:19:41.820 disgrace for the 00:19:41.820 --> 00:19:42.720 sake of Christ 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:43.279 interestingly 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:43.640 it mentions 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:44.220 Christ there 00:19:44.220 --> 00:19:44.539 of course 00:19:44.539 --> 00:19:46.180 this was before 00:19:46.180 --> 00:19:46.600 Christ 00:19:46.600 --> 00:19:47.279 but effectively 00:19:47.279 --> 00:19:47.880 his trust 00:19:47.880 --> 00:19:48.640 was in Christ 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:50.220 he regarded 00:19:50.220 --> 00:19:51.100 disgrace for the 00:19:51.100 --> 00:19:51.840 sake of Christ 00:19:51.840 --> 00:19:53.019 as of greater 00:19:53.019 --> 00:19:53.900 value than the 00:19:53.900 --> 00:19:54.840 treasures of Egypt 00:19:54.840 --> 00:19:55.800 because he was 00:19:55.800 --> 00:19:56.540 looking ahead 00:19:56.540 --> 00:19:57.900 to his reward 00:19:57.900 --> 00:20:00.060 and that makes 00:20:00.060 --> 00:20:00.720 much more sense 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:01.160 doesn't it? 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:02.700 His reason for 00:20:02.700 --> 00:20:03.660 making these choices 00:20:03.660 --> 00:20:04.940 was not that he 00:20:04.940 --> 00:20:05.740 liked being 00:20:05.740 --> 00:20:06.759 disgraced 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:08.560 but that he 00:20:08.560 --> 00:20:09.259 wanted something 00:20:09.259 --> 00:20:10.360 more than 00:20:10.360 --> 00:20:11.200 pleasures of 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:12.980 money or fame 00:20:12.980 --> 00:20:13.600 or whatever you 00:20:13.600 --> 00:20:14.259 want to call it 00:20:14.259 --> 00:20:15.940 he got his eyes 00:20:15.940 --> 00:20:16.460 fixed 00:20:16.460 --> 00:20:17.820 on a reward 00:20:17.820 --> 00:20:18.720 that was so 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:19.680 great it made 00:20:19.680 --> 00:20:20.500 all the treasures 00:20:20.500 --> 00:20:21.360 of Egypt just 00:20:21.360 --> 00:20:22.140 look like rubble 00:20:22.140 --> 00:20:24.040 that was the 00:20:24.040 --> 00:20:24.720 perspective he 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:25.040 had 00:20:25.040 --> 00:20:25.660 he wanted to 00:20:25.660 --> 00:20:26.780 have this 00:20:26.780 --> 00:20:27.300 reward of being 00:20:27.300 --> 00:20:28.120 part of God's 00:20:28.120 --> 00:20:28.420 family 00:20:28.420 --> 00:20:29.900 part of God's 00:20:29.900 --> 00:20:30.440 kingdom 00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:31.120 one of his 00:20:31.120 --> 00:20:31.520 people 00:20:31.520 --> 00:20:32.560 and so it 00:20:32.560 --> 00:20:33.440 says he refused 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:34.360 to be enticed 00:20:34.360 --> 00:20:34.980 by sin 00:20:34.980 --> 00:20:36.180 which 00:20:36.180 --> 00:20:38.480 sin is so 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:39.200 often isn't it 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:40.460 what keeps us 00:20:40.460 --> 00:20:41.259 from living a 00:20:41.259 --> 00:20:41.860 sort of faith 00:20:41.860 --> 00:20:42.800 filled life 00:20:42.800 --> 00:20:44.340 living out our 00:20:44.340 --> 00:20:44.880 lives for God 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:46.259 because sin in 00:20:46.259 --> 00:20:46.759 our lives in 00:20:46.759 --> 00:20:47.400 whatever form it 00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:48.380 comes it often 00:20:48.380 --> 00:20:49.080 has the effect 00:20:49.080 --> 00:20:49.440 doesn't it of 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:50.360 just sapping 00:20:50.359 --> 00:20:51.779 our spiritual 00:20:51.779 --> 00:20:52.719 energy 00:20:52.719 --> 00:20:54.179 leaves us 00:20:54.179 --> 00:20:55.240 feeling kind 00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:55.719 of pathetic 00:20:55.719 --> 00:20:56.379 and defeated 00:20:56.379 --> 00:20:57.339 and you know 00:20:57.339 --> 00:20:58.439 that's my 00:20:58.439 --> 00:20:58.919 experience 00:20:58.919 --> 00:21:00.099 I'm sure many 00:21:00.099 --> 00:21:00.399 of you would 00:21:00.399 --> 00:21:00.839 be the same 00:21:00.839 --> 00:21:01.559 that you just 00:21:01.559 --> 00:21:03.479 you lose 00:21:03.479 --> 00:21:04.240 the kind of 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:04.759 focus 00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:06.059 and it's a real 00:21:06.059 --> 00:21:06.479 issue and 00:21:06.479 --> 00:21:08.279 what Moses did 00:21:08.279 --> 00:21:10.099 here is 00:21:10.099 --> 00:21:10.759 actually the way 00:21:10.759 --> 00:21:11.619 that faith deals 00:21:11.619 --> 00:21:12.599 with the challenge 00:21:12.599 --> 00:21:13.179 and temptation 00:21:13.179 --> 00:21:13.619 of sin 00:21:13.619 --> 00:21:14.699 what he did 00:21:14.699 --> 00:21:15.319 is the right 00:21:15.319 --> 00:21:15.599 thing because 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:16.319 it wasn't just 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:17.059 about I'm going 00:21:17.059 --> 00:21:17.599 to try really 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:18.159 hard not to do 00:21:18.159 --> 00:21:18.639 this I try 00:21:18.639 --> 00:21:19.740 really really 00:21:19.740 --> 00:21:20.279 hard not to 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:20.680 do this 00:21:20.680 --> 00:21:21.740 actually what 00:21:21.740 --> 00:21:22.500 he did was 00:21:22.500 --> 00:21:23.319 he put his 00:21:23.319 --> 00:21:23.819 focus on 00:21:23.819 --> 00:21:24.519 something better 00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:25.900 so this is how 00:21:25.900 --> 00:21:26.920 faith deals with 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:27.779 it it looks up 00:21:27.779 --> 00:21:28.660 and sees something 00:21:28.660 --> 00:21:29.819 better than 00:21:29.819 --> 00:21:30.519 whatever the 00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:31.599 temptation of 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:31.900 the current 00:21:31.900 --> 00:21:32.680 situation might 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:34.120 be and 00:21:34.120 --> 00:21:34.900 fixes its eyes 00:21:34.900 --> 00:21:35.460 on that 00:21:35.460 --> 00:21:37.099 and says 00:21:37.099 --> 00:21:37.900 this is better 00:21:37.900 --> 00:21:38.559 than whatever 00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:39.200 temporary 00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:40.559 satisfaction or 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:41.180 enjoyment or 00:21:41.180 --> 00:21:41.620 release I might 00:21:41.620 --> 00:21:42.299 get out of this 00:21:42.299 --> 00:21:43.299 particular temptation 00:21:43.299 --> 00:21:44.400 this is better 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:45.160 there is something 00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:46.380 better and that 00:21:46.380 --> 00:21:47.220 realization in 00:21:47.220 --> 00:21:48.039 Moses case 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:49.599 enabled him to 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:50.279 go and take 00:21:50.279 --> 00:21:51.659 incredible faith 00:21:51.659 --> 00:21:52.339 filled risks 00:21:52.339 --> 00:21:53.299 so in his 00:21:53.299 --> 00:21:54.220 case standing 00:21:54.220 --> 00:21:55.039 in front of 00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:55.940 that leader of 00:21:55.940 --> 00:21:56.220 the world 00:21:56.220 --> 00:21:57.059 superpower and 00:21:57.059 --> 00:21:57.700 saying you're 00:21:57.700 --> 00:21:58.119 wrong 00:21:58.119 --> 00:22:01.920 and you've 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:02.200 got to let 00:22:02.200 --> 00:22:02.619 God's people 00:22:02.619 --> 00:22:03.019 go 00:22:03.019 --> 00:22:06.599 and verse 00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:07.680 27 to 30 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:08.779 outline how 00:22:08.779 --> 00:22:09.259 the people were 00:22:09.259 --> 00:22:09.799 released through 00:22:09.799 --> 00:22:10.399 the Passover 00:22:10.399 --> 00:22:11.960 and across the 00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:12.839 Red Sea all 00:22:12.839 --> 00:22:13.460 stories you could 00:22:13.460 --> 00:22:13.960 go into 00:22:13.960 --> 00:22:15.039 themselves we 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:15.579 could just keep 00:22:15.579 --> 00:22:16.220 on going with 00:22:16.220 --> 00:22:17.000 this what the 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:17.659 writer then says 00:22:17.660 --> 00:22:18.340 in verse 32 00:22:18.340 --> 00:22:18.960 is right isn't 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:19.300 it you could 00:22:19.300 --> 00:22:20.000 just go on 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:20.700 and on and 00:22:20.700 --> 00:22:21.960 on what more 00:22:21.960 --> 00:22:22.660 shall I say he 00:22:22.660 --> 00:22:23.220 says in verse 00:22:23.220 --> 00:22:24.180 32 I don't 00:22:24.180 --> 00:22:24.940 have time to 00:22:24.940 --> 00:22:25.259 tell about 00:22:25.259 --> 00:22:26.080 Gideon Barak 00:22:26.080 --> 00:22:27.000 Samson Jephthah 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:27.880 David Samuel 00:22:27.880 --> 00:22:28.560 and the prophets 00:22:28.560 --> 00:22:29.540 who through 00:22:29.540 --> 00:22:30.160 faith conquered 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:31.140 kingdoms administered 00:22:31.140 --> 00:22:32.120 justice gained 00:22:32.120 --> 00:22:32.900 what was promised 00:22:32.900 --> 00:22:33.880 shut the mouths 00:22:33.880 --> 00:22:35.080 of lions quenched 00:22:35.080 --> 00:22:35.840 the fury of the 00:22:35.840 --> 00:22:36.960 flames escaped the 00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:37.700 edge of the sword 00:22:37.700 --> 00:22:38.640 whose weakness 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:39.240 was turned to 00:22:39.240 --> 00:22:39.860 strength and who 00:22:39.860 --> 00:22:40.880 became powerful in 00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:42.000 battle and routed 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:42.740 foreign armies 00:22:42.740 --> 00:22:44.400 women received 00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:45.300 their back their 00:22:45.300 --> 00:22:46.660 dead raised to 00:22:46.660 --> 00:22:48.120 life again but 00:22:48.120 --> 00:22:48.620 it wasn't always 00:22:48.620 --> 00:22:50.940 positive great glory 00:22:50.940 --> 00:22:52.000 stuff because then 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:53.519 others it says 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:55.759 were tortured and 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:56.360 refused to be 00:22:56.360 --> 00:22:57.140 released so that 00:22:57.140 --> 00:22:57.880 they might get a 00:22:57.880 --> 00:22:59.180 better resurrection 00:22:59.180 --> 00:23:00.740 some faced jeers and 00:23:00.740 --> 00:23:01.660 flogging while others 00:23:01.660 --> 00:23:02.880 were chained and put 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:04.160 in prison they were 00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:04.960 stoned they were 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:06.120 sawn in two they 00:23:06.120 --> 00:23:06.940 were put to death by 00:23:06.940 --> 00:23:07.880 the sword they went 00:23:07.880 --> 00:23:08.779 about in sheepskins 00:23:08.779 --> 00:23:10.259 and goatskins destitute 00:23:10.259 --> 00:23:11.620 persecuted and 00:23:11.620 --> 00:23:13.220 ill-treated the world 00:23:13.220 --> 00:23:14.940 was not worthy of 00:23:14.940 --> 00:23:15.180 them 00:23:15.180 --> 00:23:19.600 one of the songs our 00:23:19.600 --> 00:23:20.940 kids sometimes sing 00:23:20.940 --> 00:23:22.259 is um i don't know 00:23:22.259 --> 00:23:22.720 if you know it 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:23.500 god's people aren't 00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:24.660 super brave superheroes 00:23:24.660 --> 00:23:25.240 have you ever heard 00:23:25.240 --> 00:23:26.559 that i'm not going to 00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:28.960 sing it but um it's 00:23:28.960 --> 00:23:30.440 great little song god's 00:23:30.440 --> 00:23:31.380 people aren't super 00:23:31.380 --> 00:23:33.180 brave superheroes they 00:23:33.180 --> 00:23:34.120 don't have muscles from 00:23:34.120 --> 00:23:34.759 their heads to their 00:23:34.759 --> 00:23:36.420 toes they're not 00:23:36.420 --> 00:23:37.319 gladiators that's easy 00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:38.880 to see in fact it's 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:40.019 amazing they're just 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:41.740 like you and me and 00:23:41.740 --> 00:23:42.160 there's a bit of 00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:43.339 shouting and stuff 00:23:43.339 --> 00:23:45.099 which will be later 00:23:45.099 --> 00:23:47.599 maybe but it's kids 00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:48.720 song i actually think 00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:49.640 that's quite profound 00:23:49.640 --> 00:23:51.420 though because as i 00:23:51.420 --> 00:23:53.000 say we we tend to 00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:53.980 think of these people 00:23:53.980 --> 00:23:55.039 and put them on a bit 00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:57.620 of a pedestal and 00:23:57.620 --> 00:23:58.559 this says god's people 00:23:58.559 --> 00:23:59.500 aren't super brave 00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:00.779 superheroes they're 00:24:00.779 --> 00:24:01.980 just like you and me 00:24:01.980 --> 00:24:03.400 they're ordinary people 00:24:03.400 --> 00:24:04.460 and yet they take these 00:24:04.460 --> 00:24:06.099 kind of risks and and 00:24:06.099 --> 00:24:07.880 and step out in faith in 00:24:07.880 --> 00:24:09.200 order to advance the 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:10.400 kingdom of god and it's 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:11.599 all through the bible and 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:12.179 it's through church 00:24:12.179 --> 00:24:13.039 history and it's around 00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:14.119 in our own day as well 00:24:14.119 --> 00:24:15.139 there are many many 00:24:15.139 --> 00:24:16.480 places where we see 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:17.839 this there's a man 00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:19.000 called um alistair that 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:20.659 um some of us know i i'm 00:24:20.659 --> 00:24:21.439 guessing that you guys 00:24:21.439 --> 00:24:22.019 would have met him out 00:24:22.019 --> 00:24:23.339 in kosovo friend of 00:24:23.339 --> 00:24:24.399 from rose and dan's and 00:24:24.399 --> 00:24:27.480 others who um he lives 00:24:27.480 --> 00:24:28.399 there these days but for 00:24:28.399 --> 00:24:29.039 many years he used to 00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:30.740 work for open doors uh 00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:32.059 getting bibles into 00:24:32.059 --> 00:24:33.599 unlikely situations and 00:24:33.599 --> 00:24:34.519 one day somebody from 00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:35.980 uh open doors contacted 00:24:35.980 --> 00:24:37.159 him with a new project 00:24:37.159 --> 00:24:38.659 saying that uh he should 00:24:38.659 --> 00:24:39.500 go to the philippines 00:24:39.500 --> 00:24:41.660 and uh stay in a hotel 00:24:41.660 --> 00:24:42.380 and just wait someone 00:24:42.380 --> 00:24:43.119 would contact him 00:24:43.119 --> 00:24:44.920 kind of james bond like 00:24:44.920 --> 00:24:45.579 almost isn't it 00:24:45.579 --> 00:24:46.980 someone will contact you 00:24:46.980 --> 00:24:48.920 so he went there and 00:24:48.920 --> 00:24:50.220 uh he was recruited 00:24:50.220 --> 00:24:51.339 basically to be part of 00:24:51.339 --> 00:24:52.420 a team taking a ship 00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:53.960 into the seas off china 00:24:53.960 --> 00:24:55.339 and they dropped a 00:24:55.339 --> 00:24:57.140 million bibles uh under 00:24:57.140 --> 00:24:58.059 the nose of the chinese 00:24:58.059 --> 00:24:59.259 authorities doubled the 00:24:59.259 --> 00:25:00.500 number number of bibles 00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:02.480 in china overnight and 00:25:02.480 --> 00:25:03.259 uh some crazy stuff 00:25:03.259 --> 00:25:03.960 happened along the way 00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:05.079 like going into the path 00:25:05.079 --> 00:25:06.680 of a typhoon which 00:25:06.680 --> 00:25:08.420 diverted miraculously and 00:25:08.420 --> 00:25:09.460 head off another way and 00:25:09.460 --> 00:25:10.440 different things like 00:25:10.440 --> 00:25:11.259 that you can if you 00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:12.420 google project pearl 00:25:12.420 --> 00:25:14.019 there's all kinds of 00:25:14.019 --> 00:25:14.560 stuff on the internet 00:25:14.560 --> 00:25:15.600 about it time magazine 00:25:15.600 --> 00:25:16.440 even wrote an article 00:25:16.440 --> 00:25:18.740 about it but you meet 00:25:18.740 --> 00:25:20.320 alistair he's a fairly 00:25:20.320 --> 00:25:21.920 unassuming down to earth 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:23.800 little scottish fella who 00:25:23.800 --> 00:25:26.279 just trust god and put 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:27.160 some faith filled risks 00:25:27.160 --> 00:25:28.360 in some particular way 00:25:28.360 --> 00:25:29.300 that he was called to do 00:25:29.300 --> 00:25:32.800 uh you think of uh the 00:25:32.800 --> 00:25:33.840 team that one of the 00:25:33.840 --> 00:25:35.700 guys uh is uh from our 00:25:35.700 --> 00:25:37.000 church is part of out in 00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:39.660 macedonia they've moved 00:25:39.660 --> 00:25:41.180 there to start a business 00:25:41.180 --> 00:25:42.000 and be a witness in a 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:44.079 muslim city uh that has 00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:46.059 no church and this is a 00:25:46.059 --> 00:25:47.799 city where a man who did 00:25:47.799 --> 00:25:48.619 become a believer a little 00:25:48.619 --> 00:25:50.079 while ago was tied upside 00:25:50.079 --> 00:25:51.299 down to a tree and told 00:25:51.299 --> 00:25:52.099 that's what we do to 00:25:52.099 --> 00:25:53.000 christians around here 00:25:53.000 --> 00:25:56.000 but these two or three 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:57.200 families have moved out 00:25:57.200 --> 00:25:58.740 there and amid many 00:25:58.740 --> 00:26:00.079 heart-searching questions 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:00.880 and lots of difficulties 00:26:00.880 --> 00:26:01.700 and how does it work with 00:26:01.700 --> 00:26:02.579 the kids and all this sort 00:26:02.579 --> 00:26:03.400 of thing and it's hard 00:26:03.400 --> 00:26:05.240 work but they're out there 00:26:05.240 --> 00:26:07.400 ordinary people just like 00:26:07.400 --> 00:26:09.319 you and me taking faith 00:26:09.319 --> 00:26:11.960 filled risks um i was in 00:26:11.960 --> 00:26:13.559 north india uh a while 00:26:13.559 --> 00:26:15.120 back and uh i was talking 00:26:15.120 --> 00:26:15.920 to somebody before about 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:17.220 that north india is quite 00:26:17.220 --> 00:26:18.220 different to south india 00:26:18.220 --> 00:26:19.000 you think about lots of 00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:19.819 mission work that's gone 00:26:19.819 --> 00:26:21.299 on in india most of it 00:26:21.299 --> 00:26:23.299 was in the south the north 00:26:23.299 --> 00:26:24.640 was fairly untouched such 00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:26.180 that people sometimes dubbed 00:26:26.180 --> 00:26:27.059 it the graveyard of 00:26:27.059 --> 00:26:28.559 christian missions which of 00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:29.420 course it wasn't but it 00:26:29.420 --> 00:26:30.640 was seen sometimes as the 00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:31.960 place where christianity 00:26:31.960 --> 00:26:33.460 just couldn't get to people 00:26:33.460 --> 00:26:35.779 sometimes said um but 00:26:35.779 --> 00:26:37.360 nevertheless it's really 00:26:37.360 --> 00:26:38.480 starting to open up and 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:39.980 the massive number of 00:26:39.980 --> 00:26:41.079 unreached people groups when 00:26:41.079 --> 00:26:41.819 you actually look at some 00:26:41.819 --> 00:26:42.700 of the stuff that joshua 00:26:42.700 --> 00:26:44.680 project talks about loads of 00:26:44.680 --> 00:26:45.860 those people groups are in 00:26:45.860 --> 00:26:47.640 this big area of north india 00:26:47.640 --> 00:26:48.680 and there's new churches 00:26:48.680 --> 00:26:49.680 starting all the time 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:50.980 sometimes that such that 00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:51.620 the leaders of the 00:26:51.620 --> 00:26:53.460 movements don't even um get 00:26:53.460 --> 00:26:54.180 to hear about it until 00:26:54.180 --> 00:26:55.559 after the event you know 00:26:55.559 --> 00:26:56.240 you normally in our 00:26:56.240 --> 00:26:56.920 context we think of 00:26:56.920 --> 00:26:58.079 planning a church for ages 00:26:58.079 --> 00:26:58.700 we're going to plant this 00:26:58.700 --> 00:26:59.460 church and this is how we're 00:26:59.460 --> 00:26:59.940 going to do it and you have 00:26:59.940 --> 00:27:01.940 lots of meetings and in that 00:27:01.940 --> 00:27:03.400 context they sometimes these 00:27:03.400 --> 00:27:04.140 churches just happen 00:27:04.140 --> 00:27:06.360 there's one girl 16 year old 00:27:06.360 --> 00:27:07.360 girl i met a couple of times 00:27:07.360 --> 00:27:09.060 who kind of started three 00:27:09.060 --> 00:27:10.019 churches by accident 00:27:10.019 --> 00:27:12.120 it sounds a bit ridiculous 00:27:12.120 --> 00:27:13.800 doesn't it but she had a 00:27:13.800 --> 00:27:14.940 demon cast out of her 00:27:14.940 --> 00:27:16.460 which is very much a reality 00:27:16.460 --> 00:27:18.140 out there she trusted jesus 00:27:18.140 --> 00:27:20.540 and she told people in three 00:27:20.540 --> 00:27:21.380 different villages nearby 00:27:21.380 --> 00:27:22.620 about what happened to her 00:27:22.620 --> 00:27:23.360 and a whole load of them 00:27:23.360 --> 00:27:24.440 decided they were going to 00:27:24.440 --> 00:27:26.480 follow jesus so very quickly 00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:27.500 there was about 80 of them 00:27:27.500 --> 00:27:29.400 and so they all got together in 00:27:29.400 --> 00:27:30.560 a house and they're saying so 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:32.839 um you told us about this so 00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:34.279 tell us some more and she's 00:27:34.279 --> 00:27:35.139 like well i don't really know 00:27:35.139 --> 00:27:36.500 that much more so let me go 00:27:36.500 --> 00:27:37.679 back and talk to the pastor 00:27:37.679 --> 00:27:39.299 who told me and then people 00:27:39.299 --> 00:27:40.419 brought in some support now 00:27:40.419 --> 00:27:41.740 and so on and effectively 00:27:41.740 --> 00:27:44.139 uh there's two more fledgling 00:27:44.139 --> 00:27:45.559 churches started about 300 00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:48.599 people all together but a lot 00:27:48.599 --> 00:27:50.200 of difficulty in that area a lot 00:27:50.200 --> 00:27:51.960 of opposition so that when i was 00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:53.259 out there talking to some of the 00:27:53.259 --> 00:27:54.859 house church leaders we were 00:27:54.859 --> 00:27:56.159 going through a bit of acts in 00:27:56.159 --> 00:27:57.980 some training and the subject of 00:27:57.980 --> 00:27:59.460 persecution came up and i said 00:27:59.460 --> 00:28:01.039 how many of you have faced 00:28:01.039 --> 00:28:04.079 persecution and they all put 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:05.500 their hands up and looked at me 00:28:05.500 --> 00:28:08.079 like kind of that's a stupid 00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:10.980 question why why did you of course 00:28:10.980 --> 00:28:14.339 we do one pastor i met explained 00:28:14.339 --> 00:28:16.339 how when he became a christian his 00:28:16.339 --> 00:28:17.680 own mother and brother tied him to 00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:19.960 a tree and beat him and his wife 00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:21.599 was going to divorce him until god 00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:23.880 spoke to her in a dream and and 00:28:23.880 --> 00:28:25.579 then god did a few things and now 00:28:25.579 --> 00:28:26.539 the whole family's christians 00:28:26.539 --> 00:28:27.940 that's the edited short down 00:28:27.940 --> 00:28:32.299 version but you can see how you 00:28:32.299 --> 00:28:35.539 look at some of these contexts it's 00:28:35.539 --> 00:28:37.799 a faith-filled risk to even become a 00:28:37.799 --> 00:28:40.259 christian in some of these places 00:28:40.259 --> 00:28:42.740 you know from the outset if i become 00:28:42.740 --> 00:28:44.940 a christian this is going to mean 00:28:44.940 --> 00:28:48.359 it's difficulties for me you go into 00:28:48.359 --> 00:28:49.700 it very much with your eyes open that 00:28:49.700 --> 00:28:52.980 was true of a baptism that i went to 00:28:52.980 --> 00:28:54.639 whether they were baptized down in a 00:28:54.639 --> 00:28:56.460 river it was this remote village miles 00:28:56.460 --> 00:28:58.340 away from anywhere and they didn't 00:28:58.340 --> 00:29:00.420 want to draw attention to it at all so 00:29:00.420 --> 00:29:02.519 that people gathered in this village 00:29:02.519 --> 00:29:05.460 but then walked in twos and threes so 00:29:05.460 --> 00:29:07.160 as to not make it obvious that walked 00:29:07.160 --> 00:29:08.799 about a mile through some fields and 00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:10.720 woods and so on down to the river i 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:11.740 thought this kind of white cloth around 00:29:11.740 --> 00:29:14.259 my head to try and vaguely disguise 00:29:14.259 --> 00:29:16.960 that i was a big white guy don't think 00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:18.460 i fooled anybody really but you know 00:29:18.460 --> 00:29:22.100 they were very concerned to avoid 00:29:22.100 --> 00:29:23.819 unwanted attention because sometimes 00:29:23.819 --> 00:29:25.900 mobs had gathered in the past when 00:29:25.900 --> 00:29:28.079 they'd had baptisms and so we went 00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:29.319 along and eventually we got to this 00:29:29.319 --> 00:29:30.680 clearing where the group of christians 00:29:30.680 --> 00:29:31.940 were and they went down into the river 00:29:31.940 --> 00:29:35.900 and 23 new brothers and sisters were 00:29:35.900 --> 00:29:38.299 baptized in the river with the water 00:29:38.299 --> 00:29:41.360 buffalo just by in the river with them 00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:44.240 and the thing that it's just very 00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:46.139 striking to me that it's the way that 00:29:46.139 --> 00:29:47.699 for some of these people when you're 00:29:47.699 --> 00:29:49.979 in a setting where even becoming a 00:29:49.979 --> 00:29:51.559 christian in the first place is risky 00:29:51.559 --> 00:29:54.059 where there's the threat of suffering 00:29:54.059 --> 00:29:55.859 and persecution it affects the kind of 00:29:55.859 --> 00:29:58.599 christian you become so you expect to 00:29:58.599 --> 00:30:01.500 take risks you expect that you you need 00:30:01.500 --> 00:30:02.879 to have this kind of faith where you're 00:30:02.879 --> 00:30:04.199 hanging on to god for everything because 00:30:04.199 --> 00:30:05.579 you can't do it all yourself 00:30:05.579 --> 00:30:08.859 but bringing it back to the here and 00:30:08.859 --> 00:30:10.299 now and into our context 00:30:10.299 --> 00:30:14.859 you know our societies are quite risk 00:30:14.859 --> 00:30:16.299 averse aren't they 00:30:16.299 --> 00:30:20.220 i suspect the uk might be worse at this 00:30:20.220 --> 00:30:20.699 than ireland 00:30:20.699 --> 00:30:24.220 but you know we are we have risk 00:30:24.220 --> 00:30:26.119 assessments coming out of our ears and 00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:29.039 everything is is is very very cautious 00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:31.039 and and obviously there are times when 00:30:31.039 --> 00:30:32.639 if you can avoid a simple accident by 00:30:32.639 --> 00:30:34.720 doing something sensible then good 00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:37.100 obviously that there's many good things 00:30:37.100 --> 00:30:38.240 about that even if the paperwork 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:39.640 sometimes gets a bit over the top 00:30:39.640 --> 00:30:43.220 but i think there's a problem that as 00:30:43.220 --> 00:30:45.299 cultures in the west sometimes we we're 00:30:45.299 --> 00:30:47.700 almost in pursuit of the risk-free life 00:30:47.700 --> 00:30:51.779 we we kind of think we can have you know 00:30:51.779 --> 00:30:54.759 perfectly safe cars super safe cars 00:30:54.759 --> 00:30:58.160 super safe playgrounds safe houses safe 00:30:58.160 --> 00:31:00.100 working environments everything's covered 00:31:00.100 --> 00:31:02.880 so this is kind of our right and i think 00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:04.460 if we're not careful we also want a safe 00:31:04.460 --> 00:31:05.160 christianity 00:31:05.160 --> 00:31:09.100 and maybe we don't ever say that out 00:31:09.100 --> 00:31:11.579 loud but given that it's a mindset that 00:31:11.579 --> 00:31:13.920 we have for so much of the rest of life 00:31:13.920 --> 00:31:17.180 i think we can fairly unwittingly apply it to 00:31:17.180 --> 00:31:19.500 our faith as well and it is actually 00:31:19.500 --> 00:31:22.220 deadening to faith 00:31:22.220 --> 00:31:26.620 pursue other things if you want they're 00:31:26.620 --> 00:31:28.500 fine to a point but please don't pursue 00:31:28.500 --> 00:31:30.299 safe christianity because you just don't 00:31:30.299 --> 00:31:31.980 find it in the bible it's not there 00:31:31.980 --> 00:31:34.900 jesus they take up your cross not your armchair 00:31:34.900 --> 00:31:38.640 it's not about going out and looking for 00:31:38.640 --> 00:31:40.599 trouble or difficulty obviously and we thank 00:31:40.599 --> 00:31:42.140 god that we don't have some of the pressures 00:31:42.140 --> 00:31:44.759 that people in other countries may have 00:31:44.759 --> 00:31:46.980 but the truth is that for many of us 00:31:46.980 --> 00:31:49.819 we will steer clear from anything that will 00:31:49.819 --> 00:31:51.500 cause us a little bit of discomfort because 00:31:51.500 --> 00:31:53.319 culturally we just don't do discomfort 00:31:53.319 --> 00:31:56.299 if we can possibly avoid it 00:31:56.299 --> 00:32:00.639 and this matters because the era of living on 00:32:00.639 --> 00:32:02.519 the edge for the sake of the extension of 00:32:02.519 --> 00:32:03.779 god's kingdom isn't over 00:32:03.779 --> 00:32:06.139 because as i said before it's our turn now 00:32:06.139 --> 00:32:07.460 the baton's in our hand 00:32:07.460 --> 00:32:09.579 and so when you go back to hebrews 11 again 00:32:09.579 --> 00:32:12.559 these are not the records of great activities 00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:14.720 of the days of old and they're nice bedtime 00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:15.819 stories and so on 00:32:15.819 --> 00:32:19.000 no this faith-filled live on the edge stuff 00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:20.980 was an era 00:32:20.980 --> 00:32:23.319 it was the first stage they were the 00:32:23.319 --> 00:32:25.700 forerunners in a race that is not over yet 00:32:25.700 --> 00:32:29.139 so you look at verse 39 and 40 that's what 00:32:29.139 --> 00:32:31.419 this means 39 and 40 at the end of chapter 11 00:32:31.419 --> 00:32:33.639 say these were all commended for their faith 00:32:33.639 --> 00:32:35.759 yet none of them received what had been 00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:36.200 promised 00:32:36.200 --> 00:32:40.579 god had planned something better for us 00:32:40.579 --> 00:32:43.799 so that only together with us would they be 00:32:43.799 --> 00:32:47.099 made perfect so the reward it's like the end of the race isn't 00:32:47.099 --> 00:32:48.419 it's not over yet 00:32:48.419 --> 00:32:50.720 the reward is for us and them together 00:32:50.720 --> 00:32:55.039 it's not finished if you're watching the 4x400 meters relay 00:32:55.039 --> 00:32:58.059 you don't leave after three of the runners 00:32:58.059 --> 00:32:59.740 have taken their turn and say that was good wasn't it 00:32:59.740 --> 00:33:00.819 okay let's go and get a coffee 00:33:00.819 --> 00:33:03.759 because there's another stage yet 00:33:03.759 --> 00:33:04.639 it's not finished 00:33:04.639 --> 00:33:09.240 and this race image is then where the writer goes 00:33:09.240 --> 00:33:11.879 if you just go on into the beginning of chapter 12 00:33:11.880 --> 00:33:14.880 where he describes this cloud of witnesses 00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:16.960 looking on and cheering us on 00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:19.100 and so the idea is that these people that he's 00:33:19.100 --> 00:33:20.960 been through in chapter 11 00:33:20.960 --> 00:33:22.680 the ones that we looked at and all the others as well 00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:24.460 he's got this picture where he's saying 00:33:24.460 --> 00:33:26.800 imagine they're watching now 00:33:26.800 --> 00:33:27.760 they're seeing you 00:33:27.760 --> 00:33:28.780 they're in the stands 00:33:28.780 --> 00:33:30.880 watching as now you have it 00:33:30.880 --> 00:33:31.640 in your turn 00:33:31.640 --> 00:33:32.600 in your generation 00:33:32.600 --> 00:33:34.080 the baton's in your hand 00:33:34.080 --> 00:33:35.780 and they're shouting 00:33:35.780 --> 00:33:36.920 come on you can do it 00:33:36.920 --> 00:33:37.640 to these Hebrews 00:33:37.640 --> 00:33:38.200 there 00:33:38.200 --> 00:33:39.319 and to us now 00:33:39.319 --> 00:33:40.500 and so 00:33:40.500 --> 00:33:42.819 you learn from what they learned 00:33:42.819 --> 00:33:44.980 so it's like Noah is there shouting to us 00:33:44.980 --> 00:33:45.480 and saying 00:33:45.480 --> 00:33:47.559 you don't have to fear what others think 00:33:47.559 --> 00:33:48.539 I learned that 00:33:48.539 --> 00:33:49.200 he's saying 00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:51.380 you don't have to fear what others think 00:33:51.380 --> 00:33:53.000 fear God and trust him 00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:54.319 and Abraham is shouting 00:33:54.319 --> 00:33:54.580 come on 00:33:54.580 --> 00:33:56.819 you can trust him with a future that you can't see 00:33:56.819 --> 00:33:58.140 and you don't fully understand 00:33:58.140 --> 00:33:59.480 follow him 00:33:59.480 --> 00:34:01.220 even if you're not sure where you're going 00:34:01.220 --> 00:34:02.319 or how it'll all work out 00:34:02.319 --> 00:34:03.360 you can trust him 00:34:03.360 --> 00:34:04.860 and Moses is shouting 00:34:04.859 --> 00:34:06.279 it is possible to love God 00:34:06.279 --> 00:34:07.259 more than you love 00:34:07.259 --> 00:34:07.959 sin 00:34:07.959 --> 00:34:08.859 and temptation 00:34:08.859 --> 00:34:10.579 and be free to go out 00:34:10.579 --> 00:34:11.480 and serve him 00:34:11.480 --> 00:34:13.639 and these witnesses are all there 00:34:13.639 --> 00:34:14.699 as we've got the baton 00:34:14.699 --> 00:34:16.079 in our hand 00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:19.519 and so how then do we handle 00:34:19.519 --> 00:34:20.239 the fact 00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:22.019 that it's our turn now 00:34:22.019 --> 00:34:23.059 and we're on the track 00:34:23.059 --> 00:34:25.900 well two things to close off with 00:34:25.900 --> 00:34:27.299 from the beginning of chapter 12 00:34:27.299 --> 00:34:28.659 as 00:34:28.659 --> 00:34:30.099 God says 00:34:30.099 --> 00:34:31.559 chapter 12 verse 1 00:34:31.559 --> 00:34:31.920 it says 00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:33.679 therefore since we are surrounded 00:34:33.679 --> 00:34:35.079 by such a great cloud of witnesses 00:34:35.079 --> 00:34:37.279 let us throw off everything that hinders 00:34:37.279 --> 00:34:38.980 and the sin that so easily entangles 00:34:38.980 --> 00:34:40.139 and let us run 00:34:40.139 --> 00:34:41.019 with perseverance 00:34:41.019 --> 00:34:41.579 the race 00:34:41.579 --> 00:34:42.859 marked out for us 00:34:42.859 --> 00:34:44.139 we've got to run 00:34:44.139 --> 00:34:45.919 but for all of us 00:34:45.919 --> 00:34:47.519 there's stuff that holds us back 00:34:47.519 --> 00:34:48.559 that weighs us down 00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:50.960 and you think about what it is for you 00:34:50.960 --> 00:34:52.039 because we're all different 00:34:52.039 --> 00:34:53.759 what is it for you 00:34:53.759 --> 00:34:54.859 that just 00:34:54.859 --> 00:34:55.839 dampens 00:34:55.839 --> 00:34:57.219 your spiritual fervor 00:34:57.219 --> 00:34:57.859 that just 00:34:57.859 --> 00:34:58.719 distracts you 00:34:58.719 --> 00:34:59.539 or cools you down 00:34:59.539 --> 00:35:01.159 what are the things that weigh you 00:35:01.159 --> 00:35:01.899 down 00:35:01.900 --> 00:35:03.700 and our priorities 00:35:03.700 --> 00:35:04.420 can get twisted 00:35:04.420 --> 00:35:06.019 and our vision distorted 00:35:06.019 --> 00:35:08.139 we need to see those things 00:35:08.139 --> 00:35:08.920 for what they are 00:35:08.920 --> 00:35:10.079 and 00:35:10.079 --> 00:35:10.800 say 00:35:10.800 --> 00:35:12.059 I'm not going to be seduced 00:35:12.059 --> 00:35:13.260 by these things 00:35:13.260 --> 00:35:16.160 I'm going to throw them off 00:35:16.160 --> 00:35:17.599 I'm going to run the race 00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:19.880 I'm going to keep on going 00:35:19.880 --> 00:35:21.760 and then second thing is 00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:22.240 he says 00:35:22.240 --> 00:35:23.539 in verse 2 00:35:23.539 --> 00:35:25.639 let us fix our eyes on Jesus 00:35:25.639 --> 00:35:26.599 the author 00:35:26.599 --> 00:35:27.639 and perfecter 00:35:27.639 --> 00:35:28.579 of our faith 00:35:28.579 --> 00:35:31.119 he's the one who gives us 00:35:31.119 --> 00:35:31.779 our spiritual life 00:35:31.779 --> 00:35:32.500 he's described as 00:35:32.500 --> 00:35:33.299 the author 00:35:33.299 --> 00:35:34.859 and the perfecter 00:35:34.859 --> 00:35:35.859 the finisher of our faith 00:35:35.859 --> 00:35:37.380 so he's at both ends of it 00:35:37.380 --> 00:35:37.779 if you like 00:35:37.779 --> 00:35:39.219 he's the one we get our faith from 00:35:39.219 --> 00:35:41.460 and he's also the one we fix 00:35:41.460 --> 00:35:42.599 our eyes on 00:35:42.599 --> 00:35:43.900 and if we look away from him 00:35:43.900 --> 00:35:44.940 we're actually cutting off 00:35:44.940 --> 00:35:46.279 the supply line of our faith 00:35:46.279 --> 00:35:47.279 because he's the author of it 00:35:47.279 --> 00:35:48.659 he's the one who gives us it 00:35:48.659 --> 00:35:50.880 so we keep our eyes fixed on him 00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:52.619 and we're sustained by him 00:35:52.619 --> 00:35:53.299 as we go on 00:35:53.299 --> 00:35:54.119 and finish it 00:35:54.119 --> 00:35:55.500 and we follow his example 00:35:55.500 --> 00:35:55.960 too 00:35:55.960 --> 00:35:57.279 because he models 00:35:57.279 --> 00:35:58.859 exactly what we're being called to do 00:35:58.860 --> 00:35:59.460 because he says 00:35:59.460 --> 00:36:01.340 the perfecter of our faith 00:36:01.340 --> 00:36:03.000 who for the joy set before him 00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:04.140 endured the cross 00:36:04.140 --> 00:36:06.579 scorning its shame 00:36:06.579 --> 00:36:07.700 sat down at the right hand 00:36:07.700 --> 00:36:08.200 of the throne 00:36:08.200 --> 00:36:09.019 of God 00:36:09.019 --> 00:36:12.620 and we're told to keep on going 00:36:12.620 --> 00:36:14.200 consider him who endured 00:36:14.200 --> 00:36:14.880 such opposition 00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:16.320 so that you will not grow weary 00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:17.579 and lose heart 00:36:17.579 --> 00:36:20.180 you probably can relate to that 00:36:20.180 --> 00:36:20.539 I'm sure 00:36:20.539 --> 00:36:21.720 at different points in our lives 00:36:21.720 --> 00:36:23.000 you grow weary 00:36:23.000 --> 00:36:24.160 and you lose heart 00:36:24.160 --> 00:36:25.760 you just think this 00:36:25.760 --> 00:36:27.120 is hard 00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:31.239 but don't drop out of the race 00:36:31.239 --> 00:36:32.759 remember that's exactly 00:36:32.759 --> 00:36:33.920 what this letter was all about 00:36:33.920 --> 00:36:34.380 telling them 00:36:34.380 --> 00:36:35.719 fix your eyes on Jesus 00:36:35.719 --> 00:36:37.199 cry out and ask for his help 00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:39.079 and say I need your help 00:36:39.079 --> 00:36:40.039 I'm going to keep on going 00:36:40.039 --> 00:36:41.359 I want to keep on going 00:36:41.359 --> 00:36:42.679 with this race 00:36:42.679 --> 00:36:43.559 and trusting you 00:36:43.559 --> 00:36:44.119 I believe you 00:36:44.119 --> 00:36:44.699 even that prayer 00:36:44.699 --> 00:36:45.880 like the guy said to Jesus 00:36:45.880 --> 00:36:46.480 in the gospels 00:36:46.480 --> 00:36:47.279 I believe 00:36:47.279 --> 00:36:48.139 help my unbelief 00:36:48.139 --> 00:36:49.139 I want to believe 00:36:49.139 --> 00:36:51.119 I want to trust you 00:36:51.119 --> 00:36:54.799 so then we ask 00:36:54.799 --> 00:36:56.940 how are you going to play your part 00:36:56.940 --> 00:36:58.000 in God's mission 00:36:58.000 --> 00:36:59.260 what does it look like for you 00:36:59.260 --> 00:37:00.360 to take your turn 00:37:00.360 --> 00:37:01.380 on the track 00:37:01.380 --> 00:37:02.019 as a church 00:37:02.019 --> 00:37:03.420 and individually 00:37:03.420 --> 00:37:04.360 what's next 00:37:04.360 --> 00:37:04.880 basically 00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:06.139 lots of great things going on 00:37:06.139 --> 00:37:07.000 lots of great things you've done 00:37:07.000 --> 00:37:07.940 but what's next 00:37:07.940 --> 00:37:10.659 and you think globally 00:37:10.659 --> 00:37:11.139 I don't know 00:37:11.139 --> 00:37:11.780 maybe there's things 00:37:11.780 --> 00:37:12.760 you can get involved with 00:37:12.760 --> 00:37:14.300 in terms of new initiatives 00:37:14.300 --> 00:37:15.579 linking up with other churches 00:37:15.579 --> 00:37:16.500 so like we're going to talk about 00:37:16.500 --> 00:37:17.240 at the round table 00:37:17.240 --> 00:37:17.900 maybe there's things 00:37:17.900 --> 00:37:18.900 that you can get behind 00:37:18.900 --> 00:37:19.700 as a church 00:37:19.700 --> 00:37:20.300 maybe some of you 00:37:20.300 --> 00:37:20.920 might even go 00:37:20.920 --> 00:37:22.599 and live in some place 00:37:22.599 --> 00:37:23.360 far from here 00:37:23.360 --> 00:37:24.079 some place that maybe 00:37:24.079 --> 00:37:24.599 you won't find 00:37:24.599 --> 00:37:25.940 in your average travel brochure 00:37:25.940 --> 00:37:27.619 but where people need 00:37:27.619 --> 00:37:28.460 the gospel 00:37:28.460 --> 00:37:29.820 thinking locally 00:37:29.820 --> 00:37:31.420 maybe you 00:37:31.420 --> 00:37:32.720 want to go out 00:37:32.720 --> 00:37:33.679 on a bit more of a limb 00:37:33.679 --> 00:37:34.820 taking a few more risks 00:37:34.820 --> 00:37:35.480 in the community 00:37:35.480 --> 00:37:36.099 around here 00:37:36.099 --> 00:37:37.559 building some friendships 00:37:37.559 --> 00:37:39.119 that might 00:37:39.119 --> 00:37:40.720 just scare you slightly 00:37:40.720 --> 00:37:42.840 living counter-culturally 00:37:42.840 --> 00:37:44.619 treating what you own 00:37:44.619 --> 00:37:46.240 and the money you have 00:37:46.240 --> 00:37:47.780 in a slightly different way 00:37:47.780 --> 00:37:48.440 I don't know 00:37:48.440 --> 00:37:49.880 there's lots of different ideas 00:37:49.880 --> 00:37:51.280 I think that's something for you 00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:52.400 to be praying about 00:37:52.400 --> 00:37:52.679 isn't it 00:37:52.679 --> 00:37:53.500 and talk about 00:37:53.500 --> 00:37:54.059 and think about 00:37:54.059 --> 00:37:56.480 but whether it's here 00:37:56.480 --> 00:37:57.739 or whether it's far away 00:37:57.739 --> 00:37:59.440 for all of us 00:37:59.440 --> 00:38:00.380 let's not be duped 00:38:00.380 --> 00:38:01.139 by the dream 00:38:01.139 --> 00:38:02.840 of some kind of 00:38:02.840 --> 00:38:03.360 safe 00:38:03.360 --> 00:38:04.519 sanitized 00:38:04.519 --> 00:38:05.679 tame Christianity 00:38:05.679 --> 00:38:07.460 that asks very little of us 00:38:07.460 --> 00:38:08.659 and that is easily 00:38:08.659 --> 00:38:09.799 controlled by us 00:38:09.799 --> 00:38:12.320 may God give us 00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:12.699 the vision 00:38:12.699 --> 00:38:13.500 and the faith 00:38:13.500 --> 00:38:14.679 and the courage 00:38:14.679 --> 00:38:16.259 to live our lives 00:38:16.259 --> 00:38:16.599 for him 00:38:16.599 --> 00:38:18.639 let's pray 00:38:18.639 --> 00:38:26.699 Lord we want to thank you 00:38:26.699 --> 00:38:27.139 that you 00:38:27.139 --> 00:38:28.719 give us the faith 00:38:28.719 --> 00:38:29.219 that we need 00:38:29.219 --> 00:38:30.259 that you give us the strength 00:38:30.259 --> 00:38:31.199 to follow you 00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:32.179 and thank you 00:38:32.179 --> 00:38:33.059 that you've opened our eyes 00:38:33.059 --> 00:38:33.900 to you in the first place 00:38:33.900 --> 00:38:35.039 that we can know you 00:38:35.039 --> 00:38:35.679 and follow you 00:38:35.679 --> 00:38:35.859 and 00:38:35.859 --> 00:38:38.900 that you've forgiven us 00:38:38.900 --> 00:38:40.099 and that you're changing us 00:38:40.099 --> 00:38:40.299 and 00:38:40.299 --> 00:38:41.619 that we have this great 00:38:41.619 --> 00:38:42.460 destiny now 00:38:42.460 --> 00:38:43.019 with you 00:38:43.019 --> 00:38:45.219 we pray that you'll help us 00:38:45.219 --> 00:38:46.859 in the day to day 00:38:46.859 --> 00:38:48.619 living of this life 00:38:48.619 --> 00:38:49.259 help us to 00:38:49.259 --> 00:38:50.619 see ourselves 00:38:50.619 --> 00:38:50.959 as 00:38:50.959 --> 00:38:52.699 on the track 00:38:52.699 --> 00:38:54.279 taking our turn 00:38:54.279 --> 00:38:54.899 in the race 00:38:54.899 --> 00:38:56.599 and to be inspired 00:38:56.599 --> 00:38:58.199 by those you've gone before 00:38:58.199 --> 00:39:00.139 and not least 00:39:00.139 --> 00:39:01.179 by the example of Jesus 00:39:01.179 --> 00:39:03.000 and to fix our eyes 00:39:03.000 --> 00:39:03.419 on him 00:39:03.419 --> 00:39:05.699 and we pray that you'd 00:39:05.699 --> 00:39:07.059 help us to 00:39:07.059 --> 00:39:09.239 be clear about 00:39:09.239 --> 00:39:10.279 the things that you want us 00:39:10.279 --> 00:39:10.679 to do 00:39:10.679 --> 00:39:13.480 and to go out in faith 00:39:13.480 --> 00:39:14.119 and do them 00:39:14.119 --> 00:39:15.279 even though 00:39:15.279 --> 00:39:16.199 it may mean 00:39:16.199 --> 00:39:19.599 some things aren't as easy 00:39:19.599 --> 00:39:20.480 as they might be 00:39:20.480 --> 00:39:21.460 even though it might mean 00:39:21.460 --> 00:39:22.739 sacrifices in different ways 00:39:22.739 --> 00:39:23.659 Lord we pray that you would 00:39:23.659 --> 00:39:24.480 help us to be people 00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:25.179 who are full of faith 00:39:25.179 --> 00:39:25.739 and prepared 00:39:25.739 --> 00:39:26.500 to take risks 00:39:26.500 --> 00:39:27.079 to serve you 00:39:27.079 --> 00:39:28.279 no matter what 00:39:28.279 --> 00:39:29.319 that may mean 00:39:29.319 --> 00:39:31.900 Lord we pray that we would be 00:39:31.900 --> 00:39:32.319 so 00:39:32.319 --> 00:39:36.039 so much loving you 00:39:36.039 --> 00:39:37.460 and loving your glory 00:39:37.460 --> 00:39:39.859 that our own lives 00:39:39.859 --> 00:39:40.559 and priorities 00:39:40.559 --> 00:39:41.579 and comfort 00:39:41.579 --> 00:39:42.859 and everything else 00:39:42.860 --> 00:39:46.260 takes second place 00:39:46.260 --> 00:39:47.420 behind all of that 00:39:47.420 --> 00:39:49.680 and that it would all be 00:39:49.680 --> 00:39:50.120 for you 00:39:50.120 --> 00:39:52.640 so we pray that you'd give us 00:39:52.640 --> 00:39:53.420 this big vision 00:39:53.420 --> 00:39:54.240 of who you are 00:39:54.240 --> 00:39:55.519 that helps us 00:39:55.519 --> 00:39:56.120 to live 00:39:56.120 --> 00:39:57.079 and give everything 00:39:57.079 --> 00:39:57.599 for you 00:39:57.599 --> 00:39:59.059 pray that for the church here 00:39:59.059 --> 00:40:00.240 and for 00:40:00.240 --> 00:40:01.519 the church where I am 00:40:01.519 --> 00:40:01.860 as well 00:40:01.860 --> 00:40:02.980 and wherever 00:40:02.980 --> 00:40:04.120 we might serve you 00:40:04.120 --> 00:40:04.440 one day 00:40:04.440 --> 00:40:05.440 in the course of our lives 00:40:05.440 --> 00:40:07.400 and we ask it all 00:40:07.400 --> 00:40:08.579 for your fame 00:40:08.579 --> 00:40:09.559 and for your glory 00:40:09.559 --> 00:40:10.940 amen 00:40:10.940 --> 00:40:12.340 you 00:40:12.720 --> 00:40:13.320 and we arrive 00:40:13.320 --> 00:40:13.800 to 00:40:13.800 --> 00:40:14.380 heal 00:40:14.380 --> 00:40:15.780 that you 00:40:15.780 --> 00:40:16.360 a 00:40:16.360 --> 00:40:18.200 of who you 00:40:18.200 --> 00:40:19.760 are 00:40:19.760 --> 00:40:20.360 a 00:40:20.360 --> 00:40:20.619 him