WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.719 Yeah, no, it's such a great reminder of which we're sharing this morning in the prayer. 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:13.099 and I won't embarrass him or put him on the spot again, but Nathan really gave me a really good 00:00:13.099 --> 00:00:20.280 ! word last night, just a testament to who he is as a child of God himself. He's just feeling 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:25.320 the conviction that, why are we gathering here? I mean, we're getting some extremely exciting 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:30.780 things happening, fun things. We're going to head to the park this afternoon to play spikeball 00:00:30.780 --> 00:00:36.120 with Cubon, and then we're going to play golf later with Vincent, and then there's a football 00:00:36.120 --> 00:00:44.240 thing with Damo. Last week we had basketball. We won. We won the game. We won the game, and 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:51.079 our dear, dear Kenneth at the back, who sadly gave himself up for the win, tore his Achilles, 00:00:51.079 --> 00:00:55.339 and you should have seen him. You should have seen the other guy. I mean, that'll teach you for 00:00:55.339 --> 00:01:00.739 dunking, but no, it was, it's good, but wow, what a reminder that actually I got from Nathan yesterday 00:01:00.739 --> 00:01:07.539 was, isn't it so easy just to get caught up with all these things? Like, why are we here? Why are you 00:01:07.539 --> 00:01:16.099 here? And as I was just worshiping, I was like, Lord, I'm here just for you. Nothing else. Lord, I just 00:01:16.099 --> 00:01:24.280 want you. The community is great. The singing is fun. The sports are competitive, and, but man, I just 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:30.399 want you. I just want you, and if, if we don't get you, then all of this doesn't mean anything, and so 00:01:30.399 --> 00:01:35.739 that's something that's, it's on, but I'm glad that it's not just on my heart. I need reminding sometimes, 00:01:35.739 --> 00:01:40.500 because you get so easily caught up in everything, but to hear someone like Nathan just going, 00:01:40.500 --> 00:01:46.599 James, that's, that's on my heart. I'm like, that's it. That's it. Can we keep reminding each 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:52.439 other of this? Because we need to. We started with the end in mind in September, going through the 00:01:52.439 --> 00:01:58.579 letters in Revelation, and it was the first one, Ephesus. You're doing great things. You're doing 00:01:58.579 --> 00:02:03.799 great, great things, but you've abandoned your love at first. Just remembering that, just remembering 00:02:03.799 --> 00:02:07.420 that. That's, that's the main thing that's on my heart. With that in mind, we're going to read the 00:02:07.420 --> 00:02:10.099 scriptures. I'm giving Bonnie a little bit of a heart attack, because I've hijacked this, 00:02:10.099 --> 00:02:16.219 just the Apple TV here with my iPad, because I prepared some slides, everyone. You know it's 00:02:16.219 --> 00:02:21.340 going down if I've got slides, but whether we'll end up having the slides for the songs at the end, 00:02:21.359 --> 00:02:26.599 I don't know now, but we'll try. I invite people to stand, because the word of the Lord is, is 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:33.780 powerful. It's to be revered, and so I invite you to stand now. I know that many people can't see at 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:37.639 the back, but I'm wondering whether we can read it all together. Would that be possible? So if you're at 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:41.439 the front, and you can see the screen, can you read loudly? I'm going to try and navigate it from here. 00:02:42.799 --> 00:02:50.319 1 John chapter 3, verse 11 to 24. One, two, three, go. For this is the message that you have heard from 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:56.379 the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one, 00:02:56.619 --> 00:03:02.519 and murdered his brother. Why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil, and his brother's 00:03:02.520 --> 00:03:08.740 righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out 00:03:08.740 --> 00:03:15.700 of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who 00:03:15.700 --> 00:03:22.680 hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this 00:03:22.680 --> 00:03:28.580 we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 00:03:28.580 --> 00:03:34.880 But if anyone has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, 00:03:35.060 --> 00:03:42.260 how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in 00:03:42.260 --> 00:03:48.560 truth. By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our heart before him. For whenever 00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:55.580 our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does 00:03:55.580 --> 00:04:01.920 not condemn us, we have confidence before God, and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we 00:04:01.920 --> 00:04:08.220 keep his commandments, and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name 00:04:08.220 --> 00:04:15.020 of his son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commands 00:04:15.020 --> 00:04:22.400 abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the spirit whom he has given 00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:27.479 us. This is the word of the Lord. Maybe we just remain standing as we pray. Lord, 00:04:28.239 --> 00:04:38.599 you are the reason we're here. You are the reason why we know what love is. You are love. So help us 00:04:38.599 --> 00:04:44.639 to trust in the name of your son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another today. We thank you. In your name 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:55.319 we pray. Amen. Take a seat. Thank you. Just another word on Alpha. It's just to remind you, a few months 00:04:55.319 --> 00:05:02.219 ago, we had this very simple statement that I shared with you that I actually borrowed from Andy Stanley, 00:05:02.339 --> 00:05:09.099 a pastor in America, which is the church is a family expecting guests. It is a family expecting 00:05:09.100 --> 00:05:15.760 guests. In some ways, that's what Alpha is about, that we are a family that are also expecting guests. 00:05:16.180 --> 00:05:21.900 We want to bring people in. St. Pope Francis was the one who says, Christian family is missionary. 00:05:22.700 --> 00:05:28.180 Christian family is missionary to share the love of God to the world. That's what we should do. 00:05:28.640 --> 00:05:32.939 And actually, that's what we believe, what we're trying to do here. We're trying to do church in a way, 00:05:32.939 --> 00:05:39.519 that's the second statement. We're trying to be family. Family is messy. Family is hard, but we're 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:44.879 trying. There's different kinds of expression of church all around the world, all around this city. 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:51.040 Some, you go in, you don't speak to a single person. You encounter the Lord because you're just in quiet 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:56.879 meditation, and you worship, and then you leave. And that's just one beautiful way to worship God. 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:02.159 And actually, that's beautiful. I'd love for us all to have a chance to be able to do something like that. 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:06.860 But what we're trying to do here is we're trying to live as a family. We're trying to know each other's 00:06:06.860 --> 00:06:11.720 names. We're trying to know each other's middle names. We're trying to be in community together. 00:06:11.820 --> 00:06:16.040 That's what we're trying, and I'm glad that we're all here on this journey together. And part of that 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:20.640 is just doing something like Alpha, where one, it's for people that you know. Everyone here knows 00:06:20.640 --> 00:06:24.560 someone who has never been into a church, who has never stepped foot into a church. Everyone has. 00:06:25.280 --> 00:06:30.500 Can we be a family that expects guests and bring these people in and have, hey, there's food, 00:06:30.500 --> 00:06:35.339 there's going to be a chat. Let's talk about these things. And then the second is just to say, 00:06:35.500 --> 00:06:39.939 if you've been coming here, now we set our midweek gatherings or our clans a couple months back, 00:06:39.980 --> 00:06:43.680 and they were set, and they've been growing and building in intimacy and in relationship. 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:47.439 If you've joined in these last few months, you've not been able to join one of these. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:52.420 And I'm sorry about that. But what we're trying to do now is actually with something like this, 00:06:52.459 --> 00:06:57.879 we want to invite you in so you can join this Alpha so we can build that community together. 00:06:57.879 --> 00:07:01.680 Okay? Now, you might say, but I've been a Christian for a long time. If you look at the Alpha website, 00:07:01.879 --> 00:07:05.920 actually, Alpha is just for anyone. It's just for anyone who wants to have these kinds of 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:11.959 conversations. What we found is some of you haven't been in the church for that long, or some of you 00:07:11.959 --> 00:07:15.120 have, it's been a long time since you've been in church. Some of you went to a Christian school, 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:20.540 and since then you've not really been in part of one. We found actually Alpha is good for you too. 00:07:20.759 --> 00:07:25.319 You've been kind of around the Christian faith, but to revisit and just go through some of those 00:07:25.319 --> 00:07:30.899 key questions. Who is Jesus? Who is God? Who is the Holy Spirit? This really puts us all on the same 00:07:30.899 --> 00:07:35.519 page whilst building community together. So those are really the two kinds of people that we're 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:41.920 trying to hope to have because we are a family expecting guests. We are a family expecting guests. 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:47.639 And last week I talked about that we are children of God. We are all children of God. And I asked you, 00:07:47.699 --> 00:07:51.779 what does that even mean for you? As you think about your own family experience, 00:07:51.779 --> 00:07:56.419 what does that even mean? Is it a positive one? Is it a negative one? When we talk about being 00:07:56.419 --> 00:08:03.299 children of God, we then talk about the fact that we're brothers and sisters in Christ. We are family. 00:08:03.739 --> 00:08:09.139 And then he jumps in to talk about this. And John's interesting. John, as he writes, 00:08:10.259 --> 00:08:16.619 as much as I would love to go through verse by verse by verse, John doesn't really think in a straight 00:08:16.620 --> 00:08:22.120 line. In fact, he thinks in overlapping concentric circles. And he kind of goes here, goes there, 00:08:22.340 --> 00:08:27.300 overlaps, comes back around, all around the same theme, but he kind of goes, it's sometimes a little 00:08:27.300 --> 00:08:32.320 bit hard to track. So the reason why I came up with slides today was actually I'm going to try and pull 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:36.820 out and exposit what he's actually saying to us and the overall theme and hopefully come up with a way 00:08:36.820 --> 00:08:41.680 that we can at least understand it and then apply it. That's what we're trying to do here. 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:47.859 And it really is about the same thing, love. We talked about this a few weeks ago. And actually, 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:51.620 I've had conversations with people that I've been encouraged by because since that message, 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:55.739 you've been like, I've got to learn how to love my colleagues. I will learn how to love the people 00:08:55.739 --> 00:08:59.359 who are helping me in my life. I will learn how to love the people who are really hard to love. 00:09:00.039 --> 00:09:05.179 And so that's been encouraging. And John almost comes back around. And in that verse 11, he says, 00:09:05.259 --> 00:09:10.740 hey, I'm bringing it back again, which is essentially what Nathan reminded me last night. He said, 00:09:10.740 --> 00:09:16.120 you've heard this message before. It's about love. It's about love. Can you go back to that? Can you 00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:22.620 always go back to that? Are you loving one another? And as I followed these verses that we just read 00:09:22.620 --> 00:09:26.919 together, there's four themes that really came up for me that I wanted to share with you. And the 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:31.899 first one is this. Family is at the heart of Christianity. Family is at the heart of Christianity. 00:09:31.980 --> 00:09:35.580 I don't know whether you've thought about this that much and what kind of church background you come 00:09:35.580 --> 00:09:40.399 from, but family is at the heart of Christianity. Because if our first and foremost identity is that we are 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:47.240 children of God, by default, by extension, that means we're family. Family is at the heart of 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:53.100 Christianity. But the question is, what does that mean for us? Turn to the person next to you and just 00:09:53.100 --> 00:09:54.819 say, hey, we're family. We're family. 00:09:54.820 --> 00:10:09.040 The interesting thing here is how well are we doing that? How well are we really tapping into that? 00:10:09.100 --> 00:10:17.400 Because family, of course, is hard. Family is hard. But we associate, we link family with people that we 00:10:17.400 --> 00:10:23.600 love. What do we say when we've lost a family member? We've lost a loved one. We've lost a loved one. 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:28.740 So if we're going to try and be family, then we need to try and learn to love each other. In fact, 00:10:29.300 --> 00:10:35.240 it's within the context of a family that we learn to love. It's within the context of a family that 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:39.639 we learn to love. Billy Graham says this, nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:46.180 except true love, which can be found in family. Ephesians 2 talks about that we were dead, but God 00:10:46.179 --> 00:10:52.039 made us alive. And now we are members of the household of God. That we are literally brothers 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:57.699 and sisters. We are family. The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw said, a happy family, oh, 00:10:57.740 --> 00:11:03.719 actually I have this quote, a happy family is but an earlier heaven. And a happy family is but an 00:11:03.719 --> 00:11:10.339 earlier heaven. In the sense that actually, if a family does what it's supposed to do, exists in a 00:11:10.339 --> 00:11:17.059 way that it's supposed to exist, it's a glimpse of heaven. Who's had a glimpse of heaven in their family 00:11:17.059 --> 00:11:23.399 in their lifetime? Just put your hand up if you had. Praise the Lord. Just people who are actually, 00:11:23.779 --> 00:11:27.479 who you know, you're coming home from work or school and you're just in a bad mood, but that person is 00:11:27.479 --> 00:11:31.239 just going to love you regardless. When you're young, they're still going to put food on the table, 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:34.779 even if you mistreat them. Kenneth's just laughing like, 00:11:36.079 --> 00:11:38.739 Hillary's been very good to you, caring for you this week, right? 00:11:40.339 --> 00:11:44.619 Kenneth was saying he's becoming a better human being and higher EQ because he needs to rely on his wife 00:11:44.620 --> 00:11:50.379 to do everything. But family, a happy family is but an earlier heaven because family knows 00:11:50.379 --> 00:11:54.820 what love is. Now, whether it holds that standard all the time is a different matter. 00:11:55.600 --> 00:12:01.940 We fall short of that all the time. But the design that God had for family is that it would point us 00:12:01.940 --> 00:12:08.639 to heaven. The design for what we have here as a spiritual family is to point us to heaven. Do we 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:13.799 have that? There's another quote here from an author who says this, it is not clear to me that the family 00:12:13.799 --> 00:12:18.939 is a microcosm of the world. To understand the world, we can study the family. Issues such as power, 00:12:19.399 --> 00:12:24.859 intimacy, autonomy, trust, and communication skills are vital parts underlying how we live in the world. 00:12:25.159 --> 00:12:32.859 To change the world is to change the family. We're trying to figure that out. One Sunday at a time, 00:12:33.059 --> 00:12:37.899 one midweek at a time, one sports team at a time. And just if we can pierce through all those things 00:12:37.899 --> 00:12:43.059 and remind ourselves, we're doing this because we're family. Because family does things together. 00:12:44.360 --> 00:12:48.059 That's what we're trying to do here. It was my conversation with Aiden a few months ago where we 00:12:48.059 --> 00:12:53.340 were saying the true expression of Christianity is that we're a tight-knit family. That's what we're 00:12:53.340 --> 00:12:59.980 trying to do. And in order to do that, we must love one another. See, interestingly, actually, I don't 00:12:59.980 --> 00:13:04.879 have all the verses corresponding because I did these slides very late last night. Opening back up to the 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:10.059 word to 1 John. Family is at the heart of Christianity. John knows that because we're 00:13:10.059 --> 00:13:13.860 children of God. We're brothers and sisters. But then he gives us an example, and he gives us an 00:13:13.860 --> 00:13:20.960 example of how family turned bad and what that leads to. So we know that Christianity, oh, that's 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:25.539 what I've done here. I'm going to go back. If I go back to this, family is at the heart of 00:13:25.539 --> 00:13:30.940 Christianity. You see here when John's talking about it in 1 John chapter 3. Open up your Bibles with me 00:13:30.940 --> 00:13:36.160 here. 1 John chapter 3, verse 11 is, this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:41.460 that we should love one another. And then verse 12, he says this, we should not be like Cain, 00:13:41.780 --> 00:13:46.160 who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. So he says, your family, your children of God, 00:13:46.220 --> 00:13:50.360 you must love one another. But let me show you an example of a family that is not good, 00:13:50.860 --> 00:13:56.960 that turned bad. When a brother turned against his own brother and murdered him and became the 00:13:56.960 --> 00:14:03.900 first murderer in mankind. He's like, don't do that. Don't do that. He is from the evil one. And that 00:14:03.900 --> 00:14:09.840 makes me think. And then he says, why? He says, but why? Why did Cain murder Abel? Because he saw that 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:15.600 his deeds were righteous and his deeds were evil. It's a jealousy. It's comparison. And you're like, oh, 00:14:16.379 --> 00:14:22.040 wait though. You're telling us to love one another, and then you suddenly jump to an example of murder. 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:28.339 murder. You're like, okay, I may not be loving people as best as I can, but to use an example 00:14:28.339 --> 00:14:34.799 such as murder, that's pretty intense, John. That's pretty extreme. What John's trying to say 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:40.139 here though is, actually, it starts with your thoughts. It starts with your thoughts. Cain 00:14:40.139 --> 00:14:45.539 comes from the evil one, and he had this hatred, this jealousy that built inside him, and that led to 00:14:45.539 --> 00:14:53.039 an act that led to murder, that led to death. Actually, you think that might be intense, but if 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:58.679 you think about what Jesus says in his sermon in Matthew 5, he's saying, hey, the law says if you 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:03.199 murder someone, you will be judged, but I'm going to raise the stakes now. It's not if you murder 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:13.400 someone. It's what is it? Does anyone know? It's if you're angry at someone, and then you'll be judged. 00:15:14.259 --> 00:15:22.020 So it's not the action anymore. It's the heart. And we're going to look at that a little bit more 00:15:22.020 --> 00:15:27.560 because it's like, whoa. So I either love one another or essentially I'm heading down a road that 00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:32.859 leads to murder. Quite extreme, but it really is. That is what Jesus says. And actually in James, 00:15:33.319 --> 00:15:37.359 in the book of James, it says this as well, right? When there's a desire that is conceived, 00:15:37.459 --> 00:15:42.479 it gives birth to sin. And when sin is fully grown, it leads to death. Cain is the prototype, the example 00:15:42.479 --> 00:15:47.359 from the evil one, where it's the evil one, and then Cain, and then hatred, and then death. 00:15:48.579 --> 00:15:54.019 Now, the answer to that isn't evil, actually. Who is the answer to that? It's Jesus. Because while Cain 00:15:54.019 --> 00:16:00.120 came from the evil one, Jesus comes from God, and he shows love that leads to life, which is what this 00:16:00.120 --> 00:16:06.059 passage is really talking about. It's pitching light and darkness, life and death together, 00:16:06.819 --> 00:16:14.059 all with the concentric circle surrounding it being love. Family is at the heart of Christianity, 00:16:14.340 --> 00:16:18.679 which is why the heart is so important, which brings me to my next point, which is important, 00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:25.439 which is Christianity is a religion of the heart. Christianity is a religion of the heart. We 00:16:25.439 --> 00:16:32.179 are surrounded by, in a society where it's all about what you do, what you do, and you can be 00:16:32.179 --> 00:16:36.739 judged by what you do, whether you're a good Christian or not, comes down to how much are you 00:16:36.739 --> 00:16:41.979 serving in these different areas? How much do you read your Bible? Isn't it interesting when we say, 00:16:42.099 --> 00:16:45.199 oh, how close are you to God? What are some of the questions that we ask each other? 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:50.520 Jaywon, you walk with a good few people. What's some of the questions that you ask someone just 00:16:50.520 --> 00:16:51.900 to see how they're doing with God? 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:58.780 I usually ask them what they feel like the Lord is doing to see them in their lives. 00:16:58.860 --> 00:17:01.180 What do they feel like the Lord is doing to them? 00:17:01.379 --> 00:17:01.660 Yeah. 00:17:04.660 --> 00:17:09.660 Asking them actually, what's the Lord been speaking to them about and how the Lord is guiding and how 00:17:09.660 --> 00:17:13.299 the Lord is forming? Those are some of the questions. But actually, there's also a temptation 00:17:13.299 --> 00:17:17.299 sometimes, and actually we do this out of the best intentions to ask, hey, how are you doing with God? 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:23.759 Are you reading your Bible? Are you praying? Are you going to church? Are you serving? And suddenly 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:28.639 it becomes, actually, I'm trying to paint a picture. I'm trying to get a picture of how you're doing by 00:17:28.639 --> 00:17:33.799 your actions. When actually the truth is Christianity is a religion of the heart. Jesus talks about this 00:17:33.799 --> 00:17:41.299 in Matthew 15. He says, man, these people worship me with their lips. They're raising their hands and 00:17:41.299 --> 00:17:47.659 singing. Albeit the song that they're singing says that their arms wide. And so everyone raises their 00:17:47.659 --> 00:17:53.779 arms in that moment. But man, their hearts are far from me. They clean the outside of their cups, but the 00:17:53.779 --> 00:18:00.000 inside is dirty and messy. I was listening to a sermon by a pastor recently, and he was saying, he had 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:06.519 someone who was a counselor who was in his church and so happened to counsel a lot of the people within 00:18:06.519 --> 00:18:10.660 his church. And he's, and he's one of my favorite preachers. And he's just preaching, preaching. He's 00:18:10.660 --> 00:18:14.960 John Tyson from New York. He's preaching, preaching. And one day, uh, the counselor who signed his church 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:18.980 actually went up to him and said, Hey, look, I'm counseling a lot of people from your church. 00:18:19.339 --> 00:18:25.240 If you would like, I can give you some insight as to some of the struggles that those people are 00:18:25.240 --> 00:18:30.460 actually going through without saying any names, just, just a picture of what, and he, and the pastor was 00:18:30.460 --> 00:18:34.879 like, Oh, that's a little bit scary, but sure. Uh, and he did it. And he said, and some of the 00:18:34.880 --> 00:18:38.720 results he got from the findings, he's like, actually there is an overwhelming amount of 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:44.840 people in your church that are struggling with alcohol and they are alcoholics. There are many 00:18:44.840 --> 00:18:49.540 in there who are fighting every night with their spouse. And sometimes, and often it gets violent. 00:18:49.920 --> 00:18:54.140 And there are some people in your church that are really struggling with drugs. 00:18:56.100 --> 00:19:02.780 And he, and the pastor, John Tyson was just like, man, I didn't realize that that's what's 00:19:02.779 --> 00:19:09.139 happening. That there's something that they may be sat here with me at church on a Sunday. They may 00:19:09.139 --> 00:19:16.160 be worshiping me with their hands out like this, but their hearts are far from the Lord. And that was 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:23.779 just a sobering thought to him. Christianity is a religion of the heart. The question is, where is your 00:19:23.779 --> 00:19:31.319 heart? Where is your heart in this? Is it in a good place? Why are you here? 00:19:31.319 --> 00:19:37.379 Well, why do you want to be here? Sometimes I'm like, Lord, I don't love you right now, 00:19:37.480 --> 00:19:43.500 but I want to love you. But I'm not feeling doing this now, but I want to want to do this. 00:19:44.200 --> 00:19:47.460 It's one of my favorite songs growing up. The worship songs, the Lord, I want to yearn for you. I don't 00:19:47.460 --> 00:19:52.419 even know what it means to yearn for you, but I want to yearn for you. Where is your heart? It's 00:19:52.419 --> 00:19:57.460 interesting because verse 20, John also almost realizes this. And he says this to us. He says, 00:19:57.460 --> 00:20:01.759 for whenever our heart condemns us, and our hearts always do condemn us, because our hearts are just 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:08.500 not, our heart is deceitful above all things. And yet God is greater than our heart and he knows 00:20:08.500 --> 00:20:14.740 everything. Reminded of Jesus when he first was, came to this world. The scripture says, 00:20:15.160 --> 00:20:20.900 Jesus did not entrust himself to man because he knew the heart of man. Don't you find that incredible 00:20:20.900 --> 00:20:26.160 that he came and knows your heart and knows my heart and knows the hypocrisy that's going on, 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:32.120 knows the pride that's going on. And he comes and yet he still wants to be with you. 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:39.519 I think that gets lost on me so often. I went on a retreat a couple of weeks ago and I was in the 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:45.779 book of Jonah and I didn't realize how horrible, terrible a person Jonah was. Like Jonah the jerk, 00:20:46.340 --> 00:20:51.660 literally. Of course, we hear about the big fish. He ran away because God tells him to go to these evil 00:20:51.660 --> 00:20:55.060 people and he says he doesn't like these evil people. And actually there's some good reasoning for 00:20:55.059 --> 00:21:00.000 that. There's political there as well. But he runs away and then he gets on a ship, right? Which again, 00:21:00.039 --> 00:21:03.740 the second point you remind us is actually, if you want to run away from God, the devil provides 00:21:03.740 --> 00:21:10.119 transportation and he takes him on a ship. But then, but then after that, what happens is there's a 00:21:10.119 --> 00:21:15.299 storm, but God ends up saving people anyway, saving the sailors who were pagans, the very people, 00:21:15.399 --> 00:21:18.839 kind of people that Jonah was running away from. At the very end, he goes back and he saves 00:21:18.839 --> 00:21:23.919 Nineveh because he gets eaten up by a big fish. And you think, oh, that's a, that's a happy, happy 00:21:23.919 --> 00:21:30.199 ending there. But it's not. Jonah sulks. He saves this evil nation. Well, at least gets them to repent. 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:35.279 He goes out of the city. He doesn't stay to do discipleship. He sits outside of the city and just 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:41.240 looks and sulks. And do you know what he says? He's like, I want to kill myself. I'm so angry, God, that you 00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:46.159 would do this. I knew you would do this, God. I knew you were slow to anger, that you were gracious and 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:53.840 compassion. I knew it. And now I want to die. What does God do? If I was God, if that was my kid, 00:21:55.060 --> 00:22:00.779 there'd be some stern words. But what does God do? It was sunny that day, so he appoints a plant just 00:22:00.779 --> 00:22:08.279 to cover him in shade. Elijah, in the Old Testament, the same thing. He goes and he has this big battle 00:22:08.279 --> 00:22:13.080 and he wins and then he goes and then he sulks on the outside. And what does God do? Does anyone know 00:22:13.079 --> 00:22:24.679 what God does in 1 Kings? He sends angels and he bakes him a cake. It actually says he 00:22:24.679 --> 00:22:30.740 bakes him a cake. Side note, Alani, one of our new friends here, who's an incredible, incredible 00:22:30.740 --> 00:22:33.939 baker, is actually, is it cookies, Alani? Is that what it is? 00:22:33.940 --> 00:22:45.440 They are delicious. They are delicious. They're going to be at the back, so please do go get them. 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:53.700 God bakes Elijah a cake whilst he's sulking. If that doesn't tell you what God's grace is, I don't 00:22:53.700 --> 00:22:57.559 know, like, I don't know where you are. Sometimes I'm a sulker. Sometimes I'm in a bit of a self-pity 00:22:57.559 --> 00:23:03.019 kind of mode, but yet God is just gracious to Elijah. He's gracious to Jonah. He's gracious to 00:23:03.019 --> 00:23:07.279 the people of Nineveh. He's gracious to us. He knows our hearts and yet he still comes. 00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:13.599 Christianity is a religion of the heart and God is greater than even our hearts. It is grace. It is 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:22.419 free. It is amazing. Do we realize that? Christianity is a religion of the heart. Of course, after that, 00:23:22.420 --> 00:23:29.140 the heart has to be expressed through action. This is the part that I think we all struggle with. 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:33.180 Actually, no, no. We really struggle with the heart, but we also struggle with the actions here 00:23:33.180 --> 00:23:38.820 because what he says here is this. Cain was the example of evil, hatred, and death, but Jesus was 00:23:38.820 --> 00:23:44.900 the example of the godly one who loves that leads to life. And out of his love for us, and where does it 00:23:44.900 --> 00:23:50.340 say, it says in verse 16, by this we know love, that he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay 00:23:50.339 --> 00:23:56.199 down our lives for the brothers. Jesus laying down his life for us was the very thing, was the very 00:23:56.199 --> 00:24:01.859 thing that leads life to us. The world's kind of love, the things that I kind of love are just things 00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:07.959 that actually I want to satisfy me, but the way that Jesus loves, he gives himself for us and he 00:24:07.959 --> 00:24:13.259 expresses it through action. This tells me that actually when we say we love each other or when we 00:24:13.259 --> 00:24:20.700 try to love each other, we must do it through action. We must. Have a think now, and I may ask 00:24:20.700 --> 00:24:27.519 people, when was the last time you either felt love from someone through action or whether you 00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:33.920 actually were able to express love through action? Have a think. When was the last time you either 00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:39.819 received or gave out love through action, through giving? Maybe someone gave something to you, maybe 00:24:39.819 --> 00:24:44.879 gave them their time or whatever it might be, or maybe it's anything. Does anyone, can anyone think 00:24:44.879 --> 00:24:46.759 of something like that? Kelly, you're smiling, so I'm going to go for you. 00:24:46.759 --> 00:24:57.819 Oh, on Thursday night, I got off work and I was by myself and I wanted to have dinner with someone 00:24:57.819 --> 00:25:04.700 because I felt like I didn't want to be by myself. So I called Jojo and I just went to a place and 00:25:04.700 --> 00:25:11.099 enjoyed family dinner. And that was a lot of love. In case you didn't hear, Kelly, Thursday after work, 00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:15.720 was tired and kind of alone and didn't want to have dinner by herself, so she calls Jojo and Jojo, 00:25:15.720 --> 00:25:23.319 where's Jojo? Jojo there just welcomes you into her home and gives you time and gives you food, 00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:29.200 and that's love. That's huge. That's an example of it. Any more? Back row, what have we got? 00:25:32.779 --> 00:25:33.420 Sam? 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:39.539 Valentine's Day, my wife buying cheese. 00:25:39.539 --> 00:25:45.559 Wow. Are you a cheese expert? 00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:48.000 No, I just like one kind. 00:25:48.180 --> 00:25:48.819 What is it? 00:25:49.240 --> 00:25:55.299 It's called Manjago Carada. She doesn't know what it is, so she thought she was getting that, 00:25:55.980 --> 00:25:57.279 and she doesn't know if she got it. 00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:03.940 But you received and felt the love. You received and felt the love. 00:26:05.700 --> 00:26:09.740 Are we a group of people? Can you look in, I'm not going to ask any more from here, 00:26:09.899 --> 00:26:10.819 so you can relax a little bit. 00:26:12.759 --> 00:26:16.240 Has someone in this group shown you love? 00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:19.400 I hope so. And if they're not, I'm so sorry. 00:26:20.819 --> 00:26:22.400 We're imperfect people, and we're trying. 00:26:23.140 --> 00:26:24.200 But we want to keep trying. 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:25.900 We want to keep trying. 00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:30.519 And the love that we're talking about isn't just, hey, I love you, bro, and that's it. 00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:37.180 It's the love that Kenneth's group had for him when they went to visit him this week and just hung out. 00:26:37.180 --> 00:26:40.920 It has to give. It has to cost you something. 00:26:41.299 --> 00:26:42.340 That's what we've always said, right? 00:26:42.440 --> 00:26:44.240 If you love something, it has to cost you something. 00:26:44.700 --> 00:26:46.680 If it doesn't cost you anything, then you don't really love it. 00:26:47.340 --> 00:26:50.840 So we have to think about how can we outdo one another in love. 00:26:51.220 --> 00:26:55.420 And Amy Carmichael says this, you can always give without loving, but you can never love without giving. 00:26:57.340 --> 00:26:58.680 You can never love without giving. 00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:03.120 So when you think about the people that you love, when you're thinking about the people that you're trying to love, 00:27:03.120 --> 00:27:06.580 and there are people, trust me, we all have these kind of people who are like, 00:27:06.579 --> 00:27:11.000 man, Jesus commands me to love you because you are my enemy. 00:27:12.619 --> 00:27:16.539 But I'm going to figure it out, and I'm going to love you somehow, some way. 00:27:16.619 --> 00:27:20.279 And it's going to be giving a part of me to you because Jesus gave his life for me. 00:27:22.139 --> 00:27:25.960 Christianity is a religion of the heart, but heart has to be expressed through action. 00:27:26.319 --> 00:27:29.839 Even, even, Jesus almost knew this when he said this, when he said love your enemies, 00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:31.319 even when we don't feel like it. 00:27:31.319 --> 00:27:32.179 That's why it's a command. 00:27:32.659 --> 00:27:35.039 Because if we did it naturally, then he wouldn't have to command us to do it. 00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:41.359 But because it is so against our nature, the kind of love, the biblical kind of love, 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:46.720 the agape kind of love, he has to remind us time and time again the message from the beginning. 00:27:47.139 --> 00:27:48.579 C.S. Lewis says this one, I like this one. 00:27:48.879 --> 00:27:51.039 Do not waste time bothering whether you love your neighbor. 00:27:51.420 --> 00:27:52.299 Act as if you did. 00:27:53.339 --> 00:27:54.319 Act as if you did. 00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:58.379 There's kind of, it's kind of like fake it until you make it in some ways. 00:27:58.819 --> 00:28:01.420 But it's kind of like, look, I'm just going to, the act of love is not a feeling. 00:28:01.980 --> 00:28:02.700 It's not an emotion. 00:28:03.360 --> 00:28:05.779 It's just going to, it's going to start off with an act. 00:28:07.380 --> 00:28:10.759 Can you think now of someone who you're called to love? 00:28:11.120 --> 00:28:12.180 Hard or easy, actually. 00:28:12.360 --> 00:28:14.279 It doesn't always have to be the hardest person in the world. 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:16.060 It can be your pastor. 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:19.320 And you can figure out a way to love your pastor. 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:25.240 Especially if you work at Lululemon and you know he likes Lululemon and there's just something there. 00:28:25.460 --> 00:28:27.140 Then, you know, there's something you can think of. 00:28:27.460 --> 00:28:29.100 Like, let the Holy Spirit lead you, Francis. 00:28:29.099 --> 00:28:35.980 How can you give? 00:28:36.439 --> 00:28:38.099 And how can you show love? 00:28:38.799 --> 00:28:41.279 Which leads me to the last point, though. 00:28:41.639 --> 00:28:44.859 It says here, and it's such an easy verse to remember. 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:45.559 Verse 18. 00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:46.839 Chapter 3, verse 18. 00:28:46.919 --> 00:28:53.439 Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth. 00:28:54.859 --> 00:28:55.799 Why do you love? 00:28:56.519 --> 00:28:57.279 Why do you love? 00:28:57.279 --> 00:28:59.279 It's because you know the truth. 00:28:59.899 --> 00:29:03.639 It's because you know, verse 16, that Christ laid down his life for you. 00:29:03.700 --> 00:29:05.420 And it says here towards the end, verse 23. 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:10.720 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his son, Jesus Christ, and love one another. 00:29:10.819 --> 00:29:11.299 It's two things. 00:29:11.579 --> 00:29:17.980 You love because you love one another, and you do it because you believe in the name of Jesus Christ, of what he did for you. 00:29:17.980 --> 00:29:21.140 Our action has to be grounded, grounded in that truth. 00:29:21.220 --> 00:29:22.140 That is the right reason. 00:29:22.980 --> 00:29:26.059 There's a quote by Pastor D'Amudi that says this, 00:29:26.120 --> 00:29:30.039 The world does not understand theology or dogma, but it understands love and sympathy. 00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:39.659 What we're trying to do is share the message that every person is loved and is a child of God. 00:29:40.139 --> 00:29:41.180 That's what we're trying to do. 00:29:41.740 --> 00:29:43.599 And we'd love to show the verses about that. 00:29:43.759 --> 00:29:46.519 Love to quote to them the whole book of John to tell them that. 00:29:46.839 --> 00:29:48.960 But the world does not understand it. 00:29:49.899 --> 00:29:50.740 It will not receive it. 00:29:50.819 --> 00:29:52.159 It often chooses the other way. 00:29:52.160 --> 00:29:57.420 It doesn't understand theology or dogma, but it will understand love and sympathy. 00:29:57.720 --> 00:30:03.200 What's something that we can do as you go back out into your field, whether it's working in the hospital, 00:30:03.400 --> 00:30:06.580 or whether it's going back to university, or it's going back into the finance sector? 00:30:07.759 --> 00:30:13.940 What do you need to do to have your heart expressed through action, and for that action to be based on the truth? 00:30:14.180 --> 00:30:18.700 To point people back to the fact that I'm doing this because of what Jesus did for me. 00:30:19.720 --> 00:30:20.880 I think about the Good Samaritan. 00:30:20.880 --> 00:30:28.140 Jesus tells this parable, and I was back in this recently, and there's one thing that I was just completely overwhelmed by, 00:30:28.420 --> 00:30:29.940 and just I didn't see before. 00:30:30.280 --> 00:30:34.560 Do you know when the Good Samaritan takes this guy to the inn, and then he says, 00:30:34.660 --> 00:30:36.480 Hey, look after him for me. 00:30:37.040 --> 00:30:37.720 I've got to go. 00:30:39.000 --> 00:30:42.140 But whatever the cost, I'll cover at the end. 00:30:42.580 --> 00:30:43.260 Do you remember that bit? 00:30:44.480 --> 00:30:45.860 I would not do that. 00:30:47.120 --> 00:30:48.960 I would not say yes. 00:30:49.020 --> 00:30:50.060 I hate saying yes. 00:30:50.059 --> 00:30:58.139 I love trying to give myself as much as I can within the boundaries that I agree in my own head, and how much I will give to this. 00:30:58.359 --> 00:30:58.960 Have we had this? 00:30:59.460 --> 00:31:00.960 I will love you to one extent. 00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:09.700 But can you imagine, and actually, in that day and age, and to be fair, in this day and age, if you tell a hotel owner or an innkeeper, 00:31:09.700 --> 00:31:14.059 hey, look after this guy, whatever cost at the end, I'll pay. 00:31:15.500 --> 00:31:19.980 And actually, the corruption he was opening himself up to, that bill that he was going to come back to, 00:31:20.519 --> 00:31:24.500 could have been an enormous bill that will maybe not even be fair. 00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:27.380 And yet he just said that, and he just did that. 00:31:28.059 --> 00:31:29.360 The love that has no boundaries. 00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:31.359 The love that has no limits. 00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:37.819 The Samaritan Jesus was saying, gave himself without any limits, without any hesitation, without any reluctance. 00:31:37.819 --> 00:31:39.939 He was completely selfless. 00:31:40.679 --> 00:31:46.960 Completely trusting in the fact that you may try and cheat me, but I have a God who's got my back. 00:31:47.500 --> 00:31:49.059 That my account is always going to be full. 00:31:49.139 --> 00:31:50.279 My cup will always overflow. 00:31:50.379 --> 00:31:52.819 He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies. 00:31:52.899 --> 00:31:56.179 I'm not scared of anything that you will do, because I know that God has my back. 00:31:56.259 --> 00:31:57.700 And he's just called me to do one thing. 00:31:57.700 --> 00:32:00.179 To love you in the best way that I can. 00:32:00.180 --> 00:32:04.460 To give myself up to you without any restrictions and any limitations. 00:32:04.980 --> 00:32:06.560 Because of what he did for me. 00:32:08.920 --> 00:32:11.519 Do we have that kind of love? 00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:14.799 I think the love that we have, that we try to have, is very different. 00:32:17.860 --> 00:32:20.980 If our actions can be based on this truth, 00:32:22.200 --> 00:32:29.740 that actually, the Son of God himself traveled the ultimate distance and paid the ultimate cost, 00:32:30.180 --> 00:32:32.460 to die for us, 00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:35.360 when we didn't even ask for it, 00:32:36.820 --> 00:32:39.320 when we didn't even ask for it, 00:32:39.680 --> 00:32:40.920 when we don't even deserve it, 00:32:41.620 --> 00:32:45.480 that truth alone should compel us to act in a way 00:32:45.480 --> 00:32:51.460 where we can be people that can give ourselves up for him to others as well. 00:32:52.180 --> 00:32:55.360 Jesus traveled the ultimate distance for you and I. 00:32:56.380 --> 00:32:58.460 Can we figure out a way to love one another? 00:32:58.460 --> 00:33:01.039 It starts with this. 00:33:01.440 --> 00:33:03.559 The family needs to learn how to love each other first. 00:33:03.880 --> 00:33:05.200 And then the family expects guests. 00:33:05.420 --> 00:33:07.680 And so when people come in here, can we show that love as well? 00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:09.519 I don't know what it looks like. 00:33:09.579 --> 00:33:10.920 Maybe it's simply just, you see, 00:33:11.779 --> 00:33:14.100 John here goes from love one another. 00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:16.579 If not, you'll be murdering, which is extreme. 00:33:17.079 --> 00:33:19.000 And then he says, Christ died for you. 00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:24.000 And then he says, hey, actually, if you see someone who has needs, 00:33:24.519 --> 00:33:27.680 and you're not moved to compassion, then you're not loving. 00:33:27.779 --> 00:33:28.940 And does God even abide in you? 00:33:29.500 --> 00:33:31.079 And actually, he actually brings it back down. 00:33:31.140 --> 00:33:34.140 You don't need to put your life down necessarily. 00:33:34.839 --> 00:33:37.920 You don't need to jump in front of a bus for someone necessarily. 00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:41.720 But the key here is, are you aware of people's needs? 00:33:42.820 --> 00:33:43.960 And does that move you? 00:33:44.600 --> 00:33:46.720 When someone says, oh, I'm really missing this, 00:33:47.140 --> 00:33:49.680 is your response that, oh, maybe I can provide that. 00:33:50.560 --> 00:33:51.560 Maybe I can give you that. 00:33:53.180 --> 00:33:53.900 Oh, you're hungry? 00:33:53.980 --> 00:33:54.840 Maybe I can give you food. 00:33:56.400 --> 00:33:57.920 Maybe your AirPods have died and I've got a pair. 00:33:57.960 --> 00:33:59.060 I'll give you the AirPods. 00:33:59.980 --> 00:34:01.460 Maybe you need some shoes and I've got some shoes. 00:34:01.560 --> 00:34:03.000 I can give you, like whatever it might be. 00:34:03.339 --> 00:34:06.200 He's saying about the small things and the big thing as well. 00:34:06.259 --> 00:34:08.340 There's a micro and there's a macro level here. 00:34:10.059 --> 00:34:13.460 We're going to finish with a song to respond, 00:34:13.579 --> 00:34:17.940 but I wanted us to finish with, again, a short discussion time about this. 00:34:18.119 --> 00:34:19.500 Because I think we need to share with others, 00:34:19.900 --> 00:34:22.179 is there anything right now, even as I'm speaking, 00:34:22.480 --> 00:34:24.760 that the Holy Spirit is saying, okay, there is someone that I need to love. 00:34:25.159 --> 00:34:26.699 There's someone that I need to go to work tomorrow 00:34:26.699 --> 00:34:28.980 and I need to go out of my way to do something. 00:34:29.179 --> 00:34:30.360 I need to go and get them a coffee. 00:34:30.699 --> 00:34:32.900 I've never done that before, but I'm going to do that. 00:34:32.900 --> 00:34:35.099 I'm going to go out of my way because it's the Jesus way. 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:36.559 And the Jesus way is the way of love. 00:34:37.139 --> 00:34:37.940 And I'm going to do it. 00:34:37.980 --> 00:34:38.740 It's going to cost me. 00:34:40.519 --> 00:34:43.139 But I'm going to do it because it's what Christ did for me. 00:34:43.780 --> 00:34:45.119 No, actually, no, it's not what Christ did for me. 00:34:45.160 --> 00:34:45.980 Christ didn't get me a coffee. 00:34:46.099 --> 00:34:49.500 Christ laid down his life for me, was completely humiliated for me. 00:34:51.139 --> 00:34:52.519 So I'm going to at least buy you a coffee. 00:34:54.220 --> 00:34:55.300 Can we have a think? 00:34:55.360 --> 00:34:55.800 Is there anything? 00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:57.880 And of course, if there isn't, you can say, look, there isn't. 00:34:58.840 --> 00:35:02.200 But I'm praying that God will show me, show me how I can love someone. 00:35:02.260 --> 00:35:03.900 But right now, maybe nothing comes to mind. 00:35:04.180 --> 00:35:06.500 But I think some of us, we do have something. 00:35:07.720 --> 00:35:11.720 And actually, the first thing is one being aware of it and then articulating it out and just saying it out. 00:35:12.039 --> 00:35:16.800 And then please, if someone tells you something, can we be active listeners together as a family 00:35:16.800 --> 00:35:18.660 and remember what they said to you? 00:35:19.059 --> 00:35:21.740 Well, remember their name first and then remember what they said to you. 00:35:21.739 --> 00:35:25.559 And next week, when you see them again, you can ask them, oh, were you able to do it? 00:35:26.059 --> 00:35:26.699 I'd love to know. 00:35:27.059 --> 00:35:27.579 I'd love to hear. 00:35:28.339 --> 00:35:28.859 I'd love to pray. 00:35:29.579 --> 00:35:30.119 Can we do that? 00:35:30.239 --> 00:35:31.139 We'll do that for two minutes. 00:35:31.419 --> 00:35:34.099 And then I'll invite Alex back up to lead us in the song. 00:35:34.419 --> 00:35:35.659 And we'll wrap it up there. 00:35:35.779 --> 00:35:36.000 So good? 00:35:36.299 --> 00:35:36.699 Two minutes. 00:35:36.759 --> 00:35:36.859 Go. 00:35:36.859 --> 00:35:38.599 Can we do this? 00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:46.079 Can we hold each other accountable, especially if you are a part of a midweek or a clan or a group? 00:35:46.539 --> 00:35:47.819 Leaders especially listening. 00:35:47.820 --> 00:35:55.840 Can we ask people, when was the last time we showed an act of love to someone? 00:35:56.700 --> 00:35:57.660 Can we ask that? 00:35:57.820 --> 00:36:03.260 Can we be part of a group that will do that where actually we actually hold each other accountable 00:36:03.260 --> 00:36:07.039 and say, look, how can you be loving your people better? 00:36:07.380 --> 00:36:08.000 What have you done? 00:36:08.820 --> 00:36:09.840 And let's be practical. 00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:11.780 And we're not trying to be legalistic. 00:36:11.780 --> 00:36:18.240 We are saved by grace through faith and not by works. 00:36:18.860 --> 00:36:20.540 But faith without works is what? 00:36:21.760 --> 00:36:22.160 Dead. 00:36:22.580 --> 00:36:23.660 And we want to be a community. 00:36:23.860 --> 00:36:24.620 We want to be a gathering. 00:36:24.760 --> 00:36:26.560 We want to be a family that is filled with life. 00:36:26.680 --> 00:36:27.900 That's the nature of a family. 00:36:28.380 --> 00:36:31.300 That it is messy, but it is lovely. 00:36:31.820 --> 00:36:32.640 And it grows. 00:36:33.640 --> 00:36:34.180 And it grows. 00:36:34.340 --> 00:36:36.700 That's how a family works. 00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:39.000 Can we be that? 00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:41.840 Can we be those vessels of love and actually act it out? 00:36:42.260 --> 00:36:46.320 And maybe next week, provided that my wife does not give birth by then, 00:36:47.780 --> 00:36:56.579 but next week I may stand here and just ask for examples of how we've received love from one another. 00:36:57.420 --> 00:36:58.659 Then maybe let's just start with that. 00:36:58.719 --> 00:37:00.480 Because there's people here who you're here for the first time. 00:37:00.539 --> 00:37:01.320 You don't know other people. 00:37:01.320 --> 00:37:03.840 I'd love for you to feel loved. 00:37:04.840 --> 00:37:08.220 And so let's hold each other to that. 00:37:08.559 --> 00:37:09.220 That's important. 00:37:09.420 --> 00:37:11.800 Let us be known by love. 00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:14.160 Yes, we want sound theology. 00:37:14.360 --> 00:37:16.000 Yes, we want spirit-filled worship. 00:37:16.200 --> 00:37:19.800 Yes, we want kind of fun community. 00:37:21.200 --> 00:37:23.900 But we want to be known by our love. 00:37:23.900 --> 00:37:28.079 And it's not just a worldly kind of love. 00:37:29.360 --> 00:37:31.639 It's when someone walks in here, you're like, you know what? 00:37:31.720 --> 00:37:38.660 I think these people might actually be willing to give up their time, their money, their possessions, 00:37:39.820 --> 00:37:42.720 maybe even their lives for one another. 00:37:44.440 --> 00:37:47.000 Because someone gave their lives life for us. 00:37:47.840 --> 00:37:48.960 Let us be that kind of family. 00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:55.000 If we are cursed, then may we bless. 00:37:55.240 --> 00:37:57.159 If we are hurt, would we forgive. 00:37:57.940 --> 00:38:01.199 If we are hated, then would we love. 00:38:01.840 --> 00:38:03.220 Would we choose the Jesus way. 00:38:03.519 --> 00:38:09.920 If we're helpless, if we are surrounded by people who are helpless, let us defend them. 00:38:11.199 --> 00:38:13.940 There are people in our lives who are burdened. 00:38:14.139 --> 00:38:15.019 May we share their weight. 00:38:15.019 --> 00:38:19.780 If they are hopeless, let us point them to the hope that is Jesus. 00:38:20.840 --> 00:38:24.280 Let us be grounded in truth in our actions. 00:38:25.179 --> 00:38:28.460 Let our hearts be expressed through action. 00:38:30.400 --> 00:38:33.599 Let our religion be one that starts from the heart. 00:38:36.360 --> 00:38:41.639 And may that heart be nurtured and cultivated in the context of family. 00:38:41.639 --> 00:38:41.699 Let us pray. 00:38:45.420 --> 00:38:49.699 How deep the Father's love for us that we should be called children of God. 00:38:50.359 --> 00:38:51.119 And so we are. 00:38:53.379 --> 00:38:54.759 So let us act as such. 00:38:56.579 --> 00:38:57.659 Jesus, we thank you. 00:39:01.239 --> 00:39:03.859 That we don't have to do this by our own strength. 00:39:07.319 --> 00:39:09.000 You are greater than even our hearts. 00:39:09.000 --> 00:39:14.880 And it is no longer we who live, but you who live in us. 00:39:14.980 --> 00:39:16.019 And show us how to love. 00:39:16.139 --> 00:39:17.780 Show us who to love. 00:39:21.360 --> 00:39:24.500 And may we be known as a family that loves. 00:39:26.880 --> 00:39:27.519 Thank you, Lord. 00:39:28.880 --> 00:39:29.579 Thank you, Lord. 00:39:31.940 --> 00:39:32.780 It's in your name. 00:39:32.920 --> 00:39:37.940 Your precious, sweet, beautiful, loving name we pray. 00:39:37.940 --> 00:39:38.940 Amen. 00:39:40.940 --> 00:39:41.860 Please take a seat. 00:39:44.340 --> 00:39:46.760 Let's ease out of our time together now. 00:39:46.920 --> 00:39:49.800 And we'll maintain this kind of quiet vibe. 00:39:49.900 --> 00:39:52.119 Maybe with Kelly doing her thing. 00:39:53.220 --> 00:39:56.840 And hey, don't just listen to this and leave. 00:39:56.960 --> 00:39:57.720 I hope you don't. 00:39:57.820 --> 00:40:03.400 Because actually how you love is going to be so impactful to the people that you love. 00:40:03.820 --> 00:40:05.480 Like don't underestimate that. 00:40:05.480 --> 00:40:10.579 I've had people say, actually, just even being smiled at just changed their day. 00:40:11.920 --> 00:40:13.480 And now we know why we need to do it. 00:40:13.599 --> 00:40:14.360 Let's not forget. 00:40:14.740 --> 00:40:14.880 Okay? 00:40:15.599 --> 00:40:19.099 So let's close out with a bit of just quiet contemplation. 00:40:19.300 --> 00:40:23.860 And when you're ready to move on, then join us for lunch. 00:40:23.980 --> 00:40:27.619 Join us for spike ball, for golf, for football, and whatever it is. 00:40:27.679 --> 00:40:28.480 And we'll see you next week. 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:28.480 00:40:28.480 --> 00:40:58.460 Thank you.