WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:08.679 Good morning, Watermark. If you don't know me, my name is Alfie, and I help out with the university ministry here at Watermark Church. 00:00:08.859 --> 00:00:16.280 And today we're continuing our series on what makes a healthy church. What is it that a healthy church looks like? What does it do? 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:19.760 And today we'll be talking about evangelism. 00:00:20.660 --> 00:00:27.760 Now, if you want to make a Christian feel embarrassed, awkward, a bit guilty, there are two things you can talk about. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:32.079 All right, the first one is sex. The second one is evangelism. 00:00:32.539 --> 00:00:38.000 Now, if you're not married here, you don't have to worry about, you know, doing sex and the awkwardness that that is. 00:00:38.939 --> 00:00:46.740 But if you're here and you're a Christian, whether you're married or single, if you're divorced, widowed, whatever your state is, 00:00:47.420 --> 00:00:52.960 if you're a Christian, you should be concerned about doing evangelism. 00:00:52.960 --> 00:01:00.280 Now, as I talk to people and I think about what evangelism is and, you know, how people are doing it, 00:01:00.280 --> 00:01:06.760 I think people feel very awkward about it, about going to someone and telling them about their faith, 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:10.460 talking to them about their relationship with God. 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:14.180 And I think that's one of the big reasons why we don't do it. 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:17.000 Why, as a church, we don't evangelize? 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:19.459 It's because we think it's awkward. 00:01:20.859 --> 00:01:26.900 And I think sometimes for the times that we do evangelize, it's because we're feeling a bit guilty. 00:01:27.700 --> 00:01:32.099 You know, we've been told, you know, if you're a Christian, you probably should be evangelizing, doing outreach, being missional. 00:01:32.700 --> 00:01:33.920 You know, we're told to do these things. 00:01:34.039 --> 00:01:39.200 So we come up to our neighbor and we're all, like, stressed and tensed up. 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:41.620 And, you know, we just evangelize all over them. 00:01:41.659 --> 00:01:42.560 It's like we've thrown up. 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:43.859 And it's a mess. 00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:44.420 And it's terrible. 00:01:44.520 --> 00:01:46.120 Because, you know, they're like, ooh, that was a bit awkward. 00:01:46.280 --> 00:01:47.700 And you're like, I'm really, really sorry. 00:01:47.799 --> 00:01:48.719 You're trying to clean it up. 00:01:49.060 --> 00:01:50.299 You know, they feel like it's a project. 00:01:50.600 --> 00:01:54.359 And, you know, hopefully, if you're lucky, you know, you never see them again. 00:01:55.500 --> 00:01:58.480 If you work in the same place, then you have to go the long way to the photocopier. 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:02.140 But I think a lot of us feel like that about evangelism. 00:02:02.180 --> 00:02:04.480 We feel like we don't know what we're doing. 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:07.300 We feel like we're always just throwing up the gospel on people. 00:02:07.299 --> 00:02:09.699 And it's not messy and it's not pretty. 00:02:10.439 --> 00:02:17.139 I think a lot of people think that you need to have a special gift of evangelism to share the gospel with people. 00:02:18.439 --> 00:02:23.539 But I reckon, I think that we're all evangelists. 00:02:24.460 --> 00:02:27.639 We're all talking and sharing the gospel of something or another. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:30.800 C.S. Lewis says that, you know, we praise things that we like. 00:02:31.379 --> 00:02:35.479 You know, whether it's people or food or music or movies. 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:36.759 You know, we talk about it. 00:02:36.759 --> 00:02:39.019 And we don't just talk about it and say they're great. 00:02:39.099 --> 00:02:41.139 We invite people to enjoy it. 00:02:41.359 --> 00:02:45.060 Earlier today, Eric was telling me, you know, the empire is going to strike back on Monday. 00:02:45.379 --> 00:02:46.560 You need to come and watch it with me. 00:02:47.179 --> 00:02:47.399 All right? 00:02:47.399 --> 00:02:49.979 And he was inviting me to come and be a part of it. 00:02:50.039 --> 00:02:53.060 Because Eric watching Star Wars is great. 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:55.759 But it's even better if he brings me along with it. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:57.259 We all evangelize something. 00:02:57.259 --> 00:03:00.439 If you know me pretty well, I'm a big ice cream evangelist. 00:03:01.219 --> 00:03:01.379 All right? 00:03:01.379 --> 00:03:03.659 And I like to share the gospel of ice cream. 00:03:04.439 --> 00:03:04.599 All right? 00:03:04.919 --> 00:03:05.859 It's something like this. 00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:07.539 You know, ice cream is delicious. 00:03:08.180 --> 00:03:08.939 It's fantastic. 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:10.419 Except for chocolate. 00:03:10.519 --> 00:03:11.039 Chocolate's terrible. 00:03:11.240 --> 00:03:12.159 Vanilla is the best. 00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:13.139 All right? 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:15.120 Vanilla ice cream is the best. 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:17.019 And you need to have some. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.180 Whether it's summer or winter. 00:03:19.259 --> 00:03:20.359 It's actually even better in winter. 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:21.460 All right? 00:03:21.479 --> 00:03:23.099 And you need to come with me and have ice cream. 00:03:23.099 --> 00:03:27.539 Because the problem you guys have right now is that your stomachs do not have ice cream in them. 00:03:28.120 --> 00:03:29.620 That is a problem that needs to be fixed. 00:03:30.340 --> 00:03:30.539 All right? 00:03:30.560 --> 00:03:36.019 And if you catch me on a good day, not only will I tell you about this, I will bring you along to my favorite ice cream shop. 00:03:36.199 --> 00:03:37.840 And I will buy you ice cream. 00:03:38.939 --> 00:03:39.159 All right? 00:03:39.219 --> 00:03:40.419 And that's the gospel of ice cream. 00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:41.780 That's not awkward. 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:43.159 I think I do that a lot. 00:03:43.740 --> 00:03:44.719 Too much probably. 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:45.879 All right? 00:03:46.500 --> 00:03:48.039 But, you know, we're all evangelists. 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:50.259 We're all talking about something. 00:03:50.259 --> 00:03:53.780 And there's always something that we are evangelizing. 00:03:56.060 --> 00:03:57.739 But evangelism is a huge topic. 00:03:58.419 --> 00:03:58.579 All right? 00:03:59.379 --> 00:04:05.539 As I was preparing this sermon, when I practiced it yesterday, it took me about an hour. 00:04:06.060 --> 00:04:08.180 So I had to cut out a lot of things. 00:04:08.780 --> 00:04:08.979 All right? 00:04:09.019 --> 00:04:10.539 I can't say everything that I want to say. 00:04:10.899 --> 00:04:17.139 But I think what I'm going to try and say is the things that I think are most important about evangelism. 00:04:17.979 --> 00:04:20.919 Things that I think that we need to hear as a church. 00:04:21.079 --> 00:04:23.779 Things that I need to hear. 00:04:25.180 --> 00:04:25.560 All right? 00:04:25.620 --> 00:04:29.519 So I'm going to start by giving a definition of what evangelism is. 00:04:29.599 --> 00:04:32.519 We're going to talk about why we do evangelism. 00:04:32.579 --> 00:04:35.979 I'm going to talk about why we don't do evangelism. 00:04:36.700 --> 00:04:46.080 And as we come to look at our passage, as we look at Ephesians 2, we want to look at that and see what evangelism has to do with sin. 00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:50.280 And what evangelism has to do with love. 00:04:50.700 --> 00:04:51.040 All right? 00:04:51.200 --> 00:04:51.800 How does that sound? 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:53.480 All right? 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:54.939 So let's get into it. 00:04:54.939 --> 00:05:06.000 As I've been reading and preparing and looking around, I tried to distill a definition of evangelism that was simple, that was easy to remember. 00:05:06.759 --> 00:05:11.779 And what I came up with was this. 00:05:11.779 --> 00:05:20.139 That evangelism is presenting the gospel message in the hopes that there is a response of faith. 00:05:21.500 --> 00:05:26.419 Presenting the gospel message in the hopes of a response of faith. 00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:31.439 It is coming to someone and giving them and showing them the person of Jesus Christ. 00:05:31.559 --> 00:05:34.299 And saying that Jesus is the solution. 00:05:34.300 --> 00:05:42.960 He's the solution to our biggest problem, which is sin and the judgment that we're facing because of that. 00:05:43.800 --> 00:05:50.139 And inviting them to come and embrace the forgiveness that God offers and to repent of their sins and to follow him. 00:05:50.220 --> 00:05:52.139 That is evangelism. 00:05:52.280 --> 00:05:55.379 It's talking about what we talk about every week here at Watermark. 00:05:56.080 --> 00:06:00.660 It's talking about the cross and calling people to live lives that are changed because of it. 00:06:00.660 --> 00:06:06.980 I mean, I think along with the definition of evangelism, we need to say what evangelism isn't. 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:12.439 Because I think sometimes we do things and we call it evangelism when really it isn't. 00:06:12.620 --> 00:06:12.700 All right? 00:06:12.780 --> 00:06:14.440 And they're not bad things to do. 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:16.020 They're probably good things. 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:19.660 And, you know, I think sometimes we say that I'm going to hang out with my non-Christian friends and that's evangelism. 00:06:20.280 --> 00:06:23.640 Or I'm going to go and, you know, feed a homeless person and that's evangelism. 00:06:23.700 --> 00:06:26.600 Or I'm going to, you know, do apologetics and that's evangelism. 00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:27.320 They're good things. 00:06:27.320 --> 00:06:29.879 They're things that, as Christians, we should be doing. 00:06:30.660 --> 00:06:32.500 But they are not evangelism. 00:06:33.680 --> 00:06:37.280 And I think there are other times when we do think we're evangelizing. 00:06:37.880 --> 00:06:40.800 You know, when we're presenting Jesus as a solution to a problem. 00:06:41.340 --> 00:06:45.700 But the problem we're bringing isn't the problem of sin, what the Bible says. 00:06:46.660 --> 00:06:50.879 You know, we'll say that, you know, Jesus is our friend for when we're lonely. 00:06:51.200 --> 00:06:52.260 And that's why you need Jesus. 00:06:52.980 --> 00:06:55.940 Or Jesus is an advocator for justice. 00:06:55.940 --> 00:06:57.320 And that's why we need Jesus. 00:06:57.319 --> 00:07:02.420 Or we'll say that, you know, Jesus is confidence for when you're feeling, you know, meek. 00:07:02.540 --> 00:07:06.740 Or he is a doctor for when you're feeling sick. 00:07:07.019 --> 00:07:09.579 And, you know, Jesus is many of those things. 00:07:10.719 --> 00:07:14.560 But that's not what the gospel is primarily about. 00:07:14.819 --> 00:07:17.620 That's not what evangelism primarily is about. 00:07:17.620 --> 00:07:29.120 Because, you know what, if you tell me that the gospel is about being confident, then the moment that I find something else to be confident in, you know, my good looks or something, I don't know. 00:07:30.379 --> 00:07:31.360 Definitely my good looks. 00:07:32.340 --> 00:07:34.540 Then I won't need the gospel anymore. 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:36.459 I won't need Jesus. 00:07:36.459 --> 00:07:45.139 But the gospel is talking about sin because there is no other way except for Jesus. 00:07:46.099 --> 00:07:47.039 Now, don't take my word for it. 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:49.259 There's a theologian by the name of J.I. Packer. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:52.859 Big, huge guy, theologically. 00:07:52.860 --> 00:07:56.080 And he said this. 00:07:56.139 --> 00:08:01.600 He said, evangelism means exhorting sinners to accept Christ Jesus as their savior. 00:08:02.759 --> 00:08:09.020 Recognizing that in the most final and far-reaching sense, they are lost, that they are damned without him. 00:08:10.020 --> 00:08:17.240 It is not merely informing them of the gospel, but inviting them to be a part of it. 00:08:20.020 --> 00:08:21.520 It's not just informing. 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:23.599 I think we can do that. 00:08:23.799 --> 00:08:27.979 I think that's, you know, evangelism, vomit, is a lot of informing. 00:08:29.019 --> 00:08:42.819 But it's also inviting our friends, our family, the people we work with, the guy we're next to on the bus, to be a part of this story, to be a part of what God is doing, to be saved. 00:08:42.820 --> 00:08:51.780 Now, evangelism is part of this series of what we're talking about in what it means to be a healthy church. 00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:53.700 And I think we've talked about community. 00:08:54.140 --> 00:08:55.100 We've talked about prayer. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:56.980 We've talked about discipleship. 00:08:56.980 --> 00:09:00.340 And I think evangelism ties in with all of these things. 00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:10.320 And, you know, I'm not going to talk about those things, but I'll leave you guys to think about, you know, how is it that evangelism connects with prayer, with community, with discipleship? 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:16.260 But I think the way in which we evangelize is important. 00:09:16.259 --> 00:09:34.319 I think the way that I would evangelize to my cousin is different from the way in which I would evangelize to someone sitting next to me on the bus is different from the way I would evangelize and share the gospel with one of my friends here in Hong Kong. 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:38.000 Because I think each of them, I interact with them in different ways. 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:47.559 My friends here in Hong Kong, I get to see them every week, and I'll hopefully be doing that for, you know, the next couple of years until they get their PR and, you know, run off somewhere else. 00:09:48.460 --> 00:09:48.639 All right? 00:09:48.820 --> 00:09:56.840 But I can take time and be slow and learn them, learn their stories, get to know where the gospel hits them. 00:09:57.960 --> 00:10:02.059 What are the sins that I can show Jesus as being the solution to? 00:10:03.179 --> 00:10:06.360 But if there's somebody next to me on the bus, I may never see them again. 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:12.180 As a general rule, I say if I'm not going to see them again, I will share the gospel right there and then. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:21.519 I know the students, they get to see me kind of going off track a lot when we're, you know, when we're having our student gatherings, when we're doing group discussions, because there'll be somebody who's there who's not a believer. 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:24.659 And I know the questions say we should be talking about this, this, and this. 00:10:25.159 --> 00:10:29.779 But I think very often I'll try and change it because I don't know if this student is going to come back again. 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:33.740 I don't know if I'm ever going to see this student again, but I want them to hear the gospel. 00:10:33.740 --> 00:10:39.060 You know, I think we should evangelize. 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:42.180 I think there's so many opportunities that we have to evangelize. 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:45.279 There's so many reasons for evangelizing. 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:48.639 I think we evangelize because the gospel is good news. 00:10:50.139 --> 00:10:54.100 You know, we evangelize because Jesus didn't just die for the people who are already Christians. 00:10:54.279 --> 00:10:56.159 He died for the whole world. 00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:04.799 You know, we evangelize because it stops us as a church from being inward focused and spending our whole days like inspecting our navels. 00:11:05.620 --> 00:11:05.740 Right? 00:11:06.579 --> 00:11:10.600 If we do evangelism because Jesus commands us to. 00:11:11.639 --> 00:11:19.219 I think we should be as a church out there and telling people about the good news of Jesus because that is what Jesus tells the church to do. 00:11:19.220 --> 00:11:24.139 His last words before he went up to heaven in the Great Commission, you can find it in Matthew 28. 00:11:25.220 --> 00:11:28.259 He tells them, go and make disciples of all nations. 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:29.220 Baptize them. 00:11:29.940 --> 00:11:33.639 Teach them to observe everything I have commanded and I will be with you always. 00:11:34.840 --> 00:11:37.340 There's an entire someone on evangelism there. 00:11:37.340 --> 00:11:45.820 But, you know, I think Packer, he sums it up in this way and he says to the Christian, he says, 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:53.639 always and everywhere, the servants of God, that is, the people who are believers, are under orders to evangelize. 00:11:55.259 --> 00:12:03.000 I don't think that it's possible for you to be a Christian and not be evangelizing because if you're not evangelizing, 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:06.600 then you're not being obedient to the command of Christ. 00:12:07.340 --> 00:12:18.420 You know, I think the disciple making and the baptizing that Jesus calls us to be doing in Matthew 28 isn't going to happen 00:12:18.420 --> 00:12:26.780 if we're not looking for opportunities and we're not seeking out people and places that we can pour the gospel into. 00:12:27.740 --> 00:12:28.960 You don't have to look far. 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:30.680 I'm sure there are plenty of situations. 00:12:30.680 --> 00:12:36.840 For me, one of the ways in which I've had a chance to share the gospel has got to do, again, with ice cream. 00:12:37.720 --> 00:12:41.000 There's an ice cream shop in my neighborhood, which I really, really like. 00:12:41.540 --> 00:12:45.740 And, you know, I know I've taken maybe a dozen of you guys there because it's fantastic. 00:12:46.680 --> 00:12:48.240 But I go there quite often. 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:51.080 I may or may not have gone twice in one day. 00:12:51.879 --> 00:12:54.419 And I go there and I meet the people there. 00:12:54.620 --> 00:12:59.799 And, you know, and I know Mark and his girlfriend Karina and Bobby and Elvis and Michelle and Ivor. 00:12:59.899 --> 00:13:02.480 And I go there and I share my life with them. 00:13:03.180 --> 00:13:04.899 And I'm sharing them in their lives as well. 00:13:04.980 --> 00:13:07.320 I'm giving them suggestions for better ice cream flavors. 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:11.240 And I'm hearing about the struggles in their lives. 00:13:11.280 --> 00:13:13.620 And I'm celebrating their victories with them. 00:13:13.820 --> 00:13:19.500 And I think over the past couple of years, over the past year, I've gotten to know them, you know, fairly well. 00:13:20.340 --> 00:13:23.100 This ice cream shop and I actually share a birthday, which is pretty cool. 00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:27.519 And so around my birthday, I went, I took a bottle of wine over. 00:13:28.040 --> 00:13:30.680 And Mark, the owner, and I, we sat down and we started talking. 00:13:31.240 --> 00:13:31.379 All right? 00:13:31.399 --> 00:13:35.940 And we talked about, you know, his life and what he was doing and what he planned to do next. 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:38.700 And we talked about how he always felt dissatisfied. 00:13:38.899 --> 00:13:41.000 And I had an opportunity to share the gospel with him. 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:42.000 All right? 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:45.919 Now, it was 2 a.m. in the morning, but I did my best. 00:13:47.019 --> 00:13:48.720 And you know what? 00:13:49.419 --> 00:13:58.500 He would not have had 20 seconds for me if it weren't for the past year of relationship building, of hearing his life and knowing his struggles. 00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:03.039 There wouldn't have been a real opportunity for me to share the gospel if I didn't invest and spend that time. 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:09.659 Now, Michelle and Ivor, they're a lovely couple, but their English isn't that great and my Cantonese isn't up to scratch. 00:14:09.659 --> 00:14:13.799 So if any of you wants to come and, you know, come and be a part of their lives, you know, let me know. 00:14:14.279 --> 00:14:16.399 But, you know, you don't have to come to my ice cream shop. 00:14:16.519 --> 00:14:20.079 There are places where you guys are going every day, where you're interacting with people. 00:14:20.459 --> 00:14:26.259 Whether it's like your cha-tan-tang or if you're going to, you know, the guy who mixes your drinks at your favorite bar. 00:14:26.579 --> 00:14:29.100 Wherever it is, there are people that we're interacting with every day. 00:14:30.179 --> 00:14:30.779 Get to know them. 00:14:30.860 --> 00:14:31.779 Get to know their stories. 00:14:32.500 --> 00:14:36.000 And see how is it that the gospel comes and speaks to them. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:43.139 You know, like I said, there are so many opportunities for us as Christians to be reaching out. 00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:51.879 But I think at the same time, we make many reasons, make many excuses not to. 00:14:53.240 --> 00:15:00.879 You know, we might say that, well, it's a little bit awkward, you know, talking about something as personal as faith. 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:04.200 Or you might say, actually, I don't know how. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:07.620 Or, you know, actually, it's not my job. 00:15:07.860 --> 00:15:09.679 Like, that's the job of a professional evangelist. 00:15:10.019 --> 00:15:12.860 That's the job of the pastors and the speakers to do that. 00:15:14.120 --> 00:15:19.740 I think sometimes we say that, you know, I'm not good enough of a Christian to share the gospel. 00:15:21.159 --> 00:15:23.399 Or we say, I don't want to offend people. 00:15:23.399 --> 00:15:25.480 You know what? 00:15:27.879 --> 00:15:28.919 Those are excuses. 00:15:29.399 --> 00:15:30.220 They're all excuses. 00:15:30.519 --> 00:15:34.539 And if I had things my way, we'd stay here until 4 p.m. 00:15:34.539 --> 00:15:37.459 And I'd tell you all the reasons why those are terrible excuses. 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:38.600 But I'm not going to do that. 00:15:39.019 --> 00:15:44.159 But if you're coming and you're saying, I don't know how to share my faith. 00:15:44.259 --> 00:15:46.139 I don't know how to share the gospel. 00:15:46.659 --> 00:15:49.840 Then the good news is that I can help you with that. 00:15:50.100 --> 00:15:50.879 I can help you with that. 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:55.759 In fact, we've been talking about evangelism over the summer. 00:15:55.860 --> 00:15:58.059 We talked about the six ways to live. 00:15:58.919 --> 00:16:02.000 If you go outside, you'll see some of these little bookmarks. 00:16:02.600 --> 00:16:08.259 And there are some little pictures here that help you go through and share the gospel with your friend. 00:16:08.340 --> 00:16:11.960 Talk about God, Jesus, and sin. 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:14.600 And so about half of you were here over the summer. 00:16:15.179 --> 00:16:19.039 So if you don't know what this is and how it works, ask the person next to you. 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:19.819 All right? 00:16:19.899 --> 00:16:21.019 And they'll explain it to you. 00:16:21.139 --> 00:16:22.919 They're outside on the tables. 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:23.559 Grab some. 00:16:23.699 --> 00:16:24.899 There is a really useful tool. 00:16:25.899 --> 00:16:33.779 You can also, if you look in your bulletin, there's a little link here to a little YouTube video where Eric actually explains it to you. 00:16:33.959 --> 00:16:35.159 And he does a fantastic job. 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:41.740 So if you don't know how to share your faith, if you don't know how to evangelize, now you don't have any more excuses. 00:16:42.599 --> 00:16:42.839 All right? 00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:43.980 So I've dealt with that. 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:47.940 I want to go to Ephesians 2. 00:16:49.780 --> 00:17:00.379 Because as I think about the reasons why I don't evangelize, I think it's got nothing to do with these reasons. 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:02.040 It's got nothing to do with it being awkward. 00:17:03.220 --> 00:17:07.079 I think it's got to do with the way I think about the gospel. 00:17:07.079 --> 00:17:13.740 I think that many times I don't think the gospel is amazing. 00:17:15.439 --> 00:17:19.819 And there are many times when the gospel is just, you know, another thing. 00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:30.399 And there are times when I forget how serious sin is, when I forget what it is that Jesus does on the cross for us. 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:36.740 And so why would I evangelize if the gospel isn't precious to me? 00:17:37.800 --> 00:17:42.540 Why would I evangelize if it wasn't changing me every day? 00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:46.700 I love this passage in Ephesians 2. 00:17:47.019 --> 00:17:49.840 It talks about us as humans. 00:17:50.380 --> 00:17:54.540 It talks about God. 00:17:54.900 --> 00:17:56.080 It talks about his character. 00:17:56.079 --> 00:18:01.659 And then it gives us a little mission to be going on. 00:18:02.299 --> 00:18:07.000 And so I hope that as we're looking at this passage that you don't feel like I'm trying to beat you up with the Bible. 00:18:07.500 --> 00:18:08.619 I'm not trying to do that. 00:18:09.579 --> 00:18:13.179 If it does feel like that, come talk to me afterwards and I will apologize profusely. 00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:19.339 But I hope that looking at this passage that we would be encouraged, that we would be reminded of the gospel. 00:18:19.419 --> 00:18:21.500 We'd be reminded of what it is that Jesus does. 00:18:21.500 --> 00:18:29.279 That we would look at the cross and we would say, this isn't just mine to keep. 00:18:30.859 --> 00:18:32.259 This is for me to be sharing. 00:18:35.539 --> 00:18:37.819 So Ephesians 2. 00:18:38.900 --> 00:18:41.599 Paul begins by writing to this church in Ephesus. 00:18:41.960 --> 00:18:50.200 And he tells them that right in the beginning that you are dead in your trespasses and in your sin. 00:18:50.200 --> 00:18:54.380 He reminds the church of what they were like before they met Jesus. 00:18:54.539 --> 00:18:58.759 Before they had this transformation of the gospel. 00:18:59.819 --> 00:19:01.279 He tells them that they're basically like zombies. 00:19:01.860 --> 00:19:07.120 They're walking and they're dead because of their sin. 00:19:07.180 --> 00:19:09.759 And he tells them that the sin comes from different ways. 00:19:09.840 --> 00:19:15.340 It says that the sin is coming and it's absorbing into them from the world around them. 00:19:15.339 --> 00:19:22.939 They're saying their sin comes from, you know, them following the prince of the power of the air, from following Satan. 00:19:23.659 --> 00:19:31.019 He says that their sin comes from their flesh and the passions of their flesh and their mind which they are following. 00:19:31.019 --> 00:19:32.859 All right? 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:40.160 And Paul tells them these things and he says that this is bad. 00:19:40.299 --> 00:19:40.819 It's not good. 00:19:40.819 --> 00:19:49.879 But the most significant thing that Paul has to say is that sin isn't general badness. 00:19:51.019 --> 00:19:51.200 All right? 00:19:51.299 --> 00:19:55.200 Because I think, I don't have to tell you guys that you're bad people. 00:19:55.559 --> 00:19:59.059 You know, that you lie and you cheat and you steal every now and then. 00:19:59.099 --> 00:20:02.519 I think if we all sit there and search our hearts, we know that we're bad. 00:20:02.519 --> 00:20:12.319 But what he says is that our sins are offense and rebellion against God and they make us children of wrath. 00:20:12.779 --> 00:20:14.579 Children of wrath, if you're American. 00:20:15.720 --> 00:20:15.900 All right? 00:20:17.740 --> 00:20:23.779 That our inheritance as sinners is death. 00:20:23.779 --> 00:20:32.799 Death and decay and destruction while we're alive and death and punishment after we're dead eternally. 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:46.079 You know, the Bible says that when Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden, that their sin wasn't against the tree. 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:50.299 That their sin wasn't against each other or against the snake or whoever. 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:52.799 That their sin was against God. 00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:59.559 It was them trying to dethrone God and become the authority, to become the king in their own lives. 00:21:01.180 --> 00:21:05.159 There's this Hungarian proverb and it says that Adam bit the apple. 00:21:06.579 --> 00:21:10.619 And for all his descendants, for all of us, our teeth are still aching. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:12.720 And we see that in the world. 00:21:13.859 --> 00:21:14.039 All right? 00:21:14.419 --> 00:21:20.460 We see it in death and destruction and pollution and rust and age and in decay. 00:21:20.460 --> 00:21:26.460 We see it in racism and war and suffering and violence. 00:21:27.220 --> 00:21:30.079 We see it in bullying and hatefulness. 00:21:30.079 --> 00:21:30.699 I see it in the world. 00:21:30.699 --> 00:21:31.079 We see it in the world. 00:21:31.079 --> 00:21:32.079 We see it in the world. 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:33.919 I see it growing in my heart. 00:21:36.039 --> 00:21:37.240 That I am sinful. 00:21:38.699 --> 00:21:39.879 Right down to my core. 00:21:42.059 --> 00:21:47.199 And without God, my inheritance is death. 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:55.720 You know, I think that we don't think sin is that bad. 00:21:55.819 --> 00:22:01.539 C.S. Lewis used to write that many people think that a little bit of time and a little bit of care will cover up sins. 00:22:01.620 --> 00:22:04.860 That as time progresses, you know, the sins don't become bad. 00:22:04.859 --> 00:22:11.619 And, you know, he says that that's probably not true. 00:22:12.599 --> 00:22:15.879 He says that time doesn't cover sins. 00:22:16.839 --> 00:22:19.719 And the Bible says that only blood can cover sins. 00:22:19.819 --> 00:22:22.859 I think a lot of times when we look at sin, we think we... 00:22:22.859 --> 00:22:24.339 Here we go. 00:22:25.939 --> 00:22:27.199 We think it's like this. 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:32.360 This is an old iPhone 3GS, right? 00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:34.519 It's, oh, seven years old now? 00:22:34.759 --> 00:22:35.980 I don't know how old these things are. 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:38.840 And, you know, it probably needs a new battery. 00:22:40.140 --> 00:22:42.059 If you probably got it a case, it would look pretty. 00:22:42.980 --> 00:22:44.319 And we think our sin is like this. 00:22:44.360 --> 00:22:45.380 Just a little bit of care. 00:22:46.279 --> 00:22:50.920 You know, a little bit of cleaning and it's good. 00:22:50.920 --> 00:22:51.920 But... 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:58.940 That is what our sin is like. 00:23:00.320 --> 00:23:01.000 You see that? 00:23:02.300 --> 00:23:06.160 Our sin is death and destruction. 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:09.900 You can't bring that back together. 00:23:09.980 --> 00:23:12.960 If you swept that up and took it to the Apple store, they would laugh at you. 00:23:14.440 --> 00:23:17.940 And I think what many people think is that our sins is something that we can fix, 00:23:17.940 --> 00:23:21.440 that we can sweep up together and we can make it right. 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:25.080 But the Bible tells us that, no, that this is the end. 00:23:27.240 --> 00:23:30.740 That in our sin, we are dead. 00:23:30.860 --> 00:23:32.240 Sin doesn't make us bad. 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:35.940 Sin makes us dead. 00:23:40.340 --> 00:23:43.820 Now, the gospel comes in and it says, but God. 00:23:44.660 --> 00:23:46.660 It says, but God. 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:49.240 God is rich in mercy. 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:53.359 He loves us with this great, amazing love. 00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:57.660 You know, God loves us and it comes in different ways. 00:23:57.740 --> 00:23:58.660 It says that he's merciful. 00:23:58.819 --> 00:24:03.240 That even though God is just and he is righteous and he can... 00:24:04.099 --> 00:24:07.359 He has the right to destroy us for our sins. 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:09.240 It says that he is gracious. 00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:11.180 That he doesn't just offer us forgiveness. 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:14.359 He doesn't just offer us, you know, a free pass. 00:24:14.359 --> 00:24:16.359 But he invites us into riches. 00:24:16.500 --> 00:24:18.259 He invites us to become his children. 00:24:19.159 --> 00:24:21.079 To become heirs with Christ. 00:24:22.579 --> 00:24:25.099 He says he shows us these immeasurable riches. 00:24:25.259 --> 00:24:26.439 They're not hidden from us. 00:24:27.059 --> 00:24:30.859 It says that, you know, in Philippians you read that Jesus took off the clothes, 00:24:31.439 --> 00:24:33.639 his heavenly robes, and he put on humanity. 00:24:33.640 --> 00:24:38.720 And he humbled himself to show us the love of God. 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:44.580 The Bible says that this isn't free. 00:24:47.080 --> 00:24:48.780 But that there's a price for it. 00:24:51.060 --> 00:24:55.120 That being restored cost Jesus his life. 00:24:55.119 --> 00:24:59.859 It cost God, his son. 00:25:01.879 --> 00:25:05.500 It cost blood and tears. 00:25:06.579 --> 00:25:07.799 It cost a sacrifice. 00:25:13.939 --> 00:25:17.079 You know, I think that God is merciful. 00:25:18.259 --> 00:25:19.459 That God is gracious. 00:25:21.459 --> 00:25:24.539 Might be the hardest part to get. 00:25:25.579 --> 00:25:27.039 I think I struggle with that. 00:25:28.279 --> 00:25:30.219 You know, as I sit there and I'm thinking about my sin, 00:25:31.059 --> 00:25:35.759 I think, how can God forgive me? 00:25:36.959 --> 00:25:44.219 How can a God who is good and loving tolerate the dirt and filth in my heart? 00:25:45.159 --> 00:25:51.639 You know, I was on the minibus one day with one of my friends, Murray. 00:25:51.640 --> 00:25:52.980 We're on the same rugby team. 00:25:53.300 --> 00:25:55.240 And we're heading to one of our games. 00:25:55.700 --> 00:25:57.340 And this guy came and sat next to me. 00:25:57.800 --> 00:26:00.340 And it was a very annoying, very, very talkative guy. 00:26:00.820 --> 00:26:03.600 And he kept asking questions about me, where I was from. 00:26:03.660 --> 00:26:04.500 I said Hong Kong. 00:26:04.660 --> 00:26:05.560 And he didn't believe me. 00:26:05.960 --> 00:26:07.480 He wanted to know, like, no, no, you're black. 00:26:07.520 --> 00:26:08.220 You must be from Africa. 00:26:08.660 --> 00:26:10.259 Here's a map pointed out to me. 00:26:10.259 --> 00:26:13.859 He wanted to know exactly where I was from. 00:26:14.460 --> 00:26:16.480 And, you know, the conversation went on. 00:26:16.579 --> 00:26:19.599 And, you know, I tried to give short answers so he wouldn't, you know, keep going. 00:26:19.700 --> 00:26:20.339 But he kept going. 00:26:20.420 --> 00:26:20.960 He kept going. 00:26:21.079 --> 00:26:23.839 And we talked about corruption in Kenya. 00:26:24.059 --> 00:26:28.759 And then we talked about ISIS and Syria. 00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:30.119 All right? 00:26:31.099 --> 00:26:32.420 We talked about many things. 00:26:32.819 --> 00:26:33.859 It was only like 15 minutes. 00:26:34.299 --> 00:26:34.419 All right? 00:26:34.599 --> 00:26:37.879 But he started talking about ISIS. 00:26:38.019 --> 00:26:41.079 And he started asking, you know, what's wrong? 00:26:41.199 --> 00:26:44.359 What do you think is going on in ISIS and with Syria? 00:26:44.740 --> 00:26:46.500 And, you know, this light bulb clicked in my head. 00:26:46.579 --> 00:26:46.799 All right. 00:26:46.839 --> 00:26:47.439 This is a chance. 00:26:47.979 --> 00:26:48.219 You know? 00:26:48.279 --> 00:26:49.059 I can share the gospel. 00:26:49.619 --> 00:26:54.219 I think he was coming to me as, like, an African that I would be the expert on, you 00:26:54.219 --> 00:26:56.779 know, Middle Eastern, you know, interrelations. 00:26:57.259 --> 00:26:57.479 All right? 00:26:57.859 --> 00:27:00.159 I am not an expert on any of those things. 00:27:00.159 --> 00:27:02.199 But I do know something about the gospel. 00:27:02.200 --> 00:27:08.500 And so, you know, I told him, you know, the problem probably isn't terrorism or, I don't 00:27:08.500 --> 00:27:12.840 know, terrorism or sociopolitical unrest, you know, democracy or lack of democracy. 00:27:13.319 --> 00:27:15.519 I told him that I thought the problem was sin. 00:27:15.600 --> 00:27:19.660 And as he sat there and we talked about it, he was like, yeah, okay, you know, I can see 00:27:19.660 --> 00:27:19.900 that. 00:27:20.059 --> 00:27:24.380 I told him, you know, sin isn't the things that we do that are bad, that, you know, that 00:27:24.380 --> 00:27:26.900 they're the offenses that we do against God. 00:27:26.940 --> 00:27:28.420 And he was like, all right, yeah, I get that. 00:27:28.420 --> 00:27:33.200 And I told him that Christ makes a way for us to be right with God. 00:27:33.320 --> 00:27:34.200 And he said, no. 00:27:34.980 --> 00:27:35.140 All right? 00:27:35.180 --> 00:27:38.000 I can believe that the problem in Syria is sin. 00:27:38.539 --> 00:27:40.980 I can believe that I am sinful and that I'm accountable to God. 00:27:42.080 --> 00:27:47.580 But he couldn't believe that God would make a way for him to be right with God. 00:27:48.500 --> 00:27:52.120 He couldn't believe that God would be merciful and gracious. 00:27:52.119 --> 00:27:54.699 But the Bible says that's true. 00:27:55.739 --> 00:28:03.039 The Bible says that Jesus is merciful, that Jesus is gracious, that he gives himself for 00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:03.479 us. 00:28:04.059 --> 00:28:06.879 And I think that we forget that, that I forget that. 00:28:08.199 --> 00:28:12.579 That there are times when I'm thinking about my sin and I don't think it's that bad. 00:28:12.699 --> 00:28:15.539 And so I don't think that sin is a problem for other people. 00:28:15.539 --> 00:28:23.319 But when I remember my sin, I then think that, well, God isn't gracious, God isn't merciful. 00:28:23.480 --> 00:28:25.000 But that's not what the Bible says. 00:28:25.079 --> 00:28:27.839 The Bible says that God is those things. 00:28:29.480 --> 00:28:33.859 You know, I think that if the gospel is true, right? 00:28:33.960 --> 00:28:40.180 If the gospel is true that we're sinners in need of saving, if the gospel is true and 00:28:40.180 --> 00:28:46.400 it says that Jesus is amazing and loving and gracious and he offers himself and calls us 00:28:46.400 --> 00:28:53.799 to repent and to trust in him, then this is amazing news, right? 00:28:54.940 --> 00:28:55.160 Right? 00:28:55.160 --> 00:29:02.660 Isn't it amazing that we can take these scraps of broken phone and God will give us eternal 00:29:02.660 --> 00:29:03.140 life? 00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:04.840 He'll call us his son? 00:29:04.839 --> 00:29:06.019 Right? 00:29:08.199 --> 00:29:15.099 Isn't the gospel amazing that when we come with our broken and sinful lives, God gives 00:29:15.099 --> 00:29:20.119 us, you know, an iPhone 8, which is perfect and will never break and the screen will never 00:29:20.119 --> 00:29:25.639 crack and the battery will last forever and you'll never get a junk call ever. 00:29:27.299 --> 00:29:28.220 Isn't that amazing? 00:29:30.379 --> 00:29:32.099 Isn't the gospel amazing? 00:29:34.839 --> 00:29:37.159 I think I forget this so often. 00:29:37.159 --> 00:29:39.379 I need to be reminded of it every day. 00:29:41.819 --> 00:29:42.959 That God saves. 00:29:46.879 --> 00:29:54.299 You know, Ephesians 2 says that our salvation is a gift of grace so that no one can boast. 00:29:55.619 --> 00:29:58.199 And that means that I don't get to boast in my salvation. 00:29:58.319 --> 00:29:59.559 I don't get to say that I made it. 00:30:00.519 --> 00:30:00.659 All right? 00:30:00.679 --> 00:30:04.439 It also means that if I share the gospel with someone and they come to faith that I don't 00:30:04.440 --> 00:30:09.120 get to boast in that either because it is God's work. 00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:15.640 You know, God creates us and he makes us to be like him and the people around us, they're 00:30:15.640 --> 00:30:20.820 in his image, but they're broken and they need a savior. 00:30:20.819 --> 00:30:26.119 And that's what evangelism is. 00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:32.279 It's calling people and saying, God has shown me these immeasurable riches, these amazing things. 00:30:33.759 --> 00:30:35.519 And I want to show them to you. 00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:45.059 The Bible calls us to love and to be gracious and to be merciful and to show God's amazing 00:30:45.059 --> 00:30:46.960 love to those people around us. 00:30:48.740 --> 00:30:52.579 Penn Jillette is a comedian from the group Penn and Teller. 00:30:52.579 --> 00:30:58.019 And, you know, he put this YouTube video up talking about an interaction that he had with a Christian, 00:30:58.899 --> 00:30:59.059 right? 00:30:59.099 --> 00:31:02.619 Where this Christian had come up after a show and given him a Bible and he thought about 00:31:02.619 --> 00:31:02.740 it. 00:31:02.740 --> 00:31:07.199 He said, what did he say? 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:09.039 He asked this question. 00:31:09.539 --> 00:31:13.139 How hateful must you be not to evangelize? 00:31:13.140 --> 00:31:22.180 He says that if you knew that life and death, that heaven and hell are in the balance and 00:31:22.180 --> 00:31:27.400 you were convinced of these things and you didn't tell your neighbor, you must not like 00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:27.759 your neighbor. 00:31:29.520 --> 00:31:30.460 You'd probably hate them. 00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:33.960 But I don't want to beat you up and say that you guys are all hateful. 00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:38.960 I mean, I think really what the case is, I think that we love ourselves more. 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:44.059 I think that we love our comfort more than we love our colleagues. 00:31:44.799 --> 00:31:49.759 That we love peace and quiet more than we love our parents. 00:31:50.779 --> 00:31:58.220 That we love our convenience more than the person next to us on the bus. 00:31:58.299 --> 00:32:03.360 I mean, how many of us would stay those extra five minutes on the bus and miss your stop and 00:32:03.360 --> 00:32:04.779 be late for a meeting to share the gospel? 00:32:04.779 --> 00:32:11.660 I think I love my punctuality more than I love the stranger on the bus. 00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:21.440 And I think it's not just the people that we're around, but the people that have relationships 00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:21.980 with us. 00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:28.960 Do I value my friendship with my friend more than I value my friend's eternal soul? 00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:38.940 Do I value my work environment more than I value the soul of my lost colleague? 00:32:43.860 --> 00:32:52.180 Is an easy life, an easy conversation worth more than the lost soul of your favorite market 00:32:52.180 --> 00:32:53.000 stole person? 00:32:53.000 --> 00:33:00.880 I think that's why we do outreach. 00:33:01.019 --> 00:33:02.140 I think that's why Watermark is here. 00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:04.019 That's why we're on the western side of Hong Kong. 00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:10.599 Because we believe as a church that the people in Bel Air and in Kennedy Town and at HKU 00:33:10.599 --> 00:33:12.079 are worth hearing the gospel. 00:33:12.299 --> 00:33:16.880 It's worth doing a church and being a church in a place where it's difficult to find spaces 00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:17.380 to meet. 00:33:20.300 --> 00:33:27.260 Because being a church in an awkward auditorium at West Island School is worth it. 00:33:27.940 --> 00:33:33.600 It's worth the souls of the people around us, the people in our community. 00:33:33.599 --> 00:33:47.119 So, have we forgotten what sin is like? 00:33:48.579 --> 00:33:50.219 Is sin a big deal? 00:33:55.159 --> 00:33:56.779 Is Jesus gracious? 00:33:58.039 --> 00:33:59.119 Is God merciful? 00:33:59.119 --> 00:34:05.399 Are these things not amazing that we would share them with the people around us? 00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:18.000 Do we love the people around us enough to forego comfort, to forego ease of life, to forego 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:26.359 convenience, to share with them the only thing that is going to save them from the judgment 00:34:26.359 --> 00:34:26.819 of God? 00:34:26.819 --> 00:34:26.880 Amen. 00:34:29.119 --> 00:34:37.880 Now, I think if you're here today and you're not a Christian, I hope that you've heard what 00:34:37.880 --> 00:34:38.500 I've been saying. 00:34:40.759 --> 00:34:48.019 That without Christ, you're dead. 00:34:48.619 --> 00:34:50.960 And Christ is calling us to be alive. 00:34:51.079 --> 00:34:57.819 He's calling you to put your faith in Him, to trust Him with your soul because He is trustworthy. 00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:05.859 If you're a Christian here, I think evangelism is important. 00:35:06.099 --> 00:35:11.400 I think it's important for us to be a healthy church because it's about obedience. 00:35:11.659 --> 00:35:15.000 It's about following what Jesus calls us to do. 00:35:15.819 --> 00:35:19.000 It's about loving the people that God loves. 00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:25.500 It's about making friends and being in relationship and community with those around us. 00:35:25.500 --> 00:35:31.139 It's about praying and asking God for opportunities to share the gospel. 00:35:31.139 --> 00:35:34.059 It's about our witness. 00:35:34.059 --> 00:35:36.000 It's about the way that we live our lives. 00:35:36.859 --> 00:35:41.599 Living them in a way that people would listen to us when we share with them. 00:35:41.599 --> 00:35:45.940 It's about sin. 00:35:47.739 --> 00:35:49.880 Evangelism is about my need of a Savior. 00:35:50.099 --> 00:35:53.880 It's about your need of a Redeemer. 00:35:53.880 --> 00:36:04.960 I think evangelism draws a stark contrast, and we see it in Ephesians 2. 00:36:07.320 --> 00:36:14.740 As in evangelism, what we want to do, what we want to share with people is that once I was dead 00:36:14.739 --> 00:36:22.559 in my trespasses and in my sin, but I've been made alive with Christ. 00:36:23.279 --> 00:36:26.559 That once I followed the world and I was led by Satan. 00:36:28.959 --> 00:36:33.339 That once I was a children of wrath, that I was destined for death, 00:36:33.339 --> 00:36:41.419 but now I have a relationship with God, that I'm a child of mercy and love and grace. 00:36:41.420 --> 00:36:48.659 The gospel says that we were alienated from God, but by the blood of the cross, 00:36:49.400 --> 00:36:50.380 we were brought close to him. 00:36:51.280 --> 00:36:51.700 Watermark. 00:36:52.420 --> 00:36:53.579 This is good news. 00:36:55.519 --> 00:36:58.720 This is good news for Hong Kong. 00:36:59.860 --> 00:37:04.300 This is good news for your friends and your family and your colleagues. 00:37:06.300 --> 00:37:09.500 This is good news for the person next to you on the MTR. 00:37:11.420 --> 00:37:14.059 Church, can we pray about this? 00:37:14.099 --> 00:37:18.260 Can we pray about opportunities to share this news with people? 00:37:23.139 --> 00:37:23.740 Let's pray. 00:37:29.619 --> 00:37:32.180 Father God, you are amazing. 00:37:32.179 --> 00:37:45.139 God, we love you because you are gracious and merciful in saving us. 00:37:45.819 --> 00:37:50.960 God, I confess that I don't love your gospel as much as I should, 00:37:51.039 --> 00:37:54.039 and I don't value it to share it with those around me. 00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:59.300 I confess that I love myself more than I love my neighbors, 00:38:00.719 --> 00:38:04.659 that I love my convenience more than I love their souls. 00:38:06.980 --> 00:38:09.119 God, I thank you that you save us. 00:38:09.259 --> 00:38:14.179 I thank you that you give us your only son to be our salvation. 00:38:14.179 --> 00:38:17.119 I thank you that even though we are doomed, 00:38:18.339 --> 00:38:23.719 you reached out to us with love and mercy and grace. 00:38:25.019 --> 00:38:28.559 And I thank you that you've given us people who have shared the gospel with us. 00:38:29.299 --> 00:38:32.980 And I thank you for these people here who do care about you and your people 00:38:32.980 --> 00:38:39.460 and who are going out and looking for ways to share this great news. 00:38:41.800 --> 00:38:46.059 God, I pray that you would set a fire in us, 00:38:46.099 --> 00:38:48.099 a zeal for your word and for your gospel, 00:38:48.199 --> 00:38:51.820 that we would go and we would carry it wherever we go, 00:38:51.820 --> 00:38:56.119 that our minds and our hearts would be overflowing with your greatness 00:38:56.119 --> 00:39:02.980 and that it would come out and that you would give us people to share with, 00:39:03.199 --> 00:39:05.980 that you would work and that you would be returning hearts 00:39:05.980 --> 00:39:10.299 so that when we share that they hear and they believe 00:39:10.299 --> 00:39:11.779 and they put their trust in you. 00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:16.219 God, I pray for Hong Kong. 00:39:18.699 --> 00:39:21.480 I pray for this place that doesn't know you. 00:39:21.480 --> 00:39:29.860 I pray that you would begin turning and changing hearts, 00:39:30.980 --> 00:39:32.900 that you would begin drawing us to you 00:39:32.900 --> 00:39:35.659 and to join with you in reaching these people. 00:39:37.519 --> 00:39:39.599 I pray that you would show us people, 00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:42.219 that you'd show us one, two, three people this week 00:39:42.219 --> 00:39:47.920 that we can love and share this gospel with, 00:39:48.380 --> 00:39:51.019 that we can share this amazing good news with. 00:39:51.480 --> 00:39:52.460 Amen.