WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.120 We're part of a kind of sermon series at the moment where we're looking at God providing abundantly 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:10.140 and kind of what we do with that, about stewardship and what we do with what God's got. 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:14.560 And today we're going to think about the aspect of what we have got from God. 00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:18.640 So it's the open hands of God and what we can do in response. 00:00:19.260 --> 00:00:23.199 But if you cast your minds back to Christmas, I wonder if any of you played this game 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:26.820 where you had a huge bar of dairy milk in the middle. 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:29.539 Everyone sat around in a circle, big bar of dairy milk. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:33.359 A knife and a fork. Yeah, stupid game, isn't it? 00:00:33.820 --> 00:00:35.980 A woolly hat, scarves and gloves. 00:00:36.899 --> 00:00:38.179 And you have to throw a six. 00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:39.700 Some of you are going, yeah, yeah. 00:00:39.820 --> 00:00:41.859 Some of you are going, no, what are you on about? 00:00:41.939 --> 00:00:42.939 Well, I'll tell you what this game is. 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:44.299 You throw a six, hopefully. 00:00:44.820 --> 00:00:49.780 You turn the dice. As soon as you've got a six, you've got to get the hat on, the scarf on, the gloves on. 00:00:49.780 --> 00:00:56.579 You get the cutlery and then you start kind of trying to get into this stupid bar of chocolate. 00:00:57.780 --> 00:00:59.299 I used to hate that game. 00:00:59.299 --> 00:01:05.039 Can you tell that it was one of those things that I passionately detested about Christmas? 00:01:05.479 --> 00:01:08.280 Because I never got any chocolate. 00:01:08.739 --> 00:01:09.120 Ever. 00:01:09.819 --> 00:01:11.859 It's worse than that, guys. Come on, it's worse than that. 00:01:12.379 --> 00:01:13.120 Yeah, never. 00:01:13.459 --> 00:01:18.679 And it was always the person next to me who was better at dexterity and skill and panache 00:01:18.679 --> 00:01:20.599 at getting into that bar of chocolate. 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:23.939 And I used to get really, really annoyed. 00:01:23.939 --> 00:01:26.859 Sharing is really difficult, isn't it? 00:01:27.679 --> 00:01:32.840 Those of us with children might kind of recognise how difficult it is to teach people to share. 00:01:33.079 --> 00:01:39.000 And I was thinking about that and I was thinking, actually, I can understand sometimes why my little lad gets annoyed when he has to share something. 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:48.079 Because just imagine that after this service you're having your cup of coffee or not and you're enjoying it and someone comes up to you and says, 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:51.560 do you mind if I just enjoy a little bit of your coffee? 00:01:51.659 --> 00:01:52.620 That looks really good. 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:54.280 Well, why not? 00:01:54.659 --> 00:01:55.939 We teach people to share, don't we? 00:01:56.060 --> 00:02:00.480 Or we're driving in our car, we stop at the traffic lights and someone taps on the window and says, 00:02:00.739 --> 00:02:02.239 do you mind if I share your car? 00:02:02.539 --> 00:02:03.200 Can I jump in? 00:02:03.259 --> 00:02:04.060 Can you move across? 00:02:04.140 --> 00:02:04.780 Can I have a go? 00:02:04.780 --> 00:02:05.780 Can I have a go? 00:02:05.780 --> 00:02:07.760 These are far-fetched examples. 00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:11.219 But as people, we are clingers. 00:02:12.060 --> 00:02:13.400 We cling on to things. 00:02:13.819 --> 00:02:19.259 You know, when we're younger and we're learning to cycle on a bike, we might cling on to those handlebars. 00:02:19.479 --> 00:02:27.520 When we leave school, we might cling on to whatever qualifications or not, or reputation or not we have, we might cling on to that. 00:02:27.900 --> 00:02:34.060 Whenever we start our career or whatever it is we do, we might cling on to that first rung of the career ladder. 00:02:34.060 --> 00:02:40.860 As we go through life, we find ourselves clutching tightly onto things. 00:02:42.140 --> 00:02:45.120 How opposite is that of God? 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:50.500 How far-fetched can we get away from compared to what God is like? 00:02:50.599 --> 00:02:55.680 Could we be any further apart from the generosity that God shows us? 00:02:56.120 --> 00:03:02.879 So this morning, the question that I want to ask us is, what is God wanting you to share in? 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:06.699 What is God wanting you to share in? 00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:11.219 So let's think about how generous God is to ask. 00:03:11.299 --> 00:03:14.439 And we go straight back to the beginning of the Bible, Genesis 3. 00:03:14.899 --> 00:03:21.119 And to put this in context about how generous God has been, in Genesis 1 and 2, we've seen God make the world. 00:03:21.579 --> 00:03:24.439 We're not going to go into the theology of that, mainly because I don't understand it. 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:26.959 But God has made everything. 00:03:27.259 --> 00:03:29.299 And he has said, it is good. 00:03:29.300 --> 00:03:31.460 That's generous enough, isn't it? 00:03:31.660 --> 00:03:34.000 That God shares his creation with us. 00:03:34.160 --> 00:03:36.260 And he puts man and women in the garden. 00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:37.980 And he says, they are very good. 00:03:38.700 --> 00:03:39.920 That's generous enough. 00:03:40.580 --> 00:03:47.860 And then in Genesis 3, we see Adam and Eve kind of screwing things up on quite a big scale, really. 00:03:47.860 --> 00:03:52.300 Going against the only thing that God, in his love, has asked them not to do. 00:03:52.420 --> 00:03:54.260 He says, you can eat from any fruit. 00:03:54.520 --> 00:03:55.480 You can enjoy any tree. 00:03:55.720 --> 00:03:56.460 But not that one. 00:03:57.020 --> 00:04:01.920 And Adam and Eve, of course, go to that one and do what God has asked them not to do. 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:04.640 They've made that choice. 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:06.200 They've tried to blame each other. 00:04:06.540 --> 00:04:11.520 Adam also tries to blame God for putting the woman in the garden, which I think is very far-fetched indeed. 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:15.500 They hide in the bushes, trying to hide from God. 00:04:15.860 --> 00:04:22.800 And in the end, they come out, probably slightly red-faced from the trees, and say, okay, yeah, we screwed up, Lord. 00:04:23.340 --> 00:04:29.660 And amidst God's grief at their choice to disobey him, this is what he does in Genesis 3, verse 21. 00:04:30.180 --> 00:04:34.519 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 00:04:34.519 --> 00:04:41.400 It's just a small sentence in the middle of this huge story of humankind messing things up. 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:42.879 And it's easy to overlook. 00:04:43.339 --> 00:04:46.000 But this shows how generous God is. 00:04:46.159 --> 00:04:48.079 They've already got clothing that they've made for themselves. 00:04:48.899 --> 00:04:52.019 But God thinks that's not good enough for the people that I've made. 00:04:52.299 --> 00:04:54.279 And he clothed them in garments. 00:04:55.000 --> 00:05:00.479 And also, that word clothed that we see is never seen again, that particular version of the word clothed. 00:05:00.479 --> 00:05:08.979 It's only ever seen, again, in the Old Testament when we think of the temple and the intimacy of people worshipping God in the temple. 00:05:08.980 --> 00:05:14.319 That word is used again when we think about the garments that the priests wore in the Old Testament. 00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:15.600 It signified honour. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:17.140 It signified glory. 00:05:17.379 --> 00:05:19.600 It signified intimacy with God. 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:24.900 Here is the Lord God, in the midst of his upset and anger, being generous. 00:05:25.580 --> 00:05:27.300 This is a God being lavish. 00:05:28.280 --> 00:05:30.759 We see abundant hands elsewhere as well. 00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:33.699 If we fast forward to John 21. 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:37.240 And to put this in context, Jesus has just been crucified. 00:05:37.800 --> 00:05:40.180 He's been abandoned by his family and friends. 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:42.180 He's been tortured by the soldiers. 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:43.939 He's gone to the cross. 00:05:44.120 --> 00:05:45.519 And he's risen from the dead. 00:05:46.539 --> 00:05:51.199 And after all that, he goes out to find his disciples. 00:05:52.019 --> 00:05:55.199 Those people that left him in his hour of need. 00:05:55.879 --> 00:05:56.659 And what did he do? 00:05:57.439 --> 00:05:58.939 He rustles up a bit of a barbecue. 00:05:58.939 --> 00:06:00.560 John 21. 00:06:00.899 --> 00:06:03.259 He's on the beach with his homies. 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:04.379 Making a barbecue. 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:05.519 Getting the fish. 00:06:05.819 --> 00:06:06.319 Grilling it. 00:06:06.620 --> 00:06:08.360 What a sign of friendship. 00:06:09.779 --> 00:06:13.680 When we share food with someone, generally it means that we get on with them. 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:15.860 And we want to spend time with them. 00:06:15.899 --> 00:06:18.699 We want to invest in a relationship with them. 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:20.800 But again, there's even more. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:26.040 In John 21, towards the end of the chapter, he talks to Peter. 00:06:26.040 --> 00:06:26.160 Peter. 00:06:26.500 --> 00:06:27.879 And Peter is the disciple. 00:06:28.280 --> 00:06:32.860 Some of you might recall, kind of before Jesus' crucifixion, Peter is skulking around 00:06:32.860 --> 00:06:34.800 the house trying to see what's going on. 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:38.760 And people come up to him and go, I recognise your accent. 00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:40.180 You're from Galilee. 00:06:40.180 --> 00:06:41.780 Are you with that Jesus guy? 00:06:41.819 --> 00:06:42.459 And he goes, no. 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:43.780 No, I wasn't with him. 00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:46.540 And this happens three times. 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:51.340 Peter, three times, says, no, I don't know who Jesus is. 00:06:52.540 --> 00:06:57.960 I would imagine when Jesus goes up to Peter, Peter must have been feeling pretty low. 00:06:57.959 --> 00:07:03.519 When they got eye contact, Peter must have thought, I've really made a mistake. 00:07:05.039 --> 00:07:06.159 What does Jesus do? 00:07:07.180 --> 00:07:10.359 Jesus asks Peter a simple question three times. 00:07:10.459 --> 00:07:13.879 He says, do you love me more than these? 00:07:14.759 --> 00:07:16.859 Do you love me more than these? 00:07:17.219 --> 00:07:18.659 He asks him that three times. 00:07:18.939 --> 00:07:21.179 And we might think, okay, you're making a point here, Jesus. 00:07:21.259 --> 00:07:21.879 Three times. 00:07:21.939 --> 00:07:23.879 You could have asked it once and he's given you the answer. 00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:33.480 But I think Jesus asked him three times, almost to cancel out the three times that Peter denied Jesus. 00:07:34.839 --> 00:07:36.439 What an amazing God we worship. 00:07:36.779 --> 00:07:40.540 A God who goes above and beyond to affirm us. 00:07:40.819 --> 00:07:44.860 A God who goes above and beyond to remind us that our sins are washed away. 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:48.339 That God doesn't dwell in past mistakes. 00:07:48.339 --> 00:07:55.979 1 John 1.9 says, if we're faithful, sorry, if we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us. 00:07:58.039 --> 00:08:01.879 And in our psalm today, we read of the same God generosity. 00:08:02.439 --> 00:08:04.679 A God who is open-handed with forgiveness. 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:11.939 So this morning, if you're feeling a bit like Simon Peter, 00:08:11.939 --> 00:08:16.120 if you're feeling that you can't really look Jesus in the eye this morning 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:18.160 because you've screwed up one too many times, 00:08:18.379 --> 00:08:23.279 the truth is that's a word that I was about to say that I'm not allowed to say in a church. 00:08:23.579 --> 00:08:24.500 But it's not true. 00:08:25.459 --> 00:08:26.480 It's really not true. 00:08:27.139 --> 00:08:31.579 We have a God who is open-handedly generous with his forgiveness. 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:35.740 And actually, when we start telling us that we've gone one step too far 00:08:35.740 --> 00:08:37.279 to be forgiven by Jesus, 00:08:37.480 --> 00:08:39.740 that's a lie straight from the enemy. 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:40.960 It's just not true. 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:43.400 God is open-handed with his forgiveness. 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:47.340 He's generous in meeting our spiritual needs. 00:08:47.420 --> 00:08:48.480 But it doesn't stop there. 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:51.960 We're going to think today as well, from our psalm, 00:08:52.060 --> 00:08:52.960 how he meets our... 00:08:53.900 --> 00:08:55.280 He's open-handed with his provision. 00:08:55.680 --> 00:08:57.639 How he meets physical needs as well. 00:08:57.879 --> 00:08:59.180 And I'm reading from Psalms. 00:08:59.280 --> 00:09:01.320 I think Psalms is a bit of a funny book. 00:09:01.900 --> 00:09:05.740 I think it's almost like we're having a little nosy in David's prayer diary. 00:09:06.300 --> 00:09:08.320 Sometimes I read these psalms and I think, 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:12.000 what, okay, yeah, it's scripture and it's great, 00:09:12.100 --> 00:09:14.680 but I don't get what you're on about, to be honest. 00:09:14.920 --> 00:09:18.280 It takes us through the ups and the downs of the Christian life. 00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:21.339 In some traditions, they say a psalm or two every single day. 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:25.339 And they go through the ups and downs of being really close to God and life being great. 00:09:25.740 --> 00:09:30.259 And then, you know, life being really rubbish and all the rich people getting all the money. 00:09:30.459 --> 00:09:32.220 And Lord, why don't you kill them all? 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:33.439 I'm really angry at the moment. 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:38.720 It gives us an honest insight into times when we're just wrestling with God. 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:40.480 It's honest. 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:41.180 It's gritty. 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:47.139 This one, Psalm 65, I think must have been written when David was having a bit of a good day. 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:49.879 It's full of rejoicing, isn't it? 00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:51.080 Like, Lord, you're great. 00:09:51.160 --> 00:09:51.800 You've done this. 00:09:51.860 --> 00:09:52.360 You've done that. 00:09:52.420 --> 00:09:53.580 You've provided me with this. 00:09:53.680 --> 00:09:55.019 My grain is overflowing. 00:09:56.440 --> 00:09:58.120 It's a good day for David. 00:09:58.120 --> 00:10:01.759 So we read of two things in this psalm. 00:10:01.899 --> 00:10:02.779 Firstly, forgiveness. 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:03.919 We've already thought about that. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:09.960 And in the second half of the psalm, or the kind of last two thirds, we think about God's provision. 00:10:10.379 --> 00:10:12.779 How he gives us things that we need. 00:10:13.019 --> 00:10:14.720 Of how God cares for the land. 00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:15.980 He waters it. 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:17.500 He fills the streams. 00:10:17.639 --> 00:10:19.000 He provides us with grain. 00:10:19.440 --> 00:10:24.840 In comparison to me, not wanting to share my little chocolate bar, God is the opposite. 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:30.160 If God was playing that game, he'd be straight in there and giving the chocolate to everyone else, wouldn't he? 00:10:30.780 --> 00:10:33.480 He's a God of abundant provision. 00:10:36.060 --> 00:10:42.680 When we look at this psalm, we think it might have been written for the equivalent of the Jewish harvest festival. 00:10:42.800 --> 00:10:45.240 So they didn't have a harvest festival like we sometimes celebrate. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:48.240 But there were three main festivals in the Jewish calendar. 00:10:48.700 --> 00:10:51.840 The festival of Passover, or Weeks, or Tabernacles. 00:10:52.580 --> 00:10:53.340 Three different ones. 00:10:53.340 --> 00:10:56.259 And we think maybe the psalm was written for one of them. 00:10:56.340 --> 00:10:57.100 We're not quite sure. 00:10:57.300 --> 00:10:58.259 But that would make sense. 00:10:58.700 --> 00:11:01.780 Because it's a time when we're celebrating how good God is. 00:11:02.560 --> 00:11:06.139 But a bit of a history lesson, if I might kind of go down that tangent. 00:11:06.259 --> 00:11:06.940 And it is relevant. 00:11:07.580 --> 00:11:13.500 That if we look at this psalm in a bit more detail, we see part of it in Isaiah 37. 00:11:14.600 --> 00:11:16.840 You'll have to believe me, because I didn't put it on the screen, I don't think. 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:19.960 But when you get home, plough through Isaiah 37, a bit of light reading. 00:11:19.960 --> 00:11:24.000 And you'll see snippets, word for word, from this psalm. 00:11:24.899 --> 00:11:30.759 Which makes us think that we can maybe put this in a specific time in history. 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:33.960 Which was around 700 years before Jesus. 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:35.840 701 BC. 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:40.180 And there was a huge assault going on by the Assyrians on Jerusalem. 00:11:40.179 --> 00:11:44.299 The people of God were under massive attack. 00:11:45.439 --> 00:11:51.279 And you can imagine when sieges were going on, or when battles were going on, it would be hard to get your food. 00:11:51.599 --> 00:11:53.219 It would be hard to get provisions in. 00:11:53.439 --> 00:11:57.819 The enemy might block up the streams or put stuff in it, so you can't get your water. 00:11:58.199 --> 00:11:59.839 Maybe that's what's happened in Clevedon. 00:12:00.139 --> 00:12:02.599 Maybe those Bristolians have done something to the water supply. 00:12:02.839 --> 00:12:03.659 I don't know. 00:12:04.539 --> 00:12:05.819 I haven't done anything, I promise. 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:06.379 It wasn't me. 00:12:06.379 --> 00:12:09.820 So back then, battle was bad enough. 00:12:10.139 --> 00:12:12.320 But you couldn't get your provisions in either. 00:12:14.200 --> 00:12:15.939 Well, thanks for the history lesson, David. 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:18.279 I hear you saying that's very interesting, but so what? 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:24.980 Well, when we put this psalm into that context, I think it gives us a bit of a deeper insight, actually. 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:29.039 The assurance that when we feel the invaders are coming, 00:12:29.340 --> 00:12:34.620 when we feel either spiritually we're under attack, or just life is getting us down a bit, 00:12:34.620 --> 00:12:38.480 God is abundant with his provision. 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:44.899 That when we feel that our basics of food and water, or whatever it is that is the basic of our life, 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:47.360 whatever building blocks we have at the bottom of our life, 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:54.159 when we feel that's under attack, this psalm reminds me that God's provision is enough. 00:12:55.060 --> 00:12:57.580 God's provision is enough. 00:12:57.580 --> 00:13:01.460 So we're seeing that God provides for us spiritually. 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:04.620 He's abundant with his forgiveness to us. 00:13:05.160 --> 00:13:09.940 And now we've got the sense that as well as that, God enjoys providing nourishment for us. 00:13:10.259 --> 00:13:11.720 He provides our needs. 00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:14.060 He's the God of the harvest, the God of provision. 00:13:14.059 --> 00:13:21.279 But a word of warning here as well, unless we go too far with this God gives us everything we need thing, 00:13:21.779 --> 00:13:26.039 there's a bit of a teaching going on in some parts of the church which can be a bit dangerous, 00:13:26.239 --> 00:13:28.439 called, well I think, called the prosperity gospel. 00:13:29.079 --> 00:13:33.079 And this basically takes this a step too far, I think. 00:13:33.479 --> 00:13:37.599 And it says that God wants you to have the best clothes. 00:13:38.219 --> 00:13:40.059 God wants you to have the biggest house. 00:13:41.079 --> 00:13:43.259 God wants you to have that promotion at work. 00:13:43.259 --> 00:13:47.179 You can almost see me on television with the donate here, can't you, going underneath here. 00:13:47.419 --> 00:13:50.580 God wants you to have the better job. 00:13:51.500 --> 00:13:55.039 God wants you to have a beautiful face with shiny white teeth. 00:13:55.580 --> 00:14:00.319 Well, and all you have to do is believe hard enough and you'll get it. 00:14:00.659 --> 00:14:03.860 Or say the right words in faith and you'll get it. 00:14:05.620 --> 00:14:09.419 I don't think that's what I understand scripture to say. 00:14:09.419 --> 00:14:13.639 Yes, God provides us with what we need because he's a loving God. 00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:15.000 He's always faithful. 00:14:15.139 --> 00:14:17.000 He faithfully shares the harvest with us. 00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:21.459 But I don't think that means he always wants us to have the best clothes. 00:14:21.659 --> 00:14:22.839 Or the biggest house. 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:25.139 Or the poshest homes in the neighbourhood. 00:14:25.139 --> 00:14:30.439 Because there's something else that God invites us to share in as well. 00:14:30.740 --> 00:14:33.240 And it's something that I don't really want to share in. 00:14:33.899 --> 00:14:37.199 The Holy Spirit was really challenging me when I was thinking about this talk. 00:14:37.939 --> 00:14:43.559 But the scripture clearly says that he wants us to share in suffering as well. 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:46.120 Romans 8, 17. 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:48.679 Actually, if I can go back a sentence. 00:14:49.060 --> 00:14:51.460 I don't think the Lord wants us to share in suffering. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:53.799 That's a whole different sermon series. 00:14:54.159 --> 00:14:59.580 But I think there's a sense that as we walk with the Lord, stuff will happen that isn't good. 00:14:59.980 --> 00:15:02.000 And for some reason, God allows it to happen. 00:15:03.460 --> 00:15:04.460 Romans 8, 17. 00:15:04.560 --> 00:15:06.299 This is Paul writing to the church in Rome. 00:15:06.299 --> 00:15:12.899 If we are children, then we are co-heirs with Christ. 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:15.279 If indeed we share his suffering. 00:15:15.620 --> 00:15:19.620 In order that we might share his glory. 00:15:20.279 --> 00:15:22.519 Yes, the Lord shares his glory with us. 00:15:22.599 --> 00:15:23.379 But what is glory? 00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:26.120 It's not glory that the world sees as being glorious. 00:15:26.899 --> 00:15:30.059 God's glory is two hands nailed to a cross. 00:15:30.059 --> 00:15:36.240 God's glory is the God that made the world humbling himself to be a servant for us. 00:15:37.120 --> 00:15:40.459 Earlier we saw how the Lord shares forgiveness with us. 00:15:40.779 --> 00:15:46.000 That forgiveness is only possible through the death of Jesus on the cross. 00:15:46.299 --> 00:15:54.339 And sometimes our walk with him, our path will lead us into situations where we share in his suffering. 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:56.939 I think that's a better way of looking at it. 00:15:57.299 --> 00:15:58.859 The Lord doesn't want us to suffer. 00:15:59.059 --> 00:16:02.059 The Lord allows us to share in that suffering. 00:16:02.199 --> 00:16:05.099 And I know from conversations I've had with some of you guys over the last week, 00:16:05.100 --> 00:16:07.120 that's quite real, isn't it? 00:16:07.139 --> 00:16:07.820 It's quite gritty. 00:16:08.480 --> 00:16:09.139 It's quite real. 00:16:11.580 --> 00:16:17.120 We might know what it's like to be abandoned by family or betrayed by friends. 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:18.379 So does he. 00:16:18.379 --> 00:16:26.439 When we know what it's like to be in pain, be on measure, or we're tempted to despair, so does Jesus. 00:16:26.820 --> 00:16:31.419 When we're so close to giving up that we're almost weeping drops of blood, 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:35.100 we can take comfort from our God who is in Gethsemane saying, 00:16:35.259 --> 00:16:37.399 please Lord, I don't want to go through this. 00:16:37.779 --> 00:16:40.159 Your will be done, but I'd really rather not. 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:48.419 There are currently 20 million believers across 50 countries who risk their lives daily for Jesus, 00:16:48.579 --> 00:16:50.379 who know what it means to share in suffering. 00:16:50.819 --> 00:16:55.899 3,000 Christians in the last six months or so across the world have been killed for their faith, 00:16:56.519 --> 00:16:59.139 sharing in the death of Jesus Christ. 00:17:00.500 --> 00:17:02.860 It's not a comfortable message, I'm afraid, this bit. 00:17:02.860 --> 00:17:08.500 If I was going to write this in a psalm, it wouldn't probably sound like the good day that David was having. 00:17:08.839 --> 00:17:14.779 And it's a huge challenge for me personally to be able to say, as Paul did in his letter to Philippians, 00:17:15.059 --> 00:17:16.640 yeah, I want to know Christ. 00:17:17.700 --> 00:17:18.620 That bit's easy, isn't it? 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:19.640 Yeah, I want to know Jesus. 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:22.799 And then Paul writes, almost without a comma, 00:17:23.140 --> 00:17:24.980 I want to know the power of his resurrection. 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:26.079 Yeah, that sounds good. 00:17:26.579 --> 00:17:27.640 I like that bit too. 00:17:28.220 --> 00:17:31.880 And then he says, and I want to participate in his sufferings. 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:37.640 I want to participate in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:41.900 Oh, not sure I want that bit actually, Lord. 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:43.460 Can I come back to you on that? 00:17:44.340 --> 00:17:46.480 And there's a challenge for me, my friends, this morning. 00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:49.940 Am I willing to embrace the suffering of Christ, 00:17:50.100 --> 00:17:53.240 that I might also embrace the power of his resurrection? 00:17:53.600 --> 00:17:57.400 I know that I'm someone, that as soon as someone mentions they've got a poorly elbow, 00:17:57.700 --> 00:17:59.320 or a bit of a headache, I'm straight in there. 00:17:59.320 --> 00:18:00.740 Let's pray, let's pray. 00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:02.240 Come on, let's see what God can do. 00:18:03.259 --> 00:18:07.980 I know that I'm someone who's quick to see the delivering power of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:12.740 But I'm probably, if I'm honest, not as quick to embrace his loneliness, 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:16.579 or his despair, or his helplessness. 00:18:18.420 --> 00:18:22.359 As I said, I'm not saying that the Lord loves it when we are lonely, 00:18:22.620 --> 00:18:23.559 or when we suffer. 00:18:23.559 --> 00:18:30.099 But I don't think he allows us to have perfect, shiny lives either. 00:18:31.419 --> 00:18:34.659 And this morning, it's a strange encouragement for you, 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:36.700 but this morning, if you are one of those in the valley, 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:40.159 if you're one of those who are so close to despair, 00:18:40.399 --> 00:18:42.179 or one of those really close to giving up, 00:18:42.579 --> 00:18:46.579 be encouraged that the Lord Jesus is there sharing with you. 00:18:46.579 --> 00:18:48.899 He's sharing the valley with you. 00:18:48.980 --> 00:18:50.619 He's sharing the suffering with you. 00:18:50.819 --> 00:18:54.220 He walks alongside you in the valley. 00:18:56.139 --> 00:18:58.439 He's generous in his love to you this morning. 00:18:58.619 --> 00:19:00.279 He's generous to share his grace, 00:19:00.619 --> 00:19:03.960 and he's generous to share his time with you. 00:19:04.019 --> 00:19:05.919 His spirit is here in this place. 00:19:05.920 --> 00:19:10.640 But this morning, we've thought about he's open-handed with his forgiveness. 00:19:11.700 --> 00:19:12.940 And I want to reiterate this morning, 00:19:13.019 --> 00:19:16.720 if you feel that actually maybe you're one step too far from the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:19:16.800 --> 00:19:17.460 that's not true. 00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:20.420 And this morning might be an opportunity for you 00:19:20.420 --> 00:19:23.259 to give your life to Jesus Christ for the first time, 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:26.500 or maybe to have a mark in the sand and say, 00:19:26.600 --> 00:19:27.519 actually, you know what? 00:19:28.340 --> 00:19:29.700 I've been walking with you for a while. 00:19:29.779 --> 00:19:30.420 I've been struggling. 00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:31.680 Yeah. 00:19:32.259 --> 00:19:33.380 Let's try and do this again. 00:19:33.380 --> 00:19:37.080 We worship a God who's open-handed with his provision. 00:19:39.500 --> 00:19:41.280 And he's open-handed with his suffering. 00:19:41.560 --> 00:19:43.080 And I go back to my first question. 00:19:43.500 --> 00:19:45.460 What is God wanting you? 00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:49.540 What is God wanting me to share in this morning? 00:19:50.780 --> 00:19:54.820 Maybe he's encouraging you that his generous grace is in us. 00:19:55.460 --> 00:19:57.440 Maybe he's encouraging you not to worry. 00:19:59.420 --> 00:20:00.160 Don't worry. 00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:03.920 He will provide all you need. 00:20:04.980 --> 00:20:07.779 Or maybe, like me, he's challenging you. 00:20:08.840 --> 00:20:11.360 If you want to see my glory, he says, 00:20:12.160 --> 00:20:16.360 maybe you have to know what it means to share in suffering sometimes too. 00:20:17.320 --> 00:20:19.440 Maybe he's encouraging you as you struggle in the valley 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:22.040 that he's good and that he shares with you 00:20:22.040 --> 00:20:24.240 and knows what you're going through. 00:20:24.359 --> 00:20:25.240 You're laughing. 00:20:25.380 --> 00:20:26.859 I mean, it's hard to see if you are now 00:20:26.859 --> 00:20:29.799 that sometimes you're willing to make I try to think. 00:20:30.059 --> 00:20:31.400 To engage him in the valley, 00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:50.460 and I have to