WEBVTT

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 Our reading today is from Ephesians chapter 4.

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 Starting in verse 1, we read,

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 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord,

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 urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

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 with all humility and gentleness,

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 with patience, bearing with one another in love,

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 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,

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 there is one body and one Spirit,

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 just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call,

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 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

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 one God and Father of all,

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 who is over all and through all and in all.

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 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.

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 Therefore, it says,

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 when he ascended on high, he led a host of captives,

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 and he gave gifts to men.

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 In saying he ascended,

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 what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?

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 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens,

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 that he might fill all things.

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 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,

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 to equip the saints for the work of ministry,

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 for building up the body of Christ,

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 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

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 to mature manhood,

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 to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

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 so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves

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 and carried about by every wind of doctrine,

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 by human cunning,

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 by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

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 Rather, speaking the truth in love,

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 we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head,

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 into Christ,

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 from whom the whole body,

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 joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped,

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 when each part is working properly,

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 makes the body grow,

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 so that it builds itself up in love.

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 And this is the word of God.

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 Great. Thank you, Karen.

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 Let's pray together as we come to this passage

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 and ask God to speak to us.

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 Why don't you join me?

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 Father, this morning as we come to your word,

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 this really amazing passage,

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 I pray, God, that you will speak to us, God.

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 And don't just speak to our minds, but speak to our hearts.

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 We ask, God, that you pour the Holy Spirit out upon us,

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 that your word will come alive.

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 It will take deep root in our heart.

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 God, won't you both encourage us with the good news of Jesus,

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 but also challenge us, God,

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 to become more Christ-like,

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 to become like you.

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 God, we want our church,

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 and we pray for the church in Hong Kong, God,

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 that we as a citywide church

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 will become mature,

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 as this passage calls us to,

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 that we will grow to the fullness of the stature of Christ,

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 that we will become more and more like Jesus.

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 God, I pray, help us to do that.

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 And so this morning, equip us and show us, God,

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 and call us to yourself.

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 God, we know that many of us, God,

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 are going through tough times, Lord,

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 discouraged, lost a loved one,

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 going through difficulty.

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 God, this morning, won't you come and minister to us,

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 we pray, Lord.

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 We want to have the risen Lord,

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 the ascended Christ,

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 lift our heads, God,

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 and to see you,

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 and to be encouraged and full of hope.

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 And so, God, we ask you to come and do that,

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 we pray.

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 In your wonderful and gracious name,

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 amen.

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 I'm not sure if you remember being in high school.

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 For some of us, that was a long time ago.

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 Nate, that was just a few years ago.

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 Come on, you can't shake your head like that.

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 I remember getting towards the end of high school,

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 and the big question is,

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 what do you want to do with your life?

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 Where are you going to go?

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 What are you going to study?

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 What is your calling?

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 What is your purpose?

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 How are you not going to waste your life?

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 You've got these big questions about,

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 what are your next steps?

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 What trajectory do you want to go in?

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 Maybe some of us here are kind of like,

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 mid-stage through life,

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 you know, 45, 50,

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 and you're wondering,

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 how do I want to spend the second half of my life?

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 How do I want to not waste my life?

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 What is my calling and purpose in life?

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 To have a vision,

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 or clarity of purpose,

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 or calling,

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 is such a clarifying and liberating thing.

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 You know what you can say yes to,

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 you know what you can say no to,

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 it's so clarifying to know your calling in life.

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 Well, in this passage that we're going to look at today,

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 Paul gives us,

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 in this incredibly important passage,

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 a real sense of purpose and vision

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 and calling for the church.

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 He tells us what it is that the church

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 is called to be and called to do.

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 In fact, this word calling

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 is actually the word he uses.

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 Look at verse 1.

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 He says,

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 I, Paul, the prisoner of the Lord,

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 urge you to walk in a manner

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 worthy of your calling,

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 there's our word,

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 to which you have been called.

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 He says the same thing in verse 4.

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 He says,

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 You were called to the one hope

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 which belongs to your call.

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 Okay, so Paul is giving this church,

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 the Ephesians,

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 a vision for their calling as a church.

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 Over the last six weeks

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 as we've been working through Ephesians,

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 we've seen that God has this grand cosmic plan

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 for the entire universe

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 to unite all things together under Christ,

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 1 verse 10.

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 And the church,

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 he's been alluding to the fact

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 that the church has some purpose

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 in this calling.

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 Today he's going to get really practical

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 and show us what is the calling of the church

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 and what role it plays

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 in this cosmic plan and purpose of God.

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 And so Paul's big idea is this,

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 to the church is called

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 to build one another up

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 so that together we can be a unified,

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 united,

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 and mature body of Christ.

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 Okay, that's what Paul's going to call us to today.

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 To build one another up

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 so that together we can be a mature,

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 unified body of Christ.

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 So look at what he says here.

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 He says,

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 I urge you to walk with one another

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 in a manner worthy of the calling

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 to which you've been called.

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 So Paul wants us to walk out this calling.

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 It's not just theory

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 that you have on your website.

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 It's actually something we practice.

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 And he says,

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 verse 2,

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 with all humility.

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 Okay, that's a good thing.

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 Humility means self-forgetfulness.

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 Remember C.S. Lewis' famous quote,

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 to be humble is not to think less of yourself.

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 It's just to think about yourself

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 less of the time.

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 So with humility,

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 with gentleness,

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 with patience.

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 Why do we need patience?

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 Because sometimes people test our patience.

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 And he says,

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 bearing with one another in love.

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 Another translation says,

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 making allowances for one another's faults.

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 Which is such a great description.

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 That doesn't mean we just turn a blind eye

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 to one another's sin,

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 or hypocrisy,

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 or willful wrongdoing.

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 We don't just pretend that what is wrong

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 is not wrong.

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 What it means is,

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 we don't need to go and point out

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 every person's fault all the time.

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 Somebody does something that bothers you,

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 and you kind of say,

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 I can let this one go.

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 It's alright.

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 I don't need to go and point out

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 every person's fault.

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 So here he's got this amazing description.

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 Humble, patient, gentle,

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 bearing with one another in love.

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 Sign me up for that kind of church, right?

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 Now, why should we pursue these characteristics?

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 Well, look at verse 3.

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 He says,

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 being eager to maintain

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 the unity of the Spirit

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 in the bond of peace.

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 And that makes sense.

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 As we are humble, patient,

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 bearing with one another,

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 it will contribute towards this unity

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 of the body of Christ.

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 Christ's body chooses the way of humility,

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 and patience,

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 and gentleness,

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 and graciousness,

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 because our unity,

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 our oneness,

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 is at stake.

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 What happens when a church is marked

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 by self-importance,

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 not humility,

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 by impatience,

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 by pointing out everyone's faults?

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 It's not unity.

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 It's division, right?

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 It's not oneness.

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 It's fighting.

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 It's friction in the church.

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 But Paul says,

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 actually,

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 behave like this

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 because your unity,

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 your oneness,

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 is at stake.

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 And notice,

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 it's not a unity that we create.

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 It's a unity that's given to us

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 in the gospel.

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 Paul says,

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 maintain the unity

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 that's been given to you

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 by the Spirit.

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 So when a church forms,

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 let's say,

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 watermark,

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 we plant a new church,

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 let's say,

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 we don't get the core team together

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 and say,

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 how can we foster,

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 how can we create

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 a sense of unity?

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 Actually,

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 the unity is inherent

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 in the gospel.

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 We don't say,

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 let's go on some team building exercises,

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 or let's think how we can foster unity.

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 Actually,

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 the unity is inherent

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 in the gospel.

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 Our unity is established

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 by the gospel.

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 Christians are united

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 by the fact that all of us

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 have a shared history.

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 It's the fact that we are sinners

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 saved by grace.

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 Ephesians 2 says,

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 we were once dead in our sins

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 and now we've been made alive in Christ.

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 Our shared history of depravity

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 and our shared oneness

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 in coming together in Christ by grace

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 builds and fosters a unity

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 in and of itself.

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 Maybe another way of saying this

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 is an analogy.

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 Think of a group of people

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 that were on a boat

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 out at sea, right?

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 Tragic situation,

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 waves come,

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 tip the boat over,

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 they don't have life jackets,

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 they're all going to die,

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 they're all going to drown.

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 But miraculously,

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 a boat comes past,

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 sees them in peril,

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 rescues them,

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 and saves them.

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 That group of people

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 don't need to foster

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 a sense of unity, right?

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 Forever,

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 their shared history

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 is going to bind them together.

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 There's something

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 that they've experienced together

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 that brings them together.

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 Well, Paul says the same thing.

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 Our inherent history

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 fosters a sense of unity.

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 And yet,

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 because of our sinful hearts,

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 we have this tendency

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 to break the unity,

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 to undermine this gospel unity.

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 And so Paul says,

00:10:59.180 --> 00:11:00.620
 be eager to maintain

00:11:00.620 --> 00:11:02.020
 the unity of the Spirit

00:11:02.020 --> 00:11:03.060
 that's been given you

00:11:03.060 --> 00:11:04.280
 in the gospel.

00:11:05.620 --> 00:11:06.860
 But here's another reason

00:11:06.860 --> 00:11:07.680
 that Paul gives.

00:11:07.760 --> 00:11:09.480
 Look at verse 4 to 6.

00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:10.560
 He says,

00:11:10.680 --> 00:11:12.220
 the church should be unified,

00:11:12.500 --> 00:11:13.120
 united,

00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:14.539
 one,

00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:16.920
 because that's who God is

00:11:16.920 --> 00:11:18.000
 and that's what God

00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:19.259
 is doing in the world.

00:11:19.639 --> 00:11:20.320
 Look at how he says

00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:21.180
 in verse 4 to 6.

00:11:21.220 --> 00:11:21.879
 It's almost written

00:11:21.879 --> 00:11:23.320
 like a creed,

00:11:23.420 --> 00:11:24.259
 an ancient creed.

00:11:24.700 --> 00:11:24.940
 He says,

00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:25.980
 there is one body,

00:11:26.180 --> 00:11:27.120
 one spirit.

00:11:27.539 --> 00:11:28.139
 Verse 5,

00:11:28.259 --> 00:11:28.960
 one Lord,

00:11:29.080 --> 00:11:29.659
 one faith,

00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:30.460
 one baptism.

00:11:30.620 --> 00:11:31.620
 We sang about that earlier.

00:11:32.060 --> 00:11:33.700
 One God and Father of all

00:11:33.700 --> 00:11:34.759
 who is over all

00:11:34.759 --> 00:11:35.620
 and through all

00:11:35.620 --> 00:11:36.700
 and in all.

00:11:37.500 --> 00:11:38.480
 And Paul's point is,

00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:39.659
 God is not divided.

00:11:40.680 --> 00:11:42.420
 God doesn't parcel himself out,

00:11:42.460 --> 00:11:43.779
 a little bit of the divine being

00:11:43.779 --> 00:11:44.100
 in there,

00:11:44.200 --> 00:11:44.860
 a little bit there,

00:11:44.920 --> 00:11:45.460
 a little bit there.

00:11:45.700 --> 00:11:46.639
 God is one.

00:11:47.019 --> 00:11:47.920
 What God is doing

00:11:47.920 --> 00:11:49.120
 is he's uniting all things

00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:50.000
 together under Christ.

00:11:50.440 --> 00:11:51.800
 Because of who God is,

00:11:51.899 --> 00:11:53.300
 we as the billboard

00:11:53.300 --> 00:11:54.300
 of God's grace

00:11:54.300 --> 00:11:56.060
 should also be one.

00:11:56.879 --> 00:11:57.980
 It doesn't help if we say,

00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:01.220
 God is this one supreme being,

00:12:01.580 --> 00:12:02.399
 but we are divided

00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:02.960
 and fighting.

00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:04.120
 No, no,

00:12:04.180 --> 00:12:05.700
 we may be a picture of God,

00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:07.139
 a billboard of his grace

00:12:07.139 --> 00:12:08.039
 and the gospel.

00:12:09.740 --> 00:12:10.860
 Think of this.

00:12:10.919 --> 00:12:11.580
 I don't know how many of you

00:12:11.580 --> 00:12:12.100
 have been to

00:12:12.100 --> 00:12:12.919
 one of those

00:12:12.919 --> 00:12:14.799
 majestic cathedrals

00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:15.439
 in Europe.

00:12:16.379 --> 00:12:17.340
 Europeans know how to build

00:12:17.340 --> 00:12:18.399
 great cathedrals,

00:12:18.500 --> 00:12:18.720
 right?

00:12:19.220 --> 00:12:20.120
 St. John's Cathedral

00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:21.199
 in Central

00:12:21.199 --> 00:12:22.500
 kind of does

00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:23.679
 something of this effect,

00:12:23.779 --> 00:12:24.980
 but not quite the same effect.

00:12:25.419 --> 00:12:26.279
 You walk in

00:12:26.279 --> 00:12:26.860
 and you are

00:12:26.860 --> 00:12:27.919
 wowed,

00:12:28.319 --> 00:12:29.080
 astounded

00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:31.019
 by the grandeur

00:12:31.019 --> 00:12:32.240
 and the majesty

00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:32.819
 of it.

00:12:33.819 --> 00:12:35.139
 Cathedrals are designed

00:12:35.139 --> 00:12:36.519
 to take your breath away.

00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:37.740
 You walk in

00:12:37.740 --> 00:12:38.139
 and you are meant

00:12:38.139 --> 00:12:39.500
 to be astounded

00:12:39.500 --> 00:12:40.480
 by the majesty.

00:12:41.319 --> 00:12:41.899
 And the reason

00:12:41.899 --> 00:12:42.460
 they are designed

00:12:42.460 --> 00:12:42.860
 like that

00:12:42.860 --> 00:12:43.319
 is it is meant

00:12:43.319 --> 00:12:44.039
 to give us a sense

00:12:44.039 --> 00:12:44.819
 of the majesty

00:12:44.819 --> 00:12:45.419
 of God.

00:12:45.860 --> 00:12:46.919
 The church building

00:12:46.919 --> 00:12:48.039
 is meant to reflect

00:12:48.039 --> 00:12:49.179
 who God is,

00:12:49.240 --> 00:12:49.539
 right?

00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:51.799
 I am not sure

00:12:51.799 --> 00:12:52.639
 if you remember

00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:55.000
 February 2011,

00:12:55.419 --> 00:12:56.039
 Christchurch,

00:12:56.139 --> 00:12:56.639
 New Zealand.

00:12:56.799 --> 00:12:57.480
 An earthquake

00:12:57.480 --> 00:12:59.539
 rocks Christchurch.

00:13:00.059 --> 00:13:01.960
 And the grand cathedral

00:13:01.960 --> 00:13:03.259
 in Christchurch

00:13:03.259 --> 00:13:05.139
 is left in ruins,

00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:05.500
 right?

00:13:05.920 --> 00:13:07.280
 Is a pile of rubble.

00:13:08.400 --> 00:13:09.060
 And Paul says

00:13:09.060 --> 00:13:10.139
 that's what happens

00:13:10.139 --> 00:13:10.780
 when the church

00:13:10.780 --> 00:13:11.480
 is divided,

00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:12.259
 when we're fighting.

00:13:12.660 --> 00:13:13.160
 This church

00:13:13.160 --> 00:13:13.660
 that's meant to be

00:13:13.660 --> 00:13:14.879
 a picture of the majesty

00:13:14.879 --> 00:13:15.720
 and the grandeur

00:13:15.720 --> 00:13:17.420
 and the oneness of God,

00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:19.980
 actually the church

00:13:19.980 --> 00:13:20.759
 as a cathedral

00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:21.879
 is left in ruins.

00:13:23.259 --> 00:13:24.100
 Well, think about it

00:13:24.100 --> 00:13:24.480
 this way.

00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:25.980
 20 years ago,

00:13:26.040 --> 00:13:27.100
 my parents were part

00:13:27.100 --> 00:13:27.740
 of a church.

00:13:28.019 --> 00:13:29.060
 It was a small church

00:13:29.059 --> 00:13:30.579
 and the church

00:13:30.579 --> 00:13:31.259
 there was lots

00:13:31.259 --> 00:13:31.879
 of fighting

00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:32.539
 and friction

00:13:32.539 --> 00:13:33.859
 and animosity

00:13:33.859 --> 00:13:34.539
 and division

00:13:34.539 --> 00:13:35.479
 and talking

00:13:35.479 --> 00:13:36.719
 behind people's backs

00:13:36.719 --> 00:13:37.779
 and everyone

00:13:37.779 --> 00:13:38.579
 would come to church

00:13:38.579 --> 00:13:39.179
 on a Sunday

00:13:39.179 --> 00:13:41.219
 smiling and all wonderful

00:13:41.219 --> 00:13:42.739
 but behind the scenes

00:13:42.739 --> 00:13:43.619
 there was lots

00:13:43.619 --> 00:13:44.219
 of friction.

00:13:45.399 --> 00:13:45.779
 And one night

00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:47.099
 my dad had a dream

00:13:47.099 --> 00:13:49.000
 and in this dream

00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:50.399
 he saw a picture

00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:51.099
 of a bride.

00:13:51.399 --> 00:13:51.539
 You know,

00:13:51.779 --> 00:13:52.659
 the Bible describes

00:13:52.659 --> 00:13:53.279
 the church

00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:54.559
 as the bride of Christ

00:13:54.559 --> 00:13:56.719
 but this bride's dress

00:13:56.719 --> 00:13:57.639
 was in tatters.

00:13:57.799 --> 00:13:58.659
 It was being torn

00:13:58.659 --> 00:13:59.259
 apart

00:13:59.259 --> 00:14:00.519
 and shredded

00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:02.399
 and he woke up

00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:04.100
 with such a heavy heart

00:14:04.100 --> 00:14:05.799
 saying the church

00:14:05.799 --> 00:14:06.219
 is meant to be

00:14:06.219 --> 00:14:07.879
 this radiant picture

00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:08.779
 of the majesty

00:14:08.779 --> 00:14:09.439
 of God

00:14:09.439 --> 00:14:10.980
 but all our fighting

00:14:10.980 --> 00:14:11.579
 and our tearing

00:14:11.579 --> 00:14:12.519
 each other apart

00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:13.759
 we've left the picture

00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:14.799
 of God in tatters,

00:14:14.939 --> 00:14:15.179
 right?

00:14:16.100 --> 00:14:17.639
 And that's Paul's

00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:18.519
 argument here.

00:14:18.579 --> 00:14:18.879
 He's saying

00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:20.039
 we've got one Lord,

00:14:20.139 --> 00:14:20.779
 one gospel,

00:14:20.980 --> 00:14:22.100
 one God and Father.

00:14:22.819 --> 00:14:23.579
 That's why the Bible

00:14:23.579 --> 00:14:24.620
 says unity

00:14:24.620 --> 00:14:25.439
 and community

00:14:25.439 --> 00:14:26.159
 and restoring

00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:27.139
 damaged relationships

00:14:27.139 --> 00:14:28.399
 is such a big deal

00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:28.980
 in the Bible.

00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:30.139
 It's not just

00:14:30.139 --> 00:14:31.399
 this impossible ideal

00:14:31.399 --> 00:14:32.279
 that we talk about

00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:33.019
 but nobody ever

00:14:33.019 --> 00:14:33.799
 really attains.

00:14:34.139 --> 00:14:35.240
 It's so important

00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:35.699
 to God

00:14:35.699 --> 00:14:36.480
 because it's a picture

00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:37.600
 of who He is

00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:39.360
 and what the church is.

00:14:40.079 --> 00:14:40.399
 Yes,

00:14:40.539 --> 00:14:41.039
 the Trinity

00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:42.039
 is Father,

00:14:42.199 --> 00:14:42.360
 Son,

00:14:42.419 --> 00:14:42.799
 and Spirit

00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:43.919
 but there's this

00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:46.220
 unbelievable unity

00:14:46.220 --> 00:14:46.819
 and oneness

00:14:46.819 --> 00:14:48.100
 even within the community

00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:48.799
 of the Trinity

00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:50.019
 and the church

00:14:50.019 --> 00:14:51.259
 is meant to picture that

00:14:51.259 --> 00:14:52.539
 and so Paul says

00:14:52.539 --> 00:14:54.139
 therefore let your

00:14:54.139 --> 00:14:55.360
 relationships put the

00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:56.240
 beauty and the

00:14:56.240 --> 00:14:57.360
 oneness of God

00:14:57.360 --> 00:14:58.080
 on display.

00:14:58.919 --> 00:14:59.620
 Let the church be

00:14:59.620 --> 00:15:01.179
 a billboard of His grace,

00:15:01.259 --> 00:15:02.019
 of His oneness,

00:15:02.120 --> 00:15:03.360
 of His majesty.

00:15:03.539 --> 00:15:04.980
 Let it be a cathedral

00:15:04.980 --> 00:15:06.240
 of gospel grace.

00:15:07.340 --> 00:15:07.980
 Therefore he says

00:15:07.980 --> 00:15:08.899
 be eager,

00:15:09.620 --> 00:15:10.700
 maintain the unity

00:15:10.700 --> 00:15:11.460
 of the Spirit

00:15:11.460 --> 00:15:12.720
 that is given to us

00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:13.240
 in the gospel.

00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:14.980
 Okay,

00:15:15.080 --> 00:15:15.779
 does that make sense

00:15:15.779 --> 00:15:16.240
 so far?

00:15:17.159 --> 00:15:17.519
 Now,

00:15:17.860 --> 00:15:19.500
 how do we do that?

00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:21.120
 How do we maintain

00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:21.639
 this unity?

00:15:21.779 --> 00:15:21.879
 I mean,

00:15:21.899 --> 00:15:22.919
 do we just beat each other

00:15:22.919 --> 00:15:23.379
 over the head

00:15:23.379 --> 00:15:24.399
 and say be united?

00:15:25.480 --> 00:15:25.840
 No,

00:15:25.899 --> 00:15:26.019
 no,

00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:26.980
 that's not how we do it.

00:15:27.879 --> 00:15:28.759
 What should we do?

00:15:28.840 --> 00:15:29.399
 Should we go to more

00:15:29.399 --> 00:15:30.560
 team building exercises?

00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:31.840
 Maybe we should all sign up

00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:32.899
 for dragon boat racing

00:15:32.899 --> 00:15:33.299
 because that,

00:15:33.379 --> 00:15:33.580
 you know,

00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:34.180
 is really going to

00:15:34.180 --> 00:15:34.820
 pull us together.

00:15:35.539 --> 00:15:37.060
 How should we do this?

00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:38.519
 Well,

00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:40.000
 Paul in the rest

00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:40.879
 of this section

00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:42.340
 gives us a clear answer

00:15:42.340 --> 00:15:43.259
 and this is his answer.

00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:44.279
 He says unity

00:15:44.279 --> 00:15:45.799
 is not something

00:15:45.799 --> 00:15:46.699
 that you foster

00:15:46.699 --> 00:15:47.839
 or manufacture

00:15:47.839 --> 00:15:49.279
 or coerce.

00:15:49.779 --> 00:15:51.579
 It actually is the fruit

00:15:51.579 --> 00:15:53.099
 or comes as a result

00:15:53.099 --> 00:15:54.740
 of spiritual maturity

00:15:54.740 --> 00:15:56.759
 and that happens

00:15:56.759 --> 00:15:57.879
 as you speak the gospel

00:15:57.879 --> 00:15:58.679
 to one another.

00:15:59.679 --> 00:15:59.839
 Okay,

00:15:59.879 --> 00:16:00.699
 unity is not something

00:16:00.699 --> 00:16:02.099
 you can force or coerce.

00:16:02.459 --> 00:16:03.419
 It's a fruit,

00:16:03.539 --> 00:16:04.159
 a result

00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:05.719
 of spiritual maturity

00:16:05.719 --> 00:16:06.959
 and that happens

00:16:06.959 --> 00:16:08.339
 as we point one another

00:16:08.339 --> 00:16:09.120
 to Christ

00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:10.359
 and speak the gospel

00:16:10.359 --> 00:16:11.000
 over each other

00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:13.059
 and that actually makes sense.

00:16:13.659 --> 00:16:13.979
 I don't know

00:16:13.979 --> 00:16:14.559
 if any of you

00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:15.620
 grew up in a family

00:16:15.620 --> 00:16:16.659
 where you had

00:16:16.659 --> 00:16:19.240
 rivalry with your siblings,

00:16:19.480 --> 00:16:19.759
 right?

00:16:20.200 --> 00:16:21.159
 So I was like that.

00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:22.580
 My older brother and I,

00:16:22.899 --> 00:16:24.080
 we fought a lot.

00:16:24.600 --> 00:16:25.940
 We fought with words

00:16:25.940 --> 00:16:27.100
 and we fought with fists.

00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:27.820
 Okay,

00:16:27.820 --> 00:16:28.860
 we didn't have

00:16:28.860 --> 00:16:30.440
 a very good relationship

00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:31.320
 when we were kids

00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:33.840
 but as we matured

00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:34.860
 and grew up,

00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:35.740
 well,

00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:36.000
 actually,

00:16:36.259 --> 00:16:37.480
 we put away our fists

00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:39.060
 and eventually over time

00:16:39.060 --> 00:16:40.120
 our words got a bit nicer

00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:41.279
 and actually,

00:16:41.480 --> 00:16:42.779
 we're now good friends.

00:16:42.899 --> 00:16:43.919
 We're actually very close.

00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:46.379
 maturity produces

00:16:46.379 --> 00:16:47.419
 a kind of unity.

00:16:48.699 --> 00:16:49.120
 Well,

00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:50.459
 that's what Paul says.

00:16:50.539 --> 00:16:51.319
 He says the same thing

00:16:51.319 --> 00:16:51.679
 in the church.

00:16:51.779 --> 00:16:53.120
 As we grow in the gospel,

00:16:53.319 --> 00:16:54.539
 as we mature in the faith,

00:16:55.079 --> 00:16:57.419
 as we become more like Christ

00:16:57.419 --> 00:16:58.599
 and Jesus in the gospel

00:16:58.599 --> 00:17:00.419
 becomes deeper in our hearts

00:17:00.419 --> 00:17:01.519
 and more real to us,

00:17:01.860 --> 00:17:03.259
 it affects our relationships.

00:17:04.379 --> 00:17:05.819
 This maturity will produce

00:17:05.819 --> 00:17:08.059
 a unity in the body of Christ.

00:17:08.899 --> 00:17:09.279
 Okay,

00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:09.680
 well,

00:17:09.740 --> 00:17:10.799
 how does that happen?

00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:12.119
 Well,

00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:12.839
 Paul's going to give us

00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:13.599
 three things,

00:17:13.639 --> 00:17:13.899
 okay,

00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:15.500
 that we need to mature

00:17:15.500 --> 00:17:16.099
 in the faith

00:17:16.099 --> 00:17:17.519
 to produce this unity.

00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:19.440
 And the first thing he says

00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:20.980
 is we need leaders.

00:17:21.619 --> 00:17:22.059
 Leaders,

00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:22.539
 okay,

00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:24.259
 what Paul calls

00:17:24.259 --> 00:17:25.539
 gifts of grace.

00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:27.339
 Look at verse 7.

00:17:27.879 --> 00:17:28.000
 So,

00:17:28.059 --> 00:17:29.240
 up until verse 1 and 6,

00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:30.420
 he talks about this unity

00:17:30.420 --> 00:17:31.160
 in the church,

00:17:31.559 --> 00:17:33.299
 may be eager to maintain

00:17:33.299 --> 00:17:34.480
 the unity of the spirit.

00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:34.980
 Why?

00:17:35.079 --> 00:17:36.059
 Because God is one.

00:17:36.460 --> 00:17:37.119
 Verse 7,

00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:39.639
 but grace was given

00:17:39.639 --> 00:17:40.679
 to each one of us

00:17:40.679 --> 00:17:42.219
 according to the measure

00:17:42.219 --> 00:17:43.759
 of Christ's gift,

00:17:43.979 --> 00:17:44.419
 or in other words,

00:17:44.459 --> 00:17:45.119
 saying that according

00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:46.179
 to Christ's choosing.

00:17:46.959 --> 00:17:47.299
 So,

00:17:47.379 --> 00:17:48.579
 there's unity in the gospel,

00:17:48.719 --> 00:17:49.939
 but unity doesn't mean

00:17:49.939 --> 00:17:50.859
 uniformity.

00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:52.179
 It doesn't mean we're all

00:17:52.179 --> 00:17:53.339
 just exactly the same.

00:17:53.679 --> 00:17:54.659
 There's a diversity

00:17:54.659 --> 00:17:55.479
 of gifts

00:17:55.479 --> 00:17:56.279
 and calling

00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:57.659
 within the body of Christ.

00:17:58.519 --> 00:17:59.799
 And then Paul quotes

00:17:59.799 --> 00:18:01.079
 Psalm 68.

00:18:01.659 --> 00:18:02.439
 He talks about God

00:18:02.439 --> 00:18:03.759
 ascending up on high,

00:18:04.159 --> 00:18:05.979
 leading a host of captives

00:18:05.980 --> 00:18:07.400
 in his wake,

00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:09.240
 giving gifts to men.

00:18:10.519 --> 00:18:10.700
 Now,

00:18:10.900 --> 00:18:12.519
 Psalm 68 is a tricky Psalm,

00:18:12.640 --> 00:18:12.799
 okay,

00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:14.019
 so let me try

00:18:14.019 --> 00:18:14.620
 and understand,

00:18:15.019 --> 00:18:16.140
 explain what's going on here.

00:18:17.360 --> 00:18:18.059
 Psalm 68

00:18:18.059 --> 00:18:19.339
 is what John Calvin

00:18:19.339 --> 00:18:19.700
 called

00:18:19.700 --> 00:18:20.519
 an ode

00:18:20.519 --> 00:18:22.039
 to military victory.

00:18:22.740 --> 00:18:23.779
 It's a Psalm

00:18:23.779 --> 00:18:25.079
 that describes

00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:26.440
 God as this

00:18:26.440 --> 00:18:27.720
 military leader

00:18:27.720 --> 00:18:29.519
 that is victorious.

00:18:30.440 --> 00:18:30.759
 Now,

00:18:30.819 --> 00:18:31.559
 in the ancient world,

00:18:31.640 --> 00:18:32.860
 every military leader,

00:18:33.299 --> 00:18:34.599
 when they won a battle,

00:18:34.700 --> 00:18:35.880
 they conquered their enemy,

00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:36.839
 they would either

00:18:36.839 --> 00:18:38.160
 just slaughter them

00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:38.860
 and kill them,

00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:40.339
 or they would take

00:18:40.339 --> 00:18:40.980
 the people

00:18:40.980 --> 00:18:42.160
 as their captives,

00:18:42.460 --> 00:18:43.380
 and they would become

00:18:43.380 --> 00:18:44.160
 slaves

00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:46.299
 in their kind of

00:18:46.299 --> 00:18:47.420
 city or town

00:18:47.420 --> 00:18:48.200
 or army,

00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:48.599
 right?

00:18:49.500 --> 00:18:51.599
 But Paul says

00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:53.200
 God does something

00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:53.559
 different.

00:18:54.440 --> 00:18:55.220
 In the gospel,

00:18:55.620 --> 00:18:56.420
 when God

00:18:56.420 --> 00:18:58.140
 defeats his enemies,

00:18:58.799 --> 00:19:00.240
 he actually defeats

00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:01.460
 them with love.

00:19:02.579 --> 00:19:03.519
 That's what God did

00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:04.180
 for all of us,

00:19:04.180 --> 00:19:04.420
 right?

00:19:04.740 --> 00:19:05.519
 We were once

00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:06.120
 God's enemy.

00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:07.360
 We were sinners

00:19:07.360 --> 00:19:07.900
 and rebels.

00:19:08.600 --> 00:19:09.380
 God won us

00:19:09.380 --> 00:19:10.340
 over to his side,

00:19:10.420 --> 00:19:11.160
 but he won us

00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:12.039
 over with love.

00:19:12.700 --> 00:19:14.039
 He didn't destroy us.

00:19:14.440 --> 00:19:15.279
 And what does he do?

00:19:15.340 --> 00:19:16.480
 He now includes us

00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:18.000
 in his church,

00:19:18.060 --> 00:19:18.799
 in his family.

00:19:19.500 --> 00:19:20.560
 And then God

00:19:20.560 --> 00:19:21.120
 amazingly

00:19:21.120 --> 00:19:22.299
 takes these people

00:19:22.299 --> 00:19:23.660
 that he has won

00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:24.340
 with love,

00:19:24.600 --> 00:19:25.299
 and he actually

00:19:25.299 --> 00:19:26.320
 gives them back

00:19:26.320 --> 00:19:27.220
 to his church

00:19:27.220 --> 00:19:28.920
 as gifts of grace.

00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:30.539
 So in the old days,

00:19:30.620 --> 00:19:31.259
 the military leader

00:19:31.259 --> 00:19:32.140
 would go and

00:19:32.140 --> 00:19:33.160
 if they didn't kill

00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:33.800
 their enemies,

00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:35.160
 they would bring them,

00:19:35.539 --> 00:19:35.740
 you know,

00:19:35.800 --> 00:19:36.420
 they'd walk back

00:19:36.420 --> 00:19:37.200
 into their city,

00:19:37.380 --> 00:19:38.279
 Rome or Jerusalem,

00:19:38.420 --> 00:19:39.060
 whatever it is,

00:19:39.259 --> 00:19:40.279
 with this host

00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:40.920
 of captives

00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:42.000
 trailing behind them,

00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:43.380
 and all the city folk

00:19:43.380 --> 00:19:44.380
 would throw tomatoes

00:19:44.380 --> 00:19:45.060
 at them and

00:19:45.060 --> 00:19:45.660
 jeer at them

00:19:45.660 --> 00:19:46.580
 and laugh at them

00:19:46.580 --> 00:19:47.539
 and scoff at them.

00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:48.640
 But Paul says

00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:49.279
 in the gospel,

00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:50.620
 those that God

00:19:50.620 --> 00:19:52.039
 wins and defeats

00:19:52.039 --> 00:19:53.019
 with his love,

00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:54.980
 they come trailing

00:19:54.980 --> 00:19:55.680
 behind him,

00:19:56.100 --> 00:19:56.820
 but rather than

00:19:56.820 --> 00:19:57.580
 everyone jeering

00:19:57.579 --> 00:19:57.839
 at them,

00:19:57.879 --> 00:19:58.859
 he actually now says

00:19:58.859 --> 00:19:59.859
 these are your

00:19:59.859 --> 00:20:00.740
 brothers and sisters.

00:20:00.879 --> 00:20:02.119
 He gives his captives

00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:03.179
 back to the church

00:20:03.179 --> 00:20:04.859
 as gifts of grace.

00:20:05.679 --> 00:20:06.179
 And I think

00:20:06.179 --> 00:20:06.679
 one of the best

00:20:06.679 --> 00:20:07.519
 examples of this

00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:08.879
 is the apostle Paul.

00:20:09.480 --> 00:20:10.299
 Remember Saul?

00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:11.679
 That was his name

00:20:11.679 --> 00:20:12.000
 before.

00:20:12.500 --> 00:20:13.779
 He's an enemy of God.

00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:15.099
 He wants to destroy

00:20:15.099 --> 00:20:15.619
 the church,

00:20:15.779 --> 00:20:16.779
 destroy Christianity.

00:20:17.559 --> 00:20:18.359
 He does everything

00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:19.359
 he can to wipe

00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:20.139
 out these Christians.

00:20:20.919 --> 00:20:21.899
 Oh, but the ascended,

00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:22.799
 risen Christ

00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:23.399
 meets him,

00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:24.460
 wins him over

00:20:24.460 --> 00:20:25.019
 with grace.

00:20:25.539 --> 00:20:26.480
 And then what does he do?

00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:28.079
 He gives Paul

00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:29.319
 back to the church

00:20:29.319 --> 00:20:30.819
 as a gift of grace.

00:20:31.559 --> 00:20:32.420
 And what a grace,

00:20:32.539 --> 00:20:33.460
 what a gift he was,

00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:33.700
 right?

00:20:33.779 --> 00:20:34.299
 I mean, he wrote

00:20:34.299 --> 00:20:35.099
 a whole lot

00:20:35.099 --> 00:20:35.839
 of the New Testament.

00:20:36.680 --> 00:20:37.700
 And actually in Ephesians,

00:20:37.860 --> 00:20:38.740
 Paul's been saying this

00:20:38.740 --> 00:20:39.339
 the whole time.

00:20:39.579 --> 00:20:40.720
 We were once enemies,

00:20:40.860 --> 00:20:41.620
 we were outsiders,

00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:42.819
 dead in our sins,

00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:44.440
 under God's wrath.

00:20:45.079 --> 00:20:45.839
 And God has now

00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:46.480
 included us,

00:20:46.500 --> 00:20:47.480
 he's made us insiders.

00:20:47.940 --> 00:20:48.819
 And now we're part

00:20:48.819 --> 00:20:50.240
 of God's cosmic plan.

00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:52.019
 And these sinners,

00:20:52.180 --> 00:20:52.980
 like you and I,

00:20:53.059 --> 00:20:53.980
 like Saul and Paul,

00:20:53.980 --> 00:20:55.980
 now God gives the church

00:20:55.980 --> 00:20:57.620
 as gifts of grace.

00:20:58.480 --> 00:20:59.240
 Like Saul.

00:21:00.380 --> 00:21:01.360
 I think another example,

00:21:01.480 --> 00:21:02.680
 if I can name

00:21:02.680 --> 00:21:03.380
 and shame him,

00:21:03.779 --> 00:21:04.740
 is Dan Tillis.

00:21:04.860 --> 00:21:05.680
 I don't know if Dan is here.

00:21:06.539 --> 00:21:07.400
 He's just gone out,

00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:07.680
 right?

00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:09.039
 And if you've heard

00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:09.720
 Dan's story,

00:21:09.799 --> 00:21:10.599
 we've played it a couple

00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:11.400
 of times at church.

00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:13.279
 Man, Dan lived

00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:14.519
 as if God was dead,

00:21:14.579 --> 00:21:14.839
 right?

00:21:15.400 --> 00:21:16.339
 Came to Hong Kong,

00:21:16.539 --> 00:21:17.500
 lived it up,

00:21:18.220 --> 00:21:19.740
 had no time for God.

00:21:20.460 --> 00:21:20.920
 Oh God,

00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:21.539
 the risen,

00:21:21.640 --> 00:21:22.460
 ascended Lord,

00:21:22.579 --> 00:21:23.279
 saved him,

00:21:23.740 --> 00:21:24.460
 rescued him,

00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:25.579
 redeemed him.

00:21:25.980 --> 00:21:27.079
 What a gift of grace

00:21:27.079 --> 00:21:27.900
 he is to our church,

00:21:27.940 --> 00:21:28.160
 right?

00:21:28.920 --> 00:21:29.740
 I think another person

00:21:29.740 --> 00:21:30.240
 is Henrika,

00:21:30.380 --> 00:21:31.140
 if I can pick on you.

00:21:31.500 --> 00:21:32.539
 Henrika came to Hong Kong

00:21:32.539 --> 00:21:33.759
 eight, nine years ago,

00:21:33.859 --> 00:21:34.160
 right?

00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:36.900
 Didn't want to follow Jesus,

00:21:37.660 --> 00:21:38.599
 living it up,

00:21:39.079 --> 00:21:40.539
 on her own journey

00:21:40.539 --> 00:21:41.339
 of trying to find

00:21:41.339 --> 00:21:41.980
 the divine

00:21:41.980 --> 00:21:42.660
 and the spirituality.

00:21:43.660 --> 00:21:44.579
 Oh God saved her.

00:21:44.620 --> 00:21:45.559
 What a gift of grace

00:21:45.559 --> 00:21:46.420
 he is to our church.

00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:47.900
 I could rattle

00:21:47.900 --> 00:21:48.620
 through tons of names.

00:21:48.619 --> 00:21:49.039
 I could tip you

00:21:49.039 --> 00:21:49.459
 someone else

00:21:49.459 --> 00:21:49.919
 had thought of,

00:21:49.959 --> 00:21:50.159
 right?

00:21:50.639 --> 00:21:51.239
 Came to faith

00:21:51.239 --> 00:21:51.619
 at Watermark

00:21:51.619 --> 00:21:52.399
 a few years ago.

00:21:52.779 --> 00:21:54.059
 What a gift of grace.

00:21:54.639 --> 00:21:55.159
 And that's what

00:21:55.159 --> 00:21:56.159
 Paul says here.

00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:58.039
 He says that God

00:21:58.039 --> 00:21:58.539
 takes these,

00:21:58.839 --> 00:22:00.419
 he apportions gifts

00:22:00.419 --> 00:22:01.239
 to his church.

00:22:01.939 --> 00:22:02.879
 Look at verse 11.

00:22:04.359 --> 00:22:05.199
 Now he elaborates

00:22:05.199 --> 00:22:06.059
 on these gifts of grace

00:22:06.059 --> 00:22:06.479
 and he says,

00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:07.219
 and he gave

00:22:07.219 --> 00:22:08.139
 these gifts,

00:22:08.539 --> 00:22:09.019
 apostles,

00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:09.719
 prophets,

00:22:09.959 --> 00:22:10.559
 evangelists,

00:22:10.819 --> 00:22:11.679
 shepherd teachers.

00:22:12.419 --> 00:22:12.559
 Okay,

00:22:12.599 --> 00:22:13.219
 just pause here.

00:22:13.799 --> 00:22:14.739
 In the New Testament

00:22:14.739 --> 00:22:15.579
 there are lots

00:22:15.579 --> 00:22:16.559
 and lots of gifts

00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:18.159
 that the body has,

00:22:18.219 --> 00:22:18.339
 right?

00:22:18.339 --> 00:22:18.740
 There's gifts

00:22:18.740 --> 00:22:19.459
 of encouragement,

00:22:19.720 --> 00:22:20.019
 there's gifts

00:22:20.019 --> 00:22:20.740
 of generosity,

00:22:21.059 --> 00:22:22.139
 gifts of service,

00:22:22.279 --> 00:22:22.959
 administration,

00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:23.839
 hospitality,

00:22:24.659 --> 00:22:25.740
 lots of different gifts.

00:22:26.159 --> 00:22:26.819
 But Paul here

00:22:26.819 --> 00:22:27.659
 mentions four.

00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:28.740
 Apostles,

00:22:28.919 --> 00:22:29.279
 prophets,

00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:30.199
 evangelists,

00:22:30.240 --> 00:22:31.159
 and pastor teachers.

00:22:31.919 --> 00:22:32.619
 Why does he just

00:22:32.619 --> 00:22:33.579
 mention those four?

00:22:34.839 --> 00:22:35.139
 Well,

00:22:35.179 --> 00:22:35.679
 one of the things

00:22:35.679 --> 00:22:36.339
 about those four

00:22:36.339 --> 00:22:36.779
 is they're all

00:22:36.779 --> 00:22:37.779
 leadership gifts.

00:22:38.079 --> 00:22:38.159
 Okay,

00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:38.740
 they're called

00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:39.679
 to be leaders

00:22:39.679 --> 00:22:40.339
 in the church.

00:22:40.839 --> 00:22:41.699
 But there's something

00:22:41.699 --> 00:22:42.379
 else particular

00:22:42.379 --> 00:22:42.879
 about them.

00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:44.960
 They all speak

00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:46.200
 God's word

00:22:46.200 --> 00:22:47.240
 and the gospel

00:22:47.240 --> 00:22:49.820
 to God's people.

00:22:50.620 --> 00:22:51.200
 So apostles

00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:51.960
 were those that

00:22:51.960 --> 00:22:53.220
 originally wrote

00:22:53.220 --> 00:22:53.920
 the New Testament.

00:22:54.180 --> 00:22:55.680
 They took the gospel

00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:56.300
 to the corners

00:22:56.300 --> 00:22:56.760
 of the world.

00:22:56.860 --> 00:22:57.600
 They gave us

00:22:57.600 --> 00:22:58.260
 the New Testament.

00:22:58.680 --> 00:22:59.400
 They proclaimed

00:22:59.400 --> 00:23:00.260
 the word of God

00:23:00.260 --> 00:23:00.820
 and the gospel.

00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:03.020
 Prophets aren't those

00:23:03.020 --> 00:23:03.960
 that foretell

00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:04.540
 the future.

00:23:04.900 --> 00:23:05.520
 Prophets aren't

00:23:05.520 --> 00:23:06.300
 fortune tellers.

00:23:06.940 --> 00:23:07.460
 To be a prophet

00:23:07.460 --> 00:23:08.640
 means you speak

00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:09.260
 God's word

00:23:09.260 --> 00:23:10.240
 to God's people.

00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:11.319
 So prophets

00:23:11.319 --> 00:23:12.339
 speak God's word.

00:23:13.420 --> 00:23:13.940
 Evangelists

00:23:13.940 --> 00:23:15.019
 speak the gospel

00:23:15.019 --> 00:23:15.859
 and God's word

00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:16.420
 to those that

00:23:16.420 --> 00:23:17.299
 don't yet know

00:23:17.299 --> 00:23:18.039
 about Christ.

00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:19.319
 They bring the gospel

00:23:19.319 --> 00:23:19.880
 to people.

00:23:21.019 --> 00:23:22.059
 And pastor teachers

00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:23.500
 speak God's word

00:23:23.500 --> 00:23:24.420
 to God's people

00:23:24.420 --> 00:23:25.640
 week in and week out.

00:23:26.380 --> 00:23:27.420
 So what characterizes

00:23:27.420 --> 00:23:28.559
 these four gifts

00:23:28.559 --> 00:23:29.079
 is that they're

00:23:29.079 --> 00:23:30.240
 those who speak

00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:30.779
 the gospel

00:23:30.779 --> 00:23:32.259
 and bring God's word

00:23:32.259 --> 00:23:33.240
 to his people.

00:23:33.940 --> 00:23:34.759
 They're not signs

00:23:34.759 --> 00:23:35.559
 and wonders gifts.

00:23:35.700 --> 00:23:36.180
 They're other gifts

00:23:36.180 --> 00:23:36.640
 that do that.

00:23:36.740 --> 00:23:38.099
 These are word gifts.

00:23:38.900 --> 00:23:39.480
 I think of

00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:40.720
 2 Corinthians 4

00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:41.900
 where the apostle Paul

00:23:41.900 --> 00:23:42.180
 says,

00:23:42.579 --> 00:23:43.640
 For what we proclaim

00:23:43.640 --> 00:23:44.539
 is not ourselves

00:23:44.539 --> 00:23:45.880
 but Christ Jesus

00:23:45.880 --> 00:23:46.440
 as Lord

00:23:46.440 --> 00:23:47.860
 and we as your servants.

00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:49.259
 What do pastors

00:23:49.259 --> 00:23:49.960
 and elders do?

00:23:50.420 --> 00:23:51.339
 We are just servants

00:23:51.339 --> 00:23:51.900
 to the church

00:23:51.900 --> 00:23:53.579
 proclaiming Christ

00:23:53.579 --> 00:23:54.799
 and God's word

00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:56.039
 to build up the church.

00:23:56.740 --> 00:23:56.880
 Okay?

00:23:57.539 --> 00:23:58.680
 So here Paul says

00:23:58.680 --> 00:24:00.000
 God gives these gifts

00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:00.460
 to the church

00:24:00.460 --> 00:24:01.279
 and he highlights

00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:02.740
 four word gifts

00:24:02.740 --> 00:24:03.960
 that speak God's word

00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:04.720
 and bring the gospel.

00:24:05.860 --> 00:24:07.120
 So God gives leaders

00:24:07.120 --> 00:24:07.839
 to the church.

00:24:07.839 --> 00:24:09.240
 And what are these

00:24:09.240 --> 00:24:10.220
 leaders meant to do?

00:24:10.379 --> 00:24:11.399
 Well, look at verse 12.

00:24:11.459 --> 00:24:12.139
 It's very simple.

00:24:12.659 --> 00:24:13.299
 They are to

00:24:13.299 --> 00:24:14.779
 equip the saints,

00:24:14.899 --> 00:24:15.980
 that means Christians,

00:24:16.439 --> 00:24:17.939
 for work of ministry

00:24:17.939 --> 00:24:19.639
 and to build up

00:24:19.639 --> 00:24:20.679
 the body of Christ.

00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:22.759
 So God gives leaders

00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:23.579
 to the church

00:24:23.579 --> 00:24:25.419
 who speak God's word,

00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:26.679
 speak the gospel to us,

00:24:26.959 --> 00:24:29.059
 and they equip the saints,

00:24:29.179 --> 00:24:29.879
 that's Christians,

00:24:30.079 --> 00:24:31.459
 to do the work of ministry

00:24:31.459 --> 00:24:32.740
 which builds up

00:24:32.740 --> 00:24:33.859
 and matures the church

00:24:33.859 --> 00:24:35.099
 so that the church

00:24:35.099 --> 00:24:36.119
 can be a united,

00:24:36.399 --> 00:24:36.879
 unified,

00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:38.679
 mature body of Christ.

00:24:39.399 --> 00:24:39.839
 So,

00:24:40.059 --> 00:24:41.199
 in this passage,

00:24:41.459 --> 00:24:42.419
 who does

00:24:42.419 --> 00:24:43.619
 the work of ministry?

00:24:45.199 --> 00:24:45.419
 Well,

00:24:45.439 --> 00:24:45.939
 it's actually not

00:24:45.939 --> 00:24:46.899
 the pastors and elders.

00:24:47.099 --> 00:24:47.199
 I mean,

00:24:47.219 --> 00:24:48.019
 they do some of it.

00:24:48.399 --> 00:24:49.159
 It's not the apostles

00:24:49.159 --> 00:24:49.759
 and the prophets.

00:24:50.479 --> 00:24:51.979
 It's the saints.

00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:53.319
 It's the community

00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:54.119
 of God's people.

00:24:54.659 --> 00:24:55.659
 It's the Christians

00:24:55.659 --> 00:24:56.439
 and the members

00:24:56.439 --> 00:24:57.219
 of the church.

00:24:57.479 --> 00:24:58.119
 Or another way

00:24:58.119 --> 00:24:58.939
 you could say it is,

00:24:59.199 --> 00:25:00.679
 it's the lay ministers.

00:25:01.560 --> 00:25:02.640
 The word lay means

00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:04.000
 unprofessional

00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:05.680
 or the non-professional,

00:25:05.820 --> 00:25:06.740
 those that haven't

00:25:06.740 --> 00:25:08.380
 necessarily been set apart

00:25:08.380 --> 00:25:09.900
 as leaders in the church.

00:25:10.279 --> 00:25:12.120
 It's every one of us.

00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:13.600
 And so look at what

00:25:13.600 --> 00:25:14.380
 Paul says here

00:25:14.380 --> 00:25:15.140
 in verse 13.

00:25:15.560 --> 00:25:16.340
 We do this,

00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:17.400
 this work of ministry,

00:25:17.600 --> 00:25:18.400
 building up the body

00:25:18.400 --> 00:25:18.980
 of Christ,

00:25:19.620 --> 00:25:20.660
 until we attain

00:25:20.660 --> 00:25:21.500
 to unity,

00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:22.580
 there's our word again,

00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:24.200
 of the faith

00:25:24.200 --> 00:25:24.900
 and the knowledge

00:25:24.900 --> 00:25:25.840
 of the Son of God,

00:25:26.259 --> 00:25:27.039
 until we attain

00:25:27.039 --> 00:25:28.900
 to mature manhood,

00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:30.380
 literally in Greek

00:25:30.380 --> 00:25:31.480
 it means becoming

00:25:31.480 --> 00:25:32.780
 a mature man,

00:25:33.540 --> 00:25:34.740
 to the measure

00:25:34.740 --> 00:25:35.660
 of the stature

00:25:35.660 --> 00:25:36.480
 of the fullness

00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:37.180
 of Christ.

00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:38.560
 It was one of Paul's

00:25:38.560 --> 00:25:39.680
 wordy sentences,

00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:40.120
 okay?

00:25:40.920 --> 00:25:41.980
 What he means here

00:25:41.980 --> 00:25:43.000
 is that the church

00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:44.100
 with all its diversity

00:25:44.100 --> 00:25:44.680
 of gifts

00:25:44.680 --> 00:25:45.740
 is meant to minister

00:25:45.740 --> 00:25:46.600
 to one another

00:25:46.600 --> 00:25:48.200
 in order that we become

00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:48.840
 a united,

00:25:49.100 --> 00:25:50.700
 mature body of Christ

00:25:50.700 --> 00:25:52.060
 until we each

00:25:52.060 --> 00:25:52.980
 become more and more

00:25:52.980 --> 00:25:53.580
 like Jesus.

00:25:54.580 --> 00:25:55.560
 And he says the same thing

00:25:55.560 --> 00:25:56.240
 in verse 16.

00:25:56.560 --> 00:25:57.600
 When each part

00:25:57.600 --> 00:25:58.860
 working together

00:25:58.859 --> 00:25:59.859
 makes the body

00:25:59.859 --> 00:26:01.000
 grow so that it

00:26:01.000 --> 00:26:01.939
 builds itself up

00:26:01.939 --> 00:26:02.419
 in love.

00:26:03.479 --> 00:26:04.799
 Now when Paul says here,

00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:06.459
 until we attain

00:26:06.459 --> 00:26:08.199
 mature manhood,

00:26:08.639 --> 00:26:09.719
 what does that mean?

00:26:09.959 --> 00:26:10.979
 Until we become

00:26:10.979 --> 00:26:12.579
 a mature man,

00:26:12.639 --> 00:26:13.479
 is literally the Greek.

00:26:14.359 --> 00:26:15.439
 Is Paul saying that

00:26:15.439 --> 00:26:16.779
 we've all got to become

00:26:16.779 --> 00:26:17.579
 more masculine,

00:26:17.779 --> 00:26:17.979
 right?

00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:19.240
 Ladies,

00:26:19.579 --> 00:26:20.500
 you've got to become

00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:21.419
 more like us men.

00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:22.019
 Is Paul saying

00:26:22.019 --> 00:26:22.959
 there's no room

00:26:22.959 --> 00:26:24.500
 for women and femininity

00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:25.139
 in the church?

00:26:25.740 --> 00:26:26.119
 No, no,

00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:26.899
 that's not what

00:26:26.899 --> 00:26:27.579
 Paul is saying.

00:26:28.299 --> 00:26:29.479
 Who is the most,

00:26:29.879 --> 00:26:31.079
 who is the perfect man

00:26:31.079 --> 00:26:31.579
 in the Bible?

00:26:33.099 --> 00:26:33.739
 Okay, Jesus.

00:26:34.659 --> 00:26:36.079
 Jesus is the man

00:26:36.079 --> 00:26:37.139
 that Paul wants us

00:26:37.139 --> 00:26:37.939
 to all become like.

00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:39.079
 And what he's saying

00:26:39.079 --> 00:26:40.419
 is that as we become

00:26:40.419 --> 00:26:41.099
 more and more

00:26:41.099 --> 00:26:42.000
 like Christ

00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:43.619
 with our diversity,

00:26:44.399 --> 00:26:45.459
 whether you're male

00:26:45.459 --> 00:26:46.159
 or female,

00:26:46.339 --> 00:26:46.819
 whether you're

00:26:46.819 --> 00:26:48.139
 African,

00:26:48.559 --> 00:26:49.000
 Chinese,

00:26:49.259 --> 00:26:49.719
 American,

00:26:50.239 --> 00:26:50.959
 whether you're young

00:26:50.959 --> 00:26:51.439
 or old,

00:26:51.439 --> 00:26:52.279
 that we mature

00:26:52.279 --> 00:26:53.099
 and become more

00:26:53.099 --> 00:26:54.359
 like Christ.

00:26:55.279 --> 00:26:56.419
 So, and what is

00:26:56.419 --> 00:26:57.099
 Christ like?

00:26:57.559 --> 00:26:58.779
 Well, we saw it

00:26:58.779 --> 00:26:59.399
 in verse 2.

00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:00.500
 He is humble,

00:27:01.419 --> 00:27:01.819
 gentle,

00:27:02.859 --> 00:27:03.419
 patient,

00:27:04.179 --> 00:27:04.859
 bearing with one

00:27:04.859 --> 00:27:06.439
 another in love.

00:27:08.079 --> 00:27:09.000
 Okay, so do you

00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:09.679
 follow the argument

00:27:09.679 --> 00:27:09.959
 here?

00:27:10.459 --> 00:27:11.439
 God gives leaders

00:27:11.439 --> 00:27:12.139
 to his church,

00:27:12.339 --> 00:27:12.980
 what Paul calls

00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:13.919
 gifts of grace,

00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:15.399
 to serve the church

00:27:15.399 --> 00:27:16.359
 by bringing God's

00:27:16.359 --> 00:27:16.559
 word,

00:27:16.699 --> 00:27:17.299
 flooding us with

00:27:17.299 --> 00:27:17.779
 the gospel,

00:27:17.779 --> 00:27:19.259
 and then he equips

00:27:19.259 --> 00:27:20.139
 us as a church

00:27:20.139 --> 00:27:21.319
 to minister to one

00:27:21.319 --> 00:27:21.699
 another,

00:27:22.199 --> 00:27:22.619
 so that we can

00:27:22.619 --> 00:27:23.179
 become more and

00:27:23.179 --> 00:27:23.739
 more mature

00:27:23.739 --> 00:27:24.879
 and united,

00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:25.479
 which means

00:27:25.479 --> 00:27:26.079
 becoming more

00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:26.579
 and more like

00:27:26.579 --> 00:27:26.959
 Jesus.

00:27:28.379 --> 00:27:29.159
 Friends, this is

00:27:29.159 --> 00:27:29.839
 the point of

00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:30.579
 community,

00:27:30.759 --> 00:27:31.359
 this is why we

00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:32.239
 do CGs and

00:27:32.239 --> 00:27:33.019
 family groups,

00:27:33.500 --> 00:27:34.079
 so that we can

00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:35.119
 minister to one

00:27:35.119 --> 00:27:35.459
 another,

00:27:35.619 --> 00:27:36.399
 encourage one

00:27:36.399 --> 00:27:36.719
 another,

00:27:36.879 --> 00:27:37.579
 build up one

00:27:37.579 --> 00:27:37.979
 another.

00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:39.439
 One of the

00:27:39.439 --> 00:27:40.219
 implications of

00:27:40.219 --> 00:27:40.539
 this,

00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:42.379
 and this isn't

00:27:42.379 --> 00:27:44.119
 aimed at any

00:27:44.119 --> 00:27:44.839
 camera in the

00:27:44.839 --> 00:27:45.639
 room in particular,

00:27:46.279 --> 00:27:46.699
 one of the

00:27:46.699 --> 00:27:47.439
 implications of

00:27:47.439 --> 00:27:48.039
 this is that

00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:49.159
 online church

00:27:49.159 --> 00:27:50.379
 is not really

00:27:50.379 --> 00:27:51.299
 a thing,

00:27:51.939 --> 00:27:52.259
 right?

00:27:52.619 --> 00:27:54.159
 because when

00:27:54.159 --> 00:27:54.739
 you're watching

00:27:54.739 --> 00:27:55.219
 a service

00:27:55.219 --> 00:27:55.639
 online,

00:27:55.779 --> 00:27:56.159
 you're not

00:27:56.159 --> 00:27:57.219
 doing church,

00:27:57.299 --> 00:27:57.639
 you're watching

00:27:57.639 --> 00:27:58.279
 other people

00:27:58.279 --> 00:27:58.879
 do church,

00:27:59.500 --> 00:28:00.239
 because the

00:28:00.239 --> 00:28:00.979
 church is the

00:28:00.979 --> 00:28:01.979
 body that

00:28:01.979 --> 00:28:02.919
 encourages and

00:28:02.919 --> 00:28:03.799
 ministers to

00:28:03.799 --> 00:28:04.899
 one another.

00:28:05.959 --> 00:28:06.819
 Now, here's a

00:28:06.819 --> 00:28:07.439
 question, what

00:28:07.439 --> 00:28:08.039
 happens when

00:28:08.039 --> 00:28:08.819
 only a few

00:28:08.819 --> 00:28:09.459
 people in the

00:28:09.459 --> 00:28:10.319
 church minister

00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:11.159
 to one another?

00:28:12.019 --> 00:28:12.719
 Let's say you've

00:28:12.719 --> 00:28:13.959
 got this superstar

00:28:13.959 --> 00:28:14.979
 pastor, okay,

00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:15.619
 not a watermark,

00:28:15.739 --> 00:28:16.519
 the other church

00:28:16.519 --> 00:28:17.079
 down the road,

00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:18.279
 and he's like

00:28:18.279 --> 00:28:19.359
 unbelievable,

00:28:19.659 --> 00:28:19.879
 right?

00:28:20.299 --> 00:28:20.539
 He's an

00:28:20.539 --> 00:28:21.519
 incredible preacher

00:28:21.519 --> 00:28:22.599
 and he's an

00:28:22.599 --> 00:28:23.439
 incredible visionary

00:28:23.439 --> 00:28:24.839
 leader and he's a

00:28:24.839 --> 00:28:25.919
 great manager of the

00:28:25.919 --> 00:28:27.480
 staff team and he's a

00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:29.279
 brilliant discipler and

00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:30.339
 he's this great marriage

00:28:30.339 --> 00:28:32.319
 counselor and one-on-one

00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:33.480
 counselor and you feel

00:28:33.480 --> 00:28:34.099
 like you can go to him

00:28:34.099 --> 00:28:34.899
 and pull out all your

00:28:34.899 --> 00:28:35.559
 troubles because he

00:28:35.559 --> 00:28:36.559
 listens so brilliantly,

00:28:36.819 --> 00:28:37.939
 but he's also gifted at

00:28:37.939 --> 00:28:39.599
 everything and he's just

00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:41.720
 unbelievable and he does

00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:43.679
 everything, okay, that's

00:28:43.679 --> 00:28:44.460
 not going to be a healthy

00:28:44.460 --> 00:28:45.379
 body, right?

00:28:45.380 --> 00:28:46.620
 Or let's say you've got

00:28:46.620 --> 00:28:47.220
 a church where you've

00:28:47.220 --> 00:28:48.860
 got 10 or 15 people that

00:28:48.860 --> 00:28:50.360
 are amazing and they do

00:28:50.360 --> 00:28:52.140
 everything and the other

00:28:52.140 --> 00:28:55.080
 200 just coast along are

00:28:55.080 --> 00:28:55.620
 consumers.

00:28:56.420 --> 00:28:57.900
 That's not a healthy body.

00:28:58.420 --> 00:28:58.900
 Have you ever seen

00:28:58.900 --> 00:29:01.960
 somebody who, they only

00:29:01.960 --> 00:29:03.200
 like working out one part

00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:04.040
 of the body, right,

00:29:04.140 --> 00:29:05.180
 just maybe just the top

00:29:05.180 --> 00:29:06.640
 off and the other part

00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:07.760
 doesn't look so good,

00:29:07.900 --> 00:29:08.100
 okay?

00:29:08.420 --> 00:29:10.160
 That's not a healthy body.

00:29:10.980 --> 00:29:12.320
 In the same way, Paul says,

00:29:12.660 --> 00:29:15.200
 the body, the church, as we

00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:16.539
 all minister to one

00:29:16.539 --> 00:29:18.380
 another and encourage one

00:29:18.380 --> 00:29:20.240
 another, we build each

00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:22.019
 other up, okay?

00:29:23.180 --> 00:29:24.740
 Look at verse 14.

00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:25.960
 Paul says the same thing,

00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:27.019
 but this time he states it

00:29:27.019 --> 00:29:27.580
 negatively.

00:29:27.799 --> 00:29:30.019
 He says the opposite, what we're

00:29:30.019 --> 00:29:30.940
 not trying to become.

00:29:31.100 --> 00:29:32.360
 What's the opposite of one

00:29:32.360 --> 00:29:34.380
 mature man or adult?

00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:36.220
 The opposite is lots of

00:29:36.220 --> 00:29:37.200
 children running around

00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:38.299
 causing chaos, okay?

00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:40.840
 He says here, verse 14,

00:29:41.419 --> 00:29:43.159
 every member ministers to one

00:29:43.159 --> 00:29:44.679
 another so that we may no

00:29:44.679 --> 00:29:46.599
 longer be immature children.

00:29:46.879 --> 00:29:48.119
 The word there is plural,

00:29:49.199 --> 00:29:49.459
 okay?

00:29:49.819 --> 00:29:51.579
 Tossed to and fro by waves

00:29:51.579 --> 00:29:53.059
 carried about by every wind

00:29:53.059 --> 00:29:54.939
 of doctrine and human cunning

00:29:54.939 --> 00:29:55.679
 and craftiness.

00:29:56.419 --> 00:29:58.119
 So the role of every member

00:29:58.119 --> 00:29:59.619
 ministry is to help one

00:29:59.619 --> 00:30:01.000
 another grow into spiritual

00:30:01.000 --> 00:30:02.539
 maturity so that we're not

00:30:02.539 --> 00:30:03.579
 all over the place.

00:30:04.119 --> 00:30:05.199
 So we don't have one group

00:30:05.199 --> 00:30:06.299
 of the church going off in

00:30:06.299 --> 00:30:07.480
 that direction saying, oh,

00:30:07.699 --> 00:30:08.480
 you know, there's this

00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:09.179
 celebrity pastor.

00:30:09.180 --> 00:30:10.759
 He's mainly teaching us that.

00:30:11.259 --> 00:30:12.360
 And then another group of

00:30:12.360 --> 00:30:13.140
 the church going off in

00:30:13.140 --> 00:30:14.240
 that direction, listening

00:30:14.240 --> 00:30:15.380
 to that thing.

00:30:15.779 --> 00:30:17.140
 And then one group of the

00:30:17.140 --> 00:30:18.080
 church saying, oh, I read

00:30:18.080 --> 00:30:19.060
 this book and this is

00:30:19.060 --> 00:30:19.380
 wonderful.

00:30:19.480 --> 00:30:20.560
 Let's go in that direction.

00:30:21.100 --> 00:30:22.060
 And then another group say,

00:30:22.120 --> 00:30:22.880
 oh, we just want to do our

00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:23.799
 own thing over here.

00:30:24.060 --> 00:30:25.620
 And the church becomes no

00:30:25.620 --> 00:30:29.400
 unity, no gospel, no picture

00:30:29.400 --> 00:30:30.400
 of the glory of God.

00:30:31.320 --> 00:30:32.560
 Actually, as we grow up and

00:30:32.560 --> 00:30:34.539
 mature and flood one another

00:30:34.539 --> 00:30:35.779
 with the gospel, we become

00:30:35.779 --> 00:30:37.740
 united around who Christ is.

00:30:37.740 --> 00:30:40.140
 That's how we grow.

00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:41.620
 And so God gives us leaders,

00:30:42.039 --> 00:30:43.620
 people who we actually know

00:30:43.620 --> 00:30:44.400
 in real life.

00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:46.019
 We can know what their lives

00:30:46.019 --> 00:30:46.279
 are like.

00:30:46.359 --> 00:30:46.839
 We can know what their

00:30:46.839 --> 00:30:47.579
 marriage is like.

00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:48.620
 We can know what their

00:30:48.620 --> 00:30:49.500
 parenting is like.

00:30:50.120 --> 00:30:50.700
 It's one of the problems

00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:51.880
 with just following a

00:30:51.880 --> 00:30:52.700
 celebrity preacher.

00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:53.880
 He could be amazing on

00:30:53.880 --> 00:30:54.900
 stage, but he could be a

00:30:54.900 --> 00:30:55.460
 dog at home.

00:30:56.319 --> 00:30:57.099
 God actually wants to give

00:30:57.099 --> 00:30:57.839
 us leaders that we can

00:30:57.839 --> 00:30:59.140
 actually know, see what

00:30:59.140 --> 00:31:00.240
 they're like in real life,

00:31:00.980 --> 00:31:02.559
 who will bring us God's

00:31:02.559 --> 00:31:03.759
 words that we as a body

00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:05.380
 can minister to one another

00:31:05.380 --> 00:31:06.840
 and help us grow.

00:31:08.540 --> 00:31:10.280
 So what is Paul's strategy?

00:31:10.420 --> 00:31:11.460
 God gives us leaders and

00:31:11.460 --> 00:31:12.600
 he gives us lay ministers,

00:31:12.840 --> 00:31:13.660
 and there's one last thing

00:31:13.660 --> 00:31:15.200
 he gives us, which is we

00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:16.260
 need the gospel.

00:31:18.180 --> 00:31:20.600
 Paul says here that leaders

00:31:20.600 --> 00:31:23.460
 speak God's word so that we

00:31:23.460 --> 00:31:25.520
 can do the work of ministry.

00:31:26.020 --> 00:31:27.920
 Now what is that work of

00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:28.240
 ministry?

00:31:28.380 --> 00:31:29.920
 What does he mean by that?

00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:32.880
 Well, he gives us two clues

00:31:32.880 --> 00:31:33.680
 here in the passage.

00:31:34.220 --> 00:31:35.660
 The one is that word work

00:31:35.660 --> 00:31:37.000
 is actually in the singular.

00:31:37.420 --> 00:31:38.120
 It's not plural.

00:31:38.740 --> 00:31:39.960
 In Ephesians 2, remember he

00:31:39.960 --> 00:31:40.800
 says, we are God's

00:31:40.800 --> 00:31:41.820
 workmanship, created in

00:31:41.820 --> 00:31:43.380
 Christ Jesus for good works.

00:31:43.539 --> 00:31:44.220
 Okay, that's plural.

00:31:44.840 --> 00:31:46.300
 But here he says, there is

00:31:46.300 --> 00:31:47.720
 one work that God has

00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:48.580
 called us to.

00:31:48.960 --> 00:31:50.340
 What is that one work?

00:31:51.340 --> 00:31:52.400
 Well, we find out in verse

00:31:52.400 --> 00:31:53.460
 14 and 15.

00:31:53.560 --> 00:31:54.320
 Look at what he says.

00:31:54.779 --> 00:31:55.840
 He says, we're no longer

00:31:55.840 --> 00:31:57.200
 children tossed about by

00:31:57.200 --> 00:31:58.300
 every wind of doctrine and

00:31:58.299 --> 00:31:59.559
 teaching, verse 15.

00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:02.059
 Rather, speaking the truth

00:32:02.059 --> 00:32:04.700
 in love, we grow up in

00:32:04.700 --> 00:32:06.339
 every way into him who is

00:32:06.339 --> 00:32:08.119
 the head that is Christ.

00:32:08.819 --> 00:32:10.519
 So what is this work of

00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:11.899
 ministry that Christians are

00:32:11.899 --> 00:32:12.379
 called to?

00:32:12.779 --> 00:32:14.299
 How do we minister to one

00:32:14.299 --> 00:32:15.859
 another as a church family?

00:32:16.639 --> 00:32:21.559
 We speak the truth in love.

00:32:22.399 --> 00:32:23.339
 Okay, well, what does that

00:32:23.339 --> 00:32:24.059
 mean, right?

00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:26.240
 Does that mean we go around

00:32:26.240 --> 00:32:27.599
 pointing out everybody's

00:32:27.599 --> 00:32:29.079
 faults and then when they

00:32:29.079 --> 00:32:30.400
 get offended, we say, hey,

00:32:30.420 --> 00:32:31.200
 I'm just speaking the truth

00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:32.440
 in love, right?

00:32:33.039 --> 00:32:34.079
 No, that's not what it

00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:34.359
 means.

00:32:34.880 --> 00:32:36.660
 It means we flood one

00:32:36.660 --> 00:32:38.480
 another with the truth of

00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:41.480
 the gospel, which is truth

00:32:41.480 --> 00:32:43.440
 and love together in the

00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:44.359
 person of Jesus.

00:32:45.160 --> 00:32:46.960
 We wash one another with

00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:48.920
 God's word and the gospel.

00:32:49.059 --> 00:32:50.240
 We point one another to

00:32:50.819 --> 00:32:51.519
 Christ.

00:32:52.099 --> 00:32:53.359
 Say, look to Christ.

00:32:53.359 --> 00:32:55.579
 Christ, we flood one

00:32:55.579 --> 00:32:57.599
 another with the gospel.

00:32:59.799 --> 00:33:01.219
 Speaking the truth in love,

00:33:01.319 --> 00:33:03.339
 we grow up into Christ who

00:33:03.339 --> 00:33:05.519
 is the head, into Jesus from

00:33:05.519 --> 00:33:06.719
 whom the whole body is

00:33:06.719 --> 00:33:07.399
 joined together.

00:33:08.139 --> 00:33:09.459
 In Colossians 1, Paul says

00:33:09.459 --> 00:33:09.639
 this.

00:33:09.699 --> 00:33:10.639
 I read this this morning in

00:33:10.639 --> 00:33:11.159
 my devotions.

00:33:11.259 --> 00:33:13.119
 He says, this is my calling

00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:14.539
 to make the word of God

00:33:14.539 --> 00:33:17.219
 fully known, which is Christ

00:33:17.219 --> 00:33:19.319
 in you, the hope of glory.

00:33:20.019 --> 00:33:21.479
 Him we proclaim, Jesus,

00:33:21.480 --> 00:33:22.860
 warning and teaching everyone

00:33:22.860 --> 00:33:25.039
 that we may present everyone

00:33:25.039 --> 00:33:26.400
 mature in Christ.

00:33:26.880 --> 00:33:28.400
 What did Paul the apostle do?

00:33:28.759 --> 00:33:30.319
 He went and he brought the

00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:32.120
 word of God, but what was

00:33:32.120 --> 00:33:32.799
 the word of God?

00:33:33.380 --> 00:33:34.880
 Christ in you, the hope of

00:33:34.880 --> 00:33:35.220
 glory.

00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:37.360
 And so the way we build up

00:33:37.360 --> 00:33:38.980
 one another is we flood one

00:33:38.980 --> 00:33:40.500
 another with who Christ is.

00:33:40.579 --> 00:33:42.000
 We point one another to Jesus.

00:33:42.299 --> 00:33:44.180
 We encourage one another in

00:33:44.180 --> 00:33:44.799
 the gospel.

00:33:45.460 --> 00:33:46.720
 We don't just go around telling

00:33:46.720 --> 00:33:47.720
 everyone to be better

00:33:47.720 --> 00:33:49.819
 Christians, do more.

00:33:49.819 --> 00:33:51.939
 No, we flood and we

00:33:51.939 --> 00:33:52.679
 encourage them.

00:33:52.759 --> 00:33:54.539
 We challenge, we encourage

00:33:54.539 --> 00:33:55.299
 with the gospel.

00:33:56.179 --> 00:33:57.299
 And so think about this.

00:33:57.359 --> 00:33:58.619
 Someone in your CG is going

00:33:58.619 --> 00:33:59.460
 through a tough time.

00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:00.759
 So what do you do?

00:34:01.220 --> 00:34:02.879
 You text them, keep calm and

00:34:02.879 --> 00:34:03.480
 carry on.

00:34:03.819 --> 00:34:04.759
 No, no, no, you don't do

00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:05.159
 that, okay?

00:34:05.700 --> 00:34:07.899
 No, no, you point them to

00:34:07.899 --> 00:34:08.400
 Jesus.

00:34:09.059 --> 00:34:10.279
 You walk with them.

00:34:10.420 --> 00:34:11.659
 You pray with them.

00:34:12.139 --> 00:34:13.480
 You listen to them.

00:34:14.079 --> 00:34:15.639
 And you remind them about who

00:34:15.639 --> 00:34:16.980
 Christ is and to hold on to

00:34:16.980 --> 00:34:17.299
 Jesus.

00:34:18.380 --> 00:34:19.259
 Hey, quick disclaimer.

00:34:19.840 --> 00:34:21.220
 I did this really badly

00:34:21.220 --> 00:34:21.740
 recently.

00:34:23.140 --> 00:34:24.260
 I had someone come and speak

00:34:24.260 --> 00:34:25.800
 to me and say, hey, Kevin,

00:34:25.820 --> 00:34:26.580
 I was going through a tough

00:34:26.580 --> 00:34:29.420
 time and I felt like all you

00:34:29.420 --> 00:34:31.080
 did was told me to do better.

00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:33.460
 And I was trying in a way to

00:34:33.460 --> 00:34:35.080
 encourage them to Christ, but I

00:34:35.080 --> 00:34:36.480
 completely did it badly, right?

00:34:37.260 --> 00:34:38.360
 So I don't always do this

00:34:38.360 --> 00:34:38.660
 right.

00:34:39.380 --> 00:34:40.520
 We don't always get it right.

00:34:40.600 --> 00:34:41.480
 But that's our goal.

00:34:42.000 --> 00:34:42.700
 Someone's going through a

00:34:42.700 --> 00:34:43.080
 tough time.

00:34:43.140 --> 00:34:44.600
 We don't say, do better, try

00:34:44.600 --> 00:34:45.060
 harder.

00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:47.240
 And we go and say, Jesus is so

00:34:47.239 --> 00:34:47.619
 wonderful.

00:34:47.819 --> 00:34:48.639
 He's so faithful.

00:34:49.259 --> 00:34:50.039
 Look to Christ.

00:34:50.359 --> 00:34:51.299
 Press into Christ.

00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:53.719
 Or maybe you're concerned that

00:34:53.719 --> 00:34:54.839
 someone you love and know is

00:34:54.839 --> 00:34:56.259
 drifting far away from Jesus.

00:34:57.099 --> 00:34:58.299
 We could just say, well, it's

00:34:58.299 --> 00:34:59.179
 none of my business.

00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:01.679
 Or we could go be a family member

00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:03.480
 with them and say, hey, how are you

00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:03.779
 doing?

00:35:04.339 --> 00:35:05.480
 How are your devotions going?

00:35:06.019 --> 00:35:08.440
 How vivid and real is Jesus to you

00:35:08.440 --> 00:35:08.919
 at the moment?

00:35:09.719 --> 00:35:10.899
 Hey, hold on to Christ.

00:35:11.359 --> 00:35:12.219
 He's so precious.

00:35:12.359 --> 00:35:13.039
 He's so good.

00:35:13.659 --> 00:35:14.759
 We sang about it earlier.

00:35:14.859 --> 00:35:16.440
 When darkness seems to hide his

00:35:16.440 --> 00:35:18.619
 face, our trust in his unchanging

00:35:18.619 --> 00:35:20.539
 grace, well, sometimes it's hard

00:35:20.539 --> 00:35:21.159
 to do that.

00:35:21.799 --> 00:35:23.739
 Sometimes life is so hard.

00:35:24.059 --> 00:35:25.619
 You can't even hold on to his

00:35:25.619 --> 00:35:26.779
 unchanging grace.

00:35:27.339 --> 00:35:28.879
 You can't say, on Christ the solid

00:35:28.879 --> 00:35:31.359
 rock I stand, all other ground is

00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:32.120
 sinking stand.

00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:34.559
 But a friend can help you do that.

00:35:35.200 --> 00:35:36.440
 And so when somebody in your CG is

00:35:36.440 --> 00:35:37.559
 going through a tough time, what do

00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:37.740
 you do?

00:35:37.800 --> 00:35:39.480
 You go to them and you encourage

00:35:39.480 --> 00:35:39.680
 them.

00:35:39.780 --> 00:35:42.079
 You say, let's stand on Christ.

00:35:42.720 --> 00:35:43.680
 Christ is faithful.

00:35:43.860 --> 00:35:44.760
 Christ is enough.

00:35:45.559 --> 00:35:47.480
 Or maybe someone's struggling at

00:35:47.480 --> 00:35:49.300
 work and you sit down and you

00:35:49.300 --> 00:35:50.539
 listen and you pray with them.

00:35:50.579 --> 00:35:51.700
 Or you do what Oscar did this

00:35:51.700 --> 00:35:51.940
 week.

00:35:51.940 --> 00:35:53.980
 He texted in the men's group,

00:35:54.120 --> 00:35:55.500
 Colossians 3 verse 1.

00:35:56.120 --> 00:35:57.980
 Set your sights on things above where

00:35:57.980 --> 00:35:59.000
 Christ is seated.

00:35:59.559 --> 00:36:01.260
 He is your hope and glory.

00:36:02.120 --> 00:36:03.660
 And so this is Paul's word to us.

00:36:03.660 --> 00:36:05.640
 Speaking the gospel truth and love.

00:36:06.140 --> 00:36:07.800
 Flooding one another with the truth

00:36:07.800 --> 00:36:08.519
 of who God is.

00:36:08.620 --> 00:36:10.900
 We grow up in every way into him.

00:36:11.420 --> 00:36:12.860
 Into Christ who is the head.

00:36:13.260 --> 00:36:15.120
 From whom the whole body, joined and

00:36:15.120 --> 00:36:16.380
 held together, is equipped.

00:36:16.820 --> 00:36:18.420
 Every part doing its work.

00:36:18.579 --> 00:36:19.760
 Making the body grow.

00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:22.820
 So that it builds itself up in love.

00:36:23.980 --> 00:36:25.460
 Friends, this is the church.

00:36:25.620 --> 00:36:27.240
 This is what it means to be the church.

00:36:27.840 --> 00:36:28.800
 Church isn't a building.

00:36:29.200 --> 00:36:30.920
 As wonderful as those cathedrals are.

00:36:31.620 --> 00:36:33.140
 And if anyone wants to donate us a

00:36:33.140 --> 00:36:34.260
 cathedral, we'll take it.

00:36:34.260 --> 00:36:34.539
 Okay?

00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:37.260
 As wonderful as they are, this is the

00:36:37.260 --> 00:36:37.640
 church.

00:36:38.080 --> 00:36:39.640
 The church isn't a service that you

00:36:39.640 --> 00:36:40.940
 can just watch.

00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:42.620
 The church is God's people,

00:36:42.740 --> 00:36:44.300
 encouraging and stirring up one

00:36:44.300 --> 00:36:44.660
 another.

00:36:45.940 --> 00:36:47.720
 And what that means is that every

00:36:47.720 --> 00:36:49.440
 member in the church is called to be

00:36:49.440 --> 00:36:50.780
 ministers of God's grace.

00:36:50.960 --> 00:36:52.880
 Speaking the gospel, God's word over

00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:53.360
 one another.

00:36:54.140 --> 00:36:56.100
 Friends, maybe you'll never preach on a

00:36:56.099 --> 00:36:56.380
 Sunday.

00:36:56.599 --> 00:36:57.219
 That's okay.

00:36:57.440 --> 00:36:58.719
 Doesn't make you better or worse.

00:36:59.279 --> 00:37:00.500
 Maybe you won't lead a CG.

00:37:01.259 --> 00:37:01.900
 That's okay.

00:37:02.619 --> 00:37:04.299
 But you can be an agent of God's

00:37:04.299 --> 00:37:04.460
 grace.

00:37:04.539 --> 00:37:05.799
 You can build up the body.

00:37:06.519 --> 00:37:08.239
 You can help the church become the

00:37:08.239 --> 00:37:11.059
 mature stature of Christ through

00:37:11.059 --> 00:37:12.699
 every member ministry.

00:37:12.920 --> 00:37:15.360
 This is what Paul wants us to see.

00:37:16.139 --> 00:37:17.500
 That God has called the church to be a

00:37:17.500 --> 00:37:18.900
 united body.

00:37:19.480 --> 00:37:20.239
 One Lord.

00:37:20.380 --> 00:37:20.900
 One faith.

00:37:21.039 --> 00:37:21.719
 One baptism.

00:37:21.880 --> 00:37:23.799
 One church united in the gospel.

00:37:23.800 --> 00:37:25.260
 And how does he do that?

00:37:25.539 --> 00:37:26.960
 He gives us leaders who are really

00:37:26.960 --> 00:37:27.680
 just servants.

00:37:28.500 --> 00:37:30.400
 Speak God's word and the gospel to us

00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:32.240
 to equip us as the church.

00:37:32.700 --> 00:37:34.019
 To speak the truth and love.

00:37:34.100 --> 00:37:34.560
 The gospel.

00:37:34.760 --> 00:37:36.280
 To minister to one another.

00:37:36.660 --> 00:37:38.380
 So that we as a church can grow and

00:37:38.380 --> 00:37:41.039
 mature to the full stature of the

00:37:41.039 --> 00:37:42.519
 measure of Christ.

00:37:43.380 --> 00:37:44.400
 Let's pray together.

00:37:44.980 --> 00:37:46.500
 And then we'll come to the communion

00:37:46.500 --> 00:37:46.900
 table.

00:37:46.900 --> 00:37:55.480
 Oh Father God as we hear your call to be a

00:37:55.480 --> 00:37:56.940
 cathedral of grace God.

00:37:57.039 --> 00:38:00.139
 A picture of the majesty of God.

00:38:01.059 --> 00:38:03.119
 Oh God I pray won't you help us to do

00:38:03.119 --> 00:38:03.639
 that Lord.

00:38:04.460 --> 00:38:08.639
 God we confess that our sinful hearts.

00:38:09.800 --> 00:38:13.920
 God we so easily turn in on ourselves and

00:38:13.920 --> 00:38:14.960
 look after ourselves.

00:38:15.099 --> 00:38:17.139
 God won't you help us God.

00:38:17.220 --> 00:38:18.820
 Won't you make us humble.

00:38:19.860 --> 00:38:20.220
 Patient.

00:38:21.059 --> 00:38:21.420
 Gentle.

00:38:21.740 --> 00:38:23.639
 Bearing with one another in love.

00:38:24.980 --> 00:38:27.019
 And God won't you help us to grow up and

00:38:27.019 --> 00:38:27.500
 to mature.

00:38:27.659 --> 00:38:29.659
 To be the church that you've called us to

00:38:29.659 --> 00:38:29.780
 be.

00:38:30.079 --> 00:38:32.220
 Unified around Christ and the gospel.

00:38:33.619 --> 00:38:35.440
 God won't you make us as a church a

00:38:35.440 --> 00:38:36.619
 billboard of your grace.

00:38:36.720 --> 00:38:38.180
 God we pray that for ourselves and we

00:38:38.180 --> 00:38:40.300
 pray that for the church of Hong Kong.

00:38:40.380 --> 00:38:42.340
 We pray for every church in Hong Kong.

00:38:42.340 --> 00:38:44.840
 God the English church, the Chinese

00:38:44.840 --> 00:38:47.059
 church, the Korean, the Japanese, the

00:38:47.059 --> 00:38:48.039
 Filipino church.

00:38:48.519 --> 00:38:50.420
 God every church in Hong Kong.

00:38:50.579 --> 00:38:53.760
 God I pray won't you unite us and unify

00:38:53.760 --> 00:38:54.140
 us.

00:38:54.539 --> 00:38:57.840
 May we be God a picture of heaven on

00:38:57.840 --> 00:38:58.180
 earth.

00:39:00.780 --> 00:39:04.019
 God we know that it's one thing to call

00:39:04.019 --> 00:39:04.480
 us that.

00:39:05.140 --> 00:39:07.079
 We need a work of grace in our hearts.

00:39:09.559 --> 00:39:11.940
 God won't you speak to us this morning

00:39:11.940 --> 00:39:12.260
 Lord.

00:39:12.400 --> 00:39:14.880
 Where it is hard God.

00:39:16.220 --> 00:39:17.960
 God sometimes maybe we feel like we've

00:39:17.960 --> 00:39:19.700
 been bearing with one another in love for

00:39:19.700 --> 00:39:20.619
 a long time.

00:39:21.579 --> 00:39:23.079
 Maybe our patience is worn thin.

00:39:24.179 --> 00:39:26.200
 Oh God by your grace God won't you help

00:39:26.200 --> 00:39:26.340
 us.

00:39:26.440 --> 00:39:27.340
 We need you Jesus.

00:39:28.720 --> 00:39:29.900
 We need you Jesus.

00:39:33.679 --> 00:39:35.440
 Fathers we come to the communion table

00:39:35.440 --> 00:39:35.720
 now.

00:39:35.860 --> 00:39:36.900
 I pray God.

00:39:37.940 --> 00:39:40.099
 Won't you remind us of our common history.

00:39:40.099 --> 00:39:41.500
 Our common depravity.

00:39:41.599 --> 00:39:42.739
 Our common lostness.

00:39:43.579 --> 00:39:44.880
 And our common hope in Jesus.

00:39:45.980 --> 00:39:48.659
 And may that God unify us and mature us.

00:39:49.360 --> 00:39:52.039
 And make us a cathedral of grace.

00:39:53.400 --> 00:39:55.639
 God I pray this in your wonderful and your

00:39:55.639 --> 00:39:56.299
 gracious name.

00:39:57.460 --> 00:39:57.799
 Amen.

00:39:57.800 --> 00:39:58.240
 Amen.

00:39:58.239 --> 00:40:28.219
 Thank you.