WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.179
 Hey, and after you've greeted somebody and you sit down, make sure you squeeze in because we have probably 40 or 50 people standing up.

00:00:08.519 --> 00:00:12.560
 And so we'll open up room pretty soon as the kiddos leave.

00:00:13.280 --> 00:00:16.179
 So just squeeze in a little and you'll make room there.

00:00:16.740 --> 00:00:17.440
 How you guys doing?

00:00:18.660 --> 00:00:19.780
 Oh, I didn't hear that.

00:00:19.859 --> 00:00:20.620
 How you guys doing?

00:00:21.240 --> 00:00:21.679
 Okay.

00:00:22.019 --> 00:00:23.600
 Hey, my name is Tobin.

00:00:23.640 --> 00:00:24.960
 I'm one of the pastors here.

00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:31.539
 And if you're joining us today for the first time, we are finishing up a three-part series on community.

00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:36.560
 So last week you heard from Eric, who's the youth dude, our youth pastor.

00:00:37.340 --> 00:00:41.420
 Today you're going to hear from Mike, the university dude or the university pastor.

00:00:42.439 --> 00:00:43.579
 And three weeks ago you heard from me.

00:00:43.620 --> 00:00:47.980
 But we're talking about community and what does that look like as a church and the journey we're going on.

00:00:48.820 --> 00:00:50.060
 You know, we're all on a journey.

00:00:50.060 --> 00:00:54.920
 And when we started this church, we prayed about what kind of church did God want us to plant.

00:00:55.880 --> 00:01:02.840
 And we realized as we prayed about this that we felt like God was calling us to plant a church that would bless the city.

00:01:04.340 --> 00:01:09.740
 The scripture is really clear that every one of us in here is an alien if you're a follower of Christ.

00:01:09.859 --> 00:01:11.640
 This is not your home.

00:01:11.819 --> 00:01:13.040
 You're in this city.

00:01:13.939 --> 00:01:16.280
 And we're called to bless the city.

00:01:16.420 --> 00:01:17.680
 We're called to pray for the city.

00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:20.900
 We're called to seek the welfare of the city.

00:01:21.719 --> 00:01:25.440
 Now, we think Hong Kong is an amazing city.

00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:28.460
 And God has done so many things in this city.

00:01:28.859 --> 00:01:32.820
 But often when people come in as business people or new people,

00:01:32.819 --> 00:01:37.939
 But the more I've been thinking about that, even as people who've lived here for a long time,

00:01:38.500 --> 00:01:41.959
 Often our mindset is to use the city.

00:01:43.179 --> 00:01:45.659
 We're here for two or three years to make a lot of money.

00:01:45.780 --> 00:01:47.739
 We're here for 20 years to make a lot of money.

00:01:47.839 --> 00:01:49.719
 We're here for a whole life to make a lot of money.

00:01:50.379 --> 00:01:51.739
 We're here to use the city.

00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:55.500
 And when we're done using the city, we just get rid of it and we go to another city to use.

00:01:55.500 --> 00:02:00.760
 We realize as followers of Christ, that's not why Christ has us here.

00:02:01.620 --> 00:02:07.340
 He doesn't have us here to use the city, whether you're here for a little time or for a long time.

00:02:08.280 --> 00:02:09.560
 Sometimes people will come and they'll say,

00:02:09.639 --> 00:02:13.280
 I'm only here for five weeks or one year or two years.

00:02:13.379 --> 00:02:14.259
 What can I do?

00:02:15.340 --> 00:02:18.120
 And one of the thoughts we had as we started thinking about this church

00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:21.300
 Was this sign that was given to me by my students in mainland China.

00:02:22.020 --> 00:02:24.219
 And if you come to the community center, it has it everywhere.

00:02:24.219 --> 00:02:26.780
 And the sign basically says,

00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:33.840
 The first person plants a seed, and the next people benefit or enjoy the shade.

00:02:35.139 --> 00:02:38.039
 And so as a church, as we pray about why God has us here,

00:02:38.120 --> 00:02:40.740
 We believe that God has us here to plant seeds.

00:02:40.860 --> 00:02:43.719
 We believe God has you here to plant seeds.

00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:47.479
 No matter how long you're here, whether it's two weeks or five weeks or ten years,

00:02:47.860 --> 00:02:51.280
 Our heart and our desire and the thing that we want you to hear from us is

00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:54.620
 We want you to plant seeds for the future generations.

00:02:55.539 --> 00:02:56.680
 That's why we planted this church.

00:02:56.780 --> 00:02:58.979
 It's why we want to plant other churches in the future.

00:02:59.099 --> 00:03:01.060
 It's why we're starting community groups everywhere.

00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:06.280
 It's because we want to bless this city, and we feel like we do that by planting seeds

00:03:06.280 --> 00:03:10.120
 So that God can take that seed and can grow it into something amazing.

00:03:11.020 --> 00:03:12.819
 So we're a part of community groups.

00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:16.479
 And so this last two or three weeks, community groups have gone out,

00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:19.599
 And they've cleaned up Sandy Bay from some dumps that happened.

00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:20.859
 They're playing a seed.

00:03:22.099 --> 00:03:25.679
 Yesterday, community groups and some people gathered together at one of the new local schools,

00:03:25.780 --> 00:03:30.539
 And we carried stuff up six floors because they didn't have the resources to do that

00:03:30.539 --> 00:03:31.339
 Or help to do that.

00:03:32.139 --> 00:03:33.560
 We're playing a seed.

00:03:33.560 --> 00:03:39.240
 This last week, community groups are going to nursing homes.

00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:43.099
 People who are shut in, who have no one to visit them,

00:03:43.939 --> 00:03:48.740
 And loving on them, and caring for them, and singing songs, and just saying their name.

00:03:49.580 --> 00:03:50.659
 We're playing a seed.

00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:55.159
 On Thursday, in the university, there was an outreach,

00:03:55.300 --> 00:03:58.699
 And there were over 200 university students who came,

00:03:58.699 --> 00:04:02.399
 Most of them having no relationship with Jesus Christ.

00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:04.199
 Most of them from other countries.

00:04:04.579 --> 00:04:07.339
 But they came to be a part of what the Christian fellowship

00:04:07.339 --> 00:04:11.439
 And what the Watermark University students were putting on to talk about Christ.

00:04:12.379 --> 00:04:15.159
 Over 200 were playing a seed.

00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:20.319
 The youth went out this week, and they took several of their friends who are not in church,

00:04:20.379 --> 00:04:23.579
 And they're telling them and talking to them on this retreat about Christ

00:04:23.579 --> 00:04:24.579
 And what it means in their life.

00:04:24.659 --> 00:04:25.360
 We're playing a seed.

00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:30.480
 Our hope and our desire is that wherever you are, however long you're here,

00:04:31.300 --> 00:04:33.759
 That you would get into a community group within our church,

00:04:34.699 --> 00:04:37.540
 And that you would allow God to use you to plant a seed.

00:04:38.240 --> 00:04:40.020
 To bless this amazing city.

00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:42.960
 And trust the Lord to take that seed,

00:04:43.139 --> 00:04:46.520
 And to do something incredible as he redeems everything.

00:04:47.699 --> 00:04:48.939
 I'm going to pray for us.

00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:50.740
 And then we're going to release the kids,

00:04:50.860 --> 00:04:52.900
 And so hopefully a little more spaces will open up.

00:04:53.379 --> 00:04:55.080
 Father, we just thank you for this day.

00:04:55.079 --> 00:04:59.159
 We thank you that every moment we have here is a gift from you.

00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:02.519
 And no matter how long you put us here as a church,

00:05:02.620 --> 00:05:03.319
 Or as individuals,

00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:04.219
 Or as a pastor,

00:05:04.819 --> 00:05:05.899
 Or in business,

00:05:05.979 --> 00:05:07.519
 You've called us to be faithful,

00:05:07.719 --> 00:05:08.379
 To trust you,

00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:09.899
 And to plant seeds of the gospel.

00:05:10.620 --> 00:05:12.360
 To plant seeds of your son Jesus Christ.

00:05:12.459 --> 00:05:14.879
 To plant seeds of mercy and grace.

00:05:15.079 --> 00:05:17.879
 And to know that you're the one who causes things to grow.

00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:21.060
 You're the one who causes the rain to fall,

00:05:21.459 --> 00:05:22.539
 The sun to hit it,

00:05:22.540 --> 00:05:24.960
 Other community people to come in,

00:05:24.980 --> 00:05:25.580
 To talk to them.

00:05:25.620 --> 00:05:26.720
 You're the one who causes the growth.

00:05:26.819 --> 00:05:28.879
 You've just called us to be faithful,

00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:29.980
 To plant the seed.

00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:32.819
 So Lord, we pray as this church,

00:05:32.960 --> 00:05:34.200
 And as these community groups,

00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:35.379
 And as individuals,

00:05:36.180 --> 00:05:38.300
 That we would trust you.

00:05:39.660 --> 00:05:41.259
 That we would step out in faith.

00:05:41.259 --> 00:05:45.699
 And we would plant seeds through our time,

00:05:45.980 --> 00:05:46.699
 And our relationships,

00:05:46.939 --> 00:05:47.439
 And our money,

00:05:48.060 --> 00:05:49.860
 And whatever else you've put us here with gifting.

00:05:51.180 --> 00:05:51.699
 So Father,

00:05:51.740 --> 00:05:54.079
 We pray for the trees that are going to grow up in this area,

00:05:54.199 --> 00:05:55.680
 In this part of Hong Kong and beyond.

00:05:56.339 --> 00:05:59.120
 We pray that they would focus and point to one person.

00:05:59.219 --> 00:06:00.000
 Not this church,

00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:00.879
 Not the pastors,

00:06:01.039 --> 00:06:01.659
 Not the staff,

00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:02.800
 Not the people in this church.

00:06:03.240 --> 00:06:05.159
 But they would point to your son Jesus Christ.

00:06:06.459 --> 00:06:07.680
 Because that's why we're here,

00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:10.519
 And that's who we worship this morning.

00:06:11.819 --> 00:06:12.340
 So Lord,

00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:13.079
 We come before you,

00:06:13.100 --> 00:06:13.780
 And we love you.

00:06:14.620 --> 00:06:16.319
 And we pray these things in your son Jesus name.

00:06:17.100 --> 00:06:17.420
 Amen.

00:06:18.759 --> 00:06:19.920
 You are dismissed,

00:06:20.300 --> 00:06:22.860
 And follow the leaders,

00:06:23.019 --> 00:06:25.100
 And Eric as the other junior highs,

00:06:25.180 --> 00:06:25.699
 Senior highs,

00:06:25.780 --> 00:06:26.800
 You are all dismissed.

00:06:27.740 --> 00:06:28.819
 God bless you guys.

00:06:30.180 --> 00:06:32.560
 Today's scripture reading comes from Luke 19,

00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:33.460
 And John 4.

00:06:34.180 --> 00:06:35.840
 Please follow along in your bulletin.

00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:40.459
 Jesus entered Jericho,

00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:41.939
 And was passing through.

00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:45.259
 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus.

00:06:45.799 --> 00:06:47.459
 He was a chief tax collector,

00:06:47.799 --> 00:06:48.419
 And was wealthy.

00:06:49.159 --> 00:06:50.759
 He wanted to see who Jesus was,

00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:52.079
 But because he was short,

00:06:52.219 --> 00:06:53.339
 He could not see over the crowd.

00:06:53.479 --> 00:06:54.279
 So he ran ahead,

00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:55.919
 And climbed a sycamore fig tree,

00:06:56.199 --> 00:06:56.799
 To see him,

00:06:56.899 --> 00:06:58.219
 Since Jesus was coming that way.

00:06:59.339 --> 00:07:01.000
 When Jesus reached the spot,

00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:02.419
 He looked up and said to him,

00:07:02.839 --> 00:07:03.299
 Zacchaeus,

00:07:03.479 --> 00:07:04.599
 Come down immediately.

00:07:04.600 --> 00:07:06.720
 I must stay at your house today.

00:07:07.160 --> 00:07:08.740
 So he came down at once,

00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:09.980
 And welcomed him gladly.

00:07:11.160 --> 00:07:12.800
 All the people saw this,

00:07:13.300 --> 00:07:14.260
 And began to mutter,

00:07:15.060 --> 00:07:18.900
 He's gone to be the guest of a sinner.

00:07:19.740 --> 00:07:21.760
 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord,

00:07:22.300 --> 00:07:22.920
 Look, Lord,

00:07:23.280 --> 00:07:25.960
 Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor,

00:07:26.280 --> 00:07:28.660
 And if I have cheated anybody of anything,

00:07:28.980 --> 00:07:30.760
 I will pay back four times the amount.

00:07:30.759 --> 00:07:33.240
 Jesus said to him,

00:07:33.319 --> 00:07:35.899
 Today salvation has come to this house,

00:07:35.899 --> 00:07:37.360
 Because of this man,

00:07:37.819 --> 00:07:39.219
 Too is the son of Abraham.

00:07:39.659 --> 00:07:41.480
 For the son of man came to seek,

00:07:41.800 --> 00:07:42.860
 And to save the lost.

00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:46.339
 And in John 4,

00:07:46.500 --> 00:07:47.639
 We find this.

00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:50.480
 Jesus left Judea,

00:07:50.599 --> 00:07:52.680
 And went back once more to Galilee.

00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:54.900
 Now he had to go through Samaria,

00:07:55.259 --> 00:07:58.060
 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sakaar,

00:07:58.420 --> 00:08:01.699
 Near the plot of the ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.

00:08:03.139 --> 00:08:04.259
 Jacob's well was there,

00:08:04.519 --> 00:08:04.960
 And Jesus,

00:08:05.480 --> 00:08:07.120
 Tired as he was from the journey,

00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:08.600
 Sat down by the well.

00:08:09.300 --> 00:08:10.139
 It was about noon.

00:08:10.139 --> 00:08:14.000
 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water,

00:08:14.860 --> 00:08:15.800
 Jesus said to her,

00:08:16.579 --> 00:08:17.779
 Will you give me a drink?

00:08:18.439 --> 00:08:20.819
 His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.

00:08:22.339 --> 00:08:24.860
 The Samaritan woman said to him,

00:08:25.740 --> 00:08:26.659
 You are a Jew,

00:08:27.240 --> 00:08:28.620
 And I am a Samaritan woman.

00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:31.879
 How can you ask me for a drink?

00:08:32.379 --> 00:08:34.740
 For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.

00:08:36.179 --> 00:08:37.379
 Jesus answered her,

00:08:37.379 --> 00:08:40.000
 If you knew the gift of God,

00:08:40.299 --> 00:08:42.220
 And who it is that asks you for a drink,

00:08:42.779 --> 00:08:44.059
 You would have asked him,

00:08:44.460 --> 00:08:46.600
 And he would have given you living water.

00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:49.320
 Sir,

00:08:49.639 --> 00:08:51.120
 The woman said,

00:08:51.559 --> 00:08:54.580
 You have nothing to draw water with,

00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:56.139
 And the well is deep.

00:08:57.019 --> 00:08:58.840
 Where can you get this living water?

00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:02.220
 Are you greater than our father Jacob,

00:09:02.820 --> 00:09:03.980
 Who gave us the well,

00:09:04.460 --> 00:09:05.919
 And drank from it himself,

00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:08.360
 As did his sons and his livestock?

00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:11.279
 Jesus answered,

00:09:12.199 --> 00:09:15.019
 Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,

00:09:15.740 --> 00:09:19.139
 But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.

00:09:20.019 --> 00:09:20.360
 Indeed,

00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:24.620
 The water I give them will become in them a spring of water,

00:09:24.819 --> 00:09:26.419
 Welling up to eternal life.

00:09:26.419 --> 00:09:29.699
 The woman said to him,

00:09:29.699 --> 00:09:29.740
 Sir,

00:09:31.740 --> 00:09:33.719
 Give me this water,

00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:36.539
 So that I won't get thirsty,

00:09:37.099 --> 00:09:39.339
 And have to keep coming back here to draw water.

00:09:40.199 --> 00:09:41.139
 He told her,

00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:43.199
 Go call your husband and come back.

00:09:44.039 --> 00:09:45.259
 I have no husband,

00:09:46.199 --> 00:09:46.919
 She replied,

00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:48.879
 And Jesus said to her,

00:09:49.319 --> 00:09:52.039
 You are right when you say you have no husband.

00:09:52.539 --> 00:09:53.259
 The fact is,

00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:55.319
 You have had five husbands,

00:09:55.959 --> 00:09:58.419
 And the man you now have is not your husband.

00:09:59.199 --> 00:10:02.000
 What you have just said is quite true.

00:10:04.199 --> 00:10:04.679
 Sir,

00:10:05.199 --> 00:10:06.419
 The woman said,

00:10:06.419 --> 00:10:10.000
 I can see that you are a prophet.

00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:12.179
 This is the reading of God's word.

00:10:13.699 --> 00:10:14.779
 Good morning, Watermark.

00:10:16.179 --> 00:10:17.199
 So, I'm Mike.

00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:18.519
 I'm the university dude.

00:10:20.339 --> 00:10:22.179
 And I've been a part of Watermark

00:10:22.179 --> 00:10:23.979
 pretty much from the beginning,

00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:25.379
 when the church didn't meet.

00:10:25.539 --> 00:10:26.059
 Like, there was a,

00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:27.139
 there were small gatherings,

00:10:27.139 --> 00:10:29.099
 and Christina and Tobin's home,

00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:30.759
 and some of us came together,

00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:34.259
 and just started to dream about a church plant.

00:10:37.019 --> 00:10:37.299
 And,

00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:41.919
 so we had this hope

00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:43.399
 that on the western part of Hong Kong,

00:10:43.539 --> 00:10:45.220
 there would be communities growing,

00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:46.240
 and as Tobin shared,

00:10:46.439 --> 00:10:48.759
 that these communities would begin to,

00:10:48.759 --> 00:10:50.779
 to impact people in the neighborhoods,

00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:53.720
 and would just plant these seeds in the area.

00:10:54.819 --> 00:10:55.620
 So next month,

00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:57.580
 we're actually celebrating our two-year anniversary,

00:10:57.580 --> 00:10:59.799
 so hope you guys all will be there,

00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:02.179
 and it's just unbelievable to see,

00:11:02.299 --> 00:11:04.919
 like, even now that all the seeds are taken,

00:11:05.179 --> 00:11:06.719
 and people are invested,

00:11:06.939 --> 00:11:07.879
 and we have community groups

00:11:07.879 --> 00:11:08.919
 that are growing everywhere.

00:11:09.339 --> 00:11:10.740
 Just seeing God move,

00:11:10.959 --> 00:11:13.899
 and seeing how he changes lives in the process,

00:11:13.979 --> 00:11:14.459
 it's just,

00:11:14.819 --> 00:11:16.579
 just really humbling experience.

00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:18.879
 Throughout my life,

00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:20.779
 I actually lived in quite a few places.

00:11:21.939 --> 00:11:23.399
 Some may hear my accent,

00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:24.539
 I'm from Germany originally,

00:11:25.159 --> 00:11:26.000
 but I lived in the UK,

00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:27.439
 and I lived in the US for a while,

00:11:27.539 --> 00:11:28.699
 and then seven years ago,

00:11:28.779 --> 00:11:29.579
 I moved to Hong Kong,

00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:31.919
 but of all the places that I've lived in,

00:11:32.500 --> 00:11:33.659
 I think there are some things

00:11:33.659 --> 00:11:35.019
 that are pretty unique about Hong Kong,

00:11:35.099 --> 00:11:35.579
 and one thing is,

00:11:35.639 --> 00:11:36.359
 it's very transitional.

00:11:37.299 --> 00:11:38.859
 It's probably the most transitional place

00:11:38.859 --> 00:11:41.120
 that I've ever seen or experienced.

00:11:41.799 --> 00:11:43.019
 Back in my little home village

00:11:43.019 --> 00:11:44.599
 in the central German highlands in Germany,

00:11:45.339 --> 00:11:46.500
 it's not that transitional.

00:11:47.699 --> 00:11:48.139
 It's actually,

00:11:48.279 --> 00:11:50.179
 when you decide to move to the neighboring village,

00:11:50.579 --> 00:11:51.699
 people don't understand that.

00:11:51.759 --> 00:11:53.199
 Like, what do they have that we don't have?

00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:57.259
 So, it's a strange thing for them,

00:11:57.400 --> 00:11:59.140
 and then actually leaving the country?

00:11:59.620 --> 00:12:00.860
 Like, why would you ever do that?

00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:02.259
 Like, you have everything here,

00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:05.620
 and here, you see people moving every two years.

00:12:05.660 --> 00:12:06.520
 When the lease runs out,

00:12:06.560 --> 00:12:07.740
 and you just move to the next place,

00:12:07.780 --> 00:12:08.680
 it's closer to your work,

00:12:08.740 --> 00:12:10.120
 or sometimes you don't even stay

00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:11.200
 for the two years of your lease,

00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:14.280
 and then you move out and in of the city.

00:12:15.300 --> 00:12:17.360
 Probably a lot of you have that same background

00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:19.280
 of actually having had a transitional life.

00:12:20.060 --> 00:12:21.400
 And so, especially in this time of the year,

00:12:21.460 --> 00:12:23.540
 we actually see a lot of people coming

00:12:23.540 --> 00:12:26.220
 and moving into this part of Hong Kong.

00:12:26.860 --> 00:12:29.120
 We see a lot of people moving here for new jobs.

00:12:29.620 --> 00:12:31.379
 We see the university starting this week,

00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:34.020
 and people moving here that are new to Hong Kong.

00:12:34.780 --> 00:12:35.960
 And people wonder,

00:12:36.160 --> 00:12:37.980
 like, where should I get invested in community?

00:12:38.180 --> 00:12:39.300
 Like, how will my community,

00:12:39.300 --> 00:12:41.040
 how will my relationships look like?

00:12:41.580 --> 00:12:43.560
 And so, community has been a topic

00:12:43.560 --> 00:12:45.340
 that from the beginning stages of the church

00:12:45.340 --> 00:12:47.259
 has always been discussed

00:12:47.259 --> 00:12:49.180
 and been really up on the forefront

00:12:49.180 --> 00:12:50.940
 of who we are at the church.

00:12:51.580 --> 00:12:53.259
 Actually, it's one of our three core values,

00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:55.600
 and you see those around on the banners.

00:12:56.140 --> 00:12:57.960
 So, the first core value we often talk about

00:12:57.960 --> 00:12:58.720
 is gospel.

00:12:59.300 --> 00:13:01.259
 And so, what do we mean by gospel?

00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:03.320
 Some people may not be familiar with the term,

00:13:03.400 --> 00:13:05.400
 but the gospel is that amazing news

00:13:05.400 --> 00:13:08.300
 that in our relationship with God,

00:13:08.300 --> 00:13:09.900
 it's not about all the things we do

00:13:09.899 --> 00:13:11.319
 and how often we pray

00:13:11.319 --> 00:13:13.860
 and how often we, yeah,

00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:16.079
 just run to church and read the Bible

00:13:16.079 --> 00:13:17.299
 or do religious duties,

00:13:17.620 --> 00:13:20.019
 but it's really about what God has done for us.

00:13:21.379 --> 00:13:24.259
 That the gospel is that God came...

00:13:24.259 --> 00:13:30.740
 That God came to earth

00:13:30.740 --> 00:13:34.000
 and that he actually would, by grace,

00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:36.100
 get connected with us.

00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:38.620
 And that in his death and resurrection,

00:13:38.899 --> 00:13:40.559
 that's where we find a starting point

00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:41.299
 of a relationship.

00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:43.879
 The second part is mission.

00:13:43.879 --> 00:13:46.460
 So, we don't only talk about the gospel,

00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:48.019
 we talk that there's a mission,

00:13:48.139 --> 00:13:49.820
 there's a purpose for our church

00:13:49.820 --> 00:13:52.059
 to actually not just rejoice

00:13:52.059 --> 00:13:53.559
 in the truth of the gospel for ourselves,

00:13:53.620 --> 00:13:55.600
 but actually to live it out ourselves

00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.220
 in relationships and invite friends

00:13:58.220 --> 00:14:00.679
 and invite others into that relationship with him.

00:14:01.439 --> 00:14:03.059
 And then the third aspect is community.

00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:04.639
 So, it's our third core value.

00:14:04.740 --> 00:14:05.740
 And so, we have been on this journey,

00:14:05.820 --> 00:14:06.360
 as Tobin said,

00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:08.440
 to explore community a little bit more

00:14:08.440 --> 00:14:09.940
 over the last two weeks.

00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:12.240
 And today, we are closing the series on community,

00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:13.759
 and we will be looking at

00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:16.740
 what the Bible has to say about community

00:14:16.740 --> 00:14:19.240
 and what these two stories that we read

00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:21.680
 specifically tell us about community.

00:14:21.940 --> 00:14:23.560
 And there must be something in there

00:14:23.560 --> 00:14:25.379
 that not even 2,000 years ago,

00:14:25.460 --> 00:14:26.600
 but even still today,

00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:29.960
 it is something that connects with us.

00:14:30.919 --> 00:14:33.560
 I don't really know what you feel,

00:14:33.659 --> 00:14:34.759
 what you think about

00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:36.639
 when you hear the word community.

00:14:39.340 --> 00:14:41.340
 Like, I think everyone has some emotions

00:14:41.340 --> 00:14:43.120
 or some feelings connected with that.

00:14:43.220 --> 00:14:44.000
 When you hear that,

00:14:44.100 --> 00:14:44.720
 for some people,

00:14:44.820 --> 00:14:46.399
 community is a pretty good term.

00:14:47.180 --> 00:14:48.120
 It's pretty exciting.

00:14:49.100 --> 00:14:50.940
 Especially if you consider yourself

00:14:50.940 --> 00:14:52.200
 more extroverted.

00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:53.639
 Like, you are a people person,

00:14:53.780 --> 00:14:56.660
 you get some energy from being around people,

00:14:57.139 --> 00:14:58.360
 you just like to be around people,

00:14:58.639 --> 00:14:59.759
 you just don't like to be alone,

00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:01.420
 so community seems something very attractive.

00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:03.340
 But how about if community

00:15:03.860 --> 00:15:06.320
 is loaded with some more negative feelings?

00:15:07.040 --> 00:15:07.900
 So, community is something

00:15:07.900 --> 00:15:09.120
 you don't look forward to.

00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:12.060
 Maybe you are an introverted person,

00:15:12.279 --> 00:15:15.399
 you are not like so excited

00:15:15.399 --> 00:15:16.879
 about just being in crowds

00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:18.039
 and being around people,

00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:19.539
 maybe just draining to you.

00:15:19.980 --> 00:15:21.860
 Maybe when you think about community,

00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:22.560
 you realize,

00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:24.060
 I'm in community all day long.

00:15:25.560 --> 00:15:26.539
 I wake up,

00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:28.080
 and I have my spouse around,

00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:29.320
 or my kids,

00:15:29.799 --> 00:15:32.120
 maybe your roommate at the dorms,

00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:34.039
 and then you go to work,

00:15:34.100 --> 00:15:36.519
 and there you have your work colleagues.

00:15:36.519 --> 00:15:39.159
 And so you are around people the whole time,

00:15:39.199 --> 00:15:39.939
 then you come back home,

00:15:40.019 --> 00:15:41.579
 and then you are asked by church,

00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:42.740
 go to community group,

00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:43.480
 and be around people,

00:15:44.199 --> 00:15:44.779
 and you feel like,

00:15:44.860 --> 00:15:45.360
 wow, you know,

00:15:45.399 --> 00:15:46.539
 I've been around people the whole time,

00:15:46.620 --> 00:15:48.100
 like, I just can't take anymore.

00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:49.819
 And it's a little bit like,

00:15:49.879 --> 00:15:50.860
 people ask you,

00:15:51.120 --> 00:15:52.139
 you need to go to the dentist.

00:15:52.699 --> 00:15:53.799
 Like, it's like, okay,

00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:55.100
 it's said to be good for you,

00:15:55.139 --> 00:15:56.120
 I have some dentists here,

00:15:56.259 --> 00:15:58.579
 so they all know how the people feel about that.

00:15:58.580 --> 00:15:59.480
 So it's kind of,

00:15:59.580 --> 00:15:59.800
 you know,

00:15:59.800 --> 00:16:00.740
 it's good for you,

00:16:01.300 --> 00:16:02.680
 but it doesn't sound very pleasant.

00:16:03.420 --> 00:16:04.920
 So maybe that feeling is like,

00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:05.940
 a little bit like community.

00:16:06.520 --> 00:16:07.540
 Oh, they will ask me,

00:16:07.580 --> 00:16:08.020
 you know,

00:16:08.020 --> 00:16:08.620
 to open up,

00:16:08.680 --> 00:16:09.480
 and it will kind of hurt,

00:16:10.180 --> 00:16:12.540
 and maybe it's like an additional chore,

00:16:12.680 --> 00:16:14.020
 and I don't really know where to fit that in,

00:16:14.060 --> 00:16:16.100
 and so it becomes like life draining to you.

00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:19.480
 Or maybe community does sound good.

00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:21.560
 It's something you are longing for,

00:16:21.620 --> 00:16:25.000
 but you really fear it actually happening.

00:16:25.879 --> 00:16:28.059
 Like, being in the transparency and vulnerability

00:16:28.059 --> 00:16:29.159
 with other people

00:16:29.159 --> 00:16:33.259
 may be something that keeps you away from it.

00:16:33.659 --> 00:16:34.320
 In my own life,

00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:35.960
 I think I have been in all these places.

00:16:36.700 --> 00:16:39.100
 I can look at different places of my life,

00:16:39.139 --> 00:16:41.419
 and there were times where I wanted to be in community,

00:16:41.659 --> 00:16:42.519
 and it was scary,

00:16:42.700 --> 00:16:44.720
 where I was hiding in community.

00:16:45.379 --> 00:16:46.720
 I'm pretty much a people person.

00:16:47.279 --> 00:16:48.159
 As you may know,

00:16:48.259 --> 00:16:49.759
 I'm not afraid of talking to people,

00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:51.059
 and talking,

00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:52.220
 and listening,

00:16:52.519 --> 00:16:54.320
 and I just like being around people.

00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:56.740
 And a lot of people consider me an extrovert.

00:16:58.000 --> 00:16:59.800
 But my wife knows me a little better,

00:17:00.140 --> 00:17:01.900
 and so sometimes when I come back home,

00:17:02.560 --> 00:17:04.640
 and I've been around people all day long,

00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:06.680
 and I just can't talk anymore.

00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:08.000
 I just can't listen anymore.

00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:10.120
 We have this phrase that I use.

00:17:10.180 --> 00:17:10.539
 I say,

00:17:11.059 --> 00:17:11.799
 I'm peopled out.

00:17:13.180 --> 00:17:15.600
 And so I just crash,

00:17:15.720 --> 00:17:17.039
 and I just can't,

00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:19.200
 I just have to have my brain stop.

00:17:19.380 --> 00:17:20.660
 And just this past Thursday,

00:17:20.740 --> 00:17:23.039
 so we had this welcome party with 250 students,

00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:24.139
 and that was really exciting.

00:17:25.319 --> 00:17:27.359
 And I loved the conversations,

00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:28.319
 and then I got home,

00:17:28.379 --> 00:17:29.059
 and I just crashed,

00:17:29.220 --> 00:17:32.259
 because meeting like 30 new people,

00:17:32.779 --> 00:17:33.960
 and even like now,

00:17:34.059 --> 00:17:34.839
 I'm meeting people,

00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:36.059
 and I don't remember their names,

00:17:36.180 --> 00:17:38.059
 and you just can't take in all the information

00:17:38.059 --> 00:17:39.559
 from meeting all the people.

00:17:40.659 --> 00:17:42.159
 So I think that's a little bit

00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:44.720
 of how I've experienced community in my life.

00:17:46.200 --> 00:17:48.140
 I think there's something confusing

00:17:48.140 --> 00:17:50.060
 about what community really is.

00:17:51.620 --> 00:17:55.100
 Because I believe you can be as much alone

00:17:55.100 --> 00:17:57.620
 in a big crowd of people

00:17:57.620 --> 00:18:01.279
 as you can be alone just by yourself.

00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:04.160
 I mean,

00:18:04.779 --> 00:18:05.859
 thinking about community,

00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:09.539
 you can be surrounded by a lot of people,

00:18:10.059 --> 00:18:12.759
 but not really experience

00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:14.119
 that intimate relationship

00:18:14.119 --> 00:18:15.480
 that you would want.

00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:15.759
 Like,

00:18:16.460 --> 00:18:17.299
 you have your spouse,

00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:18.379
 maybe you have your kids,

00:18:18.460 --> 00:18:19.440
 you have all these people,

00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:22.920
 but you still feel lonely.

00:18:25.619 --> 00:18:27.139
 Working with the students at Hong Kong U,

00:18:27.180 --> 00:18:28.579
 I actually talk about it quite a bit.

00:18:28.579 --> 00:18:32.000
 loneliness is probably one of the top themes,

00:18:32.119 --> 00:18:33.319
 and if you are new to Hong Kong U,

00:18:34.139 --> 00:18:34.919
 you may wonder,

00:18:35.079 --> 00:18:35.139
 like,

00:18:35.179 --> 00:18:36.559
 how will it be for me to adjust?

00:18:37.819 --> 00:18:39.759
 But the topic of loneliness

00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:41.679
 seems to be like one of the main issues

00:18:41.679 --> 00:18:43.819
 that I hear people talk about.

00:18:44.899 --> 00:18:45.740
 So over the past year,

00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:47.079
 there's actually one of my friends

00:18:47.079 --> 00:18:48.079
 from the university,

00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:50.220
 and we have talked for about a year

00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:52.019
 about his journey and his story,

00:18:52.019 --> 00:18:54.159
 and he said it's okay for me

00:18:54.159 --> 00:18:56.460
 to share a little bit about our conversation.

00:18:56.639 --> 00:18:57.980
 So when he arrived in Hong Kong,

00:18:58.579 --> 00:18:59.839
 everything was new,

00:19:00.259 --> 00:19:03.000
 being more like an outgoing person,

00:19:03.299 --> 00:19:05.079
 he got pretty quickly connected,

00:19:05.579 --> 00:19:06.839
 made a lot of new friends,

00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:09.639
 and he built these relationships,

00:19:09.819 --> 00:19:10.339
 but pretty quickly,

00:19:10.439 --> 00:19:11.759
 they become kind of like overwhelming.

00:19:12.939 --> 00:19:13.460
 Outwardly,

00:19:13.559 --> 00:19:14.799
 things were going okay.

00:19:15.679 --> 00:19:16.199
 Outwardly,

00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:18.099
 everyone thought it's all good,

00:19:18.379 --> 00:19:20.220
 but deep inside,

00:19:20.980 --> 00:19:22.079
 things are very different.

00:19:23.859 --> 00:19:25.240
 Nobody really knew him,

00:19:25.379 --> 00:19:26.699
 nobody really knew his story,

00:19:26.700 --> 00:19:29.140
 and in his upbringing,

00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:29.759
 in his childhood,

00:19:29.860 --> 00:19:31.240
 he had some really painful memories,

00:19:31.420 --> 00:19:32.700
 some really painful experiences

00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:34.080
 that nobody knew about.

00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:34.600
 And when he,

00:19:34.980 --> 00:19:36.200
 the kid wanted to talk about it,

00:19:36.220 --> 00:19:36.600
 his family,

00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:37.200
 his friends,

00:19:37.900 --> 00:19:39.400
 they didn't really listen.

00:19:40.180 --> 00:19:41.700
 And so what he learned as a kid was,

00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:42.319
 oh,

00:19:42.340 --> 00:19:43.840
 if something is going wrong,

00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:44.819
 then I just need to pretend.

00:19:45.220 --> 00:19:46.840
 I just need a smile,

00:19:47.080 --> 00:19:47.799
 and people just want to have

00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:48.519
 a happy kid around.

00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:51.440
 And so it became a habit

00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:53.539
 to be the happy kid,

00:19:54.519 --> 00:19:55.900
 and just pretend to the people,

00:19:55.960 --> 00:19:57.039
 and not really being real.

00:19:58.220 --> 00:19:59.519
 So coming to Hong Kong U,

00:19:59.720 --> 00:20:01.519
 that increasingly became difficult.

00:20:03.220 --> 00:20:04.279
 The pressures of joining

00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:06.660
 kind of like all kind of fellowships,

00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:07.079
 like, you know,

00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:08.119
 the Hall Fellowship,

00:20:08.180 --> 00:20:09.500
 and then you have the Faculty Fellowship,

00:20:09.559 --> 00:20:10.339
 and then you have classmates,

00:20:10.700 --> 00:20:11.359
 and everyone,

00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:14.319
 like from your country background,

00:20:14.460 --> 00:20:15.740
 everyone has these like little groups,

00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:17.139
 and they all want to hang out with you.

00:20:17.140 --> 00:20:18.860
 But none of these places

00:20:18.860 --> 00:20:20.280
 really was deep.

00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:22.220
 They were all pretty shallow.

00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:25.140
 And at one point,

00:20:26.080 --> 00:20:27.580
 it was just too much,

00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:29.820
 because nobody really there

00:20:29.820 --> 00:20:31.440
 wanted to know him with his worries,

00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:32.940
 with his questions,

00:20:33.160 --> 00:20:34.080
 just the real him.

00:20:35.860 --> 00:20:37.740
 And I think that's what can happen

00:20:37.740 --> 00:20:38.640
 in community too,

00:20:39.020 --> 00:20:40.040
 that we surround ourselves

00:20:40.040 --> 00:20:40.980
 with so many people,

00:20:41.420 --> 00:20:42.980
 but nobody really knows us.

00:20:43.220 --> 00:20:45.040
 So seemingly the only option

00:20:45.040 --> 00:20:47.120
 sometimes seems to be

00:20:47.140 --> 00:20:48.740
 to step out of community

00:20:48.740 --> 00:20:49.560
 altogether,

00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:52.540
 and just go and retreat

00:20:52.540 --> 00:20:53.440
 to the lonely place,

00:20:53.500 --> 00:20:55.259
 to withdraw from the demands,

00:20:55.380 --> 00:20:56.380
 from the emptiness

00:20:56.380 --> 00:20:58.220
 found in community.

00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:01.300
 So as my friend,

00:21:01.360 --> 00:21:03.240
 I believe many of us

00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:04.740
 either hide in a crowd,

00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:07.720
 or we hide away from the crowd.

00:21:08.860 --> 00:21:09.759
 Some of us here

00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:10.640
 may have this tendency

00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:12.620
 to hide away from the crowd,

00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:13.520
 to withdraw,

00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:15.859
 but then for some of us,

00:21:15.900 --> 00:21:16.819
 it may be that stepping

00:21:16.819 --> 00:21:17.740
 into the crowd

00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:19.180
 that is our way

00:21:19.180 --> 00:21:19.819
 of dealing

00:21:19.819 --> 00:21:21.720
 with our loneliness

00:21:21.720 --> 00:21:22.819
 and hiding.

00:21:23.660 --> 00:21:24.440
 In Hong Kong,

00:21:25.139 --> 00:21:26.200
 there are some really interesting

00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:27.039
 things about the culture.

00:21:27.379 --> 00:21:28.079
 It seems to be

00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:29.339
 that it's

00:21:29.339 --> 00:21:30.839
 one of these things

00:21:30.839 --> 00:21:31.779
 that is expected from you

00:21:31.779 --> 00:21:33.099
 that you always have to do something.

00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:33.839
 You always have to be

00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:34.440
 on the move,

00:21:34.519 --> 00:21:35.019
 on the go.

00:21:35.859 --> 00:21:36.680
 So when I'm on

00:21:36.680 --> 00:21:37.279
 Chungcha Island,

00:21:37.400 --> 00:21:38.639
 this is really strange to me,

00:21:38.660 --> 00:21:39.859
 because I never really see people

00:21:39.859 --> 00:21:40.920
 walking there on their own.

00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:42.220
 Like they go there

00:21:42.220 --> 00:21:42.580
 and I thought,

00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:43.000
 oh, you know,

00:21:43.080 --> 00:21:44.620
 let's just escape from the city,

00:21:44.680 --> 00:21:45.220
 from the crowds.

00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:46.060
 But they gather

00:21:46.060 --> 00:21:46.880
 a whole crowd of people

00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:47.580
 to go there

00:21:47.580 --> 00:21:48.820
 to be around people

00:21:48.820 --> 00:21:50.100
 while they're getting away

00:21:50.100 --> 00:21:50.620
 from the city.

00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:52.560
 And if they walk on their own,

00:21:52.600 --> 00:21:53.400
 they have earplugs in

00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:54.160
 and listen to stuff

00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:55.000
 because they don't want

00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:55.640
 to walk alone.

00:21:56.820 --> 00:21:57.580
 One of the things

00:21:57.580 --> 00:21:58.600
 that I noticed as well

00:21:58.600 --> 00:22:00.080
 is it's really awkward

00:22:00.080 --> 00:22:00.620
 in Hong Kong

00:22:00.620 --> 00:22:01.660
 when you go to lunch

00:22:01.660 --> 00:22:02.560
 or dinner on your own

00:22:02.560 --> 00:22:03.779
 with anybody.

00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:04.180
 Like someone,

00:22:04.600 --> 00:22:06.000
 like you have this immediate feeling

00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:06.779
 like I want to sit down

00:22:06.779 --> 00:22:07.100
 next to them

00:22:07.100 --> 00:22:08.200
 and see whether everything

00:22:08.200 --> 00:22:09.180
 is okay in their life

00:22:09.180 --> 00:22:11.080
 because they don't hide

00:22:11.080 --> 00:22:11.700
 in this crowd.

00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:12.860
 Brennan Manning,

00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:13.460
 Brennan Manning

00:22:13.460 --> 00:22:14.580
 is one of my favorite writers

00:22:14.580 --> 00:22:16.720
 and he tells the story

00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:18.740
 of a man that comes

00:22:18.740 --> 00:22:19.500
 to a counselor

00:22:19.500 --> 00:22:20.160
 with depression.

00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:23.019
 The man shares his struggles

00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:24.259
 about being just like

00:22:24.259 --> 00:22:25.000
 burned out

00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:26.759
 and burdened with life

00:22:26.759 --> 00:22:27.500
 and overwhelmed.

00:22:28.539 --> 00:22:29.240
 And after listening

00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:29.860
 for a while,

00:22:29.960 --> 00:22:31.279
 the counselor says to him,

00:22:31.779 --> 00:22:33.519
 what I recommend you do,

00:22:33.779 --> 00:22:35.759
 go just by yourself

00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:37.279
 to a mountain cabin

00:22:37.279 --> 00:22:38.580
 for two weeks.

00:22:40.100 --> 00:22:40.940
 And the man says,

00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:42.519
 I don't really understand.

00:22:42.740 --> 00:22:44.140
 Like how should it help me

00:22:44.140 --> 00:22:44.720
 in my depression?

00:22:45.220 --> 00:22:45.940
 But the counselor says,

00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:47.120
 just come back in two weeks

00:22:47.120 --> 00:22:48.920
 and share with me

00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:49.740
 your experience.

00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:52.240
 So two weeks go by

00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:53.080
 and the man returns

00:22:53.080 --> 00:22:54.940
 and immediately starts saying,

00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:55.740
 this has not helped.

00:22:55.779 --> 00:22:57.180
 My depression got worse and worse

00:22:57.180 --> 00:22:57.840
 being up there.

00:22:57.880 --> 00:22:59.320
 I don't know what this was all about.

00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:00.759
 And so the counselor says,

00:23:00.820 --> 00:23:01.720
 so what did you do

00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:02.519
 while you were up there?

00:23:03.400 --> 00:23:03.920
 Oh, you know,

00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:04.900
 I just went up to the cabin

00:23:04.900 --> 00:23:07.380
 and first I read some Tolstoy

00:23:07.380 --> 00:23:08.460
 and then Edgar Allan Poe

00:23:08.460 --> 00:23:10.600
 and then when I was tired of reading,

00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:11.900
 I actually listened to Tchaikovsky

00:23:11.900 --> 00:23:12.540
 and Chopin

00:23:12.540 --> 00:23:15.100
 but it didn't help at all.

00:23:15.940 --> 00:23:17.500
 And so the counselor tells him,

00:23:18.300 --> 00:23:19.200
 you know,

00:23:19.420 --> 00:23:20.420
 I didn't ask you

00:23:20.420 --> 00:23:21.480
 to go to the mountain

00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:23.700
 to spend your time

00:23:23.700 --> 00:23:24.400
 with Tolstoy

00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:25.120
 and Poe

00:23:25.120 --> 00:23:25.720
 and Chopin

00:23:25.720 --> 00:23:27.460
 but just by yourself.

00:23:28.900 --> 00:23:29.839
 And the man responded,

00:23:30.039 --> 00:23:31.299
 just by myself?

00:23:31.740 --> 00:23:33.299
 I could not imagine

00:23:33.299 --> 00:23:34.839
 a worse company than that.

00:23:36.819 --> 00:23:38.200
 And I think in that story

00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:40.019
 we find ourselves sometimes

00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:42.539
 that we want to hide

00:23:42.539 --> 00:23:44.319
 from even meeting ourselves

00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:45.180
 because we know

00:23:45.180 --> 00:23:46.140
 when we slow down

00:23:46.140 --> 00:23:47.480
 and we stop

00:23:47.480 --> 00:23:49.579
 and we really look at our lives

00:23:49.579 --> 00:23:50.339
 and what's happening

00:23:50.339 --> 00:23:51.160
 in our lives,

00:23:52.259 --> 00:23:53.360
 we may be so disappointed

00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:53.819
 and we say,

00:23:54.419 --> 00:23:55.000
 that company

00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:55.639
 or that person

00:23:55.639 --> 00:23:56.579
 that we really are,

00:23:57.019 --> 00:23:57.559
 I don't really know

00:23:57.559 --> 00:23:58.619
 whether I want to spend time.

00:23:58.699 --> 00:23:59.579
 So we start

00:23:59.579 --> 00:24:01.519
 falling prey

00:24:01.519 --> 00:24:02.500
 to the idols of the city

00:24:02.500 --> 00:24:03.719
 and start working

00:24:03.719 --> 00:24:04.559
 and getting busy

00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:06.019
 with all kinds of things

00:24:06.019 --> 00:24:07.740
 and so we realize

00:24:07.740 --> 00:24:08.379
 that community

00:24:08.379 --> 00:24:09.539
 can also become

00:24:09.539 --> 00:24:10.500
 the hiding place

00:24:10.500 --> 00:24:11.859
 because we only

00:24:11.859 --> 00:24:12.219
 want to escape

00:24:12.219 --> 00:24:12.899
 from ourselves.

00:24:13.979 --> 00:24:14.659
 When we look

00:24:14.659 --> 00:24:15.919
 at the life of Jesus,

00:24:16.039 --> 00:24:16.639
 he is surrounded

00:24:16.639 --> 00:24:18.479
 by people a lot.

00:24:19.479 --> 00:24:20.159
 He's surrounded

00:24:20.159 --> 00:24:20.740
 by crowds

00:24:20.740 --> 00:24:21.479
 that follow him

00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:21.920
 and the crowd

00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:22.860
 grows and grows

00:24:22.860 --> 00:24:24.160
 and when he's not

00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:25.059
 in the bigger crowd,

00:24:25.180 --> 00:24:25.980
 he is with his group

00:24:25.980 --> 00:24:26.500
 of disciples.

00:24:26.980 --> 00:24:28.240
 So imagine a 24-7

00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:29.039
 community group

00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:31.039
 and being all together,

00:24:31.259 --> 00:24:32.200
 doing everything together

00:24:32.200 --> 00:24:33.200
 and then there's

00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:33.940
 sometimes these places

00:24:33.940 --> 00:24:34.880
 where he just goes away

00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:36.240
 and goes to these lonely places

00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:37.120
 where we just want

00:24:37.120 --> 00:24:38.700
 to look at these stories

00:24:38.700 --> 00:24:40.480
 that we heard

00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:42.000
 just in the reading before

00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:44.380
 and what we can see

00:24:44.380 --> 00:24:45.420
 about being with people

00:24:45.420 --> 00:24:47.660
 and being away from people.

00:24:49.079 --> 00:24:49.819
 So our first story

00:24:49.819 --> 00:24:50.419
 that we heard

00:24:50.419 --> 00:24:52.539
 and if you want

00:24:52.539 --> 00:24:54.019
 to follow up in Luke

00:24:54.019 --> 00:24:54.559
 and you can read

00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:55.379
 a little bit through it,

00:24:55.659 --> 00:24:56.700
 we're actually in Luke

00:24:56.700 --> 00:24:57.839
 in our sermon series

00:24:57.839 --> 00:24:58.539
 here at the church

00:24:58.539 --> 00:24:59.819
 for the past two years.

00:24:59.939 --> 00:25:00.539
 So we're walking

00:25:00.539 --> 00:25:01.679
 through the book of Luke

00:25:01.679 --> 00:25:02.659
 and we come to the end

00:25:02.659 --> 00:25:03.379
 and this is a story

00:25:03.379 --> 00:25:04.279
 that we'll actually look at

00:25:04.279 --> 00:25:04.919
 in more detail

00:25:04.919 --> 00:25:06.240
 in just a few weeks.

00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:07.700
 But today,

00:25:07.799 --> 00:25:08.700
 we want to just highlight

00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:10.099
 a few parts of this passage

00:25:10.099 --> 00:25:11.059
 that have to do

00:25:11.059 --> 00:25:11.740
 with community

00:25:11.740 --> 00:25:13.279
 just so that these

00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:14.139
 community elements

00:25:14.139 --> 00:25:14.899
 in that story.

00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:17.359
 So the story there

00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:18.740
 begins with Jesus

00:25:18.740 --> 00:25:20.699
 passing through Jericho.

00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:22.459
 So he's passing through

00:25:22.459 --> 00:25:23.379
 because he's on the way

00:25:23.379 --> 00:25:23.979
 to Jerusalem

00:25:23.979 --> 00:25:27.199
 and this is the final stop

00:25:27.199 --> 00:25:27.819
 of his journey

00:25:27.819 --> 00:25:28.959
 of three years of ministry.

00:25:30.679 --> 00:25:32.119
 And as he goes there,

00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:35.079
 the crowds actually

00:25:35.079 --> 00:25:35.919
 are following him

00:25:35.919 --> 00:25:37.719
 and the crowds surround him

00:25:37.719 --> 00:25:38.259
 in the city.

00:25:38.759 --> 00:25:39.419
 He's become kind of

00:25:39.419 --> 00:25:40.059
 like a celebrity.

00:25:40.059 --> 00:25:43.200
 The Jews are getting convinced

00:25:43.200 --> 00:25:44.500
 now that this ministry

00:25:44.500 --> 00:25:46.460
 has more dynamic

00:25:46.460 --> 00:25:48.339
 and he has shown his power

00:25:48.339 --> 00:25:49.759
 that he must be the one

00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:51.079
 that is promised long ago

00:25:51.079 --> 00:25:51.879
 in the sacred text

00:25:51.879 --> 00:25:52.940
 from hundreds of years ago

00:25:52.940 --> 00:25:53.899
 that he is the one

00:25:53.899 --> 00:25:54.480
 that will come

00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:57.000
 and he'll be the savior,

00:25:57.179 --> 00:25:58.720
 he'll be the king,

00:25:59.379 --> 00:26:01.700
 he'll defeat the Romans

00:26:01.700 --> 00:26:03.099
 and he will lead them

00:26:03.099 --> 00:26:03.480
 to freedom

00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:04.220
 and nobody wants

00:26:04.220 --> 00:26:05.119
 to miss out on that.

00:26:05.419 --> 00:26:06.659
 So the crowds are united

00:26:06.659 --> 00:26:07.559
 as a community

00:26:07.559 --> 00:26:08.679
 in their hope,

00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:09.559
 in their selfish hope

00:26:09.559 --> 00:26:11.000
 that Jesus will fulfill

00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:11.700
 their dreams

00:26:11.700 --> 00:26:13.299
 and their hopes.

00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:15.079
 But honestly,

00:26:15.419 --> 00:26:16.240
 do you think that anybody

00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:17.299
 in the crowd there

00:26:17.299 --> 00:26:19.679
 really was interested

00:26:19.679 --> 00:26:21.759
 in Jesus as a person?

00:26:23.679 --> 00:26:24.859
 Do you think anyone there

00:26:24.859 --> 00:26:26.500
 was really interested

00:26:26.500 --> 00:26:27.299
 in knowing him

00:26:27.299 --> 00:26:29.099
 and knowing his story,

00:26:29.700 --> 00:26:30.440
 knowing his struggles,

00:26:30.579 --> 00:26:31.359
 knowing his worries?

00:26:34.460 --> 00:26:35.940
 So we look at this crowd

00:26:35.940 --> 00:26:36.919
 being caught up

00:26:36.919 --> 00:26:39.119
 in their expectation

00:26:39.119 --> 00:26:39.979
 and the demands

00:26:39.979 --> 00:26:40.919
 and so here the community

00:26:40.919 --> 00:26:41.739
 puts this demand

00:26:41.739 --> 00:26:42.279
 on Christ,

00:26:42.659 --> 00:26:43.859
 on who he's supposed to be

00:26:43.859 --> 00:26:44.559
 and what he's supposed

00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:45.199
 to fulfill.

00:26:45.859 --> 00:26:46.739
 But as Zacchaeus

00:26:46.739 --> 00:26:48.379
 enters the village

00:26:48.379 --> 00:26:49.299
 and the crowds gather,

00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:50.899
 there's this one guy

00:26:50.899 --> 00:26:51.779
 that we hear about,

00:26:52.119 --> 00:26:52.599
 Zacchaeus.

00:26:52.659 --> 00:26:53.519
 He's the only one

00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:54.279
 mentioned specifically

00:26:54.279 --> 00:26:54.939
 in this story.

00:26:55.459 --> 00:26:56.419
 We don't learn about

00:26:56.419 --> 00:26:58.000
 any other person's name.

00:26:58.259 --> 00:26:59.219
 We actually only hear

00:26:59.219 --> 00:27:00.219
 about Zacchaeus.

00:27:00.979 --> 00:27:01.899
 And Zacchaeus

00:27:01.899 --> 00:27:02.679
 was not a part

00:27:02.679 --> 00:27:03.179
 of the crowd.

00:27:04.139 --> 00:27:05.500
 He actually was one

00:27:05.500 --> 00:27:06.299
 that was rejected

00:27:06.299 --> 00:27:06.980
 by the crowd.

00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:09.380
 For him,

00:27:09.460 --> 00:27:10.339
 community was probably

00:27:10.339 --> 00:27:11.859
 one of these scary things.

00:27:12.940 --> 00:27:13.660
 You can imagine

00:27:13.660 --> 00:27:15.380
 being a tax collector,

00:27:15.559 --> 00:27:15.940
 he didn't have

00:27:15.940 --> 00:27:16.480
 a good standing.

00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:17.819
 People only saw him

00:27:17.819 --> 00:27:18.220
 as the one

00:27:18.220 --> 00:27:19.039
 that took the money

00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:19.960
 from them.

00:27:20.519 --> 00:27:21.339
 So they would probably

00:27:21.339 --> 00:27:22.319
 talk behind his back.

00:27:22.859 --> 00:27:23.799
 Wherever they had a chance

00:27:23.799 --> 00:27:24.779
 within the community,

00:27:24.900 --> 00:27:25.460
 they would show him

00:27:25.460 --> 00:27:26.359
 that he's not wanted.

00:27:27.640 --> 00:27:28.880
 And the closest community

00:27:28.880 --> 00:27:30.059
 that he had said,

00:27:30.119 --> 00:27:31.160
 I wonder what that was.

00:27:31.160 --> 00:27:33.160
 Maybe there were

00:27:33.160 --> 00:27:34.200
 some other wealthy people

00:27:34.200 --> 00:27:34.980
 that experienced

00:27:34.980 --> 00:27:35.840
 the same things.

00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:39.080
 Maybe there were

00:27:39.080 --> 00:27:40.060
 some other tax collectors.

00:27:40.220 --> 00:27:41.460
 But then the tax collector,

00:27:41.600 --> 00:27:42.279
 since he's the chief

00:27:42.279 --> 00:27:43.140
 tax collector,

00:27:43.820 --> 00:27:44.800
 they all probably

00:27:44.800 --> 00:27:45.759
 were working for him.

00:27:45.980 --> 00:27:47.340
 So being up close

00:27:47.340 --> 00:27:48.400
 and personal with them

00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:49.440
 probably was not

00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:50.060
 very possible.

00:27:51.360 --> 00:27:52.360
 So I would assume

00:27:52.360 --> 00:27:52.920
 that it was more

00:27:52.920 --> 00:27:53.800
 a business relationship.

00:27:54.320 --> 00:27:54.759
 But anyways,

00:27:54.860 --> 00:27:55.940
 when Jesus comes

00:27:55.940 --> 00:27:56.900
 to the village,

00:27:57.680 --> 00:27:58.840
 he's just by himself.

00:27:58.839 --> 00:28:00.879
 So when Jesus

00:28:00.879 --> 00:28:02.139
 enters the city,

00:28:02.959 --> 00:28:03.759
 and I just imagine

00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:05.759
 that probably being like,

00:28:06.399 --> 00:28:06.759
 I don't know,

00:28:06.819 --> 00:28:08.019
 like an hour on Friday night

00:28:08.019 --> 00:28:08.619
 in Mong Kok,

00:28:08.919 --> 00:28:10.199
 like getting through the crowds,

00:28:10.679 --> 00:28:11.539
 like so many people

00:28:11.539 --> 00:28:11.959
 gathered,

00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:13.799
 and nobody really

00:28:13.799 --> 00:28:14.759
 interested in relationship,

00:28:14.879 --> 00:28:15.419
 but there's this

00:28:15.419 --> 00:28:16.720
 like huge community gathered.

00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:18.259
 And he's fighting

00:28:18.259 --> 00:28:19.139
 his way through that.

00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:20.879
 And as Jesus

00:28:20.879 --> 00:28:22.039
 walks into the city

00:28:22.039 --> 00:28:22.919
 through this crowd,

00:28:23.240 --> 00:28:24.359
 he picks the most

00:28:24.359 --> 00:28:25.379
 unlikely person.

00:28:25.380 --> 00:28:28.520
 and he invites himself

00:28:28.520 --> 00:28:29.140
 to his home.

00:28:30.340 --> 00:28:30.480
 Now,

00:28:30.560 --> 00:28:31.520
 like living in Hong Kong,

00:28:31.660 --> 00:28:32.900
 you know how unlikely

00:28:32.900 --> 00:28:34.040
 it is to get an invitation

00:28:34.040 --> 00:28:34.980
 to actually come

00:28:34.980 --> 00:28:35.840
 to a person's home,

00:28:36.540 --> 00:28:38.580
 especially with like space

00:28:38.580 --> 00:28:40.720
 pretty rare in Hong Kong.

00:28:41.300 --> 00:28:42.620
 But hospitality was

00:28:42.620 --> 00:28:43.100
 a little bit different

00:28:43.100 --> 00:28:43.780
 at that time.

00:28:44.600 --> 00:28:45.960
 It was about honor

00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:47.000
 and showing people

00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:47.960
 respect as they walked through.

00:28:48.020 --> 00:28:48.500
 It was kind of like

00:28:48.500 --> 00:28:49.220
 an unexpected thing,

00:28:49.300 --> 00:28:50.060
 but it's still

00:28:50.060 --> 00:28:51.300
 a pretty intimate place.

00:28:51.960 --> 00:28:52.860
 It's an intimate place

00:28:52.860 --> 00:28:53.880
 where the family meets,

00:28:53.940 --> 00:28:55.120
 where it's a personal space,

00:28:55.119 --> 00:28:57.119
 that Jesus invites himself into.

00:28:57.599 --> 00:28:58.319
 And the story,

00:28:58.599 --> 00:28:59.099
 in the story,

00:28:59.219 --> 00:29:00.399
 the crowd gets pretty upset.

00:29:01.379 --> 00:29:02.019
 They actually say,

00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:03.159
 why does he go

00:29:03.159 --> 00:29:03.819
 into the house,

00:29:04.019 --> 00:29:05.199
 like in this personal space,

00:29:05.439 --> 00:29:06.239
 of this bad guy

00:29:06.239 --> 00:29:07.119
 that we all want to show

00:29:07.119 --> 00:29:07.959
 that we reject him?

00:29:09.719 --> 00:29:11.299
 But Jesus enters the home

00:29:11.299 --> 00:29:13.759
 and he breaks through

00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:15.399
 all the rejection

00:29:15.399 --> 00:29:17.139
 that Zacchaeus

00:29:17.139 --> 00:29:17.839
 has experienced

00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:18.719
 within his community.

00:29:18.919 --> 00:29:20.139
 He doesn't care about it.

00:29:22.179 --> 00:29:23.619
 He breaks through the pain

00:29:23.619 --> 00:29:25.079
 and the feelings of rejection.

00:29:25.079 --> 00:29:26.279
 He breaks through

00:29:26.279 --> 00:29:28.219
 his feeling

00:29:28.219 --> 00:29:29.979
 of not being worthy

00:29:29.979 --> 00:29:30.779
 of community.

00:29:31.679 --> 00:29:32.359
 And I'm pretty sure

00:29:32.359 --> 00:29:33.259
 that the wealth

00:29:33.259 --> 00:29:34.119
 that he had

00:29:34.119 --> 00:29:35.399
 did not really change that.

00:29:38.039 --> 00:29:39.119
 In that moment,

00:29:39.579 --> 00:29:40.919
 Christ just shows him

00:29:40.919 --> 00:29:42.859
 this bit of dignity

00:29:42.859 --> 00:29:43.379
 and worth

00:29:43.379 --> 00:29:44.419
 that he has not experienced

00:29:44.419 --> 00:29:45.359
 by anyone around

00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:46.359
 for a long time.

00:29:46.439 --> 00:29:47.019
 And being treated

00:29:47.019 --> 00:29:47.739
 in that way,

00:29:48.459 --> 00:29:49.739
 it changes

00:29:49.739 --> 00:29:50.979
 Zacchaeus' life.

00:29:50.980 --> 00:29:52.839
 it's just this one

00:29:52.839 --> 00:29:53.700
 little step,

00:29:54.200 --> 00:29:54.940
 this one step

00:29:54.940 --> 00:29:55.579
 of him

00:29:55.579 --> 00:29:56.980
 stepping into

00:29:56.980 --> 00:29:57.620
 a relationship

00:29:57.620 --> 00:29:59.480
 and this encounter

00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:01.460
 becomes something

00:30:01.460 --> 00:30:01.980
 where

00:30:01.980 --> 00:30:03.620
 Zacchaeus looks

00:30:03.620 --> 00:30:04.480
 at all his possessions

00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:06.400
 and he finds them

00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:07.759
 not worth anything.

00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:08.620
 He begins to give

00:30:08.620 --> 00:30:09.680
 half of his stuff away.

00:30:10.220 --> 00:30:10.539
 He says,

00:30:10.900 --> 00:30:11.759
 and I'm using the rest

00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:12.940
 to make up for any wrong

00:30:12.940 --> 00:30:13.259
 that I've done

00:30:13.259 --> 00:30:14.720
 because in this one encounter

00:30:14.720 --> 00:30:15.440
 he has experienced

00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:16.360
 the wealth

00:30:16.360 --> 00:30:17.759
 of a relationship,

00:30:18.380 --> 00:30:18.720
 a deep,

00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:19.039
 intimate,

00:30:19.180 --> 00:30:19.940
 personal relationship,

00:30:19.940 --> 00:30:20.980
 true community.

00:30:22.519 --> 00:30:23.920
 And that's what Christ does.

00:30:25.380 --> 00:30:26.400
 That's what Christ does

00:30:26.400 --> 00:30:27.259
 in the second story.

00:30:28.500 --> 00:30:29.539
 We see Christ

00:30:29.539 --> 00:30:31.279
 in the second story

00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:33.180
 having another encounter

00:30:33.180 --> 00:30:34.039
 with an individual.

00:30:34.980 --> 00:30:35.740
 It's a woman

00:30:35.740 --> 00:30:36.620
 that he meets

00:30:36.620 --> 00:30:37.140
 at a well.

00:30:39.299 --> 00:30:40.500
 And that well,

00:30:43.380 --> 00:30:43.720
 it's,

00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:44.740
 the encounter

00:30:44.740 --> 00:30:45.759
 that happens there

00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:46.799
 is interesting as well

00:30:46.799 --> 00:30:47.620
 because it is

00:30:47.620 --> 00:30:48.440
 a Samaritan woman.

00:30:48.440 --> 00:30:50.299
 she already experiences

00:30:50.299 --> 00:30:50.900
 rejection

00:30:50.900 --> 00:30:52.299
 because she is

00:30:52.299 --> 00:30:52.860
 a Samaritan.

00:30:53.900 --> 00:30:55.039
 A Jew and a Samaritan,

00:30:55.120 --> 00:30:55.799
 they would not really

00:30:55.799 --> 00:30:56.559
 get along well

00:30:56.559 --> 00:30:57.840
 because a Samaritan,

00:30:58.460 --> 00:30:58.860
 ethnically,

00:30:58.940 --> 00:30:59.539
 they intermarried

00:30:59.539 --> 00:31:01.680
 with another race.

00:31:01.960 --> 00:31:02.080
 So,

00:31:02.759 --> 00:31:03.840
 for them to

00:31:03.840 --> 00:31:05.160
 talk with each other

00:31:05.160 --> 00:31:05.920
 was very unlikely.

00:31:06.059 --> 00:31:07.120
 But it's not just

00:31:07.120 --> 00:31:08.860
 a cultural challenge here.

00:31:09.340 --> 00:31:10.140
 She actually comes

00:31:10.140 --> 00:31:10.539
 to the well

00:31:10.539 --> 00:31:11.180
 on her own

00:31:11.180 --> 00:31:12.480
 during the day.

00:31:12.480 --> 00:31:13.960
 so it's,

00:31:14.019 --> 00:31:15.200
 it's not that she comes

00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:16.160
 with the other ladies

00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:16.839
 of the village,

00:31:17.339 --> 00:31:18.500
 that she actually comes

00:31:18.500 --> 00:31:19.039
 there and then

00:31:19.039 --> 00:31:19.660
 during the day

00:31:19.660 --> 00:31:20.279
 when it's hot,

00:31:20.980 --> 00:31:21.579
 I wonder whether

00:31:21.579 --> 00:31:22.259
 she's avoiding

00:31:22.259 --> 00:31:23.559
 meeting the others there.

00:31:25.559 --> 00:31:26.120
 In the encounter

00:31:26.120 --> 00:31:26.839
 with Jesus,

00:31:26.980 --> 00:31:27.799
 we actually learn

00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:29.500
 that she had,

00:31:29.579 --> 00:31:29.880
 has,

00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:31.120
 has had five husbands

00:31:31.120 --> 00:31:33.059
 and now she is

00:31:33.059 --> 00:31:33.779
 with another man.

00:31:35.460 --> 00:31:36.500
 So either she

00:31:36.500 --> 00:31:38.019
 had some painful

00:31:38.019 --> 00:31:38.539
 experiences

00:31:38.539 --> 00:31:40.220
 with someone dying

00:31:40.220 --> 00:31:41.059
 or getting divorced

00:31:41.059 --> 00:31:42.039
 but a very likely

00:31:42.039 --> 00:31:43.839
 possibility is

00:31:43.839 --> 00:31:44.819
 that she just simply

00:31:44.819 --> 00:31:46.779
 had five husbands

00:31:46.779 --> 00:31:48.660
 and now she is

00:31:48.660 --> 00:31:49.180
 with someone

00:31:49.180 --> 00:31:50.480
 that she's not

00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:51.200
 even married to.

00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:53.480
 Whatever her story,

00:31:53.819 --> 00:31:54.440
 the relationship

00:31:54.440 --> 00:31:55.380
 has left her

00:31:55.380 --> 00:31:56.880
 probably scarred as well,

00:31:57.160 --> 00:31:58.519
 looking for community

00:31:58.519 --> 00:32:00.000
 in some places

00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:01.400
 that ultimately

00:32:01.400 --> 00:32:02.100
 left her

00:32:02.100 --> 00:32:03.120
 unsatisfied.

00:32:04.059 --> 00:32:04.880
 And towns at that time

00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:05.539
 were pretty small.

00:32:06.700 --> 00:32:06.900
 So,

00:32:07.339 --> 00:32:08.440
 everyone knows everyone

00:32:08.440 --> 00:32:09.019
 and she,

00:32:09.440 --> 00:32:09.980
 like Zacchaeus,

00:32:09.980 --> 00:32:10.940
 experiences that,

00:32:11.099 --> 00:32:11.819
 that rejection

00:32:11.819 --> 00:32:13.059
 of being not part

00:32:13.059 --> 00:32:13.720
 of a community.

00:32:14.940 --> 00:32:15.740
 But now when Jesus

00:32:15.740 --> 00:32:17.099
 encounters her

00:32:17.099 --> 00:32:17.680
 at the well,

00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:19.380
 he breaks through

00:32:19.380 --> 00:32:20.420
 all these relationship

00:32:20.420 --> 00:32:21.599
 barriers that exist.

00:32:22.500 --> 00:32:23.120
 He breaks through

00:32:23.120 --> 00:32:23.920
 the culture barrier

00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:24.279
 for,

00:32:24.440 --> 00:32:26.000
 of her being a Samaritan.

00:32:26.880 --> 00:32:27.640
 He breaks through

00:32:27.640 --> 00:32:28.180
 the barrier

00:32:28.180 --> 00:32:29.680
 of talking to a woman

00:32:29.680 --> 00:32:30.880
 which was very uncommon.

00:32:31.960 --> 00:32:32.680
 And he finally

00:32:32.680 --> 00:32:35.759
 talks to her

00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:37.299
 as a woman

00:32:37.299 --> 00:32:37.980
 from a questionable

00:32:37.980 --> 00:32:38.519
 background.

00:32:38.519 --> 00:32:40.240
 So,

00:32:40.799 --> 00:32:42.200
 we look at Christ

00:32:42.200 --> 00:32:42.480
 here

00:32:42.480 --> 00:32:44.500
 and what he does

00:32:44.500 --> 00:32:45.359
 is he's not just

00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:46.319
 simply having a conversation

00:32:46.319 --> 00:32:47.019
 with her

00:32:47.019 --> 00:32:48.400
 but as she builds up

00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:49.000
 her defenses

00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:49.400
 and kind of,

00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:50.400
 you shouldn't approach me,

00:32:51.359 --> 00:32:52.240
 he reveals

00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:54.259
 in a remarkable way

00:32:54.259 --> 00:32:56.059
 knowledge about her life

00:32:56.059 --> 00:32:57.599
 that is to a depth

00:32:57.599 --> 00:32:58.400
 that is

00:32:58.400 --> 00:33:00.019
 just,

00:33:00.019 --> 00:33:01.519
 just,

00:33:02.180 --> 00:33:02.759
 yeah,

00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:03.660
 just,

00:33:03.879 --> 00:33:05.599
 yeah,

00:33:05.660 --> 00:33:06.779
 just a lot of knowledge.

00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:07.259
 So,

00:33:07.859 --> 00:33:09.700
 we are all experts

00:33:09.700 --> 00:33:10.140
 in hiding

00:33:10.140 --> 00:33:10.839
 like the woman.

00:33:11.379 --> 00:33:11.519
 You know,

00:33:11.559 --> 00:33:12.319
 we all have these

00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:13.000
 kinds of things.

00:33:13.539 --> 00:33:14.240
 We hide

00:33:14.240 --> 00:33:15.660
 from people

00:33:15.660 --> 00:33:16.539
 truly knowing us.

00:33:16.619 --> 00:33:17.240
 We don't really want

00:33:17.240 --> 00:33:18.700
 people to get so close.

00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:19.559
 We build up

00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:20.700
 these barriers.

00:33:22.960 --> 00:33:23.359
 Especially,

00:33:23.500 --> 00:33:24.059
 we don't want people

00:33:24.059 --> 00:33:24.960
 to know our dark side.

00:33:25.099 --> 00:33:25.200
 So,

00:33:25.259 --> 00:33:25.839
 just imagine

00:33:25.839 --> 00:33:27.759
 you meet someone

00:33:27.759 --> 00:33:28.859
 that you truly respect

00:33:28.859 --> 00:33:30.519
 and you really want

00:33:30.519 --> 00:33:31.459
 to get into relationships

00:33:31.459 --> 00:33:32.059
 so you kind of

00:33:32.059 --> 00:33:32.959
 pull out your name card

00:33:32.959 --> 00:33:34.459
 and try to show them

00:33:34.459 --> 00:33:35.159
 who you are

00:33:35.159 --> 00:33:36.000
 and then

00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:37.439
 maybe you actually

00:33:37.439 --> 00:33:38.399
 get into a conversation

00:33:38.399 --> 00:33:38.839
 with them

00:33:38.839 --> 00:33:39.959
 and in the conversation

00:33:39.959 --> 00:33:40.659
 you try to like

00:33:40.659 --> 00:33:41.419
 drop some lines

00:33:41.419 --> 00:33:42.059
 that build up

00:33:42.059 --> 00:33:42.639
 reputation.

00:33:43.679 --> 00:33:44.199
 You know,

00:33:44.279 --> 00:33:45.039
 I just did this big

00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:45.619
 like business deal

00:33:45.619 --> 00:33:46.139
 last week

00:33:46.139 --> 00:33:47.259
 was really,

00:33:47.500 --> 00:33:48.259
 really good

00:33:48.259 --> 00:33:48.740
 that that happened

00:33:48.740 --> 00:33:49.500
 and I just got

00:33:49.500 --> 00:33:50.339
 this new house

00:33:50.339 --> 00:33:50.939
 up on the peak

00:33:50.939 --> 00:33:51.179
 and,

00:33:51.779 --> 00:33:53.279
 yeah,

00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:54.039
 I actually have to

00:33:54.039 --> 00:33:54.740
 fly out for business

00:33:54.740 --> 00:33:55.599
 next week.

00:33:55.740 --> 00:33:56.559
 I go to a few

00:33:56.559 --> 00:33:57.339
 different countries

00:33:57.339 --> 00:33:58.559
 or you might just say,

00:33:58.619 --> 00:33:58.740
 oh,

00:33:58.779 --> 00:33:59.279
 I just got into

00:33:59.279 --> 00:33:59.839
 Hong Kong U.

00:34:01.879 --> 00:34:02.619
 Whatever it is

00:34:02.619 --> 00:34:03.420
 you try to do

00:34:03.420 --> 00:34:05.039
 to impress a person

00:34:05.039 --> 00:34:06.259
 and try to

00:34:06.259 --> 00:34:07.319
 get the standing

00:34:07.319 --> 00:34:08.380
 and present yourself

00:34:08.380 --> 00:34:09.219
 in a certain way

00:34:09.219 --> 00:34:11.400
 but imagine

00:34:11.400 --> 00:34:12.420
 the other person says,

00:34:13.800 --> 00:34:15.779
 you know,

00:34:15.860 --> 00:34:16.400
 it's okay.

00:34:17.920 --> 00:34:19.159
 You don't have to do this.

00:34:19.500 --> 00:34:19.980
 I know

00:34:19.980 --> 00:34:21.460
 about your

00:34:21.460 --> 00:34:22.320
 messed up finances.

00:34:22.619 --> 00:34:22.960
 I know it.

00:34:22.960 --> 00:34:24.199
 I know all your accounts.

00:34:26.139 --> 00:34:27.099
 I know about

00:34:27.099 --> 00:34:28.240
 your marriage problems

00:34:28.240 --> 00:34:29.119
 and where you are,

00:34:29.199 --> 00:34:29.420
 really.

00:34:31.199 --> 00:34:32.220
 And I know about

00:34:32.220 --> 00:34:32.900
 the trouble you have

00:34:32.900 --> 00:34:33.539
 with your kids

00:34:33.539 --> 00:34:34.619
 inside out.

00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:38.039
 I know about

00:34:38.039 --> 00:34:39.059
 the other woman you have,

00:34:40.240 --> 00:34:40.880
 the other man.

00:34:43.460 --> 00:34:44.440
 I know about

00:34:44.440 --> 00:34:45.240
 your depression

00:34:45.240 --> 00:34:47.260
 and I know

00:34:47.260 --> 00:34:48.380
 that you feel lonely

00:34:48.380 --> 00:34:49.460
 and that you are in despair.

00:34:49.940 --> 00:34:50.699
 I know all that.

00:34:51.500 --> 00:34:52.380
 I know all the things

00:34:52.380 --> 00:34:52.940
 that you are trying

00:34:52.940 --> 00:34:54.180
 to hide from me.

00:34:56.119 --> 00:34:56.780
 But honestly,

00:34:56.880 --> 00:34:57.800
 it doesn't matter to me.

00:34:58.220 --> 00:34:59.780
 I just want to meet

00:34:59.780 --> 00:35:00.559
 the real you.

00:35:02.380 --> 00:35:03.320
 I don't want to meet

00:35:03.320 --> 00:35:03.700
 the person

00:35:03.700 --> 00:35:04.640
 that you're trying to be.

00:35:05.340 --> 00:35:06.900
 So stop faking it with me.

00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:08.740
 Just come out of hiding.

00:35:09.559 --> 00:35:10.700
 You don't need to fear

00:35:10.700 --> 00:35:12.059
 that I'm putting you to shame,

00:35:12.840 --> 00:35:13.820
 that I'll embarrass you,

00:35:14.539 --> 00:35:15.300
 that I'll hurt you

00:35:15.300 --> 00:35:16.180
 or disappoint you.

00:35:16.179 --> 00:35:19.440
 And when Jesus sits down

00:35:19.440 --> 00:35:20.339
 at the well,

00:35:22.019 --> 00:35:23.799
 when he talks to Zacchaeus

00:35:23.799 --> 00:35:24.879
 in both of the stories,

00:35:25.399 --> 00:35:26.599
 that's what he does.

00:35:27.539 --> 00:35:29.339
 He sits in this intimate place

00:35:29.339 --> 00:35:30.579
 away from the crowds.

00:35:32.259 --> 00:35:33.139
 When he talks to

00:35:33.139 --> 00:35:33.919
 the Samaritan woman,

00:35:34.059 --> 00:35:35.500
 he talks to her

00:35:35.500 --> 00:35:37.000
 while the community group

00:35:37.000 --> 00:35:37.719
 is getting food

00:35:37.719 --> 00:35:38.719
 and is worried about dinner.

00:35:40.519 --> 00:35:43.699
 And he uses this intimate place

00:35:43.699 --> 00:35:44.239
 to be real.

00:35:44.239 --> 00:35:46.139
 Jesus invites

00:35:46.139 --> 00:35:47.059
 the Samaritan woman

00:35:47.059 --> 00:35:49.699
 into a safe place,

00:35:50.699 --> 00:35:51.799
 true community.

00:35:52.659 --> 00:35:53.899
 He reveals to her

00:35:53.899 --> 00:35:55.139
 his knowledge

00:35:55.139 --> 00:35:57.279
 of the most vulnerable places

00:35:57.279 --> 00:35:58.019
 in her life

00:35:58.019 --> 00:35:59.759
 and shows her

00:35:59.759 --> 00:36:01.459
 that he loves her through it

00:36:01.459 --> 00:36:02.919
 and that in him

00:36:02.919 --> 00:36:04.179
 she is safe.

00:36:06.719 --> 00:36:08.079
 So when we begin

00:36:08.079 --> 00:36:09.659
 to apply these stories

00:36:09.659 --> 00:36:10.639
 to our life,

00:36:10.639 --> 00:36:14.739
 we may have to start there.

00:36:16.079 --> 00:36:16.739
 If we want to see

00:36:16.739 --> 00:36:17.579
 what these stories mean

00:36:17.579 --> 00:36:18.319
 for us here,

00:36:18.779 --> 00:36:19.279
 today,

00:36:20.059 --> 00:36:21.179
 in our daily lives,

00:36:21.920 --> 00:36:22.659
 then we have to see

00:36:22.659 --> 00:36:23.900
 that true community

00:36:23.900 --> 00:36:25.219
 ultimately can only

00:36:25.219 --> 00:36:27.819
 start with Christ.

00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:30.279
 I mean,

00:36:30.339 --> 00:36:30.980
 in this world,

00:36:31.159 --> 00:36:31.900
 let's look around,

00:36:32.099 --> 00:36:32.900
 you'll see that

00:36:32.900 --> 00:36:33.779
 ultimately there is

00:36:33.779 --> 00:36:34.619
 no safe place

00:36:34.619 --> 00:36:35.359
 for us to go.

00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:38.340
 no person

00:36:38.340 --> 00:36:39.019
 in this world,

00:36:39.260 --> 00:36:40.260
 no community

00:36:40.260 --> 00:36:43.340
 will not at one point

00:36:43.340 --> 00:36:44.480
 leave you pretty disappointed.

00:36:45.820 --> 00:36:47.180
 I will leave you disappointed.

00:36:48.180 --> 00:36:49.280
 Tobin will leave you disappointed.

00:36:50.660 --> 00:36:51.960
 Your friends and family

00:36:51.960 --> 00:36:53.160
 will disappoint you.

00:36:53.980 --> 00:36:54.840
 Your community group

00:36:54.840 --> 00:36:55.680
 will disappoint you.

00:36:57.019 --> 00:36:57.740
 Your church

00:36:57.740 --> 00:36:58.599
 will disappoint you.

00:36:58.599 --> 00:37:02.279
 But the reason is

00:37:02.279 --> 00:37:03.059
 because we all

00:37:03.059 --> 00:37:03.679
 fall short

00:37:03.679 --> 00:37:05.099
 of living perfect relationships.

00:37:07.099 --> 00:37:08.319
 In every relationship

00:37:08.319 --> 00:37:09.079
 we seek out,

00:37:09.179 --> 00:37:09.799
 we realize

00:37:09.799 --> 00:37:11.199
 that they are broken.

00:37:12.599 --> 00:37:13.019
 Today,

00:37:13.099 --> 00:37:13.539
 I've been married

00:37:13.539 --> 00:37:14.139
 for a year

00:37:14.139 --> 00:37:15.019
 and four months

00:37:15.019 --> 00:37:16.259
 and I think

00:37:16.259 --> 00:37:17.219
 one of the biggest blessings

00:37:17.219 --> 00:37:19.539
 is that

00:37:19.539 --> 00:37:21.500
 we are not trying

00:37:21.500 --> 00:37:23.400
 to fulfill

00:37:23.400 --> 00:37:24.239
 the other person.

00:37:25.259 --> 00:37:25.739
 That we try

00:37:25.739 --> 00:37:26.539
 to be everything

00:37:26.539 --> 00:37:28.279
 for each other.

00:37:29.420 --> 00:37:30.319
 We actually have

00:37:30.319 --> 00:37:31.099
 an amazing relationship.

00:37:31.299 --> 00:37:31.799
 We both love

00:37:31.799 --> 00:37:32.900
 most of the things

00:37:32.900 --> 00:37:33.739
 about each other,

00:37:33.819 --> 00:37:34.179
 I think.

00:37:36.940 --> 00:37:39.420
 But marriage

00:37:39.420 --> 00:37:41.000
 taught me

00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:42.420
 more than anything else

00:37:42.420 --> 00:37:43.559
 that the starting point

00:37:43.559 --> 00:37:44.539
 of every relationship,

00:37:45.719 --> 00:37:47.759
 every community,

00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:49.440
 is Christ.

00:37:51.839 --> 00:37:53.039
 The starting point

00:37:53.039 --> 00:37:53.639
 of community

00:37:53.639 --> 00:37:54.799
 can only be the one,

00:37:55.599 --> 00:37:56.500
 the only one,

00:37:57.139 --> 00:37:58.559
 that's always faithful

00:37:58.559 --> 00:37:59.960
 and true.

00:38:01.079 --> 00:38:02.539
 The one who made us,

00:38:02.980 --> 00:38:04.079
 who knows us,

00:38:04.940 --> 00:38:05.980
 and who loves us,

00:38:06.420 --> 00:38:07.659
 and pursues us

00:38:07.659 --> 00:38:08.320
 all the time.

00:38:10.179 --> 00:38:11.259
 We talk a lot

00:38:11.259 --> 00:38:12.360
 about community

00:38:12.360 --> 00:38:13.099
 at Watermark.

00:38:14.460 --> 00:38:15.320
 But community

00:38:15.320 --> 00:38:15.980
 is less about

00:38:15.980 --> 00:38:17.039
 the amount of people

00:38:17.039 --> 00:38:17.759
 that you gather,

00:38:18.759 --> 00:38:21.239
 but more about

00:38:21.239 --> 00:38:22.219
 the heart behind it.

00:38:22.900 --> 00:38:23.739
 We can gather

00:38:23.739 --> 00:38:24.380
 as a church

00:38:24.380 --> 00:38:26.140
 and be a crowd.

00:38:27.380 --> 00:38:28.440
 And we can hide

00:38:28.440 --> 00:38:29.079
 in the crowd

00:38:29.079 --> 00:38:29.599
 and we can go

00:38:29.599 --> 00:38:30.380
 to community group

00:38:30.380 --> 00:38:31.240
 and we can have a meal.

00:38:32.039 --> 00:38:32.960
 We can learn something

00:38:32.960 --> 00:38:34.539
 and walk away

00:38:34.539 --> 00:38:36.119
 and not know

00:38:36.119 --> 00:38:37.440
 about each other.

00:38:38.420 --> 00:38:39.720
 But throughout history,

00:38:39.719 --> 00:38:42.739
 God has called us

00:38:42.739 --> 00:38:44.339
 into true community.

00:38:45.239 --> 00:38:46.099
 He has called us

00:38:46.099 --> 00:38:46.959
 back into community

00:38:46.959 --> 00:38:47.539
 with Him,

00:38:49.000 --> 00:38:50.259
 into that one

00:38:50.259 --> 00:38:50.799
 starting point

00:38:50.799 --> 00:38:51.359
 of community

00:38:51.359 --> 00:38:52.399
 where we know

00:38:52.399 --> 00:38:53.139
 we will not be

00:38:53.139 --> 00:38:54.899
 left disappointed.

00:38:56.239 --> 00:38:57.559
 So true community

00:38:57.559 --> 00:38:59.379
 starts and is found

00:38:59.379 --> 00:39:00.980
 in Christ.

00:39:00.980 --> 00:39:03.860
 Now I believe

00:39:03.860 --> 00:39:04.980
 if we really begin

00:39:04.980 --> 00:39:05.980
 to understand that,

00:39:07.179 --> 00:39:08.000
 if we really begin

00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:08.740
 to focus

00:39:08.740 --> 00:39:09.840
 our starting point

00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:10.400
 of relationships

00:39:10.400 --> 00:39:11.539
 on Christ,

00:39:12.820 --> 00:39:14.119
 then that's the foundation,

00:39:14.400 --> 00:39:15.679
 that unshakable foundation

00:39:15.679 --> 00:39:17.519
 about the all-loving

00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:18.360
 character of God

00:39:18.360 --> 00:39:19.079
 that ultimately

00:39:19.079 --> 00:39:20.320
 helps us

00:39:20.320 --> 00:39:21.460
 accept ourselves.

00:39:25.320 --> 00:39:25.559
 You know,

00:39:25.619 --> 00:39:26.159
 you may be like

00:39:26.159 --> 00:39:27.019
 that guy

00:39:27.019 --> 00:39:27.820
 in the story

00:39:27.820 --> 00:39:29.340
 from Brendan Manning.

00:39:29.340 --> 00:39:31.460
 You may not want

00:39:31.460 --> 00:39:32.480
 to spend a minute

00:39:32.480 --> 00:39:33.100
 of time

00:39:33.100 --> 00:39:34.420
 just by yourself

00:39:34.420 --> 00:39:35.079
 because you have

00:39:35.079 --> 00:39:35.800
 a hard time

00:39:35.800 --> 00:39:37.340
 looking at you

00:39:37.340 --> 00:39:38.480
 how you really are.

00:39:40.200 --> 00:39:40.960
 I shared with you

00:39:40.960 --> 00:39:41.460
 about my friend

00:39:41.460 --> 00:39:42.160
 from Hong Kong U

00:39:42.160 --> 00:39:43.980
 and I think that's

00:39:43.980 --> 00:39:44.720
 what God is teaching

00:39:44.720 --> 00:39:45.440
 him right now.

00:39:47.920 --> 00:39:48.840
 That Jesus sits

00:39:48.840 --> 00:39:49.760
 at the well with him

00:39:49.760 --> 00:39:52.360
 and that he really listens.

00:39:55.460 --> 00:39:56.960
 God has unlimited time,

00:39:58.380 --> 00:39:59.280
 unlimited patience,

00:39:59.340 --> 00:40:01.360
 and he wants

00:40:01.360 --> 00:40:02.600
 to hear our burdens,

00:40:02.780 --> 00:40:03.320
 our pain.

00:40:04.820 --> 00:40:05.680
 He does not get tired

00:40:05.680 --> 00:40:06.480
 of listening

00:40:06.480 --> 00:40:08.140
 like me.

00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:11.320
 And that place

00:40:11.320 --> 00:40:12.039
 of intimacy

00:40:12.039 --> 00:40:13.600
 that he offers us

00:40:13.600 --> 00:40:14.700
 is not just a place

00:40:14.700 --> 00:40:16.800
 where we reveal

00:40:16.800 --> 00:40:17.400
 who we are,

00:40:17.480 --> 00:40:18.500
 but in that place

00:40:18.500 --> 00:40:19.120
 of intimacy,

00:40:19.280 --> 00:40:20.059
 that first place

00:40:20.059 --> 00:40:20.460
 of intimacy

00:40:20.460 --> 00:40:21.039
 with him,

00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:23.300
 there's also healing.

00:40:24.500 --> 00:40:25.220
 The slow healing

00:40:25.220 --> 00:40:26.500
 that only Christ

00:40:26.500 --> 00:40:27.059
 can bring,

00:40:27.059 --> 00:40:28.299
 that God

00:40:28.299 --> 00:40:30.219
 restores our lives

00:40:30.219 --> 00:40:32.179
 and I think slowly

00:40:32.179 --> 00:40:33.219
 my friend is learning

00:40:33.219 --> 00:40:33.559
 that

00:40:33.559 --> 00:40:35.719
 and I hope we all

00:40:35.719 --> 00:40:36.380
 are learning that

00:40:36.380 --> 00:40:37.139
 step by step

00:40:37.139 --> 00:40:38.259
 and day by day.

00:40:40.659 --> 00:40:41.539
 But that's not

00:40:41.539 --> 00:40:42.799
 where community stops.

00:40:44.099 --> 00:40:45.699
 It's not just about

00:40:45.699 --> 00:40:46.480
 the community

00:40:46.480 --> 00:40:47.179
 with Christ

00:40:47.179 --> 00:40:48.420
 and how we begin

00:40:48.420 --> 00:40:50.599
 to see that community

00:40:50.599 --> 00:40:51.559
 and this understanding

00:40:51.559 --> 00:40:52.179
 of community

00:40:52.179 --> 00:40:53.679
 transform our lives,

00:40:54.199 --> 00:40:56.399
 but God calls us

00:40:56.399 --> 00:40:57.779
 into community

00:40:57.779 --> 00:40:59.319
 with one another.

00:41:01.940 --> 00:41:02.679
 And that can be

00:41:02.679 --> 00:41:03.539
 a slow process.

00:41:05.619 --> 00:41:06.059
 I said,

00:41:06.159 --> 00:41:07.079
 you just look at Christ

00:41:07.079 --> 00:41:08.199
 and you realize

00:41:08.199 --> 00:41:09.659
 that he did not

00:41:09.659 --> 00:41:11.899
 have the community

00:41:11.899 --> 00:41:12.559
 group around

00:41:12.559 --> 00:41:13.679
 and said,

00:41:13.679 --> 00:41:14.859
 oh,

00:41:15.099 --> 00:41:15.719
 woman at the well,

00:41:15.799 --> 00:41:16.299
 why don't you just

00:41:16.299 --> 00:41:17.059
 open up your heart

00:41:17.059 --> 00:41:17.579
 and let me just

00:41:17.579 --> 00:41:18.480
 reveal to everyone

00:41:18.480 --> 00:41:20.319
 what I know about you.

00:41:21.779 --> 00:41:22.719
 So maybe it's just

00:41:22.719 --> 00:41:23.319
 one person

00:41:23.319 --> 00:41:25.139
 you take that

00:41:25.139 --> 00:41:25.980
 first step with,

00:41:26.339 --> 00:41:27.519
 maybe a pastor,

00:41:27.659 --> 00:41:28.859
 maybe your closest friend

00:41:28.859 --> 00:41:30.219
 or one person

00:41:30.219 --> 00:41:31.159
 in that community group

00:41:31.159 --> 00:41:32.079
 that you have grown

00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:32.500
 closer

00:41:32.500 --> 00:41:34.919
 and grown to trust.

00:41:35.899 --> 00:41:36.839
 Or look at Zacchaeus.

00:41:39.079 --> 00:41:40.179
 When we look at him,

00:41:41.399 --> 00:41:42.659
 his life is restored

00:41:42.659 --> 00:41:45.079
 but what he does

00:41:45.079 --> 00:41:46.679
 is just astounding

00:41:46.679 --> 00:41:48.319
 that as soon as

00:41:48.319 --> 00:41:50.000
 he has this one glimpse

00:41:50.000 --> 00:41:51.059
 of true community

00:41:51.059 --> 00:41:51.960
 with Christ,

00:41:52.980 --> 00:41:53.779
 his response

00:41:53.779 --> 00:41:55.059
 immediately becomes,

00:41:56.440 --> 00:41:57.920
 I want to redeem

00:41:57.920 --> 00:41:58.619
 and reconcile

00:41:58.619 --> 00:41:59.940
 relationships all around me.

00:42:00.359 --> 00:42:01.359
 I want to make up

00:42:01.359 --> 00:42:02.679
 with anyone I can.

00:42:02.980 --> 00:42:03.859
 I want to pay back

00:42:03.859 --> 00:42:05.159
 everything that I've

00:42:05.159 --> 00:42:05.819
 taken for someone.

00:42:05.940 --> 00:42:06.379
 I want to do

00:42:06.379 --> 00:42:07.019
 what I can

00:42:07.019 --> 00:42:08.079
 to reconcile

00:42:08.079 --> 00:42:09.440
 the wrongs I have done

00:42:09.440 --> 00:42:10.920
 because I have now seen

00:42:10.920 --> 00:42:11.980
 that all my wealth

00:42:11.980 --> 00:42:13.280
 is worth less

00:42:13.280 --> 00:42:14.320
 than that one relationship

00:42:14.320 --> 00:42:15.219
 that I have just

00:42:15.219 --> 00:42:15.579
 encountered

00:42:15.579 --> 00:42:16.960
 in this one meal

00:42:16.960 --> 00:42:17.900
 with Christ.

00:42:19.619 --> 00:42:20.659
 And the Samaritan woman,

00:42:22.219 --> 00:42:22.880
 if you continue

00:42:22.880 --> 00:42:23.679
 reading the story

00:42:23.679 --> 00:42:24.280
 later on

00:42:24.280 --> 00:42:24.980
 at home,

00:42:25.320 --> 00:42:26.000
 you will see

00:42:26.000 --> 00:42:26.699
 that her response

00:42:26.699 --> 00:42:27.820
 was astounding

00:42:27.820 --> 00:42:28.519
 in the same way.

00:42:29.579 --> 00:42:30.360
 She gets up

00:42:30.360 --> 00:42:32.340
 and she runs

00:42:32.340 --> 00:42:33.159
 back to the village.

00:42:33.320 --> 00:42:34.099
 She does not care

00:42:34.099 --> 00:42:34.659
 what the people

00:42:34.659 --> 00:42:35.860
 say about her now.

00:42:36.480 --> 00:42:37.039
 She has seen

00:42:37.039 --> 00:42:37.920
 the one that has

00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:38.400
 given her

00:42:38.400 --> 00:42:39.559
 that one intimate place

00:42:39.559 --> 00:42:40.400
 that she always

00:42:40.400 --> 00:42:40.800
 looked for

00:42:40.800 --> 00:42:41.700
 in all these relationships

00:42:41.700 --> 00:42:42.640
 and now

00:42:42.640 --> 00:42:43.160
 she is truly

00:42:43.160 --> 00:42:43.920
 founded in the one

00:42:43.920 --> 00:42:44.500
 that's true

00:42:44.500 --> 00:42:45.300
 and faithful

00:42:45.300 --> 00:42:46.620
 and she tells

00:42:46.620 --> 00:42:47.360
 everyone in the village

00:42:47.360 --> 00:42:48.600
 come and see

00:42:48.600 --> 00:42:49.400
 the one person

00:42:49.400 --> 00:42:50.060
 that has told me

00:42:50.060 --> 00:42:51.400
 everything about my life.

00:42:53.980 --> 00:42:54.920
 I think this is

00:42:54.920 --> 00:42:55.740
 the community

00:42:55.740 --> 00:42:57.800
 that we are called

00:42:57.800 --> 00:42:59.300
 to as Christians.

00:43:01.080 --> 00:43:01.840
 First of all,

00:43:01.920 --> 00:43:03.840
 it's started in Christ

00:43:03.840 --> 00:43:06.700
 and Christ begins

00:43:06.700 --> 00:43:07.500
 to heal us

00:43:07.500 --> 00:43:09.640
 and then we take

00:43:09.640 --> 00:43:10.180
 what he has done

00:43:10.180 --> 00:43:10.620
 in us

00:43:10.620 --> 00:43:12.920
 to bring it to people

00:43:12.920 --> 00:43:13.800
 all around us

00:43:13.800 --> 00:43:15.079
 to redeem

00:43:15.079 --> 00:43:16.140
 and restore relationships

00:43:16.140 --> 00:43:16.980
 in our families

00:43:16.980 --> 00:43:17.680
 and our friendships

00:43:17.680 --> 00:43:18.960
 and our workplaces

00:43:18.960 --> 00:43:20.420
 and our university campuses

00:43:20.420 --> 00:43:23.120
 and providing

00:43:23.120 --> 00:43:23.860
 these places

00:43:23.860 --> 00:43:25.800
 where people

00:43:25.800 --> 00:43:26.640
 are not just stuck

00:43:26.640 --> 00:43:27.200
 in their guilt

00:43:27.200 --> 00:43:28.059
 and in their shame

00:43:28.059 --> 00:43:29.420
 and in rejection

00:43:29.420 --> 00:43:30.940
 but in the love

00:43:30.940 --> 00:43:31.460
 of Christ.

00:43:34.180 --> 00:43:35.380
 In our first message

00:43:35.380 --> 00:43:36.440
 two weeks ago

00:43:36.440 --> 00:43:37.220
 on community,

00:43:37.880 --> 00:43:39.280
 Tobin talked about

00:43:39.280 --> 00:43:40.360
 a picture in the Bible

00:43:40.360 --> 00:43:41.740
 that is the imago dei,

00:43:41.840 --> 00:43:42.579
 the image of God,

00:43:42.639 --> 00:43:43.440
 that we are all

00:43:43.440 --> 00:43:44.940
 made in the image

00:43:44.940 --> 00:43:45.460
 of God

00:43:45.460 --> 00:43:46.559
 and we had this

00:43:46.559 --> 00:43:47.400
 mirror up

00:43:47.400 --> 00:43:49.240
 and ultimately

00:43:49.240 --> 00:43:50.159
 he said that

00:43:50.159 --> 00:43:51.059
 community is,

00:43:51.900 --> 00:43:52.860
 why we do community

00:43:52.860 --> 00:43:53.519
 is also that

00:43:53.519 --> 00:43:54.659
 we are reflecting

00:43:54.659 --> 00:43:55.400
 God's image

00:43:55.400 --> 00:43:56.019
 to the world.

00:43:56.019 --> 00:43:57.420
 So if God

00:43:57.420 --> 00:43:59.280
 pursues us

00:43:59.280 --> 00:44:00.179
 so passionately,

00:44:00.659 --> 00:44:01.579
 if he wants

00:44:01.579 --> 00:44:02.280
 to love us

00:44:02.280 --> 00:44:03.079
 and he wants

00:44:03.079 --> 00:44:03.759
 to love everyone

00:44:03.759 --> 00:44:05.280
 and we are his

00:44:05.280 --> 00:44:06.380
 mirror image

00:44:06.380 --> 00:44:07.099
 to the world,

00:44:08.039 --> 00:44:09.320
 then how are we doing?

00:44:11.539 --> 00:44:12.920
 Have we found

00:44:12.920 --> 00:44:13.440
 that healing,

00:44:13.619 --> 00:44:14.219
 that starting point

00:44:14.219 --> 00:44:14.820
 of relationship

00:44:14.820 --> 00:44:15.460
 in Christ?

00:44:16.920 --> 00:44:18.079
 And do we begin

00:44:18.079 --> 00:44:18.780
 mirroring

00:44:18.780 --> 00:44:19.980
 who he is

00:44:19.980 --> 00:44:20.420
 to us

00:44:20.420 --> 00:44:21.179
 and to the world

00:44:21.179 --> 00:44:21.920
 to everyone

00:44:21.920 --> 00:44:22.659
 around us?

00:44:22.659 --> 00:44:26.480
 I want to leave

00:44:26.480 --> 00:44:26.920
 us with

00:44:26.920 --> 00:44:28.420
 just these thoughts

00:44:28.420 --> 00:44:30.539
 of where are

00:44:30.539 --> 00:44:31.159
 we with this?

00:44:32.059 --> 00:44:32.759
 Where are you

00:44:32.759 --> 00:44:33.839
 in the journey

00:44:33.839 --> 00:44:34.460
 of community?

00:44:36.119 --> 00:44:36.960
 Have you accepted

00:44:36.960 --> 00:44:38.139
 this love,

00:44:38.239 --> 00:44:39.079
 this amazing love

00:44:39.079 --> 00:44:39.579
 that the God

00:44:39.579 --> 00:44:40.119
 of the universe

00:44:40.119 --> 00:44:40.960
 pursues you?

00:44:41.480 --> 00:44:42.219
 That he wants

00:44:42.219 --> 00:44:43.000
 to sit at the well

00:44:43.000 --> 00:44:43.859
 with you?

00:44:44.259 --> 00:44:45.039
 That he wants

00:44:45.039 --> 00:44:45.460
 to know

00:44:45.460 --> 00:44:46.480
 the real you?

00:44:47.480 --> 00:44:48.199
 That he does

00:44:48.199 --> 00:44:49.139
 not look for,

00:44:49.699 --> 00:44:50.339
 oh, you know,

00:44:50.579 --> 00:44:51.079
 I've done

00:44:51.079 --> 00:44:51.960
 these holy things,

00:44:51.960 --> 00:44:52.740
 I run to church

00:44:52.740 --> 00:44:53.599
 and I go to community

00:44:53.599 --> 00:44:54.539
 and I read my Bible,

00:44:55.760 --> 00:44:56.480
 but he is looking

00:44:56.480 --> 00:44:57.059
 for that deep

00:44:57.059 --> 00:44:57.579
 relationship

00:44:57.579 --> 00:44:58.260
 of intimacy

00:44:58.260 --> 00:44:59.360
 where he meets

00:44:59.360 --> 00:45:00.019
 the real you.

00:45:02.059 --> 00:45:02.579
 And have you

00:45:02.579 --> 00:45:03.400
 allowed that reality

00:45:03.400 --> 00:45:04.039
 of his love

00:45:04.039 --> 00:45:04.740
 to transform

00:45:04.740 --> 00:45:05.340
 your heart,

00:45:06.059 --> 00:45:07.000
 to really impact

00:45:07.000 --> 00:45:07.500
 your heart?

00:45:10.099 --> 00:45:10.960
 And do you take

00:45:10.960 --> 00:45:12.000
 that to the people

00:45:12.000 --> 00:45:12.619
 around you?

00:45:13.820 --> 00:45:14.579
 Are there relationships

00:45:14.579 --> 00:45:15.760
 that you want

00:45:15.760 --> 00:45:16.240
 to reconcile

00:45:16.240 --> 00:45:16.820
 and redeem

00:45:16.820 --> 00:45:17.760
 like Zacchaeus did?

00:45:18.740 --> 00:45:19.300
 Is there a village

00:45:19.300 --> 00:45:19.980
 that you need to run

00:45:19.980 --> 00:45:21.159
 like the Samaritan woman?

00:45:21.960 --> 00:45:22.619
 Any person

00:45:22.619 --> 00:45:23.400
 that you feel like,

00:45:23.559 --> 00:45:24.940
 I've seen that person

00:45:24.940 --> 00:45:25.960
 struggle with community.

00:45:26.780 --> 00:45:27.900
 Maybe he or she

00:45:27.900 --> 00:45:28.960
 is that rejected person

00:45:28.960 --> 00:45:30.079
 that I see in my office,

00:45:30.659 --> 00:45:31.679
 in my dorms,

00:45:31.860 --> 00:45:32.639
 around me

00:45:32.639 --> 00:45:33.099
 that nobody

00:45:33.099 --> 00:45:34.019
 wants to talk to.

00:45:34.780 --> 00:45:35.460
 But Christ

00:45:35.460 --> 00:45:36.480
 looks through the crowds

00:45:36.480 --> 00:45:38.139
 and points on that person

00:45:38.139 --> 00:45:38.960
 and says to you,

00:45:39.320 --> 00:45:40.300
 you need to talk to them.

00:45:41.619 --> 00:45:42.260
 And I think this is

00:45:42.260 --> 00:45:42.720
 what Christ

00:45:42.720 --> 00:45:43.559
 leaves us with,

00:45:44.000 --> 00:45:45.539
 to pursue

00:45:45.539 --> 00:45:46.380
 these relationships,

00:45:46.559 --> 00:45:47.500
 to heal relationships,

00:45:47.960 --> 00:45:48.659
 till one day

00:45:48.659 --> 00:45:49.199
 in the kingdom

00:45:49.199 --> 00:45:50.699
 when Christ

00:45:50.699 --> 00:45:51.279
 comes back,

00:45:51.480 --> 00:45:51.839
 everything

00:45:51.839 --> 00:45:53.219
 will be restored.

00:45:54.019 --> 00:45:54.659
 That one day

00:45:54.659 --> 00:45:55.119
 when the God

00:45:55.119 --> 00:45:55.619
 of the universe

00:45:55.619 --> 00:45:56.359
 calls us

00:45:56.359 --> 00:45:57.039
 into eternity,

00:45:57.739 --> 00:45:58.519
 that we will live

00:45:58.519 --> 00:45:59.679
 these healed relationships

00:45:59.679 --> 00:46:00.859
 and their true

00:46:00.859 --> 00:46:01.879
 and deep intimacy

00:46:01.879 --> 00:46:03.159
 with each other

00:46:03.159 --> 00:46:04.480
 and with him.

00:46:05.139 --> 00:46:05.699
 Let's pray.

00:46:05.699 --> 00:46:05.759
 Amen.

00:46:09.179 --> 00:46:09.619
 Father,

00:46:09.699 --> 00:46:10.099
 we just

00:46:10.099 --> 00:46:12.159
 come before you

00:46:12.159 --> 00:46:12.399
 and

00:46:12.399 --> 00:46:14.859
 yeah,

00:46:14.859 --> 00:46:15.439
 we're just thankful

00:46:15.439 --> 00:46:16.519
 that you pursue us,

00:46:16.519 --> 00:46:19.199
 that you don't

00:46:19.199 --> 00:46:20.440
 give up on us,

00:46:20.559 --> 00:46:21.800
 that you don't

00:46:21.800 --> 00:46:22.759
 want us to stay

00:46:22.759 --> 00:46:24.079
 hidden in the crowds,

00:46:25.400 --> 00:46:26.280
 that you don't

00:46:26.280 --> 00:46:27.199
 want us to hide

00:46:27.199 --> 00:46:27.759
 in loneliness

00:46:27.759 --> 00:46:29.559
 where we are stuck

00:46:29.559 --> 00:46:30.239
 with our feelings

00:46:30.239 --> 00:46:30.880
 of despair

00:46:30.880 --> 00:46:32.320
 and hopelessness,

00:46:32.759 --> 00:46:33.739
 but that you

00:46:33.739 --> 00:46:35.380
 sit right there

00:46:35.380 --> 00:46:36.340
 in this space.

00:46:38.360 --> 00:46:39.059
 And we just

00:46:39.059 --> 00:46:39.599
 remember that

00:46:39.599 --> 00:46:40.039
 when Christ

00:46:40.039 --> 00:46:40.820
 went to the lonely

00:46:40.820 --> 00:46:41.239
 places,

00:46:41.340 --> 00:46:41.900
 he did not

00:46:41.900 --> 00:46:42.460
 go there

00:46:42.460 --> 00:46:43.440
 to escape,

00:46:43.440 --> 00:46:45.380
 but he went

00:46:45.380 --> 00:46:45.780
 to the most

00:46:45.780 --> 00:46:46.639
 infinite place

00:46:46.639 --> 00:46:47.519
 to be with the

00:46:47.519 --> 00:46:47.780
 Father

00:46:47.780 --> 00:46:49.920
 and we just

00:46:49.920 --> 00:46:52.139
 pray that

00:46:52.139 --> 00:46:52.679
 you give us

00:46:52.679 --> 00:46:53.179
 that heart

00:46:53.179 --> 00:46:54.380
 that we would

00:46:54.380 --> 00:46:54.980
 not escape

00:46:54.980 --> 00:46:56.579
 from who you

00:46:56.579 --> 00:46:57.220
 made us to be,

00:46:57.300 --> 00:46:57.900
 from the intimacy

00:46:57.900 --> 00:46:58.639
 of relationships

00:46:58.639 --> 00:46:59.280
 that you call

00:46:59.280 --> 00:46:59.840
 us into,

00:47:01.059 --> 00:47:01.720
 that you call

00:47:01.720 --> 00:47:02.780
 us into community,

00:47:04.119 --> 00:47:04.559
 that you do

00:47:04.559 --> 00:47:05.280
 your work

00:47:05.280 --> 00:47:05.679
 of healing

00:47:05.679 --> 00:47:06.099
 and restoration

00:47:06.099 --> 00:47:06.760
 in us.

00:47:07.940 --> 00:47:08.380
 Father,

00:47:08.460 --> 00:47:09.119
 we just pray

00:47:09.119 --> 00:47:10.280
 that we would

00:47:10.280 --> 00:47:10.760
 just have the

00:47:10.760 --> 00:47:11.159
 confidence

00:47:11.159 --> 00:47:11.819
 to talk

00:47:11.819 --> 00:47:12.799
 to just

00:47:12.799 --> 00:47:13.500
 one person,

00:47:15.119 --> 00:47:15.699
 to open

00:47:15.699 --> 00:47:15.980
 up,

00:47:16.199 --> 00:47:17.839
 to just

00:47:17.839 --> 00:47:18.639
 take a start

00:47:18.639 --> 00:47:20.440
 in allowing

00:47:20.440 --> 00:47:21.679
 your way

00:47:21.679 --> 00:47:22.359
 of community

00:47:22.359 --> 00:47:24.319
 to form

00:47:24.319 --> 00:47:24.920
 in this world.

00:47:25.179 --> 00:47:25.259
 Father,

00:47:25.420 --> 00:47:26.440
 we just pray

00:47:26.440 --> 00:47:26.980
 that we would

00:47:26.980 --> 00:47:27.739
 become a community

00:47:27.739 --> 00:47:28.500
 that provides

00:47:28.500 --> 00:47:29.339
 safe places,

00:47:30.699 --> 00:47:31.059
 that we would

00:47:31.059 --> 00:47:31.879
 provide a safe

00:47:31.879 --> 00:47:32.519
 place where

00:47:32.519 --> 00:47:33.659
 people could be

00:47:33.659 --> 00:47:34.019
 real

00:47:34.019 --> 00:47:36.279
 and not

00:47:36.279 --> 00:47:37.639
 try to meet

00:47:37.639 --> 00:47:38.299
 up to demands

00:47:38.299 --> 00:47:39.059
 and expectations.

00:47:39.059 --> 00:47:41.219
 Father,

00:47:41.259 --> 00:47:41.719
 we just pray

00:47:41.719 --> 00:47:42.119
 that you give

00:47:42.119 --> 00:47:42.679
 us a heart

00:47:42.679 --> 00:47:44.320
 to reach out

00:47:44.320 --> 00:47:44.860
 to the lonely

00:47:44.860 --> 00:47:45.539
 and lost,

00:47:46.920 --> 00:47:48.619
 that are stuck

00:47:48.619 --> 00:47:49.480
 in lonely places,

00:47:49.639 --> 00:47:50.000
 they're still

00:47:50.000 --> 00:47:50.639
 hiding from

00:47:50.639 --> 00:47:51.360
 who you want

00:47:51.360 --> 00:47:52.000
 them to be,

00:47:53.000 --> 00:47:53.699
 but that ultimately

00:47:53.699 --> 00:47:55.259
 we all become

00:47:55.259 --> 00:47:56.539
 your image bearers

00:47:56.539 --> 00:47:57.880
 and that we would

00:47:57.880 --> 00:47:58.699
 mirror your character

00:47:58.699 --> 00:47:59.400
 to this world.

00:48:00.500 --> 00:48:01.039
 I pray this in

00:48:01.039 --> 00:48:01.599
 Christ's name.

00:48:02.219 --> 00:48:02.440
 Amen.

00:48:04.900 --> 00:48:05.340
 Amen.

00:48:05.340 --> 00:48:05.500
 Amen.

00:48:06.440 --> 00:48:06.779
 Hey,

00:48:06.799 --> 00:48:07.440
 right now it's

00:48:07.440 --> 00:48:09.480
 10 after 12.

00:48:10.780 --> 00:48:12.440
 At 20 after,

00:48:12.559 --> 00:48:13.019
 we're going to

00:48:13.019 --> 00:48:14.059
 meet right next

00:48:14.059 --> 00:48:14.700
 door in the

00:48:14.700 --> 00:48:15.420
 theater area

00:48:15.420 --> 00:48:16.220
 for a new

00:48:16.220 --> 00:48:17.139
 membership class,

00:48:17.220 --> 00:48:18.119
 new member class.

00:48:18.720 --> 00:48:19.700
 So if you want

00:48:19.700 --> 00:48:20.280
 to become a

00:48:20.280 --> 00:48:20.639
 member of the

00:48:20.639 --> 00:48:20.880
 church,

00:48:20.980 --> 00:48:21.220
 you want to

00:48:21.220 --> 00:48:21.700
 have questions

00:48:21.700 --> 00:48:22.220
 about the

00:48:22.220 --> 00:48:22.500
 church,

00:48:22.599 --> 00:48:22.940
 want to find

00:48:22.940 --> 00:48:23.240
 out more

00:48:23.240 --> 00:48:23.639
 about the

00:48:23.639 --> 00:48:23.920
 church,

00:48:24.179 --> 00:48:24.559
 it's only

00:48:24.559 --> 00:48:24.820
 going to be

00:48:24.820 --> 00:48:25.340
 30 minutes

00:48:25.340 --> 00:48:25.740
 long.

00:48:25.820 --> 00:48:26.099
 We have

00:48:26.099 --> 00:48:26.659
 snacks,

00:48:27.539 --> 00:48:27.820
 we have

00:48:27.820 --> 00:48:28.559
 child care,

00:48:28.980 --> 00:48:29.460
 so we'd like

00:48:29.460 --> 00:48:29.760
 for you to

00:48:29.760 --> 00:48:30.380
 just come join

00:48:30.380 --> 00:48:31.139
 us and grab

00:48:31.139 --> 00:48:32.019
 some drinks out

00:48:32.019 --> 00:48:32.159
 here,

00:48:32.220 --> 00:48:32.720
 some coffee,

00:48:32.880 --> 00:48:34.900
 then at 1220

00:48:34.900 --> 00:48:35.559
 right in the

00:48:35.559 --> 00:48:35.840
 theater,

00:48:35.920 --> 00:48:36.539
 right next door,

00:48:36.539 --> 00:48:37.340
 we'll meet

00:48:37.340 --> 00:48:37.719
 and have

00:48:37.719 --> 00:48:38.099
 that for

00:48:38.099 --> 00:48:38.699
 30 minutes.

00:48:39.460 --> 00:48:39.820
 Also,

00:48:40.139 --> 00:48:40.599
 the community

00:48:40.599 --> 00:48:41.380
 group table

00:48:41.380 --> 00:48:42.480
 is out front,

00:48:42.639 --> 00:48:43.000
 so if you're

00:48:43.000 --> 00:48:43.320
 not in the

00:48:43.320 --> 00:48:43.699
 community group,

00:48:43.739 --> 00:48:44.039
 we want to

00:48:44.039 --> 00:48:44.500
 encourage you

00:48:44.500 --> 00:48:45.139
 to sign up

00:48:45.139 --> 00:48:45.400
 and get

00:48:45.400 --> 00:48:45.960
 involved in

00:48:45.960 --> 00:48:46.239
 the things

00:48:46.239 --> 00:48:46.460
 that we've

00:48:46.460 --> 00:48:47.320
 been preaching

00:48:47.320 --> 00:48:47.920
 about and

00:48:47.920 --> 00:48:48.619
 talking about

00:48:48.619 --> 00:48:49.059
 and praying

00:48:49.059 --> 00:48:49.960
 about for

00:48:49.960 --> 00:48:50.440
 the last

00:48:50.440 --> 00:48:51.139
 three weeks.

00:48:52.179 --> 00:48:52.920
 We have a

00:48:52.920 --> 00:48:54.079
 great marriage

00:48:54.079 --> 00:48:54.619
 course that's

00:48:54.619 --> 00:48:54.860
 going to be

00:48:54.860 --> 00:48:55.380
 opening up the

00:48:55.380 --> 00:48:56.079
 first week in

00:48:56.079 --> 00:48:56.440
 October.

00:48:56.579 --> 00:48:57.059
 We ran it

00:48:57.059 --> 00:48:57.980
 already in the

00:48:57.980 --> 00:48:58.199
 spring,

00:48:58.880 --> 00:48:59.880
 and the reply

00:48:59.880 --> 00:49:00.500
 and response

00:49:00.500 --> 00:49:01.659
 was so great,

00:49:01.800 --> 00:49:02.219
 we were going

00:49:02.219 --> 00:49:02.920
 to wait a year

00:49:02.920 --> 00:49:04.119
 to do it,

00:49:04.179 --> 00:49:04.679
 and then we

00:49:04.679 --> 00:49:05.340
 decided we need

00:49:05.340 --> 00:49:06.039
 to do it again,

00:49:06.039 --> 00:49:06.559
 so that's

00:49:06.559 --> 00:49:06.840
 going to start

00:49:06.840 --> 00:49:07.460
 off on October

00:49:07.460 --> 00:49:08.039
 9th,

00:49:08.219 --> 00:49:08.900
 so sign-up

00:49:08.900 --> 00:49:09.300
 sheets will be

00:49:09.300 --> 00:49:09.820
 available for

00:49:09.820 --> 00:49:10.239
 that,

00:49:10.599 --> 00:49:11.300
 so please,

00:49:12.099 --> 00:49:12.619
 husbands,

00:49:13.420 --> 00:49:13.719
 why don't you

00:49:13.719 --> 00:49:14.079
 just go to your

00:49:14.079 --> 00:49:14.380
 wives and say,

00:49:14.420 --> 00:49:14.980
 hey, let's join

00:49:14.980 --> 00:49:15.559
 this together.

00:49:16.039 --> 00:49:17.320
 Your wife will be

00:49:17.320 --> 00:49:18.440
 very surprised,

00:49:18.559 --> 00:49:18.860
 right?

00:49:19.579 --> 00:49:20.500
 Wives just go,

00:49:20.599 --> 00:49:21.159
 that's great,

00:49:21.219 --> 00:49:21.360
 honey,

00:49:21.400 --> 00:49:22.000
 I love you,

00:49:22.559 --> 00:49:23.599
 and go together

00:49:23.599 --> 00:49:23.900
 with that.

00:49:23.940 --> 00:49:24.380
 It's going to be a

00:49:24.380 --> 00:49:24.900
 great opportunity,

00:49:24.980 --> 00:49:25.519
 it's six weeks

00:49:25.519 --> 00:49:25.960
 long,

00:49:26.139 --> 00:49:27.159
 food is involved

00:49:27.159 --> 00:49:28.279
 in, as in all

00:49:28.279 --> 00:49:28.800
 things in the

00:49:28.800 --> 00:49:29.119
 church.

00:49:30.639 --> 00:49:31.539
 Food's involved,

00:49:31.619 --> 00:49:31.820
 right?

00:49:32.260 --> 00:49:32.760
 Hey, we didn't

00:49:32.760 --> 00:49:33.720
 pass the offering

00:49:33.720 --> 00:49:35.300
 plates around,

00:49:35.380 --> 00:49:36.180
 and we're trying

00:49:36.180 --> 00:49:36.740
 not to do that

00:49:36.740 --> 00:49:37.140
 because we believe

00:49:37.140 --> 00:49:37.960
 it's active faith,

00:49:38.080 --> 00:49:39.620
 that there's purple

00:49:39.620 --> 00:49:40.420
 little envelopes

00:49:40.420 --> 00:49:40.980
 everywhere with

00:49:40.980 --> 00:49:41.620
 kiosks,

00:49:42.039 --> 00:49:42.760
 and so we just

00:49:42.760 --> 00:49:43.740
 ask that as you

00:49:43.740 --> 00:49:44.519
 worship the Lord

00:49:44.519 --> 00:49:45.080
 that you would

00:49:45.080 --> 00:49:46.460
 tithe back to him

00:49:46.460 --> 00:49:47.100
 what he's asked

00:49:47.100 --> 00:49:47.880
 you to tithe back,

00:49:47.920 --> 00:49:48.460
 and that makes

00:49:48.460 --> 00:49:50.240
 all this and all

00:49:50.240 --> 00:49:50.780
 those seed

00:49:50.780 --> 00:49:51.720
 plantings possible.

00:49:52.380 --> 00:49:53.160
 Mike, thank you

00:49:53.160 --> 00:49:54.680
 for bringing God's

00:49:54.680 --> 00:49:55.400
 word for us today,

00:49:55.740 --> 00:49:56.340
 and let me pray

00:49:56.340 --> 00:49:56.760
 for us.

00:49:57.260 --> 00:49:57.820
 Father, we just

00:49:57.820 --> 00:49:58.420
 thank you for this

00:49:58.420 --> 00:49:58.780
 day.

00:49:59.640 --> 00:50:00.460
 Father, we pray for

00:50:00.460 --> 00:50:01.060
 this community.

00:50:02.520 --> 00:50:03.880
 To me, it's amazing

00:50:03.880 --> 00:50:04.680
 what you're doing

00:50:04.680 --> 00:50:05.460
 here in people's

00:50:05.460 --> 00:50:07.460
 lives, and not

00:50:07.460 --> 00:50:08.580
 just numbers, but

00:50:08.580 --> 00:50:10.280
 just people's growth

00:50:10.280 --> 00:50:10.960
 in their hearts,

00:50:11.780 --> 00:50:12.880
 and so we pray for

00:50:12.880 --> 00:50:14.000
 that, Lord, that you

00:50:14.000 --> 00:50:14.780
 would continue to

00:50:14.780 --> 00:50:15.640
 change people's

00:50:15.640 --> 00:50:17.300
 hearts as we gather

00:50:17.300 --> 00:50:18.160
 together to worship

00:50:18.160 --> 00:50:18.680
 your son.

00:50:19.440 --> 00:50:20.160
 Father, we pray for

00:50:20.160 --> 00:50:21.580
 the finances, we pray

00:50:21.580 --> 00:50:22.700
 for the offering, we

00:50:22.700 --> 00:50:23.520
 pray for all these

00:50:23.520 --> 00:50:24.140
 seeds that we're

00:50:24.140 --> 00:50:25.380
 planting, we pray,

00:50:25.520 --> 00:50:26.240
 Lord, that you would

00:50:26.240 --> 00:50:26.740
 be the one,

00:50:26.760 --> 00:50:27.960
 who would water

00:50:27.960 --> 00:50:28.680
 them and cause

00:50:28.680 --> 00:50:29.240
 them to grow.

00:50:29.400 --> 00:50:30.260
 Help us not to

00:50:30.260 --> 00:50:31.880
 artificially start

00:50:31.880 --> 00:50:32.600
 something that is

00:50:32.600 --> 00:50:34.160
 not of you, and so

00:50:34.160 --> 00:50:35.080
 we come before you

00:50:35.080 --> 00:50:36.060
 as your people, and

00:50:36.060 --> 00:50:37.940
 we worship you, and

00:50:37.940 --> 00:50:38.560
 we thank you for

00:50:38.560 --> 00:50:40.040
 bringing us back to

00:50:40.040 --> 00:50:42.120
 your family, and we

00:50:42.120 --> 00:50:43.020
 pray all these things

00:50:43.020 --> 00:50:43.720
 in your son, Jesus,

00:50:43.860 --> 00:50:44.340
 holy name.

00:50:44.840 --> 00:50:45.080
 Amen.

00:50:45.520 --> 00:50:46.160
 God bless you.

00:50:46.260 --> 00:50:46.740
 We'll see you,

00:50:46.800 --> 00:50:47.480
 hopefully, in 10

00:50:47.480 --> 00:50:48.520
 minutes, or back here

00:50:48.520 --> 00:50:49.060
 next week.

00:50:49.340 --> 00:50:49.680
 Take care.