1 00:00:05,549 --> 00:00:08,990 Good evening and welcome to Crowd Church. It's great to be here tonight. I am 2 00:00:08,990 --> 00:00:12,429 joined by Dave Connolly. 3 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:14,429 Hi, Johan, how are you doing? 4 00:00:14,779 --> 00:00:16,129 Good. Have you had a good week? 5 00:00:16,370 --> 00:00:19,550 I have a lovely week, really enjoying the weather and, um, yeah, just plenty of 6 00:00:19,550 --> 00:00:22,730 time to do whatever it is I needed to do. 7 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:27,476 Yeah, it's been nice to have a week of sunshine, although it seems like it's 8 00:00:27,476 --> 00:00:31,672 about to end. Oh no, I know, I know, the weather's looking a bit— and we always 9 00:00:31,672 --> 00:00:35,869 talk about the weather here, it's not a weather forecast. Um, but yeah, it is 10 00:00:35,869 --> 00:00:40,065 about to take a turn for the worst, I believe. But you know, for anyone who's 11 00:00:40,065 --> 00:00:44,262 outside of the northwest of England, um, you know, it's quite rare to get a 12 00:00:44,262 --> 00:00:48,458 really hot week, isn't it? So we get excited about these things. Enjoy it. Yeah, 13 00:00:48,458 --> 00:00:52,655 exactly. Well, we could chit-chat about the weather in our weeks, and you know, 14 00:00:52,655 --> 00:00:56,851 we were just talking about North Wales. Actually, interesting fact for everyone, 15 00:00:56,851 --> 00:01:01,047 that brings me into introducing our Speaker tonight, Aidan, a second, is that 16 00:01:01,047 --> 00:01:05,244 I've been in North Wales for the weekend, um, I've been on holiday for a few 17 00:01:05,244 --> 00:01:09,440 days with my family, and, um, we actually met in real life earlier today, Aidan 18 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,637 and I and his wife Sonia and my family. And yeah, it was the first time we'd met 19 00:01:13,637 --> 00:01:17,833 in person rather than just over Crowd Church. So it's like, wow, Crowd Church 20 00:01:17,833 --> 00:01:22,030 friends becoming in real life friends. 21 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:23,739 So yeah, really seeing each other. 22 00:01:23,900 --> 00:01:29,695 Yeah, so that this is, this is like, yeah It's exciting. So I'm going to pass 23 00:01:29,695 --> 00:01:35,492 over to Ade now, and yeah, my officially in real life friend now, but he's doing 24 00:01:35,492 --> 00:01:41,287 the talk for us tonight. And so yeah, Ade, I'll pass over to you. I think we 25 00:01:41,287 --> 00:01:47,084 don't have sound. We'll just give that a second. Ah, we have him. Okay, passing 26 00:01:47,084 --> 00:01:52,879 over to you again, Ade. 27 00:01:54,299 --> 00:01:59,002 Got stuck in the green room again. That's local insiders, the techies in the 28 00:01:59,002 --> 00:02:03,705 background. So yes, it was wonderful to meet you in person. And yeah, we're 29 00:02:03,705 --> 00:02:08,407 slowly building up a list of people we're meeting who come from Liverpool and 30 00:02:08,407 --> 00:02:13,110 spend some time in North Wales, where let's face it, it is just beautiful here. 31 00:02:13,319 --> 00:02:13,419 Yeah. 32 00:02:13,479 --> 00:02:19,079 We're so lucky to be here. But tonight we're not going to talk about North 33 00:02:19,079 --> 00:02:24,678 Wales. Well, let's leave that for conversation straight. Tonight we are going to 34 00:02:24,678 --> 00:02:30,277 talk about success. Now, when I started preparing this, the working title I had 35 00:02:30,277 --> 00:02:35,876 was The Price of Success, but by the time I got to the end of it, it was really 36 00:02:35,876 --> 00:02:41,475 The Purpose of Success. And so let me just take a moment to think about the 37 00:02:41,475 --> 00:02:47,075 typical definition, the dictionary definition of success. We get phrases like 38 00:02:47,075 --> 00:02:52,674 accomplishment of goals, attainment of wealth, prosperity, favorable outcome of 39 00:02:52,674 --> 00:02:58,273 ventures. Now, from a societal point of view and culturally, we tend to 40 00:02:58,273 --> 00:03:03,872 associate success either directly or indirectly with wealth. Yeah, typically the 41 00:03:03,872 --> 00:03:09,471 rich and the famous. And when it comes to wealth, the UK bank, the HSBC, did a 42 00:03:09,471 --> 00:03:15,071 survey in 2024 to just get a feel for what do people think wealthy was? And the 43 00:03:15,071 --> 00:03:20,670 number they came up with was £213,000 a year for an income. Now, this is 5.5 44 00:03:20,670 --> 00:03:26,269 times our national average. If you look at stats, you find 4% of this country 45 00:03:26,269 --> 00:03:31,868 earn over £100,000, 1% over £207,000. So we're getting into the fraction of a 46 00:03:31,868 --> 00:03:37,467 percentage is what we design. We, um, have categorized wealthy as what we would 47 00:03:37,467 --> 00:03:43,066 see success in wealth as. Now, success comes at a price. If you think about it 48 00:03:43,066 --> 00:03:48,666 from a career point of view or a sporting point of view or pretty much any 49 00:03:48,666 --> 00:03:54,265 venture, there's higher stress. The higher you climb, the higher the stress, the 50 00:03:54,265 --> 00:03:59,864 greater the expectations, the more time you're taken away from family and 51 00:03:59,864 --> 00:04:05,463 friends. And this in itself almost leads to increased isolation and in some 52 00:04:05,463 --> 00:04:11,062 cases burnout. And we think, okay, well, people who are really, really wealthy 53 00:04:11,062 --> 00:04:16,662 and successful, they don't worry about this, you know, these financial stresses 54 00:04:16,662 --> 00:04:22,261 that the rest of us do. Well, actually, studies have shown that the really 55 00:04:22,261 --> 00:04:27,860 wealthy actually really worry about losing their wealth. They worry about losing 56 00:04:27,860 --> 00:04:33,459 their standing, their perception. They also worry about their friends really 57 00:04:33,459 --> 00:04:39,058 just after them for their money and not for who they are. So, excuse me, we are 58 00:04:39,058 --> 00:04:44,657 going to have a look at a particularly successful individual in the Book of 59 00:04:44,657 --> 00:04:50,257 Luke, a guy called Zacchaeus, who was a tax collector. Now, it's quite a short 60 00:04:50,257 --> 00:04:55,856 passage. It's Luke 19:1-10. So if I can stop coughing, I am going to read this. 61 00:04:55,856 --> 00:05:01,455 Well, actually, apologies, I'm going to read this anyway. So starting at verse 62 00:05:01,455 --> 00:05:07,054 1: Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man 63 00:05:07,054 --> 00:05:12,653 there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had 64 00:05:12,653 --> 00:05:18,253 become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see 65 00:05:18,253 --> 00:05:23,852 over the crowd, so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree beside the the 66 00:05:23,852 --> 00:05:29,451 road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. When Jesus came by, he looked up at 67 00:05:29,451 --> 00:05:35,050 Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus," he said, "come down. I must be a 68 00:05:35,050 --> 00:05:40,649 guest in your home today." Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his 69 00:05:40,649 --> 00:05:46,248 house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. "He has gone 70 00:05:46,248 --> 00:05:51,848 to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus 71 00:05:51,848 --> 00:05:57,447 stood before the Lord and said to him, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, 72 00:05:57,447 --> 00:06:03,046 Lord, and if I've cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back 4 times 73 00:06:03,046 --> 00:06:08,645 as much." Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man 74 00:06:08,645 --> 00:06:14,244 has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek 75 00:06:14,244 --> 00:06:19,844 and save those who are lost." So just to set the scene here, Jericho was a very 76 00:06:19,844 --> 00:06:25,443 desirable place to live. It was a prime toll center for the region. It was known 77 00:06:25,443 --> 00:06:31,042 as the city of palm trees. It was incredibly rich. It's also a very powerful and 78 00:06:31,042 --> 00:06:36,641 strategic city. It was a major exporter of balsa wood. There were abundant 79 00:06:36,641 --> 00:06:42,240 springs. There were fertile lands. This was an agricultural hub and trade 80 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:47,840 center. This was not a backwater town. This was the place to be. 81 00:06:48,050 --> 00:06:48,240 Be. 82 00:06:49,490 --> 00:06:55,144 And being at the top of his game as a tax collector here rather than some 83 00:06:55,144 --> 00:07:00,799 backwater town, that made him a big fish in a big sea. Now, Zacchaeus, we don't 84 00:07:00,799 --> 00:07:06,454 know too much from that passage, but we do know that first of all, his name 85 00:07:06,454 --> 00:07:12,109 means pure. He is a man of small stature, and he is a chief tax collector. Now, 86 00:07:12,109 --> 00:07:17,764 this would have presented him a number of problems with his fellow Jews. For a 87 00:07:17,764 --> 00:07:23,419 start, he was a Jew working for Romans, so he was working for the oppressor. He 88 00:07:23,419 --> 00:07:29,074 would have been considered an outcast. In fact, he would have been considered 89 00:07:29,074 --> 00:07:34,728 ritually unclean. His tithes would not have been accepted in the temple. In 90 00:07:34,728 --> 00:07:40,383 fact, he wasn't allowed to partake in any of their rituals. And on top of that, 91 00:07:40,383 --> 00:07:46,038 he would have also been disdained for overtaxing people, because the Roman 92 00:07:46,038 --> 00:07:51,693 system of taxes were the Roman wanted— Romans wanted a certain amount of tax, 93 00:07:51,693 --> 00:07:57,348 and this would have been based on initially the land you own, the business you 94 00:07:57,348 --> 00:08:03,003 conducted, the number of people in your family. And they had a number, no one 95 00:08:03,003 --> 00:08:08,658 else knew what it was, but the tax collectors were allowed to add whatever they 96 00:08:08,658 --> 00:08:14,312 wanted on top of that, so, you know, to keep them going. And they notoriously 97 00:08:14,312 --> 00:08:19,967 added a lot of money onto that. They extorted the people. Now, they had, you 98 00:08:19,967 --> 00:08:25,622 know, Roman soldiers there to enforce these taxes, so the people really had no 99 00:08:25,622 --> 00:08:31,277 choice but to pay and be extorted. So he'd been hated for that as well. So he's 100 00:08:31,277 --> 00:08:36,932 most— on one hand, he's one of the most prominent men in Jericho. Now, we assume 101 00:08:36,932 --> 00:08:42,587 that he's really good at his job because he's a chief tax collector, not just a 102 00:08:42,587 --> 00:08:48,242 tax collector. We can also assume the guy is middle-aged or older because it 103 00:08:48,242 --> 00:08:53,897 would have taken him time to get here. But this is a guy who who is— we'll say 104 00:08:53,897 --> 00:08:59,551 he's on par with today's millionaire. He's someone who's made it. He's rich in 105 00:08:59,551 --> 00:09:05,206 wealth, however he is poor in status, and, uh, he did not belong. He was— he 106 00:09:05,206 --> 00:09:10,861 would have been incredibly lonely. So he has this amazing encounter with Jesus. 107 00:09:10,861 --> 00:09:16,516 So for a start, despite his wealth, something drives him to go out there and see 108 00:09:16,516 --> 00:09:22,171 Jesus as he's passing through. So, assuming he's got it all, he doesn't really, 109 00:09:22,171 --> 00:09:27,826 and he also wasn't going to be held back by the crowd or being small in stature. 110 00:09:27,826 --> 00:09:33,481 So he climbs a tree, and we, we assume that was probably the most efficient 111 00:09:33,481 --> 00:09:39,135 course of action. He could have tried to push through the crowd, but let's face 112 00:09:39,135 --> 00:09:44,790 it, he was a really unpopular guy and he's physically very small. By the time he 113 00:09:44,790 --> 00:09:50,445 got to the front, Jesus would probably have passed by. He's rich, he could have 114 00:09:50,445 --> 00:09:56,100 tried to bribe, but again, that probably would have taken too long. So this guy, 115 00:09:56,100 --> 00:10:01,755 who's likely middle-aged or older, and he's wearing a robe, he does a desk job 116 00:10:01,755 --> 00:10:07,410 for a living, he climbs a tree. So, you know, that's something we can assume he 117 00:10:07,410 --> 00:10:13,065 does not do very often, but, you know, he was that driven to go and get a 118 00:10:13,065 --> 00:10:18,720 glimpse of Jesus, he climbed a tree. Now we don't know if he was really thinking 119 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:24,374 through and aware of the type of tree he was climbing, but in Jewish culture, 120 00:10:24,374 --> 00:10:30,029 sycamore fig tree is known as the sin-spreading tree due to its dense canopy. 121 00:10:30,029 --> 00:10:35,684 The idea is any sin committed underneath it actually can pass to all people on 122 00:10:35,684 --> 00:10:41,339 the tree. Now, if you have a whole row of these things and they're all 123 00:10:41,339 --> 00:10:46,994 overlapping, it can pass to anyone who's under any of these trees. In fact, they 124 00:10:46,994 --> 00:10:52,649 were always about keeping these things within your boundary. Either way, he saw 125 00:10:52,649 --> 00:10:58,304 he had a problem, he saw a solution, and he acted straight away. Again, these 126 00:10:58,304 --> 00:11:03,958 are one of the reasons probably why he was good at his job. You know, being a 127 00:11:03,958 --> 00:11:09,613 motivated problem solver is an important ingredient in a successful career. And 128 00:11:09,613 --> 00:11:15,268 then comes the encounter. Jesus walks by and he instantly calls, and right away, 129 00:11:15,268 --> 00:11:20,923 Zakias answers. He doesn't hang around. He doesn't get swayed by the comments of 130 00:11:20,923 --> 00:11:26,578 the crowd. And ultimately, he, you know, he is open to hearing the harsh truth 131 00:11:26,578 --> 00:11:32,233 and reality that he is a sinner. But he doesn't waste time here. He jumps again, 132 00:11:32,233 --> 00:11:37,888 not wasting time, being time efficient, another important trait of being a 133 00:11:37,888 --> 00:11:43,542 successful person. And then after having spent this one short time period with 134 00:11:43,542 --> 00:11:49,197 Jesus, he gives away half his possessions. Now, Jesus did not ask him to do 135 00:11:49,197 --> 00:11:54,852 that. He just, off his own bat, recognized he was a sinner, recognized he needed 136 00:11:54,852 --> 00:12:00,507 to make changes, and said, look, I'm giving away half my possessions, and anyone 137 00:12:00,507 --> 00:12:06,162 I've cheated, I will repay them back fourfold. Now, interestingly, he also, as 138 00:12:06,162 --> 00:12:11,817 far as we know from this, he also remained in his successful job. He wasn't 139 00:12:11,817 --> 00:12:17,472 asked to leave it, and he didn't feel convicted to leave it. So he's still a Jew 140 00:12:17,472 --> 00:12:23,127 working for the Romans. As I said, Jesus did not tell him to leave it, but you 141 00:12:23,127 --> 00:12:28,781 know, we obviously would assume going forward that he would have taxed people 142 00:12:28,781 --> 00:12:34,436 fairly, and given his position in that system, you know, maybe he had the 143 00:12:34,436 --> 00:12:40,091 opportunity to change the system for more people. But the crucial point here is 144 00:12:40,091 --> 00:12:45,746 his success now benefits people other than himself. They benefit the community, 145 00:12:45,746 --> 00:12:51,401 for the people who he'd given half his possessions to, for the people who he had 146 00:12:51,401 --> 00:12:57,056 repaid, for the people who going forward he would have taxed at a more 147 00:12:57,056 --> 00:13:02,711 reasonable rate, and possibly for any positive changes he brought to that system 148 00:13:02,711 --> 00:13:08,365 in Jericho. So honest success, is not unbiblical. I mean by that, by honest, 149 00:13:08,365 --> 00:13:14,020 fair work for a fair reward. And Jesus talks about this in Matthew 25, the 150 00:13:14,020 --> 00:13:19,675 parable of the talents, where a master gives 5 talents to one worker, 2 talents 151 00:13:19,675 --> 00:13:25,330 to another, and 1 to a third worker. The master then goes away for a period of 152 00:13:25,330 --> 00:13:30,985 time and comes back, and the gentleman who had 5 has invested, worked hard, and 153 00:13:30,985 --> 00:13:36,640 made another 5. And the same with the one who had 2, he then made another 2. And 154 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:42,295 they were rewarded, you know, well done, good and faithful servant. Now the guy 155 00:13:42,295 --> 00:13:47,950 who's given one chose to do nothing with it. He didn't even put it in the bank 156 00:13:47,950 --> 00:13:53,604 for interest, and he's cast into darkness, and his talent is given to the one 157 00:13:53,604 --> 00:13:59,259 who did well with five. So we can see from this that hard work resulting in 158 00:13:59,259 --> 00:14:04,914 success is rewarded, not punished. We can also see from this that some of us 159 00:14:04,914 --> 00:14:10,569 will be given more opportunities than others for success. And it doesn't stop 160 00:14:10,569 --> 00:14:16,224 here. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, says in 4:28, "Let the thief no 161 00:14:16,224 --> 00:14:21,879 longer steal, but rather let him labor doing honest work with his own hands so 162 00:14:21,879 --> 00:14:27,534 that he may have something to share with anyone in need." So the results of the 163 00:14:27,534 --> 00:14:33,188 work aren't just for the worker, they are to be shared where it is needed. And 164 00:14:33,188 --> 00:14:38,843 this practice goes all the way back to Leviticus in chapter 9, verses 9 to 10: 165 00:14:38,843 --> 00:14:44,498 When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up 166 00:14:44,498 --> 00:14:50,153 to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you 167 00:14:50,153 --> 00:14:55,808 shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather fallen grapes of 168 00:14:55,808 --> 00:15:01,463 your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner. I am the 169 00:15:01,463 --> 00:15:07,118 Lord your God. So what we can see here is the honest success is a biblical 170 00:15:07,118 --> 00:15:12,772 principle, hard work being rewarded. It is not just for us, we are the steward 171 00:15:12,772 --> 00:15:18,427 of its benefits and we are to use it to help others who need help. And some of 172 00:15:18,427 --> 00:15:24,082 us will have more opportunities for success than others. It really means they 173 00:15:24,082 --> 00:15:29,737 will have more opportunities to bless and support others. So taking these ideas 174 00:15:29,737 --> 00:15:35,392 and looking inward, are we searching with vigor like Zacchaeus was? And Jesus 175 00:15:35,392 --> 00:15:41,047 isn't walking down the main street of our respective towns and villages here is: 176 00:15:41,047 --> 00:15:46,702 are we reading Scripture daily? Are we praying daily? Are we meeting with other 177 00:15:46,702 --> 00:15:52,357 believers? Are we overcoming obstacles to these things, or are we just making 178 00:15:52,357 --> 00:15:58,011 excuses? And then, are we answering immediately? And that can be, you know, 179 00:15:58,011 --> 00:16:03,666 prompting from the Holy Spirit, you know, are we listening for that? But also 180 00:16:03,666 --> 00:16:09,321 Biblical instruction— there are plenty of very simple guidelines that we are 181 00:16:09,321 --> 00:16:14,976 told to do. Are we answering those? 1 John 3:17: If anyone has material 182 00:16:14,976 --> 00:16:20,631 possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how 183 00:16:20,631 --> 00:16:26,286 can the love of God be in that person? And finally, are we acting with love? Are 184 00:16:26,286 --> 00:16:31,941 we sharing that success where we have it, the benefits of that success? And that 185 00:16:31,941 --> 00:16:37,595 doesn't actually have to be only financial, it can be some of the skills that we 186 00:16:37,595 --> 00:16:43,250 have built up as well. Are we using those to serve those in our church, in our 187 00:16:43,250 --> 00:16:48,905 community around us? Our community here is really central. We are not meant to 188 00:16:48,905 --> 00:16:54,560 be alone. We are not meant to be successful alone. Hebrews 10:25, not neglecting 189 00:16:54,560 --> 00:17:00,215 to meet together, as is the habit of some. But encouraging one another. And 190 00:17:00,215 --> 00:17:05,870 that's our role in this. We are here to encourage one another as we, as we wait 191 00:17:05,870 --> 00:17:11,525 on God, as we study his word. And that is where I would like to bring this to a 192 00:17:11,525 --> 00:17:17,180 close tonight. Thank you. 193 00:17:19,829 --> 00:17:24,309 Great, thanks so much, Ade. That is, um, Just so much in there. Really great. 194 00:17:24,309 --> 00:17:28,789 Um, what did you think, Dave? Any immediate things that jump out? 195 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:35,253 Yeah, I, I just love the story. I love the delivery, uh, you know, the things 196 00:17:35,253 --> 00:17:40,867 you brought out there. And, um, I think the thing that always stands out just 197 00:17:40,867 --> 00:17:46,481 about— here's a guy who's got everything but no one to share it with, and he— 198 00:17:46,481 --> 00:17:52,095 but he knows he's lacking something. And yet, um, you know, he climbs the tree 199 00:17:52,095 --> 00:17:57,708 almost still hidden, but Jesus is coming along. He's going somewhere, and Jesus 200 00:17:57,708 --> 00:18:03,322 stops and calls him by name. And I just think there's something wonderful 201 00:18:03,322 --> 00:18:08,936 whenever Jesus stops and there's a beginning of a conversation. He calls him by 202 00:18:08,936 --> 00:18:14,549 name. Just amazing. 203 00:18:14,809 --> 00:18:19,506 Because there's something about Jesus's presence, isn't there? And when he, when 204 00:18:19,506 --> 00:18:24,202 he encounters Zacchaeus, that it actually changed— like, his response is so 205 00:18:24,202 --> 00:18:28,898 counterculture. Like, he completely does a 360— well, a 180, not 360, that would 206 00:18:28,898 --> 00:18:33,595 be the same direction. Um, a 180. Maths was never my strong point. Um, he does 207 00:18:33,595 --> 00:18:38,291 complete 180 though, doesn't he? Like, in terms of where he was on money and 208 00:18:38,291 --> 00:18:42,987 wealth and success. And actually, when he comes into the presence of Jesus, he's 209 00:18:42,987 --> 00:18:47,683 like— it's not that Jesus tells him, but he's instantly— I find it really 210 00:18:47,683 --> 00:18:52,380 interesting that he's instantly convicted. 211 00:18:52,710 --> 00:18:52,910 Yeah. 212 00:18:53,190 --> 00:18:58,512 And he feels it necessary to give half his money away and to repay all those 213 00:18:58,512 --> 00:19:03,835 that he'd swindled, and to change his ways and to be more generous and honest 214 00:19:03,835 --> 00:19:09,158 with money. To use his wealth to sort of benefit many, not just himself. And I, 215 00:19:09,158 --> 00:19:14,481 I think, isn't that interesting, that, that it's just that sheer encounter of 216 00:19:14,481 --> 00:19:19,804 being in Jesus's presence? Jesus hadn't told him to do that. No one's said, oh, 217 00:19:19,804 --> 00:19:25,127 you're really bad, you're, you're living like this. It's just the very coming 218 00:19:25,127 --> 00:19:30,450 face to face with who Jesus is changes him. I find that incredible. 219 00:19:30,910 --> 00:19:36,199 We see it repeatedly, don't we, in all these stories that we get in the gospels, 220 00:19:36,199 --> 00:19:41,488 you know. Um, but it's the counterculture Jesus, isn't it? Oh, Jesus the 221 00:19:41,488 --> 00:19:46,777 revolutionary, eh? And, um, you know, um, he— everybody hates Zacchaeus. They 222 00:19:46,777 --> 00:19:52,066 despise him, you know, even though he's got everything. They just despise him. 223 00:19:52,066 --> 00:19:57,355 And yet Jesus, he's the one that Jesus wants to talk to. And he says to him, 224 00:19:57,355 --> 00:20:02,644 Again, I find it's really moving. Jesus says to him, come down because I'm 225 00:20:02,644 --> 00:20:07,934 coming to your house. That's the last place anybody wants to go to. Yeah, to 226 00:20:07,934 --> 00:20:13,223 that level of association, you know. And, and then, you know, we see what 227 00:20:13,223 --> 00:20:18,512 happens. I, I'm so thankful that we don't know what the conversation was between 228 00:20:18,512 --> 00:20:23,801 Jesus and Zacchaeus. Otherwise, men being men, or mankind being mankind, humans 229 00:20:23,801 --> 00:20:29,090 being humans, we would have made a programme out of it, but we don't hear, but 230 00:20:29,090 --> 00:20:34,380 we see the fruits of repentance, which Aidé brought out wonderfully. 231 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:39,028 Mm. Yeah, absolutely. And I loved— the other bit that I really loved about what 232 00:20:39,028 --> 00:20:43,577 Aidé shared was just this whole idea that when we work and what we earn and what 233 00:20:43,577 --> 00:20:48,126 we create with our hands and, you know, everything that we have, all this 234 00:20:48,126 --> 00:20:52,675 success, all the money that we earn, is for sharing, and it's not just for our 235 00:20:52,675 --> 00:20:57,224 own benefit, but it's for the benefit of wider community. And I love that. And 236 00:20:57,224 --> 00:21:01,772 you see it so often with, like, you know, business people who are Christian, 237 00:21:01,772 --> 00:21:06,321 where they, you know, not, not just Christians, but often Christians are 238 00:21:06,321 --> 00:21:10,870 particularly good at it, give a lot of their money away. And actually, um, yeah, 239 00:21:10,870 --> 00:21:15,419 just that real challenge that's there in the Bible quite a lot about, um, 240 00:21:15,419 --> 00:21:19,968 sharing with those in need. And it's so counterculture to what we often see in 241 00:21:19,968 --> 00:21:24,517 the world, right? We see these I don't want to pick on anyone, but these Elon 242 00:21:24,517 --> 00:21:29,065 Musks or Kardashian-type characters that are on TV screens, you know, the big 243 00:21:29,065 --> 00:21:33,614 tech bros in America. And you just think they are not benefiting everyone with 244 00:21:33,614 --> 00:21:38,163 their wealth. They're benefiting, well, mainly themselves and a few people who 245 00:21:38,163 --> 00:21:42,712 work for them right at the top. And we do live in a world, don't we, today where 246 00:21:42,712 --> 00:21:47,261 the richer are getting richer, like, and that gap between the richest and 247 00:21:47,261 --> 00:21:51,809 poorest is actually getting bigger in a lot of our societies. 248 00:21:51,900 --> 00:21:52,079 Yeah. 249 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:56,561 Smaller. And, um, yeah, and I just think it's so— it is so counterculture. Jesus 250 00:21:56,561 --> 00:22:00,882 is a revolutionary. What he teaches here and what he demonstrates is so 251 00:22:00,882 --> 00:22:05,204 counterculture to what we see about very successful rich people today. And, you 252 00:22:05,204 --> 00:22:09,525 know, it's easy to sit and criticize people, isn't it? Because I don't have that 253 00:22:09,525 --> 00:22:13,847 kind of money to give away if I wanted to, you know. It's— but nonetheless, I 254 00:22:13,847 --> 00:22:18,168 think it's just not what we see a lot of people build more wealth for 255 00:22:18,168 --> 00:22:22,490 themselves, for their own gain, don't they? 256 00:22:22,759 --> 00:22:27,878 I think giving is— it, for me, it has to come with a cost, you know. So, um, I 257 00:22:27,878 --> 00:22:32,997 think, you know, the culture at the time— I think Middle Eastern culture is very 258 00:22:32,997 --> 00:22:38,115 different than, than our own, and not just historically. I think even today it 259 00:22:38,115 --> 00:22:43,233 was very reciprocal. So like, I have some Farsi friends And, um, you know, if 260 00:22:43,233 --> 00:22:48,352 you ever invite them out around from a— come around for a meal, well, you can't 261 00:22:48,352 --> 00:22:53,471 even get it in your diary until you've told them when you're going to their 262 00:22:53,471 --> 00:22:58,589 house. So, you know, because it's reciprocal, it's not one-offmanship, it's we 263 00:22:58,589 --> 00:23:03,708 want to participate in this, and they'll bring stuff. And I think we— I see 264 00:23:03,708 --> 00:23:08,826 something lovely about a society, a culture of reciprocation and value. And, and 265 00:23:08,826 --> 00:23:13,945 as you're saying, that we share what we have. and it should cost. You know, I 266 00:23:13,945 --> 00:23:19,063 think, you know, if you've got— I don't know, these figures are beyond me, like, 267 00:23:19,063 --> 00:23:24,182 you know, £10 million in the bank, to give somebody £10,000, it is still 268 00:23:24,182 --> 00:23:29,300 significant, but it probably isn't to you. You know, um, so I think, you know, 269 00:23:29,300 --> 00:23:34,419 giving is about reciprocation. But what I see in Zacchaeus is fruits of 270 00:23:34,419 --> 00:23:39,537 repentance. The very thing that was an idol to him, that like was like a god, 271 00:23:39,537 --> 00:23:44,656 finance stuff, you know, that he got from doing, um, from his job. That's what 272 00:23:44,656 --> 00:23:49,774 he surrendered, you know. And I think we need to know what it is to surrender 273 00:23:49,774 --> 00:23:54,893 those things that are idols in our lives, you know, that we count so important. 274 00:23:54,893 --> 00:24:00,011 Let's share them. I bet those people were terrified when he started doing that, 275 00:24:00,011 --> 00:24:05,130 you know. What's the catch? Zak, yes, you're going to tax me more next time. 276 00:24:05,450 --> 00:24:10,385 Yeah, you know, it's interesting, isn't it? We've got a few comments here on the 277 00:24:10,385 --> 00:24:15,321 feed that I'll just pull up as well. So we've got quite a bit of people on the 278 00:24:15,321 --> 00:24:20,256 feed here. So we've got Alicia, Ellis, Rach, Sharon, Ros, Sonia, MJS Player, 279 00:24:20,256 --> 00:24:25,192 it's the ID, Catherine. So we've got a number of people listening in live on the 280 00:24:25,192 --> 00:24:30,127 feed. And one comment I've got is here from Alicia says, there was so much 281 00:24:30,127 --> 00:24:35,063 fascinating context here in Ade's talk. I knew Zakias was was hated but didn't 282 00:24:35,063 --> 00:24:39,998 realize the connection between his work and the oppression of Rome. Um, hi Ade, 283 00:24:39,998 --> 00:24:44,934 Anna, Dave. What does sharing your skills and money, etc., look like in your own 284 00:24:44,934 --> 00:24:49,869 lives? That's from Sharon. Oh, there's a big buzz on that. 285 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:51,170 It's gone. 286 00:24:51,609 --> 00:24:54,509 Fine, it's gone. So did everyone catch that? So what does sharing your skills 287 00:24:54,509 --> 00:24:57,409 and money look like in your own lives? That's a question from Sharon. Any 288 00:24:57,409 --> 00:25:00,309 thoughts, guys? 289 00:25:01,130 --> 00:25:02,609 What about, what about you, Ade? 290 00:25:04,190 --> 00:25:08,933 The fact I'm here right now, you know, so I am an engineer and a physicist. I 291 00:25:08,933 --> 00:25:13,677 often talk to people who don't know a thing about technical anything and 292 00:25:13,677 --> 00:25:18,421 convince them this is a really good thing to do for the business. So actually 293 00:25:18,421 --> 00:25:23,164 speaking in front of people, that's something I do quite comfortably. And so 294 00:25:23,164 --> 00:25:27,908 having been a Christian for a number of years, studied the Bible for a number of 295 00:25:27,908 --> 00:25:32,652 years, and more recently in Bible college, it's coming here and taking what I do 296 00:25:32,652 --> 00:25:37,396 for a day job but with, you know, a theological and scriptural context rather 297 00:25:37,396 --> 00:25:42,140 than a scientific context. Yeah, that's an example of skills. 298 00:25:43,289 --> 00:25:47,474 Yeah, that's, that's a really good, good part of it. I, I think, yeah, I, I feel 299 00:25:47,474 --> 00:25:51,658 the same. I, I feel like a large part of being generous is like, for me, it's 300 00:25:51,658 --> 00:25:55,843 being generous, yeah, with our money, but also with our time and our resources. 301 00:25:55,843 --> 00:26:00,027 So, you know, like me and my husband Andy, we like to like open our house, you 302 00:26:00,027 --> 00:26:04,211 know, open our, yeah, just our space or our diary, our lives to people. And I 303 00:26:04,211 --> 00:26:08,396 think, yeah, that can be money because sometimes people have financial needs, 304 00:26:08,396 --> 00:26:12,580 but also it's giving people things to borrow when they need them, or being like, 305 00:26:12,580 --> 00:26:16,764 come stay in our house the weekend we're away, or, or come and have a meal with 306 00:26:16,764 --> 00:26:20,949 us, you're on your own. Or yeah, it can be really just a little practical 307 00:26:20,949 --> 00:26:25,133 things. But I think you're right, Dave, it's about a generosity of heart. And 308 00:26:25,133 --> 00:26:29,318 yeah, for me, that's a really important part of it. It's about being generous 309 00:26:29,318 --> 00:26:33,502 with whatever we— whatever we're blessed with, in whatever way. Like, use my 310 00:26:33,502 --> 00:26:37,686 car, use my time, you know. But also, you're right, Ada, it is about time as 311 00:26:37,686 --> 00:26:41,871 well, like, and your skills. So, you know, doing things like this or whatever 312 00:26:41,871 --> 00:26:46,055 we're good at, giving it, giving it, um, to the purposes of God and to bless 313 00:26:46,055 --> 00:26:50,240 other people as well. 314 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:55,220 I think time is really important because, you know, once— 315 00:26:57,289 --> 00:27:01,180 having a few sound issues tonight. Bear with us, folks, we'll keep going. 316 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:08,744 So one of the things I quite like about this passage is, and this is where we 317 00:27:08,744 --> 00:27:12,089 see Jesus really being a revolutionary. 318 00:27:13,119 --> 00:27:17,619 I think, you know, with time, it's the most precious thing that we have. Which 319 00:27:17,619 --> 00:27:22,119 affects all the other things. But, you know, once that time is spent, it's gone. 320 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:26,619 Yeah, you, you know, you just don't get that back. And, um, and I, I think it's 321 00:27:26,619 --> 00:27:31,119 wonderful to spend time with people. Some people are easier to spend time with 322 00:27:31,119 --> 00:27:35,619 than others. Well, you know, I would just encourage people that when we're with 323 00:27:35,619 --> 00:27:40,119 people, to give them our best, give them our concentration, put our phones away, 324 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:44,619 you know, you know, type of thing. It's horrible when you're talking with 325 00:27:44,619 --> 00:27:49,119 somebody, um, and, and, and they change— they're looking at the phone. And I 326 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:53,619 know they might be waiting for a kidney transplant or something, but most of us 327 00:27:53,619 --> 00:27:58,119 aren't, you know. Let's give people our undivided attention. 328 00:27:58,859 --> 00:28:03,356 Yeah, that's a really good point. I've got another comment here on the feed, 329 00:28:03,356 --> 00:28:07,852 which is, uh, from Alicia. She says, um, this was a refreshingly nuanced take on 330 00:28:07,852 --> 00:28:12,349 what success is especially for people of faith. So it's not just about what, 331 00:28:12,349 --> 00:28:16,845 what can be done with money, but how you employ your other gifts. Yeah, I think 332 00:28:16,845 --> 00:28:21,342 we just covered that, but really good point. I thought as well, an interesting 333 00:28:21,342 --> 00:28:25,838 point, um, that Ade made was about how, um, like, we're called to steward what 334 00:28:25,838 --> 00:28:30,335 we're given, but not everybody's given the same amount. So like, some people are 335 00:28:30,335 --> 00:28:34,831 given more to steward than others. And that's interesting, isn't it? Because 336 00:28:34,831 --> 00:28:39,328 sometimes you can look at it from a human perspective and be like, well, why 337 00:28:39,328 --> 00:28:43,824 have they been given so much money or resource or opportunity? Because they're 338 00:28:43,824 --> 00:28:48,321 not actually using it as well as I might think I would do in their shoes. I'm 339 00:28:48,321 --> 00:28:52,817 not saying I would, but you know, when you're like, sometimes there's that 340 00:28:52,817 --> 00:28:57,314 thing, isn't it? Like, why doesn't God give just good people? Like, all of that 341 00:28:57,314 --> 00:29:01,810 stuff. But Espe Zacchaeus is like a great example of, yeah, actually anyone has 342 00:29:01,810 --> 00:29:06,307 that potential when they encounter Jesus. Um, but I just wondered if you had any 343 00:29:06,307 --> 00:29:10,803 thoughts about that, Aidan, while you were prepping the talk, like that whole 344 00:29:10,803 --> 00:29:15,299 idea of we're not all given the same, you know, in terms of stewardship. 345 00:29:17,210 --> 00:29:22,026 Uh, yeah, absolutely. Um, I, uh, personally, I'm blessed enough to have been 346 00:29:22,026 --> 00:29:26,842 born into a Christian family. My parents loved each other, they loved the Lord, 347 00:29:26,842 --> 00:29:31,658 they stayed together. I came from a stable family. I was able to go to a 348 00:29:31,658 --> 00:29:36,474 polytech and study engineering and science, live at home, commute to that, so 349 00:29:36,474 --> 00:29:41,290 not have racked massive debts, and then go on to a career in science and 350 00:29:41,290 --> 00:29:46,106 engineering, which is a, you know, it's a generally jobs are reliable. I could 351 00:29:46,106 --> 00:29:50,923 have chosen a completely different career path and not had anything like the 352 00:29:50,923 --> 00:29:55,739 number of opportunities I had today, whilst having worked equally hard at that 353 00:29:55,739 --> 00:30:00,555 career path. So some of it is the blessings I was born into, some of it is the 354 00:30:00,555 --> 00:30:05,371 work I've done with the opportunities I've been given, and some of it is just 355 00:30:05,371 --> 00:30:10,187 the choices I've made. There's so many things there. And also, we pray that God 356 00:30:10,187 --> 00:30:15,003 will open the right doors, close the wrong doors and everything. But Sonia and 357 00:30:15,003 --> 00:30:19,819 I, there must be, there must be that as well. 358 00:30:20,660 --> 00:30:24,445 Yeah, I think that's really helpful, and it's a really helpful perspective. 359 00:30:24,445 --> 00:30:28,230 Like, yeah, it's interesting. Go on, Dave. 360 00:30:28,319 --> 00:30:32,934 We're only to steward that which God has given us. I'm looking from, you know, 361 00:30:32,934 --> 00:30:37,549 the God side of things. We're just accountable for that, and, you know, when 362 00:30:37,549 --> 00:30:42,163 people say to me, you know, like, maybe, let's say faith, Dave, you know, will 363 00:30:42,163 --> 00:30:46,778 you pray that God gives me more faith? And my normal response is a little bit 364 00:30:46,778 --> 00:30:51,393 tongue-in-cheek, but it usually goes something like, 'What are you doing with 365 00:30:51,393 --> 00:30:56,007 what he's given you? If you want more faith, use what you have.' And when we 366 00:30:56,007 --> 00:31:00,622 talk about stewarding, whether it be gifts or resources, we just need to know 367 00:31:00,622 --> 00:31:05,236 that we do it for the glory of God and at the same time generally being a 368 00:31:05,236 --> 00:31:09,851 blessing to other people. But we will be— stewardship is all about being 369 00:31:09,851 --> 00:31:14,466 accountable, whether it be even our families, like our kids, We, we, you know, 370 00:31:14,466 --> 00:31:19,080 we steward that, you know, um, and I think we just forget sometimes that there 371 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:23,695 is a, a day of reckoning where we have, you know, stewarding. God says, what 372 00:31:23,695 --> 00:31:28,309 have you done with it? 373 00:31:29,900 --> 00:31:33,910 Yeah, I think that's it. That's a challenge for us all, isn't it? And I, I feel 374 00:31:33,910 --> 00:31:37,920 like some— so much of this for me is about heart posture and holding things 375 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:41,930 lightly. So Yeah, whether it's your children or your time or your resources or 376 00:31:41,930 --> 00:31:45,940 your, like, money in your bank account. 377 00:31:46,019 --> 00:31:46,279 It's— 378 00:31:46,740 --> 00:31:51,360 for me, it's like knowing that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. And 379 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:55,980 actually, everything I own, everything I own, everything I have is, you know, 380 00:31:55,980 --> 00:32:00,599 as, as Ade touched on, is from God, it's for God, it's back to God in the end. 381 00:32:00,599 --> 00:32:05,220 You know, we're all given different starts and chances in life and different 382 00:32:05,220 --> 00:32:09,840 opportunities, but actually God just expects us to have a good posture of 383 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:14,460 generosity and stewarding as best we're able to what he gives to us. And I 384 00:32:14,460 --> 00:32:19,079 think, yeah, you know, just holding things quite lightly and not clinging to 385 00:32:19,079 --> 00:32:23,700 things too tight is really helpful for me. 386 00:32:23,940 --> 00:32:28,132 I'm not sure whether it's just our— the day in which we live, but it's a little 387 00:32:28,132 --> 00:32:32,325 bit like, I want that. And we spend so much time looking at what we don't have 388 00:32:32,325 --> 00:32:36,517 or what somebody else has that we miss what we've been entrusted with, and 389 00:32:36,517 --> 00:32:40,710 because our attention is somewhere else, so we don't really do that stewarding 390 00:32:40,710 --> 00:32:44,902 that well. And but I love that phrase about posturing. It is all about our heart 391 00:32:44,902 --> 00:32:49,095 because, you know, God knows it. And whilst we may be able to fool ourselves at 392 00:32:49,095 --> 00:32:53,287 times, we never fool God. God knows what our heart is and our heart responses to 393 00:32:53,287 --> 00:32:57,480 things. 394 00:32:57,769 --> 00:33:01,281 I've got a few more comments coming through on the feed. So Ellis says, one 395 00:33:01,281 --> 00:33:04,793 thing I struggle with when it comes to sharing and giving is doing it because I 396 00:33:04,793 --> 00:33:08,304 feel like I should rather than because I want to. I struggle to find the balance 397 00:33:08,304 --> 00:33:11,816 with that. Um, yeah, I think that's— it's a really good point. I think it is 398 00:33:11,816 --> 00:33:15,328 difficult, isn't it, to feel like I ought to give rather than I want— I 399 00:33:15,328 --> 00:33:18,839 genuinely want to. 400 00:33:19,420 --> 00:33:19,579 Yeah. 401 00:33:19,740 --> 00:33:20,799 Do you have any thoughts on that, Dave? 402 00:33:20,930 --> 00:33:26,097 Well, I remember just a few months ago we were sat here and we were— we were at 403 00:33:26,097 --> 00:33:31,264 this very, um, this very conversation. Um, Yeah, I think for me it's always been 404 00:33:31,264 --> 00:33:36,432 hold things lightly, you know. And when I'm sowing into things, I'm giving, you 405 00:33:36,432 --> 00:33:41,599 know, I might give to this person, but in fact, you know, I'm actually— 406 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:42,240 it's God. 407 00:33:42,369 --> 00:33:46,825 I'm doing on behalf of God. So at our local Tesco, there's, there's a, there's a 408 00:33:46,825 --> 00:33:51,281 lovely guy, and I know his name, and he's really amused I know his name. And I'm 409 00:33:51,281 --> 00:33:55,737 like, well, why wouldn't I? You know, I ask you it all the time. And I know what 410 00:33:55,737 --> 00:34:00,193 he likes. He likes coffee and he likes a certain sandwich, etc., etc. And I will 411 00:34:00,193 --> 00:34:04,649 just get him them, not because I'm anything, you know, it's not gonna bust my 412 00:34:04,649 --> 00:34:09,105 bank to do that because I don't want him to even have to ask me, you know. I 413 00:34:09,105 --> 00:34:13,561 want to see any and I want to be able to respond. And, um, yeah, you know, and I 414 00:34:13,561 --> 00:34:18,017 just— it comes back to what you said, it's this thing of our heart. Just, you 415 00:34:18,017 --> 00:34:22,472 know, our heart on giving, giving freely. You know, people, you know, ask you 416 00:34:22,472 --> 00:34:26,928 for money, you know, and you might give them something, and, um, and somebody 417 00:34:26,928 --> 00:34:31,384 else say, you know, you shouldn't have done that, they could go and buy drugs 418 00:34:31,384 --> 00:34:35,840 with that, they could go and do such and such. And you know what, they could, 419 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:40,296 but I'm giving them, I'm just wanting to bless them, I'm giving them what 420 00:34:40,296 --> 00:34:44,752 they've asked for. And, you know, we can find that in scripture as well, you 421 00:34:44,752 --> 00:34:49,208 know. Um, but I just think, you know, let's give generously and freely. When we 422 00:34:49,208 --> 00:34:53,664 give it, let go of it, you know. Don't— you mustn't spend it on this, but give 423 00:34:53,664 --> 00:34:58,119 it and be a blessing. 424 00:34:59,199 --> 00:35:03,471 Definitely. A couple more comments that have come through. So Alicia said also, 425 00:35:03,471 --> 00:35:07,742 I think one point about how some are wealthy and can be afraid of reversal of, 426 00:35:07,742 --> 00:35:12,013 you know, not having their money anymore, like losing their wealth, or, or 427 00:35:12,013 --> 00:35:16,284 possibly, um people only caring about them for their wealth or their success or 428 00:35:16,284 --> 00:35:20,556 power or whatever. I think she said that's really good, and that's very, you 429 00:35:20,556 --> 00:35:24,827 know, it's a good point, and that's a very fearful way to live. And, and I think 430 00:35:24,827 --> 00:35:29,098 that's true, and I think we can be fearful, can't we, whether we've got much or 431 00:35:29,098 --> 00:35:33,369 little when it comes to money. 432 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:34,000 Yeah. 433 00:35:34,159 --> 00:35:39,062 And actually, some of it is just about perspective, like whether you've got much 434 00:35:39,062 --> 00:35:43,965 or little, trusting that God provides, and actually Everything is his. And yeah, 435 00:35:43,965 --> 00:35:48,867 again, that encounter with Jesus changes your perspective because money is not 436 00:35:48,867 --> 00:35:53,769 your God. God is your God. 437 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:58,659 Yeah, I mean, we're all blessed, aren't we, that, you know, we have— most of us, 438 00:35:58,659 --> 00:36:03,360 and, you know, in this room, you know, we, we have generally, I think, you know, 439 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:08,059 what we need. You know, it's, it's not that there aren't things that we want. 440 00:36:08,059 --> 00:36:12,760 Yeah, that we haven't got, you know, um But we generally, you know, have what we 441 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:17,460 need. And I think, but if I was to go and give somebody, you know, 20 quid, you 442 00:36:17,460 --> 00:36:22,160 know, I mean, I, I would probably want to give them more than that because I 443 00:36:22,160 --> 00:36:26,860 want to feel the bite. I want to feel the cost of doing that, not so I can feel 444 00:36:26,860 --> 00:36:31,559 good, but so I can feel that cost. And I want them to be blessed significantly. 445 00:36:31,559 --> 00:36:36,260 And what they do with it is beyond you know, beyond me. But I also want to be 446 00:36:36,260 --> 00:36:40,960 dependent on God, um, you know, um, for my finances, you know. And we talk about 447 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:45,660 in the church or being full-time or, you know, living by faith. Well, you know, 448 00:36:45,660 --> 00:36:50,360 I think if you work in the Ford Motor Company, you're living by faith. Whatever 449 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:55,060 we do, we need to live by faith, and it's God's blessing that we've even got 450 00:36:55,060 --> 00:36:59,760 that job. 451 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:05,010 Yeah, yeah. Any more thoughts from you, Aidan? I'm aware that you're over in 452 00:37:05,010 --> 00:37:09,219 North Wales, but we still want to hear from you. 453 00:37:09,769 --> 00:37:10,300 Yeah, shout. 454 00:37:10,730 --> 00:37:14,929 She's just not in this physical studio with us. Yeah, shout from North Wales. 455 00:37:15,309 --> 00:37:16,719 Yeah, we'll talk all night, just me. 456 00:37:16,820 --> 00:37:19,869 Yeah, it's just hard to get a word in between me and Dave, that's all. 457 00:37:21,159 --> 00:37:26,378 I have noticed that. I think, I think one of the things to remind you about, you 458 00:37:26,378 --> 00:37:31,596 know, but the difference between feeling I should do something, whereas I want 459 00:37:31,596 --> 00:37:36,814 to. You got to start somewhere and you have clear guidance in the Bible to meet 460 00:37:36,814 --> 00:37:42,032 together, to study the Bible, to pray, to support the helpless. And sometimes 461 00:37:42,032 --> 00:37:47,250 you just have to, it's almost fake it till you make it, right? There's an 462 00:37:47,250 --> 00:37:52,469 instruction here I should do. I don't feel like doing it. But do it anyway. And 463 00:37:52,469 --> 00:37:57,687 I think I've gone through— it's only in the last 6 months, I think, I've come 464 00:37:57,687 --> 00:38:02,905 out of a rut where I actually want to read the Bible. I've been reading it daily 465 00:38:02,905 --> 00:38:08,123 anyway, but because all the stuff that we've been going through in our personal 466 00:38:08,123 --> 00:38:13,341 lives, it's like, right, this time I do this. I don't feel like it, but I'm 467 00:38:13,341 --> 00:38:18,559 going to do it. And it got to a point where I thought, you know what, I'm going 468 00:38:18,559 --> 00:38:23,778 to do it. I think I'm going to do this even better, and I'm going to sign up to 469 00:38:23,778 --> 00:38:28,996 an online Bible college. But up until that, and now, you know, it's— I've kind 470 00:38:28,996 --> 00:38:34,214 of gone through that phase now where I want to, I can't wait till the next time, 471 00:38:34,214 --> 00:38:39,432 I'm just kind of learning so much. But I had to go through a good 18 months. 472 00:38:39,432 --> 00:38:44,650 Yeah, let's say a good 18 months of just doing it because I knew I should be 473 00:38:44,650 --> 00:38:49,869 doing it, being very open in my conversation with God that I'm doing this 474 00:38:49,869 --> 00:38:55,087 because I should. I'd like to want to do this, but right now I just, you know, I 475 00:38:55,087 --> 00:39:00,305 just don't feel that. I just don't feel much of anything. If we do that with the 476 00:39:00,305 --> 00:39:05,523 right heart and we ask God to help us through it, we will come to a place where 477 00:39:05,523 --> 00:39:10,741 we do want to do these things. But very often we have to put in the work to get 478 00:39:10,741 --> 00:39:15,960 ourselves there. 479 00:39:16,820 --> 00:39:21,610 Yeah, it's one of the— this, it's discipline, isn't it? Which isn't really much 480 00:39:21,610 --> 00:39:26,400 of a 21st century word because we all like to do what we want to do. 481 00:39:28,210 --> 00:39:32,725 Yeah, it's funny, isn't it? Because it's— yeah, it's like, like you say, that 482 00:39:32,725 --> 00:39:37,240 fake it till you make it thing. And I love your honesty about your situation, 483 00:39:37,240 --> 00:39:41,756 Aidan, the fact that sometimes it is a choice and Yeah, and the feelings sort of 484 00:39:41,756 --> 00:39:46,271 come later, and sometimes they're quicker, aren't they? And I think we've all 485 00:39:46,271 --> 00:39:50,787 got different examples of, yeah, how sometimes you kind of just have to make the 486 00:39:50,787 --> 00:39:55,302 first step and Jesus moves towards you. But then sometimes there's situations 487 00:39:55,302 --> 00:39:59,818 like Zacchaeus where Jesus literally steps towards him and he, you know, he 488 00:39:59,818 --> 00:40:04,333 calls him down out of his tree. It wasn't that Zacchaeus stepped towards Jesus, 489 00:40:04,333 --> 00:40:08,849 but Jesus went— he called him out, didn't he, and said 'Hey, I want to speak to 490 00:40:08,849 --> 00:40:13,364 you.' Yeah. So yeah, I think it can be both ways, and, um, and it's okay. And I 491 00:40:13,364 --> 00:40:17,880 think it's really honest to be like, 'I don't really feel like doing this, but 492 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:22,396 as I do it, because I know it's the right thing to do, God, would you change my 493 00:40:22,396 --> 00:40:26,911 heart?' And, you know, and Aidan's example is that over time that has been his 494 00:40:26,911 --> 00:40:31,427 experience. And I think I've got examples of that as well, and mine wasn't 495 00:40:31,427 --> 00:40:35,942 necessarily about reading the Bible, but I, you know, I went— I've been through 496 00:40:35,942 --> 00:40:40,458 seasons where I didn't really want to pray. I didn't really want to talk to God 497 00:40:40,458 --> 00:40:44,973 sometimes, um, because of, you know, different difficult situations. But I think 498 00:40:44,973 --> 00:40:49,489 when you kind of take a step towards God, I think he steps towards you. It's 499 00:40:49,489 --> 00:40:54,004 like there's a Bible verse that's like, you know, draw near to God and he'll 500 00:40:54,004 --> 00:40:58,519 draw near to you. And I, I think it is sometimes there is that two-way process. 501 00:40:58,969 --> 00:41:03,261 I mean, when you read these stories, like, that they are so personal, whether it 502 00:41:03,261 --> 00:41:07,552 be Zacchaeus or, um, the woman caught in adultery or the one with the issue of 503 00:41:07,552 --> 00:41:11,844 blood. You know, the gospels are just full of these things where, whether Jesus 504 00:41:11,844 --> 00:41:16,135 calls them by name, somewhere in that interaction they become deeply personal 505 00:41:16,135 --> 00:41:20,427 and life-changing. They're heart-changing, aren't they? Um, and I think only 506 00:41:20,427 --> 00:41:24,718 when our hearts are changed do our feelings get changed. That's pretty good, I 507 00:41:24,718 --> 00:41:29,010 must write that down. 508 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:30,989 Uh, only when I say it again, Dave. 509 00:41:31,559 --> 00:41:36,437 Only when our hearts get changed do our feelings begin to change. Yeah, you 510 00:41:36,437 --> 00:41:41,314 know, and, um, and I think that would be really true, you know, for me. Um, I'm 511 00:41:41,314 --> 00:41:46,191 quite a persistent person, so again, you know, just doing something until I get 512 00:41:46,191 --> 00:41:51,068 that longing, because I know it's good. It's like, you know, lots of things in 513 00:41:51,068 --> 00:41:55,945 life are good, aren't they? Like go in the gym, eat well, you know, you know, in 514 00:41:55,945 --> 00:42:00,822 a big list, and we all know what's good. But we need the discipline to do them, 515 00:42:00,822 --> 00:42:05,699 um, and to do them continually and consistently. 516 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:10,943 Yeah. And it's— I love the, um, just, just reflecting on this story. The thing 517 00:42:10,943 --> 00:42:15,967 that really sticks out to me is that it's Jesus' presence that changes our 518 00:42:15,967 --> 00:42:20,991 perspective. And so I think however, however you get to be in Jesus's presence, 519 00:42:20,991 --> 00:42:26,015 whether that's he pursues you, you have to persistently pursue him, even when 520 00:42:26,015 --> 00:42:31,038 you don't feel like it, like Aidan's example, like, that encounter with Jesus is 521 00:42:31,038 --> 00:42:36,062 what changes your perspective and changes your life, really. So, I think it's 522 00:42:36,062 --> 00:42:41,086 worth, you know, that persistence, that discipline, that wrestle, if it needs to 523 00:42:41,086 --> 00:42:46,110 be, to get to that place. 524 00:42:46,829 --> 00:42:51,774 I think sometimes we get a bit afraid of silence, you know, and with our walk 525 00:42:51,774 --> 00:42:56,719 with God. We think, you know, as he got off, where he's just trying to create a 526 00:42:56,719 --> 00:43:01,663 space for us to maybe just think, what is it that God is saying? What is it I am 527 00:43:01,663 --> 00:43:06,608 wanting? What is it I'm wanting to communicate to him? And, um, it's just, it's 528 00:43:06,608 --> 00:43:11,552 just always there, and he's always intimate with us. And when he speaks, when he 529 00:43:11,552 --> 00:43:16,497 acts, you know, when he reaches out, um, You know, that was so profound what 530 00:43:16,497 --> 00:43:21,441 happens to Zak. I just love it, you know. And that the very thing that was his 531 00:43:21,441 --> 00:43:26,386 idol, it was broken. Because you can't break the idol in somebody's life and 532 00:43:26,386 --> 00:43:31,330 then hold on to the money. I'll tell you what, you can borrow me donkey. That's 533 00:43:31,330 --> 00:43:36,275 not— that doesn't cut it. He breaks the idol, which is the final, and he starts 534 00:43:36,275 --> 00:43:41,219 to restore what he's taken from people. 535 00:43:41,469 --> 00:43:45,853 Yeah, I think, I think it's, um, it goes back to that, um, Firstly, like, um, 536 00:43:45,853 --> 00:43:50,235 it— like, um, Aid mentioned it actually during his talk. It was— I noted it 537 00:43:50,235 --> 00:43:54,618 down. It was 1 John 3, where it sort of says, how can the love of God be in that 538 00:43:54,618 --> 00:43:59,001 person, that person who doesn't share what they have with others and meet 539 00:43:59,001 --> 00:44:03,385 people's needs? And that's really challenging, isn't it? Like, if you're not 540 00:44:03,385 --> 00:44:07,768 generous, if you're not sharing what you have with others, how can the love of 541 00:44:07,768 --> 00:44:12,150 God really be in you? It's like, oh wow, that's, that's tough. And yeah, I 542 00:44:12,150 --> 00:44:16,534 think, wow. But it's that encounter with the love of God that enables you to do 543 00:44:16,534 --> 00:44:20,917 that. That— it was, it was Jesus' love that called Zacchaeus down from the tree. 544 00:44:20,917 --> 00:44:25,300 Like, he saw him, he loved him, he called him out. 545 00:44:25,780 --> 00:44:25,900 Yeah. 546 00:44:26,039 --> 00:44:30,072 And that, that encounter with Jesus' love enabled him to, you know, it was 547 00:44:30,072 --> 00:44:34,103 having Jesus' love inside of him, wasn't it, that created that transformation? 548 00:44:34,103 --> 00:44:38,135 And then out of that came transformation to other people's lives and the 549 00:44:38,135 --> 00:44:42,167 community around him, people they worked with and you know, collected taxes 550 00:44:42,167 --> 00:44:46,199 from. But yeah, I— 551 00:44:46,199 --> 00:44:50,490 and it was natural. Yeah, wasn't it? It was like the overflow. That's the word. 552 00:44:50,490 --> 00:44:54,781 Yeah, I thought I, I couldn't get it right, but it is out of the overflow. It 553 00:44:54,781 --> 00:44:59,072 was the natural response of encountering the presence and the power of Jesus. 554 00:44:59,072 --> 00:45:03,363 And you're like, I didn't have to think it all through. He didn't have to go 555 00:45:03,363 --> 00:45:07,654 away and lay a fleece. He, you know, we don't know exactly what the time frame, 556 00:45:07,654 --> 00:45:11,945 but It's not long, he's in a tree, he's out of a tree, he's walking to his 557 00:45:11,945 --> 00:45:16,236 house, he's having dinner with Jesus. Yeah. You know, and I bet you those people 558 00:45:16,236 --> 00:45:20,527 like were, you know, who were outside, people being people, I wonder what's 559 00:45:20,527 --> 00:45:24,818 going on in there, you know. And they were waiting, you know, maybe, maybe 560 00:45:24,818 --> 00:45:29,109 waiting for the pound of flesh or for Jesus to come out and say, I've sorted 561 00:45:29,109 --> 00:45:33,400 them out. But it's what Zahia says that is so impacting. Um, which is amazing. 562 00:45:34,139 --> 00:45:38,289 Yeah, definitely, definitely. Yeah. Any more thoughts from you, Aidan? 563 00:45:40,389 --> 00:45:44,360 Yeah, I think a key thing to pick up on here is it doesn't matter who you are. 564 00:45:44,590 --> 00:45:44,760 Yes. 565 00:45:44,820 --> 00:45:49,613 What you've done, what you think you've done. Zacchaeus, as I mentioned, he was, 566 00:45:49,613 --> 00:45:54,407 you know, he was the lowest of the low in one sense culturally. So if you look 567 00:45:54,407 --> 00:45:59,200 in the New Testament, there are numerous lists of sinners and tax collectors, 568 00:45:59,200 --> 00:46:03,994 tax collectors and prostitutes. They're down there with you know, the lowest 569 00:46:03,994 --> 00:46:08,788 dregs of society at that time. That's how low they think of them. And then, and 570 00:46:08,788 --> 00:46:13,581 so this lowly, lowly guy then decided to go and climb the sin-spreading tree 571 00:46:13,581 --> 00:46:18,375 where some of that probably rubbed off on him on the way up. And, you know, the 572 00:46:18,375 --> 00:46:23,169 revolutionary thing happening here is he is the last person that Jesus should 573 00:46:23,169 --> 00:46:27,962 have picked out. It should have been someone else, maybe a Pharisee or religious 574 00:46:27,962 --> 00:46:32,756 leader or a really nice guy. Didn't. Took someone that society hated, and he 575 00:46:32,756 --> 00:46:37,550 was, he was on the manky sin tree. 576 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:38,360 That's right. 577 00:46:38,800 --> 00:46:43,300 That's the one. He said, I'm coming home with you. That's great. 578 00:46:43,550 --> 00:46:48,675 And that is so challenging, isn't it? Like, because we, we so often want to, I 579 00:46:48,675 --> 00:46:53,800 don't know, discard people, or we assume people are, or they're beyond saving, 580 00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:58,925 or they're, you know, they don't deserve it. And our judgment is so often not 581 00:46:58,925 --> 00:47:04,050 God's judgment, you know, like, yeah, sorry, Ade, go and carry on. 582 00:47:05,389 --> 00:47:09,519 I say it's a bit like in your typical Hollywood film where a good guy goes to 583 00:47:09,519 --> 00:47:13,648 prison, everyone hates him, he walks up to the biggest, baddest dude in the 584 00:47:13,648 --> 00:47:17,777 whole place and picks a fight to change the entire atmosphere to suit him. 585 00:47:17,777 --> 00:47:21,906 You've got to wonder, having people that— the crowd, they were watching, they 586 00:47:21,906 --> 00:47:26,036 were seeing this, they see the lowest of the low on the monkey tree going for 587 00:47:26,036 --> 00:47:30,165 Jesus, and then 'Cause, you know, 'cause word of mouth spreads, they're gonna 588 00:47:30,165 --> 00:47:34,294 hear he's given stuff away. Some of them will have seen it. And, you know, what 589 00:47:34,294 --> 00:47:38,423 we don't see here is the actual impact that must have had in Jericho. That would 590 00:47:38,423 --> 00:47:42,553 have been, that would have been right around the city. This is unheard of. I 591 00:47:42,553 --> 00:47:46,682 mean, anyone who worked for him must have been quaking in their boots thinking, 592 00:47:46,682 --> 00:47:50,811 right, we're gonna have to skim less off the top from now on. But it's, yeah, 593 00:47:50,811 --> 00:47:54,940 you know, this is massive. It's unfortunate that, you know, we just don't see 594 00:47:54,940 --> 00:47:59,070 beyond that in this text. 595 00:47:59,670 --> 00:48:04,113 Yeah. A few final comments coming through on the feed that I'll just read out 596 00:48:04,113 --> 00:48:08,556 because there's some good stuff here. So Sharon said, someone once told me that 597 00:48:08,556 --> 00:48:12,999 desire can follow attention. I found that really helpful. I can choose what I 598 00:48:12,999 --> 00:48:17,442 give my attention to, even if I don't feel like it, just as Aidan said in his 599 00:48:17,442 --> 00:48:21,885 example. Alicia said perspective is so critical because just as we could assume 600 00:48:21,885 --> 00:48:26,327 that our giving will be abused, we can also choose to assume that it's going to 601 00:48:26,327 --> 00:48:30,771 be used for good. And I believe our efforts count to God. Um, Sharon also said, 602 00:48:30,771 --> 00:48:35,213 I think it can be a fun activity partnering with God to be generous. I think 603 00:48:35,213 --> 00:48:39,657 that's a really, really good point, actually. Um, yeah, you can have some real 604 00:48:39,657 --> 00:48:44,100 adventures with giving, can't you? Probably not got enough time to unpick them 605 00:48:44,100 --> 00:48:48,543 all, but Sure, we've got some— all got some examples of that. Um, Ellis says, I 606 00:48:48,543 --> 00:48:52,986 really relate to Aid there. I make sure to read the Bible every day even though 607 00:48:52,986 --> 00:48:57,429 sometimes I don't feel like it. However, other days I feel really motivated and 608 00:48:57,429 --> 00:49:01,872 enjoy doing it. Both are edifying. That's a really good point. Um, I'm aware 609 00:49:01,872 --> 00:49:06,315 that time is ticking along, so, um, any final thought from either of you guys 610 00:49:06,315 --> 00:49:10,758 just in sort of rounding up? We'll, um obviously go across to the live lounge in 611 00:49:10,758 --> 00:49:15,201 a minute, and the link for that will be coming up shortly on your screen or in 612 00:49:15,201 --> 00:49:19,644 the comments box. Oh, it's already in there, I'm told. Yeah, I'm a step behind. 613 00:49:19,644 --> 00:49:24,086 I know, it's almost like we've got tech guys behind us, you know what they're 614 00:49:24,086 --> 00:49:28,530 doing. 615 00:49:29,300 --> 00:49:30,119 Yeah, yeah. 616 00:49:30,420 --> 00:49:35,725 Um, but yeah, so there we are. Just, just to shame me as I'm speaking. Um, so 617 00:49:35,725 --> 00:49:41,030 yeah, our sound wasn't great tonight, but they're on top of everything else. 618 00:49:41,110 --> 00:49:44,579 They can't hear you, Matt. 619 00:49:45,199 --> 00:49:48,650 You're not on mic for once. Matt's just shouting from the— for anyone who's 620 00:49:48,650 --> 00:49:52,099 listening, Matt's just shouting from the back of studio. No one can hear you. No 621 00:49:52,099 --> 00:49:55,550 one cares. 622 00:49:55,780 --> 00:49:56,789 No, exactly. 623 00:49:57,599 --> 00:50:00,305 Um, anyway, before this descends into total chaos, um, any final thoughts from 624 00:50:00,305 --> 00:50:03,010 you, Dave? 625 00:50:03,050 --> 00:50:09,470 I just say that, you know, encountering Jesus loosened Zacchaeus's grip on money 626 00:50:09,470 --> 00:50:15,889 and the selfishness that more often than not accompanies it. 627 00:50:17,110 --> 00:50:19,945 Amazing. Yep. And how about you, Aidan? Have you any final thoughts to leave us 628 00:50:19,945 --> 00:50:22,780 with? 629 00:50:24,449 --> 00:50:28,630 Yeah, so Zacchaeus had it all. He had all the kind of wealth he wanted. He did 630 00:50:28,630 --> 00:50:32,809 not have community, and community really cannot be underestimated. And if you're 631 00:50:32,809 --> 00:50:36,989 watching this and you don't have community, please reach out to us. Heck, even 632 00:50:36,989 --> 00:50:41,170 come along to the live lounge after this. We are an online community of 633 00:50:41,170 --> 00:50:45,350 believers. Doesn't matter where you are, it doesn't matter if you haven't got a 634 00:50:45,350 --> 00:50:49,530 local church. We can be your local church, literally on your screen. 635 00:50:50,050 --> 00:50:51,650 Yeah, amen to that. 636 00:50:51,730 --> 00:50:51,940 Amen. 637 00:50:52,150 --> 00:50:57,000 It's very true. Um, just to let you guys know, next week we're back, same time 638 00:50:57,000 --> 00:51:01,849 at 7 PM on proud. And, um, next week we've got Mike Harris talking, so he's 639 00:51:01,849 --> 00:51:06,700 going to be here talking about when positivity doesn't help. And it's just a 640 00:51:06,700 --> 00:51:11,550 continuation of this, uh, series that we're doing on Jesus the Revolutionary. So 641 00:51:11,550 --> 00:51:16,400 Dave's laughing because he can't say the word revolutionary. I think it's— 642 00:51:16,400 --> 00:51:17,940 I've said it once. I think it's a— 643 00:51:17,940 --> 00:51:21,159 Go on, Dave, before we sign off, just try it. 644 00:51:21,309 --> 00:51:22,250 Jesus. Jesus. 645 00:51:22,409 --> 00:51:22,760 Jesus. 646 00:51:22,809 --> 00:51:23,710 Revolutionary. 647 00:51:23,849 --> 00:51:24,179 Nearly. 648 00:51:24,800 --> 00:51:29,630 He's been practicing, everyone. He's been practicing. Jesus the revolutionary. I 649 00:51:29,630 --> 00:51:34,460 don't think it's that hard. Anyway, never mind. Tell us in the chat bar if you 650 00:51:34,460 --> 00:51:39,289 think revolutionary is hard to say. Um, but yeah, on that, on that, exactly, 651 00:51:39,289 --> 00:51:44,120 join the revolution. So on that, um, note, we probably— it's time to wrap up. 652 00:51:44,120 --> 00:51:48,950 But, um, yeah, hopefully join us in the live lounge if you want to continue this 653 00:51:48,950 --> 00:51:53,780 chat. We'd love to see you. And if not, we'll see you next week. Take care. 654 00:51:54,099 --> 00:51:54,320 Bye.