1 00:00:00,049 --> 00:00:06,184 What would you do if you knew that you would leave this world in about 40 days 2 00:00:06,244 --> 00:00:10,444 from now, how would that change your life? 3 00:00:11,254 --> 00:00:14,134 Assuming that it would, it's not something we like to think about. 4 00:00:14,139 --> 00:00:18,634 Is it because as humans, uh, in our current culture and society, we kind of 5 00:00:18,634 --> 00:00:21,934 do everything that we can to put that day. 6 00:00:22,354 --> 00:00:23,794 Back, right? 7 00:00:23,794 --> 00:00:25,114 We take medicines. 8 00:00:25,119 --> 00:00:28,154 We apparently eat healthier. 9 00:00:28,414 --> 00:00:31,474 Uh, we take vitamin supplements, medicines, all the stuff that we 10 00:00:31,474 --> 00:00:35,314 can to put back that inevitable day. 11 00:00:35,764 --> 00:00:36,874 We don't like to think about it. 12 00:00:36,874 --> 00:00:37,954 But what if you knew? 13 00:00:38,044 --> 00:00:42,094 What if you knew that 40 days from now you would leave this world, 14 00:00:42,304 --> 00:00:43,894 what would that change for you? 15 00:00:45,214 --> 00:00:49,279 There's a beautiful lady called Anne who has a husband and two kids. 16 00:00:50,239 --> 00:00:54,619 When she was in her mid thirties, she was told that she had cancer 17 00:00:54,649 --> 00:00:58,999 and that it was so aggressive that she only had a few weeks to live. 18 00:00:59,569 --> 00:01:01,249 And it's a horrible thing to be told. 19 00:01:01,249 --> 00:01:02,329 It is a horrible thing to be. 20 00:01:02,419 --> 00:01:06,289 It's heartbreaking when you know the story, and there's lots of 21 00:01:06,289 --> 00:01:09,379 questions that we could ask around this, but there's one thing that 22 00:01:09,379 --> 00:01:11,239 I want to focus on in this story. 23 00:01:11,479 --> 00:01:18,139 Before Anne passed away, what did she do with her remaining time on Earth? 24 00:01:19,399 --> 00:01:23,959 Now Anne did what you would expect her to do, but she also got two 25 00:01:24,019 --> 00:01:28,339 large wooden boxes, uh, boxes that would last one for each of her kids. 26 00:01:28,369 --> 00:01:31,069 And in those boxes, she would write letters and put the 27 00:01:31,069 --> 00:01:32,569 letters for each of her kids. 28 00:01:32,659 --> 00:01:36,229 And she had a device where she would record videos and put those in there 29 00:01:36,229 --> 00:01:40,549 as well for each of her kids when she sort of felt well enough to to record 30 00:01:40,549 --> 00:01:44,989 the videos and she sort of told stories. 31 00:01:45,724 --> 00:01:48,994 That only a mum could tell their kids. 32 00:01:49,504 --> 00:01:52,054 You see, for Anne, her final words were important. 33 00:01:52,294 --> 00:01:55,024 What she said to those she lived in those last few weeks 34 00:01:55,024 --> 00:01:56,614 would be remembered by them. 35 00:01:56,764 --> 00:01:59,344 And so they had to count. 36 00:01:59,674 --> 00:02:03,724 And if I think about it, if I knew that in 40 days I would depart this earth, 37 00:02:04,294 --> 00:02:05,944 I think I would also do what Anne did. 38 00:02:05,944 --> 00:02:07,954 I would write letters and record videos. 39 00:02:07,954 --> 00:02:12,394 I would say the things that I would want people to remember, I would let 40 00:02:12,394 --> 00:02:15,544 those around me know that I'm on their side, that I love them, that I care 41 00:02:15,544 --> 00:02:20,014 for them, that I'm for them, that I'm proud of them, but that's me. 42 00:02:21,484 --> 00:02:23,014 What about Jesus? 43 00:02:23,014 --> 00:02:24,874 What did Jesus do? 44 00:02:25,864 --> 00:02:29,854 What did he do before he left this earth? 45 00:02:29,854 --> 00:02:33,274 You see, he had risen from the dead, but he knew that he was gonna 46 00:02:33,274 --> 00:02:35,644 go soon and he had about 40 days. 47 00:02:35,914 --> 00:02:38,824 So during that time, what did he say to those around him? 48 00:02:39,184 --> 00:02:40,419 What did he do with them? 49 00:02:41,629 --> 00:02:44,479 Did Jesus let them know that he was on their side? 50 00:02:44,479 --> 00:02:46,459 Did he let them know he was for them? 51 00:02:47,389 --> 00:02:49,269 Well, that's what we're gonna find out. 52 00:02:49,719 --> 00:02:54,334 Now we're right here at the beginning uh, at the Book of Acts. 53 00:02:54,334 --> 00:02:58,804 Last week, John Harding gave us a great overview of the book and how it bridges 54 00:02:58,804 --> 00:03:03,454 the life of Jesus on earth to the work of the Holy Spirit in the early church. 55 00:03:03,454 --> 00:03:08,344 So this week, as we start our deep dive into the Book of Acts, uh, 56 00:03:08,344 --> 00:03:12,424 in much more detail, we're gonna begin with the first three verses. 57 00:03:12,424 --> 00:03:15,234 So Acts chapter one, verses one to three. 58 00:03:15,589 --> 00:03:21,979 and it reads in the first book, Theopolis, I have dealt with all that Jesus began 59 00:03:21,979 --> 00:03:28,039 to do and teach until the day when he was taken up after he had given commands 60 00:03:28,039 --> 00:03:33,529 through the Holy Spirit, the, the apostles whom he had chosen, he presented himself 61 00:03:33,529 --> 00:03:40,129 alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during 40 days 62 00:03:40,129 --> 00:03:43,039 and speaking about the kingdom of God. 63 00:03:44,599 --> 00:03:48,124 Wow, there's a lot in these verses. 64 00:03:48,214 --> 00:03:51,964 And like I say, John last week gave us an own overview and in there he talked about 65 00:03:51,969 --> 00:03:56,764 Theopolis, he explained who he was and why Luke was actually writing this letter. 66 00:03:57,424 --> 00:03:59,494 Uh, and if you've not heard it, definitely check it out. 67 00:03:59,494 --> 00:04:03,964 And before we start looking next week, uh, with Sharon at the coming of the holy 68 00:04:04,249 --> 00:04:09,349 spirit, this week, I want to look at those 40 days that 69 00:04:09,349 --> 00:04:11,059 Luke kind of introduces us to. 70 00:04:11,059 --> 00:04:15,409 The gap between the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and then 71 00:04:15,409 --> 00:04:18,409 when Jesus, uh, departs this earth. 72 00:04:19,684 --> 00:04:22,204 It's those 40 days that I'm interested in. 73 00:04:22,204 --> 00:04:26,824 I really wanna know, what happened, what did Jesus do? 74 00:04:26,824 --> 00:04:30,124 How did he make the most of that time? 75 00:04:30,124 --> 00:04:33,904 Because after all, this is the risen, glorified Christ. 76 00:04:33,904 --> 00:04:36,614 He knew that he would soon depart. 77 00:04:37,054 --> 00:04:40,234 So what did he say and what did he do? 78 00:04:41,314 --> 00:04:45,904 Well, Luke gives a summary of what Jesus did by saying that he presented 79 00:04:45,904 --> 00:04:49,264 himself alive by many proofs. 80 00:04:49,504 --> 00:04:54,814 And Luke also, uh, lets us know what Jesus said by giving us a 81 00:04:54,814 --> 00:04:58,924 summary of what he talked about, which was the Kingdom of God. 82 00:04:59,599 --> 00:05:02,569 So let's look at these two things. 83 00:05:02,749 --> 00:05:09,169 Firstly, Jesus presented himself alive by many proofs. 84 00:05:09,559 --> 00:05:15,169 This is really, really important if the Christian faith is gonna succeed, right? 85 00:05:15,349 --> 00:05:21,469 As the Christian faith centers around this idea of the resurrection. 86 00:05:22,054 --> 00:05:26,104 If there is no resurrection, there is no Christianity. 87 00:05:26,344 --> 00:05:26,644 Right? 88 00:05:26,824 --> 00:05:30,154 Even the Apostle Paul a few years ago, a few years ago, it was definitely 89 00:05:30,154 --> 00:05:33,364 a few years ago, but a few years after Jesus ascended, he wrote 90 00:05:33,364 --> 00:05:36,454 about this to the Corinthians Church in one Corinthians 15, verse 17. 91 00:05:36,454 --> 00:05:41,224 He said this, if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile 92 00:05:41,224 --> 00:05:42,574 and you are still in your sins. 93 00:05:42,574 --> 00:05:47,629 In other words, the resurrection is the critical part of all of this. 94 00:05:47,899 --> 00:05:54,289 So Jesus presents himself and proves who he is to many, many people. 95 00:05:54,289 --> 00:05:59,509 And it's critical for this movement, for this Christianity, this, uh, early church 96 00:05:59,509 --> 00:06:01,759 if it's gonna get any kind of traction. 97 00:06:02,664 --> 00:06:06,354 For this to happen, especially as we're gonna see that the early church 98 00:06:06,354 --> 00:06:08,484 has to deal with a lot of persecution. 99 00:06:08,664 --> 00:06:12,624 And let me tell you, you don't endure that kind of persecution if 100 00:06:12,624 --> 00:06:14,814 there's no reason not to endure it. 101 00:06:15,084 --> 00:06:19,194 No reason that is bigger than the persecution that you are facing. 102 00:06:20,390 --> 00:06:24,559 So at the time of Christ, there were all kinds of weird and wonderful theories and 103 00:06:24,559 --> 00:06:29,179 examples about gods and deities and ghosts and goblins and all that sort of stuff. 104 00:06:29,390 --> 00:06:33,500 And there were all kinds of stories about epiphanies, um, that people would 105 00:06:33,500 --> 00:06:35,359 have, you know, for divine guidance. 106 00:06:35,479 --> 00:06:39,829 And a second century Greek philosopher called Celsus, who was an opponent of 107 00:06:39,829 --> 00:06:44,844 Christianity compared the resurrection appearances of Jesus to the Hellenistic 108 00:06:44,844 --> 00:06:49,464 epiphanies at the time in seeking to undermine Christian claims. 109 00:06:49,824 --> 00:06:54,114 In other words, Jesus didn't appear in physical form. 110 00:06:54,114 --> 00:06:55,224 These were just epiphanies. 111 00:06:55,229 --> 00:06:56,184 These were dreams. 112 00:06:56,189 --> 00:06:58,794 These were ghost like things appearing. 113 00:06:58,794 --> 00:07:00,594 And that's how, how he talked about it. 114 00:07:01,014 --> 00:07:06,384 But whilst epiphanies were commonly, commonly, that's not an easy word, , uh, 115 00:07:06,384 --> 00:07:08,794 were commonly reported in ancient times. 116 00:07:09,704 --> 00:07:11,645 Well, these aren't resurrection appearances are they. 117 00:07:12,064 --> 00:07:16,234 See, Jesus physically appears to, to, uh, to people to prove who he is. 118 00:07:16,264 --> 00:07:17,525 He talks to people. 119 00:07:17,525 --> 00:07:19,354 He eats with people. 120 00:07:19,354 --> 00:07:20,374 This is not a ghost. 121 00:07:20,374 --> 00:07:22,324 This is not a dream-like appearance. 122 00:07:22,804 --> 00:07:25,684 Uh, as, as the Greek philosopher reported it was. 123 00:07:25,684 --> 00:07:26,884 No, this was genuine. 124 00:07:26,884 --> 00:07:27,944 People had to believe. 125 00:07:28,224 --> 00:07:30,054 Jesus had to prove who he was. 126 00:07:30,604 --> 00:07:34,054 And if we back up a few verses in the Corinthian letter that Paul 127 00:07:34,054 --> 00:07:38,044 wrote about Christ, he said this in one Corinthians 15, verse four. 128 00:07:38,044 --> 00:07:40,444 He said, uh, he Jesus was buried. 129 00:07:40,444 --> 00:07:43,684 He was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures and 130 00:07:43,689 --> 00:07:48,784 that he appeared to Cephas, then to the 12, then he appeared to more 131 00:07:48,784 --> 00:07:54,699 than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, 132 00:07:54,939 --> 00:07:56,799 though some have fallen asleep. 133 00:07:57,309 --> 00:08:00,339 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 134 00:08:00,549 --> 00:08:04,780 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 135 00:08:06,109 --> 00:08:07,549 That doesn't sound like a ghost, is it? 136 00:08:07,549 --> 00:08:10,909 This is not a personal dream when he appears to 500 people at once. 137 00:08:11,389 --> 00:08:11,539 Yeah. 138 00:08:11,539 --> 00:08:15,140 You, that's not a straightforward trick to pull off, uh, even 139 00:08:15,144 --> 00:08:16,459 in modern day standards. 140 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:22,159 So Jesus appears to hundreds and hundreds of people during these 40 days. 141 00:08:22,279 --> 00:08:22,610 Right. 142 00:08:22,759 --> 00:08:27,620 And there's one story in the midst of all of this that really, really intrigues me. 143 00:08:27,620 --> 00:08:33,289 And it's, it's where the disciples are hanging out with Jesus, but they 144 00:08:33,289 --> 00:08:36,830 don't, they don't, they don't kind of realize that it's the risen Jesus. 145 00:08:37,130 --> 00:08:38,390 It's really, really intriguing. 146 00:08:38,390 --> 00:08:42,259 In Luke chapter 24, it says this, when he, Jesus was at the table with them, 147 00:08:42,259 --> 00:08:46,459 his disciples, he took the bread and blessed it, and broke it and gave it to 148 00:08:46,459 --> 00:08:52,279 them, and it was at this point, their eyes were opened and they recognized him. 149 00:08:54,259 --> 00:08:54,799 Wow. 150 00:08:54,890 --> 00:08:56,539 I mean, they sit down with Jesus. 151 00:08:56,539 --> 00:09:01,610 They ate with Jesus, but they still didn't realize who he was. 152 00:09:03,049 --> 00:09:04,099 That's insane, isn't it? 153 00:09:04,279 --> 00:09:06,289 And I say I see this today. 154 00:09:06,769 --> 00:09:10,729 Um, uh, for many of us, uh, you know, there are many proofs out 155 00:09:10,729 --> 00:09:13,609 there, I think to the Christian faith, to the resurrected Christ. 156 00:09:13,614 --> 00:09:14,449 But we might not see it. 157 00:09:14,454 --> 00:09:15,829 We might be like these disciples. 158 00:09:16,099 --> 00:09:21,019 And I know for me, I didn't necessarily see it at first, but it's as I hang out 159 00:09:21,319 --> 00:09:27,529 with Jesus, as I started to eat with him, as I started to experience, um, him in my 160 00:09:28,189 --> 00:09:33,124 everyday, it's then I start to understand the many proofs and I experience 161 00:09:33,275 --> 00:09:36,994 the many proofs that he is alive, that he is in fact the risen Christ. 162 00:09:37,834 --> 00:09:43,864 It's only when we spend time with him that we start to see him for who he really is. 163 00:09:44,464 --> 00:09:51,439 And it was important for Luke and actually for Paul to highlight that Jesus was no 164 00:09:51,650 --> 00:09:55,910 mere ghost, that he was more than this epiphany that he was more than a ghost. 165 00:09:56,090 --> 00:09:59,850 And it was also important for Luke to make clear that Jesus was actually 166 00:09:59,854 --> 00:10:01,370 dead so that he wasn't a phantom. 167 00:10:01,370 --> 00:10:05,689 This is all part of the reason for writing the stuff that he wrote. 168 00:10:05,900 --> 00:10:07,130 Jesus really died. 169 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:08,729 Jesus really rose from the dead. 170 00:10:10,564 --> 00:10:12,604 And it talks about the, uh, disciples. 171 00:10:12,604 --> 00:10:15,844 So you've got this, uh, this sort of, they're eaten around the table. 172 00:10:15,844 --> 00:10:20,134 They have this revelation of who Jesus, they recognized him. 173 00:10:20,134 --> 00:10:24,184 And a few verses later it says, but they were startled and frightened and 174 00:10:24,189 --> 00:10:26,674 thought they saw a spirit, a ghost. 175 00:10:26,735 --> 00:10:30,005 And he said to them, why are you troubled? 176 00:10:30,035 --> 00:10:32,644 And why do doubts are rising your hearts? 177 00:10:33,094 --> 00:10:36,235 See my hands and my feet that it is. 178 00:10:36,235 --> 00:10:37,755 I myself. 179 00:10:38,265 --> 00:10:42,649 Touch me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and 180 00:10:42,649 --> 00:10:45,469 bones as you see that I have. 181 00:10:46,129 --> 00:10:49,549 And when he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 182 00:10:50,285 --> 00:10:57,184 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling and he said to 183 00:10:57,184 --> 00:10:59,824 them, have you anything here to eat 184 00:11:01,864 --> 00:11:04,535 They gave him a piece of broiled fish and he took it and ate before them. 185 00:11:04,775 --> 00:11:07,055 I mean, the reason I laugh right? 186 00:11:07,059 --> 00:11:08,404 Imagine, right. 187 00:11:08,434 --> 00:11:09,184 You are there. 188 00:11:09,424 --> 00:11:12,574 You are eating fish with the risen Christ and you start to realize who 189 00:11:12,574 --> 00:11:17,255 he is and you are scared because of the implications of this, and you 190 00:11:17,255 --> 00:11:18,524 think, well, this must be a ghost. 191 00:11:18,524 --> 00:11:19,654 And he's like, no, I'm not a ghost. 192 00:11:19,654 --> 00:11:20,104 Touch me. 193 00:11:20,285 --> 00:11:22,894 But they're all having this sort of same vision at the same time, 194 00:11:22,900 --> 00:11:24,154 which no one ever has, right? 195 00:11:24,154 --> 00:11:27,305 Like I say, it would be the ultimate trick, even in modern day standards. 196 00:11:27,844 --> 00:11:30,064 And in the midst of all of this, Jesus' like, no, touch me. 197 00:11:30,064 --> 00:11:30,574 Feel me. 198 00:11:30,694 --> 00:11:32,465 Oh, by the way, guys, have you got anything to eat? 199 00:11:35,904 --> 00:11:36,814 It just tickles me. 200 00:11:36,904 --> 00:11:38,015 It just tickles me. 201 00:11:38,824 --> 00:11:45,545 You see, it's only when we start to live our everyday life engaging with Jesus 202 00:11:45,545 --> 00:11:48,814 that we start to see who he really is. 203 00:11:49,354 --> 00:11:56,684 We see that the king is on our side, so we have to ask ourselves, am I on his? 204 00:11:58,465 --> 00:12:03,469 So what did Jesus talk about around the many dinner tables he seems 205 00:12:03,469 --> 00:12:05,569 to share with people eating fish? 206 00:12:05,809 --> 00:12:09,259 I mean, Luke told us that he talked about the kingdom of God, right? 207 00:12:09,259 --> 00:12:10,899 In the first three chapters of Acts. 208 00:12:11,119 --> 00:12:12,349 That's how he summarized it. 209 00:12:12,349 --> 00:12:14,449 It was that Jesus talked about the kingdom of God. 210 00:12:15,139 --> 00:12:16,849 So what is the kingdom of God? 211 00:12:17,389 --> 00:12:18,529 Why would you talk about that? 212 00:12:18,529 --> 00:12:21,319 I mean, imagine your final words, the 40 days. 213 00:12:21,319 --> 00:12:22,129 They've gotta count. 214 00:12:22,579 --> 00:12:25,099 Jesus chose to talk about the kingdom of God. 215 00:12:26,314 --> 00:12:29,614 And it's important to understand this because the Kingdom of God frames the 216 00:12:29,614 --> 00:12:34,205 Book of Acts, and it's a topic that we are gonna see come up time and time again. 217 00:12:34,505 --> 00:12:38,015 We will see all through acts that not only did Jesus talk about it, 218 00:12:38,015 --> 00:12:42,574 but that his disciples, his followers also talk about the Kingdom of God. 219 00:12:42,785 --> 00:12:46,295 There's an example, uh, just a few chapters along that no doubt we 220 00:12:46,295 --> 00:12:50,965 will cover again in a few weeks, but there's a guy called Philip preaching. 221 00:12:50,965 --> 00:12:51,235 Right. 222 00:12:51,235 --> 00:12:55,164 And it says that they believe the crowds believed, uh, as Philip 223 00:12:55,164 --> 00:13:01,104 preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus. 224 00:13:01,374 --> 00:13:04,495 They were baptized, both men and women. 225 00:13:06,295 --> 00:13:07,344 It's pretty impressive, right? 226 00:13:07,344 --> 00:13:09,805 See, Philip was talking about the kingdom of God. 227 00:13:10,344 --> 00:13:14,334 He was talking about this king Jesus, a different kingdom 228 00:13:14,334 --> 00:13:15,545 in which they were living. 229 00:13:17,719 --> 00:13:25,820 and so he told them that the king is on their side and they, it seems decide 230 00:13:25,820 --> 00:13:27,380 to be on his, they follow Christ. 231 00:13:27,380 --> 00:13:30,620 They choose to live in a new kingdom. 232 00:13:31,820 --> 00:13:39,574 The kingdom of God is a huge topic and that is a massive understatement. 233 00:13:39,994 --> 00:13:41,944 Uh, Jesus talks about it a lot, right? 234 00:13:41,944 --> 00:13:45,814 Basically filling all of the gospels with the principles of the kingdom 235 00:13:45,814 --> 00:13:50,854 of God, like promising it to the poor and to children, and to the radically 236 00:13:50,914 --> 00:13:55,684 obedient, which is in direct contrast to what people thought at the time. 237 00:13:56,204 --> 00:14:00,524 See, Jesus talked about how it would be difficult for the rich 238 00:14:00,524 --> 00:14:02,774 man to enter the kingdom of God. 239 00:14:02,984 --> 00:14:06,554 You may have heard there, it's easier to get a camel through the 240 00:14:06,554 --> 00:14:10,364 either needle story, for example, and this is not because of the money or 241 00:14:10,369 --> 00:14:14,044 because of the riches, but because they would learn to trust in that. 242 00:14:15,079 --> 00:14:17,569 Much more than they could trust in Jesus. 243 00:14:17,989 --> 00:14:22,669 You see, to be in God's kingdom means accepting that he is in fact your king. 244 00:14:23,329 --> 00:14:26,209 You see, I live in the uk, the United Kingdom. 245 00:14:26,389 --> 00:14:29,119 We now have a new king, king Charles. 246 00:14:30,019 --> 00:14:30,949 He is my king. 247 00:14:30,979 --> 00:14:33,379 I cannot accept, uh, accept. 248 00:14:33,649 --> 00:14:38,239 I cannot escape that fact, and I live under the rule of the United Kingdom. 249 00:14:38,989 --> 00:14:40,519 But to be in God's kingdom. 250 00:14:41,344 --> 00:14:45,245 Well, I now have a different king, and that means accepting his rule 251 00:14:45,665 --> 00:14:50,225 and understanding that the king is on my side and asking am I on his? 252 00:14:50,225 --> 00:14:55,055 I mean, and this is really, really, really hard to do in a culture that 253 00:14:55,055 --> 00:14:59,505 loves to affirm its own truth and its own rules, truth and rules. 254 00:15:00,614 --> 00:15:03,995 They're whatever I feel like, not what somebody tells me. 255 00:15:04,324 --> 00:15:06,995 You cannot tell me how to live, how to be and how to act. 256 00:15:07,055 --> 00:15:08,194 I don't want that. 257 00:15:08,434 --> 00:15:10,985 So how can we accept the Lordship of Christ? 258 00:15:11,194 --> 00:15:16,985 Because let me tell you one thing is for sure you will not always like his rule. 259 00:15:18,215 --> 00:15:21,604 It's why a lot of people deconstruct their faith. 260 00:15:21,664 --> 00:15:25,834 It's because they don't like what they think Jesus is telling them to do. 261 00:15:26,045 --> 00:15:31,805 And it's the hardest thing I have to do to decide daily that Jesus is my 262 00:15:31,810 --> 00:15:34,745 king and that I am subject to his rule. 263 00:15:35,945 --> 00:15:39,515 The king is on my side, but am I on his? 264 00:15:39,904 --> 00:15:43,945 You see, subjecting myself to the rule of Christ might seem countercultural, 265 00:15:44,479 --> 00:15:50,959 but let me tell you, it becomes an awful lot easier to do when we realize 266 00:15:50,959 --> 00:15:55,309 this simple fact Jesus is for us. 267 00:15:55,670 --> 00:15:58,370 Paul talked about this in a letter to the church in Roman. 268 00:15:58,374 --> 00:16:00,949 He said, what shall we say then to these things? 269 00:16:00,949 --> 00:16:03,920 If God is for us, who can be against us? 270 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:08,870 He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also 271 00:16:08,870 --> 00:16:11,930 with him graciously give us all things? 272 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:16,309 , the king is on my side. 273 00:16:17,150 --> 00:16:18,779 That's what makes all of this possible. 274 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:24,020 That's what makes it so much easier in a lot of ways when we understand that he is 275 00:16:24,020 --> 00:16:29,749 for us, that he is not against us, that he loves us, and dare I say it, likes 276 00:16:29,749 --> 00:16:34,459 us, that Jesus is not a dictator king and that he is our friend and our brother, 277 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:36,469 and that we are part of this family. 278 00:16:36,469 --> 00:16:40,960 That he is therefore good and he is worthy of our worship, 279 00:16:41,084 --> 00:16:45,944 and it's easier to listen to Jesus, to accept his rule, to accept his 280 00:16:45,944 --> 00:16:51,494 kingship when you know that he is for you and that whatever he says, 281 00:16:51,904 --> 00:16:57,194 whatever he commands, whatever the truth is, is ultimately for your good. 282 00:16:57,524 --> 00:17:00,614 The king is on my side. 283 00:17:01,424 --> 00:17:02,534 Am I on his? 284 00:17:03,904 --> 00:17:08,105 The Kingdom of God is open for anyone that wants to be a part of it. 285 00:17:08,224 --> 00:17:14,014 And the Bible tells us that it is radically inclusive even to those, uh, in 286 00:17:14,014 --> 00:17:17,194 society that may be deemed as outcasts. 287 00:17:17,375 --> 00:17:21,364 Like for example, the poor and the children as they 288 00:17:21,364 --> 00:17:22,625 were at the time of Christ. 289 00:17:23,719 --> 00:17:26,599 One of the heroes, uh, of the people at the time of Jesus was 290 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:28,310 a chap called John the Baptist. 291 00:17:28,340 --> 00:17:32,060 And Jesus tells us, uh, that we can be part of the kingdom and 292 00:17:32,065 --> 00:17:37,159 find a role and a purpose and a meaning that is in fact greater 293 00:17:37,340 --> 00:17:40,009 than John's, their hero at the time. 294 00:17:40,279 --> 00:17:43,880 He wrote this, uh, he wrote this, uh, Luke wrote this, uh, 295 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:45,080 in chapter seven, verse 28. 296 00:17:45,080 --> 00:17:50,040 He said, I tell you, among those born of women, none is greater than John. 297 00:17:50,580 --> 00:17:54,185 Yet, the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. 298 00:17:55,234 --> 00:18:00,995 Imagine the listeners listening to Jesus as he speaks out these words, 299 00:18:00,995 --> 00:18:04,984 how radical that statement is. 300 00:18:06,875 --> 00:18:07,864 I mean, it's. 301 00:18:08,944 --> 00:18:14,044 It is pretty intense, and God's kingdom is radically inclusive, 302 00:18:14,344 --> 00:18:15,634 and I just like the word radical. 303 00:18:15,634 --> 00:18:19,504 It is radically inclusive and it has purpose, and it has meaning 304 00:18:19,504 --> 00:18:20,674 for those who are part of it. 305 00:18:21,125 --> 00:18:26,435 See, we can start to see, I think, why Jesus spent his last 40 days on 306 00:18:26,435 --> 00:18:28,625 Earth talking about the kingdom of God. 307 00:18:29,014 --> 00:18:32,194 We can see why when Philip talked about it, people believed 308 00:18:32,464 --> 00:18:34,194 and the world was changed. 309 00:18:35,344 --> 00:18:40,685 And as we spend time with Jesus, we start to see him for who he really is. 310 00:18:40,895 --> 00:18:45,154 He is the king of a kingdom, A kingdom that is radically different from 311 00:18:45,154 --> 00:18:47,284 the one in which we live right now. 312 00:18:47,824 --> 00:18:50,455 We start to live a life where we see Jesus as king. 313 00:18:50,824 --> 00:18:54,364 We live according to his rules and in accordance with 314 00:18:54,554 --> 00:18:57,424 the culture of his kingdom. 315 00:18:58,685 --> 00:19:02,614 Scripture talks about the kingdom of God in a present tense. 316 00:19:03,770 --> 00:19:07,520 We are now part of the Kingdom of God and in a future tense, and 317 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:09,350 it's a tension that we live in. 318 00:19:09,529 --> 00:19:14,060 It's both now and in the future, and it's in this future reign of 319 00:19:14,060 --> 00:19:19,909 the coming king that gives us hope, especially those who are going to be 320 00:19:19,909 --> 00:19:22,310 persecuted as the church would soon be. 321 00:19:23,330 --> 00:19:26,210 See, I've heard many people who use suffering as an 322 00:19:26,210 --> 00:19:28,009 argument that there is no God. 323 00:19:28,609 --> 00:19:31,750 Because a God of love surely would not allow suffering. 324 00:19:32,495 --> 00:19:37,234 Yet we learn about a God of love who gives us the ability to choose, the 325 00:19:37,234 --> 00:19:41,824 ability to have free will, and that despite the suffering there is in 326 00:19:41,830 --> 00:19:45,574 fact still hope that justice will win. 327 00:19:46,234 --> 00:19:50,004 It's because there is suffering and evil that God has to exist. 328 00:19:51,125 --> 00:19:54,764 If you are oppressed, you can nurture the hope that God's 329 00:19:54,770 --> 00:19:57,634 justice will ultimately triumph. 330 00:19:57,904 --> 00:20:01,205 Otherwise, it all is a bit meaningless. 331 00:20:02,149 --> 00:20:05,540 The Kingdom of God has a king, and this king is Jesus. 332 00:20:06,799 --> 00:20:12,350 This is not a king who is passive, who, uh, forces you to do things. 333 00:20:12,350 --> 00:20:17,480 Yes, his rule is strong and he is, let's be real God. 334 00:20:17,690 --> 00:20:19,580 One who is not to be trifled with. 335 00:20:20,089 --> 00:20:21,830 He is Lord. 336 00:20:22,310 --> 00:20:26,810 He does provide a law to live by, but he is for us. 337 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:32,169 This kingdom has its own distinct people, which is the church, it's 338 00:20:32,169 --> 00:20:33,875 amazing, and I'm part of that. 339 00:20:34,295 --> 00:20:36,514 So the king is on my side. 340 00:20:37,370 --> 00:20:38,480 am I on his? 341 00:20:38,629 --> 00:20:43,819 And it's this message that Jesus shared with people around the tables 342 00:20:44,239 --> 00:20:47,089 doing life together for those 40 days. 343 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:53,089 It is this message that we can live life with Christ that he proves to 344 00:20:53,089 --> 00:20:59,639 us that he is who he says he is, that he is king, and that he is Lord, and 345 00:20:59,639 --> 00:21:04,500 that anyone who chooses can be part of that kingdom to choose to live a life 346 00:21:04,529 --> 00:21:10,199 differently, to receive a mission from the risen Christ, to live a life of 347 00:21:10,199 --> 00:21:16,379 purpose and meaning, and one that gives us ultimate hope in the face of the 348 00:21:16,384 --> 00:21:18,404 worst that the world can throw at us. 349 00:21:18,904 --> 00:21:21,855 It's not easy, but it is beautiful. 350 00:21:22,094 --> 00:21:25,844 And you can see why that was the important message. 351 00:21:25,844 --> 00:21:30,314 This is the message that people took to heart and they believed 352 00:21:30,614 --> 00:21:32,694 and it transformed the world. 353 00:21:34,395 --> 00:21:36,375 And I think it can do the same again today. 354 00:21:37,634 --> 00:21:39,344 And as we go through acts. 355 00:21:39,679 --> 00:21:43,790 You see, we're gonna see what happens when ordinary people spend time with 356 00:21:43,790 --> 00:21:47,029 Jesus and live as part of his kingdom. 357 00:21:47,270 --> 00:21:51,560 How that transforms history, how the church movement is born, 358 00:21:51,710 --> 00:21:56,360 and more importantly, how those same truths apply to us today. 359 00:21:57,679 --> 00:22:00,440 To live life of purpose and meaning. 360 00:22:00,590 --> 00:22:06,139 I think then we have to take to heart these two ideas and ask ourselves, 361 00:22:06,409 --> 00:22:13,040 how can I live my every day with Jesus and what is the kingdom of 362 00:22:13,045 --> 00:22:15,409 God and what is my role in it? 363 00:22:16,594 --> 00:22:21,695 And as we grapple with these questions, just as the early church did, as we become 364 00:22:21,695 --> 00:22:27,275 willing to live according to his rule, under the knowledge that he is utterly for 365 00:22:27,275 --> 00:22:31,985 us, then the outcome becomes miraculous. 366 00:22:32,495 --> 00:22:34,175 We become kingdom builders. 367 00:22:34,534 --> 00:22:36,215 We become part of something bigger. 368 00:22:36,755 --> 00:22:43,925 We become part of a story that can last for thousands and thousands of years. 369 00:22:52,594 --> 00:22:53,134 Coming up. 370 00:22:53,134 --> 00:22:54,455 We have Conversation. 371 00:22:54,459 --> 00:22:58,504 Street, but before we get into that, here's a clip from our podcast. 372 00:22:58,504 --> 00:23:04,145 What's the story which you can subscribe to on all your favorite podcast apps? 373 00:23:07,594 --> 00:23:10,475 They had nothing, Matt, like, no things, you know, they were nothing. 374 00:23:10,475 --> 00:23:12,975 No things like literally the clothes on their backs. 375 00:23:13,245 --> 00:23:14,574 If they had clothes. 376 00:23:14,605 --> 00:23:16,674 And I'm not joking to people, we were, you know, working with 377 00:23:16,674 --> 00:23:19,975 in Sudan during the war, Sierra Leonne, during the Civil War there. 378 00:23:20,304 --> 00:23:25,284 Um, the church was beautiful and they were so full of joy, man, and they 379 00:23:25,284 --> 00:23:28,585 were like being persecuted and they were star, their babies were starving. 380 00:23:28,585 --> 00:23:31,705 No joke, I'm not, you know, and yet they were so full of joy and I, and 381 00:23:32,034 --> 00:23:35,455 as I would go there and I'd come home and I'd go there and I'd come home. 382 00:23:35,665 --> 00:23:36,375 I remember praying. 383 00:23:37,295 --> 00:23:40,310 Dear God, you know, I want to have what they have. 384 00:23:40,670 --> 00:23:43,759 I'd give anything for their joy and relationship with you. 385 00:23:56,509 --> 00:23:56,750 Cool. 386 00:23:56,750 --> 00:23:57,560 Welcome back. 387 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:01,550 Well, that was really good and also the um, podcast looks good as well. 388 00:24:02,330 --> 00:24:03,020 I need to get that. 389 00:24:05,139 --> 00:24:08,560 Subscribe to that and stream in so I could just get through. 390 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:08,960 Yeah. 391 00:24:09,049 --> 00:24:09,440 Yeah. 392 00:24:09,500 --> 00:24:13,040 There's a, there's an especially good episode, um, quite 393 00:24:13,045 --> 00:24:14,679 early on that I feature on. 394 00:24:16,299 --> 00:24:19,440 I'm joking, but like I, I, I do listen to it. 395 00:24:19,610 --> 00:24:21,350 I think it's a great podcast. 396 00:24:21,350 --> 00:24:21,860 I think, yeah. 397 00:24:22,310 --> 00:24:24,589 I, I dunno, I just love. 398 00:24:25,085 --> 00:24:26,734 Um, real people's stories. 399 00:24:26,764 --> 00:24:28,024 I like can't get enough of it. 400 00:24:28,024 --> 00:24:31,924 I could listen to podcasts all day where it's just like conversational 401 00:24:31,924 --> 00:24:35,824 and it's, yeah, people's real stories about their real lives and their real 402 00:24:35,824 --> 00:24:40,444 faith and their struggles, and that's what, that's what it's all about. 403 00:24:40,564 --> 00:24:41,764 Um, what's your story? 404 00:24:41,794 --> 00:24:45,475 Just does the title kind of suggests and I love that. 405 00:24:45,475 --> 00:24:46,024 I love that. 406 00:24:46,024 --> 00:24:49,294 That's, um, that's kind of what it does. 407 00:24:49,294 --> 00:24:54,790 And yeah, I just find it inspiring to hear ordinary people talk about their lives. 408 00:24:55,005 --> 00:24:55,495 Yeah. 409 00:24:55,864 --> 00:24:56,355 Yeah. 410 00:24:56,424 --> 00:24:57,034 I agree. 411 00:24:57,344 --> 00:24:57,955 Mm-hmm. 412 00:24:58,040 --> 00:24:59,225 and, um, segue. 413 00:24:59,230 --> 00:24:59,554 Definitely. 414 00:25:00,984 --> 00:25:01,475 Yeah. 415 00:25:01,475 --> 00:25:01,755 Yeah. 416 00:25:02,585 --> 00:25:05,824 Segueing into acts and Matt's talk. 417 00:25:07,025 --> 00:25:07,324 Yeah. 418 00:25:07,355 --> 00:25:07,984 That's what it isn't. 419 00:25:07,984 --> 00:25:08,944 It is real people. 420 00:25:08,944 --> 00:25:15,275 And it, well, it starts off with Jesus and the fact that he was a real person. 421 00:25:15,935 --> 00:25:20,024 Um, a bit of the start of the, the talk there was that. 422 00:25:22,669 --> 00:25:27,019 Well, do you wanna, do you wanna say first if there's any, any any parts that really 423 00:25:27,589 --> 00:25:30,149 you wanted to bring out and then Yeah. 424 00:25:30,149 --> 00:25:31,709 I Questions that you want? 425 00:25:32,339 --> 00:25:35,809 Yeah, I mean, there's just, there's so, so much content in that, wasn't it? 426 00:25:35,809 --> 00:25:39,139 It's such a lot of ground that Matt covered and quite a short talk. 427 00:25:39,144 --> 00:25:43,699 Um, but I mean, I, I just thought it was really inspiring right from the start. 428 00:25:43,699 --> 00:25:48,320 Like, uh, even just that first question, like it didn't pull any punches, did it? 429 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:53,449 Like if, if you knew you only had 40, 40 days left or thereabouts 430 00:25:53,449 --> 00:25:55,580 or like, what would you do? 431 00:25:55,580 --> 00:25:57,560 I mean, yeah. 432 00:25:57,620 --> 00:26:00,710 I'm just instantly challenged by that because it's, you know, 433 00:26:01,250 --> 00:26:05,179 I agree and he talked about his friend Anne and how she'd written. 434 00:26:05,750 --> 00:26:07,969 You know, and filmed stuff for her children. 435 00:26:07,969 --> 00:26:11,870 And of course you'd, you'd wanna see and spend time and invest into 436 00:26:12,500 --> 00:26:13,549 family and friends, wouldn't you? 437 00:26:13,819 --> 00:26:18,500 But I also think my natural human nature would be like, well, I just 438 00:26:18,504 --> 00:26:21,980 like spend all my money and do all the things and have some fun and 439 00:26:22,370 --> 00:26:23,870 do things I never got around to. 440 00:26:23,870 --> 00:26:27,480 And you know, just like enjoy myself and. 441 00:26:28,279 --> 00:26:30,949 You know, the first thing that doesn't come to mind if I'm totally 442 00:26:30,949 --> 00:26:35,120 honest, is well, I would, you know, it would all be about the 443 00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:36,949 Kingdom of God and serving others. 444 00:26:36,959 --> 00:26:38,149 And you know what? 445 00:26:38,154 --> 00:26:39,289 I'm investing into that. 446 00:26:39,289 --> 00:26:41,629 And you know, that's challenging, isn't it? 447 00:26:42,620 --> 00:26:45,289 But that was, Jesus was still about the kingdom of God. 448 00:26:45,294 --> 00:26:49,429 That that was his first instinct, you know, that's what he did. 449 00:26:49,669 --> 00:26:53,170 He, he invested into the Kingdom of God wholeheartedly. 450 00:26:54,429 --> 00:26:54,514 Yeah. 451 00:26:54,574 --> 00:26:57,875 It almost, it was, his challenge wasn't, it was 40 days. 452 00:26:57,875 --> 00:27:06,185 I've got for you to, to realize that yes, I've had, you know, years with 453 00:27:06,185 --> 00:27:12,875 you talking, bringing this message, but I'm passing it over to you now. 454 00:27:13,324 --> 00:27:14,284 Here's 40 days. 455 00:27:14,284 --> 00:27:22,775 Let's get, get with the program ,you know, let's really get into this kingdom 456 00:27:22,775 --> 00:27:25,235 of God, what, what your place is in it. 457 00:27:26,495 --> 00:27:28,355 Yeah, yeah, definitely. 458 00:27:28,895 --> 00:27:36,214 And I do like that he talks about eating and seeing, like Matt said, 459 00:27:36,214 --> 00:27:40,924 it's not, um, you know, there were lots of things from that time about 460 00:27:40,924 --> 00:27:44,614 epiphanies and dreams and um, visions. 461 00:27:44,645 --> 00:27:48,079 But this is, this is reality. 462 00:27:48,379 --> 00:27:49,579 This is life. 463 00:27:49,579 --> 00:27:50,599 This is eating. 464 00:27:51,439 --> 00:27:53,659 You know, I love it. 465 00:27:53,659 --> 00:27:55,639 The disciples go, ah, it's Jesus. 466 00:27:55,729 --> 00:27:57,979 He says, yeah, could I have something to eat? 467 00:27:59,599 --> 00:27:59,959 ? Yeah. 468 00:27:59,959 --> 00:28:01,939 It's so real and so human, isn't it? 469 00:28:01,939 --> 00:28:05,839 It's like it, it's like the point, that Matt made, that he's really 470 00:28:06,049 --> 00:28:09,409 intentional about showing that he's not like some ghost or some. 471 00:28:10,264 --> 00:28:13,444 Figment of their imagination or like some Greek hallucination 472 00:28:13,444 --> 00:28:16,444 or, you know, other things people suggest, but he's fully there. 473 00:28:16,774 --> 00:28:17,854 He's fully human. 474 00:28:17,854 --> 00:28:21,364 He's real, you know, he's, yeah. 475 00:28:21,454 --> 00:28:23,794 It's like you can touch and feel him and see him. 476 00:28:23,794 --> 00:28:27,964 It's like as real as, , he was before his death and, and like, 477 00:28:28,024 --> 00:28:29,224 it's interesting isn't he? 478 00:28:29,314 --> 00:28:32,704 Like he goes to real pains to show that and you know, so things like 479 00:28:32,704 --> 00:28:36,934 eating and drinking and just sitting with them around the table and stuff. 480 00:28:36,934 --> 00:28:41,674 The ordinary sort of substance of life is what he's also fixed on as, even 481 00:28:41,674 --> 00:28:46,654 as he's teaching them about kind of the kingdom of God and things are much 482 00:28:46,714 --> 00:28:50,614 bigger than that, he's like also in the, those ordinary moments as well. 483 00:28:50,644 --> 00:28:51,844 Yeah, absolutely. 484 00:28:52,264 --> 00:28:52,534 Yeah. 485 00:28:54,605 --> 00:29:01,594 . And even if, even in those ordinary moments, we can, we can see God and we 486 00:29:01,594 --> 00:29:07,895 can listen to him and we can do what he wants us to do or we can miss him. 487 00:29:09,214 --> 00:29:13,114 And I think it's, it's critical in that, that the disciples missed him. 488 00:29:13,114 --> 00:29:14,134 He was right next to them. 489 00:29:14,915 --> 00:29:15,125 Yeah. 490 00:29:15,125 --> 00:29:15,844 And they missed that. 491 00:29:15,844 --> 00:29:18,484 It was, he was there. 492 00:29:19,534 --> 00:29:21,094 You can just do life, can't you? 493 00:29:21,274 --> 00:29:25,745 I do find that, especially if, if life is busy or hectic or 494 00:29:25,745 --> 00:29:29,044 you got, um, worries or Yeah. 495 00:29:29,554 --> 00:29:35,315 Targets or events coming up, we, we can do them and get through them. 496 00:29:36,725 --> 00:29:41,884 We can miss, I think we can miss Jesus in, in our lives. 497 00:29:42,484 --> 00:29:42,815 Yeah. 498 00:29:42,815 --> 00:29:44,734 Um, perhaps we need to slow down. 499 00:29:44,734 --> 00:29:45,335 Perhaps we need. 500 00:29:48,185 --> 00:29:48,514 . Yeah. 501 00:29:48,545 --> 00:29:56,085 Just pause, listen, um, take him with us rather than compartmentalizing 502 00:29:56,085 --> 00:29:58,775 him and putting into different slots. 503 00:30:00,094 --> 00:30:03,304 Yeah, I think that's such a good point, Dan, that I was really challenged by 504 00:30:03,304 --> 00:30:08,225 that bit too, that like Jesus was right there and they missed and they almost 505 00:30:08,404 --> 00:30:10,145 didn't see him for being in front of him. 506 00:30:10,145 --> 00:30:10,235 Mm-hmm. 507 00:30:11,105 --> 00:30:12,485 , I just some, sometimes. 508 00:30:13,654 --> 00:30:15,335 When God's right in our midst. 509 00:30:15,335 --> 00:30:19,205 And yet we're so oblivious cuz as you say, we're caught up in the moment or 510 00:30:19,205 --> 00:30:22,415 in what we are doing or our own agenda. 511 00:30:22,504 --> 00:30:26,404 Like, you know, I'm very, I'm a very task focused person by nature. 512 00:30:26,464 --> 00:30:29,915 Like, if there's something to be done, I'm just gonna get on and do it, you know, and 513 00:30:30,455 --> 00:30:31,955 find the quickest route to get it done. 514 00:30:31,955 --> 00:30:33,745 And you know, I. 515 00:30:34,714 --> 00:30:39,514 I know there's times when like, I don't give my child my full attention cause I'm 516 00:30:39,514 --> 00:30:41,044 doing something like, just wait a minute. 517 00:30:41,044 --> 00:30:41,884 I'm doing something. 518 00:30:41,884 --> 00:30:45,335 I don't wanna be interrupted or, or inconvenienced. 519 00:30:45,335 --> 00:30:48,574 And, you know, it's, it's really easy to be like that with other people as 520 00:30:48,574 --> 00:30:51,979 well, isn't it like, You know, oh, I'm in the middle of doing something. 521 00:30:51,979 --> 00:30:54,799 I don't want to be interrupted by that person who needs something 522 00:30:54,799 --> 00:30:56,060 or that phone call or that. 523 00:30:56,179 --> 00:30:56,539 Yeah. 524 00:30:56,839 --> 00:30:59,359 You know, like we can be like that in so many different ways. 525 00:30:59,364 --> 00:31:01,819 Or that neighbor who needs a little bit of help, you know? 526 00:31:01,850 --> 00:31:04,759 But I don't wanna be inconvenienced cuz I'll be five minutes late to whatever 527 00:31:04,759 --> 00:31:09,649 important thing I'm doing and like, and if we can be like that with human people 528 00:31:09,649 --> 00:31:13,549 here in front of us, like you know, how often are we like that with God as well? 529 00:31:13,549 --> 00:31:14,269 Like Yeah. 530 00:31:14,299 --> 00:31:18,679 It's so easy isn't it, to kind of push spending time with God to the 531 00:31:18,679 --> 00:31:23,210 back of your like day, like, you know, I, you know, my constant to-do list. 532 00:31:23,239 --> 00:31:27,379 It's like it's so easy for me to let time with God slip lower and lower down 533 00:31:27,379 --> 00:31:30,799 that priority list because, I dunno. 534 00:31:30,804 --> 00:31:32,389 It's less pressing than other things. 535 00:31:32,449 --> 00:31:34,940 And yet deep down it's the most important thing. 536 00:31:35,090 --> 00:31:35,299 Yeah. 537 00:31:35,330 --> 00:31:40,850 Like I know it's so, yeah, it's, but I find it kind of reassuring that the 538 00:31:40,850 --> 00:31:44,690 disciples were a bit like that even when they were sat in front of Jesus. 539 00:31:44,690 --> 00:31:47,480 Like that's strangely reassuring, isn't it? 540 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:49,610 It's like all like the rest of us. 541 00:31:49,610 --> 00:31:53,929 But we all need to be very careful to not miss Jesus in our 542 00:31:53,929 --> 00:31:55,960 midst and what he want to do. 543 00:31:56,230 --> 00:31:57,320 Yeah, absolutely. 544 00:31:59,495 --> 00:31:59,600 . Yeah. 545 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:00,929 Yeah. 546 00:32:00,929 --> 00:32:02,370 That really jumps out, at me. 547 00:32:02,370 --> 00:32:02,770 Yeah. 548 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:04,040 Yeah. 549 00:32:04,940 --> 00:32:10,219 Um, I'll put a few things down and, and then Matt kept saying this. 550 00:32:10,219 --> 00:32:12,110 He said, you know, the king is on my side. 551 00:32:12,650 --> 00:32:12,739 Mm-hmm. 552 00:32:13,190 --> 00:32:14,060 am I on his? 553 00:32:14,980 --> 00:32:17,600 And Yeah. 554 00:32:18,819 --> 00:32:20,649 Um, yeah. 555 00:32:20,929 --> 00:32:28,879 In my head I'm like, so Jesus is on my side, is that, is that controversial? 556 00:32:29,299 --> 00:32:31,279 Is that amazing? 557 00:32:31,999 --> 00:32:35,869 Where, where do, what am I thinking? 558 00:32:35,869 --> 00:32:38,029 I'm just thinking that's amazing, isn't it? 559 00:32:38,029 --> 00:32:40,569 The king, the king. 560 00:32:41,509 --> 00:32:45,949 Like Matt said, about King Charles the king, he's on our side. 561 00:32:46,799 --> 00:32:48,139 Are we gonna be on his side? 562 00:32:48,139 --> 00:32:50,089 Are we gonna be with him? 563 00:32:50,119 --> 00:32:50,209 Mm-hmm. 564 00:32:50,449 --> 00:32:53,179 what we, what we as Christians doing about it? 565 00:32:53,269 --> 00:32:57,154 And if you don't know the king, you can know him. 566 00:32:57,154 --> 00:32:59,495 This is like, yeah, this is God. 567 00:32:59,495 --> 00:33:01,894 This is the king, the kingdom of God. 568 00:33:01,894 --> 00:33:03,514 You can come in and be part of that. 569 00:33:04,384 --> 00:33:07,564 Um, it's a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful thing. 570 00:33:08,344 --> 00:33:13,475 Yeah, I, I, I mean, I loved what, uh, Matt said about how the kingdom of God is like. 571 00:33:13,969 --> 00:33:16,040 Like radically inclusive. 572 00:33:16,399 --> 00:33:16,489 Mm-hmm. 573 00:33:16,489 --> 00:33:18,710 And I haven't really, I love that expression. 574 00:33:18,830 --> 00:33:23,029 I mean, I'm a bit of a wordy person anyway, but I, I, you know, I, I 575 00:33:23,029 --> 00:33:24,479 love the way he expressed that. 576 00:33:24,500 --> 00:33:26,750 Like, I hadn't really thought of it in those terms before. 577 00:33:26,750 --> 00:33:31,279 Like, the kingdom of God is radically inclusive, so like anyone's welcome. 578 00:33:31,370 --> 00:33:35,529 Um, you know, and Jesus really showed that, didn't he? 579 00:33:35,839 --> 00:33:41,120 And, um, yeah, it was like his interest in the poor, or the least the people 580 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:43,129 that other people passed by because. 581 00:33:43,884 --> 00:33:46,444 they weren't important in his culture and his day. 582 00:33:46,444 --> 00:33:51,454 Like women or the poor or those that were less educated or, yeah, whoever they were. 583 00:33:51,694 --> 00:33:54,214 He, he, you know, I, I love that. 584 00:33:54,214 --> 00:33:54,994 I love that. 585 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:59,659 , you know, this kingdom was for anyone and it's still for anyone today. 586 00:33:59,659 --> 00:34:01,069 It's anyone's welcome. 587 00:34:01,069 --> 00:34:06,639 And you know, you wouldn't always think that looking at, um, religious 588 00:34:06,645 --> 00:34:10,520 people and religious institutions, but it's absolutely true and 589 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,859 it's the heartbeat of Jesus. 590 00:34:12,864 --> 00:34:17,040 And um, yeah, it's right there from the start of the church and yeah, it is. 591 00:34:17,659 --> 00:34:21,600 We'd do well to remember that sometimes as like the church today, wouldn't we? 592 00:34:21,830 --> 00:34:21,919 Mm-hmm? 593 00:34:22,399 --> 00:34:23,270 Yeah, definitely. 594 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:23,929 Yeah. 595 00:34:23,929 --> 00:34:24,080 Cause. 596 00:34:24,830 --> 00:34:25,699 We are people, aren't it? 597 00:34:25,699 --> 00:34:26,870 We, we get things wrong. 598 00:34:26,870 --> 00:34:28,159 The church gets things wrong. 599 00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:36,719 The how stuff gets bigger and more official or has to write stuff down 600 00:34:36,739 --> 00:34:39,949 and biers off to the left of the right. 601 00:34:39,949 --> 00:34:44,330 And um, that's, that's man's idea of things. 602 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:49,520 Jesus says, come, come be in my kingdom, all you who are 603 00:34:49,900 --> 00:34:52,250 weary and, heavy laden come. 604 00:34:52,580 --> 00:34:53,389 There is no. 605 00:34:54,355 --> 00:34:56,209 , there's no, um, ruling anyone out. 606 00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:59,270 We could all be a part part of this kingdom. 607 00:35:00,669 --> 00:35:01,160 Yeah. 608 00:35:01,589 --> 00:35:02,080 Yeah. 609 00:35:02,084 --> 00:35:02,569 That's right. 610 00:35:03,290 --> 00:35:07,970 And I, I loved, um, the idea of what he said about, um, it's easy 611 00:35:08,359 --> 00:35:14,720 cuz he talked about how like, um, Jesus is for us and he loves us and 612 00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:16,250 he's on our side, like you said. 613 00:35:16,250 --> 00:35:20,720 But then he also says, once you know that, It's so much easier to 614 00:35:20,720 --> 00:35:25,579 accept his rule and his authority and his reign and logic of your life. 615 00:35:25,789 --> 00:35:26,119 Yeah. 616 00:35:26,240 --> 00:35:32,209 And that, I thought that was such a key point because actually sometimes 617 00:35:32,209 --> 00:35:35,269 it can be like, well, I don't know if I want anyone else to kind of 618 00:35:35,269 --> 00:35:39,829 have a say in my life or how I live, or you know, to kind of come under 619 00:35:39,919 --> 00:35:42,099 anyone or anything and yeah, you know. 620 00:35:42,979 --> 00:35:44,720 today, we're fiercely independent, aren't we? 621 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:46,999 As a culture, I think probably more than ever. 622 00:35:47,004 --> 00:35:50,779 And, um, we live quite independent lives, really. 623 00:35:50,779 --> 00:35:55,069 A lot of us, even though we have friends and family, and you sort of 624 00:35:55,069 --> 00:35:59,359 think it's, it's very easy to be a bit of your own island, doesn't it? 625 00:35:59,429 --> 00:36:00,829 And, and, yeah. 626 00:36:01,609 --> 00:36:02,120 actually. 627 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:07,069 It's not a scary thing to, to come under the reign of Jesus when you 628 00:36:07,069 --> 00:36:09,020 know that he's totally for you. 629 00:36:09,020 --> 00:36:09,799 He's totally good. 630 00:36:10,129 --> 00:36:12,080 Yeah, and he's totally on your side. 631 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:17,359 Like that kind of blows my mind a bit and I think it takes a lifetime. 632 00:36:18,029 --> 00:36:21,214 because we don't, who else do we know who's completely good? 633 00:36:21,424 --> 00:36:24,064 Like, you know, like you and I are both married, aren't we, Dan? 634 00:36:24,345 --> 00:36:24,544 Mm-hmm. 635 00:36:24,624 --> 00:36:27,544 and we love our spouses, but they're, they're not perfect. 636 00:36:27,595 --> 00:36:31,984 So I, I know that I'm definitely not a perfect wife and you know, there's 637 00:36:31,984 --> 00:36:38,345 nobody else in our lives who like is a hundred percent trustable all of the time. 638 00:36:38,345 --> 00:36:42,154 A hundred percent, you know, kind of good all the time. 639 00:36:42,424 --> 00:36:47,434 Like, and so it's, it's, um, Yeah, it's just, it's quite a 640 00:36:47,434 --> 00:36:48,814 mind blowing thought, isn't it? 641 00:36:48,814 --> 00:36:52,444 There actually, the person that you're, that you're giving your 642 00:36:52,444 --> 00:36:57,474 life to is all of those things a hundred percent of the time. 643 00:36:57,754 --> 00:36:58,024 Yeah. 644 00:36:58,654 --> 00:37:02,394 And it like you, like you said, it's something we can rest in. 645 00:37:03,169 --> 00:37:06,079 That, that he's, he's made those decisions. 646 00:37:06,079 --> 00:37:08,720 He's, he's for us. 647 00:37:08,899 --> 00:37:13,370 I've just, I've just been watching, um, Jack Ryan, um, on Amazon Prime. 648 00:37:13,370 --> 00:37:13,430 Yeah. 649 00:37:13,700 --> 00:37:18,319 And it's all like, ah, but you know, he, he's a soldier and he has to, um, listen 650 00:37:18,319 --> 00:37:20,419 to orders, but it's, what are your orders? 651 00:37:20,424 --> 00:37:23,839 Is, you know, are the orders from some corrupt official or, 652 00:37:24,350 --> 00:37:26,509 um, I dunno, it's a whole story. 653 00:37:26,509 --> 00:37:28,069 I quite like those kind of things. 654 00:37:29,899 --> 00:37:31,009 We don't have to worry about that. 655 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:38,149 Cuz as you said, he's his kingship and his love for us is, is overwhelming 656 00:37:38,149 --> 00:37:41,959 and great that we can come under that rule without any fear. 657 00:37:42,769 --> 00:37:45,830 Yeah, because we don't have to worry, we don't have to even, don't have 658 00:37:45,830 --> 00:37:50,509 to question it because we can rest in those decisions knowing that, 659 00:37:51,019 --> 00:37:54,919 um, he's got our best intention. 660 00:37:56,304 --> 00:37:58,054 Uh, no, that's not the right word. 661 00:37:58,054 --> 00:38:02,014 He's got how, um, he's got what's good for us. 662 00:38:02,254 --> 00:38:03,694 Always got what's good for us. 663 00:38:04,444 --> 00:38:06,154 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 664 00:38:06,964 --> 00:38:11,404 And um, and then he got a little bit onto the whole theme of suffering, 665 00:38:11,409 --> 00:38:14,584 which is, I know we've looked at before in Crowd Church, and it's a 666 00:38:14,584 --> 00:38:16,894 huge subject on its own, isn't it? 667 00:38:16,894 --> 00:38:17,714 So I don't wanna get 668 00:38:18,205 --> 00:38:21,950 too like down that track, but also there, there were some incredible 669 00:38:21,950 --> 00:38:27,319 points on that around, um, like, yeah, that whole thing of like, sometimes 670 00:38:27,319 --> 00:38:32,990 that argument around, oh, how can God be for me and love me you know, if, if 671 00:38:32,990 --> 00:38:38,869 there's still suffering in the world and how that can kind of, um, So suffering 672 00:38:38,869 --> 00:38:40,519 can be used as an argument, can't it? 673 00:38:40,519 --> 00:38:43,279 Sometimes, and I'm sure you've heard it as well, Dan, from people 674 00:38:43,369 --> 00:38:48,019 that like God be real or true or really love me if this is happening. 675 00:38:48,079 --> 00:38:50,509 And then like, what did you think about that bit? 676 00:38:50,509 --> 00:38:53,509 That, that was quite an interesting section, wasn't it? 677 00:38:54,709 --> 00:38:59,359 Yeah, I think it's, um, it is the argument, isn't it? 678 00:38:59,359 --> 00:39:09,544 That we, that, well, if God created suffering, then what kind of God 679 00:39:09,544 --> 00:39:10,845 is that, that we want to serve? 680 00:39:11,015 --> 00:39:17,374 But he's, he's created the, um, free will and that choice, but even in, 681 00:39:17,765 --> 00:39:20,975 even in suffering, even when things are really hard, and I mean, they 682 00:39:20,979 --> 00:39:23,434 had it hard in the early church. 683 00:39:23,439 --> 00:39:28,865 They, they lived out, um, stuff that we, in the west especially, 684 00:39:28,865 --> 00:39:30,575 we often just read about, don't we? 685 00:39:30,754 --> 00:39:37,834 Um, they, they really did suffer and Jesus suffered, but ultimately, 686 00:39:38,870 --> 00:39:45,110 um, we've got that assurance that we can, we can be with him. 687 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:46,930 Yeah. 688 00:39:46,930 --> 00:39:47,840 Yeah, that's right. 689 00:39:48,500 --> 00:39:54,365 It's um, It's that thing of, yeah, free choice, but it's a bit of, you 690 00:39:54,365 --> 00:39:59,764 know, if Jesus is as good as he says he is and he showed himself to be, 691 00:39:59,769 --> 00:40:01,325 it's a bit of a no-brainer, isn't it? 692 00:40:01,354 --> 00:40:01,534 Yeah. 693 00:40:01,624 --> 00:40:04,234 It's like, why wouldn't you follow that kind of king? 694 00:40:04,294 --> 00:40:08,555 Uh, you know, I, it's interesting cuz I've been watching, I dunno if probably 695 00:40:08,584 --> 00:40:12,994 half the world has on the other half the world is avoiding it, but they're like 696 00:40:13,084 --> 00:40:19,145 Meghan and Harry sort of debacle at the moment, but I think the thing that kind 697 00:40:19,145 --> 00:40:23,899 of I take, um, I mean, I'm not gonna get into it, but like, the thing that sort of 698 00:40:23,899 --> 00:40:29,059 strikes me about listening to this talk tonight is that even kings who are trying 699 00:40:29,064 --> 00:40:33,470 to be the best father as they can be, like the current king King Charles, and, you 700 00:40:33,470 --> 00:40:37,099 know, he's still fallen out with Harry, his son, which is, you know, whatever you 701 00:40:37,099 --> 00:40:39,079 think of them both, it's incredibly sad. 702 00:40:39,079 --> 00:40:44,450 That's been this breakdown of relationship and, um, you know, he's, he's always says 703 00:40:44,450 --> 00:40:49,579 like, uh, his dad says, my darling boy, and he clearly loves him and is for him. 704 00:40:49,915 --> 00:40:51,415 And wants to do good by him. 705 00:40:51,415 --> 00:40:56,654 And yet the accusation of Harry is that he hasn't done good by him. 706 00:40:56,654 --> 00:41:00,665 And actually quite often he's briefed the press against him and his, not 707 00:41:00,665 --> 00:41:04,955 necessarily him personally, but his team have briefed against him and in the media. 708 00:41:04,959 --> 00:41:11,015 And so it's like even kings, you know, the are the best kings that you. 709 00:41:12,424 --> 00:41:16,566 You know, the best, the best kind of even kings that are trying to do the 710 00:41:16,571 --> 00:41:21,455 best by their own families and, um, yeah trying to be the best that they 711 00:41:21,455 --> 00:41:23,604 can be get it so wrong, don't they? 712 00:41:23,604 --> 00:41:27,604 And, and yet this king that we're talking about really is. 713 00:41:29,029 --> 00:41:29,600 Perfect. 714 00:41:29,810 --> 00:41:31,430 Yeah, and that's mind blowing. 715 00:41:31,430 --> 00:41:34,669 And I, I was just thinking about it in line of, you know, even the 716 00:41:34,669 --> 00:41:38,540 best efforts of human kings just falls so far short, doesn't it? 717 00:41:38,779 --> 00:41:39,350 They just, yeah. 718 00:41:39,580 --> 00:41:40,729 Doesn't meet the mark. 719 00:41:40,734 --> 00:41:44,450 It's not the kind of king you can get behind a hundred percent. 720 00:41:44,450 --> 00:41:44,509 Yeah. 721 00:41:44,810 --> 00:41:48,770 Um, think I would give everything for that, but this king. 722 00:41:50,135 --> 00:41:54,545 And his kingdom is totally different and it is something you can get behind cuz 723 00:41:54,545 --> 00:41:57,425 it is wholly good and wholly perfect. 724 00:41:57,705 --> 00:41:58,745 Wholly worthwhile. 725 00:41:58,975 --> 00:41:59,465 Yeah. 726 00:41:59,485 --> 00:42:03,305 And um, yeah, I, I just, that was kind of in the back of my mind when 727 00:42:03,305 --> 00:42:04,745 I was like listening to Matt tonight. 728 00:42:04,955 --> 00:42:05,825 It's like, oh gosh. 729 00:42:05,830 --> 00:42:06,125 Yeah. 730 00:42:06,515 --> 00:42:12,905 It's so different to, in the best attempts in our, in our human world, this 731 00:42:12,905 --> 00:42:15,185 kingdom of God is a whole other thing. 732 00:42:15,695 --> 00:42:16,825 Yeah, absolutely. 733 00:42:17,935 --> 00:42:18,425 Yeah. 734 00:42:19,250 --> 00:42:19,600 . Mm. 735 00:42:19,700 --> 00:42:23,460 I think the, the last thing I've written down here is, um, what's my role? 736 00:42:24,190 --> 00:42:29,600 Where, Jesus says come be part of this kingdom. 737 00:42:30,259 --> 00:42:33,680 Um, and what's our role in that kingdom? 738 00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:41,930 And I've been talking to people today and also, um, just talking with my son 739 00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:46,460 Luke, and he, he's really good at puzzles. 740 00:42:47,254 --> 00:42:48,834 He's like, loves doing Rubik's Cube. 741 00:42:48,834 --> 00:42:50,374 He can do that in, in seconds. 742 00:42:50,374 --> 00:42:51,724 I, it's like, it's mind blowing. 743 00:42:51,834 --> 00:42:52,644 It's very amazing. 744 00:42:52,644 --> 00:42:54,004 I've seen one, I've seen one. 745 00:42:54,004 --> 00:42:54,444 Yeah. 746 00:42:55,115 --> 00:42:55,604 Very. 747 00:42:56,034 --> 00:42:58,285 Everyone talks about Luke if he gets a chance, he's like 748 00:43:00,814 --> 00:43:05,765 brilliant, but sometimes he gets frustrated cause he can't do things. 749 00:43:06,214 --> 00:43:10,354 And um, I was talking to a friend of mine today and saying, it's 750 00:43:10,354 --> 00:43:16,075 not about what we can do, it's about who God's made us to be. 751 00:43:16,714 --> 00:43:21,365 if it's who we are in him, doesn't matter our skills or our lack 752 00:43:21,365 --> 00:43:22,745 of skills in certain things. 753 00:43:23,285 --> 00:43:30,935 Um, again, he, he's a king that's got a, uh, a role for us and he's a king that's 754 00:43:30,935 --> 00:43:37,325 got, um, a perfect plan for us and we can, again, we can rest in that, can't we? 755 00:43:37,325 --> 00:43:43,595 That in him is our identity and in this kingdom is our, in our identity as well. 756 00:43:44,495 --> 00:43:44,854 Mm-hmm. 757 00:43:46,549 --> 00:43:46,999 . . Yeah. 758 00:43:47,189 --> 00:43:48,319 I, I love, I love that. 759 00:43:48,319 --> 00:43:49,339 That's a really good point. 760 00:43:49,399 --> 00:43:54,410 It's like, , you know, our lack is like filled by him, isn't it? 761 00:43:54,410 --> 00:43:54,470 Yeah. 762 00:43:54,680 --> 00:43:59,509 If he's called you to do something, um, it's, you know, it's not a case 763 00:43:59,509 --> 00:44:01,400 of like, do I have what it takes? 764 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:02,839 It's a case of obedience. 765 00:44:02,839 --> 00:44:03,410 Um, yeah. 766 00:44:03,470 --> 00:44:06,650 That he'll give you the tools that you need to do what he's asking of you. 767 00:44:07,310 --> 00:44:07,580 Yeah. 768 00:44:07,585 --> 00:44:12,005 So, , it is just a question of obedience, isn't it? 769 00:44:12,005 --> 00:44:15,904 And that everything else that you need to do, it will fall into place because 770 00:44:16,205 --> 00:44:20,495 I mean, how can it not when the king has all of the resources under heaven? 771 00:44:20,500 --> 00:44:20,665 Yeah. 772 00:44:21,365 --> 00:44:25,265 You know, in his hands and, um, yeah. 773 00:44:25,355 --> 00:44:26,375 Everything that you could need. 774 00:44:26,595 --> 00:44:28,105 So, yeah. 775 00:44:28,105 --> 00:44:30,245 I mean, that would be a bad king, wouldn't it? 776 00:44:30,250 --> 00:44:33,935 If he said, come into my kingdom, but I've got nothing for you to do. 777 00:44:34,205 --> 00:44:34,745 You know? 778 00:44:34,745 --> 00:44:35,105 Yeah. 779 00:44:35,105 --> 00:44:37,085 You know, there's, there's no place for you. 780 00:44:37,175 --> 00:44:37,925 I'll come in. 781 00:44:38,375 --> 00:44:38,555 No. 782 00:44:39,394 --> 00:44:39,934 Yes. 783 00:44:40,115 --> 00:44:40,444 Yeah. 784 00:44:40,504 --> 00:44:41,644 No role, no. 785 00:44:41,644 --> 00:44:42,904 Um, purpose. 786 00:44:43,314 --> 00:44:43,924 Mm-hmm. 787 00:44:44,009 --> 00:44:44,104 . Yeah. 788 00:44:45,124 --> 00:44:47,134 That's an exciting thing to find. 789 00:44:48,154 --> 00:44:51,874 Um, find purpose and find, yeah. 790 00:44:52,054 --> 00:45:02,544 Um, hear his voice for what he's got for us as individuals. 791 00:45:02,584 --> 00:45:07,294 Do you think that's kind of, Something that slowly unravels. 792 00:45:07,294 --> 00:45:09,785 Do you think it's something that people find all in one go 793 00:45:10,084 --> 00:45:12,035 or like can be a bit a faith? 794 00:45:12,035 --> 00:45:13,955 Like how do you think people find that purpose? 795 00:45:14,104 --> 00:45:16,904 Yeah, that sense of, like they have a call? 796 00:45:17,515 --> 00:45:22,234 I don't, I dunno, I mean, you can read books and hear people that have 797 00:45:22,240 --> 00:45:26,524 had a, you know, a word from God or something massive has transformed their 798 00:45:26,524 --> 00:45:28,234 life and they've gone and done that. 799 00:45:28,234 --> 00:45:29,584 And I think, wow, that was amazing. 800 00:45:30,245 --> 00:45:34,055 Um, but for me it hasn't been that, it's just been a, a steady. 801 00:45:34,884 --> 00:45:36,289 . Um, okay. 802 00:45:37,129 --> 00:45:38,419 What God, what do you want me to do? 803 00:45:38,990 --> 00:45:39,740 Do you want me to go here? 804 00:45:39,740 --> 00:45:41,029 Do you want to speak to that person? 805 00:45:41,660 --> 00:45:42,470 Um, mm-hmm. 806 00:45:42,919 --> 00:45:45,579 , which job should I take? 807 00:45:46,209 --> 00:45:46,819 Mm-hmm. 808 00:45:47,119 --> 00:45:48,680 you know, I, I'd give it to you. 809 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:49,459 I'll take this job. 810 00:45:49,579 --> 00:45:52,369 Oh, that, that person that I can be good friends with them. 811 00:45:52,369 --> 00:45:54,109 I can tell them about you. 812 00:45:54,619 --> 00:45:56,720 Um, that's what it's been for me. 813 00:45:56,809 --> 00:46:04,029 It's just been a lot of series of, of questions and, answers, 814 00:46:04,564 --> 00:46:04,774 like 815 00:46:04,774 --> 00:46:05,495 small steps. 816 00:46:05,884 --> 00:46:10,834 Yeah, I think, I think my experience is fairly similar and you know, 817 00:46:10,834 --> 00:46:16,204 I do have friends who'v had major revelations from God very quickly 818 00:46:16,204 --> 00:46:20,314 or suddenly or you know, the whole, they've come, come to know God and 819 00:46:20,314 --> 00:46:22,294 their whole life has changed overnight. 820 00:46:22,294 --> 00:46:25,084 And you know, I know both you and I have grown up in 821 00:46:25,144 --> 00:46:26,464 Christian families, haven't we? 822 00:46:26,464 --> 00:46:31,214 So that's been more of a, I guess it figures, but I think a lot of people I 823 00:46:31,214 --> 00:46:35,084 speak to that that's the same thing that mm-hmm, it's been a slow discovering of 824 00:46:35,384 --> 00:46:39,644 who you are and what you're gifted at and what, how God's made you to work. 825 00:46:39,825 --> 00:46:43,845 Um, how your, your sort of mind and you know, how you tick 826 00:46:43,845 --> 00:46:45,044 as a person really, and what. 827 00:46:45,464 --> 00:46:50,774 , you know, what kind of, um, you're good at and how you can use the resources 828 00:46:50,774 --> 00:46:54,584 and maybe God getting your attention or giving your heart for a certain 829 00:46:54,589 --> 00:46:57,854 person or group of people or issue. 830 00:46:57,914 --> 00:47:01,544 And then just sort of following that and seeing where it takes you, I think. 831 00:47:01,544 --> 00:47:01,785 Yeah. 832 00:47:02,330 --> 00:47:04,100 . That's been very much my experience. 833 00:47:04,100 --> 00:47:07,279 Like, oh, you know, I feel really moved about this issue. 834 00:47:07,339 --> 00:47:10,100 And then God's saying, so what are you gonna do about it? 835 00:47:10,460 --> 00:47:11,810 It's like, oh, I don't know. 836 00:47:12,140 --> 00:47:12,230 Yeah. 837 00:47:12,230 --> 00:47:15,350 And then maybe it's like, well I guess I could stop by 838 00:47:15,380 --> 00:47:16,580 just doing this little thing. 839 00:47:16,970 --> 00:47:22,730 Like just find out a bit more online and then maybe I could, I dunno, give a 840 00:47:22,730 --> 00:47:25,050 few hours of my week to like you know. 841 00:47:25,810 --> 00:47:29,299 do something practical for this group of people or this individual 842 00:47:29,299 --> 00:47:33,220 or Yeah, it can be really big or it can be really small, can't it? 843 00:47:33,290 --> 00:47:37,100 Um, yeah, but that's always been my sort of experience too. 844 00:47:37,160 --> 00:47:41,240 That's, I think that's often how good works though not entirely as you say. 845 00:47:41,660 --> 00:47:41,930 Yeah. 846 00:47:42,770 --> 00:47:43,640 Yeah, exactly. 847 00:47:44,730 --> 00:47:47,660 Um, I think we've almost come to our time. 848 00:47:47,660 --> 00:47:47,720 Yeah. 849 00:47:48,140 --> 00:47:55,055 So, um, next week, um, as in the comments have popped up, um, 850 00:47:55,084 --> 00:47:58,354 Sharon's gonna speak on the Holy Spirit, so that'll be really good. 851 00:47:58,714 --> 00:47:59,495 Looking forward to that. 852 00:48:01,484 --> 00:48:02,694 Yeah, that'll be a good one. 853 00:48:02,794 --> 00:48:04,334 I'm looking forward to as well. 854 00:48:04,484 --> 00:48:10,669 Yeah, so I think we will say goodnight 855 00:48:11,699 --> 00:48:13,379 . Yeah, enjoyed tonight. 856 00:48:13,379 --> 00:48:14,899 It's been good chatting to you Dan. 857 00:48:14,899 --> 00:48:17,720 And, um, thanks everyone for, for turning up. 858 00:48:17,720 --> 00:48:20,059 Otherwise it'd just be the two of us talking to each other, wouldn't it? 859 00:48:20,064 --> 00:48:20,389 Yes. 860 00:48:20,389 --> 00:48:21,259 In different houses. 861 00:48:21,679 --> 00:48:21,889 Yes. 862 00:48:22,609 --> 00:48:27,649 Thanks for listening, um, live and, and listening back at other times. 863 00:48:27,889 --> 00:48:32,439 And again, if you've got any questions, just fire them in. 864 00:48:32,584 --> 00:48:32,759 Please do. 865 00:48:34,159 --> 00:48:34,729 Yeah, definitely. 866 00:48:34,729 --> 00:48:35,179 Thanks very much. 867 00:48:35,829 --> 00:48:37,859 See you soon everyone. 868 00:48:39,299 --> 00:48:40,489 Take care. 869 00:48:40,535 --> 00:48:44,345 Thank you so much for joining us here on Crowd Church. 870 00:48:44,644 --> 00:48:49,564 Now if you are watching on YouTube, make sure you hit the subscribe button as well 871 00:48:49,569 --> 00:48:55,624 as that little tiny bell notification to get notified the next time we are live. 872 00:48:55,654 --> 00:48:59,834 And of course, If you are listening to the podcast, uh, the Livestream podcast, 873 00:48:59,834 --> 00:49:03,254 make sure you also hit the follow button. 874 00:49:03,555 --> 00:49:07,604 Now by smashing the like button on YouTube or writing a review 875 00:49:07,785 --> 00:49:09,914 on your podcast platform. 876 00:49:10,035 --> 00:49:13,759 It helps us reach more people with the message that Jesus 877 00:49:13,759 --> 00:49:18,320 really does help us live a more meaningful and purposeful life. 878 00:49:18,710 --> 00:49:23,570 So if you haven't done so already, be sure to check out our website, 879 00:49:23,570 --> 00:49:30,200 www.crowd.church, where you can learn more about us as a church, more about 880 00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:35,089 the Christian faith, and also how to connect into our church community. 881 00:49:35,919 --> 00:49:41,279 It has been awesome to connect with you and you are awesome. 882 00:49:41,370 --> 00:49:46,439 It's just a burden you have to bear and hopefully we'll see you next time. 883 00:49:46,589 --> 00:49:47,459 That's it from us. 884 00:49:47,464 --> 00:49:48,240 God bless you. 885 00:49:48,839 --> 00:49:49,379 Bye for now.