WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Kingdom Metrics 2 - Seeing Him at Work Publishing Date: 2026-10-04T03:04:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/kingdom-metrics-2-seeing-him-at-work/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:18.640 I want to talk about seeing God at work. We continue from last week. So here's a question 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:47.640 I wanted to ask. Is there anywhere, is there any village, town or city, is there any home 00:00:47.640 --> 00:01:16.520 in Richmond where the Spirit of God isn't actively moving? See, if we begin to think 00:01:16.520 --> 00:01:21.520 like this, we will realize that the kingdom of God is still just spreading all over the 00:01:21.520 --> 00:01:26.440 world. But the reason we don't think like this is if you and I don't have an access 00:01:26.440 --> 00:01:32.360 or if you and I don't have a flyer that goes into the house or a Christian TV that is working 00:01:32.360 --> 00:01:38.400 in the house, we think stuff is not happening. But here is a question. Is there any village 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:43.800 on the face of the earth, any town on the earth, any city on the earth? Is there any 00:01:44.280 --> 00:02:01.280 home in Richmond where the Spirit of God isn't actively moving? Actively moving. The answer 00:02:01.520 --> 00:02:08.520 is no. He's not just moving, he's actively moving in every home in Richmond. So here's 00:02:09.040 --> 00:02:16.040 another question. Is there one living person on earth that he isn't hovering over? That 00:02:16.040 --> 00:02:23.040 he isn't needing like he would need clay, that he isn't wooing, that he isn't intervening? 00:02:25.040 --> 00:02:36.040 Is there any living person on earth that he isn't hovering over? That he isn't needing 00:02:37.480 --> 00:02:44.480 like he would need clay, that he isn't wooing, that he isn't intervening? Is there any living 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:53.280 person on earth that he isn't trying to make new or work towards making new? Is there 00:02:53.280 --> 00:03:00.280 even one person on earth that he isn't doing this? You know, this is not how we think. 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:09.280 We think that he is trying to make new or work towards making new. Is there even one 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:22.840 person on earth that he isn't doing this? You know, this is not how we think. We think 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:26.360 that he is trying to make new or work towards making new. Is there one person, there are 00:03:26.360 --> 00:03:31.600 eight billion people on earth, is there one person on earth that the Spirit of God is 00:03:31.600 --> 00:03:38.600 not actively hovering over? One person on earth that he is not needing like one needs 00:03:41.320 --> 00:03:48.320 clay, wooing as in drawing in, intervening, disrupting things that could destroy them, 00:03:48.320 --> 00:03:55.320 trying to redeem, trying to topple them from pedestals that will prevent them from finding 00:03:55.320 --> 00:04:00.320 God, trying to restore. What do you think he was doing with Nebuchadnezzar? The man 00:04:00.320 --> 00:04:06.320 sat and said, I am this, I am that and in seven days he was toppled and he was like 00:04:06.320 --> 00:04:13.320 an animal in the forest, claws grown long, hair long and then he comes to his senses 00:04:14.120 --> 00:04:21.120 and he says, this God is God, toppling people, restoring people. Is there one person on earth 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:28.120 over whom he is not working towards making them new? If I don't think like this, I will 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:38.920 not enter into his work, I will work on his behalf. The second option is not bad, but 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:45.920 it ain't excellent. The trick then is to discern where he is at work. Because there's 00:04:51.520 --> 00:04:58.520 not a moment when he is not doing this. How does he do it? Hey, I mean he doesn't live 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:06.920 in the world of permutation and combination. He isn't playing with the world of permutation 00:05:07.160 --> 00:05:12.440 and combination. He isn't playing with the limited like eight numbers and turning them 00:05:12.440 --> 00:05:19.440 around so that they form how many ever numbers. He doesn't live in that realm. He is infinitely 00:05:21.200 --> 00:05:28.200 creative. We don't understand that. So I would say to you that often we the church are really 00:05:28.200 --> 00:05:35.200 like Jacob in Genesis 26, 18 where he says in Genesis 26, 18, God is here and I did not 00:05:40.520 --> 00:05:47.520 even know it. So I would say to you that often we the church are really like Jacob in Genesis 00:05:47.520 --> 00:05:54.520 26, 18, God is here and I did not even know it. Why don't we know it? Because our eyes 00:06:02.640 --> 00:06:09.640 are not open. Why are our eyes not open? Because our minds aren't open. We are not open. We 00:06:17.840 --> 00:06:24.840 have become highly aware of God in us. And therefore our minds are relatively shut. Our 00:06:35.640 --> 00:06:42.640 minds aren't open to the work he is doing on a daily basis with every life, every square 00:06:43.640 --> 00:06:49.080 inch of the earth, every city town village. When you and I arrive there he is already 00:06:49.080 --> 00:06:56.080 at work. It's not you and I that initiate the work. Sometimes this idea of pioneering 00:06:56.080 --> 00:07:02.120 has so gotten warped that we think we are pioneering a work. No. We just happen to be 00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:09.120 the first to join God in a particular thing that he has been doing for the last 6,000 00:07:12.640 --> 00:07:19.640 years. So can I see him at work? I've been trying this out. It's liberating. Can I see 00:07:20.320 --> 00:07:27.320 him at work? In every stranger I pass by. These are intentional ways of functioning 00:07:27.320 --> 00:07:34.320 so that it becomes normal. So today we were going through our lobby to my apartment and 00:07:34.320 --> 00:07:41.320 I saw this Spanish lady who is a janitor on weekends and she had mopped a certain area 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:46.680 and she was telling us not to step on that. And instead of looking at the places that 00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:52.680 I should not step on, I was looking at the places that I should not step on. And I was 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:59.680 looking at her because I want to see the work of God in her life and if there is anything 00:08:00.080 --> 00:08:07.080 that I need to do to add to it or not. And if I don't, at least I saw her full face and 00:08:08.120 --> 00:08:15.120 walked past her. But if there was something that I should not step on, I would have to 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:22.120 walk faster. But if there was something that I was supposed to do, I would have known 00:08:24.640 --> 00:08:31.640 it because God has already been at work in her life since the day she was born. The question 00:08:33.640 --> 00:08:40.640 is has she found him the way he is supposed to be found or not? Regardless, if we begin 00:08:40.640 --> 00:08:47.640 to think like this, it will mess your mind and your life up and it will mess others' 00:08:50.440 --> 00:08:57.440 lives up. This is when we leave the church and become the kingdom. We carry the kingdom. 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:05.240 Once we begin to live like this, you will see the invisible river of the Spirit giving 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:17.240 fresh life to swamps, marshes, the streets you work, the rivers you work, the rivers 00:09:17.240 --> 00:09:24.240 you live, to swamps, marshes, the streets you work and plane. And what do we do like 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:44.120 the fishermen in Ezekiel 47 verse 9 and 10? It says the fishermen stood, the fishermen 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:52.120 of Ngedi stood with their nets ready because the fish began to swim like crazy. You become 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:58.120 aware that maybe the Spirit of God is doing something here and he's been doing it for 00:09:58.120 --> 00:10:05.120 14 years and you just turn up and you say one word and they become citizens of the kingdom. 00:10:06.120 --> 00:10:13.120 Any questions on this before we go on? Any questions? We can only do this if we slow 00:10:25.040 --> 00:10:32.040 life down even while being busy. So it's not, our lives are busy, like it or not. We can 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:42.120 do it. Yeah? So it'll be hard to dial down the busyness, but you can slow life down 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:49.360 in busyness. That's the condition of the heart. You see that with couples that are in love, 00:10:52.800 --> 00:10:57.280 they're busy doing stuff, running and all this stuff, but they still do that side glance 00:10:57.280 --> 00:11:04.280 and a quick... What? You guys haven't seen that? 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:12.120 Tell them Derek. I don't know why I'm picking on you today. Derek's thinking if my dad and 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:29.080 mom could drive, I would send them on their own for these services. Any questions guys 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:37.080 on this bit? You know it's so blooming simple and yet so not part of our lives. I want to 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:49.440 show you some pictures. 00:11:59.080 --> 00:12:06.080 To the naked eye, it's a group of miscellaneous people eating and walking around. I was looking 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:13.080 at these pictures. I asked Sen to send them to me on Friday. I was looking at these pictures 00:12:28.800 --> 00:12:35.800 and I heard God say, do you see what I see? 00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:43.080 This was a man who was blind who heard about the neighbor fest and asked that he be brought 00:12:45.640 --> 00:12:52.640 to it and people from here went and got him. I love this picture. Every table has someone 00:12:57.520 --> 00:13:04.160 from the church sitting at it with people that they don't know. This was some politicians 00:13:04.160 --> 00:13:11.160 asking for prayer at the prayer tent. Do you see what I see? His response is, this is 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:23.200 a glimpse of a shalom filled kingdom of God breaking through and the people of the church 00:13:34.160 --> 00:13:41.160 stand at work through his people. We don't think so, but he thinks so. We thought we 00:13:52.160 --> 00:13:56.880 were doing a neighbor's fest, but you see some of those pictures? You see that man on 00:13:56.880 --> 00:14:03.880 Janelle's hand? You see them sitting there and you suddenly realize that you are participating 00:14:04.520 --> 00:14:10.600 in something that God has set up and he sees it differently. It's a glimpse of wholeness 00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:17.600 filled kingdom of God breaking through and at work through whom? Through his people. 00:14:18.400 --> 00:14:23.800 Not a group of guys eating and drinking. While we thoroughly enjoy that, we must become aware 00:14:23.800 --> 00:14:30.800 of something else that is at work. With no ulterior motive, we are not able to see the 00:14:34.840 --> 00:14:41.840 people. The intent is not to get them saved. The intent is to let the spirit of God work 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:50.200 through you so that he can bring to pass. We will touch on that. Any questions before 00:14:53.600 --> 00:15:00.600 we go on? Does this dilute the zeal of the church? No. The zeal of the church is not 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:11.720 the zeal of the church. Any questions? Suddenly small non-Christian things will become kingdom. 00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:27.080 Suddenly everyone can get involved in it without having to preach or lead worship. Suddenly 00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:34.480 you will be doing what Jesus did for the first 30 years of his life. Luke 13.29. Luke 13.29. 00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:41.480 It says, People will come from east and west and north and south of the world. They will 00:16:04.880 --> 00:16:10.760 take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last 00:16:10.760 --> 00:16:15.500 who will be first and the first will be last. People will come, man. People will come and 00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:21.920 we will. Neighborfest taught me one simple thing. We will do this again and again and 00:16:21.920 --> 00:16:28.920 again. Different variations of it. Till people long to come because when they enter the space 00:16:29.880 --> 00:16:36.880 that we seem to occupy, things begin to affect their lives. Their children start playing 00:16:36.880 --> 00:16:42.120 happily. Husbands and wives go home not understanding why they are doing better. Some get prayed 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:49.120 for, some don't. Some just come for hot dogs and fill their stomach and go. This is going 00:16:49.240 --> 00:16:54.960 to be a strange way of functioning and the guys that will struggle with it the most are 00:16:54.960 --> 00:17:01.960 the pastors here. Jacob, Derek, Tooney, May, Gillian, Sheldon, Jane. These are the guys 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:13.400 who will struggle the most but why? Because we see it done differently. For me this is 00:17:14.520 --> 00:17:21.520 a struggle. What mindset is that? Surprisingly Jacob is a pastor. He is a pastor. He is 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:30.160 a religious mindset. Maybe I threw all of you in it. Let me just pick on Tooney and 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:37.160 me. He and I have this mindset. The rest of you look free of this. Yeah. Just Tooney and 00:17:38.840 --> 00:17:45.840 I. Yeah. I would say that if you are 55 and over you already have this mentality. Dhillna 00:17:47.360 --> 00:17:54.360 you just made it. 00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:02.920 So the in breaking of the kingdom of God. Remember what we said is the internal kingdom 00:18:02.920 --> 00:18:09.920 metrics and the external kingdom metrics. Internal kingdom what we learn here is rest. 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:16.520 Start again. Righteousness which is right relationship through right living through 00:18:16.520 --> 00:18:23.520 right relationship. Peace, joy, power, rest in the Holy Ghost. 00:18:25.760 --> 00:18:30.680 What's external kingdom metrics? What do we show at neighbor fest? What do we show every 00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:37.680 day in our streets at work and places like that? Right living through right relationship. 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:46.000 Justice which is love your neighbor just as you love yourself. Shallow which is bringing 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:53.480 wholeness into their lives and equity which is fairness. This is what we practice inside. 00:18:54.480 --> 00:19:01.480 This is what we grow in. This is what we practice outside. This is what we grow in inside. Any 00:19:01.760 --> 00:19:08.760 questions on that? We said your maturity as a believer depends on how's this working? 00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:21.400 And your witness as a believer depends on how's this working? 00:19:23.480 --> 00:19:30.480 So when it comes to the in breaking of the kingdom, when it comes to the in breaking 00:19:36.240 --> 00:19:43.240 of the kingdom, it's covert as in it's secret. It's revolutionary as in it does not let status 00:19:43.240 --> 00:19:50.240 go and it's disruptive as in it shifts me, you, the church. I'm so glad that God keeps 00:19:55.760 --> 00:20:02.760 shifting Acts 29 like crazy every four or five years. It just shifts us out of the way 00:20:02.760 --> 00:20:09.760 we stand on everything that we are so passionate about. He just comes and covertly and then 00:20:23.040 --> 00:20:29.520 in a very revolutionary way and then disruptively brings us into something that we do not have 00:20:29.520 --> 00:20:36.520 a handle on. And good on you that you move with it. And so on one hand it's covert, 00:20:47.960 --> 00:20:54.960 it's revolutionary, it's disruptive. On the other hand we as citizens begin to practice 00:20:55.960 --> 00:21:02.960 a culture, practice customs that are congruent with Isaiah 61, 1 to 5, Isaiah 58, 6 to 12, 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:09.960 James 1, 27, Matthew 5, 1 to 10, the Beatitudes. We begin to have culture and custom that's 00:21:09.960 --> 00:21:16.960 congruent with or aligns with Isaiah 61, 1 to 5, Isaiah 58, 6 to 12, James 1, 27, Matthew 00:21:22.040 --> 00:21:29.040 5, 1 to 10, the Beatitudes. We begin to have culture and custom that's congruent with or 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:39.680 aligns with Isaiah 61, 1 to 5, Isaiah 58, 6 to 12, Isaiah 1, James 1, 27, Matthew 5, 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:46.960 and it really makes life difficult. Meanwhile when we meet, righteousness, peace, joy, power, 00:21:48.840 --> 00:21:55.840 rest is still increasing. But this becomes how we live. We talked about these scriptures 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:05.520 before so that's why I'm not going over it again. And so while we do this God will topple 00:22:05.520 --> 00:22:12.520 the proud, he will raise the bankrupt. When the kingdom is active the proud are toppled, 00:22:13.320 --> 00:22:20.320 the bankrupt are raised, and things are made right and new. And this will happen first 00:22:20.320 --> 00:22:27.320 in the church and then through the church. That's the beauty of it. It will start in 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:48.280 the church. The sifting always, when a new move of God comes because he wants it to take 00:22:48.280 --> 00:22:52.720 good root, he will sift the church first. So if I am proud there will be a toppling 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:58.000 of the proud. If you are bankrupt there will be a raising of the bankrupt. And things will 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:03.020 be made right in our lives. Things will be made new in our lives. This is a good time 00:23:03.020 --> 00:23:10.020 to hold up things that are not right and things that are old and decaying. I see us being 00:23:10.600 --> 00:23:14.680 here for the next three or four years. Two things that God will do in this church over 00:23:14.680 --> 00:23:19.640 the next three or four years. Bring us to a place of oneness and bring us to a place 00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:26.640 of functioning in a way that lives out the righteousness, justice, equity, and shalom 00:23:27.120 --> 00:23:34.120 of God outside, not inside. If we do that then Isaiah 58, 6-12 will go into effect, 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:44.160 which is what you guys will have your gardens watered by me and your healing will rise over 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:48.120 you. My healing will rise over you. We won't have long lines of healing here. It will be 00:23:48.120 --> 00:23:55.120 outside. We have everything we need because we have him. We should get tired of still 00:23:59.120 --> 00:24:03.720 crying out to him. Not because we don't have a need, but because we should be assured of 00:24:03.720 --> 00:24:10.720 what is met because we are in him and he is in us. Any questions? 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:21.160 No questions? What do you guys eat for the break? Dinna, are you okay? 00:24:23.560 --> 00:24:24.680 Caviar. 00:24:24.680 --> 00:24:31.680 Caviar? Okay. Mark Butler is not here. 00:24:32.480 --> 00:24:34.840 Take one question. 00:24:34.840 --> 00:24:38.400 What? I was just kidding. I didn't mean. Sorry, go ahead. 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:45.400 Okay, so you got three kids, right? Is there anything that will actively prevent you from 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:03.000 doing everything you can to help them even when they reject you? Yeah. This is crazy 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:11.000 man. And he is at least three trillion times better than you. 00:25:12.440 --> 00:25:16.400 But you know that there is the verse that says God gave them up to their reprobate minds. 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:21.640 Yeah. So he gives them up to their reprobate minds and still goes after them. There is 00:25:21.640 --> 00:25:26.640 not a gay person on the face of the earth who God is not seriously interested in. There 00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:33.080 is not an adulterer who God is not seriously interested in. There is not, I mean, I'm just 00:25:33.080 --> 00:25:37.800 taking two sexual preferences and talking about it that God is not seriously interested 00:25:37.800 --> 00:25:38.800 in. 00:25:38.800 --> 00:25:45.800 Is giving up a reflection of him giving us exercise? 00:25:45.800 --> 00:25:46.800 Can you say it a little louder? 00:25:46.800 --> 00:25:50.800 Is that an evidence of him giving us free will? 00:25:50.800 --> 00:25:51.800 Yeah. 00:25:51.800 --> 00:25:52.800 He's giving us free will. 00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:57.200 And he gives us free will so we can choose. On the other hand, he does not give up his 00:25:57.200 --> 00:26:02.400 free will where he chooses to keep coming after you. See, free will that we have is 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:09.400 a result of the free will that he has. He was under no obligation to like me. It's a 00:26:09.400 --> 00:26:15.600 free will choice he makes to like me and to like you. 00:26:15.600 --> 00:26:21.400 Maybe that came out slightly wrong. 00:26:21.400 --> 00:26:28.400 It was you Kamal. Let's not go further. 00:26:29.080 --> 00:26:36.080 We are called to be on hand. We are called to be on hand for God's kingdom, which is 00:26:36.080 --> 00:26:43.160 at hand. And God uses our little hands to disclose, engage, and to give us free will. 00:27:06.640 --> 00:27:13.640 Announce what, where, and how he is at work. 00:27:20.760 --> 00:27:27.480 We are on hand as in ready. I'm on hand. Not on a Sunday, not during a service. It's most 00:27:27.480 --> 00:27:33.000 of the kingdom work is done between you leaving here and the next time you come here. We are 00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:40.000 on hand, ready. This is why we need to notice where he's at work, who's he at work with, 00:27:40.360 --> 00:27:46.080 what is he doing, is there a role I have to play in this? 00:27:46.080 --> 00:27:50.240 Which is at hand. His kingdom is at hand. It's not fully consummated. It's at hand. 00:27:50.240 --> 00:27:56.560 It will come to pass fully. And our little hands, these little hands, this is where Trump 00:27:56.560 --> 00:28:01.560 might be disqualified, these little hands, we, sorry, shouldn't have gone there at all. 00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:08.960 These little hands disclose, engage, announce what, where, and how he is at work. And that's 00:28:10.680 --> 00:28:16.680 the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is God's rule that is benevolent, that is kind, 00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:23.680 that is drawing in, that is full of righteousness, that loves right relationship, that enjoys 00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:30.400 wholeness, that loves justice, that believes in fairness. That is what he wants to bring 00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:34.080 into people. And he brings it into people through my little hands and through your 00:28:34.080 --> 00:28:41.080 little hands. As we keep thinking of this, we'll soon understand what kingdom is. 00:28:48.080 --> 00:28:55.080 So let's go over that again. This God wants to bring his benevolent, kind, fatherly reign 00:28:56.080 --> 00:29:03.080 or rule into the earth. He wants people to have shalom as in the wholeness of body, soul, 00:29:07.520 --> 00:29:14.520 mind, spirit. Relationships are precious to him. He likes right living where you're in 00:29:14.520 --> 00:29:19.960 right relationship with him, with creation, with each other, with yourself. He loves doing 00:29:19.960 --> 00:29:24.960 this. Anybody who enters his kingdom, it's his desire that you savor this, you taste 00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:31.960 it, you like it, you live it. And then you distribute it. He loves equity, fairness. 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:39.240 He's loved it since Exodus when manna fell, saying everyone will have enough. And he loves 00:29:39.880 --> 00:29:45.760 justice. He's the fairest person on the face of the earth and he loves justice. He loves 00:29:45.760 --> 00:29:52.400 justice because what he loves for himself, he loves for me. Crazy. Part of being justified 00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:57.160 or made right with him is the reason now he says, go and make right things. Go and make 00:29:57.160 --> 00:30:04.160 things right in the world. You have been justified. You've been set right with me. Just as he 00:30:05.560 --> 00:30:10.080 says, love your neighbor as you love yourself, he did the same thing. Jacob, I love you just 00:30:10.080 --> 00:30:17.080 as I love my son. Everything that I want for my son, I want for you. Co-heirs. But 00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:24.680 he does it through our little hands to disclose, engage, and announce what, where, and how 00:30:25.040 --> 00:30:30.680 he is at work. What he's doing, where he's doing it, and how he's doing it. And the trick 00:30:30.680 --> 00:30:37.680 is very simple. Can you discern it? Can you discern it? 00:30:40.080 --> 00:30:47.080 If you go to Mark 1.15, Mark chapter 1 verse 15, I'll read it from the Passion Translation. 00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:58.680 Mark 1.15. I don't often choose that translation, but this is one of those occasions. Mark 1.15 00:31:01.360 --> 00:31:07.880 from the Passion Translation. His message was this, Jesus' message was this, at last 00:31:07.880 --> 00:31:12.960 the fulfillment of the age has come. It is time for the realm of God's kingdom to be 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:17.800 experienced in its fullness. Turn your lives back to God. Put your trust in the hope field 00:31:17.800 --> 00:31:24.800 gospel. He wants others to experience the reality of the kingdom. The question is, am 00:31:24.960 --> 00:31:31.960 I realizing it? Am I experiencing the reality of the kingdom in my life? Is peace, joy, 00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:39.640 right living, right relationship, hope, rest, power? Is this a reality in my life? You can 00:31:42.560 --> 00:31:49.560 only give to others what you already have in your life. So press towards it, eh? We've 00:31:49.920 --> 00:31:56.920 got to press towards it so we can give it. Such as I have, give I thee. Acts chapter 00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:04.920 3. So discern his activity. Discern his activity. Discern his activity. Become aware. Become 00:32:13.760 --> 00:32:20.760 aware. Always remember Luke 12.32. You know what he says there? I love these words. Do 00:32:20.760 --> 00:32:27.760 not be afraid. Then he uses this tender word, little flock. Do not be afraid little flock, 00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:43.720 for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. So, he says, do not be afraid. 00:32:51.080 --> 00:32:58.080 We'll just put it through you because we have received it. Do not be afraid little flock. 00:32:59.960 --> 00:33:06.040 As in, this is almost reminiscent of the letter to the Church of Philadelphia. I know you 00:33:06.040 --> 00:33:12.720 have little strength, but behold, I placed an open door before you. Do not be afraid 00:33:12.720 --> 00:33:19.400 little flock. So discern, eh? And to discern, I mean, let's just take a few things that 00:33:19.400 --> 00:33:26.400 we need to discern. They're very simple things. Look to see. That's where we start. We discern 00:33:34.320 --> 00:33:41.320 by looking to see. Not just looking. Looking to see. Look to see. Once you see, one of 00:33:41.320 --> 00:33:48.320 the things I was thinking about was this church has over the last 20 years learned 00:33:55.360 --> 00:34:02.360 how to hear. This church is a hearing church. I'm not talking about hearing from the pulpit. 00:34:04.000 --> 00:34:07.880 Most people who come to this church in a matter of two or three years know how to hear God. 00:34:07.880 --> 00:34:13.800 And that's how we operate. We hear God. Now you see how critical this hearing is. You 00:34:13.800 --> 00:34:18.160 look to see and you are able to hear. How do you want me to be involved with God? What 00:34:18.160 --> 00:34:25.160 are you doing in this life? I mean, I'll read you a story on Desmond Tutu, the Bishop of 00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:32.280 South Africa. When you hear that story in the end, you'll realize that some of the things 00:34:32.360 --> 00:34:39.360 that change a life and then affects a nation are such ridiculously simple things that you 00:34:40.640 --> 00:34:47.640 will yearn to be part of the work of the Spirit of God amongst 8 billion people over every 00:34:48.120 --> 00:34:55.120 inch of the earth. But look to see. Just start there. That's all we are asking for discernment 00:34:55.120 --> 00:35:02.120 this week. Look to see. That's it. Look to see. Look to see him at work. Look to see 00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:12.360 where people are at. Look at them. Look to see. It'll be fun. You'll enjoy. You'll suddenly 00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:23.880 begin to enjoy people. It doesn't matter who it is, the cruelest tyrant in not being able 00:35:25.120 --> 00:35:32.120 to get out of the country. It doesn't matter where. God is actively needing the clay of 00:35:33.240 --> 00:35:40.240 their life because they were made in his image and he wants them back. Look to see. Do you 00:35:45.040 --> 00:35:50.560 become citizens of the kingdom through any other means? No. Let me make it very clear. 00:35:50.560 --> 00:35:57.560 We talked about what the gospel of the kingdom was. It is required that I receive the invitation 00:35:58.840 --> 00:36:05.840 of King Jesus to enter his kingdom and recognize his life, death, resurrection and ascension 00:36:06.360 --> 00:36:13.360 to be a citizen in that kingdom. That does not change. Birthright citizenship is a kingdom 00:36:14.360 --> 00:36:21.360 thing unless you be born again. That doesn't change. So don't take this and say universalism 00:36:23.840 --> 00:36:30.840 is not. Kingdom is universal. Citizenship is not. You know Jesus wanted his disciples 00:36:30.840 --> 00:36:37.840 to get this and so one of the methods he would use was parables and parables was basically 00:36:40.600 --> 00:36:47.600 when he would say what can we compare? Mark 4.30 actually uses those words. What can we 00:36:47.640 --> 00:36:54.640 compare the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is the kingdom of God. The kingdom of 00:36:54.640 --> 00:37:01.640 God. What can we compare the kingdom of God to? That's usually how he would use it and 00:37:06.520 --> 00:37:13.520 let's look at some parables. Matthew 13 verse 31 to 33. Matthew 13, 31 to 33. Matthew 13, 00:37:15.400 --> 00:37:22.400 31 to 33. We'll be having communion before we leave. Matthew 13, 31 to 33. Matthew 13, 00:37:24.640 --> 00:37:31.640 33. Let's pick on two. He told them another parable. So he's trying to compare the kingdom 00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:41.520 of heaven to something that you and I can understand. He told them another parable. 00:37:41.520 --> 00:37:45.720 The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. You know I want to pause here and tell you 00:37:45.720 --> 00:37:52.720 something. Jesus didn't try to explain the kingdom of heaven to you. He didn't try to 00:37:54.640 --> 00:38:00.120 explain the kingdom of heaven by comparing it to kingdoms on the earth. We do. And I'm 00:38:00.120 --> 00:38:06.440 saying to you that there's something about it that does not ring true. You cannot take 00:38:06.440 --> 00:38:12.520 the kingdoms of the earth and examine what a kingdom on the earth has and then say this 00:38:12.520 --> 00:38:18.560 is how the kingdom of heaven looks. It does not translate. There are writers who write 00:38:18.560 --> 00:38:24.600 that way and I'm saying that's not how Jesus, Jesus had only kingdoms. He had no democracies 00:38:24.600 --> 00:38:30.720 when he was living on earth. Yeah? So that's not an accurate comparison. When he compares, 00:38:30.720 --> 00:38:37.720 he compares to bring out not how a kingdom is ordered. He tries to bring out the nature 00:38:38.600 --> 00:38:44.820 of the kingdom. Let's keep that in the back of your mind. So what can we compare the kingdom 00:38:44.820 --> 00:38:50.300 of Matthew 13, 31 to 33? He told them another parable. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard 00:38:50.300 --> 00:38:55.140 seed which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your 00:38:55.140 --> 00:39:00.180 seeds, yet when it grows it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree so that 00:39:00.180 --> 00:39:04.700 the birds of the air come and perch in its branches. He told them still another parable. 00:39:04.700 --> 00:39:08.460 The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of 00:39:08.460 --> 00:39:15.460 flour until it worked all through the dough. That's all. Such simple stories. So the parable 00:39:16.460 --> 00:39:23.460 of the mustard seed, the idea is tiny seed, insignificant, sowed in a field. And the field, 00:39:33.140 --> 00:39:40.140 guys, is always in these, in Matthew 13, the world. What happens to this tiny seed, insignificant, 00:39:40.140 --> 00:39:47.140 sowed in a field? It becomes a large tree where lepers, multitudes, sick, rich, poor 00:39:47.140 --> 00:39:54.140 can gather. The next parable of the yeast, yeast is covert as in secret. The next parable 00:40:17.140 --> 00:40:24.140 of the yeast is the world. Fifty liters of flour. This woman comes, puts a tiny bit of 00:40:25.300 --> 00:40:32.300 yeast in it. And then, again, the flour represents the world. The yeast is the kingdom. The world 00:40:38.660 --> 00:40:45.660 is corrupt. What is she trying to do? She's trying to corrupt the corruption. The world 00:40:47.140 --> 00:40:52.580 is corrupt. That's what we're doing, guys. We are corrupting the corruption. We are 00:40:52.580 --> 00:40:59.580 taking a tiny bit of justice or righteousness, right relationship, right living, shalom. 00:41:01.700 --> 00:41:05.260 We're taking it and we're putting it into the world that is corrupt, that does not know 00:41:05.260 --> 00:41:12.260 it, but we are corrupting the corruption. That's what we're doing. When you take yeast 00:41:12.260 --> 00:41:19.260 and mustard, you realize that a tiny act of yours will change everything. We don't believe 00:41:20.980 --> 00:41:26.420 it. You know how hard this is for me? It is as hard as believing eight years ago that 00:41:26.420 --> 00:41:33.420 two people or more constitutes a church. Eight years ago when I was told that two or more 00:41:33.860 --> 00:41:40.180 people constitute a church, I mean there are more things that constitute a church, but 00:41:40.180 --> 00:41:43.580 that two or more people constitute a church, that's one of the hardest things for a pastor 00:41:43.580 --> 00:41:49.460 to accept. That two or more people constitute a church. I'm finding it the same way here. 00:41:49.460 --> 00:41:56.460 That really a small act or 84 small acts between now and next Sunday is going to have the kingdom 00:41:58.580 --> 00:42:04.460 spring alive in lives that could one day affect a small town, a nation, a city because of 00:42:04.460 --> 00:42:08.340 what I do. And it's not going to be my preaching. It's not going to be my healing someone who 00:42:08.340 --> 00:42:11.700 is sick. By the way, most of the people that we heal that are sick are usually in the church. 00:42:11.700 --> 00:42:18.700 It's never outside if you realize. That when 100 of us do this, that the effect is ridiculous 00:42:22.180 --> 00:42:29.180 because now it's 8,400. Took 800,000 blows to bring down the Berlin Wall. 800,000 blows. 00:42:29.180 --> 00:42:36.180 Not together. It was people coming, young people coming, standing near the wall after 00:42:39.180 --> 00:42:44.900 Reagan made his speech and they began to hammer at the wall. 800,000 blows and at one point 00:42:44.900 --> 00:42:50.300 that blooming wall that had stood for so many years just began to crumble because it could 00:42:50.300 --> 00:42:56.660 not handle it anymore. And it was not organized. It was not as we sing on the fourth beat, 00:42:56.660 --> 00:43:03.660 together. No, nothing. It was random, guys, man. But the wall came down. Always remember 00:43:11.620 --> 00:43:18.620 the field of the world. The field of the world. Your effort of love, mercy, and love, and 00:43:26.660 --> 00:43:33.660 mercy, peace. He will take and weave into the tapestry of his reign. He's at work before 00:43:43.060 --> 00:43:47.580 you get there. He's at work while you are doing what you're doing. He's at work after 00:43:47.580 --> 00:43:54.580 he, after you leave. Today, when I saw that woman, the Spanish lady, he was at work before 00:43:55.540 --> 00:44:00.180 I got there. He was at work when I was looking at her. He was at work in her and he was at 00:44:00.180 --> 00:44:05.500 work in me. And he was at work after I left and went up to my apartment. What do you think 00:44:05.500 --> 00:44:11.020 will happen the next time I meet her? What do you think will happen? I don't know. But 00:44:11.020 --> 00:44:16.900 I know that this is a God who's active in the lives of 8 billion people the same way. 00:44:16.900 --> 00:44:21.580 Only does Jacob notice them every time he goes by because there is an opportunity for 00:44:21.580 --> 00:44:27.420 the kingdom to use my little hands, however it functions, to love, mercy, or peace, to 00:44:27.420 --> 00:44:34.420 bring about something that the king has longed for, for that woman since the beginning of 00:44:36.420 --> 00:44:43.420 time. It's so blooming simple it's frightening. 00:44:51.580 --> 00:44:58.580 Never forget that whether we believe it or not, the power, the power of the kingdom, 00:45:08.500 --> 00:45:15.500 as in his benevolent rule that's full of justice, equity, shalom, and right relationship, the 00:45:16.500 --> 00:45:23.500 power of the kingdom is, listen, Jesus said this, I better learn how to wrap my head around 00:45:24.340 --> 00:45:31.340 this. It's irresistible. It is irresistible and is quietly transforming. That is what 00:45:31.340 --> 00:45:38.340 we learn from the mustard and the yeast. Irresistible transforming. We will be unstoppable 00:45:38.340 --> 00:45:45.340 if we catch this, eh? We become, we become God's counter story in the world. We become 00:46:00.980 --> 00:46:07.980 God's counter story, as in, ah, so the world is going this way? Here. Here. Here. Here. 00:46:08.340 --> 00:46:15.340 Here comes a salmon of, nice healthy looking salmon called Jacob swimming upstream. Counter 00:46:18.660 --> 00:46:25.660 story. When your small hidden weak ministry discerns what God is doing and joins in that, 00:46:27.540 --> 00:46:33.100 where he directs, you become the hurricane that God is creating in Richmond. When, when 00:46:33.100 --> 00:46:40.100 you're weak, miserable ministry, poor, you don't know how to do much. But when that begins 00:46:42.060 --> 00:46:47.140 to discern what God is doing, where he's doing it, and you listen to his direction and begin 00:46:47.140 --> 00:46:54.060 to do it, that is when the kingdom that you exhale becomes a hurricane that begins to 00:46:54.060 --> 00:47:01.060 take over a group of people or a city or a nation. And this is where hearing becomes 00:47:01.260 --> 00:47:08.260 brilliant, because now as you hear, you just have to follow. In hindsight, I think to myself, 00:47:12.220 --> 00:47:17.060 God, you're so brilliant, you taught us how to hear so that you could set us up at this 00:47:17.060 --> 00:47:24.060 particular point in history so that as IKM keeps growing in us, EKM can begin to function. 00:47:24.060 --> 00:47:31.060 What is the, what is the sheet or the cloth or the cloak that he covers kingdom activity 00:47:40.900 --> 00:47:47.900 with? We said this last week, kindness, eh? Kindness. Remember, kindness is an expression 00:47:54.220 --> 00:48:01.220 of God's goodness, which is an expression of God's glory. Work it backwards now. Kindness 00:48:10.780 --> 00:48:16.180 is an expression of God's goodness, which is an expression of God's glory. It'll break 00:48:16.180 --> 00:48:23.180 down barriers. It'll open doors. I mean, you should read Leviticus 19. Leviticus 19. 00:48:24.140 --> 00:48:31.140 This is very old, man. It's not some newfangled thing that God came up with. Leviticus 19. 00:48:32.300 --> 00:48:39.300 Nine onwards. This is kindness. This is kindness to the people outside the commonwealth of 00:48:42.460 --> 00:48:48.020 Israel. It's not for the Israelite. It's for those that are outside of it, for the alien, 00:48:48.020 --> 00:48:55.020 for the immigrant, for those that are not part of your family. Leviticus 19. Nine onwards. 00:48:56.340 --> 00:49:00.260 When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or 00:49:00.260 --> 00:49:04.100 gather the greenings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick 00:49:04.100 --> 00:49:07.380 up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord 00:49:07.380 --> 00:49:11.700 your God. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. Do not swear falsely. 00:49:11.700 --> 00:49:16.780 Let by my name and so profane the name of your God, I am the Lord. Do not defraud your 00:49:16.780 --> 00:49:21.140 neighbor or rob him. Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight. Do not curse 00:49:21.140 --> 00:49:24.820 the deaf and put a stumbling block in front of the blind. But fear your God. I am the 00:49:24.820 --> 00:49:29.180 Lord. Do not pervert justice. Do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the 00:49:29.180 --> 00:49:34.300 great. But judge your neighbor fairly. Do not go spreading slander amongst your people. 00:49:34.300 --> 00:49:38.460 Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the Lord. Do not hate your brother 00:49:38.460 --> 00:49:42.260 in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. Do not 00:49:42.260 --> 00:49:46.620 seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people. But love your neighbor as 00:49:46.620 --> 00:49:53.620 yourself. I am the Lord. This is the kingdom at work. You're talking about righteousness. 00:49:55.780 --> 00:50:02.780 You're talking about justice, shalom and equity. This is it at work. And it's as old as Leviticus. 00:50:02.780 --> 00:50:09.780 You know, our culture does not believe that God is good or God is kind. When they see 00:50:16.580 --> 00:50:23.620 no strings attached kindness in us, it will address the distortion. It will open doors. 00:50:23.620 --> 00:50:29.620 Our culture does not believe that God is good or God is kind. In fact, it's exactly opposite. 00:50:29.620 --> 00:50:34.060 I'm saying to you that as we sit here in this room, there are people in this room that 00:50:34.060 --> 00:50:39.940 do not believe that God is always kind and God is always good. We think he's neutral. 00:50:39.940 --> 00:50:45.860 There are people in this room who think God is neutral. That he's neither bad nor good. 00:50:45.860 --> 00:50:51.180 So if that's the case, in the pew, how much more? Outside. Where people really don't believe 00:50:51.180 --> 00:50:56.060 God is good or God is kind. And then when they meet someone who has no strings attached 00:50:56.060 --> 00:51:01.860 kindness. Remember my Amway story from last week. If you're going to sit and listen to 00:51:01.860 --> 00:51:08.180 my testimony to sell me Amway, after I, when I find out that you were patiently listening 00:51:08.180 --> 00:51:15.180 to my story to sell me Amway, I'll be pretty upset. When we show kindness because we want 00:51:16.520 --> 00:51:23.520 someone to say the sinner's prayer, it's the same thing, man. 00:51:27.060 --> 00:51:34.620 I know. It just sits here thinking, there's something wrong with this. We have to get 00:51:34.620 --> 00:51:41.620 them saved. I know. Here's the thing guys. If you read the parable further, there's a 00:51:42.580 --> 00:51:49.260 parable called the parable of the weeds. And in the parable of the weeds, the servant knows 00:51:49.260 --> 00:51:53.700 that there are, there is wheat and there are weeds. There's a translation of the parable 00:51:53.700 --> 00:51:58.940 which says, Oh, God lets them grow together because you might, you can't distinguish. 00:51:58.940 --> 00:52:04.780 No, the servant comes and says to the master, we saw weeds among the weeds. So the servants 00:52:04.780 --> 00:52:10.540 knew, but here's the wisdom of God. And sometimes when you say the wisdom of God, it's like, 00:52:10.540 --> 00:52:15.460 you really don't know why. Here's the wisdom of God. He has decided that the good and the 00:52:15.460 --> 00:52:21.980 evil will grow together till the end. And only then will there be a separation in his 00:52:22.020 --> 00:52:28.520 wisdom. He has decided it. So like it or not, evil will continue in the world. But as evil 00:52:28.520 --> 00:52:35.520 continues in the world, the kingdom is spreading. As evil continues in the world. And he very 00:52:42.100 --> 00:52:48.180 clearly says, I am the son of man. I planted the sons of the kingdom into the world. But 00:52:48.340 --> 00:52:53.220 while we were sleeping, the devil has planted sons of evil. Do not pluck them out right 00:52:53.220 --> 00:53:00.220 now. Let them grow together. A day will come and that's his wisdom. And then there will 00:53:01.540 --> 00:53:08.540 be a separation of the evil and the good, the good sheep. But till that day, you know 00:53:08.580 --> 00:53:14.020 what bothers me more? When, when there's a counterfeit church, it's one thing to have 00:53:14.020 --> 00:53:19.700 sons of evil. But when the sons of the kingdom begin to behave like the sons of evil, Jesus 00:53:19.700 --> 00:53:24.300 talked about that. At one point he says, the sons of the kingdom shall gnash their teeth 00:53:24.300 --> 00:53:28.340 and shall be cast into outer darkness. While people will come from the east and the west 00:53:28.340 --> 00:53:35.340 and the north and the south and they shall sit at the table. Let me read you that story. 00:53:36.780 --> 00:53:43.620 It highlights what kindness can do. What some of the things you and I can do this week, 00:53:43.620 --> 00:53:50.020 how it will affect people. We should be the kindest people in our city guys, because it 00:53:50.020 --> 00:53:54.940 is the character of the living God who resides in us. I should be the kindest. I and you 00:53:54.940 --> 00:54:01.940 should be the, you and I should be the kindest people in the city because the character of 00:54:02.940 --> 00:54:09.940 the living God who resides in us is kindness. Yeah, make an effort to be kind. And if kindness 00:54:10.900 --> 00:54:16.620 is not tested, it's not kindness. You can be kind to your dog, but wait till you get 00:54:16.620 --> 00:54:23.620 a cat and then your kindness is tested. Yeah. That's not a parable, I guess. Not everybody 00:54:25.260 --> 00:54:32.260 caught that one. So, let me text an apology to Tommy before I continue my notes. But the 00:54:32.260 --> 00:54:39.260 task that is placed in our hands this week, whether you're in Whistler, Surrey, at work, 00:54:39.260 --> 00:54:46.260 or the backyard, chatting to your neighbor. The task that is placed in our hands this 00:54:49.420 --> 00:54:56.420 week, whether you're in Whistler, Surrey, at work, or the backyard, chatting to your 00:54:56.420 --> 00:55:03.420 neighbor. The task that is placed in our hands this week, as we await the consummation of 00:55:03.420 --> 00:55:11.420 all things, is to plant plantŠ£ eaten from your body, complete focus on your plants. 00:55:33.420 --> 00:55:52.420 mustard seeds and mixed yeast into the world. 00:55:56.420 --> 00:55:59.420 So here's the story. 00:56:03.420 --> 00:56:09.420 So Desmond Tutu was a South African bishop. 00:56:09.420 --> 00:56:11.420 He won the Nobel Peace Prize. 00:56:11.420 --> 00:56:14.420 He died in 2021. 00:56:14.420 --> 00:56:21.420 He was someone who worked with Nelson Mandela to bring about reconciliation after apartheid. 00:56:21.420 --> 00:56:23.420 He had outspoken views. 00:56:23.420 --> 00:56:25.420 He was a priest. 00:56:25.420 --> 00:56:27.420 Quite a man, eh? 00:56:27.420 --> 00:56:32.420 So he is, in case you don't know who he is, he died in 2021. 00:56:32.420 --> 00:56:34.420 But here's the story. 00:56:34.420 --> 00:56:36.420 This is him writing, 00:56:36.420 --> 00:56:47.420 One of the earliest and most painful memories of my childhood is accompanying my father, a school principal, to the shop. 00:56:47.420 --> 00:56:52.420 I think it was in this place called Wenter's Dorp. 00:56:52.420 --> 00:57:00.420 And there I witnessed him being humiliated by a young white shop assistant who addressed him as, 00:57:00.420 --> 00:57:05.420 Yeah, boy, by one much younger than himself. 00:57:05.420 --> 00:57:11.420 And I watched as my father was forced to swallow his pride. 00:57:11.420 --> 00:57:15.420 But I also remember a different sort of experience. 00:57:15.420 --> 00:57:24.420 When he was quite young, when Desmond Tutu was young, he and his mother encountered a man called Trevor Huddleston, 00:57:24.420 --> 00:57:34.420 A white Anglican priest whose fierce anti-apartheid stance cut deeply against the grain of most whites in South Africa, 00:57:34.420 --> 00:57:37.420 even against many in his own church. 00:57:37.420 --> 00:57:41.420 But when Desmond Tutu met Huddleston, he did not know who he was. 00:57:41.420 --> 00:57:44.420 He was not aware of his prominence or his outspoken views. 00:57:44.420 --> 00:57:49.420 For Tutu, Huddleston was just a man walking down the street. 00:57:49.420 --> 00:57:53.420 But the experience of meeting him was life-changing. 00:57:53.420 --> 00:58:00.420 Tutu said, I believe the most defining moment of my life occurred when I was about nine years old, 00:58:00.420 --> 00:58:07.420 outside the Blind Institute at Rudaport, where my mother was a domestic worker. 00:58:07.420 --> 00:58:15.420 We were standing on the step when this tall white man in a black cassock and a hat swept by. 00:58:15.420 --> 00:58:18.420 I did not know that it was Trevor Huddleston. 00:58:18.420 --> 00:58:22.420 He doffed his hat in greeting my mother. 00:58:22.420 --> 00:58:30.420 I was relatively stunned at the time, but only later came to realize the extent to which it had blown my mind 00:58:30.420 --> 00:58:34.420 that a white man would doff his hat to my mother. 00:58:34.420 --> 00:58:37.420 It was something I could never have imagined. 00:58:37.420 --> 00:58:40.420 The impossible was possible. 00:58:40.420 --> 00:58:45.420 A simple gesture, the doffing of a hat in respect, 00:58:45.420 --> 00:58:49.420 and yet it was a gesture that defied both the law of South Africa 00:58:49.420 --> 00:58:57.420 and the prevailing culture of racial hatred, a gesture so outside the norm that Tutu called it impossible. 00:58:57.420 --> 00:59:03.420 Tutu was so shocked by this action that he asked his mother why the man had done it. 00:59:03.420 --> 00:59:07.420 Because he is an Anglican priest, his mother told him, he is a man of God. 00:59:07.420 --> 00:59:12.420 When she told him that he was an Anglican priest, 00:59:12.420 --> 00:59:17.420 I decided there and then that I wanted to be an Anglican priest too. 00:59:17.420 --> 00:59:21.420 And what is more, I wanted to be a man of God, said Tutu. 00:59:21.420 --> 00:59:28.420 To realize that this small gesture by a follower of Jesus was pivotal for Desmond Tutu's life and vocation 00:59:28.420 --> 00:59:34.420 is to witness the smallest of all seeds transformed into a tree 00:59:34.420 --> 00:59:41.420 and a little bit countercultural yeast eventually leavening a whole nation. 00:59:47.420 --> 00:59:52.420 Crazy, eh? 01:00:10.420 --> 01:00:15.420 All strangers, guys, these are all strangers. 01:00:18.420 --> 01:00:25.420 I love the question God asked when I was looking at these pictures, what do you see? 01:00:32.420 --> 01:00:35.420 What do you see? 01:00:35.420 --> 01:00:38.420 Yeah. 01:00:44.420 --> 01:00:47.420 Yeah. 01:00:50.420 --> 01:00:55.420 Made me aware of how sometimes critical it is to document things, eh? 01:00:55.420 --> 01:01:02.420 See, we are not going to take this and build three little huts and dote on this forever. 01:01:02.420 --> 01:01:06.420 That's not what we are doing. Peter tried doing that, that's not what we are doing. 01:01:06.420 --> 01:01:11.420 This happened, we move on, but it just gives you an idea of how God works, man. 01:01:11.420 --> 01:01:13.420 Yeah? 01:01:13.420 --> 01:01:16.420 Let's break bread. 01:01:32.420 --> 01:01:37.420 I want to read two passages as we break bread. 01:01:37.420 --> 01:01:44.420 Can you go to Matthew 25? Matthew 25, 31? Matthew 25, 31? 01:01:44.420 --> 01:01:51.420 Let's read from 31 to 40. If someone can read it, Matthew 25, 31 to 40. 01:01:51.420 --> 01:01:54.420 Prosper, can you give someone the mic? 01:01:54.420 --> 01:01:57.420 The mic is right up here. 01:01:57.420 --> 01:02:00.420 Okay. 01:02:00.420 --> 01:02:03.420 Okay. 01:02:03.420 --> 01:02:06.420 Okay. 01:02:06.420 --> 01:02:09.420 Okay. 01:02:09.420 --> 01:02:11.420 Okay. 01:02:11.420 --> 01:02:14.420 Prosper, can you give someone the mic? 01:02:14.420 --> 01:02:16.420 The mic is right up here. 01:02:16.420 --> 01:02:26.420 Matthew 25, 31 to 40. If someone can read that, and then if someone else can read Luke 10, 25 to 37. 01:02:26.420 --> 01:02:29.420 Luke 10, 25 to 37. 01:02:29.420 --> 01:02:37.420 Matthew 25, 31 to 40. 01:02:37.420 --> 01:02:44.420 Luke 10, 25 to 37. 01:02:44.420 --> 01:02:51.420 And we eat and drink together, so if you get your bread and your grape juice, just hold on to it. 01:02:51.420 --> 01:02:54.420 But when the Son of Man comes in his glory. 01:02:54.420 --> 01:02:57.420 One sec, who's reading? 01:02:57.420 --> 01:03:10.420 Oh, Karen, just wait for a second and read as loud as you can. 01:03:10.420 --> 01:03:17.420 Thank you, thank you. 01:03:17.420 --> 01:03:30.420 We eat and drink together, yeah, just hold. 01:03:30.420 --> 01:03:33.420 Okay, Karen, go ahead. 01:03:33.420 --> 01:03:41.420 But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 01:03:41.420 --> 01:03:48.420 And all the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 01:03:48.420 --> 01:03:52.420 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 01:03:52.420 --> 01:04:01.420 Then the king will say to those on his right, come, you who are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 01:04:01.420 --> 01:04:10.420 For I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you invited me into your home. 01:04:10.420 --> 01:04:17.420 I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me. 01:04:17.420 --> 01:04:23.420 Then these righteous ones will reply, Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? 01:04:23.420 --> 01:04:28.420 Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? 01:04:28.420 --> 01:04:34.420 Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you? 01:04:34.420 --> 01:04:43.420 And the king will say, I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me. 01:04:43.420 --> 01:04:49.420 Cool. Next one, Luke 10, 25 to 37. 01:04:49.420 --> 01:04:55.420 Someone wants to read that? 01:04:55.420 --> 01:05:05.420 Brandon. 01:05:25.420 --> 01:05:28.420 You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live. 01:05:28.420 --> 01:05:33.420 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, and who is my neighbor? 01:05:33.420 --> 01:05:42.420 Jesus replied, a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 01:05:42.420 --> 01:05:48.420 Now, by chance, a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 01:05:48.420 --> 01:05:54.420 So likewise, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 01:05:54.420 --> 01:05:59.420 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 01:05:59.420 --> 01:06:03.420 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. 01:06:03.420 --> 01:06:07.420 Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 01:06:07.420 --> 01:06:16.420 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back. 01:06:16.420 --> 01:06:21.420 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? 01:06:21.420 --> 01:06:26.420 He said, the one who showed him mercy. And Jesus said to him, you go and do likewise. 01:06:26.420 --> 01:06:30.420 Cool. Stories that we haven't read for a while. 01:06:40.420 --> 01:06:46.420 Cool. So, Father, we just wanted to read those passages so that 01:06:46.420 --> 01:06:55.420 we could remind ourselves of how you see things and how we will see things this week. 01:06:55.420 --> 01:06:59.420 We have received much kindness from you. 01:06:59.420 --> 01:07:05.420 I think it's in Titus where it says, where's that scripture, guys? 01:07:05.420 --> 01:07:09.420 It's Titus. 01:07:09.420 --> 01:07:13.420 Do you remember? 01:07:13.420 --> 01:07:18.420 It talks about the kindness of God. Titus 3, verse 4. 01:07:18.420 --> 01:07:25.420 Titus 3, verse 4. I'll read it from verse 3 onwards. Titus 3, verse 3 and 4. 01:07:25.420 --> 01:07:34.420 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. 01:07:34.420 --> 01:07:40.420 We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 01:07:41.420 --> 01:07:49.420 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior appeared, 01:07:49.420 --> 01:07:54.420 He saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. 01:07:54.420 --> 01:07:58.420 He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 01:07:58.420 --> 01:08:02.420 whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 01:08:02.420 --> 01:08:10.420 so that having been justified by grace, we might become heirs, having the hope of eternal life. 01:08:10.420 --> 01:08:16.420 Cool. So Father, on the night your son was betrayed, he took bread, he gave thanks, 01:08:16.420 --> 01:08:22.420 and then he broke it and he said, this is my body which is broken for you. 01:08:22.420 --> 01:08:26.420 We sit in remembrance of me and we eat together, Father. 01:08:44.420 --> 01:08:50.420 Father, we are a covenant people, we are a community. What we do, we do together. 01:08:50.420 --> 01:08:57.420 I pray, Holy Spirit, that you would give us one-mindedness, like-mindedness in this that you are teaching us. 01:08:57.420 --> 01:09:02.420 You've given us an area to work in, Richmond. 01:09:02.420 --> 01:09:07.420 Give us one-mindedness. We can't do it, you can do it. 01:09:07.420 --> 01:09:12.420 The letter to the Philippians was about one-mindedness, like-mindedness. 01:09:12.420 --> 01:09:24.420 Can you, as a people of the Spirit, discern what I'm doing and join me in what I'm doing in this city? 01:09:24.420 --> 01:09:29.420 Can you do that with one mind? We want to say, yes, Abba. 01:09:29.420 --> 01:09:36.420 I guess you didn't hear that, Father. We want to say, yes, Abba. Yeah, we do. 01:09:36.420 --> 01:09:42.420 So looking forward to what you're going to do in our midst, Abba. 01:09:42.420 --> 01:09:44.420 Not what you're going to do in our midst. 01:09:44.420 --> 01:09:54.420 We are so looking forward to experiencing what kingdom looks like with people. 01:09:54.420 --> 01:10:02.420 We don't want Nineveh to come into Goshen. We want Nineveh to become Goshen. 01:10:03.420 --> 01:10:06.420 That's crazy, Abba. 01:10:06.420 --> 01:10:13.420 We don't want Nineveh to come into Goshen. We want Nineveh to become Goshen. 01:10:13.420 --> 01:10:20.420 Yes, evil will exist alongside good, but boy, you're up to something and we're so glad you're part of it. 01:10:20.420 --> 01:10:27.420 And so on the night he was betrayed, after supper, he took the cup, he gave thanks, and he said, 01:10:27.420 --> 01:10:31.420 This is my blood with which I write a new agreement with you. 01:10:31.420 --> 01:10:37.420 A part of the new agreement was not just with us, but through us, for them. 01:10:37.420 --> 01:10:42.420 One of the coolest statements he makes when people really wanted him was, 01:10:42.420 --> 01:10:49.420 I got more sheep that I have to get from out there so I can join them to the herd. 01:10:49.420 --> 01:10:54.420 So, Father, we raise up our glasses to you, O magnificent King, 01:10:54.420 --> 01:10:59.420 who laid down your life not for Christians, but for all the eight billion people who exist. 01:10:59.420 --> 01:11:04.420 We salute you and you say, We shall be worthy of the walk that you have called us to 01:11:04.420 --> 01:11:09.420 and of the new thing that you're doing in our midst. And we as a church say, Yes. 01:11:09.420 --> 01:11:14.420 So we bless you as we drink and we recognize that you're already at work. 01:11:14.420 --> 01:11:19.420 All we are doing is joining you. 01:11:19.420 --> 01:11:21.420 Let's drink together.