WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Kingdom Metrics 4 - Nazareth Manifesto Publishing Date: 2026-10-25T03:04:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/kingdom-metrics-4-nazareth-manifesto/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:22.940 Today we start with this idea of Kingdom Metrics, four, which we have been talking about. If 00:00:22.940 --> 00:00:29.640 you want a title, I like the idea of Nazareth Manifesto. If you go to Luke 4, 16-19, and 00:00:30.280 --> 00:00:36.280 that is where we will be spending a lot of time, you will see the Nazareth Manifesto. 00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:39.280 Another word for it is the Kingdom Manifesto. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:01:01.920 You see the Kingdom Manifesto or Nazareth Manifesto read out in Luke 4, 16-19. Let's look at it. 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:15.560 It says, the Spirit of the Lord—so the Spirit of who? The Spirit of the Lord—is on me, 00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:39.200 as in has filled me. Why? Because He has anointed me to do what? So let's just stop there because 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:46.840 this is fascinating. So it is the Spirit of the living God. As much as this applies to 00:01:46.840 --> 00:01:53.840 Jesus, it now applies to the body, to His body. So the Spirit of the Lord is on me. 00:01:53.840 --> 00:02:00.840 On me as in has filled me. Why? The answer seems to be because He has anointed me to 00:02:01.240 --> 00:02:08.240 do what. That is where we stop. So you notice there are two things. There is the anointing 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:18.240 and there is filling. So here are a couple of questions we can ask. Which comes first? 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:29.240 And then there is the task because it is for a work or for a task. So which comes first? 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:37.240 Does the anointing come first or the task come first? Which comes first? Yeah. We love 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:49.520 receiving an anointing, but if you don't have a task that you have both grasped and have 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:57.080 begun to practice, the anointing is moot. So in the scripture there are three things 00:02:57.080 --> 00:03:04.080 happening. The Spirit of the Lord is on me as in has filled me. Why? Because He has anointed 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:14.080 me. Why? Because He wants me to do something. The task has to come first. Jesus knew His 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:22.360 task. Most people in churches, most pastors, we don't know our task. We are told our task. 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:30.360 We know what the Christian task is, but sometimes we don't know the task. Once you know the 00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:37.360 task, then the anointing and the filling make sense. Otherwise, what's the point of being 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:49.360 anointed? And in that, again, we see that the words anointing and filling do two things 00:03:49.600 --> 00:03:56.600 for you. The word anointing is to set apart and recognize or validate the authority you 00:04:12.200 --> 00:04:19.200 have. And the filling is the anointing. The anointing is the filling that you have. The 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:26.360 empowering to carry out the task you have. The empowering of the power to carry out the 00:04:33.440 --> 00:04:40.440 task you have. And it's supernatural power, supernatural capacity to do it. One recognizes 00:04:40.440 --> 00:04:47.440 or validates the authority that you have. One fills you with power so that you can now 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:55.800 walk and work in the authority you have. But before the anointing, there is a task. Do 00:04:55.880 --> 00:05:02.880 I know my task? Or do I take on whatever needs to be fixed? And the anointing is the filling 00:05:03.540 --> 00:05:10.540 of the anointing and filling of the anointing. And the filling is the filling that you have. 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:20.800 You'll see this in 1 Samuel 16, 13. In 1 Samuel 16, 13 you'll find that Samuel anointed the 00:05:33.080 --> 00:05:40.080 Lord, David, and as soon as Samuel anoints David, the Holy Spirit fills him. And in anointing 00:05:42.600 --> 00:05:49.600 him, you recognize that it is a validating of who David is. Let's go read it. 1 Samuel 00:05:49.800 --> 00:05:56.800 16. 1 Samuel 16. We're starting at verse 11. So, the first thing that we do is we read 00:06:02.880 --> 00:06:09.880 verse 11. So, he asks Jesse, are these all the sons you have? There is still the youngest. 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:16.840 Jesse answered, but he's tending the sheep. See, these are people with no pedigree. They're 00:06:16.840 --> 00:06:23.640 not even lining them up because they don't think they can be of much value. He says, 00:06:23.640 --> 00:06:29.040 there's still the youngest. Jesse answered, but he's tending the sheep. Samuel said, send 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:36.040 for him. We will not sit down until he arrives. So, he sent and had him brought in. He was 00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:40.440 ruddy with a fine appearance and handsome features. I mean, if you can't picture that, 00:06:40.440 --> 00:06:45.520 just look at me. And so, he had him brought in. He was ruddy with a fine appearance and 00:06:45.520 --> 00:06:51.280 handsome features. Then the Lord said, rise and anoint him. He is the one. So, Samuel 00:06:51.280 --> 00:06:56.080 took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. And from that day 00:06:56.080 --> 00:07:03.080 on, the spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Crazy, eh? So, the filling and the 00:07:03.200 --> 00:07:10.200 anointing go together for a task. The same thing was done to Saul. If you go to 1 Samuel 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:17.480 10, you'll find the same thing happening to Saul. And so, one needs to know the task and 00:07:17.480 --> 00:07:24.480 the task has to come first. And so, let's continue. So, the Lord said, I will not let 00:07:26.080 --> 00:07:33.080 you go. And this is why, knowing the task, having the supernatural power of the Spirit 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:41.720 who fills you so that you have the capacity to do what is required and the anointing, 00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:50.440 like it's a trifecta, you need all three. And the anointing happens in front of people. 00:07:50.440 --> 00:07:56.160 Samuel doesn't do this in camera in Jesse's store room. All the brothers are there. And 00:07:56.160 --> 00:08:03.160 that is why often the anointing immediately invites opposition and jealousy. Because it's 00:08:05.880 --> 00:08:12.880 always in front of others. And if my heart is not ready, then to see you being chosen 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:19.320 and validated can upset me. Because skill-wise, talent-wise, I might be better than you. 00:08:19.320 --> 00:08:26.320 It doesn't... Today, it doesn't have to be the pouring of oil, but it's a recognition 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:38.680 that... And Paul, Timothy, the church presbytery in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy used to do this. And 00:08:42.160 --> 00:08:49.160 there's value to it, eh? In a world that craves equality and democracy, and it's a very important 00:08:49.320 --> 00:08:55.880 thing. The church is trying to get rid of it so that we are all equal in function. And 00:08:55.880 --> 00:09:02.880 it is not true. It is not true. I should really... Chaff, stick it in your pipe and smoke it. 00:09:02.880 --> 00:09:09.880 I don't know where that came from. But the point is, man, at a time when democracy and 00:09:09.880 --> 00:09:16.880 equality are something that we all crave after, unfortunately, this is how we think that now. 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:28.240 Can't do it that way. Thank God. I'm not going to be able to do it that way. I'm going to 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:35.240 set these rules. So, he has anointed me, and then we go to the task. The task is to preach 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:42.240 or announce. These are different words that we can use to preach or announce or declare 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:51.240 or proclaim. And I'm going to do it that way. I'm going to do it that way. I'm going to 00:09:55.320 --> 00:10:02.320 do it that way. I'm going to do it that way. I'm going to do it that way. I'm going to 00:10:05.240 --> 00:10:12.240 preach the gospel to the poor. Let me just veer off here. Guys, the gospel of salvation 00:10:21.160 --> 00:10:28.160 will take you to Genesis 3. The gospel of the kingdom will take you to Genesis 1. 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:41.320 The gospel of salvation, the simple salvation message, will take you to Genesis 3, where 00:10:41.320 --> 00:10:48.320 you now have what happens in Genesis 3 is God saying, the serpent will keep running 00:10:51.240 --> 00:10:58.240 on the ground. The soil may get hard. But he doesn't curse Adam. He blesses Adam, and 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:05.640 he says to Eve that even though you will bear children in pain, it is the seed of the woman 00:11:05.640 --> 00:11:12.640 that will step on the serpent's head. And so, the gospel of salvation where you receive 00:11:12.920 --> 00:11:17.840 Christ and he is your savior and he's the lord of your life and the church will take 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:22.120 you to Genesis 3. It will reverse Genesis 3. But the gospel of the kingdom that we talked 00:11:22.120 --> 00:11:28.160 about last week will take you to Genesis 1. It's the reconciling or the redemption of 00:11:28.280 --> 00:11:35.280 or buying back of all creation, of everything. There's no plan B. We are not going to a heaven 00:11:40.880 --> 00:11:46.520 that is somewhere out there. The earth will be recreated. New heavens and new earth will 00:11:46.520 --> 00:11:52.680 be restored back to the time of Genesis 1. But things were not broken. Things were not 00:11:52.880 --> 00:11:58.600 sad. Things were not bad. For a moment, can you imagine what it would be like if you thought 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:05.600 of yourself as not broken? Not inadequate. Not lacking. Not insufficient. What would 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:16.000 it be like for a second if I could see how God actually delights over me as if I was 00:12:16.920 --> 00:12:21.480 unique and just created? What would it be like to go back to that place where nothing 00:12:21.480 --> 00:12:28.480 was broken? And that's what he's trying to say in Revelation 21.4 where he's saying, 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:35.480 Emily K., a time is coming. Jane, a time is coming where everything will be made new. 00:12:40.040 --> 00:12:47.040 Sometimes think of yourself as new. And sometimes the only way to think of yourself as new is 00:12:48.040 --> 00:12:55.040 to take your eyes off yourself and your circumstances and lock them on Christ. It's the only way. 00:13:08.040 --> 00:13:15.040 So, pre-da good news to the poor. Any questions thus far? 00:13:18.040 --> 00:13:23.040 My question guy is being questioned by kids today, so he isn't here. 00:13:23.040 --> 00:13:30.040 Dilla. Are they happy? Any questions, guys? I mean, when you think of it, this is beautiful. 00:13:33.040 --> 00:13:40.040 It can really shift the way you think. Okay. He has anointed me to preach the good news 00:13:40.040 --> 00:13:47.040 to the poor. So who are the poor? When you look at how Jesus thought of the poor, it 00:13:47.040 --> 00:13:54.040 would be the widow, it would be the unclean, it would be the Gentile, it would be someone 00:13:56.040 --> 00:14:03.040 of low status, and it would be anyone troubled or distressed by the poor. And it would be 00:14:04.040 --> 00:14:11.040 anyone troubled or distressed by sin. That's how he thought of the poor. It's anyone outside 00:14:23.640 --> 00:14:30.640 how do we think of it, outside of our social boundaries. So don't always think of oppressed 00:14:34.040 --> 00:14:41.040 people. Sometimes you have to think of anyone distressed or troubled in sin. I mean, Zacchaeus 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:48.120 was not poor, Levi the tax collector was not poor, the rich man who came to him was definitely 00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:55.120 not poor because they call him the rich man. But in all these cases, Jesus is delivering 00:14:55.920 --> 00:15:02.920 the declaring or proclaiming the gospel to them because what he did was he was a Christian 00:15:03.200 --> 00:15:07.320 and he was a Christian. So one's caught in sin, distressed and poor. And yes, there is 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:14.320 the other side of those that are socially, economically poor and oppressed. Yes, that 00:15:14.800 --> 00:15:21.800 exists too. But if the church were only to concentrate on that, then it's not the whole 00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:29.440 gospel for the whole world. I remember at one point in my life being really concerned 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:36.960 about people on Hastings downtown. And I remember being able to gather a whole group of businessmen 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:48.240 who came and I was trying to see if I could start like a cafe in downtown on Hastings 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:54.640 and Columbia and see if something happens. And these businessmen came and they were willing 00:15:55.040 --> 00:16:02.040 to listen. Most of them were willing to help. But my God, man, my spiel just dissed them 00:16:03.400 --> 00:16:08.520 like crazy saying, you guys need to empty your pockets and help the poor. If you don't 00:16:08.520 --> 00:16:13.040 help the poor, God will not listen to your cry. Don't you know that the Proverbs says 00:16:13.040 --> 00:16:18.400 that he who does not listen to the cry of the poor will be shown no mercy by God? I 00:16:18.400 --> 00:16:23.360 got them. By the time I was done, most of them didn't want anything to do with me, man. 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:29.880 Why? Because sometimes we can get so obsessed with one ministry or one thing that that becomes 00:16:29.880 --> 00:16:36.880 everything. It's like an appendage that is so large that all you see is my nose. Just 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:45.080 know that this is why we go back to that idea of task. Churches have tasks and churches 00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:50.580 have tasks and seasons. You have tasks. Carry the burden of the task given to you right 00:16:50.780 --> 00:16:55.540 now because there will be someone else who will carry the burden of another task. And 00:16:55.540 --> 00:17:02.540 then we come together as a net and things happen. Otherwise you'll be crushed under 00:17:02.580 --> 00:17:09.580 the weight of both the world and the church. So for some of us it is important that we 00:17:09.580 --> 00:17:16.580 join William Booth and the Salvation Army. For some of us it is important to do other 00:17:21.540 --> 00:17:28.540 things. Find out. It's great when you find out. Then it talks about he has sent and the 00:17:28.540 --> 00:17:35.540 word used there is apostolo. By the way, this word is not a spiritual word. It's a very 00:17:37.660 --> 00:17:44.660 secular word used by the Romans whenever they would send people to colonize and then begin 00:17:44.700 --> 00:17:51.700 to impress their culture on the people that they had colonized. And it's a very secular 00:17:51.700 --> 00:17:58.700 word. It's a very secular word. It's a very secular word. It's a very secular word. It's 00:17:58.740 --> 00:18:05.740 a very secular word. It elder people have been sent to colonize and then begin to impress 00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:12.740 their culture on the people that they have colonized. They would use the word apostolo. 00:18:12.780 --> 00:18:19.780 It had nothing to do with spiritual stuff. So we are the ones who made it very spiritual. 00:18:20.780 --> 00:18:27.780 It talks about he has sent me to proclaim freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight for 00:18:38.780 --> 00:18:45.780 the blind, and then release the oppressed. Then another release, the word used is proclaim, 00:18:45.780 --> 00:18:52.780 but the idea there is again, proclaim, release, the year of favor. What's the another word 00:19:00.780 --> 00:19:07.780 for the year of favor? Hey guys, this word jubilee is super important to Jesus because 00:19:08.260 --> 00:19:15.260 Jesus identified himself with the fulfillment of jubilee. He identified himself with the 00:19:15.340 --> 00:19:20.020 fulfillment of jubilee. He used to literally stand in front of people and say, the time 00:19:20.020 --> 00:19:25.900 of jubilee has arrived with me coming here. And that was 2000 years ago. And it's a perpetual 00:19:25.900 --> 00:19:32.380 day. It's a perpetual year. It's not the 49th year and then the jubilee starts. The moment 00:19:32.380 --> 00:19:37.620 he reads our Luke 4, 18 and 19, and I love what it says there, as was his habit. So by 00:19:37.620 --> 00:19:44.620 the time he's 30, the synagogue knows and the people know that Jesus is in the synagogue. 00:19:45.020 --> 00:19:52.020 So he loves reading. So it was not his turn. It had become such a normal thing that if 00:19:53.380 --> 00:19:58.660 Jesus was in the synagogue, he would pick up the scroll and he'd begin to read. And 00:19:58.660 --> 00:20:04.900 it says there, as was his habit, he opened the scroll. Now it so happened that that day 00:20:04.900 --> 00:20:11.540 when he opened the scroll, it fell to Isaiah. But what he's reading is, hey, I am the jubilee. 00:20:11.540 --> 00:20:18.540 I am the fulfillment of jubilee. And it's a perpetual year. It's a year of favor. Doesn't 00:20:21.180 --> 00:20:28.180 compute, right? But if you were to put yourself in that temple that day and think like either 00:20:31.220 --> 00:20:38.220 a disciple or someone whose land had been taken and you were in bondage and there was 00:20:38.380 --> 00:20:43.660 no way you could pay your debts and your family history is being wiped out because nobody 00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:50.540 remembers your dad's name, land that was given to him. Your heritage is done. And perhaps 00:20:50.540 --> 00:20:55.060 you don't have children yet and you're thinking, how is this going to work out? Sitting there 00:20:55.060 --> 00:21:00.300 that day in the temple as you listen to him and he says that the year of favor is upon 00:21:00.300 --> 00:21:05.660 you and today it has come to pass, man, it would have blown the disciples. It would have 00:21:05.660 --> 00:21:12.660 liberated whoever was struggling and it would have infuriated the religious. And that's 00:21:13.380 --> 00:21:20.380 exactly what happens there. But we'll come back to jubilee a little later. So what is 00:21:21.460 --> 00:21:27.540 release? What is release? When Jesus talks about release, what is release? Release is 00:21:27.540 --> 00:21:34.540 forgiveness. But here's the thing, guys. Whenever Jesus forgives, forgiveness is always accompanied 00:21:35.100 --> 00:21:42.100 by restoration of dignity and community. Please remember that. When we forgive someone, dignity 00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:55.420 must be restored and relationship must be restored. I'm not able to do this thing where 00:21:55.420 --> 00:22:02.420 if I forgive you, then I'll be careful of you. You can't do that. It's human. It's not 00:22:02.980 --> 00:22:09.980 divine. I remember someone who didn't, did me harm and didn't speak to me for a while 00:22:15.620 --> 00:22:20.540 and seven months later they come and they say, we want to talk about this and they said, 00:22:20.540 --> 00:22:25.500 we are sorry for what we did. As soon as they said sorry, I said, can we never talk about 00:22:25.500 --> 00:22:31.260 this again because we've dealt with it? And people warned me, don't go back into this. 00:22:31.260 --> 00:22:36.940 If you go back into this, it could happen again. But how can you have a relationship 00:22:36.940 --> 00:22:43.940 of any value if you don't go back fully into the same place or better place than you used 00:22:43.940 --> 00:22:50.940 to be? Where the nature of forgiveness is restoration of dignity and community. Let's 00:22:53.100 --> 00:23:00.100 look at scriptures. I know it's not easy, but that's because we are so earthly, right? 00:23:00.220 --> 00:23:07.220 And our standards are divine standards. Praise God. And so when you look at scriptures, you 00:23:08.940 --> 00:23:15.940 will find, let's look at Luke 5, 27 to 32. Luke 5, 27 to 32. After this, Jesus went out 00:23:23.380 --> 00:23:27.820 and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. Follow me, Jesus 00:23:27.820 --> 00:23:32.380 said. And Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Then Levi had a great banquet 00:23:32.380 --> 00:23:35.980 for Jesus at his house and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with 00:23:35.980 --> 00:23:40.340 them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of law who belonged to their sect complained 00:23:40.340 --> 00:23:44.820 to his disciples, why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus answered, 00:23:44.820 --> 00:23:48.860 it is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous 00:23:48.860 --> 00:23:55.860 but sinners to repentance. How does Jesus deal with a man who has robbed thousands over 00:23:56.740 --> 00:24:03.740 the years of money? He restores his dignity and how does he restore his dignity? By going 00:24:03.940 --> 00:24:10.940 to his house. How does he restore into community? By going, hanging out with his community. 00:24:14.020 --> 00:24:21.020 Let's read another one. Luke 7, 36 to 50. Luke 7, 36 to 50. Luke 7, 36 to 50. Luke 7, 00:24:25.860 --> 00:24:32.860 36 to 50. It's a long one. When you have time, read it. Here again is a situation where 00:24:40.300 --> 00:24:45.620 it's not enough to forgive. Forgiveness must be accompanied by restoration of dignity and 00:24:45.620 --> 00:24:52.380 community. Spouses, be aware of this. It's not enough to forgive. It's restoration of 00:24:52.380 --> 00:24:57.260 dignity and community. Another thing, we are talking about release right now. What does 00:24:57.260 --> 00:25:02.860 release look like in the Nazareth Manifesto? What does release look like? Second release 00:25:02.860 --> 00:25:09.860 looks like breaking the binding power of Satan. Breaking the binding power of Satan. You see 00:25:09.860 --> 00:25:16.860 that in Acts 10, 38, Jesus Christ of Nazareth came down and was anointed with Holy Spirit 00:25:27.740 --> 00:25:32.740 and power and he went about doing good, setting those that were harassed by the devil free. 00:25:32.740 --> 00:25:39.500 Acts, then Luke 13, 10 to 17. That's the story of the woman who was bent and I love the words 00:25:39.500 --> 00:25:46.500 Jesus uses. Luke 13, 10 to 17. He was very passionate about what he did. It was never 00:25:50.260 --> 00:25:57.260 an act without passion, without his heart involved. Luke 13, 10 to 17. On a Sabbath, 00:26:01.060 --> 00:26:05.060 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues and a woman was there who had been crippled 00:26:05.060 --> 00:26:10.420 by a spirit for 18 years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus 00:26:10.420 --> 00:26:15.900 saw her, he called her forward and said to her, woman, you are set free from your infirmity. 00:26:15.900 --> 00:26:20.140 Then he put his hand on her and immediately she straightened up and praised God. Now you 00:26:20.140 --> 00:26:24.580 see his passion. Indignant because Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler 00:26:24.580 --> 00:26:28.460 said to the people, there are six days for work so come and be healed on those days, 00:26:28.460 --> 00:26:32.540 not on the Sabbath. The Lord answered him, you hypocrites. Doesn't each of you on the 00:26:32.540 --> 00:26:38.220 Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give water? Then he says 00:26:38.220 --> 00:26:43.540 this, then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for 00:26:43.540 --> 00:26:50.060 18 long years, be set free on the Sabbath from what has bound her? There's something 00:26:50.060 --> 00:26:57.060 about, please remember this, has he changed? Has Jesus changed? If anything, he has greater 00:26:57.060 --> 00:27:04.060 access because he was finite when he walked the earth because there was only one place 00:27:06.620 --> 00:27:13.620 he could be. Has he changed at all? You cannot let go of these realities. Has he changed? 00:27:13.620 --> 00:27:20.620 He has not. And on one by one by one by one, we begin to hold this for ourselves and for 00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:38.220 others. That's how Nazareth Manifesto written 2000 years ago becomes real in Richmond. 00:27:38.220 --> 00:27:45.220 Releases healing, releases healing. Physical and freedom from the demonic and from societal 00:28:00.660 --> 00:28:07.660 restrictions. Like the woman who came and started washing Jesus' feet, she was a woman 00:28:08.940 --> 00:28:15.180 with feet with her hair, like the woman caught in the act of adultery. Like Mary out of whom 00:28:15.180 --> 00:28:21.540 seven demons had been cast out. Man, can you imagine? I mean in those days to be known 00:28:21.540 --> 00:28:27.140 as a woman possessed by seven demons, a woman of the street, to be brought into the inner 00:28:27.140 --> 00:28:34.140 circle of Christ when she is there when he rises from the dead. What kind of inclusion 00:28:34.140 --> 00:28:41.140 are you talking about? What kind of heart is required for that kind of embrace? Release 00:28:49.340 --> 00:28:56.340 from debts. Release from debts. What's the first debt? Release from debts of offence. 00:28:56.340 --> 00:29:03.340 To release people from the debt of offence. Why? Because this holds true. Though our slate 00:29:11.500 --> 00:29:18.500 is clean and there is no outstanding sin because Christ has paid it all, forgive those that 00:29:19.500 --> 00:29:26.500 trespass against you. Luke 11 verse 4. Forgive us as we forgive those that have trespassed 00:29:32.380 --> 00:29:39.380 against us. Release from debts of offence and of bondage. Financial bondage, and we'll 00:29:39.380 --> 00:29:46.380 talk about that later. Financial societal. I keep using the word societal. I mean one 00:29:49.900 --> 00:29:55.340 of the stories that sticks out for me is this woman whose husband has died, he was a prophet, 00:29:55.340 --> 00:30:01.540 served the Lord faithfully but had ran up debts. Now what do you do? Because the men 00:30:01.540 --> 00:30:07.540 are coming to take her children into slavery and bondage. And God knows maybe Jubilee is 00:30:07.540 --> 00:30:14.540 40 years away. Her kids might be 12 or 13. They'll be 52 by the time they're released. 00:30:14.580 --> 00:30:19.540 And she comes crying saying, alas, alas, Master, I had debts to pay and the debtors are coming 00:30:19.540 --> 00:30:25.200 to take my children away. And Elijah, Elisha and others who are a type of what it looks 00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:32.200 like both in terms of Christ and Jubilee helps them out miraculously. One of the things about 00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:39.880 God helping us is this. He can, in that scene where he tells Philip, hey, go feed the 5,000 00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:52.680 sitting here with bread. Philip's response and disciples' response is classic. It's 00:30:52.680 --> 00:30:56.720 exactly what we would say. You know, there's far too many people here. We don't have that 00:30:56.720 --> 00:31:02.600 much money. Even if Heidi emptied the entire account, we wouldn't have money to feed the 00:31:02.600 --> 00:31:07.040 people here. That would be the first thing. Second thing we would say is, I think we should 00:31:07.040 --> 00:31:13.280 do a fundraiser. And once we do a fundraiser, we'll have enough money to meet this need. 00:31:13.280 --> 00:31:19.040 And Jesus is listening to all this, eh? He knows that the disciples don't have enough. 00:31:19.040 --> 00:31:23.040 What do you have is the question. And he knows they don't have it. And so what happens? They 00:31:23.040 --> 00:31:30.040 go get five loaves and two fish. Jesus has his ability to take what the poor have and 00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:39.640 instead of making things happen powerfully through his miracles, use what the poor have 00:31:39.640 --> 00:31:46.640 to feed the poor. That is why it is the kingdom way. We have changed that around. That's why 00:31:48.080 --> 00:31:52.880 when we applied for this grant with Richmond City, if you listen to the prayer I prayed, 00:31:53.520 --> 00:31:58.840 Father, it doesn't matter. We're not fasting and praying for this grant. If this grant 00:31:58.840 --> 00:32:05.200 comes, it'll give us recognition with the city. But the resources required for what 00:32:05.200 --> 00:32:11.200 we do comes from the two loaves and the five fish and the nothing that you have. Because 00:32:11.200 --> 00:32:18.200 therein lies the beauty of kingdom and king. Where he could have easily provided 5,000 00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:26.200 people. I mean, he would say fish and fish would come into nets. That's not the way he 00:32:26.200 --> 00:32:33.200 does things. What do you have is a question that is always asked before resources are 00:32:33.960 --> 00:32:39.200 met. What do you have? I've got a little oil. What do you have? I've got two loaves and 00:32:39.200 --> 00:32:46.200 a fish. What do you have is such a common question. And Jesus is listening to all this. 00:32:48.200 --> 00:32:52.720 And then to take that what do you have and place it before him, that requires another 00:32:52.720 --> 00:32:59.720 step of faith. So, freeing people from these kind of bondages is an old practice of Jesus. 00:33:08.080 --> 00:33:14.080 Then it releases you. I don't know if anyone here will be able to practice this, but if 00:33:14.080 --> 00:33:19.000 you're able, I'm not sure I'll be able to. So, if one of you is able to, it'll be great. 00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:26.000 Releases you into 365 days of favor. This kind of favor makes you go into rest. The 00:33:37.040 --> 00:33:44.040 year of favor, the year of Jubilee was a year of rest. It is not an absence of work. It 00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:49.640 is not an absence of work. Your work ethic is not affected, but you know that the favor 00:33:49.640 --> 00:33:56.640 of God on you is enough to take care of you, not in a miserly way, but in a good way with 00:33:58.040 --> 00:34:05.040 generosity towards others. 365 days of favor. This is what some of the guys in the synagogue 00:34:05.040 --> 00:34:12.040 that day are hearing, because they've read Leviticus 25. But someone's coming up to you 00:34:13.040 --> 00:34:18.040 and saying, hey, for the next 365 days, keep going to work, but I just want you to know 00:34:18.040 --> 00:34:25.040 that everything, Jacob, in your life will be taken care of. When that happens to a pastor 00:34:25.040 --> 00:34:30.040 or a missionary, you're going to be able to do that. You're going to be able to do that 00:34:30.040 --> 00:34:35.800 and Jacob in your life will be taken care of. When that happens to a pastor or a missionary, 00:34:35.800 --> 00:34:42.800 they praise God. But that is wrong. It is what should happen to all of us. I love what 00:34:42.800 --> 00:34:49.800 happens next. So he's just finished reading it. And now after reading Isaiah 61 passage, 00:35:02.360 --> 00:35:09.360 go back to Luke chapter 4 and see how fast-paced it is from here on. Luke chapter 4, he's 00:35:10.360 --> 00:35:17.360 he's, people were upset. I don't know how this must have happened. Imagine that this 00:35:18.480 --> 00:35:24.720 synagogue was on Grouse Mountain and Jesus has just said to the guys in the synagogue, 00:35:24.720 --> 00:35:31.720 this day, what I just said has come to pass. I am Jubilee. And he says that and people 00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:37.320 get really upset. And so imagine everybody in the church suddenly getting up, let's put 00:35:37.320 --> 00:35:41.120 Derek here instead of me. Everybody getting up and they catch Derek and they take him 00:35:41.120 --> 00:35:47.280 to the edge of Grouse Mountain and you're going to throw him off Grouse Mountain. That's 00:35:47.280 --> 00:35:52.280 what is happening here. It's just crazy what happens there. I mean, he has just begun his 00:35:52.280 --> 00:35:59.280 ministry. It's not even 20 minutes. What an encouragement, eh? When you actually see how 00:36:00.280 --> 00:36:07.280 his life works out, it's crazy. 20 minutes in his town amongst his friends, people that 00:36:12.480 --> 00:36:15.600 he's grown up with and they're taking him and they're going to throw him off a mountain. 00:36:15.600 --> 00:36:21.640 And just before they throw him off Grouse Mountain, he somehow has this miraculous ability 00:36:21.640 --> 00:36:28.640 to walk past them. It must have been just like Paul shackled in a dungeon with God. 00:36:30.240 --> 00:36:37.240 And he just walks past them, keeps walking past them. They cannot see him. And then verse 00:36:39.640 --> 00:36:46.640 31 onwards, he's so, he's so, he's so the son that his father wants because what he 00:36:47.640 --> 00:36:54.040 does next is not what we would do after a great sermon. As soon as he reads this out 00:36:54.040 --> 00:37:01.040 and says this day it's been fulfilled, he starts fulfilling it. So look at 431. Jesus 00:37:02.320 --> 00:37:07.040 then travels to Capernaum where he begins to teach people on a Sabbath. So the first 00:37:07.040 --> 00:37:12.800 thing he does is teach, preach. Because he's just told them that today this has been fulfilled 00:37:12.800 --> 00:37:18.120 and he teaches and preaches about the good news of the imminent kingdom that he then 00:37:18.120 --> 00:37:24.280 continues doing. And while he's doing that in verse 433, there's a man who has a demon 00:37:24.280 --> 00:37:31.280 and so Jesus casts it out. It's his first known deliverance demonstrating both the power 00:37:32.200 --> 00:37:38.360 he has and the authority he has. And then done at the synagogue, he decides he'll go 00:37:38.360 --> 00:37:43.280 to a house. From the synagogue to a house. Whose house? Peter's mother-in-law. What's 00:37:43.280 --> 00:37:48.800 with her? Fever. So what does he do in 439? He heals Peter's mother-in-law from a high 00:37:48.800 --> 00:37:53.560 fever by rebuking the fever. He must have had dinner there because this is in the evening 00:37:53.560 --> 00:38:00.560 now but as sunset begins to happen, he now has the first time in his life a very long 00:38:03.760 --> 00:38:08.840 evening that goes into the night and the morning and sometimes it's called the sunset miracles 00:38:09.200 --> 00:38:16.200 because they brought people from all over. If you read Luke 440, it says there, when 00:38:17.960 --> 00:38:23.160 the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness 00:38:23.160 --> 00:38:29.080 and laying his hand on each one, he healed them. No massing. No people lay your hand 00:38:29.080 --> 00:38:33.120 on your heart or wherever it's paining and now that you're in that, no, no, it was not 00:38:33.120 --> 00:38:39.520 like that. He went touching each person. There's something so, so real and personal about it 00:38:39.520 --> 00:38:44.520 and he was always like that. Later on in life when he became an expert at healing, he didn't 00:38:44.520 --> 00:38:51.520 change his method. It was always one on one. This is who is present here right now and 00:38:51.800 --> 00:38:56.920 he must be thrilled that we're talking about him. Presenting him as a picture, not as someone 00:38:56.920 --> 00:39:03.920 removed and so Luke 440, yeah, 41, moreover demons came out of many people shouting, you're 00:39:08.200 --> 00:39:12.000 the son of God but he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew 00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:19.000 he was a Christ and sometime at daybreak and this just fascinates me that in Luke 442, 00:39:19.960 --> 00:39:26.960 early the next morning, what's he doing? He's again in a solitary place. He spent the entire 00:39:28.200 --> 00:39:35.200 night healing people. You know how it is when after a long day of ministry what you would 00:39:35.200 --> 00:39:41.040 do. It's almost like I deserve a break. You shut your phone off, put it on silent. Not 00:39:41.040 --> 00:39:48.040 Jesus. At daybreak, he's again in a solitary place before the coming of Jesus. He's again 00:39:49.000 --> 00:39:56.000 there, the crowds gather. Why? Because he needs his father's instructions. Amazing, 00:39:58.140 --> 00:40:05.140 eh? By the way, all the healing that he was doing was happening on a Sabbath. So he's 00:40:07.040 --> 00:40:14.040 breaking every religious societal regulation and he doesn't care. He doesn't care. I know 00:40:14.040 --> 00:40:15.320 He doesn't care. 00:40:15.320 --> 00:40:17.440 I know it's not good to teach your kids to say, 00:40:17.440 --> 00:40:20.320 I don't care, but he doesn't care. 00:40:21.640 --> 00:40:24.520 Your perception does not matter. 00:40:24.520 --> 00:40:27.120 Your perception of him does not matter. 00:40:29.600 --> 00:40:31.560 We go to Luke 5.1. 00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:36.080 All this is happening within a matter of two weeks. 00:40:36.080 --> 00:40:42.560 Luke 5.1, suddenly he's miraculously provided fish 00:40:42.600 --> 00:40:45.000 for Simon who was tired of fishing. 00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:46.920 Miraculously provides fish. 00:40:48.000 --> 00:40:52.720 And after that, he calls three of them, 00:40:52.720 --> 00:40:55.760 three fishermen to follow him. 00:40:58.400 --> 00:40:59.240 Why? 00:40:59.240 --> 00:41:04.240 Because he knows that he must teach others 00:41:05.120 --> 00:41:10.120 teach others so the work is continued. 00:41:12.760 --> 00:41:15.640 For some of us here, that time has come, eh? 00:41:15.640 --> 00:41:18.600 It's not time to keep on trying to fix broken things. 00:41:18.600 --> 00:41:21.640 It's time to teach people how to fix broken things. 00:41:26.440 --> 00:41:30.240 Know the phases in our lives so that we can shift 00:41:30.240 --> 00:41:34.720 into what is the task that Christ wants you 00:41:34.720 --> 00:41:37.520 to bear the burden off. 00:41:38.920 --> 00:41:43.200 And so if it is time for me to now call fishermen 00:41:43.200 --> 00:41:46.160 to teach them what I know instead of going fishing, 00:41:46.160 --> 00:41:49.080 then so be it, but move into it. 00:41:53.240 --> 00:41:56.040 May you have the spiritual nose to know 00:41:56.040 --> 00:41:58.320 when something is stale. 00:41:58.320 --> 00:42:01.800 Not because it's being taken away from you, 00:42:01.800 --> 00:42:05.680 but because you know that even though it's going well, 00:42:05.680 --> 00:42:07.360 it smells old. 00:42:19.040 --> 00:42:20.160 Luke 5.14. 00:42:23.480 --> 00:42:26.880 Cleanses the leper, sends him back into the community 00:42:26.880 --> 00:42:30.200 saying, hey, go show the priest and return. 00:42:30.200 --> 00:42:33.440 Cleanses the leper, returns him to community. 00:42:33.440 --> 00:42:34.280 Luke 5.24. 00:42:36.840 --> 00:42:41.840 Raises a paralytic by forgiving his sins. 00:42:43.480 --> 00:42:47.080 Deliberately does that, knowing that the Pharisees are around. 00:42:47.080 --> 00:42:47.920 Why? 00:42:47.920 --> 00:42:51.560 Because he sometimes relished challenging 00:42:52.720 --> 00:42:55.520 the religious elite. 00:42:57.880 --> 00:43:00.920 We have become so namby pamby when it comes 00:43:00.920 --> 00:43:03.640 to offending people that diplomacy has become 00:43:03.640 --> 00:43:05.240 a fruit of the spirit. 00:43:05.240 --> 00:43:08.400 I long to not be diplomatic. 00:43:08.400 --> 00:43:12.320 Diplomacy will always cause me to be dishonest. 00:43:12.320 --> 00:43:14.600 It is not possible to be diplomatic 00:43:14.600 --> 00:43:16.200 and honest at the same time. 00:43:22.800 --> 00:43:23.640 Yep. 00:43:27.760 --> 00:43:28.720 I can't hear you. 00:43:32.360 --> 00:43:33.320 I'll come closer. 00:43:35.520 --> 00:43:37.960 Between gentleness and diplomacy, 00:43:37.960 --> 00:43:41.000 gentleness still has honesty in it. 00:43:41.000 --> 00:43:43.160 Diplomacy tries to smooth things over. 00:43:45.040 --> 00:43:50.040 Diplomacy is peace keeping, not peacemaking. 00:43:56.920 --> 00:43:57.840 We all do it. 00:43:57.840 --> 00:43:59.880 We live in a society that loves it. 00:44:06.000 --> 00:44:07.920 Luke 5.27. 00:44:07.920 --> 00:44:11.440 He asks a despised tax collector to follow him 00:44:11.440 --> 00:44:14.720 and he eats and drinks with the guy's friends, 00:44:14.720 --> 00:44:17.480 thumbing his nose at the Pharisees. 00:44:17.480 --> 00:44:19.520 Guys, we can't lose sight of this, eh? 00:44:20.680 --> 00:44:23.240 Because what we see is what we believe is what we speak is, 00:44:23.240 --> 00:44:25.400 what we expect is what we do. 00:44:25.440 --> 00:44:27.440 When you begin to see Jesus like this, 00:44:29.160 --> 00:44:32.640 then what you see becomes what you believe. 00:44:32.640 --> 00:44:35.320 What you believe is what you then begin to speak. 00:44:35.320 --> 00:44:37.520 What you speak is what you begin to expect. 00:44:37.520 --> 00:44:39.720 What you expect is what you begin to do. 00:44:43.400 --> 00:44:45.960 And if I don't see this Jesus, 00:44:45.960 --> 00:44:50.360 and if I don't see this as the now responsibility, 00:44:50.360 --> 00:44:52.280 the marvelous, not responsibility, 00:44:52.280 --> 00:44:55.120 the marvelous privilege and responsibility of the body, 00:44:56.080 --> 00:44:57.760 then I won't be able to step into it. 00:44:57.760 --> 00:45:01.520 This manifesto becomes like Mao's manifesto. 00:45:01.520 --> 00:45:04.080 A dead man in a mausoleum in China 00:45:04.080 --> 00:45:09.080 that'll never have anything but a museum built after him. 00:45:09.160 --> 00:45:11.040 When a church does not step into it, 00:45:11.040 --> 00:45:16.040 we cause the tomb to be occupied again by a dead man, 00:45:16.440 --> 00:45:17.560 not a living man. 00:45:19.000 --> 00:45:21.200 He's living, he's here. 00:45:21.200 --> 00:45:22.480 We are his body. 00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:27.480 So what if you failed 484,000 times? 00:45:27.880 --> 00:45:28.720 So what? 00:45:43.360 --> 00:45:44.840 May you forever remember this, 00:45:44.840 --> 00:45:47.120 and may I forever remember this, ever remember this. 00:45:47.120 --> 00:45:52.120 Your circumstances do not negate, affect the truth. 00:45:52.240 --> 00:45:53.280 They do not. 00:45:56.120 --> 00:45:57.600 They do not negate the truth. 00:45:59.360 --> 00:46:02.920 My circumstances do not negate who Christ is. 00:46:02.920 --> 00:46:06.200 He will always be who he is. 00:46:14.200 --> 00:46:19.200 We are sent by him now to rescue, restore, free, liberate, 00:46:19.560 --> 00:46:20.840 those that are enslaved. 00:46:21.800 --> 00:46:22.760 Just like he did. 00:46:24.840 --> 00:46:26.480 Hey, remember, huh? 00:46:30.240 --> 00:46:32.000 Guys, he was fully man. 00:46:38.000 --> 00:46:40.600 He was very average in his manness. 00:46:44.640 --> 00:46:47.320 Wasn't particularly good looking, 00:46:47.320 --> 00:46:49.680 wasn't the tallest man in the room, 00:46:49.680 --> 00:46:52.400 wasn't the most skilled carpenter. 00:46:52.400 --> 00:46:54.040 He was just average. 00:46:57.120 --> 00:46:59.160 Felt tired, felt exhausted, 00:46:59.160 --> 00:47:01.400 sometimes would fall asleep in a boat 00:47:01.400 --> 00:47:03.520 and not be awake when the storms are hitting. 00:47:03.520 --> 00:47:06.280 That was not faith, that was just exhaustion. 00:47:11.680 --> 00:47:16.680 And this man opens his scroll and realizes 00:47:17.640 --> 00:47:20.240 this is me, this is what I have grown up for. 00:47:21.360 --> 00:47:24.840 My question is, what have you grown up for? 00:47:24.840 --> 00:47:26.160 What have I grown up for? 00:47:27.520 --> 00:47:28.760 How is it any different? 00:47:30.600 --> 00:47:33.000 Besides the fact that you may not be hung on a cross, 00:47:33.000 --> 00:47:34.640 and even if you were hung on a cross, 00:47:34.640 --> 00:47:36.480 it wouldn't be for the sins of the world. 00:47:40.880 --> 00:47:45.880 Kingdom life requires abandonment, self-abandonment. 00:47:47.520 --> 00:47:49.360 There's no other way around it. 00:47:56.040 --> 00:47:58.640 But it's such a great life. 00:47:58.640 --> 00:48:00.360 Because look at our leader. 00:48:00.360 --> 00:48:02.720 What an amazing guy we are talking about. 00:48:06.920 --> 00:48:08.720 And he is blooming here. 00:48:12.920 --> 00:48:15.040 Alive and well and listening, 00:48:15.040 --> 00:48:19.200 and when he looks at you, he sees you like he saw Adam. 00:48:20.000 --> 00:48:25.000 Not broken, but whole. 00:48:25.000 --> 00:48:27.760 Hoping that you can see the reflection 00:48:27.760 --> 00:48:29.880 of yourself in his eyes and say, 00:48:29.880 --> 00:48:33.960 today I won't think of all the things I am not, 00:48:33.960 --> 00:48:36.160 but I will think of how he thought of me 00:48:36.160 --> 00:48:37.560 the moment Adam was created. 00:48:37.560 --> 00:48:39.480 It was like, gosh. 00:48:41.880 --> 00:48:43.040 Two minutes ago, 00:48:44.040 --> 00:48:48.080 two seconds like that can do something to your heart. 00:49:03.680 --> 00:49:05.440 He said he was a Jubilee. 00:49:06.560 --> 00:49:09.800 He wants us to let Richmond know that. 00:49:10.920 --> 00:49:12.320 Jubilee was recovery. 00:49:12.320 --> 00:49:13.560 Recovery of what? 00:49:13.560 --> 00:49:15.920 Of history and identity. 00:49:15.920 --> 00:49:18.160 Jubilee was release, 00:49:18.160 --> 00:49:20.560 release from all the things we talked about. 00:49:20.560 --> 00:49:22.360 Jubilee was restoration, 00:49:22.360 --> 00:49:25.240 things broken and lost being restored. 00:49:26.320 --> 00:49:30.280 Jubilee was rest because of the favor that was upon you. 00:49:30.280 --> 00:49:32.000 Jubilee was radical. 00:49:32.000 --> 00:49:34.800 We cannot do this without being radical. 00:49:34.800 --> 00:49:36.880 Jubilee was counter-cultural. 00:49:36.880 --> 00:49:41.240 We will pit ourselves against the ways the world functions. 00:49:41.320 --> 00:49:43.000 And Jubilee was disruptive. 00:49:43.000 --> 00:49:45.200 It is impossible to participate, 00:49:45.200 --> 00:49:49.240 engage, proclaim Jubilee without it disrupting your life 00:49:49.240 --> 00:49:50.480 and the lives of others. 00:49:50.480 --> 00:49:51.920 When it disrupts your life, 00:49:51.920 --> 00:49:54.880 it'll disrupt your carefully planned life. 00:49:54.880 --> 00:49:57.120 But when it disrupts someone else's life, 00:49:57.120 --> 00:50:00.760 it disrupts the damage, the decay, the death, the disease. 00:50:03.560 --> 00:50:07.000 This is as real as it was in the synagogue that day, 00:50:07.000 --> 00:50:09.440 as it is today when we read it. 00:50:09.440 --> 00:50:10.760 But now he has a body. 00:50:12.080 --> 00:50:13.320 Remember this. 00:50:13.320 --> 00:50:15.960 And we said this the last few weeks, 00:50:15.960 --> 00:50:17.920 embedded in your head. 00:50:17.920 --> 00:50:20.640 And by the way, these things that I'm talking about, 00:50:20.640 --> 00:50:24.080 God has embedded this in the redeemed. 00:50:24.080 --> 00:50:26.880 He has put these things in us for others. 00:50:33.680 --> 00:50:35.280 It's like programming. 00:50:35.280 --> 00:50:36.640 It's not programming, 00:50:36.640 --> 00:50:40.400 but it's like these systems that are working. 00:50:40.400 --> 00:50:42.640 It's like these sleeper cells that you have 00:50:42.640 --> 00:50:45.640 and then suddenly you hear a word like burger 00:50:45.640 --> 00:50:46.880 and they get active. 00:50:46.880 --> 00:50:47.960 It's like that. 00:50:50.200 --> 00:50:52.600 Usually they don't use words like burger. 00:50:52.600 --> 00:50:56.360 It's more code name like Jonathan or something. 00:50:56.360 --> 00:51:01.360 But the point being, we have this in us 00:51:05.080 --> 00:51:08.520 to be able to recover someone's history and identity, 00:51:08.520 --> 00:51:12.600 be able to release them from whatever the thing is 00:51:12.600 --> 00:51:14.080 that's happening with them, 00:51:14.080 --> 00:51:15.920 to begin the process of restoration. 00:51:19.640 --> 00:51:20.680 Any questions? 00:51:26.400 --> 00:51:28.320 By the way, you may say, 00:51:28.320 --> 00:51:30.880 I have to experience this before I can give it up. 00:51:30.880 --> 00:51:33.840 No, if you're not experiencing it, 00:51:33.840 --> 00:51:34.880 that's a separate problem. 00:51:34.880 --> 00:51:36.080 Christ is already in you. 00:51:36.600 --> 00:51:39.400 If I'm gonna wait for all of us to get this right 00:51:39.400 --> 00:51:42.320 and if Christ is gonna wait till all of us get this right, 00:51:42.320 --> 00:51:44.200 he might as well take us now. 00:51:47.120 --> 00:51:49.920 Or I'll start healing people once I am healed. 00:51:51.040 --> 00:51:52.480 Really bad approach. 00:51:53.680 --> 00:51:56.560 The Christ who is the healer is in you. 00:51:56.560 --> 00:51:57.680 So why are you not healed? 00:51:57.680 --> 00:52:00.240 We can have the discussion later, but you go out. 00:52:07.080 --> 00:52:10.320 We're not trying to ace this before we distribute it. 00:52:23.480 --> 00:52:26.360 You know, I wanna end with these three words. 00:52:32.320 --> 00:52:34.320 And in an odd way, they're all connected. 00:52:34.840 --> 00:52:39.840 Coenonia is this idea, the matrix for all kingdom activity, 00:52:42.320 --> 00:52:44.720 matrix for kingdom activity, 00:52:44.720 --> 00:52:47.080 for effective kingdom activity, 00:52:51.120 --> 00:52:56.120 is coenonia, which is just a Greek word, 00:52:57.160 --> 00:53:02.160 which means the shared life 00:53:05.320 --> 00:53:08.320 you and I have in common with God by the Spirit. 00:53:12.040 --> 00:53:15.040 in common with God by the Spirit. 00:53:15.040 --> 00:53:18.040 in common with God by the Spirit. 00:53:22.040 --> 00:53:24.120 Just ponder on that for a second day. 00:53:25.440 --> 00:53:26.520 What's coenonia? 00:53:26.520 --> 00:53:27.680 Let's start with that. 00:53:28.720 --> 00:53:30.520 It's the shared life you and I have. 00:53:30.520 --> 00:53:32.320 It's the shared life Betty and I have. 00:53:32.320 --> 00:53:34.720 It's the shared life Dawn and I have. 00:53:34.720 --> 00:53:36.720 It's the shared life Kamala and I have. 00:53:38.720 --> 00:53:41.920 And it's a life that is in common with Christ. 00:53:41.920 --> 00:53:43.720 It's the same life. 00:53:43.720 --> 00:53:48.320 We talked about this three weeks ago. 00:53:49.720 --> 00:53:52.320 It's a shared life you and I have 00:53:52.320 --> 00:53:55.520 in common with Christ by the Spirit. 00:53:55.520 --> 00:53:57.520 The same life that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 00:53:57.520 --> 00:53:58.920 have is the same life that I have 00:53:58.920 --> 00:54:00.920 brought to me by the Spirit. 00:54:04.920 --> 00:54:06.120 That's the first part of it. 00:54:06.120 --> 00:54:07.920 It's a shared life. 00:54:07.920 --> 00:54:08.920 Hold it well. 00:54:08.920 --> 00:54:10.120 Hold it carefully. 00:54:10.120 --> 00:54:11.520 It's not to be trifled with. 00:54:11.520 --> 00:54:13.920 It's not to be simply broken and thrown away. 00:54:13.920 --> 00:54:16.120 Work when it gets broken. 00:54:16.120 --> 00:54:17.720 Work at it. 00:54:17.720 --> 00:54:19.320 Hopefully some of it can be redeemed. 00:54:19.320 --> 00:54:21.920 Sometimes it may not be redeemed. 00:54:21.920 --> 00:54:24.920 It may only be redeemed in the spirit. 00:54:24.920 --> 00:54:25.920 It may not be redeemed. 00:54:25.920 --> 00:54:28.920 It may only be redeemed in the age to come. 00:54:28.920 --> 00:54:30.920 But at least, Jacob, try. 00:54:33.520 --> 00:54:34.520 Try. 00:54:38.320 --> 00:54:41.720 It's a shared life you and I have 00:54:41.720 --> 00:54:44.920 in common with Christ by the Spirit. 00:54:47.520 --> 00:54:48.520 How is it expressed? 00:54:48.520 --> 00:54:51.320 It's expressed through one anothering. 00:54:51.320 --> 00:54:53.320 What is one anothering? 00:54:53.320 --> 00:54:56.520 One anothering is can you be hospitable to one another? 00:54:56.520 --> 00:54:57.720 Can you love one another? 00:54:57.720 --> 00:55:00.120 Can you stir one another up to good works? 00:55:00.120 --> 00:55:02.120 Can you admonish one another? 00:55:02.120 --> 00:55:04.320 Can you be kind to one another? 00:55:04.320 --> 00:55:10.520 There are some 17 one-anothers in the New Testament. 00:55:10.520 --> 00:55:11.720 How is it expressed? 00:55:11.720 --> 00:55:16.120 Through one anothering, through participation 00:55:16.120 --> 00:55:20.720 in each other's lives, through partnership 00:55:20.720 --> 00:55:23.720 in the things we do together. 00:55:23.720 --> 00:55:27.920 You can see why this is critical for Kingdom activity. 00:55:27.920 --> 00:55:31.320 Through material sharing of goods, sharing materially. 00:55:36.220 --> 00:55:43.720 And being both responsible and accountable mutually. 00:55:43.720 --> 00:55:46.220 This is what it looks like. 00:55:46.220 --> 00:55:47.120 It's not an event. 00:55:47.120 --> 00:55:49.320 It's the operating system of the church. 00:55:49.320 --> 00:55:50.220 It's not an event. 00:55:50.220 --> 00:55:52.220 It's the operating system of the church. 00:55:52.220 --> 00:55:55.720 And any church that begins to move into this area 00:55:55.720 --> 00:55:57.820 will see evidence of the Kingdom. 00:56:00.820 --> 00:56:06.720 I mean, one of the reasons I am encouraged every Sunday evening 00:56:06.720 --> 00:56:11.720 when the young adults go out is because sitting at the table 00:56:11.720 --> 00:56:12.420 is important. 00:56:12.420 --> 00:56:18.220 If you can't sit at the table, you can sit in a service, 00:56:18.220 --> 00:56:20.220 and it's different from sitting at a table, guys. 00:56:23.620 --> 00:56:26.420 Sitting in a service is different from sitting at a table together. 00:56:31.020 --> 00:56:33.220 Come to the table. 00:56:33.220 --> 00:56:36.820 That's where usually motives are cleansed, 00:56:36.820 --> 00:56:40.420 breaches are repaired, trust is renewed, and it will take time. 00:56:40.420 --> 00:56:45.720 And in Isaiah 65, 8, I used to read this verse long ago, 00:56:45.720 --> 00:56:48.720 and suddenly it's been coming back into my life. 00:56:48.720 --> 00:56:55.320 Isaiah 65, 8, it says, the juice is in the cluster of grapes. 00:56:55.320 --> 00:56:56.820 The juice is not in one grape. 00:56:56.820 --> 00:56:58.520 The wine is not in one grape. 00:56:58.520 --> 00:57:01.320 The wine is always in a cluster of grapes. 00:57:01.320 --> 00:57:05.620 And so God commands multiplication. 00:57:05.620 --> 00:57:11.420 God commands multiplication where life is shared daily. 00:57:11.420 --> 00:57:14.720 Where life is shared daily. 00:57:14.720 --> 00:57:17.220 And I pray that we never lose this. 00:57:17.220 --> 00:57:20.120 I think over 20 years, this has been developed, 00:57:20.120 --> 00:57:21.520 and maybe never lose it. 00:57:21.520 --> 00:57:25.520 Maybe never take these things for granted. 00:57:25.520 --> 00:57:29.420 God commands multiplication where life is shared daily. 00:57:29.420 --> 00:57:34.720 Not just consumed weekly, but shared daily. 00:57:34.720 --> 00:57:36.520 But they never stop. 00:57:36.520 --> 00:57:42.220 That's why I hold in high regard the leaders here who, 00:57:42.220 --> 00:57:44.520 you know, there's not a leader here starting with me 00:57:44.520 --> 00:57:47.620 that has not got serious faults. 00:57:47.620 --> 00:57:56.320 One thing you cannot pin on a leader here is their willingness 00:57:56.320 --> 00:58:00.320 to, after work, before work, with kids, without kids, 00:58:00.320 --> 00:58:04.320 meet, talk, try to figure out things, try to help. 00:58:04.320 --> 00:58:07.620 Sure, you will still find us falling short in it, 00:58:07.620 --> 00:58:12.020 but you will not find a holding back of time or effort. 00:58:14.620 --> 00:58:17.820 God commands multiplication where life is shared daily. 00:58:17.820 --> 00:58:21.020 Not where there's consumption weekly. 00:58:30.020 --> 00:58:35.020 You know, once this koinonia is established, guess what happens? 00:58:35.020 --> 00:58:37.620 Goshen is raised. 00:58:37.620 --> 00:58:39.620 Who was Goshen? 00:58:39.620 --> 00:58:42.220 Wrong question if you ask who was Goshen. 00:58:42.220 --> 00:58:43.420 What is Goshen? 00:58:43.520 --> 00:58:51.720 Goshen, if you didn't know, was a place, and it was a place in Egypt 00:58:51.720 --> 00:58:57.920 where, while Egypt would suffer darkness and plagues and mice, 00:58:57.920 --> 00:59:02.920 not mice, frogs, and cattle dying and hailstones, 00:59:02.920 --> 00:59:06.820 in Goshen none of it would be affected. 00:59:06.820 --> 00:59:12.120 I mean, it would be like it's raining all over Richmond except PMC. 00:59:12.220 --> 00:59:15.020 In here, there would be provision. 00:59:15.020 --> 00:59:20.020 In here, there would be protection. 00:59:20.020 --> 00:59:26.420 And so, once this koinonia happens, a people and a space, both, 00:59:26.420 --> 00:59:31.420 a people and a space, or a place, a people and a place become like Goshen. 00:59:34.920 --> 00:59:38.420 My hope is that we get there, where this becomes a place where, 00:59:38.520 --> 00:59:44.120 like in the Old Testament, they used to establish these cities called the City of Refuge. 00:59:44.120 --> 00:59:47.920 And the City of Refuge was a place that murderers could run to, 00:59:47.920 --> 00:59:50.720 and once they ran into the city, you could not touch them. 00:59:52.220 --> 00:59:57.220 May this become a place like that, where people can run to, and they will be protected. 01:00:01.920 --> 01:00:07.920 Once we work our way through koinonia, Goshen begins to be raised. 01:00:08.020 --> 01:00:13.020 It's a divinely protected space, a divinely protected space, 01:00:16.720 --> 01:00:18.720 a protected place, and a people. 01:00:20.420 --> 01:00:25.120 Do you understand now why, when Paul would excommunicate people, 01:00:25.120 --> 01:00:27.120 it would be a scary thing? 01:00:27.120 --> 01:00:30.720 He would say, expel him from the church, 01:00:30.720 --> 01:00:33.320 and the moment you expel someone from the church, 01:00:33.320 --> 01:00:37.320 they will now pray for the enemy. 01:00:37.320 --> 01:00:40.820 And Paul goes so far as to say, expel them from this church, 01:00:40.820 --> 01:00:46.320 so that Satan can buffet them, and they will learn and come back. 01:00:47.820 --> 01:00:51.320 That is how secure the church is supposed to be in terms of being a Goshen. 01:00:55.820 --> 01:01:01.320 Goshen is a divinely protected place and a people, place and a people. 01:01:04.320 --> 01:01:06.320 Where there is provision, 01:01:09.320 --> 01:01:11.320 where there is distinction, as in, 01:01:12.320 --> 01:01:15.320 what is happening in the world won't be happening in here, 01:01:15.320 --> 01:01:18.320 and that wall should never be thinned, eh? 01:01:20.320 --> 01:01:22.320 Where there is preservation, 01:01:24.320 --> 01:01:26.320 in the midst of judgment. 01:01:27.320 --> 01:01:29.320 Silla, think of these things, guys. 01:01:29.320 --> 01:01:31.320 Desire these things. 01:01:31.320 --> 01:01:33.320 Pass it on to your children then. 01:01:33.320 --> 01:01:36.320 Enter into Psalm 48, after this is built. 01:01:36.320 --> 01:01:40.320 And tell Phoebe and tell Elion and tell Judah that, 01:01:40.320 --> 01:01:46.320 listen, see the dimensions of this thing that God has raised. 01:01:46.320 --> 01:01:50.320 Tell them so that they can carry it on to the next generation. 01:01:50.320 --> 01:01:54.320 Goshen is where internal kingdom metrics are practiced 01:01:54.320 --> 01:01:57.320 and external kingdom metrics are launched. 01:02:02.320 --> 01:02:05.320 We won't ask you to repeat that right now. 01:02:05.320 --> 01:02:10.320 It is the house marked by blood, where the angel passes over. 01:02:10.320 --> 01:02:13.320 It is the table of the house marked by blood, 01:02:13.320 --> 01:02:15.320 where the angel passes over. 01:02:15.320 --> 01:02:18.320 It is the table of the house marked by blood, 01:02:18.320 --> 01:02:20.320 where the angel passes over. 01:02:20.320 --> 01:02:23.320 It is the table where the meal is shared. 01:02:24.320 --> 01:02:27.320 It is the place where preservation happens, 01:02:27.320 --> 01:02:29.320 while judgment passes by. 01:02:29.320 --> 01:02:31.320 It is the house marked by blood, 01:02:31.320 --> 01:02:33.320 where the angel passes over. 01:02:33.320 --> 01:02:36.320 It is the table where the meal is shared. 01:02:36.320 --> 01:02:38.320 It is the place where preservation happens, 01:02:38.320 --> 01:02:40.320 while judgment passes by. 01:02:40.320 --> 01:02:42.320 And then the last thing is net. 01:02:42.320 --> 01:02:46.320 Once this happens, God begins to have the ability 01:02:46.320 --> 01:02:52.320 to use us as a net for gathering, 01:02:54.320 --> 01:03:00.320 distributing, and preserving the harvest. 01:03:04.320 --> 01:03:07.320 God willing, in future we'll talk about this more. 01:03:08.320 --> 01:03:11.320 Coenonia leads to Goshen, leads to a net, 01:03:11.320 --> 01:03:13.320 because God then begins to gather, 01:03:13.320 --> 01:03:18.320 he begins to distribute, and he begins to preserve the harvest. 01:03:20.320 --> 01:03:23.320 Church became this in the book of Acts. 01:03:23.320 --> 01:03:25.320 Let's read these two scriptures in close. 01:03:25.320 --> 01:03:27.320 Acts 2, 42-47. 01:03:27.320 --> 01:03:30.320 Acts 2, 42-47. 01:03:31.320 --> 01:03:33.320 How did they build it so fast then, man? 01:03:35.320 --> 01:03:38.320 Acts 2, 42-47. 01:03:40.320 --> 01:03:42.320 And then Acts 4. 01:03:44.320 --> 01:03:47.320 32-37. So Acts 2 first. 01:03:49.320 --> 01:03:52.320 They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching, 01:03:52.320 --> 01:03:55.320 and to Coenonia of fellowship, 01:03:55.320 --> 01:03:58.320 to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 01:03:59.320 --> 01:04:01.320 Everyone was filled with awe, 01:04:01.320 --> 01:04:04.320 and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the Apostles. 01:04:05.320 --> 01:04:08.320 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 01:04:09.320 --> 01:04:12.320 Selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone as he had need. 01:04:14.320 --> 01:04:17.320 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. 01:04:17.320 --> 01:04:21.320 They broke bread in homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. 01:04:22.320 --> 01:04:25.320 Praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. 01:04:25.320 --> 01:04:29.320 And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 01:04:29.320 --> 01:04:34.320 You see the Coenonia, the Goshen, and the net. 01:04:35.320 --> 01:04:39.320 And now go to Acts 4, verse 32. 01:04:44.320 --> 01:04:47.320 All the believers were one in heart and mind. 01:04:48.320 --> 01:04:51.320 No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, 01:04:51.320 --> 01:04:53.320 but they shared everything they had. 01:04:54.320 --> 01:04:57.320 With great power the Apostles continued to testify 01:04:57.320 --> 01:04:59.320 to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, 01:04:59.320 --> 01:05:01.320 and much grace was upon them all. 01:05:02.320 --> 01:05:04.320 There were no needy persons among them, 01:05:04.320 --> 01:05:08.320 for from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, 01:05:08.320 --> 01:05:10.320 brought the money from the sales, 01:05:10.320 --> 01:05:12.320 and put it at the Apostles feet, 01:05:12.320 --> 01:05:15.320 and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. 01:05:15.320 --> 01:05:19.320 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the Apostles called Barabbas, 01:05:19.320 --> 01:05:21.320 which means son of encouragement, 01:05:21.320 --> 01:05:23.320 sold a field he owned, brought the money, 01:05:23.320 --> 01:05:25.320 put it at the Apostles feet. 01:05:25.320 --> 01:05:29.320 This is the idea of Coenonia, Goshen, and the net, 01:05:29.320 --> 01:05:33.320 where you become, we become a divine construct, 01:05:33.320 --> 01:05:38.320 designed by God for gathering, for distribution, and preservation. 01:05:39.320 --> 01:05:42.320 These are the days of wonder that await us. 01:05:42.320 --> 01:05:45.320 These are the days of wonder that await us. 01:05:45.320 --> 01:05:47.320 These are the days of wonder that await us. 01:05:47.320 --> 01:05:51.320 Live, live. Don't leave, live, yeah? 01:05:51.320 --> 01:05:54.320 These are the days of wonder that await us. 01:05:54.320 --> 01:05:56.320 Yeah!