WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Re-Naming Publishing Date: 2019-11-03T05:00:44-08:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/re-naming/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.000 in the year ahead. And so, Zechariah 8 is a passage that we'll be exploring, mining, drilling, ploughing, 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:16.000 to find the nuggets that God has for us, because He's giving it to us to become. 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:21.000 It's given to the church first, and then to the individual. As in, if the church receives it, 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:26.000 then every individual receives it. That's how God works. God always gives something to a people. 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:32.000 Once a people receive it, then each one gets a plot of land. That's how it happened with Israel. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:38.000 That's how God has always done it. These are things we spoke about when we introduced this topic. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:46.000 We started with Zechariah 8 verse 2. Today we deal with Zechariah 8 3, and we only deal with one small 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:52.000 portion of it, because this is going to take time. Zechariah 8 3 says this. This is what the Lord says, 00:00:52.000 --> 00:01:02.000 One more time. Zechariah 8 3, this is what the Lord says. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:14.000 One more time. Zechariah 8 3, this is what the Lord says. 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:20.000 And so, what we're going to talk about is how God wants to rename some of the things we are. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:24.000 So, you're Acts 29. There are wells of healing here. You're a prophetic church and all that. 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:30.000 But here's some of the other things I want you to become, says God. And so, God, what is it that you want to become? 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:35.000 Three things he mentions in Zechariah 8 3. One, I want you to become a faithful city. 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:41.000 Two, I want you to become the mountain of God. And three, I want you to become a holy mountain. 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:46.000 So these are the three things we look at. And today we are only going to talk about faithful city. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:52.000 Nothing else. And we might not get through that either. 00:01:52.000 --> 00:02:08.000 So, guys, whenever there's a name change or a renaming, what it means is that God wants to try and distill how we should perceive ourselves through his eyes and what we need to become. 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:13.000 God wants to try and distill how we perceive ourselves through his eyes. 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:23.000 So if he thinks that Acts 29 needs to become faithful, we've got to figure out, so, oh, God, what does looking faithful appear like? 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:27.000 What does it look like? When you say be faithful, what do you mean? 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:31.000 If you say that you want us to become the mountain of God, what does that mean? 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:34.000 If you say we need to be a holy mountain, what does that mean? 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:38.000 And what does that mean? Because renaming always requires a shift. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:44.000 You see that with Saul, who became Paul. You see that with Abraham, who became Abraham. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:49.000 You see that with two other characters who are very famous. 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:53.000 Jacob, who became Israel. And you see that with Simon, who became Peter. 00:02:53.000 --> 00:03:02.000 There was a shift. And so I don't take this lightly. Every time I look at Zechariah 8 and I think, ah, shucks, so this is what you want to do? 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:04.000 I think to myself, man, we'll have to change. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:08.000 How we change as a people and when we change together, then the individual changes. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:16.000 Always remember that. That's the way this works. It never starts ground, what's it called? 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:21.000 Grassroots up. It never starts grassroots up. This is a kingdom. 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:26.000 It doesn't work from, it's not a democracy. It works top down. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:34.000 And everybody begins to behave a certain way and then each individual begins to perform a certain way because they are infected with the same virus. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:37.000 That's how this works. Yeah? 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:46.000 So, to understand faithful city, one of the easiest ways to understand faithful city is to look at what an unfaithful city looks like. 00:03:46.000 --> 00:04:00.000 If you want to turn to Isaiah 1, Isaiah 1, Isaiah 1, 21 to 24. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:03.000 Hey, do you know something? Of course you do. 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:19.000 Hey, do you know something? When it comes to God and when it comes to Israel, you'll find that the way Israel would go into the future is by looking at the past. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:25.000 Think of this for a second. We are looking to go into 2020. I'm assuming you do. 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:31.000 You might have started a new endeavor, a new business. You may have a new prophetic word that takes you into the future. 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:36.000 You may have nothing and you are still looking into 2020 and want life to be better. 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:47.000 Throughout the Bible, you will see that the way God dealt with Israel was by saying, hey, face the past and step back into the future. 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:54.000 Very odd. It's not the way any other kingdom, any other king asks people to work. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:05:00.000 But God would always say, face the past and step into the future. Step back into the future. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:07.000 What do you mean by that? God would say, hey, Israel, your parents did this, this and this when I took them through this, this and this. 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:13.000 And he would show them the past and show them the things he planned to do with them, the things they failed at. 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:22.000 And then he would say, but now today is the day of salvation. Do not be like your ancestors were at the waters of Meribah and Marah. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:24.000 And then he would take them into the future. 00:05:24.000 --> 00:05:33.000 One of the things I suggest you do as you approach 2020 is not look with great eagerness to the future without looking at the past. 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:39.000 Face the past and step back into the future. That's how Israel and God would do things. 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:49.000 All the prophetic words that you see Isaiah giving, Jeremiah giving, would talk about what God once did with his people and what God then wants to do with you. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:58.000 There was a need to acknowledge that this is what was meant for you. I've always been a good God. This is what is reserved for you. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:08.000 But do look at your past so that as you step into the future, you don't make the same mistakes again and again that you have continuously and your forefathers have made in the past. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:16.000 Christianity has a tendency to quickly sweep the past under the blood of Christ and move on to the future. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:21.000 Bad idea. The blood of Christ was not meant to become a carpet under which we sweep things. 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:29.000 The blood of Christ was meant to be something that we have washed our sins away after we look the sin square in the face. 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:38.000 You had to look at the serpent, the bronze serpent that was put up on a pole before you could recover from the bite of the serpent. 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:44.000 Anyone who did not look up at it but just thought it's there, it's good enough, wouldn't be able to make it. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:57.000 You would die. You have to look at it. I plead with you as you approach 2020, do not look at it as full of promise till you look at the past. 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:06.000 And it's not a bad thing to look at the past. Father, as I look, I see what I did, what my forefathers did, the things that have kept on repeating. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:13.000 And I look at the past and I step into the future. Back to the future takes new meaning suddenly. 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:22.000 Back to the future. A small pun, slight joke. It was okay. Not a haha, it was a British thing. 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:36.000 Okay, so to understand faithful city, look at unfaithful city. So if you want to go to Isaiah 1, 21-24, look at what it says there. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:46.000 See how the faithful city has become a harlot. She once was full of justice, righteousness, used to dwell in her, but now murderers. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:54.000 Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water. Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:08:01.000 They all love bribes and they chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless. The widow's case does not come before them. 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:09.000 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the mighty one of Israel declares, I'll get relief from my foes and avenge myself from my enemies. 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:15.000 I'll turn my hand against you, I'll thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. I will restore your judges as in the days of old. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:21.000 Your counsellors at the beginning. Afterwards you will be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:29.000 So one of the things that we have to become if we want to be faithful is we got to make sure. 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:37.000 Guys, the thing is, unfaithfulness in the Bible was always equated with prostitution. 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:42.000 Unfaithfulness in the Bible was always equated with prostitution. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:50.000 And a prostitute is to give away, the prostitute is to divert or give away one's gifts and abilities. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:09:02.000 The prostitute is to divert one's gifts and abilities to someone else. 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:19.000 To someone else, other than the one you are pledged to, or to a cause that is profane or base. 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:24.000 So unfaithfulness is always equated to prostitution in the Bible, always. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:31.000 And a prostitute is to divert one's gifts and abilities to someone else. 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:35.000 Than to the one to whom you have pledged your allegiance. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:44.000 Or to divert your gifts and abilities to some other cause that is less important or that is better. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:52.000 Or to divert your gifts and abilities to some other cause that is less important or that is base or that is mundane or profane. 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:56.000 That is the idea of prostitution. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:06.000 And the problem with this was that adultery would always lead to adulteration. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:16.000 And that is mentioned in these verses where it says, your pure gold has become rotten, it's become like dross, your wine has become diluted. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:23.000 Whenever we are unfaithful, always remember that adulteration creeps in. 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:30.000 Hey Ryan, you'll have to put up those two pictures that we haven't done yet. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:43.000 So to be a faithful city requires that Acts 29 make sure that we as a church and as individuals, we do not divert our gifts and abilities to someone else. 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:50.000 Or to a cause that may be important in the eyes of the world, may even be required for life and livelihood. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:53.000 But it will not go there because it first belongs to Christ in the body. 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:58.000 It reminds me of this thing that we've talked about many times and I wanted to bring it up again. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:07.000 That if you and your family are at the center of your life, then I would suggest that we are already going the route of the unfaithful. 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:16.000 If my family and I are at the center of my life, and if I choose to serve Christ and his church, because I believe that seek first the kingdom and he will bless. 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:19.000 That he will bless my work so that I will make more money. 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:21.000 That when I make more money I'll have more possessions. 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:26.000 I'll give a portion of my possessions to the church, but me and my family is what I need to take care of. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:28.000 I have to take care of my livelihood. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:31.000 This is being unfaithful. 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:36.000 I love the extreme that God takes us to. 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:38.000 By any standard, this is a good Christian life. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:42.000 But by God's standards, this is not right. 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:56.000 To divert one's gifts and abilities to someone else or to a cause that is profane or base. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:00.000 Guys, at the end of the day, someone else said it while... 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:02.000 Yeah, Sue said it. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:06.000 That keep your eyes on the prize. 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:11.000 It belongs to someone else who bought you. 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:16.000 Never let this be misplaced. 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:22.000 Time, treasure, talent, strength must never be given to anybody else. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:25.000 And the second picture is what we go with. 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:28.000 Go ahead, Ryan. 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:32.000 This is how it actually works. 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:35.000 My family exists for one reason, to serve Christ and the church. 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:39.000 My work exists for one reason, to serve Christ and the church. 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:43.000 My money exists for one reason, to serve Christ and the church. 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:46.000 My possessions exist for one reason, to serve Christ and the church. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:49.000 This is being faithful. 00:12:49.000 --> 00:12:53.000 It's this whole idea of leaving and cleaving. 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:57.000 This is what real Christianity looks like. 00:12:57.000 --> 00:13:04.000 How we must endeavor to make this even more real than we've ever experienced it in the year ahead. 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:11.000 I'll do everything I can to try and model it for you and then urge you to live this way. 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:13.000 Because it's required of us. 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:18.000 If I am right that this is the passage given to us to become in 2020, 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:25.000 then it would be terrible if we looked at it, taught about it, and put it aside as taken care of. 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:29.000 Nope, this must be primary because it's a name change. 00:13:29.000 --> 00:13:32.000 Faithful city looks like this. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:35.000 Go back to the original picture, Ryan. 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:40.000 This is not who we will be. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:45.000 In the second picture. 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:49.000 This is who we'll become more than we've ever become. 00:13:51.000 --> 00:13:59.000 And when relationship with family gets in the way of relationship with Christ and the body, 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:04.000 when relationship with work gets in the way of relationship with Christ and the body. 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:09.000 When relationship with money gets in the way of relationship with Christ and the body, 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:10.880 when my possessions get in the way, 00:14:10.880 --> 00:14:13.560 then it will not be a struggle to choose 00:14:13.560 --> 00:14:16.560 because ages ago you and I have decided 00:14:16.560 --> 00:14:18.600 that should it come to a choice, 00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:20.000 it will not be a struggle. 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:21.960 It will be a preference or a default. 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:23.320 It will not be a struggle. 00:14:26.280 --> 00:14:29.000 This is the extreme that Jesus takes us to 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:30.260 in Luke chapter nine. 00:14:32.760 --> 00:14:33.880 Luke chapter 14. 00:14:35.680 --> 00:14:36.840 This is being faithful. 00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:38.320 Any questions before we go on? 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:39.480 Just one more point, 00:14:39.480 --> 00:14:41.680 which has six subsections, of course, 00:14:41.680 --> 00:14:42.960 and then we are done. 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:43.840 Any questions? 00:14:51.560 --> 00:14:52.520 Any questions, guys? 00:14:53.400 --> 00:14:54.600 Any disagreements? 00:14:57.440 --> 00:14:58.500 You want scriptures for this? 00:14:58.500 --> 00:15:00.040 Go look at Luke chapter nine, 00:15:00.040 --> 00:15:01.880 52 to 59, 00:15:01.880 --> 00:15:04.560 and then look at Luke chapter 14. 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:10.480 Where Jesus talks about this. 00:15:12.560 --> 00:15:16.680 Saying, hey, if you love wife, 00:15:17.920 --> 00:15:18.760 family, 00:15:20.280 --> 00:15:22.960 nation, people, whatever, more than you love me, 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:25.120 as in, it's a relative comparison. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:27.600 You must, he actually said if, 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:29.640 I'm softening Jesus' words 00:15:29.640 --> 00:15:31.320 because I want him to come out nice, 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:32.760 but this is what he actually said. 00:15:32.760 --> 00:15:33.880 If you don't hate. 00:15:35.760 --> 00:15:37.680 I was just being, making him nicer. 00:15:38.840 --> 00:15:39.920 But that's a choice. 00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:43.880 Will you model it? 00:15:43.880 --> 00:15:45.600 Will you guys who are married model it? 00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:48.160 It's easy for a single guy to do this. 00:15:48.160 --> 00:15:49.960 What about you guys who are married? 00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:55.920 Will you guys with kids model this? 00:15:57.820 --> 00:15:58.960 It's easy for a single guy 00:15:58.960 --> 00:16:01.000 who pastors a church to do this. 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:04.160 What about you when you have people to take care of, 00:16:04.160 --> 00:16:06.320 when you have kids to take care of, 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:08.320 when you have work to do, 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:09.160 will you model it? 00:16:09.160 --> 00:16:11.800 Because there are fewer pastors 00:16:11.800 --> 00:16:13.840 and thousands like you that must see it. 00:16:17.640 --> 00:16:18.800 Okay, next point. 00:16:19.800 --> 00:16:22.440 Second, the faithless city is built on, 00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:24.560 a faithless city is built on greed 00:16:24.560 --> 00:16:26.080 and the oppression of the weak. 00:16:26.080 --> 00:16:29.720 A faithless city is built on greed 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:31.680 and the oppression of the weak. 00:16:31.680 --> 00:16:33.320 Ryan, you can switch this one off. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:38.560 A faithless city is built on greed 00:16:38.560 --> 00:16:41.200 and the oppression of the weak. 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:44.400 While a faithful city is built on justice. 00:16:44.400 --> 00:16:47.440 Hey, this passage that we read, 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:50.320 I wanna show you something in verse 24. 00:16:51.560 --> 00:16:54.040 Isaiah one, verse 24. 00:16:54.040 --> 00:16:56.280 You know, there's nowhere else in Isaiah 00:16:56.280 --> 00:17:01.280 that God really ratchets up his titles to deliver a line. 00:17:01.320 --> 00:17:03.360 Here he says, I mean, if you read the original, 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:04.400 it would read like this. 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:09.400 Therefore the Adonai, Yahweh, Sabaoth 00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:11.880 and the mighty one of Israel declares. 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:15.840 Never in Isaiah does God take four of his titles 00:17:15.840 --> 00:17:16.760 and put it together. 00:17:16.760 --> 00:17:19.120 It's almost like saying, you better listen to me 00:17:19.120 --> 00:17:22.720 cause I'm Adonai, Yahweh, Sabaoth and the mighty one. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:24.880 And in putting all those four titles together, 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:28.280 he now wants to deliver a line that is powerful. 00:17:28.280 --> 00:17:30.040 And one of the things that really bothers God 00:17:30.320 --> 00:17:32.200 and very few of us know anything about it, 00:17:32.200 --> 00:17:33.920 at least I don't claim to know much about it, 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:36.120 is that he really gets upset 00:17:36.120 --> 00:17:38.480 when his people are not interested in justice. 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:44.360 He's a God who, you know, 00:17:44.360 --> 00:17:47.360 the kingdom is built around one word, Sedeq. 00:17:47.360 --> 00:17:49.640 Sedeq means righteousness and justice. 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:53.440 Comes from the same word, T-S-E-D-E-K. 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:55.360 That's why he calls himself Yahweh Sidkenu, 00:17:55.360 --> 00:17:56.840 God my righteousness. 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:00.120 The word Sedeq stands for both righteousness and justice. 00:18:00.120 --> 00:18:02.000 And it is super important to God. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:03.840 And I think we don't know anything about it. 00:18:03.840 --> 00:18:05.920 And I'm so glad that God is introducing something 00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:07.000 I'm not familiar with, 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:08.760 cause now you have to work on it. 00:18:08.760 --> 00:18:11.280 Some of you may have engaged in this, 00:18:12.280 --> 00:18:13.840 but I'm looking forward to it. 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:19.000 It's like a muscle that has not been flexed in this church. 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:22.520 How does injustice happen? 00:18:22.520 --> 00:18:25.680 Injustice happens when people like us 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:29.080 refuse to harness our influence, our treasure, our strength 00:18:29.080 --> 00:18:31.000 for the purpose of the helpless and the crushed. 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:33.760 Injustice happens when people like us 00:18:34.760 --> 00:18:35.760 won't harness 00:18:38.440 --> 00:18:39.400 our strength, 00:18:40.440 --> 00:18:41.280 our treasure 00:18:44.680 --> 00:18:46.880 to help 00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:50.360 the oppressed 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:53.200 and the weak. 00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:57.000 When we won't consistently harness 00:18:59.280 --> 00:19:04.280 our strength and treasure and talent and ability 00:19:04.280 --> 00:19:09.280 to influence or help 00:19:09.520 --> 00:19:11.760 the purpose of the helpless and the weak. 00:19:11.760 --> 00:19:15.680 Guys, please understand. 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:19.920 I have not been able to wrap my head around this, 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:23.360 but one of the things that really bothers God 00:19:24.560 --> 00:19:27.760 is the condition of the weak and the oppressed on the earth 00:19:27.760 --> 00:19:31.320 and the fact that his children who have him in their midst, 00:19:32.760 --> 00:19:34.920 I need some water, have him in their midst. 00:19:37.120 --> 00:19:38.520 Please run through enemy territory 00:19:38.520 --> 00:19:41.320 and get me some water from the wells of Jerusalem quickly. 00:19:43.160 --> 00:19:45.360 And I will not pour it out cause I'm thirsty. 00:19:46.360 --> 00:19:49.760 Guys, God gets really upset in his heart, 00:19:49.760 --> 00:19:51.960 not upset with us, but upset in his heart 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:55.160 when his people do not have 00:19:56.760 --> 00:19:59.360 a soft corner in their hearts for the weak and the oppressed. 00:20:00.560 --> 00:20:02.560 And how the church deals with it 00:20:02.560 --> 00:20:06.360 is by taking up a cause to which we donate money. 00:20:07.760 --> 00:20:09.960 And so it's taken care of. 00:20:09.960 --> 00:20:12.760 I pray God that at the end of 2020, 00:20:12.760 --> 00:20:15.160 this will become a significant part of our lives. 00:20:16.360 --> 00:20:19.560 Where inside your heart you will develop the same corner 00:20:19.560 --> 00:20:21.960 that God has for the weak and the oppressed. 00:20:23.160 --> 00:20:24.960 That injustice will begin to bother you. 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:29.360 Injustice not just in a particular area, 00:20:29.360 --> 00:20:31.360 injustice in general. 00:20:32.360 --> 00:20:33.760 Any questions before we go on? 00:20:33.760 --> 00:20:35.760 I'm just asking that cause I want to stop coughing. 00:20:37.760 --> 00:20:38.760 Any questions? 00:20:41.760 --> 00:20:43.160 Okay, here's the other question then. 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:44.560 Does it really bother you? 00:20:45.360 --> 00:20:46.360 Sometimes. 00:20:53.360 --> 00:20:55.760 Yeah, but what if people began to think differently? 00:20:56.760 --> 00:20:58.360 This is something God wants, eh? 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:00.360 You want to say something? 00:21:01.160 --> 00:21:02.160 Go ahead. 00:21:09.560 --> 00:21:10.560 Thank you. 00:21:10.560 --> 00:21:11.560 Thank you. 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:15.960 Thank you. 00:21:16.360 --> 00:21:17.360 Yeah. 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:27.160 Yeah. 00:21:27.360 --> 00:21:28.760 I didn't know it bothered him so much. 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:33.960 Injustice is the result of supplying my needs first 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:37.160 and securing my self-sufficiency and not surrendering it. 00:21:37.760 --> 00:21:38.760 Injustice, 00:21:39.760 --> 00:21:41.560 for us as a church, injustice, 00:21:43.560 --> 00:21:47.760 injustice is the result of supplying my own needs first 00:21:47.760 --> 00:21:51.760 and securing my self-sufficiency first and not surrendering it. 00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:53.760 Very bothersome statement, eh? 00:21:53.760 --> 00:21:56.360 I love self, being self-sufficient. 00:21:56.360 --> 00:21:57.960 How good if we are self-sufficient? 00:21:57.960 --> 00:21:59.960 You think it would be a fine quality. 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:03.160 Part of the prosperity gospel equation is 00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:05.760 you need to be self-sufficient before you can help the world. 00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:06.960 It's wrong. 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:12.360 It's taught as godly, but it isn't. 00:22:13.560 --> 00:22:17.360 It's a falsehood to believe that you have to first come to a place of self-sufficiency 00:22:17.360 --> 00:22:18.560 before you can help. 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:21.360 And what does self-sufficiency look like for you? 00:22:21.360 --> 00:22:22.760 In India, it would be different. 00:22:22.760 --> 00:22:24.360 In Canada, it would be different. 00:22:24.360 --> 00:22:25.560 In Brunei, it would be different. 00:22:25.560 --> 00:22:26.960 In Dubai, it would be different. 00:22:27.360 --> 00:22:29.160 So what would self-sufficiency look like? 00:22:33.160 --> 00:22:37.160 Injustice is the result of supplying my needs first 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:40.760 and securing my self-sufficiency and not surrendering it. 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:49.360 And the third point, 00:22:49.760 --> 00:22:54.360 injustice is not trusting a fair and loving god 00:22:55.360 --> 00:22:57.360 to take care of my situation. 00:22:57.360 --> 00:23:01.160 Instead, putting my rights and my deservedness first. 00:23:01.360 --> 00:23:06.760 Injustice is not being able to entrust myself to a fair and loving god. 00:23:07.360 --> 00:23:12.560 And instead, putting my rights and my deservedness before others. 00:23:13.360 --> 00:23:20.360 Injustice is the result of not being able to entrust myself to a fair and loving god 00:23:20.560 --> 00:23:25.160 and instead having to stand up for my rights and my deservedness. 00:23:30.360 --> 00:23:34.960 And God is saying to Jerusalem that used to be a faithful city. 00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:36.560 That's the irony of it. 00:23:36.560 --> 00:23:39.760 Oh, faithful city, how you've turned into a prostitute. 00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:44.960 A part of the prostitution involved not rendering justice anymore, 00:23:45.160 --> 00:23:48.760 not being aware of the widow and the orphan, 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:52.160 not taking up the case of those that were weak and oppressed, 00:23:52.360 --> 00:23:55.360 but instead taking bribes, becoming corrupt, 00:23:55.560 --> 00:23:59.960 doing as one pleases, oppressing the weak and not taking care of the helpless. 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:05.760 That, God is saying, makes you, Jerusalem, the faithful city, a prostitute now. 00:24:07.560 --> 00:24:09.760 Boy, just think of this, man. 00:24:09.960 --> 00:24:15.560 If this is really God who's saying that, hey, Acts 29, you've got to become faithful. 00:24:15.760 --> 00:24:18.160 And we thought faithful madness meant something else, 00:24:18.360 --> 00:24:21.760 but when you look at what faithless means, you see faithful as something else. 00:24:23.960 --> 00:24:26.160 It's great that he's giving us this challenge. 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:31.360 In other words, guys, there's a direct connection between the idolatry of self and injustice. 00:24:31.560 --> 00:24:42.360 There's a direct connection between the idolatry of self and injustice. 00:24:43.560 --> 00:24:55.360 And in the end, we have a direct connection between the idolatry of self and injustice. 00:24:56.760 --> 00:24:59.360 The greater the idolatry of self in my life, 00:24:59.560 --> 00:25:04.360 the greater the injustice I will tolerate, not look at, walk by. 00:25:06.360 --> 00:25:07.960 Isn't that true? 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:11.760 The greater the idolatry of self, 00:25:11.960 --> 00:25:16.960 the greater self-sufficiency and security is important to me. 00:25:17.160 --> 00:25:22.960 The less likely I am to look at that which is unjust and do anything about it, 00:25:23.160 --> 00:25:27.560 the more likely I am to tolerate it, to walk by it, to pray for it, 00:25:27.760 --> 00:25:32.560 and do what James said, that you will go and say to the man who does not have clothes, 00:25:32.760 --> 00:25:36.160 be warm, be happy, God bless you, and walk away. 00:25:43.760 --> 00:25:45.960 And then in response to all that God says, 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:49.160 like I said, he ratchets up his divine titles in 124, 00:25:49.360 --> 00:25:53.360 and then he says, I am Adonai Yahweh, sabba, almighty one, 00:25:53.560 --> 00:25:57.760 so listen up Acts 29, I'll purify you so that you become faithful city. 00:25:58.560 --> 00:26:01.160 So whether you like it or not, we suggest, I suggest, 00:26:01.360 --> 00:26:05.560 see the great thing with God is why wrestle and have your hip dislocated? 00:26:05.760 --> 00:26:07.960 Why not just get a name change done? 00:26:08.560 --> 00:26:09.760 Why go the hard way? 00:26:10.560 --> 00:26:12.560 Why wrestle with him till dawn? 00:26:12.760 --> 00:26:15.760 Just say, you want to change my name, oh God, just tell me what to do, I'll change my name, 00:26:15.760 --> 00:26:17.760 I don't want to wrestle with you because it doesn't end well, 00:26:17.760 --> 00:26:19.360 I live for the rest of my life. 00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:27.360 I'm looking forward to what God will do with this. 00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:29.760 I'm looking forward to what God will do with this. 00:26:29.760 --> 00:26:33.560 Any questions? Because I'm going to wrap it up and we'll talk about the rest later. 00:26:35.360 --> 00:26:35.960 Yeah. 00:26:38.360 --> 00:26:40.560 Yeah, sometimes when God wants to change your name, 00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:42.960 it will require a shift in character. 00:26:43.760 --> 00:26:46.560 If it requires a shift in character, we are usually resistant. 00:26:47.360 --> 00:26:51.360 When we are resistant because God cares too much for me and what he wants to do through me, 00:26:51.760 --> 00:26:55.360 he won't let me get away, which means then that I'll have to grapple with him. 00:26:55.760 --> 00:26:59.960 At some point in the grappling, I'll realize this is pointless, might as well agree. 00:27:00.760 --> 00:27:06.960 But in the process, I may have a mark left on me for my grappling when I could have easily just agreed 00:27:07.160 --> 00:27:08.760 and gotten things done straight away. 00:27:10.760 --> 00:27:15.360 Pharaoh was wrestling only in his case, he ended up really badly. 00:27:16.560 --> 00:27:20.160 Jacob wrestled and in his case, the name did change, 00:27:20.560 --> 00:27:23.360 but he walked with a limp for the rest of his life. 00:27:23.560 --> 00:27:28.760 You don't have to have a dislocation to become someone else, you just have to agree. 00:27:29.160 --> 00:27:34.560 Abraham changed his name and then began to wrestle with the concept of the change 00:27:34.560 --> 00:27:37.360 and ended up having Hegar and then Ishmael. 00:27:40.560 --> 00:27:44.060 Why not have a name change as in a shift of character without the wrestling? 00:27:44.060 --> 00:27:47.060 Because you know that this is what God wants, so let's just take it on. 00:27:48.860 --> 00:27:53.060 I don't know how this is going to work out because I'm not very into justice at all. 00:27:56.860 --> 00:27:58.460 It's not a big deal for me. 00:27:59.860 --> 00:28:06.060 All this time I've said this, oh well, there are some churches that are meant for social justice issues 00:28:06.460 --> 00:28:07.660 and more power to them. 00:28:07.860 --> 00:28:12.460 That's the easiest way to get rid of it, as in you look like you're good at it, so you run with it. 00:28:12.460 --> 00:28:18.460 But here is God saying, yeah, some tribes have their traits, but all my people have my character. 00:28:21.860 --> 00:28:30.060 One of the characteristics that God has is he really feels upset when he sees injustice 00:28:30.060 --> 00:28:35.860 and he feels upset enough to say stuff like, when I was naked you clothed me, 00:28:36.660 --> 00:28:40.660 when I was hungry you fed me, when I was in prison you came to visit me. 00:28:42.660 --> 00:28:43.660 And they said, when? 00:28:45.860 --> 00:28:49.060 As much as you did to the least of them, so you did unto me. 00:28:49.660 --> 00:28:53.860 He is so for the weak and the oppressed that I'm being bothered as I read. 00:28:54.860 --> 00:29:00.060 Because it's not been, for us, guys, please don't take my experience as yours. 00:29:00.060 --> 00:29:01.060 I'm just talking for myself. 00:29:01.260 --> 00:29:06.260 You might be in a far better place than me where it really is something that bothers you a lot. 00:29:06.460 --> 00:29:12.260 I'm just talking about me as in this has not been on my radar for very long and I'm grateful that it's coming my way. 00:29:12.260 --> 00:29:14.660 And I would say that as a church, we're not good at this. 00:29:15.460 --> 00:29:18.460 As individuals perhaps, but as a church maybe we can pull up ourselves in this. 00:29:18.660 --> 00:29:21.660 This is not sending money to Andhra or to Kenya. 00:29:21.860 --> 00:29:22.660 That's different. 00:29:23.060 --> 00:29:24.860 This is more than that. Or to Syria. 00:29:25.060 --> 00:29:27.260 This is when we all become conscious of a certain way. 00:29:30.460 --> 00:29:31.260 It'll be marvelous. 00:29:31.260 --> 00:29:32.260 Isaiah 58. 00:29:34.060 --> 00:29:39.460 This is the kind of fast that I'm after says God to break the chains of injustice, 00:29:39.660 --> 00:29:41.860 to get rid of exploitation in the workplace. 00:29:42.260 --> 00:29:43.260 Free the oppressed. 00:29:43.460 --> 00:29:44.660 Cancel debts. 00:29:44.860 --> 00:29:47.460 What I'm interested in is seeing you do this. 00:29:47.660 --> 00:29:49.060 Sharing your food with the hungry. 00:29:49.260 --> 00:29:51.260 Inviting the homeless poor into your homes. 00:29:51.460 --> 00:29:53.460 Putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad. 00:29:53.660 --> 00:29:55.460 Being available to your own families. 00:29:55.660 --> 00:29:57.660 Do this and the lights will turn on. 00:29:57.860 --> 00:29:59.660 Your healing shall spring forth speedily. 00:29:59.860 --> 00:30:01.460 Your righteousness will pave your way. 00:30:01.660 --> 00:30:03.460 The God of glory will secure your passage. 00:30:03.660 --> 00:30:04.260 Beautiful, eh? 00:30:04.460 --> 00:30:05.660 Isaiah 58. 00:30:09.460 --> 00:30:11.060 James, chapter one. 00:30:11.060 --> 00:30:13.460 And what is true and pure religion? 00:30:13.660 --> 00:30:16.260 He who takes care of the alien and the immigrant. 00:30:16.460 --> 00:30:18.060 He who takes care of the fatherless. 00:30:18.260 --> 00:30:19.460 He who takes care of the widow. 00:30:19.660 --> 00:30:21.260 That is pure religion. 00:30:22.860 --> 00:30:25.260 It's just again and again and again and again. 00:30:25.460 --> 00:30:29.860 And we cannot divest ourselves of this character of God by giving money toward the cause. 00:30:30.060 --> 00:30:33.460 We must become so highly aware of it and still continue giving money. 00:30:35.660 --> 00:30:36.460 Any questions? 00:30:36.660 --> 00:30:38.060 I'll stop there, guys. 00:30:42.060 --> 00:30:45.060 Isaiah 124. 00:30:45.260 --> 00:30:47.860 It's important that we realize that, eh? 00:30:48.060 --> 00:30:49.860 Because nowhere else in Isaiah does he do that. 00:30:50.060 --> 00:30:51.860 It's almost like saying, I am... 00:30:52.060 --> 00:30:54.660 It's like a prime minister or a president saying, 00:30:54.860 --> 00:30:57.860 I by the seal of the president of the... 00:30:58.060 --> 00:30:59.860 And instead of God doing the... 00:31:00.060 --> 00:31:01.460 He just says, hey listen. 00:31:01.660 --> 00:31:02.660 Listen to who's speaking. 00:31:02.860 --> 00:31:05.060 I am he who is Adonai, as in Lord. 00:31:05.260 --> 00:31:07.660 I am he who is Yahweh, the self-existent one. 00:31:07.860 --> 00:31:08.660 I am that I am. 00:31:08.660 --> 00:31:11.260 I am he that is Lord Sabaoth, the mighty warrior. 00:31:11.460 --> 00:31:12.860 I am he that is mighty God. 00:31:13.060 --> 00:31:15.660 And here is my intent and here is what I want to say to you. 00:31:15.860 --> 00:31:18.260 That I will purge you and make you faithful. 00:31:19.860 --> 00:31:23.260 As in, this is something I desperately want for my people Jerusalem. 00:31:24.660 --> 00:31:25.660 Faithful city. 00:31:26.260 --> 00:31:29.460 One of the ways God expresses faithful city is through good works. 00:31:29.660 --> 00:31:31.260 But we talked about that ages ago. 00:31:31.460 --> 00:31:32.260 I won't go there yet. 00:31:32.860 --> 00:31:34.860 But first we need, before we do good works, 00:31:35.060 --> 00:31:37.860 what if we got a heart that beats the same way? 00:31:39.260 --> 00:31:40.460 Then good works are natural. 00:31:40.660 --> 00:31:42.060 Otherwise good works are an add-on. 00:31:46.060 --> 00:31:47.660 Good works should not be an add-on. 00:31:47.860 --> 00:31:51.060 Thus far at Acts 29, good works has been an add-on. 00:31:51.860 --> 00:31:56.260 I pray now that as odd compassion by the power of the Holy Spirit 00:31:56.460 --> 00:31:58.460 will begin to wash over this congregation 00:31:58.660 --> 00:32:01.460 where it is something that comes out of a desperate cry 00:32:01.660 --> 00:32:03.460 for those that are oppressed, trodden over, 00:32:03.660 --> 00:32:05.660 weak, fatherless, orphaned, 00:32:05.660 --> 00:32:10.460 widowed, ill-clad, in prison, naked, unclothed, unfed. 00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:12.660 That something will begin to happen within our hearts. 00:32:12.860 --> 00:32:13.860 So I'll end with that. 00:32:14.060 --> 00:32:15.060 Let's just pray first. 00:32:26.660 --> 00:32:29.860 Yeah, many have brought and talked to me about it. 00:32:30.060 --> 00:32:32.860 And if you wanted to. 00:32:33.860 --> 00:32:37.260 So let's end. 00:32:37.460 --> 00:32:40.460 So Diana will come up and pray that God, by His Spirit, 00:32:40.660 --> 00:32:44.860 will cause something to wash over this church in this area. 00:32:45.060 --> 00:32:45.660 Yeah? 00:32:45.860 --> 00:32:47.260 Then after Diana I'll ask, 00:32:47.460 --> 00:32:49.460 I'll actually ask Diana and Emily to pray 00:32:49.660 --> 00:32:50.660 and then we can end with that. 00:32:54.260 --> 00:33:01.460 Then I'm going to ask Joan and Sue and Mark.