WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Restored : A Mature People Publishing Date: 2018-11-25T05:00:44-08:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/restored-a-mature-people/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 Hearing with faith is something that we taught some while ago. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:08.000 I think it's on the website. You should listen to it if you can. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:10.000 Today we are going to talk about... 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:15.000 Ryan, is this going to be recorded? All good? 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:22.000 Today we are going to talk about this whole idea of what a restored people look like. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:25.000 And we started this some days ago. 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:32.000 The intro was that God is bringing the world back into a forgiven relationship with himself. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:38.000 God is bringing the world back into a forgiven relationship with himself. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:41.000 This has been his plan since the fall. 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:45.000 I'm bringing the world back into a forgiven relationship with myself. 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:49.000 That's what he's been doing for very, very long. 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:57.000 God had planned this and now he's calling the church to be a demonstration of this. 00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:03.000 He's saying, hey church, now that you are mine, now that you're a redeemed people, now that you're a restored people, 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:08.000 could you show the world what it is to live like a forgiven restored people 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:12.000 so that they may understand that this is what I'm trying to do? 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:17.000 Can you be a microcosm or a demonstration of what a forgiven people look like? 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:20.000 And then we said, so we need to ask this question, 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:26.000 what does this relationship of a restored people with the living God look like? 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:33.000 What does this relationship of a restored people with the living God look like? 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:35.000 What does it look like? 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:41.000 Because he says, I want to show the world a taste, a sign, a pointer as to what this looks like 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:43.000 so that they know what they're getting into. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:47.000 Thus far we've finished these three things. 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:50.000 One, we said, people that are restored are forgiven. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:51.000 We talked about that. 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:53.000 People that are restored are forgiving. 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:57.000 And today we talk about people that are restored are mature. 00:01:57.000 --> 00:01:58.000 So we'll start there. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:01.000 So Ephesians 4.13 is the scripture we'll begin with. 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:03.000 Ephesians 4.13. 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:12.000 And try to define maturity because you'll be surprised at how far off we are from Jesus' definition of maturity. 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:15.000 At least I was. 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:19.000 Ephesians 4.13. 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:27.000 It says that we're trying to define maturity, both corporate maturity and individual maturity. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:29.000 Ephesians 4.13. 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:37.000 Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:42.000 and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:45.000 So here's how Jesus defines maturity. 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:49.000 This is what a mature church or a mature Christian looks like. 00:02:49.000 --> 00:03:10.000 One, unity in the practice of Christ's teachings and purpose. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:17.000 Unity in the practice of Christ's teachings and purpose. 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:19.000 This is what mature Christianity looks like. 00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:21.000 It's very odd, eh? 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:24.000 Because our idea of maturity is very different from this. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:30.000 Unity in the practice of Christ's teachings and purpose. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:32.000 And what's his purpose? 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:36.000 MD, MC. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:38.000 What's MD, MC? 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:41.000 Make disciples, multiply churches. 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:43.000 That's his end purpose. 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:44.000 MD, MC. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:46.000 Make disciples, multiply churches. 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:48.000 So this is the first one. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:53.000 We're trying to define maturity according to the epistles. 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:57.000 Unity in the practice of Christ's teachings and purpose. 00:03:57.000 --> 00:03:58.000 Unity in the practice. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:01.000 So an entire church must learn to be mature. 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:05.000 Guys, these teachings, I was going over it and I was thinking to myself, 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:07.000 how uninspiring of God. 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:09.000 It's so factual. 00:04:09.000 --> 00:04:13.000 There's nothing exciting like healing or casting out demons to this. 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:15.000 Because that's what we think as a mature Christian. 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:17.000 A mature Christian is one who can go around and say, 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:19.000 in the name of Jesus Christ, leave, and the demon leaves. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:22.000 No, that's a gift of the Holy Spirit being exerted through you. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:26.000 This is very ordinary. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.000 So that's the first one. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:32.000 The second one is knowledge of the Son of God. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:38.000 Knowledge of the Son of God. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:44.000 Knowledge of the Son of God, as in thinking like him. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:47.000 Thinking like him. 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:51.000 Knowledge of the Son of God. 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:53.000 His way of thinking. 00:04:53.000 --> 00:05:03.000 And you can only think like him if you process things through his word. 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:06.000 Otherwise you can't think like him. 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:09.000 Like I said last week, if you're going and asking God, 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:11.000 Father, what do you want me to do? 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:12.000 He will tell you. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:15.000 And a hearing people are people who can walk well. 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:21.000 But that will require that every time we ask him, he speak and we hear. 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:25.000 There is another way, which is to go back to the Logos or the written, 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:29.000 I'm not connecting them, to go back to the written word and say, 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:31.000 Oh God, how do you think? 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:32.000 Let me read the word. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:35.000 Let me process things through your word so that I begin to think like you. 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:37.000 The knowledge of the Son of God. 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:40.000 That's the second way we define maturity. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:45.000 The third one is attaining the measure of Christ. 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:53.000 Attaining the measure of Christ. 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:55.000 How? 00:05:55.000 --> 00:06:02.000 By first recognizing that we are parts of his body. 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:06.000 Because no one person can attain the measure of Christ. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:08.000 Because we are parts. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:10.000 No one person can attain the measure of Christ. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:14.000 But as many parts of the body join and work together, 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:19.000 as many parts of the body join and work together, 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:28.000 we get to find our part, our role, our place and our work. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:31.000 That's how we attain the measure of Christ. 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:36.000 No one man can attain the measure of Christ because he is God. 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:42.000 But his body can attain his measure when each part begins to function together, 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:46.000 join together, finding its place, finding its work, 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:49.000 which is why we come back to this thing again and again and again. 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:55.000 That Christianity without being part of a body, being a vibrant part of the body, 00:06:55.000 --> 00:07:01.000 not a prosthetic, but a vibrant, connected, living part of the body. 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:04.000 Christianity without it is impossible. 00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:06.000 Because you cannot attain to the measure of Christ, 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:10.000 which is one of the reasons we were joined to the body. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:14.000 Will not happen if you're not connected to the body. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:17.000 And the last one, and then I'm open to questions. 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:22.000 The last one is growing and building each other up. 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:27.000 Part, role, place, work. 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:35.000 Can you see me rolling my eyes from this distance? 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:37.000 Oh, okay, just checking. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:49.000 Are you guys done with your internal conversations? 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:56.000 And then the last one is growing and building each other up in love. 00:07:56.000 --> 00:08:09.000 Growing and building each other up in love. 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:15.000 This is what Paul says. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:18.000 Again, Paul says because he's been inspired by the Holy Spirit, 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:21.000 this is what Paul says is what maturity looks like. 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:23.000 Questions? 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:30.000 Yeah, these are not priority numbers. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:33.000 These are just numbers. 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:38.000 I could put A, B, C, D. 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:42.000 So this is what it looks like. 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:46.000 This is not a measure, usually, Paul. 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:49.000 This is not a measure for maturity. 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:53.000 We measure mature Christians by the signs, miracles, wonders, 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:58.000 preaching skills, church size and stuff like that. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:00.000 But this is Paul's definition. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:03.000 Unity in the practice of Christ's teachings and purpose. 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:06.000 Two, knowledge of the Son of God, thinking like him. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:10.000 And you can't think like him until you process things through the word, 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:12.000 which expresses his thinking. 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:14.000 Third, attaining the measure of Christ. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:17.000 Again, if you want to attain the measure of Christ, 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:19.000 it cannot be done without being part of his body 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:22.000 because only his body attains his measure. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:23.000 Attaining the measure of Christ. 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:27.000 And therefore, you become a part of his body. 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:31.000 And in doing that, we find out what our part, our role, our place, our work is. 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:36.000 And this is not some kind of function like ushering or sound. 00:09:36.000 --> 00:09:38.000 That's not what he's talking about. 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:43.000 Those are just things you are willing to do for two hours on a Sunday. 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:46.000 And then the last one is growing and building each other up in love. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:49.000 Growing and building each other up. 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:54.000 There is no growing without doing it with somebody else. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:56.000 I said this long ago. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:05.000 The idea of a living stone in Jewish teaching is a stone that is connected to another stone. 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:08.000 And therefore, if any stone stands on its own, it is not living. 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:10.000 It is a dead stone. 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:12.000 A living stone is always connected to another stone. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:17.000 And therefore, the temple is being built up not of living, of dead stones or living stones. 00:10:17.000 --> 00:10:18.000 So there is a connection. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:23.000 And if one chooses not to connect, one remains a great stone, but a dead stone. 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:28.000 And then the other point made years ago is God does not build with bricks. 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.000 He only builds with stone. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:34.000 The last time anyone built with bricks in the Bible was Pharaoh in Egypt. 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:38.000 And he put the Israelites to work. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:39.000 So you cannot be uniform. 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:41.000 You have to be different and uncomfortable. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:57.000 Yeah, that's what I meant by processing the word. 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:02.000 You think like him through processing the word and processing it correctly. 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:04.000 That's the other part. 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:11.000 One can process the word through one's lenses or process it simply through the intention of the author 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:13.000 and what the Holy Spirit was trying to say. 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:15.000 So that is the definition of maturity. 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:27.000 And then the next question you need to ask is what has to happen, what has to happen to reach this maturity? 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.000 It's all answered in Ephesians 4, 13 to 16. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:33.000 What has to happen to reach this maturity? 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:36.000 And it's given in Ephesians 4, 12. 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:41.000 What has to happen is one simple word, equipping. 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:44.000 Equipping. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:47.000 What has to happen to reach this maturity? 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:49.000 Equipping. 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:56.000 Ephesians 4, 12 says that God gave, God appointed some to the church, 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:59.000 and amongst these are apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors, 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:04.000 for the equipping. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:05.000 These are critical factors. 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:06.000 There's just no way around it. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:09.000 I won't interpret it through any lens. 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:17.000 No apostolic lens, no charismatic lens, no Protestant lens, just through the simple words that Paul has spoken. 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:27.000 That in a church it is impossible to reach maturity without being equipped by equippers. 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:33.000 And remember, equipping is an external function, meaning you cannot equip yourself. 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:36.000 That's called equipping. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:42.000 Equipping requires an external source or multiple external sources. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:45.000 It's an external function. 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:02.000 And be sure that if you have a desire to be mature, 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:06.000 if you have a desire for any of those four things previously mentioned, 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:10.000 then be assured that it doesn't matter which church you belong to, 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:17.000 that God the Father, for the sake of his son Jesus Christ, and to accomplish his purpose on earth, 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:23.000 God the Father will furnish you with equippers. 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:27.000 He'll bring them your way. 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:30.000 They'll knock on your door. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:36.000 And you have the right to open or to resist. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:41.000 It doesn't matter which church you belong to, which city you are in, which forest you're stuck in. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:48.000 A man who desires the maturity that is mentioned in Ephesians 4.13 will always be sent equippers 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:50.000 because you desire something that is God's heart. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:52.000 Why will he not send? 00:13:52.000 --> 00:13:58.000 But the question is once people are sent, will you resist or will you not resist? 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:05.000 My question is, Father, how will I stand before you if I resist the equippers you are sending to mature me? 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:07.000 How will I stand before you? 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:13.000 What answer can I give you if I resist equippers who are sent into my life? 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:21.000 And those equippers will be better than me, will be people who are perhaps more ordinary than me, 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:24.000 but better than me in terms of what they need to equip me in. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:27.000 And will I resist them or will I recognize them? 00:14:27.000 --> 00:14:31.000 Once I recognize them, will I allow them or will I prevent them? 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:34.000 How will I stand before God? 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:36.000 And then I ask you the same question. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:41.000 In a church like this, how will you stand before God one day and give account for it? 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:44.000 How? 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:49.000 You need to consider this question seriously. 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:52.000 Because of God's interest that the church mature, 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:58.000 and if God sends equippers to equip a church to mature and you are part of the church, 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:04.000 what can you stand and say before God when it comes to the simple question of, 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:08.000 hey, so how did the maturing process go? 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:17.000 And don't for a moment think that equipping will end. 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:22.000 Equipping will cease when the church has become perfect. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:27.000 So equipping will cease in my life when I have become perfect. 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:30.000 And you should know a little about that. 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:36.000 That I'm not perfect, therefore God will keep sending people into my life to equip me. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:40.000 Because I am part of this marvelous thing called the church, 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:46.000 and I must be equipped so that I can find my part, my role, my work, my function 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:49.000 in this many splendid thing called the church, 00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:54.000 that I may attain the full measure of Christ with you. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:57.000 Maturity is not something I can attain on my own. 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:02.000 A man who wants to attain maturity on his own will never be able to attain it, 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:08.000 because he'll be like an overgrown elbow or a swollen up nose in the body, 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:11.000 because he tried to go it alone. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:14.000 I attain maturity with you. 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:32.000 Yeah. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:37.000 In this church you will never have to wait for equippers to come, 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:40.000 because this church has been furnished with equippers. 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:56.000 God will send them your way, they will knock on your door, they will look very ordinary. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:17:03.000 The hardest thing to do is to recognize people who come from Galilee, from Nazareth. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:06.000 It's the hardest thing to do. 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:10.000 It is not the absence of equippers, it's the inability to recognize them, 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:18.000 because we have a certain image of what an equipper should look like. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:25.000 And if he doesn't fit the image that the enemy deceives us into expecting, 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:27.000 we do not receive them. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:35.000 And if he doesn't fit the temperament that you want, we do not receive them. 00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:43.000 And neither temperament nor image did Jesus bring with him when he came to Israel. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:52.000 I was thinking of Bristol today when I was talking about Bristol and Cardiff. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:55.000 That church in Bristol has done a lot of good for me, 00:17:55.000 --> 00:18:01.000 because in that church I found Eddie, in that church I found that... 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:07.000 I mean, let's just leave it at Eddie right now, because it's relevant to what I'm talking about. 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:14.000 And if you saw him, he was the least of the guys who were there at that conference in that church. 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:19.000 He was the guy that you would last go to, because he was the no-drama Eddie. 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:21.000 Everybody else had drama. 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:23.000 I should have gone after those other guys. 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:27.000 They had ministries, they had messages, they had rara, 00:18:27.000 --> 00:18:30.000 and then there was this guy called Eddie who was a nobody. 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:46.000 One of the things I appreciate about Dano is his openness to being equipped. 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:51.000 It doesn't matter how badly he's doing or how well he's doing. 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:55.000 One of the things you maintain is the ability to open your life to being equipped. 00:18:55.000 --> 00:19:00.000 And therefore, as long as you do, you'll keep increasing, man. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:06.000 And the great thing is you don't do it when you're just doing bad or need help. 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:08.000 You do it constantly. 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:12.000 Do it constantly. 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:16.000 Anyways, that's on the side, but I knew I had to say it publicly today, 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:20.000 so it's not in my notes, but it had to be said. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.000 What are we being equipped in? 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:23.000 What is this equipping towards? 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:24.000 Towards two things. 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:26.000 Equipping for what? 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.000 Equipping for what? 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:30.000 Two things. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:40.000 Works of service or work of ministry, depending on NIV or NKJV. 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:43.000 Works of service and work of ministry, that's one. 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:48.000 And the second one is building up or strengthening the body. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:54.000 Building up or strengthening the body. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:59.000 These are the two reasons we are equipped. 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:02.000 And without these two things happening in our lives, 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:06.000 it's very hard to walk towards that thing called maturity. 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:14.000 Ephesians 4 says that equip us and send for two reasons alone. 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:20.000 To equip us for works of service or the work of ministry 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:23.000 and to equip us to build and strengthen the body. 00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:24.000 This is the reason why. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:26.000 Any questions thus far, guys? 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:28.000 Challenge me, ask me. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:31.000 Challenge me in the sense, if you think differently, 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:35.000 ask the question pointedly so that I may either have to say, 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:38.000 well, I'll get back to you next week or I'll explain it. 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:54.000 No questions? 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:59.000 No? 00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:12.000 Yeah, the reason Diana asks that question 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:14.000 and I would have asked the question myself 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:17.000 is because we don't understand what this means. 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:20.000 Our definition of works of service and work of ministry 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:24.000 is very different from God's definition of works of service and work of ministry. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:26.000 When we think works of service and work of ministry, 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:29.000 we know what the word ministry means, right? 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:31.000 And yet when you look at Paul's writings, 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:33.000 after this, from Ephesians 4.13 to 19, 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:36.000 Paul explains maturity, equipping. 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:40.000 And then he stops and from Ephesians 4.19 to Ephesians 6.9, 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:44.000 he starts telling you what works of service and work of ministry will look like. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:47.000 And you realize that all this time you've been thinking of ministry 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:54.000 as something completely different. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:22:00.000 At least I did. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.000 And so we ask the question, how does this have anything to do with my vocation, 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:06.000 which is where I spend most of my time? 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:13.000 So how does this even fit and how is it even relevant to me? 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:17.000 Because only ministry people would need this. 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:22.000 Your responsibility, your responsibility is, 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:27.000 when it comes to being equipped and why being equipped, 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:31.000 your responsibility is I have to make sure that my life is about 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:36.000 works of service or work of ministry and building and strengthening the body. 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:40.000 Keep that somewhere in the back of your head and we'll go and see what it looks like. 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:44.000 My responsibility as one who pastors this church 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:49.000 and the responsibility of other leaders that will keep rising in this church 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:56.000 is can I equip people to engage in works of ministry 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:59.000 and in strengthening and building the body? 00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:02.000 That's my responsibility. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:04.000 My responsibility is not to preach. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:06.000 My responsibility is not to lead worship. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:09.000 My responsibility is not hospital visitations. 00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:12.000 My responsibility is not to make you feel better about yourself. 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:14.000 My responsibility is not counseling. 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.000 My responsibility is none of those things, not meeting with you for coffee. 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:19.000 Those are not my responsibilities. 00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:25.000 Those are things I do out of this simple thing called I am supposed to furnish you 00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:29.000 to do the works of ministry and service and to build and strengthen the church. 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:32.000 In the process, if I have to come to the hospital and say hi to you 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:36.000 or drink a cup of coffee with you or comfort you, so be it. 00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:39.000 But that is not pastoral stuff. 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:41.000 That is what we have made it. 00:23:41.000 --> 00:23:48.000 And so we have comfortable people who are never furnished to do the works of ministry. 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:52.000 And thank God you don't have that expectation of me. 00:23:55.000 --> 00:24:01.000 Any questions? 00:24:01.000 --> 00:24:13.000 Okay. 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:19.000 Efficiency for 12 to 16 or 17 has the entire thing. 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:25.000 12 to 19 maybe. 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:31.000 Your responsibility as a leader, a leader of one, a leader of 45, a leader of 2,000, 00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:35.000 your responsibility as a leader is if I am a leader, if I am called to equip, 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:42.000 then my responsibility is how can I furnish the people in my charge 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:48.000 with both the knowledge and the tools to be able to be highly skilled 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:57.000 at works of service and ministry and to strengthen and build up the body of Christ. 00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:01.000 This is the criteria for churches, guys. 00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:03.000 What is the idea of going to a church? 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:05.000 Why do we go to church? 00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:09.000 For the worship? Not really. 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:11.000 For the preaching? Not really. 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:13.000 Those are things towards an end. 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:15.000 What are we going to the church for? 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:17.000 I am talking about a church service now. 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:22.000 The hope is that in the process through being together with each other, 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:24.000 joining ligament to ligament, bone to bone, 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:27.000 and in the process of the preaching and the worship and stuff like that, 00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:32.000 the intent is can we attain maturity and the full measure of Christ 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:36.000 so that here on earth there is a people who will show the world 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:42.000 what it is to be in a restored relationship with the living God. 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:45.000 And if that becomes a criteria for you finding a church 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:48.000 and founding yourself in a church, great. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:54.000 If it is anything else, including how your kids will have Sunday school 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:57.000 and stuff like that, it's a problem. 00:25:57.000 --> 00:26:01.000 Not a problem. It will still be fine, but it's not the real reason. 00:26:07.000 --> 00:26:12.000 Like with this Cardiff thing happening and a new church plan starting, 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:15.000 some of the people who have to move from Bristol to Cardiff 00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:18.000 may have to abandon their churches to move to another church. 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:24.000 And some of the questions are valid and yet invalid. 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:27.000 The question is, so where will the kids have youth 00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:29.000 or where will the kids have Sunday school? 00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:31.000 Which is a valid question. 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:40.000 And yet, that is how we measure whether a church is good or not. 00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:42.000 It is important. It's important. Trust me. 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:44.000 It's good to have your kids being taught, 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:47.000 but I'm saying that is not the most important thing in the world. 00:26:47.000 --> 00:26:53.000 Ralph quoted, I'm sorry, I'm using Dano as an example. 00:26:53.000 --> 00:26:56.000 Just make, I'm using his example again. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:00.000 Not that he's a great guy or anything, but can someone pull this off me, please? 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:03.000 Okay. 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:09.000 Ralph asked Dano when he was in Bahrain, 00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:11.000 so what about Sunday school and all that stuff? 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:14.000 And Dano replied to Ralph saying, 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:19.000 my hope is that I will be the father and that we will be the parents 00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:23.000 that will show our kids what church looks like 00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:26.000 so that they don't need a Sunday school, 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:29.000 two-hour Sunday school class or stuff like that 00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:33.000 for becoming believers. 00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:36.000 But that I hope that through doing church this way, 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:42.000 my kids will learn what church actually should be like. 00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:51.000 Guys, I'm not promoting Acts 29, huh? 00:27:51.000 --> 00:27:53.000 This church has a lot of faults and problems. 00:27:53.000 --> 00:27:58.000 Mostly because of the one in charge and he's working on it. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:00.000 All I'm saying is you're going back to the scriptures 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:02.000 and seeing how things should be done. 00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:04.000 Yeah. 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:07.000 So what is works of service? 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:12.000 What is works of service? 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:18.000 What is the work of ministry? 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:22.000 What is works of service and what is work of ministry? 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:24.000 Yeah. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:26.000 Yeah. 00:28:29.000 --> 00:28:31.000 Yeah. 00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:41.000 Yeah. 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:45.000 I agree with you where perhaps I would see differently, Gisela, 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:49.000 is it doesn't say the pastor, it says the priest. 00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:53.000 And the moment it says priest, it includes all of us. 00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:57.000 On the lips of the priest shall be found knowledge. 00:28:57.000 --> 00:29:01.000 And the moment we say that, then we all are responsible. 00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:06.000 Because I have certainly come to this point in my life 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:12.000 where I do not see you as anything less than priests 24-7 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:16.000 playing different roles during the day in your vocation. 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:20.000 I do not see you as anything else but that. 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:22.000 I really cannot. 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:24.000 It's not something that I have to struggle with. 00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:26.000 It is settled in my mind. 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:30.000 It is settled in my mind that the flow and the measure of the Spirit of God 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:33.000 that is upon you is the same as is upon me. 00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:36.000 That you will hear as clearly as any other minister. 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:38.000 That you can operate the same way. 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:43.000 It is settled in my mind. 00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:46.000 There is no clergy lady difference here. 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:48.000 There is authority and order. 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:49.000 But there is no other difference. 00:29:49.000 --> 00:29:51.000 There is a common priesthood here. 00:29:51.000 --> 00:29:54.000 And if there is, then take advantage of it 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:59.000 because God raises and places and helps put and work things together. 00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:07.000 Nor do I see you according to the present function that you are engaging in. 00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:10.000 If I were to see him in the present function he engages in, 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:14.000 then all he is is a drummer. 00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:18.000 And by the same token, if I remove Chris from the piano, 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:22.000 it means she's got nothing to do. 00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:23.000 Because all she is is a pianist. 00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:27.000 How sad would that be? 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:34.000 Our priesthood is far beyond the talents that we have. 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:38.000 Our priesthood is limitless as the life of the Spirit of God 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:42.000 who both resides in us and works through us. 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:48.000 What is the service? 00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:51.000 What is the works of service or the works of ministry? 00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:54.000 If you read Ephesians 4.17 to 6.9, 00:30:54.000 --> 00:31:00.000 you'll find that Paul details what God expects his people to display. 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:03.000 First one, and we'll only take one today, the first one, 00:31:03.000 --> 00:31:05.000 but I'll list the others. 00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:07.000 First one is, he says, 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:24.000 Take the development and stewardship of your lives seriously. 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:26.000 Works of ministry, eh? 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:28.000 Works of ministry. 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:32.000 First thing he says as you go down the next two chapters, 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:37.000 he says, take the development and the stewardship of your own lives seriously. 00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:40.000 Take the development and the stewardship of your life seriously. 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:42.000 Just touching on the word development and stewardship. 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:48.000 Development meaning make sure, guys, that if you want to engage in works of service, 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:51.000 that you pay attention to your growth. 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:55.000 You pay attention to your growth. 00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:58.000 You pay attention to your growth. 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:04.000 Pay attention to the seed so that out of it will come whatever it is supposed to produce. 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:06.000 Pay attention to your growth. 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:09.000 And the second thing he says is, besides development, 00:32:09.000 --> 00:32:14.000 make sure that you pay attention to the stewardship or how you take care of it, 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:21.000 how you administer, how you nurture, how you do with what you have, 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:24.000 how you take care of it. 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:26.000 It's still not the right definition for stewardship. 00:32:26.000 --> 00:32:27.000 That's the first one. 00:32:27.000 --> 00:32:42.000 The second thing he says is, care for and selflessly serve others. 00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:55.000 Care for and selflessly serve others, doing everything you can to help others mature. 00:32:57.000 --> 00:33:07.000 Now you see it goes beyond the two hours of church or ministry or stuff like this. 00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:09.000 This is what he begins to explain. 00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:10.000 He does this in Colossians. 00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:11.000 He does this in Ephesians. 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:13.000 He touches on it in Philippians. 00:33:13.000 --> 00:33:14.000 He touches on it in... 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:16.000 He talks about it in Galatians. 00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:19.000 He says this is what mature Christians look like. 00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:23.000 This is works of service and work of ministry. 00:33:23.000 --> 00:33:28.000 It is caring for and selflessly serving others, 00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:31.000 doing everything you can to help others mature. 00:33:31.000 --> 00:33:40.000 Third, men, nurture your wives. 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:42.000 Nurture your wife. 00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:46.000 Train your children. 00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:54.000 Train your children and young men. 00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:58.000 Train your children and young men. 00:33:58.000 --> 00:34:01.000 Realize your life work. 00:34:01.000 --> 00:34:06.000 Realize your life work. 00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:09.000 Realize your life work. 00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:11.000 Pouring out your time and strength. 00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:20.000 Pouring out your time and strength for others. 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:23.000 That's what he says to the men. 00:34:23.000 --> 00:34:28.000 Episode after episode after episode he talks about works of service and work of ministry 00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:33.000 because he knew that not everybody will be doing ministry. 00:34:33.000 --> 00:34:38.000 He knew that in the Roman times people would slog their backsides off 00:34:38.000 --> 00:34:43.000 as slaves and employees of a cruel Roman Empire. 00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:46.000 He knew. 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:51.000 When I say he knew I mean Paul knew, yes, but God knew too. 00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:54.000 And yet God is raising up a community on the face of the earth 00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:58.000 that brought down the Roman Empire. 00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:01.000 There were thousands and thousands and thousands of people 00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:04.000 that were crucified in Judea and Jerusalem. 00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:08.000 But there was one tiny cross on which an average looking man hung 00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:10.000 who happened to be the Messiah. 00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:12.000 Nobody paid attention to it. 00:35:12.000 --> 00:35:14.000 Rome didn't care. 00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:18.000 But that one tragedy, that one single act at Golgotha 00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:22.000 is responsible or greater than all the empires put together. 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:25.000 Nothing stands against him. 00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:28.000 And he is raising up a community here on earth. 00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:32.000 And he says to them, hey, you want to know what works of service and ministries? 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:36.000 These are the ordinary things that make up works of service and ministry. 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:41.000 And these are the very things that present-day Christianity pays scant attention towards 00:35:41.000 --> 00:35:47.000 because it focuses on all the other good stuff. 00:35:47.000 --> 00:35:56.000 Wives. 00:35:56.000 --> 00:36:01.000 Ephesians 4.19 to chapter 6.9. 00:36:01.000 --> 00:36:03.000 From 9 onwards it talks about the armor of God. 00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:06.000 And by the way, the armor of God was for the church. 00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:08.000 We are the ones who individualized it. 00:36:08.000 --> 00:36:12.000 And so we have individual Christians who stand with the armor and get beaten about 00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:14.000 because they're not part of this thing called the body. 00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:18.000 It doesn't matter how well you dress up your elbow with armor 00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:23.000 and leave it on the ground, it will get trampled about. 00:36:23.000 --> 00:36:26.000 You can put all the stainless steel you want around your nose, 00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:33.000 leave it on the ground and someone will melt it. 00:36:33.000 --> 00:36:39.000 The reason I sound angry about it is one, because of the years I've wasted not knowing this. 00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:46.000 And two, at the enormity of how different Christianity looks 00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:49.000 than from the Christianity that should be. 00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:52.000 It's just too massive a task to change this. 00:36:52.000 --> 00:36:58.000 But if you start changing a ship's course just by one or two degrees 00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:06.000 over a period of time it completely gets to another port. 00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:11.000 Wives. Honor your husbands. 00:37:11.000 --> 00:37:14.000 Oh, don't use that honor word. I will. 00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:17.000 Honor your husbands and follow them. 00:37:17.000 --> 00:37:20.000 Assuming that the husbands are nurturing. 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:22.000 Honor your husbands and follow them. 00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:27.000 Not assuming that the husbands are nurturing, I'm assuming that all your husbands are. 00:37:27.000 --> 00:37:33.000 Serve your homes. 00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:45.000 Train or nurture your children. 00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:51.000 Train younger women. 00:37:51.000 --> 00:37:55.000 And then these two things that are asked of men. 00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:57.000 Realize your life work. 00:37:57.000 --> 00:37:59.000 Pouring out your time and strength for others. 00:37:59.000 --> 00:38:01.000 This is what is required of wives. 00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:04.000 So if you're not a, this is what is required of women. 00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:07.000 So if you're not married then you can knock off the first few things. 00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:08.000 Blessed are you. 00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:15.000 If you are then you've got more than enough to do. 00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:31.000 Men. If you're single then you don't need to nurture your wife or train your children. 00:38:31.000 --> 00:38:42.000 And why waste letter upon letter upon letter on these things? 00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:51.000 And then the last one. 00:38:51.000 --> 00:38:55.000 Faithfully work. 00:38:55.000 --> 00:38:56.000 Let me write it here. 00:38:56.000 --> 00:39:05.000 Faithfully work with a good attitude, with good attitudes. 00:39:05.000 --> 00:39:13.000 Faithfully work with good attitudes towards authorities and employers. 00:39:13.000 --> 00:39:22.000 Towards authorities and employers. 00:39:22.000 --> 00:39:28.000 And employees. 00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:31.000 Towards authorities, employers and employees. 00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:45.000 So that your witness is strong. 00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:59.000 And you are able to supply the needs of others. 00:39:59.000 --> 00:40:07.000 So that's the last one. 00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:21.000 Comments, thoughts, arguments. 00:40:21.000 --> 00:40:24.000 When I'm treated badly not to treat them back badly. 00:40:24.000 --> 00:40:28.000 When nobody is watching not to slack off on my work. 00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:40.000 When, oh sorry. 00:40:40.000 --> 00:40:45.000 Yeah, if you go back there's a teaching on the website called Order. 00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:50.000 If you go back to the teaching on Order you'll find that when the authority 00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:56.000 is established on earth establishes a principle that contradicts what God has established 00:40:56.000 --> 00:41:01.000 then you owe your allegiance to the primary authority who is God. 00:41:01.000 --> 00:41:15.000 So you'll find that in that sermon there. 00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:17.000 Yeah. 00:41:17.000 --> 00:41:23.000 Any questions guys? 00:41:23.000 --> 00:41:25.000 Applies to the women here. 00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:33.000 I just didn't want to take the effort of writing it. 00:41:33.000 --> 00:41:43.000 Yep. 00:42:03.000 --> 00:42:08.000 Yeah. 00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:16.000 The Bible says that God appoints to the body people who will equip it. 00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:27.000 So one of the easiest ways to find yourself in the wake or the wave of equipers is to be vitally connected to a body. 00:42:27.000 --> 00:42:28.000 That's one. 00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:29.000 Two. 00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:35.000 Equipers are not short-term guys who are trying to help you fix a computer problem. 00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:42.000 These are guys who can teach you a language so that any time the computer breaks down you can rewire the whole thing. 00:42:42.000 --> 00:42:44.000 Equipers are not parachuted in. 00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:46.000 They are long-term. 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:48.000 There are ministers and there are equipers. 00:42:48.000 --> 00:42:51.000 Jesus was both someone who ministered and one who equipped. 00:42:51.000 --> 00:42:54.000 He ministered to people and they recovered from sickness. 00:42:54.000 --> 00:43:01.000 He equipped his twelve and they lasted a lifetime and they could now take care of their sicknesses and the sicknesses of others. 00:43:01.000 --> 00:43:09.000 This is why it is vital to be connected to a body because it is to the church that Christ has appointed equipers. 00:43:09.000 --> 00:43:17.000 And therefore if I'm not vitally connected to a body, what happens then is... 00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:22.000 Please don't take this as a remark against you because you just went to a conference this weekend. 00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:23.000 What happens then is... 00:43:23.000 --> 00:43:25.000 But so did Jeevan. 00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:29.000 What happens then is you'll have an even for promise keepers. 00:43:29.000 --> 00:43:37.000 And so what happens then is, if I may get on with my point, is that you will have to go from conference to conference to conference to conference. 00:43:39.000 --> 00:43:46.000 The intent of equipers is can I bring into this person all that God requires so that this person, the entire person grows. 00:43:46.000 --> 00:43:54.000 And it is very effective to go to conferences because in conferences, ministry happens that takes care of immediate things that need to be taken care of. 00:43:57.000 --> 00:43:59.000 So I'm not saying don't go to conferences. 00:43:59.000 --> 00:44:02.000 I'm just saying it's both. 00:44:05.000 --> 00:44:06.000 I can't hear you Dhanno. 00:44:12.000 --> 00:44:13.000 Yeah. 00:44:14.000 --> 00:44:15.000 Yeah. 00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:20.000 Because guys, if you keep reading Ephesians 4.30-19, it says, 00:44:20.000 --> 00:44:23.000 I appointed them to the church so that it may all connect together. 00:44:23.000 --> 00:44:25.000 Each may find its part, its work, its role. 00:44:25.000 --> 00:44:27.000 And it's not functions. 00:44:27.000 --> 00:44:29.000 It's part work role. 00:44:29.000 --> 00:44:31.000 It's different from functions. 00:44:33.000 --> 00:44:41.000 It is the ability of my elbow to predict what I'm going to do and therefore get into a position to be in whichever angle it needs to be so that 00:44:41.000 --> 00:44:45.000 be it Jacob the thinker or Jacob the head scratcher or Jacob the nail chewer, 00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:49.000 my elbow is already figuring out how to position itself. 00:44:54.000 --> 00:44:59.000 If it was a function, then every time I want to scratch my head, my elbow will go this way. 00:44:59.000 --> 00:45:02.000 And that's why you end up not being able to scratch your head. 00:45:04.000 --> 00:45:06.000 All these things wouldn't translate audio. 00:45:06.000 --> 00:45:08.000 You wonder what I'm talking about. 00:45:09.000 --> 00:45:11.000 Guys, any questions on this? 00:45:11.000 --> 00:45:16.000 Do you realize that this is so different from our version of the work of ministry and service? 00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:24.000 I feel bad for not paying more attention to men being this and women being this, 00:45:24.000 --> 00:45:28.000 but instead focusing on the whole idea of ministry, ministry, ministry. 00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:32.000 When this is a vital part, you know why? 00:45:32.000 --> 00:45:36.000 Because very few, I mean, really think of it in the last one week, 00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:41.000 how many here were ministering to the sick and preaching and casting out demons? 00:45:41.000 --> 00:45:44.000 Really? And if you did it, how many hours did you do it? 00:45:45.000 --> 00:45:47.000 A week has how many hours? 00:45:47.000 --> 00:45:50.000 168 hours. 00:45:51.000 --> 00:45:53.000 How many of us did that? 00:45:53.000 --> 00:45:57.000 Or is it worship? How many of us were able to lead worship? 00:45:57.000 --> 00:46:00.000 Or play an instrument or play the drums? 00:46:01.000 --> 00:46:06.000 If that was what it was, work of ministry, then boy, most of us aren't doing squat. 00:46:11.000 --> 00:46:14.000 And yet, why is God saying this is work of service and ministry? 00:46:14.000 --> 00:46:17.000 Because he's aiming at the two or three or four things 00:46:17.000 --> 00:46:21.000 that makes this community radically different from the rest of the world. 00:46:21.000 --> 00:46:25.000 Good homes, good marriages, good works, good lives. Why? 00:46:25.000 --> 00:46:30.000 Because if God says, if you have these, now when you speak the good news, 00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:32.000 it is authenticated. 00:46:35.000 --> 00:46:37.000 The four things the world does not have. 00:46:37.000 --> 00:46:41.000 Good homes, good marriages, good lives, good works. 00:46:41.000 --> 00:46:44.000 This is why, yeah, I just find this fascinating. 00:46:51.000 --> 00:46:54.000 I thought the work of ministry was healing and casting out demons, 00:46:54.000 --> 00:46:56.000 planting churches, praying and counseling. 00:46:56.000 --> 00:46:59.000 No, that is the activity of the Holy Spirit through you, 00:46:59.000 --> 00:47:02.000 but it's not the work of the Holy Spirit through you. 00:47:02.000 --> 00:47:04.000 It's the work of the Holy Spirit through you. 00:47:04.000 --> 00:47:06.000 And the work of the Holy Spirit through you. 00:47:06.000 --> 00:47:08.000 And the work of the Holy Spirit through you. 00:47:08.000 --> 00:47:11.000 So that is the activity of the Holy Spirit through you, 00:47:11.000 --> 00:47:13.000 once a week for most people. 00:47:17.000 --> 00:47:19.000 Good homes, good lives, good works, 00:47:19.000 --> 00:47:23.000 authenticates the good news of a God who dwells amongst the people 00:47:23.000 --> 00:47:25.000 and has commissioned us to bear witness to him. 00:47:25.000 --> 00:47:33.000 What has God done that has changed your life 20 out of the 24 hours a day? 00:47:34.000 --> 00:47:37.000 Four hours, let's assume, we are all ministering. 00:47:37.000 --> 00:47:40.000 20 hours, what has he done? You should come and see. 00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:46.000 This is why it is so difficult for us to live our marriages transparently 00:47:46.000 --> 00:47:48.000 because the actual condition of Christian marriages 00:47:48.000 --> 00:47:51.000 is sometimes the same as non-Christian marriages. 00:47:51.000 --> 00:47:56.000 The actual condition of a Christian home is the same as a non-Christian home. 00:47:56.000 --> 00:47:58.000 There is no real difference 00:47:59.000 --> 00:48:02.000 other than bookending our problems with prayer, 00:48:02.000 --> 00:48:04.000 and God is still merciful. 00:48:04.000 --> 00:48:06.000 The actual condition of our good works 00:48:06.000 --> 00:48:10.000 is actually less than the good works of United Way. 00:48:19.000 --> 00:48:22.000 Let's just look at one and then we'll end. 00:48:30.000 --> 00:48:33.000 Guys, at the end of the day, you have to think of this as displaying God's life. 00:48:33.000 --> 00:48:37.000 In your home, work and lives. 00:48:37.000 --> 00:48:39.000 Take the development and stewardship of your life seriously. 00:48:39.000 --> 00:48:41.000 That's the only thing we look at. 00:48:41.000 --> 00:48:43.000 Care and selflessness serve others, doing everything you can to help others, 00:48:43.000 --> 00:48:46.000 make sure this happens at work everywhere. 00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:49.000 Men, nurture your wives, train your children. 00:48:49.000 --> 00:48:52.000 When was the last time you heard of men training their children? 00:48:52.000 --> 00:48:54.000 For some reason we think it's the woman's job. 00:48:54.000 --> 00:48:56.000 I train your children, I'm the breadwinner. 00:48:56.000 --> 00:48:59.000 I go and work and make bread. You take care of the kids. 00:48:59.000 --> 00:49:02.000 And yet the Bible says otherwise. 00:49:02.000 --> 00:49:09.000 Men, train your children and train young men. 00:49:09.000 --> 00:49:11.000 Realize your life work, not your work life, 00:49:11.000 --> 00:49:14.000 your life work pouring out your time and strength for the benefit of others. 00:49:14.000 --> 00:49:16.000 Wives, honor your husbands and follow them. 00:49:16.000 --> 00:49:19.000 Serve your home, nurture your children, train up younger women. 00:49:19.000 --> 00:49:25.000 Realize your life work pouring out your time and strength. 00:49:25.000 --> 00:49:29.000 And lastly, faithfully work with good attitudes to the authorities, employers, and employees 00:49:29.000 --> 00:49:33.000 so that your witness is strong and you are able to supply the needs of others. 00:49:33.000 --> 00:49:39.000 Ralph made a statement. I'm sorry, I'm referring to Ralph now too often. 00:49:39.000 --> 00:49:45.000 Ralph made a statement to his group of people gathered on Friday night. 00:49:45.000 --> 00:49:58.000 He said, the 40 to 60 people at Acts 29 are more potent than a church that is 500 people strong. 00:49:58.000 --> 00:50:01.000 Because he says in those 40 to 60 people, 00:50:01.000 --> 00:50:04.000 there are people who could have chosen any kind of life they want 00:50:04.000 --> 00:50:08.000 because they're not people who don't have the means or don't have the avenues. 00:50:08.000 --> 00:50:15.000 But they have chosen to walk a certain way and they're more potent than a church that has 500 or 600 people. 00:50:15.000 --> 00:50:18.000 Why am I putting that in right now? 00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:25.000 This message may sound strong, but it is not because we lack, it is so that we get better. 00:50:26.000 --> 00:50:35.000 I stand here and you have no idea how I weep during worship to find a church that is worshiping. 00:50:35.000 --> 00:50:38.000 I have longed for days like this. 00:50:38.000 --> 00:50:42.000 I sometimes tell God, Father, I know how you feel about me when I do well. 00:50:42.000 --> 00:50:47.000 I stand here and I sometimes go back and look and I see a church that is worshiping 00:50:47.000 --> 00:50:49.000 and it doesn't matter that there are gaps between songs, 00:50:49.000 --> 00:50:55.000 whether it's silence and where Ryan has to pull out a song out of his boots 00:50:55.000 --> 00:51:02.000 and things are happening all around because he doesn't even know which song may come next, 00:51:02.000 --> 00:51:04.000 but a church that worships. 00:51:04.000 --> 00:51:09.000 And then it breaks my heart to see in a good way, 00:51:09.000 --> 00:51:13.000 Chris and Marcus and me not there, 00:51:13.000 --> 00:51:19.000 but a whole set of people who seem to know what they're doing even though half the time they don't. 00:51:20.000 --> 00:51:23.000 It blesses my heart. I weep watching worship. 00:51:23.000 --> 00:51:26.000 I used to weep watching worship in Bahrain. 00:51:31.000 --> 00:51:35.000 All to, I'm sorry I went down that trail, all to say this guys, 00:51:35.000 --> 00:51:42.000 this message is not to point out our lack, this message is to bring us to a place which is so much better 00:51:42.000 --> 00:51:45.000 because I'm telling you something, for whatever reason, 00:51:45.000 --> 00:51:51.000 God has chosen this small church to shake nations around the world 00:51:51.000 --> 00:51:53.000 and it has nothing to do with Jacob, 00:51:53.000 --> 00:52:02.000 but God has chosen this small church and it will revolutionize how church is done in every continent in the world. 00:52:02.000 --> 00:52:05.000 I haven't found anyone in the Antarctica yet, 00:52:05.000 --> 00:52:09.000 but every other continent will be shaken by this small church. 00:52:09.000 --> 00:52:13.000 You and I are privileged to be part of a remnant, 00:52:13.000 --> 00:52:15.000 don't even want to call it a remnant, it sounds special. 00:52:15.000 --> 00:52:20.000 You and I are privileged to be a part of something that we have not earned 00:52:21.000 --> 00:52:23.000 and we have not discovered. 00:52:23.000 --> 00:52:25.000 Blessed are we. 00:52:25.000 --> 00:52:27.000 Blessed are we. 00:52:27.000 --> 00:52:29.000 Blessed am I to have you. 00:52:29.000 --> 00:52:31.000 And blessed are you to have me. 00:52:31.000 --> 00:52:33.000 It's both ways. 00:52:35.000 --> 00:52:37.000 Yeah. 00:52:39.000 --> 00:52:42.000 Let's just touch on the first one. 00:52:47.000 --> 00:52:53.000 Is this light supposed to be red or is it supposed to be green? 00:52:57.000 --> 00:52:58.000 Okay. 00:53:00.000 --> 00:53:03.000 So let's just take the first one. 00:53:05.000 --> 00:53:08.000 Developing and stewarding your lives seriously. 00:53:08.000 --> 00:53:14.000 Developing and stewarding your lives seriously. 00:53:14.000 --> 00:53:15.000 Just that one. 00:53:15.000 --> 00:53:16.000 What does that look like? 00:53:16.000 --> 00:53:17.000 Very simple. 00:53:18.000 --> 00:53:19.000 Very simple. 00:53:19.000 --> 00:53:26.000 First, and this is again from all the letters, including Ephesians 4 to 6. 00:53:28.000 --> 00:53:29.000 One. 00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:35.000 This is so simple, I think to myself, if I can focus on this, I might just make it. 00:53:36.000 --> 00:53:39.000 Edifying speech. 00:53:41.000 --> 00:53:45.000 As soon as Paul finishes talking about how the church is to be strengthened, 00:53:45.000 --> 00:53:48.000 he immediately goes into what that looks like. 00:53:48.000 --> 00:53:56.000 And one of the things he touches on again in Ephesians 4, Colossians 3, and in Galatians, is edifying speech. 00:53:56.000 --> 00:53:58.000 And what does he mean by that? 00:53:58.000 --> 00:54:00.000 Speech that builds up. 00:54:00.000 --> 00:54:02.000 Speech that builds up. 00:54:02.000 --> 00:54:04.000 That's what the word edifying means. 00:54:04.000 --> 00:54:06.000 Speech that builds up. 00:54:06.000 --> 00:54:13.000 And he includes in that, no lying, no slander, 00:54:15.000 --> 00:54:21.000 no lying, no slander, no crude humor, 00:54:25.000 --> 00:54:28.000 no lying, no slander, no crude humor, 00:54:29.000 --> 00:54:32.000 or pointless arguing. 00:54:33.000 --> 00:54:35.000 Pointless arguing. 00:54:36.000 --> 00:54:38.000 Instead, 00:54:41.000 --> 00:54:43.000 gentleness 00:54:45.000 --> 00:54:47.000 and speaking the truth. 00:54:49.000 --> 00:54:51.000 Just three requirements. 00:54:51.000 --> 00:54:53.000 Three main requirements. 00:54:53.000 --> 00:54:54.000 Three main requirements. 00:54:54.000 --> 00:54:57.000 That he brings up again and again in every letter saying, 00:54:57.000 --> 00:55:05.000 guys, just stick to this if you want to develop your lives and steward it seriously, 00:55:05.000 --> 00:55:08.000 then remember your speech. 00:55:08.000 --> 00:55:11.000 James put it this way much later when he said that, 00:55:11.000 --> 00:55:15.000 listen, a man's tongue controls his life. 00:55:15.000 --> 00:55:17.000 It's like a rudder. 00:55:17.000 --> 00:55:19.000 And he says, edifying speech, no lying, Jacob. 00:55:19.000 --> 00:55:21.000 No slander. 00:55:21.000 --> 00:55:23.000 No crude humor. 00:55:23.000 --> 00:55:27.000 No unnecessary arguments. 00:55:27.000 --> 00:55:31.000 Instead, Jacob, may your words be full of gentleness 00:55:31.000 --> 00:55:35.000 and may you speak the truth in love. 00:55:35.000 --> 00:55:40.000 Because if it's gentle, then speech cannot be genuinely gentle 00:55:40.000 --> 00:55:42.000 unless there is love in it. 00:55:47.000 --> 00:55:49.000 Okay? 00:55:51.000 --> 00:55:53.000 Next one. 00:55:56.000 --> 00:55:58.000 Edifying behavior. 00:55:58.000 --> 00:56:00.000 Edifying behavior. 00:56:03.000 --> 00:56:05.000 Edifying behavior. 00:56:13.000 --> 00:56:15.000 No bitterness 00:56:17.000 --> 00:56:19.000 or envy. 00:56:20.000 --> 00:56:22.000 No greed 00:56:24.000 --> 00:56:26.000 or covetousness. 00:56:27.000 --> 00:56:29.000 No stealing 00:56:30.000 --> 00:56:32.000 or deception. 00:56:37.000 --> 00:56:39.000 No immorality. 00:56:43.000 --> 00:56:45.000 Instead, 00:56:49.000 --> 00:56:51.000 instead, forgiveness, 00:56:56.000 --> 00:56:58.000 fruitful deeds, 00:57:01.000 --> 00:57:05.000 forgiveness, fruitful deeds, honest work. 00:57:06.000 --> 00:57:08.000 Beautiful, beautiful. 00:57:09.000 --> 00:57:11.000 No bitterness. 00:57:11.000 --> 00:57:14.000 Bitterness is when there's a mixture of anger 00:57:14.000 --> 00:57:18.000 and sadness 00:57:18.000 --> 00:57:20.000 and hola, I don't know. 00:57:20.000 --> 00:57:22.000 No bitterness. 00:57:22.000 --> 00:57:24.000 No anger and malice. 00:57:24.000 --> 00:57:26.000 No bitterness. 00:57:26.000 --> 00:57:28.000 Doesn't matter whether you're married or not. 00:57:28.000 --> 00:57:30.000 Bitterness is so easy. 00:57:30.000 --> 00:57:32.000 No bitterness or envy 00:57:33.000 --> 00:57:35.000 or covetousness or greed. 00:57:35.000 --> 00:57:37.000 These are absolutely workable. 00:57:37.000 --> 00:57:39.000 Come on, guys. 00:57:39.000 --> 00:57:41.000 Surely there are days when we don't go down this route. 00:57:43.000 --> 00:57:45.000 No stealing or deception. 00:57:45.000 --> 00:57:49.000 Because the stealing or deception will end up having to be, 00:57:49.000 --> 00:57:52.000 deception will take its form in words. 00:57:52.000 --> 00:57:54.000 That will include lying and slander. 00:57:54.000 --> 00:57:56.000 No stealing or deception. 00:57:56.000 --> 00:57:58.000 We don't steal, but there are ways we 00:57:59.000 --> 00:58:03.000 deprive or rob someone else of something for our own benefit. 00:58:03.000 --> 00:58:05.000 No immorality. 00:58:05.000 --> 00:58:07.000 No immorality. 00:58:07.000 --> 00:58:09.000 Focusing primarily on sexual immorality. 00:58:09.000 --> 00:58:11.000 No immorality. 00:58:12.000 --> 00:58:14.000 You know, the problem with pornography, 00:58:14.000 --> 00:58:16.000 and there might be 00:58:16.000 --> 00:58:19.000 men and women in this church who watch porn, 00:58:19.000 --> 00:58:21.000 the problem with pornography is it is 00:58:21.000 --> 00:58:23.000 impossible to indulge in pornography 00:58:23.000 --> 00:58:25.000 without disregarding God. 00:58:25.000 --> 00:58:27.000 You have to disregard God 00:58:27.000 --> 00:58:29.000 to indulge in pornography. 00:58:29.000 --> 00:58:31.000 You cannot regard God 00:58:31.000 --> 00:58:33.000 and participate in porn. 00:58:33.000 --> 00:58:36.000 One has to be disregarded. 00:58:36.000 --> 00:58:38.000 And that's one of the, 00:58:38.000 --> 00:58:40.000 see, John Piper puts it this way. 00:58:40.000 --> 00:58:43.000 Most Christians think they are addicted to porn, 00:58:43.000 --> 00:58:45.000 but if they were given a million dollars, 00:58:45.000 --> 00:58:49.000 or if a terrorist came and put a knife to their friend's throat and said, 00:58:49.000 --> 00:58:51.000 stop porn, otherwise I'll kill your friend, 00:58:51.000 --> 00:58:53.000 or stop porn and I'll give you a million dollars, 00:58:53.000 --> 00:58:56.000 you would respond and say, okay, I'll stop it right now. 00:58:56.000 --> 00:58:59.000 So he says, in a sense, it's not addiction. 00:58:59.000 --> 00:59:01.000 On the other hand, he says, 00:59:01.000 --> 00:59:03.000 that it is impossible to 00:59:03.000 --> 00:59:05.000 regard God 00:59:05.000 --> 00:59:06.000 and practice porn. 00:59:06.000 --> 00:59:08.000 You have to disregard one 00:59:08.000 --> 00:59:11.000 and you have to disregard one to practice the other. 00:59:15.000 --> 00:59:17.000 So, 00:59:17.000 --> 00:59:19.000 edifying behavior. 00:59:20.000 --> 00:59:23.000 And from the experience of people in this church 00:59:23.000 --> 00:59:25.000 who can tell you one on one, 00:59:25.000 --> 00:59:27.000 one of the easiest ways to get out of porn 00:59:27.000 --> 00:59:30.000 is to bring it to the light first. 00:59:30.000 --> 00:59:32.000 Everything starts there. 00:59:34.000 --> 00:59:36.000 Men to men, women to women. 00:59:36.000 --> 00:59:38.000 As in talking about it. 00:59:38.000 --> 00:59:42.000 I needed to touch that because I'm sure like in every other church, 00:59:42.000 --> 00:59:44.000 this church is not free of porn. 00:59:44.000 --> 00:59:46.000 I'm talking to both men and women. 00:59:46.000 --> 00:59:48.000 This church is not free of porn. 00:59:48.000 --> 00:59:51.000 And therefore, edifying behavior becomes difficult. 00:59:51.000 --> 00:59:53.000 Because if I have to disregard God 00:59:53.000 --> 00:59:55.000 every time I indulge in porn, 00:59:55.000 --> 00:59:59.000 there are moments in my life that God is completely have to be shut out 00:59:59.000 --> 01:00:01.000 so that I can indulge in my... 01:00:01.000 --> 01:00:03.000 addiction. 01:00:03.000 --> 01:00:05.000 Addiction. 01:00:05.000 --> 01:00:07.000 But I said we can't call it addiction. 01:00:07.000 --> 01:00:09.000 Anyways, that's edifying behavior. 01:00:09.000 --> 01:00:11.000 Any questions before we go on? 01:00:13.000 --> 01:00:15.000 Any questions? 01:00:18.000 --> 01:00:20.000 These are not very difficult guys. 01:00:22.000 --> 01:00:24.000 It's not difficult. 01:00:27.000 --> 01:00:29.000 The last one. 01:00:29.000 --> 01:00:31.000 The last one. 01:00:42.000 --> 01:00:45.000 Life stewardship or personal life stewardship 01:00:45.000 --> 01:00:47.000 or however you want to call it. 01:00:47.000 --> 01:00:49.000 Stewarding your life. 01:00:49.000 --> 01:00:51.000 Life stewardship and what does that look like? 01:00:51.000 --> 01:00:53.000 Living wisely. 01:00:53.000 --> 01:00:55.000 Living wisely. 01:00:55.000 --> 01:00:57.000 Living wisely. 01:00:57.000 --> 01:00:59.000 Living wisely. 01:00:59.000 --> 01:01:01.000 Living wisely. 01:01:01.000 --> 01:01:03.000 Stewarding your time. 01:01:07.000 --> 01:01:09.000 Living wisely by 01:01:09.000 --> 01:01:11.000 having 01:01:11.000 --> 01:01:13.000 having 01:01:13.000 --> 01:01:15.000 God's 01:01:15.000 --> 01:01:17.000 priorities 01:01:17.000 --> 01:01:19.000 and living wisely by 01:01:19.000 --> 01:01:21.000 stewarding your time. 01:01:21.000 --> 01:01:23.000 Both ways. 01:01:23.000 --> 01:01:25.000 You live wisely by having God's priorities present. 01:01:25.000 --> 01:01:27.000 I mean, 01:01:27.000 --> 01:01:29.000 for a woman who has 01:01:29.000 --> 01:01:31.000 a small baby, 01:01:31.000 --> 01:01:33.000 living wisely is prioritizing 01:01:33.000 --> 01:01:35.000 the baby over 01:01:35.000 --> 01:01:37.000 maybe 01:01:37.000 --> 01:01:39.000 hockey. 01:01:39.000 --> 01:01:41.000 That's what just came to mind. 01:01:43.000 --> 01:01:45.000 But I'm sure there are more important things than hockey. 01:01:45.000 --> 01:01:47.000 The point is living wisely by 01:01:47.000 --> 01:01:49.000 one prioritizing 01:01:49.000 --> 01:01:51.000 God's priorities 01:01:51.000 --> 01:01:53.000 and two by 01:01:53.000 --> 01:01:55.000 using your time well. 01:01:55.000 --> 01:01:57.000 In the Psalms I think it says 01:01:57.000 --> 01:01:59.000 and oh God, 01:01:59.000 --> 01:02:01.000 teach me to live wisely by numbering 01:02:01.000 --> 01:02:03.000 my days. 01:02:05.000 --> 01:02:07.000 Second, putting on Christ. 01:02:07.000 --> 01:02:09.000 Putting on Christ. 01:02:09.000 --> 01:02:11.000 And for putting on Christ we go back 01:02:11.000 --> 01:02:13.000 to edifying speech and edifying 01:02:13.000 --> 01:02:15.000 behavior. 01:02:15.000 --> 01:02:17.000 Putting on Christ. And then the last one. 01:02:19.000 --> 01:02:21.000 Exploring 01:02:21.000 --> 01:02:23.000 and realizing 01:02:23.000 --> 01:02:25.000 your life work. 01:02:31.000 --> 01:02:33.000 And for those who don't 01:02:33.000 --> 01:02:35.000 remember, let me quickly 01:02:35.000 --> 01:02:37.000 define life work. 01:02:39.000 --> 01:02:41.000 The sum total 01:02:41.000 --> 01:02:43.000 of all 01:02:43.000 --> 01:02:45.000 the things 01:02:45.000 --> 01:02:49.000 that God prepared for you 01:02:53.000 --> 01:02:55.000 before 01:02:55.000 --> 01:02:57.000 the foundations 01:02:57.000 --> 01:02:59.000 of the Earth 01:02:59.000 --> 01:03:01.000 for you 01:03:03.000 --> 01:03:05.000 to walk in. 01:03:07.000 --> 01:03:09.000 And He's made you 01:03:09.000 --> 01:03:11.000 a certain way. 01:03:11.000 --> 01:03:13.000 And He's made you 01:03:15.000 --> 01:03:17.000 a certain way 01:03:17.000 --> 01:03:19.000 to accomplish it. 01:03:23.000 --> 01:03:25.000 The last word there 01:03:25.000 --> 01:03:27.000 that you can't read is accomplish. 01:03:37.000 --> 01:03:39.000 Check, check, check. 01:03:39.000 --> 01:03:41.000 It's okay, it's okay. 01:03:41.000 --> 01:03:43.000 It's okay. 01:03:45.000 --> 01:03:47.000 These are the three things that will help us 01:03:47.000 --> 01:03:49.000 steward, 01:03:49.000 --> 01:03:51.000 develop and steward our lives 01:03:51.000 --> 01:03:53.000 seriously. 01:03:53.000 --> 01:03:55.000 What happened? 01:03:55.000 --> 01:03:57.000 Okay. 01:03:59.000 --> 01:04:01.000 Pardon? 01:04:01.000 --> 01:04:03.000 Oh, 01:04:03.000 --> 01:04:05.000 He moved the stand. 01:04:05.000 --> 01:04:07.000 Any questions guys? 01:04:07.000 --> 01:04:09.000 Edifying speech. 01:04:09.000 --> 01:04:11.000 Edifying behavior. 01:04:11.000 --> 01:04:13.000 Stewarding life. 01:04:13.000 --> 01:04:15.000 Edifying speech. 01:04:15.000 --> 01:04:17.000 No lying. 01:04:17.000 --> 01:04:19.000 No slander. 01:04:19.000 --> 01:04:21.000 No crude humor. 01:04:21.000 --> 01:04:23.000 Words that build up. 01:04:27.000 --> 01:04:29.000 Edifying behavior. 01:04:29.000 --> 01:04:31.000 No bitterness, no envy. 01:04:31.000 --> 01:04:33.000 No greed, no covetousness. 01:04:33.000 --> 01:04:35.000 No stealing, no deception. 01:04:35.000 --> 01:04:37.000 Instead, honest work. 01:04:39.000 --> 01:04:41.000 What else? 01:04:43.000 --> 01:04:45.000 Honest work, forgiveness and 01:04:45.000 --> 01:04:47.000 fruitful deeds. 01:04:47.000 --> 01:04:49.000 Personal stewardship. 01:04:49.000 --> 01:04:51.000 Exploring and realizing 01:04:51.000 --> 01:04:53.000 your life work, which is a sum total 01:04:53.000 --> 01:04:55.000 of all the things that God had planned for you 01:04:55.000 --> 01:04:57.000 before you were born. Basically, it's 01:04:57.000 --> 01:04:59.000 efficient, stute and good works that you're supposed 01:04:59.000 --> 01:05:01.000 to walk in and that you were made a certain way 01:05:01.000 --> 01:05:03.000 so that you would walk and fulfill 01:05:03.000 --> 01:05:05.000 them for His sake, so that His story 01:05:05.000 --> 01:05:07.000 becomes more evident. That is your life 01:05:07.000 --> 01:05:09.000 work. Besides that, 01:05:09.000 --> 01:05:11.000 putting on Christ as in edifying 01:05:11.000 --> 01:05:13.000 behavior, edifying speech, 01:05:13.000 --> 01:05:15.000 walking this world like He did. 01:05:15.000 --> 01:05:17.000 And third, 01:05:19.000 --> 01:05:21.000 living wisely by doing 01:05:21.000 --> 01:05:23.000 two things. By 01:05:23.000 --> 01:05:25.000 stewarding time well and 01:05:25.000 --> 01:05:27.000 by finding out His present priorities 01:05:27.000 --> 01:05:29.000 for us, 01:05:29.000 --> 01:05:31.000 for me. This is 01:05:31.000 --> 01:05:33.000 how corporate and individual maturity 01:05:33.000 --> 01:05:35.000 happens. This is how a church ends up looking 01:05:35.000 --> 01:05:37.000 like the microcosm He wants it to 01:05:37.000 --> 01:05:39.000 look like. This is how we become an alternative to 01:05:39.000 --> 01:05:41.000 the world. These words may sound heavy, but they 01:05:41.000 --> 01:05:43.000 are true. 01:05:43.000 --> 01:05:45.000 Any questions? 01:05:45.000 --> 01:05:47.000 Ask shucks, it's 4.30. 01:05:47.000 --> 01:05:49.000 Got to stop. Guys, 01:05:49.000 --> 01:05:51.000 now you can realize why Matthew 01:05:51.000 --> 01:05:53.000 7.22 is kind of sobering. 01:05:53.000 --> 01:05:55.000 Many will come and say to me 01:05:55.000 --> 01:05:57.000 in that day that in your name, we cast 01:05:57.000 --> 01:05:59.000 out demons. In your name, we healed the sick. 01:05:59.000 --> 01:06:01.000 In your name, we did miracles. And Jesus 01:06:01.000 --> 01:06:03.000 said, I will say to you that I did not even 01:06:03.000 --> 01:06:05.000 know you. Because that's 01:06:05.000 --> 01:06:07.000 what we thought a works of ministry was. 01:06:07.000 --> 01:06:09.000 While His idea of works of ministry and works of service 01:06:09.000 --> 01:06:11.000 is completely different. 01:06:15.000 --> 01:06:17.000 This is why Matthew 5, 01:06:17.000 --> 01:06:19.000 13 onwards, makes so much sense. 01:06:19.000 --> 01:06:21.000 Just go there and we'll end with that. 01:06:21.000 --> 01:06:23.000 Matthew 5 01:06:23.000 --> 01:06:25.000 was 01:06:25.000 --> 01:06:27.000 13-16. 01:06:27.000 --> 01:06:29.000 Matthew 5, 13-16. 01:06:33.000 --> 01:06:35.000 Beautiful scriptures. 01:06:35.000 --> 01:06:37.000 Some scriptures, 01:06:37.000 --> 01:06:39.000 they just sum up everything. Matthew 5, 01:06:39.000 --> 01:06:41.000 13-16. 01:06:45.000 --> 01:06:47.000 Okay, here's what it says. 01:06:47.000 --> 01:06:49.000 You are the salt of the earth. 01:06:49.000 --> 01:06:51.000 But if the salt 01:06:51.000 --> 01:06:53.000 loses its saltiness, 01:06:53.000 --> 01:06:55.000 how can it be made salty again? 01:06:55.000 --> 01:06:57.000 Can you see it now? 01:06:57.000 --> 01:06:59.000 If we lose those five things, 01:06:59.000 --> 01:07:01.000 then it doesn't matter how 01:07:01.000 --> 01:07:03.000 many miracles, signs and wonders you do. 01:07:03.000 --> 01:07:05.000 The salt has lost its saltiness. 01:07:07.000 --> 01:07:09.000 What is it good if I cast 01:07:09.000 --> 01:07:11.000 out demons from you when I demonize 01:07:11.000 --> 01:07:13.000 my wife at home? When I can't 01:07:13.000 --> 01:07:15.000 treat her well? When I can't nurture her? 01:07:15.000 --> 01:07:17.000 When I don't train up my children? 01:07:17.000 --> 01:07:19.000 What is the use? 01:07:19.000 --> 01:07:21.000 And there are thousands 01:07:21.000 --> 01:07:23.000 and thousands doing it, eh? 01:07:23.000 --> 01:07:25.000 Because the focus has shifted completely 01:07:25.000 --> 01:07:27.000 from shine your light to show your power. 01:07:29.000 --> 01:07:31.000 Jesus' insistence was shine your light. 01:07:31.000 --> 01:07:33.000 Our insistence is show us your power. 01:07:33.000 --> 01:07:35.000 Showing power is easy because it's 01:07:35.000 --> 01:07:37.000 someone working through us. Shining your light 01:07:37.000 --> 01:07:39.000 is difficult because it is someone in us 01:07:39.000 --> 01:07:41.000 who has to now shine forth. 01:07:43.000 --> 01:07:45.000 And so Matthew 5, 01:07:45.000 --> 01:07:47.000 13-16. 01:07:49.000 --> 01:07:51.000 You are the salt of the earth. 01:07:51.000 --> 01:07:53.000 But if the salt loses its saltiness, 01:07:53.000 --> 01:07:55.000 how can it be made salty again? 01:07:55.000 --> 01:07:57.000 It is no longer good for anything 01:07:57.000 --> 01:07:59.000 except to be thrown out and 01:07:59.000 --> 01:08:01.000 trampled by men. You are 01:08:01.000 --> 01:08:03.000 the light of the world. A city on 01:08:03.000 --> 01:08:05.000 a hill cannot be hidden. 01:08:05.000 --> 01:08:07.000 Neither do people light a lamp 01:08:07.000 --> 01:08:09.000 and put it under a bowl. Instead 01:08:09.000 --> 01:08:11.000 they put it on its stand and it gives light 01:08:11.000 --> 01:08:13.000 to everyone in the house. In the same way, 01:08:13.000 --> 01:08:15.000 let your light shine before men 01:08:15.000 --> 01:08:17.000 that they may see your good deeds 01:08:17.000 --> 01:08:19.000 and praise your Father in heaven. 01:08:19.000 --> 01:08:21.000 And so it comes it all up. 01:08:21.000 --> 01:08:23.000 And so I bless you 01:08:23.000 --> 01:08:25.000 men who are nurturing 01:08:25.000 --> 01:08:27.000 your wives, 01:08:27.000 --> 01:08:29.000 training your children, taking care of 01:08:29.000 --> 01:08:31.000 your homes, investing in 01:08:31.000 --> 01:08:33.000 younger men. I bless you. 01:08:33.000 --> 01:08:35.000 You're doing more ministry than I do most days. 01:08:35.000 --> 01:08:37.000 I bless you 01:08:37.000 --> 01:08:39.000 wives who are taking care of homes, 01:08:39.000 --> 01:08:41.000 who are honoring and following your husbands, 01:08:41.000 --> 01:08:43.000 who are taking care of your children, 01:08:43.000 --> 01:08:45.000 who are doing everything in your power 01:08:45.000 --> 01:08:47.000 to help younger women. 01:08:47.000 --> 01:08:49.000 You do more ministry than I do 01:08:49.000 --> 01:08:51.000 in a week and you shall 01:08:51.000 --> 01:08:53.000 be rewarded for it. Bless you for it. 01:08:55.000 --> 01:08:57.000 I bless you men and 01:08:57.000 --> 01:08:59.000 women who are paying 01:08:59.000 --> 01:09:01.000 personal attention to your growth 01:09:03.000 --> 01:09:05.000 and to how you 01:09:05.000 --> 01:09:07.000 steward your time and money. 01:09:07.000 --> 01:09:09.000 You're doing more ministry than I could ever do. 01:09:09.000 --> 01:09:11.000 I bless you 01:09:11.000 --> 01:09:13.000 employees and employers 01:09:13.000 --> 01:09:15.000 and those of you who 01:09:15.000 --> 01:09:17.000 respect government and leaders. 01:09:17.000 --> 01:09:19.000 Pray for them and pay your taxes. 01:09:21.000 --> 01:09:23.000 Because you are doing more ministry 01:09:23.000 --> 01:09:25.000 every day, every year for year on 01:09:25.000 --> 01:09:27.000 year on year than I could 01:09:27.000 --> 01:09:29.000 do in the same year. 01:09:29.000 --> 01:09:31.000 You're doing much more and it's much 01:09:31.000 --> 01:09:33.000 harder in very secular 01:09:33.000 --> 01:09:35.000 situations. 01:09:39.000 --> 01:09:41.000 Now we see 01:09:41.000 --> 01:09:43.000 works of service and work of ministry different. 01:09:43.000 --> 01:09:45.000 Do not quit your jobs. 01:09:45.000 --> 01:09:47.000 Do not join ministry. 01:09:47.000 --> 01:09:49.000 Join ministry only as the 01:09:49.000 --> 01:09:51.000 Lord tells you to. Otherwise, do not 01:09:51.000 --> 01:09:53.000 leave. 01:09:53.000 --> 01:09:55.000 Do what you're doing because 01:09:55.000 --> 01:09:57.000 it is out there that this is required. 01:09:57.000 --> 01:09:59.000 This is easy. 01:10:01.000 --> 01:10:03.000 Equipping you is difficult but this is easy. 01:10:05.000 --> 01:10:07.000 Just in case you're getting carried away. 01:10:09.000 --> 01:10:11.000 Bless you. Let's pray. 01:10:11.000 --> 01:10:13.000 Father, thank you for unpacking.