Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Could I be so bold as to encourage any of you, uh, this morning who, uh, might be on your phone checking Facebook or might be on Instagram or something like that? I really believe that we have an enemy and I believe that there's a bit of a distraction mission on this morning for some people. Could I encourage you to turn Instagram off, to turn Facebook off, to turn your phone on silent and to just pause and open your heart this morning, Lord. Um, in the next half an hour, we declare that there was only one authority in this room, and that is the authority of the name of Jesus, of Nazareth, who lived and died and brought freedom and who is now reigning. And Father, would your Holy Spirit bring freedom from your word this morning? In the mighty name of Jesus on men. Amen.
Speaker 0 00:00:54 On men. Good morning. Good morning. <laugh>. Uh, for those of you who don't know me, uh, you might know me as the kinda strange Jordy guy who comes up and says things sometimes or sings sometimes. My name's Des. I am the pastoral or coordinator here who indeed, which means that as well as trying to have things in place that we're looking after each other and we're ministering to each other and shepherding each other. I do a lot of one-to-ones. And as, as, um, Mark's been bringing a series in the morning, I've been bringing a series in the evening around bringing out key themes that you guys in the church as we've been meeting one-to-one pastorally, if there's been a real key theme that's been coming through, I've been bringing it to everyone so we can, we can talk as family. 'cause that's what we are, right?
Speaker 0 00:01:46 We're family. Even on the royal box, we're family up there too. Um, so this morning it's something that has come out of there as well. Even this week when I was away in Newcastle, I had a one-to-one this week and we chatted about this issue. Um, fear's a funny thing, isn't it? Fear's a funny thing. My little boy, Ollie is not too keen on spiders. He's really not too keen on spiders. Sam. He has a fear of cleaning his car. <laugh>, there's, I've, I've got this. I've, there's something God's working on with me, and this is a bit weird. You need to stay with me on this 'cause this is legit and he's working with me. And even now, Lord, yeah, work it through, you know, maybe women of a certain age who wear like, you know, brown tights and you know, like where the tools are. It's a bit more brown than where the rest of the tights are. <laugh>, do you know that? And then like, you could see the tools like wiggling, like, like where it, I dunno what it did. I could, oh, I like, yeah, Lord, free me. Deliver me from that
Speaker 1 00:03:05 <laugh>.
Speaker 0 00:03:06 So we all, we all have these things, right?
Speaker 1 00:03:10 <laugh>,
Speaker 0 00:03:12 Oh, I didn't put a picture on screen. That's I, wow. Now this morning there has been a liberation and a liberty in many people's hearts. And it's because we've been freed from a fear much greater than brown tides, right? I was watching, um, I was watching you this morning, right? And you, yeah, you, the world have just turned around. We haven't met you. I'd love to meet you at the end. But when Mark said about who here has been saved, you are like
Speaker 1 00:03:45 Me,
Speaker 0 00:03:46 Me, I've been saved and waving because there's a liberation of the heart that comes when we realize that we are citizens of heaven. That we've been paid for Jesus' death, paid for the lot, and that we're living in eternity now. Love it. This morning as we look at the word, if you are someone who is living with fear of death, there will be liberation available for you this morning. I hope you don't feel condemned by that or feel, I hope you feel completely inspired by that, that an absolute mourning of liberation could be yours. This morning. We're gonna look in Hebrews two this morning as part of, as part of our message is, do we have that on screen? There we go. Liberation of the heart, because that's what it is. Could we, could we move on to the next slide on, on Hebrews two. Okay. This is a particular fear that the Bible tells us. Jesus came to smash, absolutely smash. We do see Jesus who has made Lord than the angels for a little while. This passage in Hebrews puts Jesus' humanity right into perspective. That he came Jesus' mortality not crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death so that by the grace of God, he might taste death for everyone.
Speaker 0 00:05:26 Since children are fleshing blood, he too shared in our humanity, so that by his death, he might break the power of him who holds the power of death. That is the devil. We don't always like to speak about him, but we are gonna speak about him this morning and we're gonna disarm him and we're gonna remind ourselves where we stand in authority over him this morning. In fact, I'm gonna read that again. By his death, he might break the power of him who holds the power of death, that is the devil. And free those who all their lives were held in slavery, in bondage by their fear of death, he came and died to free us from the fear of death. That's one of the things that Jesus death did this morning. We have celebrated, we really have celebrated. You know, some of those shouts. Some of those cries.
Speaker 2 00:06:40 Hallelujah.
Speaker 0 00:06:42 Amazing. Those of you who've heard me preach before know that I talk about these Salah moments. They're, they're in Psalms a lot where it's, it's a purposeful pause. And we're just gonna take a quick purposeful pause now. We'll let see our moment 'cause we've got three antidotes to this fear of death that we're gonna discuss from the Bible as we pause, is that fear of death. Anything that needs a victim from your heart this morning.
Speaker 2 00:07:26 I,
Speaker 0 00:07:31 Amen. You see, for some of us, for some people this morning, what I'm about to say will just be an emphatic celebration. But for some it will bring absolute liberty. Here is one antidote. Um, to fear. To fear of death. We're gonna come back to what Jesus did in a second. I love it. Uh, I, I trained as a counselor for a couple of years through lockdown. I just wanted to do my counseling diplomas to equip myself. And one thing, well there's, there's lots of things that God reveals, but you know, when God gives us little glimpses in science of the way that he's made us, it's not God versus science. It's really, really cool when he reveals little things that he's done and how he's designed us. And there's a slide which talks about thankfulness versus fear. There's a few, a few clips. Is that, is that possible to get on there? Because I would, there's real neurological breakthrough in the last 10 years where there's a real, accepted, accepted fact that thankfulness and gratefulness in our human brain cannot be processed and cannot function at the same time as anxiety and fear. Please do research when you get home. Please do research. This is a really accepted thing. Yes,
Speaker 0 00:09:09 Fear and anxiety cannot be processed in our brain while our brain is being thankful can't happen. Let's put this in the context of scripture. Let's put this in the context of scripture, right Philippians, do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds. It's wonderful these breakthroughs in the last 10 years, but God told us about this thousands of years ago. He told us, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace and be thankful. Just got two more. I'd love to read for you at this point. Rejoice always, pray continually give
Speaker 2 00:10:14 Thanks.
Speaker 0 00:10:16 Thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Just as he received Christ, Jesus continued living him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness. There's this thing that happens. You, you know it. And Philippians as well. It describes a little bit of what happened in our worship this morning. Did anyone feel different? Yes. You know, as we, when, you know, when we give praise and we make that sacrifice and we give massive thanks, there's an exchange. Philippians talks about exchange of like oil for mourning. Yes, it does. A garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. That's right.
Speaker 2 00:11:06 That's right.
Speaker 0 00:11:09 I suggest that in, in the context of this fear of death. The greatest thing we can ever be thankful for is Jesus.
Speaker 2 00:11:17 Amen.
Speaker 0 00:11:19 Not box ticking thankfulness, but real deep. Oh Lord, I'm so thankful. I'm so thankful, Lord, I've got life. Um, every day, Monday to Friday, we gather as a church online, and I know a lot of you guys do it later on during the day, we gather for communion. We did it this morning. I don't, I don't manage to do it every day. I don't what better place to start our day looking to put thankfulness for the ultimate victory at the start of our day. If you have never ever joined us for communion in the morning, please consider it. Please consider it. It puts everything into perspective. Why turn our phones on first thing and look at the news and look at things that are potentially gonna bring anxiety. Start your day with Thanks.
Speaker 2 00:12:22 Yes.
Speaker 0 00:12:24 I'm talking to myself too. Come on, Mendo, start your day with thanks.
Speaker 2 00:12:29 Yes.
Speaker 0 00:12:31 Okay. Andy dot number two, Andy Dote, number two. Can anyone remember this old song?
Speaker 2 00:12:40 Oh, oh yeah.
Speaker 0 00:12:49 Hey.
Speaker 2 00:12:52 Oh,
Speaker 0 00:12:54 I wasn't a big fan of that song when I was, when I was younger, but it's, that's my Andy do. That's number two. That heaven lives in my heart. I'm gonna go into Romans six. Go, go really into Roman six because this, this isn't wishful thinking. This isn't the Jordy guy giving you nice little things to live your life by. This is life changing liberation stuff. Romans six. Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live new life this afternoon. I have the honor with Steve of, of baptizing, some dear friends this afternoon and ex with, please come and join us because of that symbolism of going under the water right and coming back up. Amen. It's everything.
Speaker 2 00:14:07 It
Speaker 0 00:14:07 Symbolizes everything for if we've been united with him in a death like this, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him. That the body ruled by sin might be done away with. That we should be no longer slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Speaker 0 00:14:34 The old me is gone. It's has, it's gone sometimes neither. And I laugh when we're chatting about things on, on a Monday past us thing, and we'll say to each other, have you died? If we're trying to decide on something, meaning, is there something of our old sinful self in that decision? Have we died to all that is Christ number one. Now, if we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him. For, we know since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again. Death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died for sin once and for all. But the life he lives, he lives to God in the same way. Count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. That's what's making you wave around going, I'm saved. I'm saved. 'cause it's the real deal. There's a timeline that I drew on my, on my desk yesterday, the Roman six timeline of being a Christian, born at birth. We were all born. Yeah, there we go. Now we've got eternity at the other end. Eternity. Not sure my brain's quite big enough for that, but I know it goes on forever.
Speaker 0 00:16:11 At some point on that timeline as a Christian, right, we meet Jesus hurrah, we repent, we turn around, we die to our old self. We're set free from sin. And at that point, at that point there we have, through him, we have victory over a death.
Speaker 2 00:16:37 Hallelujah.
Speaker 0 00:16:38 That's the point, right? Hallelujah. And I want you to understand me here, that when we talk about this physical death of this body that we're gonna move on to now, I'm not talking about the grief or the mourning or wrong. I'm not saying that I, I had a couple of days with my dad in New Castle this last week. My dad's 84, uh, he had a stroke and I had a few tears in my room this week. He's still with me. And I pray we've got lots more adventures together, left. But, um, I had a few tears, grief and mourning or real biblical things that are in there. But that point where we met Jesus, it's like that's where the death happened this afternoon. When the baptisms happened, we, we, we celebrated and we symbolize it. That life is forever. Now. My spirit is with Jesus. Yes. Does that make sense? So it's like at some point this is, this body is gonna die. It's going to at some point, death and taxes <laugh>. I know people say that. My granddad would say that death and taxes only two things short in life. But we're not to fear it.
Speaker 2 00:18:06 Amen.
Speaker 0 00:18:07 Absolutely not. There is nothing to fear, absolutely nothing to fear Hall in your heart and in your understanding, do you realize that from that point where you met Jesus, death is defeated. Amen. Like in your heart, in my heart, I am now in everlasting life. Now I am in it. I'm in it. Yes. It's not a boastful thing. It's not a self self-righteous thing. I'm in it. Yes, I'm in it. The Bible tells me I am. And as we're thinking about being thankful, like the first anti thought, if we live with this as our death date, <laugh>, the day we die itself or the day we die the sin, it's absolutely liberating. Amen. Don't fear death in Jesus. Please don't fear death. Don't fear death. I love, I love babies gurgles. I love it. It's so wonderful. From first breath to final breath, Jesus is king. And he has a purpose for absolutely all of us. The enemy knows that timeline too. You know, he knows his own timeline. He knows what's coming 'cause he knows what Jesus did. That's right. And the enemy who is roaring around like a, like a lion. He is, he will whisper at you and he will try to keep you bound
Speaker 0 00:20:06 And a slave to the fear of death. You will. Andy don't. Number three, stand firm in your spiritual authority. Amen. The Bible says a lot about resisting the devil. It says resisting and he will flee. It says in Luke that we've been given all authority over the work of, of Satan says that. Yes, <laugh>. Actually before I say that, can we go back to Hebrews again? Can we go back to Hebrews again? Since the children of fleshing blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death that is the devil. And three, those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Wishful thinking is not gonna give you authority over the, over the fear of death or the fears in your life. It's not, it isn't. And sometimes we're like, Lord, we pray these prayers, Lord, Lord, please, please sort the situation out. Lord, please amen. When this stuff sinks in here, when it really sinks in and things like, you know the armor of God, right? We spoke about that ages ago. If I recite the armor of God, and I know this 'cause I believe this to be true, I one of the ways I resist the devil in my life, I go through it and I talk about in, in my prayers, Lord, I stand with the shoes of preparation of readiness to spread the gospel at peace, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness that extinguishes what
Speaker 0 00:22:19 The fiery dots of evil one, every single one of them. Including fear of death, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God and the shield of faith
Speaker 2 00:22:33 Hall.
Speaker 0 00:22:37 Let's get equipped when fear comes along, when fear comes along, know this stuff. If you're fearful at home or you really are, fear of death comes and whispers at you again. Please don't pray prayer prayers like, Lord God, come and help me. Please come and help me. Please speak that out. Speak it out.
Speaker 2 00:23:07 <laugh>
Speaker 0 00:23:10 Thankfulness
Speaker 2 00:23:13 Heaven
Speaker 0 00:23:14 In your heart. A knowledge of scripture with spiritual authority, yes, will keep the devil at bay and will keep fear of death at bay. Uh, we can sing a song. You haven't heard me sing for a while, so some of you'll be pleased about that fact. Some of you'll be a bit disappointed, uh, but we're gonna sing a song that talks about the reality of everything I've just been speaking about there. Thanks Rob. Actually, Rob, I'll just use that for the guitar 'cause I've got me and as we sing, I guess there are two things that will happen inside you. Some of you might fall into these camps. Here's camp number one. You have resonated
Speaker 2 00:24:18 With
Speaker 0 00:24:18 What I've said this morning in fear of death's got nothing on you. And as we sing, let that truth just permeate and absolutely permeate through you. If you are here this morning, and as I've been speaking about fear of death, if you know in your life that that is something that you've really struggled with or that you really struggle with now I'm gonna ask you to just do some business with the Lord. As we sing. I wanna ask you to break partnership with it. And I'm gonna really ask you that between you and the Lord, you really move to that place of spiritual authority in your heart over it. Because as Christians, death has nothing over us. Nothing n okay, shall we stand? God sent, they call him and he the, and that he holds my future. And because.
