Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:04 Wonderful. Good morning everybody. Good morning. It's so good to see you. Those of you that it's your first time here or your first time back this year. It's a real joy to see you and in a moment we are going to look at what I believe is some of the most revolutionary scriptures that are going to help shape something of the heart of what God has wanted to do in your life and in my life. And before I get into that, um, Sean mentioned the generosity and the kindness of people in the church. And I just thought you might like to know, Phil told me yesterday that since we opened the Wellbeing Fund in 2020 that you are given has enabled us to help people to the value of 98,000 pounds. Wow. Over the last few years. Isn't that amazing? Just well done to you.
Speaker 1 00:00:51 Just well done. And the difference it's making in people's lives, you know, it's under the radar. It's not known, but it's shaping and changing people's lives and your help and make that happen. Also, just to see what God's doing in Newton Abbott is just beautiful. And again, your helping make that happen. This is a stretching year. Uh, we are pulled on every side. There are resources that are being challenged, but I know that together we can see the glory of God reveal to the southwest and beyond. And I want to thank you for standing with us and partnering in that way. Bless you. Let's pray together. It's a beautiful sense of the presence of the Lord here today. I want you to tune into that to him. As you sit in silence, maybe just expect and the open up your hands like you're about to receive extraordinary Holy Spirit, come and breathe life into us. Come and cause your word to find resonance in our hearts that we may be more like you. So as we start this new theme, Lord, I believe there's something you wanted to say into our hearts because they're the words of Jesus. And I pray this day that you would accomplish everything in us that you desire to do in Jesus' name. Amen.
Speaker 1 00:02:47 The theme that we're starting is the revolution of the heart. And if there is any way that we can manage to take the words of Jesus and not present them in a revolutionary way, we have water down the words of Jesus because he absolutely turns the world upside down. Yeah, he turns nations, institutions, organizations, churches, people. He turns them upside down. There is no way that his words can come out without accomplishing that in our lives. If they don't accomplish that, then either we've resisted or we have watered them down in some way. I wanna start off by highlighting there are four basic institutions within our world and these four basic institutions are in every society. And every society will prioritize one of these as the predominant infrastructure of its nation or its community. First one, kin or family. It's the highest priority for those institutions, those nations, those cultures that prioritize family above all else.
Speaker 1 00:03:49 They forsake everything else. It forsake the other three for the sake of family being the primary concern. Jesus comes and he speaks right into that and he adds something else as another way. He revolutionizes our understanding of that. And secondly, religion or our belief system, not necessarily our Christian faith, but all belief systems in the world. In an incredibly secular world, people who hold to a belief system are increasingly considered to be difficult to deal with or difficult to understand. Have you ever made a decision because of your faith and people around you are like, what you doing? Why are you doing that? Well, cuz of God believe in Jesus. But that's ridiculous. But there are nations that adopt that still. I think the western world struggles to deal with Muslim nations because they place their belief above everything else or their other systems that are in place.
Speaker 1 00:04:47 And Jesus, uh, was often very strong against those religious institutions of the day. And he is turning the tables over religious institutions today. Then there's another institution of politics or how a nation is organized, how things are run, how taxes are spent and those sort of things. And this is something that I would say is not the prime institution in our nation. I'll come to that and the next one. But there are nations, communist countries that their political ideology dominates the landscape of all the other decisions that they make. And then there's economic or production and consumption. The dominant social institution in the West is this over the last century, wellbeing, fairness, health of families, belief systems, politics, they all take a lower place to the rule of this institution of economic wellbeing. And Jesus stands on the mountain bringing what we call the Sermon on the Mount. Many people gathered and he speaks words that revolutionize all of those institutions, all of those ways. He speaks and he turns tables over. And you see, you and I, we've adopted things of our culture, things of this world, some of those systems, those institutions that have shaped this. I was reminded how much culture shapes us a few weeks ago when visited my parents in Wales and we stopped off at a McDonald's on the way. And I was greeted by the words of the man working behind the counter, AYA, but
Speaker 2 00:06:28 <laugh>,
Speaker 1 00:06:31 But is often, um, a reference to dairy, air or backside. To have someone greet you with hollow backside is not what you do, but in course Welsh culture that that's a a, a colloquialism, that's a saying that's completely understood and is meant to be a term of affection. <laugh>,
Speaker 1 00:06:50 If words can sink into our language, then predominant cultures can sink into our hearts and Jesus turns them upside down with a revolution. So we're about to look at some of these words of the revolution of Jesus and we're about to see how he wants to expose them in our life to see how they've infiltrated our passions, our desires, our dreams, the formation of our attitudes, the foundations of our ambitions. Maybe your ambitions have been set more by the institution of economic wellbeing than they have by the kingdom of God. Jesus wants to come and turn the tables over because following Jesus is not just a nice addition in our life. It's a revolution. It changes absolutely every part of our life. And so here's Jesus teaching what we call the Sermon on the Mount. And he exposed his listeners, his heroes. He's doing it today.
Speaker 1 00:08:04 He's been doing it for thousands of years through his word, exposing how these things have infiltrated our hearts and how they need to change. He turns on them. He's, he savages them. That no one escapes, no one's free. No one is able to say they need to hear this. We all need to hear this. All are implicated just like that scene on jaws when they catch the shark and they carve it open and they find a number plate and they find all the other things that this shark has digested. The word of God opens up our hearts and it shows us what's in sight. It reveals that which we've digested from this world. And Jesus comes to bring a revolution. No one escapes one by one. The issues are exposed to his searchlight and a new normal for a new kingdom is revealed. Now Jesus announces the arrival of a new kingdom.
Speaker 1 00:09:06 It's unlike anything that's come before. It's not a tweak, it's not an improvement. It's not just this is how to live a better life or a slightly better existence in this world. How to find purpose in this world. It's a new kingdom. This new kingdom, it does require repentance to step into it, which is basically denying or step in away from the kingdom we're being a part of previously to step into the new kingdom that he's got for us to step away from the old dominant institutions and into the new freedom of the new kingdom. The new kingdom is a totally new kingdom. It's a totally new culture and all its citizens are required to adopt the kingdom culture. All of us. It's nothing short of a revolution. And anyone who presents it any way less of a revolution is offering you a diluted version. Yes. Now many of the key teachings of Jesus about this new kingdom are captured in this Sermon on the Mount. At the beginning of that sermon are a series of blessings known as the be attitudes. They are among the most countercultural and radical words that you and I can hear. Let's look at them together.
Speaker 1 00:10:33 Matthews gospel chapter five, verse three to 10 and read it in the CSB version it says this, blessed are the pouring spirit for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Blessed are the humble for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the mercy for for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Now over the weeks ahead we're gonna break these verses down and we're gonna look at a more expository approach to each of those verses and to see what they mean for our life. But before we look at the first of those blessed expressions today, let me just do some introduction to the beatitudes.
Speaker 1 00:11:49 First of all, this word blessed. You often hear it mentioned in society if someone says they feel blessed or I wanna thank, I wanna thank my parents for the blessing of winning this Grammy award or whatever it's used in society. But the translation of the word here, you could use the word happy. Happy are the ponce poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And who wants happiness? Yay. Wow. Out of a room of hundreds, there are like four people who want happiness. Jesus, we have a lot of work to do today. Who wants happiness? Everybody wants happiness. This world is full of people that are pursuing happiness, desirous, dreaming of it, long in for it, working hard for it. Everybody wants happiness. Who doesn't want it? And the reality is that when you look for happiness in the wrong places, no matter how diligent you are, you're bound to end up miserable.
Speaker 1 00:13:00 You can only find it if it's where you're looking. And these B attitudes are the answer to happiness. What we're about to see is how happiness can be found in your life. Now there are also some outlined principles we need to note about these. Be latitudes. First of all, all those be attitudes we just read. They are for all Christians. Yes, they are describing how every believer in Jesus should live. There's no differential made between pastors and congregation between people who've been following Jesus for 30 years and those who've just started following Jesus. There's no distinction made. This is the normal of the kingdom, the new kingdom. This is the new way that people who have decided to enter into that new kingdom live. This is what Christianity looks like. Therefore this is how Christianity should look. Secondly, each of these be attitudes are meant to be manifest in our lives. Each of them. It's not a pick a mix. We don't go to someone and say, Hey you take humility, I'll take poor. All of us are meant to display all of these things in our life. We're designed to manifest them all. Thirdly, they do not describe natural tendencies come on or personalities.
Speaker 1 00:14:42 These are not present in any of our lives. Just through DNA or heritage or upbringing or learned behavior. Now you say, well I know people who don't know Jesus and their kind. I know people who don't know Jesus who are humble. Yeah, of course, of course you can have those qualities in your life. Of course you can. I've known some really generous people who don't follow Jesus over the years. It's lovely to see cuz the the nature and the image of God is embedded in mankind. Yeah, this is hardly surprising. We see those things, even those who don't know Jesus. But this is not talking. These are not talking about your natural tendencies or your skillsets. These are talking about the things that even if your natural tendency is the complete opposite, that these should still be present in your life. Yes. And that they are produced not by DNA but by grace alone. By the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. He's at work within us constantly gardening our lives, CTing our lives to grow fruit, to let the revolution grow and rise. He's constantly a work within us, 10 in our lives saying, will you partner with me? And if we let him, these things will grow.
Speaker 1 00:16:09 Fourthly, these be attitudes. They show how people who are part of the new kingdom, followers of Jesus Christians, how we are different to everyone else. Ooh, I don't like that. I don't wanna be different. I don't wanna stand out. I don't wanna blend in. How can we reach people if we're different? We have to become like from surely Mark, we have to do the things they do. Watch the things they watch, behave the way they behave in order so that we can relate. Surely that's what the church should do. But no, Jesus is saying, if you are in the kingdom, you are different. Yeah. You should stand out. Yeah. You should look different. Behave different. I'm not talking about being weird, I'm talking about being different. There's a distinction. Yes. Sometimes the church has been weird, but it hasn't been different. For the church to stand up, it needs to stand out.
Speaker 1 00:17:08 And the church that capitulates to the process of fitting in with the world to get the applauds of politicians and the applauds of the media is a church that will move towards obscurity and irrelevance. Because Jesus church stands up and stands out. The church is meant to be different. Our greatest desire is to be like Christ Jesus. And the more we become like him, the more the revolution turns the tables over in our heart and the more different we look, come to terms with it. If you follow Jesus, you will be different. Yes. Yes. In your university lecture halls, if people say you're different, say yes because I'm not of this world. I'm from another kingdom. I'm from a new kingdom. Would you like to talk about it sometime? A new kingdom. A new kingdom? What's all that about? Is that what con
Speaker 1 00:18:11 Is this some part of the world I've never met? What kingdom are you talking about? The kingdom of heaven. I'm from the kingdom of God and I'm d. We do things different in the kingdom. Yes. Would you like to talk about my kingdom one exciting conversation that is in your workplace? It's not just that you don't swear. It's not just that you don't take the pens from the office <laugh>. It's not that you, you are always the one that is serving the coffee to everyone is. It's not just those things. But there's something really different about you because you're from another kingdom. A revolution has happened in your heart. The tables have being turned over. Yeah. And if you don't like being different, then maybe the kingdom of God is not for you. Maybe stop fudging it. Stop compromising it. Just stop pretending that you're following Jesus and go and sin like a rotten sinner. Go. Go and live wild. Did I just encourage you to Yeah. Leave Jesus. My real heart and encouragement is to allow the power of the spirit into your life. Yes. That you say I It's been different is what it takes than Jesus. Because I want to be like you. That's what my life will be like. And I believe in the days ahead, the church is gonna increasingly stand out.
Speaker 1 00:19:55 There will be, I'm sure controversies and newspapers and media articles and online comments and there'll be all sorts of things that will come against the churches standing out. And it's okay because we're from another kingdom.
Speaker 2 00:20:15 Yes.
Speaker 1 00:20:17 My source is not this word. My provision is not this world. My provision is my heavenly kingdom that the Lord Jesus has invited me into.
Speaker 1 00:20:28 It's okay. Christians are meant to be different. And finally before we look at this, first of these be attitudes a bit more in depth. You will notice that the first and the last be attitude finish with the same promise, the same reward for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Jesus is confronting us with the bookends that we are from another place. So let's look at the first of these. Blessed are the poor in spirits for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. This is what I'm gonna call a gateway promise, A gateway verse or a doorway.
Speaker 1 00:21:29 It's like if in this room there were all sorts of things that were available and hidden to you to get them, you've got to come into the door. You can't jump to be attitude number two, without walking through. Be attitude gateway. Number one, unless we enter through this doorway, the rest of the be attitudes have no relevance or resonance to our life. This is the opening. This is the way in to all of these promises of happiness and being blessed. Now it says the word poor. And surely every time we use the word poor, it's a negative term, leads us to an understanding of financial poverty or hardship. But Jesus is not addressing poverty in a financial sense here. Jesus is not making a virtue of being poor.
Speaker 1 00:22:45 What he is saying is that we need to be empty before we can be filled. We need to be poured out before he can pour in. The old has to be gone before the new can come. And the gospel offers this wonderful new reality of a new kingdom, of new wine, of new blessing, of new things, of new promises, of happiness, of the kingdom, of heaven, of knowing the love of God's unending compassion and grace. The Bible offers all of this, but before we can receive it, we've got to be emptied. Yes of the things of this world.
Speaker 1 00:23:35 And when we come before the loving gaze of God and the eyes of Jesus stare into our soul and they see everything, his eyes see everything that's in our heart. Like that shark that's been opened up and exposed about what is digested when we find ourselves in his presence, his love bearing down. I can understand the cry of the prophet Isaiah who it said in the year that King Isaiah died, I saw the Lord seated on the throne and the train of his glory fill the temple. And what was his response? It wasn't. Oh brilliant. Welcome God. Nice to see you. It wasn't, oh, we've been waiting for this blessing. This is wonderful. God, thank you for coming and being with us. Now we can really enjoy uh, celebrations of the temple Isaiah in response to experiencing the penetrating eyes of the love of God was this, whoa, I am ruined cuz I'm a man of unclean lips and I live among the people of unclean lips. My eyes have seen the king and this blessed other pouring spirit. That's that Isaiah moment. It's being undone. I've got nothing. Who am I? Whoa.
Speaker 1 00:25:32 We don't encourage you to spend time in prayer because there's some bank in heaven that's keeping credits of how long you spend in prayer or how effective your prayers are in terms of the things you ask for and the answers you get. That's one form of prayer. Maybe inters prayer petitioning and that's good. But we are encouraging us to spend time in the presence of the Lord because here's presence reveals something about our lives and our world. That is the key to stepping into the fullness of all he's got for us. I can't teach this in a seminar. You can't go to a conference to get the happiness of the Lord. You have to walk him through the door to receive it. And the door says, whoa.
Speaker 1 00:26:32 Being poor in spirit is more than just repentance. That repentance, that turning around from the ways of the world and following Jesus. It's more than that. It's more than being emptied of the world. Some people list these be attitudes as like a list to-do list. I must try harder. People have made all sorts of social commentary about how the church can engage in the S of this world by working their way through the be attitudes. I want you to know this is not a list of things you must try harder in. This is a list of things that the spirit wants to do in your life. If only we will step in through the door. It's not a moral crusade. In fact, a famous preacher, Martin Lloyd Jones, he gave this quote about the B attitudes. He said it this way. There is a mountain before you that you have to scale the heights you have to climb. And the first thing that you realize as you look at that mountain, which you are told you must ASC descend, is that you cannot do it. That you are utterly incapable in and of yourself. And that any attempt to do it in your own strength is proof that you have not understood it.
Speaker 1 00:28:04 To be poor in spirit is to completely recognize that I can't step into the fullness of ease by myself. It's completely different. Those who know Christ, this is the stuff of another world. Whatever social institution we are a part of or we live on, there is one thing that's common in most societies and that is an understanding that confidence is a good thing. Having confidence or a belief in yourself is regarded as an important element of getting on in this world. Whether you're trying to close a deal around the business table, whether you're going to see your bank to talk some new financial arrangements, whether you are being interviewed for a job or for a university place. Whether you are standing on the stage in front of Simon Cowell at an X-Factor audition, confidence is understood to be a good thing, to look impressive, to be confident and to stand out as an exceptional person is helpful.
Speaker 1 00:29:24 And this society has some mantras around this. Express yourself. Believe in yourself. Be confident in who you are and what you do. These statements fill the philosophical minds of many people, the world over. Be confident, be self-assured, be self-reliant. And our society believes that by harnessing this confidence that somehow we can create a utopia or a happiness in the world through releasing confident people in education, confident people in healthcare, confident people in politics, confident people in business, that somehow we will be able to create this wonderful utopian experience that everything is gonna be better and better and better. But why is it that hundreds of years after the enlightenment, why is it that even though there have been many technological advances in our society, why is it that we're more educated than we've ever been? Why is it that with knowledge doubling the world year after year, why is it that with gadgets in your home that you would've only dreamt of or you couldn't even dream of 30 years ago? Why is it that the world is less happy? Why? Why are we facing a mental health epidemic in this nation? Why? Why isn't happiness increasing gear on year? Why did we not come to the end of 22 and say, wow, that was the best year yet 2023 is gonna be even better guaranteed. Why does it feel like those stepping into the new year are more stepping into the dark thing? And I hope it's gonna be okay. Why the world's busy trying to find happiness? Why has it not found it? Confidence is not the answer.
Speaker 1 00:31:19 If you confidently and diligently look for happiness in the wrong place, all you will find is misery. Yes. The gateway to happiness starts not with being full of yourself. Yeah, but being full of him. Hall, in order for that to happen, we have to empty ourselves. Now let's come clean. I think many churches have been busy manicuring their confidence, their image, showing how strong they are, showing how confident they are showing what they can do. Are we so full of ourselves and focused on giving off a successful image that we are walking away from happiness and refusing to walk through the gateway door into the work of the Holy Spirit. It's not nice social media posts that will win this city to the Lord. It's not us talking positive and yah, we can do it. It's us being full of the Holy Spirit. That's what changes a nation.
Speaker 1 00:32:41 Amen. And right now, all of us, Jesus comes with a revolution and he turns the tables over in our hearts and he says, now, church now. Now church be filled. Not so that you can speak in tongue, not so that you can prophesy. Not so you can say nice words over people, not so that you can just be a bit bolder to confess your faith to others, but be filled with the spirit because you need to overflow with the revolution of another kingdom. And God says now, now church such a need for this in our nation. There's a need for the church to stop preaching about ourselves and start preaching Christ crucified. To not talk about the great things that we are doing, but talk about the great things he is doing. Halle, let's not applaud ourselves. Let's applaud him. Yes, I I see just a trend of songs that are being written all over the world, worship songs, and so many of them about us. Yes. Come on. So many of them are about what we are gonna do. Come on. We need song res, the right songs about him, who he is, what he's doing. Come on.
Speaker 1 00:34:00 Need to empty ourselves. Yeah. Come into the doorway. To the gateway. Empty ourselves, blessed other poor in spirit. But Jesus' words were focused on our approach to God, not to others. Let me put a disclaimer into some of the things I've just said. Jesus wasn't thinking about your job interview when he said blessed other poor in spirit. He wasn't thinking of you saying in response to the question, what are your strengths? He wasn't expecting you to say, I don't have any
Speaker 3 00:34:33 <laugh>.
Speaker 1 00:34:35 That's not the confidence thing he's addressing here. Humbling ourselves before God is the primary audience of humbling ourselves. It's before him. Jesus is not saying that we need to go around in life telling others how inadequate we are. Come on, Smith need to stop that. Stop saying to other people, oh, I'm not very good. God made you coming through the doorway and find happiness, find joy and get to grips with God saying who you are in Him. Amen. It's time that you kicked out some of that inadequacy, all of that inadequacy. Kick it all out. The enemy is using it to keep you from the purposes of God. Yes. Come on. Being poor in spirit doesn't mean that we should be nervous or dread in interactions or hidden or weak or lacking boldness. It doesn't mean we become self-deprecating. It doesn't mean that we pretend to look humble. Oh, we've you learned for years how to look humble.
Speaker 1 00:35:47 Listen, when God opens up the heart, he sees what's in there. This is about humility before God. Whoa is me. Being poor as spirit doesn't mean to say you hide your talents or despise your personality or pretend to be demure. Let's look at a few people in the Bible to illustrate this. Let's look at someone that guys, guys, guys you love this guy, Peter. Peter, wild Peter, outspoken, bold, Peter, reactive, explosive. Peter is full of personality, strong, aggressive, self-confident. He never ceased to be a bold man, you know throughout his life. But in Luke five eight we read, Peter did something at the feet of Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:36:49 It says this, he fell as Jesus at Jesus' knees and said, go away from me because I'm a sinful man. Lord, go away. I'm sinful. This was Peter's gateway moment. This was his poor in spirit moment. Didn't change his personality, but he was poor in spirit at the same time. Let me look at the apostle Paul. We see a highly gifted, highly intellectual, highly educated man. A man with a great heritage, a great grasp of words and language. A man who had the ability to successfully lead other people. He had a gift in that was wonderful to watch and a power that he stewarded. Well. And in his letter to the Philippians, he states this, that he's talking to a Jewish audience. So he's listened to things that were impressive to them. He said, although I have reason for confidence in the flesh, I'm circumcised on the eighth day of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews regarding the law of Pharisee regarding zeal. I was persecuting the church regarding the righteousness that is in the law. Blameless read that Philippians three, he had a heritage and a position that elevated him above others. I wonder what you might mention or I might mention that elevates us above others. I wonder what stories we tell that try to set us a little bit apart to try to win the respect of the room.
Speaker 1 00:38:31 Paul often used the words in his letters boasting. I would deduce on that, that he seemed to have an emphasis in his life. That fighting against boasting was one of those battles that he was engaging with his pride, that he was regularly making sure that he walked through, that blessed other poor in spirit. And he goes on in verse seven of that same chapter to say, but everything that was gained to me, I've considered it to be a loss because of Christ. Whoa is me fall of the fit of Jesus. Peter didn't know Paul is saying it's like done in comparison to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. And then we see in Jesus as that famous song that Graham Kendrick wrote, talking of the life of Jesus. You laid aside, your majesty, gave up. Everything for me suffered at the hands of those you had created. Jesus, those us on Bible in a year were reading this morning of Jesus, praying the garden of Gethsemane. If it's Lord, if it's possible, take this cup from me. Take this suffering from me, but not my will, but your will be done. Submission, surrender, empty in himself. We read that Jesus only did what the Father asked him to do. He was fully reliant on God.
Speaker 1 00:40:14 Being poor in spirit is a complete absence of pride, a complete absence of reliant on our own inner resources and making space for the work and purpose of the Holy Spirit. If you are really talented, if you are really conscious of lots of gifting you got in your life, this will be hard for you because you can get away with stuff, you can look impressive. But when the Lord opens up the heart, and if you're faking it to make it, happiness will not be the joy that you will know in your life. In fact, you live with a sense of fraudulent imposter syndrome. Happiness happens when we come humbly with empty hands. There is no other way to come. So before we pray together, blessed or happy are the poor in spirit for the kingdom of heaven
Speaker 5 00:41:36 Is theirs. Let's pray together
Speaker 1 00:41:46 In a moment. I'm gonna lead all of us in a prayer that I'm gonna invite our response to. But before I do that, if you are here this morning in this room or watching online, and you have never lowered yourself at the entrance to salvation in your life, to discover the life given power of Jesus, if you've never said yes to Jesus invitation to come to me, to calm all who weary, if you've never accepted that invitation for the forgiveness of sense to receive his love, then this morning please, I becken you do not leave this place without putting that right with God.
Speaker 1 00:42:29 This is what greatest decision that any of us can make in our lives on this world to accept the revolution of Jesus, to step into a new kingdom. And it's all possible because Jesus died on the cross and he offers you grace and forgiveness. So this morning, if you've never received him or if you have gone away from him, I need to return. I'm gonna pray a simple prayer and I'm gonna invite all of us to say this prayer out loud, to encourage those who'll be saying it for the first time. And I invite you to mean this from your heart. So everybody, would you join in on this prayer as I lead us? Here we go. Jesus, I thank you,
Speaker 2 00:43:15 Thank
Speaker 1 00:43:15 You that you gave your life on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven of the mess of my life. And I come before you. I need you. And I ask that you will forgive me. And I ask that you will fill
Speaker 2 00:43:38 Mell.
Speaker 1 00:43:39 And I ask that I will draw close to you and become part of your family. And I want to follow you for the rest of my days. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Fill
Speaker 2 00:43:54 Me with your
Speaker 1 00:43:54 Spirit. In Jesus' name.
Speaker 2 00:43:56 Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:43:57 Just while you remain praying, if you pray that prayer, will you lift your hands where you are. If you pray for the first time or to come back to Jesus when I've seen it, someone will come and bring you a bag. Someone will pray with you. Is there anyone this morning? Just lift your hand where you are. Don't leave this room without making this decision. People who came to Jesus and the scriptures came publicly because it isn't a private matter. Faith is not a private matter. Faith is a declaration against the things of this world. And it's a declaration to eternity. Amen. Is there anyone this morning, if you're online, let the online pastors know that that's you. If you're in the room, just lift your hand. You are. Thank you. Just looking around the room, making sure I'm not missing anybody. Is there anyone, father, I pray if there is anyone wrestling with this, I pray they will resolve it in conversation with somebody after the service. In Jesus' name. Amen. Could you just stand together a moment? How ironic that that ringtone that just came on was, I'm happy <laugh>. There's a prayer that I led our staff team in a couple of weeks ago. That's a PR of humility.
Speaker 1 00:45:15 It's a prayer of acceptance about coming in through the narrow gate. It's a prayer about emptying ourselves and laying hold of Christ. And we're gonna put this on the screen and I'll read line by line. And after every line, I encourage you to say these words, deliver me. Oh Jesus. This could be a reciting of a few words, or it could be some deep heartfelt prayers. I encourage you to make them deep, heartfelt prayers. There's two more pages of these prayers after this. Are you ready for this?
Speaker 2 00:45:49 Yes.
Speaker 1 00:45:52 From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me. Oh Jesus, from the desire of being ext installed, deliver me. Oh Jesus. From the desire of being honored,
Speaker 2 00:46:07 Oh Jesus,
Speaker 1 00:46:08 From the desire of being praised
Speaker 2 00:46:11 Deliver me Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:46:14 From the desire of being preferred to others,
Speaker 2 00:46:18 Me, oh Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:46:19 From the desire of being consulted
Speaker 2 00:46:24 Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:46:25 From the desire of being approved
Speaker 2 00:46:28 Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:46:30 And the next page is a list of fears. And the same response deliver me, oh Jesus, from the fear of being humiliated
Speaker 2 00:46:44 Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:46:46 From the fear of being despised,
Speaker 2 00:46:50 Oh Jesus,
Speaker 1 00:46:51 From the fear of suffering. Rebukes
Speaker 2 00:46:55 Oh Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:46:57 From the fear of being smeared
Speaker 2 00:47:00 Of Jesus,
Speaker 1 00:47:02 From the fear of being forgotten
Speaker 2 00:47:06 Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:47:07 From the fear of being ridiculed
Speaker 2 00:47:11 On Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:47:12 From the fear of being wronged
Speaker 2 00:47:15 Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:47:16 From the fear of being suspected
Speaker 2 00:47:20 Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:47:23 And now on the final page, there's a new response and the response is this, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. If you can respond after each line with those words, if you mean it, that I might desire to love others more than desire in being loved by others.
Speaker 2 00:47:46 Jesus, grant me the grace
Speaker 1 00:47:51 That I will celebrate when others are esteemed more than me.
Speaker 2 00:47:55 Jesus. To
Speaker 1 00:47:59 That Jesus longing for my life will become my longing.
Speaker 2 00:48:03 Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:48:06 That I would celebrate when others get opportunities,
Speaker 2 00:48:09 Jesus,
Speaker 1 00:48:12 That I may notice and praise others and be content to go unnoticed
Speaker 2 00:48:17 Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:48:21 That the pursuit of my life will be to become like Jesus.
Speaker 2 00:48:26 Jesus.
Speaker 1 00:48:29 Just close your eyes a moment. Holy Spirit, help us. Fill us. Come and search our hearts. Turn the tables over. May the revolution begin in us, we pray. And this week, as we think some of those moments, we're gonna begin some of those workplace environments, some of those family predicaments. And particularly as we think of those moments when we are not on our best behavior, tiredness is kicked in. Stress is kicked in. Lord, help us to come running to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.
