Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:04 Uh, we're in for a treat this morning. Friends, we are in for a treat. We've got two speakers in this service and two speakers in the next service, uh, and really excited in this service. Nine 30 you guys, uh, have got the wonderful Jason Ham who's gonna be coming, communicating God's word at a moment, and also Mary Embleton as well, who's gonna be coming, sharing God's word. Uh, gonna be really good. Gonna pray and then I'm gonna invite Jason up. In fact, Jason, come on up. Let's welcome him Now come on, we love Jason. Jason, I pray for you. Is that okay? Let's pray. Would you stretch out your hands to Jason Church, if that's okay. Father, thank you for this amazing man of God, thank you for his heart, for the church and for the people of God. Thank you for what he brings and does for this church.
Speaker 1 00:00:45 And, uh, Lord believing, uh, in faith that you have a message that you want to deliver through him this morning. So I pray you anoint his words and his mind. I praise in step with the Holy Spirit. I pray, Lord, these senses all that you're wanting to say, thank you for his preparation and his time in listening to you and being obedient to declare that which you are wanting to say, praises an easy space and Holy Spirit invite you into this room to come and, uh, have authority over all things. Over all things. Bless him abundantly. Lord, we are so thankful for him. We love him and Lord, so do you. So come now and speak to us through him. We pray this in your powerful name. Amen. Amen.
Speaker 2 00:01:24 Fantastic rock and roll. How is everyone doing? You well? Yeah. Come on. Look at, that's a good answer. If you said no, that would be awkward. That's good. That's good, <laugh>. Well, and as we entered the beginning of 2023, I don't know if there was a word or verse God had given to you. For me it was the word compassion. And it's been so powerful to see that word play out across this year so far. In fact, a couple of months ago we sent out a church email, and you might remember this one, to say that a hotel had opened here in Exor, here in this city to say that about 120 asylum seekers who were young men had arrived. These young men had come from all across the country in boats across the sea, and with the most awful and dangerous conditions. They were escaping persecution and other awful, awful situations.
Speaker 2 00:02:20 Now, we were contacted by a local agency here in the city working with the young men to say, can this church rediscover church help out the guys with some urgent needs? And one of which was, uh, with one of which was Winter coats to survive our cold British climate. Now, we sent out this email asking for your help. And as a church you were know less than extraordinary with the amazing of level of donations, of coats you brought in and provided. And we've got a picture of here, some of the coat coats, uh, that we gave over to the agency. In fact, the agency came in as is no exaggeration of they were, they went, wow. Absolutely. Wow. Completely amazed by your generosity as a church and the compassion that you've shown, but the story doesn't end there. In fact, about a month ago, another hotel opened in the city, housen this time, 317.
Speaker 2 00:03:16 Not young men but families. And once again, we asked for your help. And once again, you brought in so many donations. Even families in our weekly playgroup here in the church brought in baby clothes and toys to pass on to seven ladies who were pregnant in the hotel. I stand here today to pass on the biggest ever thank you from the agency and all the asylum seekers in that hotel, in those two hotels for your incredible compassion and generosity, how wonderful it is that those individuals in those two hotels could taste and see the incredible, extravagant, compassionate heart of God. Another example for you, two weeks ago, yes, two weeks ago, uh, several uh, of us were in the church office and we had someone knock at the church door and there was a lady there, she explained to me at Christmas just gone by, she received one of our Christmas hampers that so many of you donated towards and helped pack.
Speaker 2 00:04:17 And she wanted to say thank you so much to the church. She explained to me that the food provided in those hampers was an absolute lifeline. In fact, without it, she didn't know how she could get through the Christmas period as finances were so difficult. But she also couldn't believe that frankly, a stranger, the US could show her such kindness and compassion. Well done church should be in the hands and feet of Jesus. The thing is, the more and more I've journeyed in life, the more I've come to realize there is so much needs in our community. Exeter Devon the Southwest desperately needs to know the compassionate Jesus, a loving God who furiously loves them. But what does it mean for us as a church? Interestingly, Jesus himself was born in a stable, meek and mild as a baby, but the Jesus I know also turned over tables calling out injustice because ultimately he had compassion for his people.
Speaker 2 00:05:20 If we're going to bring Jesus values to our community and be radically compassionate, as well as giving out donations, coats, food, or anything such as that, and as good as those things are and things we will very much continue to do as a church, we need to be a radically compassionate people. I like to show on screen a graph from Exeter Food Bank. This graph shows each year there have been more and more increased need on its services. The slight dip in 2021, oh we God this way in 2021 was when things went back to normal after Covid. This year the food bank are reporting record number of people using its services. In fact, if things go on as they are over 13 and a half thousand clients, people across Exeter across this city will use a food bank this year that's compared to around five 5,000 in 2017.
Speaker 2 00:06:19 That is 160% increase in people using the food bank across Exeter. Crazy, crazy numbers. Now, I stand here today and I'm saying this, this is not acceptable. Now we're not getting into a debate about which political party has created these issues, but clearly there have been some decisions made at some point which have contributed to this trend, but we cannot let it continue. If we are to truly reveal the radical compassionate heart of Jesus, the answer cannot be just setting up food banks or build in bigger premises as I know they're doing locally at the food bank in Bridgewater. But we need to be a church that moves. I've got a a quote here from uh, Alan Scott and he says in his book, scattered Servants, our ministry isn't to support church. Our ministry is to shape culture. We need a church who brings the values of Jesus and his compassion into culture.
Speaker 2 00:07:22 Now that means even in this room, there is a need for new Christian counselors, politicians, decision makers, and people with influence to rise up and bring the heart of Jesus and his compassion into key decisions for this region and country. And if you are thinking, that's for not for me, and I'm guessing that might be a number of you here, no way, that's not for me. Well, we can bring Jesus' values into culture in different ways. Vincent, just a few weeks ago, as you might remember, we shared about the Y M C A and about proposals to cut funding into its services. I know many of you in this room have written to counselors to share this proposal is simply not right. And thank you for helping in that way. If we are to be a truly radical, compassionate church to identify a problem or area of need is just the star.
Speaker 2 00:08:16 It needs a response to say that not on our watch. Will people in our community go hungry and live their lives on food handouts to say that not on our watch will people in our community go home to a cold house because they simply cannot afford the heat and builds to say that not on our watch will people live lives differently to Jesus' best for them. But let's be real. It's not always easy to identify the best ways we can help people who've been following the news of Ukraine on your television, the situation is truly, truly awful. As we watch television, we can feel well helpless. A country that is 1,770 miles away from here in this city. It's not easy to go out there to Ukraine, offer food or practical help. But do you know what I believe as Jesus people is we believe in the power of prayer.
Speaker 2 00:09:14 And as I see the news of Ukraine coming out of the television, I'm praying this God let your kingdom come. Your will be done. As the people of Ukraine are filled with fear and worry if their house will will be misled. Next, I'm praying, God, let your kingdom come. Your will be done for Putin as he's in that war room making decisions. However crazy it sounds. I'm praying, God, let your kingdom come, your will be done. A church that moves is a church in prayer. To be a radically compassionate church is one that looks around to this city, region, and world. And with open eyes, praise to God, he will do mightily and abundantly more than we can ask or imagine. But it doesn't have to stop there as Jesus followers with the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We are carriers of God's compassion wherever we go and whoever we talk to.
Speaker 2 00:10:14 That means as you stand at the door of your workplace, it means you pray just before you walk in and begin your day, God let your kingdom come, your will be done. And as you listen to people throughout the day, you bring his compassion and hope into people's lives. A bit of an example for me in the last few months, I've known of so many married couples who have lost babies. A truly devastating and awful thing to happen. And as I've talked to these couples, if I'm honest, I feel so underqualified in what to say. I've never experienced a situation myself and I'm worried I'll say the wrong thing or in some way just don't understand the situation and completely miss the mark. But what I've done is this, I've drawn on Jesus' compassion and hope to reach out and bring comfort given space for his words to speak through me, to help others through such a difficult time.
Speaker 2 00:11:15 You see, our lives are busy, our workplaces are busy, we have things to do, but Jesus wants to work in and through you to bring his compassion to others. He just needs your availability. Come on now. After you go out the service today, you might think it's business as usual for the week. You know what's happening. You, the whole diary is planned to the second. But if you are open to it, God will speak to you. Words of compassion to speak out to people. You see the formation of our words and actions is based on this. God himself is so compassionate. His compassion for us is so wide and so deep more than anything we can imagine. He knows you and he loves you so, so much. And he wants to show you his compassion through the big and the small things in life. Whether that's something like a driving test, you keep doing the test, but each time you fail and inside you feel such a failure.
Speaker 2 00:12:23 The good news today is this, he is your biggest cheerleader and you are not a failure. He smiles down on you today. A he's saying this, I am with you and I'm so proud of you. Or perhaps as the cycle of sin or pattern of behavior in your life, you just can't escape from. Well today, Jesus metaphorically gives you new clothes to put on the past is a heart is the pastor. He says this, he's so excited to journey alongside you for a preferred future that is gonna be so good. We all need Jesus' compassion. This city, this region, this world needs Jesus' compassion. May we be a radically compassionate church. Let's pray. Father God, we over this last few minutes, there's uh, identified so many areas of need. So many areas where there's um, there's broken things in this world. There's not a view God, there's so many broken things and are people who are in such sin. They're in cycles of life, um, that are truly broken, truly, truly difficult. But we pray for a radical outpouring of your compassion on this city, on this region, on this world. God, we need you. We desperately need you. Help us. We give you our availability. We say speak your words through us to reveal your compassion to others. Father God, thank you for who you are. Thank you for your love. We ask this in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen.
Speaker 1 00:14:07 Thank you Jason. What an amazing word. Thank you so much Jason. What does that look like for you? Um, this week? Just before we invite Mary up, just close your eyes for a moment and just think and maybe ask God, God, how can I be a compassionate person this week? How can I be doer of your word? What do you want me to do? What decision do you want me to make? What do you want me to put into practice? Holy Spirit, we ask reveal to our hearts now practical, practical ways of obedience for this week. Radically compassionate people, radically compassionate church helpers. Lord, we pray this in your powerful name. Amen. Amen. Well, we're in for a treat as we continue. Why don't we welcome up, uh, Mary Hamilton to the stage as she shares God's work.
Speaker 4 00:15:09 You look so beautiful for up here. I never see you from up here, <laugh>. So several years ago I went on a mission trip to the Sahara. Well, it wasn't exactly the Sahara, it was the Sahara. It's that strip at the southern part of the, the Sahara, which, um, it's like a scrubby desert with scrub with small trees. And if you haven't ever been to the desert, I know some of you have. Um, it's so hot. The sun is beating down on you and you're dripping with sweat. And when you breathe in, it's like when you open the oven and sneak in what you're cooking and that the air hits you and you almost like it burns your lungs. Well, one of my favorite memories from that trip was I went on a Jeep trip, uh, across the wilderness. Um, and it was a really bumpy road when we went over the bumps and the rocks and the stones and up and down the ravines.
Speaker 4 00:16:08 And I was standing on the back of a jeep and I was hanging onto the grab rail, um, because there's no health and safety laws in Burkina Faso, which I really rather like actually. Um, so I was going along and the hair, the wind was in my hair like a massive, uh, hair dryer. And, um, out of ex ridiculously small huts came entire families to wave at us. And at the end of it, I was covered in our orange dirt and sand. And because I was living in a hut, I had half a bucket of water in a wooden scoop to wash in. So dial back 9,000 years. And there was a man called Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet. He was a sage, an oracle, a poet. And he spoke to the Israelites and he lived in a really similar desert. And he felt the sun coming down on him and he was probably sweating and he probably had half a bucket of water and a scoop to wash in.
Speaker 4 00:17:10 You see, the Israelites were being governed by the cruel Assyrians and Isaiah spoke about comfort and judgment, suffering and hope. And he told them how God would come and save them. But more than that, he said how God's in Jesus would come and save us all. So for many pages he wrote about God's judgment on Israel. He wrote about the wilderness of their disobedience, both physical and spiritual. But then there's a plot twist. You see the book of Isaiah likes to surprise us. Have you noticed the book of Isaiah likes to surprise us with hope. So Isaiah 35, you can read this or perhaps you wanna close your eyes and imagine even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days the wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocus. Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy. The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plane of Sharon.
Speaker 4 00:18:35 There the Lord will display his glory, the splendor of our God with this news, strengthen those who have tired hands and encourage those who have weak knees say to those with fearful hearts, be strong and do not fear for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you. You can open your eyes if you close them. This is a superlo. This is an extravaganza of flowers. And I think this passage just makes us wanna just stop and look at the beauty of God because the, I dunno if you've ever noticed the wilderness is a big part of the Bible, isn't it? It's a big part of our lives too. It's a big part of the Bible. So the wilderness doesn't just have on a war on part, it doesn't have an extra part. Actually the wilderness could get an Oscar for best supporting actor. Think of your favorite ire actor, maybe Daniel Craig or whichever one you fancy. Really not fancy, fancy, obviously <laugh> <laugh>.
Speaker 4 00:19:45 So the wilderness is a place of provision formation where you find your identity and a place of wisdom. If you notice, lots of people got their calling and their identity and the wilderness. Abraham was called. Moses was called at the burning bush. And Jacob Bruss with his angel. And outta a place of mundane dry ground comes a place of restoration. But this is the paradox that you have to go there in order to experience it. Can I have my blossom slide? There we go. So the thing with cherry blossom is you don't have to have a lot of faith that it's gonna come, it always comes every year. It's coming right now. And the RHS says it's gonna be the best year for Terry Blossom for many, many years.
Speaker 4 00:20:44 And near my house are my cherry bottom trees that I've walked past for 20 years. And in my all my wilderness seasons, I walk past my cherry bleach trees and I know they are going to blossom. So through all my years of infertility, when I wept like Hannah, for a baby, see the dry ground rejoices and I suffer with depression. Some people call depression the black dog. But in my time with depression, I walk past because the wilderness keeps on rejoicing and being glad always. Some people call depression the black dog. And sometimes it's just distant in the distance, just howling on a hill. And sometimes it's snapping up my heels and sometimes rather awkwardly it's sitting on my chest cuz it's not a small dog and it's a male dog cuz I always have male dogs for some reason.
Speaker 4 00:21:50 And as I am witness to the extraordinary pain of my patients, if you don't know, I'm a doctor and I work with homeless people, um, ADI addicts, refugees, asylum seekers, traffic people, et cetera. It's a really, really hard job. As I am witness to an almost unbearable amount of trauma, he strengthens my weak cans and my weak knees. I see the splendor of my God and he comes to save me. He comes to save me. He comes to save you. Isn't that good news? It's such good news. And the thing is, the wilderness always blossoms for all those years before David Attenborough got there with his cameras. It's been blossoming for all those millennia. And I wonder where for you, your hands are weak, your knees are weak, and you can't see the presence of God. Maybe your wilderness is just not knowing what you're gonna do with your life.
Speaker 4 00:22:58 What comes next? Your wilderness may be chronic pain, chronic illness. Your wilderness may be relationship difficulties in your family. Your wilderness may be loneliness or bereavement. And maybe your loneliness is just the sheer, everyday mundane boredom of life, a life without wonder, beauty, and enchantment. We should never lose our wonder. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a famous poet and she said this, the earth is crammed with heaven and every common bush, a fire with God, yet only he who sees takes off his shoes. There's this little book, it's called Letters by a modern mystic, by a guy called Frank Loach. He was in his wilderness. He was, this is written about a hundred, a hundred years ago. And he was in his wilderness. He was all on his own in the Philippines being a missionary. He wrote these letters back to his dad.
Speaker 4 00:24:12 And in his aloneness, what he decided to do was to start to look for God in every moment, in everything and every person in every single moment of his life. He said, this worries have faded away like ugly clouds. And my soul rests in the sunshine of perpetual peace. And it's been many years since I've been trying to live like Frank Laak and I'm definitely getting there. So the wilderness can be a place of grace and generosity, a place where we can feed on the bread of heaven. And the the wilderness is our teacher is such a mystery. The gospel is full of mystery. And we have to go to the wilderness in order for the life of Christ to make a radical impact on our life.
Speaker 4 00:25:07 The desert mothers and fathers went there a millennia ago and they lived in caves and they learnt of God in the desert and paradoxes of the gospel are that it's about joy and it's about suffering. It's about being filled and yet being satisfied about losing ourselves to find ourselves, finding strength in weakness, the now and the not yet being thirsty and wanting more and being satisfied and, and finding joy in the wilderness. Finding joy in the wilderness and understanding that God's plan when we are in the wilderness, he's just as much there as when he's in the good times. In that we can find a divine refuge. We can find incredible hope. I wasn't gonna say this, but after what Nita said about, I had a really similar, a similar picture of, you know, some of you just feel like you're, you are just, um, beached.
Speaker 4 00:26:23 You're beached and you're stuck. But take heart cause the waters are rising to lift you up again. They are coming, he is coming, he is coming to save you. And in those wilderness seasons, whether you are in one now or in the future, look to heaven, to the God who comes to save you and dig deep in the word for those treasures which will satisfy you the bread, which is the Word of God. Because choosing joy in those seasons is an extraordinary thing we can do because it costs us, it costs us to choose joy. And what I pray for you as you are bumping over your dry land, your wilderness, your stones and your rocks, and up and down your ravines, and you are hanging onto your grab bar, that you could feel the wind of heaven in your faces and you could find joy in your hearts. Okay?
Speaker 5 00:27:28 Amen. Amen.
Speaker 7 00:27:34 Pray.
Speaker 1 00:27:36 Pray
Speaker 4 00:27:37 For everyone. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:27:38 Church, would you stand as we come towards the end of our service, can ask, uh, Mary, just to pray for us, I dunno where you find yourself in your season, what situation you are in, um, but the, the waters are rising. That message that was given there at the end is a, a prophetic prayer. I believe for us as a church and what God is doing. And just wonder whether we find ourselves in a wilderness season individually or whether we don't. We all need the live in waters of Jesus to rise in our lives this week. Hey. Amen. Amen. Mary, would you pray for us that that will take place? If that's
Speaker 4 00:28:08 Okay. Amen. Amen. Lord, thank you that you come and you strengthen our feeble hands and you strengthen our weakness. And Lord, you are coming because you are full of splendor and we look to you, you are so splendid, <laugh>, and Lord, thank you that you are coming to save us Lord. Um, thank you that you promise that you are coming to lift us up. And tonight, today we lift our eyes to heaven and say thank you Lord, that you are moving us along. Thank you for a new season. Thank you for your rivers of living water in the wilderness. Lord, thank you for the highway of holiness that we can walk towards the good things that you have for us. In Jesus' name,
Speaker 1 00:28:56 Amen. Amen. Can we show our love to Bob, Jason, our Mary this morning? We've served us so well. Thank you so much. Hey, we're in for a treat this morning. We've got two speakers come on. Uh, the wonderful Linda and the wonderful tifa is gonna be preaching God's word to us, uh, for 10 minutes each in a moment, uh, which is gonna be brilliant. Can we welcome Linda? I'm gonna pray for her, but let's welcome her up to the stage as she comes up.
Speaker 1 00:29:27 Can you stretch out your hands if that's okay? Church, let's pray for, for Lynn. Father, thank you so much for the wonderful grace, uh, that is so clearly on this woman of God's life. And thank you Lord for how she has ministered to us previously. This isn't her, uh, first time. She's been doing it for many, many weeks and many months. And, uh, as she steps into what will feel like a different role of preaching God's word, uh, for us to the next, uh, 10 minutes, I pray there will be a real clarity. I pray there will be a real peace. And I pray for that anointing of God that rests on our life to come forth, to proclaim the word of God to us as a church. Lord, I'm looking forward to hearing and learning for all that you wanna say into my life. And I pray and echo that prayer to us as a church. May the word of God be declared, be spoken, and may be manifested into our lives in actions this week. Pray for a easiness on Lynn. Lift off any anxiety and replace it with confidence and boldness as the word of God goes forth. We pray this in your powerful name. Amen. Amen. Amen.
Speaker 8 00:30:35 Amen. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Wow. Thank you so much. What a privilege. What a privilege. I, I get to see you quite often when I'm up here singing, but what a privilege to talk today. Thank you so much. So if you've got your Bibles with you, uh, we're gonna look at Genesis 22. I think it may come up on the screen, but some of us like to look at our, uh, our own bibles. So Genesis 22, I'm just gonna read it to you sometime later. God tested Abraham. He said to him, Abraham, here I am. He replied. Then God said, take your son, your only son whom you love Isaac, and go to the region of Mariah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain. I will show you early the next morning, Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac, when he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
Speaker 8 00:31:42 On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you. Abraham took the wood for the bent offering and placed it on his son Isaac. And he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father, Abraham father, yes, my son Abraham replied, the fire and the wood are here. Isaac said, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham answered, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering. My son. And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out from heaven. Abraham, Abraham, here I am, he replied, do not lay a hand on the boy. He said, do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me, your son, your only son,
Speaker 8 00:33:06 Lord bless these words. May they come from you, bless our hearts and our ears that we may hear what you have to say. So today we look at the account of Abraham and Isaac. Isaac is the long awaited son of Abraham and Sarah, a miracle child. Abraham was a hundred years old and Sarah was 90 when Isaac was born, a son promised and miraculously given. So here we are years on, and this is a story of a mountain Mount Mariah, a mountain of great cost, harder, tougher, and steeper than many mountains mentioned in climbing history, harder than maybe Mount Everest, Mount and Kilimanjaro. You know, I re <laugh>, I regretted putting that in. As soon as I
Speaker 9 00:34:02 Looked at it, I was like
Speaker 8 00:34:05 That mountain. You know the one why you ask. I don't think I've even heard of Mount Mariah. It can't be that great
Speaker 9 00:34:15 <laugh>,
Speaker 8 00:34:16 But it's because of Mount Mariah. It's what it represents. The highest possible surrender and sacrifice for one of the climbers in this story today. So let's just look at it now. Let's look at verse one. Sometime later, God tested Abraham. He said to him, Abraham, here I am. He replied. So God speaks to Abraham by name, the intimacy of God calling Abraham by name. An Abraham's response of, here I am, pure intimacy and beautiful surrender. Next we see God using almost cinematic tension to describe his resp request. He says, take your son, your only son whom you love Isaac, and go to the Mount Mount, uh, Mariah. But I think Abraham probably knew who was talking about. So I wonder why God was saying it this way. I wonder if God was trying to make a point just under underlying underlining what he was asking. And there was no argument from Abraham that I can see. Not even a sigh. No, no pleading, no, that's not fair. Or you promised him to me. We read none of this.
Speaker 8 00:35:30 Just here I am. In fact, what we read, the next verse in verse three is that Abraham is up early the next day. It's almost like he's really keen to do this. He gets prepared, takes a couple of the servants and son Isaac and off they go on this very long hard climb. And on the third day of this hike, Abraham says two amazing things. He says to his servants in verse five, stay here with the donkeys while I and the boy go over there and we will worship and we will come back to you. So there are two things in this sentence that jump out to me. Abraham saw the sacrifice of his son, his only son, Isaac, whom he loved as a part of devotion and of worship to God. The second was that he believed God would simply raise Isaac back to life.
Speaker 8 00:36:24 Such was his faith in God's promise. What a test this was proving to be, even though Abraham had no idea this was a test. In Hebrews 11 verses 17 to 19, it says by faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice his one and only son. Even though God had said to him, it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead. Such faith sacrifice and surrender. And there was a thought that came to me as scripture that we know really well the one in Samuel two Samuel 24 24, where it says, I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God, burnt offerings that cost me nothing. But I felt that there was more, there was more than sacrifice in this story.
Speaker 8 00:37:18 This would cost Abraham absolutely everything his promised son, the future generations that God had spoke of. He talked about the the stars in the sky and the the grains of sand. This was everything that he was gonna give up and what humility to say that this was considered worship. And what faith he had to say that he and his son would return to the servants still, they went on, Isaac was bound. Abraham raises the knife and God intervenes. The new living translation says it like this. At that moment, the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven. Abraham. Abraham, yes, Abraham replied, here I am. Here I am. The same as he responded at the beginning of this story, the same response, consistently trusting full of surrender. Don't lay a hand on the boy. The angel said, do not hurt him in any way. For now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me, even your son, your only son. The question I felt that God was asking me, and the question I believe is for all of us today is less about sacrifice actually, but more about surrender.
Speaker 8 00:38:44 The Lord knew Abraham was in awe of him because he did not withhold the most precious of things from God. His only son, the Son of promise. I wonder, and I've wondered myself, if God is less interested in our offers, in our bartering, in our attempts to control than we actually think he is. If he's not Lord of all, is he Lord at all?
Speaker 8 00:39:18 Does what we hold onto have more lordship than Jesus in our lives? Our sacrifice is given from white knuckled, clenched hands that he prizes the fingers. What does that actually mean? What are we holding onto? What past trials do we still allow to affect us past insecurities that we bring into our today? What promises do we clinging to or the while ignoring the one who gave the promise in the first place. What ministries, what positions hold more weight than seeking the very presence of God? What future dreams? What future aspirations? What longings do you have that you are holding onto? What am I holding onto?
Speaker 8 00:40:10 What are we holding back? Withholding nothing. That's what it says. Withholding nothing. Just as I'm coming to a close, Matthew one, verse two, and then Matthew one, verse 16 just carries on this story. Isn't it amazing how things in the Old Testament bridge over to the New Testament? And this was just so awesome to me. It's one of those he bega and they be began. Lots of be gatting went on. Uh, anyway, verse two, it says, Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of. And so it goes on and it goes on till verse 16 and it says, Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. And Mary gave birth to Jesus called the Messiah. Abraham surrendered that which was most precious to to God. He withheld nothing. And through that surrender, we see the Messiah come to earth to save mankind.
Speaker 8 00:41:15 I wonder like me, do you want to see your street saved? Do you wanna see your workplace? Do you wanna see the presence of Christ birthed in those things? Then it calls for us to have full surrender, just like Abraham, that promise was fulfilled, the stars in the sky and the grains of sand because of full surrender, worship and wonder, sacrifice and surrender as we withhold nothing and give it all to the Lord. I wonder what seed of Christ's presence will be birthed in our workplaces, our families, our streets, and our homes. My prayer is that when God calls our name today like he did with Abraham, that we will say, here I am and that we will worship our Lord Savior Jesus Christ withholding nothing. Amen.
Speaker 1 00:42:18 Amazing. Could you pray for us? Is that okay? Yeah.
Speaker 8 00:42:24 Yeah. Oh, father God. Lord, it's so easy to say. And yet you know what, Lord? When we are in your presence, when we get our focus on you, it's also easy to do. Lord. We give everything to you, Lord, that is my prayer, that we will surrender everything and hold back Nothing, Lord, in this moment, Lord, speak to our hearts as you call our name should call my name Lynn, as you say, Shawn, Anita, Jane, John, Fred, Richard, as you're calling our name this morning, may we say, here I am. Take it all. Lord, take every single thing, it's yours. Amen.
Speaker 1 00:43:09 Amen. Let's show some love to Lynn this morning. Thank you so much. Amazing. And keep our applause going as we invite, uh, taffy up to the stage to far to come from him
Speaker 1 00:43:21 In the young adults and students. We call this man the bishop, uh, the bishop. He carries such a grace and authority and I'm excited to sit under, uh, God's word. Can we pray you tough before I hand over to you? Would you stretch out your hands once again? Father, thank you so much for this man of God. Thank you for the blessing He has been to my life personally. Um, thank you Father for how you have, uh, used him in his time here as a student to impact so many people's lives. And Father, I pray this morning that there'll be a clarity and an anointing that is rested on his life to proclaim the message you have deposited in him, to come forth to bear fruit in our hearts and our lives. As a church father, I pray for a great peace, but also a wholly expectancy in his heart for all that you wanna declare in and through him this morning. Father, for us as a church right now, I pray you will soften our hearts, open our ears to be able to receive that which the spirit of the Lord says to the church this morning. We invite your presence, holy Spirit, to continue all that you already have said through Lynn. And may the message continue through what you have prepared in Taffy. We welcome you Lord. We welcome your word. We welcome your spirit. We pray this in your powerful name. Amen.
Speaker 11 00:44:44 Thank you. Good afternoon. <unk> Uh, can you do me a favor, if that's okay? Um, I just wanna honor the, the shepherd of this house. Can you just put your hands together for Pastor Mark? Can I just do that? Come on, come on. Ki you can do better than that. Come on, come on, come on. Show some love to your pastor.
Speaker 11 00:45:14 Incredible. Incredible. It's important. It's important to recognize people that God has placed, you know, midst, uh, to be shepherd of our souls. And if you're a leader in this church, I want to honor you. Uh, I wanna honor my big brother Sean. Uh, I wanna honor dance. I believe he is watching, but I wanna honor you and every person in leadership role, I wanna honor you. Uh, you serving is not in vain. There's a crown waiting for you in glory. Uh, open your bibles with me to the book of First Samuel chapter number one. Uh, first Samuel chapter number one. Uh, we are gonna be moving swiftly. Uh, we're gonna be moving swiftly. Uh, there is an invitation church to not just cast your burdens on the Lord <laugh>. The purpose is that cast burdens unto the Lord for he cares for you. Uh, but can I just say this morning that there are dimensions to how we relate to God.
Speaker 11 00:46:13 There are dimensions to how we relate to God and how we communicate to him. Paul says that we are called liberals with Christ and therefore onk, we implore you, be reconciled unto to God. Catch the phrase, call labors with God. There is an invitation this afternoon church to not just cast your parents unto the Lord, but to take upon yourself his parents. I believe we're graduating from a Rome where prayer, and if you want, the title of my message in the next 10 minutes is gonna be, it's an invitation to bear the burdens of the Lord. That's the topic, the title of the message that we're gonna go with an invitation to bear to carry the burdens of the Lord. First Samuel chapter number one, we are gonna move swiftly. Like I said, we come across the woman, Hannah, uh, Hannah is married, uh, to, to a man, um, by the name of Okana.
Speaker 11 00:47:08 And you got two wives there. You got a two wife situation going on there where there's Hannah on one side, there's Panina on one side, and the scripture says that pen on one hand the children, but Hannah, none. Uh, and guess what happened with Hannah in verse five It says that, uh, but to Hannah, uh, he would give a double portion, but he cause he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. Can I just say to you this morning that some of the things you're going through in your life, some of the challenges you are going through in your life right now, it is not because the devil is up to you. Some of the challenges you're facing in your life at the moment is because God has got something to do with you. Just because a door is closed in front of you does not mean it's always the death of fighting against you.
Speaker 11 00:47:50 Sometimes God has to take certain steps so that your knocking can be desperate. Knocking. Ah, church, do not miss this part. Do not miss this passage. Verse five says, that had no children because the Lord closed <unk> Verse six says that arrival <unk> I don't know how you pronounce it. And can I warn you that I was born in Zimbabwe, so you're gonna get the thickest Zimbabwe accent you can ever get if you ever, if you've never heard one, uh, then pen nine, I would provoke her severely miserable because the Lord crossed the womb. Uh, so it was the year by year she went out to the house with the Lord and she provoked her. Therefore she wept and did not eat. Invitation to carry, uh, the Lord's bed. And let, let's look at this. Hannah is in a place where she's desperate for a child.
Speaker 11 00:48:41 She's desperate for a boy. All this years she's waiting for a child year after year and the Lord has closed the whoop. Ah, is it because it was impossible for God to give a child? No. You see church bearing the burdens of God in a place of prayer, or shall I say the invitation to carry the burdens of the Lord in a place of prayer, uh, is saying to God, your kingdom come, your will be done. Uh, I believe church that sometimes we, especially in the Western church, we can get in this cycle where we have our own agenda on this one side and you say, God, this is our agenda and this is how we're gonna come and fit in our agenda. This is where you're gonna take your seat and feet in our agenda and fulfill our agenda. But an invitation from God this morning for you and me to is to come into the place of prayer and inner session and say, God, what are you up to? And how do I fit into what you are up to?
Speaker 11 00:49:46 Oh, I believe God is calling his church to step up his inner. I believe God is calling his church to, to, to move from a real where we are asking for a child because God wants to give you more than a child. Uh, because God is not so much interested in our strategies and self-reliance, which um, is about me, myself, and I. Uh, but God wants to bring something that is got his name on it. He wants to bring something, he wants to enter the prayers with something. That's what revival and then awakening written all over it.
Speaker 11 00:50:22 Because lemme just challenge you and ask you this, that if God was to under of the prayers you've been praying lately, would they change just you, yourself and you <laugh>? Or are they gonna shift a region? Are they gonna shift a nation? Come on. Because the Bible says that Elijah was a man like us, yet he prayed heavenly, honestly. And for three and a half years there was no water. He was a man who was carrying the burdens of the Lord. In this story, we see that we are in a place when Israel needs a righteous judge. It needs a revivalist to return people unto God. And so what God gonna, what God is gonna give to Hannah is something that's more than just a child because penny our children, but we don't hear anything about pens. Children, she had plenty of them, but we don't, we don't hear anything of them at the moment.
Speaker 11 00:51:15 Hannah was still in a place where she's saying, if I can only get a child where she was in a place of casting a burdens unto Lord, and there's nothing wrong with that, but can I just say there's a court to maturity this morning church, and I'm talking to some of, you've been working with the Lord for a long time. There's a core to graduate from a place where you are looking to God like a little child, where you're concerned about you, yourself and you to a place where you're saying, God, what are you up to? What should I be praying for? And for the young people of my generation, this is a core unto, unto you as well that it is not just about you, yourself and you. It, it's time to lift up your eyes and say, God, what shall I pray for?
Speaker 11 00:51:55 What are you up to and how do I fit? How do I fit in? So we see as we move on swiftly with the scripture that <inaudible> some point, I believe she caught an eye of the Lord. She caught something, uh, of the Lord because your prayer will shift from just wanting a son and their prayer changes <laugh>. Ah, you see, if you move to verse number 11, it says that actually verse she said, and she was in bitterness of soul and pray to the Lord and wept in anguish, oh, that the Lord will send this spirit of grace and application upon his church. Oh, that will be tears of men and women, young men and women of four generations who cry in tears. Not because something that's going on in our life is bothering, but because we have shifted a different dimension where the things that bother him bother me, where I grieve.
Speaker 11 00:52:48 I grieve because of the things that are grieving him. Where my desires, where his desires become my desires. Uh, my plan for my life is his plan for my life. I look into what he has, I look into what he's trying to do. So invest. Then she says that, uh, invest 11. She made a vow and said, all Lord of host, if you indeed look uh, on the affliction of your May 7th and remember me and forget, uh, not your your May 7th, uh, but I will give but will give you May seven Emil child, then I'll give him to the Lord, uh, all the days of his life. No razor shall come upon his head. And it happened uhk, uh, before the Lord that Eli watched them. I want you to continue verse 10 and verse 11. I got a few minutes before I sit down.
Speaker 11 00:53:32 Uh, you see, she catches up. She switches from a realm of, Lord, this is what I need to a place of like, Lord, this is what you are up to. I wanna catch up to watch you what you wanna do. You are planning to bring a revival list in the nation of Israel. You're planning to bring a man who's gonna restore the nation. I don't even think she had the fullest idea of what she was praying for, but she had logged in into a new dimension, a dimension of bearing the burdens of God because God had a burden for his people, for his nation. God had planned already that Samuel was gonna come, but there needed to be a process. And the time for somebody to get on their knees and say, God, what are you up to? The things that concern you, concern me.
Speaker 11 00:54:10 Now give me a child. And when you give me a child what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna give back the child to you. I'm locking into the kingdom of God. I'm locking into the kingdom agenda. You are locking into what God wants to do. And it's an invitation for you, church, for you and I church, to be in a place where we walk, step in step with the spirit where it's no longer about my desires. Paul says that I've died to self. Uh, is Christ who lives in me. Do you realize that the day you gave your life to Christ, you lost your rights? Uh, some of us are still trying to cling on to our rights. We're still in a place where we are trying to live. Uh, but Paul says that it's no longer who lives but Christ who lives in me. That means that the life that I live, the way that I welcome my agenda, uh, my life plan is got God's name written all over.
Speaker 11 00:54:54 That means I grieve for the things that he grieves. That means I bear the balance of the Lord. That means the Lord is in a place where he can confide in me, where he can trust me, where he can stay. With this one, I'll get a yes with this one. You lock into what I'm trying to do. I'm looking for a man, for a woman who's gonna say, Lord, here I am. Use me. I'm looking for a man and a woman who's gonna say yes, Lord, to what you're trying to do and lock into the promises of God. Come on and pray. And pray in trave and pray in trave. Ah. If your understanding of grace and the sovereign of God lives in a place where you're passive, I'm not sure if you're catching the doctrine of grace.
Speaker 11 00:55:39 There's a court to war. We are engaged in a battlefield church. Revival come in this city. Revival is coming in this region. Revival is coming to this nation. But we are the hunters who are gonna get desperate and catch up to what God is trying to do. We are the hunters who are gonna get desperate and they say, Lord, you will be done on my will. Where are the intercessors? Where are the intercessors? Who is safe for the sake of et, etc. I will not hold back for the sake of teon I I'll not stop knocking on the doors of heaven until you send the revive on this nation. Where are the prayer warriors? Where are you prayer warriors? Where are you? Watch men and watch women? This is the time that Joe, the prophet spoke about and it says In the last days, I'll pour my spirit out.
Speaker 11 00:56:30 No flesh. Yes, new young man and a young women shall prophet si. When are you gonna look into the plants that he have for this city? When are you gonna look into the plants that he has for the nation and your rev, our nation, our hearts, our hearts, Lord, myself. So that when you answer the prayer, I'm praying God, shift the nation. Change the nation. Revival is coming, but the labors are needed to labor and prayer. If you want script your evidence. I can tell you about in the book of Clogs, chapter four, where Paul says that is always laboring in prayer for you. There's gonna be need of a laboring in the place of prayer, a revival. If revival is gonna come, the church needs to wake up to your colleague and not try to assimilate to the world. You try so hard to look like the world, but say, God, here we are.
Speaker 11 00:57:34 We have caught up to division, that you're planning to bring a Bible list in Israel. You're gonna give us more than a boy. And I'm gonna speak for some of you right now, that things that you are asking God to do, they're taking long because God wants to give you more than the things that you are asking for. If he answers you the way that you want him to answer, it's only gonna benefit you. But God is interested in his kingdom and you're part of it. So I guess maybe there's some of you in this room who are actually asking God for a child, actually, and I wanna encourage you this afternoon that God wants to give you more than a child and I need you to get on your knees and pray that way that child comes, the child will shift nations. But I need the church this morning to be challenged to say, God, we are concerned about the things that concern you that many times when God wants to trust me, certain things, but at the moment I'm so concerned with myself that at the moment I'm delaying the process.
Speaker 11 00:58:38 There's so many things that God would rather tell me now, but at the moment, I'm so full of myself and I'm so filled with my own agenda than that is so hard for me to catch up. But as Lynn said, that God is gonna use the praise of surrender. That is like giving my parents. I take myself upon myself, his parents. Psalms 25 14. It says that the secret of the Lord is with those that fear him. We wanna be a change that people trust. We wanna be a change that God trust can ENT trust with his secrets or where are you in the jesuses? Where are you in the jesuses? Where are, if revival is gonna happen, it's gonna need you to lay in prayer. It's gonna you to stay in prayer. It's not just gonna be a one minute prayer, godsend, revival. You need to lay by in prayer so that you're prepared so that when the boy Samuel, who appears, when revival appears, we can sustain in it. <unk>.
