A Vision FOR US
Series: Vision Series 2016
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 19th November 2016
00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 On September 11, 2001, the world as we know it in the West changed.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 When those two towers came down in New York,
00:00:09 --> 00:00:14 the secular West started talking about religion as a source of evil.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:19 Plenty of people started to echo the mantra of the new atheist movement,
00:00:19 --> 00:00:23 that is, religion poisons everything.
00:00:24 --> 00:00:28 And it wasn't just extremist Muslims in their sights.
00:00:28 --> 00:00:33 Christianity, too, has become more and more isolated over the decades
00:00:33 --> 00:00:37 because, in fact, of decades, if not centuries of abuse of power,
00:00:38 --> 00:00:44 which has led to many, many vulnerable lives being damaged.
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 And our society is rightly angered by such abuse.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:50 Fifteen years later, in Christianity,
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 and church leaders, once highly regarded in our society,
00:00:54 --> 00:00:56 are no longer trusted or regarded.
00:00:56 --> 00:01:01 The church has an institution is seen as a drain on society.
00:01:01 --> 00:01:06 It's an institution which is connected to the dark ages with many dark secrets.
00:01:07 --> 00:01:13 And Christians themselves find it harder and harder to talk about God or sex or politics.
00:01:13 --> 00:01:21 The pressure is to keep your beliefs, whatever they are, private, silent for you back in the home.
00:01:21 --> 00:01:26 And yet, into this pluralistic, post-Christian space,
00:01:26 --> 00:01:28 we have the commands of Jesus.
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 The great commission that he gave his disciples,
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 gave it to us in Matthew 28.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:34 Sam just read out to us,
00:01:34 --> 00:01:59 And it's passages like that stand behind our vision statement that we are desperate,
00:01:59 --> 00:02:04 Sorry, we united in our desperation for the world around us to encounter Jesus
00:02:04 --> 00:02:08 and our desire to represent the diversity of Chatswood.
00:02:08 --> 00:02:09 Sam has said it already.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:10 It's Vision Sunday today.
00:02:11 --> 00:02:17 It's our final day on this new vision statement for now.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:21 We'll hear a lot more about it in the coming weeks and months and years.
00:02:21 --> 00:02:25 But my focus today is the same as last week.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 And it's on that part of the vision statement which says,
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 We are desperate for the world around us to encounter Jesus.
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 Why does the world around us need to encounter Jesus?
00:02:37 --> 00:02:43 And it's because of the extraordinary claim that we looked at last week in 2 Corinthians 5.
00:02:44 --> 00:02:47 We are convinced that one died for all,
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 and therefore all died, and he died for all.
00:02:51 --> 00:02:57 Jesus' death, his resurrection, universal significance,
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 it crosses all generations, all cultures, all peoples.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 And Jesus claimed it himself in John 14, 6,
00:03:04 --> 00:03:09 I am the way and the truth and the life,
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 and no one comes to the Father except through me.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:16 And here again, we see it again in Acts 4, 12,
00:03:16 --> 00:03:23 when referring to Jesus as salvation is found in no one else,
00:03:23 --> 00:03:28 for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which they must be saved.
00:03:30 --> 00:03:31 That's why we have this vision statement.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:37 Peter is before a court, is in front of the Jewish leaders of his day.
00:03:37 --> 00:03:44 He isn't just saying that these Jewish leaders that he's speaking to need to acknowledge their Messiah,
00:03:44 --> 00:03:45 their Savior.
00:03:46 --> 00:03:54 He says there is no other name under heaven given to people by which they must be saved.
00:03:54 --> 00:03:55 There is no other alternative.
00:03:56 --> 00:03:56 There's no other name.
00:03:57 --> 00:03:57 There's no other Savior.
00:03:57 --> 00:03:58 There's no other religion.
00:03:58 --> 00:03:59 There's no other truth.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:05 That is an exclusive claim.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:15 And exclusive claims are a very, very real problem in a pluralistic society.
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 And so we have a problem.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:28 For some elements in our society, our vision statement is dangerous.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:37 And is the reason, they would say, that there is so much abuse and division in our history.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:45 And so with this vision before us, let's see what we can learn from the earliest church.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:53 It should be noted that church was in fact born into a pluralistic society.
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 There were lots of different cultures and gods.
00:04:57 --> 00:05:01 And even though that was the case right from the very beginning of Christianity,
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 they made universal claims.
00:05:05 --> 00:05:08 Claims to absolute truth.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:13 And not surprisingly, it got Jesus persecuted, crucified,
00:05:13 --> 00:05:19 and the first Christian leaders and many Christians since persecuted.
00:05:21 --> 00:05:25 So let's first of all have a look at the problem with truth claims.
00:05:26 --> 00:05:33 In Acts 4, the religious heavies are responding to a sermon that's preached in Acts 3.
00:05:33 --> 00:05:36 And in that sermon, Peter has said a bunch of things.
00:05:36 --> 00:05:40 For instance, in verse 21, he says that Jesus has gone to heaven,
00:05:40 --> 00:05:44 but will return to restore all things, everything.
00:05:45 --> 00:05:46 And he's going to make everything right.
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 No suffering, no death, no evil, no sorrows.
00:05:49 --> 00:05:53 And in verse 25, he says that through Jesus Christ,
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 the whole world, all peoples will be blessed.
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 And so when he says in chapter 4, verse 12,
00:05:59 --> 00:06:03 that salvation is found in no other name than Jesus,
00:06:03 --> 00:06:07 it is pretty much a summary of what he's just preached in Acts 3.
00:06:07 --> 00:06:12 Peter is proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah for the whole world.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 He is the universal saviour.
00:06:15 --> 00:06:17 And this pretty much annoyed everyone.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:24 This is not what the Jews were expecting.
00:06:25 --> 00:06:28 You see, for most, they were hoping that there would be a man,
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 a Messiah who would be a great leader,
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 who would do something about the Roman oppression.
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 Come in and beat up the Romans for them.
00:06:35 --> 00:06:39 They believed in a private Messiah.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 They believed in a Messiah for the Jews.
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 And as you go through the book of Acts,
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 you notice the Christians also got in trouble with the Romans.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:52 You see, the Roman world was officially pluralistic.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:55 The Romans let everyone worship their own gods,
00:06:55 --> 00:06:57 whatever your god might be.
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 And there was gods in every town and village and household.
00:07:00 --> 00:07:04 So long as you also worship the emperor.
00:07:05 --> 00:07:11 And so everyone in the Roman Empire was commanded and requested and required
00:07:11 --> 00:07:12 to say,
00:07:13 --> 00:07:14 Kaiser Kurios,
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 Caesar is Lord.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:24 And the implication being is that if you're free to worship whatever gods you want,
00:07:25 --> 00:07:27 but you must also say Caesar is Lord.
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 And the implication therefore is,
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 well, you can't make an exclusive claim
00:07:31 --> 00:07:33 because you're worshipping two gods.
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 Your god cannot be supreme over all gods.
00:07:38 --> 00:07:42 And Christians couldn't do that.
00:07:42 --> 00:07:43 All they could say is,
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 Jesus is Lord.
00:07:47 --> 00:07:49 And it brought them in tremendous conflict with the Romans.
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 And in Acts 19,
00:07:50 --> 00:07:53 there is this riot in Ephesus
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 when the preaching of the Christian gospel
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 was undermining the temple cult.
00:07:58 --> 00:07:59 This is the first century.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 Nothing much has changed.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:05 When Christians come along and say today
00:08:05 --> 00:08:06 that Jesus is the only way to be saved,
00:08:07 --> 00:08:08 Christianity is the one true religion,
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 it is seen as incredibly exclusive,
00:08:12 --> 00:08:13 narrow-minded,
00:08:13 --> 00:08:14 arrogant,
00:08:14 --> 00:08:15 and even dangerous.
00:08:18 --> 00:08:19 And so what are we to do with that
00:08:19 --> 00:08:20 in Chatswood?
00:08:22 --> 00:08:24 Where our neighbours are Buddhists,
00:08:24 --> 00:08:24 Hindus,
00:08:25 --> 00:08:25 Muslims,
00:08:25 --> 00:08:26 atheists,
00:08:26 --> 00:08:27 and now Scientologists.
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 Do we just have to get with the times
00:08:33 --> 00:08:37 and adapt so that people don't get offended?
00:08:39 --> 00:08:42 Why not just make love the unifying principle?
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 Let's go back to the 1960s
00:08:44 --> 00:08:45 and just peace man everywhere.
00:08:46 --> 00:08:46 Why not just make love?
00:08:47 --> 00:08:48 Because that is in fact
00:08:48 --> 00:08:52 the popular unifying principle nowadays.
00:08:53 --> 00:08:53 Not truth,
00:08:54 --> 00:08:54 just love,
00:08:55 --> 00:08:55 whatever that means.
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 Is the way to live in peace
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 with all the diversity
00:09:01 --> 00:09:02 simply to affirm
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 that all religions and ideas
00:09:03 --> 00:09:04 are equally valid?
00:09:06 --> 00:09:07 I think not.
00:09:09 --> 00:09:10 Christianity was born
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 into a pluralistic society.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:12 The claims of Christianity
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 looked every bit as narrow and dangerous
00:09:13 --> 00:09:14 in the first century
00:09:14 --> 00:09:16 as it does in the 21st century.
00:09:16 --> 00:09:17 And yet,
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 lots of people still believed
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 then as they do now.
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 So let's just take a moment.
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 I just want to pause here for a moment.
00:09:26 --> 00:09:26 When I say pause,
00:09:26 --> 00:09:27 it's going to be kind of a long pause.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 And to address the problems
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 that I have
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 with the problem of exclusive claims.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:36 I want to address the problems
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 that our society has
00:09:37 --> 00:09:38 with the problem of exclusive claims.
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 The assumption seems to be
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 that the only way
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 to be truly inclusive
00:09:43 --> 00:09:45 is to say that all religions
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 are equally valid.
00:09:47 --> 00:09:48 The assumption is
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 that religion can be privately
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 and subjectively helpful
00:09:51 --> 00:09:53 behind my closed doors,
00:09:53 --> 00:09:53 in my home.
00:09:56 --> 00:09:58 But there is not one right way
00:09:58 --> 00:09:59 to think about God
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 and spiritual reality.
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 Now that is seen as inclusive
00:10:03 --> 00:10:05 and therefore appropriate.
00:10:05 --> 00:10:05 So first of all,
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 there's the historical problem.
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 There is pressure to do
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 what the first Christians
00:10:12 --> 00:10:13 were pressured to do
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 under the Roman Empire
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 for the first three centuries.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:17 And that is,
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 you can believe in Jesus
00:10:18 --> 00:10:19 so long as you don't say
00:10:19 --> 00:10:20 that Jesus is the best
00:10:20 --> 00:10:22 or the most superior
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 or the only way to find God
00:10:24 --> 00:10:25 and nothing much has changed
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 in 20 centuries of history.
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 The problem with that
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 is that the Jesus
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 we believe in historically
00:10:35 --> 00:10:37 is the Jesus who says,
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 I am the way,
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 I am the truth,
00:10:41 --> 00:10:42 I am the life
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 and no one comes to the Father
00:10:43 --> 00:10:43 except through me.
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 That's the only Jesus
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 we've got in history.
00:10:47 --> 00:10:51 No other religious leader
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 ever said it.
00:10:52 --> 00:10:53 No other religious leader
00:10:53 --> 00:10:54 ever claimed
00:10:54 --> 00:10:55 to even work
00:10:55 --> 00:10:55 on the level of Jesus.
00:10:56 --> 00:10:57 There is no way
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 to believe in Jesus
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 if he is just the same
00:10:59 --> 00:11:00 as all the others.
00:11:00 --> 00:11:01 Buddha never said
00:11:01 --> 00:11:02 anything like that.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 Confucius never said
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 anything like that.
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 Muhammad never said
00:11:05 --> 00:11:06 anything like that.
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 And the dude
00:11:09 --> 00:11:09 who's in charge
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 of the Scientology
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 who's dead now,
00:11:11 --> 00:11:11 whatever his name was,
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 never said anything like that.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 No one ever said
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 anything like that.
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 And maybe Jesus is right
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 or maybe he's wrong
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 but he's not the same
00:11:21 --> 00:11:22 as everyone else.
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 Either he is not
00:11:26 --> 00:11:26 the Son of God
00:11:26 --> 00:11:27 in which case
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 he is inferior
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 to everyone else
00:11:30 --> 00:11:32 because they at least
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 have the common sense
00:11:34 --> 00:11:34 and humility
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 not to make
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 megalomaniacal claims
00:11:37 --> 00:11:37 about themselves
00:11:37 --> 00:11:41 or he is the Son of God
00:11:41 --> 00:11:43 and he is the only way
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 and all other claims
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 should therefore
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 be tested against him.
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 If he is true
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 he is the one way.
00:11:51 --> 00:11:52 If he is not true
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 then he is no way.
00:11:54 --> 00:11:56 He's not just a way.
00:11:58 --> 00:11:58 That's the historical.
00:12:00 --> 00:12:01 Christianity claims
00:12:01 --> 00:12:01 that if you look
00:12:01 --> 00:12:02 at the evidence
00:12:02 --> 00:12:02 of the resurrection
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 the brilliance of his teaching
00:12:04 --> 00:12:05 the brilliance of his character
00:12:05 --> 00:12:08 then he is superior
00:12:08 --> 00:12:09 by implication.
00:12:11 --> 00:12:12 Secondly,
00:12:12 --> 00:12:13 there's the logical problem.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 How can all religions
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 actually be equally valued?
00:12:16 --> 00:12:17 The statement
00:12:17 --> 00:12:19 can only be true
00:12:19 --> 00:12:20 if number one
00:12:20 --> 00:12:21 there is no God
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 or number two
00:12:23 --> 00:12:26 if there is a God
00:12:26 --> 00:12:27 but that God
00:12:27 --> 00:12:28 was so disconnected
00:12:28 --> 00:12:30 so impersonal
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 that this God
00:12:32 --> 00:12:32 did not care
00:12:32 --> 00:12:33 what you believed
00:12:33 --> 00:12:34 or what you did.
00:12:36 --> 00:12:37 The God of Aristotle
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 for instance.
00:12:39 --> 00:12:39 Greek
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 philosophy.
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 thirdly
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 I actually think
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 I have a problem
00:12:46 --> 00:12:46 because I think
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 it's a hypocritical problem.
00:12:49 --> 00:12:50 I think it's hypocritical
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 to say
00:12:51 --> 00:12:52 to a Christian
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 you shouldn't have
00:12:53 --> 00:12:54 that view of God
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 all religions are valid
00:12:56 --> 00:12:57 there isn't one God.
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 What is happening
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 at that point
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 is pressure
00:13:02 --> 00:13:02 for me
00:13:02 --> 00:13:03 to abandon
00:13:03 --> 00:13:04 my view of God
00:13:04 --> 00:13:07 and accept
00:13:07 --> 00:13:08 another person's
00:13:08 --> 00:13:08 view of God.
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 It's a claim
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 in itself
00:13:12 --> 00:13:13 which is exclusive.
00:13:15 --> 00:13:15 It's saying
00:13:15 --> 00:13:16 I'm right
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 you're wrong
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 my take on spirituality
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 and God
00:13:19 --> 00:13:19 is superior
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 to your take
00:13:20 --> 00:13:20 on spirituality
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 and God
00:13:21 --> 00:13:21 so dump yours
00:13:21 --> 00:13:22 and believe mine.
00:13:25 --> 00:13:26 So they're making
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 exclusive claims
00:13:27 --> 00:13:28 as well
00:13:28 --> 00:13:30 at least I'm
00:13:30 --> 00:13:30 admitting it.
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 If it is
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 narrow and wrong
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 to say
00:13:36 --> 00:13:36 that there is
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 one true religion
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 it is narrow and wrong
00:13:38 --> 00:13:38 to say
00:13:38 --> 00:13:39 that there is
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 only one way
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 to think about religion.
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 Everybody is making
00:13:43 --> 00:13:44 exclusive claims
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 to say that
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46 no one should make
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 a universal truth
00:13:47 --> 00:13:48 exclusive claim
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 is in fact
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 a universal claim
00:13:50 --> 00:13:50 in itself.
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 Fourthly
00:13:53 --> 00:13:56 if truth
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 is culturally
00:13:57 --> 00:13:57 relevant
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 and person specific
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 that everyone
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 needs to decide
00:14:01 --> 00:14:01 what is wrong
00:14:01 --> 00:14:01 and wrong
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 right and wrong
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 for themselves
00:14:03 --> 00:14:04 that there is
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 no moral absolutes
00:14:06 --> 00:14:06 that religion
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 is okay
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 in private beliefs
00:14:08 --> 00:14:08 but in fact
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 should be kept
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 out of the public sphere
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 and it's wrong
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 to persuade others
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 to change their views
00:14:13 --> 00:14:16 then it leads
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 to being helpless
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 in the face
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 of injustice.
00:14:21 --> 00:14:22 If there is
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 no absolute
00:14:23 --> 00:14:23 truth
00:14:23 --> 00:14:25 and morality
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 is relative
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 then you can
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 never say
00:14:28 --> 00:14:28 to another
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 individual
00:14:29 --> 00:14:29 to another
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 company
00:14:30 --> 00:14:30 to another
00:14:30 --> 00:14:31 country
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 that they are
00:14:32 --> 00:14:32 in fact
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 being immoral
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 and just.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:36 You might have
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 moral feelings
00:14:37 --> 00:14:40 but without God
00:14:40 --> 00:14:40 there are no
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 moral obligations.
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 Moral feelings
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 is when I say
00:14:46 --> 00:14:46 I feel
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47 that that's wrong.
00:14:48 --> 00:14:49 Moral obligation
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 is
00:14:50 --> 00:14:50 you got to
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 stop doing that
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 because it is wrong.
00:14:53 --> 00:14:56 you can't do
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 anything therefore
00:14:57 --> 00:14:58 about greed
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 you can't do
00:14:59 --> 00:14:59 anything about
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 materialism
00:15:00 --> 00:15:00 you can't do
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 anything about
00:15:01 --> 00:15:01 genocide
00:15:01 --> 00:15:02 you can't do
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 anything about
00:15:03 --> 00:15:03 slavery
00:15:03 --> 00:15:04 you can't do
00:15:04 --> 00:15:04 anything about
00:15:04 --> 00:15:05 injustice
00:15:05 --> 00:15:05 you can't do
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 anything about
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07 refugees.
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 If people
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 finally come to
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 realise that
00:15:10 --> 00:15:10 then the real
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 question
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 is how
00:15:13 --> 00:15:14 is it
00:15:14 --> 00:15:14 possible
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 for us to
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 live together
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 in peace?
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 how can
00:15:19 --> 00:15:19 we have
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 a pluralistic
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 society
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22 and a world
00:15:22 --> 00:15:22 in which
00:15:22 --> 00:15:22 people
00:15:22 --> 00:15:23 deeply
00:15:23 --> 00:15:24 differ
00:15:24 --> 00:15:24 in their
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 beliefs
00:15:25 --> 00:15:25 and able
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 to live
00:15:26 --> 00:15:26 together
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 and respect
00:15:27 --> 00:15:27 each other
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 and work
00:15:28 --> 00:15:28 together
00:15:28 --> 00:15:29 and be
00:15:29 --> 00:15:29 civil
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 and the
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 way to
00:15:31 --> 00:15:31 get to
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 that point
00:15:32 --> 00:15:32 is not
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 for some
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 small minority
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 in the world
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 generally
00:15:36 --> 00:15:37 in our
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 current culture
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 the elitist
00:15:39 --> 00:15:39 secular
00:15:39 --> 00:15:44 atheists
00:15:44 --> 00:15:44 who are
00:15:44 --> 00:15:45 permeating
00:15:45 --> 00:15:46 everything
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 in our
00:15:47 --> 00:15:47 culture
00:15:47 --> 00:15:47 saying
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 the rest
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 of you
00:15:49 --> 00:15:50 believe
00:15:50 --> 00:15:50 what we
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 believe
00:15:51 --> 00:15:55 you see
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 our society
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 has rightly
00:15:57 --> 00:15:57 rejected
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 the Christianity
00:15:58 --> 00:16:00 that uses
00:16:00 --> 00:16:00 its universal
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 values and
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 truth claims
00:16:02 --> 00:16:02 to oppress
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 people
00:16:03 --> 00:16:03 I believe
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 they have
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 rightly
00:16:04 --> 00:16:05 rejected
00:16:05 --> 00:16:05 that
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 that's
00:16:06 --> 00:16:06 where we
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 sit right
00:16:07 --> 00:16:07 now
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 the world
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 does not
00:16:09 --> 00:16:09 need
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 any more
00:16:10 --> 00:16:10 exclusive
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 truth claims
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 as a leverage
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 to oppress
00:16:13 --> 00:16:13 people
00:16:13 --> 00:16:16 what this
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 world needs
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 is absolute
00:16:18 --> 00:16:19 truth and
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 values
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 that do
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 not turn
00:16:22 --> 00:16:22 believers
00:16:22 --> 00:16:24 into oppressors
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 what we need
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 is non-oppressive
00:16:27 --> 00:16:29 universal truth
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 the believers
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 of Jesus
00:16:32 --> 00:16:32 claim to
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 universal truth
00:16:33 --> 00:16:37 we need
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 for that
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 truth
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 truth to
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 turn us
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 to turn
00:16:41 --> 00:16:41 us believers
00:16:41 --> 00:16:43 into agents
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 of justice
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 and service
00:16:45 --> 00:16:47 we need to be
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 people who
00:16:48 --> 00:16:48 don't look
00:16:48 --> 00:16:49 down on
00:16:49 --> 00:16:49 others
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 or feel
00:16:50 --> 00:16:51 superior to
00:16:51 --> 00:16:51 others
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 or ridicule
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 and rubbish
00:16:53 --> 00:16:53 others
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 we don't
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 people who
00:16:55 --> 00:16:55 don't oppress
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 others
00:16:56 --> 00:16:56 people who
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 don't coerce
00:16:57 --> 00:16:57 others
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 but people who
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 love and
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 serve others
00:17:00 --> 00:17:00 and I believe
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 that's the
00:17:01 --> 00:17:01 solution
00:17:01 --> 00:17:03 to this
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 universal truth
00:17:04 --> 00:17:04 claim
00:17:04 --> 00:17:06 the Christian
00:17:06 --> 00:17:06 gospel that
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 proclaims
00:17:07 --> 00:17:07 Jesus is
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 savior and
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 lord is
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 exactly what
00:17:10 --> 00:17:10 this world
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 needs
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 and a hint
00:17:12 --> 00:17:12 of that
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 solution
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 to the
00:17:14 --> 00:17:14 problem is
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 in Acts 4
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 take a look
00:17:16 --> 00:17:16 at verses
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 8 to 13
00:17:17 --> 00:17:17 with me
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 then Peter
00:17:18 --> 00:17:18 filled with
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 the Holy
00:17:19 --> 00:17:19 Spirit
00:17:19 --> 00:17:19 said to
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 them
00:17:20 --> 00:17:20 rulers
00:17:20 --> 00:17:22 and elders
00:17:22 --> 00:17:22 of the
00:17:22 --> 00:17:22 people
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 if we
00:17:23 --> 00:17:23 are being
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 called
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 to account
00:17:25 --> 00:17:25 today
00:17:25 --> 00:17:26 for an
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 act of
00:17:27 --> 00:17:28 kindness
00:17:28 --> 00:17:30 shown to
00:17:30 --> 00:17:30 a man
00:17:30 --> 00:17:30 who was
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 lame
00:17:31 --> 00:17:31 and being
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 asked
00:17:32 --> 00:17:32 how
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 he was
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 healed
00:17:34 --> 00:17:34 then know
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 this
00:17:35 --> 00:17:35 you and
00:17:35 --> 00:17:36 all the
00:17:36 --> 00:17:36 people of
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 Israel
00:17:37 --> 00:17:37 it is
00:17:37 --> 00:17:37 by the
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 name
00:17:38 --> 00:17:38 of
00:17:38 --> 00:17:38 Jesus
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 Christ
00:17:39 --> 00:17:39 of
00:17:39 --> 00:17:39 Nazareth
00:17:39 --> 00:17:41 whom
00:17:41 --> 00:17:41 you
00:17:41 --> 00:17:41 crucified
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 but whom
00:17:42 --> 00:17:42 God
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 raised
00:17:43 --> 00:17:43 from the
00:17:43 --> 00:17:43 dead
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 that this
00:17:44 --> 00:17:44 man
00:17:44 --> 00:17:44 stands
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 before
00:17:45 --> 00:17:45 you
00:17:45 --> 00:17:45 healed
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 Jesus
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 is
00:17:47 --> 00:17:47 the
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 stone
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 you
00:17:49 --> 00:17:49 builders
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 rejected
00:17:50 --> 00:17:50 which
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 has
00:17:51 --> 00:17:51 become
00:17:51 --> 00:17:51 the
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 cornerstone
00:17:52 --> 00:17:54 salvation
00:17:54 --> 00:17:54 is found
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 in no one
00:17:55 --> 00:17:55 else
00:17:55 --> 00:17:55 for there
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 is no
00:17:56 --> 00:17:56 other name
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 under
00:17:57 --> 00:17:57 heaven
00:17:57 --> 00:17:57 given to
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 mankind
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 by which
00:17:59 --> 00:17:59 we must
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 be saved
00:18:00 --> 00:18:03 when they
00:18:03 --> 00:18:03 saw the
00:18:03 --> 00:18:03 courage of
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 Peter and
00:18:04 --> 00:18:04 John
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 and realized
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 that these
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 were unschooled
00:18:08 --> 00:18:08 ordinary
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 men
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 they were
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 astonished
00:18:11 --> 00:18:13 and they
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 took note
00:18:14 --> 00:18:14 that these
00:18:14 --> 00:18:14 men
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 had been
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 with
00:18:16 --> 00:18:16 Jesus
00:18:16 --> 00:18:18 note
00:18:18 --> 00:18:19 firstly
00:18:19 --> 00:18:19 that Jesus
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 saves us
00:18:20 --> 00:18:20 through
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 rejection
00:18:21 --> 00:18:21 verse 11
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 the stone
00:18:22 --> 00:18:22 you build
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 is rejected
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 which has
00:18:24 --> 00:18:24 become
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 the
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 cornerstone
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 he saved
00:18:27 --> 00:18:27 us not
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 through power
00:18:28 --> 00:18:28 but through
00:18:28 --> 00:18:28 service
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 through
00:18:29 --> 00:18:29 rejection
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 not by
00:18:30 --> 00:18:31 accumulating
00:18:31 --> 00:18:31 power
00:18:31 --> 00:18:31 but in
00:18:31 --> 00:18:32 fact by
00:18:32 --> 00:18:32 giving up
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 power
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 surrendering
00:18:34 --> 00:18:34 himself
00:18:34 --> 00:18:34 dying
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 on the
00:18:35 --> 00:18:35 cross
00:18:35 --> 00:18:35 for our
00:18:35 --> 00:18:35 sins
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 so that
00:18:36 --> 00:18:36 God's
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 love
00:18:37 --> 00:18:37 would come
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 flooding
00:18:38 --> 00:18:38 into
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 our
00:18:39 --> 00:18:39 lives
00:18:39 --> 00:18:41 he saved
00:18:41 --> 00:18:41 us through
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 grace
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 through love
00:18:43 --> 00:18:43 through service
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 the only way
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 to become a
00:18:45 --> 00:18:45 Christian is
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 in fact to
00:18:46 --> 00:18:46 give up
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 all notions
00:18:47 --> 00:18:49 all notions
00:18:49 --> 00:18:51 of superiority
00:18:51 --> 00:18:53 all notions
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 that we are
00:18:54 --> 00:18:54 better than
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 other people
00:18:55 --> 00:18:55 salvation
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 only comes
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 to people
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 who admit
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 that they are
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 sinners
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 and they
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 need grace
00:19:00 --> 00:19:01 and it is
00:19:01 --> 00:19:01 this work of
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 salvation in
00:19:02 --> 00:19:02 Peter and
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 John's life
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 that's behind
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 verse 13
00:19:05 --> 00:19:07 when they saw
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 the courage of
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 Peter and
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 John and
00:19:10 --> 00:19:10 realized that
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 they were
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 unschooled
00:19:12 --> 00:19:14 ordinary
00:19:14 --> 00:19:14 men
00:19:14 --> 00:19:16 they were
00:19:16 --> 00:19:16 astonished
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 and they
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 took note
00:19:18 --> 00:19:18 that these
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 men had
00:19:19 --> 00:19:19 been with
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 Jesus
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 let me tell
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 you why
00:19:22 --> 00:19:22 these
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 religious leaders
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 were astonished
00:19:24 --> 00:19:26 by Peter and
00:19:26 --> 00:19:26 John
00:19:26 --> 00:19:28 outside of
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 Jesus
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 as it was
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 in the first
00:19:31 --> 00:19:31 century
00:19:31 --> 00:19:31 so it is
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 in the 21st
00:19:32 --> 00:19:32 century
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 outside of
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 Jesus
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 our identity
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 is based
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 on relative
00:19:36 --> 00:19:36 status
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 we are
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 normally
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 proud
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 we are
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 not normally
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 proud of
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 being smart
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 we just
00:19:43 --> 00:19:43 generally get
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 proud of
00:19:44 --> 00:19:44 being smarter
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 than someone
00:19:45 --> 00:19:45 else around
00:19:45 --> 00:19:45 us
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 that's
00:19:46 --> 00:19:46 generally
00:19:46 --> 00:19:46 it's
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 relative
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 status
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 that's
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 generally
00:19:49 --> 00:19:49 how we
00:19:49 --> 00:19:49 work
00:19:49 --> 00:19:51 everyone
00:19:51 --> 00:19:51 gets an
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 identity
00:19:52 --> 00:19:52 through
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 salvation
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 by works
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 we don't
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 usually use
00:19:56 --> 00:19:56 the word
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 salvation
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 it's more
00:19:58 --> 00:19:58 self-esteem
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 through works
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 or self-worth
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 through works
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 in a
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 traditional
00:20:03 --> 00:20:03 society
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 such as
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 mostly
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 eastern
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 societies
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 your
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 identity
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 is attached
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 to
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 roles
00:20:12 --> 00:20:12 that have
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 been assigned
00:20:13 --> 00:20:13 to you
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 your worth
00:20:14 --> 00:20:14 is attached
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 to the
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 roles
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 that have
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 been assigned
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 to you
00:20:16 --> 00:20:16 so
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 you feel
00:20:17 --> 00:20:17 good about
00:20:17 --> 00:20:17 yourself
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 because
00:20:18 --> 00:20:18 you are
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 a good
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 father
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 or a
00:20:20 --> 00:20:20 good
00:20:20 --> 00:20:20 mother
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 or a
00:20:21 --> 00:20:21 good
00:20:21 --> 00:20:21 husband
00:20:21 --> 00:20:21 or a
00:20:21 --> 00:20:21 good
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 wife
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 or a
00:20:23 --> 00:20:23 good
00:20:23 --> 00:20:23 son
00:20:23 --> 00:20:23 or a
00:20:23 --> 00:20:23 good
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 daughter
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 in an
00:20:25 --> 00:20:25 individualistic
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 society
00:20:26 --> 00:20:26 like
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 western
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 societies
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 we get
00:20:29 --> 00:20:29 our identity
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 through
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 accomplishments
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 I am
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 smarter
00:20:33 --> 00:20:33 than you
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 I've
00:20:34 --> 00:20:34 got a
00:20:34 --> 00:20:34 better car
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 than you
00:20:35 --> 00:20:35 I am
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 richer
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 than you
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 I'm
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 better
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 looking
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 than you
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 I'm
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 more
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 talented
00:20:38 --> 00:20:38 than you
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 it's
00:20:39 --> 00:20:39 all
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 relative
00:20:40 --> 00:20:43 but it's
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 always
00:20:44 --> 00:20:44 relative
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 so that
00:20:45 --> 00:20:45 there are
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 always
00:20:46 --> 00:20:46 people
00:20:46 --> 00:20:46 that we
00:20:46 --> 00:20:46 feel
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 superior
00:20:47 --> 00:20:47 to
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 and
00:20:48 --> 00:20:48 there will
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 be
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 people
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 that we
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 will
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 feel
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 inferior
00:20:50 --> 00:20:50 to
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 and
00:20:51 --> 00:20:51 the
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 religious
00:20:52 --> 00:20:52 leaders
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 were
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 shocked
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 when they
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 talked to
00:20:54 --> 00:20:54 Peter
00:20:54 --> 00:20:54 and John
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 they were
00:20:55 --> 00:20:55 ordinary
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 it's
00:20:56 --> 00:20:56 emphasized
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 they were
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 ordinary
00:20:58 --> 00:20:58 unschooled
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 men
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 and in
00:21:00 --> 00:21:00 a
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 patriarchal
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 society
00:21:02 --> 00:21:02 ordinary
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 men
00:21:03 --> 00:21:03 didn't
00:21:03 --> 00:21:03 have
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 the
00:21:04 --> 00:21:04 pedigree
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 or the
00:21:05 --> 00:21:05 schooling
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 and like
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 these guys
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 and they
00:21:08 --> 00:21:08 would have
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 been ashamed
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 and quiet
00:21:10 --> 00:21:10 in the
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 presence of
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 these leaders
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 they would
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 have had
00:21:14 --> 00:21:14 their heads
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 bowed and
00:21:15 --> 00:21:15 they wouldn't
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 have spoken
00:21:16 --> 00:21:16 them
00:21:16 --> 00:21:18 and these
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 leaders
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 are astonished
00:21:20 --> 00:21:22 that these
00:21:22 --> 00:21:22 two men
00:21:22 --> 00:21:23 have a
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 brand new
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 system of
00:21:25 --> 00:21:25 identity
00:21:25 --> 00:21:28 they aren't
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 ashamed
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 and they're
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 not afraid
00:21:31 --> 00:21:33 of anyone
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 above them
00:21:34 --> 00:21:36 but they're
00:21:36 --> 00:21:36 also not
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 feel superior
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 to anyone
00:21:38 --> 00:21:38 below them
00:21:38 --> 00:21:40 it wasn't
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 below them
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 for an act
00:21:42 --> 00:21:42 of kindness
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 to the
00:21:43 --> 00:21:43 crippled
00:21:43 --> 00:21:43 man
00:21:43 --> 00:21:47 what a
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 transformation
00:21:48 --> 00:21:48 these
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 religious
00:21:49 --> 00:21:49 leaders
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 witness
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 this is the
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 Peter who
00:21:52 --> 00:21:52 boldly speaks
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 here
00:21:53 --> 00:21:53 he's the
00:21:53 --> 00:21:53 same
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 Peter
00:21:54 --> 00:21:54 who
00:21:54 --> 00:21:56 went
00:21:56 --> 00:21:58 all
00:21:58 --> 00:21:58 jelly
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 mead
00:21:59 --> 00:22:01 in front
00:22:01 --> 00:22:01 of a
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 servant
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 girl
00:22:03 --> 00:22:03 of the
00:22:03 --> 00:22:03 high
00:22:03 --> 00:22:03 priest
00:22:03 --> 00:22:06 and yet
00:22:06 --> 00:22:06 here is
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 Peter
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 this is the
00:22:08 --> 00:22:08 Peter who
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 denied
00:22:09 --> 00:22:09 Jesus
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 and here's
00:22:10 --> 00:22:10 the Peter
00:22:10 --> 00:22:10 who's
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 proclaiming
00:22:11 --> 00:22:12 the exclusive
00:22:12 --> 00:22:12 claims of
00:22:12 --> 00:22:12 Jesus
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 not just
00:22:13 --> 00:22:15 before the
00:22:15 --> 00:22:15 high priest
00:22:15 --> 00:22:15 servant
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 but in
00:22:16 --> 00:22:16 fact the
00:22:16 --> 00:22:17 high priest
00:22:17 --> 00:22:17 and all
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 the rulers
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 of Israel
00:22:19 --> 00:22:21 their self
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 esteem is not
00:22:22 --> 00:22:22 based on their
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 accomplishments or
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 their works
00:22:24 --> 00:22:24 it's based on
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 the grace of
00:22:25 --> 00:22:25 God
00:22:25 --> 00:22:25 that's what's
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 happened to
00:22:26 --> 00:22:26 Peter and
00:22:26 --> 00:22:26 John
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 and that's
00:22:27 --> 00:22:27 what happens
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 to every
00:22:28 --> 00:22:28 Christian
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 you can only
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 become a
00:22:30 --> 00:22:30 Christian
00:22:30 --> 00:22:30 if you
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 admit that
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 you in
00:22:32 --> 00:22:32 fact deserve
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 hell
00:22:33 --> 00:22:36 and only the
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 costly sacrifice
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 of Jesus
00:22:38 --> 00:22:39 and his
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 triumphant
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 resurrection
00:22:40 --> 00:22:42 has saved
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 you
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 God's
00:22:43 --> 00:22:43 grace means
00:22:43 --> 00:22:44 you cannot
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 feel superior
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 to anyone
00:22:46 --> 00:22:48 anyone
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 is there
00:22:49 --> 00:22:49 anything
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 more
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 repugnant
00:22:51 --> 00:22:54 than to be
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 proud about
00:22:55 --> 00:22:55 the grace
00:22:55 --> 00:22:55 of God
00:22:55 --> 00:22:59 anything
00:22:59 --> 00:23:06 the universal
00:23:06 --> 00:23:06 truth of
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 Jesus is
00:23:07 --> 00:23:07 that he
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 died for
00:23:08 --> 00:23:08 his enemies
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 he said
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 father forgive
00:23:09 --> 00:23:10 them for
00:23:10 --> 00:23:10 they do
00:23:10 --> 00:23:10 not know
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 what they're
00:23:11 --> 00:23:11 doing
00:23:11 --> 00:23:13 Christianity
00:23:13 --> 00:23:13 has the
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 truth
00:23:14 --> 00:23:16 but it's
00:23:16 --> 00:23:16 a truth
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 that's meant
00:23:17 --> 00:23:17 to turn
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 us into
00:23:18 --> 00:23:20 non-oppressive
00:23:20 --> 00:23:22 grace-bearing
00:23:22 --> 00:23:24 merciful people
00:23:24 --> 00:23:27 what this
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 world needs
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 is truth
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 and people
00:23:30 --> 00:23:30 who have a
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 new identity
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 because of
00:23:32 --> 00:23:32 that truth
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 which makes
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 them into
00:23:33 --> 00:23:35 humble servants
00:23:35 --> 00:23:35 to everyone
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 around them
00:23:36 --> 00:23:39 Christians
00:23:39 --> 00:23:39 Christians
00:23:39 --> 00:23:41 have been
00:23:41 --> 00:23:41 oppressors
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 in the
00:23:42 --> 00:23:42 past
00:23:42 --> 00:23:44 can you
00:23:44 --> 00:23:44 find that
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 anywhere in
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 the Bible
00:23:46 --> 00:23:48 that justifies
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 that
00:23:48 --> 00:23:50 can you
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 get that
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 out of the
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 person of
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 Jesus
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 at all
00:23:53 --> 00:24:00 one of the
00:24:00 --> 00:24:00 most exclusive
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 claims I've
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 ever heard
00:24:02 --> 00:24:04 is the
00:24:04 --> 00:24:04 claim that
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 good people
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 from all
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 faiths will
00:24:07 --> 00:24:07 eventually find
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 God
00:24:08 --> 00:24:10 it's terribly
00:24:10 --> 00:24:10 exclusive
00:24:10 --> 00:24:12 what about
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 the bad
00:24:13 --> 00:24:13 people like
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 me
00:24:14 --> 00:24:16 what happens
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 to them
00:24:16 --> 00:24:21 see their
00:24:21 --> 00:24:21 claim is
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 incredibly
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 exclusive
00:24:23 --> 00:24:23 it's only
00:24:23 --> 00:24:23 the good
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 people
00:24:24 --> 00:24:27 Christianity
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 says it
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 doesn't matter
00:24:28 --> 00:24:28 who you are
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 or what
00:24:29 --> 00:24:29 you've done
00:24:29 --> 00:24:29 it doesn't
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 matter
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 it doesn't
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 matter
00:24:31 --> 00:24:31 repent
00:24:31 --> 00:24:32 rest in
00:24:32 --> 00:24:33 Jesus
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 and what
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 he has
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 done
00:24:34 --> 00:24:34 for you
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 and God
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 delights in
00:24:36 --> 00:24:36 you and he
00:24:36 --> 00:24:36 gives you a
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 new identity
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 and the
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 Christian gospel
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 is an
00:24:40 --> 00:24:40 exclusive
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 truth
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 but it is
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 the most
00:24:43 --> 00:24:43 inclusive
00:24:43 --> 00:24:45 truth
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 there is
00:24:46 --> 00:24:46 in the
00:24:46 --> 00:24:46 world
00:24:46 --> 00:24:50 everyone's
00:24:50 --> 00:24:50 making
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 exclusive
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 claims
00:24:52 --> 00:24:54 but Christianity
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 is the only
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 the most
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 inclusive
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 of the
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 exclusive
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58 truths
00:24:58 --> 00:25:02 and it's
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 what our
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 world
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 needs
00:25:03 --> 00:25:06 let me
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 just say
00:25:07 --> 00:25:07 about
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 in terms of
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 where we
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 are in
00:25:09 --> 00:25:09 our society
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 our
00:25:10 --> 00:25:10 Christian
00:25:10 --> 00:25:10 mission
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 has always
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 thrived
00:25:12 --> 00:25:14 by surging
00:25:14 --> 00:25:14 in the
00:25:14 --> 00:25:14 margins
00:25:14 --> 00:25:16 and under
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 the radar
00:25:17 --> 00:25:19 when we
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 somehow get
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 into positions
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 of power
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 the wheels
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 fall off
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 and that's
00:25:25 --> 00:25:25 what we're
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 experiencing in
00:25:26 --> 00:25:26 the west
00:25:26 --> 00:25:26 at the
00:25:26 --> 00:25:26 moment
00:25:26 --> 00:25:30 it's
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 pretty much
00:25:31 --> 00:25:31 the way
00:25:31 --> 00:25:31 it's always
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 been since
00:25:32 --> 00:25:32 the third
00:25:32 --> 00:25:32 century
00:25:32 --> 00:25:34 in fact
00:25:34 --> 00:25:34 as
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 Christianity
00:25:35 --> 00:25:35 spread
00:25:35 --> 00:25:35 throughout
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 the first
00:25:36 --> 00:25:36 three
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 centuries
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 as a
00:25:38 --> 00:25:38 persecuted
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 minority
00:25:39 --> 00:25:39 people
00:25:39 --> 00:25:42 it
00:25:42 --> 00:25:42 just
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 exploded
00:25:43 --> 00:25:45 and the
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 conversion
00:25:46 --> 00:25:46 of
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 Constantine
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 paved the
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 way for
00:25:49 --> 00:25:49 it becoming
00:25:49 --> 00:25:50 the official
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 state
00:25:51 --> 00:25:51 religion
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 of the
00:25:52 --> 00:25:52 Roman
00:25:52 --> 00:25:53 Empire
00:25:53 --> 00:25:53 by the
00:25:53 --> 00:25:53 end of
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 the fourth
00:25:54 --> 00:25:54 century
00:25:54 --> 00:25:56 only
00:25:56 --> 00:25:56 Christianity
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57 became the
00:25:57 --> 00:25:57 official
00:25:57 --> 00:25:57 religion
00:25:57 --> 00:25:59 and from
00:25:59 --> 00:25:59 that moment
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 the church
00:26:00 --> 00:26:01 lost its
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 prophetic voice
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 and its
00:26:03 --> 00:26:04 vibrancy
00:26:04 --> 00:26:07 many religions
00:26:07 --> 00:26:07 like Islam
00:26:07 --> 00:26:08 for example
00:26:08 --> 00:26:08 seem to
00:26:08 --> 00:26:09 thrive on the
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 conquest
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 and power
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 Christianity
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 grows best
00:26:13 --> 00:26:14 through hardship
00:26:14 --> 00:26:16 through by being
00:26:16 --> 00:26:16 marginalized
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 pushed to the
00:26:17 --> 00:26:17 edges
00:26:17 --> 00:26:19 and so I
00:26:19 --> 00:26:19 think where we
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 exist right now
00:26:20 --> 00:26:21 in the west
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 in this culture
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 where we are
00:26:23 --> 00:26:23 right now
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 is an
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 unprecedented
00:26:25 --> 00:26:25 opportunity
00:26:25 --> 00:26:27 for the
00:26:27 --> 00:26:27 Christian
00:26:27 --> 00:26:27 gospel
00:26:27 --> 00:26:31 the history
00:26:31 --> 00:26:31 of the church
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 tells me
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 that even
00:26:33 --> 00:26:33 a culture
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 that wants
00:26:34 --> 00:26:34 to get rid
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 of Christianity
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 isn't a
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 hindrance to
00:26:36 --> 00:26:37 the church
00:26:37 --> 00:26:37 being effective
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 in representing
00:26:38 --> 00:26:38 Jesus
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 the early
00:26:39 --> 00:26:40 Christians
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 it just
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 exploded
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 40% a
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 decade for
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 nearly 300
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46 years was the
00:26:46 --> 00:26:46 growth rate
00:26:46 --> 00:26:50 and at a
00:26:50 --> 00:26:51 time when
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 early Christians
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 did not
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 engage in
00:26:54 --> 00:26:54 public
00:26:54 --> 00:26:54 preaching
00:26:54 --> 00:26:56 because it
00:26:56 --> 00:26:56 was too
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 dangerous
00:26:57 --> 00:26:59 there were
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 practically no
00:27:00 --> 00:27:01 evangelists
00:27:01 --> 00:27:03 no missionaries
00:27:03 --> 00:27:03 there was no
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 mission boards
00:27:04 --> 00:27:06 there was no
00:27:06 --> 00:27:06 organizations
00:27:06 --> 00:27:08 they didn't have
00:27:08 --> 00:27:09 evangelistic
00:27:09 --> 00:27:09 courses
00:27:09 --> 00:27:10 Christian
00:27:10 --> 00:27:11 explained
00:27:11 --> 00:27:14 after Nero's
00:27:14 --> 00:27:14 persecution
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 in the mid
00:27:15 --> 00:27:16 first century
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 church services
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 in fact closed
00:27:18 --> 00:27:18 its doors to
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 visitors
00:27:19 --> 00:27:19 churches
00:27:19 --> 00:27:21 you weren't
00:27:21 --> 00:27:21 welcome in
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 the church
00:27:22 --> 00:27:22 if you're a
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 visitor
00:27:23 --> 00:27:25 deacons used
00:27:25 --> 00:27:26 to stand at
00:27:26 --> 00:27:26 the front
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 doors of the
00:27:27 --> 00:27:28 church gatherings
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 not to hand
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 out bulletins
00:27:30 --> 00:27:30 but as
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 bouncers to
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 keep people
00:27:32 --> 00:27:32 out
00:27:32 --> 00:27:37 just in case
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 you're an
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 informer
00:27:38 --> 00:27:41 prominent people
00:27:41 --> 00:27:41 scorned
00:27:41 --> 00:27:42 Christianity
00:27:42 --> 00:27:42 Christians were
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 discriminated
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 against in
00:27:44 --> 00:27:44 countless petty
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 ways it was
00:27:45 --> 00:27:47 incredibly hard
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 to be Christian
00:27:48 --> 00:27:48 and yet the
00:27:48 --> 00:27:50 church exploded
00:27:50 --> 00:27:52 why?
00:27:54 --> 00:27:55 because Christians
00:27:55 --> 00:27:56 were attractive
00:27:56 --> 00:27:59 their concern
00:27:59 --> 00:28:01 for the weak
00:28:01 --> 00:28:02 for the poor
00:28:02 --> 00:28:04 the marginalized
00:28:04 --> 00:28:05 their integrity
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 in the face of
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 persecution
00:28:06 --> 00:28:07 their financial
00:28:07 --> 00:28:08 generosity
00:28:08 --> 00:28:09 their sacrificial
00:28:09 --> 00:28:09 love
00:28:09 --> 00:28:10 even for their
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 enemies
00:28:11 --> 00:28:13 and the high
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 quality of their
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 common life
00:28:15 --> 00:28:15 together
00:28:15 --> 00:28:17 non-believers
00:28:17 --> 00:28:17 were first of
00:28:17 --> 00:28:18 all attracted
00:28:18 --> 00:28:18 to the
00:28:18 --> 00:28:19 community
00:28:19 --> 00:28:19 and lives
00:28:19 --> 00:28:20 of Christians
00:28:20 --> 00:28:20 and therefore
00:28:20 --> 00:28:21 became open
00:28:21 --> 00:28:22 to talking
00:28:22 --> 00:28:23 about the
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 truths
00:28:24 --> 00:28:25 the exclusive
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 truths of the
00:28:26 --> 00:28:26 gospel
00:28:26 --> 00:28:30 I'm very keen
00:28:30 --> 00:28:30 for us both
00:28:30 --> 00:28:31 corporately and
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 individually
00:28:32 --> 00:28:34 as a church
00:28:34 --> 00:28:34 to be engaged
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 in acts of
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 justice and
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37 mercy both
00:28:37 --> 00:28:37 here in
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 Chatswood and
00:28:38 --> 00:28:38 wherever God
00:28:38 --> 00:28:39 has placed us
00:28:39 --> 00:28:40 Monday to
00:28:40 --> 00:28:41 Saturday
00:28:41 --> 00:28:42 to be non-
00:28:42 --> 00:28:43 oppressors
00:28:43 --> 00:28:44 to be servants
00:28:44 --> 00:28:45 of others
00:28:45 --> 00:28:46 for instance
00:28:46 --> 00:28:48 it is not
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49 well known
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 that Chatswood
00:28:50 --> 00:28:51 is home to
00:28:51 --> 00:28:52 more than a
00:28:52 --> 00:28:53 dozen legal
00:28:53 --> 00:28:54 and illegal
00:28:54 --> 00:28:55 brothels
00:28:55 --> 00:28:57 and there is
00:28:57 --> 00:28:58 currently no
00:28:58 --> 00:28:58 ministry
00:28:58 --> 00:28:59 whatsoever
00:28:59 --> 00:29:02 into that
00:29:02 --> 00:29:03 space
00:29:03 --> 00:29:05 it's in our
00:29:05 --> 00:29:06 parish boundaries
00:29:06 --> 00:29:08 and so we as a
00:29:08 --> 00:29:09 church are going
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 to seek to reach
00:29:10 --> 00:29:10 those in the
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 sex industry
00:29:11 --> 00:29:12 in Chatswood
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 through acts
00:29:13 --> 00:29:13 of care
00:29:13 --> 00:29:15 acts of
00:29:15 --> 00:29:15 kindness
00:29:15 --> 00:29:17 our hope is
00:29:17 --> 00:29:18 that over time
00:29:18 --> 00:29:18 we'll be able
00:29:18 --> 00:29:19 to develop
00:29:19 --> 00:29:20 deeper trust
00:29:20 --> 00:29:20 with those
00:29:20 --> 00:29:21 affected by
00:29:21 --> 00:29:22 this industry
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 and possibly
00:29:23 --> 00:29:24 build systems
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 of referral
00:29:24 --> 00:29:26 and exiting
00:29:26 --> 00:29:26 options for
00:29:26 --> 00:29:27 those workers
00:29:27 --> 00:29:29 God has
00:29:29 --> 00:29:29 opened the
00:29:29 --> 00:29:30 door already
00:29:30 --> 00:29:30 for initial
00:29:30 --> 00:29:31 steps
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 I've been
00:29:32 --> 00:29:32 taken
00:29:32 --> 00:29:33 a pilot
00:29:33 --> 00:29:33 team of
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 five women
00:29:34 --> 00:29:35 yesterday
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35 attended a
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 training
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 ministry
00:29:36 --> 00:29:37 which I was
00:29:37 --> 00:29:38 very excited
00:29:38 --> 00:29:38 about
00:29:38 --> 00:29:40 and on
00:29:40 --> 00:29:40 Wednesday
00:29:40 --> 00:29:41 they went
00:29:41 --> 00:29:41 around to a
00:29:41 --> 00:29:41 number of
00:29:41 --> 00:29:42 these brothels
00:29:42 --> 00:29:42 stood out
00:29:42 --> 00:29:43 the front
00:29:43 --> 00:29:43 of those
00:29:43 --> 00:29:43 brothels
00:29:43 --> 00:29:44 and prayed
00:29:44 --> 00:29:44 for them
00:29:44 --> 00:29:49 the next
00:29:49 --> 00:29:49 steps are
00:29:49 --> 00:29:49 going to
00:29:49 --> 00:29:50 include a
00:29:50 --> 00:29:50 whole lot
00:29:50 --> 00:29:50 of prayer
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51 where God
00:29:51 --> 00:29:52 will take
00:29:52 --> 00:29:52 us and
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 give clarity
00:29:53 --> 00:29:54 on what
00:29:54 --> 00:29:54 concrete
00:29:54 --> 00:29:55 things we
00:29:55 --> 00:29:55 need to
00:29:55 --> 00:29:55 put in
00:29:55 --> 00:29:56 place to
00:29:56 --> 00:29:56 build
00:29:56 --> 00:29:56 relationship
00:29:56 --> 00:29:56 with
00:29:56 --> 00:29:57 brothels
00:29:57 --> 00:30:27
00:30:27 --> 00:30:57
00:30:57 --> 00:31:27
00:31:27 --> 00:31:57
00:31:57 --> 00:32:27
00:32:27 --> 00:32:57
00:32:57 --> 00:33:27
00:33:27 --> 00:33:27 hope
00:33:27 --> 00:33:28 purpose
00:33:28 --> 00:33:28 meaning
00:33:28 --> 00:33:28 joy
00:33:28 --> 00:33:29 satisfaction
00:33:29 --> 00:33:29 is found
00:33:29 --> 00:33:30 in no
00:33:30 --> 00:33:30 other
00:33:30 --> 00:33:30 name
00:33:30 --> 00:33:31 salvation
00:33:31 --> 00:33:32 is found
00:33:32 --> 00:33:33 in no
00:33:33 --> 00:33:33 one else
00:33:33 --> 00:33:34 for there
00:33:34 --> 00:33:34 is no
00:33:34 --> 00:33:35 other name
00:33:35 --> 00:33:36 under heaven
00:33:36 --> 00:33:36 given to
00:33:36 --> 00:33:37 man by
00:33:37 --> 00:33:37 which we
00:33:37 --> 00:33:37 must be
00:33:37 --> 00:33:38 saved
00:33:38 --> 00:33:39 and at
00:33:39 --> 00:33:39 St.
00:33:39 --> 00:33:40 Paul's
00:33:40 --> 00:33:40 we believe
00:33:40 --> 00:33:41 that exclusive
00:33:41 --> 00:33:42 truth claim
00:33:42 --> 00:33:43 and so we
00:33:43 --> 00:33:44 exist as a
00:33:44 --> 00:33:45 church to
00:33:45 --> 00:33:45 know Jesus
00:33:45 --> 00:33:46 to treasure
00:33:46 --> 00:33:47 Jesus and
00:33:47 --> 00:33:47 to represent
00:33:47 --> 00:33:48 Jesus for
00:33:48 --> 00:33:49 God's glory
00:33:49 --> 00:33:49 and the joy
00:33:49 --> 00:33:49 of all
00:33:49 --> 00:33:50 people
00:33:50 --> 00:33:51 and because
00:33:51 --> 00:33:52 we believe
00:33:52 --> 00:33:52 that claim
00:33:52 --> 00:33:53 is true
00:33:53 --> 00:33:54 for all
00:33:54 --> 00:33:54 people
00:33:54 --> 00:33:55 may we
00:33:55 --> 00:33:56 have the
00:33:56 --> 00:33:57 confidence
00:33:57 --> 00:33:58 and the
00:33:58 --> 00:33:58 boldness
00:33:58 --> 00:33:59 of Peter
00:33:59 --> 00:33:59 and John
00:33:59 --> 00:34:00 and be
00:34:00 --> 00:34:01 united
00:34:01 --> 00:34:02 in our
00:34:02 --> 00:34:02 desperation
00:34:02 --> 00:34:03 for the
00:34:03 --> 00:34:04 world around
00:34:04 --> 00:34:05 us to
00:34:05 --> 00:34:06 encounter
00:34:06 --> 00:34:06 Jesus
00:34:06 --> 00:34:07 and our
00:34:07 --> 00:34:08 desire to
00:34:08 --> 00:34:08 represent the
00:34:08 --> 00:34:09 diversity
00:34:09 --> 00:34:10 of Chatswood