1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,160 The text this morning that Tony is going to look into we find in Matthew 22 from 2 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:19,760 verse 15 to verse 40. Let's read this together. If you've got a pew Bible it's 3 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:26,760 found on page 1504 and 1505. 4 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:40,440 So here is God's word about Jesus' dealings with certain things. Then the 5 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:45,880 Pharisees went out on late plans to trap him in his words. They sent their 6 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:51,440 disciples to him along with the Herodians. Teacher they said, we know that 7 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:56,680 you're a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with 8 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:03,880 the truth. You aren't swayed by others because you pay no attention to who they 9 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:11,520 are. Tell us then what is European? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar 10 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:21,920 or not? Jesus knowing their evil intent said, you hypocrites why are you trying to 11 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:30,280 trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax. They bought him a denarius and 12 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:39,040 he asked them whose image is this and whose inscription Caesar's. They replied. 13 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:45,240 Then he said to them, so give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what 14 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:54,240 is God's. When they heard this they were amazed. So they left him and went away. 15 00:01:54,240 --> 00:02:00,800 That same day the Sadducees who say there is no resurrection came to him with a 16 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:07,480 question. Teacher they said, Moses told us that if a man dies without having 17 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:15,120 children his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. Now 18 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:21,120 there were seven brothers among us and the first one married and died and since 19 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:25,720 he had no children he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to 20 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:32,800 the second and the third brother. Right on down to the seventh. Finally the woman 21 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:41,280 died. Now then at the resurrection whose wife will she be of the seven since all 22 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:49,160 of them were married to her. Jesus replied, you are in error because you do not 23 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:54,960 know the scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither 24 00:02:54,960 --> 00:03:02,960 marry nor be given in marriage. They will be like the angels in heaven but 25 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:10,920 about the resurrection of the dead have you not read what God said to you? I am 26 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:18,920 the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of 27 00:03:18,920 --> 00:03:25,520 the dead but of the living. When the crowds heard this they were astonished 28 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:33,160 at his teaching. Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees the Pharisees 29 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:39,160 got together. One of them an expert in the law tested him with this question. 30 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:46,400 Teacher, which is the greatest commandment of the in the law? Jesus 31 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:54,520 replied, love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and 32 00:03:54,520 --> 00:04:02,280 with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment and the second is 33 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:10,680 like it love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on 34 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:33,800 these two commandments till thus far the words of God. Tony. Thank you Eric. 35 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,280 Good morning everybody. It's great to see you this morning. If you don't know me my 36 00:04:37,280 --> 00:04:41,440 name is Tony and I'm one of the pastors at Gosnell Baptist Church and it's a 37 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,640 pleasure to be with you this morning. It's interesting as I was listening to 38 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:49,360 Adrian earlier talking about Westminster Presbyterian Church my mind was 39 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:53,880 cast back to a period of time in my life when I was wrestling where to go to 40 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:57,800 Bible college and I spent a year we were in the Kimberleys and Horse Creek and I 41 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:03,600 spent a year driving Alan Chapel and Don West completely mad asking lots of 42 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,000 questions about Perth Centre for Applied Christian Studies at the time and 43 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,920 also Steve Rarig driving him mad asking lots of questions about Westminster 44 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,560 Theological College. I finally settled on going to Perth Centre for Applied 45 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:18,880 Christian Studies only to find out that after one year they'd been talking 46 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:23,000 together and they joined and became Westminster became Trinity as it's known 47 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:27,680 today and I spent the last two years of my advanced diploma in theology actually 48 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:32,320 at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Bull Creek up the top which is where the 49 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:37,320 college was so it's interesting how yeah things link together and yeah it's 50 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,800 great to be here with you. It's a blessing for me to be here and to 51 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:45,920 encourage you and also in the hope that Michael might have some rest getting 52 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:50,280 away. I just want you to know that at GBC Gosnell Baptist we are praying for you 53 00:05:50,280 --> 00:05:55,280 as a church from time to time and we're praying particularly that the Gospel 54 00:05:55,280 --> 00:06:00,520 will do two things for you. One that it will shape you as a church that will 55 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:05,520 shape you as who you are and secondly that it will sound out from you. That it 56 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:09,920 will shape you and that it will sound out from you and we would certainly value 57 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:15,160 the same kind of prayers for us at Gosnell's. I don't know whether you're 58 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:20,360 aware maybe you are there's 240,000 people approximately in the Twin Cities of 59 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:25,840 Armadale and Gosnell's and this morning at best five percent of them are like 60 00:06:25,840 --> 00:06:33,840 you in church. You can do the maths 228,000 people need reaching for Christ 61 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:38,920 in these two cities. So there's a significant work to be done and one that 62 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:43,680 won't be done without the prayers of one another that the Gospel might shape us 63 00:06:43,680 --> 00:06:49,240 so that we might be attractive people shaped by Jesus and that it might sound 64 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:54,720 out from us. So with that in mind why don't we pray as we come to God's word 65 00:06:54,720 --> 00:07:00,240 together. Father thank you so much for the opportunity that we have together in 66 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:06,080 the name that's above every name. The name to which one day every knee will bow 67 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:14,040 and every tongue will confess is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Father we 68 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:17,680 thank you that we can gather like this and thank you that we can also gather 69 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:23,880 as friends and partners in the Gospel in this part of Perth and we pray that we 70 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:28,440 will sense that together this morning but also that we will be shaped by your 71 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:34,080 word and that it will encourage us as we seek to live for you and serve you and 72 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:40,160 be on mission for you where you've placed us. Father we ask all of this for 73 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:44,440 without your help none of it will happen and we want to be fruitful and 74 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:53,160 faithful in bringing you glory in Jesus name we pray amen. If you'd like to have 75 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,800 your Bible open to that passage that was read to us our focus is going to really 76 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:02,480 be on 34 to 40 and actually for a large part just on verse 40 but we read that 77 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:07,680 to give us some context so maybe have that open. I want to begin by asking have 78 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:12,200 you ever struggled to balance all the things that are important in your life 79 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:16,400 and have you ever struggled to balance them all perhaps battling to know 80 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:19,680 which one is the most important they're all important they're all things that 81 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,480 matter they all seem important the question I want us to deal with this 82 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:28,840 morning is there one thing that trumps all other things is there one priority 83 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:33,840 that we should have above all others is there one thing that perhaps might 84 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:38,000 overshadow all the other important things our lives in our lives and even 85 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:42,840 shape those things and how we go about them and if there is how can we know 86 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:48,280 what might that look for us. Well this morning we're looking at Jesus answer to 87 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:53,680 these kinds of questions we're looking at what he says is most important for 88 00:08:53,680 --> 00:09:01,000 our lives and why and we're looking to take our cues from him not from our 89 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:07,880 maybe our wisdom but from his words this morning. In our reading today Jesus is 90 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:13,520 asked what is the greatest commandment in the law in other words out of all that 91 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:19,440 God has said in his word out of all the revelation of God in the scriptures what 92 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:26,480 is most important Jesus what stands out above everything else and in verse 93 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:31,520 verse 34 to following he answers that question doesn't he but when the Pharisees 94 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:36,960 heard that he had silenced the Sadducees they gathered together and one of them a 95 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:41,480 lawyer asked him a question to test him teacher which is the greatest commandment 96 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:45,200 in the law and he said to him you shall love the Lord your God with all your 97 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:49,720 heart and with all your soul and with all your mind this is the great and first 98 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:55,400 commandment and the second is like it you shall love your neighbour as yourself. 99 00:09:55,400 --> 00:10:00,800 Remember we're told clearly that this question as the others were asked not as 100 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:07,760 a genuine inquiry but to test Jesus the Pharisees earlier had plotted to see if 101 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:13,880 they could entangle Jesus in his words and failed then the Sadducees thought 102 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:17,480 they'd have a go they sought to trap him around the the subject of the 103 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:23,840 resurrection and they were silenced by his response and now as we get to this 104 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:30,520 section a Pharisee an expert in the law if you like a professor in the scriptures 105 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:37,600 perhaps is steps up to the plate to test Jesus this is one of the heavy hitters 106 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:42,880 that they've brought out just who's stepping forward to try and take Jesus 107 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:48,560 on and the question is around the law and in particular the 10 commandments you 108 00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:54,080 see if they could get Jesus to somehow speak against the law they'd have him 109 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:59,560 wouldn't they they'd have him and they could label him a blasphemer and they 110 00:10:59,560 --> 00:11:05,760 could call for his death but in verse 37 Jesus responds in a way I think the 111 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:17,760 lawyer probably didn't expect he quotes the Shema from Deuteronomy chapter 6 he 112 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,600 says this is the great commandment you shall love the Lord your God with all 113 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:27,840 your heart with all your soul and with all your mind hero Israel the Lord our 114 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:36,840 God the Lord is one now if you don't know the Shema is the central confession of 115 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:43,760 God's Old Testament people it was their confession that Yahweh the great I am the 116 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:48,880 Lord God Almighty the one who appeared to Moses in the burning bush is their 117 00:11:48,880 --> 00:12:00,160 God is their God and he is so by redeeming love and so their response to 118 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:07,840 him is to be undivided love and loyalty they would amagnify him as they 119 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:14,840 experienced his greatness and his grace the Shema was at the center of their 120 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:20,880 lives as his covenant people it was something they they recited twice a day 121 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:29,680 at morning and evening prayers in verse 39 Jesus adds another commandment in 122 00:12:29,680 --> 00:12:34,600 response out of Leviticus 19 and verse 18 and he places it alongside the 123 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:40,600 greatest commandment making this point that if we love God as his redeemed 124 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:48,400 people in the way the Shema pictures we will love those who like us are made in 125 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:56,640 his image Jesus response to the lawyers testing question is remarkable don't you 126 00:12:56,640 --> 00:13:00,960 think he doesn't go to the Ten Commandments like they would have expected 127 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:10,440 him to do but he goes to that which underpins them all and brings that home 128 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:16,920 but what he says next which is so easily for us to kind of gloss over and skip 129 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:27,320 over is mind-blowing do you see it there in verse 40 on these two commandments 130 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:35,760 depend all the law and the prophets on these commandments I think the NIV 131 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:45,040 says hang all the law and the prophets what's Jesus saying here we don't want 132 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:50,160 to miss this friends well firstly what does he mean when he says the law and 133 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:56,800 the prophets what that phrase was pretty much shorthand for the whole Old 134 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:01,520 Testament the law refers to the Pentecost Pentateuch the writings of 135 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:05,400 Moses the first five books of the Bible Genesis Exodus Exodus Leviticus 136 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:12,320 Numbers Deuteronomy and the prophets well pretty much for everything else so 137 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:17,680 again what is Jesus saying here in response to this testing question from 138 00:14:17,680 --> 00:14:25,640 this professor of the Old Testament well he's saying that the whole revelation of 139 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:34,400 God in his word hang on these two commands that is the whole biblical 140 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:41,880 story revealed in the Scriptures is about this that without these two 141 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:47,240 commandments the revelation of God actually doesn't make much sense or to 142 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:52,240 put it another way these two commandments are the key to unlocking the 143 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:58,760 whole thing this is how we begin to see things clearly and this is how we begin 144 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:04,320 to see what matters most see when we think about the law and the prophets we 145 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:11,440 see that our very existence comes from God and we are made in his image that 146 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:19,440 he is the one true God and that we were created to glorify him and to enjoy him 147 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:24,480 forever we see that we were made to love him with all our hearts our mind and 148 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:30,120 strength and we see God's design for us is to love others who also bear his 149 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:41,000 image with us we like to call this magnification or magnifying God with 150 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:51,440 our lives discovering the greatness of God delighting in him and devoting 151 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:58,480 ourselves to him this I would argue is what Jesus says is the most important 152 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:02,840 thing for us today it's the most important thing for you it's the most 153 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:07,040 important thing for me among all the important things in our lives this is 154 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:12,440 the one that trumps them all and this is the one that overshadows them all and 155 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:21,600 in fact shapes them all magnifying God discovering his greatness delighting in 156 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:25,880 him and devoting ourselves to him and so as Jesus unlocks the biblical story in 157 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:29,640 relation to these greatest commandments I want us to see two things this morning 158 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:37,560 that are really clear for us firstly magnifying God is what we were made for 159 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:45,440 and what God is worthy of it's what we were made for and what he is worthy of 160 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:49,280 see as he reveals to us the greatest commandment he knows this to be true 161 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:55,400 right he's the one who made us and this is what is clearly revealed to us in 162 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,760 the law and the prophets from the very first pages of the Bible what do you 163 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:03,640 see what do you encounter well you encounter the God who made the world 164 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:08,360 and everything in it don't you you encounter the God who made us in his 165 00:17:08,360 --> 00:17:12,320 own image and his likeness that we might know him that we might love him that we 166 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:19,320 might enjoy him that we might delight in him as our creator even in the very 167 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:26,080 first pages of the law in terms of the way Jesus thinks about it we discover 168 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:33,240 the God who made us and in doing so friends we discover why we exist we 169 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:40,200 discover our purpose in this life we discover that we are in fact created to 170 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:48,800 be worshipers to magnify the true and living God who made the world and who 171 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:56,800 made us and we discover don't we that he is the God who is worthy of this the 172 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:07,480 eternal God who was and is and is to come what are the first words of the 173 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:20,800 first book in the beginning God before there was anything else God the worthy 174 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:33,480 one the unique one the one who we then see speaks the world into existence who 175 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:47,840 said let there be and there was things became that were not in existence the 176 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:55,160 one who gave us life and breath and all things and made us in his image and his 177 00:18:55,160 --> 00:19:05,600 likeness unique in his creation the only ones of whom he said when he had made 178 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:15,200 and it was very good is it any wonder then that the greatest commandment would 179 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:22,840 be this he might love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul 180 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:29,880 and with all your mind and is it any wonder then that the second commandment 181 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:35,120 might be like it that you would love your neighbor those who are likewise made in 182 00:19:35,120 --> 00:19:42,880 God's image as yourself is it any wonder that we're called to love God in this 183 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:48,960 vertical relationship with him that we can have and then love one another in 184 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:56,360 the horizontal relationships around us on these Jesus says these two 185 00:19:56,360 --> 00:20:04,040 commandments depend all the law and the prophets friends it's what we were made 186 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:11,800 for and it's what he's worthy of a favorite author of mine perhaps one of 187 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:20,160 yours as well dr. Paul trip says this of us as people made in God's image he says 188 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:29,360 you and I are hard-wired for all we are hard-wired for all if you're an 189 00:20:29,360 --> 00:20:32,480 electrician in the room you'll understand that really well if you're not 190 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:37,800 speak to the electricians in the room afterwards we are hard-wired for all we 191 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:45,720 are made to be in awe of someone and we've used that word for lots of things 192 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:52,560 haven't we even you know lunch can be awesome these days but in this sense 193 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:59,240 there is only one who is truly awesome the one true and living God the God who 194 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:08,520 made us now just the constate contextualization the Westminster shorter 195 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:13,280 catechism which I'm sure many of you know well puts it this way what is the 196 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:25,040 chief end of man and she fend is to glorify God and enjoy him forever it's a 197 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:32,880 good it's a good statement isn't it King David puts it this way I will bless 198 00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:39,040 the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth my soul makes 199 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:45,040 it its boast in the Lord capital L O R D in Yahweh the great and Almighty God let 200 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:50,200 the humble hear and be glad and and I love this verse don't you oh Magnificent 201 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:55,480 this is a call to worship oh met with King David he's calling us to worship oh 202 00:21:55,480 --> 00:22:02,760 magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together why is he calling 203 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:06,080 you to do that why is the Word of God calling you to do that it's because it's 204 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:13,600 what you were made for and it's what he's worthy of do you know that this is 205 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:19,760 ultimately what your life is about sometimes we don't sometimes it takes 206 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:25,720 us years perhaps even decades to discover this that this is who I am this is 207 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:34,880 what I'm for this is why exist this is why I breathe I wonder is it something 208 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:41,680 that you've settled once and for all at the core of who you are about why you're 209 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:47,920 here and this is the reality that's meant to Trump every other priority you 210 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:56,520 have and not just because you should because of it's who you are it's what 211 00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:04,600 you were made for and because the one who made you is worthy he has given you 212 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:14,040 life and sustains it every hour every minute every second we're here this 213 00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:24,880 morning in Armadale in this building because of God alone ultimately that 214 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:30,200 heart that's beating in your chest those lungs that are breathing taking in air 215 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:39,840 and exhaling it the person you are it's from God everything we have and have 216 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:46,320 comes from him as a gift so let's hear David again I magnify the Lord with me 217 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:53,160 and let us exalt his name together it should be the most natural if I can use 218 00:23:53,160 --> 00:24:04,400 those words thing for us to hear and then to say absolutely count me in in the 219 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:14,800 magnification of God together with others I want to be there so firstly it's 220 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:19,160 what we were made for and what God is worthy of a secondly when it comes to 221 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:27,680 magnifying Jesus it's what we have fallen from but it's what God redeems us to 222 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:33,400 it's what we've fallen from but it's what God redeems us to and again in the 223 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:40,040 law and the prophets you don't have to go very far to see this do you just three 224 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:48,760 chapters in and humans tragically turn their backs on God's good design just 225 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:54,680 three chapters in humans tragically turn their backs we see people no longer 226 00:24:54,680 --> 00:25:01,120 exalting God but rather exalting themselves we see people no longer living 227 00:25:01,120 --> 00:25:05,040 out what they were made for but living for themselves and as the biblical story 228 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:12,360 unfolds we see the magnification of false gods and idols we see the worship of 229 00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:16,520 those false gods and not the true and living God and we see God bringing his 230 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:21,880 just judgment as a result the beauty of humans loving God has been shattered by 231 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:29,800 sin and then we see the fracturing on the vertical level of human relationships 232 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:42,160 don't we jealousy hatred and murder we see in those first 11 chapters of the 233 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:47,280 law of Genesis the expression of every form of sin and evil and it appears that 234 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:57,280 all is lost humanity has fallen from the dignity of what it was made for from 235 00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:02,880 God's good design and if we're honest the tragic realities of this are with us 236 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:15,280 to this day are they not in fact they are not just with us they are in us to 237 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:22,440 varying degrees we've all done this we've all turned our backs on God's good 238 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:28,160 design we've all fallen from it we've all exalted other gods in his place in 239 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:34,360 whatever form they may have taken and we've all sought to create our own 240 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:42,480 purpose in this life running things our own way coming up with our own design and 241 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:48,800 as a result we are all worthy of God's just and righteous judgment as a result 242 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:59,320 the beauty of what we were made for has been shattered by sin 243 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:09,640 but that's not all we see in the law and the prophets is that we also see a God 244 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:20,320 who takes the initiative to redeem those who have fallen we see a God who sets a 245 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:25,080 plan in motion even after those first 11 chapters of Genesis chapter 12 verse 1 246 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:33,440 to 3 we see God setting a plan in motion to bring blessing to the world and for 247 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:40,480 the rest of the law and the prophets we see it shadowed or foreshadowed and then 248 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:48,880 in the person of Jesus we see the reality of it we see it fulfilled when he 249 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:53,560 walks upon the earth we hear these words from the lips of Jesus the eternal 250 00:27:53,560 --> 00:28:00,560 Son of God for the Son of God or the Son of man came to seek and to save that 251 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:13,600 which is lost here we see God in Jesus taking the initiative to redeem in 252 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:21,160 Romans 3 perhaps familiar to you we see God fulfilling his saving plan in Jesus 253 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:27,960 making atonement for us though we have turned our backs on him he provides for 254 00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:34,800 our redemption and at great cost to himself you see it there for all have 255 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:43,200 sinned and for short of the glory of God all have turned their backs not some and 256 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:48,240 are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ 257 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:57,600 Jesus look at this verse 25 whom God put forth the God we turned our backs on he 258 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:07,560 puts forth his son as a propitiation or a sacrifice of atonement for our turning 259 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:16,080 our backs on him isn't that awesome the God we walked away from pursues us in 260 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:29,200 his son and this is to be received by faith but what I want us to see most 261 00:29:29,200 --> 00:29:36,080 clearly is when we take hold of what God has done for us in Jesus by faith what I 262 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:40,640 want us to see this morning as we think about what we were made for is where 263 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:50,400 that lands us look at verse 1 and 2 of Romans 12 Paul writes I appeal to you 264 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:58,680 therefore brothers and sisters by the mercies of God to present your bodies 265 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:10,920 your whole self as living or as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which 266 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:19,600 is your spiritual worship do you see it there friends do you see what God has 267 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:29,840 done in our lives through his son he has redeemed you and in doing so he has 268 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:43,640 redeemed your worship he has restored you to what you were made for and what he 269 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:55,040 is worthy of through the sacrifice of atonement through taking hold of that by 270 00:30:55,040 --> 00:31:08,680 faith all this by his mercy his help to the helpless his rich mercy as Paul 271 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:17,640 says his great mercy as Paul says his phenomenal mercy we might say mercy 272 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:23,800 that actually takes Paul 11 chapters prior to Romans 12 to kind of unpack 273 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:35,400 it's that big and then he says by the mercies of God in the gospel offer your 274 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:47,440 bodies and I want to say at this point really really I thought that was lost 275 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:53,240 can I actually be back there what where you what you made me for where I'm 276 00:31:53,240 --> 00:32:00,360 there again is that possible I don't deserve to be here but but by your mercy 277 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:11,080 can I find myself here again and the answer is yes we've got no place being 278 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:17,400 there in and of ourselves have we we turned our backs on this we created our 279 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:27,520 own idols our own purpose but in Christ through his mercy he saw you he saw me 280 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:36,760 he came to save that which was lost and in his grace in his redeeming love he's 281 00:32:36,760 --> 00:32:43,560 restored you to this most precious place 282 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:57,400 it's what we have fallen from but what he redeems us to now I don't know whether 283 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:04,320 you've noticed but there seems to be just an endless amount of restoration 284 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:09,160 shows on TV have you noticed it's just like it's just off the charts right 285 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:14,520 they used to be like one or two now there's house restorations there's car 286 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:19,600 restorations there's backyard restorations there's pool restorations and 287 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:26,200 just the list goes on and I just I think we must conclude one thing about that 288 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:31,800 they're banking on the fact that for the most part we all like stories of 289 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:41,520 restoration right and I get it but do you see this morning the restoration that 290 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:50,480 God has done in his son a restoration like no other the glorious purpose of 291 00:33:50,480 --> 00:34:04,160 God has redeemed and restored for us this God given purpose so I wonder do you 292 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:16,480 want to hear David's call again I come and magnify the Lord with me and let us 293 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:28,520 exalt his name together I reckon if this gripped us perhaps a bit more I know 294 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:33,520 it already has but if it gripped us more you reckon it might change the way we 295 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:41,160 come to church do you reckon the those who are leading the music but might be 296 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:54,400 stunned at the singing coming from the floor as we heed that call from King 297 00:34:54,400 --> 00:35:00,000 David now I'm not saying you still need to be who we are within our personality 298 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:03,760 and all the rest of it I was not talking about becoming something we're not 299 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:11,440 everyone has different forms of expression and so on but this friends I 300 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:19,000 believe is a fire that if we're not careful dies down and that needs to be 301 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:27,520 stoked regularly with the truths of the gospel that's how we'll love God with 302 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:32,960 all our hearts all mind and strength never perfectly until we were before him 303 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:42,120 one day it's what we've fallen from but it's what God redeems us to and this is 304 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:47,640 what it means for us I think to be shaped by the gospel don't you think and I 305 00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:54,080 think it's what it means for it to sound out from us not just when we gather in 306 00:35:54,080 --> 00:36:01,040 whatever singing or so on but you know what something that just blurts out 307 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:11,560 because we can't keep it in wherever he's placed us during the week 308 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:16,480 well my what might it look like in the day-to-day in your lives at Grace 309 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:22,120 Christian Church how might you live this out together as those who are made to 310 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:29,280 magnify God I want to suggest five key applications for you this morning to 311 00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:34,320 pursue this together as a church and they're obvious ones right there's not 312 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:37,480 rocket science you're gonna you're gonna go yeah follow that before I just want 313 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:43,480 to remind you of these things firstly gather together gather together like you 314 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:50,000 are this morning but gather together deliberately to magnify the Lord and 315 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:55,520 exalt his name not accidentally not kind of stumbling on in I mean sure we all 316 00:36:55,520 --> 00:37:02,840 have bad days I'm not you know wanting to be legalistic about it but prepare when 317 00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:08,440 you come and come expectantly thinking that God will speak to you through his 318 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:15,320 word and wanting to heed David's call as we've heard this morning there the 319 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:22,200 gathering of God's people is a means of grace for God's people and the and the 320 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:26,880 degree to which those means of grace land for us is determined by how much 321 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:32,360 we participate in them from singing to hearing the word of God to listening to 322 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:35,920 the word of God to coming around the Lord's table whatever it might be to 323 00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:39,200 encouraging one another and all the other one and others that you can think 324 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:44,080 of I believe there's like 59 of them or 63 of them or something like that right 325 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:49,600 they're all God's built-in means of grace for us to be edified and encouraged 326 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:54,440 so gather together grow with others meet together some other time other than 327 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:59,880 Sunday Sunday to increasingly discover the greatness of God to delight in him 328 00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:04,480 and to devote yourself to him maybe in Bible studies I don't know what you've 329 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:07,320 got here I think you've got some growth groups I don't know whether you have one 330 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:17,200 to ones whatever thirdly it might seem a little odd give generously give generously 331 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:22,720 why would that be part of loving God with all your heart soul mind and strength I 332 00:38:22,720 --> 00:38:31,120 want to suggest to you that giving generously is an antidote to idolatry 333 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:37,680 it's an antidote to idolatry it's a really good way to check your heart and 334 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:42,960 to see if there's not some little idol growing up there that's making you hang 335 00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:49,080 on to things that you would otherwise be quite happy to let go of so give 336 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:54,920 generously obviously privately and prayerfully before the Lord not publicly 337 00:38:54,920 --> 00:39:02,360 but give generously that was Jesus so you cannot worship God and money so make 338 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:08,160 sure you're giving money away it's a good way to keep the weeds out and 339 00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:15,400 obviously it's part of magnifying God because he's so great okay thirdly 340 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:18,640 fourthly and really importantly maybe one we're not that great at I don't know 341 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:25,680 about you give testimony give testimony not necessarily upfront here in a formal 342 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:32,800 way but share with others what the Lord is teaching you what he's showing you 343 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:37,440 how he's working in your life is so encouraging to hear Adrienne this morning 344 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:40,320 to hear what they've been through and how the Lord has sustained them in that 345 00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:44,040 were you not built up as you heard that we're not encouraged as you heard that 346 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:50,560 I was I don't even know Adrienne but I know she's a sister in Christ who's 347 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:55,840 discovering his greatness in amongst all sorts of things we don't have to wait 348 00:39:55,840 --> 00:40:00,760 until someone's upfront to do that do we pretty sure you got coffee after church 349 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:07,480 you're gonna stay and have conversations give testimony so encouraging it's 350 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,800 encouraging for you because you go oh my goodness I've just shared about some and 351 00:40:10,800 --> 00:40:14,720 yeah God has really been doing that in my life I wasn't as aware of it now but 352 00:40:14,720 --> 00:40:17,880 now that I've shared it with someone I'm more aware of it and now they're aware 353 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:23,040 of it and both of you can be what giving thanks to God see how it helps your 354 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:32,600 magnification give testimony and lastly serve joyfully serve joyfully I don't 355 00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:38,840 know whether you know but the word serve in the Bible is a worship word we've 356 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:49,080 diminished it to a task something we do on a roster it's worship whether it's on 357 00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:53,080 the door whether it's on the coffee machine whether it's in music whatever 358 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:59,320 whether you're just serving one another informally that is worship and that's 359 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:08,760 how it can be joyful I don't know about you but if it's just a task I'm like this 360 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:14,440 is a bit dry not sure I want to do this anymore I've been doing on this roster 361 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:21,160 two years I reckon it's time I got off someone else should have a go right 362 00:41:21,160 --> 00:41:30,840 serve joyfully magnification discovering his greatness delighting in it and then 363 00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:38,280 devoting yourself to him it's what you're made for it's what he's worthy of it's 364 00:41:38,280 --> 00:41:47,520 what we fell from praise God it's what he restored us to so I will bless the 365 00:41:47,520 --> 00:41:53,480 Lord at all times David says his praise shall continually be in my mouth my 366 00:41:53,480 --> 00:42:04,280 soul makes it's boast in myself for all sorts of reasons ten thousand reasons 367 00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:09,840 too many I can't count them but the humble here and be glad oh there's 368 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:18,320 testimony magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together may grace 369 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:27,520 Christian church and Gosnell's Baptist Church be known as people who love and 370 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:35,560 magnify their God who is shaped by the gospel and from whom the gospel sounds 371 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:59,920 out I'm in I'm in