WEBVTT 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:14.240 Welcome to ECB's weekly sermon podcast. ECB is 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:16.519 an international church in Bangkok, Thailand, 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:19.760 with dozens of nationalities worshiping together. 00:00:20.039 --> 00:00:22.920 We invite you to connect with us from wherever 00:00:22.920 --> 00:00:27.160 you are through our website ecb .asia or our 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:31.000 mobile app. And now we pray that you are blessed 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:35.159 by this week's sermon. We are now on session 00:00:35.159 --> 00:00:39.770 seven. of the study, Grace and Peace, a journey 00:00:39.770 --> 00:00:42.909 through the book of Colossians. And we will learn 00:00:42.909 --> 00:00:45.689 a little bit more about what the Apostle Paul 00:00:45.689 --> 00:00:48.670 has been telling us through it. But before we 00:00:48.670 --> 00:00:54.409 do that, let's pray. Lord, we always, always 00:00:54.409 --> 00:00:58.689 want to start with you first. Because this is 00:00:58.689 --> 00:01:03.729 your word. And because we need you in our lives. 00:01:03.789 --> 00:01:07.930 We need your truth. To open our hearts to you. 00:01:10.170 --> 00:01:13.530 So we are humbling ourselves before you. Acknowledging 00:01:13.530 --> 00:01:17.890 our need for you. And I'm asking you Lord. Would 00:01:17.890 --> 00:01:21.049 you use me in your power. In your grace. In your 00:01:21.049 --> 00:01:28.420 strength. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. What we 00:01:28.420 --> 00:01:31.359 have discovered so far in the book of Colossians 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:34.920 is that this was a book, a letter written in 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:40.340 the year 60 or so of our era to a Christian community 00:01:40.340 --> 00:01:42.939 at the very beginning of the church that was 00:01:42.939 --> 00:01:46.579 in an area called Colossae, which was in the 00:01:46.579 --> 00:01:50.340 country that today is known as Turkey. And they 00:01:50.340 --> 00:01:53.159 were facing lots of different things. And the 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:56.019 Apostle Paul writes from prison while he is in 00:01:56.019 --> 00:01:58.900 Rome. And he writes in this letter many things 00:01:58.900 --> 00:02:01.879 to help them understand their salvation. So that 00:02:01.879 --> 00:02:06.219 they can experience God's grace and his peace. 00:02:06.640 --> 00:02:09.620 And so that that grace and that peace also can 00:02:09.620 --> 00:02:12.400 flow through them. And he's going to take them 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:15.819 through all of that in the book. We learn that 00:02:15.819 --> 00:02:19.280 when God saved us. He made us part of his people 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:22.120 and now we have received full forgiveness, full 00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:26.259 acceptance, full embrace. We no longer need to 00:02:26.259 --> 00:02:28.680 wonder whether God loves us, whether he accepts 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:31.340 us, whether we are good enough. None of that 00:02:31.340 --> 00:02:34.280 is part of the story because we have been completely 00:02:34.280 --> 00:02:38.099 reconciled with God. We belong to his realm, 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:40.939 to his kingdom now. We no longer belong to the 00:02:40.939 --> 00:02:44.300 kingdom of darkness. And now that we are rooted 00:02:44.300 --> 00:02:47.000 in Christ and we have received His grace and 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:52.960 His peace, now we can start experiencing the 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:56.580 flow of God's grace and peace through us. And 00:02:56.580 --> 00:02:59.620 that's why Paul told us that this grace and this 00:02:59.620 --> 00:03:02.939 peace does not stop with you, but it flows through 00:03:02.939 --> 00:03:05.639 you. It's meant to flow through you into your 00:03:05.639 --> 00:03:08.740 relationships. It's meant to flow through you 00:03:08.740 --> 00:03:12.280 in your home, in your family life. It is meant 00:03:12.280 --> 00:03:15.639 to flow through you in your work life. And that 00:03:15.639 --> 00:03:17.539 is what we have covered so far in the previous 00:03:17.539 --> 00:03:23.219 studies. Today we will learn also that this grace 00:03:23.219 --> 00:03:26.139 and this peace is also meant to flow through 00:03:26.139 --> 00:03:30.020 you into the world in which God has placed you. 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:34.159 And whenever we hear the phrase world peace, 00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:37.800 somehow we imagine like a political movement 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:42.180 and presidents and countries. But actually, what 00:03:42.180 --> 00:03:45.680 we will discover is that the foundation for world 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:49.879 peace is not in politics. It's in Jesus. And 00:03:49.879 --> 00:03:52.199 it's in the transformation of the heart of the 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:56.840 individual that suddenly opens up the grace and 00:03:56.840 --> 00:04:04.219 peace of God through us. So at the core, the 00:04:04.219 --> 00:04:06.080 question we're going to be trying to discern 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:11.129 today is, Is God's grace and his peace flowing 00:04:11.129 --> 00:04:17.610 through you? Or has it stopped with you? That's 00:04:17.610 --> 00:04:22.509 an important question, isn't it? Let me tell 00:04:22.509 --> 00:04:24.930 you the story of a high school student. I don't 00:04:24.930 --> 00:04:27.050 really know his name. I know he was about 14 00:04:27.050 --> 00:04:30.569 years old. He was Christian. And he went to a 00:04:30.569 --> 00:04:34.009 school that was not a Christian school. So when 00:04:34.009 --> 00:04:37.029 he went to school, one of his classmates, That 00:04:37.029 --> 00:04:39.290 was very interested in politics. His nickname 00:04:39.290 --> 00:04:43.769 was Nacho. And Nacho approaches this student. 00:04:43.970 --> 00:04:47.269 And says hey I want you to come to this political 00:04:47.269 --> 00:04:51.569 event. Will you join me? So this Christian high 00:04:51.569 --> 00:04:57.089 schooler said. Sure I'll join you. But if you 00:04:57.089 --> 00:05:02.509 promise to come with me to church. So Nacho said. 00:05:02.709 --> 00:05:07.040 Sure I'll go with you. He was just trying. To 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:10.019 play the political game. To bring him in. And 00:05:10.019 --> 00:05:12.040 he thought. Yeah I can attend church with you 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:15.459 once. But they did not go to a worship service. 00:05:15.860 --> 00:05:19.959 They went to a soccer game. And it was a bunch 00:05:19.959 --> 00:05:25.319 of youths. And as they are in that game. He heard 00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:29.339 from the first time. A person stand up. Right 00:05:29.339 --> 00:05:31.819 there in the field. And started sharing. About 00:05:31.819 --> 00:05:34.839 the love of Jesus. And what God had done for 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:37.759 them. And for the first time, he started hearing 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:41.899 that God loved him, that Jesus had come to pay 00:05:41.899 --> 00:05:45.019 for all of his sins, that Jesus was inviting 00:05:45.019 --> 00:05:47.300 him to follow him and experience God's grace 00:05:47.300 --> 00:05:52.740 and his peace. So that intrigued Nacho. And that 00:05:52.740 --> 00:05:55.420 was not the only time he ended up attending church. 00:05:56.199 --> 00:05:59.259 He started asking so many questions. And the 00:05:59.259 --> 00:06:02.279 guy that was teaching all of these things was 00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:04.970 not even from his country. He came from a place 00:06:04.970 --> 00:06:08.069 called Puerto Rico. Any Puerto Ricans here? Well, 00:06:08.069 --> 00:06:12.670 so he came from Puerto Rico to this country and 00:06:12.670 --> 00:06:15.050 then started working with the youth and shared 00:06:15.050 --> 00:06:18.569 the gospel with Nacho. And at 14 years old, Nacho 00:06:18.569 --> 00:06:21.509 came to know Christ. And then later he became 00:06:21.509 --> 00:06:26.529 my father. The work of one simple invitation 00:06:26.529 --> 00:06:31.990 from a high school student to simply say, yeah. 00:06:32.540 --> 00:06:36.540 I'll go, but you come with me too. What is the 00:06:36.540 --> 00:06:40.699 power of letting God's grace and peace flow through 00:06:40.699 --> 00:06:44.600 you in something that is as simple as an invitation? 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:48.399 It's not something that you have to figure out 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:51.959 or plan ahead. When we are following the Lord 00:06:51.959 --> 00:06:55.300 Jesus and you have received His grace and His 00:06:55.300 --> 00:06:59.240 peace, God wants now His grace and that peace 00:06:59.240 --> 00:07:03.279 to flow through you in a very organic way. And 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:06.379 the Holy Spirit is going to prompt you to engage 00:07:06.379 --> 00:07:09.839 and to do things that you cannot imagine the 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:15.699 outcome of that throughout the years. The Apostle 00:07:15.699 --> 00:07:20.120 Paul is going to tell us in this passage that 00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:25.730 the grace and peace of God was never meant To 00:07:25.730 --> 00:07:32.230 stop with us. From the beginning. It has been 00:07:32.230 --> 00:07:36.949 released. To flow throughout the world. No matter 00:07:36.949 --> 00:07:39.689 where Christians go. This grace goes with them. 00:07:39.730 --> 00:07:43.610 And flows through them. So he wants to make sure. 00:07:43.709 --> 00:07:46.870 That these Christians in Colossae. are not only 00:07:46.870 --> 00:07:49.689 missing the picture of recipients of God's grace 00:07:49.689 --> 00:07:51.810 and thinking that they're not good enough and 00:07:51.810 --> 00:07:54.230 they have to do extra things to gain God's love, 00:07:54.490 --> 00:07:56.970 but also he wants to make sure that they don't 00:07:56.970 --> 00:07:58.889 miss the picture of being a channel of God's 00:07:58.889 --> 00:08:02.550 grace and impacting the world. Because the secret 00:08:02.550 --> 00:08:06.009 for world peace is the peace of the individual. 00:08:06.970 --> 00:08:09.910 And the peace of the individual starts with a 00:08:09.910 --> 00:08:13.329 relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the Prince 00:08:13.329 --> 00:08:18.550 of Peace. That's why he says these words. We 00:08:18.550 --> 00:08:22.490 always pray for you Colossians. And we give thanks 00:08:22.490 --> 00:08:26.430 to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For 00:08:26.430 --> 00:08:29.069 we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. 00:08:29.569 --> 00:08:33.190 And your love for all of God's people. Which 00:08:33.190 --> 00:08:36.529 come from your confident hope of what God has 00:08:36.529 --> 00:08:40.250 reserved for you in heaven. Do you remember how 00:08:40.250 --> 00:08:42.850 they heard the gospel? It wasn't from the Apostle 00:08:42.850 --> 00:08:48.639 Paul. It was from this other guy. Epaphras. The 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:51.139 guy that Paul now is talking to in Rome while 00:08:51.139 --> 00:08:52.919 in prison. And he learns everything that had 00:08:52.919 --> 00:08:57.059 happened to the Colossians. He knows everything 00:08:57.059 --> 00:09:00.360 that they have gone through. And then he says, 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:03.639 you have had these expectations ever since you 00:09:03.639 --> 00:09:08.600 first heard the truth of the good news. The gospel 00:09:08.600 --> 00:09:12.220 of Jesus Christ. The same good news that came 00:09:12.220 --> 00:09:17.149 to you. It's going out all over the world. If 00:09:17.149 --> 00:09:21.490 you would just see what I have seen. It is bearing 00:09:21.490 --> 00:09:25.950 fruit everywhere. By doing what? By changing 00:09:25.950 --> 00:09:31.350 lives. Just as it changed your lives. From the 00:09:31.350 --> 00:09:34.669 day you first heard and understood the truth 00:09:34.669 --> 00:09:39.200 about God's wonderful grace. I'm excited for 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:41.659 you, Colossians. I'm praying for you because 00:09:41.659 --> 00:09:45.179 I heard that you now believe in the gospel. And 00:09:45.179 --> 00:09:47.740 just as your lives have been transformed, there 00:09:47.740 --> 00:09:50.000 are many more lives around the world that are 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:53.740 being transformed by the same power of God's 00:09:53.740 --> 00:09:58.480 love. You learn about the good news from Epaphras, 00:09:58.519 --> 00:10:02.340 our beloved co -worker. He is Christ's faithful 00:10:02.340 --> 00:10:05.179 servant, and he's helping us on your behalf. 00:10:06.090 --> 00:10:09.149 He has told us about the love for others that 00:10:09.149 --> 00:10:12.029 the Holy Spirit has given you. Very good reputation. 00:10:12.990 --> 00:10:17.830 And he's telling them, look, you have experienced 00:10:17.830 --> 00:10:22.669 the power of the gospel. When you heard that 00:10:22.669 --> 00:10:25.730 Jesus loved you and he had died for you, and 00:10:25.730 --> 00:10:28.490 he's inviting you to follow him, but now completely 00:10:28.490 --> 00:10:31.889 free from guilt and accusation because he has 00:10:31.889 --> 00:10:35.360 already paid for all of your shame. And he's 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:38.460 inviting you now to follow him in full grace 00:10:38.460 --> 00:10:44.299 and peace. This gospel, which is a word that 00:10:44.299 --> 00:10:48.679 means good news, is the good news that you believed 00:10:48.679 --> 00:10:52.779 and transformed you. When he talks about the 00:10:52.779 --> 00:10:55.980 gospel in the letter to the Romans, he uses the 00:10:55.980 --> 00:11:02.610 word power. The gospel is the power of God. That 00:11:02.610 --> 00:11:08.190 is the word dunamis. The gospel is this transforming 00:11:08.190 --> 00:11:12.429 message that has the power to transform your 00:11:12.429 --> 00:11:16.690 life and the life of those around you. It's not 00:11:16.690 --> 00:11:21.190 just an intellectual assertion of belief. It's 00:11:21.190 --> 00:11:25.289 a relationship with the creator of the universe 00:11:25.289 --> 00:11:29.029 who has loved you, who has created you, and now 00:11:29.029 --> 00:11:34.409 he's redeeming you from within. And this power 00:11:34.409 --> 00:11:41.149 is the power that is at the foundation of world 00:11:41.149 --> 00:11:46.009 peace. Because by transforming the one life that 00:11:46.009 --> 00:11:48.250 transforms the other life that transforms the 00:11:48.250 --> 00:11:51.830 other life. And you fast forward and it's the 00:11:51.830 --> 00:11:55.230 domino effect of the gospel. And the apostle 00:11:55.230 --> 00:12:00.059 Paul saw it. He saw the transformations of lives 00:12:00.059 --> 00:12:04.740 because he had the privilege of being one of 00:12:04.740 --> 00:12:08.299 the first people to take the gospel to the world. 00:12:08.600 --> 00:12:12.000 If you look at this map, this is the map of the 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:15.259 Roman Empire during the time of the Apostle Paul. 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:19.580 And he is going there from Jerusalem to the north 00:12:19.580 --> 00:12:22.120 in Antioch. And then from there he goes to the 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:25.419 area of Galatia, Asia Minor. He goes to Greece. 00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:29.039 He has been in all of those places, even to Rome 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:33.100 itself. And he has experienced so many things. 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:37.519 If you are unaware of that history, you need 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:41.110 to go to the Bible, the book of Acts. The book 00:12:41.110 --> 00:12:43.769 of Acts tells you all the experiences that they 00:12:43.769 --> 00:12:46.710 went through as he experienced taking the gospel 00:12:46.710 --> 00:12:51.330 to all of these places. And he saw life transform 00:12:51.330 --> 00:12:55.269 after life transformed after life transformed. 00:12:55.629 --> 00:12:59.610 He really was able to witness this power that 00:12:59.610 --> 00:13:02.690 he was talking about. And he knows that this 00:13:02.690 --> 00:13:06.360 gospel has to be taken. To all of these places. 00:13:06.360 --> 00:13:08.820 Because it's the foundation for the peace. That 00:13:08.820 --> 00:13:13.220 God wants the world to experience. And therefore. 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:18.220 He was able to see the churches being planted. 00:13:18.340 --> 00:13:20.960 In all these different places. And Christians 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:25.320 now being born. Into these places. And the gospel 00:13:25.320 --> 00:13:29.879 taking root. That's why. He continues telling 00:13:29.879 --> 00:13:34.179 the Colossians. That he wants to make sure. That 00:13:34.179 --> 00:13:36.299 what started with Jesus and then moved to the 00:13:36.299 --> 00:13:39.059 Apostle Paul. And now they moved to Epaphras 00:13:39.059 --> 00:13:41.519 and then got to the Colossians. Will continue. 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:44.860 That the domino effect will continue. That grace 00:13:44.860 --> 00:13:49.440 will not stop with them. But will flow through 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:53.440 them into the world. And that's what he says 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:57.899 in the following verses. I am glad when I suffer 00:13:57.899 --> 00:14:01.240 for you in my body. For I am participating in 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:04.340 the sufferings of Christ that continue for his 00:14:04.340 --> 00:14:09.740 body, the church. God has given me the responsibility 00:14:09.740 --> 00:14:13.580 of serving his church by proclaiming his entire 00:14:13.580 --> 00:14:17.620 message to you. So we tell others about Christ, 00:14:17.820 --> 00:14:22.480 warning everyone and teaching everyone with all 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:26.220 the wisdom God has given us. We want to present 00:14:26.220 --> 00:14:29.740 them to God. Perfect in their relationship with 00:14:29.740 --> 00:14:33.039 Christ. We want them to experience this peace, 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:37.220 this grace that comes from knowing Jesus. That's 00:14:37.220 --> 00:14:40.120 why I'm working and suffering for these things. 00:14:40.299 --> 00:14:45.860 Yes, that's why I work and struggle so hard depending 00:14:45.860 --> 00:14:50.460 on Christ's mighty power that works within me. 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:54.159 Will you read that aloud with me? That's why. 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:59.519 I work and struggle so hard depending on Christ's 00:14:59.519 --> 00:15:05.580 mighty power that works within me. I know the 00:15:05.580 --> 00:15:09.600 power of the gospel. And I know that can transform 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:13.120 lives and bring restoration and new beginnings. 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:18.639 I know that's why I'm working so hard and suffering. 00:15:18.740 --> 00:15:24.779 But depending on whose power? Christ. Not my 00:15:24.779 --> 00:15:30.279 own smarts. I can't convert or heal or bring 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:35.820 peace to anyone. Only God can. So yeah, I work 00:15:35.820 --> 00:15:39.000 hard with all of these things. Because He wants 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:43.320 them to understand that if God's grace and peace 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:47.639 is going to flow from them into the world, this 00:15:47.639 --> 00:15:50.899 is not a piece of cake, as we say in American 00:15:50.899 --> 00:15:56.769 English. This is not just easy. It requires hard 00:15:56.769 --> 00:16:01.669 work. You may have to suffer and pay a price 00:16:01.669 --> 00:16:08.009 to do this. But it's worth it. But also you will 00:16:08.009 --> 00:16:12.169 have to depend on God's power. Because without 00:16:12.169 --> 00:16:18.450 power you cannot have the impact. So these two 00:16:18.450 --> 00:16:21.250 things have been part of our experience. And 00:16:21.250 --> 00:16:23.669 now that you have received God's grace and his 00:16:23.669 --> 00:16:28.360 peace. You also need to invest and you also need 00:16:28.360 --> 00:16:31.399 to depend on God's power because this is what 00:16:31.399 --> 00:16:34.480 is going to continue the flow of God's grace 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:41.279 into the world way far from you. And that's why 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:46.360 he tells them at the end of the letter, devote 00:16:46.360 --> 00:16:50.179 yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a 00:16:50.179 --> 00:16:53.840 thankful heart. Pray for us too that God will 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:57.639 give us many opportunities to speak about his 00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:01.820 mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why 00:17:01.820 --> 00:17:06.160 I'm here in chains, in prison, in Rome. Pray 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:10.660 that I will proclaim this message as clearly 00:17:10.660 --> 00:17:14.920 as I should. Just as I did it with Onesimus who 00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:18.960 happened to be one of your own people. Pray for 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:24.109 me. Live wisely among those who are not believers. 00:17:25.369 --> 00:17:29.910 Make the most of every opportunity. Let your 00:17:29.910 --> 00:17:35.089 conversations be gracious and attractive so that 00:17:35.089 --> 00:17:38.470 you will have the right response for everyone. 00:17:39.410 --> 00:17:44.410 Make sure that the way that you are being a channel 00:17:44.410 --> 00:17:47.170 of that grace and that peace comes in the way 00:17:47.170 --> 00:17:50.349 that you live and the way that you speak. Because 00:17:50.349 --> 00:17:52.690 the people around you that do not have Jesus, 00:17:52.809 --> 00:17:55.750 they do not know peace. They only know fear. 00:17:56.789 --> 00:17:59.829 They do not know grace. They only know shame. 00:18:02.109 --> 00:18:05.710 Therefore, the way you live, make sure that you're 00:18:05.710 --> 00:18:09.490 living wisely. Because if you're a channel of 00:18:09.490 --> 00:18:14.009 that grace, they will see it in your very eyes. 00:18:14.349 --> 00:18:18.289 They will perceive it in the tone. Of your voice. 00:18:18.430 --> 00:18:20.750 They will perceive it in the words of wisdom 00:18:20.750 --> 00:18:25.789 that you share. Make sure. That that grace and 00:18:25.789 --> 00:18:28.569 that peace is flowing through you. And also. 00:18:28.650 --> 00:18:34.650 Make sure. That you remember. My chains. And 00:18:34.650 --> 00:18:38.009 actually. This last verse is the last words. 00:18:38.809 --> 00:18:48.220 Of the book. Don't forget. The price. That we 00:18:48.220 --> 00:18:54.220 have paid. For the gospel to get to you. Don't 00:18:54.220 --> 00:19:00.200 forget my chains. It has taken. A lot of investment. 00:19:01.140 --> 00:19:05.299 A lot of sacrifice. A lot of dependence on God's 00:19:05.299 --> 00:19:09.960 power. To get to where you are. So Colossians. 00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:16.259 Now it's your turn. Go. And continue this. Because 00:19:16.259 --> 00:19:19.880 God's grace was never meant to stop with you. 00:19:23.740 --> 00:19:30.279 Wow. This is powerful stuff. Because it is true. 00:19:31.220 --> 00:19:35.819 We have seen it historically. Way past the Colossians. 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:39.019 As the gospel started spreading from there to 00:19:39.019 --> 00:19:42.660 other places. And throughout the centuries. And 00:19:42.660 --> 00:19:45.680 we have amazing stories of people, Christians, 00:19:45.740 --> 00:19:49.380 just like you, like me, just like the teenager 00:19:49.380 --> 00:19:52.180 in the high school that says to Nacho, will you 00:19:52.180 --> 00:19:55.359 come with me to church? Christians that simply 00:19:55.359 --> 00:20:01.160 decided to let God's grace flow through them. 00:20:02.339 --> 00:20:05.599 And in that journey of following Jesus, God led 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:11.390 them to places they never anticipated. And it 00:20:11.390 --> 00:20:15.630 was in their presence that God started bringing 00:20:15.630 --> 00:20:18.950 transformation in their surroundings. Let me 00:20:18.950 --> 00:20:22.190 tell you, for instance, the story of William 00:20:22.190 --> 00:20:26.930 Carey. He was a guy from England that in the 00:20:26.930 --> 00:20:30.329 1700s and 1800s, during that time, he went to 00:20:30.329 --> 00:20:34.440 India, compelled by the love of God. And as he 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:36.380 went there, he started preaching the gospel. 00:20:36.500 --> 00:20:38.440 And one of the things that they discovered in 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:41.299 some of the regions of India, being such a huge 00:20:41.299 --> 00:20:44.819 place with so many cultures, it was that there 00:20:44.819 --> 00:20:49.099 was a belief in a region of India, based on Hinduism, 00:20:49.140 --> 00:20:56.559 that when a man died, his wife, who became now 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:01.000 a widow, had to be buried alive with her husband, 00:21:01.079 --> 00:21:07.319 or burned. Because that was her place in life. 00:21:07.700 --> 00:21:11.200 In many contexts, the wife was considered property. 00:21:12.539 --> 00:21:15.619 And therefore, just as the husband will be buried 00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:18.480 with some of his belongings, the wife will be 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:22.180 one of them. And in other dimensions of this, 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:25.400 they would believe that it was the honorable 00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:28.059 thing for the wife not to outlive the husband. 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:32.779 So if the husband died first, then she also had 00:21:32.779 --> 00:21:38.160 to die with him. And when William arrived to 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:43.279 that place, it's like they could not believe 00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:47.240 that people had that belief and they had that 00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:51.240 practice. So it was through the grace and peace 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:54.380 of God flowing through the gospel that eventually 00:21:54.380 --> 00:21:57.119 people came to know Christ. And through that, 00:21:57.720 --> 00:22:00.319 Some of these people stopped that practices. 00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:03.539 Many of the widows were saved because of it. 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:07.900 And eventually it became an initiative for the 00:22:07.900 --> 00:22:12.019 government to pass a law that banned this practice 00:22:12.019 --> 00:22:19.740 altogether. I also love this story of Mary Slessor. 00:22:20.140 --> 00:22:23.759 She was from Scotland. A young girl that was 00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:26.259 working very hard, came from a very poor place. 00:22:27.849 --> 00:22:32.849 And a home that was not healthy. Very dysfunctional 00:22:32.849 --> 00:22:36.289 place. But she came to know Christ. And in that 00:22:36.289 --> 00:22:38.509 roughness of her life, she learned to be rough. 00:22:38.730 --> 00:22:41.170 And God was preparing that roughness because 00:22:41.170 --> 00:22:44.390 he had a plan for her. And you know what Mary 00:22:44.390 --> 00:22:48.069 Schlesser ended up doing? God moved her heart 00:22:48.069 --> 00:22:50.990 to eventually go to a place in Nigeria called 00:22:50.990 --> 00:22:55.970 Kalabar. And as she was there, she started discovering 00:22:55.970 --> 00:23:00.660 that people, Worship spirits. And they had all 00:23:00.660 --> 00:23:03.980 these beliefs about the worship of spirits. And 00:23:03.980 --> 00:23:05.940 one of the things that they believed in their 00:23:05.940 --> 00:23:11.640 worldview was that if a mother had twins, then 00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:15.680 those babies were cursed. And therefore, they 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:18.019 would take those twins and they would abandon 00:23:18.019 --> 00:23:21.059 them in the jungle to be eaten by animals or 00:23:21.059 --> 00:23:24.960 to just be killed. And in many cases the mother 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:27.319 of those twins also would be considered cursed. 00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:31.380 So she would be killed too. And as Mary arrived 00:23:31.380 --> 00:23:34.980 in that place of darkness. With the grace and 00:23:34.980 --> 00:23:38.779 peace of Jesus now to flow through her. She started 00:23:38.779 --> 00:23:42.960 rescuing those babies. And she started creating 00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:45.559 a place for some of these women to find shelter. 00:23:47.940 --> 00:23:52.579 And eventually. God used her presence in Nigeria 00:23:52.579 --> 00:23:56.640 to pass a law that banned that practice altogether. 00:23:58.759 --> 00:24:02.359 And now there's the story of John Newton. John 00:24:02.359 --> 00:24:06.539 Newton was a man that was involved in the slave 00:24:06.539 --> 00:24:14.140 trade in the 1800s. And he had this ship that 00:24:14.140 --> 00:24:17.700 was used to transfer slaves from Africa to the 00:24:17.700 --> 00:24:20.880 Americas. And he was making money out of all 00:24:20.880 --> 00:24:24.799 of that until one day he heard the message of 00:24:24.799 --> 00:24:28.940 Jesus. And he repented of his sins and he realized 00:24:28.940 --> 00:24:32.259 that what he was doing was not only wrong but 00:24:32.259 --> 00:24:36.059 was contrary to the message of the gospel. So 00:24:36.059 --> 00:24:40.319 he became a very loud voice that eventually was 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:43.019 one of the foundations for the abolition of slavery. 00:24:43.480 --> 00:24:46.900 But not only that. If you have ever heard the 00:24:46.900 --> 00:24:53.930 words, Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. The 00:24:53.930 --> 00:25:00.430 saved are raised like me. Those were his words. 00:25:00.569 --> 00:25:09.329 He wrote that hymn. This is just a glimpse of 00:25:09.329 --> 00:25:13.069 what the Apostle Paul is telling us. Is that 00:25:13.069 --> 00:25:18.829 the gospel. has the power to transform a life. 00:25:22.289 --> 00:25:26.690 And that life can become the outflow of God's 00:25:26.690 --> 00:25:30.430 grace that can transform another life and a family 00:25:30.430 --> 00:25:39.269 and communities and nations. And this is not 00:25:39.269 --> 00:25:42.390 just for the people in the time of the first 00:25:42.390 --> 00:25:47.779 century of the Apostle Paul. Or the 17 or 1800s. 00:25:48.140 --> 00:25:53.700 This is true for all of us. And by the way. If 00:25:53.700 --> 00:25:56.940 you want to learn more about the impact. That 00:25:56.940 --> 00:26:00.079 God's grace and his peace has had. Throughout 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:04.380 history. This is an amazing book. How Christianity 00:26:04.380 --> 00:26:09.519 changed the world. You may not realize. That 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:12.220 the whole movement of education. and universities, 00:26:12.579 --> 00:26:15.000 and going to college, and all of these things 00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:18.460 we take for granted, was something that was started 00:26:18.460 --> 00:26:25.200 by Christians. Hospitals. Something that was 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:29.680 started by Christians. By individuals that believed 00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:33.539 in the calling to let God's grace flow through 00:26:33.539 --> 00:26:40.200 them. The domino effect. That started with Jesus. 00:26:40.339 --> 00:26:42.880 Moved to the Apostle Paul. Moved to the Colossians. 00:26:42.920 --> 00:26:46.519 Moved. Throughout the Roman Empire. And finally. 00:26:47.380 --> 00:26:50.420 Reached someone. In a country in South America. 00:26:50.759 --> 00:26:53.339 All the way from Puerto Rico. And from South 00:26:53.339 --> 00:26:55.819 America to Mexico. And from Mexico to Thailand. 00:26:57.220 --> 00:27:00.980 The domino effect. Is something that only God 00:27:00.980 --> 00:27:06.359 can imagine. But what is true. Is that it cannot 00:27:06.359 --> 00:27:12.630 stop. With us. God's grace never. Ever was meant. 00:27:12.809 --> 00:27:18.609 To stop here at ECB. And end here. It was meant 00:27:18.609 --> 00:27:23.470 to flow from us. Into the world. But I'm afraid. 00:27:25.390 --> 00:27:27.950 That as it has happened throughout the years. 00:27:29.029 --> 00:27:31.529 There are some churches that will eventually 00:27:31.529 --> 00:27:36.269 die. Because they refused. To be a channel of 00:27:36.269 --> 00:27:39.250 God's grace and peace. And they turn into political 00:27:39.250 --> 00:27:44.829 entities. And there are Christians that have 00:27:44.829 --> 00:27:49.250 chosen. To let God's grace and his peace stop 00:27:49.250 --> 00:27:52.630 with them. Rather than obey the calling. To let 00:27:52.630 --> 00:27:58.049 that grace and peace flow through them. And it 00:27:58.049 --> 00:28:01.109 is very important that we do not go that route. 00:28:02.470 --> 00:28:07.000 We have to invest. We have to depend on God's 00:28:07.000 --> 00:28:10.240 power, and we have to continue what we received. 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:15.480 And what are those obstacles that are keeping 00:28:15.480 --> 00:28:19.740 us from continuing the flow here in Thailand 00:28:19.740 --> 00:28:23.119 and beyond, in this generation and the next? 00:28:25.099 --> 00:28:27.400 What I have observed is that there are three 00:28:27.400 --> 00:28:30.480 obstacles that are very common, and I want to 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:33.059 address them because if you are facing one of 00:28:33.059 --> 00:28:36.160 them, This is the time that God wants you to 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:39.859 be aware of it so that you will become unclogged. 00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:44.599 And now the grace and peace of God can flow through 00:28:44.599 --> 00:28:47.799 you into your family, into your context, into 00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:51.200 the world that God leads you to. What is the 00:28:51.200 --> 00:28:58.140 first one of those? Well, it's the idea that 00:28:58.140 --> 00:29:05.619 somehow, you know, People don't need Jesus to 00:29:05.619 --> 00:29:10.180 find peace and grace. They will find it somehow. 00:29:10.740 --> 00:29:16.559 Somewhere else. It's like. Pastor Pablo. You 00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:19.859 have to understand. We live in the era of globalization. 00:29:20.420 --> 00:29:25.920 And it's like. Just to think. That a person that 00:29:25.920 --> 00:29:31.289 was born. Let's say in an island. That. They 00:29:31.289 --> 00:29:33.230 worship their gods and everything. And they never 00:29:33.230 --> 00:29:35.849 heard about Jesus. Are you telling me that if 00:29:35.849 --> 00:29:38.569 that person doesn't believe in Jesus. That person 00:29:38.569 --> 00:29:40.710 will not experience God's grace and his peace. 00:29:41.609 --> 00:29:44.950 And that Jesus is the only way. You know. Somehow 00:29:44.950 --> 00:29:50.089 there must be another way. And this mindset. 00:29:50.670 --> 00:29:56.190 Seems logical. But it's not biblical. And the 00:29:56.190 --> 00:30:00.019 apostle Paul is going to write about this. To 00:30:00.019 --> 00:30:02.220 the Christians in the first century in Rome. 00:30:02.920 --> 00:30:06.240 To make sure that they don't fall for that. And 00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:12.779 look at what he says. Listen. If you openly declare 00:30:12.779 --> 00:30:15.299 that Jesus is Lord. And believe in your heart 00:30:15.299 --> 00:30:17.779 that God raised him from the dead. Then what 00:30:17.779 --> 00:30:22.380 will happen? So what do you need to do to be 00:30:22.380 --> 00:30:25.819 saved? You need to openly declare that. Jesus 00:30:25.819 --> 00:30:28.420 is Lord and believe in your heart. That God raises 00:30:28.420 --> 00:30:32.579 from the dead. You need to believe this. And 00:30:32.579 --> 00:30:36.180 then you will be saved. For it is by believing 00:30:36.180 --> 00:30:38.720 in your heart. That you are made right with God. 00:30:38.900 --> 00:30:42.140 And now that peace starts flowing. And it is 00:30:42.140 --> 00:30:44.279 by openly declaring your faith. That you are 00:30:44.279 --> 00:30:49.440 saved. This is how you experience God's grace 00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:53.259 and his peace. Therefore. Jew and Gentile are 00:30:53.259 --> 00:30:55.799 the same in this respect. They have the same 00:30:55.799 --> 00:30:58.839 Lord who gives generously to all who call on 00:30:58.839 --> 00:31:02.859 him. For everyone who calls on the name of the 00:31:02.859 --> 00:31:08.200 Lord will be saved. But how can they call on 00:31:08.200 --> 00:31:13.380 him to save them? And this is where he starts 00:31:13.380 --> 00:31:16.640 asking the questions. Pay attention to these 00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:20.240 questions. How can they call on him to save them? 00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:24.940 Unless they believe in him. And how can they 00:31:24.940 --> 00:31:28.460 believe in him if they have never heard about 00:31:28.460 --> 00:31:32.039 him? And how can they hear about him unless someone 00:31:32.039 --> 00:31:42.059 tells them? That's the logical flow. How can 00:31:42.059 --> 00:31:46.000 Nacho hear about the gospel and believe in it 00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:48.420 if nobody is telling him what the gospel is? 00:31:50.059 --> 00:31:54.519 And how can someone tell him if nobody has been 00:31:54.519 --> 00:31:59.200 sent to go and tell him? How is he going to experience 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:05.039 God's grace and his peace? That's why. How will 00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:08.660 anyone go and tell them without being sent? That 00:32:08.660 --> 00:32:11.640 is why the scriptures say, how beautiful are 00:32:11.640 --> 00:32:18.059 the feet of messengers who bring good news. Paul 00:32:18.059 --> 00:32:21.779 is saying, guys, Don't entertain, even for a 00:32:21.779 --> 00:32:25.420 second, the idea that there's another way of 00:32:25.420 --> 00:32:30.619 experiencing God's grace and His peace. People 00:32:30.619 --> 00:32:34.700 cannot believe in Jesus unless they hear about 00:32:34.700 --> 00:32:37.539 Jesus. And they cannot be saved and experience 00:32:37.539 --> 00:32:42.279 His grace unless they believe. And that's why 00:32:42.279 --> 00:32:48.019 I love these stories. This is a group of people 00:32:48.019 --> 00:32:50.700 in an island that they had never heard about 00:32:50.700 --> 00:32:53.640 the gospel. This is that tribe that you were 00:32:53.640 --> 00:32:57.640 thinking about. The Moi tribe. What about them? 00:32:58.200 --> 00:33:00.500 They were born in a place they never heard the 00:33:00.500 --> 00:33:05.920 gospel. They were in a place where, look, they 00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:10.140 have their religions. Maybe that's enough as 00:33:10.140 --> 00:33:13.420 long as they are really genuine in their faith. 00:33:15.630 --> 00:33:17.829 You know what's amazing about the story of the 00:33:17.829 --> 00:33:23.789 Moi people? Is that you get to hear from their 00:33:23.789 --> 00:33:28.930 very mouths the very first time that they heard 00:33:28.930 --> 00:33:32.210 the gospel. Because there were these missionaries 00:33:32.210 --> 00:33:34.230 that believed what the Apostle Paul just said 00:33:34.230 --> 00:33:37.890 in Romans. How can they believe if no one tells 00:33:37.890 --> 00:33:41.529 them? So they went. They learned their language. 00:33:42.299 --> 00:33:45.039 And one day they organized a gathering of all 00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:48.339 of these people for about seven days to start 00:33:48.339 --> 00:33:51.279 telling them about the good news from Genesis 00:33:51.279 --> 00:33:54.480 all the way to Jesus so they could understand 00:33:54.480 --> 00:33:59.619 that there's power of transformation in Jesus, 00:33:59.740 --> 00:34:03.160 that grace and peace are found in Him. And you 00:34:03.160 --> 00:34:06.119 know what happens? I'm not going to tell you. 00:34:07.690 --> 00:34:10.150 You will get to see it yourself. Because I want 00:34:10.150 --> 00:34:14.110 to show you. A two minute video. So you can hear. 00:34:15.010 --> 00:34:18.570 From the very mouths of a person. Who belong 00:34:18.570 --> 00:34:21.190 to a tribe. In an island. Where they had never 00:34:21.190 --> 00:34:41.730 heard. I am very happy to be able to do this. 00:34:41.730 --> 00:35:09.139 I am very happy to be able to do this. This is 00:35:09.139 --> 00:35:10.880 the heart of the gate. This is the gate to the 00:35:10.880 --> 00:35:15.920 temple. This is the gate to the temple. This 00:35:15.920 --> 00:35:21.659 is the gate to the temple. This is the gate to 00:35:21.659 --> 00:35:39.320 the temple. I don't know what to do. I don't 00:35:39.320 --> 00:35:42.679 know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't 00:35:42.679 --> 00:36:08.300 know what to do. It's not a big deal. It's not 00:36:08.300 --> 00:36:13.159 a big deal. It's not a big deal. It's a big deal. 00:36:47.640 --> 00:36:51.059 This ministry was known as New Tribes Mission. 00:36:51.199 --> 00:37:01.460 Today is Ethnos 360. You can hear the very person 00:37:01.460 --> 00:37:04.719 saying, Now I have peace with God and before, 00:37:04.900 --> 00:37:07.260 no I didn't because you never told me. I didn't 00:37:07.260 --> 00:37:17.659 understand. Don't ever fall for the lie that 00:37:17.659 --> 00:37:22.480 people can find peace and grace without Jesus. 00:37:24.659 --> 00:37:28.780 And therefore the importance of going does matter. 00:37:31.119 --> 00:37:36.019 And things are still ahead of us. There are 7 00:37:36.019 --> 00:37:42.059 ,357 ethnic groups estimated that have never 00:37:42.059 --> 00:37:45.860 heard about the gospel. That's about 3 .56 billion 00:37:45.860 --> 00:37:49.739 people that do not even know what the name Jesus 00:37:49.739 --> 00:37:57.739 is about. There are 3 ,640 languages approximately. 00:37:58.780 --> 00:38:01.179 That have no Bible in their language. Not even 00:38:01.179 --> 00:38:05.320 a fraction. They could not say. For God so loved 00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:08.599 the world. They don't even know what it's like 00:38:08.599 --> 00:38:11.480 to say. I can do all things through Christ who 00:38:11.480 --> 00:38:15.519 gives me strength. They have no Bible in their 00:38:15.519 --> 00:38:21.440 language. This is the world that we have inherited. 00:38:22.219 --> 00:38:29.400 And it still needs the gospel. But. Has the gospel 00:38:29.400 --> 00:38:35.260 stopped with us? Or now is it flowing through 00:38:35.260 --> 00:38:40.440 us? It will stop with us if we believe that there's 00:38:40.440 --> 00:38:45.460 another way apart from Jesus. The second obstacle 00:38:45.460 --> 00:38:49.800 is the belief that the apostle Paul is going 00:38:49.800 --> 00:38:52.679 to tell the Corinthians. And he's going to write 00:38:52.679 --> 00:38:55.900 this to them straightforward. And it's the belief 00:38:55.900 --> 00:38:59.690 that, you know, It's like, it's okay, you know. 00:39:00.869 --> 00:39:04.369 We don't need to suffer so much. Let's just keep 00:39:04.369 --> 00:39:07.849 it easy. Let's avoid all the cost of all these 00:39:07.849 --> 00:39:11.070 things. Somebody else will go, but not me. Because 00:39:11.070 --> 00:39:14.630 if I go, that's going to be too costly, too inconvenient. 00:39:16.010 --> 00:39:20.070 And you know what he tells them? He spares no 00:39:20.070 --> 00:39:26.050 details. Listen to his words. And he's not whining. 00:39:26.409 --> 00:39:32.090 He's just speaking truth. Listen, for me to take 00:39:32.090 --> 00:39:34.989 the gospel to you, for you to experience God's 00:39:34.989 --> 00:39:39.989 grace and God's peace, it was not easy. Five 00:39:39.989 --> 00:39:43.030 different times the Jewish leaders gave me 39 00:39:43.030 --> 00:39:47.429 lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once 00:39:47.429 --> 00:39:52.469 I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. 00:39:52.670 --> 00:39:56.750 Once I spent a whole night and a day I drift 00:39:56.750 --> 00:40:00.429 at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. 00:40:00.590 --> 00:40:05.070 I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. 00:40:05.309 --> 00:40:09.489 I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, 00:40:09.710 --> 00:40:13.130 as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger 00:40:13.130 --> 00:40:16.570 in the cities, in the deserts, and in the seas. 00:40:16.869 --> 00:40:19.949 And I have faced danger from men who claim to 00:40:19.949 --> 00:40:24.170 be believers but are not. I have worked hard. 00:40:24.190 --> 00:40:27.789 Hard and long and during many sleepless nights. 00:40:28.190 --> 00:40:31.530 I have been hungry and thirsty and have often 00:40:31.530 --> 00:40:34.750 gone without food. I have shivered in the cold 00:40:34.750 --> 00:40:38.369 without enough clothing to keep me warm. Then, 00:40:38.369 --> 00:40:41.789 besides all this, I have the daily burden of 00:40:41.789 --> 00:40:45.969 my concerns for all the churches. Who is weak 00:40:45.969 --> 00:40:51.159 without my feeling that weakness? And who is 00:40:51.159 --> 00:40:58.039 led astray and I do not burn with anger? I suffer 00:40:58.039 --> 00:41:03.260 for you to be able to hear the gospel and believe 00:41:03.260 --> 00:41:09.320 in it. Then why are you complaining? Do you know 00:41:09.320 --> 00:41:12.559 what it took for the gospel to reach this place? 00:41:15.519 --> 00:41:20.650 It's like, but Paul, you sound miserable. It's 00:41:20.650 --> 00:41:23.889 like, all of that you had to suffer, sleepless 00:41:23.889 --> 00:41:27.329 night, cold, hungry. It's like, I'm not sure. 00:41:27.469 --> 00:41:29.929 I want to take the gospel to the world. It's 00:41:29.929 --> 00:41:36.789 just, why just not quit? Change careers. Do something 00:41:36.789 --> 00:41:45.690 that is easier. Be happy. He says, it's because 00:41:45.690 --> 00:41:49.130 the love of Christ compels me. I'm not doing 00:41:49.130 --> 00:41:54.739 this. Because it's easy. I'm doing it. Because 00:41:54.739 --> 00:41:59.559 I love Jesus. And when you love Jesus. You love 00:41:59.559 --> 00:42:10.000 what he loves. Have you been wrestling. With 00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:13.300 God's calling you to engage. To pursue things. 00:42:13.440 --> 00:42:18.820 But what is holding you back. Is the cost. Thinking. 00:42:19.949 --> 00:42:22.730 That it will be too difficult to be separated 00:42:22.730 --> 00:42:25.590 from your family. That it will be too difficult 00:42:25.590 --> 00:42:28.070 because you will have opposition. That it will 00:42:28.070 --> 00:42:29.969 be too difficult because you will have to learn 00:42:29.969 --> 00:42:32.230 another language. That it will be too difficult 00:42:32.230 --> 00:42:35.590 because you name it. If you are in that space, 00:42:35.809 --> 00:42:40.170 go home and read the words of Paul that we just 00:42:40.170 --> 00:42:44.289 read one more time. Because it will put it in 00:42:44.289 --> 00:42:49.110 perspective. Muhammad heard the gospel in Iran. 00:42:49.630 --> 00:42:54.349 But he did not grow up knowing the gospel. He 00:42:54.349 --> 00:43:00.309 was believing a whole different way of religion. 00:43:01.050 --> 00:43:05.690 And as he was hungry for God and peace in his 00:43:05.690 --> 00:43:09.469 life, he was told, you will really be able to 00:43:09.469 --> 00:43:13.409 be accepted by God if you memorize your holy 00:43:13.409 --> 00:43:16.769 book. So he started memorizing his holy book, 00:43:16.909 --> 00:43:19.769 reading it, and tried to memorize it, even though 00:43:19.769 --> 00:43:22.429 it was in another language that was not his country's 00:43:22.429 --> 00:43:27.050 language. But if that is what it will take, but 00:43:27.050 --> 00:43:30.309 he had no peace. So he asked his religious leaders, 00:43:30.610 --> 00:43:33.690 what else do I need to do? Well, you have to 00:43:33.690 --> 00:43:36.750 pay for your sins. So he had this chain that 00:43:36.750 --> 00:43:39.750 he would hit himself with in the back so that 00:43:39.750 --> 00:43:44.039 he would bleed. And he was hurting. But he kept 00:43:44.039 --> 00:43:47.760 doing it. Because by paying for his sins. He 00:43:47.760 --> 00:43:51.260 was going to reach God's peace. But it was not 00:43:51.260 --> 00:43:55.239 working. So he asked his religious leaders. What 00:43:55.239 --> 00:43:57.280 else can I do? And the religious leaders said. 00:43:57.340 --> 00:44:00.900 You are not doing enough. You have to suffer 00:44:00.900 --> 00:44:05.179 more. And now you have to fight for our God. 00:44:05.460 --> 00:44:08.639 And you have to go to war. Because if you die 00:44:08.639 --> 00:44:13.119 in war. For this God. Then. You will go straight 00:44:13.119 --> 00:44:16.760 to heaven. But only then. So he engaged in the 00:44:16.760 --> 00:44:21.119 army. And ruled in the army. All of that. Feeling 00:44:21.119 --> 00:44:25.099 complete shame. And not good enough. And all 00:44:25.099 --> 00:44:28.300 his efforts. Until he met a friend that he hadn't 00:44:28.300 --> 00:44:31.360 seen in a long time. And this friend looked different. 00:44:32.679 --> 00:44:35.380 And as they were talking about life and everything. 00:44:35.840 --> 00:44:38.659 Muhammad says what happened to you? You have 00:44:38.659 --> 00:44:42.590 this like this. This peace. That I can see in 00:44:42.590 --> 00:44:46.130 your eyes. You're not the same. And at that moment, 00:44:46.170 --> 00:44:48.809 the friend said, you know what? I'm a Christian 00:44:48.809 --> 00:44:52.849 now. I'm following Jesus. It's like, what? That 00:44:52.849 --> 00:44:56.650 cannot be. Because in his religion, the idea 00:44:56.650 --> 00:45:01.070 of conversion was completely just unimaginable. 00:45:02.699 --> 00:45:06.380 But as he started learning more about this, Jesus 00:45:06.380 --> 00:45:09.380 had died for him, that he didn't have to pay 00:45:09.380 --> 00:45:12.260 for his sins, because Jesus had paid it all. 00:45:12.760 --> 00:45:16.960 At that moment, Muhammad says, the gospel pierced 00:45:16.960 --> 00:45:22.039 my heart, and now I understood that Jesus had 00:45:22.039 --> 00:45:26.159 done it all. So he gave his life to Christ, but 00:45:26.159 --> 00:45:30.110 as he started... going home and praying to Jesus. 00:45:30.170 --> 00:45:32.389 One day his father found out he was praying to 00:45:32.389 --> 00:45:35.829 Jesus and he hit him and started kicking him 00:45:35.829 --> 00:45:40.510 and hitting him. So he had to escape. Eventually 00:45:40.510 --> 00:45:43.809 he became a taxi driver. And as a taxi driver, 00:45:44.090 --> 00:45:46.329 he would take every opportunity to share the 00:45:46.329 --> 00:45:52.090 gospel with the people. But one day he got news 00:45:52.090 --> 00:45:56.949 that the secret police was after him. So he was 00:45:56.949 --> 00:45:59.969 able to leave Iran. He moved to the U .S. and 00:45:59.969 --> 00:46:05.090 that's where he lives today. I do not know what 00:46:05.090 --> 00:46:12.190 your journey is, but one thing I know is that 00:46:12.190 --> 00:46:18.929 God is calling us to follow Him and let His grace 00:46:18.929 --> 00:46:24.530 flow through us. And if we are not willing to 00:46:24.530 --> 00:46:33.380 pay the price, It will stop with us. Has it stopped 00:46:33.380 --> 00:46:40.840 with you? And finally, the Apostle Paul tells 00:46:40.840 --> 00:46:44.199 the Colossians what we already heard. Don't fall 00:46:44.199 --> 00:46:49.460 for the mistake that it's okay not to engage. 00:46:49.860 --> 00:46:53.139 Ignore the call. It's not your role. That's the 00:46:53.139 --> 00:46:56.079 pastor's role. You know, in ECB, there's lots 00:46:56.079 --> 00:46:58.179 of missionaries. They are the ones that share 00:46:58.179 --> 00:47:01.880 the gospel with people. Not you. You are just 00:47:01.880 --> 00:47:10.800 a Christian. No. Each one of us has received 00:47:10.800 --> 00:47:13.860 God's grace. Each one of us is called to let 00:47:13.860 --> 00:47:17.599 that grace flow through us. So read this with 00:47:17.599 --> 00:47:22.980 me, please. Devote yourselves to prayer with 00:47:22.980 --> 00:47:27.019 an alert mind. and a thankful heart. Pray for 00:47:27.019 --> 00:47:30.539 us, too, that God will give us many opportunities 00:47:30.539 --> 00:47:34.519 to speak about this mysterious plan concerning 00:47:34.519 --> 00:47:39.159 Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray 00:47:39.159 --> 00:47:42.480 that I will proclaim this message as clearly 00:47:42.480 --> 00:47:47.059 as I should. Live wisely among those who are 00:47:47.059 --> 00:47:50.599 not believers. Make the most of every opportunity. 00:47:51.449 --> 00:47:54.769 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive 00:47:54.769 --> 00:47:59.849 so that you will have the right response. The 00:47:59.849 --> 00:48:05.429 need is real. It's not going to go away. The 00:48:05.429 --> 00:48:07.550 cost is real. It's not going to get cheaper. 00:48:08.670 --> 00:48:11.670 And the call is real. The Holy Spirit is not 00:48:11.670 --> 00:48:18.909 going to shut up. What will your response be? 00:48:20.239 --> 00:48:24.960 Would you let God's grace flow through you? Or 00:48:24.960 --> 00:48:28.699 would you let it stop with you? So what the Apostle 00:48:28.699 --> 00:48:32.079 Paul basically wrote makes me wonder these questions. 00:48:32.480 --> 00:48:35.960 Am I praying about these things? He says pray 00:48:35.960 --> 00:48:38.300 for this depending on God's power. Am I praying 00:48:38.300 --> 00:48:43.309 for that? He also says, look, you need to be 00:48:43.309 --> 00:48:45.829 living wisely among the people. Am I living wisely 00:48:45.829 --> 00:48:49.190 among the people? Am I doing the things that 00:48:49.190 --> 00:48:51.489 are the foundation to depend on God's power? 00:48:54.110 --> 00:48:58.250 If the Lord is calling you to engage, engage, 00:48:58.469 --> 00:49:03.190 and you will be so glad once you look back later 00:49:03.190 --> 00:49:09.579 and you can see what God did through you. Like 00:49:09.579 --> 00:49:12.639 he did with a high school student that simply 00:49:12.639 --> 00:49:16.239 felt compelled to invite another student to an 00:49:16.239 --> 00:49:19.800 event. And that form of grace flowing through 00:49:19.800 --> 00:49:22.099 him was all that God was calling him to do at 00:49:22.099 --> 00:49:28.559 the moment. Will God be able to use you for his 00:49:28.559 --> 00:49:31.699 grace to flow through you? Lord, as we stand 00:49:31.699 --> 00:49:38.889 in your presence, we acknowledge. That your grace 00:49:38.889 --> 00:49:41.690 has reached us and we are so thankful for it. 00:49:42.610 --> 00:49:45.530 Thank you for all the lives that have come before 00:49:45.530 --> 00:49:52.329 us. All the sacrifices made. All the price that 00:49:52.329 --> 00:49:56.269 has been paid. So that today we can be here standing 00:49:56.269 --> 00:50:01.110 in your presence, worshiping you. But Lord, let 00:50:01.110 --> 00:50:06.570 your grace and your peace not stop with us. Let 00:50:06.570 --> 00:50:10.150 it flow through us into every space that you 00:50:10.150 --> 00:50:14.309 have called us to be. Let this be a day where 00:50:14.309 --> 00:50:16.690 there's new beginnings of new visions, of new 00:50:16.690 --> 00:50:22.190 ideas, of new prompting. But we are here. If 00:50:22.190 --> 00:50:27.889 we have been blocked, unblock us today. In Jesus' 00:50:27.949 --> 00:50:36.860 name. Thank you for tuning in to the ECB sermon 00:50:36.860 --> 00:50:40.900 podcast. Whether near or far, if you are looking 00:50:40.900 --> 00:50:44.679 for community or are in need of prayer, we welcome 00:50:44.679 --> 00:50:48.099 you to engage by sending us an email to office 00:50:48.099 --> 00:50:53.059 at ecb .asia. If God is calling you to support 00:50:53.059 --> 00:50:55.639 our ministries, you will find giving options 00:50:55.639 --> 00:50:59.480 on our website. And remember to join us next 00:50:59.480 --> 00:51:01.159 week. God bless you.