WEBVTT 00:00:09.940 --> 00:00:12.679 Hey everyone, this is Josh from Encounter Church 00:00:12.679 --> 00:00:15.279 Henley and thanks so much for tuning into our 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:19.000 podcast. Our prayer is that through this podcast 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:20.899 you can have an encounter with Jesus that will 00:00:20.899 --> 00:00:24.379 change your life. And now get ready for an inspiring 00:00:24.379 --> 00:00:29.230 message from our preaching team. Hey, if I don't 00:00:29.230 --> 00:00:31.250 know you, my name is Jenny and I am one of the 00:00:31.250 --> 00:00:34.609 pastors over in Canna, Adelaide. And I've had 00:00:34.609 --> 00:00:36.409 the privilege of being here two weeks in a row, 00:00:36.789 --> 00:00:38.729 which is a bit of fun. I love it. I love it here 00:00:38.729 --> 00:00:43.070 at Henley. It is a beautiful place to be. Before 00:00:43.070 --> 00:00:47.189 I get started, we have been a church plant here 00:00:47.189 --> 00:00:50.619 for, what are we on, almost two years now? Almost 00:00:50.619 --> 00:00:54.500 two years, far out, which is really cool, and 00:00:54.500 --> 00:00:57.200 I love that. But I love new church plants starting 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:59.740 as well. And I'm not here to tell you today that 00:00:59.740 --> 00:01:01.100 we're starting another church plant just yet. 00:01:01.340 --> 00:01:04.120 Don't freak out. But we do have Zoe in the room. 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:08.459 Zoe, can you come up here for a second? Welcome, 00:01:08.540 --> 00:01:14.260 Zoe. Zoe is about to plant a church in the Barossa, 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:16.939 which I'm very excited about. I love the Barossa. 00:01:17.019 --> 00:01:18.480 It's like one of my favorite places. I will come 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:21.760 visit you when they let me out of here. And so 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:23.920 I'm really excited for that. And I think as a 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:26.840 church plant, we know how hard that can be and 00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:30.099 how much time and effort and just love and joy 00:01:30.099 --> 00:01:33.379 that it takes to plant a church. And so I wondered, 00:01:33.500 --> 00:01:35.000 Zoe, if it's okay with you, we would really like 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:38.560 to pray for you and your team and just encourage 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:40.180 you. Tell everyone. Tell everyone what you're 00:01:40.180 --> 00:01:41.719 doing a little bit, for a start. Okay, great. 00:01:42.260 --> 00:01:45.799 So we felt, we're from Hope Valley, Hope Valley 00:01:45.799 --> 00:01:48.840 Church. And we felt, well, lead pastor Kynan 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:50.900 Brooks, felt maybe like two or three years ago, 00:01:51.239 --> 00:01:53.159 the Barossa kind of laid on his heart. And so 00:01:53.159 --> 00:01:56.459 we went up as a staff team in 2024, in the middle 00:01:56.459 --> 00:01:58.540 of the year. And we went up to Mengles Hill and 00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:01.040 we just looked over the area. We read over a 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:03.579 few different scriptures, prayed a lot of prayers 00:02:03.579 --> 00:02:07.400 and kind of... Not left it but went okay We'll 00:02:07.400 --> 00:02:09.639 see what happens from here and this spirit kind 00:02:09.639 --> 00:02:12.699 of kept tugging at us and this brotha kept coming 00:02:12.699 --> 00:02:14.860 up and sorry I'm in the middle of last year. 00:02:14.860 --> 00:02:17.060 We said yes This is something that we want to 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:20.520 do and so we spent the past Few months going 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:22.240 up getting a big picture of what's happening 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:24.879 in the barossa and we have been Yeah talking 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:26.539 with a lot of pastors and a lot of people and 00:02:26.539 --> 00:02:29.219 seeing that there is a big unfortunately like 00:02:29.219 --> 00:02:31.659 unchurched environment in the barossa and people 00:02:31.659 --> 00:02:36.199 that have maybe grown up there, but yeah, kind 00:02:36.199 --> 00:02:38.560 of walked away from church. And for some people, 00:02:38.699 --> 00:02:40.740 church is really hard at the moment in the Barossa. 00:02:40.860 --> 00:02:42.419 And of course, there are a lot of people who 00:02:42.419 --> 00:02:45.419 are just not churched at all. And so we kind 00:02:45.419 --> 00:02:48.680 of really felt, hey, the gospel speaks rest and 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:51.219 the gospel speaks freedom and the gospel speaks 00:02:51.219 --> 00:02:54.879 an unburdening of all people. And so we want 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:57.710 to be able to... journey with God in how He's 00:02:57.710 --> 00:02:59.969 already at work in the Barossa and we want to 00:02:59.969 --> 00:03:02.789 participate with that already and we want to 00:03:02.789 --> 00:03:04.849 do more of what His Spirit's already doing there 00:03:04.849 --> 00:03:06.969 and we see a part of that is a renewing of the 00:03:06.969 --> 00:03:09.770 Church and so we're coming up and we are building 00:03:09.770 --> 00:03:11.310 through what we're calling the rhythms of grace 00:03:11.310 --> 00:03:14.930 which is daily time with God, your weekly worship, 00:03:15.250 --> 00:03:17.449 your four nightly life groups and six weekly 00:03:17.449 --> 00:03:19.710 service but in the Barossa because we want to 00:03:19.710 --> 00:03:22.030 be all about unburdening people we're having 00:03:22.030 --> 00:03:24.849 a strong emphasis on discipleship so it's going 00:03:24.849 --> 00:03:27.229 to be yes you're time with God, your fortnightly 00:03:27.229 --> 00:03:30.129 life group and only a six weekly gathering and 00:03:30.129 --> 00:03:32.389 we're doing that because we want it to be this 00:03:32.389 --> 00:03:34.430 really awesome thing that people come to and 00:03:34.430 --> 00:03:36.430 they get really fed up and they go out into their 00:03:36.430 --> 00:03:38.789 week and your journey with Jesus is every single 00:03:38.789 --> 00:03:40.990 day not just on a Sunday morning and a Sunday 00:03:40.990 --> 00:03:43.770 morning alone and so yeah we're just really excited 00:03:43.770 --> 00:03:45.650 to go through the rhythms of grace in the Barossa 00:03:45.650 --> 00:03:48.009 and Yeah, I mean, I've learned a lot from Tim 00:03:48.009 --> 00:03:49.930 and what you guys have done. So it'd be good 00:03:49.930 --> 00:03:52.669 to kind of see what I've learned from him and 00:03:52.669 --> 00:03:54.650 extended you guys as a whole and encounter and 00:03:54.650 --> 00:03:56.689 be able to also bring that over to the Barossa. 00:03:57.250 --> 00:03:59.530 Yeah. Fantastic. Awesome. I don't need to preach 00:03:59.530 --> 00:04:02.310 now. That was great. Praise a lot. Hey, so is 00:04:02.310 --> 00:04:03.969 there any of the core team here from Henley that 00:04:03.969 --> 00:04:06.310 could come up and let's just lay hands on Zoe 00:04:06.310 --> 00:04:08.949 and let's pray for them and the team as they 00:04:08.949 --> 00:04:11.389 move towards launching this brand new church? 00:04:14.760 --> 00:04:16.860 Lord we thank you for the vision that you put 00:04:16.860 --> 00:04:19.800 on the hearts of women and men to step out in 00:04:19.800 --> 00:04:22.240 faith and follow your spirit and I thank you 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:25.319 for Zoe's willingness and her humility to go 00:04:25.319 --> 00:04:28.540 and break new ground for their church in a new 00:04:28.540 --> 00:04:31.540 place and I just pray Lord all your blessings 00:04:31.540 --> 00:04:34.079 all your spiritual blessings upon her and her 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:38.720 team at Hope Valley Barossa that you would do 00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.339 infinitely more than they could ask hope or imagine 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:44.439 that women and men and children would come to 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:48.680 faith in you through them that those who have 00:04:48.680 --> 00:04:53.360 grown up in church but walked away would find 00:04:53.360 --> 00:04:57.160 true life and life to the full in you Jesus that 00:04:57.160 --> 00:05:00.120 they would see that it was all true and Lord 00:05:00.120 --> 00:05:03.540 I just pray would you strengthen Zoe as she leads 00:05:03.540 --> 00:05:07.819 and would you give her spiritual resources to 00:05:07.819 --> 00:05:12.889 lead with conviction and strength and joy, a 00:05:12.889 --> 00:05:15.610 sense of joy, hold her Lord as she relies on 00:05:15.610 --> 00:05:19.290 you and we just pray, yeah God, absolute blessings 00:05:19.290 --> 00:05:24.230 upon them in Jesus name, amen. Very exciting, 00:05:24.569 --> 00:05:27.290 thanks Zoe. Thought I couldn't miss up an opportunity 00:05:27.290 --> 00:05:29.649 to pray over a church plant while she was in 00:05:29.649 --> 00:05:33.769 the room so, but now you can start the timer. 00:05:34.250 --> 00:05:40.360 Alright. So friends, I have a love -hate relationship 00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:43.680 with rules, right? Some would say that I have 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:47.860 a like to break rules. I find that offensive. 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:51.860 I don't mean to break them. I just do. But I 00:05:51.860 --> 00:05:53.939 also really like rules because they give me a 00:05:53.939 --> 00:05:57.319 boundary to work in. And yes, sometimes I do 00:05:57.319 --> 00:05:59.560 break them, but I don't mean to. I like having 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:02.959 rules around me. I like those kind of just... 00:06:02.730 --> 00:06:04.910 guidelines I guess that surround me so that I 00:06:04.910 --> 00:06:07.569 can work and do whatever God wants me to do. 00:06:08.790 --> 00:06:12.990 We have some family rules in our when we play 00:06:12.990 --> 00:06:16.550 board games. Some of you are laughing, you get 00:06:16.550 --> 00:06:19.910 it. And there is one game that my husband Mike 00:06:19.910 --> 00:06:23.269 will not play with me. So he will not play Rummikub 00:06:23.269 --> 00:06:26.610 with me or with my daughter Grace. He won't play 00:06:26.610 --> 00:06:29.519 with Grace because she wins every time. like 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:32.100 literally every time it is so frustrating but 00:06:32.100 --> 00:06:35.019 he won't play with me because I have my original 00:06:35.019 --> 00:06:37.439 diamond family rules and he says they're not 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:39.220 rules they're not the rules that are in the rule 00:06:39.220 --> 00:06:41.459 book and I said I don't care they're still my 00:06:41.459 --> 00:06:42.939 rules they still they're still something that 00:06:42.939 --> 00:06:45.860 I like to play with some of you totally get this 00:06:45.860 --> 00:06:47.939 right you totally get family rules you're like 00:06:47.939 --> 00:06:50.180 yeah there are different rules for different 00:06:50.180 --> 00:06:52.480 people it's fine and some of you are like I don't 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:53.600 want to listen to the anything she has to say 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:57.550 anymore I don't trust her that's fine Mike really 00:06:57.550 --> 00:06:59.529 likes rules that can be followed that are written 00:06:59.529 --> 00:07:02.269 down in a book and I like instructions, boundaries 00:07:02.269 --> 00:07:04.870 to play within the lines. How do you guys go 00:07:04.870 --> 00:07:07.490 following rules? Are you rule follower or are 00:07:07.490 --> 00:07:09.730 you a rule breaker? And I thought it might be 00:07:09.730 --> 00:07:12.170 a bit of fun today just to get you moving a little 00:07:12.170 --> 00:07:15.449 bit, get your energy up. So I'm gonna play a 00:07:15.449 --> 00:07:17.389 little game with you guys. I'm not gonna embarrass 00:07:17.389 --> 00:07:21.329 you too much, I hope. So. I'm gonna ask you to 00:07:21.329 --> 00:07:24.009 follow some rules, right? Really simple. It's 00:07:24.009 --> 00:07:26.449 an easy game. So you have to do exactly what 00:07:26.449 --> 00:07:31.850 I say, okay? Ready? All right. Clap once. Clap 00:07:31.850 --> 00:07:34.930 twice. Stand up. Point to someone across the 00:07:34.930 --> 00:07:38.129 room. Well done, you guys are doing great. You've 00:07:38.129 --> 00:07:39.769 got this. You're actually pretty good at this. 00:07:40.029 --> 00:07:42.610 Now I'm gonna make it slightly harder, okay? 00:07:42.970 --> 00:07:45.810 What I want you to do is that you gotta follow 00:07:45.810 --> 00:07:49.069 everything I say, but only if I say please, okay? 00:07:49.069 --> 00:07:51.569 That's what I say to my children. Only if I say 00:07:51.569 --> 00:07:52.949 please. If I don't say please, you do nothing, 00:07:53.009 --> 00:07:56.490 all right? You ready? All right, stand up. Oh, 00:07:56.490 --> 00:08:00.769 well done. Stand up, please. All right, clap, 00:08:00.930 --> 00:08:08.939 please. Once. Touch your head. Yeah, you're out. 00:08:09.500 --> 00:08:12.439 Touch your nose, please. Touch your shoulders, 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:17.180 please. Sit down, please. Hands in the air, please. 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:21.240 Hands on your knees. Oh, there's a few hands 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:23.839 that move there. All right, stand up, please. 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:29.199 Turn around. Oh, come on, you guys are too good. 00:08:29.379 --> 00:08:34.289 Touch your knees, please. Tim, you did it before 00:08:34.289 --> 00:08:39.169 I said please. Hands on your head, please. Hands 00:08:39.169 --> 00:08:41.389 on your nose, please. Hands on your shoulders, 00:08:41.629 --> 00:08:44.889 please. Hands on your knees. Oh gosh, you guys 00:08:44.889 --> 00:08:46.309 are too good. All right, you guys are great. 00:08:46.549 --> 00:08:48.590 All right, sit down. You're very good at following 00:08:48.590 --> 00:08:54.009 rules. Yes, yes. You three win. Well, you guys 00:08:54.009 --> 00:09:02.659 in the back win. Well done. Well done, well done. 00:09:03.960 --> 00:09:06.759 Isn't it funny that even when the rules are simple, 00:09:06.860 --> 00:09:10.100 sometimes we get it wrong. Some of you are like, 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:13.100 I love rules, tell me what to do. And other of 00:09:13.100 --> 00:09:15.700 you are like, well, I heard the rules, but I 00:09:15.700 --> 00:09:18.500 just didn't want to follow them. And that's not 00:09:18.500 --> 00:09:21.100 just in this kind of a game. That's actually 00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:24.399 how we live our lives. Some of us are rule followers 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.080 and some of us are rule breakers. But all of 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:30.529 us are shaped by rules. And here's what I've 00:09:30.529 --> 00:09:33.769 realised. It's not just if you follow the rules, 00:09:34.169 --> 00:09:38.070 but also how you experience them. Because some 00:09:38.070 --> 00:09:42.210 rules feel like you have to follow them. And 00:09:42.210 --> 00:09:45.169 sometimes you want to follow rules and then there 00:09:45.169 --> 00:09:48.049 are some times when you realise you actually 00:09:48.049 --> 00:09:52.730 get to follow them. And where you live in the 00:09:52.730 --> 00:09:57.750 have to, want to or get to will shape your whole 00:09:57.750 --> 00:10:01.379 life. Today we're looking at the Last Supper. 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:05.080 And I think Jesus is moving us, is actually trying 00:10:05.080 --> 00:10:08.379 to invite us to move from the have to, to the 00:10:08.379 --> 00:10:11.580 want to, to the get to. And I'm going to unpack 00:10:11.580 --> 00:10:14.559 that a little bit today. So maybe you're a rule 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:16.659 follower, maybe you're a rule breaker, but either 00:10:16.659 --> 00:10:19.139 way, I feel like we need this shift that I'm 00:10:19.139 --> 00:10:22.299 going to suggest today. So in the scripture, 00:10:22.620 --> 00:10:25.759 They're talking about the Last Supper. So this 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:28.740 was a really important tradition in the Jewish 00:10:28.740 --> 00:10:31.600 life. So there was a thing called the Passover 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:34.879 meal and the Passover meal came about as they 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:37.919 wanted to celebrate and remember what God had 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:41.399 done when they were in Egypt and when the Israelites 00:10:41.399 --> 00:10:46.720 were set free through uh not being killed and 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:49.059 being set out from from slavery it was pretty 00:10:49.059 --> 00:10:51.940 great it's a pretty huge thing on their calendar 00:10:51.940 --> 00:10:55.019 right the Passover was not a small event and 00:10:55.019 --> 00:10:57.779 it's still even today in Jewish culture not a 00:10:57.779 --> 00:11:01.620 small event it was a tradition that the Jews 00:11:01.620 --> 00:11:05.549 and the Jewish people had celebration and it 00:11:05.549 --> 00:11:07.309 was continued on as something that they needed 00:11:07.309 --> 00:11:10.429 to remember. But I do wonder if it ever got to 00:11:10.429 --> 00:11:13.409 a point or gets to a point where it becomes something 00:11:13.409 --> 00:11:16.850 that they have to do. This was a meal that was 00:11:16.850 --> 00:11:19.049 prepared and advanced. There was a lamb that 00:11:19.049 --> 00:11:20.870 was slaughtered on a certain day at a certain 00:11:20.870 --> 00:11:23.389 time. The Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, 00:11:23.690 --> 00:11:24.950 there was a lot to do when they came into the 00:11:24.950 --> 00:11:27.549 temple and when they came to parts of the animals, 00:11:27.730 --> 00:11:30.190 how they would smear the blood left or right 00:11:30.190 --> 00:11:32.899 or up or down. Like there were a lot of rules 00:11:32.899 --> 00:11:36.700 they had to follow. And many of those rules became 00:11:36.700 --> 00:11:40.340 traditions and they became things that then they 00:11:40.340 --> 00:11:44.799 had to do. There was no way around that until 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:48.360 Jesus came to change things. But friends, when 00:11:48.360 --> 00:11:51.620 you have to do something, you're under someone's 00:11:51.620 --> 00:11:55.220 control. It builds a mindset of rebellion. You 00:11:55.220 --> 00:11:57.220 know, I'll fight against this. I know for some 00:11:57.220 --> 00:11:59.440 of you, when you get told, or at least if you've 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:01.440 got children who understand this, or if you are 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:02.860 a child or close to it, you'll understand that 00:12:02.860 --> 00:12:05.639 when your parents say you have to do something, 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:08.139 there's a bit that wants to rebel up inside of 00:12:08.139 --> 00:12:10.440 you and say, actually, I don't want to do this. 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:12.700 I'll fight against this. And if that is just 00:12:12.700 --> 00:12:15.039 my children, then maybe you can speak to them. 00:12:16.419 --> 00:12:19.200 How many things do you do because you have to, 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:22.820 not because you want to? Or maybe... you used 00:12:22.820 --> 00:12:26.419 to want to but now you feel you have to. Things 00:12:26.419 --> 00:12:28.919 that were once good that are now hard. Perhaps 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:31.440 a job that you used to love that now you have 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:35.659 to get up every morning and go to. Maybe a home 00:12:35.659 --> 00:12:37.840 project that you put a hole in the wall and now 00:12:37.840 --> 00:12:42.419 you have to fix it. Or maybe you started a sport 00:12:42.419 --> 00:12:44.379 but you've bought the shoes and you bought the 00:12:44.379 --> 00:12:45.940 ball and you bought everything else and you feel 00:12:45.940 --> 00:12:50.559 like you have to continually play it. The have 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:54.000 to mentality makes you a bit hard. It can make 00:12:54.000 --> 00:12:56.879 you bitter. It can make you self -righteous. 00:12:57.480 --> 00:13:01.740 It makes it actually all about you. It creates 00:13:01.740 --> 00:13:05.720 a cynical perspective. The reality of it is there 00:13:05.720 --> 00:13:08.539 are lots of things that we have to do, but God 00:13:08.539 --> 00:13:11.519 doesn't want us to live with a have to mentality. 00:13:12.779 --> 00:13:16.179 He wants us to live with something else. He wants 00:13:16.179 --> 00:13:21.549 us to move from have to And if we want to go 00:13:21.549 --> 00:13:24.570 from have to, we have to go from someone who 00:13:24.570 --> 00:13:29.950 is self -centred to someone who is others -centred. 00:13:31.389 --> 00:13:33.750 In the act of the Last Supper, he was inviting 00:13:33.750 --> 00:13:37.830 us into a new way of living. When we look at 00:13:37.830 --> 00:13:41.269 the scriptures, we see the disciples, when he's 00:13:41.269 --> 00:13:43.330 talking with the disciples, he gives them really 00:13:43.330 --> 00:13:46.029 clear instructions. They're to go out and to 00:13:46.029 --> 00:13:48.549 do something for others, right? They were to 00:13:48.549 --> 00:13:50.830 go out and they were to prepare the space that 00:13:50.830 --> 00:13:52.809 they were gonna come and share the meal with. 00:13:52.870 --> 00:13:55.289 And I think in that moment, the disciples would 00:13:55.289 --> 00:13:58.549 have wanted to do that. I don't think in that 00:13:58.549 --> 00:14:00.870 moment that it was something they had to do. 00:14:00.909 --> 00:14:02.370 I think they actually would have wanted to. Why 00:14:02.370 --> 00:14:05.090 do I think that? Because... They had walked with 00:14:05.090 --> 00:14:08.950 Jesus for three years. And so they had seen miracle 00:14:08.950 --> 00:14:11.190 after miracle after miracle. They had seen 5 00:14:11.190 --> 00:14:14.230 ,000 people fed. They had seen people healed. 00:14:14.470 --> 00:14:16.429 And so they had a deep and intimate relationship 00:14:16.429 --> 00:14:19.710 with Jesus. And so they would have wanted to 00:14:19.710 --> 00:14:25.519 do that. And then Jesus says, go and find this 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:27.759 man who's carrying water. And they're walking 00:14:27.759 --> 00:14:29.559 along and they find this guy that's carrying 00:14:29.559 --> 00:14:31.559 water. And it's actually quite significant that 00:14:31.559 --> 00:14:34.559 it was a man carrying water because women used 00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:36.840 to carry water in those days. So it was almost 00:14:36.840 --> 00:14:38.919 like they were participating in a miracle that 00:14:38.919 --> 00:14:40.460 they were seeing right in front of them, something 00:14:40.460 --> 00:14:42.500 unusual, something that wasn't normally seen. 00:14:42.539 --> 00:14:45.200 And they go into this home and it is just how 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:47.960 Jesus said it was gonna be. They saw another 00:14:47.960 --> 00:14:50.480 miracle, they saw another miracle right in front 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:52.379 of their eyes. And I think they would have been 00:14:52.379 --> 00:14:55.840 excited to share the meal that Jesus had for 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:59.700 them. Life's pretty great when you want to do 00:14:59.700 --> 00:15:02.379 something, right? When you want to get up and 00:15:02.379 --> 00:15:05.559 go to work, it's great. We feel good when we 00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:08.740 want to do something. But what we need to understand 00:15:08.740 --> 00:15:11.580 is that when we want to do something, really 00:15:11.580 --> 00:15:14.970 it's kind of about us. It's about us getting 00:15:14.970 --> 00:15:17.370 endorphins that come with doing something that 00:15:17.370 --> 00:15:21.649 we like. And those endorphins that want to do 00:15:21.649 --> 00:15:26.029 something, that is just a feeling. When we want 00:15:26.029 --> 00:15:30.629 to, when we rely on a want to mentality, what 00:15:30.629 --> 00:15:34.889 about when we don't want to anymore? What about 00:15:34.889 --> 00:15:36.970 when we do something for someone who doesn't 00:15:36.970 --> 00:15:43.519 respond nicely to you? You get resentful. Let 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:46.000 me be really clear here, being others centered 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:49.980 is not a bad thing. Please be others centered. 00:15:50.659 --> 00:15:55.179 But it does have limits and perhaps even a timeframe. 00:15:56.600 --> 00:15:59.679 Eventually we slip back into the have to mentality. 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:04.639 The want to mentality builds a mindset of resentment. 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:14.419 Why should I? It's all about I. In verse 15, 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:17.960 Jesus says to them, I have eagerly desired to 00:16:17.960 --> 00:16:22.919 eat this Passover with you before I suffer. Jesus 00:16:22.919 --> 00:16:27.620 eagerly desired to share this meal. Jesus didn't 00:16:27.620 --> 00:16:31.720 just want to share this meal. He knew that we 00:16:31.720 --> 00:16:35.940 and his disciples needed to share this meal. 00:16:36.919 --> 00:16:40.179 It was not even good enough to say that he wanted 00:16:40.179 --> 00:16:45.340 us. He knew that we needed to do it. We needed 00:16:45.340 --> 00:16:47.779 to understand what it means to really share in 00:16:47.779 --> 00:16:51.740 His life and sufferings, to go beyond themselves 00:16:51.740 --> 00:16:54.840 and what they want and even what others want 00:16:54.840 --> 00:17:00.279 into what He wants. Friends, the difference between 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:04.720 wanting to and getting to is it's much less about 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:09.759 us and more about Him. And that is the Last Supper 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:13.559 actually in a nutshell. Jesus was inviting them 00:17:13.559 --> 00:17:18.519 into what He was about to do, inviting them and 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:24.480 us to be a part of it. When you want to do something, 00:17:24.619 --> 00:17:27.920 it's a lovely place to be. But when you get to 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:31.440 do something, that is where the real joy flows. 00:17:32.299 --> 00:17:36.500 Jesus takes a meal that they had to do. and he 00:17:36.500 --> 00:17:40.039 turns it into something that we get to receive. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:44.539 Friends, if you want to go from a want -to mentality, 00:17:44.579 --> 00:17:47.559 which is not necessarily a bad mentality, but 00:17:47.559 --> 00:17:51.079 if you want to step into the get -to mentality, 00:17:51.140 --> 00:17:53.500 then you've got to go from others -centred to 00:17:53.500 --> 00:18:00.579 Jesus -centred or Christ -centred. When Jesus 00:18:00.579 --> 00:18:04.000 took the bread, it actually wasn't anything like 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:07.930 this bread. would have been flatbread. So there's 00:18:07.930 --> 00:18:11.049 no yeast in it, which is maybe good for those 00:18:11.049 --> 00:18:12.630 who don't like gluten. I don't know, I can't 00:18:12.630 --> 00:18:17.349 remember. Why did he take flatbread? I'm not 00:18:17.349 --> 00:18:20.089 gluten intolerant anymore. Praise the Lord. But 00:18:20.089 --> 00:18:22.069 he took this, why did he take this flatbread? 00:18:23.670 --> 00:18:26.089 I think he took this flatbread because bread 00:18:26.089 --> 00:18:30.809 was an essential part of every meal. Jesus knew 00:18:30.809 --> 00:18:35.099 that we needed him. He is the essential part 00:18:35.099 --> 00:18:44.480 to our lives. Friends, if we know that Jesus, 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:50.079 when we are Jesus -centred, we are Christ -centred, 00:18:50.779 --> 00:18:54.480 this communion, this bread, this wine that we 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:58.880 drink, it invites us into creating that throughout 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:02.220 our whole life. as we remember what Jesus did 00:19:02.220 --> 00:19:04.819 and remember how important he is. Friends, when 00:19:04.819 --> 00:19:09.380 I take communion, it's only really then that 00:19:09.380 --> 00:19:13.660 I fully understand this idea of getting to do 00:19:13.660 --> 00:19:17.140 something, which is why I wanted to present this 00:19:17.140 --> 00:19:23.960 idea around the communion table. When I hold 00:19:23.960 --> 00:19:28.980 the communion bread in my hand, I'm thankful 00:19:29.789 --> 00:19:35.809 I am so aware of how much he did for me and for 00:19:35.809 --> 00:19:41.029 all of us in this world. When he took the bread, 00:19:41.410 --> 00:19:49.109 he actually gave thanks and he broke it. And 00:19:49.109 --> 00:19:52.309 he gave it to them saying, this is my body given 00:19:52.309 --> 00:19:58.170 for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And in 00:19:58.170 --> 00:20:03.039 this moment, As I hold the bread, and even as 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:07.220 I hold the cup, I am not thinking about myself 00:20:07.220 --> 00:20:11.920 anymore. I'm thinking about how He gave up His 00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:19.259 body, His life, His everything for me. When you 00:20:19.259 --> 00:20:26.180 live in the get -to life, it's not just a feeling, 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:35.210 it's a life change. When we live in the get -to 00:20:35.210 --> 00:20:41.289 life, rules do not constrain us anymore. They 00:20:41.289 --> 00:20:46.230 actually free us. When God calls us to follow 00:20:46.230 --> 00:20:49.369 his rules of forgiveness, and when we forgive, 00:20:49.490 --> 00:20:52.309 it frees us. We don't feel confined by those 00:20:52.309 --> 00:20:55.450 rules or controlled by those rules. We feel freedom 00:20:55.450 --> 00:21:03.009 as we step into God's rules. That's how we live 00:21:03.009 --> 00:21:07.250 fully. When we understand what Jesus was trying 00:21:07.250 --> 00:21:09.970 to tell us in the Last Supper, that He was gonna 00:21:09.970 --> 00:21:15.309 die so that we could really live, we start to 00:21:15.309 --> 00:21:18.849 live in the get -to and not the have -to space. 00:21:20.170 --> 00:21:23.789 The get -to space is a major shift. It requires 00:21:23.789 --> 00:21:27.230 a total recognition that everything you get is 00:21:27.230 --> 00:21:30.799 a gift from God. and that you actually deserve 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:35.539 nothing. And when Jesus took the bread, we see 00:21:35.539 --> 00:21:39.160 that his body was going to die. But when he takes 00:21:39.160 --> 00:21:44.799 the cup of the blood, we see a new covenant. 00:21:45.579 --> 00:21:49.220 We see and understand our forgiveness and our 00:21:49.220 --> 00:21:54.559 salvation in this new covenant. Ephesians 1 .7 00:21:54.559 --> 00:22:00.750 says, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with 00:22:00.750 --> 00:22:05.009 the riches of God's grace. When Jesus is fully 00:22:05.009 --> 00:22:08.910 living inside of us, we get to partake in life 00:22:08.910 --> 00:22:13.650 with him in a new found freedom and joy. He gives 00:22:13.650 --> 00:22:18.670 us a gift and that is the gift of true life. 00:22:19.869 --> 00:22:25.069 John 6 says, Jesus said to them, Very truly I 00:22:25.069 --> 00:22:27.849 tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son 00:22:27.849 --> 00:22:31.890 of Man and drink His blood, you have no life 00:22:31.890 --> 00:22:35.369 in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood 00:22:35.369 --> 00:22:38.349 has eternal life and I will raise them up at 00:22:38.349 --> 00:22:41.769 the last day. For my flesh is real food and my 00:22:41.769 --> 00:22:44.990 blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and 00:22:44.990 --> 00:22:50.150 drinks my blood remains in me and I in them. 00:22:52.050 --> 00:22:54.670 Friends, perhaps you've been living in the have 00:22:54.670 --> 00:23:00.089 to world. You come to church, you serve on team, 00:23:00.410 --> 00:23:06.490 because you have to. And today, you need to actually 00:23:06.490 --> 00:23:08.650 come to Jesus and let Him show you that this 00:23:08.650 --> 00:23:16.490 meal is turning it from you to Him. And the freedom 00:23:16.490 --> 00:23:19.549 that you feel when you move into the getting 00:23:19.549 --> 00:23:24.130 to do it space. When your life becomes not about 00:23:24.130 --> 00:23:28.890 you anymore, but about Him and what He has done. 00:23:32.230 --> 00:23:35.309 Maybe you even need to repent of life being about 00:23:35.309 --> 00:23:39.309 you and what you want. And by doing that, freeing 00:23:39.309 --> 00:23:45.549 yourself to receive this freedom in Him. Or maybe 00:23:45.549 --> 00:23:49.549 you sit in the want to camp. You try to live 00:23:49.549 --> 00:23:53.549 out others centered. But in this area of realising 00:23:53.549 --> 00:23:56.509 today that when they come, when that comes out 00:23:56.509 --> 00:24:02.990 of a place of you, it will never last. Maybe 00:24:02.990 --> 00:24:04.910 you as well need to come to Him and actually 00:24:04.910 --> 00:24:07.849 ask Him for forgiveness, to live with Him as 00:24:07.849 --> 00:24:12.410 your focus, moving from others -centred to Jesus 00:24:12.410 --> 00:24:17.190 -centred. And friends, the truth is none of us 00:24:17.190 --> 00:24:19.650 live in the get -to place in our relationship 00:24:19.650 --> 00:24:23.900 with Jesus or the time. But you can choose to 00:24:23.900 --> 00:24:26.440 move into that space today. You can choose to 00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:29.799 take your eyes off yourself and even off others 00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:38.279 and on to Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul tells 00:24:38.279 --> 00:24:41.640 us to remember Jesus whenever we take communion 00:24:41.640 --> 00:24:44.839 and they used to break bread together daily. 00:24:45.819 --> 00:24:50.079 So what he was saying is remember Jesus daily. 00:24:50.899 --> 00:24:54.880 Remember what he did because Paul understood 00:24:54.880 --> 00:25:00.359 that in our lives it's gonna be busy. Our lives 00:25:00.359 --> 00:25:03.160 sometimes we're gonna take our eyes off of Jesus 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:07.299 and put it on ourselves. And we only live in 00:25:07.299 --> 00:25:11.079 freedom when we don't live under the rules but 00:25:11.079 --> 00:25:14.539 under the freedom that those rules bring as they 00:25:14.539 --> 00:25:17.900 lead us towards salvation. which is a life dead 00:25:17.900 --> 00:25:21.980 to ourselves and alive in Christ. Not from bad 00:25:21.980 --> 00:25:25.640 to good, but from dead to alive, friends. Getting 00:25:25.640 --> 00:25:29.380 to be with Jesus is a beautiful place to be. 00:25:31.160 --> 00:25:34.279 And I pray that when you take communion, as I 00:25:34.279 --> 00:25:39.480 do, you'll not be thinking of yourself, but you'll 00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:41.940 be thinking about the fact that you are invited 00:25:41.940 --> 00:25:46.259 into a Christ -centred relationship. with Jesus. 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:51.019 Let's live in the get -to understanding of who 00:25:51.019 --> 00:25:55.940 Jesus is with our eyes on him because it's then 00:25:55.940 --> 00:25:59.819 friends where fear drifts away and joy fills 00:25:59.819 --> 00:26:04.799 our lives and we are Christ -centred. Jesus in 00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:07.240 the gospel shows his followers how to live with 00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:10.559 our eyes on him through the act of communion. 00:26:11.859 --> 00:26:15.210 We are encouraged to take communion often but 00:26:15.210 --> 00:26:18.369 we can never let it come to a place where we 00:26:18.369 --> 00:26:23.549 have to do it. And can I be honest, as a pastor, 00:26:24.809 --> 00:26:29.410 sometimes I go, I have to do this. And then when 00:26:29.410 --> 00:26:31.829 I come to communion, I'm reminded that actually 00:26:31.829 --> 00:26:36.660 I get. to do this with Jesus. I get to participate 00:26:36.660 --> 00:26:39.680 in His body. I get to minister to His people. 00:26:39.720 --> 00:26:42.920 I get to serve people. What a privilege it is 00:26:42.920 --> 00:26:46.059 when I take my eyes off myself and again refocus 00:26:46.059 --> 00:26:50.920 back on Jesus. Jesus on the night He was portrayed, 00:26:51.220 --> 00:26:53.839 He took bread and broke it and then He lifted 00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:57.259 the cup and He said, this cup is a new covenant 00:26:57.259 --> 00:27:01.700 in my blood which is poured out for you. And 00:27:01.700 --> 00:27:05.759 as we come to a sharing communion today. I want 00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:08.480 you to think about the gift that communion is, 00:27:08.859 --> 00:27:12.700 the gift it is when we deserve nothing. Jordan 00:27:12.700 --> 00:27:17.039 you can come up. The gift of not having to do 00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:20.960 something but getting to do something with Jesus. 00:27:22.819 --> 00:27:27.200 The gift of it in this moment taking our eyes 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:30.240 off Jesus prepared the table for us to a new 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:34.490 way to actually sharing communion together and 00:27:34.490 --> 00:27:37.049 our communion stewards are going to be I assume 00:27:37.049 --> 00:27:42.130 down the front. And what I'd really love you 00:27:42.130 --> 00:27:46.250 to do is take a moment and choose to step into 00:27:46.250 --> 00:27:49.809 that need to re -invite Jesus into or it might 00:27:49.809 --> 00:27:57.690 be a whole area of your life. The wonderful thing 00:27:57.690 --> 00:28:03.069 about Jesus is he didn't just die He rose again 00:28:03.069 --> 00:28:06.890 for us. So as you come and as you take this, 00:28:08.450 --> 00:28:11.730 remember that we are partaking in one of the 00:28:11.730 --> 00:28:18.470 most holy and one of the most beautiful things 00:28:18.470 --> 00:28:21.950 that we have ever been asked to participate in. 00:28:31.450 --> 00:28:34.549 would love to hear from you on Instagram at encounterhenley 00:28:34.549 --> 00:28:37.430 or if you're interested in how you can support 00:28:37.430 --> 00:28:41.430 this ministry please go to our website encounteradelaide 00:28:41.430 --> 00:28:45.569 .com .au Thanks again for listening. God bless 00:28:45.569 --> 00:28:45.930 you.