WEBVTT 00:00:09.899 --> 00:00:12.699 Hey everyone, this is Josh from Encounter Church 00:00:12.699 --> 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, 00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:20.879 you can have an encounter with Jesus that will 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:24.359 change your life. And now get ready for an inspiring 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:29.320 message from our preaching team. Hey friends, 00:00:29.399 --> 00:00:32.920 my name is Tim. I'm one of the pastors at Henley. 00:00:33.100 --> 00:00:37.500 Let's pray. as we get stuck into the word today. 00:00:41.619 --> 00:00:44.079 Holy Spirit, we just ask that you would come. 00:00:45.219 --> 00:00:46.899 God, we thank you for feeding us with bread and 00:00:46.899 --> 00:00:48.600 wine. We pray that you would feed us with your 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:51.000 word right now, that you would lead us by your 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:53.979 spirit, and that we would hear your voice today. 00:00:54.020 --> 00:00:56.579 We pray, Lord, that you would come and bring 00:00:56.579 --> 00:00:59.320 your forgiveness and your grace to us today, 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:06.700 in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Jean -Antoine Bria 00:01:06.700 --> 00:01:11.379 -Savaron, a well -known 18th century French lawyer, 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:15.079 famously said this. It'll be on the screen. Surely 00:01:15.079 --> 00:01:26.819 you can... You guys know what that is. You've 00:01:26.819 --> 00:01:31.459 heard that. It's inspiring. It's probably even 00:01:31.459 --> 00:01:37.790 true. He said, tell me what you eat, and I will 00:01:37.790 --> 00:01:42.250 tell you what you are. This is where the common 00:01:42.250 --> 00:01:45.989 phrase, you are what you eat, comes from. Now, 00:01:45.989 --> 00:01:48.150 if this is true, then it's actually kind of terrifying, 00:01:48.170 --> 00:01:50.890 I think. You know, for a couple of weeks this 00:01:50.890 --> 00:01:52.930 year, I decided that I wanted to count my calories, 00:01:53.030 --> 00:01:55.310 just to be aware of what it was that I was putting 00:01:55.310 --> 00:01:58.170 in my body. How much did I actually eat? What 00:01:58.170 --> 00:02:01.609 kinds of things did I eat? Am I overeating from 00:02:01.609 --> 00:02:04.420 what I need? I thought, well, if I'm not aware, 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:07.180 then I, no awareness, no choice. If I'm not aware, 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:09.479 unless I know what's happening, how can I do 00:02:09.479 --> 00:02:11.319 anything about it? If I don't know what's going 00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:15.379 into my body, how can I change my energy, my 00:02:15.379 --> 00:02:18.419 weight, my sleep? But if I am aware, then I have 00:02:18.419 --> 00:02:21.379 a chance to change things. So a few weeks I kept 00:02:21.379 --> 00:02:25.500 track. If I am what I eat, at least now I know 00:02:25.500 --> 00:02:29.099 what I am. Turns out I'm like 60 % protein milks. 00:02:30.180 --> 00:02:32.699 I love those things. Every time I fill up the 00:02:32.699 --> 00:02:37.539 petrol in the car, I grab one. It turns out you 00:02:37.539 --> 00:02:40.840 are what you eat is true. There's a peer -reviewed 00:02:40.840 --> 00:02:42.400 paper published in the International Journal 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:43.960 of Environmental Research and Public Health, 00:02:44.039 --> 00:02:46.319 which I'm sure you all read it regularly. The 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:48.500 intake of food is more than just a necessary 00:02:48.500 --> 00:02:50.879 process for ensuring the functionality of the 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:54.939 human body. Nutritional components become a part 00:02:54.939 --> 00:03:00.229 of us, interacting with our gut microbiota. Good 00:03:00.229 --> 00:03:04.009 word. Immune system and metabolism. What you 00:03:04.009 --> 00:03:05.990 take into your body doesn't just go through you, 00:03:06.310 --> 00:03:08.650 but much of it actually becomes a part of you. 00:03:09.569 --> 00:03:11.110 I don't know about you, but the thought of that 00:03:11.110 --> 00:03:12.830 just makes me second guess everything that I 00:03:12.830 --> 00:03:16.009 eat. But I wonder if it's the same for the other 00:03:16.009 --> 00:03:19.770 things that we consume. Does the content I consume 00:03:19.770 --> 00:03:23.039 become a part of me? Do the movies I watched, 00:03:23.379 --> 00:03:26.219 the books I read, do they become a part of me, 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:28.439 do they shape me? You know, as a teenager, I 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:31.439 used to watch a lot of dumb comedies, and then 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:34.759 I'd quote them to no end in the schoolyard. Every 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:37.120 scenario at school, they had a quotable moment 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:39.060 from a movie that you could drag up. You with 00:03:39.060 --> 00:03:44.060 me? I had them at my fingertips. Why? Because 00:03:44.060 --> 00:03:47.400 I had consumed so many quotable movies, the now 00:03:47.400 --> 00:03:49.539 was basically in my bloodstream. Step Brothers 00:03:49.539 --> 00:03:53.169 was in my bloodstream. The things we consume 00:03:53.169 --> 00:03:56.689 have become a part of us. They shape us. Now 00:03:56.689 --> 00:03:59.969 this isn't in and of itself a bad thing. It's 00:03:59.969 --> 00:04:03.289 just how it is. We are what we eat. And that 00:04:03.289 --> 00:04:05.289 can be a really positive thing in our lives and 00:04:05.289 --> 00:04:09.490 it can also be a hugely destructive thing. It 00:04:09.490 --> 00:04:11.990 depends on our diet, so to speak. Depends on 00:04:11.990 --> 00:04:16.189 what we consume. I wonder what you take into 00:04:16.189 --> 00:04:20.439 your life. Just like what you take into you into 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:22.360 you shapes who you become in the same way who 00:04:22.360 --> 00:04:25.139 we follow Shapes who we become you've probably 00:04:25.139 --> 00:04:27.319 heard Jim Rohn's motivational quote. You're the 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:29.740 average of the five people you spend the most 00:04:29.740 --> 00:04:32.899 time with The basic idea here is that human beings 00:04:32.899 --> 00:04:34.540 are don't we don't live in a vacuum? We're not 00:04:34.540 --> 00:04:38.100 an island actually highly influenceable and most 00:04:38.100 --> 00:04:40.319 influenced by those who we are closest to have 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:43.279 proximity But we live in a world with so much 00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:46.439 content and so many opinions that are accessible 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:50.079 and easily downloaded into our brains. Maybe 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:51.980 it's not the proximity to people that matters, 00:04:51.980 --> 00:04:55.500 but the people you choose to listen to that shape 00:04:55.500 --> 00:04:58.120 who you become. Maybe they are the average of 00:04:58.120 --> 00:05:00.459 the five people you most listen to, the five 00:05:00.459 --> 00:05:03.699 people you follow. Think about this. Why do you 00:05:03.699 --> 00:05:06.279 choose to take a pun or a book or a TV show or 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:08.819 a movie or some other thing or a show or an event 00:05:08.819 --> 00:05:10.579 that you know nothing about? Maybe church was 00:05:10.579 --> 00:05:12.899 one of those things you took a pun on. It's probably 00:05:12.899 --> 00:05:15.259 because someone you follow, someone you listen 00:05:15.259 --> 00:05:17.819 to, someone you trust, you trust their opinion 00:05:17.819 --> 00:05:20.339 recommended it to you or you've seen them you've 00:05:20.339 --> 00:05:21.939 seen them reading the book so you've seen their 00:05:21.939 --> 00:05:26.220 review on goodreads that's right you're shaped 00:05:26.220 --> 00:05:30.079 by who you listen to who you follow whether literally 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:34.379 on social media or in real life the people friends 00:05:34.379 --> 00:05:37.220 strangers who ideas thoughts philosophies you 00:05:37.220 --> 00:05:40.699 resonate most with and again this can be hugely 00:05:40.699 --> 00:05:44.850 positive thing or highly destructive It depends 00:05:44.850 --> 00:05:49.250 on who you follow. Who are you following? Who 00:05:49.250 --> 00:05:53.410 do you listen to? What we consume and who we 00:05:53.410 --> 00:05:55.930 follow shape who we become. But it's more than 00:05:55.930 --> 00:05:58.250 that because often we trick ourselves into thinking 00:05:58.250 --> 00:06:01.050 that what we consume and who we follow doesn't 00:06:01.050 --> 00:06:06.689 change us. But it does. For good or bad. What 00:06:06.689 --> 00:06:09.230 we consume and who we follow can change our lives 00:06:09.230 --> 00:06:12.930 for the better or it can lead us to disaster. 00:06:13.890 --> 00:06:19.149 What it never does, friends, is nothing. If you 00:06:19.149 --> 00:06:21.829 are what you eat, what are you consuming? If 00:06:21.829 --> 00:06:23.550 you are the average of the five people you most 00:06:23.550 --> 00:06:27.790 follow, who are you following? For us at Henley, 00:06:27.829 --> 00:06:30.250 this is week two of our core values series, but 00:06:30.250 --> 00:06:34.389 for Enfield, this is week five. We're looking 00:06:34.389 --> 00:06:37.120 at our new core values as a church. So we're 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:39.040 going to take the time to really get into this 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:41.959 because our core values are our statements of 00:06:41.959 --> 00:06:44.519 intent. They shape the kind of church that we 00:06:44.519 --> 00:06:46.360 want to be, but they also shape the kind of people 00:06:46.360 --> 00:06:49.980 that we want to become. And those are multiplying 00:06:49.980 --> 00:06:53.300 resilient disciples, contending in prayer, Monday 00:06:53.300 --> 00:06:55.720 invaders, and hearts on fire for Jesus. And today 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:58.699 we're looking at Bible -fed and spirit -led. 00:07:04.740 --> 00:07:07.339 That's a clap to the elders of the church. As 00:07:07.339 --> 00:07:09.839 in counter church, both as a church and a people, 00:07:10.259 --> 00:07:13.240 if we are what we eat, we want to be a church 00:07:13.240 --> 00:07:16.800 and be a people who eat this book. If we are 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:18.540 the average of the five people we follow, we 00:07:18.540 --> 00:07:20.620 want to follow above all others the leading of 00:07:20.620 --> 00:07:22.920 the Holy Spirit. I wonder if you've ever asked 00:07:22.920 --> 00:07:25.759 yourself, what would my life look like if I was 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:28.500 Bible -fed and Spirit -led? Maybe you're not 00:07:28.500 --> 00:07:30.160 a Christian or you're new to faith and that's 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:33.160 a weird or daunting thing to think about. Maybe 00:07:33.160 --> 00:07:35.620 you've been doing this for so long that you've 00:07:35.620 --> 00:07:37.759 forgotten in many ways that this is actually 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:41.399 the call of the Christian life. There's a reason 00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:44.399 why almost every sermon application you've ever 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:49.079 heard is read your Bible or pray. You will struggle 00:07:49.079 --> 00:07:51.139 to have a life with God if you do not know Him 00:07:51.139 --> 00:07:53.759 or have a relationship with Him. If you don't 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:56.180 soak your mind in the revelation of Jesus through 00:07:56.180 --> 00:07:57.639 the scriptures, if you don't get to know the 00:07:57.639 --> 00:07:59.620 heart of God which is laid bare in the scriptures 00:07:59.620 --> 00:08:02.339 and perfectly manifest in Jesus Christ, you will 00:08:02.339 --> 00:08:04.600 struggle to know Jesus and you will struggle 00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:07.360 to know God's voice unless you know Him. Unless 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:09.600 you seek to know Him through reading the scriptures. 00:08:10.069 --> 00:08:12.250 And if you don't speak with God and listen to 00:08:12.250 --> 00:08:15.310 His voice, if you don't slow down enough to spend 00:08:15.310 --> 00:08:18.790 time in His presence, it is hard to have a life 00:08:18.790 --> 00:08:21.629 with Him. This is how every other relationship 00:08:21.629 --> 00:08:23.850 you have works. If you don't call your mum and 00:08:23.850 --> 00:08:25.829 dad, if you don't speak to them, if you don't 00:08:25.829 --> 00:08:27.370 spend time with them, if you're always busy or 00:08:27.370 --> 00:08:30.170 distracted or half there, it's hard to have a 00:08:30.170 --> 00:08:32.350 relationship with them. It's hard to do life 00:08:32.350 --> 00:08:35.570 with them. Thank you dad. Pipe down in the back. 00:08:38.850 --> 00:08:42.029 It's the same with our friends and our partners 00:08:42.029 --> 00:08:44.289 Leslie new beginner missionary said this we can 00:08:44.289 --> 00:08:47.450 only know we can know God only by listening to 00:08:47.450 --> 00:08:50.409 the words he speaks and attending to the works 00:08:50.409 --> 00:08:54.110 he does You will struggle to have a life with 00:08:54.110 --> 00:08:56.250 someone if you do not speak with them and do 00:08:56.250 --> 00:08:59.450 not get to know that This is why almost every 00:08:59.450 --> 00:09:01.389 application to every sermon is read your Bible 00:09:01.389 --> 00:09:04.409 and pray Every pastor and leader just wants to 00:09:04.409 --> 00:09:07.539 get you alone with Jesus We just want you to 00:09:07.539 --> 00:09:10.320 speak with him We just want you to know him because 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:13.279 I can tell you to do something I can see you 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:15.960 down and say hold up there young fella. Are you 00:09:15.960 --> 00:09:19.659 sure? This is a good decision But you won't listen 00:09:19.659 --> 00:09:22.899 to me And frankly, maybe you shouldn't maybe 00:09:22.899 --> 00:09:25.200 i'm wrong. Maybe i'm wrong for calling you young 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:30.100 fella You probably won't listen to me But you'll 00:09:30.100 --> 00:09:34.240 listen to god When god says my beloved daughter 00:09:34.429 --> 00:09:38.789 or my beloved son, cut out that nonsense. Step 00:09:38.789 --> 00:09:41.690 into your calling. Throw off that thing that's 00:09:41.690 --> 00:09:44.549 holding you back. You're gonna listen, right? 00:09:45.230 --> 00:09:49.049 Hope so. This is why we as a church must encourage 00:09:49.049 --> 00:09:51.190 each other to be Bible -fed and Spirit -led. 00:09:51.929 --> 00:09:53.529 And friends, I'm not talking about just snacking 00:09:53.529 --> 00:09:57.649 on the Bible. I'm talking about feasting. J .C. 00:09:57.769 --> 00:10:00.450 Ryle says this. A quick glance at the Bible now 00:10:00.450 --> 00:10:03.549 and then does little good. At that rate you will 00:10:03.549 --> 00:10:05.509 never become familiar with its treasures or feel 00:10:05.509 --> 00:10:07.549 the sort of the spirit fitted in your hand in 00:10:07.549 --> 00:10:10.070 the hour of conflict. But store up your mind 00:10:10.070 --> 00:10:12.190 with scripture by diligent reading and soon you 00:10:12.190 --> 00:10:15.549 will discover its value and power. Text will 00:10:15.549 --> 00:10:18.809 rise up in your heart in the moment of temptation. 00:10:19.429 --> 00:10:21.470 Commands will suggest themselves in times of 00:10:21.470 --> 00:10:24.049 doubt. Promises will come across your thoughts 00:10:24.049 --> 00:10:27.330 in the time of discouragement. Friends, don't 00:10:27.330 --> 00:10:31.269 snack on scripture. Feast on it. Consume it. 00:10:31.470 --> 00:10:34.049 Feed on it. Take it into your life. Make it a 00:10:34.049 --> 00:10:38.350 part of your very self Eugene Peterson said this 00:10:38.350 --> 00:10:41.330 Christians don't simply learn or study or use 00:10:41.330 --> 00:10:44.110 scripture. We assimilate it We take it into our 00:10:44.110 --> 00:10:46.710 lives in such a way that it gets metabolized 00:10:46.710 --> 00:10:50.129 into acts of love cups of cold water missions 00:10:50.129 --> 00:10:52.809 into all the world healing and evangelism and 00:10:52.809 --> 00:10:55.710 justice in Jesus names hand raised in adoration 00:10:55.710 --> 00:10:58.490 to the father feet washed in company with the 00:10:58.490 --> 00:11:03.740 son metabolize the bible take it in and the life 00:11:03.740 --> 00:11:05.860 you want the person you really want to become 00:11:05.860 --> 00:11:09.299 will start to come out now i don't know about 00:11:09.299 --> 00:11:12.179 you but i hate alan's lollies and there's a reason 00:11:12.179 --> 00:11:15.100 why and that's because after three of them it 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:16.860 feels like the alan's lollies are coming out 00:11:16.860 --> 00:11:20.639 of my pores i can smell alan's lollies through 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:23.419 my skin is it just me do i need to go to hospital 00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:27.669 okay You can't escape something when it starts, 00:11:27.789 --> 00:11:29.450 when it's coming out of your paws. You can't 00:11:29.450 --> 00:11:31.830 run from it. It follows you around. It's everywhere. 00:11:31.830 --> 00:11:34.870 It's there. And this is what I imagine metabolizing 00:11:34.870 --> 00:11:37.529 the Bible is kind of like. You take it in and 00:11:37.529 --> 00:11:39.850 it just comes out of you. Comes out of you when 00:11:39.850 --> 00:11:43.429 you pray. Like Ryle says, it'll come out in your 00:11:43.429 --> 00:11:45.929 discouragement. It will come out in your doubt. 00:11:45.970 --> 00:11:48.490 It will come out in your temptation. It will 00:11:48.490 --> 00:11:50.190 come out when you're listening for a word of 00:11:50.190 --> 00:11:53.169 encouragement for someone else. But it will also 00:11:53.169 --> 00:11:56.019 come out in the decisions you make. and how generous 00:11:56.019 --> 00:11:59.340 you are and how you put others above yourself 00:11:59.340 --> 00:12:02.559 and how you worship and how you set things right 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:05.519 in your life and how you talk about your faith 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:09.919 now let me tell you about my pet peeve all right 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:13.320 tom's nodding because he's got some my pet peeve 00:12:13.320 --> 00:12:16.100 is when i hear people talk about coming to church 00:12:16.100 --> 00:12:19.240 in relation to being fed and of course i'm talking 00:12:19.240 --> 00:12:21.179 about other churches and other christians not 00:12:21.179 --> 00:12:25.809 you guys okay They say things like I left Church 00:12:25.809 --> 00:12:30.470 X or Y because I wasn't being fed or I'm upset 00:12:30.470 --> 00:12:35.509 because my pastor is not feeding me or Man, I 00:12:35.509 --> 00:12:38.110 ate so well today at church. I just don't hear 00:12:38.110 --> 00:12:41.230 that one actually that much Let me let me explain 00:12:41.230 --> 00:12:44.990 why this grinds my gears now Jesus tells Peter 00:12:44.990 --> 00:12:47.879 to feed his sheep in John 21 That is the role 00:12:47.879 --> 00:12:50.340 of pastoral ministry, is to nurture and grow 00:12:50.340 --> 00:12:53.259 the people that Jesus has entrusted to you. But 00:12:53.259 --> 00:12:57.100 friends, sheep are not hand -fed. They are not 00:12:57.100 --> 00:13:00.759 baby birds. They are led to green pastures to 00:13:00.759 --> 00:13:03.159 graze away at their own discretion. They are 00:13:03.159 --> 00:13:05.500 led to places where they can eat their hearts 00:13:05.500 --> 00:13:08.500 content. And someone talks about coming to church 00:13:08.500 --> 00:13:10.960 to be fed. Part of me gets it. You know, if you've 00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:13.200 waited all week for a meal, you want it to be 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:17.139 a good one, don't you? Except that, you have 00:13:17.139 --> 00:13:19.460 a bible hopefully and if you don't we'll get 00:13:19.460 --> 00:13:21.940 you one and you have the spirit of god and if 00:13:21.940 --> 00:13:25.220 you don't we'll pray for that too you have food 00:13:25.220 --> 00:13:28.240 at home your mum was right the whole time you 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:33.279 have food at home you are a sheep with a pasture 00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:36.799 that is evergreen you don't have to come to church 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:40.059 hungry for a meal feed on the bible in your everyday 00:13:40.059 --> 00:13:42.659 life don't wait for church don't starve until 00:13:42.659 --> 00:13:44.659 sunday you've got food at home listen to your 00:13:44.659 --> 00:13:47.950 mum My mom's not going to pipe up there? Okay. 00:13:50.250 --> 00:13:54.289 We are talking about actually letting God, when 00:13:54.289 --> 00:13:56.350 we're talking about being Bible -fed, we're talking 00:13:56.350 --> 00:13:58.710 about feasting on the Word. And when we talk 00:13:58.710 --> 00:14:00.750 about being Spirit -led, what we're actually 00:14:00.750 --> 00:14:04.129 talking about is letting God lead us Monday through 00:14:04.129 --> 00:14:08.409 to Saturday, 24 -7 -365. This is where our Monday 00:14:08.409 --> 00:14:12.750 invaders value comes from. I wonder when you 00:14:12.750 --> 00:14:15.250 walk into a room, Are you thinking about what 00:14:15.250 --> 00:14:18.450 you should do or asking the Spirit what He wants 00:14:18.450 --> 00:14:21.289 you to do? I wonder when you decide to press 00:14:21.289 --> 00:14:24.029 order on your Amazon cart, do you ask the Spirit? 00:14:24.870 --> 00:14:26.549 When you decide what job you're going to apply 00:14:26.549 --> 00:14:29.929 for, where you'll live, who you will date, do 00:14:29.929 --> 00:14:32.889 you ask the Spirit? When you're praying for someone, 00:14:32.889 --> 00:14:35.190 do you just speak what you want or think they 00:14:35.190 --> 00:14:38.389 need to hear? Or do you ask the Spirit what He 00:14:38.389 --> 00:14:41.850 wants you to say to the person that you're praying 00:14:41.850 --> 00:14:44.600 for? While you're in worship, are you thinking 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:47.000 about yourself or you're asking God? What do 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:50.059 you want me to do here? Should I cross the room 00:14:50.059 --> 00:14:53.919 for to pray for? Maybe you do that naturally, 00:14:53.960 --> 00:14:56.720 but maybe like me you find this hard and it's 00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:59.120 hard because I find it easily to be distracted 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:02.340 It's hard because being distracted is a habit 00:15:02.340 --> 00:15:07.100 that I have formed But being spirit led Can be 00:15:07.100 --> 00:15:10.610 a new habit that we build the missionary frank 00:15:10.610 --> 00:15:13.429 lawback has this advice all during the day in 00:15:13.429 --> 00:15:15.289 the chinks of time between the things we find 00:15:15.289 --> 00:15:18.210 ourselves obliged to do there are moments when 00:15:18.210 --> 00:15:21.129 we our minds ask what next and usually in that 00:15:21.129 --> 00:15:23.970 moment we pull out our phone in these chinks 00:15:23.970 --> 00:15:28.269 of time ask him lord think your thoughts in my 00:15:28.269 --> 00:15:31.470 mind what is on your mind for me to do now when 00:15:31.470 --> 00:15:34.610 we ask christ what next we tune in and give him 00:15:34.610 --> 00:15:36.950 a chance to pour his ideas through our enkindled 00:15:36.950 --> 00:15:41.669 imagination If we persist, it becomes a habit. 00:15:42.690 --> 00:15:45.149 Friends, all this boils down to is just one question. 00:15:45.730 --> 00:15:48.690 Does God have your attention? Does God have your 00:15:48.690 --> 00:15:50.450 attention? Do you feast on His Word? Do you let 00:15:50.450 --> 00:15:54.389 Him lead? Does He have your attention? Now, we 00:15:54.389 --> 00:15:55.990 want to be people who are Bible -fed and Spirit 00:15:55.990 --> 00:15:58.429 -led, but we also want to be a church that lives 00:15:58.429 --> 00:16:01.750 out that value. And simply what that means, that 00:16:01.750 --> 00:16:03.669 as a church, we will not put an emphasis on the 00:16:03.669 --> 00:16:06.110 Word over the Spirit or the Spirit over the Word. 00:16:06.379 --> 00:16:08.419 We will not prioritize one at the expense of 00:16:08.419 --> 00:16:10.899 the other but we will hold to robust biblical 00:16:10.899 --> 00:16:13.799 teaching and preaching and holy spirit ministry. 00:16:14.740 --> 00:16:16.159 This is who we are as encounter and this is what 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:18.620 we're pursuing as a church. We won't always nail 00:16:18.620 --> 00:16:21.580 it but we intend to faithfully steward word and 00:16:21.580 --> 00:16:23.940 spirit in our church and I want you to get that 00:16:23.940 --> 00:16:26.179 this isn't just a new idea. I don't want you 00:16:26.179 --> 00:16:28.059 to think for a moment we've taken our new core 00:16:28.059 --> 00:16:30.679 idea and something that's new to encounter or 00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:32.659 unique to encounter like we've plucked it out 00:16:32.659 --> 00:16:35.039 of obscurity or out of Mike Wardrobe's brain. 00:16:35.299 --> 00:16:39.500 This is baked into our DNA. This is written in 00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:42.299 our genetic material. It comes from our ancestry. 00:16:42.340 --> 00:16:44.779 It comes from our spiritual heritage. We sit 00:16:44.779 --> 00:16:47.679 today in the walls of what once was the Enfield 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:50.919 Methodist Church. God brought Methodism to life 00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:53.679 through the ministry of John Wesley. Wesley famously 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:57.669 said this. the Bible or give me that book at 00:16:57.669 --> 00:17:00.990 any price give me the book of God I have it here 00:17:00.990 --> 00:17:04.390 is knowledge enough for me let me be a man of 00:17:04.390 --> 00:17:08.170 one book and so Methodists were known as the 00:17:08.170 --> 00:17:11.569 people of one book our heritage is Bible -fed 00:17:11.569 --> 00:17:14.710 and Methodism came out of a revival and a spiritual 00:17:14.710 --> 00:17:16.549 revival an awakening of the experience of the 00:17:16.549 --> 00:17:19.309 Holy Spirit William Sykes said this about a Methodism 00:17:19.309 --> 00:17:23.630 was born in fire The Holy Spirit came upon the 00:17:23.630 --> 00:17:25.190 early Methodists and they went out to change 00:17:25.190 --> 00:17:27.869 England. The same spirit is available to change 00:17:27.869 --> 00:17:30.930 the world today if we will let him. A heritage 00:17:30.930 --> 00:17:34.049 of spirit led. We're a church of one book. We're 00:17:34.049 --> 00:17:36.710 a church born in fire. And I want you to know 00:17:36.710 --> 00:17:40.009 this isn't just quirky offbeat Methodists. No 00:17:40.009 --> 00:17:43.029 offense to any people who still identify as a 00:17:43.029 --> 00:17:46.269 Methodist in the room. We see this same dynamic. 00:17:47.109 --> 00:17:49.190 Bible fed and spirit led in the ministry of Jesus. 00:17:49.889 --> 00:17:52.390 To circle back to our teaching text today, Jesus 00:17:52.390 --> 00:17:55.190 is full of the Spirit's power. He's been led 00:17:55.190 --> 00:17:57.109 out to the desert by the Spirit to be tempted, 00:17:57.109 --> 00:17:59.289 and now he comes back, and he comes back to his 00:17:59.289 --> 00:18:01.930 hometown, goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath, 00:18:02.430 --> 00:18:04.930 gets up the front, unrolls the scroll of Isaiah, 00:18:05.950 --> 00:18:09.029 and reads, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me. 00:18:09.450 --> 00:18:11.410 For he has anointed me to bring good news to 00:18:11.410 --> 00:18:13.970 the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives 00:18:13.970 --> 00:18:15.690 will be released, that the blind will see, that 00:18:15.690 --> 00:18:18.880 the oppressed will be set free. and at the time 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:21.519 of the Lord's favour has come. Jesus rolls it 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:25.720 up and He declares, the Spirit, the scripture 00:18:25.720 --> 00:18:28.119 you've just heard has been fulfilled this very 00:18:28.119 --> 00:18:33.480 day. How? How can it be fulfilled? Who has the 00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:35.500 Spirit of the Lord sent to bring good news, freedom 00:18:35.500 --> 00:18:39.079 and God's favour? The man who reads it, Jesus. 00:18:39.779 --> 00:18:44.200 The scriptures are about Him. Now Jesus has metabolised 00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:46.039 the Hebrew scriptures, even the religious elites 00:18:46.039 --> 00:18:48.230 who have studied all their life. are amazed and 00:18:48.230 --> 00:18:50.529 astonished by the way He teaches. He is Bible 00:18:50.529 --> 00:18:54.049 -fed. And Jesus is Spirit -led constantly. He's 00:18:54.049 --> 00:18:55.950 always doing the will of the Father. He's always 00:18:55.950 --> 00:18:59.210 being led out to do stuff. What this passage 00:18:59.210 --> 00:19:01.390 shows us is something that is true throughout 00:19:01.390 --> 00:19:04.109 Scripture. Jesus might be Bible -fed and Spirit 00:19:04.109 --> 00:19:07.150 -led, but both Spirit and Scripture lead to Jesus. 00:19:08.009 --> 00:19:11.329 Both Scripture and Spirit testify that Jesus 00:19:11.329 --> 00:19:15.049 is Lord. 2 Corinthians 12 says, no one can say 00:19:15.049 --> 00:19:17.849 Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. It is 00:19:17.849 --> 00:19:20.269 the Spirit that brings about faith in Jesus Christ. 00:19:20.829 --> 00:19:22.789 And Jesus himself says in John 5, you search 00:19:22.789 --> 00:19:24.250 the scriptures because you think they give you 00:19:24.250 --> 00:19:28.130 eternal life. But the scriptures point to me. 00:19:29.009 --> 00:19:33.069 The scriptures testify about Jesus. You know, 00:19:33.130 --> 00:19:35.609 friends, we trick ourselves into thinking that 00:19:35.609 --> 00:19:40.089 the things we consume don't change us. But nothing 00:19:40.089 --> 00:19:43.839 changes us more than scripture. and Spirit. Because 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:46.680 if you open yourself to the Spirit, if you begin 00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:49.359 to consume the Scriptures, you will find yourselves 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:54.539 face to face with Jesus. Scripture and Spirit 00:19:54.539 --> 00:19:58.140 testify about Jesus. Pursuing them will lead 00:19:58.140 --> 00:20:00.880 you to an encounter with Jesus. And pursuing 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:03.700 them over a lifetime will make you more and more 00:20:03.700 --> 00:20:07.619 like Jesus. Friends, eat this book because it's 00:20:07.619 --> 00:20:10.140 where you can meet the living Jesus. Let the 00:20:10.140 --> 00:20:12.059 Spirit lead you so that we can become like Him 00:20:12.059 --> 00:20:16.000 and live like He lives. We want to be Bible -fed 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:17.960 and Spirit -led as a church. Not so you can have 00:20:17.960 --> 00:20:20.160 a generic religious experience and understand 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:22.640 some theology. But it's so you can meet the risen 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:25.779 Jesus and have an encounter with Him. Because 00:20:25.779 --> 00:20:28.500 once you know that Jesus is really alive, this 00:20:28.500 --> 00:20:31.660 will change your life forever. Nothing can or 00:20:31.660 --> 00:20:34.400 will or ever be the same. Everything in your 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:37.039 life must be radically reorientated around the 00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:39.970 fact that Jesus lives. everything must be shattered 00:20:39.970 --> 00:20:42.190 to make way for it. New Begin says this, there 00:20:42.190 --> 00:20:45.410 is no way by which Jesus can be accommodated 00:20:45.410 --> 00:20:47.849 within any a theology which has its starting 00:20:47.849 --> 00:20:51.130 point elsewhere. It must be Jesus. To acknowledge 00:20:51.130 --> 00:20:55.950 Him as who He is, is to accept a shattering of 00:20:55.950 --> 00:20:59.529 all other structures of confidence and belief. 00:21:01.089 --> 00:21:04.369 All other structures of confidence and belief. 00:21:05.390 --> 00:21:08.500 In John 6, And the band can come back out if 00:21:08.500 --> 00:21:11.839 they'd like. Jesus says something that makes 00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:16.700 many of his followers desert him. He says, I 00:21:16.700 --> 00:21:19.460 tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh 00:21:19.460 --> 00:21:21.660 of the son of man, he's talking about himself 00:21:21.660 --> 00:21:24.059 and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal 00:21:24.059 --> 00:21:26.920 life within you. Unless you eat my flesh and 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:29.819 drink my blood. I mean, no wonder why the crowds 00:21:29.819 --> 00:21:33.680 left. Jesus, you want us to eat you? What's going 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:39.319 on? But he doesn't. But he also does. Jesus is 00:21:39.319 --> 00:21:42.920 being intentionally obtuse. He's sifting the 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:46.940 crowd. Who's here for the hype? Who's here because 00:21:46.940 --> 00:21:50.279 Jesus is the best show in town right now? Well, 00:21:50.279 --> 00:21:53.640 they'll be offended and they'll go home. And 00:21:53.640 --> 00:21:56.980 who's really paying attention? Who's willing 00:21:56.980 --> 00:22:00.319 to accept that I am who I say I am and accept 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:02.519 the shattering of everything else as a result? 00:22:04.740 --> 00:22:10.819 Friends, are you? We are changed by what we consume 00:22:10.819 --> 00:22:17.420 Jesus says to the crowds. I am the bread of life 00:22:17.420 --> 00:22:22.740 Consuming be consumed by me Don't just take the 00:22:22.740 --> 00:22:26.039 scriptures into your life Don't just take the 00:22:26.039 --> 00:22:28.440 bread and the juice into your body through communion 00:22:28.440 --> 00:22:37.259 Take Jesus into your life Jesus says to us I 00:22:37.259 --> 00:22:41.720 am eternal and you are mortal. You cannot have 00:22:41.720 --> 00:22:46.059 my eternal life unless you have me. And Jesus 00:22:46.059 --> 00:22:49.539 goes on to say in John 6, anyone who eats my 00:22:49.539 --> 00:22:52.099 flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I 00:22:52.099 --> 00:22:54.980 in him. And friends, this is the mystery of faith. 00:22:55.900 --> 00:22:58.500 We consume all these things. We follow all these 00:22:58.500 --> 00:23:00.339 things and we're looking for something in all 00:23:00.339 --> 00:23:05.460 of that. But the only one thing will give us 00:23:05.480 --> 00:23:10.519 life everlasting. That's Jesus. Being united 00:23:10.519 --> 00:23:14.579 to Him by faith. Being in Him and Him being in 00:23:14.579 --> 00:23:18.460 us. Consuming Him and being consumed by Him through 00:23:18.460 --> 00:23:22.720 faith. It's the only way. He is the only way. 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:26.720 We want to be people at Encounter who are Bible 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:29.000 -fed and Spirit -led because we are people, want 00:23:29.000 --> 00:23:33.299 to be people who want Jesus. Who want all of 00:23:33.299 --> 00:23:37.690 Jesus. who want Him at the expense of everything 00:23:37.690 --> 00:23:41.289 and anything else. Who want Him above career, 00:23:42.009 --> 00:23:45.730 above relationships, above money, above influence, 00:23:46.369 --> 00:23:50.430 even above family, and even above ourselves. 00:23:52.390 --> 00:23:56.109 We want to be people who want Him not for what 00:23:56.109 --> 00:23:59.529 He can give us, but because through the cross 00:23:59.529 --> 00:24:02.980 He's already given us everything. You cannot 00:24:02.980 --> 00:24:05.819 give someone more than your own flesh and blood. 00:24:07.579 --> 00:24:10.480 And Jesus offered that up on the cross for you. 00:24:11.400 --> 00:24:15.799 He held nothing back so that we could be with 00:24:15.799 --> 00:24:19.980 you. We could be with him forever. Friends, do 00:24:19.980 --> 00:24:24.319 you get that Jesus wanted you that much? Jesus 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:30.240 wanted you, yes you, that much. My friends, the 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:36.720 question Today is do you want him? Do you want 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:45.880 him? Let's pray Holy Spirit come God we want 00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:50.039 you here in this place We want you God because 00:24:50.039 --> 00:24:55.859 you are holy because you have saved us Because 00:24:55.859 --> 00:24:58.359 you have given us just the gift of your spirit 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:02.819 Because we are never alone when we have you. 00:25:04.500 --> 00:25:08.579 But we want you for you, Jesus. We want you even 00:25:08.579 --> 00:25:10.880 when it shatters the things we think we want 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:15.640 or the life we think we need. We just want you 00:25:15.640 --> 00:25:17.599 and we want to be a church that wants you above 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:20.400 everything else. We don't want you just to make 00:25:20.400 --> 00:25:23.420 this church grow, just to have a sense of your 00:25:23.420 --> 00:25:26.119 presence here on a Sunday. We want you and all 00:25:26.119 --> 00:25:29.009 of you to come and deal with us. to come and 00:25:29.009 --> 00:25:32.950 be with us. We love you, Jesus. We pray this 00:25:32.950 --> 00:25:39.049 in your name. Amen. Amen. Thanks so much for 00:25:39.049 --> 00:25:41.589 tuning into this week's message. If you felt 00:25:41.589 --> 00:25:44.390 challenged or need prayer, we'd love to hear 00:25:44.390 --> 00:25:47.430 from you on Instagram at encounterhenley. Or 00:25:47.430 --> 00:25:49.730 if you're interested in how you can support this 00:25:49.730 --> 00:25:53.430 ministry, please go to our website encounteradelaide 00:25:53.430 --> 00:25:57.569 .com .au. Thanks again for listening. God bless 00:25:57.569 --> 00:25:57.950 you.