WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 To prepare us for what he wants. And I had nine points, if you remember. 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:10.000 And I did three last week. It's all I got through. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:16.000 And the first one was that a well kept heart produces good fruit. 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:22.000 And how do you know what's in the heart? Toothpaste tube. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:28.000 Ever been to Clicks or Dischem Pick and Pay Checkers Spa. 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:34.000 And you go to the toothbrush section, there's the most wonderful toothpastes and they look good. 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:40.000 And the only way you ever know what's really inside is by giving it a squeeze. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:45.000 Until you give it a squeeze, it looks fine. 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:52.000 And I'm particularly aiming this at Sensodyne, which my dentist told me to start using a few years ago. 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:55.000 Flipping horrible stuff. 00:00:55.000 --> 00:01:00.000 I don't know why they don't just put sugar inside it. I suppose it defeats the purpose, eh? 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:07.000 A well kept heart that produces good tubes, good fruits is what he's after, number one. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:12.000 Number two, feed the sheep, don't eat them. 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:18.000 We're not there to benefit from people, we're there to benefit them. We're there to look out for them. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:26.000 And number three, we walk in God given authority, not institutional authority. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:32.000 The scripture I gave you was Matthew 7:17. A good tree produces good fruit. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:38.000 A bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:42.000 A bad tree can't produce good fruit. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:48.000 So every tree that doesn't produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown in the fire? Yes. 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:54.000 Just as you can identify tree by its fruit, you can identify people by their actions. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:00.000 We never identify people by their intentions, it's by their actions. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:06.000 How do you respond when you're under pressure? How do you respond in this life? 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:12.000 And so my first point for this morning is this. Understand where spiritual authority comes from. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:18.000 There are two sources of authority, God and human. 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:26.000 And human authority can be obtained by jumping through whatever hoops are required to get the necessary recognition or certification. 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:30.000 But you don't get authority from God that way. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:35.000 When I studied, I studied correspondence, my theology degree. 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:41.000 And one of the things they said to me at the time was, you know what? Why don't you come and 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:47.000 because you're paying a whole lot of money to study correspondence, come in and be part of the lectures for a while. 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:53.000 You can come and attend up to 50% of the lectures at Baptist Theological College there in Randberg. 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:59.000 And I remember once I decided, I've got a few hours, I'm going to do that, 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:04.000 and I drove all the way there and I sat down and I listened to some lectures. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:09.000 Bear in mind I'VE been leading a church for four or five years. 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:14.000 I'm in the just forefront of God. What do you do next? 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:21.000 I'm studying, I'm doing this and I'm sitting in the room with a lot of wet behind the ear 18 year olds 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:25.000 who have already solved all the world's problems. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:31.000 Everything's already sorted. So they're discussing deep theological discussions 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:37.000 over fancy haircuts and cafe lattes or chai lattes, 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:43.000 and they're shredding all the theologians and they're coming up with, I swear I did about two hours of this. 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:47.000 I excused myself and I never went back. 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:54.000 Because I cannot afford to sit in a room with a group of people who believe that sitting and writing assignments 00:03:54.000 --> 00:04:00.000 and tests is enough to certify you to serve in the kingdom of God. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:07.000 Because the church is made up of people weak, foolish, poor, rich, wise, old, young. 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:13.000 Where the certification required, the qualification for leadership, 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:19.000 the qualification to stand and do what God's called you to do, simply comes from this. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:26.000 Wait in Jerusalem until you receive power from on high and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:33.000 Can I tell you, most of the harm done today to churches are through qualified leaders. 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:40.000 They're the problem because what they're doing is they're putting in place institutional belief systems 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:46.000 and practices that often don't enhance the people of God to do what they're doing. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:48.000 They hinder. 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:55.000 And I want to tell you, when you stand as a leader and say, I want you to know I am the leader, 00:04:55.000 --> 00:05:00.000 you probably aren't in the home, husband or wife. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:05.000 The more you have to demand, it's because you don't have. 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:10.000 Can I tell you, we're in Edenvale. The loudmouth in the pub, 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:16.000 not that any of us ever go there, but the loudmouth in the pub that you don't worry about him. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:20.000 Isn't it a quick hook or an elbow and he sleeps. 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:25.000 The one you watch for is the oak who's just sitting, watching, 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:30.000 measuring distance between you and him, height, angle of jaw. 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:35.000 That's the one you watch out for, because he's going to sort you out. Am I right? 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:38.000 Dynamite, small packages. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:44.000 A guy who has authority never has to tell you he's got authority 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:49.000 unless he's a traffic cop on the N1 at 140k an hour. 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:55.000 When an oak stands out like this, he's either a hijacker or a traffic cop, isn't it? He has to. 00:05:55.000 --> 00:06:01.000 It was the qualified people who tortured, judged and killed Jesus. 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:07.000 Man instituted authority that couldn't see God right in front of them. 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:12.000 I want to ask you a question. How qualified were the following people? 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:19.000 Abraham, Joseph, Elijah, David, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:25.000 all the disciples, and most of the apostles, Bar Saul of Tarsus, who had studied. 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:31.000 The one thing they all had in common was a call and a commission from God. 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:37.000 And I want to say to you this morning, on this Pentecost Sunday, 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:43.000 I want to say to you that the call and the commission of God on your life 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:49.000 is enough for you to get up and start doing the things that God has called you to do. 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:53.000 It's to know that he is with you by His Holy Spirit. 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:58.000 And when Jesus saw institutional authority, he asked them a question. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:02.000 Luke 23. Let me ask you a question first. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:07.000 Because they said to him, where's your authority? Who gives you the right? 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:12.000 He said, let me ask you a question first. Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:17.000 or was it human? Where did John come from? A desert. 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:23.000 And I don't think that eating locusts and honey and wearing leather kit qualifies you for leadership. 00:07:23.000 --> 00:07:27.000 But he was burning with a call of God. 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:31.000 He was burning with a conviction that God had put in his heart. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:34.000 And he called everyone to repent. 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:38.000 Jesus was asking a real question. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:43.000 If you can't answer where John's authority came from, you'll never answer where mine comes from 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:47.000 because you can't see what's standing in front of you. 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:52.000 These leaders were not being honest and they were not being authentic. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:58.000 Everybody knew from John, chapter one, that John said that Jesus authority came from heaven. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:04.000 And if John says the authority, if Jesus comes from heaven, then who's John? 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:07.000 That's where the question got stuck. 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:13.000 The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:16.000 He's the one I'm talking about. 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:22.000 When I said, a man's coming after me who's greater than I am, for he existed long before me. 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:28.000 I didn't recognize him as the Messiah, but I've been baptizing with water that he might be revealed to Israel. 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:35.000 Then John testified, I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting on him. 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:37.000 I didn't know he was the One. 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:43.000 But when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, the one on whom you see the Spirit descend 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:48.000 and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:53.000 I saw this happen to Jesus. So I testify he's the chosen Son of God. 00:08:53.000 --> 00:09:00.000 Recognition in the Spirit by the Spirit, from people called by the Holy Spirit. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:04.000 You see, Jesus knew a power struggle was coming. 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:08.000 And this power struggle would last through centuries. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:15.000 Can I tell you, there's very, very few people who've ever been offended or hurt by Jesus, 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:19.000 but they've been offended and hurt by the church. 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:26.000 And sometimes the very institutions we've set in place to reach out to the world as beachheads 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:30.000 are the very institutions that have done harm. 00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:35.000 How's the world supposed to react when the church implodes, 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:40.000 when the church isn't doing well, when the church infights? 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:44.000 And that's always a result of institutional authority. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:49.000 And Jesus knew this battle would go on through the centuries. 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:54.000 We were talking the other day how you can go into parts. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:59.000 I don't name the countries, but you can go into parts. I can say you can go into places like Greece, Italy, 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:03.000 where every street corner has a church. 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:07.000 There's an institutional authority everywhere. 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:11.000 It doesn't mean people are coming to the Lord. It doesn't mean people are being saved. 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:14.000 But the institutional authority is there. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:20.000 I have invited people to church and they say, Greg, I did church when I was young. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:23.000 My knees can't take it. 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:28.000 What do you mean? All the kneeling and the sitting and the kneeling again 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:32.000 and the standing and the sitting again. Listen, I'm due a knee replacement. 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:35.000 I'm not going to do that either. 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:40.000 But when I invite them to our church, that's what they're thinking. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:44.000 One guy even said to me, I'm allergic to incense. 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:48.000 So what do you mean? He said, no, it creates. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:52.000 I said, you're not going to get any incense here. Institutional. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:56.000 And Jesus knew a power struggle was coming. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:01.000 And so the first thing he did was he said, you need to know where your authority comes from. 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:07.000 Good to get recognition from the land in terms of having the ability or the permission 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:11.000 to for instance, lead a church or whatever. 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:14.000 But your authority must come from God. 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:17.000 You must be called of him. 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:23.000 Can I almost say the biggest danger I think in the church sometimes is self appointed leadership 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:28.000 where you've got guys sitting girl in churches that you look at him. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:32.000 He wouldn't know God if God walked past. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:35.000 But someone made them a leader. 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:41.000 And I want to tell you what, when you stand in the place and you represent God, 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:46.000 you'd better know God's in the house, that he himself is there. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:52.000 I remember when I first started in ministry, I quoted, which was quoted earlier this morning, 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:58.000 I quoted Exodus back to God and I said, God, if Moses said he won't go anywhere 00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:03.000 if your presence isn't going with, I'm not going to either. 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:07.000 Because who's going to listen? Who's going to believe me? 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:11.000 And this isn't my idea. It's yours. 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:15.000 So I want to do what you've called me to do. 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:17.000 You need authority. 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:23.000 And can I tell you what? If you are sitting here this morning and you have authority from God 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:29.000 and in worship God told you to open up your home for a home group, 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:33.000 and you knew that something in you can do it. 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:36.000 All you need is that authority. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:39.000 Come talk to us and let's get going. 00:12:39.000 --> 00:12:42.000 You don't need to jump through any hoops. We'll train you. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:46.000 You just say, God, here I am. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:50.000 So that's Number one. Your authority has got to come from God. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:55.000 Number two, though Jesus has to be your cornerstone, 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:59.000 there's only one way to live and lead. 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:03.000 You simply cannot work with or trust leaders. 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:09.000 Christians whose tongues, character and conduct is far from that of Jesus. 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:15.000 You see the institutional authority of the day, led by threats, 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:19.000 they led by warnings, they led by pressure. 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:23.000 And so Jesus deals with it with a beautiful story. 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:26.000 That's sad, but it's beautiful. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:29.000 It's in Luke chapter 20, verse nine. 00:13:29.000 --> 00:13:32.000 And that's what I'm going to read in my Bible. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:35.000 So if you have a Bible, you can. You can open it. 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:38.000 Luke chapter 20. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:42.000 If not, just look on the screen behind me. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:45.000 Luke chapter 20. And I'm reading from verse nine. 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:50.000 Now, Jesus turned to the people again and he told them the story. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:56.000 A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers 00:13:56.000 --> 00:14:00.000 and moved to another country to live for several years. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:05.000 So who owns it? Who owns it? The man who planted the vineyard. Right. 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:09.000 Who owns this church? The man who planted Jesus. 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:15.000 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:19.000 in the crop harvest time. 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:25.000 But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up and sent him back empty handed. 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:28.000 So the owner sent another servant. 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:33.000 They insulted him, beat him up, sent him away empty handed. 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:36.000 A third man was sent. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:40.000 They wounded him and chased him away. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:43.000 What do I do? The owner asked himself. 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:46.000 I know. I'll send my cherished son. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:49.000 Surely they'll respect him. 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:54.000 But when the tenant farmer saw his son, they said to each other, 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:57.000 here comes the heir to the estate. 00:14:57.000 --> 00:15:01.000 Let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves. 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:06.000 So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him. 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:11.000 What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them? Jesus asked. 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:13.000 I'll tell you. 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:18.000 He will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:22.000 How terrible that such a thing should ever happen. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:27.000 Is this protested Jesus looked at them and said then what does the scripture mean? 00:15:27.000 --> 00:15:33.000 The stone the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. 00:15:33.000 --> 00:15:37.000 Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces. 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:40.000 It will crush anyone. It falls on the teachers of religious law. 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:46.000 And the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:50.000 because they realized he was telling the story against them. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:55.000 They were the wicked farmers, but they were afraid of the people's reaction. 00:15:55.000 --> 00:16:01.000 Jesus was quoting Psalm 118, 22, quoting himself as. 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:06.000 The stone the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:12.000 Jesus was the stone to whom the people who were in charge couldn't come to terms with. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:15.000 They couldn't cope with his kingdom. 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:18.000 They wanted to build their own little kingdoms. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:20.000 They didn't want change. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:24.000 And when he came, Jesus kingdom is an upside down kingdom. 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:28.000 It comes to address, it comes to pull down. 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:34.000 As a matter of fact, the best way you can describe to these Pharisees and these teachers of the law 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:40.000 what the kingdom of Jesus would come to do is if you were to read Daniel, chapter 2, verse 45. 00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:46.000 That is the meaning of the rock cut out from the mountain, though not by human hands, 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:52.000 that crushed to pieces the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver and gold. 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:59.000 Jesus was and is the stone that will always crush idolatry, 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:04.000 institutionalism and the demons that sit behind it. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:10.000 Jesus remains the rock, the cornerstone against which everything we do must be measured. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:16.000 The path of Jesus crossed the path of the religious leaders, 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:20.000 but they never allowed their path to merge with his. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:24.000 The narrow path of Jesus never merges with idolatry. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:27.000 He confronts and he overthrows. 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:33.000 And the work of the Holy Spirit in you and I is to constantly get our lives 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:38.000 to begin to merge with with the path that Jesus is on. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:40.000 He brings us into that place. 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:44.000 And how do we know we walk in the right road? 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:47.000 Number one, I have kingdom authority. 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:53.000 And number two, I recognize Jesus as my cornerstone and I start to measure everything by Him. 00:17:53.000 --> 00:18:00.000 It's scary for me how much the average Christian prefers a form of Christianity 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:06.000 that ticks the boxes rather than going after and submitting to the presence 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:09.000 and the leading of God. 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:11.000 I wonder how many people. 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:14.000 Probably none in this room. 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:19.000 I hope none listening, none watching, who would go to a meeting 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:25.000 and the first thing you do is you set your timer because you know in an hour and a bit you want to be out of here. 00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:31.000 I come to worship you, Jesus, but remember, you're on a time limit 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:36.000 and even my morning devotion, I've got to hit the traffic by half past six. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:40.000 So Lord, when I start to meet with you, just meet quickly, please. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:43.000 I'm on the clock here. 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:45.000 This is like the microwave ding. 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:49.000 I actually wondered this morning for a second. 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:54.000 I played with the idea of going to Andrew and saying, let's push worship another 20 minutes. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:56.000 Yeah, yeah. 00:18:56.000 --> 00:19:00.000 To the three of you who love that music, 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:05.000 I wonder how many others of us would have got unsettled thinking, 00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:09.000 yo, there's still another preach coming here. Sheesh. 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:15.000 Or how many of us are saying, as the deer pants for streams of living water, lord, here I come. 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:19.000 Because how can you pray for revival? 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:25.000 What happens if it comes and then God decides for the next three hours he's going to do business with us? 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:30.000 But you put a roast in at 10, Lord, am I going to let you. 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:33.000 Am I going to. What do we sing? Let It Burn. 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:36.000 How does that song go? Let it what? 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:39.000 I want to burn for you. 00:19:39.000 --> 00:19:42.000 I don't want my home to burn for you. I want to burn for you. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:45.000 But Lord, keep my home safe. 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:48.000 But I want to. You hear what I'm saying? 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:53.000 It's scary how the average Christian prefers a form of Christianity, 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:59.000 the comfort of institutional worship, over the living reality of God in our midst, 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:04.000 where the song sheet is as set in stone as the ten Commandments. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:10.000 Can I tell you, everything we do, from preach to notices to the songs, 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:16.000 everything we do has to be held loosely, saying, lord, where are you in this? 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:21.000 You cannot hold your song, cheat and say, holy Spirit, he's the boss. 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:26.000 And if we want to experience the presence of God and revival, like we've known in the past. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:32.000 Do you know he literally takes over where he descends upon a meeting 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:36.000 and you look at your watch and three hours have gone. 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:40.000 You don't know what's happened. You submitted to your kingdom. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:43.000 Not that that becomes the norm, but they become moments. 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:48.000 Israel goes to worship and suddenly the glory fills the temple. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:52.000 They can't go inside, they can't do their job anymore. Why? 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:55.000 Because God's come, you wait. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:57.000 Let him do what he does. 00:20:57.000 --> 00:21:01.000 I think people don't want to be stretched. 00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:04.000 They don't want God to occupy their lives. 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:10.000 What our true Holy Spirit times going to look like in the church on the 6th of July, 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:16.000 we starting evening meetings live at 5, and we're going to see what God does 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:19.000 and where he takes us and what happens. 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:24.000 And there's going to be moments where God comes in the house and we don't know what to do with it. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:26.000 I'm warning in advance. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:29.000 Can I give you an example? I'm sorry about this. 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:32.000 I wasn't planning on. But can I give you this Example, promise. 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:36.000 We had a Holy Spirit moment once in our church way, way, way back. 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:40.000 And the presence of God is there. We're in worship and the presence of God is there. 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:43.000 And we're standing in worship. Probably an hour and a half, just. 00:21:43.000 --> 00:21:46.000 We don't know what to do next. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:49.000 We're looking at each other. What happens now? Don't know. Okay, you know what happens? 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:53.000 The Holy Spirit starts to move and there's a lady back, right hand corner. 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:57.000 I don't know all those lights on under there. But she's at the back there, over there. 00:21:57.000 --> 00:22:00.000 And she starts screaming. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.000 Now we're trying to worship and I'm not telling you now to start screaming. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:07.000 Okay, we will remove you. But she starts screaming. 00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:11.000 But she's screaming and we're looking at this auntie, she's popped the ladies meeting. 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:15.000 She's the ugliest looking woman I've seen. No man I don't know how long. 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:18.000 Looks like the back end of a bus. 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:22.000 So you know what happens after the meeting? We go and we find out what's happened to her. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:27.000 This is a lady who four years previously had been raped by three men. 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:33.000 And she said, I determined never to make myself attractive to a man again. 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:39.000 She literally put herself in a place where every man would find her repulsive. 00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:41.000 That's why I used the example. 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:44.000 And you know what happened? 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:50.000 She had a moment at the bath three years later where God showed her 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:54.000 what hell would look like for the men who had raped her. 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:58.000 And what she was screaming was, forgive them, forgive them. 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:01.000 Forgive them, Lord. Don't let them go there. 00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:06.000 And in that moment, she was forgiven and released and set free. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:11.000 When she came back the next week, you couldn't believe the transformation. 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:14.000 And I want to ask you this. 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.000 Are you ready to cope when God comes? 00:23:17.000 --> 00:23:22.000 When God deals with something hidden for three years, 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:26.000 causing such fear, such approbation, 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:30.000 are you willing to say, okay, God, we can cope? 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:33.000 Check how quiet it's got. 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:39.000 Because I want to tell you, when the king comes, he comes in ways you and I will not expect. 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:45.000 And so I'm asking you, institutional authority versus the authority of the Holy Spirit. 00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:50.000 I'm asking, what does it look like when Jesus is the cornerstone, 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:56.000 when prostitutes and cripples and blind men and lepers push their way through sanctified meetings 00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:59.000 to find the presence of God? 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:02.000 How are you going to cope? 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:06.000 Or is it going to be neat and tidy? Only the right sort of people. 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:08.000 Jesus, the cornerstone. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:13.000 Way back in, Exodus 19:6, you will be my kingdom of priests. 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:17.000 Isaiah 29:13, the Lord says these people say they're mine. 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:21.000 They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:24.000 Their worship of me is nothing but man made. 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:27.000 Rules learned by wrote Jesus. 00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:29.000 The cornerstone. 00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:32.000 Physical characteristics of a cornerstone. 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:36.000 It's placed at the corner where two walls meet. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:38.000 That's what a corner. 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:42.000 If you've ever seen a cornerstone, that's what that thing behind me, 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:45.000 I looked, I only saw me there. No cornerstone. 00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:48.000 Yeah, it's a place where two walls meet. 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:52.000 Provides the visible foundation point for the entire structure. 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:57.000 The biblical symbolism is it represents strength, stability and unity. 00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:00.000 Jesus is the cornerstone of the church. 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:05.000 The cornerstone serves as the guide for aligning all the other stones 00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:09.000 and it ensures the integrity and the safety of the building. 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:13.000 If you mess with the cornerstone, you mess with the whole building. 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:18.000 If you mess with who Jesus is, who you know him to be, how you understand him to be, 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:22.000 if, if you mess with him, you mess with the whole church. 00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:25.000 If you get him wrong, you get the church wrong. 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:27.000 Is Jesus the cornerstone? 00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:32.000 Our job is to align ourselves completely with Jesus 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:37.000 and to always deal with things that get in the way so that we're able to focus on what he wants. 00:25:37.000 --> 00:25:39.000 Authority from above. 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:41.000 Jesus as the cornerstone. 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:43.000 Number three. I'll do this one quickly. 00:25:43.000 --> 00:25:45.000 Embrace the ongoing battle. 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:50.000 You see, the religious leaders had all the right certificates, they had all the wrong hearts. 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:56.000 And in this parable of the farmer, the owner who leases the land to the tenant farmers, 00:25:56.000 --> 00:26:00.000 which they understood that Jesus was talking about them. 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:05.000 There were prophets who had been sent by God to speak to Israel to say, 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:09.000 give me the fruit from my harvest, it's my field. 00:26:09.000 --> 00:26:11.000 Israel is my vine. 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:13.000 I want the fruit from my vine. 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:15.000 I created them for me. 00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:18.000 I want to love them, I want to nurture them. 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:20.000 I want them near me. 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:22.000 I want them to come to me. 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:27.000 And you know, if you've read the prophets, how often do the prophets go 00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:33.000 and speak the warnings and the woes to trying to get the people of God back to God? 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:38.000 Surely you have read Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah and Amos. 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:44.000 Surely, surely you've read in your Bible how they cried as they called Israel back to God. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:48.000 And when they called Israel back to God, who were they speaking to? 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:53.000 Not only Israel, but the institutional leadership of kings that they'd asked for. 00:26:53.000 --> 00:26:59.000 And why did these Pharisees sitting in Moses seat know that this is being addressed at them? 00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:02.000 Isaiah was killed by King Manasseh. 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:08.000 Jeremiah was stoned to death by the Jews who couldn't kidnap him and took him to Egypt. 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:12.000 Ezekiel was killed in Babylon after warning against Idol worship. 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:17.000 Micah was killed by King Joram, and Amos died of injuries given by Amaziah. 00:27:17.000 --> 00:27:22.000 The famous prophets you and I read, all killed one by one 00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:25.000 because they would not release control. 00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:27.000 The battle is real. 00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:32.000 And then Jesus gives this damning statement to them in Matthew 23:3. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:37.000 So pointing out to the scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus says, 00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:41.000 practice and obey what they tell you, 00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:45.000 but do not follow their example, for they don't practice what they preach. 00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:50.000 These are leaders, are people who say a whole lot, but they don't do a whole lot. 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:53.000 Their inside doesn't match their outside. 00:27:53.000 --> 00:27:56.000 They talk, but they don't have power. 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:59.000 It's the contrast between word and action. 00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:04.000 And I want to tell you today a war is on again 00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:09.000 where God is wanting the freedom of his people who understand something. 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:12.000 They understand where authority comes from. 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:15.000 They understand Jesus as the cornerstone. 00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:20.000 They're willing to go to war because they want to free the church 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:24.000 from institutional authority that binds instead of releasing. 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:29.000 And I think God wants to release a fresh wineskin upon the earth again today 00:28:29.000 --> 00:28:35.000 where people are free under his authority and power to do what he's called them to do. 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:38.000 Last second, last, number four. 00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:40.000 Jesus was addressing them. 00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:44.000 You know what they did? They justified, defended rather than repented. 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:47.000 They didn't take this very kindly. 00:28:47.000 --> 00:28:49.000 I read you. No, no. 00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:53.000 They then plotted how they're going to arrest Jesus because they want to get him. 00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:57.000 Teachers of the law and the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately. 00:28:57.000 --> 00:29:00.000 They realized he's telling the story against them. 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:02.000 They the wicked farmers. 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:05.000 But they were afraid of the people's reaction. 00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:07.000 Remember, I ended there. 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:09.000 Let me carry on reading. 00:29:09.000 --> 00:29:14.000 Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:16.000 It's like a movie. 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:20.000 They try to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:23.000 so he would arrest Jesus. 00:29:23.000 --> 00:29:25.000 They pretended to defer to him. 00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:28.000 You so wonderful. Oh, good teacher, I. 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:31.000 Oh, wow. Flattery, flattery, flattery. 00:29:31.000 --> 00:29:34.000 But they're just trying to get him to stumble. 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:37.000 They have no pure motives in their heart. 00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:40.000 Then they talk about taxes to Caesar. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:42.000 Do we pay taxes or don't we? 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:44.000 What does Jesus say? 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:46.000 Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:48.000 Give to God what belongs to God. 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:50.000 Can't win that one. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:52.000 Then the Sadducees come. 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:54.000 This is even better. 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:57.000 And they want to trap him about the resurrection. 00:29:57.000 --> 00:30:00.000 And they say, there's this woman. 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:02.000 I've got to read the whole thing. 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:04.000 She marries an oak. 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:06.000 They don't have a kid. He dies. 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:11.000 So according to the law, in Deuteronomy, the Brother marries her. 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:15.000 Seven brothers in a row marry this chick. 00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:18.000 None of them have a baby with her. 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:20.000 Then she dies. 00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:22.000 I am not surprised. 00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:27.000 Seven brothers later, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:32.000 I tell you, when you're in a corner, you start asking stupid questions 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:35.000 and you get caught up on the wrong things. 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:38.000 And Jesus has to put them right in eternity. 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:43.000 You see, they're not coming for answers when face to face with the Son of God, 00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:46.000 they're beaten every time. 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:50.000 And you need to just understand that sometimes when you speak to people, 00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:52.000 I cannot tell you about Jesus. 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:54.000 Well, where are the dinosaurs? 00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:56.000 Well, how old is the earth? 00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:58.000 Is God really God? 00:30:58.000 --> 00:31:02.000 If God is God, can he make a cage that he himself can't get out of? 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:06.000 These are all the questions I get asked by very clever people 00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:11.000 who the Bible says are stupid because the fool says in his heart there is no God. 00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:13.000 Number five. 00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:17.000 Jesus always confronts pride and arrogance. He never blesses it. 00:31:17.000 --> 00:31:21.000 Jesus literally has to take them on in front of the crowd. 00:31:21.000 --> 00:31:25.000 At the end of chapter 20, verse 45, 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:30.000 with the crowds listening, Jesus turns to his disciples and says, 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:33.000 beware of these teachers of religious law. 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:37.000 They like to parade around in flowing robes 00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:42.000 and they love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:46.000 And how they love the seat of honor in the synagogue 00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:49.000 and the head table at banquets. 00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:53.000 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property. 00:31:53.000 --> 00:31:57.000 And they pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. 00:31:57.000 --> 00:32:01.000 Because of this, they will be severely punished. 00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:07.000 The decayed rotten hearts of Israel's leadership was in the place 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:10.000 where they were blinded to the goodness of God. 00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:13.000 And so what does Jesus say in Matthew 23? 00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:15.000 Blind Guides. 00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:18.000 You are blinded to the goodness of God. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:22.000 You're blinded to the activity of God and of the Holy Spirit. 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:24.000 Blind guides. 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:28.000 You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat. 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:32.000 That's a small thing you get in Joburg's water things, 00:32:32.000 --> 00:32:34.000 but you swallow a camel. 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:37.000 What sorrow awaits you, teachers of the law, 00:32:37.000 --> 00:32:40.000 You Pharisees, hypocrites. 00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:42.000 This is Jesus. 00:32:42.000 --> 00:32:46.000 You're so careful to clean the outside of the cup of the dish, 00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:48.000 but inside you're filthy. 00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:52.000 You're full of greed and self indulgence, you blind Pharisee. 00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:55.000 We can't say those things, but Jesus can. 00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:58.000 First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, 00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:01.000 then the outside will become clean too. 00:33:01.000 --> 00:33:03.000 You know what Jesus is calling them? 00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:05.000 Corpses with makeup on. 00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:08.000 You dead. You're dead, but you look all. 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:11.000 But there's nothing of life happening inside of you. 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:14.000 The Issue is inside versus outside. 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:17.000 They see the problem of Israel's leaders. 00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:19.000 Their problem is their hearts. 00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:22.000 Remember I said this morning, God's going after the heart. 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:26.000 We got to keep this in mind as we think about ourselves. 00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:30.000 Which then leads to note the last point for this morning. 00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:32.000 6. Those are all negatives. 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:36.000 And if we want to see God come, if we want to see revival, 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:39.000 the sixth point is critical. 00:33:39.000 --> 00:33:41.000 Are you ready? 00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:45.000 Magnify or make much of your ministry 00:33:45.000 --> 00:33:49.000 Own what God has called you to and recognize that you can do it. 00:33:49.000 --> 00:33:54.000 God has created specific roles and responsibilities in the church 00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:59.000 so that we can support and strengthen our being together as a loving community. 00:33:59.000 --> 00:34:03.000 Have you noticed in scripture, for instance, how Jesus Paul takes 00:34:03.000 --> 00:34:08.000 deals in Corinthians with a guy, commits adultery with his father's wife, 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:12.000 which is not his mother, his stepmother, 00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:17.000 and rebukes and takes out of the church and in the next letter, 00:34:17.000 --> 00:34:20.000 now restore that one gently. 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:24.000 But when someone is divisive, worn once, worn twice, 00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:27.000 then have nothing more to do with him. 00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:29.000 What is the scripture telling us? 00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:31.000 Division breaks the church. 00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:33.000 Division hurts the church. 00:34:33.000 --> 00:34:36.000 Anything that breaks about disrupts unity. 00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:39.000 What God wants to do, so what God does, 00:34:39.000 --> 00:34:43.000 he says, you know what? I'm going to make this body safe, 00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:46.000 free of institutional authority. 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:50.000 I'm going to put a body together who understand I have authority from God. 00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:52.000 Jesus is their cornerstone. 00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:56.000 They're watching their hearts and they're going to commit to walking with one another 00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:58.000 in loving community. 00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:01.000 They're going to learn to forgive 70 times 7. 00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:04.000 They're going to learn to turn the other cheek. 00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:07.000 They're going to learn that love covers a multitude of sins. 00:35:07.000 --> 00:35:11.000 The church is the most unusual place on planet earth 00:35:11.000 --> 00:35:15.000 because no matter what you've done, we will love you, 00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:19.000 we'll care for you, and we'll see you brought through 00:35:19.000 --> 00:35:23.000 and we'll see Jesus deliver you and put you back on your feet again. 00:35:23.000 --> 00:35:25.000 The church will do that. 00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:28.000 The world will reject you and make jokes about you. 00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:31.000 The church will see you back on your feet. 00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:34.000 But it requires people working together. 00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:39.000 And in 1 Peter, chapter 5 and verse 2 Peter writes, 00:35:39.000 --> 00:35:42.000 Care for the flock that's been entrusted to you. 00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:46.000 Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly, 00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:50.000 not for what you get out of it, but because you're eager to serve God. 00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:53.000 Don't lord it over the people assigned to your care. 00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:56.000 Lead them by your own good example. 00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:59.000 Make much magnify your ministry. 00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:04.000 Take your good example and let it wash over into the people that you deal with. 00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:07.000 Well, I don't know if I'm able 00:36:07.000 --> 00:36:11.000 well, 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 4, says, 00:36:11.000 --> 00:36:16.000 we share in his divine nature and we escape the world's corruption 00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:18.000 caused by human desire. 00:36:18.000 --> 00:36:22.000 We share his nature when we're born again, 00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:27.000 he something of the original intent of what God intended for us, 00:36:27.000 --> 00:36:29.000 made in his image. 00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:33.000 The Holy Spirit starts a work right through your life 00:36:33.000 --> 00:36:36.000 to bring you back to the image you were created to be. 00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:38.000 You are always a work in progress. 00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:41.000 You are always the result of the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:36:41.000 --> 00:36:44.000 Don't ever say, I can't do this. 00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:47.000 And as we mature and as we get older, 00:36:47.000 --> 00:36:49.000 we shouldn't get more difficult. 00:36:49.000 --> 00:36:51.000 We should get more like Jesus. 00:36:51.000 --> 00:36:55.000 And we become the fathers and the mothers that model to everyone 00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:58.000 what it looks like to follow and walk with Jesus. 00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:00.000 You're always a work in progress. 00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:04.000 God's always going to get you to the place where you can do what he's called you to do. 00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:08.000 In Romans 11:13, Paul says, I magnify my ministry. 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:12.000 In Romans 1:1, he says, I'm a slave of Christ Jesus. 00:37:12.000 --> 00:37:16.000 The quality of a Christian depends on the interior life that he has. 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:20.000 What's in your heart, what's in your will, 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:23.000 what's in your thoughts and your emotions. 00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:26.000 Can you describe to me the quality of your social relationships? 00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:30.000 Actually, it's all summarized by one word, character. 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:34.000 And when you go after the heart, which Jesus is doing with his church at the moment, 00:37:34.000 --> 00:37:38.000 he's going after our character, who we really are, 00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:40.000 not who we appear to be. 00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:44.000 My mother, bless her, when she was still alive, 00:37:44.000 --> 00:37:47.000 watched a series on tv, this British series. 00:37:47.000 --> 00:37:50.000 How many of you remember Keeping Up Appearances? 00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:52.000 What does that lady's name? 00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:55.000 She had the name of a plant, huh? Hyacinth. 00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:57.000 Hyacinth Bouquet. 00:37:57.000 --> 00:37:59.000 That's right. 00:37:59.000 --> 00:38:02.000 Her real name was Bucket, remember? 00:38:02.000 --> 00:38:04.000 And she goes, I'm Mrs. Bouquet. 00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:06.000 They say Bucket. 00:38:06.000 --> 00:38:10.000 And my mother, my mom was always tickled by keeping up appearances. 00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:12.000 Can I tell you how hard it is? 00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:14.000 It's far better just to be you. 00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:16.000 Learn to lean into the Lord. 00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:19.000 Learn to live a life of authenticity. 00:38:19.000 --> 00:38:22.000 I think God is concerned with who we're becoming. 00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:26.000 And in times of revival, what God does is 00:38:26.000 --> 00:38:30.000 he helps us assume responsibility for the development of our own character, 00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:32.000 the maintenance of our character, 00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:36.000 so that we become pleasing to God and we become more like Him. 00:38:36.000 --> 00:38:40.000 There's nothing like a life changed when a neighbor or a friend or someone 00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:43.000 looks at you and says, I can't believe what God's done with you. 00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:45.000 You used to be such a. 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:48.000 But now, wow, you are wonderful. 00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:50.000 Are you hearing me? 00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:54.000 And interestingly, when he said, jesus, repent 00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:57.000 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, 00:38:57.000 --> 00:39:00.000 or repent for the kingdom of God is near. 00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:02.000 What was at hand? What was near? 00:39:02.000 --> 00:39:05.000 Jesus was saying, the kingdom that's now in me. 00:39:05.000 --> 00:39:07.000 How near is the kingdom to you? 00:39:07.000 --> 00:39:10.000 The answer is as near as Jesus is to you. 00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:12.000 That's how near the kingdom is. 00:39:12.000 --> 00:39:14.000 When he's far, the kingdom's far. 00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:16.000 When he's near, the kingdom's near. 00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:20.000 And as people looked at him and listened to him and received his ministry, 00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:23.000 they realized the kingdom of God was there. 00:39:23.000 --> 00:39:26.000 The kingdom of God was available to them 00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:28.000 because he was available to them. 00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:31.000 And when they received him, they received the kingdom. 00:39:31.000 --> 00:39:33.000 I close with this, don't you? 00:39:33.000 --> 00:39:37.000 And I want to be in the place where the people of our city 00:39:37.000 --> 00:39:40.000 receive the kingdom because they receive 00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:43.000 the Jesus that we're becoming like 00:39:43.000 --> 00:39:45.000 the Jesus we're imitating 00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:47.000 the Jesus we're submitting to 00:39:47.000 --> 00:39:49.000 the chief cornerstone 00:39:49.000 --> 00:39:52.000 with an authority we know comes from him. 00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:56.000 To pull down strongholds and arguments that have been raised up 00:39:56.000 --> 00:39:58.000 against the knowledge of God, 00:39:58.000 --> 00:40:01.000 some of which by institutional church life. 00:40:01.000 --> 00:40:05.000 And we come by contrast and talk about life in the Spirit 00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:07.000 and what a people look like. 00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:09.000 We have authority from God 00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:11.000 who have Jesus as their cornerstone 00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:14.000 and who make much of their ministry. 00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:16.000 That's you stand with me. 00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:19.000 I hear the young adults on Tuesday night, 00:40:19.000 --> 00:40:23.000 they met there, just under 80 of them, 00:40:23.000 --> 00:40:26.000 little adult group seeking after God. 00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:30.000 I hear that the senior saints, just under a hundred of them, 00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:33.000 sitting on Wednesday, come to pray on Thursday. 00:40:33.000 --> 00:40:37.000 There's 250 people sitting, seeking the face of God together. 00:40:37.000 --> 00:40:41.000 Go to a men's camp with guys being honest with each other, 00:40:41.000 --> 00:40:44.000 praying with each other, being undone. 00:40:44.000 --> 00:40:47.000 Worship this morning in the presence of God. 00:40:47.000 --> 00:40:49.000 I really feel God's doing something. 00:40:49.000 --> 00:40:51.000 He's always doing something. 00:40:51.000 --> 00:40:54.000 But I do feel that he's getting our attention. 00:40:54.000 --> 00:40:58.000 And he wants a people who will look like him, 00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:00.000 who will reflect him. 00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:03.000 People submitted to him because they love him. 00:41:03.000 --> 00:41:06.000 And the scripture I didn't bring, 00:41:06.000 --> 00:41:09.000 because I'm going to preach a whole sermon on it one day, 00:41:09.000 --> 00:41:12.000 is this Rend your hearts, not your garments. 00:41:12.000 --> 00:41:15.000 Rend your hearts, not your garments. 00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:18.000 Garments is outer heart is in. 00:41:18.000 --> 00:41:21.000 Bring your heart in a sensitive place to your garden. 00:41:21.000 --> 00:41:23.000 Say, Lord, here it is. 00:41:23.000 --> 00:41:25.000 I don't know my heart. 00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:27.000 It's deceitfully wicked. 00:41:27.000 --> 00:41:29.000 And above everything, I don't know this heart. 00:41:29.000 --> 00:41:31.000 Think it's good. 00:41:31.000 --> 00:41:34.000 My wife said to me yesterday, I've got a pure heart. 00:41:34.000 --> 00:41:36.000 She said. 00:41:36.000 --> 00:41:38.000 I told her rubbish. 00:41:38.000 --> 00:41:40.000 I did. 00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:42.000 I said to you, I don't. 00:41:42.000 --> 00:41:44.000 You do I said, I don't. 00:41:44.000 --> 00:41:48.000 What I can say before God is I think most of my motives are right. 00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:51.000 I don't know enough about my heart, 00:41:51.000 --> 00:41:54.000 but I know that enough of my motives are right. 00:41:54.000 --> 00:41:56.000 Because I didn't choose to be here. 00:41:56.000 --> 00:41:58.000 I wanted to do something else. 00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:00.000 Never my desire. 00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:04.000 So I can trust my motives more than I can my heart. 00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:07.000 And I think we're going into a season where God wants us 00:42:07.000 --> 00:42:10.000 to rend our hearts, not the outward stuff. 00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:12.000 You know, who's going to leave out? Nobody. 00:42:12.000 --> 00:42:16.000 And we're going to see hundreds and then thousands of people coming to the Lord, 00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:19.000 and we're going to start meetings, and we're going to have to have more meetings, 00:42:19.000 --> 00:42:21.000 and we're gonna have to have more meetings. 00:42:21.000 --> 00:42:23.000 That's okay. 00:42:23.000 --> 00:42:25.000 Why do you think we got a big building? 00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:29.000 I mean, you buy taxi when you've got lots of kids, right? 00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:33.000 You don't have a Porsche when you've got four kids, 00:42:33.000 --> 00:42:36.000 unless two feel left out the rest of their lives. 00:42:36.000 --> 00:42:39.000 And now they got to go for therapy because they weren't included. 00:42:39.000 --> 00:42:42.000 And it was me, I'd have to sell one of mine to get the Porsche. 00:42:42.000 --> 00:42:46.000 You moved into a space because God wants something done there, simple. 00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:50.000 And you and I have got to be mature enough to hear what he's saying. 00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:52.000 And I'm not the only one. 00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:56.000 But some of you are going to start having sleepless, restless nights from tonight 00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:59.000 because God's going to start putting people on your heart. 00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:01.000 You've got to pray for that. 00:43:01.000 --> 00:43:04.000 You've got to reach and bring here that revival can start with them, 00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:07.000 that you, too, start with their families. 00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:11.000 And we're going to carry the responsibility God's given us together. 00:43:11.000 --> 00:43:13.000 But I'm telling you now, guard your heart. 00:43:13.000 --> 00:43:15.000 Put it in front of him. 00:43:15.000 --> 00:43:17.000 He's gone after your heart today. 00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:20.000 So, okay, where am I in all this? 00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:23.000 Not, where is that guy? Where's that guy? Where am I? 00:43:23.000 --> 00:43:25.000 Help me, Lord. 00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:29.000 Let the people around me, my family, my workplace, 00:43:29.000 --> 00:43:33.000 let everyone see that I've given God my heart 00:43:33.000 --> 00:43:36.000 and I'm asking him to work it with me. 00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:38.000 Altar call in a moment. 00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:41.000 But I want to pray, and I'm not going to say, 00:43:41.000 --> 00:43:43.000 come to the front if that's you. 00:43:43.000 --> 00:43:47.000 I almost want to say, if that's not you, come to the front 00:43:47.000 --> 00:43:49.000 because you can pray for us. 00:43:49.000 --> 00:43:53.000 And I tell you, the only people who come forward saying, 00:43:53.000 --> 00:43:56.000 God's not working in my heart right now are all the deceived ones. 00:43:56.000 --> 00:43:58.000 And we don't want you to pray with us anyway. 00:43:58.000 --> 00:44:00.000 God is talking to everybody. 00:44:00.000 --> 00:44:04.000 The only way you're not hearing him today is if your heart is hard. 00:44:04.000 --> 00:44:06.000 It's the only way. 00:44:06.000 --> 00:44:08.000 Pray with me. 00:44:08.000 --> 00:44:11.000 Maybe lift your hands with me if you want to. 00:44:11.000 --> 00:44:15.000 Lord, we come to you this morning as a surrendered people. 00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:17.000 These are the hands of surrender. 00:44:17.000 --> 00:44:21.000 This morning you tell us a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, 00:44:21.000 --> 00:44:24.000 and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:26.000 You said it. 00:44:26.000 --> 00:44:30.000 And so we raise our arms, Lord, in surrender to you this morning. 00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:34.000 And we pray that by the work of your Holy Spirit on this Pentecost Sunday, 00:44:34.000 --> 00:44:37.000 you cause us to be a people, Lord, 00:44:37.000 --> 00:44:40.000 where our hearts are good, therefore the trees are good, 00:44:40.000 --> 00:44:42.000 therefore the fruit is good. 00:44:42.000 --> 00:44:45.000 And many can come and eat from our fruit. 00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:48.000 And come and taste and see how good the Lord is 00:44:48.000 --> 00:44:51.000 through the lives we're choosing to lead. 00:44:51.000 --> 00:44:54.000 From today, minister to each guy and girl in this place. 00:44:54.000 --> 00:44:58.000 Leave none of us out as we surrender our lives to you, 00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:01.000 Lord, continue to work in us, 00:45:01.000 --> 00:45:03.000 we pray in Jesus name. Amen. 00:45:03.000 --> 00:45:06.000 Thank you so much for being a part of our meeting today. 00:45:06.000 --> 00:45:08.000 Can I just ask two things? 00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:12.000 The first is if today the message has in any way been useful to you, 00:45:12.000 --> 00:45:16.000 would you mind just maybe liking it or putting perhaps a statement down 00:45:16.000 --> 00:45:20.000 or a comment down that we can know how the ministry has helped you, 00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:22.000 Maybe a thumbs up, maybe you can subscribe to the channel, 00:45:22.000 --> 00:45:26.000 do whatever, just so we can know what impact this message may be having on you. 00:45:26.000 --> 00:45:29.000 And secondly, you may be someone who's saying, 00:45:29.000 --> 00:45:31.000 greg, I hear you. 00:45:31.000 --> 00:45:35.000 And this hope that Jesus has for us can come into my heart and it can change me. 00:45:35.000 --> 00:45:39.000 But the reality is that I don't even know if I know Jesus. 00:45:39.000 --> 00:45:41.000 I want to say two things to you right away. 00:45:41.000 --> 00:45:44.000 The first is he's near you right now. 00:45:44.000 --> 00:45:47.000 The Bible says if you believe in your heart that he is the Lord, 00:45:47.000 --> 00:45:50.000 and if you confess him with your mouth, you will be saved. 00:45:50.000 --> 00:45:54.000 Which means you just need to where you are, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ 00:45:54.000 --> 00:45:57.000 even now and just say, lord, here I am. 00:45:57.000 --> 00:45:59.000 I recognize who you are. 00:45:59.000 --> 00:46:01.000 I confess my sin to you. 00:46:01.000 --> 00:46:05.000 I acknowledge you as Jesus Christ, the Lord of all, 00:46:05.000 --> 00:46:07.000 the Son of the living God. 00:46:07.000 --> 00:46:09.000 And I want to follow you. 00:46:09.000 --> 00:46:11.000 I want to become a disciple of yours. 00:46:11.000 --> 00:46:13.000 I want to give my life to you, Lord. 00:46:13.000 --> 00:46:16.000 And you can pray that prayer right now between you and the Lord. 00:46:16.000 --> 00:46:18.000 Secondly, you can get hold of us. 00:46:18.000 --> 00:46:20.000 We could either send you some material, 00:46:20.000 --> 00:46:23.000 we can put you in touch with a really good church near you. 00:46:23.000 --> 00:46:25.000 If you live in our area, you can come to us. 00:46:25.000 --> 00:46:28.000 You can find, follow us on YouTube, 00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:31.000 but it is good to get connected into the family of God, 00:46:31.000 --> 00:46:34.000 to get connected into a local church 00:46:34.000 --> 00:46:38.000 that your life changes being surrounded with the family of God. 00:46:38.000 --> 00:46:40.000 Please stay in touch. 00:46:40.000 --> 00:46:42.000 God bless you.