Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:05 Right. So I believe Esther last week did, um, a great talk on being baptized. Is that right? Yeah. So we're in our discipleship series. I was out doing kids work, so I haven't heard that. She's actually gonna finish that sort of first little mini part of that, which will be sort of the receiving of the Holy Spirit. Um, so I just felt cuz Esther preached on the baptism, she's gonna carry on and link that in. So she's gonna jump back next week and finish that off. So I'm sort of jumping ahead a little bit into the next part of our discipleship series, which has been a new creation. Being a new creation. So I'm gonna look at this morning, um, if there's one thing I want you to hear me this takeaway while you go back for your Sunday dinner. Maybe watch Colombo this afternoon.
Speaker 1 00:00:45 I didn't watch Colombo on a Sunday afternoon. <laugh> absolutely great <laugh>. I used to see my dad watching it as a 10 year old thinking, why are you watching this? But I am hooked on Colombo. I record the series so I can watch them all. He's great. Um, you fall asleep usually, don't you, on a Sunday afternoon watching him. But, uh, yeah, if there's one thing I want you to take on this morning is who we are in Jesus. And I'm gonna expand that in a minute. Um, somebody made me laugh actually at the prayer meeting. They said, Phil, your rester gave a great word last week. He said, but when I came to mention it, the Life Group, the only thing I could remember is that when she got baptized, did she say her father dunked her down and kept her down? I said that was the thing that was in my mind.
Speaker 1 00:01:26 So <laugh>, it made me laugh. But if, if you can take one thing away this morning, I wanna start with this. Who are we in? Jesus? Okay? Right. Before we start looking who we are, I want to look at who we are not right? So we're in this new creation series. Let's look at who we are not. Okay? If you've got your Bibles, uh, do you wanna put up the first one? Colossians two, 12 to 15. Um, that's the NIV v Jacob. Yeah, I'm hoping, what I'm reading here is what coincides with what we're reading there. So it says this, if you get in your Bibles Colossians two verses 12 to 15. Let's look at who we are. Not first of all having been buried with him in baptism as we looked at last week, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead.
Speaker 1 00:02:17 When you were dead, dead in your sins and in the un uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you what? Alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of, listen to this our legal indebtedness. More on that in a minute. Our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us, he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross. Isn't that an amazing word? Yes. What an absolute promise. So what are we not right? We could burst out in song in a second, but we are no longer a slave to sin. I know he could jump into song there, couldn't you? But, and we are no longer dead in our sin. Okay? Do you know what our, this penalty for our sin was?
Speaker 1 00:03:17 Was, was hell, was death? Most people don't wanna hear that, do they? In this day and age? And I guess most of us this morning are Christians. I guess most of us are believers. Maybe you're not this morning and I don't wanna say something that's a Phil idea. Do you know God made this world? I like to say in your shirt, it's God's train set, you know, as your little train set when you were drumming around, when you were younger. This is God's train set. He created the heavens and the earth. You know, in those six days when he created the world. And then Adam and Eve sin entered mankind, didn't it? Through Adam and Eve and God's heart was broken. And at that point we were all sinners. We were all bound by our sin. Okay? These are not my rules, these are God's rules, okay?
Speaker 1 00:04:02 But through Jesus, we are no longer dead in our sin. So if you don't know Jesus this morning, I want you to hear that this morning that the only way to heaven, to eternal life, to, to break that, oh imagine that curse over mankind, that sin, that Adam and even the God Adam and even the Garden of Eden, they, they set us all on a path of sin in our lives. The only way to break that is Jesus. So what are we not as a Christian this morning? We are no longer a slater sin. And we are no longer dead in our sin. Nextly remember what we read earlier on in verse 14. It says this, we are not legally indebted by our sin. Verse 14 says, it canceled the charge of legal indebtedness of our lives. So before Jesus came before the cross, there was an atonement for sins that used to take place.
Speaker 1 00:04:56 And the law through Moses and everything else, if you look back in the Old Testament, it was this constant battle trying to cleanse ourselves of sin. That they never actually, they never actually did or won that battle. It was a constant thing. Why? Cuz mankind has taken on this burden of sin that we all have. Okay? But Jesus cancels that debt. It's like a debt over our life, paid by the cross. Not amazing, just good to remind ourselves as we just in this series of big disciples, who are we not? We're no longer dead and we're no longer indebted by our sin. This Old Testament was a, uh, an atonement for sin required that never actually works. Acts 7 53 tells us that history sadly records that they brought the law. Yeah, if you read Acts 7 53 simply says this history sadly records, they broke the law.
Speaker 1 00:05:43 This law of atonement for sins of cleansers never worked. It never worked did it? It never worked. Romans seven, four to six says this. It says how the believer is dead to the law because of Jesus. Isn't that amazing? This morning, I want us to know that Jesus, he took away that burden of sin. So you get in the picture this morning, we're not bound by the old covenant law. Do you want final points on this is Satan and all the demons that had a legitimate holdover of scripture tells us. If you go back and read that, it says they're a legitimate holdover. Our lives in verse 14. So who are we not? We're not bound by this legitimate hold of Satan and the power of darkness. This damnation over our lives that would doom us to hell. We're not bound by that as a believer.
Speaker 1 00:06:31 It's a great promise this morning to remember to take home. Okay? It's great news. Church is a powerful news. You know the demons, they're new Jesus. They're new Jesus. Let's never let, never take shot of that. Listen to this in Matthew eight verses 29 to 31. I read this a couple of weeks ago, shared it in the prayer meeting actually, but really struck me. It says this in Matthew eight. The demons as Jesus approached them, you'll know this passage. But as Jesus approached them, he said, what do you want with us? Son of God? They're shouted. This is the demons in the demonn possessed man addressing Jesus, addressing him head on. Yeah. They said, what do you want with us? Son of God? They're shouted, listen, have you come to torture us before the appointed time And some distance from them there was a large herd of pigs that was feeding.
Speaker 1 00:07:20 And the demons beg Jesus, if you drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs. You've all heard that scripture, aren't you? Did anything? What the heck does it mean? Well I did when I read it, what does it mean to not torture us before the appointed time? What's great about when you get into your study church. So I looked into that and it was like this whole sense of the demons knew Jesus one day was gonna bound them forever to hell. Right? They knew a day is coming. Not talking about humans, now we're talking about demons. Anything demonic, right? He's gonna get cast into hell. So that day would be when Jesus comes again, when he comes again to save us and take us to glory with him. At that point, all hell is locked. There's no more mankind can be cast into hell.
Speaker 1 00:08:02 Yeah. What amazing day that's gonna be. So they knew then that wasn't the right day. They didn't think this is the day that Jesus is gonna do that. So why have you come to torture us now? And it made me realize that when that day comes, we got a heaven. We got a glory. We know the king of kings, but the demons are trembling, the demons are thinking. But they recognize that this outstanding authority of Jesus, this headship over them. So I want you to remember that this morning, you know, we're no longer to slay to sin. We're not dead in our sin anymore. And we have to fear the demons. I remember at school, actually, I wouldn't recommend this, but I I remember at school and there was two young guys in the Christian youth, um, like thing they used to do. It was like what they call it, school Christian Union.
Speaker 1 00:08:42 Union well done. And the Christian Union, which I used to dip in and out of sometimes playing football outside, sometimes dipping at the Christian Union. But two of these young guys, they were really fervent for Jesus. And they went to the, the big church I went to in Bradford. They were there and there was four lads started getting involved with Ouija boards and bending spoons and stuff. Cause they were 15 and they started getting involved. Do not do it. But these two Christine lads, I always remember, I said, Phil, do you wanna come? I said, nah, nah, I don't think so. But they went and sat outside the door and they knocked on the door and they just said, just to let you know, you not be bending any spoons today cuz my Jesus wears the victor's crown. We're gonna stand here and pray so you can't bend any spoons.
Speaker 1 00:09:21 And they didn't bend any spoons that day, <laugh>. They didn't, they didn't bend any spoons. There was no demonic power that these young boys were messing with, which they shouldn't have been. But it showed me right at young age, I thought, wow. And I'm not recommending that as a church by the way. We don't mess with the enemy like that. But we do know who wears a victor's crown. Like the demons on that day with the pigs when they said take away, you know, they, they recognize the authority of Jesus. That's what it was us to recognize this morning. But not that day, nothing happened because Jesus is, he wears a victor's crown. He has all power over hell. So let's always remember that who we are not, we're not bound by Satan, we're not bound by the demons. We're not bound by this eternal damnation.
Speaker 1 00:10:00 I don't wanna say we were Satan's before. It's quite a powerful statement that, and I don't wanna give him any glory, but we were, the Bible says here, legally bound, indebted by our sin that we're not now, are we? No, it's great. Right? So what are we then let's get on, get to the good news. So we now belong to Jesus. And Jesus is the sun and coming king. And we are a child of God. Yes. So if you read, have you got that other passage in John one 12 to 13? Yeah. So it says this, it says, yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of children of God, children of God, children not born of natural dissent, nor of human decision, nor of a husband's will, but born of God.
Speaker 1 00:10:58 So how are we a child of God this morning? Simply this. I think Esther started this series, didn't she? Repent, believe and be baptized. Yeah. Yeah. So if you've repented this morning, if you've committed your heart to Jesus, you are a child of God. I love this in my application Bible at the bottom, it said this, it said, through faith in Christ, this new birth, this spiritual birth is given our life to Jesus. We're a new creation this morning changes us from the inside out. Listen to this, rearranging our attitudes, desires and motives. I have shared this with you a few weeks ago. Do you know that God, as we, the more we get to know him, the more we journey this walk of faith with Jesus, our desires actually start to become like his. Maybe when you first get saved, you want a Ferrari and a million pound one day.
Speaker 1 00:11:50 And that's what you think success in life is. Let me tell you, you success in the Christian life is the more we journey through this life as a believer, the more we look like him and think like him. Okay? So by the Holy Spirit living us this new creation that we are, our attitudes, desires, and motives start to change. Do you know what as well? Church, as a child of God, that's one you take on this Sunday, I am a child of God. As a child of God. Your friends should notice a difference in you quite instantly. Really. So I remember as, as a young man and I, I backslid and at the age of 23, when I recommitted my life to God, I'd all these great friends, but they would all go to the pub and drink and never ever talk about the things of God.
Speaker 1 00:12:34 And I'd go out with them and I'd say one night, do you know what lads? I'm not gonna have a drink tonight. I'm not gonna have a drink. I love Jesus. You what? You weird up, you're going to church. But one, you know, one by one of these things started changing in my hearts and I didn't wanna do that anymore. But our friends should recognize who are we living for now? And it's for Jesus. We're a child of God and sometimes things need to, to drop out of our lives. So, uh, my identity had started to change My passport, for want of a better word, said heaven on the stamp. It didn't say hell anymore, which we spoke about earlier on. And if your, if your passport this morning has been stamped heaven, your identity is changed, you are now a child of God. So I wanna look at this morning, we are a child of God.
Speaker 1 00:13:19 Yeah, A friend of mine, um, in Exeter, we went playing golf and uh, he was telling me about he, he, he sort of takes businesses over and then, um, reinvigorates them, changes them and makes them more successful and sells them on again. And he had a garage door business. And he said they used to sell garage doors at 1500 pounds. He said he was a really creative guy that had designed some technology. So he had two brilliant engineers work for him. But he said the guy was the griest most miserable old fella you've ever met. And he said, I had a garage door put in from me. He said, he actually did a really good job. And he said he was getting older. And he said, he said, can I buy your business from you? And they agreed a price. And he said, first of all, he said he didn't have any advertising.
Speaker 1 00:14:00 So he got him a social media page, he got him a website and he got these two lads that had a battered old van, a brand new van. And he said, we doubled the price. He said, we started selling garage doors at 2000 pounds. And he said, people were paying them. And he said, I was really polite with the customers. And he changed the identity of the company completely. He, he turned it around and he said, we're selling more, uh, twice the price. He said, I, I was able to give the lads pay eyes. I wasn't a grumpy owner like he was. And he turned it around like that. So as a child of God, it's the same for us. Our identity changes. There's this instant shift within us that we are now belonging to him. And our attitudes and desires need to change, don't they?
Speaker 2 00:14:41 So
Speaker 1 00:14:42 To be a two child of God, what is it? It's a daily surrender to Jesus in our hearts. It's not just a one-off decision church. It's not just a one's decision to follow Jesus. I believe it's a daily decision to surrender our hearts to Jesus. Has anyone ever heard this? That you get saved, you're being saved and one day we will be saved. That's what it is. You know, as the believer. So we get, I I remember on that dance floor after having too much to drink and I thought, I know Jesus is coming again. I was 23, my mum's heart was breaking cause I was away from God. But there was enough had gone into me as a young man that I thought, do you know what? I went skiing. I stood at the top of a mountain and I saw these beautiful mountains and I thought, if God had didn't make this, who did?
Speaker 1 00:15:26 I don't believe there was a big bang. And I believed that there must have been a creator, which gave me a beautiful pathway to believe in God. Yeah. And then I looked at my own life and thought, Phil, you you, you are a million miles from God. If Jesus comes again tomorrow, I'm nowhere. And I went that Sunday and I fell to my knee. It was the most precious. I I must have cried two pints of, uh, tears <laugh>. I just cried and cried and cried and it was the most precious thing. And a friend from the youth group when I was 14 reconnected with him and became a best friend. And it was just awesome. And I was then on a one way path to heaven with Jesus and my life, as we said, a new identity. That was my day. And I'm sure here this morning a lot of you had your day, haven't you?
Speaker 1 00:16:04 Where you've bumped into Jesus, you've give your heart to Jesus. But it's not just one day. That was a special day to me. I'm sure there's some special days with all of us, but we get saved. We're being saved and one day we're gonna be saved. That's with Jesus one day, isn't it? So in the being saved, that means all of us to be, to be daily surrendering our hearts to God. It's a daily submission to the king of kings. Yeah. It's not just that I'm a child of God, great. It's, uh, taking our minds off us and living for him. Okay? Let's not be Luke warm in our war with God. The Bible actually says, if we're Luke warm, you'll spit us out. Yeah. That's a scary thought, really, isn't it? And some Christians think that you can just give your heart to God and just live their life however you want.
Speaker 1 00:16:46 I I don't, I don't believe that. I'm not getting into a that side of the argument. I'm just saying, why the heck would we want to do, if we've met the king of kings, truly as our Lord and Savior, why would we not wanna live wholeheartedly for him as a child of God day in, day out, surrendering our life to him. When we wake up in the morning, sometimes I just get up and say the Lord's prayer. Walk in the dog. You can all do that. You know this, this day late Lord, I give you this day, I give you my life again afresh this morning. Use me. And we all know we can struggle with sin, we can struggle with our thought life, we can struggle with lots of things. But I promise you, the more we get on our knees, the more that we say, Lord, help me.
Speaker 1 00:17:23 I want to be more like you. I want to be being saved. I want to keep committing my life afresh to you. He helps refiners to be more like Jesus. And you'll start to think different. So let's daily commit our lives to him. Did did we have one more Galatians four, did we have, did I send you that one? Galatians four verse four to seven. You're gonna turn there in your bibles. This is fantastic. And it says this, but when the set time had fully come, God sent his son, born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are sons. God sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, the Spirit who called out Abba Father. So you are no longer a slave but God's child. And since you are his child, God has also made you an heir.
Speaker 1 00:18:23 Wow. Isn't that phenomenal? Amazing. Amazing. So the Son of God, Jesus, we are a core heir with Jesus. The king of kings kind of blows my mind a bit that sometimes does it you. Well that's what is to be a child of God. Our passport has changed, our identity has changed. I do wanna burst out that song. I'm no longer a slave to sing. I am a child of God. But if I sung that you don't leave cuz my voice is terrible. I've got an awful monitor and singing voice. But we are no longer a slave to sing. Dan's gonna actually sing it at the end. He says, I am a child of God. So let's take it seriously church, what it actually means to be a child of God. Just wanna look into that just before we close this powerful scripture here in Galatians.
Speaker 1 00:19:03 It confirms some marvelous privileges to be a Christian right as our identities changed and that heaven passport that's been stamped for us, gives us great privileges. We're a coir of the king of kings, aren't we? But it also gives us a sons and daughters. It gives us some responsibilities too as a, a Christian as well as some great privileges. Shall we look at that? Shall start with the privileges. They're the exciting ones. First of all, I believe here if you, if you go home and study this passage, it says, we can be led by the spirit of God. Isn't that amazing? I just take a drink by the way.
Speaker 1 00:19:43 I don't know if you got like the kids that are doing the exams. If we're going to an interview, whatever we're going through in our lives. You know, you know some of you know the story. When Esther and I moved down here, it was one of the most significant times in our marriage. I said, Esther, let's get on our knees. We got on our knees and we prayed, um, literally for God to confirm whether we're touc come to Devin or not. And um, I'd been listening to some sermons online and there was a sermon, uh, of a church up in Scotland and uh, his sermon that morning was called Rediscover. And we'd actually prayed the night before, specifically God show us a sign if you want us down in Devon on this church planting academy, which has now gone all the way to planting this church eating Newton Albert.
Speaker 1 00:20:25 God clearly spoke to us and he'll speak to you church this morning. How? Through his spirit, through his spirit that lives in you, he speaks to us with to be Christians led by the spirit of God. So God can speak to us. Do you know where his beloved children? And look out this morning, you're a handsome bunch <laugh>. You wanna know what God thinks here? He loves you to bits you're his prize possession. Right? Even though he knew before you knew that you were gonna give his life to him, it kills you in predestined you. It's still a real experience for the believer. It's still a real experience for the human that we find Jesus for ourself. But as we give our lives to him, I'll tell you, all of heaven rejoices. The angels are skipping around to see all your faces. And you are a child of God.
Speaker 1 00:21:09 It's amazing. And through that we can get led by the spirit of God. So all the wisdom of heaven, all the glory of heaven we can tap into as a co air with Jesus. Doesn't that just blow your mind this morning? You know, we're a child of God. Secondly, we can flee from fear. This tells us what's that look like? We're no longer a slur to fear. Does any of you fear death this morning? You don't need to fear death. I sadly lost my father last year. It's awful when you go through death of a lover and insect. But I know my dad's with Jesus and it's phenomenal. It's like the Christian funeral service. It's actually just a rejoicing of the, you know, you, your loved ones with Jesus. Amazing. So we don't need to fear death. We don't need to fear life's tough circumstances.
Speaker 1 00:21:52 Do it. Whatever you're going through this morning, church, don't fear it. You know you are a child of God and remind you this morning, you are a child of God. Love by the king of kings. Don't fear anything. Take it to the feet of Jesus. Thirdly, his passage is lovely. It says, we can know God the Father and we can know his love in our hearts. So whatever you're going through this morning, just as a child goes to the Father, you can know the father's love in your hearts. Just a little example, uh, Heidi's there this morning. I'm gonna embarrass her. So when, when Heidi, out of my three children, when I would put her to bed, right, I'd sing a little song to her and she used to go again, daddy, faster daddy. So I'd sing a little song to her and I'd put her to bed or then Esther would put her to bed.
Speaker 1 00:22:34 So I'm talking like the age of two or three. Whoever put Heidi to bed, right? If she woke up in the middle of the night anxious or worried or wanted to lie or had been sick or some of it was going on and she'd woke up a bit upset cause she's a two year old, she'd cry out either my voice if I'd put her to bed or Esther's voice if she'd put her to bed. And I started seeing this pattern. I'd never seen it in the boys, but with Heidi, whoever had put her to bed, she would cry out that name. And it just made me think, wow, what a lovely place for this innocent little child to know how much your father loved her or a mother loved her, that parent's love for her was just so precious that she would cry at our name in the night.
Speaker 1 00:23:12 Yeah, we have that with Jesus. You know, he's our father. He's our father this morning who loves us to bits and we can know that love. They mu Heidi must have known the love of me to come in and help her. Or Esther. Yeah, we have that love from Jesus for us. We can know that love deep within our hearts too. And I want us to live in that place as a child of God knowing Jesus' love for us. Fourthly, we can be certain of God's acceptance of us. That's a good one, isn't it? Anyone ever done things you think kind of wish I didn't do that? Anyone got stuff in the past? They think they wish they hadn't done. Anyone walked through some stuff. I wanna tell you this morning, church, God's love for you is so immense, right? The grace of God, it's a sermon in its own right, is God's riches at Christ's expense.
Speaker 1 00:23:57 I'm sure a lot of you have heard that, but the grace of God over your life that accepts you just as you are is so amazing as a child of God. I want you to walk outta this door just thinking, wow, my Jesus loves me. What? Just as I am. So you come to Jesus just as you are, right? And it is the most amazing love that you can ever, ever struggle with. I'm not worthy, I'm not good enough. God wouldn't want me rubbish. Jesus loves all of us just as we are. He knows everything you've done. The Bible says he knows every hair on your head, which is pretty easy with me. Um, I don't think that's quite that hard to know. But um, he knows everything about us, yet he chooses to love us and he chose to accept us as his son or his daughter before we even knew we would.
Speaker 1 00:24:42 That blows my mind as well. Before all Eter eternity created, you were on God's heart. And and the Bible says, even if it was just for you, it'd has still done it. So let's live in that place of where we're accepted by Jesus this morning. Church, just as we are. Listen, some of you may need to repent still of some things you've done in your past or some things you might need to put right. Um, there might be some things you struggle with before you became aje, came to know Jesus. It's okay. I wanna tell you this morning. It's okay, but sometimes there's some things to put right. I remember the first church, Escher and I led back up in Wiggin and um, we had a young couple and, and the woman was kind of a backslidden Christian, had reconnected life to God. She was living with a guy and he was a real sort of big ad local ad from the town.
Speaker 1 00:25:28 I really loved him. And um, they came to us, right? They came to us as the leaders and said We're having sex. You know, we're sleeping together. And um, and the lad had actually just given his life to Jesus. And I said, okay. And he said, uh, what do we do? I said, well, the Bible says that the marriage bed is, is to be pure, you know, for those. And he, and I said, if you're asking me if you truly asking me, I said, I would move out of that bedroom. I know it's not practical to moving outta the house. I would move outta that bedroom and I you're getting married in three months. I would wait three months till he get married. And he went, alright, I'll do it <laugh>. And I thought, don't it me. He was a big lad. He, he is a lad about town.
Speaker 1 00:26:09 I grew to really love him. He was a real meeting, two veg wiggen lad. And um, do you know what he did? Listen to me. I'm just talking about putting right some sins before. There's sometimes some consequences to stuff we've done that all gets washed clean at the cross. But maybe some of us this morning are carrying some things that you might know you might have done. I don't want you to carry 'em any longer than today. Right? Put it at the feet of Jesus. This lad rang me from his honeymoon without being too basic. He went Phil, that were brilliant <laugh>. He said, he said, I'm so glad I waited. I can't do a week in accent. Sorry. He said That was the most special precious thing ever. He said, do you think God will forgive me? I said, course he will. He said, course he will.
Speaker 1 00:26:48 I said, did you do what he said? He said, yeah, we didn't do anything for three months. He said, it was amazing. He said, he was just so amazing. I said, well, God's amazing and that's his best for your life. I'm not trying to judge anybody this morning by saying that, I'm saying they came to me with that and I told him what to do. They went away and did it. And I think for some of us this morning, we just need to put a few things right with God in our hearts. Maybe there's some things you've carried for a while. Don't carry it any longer. Put some things right before God. Cause he wants the absolute best for you. And when you live for him, wow. Church, it's just amazing. So the next one is number five. This is the last of the privileges.
Speaker 1 00:27:21 Okay? This is kind of a bit of a double edge on this one. He says, we are co-heirs with Christ, don't it? There at the end of the scripture, we are co-heirs with Christ. Kind of blows my mind that Jesus, who's the son of God, we're also a son and a daughter of the, of the Father of the King of kings. Doesn't that blow how, how the heck can I be a stepbrother with Jesus coerce to the king of kings? Amazing. Right? That is the most amazing blowing your mind response, sorry, privilege that you can get your mind on. But actually the Bible shares its, it is actually responsibility as well. So let's look at this. In Romans eight 17 it says this. Now if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. So that's in Romans eight 17 clearly saying that we are heirs and co-heirs with, with Christ that the Son of God.
Speaker 1 00:28:12 Yeah. But it says, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that what we may share in his glory. So it's a great privilege to share in the same glory as Jesus, isn't it? What's the ultimate privilege of that? Is that one day we're gonna go to heaven to be with the king of kings forever and ever. That is some dad to have in it. That's some dad this morning. So that's our air, that's our future is heaven with Jesus. Yeah, we've talked about the, the passport being stabbed, but it says, and we might also share in his sufferings, well what can that look like? Sometimes church, you need to stand on the ledge for Jesus. Sometimes in your office environment or in your school, you need to stand up and have the guts to say, actually I'm a Christian. I don't wanna get involved with that.
Speaker 1 00:28:50 I don't wanna get involved in that. Or do you know what? Can I pray for you? You're going through something. My God couldn't deliver you from that. It's funny, when I used to go out with those lads, you know, for the first year or two after getting saved, um, it's got less and less and less and I didn't drink and I'd have to tick him in the car, drive him around and they'd have too much to drink. But you know what, at the end of the night, even through some alcoholic, silly eyes, it was me. They'd come to cuz they actually respected me for who I was. And they respected the decision I'd made. And, and they'd actually talked to me about things going on in their life that would never come out when they were sober. But they'd open up to me and I'd, I'd sometimes say, can I pray with you?
Speaker 1 00:29:26 And they'd listen. I found it amazing that you can think, you know, and you walk with God that people are looking on and they're judging you or they're laughing at you. Do you know, most of the time they're actually respecting you. They're actually seeing something in you that they really want. Cuz we were all made to know Jesus. We're all made in the image of Christ, weren't we? And we're all made to know him one day. So stand up for Jesus, stand up for all that He is this great, you know, glory being that a coer with Jesus going to heaven also says, share in my sufferings. And sometimes that means here that we've gotta, we've gotta stand on the ledge for Jesus. You know, we don't suffer like they're do in some of the Middle East or some other places. Do they? You know, you can get home for being a Christian.
Speaker 1 00:30:05 You, we don't get that in this country. But let's use our privilege of knowing him, being a coir of Jesus, to tell the whole nation about him. And we can see a revival come. Um, what else then? So that's also responsibility, isn't it? Um, secondly, what's another responsibility of being a child of God? It says secondly, we are called to be like Jesus. We're called to be like Jesus. That's some responsibility int it. So our night, our our lives need to look different, don't they? Our desires need to look different. We need to look different in our daily routine, our daily walk as a person, I think as a, as a child of God, things need to change. So our desires need to become more godly desires. Thirdly, it's hard on this one church, he says, we receive discipline from a loving father. Any of you read Hebrews 12 talks all about the loving discipline of a father.
Speaker 1 00:31:01 Tough to read that passage sometimes, isn't it? It's tough to read because you know what? Sometimes Jesus will let us go through a little situation in life. He'll get us go through a little journey. He'll get us go through a little storm, he'll get us go through a, a tough patch. And the tough patches can be really tough. But you know what? Remind yourself that you're a child of God and he'll walk you through it. You know, the non-believer can't say that, can't it? The whole world goes through tough patches. It's not just us. Um, so when you're going through your storm, just remember who you are. You're a child of God. Yeah. A nonbeliever cannot say that. I think it's Sam 34 19. It says, A righteous man may have many troubles, but what God can deliver him from them all, what an absolute promise this morning, church, whatever we're going through as a child of God, God's got you back and he can pull you through.
Speaker 1 00:31:49 So remember that this morning. Dan, do you wanna come back up? Wherever you are you there? I couldn't see you. You were hiding behind Dean <laugh>. Um, so we're gonna sing this song this morning and it says, I am no longer a slave to sin. Do you maybe wanna do you wanna stand? Um, what wouldn't you take away this morning? Churches. That you are a child of God, you're no longer bound by sin. You no longer bound by this eternal damnation. You no longer bound by your past. You no longer bound whatever you think binds you to not be worthy of God. If you've given your life to Jesus this morning, you are a true child of God. As the scriptures have show us there, I am a child of God, so I don't need to take it lightly. I just wanna pray for you as we just move into this song.
Speaker 1 00:32:37 Yeah. Father God, I thank you for you were this morning a thank you Lord Jesus, that as we accept you, as our Lord and Savior, we become a child of you. We become a coer with you Jesus. And it blows our mind Lord. But Father God, would you help us this morning to walk tall and, um, puff our little shoulder out that we are the son or daughter of a king? And will you help us Jesus, not to live in the past, not to live with condemnation or guilt. Would you help us, Jesus, to change our desires to be more like you? Would you help us to, um, not stay as we are? Lord, I pray that you daily, daily, as is part of being save. Lord, you will help us to just become more like you. Jesus, in every area of our life, we help us to wake up with a song in our hearts that's for you. So this is our day and we're gonna give it to you. That song that we used to sing. Lord, this is my desire. I'll live for you alone. I give you my heart. Father, pray that will be our anthem every day when we get up that we will live in the light of that we are a child of God. We're a new creation. The old has gone Lord and the newest come. Amen.
