1
00:00:00,600 –> 00:00:07,560
Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick and Colin,
2
00:00:07,560 –> 00:00:11,580
we’re taking this journey through the Bible in just three days. A couple of
3
00:00:11,580 –> 00:00:16,280
days ago we looked at the entire Old Testament, yesterday the Gospels and the
4
00:00:16,280 –> 00:00:19,719
life of Jesus and this I think leaves just the whole of the rest of the New
5
00:00:19,719 –> 00:00:23,900
Testament for today right? Yeah and I think we just got 25 minutes left, so we’d
6
00:00:23,900 –> 00:00:28,639
better keep going. We looked at five people in the Old Testament, we looked at
7
00:00:28,639 –> 00:00:33,619
five events in the life of Jesus and today we’re going to look at five gifts
8
00:00:33,619 –> 00:00:37,779
that God gives to every person who believes. They’re the gifts of the Holy
9
00:00:37,779 –> 00:00:44,419
Spirit, faith, forgiveness, the church and of course, finally of heaven. It’s a
10
00:00:44,419 –> 00:00:49,020
very high-altitude flight but you know, it’s a place to begin and for people who
11
00:00:49,020 –> 00:00:53,980
don’t know much about the Bible, we wanted to give an entry point so that
12
00:00:53,980 –> 00:00:57,700
folks can begin to discover the wonders of what God has said to us in his Word.
13
00:00:57,700 –> 00:01:01,520
Okay, then seatbelts on, let’s take off. Here’s Colin.
14
00:01:01,520 –> 00:01:08,559
So we’ve met five people in the Old Testament – Adam and Abraham and Moses and David and
15
00:01:08,559 –> 00:01:13,820
Ezra and we’ve looked at five events in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ – that
16
00:01:13,820 –> 00:01:18,959
he was born, that he was tempted, that he was crucified, that he is risen and that
17
00:01:18,959 –> 00:01:23,680
he has ascended – and in this last session, we’re going to look at the New
18
00:01:24,180 –> 00:01:29,919
Testament letters and focus on five gifts that God gives to every believer, and these
19
00:01:29,919 –> 00:01:36,919
are the Holy Spirit, faith, forgiveness, the Church and Heaven.
20
00:01:36,919 –> 00:01:43,559
So first then, the Holy Spirit, just ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven, there was
21
00:01:43,559 –> 00:01:49,879
a festival known as Pentecost – and this was when the Holy Spirit was poured out on
22
00:01:49,879 –> 00:01:58,320
the church – when the day of Pentecost arrived they were all together in one place and suddenly
23
00:01:58,320 –> 00:02:05,199
there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind – and it filled the entire
24
00:02:05,199 –> 00:02:08,240
house where they were sitting.
25
00:02:08,240 –> 00:02:15,059
In the ancient world many languages use the same word for wind or breadth or spirit.
26
00:02:15,399 –> 00:02:17,360
Breath or Spirit.
27
00:02:17,360 –> 00:02:24,020
The sound of the wind if you think of it, is rather like the sound of breath except
28
00:02:24,020 –> 00:02:27,619
that its louder and it lasts longer.
29
00:02:27,619 –> 00:02:36,119
And before Jesus ascended in to Heaven he breathed on the disciples – and he said
30
00:02:36,119 –> 00:02:39,059
– receive the Holy Spirit.
31
00:02:39,559 –> 00:02:44,259
See Jesus was explaining what would happen on the day of Pentecost.
32
00:02:44,259 –> 00:02:50,600
So when the disciples heard the sound like the rushing of the wind, just a few days later,
33
00:02:50,600 –> 00:02:57,020
they would immediately associate it with the sound of Jesus breathing on them and recognised
34
00:02:57,020 –> 00:03:02,020
that this was the fulfilment of what he had promised.
35
00:03:02,020 –> 00:03:11,259
Luke records in Acts 2 that divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on
36
00:03:11,259 –> 00:03:13,820
each one of them.
37
00:03:13,820 –> 00:03:19,580
Now in the Old Testament, God had appeared to Moses in flames of fire that rested on
38
00:03:19,580 –> 00:03:21,339
a bush.
39
00:03:21,339 –> 00:03:27,699
And the amazing thing was that neither the bush nor Moses was burned.
40
00:03:27,699 –> 00:03:34,679
When God have appeared in that fire in the Old Testament, he was commissioning Moses.
41
00:03:34,679 –> 00:03:40,820
And now in this fire, God was commissioning his church with the same sign.
42
00:03:40,820 –> 00:03:46,960
Now I want you to try and imagine yourself being in this room when God’s fire comes
43
00:03:46,960 –> 00:03:48,699
down.
44
00:03:48,699 –> 00:03:50,740
Who do you think is going to fall on?
45
00:03:50,860 –> 00:03:59,279
Well Peter, James, John, maybe all twelve of the disciples.
46
00:03:59,279 –> 00:04:06,380
But as the fire comes down it separates off into individual flames and one of these flames
47
00:04:06,380 –> 00:04:09,220
is coming towards you.
48
00:04:09,220 –> 00:04:14,699
And then you look around the room and you see that one of these flames is resting on
49
00:04:14,699 –> 00:04:17,779
every one of the believers there.
50
00:04:18,359 –> 00:04:26,220
See, in the old testament God gave his presence and his power to some of his people.
51
00:04:26,220 –> 00:04:30,779
Now he was giving his holy spirit to all of them.
52
00:04:30,779 –> 00:04:37,940
God was commissioning every believer to advance his purpose in the world.
53
00:04:37,940 –> 00:04:44,700
And then we read they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
54
00:04:44,820 –> 00:04:49,160
tongues as the spirit gave them utterance.
55
00:04:49,160 –> 00:04:55,980
So suddenly, and quite spontaneously, these 120 believers found that they were able to
56
00:04:55,980 –> 00:05:00,220
speak in languages that they had never learnt.
57
00:05:00,220 –> 00:05:07,200
And there were great crowds in the city and when they heard the sound of the rushing wind
58
00:05:07,200 –> 00:05:10,339
they headed in the direction from which the sound was coming.
59
00:05:10,420 –> 00:05:13,019
wanted to see what was going on.
60
00:05:13,019 –> 00:05:18,760
And when they arrived, they heard these believers who were declaring the wonderful works that
61
00:05:18,760 –> 00:05:22,459
God had done in a way that they could understand.
62
00:05:22,459 –> 00:05:25,359
They heard the truth in their own language.
63
00:05:25,359 –> 00:05:31,859
See, this is God’s promise to bless all the families of the earth.
64
00:05:31,859 –> 00:05:35,019
We saw that back in the Old Testament.
65
00:05:35,019 –> 00:05:37,859
And now this wonderful promise is being fulfilled.
66
00:05:37,859 –> 00:05:41,679
And it continues to be fulfilled to this day.
67
00:05:41,679 –> 00:05:46,880
The good news of Jesus Christ is for all people.
68
00:05:46,880 –> 00:05:53,619
And God wants the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ to be proclaimed in every language.
69
00:05:53,619 –> 00:06:00,559
And all who believe have a part to play in communicating this wonderful good news.
70
00:06:00,559 –> 00:06:05,859
So think about it, God has put a circle of people around you.
71
00:06:05,859 –> 00:06:13,600
And you may be the means by which the good news is communicated to them.
72
00:06:13,600 –> 00:06:19,880
Now the Holy Spirit is our helper on earth, as we journey to heaven.
73
00:06:19,880 –> 00:06:23,079
He opens our minds to understand the truth.
74
00:06:23,079 –> 00:06:26,619
He turns our hearts towards God.
75
00:06:26,619 –> 00:06:29,540
He leads us to faith.
76
00:06:29,540 –> 00:06:35,500
And Jesus said, have faith in God.
77
00:06:35,720 –> 00:06:37,720
Have faith in God.
78
00:06:37,720 –> 00:06:40,980
Now that’s a command.
79
00:06:40,980 –> 00:06:49,079
And if you have felt that faith is beyond you, the good news is that faith is also a
80
00:06:49,079 –> 00:06:50,119
gift.
81
00:06:50,119 –> 00:06:52,420
Ephesians Chapter 2 In verse 8.
82
00:06:52,420 –> 00:06:56,579
For by grace you have been saved through faith.
83
00:06:56,579 –> 00:07:00,420
And this is not your own doing.
84
00:07:00,420 –> 00:07:02,519
It is the gift of God.
85
00:07:02,519 –> 00:07:09,239
This is a wonderful truth that God gives what He commands.
86
00:07:09,239 –> 00:07:14,600
Faith is like a living tree that’s just bursting with fruit.
87
00:07:14,600 –> 00:07:17,859
I mean, faith will open your understanding.
88
00:07:17,859 –> 00:07:21,119
Faith will lead you to work for the good of others.
89
00:07:21,119 –> 00:07:23,200
Faith will lead you to obedience.
90
00:07:23,200 –> 00:07:25,320
Faith will give you hope.
91
00:07:25,320 –> 00:07:28,200
Faith will bring blessing to other people.
92
00:07:28,200 –> 00:07:30,339
Faith will lead you to worship.
93
00:07:30,739 –> 00:07:34,739
So why does faith do all of these wonderful things?
94
00:07:34,739 –> 00:07:38,019
Where does its life and its energy actually come from?
95
00:07:38,019 –> 00:07:44,619
Well faith does all these wonderful things because faith supremely unites us to the Lord
96
00:07:44,619 –> 00:07:46,899
Jesus Christ.
97
00:07:46,899 –> 00:07:53,200
Faith is the bond by which He becomes ours and we become His.
98
00:07:53,200 –> 00:07:58,339
It’s the bond by which the Lord Jesus Christ comes to live in us.
99
00:07:58,359 –> 00:08:03,519
Jesus said, I am the vine, and you are the branches.
100
00:08:03,519 –> 00:08:12,000
Whoever abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.
101
00:08:12,000 –> 00:08:19,200
So faith forms a spiritual union in which you are in Christ and Christ actually lives
102
00:08:19,200 –> 00:08:20,660
in you.
103
00:08:20,660 –> 00:08:26,140
Paul says in Galatians 2, verse 20, I have been crucified with Christ.
104
00:08:26,779 –> 00:08:31,820
It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.
105
00:08:31,820 –> 00:08:38,820
And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and
106
00:08:38,820 –> 00:08:41,080
gave himself for me.
107
00:08:41,080 –> 00:08:48,320
Now the Bible uses the analogy of a marriage to describe this very wonderful union.
108
00:08:48,320 –> 00:08:55,119
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the
109
00:08:55,119 –> 00:08:58,500
two shall become one flesh.
110
00:08:58,500 –> 00:09:07,979
This mystery is profound and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the Church.
111
00:09:07,979 –> 00:09:08,979
Think about this.
112
00:09:08,979 –> 00:09:15,059
In the wedding service, the groom is asked the question, will you take this woman to
113
00:09:15,059 –> 00:09:17,000
be your wife?
114
00:09:17,000 –> 00:09:23,239
And then the bride is asked the question, will you take this man to be your husband?
115
00:09:23,239 –> 00:09:31,099
Think of it this way, 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ was asked the question, are you willing
116
00:09:31,099 –> 00:09:38,520
to take on all that is involved in being united with sinners in order to save them?
117
00:09:38,520 –> 00:09:45,219
And from the cross with outstretched arms, the Lord Jesus Christ, as it were, said, I
118
00:09:45,219 –> 00:09:47,359
will.
119
00:09:47,380 –> 00:09:56,940
And now, the Holy Spirit, who forges this union, asks this question of you.
120
00:09:56,940 –> 00:10:03,080
Will you take Jesus as your savior, and your Lord?
121
00:10:03,080 –> 00:10:09,280
Will you forsake all that displeases him, and keep only to him as long as you shall
122
00:10:09,280 –> 00:10:10,280
live.
123
00:10:10,280 –> 00:10:16,739
And what faith does, is faith says, I will.
124
00:10:16,739 –> 00:10:21,119
And you see, as in the marriage service, these little words I will, they really couldn’t
125
00:10:21,140 –> 00:10:23,359
be simpler.
126
00:10:23,359 –> 00:10:28,200
But they are life-changing in their significance.
127
00:10:28,200 –> 00:10:31,780
You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, and today’s message,
128
00:10:31,780 –> 00:10:34,640
five gifts God gives to every believer.
129
00:10:34,659 –> 00:10:38,659
And we’ll pause here, but we’ll get back to the other three gifts in just a moment.
130
00:10:38,659 –> 00:10:40,380
So I hope you’ll stay with us.
131
00:10:40,380 –> 00:10:44,659
Fly Through the Bible is the title of our series, and it’s also the title of Colin’s
132
00:10:44,940 –> 00:10:45,940
new book.
133
00:10:45,940 –> 00:10:49,739
And, if you’ve been following the series and want to buy a copy of the book, you can
134
00:10:49,739 –> 00:10:57,520
do that by coming online to our website, openthebible.org.uk, and there’s full ordering information on the
135
00:10:57,539 –> 00:10:58,539
website.
136
00:10:58,539 –> 00:11:00,119
If you’ve missed one of the series and you want
137
00:11:00,140 –> 00:11:04,479
to go back and listen again, you can always do that also by coming to our website.
138
00:11:04,479 –> 00:11:09,500
Again, the website address is openthebible.org.uk.
139
00:11:09,500 –> 00:11:11,400
Back to the message now, here’s Colin.
140
00:11:11,539 –> 00:11:13,979
So we thought a little about the Holy Spirit
141
00:11:14,140 –> 00:11:16,780
and about faith.
142
00:11:16,799 –> 00:11:22,919
Then Jesus says to us that we are to pray in this way.
143
00:11:22,919 –> 00:11:30,840
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
144
00:11:30,840 –> 00:11:37,299
We all have debts because God has called us to a life of love.
145
00:11:37,299 –> 00:11:43,820
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
146
00:11:43,820 –> 00:11:49,020
all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.
147
00:11:49,020 –> 00:11:52,200
Now which of us can honestly say that we’ve done that?
148
00:11:52,200 –> 00:11:58,960
We have debts because we have not given what we owe.
149
00:11:58,960 –> 00:12:06,380
And we also have debtors because others have not given to us what they owe to us.
150
00:12:06,380 –> 00:12:14,580
So the questions then are how can we be forgiven and how can we forgive.
151
00:12:14,580 –> 00:12:20,059
Now we can be forgiven because Jesus did what we have failed to do.
152
00:12:20,059 –> 00:12:23,659
He has lived the perfect life of love.
153
00:12:23,659 –> 00:12:29,760
He has fulfilled everything that God has ever required of us, and then he has laid down
154
00:12:29,760 –> 00:12:35,859
this perfect life for us on the cross to pay the debt that we owe.
155
00:12:35,859 –> 00:12:43,960
God forgives us sinners as we look to his son Jesus in faith and in repentance.
156
00:12:43,960 –> 00:12:51,780
If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
157
00:12:51,780 –> 00:12:55,580
us from all unrighteousness.
158
00:12:55,580 –> 00:12:58,359
That is how we can be forgiven.
159
00:12:58,359 –> 00:13:00,900
And how can we forgive?
160
00:13:01,039 –> 00:13:06,919
Well, God calls us to forgive others who have wronged us and failed us and disappointed
161
00:13:06,919 –> 00:13:11,739
us as he has forgiven us.
162
00:13:11,739 –> 00:13:15,099
Be kind to one another.
163
00:13:15,099 –> 00:13:16,739
Tenderhearted.
164
00:13:16,739 –> 00:13:23,219
Forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.
165
00:13:23,219 –> 00:13:30,640
So, the starting point for forgiving others is the forgiveness that we ourselves receive
166
00:13:30,640 –> 00:13:33,359
from the Lord Jesus Christ.
167
00:13:33,359 –> 00:13:37,440
Now, forgiveness is never easy.
168
00:13:37,440 –> 00:13:43,099
But if you are struggling to forgive another person, then receiving God’s forgiveness
169
00:13:43,099 –> 00:13:49,880
into your own life will give you a new capacity to be able to forgive others.
170
00:13:49,880 –> 00:13:53,059
See, that’s why Jesus taught us to pray,
171
00:13:53,059 –> 00:13:58,940
Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
172
00:13:59,020 –> 00:14:04,419
You see, there’s the closest connection between receiving forgiveness from God on
173
00:14:04,419 –> 00:14:10,340
the one hand and releasing forgiveness to others on the other.
174
00:14:10,340 –> 00:14:14,179
And the connection lies in the words, US and OUR.
175
00:14:14,179 –> 00:14:17,559
The prayer is not forgive me my debts.
176
00:14:17,559 –> 00:14:23,320
Now, Jesus taught us to pray this way, forgive us our debts.
177
00:14:24,299 –> 00:14:30,840
Now, you see in praying that prayer, you are asking God to forgive not only the debts that
178
00:14:30,840 –> 00:14:35,539
you owe, but also the debts that others owe to you.
179
00:14:35,539 –> 00:14:44,960
Father forgive us means forgive me for all that I have failed to do towards you and forgive
180
00:14:44,960 –> 00:14:50,820
her for all that she has failed to do towards me.
181
00:14:50,820 –> 00:14:57,140
The only alternative to that prayer would be Father don’t forgive us.
182
00:14:57,140 –> 00:15:01,840
I won’t forgive and I don’t want you to forgive either, but who in the world would
183
00:15:01,840 –> 00:15:04,900
ever want to pray that prayer?
184
00:15:04,900 –> 00:15:13,159
As God opens your heart to forgive others, it will be open for him to pour his marvellous
185
00:15:13,159 –> 00:15:14,580
forgiveness in.
186
00:15:14,580 –> 00:15:20,500
Now, we’ve looked at the gifts of the Holy Spirit, wonderful gift of faith and the gift
187
00:15:20,500 –> 00:15:22,340
of forgiveness.
188
00:15:22,340 –> 00:15:25,580
These are wonderfully personal gifts.
189
00:15:25,580 –> 00:15:29,059
The Holy Spirit works in your life.
190
00:15:29,059 –> 00:15:34,739
When you have faith, the Lord Jesus Christ becomes yours, and when he’s yours forgiveness
191
00:15:34,739 –> 00:15:38,039
is yours as well, but there’s more!
192
00:15:38,039 –> 00:15:45,460
When God reconciles you to himself, he brings you into his family, and that brings us to
193
00:15:45,460 –> 00:15:47,340
the gift of the church.
194
00:15:48,219 –> 00:15:51,460
Now, how important is the church?
195
00:15:51,460 –> 00:15:57,000
I mean, after all if I have faith, and I have a few good Christian friends why do I need
196
00:15:57,000 –> 00:15:58,020
the church?
197
00:15:58,020 –> 00:16:05,299
Well, the answer is that the church is central to God’s purpose in the world.
198
00:16:05,299 –> 00:16:07,700
Listen to these words of the Apostle Paul.
199
00:16:07,700 –> 00:16:15,859
He speaks of the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so
200
00:16:15,940 –> 00:16:22,460
that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers
201
00:16:22,460 –> 00:16:26,619
and authorities in the heavenly places.
202
00:16:26,619 –> 00:16:33,059
So what he’s saying is God created all things so that his wisdom and his glory might be
203
00:16:33,059 –> 00:16:42,219
put on display, and the way in which he’s going to accomplish this is through the church.
204
00:16:42,219 –> 00:16:50,419
So when believers in local congregations love one another despite our many differences,
205
00:16:50,419 –> 00:16:56,219
and when we forgive one another despite our many sins and failures, and when we put one
206
00:16:56,219 –> 00:17:04,339
another’s interests before our own, then the sheer beauty of God’s grace is put on
207
00:17:04,339 –> 00:17:07,160
the most marvellous display.
208
00:17:07,280 –> 00:17:14,800
The church is central to the purpose of God, and being a member of Christ’s Church is
209
00:17:14,800 –> 00:17:18,680
a privilege that every believer should cherish.
210
00:17:18,680 –> 00:17:23,640
Now, there’s a big difference, and it’s important to remember this, a big difference
211
00:17:23,640 –> 00:17:29,500
between what the Church is now and what the church one day will be.
212
00:17:29,500 –> 00:17:35,280
Look at any church today and you will find that it’s a long way from what God calls
213
00:17:35,280 –> 00:17:37,099
the Church to be.
214
00:17:37,099 –> 00:17:42,479
And, if that has been your experience, you just might be tempted to give up on the Church,
215
00:17:42,479 –> 00:17:48,459
but I want you to remember this that Jesus will never give up on his church.
216
00:17:48,459 –> 00:17:56,699
Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her that he might sanctify her, having
217
00:17:56,699 –> 00:18:03,160
cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that he might present the church
218
00:18:03,160 –> 00:18:13,160
to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and
219
00:18:13,160 –> 00:18:17,040
without blemish.
220
00:18:17,040 –> 00:18:24,800
Jesus will present the church to himself in splendor, and on that day you will be so glad
221
00:18:24,800 –> 00:18:28,560
that you belong to his church.
222
00:18:28,560 –> 00:18:34,300
And the last gift that God has promised is the gift of heaven.
223
00:18:34,300 –> 00:18:39,819
The joys of the new heaven and the new earth will be beyond anything that we can imagine,
224
00:18:39,819 –> 00:18:46,599
but God uses two pictures to give us just some inkling of the joys that are ahead for
225
00:18:46,599 –> 00:18:47,599
his people.
226
00:18:47,599 –> 00:18:52,000
And these pictures are the city and the garden.
227
00:18:52,000 –> 00:18:53,800
In the last book of the Bible, John says,
228
00:18:53,800 –> 00:19:02,199
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a
229
00:19:02,199 –> 00:19:05,079
bride adorned for her husband.
230
00:19:05,079 –> 00:19:10,880
A voice from the throne of God then described life in the city.
231
00:19:10,880 –> 00:19:15,500
Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.
232
00:19:15,500 –> 00:19:22,540
He will dwell with them and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them
233
00:19:22,540 –> 00:19:24,619
as their God.
234
00:19:24,619 –> 00:19:32,459
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall
235
00:19:32,459 –> 00:19:41,479
there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.
236
00:19:42,479 –> 00:19:49,459
Now John saw this city from the outside, but when in his vision he was invited to come
237
00:19:49,459 –> 00:19:58,040
on the inside of the city, what he saw was that on the inside, it was a beautiful garden.
238
00:19:58,040 –> 00:20:06,959
Then the Angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing
239
00:20:07,020 –> 00:20:14,699
from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city, also
240
00:20:14,699 –> 00:20:19,219
on either side of the river the tree of life.
241
00:20:19,219 –> 00:20:24,939
Now the Bible story, as we saw, began in a garden.
242
00:20:24,939 –> 00:20:29,140
And John would therefore have seen the significance of this immediately.
243
00:20:29,140 –> 00:20:32,140
This is paradise restored.
244
00:20:32,140 –> 00:20:34,579
This is the new paradise.
245
00:20:35,239 –> 00:20:38,819
More glorious even than the one that Adam lost.
246
00:20:38,819 –> 00:20:46,500
At the beginning of the Bible, God gave to Adam and Eve wonderful gifts – a home and
247
00:20:46,500 –> 00:20:51,859
work and marriage and the great joy of His presence.
248
00:20:51,859 –> 00:20:57,579
Now at the end of the Bible story God’s people are going to have a better home.
249
00:20:58,459 –> 00:21:05,819
The joys of life in this world are just a small sample of the delights that we will
250
00:21:05,819 –> 00:21:12,900
enjoy in God’s new creation and we’re going to have better work in heaven.
251
00:21:12,900 –> 00:21:18,479
Our lives are going to be ordered, our work’s going to be fulfilling, our relationships
252
00:21:18,479 –> 00:21:24,420
are going to be whole, we’re going to serve God as we always wish that we could and all
253
00:21:24,579 –> 00:21:30,819
of our work is going to be offered to him as worship, we’re going to enjoy better relationships.
254
00:21:30,819 –> 00:21:40,140
In the Garden of Eden that joy was given to just one man and one woman but in the new
255
00:21:40,140 –> 00:21:47,500
garden city that God will create vast crowds of people will be gathered together to share
256
00:21:47,520 –> 00:21:50,300
in the joy of its life.
257
00:21:50,300 –> 00:21:56,420
But our greatest joy is going to be the joy of God’s own presence.
258
00:21:56,420 –> 00:22:03,880
God came down to the Garden of Eden as a visitor to make himself known, but in the new creation
259
00:22:03,880 –> 00:22:06,260
God’s not going to be a visitor.
260
00:22:06,260 –> 00:22:14,199
He’s going to dwell, that’s the word he will dwell with his people and we shall see
261
00:22:14,199 –> 00:22:14,900
his face.
262
00:22:18,339 –> 00:22:26,839
God’s ultimate gift for all eternity will be his own presence, and God offers all the
263
00:22:26,839 –> 00:22:33,619
joy of this to you, to the thirsty.
264
00:22:33,619 –> 00:22:40,500
I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
265
00:22:41,380 –> 00:22:45,119
Heaven’s not a reward that you can earn.
266
00:22:45,119 –> 00:22:50,619
It’s a gift that you must receive, and Jesus came into the world so that this gift could
267
00:22:50,619 –> 00:22:51,760
be yours.
268
00:22:51,760 –> 00:22:54,880
He went to the cross for you.
269
00:22:54,880 –> 00:23:05,719
He rose from the dead for you, and he offers you everlasting life, but you must come.
270
00:23:05,719 –> 00:23:10,400
Let the one who is thirsty come.
271
00:23:10,479 –> 00:23:19,540
Let the one who desires take the water of life without price, believe in the Lord Jesus
272
00:23:19,540 –> 00:23:25,400
Christ, receive what he offers.
273
00:23:25,400 –> 00:23:32,479
And in the words of the very last sentence of the Bible, the grace of the Lord Jesus
274
00:23:32,479 –> 00:23:36,260
Christ be with all.
275
00:23:36,260 –> 00:23:38,420
Amen.
276
00:23:38,420 –> 00:23:39,420
That was to Collin Smith there.
277
00:23:39,420 –> 00:23:42,040
Thank you for watching this series including the final part of our three-day Flight Through
278
00:23:42,040 –> 00:23:47,280
the Bible entitled, 5 Gifts that God Gives to Every Believer.
279
00:23:47,280 –> 00:23:51,599
In Flight Through the Bible, we looked at five characters from the Old Testament who
280
00:23:51,599 –> 00:23:54,760
give you a good understanding of the whole of the Old Testament.
281
00:23:54,760 –> 00:23:58,160
Then, we looked at five events from the life of Jesus.
282
00:23:58,160 –> 00:24:02,520
And then today we looked at five gifts that God gives to every believer.
283
00:24:02,520 –> 00:24:05,920
And if you’ve missed any of the series or if you want to go back and listen again, you
284
00:24:05,920 –> 00:24:12,459
can always do that by coming online to our website, openthebible.org.uk or find us as
285
00:24:12,459 –> 00:24:18,260
a podcast and go to your favorite podcast site search for Open the Bible UK and subscribe
286
00:24:18,260 –> 00:24:20,859
to receive regular updates.
287
00:24:20,859 –> 00:24:26,520
Also on our website and available as a podcast is, Open the Bible Daily, and that’s a series
288
00:24:26,520 –> 00:24:32,000
of short two-to-three-minute daily reflections based on Pastor Colin’s teaching and read
289
00:24:32,000 –> 00:24:34,760
in the UK by Sue Mcleish.
290
00:24:35,560 –> 00:24:38,920
Open the Bible is supported entirely by our listeners and we welcome donations from our
291
00:24:38,920 –> 00:24:39,920
listeners.
292
00:24:39,920 –> 00:24:44,859
To give online and for full details of our monthly special offer for regular donations,
293
00:24:44,859 –> 00:24:48,920
come to openthebible.org.uk .
294
00:24:48,920 –> 00:24:52,800
Don’t forget if you want a copy of Pastor Colin’s book, Fly Through the Bible, that’s
295
00:24:52,800 –> 00:25:00,579
obtainable through our website, go to openthebible.org.uk, full ordering information is found there.
296
00:25:00,579 –> 00:25:04,280
For Open the Bible and pastor Colin Smith I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll be able to
297
00:25:04,660 –> 00:25:12,260
join us again next time.
298
00:25:12,260 –> 00:25:18,400
In some churches it’s become popular to refer to lost people as seekers maybe a full description
299
00:25:18,400 –> 00:25:20,560
is hide and seekers.
300
00:25:20,560 –> 00:25:22,920
Find out more next time on Open the Bible.
