1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:03,720 Well, we come today to the last in a short series 2 00:00:03,720 –> 00:00:08,620 on the nature of God, in which we’ve taken up an analogy 3 00:00:08,620 –> 00:00:11,800 that was suggested by Doctor Jim Packer, 4 00:00:11,800 –> 00:00:14,400 in which he says that it is helpful 5 00:00:14,400 –> 00:00:16,500 to think about the Trinity, 6 00:00:16,500 –> 00:00:19,799 the God, the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, 7 00:00:19,799 –> 00:00:24,200 as the divine team, Father, Son, and Spirit 8 00:00:24,200 –> 00:00:28,200 operating together, one in love and one in purpose 9 00:00:28,260 –> 00:00:31,799 for us and for our salvation. 10 00:00:33,099 –> 00:00:34,919 A.W. Tozer put it this way. 11 00:00:35,759 –> 00:00:39,480 All of the acts of God are accomplished 12 00:00:39,480 –> 00:00:43,580 by the Trinity acting in unity. 13 00:00:43,580 –> 00:00:45,860 And we’ve seen it from the Bible that that is true 14 00:00:45,860 –> 00:00:49,040 in the creation, the incarnation, the atonement, 15 00:00:49,040 –> 00:00:51,779 in our salvation, throughout every one 16 00:00:51,779 –> 00:00:53,340 of the great acts of God. 17 00:00:53,340 –> 00:00:57,119 And we’ve been, I think, trying to stretch our minds 18 00:00:57,279 –> 00:01:00,020 and expand our hearts on this marvelous truth 19 00:01:00,020 –> 00:01:02,080 that the Father, the Son and the Spirit 20 00:01:02,080 –> 00:01:04,360 are wrapped up in each other. 21 00:01:04,360 –> 00:01:09,360 There are no silos in the Trinity. 22 00:01:09,440 –> 00:01:12,080 And we trace this in John chapter five 23 00:01:12,080 –> 00:01:14,639 and verse 19, a very important text 24 00:01:14,639 –> 00:01:17,620 where Jesus says the Son, the Son of God, 25 00:01:17,620 –> 00:01:19,680 can do nothing by Himself. 26 00:01:19,680 –> 00:01:22,519 It is an astonishing statement for Jesus to say, 27 00:01:22,519 –> 00:01:25,879 look, the Son of God can do nothing by himself. 28 00:01:26,000 –> 00:01:28,080 He only does what He sees the Father doing. 29 00:01:28,080 –> 00:01:28,900 Why? 30 00:01:28,900 –> 00:01:30,500 Because the Son of God is a team player, 31 00:01:30,500 –> 00:01:32,580 He does nothing apart from the Father 32 00:01:32,580 –> 00:01:34,160 and apart from the Spirit. 33 00:01:34,160 –> 00:01:36,360 And then He tells us that everything 34 00:01:36,360 –> 00:01:38,620 that the Father does, the Son also does. 35 00:01:38,620 –> 00:01:40,239 So the Father is a team player, 36 00:01:40,239 –> 00:01:45,239 He never excludes the Son from any of His works. 37 00:01:45,440 –> 00:01:47,639 And we’ve been learning that the divine team 38 00:01:47,639 –> 00:01:52,300 is the model for effective teamwork in any area of life, 39 00:01:52,300 –> 00:01:56,300 whether that be marriage, or whether that be family, 40 00:01:56,300 –> 00:01:59,620 whether that be business, or whether it be in the church. 41 00:01:59,620 –> 00:02:02,059 The whole team engaged in the whole task, 42 00:02:02,059 –> 00:02:03,660 that’s the model of the Trinity. 43 00:02:03,660 –> 00:02:06,660 And no team member engaged in his or her task 44 00:02:06,660 –> 00:02:09,619 in isolation from the others. 45 00:02:09,619 –> 00:02:12,339 Last week, we moved forward to look together 46 00:02:12,339 –> 00:02:15,259 at how the divine team operates 47 00:02:15,259 –> 00:02:17,880 to accomplish our salvation. 48 00:02:17,880 –> 00:02:20,820 Every act of God is accomplished by the Trinity 49 00:02:20,820 –> 00:02:23,919 acting in unity. 50 00:02:23,919 –> 00:02:26,600 And I want us to take a few moments 51 00:02:26,600 –> 00:02:28,919 before we press further today 52 00:02:28,919 –> 00:02:32,339 just to make some applications again 53 00:02:32,339 –> 00:02:34,600 of what we have been learning. 54 00:02:35,720 –> 00:02:38,100 If, as we have seen, our salvation 55 00:02:38,100 –> 00:02:40,639 is the work of the divine team, 56 00:02:41,899 –> 00:02:45,919 then a proper understanding of the gospel 57 00:02:45,919 –> 00:02:49,440 will include all three persons of the Trinity. 58 00:02:49,440 –> 00:02:52,500 This is of huge importance for effective evangelism. 59 00:02:53,759 –> 00:02:55,979 Now we’ve all had the experience, I’m sure, 60 00:02:55,979 –> 00:02:58,399 of hearing some Christian teaching 61 00:02:58,399 –> 00:03:03,399 or reading a book that presents the message 62 00:03:03,559 –> 00:03:05,619 and it says some things that are true. 63 00:03:06,759 –> 00:03:09,919 And it quotes some verses from the Bible, 64 00:03:09,919 –> 00:03:13,000 but somehow when you hear it or when you read it, 65 00:03:13,000 –> 00:03:17,160 it leaves you wondering if this really is 66 00:03:17,160 –> 00:03:19,220 a faithful presentation of the gospel. 67 00:03:19,240 –> 00:03:20,220 You know that experience. 68 00:03:20,220 –> 00:03:22,059 You say, is this the real deal here? 69 00:03:22,059 –> 00:03:24,419 There’s something I just can’t put my finger on. 70 00:03:24,419 –> 00:03:26,580 It doesn’t quite feel right. 71 00:03:27,940 –> 00:03:30,940 Well one way that you can discern faithfulness 72 00:03:30,940 –> 00:03:34,020 to the truth in any presentation of the Christian message 73 00:03:34,020 –> 00:03:35,679 is to ask this simple question. 74 00:03:36,860 –> 00:03:41,779 Are all the players of the divine team present? 75 00:03:42,899 –> 00:03:46,320 Cause if they’re not, it’s not a faithful presentation 76 00:03:46,320 –> 00:03:48,779 of the Christian message. 77 00:03:48,779 –> 00:03:50,699 Now lemme give you one or two examples. 78 00:03:52,000 –> 00:03:54,720 Sometimes you hear a version of Christianity 79 00:03:54,720 –> 00:03:56,660 that sounds a bit like this. 80 00:03:58,460 –> 00:04:00,520 Jesus died for you on the cross 81 00:04:01,500 –> 00:04:04,699 so that if you believe in him and you really trust him, 82 00:04:04,699 –> 00:04:07,619 you will be forgiven and you will go to heaven. 83 00:04:10,160 –> 00:04:12,880 Now that is gloriously true. 84 00:04:14,539 –> 00:04:18,320 But if that is the only thing that is ever heard 85 00:04:18,320 –> 00:04:20,660 and there’s nothing about a changed life 86 00:04:21,559 –> 00:04:22,959 and there’s nothing about moving 87 00:04:22,959 –> 00:04:25,000 from being an utterly self-centered person 88 00:04:25,000 –> 00:04:27,179 to being someone who is centered on God 89 00:04:27,179 –> 00:04:30,640 because you’ve really truly come to love him for who he is, 90 00:04:32,760 –> 00:04:36,079 then a steady diet of that kind of teaching, 91 00:04:37,000 –> 00:04:39,040 the son without the father and the spirit, 92 00:04:40,359 –> 00:04:43,640 a forgiveness and a heaven without a changed life, 93 00:04:43,640 –> 00:04:47,779 it will produce self-centered Christians 94 00:04:47,779 –> 00:04:50,660 who are never noticeably different from the world. 95 00:04:50,660 –> 00:04:51,760 It’s what it produces. 96 00:04:53,859 –> 00:04:56,660 Or you may have heard a different version of Christianity 97 00:04:56,660 –> 00:04:57,859 that sounds a bit like this. 98 00:04:57,859 –> 00:04:59,859 There’s a version that goes like this. 99 00:05:01,200 –> 00:05:06,019 God the father loves you and what you need to know 100 00:05:06,019 –> 00:05:08,660 is that you are truly loved just as you are. 101 00:05:10,540 –> 00:05:13,119 Nothing that you can ever do will make God love you more. 102 00:05:13,119 –> 00:05:15,779 Nothing you can ever do will make him love you less. 103 00:05:16,739 –> 00:05:19,480 You need to know how much you are loved. 104 00:05:20,859 –> 00:05:22,559 Now, that is gloriously true. 105 00:05:24,179 –> 00:05:26,500 But if that is the only diet of teaching 106 00:05:26,500 –> 00:05:29,540 that a person receives, if that is the only dimension 107 00:05:29,540 –> 00:05:32,299 of the message on which they are fed, 108 00:05:32,299 –> 00:05:34,339 there’s nothing here about repentance. 109 00:05:35,239 –> 00:05:37,500 Nothing here about being transformed 110 00:05:37,500 –> 00:05:39,179 into the likeness of Christ. 111 00:05:39,179 –> 00:05:41,540 And a steady diet of a message 112 00:05:41,540 –> 00:05:44,420 that is simply about acceptance and the love of the father 113 00:05:44,459 –> 00:05:46,299 without reference to the transforming work 114 00:05:46,299 –> 00:05:49,820 of the spirit or the redeeming work of the sun. 115 00:05:49,820 –> 00:05:53,799 That will produce complacent Christians 116 00:05:53,799 –> 00:05:57,399 who are absorbed in their own feelings. 117 00:05:58,500 –> 00:05:59,700 You recognize that? 118 00:06:02,660 –> 00:06:04,660 Then there’s another version of Christianity 119 00:06:04,660 –> 00:06:07,059 that sounds a little bit like this. 120 00:06:07,059 –> 00:06:09,540 Jesus said, if any man would come after me, 121 00:06:09,540 –> 00:06:11,579 he’s got to deny himself and take up his cross 122 00:06:11,579 –> 00:06:12,579 and follow me. 123 00:06:12,579 –> 00:06:15,140 Where are you when it comes to discipleship? 124 00:06:15,140 –> 00:06:17,380 God is calling you to lay everything that you are 125 00:06:17,380 –> 00:06:19,500 and everything that you have on the altar of commitment 126 00:06:19,500 –> 00:06:22,579 to a transformed life that becomes so obvious 127 00:06:22,579 –> 00:06:25,260 that the world takes note that you have been with Jesus. 128 00:06:25,260 –> 00:06:27,500 Again, this is gloriously true. 129 00:06:29,700 –> 00:06:31,799 But a steady diet of teaching 130 00:06:31,799 –> 00:06:36,720 that is simply about discipleship and spiritual disciplines 131 00:06:36,720 –> 00:06:40,140 will produce anxious Christians, 132 00:06:40,140 –> 00:06:44,220 fretful Christians who know little of the freedom 133 00:06:44,220 –> 00:06:45,980 and joy of the Christian life. 134 00:06:45,980 –> 00:06:48,239 Now, perhaps these are caricatures. 135 00:06:48,239 –> 00:06:51,299 But you will be able to trace 136 00:06:51,299 –> 00:06:54,399 how an imbalance in the Gospel, 137 00:06:54,399 –> 00:06:56,980 as it’s presented or as it’s understood, 138 00:06:56,980 –> 00:07:01,540 produces an unhealthy imbalance in those who hear 139 00:07:01,540 –> 00:07:05,760 and those who come to believe an inadequate Gospel. 140 00:07:05,760 –> 00:07:07,480 Versions of Christianity 141 00:07:07,500 –> 00:07:10,640 that focus on one member of the Divine team 142 00:07:10,640 –> 00:07:12,019 to the exclusion of the others 143 00:07:12,019 –> 00:07:16,179 will always lead to confusion, imbalance, and error. 144 00:07:17,480 –> 00:07:19,899 So we’re dealing with a very important principle 145 00:07:19,899 –> 00:07:23,160 for the way that we present the Gospel 146 00:07:23,160 –> 00:07:25,279 and for our own understanding of the Gospel 147 00:07:25,279 –> 00:07:27,119 and for our own spiritual health. 148 00:07:27,119 –> 00:07:28,540 All of the acts of God are accomplished 149 00:07:28,540 –> 00:07:31,119 by the Trinity acting in unity. 150 00:07:31,119 –> 00:07:35,779 The Gospel is the good news of the Divine team. 151 00:07:35,779 –> 00:07:38,119 It is the good news that God the Father loves you 152 00:07:38,119 –> 00:07:41,040 and wants to bring you into a relationship with Himself. 153 00:07:41,040 –> 00:07:42,820 It is the good news that Jesus Christ 154 00:07:42,820 –> 00:07:44,519 for this reason has come to you. 155 00:07:44,519 –> 00:07:48,019 He has given Himself so that you may be set free, 156 00:07:48,019 –> 00:07:51,700 being forgiven and free from the impossible burden 157 00:07:51,700 –> 00:07:54,640 of a life trying to get it right all the time 158 00:07:54,640 –> 00:07:57,839 in order to somehow earn the pleasure of God. 159 00:07:57,839 –> 00:08:00,059 And God the Holy Spirit is in the business 160 00:08:00,059 –> 00:08:02,220 of changing you to make you increasingly 161 00:08:02,500 –> 00:08:06,959 what you already are, a child, a son of the living God. 162 00:08:06,959 –> 00:08:09,059 And you can’t separate the divine team. 163 00:08:09,059 –> 00:08:13,160 See, it all flows from knowing who God is. 164 00:08:13,160 –> 00:08:18,160 All of God’s acts, accomplished by the Trinity, 165 00:08:18,279 –> 00:08:21,500 acting together in unity. 166 00:08:24,119 –> 00:08:26,459 You remember there’s an example in the New Testament 167 00:08:26,459 –> 00:08:28,200 of where they got it wrong. 168 00:08:28,200 –> 00:08:30,220 Acts chapter 19, you remember this one? 169 00:08:30,399 –> 00:08:35,159 Paul comes to Ephesus and he just sensed 170 00:08:35,159 –> 00:08:36,700 that there was something not quite right 171 00:08:36,700 –> 00:08:39,359 with this group of disciples, there’s something missing. 172 00:08:40,580 –> 00:08:42,900 And he said to them, Acts chapter 19, 173 00:08:42,900 –> 00:08:45,940 did you receive the Holy Spirit when you were baptized? 174 00:08:45,940 –> 00:08:48,460 And they said, we didn’t even know there was a Holy Spirit. 175 00:08:48,460 –> 00:08:49,400 Never heard of him. 176 00:08:51,340 –> 00:08:54,960 And so Paul said well with what baptism were you baptized? 177 00:08:55,340 –> 00:09:00,260 And they said we were baptized with John’s baptism 178 00:09:00,260 –> 00:09:04,679 and John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. 179 00:09:04,679 –> 00:09:06,359 You see the message that they had received 180 00:09:06,359 –> 00:09:08,640 was simply this, get your life sorted out. 181 00:09:10,299 –> 00:09:13,020 Get your life sorted out, become a follower of Jesus. 182 00:09:15,080 –> 00:09:18,099 And so Paul had to teach them this marvelous gift 183 00:09:18,099 –> 00:09:20,760 of the Holy Spirit that is at the very core 184 00:09:20,760 –> 00:09:23,320 of the message of the gospel, the good news 185 00:09:23,359 –> 00:09:25,159 is that the life that you cannot live, 186 00:09:25,159 –> 00:09:27,159 God can live in you and through you 187 00:09:27,159 –> 00:09:29,179 by the power of his Holy Spirit. 188 00:09:31,219 –> 00:09:33,780 And wonderfully, these folks who have got 189 00:09:33,780 –> 00:09:36,580 a shriveled version of the gospel 190 00:09:37,840 –> 00:09:41,479 were brought into a whole new dimension of experience 191 00:09:41,479 –> 00:09:45,619 because they understood the good news of the divine team. 192 00:09:49,020 –> 00:09:50,919 A poor spiritual diet over time 193 00:09:50,940 –> 00:09:52,799 produces unhealthy Christians. 194 00:09:54,000 –> 00:09:57,960 Everyone knows that the diet you eat physically 195 00:09:57,960 –> 00:10:00,799 affects your health over time 196 00:10:02,400 –> 00:10:04,500 and that is why it is so important 197 00:10:04,500 –> 00:10:08,159 for us to have a rounded understanding of the truth 198 00:10:09,140 –> 00:10:11,979 because without that we become unhealthy Christians. 199 00:10:11,979 –> 00:10:14,380 Now let me just tease this out just a moment longer, 200 00:10:14,380 –> 00:10:16,799 try and earth it for you a little bit 201 00:10:16,799 –> 00:10:20,880 by introducing you to three imaginary characters 202 00:10:21,559 –> 00:10:24,219 who turn up from time to time in any pastor’s office 203 00:10:24,219 –> 00:10:25,640 and who you will have met 204 00:10:25,640 –> 00:10:28,380 and perhaps may even identify with. 205 00:10:28,380 –> 00:10:31,880 I emphasize they are imaginary characters, 206 00:10:31,880 –> 00:10:33,020 they are constructs, 207 00:10:33,020 –> 00:10:37,340 and even the names were chosen entirely at random. 208 00:10:37,340 –> 00:10:41,340 The first is Peter, let me introduce you to Peter. 209 00:10:41,340 –> 00:10:42,580 Peter is a Christian. 210 00:10:43,599 –> 00:10:45,700 He knows and believes that God loves him 211 00:10:45,700 –> 00:10:49,179 but he feels that he has no power 212 00:10:49,380 –> 00:10:52,520 to overcome a compulsive habit in his life. 213 00:10:54,820 –> 00:10:57,080 How will you help Peter? 214 00:10:59,859 –> 00:11:01,700 Well, you could help Peter by showing him 215 00:11:01,700 –> 00:11:03,419 the unity of the divine team. 216 00:11:03,419 –> 00:11:07,260 You wouldn’t put it like that but, let me tease it out. 217 00:11:07,260 –> 00:11:11,719 Peter, you believe that God the Father loves you 218 00:11:11,719 –> 00:11:12,679 and he does. 219 00:11:14,159 –> 00:11:16,179 Peter, you believe, don’t you? 220 00:11:16,179 –> 00:11:18,500 Yes, that Christ died for you 221 00:11:18,520 –> 00:11:19,799 and he did. 222 00:11:23,239 –> 00:11:25,739 Now, Peter, that means that God’s Spirit 223 00:11:25,739 –> 00:11:28,140 lives in you, that’s the Truth. 224 00:11:29,239 –> 00:11:30,659 I’ll show you it right here in the Bible. 225 00:11:30,659 –> 00:11:33,580 The divine team can never be separated. 226 00:11:35,440 –> 00:11:39,599 Now, Peter, if the Holy Spirit lives within you, 227 00:11:39,599 –> 00:11:41,440 why do you keep saying to me 228 00:11:41,440 –> 00:11:43,719 that you can’t overcome this compulsive habit? 229 00:11:43,719 –> 00:11:45,719 If the Spirit of God lives within you, 230 00:11:45,719 –> 00:11:47,760 when you believe that, Peter, 231 00:11:47,760 –> 00:11:49,520 you will have a new energy, confidence, 232 00:11:49,520 –> 00:11:52,200 and power to face this particular temptation 233 00:11:52,200 –> 00:11:53,739 that has beaten you so many times. 234 00:11:53,739 –> 00:11:54,840 You know, Peter, what you need? 235 00:11:54,840 –> 00:11:58,140 You need to believe the Gospel, the Gospel. 236 00:11:59,840 –> 00:12:02,239 Because actually, Peter is only believing half the Gospel, 237 00:12:02,239 –> 00:12:04,520 he’s believing that he’s forgiven, 238 00:12:04,520 –> 00:12:07,280 but he does not believe that he has power. 239 00:12:07,280 –> 00:12:10,359 I’m becoming too excited about the point. 240 00:12:11,799 –> 00:12:13,719 Let’s move to Mary. 241 00:12:15,460 –> 00:12:16,359 This’ll be calmer. 242 00:12:18,280 –> 00:12:23,280 Some years ago, Mary committed a sin that still haunts her. 243 00:12:25,000 –> 00:12:27,479 She knows what she did is wrong, terribly wrong. 244 00:12:29,080 –> 00:12:31,799 She’s confessed it, and she has asked for forgiveness. 245 00:12:31,799 –> 00:12:34,340 She says she believes that Christ has forgiven her, 246 00:12:35,559 –> 00:12:38,479 but she still finds it, she says, hard to forgive herself. 247 00:12:39,799 –> 00:12:42,239 She really wants to please the Lord, Mary does, 248 00:12:42,239 –> 00:12:43,880 and she’s tireless in reaching out 249 00:12:43,880 –> 00:12:45,880 to help others extraordinary lady 250 00:12:45,880 –> 00:12:48,940 in terms of the energy that she shows into ministry, 251 00:12:48,940 –> 00:12:52,200 but she lives with the feeling 252 00:12:52,200 –> 00:12:56,340 that her Christian life isn’t what it ought to be 253 00:12:56,340 –> 00:12:58,539 and she feels that she’s a big disappointment 254 00:12:58,539 –> 00:13:00,440 both to herself and to the Lord. 255 00:13:00,440 –> 00:13:01,880 Now how would you help Mary? 256 00:13:04,159 –> 00:13:05,039 Well, you could help Mary 257 00:13:05,039 –> 00:13:07,239 by showing her the unity of the divine team. 258 00:13:08,719 –> 00:13:12,900 Mary, you know that you have been forgiven by Christ. 259 00:13:12,940 –> 00:13:13,940 Right? 260 00:13:13,940 –> 00:13:15,179 Yeah, I believe that. 261 00:13:17,260 –> 00:13:22,260 Mary, since you are forgiven by Christ 262 00:13:23,820 –> 00:13:28,820 you are embraced in the Father’s love. 263 00:13:33,059 –> 00:13:36,760 You can’t tear these two things apart. 264 00:13:38,739 –> 00:13:41,219 You don’t get forgiven so that you can spend 265 00:13:41,260 –> 00:13:43,200 the rest of your life trying to earn your way 266 00:13:43,200 –> 00:13:45,000 back into the Father’s favor. 267 00:13:45,000 –> 00:13:47,280 You’re forgiven by the Son because the Father 268 00:13:47,280 –> 00:13:51,260 is reaching out to you in love in your failure. 269 00:13:54,539 –> 00:13:56,239 Mary, believe the Gospel! 270 00:13:57,500 –> 00:13:59,099 And Mary, give thanks for this, 271 00:13:59,099 –> 00:14:01,739 that as you look back, the Holy Spirit is changing 272 00:14:01,739 –> 00:14:04,599 you increasingly into the likeness of Christ. 273 00:14:04,599 –> 00:14:06,260 Rejoice in it! 274 00:14:06,260 –> 00:14:07,099 Rejoice in it! 275 00:14:07,940 –> 00:14:09,719 Now what about Jack? 276 00:14:11,840 –> 00:14:14,820 Jack’s been with his local church for years, 277 00:14:14,820 –> 00:14:17,859 loves to tell his testimony, loves the Gospel, 278 00:14:17,859 –> 00:14:21,140 he says, and he’s the kind of guy you can always 279 00:14:21,140 –> 00:14:23,239 count on to get things done. 280 00:14:25,159 –> 00:14:28,619 He’s always there, but there’s another side to Jack. 281 00:14:30,659 –> 00:14:34,820 Jack’s life, you see, is all about himself. 282 00:14:35,460 –> 00:14:39,299 It is all about himself, it’s about who he is, 283 00:14:39,299 –> 00:14:40,960 it is about what he’s done, 284 00:14:40,960 –> 00:14:43,140 it is about who he knows, 285 00:14:43,140 –> 00:14:46,760 and it is about where he has been. 286 00:14:46,760 –> 00:14:48,820 Jack will often talk to you about how you, 287 00:14:48,820 –> 00:14:51,559 like he, can fulfill any dream that you have 288 00:14:51,559 –> 00:14:53,200 just so long as you believe in yourself 289 00:14:53,200 –> 00:14:54,359 and so forth and so on. 290 00:14:57,479 –> 00:14:59,260 His commitment to the church, you know, 291 00:14:59,260 –> 00:15:02,119 is another expression of his self-life. 292 00:15:03,119 –> 00:15:06,900 It’s another thing he does, 293 00:15:06,900 –> 00:15:09,859 it’s another part of who he is. 294 00:15:14,640 –> 00:15:16,200 Now Jack’s committed to mission, 295 00:15:19,299 –> 00:15:21,320 he’s engaged in all kinds of ways, 296 00:15:24,260 –> 00:15:26,859 but Jack desperately needs to grasp the gospel. 297 00:15:28,940 –> 00:15:31,419 He’s very confident that he’s loved by God, 298 00:15:31,419 –> 00:15:33,679 how could God do anything less than love Jack? 299 00:15:37,140 –> 00:15:38,479 And he’s very very confident 300 00:15:38,479 –> 00:15:40,099 that he’s being used by the Holy Spirit, 301 00:15:40,099 –> 00:15:42,000 I mean look at what he’s accomplished. 302 00:15:45,320 –> 00:15:46,500 How would you help Jack? 303 00:15:48,380 –> 00:15:50,880 I like to tell him a story from the New Testament. 304 00:15:52,900 –> 00:15:54,679 Remember about the Pharisee and the publican, 305 00:15:54,679 –> 00:15:55,979 the man who came in and said, 306 00:15:55,979 –> 00:15:58,479 Lord I thank you for what you’ve enabled me to do? 307 00:15:58,640 –> 00:16:02,260 And the other man who came in and said, 308 00:16:02,260 –> 00:16:04,840 Lord be merciful to me a sinner. 309 00:16:06,400 –> 00:16:09,159 And Jesus said that second man who said Lord 310 00:16:09,159 –> 00:16:11,520 be merciful to me a sinner, 311 00:16:11,520 –> 00:16:14,200 that man went home justified before God. 312 00:16:14,200 –> 00:16:16,059 He went home in the right before God, 313 00:16:16,059 –> 00:16:17,760 the other guy did not. 314 00:16:19,559 –> 00:16:20,659 So guess what Jack. 315 00:16:22,940 –> 00:16:25,039 You need to believe and embrace the gospel. 316 00:16:28,479 –> 00:16:32,799 All of the acts of God are accomplished 317 00:16:32,799 –> 00:16:34,559 by the Trinity acting in unity. 318 00:16:39,000 –> 00:16:42,659 And we need a grasp of the whole truth of God 319 00:16:43,840 –> 00:16:48,000 in order to embrace the whole dimension of the gospel, 320 00:16:49,799 –> 00:16:51,719 in order to see the whole work of God 321 00:16:51,719 –> 00:16:55,700 advanced in your life and in mine. 322 00:16:55,700 –> 00:16:57,419 Do you see how foundational the Trinity is 323 00:16:57,539 –> 00:17:00,380 and how true God is to everything in Christianity? 324 00:17:00,380 –> 00:17:02,039 It’s staggering, the more you think about it. 325 00:17:04,199 –> 00:17:07,040 Now let’s move on to John’s Gospel in chapter 14 326 00:17:07,040 –> 00:17:10,439 as we make some concluding applications 327 00:17:10,439 –> 00:17:12,319 in the time that remains here 328 00:17:12,319 –> 00:17:15,300 to the work of the divine team 329 00:17:15,300 –> 00:17:18,839 in the life of a Christian believer. 330 00:17:18,839 –> 00:17:20,859 And here I want us to see something 331 00:17:20,859 –> 00:17:22,760 that I think is very, very wonderful 332 00:17:22,760 –> 00:17:24,979 and may come freshly to some of us 333 00:17:24,979 –> 00:17:28,420 and I hope with encouragement to all of us. 334 00:17:28,420 –> 00:17:31,439 John chapter 14 and verse 16. 335 00:17:31,439 –> 00:17:35,560 Jesus says this in one of the most remarkable passages 336 00:17:35,560 –> 00:17:38,520 about the Trinity and the whole of the New Testament. 337 00:17:39,459 –> 00:17:41,199 Jesus says, verse 16, 338 00:17:41,199 –> 00:17:45,199 »I will ask the Father and he will give you 339 00:17:45,199 –> 00:17:49,579 another counselor to be with you forever. 340 00:17:49,579 –> 00:17:52,920 And then he names this counselor, The Spirit of Truth, 341 00:17:52,959 –> 00:17:55,040 one of the many titles for the Holy Spirit 342 00:17:55,040 –> 00:17:56,900 in the New Testament. 343 00:17:56,900 –> 00:18:00,520 And notice that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the father 344 00:18:00,520 –> 00:18:03,800 at the word of the son, according to this verse. 345 00:18:03,800 –> 00:18:08,420 Jesus says, I will ask, the Father will give, 346 00:18:09,640 –> 00:18:13,599 and you will receive the very Spirit of God. 347 00:18:13,599 –> 00:18:14,660 Then in verse 17, 348 00:18:14,660 –> 00:18:18,219 we’re told that the Holy Spirit lives with you, 349 00:18:18,219 –> 00:18:21,880 he says to his disciples, and will be in you. 350 00:18:22,920 –> 00:18:26,119 And this is the great privilege of the Christian life, 351 00:18:26,119 –> 00:18:28,760 as you have come to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 352 00:18:28,760 –> 00:18:31,160 to be embraced by the Father’s love, 353 00:18:31,160 –> 00:18:33,060 that the third person of the Trinity, 354 00:18:33,060 –> 00:18:37,760 the Holy Spirit himself comes to be with you, 355 00:18:37,760 –> 00:18:42,180 Jesus says, and in you, with you and in you. 356 00:18:43,079 –> 00:18:46,280 The company of the third person of the Trinity 357 00:18:46,280 –> 00:18:51,280 and the power inside of God living within you. 358 00:18:53,880 –> 00:18:56,020 But notice that that is not all that Jesus says 359 00:18:56,020 –> 00:18:58,819 because if you look down to verse 18, he says even more, 360 00:18:59,739 –> 00:19:04,739 I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. 361 00:19:08,719 –> 00:19:10,819 So you see, what Jesus is saying now, 362 00:19:10,819 –> 00:19:12,280 I will ask of the father 363 00:19:12,280 –> 00:19:14,619 and you will receive the Holy Spirit. 364 00:19:16,359 –> 00:19:19,540 But if you have the Holy Spirit, that means you have me. 365 00:19:19,660 –> 00:19:23,339 You have me and you should not just think in terms 366 00:19:23,339 –> 00:19:25,619 of the Holy Spirit being with you. 367 00:19:25,619 –> 00:19:27,219 You should realize that what this means is 368 00:19:27,219 –> 00:19:29,119 that I am with you 369 00:19:29,119 –> 00:19:31,780 because you can’t prise the divine team apart. 370 00:19:33,020 –> 00:19:35,060 See, all of God’s acts are accomplished 371 00:19:35,060 –> 00:19:37,060 by the Trinity acting in unity. 372 00:19:37,060 –> 00:19:38,660 So where the Spirit is, the son is 373 00:19:38,660 –> 00:19:40,459 because he’s the Spirit of the son. 374 00:19:42,380 –> 00:19:43,920 That is why in the New Testament, 375 00:19:43,920 –> 00:19:47,500 we read so often about Christ being in us. 376 00:19:47,500 –> 00:19:49,180 Ephesians chapter three, Paul praying 377 00:19:49,219 –> 00:19:52,819 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 378 00:19:52,819 –> 00:19:54,760 Or Galatians chapter two in verse 20. 379 00:19:54,760 –> 00:19:57,939 I’ve been crucified with Christ and I no longer live 380 00:19:57,939 –> 00:19:59,699 but Christ lives in me. 381 00:19:59,699 –> 00:20:00,920 Christ lives in me. 382 00:20:03,500 –> 00:20:05,060 Now look at verse 23 383 00:20:05,060 –> 00:20:07,140 and staggeringly it goes a step further. 384 00:20:08,260 –> 00:20:11,900 Jesus says, verse 23, if anyone loves me, 385 00:20:12,859 –> 00:20:14,359 he will obey my teaching. 386 00:20:16,339 –> 00:20:19,099 My Father, Jesus says will love him 387 00:20:20,160 –> 00:20:23,420 and we, that is the Father and the Son, 388 00:20:23,420 –> 00:20:27,439 we will come to him and make our home with him. 389 00:20:29,160 –> 00:20:30,219 We will come! 390 00:20:32,459 –> 00:20:35,380 You become my disciple, you’re one who obeys my teaching, 391 00:20:35,380 –> 00:20:37,739 you’re embraced within the Father’s love 392 00:20:37,739 –> 00:20:39,660 and the Father and the Son will come 393 00:20:39,660 –> 00:20:42,140 and we will make our home with you. 394 00:20:42,140 –> 00:20:47,140 God makes his home with us until we make our home with him. 395 00:20:49,739 –> 00:20:51,060 So what we’re being told here 396 00:20:51,060 –> 00:20:52,979 is that the Father is with you 397 00:20:53,920 –> 00:20:57,319 and the Son is with you as the Spirit is with you 398 00:20:57,319 –> 00:20:59,540 because all the acts of God are accomplished 399 00:20:59,540 –> 00:21:01,339 by the Trinity acting in unity. 400 00:21:01,339 –> 00:21:03,900 The divine team comes to you 401 00:21:06,020 –> 00:21:07,979 for no member operates in isolation 402 00:21:09,900 –> 00:21:13,060 and they are for you and they are with you, 403 00:21:14,819 –> 00:21:16,119 they are at home in you. 404 00:21:19,619 –> 00:21:21,099 Now it’s worth thinking about the difference 405 00:21:21,099 –> 00:21:23,920 between Christianity and Star Wars, 406 00:21:23,920 –> 00:21:25,260 which I’m sure you’ve spent a lot of time 407 00:21:25,260 –> 00:21:26,219 thinking about the difference 408 00:21:26,219 –> 00:21:27,699 between Christianity and Star Wars. 409 00:21:27,699 –> 00:21:29,180 You know the Star Wars thing? 410 00:21:30,300 –> 00:21:35,300 The force is with you, the force is with you. 411 00:21:39,560 –> 00:21:40,859 Now what use is that? 412 00:21:42,619 –> 00:21:43,660 I mean seriously. 413 00:21:45,280 –> 00:21:47,219 See the message of Star Wars is 414 00:21:47,520 –> 00:21:50,079 you are fundamentally alone in the universe 415 00:21:51,280 –> 00:21:55,780 but there is a power somewhere out there 416 00:21:55,780 –> 00:21:57,219 that you can never quite get hold of 417 00:21:57,219 –> 00:21:59,439 but maybe you can tap into it 418 00:21:59,439 –> 00:22:01,199 and harness it for your own good. 419 00:22:02,260 –> 00:22:03,339 That’s Star Wars. 420 00:22:03,339 –> 00:22:04,699 The force is with you. 421 00:22:06,880 –> 00:22:09,180 Now the Gospel says something completely different. 422 00:22:09,180 –> 00:22:13,380 You see the Gospel says you are not alone in the universe. 423 00:22:13,380 –> 00:22:17,979 Seeking to tap into some vegan personal force. 424 00:22:19,640 –> 00:22:22,739 No, God is with you in Jesus Christ 425 00:22:22,739 –> 00:22:24,859 and by his Holy Spirit. 426 00:22:24,859 –> 00:22:26,900 And there’s all the difference in the world. 427 00:22:26,900 –> 00:22:28,619 This isn’t arguing about words. 428 00:22:28,619 –> 00:22:30,400 This is all the difference in the world. 429 00:22:30,400 –> 00:22:32,680 You can’t talk to a force. 430 00:22:33,619 –> 00:22:36,640 You can’t love a force. 431 00:22:36,640 –> 00:22:39,339 What use is a force to you when you’re lonely? 432 00:22:39,339 –> 00:22:42,119 What use is a force when you are bereaved? 433 00:22:42,119 –> 00:22:44,760 What use is a force when all your hopes 434 00:22:44,760 –> 00:22:46,800 and dreams are lying in tatters around you? 435 00:22:46,800 –> 00:22:49,160 Thank God that the gospel is not 436 00:22:49,160 –> 00:22:50,760 about a vegan personal force. 437 00:22:50,760 –> 00:22:53,880 It is about persons, the Father, the Son, 438 00:22:53,880 –> 00:22:57,660 and the Holy Spirit with you and in you. 439 00:22:57,660 –> 00:23:00,099 You are not alone in this universe. 440 00:23:06,560 –> 00:23:09,680 I’ve been struck on several occasions now 441 00:23:09,680 –> 00:23:11,079 when I’ve just had the opportunity 442 00:23:11,140 –> 00:23:13,420 of subbing in and doing one of these 443 00:23:13,420 –> 00:23:15,760 radio call in programs where people 444 00:23:15,760 –> 00:23:17,859 from around the country raise questions 445 00:23:17,859 –> 00:23:20,079 and so forth, and there is one type 446 00:23:20,079 –> 00:23:22,099 of question that comes up repeatedly. 447 00:23:22,920 –> 00:23:24,219 It goes like this. 448 00:23:26,439 –> 00:23:29,920 How do you tap into God’s power? 449 00:23:33,000 –> 00:23:36,199 How do you connect with the resources 450 00:23:36,199 –> 00:23:37,560 of the Holy Spirit? 451 00:23:38,319 –> 00:23:43,520 Whenever you hear words like tap in, 452 00:23:43,520 –> 00:23:45,560 connect and things like that, you know 453 00:23:45,560 –> 00:23:47,339 that it’s coming straight out of Star Wars, 454 00:23:47,339 –> 00:23:49,119 at least that’s my conclusion. 455 00:23:50,599 –> 00:23:52,780 What it means is that the person thinks 456 00:23:52,780 –> 00:23:55,439 of God as a power to be accessed, 457 00:23:55,439 –> 00:23:57,599 not a person to be known. 458 00:23:57,599 –> 00:24:00,640 It’s all their questions about tapping in, you see. 459 00:24:00,640 –> 00:24:02,000 They’re living in the world of a power 460 00:24:02,000 –> 00:24:04,040 to be accessed, not a person to be known. 461 00:24:05,040 –> 00:24:08,800 Now imagine me sitting next to my wife 462 00:24:08,800 –> 00:24:12,060 and saying, I have a question, dear. 463 00:24:13,219 –> 00:24:15,079 We’re sitting over a candle at dinner together, 464 00:24:15,079 –> 00:24:16,760 let’s just paint it up a little bit, okay? 465 00:24:16,760 –> 00:24:18,160 I say I have a question dear. 466 00:24:20,319 –> 00:24:22,420 How do I connect to you? 467 00:24:25,199 –> 00:24:27,839 She begins to frown and wonders what I’m saying. 468 00:24:27,839 –> 00:24:30,920 I say no, how, 469 00:24:32,180 –> 00:24:33,780 how do I tap into you? 470 00:24:35,040 –> 00:24:39,599 Now I think she would say, 471 00:24:39,599 –> 00:24:42,880 what in all the world are you talking about? 472 00:24:44,479 –> 00:24:46,680 I’m sitting right here beside you. 473 00:24:49,439 –> 00:24:52,280 If you’ve got something to say, say it, let’s talk. 474 00:24:52,280 –> 00:24:54,020 You talk to me, I’ll talk to you. 475 00:24:58,160 –> 00:25:01,339 Suppose she’s sitting next to me and she says Colin, 476 00:25:01,439 –> 00:25:06,099 Colin, tell me how do I connect to your home. 477 00:25:09,140 –> 00:25:11,339 Wait a minute, my home’s your home. 478 00:25:13,479 –> 00:25:15,640 Or, suppose she said, Colin, 479 00:25:18,219 –> 00:25:20,180 How do I tap into our money? 480 00:25:20,180 –> 00:25:21,760 You say, now you’re getting somewhere. 481 00:25:21,760 –> 00:25:26,760 I say, wait a minute, my money, it’s your money, 482 00:25:27,180 –> 00:25:28,619 it’s our money, it’s got your name on it 483 00:25:28,619 –> 00:25:30,339 as much as it’s got my name on it. 484 00:25:32,339 –> 00:25:33,699 What are you talking about? 485 00:25:35,640 –> 00:25:38,339 Now, you see, I think that many Christians 486 00:25:38,339 –> 00:25:43,020 live with the idea that God is far away from us, 487 00:25:44,260 –> 00:25:47,680 and that some vague indescribable entity 488 00:25:47,680 –> 00:25:51,060 or power called the Holy Spirit is somewhere near us, 489 00:25:51,060 –> 00:25:53,680 but that we don’t really know how to access that power, 490 00:25:53,680 –> 00:25:55,260 so it isn’t really much help. 491 00:25:55,260 –> 00:25:57,920 No, that is not the gospel, right? 492 00:25:59,020 –> 00:26:00,619 The Son of God is with you. 493 00:26:00,660 –> 00:26:01,800 That’s what Jesus says. 494 00:26:01,800 –> 00:26:03,020 The Father is with you. 495 00:26:03,020 –> 00:26:06,140 You can’t prise the divine team apart. 496 00:26:06,140 –> 00:26:07,579 Luther puts it this way. 497 00:26:07,579 –> 00:26:11,219 Jesus Christ comes into the world in two ways. 498 00:26:11,219 –> 00:26:14,900 He came once in the flesh for us and for our salvation, 499 00:26:14,900 –> 00:26:18,260 and he comes every day to every believer 500 00:26:18,260 –> 00:26:19,439 by the Holy Spirit. 501 00:26:19,439 –> 00:26:21,979 Think of Jesus coming to you tomorrow morning 502 00:26:21,979 –> 00:26:22,920 on the commute. 503 00:26:22,920 –> 00:26:24,780 Think of Jesus walking with you 504 00:26:24,780 –> 00:26:26,260 as you go into that interview. 505 00:26:26,260 –> 00:26:28,939 Think of the Lord Jesus Christ sitting beside you 506 00:26:28,939 –> 00:26:30,780 as you face up to that operation 507 00:26:30,780 –> 00:26:32,920 or whatever it is that you are experiencing. 508 00:26:32,920 –> 00:26:34,800 He says, I will never leave you. 509 00:26:34,800 –> 00:26:36,260 I will never forsake you. 510 00:26:36,260 –> 00:26:39,219 I am with you. 511 00:26:40,900 –> 00:26:43,699 Not a power to be accessed, 512 00:26:43,699 –> 00:26:46,859 a person who is present. 513 00:26:49,099 –> 00:26:51,660 Transform your whole view of the Christian life. 514 00:26:52,900 –> 00:26:56,939 Jesus is with me. 515 00:26:56,939 –> 00:26:59,420 Let me make three very simple applications 516 00:26:59,420 –> 00:27:01,239 in these last moments. 517 00:27:01,239 –> 00:27:03,000 The divine team is with you. 518 00:27:04,599 –> 00:27:06,199 The divine team is with you 519 00:27:06,199 –> 00:27:07,260 and that means first, 520 00:27:07,260 –> 00:27:09,319 that you have all that you need. 521 00:27:09,319 –> 00:27:11,660 You have all that you need. 522 00:27:13,199 –> 00:27:14,439 The apostle Peter says 523 00:27:14,439 –> 00:27:16,699 that God has given us everything we need 524 00:27:16,699 –> 00:27:19,640 for lot and godliness through our knowledge of him. 525 00:27:21,040 –> 00:27:23,920 John says our fellowship is with the father 526 00:27:23,920 –> 00:27:26,219 and with his son, Jesus Christ. 527 00:27:26,219 –> 00:27:29,140 Fellowship means we share in a common life. 528 00:27:29,140 –> 00:27:31,420 If you share in the life of God 529 00:27:31,420 –> 00:27:34,079 and God shares in your life through Jesus Christ 530 00:27:34,079 –> 00:27:35,739 you have all that you need. 531 00:27:35,739 –> 00:27:37,619 All of the players in the divine team 532 00:27:37,619 –> 00:27:40,479 actively participate in your life. 533 00:27:44,500 –> 00:27:48,739 Good parents want to give their kids confidence. 534 00:27:51,180 –> 00:27:56,180 And I know a dad who regularly taught his kids 535 00:27:56,540 –> 00:27:59,219 whenever they were nervous to say, 536 00:28:00,339 –> 00:28:04,260 I am supremely confident. 537 00:28:05,959 –> 00:28:08,300 I am supremely confident whenever you’re nervous 538 00:28:08,300 –> 00:28:09,439 that’s what you do, you see? 539 00:28:09,439 –> 00:28:13,380 You stand there and you say, I am supremely confident. 540 00:28:13,380 –> 00:28:14,939 His daughter told me on one occasion 54100:28:14,939 –> 00:28:17,380 she said the only problem with it was it doesn’t work. 542 00:28:17,380 –> 00:28:21,619 Because the very times when you feel 543 00:28:21,619 –> 00:28:23,140 you need to be saying this out loud 544 00:28:23,140 –> 00:28:25,219 are the times which when, by definition, 545 00:28:25,219 –> 00:28:27,060 you’ve just lost your confidence, you don’t have it. 546 00:28:27,060 –> 00:28:28,619 You’re not supremely confident. 547 00:28:29,859 –> 00:28:32,060 That’s one problem with it, it doesn’t work. 548 00:28:33,579 –> 00:28:35,579 The other problem of course is that even if it did 549 00:28:35,579 –> 00:28:37,719 it would do nothing but exalt yourself 550 00:28:38,699 –> 00:28:40,060 which is precisely the opposite 551 00:28:40,060 –> 00:28:42,060 of what we want to teach our kids, right? 552 00:28:44,459 –> 00:28:46,500 So don’t teach your kids to be standing up 553 00:28:46,500 –> 00:28:50,239 bracing themselves and saying I am supremely confident. 554 00:28:50,880 –> 00:28:55,880 Teach them to say I can do all things 555 00:28:56,319 –> 00:28:59,739 through Christ who strengthens me 556 00:29:01,420 –> 00:29:02,520 and glorifies him. 557 00:29:07,160 –> 00:29:09,880 And that reminds me that whether I’m facing the pressure 558 00:29:09,880 –> 00:29:11,959 and the anxiety of preaching a sermon 559 00:29:11,959 –> 00:29:16,219 or performing a solo or taking an exam 560 00:29:17,599 –> 00:29:20,160 I am not alone. 561 00:29:21,219 –> 00:29:22,339 I’m not alone. 562 00:29:23,660 –> 00:29:25,099 Hebrews Chapter 13 563 00:29:26,500 –> 00:29:28,000 a verse that Karin and I were given 564 00:29:28,000 –> 00:29:29,739 26 years ago at our wedding. 565 00:29:31,599 –> 00:29:34,300 Hebrews Chapter 13, a wonderful passage 566 00:29:34,300 –> 00:29:36,400 that covers so many dimensions of marriage, 567 00:29:36,400 –> 00:29:38,160 things that we’ve tried to pursue. 568 00:29:39,420 –> 00:29:41,160 And at the end it says God has said 569 00:29:41,160 –> 00:29:43,839 I will never leave you, I will never forsake you. 570 00:29:44,680 –> 00:29:49,680 So we say with confidence the Lord is my Helper. 571 00:29:50,479 –> 00:29:54,560 I will not be afraid, what can man do to me. 572 00:29:56,119 –> 00:29:59,079 See that’s Christ-centered confidence. 573 00:29:59,079 –> 00:30:00,400 You have all that you need. 574 00:30:01,300 –> 00:30:03,599 For every circumstance that you face in life 575 00:30:03,599 –> 00:30:05,680 for every temptation that pressure rises you 576 00:30:05,680 –> 00:30:09,459 for every burden that you bare you have all that you need 577 00:30:09,780 –> 00:30:14,180 in Christ because the Divine Team is with you. 578 00:30:14,180 –> 00:30:15,640 Isn’t that good to know that going out 579 00:30:15,640 –> 00:30:16,739 into this coming week? 580 00:30:18,680 –> 00:30:21,119 Here’s a second application that’s just worth keeping 581 00:30:21,119 –> 00:30:23,079 in our minds and in our hearts. 582 00:30:25,420 –> 00:30:27,380 The Divine Team is with you and that means 583 00:30:27,380 –> 00:30:31,739 you are fully known, you are fully known. 584 00:30:32,920 –> 00:30:37,040 Psalm 139 is one of the most amazing psalms in the Bible 585 00:30:37,079 –> 00:30:39,880 it is the fascinating story of a believer 586 00:30:39,880 –> 00:30:41,839 who wants to get away from God, 587 00:30:43,280 –> 00:30:45,640 a believer who wants to get away from God 588 00:30:46,579 –> 00:30:48,339 and he says in his testimony 589 00:30:48,339 –> 00:30:51,920 look Lord, you hem me in behind and before 590 00:30:51,920 –> 00:30:54,079 and you have laid your hand upon me 591 00:30:54,079 –> 00:30:57,400 and where can I go from your spirit? 592 00:30:57,400 –> 00:31:00,619 Where can I flee from Your presence? 593 00:31:00,619 –> 00:31:02,400 And then he says, you know, if I go up into heaven 594 00:31:02,400 –> 00:31:04,260 you are there, if I make my bed in the depths 595 00:31:04,260 –> 00:31:06,500 you are there, if I take the wings of the dawn 596 00:31:07,219 –> 00:31:08,359 and I settle on the other side of the sea, 597 00:31:08,359 –> 00:31:11,239 even there, your hand will guide me 598 00:31:11,239 –> 00:31:13,760 and your right hand will hold me fast. 599 00:31:13,760 –> 00:31:15,079 Now, you see his point, 600 00:31:16,280 –> 00:31:17,959 he said it doesn’t matter where I go, Lord, 601 00:31:17,959 –> 00:31:19,900 I can’t get away from You. 602 00:31:21,660 –> 00:31:24,000 Now, why in all the world would a believer 603 00:31:24,000 –> 00:31:26,040 want to get away from God? 604 00:31:27,339 –> 00:31:32,339 Well, you know there are times when we want to think 605 00:31:33,219 –> 00:31:36,819 and say and do things that would be much easier 606 00:31:36,819 –> 00:31:38,979 if God wasn’t looking, right? 607 00:31:40,839 –> 00:31:42,880 We’d like just a little break, 608 00:31:42,880 –> 00:31:45,579 a little window, and then come back. 609 00:31:47,760 –> 00:31:51,439 And David says, I tried that and I can’t do it. 610 00:31:52,400 –> 00:31:55,099 I cannot get away from You 611 00:31:55,099 –> 00:31:56,640 because you know everything about me, 612 00:31:56,640 –> 00:31:58,479 in fact, before a word is even on my tongue, 613 00:31:58,479 –> 00:31:59,300 you know it completely, 614 00:31:59,300 –> 00:32:00,599 before a thought is in my mind, 615 00:32:00,680 –> 00:32:02,739 you’ve already discerned it from afar. 616 00:32:02,739 –> 00:32:05,140 And so in the end, he gives in and he says, 617 00:32:05,140 –> 00:32:07,900 look, here’s the only way we can move forward, Lord. 618 00:32:07,900 –> 00:32:10,479 You’d better search me and you’d better know me 619 00:32:10,479 –> 00:32:13,300 and you’d better see what anxious thoughts are within me 620 00:32:13,300 –> 00:32:16,760 and discern any wicked way so that I may know it 621 00:32:16,760 –> 00:32:17,859 and I may turn from it 622 00:32:17,859 –> 00:32:19,520 because that is the only way I can now live 623 00:32:19,520 –> 00:32:21,359 because you know everything about me. 624 00:32:23,040 –> 00:32:24,640 The presence of the divine team, 625 00:32:28,079 –> 00:32:29,040 you’re fully known, 626 00:32:31,119 –> 00:32:33,780 so everything you say is heard by the Son of God 627 00:32:35,819 –> 00:32:38,699 and everywhere you go, you take the Son of God 628 00:32:40,800 –> 00:32:45,119 and everything you see is open before the Son of God. 629 00:32:48,119 –> 00:32:50,560 Paul wrote to some Christians at Corinth 630 00:32:50,560 –> 00:32:54,040 who loved God and lived as they pleased 631 00:32:55,339 –> 00:32:56,479 and some of what pleased them 632 00:32:56,479 –> 00:32:58,040 didn’t take them in the right direction. 633 00:32:58,079 –> 00:33:00,699 In fact it lead them into sexual immorality. 634 00:33:02,079 –> 00:33:04,439 You can read in Corinthians how Paul addresses 635 00:33:04,439 –> 00:33:06,520 this issue when it arose in the church 636 00:33:06,520 –> 00:33:11,339 and he says to these folks, how can you do that? 637 00:33:13,339 –> 00:33:16,359 How can you do that because your body 638 00:33:16,359 –> 00:33:19,040 is the temple of the Holy Spirit 639 00:33:19,040 –> 00:33:20,939 so when you do what you are doing 640 00:33:20,939 –> 00:33:23,160 you are dragging God into it. 641 00:33:25,560 –> 00:33:26,500 You’re fully known. 642 00:33:29,040 –> 00:33:31,040 The divine team 643 00:33:32,979 –> 00:33:33,819 in your life. 644 00:33:33,819 –> 00:33:36,859 So, no greater reason for confidence. 645 00:33:36,859 –> 00:33:38,000 You have all that you need. 646 00:33:38,000 –> 00:33:40,780 No greater meaning for holiness. 647 00:33:42,680 –> 00:33:46,180 You’re never alone and here’s the very last thing. 648 00:33:48,959 –> 00:33:50,640 You are completely secure. 649 00:33:51,859 –> 00:33:55,319 Because the divine team is active in your life 650 00:33:55,319 –> 00:33:59,800 and committed to you as a person in Christ. 651 00:33:59,800 –> 00:34:03,199 You are completely secure. 652 00:34:03,199 –> 00:34:05,439 Thank God for this. 653 00:34:05,439 –> 00:34:06,359 At the end of the day, 654 00:34:06,359 –> 00:34:09,000 your salvation does not rely on a decision 655 00:34:09,000 –> 00:34:11,520 nor does it rely on even a doctrine. 656 00:34:11,520 –> 00:34:15,060 It does not rest on the quality of your Christian life. 657 00:34:15,060 –> 00:34:18,080 Your salvation rests on a person. 658 00:34:19,040 –> 00:34:22,280 You have a savior 659 00:34:23,320 –> 00:34:24,800 and his name is Jesus. 660 00:34:25,860 –> 00:34:28,439 And your salvation is completely secure 661 00:34:28,439 –> 00:34:31,120 because it is the work of the divine team. 662 00:34:31,120 –> 00:34:32,719 The son never does anything on his own. 663 00:34:32,719 –> 00:34:34,000 He can do nothing on his own. 664 00:34:34,000 –> 00:34:35,219 It is always the work 665 00:34:35,219 –> 00:34:37,320 of father, son, and spirit together. 666 00:34:38,800 –> 00:34:41,340 And if God justifies, who’s going to condemn, 667 00:34:41,340 –> 00:34:42,479 and if God is for us, 668 00:34:42,479 –> 00:34:43,320 who in all the world 669 00:34:43,320 –> 00:34:46,979 is gonna stand against us now or on the last day? 670 00:34:47,360 –> 00:34:52,360 I was reminded recently again of a story 671 00:34:55,419 –> 00:34:56,280 I heard long ago. 672 00:34:56,280 –> 00:34:58,340 It goes back to childhood. 673 00:34:58,340 –> 00:34:59,840 Heard it again in a message 674 00:34:59,840 –> 00:35:02,260 by Eric Alexander that I heard recently. 675 00:35:03,179 –> 00:35:04,659 And it’s a story of a minister 676 00:35:04,659 –> 00:35:06,639 from a previous century 677 00:35:06,639 –> 00:35:09,780 by the name of John Brown, 678 00:35:09,780 –> 00:35:12,020 who, it’s not the most distinguished name, 679 00:35:12,020 –> 00:35:12,860 John Brown. 680 00:35:12,860 –> 00:35:13,939 I’m trying to think if we’ve got any John Browns. 681 00:35:13,939 –> 00:35:14,760 No. 682 00:35:15,280 –> 00:35:18,080 But he was known as John Brown of Haddington, 683 00:35:18,080 –> 00:35:19,080 and he spent his whole life 684 00:35:19,080 –> 00:35:21,120 as a minister in this small town 685 00:35:21,120 –> 00:35:23,500 that is just a few miles from Edinburgh in Scotland 686 00:35:23,500 –> 00:35:25,879 where I was born and raised, 687 00:35:25,879 –> 00:35:28,459 and he was known throughout his life 688 00:35:28,459 –> 00:35:30,399 as being a man of unusual 689 00:35:30,399 –> 00:35:33,000 spiritual and pastoral wisdom, 690 00:35:34,699 –> 00:35:36,399 but a wonderful ministry towards the flock 691 00:35:36,399 –> 00:35:37,520 that the Lord gave him. 692 00:35:38,800 –> 00:35:40,639 And the story’s told of one day 693 00:35:40,639 –> 00:35:42,840 when John Brown went to visit 694 00:35:43,159 –> 00:35:46,000 an elderly lady in his congregation 695 00:35:46,000 –> 00:35:47,080 and her name was Mary. 696 00:35:47,080 –> 00:35:50,379 He knew her well and had been her minister for many years. 697 00:35:52,000 –> 00:35:54,639 He went because he knew that Mary was dying 698 00:35:54,639 –> 00:35:56,500 and the time was drawing near, 699 00:35:57,840 –> 00:36:00,159 as it often was the case in those days. 700 00:36:00,159 –> 00:36:04,300 The extended family had gathered around the bedside 701 00:36:05,219 –> 00:36:08,000 and when the minister arrived, 702 00:36:08,000 –> 00:36:09,260 you can picture the scene. 703 00:36:09,260 –> 00:36:10,959 He kinda broke through the crowd 704 00:36:10,979 –> 00:36:12,260 and was gathered waiting there 705 00:36:12,260 –> 00:36:13,979 and sat down on the edge of the bed 706 00:36:13,979 –> 00:36:16,580 beside Mary who was laboring in her breathing 707 00:36:19,080 –> 00:36:20,840 and he said to her as he took her hand, 708 00:36:20,840 –> 00:36:22,159 Mary, you’re weary 709 00:36:23,520 –> 00:36:28,199 and the savior will soon be welcoming you home 710 00:36:30,540 –> 00:36:32,360 and then he asked her a question 711 00:36:33,280 –> 00:36:34,739 that threw all of the family 712 00:36:34,739 –> 00:36:36,860 around the bedside into confusion. 713 00:36:38,439 –> 00:36:40,639 He said, now, Mary, I just want to ask you. 714 00:36:41,800 –> 00:36:45,760 What if at the last 715 00:36:47,020 –> 00:36:51,780 he were to let you go and you were to perish? 716 00:36:53,320 –> 00:36:54,739 You can imagine the family thinking 717 00:36:54,739 –> 00:36:56,719 has the minister taken leave of his sense 718 00:36:56,719 –> 00:36:59,120 he’s here to ask this poor woman this question 719 00:36:59,120 –> 00:37:00,699 as she’s laboring to breathe 720 00:37:00,699 –> 00:37:01,659 but that’s the question he asked her. 721 00:37:01,659 –> 00:37:03,199 He knew exactly what he was doing. 722 00:37:03,199 –> 00:37:04,320 He knew her well 723 00:37:04,320 –> 00:37:07,139 and he wanted to focus her assurance on Christ. 724 00:37:08,139 –> 00:37:11,459 Well uh Maria was a character 725 00:37:11,459 –> 00:37:13,560 and she rose to it even in her condition. 726 00:37:15,419 –> 00:37:19,139 She said minister you know that that could never happen. 727 00:37:21,100 –> 00:37:21,939 Why not? 728 00:37:24,739 –> 00:37:29,739 Well she said because he would lose more than I would. 729 00:37:32,500 –> 00:37:34,639 John Brown kind of raised an eyebrow. 730 00:37:35,479 –> 00:37:37,120 He would lose more than I would. 731 00:37:40,120 –> 00:37:43,899 I would lose my soul Mary said. 732 00:37:46,260 –> 00:37:48,679 But he would lose his honor. 733 00:37:52,000 –> 00:37:54,719 And with that she kind of slumped back into the pillow. 734 00:37:57,040 –> 00:37:59,159 John Brown squeezed her hand and then said 735 00:37:59,159 –> 00:38:04,100 to the family you need have no fear for Mary. 736 00:38:04,979 –> 00:38:09,979 See your salvation ultimately rests 737 00:38:10,260 –> 00:38:13,899 on the honor of the name of God. 738 00:38:17,139 –> 00:38:22,139 I would lose my soul but he would lose his honor 739 00:38:22,600 –> 00:38:27,600 if one believer were ever to be lost. 740 00:38:27,699 –> 00:38:29,879 The Father, the Son, and the Spirit, 741 00:38:29,879 –> 00:38:32,060 the divine team would have put the name 742 00:38:32,919 –> 00:38:35,000 on something that did not work. 743 00:38:36,120 –> 00:38:38,179 And that can never happen. 744 00:38:40,699 –> 00:38:43,260 The work which his goodness began, 745 00:38:44,379 –> 00:38:47,100 the arm of his strength will complete. 746 00:38:47,100 –> 00:38:50,699 His promise is yes and it’s amen, 747 00:38:50,699 –> 00:38:53,820 it never was forfeited yet and it never will be 748 00:38:54,899 –> 00:38:58,439 because of the honor of his name. 749 00:39:00,159 –> 00:39:02,040 So here’s the good news of the gospel. 750 00:39:02,699 –> 00:39:05,419 In Christ, the divine team is with you. 751 00:39:06,780 –> 00:39:10,159 In Christ, you have all that you need 752 00:39:10,159 –> 00:39:12,320 for every circumstance of life. 753 00:39:13,780 –> 00:39:17,080 In Christ, you are fully known so pursue the path 754 00:39:17,080 –> 00:39:22,080 of holiness and in Christ you are completely secure 755 00:39:24,280 –> 00:39:29,280 for he will never lose the honor of his name. 756 00:39:32,100 –> 00:39:33,899 And boy, if you’re sitting there saying 757 00:39:33,899 –> 00:39:35,879 I wish these things were true of me, 758 00:39:37,620 –> 00:39:41,979 I want to invite you right now to come in faith 759 00:39:41,979 –> 00:39:45,260 as we pray to Jesus Christ and to put your trust 760 00:39:45,260 –> 00:39:49,580 in him being embraced by the Father’s love 761 00:39:49,580 –> 00:39:53,540 as you do and given the gift of his Spirit 762 00:39:54,479 –> 00:39:55,820 to pursue newness of life. 763 00:39:55,820 –> 00:39:57,020 Shall we pray together? 764 00:40:03,040 –> 00:40:06,899 You have not stayed at a distance from us, dear Lord, 765 00:40:08,260 –> 00:40:11,280 but have come near and so gladly with faith 766 00:40:11,280 –> 00:40:12,419 we draw near to you. 767 00:40:15,879 –> 00:40:18,340 Thanking you that all that you have promised 768 00:40:18,340 –> 00:40:20,479 in the Gospel is ours 769 00:40:22,719 –> 00:40:25,560 and secure because of the honor of your name. 770 00:40:29,340 –> 00:40:31,739 For some of us right now asking 771 00:40:32,959 –> 00:40:37,060 that what you promise in the Gospel will be ours 772 00:40:38,840 –> 00:40:41,699 and believing in this very moment, 773 00:40:41,699 –> 00:40:46,699 trusting your promise that it is ours 774 00:40:49,500 –> 00:40:54,500 so that we may rise and live and act in the new reality 775 00:40:58,199 –> 00:41:00,540 that you accomplish, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 776 00:41:00,540 –> 00:41:01,560 through the Gospel. 777 00:41:03,060 –> 00:41:08,060 Hear our prayers, receive our thanks in Jesus’ name. 778 00:41:11,659 –> 00:41:12,500 Amen.