WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:03.759 Thank you for tuning in to Newsong Church's Sermon Podcast. 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:12.160 Newsong is a gospel-centered community-serving Anglican church in Port Perry, Ontario, in the parish of the Anglican Network in Canada. 00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:13.759 We'd love to connect with you. 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:19.760 If you'd like to reach out to us, you can find our contact information at NewsongportPerry.ca. 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:22.480 God bless you through the ministry of the Word. 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:26.640 The second lesson is from 2 Corinthians. 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:32.640 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:39.200 But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:52.960 We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:56.960 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. 00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:00.719 If we are in our right mind, it is for you. 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:11.760 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this that one has died for all, therefore all have died. 00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:22.879 And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:28.560 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:35.040 Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:40.879 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:43.519 The old has passed away. 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:46.319 Behold, the new has come. 00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:55.040 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 00:01:55.599 --> 00:02:07.439 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:13.759 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:19.199 We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:28.560 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:35.680 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:45.120 For he says, In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:48.719 Behold, now is the favorable time. 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:52.879 Behold, now is the day of salvation. 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:54.719 This is the word of the Lord. 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:55.599 Thanks, please. 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:10.000 Bishop Dan, I want to thank you for the invitation to open the Word of God in this important and glorious service of worship, in which our brother is to be ordained to the priesthood or the Presbyterate. 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:12.800 It is for me a great honor and joy. 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:14.879 I thank you for that opportunity. 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:17.439 Pastor Creighton, where did he go? 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:19.599 Pastor Creighton, up back there. 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:21.759 I thank you for the welcome. 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:28.639 New song is a wonderful congregation, and I'm so excited about what God is doing here. 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:30.159 And so it is a joy. 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:38.000 I loved, Judy and I loved being here a couple of weeks ago for Karen Stiller book launch, and this is so wonderful to be back. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:55.199 Canon George, I'm happy with you and Messiah and Ryle College that one of your uh friends who was an intern and a student at Ryle has now been is curate here at New Song and is to be ordained to the priesthood. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:07.439 And Matthew and Amy, I thank you so much for for thinking of me to preach the gospel in this service. 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:20.399 One of the things that I've noticed as being at home quite a bit in the last while, it afforded me the chance to follow uh online a number of churches. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:26.399 Uh, and uh I love to hear the preaching of uh Creighton and Matthew. 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:30.399 It's unmistakable their commitment to the gospel. 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:37.199 Uh and uh and one of the things that I admire greatly is your passion for the gospel and for people to come to Christ. 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:49.839 And so my text, uh incidentally, the passage which was read as the epistle is not the one which is normally prescribed for an ordination. 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:57.040 The Old Testament is one of them, and the gospel is, and it's very obvious how appropriate and how needed they are. 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:07.920 But in fact, uh I asked for this passage to be read in part because um I have long loved 2 Corinthians. 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:25.839 The two uh portions of Scripture which I lean on in terms of ministry are 2 Timothy and 2 Corinthians, and I commend them both to you as to make them your home often in your ministry as a gospel, a minister of the gospel. 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:37.759 The thing that strikes me, and so we're looking at 2 Corinthians 5, 11 through 6, 2, and let me just frame our thinking in terms of a text. 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:44.160 Paul says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:50.319 The old has passed away, behold, the new has come. 00:05:51.120 --> 00:06:02.720 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:17.680 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:26.079 I want to just say a little bit about what there is about 2 Corinthians that I love. 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:31.680 It's certainly the case that the gospel is prominent. 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:39.360 Uh, in this short passage, there are three times which Paul explicitly speaks of the cross and the gospel. 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:47.920 That's how much he's obsessed with the good news of the gospel and finds it's impossible to say anything without doing that. 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:59.759 I love it that, for instance, when he's doing in chapter 8 and 9 a call to them to live up to their commitment financially of a giving that they'd planned to do. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:02.560 He can't do that without preaching the gospel. 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:13.360 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:23.439 The gospel, the grace of God through a Jesus who became poor on our behalf, that we could be immeasurably rich for all eternity. 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:34.399 It's the case that 2 Corinthians is incredibly Paul preaching the gospel with his heart on his sleeve. 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:37.920 I love the passion of 2 Corinthians as well. 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:49.600 We implore you, we're verse 20, and this is not in a monotone voice, cranking out propositional truth, take it or leave it, I couldn't care less. 00:07:49.920 --> 00:08:03.199 This is in fact lump in throat, tears in eyes, begging people to not miss out on what the Lord has done, and not to receive the grace of God in vain. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:08.160 It's throughout this passion, this heart. 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:16.720 He said, you know, for instance, in 2 Timothy 2, he said, out of much affliction and anguish of heart we wrote to you with many tears. 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:17.759 This is passion. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:20.079 This is a man who cares deeply. 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:26.319 He said, verse chapter 7, we were grieved because we made you sad, but now we rejoice. 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:29.759 Levin, I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:39.200 Do bear with me, for I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:48.399 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a seer, sincere, and pure devotion to Christ. 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:52.080 This is true, heartfelt passion. 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:57.039 And I just encourage you, because this is not just for Matthew, we're preaching. 00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:00.960 All that's being said is for every person who is in Christ. 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:07.919 And all that's being said is an invitation if you don't believe you're in Christ or don't know that you're in Christ. 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:11.120 By the end of this sermon, there's an invitation. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:12.799 Now is the acceptable time. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:15.840 Today would be a very good day to call out to God. 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:21.600 There's a weightiness to the message, not only with passion, but there's seriousness. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:26.960 In a few moments, the bishop will be saying these words to Matthew. 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:39.759 You have heard during the church's discernment of your vocation and in the holy scriptures themselves, listen to this, how weighty is this office to which you were called. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:43.600 This is not a light thing that we're involved with. 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:55.759 And so it is that Paul is very much wrapped up in the seriousness and the weight of this, thanks be to God, the grace of God is there to lift us through it. 00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:58.559 But he says, For we walk by faith, not by sight. 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:00.960 This is chapter 5, starting in verse 7. 00:10:01.200 --> 00:10:06.240 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:20.480 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:30.399 There is an obvious sense of the seriousness of the call of God to be a child of God and to be a minister of the gospel. 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:57.600 Perhaps the main reason I love 2 Corinthians is because he debunks any thought that to be a leader in the Church of God is to be someone who's exempt from problems, difficulties, illnesses, all the afflictions that attack the human race. 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:06.639 He makes it clear that this is not the case, that a real leader, a good leader, is one who leaps from victory to victory. 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:15.039 All problems seem to fall by the way for them, and they just glide through life spreading the good news as they do. 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:17.200 And everybody wants to be like them. 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:21.120 This is not at all what Paul is saying. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:31.759 He says, but we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 00:11:32.799 --> 00:11:57.120 Paul is prescribing the fact that he himself is just an ordinary person and that God calls only ordinary people who know that they're sinful, know that they're unworthy, know that they're weak, that they have no adequacy or competency in themselves at all, but in fact, they are the grace of God is at work. 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:12.720 And so it is that, for instance, at uh in chapter 12, where he talks about this famous thorn in the flesh, which he begged God to review remove, and three times he begged the Lord, and the Lord evidently said no. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:20.799 And then went on to say to him, uh, but uh but by the Paul said, but by the grace of God I am what I am. 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:22.480 No, that's 1 Corinthians 15. 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:28.399 He said, uh he said, uh my grace is sufficient for you. 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:32.799 For my power is perfected in your weakness. 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:40.720 Most gladly, therefore, we will boast in the weak our weaknesses that the power of Christ may dwell in us. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:13:18.399 And so it is with a joy and a sense of the goodness of God that he takes weak, ordinary individuals like me, and is pleased, like Paul, to work in an incredible way, so that all the glory goes to God, and there is, as it says in chapter 2, this fragrance, this wafting through to the glory of God, which cannot be mistaken as if it's the bearer of the news, because that's just a jar of clay and not anything very impressive. 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:23.279 So now we get to the sermon. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:27.039 Bear with me, I'll try to be quick. 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:33.679 Three points about the gospel, about the grace of God. 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:44.559 Number one, the gospel is about not only forgiveness of sins, but forgiveness unto transformation of life. 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:49.440 It's the grace of God for you to change you. 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:54.080 Verse 14, for the love of Christ controls us. 00:13:54.639 --> 00:14:12.639 Because we have concluded this, that one has died for all, therefore all have died, and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:24.000 This is a wonderful statement. 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:38.159 Paul is acknowledging the fact that when we looked to the cross, and I love this massive cross here, which, you know, and Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2, he chose to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:42.559 How can you be part of this church and not understand the significance of that? 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:49.759 But he he talked about when we see Jesus, we recognize that when he died, all died. 00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:59.120 He stepped in our place, and when we see him, we recognize that's me. 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:04.480 The only way for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life. 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:13.440 And so it is that when we look to the Jesus who died, we understand that he's representing me, representing us all. 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:27.519 And so in that we are moved not only by forgiveness, but by a heart change, whereby we now seek to live for the one who died for us. 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:44.159 This is a fulfillment of the promise of uh Jeremiah and Ezekiel, which spoke about a new covenant, a giving of the Holy Spirit, who would take that heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. 00:15:44.559 --> 00:16:02.960 And Paul said, for instance, in at the end of chapter 3, uh, now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, but we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed from one degree of glory to another, just as from the Lord the Spirit. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:19.279 And so this transformation is first of all a transformation of the heart, where we're freed from our obsession to care for numero uno ourselves, and wonderfully to be able to live for Jesus. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:23.120 I pray for more of that transformation in my life. 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:36.159 I pray that the love of God would control my life, my heart, so that I could love and live for Jesus who died for me, who died for us. 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:41.440 No longer for ourselves, but for Jesus who died for us. 00:16:44.960 --> 00:17:06.240 Secondly, as we think of this grace to you, the gospel given for you, it all Paul also goes on in 16 and 17 and says this for now from from now on, therefore we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:10.400 I love this. 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:16.960 Not only is your heart changed, but your eyes, your perspective, your view of the world. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:36.880 I know that Nusong recently made a tour through a series on Acts, and you spent time on all three of the accounts of Paul's conversion, Saul of Tarsus to Paul the Apostle, Acts 9, Acts 22, Acts 26. 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:42.400 And of course, in the New Testament, there are many other times that Paul refers to his conversion as well. 00:17:42.640 --> 00:18:02.960 But in fact, in those, and one of the things that really impresses me is that when Saul of Tarsus, on his way as an enemy of the gospel, as one who despised the name of Jesus and anybody who named it, and was determined to stamp them out and get rid of them by any means possible. 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:12.160 On his way even to Damascus, not even locally, he's now going to the rest of the world to extend this extermination of Christians. 00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:18.480 And on the way, of course, he's met by the risen Lord Jesus, knocked to the ground. 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:23.440 Jesus, the risen Lord, brighter than the noonday sun shine. 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:28.400 And he asked Saul, why are you persecuting me? 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:33.200 And you remember how how Saul responded, Who are you, Lord? 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:37.599 I can't get over that, that he didn't recognize Jesus. 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:42.480 It seems to me that that would have been pretty obvious that this was Jesus. 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:47.119 But so great was his hatred, so dark was his vision. 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:50.720 And when the eyes are dark, how great is the darkness? 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:57.200 And so this poor man was had vision which was only in darkness. 00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:10.880 And by Ananias praying for him in Damascus, the scales fell from his eyes, and he saw Jesus for who he was, and he saw people no longer as he did in the flesh. 00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:28.799 I've recognized that sometimes you see that look of pastors who genuinely, it's more than empathy or sympathy, there is a genuine sense of looking on people with the love of Jesus, and not just pastors, anybody who's in Christ. 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:45.359 And one of the things that I found in terms of this, seeking to promote a vision of seeing people as Jesus sees them, is to uh is to, when you walk down the street in your heart, say, bless that person, bless that person. 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:56.880 And it's not that you're taking over the world or seeing yourself as, but it is in fact uh seeking to enter into uh seeing people from the eyes of Jesus. 00:19:57.440 --> 00:20:11.200 Paul said in Colossians 1, speaking of Jesus, him we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man that if possible we can lead everyone to full maturity in Christ. 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:26.160 That's the way the Apostle Paul saw people, no longer in the flesh, now seeing them perhaps totally lost at this point, but looking down the line to them not only coming to Christ, but being led to full maturity in Christ. 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:45.440 And so it is the summary verse, which is a glorious one, therefore, if anyone, anyone who is in Christ, that's the connection by faith in repentance and faith, running to the Jesus who died and rose again, and by that action they are now in Christ. 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:58.240 So much that it the argument of 1 Corinthians 15 is if Jesus rose from the dead, then those who are connected to him are obviously going to be raised because they are in Christ. 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:06.079 And so it is that in fact, if anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new creation, the old has passed away. 00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:08.880 Behold, I love the behold. 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:11.680 It's kind of a mini fanfare. 00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:19.599 Uh if you if you see behold in the Bible, usually it's preparing you for something of great significance which is coming. 00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:37.279 In the same way that, for instance, uh the Magi, after they'd heard from Herod and the religious people who said that in fact the king of the Jews was to be born in Bethlehem, and they went out and they saw the star, and they went out, and then behold, they saw the star. 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:43.680 And so there this this sense, so here it is, he said, and behold, the new has come. 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:54.880 This gospel which we have been entrusted is one which totally wipes out the past and sets us as absolutely new. 00:21:55.119 --> 00:22:16.400 We look the same, we sound very similar, but there's a whole new Person with Jesus Himself by the Holy Spirit living in them, with a whole new future, with a whole new enterprise which is being changed from one degree of glory or sanctification, heading towards glory for sure. 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:26.720 But more than that, there is the grace of God is for you or to you, but more than that is grace of God through you. 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:37.359 And so verse 18, he says, all this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation that is in Christ. 00:22:37.599 --> 00:22:40.079 God was reconciling the world to himself. 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:50.319 Not, here it is, again, the scripture, the gospel again, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:55.279 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. 00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:58.000 God making his appeal through us. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:02.880 We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:07.119 Understand who's writing this. 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:10.240 It's the guy who is Saul of Tarsus, the enemy. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:15.519 Understand that his greatest goal was to stamp out all Christians in the name of Jesus. 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:22.880 And now, if anyone, including Saul, is in Christ, he or she is a new creation. 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:24.960 The old is gone, the new has come. 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:50.319 And more than this forgiveness and more than this path heading towards glory, incredible, God takes this immense risk in using the likes of you and me as the ones to represent him with this most precious, life-changing, life-saving message, which is the gospel of Christ by the grace of Christ. 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:52.160 What is this message? 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:54.480 Well, these are incredible words. 00:23:54.799 --> 00:24:10.000 For our sake, he made him, that's Jesus, to be sin who knew no sin, lived a perfect life, so that in him, in Christ, in him, we might become the righteousness of God. 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:12.079 The great exchange. 00:24:12.640 --> 00:24:21.119 He had the righteousness, we had the sin, he took our sin, it was laid on him so that we could have the righteousness of God. 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:31.119 It's imputed to us so that we are given this gift all as a result of the cross of Christ and his resurrection. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:33.440 What a glorious thing. 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:41.759 And all you have to do is open your mouth and speak to people about Jesus and to speak to him about this message. 00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:48.480 Finally, transformation to you, transformation through you. 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:52.559 Paul makes it clear that this is an urgent appeal. 00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:56.880 This is not when you get time and when you're retired to give it a go. 00:24:57.039 --> 00:25:00.240 But in fact, it is a call of God on every Christian. 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:01.839 He said, now is the time. 00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:07.440 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:09.519 What a horrible thought. 00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:20.000 To have the grace of God offered to us, and we just either turn our back on it or never get around to appropriating it and taking it. 00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:24.799 Like a Christmas gift left under the tree, never to be opened and unwrapped. 00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:27.119 This is the picture that Paul is giving. 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:31.920 And he gives it, first of all, to people who need to come to Christ. 00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:41.519 There is an invitation to become to the Lord Jesus so that you can know the forgiveness of sins and be that new person forever. 00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:57.200 But there's also the call to the person who is in Christ not to receive the grace of God in vain and to fail to live out this ambassador, message-giving life which we're called to. 00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:07.279 The sense of urgency, I remember hearing a guy by the name of Bishop Andrew at Adaguluk, I can't say his last name very well. 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:11.839 He was the bishop of the Arctic for a number of years. 00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:16.480 He told the story of his conversion. 00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:25.599 He was a young and basically bitter young man in the Arctic, and a guy by the name of Marnie Patterson had come to preach the gospel. 00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:34.079 Andrew was able to speak both languages, and so he was commissioned to be the translator, though he didn't even like the job at all. 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:41.920 The first night he did, Marnie would preach and he would say, Marnie would say a phrase, he would say a phrase, and it went quite well. 00:26:42.160 --> 00:26:45.279 The next night, Marnie was preaching again. 00:26:45.440 --> 00:26:54.799 And suddenly in the service, Bishop Andrew said, as he heard the message of the gospel, it suddenly hit him, this is for me. 00:26:55.440 --> 00:26:56.640 I need this message. 00:26:56.720 --> 00:27:03.759 I shouldn't just be sending it out like a typewriter for translating, this is actually for me. 00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:04.960 And he went further than that. 00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:11.759 He said, My fear was that I might not feel this way at the end of the talk. 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:14.079 And so he thought, I've got to do something. 00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:18.000 And so Marnie said the next phrase and nothing happened. 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:20.559 He said it again and nothing happened. 00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:28.160 Then he looked over and there was a prayer desk, and there was kneeled young Andrew, and by now his young wife Mary. 00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:36.000 And Marnie went over, figured it out what was going on, led him to Christ, and then Andrew stood up and continued. 00:27:36.400 --> 00:27:52.240 That sense of urgency is extraordinary, and is something that in fact may have made the difference between this man coming to Christ or not, and ultimately years later being ordained, and then later becoming a bishop. 00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:55.680 The urgency of the gospel is clear. 00:27:55.920 --> 00:28:05.359 And the joy of the gospel is not only transformation, new heart, new eyes, but in fact a new calling, which is as an ambassador. 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:14.000 I'd like to invite you to stand with me as I'm going to pray a prayer which has become a daily thing in my life and my wife's every day. 00:28:14.160 --> 00:28:15.440 We pray this prayer. 00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:21.680 And it is for a heart for the gospel and gives that sense of the urgency that we're called to. 00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:23.039 And so let me pray it. 00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:33.200 Almighty God, our Savior, you desire that none should perish, and you've taught us through your Son that there is great joy in heaven over every sinner who repents. 00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:41.039 Grant that our hearts may ache for a lost and broken world. 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:45.839 May those who need to come to you come to you even now. 00:28:46.559 --> 00:29:02.000 And may your Holy Spirit work through our words, deeds, and prayers that the lost may be found and the dead made alive, and that all your redeemed may rejoice around your throne through Jesus Christ our Lord. 00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:02.960 Amen. 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:07.039 Thank you for listening today. 00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:12.799 We follow a generous God who calls us to give willfully, cheerfully, and sacrificially towards gospel ministry. 00:29:13.039 --> 00:29:19.119 Newsong is one hundred percent funded by the generous giving of those who worship and journey with us. 00:29:19.359 --> 00:29:26.799 If you'd like to learn more about how to give towards Newsong's ministry, you can do just that at newsongportperry.ca slash giving. 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:29.279 God bless you and keep you today and every day.