WEBVTT 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:06.799 Um this morning I'm gonna be preaching on football. 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:11.599 So did um did you watch the World Cup? 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:12.880 Anyone watch the World Cup? 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:13.759 Yeah. 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:21.039 Why was Toochall playing why did you bring Dan Byrne on with 15 minutes to go against Argentina to try and hold a lead? 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:22.480 Like that's right? 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:24.879 Anyway, I'm past that. 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:36.799 Um the Sunday after the third place playoff game, if you remember, so England played France in the what was basically a friendly game, it wasn't sort of competitive, there was no tackles flying in. 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.119 And Andy and Joe came and saw me on that Sunday morning. 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:40.079 He said, Did you see the picture? 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:42.159 Did you see the picture of the pray the players praying together? 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:43.679 Does everyone know this picture? 00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:44.079 Yeah. 00:00:44.719 --> 00:00:45.840 Some yes, some no. 00:00:46.159 --> 00:00:47.439 Yeah, amazing. 00:00:47.840 --> 00:00:52.560 These are these are the England and France players praying together after the match. 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:54.479 After a competitive football match. 00:00:54.719 --> 00:01:00.320 And as I dug into that more, there was the Germany and the Curaçao players praying together after a football match. 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:04.879 There was the Belgium and the USA players praying together after a football match. 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:07.040 Christian prayers to a living saviour. 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:08.640 And I was blown away by it. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:10.319 And I've loved these images ever since. 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:11.599 Some of these guys know each other. 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:16.879 I think a lot of these guys are known as the um, I think it's the Bible boys at Crystal Palace. 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:21.519 Um, so a lot of them played together at Crystal Palace, many of them have moved on, and they're the Bible boys. 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:22.560 But people know them as that. 00:01:22.719 --> 00:01:24.319 Non-Christians know them as that. 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:27.359 Is it just me, or have we never seen this before? 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:28.959 I've never seen this before. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:34.959 I've never seen celebrities, young sports people, I've never seen people proclaiming their faith in the way that it's happening now. 00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:36.959 I'm sure I've spoken about this before. 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:46.079 Because when I was younger and I wasn't a Christian and didn't grow up in a Christian household, and didn't I don't think I knew any Christians, the only celebrity was Cliff Richard. 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:49.680 In fact, Sheldon Thorne, do you know who Cliff Richard is? 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:52.319 Like honestly. 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:54.319 There's some youngsters in here. 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:55.920 Do you know who Cliff Richard is? 00:01:56.640 --> 00:01:59.680 No, no, he had zero impact. 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:06.719 But now you've got this. 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:17.039 Now you've got players playing 90 minutes of competitive football against each other for different nations, then coming together to pray to Jesus afterwards. 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:18.479 Is that not massive? 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:21.599 Does that not fill your soul, fill your heart about what's happening out there? 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:25.439 Because we've come through a time where that church generation has kind of been lost. 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:31.759 We're coming into a generation at the moment where we know there's young people, there's under-25s flooding into churches mainly in the cities. 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:35.919 We know it's happening, and God is moving in a way that I've never seen before. 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:37.680 I've never seen this. 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:41.680 But football's a really interesting one because football can be really tribal. 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:45.599 Uh-huh. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:47.120 Yeah, yeah. 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:52.000 I'm from a I'm I'm from a city, I'm from Birmingham, where it's quite strange here. 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:58.319 There's this one club, but I'm from a city where you ask someone where they're from, and the next question you're almost like, who do you support? 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:03.919 And there's a pause because you automatically hate the other person if they support the other football club. 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:05.599 There's no reason for that whatsoever. 00:03:05.680 --> 00:03:08.639 It's the most ridiculous notion when I get to it, but I still hate them. 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:10.080 I don't hate them. 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:15.039 Young celebrity, sports people. 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:15.759 Bear grills. 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:18.479 Bear grills, we've always known Bear Grills to be a Christian, right? 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:23.439 We've always known that, but actually, he's never really hugely declared his faith into a book. 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:27.840 We do book recommendations, and there was a book that came out last year, The Greatest Story Ever Told. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:28.960 Does everyone know it? 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:31.439 If you don't know it, it is superb. 00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:33.840 It's the gospel written from a slightly different perspective. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:37.199 It is amazing, and it's the most wonderful gift to give to a non-Christian, actually. 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:41.280 So Bear Grylls is out there proclaiming his Christian faith like never before. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:44.240 Have you seen his adventures of with the chosen? 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:45.520 Has anyone seen that? 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:47.120 Amazing, right? 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:50.639 So Annette recommended it, and Helen and I watched it, it was amazing. 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:58.960 So the The Chosen, which again is this huge, amazing global story of the life of Jesus, of the gospel message. 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:04.319 And Bear Grills does a series, I think the six um adventures with different cast members. 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:05.039 It's amazing. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.439 That's there on Amazon Prime for the world to see. 00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:09.120 This has never happened before. 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:09.919 It's amazing. 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:11.120 Are we excited about this? 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:17.360 Good! It's actually gonna get really challenging, and the bit this is the nice bit. 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:24.079 I was gonna talk about Dave Watmore, actually. 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:25.600 I love Dave Watmore. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:28.160 He's not here, this is being recorded. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:34.160 So Dave Watmore, I I love, and I go today for advice, and we pray together and all that sort of thing. 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:40.800 But whenever Villa lose, I'm an Aston Villa fan, he Helen says, has Dave texted you yet? 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:44.639 Because he immediately texts me, and I'm like, what's the point in that, Dave? 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:46.480 And he can change what's that? 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:47.600 Mean text. 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:49.120 Mean text as well. 00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:50.959 This is one of our elders, guys. 00:04:57.040 --> 00:04:59.120 It can divide friendships. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:06.000 You can know someone for years and years, and then suddenly find out they support the wrong team, and you're like, Lord, I never knew them. 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:09.360 Yep. 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:10.959 Tom, can you hear me? 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:12.879 Happy days. 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:20.319 You can forgive a lot of things, but some football allegiances are going to require some serious prayer. 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:23.439 Because football does something very interesting, it gives us an identity. 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:27.600 You put on your shirt, we are us, and the other team becomes them. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:34.000 Our team versus their team, our country versus their country, our side versus their side. 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:38.000 And we human beings are very good at creating us and them. 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:45.199 We do it with politics, we do it with football, we do it with nationality, we do it with class, we do it with denominations, we do it with theology. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:48.079 Sometimes we do it within our own church. 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:50.879 Something beautiful happened after a football match. 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:56.639 The whistle blows, the competition ends, and players from opposing nations pray together to Jesus. 00:05:56.879 --> 00:06:01.279 Look at the photographs, different shirts, different nations, different languages. 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:05.439 For 90 minutes trying to beat one another, and afterwards they pray together. 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:11.040 Ephesians 4, 4 and 6 says, For there is one body and one spirit. 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:15.680 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:16.639 One. 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:24.959 Not one personality, not one culture, not one nationality, not one political opinion, not one denomination, one Lord. 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:29.199 And today I want us to think about something even more challenging. 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:35.279 Not simply unity with people who are different from us, but praying for people who have hurt us. 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:40.079 Jesus gives us an impossible command. 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:48.720 Matthew 5, 43 to 44, Jesus says, You've heard the law that says love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:53.680 But I say, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:56.399 There's the command, love your enemies. 00:06:57.759 --> 00:06:59.920 I think I'm rubbish at this. 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:01.120 Anyone else? 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:01.759 Yes. 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:03.120 Yeah. 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:03.600 Right? 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:05.680 I mean, I've got some in here. 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:13.920 I think I'm rubbish at it. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:18.000 Jesus, by the way, I was looking at it, gave us 40, I think it's 48 or 49 commands. 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:20.959 I think I'm particularly bad at this one. 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:22.160 So this is for me. 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:24.560 As I was writing it, this is very much for me. 00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:26.160 Jesus makes it even harder. 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:26.720 Pray for them. 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:28.480 It's one thing to pray for people you love. 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:31.519 Lord bless my family, bless my friends, bless my church. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:32.639 That's easy. 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:36.000 But Lord bless the person who hurt me, that's different. 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:41.519 Lord bless the person who betrayed me, bless the person who lied about me, bless the person who treated me unfairly. 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:44.160 But this is where Christianity becomes costly. 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:49.920 Because Jesus isn't simply asking us to behave nicely, he's asking us to be like him. 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:53.040 Matthew 5 45 explains why. 00:07:53.360 --> 00:07:55.759 God gives sunlight to both the evil and the good. 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:58.160 He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:00.240 God's grace is bigger than our categories. 00:08:00.319 --> 00:08:05.680 And Jesus says in verse 48, But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:07.519 We are to be perfect. 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:15.439 Nowhere near, right? 00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:22.160 Jesus didn't just teach it, he lived it. 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:26.319 Sometimes somebody gives you advice and you think that's easy for you to say. 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:28.079 Jesus can't be accused of that. 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:31.120 Because when he was being crucified, you practiced what he preached. 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:37.840 Luke 23, 34 records Jesus saying, Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing. 00:08:38.320 --> 00:08:39.360 Think about the scene. 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:40.799 Jesus is on the cross. 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:43.440 Talking about forgiveness. 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:45.919 He's being mocked, he's being tortured, he's being killed. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:48.240 And he prays, Father, forgive them. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:52.000 It's so counter-cultural. 00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:57.919 Jesus prayed for his enemies, and that brings us to one of the most powerful examples in the New Testament. 00:08:58.799 --> 00:08:59.519 Stephen. 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:02.799 The man who prayed while they were killing him. 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:05.679 I don't think we talk about this a lot, do we? 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:07.840 But it's actually pretty big. 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:14.000 The early church is growing, people are being saved, the Holy Spirit's moving, and Stephen appears. 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:25.600 Acts 6 5 describes Stephen as a man full of faith, and the Holy Spirit says in verse 8, Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:28.960 Stephen was full of grace, full of faith, full of the Holy Spirit. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:31.279 And because he followed Jesus, opposition came. 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:33.919 People argued with him, they couldn't defeat his wisdom. 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:36.399 So they arranged false accusations against him. 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:41.759 Stephen is brought before the religious leaders, and Acts 7 records one of the greatest speeches of the Bible. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:44.080 He tells the story of God's dealing with Israel. 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:47.200 He talks about Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:49.600 And he confronts the leaders with the truth. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:52.559 Then Acts 7.54 says they were furious. 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:55.919 They were so angry that they're literally grinding their teeth at him. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:56.960 It's pretty angry. 00:09:57.200 --> 00:09:59.039 Helen does that to me sometimes. 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:02.799 This morning, actually. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:06.879 We had a miscommunication in what time we were going to get here. 00:10:07.039 --> 00:10:08.399 And that was, yeah. 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:17.279 Stephen looks up. 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:24.480 Acts 7.55 says he was filled with the Holy Spirit and saw heaven opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God when he tells them what he sees. 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:26.480 That makes them even more furious. 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:29.759 They dragged him outside the city and then they began to stone him. 00:10:29.919 --> 00:10:31.200 Pause for a moment. 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:33.759 Imagine what Stephen could have prayed. 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:36.000 God, get me out of here. 00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:38.080 God, destroy these people. 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:40.399 God, show them who's right. 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:42.960 God give them what they deserve. 00:10:43.759 --> 00:10:45.440 But listen to what Scripture says. 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:50.240 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:57.279 And then comes verse 60 as Stephen falls to his knees and cries out, Lord, don't charge them with this sin. 00:10:58.399 --> 00:10:59.519 And then he dies. 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:04.000 This goes against everything that the world teaches us. 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:08.720 We don't talk about Stephen a lot, but it's it's um it's a pretty poignant story. 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:09.360 It's astonishing. 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:11.360 Stephen is dying because of the people who hate him. 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:14.000 And his final prayer is for them. 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:17.200 Jesus prayed for his executioners. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:18.960 Stephen prayed for his executioners. 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:23.840 Stephen is following Jesus so closely that when he's dying, he sounds like Jesus. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:27.440 And there's a hidden connection in the G in Stephen's story. 00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:29.360 There's something you may have noticed. 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:34.879 Acts 7.58 tells us that the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man called Saul. 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:38.639 Saul was there, probably grinding his teeth. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:40.799 Saul is on the wrong side. 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:46.720 Saul is part of the persecution of the church, and Stephen is praying, Lord, don't charge them with this sin. 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:50.960 We don't know exactly what impact Stephen's prayer had on Saul's conversion. 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:55.360 Scripture doesn't tell us that Stephen's prayer caused Saul's Damascus Road experience. 00:11:55.759 --> 00:11:57.279 But we do know something extraordinary. 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:04.000 The man standing there approving Stephen's death would one day become one of Christianity's greatest missionaries. 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:06.879 Can I say that back? 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:13.840 The man standing there approving of Stephen's death became one of Christianity's greatest missionaries. 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:17.440 Became the man who wrote more than the half of the New Testament that we read today. 00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:20.080 Pretty big. 00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:26.159 The enemy became a brother, the persecutor became a preacher. 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:29.679 The man who helped destroy the church became the man who helped build it. 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:34.480 The person Stephen never knew that his prayer would be connected to Saul's story. 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:36.480 This is one of the mysteries of prayer. 00:12:36.639 --> 00:12:40.000 You don't always get to see what God does with your prayers. 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:44.080 You can pray for somebody for years and never see the answer, but heaven sees. 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:45.440 God hears. 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:49.919 And sometimes God is working in someone's life long before you see it. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:53.279 Who's your soul? 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:56.879 We've all got one. 00:12:57.360 --> 00:12:58.879 I've got like nine. 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:04.799 Who's the person you've mentally written off? 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:07.200 Who's the person you think there's no hope for them? 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:08.240 They'll never change. 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:09.840 God can't possibly use them. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:11.120 Look what they've done. 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:15.519 Stephen looked at men who were literally killing him and prayed for them. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:17.679 And among those watching was Saul. 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:26.000 The future Paul, the future apostle, the future missionary, the future writer of much of the New Testament, the man God would use to preach Christ across the Roman world. 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:30.399 What if Stephen had looked at Saul that night and thought, This man is beyond redemption? 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:36.639 Thank God Stephen didn't know the future, because if he had, he might have thought, Lord, don't save that man. 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:39.600 But God saw what Saul would become. 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:42.159 And that should make us careful about writing people off. 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:45.600 Because we see the present, God sees the whole story. 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:49.519 Prayer doesn't mean that we approve of evil. 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:53.519 Jesus says, love your enemies. 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:55.200 He's not saying pretend evil doesn't matter. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:57.120 He isn't saying don't protect yourself. 00:13:57.360 --> 00:13:59.200 He isn't saying don't confront injustice. 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:01.200 He isn't saying stay in a dangerous situation. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:03.519 Forgive us, forgiveness doesn't mean pretending. 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:05.840 Forgiveness doesn't mean there are no consequences. 00:14:06.000 --> 00:14:09.360 Forgiveness doesn't mean trust is automatically restored. 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:11.600 You can forgive someone and still have boundaries. 00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:13.919 You can forgive someone and still seek justice. 00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:17.679 You can forgive someone and still say what you did was wrong. 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:23.360 But forgiveness means I will not allow what you did to turn me into someone I'm not. 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:26.720 Romans 12, 9, never take revenge. 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:29.919 Leave that to the righteous anger of God. 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:33.759 It's powerful because revenge says I need to make them pay. 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:37.679 Faith says God can handle justice better than I can. 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:39.679 Joseph. 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:47.679 Genesis 37 introduces us to Joseph, and Joseph's enemies aren't strangers, they're his brothers. 00:14:47.919 --> 00:14:49.519 They're his own family. 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:53.840 They betray him, they sell him, he ends up in slavery, years pass. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:56.799 Joseph eventually rises to power in Egypt, and the famine comes. 00:14:56.879 --> 00:15:01.919 His brothers come to Egypt looking for food, and suddenly the people who destroyed Joseph's life are standing in front of him. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:03.600 Joseph has power, they don't. 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:05.840 He could punish them, imprison them, take revenge. 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:10.480 Instead, Genesis 50-20 gives us one of the most famous statements in Scripture. 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:13.759 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. 00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:16.320 Joseph didn't say you didn't hurt me. 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:17.840 He doesn't say it wasn't wrong. 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:20.159 He says you intended to harm me. 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:24.159 He acknowledges the evil, but he refuses to let the evil have the final word. 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:26.000 That's forgiveness. 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:28.799 Maybe somebody here needs to hear this. 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:33.279 What happened to you may have been wrong, but it doesn't have to determine who you become. 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:37.200 God can take what was meant for evil and bring something good from it. 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:43.360 A good Samaritan, your enemy, is still your neighbour. 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:51.120 Jesus tells the story of a man attacked by robbers, a priest walks past, a Levite walks past, then a Samaritan comes along, and the Samaritan stops. 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:53.279 He helps, he pays, he cares. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:55.759 Why is that story so powerful? 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:00.320 Because Jesus deliberately chooses somebody who would have been viewed as an outsider. 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:03.759 Jews and Samaritans had centuries of hostility. 00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:06.320 Like Aston Villa in Birmingham City. 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:09.840 But Jesus makes the Samaritan the example of love. 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:12.000 Luke 10, 27. 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:16.720 You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbour as yourself. 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:18.879 Jesus tells the story. 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:22.240 And at the end he asks, now which of these three would you say was a neighbour? 00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:24.320 The answer is obvious, the Samaritan. 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:28.559 Jesus is teaching your neighbour isn't simply someone who looks like you. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:31.039 Your neighbour may be different from you. 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:39.039 Your neighbour may be vote differently, speak differently, worship differently, come from a different country, support a different football team, and Jesus says, love them. 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:41.200 That's it. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:44.960 I'm not delving into hidden parts of scripture here. 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:47.120 This isn't deeply theological. 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:49.759 We're not going to learn this on the theology course. 00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:53.279 This is one of the 48 commands that Jesus gave us. 00:16:54.159 --> 00:16:56.399 Love your enemy and pray for them. 00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:58.480 It's not complex. 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:00.320 But we're human. 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:05.039 The football pictures show us something beautiful. 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:08.160 Think about what those players have in common. 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:11.759 It's not nationality, it's not language, it's not culture, it's not a football shirt. 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:13.119 It's their faith in Christ. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:15.119 And there's something profoundly biblical about that. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:16.799 Galatians 3.28. 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:24.160 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:26.480 Paul isn't saying our differences don't exist. 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:31.359 He's saying our differences no longer determine our worth or our place in God's family. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:33.759 Christ is bigger than our divisions. 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:37.279 Unity doesn't mean we all become the same, and this is really important. 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:40.160 The Bible doesn't say everybody becomes identical. 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:41.599 God loves diversity. 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:46.720 Look at creation, the flowers, the animals, the languages, the cultures, the personalities, the gifts. 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:50.720 1 Corinthians 12 describes the church as one body with many parts. 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:54.799 Paul says the eye cannot see, cannot say to the hand, I don't need you. 00:17:55.039 --> 00:17:57.839 And the head cannot say to the feet, I don't need you. 00:17:58.160 --> 00:17:59.440 We need one another. 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:02.880 So Christian unity isn't we all agree about everything. 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:07.359 Christian unity is Christ is more important than the things that divide us. 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:11.200 Christ is more important than the things that divide us. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:19.359 Over the last two weeks, I've been reflecting on stories of people going to different churches and people leaving churches and people and hurting churches. 00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:21.920 What are we we're doing something wrong. 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:24.880 We're doing something wrong. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:26.880 There is hurt that happens. 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:29.440 We've got, by the way, I hate this room. 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:33.680 I don't hate it, but we didn't want to move into here, did we? 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:39.279 And I always say, when it got to the stage, we're moved into here, we're going to plant elsewhere, so I'm going to plant like something else. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:41.839 But it's amazing to have you all. 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:44.880 Workswood's lovely. 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:47.680 We've got this lovely little family, you know, 40 odd people. 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:48.960 It's it's absolutely amazing. 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:50.799 And right now it's it's great. 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:52.559 We know the problems are gonna come, right? 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:57.279 We know they're gonna come, we know there's gonna be fallouts, we know you know Helen will probably say something wrong. 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:00.640 And there'll be something. 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:04.559 I am in so much trouble right now. 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:14.720 It's gonna happen, and that's where we have to be closer to Christ than ever before, right? 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:16.880 That's when we have to learn to forgive. 00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:22.240 That's when we have to battle through, cling on to him, and figure out what did Jesus say? 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:23.599 Forgive. 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:25.519 Because he forgave us. 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:36.079 And I've really been reflecting on something I heard recently, and and you know, it's a bit of an analogy, but there's more power in salvation than there was in the creation of the earth. 00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:38.960 God breathed creation into existence. 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:44.720 God literally breathed the earth, the planets, the stars into creation. 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:48.000 Somebody had to die for our forgiveness. 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:53.920 To me, that's huge, and it really reflects on the just the how big, you know. 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:59.599 Of course, we know how big it is that Jesus went to the cross to die for us, so that we could be free. 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:02.720 But God breathed everything else into existence. 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:05.440 Somebody had to die so that I could be free. 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:14.160 Salvation is massive, forgiveness is massive, and Jesus has forgiven us for everything we've done before, now, and in the future. 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:17.599 Although I haven't forgiven Mandy for chuckling away. 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:19.759 That's right. 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:22.319 Whatever, it's all recorded, Mandy. 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:30.400 Just to extend into Sheldon's preach the other week, he preached on love. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:36.079 We don't need to be deep theologians because actually Jesus is so clear about what it is that we need to be. 00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:37.519 We need to be loving to each other. 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:41.519 We need to be loving to each other here, we need to be loving to each other out there. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:44.079 Because that shines through in the world. 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:45.599 People see it. 00:20:46.079 --> 00:20:48.400 So to extend on that, Jesus prayed for unity. 00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:51.839 John 17 contains Jesus' prayer shortly before his crucifixion. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:53.839 And listen to what he says. 00:20:54.319 --> 00:21:00.559 I'm not praying, not I'm praying not only for these disciples, but also for those who will ever believe in me through their message. 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:02.480 I will pray that they will all be one. 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:03.279 That's us. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:06.960 Jesus was praying for Christians who would come centuries later. 00:21:07.200 --> 00:21:11.359 He was praying for you, he was praying for me, and his prayer was make them one. 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:16.160 Because Jesus says our unity will demonstrate to the world that the Father sent him. 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:19.680 That means our relationships with one another are part of our witness. 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:27.920 People may not read our theology, they may not open our books, they may never come to a Bible study, but they can see how we treat people who disagree with us. 00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:30.079 Our love becomes evidence. 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:32.079 What does unity look like? 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:34.079 Romans 12 gives us a beautiful picture. 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:36.559 Don't just pretend to love each other, really love them. 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:38.000 Don't just pretend to love others. 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:38.480 I love that. 00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:40.400 Like an American air stewardess. 00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:44.720 You've never seen a more fake smile, have you? 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:47.200 That's sorry. 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:54.319 It's good, not fake love, not polite church smiles, not God bless you while thinking I can't stand you. 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:56.240 Paul says, really love them. 00:21:56.400 --> 00:21:59.680 Verse 10 love each other with genuine affection and take delight. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.960 In honoring each other. 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:05.200 Verse 14, if people persecute you because you're a Christian, don't curse them. 00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:06.559 Pray that God will bless them. 00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:07.440 There it is again. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:08.880 Pray for those that hurt you. 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:11.920 Verse 17: never pay back evil with more evil. 00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:15.119 Verse 18, do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:19.119 Verse 21, don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. 00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:21.200 That's the Christian response. 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:24.720 Not evil for evil, good for evil. 00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:27.839 Not hatred for hatred, love for hatred. 00:22:28.079 --> 00:22:30.799 Not revenge for injury, prayer for injury. 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:33.920 Blessing your enemies is not weakness. 00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:36.799 I think we can often think that. 00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:38.720 Sometimes people think forgiveness is weakness. 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:39.200 It isn't. 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:42.559 It takes enormous strength to refuse revenge. 00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:48.319 Anybody can retaliate, anybody can shout, anybody can insult, anybody can send the angry message. 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:50.559 Anybody can post the angry Facebook comment. 00:22:50.640 --> 00:22:54.160 But it takes the Spirit of God to say, I could hurt your back, but I won't. 00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:58.319 It takes strength to say I will not become like the person who hurt me. 00:22:58.559 --> 00:23:03.759 Jesus didn't defeat evil by becoming evil, he defeated evil through sacrificial love. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:07.039 The cross looked like defeat, but it became victory. 00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:10.559 And praying for our enemies changes us. 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:18.240 When you genuinely begin to pray for somebody, God may change them, but often he starts changing you. 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:22.000 Think about somebody who is difficult for you. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:24.000