Bringing Shalom | Ann Voskamp | Hillsong Church

[Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] see see [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] see see me spray [Music] [Applause] we're gonna be in church this morning if your card is so the view is there he's thrown a few tired dad's out [Music] on you hey I was singing this morning sounding great I reckon this morning can we need to bring it out of us and uh I mean we suck it on the Bob we usually we like from the bottom right but here's some easy scripts Erick and I gonna help you out this morning when he moves Fred and I just think about the choice that we can make this morning to make God want to enter into this place like never before this morning James porvis like Johnny any garden you draw near you stop yourself so we're gonna do that this morning hey guys understand ninety-seven mountains melt away like wax in a fire when the Lord of all the earth draws near so features that draw near to God this one to enter is [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] amen amen come on thank you Jesus boy got me choose to put you first this morning love you Jesus where should we go [Music] West Vigo thank you [Music] come on see mr. Geller we seen us [Music] movie [Music] you [Music] you [Music] I worship you here you why he moving over Stu [Music] you are here Oh [Music] promise [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] even when I don't see it you working even when [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] is who you were that is [Music] we believe that is [Music] we need a fresh the fragrance of heaven for your spirit out you'll see me Oh [Music] for your skier [Music] come on [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] yeah gee we feel this like [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] I believe the Holy Spirit is here this morning he resides a year said thank God for the power of the Holy Spirit thank God his son the Lord Jesus Christ who innovation and thank God for you there's a fantastic even at this time on a Sunday morning look at you Maile full of faith look at you never send in your life hands up if you believe that the person next to you has never said in their life [Music] father we grateful to be in your house what an honor what a privilege to be able to gather around your name blood I just thank you for what you doing me thank you for such an incredible move the catacomb Prince of the city and now Lord we believe it with expectation the inter moon this coming weekend teleconference number two the winners thank you your protection we thank you lord and is on our lives then we can look to you with confidence and faith there's you're on our side heavy weight throughout today I pray lord I just thank you Lord we believe for every one of these prayer requests Lord you know the Volvo that you will bring miracles and healing we believe bother you situations learning you vicious night we distinct you as we declared as we believe for a quick vaccine for the coronavirus have your way Lord Jesus Christ we thank you in your mighty name [Music] [Music] [Music] such a good thing to pray and it really is great to see you guys in church and those of you who were at color conference I believe we were totally blessed and those who are about to be this coming week in color conference be ready be expected because it really really wants something pretty special so God's doing good good good things we've got lots of praise reports a lot of praise reports for color conference color one praising God praising God for friend who's doing great during chemo someone thanking God for guidance blessed by the color conference thanking God for being there in a good operation praising God for his continuing miracles in my life praising God for successful heart surgery praising God for good medical results for her brother thanking God for provision and reconciliation praising God that my dad woke up from a coma I love them praising God for the miracle of a baby girl so lots of good things happening alright now we're gonna greet each other now you got the option okay if you're a little bit of a germaphobe or you just want to make sure you keep your house safe then don't shake hands just a peace sign and thumbs are per you know just whatever just a a bump that I think some people are doing to practice of practices practicin come on say hi to a few people [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] well you know some friendly this morning if you're visiting us we're really pleased you're here hope you feel at home a lot of good good things happening but right now the Reverend dr. Donna Christine Anthea Evangeline Crouch is coming to share around the offering good morning what an honor to share of a few verses from God's Word this morning as we take this moment to prepare our tithes and offerings this morning and as always you can see behind me different ways to give so if you'd like to start to get your giving ready that'd be awesome and as you do that a few verses from John chapter 6 starting in verse nylund's the account of the feeding of the 5,000 and Andrew says to Jesus there's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish but what good is that with this huge crowd and it goes on and it says and then Jesus took the loaves that the little boy had in the fish and he gives thanks to God and distributes them to the people and it goes on it says and afterward everyone was full afterward everyone was full and Jesus said to the disciples now gather the leftovers so that nothing is wasted and so they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who who had eaten from the five barley loaves I don't know about you but I always find myself in this account this miraculous account of Jesus I always see myself in this story and I hope you do too two things this morning as we yet again honor God with our first Annabeth's this morning and the first is is that we as his people refuse to be robbed of the chance to sow into his field which is all about people we just refuse with broken rank and we're refusing and in doing that we refuse to be robbed of his supernatural harvest that that comes in people's lives and ultimately somehow will wash over into our lives whoever will this little boy saw that his five loaves and two fish ultimately and indirectly washed over into his lives and he saw all these masks all these basketballs collected and I remember when I was 21 in the early years about early months of our church deciding to break rank and just just let this part of my following Christ be reflected in my giving and this morning let's be encouraged that as we sow into his field we'll be part of his supernatural blessing and harvest amen so let's pray over our giving father we are doing this because we love you Jesus and we are so committed to your work on this earth and through your beautiful church and as we so this morning would you bless your beautiful people my hopes our dreams and our families Father and we know that you are a good father and we do this gladly amen Thank You host for serving us and as I host service can you look at the screens thank you so much Church for your generosity well here I am doing what many of you do thank God for you you make a huge difference I can honestly say as I look around at church your participation is critical and people come lean into a spirit of faith that makes such a difference one of the things I love about Hillsong Church is it's our culture to come on time and stay to the end I think everything leads to that moment in the end where people come to Jesus they accept them as Lord and Savior and if you lean in you don't leave early you don't walk out when we're trying to really engage with people it makes such a difference so can I encourage you and ask you why don't you decide to part of the answer and if you stay for some coffee and a bit of community and French about words that's even better thanks so much but the part you play [Music] praise God and I have to say you guys are singing and worshiping like there is sir tomorrow be sound magnificence of the very front to the back a happy you want you look amazing - it was so excited that you're here [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] thank God for everything that's happening all the way across the life of a church and of course we just link all over Australia Bali Indonesia Tokyo Fiji Suba and wherever else you guys happen to be Sheng Shanghai I nearly said shangri-la yeah Shanghai wherever you guys are online of course and we're always glad that we can connect as a single Church family one house many rooms or you just encourage people here when we greet each other if you want to shake hands with someone that's up to you but maybe if they don't want to shake hands you can always give them a little you know thumbs up little peace sign you can always give them a bump like this or like a a foot up like hold it a foot up like can you see it like that anyway what I know is that we believe in the protection of the Lord our God and I'm trying to believe it for a quick quick supernatural vaccine to this virus which is disrupting so much and as a church be confident be confident in the God that we serve apart from that awesome to see you great to have you in church well yeah fantastic well tonight most of our locations Christine came the fire woman our caller Christine Kane is going to be preaching the word and I know she's already fired up and ready to go and it's international Woman's Day how cool is that you're sitting next to a woman tell her more power to you because of my family its woman's day every day color conference of course starts again on Thursday night here in the building where we are right now will be jam-packed but it's gonna be full of faith and come and come expected come ready honestly the color conference was just just great and I think Bobby did a an amazing job and all of the team of course you can still join online and so you come to selfs absolutely packed but you can join online and that means you would have access to all of the sessions till the end of March and so that's also a fantastic alternative that's what they were showing us on the video a moment ago I'm up for all the God's doing cleric and God's doing great things in people's lives and I'm full of anticipation full of them participation full of faith for our own church and for all that God's gonna head for you because you are the church and so keep leaning in let's keep believing God have a huge expectation but what God is about to do in our lives you know it's it's very easy to settle down as a Christian but I just want to settle up stir myself up in Jesus name be ready for all that God's got for us and vos camp what a blessing to have n with us here in Australia you may or may not know this is one of the most prolific and effective renowned Christian authors on the globe and so we're blessed to have you here from Canada I made the great mistake you know the worst thing you could say to a Canadian I asked what state she was from and very graciously said I come from just one hour from Toronto and so apologies I should already know that but what I do know is we're blessed to have you here married to Daryl lives in a rural area on a farm seven children seven children and certainly was a great blessing to they the color conference is going to be again when can we stand across our whole church and welcome in boss camp to this internship [Music] so so so good to be here please have a seat it's so good to be in the Commonwealth I made a huge mistake over at color I in my writings on the blog in the books I always call my husband the farmer husband and as I spoke about him through my talk you poor Australians thought I was saying my former husband so the second talk we had to clarify that yep I'm still married to the good man can we have a venture here of our family yeah there we go caleb is on the end he's 24 Levi is 19 Hope is 21 little Shila is in the good farmer farmer husband's arms Joshua is 22 shalom is 14 and she is here with me and malachi on the end is 17 malachi has type 1 diabetes Shiloh has hypoplastic left heart syndrome so Shiloh literally has half of a heart and we had six biological kids across ten years it was wild and crazy and to keep my sanity I grabbed a pen and started writing down all the things every day but I was grateful for and ended up writing a thousand gifts and then I just keep writing still every single day and in doing so I realized how much we have been given how can we not go ahead and pass those gifts on out into the world so we ended up going to China to adopt a little baby Shiloh all of our kids will say Shiloh is the very best thing that has ever happened to us actually her name in China with Shalom and when I saw her pitch to her foster mom said her name was Shalom Lisa the only other Shalom I've ever known is our Shalom and the foster mom said huh maybe this Shalom goes with your Shalom I felt like lightning hit me so Archie came to our home actually shot our Shalom at 14 year old she said you can she gave up my name online you can name me something else so that she can stay Shalom so I said no girl we're not doing that so she her name is Shiloh which means the presence of the Lord and her second name is Shalom so she could hold on to that so in our crazy Bucky family we are praying for a double fold measure of peace in our home and then counting on those gifts and wanting to get out into the world we I really became involved in the global refugee crisis and founded we welcome refugees with ficky Reddy who was part of Hillsong back when it was like a hundred two hundred people so we work with the North American Church to encourage pastors and churches and communities to open up their homes and lives to refugees and we as a family personally did that and brought help brought over Canada allows you actually to kind of adopt a family provide all of their needs help them integrate into a community so we were on for everything for a full year we brought over a family from Aleppo Syria the girls now tell me that they are beating all the boys in their math class and at chess and are doing really really well we love them like family they actually have another little baby that's not in this picture little Joseph is born in Canada since they have come and then after we have our Syrian family doing well we brought over our second family from Namibia they actually were in a refugee camp from the time they were young teenagers 12 years in a refugee camp profound trauma watching her mother I mean his mother was um neck was slashed with machete and killed in front of her and she ran all the way from the Congo across full countries as a 15 year old to a refugee camp so we are working to get them integrated into society you can pray for their three young sons Mohammed Raphael and Osman that um the God would start to heal deep generational trauma for that family so in the midst of all of that crazy there was a Marilyn Skinner actually counts me yesterday and said that she pastors the little Pentecostal Church in my town in Canada that has like 6,000 ball list well her babies were born in the same hostel room that I was born in my babies were born and on the Main Street of list Ville was this Anglican Church built in 1896 that my husband and I bought and are currently renovating we've taken all the pews out to make into tables so that we can invite the community in those who are feeling marginalized dictions and really vulnerable bring them in for a meal because I believe in the breaking of bread Christ is recognized we've started celebrate recovery already and Christine Kane has promised me when we have our first service she's up first so you're all more than welcome I think I just really want to break down with you this morning what does it look like to be people who've been given so much how do we now be part of a shalom story to bring justice into a hurting and heartbroken world god has a call on your life this morning you are here for a reason to hear what he has to speak to you and to listen to how the Holy Spirit is guiding you to be part of an upside-down Kingdom in your own community so just press your heart close him and really listen who is he laying on your heart how is he speaking to you about changing the own the community you're in right now so they experience more of the irresistible heart of Christ for them gonna start this morning with a crazy story a few years ago I found myself in a steak house in the great state of Texas if you've ever been to Texas there are the most patriotic people on the planet and I walked in there was this big long table and this Texas steakhouse and we were asked to find our name card or place card around the table and I was really hoping I was gonna be able to sit beside the only other woman in the room with Sheila Walsh she was here a couple years ago for color I was really hoping and I saw Sheila's name on the her card and I was not seated beside her and I had to walk around one side the table not the other side it's not anxious seeing like if they remember to put my place car on the table and as I came down the far side my name still isn't there and I thinking oh maybe this is what it feels like to come into a space and your name not be there that you're welcomed to the table you'd wonder if you really do belong there's no room for you at the table there are people in your own communities that don't feel like there's room for them at the table and I passed this name card set above one plate it was just one name no last name Bono okay Bono lead singer of u2 okay in the next place oh the Canadian farmers wife's name was right beside the next plate okay call my beating heart sit down calmly and I will just tell you this Bono it's not only legitimately brilliant he is legitimately sold out for Jesus he knew Scripture inside and out part of his conversation constantly now also tell you that when he leaned over and asked me do you mind if I eat the other half of your cheesecake that I handed him the plate and said yes sir it's all yours Obama said this to this room about 20 of us pastors and teachers he said you know what justice and charity are not the same thing he said it's not about charity at all really it's about justice and he said that's too bad because we're good at charity we like to give and we can give a lot but justice is a higher standard end quote you know charity is far easier we can make out a check and it makes us feel good but charity can't buy justice like bono says justice is about a higher standard charity is about making on a check that masks a problem when justice is about remaking systems that eradicate the problem no song you are known all over the world for your commitment to justice to changing systems to incarnate in the gospel of Christ for me it was probably almost 12 years ago when I first really encountered what does poverty and oppression look like I was in Guatemala City dump looking into the eyes of these little kids who were actually scavenging through the garbage looking for food as vaulters circled over their heads I end up in Uganda little girls wanted to show me what she's gonna have for dinner tonight she held up this bowl and had little bugs running around in the bowl and I ended up in Iraq sitting in a cold shipping container with women but seen their husbands and brothers murdered in front of them by Isis and they had to decide in a split second which of their kids they could grab in their two arms and run with and telling me they didn't know where their four-year-old was or their five-year-old was must've sat there and cried with them because shared tears is multiplied healing and I kept thinking about Esther's cousin Mordecai his words don't think for a moment that you and the palace will escape when your people suffer if you keep quiet at a time like this deliverance and relief will arise from somewhere else but you and your people died you've got to risk your position inside for those on the outside or you risk losing everything even your own soul we have got to use the lives we've been given to give others life what does it profit a man to gain the whole world if in the end you're gonna lose your own soul because you didn't care about other souls I've been with people before in difficult places of the world he said I'm just so glad I wasn't born here no you are born where you're born for such a time as this to care about the people who are born there not to gain anything to be in this places I'm just so grateful God all this you're born here to risk all that you have the reason that God had you born here in Australia is to risk for those outside the gate around the world and to say if I perish I perish there are so many people around this globe indeed but I believe that here in Hillsong this morning there are those of you sitting in the seats who believe I don't want to live a watered-down life I want real sacrifice in my veins because Christ sacrificed everything for me I believe there are people sitting here this morning at Hillsong who say I want to defy cynical indifference and make a critical difference with my life that's right that person was clapping we can start changing headlines when we start reaching out our hands this is a culture of so much outrage and I truly believe that one person can start to change the culture if we live outreach no a church after I came back from Iraq someone stopped me in the foyer and said you know what Anne I just wanted to tell you it's really nice that you care about those people over there like whoa whoa whoa wait wait it's not like caring about those who are in need we do that as some optional nice gesture it's not like you are where you are just so you can have like a sideline Christian hobby of justice advocacy justice advocacy is the Christians complete vocation it's not optional it's not optional folks it's right there in Isaiah's words our family started reading Isaiah 58 my husband quotes it constantly he is so these aren't words to Darrell Darrell is trying to incarnate Isaiah 58 and lead us as a family to incarnate Isaiah 58 because ultimately we it says we can be busy busy at worship love studying all about me all about God and to all appearances we can be this right living people law abiding God honoring it says in Isaiah they asked me so what's the right thing to do and love having me on their side we like that don't wait gods on our side but it says here's the bottom line on your fast days it's about profit you drive your employees much too hard you fast but at the same time you bicker and fight you fast but you swing a mean fist the kind of fasting you do won't get your prayers off the ground we're in the middle of Lent we're fasting and praying and it says in Isaiah do you think this is the kind of fast damn after a day to show off humility to put on a pious long face and parade solemnly around in black do you call that fasting a fast that I would like and this is what God says this is the kind of fast day I'm after to break the chains of injustice to get rid of exploitation in the workplace free the oppressed to cancel death what I'm interested in seeing you do Hillsong is sharing your food with the hungry inviting the homeless poor into your homes putting clothes on the shivering heel clad being available to your own families do this and the lights will turn on do this and your lives they'll turn around this is a startling thing that God is saying right here about justice be available to your own families what does that mean God is saying those who are poor are your family are your family God is saying oppressed people are your people is that what your life looks like because the god of power stands with people who have no power who are you standing with in your life that has no power that's what your life has to look like God on high always stands with the lowest people does your life look like that day in and day out God and Jacobs dream who came down from heaven and became the actual ladder for us back to him he doesn't ask you to make your life about climbing ladders folks he identifies with those at the bottom of the ladder does your life look like that all the other gods and cultures maybe about the power at the top but if you are following the king of the upside down Kingdom your life has to be about the people at the bottom Zechariah 7 8 says and the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah this is what the lord almighty said administer true justice show mercy and compassion to one another do not oppress the widow or the fatherless or the foreigner or the poor you see in the male-dominated cultures of the Old Testament the heart of our God is dominated by the widow who dominates your heart in the patriarchal tribal cultures the Old Testament the heart of our God claims the fatherless of his tribe does your heart care about the orphan does your heart care about kids in desperate need of foster care families what does that look like in your own life in the nationalistic cultures of the Old Testament is so tribal it isn't the heart of our God to care about just his tribe he cares about the immigrant and the refugee what does that look like for you if we think we have a saving relationship in Christ but aren't about saving the oppressed from injustice and giving him the good news of Jesus then how are we living out a saving faith like Bono reminded us a just society isn't a society of charity where we write out a check folks it has to be about how we're living our lives the DNA of your family like the color conference reminded us if we are living in the irresistible heart of Jesus we are called to be the hands and feet to other people so they experience how Jesus sees them as irresistible to him so let's break it down what does that look like if we're a just society we know our identity our identity as Esther's Esther risked her life her privilege her position and her power for the oppressed outside the gate how are you day in and day out risking some of your privilege and power ask your risk body and limb and position without reservation for those outside the gate if your life doesn't look like this does your life look like Christ who risked everything for you our antenna is not to be like Zehra SHhhh that story of Esther she is Hammonds wife and she was one of the majority ethnic group she don't have to care about the minorities at all she had cultural power and invested in fighting to oriT izing and maintaining her power and her privilege Zahra sh-she suggests you know what let's raise up that that structure to go ahead and impale Mordecai to preserve her own privilege how are we preserving our privilege and not caring about those people who are in desperate need outside of our gates job 29 says I put on righteousness as my clothing justice was my turban I was the ice the blind and feet to the lame I was a father of the needy I took up the case of the strangest would your neighbors say that that's you would your neighbors say I know that person and they wear righteousness and justice as their clothes you you want to go to them they take up the cause of the deity in our community are you known for that a just society society that knows its identity to live like Esther's and a Justice Society is a society about hospitality our actual theology is best expressed in a hospitality how is your door open your heart open your hands open you know we've warped hospitality thinking it's about pretty plates Pinterest a perfect house we need a complete revolution around the word hospitality folks that it's about a renewal and a remaking of the world hospitality is not about entertainment it's about making a gospel statement about the good news what who is invited to the table that they belong yes because we were invited to the table scripture says when you hold a lunch or a dinner do not just invite your friends or your brother's your relatives your wealthy neighbors this what bad words tells us in case they may invite you back and you have repayment rather when you hold a banquet invite the poor and the crippled and the lame and the blind when was the last time you sent out that invitation Jesus didn't associate himself with the upper-class but made his meal and Association of the outcasts Jesus invites us into subversive hospitality we are called to be hospitable to the vulnerable in ways that are not reciprocal they can't invite they can't invite you back when is the last time you invited someone who couldn't invite you back who didn't agree with you who wasn't like you subversive hospitality subverts the notion that we invite people who just make us feel comfortable so burst of hospitality is aversive to our comfort and it's about offering the marginalized comfort so they know the comfort of God Himself make your tables long so others knows that they belong tear down your gates friends and lay out more plates because honestly hospitality is the only ministry that requires that you just are hungry you don't need a church budget or staff or interns or a seminary degree or to fly anywhere else in the world right where you are every time you eat break bread with someone who needs to hear more about Jesus who you eat with is who you really are what does that look like you're gonna eat how many times this week who are you gonna break bread with this week to eat if it's a necessity when we eat with others though it becomes ministry a just society society that one knows his identity is Esther's call to risk it all for those outside the gate it's a society of hospitality we're known for having open doors and it's a society of humility a society of cruciform 'ti being shaped and formed like a cross the humility of christ is willing to lay down our lives for others a society that doesn't make people projects but humbly partners with people from a position a posture of solidarity to create projects together that renovate our communities and the world we just don't we just don't make room for people at the table humility is about taking the lab place at the table so someone else can have the head place at the table a society of people who know their identity is esther's their identity in Christ a society that doesn't get comfortable with our privileged lives but humbly sacrifices our lives and privilege so others simply get to live it's a society number four of generosity for God so loved the world what did he do he gave I believe one of those powerful words in the whole world is give God calls us to Thanksgiving to forgiving to care giving because all of that is the most life-giving they say all the time love is a verb and I want to ask Oh tell me yeah what what is the verb the verb is to give love lives given a just society is a society of generosity a my own justice story begins with that dare to give thanks for a thousand gifts giving thanks to God to live a life of radical gratitude I discovered this radical revolutionary truth number one as long as thanks it's possible then joy is always always always possible there is always something to give thanks for always and on the night he was betrayed what did Jesus do he broke bread lifted it up and he gave thanks if Jesus can give thanks in that you can give thanks in anything if Jesus chooses gratitude is the elemental in destroying evil do you have a better weapon against the dark it's not you get to choose doxology or dark now once I was walking through a airport in Grand Rapids Michigan and up on the screen they were interviewing Gloria Steinem and she said I could hear I was walking by she said gratitude never radicalized anybody I stopped every ways and was it whoa miss Steinem can I just tell you something ma'am if you asked the more than 1 million people who took the dare with me picked up a pen and started to write down all the things that they were grateful for all of their gifts from God those million people would tell you gratitude never fails to radicalize those who are radically grateful when you are radically grateful for all you have been blessed with you will go radical lengths to share with those who are oppressed that's my life story a gift that God has given to us it always remains a gift it's always meant to be given because this is a thing if we have if we've been given and we do not share it with those around us we share and the evil and injustice in the world a just society then also as a society of equity here we are an international day of the woman can we think about the fact that we will never really reflect the image of Christ to the world unless we really see the image of God in every one man woman child regardless of religion skin color where they live on the planet when we believe that we are all equally made in the image of God we treat each other with equal value equal respect and equal dignity it's the image of God a just society knows one its identity is esters to the cruciform like Christ to be about hospitality to be about humility to be about generosity to be about equity and number six to be about Carrie for those in positions of vulnerability proverbs 3 131 8 to 9 rates speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves for the rights of all who are destitute speak up and judge fairly defend the rights of the poor and needy do you only get involved do you only use your voice when it affects you or do you take your position of privilege and speak up and use your voice when it affects those who are vulnerable that's what scripture is asking us to do as believers in Christ and lastly number 7 adjust society is a society that is ultimately motivated by intimacy with Christ himself when justice is driven by intimacy with God and intimacy with his people it will drive people to overcome any and all obstacles to injustice when justice grows out of wanting closeness with God and with people there isn't a harsh environment or a hard conversation or an uphill situation that will wither your heart for the Justice of God but if your justice is motivated by duty or by superiority instead of being motivated by community and intimacy it will ultimately wither up and fail just as motivated by duty will change nothing in ultimately we will burn out and self-destruct but if it's motivated by the beauty of intimacy this starts to reconstruct the world folks I felt long and hard about what a just society looks like when I was watching the movies silence has anyone seen it got it gets yourself to see the movie silence one of the most life-changing it's a movie once you've seen it you will never forget it so at a true story in the 1600s Japan the Japanese officials were wanting this Christian leader he was a priest in the country they wanted him to deny Christ because they thought if the priest could deny Christ then all of the believers then too would fall away from Christ they're asking just to take the sole of his foot and step on a stone graven image of Christ they called it a few me a they wanted him ultimately just to trample on Christ is what the administration was asking of him and over and over again these Japanese officials the Japanese government was urging the Christian justed anti-god trample trample on him they kept saying like it was hard to watch all I could think was what would I do if that was me now sitting there in this quiet theater beside my two oldest sons Caleb and Joshua was Joshua who leaned over and said to me you know Mom there is nothing that could happen in the public square with any administration or government that can shake the private convictions of your hearts no laws of the state can make you an apostate to your own beliefs no stepping on a coin can change your passion for a savior or cost your salvation but I looked around to the people in that theater and again saw the faces of desperate children from Guatemala and Uganda and Haiti and Iraq and all I could think was - i trample on Christ right now when I am more about protecting my way of life more than about protecting other people's lives maybe I'm trampling on Christ every single day I was undone as much as I think I I would never deny Christ I would never trample on the image of Jesus never stepped on the film yay I said there was a realization that there are a thousand ways to trample on Jesus right in my own community every single day and there are a thousand ways to be the Welcome of Christ in my own community every single day and the only way to not trample on Jesus right where you are come Monday morning is to be about the oppressed and the marginalized and the voiceless in your community if my life denies that I am about the oppressed and the marginalized in the crushed my life denies the gospel of Christ and a whole world of people will decide who Jesus is by the way we are tomorrow morning no morning this past winter my husband and I were watching this documentary together about a man who now is about 91 years old his white hair and a big white brushy beard just sort of look like cloud but as a young kid he worked in a dye shop and he became obsessed with the chemistry of dyes and he would know that one day that skill would save the lives of thousands of Jewish families that he would grow up to be the most famous forger of World War two and soon his entire life was one of ink and papers and forging food rations for Jewish children and creating passports to save whole families his voice quavered now is a 91 year old man talking from behind his haze of a beard he talks of how he did what he did he said quote I had to stay awake as long as possible I had to fight against sleep because the math was simple in one hour I made thirty fake documents if I slept for one hour thirty people would die during World War Two the forger who took not one penny for his efforts saved more than 14 thousand lives the forger said quote all humans are equal whatever their origins their beliefs their skin colors there no are no superiors and there are no inferiors anything less than that is not acceptable to me that's right that's right the imago Dei the image of God and the person across from you not only I thought he'd said everything but then he said something that has begin to haunt me compel me shape my husband and I he said quote if I hadn't been able to do anything if I chose not to do anything I wouldn't have been able to bear it we have been given so many gifts here right here and if you do not pass them on you will not be able to bear the grace of God all the grace of God is like coming in to this on Red Sea and if you do not pass the gifts on you will become like the Dead Sea you have to pass on the gifts that you've been given if you are able to bear the grace of your own life grace makes you just grace makes you just stand up just speak up for the vulnerable just to open your front door just invite someone over for dinner just do something so someone else can just live it's a central evil scripture says to not advocate for those on the edges Deuteronomy 1619 says you shall not distort justice you shall not be partial justice and only justice you shall pursue that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you Timothy Keller says quote if a church does not identify with the marginalize church itself will be marginalized where are you Hillsong what does that look like come Monday morning I'm gonna ask you would you stand with me right now and I'm gonna ask you to stay awake Church stay awake and fight against sleep fight against distraction and apathy and despair and privilege and cynicism and indifference be an ester this morning and tomorrow morning and all this week be about solidarity humility and equity and be driven by intimacy with Christ and risk everything for those outside the gate I'm gonna ask you right now could you begin to be like Esther and stretch out your hands and I know what you're thinking you're thinking hey lady from Canada this is a little bit awkward I'm touching the guy beside me the woman beside me like yeah that's the whole point it's gonna feel uncomfortable but you are called to risk it to reach out so as you stand there cruciform this morning outside of your comfort zone being like Esther's being like Jesus beginning to risk it all for the people besides you can we just pray to the one who risked it all for us Jesus we confessed this morning to you that we have not always lived cruciform shaped and formed like a cross we have not always sacrificed and given like you have sacrificed and given everything for us you bought us with a price Jesus we are not our own the Lord we long for you this morning to make us Esther's move to live like this cruciform lives to risk something and reach out this week to someone in need because this is what it means to be in you to be shaped like you to be the hands and feet of Jesus make us Lord a nest your generation that knows we have got to use our position inside the gate for those outside the gate or we will lose everything even our own Souls make us realize Lord if we have any food in our fridge any clothes in our closet any small roof rented or owned over our heads we are richer than 75 percent of the rest of the world we are esters living in the palace called to risk make us realize we are the esters that if we have anything saved in the bank any bills in our wall at any spare change in a jar we are one of the top 8% wealthiest people on this planet we are esters called to risk something Lord the Lord if our stomach isn't twisted in hunger pains right this moment we have a gift that 1 billion people on this planet don't know and if we know you Jesus right now we have a gift that untold billions don't have Lord can victus father to risk it all for those outside the gate for such a time press upon our hearts right now in this moment one way that you are calling us to risk this week one person you are asking us to be the hands and feet of Jesus reaching out to this week don't let us leave this room Lord so we know who that person is and we give our lives to Lord committing to live like you hands down stretch into heart broken world so others may know but you're the only one who has ever loved us to death and back to the realist life and all the Esther said amen [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Wow what a beautiful morning it has been I think we really need to take a moment and really thank and boss him [Music] and challenge for each and every one of us about God's heart for people and so we just want to thank you so much for this week and today and the week ahead absolutely one more time Church pointless really thank you for that you know just before we move on here just while no one's moving around I was just listening to that message and just what a beautiful profound message no wonder if you saw it is that God's heart is for Humanity it's for people from all walks of life God's heart is for that which is broken you see each and every one of us the very beginning of time God created us he created us to take authority and dominion over the earth in the land and he said go forth be fruitful and multiply the truth is this as we broke that we made a decision we said God we're going to do this our own way and we walked away from God and broke into a million pieces and the truth is today each and every one of us we've been picking up those pieces trying to mend ourselves whether it be through addiction and substance or whether it be through relationships and we have been trying to find God in these pieces in these broken pieces but God sent his best he son Jesus as the pure reflection of the Father and he sent his son for each and every one of us in all rooms relocated right now in every single location in the parenting rooms he sent Jesus as a reflection for each and every one of us to follow him Jesus paid the price that you and I could not pay he loved us so much that he gave his life for each and every one of us and today I would love to ask you a friend have you made a decision to follow Jesus because he loves you so much he is a plan and a purpose for you and today I would love to lead you in a powerful simple prayer of asking Jesus into your life maybe at one time you've prayed this prayer but you know in your heart you've drifted you've walked away the good news about Jesus is he never walked away from you friend he loves you he loves you no matter which cross road you find yourself at in life God loves you for the Bible says whilst we were still sinners in other words whilst we missed a mark whilst we had fallen short Christ died for us he who knew no sin became sin for us so that we may be in right standing with God friend do you know him I would love to lead you in a powerful prayer of asking him into your life maybe you've never really prayed this prayer before I would love to lead you right now can I have every head bowed every eye closed all over this place everyone just to be thinking about where they stand when it comes to the person of Jesus do you know him have you surrendered your life to him if you if you haven't friend this is your day for the Bible says today is the day of salvation it means when you hear that the good news when you hear the gospel respond give your life to Him well every believer is just praying for this moment come on friend if that's you what I'm gonna ask you to do it's gonna ask you to take a bold step on the count of three I'm gonna ask you to raise your hand high enough and long enough for me to see it in all our locations on online streaming and whoever else is joining in right now you're saying yeah Peter would you lead me in this prayer you're about to pray I would love to know this person you're talking about or Peter I've walked away from him in today's the day I'm coming back home I'm gonna count to three just raise your hand all right well no one's looking around the count of three you raise your hands ready one two three all over this place beautiful people responding people responding ever I'm sure you know other locations right now God's doing something in people's hearts right now beautiful beautiful amazing you can put your hands down Church can we give these people around of applause absolutely beautiful so cool I saw many hands here and I'm showing our other locations but come on as one big church family let's say this prayer together all right from the bottom of your heart if you prayed this prayer and even if you didn't raise your hand come on say this dear Jesus today I give you my life I surrender all come into my life forgive me I need you in Jesus name Amen amen amen so come on church let's really congratulate everyone and as always we want to give to you because this is the best decision you'll ever make and following Jesus say look when the service concludes there's someone they're going to be waving this Bible frantically they're trying to get your attention hoping that you'll come and start a conversation with them and they want to give you a gift to mark this day where you decided to follow Jesus so come on one more time absolutely amazing okay well listen I know we're still linked across all of our various locations campuses and pray all of us receive the fantastic challenge it makes you just really look at your own life and think well where do I sit with us where do I stand where do I stand on this thank you again and to all of you but we're going to be a blessing for those who bless us and you know when people come speak they never ask for anything but I'm thinking of the coal-hole color conference being away from family two weeks at least and being a blessing to our church that I think it'd be great if we just received and after we can sow into the lives of emboss campin her her ministry her family all that she does so take a moment be seated across all the Hillsong Church and if you're willing and able to do that no pressure whatsoever but you want to be a blessing to those who bless us why don't you quickly quickly prepare get ready we very rarely have two offerings in a single service and so this is like I said no pressure I know some of our people just love to be a blessing and say you're welcome to do that and again you see on the screen how you can give and we'll give you just a quick moment to get ready and now that we're gonna receive our giving and you know I mentioned tonight's Christine Caine if you're visiting with us I have to tell you in the sunday nights in our church I rock you know they rock this place is generally packed on a Sunday night and the atmosphere of faith and the lean in and the excitement I love Sunday night church now church started with only Sunday night services that's how we started 6:00 p.m. Sunday night and of course things have moved a long way but I think Sunday nights are still so pivotal to what we do and of course so many people bring friends Sunday nights it's great looking forward to all right you're ready to give let's Recife the giving the offering right now who [Music] we're sitting three rows from me where the vichy might cap on that's a true I'll see right there got us veggie mic catwalk [Music] the NRL starts this coming week be praying for the Parramatta Eels and title me a week of breakthrough that every strategy that comes against them will come to naught that this will be the big year the big year versus 1986 [Music] because we're officially a paramedic eels Church you know you're not allowed you're not allowed to actually support any other teams [Applause] and all the paraffins said and everybody else said and that goes for everyone in Queensland in Melbourne in Newcastle in Canberra where we don't have a location yet yeah so everywhere you are this is a Parramatta Eels Church yeah it's a decree I just made the decree it smell like a faith decree we put up there it's a decree yeah I might do a fake decree actually for just for a victorious parameter you'll sign the others I mean it's gonna take a whole lot of faith let's be honest I understand we're just giving them time to prepare on a trifle hello I'm so grateful for all the people who have come to your house today well they're thinking you bless them and you keep them you cause your face to shine upon them your favor your grace is their portion today but I thank you as we move into another week and continue to look forward to an unknown future that our confidence is in you that any weapon formed against us cannot prosper their father you have your way you fulfill your word you lead us Lord you've gone before you come behind and we're grateful to be on this journey for their faith in Jesus Christ in your precious name Lord amen amen come on this city [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] they said [Music]

Channel: Hillsong Church

Views: 36,814

Rating: 4.9232001 out of 5

Keywords: jesus, hillsong, praise, worship, Ann Voskamp

Id: 3nSCNoLlM-g

Length: 88min 31sec (5311 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 08 2020