Hillsong Church - No Greater Love

good morning if you tonight a phrase gone in this place Queen [Music] is the Oh and we were I can Oh [Applause] [Music] [Music] my mom you don't [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] thank you though [Music] Bobby [Music] and bye [Music] [Music] [Music] doesn't blame there's [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] would I be Oh [Music] Oh [Music] you're great the greatest [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] each [Music] ah [Music] I think [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you don't know [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] do [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] what you [Music] just committee second I'm gonna praise the Lord left morning come on let's put that hand together let's raise our voices come on let's take a minute are you gonna prank god [Music] [Music] so we don't you in this place [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] which says that the baby was [Music] we pulled up [Music] and here is 9 [Music] come on front to the back and then she'd speak among and you [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] i'ma let me because I picked it out [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] money great for this morning anything that comes to mind that you could be grateful for today how thankful you come on let's thank you my speaker is correct [Music] other issues we could see the job we need to pray we need to thank you we need to sit you to the double say the word gratitude [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] but with [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] you tree [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] come on why do we show a production come on father I thank you every gather right across father this country Lord whether here or Church to the air and Darwin Brisbane West Wollongong Perth the channel those that are online father I present all of us to you and I thank you that your love is over every person is an open heaven over every life and father we thank you for what you're going to do today it's a new day it's a day you have made it's where your Mercy's father and you this morning the father I thank you in Jesus name and everyone said together amen amen I'm holding in my hand it may be your new or visiting a whole lot of prayer requested one of the locations where we gather today this prayer request and I'm sure that people everywhere that have got great need and you know as a church we're a family where everyone belongs but we're also an army where everyone plays their part the Bible says that when we pray we actually see through the human stuff to have true enemy which is the devil who's come to steal kill and destroy and our commander in chief Jesus Christ has all authority on heaven and earth amen not a competition he wanted at the cross because we got stuff to pray we got to believe God for so many things even in our own nation we're going to believe God and pray for the clever side close to the other side that's happening in a short time Pastor Brian emailed our church right across in terms of where our spirit is encouraging every single Christian to make sure that we vote amen and if you didn't get that email please please get on my hill some update your details so that we can keep informed in what's happening but we are going to have outside we're also going to pray in Jesus name and we're going to pray for Barcelona we're going to believe God that out of all that's happened that he's will be down we're going to believe for that little boy Julian captain that he'll be found and you know what Jesus it's not an arm-wrestle this morning he has declared that he is the king of kings he is the Lord of lords all authority is in his name and he told his church to pray in the name that is above all names to come on reach out our hands reach out our hands and add an army together let's lift up the name of Jesus over every situation over every our foundation of Barcelona to come on church let's pray father we thank you in the name of the season and remain father represented in every room and like I said yesterday men around accent father when it comes to your purpose and your plan by the Barcelona father and the devastation there Broadwater devil father we fried a little Julia Cabot father will be found that your will father will be established on earth as it is in heaven and we declare to you your name is higher nobody come on Church is not [Music] [Applause] yeah Oh [Music] he is dry [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and the church declared together [Music] amen amen amen hey church can we remember prayers on what we do on the backfoot out of reaction prayers what we do on the front foot to bring heaven to earth amen so let's be praying let's be believe in God amen amen amen well a huge welcome especially if you're new was so glad you could join us and look we're going to take a moment to say hi and as we do look this morning as we say hi on the screen there's going to be a link and joel's actually put his whole message this morning on an app you could use this moment to download that the one you say hi said it's the hardest of people around invite them to stay for a coffee after church that would be cool your shower your soon okay why don't you ever state that was a quick one-minute gravis feed everywhere hey just as cats comes up cats lengthens and mums going to encourage us around our giving but on the way out in two weeks it's Father's Day so we've talked a bit more about that but look that Hill so we really want to make sure we make those special days special so we really want to honor honor the men in our church a man godly strong men which is go we've been looking forward to what's coming up hey Cass hey Sam if I saw something I live last week Sunday night in case you don't know 4:30 5:30 here in different times across different locations but don't miss Sunday nights of hills and right across our church we've got Sunday Night Live where we take the gospel and really present it creatively and yours was last week with sports you should be saying as this week's Angus is actually ridiculous we've been rehearsing it on Thursday nights in here and the whole auditorium is transformed into a different type of set and then there's really special things that happen and he tells stories he's so funny and yet so profound and like you will want to bring everybody that you know to tonight because it is actually ridiculous and I am sure people will get saved and will encounter Jesus is that it hi so I know under your seat should be an envelope to take it in your hand for me everybody move grab your envelope and you can begin to prepare your giving while I get to tell you a story so on Wednesday this week I came home to my children tom is 12 and Lily is 14 and they raced to me as I walked through the door and I said ma'am ma'am ma'am we need to use you tonight and I went oh my goodness what do you need to use me for you see they have this YouTube channel and every week they do crazy things and this week they had a proper vision so they're like just say yes mom say yes and so I had a choice in that moment as to whether I would offer myself to them to use or whether I would run in the other direction now wisdom says to run but actually I chose to offer myself the problem was then they started to pitch this idea they thought that would be really good for me to get inside a giant balloon do you know those six foot tall balloons they pump it full of air and I actually had to put my legs in and my whole body in and get inside a balloon let me show you what it looked like ready can you see this on the screen I looked a little bit like that so it took a lot of commitment once I'd said yes I actually had to go about getting myself into this balloon and it hurt like it started to squeeze in the air went down I thought I was going to get trapped inside it but I made it I got and Tom got in with me and we had actually a great time truth is that in Colossians 3:23 it says this whatever you find to do do it under the Lord and do it with your whole heart lunar whatever you find to do work it with your whole heart working for the Lord not for humans now when it comes to out giving this morning God asks if he can use you and you have a moment where you get to choose yes or no as to whether you will offer yourself but once you agree to offer yourself it takes more commitment than you can ever begin to imagine to fulfill the promise I don't know about you but there are weeks where I have school fees to pay and money seems tight and often it takes remembering that I said yes to God to actually bring what I have in my hand in this morning so I'm going to remind you if you had Christians in this place and God asked to use you and you said yes then this morning can you fulfill your commitment wholeheartedly as you give to him so when you take it in your hand you are not giving this morning to Sam tomorrow or Joe LaBelle or Brian Houston but your work is for the Lord so father I thank you that you let us play a part in building your kingdom I thank you God that you have chosen to use us and so God we remember the commitments that we've made this morning and we give to you wholeheartedly we love you Lord and we pray that you would see your kingdom advanced on this earth as we play our part with every home and every give it in Jesus name and everybody said amen so while our hosts serve you we are going to watch Church news and see what is coming up in the life of our church [Music] are you new to face or near the church on or under your feet is our worst next card with information to help you find out more you can also visit our website to learn more on how to get involved discover more about Jesus and stay up-to-date with what's happening in the life of you from church [Music] [Music] [Music] in the bible the first time someone was mentioned to be filled with the Spirit of God was an artist diesel oil the designer of the Ark of the Covenant he shared secrets we've got the priests didn't even know what was necessarily in the Ark of the Covenant yet an artist she had a secret we've got as you build it as artists we like to think of ourselves in the limelight we like to think of ourselves you know in our artistry on top form and people knowing us for our art but there's something pretty significant when the first guy that was anointed as as an artist he's name means shadow of God and so I don't know I think there's something in the fact that the more we're getting the shadow potentially more God will anoint us with gifts and talents to create things where he wants to dwell like the Ark of the Covenant I can't wait for that worship conference it's gonna be amazing yeah anyone going all the creative people look I'm not that create well I'm creative in different ways I am I'm creative in different ways a great big welcome to everybody across the church it's nice to have you with us from barley Darwin all the way down from New City on the eastern seaboard through Melbourne all the way down to Hobart and here in Sydney what doesn't everybody say a great big hello and a big welcome to everyone give everybody a clap [Applause] nice to have you with us listen I just want to take a moment why we're speaking across the church and talk about the Hillsong foundation you'll notice this brochure that's on your seat when you came in it you might have knocked it onto the floor you might want to pick it up just have a quick look at it you can go through it properly later the incredible things in there can I just say firstly that we are so appreciative of everybody who has played their part in the kingdom builders vision impactors or the army of faithful believers and everyone who is involved in heart for the house that ended just before Hillsong conference a phenomenal effort and it means that we can do so much across Australia and across the globe together it really does this is the start we're launching the new giving period for the Hillsong foundation I understand that there's already so many of us that are already part of it so a great big thank you to you but I just want to highlight a couple of things and really to say that wherever we're meeting right now it is largely because of the Hillsong foundation we have a huge gratefulness to all of us contributing to the Hillsong foundation whoever got up just a moment ago and shared around tithes and offerings that is the weekly day-to-day ongoing ministry of the church the Hillsong foundation is what allows us to take giant leaps forward and do things like facilities which is most of the buildings that we are sitting in this morning wherever we are it's probably because of the Hillsong foundation it's significant what we get to do the community work through city care some of the Ayden development things across the globe but I really want to draw attention to the fact that we are sitting in venues today like Perth or there Perth connects we're about to have our next gathering on Friday night coming I'm coming over Friday night and we're having the next gathering and then we're going to launch a Hillsong Perth we can do that because of the foundation we did that with Melbourne because of the foundation Hillsong barley because of the foundation what we've started around the world so quickly is through the Hillsong foundation so can I draw us to just two things if we go back to the second last page in this brochure you'll see that it says there it's talking about giving opportunities right it is a comput it is a confidential application form but let me just say every single one of us can do two things every single one of us number one everyone can pray everyone can pray for God's church for God's will in the earth everyone can pray it says in 1 Timothy that God wants men and women everywhere lift up holy hands without doubt without fear and to pray so everyone can pray the second thing is actually everyone can contribute everyone can contribute you can serve you can do something but you can actually contribute if you look at the different levels here kingdom builders vision impactors all the way down to our mere faithful believers the army of faithful believers is the great majority of our church - anything from a couple of dollars in a year all the way through the hundreds of thousands it's not just about being the people who've been able to contribute the largest amounts everyone can contribute something do you know if you just give if it's just two dollars a week over the course of this next giving period the next year that's 100 dollars in a year just by two dollars a week that's like a few cents every day it's actually achievable for everybody to do something and that's what we want to draw your attention to there are many many people who are contributing lots but feel like everyone can be part of the foundation and we really want you to prayerfully consider it then put in your application form we're starting that next round now kingdom builders breakfast vision impact this breakfast suppers they're coming up and we want to start getting things organized so please let's do outfit and together we can make significant things happen for God's kingdom we're going to show you on the screen is an incredible story just one there's lots of people but just one person in God's great church his name's Rob in Queensland who is doing something significant and what's join hands with everyone and do something great together take a look at this I grew up in those little town of 20,000 people and in that town anyone who was in business was successful so a millionaire's and I just thought by living the lifestyle so in my brain working on being in business and being a millionaire just equal to each other I was always looking for the quick gain how do I get this how do I get that how do i elevate myself to the top of the pile straightaway so I'd actually walk an old lady across the road thinking I'll maybe would die and leave all the money to me in a will I was a Christian my whole life I've loved Jesus my whole life but I didn't understand that making money and financing the kingdom of God and saying well that was my purpose and also Noble this was about me getting to the top because I wanted to get there coming from a religious background I thought the best way to serve God with the dye to my business and go and become a pastor my wife said hey why don't you just give the kingdom builders once you're part of something and just saying hey Rob this is what you're called to do and I'm sorry no no the only way you can serve God is actually to do it happen to you know do without God released something inside of me that align what I'm gifted at to my purpose was just a whole new experience for me and just blew my mind that I can actually enjoy serving God and just any free when it comes to the hungry I am the ones who feed you I'm going to come to the thirsty I am the one to give you water when it comes to involvement I am the one who will put my hand up when it comes to giving I am the one who will go the extra mile and when we talk to our nation if we together believe we are the one who carry the name of Jesus we are the one who will preach the good news we are the one who can find a beautiful life we are the one who will reach downloads and attorney to the poor we are the ones who will truly make a difference endlessly we the one Arthur Brian keeps in us this challenge that he's got more vision than resource and I thought to myself every time I hear that if the challenge to me to say hey what about if I could ask you pop the bronze eated what about if we can do that together every time I hear that it's just something inside me rises up to say hey what what if I'm that person and so the question I'd ask you is what if you were that person what an amazing thing the foundation allows us to do and I know for Kali and I we've been Kingdom builders now for 10 years and in our church and you know what you never come second putting God first they meant so let's be landing those commitments if you want more information where our next step desk and I know right across different locations we got that in the foyer so right now Hobart so good you could join us you ready for the preaching of the word everyone when we all stand to our feet you believe the Word of God can change your life well it can and we're really blessed this morning because we've got Joe LaBelle preaching so come on I want to put our hands together everywhere [Applause] [Music] thank you Sam good morning good morning everybody how great to be in church together and wonderful to be connected to Darwin and Hobart and Brisbane West but the mid Sun's up there and everyone on Church of the air I am so thrilled with Church of the air and how it's going and people in remote parts of Australia do you know because of the great technology and the things that were able to do because of this facility and because of us and we all get to contribute never think that what we do in here is just about us because what we get to do here we get to beam this through churches the air to cattle stations and remote homes and places around Australia and the stories we are getting at people who just feel so disconnected and you know sometimes it's only once a month that they get to go to the shops because they're so far away from civilization is what they feel but every Sunday morning we get to connect with you in your land room and so we we're blessed that we get to do that and so a great big hello from everyone here to everyone out around Australia wherever you are we're thrilled that will give the in church with you together father we thank you so much for your grace and your love God how great is your love that you lavish on us that you would call our sons and daughters of God we are your children and what this message was never meant to be kept just to people who follow you and love you and know you this message this gospel message of Christ is meant to get out around the whole world every community every people group every language we ask today go even though we're so grateful we ask again as we open your word that you would open it to us may we understand more about your way of doing things maybe understand more about your love and your grace the way you deal with humanity the way you treat us may we be more and more like you we pray in Jesus name Amen amen you give someone a high five grab your seat why don't we appreciate the team think Ruben and the crew everyone that was up here leading us and whoever's doing whatever they were doing in your campus as well here's what I want to talk about today well put the title up on the screens no greater love no greater love I'm not sure if we've already mentioned about the app that you can download did we already mention that Sam so if you if you want last year I started using an online platform to my notes were up there but I put my sermon notes up there which is kind of standing in your underwear a little bit a little bit vulnerable putting it when you put your whole notes out there I'm just one of those people that likes to kind of keep everything I don't want to tell too much on me and Robert of so opposite Robert Ferguson is going to get up is going to say this is the title I'm going to give you a couple of thoughts here some observations and here my key points you're ready going to that much a page and a half of notes get ready start I want to start ambiguously I want to hide everything I want it to be a mystery a journey I want you to come with me and finally land there together that the only challenge with the difference between Robert and I is that he clearly delivers and gets you to a place that he wants you to go my challenge is that if I don't clearly articulate the mystery and where I want you to go I'm the only one that lands there at the end so he's helping me robert's helping me that's what I'm saying so I've changed platforms it's a different app and I think this one is really good it's one that I want to stay with I went off the other one people were like can't we do that again it was so fun when we were had your notes and we could chat and talk and I was getting bugged all day Monday and trying to have a day off but it's finally hearing the feedback and getting the comments and the conversations and watching other people talk to each other so this is a new platform if you just put that into your browser no matter whether you've what kind of smartphone you got it doesn't work on a dumb phone let's see anything but if you have a Google platform or an iOS platform if you type that in I grow a link / no greater love it'll take you to your store download the app and straight into the message straight into the notes and you can follow along if you want or just take a photo you can sort it out later it's really easy to set up and in there there's other kinds of things that you can do you can look at later John chapter 8 John chapter 8 no greater love is what we're talking about verse 1 John chapter 8 verse 1 I wanna redo verse 12 it's only verse 11 in your notes there on the app but I want to include verse 12 for a specific reason the subtitle of my Bible says a woman caught in adultery which looks like that's the main thing that's going on but I'm not sure that it is let's have a look Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives but early the next morning he was back again at the temple you want to if you underline in your Bible if you highlight you want to take a pen and you want to underline that word again that pops up a few times in this passage again he was back in the temple again it's really really important for us to understand that because Jesus is God and he was always again and again and again in the temple which means that there's no real reason why we should not also follow that example be in his temple be in church be in church together and I'm singing to the choir I know because we are all here it's just a little bit of advice in case one Sunday we think of having an audio in Australia that means roster day off but we're not going to do that are we we're not going to take a break unless you're away having holidays or whatever anyway a crowd soon gathered which is what would happen when a teacher started to teach a crowd soon gathered and he sat down and he taught them as he was speaking the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery questions start to arrive in my mind as to how they actually found her but that is maybe for another day they put her in front of the crowd it's humiliating what they did to this woman they put her in front of a crowd teacher they said to Jesus this woman was caught in the act of adultery the law of Moses says to stone her what do you say they were trying to trap him into saying something that they could use against but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger they kept demanding an answer so he stood up again and said all right but let the one who has never sinned threw the first stone then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust when the accusers heard this they slipped away they didn't run away they didn't walk away boldly or confidently they slipped away cowards they slipped away one by one beginning with the oldest until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman in the middle of the crowd of the woman I never had that as a picture in my mind off for some reason thought that it was always just Jesus and the woman all by themselves until it was Jesus she was in the middle of the crowd Jesus left there in the middle of the crowd with the woman then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman where are your accusers didn't even one of them condemn you no Lord she said and Jesus said neither do I go and sin no more some of the most soothing words that you could ever hear if you've ever known that you are guilty of sin then neither do I neither do i condemn you verse 12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said I am the light of the world if you follow me you won't have to walk in darkness because you will have the light that leads to life no greater love we're talking about no greater love I had not really imagined in my mind's eye that Jesus and the crowd were there the entire time for some reason I had thought that all that was left at the end was Jesus and the woman but the crowd got to watch this the entire time they got to see everything so if we're thinking about the cast the crew these the people who are involved in this story there is Jesus there is the crowd there is the Pharisees who you know that not all Pharisees were bad Nicodemus was not bad there's a few others that were not bad some of them helped Jesus and helped get the church started but but the Spirit of the Pharisees is really what is on show in this passage and it's that angry arrogant judgmental look down your nose with your bony finger at people with consideration that we ourselves are also finding ourselves in the same boat sometimes so there is Jesus the crowds the Pharisees and then there is the woman there the four types of people in this story I wonder where we find ourselves in this story where do we find ourselves what place do we find what what do we what do we affiliate with most in this story what makes sense most in this story if I was to summarize I want us to jump into the text and I want to show a couple of pictures I've got them online on the notes there for you I want to show a couple of pictures because it helps me to imagine what it would have been like that day in this story so the first thing to think about is Jesus in the temple teaching he's in the temple and he's teaching and his standing in the crowds are gathering around him and this would be a popular thing that would have happened back in those days when any rabbi or teacher got up to talk about the scriptures people the common people most people the crowd which would be asked today did not have access to the scrolls or to the Holy Scriptures it was something that only a few people had the rabbi's had then the teachers of religious law had them and the responsibility of the teachers and their allies was to teach the community and it was an oral community so you had to recite the law and recite the Torah and recite the Old Testament you'd go over and over the stories over and over again because not everybody had a copy we take it so for granted these days that we have a Bible man how many have more than one Bible in their house you probably enough for one every room you're stashed in the bathroom you've got them in the bedrooms you've got them in the lounge room you can't find the Bible that you normally just go and grab another but we have a surplus of Bibles and there are millions of people around the world that still don't have even one text in their own language and we just have them rolling out we just pop open our phone if we can't find the paper one we've got them everywhere well that's not what it was like so Jesus is in the temple and he's teaching and he's waiting for the photo to appear back up on the screens because it helps us to imagine what it was like on the day and I don't think he probably looked like that exactly that's a bit of a Hollywood version I think he may have been a bit shorter Dokka his nose would have been a bit bigger but we get the point he was someone who taught I could only imagine what it would have been like sitting there listening to Jesus talk about God that himself about heaven about the affairs of earth about righting the wrongs about changing our perspective and bringing things the right way around we had lost so much of God's intention in humanity and Jesus comes and he talks about it and he uses the Old Testament the scriptures to convey God's new and loving way would have been astonishing absolutely incredible the second thing you see happen is that the Pharisees comes thread on the scene in the middle of all that they break up the party and they start interjecting and this happened several times it happened numerous times actually when Jesus would be teaching he would be bringing life to people the Pharisees would come straight in and they start to interject and they would point their bony arrogant judgmental finger and they were trying to trap Jesus it actually wasn't really about the woman sadly they used somebody they used the woman as a victim she was really used in order to try and trap Jesus it's interesting because we wouldn't know a whole lot about the woman we don't know what a name is there's a lot of commentary around who she actually was we don't know what her lifestyle is we don't know whether she was married I'm not sure whether she committed adultery because she was married and she was committing adultery on her husband or whether she was committing adultery because she was sleeping with a man who has married another woman but whatever it is it's the woman that the whole weight of this discussion lands on not the other person not the man who was also involved in this adulterous affair and there's always a scapegoat when judgmentalism is on the prowl you're never really dealing with the full subject you're just using somebody to try and point your own finger so right there in the middle of it it's a story of ego and self-interest they lay heavy burdens Jesus would say at the Pharisees they love to make heavy burdens and tie up loads for people to carry that they themselves are not willing to carry that's that spirit I'm not thinking about a person I'm not thinking about religious leader I'm not thinking about any personalities right now I'm thinking about the spirit that probably all of us have been guilty at time to time where we judge people and we put burdens on people and loads on people and we're really not willing to carry or lift those burdens but what Jesus did is he lifted the burdens he never wanted you to stay under those weights for too long the third thing that you see taking place is this condemning trap you see that the woman is put there in front of the crowd the Pharisees the religious spirit is condemning her but they're actually trying to trap Jesus and they're saying the big accusation is the law of Moses says that a woman like this should be stoned to death she's broken the law and it's true she had she broken the law and that is the law and that law meant that she should be justly stoned to death it actually did happen in the Old Testament when you broke God's law bad things happen it was the consequence of sin and in the middle of all that all you see Jesus do is stoop down and start riding with his finger in the dust hears these finger to write them a dust and when you go online there's all kinds of thoughts about what he's doing you know some people are saying he's probably writing the names of all the other men that slept with that woman he's writing down you know the various needs that all these different things but what is interesting is that we know Jesus is God is the son of God and so Jesus has God with his finger in the dust the last time the finger of God wrote in the dust we were given the Ten Commandments so perhaps well I don't know but perhaps what he was doing was writing down the Torah again here o Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one worship the Lord your God serve him only have no other gods before you have no false idols don't take the Lord's name in vain honor the Sabbath and keep it holy on your mum and dad this is the first commandment of the promise and so on goes through the Ten Commandments maybe he was doing that because that's what convicted them right to the heart and he says all right so whoever hasn't broken the law whoever is perfect in this regard go for it throw the first sin you're allowed that's right as the law go forth and from the oldest because the youngest of us are still a little bit idealistic but the older ones of us we've been around a little while to realize that could have been me on the floor that could have been me that someone's throwing a stone at and so they slip away until there's nobody left Jesus never breaks the law he doesn't do any of those things he he doesn't use the law against this woman he fulfills the law it's a really important thing to remember we can either use the law against people or we can fulfill the Lord he's a master the way he does this the last picture we see is a merciful God who takes the hand of the woman who has sinned and is worthy of judgment like all of us and says where are your condemned is there's no one left to accuse you and she says no one he says neither do I don't leave your life of sin so here's a few things I want to write down just some observations to give us write these things down if you want already inside on the platform but but write these down just for real quick things number one the objective of the law is Right living that the whole purpose of the law is Right living that the purpose of the law is not to try and trap you it's not to try and condemn you it's not to try and harm you to hurt you it's not to humiliate you the actual objective of the law is to bring right living it's to help you live a great life that's the point that's the purpose of the law that's what God gave it to us in the beginning before even the law of Moses God gives Commandments to Adam and Eve and the whole purpose of the commands and the garden was that there would be procreation there'd be life there'd be freedom that's the whole point that there would be great great governance and boundaries for freedom that's what the laws for I've often told the story the picture with Julia and I and the kids we our family we live on a on a head land with a very steep drop off the other side it's a long way down it's like 60 to 80 feet in some parts and there's no there's no barrier there's no fence around the edge of the headland and it's amazing because without a fence you see lots of people having a lot of fun there's a lot of freedom to enjoy life out here on the headland and people are kicking balls around running with dogs as kids running everywhere yesterday's are people flying gliders and kites with the wind and it's a lot of fun but you watch every time as people get closer to the edge their freedoms are inhibited and everyone starts to shut down a little bit as they get closer and closer to the edge and depending on how you are with the fear of heights that happens a lot earlier or later all right but haven't you found it astonishing that just a fence even if you can see through it a fence makes you feel this certain amount of confidence to walk straight up to the fence and look straight over you men want those higher apartment buildings and there's like three foot of veranda and then there's a glass fence and if you touch it it's kind of wobbling on the 57th floor but for some reason you still feel this sense of confidence to stand right next to it just going to go great view great views but there's no way on earth you'd be standing there if that was not there even though it's wobbly it gives you a sense of security and that's what God's law does it gives you a sense of security you can have a whole lot of fun a lot of freedom you men to enjoy yourself God did not give us the law to kill us he gave it to us primarily for freedom well another observation through this story is that the law condemns those who break it whilst the purpose of the law is for right living and freedom the result of the law is death the result of breaking the law is death the wages of sin is death all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory and we're damned the judgment and destruction thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord who can deliver us because he paid the ultimate penalty but the law actually sentence us to death if we break the law of third thing is that we don't have to condemn anybody we do not have to use the law we can fulfill the law we don't have to use the law against other people we don't have to come down hard on people we do not have to condemn people Jesus right there in the story there's a crowd imagine the whole crowd where you have a crowd you're the crowd out there the pulpit is Jesus I am the woman and the accusers come in after Jesus says anyone who has never broken this look and throw the first stone they all leave I'm less now condemned in my own destruction and Jesus says neither do i condemn you so you don't have to condemn people that's what we learn you don't have to wield the sword you don't have to use the law and slam people you don't have to we are allowed to love people which is fulfilling the law we can love people who wronged us we can love people who break it we can love people who are disobedient thank God for His Church where everyone is welcome everyone we're all welcome here and here's the last point there in just some observations the law is subject to a greater law every law all law every law is subject to a greater law there are 623 I think is it 623 Amanda 623 Commandments 627 694 this is pick a number that there's a lot right and it's hard to remember and they say it was a verbal oral community and you had to learn them all so the Ten Commandments I mean most of us probably don't even know the Ten Commandments off by heart and the 623 there's a lot right and as soon as you break one you're guilty of breaking everything it stands for what I find challenging today is that we are because you know we don't necessarily completely agree or understand on the essence of the law we have lots of other little laws and ordinances to back up and to try and bring understanding to the big ones but everything that's down here still has to submit to the ones that are up here the big ones so they can change the law today redefine law today and if you're not aware of the new laws you're still guilty if you break it I find that absurd how crazy would it be to be in Parliament right now and to just find out that you didn't know that you were a citizen of another country I mean that's crazy right I mean different like it's different if you knew if you knew you were breaking the law but what are some of the people who don't even know that it doesn't matter if you break the law even if you didn't know about that law you're still guilty of breaking it it is it is madness what is happening in our society today because we're trying to add laws change laws redefine laws and what's the purpose of it all we know that the purpose of God's law is to bring life and freedom and we must be using God's law not against people but we're fulfilling it when the fulfillment of the law is love there is no way to love then the love that God has for Humanity there is no greater love if we're left to our own devices to try and define things and redefine things we're going to make a mess of it because we aren't actually trying to do it the right way we need God's love he's standard we need what God is trying to do for all of us and that is to love us and accept us in to build us and bring life to us Jesus was one time teaching like in one of those crowds and some of the religious leaders said to him out of all the commands which is the greatest which is the greatest one because there are so many which one is the greatest it's in mark chapter 12 have a look there I'll race you mark chapter 12 got it verse 28 one of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate he realized that Jesus had answered well so he asked of all the commandments which is the most important jesus replied the most important commandment is this listen o Israel the Lord our God is the one and only Lord and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart all your soul all your mind all your strength the second is equally important love your neighbor as yourself no other commandment is greater than these is the greatest commandment the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength love your neighbor as yourself which is why we say in life throughout church we say we've got to love God love life love people it's the great commandment so what does it look like when you think about loving God with all of your heart you soul your mind your strength it rattles off the tongue quite nicely but when you say this I all it's almost poetic I find it so much harder to live than to say love God with all your heart what is him in all your heart my wife Julia often says to me love you with all my heart but there are some days that I do things and behave in a certain way when she's irritated with me and at that moment I know she does not love me with all of her heart most of her heart some of her heart definitely not all over her sort of themI to love the Lord your God with all your home there is no way to love then I love God with all your heart now heart is meant to be a place where God resides he takes up residency he occupies that space I've said some of these things before but I think it's worth repeating no there is no greater love number one there is no greater love than a heart to let go there is no greater love than hard to let go if we want to think about what does it mean to have this great commandment no greater love if I love God with all of my heart what does it actually look like what does it mean well there is no greater love than a heart to let go because the heart is where we trap people and keep people and and we imprison people and people who offend us and hurt us and people that say all manner of bad things about us or treat us harshly or cut us off in traffic or just heat us or do things and it's in our heart where we harbor that bitterness it's in the heart proverbs 4:23 says guard your heart with all diligence because out of it flow the issues of life the heart regulates the hands the heart is the internal organ that actually determines the activity of our life and if we're going to love God with all of our heart there is no greater love than a heart that lets go and again I know it's easier to say but can I just let us in on a little tip when when you let me say this way if you think about someone who's offended you someone who's been naughty not nice just downright not nice someone who has offended so who are you unhappy with who is someone you've got this resentment is unforgiveness you're like I'm not sure I'm not sure what's the first face or name that comes to mind don't say it out loud just because that's usually a great identifier that we're holding somebody all right can't let us in on a little secret it hurts us more than it hurts them like Nick Wright who I love Nick raffia if he does something stupid I don't know which he never would that's why it's good to use him Ian runs his another guy to use because I couldn't imagine him doing anything stupid it was pick on nice people but imagine Nick did something really terrible to me and I'm really offended with him and he goes ah man sighs do you know didn't mean to do that but I'm now I'm offended I'm a hurt and I'm bitter and I'm getting angry about it let's go a week right a week I'm still hot under the collar about Nick and he doesn't know color my ear you good mate yeah awesome great see yeah it's great good to be in fellowship together in church a whole week goes by right a whole week goes by he does not know that I'm holding this in my heart he doesn't know how good you reckon my week would go so my week now suffers and he's having a great week so I've seen next week in church and I got hey Nick here's our man who had the best week that just adds salt to the wound right because I wasn't willing to let it go I've already had a bad week and what's worse is he's had a good week he shouldn't have a good week I should have a good week he should have a bad week this is why there is no greater love than a heart that lets go there is no greater love there is no other remedy or answer for saving yourself than letting the offense go I don't know how to explain it any other way then you must let it go there's a whole movie about it frozen that's the whole point your heart gets frozen if you don't let it go let it go you kind of let it go there is no greater love than a heart that it's get number two right so you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul come on Darwin that didn't sound like Darwin so if it's a heartful ego there's no greater love than a soul to be slow a soul that slows down a soul who is able to have pace on the inside and not be so frenetic and rushed because when your soul gets cluttered and it just stood up and it's just racing around all the time you miss things you skip things you step on people we we make actions we bump into each other it's a soul to be slow we have to learn to slow down and I know it's difficult in the society that we live in right now everything's fast and it seems like it's speeding up right someone said to me a little while ago don't you think life's getting fast like every year gets faster than the year before do you think time is speeding up I said no it sounds like it it feels like it but I think what's happening time is not speeding up the gaps are disappearing so we have no margin we use all our energy at work and get home arouse on the kids we use all of our sections to try and energy to try and win something and we get home and there's nothing left for our spouse we put all of our attention into something and there's nothing left to pray there's no margin there's no gaps we everything so fast it's frenetic and it's the pace that we live in and what I'm discovering more and more the big challenge for me is to keep pace run on the outside but walk slow on the inside and so when I talk about being slow don't even want to talk fast and walk fast I want to slow everything down because the physiology is a huge connection with the soul the psychiatrists and psychologists will tell you this Ian Ramsey will tell you this if you find yourself stuck in a situation where you can't get rid of you know what's going on the inside eternal terminal just stand up walk across the room just break it just break it what haven't you noticed that physically we run everything's fast fast but everything's run you gotta run up the stairs on Delos there's less leaves come on come on come on come on in then around the lift nest and it's fast right just slow down just if you don't need to just wait a moment why are we panic when the light goes red when we have an opportunity just to go why is it still red where's nothing green yet who is impressive I would hey what are you jump out and press a pedestrian closing cuz it'll go green quick I'm not the only one that's thought that there is no way to love than a heart to let go there's no greater love than a soul to be slow if you want attention if you want to pay attention and focus in on family and friends and loved ones you need a soul to go flow there's no greater love than a mind to change we're going to let it change our minds the reason I wrote a whole devotion 31-day is the whole of August for those that have been joining us I'm loving I wrote something recently I'm loving this devotion and I wrote it but it's actually really helpful for me again I've done it three times now and I'm loving it because it challenges me about change about changing my mind not getting so rigid and stuck but allowing the plasticity of the mind to reframe itself and rethink about things there is no way we know everything there is to know about God and if we're not careful we do get stuck in things we get stealthily and set in our ways stuck with mindsets and if we don't know everything there is to know about God we could accidentally stop thinking new thoughts we're going to let it change our mind about things there are way there are ways God thinks about things that we do not currently think if you want to worship God worship the laws you've got love God once you've been with all of your mind that looks like a mind that changes it has to be in mind that changes it cannot be in mind that is stuck on yesterday because God has not shown us everything what we know now we know in part says in Corinthians but one day we shall know fully as we are fully known years ago my mother said to me about my that her mom my grandma my grandma was getting older and just before she passed that you know sit on a few things and stuck in a few mint a letís and certain things would come out of a mouth and that would frustrate my mum and so my mum would say to me and to my brothers if I ever get like grandma like hit me do something like tell me like there's no way I want to be like that well you know years have passed now and I look at my mom and I'm like why is it so hard to say anything and you know what I learned from that because I've already found myself I'm only 47 but I've already found myself saying to my kids if I ever get like and I never finished the sentence because I think oh no I'm that person God deliver us from a concrete of mentality may we have the plasticity of the spirit to understand that there are things that we need to think differently about life of our culture of our society definitely about church and Kingdom about God there are a whole lot of things that we're going to worship God with all our mind it's a mind to change and the last one or your heart you saw your mind and you're come on talk to me your strength there is no greater love than a strength that in doers there is no greater love than a strength that enjoy us aren't you glad that Jesus injured on the cross aren't you glad that in the middle of what was painful he didn't go okay that's enough that's enough I'm God I'm coming down now now he injured he injured hostility of angry people against him it says in Hebrews 4 the joy set before him he endured the cross it didn't matter how painful it was because of the joy being so much stronger it's a strength that injures it's a tenacity that keeps going we step up and we keep moving I think one of the great things that people humans not just young people all people need today is the ability of resolve it's the ability to enjoy it the ability to stand in the trial it's the ability to keep going God I'm praying we pray every service we pray for a whole lot of prayer requests that we all put in and we write them together and we pray that God please change these and answer them and make them great but God if you don't in the words of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego if you don't see you tomorrow I want you to change things in my life god I don't want this pain on its suffering but even if it doesn't go see you tomorrow our society wants to give up if we don't get our way today we want to give up when it stop change fix it Nana I'm over it why don't we stay why don't we hold one of the great the essence of the Christian faith is the ability to endure the Bible says those that endured to the end shall be saved it's not just for now there is no greater love than a strength to endure for the sake of our children parents let's enjoy us some things let's enjoy us some marriage difficulties for the sake of our children for the sake of our partner for the sake of society let's enjoy some things have some strength that endures for the sake of God's kingdom and his message getting out let's enjoy us something that's not just run all right I like this church I had to wait for a car spot well let's just enjoy some things let's thank God that one day we pray that it be so full that we've not be able to get in and when we get in well I'm not coming back we had another church let us enjoy us some things let's realize that they're light and momentary afflictions are by far in superior to the glory that shall be revealed in us one day a strength that injurers and I want the coffee cup add I don't want the comma out upon church knees I'm offended come on a strength that injurers do you notice we knocked it off this church news okay we've actually meant to be the last add I might now get rid of it we know get your own coffee there's just so many little things right and there is no greater love coming that team to come back up my time is done come on rubes but I do want to read it one last one last verse and and I need to read it because it's the title of the message it's important John chapter 15 verse 12 and 13 this is my commandment Jesus speaking this is red-letter Sundays okay the words in red this is my commandment love each other in the same way I have loves you there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friend there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends no greater love will wear into the same instructions lay down a life for our friends how do you lay it down there is no greater love than a heart that will let things go that I sold it will slow down than a mind that will change in a strength of ones where there is no greater love that's how we actually put into practice the great commandment I feel challenged where do you find yourself in this story Jesus the crowd the Pharisees the angry ugly spirit and the woman I reckon all humanity is the woman that's where we find ourselves that's us in the story surrounded by a host of witnesses with the accuser of God's people the devil and with the law trying to be thrown at us and spammed on us you deserve to die you deserve how you deserve judgment because we've broken the law every human should say yes I do deserve it and down in humility with Jesus saying okay if you've never broken it you destroy them all the accusers are gone they've all left it's all silent now with the hosts of heaven watching on Jesus bends down to you he Stoops down he says where are your accusers is there no one left to condemn you and humanity says they're all God Jesus says will neither do I neither do i condemn you go and leave your life of sin the grace allows the acceptance of God there is no greater love then the love that Jesus displayed on the cross by giving up his life that everyone who chooses him would truly live at someone who's grateful [Applause] can we stand together can we take a moment to worship Him wherever you are come on Darwin hobo from Brisbane West Church of the air in Landrum's just stand with us to stand with us just worship for a moment [Music] you Oh [Music] [Music] and sharing Oh little out of humor ha Oh [Music] there [Music] come on let's preach dad you're a man [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Music] there is no other name no greater name no greater name in the name of Jesus no matter where humanity tries to find life we will always come up short because we've broken God's glorious standard we've broken his law broken his commands there is no chance for any person any people any language any culture there is no chance of life outside the name of Jesus there is no greater love and the loves are put in the hands to lay down their lives for their friends we see that no clearer in the person of Jesus the Bible says that God loved the world so much not just the world as in plants and in animals he loves that but when he's talking about the whole world is talking about populace the people the persons God love people so much that He gave His only Son Jesus to die on the cross listen to the last part of the verse that whoever believes in him would not have to perish for their sins that could have everlasting life all that's left for men and women children all over the planet every person no matter who you are all that's left is for every person to say yes to Jesus we're so glad that you with us today in church we're going to pray a prayer together we do this every time we gather for hundreds of people to say yes to Jesus open your heart to God ask God to come into your life ask Jesus to forgive you give you a brand new start I'm going to pray a prayer a short prayer or pray it slowly our whole church is going to pray it so that you can pray along with us ok so if you're in church of the air if you're online Hillsong channel especially if you're with us in Darwin or Hobart or Brisbane here in Sydney if you're in welcome now just parenting lounges wherever you are looking after your kids if you can hear my voice just stop just stop if you want to give your life to Jesus make your peace with God would you pray this prayer with us we're going to all pray it out loud together I'm going to count to three when I get the thrill when every person who wants to pray this prayer as soon as I get to three I just want you to lift your hand where you're standing and it will all pray this together you can pray with us can we close our eyes bow our heads in prayer without any hesitation wherever you are in our church right now if you want to pray this prayer on three just lift your hand up and join others that are about that at the end and we'll pray this all at the same time you ready on three one two three lift your hand just lift it lift your hands right where you are it's wonderful come on in Perth in Darwin in Hobart in Brisbane church of the air here it hills wherever you are lift your hand if that's you wonderful okay I'm going to pray this prayer out loud why don't we all pray this together out loud see Jesus come on across the link say Jesus I believe that you are the son of God I believe that you died on the cross for me I believe that you rose from the dead so that I can have your power to live a life for you to come into my life Jesus forgive me of all my sins give me a brand-new star and help me live for you all the days of my life amen it's wonderful congratulations thank you [Music] that's so great it really is what we have a Bible that we want to try and get to everyone that prayed that prayer if you lifted your hand one of our team we're going to try and get one of these to you if you don't get given one or you didn't put up your hand on your way out the easiest way is on your way out on through the exit doors wherever you are and just stop on your way out and so I prayed that prayer at the end can I get one of those free Bibles they'll give you one of these as a card on the back if you just take it off and fill it in it takes you a moment and it just helps us help you take that next step with it hundreds of these Bibles we're not going to run out please come and get your Bible it'll be absolutely amazing thanks for being at church today Sam services yours come on great a lot of people put a hand together hey how do we thank Joe hey i'm joel i up a download of the iGrow app and can I say it was awesome following the message on that it's all there so may that was great thanks hey I'm sorry little side though there look I want to pray for all of us before we leave and just don't believe that the blessing of God goes before you this week don't forget tonight Sunday Night Live with singer it will be pumping right across all our locations bring people honestly it's going to be great let me pray for you let me believe God for you father thank you father again we just thank you for the challenge of your word that it lifts us to be more like Jesus and I pray as we go I thank you that your blessing your hand your favors already gone before your people and may we have the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus this week and father we thank you for what you've done we put a seal on it in Jesus name amen god bless you god bless you specially if you have LinkedIn say tonight

Channel: Hillsong Church

Views: 25,151

Rating: 4.9098592 out of 5

Keywords: jesus, hillsong, praise, worship, joel a'bell

Id: LyfUeuvCUIE

Length: 87min 14sec (5234 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 19 2017